Americans Justin Brayton and Jacob Hayes made it an American double victory at the opening round of the 2019 Australian Supercross Championship held at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre on Saturday the 12th of October.
Justin Brayton topped both SX1 finals to claim the full 25 championship points and the series lead for Penrite Honda. CDR Yamaha’s Daniel Reardon took second overall on 22-points thanks to 3-2 results across the two mains and CDR team-mate Luke Clout completed the podium on 20-points after posting 4-3 results.
Dan Reardon – 2019 Australian Supercross Championship – Round 1, Brisbane
American Josh Osby won the opening SX2 Final ahead of Serco Yamaha’s Aaron Tanti and Jacob Hayes. Hayes was victorious in the second bout to take the championship lead after Osby only managed a fifth place finish in the final race.
23-year-old Sydney-sider Aaron Tanti (2-3) was second for the round while Penrite Honda’s Chris Blose (4-2) rounded out the overall podium.
SX1
SX1 Qualifying
Penrite Honda Factory Racing’s Justin Brayton started his perfect night by setting the fastest time of 22.526-seconds in qualifying, with CDR Yamaha’s Luke Clout within half-a-second with a lap time of 22.994s, and CDR Yamaha team-mate Dan Reardon third fastest.
SX 1 Heat 1 (Top Four to Mains / 5th-9th to B-Main)
The opening SX1 heat was dominated by Clout, the Yamaha pilot grabbing the holeshot and leading from start to finish.
Luke Clout – 2019 Australian Supercross Championship – Round 1, Brisbane
Husqvarna privateer Jesse Dobson momentarily held down second position until he ran into trouble, allowing current MX1 National Motocross Champion Todd Waters and his DPH Husqvarna to move into second place, with Empire Kawasaki’s Lawson Bopping in third.
Yamaha Yamalube’s Richie Evans and SB Suzuki ECSTAR racer Jayden Rykers were locked in a race-long battle for the fourth and final transfer spot, with Rykers sealing the deal with a forceful pass in the final lap of the race, leaving Evans on the ground and off to the B main.
SX 1 Heat 2 (Top Four to Mains / 5th-9th to B-Main)
Penrite Honda’s Brett Metcalfe led the second heat early on ahead of the Davey Motorsports KTM machine of Caleb Ward, but both riders soon had to deal with Brayton, the current three-time Australian SX champ quickly making his way around Ward and latching onto his team-mates’ back wheel.
Brett Metcalfe & Dan Reardon – 2019 Australian Supercross Championship – Round 1, Brisbane
With three laps remaining, Brayton made a decisive move by Metcalfe to take the race win. Empire Kawasaki’s Dylan Long looked as though he was happy to settle for fourth and final direct qualifying position, but with just two laps to go Reardon – who had crashed on the opening lap – closed in on his back wheel, forcing Long to make a move on Ward for third.
Dylan Long – 2019 Australian Supercross Championship – Round 1, Brisbane
On the final lap, Reardon was also able to move around Ward, securing himself a spot in the night’s double-header main event, while Ward was forced to the B-Main that would also double as the last chance qualifying race.
SX 1 B-Main (Top 2 to Finals – 3rd-10th awarded 11th to 18th for the round)
With all racing providing bar banging action across the night, the expectation for the B-main with only the top two riders progressing to the nights A-mains was for an all-out war for the final two spots in the night’s big event.
However, it was not the case as Richie Evans and British racer Gradie Featherstone aboard his KSF Yamaha rounded the opening turn in first and second positions and held those spots comfortably until the end of the race.
Caleb Ward once again held down third spot until the final lap where he was passed by Honda Red rider Joel Wightman, leaving them 11th and 12th overall for the round.
SX 1 Final 1
Justin Brayton once again led home his Australian competition, taking the lead from the start, with Lawson Bopping and Brett Metcalfe in tow.
On lap three Metcalfe moved into second position and was able to keep Brayton in sight, but Brayton was too good – winning by just over four-seconds, Metcalfe in second position and Dan Reardon third.
Luke Clout recovered from a bad start to climb his way through to fourth, with Bopping holding on to finish in fifth position.
SX1 Final 2
In a repeat of the opening final, Brayton jumped to the race lead early, with Metcalfe once again on his rear wheel along with Reardon.
The race out front quickly became a two-horse race after Metcalfe came off second best in a battle with Reardon that left the South Australian on the backside of a berm and scrambling to get back on track.
Back out front Brayton ran away to another four-second win to cap off a perfect night of racing for the American.
Justin Brayton
“That was awesome, to be honest, it was a big relief to get that one out of the way. You never quite know coming into round one, I have done a lot of preparation myself, but you can never underestimate these guys, with the guys next to me and riders like Metty, the list is long. I just love coming over here, thanks to everyone welcoming me, this is my fourth year and it is my families second home, thanks for Penrite Honda and Yarrive for having me every year, it has been fun.”
Reardon held on to second place for the race and an amazing second-place finish overall after being on the ground at the start of the first final.
Dan Reardon
“We will take second place, the indoor race can be a funny round, it can be a little bit excitable and as I said coming in, standing on the box regardless of the position would be good. Your night can turn upside down pretty quickly. The whole day went pretty good, I had some ups and downs and I did not ride that good in the first final and it sort of lingered into the second one, but we will take it.”
Dan Reardon – 2019 Australian Supercross Championship – Round 1, Brisbane
Rounding out the podium for the round was Luke Clout with a third-place finish in the second Final.
Luke Clout
“We had a couple of crashes in practice, but it’s always good to get those out the way in practice while learning the track and pushing the track. I am a little bit angry with myself, I didn’t get off to the best starts, but my riding was pretty good, so I have to go back and keep working. It has been a stressful week this week, you can definitely lose a championship at the first round, even more so at an indoor round, so to come out of here with a third, and being on the box is as good as a win for me.”
Luke Clout – 2019 Australian Supercross Championship – Round 1, Brisbane
Metcalfe recovered to finish fifth in the second final, ending the night fourth overall, one position ahead of Dylan Long who quietly went about finishing an impressive fifth overall for the round, thanks to a fine fourth place finish in the final race of the night.
Smarty’s Weekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop
The LATEST News
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Barcia OUT!
2019 A4DE cancelled
Team Australia sorted for 2019 WJMX
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Entries open for 2019 Australian Classic Dirt Track Championship
Another Kawasaki sweep at Denver AMA SX
Denver was the 15th straight weekend of the AMA Supercross Championship and it was Eli Tomac who kept his slim 450SX championship hopes alive with a win over Cooper Webb. Meanwhile Adam Cianciarulo extended his narrow championship lead in the penultimate 250 West Coast main with a win over his closest rival Dylan Ferrandis.
Tomac, Savatgy, Webb – AMA Supercross Round 15 Denver – Image by Hoppenworld
There were several extra challenges for the riders at Denver, the first being the freezing cold, in fact, the first practice session was cancelled because of the snow all over the circuit. Horse-power sucking altitude also caused issues as the riders stretched their way over some of the trickier jump combinations, and finally the cold soil became hard and slippery leaving the riders fighting for traction on what ended up being a relatively one-lined layout.
450SX Report
Marvin Musquin grabbed the holeshot over Joey Savatgy, Ryan Breece, Justin Bogle, Webb, Tomac and Zach Osborne and as Breece dropped outside the top ten, Tomac was storming forward to pass Webb, Bogle, Savatgy and finally Musquin to take the lead by the end of lap four.
Justin Bogle – AMA Supercross Round 15 Denver – Image by Hoppenworld
All eyes were on Webb who looked patient in fifth but steadily, and I mean steadily, the championship leader moved by Bogle and Savatgy to take the final podium position but Cooper was not done and methodically closed in to pass teammate Musquin for second and that is where they all stayed to the line with Tomac taking the win from Webb, Musquin, Bogle and Savatgy.
Joey Savatgy – AMA Supercross Round 15 Denver – Image by Hoppenworld
Behind the front runners we saw Blake Baggett, Ken Roczen, Osborne, Josh Grant and Justin Hill rounding out the top ten while Cole Seely and Dean Wilson were both involved in separate crashes that ended with neither rider crossing the finish line.
Ken Roczen, Zach Osborne – AMA Supercross Round 15 Denver – Image by Hoppenworld
With just the East Rutherford and Las Vegas rounds remaining, Webb holds an 18-point lead over Tomac while Musquin sits a further 5 points back.
Eli Tomac
“That was the loudest race I have ever been in with the crowd noise, it was so much fun, gosh, it wouldn’t be Denver without some snow, we even rode in hail on Wednesday, but what a cool day for us, luckily the track stayed good so overall a pretty good weekend.”
Eli Tomac – AMA Supercross Round 15 Denver – Image by Hoppenworld
Cooper Webb
“We were hitting first gear in a couple of places (because of the horsepower loss) and then when it started snowing you almost had to laugh it off, in the end the track was dry and slick, you had to have good throttle control but overall the crowd was really into it which was cool and there was some good racing so it was a good weekend for me.”
Cooper Webb – AMA Supercross Round 15 Denver – Image by Hoppenworld
Marvin Musquin
“Coming into this weekend we knew it was going to be tough on the bikes (horsepower wise), the track was super slick but I did my best, I am glad I got a good start and had a better feeling in the main to land on the podium.”
Marvin Musquin – AMA Supercross Round 15 Denver – Image by Hoppenworld
450SX Main Event Results
Eli Tomac
Cooper Webb
Marvin Musquin
Justin Bogle
Joey Savatgy
Blake Baggett
Ken Roczen
Zach Osborne
Joshua Grant
Justin Hill …19. Cole Seely …20. Dean Wilson
450SX Podium – AMA Supercross Round 15 Denver – Image by Hoppenworld
450SX Points after 15 of 17 Rounds
Cooper Webb – 332
Eli Tomac – 314
Marvin Musquin – 309
Ken Roczen – 283
Blake Baggett – 255
Dean Wilson – 223
Joey Savatgy – 192
Cole Seely – 180
Justin Bogle – 157
Justin Barcia – 154
Chad Reed – 151
250 West Coast Report
Rookie Michael Mosiman earned the holeshot from Cianciarulo, Gareth Marchbanks, Jimmy Decotis, RJ Hampshire and Dylan Ferrandis so the expectation was that Cianciarulo would move to the lead and check out. But Mosiman was enjoying his time at the front to keep the championship leader at bay for a full six laps.
AMA Supercross Round 15 Denver – Start – Image by Hoppenworld
Just as Cianciarulo moved into the lead, Ferrandis slotted into third with a move on Decotis and it wasn’t long before both Ferrandis and is teammate Colt Nichols sliced by Mosiman for second and third.
Dylan Ferrandis – AMA Supercross Round 15 Denver – Image by Hoppenworld
That was where the main players remained to the flag with Cianciarulo taking maximum points over Ferrandis, Nichols, Hampshire, Mosiman and Cameron McAdoo.
Michael Mosiman – AMA Supercross Round 15 Denver – Image by Hoppenworld
Cianciarulo takes an eight-point lead over Ferrandis as they head to Vegas for the East/West Shootout in two weeks’ time so nothing is in stone as far as this championship goes.
Adam Cianciarulo
“I, like most was struggling with the lack of horsepower and the dirt got really hard and slick but luckily I had a good night, I felt pretty good in those conditions, I can’t say enough about the crowd, they were unreal so a shout out to those guys.”
Adam Cianciarulo & Michael Mosiman – AMA Supercross Round 15 Denver – Image by Hoppenworld
Dylan Ferrandis
“It wasn’t a great weekend, the temperature made it not so much fun to ride for me in particular, I struggled to get warm, I know it is the same for everyone but for me it was difficult so to be second is good.”
Dylan Ferrandis & Colt Nichols – AMA Supercross Round 15 Denver – Image by Hoppenworld
Colt Nichols
“It was definitely different with the snow during practice but the track was pretty simple but became technical with the way the soil was so you had to be on your toes, overall we are happy, third is good, we needed to start a little better but all good.”
Colt Nichols – AMA Supercross Round 15 Denver – Image by Hoppenworld
250 West Coast Main Event Results
Adam Cianciarulo
Dylan Ferrandis
Colt Nichols
RJ Hampshire
Michael Mosiman
Cameron McAdoo
James Decotis
Justin Starling
Dylan Merriam
Enzo Lopes
250SX West Podium – AMA Supercross Round 15 Denver – Image by Hoppenworld
250 West Coast Points after 9 of 10 Rounds
Adam Cianciarulo – 208
Dylan Ferrandis – 200
Colt Nichols – 163
RJ Hampshire – 145
James Decotis – 128
Michael Mosiman – 128
Cameron McAdoo – 128
Shane McElrath – 123
Chris Blose – 119
Garrett Marchbanks – 100
250 East Coast Points after 7 of 9 Rounds
Austin Forkner – 151
Chase Sexton – 148
Justin Cooper – 144
Martin Davalos – 115
Mitchell Oldenburg – 105
Alex Martin – 105
Brandon Hartranft – 100
Kyle Peters – 98
Kyle Cunningham – 97
Jordon Bailey – 76
Smarty’s Weekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop
Gibbs, Todd and Duffy Win at Broadford MX Nationals
Victoria’s Broadford circuit hosted the third round of the 2019 Pirelli MX Nationals and after a hard days racing on a technically demanding layout Kirk Gibbs, Wilson Todd and Regan Duffy came away with the overall victories in the MX1, MX2 and MXD classes respectively.
The Broadford motocross track always has been and always will be a hard packed, rock infested layout which demands huge amounts of watering to keep the dust down.
This translates into everything from deep boggy ruts in patches of the track coupled with slippery blue groove, square edged acceleration and braking bumps as well as loose powdery berms on the outside of some corners but all up it is a test of man and machine which is what motocross is all about.
2019 MX Nationals – Broadford Round 3
THOR MX1 Report
The MX1 class riders were faced with two back-to-back 8 lap motos which when the points were tallied accounted for one moto result with the third 17 lap moto being the second points paying moto.
2019 MX Nationals – Broadford Round 3
Todd Waters led all eight laps of the first moto with fellow Husqvarna rider Daniel Sanders of enduro racing fame convincingly holding down second place for the first four laps before Gibbs got past to claim second.
2019 MX Nationals – Broadford Round 3
Sanders finished a solid third ahead of Hayden Mellross, Luke Clout and Jesse Dobson who was once again fastest privateer with sixth. Interestingly, another enduro ace in Daniel Milner earned ninth place ahead of Brett Metcalfe.
2019 MX Nationals – Broadford Round 3
Moto two saw Mellross take the holeshot with Sanders in second once again, this time ahead of Waters, Lawson Bopping, Gibbs and Clout but it wasn’t long before Water got around Sanders and Mellross for first.
2019 MX Nationals – Broadford Round 3
Clout and Sanders then went toe to toe before Sanders got crossed up on the face of the triple at the top of the hill and came off second best with a huge crash.
2019 MX Nationals – Broadford Round 3
This left Clout and Gibbs to battle over the final podium spot but Gibbs sliced by his CDR teammate before mowing down Mellross for second place with a lap to go. Waters took the win from Gibbs, Mellross, Clout and Dobson while Milner ended the race in seventh. On a very bent bike Sanders was forced to retire from the race.
2019 MX Nationals – Broadford Round 3
MX1 – Raceline Superpole
Todd Waters – 1:30.125
Hayden Mellross – 1:30.630
Kirk Gibbs – 1:31.643
Jesse Dobson – 1:31.686
Justin Rodbell – 1:32.106
MX1 – Moto 1 – Race Time: 14:35.210
Todd Waters
Kirk Gibbs
Daniel Sanders
Hayden Mellross
Luke Clout
Jesse Dobson
Justin Rodbell
Erki Kahro
Daniel Milner
Brett Metcalfe
MX1 – Moto 2 – Race Time: 14:40.220
Todd Waters
Kirk Gibbs
Hayden Mellross
Luke Clout
Jesse Dobson
Justin Rodbell
Daniel Milner
Richie Evans
Ryan Shadbolt
Erki Kahro
MX1 – Moto 1 and 2 Combined
Todd Waters
Kirk Gibbs
Hayden Mellross
Luke Clout
Jesse Dobson
Justin Rodbell
Daniel Milner
Erki Kahro
Richie Evans
Jayden Rykers
In the third moto Richie Evans led the first of the 17 laps with a solid holeshot over Sanders, Mellross, Waters, Gibbs and Clout.
2019 MX Nationals – Broadford Round 3
After the dust settled (literally) it was Mellross over Bopping, Waters, Gibbs and Clout while the gutsy Sanders, feeling the effects of the earlier crash as well as racing Enduro-X during the lunch break dropped back to sixth.
2019 MX Nationals – Broadford Round 3
Bopping soon dropped out of the front running leaving a fast freight train of Mellross, Gibbs, Waters and Clout trading fastest lap times. With three laps to go Gibbs needed to pass Mellross for the round win and just when it looked like Mellross had everything in hand the KTM rider crashed on one of the downhill sections with a lap to go.
2019 MX Nationals – Broadford Round 3
This allowed Gibbs into the lead and he went on to take the race win over Waters, Clout, Mellross, Dobson and Sanders while Milner bounced back from a poor start to finish 12th.
Gibbs took his first round win for the year over Waters and Clout while Mellross keeps the red plate for another round as he leads the championship by five-points over Gibbs, seven-points over Clout and nine-points over Waters.
2019 MX Nationals – Broadford Round 3
Kirk Gibbs
“The weekend was much better for me and it’s nice to finally get a win under my belt for the CDR Yamaha Monster Energy Team. It was also good to have a dry round and actually get a gauge of how things are progressing and what our strengths and weaknesses are as the first two rounds were extremely wet and difficult to get a handle on the opposition as well as our own riding. But, really pleased to get the win and get my season back on track. The team did a great job again today and my bike was working well on a pretty technical race track. We now have a couple of weeks off before Murray Bridge so lots of riding and training still to be done and lots of laps still left in this championship.”
2019 MX Nationals – Broadford Round 3
Luke Clout
“I felt pretty good all day and the track was good to ride but I was probably just a bit off in my starts. With the track watered heavily and multiple ruts around every corner, it was difficult to move forward at times so getting a good start and being up the front early was the key here. Everything else was good and its always nice to be on the podium and be right in contention for the championship. It’s a long haul, especially with these back to back races so it’s important to keep logging good results in every race and be there at the end of round 10.”
2019 MX Nationals – Broadford Round 3
Australia’s two best enduro riders were far from outclassed by our best motocross riders with Milner ending the day in ninth overall. That was one place ahead of the hard charging Sanders despite not finishing the second moto and let’s not forget, both of these riders did three 10-minute EnduroX races during the lunch break while the rest of the MX1 riders were resting in the pits.
2019 MX Nationals – Broadford Round 3
MX1 – Moto 3 – Race Time: 27:33.009
Kirk Gibbs
Todd Waters
Luke Clout
Hayden Mellross
Jesse Dobson
Daniel Sanders
Erki Kahro
Jayden Rykers
Justin Rodbell
Brett Metcalfe
Daniel Milner
MX1 – Round 3 Overall
Kirk Gibbs – 67
Todd Waters – 67
Luke Clout – 58
Hayden Mellross – 58
Jesse Dobson – 52
Erki Kahro – 47
Justin Rodbell – 47
Jayden Rykers – 44
Daniel Milner – 43
Daniel Sanders – 40
MX1 – Championship Standings After Round 3
Hayden Mellross – 152
Luke Clout – 147
Kirk Gibbs – 145
Todd Waters – 143
Jesse Dobson – 121
Justin Rodbell – 110
Erki Kahro – 107
Jayden Rykers – 102
Brett Metcalfe – 97
Charlie Creech – 94
Smarty’s Weekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop
Pirelli MX2 Report
Wilson Todd scored the opening moto holeshot and the eventual win but it was only by a few meters after a late moto charge by Kyle Webster with Nathan in tow throughout the last couple of laps making for the by far most exciting MX2 race this season.
2019 MX Nationals – Broadford Round 3
Moto two was less exciting with Todd blitzing his way through the first corner to earn another holeshot. This time the DPH Husqvarna pilot cleared out from the fast-starting duo of Isaac Ferguson and Cooper Pozniak while Crawford was way down in 18th place.
2019 MX Nationals – Broadford Round 3
Webster was once again in good flow around the rough and technical layout and soon broke free from Ferguson, Riley Dukes, Aaron Tanti and Jay Wilson. As the race wore on Wilson also found some lines to make his way to third place before make a late charge at second placed Webster.
2019 MX Nationals – Broadford Round 3
As Todd was cruising his way to another win, Jay Wilson had worked his way up to the back of Webster and was looking to take second place but ultimately fell a few seconds short and had to settle for third, ahead of Tanti, Dukes, Dylan Wills and Crawford.
Todd once again scored maximum points for the round to extend his lead in the championship to 28 over Wilson with Tanti, Webster and Crawford rounding out the top five in the championship chase.
Kyle Webster
“I was definitely under the weather on Friday but thankfully that cleared by race day and it turned out to be a solid weekend. The first moto was good, right away I was able to make a bunch of passes and got myself up into second behind Wilson Todd and in the closing stages of the race I made a charge at Wilson, but just couldn’t get him. Then in the second moto I got an okay start but Wilson got away from me a bit, and we just stayed the same gap through the rest of the race and I finished second, with a 2-2 score giving me second overall on the day.”
2019 MX Nationals – Broadford Round 3
Jay Wilson
“Today was the best I have felt on the bike in motocross so far this year. The first race I was covered in mud and just did what I had to do to get back to fifth as the first four were long gone but in the second moto I really began to gel with the bike and attack the track. I felt awesome and just wished it was the 30 minute race and not the 20. So, happy with today and happy to come out with some good points. It wasn’t looking real good after Wonthaggi but thanks to the RACESAFE team we were able get on track and keep the championship alive.”
2019 MX Nationals – Broadford Round 3
Aaron Tanti
“A lot of good to come from today but also a few things I need to improve on to get some round wins. My starts were good, and I had excellent track position in both races but just didn’t keep pace later in the race, so that’s something we will need to look at. But the racing is tight in the MX2 class and I was never further than 10 seconds out of the lead all day but didn’t make the podium. No one can afford to take their foot off the peddle at the moment as there are five guys who ride at a similar pace and the intensity is there all the way to the end. I’m now third in the championship after three rounds which considering a couple of races I have had, isn’t too bad but there is always room for improvement.”
2019 MX Nationals – Broadford Round 3
Nathan Crawford
“It feels good to finally be back in the battle again. It’s been a long eight months off the bike and I have worked so hard to get, not just my fitness and speed back, but also my health in general. My one was awesome and just after half way I felt things begin to come easier for me, like a little barrier was broken. I was able to ride my turns better, flow on the track better and ride with some speed. While I didn’t win it, it was a little victory to me as I come back. Race two and I did all I could to salvage the best result I could. First turn crashes are tough as the whole field goes past and it’s a long way back but I fought hard and feel like things are on the right track. The weekend gives me more motivation to keep working hard.”
2019 MX Nationals – Broadford Round 3
Pirelli MX2 Results
MX2 – Moto 1 – Race Time: 28:11.686
Wilson Todd
Kyle Webster
Nathan Crawford
Aaron Tanti
Jay Wilson
Dylan Wills
Jye Dickson
Bailey Malkiewicz
Ricky Latimer
Joel Evans
MX2 – Moto 2 – Race Time: 18:32.870
Wilson Todd
Kyle Webster
Jay Wilson
Aaron Tanti
Riley Dukes
Dylan Wills
Nathan Crawford
Isaac Ferguson
Cooper Pozniak
Bailey Malkiewicz
2019 MX Nationals – Broadford Round 3
MX2 – Round 3 Overall
Wilson Todd – 70
Kyle Webster – 64
Jay Wilson – 56
Aaron Tanti – 56
Nathan Crawford – 54
Dylan Wills – 50
Bailey Malkiewicz – 44
Jye Dickson – 43
Riley Dukes – 42
Ricky Latimer – 42
MX2 – Championship Standings After Round 3
Wilson Todd – 170
Jay Wilson – 142
Aaron Tanti – 133
Kyle Webster – 126
Nathan Crawford – 122
Cooper Pozniak – 115
Dylan Wills – 113
Jye Dickson – 107
Riley Dukes – 103
Issac Ferguson – 93
Smarty’s Weekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop
Motul MXD Report
Rhys Budd led the early running in the first moto ahead of Max Purvis, Regan Duffy, Jack Kukis and Mason Semmens. The pace was hot in the early going but after just over 18 minutes of racing it was Kiwi Purvis who got the win from Budd, Semmens and Duffy.
2019 MX Nationals – Broadford Round 3
Duffy scored the holeshot in the second moto but he had to contend with the determined duo of Budd and Semmens in the early laps. He eventually broke away while first moto winner Purvis was making his way through the pack after a poor start.
2019 MX Nationals – Broadford Round 3
Duffy got the win ahead of Semmens and Budd who rode unchallenged to second and third while Purvis was only able to make it back to sixth by race end. Duffy’s 4-1 moto results was good enough for the round overall while Semmens and Budd tied on points for second and third, with Semmens getting the nod for second on account of his better second moto result.
2019 MX Nationals – Broadford Round 3
Duffy now has a five-point lead over Budd who in turn has a 12-point gap back to Purvis.
Rhys Budd
“P1 in Qualifying is always a great start to the day! I then made a good start in the first moto and made my way into the lead on lap one and held the lead until two laps to go and eventually finished second just 4.6 seconds behind Maximus Purvis (Yamaha). I made another great start in race two and made my way into the lead early but unfortunately I didn’t have the pace to hold it, as the track was pretty brutal by the end of the day. So I was happy to eventually finish third behind Regan Duffy and Mason Semmens and take third overall for the round with 2-3 placings.”
2019 MX Nationals – Broadford Round 3
Motul MXD Results
MXD – Moto 1 – Race Time: 18:15.696
Maximus Purvis
Rhys Budd
Mason Semmens
Regan Duffy
Jayce Cosford
Noah Ferguson
Brodie Ellis
Jack Kukas
Liam Walsh
Jai Walker
MXD – Moto 2 – Race Time: 18:39.787
Regan Duffy
Mason Semmens
Rhys Budd
Brodie Ellis
Jack Kukas
Maximus Purvis
Liam Walsh
Korey McMahon
Jai Walker
Mackenzie O’Bree
2019 MX Nationals – Broadford Round 3
MXD – Round 3 Overall
Regan Duffy – 63
Mason Semmens – 62
Rhys Budd – 62
Maximus Purvis – 60
Brodie Ellis – 52
Jack Kukas – 49
Liam Walsh – 46
Jayce Cosford – 45
Jai Walker – 43
Noah Ferguson – 42
MXD – Championship Standings After Round 3
Regan Duffy – 157
Rhys Budd – 152
Maximus Purvis – 140
Mason Semmens – 125
Jack Kukas – 113
Noah Ferguson – 111
Brodie Ellis – 110
Jayce Cosford – 99
Mason Rowe – 98
Liam Walsh – 98
Yamaha Rising Star Rookies Report
The opening round of the Yamaha Rising Star Rookies was held at Broadford and it was Yamaha’s Levi Rogers who took both wins. Alex Larwood and Brad West rounded out the podium on 56 points but front runners Blake Hollis (2-dnf) and Blake Fox (4-dnf) will look for better results in future rounds.
2019 MX Nationals – Broadford Round 3
Yamaha Rising Star Rookies Overall and Championship Points
The championship now moves to Murray Bridge in South Australia for the first of the double round weekends in two weeks’ time.
Smarty’s Weekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop
Jasikonis and Jacobi win in Holland
Despite each class being riddled with GP regulars Arminas Jasikonis and Henry Jacobi have won the MXGP and MX2 class respectively at the opening round of the Dutch Masters of Motocross which was held at Oss in Holland last weekend.
Jasikonis rode hard to score two wins to better Gautier Paulin and Max Anstie while Jacobi got the nod over Jago Geerts and Adam Sterry while Jed Beaton went 10-5 for sixth overall.
MXGP Moto 1
Arminas Jasikonis
Gautier Paulin
Glenn Coldenhoff
Max Anstie
Pauls Jonass
Brian Bogers
Benoit Paturel
Petar Petrov
Lars Van Berkel
Yentel Martens
MXGP Moto 2
Arminas Jasikonis
Gautier Paulin
Max Anstie
Brian Bogers
Pauls Jonass
Petar Petrov
Lars van Berkel
Yentel Martens
Benoit Paturel
Alfie Albers
MX2 Moto 1
Henry Jacobi
Ben Watson
Tom Vialle
Jago Geerts
Adam Sterry
Mike Kras
Eric Leijtens
Davey Pootjes
Kade Walker
Jed Beaton
MX2 Moto 2
Henry Jacobi
Jago Geerts
Rohen vd Moosdijk
Horgmo
Jed Beaton
Adam Sterry
Kade Walker
Dankers
Freek vd Vlist
Eric Conijn
Smarty’s Weekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop
Searle and Mewse win in UK
The old-school sand circuit at Cadders Hill in Norfolk hosted the second round of the British Motocross Championship last weekend and it was Tommy Searle who came away with the MXGP class overall. Searle swapped moto wins with arch rival Shaun Simpson while Conrad Mewse won both of the MX2 motos.
Tommy Searle – Image www.mxgb.co.uk
Searle went 2-1 on the day to earn the overall ahead of Simpson’s 1-2 moto results with Harri Kullas scoring third with 5-3 finishes so in the championship chase Simpson has 94 points and Searle 92 points.
MXGP Overall
Tommy Searle – 47
Shaun Simpson – 47
Harri Kullas – 36
Lewis Tombs – 36
Mel Pocock – 34
Gert Krestinov – 29
Ryan Houghton – 28
Jake Millward – 28
Brad Todd – 21
Brad Anderson – 21
MXGP Championship Points
Shaun Simpson – 94
Tommy Searle – 92
Lewis Tombs – 70
Harri Kullas – 58
Jake Millward – 57
Ryan Houghton – 55
Gert Krestinov – 53
Mel Pocock – 52
Brad Todd – 48
Brad Anderson – 43
Conrad Mewse won the opening moto by 18 seconds over Josh Gilbert, Alvin Ostlund, Bas Vaessen and Martin Barr. The second moto saw Kiwi Dylan Walsh come home second ahead of Vaessen, Gilbert, Ostlund and Barr.
Mewse now has a 12-point lead over Vaessen who in turn has a nine-point lead over Ostlund.
MX2 Overall
Conrad Mewse – 50
Josh Gilbert – 40
Bas Vaessen – 38
Dylan Walsh – 36
Alvin Ostlund – 36
Martin Barr – 31
MX2 Championship Points
Conrad Mewse – 97
Bas Vaessen – 85
Alvin Ostlund – 76
Josh Gilbert – 70
Dylan Walsh – 70
Martin Barr – 64
Spain Wins X-Trial of Nations
Toni Bou and Jaime Busto set the record for the biggest margin of victory in the history of the FIM X-Trial of Nations as Spain continued its X-Trial of Nations domination at Vendéspace, France last weekend.
Toni Bou – 2019 X-Trial of Nations
Behind the dominating Spanish duo the French pairing of Benoit Bincaz and Alexandre Ferrer earned second ahead of British youngsters Jack Price and Toby Martyn who performed superbly to take third for the second year in a row.
Toni Bou – 2019 X-Trial of Nations
The Italian team of Luca Petrella and Matteo Grattarola finished fourth ahead of Norway’s Sondre Haga and Hakon Pedersen who had a pdium in their sights after the first round but struggled badly on their second lap to finish in fifth place.
Toni Bou
“It has been an extraordinary triumph because we had two superb rounds to start and the Final was more demanding. We endured the pressure of competing against France well, largely because we had an important points advantage starting the Final. Jaime rode to a great level and I think we have done a great job as a team.”
Toni Bou – 2019 X-Trial of Nations
Jaime Busto
“Competing with Toni is always exceptional and it possibly makes you feel less pressure. I think we have ridden to a high standard right from the start and have not left anything to chance. The atmosphere and the spectators have been extraordinary and they really recognised our great performance.”
Toni Bou and Jaime Busto – 2019 X-Trial of Nations
The FIM X-Trial World Championship season comes to an end at X-Trial Andorra la Vella on April 27th.
2019 X-Trial of Nations podium
X-Trial des Nations 2019 Vendée Final Tally
Spain – Toni Bou (Montesa); Jaime Busto (Gas Gas) 12
France – Benoit Bincaz (Beta); Alex Ferrer (Sherco) 34
Great Britain – Jack Price (Gas Gas); Toby Martyn (Beta) 13
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Barcia OUT!
Yamaha’s Justin Barcia will sit out the remaining rounds of the 2019 Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship to spend the time needed to return to full fitness in time for the start of the AMA Motocross Championships which kicks off on May 18 at Hangtown.
Justin Barcia
“At this point it seems that the best thing to do is to let my body recover. I’m just going to keep on training, skip the last few Supercross races and let my body heal up. Thinking about that now, I probably should have done that a few weeks ago because I was injured already but I really wanted to be at the Supercross race with my team and fans, and put on a good showing. For right now, I’m going to regroup and be ready for the first Outdoor.”
Justin Barcia
2019 A4DE Cancelled
Motorcycling Australia (MA) has advised that government red tape has forced the cancellation of the 41st Australian Four Day Enduro (A4DE) which was set for Moruya, NSW in late April.
The Motorcycling New South Wales (MNSW) Enduro Committee and Far South Coast Motorcycle Club have confirmed that due to government approval delays surrounding the environment in which the event was to be held, the postponement of the event has officially been changed to cancellation.
A4DE 2019 cancelled! 2020 event in the making – Image by Jeff Mawston
Ensuring that Moruya, NSW has the opportunity to host a National Enduro event, MA can confirm that 2020 will feature a two-day, two round Enduro format in Moruya for the Yamaha Australian Off-Road Championship (AORC).
This new two-day Enduro event will provide both club and competitor to experience a multi-day Enduro competition in preparation for the 2020 A4DE and FIM International Six Day Enduro (ISDE).
Following the same format as the A4DE and ISDE, this two-day two-round AORC event will feature a parc ferme, overnight lock-up, plus the opportunity for competitors who dropped out on day one to return for day two with a new, scrutineered bike.
Upholding Australia’s undisputed Enduro talent internationally, this new two-day AORC event will support in fostering the growth of Off-Road competitors across the nation.
Smarty’s Weekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop
Team Australia Sorted for 2019 WJMX
Motorcycling Australia has officially announced the selected competitors chosen for Team Australia in the 2019 FIM Junior Motocross World Championship (WJMX) which will be held in Moscow, Russia in July.
With over 20 nations expected to take part in the internationally renowned event, Team Australia will land in Russia with a large target on their back as the nation to beat this year!
Australia’s 2018 WJMX team
2018 was the year of Australian domination in WJMX, with our own Bailey Malkiewicz taking out the WJMX 125cc Championship, Braden Plath taking out the WJMX 65cc World Cup and Australia being awarded the 2019 Team of Nations trophy!
The 2019 WJMX classes Team Australia riders have been selected for include:
FIM Junior 65cc Motocross World Cup – Age Restrictions-minimum 10 years of age and maximum 12 years of age:
Kayden Minear
Ky Woods
FIM Junior 85cc Motocross World Championship – Age Restrictions-minimum 12 years of age and maximum 14 years of age:
Cambell Williams
Ryder Kingsford
FIM Junior 125cc Motocross World Championship – Age Restrictions- minimum 13 years of age and maximum 17 years of age:
Alex Larwood
Blake Fox
Mark Willingham – Team Manager
“I’m looking forward to this year’s trip to Russia! We have a fantastic group of riders this year that brings a variety of experienced and first-timers to the table, as far as overseas trips go. This collection of riders are all products from our successful 2018 event in Horsham, so they understand what it takes to win but also how to work together as a team who represents their nation.”
MA thanked all applicants for their submissions during the application period and said all queries regarding team selection should be forwarded to Willingham, via [email protected]. You can get updated on all news and updates via the MA website, Facebook and Instagram.
Brook and Koppe Shine at Trackmasters
The Barleigh Ranch dirt track facility near Raymond Terrace (NSW) hosted the 30th annual Trackmasters event and despite several of the finals being cancelled due to rain, it was Jarred Brook and Damien Koppe who battled tooth and nail in the premier Pro-Open and Pro 450 classes while James Chapman won the Pro 250 class.
With most of the heats done and dusted a heavy downpour put pay to any chance of the Pro 250, Pro 450 and Pro Open class finals being run so it was the heat scores that the final results were declared on.
Trackmasters 2019 – Koppe (560) leading Vecchi (329) and Davies (65) – Image by Sheree Griffin
In the Pro 450 class Jarred Brook won all three of his heats so he edged out Damien Koppe who earned two wins and a loss to Brook with Connor Ryan coming home third. In the Pro Open class Brook and Koppe were declared joint winners after both were unbeaten in the heats, obviously not having met, with Jordan Dall taking third.
After a string of impressive performances on the oiled tracks, James Chapman was able to transfer that form to the Barleigh Ranch track to take the honours in the Pro 250 class ahead of Jake Farnsworth and Kye Andrews.
Briony Hendrickson continued her domination of the women’s class while Jim Jobling / Ben Gardner got the better of Kai Frame / Lync Frame in the Dirt Track Sidecars class.
Kevin Griffith took the overall victory in the ATVs before Anthony Farrell (Over 35s) and Jake Farnsworth (Pre 90s) won their respective classes.
Harrison Ryan added two more class wins to his record in the 13 to Under 16s ahead of Forbes rider Tom Drane who also cleaned up in the 2-stroke class, while his brother Sam earned two class victories as did Jayden Holder.
Other class winners were Luke Bush, Thomas Bullen, Anika Loftus, Lachlan Russell and Chayse Trappel.
Despite the rain, Hunter Motor Cycle Club President Keith Davies was well pleased with the weekend. With the track again widely praised by riders it augers well for the 2019 Australian Senior Dirt Track Championship which will be held at the Barleigh Ranch track on the weekend of October 5-6.
PRO OPEN
Jarred Brook (North Brisbane)
Damien Koppe (Townsville)
Jordan Dall (Gunnedah)
PRO 450
Jarred Brook (North Brisbane)
Damien Koppe (Townsville)
Connor Ryan (Kurri Kurri)
PRO 250
James Chapman (Kempsey)
Jake Farnsworth (Hunter)
Kye Andrews (Taree)
OVER 35s
Anthony Farrell (Central Coast)
Jason Griffin (Hunter)
Peter Knight (Central Coast)
PRE 90s
Jake Farnsworth (Hunter)
Darren Saxon (Hunter)
Angus Maslin (Forbes)
WOMENS PRO OPEN
Briony Hendrickson (North Brisbane)
Laura Saxon (Hunter)
Shannon Fyfe (Tamworth)
DIRT TRACK SIDECAR
Jim Jobling / Ben Gardner (Gunnedah)
Lync Frame / Kai Frame (Cowra)
ATV OPEN
Kevin Griffith (Hunter)
Josh White (Hunter)
Shay Walker (Hunter)
50cc Auto Div.2 7 – U/9
Chayse Trappel (Kempsey)
Bailey Carpenter (Central Coast)
Jaxon Ekert(Maitland)
65cc 7 – U/9
Sam Drane (Forbes)
Brendan Eklund (Central Coast)
Ruby James (Kurri Kurri)
65cc 9 – U/13
Jayden Holder (Kempsey)
Jordy Loftus ((North Brisbane)
Lachlan Russell (Central Coast)
85cc 4-str Modified 7- U/10
Sam Drane (Forbes)
Jordy Loftus ((North Brisbane)
Ruby James (Kurri Kurri)
85cc 4-str Modified 10- U/14
Lachlan Russell (Central Coast)
Varis Fleming (Harley, Vic)
Cody Wilby (Taree)
85cc 2str / 150cc 4str 9 – U/12
Jayden Holder (Kempsey)
Cody Wilby (Taree)
Lachlan Russell (Central Coast)
85cc 2str / 150cc 4str 12 – /16
Thomas Bullen (Kurri Kurri)
Lincoln Knight (Central Coast)
Caleb Wilkes (Hunter)
85cc 2str / 150cc 4str 11 – /16 Girls
Anika Loftus (North Brisbane)
Kirby Maslin (Forbes)
100-150 2-str 13 – U/16
Tom Drane (Forbes)
Luke Bush ((Kurri Kurri)
Jarred Loveday (Kempsey)
200-250 4-str 13 – U/16
Harrison Ryan (Kurri Kurri)
Tom Drane (Forbes)
Jayden Rogers (Kurri Kurri)
2str & 4str. 13 – U/16
Harrison Ryan (Kurri Kurri)
Tom Drane (Forbes)
Jayden Rogers (Kurri Kurri)
Smarty’s Weekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop
Ultimate Motocross Coaching wins Small Business Award
Ultimate Motocross Coaching from Alexandra Hills, Brisbane has been named ‘Champion Sport and Recreation’ at the Australian Small Business Champion Gala Dinner and Awards Ceremony held on Saturday 6th April at The Star – Sydney, with over 1,100 guests in attendance.
Ultimate Motocross Coaching awarded
The Australian Small Business Champion Awards is the only national recognition program for Australian small businesses and the program aims to recognise outstanding Australian small businesses and encourage high standards of excellence in small business practice.
Steve Loe – Managing Director of Precedent Productions
“The Australian Small Business Champion Awards is a way to recognise the efforts of small business people whose efforts contribute to the prosperity and vitality of communities across Australia. As a small business owner myself, I know the vision and dedication to excellence required to succeed. These traits have been displayed in abundance by all of our 2019 Small Business Champions.”
Small businesses from across Australia delivered an impressive array of entries, with winners representing a broad range of industries from all states and territories and Jodie Herson and his wife (pictured), of Ultimate Motocross Coaching received an award statuette, certificate and gained national recognition as an industry leader for their on-going coaching and support of junior dirt bike riders in Brisbane.
Ultimate Motocross Coaching awarded
The Awards are proudly presented by Precedent Productions, a small business in its own right, and supported by Major Sponsors, NOVA Employment and Castaway Forecasting.
Entries open for 2019 Australian Classic Dirt Track Championship
As the countdown begins for the 2019 Australian Classic Dirt Track Championship, Motorcycling Australia have announced that entries are now open, ahead of the massive weekend from 8-9 June at Broadford State Motorcycle Complex, Victoria.
2019 Australian Classic Dirt Track Championship heads to town
Entries are open until last mail on Friday 10th May. All late entries received between 10-17 May will incur an additional fee of $30.00. Racing will commence after practice on Saturday 8th June, followed on Sunday 9th June at 9AM.
The revamped Victorian State Motorcycle Complex Broadford roared into life on Sunday for the third round of the Pirelli MX Nationals. After being plagued by trying weather conditions at previous rounds Broadford turned the sun on for competitors, allowing riders put on a show that didn’t disappoint.
In the Thor MX1 class it was Kirk Gibbs who took the win from Todd Waters and teammate Luke Clout. Hayden Mellross ranked fourth, retaining his overall lead the overall standings.
The Pirelli MX2 class saw a consistent Wilson Todd claim victory from Kyle Webster and Jay Wilson. In Motul MXD it was Regan Duffy victorious by a single point from Seemens and Budd.
The first round of the Yamaha Rising Star Rookies class saw Levi Rogers take both moto wins, with Alex Larwood and Brad West in second and third respectively, both on 56-points.
Thor MX1
Kirk Gibbs broke through for his first win in CDR Yamaha Monster Energy team colours when he claimed victory at round three of the MX Nationals at Broadford over the weekend, and to make it an even more memorable day for CDR, Luke Clout made it a team 1-3.
Now both riders sit inside the top three in the MX1 division, with strong competition coming from Todd Waters who had to settle for second for the weekend with equal points to Kirk Gibbs, and who now trails Clout and Gibbs in the standings by a handful of points. Hayden Mellross retains the MX1 lead on 152 points, despite finishing the weekend in fourth on equal points to Clout..
Round three marked the first weekend for the sprint format for the MX1 class where the riders competed in two nine-lap back-to-back races as well as the more traditional thirty-minute moto later in the day, making for a gruelling day at the track.
With three motos all contributing to the round overall, consistency becomes a major player in the final results and Gibbs did what he does best and put his YZ450F at or near the front in each and every moto.
For Gibbs, it was a good recovery from a tough opening two rounds where he dealt with crashes and bad luck but he now has the train back on the tracks and heading into his favourite track of the season, Murray Bridge, Gibbs is well-placed to continue building momentum in the championship.
Kirk Gibbs
“The weekend was much better for me and it’s nice to finally get a win under my belt for the CDR Yamaha Monster Energy Team. It was also good to have a dry round and actually get a gauge of how things are progressing and what our strengths and weaknesses are as the first two rounds were extremely wet and difficult to get a handle on the opposition as well as our own riding. But, really pleased to get the win and get my season back on track. The team did a great job again today and my bike was working well on a pretty technical race track. We now have a couple of weeks off before Murray Bridge so lots of riding and training still to be done and lots of laps still left in this championship.”
Luke Clout backed up his round two victory with a third place overall at Broadford in another fine performance. Clout improved as the day went on taking 5-4-3 results in each of the motos to claim the final spot of the podium and has now moved into second in the championship, just a handful of points away from the series leader.
Luke Clout – MX Nationals Round 3, Broadford, 2019
Clout proved consistent all day but needed better track position early in the race if he was to pick up a moto win.
Luke Clout
“I felt pretty good all day and the track was good to ride but I was probably just a bit off in my starts. With the track watered heavily and multiple ruts around every corner, it was difficult to move forward at times so getting a good start and being up the front early was the key here. Everything else was good and its always nice to be on the podium and be right in contention for the championship. It’s a long haul, especially with these back to back races so it’s important to keep logging good results in every race and be there at the end of round 10.”
Luke Clout – MX Nationals Round 3, Broadford, 2019
Thor MX1 Moto 1
Todd Waters 14:31.910
Kirk Gibbs +5.666
Daniel Sanders +7.340
Hayden Mellross +10.584
Luke Clout +19.921
Jesse Dobson +25.769
Justin Rodbell +30.303
Erki Kahro +31.448
Daniel Milner +45.774
Brett Metcalfe +46.654
Todd Waters took the Moto 1 win – MX Nationals Round 3, Broadford, 2019
The Pirelli MX2 class was again dominated by the current red plate holder Wilson Todd qualifying first and going on to win both motos, however Kyle Webster wasn’t letting Wilson out of his sights with a battle in the first moto keeping all the cheering fans on the side lines on the edge of their seats until the chequered flag.
The second moto saw a similar result, with Todd claiming the win by 4.249 seconds from Webster, while this time Jay Wilson laid claim to the final podium position in a result that clinched him third overall.
Wilson Todd – MX Nationals Round 3, Broadford, 2019
Wilson Todd took home the perfect 70-points, while Kyle Webster settled for 64 and now sits fourth in the standings. Jay Wilson took third overall from Aaron Tanti, both on 56-points, while the duo currently hold second and third placings in the overall standings, with only nine-points between them.
Aaron Tanti – MX Nationals Round 3, Broadford, 2019
Jay Wilson entered the round with minimal bike time following finger surgery after round two. While attempting to held load the team truck, Wilson crushed his finger in the stairs of the rig bad enough to require surgery the following day. He was unable to ride until the day of the event and the podium position was a pleasant surprise.
Jay Wilson – MX Nationals Round 3, Broadford, 2019
Jay Wilson
“Today was the best I have felt on the bike in motocross so far this year. The first race I was covered in mud and just did what I had to do to get back to fifth as the first four were long gone but in the second moto I really began to gel with the bike and attack the track. I felt awesome and just wished it was the 30 minute race and not the 20. So, happy with today and happy to come out with some good points. It wasn’t looking real good after Wonthaggi but thanks to the RACESAFE team we were able get on track and keep the championship alive.”
Jay Wilson – MX Nationals Round 3, Broadford, 2019
The Serco Yamaha duo of Aaron Tanti and Nathan Crawford will both look at round three as a positive outing and take plenty of encouragement from the day that had both riders battling for race wins. On the undulating and rutted Broadford Circuit, the Serco Yamaha MX2 team finished the day in fourth and fifth place but showed plenty of speed and skill and will build on the results delivered over the weekend.
Aaron Tanti finished the day in fourth spot, just missing the podium on a count back from Jay Wilson. Tanti racked up an ultra-consistent 4-4 results in the two motos but left Broadford a little frustrated as he feels he let a podium finish slip through his fingers.
Aaron Tanti
“A lot of good to come from today but also a few things I need to improve on to get some round wins. My starts were good, and I had excellent track position in both races but just didn’t keep pace later in the race, so that’s something we will need to look at. But the racing is tight in the MX2 class and I was never further than 10 seconds out of the lead all day but didn’t make the podium. No one can afford to take their foot off the peddle at the moment as there are five guys who ride at a similar pace and the intensity is there all the way to the end. I’m now third in the championship after three rounds which considering a couple of races I have had, isn’t too bad but there is always room for improvement.”
Aaron Tanti – MX Nationals Round 3, Broadford, 2019
It was a welcome return to form for Nathan Crawford who showed things are on the up swing after some spirited racing on the weekend. Crawford returned to some good form finishing fifth for the day with 3-7 results but the pleasing thing for him and the team was the return of his sprint speed.
Nathan Crawford
“It feels good to finally be back in the battle again. It’s been a long eight months off the bike and I have worked so hard to get, not just my fitness and speed back, but also my health in general. My one was awesome and just after half way I felt things begin to come easier for me, like a little barrier was broken. I was able to ride my turns better, flow on the track better and ride with some speed. While I didn’t win it, it was a little victory to me as I come back. Race two and I did all I could to salvage the best result I could. First turn crashes are tough as the whole field goes past and it’s a long way back but I fought hard and feel like things are on the right track. The weekend gives me more motivation to keep working hard.”
Wilson Todd – MX Nationals Round 3, Broadford, 2019
Pirelli MX2 Moto 2
Wilson Todd 18:32.870
Kyle Webster +4.249
Jay Wilson +5.070
Aaron Tanti +9.789
Riley Dukes +21.187
Dylan Wills +34.994
Nathan Crawford +35.501
Isaac Ferguson +36.220
Cooper Pozniak +37.737
Bailey Malkiewicz +39.335
Pirelli MX2 Round 3 Overall
Wilson Todd 70
Kyle Webster 64
Jay Wilson 56
Aaron Tanti 56
Nathan Crawford 54
Dylan Wills 50
Bailey Malkiewicz 44
Jye Dickson 43
Riley Dukes 42
Ricky Latimer 42
Wilson Todd – MX Nationals Round 3, Broadford, 2019
Pirelli MX2 Standings
Wilson Todd 170
Jay Wilson 142
Aaron Tanti 133
Kyle Webster 126
Nathan Crawford 122
Cooper Pozniak 115
Dylan Wills 113
Jye Dickson 107
Riley Dukes 103
Issac Ferguson 93
Motul MXD Round 3
The Motul MXD class put on a show to remember with red plate holder Regan Duffy maintaining the championship points lead and Rhys Budd and Mason Semmens both proving they aren’t to be counted out of the chase yet.
Maximus Purvis actually won the first Motul MXD Moto, with a 4.631-second lead over Rhys Budd, with Mason Semmens third and Regan Duffy fourth.
Maximus Purvis – MX Nationals Round 3, Broadford, 2019
Consistency proved key however, with Purvis finishing sixth in Moto 2, while Regan Duffy claimed the win from Semmens by 2.366 seconds, with Rhys Budd taking third 13.645 seconds behind the winner.
In fact only a single point separated the top trio comes weekend end – for the round results – while Duffy leads Budd in the MXD standings by five-points. Maximus Purvis sits third in the standings a further 12-points in arrears and missed the podium by two-points over the weekend. Mason Semens meanwhile is a further 15-points behind Purvis in fourth.
Rhys Budd – MX Nationals Round 3, Broadford, 2019
Motul MXD Moto 1
Maximus Purvis 18:15.696
Rhys Budd +4.631
Mason Semmens +6.242
Regan Duffy +10.400
Jayce Cosford +37.539
Noah Ferguson +45.095
Brodie Ellis +47.672
Jack Kukas +48.448
Liam Walsh +49.764
Jai Walker +50.223
Maximus Purvis – MX Nationals Round 3, Broadford, 2019
The Yamaha Rising Star Rookies would round out the day with some amazing young talent showcased, with Levi Rogers taking both Moto wins by a strong margin.
Levi Rogers – MX Nationals Round 3, Broadford, 2019
In Moto 1 it was Rogers with a 14.617s lead from Blake Hollis with Brad West completing the top three. Moto 2 saw Rogers once again claim victory, this time from Alex Larwood and Jake Kowal.
Levi Rogers left Round 3 of the MX Nationals leading the Yamaha Rising Star Rookies championship, with 70 points to his name. Alex Larwood took second overall from Brad West, both on 56 points.
Alex Larwood – MX Nationals Round 3, Broadford, 2019
Yamaha Rising Star Rookies Moto 1
Levi Rogers 12:33.421
Blake Hollis +14.617
Brad West +19.319
Blake Fox +32.189
Benny Novak +33.855
Kipp adams +36.934
Alex Larwood +40.181
Ryan Alexanderson +56.143
Joe O’Donnell +57.066
Cameron Torpy +1:00.733
Levi Rogers – MX Nationals Round 3, Broadford, 2019
Yamaha Rising Star Rookies Moto 2
Levi Rogers 12:16.018
Alex Larwood +5.263
Jake Kowal +24.964
Joe O’Donnell +36.858
Brad West +40.395
Cameron Torpy +48.281
Brock Ninness +51.713
Benny Novak +55.272
Dominic Walker +58.654
Ryan Alexanderson +59.349
Yamaha Rising Star Rookies Round 3 Overall
Levi Rogers 70
Alex Larwood 56
Brad West 56
Joe O’Donnell 50
Benny Novak 49
Jake Kowal 47
Cameron Torpy 46
Brock Ninness 44
Ryan Alexanderson
Kipp adams 43
Rising Star Rookies Overall Podium 1) Levi Rogers, 2) Alex Larwood, 3) Brad West – MX Nationals Round 3, Broadford, 2019
Yamaha Rising Star Rookies Standings
Levi Rogers 70
Alex Larwood 56
Brad West 56
Joe O’Donnell 50
Benny Novak 49
Jake Kowal 47
Cameron Torpy 46
Brock Ninness 44
Ryan Alexanderson
Kipp adams 43
Murray Bridge in South Australia will have a huge impact determining the winner of this years’ championship as the double header weekend that will see two points scoring rounds on the Saturday and the Sunday that will shape the series, racing on May 4 and 5.
Smarty’s Weekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop Geomax
Proudly brought to you by Dunlop Geomax
What Went Down Last Weekend?
Brook and Koppe win North Brisbane Cup
FIM SuperEnduro World Championship – Round 1 – Krakow, Poland
French Beach Race Series – Round 4 – Ronde des Sables
Wade Young wins Roof of Africa
Faggotter ready for Dakar 2019
2019 WESS calendar announced
2019 AFT calendar announced
2019 GNCC calendar announced
2019 Sunshine State Series calendar announced
2019 Australian Speedway Senior Solo draw announced
Tanti joins Crawford at Serco
WBR Yamaha sign Purvis and Kukas for MXD
Argentina to kick-off 2019 MXGP season
Stefan Everts in hospital
Brook and Koppe Win North Brisbane Cup
MotoGP racer Jack Miller added some extra prestige into the annual North Brisbane Cup last Saturday afternoon and evening but it was the talented pairing of Damien Koppe and Jarrod Brook who took the overall win after winning both feature races.
Damien Koppe and Jarrod Brook who took the overall win
Some of our best speedway, dirt track, road race and enduro riders were on hand but the real pace setters were Damien Koppe, Jarred Brook, Max Whale, Jake Allen, Kayden Downing and Jack Miller – in fact, Miller has lost none of his dirt track speed after going down in turn one of the Pro Open teams event, before remounting and carving back to third place in time for the changeover to fellow Townsville terror Kayden Downing.
Despite the relatively tight confines of Mick Doohan Raceway – for a long track slider designed for a mile track – speedway pro Josh Grajczonek proved himself competitive throughout the event.
North Brisbane Cup Results
Damien Koppe, Jarrod Brook 9:21.380
Max Whale, Jake Allen 1.791
Jack Miller, Kayden Downing 13.700
Harrison Maxwell, Nick Hallas 25.592
Bailey Spencer, Ben Montgomery 26.068
Briony Hendrickson, Andy McLeisch 1 lap
Lachlan Stanford, Fraser Higlett 1 lap
Jay Southwell, Max Losch 2 laps
Daniel Perdikis, Trevor Velt 2 laps
1Ryan Douglas, Joshua Grajczonek 3 laps
Brooke Goulding, Blake Goulding 11 laps
Jack Miller made an appearance at the North Brisbane Cup
Damien Koppe, Jarrod Brook 9:22.703
Max Whale, Jake Allen 6.763
Bailey Spencer, Ben Montgomery 1 lap
Harrison Maxwell, Nick Hallas 1 lap
Lachlan Stanford, Fraser Higlett 1 lap
Benjamin Mclaughlin, Adam Bevan 1 lap
Andrew McLiesh, Grace Hudson 1 lap
Jay Southwell, Max Losch 2 laps
Brooke Goulding, Blake Goulding 2 laps
Daniel Perdikis, Trevor Velt 2 laps DNF Jack Miller, Kayden Downing Lap 19
FIM SuperEnduro World Championship Round 1 – Krakow, Poland
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Taddy Blazusiak has won the opening round of the 2019 FIM SuperEnduro World Championship held in Krakow, Poland while Cody Webb and Colton Haaker rounded out the podium
Krakow SuperEnduro 2019 Round 1 – Image by Future7Media
On a dry and fast track at the Tauron Arena in Krakow, Blazusiak delighted his home fans by taking the overall win at round one of the championship. It wasn’t plain sailing for the six-time champion however as an early fall in the third and final heat left him playing catch-up to the riders ahead.
With his KTM 350 EXC-F blasting off the line, Blazusiak secured the holeshot in heat one. The Polish rider was never challenged for the remainder of the race and after riding eight smooth and consistent laps crossed the line 15 seconds ahead of teammate Webb. Putting in a similar performance in the reverse-grid heat two, Taddy fought his way through the pack early on to win by over five seconds from the second-placed finisher Haaker.
Aiming to take the hat-trick, Taddy fell early in the third heat and was placed dead-last at the beginning of the opening lap. Charging hard, he got his head down and proceeded to pick off the riders ahead of him, ultimately battling his way through to fourth at the line – enough to claim the overall event win and with it the championship lead heading into round two in Germany.
“The whole event has been amazing. Race one went perfectly, I was able to get out in front and set my own pace to take the win. Race two was pretty much the same, I had quite a lot of pressure from the guys behind and made a couple of mistakes, but I was able to put in some fast lap times and break the challenge. In the last moto, I got a pretty good start but I got tangled up with some other riders over the first jumps and went down. I picked myself and the bike up and saw I was in last place so I took a couple of seconds to make sure everything was ok and set off again. I was pushing hard and able to overtake the guys in front quite well. I did make a mistake in one rut and washed the front again, luckily I didn’t lose too much time and was happy enough to take fourth. Championship-wise, I’m a little disappointed to lose a few points but I think we’ll all have challenging races over the season. To be leading going into round two feels great.”
The 2019 FIM SuperEnduro World Championship continues with round two in Riesa, Germany on January 5, 2019.
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French Beach Race Series – Round 4 – Ronde des Sables
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Nathan Watson has secured his second consecutive victory in the Championnat de France des Sables. Putting in a strong performance throughout the two-hour 30-minute beach race, Watson initially crossed the finish line in second, but was later awarded the overall win.
Yentel Martens – 2018 French Beach Races Round 4 Hossegor – Image by Pascal Haudiquert
After his confidence-boosting victory at last weekend’s round three, Nathan Watson headed to round four with hopes of making it two wins in a row and after starting strongly, he battled with teammate Camille Chapeliere for the lead during the first half of the race before taking control.
Camille Chapeliere – 2018 French Beach Races Round 4 Hossegor – Image by Pascal Haudiquert
However, despite pulling a sizeable advantage, Watson was unable to maintain his lead as the race conditions changed. With organisers cutting the event short due to an incoming tide, the Brit slipped back to second place at just the wrong moment in the race. Unable to regroup in time, Watson shadowed provisional winner Milko Potisek across the finish line for what he thought was a runner-up result. Later confirmed as the winner, Watson claimed his second consecutive beach race win.
Nathan Watson
“I’m disappointed to have physically just missed out on that race win but naturally pleased to be awarded the overall win. The race to the chequered flag itself was close and I was right behind him crossing the finish line. I had a good race and was leading with about a one-minute advantage. Then suddenly he came past me and I was shocked because I didn’t realise he was catching me so quick. I must have been riding too relaxed in traffic. He passed me on the last lap and I tried to regroup, but it was too late. With two tough rounds back-to-back and my victory at Red Bull Knock Out, I’ll take a bit of time to recover over the Christmas break and then work hard to prepare for the next round.”
Nathan Watson – 2018 French Beach Races Round 4 Hossegor – Image by Pascal Haudiquert
Claiming the holeshot on his KTM 450 SX-F, Watson’s teammate Camille Chapeliere put in a series of blisteringly fast laps to hold firm at the front of the results and maintain the race lead during the first hour of racing. With lapped traffic hampering his vision, the Frenchman was forced to pit earlier than scheduled for a fresh pair of goggles. Despite his strong pace during the latter half of the race, Chapeliere was unable to catch the leaders and had to settle for third overall, but was later awarded second.
Camille Chapeliere
“After last weekend’s disappointment I was determined to return strong here. I worked a lot to be ready and I wanted to show my speed on the track. My first hour was good. I took the holeshot and lead for quite a while. I had a little issue with my goggles and was unable to hold that position as I needed to pit early for a fresh set. But overall it’s been a good race and now I will continue to work and be ready for the next round as we build towards Enduropale le Touquet.”
Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Yentel Martens delivered a strong ride at round four of the French Beach Race series in Ronde des Sables, Hossegor-Capbreton to claim a confidence-boosting fourth-place result.
Yentel Martens – 2018 French Beach Races Round 4 Hossegor – Image by Pascal Haudiquert
Yentel Martens
“Today was a positive step forward for me. After some bad luck last weekend and then picking up a small foot injury I was nervous about how things would go. Unfortunately, my start wasn’t the best and I was outside the top 20, so had a bit of work to do there. But my speed was good and I was able to make up the positions quite quickly. I caught up to Jeffrey Dewulf near the end but crashed and lost some time to him that I wasn’t able to recover. However, I’m happy with the progress. I know my speed is good enough to win now and as a team we are all working hard to make it happen.”
The Championnat de France des Sables continues with round five in Grayan on January 13, 2019.
Yentel Martens – 2018 French Beach Races Round 4 Hossegor – Image by Pascal Haudiquert
Results – French Beach Race Series, Round 4
Nathan Watson, KTM, 25 laps 2:23:11.880
Camille Chapeliere, KTM, 2:26:59.150 +3:47.270
Jeffrey Dewulf, KTM, 2:28:59.550 +5:47.670
Yentel Martens, Husqvarna, 2:23:59.550 +1 lap
Daymond Martens, Honda, 2:24:01.590 +1 lap
Championship Standings (After Round 4)
Jeffrey Dewulf, KTM, 500 points
Milko Potisek, Yamaha, 500 pts
Nathan Watson, KTM, 435 pts
Maxime Sot, Yamaha, 397 pts
Yentel Martens, Husqvarna, 390 pts
Wade Young Wins Roof of Africa
Wade Young has topped off an incredible 2018 hard enduro racing season by winning the infamous Motul Roof of Africa in a total time of 14-hours and 47-minutes, a clear 23-minutes ahead of the second placed rider, Travis Teasdale.
It has been widely reported that the 2018 version of the Roof of Africa was one if the toughest with legendary racer and former Roof winner Alfie Cox reporting, “It was tough. It was not a walk in the park and people had to dig deep. Some blokes were on the bike for ten to eleven hours a day. But that is what the Roof of Africa is all about.”
Wade Young wins the 2018 Roof Of Africa – Image by www.trompievanderberg.co.za / www.zcmc.co.za
While the mountains of Lesotho proved unforgiving, Wade Young made short work of the competition with a 40-minute lead after a strenuous 8-hours and 28-minutes on the bike after the first day of racing. Young played it safe on day-two, relinquishing some of his lead but ensuring his fourth Roof of Africa title.
The Sherco Factory rider claimed a number of high-profile hard enduro events in 2018 with victory in the Sea to Sky, Romaniacs, Megawatt and Australia’s own Wildwood Rock Extreme.
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Faggotter Ready for Dakar 2019
Yamalube Yamaha Rally team riders Adrien Van Beveren, Xavier de Soultrait and Aussie Rodney Faggotter will be aboard the newest edition of the WR450F Rally works machine as they take on the 41st Dakar which will be for the first time contested exclusively in Peru.
Rod Faggotter
Playing a crucial role for the Yamalube Yamaha Rally team during the last two Dakar Rallies, Rodney Faggotter remains with the squad going into the 2019 edition of the event after an extremely consistent run that saw him finish 16th overall and the highest placed Yamaha rider at the 2018 Dakar Rally.
Rodney Faggotter
“I’m looking forward to the 2019 Dakar. I’ve been racing some Bajas and training hard back home in Australia these last few months. I feel strong physically and also mentally. In the beginning of December, we’ve spent a full week testing and training with the team in Morocco and that was a good morale booster for me. We have a great spirit within the team and I want to be there for my teammates if they need me. I want to have a good clean run and do my own race. This Dakar might seem shorter, but we all know it’s still going to be a long and demanding race. If it all goes well, I’m confident I can improve my overall result from last year and fight for a spot inside the top-10.”
Rodney Faggotter – Dakar 2018
Race Schedule – Dakar Rally 2019
Stage 1 | Jan 7 | Lima to Pisco | SS: 84km | Total: 331km
Stage 2 | Jan 8 | Pisco to San Juan de Marcona | SS: 342km | Total: 554km
Stage 3 | Jan 9 | San Juan de Marcona to Arequipa | SS: 331km | Total: 779km
Stage 4 | Jan 10 | Arequipa to Moquegua | SS: 352km | Total: 511km
Stage 5 | Jan 11 | Moquegua to Arequipa | SS: 345km | Total: 776km
Rest Day | Jan 12 | Arequipa
Stage 6 | Jan 13 | Arequipa to San Juan de Marcona | SS: 317km | Total: 839km
Stage 7 | Jan 14 | San Juan de Marcona, return| SS: 323km | Total: 387km
Stage 8 | Jan 15 | San Juan de Marcona to Pisco | SS: 361km | Total: 576km
Stage 9 | Jan 16 | Pisco to Pisco | SS: 313km | Total: 410km
Stage 10 | Jan 17 | Pisco to Lima | SS: 112km | Total: 358km
2019 WESS Calendar Announced
The World Enduro Super Series will be an eight-round championship for the 2019 season with two additional Classic Enduro events scheduled for the coming season, combined with established Hard Enduro favourites, plus the Hawkstone Park Cross-Country.
2018 Gotland Grand National – WESS Round 7
The Extreme XL Lagares will once again open the season in Portugal, on May 10-12 before moving to France and the Classic Enduro at the Trèfle Lozérien AMV, then the Erzbergrodeo Red Bull Hare Scramble, Red Bull Romaniacs, Hawkstone Park Cross-Country in the United Kingdom, the Solsona Enduro in Spain et and finally GetzenRodeo in Germany on November 2-3.
Winfried Kerschhaggl – WESS Series Manager
“Further broadening the mix of events in the championship, while sharpening the focus on true Enduro competitions has been our goal. Traditional Enduro is always close to our hearts, fuelling our passion for racing, and for that reason it has led to the addition of two Classic Enduro events being added to the calendar. Combined with some of our much-loved events from 2018, plus the welcomed addition of the GetzenRodeo, we are very much looking forward to the start of the new series and the battle to find the 2019 Ultimate Enduro Champion.”
WESS 2018 – Round 8 Red Bull Knock Out – Image by Future7Media
World Enduro Super Series – 2019 Schedule
Round 1: Extreme XL Lagares (Portugal) May 10-12
Round 2: Trèfle Lozérien AMV (France) May 17-19
Round 3: Erzbergrodeo Red Bull Hare Scramble (Austria) May 30-June 2
Round 4: Classic Enduro (Italy) TBA
Round 5: Red Bull Romaniacs (Romania) July 30-August 4
Round 6: Hawkstone Park Cross Country (United Kingdom) September 21-22
Round 7: Solsona Enduro (Spain) October 5-6
Round 8: GetzenRodeo (Germany) November 2-3
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2019 AFT Calendar Announced
American Flat Track has finalized its 2019 schedule and prepares to launch ticket sales in time for the holidays.
The 2019 running of the New York Short Track at Weedsport Speedway in Weedsport, NY has been moved back one week to July 13, 2019. Race fans can plan on an entire weekend of excitement, as AFT Events will once again throw a pre-race kickoff party with food, live music, entertainment and rider meet & greet session.
American Flat Track 2019 calendar announced
AFT’s season finale returns to the Meadowlands Racing & Entertainment at the famed MetLife Sports Complex in East Rutherford, NJ for a second running of the Meadowlands Mile. The race is set for September 28, 2019 – one week earlier than its 2018 date. This venue provided showstopping race action in 2018 and has already become one of the most highly-anticipated events of the upcoming season.
Cameron Gray, COO of AFT Events
“Now that we have finalized our 2019 schedule, we can hit the ground running. We’ve got new venues, freshly-built and redesigned racetracks and are planning some major improvements to overall fan experience for the coming season. AFT fans can look forward to the most exciting season of American Flat Track to date.”
AFT returns in 2019
American Flat Track will kick off its 2019 season with its bar-banging Daytona TT in appropriate fashion – during the wild Bike Week festivities in Daytona Beach. The 2019 Daytona TT happens Thursday, March 14 once again under the lights of the iconic Daytona International Speedway. Tickets will be available soon at https://www.americanflattrack.com.
2019 American Flat Track Schedule
March 14: Daytona TT – Daytona International Speedway, Daytona Beach, FL
March 23: Atlanta Short Track – Dixie Speedway, Woodstock, GA
April 20: Texas Half-Mile – Texas Motor Speedway, Fort Worth, TX
April 27: Wild Horse TT – Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park, Chandler, AZ
May 11: Perris Half-Mile – Perris Auto Speedway, Perris, CA
May 18: Sacramento Mile – Cal Expo, Sacramento, CA
May 26: Springfield Mile I – Illinois State Fairgrounds, Springfield, IL
(AFT Singles Springfield TT same weekend)
June 1: Red Mile – Red Mile, Lexington, KY
June 15: Laconia Short Track – New Hampshire Motor Sp., Loudon, New Hampshire
June 29: Lima Half-Mile – Allen County Fairgrounds, Lima, OH
July 13: New York Short Track – Weedsport Speedway, Weedsport, NY
August 4: Buffalo Chip TT – Buffalo Chip, Sturgis, SD
August 6: Black Hills Half-Mile – Black Hills Speedway, Rapid City, SD
August 17: Peoria TT – Peoria Motorcycle Club, Peoria, IL
September 1: Springfield Mile II – Illinois State Fairgrounds, Springfield, IL
(AFT Singles Springfield Short Track same weekend)
September 7: Williams Grove Half-Mile – Williams Grove Sp., Mechanicsburg, PA
September 21: Minnesota Mile – Canterbury Park, Shakopee, MN
September 28: Meadowlands Mile – Meadowlands R & E, East Rutherford, NJ
2019 GNCC Calendar Announced
Racer Productions, producer of the AMSOIL Grand National Cross Country (GNCC) Series, is pleased to announce the 2019 series schedule.
New for the 2019 season will be the expanded Micro (50cc) Racing program, while the eMTB racing will take place at eight rounds including an eMTB only race held on July 27 at Loretta Lynn’s Ranch in Hurricane Mills, Tennessee.
2019 GNCC calendar announced – Image by Ken Hill
Jeff Russell – GNCC Trail Boss
“We’re excited to get the 2019 season rolling. With a great schedule of events on some of the best off-road courses the country has to offer, the upcoming season is shaping up to be one of the best yet. We have several facilities to consider for the fall TBA event. A lot of factors go into finding a venue to host a GNCC event and we hope to have an announcement on that round as soon as possible.”
The 2019 schedule welcomes back many of its most seasoned venues, including Camp Coker Bullet in Society Hill, South Carolina; X-Factor in Peru, Indiana; The John Penton in Millfield, Ohio; Tomahawk in Alpine, New York; West Virginia’s popular Snowshoe GNCC in Snowshoe, West Virginia; and the Ironman GNCC in Crawfordsville, Indiana.
The Queensland Motocross subcommittee is pleased to announce details of a freshly revamped 2019 Sunshine State Motocross Series, with four exciting venue additions from last year’s Airoh series.
2019 Sunshine State Motocross Series calendar announced
Since its inception as a B & C Grade series more than 25 years ago, the ‘Sunny States’ have made a consistent contribution to the development of Queensland’s racing stocks, and established a tradition as a proving ground for up-and-coming riders.
Averaging around 330 riders per round, the series contributes significantly to the ‘dirt bike economy’ that fuels small towns in South-East Queensland, while offering competitors the best prizemoney of any comparable series.
Next year’s incarnation will see a mix of trusted and true venues and exciting new locations, with the respected Suncoast Junior Motorcycle Club both raising and lowering the curtain on the series, boasting two rounds at its iconic Coolum track.
2019 Sunshine State Motocross Series calendar announced
In between though, riders will take a thrill ride of fresh racing challenges to grow their skills, re-visiting old favourites like a recently-updated Roma, Mundubbera, Kilcoy and Goondiwindi.
New series coordinator Rachelle Houterman is anything but a new face on the scene, and in taking over the reins from Jason Watson, will look to maintain what’s great about the series, but improve what she can.
She’ll again assume the role of Race Secretary for the series and will steer the ship overall with help from the Motocross Subcommittee, as well as the promoting clubs and series officials.
Rachelle Houterman – Race Secretary
“It’ll be a busy year for me and my helpers, but we have a lot of experience with all aspects of the series and we’re looking to continue to grow Queensland’s premier motocross series as well as trying to increase the payback to the clubs and open up more contingencies for juniors. Some riders may not have previously experienced a few of these tracks, but are sure to be in for a great time at venues that older riders still speak very highly of. Roma has had some exciting new changes as well, so there’ll be lots of opportunity for riders to learn new tracks and gain new skills. Kilcoy has also been missing from the series lately, but the Kilcoy Motorcycle Club has gained a huge following in recent years, so we’re happy to return this track to the calendar.”
The Motocross Subcommittee wishes to thank Jason Watson for all of his hard work over the past two years and wishes him all the best for his new endeavours. Jason remains a valued member of the MX Subcommittee.
2019 Sunshine State Motocross Series calendar announced
The series sponsor is expected to be announced very soon, and a host of sponsorship opportunities now exist with the Sunshine State MX Series. Please contact Rachelle direct on 0409 174 273 or email [email protected].
2019 Sunshine State Series Venues and Dates
Coolum 16/17 February
Roma 23/24 March
Mundubbera 6/7 April
Kilcoy 11/12 May
Goondiwindi 1/ 2 June
Coolum 15/16 June
Further information, Rachelle Houterman, Series Coordinator. Ph: 3281 2255 E: [email protected]
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2019 Australian Speedway Senior Solo draw announced
The 2019 Australian Senior Solo Speedway Championship kicks off bright and early on January 3rd 2019 at Gillman Speedway, South Australia, and the seeded and qualifying line-up is locked and loaded!
For the first time in three years, the Australian Senior Solo Speedway Championship will run a Qualifier the day before Round 1, where 16 selected riders will battle it out for the remaining eight spots in the Championship.
2019 Australian Speedway Senior Solo draw announced
Gillman Speedway will play host to the first round of the Championship, setting the bar higher than the South Australian Summer temperature! Round 1 will commence with the Qualifier on Wednesday night, January 2nd, where each rider will vie for their spot in the available eight places remaining on Thursday night.
With no brakes, gears or fear, Thursday 3rd January is anticipated to be an absolute scorcher, as tensions continue to run high after a tough Qualifier the day prior. Speedway Commission Chair, Ivan Golding, reflected on the draw of seeded and qualifying riders for the 2019 Australian Senior Solo Speedway Championship.
Ivan Golding – Speedway Commission Chair
“This has been one of the strongest qualifiers we have experienced in quite some time! Yesterday’s draw was extremely tough, making our job even harder than in previous years. The depth of nominations received for the 2019 Championship are some of the best we have received, which has made the draw super tough. The quality of riders to pick from was very impressive, and we are no doubt locked in for a thrilling 2019 Championship!”
The field includes eight seeded riders, including the 2018 reigning Champion, Rohan Tungate, alongside the likes of Max Fricke, Chris Holder, Jack Holder and Jaimon Lidsey.
The full list of seeded riders in the 2019 Australian Senior Solo Speedway Championship are as follows:
The 16 riders selected for the Qualifier on January 2nd are as follows
At the close of Round 1, riders will move North to Mildura, Victoria for Round 2 on 5th January, followed by Round 3 on 7th January at Undera, Victoria. The penultimate round will be held on 9th January at Albury Wodonga, Victoria, with a close to the Championship at Kurri-Kurri, New South Wales on 12th January.
Tanti joins Crawford at Serco
Serco Yamaha will again be a force to be reckoned with next season after enlisting Nathan Crawford and Aaron Tanti to steer their YZ250F’s in the 2019 MX Nationals and Australian Supercross Championships.
Nathan Crawford
“I hate being off the bike and not riding and its driving me crazy but my motivation is as good as it’s ever been and I’m excited to be locked in with Serco and the opportunity to race the YZ250F again. I haven’t even ridden the 2019 bike, but it looks and sounds amazing and I know Serco Yamaha will give me the best bike in the class. I’m able to bare weight on my leg and start physio this week with a view to start riding again by late January. That still leaves me enough time to get myself bike fit and ready to go for the MX Nationals and I’m already looking forward to racing again.”
Nathan Crawford
Aaron Tanti
“Up until last year, I was juggling work with racing but for 2018 I was able to get myself in a position where I could ride and train full time and it instantly showed improvement in my results. The reward of the hard work and sacrifice came when Gavin approached me about racing for Serco in 2019. Now to have the support and structure of the Serco Yamaha team behind me and entering the new year feeling fit and refreshed, I am confident 2019 will be my best season yet as I feel there is still a lot of room for improvement in my riding and racing.
Aaron Tanti joins Crawford at Serco in 2019
“I spent a day on the bike earlier this week and I’m impressed with everything about it. We just ran through some basic things like bar bends to get me comfortable, stiffened up the fork a little and I was good to go. The Yamaha YZ250F feels awesome and that is just the production bike, I can’t wait to ride the full- blown race bike Serco will build for me. I’m proud to have achieved this ride with Serco Yamaha but I know the real work is about to come. But I will give it my all and aim to win as many races and championships as I can.”
Aaron Tanti
Round one of the MX Nationals takes place at Appin, west of Sydney on March 17.
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WBR Yamaha sign Purvis and Kukas for MXD
WBR Yamaha team will be out to match their 2018 success that saw them claim the top two spots in the MXD class at the MX Nationals, with Max Purvis and Jack Kukas lining up for 2019.
Max Purvis
“I have done two seasons in Australia now and I feel comfortable racing here now as I know the riders and how the events work. But, it’s also the first time I have had major support over here and its cool to be a part of the WBR Yamaha. I had to race against them in 2018 and I know how well prepared and organised they were so it’s exciting to now be on the same side as them. I won plenty of rounds last year, but I just wasn’t consistent enough in the rounds that I didn’t win so that’s an area I need to address this year. Championships are won on your bad days, so I need to find a way grind out a good result when things aren’t going my way and be consistent across all 10 rounds. I love racing in Australia and the MX Nationals is a great series. Doing the NZ Nationals, the MX Nationals and the Australian Supercross Championship will be a huge year for me, but I can’t wait to get started.”
Maximus Purvis with WBR Yamaha in 2019
Jack Kukas
“It’s awesome to be back here in Australia and on the WBR Yamaha team for the 2019 season. I have been a Yamaha rider all my life to so get the opportunity to ride for the official Yamaha MXD team is a bit of a dream come true. I have already spent a week down with the team in Echuca just getting settled on the bike and meeting everyone. Travis and Nathan are awesome to deal with and are so helpful in getting me comfortable on and off the bike. I can’t thank them enough for giving me this chance and I hope to repay them with some good results. The 2019 YZ250F is such a good bike and we have a great group of sponsors on board for next year so I’m going to give it my all and try and get another championship for Yamaha and the WBR team.”
Jack Kukas to 2019 WBR Yamaha team
The first time both riders will be on track together will be the opening round of the MX Nationals at Appin, west of Sydney, on March 17.
Argentina to kick-off 2019 MXGP season
Youthstream has revealed that the first round of the 2019 MXGP and MX2 FIM Motocross World Championship season will take place at the Patagonia-Argentina circuit of Neuquen on Sunday the 10th of March with bikes racing for the first time of the new season in Qualifying on Saturday.
MXGP 2019 kicks off in Argentina
MXGP’s return to Patagonia Argentina’s beautiful Neuquen circuit is exciting for the riders, fans, and industry members as amazing GPs have taken place at the venue since first hosting the FIM Motocross World Championship in 2015. Serving as the second round of 2017 and then the opening round of 2018 the previous years have resulted in stunning racing amongst the hillsides lined by thousands of South American motocross fans.
David Luongo – Vice President of Youthstream
“It is great news to be back in Argentina for the opening Grand Prix of the season. The circuit of Neuquen is for most of the riders, the most beautiful track of the championship and its location in the middle of Patagonia is breathtaking. We really want to thank David Eli from Mas Eventos along with the local and national authorities making this Grand Prix possible, we are sure that it will be a great success and will bring a lot of attention and exposure Argentina.”
Stefan Everts in hospital
Ten times World Champion Stefan Everts was hospitalized last week and remains at the University Hospital of Leuven in Belgium in an induced coma.
Stefan Everts
Everts participated in a charity event three weeks ago in Lubumbashi, Democratic Republic of the Congo to raise funds for the construction of schools in the area and contracted malaria, a mosquito-borne disease caused by a parasite.
During his legendary career, Everts won the record numbers of 101 Motocross Grands Prix and ten FIM world titles. After his career, he worked at KTM and then ran the Suzuki World MXGP team before Suzuki suspended its support for the FIM Motocross World Championships last year.
The moto world holds its combined breath waiting for Stefan to pull through and our hearts go out to the family.
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