Moto News Wrap for May 7, 2019 by Darren Smart
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The LATEST News
- Full Las Vega SX report
- Australian MX Nationals – Murray Bridge
- Russell lands win at Indianapolis GNCC
- Holcombe & Freeman share EnduroGP wins
- Simpson & Ostlund win British MX Nationals
- Jasikonis & Jacobi win Dutch Masters
- Honda signs Roczen for three years
- No Yamaha 450 riders at Vegas
- Todd Waters to USA
- Sweden, Poland and Germany advance to SoN finals
- Woffinden & Doyle to clash this weekend
- WESS kicks off this weekend
- Weekly update on our Aussies abroad
Full Las Vegas SX report
Las Vegas hosted the final round of the 2019 AMA Supercross Championship and despite Eli Tomac dominating the 450 main event it was Cooper Webb who came away with the championship. Dylan Ferrandis and Chase Sexton won the West and East Coast 250 championships respectively.
450SX Report
The tension around the stadium was once again palpable as the 450 main event got underway and it was Tomac who earned a very rare holeshot. It was obvious from the outset that Eli was not interested in playing games with the Kawasaki rider putting down incredibly fast lap times to pull away from the KTM duo of Marvin Musquin and Webb.
While maintaining a few bike lengths back from Musquin, Webb was initially under pressure from Zach Osborne but he was able to slowly pull away from the Husqvarna rider. Ken Roczen made his way to the rear wheel of the championship leader put the plucky Webb stuck to hitting his marks around the slippery, hard packed Vegas layout.
As the track deteriorated Tomac continued to push and despite surviving a few ‘moments’ the Kawasaki rider crossed the line some 12 seconds ahead of Musquin while Webb rounded out the podium. Webb led by a narrow margin over Roczen and Osborne with Cole Seely, Blake Baggett, Tyler Bowers, Justin Hill and Justin Bogle rounded out the top ten.
Webb, a two-time Western Regional 250SX Champion and a former 250 AMA National Motocross Champion can now add the 2019 AMA 450 Supercross Championship to his resume on the back of 5-10-1-1-8-1-1-2-1-2-3-4-1-3-2-1-3 finishes over the 17 rounds.
Cooper Webb
“It’s been an incredible journey. This KTM team believed in me, they took me in and transformed me back to where I always knew I could be. This year was not expected at all, and I can’t thank them enough for giving me this opportunity to get back into this level and to do it this way is unreal. It’s a dream come true, I’ve had it since I was a little kid. It’s an incredible feeling, I am in shock.”
Eli Tomac
“It’s all about putting the whole season together, we need to fill in the gaps which and we haven’t done that yet. I felt like in the beginning we were playing catch up then we kind of found our stride here in the last few races so that is the positive outlook on the season.”
Marvin Musquin
“After being second last year I was looking to go one step better and get the championship but I started the year with no training through November and December (thanks to a knee injury) which is where you build up for the season but we had a solid program where the goal was to get better each weekend, which I did, we were close to winning some main events then we won a couple. I would have liked to have been fighting for the championship all of the way to the end but that didn’t happen.”
450SX Results
- Eli Tomac – 22 Laps
- Marvin Musquin +12.061
- Cooper Webb +17.466
- Ken Roczen +18.216
- Zach Osborne +29.872
- Cole Seely +42.680
- Blake Baggett +48.397
- Tyler Bowers +55.636
- Justin Hill +1:00.694
- Justin Bogle – 21Laps
- Justin Brayton +02.960
- Ben Lamay +05.575
- Kyle Chisholm +13.365
- Ryan Breece +36.547
- Alex Ray +49.372
- Henry Miller +1:01.671
- Carlen Gardner – 20Laps
- Adam Enticknap +09.480
- Charles Lefrancois +13.010
- Tevin Tapia – 19Laps
- Austin Politelli – 15Laps
- Scott Champion – 7Laps
- Cooper Webb – 379
- Eli Tomac – 361
- Marvin Musquin – 350
- Ken Roczen – 319
- Blake Baggett – 290
- Dean Wilson – 223
- Cole Seely – 211
- Joey Savatgy – 208
- Justin Bogle – 171
- Justin Brayton – 163
- Justin Hill – 162
- Tyler Bowers – 155
- Justin Barcia – 154
- Zach Osborne – 154
- Chad Reed – 151
250 East/West Shootout Report
In the 250 East/West Coast shootout both titles were on the line with Chase Sexton holding an 8-point lead over Justin Cooper for the East title. Adam Cianciarulo held a 9-point lead over Dylan Ferrandis in the West and with all four riders easily qualifying into the 15 minute main event the stage was set.
In the battle for the East, Sexton was running near the front of the field from the start of the race while Cooper battled mid-pack so at the line Sexton cruised through for a fourth-place finish, securing his first 250 championship for Geico Honda.
As for the West Coast title there was a fair bit of drama with Ferrandis taking the holeshot on his Monster Energy Yamaha while Cianciarulo was outside the top five. Cianciarulo was then able to move up to third behind Ferrandis and Cameron McAdoo, which would have secured Adam his first title and for several laps it was looking like Cianciarulo was riding smart and had the title in his grasp.
Unfortunately for Cianciarulo fans and Mitch Payton, the Pro Circuit Kawasaki rider came up short in a rhythm section, clipped a tuff box and crashed heavily leaving his handlebars bent beyond raceable and despite quickly going into the pits for repairs the championship was over for Cianciarulo……again.
Up front Ferrandis took a comfortable race win from RJ Hampshire, McAdoo and Sexton. Alex Martin, Colt Nichols, Michael Mosiman, Cooper, Martin Davalos and Garrett Marchbanks rounded out the top ten, well ahead of Cianciarulo who ended the main in 20th, handing Ferrandis his first championship on American soil.
Dylan Ferrandis
“Coming into the main, I just asked my mechanic to tell me what Adam was doing and when I saw it at P-10 and P-12, I couldn’t believe it.” Ferrandis said. “We trained so hard coming into this weekend. It’s more than a dream come true. It’s hard to put into words. I’m just thinking about all the people that have been with me and supporting me. The team has been behind me the past few years, and I’m very grateful to them for believing in me. This is incredible.”
Chase Sexton
“It feels super-good, it really hasn’t sunk in yet but being only 19 and winning my first championship is unbelievable. Man, it was the longest 15 plus one I have ever done, the track was gnarly, to do this for myself and the team is awesome, couldn’t have asked for any better.”
250 East/West Coast Results
- Dylan Ferrandis – 16 Laps
- RJ Hampshire +01.805
- Cameron McAdoo +02.858
- Chase Sexton +03.365
- Alex Martin +04.625
- Colt Nichols +05.871
- Michael Mosiman +09.340
- Justin Cooper +11.993
- Martin Davalos +18.488
- Garrett Marchbanks +22.901
- Brandon Hartranft +26.177
- Kyle Peters +35.205
- Jordan Bailey +42.976
- John Short +46.740
- Lorenzo Locurcio +52.624
- Justin Starling +1:06.503
- Chase Marquier – 15Laps
- James Decotis +17.645
- Mitchell Falk +23.856
- Adam Cianciarulo +44.305
- Kyle Cunningham – 13Laps
- Chris Blose – 4Laps
- Chase Sexton – 193
- Justin Cooper – 180
- Austin Forkner – 152
- Martin Davalos – 148
- Alex Martin – 139
- Brandon Hartranft – 130
- Mitchell Oldenburg – 128
- Kyle Peters – 126
- Kyle Cunningham – 110
- Jordan Bailey – 101
- Dylan Ferrandis – 226
- Adam Cianciarulo – 211
- Colt Nichols – 180
- RJ Hampshire – 168
- Cameron McAdoo – 149
- Michael Mosiman – 144
- James Decotis – 133
- Shane McElrath – 123
- Chris Blose – 120
- Garrett Marchbanks – 113
Murray Bridge hosts MX Nationals double header
South Australia’s historic town of Murray Bridge hosted the fourth and fifth rounds of the 2019 Australian MX Nationals last weekend with the first of the two ‘double-headers’ for the series with four championship classes on show over the two days of action.
MX1 Report
The big drawcard at Murray Bridge was the return of Dean Ferris to the series, albeit a brief one, on the Raceline KTM and it didn’t take long for Dean to start where he left off last year with two wins on Saturday though moto two did see Luke Clout hold pace with the 2018 champion.
Kirk Gibbs was second in the opening moto but well back from Ferris then it all went sour for Gibbs in the second moto with the CDR Yamaha rider crashing twice to earn a DNF before not being able to race on Sunday so Gibbs’ title chance is all but gone.
So it was Ferris taking the overall on Saturday with Clout, Hayden Mellross, Jayden Rykers and Todd Waters round out the top five so heading to Sunday Mellross still has the red plate by two points over Clout.
Sunday dawned with the MX1 riders tackling two back-to-back sprint races and it was looking to be more of the same with Ferris out front. Just as the NRGTV commentators were regaling how Ferris rarely makes mistakes the number 1 KTM was on the ground handing the lead and win to Clout with Waters, Mellross, Ferris and Justin Rodbell rounding out the top five.
Moto two saw Clout take another win once again over Waters and Mellross with Rodbell holding off Ferris for fourth so the overall for the combined sprint races went to Clout over Waters, Mellross, Rodbell and Ferris.
The final 30 minute moto saw Waters take the win by just 1.4 seconds over Clout who had Mellross all over him right to the line while Ferris once again struggled with a poor start to finish a distant fourth.
The overall goes to Waters over Clout and Mellross and as far as the points go Clout now has the red plate by 4-points over Mellross who in turn has a 6-point lead over Waters – with 5 rounds remaining this championship is well and truly alive.
MX1 Round 4 & 5 Results
- Dean Ferris – 70 points
- Luke Clout – 58
- Hayden Mellross – 58
- Jayden Rykers – 56
- Todd Waters – 53
- Richie Evans – 48
- Justin Rodbell – 47
- Dylan Long – 43
- Erki Kahro – 42
- Brett Metcalfe – 39
- Todd Waters – 67 points
- Luke Clout – 67
- Hayden Mellross – 60
- Dean Ferris – 54
- Justin Rodbell – 53
- Richie Evans – 50
- Jayden Rykers – 49
- Brett Metcalfe – 45
- Lawson Bopping – 45
- Erki Kahro – 41
- Luke Clout- 275 points
- Hayden Mellross – 271
- Todd Waters – 265
- Justin Rodbell – 210
- Jayden Rykers – 207
- Erki Kahro – 190
- Brett Metcalfe – 181
- Kirk Gibbs – 179
- Richie Evans – 174
- Jesse Dobson – 173
MX2 Report
Saturday saw the back-to-back sprint races start the weekend off for the MX2 riders and surprisingly it was Kyle Webster who stamped his dominance by taking the win in the first moto over Jay Wilson, Bailey Malkiewicz, Kaleb Barham and Wilson Todd. He then back that up with another win in the second moto this time over Wilson, Barham, Dylan Wills and Todd.
So heading to the final 30-minute moto Webster held the overall so far ahead of Wilson, Barham, Malkiewicz and Todd. However the longer moto allowed Todd to redeem himself with a narrow win over the in-form Webster who had a fair gap back to third place Wilson while Wills and Riley Dukes rounded out the top five.
So the overall for Saturday goes to Webster over Wilson and Todd but with Sunday looming with two 30-minute motos all eyes were on Todd to extend his championship lead.
On the day it was Webster who once again put together a great race with a win in the opening moto over Malkiewicz, Wilson, Aaron Tanti and Dukes while Todd suffered a flat tyre while leading and was forced to dive into the mechanics area to change the wheel and finish in 14th place.
Moto two saw Todd take the win by four seconds ahead of Webster with the Serco Yamaha pairing of Nathan Crawford and Tanti putting together their best finishes after a tough weekend for the team. Heading to the seven week break in the series Todd now had a 23 point lead over Webster who in turn has a 2 point gap back to Wilson.
Kyle Webster
“Things couldn’t have gone much better! Everything clicked from the moment we rolled onto the track and I’m absolutely stoked on how the day went. I can’t ask for much more, with two round wins in two days. It feels like it’s been a while coming this year to get a few wins on the go, but now that they’re here, it’s awesome. Everyone in the MX2 class has been having a real go and the competition is fierce, so getting two round wins now at the double-header rounds is the perfect way to go into the mid-season break. I can’t thank everyone on the Penrite Pirelli CRF Honda Racing team enough, and all the team sponsors and supporters, and my family and everyone who helps make this happen; like I said, getting back-to-back round wins feels just awesome!”
MX2 Round 4 & 5 Results
- Kyle Webster – 67 points
- Jay Wilson – 62
- Wilson Todd – 61
- Dylan Wills – 53
- Kaleb Barham – 53
- Bailey Malkiewicz – 52
- Riley Dukes – 50
- Jai Constantinou – 44
- Ricky Latimer – 41
- Nathan Crawford – 38
- Kyle Webster – 67 points
- Bailey Malkiewicz – 58
- Aaron Tanti – 56
- Jay Wilson – 54
- Wilson Todd – 52
- Nathan Crawford – 52
- Riley Dukes – 49
- Ricky Latimer – 45
- Jye Dickson – 43
- Jai Constantinou – 42
- Wilson Todd – 283 points
- Kyle Webster – 260
- Jay Wilson – 258
- Nathan Crawford – 212
- Aaron Tanti – 212
- Dylan Wills – 206
- Riley Dukes – 202
- Bailey Malkiewicz – 198
- Jye Dickson – 188
- Cooper Pozniak – 184
MXD Report
The MXD riders once again put on a great show all weekend with lap times that matched the top MX2 riders and most of the MX1 field but in the end it was Kiwi Max Purvis who won the overall on Saturday over Brodie Ellis and championship leader Regan Duffy but on Sunday Duffy narrowly got the overall ahead of Purvis and Mason Rowe.
At the halfway point of the series Duffy has a 17 point lead over Purvis while Rhys Budd sits a further 15 points back.
MXD Rounds 4 & 5 Results
- Maximus Purvis – 67 points
- Regan Duffy – 65
- Rhys Budd – 58
- Brodie Ellis – 57
- Jack Kukas – 52
- Mason Rowe – 49
- Jai Walker – 44
- Tye Jones – 44
- Jayce Cosford – 44
- Mackenzie O’Bree – 41
- Regan Duffy – 67 points
- Maximus Purvis – 65
- Mason Rowe – 60
- Brodie Ellis – 51
- Noah Ferguson – 49
- Rhys Budd – 47
- Tye Jones – 46
- Mackenzie O’Bree – 45
- Jai Walker – 44
- Liam Walsh – 43
- Regan Duffy – 289 points
- Maximus Purvis – 272
- Rhys Budd – 257
- Brodie Ellis – 218
- Mason Rowe – 207
- Jack Kukas – 200
- Noah Ferguson – 197
- Jai Walker – 181
- Liam Walsh – 179
- Jayce Cosford – 178
YMF Australian MXW Report
Meghan Rutledge was in a class of her own to win all four MXW motos while running lap times within 10 seconds per lap of the top MX2 riders while Maddy Brown and Jessica Moore battle over the minor podium positions all weekend.
MXW – Round 1 Overall (Top 10)
- Meghan Rutledge – 70 points
- Maddy Brown – 62
- Jessica Moore – 62
- Emma Milesevic – 56
- Kara Cats – 51
- Roma Edwards – 50
- Tanesha Harnett – 49
- Amy Bartsch – 45
- Ebony Harris – 43
- Britney Boyce – 42
- Meghan Rutledge – 70 points
- Jessica Moore – 60
- Maddy Brown – 60
- Emma Milesevic – 60
- Roma Edwards – 51
- Kara Cats – 51
- Ebony Harris – 47
- Amy Bartsch – 47
- Steph Cutler – 43
- Tanesha Harnett – 43
- Meghan Rutledge – 140 points
- Jessica Moore – 122
- Maddy Brown – 122
- Emma Milesevic – 116
- Kara Cats – 102
- Roma Edwards – 101
- Amy Bartsch – 92
- Tanesha Harnett – 92
- Ebony Harris – 90
- Britney Boyce – 81
Russell Lands Win at Indianapolis GNCC
The X-Factor Whitetails GNCC at Indianapolis has been won by defending champion and current points leader Kailub Russell by just under 8-seconds over Thad Duval while Ben Kelly won the XC2 class with a fifth overall result.
Russell got the win over arch rival Thad Ducal and Josh Toth while Aussie Josh Strang struggled to a distant 13th overall but in the XC2 class Ben Kelley continues to be the man to beat with another win this time over Craig Delong and Alex Lee.
Jordan Ansley easily won the XC3 class with an incredible 16th outright while in the WXC class Tayla Jones continues to build the points lead as she defends her 2018 title with another win over Becca Sheets but fellow Aussie Mackenzie Tricker had a shocker with an unusual ninth but the former AMA Motocross Champion still hold third in the points.
GNCC Overall
- K. Russell – XC1 Open Pro – Overall Leader
2. T. Duvall – XC1 Open Pro
3. J. Toth – XC1 Open Pro
4. S. Baylor JR – XC1 Open Pro
5. B. Kelley – XC2 250 Pro – Class Leader
6. R. Russell – XC1 Open Pro
7. G. Baylor – XC1 Open Pro
8. C. Delong – XC2 250 Pro
9. A. Delong – XC1 Open Pro
10. A. Lee – XC2 250 Pro
11. T. Bollinger – XC1 Open Pro
12. J. Ashburn – XC1 Open Pro
13. J. Strang – XC1 Open Pro
14. C. Buttrick – XC1 Open Pro
15. M. Witkowski – XC2 250 Pro
16. J. Ansley – XC3 125 Pro-Am – Class Leader
Overall Top 10 Points after Round 5
- Kailub Russell – 140
- Thaddeus Duvall – 122
- Steward Baylor Jr – 105
- Trevor Bollinger – 90
- Benjamin Kelley – 78
- Josh Strang – 67
- Joshua Toth – 67
- Jordan Ashburn – 58
- Andrew Delong – 55
- Michael Witkowski – 49
WXC Results
- Tayla Jones
- Becca N Sheets
- Rachael Archer
- Korie Steede
- Shelby Rolen
- Shyann Phelps
- Elizabeth Perez
- Brooke Cosner
- Mackenzie Tricker
WXC Points after 5 Rounds
- Tayla Jones – 141
- Becca N Sheets – 130
- Mackenzie Tricker – 100
- Rachael Archer – 86
- Brooke Cosner – 73
Holcombe & Freeman share EnduroGP wins
The small town of Valpaços, about two-hours from Porto, hosted the second round of the FIM Enduro World Championship on mostly hard ground characterised with enormous rocks, as is typical for Portugal. Four rounds took place on Day 1, for a total of twelve special trials, while the following day three rounds took place.
Steve Holcombe (Team Beta Factory Enduro), Alex Salvini (S2 Motorsport Honda RedMoto Sembenini Team) and Andrea Verona (TM Racing Factory Team) were the undisputed leaders in Portugal on the occasion of the second GP of the 2019 FIM Enduro World Championship, in their respective Enduro GP, E3, E2 and Junior classes.
In the EnduroGP, Steve Holcombe (Team Beta Factory Enduro) dominated the opening day in a fight to the end with his compatriot Brad Freeman, the following day winning second place. An excellent performance was also seen from Alex Salvini (S2 Motorsport Honda RedMoto Sembenini Team) who won two third places.
It was also a positive weekend for Davide Guarneri (Team Honda RedMoto) who in the E1 class gained two excellent second places.
The E2 class was dominated by Alex Salvini (S2 Motorsport Honda RedMoto Sembenini Team). The Bologna-born rider won both days of racing and fought to the end against Christophe Charlier (Team Honda RedMoto) who gave an outstanding performance. Alex Salvini thus jumps to the head of the provisional rankings.
A double win in the E3 class for the Metzeler-supported rider Steve Holcombe, saw the rider from the Team Beta Factory Enduro also dominate the second GP of the season. Two second places were claimed by Daniel McCanney (TM Racing Factory Team).
It was also an excellent weekend of racing for the rider from the TM Racing Factory Team Andrea Verona who, also equipped with Metzeler MCE 6 Days Extreme tyres, on both days in the Junior class and is currently the leader in the class.
The FIM Enduro World Championship continues, and next weekend the racing will take place in Santiago de Compostela for the Spanish GP.
EnduroGP standings
- Holcombe, Steve – 77
- Freeman, Brad – 69
- Mccanney, Daniel – 58
E1 Class standings
- Freeman, Brad – 80
- Guarneri, Davide – 62
- Cavallo, Matteo – 62
E2 Class standings
- Salvini, Alex – 64
- Charlier, Christophe – 58
- Herrera, Benjamin – 50
E3 Class standings
- Holcombe, Steve – 80
- Mccanney, Daniel – 68
- Geslin, Anthony – 56
Junior Class standings
- Verona, Andrea – 80
- Francisco, Enric – 55
- Espinasse, Thèophile – 54
Simpson and Ostlund Win British MX Nationals
Canada Heights hosted the third round of the Maxxis British Motocross Championship and it was Shaun Simpson and Alvin Ostlund who won the MXGP and MX2 classes respectively.
Simpson put his RFX KTM at the front of the pack in both motos to take two wins ahead of Tommy Searle (2-2) and Jake Millward (3-5) while Ostlund went 2-1 to earn the overall ahead of Dylan Walsh and Josh Gilbert but it was bad news for the defending champion in Conrad Mewse who won the opening moto before failing to finish the second moto.
Simpson now sits on 144pts and Searle on 136pts so the championship is still well and truly alive and they head to round four at the Blaxhall circuit on June 2.
MXGP Overall
- Shaun Simpson – 50
- Tommy Searle – 44
- Jake Millward – 36
- Harri Kullas – 33
- Gert Krestinov – 33
- Brad Anderson – 30
- John Adamson – 25
- Lewis Tombs – 24
- Stuart Edmonds – 24
- Robbie Dowson – 20
MX2 Overall
- Alvin Ostlund – 47
- Dylan Walsh – 40
- Josh Gilbert – 38
- Martin Barr – 36
- Alexander Brown – 30
- Taylor Hammal – 29
- Michael Ellis – 27
- Conrad Mewse – 25
- Glen McCormick – 18
- Ashton Dickinson – 18
Jasikonis and Jacobi with Dutch Masters
The small town of Axel in Holland hosted the latest round of the Dutch Masters of Motocross and it was GP regulars in Arminas Jasikonis and Henri Jacobi who won the MXGP and MX2 classes respectively.
Jasikonis’ 1-2 moto finishes gave the Husqvana rider the overall ahead of Glenn Coldenhoff and Jeremy Seewer while Jacobi (2-2) won the overall from Ben Watson (3-3) and Davey Pootjes (4-4) with Aussie Jed Beaton coming home in sixth overall well ahead of Jargo Geerts and Roan Van de Moosdijk both won a moto but DNF’d the other.
Dutch MX Masters – MXGP Overall
- Arminas Jasikonis – 47
- Glenn Coldenhoff – 41
- Jeremy Seewer – 36
- Arnaud Tonus – 36
- Pauls Jonass – 35
- Petar Petrov – 27
- Yentel Martens – 25
- Benoit Paturel – 25
- Lars Van Berkel – 23
- Max Anstie – 22
MX2 Overall:
- Henri Jacobi – 44
- Ben Watson – 40
- Davy Pootjes – 36
- Mikkel Haarup – 30
- Tom Vialle – 28
- Jed Beaton – 27
- Roan Van De Moosdijk – 25
- Brent Vandonick – 25
- Adam Sterry – 25
- Jago Geerts – 25
Honda Signs Roczen for Three Years
American Honda have announced that Ken Roczen has renewed his contract with Team Honda HRC where the popular German will campaign the CRF450R in AMA Supercross and AMA Pro Motocross for the next three years.
Ken Roczen
“Re-signing with Honda was a no-brainer for me, I owe the team a lot and I feel like we have a lot of good days ahead of us. Three years is a long time, so when I signed, I was beyond stoked and it was a big pressure relief for me. The guys that I work with on this team are like a big family. Over the last two and a half years, the team and I have been through a lot. We’ve had some incredible highs but we’ve also hit rock bottom, and one thing that Honda always did—no matter what—was believe in me. They never gave up. The team also does whatever it takes to make a rider happy, which is huge because it brings comfort, and I want to win just as bad as they do. I know we haven’t done that in a while, but our work and what we do together isn’t done. Them standing behind me through thick and thin, the good times and the bad times, is what makes a great team, so I’m excited to continue our relationship.”
Lee Edmunds –
American Honda’s Manager of Powersports Marketing Communications
“During his time with Honda so far, Ken’s dedication has been exemplary, the tenacity with which he pursues success is exceeded only by the resolve with which he approaches challenges. We firmly believe that attitude will help him—and us—get back on top. Ken is our guy, and we’re thrilled to continue together.”
No Yamaha 450 riders at Vegas
The Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing Team was left without any riders at the final round of the AMA Supercross Championships after fill-in rider Josh Grant was forced to sit out the event after injuring his leg and ribs in a training crash Wednesday at the test track in Southern California.
The veteran Supercross racer was brought on board to fill in for Aaron Plessinger who was injured around the halfway mark of the season in Daytona while Justin Barcia decided to sit out the final four rounds to recover from several injuries in a bid to be fot the motocross season.
Jim Perry, Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing Team Manager
“This was not the phone call you want to get, however, it is the sad part of the game. What a bummer for Josh Grant and the whole team. Josh has been making improvements each week with two strong top-10 finishes in the previous events. He has been working hard to finish the Supercross series on a high note and it’s a shame that he will be sidelined for the finale.”
Todd Waters to USA
With the Australian MX Nationals on a seven-week break Todd Waters is heading to America to compete in the opening three rounds of the AMA Motocross Championships and here is what he wrote on social media:
Todd Waters – Social Media
“On Thursday we jump on the plane to the United States. The Australian MX Nationals calendar has a seven week break, which we realised lines up perfectly with the opening 3 rounds of the AMA Outdoors. In 2018 I had planned to do the AMA outdoors but found myself back competing in the MXGP’s. I’m excited to live out a lifelong dream. I’m looking forward to keeping the ball rolling. I’m anticipating that continuing to race and to race against some of the world’s fastest riders will up my intensity for the second half of the Australian MX Nationals season.
“The trip will be a journey of epic proportions. 3000+ miles in a hired RV, an entourage (including but not limited to, my girlfriend, mum & little sister plus New Zealand buddies Cody Cooper and mechanic Lee), a couple of albek.co suitcases filled with parts, 2 mechanics (my Dad & cousin Jason), one borrowed, stock FC 450 and one pipe dream!”
Sweden, Poland and Germany Advance to SoN Finals
Sweden, Poland and Germany have qualified for the Monster Energy FIM Speedway of Nations Finals in Togliatti on July 20 and 21 after top Swede Fredrik Lindgren scored 18 points to lead his team to an emphatic win.
The Swedish team of Lindgren (18p), Peter Ljung (6p) and Peter Hjelmland (1p) topped the teams event on 25 points at Race Off 1 in Landshut last Saturday night, with Poland scoring 24 and Germany 20 to join them in the Finals.
Lindgren may have been in red-hot form, but he admits Ljung’s decision to let him start every race from gate one or two made a huge difference as the Vastervik man bagged his points the hard way.
Fredrik Lindgren
“We are very satisfied with this performance. We are happy to go straight through to Russia for the Finals. It’s a tough meeting. You can’t afford to make any mistakes. That was a job well done. It’s a team effort because Peter gave me the inside gates. He didn’t really feel comfortable in the beginning and I said to him he should maybe try the inside gates to get going. But he wanted us to at least get the heat win and I have to give it up to him. It’s a team effort and we did a good job together.”
Polish star Bartosz Zmarzlik was delighted to power his side through to Togliatti as he joined forces with Patryk Dudek, who was only drafted in the 11th hour when Maciej Janowski withdrew due to a shoulder ligament injury.
Bartosz Zmarzlik
“I am very happy because Poland took the next step and we’re through to the Finals in Togliatti. Second place is not so bad and we were very close to the win against Sweden. Patryk did a very good job for the Poland team, but I’d like to say hello to Magic and we keep our fingers crossed he will come back to the track soon. This meeting wasn’t bad for me and I am happy. But in Togliatti we have two days and we will see what happens. There are two months to go.”
German ace Martin Smolinski was delighted to see his side reach their second straight world final in front of a passionate home crowd in Landshut.
Martin Smolinski
“It’s job done – it’s very nice. It’s always nice to get to the next round in front of the home crowd. We had a very good team performance, I think. Every one of us scored some good points. We showed how good German speedway is at a very good venue. We had a lot of rain in the afternoon, but the track guys worked very well and I think we saw some very nice racing out there.”
The Monster Energy SON now moves to Manchester’s National Speedway Stadium for Race Off 2 next Saturday, as Great Britain tackle Australia, Denmark, USA, France, Finland and Latvia.
Monster Energy Son Race Off 1 Scores
- SWEDEN 25:
- 1 Fredrik Lindgren 18, 2 Peter Ljung 6, 3 Peter Hjelmland 1.
- POLAND 24:
- 1 Patryk Dudek 7, 2 Bartosz Zmarzlik 15, 3 Bartosz Smektala 2.
- GERMANY 20:
- 1 Kai Huckenbeck 8, 2 Martin Smolinski 11, 3 Michael Hartel 1.
- CZECH REPUBLIC 19:
- 1 Vaclav Milik 16, 2 Eduard Krcmar 2, 3 Jan Kvech 1.
- SLOVENIA 19:
- 1 Matej Zagar 13, 2 Matic Ivacic 4, 3 Nick Skorja 2.
- UKRAINE 10:
- 1 Andrii Rozaliuk 0, 2 Stanislav Melnychuk 8, 3 Marko Levishyn 0.
- ITALY 9:
- 1 Nicolas Covatti 9, 2 Paco Castagna 0, 3 Michele Menani 0.
Woffinden and Doyle to Clash his Weekend
World Champions Tai Woffinden and Jason Doyle will go head-to-head this weekend at the Monster Energy FIM Speedway of Nations Race Off 2 in Manchester where the Brits and Aussies are up against Denmark, USA, Latvia, France and Finland with three places up for grabs for the SON Finals at the Russian race track Togliatti on July 20 and 21.
Reigning world No.1 Woffinden captains the Lions on home shale in his first racing appearance in the UK since becoming the first Brit to win three world titles last October while 2017 World Champion Doyle leads the Australian challenge.
The top three teams in Manchester join last weekend’s SON Race Off 1 qualifiers Sweden, Poland and Germany along with hosts and defending champions Russia at the Finals in Togliatti.
Race Off 2 Squads & Line-Ups (In Draw Order):
- AUSTRALIA:
- 1 Jason Doyle (captain), 2 Max Fricke, U21 Jaimon Lidsey.
- Also in squad: Chris Holder, Jordan Stewart (U21).
- FINLAND:
- 1 Timo Lahti (captain), 2 Tero Aarnio, U21 Timi Salonen.
- Also in squad: Jesse Mustonen, Niklas Sayrio (U21).
- LATVIA:
- 1 Andzejs Lebedevs (captain), 2 Jevgenijs Kostigovs, U21 Olegs Mihailovs.
- DENMARK:
- 1 Niels-Kristian Iversen (captain), 2 Leon Madsen, U21 Frederik Jakobsen. Also in squad: Michael Jepsen Jensen, Patrick Hansen (U21).
- GREAT BRITAIN:
- 1 Tai Woffinden (captain), 2 Craig Cook, U21 Robert Lambert.
- Also in squad: Chris Harris, Daniel Bewley (U21).
- FRANCE:
- 1 David Bellego (captain), 2 Dimitri Berge, U21 Gaetan Stella.
- USA:
- 1 Austin Novratil, 2 Luke Becer (captain), U21 Broc Nicol.
- Also in squad: Ricky Wells.
WESS Kicks off this Weekend
After a successful debut as a series in 2018, the opening round of the 8-round World Enduro Super Series (WESS) kicks off in Portugal this weekend with the Toyota Porto Extreme XL Lagares which is now in its 15th edition where the three-day race showcases Superenduro, Urban and Hard Enduro.
Defining its parameters for 2019, WESS will feature Classic Enduro, Hard Enduro and Cross-Country racing, while mixing a variety of iconic events and new venues together to create the perfect blend of Enduro racing.
From Portugal defending champion Billy Bolt and the rest of the WESS contenders will criss-cross Europe to take on some of the most iconic and challenging off-road events in France, Austria, Italy, Romania, UK, Spain and Germany – below is the official calendar.
World Enduro Super Series – 2019 Calendar
- 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
Weekly update on our Aussies abroad
Jed Beaton – Rockstar Husqvarna
Championship: World MX2 Motocross Championship
Current Standing: 13th after Round 4 of 17
Notes: Jed rode the Dutch Masters of Motocross last weekend and came away with a solid 6th so he is primed and ready for the MXGP of Lombardi in Italy this weekend.
Mitch Evans – 114 Honda
Championship: World MX2 Motocross Championship
Current Standing: 8th after Round 4 of 17
Notes: Mitch sensationally started the season with a podium finish but since then it has been a bit of a roller coaster with great speed let down by two mechanical DNFs. The next round will be the MXGP of Lombardi in Italy this coming weekend.
Tayla Jones – Rockstar/Husqvarna/Moose Racing/Shaw Wines
Championship: GNCC
Current Standing: 1st after Round 5 of 13
Notes: Tayla won the latest round in Indianapolis on May 5 and has extended her points lead in the WXC class to 11 over second placed Becca Sheets.
Caleb Grothues – SDM Corse Yamaha
Championship: EMX250
Current Standings: 16th after Round 2 of 8
Notes: The former Australian and World Junior Motocross Champion rode well at the opening round but was forced to sit out the second round due to injury but the West Aussie should be back for the next round in France on the 26th of May.
Hunter Lawrence – Geico Honda
Championship: AMA Motocross Championship
Current Standings: TBA
Notes: Hunter was looking sharp heading into the supercross championship before he crashed right before the opening round so he is now healed and by all accounts 100% ready for the outdoors which kicks off at Hangtown on May 18.
Jett Lawrence – Geico Honda
Championship: TBA
Current Standings: TBA
Notes: Jett joined the Geico Honda amateur program for 2019 and to date he has raced a handful of events like the Mini-Os etc – as soon as he races and there are results it will be right here.
Tahlia ‘TJ’ O’Hare – KTM DIGA Racing Team
Championship: MXW World Motocross Championship
Current Standings: 13th after Round 1 of 5
Notes: Tahlia’s initiation into the world motocross scene was at the toughest track on the circuit in Valkenswaard but she managed to get through with a solid 13th but look for TJ to move up the points standings at the second round in Portugal on May 19.
Chad Reed – JGR Suzuki
Championship: AMA Supercross
Current Standing: 15th after Round 17 of 17
Notes: Chad was part of a multi bike crash at Seattle when he was sitting 7th in the championship and after the series was completed the Aussie still ended up 15th in the points – we now hold out hopes that Chad will line up for the AMA Motocross Championships.
Wil Ruprecht – Johansson MPE Yamaha
Championship: EnduroGP – Junior Class
Current Standing: 2nd after Round 2 of 7.
Notes: Wil once again proved his world class riding ability at Valpaços in Portugal last weekend with a 2nd and a 4th over the two days of competition where some of the veterans of the sport declared it one of the toughest events in recent history.
Meghan Rutledge – Bud Racing Kawasaki
Championship: MXW World Motocross Championship
Current Standings: 8th after Round 1 of 5
Notes: Meghan sat out the World Championships for four years and her first round was marred with some minor mistakes but there was no mistaking her speed so look for Meghan to have a much better round in Portugal on the 19th of May.
Josh Strang – Babbitt’s Online/Monster Energy/Kawasaki
Championship: GNCC / AMA Enduro
Current Standing: 6th after Round 5 of 13
Notes: Josh ended the ‘X Factor Whitetails’ at Peru near Indianapolis in a disappointing 13th outright but he still sits 6th overall in the series with 8 rounds remaining.
Mackenzie Tricker – KTM/MEPMX/Fly Racing
Championship: GNCC
Current Standing: 3rd after Round 5 of 13
Notes: Mackenzie ended the ‘X Factor Whitetails’ at Peru near Indianapolis in 9th place which is her poorest performance in years but she still sits third in points with 8 rounds remaining and my bet is still for the former motocross champion to pull off a win this season.
Max Whale – Weirbach Racing Kawasaki
Championship: AFT Singles
Current Standings: 10th after Round 4 of 18
Notes: Max scored a disappointing 16th at the Super TT in Arizona last weekend thanks to still feeling the effects of the previous weekend’s big crash but he still sits 10th in the points with plenty of rounds left to prove his worth.
Source: MCNews.com.au
Sixteen heats of quick-fire racing action will be sure to keep the crowds entertained all night, and a field full of world-class riders and passengers will ensure the standard of racing is second to none.
