Andrea Dovizioso (Mission Winnow Ducati) takes an incredible victory at the VisitQatar Grand Prix after an epic desert duel between five riders in the latter stages ends with the Italian beating Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) by 0.023, with Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda Castrol) beating Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) and Valentino Rossi (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) to P3 – the top five split by just 0.6 seconds…
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Switching positions in some close but fair racing, it was a duel to remember and still they were able to keep the gap to the group behind. That group behind were locked in their own war, however, and some shuffling for position between Putra, rookie Herjan Firdaus, Afridza Munandar, Tatchakorn Buasri and Shoki Igarashi creating some classic IATC moves.
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Despite taking the holeshot, Vierge started to slip backwards, dropping from second to fifth inside four corners on lap seven. Dynavolt Intact GP´s Marcel Schrötter, Remy Gardner (ONEXOX TKKR SAG Team) and his EG 0,0 Marc VDS teammate Alex Marquez all making their way past the Catalan.
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The lead was changing every lap as the slipstream effect came into play down the front straight, but it was Toba who led onto the final lap, with the Leopard Racing duo tucked in behind. The Japanese rider got his head down and suddenly, himself, Dalla Porta and Canet had forged a small gap to the following pack as it soon became a three-way fight for the win. Coming into Turn 16, Dalla Porta had the advantage but Toba used the slipstream to full effect, powering past his fellow Honda rider down the straight to take the chequered flag in P1, becoming the first Idemitsu Asia Talent Cup Champion to win a Grand Prix. Dalla Porta settled for P2, with Canet coming home third to give himself and Max Biaggi a podium in Qatar.
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Top 10:
1. Remy Gardner (ONEXOX TKKR SAG Team) 1:59.195
2. Augusto Fernandez (Flexbox HP 40) + 0.103
3. Marcel Schrötter (Dynavolt Intact GP) + 0.163
4. Lorenzo Baldassarri (Flexbox HP 40) + 0.194
5. Nicolo Bulega (SKY Racing Team VR46) + 0.268
6. Alex Marquez (EG 0,0 Marc VDS) + 0.287
7. Luca Marini (SKY Racing Team VR46) + 0.306
8. Xavi Vierge (EG 0,0 Marc VDS) + 0.437
9. Tetsuta Nagashima (ONEXOX TKKR SAG Team) + 0.491
10. Tom Lüthi (Dynavolt Intact GP) + 0.515
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1. Aron Canet (Sterilgarda Max Racing Team) 2:06.097
2 Niccolo Antonelli (SIC58 Squadra Corse) + 0.267.
3. Celestino Vietti (SKY Racing Team VR46) + 0.433
4. Romano Fenati (Snipers Team) + 0.546
5. Jaume Masia (Bester Capital Dubai) + 0.569
6. Vicente Perez (Reale Avinita Arizona) + 0.576
7. Lorenzo Dalla Porta (Leopard Racing Team) + 0.597
8. Tatsuki Suzuki (SIC58 Squadra Corse) + 0.652
9. Alonso Lopez (Estrella Galicia 0,0) + 0.671
10. Andrea Migno (Bester Capital Dubai) + 0.856
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In typical Queensland fashion, Round 1 of the Yamaha Australian Off-Road Championship (AORC) kicked off in steamy conditions, with temperatures reaching into the mid-thirties, alongside dry, dusty conditions.
A new highly technical WR 450 Track pushed the world-class line-up from start to finish as they fought for podium real estate, with Daniel Milner quickest on track for Round 1.
With the completion of Day 1 (Round 1) Luke Styke claimed the E1 victory, Daniel Milner took out E2, Daniel Sanders claimed E3 and newcomer to the Senior category Kyron Bacon won EJ.
On Day 2 (Round 2) of the AORC, Toowoomba’s temperatures and dry conditions put the world class line-up to a final test. With the sun beating down competitors tackled a new Off-Road Advantage Track that demanded strong technical skill.
Coming out on top after the three tests was Lyndon Snodgrass for E1, Daniel Milner for E2, Daniel Sanders for E3 and Kyron Bacon for EJ.
“I gelled well with the KTM 350 EXC-F this weekend and it’s an unbelievable package for technical terrain like we had here in Toowoomba. My weekend was awesome, I just tried to stay smooth and consistent without many mistakes, even though we did have a couple of lay-downs along the way! I think every rider did. All in all, I’m absolutely stoked with how the first two rounds have started off the series and now I’m excited for the next event.”
“To win both days in E3 was good, especially battling up front with [Daniel] Milner for the overall, so it was a strong weekend. The Husqvarna FE 501 was definitely competitive for me and I will keep working to gain strength so I can throw it around more to make the most of it in the coming rounds. It’s been a positive start to the season and now we will look ahead from this stage in the season.”
The Junior competitors in classes J2, J3 and J4 faced a challenging Day 1 (Round 1) test on the Yamaha bLU cRU Track that forced a reliance on technical skill, with the Sprint format demanding the fastest test time every time, and proved the undeniable skill that continues to emerge from Australia’s junior Enduro talent. Upon the close of the day’s action, Billy Hargy took out the best time for J2, Campbell O’Donnell for J3 and Blake Hollis for J4.
In true Australian Junior Enduro fashion, Round 2 proved how strong the emerging Enduro talent is, racing the same bLU cRU Track as Round 1. Coming out on top for Round 2 on the bLU cRU Track was Jett Arnold for J2, Riley McGillivray for J3, and Blake Hollis for J4.
Toowoomba also greeted the Women’s, Masters, Veterans and 2-Stroke Cup, as they tackled the five tests on the nearly eight kilometre track. Coming out on top for Day 1 of the 2019 AORC season was Jessica Gardiner for the Women’s class, Kirk Hutton for the Masters, Lee Stephens for the Veterans and Adam Giles for the 2 Stroke Cup.
Over three tests on the WR 450 Track, the Round 2 titles were fought out by the Masters, Women’s, Veterans and 2 Stroke Cup classes, with the wins awarded to Jessica Gardiner for the Women’s, Kirk Hutton for the Masters, Lee Stephens for the Veterans, and Adam Giles for the 2-Stroke Cup!
Reigning E1 Champion, Styke, maintained his place at the top of his class, achieving the fastest test times in E1 on Day 1. Styke finished ahead of Lyndon Snodgrass (KTM Enduro Racing Team) and Michael Driscoll (Active8 Yamaha Yamalube) to take out the gold, with a time of 1:00:11.804.
Snodgrass continued to apply the pressure to Styke throughout the day, finishing just under 23 seconds behind the reigning Champion. Taking out the remaining spots in the top five was Fraser Higlett (Husqvarna Enduro Racing Team) and homegrown Australian legend, Matthew Phillips (MX Store, KTM), with a time of 1:01:27.354 and 1:03:22.590 respectively.
Arriving at the new Off-Road Advantage Track on Day 2 (Round 2), Lyndon Snodgrass came in with a point to prove. Managing the new track’s conditions alongside stifling heat, Snodgrass grappled with his bike to clinch a first place victory ahead of Round 1 Champion, Luke Styke by just over four seconds!
“Overall it was a good weekend for me! I didn’t feel super-confident in the sketchy conditions, but to get second yesterday and then win today is a good feeling and I’m really happy with the result. Riding the KTM 250 EXC-F is awesome for me, it’s really light and handles so well, which was positive for me this weekend. To get these results in such tough conditions is definitely good for the KTM Enduro Racing Team. Round 2 featured a different track that was more technical than yesterday. Coming into today I made some small changes, studied the new track extensively during yesterday’s walk, and today ended up being a lot better!”
Closing out the podium in third place today was Michael Driscoll, who flew ahead of his trailing competitors to clinch the final podium spot for two days running. Fraser Higlett claimed fourth for the second day in a row.
“It was a tough weekend for me, that’s for sure. The results weren’t what I wanted, but I pushed through and scored decent points, which is good. This gives me something to work from for the rest of the year and I know where I can be if I put it all together. I did have a few good test times, but struggled with some crashes this weekend, and I hope that the next rounds are more positive in terms of results. My Husqvarna FE 250 was really solid all weekend though, so now we will look ahead to the next one.”
MX Store’s Matthew Phillips retired earlier today due to an injury.
2018 treated Milner well, and Round 1 of the new 2019 season proved no exception. Milner finished with the fastest time for the day in the E2 class, while maintaining a steady lead over the five tests.
Upon the close of test five, Milner clocked in a time of 58:12.545, ahead of Joshua Green (Active8 Yamaha Yamalube) by just under two minutes, and Jeremy Carpentier (Yamaha MX Store Ballards Off-Road Team) by just shy of three minutes.
Broc Grabham and Brad Hardaker took out the remaining spots in the top five, with just under 12 seconds separating Hardaker from Grabham’s time of 1:05:06.627.
Taking out a consecutive round title on Day 2, was Daniel Milner, who remained well ahead of the pack throughout the day. Regardless of tough conditions and yesterday’s crash in the final laps, Milner remained steadfast to clinch both the Round 2 E2 title as well as the fastest time for the day!
Landing in second place, just over three minutes behind Milner was Josh Green, who finished off the day’s three tests with a time of 38:33.191 ahead of Jeremy Carpentier. Carpentier closed off the podium ahead of Broc Grabham, with a time of 39:03.107.
“The biggest thing I took out from this weekend was the right technical skills are required to ride my new 350. Yesterday I found myself struggling in navigating the track, keeping the ball rolling and knowing what gear to ride. It doesn’t matter how hard we test in the off season, conditions seen today really put you to the test! All in all it was an awesome weekend for me, and I’ve picked up where I left off from last year. Everyone on the field seems to be getting faster, and it really goes to show that us Aussie riders are putting it to the world.”
Round 1 saw Sanders kick off the E3 with a difficult start, crashing in the first test. In his typical fashion though, Sanders remain cool and collected, picking himself up and dusting himself off to take out the fastest time for the E3 class.
With a time of 58:18.484, Sanders was trailed by Beau Ralston by just over four minutes, followed on by Andrew Wilksch (Motul Pirelli Sherco Racing Team). Finishing up the top five places in Round 1 was Jesse Lawton and Matt Murry, with respective times of 1:06:09.427 and 1:08:07.233.
Closing off Day 2 of the weekend with two consecutive E3 title wins was Sanders, leading the charge ahead of the competition by just shy of three minutes. Sanders finished the day with a time of 37:27.786. Trailing behind in second place was Andrew Wilksch, who maintained a strong presence across the weekend to hold onto his place in the top three for the E3 class!
“It was a pretty successful weekend finished off with some Champaign to boot. I experienced some crashes this weekend but kept my body healthy to recover as quickly as I could. Coming out of this weekend I know how much harder I need to work on my fitness to close those gaps ahead of Dungog next month.”
Rounding out the podium in third place for Round 2 was Beau Ralston, finishing behind Wilksch by just over 20 seconds, with a time of 40:31.481.
Coming out on top on Day 1 in EJ was Bacon, who maintained a consistent form all day regardless of the heat or dust. Bacon retained high speeds and clear focus to remain in the top two of the leader board all day.
Bacon finished the day with a time of 1:03:47.489, ahead of Joshua Brierley who finished the day on 1:04:06.772. Third place was clinched by Harrison Teed, coming in hot on Brierley’s heels with a final time of 1:05:20.839. Rounding out the top five was William Price and Korey McMahon, with respective times of 1:06:57.405 and 1:07:55.681.
Reflecting the day’s events, Bacon explained that ‘the heat was a struggle, but the hardest aspect to manage was the dust. The conditions changed throughout the day as each test passed, making it even harder to remain fast and consistent.
On Day 2 (Round 2) in the EJ class, Bacon left Toowoomba with two deserving titles under his belt, after leading the charge to finish just shy of 50 seconds ahead of second place holder, Joshua Brierley.
“I had an awesome day today ending up in the top ten fastest times for one of the tests. Hopefully we can continue to back up the success this weekend in Dungog next month.”
Brierley finished with a time of 41:09.418, with Harrison Teed taking out the final podium position with a time today of 41:53.032. With such a small length of time separating the top three in EJ this weekend, great racing is expected at Rounds 3 & 4 in Dungog, New South Wales (NSW) next month.
Already a household name in Australian Enduro racing, Blake Hollis finished Round 1 with the best time of 10:32.818. Hollis sat pretty amid the heat and dust, ahead of Mackenzie Johnson by just over a minute, with Johnson finishing today with a time of 54:32.036. Rounding out the J4 podium today was Zac Perry with a time of 55.33.284.
Dominating once again in Round 2 on Sunday in the J4 class was Hollis, who increased his lead throughout today’s challenging conditions to just over one minute. With a time of 40:11.651, Hollis found his feet early in the first of four tests, moving faster and faster as the day progressed. Following Hollis in second was Mackenzie Johnson, with a time of 41:29.590. Rounding out the podium in third today was Oscar Collins, with a time of 41:58.118.
Campbell O’Donnell clinched a top time for the J3 class on Day 1 of 55:19.273, slipping ahead rival Riley McGillivray by just over six seconds! The final podium position was nabbed by Kodi Stephens with a time of 56:49.768.
Round 1 delivered a showstopping performance as the three podium holders exhibited proof of Australia’s leading junior talent in Enduro raving, with O’Donnell, McGillivray and Stephens each landing a fastest time in one of the five tests.
After finishing second in Round 1 (Saturday), McGillivray came into Day 2 with confidence, finishing the four tests to take out first place. With a time of 40:57.774, McGillivray remained strong and consistent all day to take the lead.
“My plans this weekend were to stay smooth and consistent, whilst putting in the best laps I could manage. Coming from Victoria, I definitely struggled with the heat yesterday, so today I worked really hard on keeping cool. This round has given me a heap of experience and has shown me what I’m going up against this season in the J3 class.”
Taking out the remaining places on the podium for Round 2 was Campbell O’Donnell and William Dennett, with respective times of 41:25.296 and 43:17.461.
AORC J3 Round 1 Provisional Results
Taking out the best time for Round 1 in the J2 class was Billy Hargy with a time of 57:11.271. Second place was clinched by Campbell Hall, who came in hot after Hargy with a time of 57:27.053. Hargy and Hall maintained a classic Tango throughout the days tests, as each fought for fastest times across the five tests. Taking out the final podium place for Round 1 was Jett Yarnold with a time of 58:38.884.
Taking the win Round 2 in J3 was Jett Arnold on Sunday, leading the charge ahead of his rivals by just over forty seconds. Arnold took some time to find his feet during today’s four tests, but once the confidence set in, he flew through the remainder of the day, finishing with a time of 43:59.560.
Following Arnold in second place for Round 2 was Campbell Hall, with a time of 44:40.490. Rounding out the podium today in J2 was Max Phillips, with a time of 45:00.793
Reigning Women’s Champion, Jessica Gardiner, commenced the 2019 season in perfect form as she pursues her campaign to smash the Women’s title record out of the park.
Gardiner finished Day 1 with a time of 1:13:37.414, ahead of Emelie Karlsson by just shy of two minutes. Karlsson finished the day with a time of 1:15:26.672, managing both the high heats, dust and her recovering foot injury to grab second place. Ebony Nielsen trailed Karlsson to take out third place for Round 1 by just under three minutes.
On Sunday’s Round 1 on the WR 450F Track, Gardiner remained a dominating force in the Women’s class, taking out a consecutive round win! Living up to her campaign in chasing the current record for the Women’s titles, Gardiner lead the class by just over three minutes!
Landing in second behind Gardiner was Emma Milesevic with a time of 47:36.299. A maiden voyage in Enduro racing for Milesevic, who currently continues to compete in Motocross, today’s racing proved her growing comfort in the new discipline.
“So far so good! I’m still racing in Motocross as well, but I’m loving the challenge and change in riding Enduro. I’m trying to bring the same speed and aggression from my Motocross racing, whilst also refining my technical skills.”
Third place was clinched by Ebony Nielsen, who managed an impressive weekend to hold onto the final podium spot, with a time of 48:16.332.
Returning to the AORC pits in Masters is household name, Kirk Hutton, who took out the best time for the class on Day 1 of 1:10:43.091. Moving from the Veteran’s class to Masters, Hutton made a seamless switch to his new class, leading the charge ahead of Timothy Martin by just over four minutes! Rounding out the podium today in third place was John Baker with a time of 1:17:56.029.
Come Round 2, Hutton put on a repeat performance to lead the charge on the WR 450F Track, juggling both a highly technical test and stifling Queensland heats to a 44:12.694 time.
“Today was a little bit harder than yesterday considering we tackled the Pro’s track, which was tough straight from the get go. It was unfortunate that we didn’t have any rain because the conditions made it that bit more difficult. The competition this weekend has been great, making it an absolute pleasure to compete in a sport I love. I haven’t seen Tim Martin since 1996, so it was fantastic to race against one another once again.”
Filling out the remaining podium positions was Timothy Martin and John Baker, with a time of 45:34.107 and 47:36.194 respectively.
Kicking off the opening round of the 2019 season, Lee Stephens came out on top with a time of 1:10:18.984, ahead of Benjamin D’Arcy by just shy of two minutes! Taking out the final place on the podium in third was Matthew Keipert with a time of 1:12:23.882.
Today’s competition across the field in the Veterans class was fierce, with many of the top 10 placed featuring in the top three times across the five tests.
Stephens continued his domination on Sunday’s Round 2, clinching consecutive class wins, leading the Veterans by just over 20 seconds! With a time of 43:19.237, Stephens was trailed by Matthew Keipert, who finished with a time of 43:43.326.
Nabbing the final podium position in third, was Christopher Thomas, who finished behind Keipert by just over forty seconds!
In an exciting first for the 2019 season, AORC welcomed the new 2-Stroke Cup category, catering for 125cc up to 250cc machinery. Taking out the top spot in Round 1 was Adam Giles with a time of 1:10:52.544.
Trailing behind Giles to take out second place was John Isherwood, with a time of 1:15:40.846. Rounding out the podium for the 2 Stroke Cup was Todd Charlick, following on behind Isherwood by just over three minutes.
It ended as a very successful weekend for Adam Giles, who has left Toowoomba with two class trophies under his belt following Sunday’s racing of Round 2. Giles dominated during the three tests, keeping ahead of his competition to finish the day with just over a four-minute lead!
The remaining podium positions were clinched by John Isherwood and Todd Charlick, with respective times of 46:53.488 and 48:56.977. The 2-Stroke Cup will return as a supporting class at Dungog, New South Wales, from April 6-7.
Source: MCNews.com.au
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Join Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK as the new WorldSBK season comes to life in episode 3 of Green Lines. Full episode 👉 https://youtu.be/Z7Uyv7GAGxg #MonsterEnergy #WorldSBK
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Bacon and Gardiner again victorious in Toowoomba EJ and Women’s categories.
Image: Foremost Media.
A dust-filled second round of the 2019 Yamaha Australian Off-Road Championship (AORC) was completed today in Toowoomba, Queensland, with Daniel Milner, Daniel Sanders and Lyndon Snodgrass emerging on top.
Milner was once again the class of the field to lead the way outright in the Sprints, resulting in an E2 class win for the KTM Enduro Racing Team rider.
Stepping across to the KTM 350 EXC-F in the mid-tier for this season, Milner topped Josh Green (Yamaha Active8 Yamalube Racing) and fellow Yamaha pilot Jeremy Carpentier for the round. Broc Grabham (Honda) and Brad Hardaker (Yamaha) rounded out the top five.
Image: Foremost Media.
In E3, now aboard the Husqvarna Enduro Racing Team FE 501, there was no stopping Sanders, well clear of Andy Wilksch (Motul Pirelli Sherco Team) and Husqvarna desert racer Beau Ralston. In fourth and fifth positions came Jesse Lawton (Husqvarna) and Matt Murry (Husqvarna).
The hard-fought E1 field was today topped by former E3 champion Snodgrass, edging defending title-holder Styke for position following a strong showing in the opening test. Behind that pair came newcomer Michael Driscoll (Yamaha Active8 Yamalube Racing), from Fraser Higlett (Husqvarna Enduro Racing Team) and Jonte Reynders (Yamaha).
Image: Foremost Media.
Four-time EnduroGP world champion Matthew Phillips (KTM) ended up well down the order in 16th today, understood to have injured his knee early on this morning. Only three special tests were carried out today due to the extreme dry conditions.
It was better news for Phillips’ stablemate Kyron Bacon (KTM) as he won the EJ class for the second day in a row, while the Women’s class once again saw Jessica Gardiner (Yamaha) shine on her way to the round win.
The 2019 AORC series will resume on 6-7 April when rounds three and four are hosted in Dongog, New South Wales. Both of those will be contested as Enduro formats.
Source: MotoOnline.com.au