Aussie two-time Dakar Rally winner and current title holder Toby Price has come out fighting from day one with a resounding win and two-minute lead in the first stage.
The KTM Red Bull number one rider usually plays safe in the first week of the Dakar Rally, attacking later in the rally as he did last year wth his come-from-behind victory.
Ricky Brabec (Honda)
The fighting Aussie was two minutes and five seconds ahead of American Ricky Brabec (Honda) followed by KTM teammate Matthias Walkner, despite problems with his road book.
Toby races across the desert
“My road book walked out on me after 15-odd kilometres, so it was strange,” Toby says.
“I was quite lucky in one way because I managed to follow on some dust and just keep up with the guys. Once the road book is gone, then you’re pretty much driving blind.
“At the moment it looks good on paper, but I think we have a bit of a penalty coming.”
Indeed, he did cop a two-minute penalty but is still five seconds in front.
“It’s not the greatest start, but it’s still a long rally to go,” Toby says.
“We’re in good shape, we feel good on the bike and we’re happy.”
Veteran Queensland competitor Rodney Faggotter (Yamaha) is in 25th position with fellow AussiesBen Young (Duust) in 92nd and Matthew Tisdall (KTM) 129th.
The route left the capital of Jeddah for a 433 liaison and a 345km special stage along the coastline through mainly sandy terrain with some rocky sections toward the end.
Yesterday’s highlights will be screened on SBS TV tonight at 6pm (check local guides).
We will publish daily updates each morning until the rally ends on January 17.
Toby aids firefighters
Toby (right) is auctioning his starting jersey and pants for firefighters
Toby is also doing his bit for the current critical bushfire situation by auctioning his starting jersey and pants with proceeds going to the NSW Rural Fire Service.
It is open worldwide, just send in your bid in Australian dollars on his Facebook page or Instagram.
For the first time, the Dakar Rally is being held in just one country, Saudi Arabia.
It began in 1978 passing through several countries from Paris to Dakar in Senegal.
In 2008 the rally was cancelled due to terrorist threats in Mauritania and resumed the following year in South America but kept the name as it retained the “Dakar spirit”.
That should mean it is a challenging rally with lots of different climates, terrain and navigational challenges.
So far the terrain just looks sandy.
However, they have made the navigation tougher, so the race won’t be just about flat-out speed, but navigational skill.
As for the usual travelogue of beautiful scenery, it seems it is now just sand, sand and more sand.
Dakar organiser ASO last year signed a controversial five-year deal with the tainted nation criticised for human rights violations including the murder of American newspaper reporter Jamal Khashoggi.
The Muslim nation also has a poor record on its treatment of women which could have been an issue with the rally organisers as many women now compete.
“Shakedowns are complete, bike is great thanks to my mechanic Joe,” Toby says on his Facebook page. Leave a word of encouragement on his page!
Toby in Saudi shakedown (sheik-down?)
We wish Toby the best of luck when he kick-starts his title defence tomorrow (5 January 2020) and will be watching on SBS every evening for the daily updates (check local times).
Because of the time difference, SBS will show the day’s highlights more than 24 hours later. That means the Sunday start will screen on Monday night.
However, Motorbike Writer will supply daily updates every morning on Toby and the other Aussie competitors.
Dakar spirit?
Toby in 2018
However, a lot of the interest in the Dakar Rally over the years has been the travelogue as the riders pass through different countries, amazing scenery and a wide variety of conditions.
The Paris-Dakar Rally started in 1978 and in the early days, they had rainy and muddy conditions in Europe before heading into north-west Africa, through dunes and harsh country, finishing at Dakar, Senegal.
In 2008, the event was cancelled because of terrorist threats in Muslim Mauritania.
The following year it reconvened in South America where it has passed through five different countries and a variety of conditions.
Toby
Despite the change of location to just one country, Saudi Arabia, the organisers said it still retain the “Dakar tradition”, so the name remained.
We hope so, but it’s hardly a Dakar tradition anymore with Saudi money stealing it from South America.
Saudi Arabia Dakar 2020
Toby and KTM teammates
New rules have been added to make it fairer for small teams and individuals to compete with the big teams, like Toby’s Red Bull KTM which is gunning for its 19th consecutive win.
One change is that all competitors receive their road books at the same time and they will be more complex to test the riders’ navigational skills.
There are 158 riders competing this year in Saudi Arabia.
Rodney Faggotter
They include Aussies Toby (No 1, KTM), veteran Rodney Faggotter (#56, Yamaha), Ben Young who finished 10th in the rookie class last year (#63) and rookie Matthew Tisdall ( (#143, KTM).
There will also be competitors on 23 quads and 46 UTVs, and in 46 trucks and 87 cars.
The rally ends on January 17 after covering nearly 13,000km across 12 stages.
Toby Price is all set to defend his Dakar Rally title in 2020, alongside teammates Sam Sunderland, Matthias Walkner, Luciano Benavides and Mario Patrao for the KTM Factory Racing Team, no doubt hoping for a repeat of 2019, where KTM clinched the top three positions.
Toby Price – Image by Sebas Romero
The 42nd running of the event is not far off either, starting January 5 from Jeddah in Saudi Arabia, the 12-stage 2020 Dakar Rally will cover a total of 7,856 kilometres, 5,097 of which are timed specials. The race will incorporate two marathon stages, with a rest day for all teams on January 11.
Mario Patrao joins the KTM Factory line-up
New to the Dakar, the road book will be pre-coloured, reducing the preparation work for all competitors prior to the next day’s stage. For at least four of the 12 stages, the road book will be presented to the riders just minutes before the start of the day’s racing.
Seemingly achieving the impossible, Toby Price won the 2019 Dakar while nursing a broken wrist. Ending the event having secured a deserved and hard-fought victory, Price’s success came at a cost with the Australian needing surgery to repair damage sustained during the race.
Returning to rally competition only in August at the Atacama Rally, Price soon settled back into a fast rhythm, placing fourth overall. Showing impressive speed at the Rally du Maroc in October, the reigning Dakar Champion now looks ahead to January and the defence of his title.
Toby Price
“Winning the 2019 Dakar started off as a bit of a dream, but with a lot of hard work put in behind the scenes by myself and the team we were able to make it happen, even with a broken wrist. It took a little time to recover from that event – I had aggravated the injury during the race and needed another surgery and bone graft to fix things. I spent the first part of the year recovering but then was back on the bike for the Atacama in September. My feeling on the bike was good there, which was encouraging and I’ve been getting steadily stronger ever since. Testing has been good, as usual the team have made some important tweaks to the bike, primarily with the suspension, so I’m really pleased about that. 2020 is going to be a whole different Dakar for us. It’s putting everyone back on a level playing field, which I think is good for the sport. It’s going to be a new race, a new look and I’m really excited for the challenge.”
Toby Price set to lead KTM Dakar defence
Enjoying a successful 2019 season, Sam Sunderland went straight from the Dakar into the FIM Cross-Country Rallies World Championship and dominated the first two rounds. A runner-up result in Chile was enough for the likeable Brit to claim his first ever world title with one round to spare.
Sam Sunderland
“I’m confident going into this Dakar. You kind of judge your pace on how you have been riding the previous year and winning the world championship and coming third in the Dakar earlier in the year has been a real boost for me. Both the team and the bike have been fantastic all year and I’m going into the race fit and focused on doing my best. I’m looking forward to the new challenge that awaits us too – it’s going to be a new adventure for everybody and I think that really sums up the spirit of the Dakar. I like the fact that we are going somewhere new and that everyone is going to have to adapt and overcome all the new things that are thrown at us. The route is looking tough, but I’m certainly going to give the race my best shot.”
Sam Sunderland
Runner-up to Price at the 2019 Dakar, despite carrying an injury through the majority of the race, Matthias Walkner also needed surgery and recovery time during the year. Building up his speed over the final two rounds of the world championship, the 2018 Dakar Champion has been putting in many valuable hours of testing ahead of the 2020 event.
Matthias Walkner
“The last Dakar was really tough for me. Finishing second was fantastic but breaking my ankle on only the fourth day made the rest of the race a massive challenge. Thankfully I was able to finish but the recovery process since then has been quite long. The training I’ve been doing has had a massive benefit to my fitness and although I haven’t spent as many hours on the bike as I would have liked, I feel great within myself and certainly ready for this new challenge. Testing has gone well, not just with the feeling on the bike but with navigation too, as I think it’s going to prove extra-important at this Dakar.”
Matthias Walkner
Luciano Benavides successfully completed the 2019 Dakar well inside the top 10, while gaining valuable experience at the gruelling event. After showing increased pace and maturity over the course of the 2019 season the young Argentinian secured the Junior Cross-Country Rallies World Championship title and now hopes to carry his momentum into the forthcoming Dakar in Saudi Arabia.
Luciano Benavides
“2019 has been the best year of my rally career so far. To finish the last Dakar in eighth and then win the junior world title with fifth in the overall is amazing. After such a strong season I’m really looking forward to the 2020 Dakar. I feel I have come on a lot since last year and I’m excited to put my experience to the test. The Dakar for me is like no other rally – you have to take the event day by day and treat each stage as a single race. I try not to worry too much about the overall time, the most important thing is to get to the finish safely and do the very best performance that I can.”
Luciano Benavides
2020 Dakar Rally Stages
Stage 1 – Jeddah > Al Wajh, 752 km – SS : 319 km
Stage 2 – Al Wajh > Neom, 401 km – SS : 367 km
Stage 3 – Neom > Neom, 489 km – SS : 404 km
Stage 4 – Neom > Al Ula, 676 km – SS : 453 km
Stage 5 – Al Ula > Ha’il, 563 km – SS : 353 km
Stage 6 – Ha’il > Riyadh, 830 km – SS : 478 km
Rest Day – Riyadh
Stage 7 – Riyadh > Wadi Al-Dawasir, 741 km – SS : 546 km
Stage 8 – Wadi Al-Dawasir > Wadi Al-Dawasir, 713 km – SS : 474 km
Stage 9 – Wadi Al-Dawasir > Haradh, 891 km – SS : 415 km
Stage 10 – Haradh > Shubaytah, 608 km – SS : 534 km
Stage 11 – Shubaytah > Haradh, 744 km – SS : 379 km
Weekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop
What happened this week
Kayne Lamont dominates 2019 Whakatane Summercross
MA & Kurri Kurri Speedway Club throw support behind fire victims
Ricky Brabec talks Dakar Rally prep
Strong Aussie showing for Anaheim 1 Supercross
AMA Supercross announce Anaheim 1 entry lists
2020 Championship Calendars
2020 AMA Motocross
2020 Monster Energy AMA Supercross
2020 MXGP
2020 American Flat Track
2020 Australian Speedway Senior Solo Speedway
2020 FIM Speedway GP Championship
2020 Australian Dirt Track Championship
2020 Australian Track Championship
2020 Australian Off-Road Championship (AORC)
2020 FIM SuperEnduro Championship
2020 AMA Extreme Off-Road East/West
2020 FIM Flat Track World Championship
2020 King of MX
2020 Australian Motocross National Championship Calendar
Kayne Lamont dominates 2019 Whakatane Summercross
MX1 rider Kayne Lamont of the Altherm JCR Yamaha team had a strong start to the season, dominating the MX1 class at the 2019 Whakatane Summercross.
Held over the weekend, at the Awakaponga circuit, the 48th annual event always sees New Zealand’s motocross elite turn out in droves, as the hundreds of riders use the five races as a springboard into the 2020 national championship season.
Hamilton’s Lamont dived in headfirst and came up with a near-perfect scoreboard. The new race format meant there were five motos, which consisted of two back-to-back motos, with a five-minute break between them. After qualifying in P2, Lamont showed he’s a force to be reckoned with this season. He repeated that successful formula in the next three races, taking the win each time.
Kayne Lamont
“Race 1 was a 10-minute race and then we headed back to start line and raced again for 10 minutes. I managed to get the holeshot in race 1 and race away comfortably on my YZ450F to win it. Race 5 was a single race of 15 minutes, plus two laps, and I managed to sneak another holeshot in this race but was passed mid-way through the opening lap. I ended up settling for second behind visiting Belgian rider Jens Getteman, as I knew I didn’t need to win to get the overall for the day. The track was hectic for me but I’m happy to have some race time under my belt. I’m excited to improve on what I achieved today – with myself fitness-wise and for my bike setup heading into Woodville at the end of January.”
Kayne Lamont
Altherm JCR Yamaha Team Manager Josh Coppins praised his MX1 rider for bringing it home safe in the fifth moto. The former international motocross GP legend wasn’t just watching from the side-lines at the weekend and instead jumped on board a Yamaha YZ250F to fill in for his recuperating MX2 rider Maximus Purvis.
Josh Coppins stood in for Maximus Purvis
The Mangakino youngster is nearly recovered from an ankle injury and will race with the Altherm JCR Yamaha team at Woodville on January 26.
MX1 Results – 2019 Whakatane Summercross
Pos.
#
Rider
Total
R1
R2
R3
R4
R5
1
94
Kayne Lamont
246
50
50
50
50
46
2
251
Jens Getteman
234
46
46
46
46
50
3
338
Brad Groombridge
211
41
43
43
43
41
4
14
Tyler Steiner
209
43
41
41
41
43
5
7
Hadleigh Knight
197
40
39
39
40
39
6
491
Sam Cuthbertson
196
39
38
40
39
40
7
8
Roydon White
188
38
40
37
35
38
8
9
Sam Guise
182
37
35
35
38
37
9
87
Quade Young
181
34
37
38
36
36
10
27
Daniel White
175
35
36
32
37
35
11
75
Joshua Jack
171
36
31
36
34
34
12
45
Alain Pretorius
161
29
33
34
33
32
13
166
Andy Todd
155
31
32
30
29
33
14
11
James Wilson
152
30
29
31
31
31
15
40
Caleb Franklin
142
27
30
28
28
29
16
125
Joel Trappitt
124
32
27
33
32
–
17
586
Jaakan Horne
116
28
28
–
30
30
18
105
William Ogle
96
33
34
29
–
–
MX2 Results – 2019 Whakatane Summercross
Pos.
#
Rider
Total
R1
R2
R3
R4
R5
1
23
Josiah Natzke
239
46
50
43
50
50
2
2
Wyatt Chase
238
50
46
50
46
46
3
6
Josh Coppins
209
41
41
41
43
43
4
338
Brad Groombridge
200
40
40
39
41
40
5
203
Luka Freemantle
189
31
39
40
40
39
6
935
Scott Barr-Smith
178
28
37
38
37
38
7
615
Joel Johnson
174
37
30
33
38
36
8
108
James Scott
173
43
43
46
–
41
9
982
Aaron Manning
173
33
29
35
39
37
10
157
Logan Maddren
170
38
35
37
27
33
11
197
Nick Hornby
168
25
38
34
36
35
12
270
Dylan Yearbury
166
32
36
31
35
32
13
232
Tom Armstrong
157
35
32
30
33
27
14
81
Carter Hanes
156
30
33
27
32
34
15
278
Yanni Emerson-Rae
146
27
34
26
29
30
16
47
Troy Wilson
138
34
18
21
34
31
17
24
Liam Hutton
136
22
31
25
30
28
18
818
Jack Rodgers
131
24
28
32
24
23
19
266
James Steele
126
20
20
29
31
26
20
279
Sam Corston
125
29
22
19
26
29
21
441
Adam Molloy
122
23
27
22
25
25
22
274
Harrison Chissell
114
21
26
23
23
21
23
394
Richard Horne
103
39
–
36
28
–
24
901
Mitchell Armstrong
100
17
19
20
22
22
25
515
Lee Ormsby
94
19
23
28
–
24
26
2S
Diquon Snookes
82
18
25
18
21
–
27
115
Bradley Watling
71
26
21
24
–
–
28
50
Jonno Barnes
57
16
24
17
–
–
29
88
Brodie Connolly
36
36
–
–
–
–
Weekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop
MA & Kurri Kurri Speedway Club throw support behind fire victims
Motorcycling Australia and Kurri Kurri Speedway Club have announced a fundraiser for victims of the NSW fires as part of a special February 1 speedway event featuring solo riders and sidecars.
Kurri Kurri Speedway Club President, Peter Campton, said the fires had taken a toll on the local community with some not only losing animals but their family property to the fires, with his club wanting to give them something back. Mr Campton said it was important that the victims received directly the money the club would raise.
Peter Campton – Kurri Kurri Speedway Club President
“We just want to try and get a few bucks for the local people that got burnt out, as the insurance won’t cover everything. Hopefully we can get a few corporate sponsors as we won’t have big prize money on the night as we want to give as much as we can to the victims of the fires. It’s Christmas and we just want to help as many people as we can, and do our best by them, as they must be feeling pretty bad, especially losing animals as they are family also.”
Motorcycling Australia Track Events Manager, Sam Redfern, said Motorcycling Australia members had been impacted by the terrible fires in NSW.
Sam Redfern – Motorcycling Australia Track Events Manager
“Many of our members have been in the path of the fires and without the brave men and woman volunteers fighting these fires many more homes and properties would have been lost, so this is a small way our speedway family can help those in the Kurri Kurri region that have lost everything. What Peter and the Kurri Kurri Speedway Club members want to do for fire victims in the region is a wonderful initiative and shows the true Aussie spirit of helping your mates when they are down. We would certainly encourage everyone in the Kurri Kurri region to attend the special fundraiser event not only for the spectacular racing that will be on display but to also help us raise much needed funds for local fire victims.”
With no brakes, gears or fear, the fire victim fundraiser event will be held on February 1, 2020. Organisers are hoping for a star studded field of solo and sidecar riders, which will be announced in the lead up to the event.
Weekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop
Ricky Brabec talks Dakar Rally prep
Ricky Brabec proved himself to be one a favourite in the previous Dakar Rally, with the rider within reach of final glory had it not been for a mechanical setback. From the Californian desert, the Monster Energy Honda rider is once again poised to shine in the most important race of the year. Here’s what he had to say ahead of the 2020 Rally:
Ricky Brabec
How are you feeling physically and how are the preparations for the next Dakar going? What are you expecting from it?
Ricky Brabec: Physically, I feel really good. Mentally, I’m still working on it. I had a tough break in the 2019 Dakar and it was pretty hard getting back in the saddle and pushing for victory after that one. There’s a lot of emotions and mixed feelings. But unfortunately what is done is done. So now we have to push and hopefully gain the confidence and the speed back as we head into the Dakar 2020 with more confidence and hopefully with a bit more speed. We will keep the fight alive and show up in Saudi Arabia Dakar ready for a full-on fight.
Last Dakar you took a huge step and you were leading the rally up until a few days from the finish. In the next Dakar you will be one of the favourites for the victory.
RB: Being one of the favourites is cool, but there’s a lot of people that think that if they are favourite, they’ll have a lot of ‘water-boys’ supporting them, but for me, coming from America, we do things a lot differently. I’m not expecting other riders to ride for me and I’m not going to ride for other riders. We are all in the race together. We are all trying to win. But in the end, when one of our team-mates wins, yeah, that guy won, but the whole team also wins. I’m really big at being a fair player. For me I will do the best I can at the Dakar. Hopefully I can come out on top and make all my friends and family proud.
Ricky Brabec
Is it better to start the race as one of the favourites or one of those in the background?
RB: To start as a favourite I think you might have a lot of weight on your shoulders because everyone is watching you. But I prefer to start as an underdog and then come in and show people ‘Hey! Here I am.’
There’s about fifteen riders who could win the rally, so it’s not easy and we are not going very slow. Every day anything can happen and everything changes. The idea is to put in a really good first stage and start the rally on a good note. Hopefully the organization plays it safe. It’s rally. Everything changes. Every kilometre. What really matters is who crosses the line first.
The rally will change this year as they will give you the roadbook in the morning. You’ve already experienced this in Morocco. How will the race change with this rule?
RB: We will get pre-painted roadbooks. On four or six days we will get the roadbook in the morning. It definitely slows the rally down and makes the riders think a bit more. We won’t just look down and see the colours as usual and know what we are going to do. It’ll be more equal. You don’t want to be really far up front or really far back, you always want to be conservative and consistent and right in the middle: if you start at the front, then you are going to be the first one opening with a roadbook that nobody has seen. That can cause a lot of lost time. You want to finish fifth to tenth everyday, that will make you do really well: you won’t lose a lot of time, but you won’t gain a lot of time. You’ll always be in the fight. So you come in on the last day and attack. I’m training with the new roadbook at my house as best I can. Hopefully I can come into the Dakar with a lot of experience of the new roadbook and be more comfortable when I get there.
Ricky Brabec
Saudi Arabia is a new country, so for this year all the riders arrive under the same conditions.
RB: We’re going to a different country, to Saudi Arabia, so no-one is familiar with the country and no-one has any insight into the route. We’re all going in pretty equal, not knowing what the heck is going on. It’s going be fairer. You know, it’s not going to be like, ‘Hey I know a guy that says that here is like this or whatever.’ We are all going in basically blind. We’re all going to go in not knowing what each day is going to be like. We go to Peru, we go to Argentina, we go to Bolivia, we go to Morocco, we go to Dubai and we can go to Chile and we already know what each day is going to be like by looking where we’re going or by what they’re telling us. This time we are going to Saudi Arabia where we haven’t raced before. The new generation hasn’t raced there. So we are going to start not knowing anything. They are going to tell us what the stage is like and that’s all we are going to know. So it’s going to be fairer. All the riders get the same roadbook, at the same time of the day. I think the rally is going to come down to not just speed, but being smart and being collective.
Could this be good for you?
RB: Hopefully. We’ll see at the end of the Dakar.
You are an American and you live in California. If you go back to when you first went to dirt races or desert races, did you ever imagine that one day you would be leading the Dakar Rally, the toughest race in the world?
RB: I would have done a lot of things differently had I known I would be where I am at today. I probably would have paid attention better in math class at school. I would probably have fewer tattoos… I probably wouldn’t have grown up as a punk kid… I don’t know. I never thought that I’d be leading the Dakar, but in 2019 I was doing that, and I believe that there’s a little fight left in me to do it for 2020.
Ricky Brabec
When you started to ride, did you know about the Dakar?
RB: No. I didn’t know about the Dakar until 2008. One of my friends came to watch the Dakar. I was watching Quinn Cody and Robby Gordon.
Out of a Rally bike… Your normal training is with a bicycle?
RB: I ride a bicycle, I ride a mountain bike, I do some downhill… I go to the gym, some motocross track. Hiking… I do a lot of things because I hate to sit still and I hate to sit inside and I hate to watch TV. So I try to do something whether it’s playing in the truck or riding trails, riding Enduro, mountain biking, going to the downhill mountain bike park to go jumping with the bicycle, hiking with friends, camping…
Ricky Brabec
Is there any race similar to the terrain that you are used to?
RB: The terrain near my house is like Morocco. Really rough and really dry. We have many dunes near my home where I do my training and the Baja 1000 is very close to my house. It’s exactly like Morocco. Hopefully it will be like Saudi Arabia, so I will feel comfortable.
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Strong Aussie showing for Anaheim 1 Supercross
With Anaheim 1 landing this weekend, there’s a strong showing of Aussies over in the States battling it out, with Chad Reed and Joel Wightman in the 450SX class. In the 250SX class it’ll be Geran Stapleton, Aaron Tanti, Jay Wilson, Jett Lawrence and Luke Clout representing Australia. You can check out the full rider list below.
Jett Lawrence – Image by AM
AMA Supercross announce Anaheim 1 entry lists
The AMA Supercross has announced the 450SX and 250SX entry lists for the Anaheim 1 event, running this Saturday at Angel Stadium of Anaheim, CA. The current list sees 53 250SX riders line up, while 50 will be racing in the 450SX category.
450SX Entries – Anaheim 1
1
Webb, Cooper
Clermont, FL
3
Tomac, Eli
Cortez, CO
7
Plessinger, Aaron
Hamilton, OH
9
Cianciarulo, Adam
New Smyrna Beach, FL
10
Brayton, Justin
Charlotte, NC
11
Chisholm, Kyle
Valrico, FL
15
Wilson, Dean
Murrieta, CA
16
Osborne, Zach
Abingdon, VA
21
Anderson, Jason
Rio Rancho, NM
22
Reed, Chad
Cornelius, NC
27
Stewart, Malcolm
Haines City, FL
31
Noren, Fredrik
Indian Trail, NC
34
Bowers, Tyler
Lake Elsinore, CA
37
Davalos, Martin
Tallahassee, FL
44
Cunningham, Kyle
WIllow park, TX
46
Hill, Justin
Yoncalla, OR
50
Bloss, Benny
Oak Grove, MO
51
Barcia, Justin
Greenville, FL
53
Decotis, Jimmy
Huntersville, NC
61
Ray, Alex
Milan, TN
64
Friese, Vince
Menifee, CA
65
Weeks, James
Punta Gorda, FL
70
Merriam, Dylan
Corona, CA
82
Autenrieth, Cade
HEMET, CA
86
Cartwright, Josh
Tallahassee, FL
92
Politelli, Austin
Murrieta, CA
94
Roczen, Ken
Clermont, FL
111
Tedder, Dakota
Surfside, CA
114
Schmidt, Nick
Lake Elsinore, CA
135
Fitch, Robert
Watkins, CO
138
Pulley Jr, David
Lake Elsinore, CA
145
Smith, Travis
Lancaster, CA
230
Wightman, Joel
Singleton, NSW
240
Stewart, Bryce
Canyon Lake, CA
256
Milson, James
Granbury, TX
280
Clason, Cade
Tucson, AZ
282
Pauli, Theodore
Edwardsville, IL
330
Catanzaro, Aj
Reston, VA
360
Siminoe, Aaron
Reno, NV
421
Martin, Vann
Cypress, TX
424
Custer, Tyler
Creston, CA
501
Wennerstrom, Scotty
Jefferson, TX
509
Nagy, Alexander
Richmond, IL
526
Aeck, Colton
Simi Valley, CA
651
Hogan, Jake
Acton, CA
722
Enticknap, Adam
Lompoc, CA
817
Clermont, Jason
Plesse, France
848
Cros, Joan
Manlleu, BC
976
Greco, Josh
Lucerne Valley, CA
981
Thurman, Curren
Rosharon, TX
250SX Entries – Anaheim 1
1W
Ferrandis, Dylan
Lake Elsinore, CA
6
Martin, Jeremy
Rochester, MN
12
McElrath, Shane
Murrieta, CA
13
Nichols, Colt
Murrieta, CA
26
Martin, Alex
Clermont, FL
28
Mosiman, Michael
Menifee, CA
29
Mcadoo, Cameron
Sioux City, IA
30
Hartranft, Brandon
Corona, CA
32
Cooper, Justin
Menifee, CA
40
Oldenburg, Mitchell
Godley, TX
54
Smith, Jordon
Ochlocknee, GA
55
Castelo, Martin
Murrieta, CA
57
Drake, Derek
Corona, CA
60
Falk, Mitchell
Costa Mesa, CA
62
Craig, Christian
Orange, CA
72
Wageman, Robbie
Newhall, CA
75
Schock, Coty
Dover, DE
83
Lawrence, Jett
Wesley Chapel, FL
88
Karnow, Logan
Amherst, OH
90
Auberson, Killian
Winchester, CA
95
Brown, Carson
Ravensdale, WA
97
Howell, Chris
Spokane Valley, WA
98
Lionnet, Bradley
Menifee, CA
101
Clout, Luke
Hemet, CA
106
Wilson, Jay
Palm Beach, QLD
108
Tanti, Aaron
Silverdale, NSW
118
Harmon, Cheyenne
Dallas, TX
120
Bannister, Todd
Colorado Springs, CO
154
Felong, Chase
Oceanside, CA
170
Leib, Michael
Temecula, CA
181
Lyonsmith, Wyatt
Boise, ID
227
Kelley, Derek
Riverside, CA
244
Henderson, Mike
Littleton, CO
246
Blackburn, Chance
Newman Lake, WA
259
Hayes, Corbin
Folsom, CA
260
Woodcock, Dylan
Rayleigh, ENG
277
Caro, Kordel
Costa Mesa, CA
284
Camporese, Lorenzo
Campodarsego, PD
311
Gifford, Mitchell
Colorado Springs, CO
316
Newby, Dawson
Eaton, CO
395
Van Eeden, Charl
Menifee, CA
427
VonLossberg, Deegan
Murrieta, CA
474
Hallafors, Niclas
Mission Viejo, CA
522
Zitterkopf, Cole
Hurricane, UT
538
Emory IV, Addison
Queen Creek, AZ
621
Wageman, Rj
Newhall, CA
702
Hempen, Josiah
Argyle, IA
767
Wharton, Mason
Battle Ground, WA
906
Galamba, Adrian
Bucyrus, KS
914
Stapleton, Geran
Cape Schanck, VIC
929
Koga, Taiki
Kurume, Japan
952
Macler, Ludovic
Bliesbruck, FR
974
Marty, Brian
Olympia, WA
Weekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop
2020 Championship Calendars
2020 AMA Motocross race schedule
May 17 – Hangtown Motocross Classic – Rancho Cordova, CA
May 24 – Fox Raceway National – Pala, CA
May 31 – Thunder Valley National – Lakewood, CO
June 7 – Florida National – Jacksonville, FL
June 21 – High Point National – Mt. Morris, PA
June 28 – Southwick National – Southwick, MA
July 5 – RedBud National – Buchanan, MI
July 19 – Spring Creek National – Millville, MN
July 26 – Washougal National – Washougal, WA
August 16 – Unadilla National – New Berlin, NY
August 23 – Budds Creek National – Mechanicsville, MD
August 30 – Ironman National – Crawfordsville, IN
2020 Monster Energy AMA Supercross Calendar
Jan. 4 – Angels Stadium of Anaheim, Anaheim, Calif.
Jan. 11 – The Dome at America’s Center, St. Louis, Mo.
Jan. 18 – Angels Stadium of Anaheim, Anaheim, Calif.
Jan. 25 – State Farm Stadium, Glendale, Ariz.
Feb. 1 – Ringcentral Coliseum, Oakland, Calif.
Feb. 8 – Petco Park, San Diego, Calif.
Feb. 15 – Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Fla.
Feb. 22 – AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas
Feb. 29 – Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Ga.
March 7 – Daytona International Speedway, Daytona, Fla.
March 14 – Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianpolis, Ind.
March 21 – Ford Field, Detroit, Mich.
March 28 – Centurylink Field, Seattle, Wash.
April 4 – Broncos Stadium at Mile High, Denver, Co.
April 18 – Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Mass.
April 25 – Sam Boyd Stadium, Las Vegas, Nev.
May 2 – Rice-Eccles Stadium, Salt Lake City, Utah
2020 MXGP Calendar
March 1 – Great Britain, Matterley Basin (EMX125, WMX)
March 8 – The Netherlands, Valkenswaard – (EMX250, WMX)
March 22 – Patagonia, Argentina, Neuquen
April 5 – Trentino I, Pietramurata – (EMX250, EMX 2t)
April 19 – Spain, (TBA) – (EMX125, WMX)
April 26 – Portugal, Agueda – (EMX125, EMX250)
May 10 – France, Saint Jean d’Angely – (EMX125, EMX Open)
May 17 – Italy, Maggiora – (EMX Open, WMX)
May 24 – Germany, Teutschenthal – (EMX250, EMX Open)
Weekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop
What happened this week
Nathan Watson retains French Beach Racing lead at Hossegor
KTM Junior Supercross represent at S-X Open & Aus-X Open
Tasmania secures 2020 AORC final rounds
2020 Yamaha supported AORC riders announced
AORC announce four junior summer coaching clinics
Rogers & Wilson with Yamalube Yamaha Racing for 2020
12 rider 2020 GYTR Yamaha Junior Racing line-up announced
FIM Speedway Training Camp fosters young talent
Alfredo Gómez to continue with Husqvarana into 2021
Monster Energy Honda Team vehicles head for Dakar
Henry Wiles to compete 2020 AFT Singles with Honda
Estenson Racing announce Yamaha supported 2020 AFT Team
Jorge Prado recovering from surgery for fractured femur
Yamaha announces 2020 YXZ1000R European Cup
2020 Championship Calendars
2020 AMA Motocross
2020 Monster Energy AMA Supercross
2020 MXGP
2020 American Flat Track
2020 Australian Speedway Senior Solo Speedway
2020 FIM Speedway GP Championship
2020 Australian Dirt Track Championship
2020 Australian Track Championship
2020 Australian Off-Road Championship (AORC)
2020 FIM SuperEnduro Championship
2020 AMA Extreme Off-Road East/West
2020 FIM Flat Track World Championship
Watson retains French Beach Racing lead at Hossegor
Round five of the Championnat de France des Sables (CFS) saw competitors take to the Hossegor shoreline on the south east coast of France. A combination of unsettled weather and high tides ensured challenging conditions for all, with event organisers drastically modifying and shortening the original course layout to ensure racing could proceed.
Arriving at round five in confident spirits following victory at round four last weekend, championship leader Nathan Watson had his sights set on capturing his third consecutive win. Frustratingly, a crash in the first corner immediately put the KTM 450 SX-F mounted rider on the back foot.
Nathan Watson – 2019 French Beach Racing
Ending the opening lap of the two-hour race in 38th it was clear Nathan had a lot of work to do to keep his win streak alive. Rapidly cutting his way through the field, the Brit incredibly completed lap two inside the top 15. Visibly one of the fastest riders on a very busy track, he continued to work his way forward.
With race leader Todd Kellett pitting on lap nine, Nathan put his KTM out front as he looked to gain as much ground as possible. Colliding with a fallen rider shortly afterwards resulted in Watson’s bike becoming momentarily entangled with another machine. Regrouping, Nathan’s lead was lost and despite his best efforts in the closing stages he had to settle for a hard-fought runner-up result.
Nathan Watson
“In what was a difficult race I’ll take second place today and keep hold of my championship red plate. Coming into this race off the back of two wins I really wanted to keep that momentum going but unfortunately it didn’t happen. With the weather conditions, and organisers needing to change the track due to high tides, things were a lot more unpredictable today than they usually are. I got off to a good start, but when Camille crashed in the first corner I crashed into him and went down, too. With the tight track, coming from the back of the pack wasn’t ideal. I recovered well to briefly lead, but then hit a back marker and got my bike tangled with his and lost more time, so the chance of victory slipped away. But with the red plate still in my hands I’ll work on a few things during the Christmas break and look to get back on the top step of the podium next time out.”
Nathan Watson – 2019 French Beach Racing
For teammate Camille Chapeliere, a crash off the start dampened his hopes of securing another top-three result. Remounting outside the top 40, the Frenchman bravely fought his way forward. Showing his speed where possible, but opting not to push too hard and risk crashing, he steadily collected more positions as the race wore on. Holding fifth on lap 22 of 24, Camille put all he had into the final two laps to claim fourth and with it maintain his top-three championship position.
Camille Chapeliere
“It was a complicated day out there to say the least. The shortened course made it difficult in many places because there were so many riders on the track. A crash at the start was definitely not the best, but I fought as hard as I could to recover. Making overtakes was risky at times, but I tried to balance those risks and recover as smoothly as possible. I feel like I did that and showed my speed towards the end of the race. Finishing fourth maintains my position of third in the championship.”
Camille Chapeliere – 2019 French Beach Racing
The Championnat de France des Sables continues with round six at Grayan-et-L’Hopital on 11-12 January 2020.
Championnat de France des Sables Round 5 – Hossegor
Pos.
Rider
Nat.
Man.
Gap
1
Todd Kellett
GBR
Yamaha
03:06.0
2
Nathan Watson
GBR
KTM
52.71
3
Yentel Martens
BEL
Honda
+5:35.120
4
Camille Chapeliere
FRA
KTM
+6:59.930
5
Jeremy Van Horebeek
BEL
Honda
23 laps
Championship Standings – Championnat de France des Sables 2019
Pos.
Rider
Nat.
Man.
Points
1
Nathan Watson
GBR
KTM
570pts
2
Todd Kellett
GBR
Yamaha
510pts
3
Camille Chapeliere
FRA
KTM
441pts
4
Jeremy Hauquier
FRA
KTM
373pts
5
Stephane Watel
FRA
Honda
365pts
Weekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop
KTM Junior Supercross represent at S-X Open & Aus-X Open
KTM Junior Supercross took centre-stage in the 2019 S-X Open Auckland and AUS-X Open Melbourne events as a total of 30 capable seven- and eight-year-old riders took to the stadiums aboard KTM 50 SX machinery.
The S-X Open International FIM Oceania Supercross Championship features a round each in New Zealand and Australia, with 10 KTM Junior Supercross challengers participating in NZ and 20 in Australia, lining up on the very same supercross circuit during the day and night programs that the professional racers do battle on.
KTM Junior Supercross
Riding a fleet of KTM 50 SX race bikes dressed in KTM Junior Supercross graphics by Kustom MX, fitted with KTM PowerParts supplied by FMF Racing and Nihilo Concepts, the riders of the KTM Junior Supercross thrilled spectators as they negotiated the highly-technical tracks in truly impressive fashion.
KTM Junior Supercross Podium – S-X Open Auckland
S-X Open Auckland at Mt. Smart Stadium featured Levi McMaster, Kase Shuttleworth and Jayden Bryan on the podium, before fans at Marvel Stadium for AUS-X Open Melbourne witnessed Ollie Birkitt take victory over Nate Perrett and Jake Single.
KTM Junior Supercross Podium – Aus-X Open Melbourne
Each rider and their families enjoyed a full factory VIP experience as part of the KTM Junior Supercross entry, while participants were featured in rider signings, mentored by KTM professional racers including Hamish Harwood in Auckland, as well Daniel Milner and Lyndon Snodgrass in Melbourne. They also met a selection of their heroes throughout the fun-filled events.
KTM Junior Supercross Podium
Kyle Blunden – Event Coordinator, KTM Australia – New Zealand
“The KTM Junior Supercross is a program we are proud to host at the Oceania Supercross Series. With the assistance of the team at AME and all of our partners who have jumped on board with KTM Junior Supercross in 2019, we are able to give the riders and their mechanic a true factory experience for a day. Witnessing the smiles and the connection between the riders and their parents ignited by the sport of supercross is just awesome. The crowd love it and we hope to continue bringing KTM Junior Supercross to these events for many years to come.”
KTM Junior Supercross Podium – S-X Open AucklandWeekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop
Tasmania secures 2020 AORC final rounds
In a major coup, Tasmania has secured the 2020 final rounds of the Yamaha Australian Off-Road Championship, now to be held in Wynyard, Tasmania on October 17 and 18, 2020 – for the first time in the AORC’s 14-year history.
The AORC kick starts the 2020 season in Queensland before heading to New South Wales, South Australia, Victoria and then the grand final last two rounds in Tasmania.
Daniel Milner – 2019 AORC
Motorcycling Australia Off-Road Events Manager, Matthew Falvo said the 2020 Yamaha AORC was shaping up to be the best year yet.
Matthew Falvo – Motorcycling Australia Off-Road Events Manager
“We are very pleased with the enthusiasm, excitement and support Tasmania has shown in securing the final rounds of our growing championship. We are hopeful this partnership will deliver a long-lasting championship presence. With new exciting venues in the 2020 AORC we are sure to again field upwards of 200 plus riders for each event in every state, we are sure the championship can only grow further.”
The 2020 Championship will continue to use a double-header format, which will see six weekends make up twelve rounds of the AORC for 2020. All riders who compete in each of the 10 AORC rounds prior to Tasmania will be eligible for a free entry to the Tasmanian rounds. This includes 85cc and 65cc classes for six rounds.
The AORC has also announced that the Championship will feature a massive 15 classes of competition, with new junior classes, the return of the 2 Stroke Cup, and the Vintage class to feature at the Dungog, NSW round. The new look expanded competition will include sprint, cross country and enduro formats.
The 2 Stroke (2T) Cup has proved a success over the past two years and it will feature at all 12 rounds in 2020. With significant interest, the new and improved 2T Cup will also again cater to bikes ranging from 125cc up to 250cc.
Luke Styke – 2019 AORC
The AORC have expanded competition including introducing two new classes – Junior Girls 85cc to 200cc 2-stroke and 150cc to 250cc 4-stroke bikes for those aged 12-15-years-old at all rounds, and a National Cup Class – Junior 65cc Cup – and the 85cc 2-stroke and 150cc 4-stroke (SW) for those aged 9-12-years-old.
E1, E2 and E3 classes are the AORC Senior Premier classes which have produced several world champions in recent years including this year’s World ISDE and current AORC Champion, Daniel Sanders.
The EJ development class will continue after last year’s success where under 18 riders can compare their times against the E1, E2, and E3 classes in the hope to step up later in the year or the following year.
2020 AORC Classes
Senior Championship Classes
E1: 100cc to 200cc 2-Stroke and 150cc to 250cc 4-Stroke
E2: 220cc to 250cc 2-Stroke and 275cc to 450cc 4-Stroke
E3: 290cc to 500cc 2-Stroke and 475cc to 650cc 4-Stroke
EJ: All powers (Rider must be 18 years or under on 1 January 2020)
Veterans: All Powers (Rider must be 35+ years of age before 1 January 2020)
Masters: All Powers (Rider must be 45+ years of age before 1 January 2020)
Women: All Powers
Junior Championship Classes
J2 12 to 15 years: 85cc 2-stroke & Up to 150cc 4-stroke
J3 13 to 14 years: 125cc to 200cc 2-stroke & 200cc to 250cc 4-stroke
J4 15 years: 125cc to 200cc 2-stroke & 200cc to 250cc 4-stroke
JG (Girls) 12-15 years: 85cc to 200cc 2-stroke and 150cc to 250cc 4-stroke
With six junior classes, no person who is under the age of 16 years may compete in other junior competition. A rider’s age on 1st January will determine their age for competition purposes for that year.
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2020 Yamaha supported AORC riders announced
Two familiar faces will front the Yamaha Active8 Yamalube Racing team for 2020, with Luke Styke and Josh Green taking the reins of the teams’ race bikes for another season of the Australian Off Road Championship and the Australian Four Day Enduro.
Styke continues his climb up the off road ladder and since his transition from motocross, he has been nothing short of a revelation. In the two year period racing off road, he has already racked up two AORC championship victories, a A4DE victory and now a gold medal at the International Six day Enduro recently in Portugal.
Luke Styke
“I’m more motivated than ever coming into the 2020 season, I made a few changes to my lifestyle by returning back down to Nowra and feel it’s a better environment for my riding and also closer to family to make life easier. There is so much riding area around here and a more off road based riding program is the only way I can improve my skills and close the gap on Sanders and Milner. Both of those guys are world class and are a fair bit ahead of the rest of us, but my goal is to bridge that gap in 2020 and be in contention for Outright wins as well as class victories. Its also good to be back with the same team again for next season. We all have a great working relationship, and everyone works hard to achieve the best results possible. Both the team and Yamaha have been good to me throughout my racing career and I like the fact we have been able to continue our working relationship and get stronger with each passing season.”
Luke Styke at the 2019 ISDE – Image by Dario Agrati
Josh Green is back for his ninth season with Yamaha Active8 Yamalube Racing which must break some form of racing relationship record in Australian Off Road. Green finished second in the 2019 AORC in the premier E2 category and was consistently in the top five outright.
Josh Green
“The older I have got, the more I have started to enjoy the things that used to frustrate me when I was younger, like most teenagers, I didn’t care a lot for testing and developing the bike and just wanted to ride it and not focus on training. Now, I like being able to improve the bike and I find the off bike training rewarding and get a lot from it and that’s what has kept my motivation strong over the years as I find new ways to enjoy different aspects of what we do. And nine years with the one team is pretty cool. I like the loyalty from both sides and the fact we are able to keep the relationship going over such a long period of time. Nine years travelling with AJ could break a lesser man, but you have to take the good with the bad in this job.”
Josh Green – Round 7, Broken Hill – 2019 AORC – Image by John Pearson
Under the Yamaha off road umbrella will also be a new team, Yamaha bLU Cru Off Road Racing carrying the same sponsors and the same professional personnel behind the scenes, that will house two young prospects in off road racing, Michael Driscoll competing E2, and Blake Hollis in the EJ category.
Carrying the same sponsors and the same professional personnel behind the scenes, Yamaha bLU cRU Off Road Racing will roar to life in 2020. Featuring Michael Driscoll in the E2 (450cc) division after a standout performance at the ISDE and Blake Hollis, fresh out of the junior ranks in EJ (under 19) ranks.
AORC announce four junior summer coaching clinics
Motorcycling Australia and the Yamaha Australian Off-Road Championship have announced four junior summer coaching clinics with Australia’s world champion riders offering expert advice and coaching in Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland in January and February, 2020.
The 2020 AORC Junior Coaching Days clinics will be held on January 18 and 19 in the Yarra Valley, Victoria, January 25 in Stroud, NSW, and February 8 at Toowoomba, Queensland and led by world champion riders including 2020 World ISDE and AORC Champion Daniel Sanders, Daniel Milner, Lyndon Snodgrass, Fraser Higlett, Kirk Hutton, Joshua Green, Michael Driscoll and Jessica Gardiner.
The clinics are for junior riders aged 9-15, with all proceeds going toward funding the 2020 FIM International Six Days Enduro (ISDE) Australian team who head off to Italy in August.
Matthew Falvo – Motorcycling Australia Off-road Events Manager
“This is a fantastic opportunity for Australian junior riders to learn from the world’s best off-road riders in their own backyards. These clinics will help riders build confidence, increase their skill level and learn new tricks on how to get the most out of themselves and their bike. Whether you want to prepare for a race or improve your dirt bike techniques these coaching clinics are vital and spots will fill quickly.”
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Rogers & Wilson with Yamalube Yamaha Racing for 2020
Yamaha Racing has announced that 16-year-old Levi Rogers will move from junior racing to the pro level. Rogers, a long time team member of the Yamaha Junior Racing program, will make the big step up to senior racing in 2020, having won a shed full of trophies in his junior days, including multiple state championships and podiums at national events.
Levi Rogers
“I was pretty excited when the Yamalube Yamaha Racing Team came to me and offered me a ride for 2020. I guess one of the benefits of being with Yamaha Junior Racing is that if you get the results in juniors, then the next door opens with Yamaha into MXD and this is a great opportunity for me on such a good team. I know everyone on the team and have worked with them before when I did the MXR races at the MX Nationals for the last two years, so it’s not a new environment. I also have Jay as a team-mate, and I can talk things over with him as he has so much knowledge and experience at this level. For the last 12 months I have watched the senior races closely and I can’t wait to be apart of them now. Yamaha Junior Racing was awesome for me and I had six successful years with them but now its time to take the next step in my career and give it all I have.”
Levi Rogers – MX Nationals Round 3, Broadford, 2019
Back for his third year at Yamalube Yamaha Racing will be Jay Wilson. Since returning to Australia and to the Yamalube Team, Wilson has been a model of consistency over the past two years and finishing inside to top five of every championship he has entered, highlighted with the 2018 SX2 Australian Championship.
He will start the year racing the opening rounds of the AMA West Coast 250cc Supercross Championship before returning home in February to prepare for the MX Nationals. From there he will be out to win back both the MX Nationals and Australian Supercross Championships.
Jay Wilson
“I’m lucky to be surrounded by a great team and work with a great company like Yamaha that I don’t even look else where at the end of each year. We have not only a successful working relationship but a good friendship off the track and the results show we do the work. 2019 was a consistent year for the most part and reasonably successful but no championships. I’m still motivated to win championships and that’s what I will be striving for in 2020. I’m in the prime of my career and wanting to keep improving every year with my racing and my technique. Its also exciting to have Levi with us next year. He is a quite kid and doesn’t say too much but I know he listens, and it will be great to be able to help and guide him at each round. His speed is good, and I think he can do well if he keeps working hard.”
Jay Wilson – Image by AM
With the WBR Yamaha Team and the Yamalube Yamaha Team now announced, Yamaha’s MX Development Manager, Scott Bishop, explains why there has been a slight tweak in structure to each program for 2020.
Scott Bishop – Yamaha MX Development Manager
“We had two talented riders in Alex and Levi coming out of juniors and its important we keep a hold of hard working and successful young riders. In the past, both riders would have gone to the dedicated MXD team, WBR Yamaha, but we believed it would be of more benefit to place the riders to the teams nearest them and also with a more experience team mate so they can understand what it takes to succeed at the next level. Alex is based in Adelaide and Levi is from Blackwater in Central Queensland so for one team to handle the logistics of a rider living so far away would be difficult. With Alex teaming up with WBR, who are in Echuca, Victoria and Levi with Yamalube Yamaha, based in Brisbane, both riders will get the same level of support but be able to work closely with the team both in terms of an off track relationship as well as maintaining practice bikes and equipment. Its our endeavour that both Alex and Levi continue their long and successful relationship with Yamaha and wish them well as they embark on their professional careers.”
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12 rider 2020 GYTR Yamaha Junior Racing line-up announced
12 riders will fly the GYTR Yamaha Junior Racing flag in season 2020, as the only truly national based junior motocross development program continues to forge ahead after a stunning 2019 season, that saw the team claim 16 state championships and four national championships.
Wil Carpenter – 2019 South Australian Motocross Championship
Each state will have two riders in full GYTR YJR colours, making a total of 12 riders. In addition, Yamaha will continue to assist its dealer network with supported riders to make a huge Yamaha presence at all junior events across the country.
To assist in fast tracking rider development, each state has its own manager / coach in place that can help guide young riders both on and off the track at every event.
The team of 2020 is Jake Turner, Ryder Kingsford and Jackson Camilleri mounted on the YZ125 and YZ250F. Angus Pearce, Wil Carpenter, Kayd Kingsford, Jake Cannon, Jake Rumens and Patrick Martin on the YZ85 and transition to the YZ125, while Jobe Dunne, Jay Jennings and Ryder Woodrow will handle the YZ65 and YZ85 small wheel classes.
Ryder Kingsford
In addition, Yamaha will also support via its dealer network and the bLU cRU program Heath Davy, Peter Wolfe (Team Moto), Deegan Fort (Fivestar Motorcycles), Jesse Holding (Mareeba Yamaha), Zac Watson (Suncity), Seth Carpenter (Coast Yamaha), Koby Hantis (Great Southern Motorcycles), Seth Burchell (Excite Motorsports) as well as multi time national girls champion, Charli Cannon.
For many riders the season will get under way in January and with the Australian Junior Nationals now moved to the first week of July, the racing will gather momentum quickly.
GYTR Yamaha Junior Racing 2020 line-up
WA: Jake Turner and Jake Rumens
SA: Wil Carpenter and Ryder Woodrow
TAS: Angus Pearce and Jay Jennings
VIC: Patrick Martin and Jobe Dunne
NSW: Ryder Kingsford and Kayd Kingsford
QLD: Jackson Camilleri and Jake Cannon
FIM Speedway Training Camp fosters young talent
The FIM Speedway Training Camp at Gillman Speedway Stadium in Adelaide, has been lauded a success, giving future Australian stars the training and mentoring to take their riding to the next level.
The training camp was hosted by Motorcycling Australia (MA), the FIM Track Racing Commission (CCP) and FIM Oceania, and saw 17 of Australia’s best young speedway talent receive specialised training. The expert team of coaches included FIM Track Racing Commission Director, Armando Castagna, SGP Race Director, Phil Morris, both former riders, and Australian Speedway legend and former SGP rider, Leigh Adams.
The training camp included on-track riding sessions focussing on rider technique, body positioning, race starts and improving key fundamentals of speedway racing, as well as classroom seminars covering exercise and nutrition, media training, bike preparation, bike maintenance, FIM license and insurance systems, anti-doping education inclusive of the FIM Ride True awareness.
Armando Castagna – FIM Track Racing Commission Director
“It has been one of the best ever training camps that the Track Racing Commission has conductedWorking together Motorcycling Australia (MA) and FIM Oceania (FIMO) was a great partnership and the event was well conducted with Gillman Speedway providing a good track. The level of some of these young riders is already extremely good but over each day we could see the riders improving in many areas.”
Weekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop
Alfredo Gómez to continue with Husqvarana into 2021
Alfredo Gómez will continue with Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing through to the end of the 2021 season, having claimed second in the 2019 WESS Enduro World Championship, with the Spaniard to target the world championship title next year.
A key member of Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, Gómez was a regular front-runner in all eight rounds of the WESS championship with the TE 300i mounted rider consistently battling for race wins and podium results.
Alfredo Gomez
Securing three second-place finishes, while coming agonisingly close to winning the Romaniacs Hard Enduro Rallye, Gómez proved his consistency and speed with a total of seven top-10 results in the mixed-discipline series.
In 2018, the Spaniard suffered a serious leg injury during pre-season training, which ultimately derailed his championship aspirations. Fighting to regain his fitness and return to racing, he proved his unwavering determination to succeed by reaffirming his position as one of the world’s best enduro riders during 2019.
With the support of Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing and with a clean bill of health and fitness Alfredo Gomez will look to battle for the coveted world title during the next two years.
Alfredo Gómez
“I’m really happy to continue with Husqvarna Motorcycles for another two years. We’ve grown together a lot during the last few years and I have a really strong and enjoyable relationship with everyone in the team – in a way it has become like an extended part of my family. I’m really proud of what we achieved during 2019 by finishing second overall in the WESS Enduro World Championship and always fighting for the victory. When I seriously injured my leg, they stood by me. There was never any pressure to return to the bike early, they just wanted me to get better. I feel like that was when our bond became even tighter than it already was. I’m looking forward to what lies ahead during these next two years and in particular 2020. We’ve shown ourselves as title contenders with the TE 300i and for certain our goal is to become world champions together.”
Alfredo Gomez – 2019 Hawkstone Park Cross-Country victory – Image by Future7Media
Monster Energy Honda Team vehicles head for Dakar
The Rally Dakar organisers, ASO, have overseen several days of verifications prior to the shipment of all European vehicles due to take part in the forthcoming edition of the rally in Saudi Arabia. The Monster Energy Honda vehicles successfully made it through the checks and are now bound for Jeddah.
Monster Energy Honda Team vehicles head for Dakar
It was a calm yet cool, sunny day that accompanied the administrative and technical scrutineering at the Paul Ricard Circuit in Le Castellet near Marseille, France as the Monster Energy Honda Team overcame the first hurdle on their way to participation in the 2020 edition of the Dakar Rally.
Monster Energy Honda Team
After providing all the necessary vehicle documentation and managing their transportation and entry into the new country, the ten Monster Energy Honda Team vehicles and motorcycles were subjected to a technical shakedown, where they were thoroughly checked, for, among other things, the vehicles’ key mandatory safety elements. Once these had been approved, the equipment was then given the all-clear to display the officially accredited decals required to participate in the race.
Monster Energy Honda Team vehicles head for Dakar
With the vehicles loaded onto the ship, they embarked, destined for the port of Jeddah, on a journey that goes, first, across the Mediterranean to Port Said, in Egypt, and from there, through the Suez Canal and into the Red Sea before reaching the final destination at the Saudi Arabian port, where the vehicles will be collected on January 2.
Weekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop
Henry Wiles to compete 2020 AFT Singles with Honda
American Honda Motor Co. and Richie Morris Racing have signaled their intention to make an all-out assault on the AFT Singles championship with the signing of Henry Wiles to contest the 2020 American Flat Track season aboard a Honda CRF450R.
After returning to the scene following more than 25 years away and coming within six points of claiming the AFT Singles title in 2019, American Honda is set to increase their involvement and support of RMR for the upcoming season.
Richie Morris – Owner of Richie Morris Racing
“It’s an honor to have American Honda back with RMR in an even larger capacity in 2020. I’m so excited that this partnership includes the recruitment of Henry Wiles. In my opinion, Henry is one of the best flat track pros to ever swing a leg over a 450; RMR is proud to have him. We’re certain that he’s the right man to bring home the championship in 2020.”
“King Henry” is arguably one of the most accomplished Singles riders in the history of the sport. He was crowned GNC1 Singles Champion in 2009 and 2010, and boasts 26 career premier-class victories aboard four-stroke singles, including a string of 14 straight at the legendary Peoria TT. In fact, from 2009 to 2016 (the final year singles were included in the premier category), he won half (19 of 38) of the races he started on single-cylinder equipment.
Wiles is AFT’s all-time winningest TT rider with 19 victories in the discipline and stands equal with Chris Carr at the top of the order in Short Track wins at nine. He ranks 11th in career American Flat Track wins at 30, and in 2018 he finished as the AFT Twins championship runner-up with six podiums and 13 top-fives.
Henry Wiles
“Richie gave me a call and was talking about going and winning a 450 championship. It’s absolutely exciting to be associated with American Honda, and I’m walking on to a good team that already has some things sorted out. That’s going to be good for me… and I think it’s going to be bad for everybody else. Richie was very up front with me about what the goal is. They’ve got everything in place, and Richie has won championships before. He’s a team owner who knows how to put the right people in place to do just that.”
Henry Wiles – Photo by Todd Boone
Wiles will team with returning RMR rider Cole Zabala, who registered five top-10 finishes in AFT Singles action a year ago with RMR.
Estenson Racing announce Yamaha supported 2020 AFT Team
Yamaha Motor Corporation USA (YMUS) has announce support for Estenson Racing’s effort in American Flat Track for the 2020 season. The team has signed a multi-year deal with JD Beach, who will lead the campaign in the all-new SuperTwins class, while Kolby Carlile, the 2017 AFT Singles Champion, steps up to the premier class alongside Beach aboard the Estenson Racing Yamaha MT-07 DT. The team has also signed Mikey Rush for a two-pronged threat in the AFT Singles class with young phenom Dallas Daniels.
Returning for his second year with Estenson Racing, 2020 will be JD Beach’s first full-season in American Flat Track. With multiple road race titles on his resume, the Owensboro, Kentucky, resident has his sights set on a SuperTwins crown. He pulled double duty with the team in 2019, competing in the premier classes of both AFT and MotoAmerica.
The racer made history with his first AFT Grand National win at the Super TT in Arizona, which was also the first victory for a Yamaha Twin since 1981. Beach then backed it up the following weekend at Virginia International Raceway with his first MotoAmerica Superbike win, becoming the first rider to top the podium during the same season in the premier class of both disciplines since Nicky Hayden in 2002. He ended the year in AFT with two wins and three podiums.
JD Beach
“I’m really looking forward to being back with the Estenson Racing crew. I think we kind of got started on our back foot last season. We were hoping for more, but we still managed a few wins, and within the Twins team a few podiums. I think the changes to the team and the new personnel are going to help a lot. We’re all putting in a lot of work this winter to come out next season swinging. I’m definitely looking forward to it.”
JD Beach – AFT Twins Main Event – 2019 Peoria TT – Image Scott Hunter
Kolby Carlile made the transition to the Twins ranks last season, competing both in the new AFT Production Twins class and AFT Twins. He had a solid rookie year in spite of injury and made a late-season charge for the Production Twins title, ultimately ending the year third in the Production championship with two wins and six podiums.
Kolby Carlile
“2020 is going to be an awesome year for me. I learned a lot last year racing the Twin in the Production Twins class and winning a few rounds. This year I’ll be racing in the new AFT SuperTwins class full-time on the Estenson Racing Yamaha MT-07. The guys I’ll be racing against week in and week out are the fastest guys in the world and I feel like I’ve always benefited from racing the best there is. The team also has some new members that are going to be huge additions in the development of the bike. Going into the new year, I’ve been taking a few months away from racing to allow me to focus on getting my knee in better condition. The races are a bit longer this year for me, and the intensity is up from what I have raced before, so being in top physical condition is important. I have an awesome teammate in JD Beach. I’ve grown up learning from him and I don’t plan on stopping now. I look forward to doing my best to improve the bike, the team, and myself in 2020.”
Kolby Carlile – 2019 AFT Production Twins – Minnesota Mile – Image Scott Hunter
The newest member of the team, Mikey Rush, jumped straight into the premier class of AFT in 2009 and scored his first win in 2013 at the Daytona Short Track. After some tough years in the privateer ranks, he made the move to the AFT Singles class and had a standout season in 2019, finishing second in the championship with four wins and seven podiums. The Californian now looks to bring home the title in 2020 aboard the Estenson Racing Yamaha YZ450F.
Mikey Rush
“I’m really excited to have this opportunity with Estenson Racing. Tim is a great guy and their whole program is very professional. I’m looking forward to working with them next season and am ready to go racing and fight for the AFT Singles Championship.”
Returning with the team is 2019 AFT Singles Rookie of the Year, Dallas Daniels. The 16-year-old turned heads last season with a dominant debut win at the Peoria TT. He then went on to back it up with two more podiums to finish the year just outside the top 10, despite only turning pro mid-season. Daniels looks to build on his progress in his first full-year of AFT competition.
Dallas Daniels
“I’m super excited to start my first full year in American Flat Track with Estenson Racing. I’ve been training hard and preparing for 2020. I’m really looking forward to getting things started in Daytona. I can’t wait for the season.”
Dallas Daniels – Image by Scott HunterWeekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop
Jorge Prado recovering from surgery for fractured femur
Red Bull KTM’s Jorge Prado is recovering from an operation in Italy to fix a fracture to his left femur, which the eighteen-year-old suffered while training at the Malagrotta circuit near Rome on Thursday.
Prado is stepping into the premier class of the FIM Motocross World Championship in 2020 after claiming the last two MX2 titles, and was circulating his usual practice facility with teammate Tony Cairoli when he lost control approaching a jump.
Jorge Prado
The Spaniard was transferred to the European Hospital where he immediately underwent a corrective procedure performed by Dr Massimiliano Nannerini to insert a pin into the femur bone. He is expected to leave the ward in two days if initial signs are positive and start rehabilitation to make his MXGP debut as early as possible next season.
Claudio De Carli – Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Team Manager
“This is bad news and we feel so sorry for Jorge. Things had been going well and he was just two laps away from the end of the training session. It was raining at Malagrotta and you need to have a good control of the bike to make one of the biggest jumps on the track. Jorge could not grip the plastic well, his foot slipped off the footpeg on the ramp and he crashed over the jump. He had surgery yesterday evening by a fantastic doctor that we know and trust and now we have to wait a few days to see if everything is correct before he can leave the hospital. It is a setback to our preparation but the important thing is that Jorge heals well and then can think again about his first season in the MXGP class.”
Yamaha announces 2020 YXZ1000R European Cup
Yamaha Motor Europe has announced the 2020 edition of the YXZ1000R European Cup, set to feature another thrilling year of Yamaha’s sports Side-by-Side vehicles in national championships, culminating in a season-ending SuperFinale.
Following the great success of the 2019 SuperFinale, the event in October 2020 will return to the amazing locations of the Baja Portalegre – Portugal. The Stock winner of the European Cup SuperFinale will receive a brand-new YXZ1000R.
2020 YXZ1000R European Cup
In a new initiative, the 2020 Cup will also field Wildcard entries in the SuperFinale. The top finishing YXZ1000R in the Stock category, in both the 2020 Merzouga Rally – Morocco and Baja Aragon – Spain, will automatically qualify for the SuperFinale, joining the qualifiers from the National Cups.
A new program running parallel to the official YXZ1000R European Cup will be the YXZ1000R Challenge, an overall ranking for racers competing outside of the Cup regardless of their racing preparation type. The YXZ1000R Challenge winner will receive a free entry to the Baja Aragon 2021.
Detailed rules and regulations of the 2020 YXZ1000R European Cup will be available on Yamaha-racing.com soon.
Weekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop
2020 Championship Calendars
2020 AMA Motocross race schedule
May 17 – Hangtown Motocross Classic – Rancho Cordova, CA
May 24 – Fox Raceway National – Pala, CA
May 31 – Thunder Valley National – Lakewood, CO
June 7 – Florida National – Jacksonville, FL
June 21 – High Point National – Mt. Morris, PA
June 28 – Southwick National – Southwick, MA
July 5 – RedBud National – Buchanan, MI
July 19 – Spring Creek National – Millville, MN
July 26 – Washougal National – Washougal, WA
August 16 – Unadilla National – New Berlin, NY
August 23 – Budds Creek National – Mechanicsville, MD
August 30 – Ironman National – Crawfordsville, IN
2020 Monster Energy AMA Supercross Calendar
Jan. 4 – Angels Stadium of Anaheim, Anaheim, Calif.
Jan. 11 – The Dome at America’s Center, St. Louis, Mo.
Jan. 18 – Angels Stadium of Anaheim, Anaheim, Calif.
Jan. 25 – State Farm Stadium, Glendale, Ariz.
Feb. 1 – Ringcentral Coliseum, Oakland, Calif.
Feb. 8 – Petco Park, San Diego, Calif.
Feb. 15 – Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Fla.
Feb. 22 – AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas
Feb. 29 – Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Ga.
March 7 – Daytona International Speedway, Daytona, Fla.
March 14 – Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianpolis, Ind.
March 21 – Ford Field, Detroit, Mich.
March 28 – Centurylink Field, Seattle, Wash.
April 4 – Broncos Stadium at Mile High, Denver, Co.
April 18 – Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Mass.
April 25 – Sam Boyd Stadium, Las Vegas, Nev.
May 2 – Rice-Eccles Stadium, Salt Lake City, Utah
2020 MXGP Calendar
March 1 – Great Britain, Matterley Basin (EMX125, WMX)
March 8 – The Netherlands, Valkenswaard – (EMX250, WMX)
March 22 – Patagonia, Argentina, Neuquen
April 5 – Trentino I, Pietramurata – (EMX250, EMX 2t)
April 19 – Spain, (TBA) – (EMX125, WMX)
April 26 – Portugal, Agueda – (EMX125, EMX250)
May 10 – France, Saint Jean d’Angely – (EMX125, EMX Open)
May 17 – Italy, Maggiora – (EMX Open, WMX)
May 24 – Germany, Teutschenthal – (EMX250, EMX Open)
But the Tacita T-Race Rally won’t be competing in the 7500km rally, 75% of which will be in power-sapping sand. How could it with just 220km of range in eco mode!
Instead, the bike will be on show at the podium on 4 January 2020 and select events along the way.
It will also take part in the non-competitive 20km Qiddiyah Grand Prix on the final day of the rally on 17 January 2020.
Hardly a great promo for electric bike range!
Tacita electrics
Tacita has two electric T-Cruise cruiser models launched in 2017 costing about $20,000 to $A42,500, depending on battery size.
Tacita T-Cruise electric cruiser
Their T-Race series consists of the Enduro, Motard, Cross and now Rally costing up to $37,000 for the 44kW/100Nm motor with an 18kWh battery pack.
The T-Race Rally is the first and only electric motorcycle to race in the African desert when a prototype competed in the 2012 Merzouga Rally in Morocco.
Tacita will also have its solar-powered recharging trailer on show at the rally.
Tacita T-Race Rally tech specs
Electric motor: PMAC
Mappings: Eco and Sport
Transmission: 5 speed gearbox with hydraulic clutch
Cooling system: liquid type, with circuits for electric motor and controller
Battery life: 370.000 km or over 2000 cycles to 80% initial capacity.
Batteries warranty: five years
Max power: 34 and 44kW optional motor with 85Nm/27kW standard motor with 60Nm torque or 11kW with 60Nm
Max rpm: 8000
Wheelbase: 1490mm
Chassis: single-shell frame split in chrome-molybdenum
Clearance: 330mm
Front suspension: upside-down telescopic hydraulic fork with advanced axle 46mm diameter; 300mm travel
Rear suspension: progressive link with fully adjustable suspension unit; 280mm travel
Front wheel: 1.60 x 21″ – tyre 90/90-21
Front brake: floating disk 300 mm diameter with Brembo calyper and master cylinder
Rear wheel: 2.15 x 18″ tyre 140/80-18
Rear brake: 220 mm
Regenerative braking: 2 maps of engine brake. No engine brake (2-stroke engine style) and regenerative braking (4-stroke engine style)
Reverse: finally the reverse for the offroad (and city) use !!! Easy to maneuver in every situation.
Body: polyamide reinforced Kevlar
Range: 220 km in the Tacita Range Method + reserve power
Reserve Power: automatically activated at 5 % of remaining charge, reducing performance to reach the nearest charging point.
Charger: integrated on-board 10A/16A to be used with standard sockets.
Charging time: 3 hours with the 16A charging power. 5 hours from “reserve power” level to 80% at 220 V with the on-board charger from any socket
2020 Dakar Rally
Dakar organiser ASO has signed a five-year deal from 2020 with the tainted nation criticised for human rights violations including the murder of American newspaper reporter Jamal Khashoggi.
The Muslim nation also has a poor record on its treatment of women which could have been an issue with the rally organisers as many women now compete.
The rally was moved from Africa to South America in 2009 after threats of terrorism in Mauritania forced the cancellation of the 2008.
It has since been held in Argentina, Bolivia, Chile and Peru, but this year was run in Peru only after the other countries failed to reach an agreement with the organisers.
It is believe a bidding war followed with Saudi Arabia, Chile and South Africa with the event eventually going to the highest bidder.
The oil-rich country reportedly offered the ASO $15 million per year, compared with $3 million proposed by Chile for 2020.
Saudi Arabia features 2.25 million square kilometres of desert, plus the Asir mountains where temperatures range from -2 to 30 degrees Celsius in January.
Organisers hope to include other Mid-East countries such as Oman, Jordan, United Arab Emirates and Egypt in following years.
No Aussie Dakar
It is a shame that Australia was not considered.
We contacted the Federal Sports Minister’s office and Motorcycling Australia to find out if they had considered a bid but received no response from the Minister’s office.
Motorcycling Australia Events Manager – Off-Road Matthew Falvo confirmed they had not been approached about running the Dakar Rally in Australia.
Toby wins his sixth Finke Desert Race in 2018
However, Australia’s first Dakar winner, Toby Price, who won his second rally this year will be well suited to the Saudi terrain.
Toby, who is also the first Aussie to win the Cross Country Rally World Championship, won the Rally du Maroc in the Sahara dunes of Morocco last year.
His 2018 championship also included rounds in the Middle East dunes in Qatar and Abu Dhabi .
Toby is also the king of the Aussie sands, scoring a record sixth victory in the Finke Desert Race last year.
Toby Price all set to defend Dakar Rally title in 2020
Toby Price has been spotted training for the 2020 Dakar Rally, with images out of KTM showing the Australian rider all geared up with the KTM Factory Racing crew for the event which will take place in Saudi Arabia, marking the 42nd edition of the rally.
Tony Price – Image by Sebas Romero
Price returns to defend his 2019 title in January of 2020, with many observing the 2020 running may be the most challenging yet, covering 7900km, with competitors battling through over 5000km of special stages.
Soldiering through the pain of a broken wrist suffered just weeks before the 2019 event, Price went on to take victory, KTM’s 18th consecutive win of the event, leading home fellow KTM rider’s Matthias Walkner and Sam Sunderland.
Tony Price – Image by Sebas Romero
Price just took second overall in the Baja 1000 race in his truck, and also competed in the Finke event earlier in the year in the truck category due to the earlier wrist injury and aiming for the 2020 Dakar.
Toby Price also recently won the final stage of the Rally du Maroc, but it wasn’t enough to elevate him to the overall win, finishing just off the podium in fourth overall, sharing at the time, “I only just missed out on the podium, which is frustrating, but it’s been really good training. I missed out on the podium by just seven seconds but all-in-all I’m pleased with how I rode. Navigation was really tricky here and we had to learn to ride with the minimum of information. I’m hoping that will put us in a good position for January and the Dakar Rally.”
Tony Price – Image by Sebas Romero
Dakar 2020
The 2020 event will kick off in Jeddah in January 5, with the first third of the rally a test of navigation skills along the Red Sea and heading north to Neom and Al Ula, before heading into the dunes between Ha’il and Riyadh.
The Shubaytah and Haradh stages will be contested in the vast “Empty Quarter”of the Saudi territory, before heading into the final Qiddiyah stage, where navigation will again be vital.
Tony Price – Image by Sebas Romero
The 48th event will also see a rebalance of the parameters, with new colour-coded roadbooks only given to competitors minutes before timed sector’s start. A Super Marathon stage for the top pilots will only allow 10-minutes of work on their machines, alongside a traditional marathon the day before the finish. A joker will also be granted to competitors forced to retire in all categories, allowing them to rejoin the Rally in the Dakar Experience classification.
Tony Price – Image by Sebas Romero
2020 Dakar Rally Stages
Stage 1 – Jeddah > Al Wajh, 752 km – SS : 319 km
Stage 2 – Al Wajh > Neom, 401 km – SS : 367 km
Stage 3 – Neom > Neom, 489 km – SS : 404 km
Stage 4 – Neom > Al Ula, 676 km – SS : 453 km
Stage 5 – Al Ula > Ha’il, 563 km – SS : 353 km
Stage 6 – Ha’il > Riyadh, 830 km – SS : 478 km
Rest Day – Riyadh
Stage 7 – Riyadh > Wadi Al-Dawasir, 741 km – SS : 546 km
Stage 8 – Wadi Al-Dawasir > Wadi Al-Dawasir, 713 km – SS : 474 km
Stage 9 – Wadi Al-Dawasir > Haradh, 891 km – SS : 415 km
Stage 10 – Haradh > Shubaytah, 608 km – SS : 534 km
Stage 11 – Shubaytah > Haradh, 744 km – SS : 379 km
Stage 12 – Haradh > Qiddiya, 447 km – SS : 374 km
Tony Price – Image by Sebas RomeroTony Price – Image by Sebas RomeroTony Price – Image by Sebas RomeroTony Price – Image by Sebas RomeroTony Price – Image by Sebas RomeroTony Price – Image by Sebas RomeroTony Price – Image by Sebas RomeroTony Price – Image by Sebas RomeroTony Price – Image by Sebas Romero
Double Dakar Rally champion Toby Price has missed out on the prestigious Don Award which has gone to tennis player Ash Barty.
Toby had been considered for the award announced last night (10 October 2019), but he did not even make the short list.
That included: tennis grand slam champion Dylan Alcott OAM, 2018 NRL premiership hero Cooper Cronk, three-time Tour de France stage winner Caleb Ewan, 2018 world surfing champion Stephanie Gilmore, seven-time Bathurst winner Craig Lowndes OAM, Ashes winners Ellyse Perry and Tim Paine, and swimming world champion Ariarne Titmus.
In January, we put forward Toby’s name to the Australia Sport Hall of Fame Selection Committee and Board for consideration for The Don awardnamed after Don Bradman.
Also, we also launched a petition calling for a national sporting honour for Toby. It attracted more than 15,000 signatures.
The petition is still live and relevant for consideration for next year’s Don Award.
The Don Award would be a fitting honour for Toby since it is given to a sportsperson who “inspires the nation” like Don Bradman.
The award began in 1998 when five-time world GP champion Mick Doohan was a finalist. The Don was shared that year by cricket captain Mark Taylor and athlete Heather Turland.
It will be difficult for Toby to win The Don as no motorsport identity has ever won.
Two-time MotoGP champion Casey Stoner is a three-time nominee and two-time finalist, but never a recipient of The Don. Last year F1 driver Daniel Ricciardo was a finalist on his second nomination, joined by Indy driver Will Power.
However, we reckon it’s time for a motorcycle racer to win The Don. Hopefully, that will be next year!
Our petition also calls on state (Queensland and NSW) and federal sports ministers to consider Toby for a state or national sportsperson of the year honour.
Each time you sign, an email goes to the ministers’ offices, so they would be well aware of Toby’s community support.
We approached Queensland and NSW sports ministers because Toby was born in NSW and now lives on the Gold Coast.
Your signatures on the petition will help sway the ministers, so keep sharing the petition with your friends.
Why Toby deserves an award
Toby in action
Australia has a long history of Dakar entries, most notably rookie and privateer Andy Haydon who placed third in 1998, Simon Pavey who competed 10 times and the late Andy Caldecott who competed from 2004 to 2006 when he tragically died during the race.
The Dakar is a gruelling rally that has claimed the lives of 24 competitors since it started in 1978. It is referred to as the toughest motorsport event in the world.
Toby started racing the lethal Dakar in 2015, finishing an astounding third on debut.
He broke his leg in 2017 and last year finished third despite not racing for a year due to injury.
Just a month before this year’s Dakar, Toby broke his wrist in training. His second victory while nursing a “burning wrist” is all the more brave and worthy of an honour.
In fact, has been in for more surgery after the screw in his wrist wore away at the bone like a ‘windscreen wiper’ during the race.
Last year Toby also became the first Australian to win the FIM World Cross Country Championship and scored a record sixth win in Australia’s toughest motorcycle rally, the Finke Desert Race.
Toby wins sixth Finke
In fact, he won that race on debut, a feat he also achieved in the Hattah Dessert Race.
Toby has also won two Australian Junior Motocross Championships and the Australian Off-Road Racing Championship.
Dakar’s most prolific winner, Stéphane Peterhansel, scored his sixth win the year he turned 33. Marc Coma won his fifth Dakar Rally at the age of 39. So Toby, aged 31, still has several years of racing ahead of him and is hopeful of more Dakar wins.
Smarty’s Weekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop
The LATEST News
Kulas and Barr rip Hawkstone MX Nationals
Wageman wins World Two-Stroke Championships
Mees rebounds to win Texas Half Mile
Aussies abroad – weekly update
Ferris to Raceline KTM
Clement Desalle injury update
Dean Wilson joins the injured list
Supercross returns to Wollongong
Australian Motorcycle Festival also set for Wollongong
Smektala Scores Warsaw Wildcard
Paulo Goncalves joins Hero Motorsports
Dakar Rally moves to Saudi Arabia
Treloar crowned 11-time Australian Speedway Sidecar Champion
Kulas and Barr Rip Hawkstone MX Nationals
Hawkstone Park hosted the second round of the British MX Nationals and it was Harri Kulas who earned maximum points in the MX1 class while Martin Barr put in an identical performance in the MX2 class.
Hawkstone MX Nationals Podium – Image from MX Nationals UK FB page
Kulas won the opening MX1 moto from Gert Krestinov and Mel Pocock then Pocock and Lewis Tombs finished behind Kulas in the second moto so Kulas has opened up an 18-point lead over Pocock in the championship points.
MX1 – Hawkstone Round Top 10
Harri Kulas
Mel Pocock
Lewis Tombs
Gert Krestinov
Nathan Watson
Jake Shipton
Robbie Dowson
Ryan Houghton
Nathan Dixon
Stuart Edmonds
MX1 Points after Round 2
Harri Kulas – 100
Mel Pocock – 72
Gert Krestinov – 70
Ryan Houghton – 64
Lewis Tombs – 59
Barr comfortably won the opening MX2 moto from Josh Gilbert and Ashton Dickinson then backed that up with another win over Gilbert and Todd Kellet so after two rounds Barr has a six-point lead over Gilbert while the rest of the field are almost two motos in points behind.
MX12– Hawkestone Round Top 10
Martin Barr
Josh Gilbert
Todd Kellet
Ashton Dickinson
Glenn McCormick
Brad Anderson
Taylor Hammal
Liam Knight
Ben Franklin
Lewis Hall
MX2 Points after Round 2
Martin Barr – 97
Josh Gilbert – 91
Ben Franklin – 55
Glenn McCormick – 52
Carlton Husband – 49
Wageman Wins World Two-Stroke Championships
It is one of the most sought after ‘sub culture’ championships in the American motocross scene and this year is was second generation motocross rider and Glen Helen regular in Robbie Wageman who has taken out the premier Open Class at the annual World Two-Stroke Championships at Glen Helen Raceway.
Wageman overcame pre-race favourites and former champions in Mike Alessi, Zach Bell, Ryan Surrat, Carlen Gardner, Mike Brown and Tyler Bowers to take both moto wins
Open 2-Stroke Championship
Robbie Wageman 1-1
Carlen Gardner 3-1
Coty Schock 4-3
Mike Brown 5-5
Deegan Vonlossberg 7-8
Ryan Surratt 12-4
Josh Mosiman 6-12
Justin Hoeft 9-11
Dominic Desimone 11-10
Blayne Thompsom 16-6
RJ Wageman 10-14
Ricky Dietrich 20-7
Dennis Stapleton 17-13
Kai Aiello 15-15
Carson Carr 14-16
Tallon Lafountaine 22-9
Willy Simons 13-18
Keaton Ward 21-17
Tyler Bowers 2-DNF
Jakob Alvarez 23-DNF
125cc Pro Top 10
Justin Hoeft 1-1
Chis Plouffe 4-3
Colton Aeck 6-2
Alex Ray 7-4
Tyler Nicholson 8-5
Tim Weigand 9-6
Matt Cerami 10-8
Brian Begin 12-7
Ryan Wilson 13-10
Michael Blose 11-12
Smarty’s Weekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop
Mees Rebounds to Win Texas Half Mile
Defending AFT Twins champion Jared Mees has bounced back from a difficult start to the 2019 season to deliver a vintage performance at the Texas Half-Mile at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth, to score his first victory of the season.
Jared Mees
AFT Twins Report
Right from the start Mees found himself embroiled in a one-on-one shootout with his fellow Indian rider and championship leader Briar Bauman and the two immediately broke free from the pack and traded the lead back and forth multiple times with a series of slick overtaking moves.
#14 Briar Bauman leads the standings – #17 Henry Wiles is fourth
On lap 22 of 25 Mees pushed out just enough of a gap to breathe a bit easier over the race’s final circulations, claiming his 27th Half-Mile victory by 1.316-seconds over Bauman and Brandon Robinson to complete an all Indian podium while Sammy Halbert (HD) and Larry Pegram (Indian) rounded out the top five.
When asked if he expects Saturday’s win to reopen the floodgates Mees said:
“That would be the goal — that is the goal — and we’d love to do that, but this year is tougher. The guys are better, and they’ve got their machines figured out better. I’ve got to dig down deeper. Last year, I basically got a good start, went by Briar when he was on the Kawasaki, and took off. This time, I had to wear the boy out. He rode so good. He was better than me in Turns 3 and 4 early in the race. I saw what he was doing and moved down to his line, and that allowed me to maintain a little bit of a gap.”
AFT Twins Round 3 Podium
AFT Twins Points after 3 of 18 Rounds
Briar Bauman – 62
Brandon Robinson – 53
Jared Mees – 47
Henry Wiles – 46.
Jarod Vanderkooi – 43
Sammy Halbert – 34
Larry Pegram – 33
Robert Pearson – 32
Jake Johnson – 29
Jeffrey Carver Jr. – 29
AFT Singles Report
KTM’s Shayna Texter has the most wins in the history of the AFT Singles and she added to the tally in Texas with a hard fought ride to victory over Mikey Rush and 16-year-old phenom James Ott who was making his professional debut.
The battle at the front went right to the final lap where Ott made one final lunge to overtake Rush as Rush did the same to Texter on the race’s final corner but in the end, their positions remained unchanged with Texter winning by a scant 0.129 seconds over Rush with Ott another 0.125 seconds back in third.
Shayna Texter
“It’s awesome to get the first win behind us. To give Red Bull KTM its first win in American Flat Track is awesome. Hats off to my partners… To be able to win in Roof Systems’ backyard is incredible.”
Last year’s Texas Half-Mile winner, Morgen Mischler finished fourth, followed by championship leader Dalton Gauthier in fifth while Aussie Max Whale went down hard in the first corner but is fit and ready for next weekend’s Super TT in Arizona.
AFT Singles Points after 3 of 18 Rounds
Dalton Gauthier – 59
Mikey Rush – 48
Jesse Janisch – 47
Dan Bromley – 44
Morgen Mischler – 40
Shayna Texter – 35
Oliver Brindley – 30
Max Whale – 22
Tristan Avery – 22
Michael Inderbitzin – 21
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Weekly Up-Date on Our Aussies Abroad
Jed Beaton – Rockstar Husqvarna
Championship: World MX2 Motocross Championship Current Standing: 13th after Round 4 of 17 Notes: Thanks to some niggling injuries Jed sat out the opening round but has scored solid points in the next three rounds while still nursing a few aches and pains – the four week break from rounds 4 to 5 will do him no harm. The next round will be the MXGP of Lombardi in Italy on the 12th of May.
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 on the 12th of May.
Mitch Evans
Tayla Jones – Rockstar/Husqvarna/Moose Racing/Shaw Wines
Championship: GNCC Current Standing: 1st after Round 4 of 13 Notes: Tayla has only lost one round so far this year and is looking as good as ever. Next round will be the ‘X Factor Whitetails’ at Peru near Indianapolis on May 4 and 5
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 per cent ready for the outdoors which kicks off at Hangtown on May 18.
Hunter Lawrence
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: 11th after Round 15 of 17 Notes: Chad was part of a multi bike crash at Seattle when he was sitting seventh in the championship and if a few things go his way Chad will be on the line at the final round of the championship at Vegas in two weekend’s time.
Chad Reed – Image by Hoppenworld
Wil Ruprecht – Johansson MPE Yamaha
Championship: EnduroGP – Junior Class Current Standing: 2nd after Round 1 of 7 Notes: Wil proved his worth at the opening round in Germany with a solid weekend on the only Yamaha in the field. The next round will be at Valpaços in Portugal on May 3-4.
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.
Championship: GNCC / AMA Enduro Current Standing: 6th after Round 4 of 13 Notes: New team for Josh and he is gaining confidence at every round – Josh sat in second place for the early part of round 4 before dropping to fifth overall. Next round will be the ‘X Factor Whitetails’ at Peru near Indianapolis on May 4 and 5
Mackenzie Tricker – KTM/MEPMX/Fly Racing
Championship: GNCC Current Standing: 3rd after Round 4 of 13 Notes: Mackenzie is not far off cracking a win at the GNCC level but the pace is red hot out front between Jones and Becca Sheets. Next round will be the ‘X Factor Whitetails’ at Peru near Indianapolis on May 4 and 5
Max Whale – Weirbach Racing Kawasaki
Championship: AFT Singles Current Standings: 8th after Round 3 of 18 Notes: Max scored 5th at the opening round before struggling to an 11th at round two but it got worse at the 3rd round with a crash in the first corner that could have ended with a season ending injury but the plucky Queenslander has already stated on Facebook that he made a mistake but will be back next weekend’s Super TT in Arizona.
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Ferris to Raceline KTM
Dean Ferris has signed to ride for Raceline KTM and will potentially line-up for the Murray Bridge double-header in two weekend’s time – this is what Dean wrote on his Facebook page:
‘Stoked to announce my partnership with RaceLine Performance and Recover8. Massive thanks to everyone involved in getting me hooked up, all Raceline partners included. If you are wondering what Recover8 is, it’s a sport supplement about to hit the Market. TOP STUFF! Looking forward to ripping on this KTM 450.’
Dean Ferris to Raceline KTM
As far as Dean’s aspirations to race in America go it appears that the Raceline KTM/Recovery8 relationship may play a part in achieving that goal – more news to come.
Clement Desalle Injury Up-Date
Just a few weeks after celebrating his first podium of the season at the Dutch GP, Kawasaki’s Clément Desalle is recovering well at home from a minor surgery on his right knee after barely surviving a tough GP of Trentino.
During his charge to second place in the opening moto at Valkenswaard the Belgian felt pain in his leg and after several examinations between the GPs of Valkenswaard and Pietramurata, Clément knew that the Italian race would be difficult as he was unable to train during the week and had some pain in his knee.
Clément Desalle
“The examinations revealed that the meniscus was affected, and that some little pieces of bones were broken so we scheduled surgery for Monday after the race. This round was really difficult due to the pain and the crash in the second race; immediately after I retired I left with my father for Dr Claes’ clinic where I had surgery early last Monday (April 9). As soon as my knee had deflated after surgery I could start this week to work on a daily basis with my physiotherapist, mainly in the swimming pool at the moment but I have also started some bicycle exercises. We expect to do even more later this week, and for sure I’m pretty lucky that there is a break in the championship at the moment. The plan is to spend a few hours on the bike before Mantova, and so far everything has gone as we could expect.”
Clement Desalle
One week after surgery, Clément has already started the recuperation process and has a further three weeks to recover before Mantova on May 11th and 12th.
Currently sixth in the MXGP standing after his DNF in the second race in Trentino, Clément will be back racing in Italy, while teammate Julien Lieber will enter a French championship round during this spring break of the FIM Motocross World Championship.
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Dean Wilson joins the injured list
Like many before him, Dean Wilson’s 2019 AMA Supercross Champion has ended prematurely after crashing out of the main event at Denver last weekend – here is what Dean wrote on Instagram:
Dean Wilson
“Such a massive gut punch on Saturday. Just as I was gaining good momentum riding well, feeling good and chasing my first win things turned in the blink of an eye. Started off Denver topping free practice then went on to qualify P1 in qualifier 1. Qualifier 2 didn’t get the cleanest laps but ended with a 4th. On to the main event I was running around 7th on lap 7 moving forward and as I came around for the rhythm section I tripled in and something freak happened causing the bike to nose dive after I tripled in and pile driving me into the ground. The tough part of this is I have been trying so hard this year to be back where I need to be trying to get a job for next year. It’s tough just hoping to have a ride each year. 2nd part is people saying, ‘Wilson’s hurt again, big surprise there’ when it was something that wasn’t my fault. It’s a tough pill to swallow. I injured my shoulder and got a contusion on my kidneys. Got MRI and good news is I dodged a bullet on my shoulder and I am just going to give it a few weeks of rest and therapy and see where we are at. Huge disappointment to end my SX season like this. Thanks to my whole team for everything and everybody checking in on me. I really appreciate it. I will be back.”
Dean Wilson
In just the 450-class alone Chad Reed, Justin Brayton, Malcolm Stewart, Justin Barcia, Aaron Plessinger, Vince Friese, Benny Bloss, AJ Catanzaro, Tyler Enticknap, Cole Martinez and Ronnie Stewart all missed rounds or were forced out of the series with crashes at the races while Justin Hill and Joey Savatgy are riding injured and hanging in there.
Supercross returns to Wollongong in 2019
Troy Bayliss Events have confirmed that the third round of the 2019 Australian Supercross Championship will be held at Wollongong’s WIN Stadium on Saturday the 9th of November giving fans the opportunity to see Australia’s best racers take on some international riders on a full-size track while racing the exciting Triple Crown Format in both SX1 and SX2 premiere classes.
Three-time Superbike World Champion and Event Organiser Troy Bayliss said the stadium layout will be unique with a section of the track heading up onto the iconic hill.
Troy Bayliss
“In 2018, Troy Bayliss Events took the big step to put Supercross back into a stadium in Australia with Geelong’s GMHBA Stadium round, now Troy Bayliss Events is thrilled to be taking the NSW event back to an outdoor stadium. WIN Stadium is the perfect size with the crowd so close to the action and the location is second to none. I am really excited about the track layout. This event will be like no other with the track winding up onto the iconic hill. We would like to thank Destination Wollongong, Wollongong City Council, WIN Stadium and Yamaha for the support to allow Supercross to take place In Wollongong and within WIN Stadium. The Illawarra is rich with motorcycle champions and fans and we can’t wait until the gates drop on November 9.”
Troy Bayliss
Yamaha Motor Australia will be a major sponsor to Round 3 of the 2019 Australian Supercross Championship. Wollongong’s WIN Stadium is the perfect venue to showcase our race teams as they battle for supremacy in the VictorYZone.
In addition, this round will host another YZ65 Cup event – the grassroots race series designed to give young guns their first taste of the big time by racing in front of their Supercross heroes and up to 20,000 fans.
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Australian Motorcycle Festival Also set for Wollongong
Troy Bayliss Events have also confirmed that the Australian Motorcycle Festival will take place right next door to WIN Stadium at Lang Park on the same weekend as the Australian Supercross Championship over the weekend of November 9 and 10.
Formally known as the Sydney Motorcycle Show, Australia’s largest Motorcycle Show is also set to expand with massive trade displays featuring motorcycles, scooters, ATV’s, SxS’s, trikes and jet skis as well as related products and services while visitors to the event will have the opportunity to test a huge range of motorcycles and jet-skis.
Mark Sleigh, General Manager, Destination Wollongong said the city is excited to host the Australian Supercross Championship and Motorcycle Festival in November.
Mark Sleigh – Destination Wollongong
“Wollongong makes for the perfect road trip with stunning coastline taking in Sea Cliff Bridge as well as the winding escarpment which will put all your motorcycle skills to the test. The combination of the Championship and the Motorcycle Festival make for the perfect weekend away so we encourage everyone to stay a little longer and enjoy the attractions, natural assets and cafes and bars on offer in Wollongong.”
Tickets will go on sale Monday 29th April via Ticketmaster with tickets starting from $30.00. A full line up of support classes and live entertainment will be released in the coming weeks.
Smektala Scores Warsaw Wildcard
FIM Speedway Under-21 world champion Bartosz Smektala is set to done the famous #16 race jacket for his full FIM Speedway Grand Prix debut after earning a wildcard for the opening round of the FIM Speedway World Championship at PGE Narodowy on May 18.
The 20-year-old was crowned World Under-21 champion last season after seeing off a huge challenge from 2017 champion Maksym Drabik before winning a second straight PGE Ekstraliga title with Leszno.
Bartosz Smektala
Smektala rode in his first SGP heat as a track reserve at the 2017 Nice Torun SGP of Poland, before serving as a stand-in rider again in Warsaw last year where he raced in heat 14 that night, finishing second to Chris Holder and beating eventual World Championship bronze medallist Fredrik Lindgren and Craig Cook.
The Srem-born racer represents Leszno once again in this year’s PGE Ekstraliga as well as Swedish Elitserien club Vastervik.
He’s joined in Warsaw by track reserves Dominik Kubera and Rafal Karczmarz, who line up at No.17 and No.18 respectively. Kubera races alongside Smektala with Leszno, while Karczmarz rides for Gorzow.
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Paulo Goncalves Joins Hero Motorsports
The Indian off-road team Hero Motorsports have confirmed that former Dakar runner up and 2015 FIM Cross-Country Champion Paulo Gonçalves will be joining the team as they continue their quest for Dakar glory.
Paulo Goncalves joins Hero Motorsports
Created in 2016, Hero Motorsport Rally Team has been gaining experience competing in some of the most demanding off-road races, especially the Dakar Rally where Hero Motorsports have finished inside the top-10 twice, and the best result came at the Merzouga Rally where they won.
Paulo Gonçalves has been racing for the factory Honda Dakar team but decided it was time to change and try new challenges.
Paulo Gonçalves
“From my side, I promise to give my everything to be ready and fit to be able to fight for the top positions for my team. Hero MotoSports has been doing a really good job in the last couple of seasons and this young team has shown, that it has the potential to win big. I would like to play my part in bringing these wins to the team. With lots of passion and emotions, my thanks again to the team and I am excited to begin.”
Paulo Goncalves
Wolfgang Fischer – Head of Hero MotoSports Team Rally
“We are very motivated by the entry of Paulo Gonçalves into our young set-up. To attract one of the most decorated and respected top rally athletes is a big boost for our team and an endorsement that we are being looked upon as one of the top teams in rally sport. His experience of numerous race victories and Dakar participation into our line-up will enable us to achieve the next level of competitiveness. We extend Paulo a very warm welcome and wish him a successful stint with Hero MotoSports Team Rally.”
The new Hero Motorsports Rally Team is now completed with Paulo Gonçalves joins his Portuguese compatriot Joaquim Rodrigues as well as CS Santosh and Oriol Mena.
The Hero Motorsports Rally Team is getting ready for the next race, the Silkway Rally, that will happen in July, covering some spectacular trails in Russia, Mongolia and China.
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Dakar Rally Moves to Saudi Arabia
After 11 years of being based in South America, Dakar Rally organizers ASO have confirmed that the event will take place in Saudi Arabia beginning in 2020 and beyond.
The event was held solely in Peru earlier this year after the ASO was forced to hastily assemble a route in 2019 after the late withdrawal of Bolivia and Chile.
Dakar Rally Director – David Castera
“Looking back at my first memories of the Dakar and my first experiences as a competitor, I’ve always considered that this rally like no other carried a concept of discovery, a voyage into the unknown. By going to Saudi Arabia, it is, of course, that aspect that fascinates me. I’m convinced that such a feeling will be shared by all the riders, drivers and co-pilots. As the director of the event, it’s a massive challenge to be faced with a blank page with limitless possibilities. I’m already inspired and delighted to have to design a course in such a monumental geography, made for the most audacious itineraries. We are spoilt for choice. Sports, navigation, a will to surpass oneself: all these aspects will naturally be glorified on this territory made for rally-raids.”
More details regarding the event will be announced at a press conference on April 25 in Al-Qiddiya, near the Saudi capital of Riyadh.
As a point of interest, the Arabian desert is an area of 2,330,000 square kilometres, the fifth largest desert in the world, and the largest in Asia. At its centre is Ar-Rub’al-Khali (The Empty Quarter), one of the largest continuous bodies of sand in the world – GULP!
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Treloar crowned 11-time Australian Speedway Sidecar Champion
Treloar Pioneer Park Speedway, Queensland played host to a momentous occasion in Australian Speedway Sidecar history, with spectators and riders alike witnessing Darrin Treloar’s 11th claim to the Australian Senior Speedway Sidecar Championship and the retirement of Andrew Buchanan.
Australian Speedway Sidecar
Featuring in the Final was Monson/Summerhayes, Plaisted/Pitt, Harrison/McGrath and Treloar/Cox. With consecutive wins in the FIM Oceania Speedway Sidecar Championship and FIM 1000cc Speedway Sidecar World Cup under their belt, the dynamic duo that is Monson and Summerhayes were locked and loaded to blaze a trail into first place. After four exhilarating laps though, it was Treloar and Cox who stole the win, marking Treloar’s 11th Australian Speedway Sidecar title!
Darrin Treloar
“2019 marks my 11th Australian Speedway Sidecar Championship and honestly it hasn’t sunk in yet. Nothing beats my first Championship win back in 1993 up in Darwin of course, but this win is definitely something else. Coming into this weekend I try and keep fit with 3-4 days spent in the gym, plus heaps of work in the garage developing the bike. As the Championship marks the end of the season, we as competitors were well into the swing of things [keeping fit and staying motivated] with most of us having already competed in 10-15 events prior. Andrew is a great bloke who is a fantastic addition to the sport. This weekend was emotional of course as he announced he was hanging up the boots, but as always Andrew was extremely competitive and didn’t give an inch. So you had to fight hard to push ahead of him.”
2019 Australian Speedway Sidecar Championship Podium
Running in conjunction with the Seniors at Pioneer Park across the Easter long weekend was the 2019 Australian Junior Speedway Sidecar Championship.
Arriving at the Final, fans had the privilege of witnessing the clear emergence of superb Australian Speedway Sidecar talent, as all three squads became demons behind the handlebars. Coming out on top to claim the 2019 Australian Junior Speedway Sidecar Championship was the Fewster team, ahead of Curran/Kerss and Milner/Niesche in second and third place, respectively.
Australian Junior Speedway Sidecar Championship Podium
Western Australia (WA) locals, Jack and Adam Fewster have taken out their second Australian Junior Speedway Sidecar Championship title. As they land back on WA soil, Jack explained that “The weekend’s racing was really great! The racing was super tough which really pushed us to try as hard as we could to win. The practice day prior to racing really helped us keep cool and collected.”
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Aussie Toby Price (pictured above winning the 2018 Morocco rally) will be heading to the dunes of Saudi Arabia next January to defend his Dakar Rally title when the famed event moves from South America to the Middle East.
Dakar organiser ASO has signed a five-year deal from 2020 with the tainted nation criticised for human rights violations including the murder of American newspaper reporter Jamal Khashoggi.
The Muslim nation also has a poor record on its treatment of women which could have been an issue with the rally organisers as many women now compete.
The rally was moved from Africa to South America in 2009 after threats of terrorism in Mauritania forced the cancellation of the 2008.
It has since been held in Argentina, Bolivia, Chile and Peru, but this year was run in Peru only after the other countries failed to reach an agreement with the organisers.
It is believe a bidding war followed with Saudi Arabia, Chile and South Africa with the event eventually going to the highest bidder.
The oil-rich country reportedly offered the ASO $15 million per year, compared with $3 million proposed by Chile for 2020.
Saudi Arabia features 2.25 million square kilometres of desert, plus the Asir mountains where temperatures range from -2 to 30 degrees Celsius in January.
Organisers hope to include other Mid-East countries such as Oman, Jordan, United Arab Emirates and Egypt in following years.
No Aussie Dakar
It is a shame that Australia was not considered.
We contacted the Federal Sports Minister’s office and Motorcycling Australia to find out if they had considered a bid but received no response from the Minister’s office.
Motorcycling Australia Events Manager – Off-Road Matthew Falvo confirmed they had not been approached about running the Dakar Rally in Australia.
Dunes suit Toby
Toby wins his sixth Finke Desert Race in 2018
However, Australia’s first Dakar winner, Toby Price, who won his second rally this year will be well suited to the Saudi terrain.
Toby, who is also the first Aussie to win the Cross Country Rally World Championship, won the Rally du Maroc in the Sahara dunes of Morocco last year.
His 2018 championship also included rounds in the Middle East dunes in Qatar and Abu Dhabi .
Toby is also the king of the Aussie sands, scoring a record sixth victory in the Finke Desert Race last year.
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