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Moto News Weekly | Hail Baja | AORC | AMX Open | Signings | Dakar

December 15, 2020 mcnews Leave a comment

Moto News Weekly Wrap
December 15, 2020

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What’s New:

Honda and Penrite dominate AMX MX Open
Van Beveren claims Hail Baja opener victory
Australian Off-Road Championship confirm 2021 classes
2021 ProMX rider number applications open
Jay Wilson & Levi Rogers remain with Yamalube Yamaha for 2021
Toni Bou & Takahisa Fujinami return for 15th season with Repsol Honda Team
Ben Watson talks stepping up to MXGP for 2021
Jo Shimoda joins 2021 Monster Energy Kawasaki Race Team
Hero MotoSports Team Rally announce 2021 Dakar line-up

Honda and Penrite dominate AMX MX Open

The AMX MX OPEN has been dominated by the Penrite Honda Team, with Brett Metcalfe taking the all new CRF450R to an impressive victory in the PRO 450 class, while Kyle Webster won the PRO 250 class, and Emma Milesevic took out the Women’s class win.

The victories marked the finish a successful seven-year relationship between Penrite and Honda.

Yarrive Konsky

“We have experienced great success during our relationship. Penrite has achieved double digit growth most years and we aided in the development of their products through our teams testing and winning results. Its an exciting time for motorcycle racing, the industry is up, there is a new promotor for the motocross championship, and we are maintaining our racing program in Australia, it’s disappointing to see Penrite take a different direction but I understand their position and appreciate their years of support. We won seven championships together which is a credit to everyone involved and I want to thank everyone at Penrite for their support.”

The team will announce its 2021 line-up later this month.

AMX MX Open – PRO 250 Results

Pos	Rider	Total	R1	R2
1	Kyle Webster	70	35	35
2	Rhys Budd	62	30	32
3	Jai Constantinou	62	32	30
4	Brodie Ellis	56	28	28
5	Liam Andrews	52	26	26
6	Hugh Roache	47	23	24
7	Ricky Chalmers	46	21	25
8	George Knight	44	22	22
9	Wilson Greiner-Daish	44	24	20
10	Jack O’Callaghan	43	25	18
11	Jordan Holt	41	20	21
12	Caleb Goullet	36	17	19
13	Shane Mason	34	18	16
14	Cooper Van Vilit	31	16	15
15	Royce Anell	23	–	23

AMX MX Open – PRO 450 Results

Pos	Rider	Total	R1	R2
1	Brett Metcalfe	70	35	35
2	Kirk Gibbs	60	28	32
3	Kyle Webster	60	30	30
4	Jai Walker	60	32	28
5	Joel Green	52	26	26
6	Levi McManus	50	25	25
7	Jake West	47	23	24
8	Bryce Ognenis	47	24	23
9	Caleb Goullet	22	22	–
10	Jackson Coulson	21	21	–
11	Ryan Perry	20	20	–

Van Beveren claims Hail Baja opener victory

Monster Energy Yamaha Rally Official Team’s Adrien Van Beveren has won the opening Hail Baja – the first of two bajas to be held as part of the Hail Rally – following victory on both stages of the two-day event. Using the race as preparation for the upcoming Dakar Rally, the Frenchman enjoyed a trouble-free run through the competition, enjoying the tricky navigation found throughout both stages.

Comprising a short, two-day schedule and covering a total distance of 692 km, the first Hail Baja provided plenty of positive training for Adrien. Welcoming the challenge that lay ahead, and very much using the event to further familiarise himself with true desert terrain, he was the first rider to set off into the sand dunes surrounding Radifah on the opening stage.

Relying solely on his roadbook skills, Adrien confidently tackled the tricky navigation and with his pre-race training clearly paying dividends, the Frenchman delivered a mistake-free ride to claim the stage win.

Heading into the desert surrounding the city of Jubbah for day two, the 29-year-old initially navigated his way through a number of rocky sections before safely reaching the day’s sand dunes that formed a large part of the 347km stage. Going on to cross the finish line with a comfortable advantage, he secured the event’s overall victory and rounded out two days of enjoyable and constructive racing in style.

Confident with both his riding and the set-up of his Yamaha WR450F Rally, Van Beveren is now looking ahead to December 15 and the second leg of the Hail Rally. With a similar race format on offer, it will be his final competitive outing in desert conditions ahead of the Dakar Rally in January.

Adrien Van Beveren – Monster Energy Yamaha Rally Official Team

“This race was such great training for the Dakar Rally. Despite being called a Baja, this was just the name for the event and it was a true rally, with tricky navigation. I’m really pleased with my decision to race as the terrain and navigation was just like what is expected at the Dakar. It was cold starting early in the mornings, close to zero, but I really enjoyed both stages once I got into them. I’m here for training and I felt great on my bike, so I’m really happy. I’m now looking forwards to Tuesday for the second rally here and to continue with my preparation ahead of Dakar.”

Hail Baja Overall Provisional Classification

Adrien Van Beveren (Yamaha) 5:38:22
Konrad Dabrowski (KTM) 6:26:47 + 0:48:25
Mishal Alghuneim (KTM) 6:57:33 + 1:19:11
Riyadh Saud Alshammari (Yamaha) 6:59:14 + 1:20:52
Abdulmajeed Abdulaziz Aakhulaifi (Yamaha) 7:12:06 + 1:33:44
Anas Al Ruhayany (KTM) 7:22:16 + 1:43:54

Australian Off-Road Championship confirm 2021 classes

The Yamaha Australian Off-Road Australian Championship, presented by MXStore, will see the return of 14 classes of competition for 2021. 2020 saw a record number of riders enter with expanded classes and in 2021 the highly competitive classes return with something for all types of riders, from Juniors to the world’s best off-road riders.

Returning for 2021 will be the Junior Girls 85cc to 200cc 2-stroke and 150cc to 250cc 4-stroke bikes for those aged 12 to under 16-years-old at all rounds. Plus the National Cup Classes – the 85cc 2-stroke and 150cc 4-stroke (SW) and Junior 65cc Cup – for those aged 9 to under 12-years-old.

Also returning in 2021 is the successful and competitive 2 Stroke Cup, while the EJ development class continues 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.

Motorcycling Australia Off-Road Events Manager, Matthew Falvo, said the 2021 Australian Off-Road Championship was shaping up to be the best yet.

Matthew Falvo – Motorcycling Australia Off-Road Events Manager

“We are very excited for the 2021 season with 14 classes of competition returning, significant rider interest, and new venues for the Championship, we can’t wait to get the season under way. We saw last year the fantastic competition in our junior classes and we hope to continue to help them develop in 2021 and hopefully like our AORC and World Champion Daniel Sanders, they too can become future AORC and World ISDE Champions. Again, we will have significant support from key industry sponsors for the 2021 season to make our Championship even better. With new venues in 2021 as well as returning some old stomping grounds which are rider favourites, we believe next year will be even bigger and better.”

2021 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 2021)
- Veterans: All Powers (Rider must be 35+ years of age before 1 January 2021)
- Masters: All Powers (Rider must be 45+ years of age before 1 January 2021)
- Women: All Powers
Junior Championship Classes
- J2 12 to under 15 years: 85cc 2-stroke & Up to 150cc 4-stroke
- J3 13 to under 15 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 to under 16 years: 85cc to 200cc 2-stroke and 150cc to 250cc 4-stroke
National Championship Classes
- 2T – 2 Stroke Cup – 125cc up to 250cc 2-Stroke (Feature at all rounds)
- J1 9 to under 12 years: 85cc 2-stroke and 150cc 4-stroke (SW) (Feature at all rounds)
- JJ 9 to under 12 years: 65cc (Feature at rounds 1, 2, 5 ,6, 7, 8, 9 & 10) (11& 12 TBC)

In the coming week the AORC has promised the announcement of a number of exciting developments for its classes in 2021.

2021 ProMX rider number applications open

The 2021 ProMX rider number applications have now opened and can be accessed here or from the team app in documents. The 2021 Rider Number List can be accessed here or can be downloaded from team app in documents. Riders need to read through these documents to reserve their race numbers and take the first step to be ready for the first gate drop.

In 2021 the main mode of communications to the riders and teams will be through the use the ProMX Team App. It’s as easy as downloading Team App and search ‘ProMX’!

Riders have been encouraged to pass on this information to any riders whom it may be relevant. Round 1 of the 201 ProMX championship will kick off in Wonthaggi, Victoria on April 11, 2021. You can find the full ProMX calendar below.

Jay Wilson & Levi Rogers remain with Yamalube Yamaha for 2021

Jay Wilson and Levi Rogers will again fly the flag for the Yamalube Yamaha Racing Team for the 2021 motocross and supercross season. The team runs all the inhouse Yamaha brands of Yamalube, GYTR, Yamaha Motor Insurance, Yamaha Motor Finance and bLU cRU at the forefront, combined with the use of brands like SCOTT, Just 1, Dunlop, DID, NGK and JT Sprockets from Yamaha Australia’s sister company, Ficeda Accessories, making it a true manufacturer based team.

The duo of Wilson and Rogers make a great contrast of youth and experience and with both riders contesting the MX2 and SX2 championships on the potent YZ250F, where they will be able to learn and bounce off each other in a positive fashion.

For Wilson, he will spearhead the team and continue the successful relationship that has seen him win several championships with Yamalube Yamaha Racing over the years. While he did consider a move to the 450cc class, Wilson is happy to remain on the YZ250F and with a majorly updated machine, he is excited to get stuck into pre-season testing and development.

Jay Wilson

“My goals heading into 2020 were to have a dominant year on the 250 and move to the 450 class for 2021 but with the year the racing world has had, I have just pushed everything back a season. My motivation is as strong as it’s ever been and I think I have yet to hit my peak as a rider in terms of both speed and fitness. I have found a real interest in off bike training which I didn’t always have and with Levi and Kota around last year, they were a good motivational tool for me as both of them are so enthusiastic about riding and racing, that it naturally rubs of on me. I feel fresh and ready to go and as always we have a great team that’s willing to do what it takes to get success. The goal is to win, and that’s what we are out to do.”

Alongside him will be 17 year old, rising talent, Levi Rogers. Rogers has come through Yamaha’s Junior Racing program and then moved to the team in 2020 to contest the MXD class. But with the MXD class altered for 2021, Rogers has made the leap into the deep MX2 field for the new season, but the extra competition holds no fears for him.

Levi Rogers

“Although we didn’t do any national racing in 2020, I was able to get some state based racing in where I was able to line up against a lot of the national MX2 riders at several events and experience how things roll. I battled with them at a few of the tracks that were on the national calendar over the last few years so it was a confidence boost that I wasn’t too far from them and I could learn from first hand racing experience. I took on what I needed to improve on, found areas that I was strong in and think that experience has assisted my in preparation for 2021. I’m willing to do the work and looking forward to taking as many things in from Jay and establishing myself as a solid MX2 competitor.”

The Queensland based team will start out the year contesting a couple of regional events as a tune-in for the commencement of the Pro MX.

Toni Bou & Takahisa Fujinami return for 15th season with Repsol Honda Team

Honda’s 2021 Repsol Honda Trial Team has now been revealed and will be represented by the returning duo of Toni Bou and Takahisa Fujinami, tackling a fifteenth season in top fight competition.

The two trial aces will once again defend Repsol Honda Team colours for a 15th consecutive year, during which time they have accrued over 200 podium finishes in the Trial World Championship and more than 120 victories. Of these, Toni Bou has an outdoor victory tally of 116, with 158 podiums and 14 outdoor titles. His total in the indoor discipline reads 66 trial victories and another 14 world titles.

The new season will also mark Takahisa Fujinami’s 26th season in elite competition. Since his world championship debut back in 1996, Fujigas has spent no less than 22 seasons in the top five, claiming the world championship title in 2004, as well as amounting 33 victories and 167 podium finishes.

Toni Bou

“Time flies very quickly. It’s the fifteenth season with the team and… it’s amazing! We have enjoyed 14 consecutive years with double titles and there’s really nothing else to say. We are living a dream and we must try to continue along this track even through these difficult times. Let’s hope that 2021 is characterized as a more normal year and that the COVID-19 vaccine will get rid of the problems. We’re just hoping to have a normal season.”

Takahisa Fujinami

“I am very happy to have been competing with Honda for 26 years and to continue one more season in the greatest team in the world. It couldn’t be any better for me. And alongside Toni Bou too! Over all these years we have worked on the bike to make the best motorcycle in the world and I can only add that he is the best team-mate I’ve ever had. It will be a new challenge in 2021, after a very strange year in 2020, which left a bitter taste in my mouth. I think that in a normal season I will be able to finish the year in a much better position.”

Ben Watson talks stepping up to MXGP for 2021

Ben Watson will enter the premier class with positive momentum after drawing the curtains on his MX2 career with two impressive Grand Prix wins in the Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MX2 team in 2020,

Ben Watson

“My first year in the 450cc class could bring some huge surprises so I don’t want to make a real solid strategy as I could easily be led down the wrong path. I want to go into the new season with an open mind and take every opportunity during the winter to be better. My last season in MX2 couldn’t have been weirder. The Coronavirus pandemic struck after just two rounds, which meant I had to head home with no bike for over two months. It gave me a lot of time to recap and realise how much I wanted to be better. When the restart happened in Latvia, I was immediately better and then it just clicked in Lommel. I was able to ride exactly how I knew I could ride. I managed to finish the final six rounds with five podiums and two GP wins.”

Watson was one of only five MX2 Grand Prix winners in 2020, and as a result of his evident speed, skill and determination, the Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MX2 star who has reached the 23-year age limit in MX2, was rewarded with a place on the Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP team for 2021.

Ben Watson

“When I crossed the line to take my first ever Grand Prix victory there were too many things going through my head actually to take in during that moment. It was quite a long time after the day had ended when it really settled in that I had won a GP and that dream of standing on the top step as a kid had become a reality.”

The MXGP class is the fastest and most competitive class in motocross. It will demand a different approach and another level of experience and skill. Towering at 183cm tall and weighing in at 78 kilograms, it is predicted that Watson will be better suited to the YZ450FM as opposed to the YZ250FM that he has raced for the past three seasons.

Ben Watson

“I do believe the YZ450FM will suit me and my style a lot more. Not many people have seen me ride the big bike, but a lot do say they think it will be better for me. I am heavy and tall for a 250, but I would say it is more about the way I ride a bike. I don’t like to be aggressive and sometimes on a 250 I do miss that aggression. I believe I will be able to make the 450 more suited to my riding style whereas with a 250 I just wanted as much power as they could give me.”

Watson can already see the advantage of having well-established MXGP riders Jeremy Seewer and Glenn Coldenhoff as Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP teammates in 2021.

Ben Watson

“Jeremy and Glenn are two of the best teammates I could ask for. I am looking forward to getting started with both the guys as they seem to be open to riding and training together and just generally helping each other improve. They were both successful in MX2 and have continued that success into MXGP, so I think they can help me with the transition to the 450 and give their opinions on what they think I should or shouldn’t do entering this new challenge. I know I will enter the new season blind having never raced most of the MXGP riders before, but that is what makes this new chapter so exciting. I am going to gain so much experience and I look forward to developing in a lot of different ways.”

Jo Shimoda joins 2021 Monster Energy Kawasaki Race Team

The decorated Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki team adds depth to an already stacked roster with the addition of the 2020 Monster Energy Supercross ‘Rookie of the Year’ Jo Shimoda for the 2021 racing season. Shimoda joins long-time Team Green racer Austin Forkner along with Jordon Smith, Cameron McAdoo, and the most recent Monster Energy Kawasaki Team Green amateur motocross graduate Seth Hammaker aboard their all-new 2021 KX250 motorcycles.

Jo Shimoda

“Honestly, I wasn’t too sure what next year would look like for me, but thanks to the Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki team and Mitch Payton, I couldn’t be more excited for next year,” said Shimoda. “It feels really good to be with such an iconic team like the Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki race team and to know that they believe in my ability enough to give me a chance this year. I was able to test the all-new KX250 a couple of times and on my first day, I was over jumping everything because of how fast it was! I am just really thankful and excited for this opportunity and I plan to make the most of it.”

Shimoda and the 2021 Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki racing team are positioned for another championship campaign and have begun preparations for the 2021 Monster Energy AMA Supercross, an FIM World Championship, and AMA Pro Motocross Championship.

Hero MotoSports Team Rally announce 2021 Dakar line-up

Close on the heels of an exciting win at the BAJA Portalegre, Hero MotoSports Team Rally, the motorsport team of the world’s largest two-wheeler manufacturer Hero MotoCorp, unveiled its plans for the Dakar Rally 2021.

Participating with a full strength three rider team, Hero MotoSports will take on the Dakar 2021 with the 2020 FIM Cross-Country BAJAs World Cup winner – Sebastian Buhler, 2019 Pan Africa Rally winner – Joaquim Rodrigues and ace Indian rider – CS Santosh.

Sebastian Buhler

“My first year with Hero MotoSports has been an exciting one. Though there weren’t many opportunities to race in 2020, I am glad that we are entering the Dakar Rally after two impressive runs in the recent months. We utilized the time away from racing in training on the new bike and that kept our energies high. For me personally, entering the Rally straight after the Baja win will help to stay focused. All I can say is that I am thrilled to be a part of the Hero MotoSports family and looking forward to the Dakar 2021 Rally.”

This will be the second official appearance for Sebastian in Hero colors at the Dakar, while it will be the fifth appearance for both JRod and Santosh.

Joaquim Rodrigues

“Dakar Rally will not be the same for me after the tragic experience of January 2020. It ha.s been a tough year for me and my family. However, the experience has taught me a lot – how to stay undeterred and resilient in the worst of situations and the team has also supported me a lot to keep me motivated and engaged. While we didn’t have much time to prepare this year, our testing sessions on the new bike and the recent runs at BAJA Portalegre and Andalucia Rally 2020 helped me overcome my fears and find the momentum as I made the comeback. It’s going to be a tough emotional battle for me but I’m ready to face it and take on the Dakar for one more time.”

CS Santosh

“This has been an exceptional year with limited races and opportunities to train, yet we are satisfied with the preparations that we underwent ahead of Dakar Rally. I have tried to make the most of the situation and used this time to train hard and help the team in the development of our new bike. The new bike offers great performance and maneuverability so I am really excited to ride it at the Dakar. The Dakar Rally is coming back with a new set of rules and routes, so it is going to be an interesting one this year and I am looking forward to it.”

The riders will take on the Dakar challenge on a new Hero 450 Rally bike, which now features a new 450cc engine and evolved chassis. The engine, developed especially for rally sport, offers improved top speed and acceleration. With an optimum weight balance, better rider ergonomics, more voluminous fuel-tank, improved suspension and cooling system, the new bike is built for juggling the dual roles of covering long strides at a heightened pace.

The Team will also be seen in a new Livery, sporting a futuristic “Barcode” inspired design, to showcase the team’s technical edge. In view of the ongoing pandemic, it was a comparatively shorter #RoadToDakar for the Team in 2020. Yet, the Team made its presence felt with an impressive comeback in competitive racing with the BAJA Portalegre and the Andalucia Rally. Gaining valuable race-experience, all three riders of the Team utilized these races to acquire some saddle time and proficiency, ahead of the Dakar 2021.

Wolfgang Fischer – Hero MotoSports Team Rally Team Manager

“This is an emotional return for us at Dakar after the tragic event earlier this year. We are determined to put on a good show. While we were away from racing for quite some time due to the pandemic, we utilised the time to develop the new bike and conduct thorough testing sessions with our riders, thus, keeping the team engaged and motivated in the most challenging times. We are excited for the next few weeks as we aim to sustain our momentum and garner good results this year. The new bike is performing well and the Team looks stunning in the new Livery.”

Danny McCanney joins Sherco Factory Racing Team

Britain’s Danny McCanney is joining the Sherco Factory Racing Team to compete in the next EnduroGP season. The Isle of Man rider will line up on a 300 SE and make his return to racing in the E3 category riding a two-stroke.

Danny McCanney joins the Sherco Factory Racing Team

As an experienced rider, Danny will be the leader of a young and ambitious team, with Antoine Magain, Hamish Macdonald, Jack Edmondson and Enric Francisco joining him on the EnduroGP Team.

2021 Racing schedule

2021 AMA SX calendar

Date	Event	Venue	Location	E/W
Jan 16	Houston 1	NRG Stadium	Houston, TX	East
Jan 19	Houston 2	NRG Stadium	Houston, TX	East
Jan 23	Houston 3	NRG Stadium	Houston, TX	East
Jan 30	Indianapolis 1	Lucas Oil Stadium	Indianapolis, IN	East
Feb 2	Indianapolis 2	Lucas Oil Stadium	Indianapolis, IN	East
Feb 6	Indianapolis 3	Lucas Oil Stadium	Indianapolis, IN	East
Feb20	Glendale 1	State Farm Stadium	Glendale, AZ	West
Feb 23	Glendale 2	State Farm Stadium	Glendale, AZ	West
Feb 27	Glendale 3	State Farm Stadium	Glendale, AZ	West
Mar 6	Daytona*	Daytona Int. Speedway	Daytona Beach, FL	East
Mar 13	Arlington 1	AT&T Stadium	Arlington, TX	West
Mar 16	Arlington 2	AT&T Stadium	Arlington, TX	West
Mar 20	Arlington 3	AT&T Stadium	Arlington, TX	West
Round 14	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD
Round 15	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD
Round 16	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD
Round 17	Salt Lake City	Rice-Eccles Stadium	Salt Lake City, UT	TBD

2021 Provisional MXGP Calendar

Rnd	Grand Prix	Date
1	MXGP of Oman, Muscat	Fri 2 Apr – Sat 3 Apr
2	MXGP of Italy, TBA	Sat 24 Apr – Sun 25 Apr
3	MXGP of Portugal, Agueda	Sat 8 May – Sun 9 May
4	MXGP of The Netherlands, Oss	Sat 22 May – Sun 23 May
5	MXGP of Germany, Teutschenthal	Sat 29 May – Sun 30 May
6	MXGP of Russia, Orlyonok	Sat 12 Jun – Sun 13 Jun
7	MXGP of Latvia, Kegums	Sat 19 Jun – Sun 20 Jun
8	MXGP of Jakarta (INA), Jakarta	Sat 3 Jul – Sun 4 Jul
9	MXGP of Indonesia, Semarang	Sat 10 Jul – Sun 11 Jul
10	MXGP of Czech Replublic, Loket	Sat 24 Jul – Sun 25 Jul
11	MXGP of Belgium, Lommel	Sat 31 Jul – Sun 1 Aug
12	MXGP of Sweden, Uddevalla	Sat 7 Aug – Sun 8 Aug
13	MXGP of Finland, Iitti-KimiRing	Sat 21 Aug – Sun 22 Aug
14	MXGP of Igora Drive (RUS), Igora Drive	Sat 28 Aug – Sun 29 Aug
15	MXGP of Turkey, Afyonkarahisar	Sat 11 Sep – Sun 12 Sep
16	MXGP of China, TBA	Sat 18 Sep – Sun 19 Sep
17	MXGP of France, St Jean d’Angely	Sat 9 Oct – Sun 10 Oct
18	MXGP of Spain, intu Xanadu-Arroyomolinos	Sat 16 Oct – Sun 17 Oct
19	TBA	Sat 30 Oct – Sun 31 Oct
20	MXGP of Patagonia Argentina, Neuquen	Sat 13 Nov – Sun 14 Nov

2021 Yamaha AORC presented by MXStore calendar

Round	Location	Date
Rounds 1 & 2	Nowra, NSW	March 27-28
Rounds 3 & 4	TBA, VIC	April 17-18
Rounds 5 & 6	Kyogle, NSW	July 17-18
Rounds 7 & 8	TBA, QLD	August 6-7
Rounds 9 & 10	Kingston SE, SA	September 18-19
Rounds 11 & 12	Omeo, VIC	October 16-17

2021 Australian Pro MX calendar

Rnd	Date	Location
1	Apr-11	Wonthaggi, Victoria
2	May-02	Canberra, ACT
3	May-30	Gilman, South Australia
4	Jun-27	Maitland, NSW
5	Jul-25	Wodonga, Victoria
6	Aug-08	TBC, Queensland
7/8	August 14-15	Coolum, Queensland

2021 Speedway GP Calendar

Date	Round	Location
Apr-24	2021 FIM Speedway Grand Prix	TBC
May-15	2021 PZM Warsaw FIM Speedway Grand Prix of Poland	PGE Narodowy
May-22	2021 German FIM Speedway Grand Prix	Bergring Arena
Jun-05	2021 Czech Republic FIM Speedway Grand Prix	Marketa Stadium
Jun-19	2021 FIM Speedway Grand Prix	TBC
Jul-17	2021 Adrian Flux British FIM Speedway Grand Prix	Principality Stadium
Jul-31	2021 Betard Wroclaw FIM Speedway Grand Prix OF POLAND	Olympic Stadium
Aug-14	2021 Swedish FIM Speedway Grand Prix	G&B Arena
Aug-28	2021 Russian FIM Speedway Grand Prix	Anatoly Stepanov Stadium
Sep-11	2021 Danish FIM Speedway Grand Prix Sponsored by ECCO	Vojens Speedway Center
Oct-02	2021 Torun FIM Speedway Grand Prix of Poland	Marian Rose MotoArena

2021 Australian Senior Speedway Solo calendar

Round	Location	Date
Round 1	Gillman Speedway, SA	3 January, 2021
Round 2	Olympic Park, VIC	5 January, 2021
Round 3	Diamond Park, Albury Wodonga, VIC	7 January, 2021
Round 4	Loxford Park, NSW	9 January, 2021
Round 5	Mick Doohan Raceway, QLD	13 January, 2021

2021 Australian Speedway events

Championship	Location	Date
2021 Australian Under 21’s Speedway Championship	Gillman Speedway, SA	16 January, 2021
2021 Australian Junior Speedway Sidecar Championship	Pinjar Park, WA	3-4 April, 2021
2021 Australian Senior Speedway Sidecar Championship	Pinjar Park, WA	3-4 April, 2021
2021 Speedway FIM Oceania Speedway Championship	Gillman Speedway, SA	30 January, 2021
2021 Speedway FIM Oceania Speedway Sidecar Championship	Gillman Speedway, SA	17 April, 2021

2021 Provisional Australian Supercross dates

25 September – Further information TBA
9 October – Further information TBA
16 October – Further information TBA
23 October – Further information TBA
30 October – Further information TBA
6 November – Further information TBA
20 November – Further information TBA
27 November – Further information TBA

2021 Australian Four Day Enduro (A4DE)
May 19-22 – Harvey, WA

2021 Enduro Australian Three Day Vintage Enduro (A3VE)
7-9 May – Blackwood, VIC

2021 Finke Desert Race
11-14 June – Northern Territory

2021 Hattah Desert Race
3-4 July – Hattah, Victoria

2021 Motocross Australian Classic Motocross Championship
9-11 July – Nowra, NSW

2021 Motocross Australian Post Classic Motocross
16-18 July – Nowra, NSW

2021 International Six Day Enduro (ISDE)
30 August – 4 September – Italy

Source: MCNews.com.au

Motorcycle Racing, News

Dakar Honda porn | Ricky Brabec’s CRF450 Rally

December 11, 2020 mcnews Leave a comment

A very sexy 450 Honda

The Monster Energy Honda Team is hoping to retain the title claimed by American Ricky Brabec last year, with Brabec, José Ignacio Cornejo, Kevin Benavides and Joan Barreda the four official Monster Energy Honda Team riders to take part in 2021.

Now Team HRC returns to the Dakar Rally with the latest version of the stage-winning Rally bike. In 2013, the participation of Team HRC with the prototype based on commercial competition enduro model, generated valuable information on key areas such as engine power, aerodynamic performance, durability and maintenance requirements, which was used as a basis for the design of new CRF450 Rally.

For 2015, the Rally bike was updated with some new technologic additions, maintaining the fuel injection system PGM-FI which has proven effective even under severe environmental conditions and highly variable as exist in Dakar. 2018 saw the bike further updated and proudly wearing the Monster claw and in 2020 the bike won Dakar.

Here’s a look at Ricky Brabec’s 2021 Dakar Monster Energy Honda CRF450 Rally machine:

2021 Monster Energy Honda CRF450 Rally

SPECIFICATIONS
BIKE	Honda
MODEL	CRF450 RALLY
ENGINE
Type	Liquid cooled single cylinder DOHC
Capacity	449.4 cc
Bore x stroke	97.0 x 60.8 mm
Starter	Electric starter
Carburation	Fuel Injection
Lubricant	Motul 300V
Transmission	6 speed
Output	Over 45 kW
FRAME
Type	Aluminium twin tube
Sub-frame	Carbon fibre
Fuel tank	Front + rear (plastic)
Total fuel capacity	34,7 litres
Front fork	Showa. Type invert, travel 310 mm
Rear suspension	Showa. Single tube, travel 305 mm
BRAKES
Front	ø300 two-piston
Rear	ø240 single-piston

Source: MCNews.com.au

Motorcycle Racing, News

Moto News Weekly | Wildwood 2020 | Dakar prep’ | Signings

December 7, 2020 mcnews Leave a comment

Moto News Weekly Wrap
December 8, 2020

Wildwood Rock Extreme 2020

Tim Coleman has conquered the 11th running of the Wildwood Rock Extreme Enduro in a new knockout format, specifically designed to meet Covid19 rules and restrictions.

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The 2020 format was a new creation and riders had to work hard with a ruthless sprint format this year. With no rest between objects, arm pump was the main factor for rider error, particularly after a tough year with the lack of opportunity for many to train. The event was almost called off, however the limited number of allowed riders was very close to full, with racers keen to get back out there.

Each class had two heats on a longer course (1.5km) involving the well known prologue area and an added natural terrain section that provided further challenges. Riders could not afford to drop any time in either heats with times being combined and the fastest four moving into the final.

Tim Coleman – 2020 Wildwood Rock Extreme winner – Image by Russel Colvin

The final format was the man-made area or prologue course as it’s known bye many, with two laps providing some great chopping and changing in all classes to decide outright winners in each class.

Riding for the Motul Pirelli Sherco Off-Road Team Tim Coleman was here to impress, taking out the Gold Class win with a total time of 5m44s with clean wins in both heats leading up to the final. Callum Ceglinski put in a solid second, with the desert king Ben Grabham in third, making it a Sherco 1-2-3 finish.

Tim Coleman

“Wildwood was my first Hard Enduro and I’d never taken home the win, so it’s something I’ve really wanted to tick off my racing bucket-list. The field may have been slightly depleted, but there was still great competition there and I had to really have a crack to bring home the win. The new 2021 Sherco 300 SE Factory feels great honestly. It’s just so good for this type of racing, and having the full support of the Sherco Factory Team made a big difference on the day. I’m already excited for next year’s event.”

Silver class was won by Billy McCulloch (7m14s), ahead of Ian Derwent and Max Koczak. Bronze class was won by Ash Green, (10m02s), ahead of Michael Chapman and Nathan Xerri.

Being the first post-COVID Extreme Enduro to be held in Australia was a tough challenge and was only approved with easing of the rules one week before the event, as motorcycle riding was not deemed as a professional sport prior.

2020 Wildwood Rock Extreme – Tim Coleman

Under the changed guidelines Wildwood could operate with a total of 500 people in groups of 50, but keeping to the Covid19 Event checklist it was decided to not host any spectators for the event and instead live stream the event to the people at home.

Wildwood would normally operate over three hours with each rider doing a individual timed section of the course. In the 2020 edition it was a total different feel with riders parked apart and grouped in 20s to not over crowd the course with people. With further changes seen, each rider was able to bring one support person on the day to help them if needed. Temperature checks done on every person attending the event added yet another new twist to Wildwood.

Ben Grabham – 2020 Wildwood Rock Extreme – Image by Russel Colvin

With no injuries to any riders and most bikes going home with few battle scares the event was seen as a great success from all angles, particularly considering it was so close to being called off, after changing the date to the 29th of November.

The 2021 event date has been set for November 7, 2020, as part of the National Grassroots Hard Enduro Championship. Click the result images below for zoomed in view.

2020 Wildwood Rock Extreme Gold Class Results

2020 Wildwood Rock Extreme Silver Class Results

2020 Wildwood Rock Extreme Bronze Class Results

Price & Sanders ramp up Dakar prep

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Toby Price, Matthias Walkner and Sam Sunderland are beginning the final stages of their pre-Dakar Rally testing, as they ramp up preparations ahead of the iconic event’s start on January 2. Joined by KTM Factory Racing’s Daniel Sanders, who enters the upcoming Dakar as part of KTM’s junior rally program, the four KTM 450 Rally mounted riders are hard at work in Dubai as they count down the days to the gruelling 12-stage race.

With the 2021 Dakar Rally now just one month away, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing have their sights firmly set on battling for the number one position at the world’s toughest cross-country rally. In what has been a hugely disrupted year, which saw the team make only one competitive outing following the 2020 Dakar, Toby Price, Matthias Walkner and Sam Sunderland are all fully fit and keen to get racing at the 43rd edition of the event.

Looking for his third Dakar title, Toby Price will go into the race armed with the experience gained from the 2020 event and aiming to secure another strong result. Like all riders this year, Toby was forced to spend more time off the bike than he would have liked. However, after travelling to Europe towards the end of the summer, the Australian has committed to an intense schedule of training and preparation on the run up to Dakar and will remain in the Middle East testing on his KTM 450 Rally, in preparation for the challenge awaiting him.

Toby Price

“Obviously, it’s been a really tough year for everyone. With all the restrictions, we’ve not been able to race like we normally would. We’ve only managed to fit in one rally since the Dakar in January, which was great, but I think everyone is looking forward to getting back to some serious racing now. For me, I pretty much had to leave home for the last three months and won’t be heading back to Australia until after Dakar. My base is now in Dubai and I’ll spend Christmas there on the run up to the event. It’s great that we can get out into the dunes for testing but it’s still a big sacrifice to make, missing out on the regular family time over the holidays. For the last couple of months, the team have been testing hard, things have been going well and there’s certainly nothing better to build your fitness than time on the bike. We’ve been able to try out a lot of new things and I’m really happy with how the bike feels. At the end of the day, I know the KTM 450 RALLY is going to get me to the finish, the rest is up to me!”

2018 Dakar winner Matthias Walkner prides himself on his navigational skills and with the 2021 event promising a more technically demanding route, this should fall into the Austrian’s favor. Happy with recent improvements made to his KTM 450 Rally, Matthias feels he is on form both physically and mentally and is looking forward to another solid race in the desert.

Also back at full fitness, Sam Sunderland is known for his speed in the dunes and with the 2021 Dakar Rally expected to contain more deep sand than seen in this year’s event, Sam is confident of making the most of his skills.

Facing his first ever Dakar, KTM Factory Racing’s Daniel Sanders comes into the demanding race with only one cross-country rally under his belt. Joining the team in September, Sanders has endured an intense period of testing and training to get him up to speed with the skills required for success in the sport. Racing the Andalucia Rally just weeks after throwing his leg over a KTM 450 Rally for the first time, the 26-year-old put in an excellent performance including a win on the final stage. The Dakar is far more demanding however, but the young Australian racer knows the magnitude of the challenge ahead.

Daniel Sanders

“The year has been a crazy one for me for more reasons than one. When I got the call to come ride for the team it was really cool. I flew over to Europe with Toby and I think I’ve spent about five months here testing and learning the skills needed for rally racing. We raced the Andalucia Rally back in October, which was a real eye opener, but other than a couple of mistakes, I was really pleased with my pace and my navigation. Winning the final stage was great but I’m realistic about the Dakar – I know it’s another level completely. Testing has been going really well – every day I spend on the bike I feel more comfortable. I couldn’t wish for better people around me either, all three of the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing guys have won a Dakar – Toby has won two – and Jordi (Viladoms) has been amazing getting me up to speed in such a short amount of time. I know I have a lot to learn, but that will come with racing a few more events. Right now, I’m fully focused on the big one in January.”

2021 Dakar Schedule

Stage	Date	Start > Finish	Total	Special
P	Saturday, January 2, 2021	Jeddah > Jeddah	11 km	11 km
1	Sunday, January 3, 2021	Jeddah > Bisha	622 km	277 km
2	Monday, January 4, 2021	Bisha > Wadi Al Dawasir	685 km	457 km
3	Tuesday, January 5, 2021	Wadi Al Dawasir > Wadi Al Dawasir	630 km	403 km
4	Wednesday, January 6, 2021	Wadi Al Dawasir > Riyadh	813 km	337 km
5	Thursday, January 7, 2021	Riyadh > Buraydah	625 km	419 km
6	Friday, January 8, 2021	Buraydah > Ha’il	655 km	485 km
Rest	Saturday, January 9, 2021	Ha’il (Rest Day)	–	–
7	Sunday, January 10, 2021	Ha’il > Sakaka	737 km	471 km
8	Monday, January 11, 2021	Sakaka > Neom	709 km	375 km
9	Tuesday, January 12, 2021	Neom > Neom	579 km	465 km
10	Wednesday, January 13, 2021	Neom > Al-Ula	583 km	342 km
11	Thursday, January 14, 2021	Al-Ula > Yanbu	557 km	511 km
12	Friday, January 15, 2021	Yanbu > Jeddah	452 km	225 km

Nathan Crawford returns to Australia to Serco Yamaha for 2021

After a season in Europe racing MXGP, Nathan Crawford has returned to Australia and will take up a seat on the Serco Yamaha team for the 2021 season.
The 23 year-old, Brisbane resident, is back on Australian soil and already back in the saddle of a Yamaha YZ250F as his preparations begin for the 2021 Australian motocross and supercross championships.

He has returned after a 12 month stint in Europe where he had to grow up fast in his year contesting the MX2 (250cc) championship. Ultimately, injury and a desire to come home were the reasons for his return to Australia but he is still grateful for the international experience and racing at the highest levels.

Nathan Crawford

“Racing the world championships for a manufacturer supported team has always been a dream of mine and I’m glad I got to experience racing the best riders in the world firsthand. It was an amazing experience, and despite COVID, a year I will never forget. Travelling from country to country and racing on tracks that I had only ever seen on video or YouTube was awesome and I’m so glad I got to do it. I would love to have stayed longer, but a few things didn’t work out and I began looking at my options racing back here in Australia. Joining back up with the Serco Yamaha team is cool as we have a good working relationship from my time there in 2018 and 2019. The same mechanics are still there and not a lot has changed so it was nice to walk back into familiar surroundings and feel welcomed. It was much the same way stepping back onto the YZ250F. The bike feels so good and as a production bike, it is the best in the class. It’s great to be back. I feel motivated and determined to get my career back on track and I have unfinished business in the MX2 class, so I’m really looking forward to getting things started in 2021.”

The second rider on the Serco Yamaha Team will be announced in the coming days. Racing for the newly restructured ProMX championship gets under way on April 11 and will run eight rounds to a double header conclusion at Coolum in August. The Australian Supercross Championship is pencilled in to start in September with five rounds to make up the series.

Purvis & Larwood return with WBR Bulk Nutrients Yamaha for 2021

Two rising stars of ANZAC motocross racing, Maximus Purvis and Alex Larwood will return to the WBR Bulk Nutrients Yamaha Team for 2021, but with a slight twist. Both will make their debut in new classes for ’21 with Purvis making the leap to the MX1 (450cc) class while Larwood will step into the MX2 (250cc) class.

Purvis, the current New Zealand MX2 champ, is keen to return to Australia for the new season and 2021 marks his third year with the WBR Yamaha team. During the break in racing this year, Purvis was able spend time on the Yamaha YZ450F back in his NZ base and found the bike exactly to his liking.

When the discussion of 2021 came up, Max expressed a wish to race the YZ450F and the WBR Yamaha team were able to make that happen and support him in the same manner as previous years.

Maximus Purvis

“2021 needs to be a huge year for me and one that establishes me in Australian motocross. The move to the 450 class is one that excites me as I have been riding one in New Zealand for the last eight months and I feel really comfortable on the bike and suits the way I ride. I love the horsepower it generates and think that I’m now at the right size and age to step up and make a go of it. Being back with WBR Yamaha is also great. We have a great working relationship that has grown over the past few years and they are a good group of guys to go racing with. The dealership is also close to where I base myself while in Australia, so they are always available if I need anything. My first goal is to defend my New Zealand MX2 championship with JCR Yamaha and then head over to Australia in March to get set up and ready for the Pro MX championship starting in April.”

Continuing into his second year with WBR Yamaha, South Australia’s 17-year old-Alex Larwood will move into the MX2 class and is set to rattle the cages of the big names in the class. Larwood was slated to race the MXD (under 19) division in 2020 but with the cancellation of racing and also a change to the class structure in 2021, he will make the transition into the MX2 class.

Reports early in the 2020 season had Larwood down as superfast, but a broken leg halted that progress. He is now healed up and returning to full training in preparation for the new year and will no doubt be a force to be reckoned with when national racing gets under way in April.

Alex Larwood

“It’s great to be back with WBR Yamaha again and racing the MX2 class on the YZ250F. I had put in a lot of work at the start of 2020 and was feeling great on the bike but my leg injury kept me sidelined for a while and that has only made the motivation stronger. I’m looking forward to racing the MX2 class and going against the best guys in Australia. It will be a big step but I have been training with a lot of riders already in that class and feel comfortable riding with them. The leg is nearly 100% and I have a full program ready to go in the off season to ensure I hit round one in great shape. I can’t wait to get started.”

WBR Yamaha is a motorcycle dealer in the Victorian border town of Echuca. Ran by the Whitten family, the racing arm of the business has become a great promotional tool for WBR Yamaha and one that owner, Travis Whitten, is passionate about.

Travis Whitten

“Our whole family is into racing and as the business has grown, so has both our and Yamaha’s investment in racing with us. In 2021, we will be fielding two riders in the major classes and I’m confident in both the talent and determination of Maximus and Alex to succeed. The knowledge that we learn from racing can be feed directly back to our customers and we can provide them with real world information that can make the most of their purchase. 2021 is a step-up up for our race team and one that we are looking forward to and the season can’t get here soon enough so we can be back at the track and doing what we love with two riders determined to achieve their goals.”

MJC Yamaha Official EMX125 announce 2021 line-up

Yamaha Motor Europe and the MJC Yamaha Official EMX125 team have announced a three-rider line-up for the 2021 EMX125 Championship. The team has retained Dutch talent Ivano Van Erp and welcomed two new riders, Latvian Karlis Reisulis and Italian Ferruccio Zanchi.

As the 2017 Junior Motocross 65cc World Champion, Van Erp is already a recognised name in European motocross. The 15-year-old Dutchman joined the MJC Yamaha Official EMX125 team in 2020 and completed a positive first term inside the EMX125 class aboard a GYTR kitted YZ125 with three top-10 race finishes during the latter stages of the championship.

Reisulis made his EMX125 debut in 2020 at round five of the nine-round series, in Mantova, Italy. The 15-year-old finished seventh in both races for seventh overall and quickly established himself as one of the best performing rookies. Having scored a total of four top-10 race finishes during the five rounds he attended this year, Reisulis has proven he has potential for the future.

Completing the 2021 line-up, Zanchi will become Yamaha’s youngest Official motocross rider as he makes the step up from the 85cc class to the 125cc category. The 14-year-old will join van Erp and Reisulis on the EMX125 Championship gate, where all three riders will race GYTR kitted YZ125s throughout the 2021 season.

Loic Le Foll – MJC Yamaha Official EMX125 Team Owner

“I am very happy to announce our team for 2021. We have already spent a year with Ivano, and he is an exciting rider for the future. This year was a learning year. He showed good speed at the end of the year, which is positive as he looks to move up the standings next year. As for our two new kids, I am very happy to recruit Karlis and Feruccio because they had already caught our eye last year at the Junior Motocross World Championship in Arco Di Trento, inside the 85cc class. These boys are very young, very talented and very hardworking. 2021 will be the first year on a 125cc for Ferruccio and the second season on a 125cc for Karlis, who will aim for a big result. We are going to organize a lot of training sessions together because I am sure our three riders will upgrade each other.”

Thorsten Lentink – Yamaha Motor Europe MX Racing Coordinator

“At Yamaha Motor Europe, our aim for the 2021 season is to strengthen the MJC Yamaha Official EMX125 team, and the presence of the GYTR kitted YZ125 inside the EMX125 Championship. The EMX125 class makes up the bottom step of the Yamaha Racing pyramid alongside the YZ bLU cRU FIM Europe Cup and is one of the first steps to becoming a full-time professional racer. I am confident that we can make some good progress inside the series with our 2021 MJC Yamaha Official EMX125 rider selection. It is exciting to keep Ivano van Erp for another year. This year he entered the EMX125 championship as a rookie and has already shown some positive progress. Karlis Reisulis rode a few EMX125 races this year and had great speed for a rider that was new to the class. He immediately felt confident after his test on the Yamaha YZ125, and we think that both Ivano and Karlis will be upfront fighting for good championship points in 2021. As for Ferruccio, he is only 14 years old and has been on our radar since the 2019 Junior Motocross World Championship. At such a young age, he will have the time to adapt to the YZ125. Consistency will be his main priority in 2021.”

Brad Freeman renews with Beta until 2023

Beta has announced the renewal of rider Brad Freeman, who will continue his collaboration with the Beta Factory Team for three further years, until 2023.

The English champion owns a long series of consecutive successes in recent years, including five titles in the Enduro GP world championship, where he has shown great consistency of results, always competing for the title.

Brad and the Beta Factory Team will represent the colors of the Italian manufacturer on his Beta 300 RR 2T Factory in the Enduro GP World Championship, E3 category, where he defends the 2020 world title, as well as in the Italian Enduro Championship.

2021 Honda UK ‘Crendon Fastrack’ motocross team announced

Honda UK have announced they are back in British Motocross Championship action with a brand new title sponsor and will be known as Crendon Fastrack Honda. The squad, backed by one of the UK’s leading Timber Engineering companies Crendon, will be formed of British champion Tommy Searle and Jake Nicholls returning in the MX1 class, with Jay Hague joining the team for an MX2 championship assault. The team will contest the UK’s two highest-level series, the British championship and MX Nationals.

2021 Crendon Fastrack Honda motocross team – Tommy Searle, Jake Nicholls and Jay Hague

Derbyshire-based Searle stays with the squad for a second year, following his successful 2020 season when he won the only professional championship to run in the UK, the MX Nationals. For Nicholls, who narrowly missed clinching the British title by a handful of points in 2018 after an injury, it will be his fourth year with the squad. This time both men will be armed with the all-new 2021 Honda CRF450R and are two of the most experienced riders in the class.

Former British youth champion Hague, who lives in Durham, heads up the MX2 category on the Honda CRF250R. The 22-year-old has tested the Crendon Fastrack Honda and says he’s excited to join the most respected and highest-profile team in the UK.

The Crendon Fastrack Honda squad is run by triple world 500 champion Dave Thorpe.

Dave Thorpe

“Our goal is to be the dominant team in British championship racing and we have everything in place to achieve that. After personally testing the brand new Honda CRF450R, I know we have the best machinery. And our team of mechanics and technical partners will ensure they are the ultimate bikes on the track. With Tommy Searle and Jake Nicholls, we have not only the fastest but also two of the most experienced and professional riders in the MX1 class. And with Jay Hague in the MX2 class, it’s a real opportunity for him to really shine. It’s great to have the full backing of Crendon. And of course we still have backing from many of our long-time partners who make it possible for the team to operate at such a high level. I’m certain the Crendon Fastrack Honda team will be the team to beat in the UK.”

Albert Cabestany join GasGas TrialGP Team as manager

Experienced former Spanish and indoor World Champion is switching from competition to team management to lead GasGas’ 2021 factory trial team. Stepping away from full-time competition, defending Trial-E World Champion will now take charge of our factory trial team and guide them through both the X-Trial and TrialGP World Championships.

A rider with more than 20 years of international trial experience, Cabestany is not only hugely capable on a bike, he’s also incredibly knowledgeable off one. A consistent challenger for world championship honors, with no fewer than 85 outdoor and 90 indoor podium results to his credit, including 27 victories, it’s fair to say he’s been there, done it, and got a whole bunch of t-shirts!

Turning a page in his highly-successful career, Albert, who started his professional career riding for GasGas before returning to win two Trial-E World Championship titles in 2019 and 2020, will now start an exciting new chapter, leading from the front as he manages the GasGas Factory Racing Trial Team.

Focused on developing the team’s testing, training and competition program, the Spaniard will provide invaluable knowledge, experience and guidance, ensuring the team is perfectly prepared to take on the 2021 FIM X-Trial and TrialGP series.

Albert Cabestany – GASGAS Factory Racing Trial Team Manager

“After so many years competing in trial, this is the perfect next step for me. To be the GASGAS Factory Racing Trial Team Manager is such a unique and exciting opportunity, I’m really looking forward to working with our riders and doing all I can to continue the team’s success. For sure I’m going to give it my all and enjoy the experience. It’s an important team within the trial paddock, with high expectations, so I’m really excited about the future.”

Robert Jonas – VP Motorsports Offroad

“Trial remains hugely important to GASGAS, both from a production bike point of view and also from a motorsport perspective. This is why we are pleased to have appointed Albert Cabestany as our new trial team manager. Albert is hugely experienced when it comes to all things trial, and while he is best known as a successful competitor, he also has considerable testing and development experience. We believe he will inject the right mix of energy and focus into the team and push it forward in 2021, allowing our riders to perform at their very best.”

2021 Racing schedule

2021 AMA SX calendar

Date	Event	Venue	Location	E/W
Jan 16	Houston 1	NRG Stadium	Houston, TX	East
Jan 19	Houston 2	NRG Stadium	Houston, TX	East
Jan 23	Houston 3	NRG Stadium	Houston, TX	East
Jan 30	Indianapolis 1	Lucas Oil Stadium	Indianapolis, IN	East
Feb 2	Indianapolis 2	Lucas Oil Stadium	Indianapolis, IN	East
Feb 6	Indianapolis 3	Lucas Oil Stadium	Indianapolis, IN	East
Feb20	Glendale 1	State Farm Stadium	Glendale, AZ	West
Feb 23	Glendale 2	State Farm Stadium	Glendale, AZ	West
Feb 27	Glendale 3	State Farm Stadium	Glendale, AZ	West
Mar 6	Daytona*	Daytona Int. Speedway	Daytona Beach, FL	East
Mar 13	Arlington 1	AT&T Stadium	Arlington, TX	West
Mar 16	Arlington 2	AT&T Stadium	Arlington, TX	West
Mar 20	Arlington 3	AT&T Stadium	Arlington, TX	West
Round 14	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD
Round 15	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD
Round 16	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD
Round 17	Salt Lake City	Rice-Eccles Stadium	Salt Lake City, UT	TBD

2021 Provisional MXGP Calendar

Rnd	Grand Prix	Date
1	MXGP of Oman, Muscat	Fri 2 Apr – Sat 3 Apr
2	MXGP of Italy, TBA	Sat 24 Apr – Sun 25 Apr
3	MXGP of Portugal, Agueda	Sat 8 May – Sun 9 May
4	MXGP of The Netherlands, Oss	Sat 22 May – Sun 23 May
5	MXGP of Germany, Teutschenthal	Sat 29 May – Sun 30 May
6	MXGP of Russia, Orlyonok	Sat 12 Jun – Sun 13 Jun
7	MXGP of Latvia, Kegums	Sat 19 Jun – Sun 20 Jun
8	MXGP of Jakarta (INA), Jakarta	Sat 3 Jul – Sun 4 Jul
9	MXGP of Indonesia, Semarang	Sat 10 Jul – Sun 11 Jul
10	MXGP of Czech Replublic, Loket	Sat 24 Jul – Sun 25 Jul
11	MXGP of Belgium, Lommel	Sat 31 Jul – Sun 1 Aug
12	MXGP of Sweden, Uddevalla	Sat 7 Aug – Sun 8 Aug
13	MXGP of Finland, Iitti-KimiRing	Sat 21 Aug – Sun 22 Aug
14	MXGP of Igora Drive (RUS), Igora Drive	Sat 28 Aug – Sun 29 Aug
15	MXGP of Turkey, Afyonkarahisar	Sat 11 Sep – Sun 12 Sep
16	MXGP of China, TBA	Sat 18 Sep – Sun 19 Sep
17	MXGP of France, St Jean d’Angely	Sat 9 Oct – Sun 10 Oct
18	MXGP of Spain, intu Xanadu-Arroyomolinos	Sat 16 Oct – Sun 17 Oct
19	TBA	Sat 30 Oct – Sun 31 Oct
20	MXGP of Patagonia Argentina, Neuquen	Sat 13 Nov – Sun 14 Nov

2021 Yamaha AORC presented by MXStore calendar

Round	Location	Date
Rounds 1 & 2	Nowra, NSW	March 27-28
Rounds 3 & 4	TBA, VIC	April 17-18
Rounds 5 & 6	Kyogle, NSW	July 17-18
Rounds 7 & 8	TBA, QLD	August 6-7
Rounds 9 & 10	Kingston SE, SA	September 18-19
Rounds 11 & 12	Omeo, VIC	October 16-17

2021 Australian Pro MX calendar

Rnd	Date	Location
1	Apr-11	Wonthaggi, Victoria
2	May-02	Canberra, ACT
3	May-30	Gilman, South Australia
4	Jun-27	Maitland, NSW
5	Jul-25	Wodonga, Victoria
6	Aug-08	TBC, Queensland
7/8	August 14-15	Coolum, Queensland

2021 Speedway GP Calendar

Date	Round	Location
Apr-24	2021 FIM Speedway Grand Prix	TBC
May-15	2021 PZM Warsaw FIM Speedway Grand Prix of Poland	PGE Narodowy
May-22	2021 German FIM Speedway Grand Prix	Bergring Arena
Jun-05	2021 Czech Republic FIM Speedway Grand Prix	Marketa Stadium
Jun-19	2021 FIM Speedway Grand Prix	TBC
Jul-17	2021 Adrian Flux British FIM Speedway Grand Prix	Principality Stadium
Jul-31	2021 Betard Wroclaw FIM Speedway Grand Prix OF POLAND	Olympic Stadium
Aug-14	2021 Swedish FIM Speedway Grand Prix	G&B Arena
Aug-28	2021 Russian FIM Speedway Grand Prix	Anatoly Stepanov Stadium
Sep-11	2021 Danish FIM Speedway Grand Prix Sponsored by ECCO	Vojens Speedway Center
Oct-02	2021 Torun FIM Speedway Grand Prix of Poland	Marian Rose MotoArena

2021 Australian Senior Speedway Solo calendar

Round	Location	Date
Round 1	Gillman Speedway, SA	3 January, 2021
Round 2	Olympic Park, VIC	5 January, 2021
Round 3	Diamond Park, Albury Wodonga, VIC	7 January, 2021
Round 4	Loxford Park, NSW	9 January, 2021
Round 5	Mick Doohan Raceway, QLD	13 January, 2021

2021 Australian Speedway events

Championship	Location	Date
2021 Australian Under 21’s Speedway Championship	Gillman Speedway, SA	16 January, 2021
2021 Australian Junior Speedway Sidecar Championship	Pinjar Park, WA	3-4 April, 2021
2021 Australian Senior Speedway Sidecar Championship	Pinjar Park, WA	3-4 April, 2021
2021 Speedway FIM Oceania Speedway Championship	Gillman Speedway, SA	30 January, 2021
2021 Speedway FIM Oceania Speedway Sidecar Championship	Gillman Speedway, SA	17 April, 2021

2021 Provisional Australian Supercross dates

25 September – Further information TBA
9 October – Further information TBA
16 October – Further information TBA
23 October – Further information TBA
30 October – Further information TBA
6 November – Further information TBA
20 November – Further information TBA
27 November – Further information TBA

2021 Australian Four Day Enduro (A4DE)
May 19-22 – Harvey, WA

2021 Enduro Australian Three Day Vintage Enduro (A3VE)
7-9 May – Blackwood, VIC

2021 Finke Desert Race
11-14 June – Northern Territory

2021 Hattah Desert Race
3-4 July – Hattah, Victoria

2021 Motocross Australian Classic Motocross Championship
9-11 July – Nowra, NSW

2021 Motocross Australian Post Classic Motocross
16-18 July – Nowra, NSW

2021 International Six Day Enduro (ISDE)
30 August – 4 September – Italy

Source: MCNews.com.au

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Moto News Weekly | Dakar | MX | AFT | 2021 Calendars

December 1, 2020 mcnews Leave a comment

Moto News Weekly Wrap
December 1, 2020

Saudi Arabia readying to host Dakar 2021

The details of the 43rd edition of the Dakar to be held in Saudi Arabia this coming January, 2021, have been announced, with a route of 7,646 km starting and finishing in Jeddah. Including 4,767 km of special stages, the route is designed to allow the competitors to battle among themselves and to explore the Saudi deserts.

Despite the difficulties associated to the health crisis, a strong field of competitors have answered the call, with 321 vehicles on the entry list. In addition to the 108 motorbikes, 21 quads, 124 cars and SSVs and 42 trucks expected at the start, 26 vehicles have been entered for a regularity competition in the new “Dakar Classic” category, open to cars and trucks built prior to 2000.

After an introduction to the Saudi deserts, the 2021 Dakar competitors will receive an even more in-depth lesson in geography. The characteristics of the route as well as the new regulations introduced aim to reduce average speed, further improve safety conditions and highlight the sporting qualities of the competitors.

Specifically, the fight for the various titles at stake should put the top competitors, who are used to battling it out at the sharp end of the standings, in competition with each other. In the motorcycle category, Ricky Brabec and Honda put an end to a series of 18 consecutive victories for the Austrian firm KTM, which will return with an all-star line-up of riders to try to begin another Dakar winning streak.

While the Dakar participants will head into action on January 2nd with a short prologue (11 km) to determine the starting position of each competitor for the opening stage, they will have to go through several intermediate steps before then. A majority of the vehicles will be summoned to Marseille, December 1-3 to be loaded on to a cargo ship, direction Jeddah. The meeting on the shores of the Red Sea with the owners will take place on December 30th and 31st, while the technical and administrative checks will be conducted on January 1-2 in accordance with health protection regulations.

The longest special stage will take in 511 kilometres on the penultimate stage, while the longest overall stage will feature a total of 813 kilometres on day four. The shakedown, the curtain-raising prologue, the race-start on January 2 and the final finish will all take place in Jeddah. The twelve stages, scheduled from January 3 to 15, 2021, with a rest day in Ha’il, will make a trek counter-clockwise through the Saudi Arabian landscapes.

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The race will feature one marathon stage following the rest day, where riders will be unable to receive mechanical assistance and will have to take extra care of their machines. Riders can look forward to a wide variety of complex stages, always a common feature at the Dakar.

Among the novelties to be included in the 2021 Dakar, will be the roadbook given out twenty minutes prior to the start in each of the stages. This differs from last year’s edition where the roadbooks were distributed in this manner on only half of the stages. An important change is the limitation of only six rear tyres for the entire rally, which will force riders to be far more cautious. There will be also a limit to the number of piston changes, as well as a ban on carrying out any mechanical repairs during the refuelling. Finally, the use of jackets with airbags will be mandatory for all motorcycle riders.

2021 Dakar Schedule

Stage	Date	Start > Finish	Total	Special
P	Saturday, January 2, 2021	Jeddah > Jeddah	11 km	11 km
1	Sunday, January 3, 2021	Jeddah > Bisha	622 km	277 km
2	Monday, January 4, 2021	Bisha > Wadi Al Dawasir	685 km	457 km
3	Tuesday, January 5, 2021	Wadi Al Dawasir > Wadi Al Dawasir	630 km	403 km
4	Wednesday, January 6, 2021	Wadi Al Dawasir > Riyadh	813 km	337 km
5	Thursday, January 7, 2021	Riyadh > Buraydah	625 km	419 km
6	Friday, January 8, 2021	Buraydah > Ha’il	655 km	485 km
Rest	Saturday, January 9, 2021	Ha’il (Rest Day)	–	–
7	Sunday, January 10, 2021	Ha’il > Sakaka	737 km	471 km
8	Monday, January 11, 2021	Sakaka > Neom	709 km	375 km
9	Tuesday, January 12, 2021	Neom > Neom	579 km	465 km
10	Wednesday, January 13, 2021	Neom > Al-Ula	583 km	342 km
11	Thursday, January 14, 2021	Al-Ula > Yanbu	557 km	511 km
12	Friday, January 15, 2021	Yanbu > Jeddah	452 km	225 km

2021 Dakar Motorcycle Entry List

Num.	Rider	Nat.	Team
1	Brabec Ricky	USA	Honda Monster Energy Honda Team 2021
2	Quintanilla Pablo	CHL	Husqvarna Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing
3	Price Toby	AUS	KTM Red Bull KTM Factory Team
4	Cornejo Florimo Jose Ignacio	CHL	Honda Monster Energy Honda Team 2021
5	Sunderland Sam	GBR	KTM Red Bull KTM Factory Team
6	Caimi FRAnco	ARG	Yamaha Monster Energy Yamaha Rally Team
7	Short Andrew	USA	Yamaha Monster Energy Yamaha Rally Team
9	Howes Skyler USA	KTM	Bas Dakar KTM Racing Team
11	Svitko Stefan	SVK	KTM Slovnaft Rally Team
12	De Soultrait Xavier	FRA	Husqvarna Ht Rally Raid Husqvarna Racing
15	Santolino Lorenzo	ESP	Sherco Tvs Sherco Tvs Rally Factory
17	Pedrero Garcia Juan	ESP	KTM Fn Speed – Rieju Team
18	Branch Ross	BWA	Yamaha Monster Energy Yamaha Rally Team
19	Goncalves Dias	RUI	Jorge PRT Sherco Tvs Sherco Tvs Rally Factory
20	Tomiczek Adam	POL	Husqvarna Orlen Team
21	Sanders Daniel	AUS	KTM KTM Factory Team
22	Giemza Maciej	POL	Husqvarna Orlen Team
23	Jakes Ivan	SVK	KTM Jakes Dakar Team
24	Bühler Sebastian	DEU	Hero Hero Motosports Team Rally
25	Spierings Paul	NLD	Husqvarna Ht Rally Raid Husqvarna Racing
26	Engel Milan	CZE	KTM Moto Racing Group (Mrg)
27	Rodrigues Joaquim	PRT	Hero Hero Motosports Team Rally
29	Gyenes Emanuel	ROU	KTM Autonet Motorcycle Team
30	Gelazninkas Arunas	LTU	KTM Zigmas Dakar Team
31	Michek Martin	CZE	KTM Moto Racing Group (Mrg)
32	Schareina Tosha	ESP	KTM Fn Speed – KTM Team
33	Koitha Veettil Harith Noah	IND	Sherco Sherco Tvs Rally Factory
34	Patrao Mario	PRT	KTM Credit Agricola – Mario Patrao Motosport
35	Guillen Rivera Juan Pablo	MEX	KTM Nomadas Adventure
36	Brabec Jan	CZE	KTM Strojrent Racing
37	Pabiska David	CZE	KTM Jantar Team
39	Melot Benjamin	FRA	KTM Benjamin Melot
41	Yakp Zaker	CHN	KTM Wu Pu Da Hai Dao Dakar Rally Team
42	Van Beveren Adrien	FRA	Yamaha Monster Energy Yamaha Rally Team
44	Sanz Laia	ESP	Gas Gas Gas Gas Factory Team
45	Min Zhang	CHN	KTM Wu Pu Da Hai Dao Dakar Rally Team
46	Marcic Simon	SVN	Husqvarna Marcic
47	Benavides Kevin	ARG	Honda Monster Energy Honda Team 2021
48	Doveze Mathieu	FRA	KTM Nomade Racing Assistance
50	C. S. Santosh	IND	Hero Hero Motosports Team Rally
51	Al-Lal Lahadil Rachid	ESP	KTM Melilla Sport Capital
52	Walkner Matthias	AUT	KTM Red Bull KTM Factory Team
53	Podmol Libor	CZE	Husqvarna Podmol Dakar Team
54	Chapeliere Camille	FRA	KTM Team Baines Rally
55	Hongyi Zhao	CHN	KTM Wu Pu Da Hai Dao Dakar Rally Team
56	Pacheco Giordano	COL	KTM Calidoso Racing Team
58	Iglesias Sanchez Eduardo	ESP	KTM Fn Speed – Team Monforte Rally
59	Interno Tiziano	ITA	Beta Rally Pov
60	Darques Stéphane	FRA	Yamaha M.O.R.Al
61	Dubois Norbert	FRA	KTM Aventure Moto 61
62	Houlihan Andrew Joseph	AUS	KTM Nomadas Adventure
63	Dabrowski Konrad	POL	KTM Duust Rally Team
65	Picco FRAnco	ITA	Husqvarna Team FRAnco Picco
66	Bouchet Pascal	FRA	KTM Team Baines Rally
67	Lhotsky Rudolf	CZE	Husqvarna Jantar Team
68	Mccanney Jamie	GBR	Yamaha Monster Energy Yamaha Rally Team
69	Roelants Walter	BEL	Husqvarna Ht Rally Raid Husqvarna Racing
70	Alghuneim Mishal	SAU	KTM Mishal Alghuneim
71	Farhan Salman Mohamed Humood Farhan	BHR	Husqvarna Ht Rally Raid Husqvarna Racing
72	Rauber Pascal	FRA	KTM Team 2rm
73	Jaffar Mohammed	KWT	KTM Duust Rally Team
74	Betriu Jaume	ESP	KTM Fn Speed – KTM Team
76	Krejci Roman	CZE	KTM Bo!Beton Team
77	Benavides Luciano	ARG	Husqvarna Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing
78	Zacchetti Cesare	ITA	KTM Cesare Zacchetti
79	Baratin Amaury	FRA	KTM Horizon Moto 95
80	Burgess Michael	AUS	KTM Bas Dakar KTM Racing Team
81	Vlcak Erik	SVK	Husqvarna Slovnaft Rally Team
82	Raorane Ashish	IND	KTM Ashish Raorane
83	Chavez David	PER	KTM Club Aventura Touareg
84	Hawker Neil	GBR	Husqvarna Neil Hawker
85	Azinhais Alexandre	PRT	KTM Club Aventura Touareg
86	Herbst Charlie	FRA	KTM Team Charlie Herbst
87	Mena Oriol	ESP	Rieju Fn Speed – Rieju Team
88	Barreda Bort Joan	ESP	Honda Monster Energy Honda Team 2021
89	Saghmeister Gabor	SRB	KTM Saghmeister Team
90	Catanese FRAncesco	ITA	Yamaha Tuttogru
92	Martinez Eric	FRA	Husqvarna Eric Martinez
93	Lorenzo Piolini	ITA	KTM Caravanserraglio Rally Racing Team
94	Susset Olivier	FRA	Husqvarna Xtreme Garage
95	Flick Xavier	FRA	Husqvarna Xtrem Racing
96	Albero Puig Daniel	ESP	KTM Team Un Diabetico En El Dakar
97	Benko Martin	SVK	KTM Norwit Racing
98	Garcia Sara	ESP	Yamaha Pont Grup Yamaha
99	Vega Puerta Javier	ESP	Yamaha Pont Grup Yamaha
100	Rossat Audrey	FRA	KTM Rossat Audrey
101	Knight David	GBR	Husqvarna Ht Rally Raid Husqvarna Racing
102	Jugla Sara	FRA	KTM Team Baines Rally
104	Altoaimi Fawaz	SAU	Yamaha Fawaz Racing
105	Dominguez Fernando	ESP	KTM Club Aventura Touareg
107	Stigliano Giovanni	ITA	Yamaha Team Jbrally
108	Calmet Marc	ESP	KTM Fn Speed – Rieju Team
110	Bartoszek Jacek	POL	KTM Duust Rally Team
111	Cherpin Pierre	FRA	Husqvarna Pierre Cherpin
112	Campdera Juan	ESP	KTM Juan Campdera
114	Carbonell Mendez Eladio	ESP	KTM Pikaeras Team
115	Harmsen Olaf	NLD	KTM Bas Dakar KTM Racing Team
116	Blandin Erick	FRA	KTM Team Baines Rally
117	Alexander James	BWA	Yamaha The Kalahari Madala
118	Bispo Alexandre	ESP	KTM Expresso Racing
120	Trejos Jhon	COL	KTM Jhon Trejos
121	Barthelemy Guillaume	FRA	KTM Team Rs Concept
123	Pedemonte Angelo	ITA	KTM Pedemonte Angelo
125	Barlerin Frédéric	FRA	KTM Rallye Fred
126	Llanos Diego Gamaliel	ESP	KTM Diego Gamaliel Llanos
127	Jobard Willy	FRA	Garnati Garnati Racing
133	Davide Cominardi	ITA	Honda Cominardi
142	Gerini Maurizio	ITA	Husqvarna Solarys Racing

Aussie Max Whale talks American Flat Track 2020

AmericanFlatTrack.com has done a great feature on young Queenslander Max Whale, who has been over in America this year competing the American Flat Track championship in the Singles class, finishing the season in second-place overall, as well as capturing nine-points in the Production class in Springfield. Here’s a look at what they had to say about the Aussie talent:

By AmericanFlatTrack.com

When the 2020 Progressive American Flat Track season finally revved into action on a mid-July evening at Volusia Speedway Park, months of anticipation and prediction were replaced by actual results. That opener provided an initial – if not entirely accurate – insight into how a handful of closely tracked storylines might actually play out.

The early returns suggested that the AFT Singles class’ ex-premier class invaders, Henry Wiles, Mikey Rush and Chad Cose, were indeed well positioned to upend a class more often thought of as a springboard for up and comers. And while all three were factors in ‘20, they failed to steamroll the competition as some had feared.

It also created some major worries that the much-hyped Dallas Daniels would take a step back after impressing so mightily in his abbreviated ‘19 rookie campaign (he most certainly did not). But the story of that opening evening was Max Whale, a perennial “star of the future,” who emphatically scrubbed away that “of the future” disclaimer with an all-day, out-and-out drubbing of his rivals en route to a maiden AFT victory.

Dallas Daniels & Max Whale – Image by Scott Hunter

As the season took its final shape, Daniels grabbed back the spotlight. He rebounded from his opening night disaster to ultimately reign over the class in a commanding, eight-win title fight blowout.

However, the continued rise of Whale was arguably the category’s B plot. His ascension since first arriving on the scene has been truly meteoric. The 19-year-old Australian turned a 14th-ranked 2018 rookie campaign into a ninth-ranked, one-podium 2019 sophomore season. He made an even bigger leap in 2020, securing championship runner-up status on the strength of five podiums highlighted by the aforementioned victory.

Max Whale

“This season was a dream come true. It went perfect, pretty much — I was consistent. Five podiums was my goal coming into the year, and I did it. I’m pumped on that. And to finish second in the championship was crazy. It was awesome. I am still lost for words… It’s hard to explain. Getting that first win on the opening night was incredible. It was honestly hard to believe. It took a couple days for it to sink in. The whole day was perfect. I think I qualified second, I won the Semi, and then won the Main. It was awesome. I just wish my parents were here to see it.”

That wish went deeper than simply wishing they could have shared in his breakthrough success. While the pandemic was (and very much remains) catastrophically disruptive for everyone, Whale was presented with even greater challenges than the average dirt track pro as a result.

The teenager was stripped of the support system he’d relied on his entire professional career when he was forced to live and travel and compete while effectively trapped on his own inside the United States with his father, Brett Whale, on the outside looking in from Australia.

Previously, the two had travelled the country together in a used RV and trailer that served as their living quarters and workshop. His absence robbed Max of both emotional support and very practical help.

Max Whale

“In past years, my dad was with me for the whole season. Leading in I knew it was going to be tough with him going back home due to COVID. And you know, I didn’t realize just how much he did – from prepping my bikes, driving and servicing the RV, cooking and cleaning – until he was gone. He went home in March and then DAYTONA got cancelled. I had to stay here by myself. It was a big reality check.”

Thrown into the deep end, Whale, appropriately enough, swam rather than sunk. He was taken under the wing of the larger Pennsylvania-based AFT community and, with their help, he thrived.

Max Whale

“You know, I wouldn’t change it. It turned out good. When my dad first left, I was in Pennsylvania for a couple of months. And then for the whole year, PA was kind of my base. I had some awesome people who helped me out — Briar (Bauman) and Shayna (Texter) helped me out a crazy amount. Everyone at Don’s Kawasaki and so many others too. There were just so many awesome people I could turn to. If I needed anything, I could always message them and they helped me out straight away. I’m so lucky to have that and I cannot thank those guys enough.”

It proved to be a relatively painless and seamless adaptation, considering the circumstances. But adapting has been the norm since Whale first turned pro. Dirt track racing is a considerably different beast in Australia compared with America, from types and sizes of tires to brake set-ups to track surfaces and layouts.

While three years of experience as an AFT Singles ace have Whale now feeling even more at home when racing in the States than he does when he returns to his Down Under roots, the 2017 Australian Junior Track Champion claims his meteoric year-on-year rise in Progressive AFT is more down to an improved mental game than any other factor.

Max Whale

“I feel like my improvement is mainly down to confidence. My bikes were better this year than they had been previously, but a lot of it was just confidence. After I got that win in Volusia, it really made me understand that I could do it. I found myself qualifying better every round — a lot better than I did last year. I just went in with a different mindset and it ended up paying off.”

Whale is not ready to confirm his exact 2021 plans just yet with an announcement likely coming early next year. He did admit, however, that he will be back in the AFT Singles class for a fourth attempt at the title. After going from 14th to 9th to runner-up, only one final landing spot will be considered a continuation of that upward trajectory. Some might say the bad news on that front is that he’ll have to go through Dallas Daniels to do it, as the dominant champion is set to defend his crown in ‘21.

Whale doesn’t see it that way, preferring to view Daniels as the ultimate measuring stick rather than an impenetrable wall blocking his path, sharing “That’s good news for me. I want to win with everything in it. I wouldn’t want it any other way.”

Max Whale on the podium after the opening race of the season alongside Chad Cose and Henry Wiles – Image Scott Hunter

2020 AFT Singles Overall Standings

Pos.	Rider	Overall Points
1	Dallas Daniels	283
2	Max Whale	215
3	Henry Wiles	208
4	Michael Rush	185
5	Trent Lowe	183
6	Morgen Mischler	178
7	Tanner Dean	160
8	Brandon Kitchen	154
9	Chad Cose	137
10	Michael Inderbitzin	124
11	Trevor Brunner	113
12	Shayna Texter	102
13	Cole Zabala	84
14	James Ott	79
15	Kevin Stollings	74
16	Andrew Luker	74
17	Cameron Smith	73
18	Aidan RoosEvans	61
19	Ryan Wells	58
20	Jacob Lehmann	56
21	Jesse Janisch	50
22	Dylan Bell	18
23	Wyatt Anderson	17
24	Tyler Raggio	14
25	Justin Jones	9
26	Blake Lomas	4

AMX takes naming rights to the MXOpen at Wonthaggi

The MXOpen will take place this side of Christmas thanks to AMX, the Dandenong Motocross Club and other leading industry partners and local businesses. Entries are available online at www.ridernet.com.au.

$15,000 in Prizemoney headlines the one-day motocross spectacular. Penrite Honda, Empire Kawasaki, SP Motorsports Suzuki riders will compete against the best riders in Victoria in a winner takes all one round open. Yarrive Konsky has been working with the Dandenong Motocross Club to facilitate the AMX MXOpen.

On December 13th an all star line up of riders and teams will take to the track in an effort to win prizemoney, prizes and bragging rights going into Christmas. The Dandenong Motocross Clubs president understands the need for racing and wanted to see competition happen this side of the New Year.

Yarrive Konsky

“We are starving for racing; it’s been 8 months without competition in Victoria and riders, sponsors, teams and clubs are hungry for competition. I wanted to see racing happening this side of Christmas and I appreciate the Dandenong Motocross Clubs enthusiasm towards making this possible. We have members we want to support, an industry we need to support, and we love racing that is why we are behind this event. Our club is made up of passionate people and we are excited to see racing resume.”

The AMX MXOPEN is proudly sponsored by AMX, Wonthaggi Toyota, Honda, POD, SERCO, Yoshimura, FMF, Fly Racing, Answer, FCAM Bricklaying, Ausbuilt, Rhino, FIST, McLeods, Michelin, Matrix Concepts, THOR, Delcon Civil, M9, Alpinestars, M2R Helmets, Krooztune, 100%, Bridgestone, SKDA and Leongatha Honda.

Robert Mestrom – Motorcycling Victoria CEO

“We are getting behind this event. Yarrive, the DMCC and Motorcycling Victoria share the same passion for competition. We know that some of our members want to get back to racing and we have offered our full support to Yarrive and the DMCC.”

2020 MXOpen Details

Sunday 13th December
Wonthaggi Motocross Track – Dandenong Motorcycle Club
220 W Area Rd, Wonthaggi VIC 3995
Gates open 5:45am
Practice commences: 8:00am

MXOpen Classes

C-grade 450 4-stroke
SNR Womens
125cc and 128 – 150cc 2 Stroke 13 – Under 16
200 – 250cc 4 Stroke 13 – Under 16
Pro Lite 250cc 4-stroke (A and B classes scored separately)
65cc 9-U12
65cc – 7 -U11
85 2stk & 150cc 4stk Std & BW – 11-U15
Pro Open 450cc 4-stroke (A and B classes scored separately)
DIV 2 50cc
Vets 30 + 35+ 40+ 45+
C-grade 250
2-stroke pre 90, pre 2000 and open – (Classes scored separately)

2020 Heaven M/C Club VMX Final – Memorial Weekend

The Heaven Motorcycle Club, NSW’s primary Vintage Motocross Club, held the only actual NSW VMX Race meeting for 2020 at the Lakes motocross track at Awaba over the November 21-22 Memorial Weekend recently. With COVID wreaking havoc with a schedule originally slated for a seven round season, numerous cancellations and attempts to reschedule eventually yielded a single round championship, wrapped up with two races per class.

Peter Martin took part in the vintage motocross event, racing in two classes and sent us his version of events, which we’re happy to share with you here:

Thank you Heaven, one round, two races per class and big fields

With Peter Martin

The Heaven VMX Committee worked hard to make it possible to have a single round Championship. Thank you Heaven, one round, two races per class and big fields saw everyone welcome the opportunity to go racing.

The Lakes meeting was the Heaven VMX Championship for 2020, not a series, just two races in each class to decide who would take home the coveted Trophies. I was entered in the Pre-1990 class (all capacities) on the 1989 Honda CR250RK and the Evolution class (all capacities) on the 1979 Honda CR250RZ, I was also invited to race in the President’s Cup Invitational, a 15 minute +1 Lap Moto (all ages and capacities of bike).

Peter Martin – 2020 Heaven VMX Final Memorial Weekend – Image by Matty Baker Images

With two four-lap class races and one moto length invitational each day I considered the racing physically doable, so Saturday I did two short practices on each bike and then headed out for the first Pre-1990 all in on the 1989 bike. A crowded and talented grid of 40 riders were keen to go racing. I when I glanced down the field there was #100 of Craig Anderson, five-times Australian Motocross Champion. Surely I am in the wrong place I thought, but it’s too late to pull out now.

I got a reasonable start to about mid field, then the talent started to work up their speed ahead and a few more got by me, then a few more. I settled down and started passing riders, while my position was helped by a few riders enthusiastically throwing themselves and their bikes over the top of berms and into tyre walls – it was carnage fuelled by wonderful enthusiasm.

I had two races to recover with just enough time to wipe my face, take a drink and get back up to the start line in time for the Evo all in race on the 1979 bike. I got a great start, running fourth into turn 2 and then slowed too early for the entry. Whoosh I dropped around five places, so it was head down and I started passing a few, working my way up through the field.

The Presidents Cup was to be the last race of the day and the decision was made to transfer the Presidents Cup to be the first and last race on Sunday. That would mean I had a 15 minute +1 Lap Moto and two 4 lap races back to back, then a long break to the last President’s Cup Moto at the end of the day.

Saturday night was Heaven’s AGM and Jo Gillan provided a glorious roast chicken meal, then it was off to sleep early. All night my leg muscles played tag on who would cramp next, which meant frequently getting up to stretch or walk off cramps, then back to bed so a squadron of mozzies could continue their attempts to terrorise me and drag me out the door. After a restless night Sunday dawned. It was overcast and a little cooler (at first), I did two laps to warm up and got ready for the first President’s Cup Moto.

It was another packed grid of 40 riders. I got off the start-line well to be about fifth heading into turn two and… ended up 12th heading out of turn two. So once again I picked up the pace and started passing riders – I just kept chasing and moving forward. After seven or eight laps the checkered flag saw me reasonably well placed around 10th.

I got back to my pit and thought, I can not go straight out to the second Pre-1990 race. I had prepared a bag of ice in a wet towel and poured cold water over my head to bring my temperature down, there was a short delay and repeated announcements of the start of the Pre-1990, so I put my helmet, gloves and goggles back on. By the time I got to the line I had given the field half a lap start, I just put my head down and raced, pushed, rode as best I could passing those I could to the finish.

I had two races to recover before the final Evo race on the 1979 bike. Again a great start and again giving up too many positions in turn two. I remember nothing of this race, what else happened and the results are a mystery, I just survived.

It was a long wait for the final President’s Cup Moto and it was very hot, I packed up what I could and attempted to keep my body moving and my temperature down. After an eternity, the call came and I lined up for the final race of the day. Again a great start was followed by giving up too many positions leaving turn two. I rode, pushing where I had an advantage and surviving where I was too weak to push.

There were a few riders inserting themselves into the scrub and tyre walls which made it possible to pick up more places. Basically it was survival of the most
determined. On the last lap Mark Tompkin attempted a pass, I looked at it and thought I can stop you and then thought, but I won’t. The same for the next corner, I got inside him and thought I can stop you but I had no fight left and just rode to finish the race.

Final results saw me 12th overall in the Pre-1990 category, ninth in the Evolution and 10th overall in the President’s Cup Invitational. My results are far from what I am capable of yet better than I expected. I am in the process of changing my whole motocross riding style for better results on the Supercross type tracks Heaven go to, so being around the top 10 overall in all three classes considering the competition is actually a pretty good result.

I take away so much from this meeting however. My starts are consistently good and I slow too much and brake too early into the first real turn. My riding ‘style’ is evolving, yet there is a long way to go before I am competitive. Compared to before, I have improved my speed on some parts of the track and I am slower on other parts. The real victory is that my body is not as beaten and damaged as it was before. It is not that I am not hurting, I am hurting much less and my body is not taking as long to recover. I am even starting to enjoy riding again. For these reasons I consider this a victory.

A big thanks to the Heaven committee and all the Heaven members who make VMX Racing so much fun. A big thank you to the volunteers who make it possible for us to ride. Thank you to David Middleton (Excel Tint) who helped to revise and set up the suspension which has provided a significant improvement in comfort. Thank you to all the wonderful, patient people who support my racing. Race Images from Matty Baker Images, thank you for the great photos.

We’ve reached out to Heaven M/C Club and will add full results shortly.

Yamaha celebrate 2020 MX2 manufacturers title

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Yamaha Motor Europe have celebrated the success of its 2020 racing strategy as the MX2 Manufacturer of the Year thanks to the YZ250F and the skill and determination of riders Jago Geerts, Ben Watson and Maxime Renaux, all three of whom visited the top step of the podium over the course of the season.

This achievement marks Yamaha’s third manufacturers crown since the class was reinvented as MX2 in 2004, with the first title coming in 2005 and the second following two years later in 2007.

Jago Geerts, Ben Watson and Maxime Renaux clinched the MX2 manufacturer’s win for Yamaha in 2020

Spearheaded by the Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MX2 team, which was reintroduced in 2020 after a five-year hiatus, and strengthened by the addition of the SM Action M.C. Migliori Yamaha Supported Team, Yamaha celebrated 18 race wins, 23 podium finishes and nine Grand Prix wins on its way to the 2020 MX2 Manufacturers title.

Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MX2’s Jago Geerts led 156 laps, won 14 races and celebrated 12 podium finishes, of which six were Grand Prix wins to claim MX2’s silver medal with 679-points.

Simultaneously, SM Action M.C. Migliori Yamaha’s Maxime Renaux ended the season 98-points further adrift in third position after taking his very first race and Grand Prix win in Faenza, Italy. Renaux also led 30-laps and mounted the podium on no fewer than five occasions.

Bolstering Yamaha’s achievements in 2020, Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MX2’s Ben Watson led 37-laps on his way to two race wins, which were followed by two Grand Prix victories. Watson claimed six podium finishes on his way to fifth overall in the final MX2 World Championship standings.

While Renaux’s achievements had already confirmed the competitiveness of the ‘non-Factory’ YZ250F, the strength of the world-beating motorcycle was further affirmed by Hutten Metaal Yamaha Official EMX250’s Thibault Benistant, who took his YZ250F to the top of the EMX250 Championship in just his second season in the class.

Just three days after he was crowned champion, Benistant signed on to race the next three MX2 Grands Prix. Racing his EMX250 Championship winning YZ250F, the 18-year-old debutant impressed with two top-three race finishes and a top-five overall finish in his third-ever Grand Prix.

Proving the dominance of the YZ250F across the board, Yamaha also won its fifth WMX Manufacturer’s title thanks to the combined efforts of Nancy van de Ven and Larissa Papenmeier. Throughout the five rounds of the WMX World Championship, van de Ven won three races and mounted the podium four times to finish as the 2020 series runner-up. Papenmeier joined her counterpart on the podium and collected the bronze medal with two Grand Prix wins, one race win and four podium finishes.

Reinforcing Yamaha’s strategy to develop the next generation of MXGP champions from within their own ranks, Watson, Renaux and Benistant will all progress up the Yamaha Racing pyramid in 2021. Watson will join highly experienced 450cc riders Jeremy Seewer and Glenn Coldenhoff under the awning of the Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP team to contest his first season aboard a works Yamaha YZ450F. Renaux and Benistant will join Geerts inside the Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MX2 team, forming a potent line-up for Yamaha as it looks to defend the MX2 Manufacturers crown and challenge once again for the riders title in 2021.

2020 MX2 Manufacturer Standings

Pos	Manufacturer	Total
1	Yamaha	810
2	KTM	786
3	Husqvarna	655
4	Kawasaki	561
5	Honda	411
6	GASGAS	343

2020 MX2 Standings

Pos	Rider	Nat.	Bike	Total
1	Vialle, Tom	FRA	KTM	759
2	Geerts, Jago	BEL	YAM	679
3	Renaux, Maxime	FRA	YAM	581
4	Beaton, Jed	AUS	HUS	564
5	Watson, Ben	GBR	YAM	551
6	Olsen, T.	DEN	HUS	540
7	Van De Moosdijk, R.	NED	KAW	466
8	Mewse, Conrad	GBR	KTM	365
9	Fernandez, R.	ESP	YAM	343
10	Rubini, S.	FRA	HON	279
11	Östlund, Alvin	SWE	HON	263
12	Gifting, Isak	SWE	GAS	248
13	Boisrame, M.	FRA	KAW	234
14	Malkiewicz, B.	AUS	HON	164
15	Vaessen, Bas	NED	KTM	163
16	Forato, A.	ITA	HUS	156
17	Lesiardo, M.	ITA	HON	143
18	Horgmo, Kevin	NOR	KTM	137
19	Haarup, Mikkel	DEN	KAW	118
20	Pancar, Jan	SLO	KTM	115
21	Gilbert, Josh	GBR	HUS	112
22	Renkens, N.	BEL	KTM	103
23	Crawford, N.	AUS	HON	91
24	Benistant, T.	FRA	YAM	90
25	Genot, Cyril	BEL	YAM	85
26	Hofer, Rene	AUT	KTM	73
27	Sikyna, R.	SVK	KTM	72
28	Sandner, M.	AUT	GAS	67
29	Guadagnini, M.	ITA	HUS	62
30	Laengenfelder, S.	GER	GAS	59
31	Polak, Petr	CZE	YAM	45
32	Sydow, Jeremy	GER	GAS	35
33	Roosiorg, H.	EST	KTM	33
34	Harrison, M.	USA	KAW	22
35	Todd, Wilson	AUS	KAW	21
36	Cenerelli, G.	ITA	HUS	21
37	Toriani, Enzo	FRA	HUS	21
38	Nermann, J.	EST	HUS	17
39	Dickinson, A.	GBR	KTM	15
40	Meier, Glen	DEN	YAM	13
41	Teresak, Jakub	CZE	KTM	13
42	Zonta, Filippo	ITA	KTM	6
43	Edelbacher, R.	AUT	HUS	5
44	Furbetta, J.	ITA	KTM	3
45	Spies, M.	GER	HUS	2
46	Haavisto, Jere	FIN	YAM	2

Tom Pagès prepares for 2021 Enduropale du Touquet challenge

Tom Pagès will spend the next two months preparing for the world’s biggest beach race as the French freestyle motocross star takes on a daunting new endurance challenge at the Enduropale du Touquet event in January.

Pagès has gone from practising in his own back yard in France, to competing with the best riders in the world and progressing the sport through his series of never-been-done tricks. The 35-year-old has picked up numerous titles over the years with the multiple X-Games and Red Bull X-Fighters winner now eager to test himself further.

The Enduropale du Touquet covers over 13km of sand in northern France and is the inspiration for the famous Dakar Rally after wowing fans since the inaugural edition way back in 1975. The first event attracted 286 competitors with over 1,000 professional and amateur enduro riders are expected in 2021 to tackle waves, chicanes and velodrome-style turns with the final ranking established according to the most completed laps after three tough hours of racing.

Tom Pagès

“I have to catch up 15 years of experience on the most experienced riders. I need to get used to riding with a new type of neoprene gloves, which change my feelings on the throttle. Also a camel bag in my back because we need a lot of water throughout the race: hydration is key and, if you are thirsty, it’s already too late and you are in danger. Looking for new challenges is the key to longevity, even more in individual sports. I have learned from my mistakes in the past 14 years and I want to optimise my abilities to bring them into this new discipline. This new challenge also allows me to open my mind and to bring fresh air into my FMX career in which the mental workload is high. This short break in freestyle motocross already made me think of new tricks and new projects around FMX for the next two to three years. In the meantime, I focus on my next objectives: strengthen my physical preparation, be at the start of Enduropale 2021 and aim for the top of the board, even though I am aware of the difficulty. Winning is unimaginable but, maybe, not impossible!”

Jonny Walker and KTM part ways after eight seasons

KTM have thanked enduro racer Jonny Walker for his achievements with the brand over the past eight seasons as his contract concludes with the Austrian manufacturer. KTM confirmed the departure of Jonny Walker from the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing team by mutual agreement. Due to re-structuring within the team, linked to changes that have been made to the enduro program over the past few seasons, KTM has been unable to retain Jonny’s services for 2021.

Jonny began his hard enduro campaign aboard KTM machinery in 2010 following a successful career in trials. As a then 19-year-old, he worked his way up the enduro ranks before signing his first official agreement with KTM in 2011. Soon after Walker graduated into the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing team, in 2012. Walker won the Erzbergrodeo Red Bull Hare Scramble title that year, which he went on to successfully defend in 2013.

In 2015 Jonny took his riding to the next level, cementing his place as one of extreme enduro’s best following winning riders at The Tough One, Red Bull Romaniacs, Red Bull Hare Scramble, Hell’s Gate and Red Bull 111 Megawatt. Despite a number of injuries, which resulted in time off a bike during the following few years, the likeable Brit went on to claim podium finishes in further extreme enduros and WESS Championship events.

KTM thanked Jonny for everything he has achieved together with KTM and the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing team over the years, including his extreme enduro and FIM SuperEnduro World Championship successes, wishing him all the best for his future.

Fabio Farioli – Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Team Manager

“Firstly, we’d like to say a big thank you to Jonny for everything he has achieved with KTM Factory Racing. We had some good times over the years and some incredible results – including wins at some of the toughest events on the hard enduro calendar as well as in the SuperEnduro World Championship. He has been an important part of our team and has been integral to our ongoing success. Despite our best efforts we were unable to negotiate a deal to keep Jonny on the team. We wish him all the very best for the future.”

Arminas Jasikonis recovery update

Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing rider Arminas Jasikonis is very much on the mend after the Lithuanian rider crashed at the Mantova round of the FIM Motocross World Championship and suffered a serious head injury. Jasikonis has been making small steps forward and looking at coming back to racing in 2021.

Antti Pyrhonen – Team Manager Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory MXGP team

“AJ is basically recovering really well. It was a very serious accident, and he was in a severe condition after the crash in Mantova. He had heavy impact to the head, and he was due to that two and a half days in a medical coma. When he woke up on Tuesday afternoon, he did a very good recovery, an unbelievable recovery actually. He could leave the hospital after a week and then he could travel back to Lithuanian and he didn’t need to go back to hospital or any recovery centre. He moved back home and was living with his girlfriend and doing some physical training and he can now drive his car.”

As for Arminas himself, as he resides in his home with his girlfriend, he can see improvements and is being as patient as possible in letting his body improve slowly as his brain starts to remember things as he comes back to full recovery.

Arminas Jasikonis

“There are days when it’s worse. There are days when it’s better, but not bad at all compared to the first days after an incident. I still feel shoulder pain, but I’ve been working on that and since two weeks ago, I started driving a car. Everything happens gradually, I’m on my way forward, but you can’t overdo it. There’s a lot of desire for me, but I can’t do it all at once because I don’t know how the brain will accept it. I started running, the balance is good. In Finland, the medical profession will look at how far I have moved forward. The plan is to come back, it really is, but I can’t promise it. I’d like to be back in half a year. I just slept and woke up. I’m almost unscathed, just a little bit of a shoulder pain at the moment, but I’m working on it now.”

MA announce 2021 National Championships Calendar

Motorcycling Australia (MA) have released the 2021 National Championships Calendar of events across a variety of disciplines including Australian and International Championships.

Included in the 2021 National Calendar are all MA sanctioned disciplines including the Australian Superbike Championship, Australian Off-Road Championship, ProMX Championship, Australian Junior, Senior and Sidecar Speedway Championships, Australian Supercross Championships, Australian Junior Motocross Championships, Australian Four Day Enduro, Australian Junior and Senior Track Championships, Australian Trials and X-Trials Championships, Classic and Post Classic Dirt Track & Motocross Championships, Australian ATV MX Championships and much more.

The calendar also includes internationally recognised events such as the MotoGP, FIM Asia Road Racing Championship, Oceania Junior Cup, FIM Oceania Speedway and Sidecar Championships, Finke and Hattah Desert Races, as well as Australian Three Day Vintage Enduro (A3VE).

A number of National Championship promoters are still to finalise venues and dates and we will provide updates as soon as they become available. To view the MA 2021 National Calendar click here (current, November 20, 2020).

2021 Racing schedule

2021 AMA SX calendar

Date	Event	Venue	Location	E/W
Jan 16	Houston 1	NRG Stadium	Houston, TX	East
Jan 19	Houston 2	NRG Stadium	Houston, TX	East
Jan 23	Houston 3	NRG Stadium	Houston, TX	East
Jan 30	Indianapolis 1	Lucas Oil Stadium	Indianapolis, IN	East
Feb 2	Indianapolis 2	Lucas Oil Stadium	Indianapolis, IN	East
Feb 6	Indianapolis 3	Lucas Oil Stadium	Indianapolis, IN	East
Feb20	Glendale 1	State Farm Stadium	Glendale, AZ	West
Feb 23	Glendale 2	State Farm Stadium	Glendale, AZ	West
Feb 27	Glendale 3	State Farm Stadium	Glendale, AZ	West
Mar 6	Daytona*	Daytona Int. Speedway	Daytona Beach, FL	East
Mar 13	Arlington 1	AT&T Stadium	Arlington, TX	West
Mar 16	Arlington 2	AT&T Stadium	Arlington, TX	West
Mar 20	Arlington 3	AT&T Stadium	Arlington, TX	West
Round 14	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD
Round 15	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD
Round 16	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD
Round 17	Salt Lake City	Rice-Eccles Stadium	Salt Lake City, UT	TBD

2021 Provisional MXGP Calendar

Rnd	Grand Prix	Date
1	MXGP of Oman, Muscat	Fri 2 Apr – Sat 3 Apr
2	MXGP of Italy, TBA	Sat 24 Apr – Sun 25 Apr
3	MXGP of Portugal, Agueda	Sat 8 May – Sun 9 May
4	MXGP of The Netherlands, Oss	Sat 22 May – Sun 23 May
5	MXGP of Germany, Teutschenthal	Sat 29 May – Sun 30 May
6	MXGP of Russia, Orlyonok	Sat 12 Jun – Sun 13 Jun
7	MXGP of Latvia, Kegums	Sat 19 Jun – Sun 20 Jun
8	MXGP of Jakarta (INA), Jakarta	Sat 3 Jul – Sun 4 Jul
9	MXGP of Indonesia, Semarang	Sat 10 Jul – Sun 11 Jul
10	MXGP of Czech Replublic, Loket	Sat 24 Jul – Sun 25 Jul
11	MXGP of Belgium, Lommel	Sat 31 Jul – Sun 1 Aug
12	MXGP of Sweden, Uddevalla	Sat 7 Aug – Sun 8 Aug
13	MXGP of Finland, Iitti-KimiRing	Sat 21 Aug – Sun 22 Aug
14	MXGP of Igora Drive (RUS), Igora Drive	Sat 28 Aug – Sun 29 Aug
15	MXGP of Turkey, Afyonkarahisar	Sat 11 Sep – Sun 12 Sep
16	MXGP of China, TBA	Sat 18 Sep – Sun 19 Sep
17	MXGP of France, St Jean d’Angely	Sat 9 Oct – Sun 10 Oct
18	MXGP of Spain, intu Xanadu-Arroyomolinos	Sat 16 Oct – Sun 17 Oct
19	TBA	Sat 30 Oct – Sun 31 Oct
20	MXGP of Patagonia Argentina, Neuquen	Sat 13 Nov – Sun 14 Nov

2021 Yamaha AORC presented by MXStore calendar

Round	Location	Date
Rounds 1 & 2	Nowra, NSW	March 27-28
Rounds 3 & 4	TBA, VIC	April 17-18
Rounds 5 & 6	Kyogle, NSW	July 17-18
Rounds 7 & 8	TBA, QLD	August 6-7
Rounds 9 & 10	Kingston SE, SA	September 18-19
Rounds 11 & 12	Omeo, VIC	October 16-17

2021 Australian Pro MX calendar

Rnd	Date	Location
1	Apr-11	Wonthaggi, Victoria
2	May-02	Canberra, ACT
3	May-30	Gilman, South Australia
4	Jun-27	Maitland, NSW
5	Jul-25	Wodonga, Victoria
6	Aug-08	TBC, Queensland
7/8	August 14-15	Coolum, Queensland

2021 Speedway GP Calendar

Date	Round	Location
Apr-24	2021 FIM Speedway Grand Prix	TBC
May-15	2021 PZM Warsaw FIM Speedway Grand Prix of Poland	PGE Narodowy
May-22	2021 German FIM Speedway Grand Prix	Bergring Arena
Jun-05	2021 Czech Republic FIM Speedway Grand Prix	Marketa Stadium
Jun-19	2021 FIM Speedway Grand Prix	TBC
Jul-17	2021 Adrian Flux British FIM Speedway Grand Prix	Principality Stadium
Jul-31	2021 Betard Wroclaw FIM Speedway Grand Prix OF POLAND	Olympic Stadium
Aug-14	2021 Swedish FIM Speedway Grand Prix	G&B Arena
Aug-28	2021 Russian FIM Speedway Grand Prix	Anatoly Stepanov Stadium
Sep-11	2021 Danish FIM Speedway Grand Prix Sponsored by ECCO	Vojens Speedway Center
Oct-02	2021 Torun FIM Speedway Grand Prix of Poland	Marian Rose MotoArena

2021 Australian Senior Speedway Solo calendar

Round	Location	Date
Round 1	Gillman Speedway, SA	3 January, 2021
Round 2	Olympic Park, VIC	5 January, 2021
Round 3	Diamond Park, Albury Wodonga, VIC	7 January, 2021
Round 4	Loxford Park, NSW	9 January, 2021
Round 5	Mick Doohan Raceway, QLD	13 January, 2021

2021 Australian Speedway events

Championship	Location	Date
2021 Australian Under 21’s Speedway Championship	Gillman Speedway, SA	16 January, 2021
2021 Australian Junior Speedway Sidecar Championship	Pinjar Park, WA	3-4 April, 2021
2021 Australian Senior Speedway Sidecar Championship	Pinjar Park, WA	3-4 April, 2021
2021 Speedway FIM Oceania Speedway Championship	Gillman Speedway, SA	30 January, 2021
2021 Speedway FIM Oceania Speedway Sidecar Championship	Gillman Speedway, SA	17 April, 2021

2021 Provisional Australian Supercross dates

25 September – Further information TBA
9 October – Further information TBA
16 October – Further information TBA
23 October – Further information TBA
30 October – Further information TBA
6 November – Further information TBA
20 November – Further information TBA
27 November – Further information TBA

2021 Australian Four Day Enduro (A4DE)
May 19-22 – Harvey, WA

2021 Enduro Australian Three Day Vintage Enduro (A3VE)
7-9 May – Blackwood, VIC

2021 Finke Desert Race
11-14 June – Northern Territory

2021 Hattah Desert Race
3-4 July – Hattah, Victoria

2021 Motocross Australian Classic Motocross Championship
9-11 July – Nowra, NSW

2021 Motocross Australian Post Classic Motocross
16-18 July – Nowra, NSW

2021 International Six Day Enduro (ISDE)
30 August – 4 September – Italy

Source: MCNews.com.au

Motorcycle News, News

Dakar Rally Hasn’t Been Cancelled – New Route for January 2021

November 26, 2020 mcnews Leave a comment

#DiscoverTheRoute

Seriously, COVID-19 has managed to bugger its way into all our lives and destroy everything that we hold dear; especially motorcycle events. Although MotoGP had a successful start-up and managed to make do with this series of unfortunate events, many other motorsports divisions haven’t had the same luck.

If I made a list of things far more dangerous than the Coronavirus, Dakar Rally would be up at the top. Dakar Rally is bad-ass, tough, excruciating, nauseating, dangerous…. Should I continue? Luckily for those of us locked in the house, organizers of the Dakar Rally event have confirmed that the event will take place in January 2021 without a hitch.

“The preparation, and in particular the reconnaissance, had to be conducted according to a schedule adapted to the 2020 travel restrictions. The rally will be held under unusual conditions drafted in a protocol designed to ensure maximum protection against the spread of the Covid-19 virus”, the organizers said in a release.

Unfortunately, the Rally loses some of its “WTF” potential with the addition of a new route that will shorten the original 8000-mile trek to the tune of 3200 miles. This new route will take place in Saudi Arabia and is planned to be 4750 miles long in its entirety.

Although we are losing some distance for this event, the organizers assure us that there are far more technical areas that will put riders’ navigation skills to the test resulting in a much more interesting race. Previous Dakar Rally’s feature long stretches of desert sand before things get spicey, so hopefully, this new event cuts some of that ‘nothing-ness’ out of the equation.

[embedded content]

Source: MotorbikeWriter.com

Motorcycle News, News

Honda’s history at the Dakar

June 19, 2020 mcnews Leave a comment

Dakar and Honda

It was a quiet start when a total of 90 motorcycles, 80 cars and 12 trucks headed on December, 26th 1978 on Place Trocadéro in front of the Eiffel Tower for the very first Paris-Dakar rallye. The motorcycles of the rally pioneers had little more than two wheels in common with today’s highly specialised rally bikes. Just 35 hp single-cylinder engines were fitted in simple scrambler style frames. Mostly self-built, and with large fuel tanks upgraded the bikes for the long distances. But the TV broadcasts of the Paris-Dakar immediately fascinated an entire generation of motorcyclists and made them dream of an adventure in Africa. The Dakar winners became heroes, their motorcycles iconic.

1981 – Dakar premiere of Honda

In 1981 Honda grabbed this opportunity and hired the winner of the first two Dakar editions, the then 24-year-old Frenchman Cyril Neveu, for the 1981 Dakar. But the kick-off for the young rally star turned into a challenge too great. During the prologue, which took place outside Neveu’s home town of Orléans, the chain of the XLS 500 broke just 30 metres from the start line. It took 25 minutes to fix it. After that, Neveu did not manage a single stage victory and finished the rally in 25th position. The potential of the bike was proven by his team-mates (Vassard, Desheulles, Rigoni), who won four stages in total.

1981 Honda XLS500 – Cyril Neveu

1982 – Honda wins

For the 1982 Dakar, not the French importer, but Honda Racing Corporation (HRC) took over the preparation of the Dakar bikes. The displacement of the single cylinder was increased to 550 cc, the power output raised to 45 hp. Because the transmission remained limited to four gears, the clutch was also strengthened for better durability. The tank capacity was increased from 32 to 42 litres. But the big step ahead was the new chassis where a monoshock with Pro-Link linkage replaced the two shock absorbers of the XLS 500. With the progressively working suspension and more than twice as much suspension travel as the 1981 model, the desert racer had considerably more potential on the fast parts of the tracks and more reserves with a full tank. The success proved HRC’s commitment right. Neveu handed Honda its first Dakar victory with the XL550R, and team mate Philippe Vassard finished second.

1982 Honda XL550 R

Nevertheless, the singles lost more and more ground against the two-cylinder machines on the fast stages in Africa. With a top speed of around 160 km/h the single cylinders lost a lot of time compared to the 180 km/h of the two-cylinder bikes. It was too great a disadvantage for their more agile handling to compensate, and in the following years the XL550R only managed a single podium finish (3rd place, Vassard 1984) at the Dakar.

1986 – NXR750: start of the success story

Again it was obvious that the route to victory could only be found through a completely newly-designed motorcycle. The Honda NXR750 was developed for the 1986 Dakar. Under the huge 57 litre tank, there was a brand new prototype V2 engine with ohc valve train, 779 cc displacement and max power of 70 hp.

1986 – Cyril Neveu – Honda NXR750

With a full tank the NXR weighed about 250 kilograms. But only the factory riders knew at that time: In terms of rideability and handling, the NXR was far ahead of the competition. Neveu proved this at the first try. The potential of the bike allowed him to cleverly plan the race and minimise the risks. After 15,000 kilometres, the longest Dakar in history, the Frenchman clinched the top step of the podium for Honda again. It was the first of four consecutive Dakar victories for the NXR.

1986 – Cyril Neveu – Honda NXR750

After Neveu’s 1987 victory, Italian Edi Orioli (1988) and Frenchman Gilles Lalay (1989) took the top spots with this dominating twin-cylinder motorcycle. No manufacturer had ever before written such a success story at the Dakar, and the NXR was immortalised in the sport.

1998 Honda XRV650 Africa Twin

1989 – Africa Twin to Dakar

The NXR had fulfilled its role as a pioneer, but just as one legend stepped aside, another was waiting in the wings. In 1988 the Africa Twin (650 cc, 49 hp) was introduced and was enthusiastically accepted by the customers. To prove that this trail bike not only shared the looks of the NXR but also the potent performance, the French Honda importer started an initiative at the 1989 Dakar.

1989 Honda NXR750

Under the slogan “50 Africa Twin à Dakar” privateers were offered an opportunity to participate in the rally on only mildly-modified Africa Twins (two 8-litre rear tanks, rebuild suspension). A remarkable 18 amateur riders reached the finish line. The Africa Twin promotion continued for the next two years and in 1991 Italian Roberto Boano even grabbed 11th place in the overall classification on one of the red, white and blue bikes.

Dakar 1989

1995 – A two-stroke in the desert: the EXP-2

Despite this success, Honda did not return to the rally until 1995. For this time the target was not to win, but to showcase new technology, the EXP-2. The experimental bike sported a 402cc two-stroke engine, which turned into a self-igniter under certain load conditions. The part-time diesel performed excellently, celebrated a sensational fifth place overall with French rider Jean Brucy – and disappeared after the rally as quickly as it had entered the stage. The project was no longer pursued, and Honda entered a break from the Dakar.

Honda EXP-2 | A 402cc two-stroke that dieseled

2013 – Honda comeback at the Dakar

After 24 years since the Africa Twin name entered the Dakar in 1989, Honda returned to the great race. Continuing the legend, the target was to prepare the field for the next Africa Twin, which was to be presented in 2016. But meanwhile rallye racing had changed a lot. Twin cylinder engines were banned in 2005, the rally moved to South America for the 2009 edition and in 2011 the displacement was limited to 450cc. So it was understandable that the CRF450X offroad bike served as a base for Honda’s comeback at the 2013 Dakar. The engine with the Unicam valve train (the intake valves are directly actuated by the camshaft, the exhaust valves are activated by a rocker arm) was compact, and was designed for punch at low revs instead of revving freely in deep sands and fast straights. As the Dakar continued to prove why it is the toughest rally on earth, the best Honda rider was Portuguese Hélder Rodrigues who took 7th place on the CRF450 Rally but the groundwork was set.

Hélder Rodrigues – 2014

2014 – New technology for the CRF450 Rally

Again, history repeated itself. HRC recognised that for a win in such demanding competition, a new motorcycle had to be designed. Technically, the 2014 CRF450 Rally had not much in common with its predecessor. The Unicam concept, which had been used on all Honda offroad race bikes up to then was replaced by a dohc valve train (double overhead camshafts). The high revving single engine achieved a peak power of over 60hp.

Honda CRF450 Rally Dakar

The chassis was also extensively modified. The conventional rear frame was replaced by a slim carbon monocoque and the front tanks were also narrower in the lower area. Both of these modifications provided the rider with greater freedom of movement and improved the handling. A longer wheelbase provided more straightline stability for the increased top speed of over 175 km/h. However, the traction control system was completely new on rally bikes. If the rear wheel spun too much, the motor management reduced the power by fuel injection and ignition. This helped to avoid peaks in engine revs and protect the tyres. Especially on marathon stages, where the tyres have to survive two stages and repairs can only be carried out with on-board tools, this was a great advantage. Compared to the previous version, the CRF450 Rally was 10kg lighter, weighing 170kg with full tank. But when it was launched in South America, luck was not with the brave. The newly engaged star rider Joan Barreda got the record number of 5 stage victories, but paid for it with frequent crashes. Once again Hélder Rodrigues became best Honda rider with fifth place.

The CRF450 Rally Dakar staff members were led by Large Project Leader Katsumi Yamazaki, General Manager Martino Bianchi, and Team Manager Wolfgang Fischer.

2015 – Electronics for the rally bike

For the 2015 Dakar, the CRF450 Rally was again upgraded. Instead of a conventional throttle cable, the throttle valves were now electronically controlled by a ride-by-wire throttle grip. As a result, the traction control reacted even more sensitively and fuel consumption was reduced. Honda found themselves with a big advantage over their competitors in engine power on high-altitude stages, such as in Bolivia. This time the plan seemed to work out.

Dakar 2015 Team HRC

Barreda led the rally until the flooded salt desert of Uyuni in Bolivia turned the tide. Salt water infiltrated the electronics of Barreda’s bike and the Spaniard had to be towed to the finish line. The dream of victory was tantalisingly close but again the Dakar bit. Team mate Gonçalves finished second in the final standings though, with echoes of what was so nearly a 1982 double-podium repeat.

Honda CRF450 RALLY

The development of the CRF450 Rally did not stop. After semi-active suspension elements had already been introduced on road bikes, HRC adapted the new technology to some of the four CRF rally bikes before the 2016 Dakar. Initially, damping could only be adjusted manually, but later the technicians used suspension components which adapted automatically to the terrain.

Team HRC Dakar 2016 Team Meeting

For the 2018 Dakar the Honda factory bikes no longer used electronic suspension, but this technology now has filtered to the Africa Twin for the benefit of customers – just one example of how racing directly helps improve production machines.

Team HRC Dakar 2016 – Paulo Gonçalves (Portugal), Joan Barreda (Spain), Michael Metge (France), Ricky Brabec (USA) and Paolo Ceci (Italy)

2019 – Victory within reach

In general, the red riders in recent times had lacked the luck to match their stage-winning pace. Despite many stage wins, the myriad challenges of the Dakar had proved too much and thwarted such promise. In 2019 the victory of Californian Ricky Brabec seemed within reach, as it had for Barreda in 2015. The desert specialist was leading, but three days before the finish, his challenge came to an early end the in the loose Fesh Fesh sand of Peru. Once again fate was no friend of the brand with the wing, but the taste of victory was there.

2019 Dakar – Honda

2020 – The Victory

At the Dakar 2020 luck turned around. In the deserts of Saudi Arabia the 28-year-old Brabec took the lead on day three and defended his leading position with aplomb over the total distance of 7800 kilometres. After seven attempts at the world’s most gruelling rally, the puzzle parts finally did fit together. The Honda team returned to the spot they had first climbed in 1982 at the Lac Rose in Dakar. To the top step of the podium.

Ricky Brabec – Image by Rally Zone
Source: MCNews.com.au

Motorcycle News, Motorcycle Racing, News

Dakar 2021 heralds new changes

June 12, 2020 mcnews Leave a comment

Dakar 2021

After the first Dakar held in the Middle East last January, the competitors and crews are heading back to Saudi Arabia to continue exploring the deserts of the country.

Dakar 2021

The route designed for the 2021 edition is a loop course beginning and ending in Jeddah, where the toughest competitors will arrive a few days after the rest day in Ha’il. While the bivouac will revisit some of the places where it set up camp a few months ago, the specials will be 100 per cent new.

Dakar 2021 returns to Saudi Arabia

As the race enters uncharted territory, the measures taken in 2020 to put the focus on navigation will continue their natural progression. Road books will now be handed out in the morning right before the start of each special. Some categories will have digital road books.

Dakar 2021

Furthermore, the rules have been amended to slow down the vehicles and, in general, to make the race safer. Certain hazardous sections will be categorised as “slow zones” where the speed limit will be set at 90 km/h. Air-bag vests will now be mandatory and subject to inspection by race officials during technical scrutineering. Motorcycle competitors will only be allowed six tyres for the duration of the event.

Dakar 2021 returns to Saudi Arabia

Penalties for engine changes were introduced a few years ago to encourage bikers to ride carefully. From next year, time penalties will be applied starting from the second piston change even if the rest of the engine remains the same. Finally, riders will no longer be allowed to work on their motorbikes at refuelling stations.

Red Sea

The Dakar convoy will start their 2021 odyssey on the shores of the Red Sea as they depart Jeddah on January 3.

Jeddah, the economic heart of the country, will host both the start and the finish of Dakar 2021

Competitors will spend the following two weeks navigating their way through Saudi Arabia’s expansive deserts.

Dakar will navigate the deserts of Saudi Arabia

A well earned Rest Day will come in the ancient city of Ha’il at the midway point on January 9.

Ha’il
For centuries, Ha’il was a stop on a trade route between the Red sea and Mesopotamia. The region is also famous for its numerous rock faces covered with rock art, which stand as reminders of the presence of human populations going back almost 10,000 years.

A hero’s reception awaits those who manage to meet every challenge and cross the finish line back in Jeddah on January 15. The winners will be celebrated on the podium, but everyone who completes the Dakar has the right to be satisfied at overcoming the toughest test of endurance.

Dakar 2021 in Saudi Arabia

Dakar Rally director David Castera

“Sometimes it feels like the other side of the rainbow is just around the corner and a magical treasure is within reach. The two weeks of the 2020 edition in Saudi Arabia, when the Dakar inaugurated Chapter 3 of its history in style, were one such time. Our Saudi hosts had the daring inspiration to believe in this marriage, a vision shared by all the competitors and their crews. Stage after stage, and often multiple times within the same stage, the majestic landscapes of the region left us dazzled and in awe. However, Saudi Arabia only revealed a tiny part of its mysteries, leaving plenty of surprises in store for the next edition in January 2021. Over the last few weeks, we have plunged back into our GIS software and last year’s recon notes and realised just how vast the possibilities are. The route we have prepared, a gigantic tour of the Saudi deserts, reuses none of the tracks and dunes that featured in the specials last January. The possibilities open to us have given us the opportunity to design a more technical course with more varied terrain and fewer fast sections. Along with the changes in the style of the course, we are also rolling out new features with a view to making the race even truer to the values of rally raid. Shifting the focus from raw speed to navigation are part of a holistic approach in which the creation of the Dakar Classic bridges the legends of the past and the excitement of the future. After all, adventure is a timeless pursuit, is it not?”

Dakar 2021 in Saudi Arabia
Source: MCNews.com.au

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Moto News Weekly | Anaheim II | Dakar | X-Trial | SuperEnduro

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Strong Aussie showing at 2020 Dakar Rally

After Africa and South America, the most recent chapter of Dakar Rally history, in the Middle East opened, with the Monster Energy Honda Team taking a leading role, with Ricky Brabec taking an early lead and the eventual win by 16min-26s.

Runner up was Pablo Quintanilla (Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing), with Toby Price (Red Bull KTM Factory Team) completing the top three, as top Australian competitor.

Toby Price – P3

“I’m really happy with another podium at the Dakar – every time I’ve made it to the finish at this event I’ve got onto the podium. So far, I’m either a number one or a number three guy. The most important thing is to be here safely at the finish. Obviously, we came here to win, but it just wasn’t our year. Yeah, after 18 wins in a row it would have been nice to get a 19th, but I think KTM’s winning streak won’t be topped for a very long time. We’ll go away now, regroup and come back stronger for 2021 and take that number one plate back.”

Toby Price – 2020 Dakar Rally

Fellow Australian and privateer Rodney Faggotter (Yamaha Motor Australia) came home in 13th, with a best stage finish of sixth.

Rodney Faggotter – P13

“Wow its done! Top 20’s most stages, with a career best of sixth in stage 10 for a career best of 13th overall. I had a solid two weeks and rode the most “in control” but also the best I have ever done. The riders in front of me are the best rally riders in the world and most of them full time athletes – I’m pumped to be near and amongst these guys! Two weeks flat out and it comes to a instant stop and now I try get to reflect and appreciate everyone’s support and messages. Instead of going through and saying last but not least – I want to call out to my awesome hot beautiful supportive wife and best friend. Love ya babe!!! Thank you. And my boys Matt and Nate for their support! It’s so hard on family back home following the race especially when you disappear off the charts due to helping at a accident/or a mechanical failure or even just technical timing glitches. Massive shout out to the Dragon Yamaha team and my awesome mechanic Quentin Brossier. He says only a few English words and I say none French – so we get along great! He worked overtime all through the night sometime triple checking and sorting everything and I never had a issue. Thanks bud! Big thank you to Yamaha Motor Australia and Yamaha Motor Finance, Yamaha Motor Insurance Australia without their commitment to assist me this year – I would not have been here full stop. And also a big thanks to fellow competitor Ben Young for helping me get to the start line. So many others that helped or have helped previously – that got me to this point that I so much appreciate. Thanks guys.”

Rodney Faggotter

New Zealand’s Phillip Wilson (Bas Dakar KTM Racing Team) was 53rd overall, with Ben Young (Duust Rally Team) coming home in 58th.

Trevor Wilson finished 76th, while Matthew Tisdall completed the 2020 Dakar Rally in 96th.

Pos.	Rider	Team	Time/Gap
1	RICKY BRABEC	MONSTER ENERGY HONDA TEAM 2020	40H 02′ 36”
2	PABLO QUINTANILLA	ROCKSTAR ENERGY HUSQVARNA FACTORY RACING	+ 00H 16′ 26”
3	TOBY PRICE	RED BULL KTM FACTORY TEAM	+ 00H 24′ 06”
4	JOSE CORNEJO FLORIMO	MONSTER ENERGY HONDA TEAM 2020	+ 00H 31′ 43”
5	MATTHIAS WALKNER	RED BULL KTM FACTORY TEAM	+ 00H 35′ 00”
6	LUCIANO BENAVIDES	RED BULL KTM FACTORY TEAM	+ 00H 37′ 34”
7	JOAN BARREDA BORT	MONSTER ENERGY HONDA TEAM 2020	+ 00H 50′ 57”
8	FRANCO CAIMI	MONSTER ENERGY YAMAHA RALLY TEAM	+ 01H 42′ 35”
9	SKYLER HOWES	KLYMCIW RACING	+ 02H 04′ 01”
10	ANDREW SHORT	ROCKSTAR ENERGY HUSQVARNA FACTORY RACING	+ 02H 10′ 40”
11	STEFAN SVITKO	SLOVNAFT RALLY TEAM	+ 02H 13′ 32”
12	ADRIEN METGE	SHERCO TVS RALLY FACTORY	+ 02H 33′ 14”
13	RODNEY FAGGOTTER	YAMAHA MOTOR AUSTRALIA	+ 02H 54′ 22”
14	JAUME BETRIU	FN SPEED TEAM	+ 03H 31′ 58”
15	JAMIE MCCANNEY	MONSTER ENERGY YAMAHA RALLY TEAM	+ 03H 42′ 24”
16	JUAN PEDRERO GARCIA	LS2 AVENTURA TOUAREG	+ 03H 45′ 33”
17	MACIEJ GIEMZA	ORLEN TEAM	+ 03H 51′ 42”
18	LAIA SANZ	GAS GAS FACTORY TEAM	+ 03H 58′ 16”
19	KEVIN BENAVIDES	MONSTER ENERGY HONDA TEAM 2020	+ 04H 02′ 31”
20	MAURIZIO GERINI	SOLARYS RACING	+ 04H 08′ 16”
21	ROSS BRANCH	BAS DAKAR KTM RACING TEAM	+ 04H 23′ 20”
22	JACOPO CERUTTI	SOLARYS RACING	+ 04H 26′ 00”
23	MARTIN MICHEK	MOTO RACING GROUP (MRG)	+ 04H 30′ 41”
24	SEBASTIEN LAGUT	NOMADE RACING	+ 05H 21′ 45”
25	PAUL SPIERINGS	HT RALLY RAID HUSQVARNA RACING	+ 05H 50′ 43”
26	MILAN ENGEL	MOTO RACING GROUP (MRG)	+ 06H 03′ 09”
27	ANTONIO MAIO	YAMAHA FINO MOTOR RACING	+ 06H 15′ 21”
28	PATRICIO CABRERA	FN SPEED TEAM	+ 06H 49′ 18”
29	EMANUEL GYENES	AUTONET MOTORCYCLE TEAM	+ 08H 02′ 31”
30	ARUNAS GELAZNINKAS	ARUNAS GELAZNINKAS	+ 08H 15′ 51”
31	FAUSTO MOTA	XRAIDS TEAM	+ 08H 42′ 54”
32	MARIO PATRAO	KTM FACTORY TEAM	+ 08H 44′ 09”
33	OLIVIER PAIN	TEAM JOG – NOMADE RACING	+ 09H 06′ 45”
34	BENJAMIN MELOT	BENJAMIN MELOT	+ 09H 15′ 05”
35	LOIC MINAUDIER	TEAM ALL TRACKS	+ 09H 47′ 47”
36	FLORENT VAYSSADE	TEAM VAYSSADE FLORENT	+ 10H 36′ 10”
37	ANTHONY BOURSAUD	ANTHO MOTO SPORT – DRAG’ON RALLY TEAM	+ 10H 50′ 18”
38	PETR VLCEK	PETR VLCEK	+ 11H 48′ 57”
39	ROMAIN LELOUP	TEAM REPAR’STORES	+ 11H 57′ 56”
40	MYUNGGUL RYU	KLYMCIW RACING	+ 12H 37′ 50”
41	MIRJAM POL	HT RALLY RAID HUSQVARNA RACING	+ 13H 35′ 03”
42	ZAKER YAKP	WU PU DA HAI DAO DAKAR RALLY TEAM	+ 14H 11′ 52”
43	CHARLIE HERBST	NOMADE RACING	+ 14H 15′ 15”
44	KRZYSZTOF JARMUZ	115MOTO	+ 14H 32′ 09”
45	PHILIPPE GENDRON	NOMADE RACING	+ 14H 49′ 16”
46	ENRIQUE GUZMÁN	XRAIDS TEAM	+ 14H 55′ 42”
47	PHILIPPE CAVELIUS	CAVELIUS TEAM	+ 15H 01′ 24”
48	NICOLAS BRABECK-LETMATHE	TEAM CASTEU	+ 15H 28′ 49”
49	ALESSANDRO BARBERO	ALESSANDRO BARBERO	+ 15H 31′ 58”
50	SIMON MARCIC	MARCIC	+ 15H 40′ 26”
….
53	PHILLIP WILSON	BAS DAKAR KTM RACING TEAM	+ 16H 06′ 32”
58	BEN YOUNG	DUUST RALLY TEAM	+ 16H 53′ 51”
76	TREVOR COLIN WILSON	TREVOR WILSON	+ 21H 53′ 24”
96	MATTHEW TISDALL	BAS DAKAR KTM RACING TEAM	+ 40H 24′ 27”

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Toni Bou wins X-Trial Round 3 in Budapest

Repsol Honda Team rider Toni Bou burst back onto the 2020 trial scene, snatching a 65th career win in the indoor discipline, in the third points-scoring round of the X-Trial World Championship held in the Hungarian capital Budapest.

Toni Bou – X-Trial Championship Round 3 – Hungary

Budapest played host to round three of the FIM X-Trial World Championship where the spectators in the Laszlo Papp Arena were treated to a thrilling display from Repsol Honda Team rider Toni Bou.

Bou cruised through the opening qualifying round to claim a spot in the second knockout phase. The champion scored better than the other seven riders over the five-section preliminary phase.

Subsequently in the knockout phase, Bou again fared better than adversaries Gabriel Marcelli and Jaime Busto, earning himself a place in the Grand Final against Adam Raga.

Bou and Raga, both displaying top-level riding skills, faced off in the final over six sections, only to finish tied on points. The ‘run-off’ section failed to decide the winner, with both riders fiving the section. Eventually the victor was adjudicated to be Bou on merit of a count-back, the reigning champion having scored better in the second round. Bou now boasts a 15-point advantage over Adam Raga.

Toni Bou

“It was a really, really tough trial. Adam rode really well today. We were able to win the first round and also the second which proved decisive for the final run-off. I gave it everything in the final, but I wasn’t experiencing very good sensations, and I couldn’t find my balance, but I had enough aggression to keep fighting until the end, where I cleaned the two final sections while there was everything still to play for, so it all turned out fine in the end. I want to congratulate Adam because it will be really tough to beat him this year.”

Toni Bou tops the podium from Adam Raga and Gabriel Marcelli

Repsol Honda Team will be back to tackle the fourth round of the X-Trial World Championship on Sunday February 2 in Barcelona’s Palau Sant Jordi.

Results X Trial Budapest 2020

Pos.	Rider	Nat	Team	Points
1	BOU, Toni	SPA	Repsol Honda Team	20
2	RAGA, Adam	SPA	TRRS Factory Team	15
3	MARCELLI, Gabriel	SPA	RG Team	12
4	FAJARDO, Jeroni	SPA	Sherco Factory Team	9
5	CASALES, Jorge	SPA	Gas Gas Factory Team	6
6	BUSTO, Jaime	SPA	Vertigo Factory Team	4
7	GELABERT, Miquel	SPA	Vertigo Factory Team	2
8	BINCAZ, Benoit	FRA	Beta Factory Racing	1

X Trial Rider Standings

Pos	Rider	Nat.	Team	Points
1	BOU, Toni	SPA	Repsol Honda Team	60
2	RAGA, Adam	SPA	TRRS Factory Team	45
3	BUSTO, Jaime	SPA	Vertigo Factory Team	22
4	FAJARDO, Jeroni	SPA	Sherco Factory Team	21
5	GELABERT, Miquel	SPA	Vertigo Factory Team	20
6	MARCELLI, Gabriel	SPA	RG Team	18
7	CASALES, Jorge	SPA	Gas Gas Factory Team	12
8	BINCAZ, Benoit	FRA	Beta Factory Racing	7
9	MARTIN, Toby	GBR	Beta Factory Racing	1
10	TOULY, Kieran	FRA	Scorpa Factory	1

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Billy Bolt dominates Spanish SuperEnduro Round 3

Where Blazusiak dominated in Germany as Billy Bolt struggled, the young Husqvarna rider took his revenge during the third round of the season in Spain, setting the fastest time in the Akrapovic SuperPole and proceeded to take three victories in front of the passionate Spanish crowd – the maximum 63 points on the night! Having learned from his mistakes in Riesa, he completely dominated proceedings in A Coruña.

Billy Bolt

In the first race he quickly placed himself directly behind Taddy Blazusiak after the Pole took the holeshot. With a very slick track, conditions seemed to suit Bolt, who usually thrives when there’s a lack of grip.

From the second lap onwards, he lead the way in front of Blazusiak and Jonny Walker, with the latter finally seeming more comfortable and confident. The British Factory KTM rider finished in third, and Blazusiak was unable to hunt down Bolt, forced to settle for second behind the unstoppable kid from Newcastle.

Jonny Walker

In race two the riders have to face a ‘reverse grid’, but Bolt didn’t waste much time getting past early leaders Pol Tarres and Diogo Vieira. While Bolt made his escape, Blazusiak and Walker found themselves stuck in traffic, and despite Bolt suffering a fall he kept out of reach as he crossed the finish line and took the chequered flag.

Three laps from the end of the race, Blazusiak was only in eighth position, but his fighting spirit came to the fore and he battled back to an important fourth. Jonny Walker took second, and Alfredo Gomez third.

Alfredo Gomez

Determined not to let Bolt get too far ahead in the standings, the two KTM riders pulled off fantastic starts in the last race. Blazusiak was leading Walker while Bolt was further back. But on the second lap Blazusiak went down, letting Walker shoot past.

It seemed as if Taddy’s team-mate was finally on for a race win, but a mistake cost him near certain victory. In the end, no-one could stop Bolt as he charged through for his third victory of the evening. Jonny Walker and Taddy Blazusiak completed the top three in this final race.

Billy Bolt

“I’m made up by just how well tonight has gone. It’s the first time I’ve won all three races and taken the Superpole, so all in it’s gone about as perfect as it could have done. After my performance in Germany I wanted to come here and redeem myself. But to be honest, when I walked the course I didn’t expect it to suit me so well. However, as the night progressed I adapted to the changing terrain and conditions. You needed to muscle the bike around in places, but at the same time be calm and patient. I did my best to avoid mistakes and take the opportunities when they came to me. It worked, especially with race three – that felt perfect. Of course there’s still a long way to go in the championship, we’re far from over, but to take maximum points and get the leader’s red plate back is fantastic.”

Billy Bolt

Jonny Walker

“It’s been another good night and I feel like I’m showing that I’m making steps forward with each round. I’m delighted with second and another visit to the podium. On a tricky course I managed to get good starts and that made a big difference. I wasn’t always the fastest on the track, but I was consistently hitting my lines every lap, which was making things count. Looking at my results as a whole, I’ve improved each time. Fourth in Poland, third in Germany and now second tonight, that gives me a lot of confidence heading into the next round.”

Jonny Walker

Taddy Blazusiak

“The track was the real decider tonight. It either worked for you or it tripped you up. Unfortunately, for the majority of the time it got the better of me. I felt like after practice I had it figured out and in race one I managed to get it right. You needed to let it come to you – in a way ride slow to go faster. In race two things sort of came undone and I made too many strange mistakes. It was the same in race three, too. But I’m experienced enough not to dwell on it. There’s a lot of racing left to go in this championship and I’m looking forward to returning to the stadium in Budapest where I know I can show what I’m capable of.”

Taddy Blazusiak

Alfredo Gomez

“I made things difficult for myself when I crashed in the Superpole and ended up sixth. That meant I had a poor gate position and it was difficult to fight in the first corner. In race one I started seventh and recovered to fourth. I managed to capitalise on the reversed grid for race two and exited the second corner in fourth. I found my rhythm pretty quick and took third there. With fifth in race three I ended up fourth overall, but I showed in race two that with a decent start my pace was good.”

Alfredo Gomez

Billy Bolt now has 169 points in the standings, and takes over at the front of the championship by six-points ahead of Blazusiak. Walker is 33-points back, but not out of the title chase. Gomez is now fourth, 10 points from Walker.

Prestige Class Results – 2020 SuperEnduro Round 3
Prestige Overall Event Classification

Billy Bolt (GBR), Husqvarna, 63 points
Jonny Walker (GBR), KTM, 49
Taddy Blazusiak (POL), KTM, 46
Alfredo Gomez (ESP), Husqvarna, 39
Blake Gutzeit (RSA), Husqvarna, 29

Final 1

Billy Bolt
Taddy Blazusiak
Jonny Walker
Alfredo Gomez
Tim Apolle

Final 2

Billy Bolt
Jonny Walker
Alfredo Gomez
Taddy Blazusiak
Will Hoare

Final 3

Billy Bolt
Jonny Walker
Alfredo Gomez
Taddy Blazusiak
Alfredo Gomez
Blake Gutzeit

Provisional Classification

Billy Bolt 169 points
Taddy Blazusiak 163
Jonny Walker 136
Alfredo Gomez 126
Blake Gutzeit 89

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Juniors

America’s Ty Cullins, leader of the Junior category, experienced his worst evening since his debut in the FIM SuperEnduro World Championship. The TM rider didn’t finish in the top three during any of the races in A Coruña. The Californian fell foul of the many pitfalls in the Spanish arena. After several crashes, he failed to find the pace or the confidence to fight at the front.

Bulgarian KTM rider, Teodor Kabakchiev, was the big winner of the evening. After taking victory in race two, and a couple of second places, he took overall victory in Spain. The first race was won by Dominik Olszowy ahead of Kabakchiev and Leon Hentschel.

Kabakchiev took top honours in race two ahead of Milan Schmueser and Hentschel. And the German Sherco rider won the last race at the expense of Kabakchiev and France’s Adrien Jacon.

The Junior Championship therefore has a new leader in the form of Leon Hentschel, who now has 138 points, Cullins limits the damage by leaving A Coruña second in the rankings, five-points down. Following his excellent evening, Kabakchiev is now third on 125 points.

Junior Class Results – 2020 SuperEnduro Round 3
Final 1

Dominik Olszowy
Teodor Kabakchiev
Leon Hentschel
Raul Guimera
Adrien Jacon

Final 2

Teodor Kabakchiev
Milan Schmueser
Leon Hentschel
Adrien Jacon
Dominik Olszowy

Final 3

Milan Schmueser
Teodor KabakchievLeon Hentschel
Adrien Jacon
Alessandro Azzalini
Dominik Olszowy

Provisionnal classification

Leon Hentschel 138 points
Ty Cullins 133
Teodor Kabakchiev 125
Adrien Jacon 121
Milan Schmueser 76

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Aussies tackle 2020 Africa ECO Race

Australian Andrew Houlihan has finished 21st outright in the gruelling 2020 Africa ECO Race, with the 14 day off-road rally seeing riders struggle at times with demanding terrain, some stranded in the desert for up to 30 hours, and one stage cut short due to multiple serious crashes requiring evacuations by helicopter.

While the Dakar Rally in Saudi Arabia has captured plenty of attention in recent weeks, three Australians, Andrew Houlihan, Matt Sutherland and Peter Caldwell have been tackling an equally demanding event in Northern Africa.

Andrew Houlihan – 2020 Africa ECO Race Results

The Africa ECO Race is an annual rally raid that starts in Europe and retraces much of the path of the original Paris-Dakar rally, ending on the banks of the famous pink lake – Lac Rose – in Senegal.

This year’s event started under lights in Monaco on the 4th January. Competitors then travelled to the port of Savona in Italy to board a ferry which took them to Tangier in Morocco. From there they competed for 12 days racing over a distance of 6,500km through the mind-blowing landscapes of Morocco, Western Sahara, Mauritania and Senegal. Each stage was between 300 to 750km.

Andrew Houlihan entered with no expectations other than to finish safely, and is no stranger to the challenges of off-road racing having won multiple motocross titles in Australia, but at the age of almost 50 he made his international debut in the Hellas Rally in Greece in 2018.

A major crash in that rally almost cost him his life, and after a long recovery he came back in 2019 to compete in four international rallies including the Hispania Rally in Spain (placing sixth in class) and the Rally du Maroc where he came eighth in the Enduro Cup category.

The 2020 Africa ECO Race was the next step on Andrew’s journey to his ultimate goal of competing in the 2021 Dakar Rally in Saudi Arabia, and Andrew’s previous successes helped to gain sponsorship from Coca-Cola Energy.

The energy drink division of Coca-Cola, one of the most recognised and valuable brands in the world, has put their support behind Andrew, his teammate Mexican rider Juan Pablo Guillen and their Nomadas Adventure team.

A field of 74 motorbikes started this year’s rally, but the tough conditions took their toll on the riders and machines with only 61 rolling up to the start line for the final day.

Stage 8 was particularly hard on riders with many bikes still stranded in the Mauritanian sand dunes overnight. For many of those stranded the rescue mission would take up to 30 hours. Two days later tough conditions and multiple serious crashes caused the early termination of the 600km 10th stage.

Andrew’s 21st place in the 2020 Africa ECO Race is despite facing his own challenges during the event. A fuel pump failure in stage 2 cost him over an hour and a half while he siphoned fuel with his CamelBak from one fuel tank to the operational one, as well as ongoing hand cramps over the final three days.

Andrew Houlihan

“I had a couple of bad days and a few really good days. Very little sleep for 12 days and just enough food to keep going each day. We saw the best and the worst of Northern Africa and it was an emotional and physical roller coaster. Every day at some stage I would ask myself, why am I doing this. There were some serious accidents, riders stuck in the dunes for 24 hours, bikes and cars breaking down, crazy African desert dwellers to contend with and many new friendships made. I’m happy to finish in 21st position overall despite a couple of really bad days. It’s time to get home to Katie and the kids, add some more titanium pins and screws to my body, recover and get ready for the next race!”

Andrew Houlihan – 2020 Africa ECO Race Results

Fellow Australian Matt Sutherland who was born in Ballarat but now lives in Vancouver, was a late entry into the rally. He replaced a rider in Lyndon Poskitt’s Team Races 2 Places who had to withdraw due to illness. Matt finished the rally in seventh place.

Peter Caldwell (KTM) finished 36th after losing plenty of time in an early stage when he got lost in the sand dunes.

2020 Africa ECO Race Results

Pos.	Rider	Time
1	BOTTURI Alessandro	48:47:30
2	ULLEVALSETER Pal Anders	48:51:29
3	POSKITT Lyndon	49:39:26
4	LUCCI Paolo	49:43:02
5	BENKO Martin	54:11:17
6	CZACHOR Jacek	54:23:10
7	SUTHERLAND Matt	54:33:29
8	DABROWSKI Konrad	55:23:37
9	STASIACZEK Pawel	55:49:55
10	GRITTI Giovanni	56:24:33
11	JOHNSON Michael	56:57:37
12	LA CAVERA Blasco	58:12:42
13	MINELLI Gabriele	59:03:22
14	BARATIN Amaury	59:04:13
15	BERGLUND Anders	59:34:56
16	BOCOUM Mamadou	60:04:42
17	GUILLEN Juan Pablo	60:13:16
18	SAVELKOULS Stephan	60:25:05
19	MAESTRAMI Lorenzo	60:26:13
20	CRAISS Michael	60:44:27
21	HOULIHAN Andrew	61:00:12
22	LABINSKY Robert	65:38:23
23	CHATELIER Thibault	66:11:04
24	GöRLACH Fabian	67:11:20
25	EVANS Joey	68:20:50
26	ZATKO Jan	69:06:26
27	RAAFF Gregory	69:14:20
28	HULTQVIST Joakim	69:56:32
29	CONREAU Christophe	70:45:50
30	VAN DER WOUDEN Bram	71:27:22
31	ENOCHSSON Per	71:54:58
32	STROMAETHER Per	72:19:45
33	DORS Richard	76:19:50
34	LINES Edward	76:54:40
35	COMINARDI Davide	77:29:29
36	CALDWELL Peter	78:40:14

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Under-21’s Speedway heads to Undera

Australia’s best Under 21 Speedway riders converge on Undera this Saturday night for the 2020 Australian Under 21’s Speedway Championship, with a 16-rider field to tackle the tight technical Undera circuit, near Shepparton, from 5pm, January 25, 2020.

Motorcycling Australia Track Events Manager, Sam Redfern, said the 16-rider field were the best of the best and Australia’s future world champions including recent Australian Senior Solo Speedway Championship competitors Jaimon Lidsey and Zach Cook who both put in strong performances against senior riders.

Jaimon Lidsey

Sam Redfern – Motorcycling Australia Track Events Manager

“This is a fantastic field of Australian talent for the Under 21’s Speedway Championship at Undera, with Jaimon Lidsey aiming for his third Under 21 title in a row. Undera recently held the successful senior national championship and fans should definitely expect spectacular action and racing this Saturday night. Junior speedway is in a very healthy state and these young guns have the talent to represent Australia on the world stage. I would certainly encourage speedway fans to get to Undera Speedway on January 25 for what will be a fantastic championship meet.”

Racing on the night kicks off with practice from 5pm, rider introduction at 7pm and racing from 7.30pm.

2020 Moto X Step Up returns to Adelaide

Following a successful Australian debut at the 2019 Superloop Adelaide 500, the Moto X Step Up competition will return for 2020, with the unique motocross competition attracting adrenalin-seekers from all over the world as competitors attempt to jump a bar as high as 55 feet.

An international rider line-up headlined by Australia’s own Jarryd McNeil will see some of the world’s best Moto X stars head to Adelaide to compete for the top prize.

McNeil, the reigning four-time Moto X Step Up X Games Gold Medallist (2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019) took out the inaugural Superloop Adelaide 500 crown in 2019 and is looking forward to returning to Adelaide to defend his title.

Jarryd McNeil

“It was awesome to win the first ever Moto X Step Up competition in Australia at last year’s Superloop Adelaide 500. It’s cool to see so many Aussie fans at the event, embracing Moto X Step Up and cheering us on. This year the field is just as competitive, if not more, with a number of international riders. I’m looking forward to the challenge that it brings and trying to retain my title.”

American Colby Raha who claimed bronze in the Moto X Step Up and gold in the Real Moto X Gold Medal at the 2019 X Games is McNeil’s main rival in the field and looking for redemption in 2020.

Colby Raha

“I’m stoked to head back to Australia and compete in the Step Up competition. It’s cool to see how big this sport has grown in Australia over the years and the level of riders coming from Down Under. The competition was close in 2019 and I’m ready to go again, the Aussies better watch their backs!”

The Czech Republic’s Filip Podmol will return to Adelaide after a successful Moto X debut at last year’s event clearing 36 feet, along with Italian Massimo Bianconcini who took out fifth place in the 2019 X Games Moto X Step Up competition, rounding out the field in what is set to be a thrilling spectacle for fans.

Similar to high jump, Moto X Step Up will see the bar increase in height, beginning at 30 feet and sometimes reaching 55 feet in order to secure eliminations. If a rider is unsuccessful in their two attempts they are eliminated. The winner is declared when one rider remains after multiple elimination stages over the four-day event, kicking off on February 20.

The Superloop Adelaide 500 will take place 20 February – 23 February, 2020. Tickets for the 2020 Superloop Adelaide 500 are now on sale. For more information on the event and Rose Rooftop visit: www.superloopadl500.com.au (link)

Weekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop

2020 Empire Kawasaki riders announced

The direct collaboration between Kawasaki Motors Australia and Empire Kawasaki is entering into its second full season, with Tyson Cherry and Empire Motorsport to run the largest Kawasaki supported Motocross and Supercross racing effort in the 2020 Australian Motocross Nationals and Australian Supercross Championship.

Continuing on from 2019, Deakin Hellier will be competing on the Kawasaki KX250 in MXD and MX2 sharing, “Feeling super adamant on putting some good results on the board for the 2020 MX season, my bike this year is feeling awesome. The new 2020 KX250 has really blown me away this year excited to show my potential.”

Jayden Rykers, will be competing on the Kawasaki KX450 in MX1 adding, “I’m really happy to be joining the Empire Kawasaki team for 2020. I had a solid year last year and had the speed to run with the top riders and I’m looking to continue on with that form. I’ve spent some time on the test track on the new bike and I feel really comfortable on the bike, and think that as a whole, it suits my style better than my previous bike. This, paired with a better preseason will see me hunting the podium throughout the year.”

Team Manager, Tyson Cherry also commented on the year ahead, “2019 was an awesome year for us, learning a new bike and building a relationship with Kawasaki Australia, we are excited to continue our partnership with Kawasaki. Deakin and Jayden are both putting in a lot of work on and off the bike; we are all excited to get to round 1 and get the season underway.”

Kawasaki Motors Australia National Sales & Marketing Manager, Robert Walker is looking forward to a strong year for the Green Team, “We have established an great relationship with Empire Kawasaki. In 2020 we are looking forward to seeing the team on the podium and supporting the Kawasaki brand with some great results.”.

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Indian announce 2020 European Flat Track Series

Indian Motorcycle and the Dirt Track Riders Association (DTRA) have announce the race schedule for the 2020 Indian Motorcycle European Flat Track Series.

Following a successful inaugural series in 2019, Indian Motorcycle has worked with the DTRA to select events that ensure the ‘Indian Motorcycle Flat Track Series’ championship is accessible and exciting for a wide range of rider abilities.

2020 Indian Motorcycle Flat Track Series announced – Image by Tom Bing

Three classes will allow entries ranging from the thundering 750cc+ multi-cylinder ‘Hooligan’ road-based machines, such as Indian FTR 1200 and Scout, to the Open-entry ‘Pro Class’ dominated by lightweight DTX based machines and a growing Pre-1975 ‘Vintage Class’.

All classes cater for first-time amateur and Pro riders alike, with circuits catering for mixed ability, including fast ½-miles, tight short tracks and a TT, with a four round championship with the three best results to count.

2020 Indian Motorcycle Flat Track Series

Round 1: 2nd-3rd May Hells Race, Holland – Light Shale Short-Track
Open to all Classes. Held at this well-established event at the Dirttrack Lelystad Stadium, this is a fantastic event to open the series.
Round 2: 6th-7th June Greenfield TT, United Kingdom – Dirt-Track TT Course
Open to Pro and Vintage classes only. Greenfield TT incorporates a spectacular jump section which is unsuitable for the Hooligan road-based machines, it also makes-up a round of the UK DTRA Indian Motorcycle Flat Track Nationals Series.
Round 3: 13th June – El Rollo at Wheels and Waves, San Sebastian, Spain – Dirt Short-Track
Open to all Classes. The El Rollo dirt-track race at Wheels and Waves is a massive event in the European motorcycle calendar.
Round 4: 18th-20th September Krowdrace, Parchim Germany – Shale 1/2 Mile
Open to all Classes. Run for the first time in 2019, Krowdrace is expanding in its second year and will be running at this excellent ½-mile venue.

Individual event prizes will be awarded on top of local event prizes as follows: Winner Pro – 200 Euros; Winner Hooligan – 150 Euros; Winner Vintage – 150 Euros.

The series is free to enter and prizes and benefits will be available only to registered riders. Registered riders will agree to abide by the rules of the series and the local rules and licence arrangements of each local race organisers. Registrations will open during January and close just before the first meeting. Full rules for the 2020 series will be found on the DTRA website and, of course, locally at each event. (Link to registration via DTRA: www.dirttrackriders.co.uk)

Indian Motorcycle will announce its 2020 team and rider lineup soon.

2020 Indian Motorcycle Flat Track Series Poster

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Shayna Texter with Red Bull KTM Factory Racing for another two years

KTM Motorsports have announced that 18-time AFT Singles winner Shayna Texter has signed a two-year contract extension with the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Team to compete in the American Flat Track Championship Singles class through the 2021 season.

Texter, a Pennsylvania native, will return aboard the KTM 450 SX-F Factory Edition, a bike that led her to three AFT Singles Main Event wins last season. As a part of the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Team’s debut season in 2019, Texter has been an integral part of the brand’s testing and development in American Flat Track racing. Finishing seventh overall in the series last season, Texter will look to improve her standing and go after even more race-wins in 2020.

Shayna Texter

“It’s an honor to be continuing my relationship with the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Team. They have created a culture of winning that I am happy to be a part of. We learned so much together last season with the new team and we won three races together, but now we turn our attention toward 2020 with new goals that I look forward to accomplishing on a Red Bull KTM.”

Shayna Texter – Image by Scott Hunter

The 2020 American Flat Track Championship kicks off on March 14 in Daytona Beach, Florida. For more information on the American Flat Track Championship, please visit their website https://www.americanflattrack.com.

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)
June 7 – Russia, Orlyonok – (EMX250, EMX Open)
June 14 – Latvia, Kegums – (EMX250, EMX Open)
June 28 – Indonesia, Jakarta
July 5 – Indonesia, Palembang
July 26 – Czech Republic, Loket – (EMX65, EMX85, EMX 2t)
August 2 – Belgium, Lommel – (EMX125, EMX250)
August 16 – Sweden, Uddevalla – (EMX125, EMX250)
August 23 – Finland, Litti-KymiRing – (EMX125, EMX250, EMX 2t)
September 6 – Turkey, Afyonkarahisar – (EMX Open, WMX)
September 13 – China, (TBA) –
September 20 – Emilia Romagna, Imola – (EMX125, WMX)
September 27 – Motocross of Nations, France, Ernee

2020 American Flat Track

Round 1. March 14: Daytona 200 & TT – Daytona Speedway, FL
Round 2. March 28: Atlanta Short Track – Dixie Speedway, Woodstock, GA
Round 3. April 4: Charlotte Half-Mile – Charlotte Speedway, Concord, NC
Round 4. May 2: Texas Half-Mile – Texas Speedway, Fort Worth, TX
Round 5. May 9: So-Cal Half-Mile – Perris Speedway, Perris, CA
Round 6. May 16: Sacramento Mile – Cal Expo, Sacramento, CA
Round 7. May 30: Red Mile – Red Mile, Lexington, KY
Round 8. June 13: Laconia Short Track – New Hampshire Speedway, Loudon, NH
Round 9. June 20: OKC Mile – Remington Park, Oklahoma City, OK
Round 10. June 27: Lima Half-Mile – Allen County Fairgrounds, Lima, OH
Round 11. July 4: New York Short Track – Weedsport Speedway, Weedsport, NY
Round 12. August 9: Buffalo Chip TT – Buffalo Chip, Sturgis, SD
Round 13. August 11: Black Hills Half-Mile – Black Hills Speedway, Rapid City, SD
Round 14. August 22: Peoria TT – Peoria Motorcycle Club, Peoria, IL
Round 15. September 5: Springfield Mile I – Illinois Fairgrounds, Springfield, IL
Round 16. September 6: Springfield Mile II – Illinois Fairgrounds, Springfield, IL
Round 17. September 12: Williams Grove Half-Mile – Williams Grove Speedway, Mechanicsburg, PA
Round 18. September 26: Meadowlands Mile* – Meadowlands Racetrack, East Rutherford, NJ

2020 Australian Speedway Senior Solo Speedway Calendar

Round 1, January 3 – Kurri Kurri Speedway, Loxford Park NSW
Round 2, January 6 – Diamond Park, Wodonga VIC
Round 3, January 7 – Undera Speedway, Echuca Road, Undera VIC
Round 4, January 9 – Olympic Park, Regina Street, Mildura VIC
Round 5, January 11 – Gillman Speedway, Wilkins Road, Gillman SA

2020 WESS Enduro World Championship Schedule

Round 1: Extreme XL Lagares (Portugal) May 8-10
Round 2: Trefle Lozerien AMV (France) May 21-23
Round 3: Erzbergrodeo Red Bull Hare Scramble (Austria) June 10-14
Round 4: Red Bull 111 Megawatt (Poland ) June TBC
Round 5: Red Bull Romaniacs (Romania) July 21-25
Round 6: Tennessee Knockout (USA) August 15-16
Round 7: Hawkstone Park Cross-Country (UK) September TBC
Round 8: Hixpania Hard Enduro (Spain) October TBC

2020 FIM Speedway GP Calendar

May 16 – PZM Warsaw SGP of Poland – Warsaw
May 30 – German SGP – Teterow
June 13 – Czech SGP – Prague
July 18 – Adrian Flux British SGP – Cardiff
July 25 – Swedish SGP – Hallstavik
August 1 – Betard Wroclaw SGP of Poland – Wroclaw
August 15 – Scandinavian SGP – Malilla, Sweden
August 29 – Russian SGP – Togliatti
September 12 – Danish SGP sponsored by ECCO – Vojens
October 3 – Revline Torun SGP of Poland – Torun

2020 Australian Dirt Track Championship dates

April 11-12 Australian Junior Dirt Track Championships
- Mick Doohan Raceway, QLD, North Brisbane Jnr Motorcycle Club
October 17-18 Australian Senior Dirt Track Championships
- Fairburn Park, ACT Motorcycle Club

2020 Australian Track Championship dates

May 16-17 Australian Senior Track Championships
- Qurindi, Tamworth, NSW, Tamworth Motorcycle Club
September 26-27 Australian Junior Track Championships
- Gunnedah, NSW Gunnedah Motorcycle Club

2020 Australian Off-Road Championship Calendar

Round 1 & 2: Toowoomba, QLD 22 – 23 February 2020
Round 3 & 4: Dungog, NSW 14 – 15 March 2020
Round 5 & 6: Nowra, NSW 18 – 19 April 2020
Round 7 & 8: SA 1 – 2 August 2020
Round 9 & 10: Omeo, VIC 19 – 20 September 2020
Round 11 & 12: Wynyard, TAS 17 –18 October 2020

2020 FIM SuperEnduro World Championship Calendar

Round 1: December 7, 2019 – Krakow, Poland
Round 2: January 4 – Riesa, Germany
Round 3: January 18 – A Coruna, Spain
Round 4: February 1 – Budapest, Hungary
Round 5: March 14 – Lodz, Poland

2020 AMA Extreme Off-Road East/West Calendar

2020 AMA Extreme Off-Road East Series
- March 28-29: RevLimiter Extreme Enduro, Decatur, Texas
- May 16-17: Madd Moose, Marquette, Mich.
- July 4-5: Tough Like RORR, Tamaqua, Pa.
- July 18-19: Fallen Timbers, Little Hocking, Ohio
- Aug. 1-2: Battle of the Goats, Taylorsville, N.C.
2020 AMA Extreme Off-Road West Series
- Feb. 8: King of the Motos, Lucerne Valley, Calif.
- March 28-29: RevLimiter Extreme Enduro, Decatur, Texas
- May 2-3: EnduroFest, Reno, Nev.
- June 6-7: Last Dog Standing, Devore, Calif.
- June 20-21: Stix and Stones, Kellogg, Idaho
2020 AMA Extreme Off-Road Grand Championship
- Aug. 14-16: Trials Training Center, Sequatchie, Tenn.

2020 FIM Flat Track World Championship Calendar

Round 1 – June 13: Diedenbergen DE
Round 2 – July 26: Boves-Cuneo IT
Round 3 – September 5: Morizès FR
Round 4 – October 3: Pardubice CZ

2020 King of MX Calendar

Qualifier 1 – February 15-16, Bega – Top 7 qualify for final
Qualifier 2 – February 29-1 March, Narrabri – Top 7 qualify for final
Qualifier 3 – March 14-15, Bathurst – Top 6 qualify for final
Qualifier 4 – March 28-29, Wagga Wagga – Top 6 qualify for final
Qualifier 5 – April 18-19, Lake Macquarie -Top 7 qualify for final
Qualifier 6 – May 9-10, Sydney – Top 7 qualify for final
Final – June 6-8, Undisclosed Location

2020 Australian Motocross National Championship Calendar

Round 1 & 2 Horsham, Victoiria April 4/5
Round 3 Newry, Victoria May 3
Round 4 Gympie, Qld May 24
Round 5 Conondale, QLD June 28
Round 6 & 7 Maitland, NSW July 25/26
Round 8 & 9 Coolum, QLD August 22/23

Weekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop
Source: MCNews.com.au

Motorcycle News, Motorcycle Racing, News

Toby Price third as Brabec wins the Dakar Rally 2020

January 17, 2020 mcnews Leave a comment

Stage 12 of the 2020 Dakar Rally marked the final day of racing, with riders covering a total of 447 kilometres, including a timed special of 374 kilometres from Haradh to the finish at Qiddiya. Ricky Brabec led the overall standings by a comfortable 13min-56s from Pablo Quintanilla into the day, while Toby Price was 22min-34s off leading pace.

Ricky Brabec

Monster Energy Honda Team ace Brabec had snatched the leader’s spot on day three and refused to relinquish the top spot until the race wrapped up, two stage victories and 5000 kilometres later.

It was Pablo Quintanilla opening the track from Toby Price, with just 8min-30s separating the two, while Ricky Brabec seemed to be playing it safe with his lead, with teammate Kevin Benavides reportedly stopping and waiting for him.

Jose Cornejo set the pace in the first 69 km, with Brabec not far off, before Brabec upping the pace and taking the lead by km 119.

The final timesheet of the stage would see Jose Cornejo take the win from Brabec, who trailed him by 53-seconds, while Toby Price was 2min-53s off Stage winning pace.

Toby Price – Image by Rally Zone

Luciano Benavides was fourth, and Pablo Quintanilla fifth, Kevin Benavides sixth and top Sherco Adrien Metge in seventh, followed by top Yamaha in eigth. Macieg Giemza and Andrew Short completed the top 10.

Aussie Rodney Faggotter completed the final stage just outside the top-10 in 22nd, 9min-33s off leading pace.

The final standings would see Ricky Brabec retain most of the lead he held into the final stage, taking the overall win by 40h-2min-36s, with Pablo Quintanilla runner up, 16min-26s in arrears.

Ricky Brabec – Image by Rally Zone

Ricky Brabec – P1

“It’s a dream come true. Hopefully we can come back next year and repeat it. I know that it’s not going to be easy as the Husky and KTM boys will be breathing down our necks. I’m really excited to be here for Honda and for America as well. To be the only American to accomplish this goal is amazing. I think it’s really a dream come true. Now we’ve got to set our goals higher and accomplish more. We are going to come back next year and try and repeat this but, as I said, it’s not easy. We are happy. It was a big, tough race. A lot of kilometres. The team worked great together. The riders were good and the whole team worked well together so I’m really happy. The bikes were really good. We are all here. We are all happy and safe. That was the first goal. I can’t thank everyone enough – Honda, Monster and every one of the sponsors behind us. Thank you all so much. It’s the first time in Saudi Arabia. The scenery was insane! I love it. Hopefully I’ll be back next year. I’ve got a five-year contract so I think we’ll be back.”

Ricky Brabec – Image by Rally Zone

Pablo Quintanilla – P2

“I feel amazing. To spend most of 2019 in recovery and now to be here with my best ever result makes me extremely grateful. I never thought that I would be in this position at the beginning of the race. I would like to thank the team for their hard work over these two weeks – they have done an amazing job. Overall, my race has gone really well, it’s been a tough event for everybody, and the main goal was always to reach the finish. A podium at the Dakar is like a dream come true, especially after such a hard one this year. I still want that win so I’ll work hard and be back next year.”

Pablo Quintanilla

Australian Toby Price was third overall, 24min-06s off winning pace, with Jose Cornejo in fourth and KTM’s Matthias Walkner completing the top five.

Toby Price – P3

Toby Price – Image by Rally Zone

José Ignacio Cornejo – P4

Today’s stage was short but intense. I battled it out with Walkner and Luciano Benavides. They started out in front of me, so I started the special very focused, trying to reduce the time. In the end I didn’t make any mistakes and was able to win the final stage of the Dakar, and thus finish fourth in the general standings. I’m very happy with the way the entire rally went. The team has finally achieved the victory we were looking for after so many years. I’m very happy with the whole team, they have worked so hard.

José Ignacio Cornejo

Matthias Walkner – P5

“Firstly, it feels really good to cross the finish line, especially after such a fast Dakar in a new country. For sure, I’m not so happy with my result as my goal was to reach the podium. I know I made some mistakes in the first week where I lost some time, and it was very difficult to make that back up – especially as so many riders were competitive this year. The good thing is, I felt good with my speed and my navigation for most of the rally. Unfortunately, even with 11 good days, one bad day can spoil your race in rallying. Overall, I’m happy because I know I did my best and the team and the bike have been perfect.”

Matthias Walkner

In sixth was Luciano Benavides, followed by Joan Barreda in seventh, with Franco Caimi the top Yamaha in eighth. Skyler Howes took ninth and Andrew Short 10th.

Luciano Benavides – P6

“It’s been a really tough Dakar and a very crazy race with lots of ups and downs. Overall, I have really enjoyed it and I’m happy to be here at the finish line. I knew this year would be a big challenge and would be a new experience for everyone, so my plan was to take it day by day and the main goal was always just to finish safely. I’m very happy with my pace, I have learnt so much and was able to really use that knowledge at this year’s event. So many riders were competitive, with times very close on a lot of the stages, so to come away with sixth overall is great. I’m really looking forward to the coming season now.”

Luciano Benavides

Joan Barreda – P7

“This was a Dakar that from the beginning was really tough for me. I spent a few days with some great difficulties, but little by little I began pulling back and picking up pace. I had a bit of bad luck with the cancellation of the two stages and the change of engine also penalized me. But in the end the good feelings came back. We have to stay positive but despite all the difficulties, I have finished another Dakar.”

Joan Barreda

Franco Caimi – P8

“It’s a huge relief to finally arrive at the finish of this year’s Dakar Rally. It’s been a really rough two weeks that we have passed through with many different challenges to overcome. Thankfully, we did overcome everything and today we arrived at the finish. The whole team has worked so, so hard, not just during this Dakar but during the whole year. Obviously, I wish Adrien and Xavier all the best for a fast recovery and will now take some time to enjoy this moment and reflect on the event. I’m pleased to have finished, especially after two years of not finishing. It’s been a real adventure and I’m also pleased with some strong stage results. Now it’s time for some rest and then to make plans for the season ahead.”

Franco Caimi

Andrew Short – P10

“I’m really happy to get to the end of this year’s Dakar – it’s been a long race, good fun, but very tough for me, I had a lot of challenges. The first week in the north was beautiful – I’ve never raced anywhere like it. I had some issues in those first few days that really put me on the back foot for the rest of the event. It took a lot out of me as you prepare all year for this race and to have such a big knock so early on was tough. This is only my third Dakar and I’m still learning. A two-week event like this is certainly different to a one-week world championship event and you have to be able to gauge your speed the whole way through. I definitely want to be back here next year for Dakar 2021.”

Andrew Short

Top overall Sherco rider was Adrien Metge in 12th, while Australian Rodney Faggotter (Yamaha Motor Australia) came home in 13th.

Rodney Faggotter – P13

GasGas Factory Racing’s Laia Sanz was the highest placing female competitor, finishing stage 12 in 25th and completing the 2020 Dakar Rally in 18th overall.

Laia Sanz – P18

“I will remember a lot about this Dakar. Of course, I will remember Paulo, a true Dakar warrior. So, I have mixed emotions. I will also remember it because it is the race that I managed to start and finish my 10th consecutive Dakar, this is something I am very proud of. I think I’m the first Spanish rider to do that. Dakar is never easy, but when you have a crash it becomes so much harder. So, I’m pleased that I managed to overcome everything and finish the race, and also to have been the first rider to represent GasGas Motorcycles. It’s not been the best for me in terms of my overall result – after my crash on stage two I was riding in a lot of dust and the average speed was a little too high for me during the second week. I’m proud of what I’ve achieved and want to thank all the GasGas Factory Racing team for their support.”

Laia Sanz – Image by Rally Zone
Source: MCNews.com.au

Motorcycle News, Motorcycle Racing, News

Quintanilla narrowly wins Stage 11 from Walkner | Dakar 2020

January 16, 2020 mcnews Leave a comment

Stage 11 of the 2020 Dakar Rally, the penultimate day of racing, saw riders cover 744 kilometres, with a timed special of 379 kilometres, with riders still needing to personally care for their machines and tyres in order to complete the stage successfully.

2020 Dakar Rally – Ricky Brabec – Image by Rally Zone

Joan Barreda led Ricky Brabec and Kevin Benavides from the start, with the three Honda riders setting off first and leading the now 97-rider field.

Reaching the special it was Pablo Quintanilla on the attack, leading Matthias Walkner and Luciano Benavides, but 103 km in Luciano was setting the fastest pace, three-minutes ahead of Toby Price.

At the 108 km mark Ricky Brabec was losing time, sitting 6min-28s off the leader, and as the special progressed would fall further back to trail by nine-minutes, with Toby Price also 4min-51s behind the leader.

Matthias Walkner meanwhile closed in on leader Quintanilla, with just 11-seconds separating the two at kilometre 212, with Brabec falling further behind.

It would be Pablo Quintanilla who took the stage win from Matthias Walkner in the provisional results, with just nine-seconds between the two riders.

Pablo Quintanilla

“Honestly, the stage was really tough today – all off-piste and very fast. I felt good and was able to push as hard as I could. Overall, I’m really happy with my race and to be in this position going into the final day. After difficult months I have had coming back from injury, it feels great to be here and second overall going into tomorrow. As always I will give my all and we’ll see what will happen.”

Pablo Quintanilla wins Stage 11

Matthias Walkner

“I had a really good stage today and made the most of my good start position to really push the tracks left by the guys in front. I was riding at 100% for the entire special. I ran out of fuel about two kilometres before the refuelling but was able to lie the bike on its side to get the last bit to the pump and luckily it was just enough to carry on. I made up some good time today, but with just one stage left it’ll be tough to make up much more time. I’ll definitely give it my best and aim for a strong finish to the rally.”

Matthias Walkner

Luciano Benavides was fourth ahead of Joseo Cornejo, with Toby Price completing the top-five.

Luciano Benavides

“It was a really nice day today and the first time we crossed some big dunes, so I like that a lot. I was really worried about the fuel, so I eased off before the refuelling but made it ok. After that I caught the group in front and rode with them for the rest of the stage – just trying my best not to make any mistakes and get to the finish safely. I’m really happy because there’s just one more day to go now and I hope I can finish this Dakar strong.”

Luciano Benavides

José Ignacio Cornejo

“Today was the first day of real dunes. I was feeling pretty much at ease. It was very entertaining and I had a lot of fun. I’m in one piece and the bike too is in perfect shape. Tomorrow is the final day and we are fighting to improve our overall positions. I think that compared to last year I have improved a lot, I feel a much more complete rider. I still have to improve some things but I am very happy with my progress.”

José Ignacio Cornejo

Toby Price

“I was able to make up a fair amount of time today but with the stage cut short yesterday it was difficult to get enough people between myself and the leaders. All-in-all it’s been a good day with very similar conditions to yesterday really – very fast and open. The sand has made for some tough going and like a few people today, I nearly ran out of fuel before kilometre 229. I managed to get in with about one litre left in the tank. One day to go now and I’m still feeling good so we’ll see what tomorrow brings.”

Toby Price

Jamie McCanney was top Yamaha in sixth, 6min-22s off leading pace, followed by teammate Franco Caimi in seventh. Andrew Short was eighth, Kevin Benavides ninth and Ricky Brabec tenth, 11min-48s of leading pace.

Australian Rodney Faggotter was just inside the top 10 in 19th position for the stage, 24min-10s off leading pace.

Ricky Brabec retains his overall lead from an attacking Pablo Quintanilla in the overall standings, while Toby Price is third, 22min-34s off leader Brabec’s combined time.

Ricky Brabec

“There’s one stage left. The team is working well. I’m pretty excited. I can’t get my hopes up right now. Stage 11 here in the dunes was pretty tough. Starting up front due to the cancellation of the second part. So it was really hard to judge the time. Tomorrow there is one stage left and I’m in a good starting position. I’m confident to be focused and make it to the finish line.”

Ricky Brabec

Matthias Walkner and Joan Barreda complete the top-10, while Rodney Faggotter still sits in 13th.

Provisional Stage 11 Results – Dakar Rally 2020

Source: MCNews.com.au

Moto News Weekly WrapDecember 15, 2020

What’s New:

Honda and Penrite dominate AMX MX Open

Yarrive Konsky

AMX MX Open – PRO 250 Results

AMX MX Open – PRO 450 Results

Van Beveren claims Hail Baja opener victory

Adrien Van Beveren – Monster Energy Yamaha Rally Official Team

Hail Baja Overall Provisional Classification

Australian Off-Road Championship confirm 2021 classes

Matthew Falvo – Motorcycling Australia Off-Road Events Manager

2021 AORC Classes

2021 ProMX rider number applications open

Jay Wilson & Levi Rogers remain with Yamalube Yamaha for 2021

Jay Wilson

Levi Rogers

Toni Bou & Takahisa Fujinami return for 15th season with Repsol Honda Team

Toni Bou

Takahisa Fujinami

Ben Watson talks stepping up to MXGP for 2021

Ben Watson

Ben Watson

Ben Watson

Ben Watson

Jo Shimoda joins 2021 Monster Energy Kawasaki Race Team

Jo Shimoda

Hero MotoSports Team Rally announce 2021 Dakar line-up

Sebastian Buhler

Joaquim Rodrigues

CS Santosh

Wolfgang Fischer – Hero MotoSports Team Rally Team Manager

Danny McCanney joins Sherco Factory Racing Team

2021 Racing schedule

2021 AMA SX calendar

2021 Provisional MXGP Calendar

2021 Yamaha AORC presented by MXStore calendar

2021 Australian Pro MX calendar

2021 Speedway GP Calendar

2021 Australian Senior Speedway Solo calendar

2021 Australian Speedway events

2021 Provisional Australian Supercross dates

2021 Australian Four Day Enduro (A4DE)May 19-22 – Harvey, WA

2021 Enduro Australian Three Day Vintage Enduro (A3VE)7-9 May – Blackwood, VIC

2021 Finke Desert Race11-14 June – Northern Territory

2021 Hattah Desert Race3-4 July – Hattah, Victoria

2021 Motocross Australian Classic Motocross Championship9-11 July – Nowra, NSW

2021 Motocross Australian Post Classic Motocross16-18 July – Nowra, NSW

2021 International Six Day Enduro (ISDE)30 August – 4 September – Italy

A very sexy 450 Honda

2021 Monster Energy Honda CRF450 Rally

Moto News Weekly WrapDecember 8, 2020

Wildwood Rock Extreme 2020

Tim Coleman

2020 Wildwood Rock Extreme Gold Class Results

2020 Wildwood Rock Extreme Silver Class Results

2020 Wildwood Rock Extreme Bronze Class Results

Price & Sanders ramp up Dakar prep

Toby Price

Daniel Sanders

2021 Dakar Schedule

Nathan Crawford returns to Australia to Serco Yamaha for 2021

Nathan Crawford

Purvis & Larwood return with WBR Bulk Nutrients Yamaha for 2021

Maximus Purvis

Alex Larwood

Travis Whitten

MJC Yamaha Official EMX125 announce 2021 line-up

Loic Le Foll – MJC Yamaha Official EMX125 Team Owner

Thorsten Lentink – Yamaha Motor Europe MX Racing Coordinator

Brad Freeman renews with Beta until 2023

2021 Honda UK ‘Crendon Fastrack’ motocross team announced

Dave Thorpe

Albert Cabestany join GasGas TrialGP Team as manager

Albert Cabestany – GASGAS Factory Racing Trial Team Manager

Robert Jonas – VP Motorsports Offroad

2021 Racing schedule

2021 AMA SX calendar

2021 Provisional MXGP Calendar

2021 Yamaha AORC presented by MXStore calendar

2021 Australian Pro MX calendar

Moto News Weekly Wrap
December 15, 2020

2021 Australian Four Day Enduro (A4DE)
May 19-22 – Harvey, WA

2021 Enduro Australian Three Day Vintage Enduro (A3VE)
7-9 May – Blackwood, VIC

2021 Finke Desert Race
11-14 June – Northern Territory

2021 Hattah Desert Race
3-4 July – Hattah, Victoria

2021 Motocross Australian Classic Motocross Championship
9-11 July – Nowra, NSW

2021 Motocross Australian Post Classic Motocross
16-18 July – Nowra, NSW

2021 International Six Day Enduro (ISDE)
30 August – 4 September – Italy

Moto News Weekly Wrap
December 8, 2020

2021 Australian Four Day Enduro (A4DE)
May 19-22 – Harvey, WA

2021 Enduro Australian Three Day Vintage Enduro (A3VE)
7-9 May – Blackwood, VIC

2021 Finke Desert Race
11-14 June – Northern Territory

2021 Hattah Desert Race
3-4 July – Hattah, Victoria

2021 Motocross Australian Classic Motocross Championship
9-11 July – Nowra, NSW

2021 Motocross Australian Post Classic Motocross
16-18 July – Nowra, NSW

2021 International Six Day Enduro (ISDE)
30 August – 4 September – Italy

Moto News Weekly Wrap
December 1, 2020

2021 Australian Four Day Enduro (A4DE)
May 19-22 – Harvey, WA

2021 Enduro Australian Three Day Vintage Enduro (A3VE)
7-9 May – Blackwood, VIC

2021 Finke Desert Race
11-14 June – Northern Territory

2021 Hattah Desert Race
3-4 July – Hattah, Victoria

2021 Motocross Australian Classic Motocross Championship
9-11 July – Nowra, NSW

2021 Motocross Australian Post Classic Motocross
16-18 July – Nowra, NSW

2021 International Six Day Enduro (ISDE)
30 August – 4 September – Italy