Moto News Weekly for January 28, 2020

Proudly brought to you by Dunlop Geomax

Weekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop

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What happened this week

• Roczen wins Glendale AMA SX triple-header
• Forkner tops SX2 triple-header at Glendale Round 4
• Mitch Evans second at Italian Motocross opener in Riola Sardo
• Harwood & Purvis win Woodville GP
• King of MX final qualifier confirmed for Dargle
• Cessnock MX Club to host 2020 King of MX final
• 2020 FIM Oceania Speedway Sidecars Champs to Gillman March 21
• Dylan Walsh to race NZ MX with Ben Townley Tours/Altherm JCR Yamaha
• Luc Ackermann wins shortened 2019 FMX World Championsip
• Petr Pilát renews FMX contract with KTM Factory Racing
• 2020 Championship Calendars
  • 2020 AMA Motocross
  • 2020 Monster Energy AMA Supercross
  • 2020 MXGP
  • 2020 American Flat Track
  • 2020 Australian Speedway Senior Solo Speedway
  • 2020 FIM Speedway GP Championship
  • 2020 Australian Dirt Track Championship
  • 2020 Australian Track Championship
  • 2020 Australian Off-Road Championship (AORC)
  • 2020 FIM SuperEnduro Championship
  • 2020 AMA Extreme Off-Road East/West
  • 2020 FIM Flat Track World Championship
  • 2020 King of MX
  • 2020 Australian Motocross National Championship Calendar

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Roczen wins Glendale AMA SX triple-header

For the full 2020 AMA Supercross Round 4 report see:
2020 AMA Supercross Round Four – Glendale

The first SX1 Main Event saw Tomac was all over Roczen by half distance, when he started to put his Kawasaki alongside the Honda. In the final laps though Roczen proved to have Tomac’s measure and pulled clear to take victory by two-seconds. Adam Cianciarulo rounded out the podium ahead of Malcolm Stewart and Jason Anderson.  Aussie Chad Reed finished 18th.

450 Main Event 2 saw a restart following Justin Bogle going down so medical attention could be provided and from the re-start it was Ken Roczen taking the early advantage and stretching a lead by half distance. Cianciarulo and Tomac worked to close down the gap, with Cianciarulo going down, ending up in eighth when he remounted.

Adam Cianciarulo

Roczen was the eventual victor by seven-seconds over Tomac while Anderson rounded out the podium. Baggett got the better of Webb for fourth. Cianciarulo recovered to salvage a sixth place finish ahead of Brayton and Barcia.  Chad Reed came home in 19th position.

In 450 Main Event 3 Ken Roczen once again had a five-second lead by half-race distance, this time ahead of Jason Anderson. Cianciarulo caught Webb and challenged for second, before going over the bars in the whoops, with Webb slightly caught up, allowing Tomac to slip into third. Ken Roczen was an untroubled victor, ahead of Anderson and Tomac.

Ken Roczen thus goes 1-1-1 for the overall victory ahead of Tomac and Anderson, the German extending his championship lead to eight points over Tomac.

Ken Roczen – P1

“I can’t believe we won all three main events! I think it’s the focus that we bring. Between my team and especially my mechanic, we just have a good regimen going into all the races. Every time we go down there for a gate drop, I just want to put maximum focus, put myself in a good position and make life a lot easier—and safer as well. We had some good battles with Eli [Tomac] in the first one, but I was stoked to pull it off. I got a decent start in the second one, and then we had to do a restart unfortunately. I grabbed that holeshot and rode a super-solid race and won. The first start for race three was not good, and me and Tomac were battling in like eighth or something. Then we had another restart, and I pulled the holeshot there and just rode a super-solid race. I had a good time tonight, and I’m really happy with how the team has been excelling and making changes to the bike. We’ve been working really well together, and the team spirit is high right now. Obviously, I’m beyond stoked and want to enjoy tonight and tomorrow, but then get back to work and keep 100% focus.”

Ken Roczen piling the pressure on Zach Osborne

Eli Tomac – P2

“These Triple Crown races are already crazy and then to add the two red flags, there was just a lot going on. We technically had five starts tonight and I didn’t exactly help myself on those, but I was able to make my way to the front and remain consistent with my finishes. Consistency really was the key tonight and the team worked their tails off to help me finish up on the podium. We still have some work to do but overall, we had a successful night and I’m glad we’re close in the point standings.”

Jason Anderson – P3

“All-in-all, I had a great night. I keep getting better as the season goes on, I feel like I keep racing better and better. It’s been a good night. The team is working hard and we’re ready to start charging and make some headway.”

Cooper Webb – P4

“It was a good day. It’s kind of crazy, we had a bunch of red flags so we ended up with a lot of starts tonight. I feel like I finally figured out my starts by the end and I was up front and able to run with the lead group but I just didn’t quite have it tonight. It was a good turnaround from the first Main Event but we’ve still got some stuff to work on and we’ll keep plugging away and try to improve this week before heading into Oakland.”

Justin Barcia – P5

“It was a difficult day right off the bat. The track changed as the night went on and I struggled with turning a little bit and in the whoops, but it was the starts that really hurt me. I had to fight a lot tonight to get up to where I was able to finish, but with such short races like this, it’s difficult. The track was very one-lined, and it was very difficult to pass. Triple crowns are gnarly. Everyone’s so fast. If you don’t get a good start it’s just difficult to put yourself in a good position. There were guys flying around everywhere tonight and crashing, so I’m glad to be getting out of here healthy. I’m a smarter, more mature rider than I have been in the past, so I’ll take what I can get tonight like I did last week. It’s only round four. We’re still in a decent spot and just need to keep plugging away.”

Justin Brayton – P6

“The night went pretty good, but I had a lot of bad starts for some reason. I really struggled with track position at the beginning of the race, and I came from the back pretty much all three races. I’m a little disappointed in that because I felt like with my lap times, a better track position could have given me a top-five finish. But to end up sixth is nothing to hang our heads for at all. It was a positive night, awesome to see Kenny get the win, and the team’s just jelling really well right now; everyone’s doing an amazing job, and I keep getting better and better every weekend. I hope to keep this momentum rolling and be in the top five next week.”

SX1 Round Overall

Pos.	Rider	M1	M2	M3	Overall
1	Ken Roczen	1	1	1	26
2	Eli Tomac	2	2	3	23
3	Jason Anderson	5	3	2	21
4	Cooper Webb	8	5	4	19
5	Justin Barcia	6	8	7	18
6	Justin Brayton	7	7	9	17
7	Malcolm Stewart	4	14	6	16
8	Adam Cianciarulo	3	6	17	15
9	Aaron Plessinger	11	9	8	14
10	Blake Baggett	12	4	14	13
11	Martin Davalos	10	16	5	12
12	Justin Hill	9	13	10	11
13	Dean Wilson	16	10	11	10
14	Vince Friese	13	12	12	9
15	Tyler Bowers	15	15	13	8
16	Ryan Breece	19	18	15	7
17	Chris Blose	17	17	18	6
18	Zach Osborne	22	11	22	5
19	Alex Ray	20	20	16	4
20	Chad Reed	18	19	19	3
21	Justin Bogle	14	22	21	2
22	Jerry Robin	21	21	20	1

SX1 Standings

Pos	Rider	R1	R2	R3	R4	Total
1	Ken Roczen	17	26	23	26	92
2	Eli Tomac	16	19	26	23	84
3	Justin Barcia	26	23	14	18	81
4	Jason Anderson	18	21	18	21	78
5	Cooper Webb	21	11	21	19	72
6	Adam Cianciarulo	23	16	17	15	71
7	Justin Brayton	15	15	16	17	63
8	Malcolm Stewart	14	17	15	16	62
9	Zach Osborne	9	18	19	10	56
10	Blake Baggett	19	14	9	13	55
11	Aaron Plessinger	11	13	8	14	46
12	Justin Hill	12	12	11	11	46
13	Vince Friese	13	9	12	8	42
14	Dean Wilson	10	10	13	9	42
15	Martin Davalos	8	1	10	12	31
16	Justin Bogle	7	8	7	2	24
17	Tyler Bowers	6		6	7	19
18	Chris Blose	3	5	4	5	17
19	Chad Reed	5	2	5	3	15
20	Alex Ray		4	2	4	10
21	Ryan Breece	0		3	6	9
22	Kyle Cunningham	0	7	0		7
23	Benny Bloss		6	1		7
24	Kyle Chisholm	4				4
25	James Decotis	1	3			4
26	Fredrik Noren	2				2
27	Jerry Robin	0			1	1

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Forkner tops SX2 triple-header at Glendale Round 4

The opening 250 moto of this week’s triple crown format saw Championship leader Justin Cooper drop his bike on lap one and suffer damage to his levers that put him at the back of the field. Dylan Ferrandis meanwhile got the better of Michael Mosiman later in the race to move up to second place, while Austin Forkner had a commanding five-second lead with two-minutes remaining in the moto.

Fourth placed Craig chased Mosiman hard in the closing stages of the race and put a pass on the Husqvarna rider as they started the final lap, stealing third place which he then carried all the way to the flag.  Forkner was the race winner over Ferrandis. Aaron Tanti was the highest finishing Aussie in ninth place while countrymen Luke Clout and Jay Wilson were 13th and 14th respectively.

In the second SX2 Main event Cooper looked on course to hold the lead, before losing the front and going down, with Drake inheriting the lead and Forkner up into second. Forkner then claimed the lead, with Ferrandis moving past Mosiman into third.

Forkner was the clear winner with a 3.5-second advantage over Ferrandis at the flag while Drake kept Mosiman at bay in order to clinch the final step on the rostrum.

Luke Clout looked set for a top ten finish but a fall on the final lap cost him that chance, he remounted to salvage 12th.  Jay Wilson the top finishing Aussie in tenth while Aaron Tanti carded a 17th place finish.

The final SX2 Main Event saw Luke Clout as high as sixth but overhauled by Mosiman and Oldenburg in the closing laps to eventually finish eighth ahead of Alex Martin. Justin Cooper was the race winner from Dylan Ferrandis, while Austin Forkner was a distant third. That third place though was enough for Forkner to claim the round win over Ferrandis with Mosiman rounding out the overall podium.

Glendale 250 Podium – Forkner 1st – Ferrandis 2nd – Mosiman 3rd

Austin Forkner – P1

“I’ve been working on the whoops with the team all week because I’ve really been struggling there, so I was ready to race tonight. I’ve had to dig myself out of a hole after last weekend and now 10 points down isn’t too bad. I’ll just keep grinding, chipping away at those points and continue to dig out of this hole. Overall, it was a great night for the entire Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki team and we’re looking to keep it rolling.”

Austin Forkner

Dylan Ferrandis – P2

“I can’t say it was a bad day because it could’ve been much worse. I’m a little disappointed to miss the win. I feel like the bad starts cost me the win tonight, but the speed was there and I made a lot of passes. I was really stoked with my physical feeling because I was not tired at any point, my riding was really good and the bike was awesome. We just need to improve on the starts. I don’t understand why I’m struggling with the starts right now, but we are working with the team and have made some changes. Now we are three points from first place in the championship – that’s the big goal.”

Dylan Ferrandis

Mitchell Oldenburg – P6

“I got bad starts tonight and it hurt my overall chances. We have a lot of work ahead of us, I am still not 100 per cent following my crash at A1 but I am feeling stronger and I can’t wait to throw everything I have at it. I am excited to work with Buddy.”

Justin Cooper – P9

“It was a roller coaster night in Glendale. The track conditions were really tricky and traction was very hard to maintain. I was able to come back with the win in the third Main and hold onto the points lead. We’re going take the positives and learn from the mistakes and move on to next weekend and go for the win again.”

Justin Cooper

Luke Clout improved throughout the night, with Glendale marking his third top 10 overall in a row and he’s now moved to ninth in the championship. The team are impressed with his gutsy ride as he broke his toe on Friday during the press call.

Luke Clout – P10

“I am bummed I crashed on Friday and broke my toe. My foot was extremely sore, I can’t say it affected my riding but I was conscious of it. Another top 10 is good but I am not happy with these overalls. I know what I need to work on and I will continue to push forward, having Buddy will make a difference and everyone on team is working towards a common goal and I appreciate them.”

Luke Clout

SX2 Round Overall

Pos	Rider	M1	M2	M3	Overall
1	Austin Forkner	1	1	3	26
2	Dylan Ferrandis	2	2	2	23
3	Michael Mosiman	4	4	6	21
4	Brandon Hartranft	5	6	4	19
5	Jacob Hayes	6	5	5	18
6	Mitchell Oldenburg	7	7	7	17
7	Alex Martin	8	8	9	16
8	Derek Drake	10	3	13	15
9	Justin Cooper	17	9	1	14
10	Luke Clout	13	12	8	13
11	Carson Brown	11	13	11	12
12	Robbie Wageman	16	11	12	11
13	Martin Castelo	12	14	14	10
14	Killian Auberson	15	16	10	9
15	Jay Wilson	14	10	18	8
16	Aaron Tanti	9	17	17	7
17	Christian Craig	3	22	22	6
18	Michael Leib	19	15	15	5
19	Mitchell Falk	18	18	16	4
20	Cheyenne Harmon	20	19	19	3
21	Logan Karnow	22	20	20	2
22	Ludovic Macler	21	21	21	1

SX2 Standings

Pos	Rider	R1	R2	R3	R4	Total
1	Justin Cooper	26	23	23	14	86
2	Dylan Ferrandis	23	11	26	23	83
3	Brandon Hartranft	16	21	21	19	77
4	Austin Forkner	18	26	6	26	76
5	Alex Martin	13	19	18	16	66
6	Michael Mosiman	19	3	19	21	62
7	Jacob Hayes	12	17	15	18	62
8	Mitchell Oldenburg	7	15	16	17	55
9	Luke Clout	2	16	17	13	48
10	Derek Drake	15	13	5	15	48
11	Jett Lawrence	14	18	14		46
12	Carson Brown	8	14	11	12	45
13	Killian Auberson	9	8	13	9	39
14	Robbie Wageman	10	5	9	11	35
15	Christian Craig	21	1	1	6	29
16	Martin Castelo		12	7	10	29
17	Aaron Tanti	0	10	10	7	27
18	Jay Wilson	6		12	8	26
19	Michael Leib	11	6		5	22
20	Cameron Mcadoo	17				17
21	Logan Karnow	5	0	8	2	15
22	Derek Kelley	4	9			13
23	Mitchell Falk	1	7		4	12
24	Cheyenne Harmon		4	3	3	10
25	Ludovic Macler	0	2	4	1	7
26	Chris Howell	3				3
27	Lorenzo Camporese		0	2		2

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Mitch Evans second at Italian Motocross opener in Riola Sardo

The opening round of the Internazionali d’Italia Motocross has been held in Riola Sardo, kicking off the 2020 season with strong competition across the MX1, MX2 and Supercampione classes.

Tim Gajser

In the MX1 class Tim Gajser took a commanding lead which he held to the chequered flag, with Australian Mitch Evans the runner up in his 450 debut, posting a stellar performance, with Jeremy Seewer taking third overall.

Mitch Evans

“Good first race of the year in Riola! Always enjoy racing this track. I’m feeling at home back on the 450!”

Mitch Evans

In MX2 Jago Geerts was the top performer, leading home teammate Ben Watson, while Maxime Renaux completed the podium.

The Supercampione class combined the top twenty MX1 and MX2 riders and saw Tim Gajser take the win from Jeremy Seewer, while Arminas Jasikonis completed the top three.

Tim Gajser

“Great first race weekend of the year! We finish P1 in superfinal in a dominant fashion. Great preparation for the upcoming MXGP season.”

Tim Gajser won the Supercampione

MX1 Result

1. Gajser Tim(Slo)
2. Evans Mitchell (Aus)
3. Seewer Jeremy (Sui)
4. Desalle Clement (Bel)
5. Jasikonis Arminas (Ltu)

MX2 Result

1. Geerts Jago (Bel)
2. Watson Ben (Gbr)
3. Renaux Maxime (Fra)
4. Guadagnini Mattia (Ita)
5. Edelbacher Roland (Aut)

Supercampione Result

1. Gajser Tim (Slo)
2. Seewer Jeremy (Sui)
3. Jasikonis Arminas (Ltu)
4. Paulin Gautier (Fra)
5. Geerts Jago (Bel)

MX1 Standings

1. Gajser Tim(Slo) P.120
2. Evans Mitchell (Aus) P. 100
3. Seewer Jeremy (Sui) P. 80
4. Desalle Clement (Bel) P. 65
5. Jasikonis Arminas (Ltu) P. 60

MX2 Standings

1. Geerts Jago (Bel) P. 120
2. Watson Ben (Gbr) P. 100
3. Renaux Maxime (Fra) P. 80
4. Guadagnini Mattia (Ita) P. 65
5. Edelbacher Roland (Aut) P. 65

Supercampione Standings

1. Gajser Tim (Slo) P. 120
2. Seewer Jeremy (Sui) P. 100
3. Jasikonis Arminas (Ltu) P. 80
4. Paulin Gautier (Fra) P. 65
5. Geerts Jago (Bel) P. 60

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Harwood & Purvis win Woodville GP

New Zealand’s 2020 Woodville Motocross GP saw Hamish Harwood and Maximum Purvis claim the MX1 and MX2 wins respectively ahead of the kick-off of the 2020 Fox New Zealand Motocross Championship.

Maximus Purvis took the MX2 win

In the MX1 class it was Hamish Harwood battling it out with Australia’s Kirk Gibbs racing for Altherm JCR Yamaha, who was back racing for the first time since August and struggled with the slippery conditions at times.

A 2-2-1 result was enough to earn Gibbs the runner up position behind Harwood, while Ethan Martens completed the overall MX1 podium.

Kirk Gibbs

“In the first moto, I didn’t get off the line very well at all and had to come from pretty much dead last. I actually felt really comfortable on the bike, made some good progress on the leaders and then got into second. Then I got right onto the back of first for the last lap but just ran out of time. The track had been watered before the second race and he “struggled a little bit trying to push hard when the track was drying out. I got into second, then just as I got into the lead Hamish Harwood passed me. He could turn off a few things a little bit better than me until the track started to dry out towards the end of the race and then I got right back on him but couldn’t pass. I sat there for a little bit but started to inch up. He made a little mistake down the back and I got through and rode it home for a win. All in all, I felt very good and felt good on the bike. My starts can definitely be better and I’ve got to work on those this week and then I’ll come out swinging for round one,” Gibbs concludes.”

Kirk Gibbs

Maximus Purvis dominated in the MX2 class working his way into first position from fourth for the win, while claiming the holeshot in race two and creating a gap he held for the win. The third race saw Purvis claim third, which was enough to take the overall win from Wyatt Chase, with Josiah Natzske third overall.

MX1 Results

1. Hamish Harwood – 72
2. Kirk Gibbs – 69
3. Ethan Martens – 54
4. Cody Cooper – 51
5. Hadleigh Knight – 48

MX2 Results

1. Maximus Purvis – 70
2. Wyatt Chase – 67
3. Josiah Natzske – 56
4. Dylan Walsh – 52
5. James Scott – 46

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King of MX final qualifier confirmed for Dargle

The sixth and final chance to qualify for the King of MX final will be held at Dargle on May 9-10, hosted by the Oakdale Junior Motorcycle Club, with the Dargle venue regarded by many as a true motocross track due to its natural terrain layout and heritage as a venue for premiere motocross events, including Mr Motocross, through the ’70s and ’80s.

King of MX

Gavin Hunt – Oakdale Junior Motorcycle Club President

“I’m really excited that the Oakdale committee has gotten behind this, and we as a club can be a part of the 2020 King of MX series and, even more so, to be able to take it to Dargle. To a lot of us, Dargle represents motocross in its most pure form: rider and machine battling each other as they race across the incredible terrain. As the last qualifier for the King of MX final, the event will offer the last seven Golden Tickets for each of the 18 championship classes. We’ll be encouraging all our members to get out there, race it and have some fun – and hopefully make it through.”

Dave Cooke – Motorcycling NSW CEO

“We’ve obviously been working behind the scenes to include Dargle in the 2020 King of MX calendar for some time, and, although it’s a delayed announcement, I think it’s worth the wait. Dargle is iconic in NSW. The track will lead to some great racing, and it’s a fitting way to close the qualifiers before the final. Thanks to our amazing partners, we have an enormous $62,000 prize pool this year, enabling it to be distributed across all the qualifiers, as well as continuing to reward our state champions at the final, along with our Prince, Princess, King and Queen.”

Jess Moore – King of MX

For more details on the schedule see below.

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Cessnock MX Club to host 2020 King of MX final

Hot on the announcement of the King of MX Qualifier Six location, we’ve found out who will be hosting the King of MX final. The Cessnock Club has put in a massive amount of work over summer to rebuild large parts of their track, redesigning it, making huge improvements to the safety and fun factor for riders, and, best of all, they now have 40 gates. What better way to christen it than to bring the final of the biggest motocross event in Australia to the club!

King of MX

Dave Cooke – MNSW CEO

“It’s always exciting to see our clubs put massive amounts of time and money into redeveloping their venues, and the work Cessnock has done over summer puts them in a position to become a host club for the King of MX final. Finding host venues for the final is actually very difficult, simply due to the size of the event. The King of MX has become so successful in its first two years it has actually outgrown some of our venues as we need so much space for competitors and spectators. With the work Cessnock has put in over summer, they are now capable of pulling this off for us. It also means the final will be well located for a whole lot of riders who will want a qualifying spot for their place on the gates, so they better all get their entries in for our regional qualifiers in Bega, Narrabri, Wagga Wagga and Bathurst to try and find a path to their Golden Ticket. If they wait for the last couple of qualifiers at Lakes and Dargle, they may just miss out, because those two events will be huge as well.”

With all seven event venues now announced, get in quick to secure your entry, earn a Golden Ticket and join us in Cessnock. For more information on the 2020 King of MX, head to www.kingofmx.com.au.

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, Dargle – Top 7 qualify for final
• Final – June 6-8, Cessnock

2020 Kings of MX Championship Classes

• Nippers 4-u/7 years – Demonstration at Qualifiers Only
• 50cc Division 2 – 7-u/9 years
• 65cc 7-u/10 years
• 65cc 10-u/12 years
• 85cc 2st/150cc 4st 9-u/12 years {standard wheel}
• 85cc 2st /150cc 4st 12-u/14 years {standard & big wheel}
• 85cc 2st/150cc 4st 14-u/16 years {standard & big wheel}
• 85cc 2st/150cc 4st 12-u/16 years All Female {standard & big wheel}
• 100cc-150cc 2st & 200cc- 250cc 4st 13-u/16 years All Female (Princess of MX)
• 100cc-125cc 2st 13-u/16 years
• 128cc-150cc 2st & 200cc-250cc 4st 13-u/16 years (Prince of MX)
• MXW All Powers
• MX1 A-Grade 255cc-450cc 2st/4st
• MX1 B-Grade 255cc-450cc 2st/4st
• C Grade Open
• MX2 A-Grade up to 250cc 2st/4st
• MX2 B-Grade up to 250cc 2st/4st
• C Grade Lites
• +35 Vets All Powers

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2020 FIM Oceania Speedway Sidecars Champs to Gillman March 21

The Oceania regions best sidecar talent will descend on Gillman Speedway March 21 and roar into life for the 2020 FIM Oceania Speedway Sidecar Championship, with MA CEO and FIM Oceania Vice President Peter Doyle announcing the event and also opening expressions of interest until 4.45pm Thursday, February 20, 2020.

Doyle said there was a very strong supporter base of speedway sidecars in Australia and he expected the competition to see the best of the best on display.

Peter Doyle

“We have a very strong history in Australia of producing some of the best sidecar talent in the world including 11-time Australian champion Darrin Treloar and rival Warren Monson. This Australian rivalry and the best of the best in the Oceania region will make the 2020 FIM Oceania Speedway Sidecar Championship at Gillman Speedway a must see.”

The Championship is open to holders of current Motorcycling Australia Senior National Competition licence holders, and holders of an appropriate FIM International Licence, Insurance and Start Permission for their Federation.

2020 FIM Oceania Speedway Sidecars Champs to Gillman March 21

The event will be run over 20 heats and two finals with four riders in each heat and final
over four laps. Fans wanting to get along to the FIM Oceania Speedway Sidecar Championship on March 21, at Gillman Speedway, can do so when gates open at 4pm, practice at 5.30pm, and racing commences at 7.30pm.

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Dylan Walsh to race NZ MX with Ben Townley Tours/Altherm JCR Yamaha

Two of New Zealand’s motocross superpowers have joined forces to make a 2020 Fox New Zealand Motocross Championship programme happen for top Kiwi rider Dylan Walsh.

Former international star Ben Townley will run Walsh in the four-round series through his Ben Townley Tours (BTT) business, with support from his equally-successful compatriot Josh Coppins, via his Altherm JCR Yamaha team.

Dylan Walsh to race NZ MX with Ben Townley Tours/Altherm JCR Yamaha

After his stand-out performance winning the 2019 British MX2 Championship, the collective New Zealand motocross community hoped Walsh would continue on the world stage flying the nation’s flag, who unfortunately didn’t get an opportunity to continue in the 2020 MX2 World Championship.

Ben Townley

“When Josh asked if I’d help him out, I jumped at it to be honest. I really believe that I can help Dylan tick a few boxes and get his entire package as a racer ready, so he can tackle an international racing programme again, as soon as next year. I’m really looking forward to the challenge!”

Josh Coppins – Yamaha Motor New Zealand’s Motorsport Manager

“I rate Dylan as a top 10 rider in MXGP for 2020 but when it finally became clear that an international ride wasn’t going to eventuate for him this season, unfortunately our Altherm JCR Yamaha team structure was complete. So, Ben and I pulled together to make this deal work. Dylan is fortunate to get this help from Ben, who is a world class coach and my Altherm JCR Yamaha team riders are also able to tap into his wealth of knowledge, so it’s a great opportunity all-round.”

Walsh debuted in his new team this weekend at the Woodville NZ GP where BTT will provide the race structure for him and he competes as a satellite rider to Altherm JCR Yamaha. He will strengthen Yamaha’s programme as he races alongside Altherm JCR Yamaha’s current MX2 rider Mangakino’s Maximus Purvis. Walsh will then contest the New Zealand Motocross Championship, which begins in Balclutha on February 1.

Having signed a deal with Serco Yamaha in Australia, Walsh will go on to race across the Tasman in both the Australian Motocross and Supercross Championships in MX2, after the New Zealand season.

Dylan Walsh

“I am super thankful that Josh and Ben put this programme together for me to race for Yamaha in New Zealand over the summer. I couldn’t have any two better people backing me and I’m just really excited to get it under way. I also really appreciate Ben and his family opening the door of their home for me to come and stay with them while I’m in New Zealand. Our goal is to definitely win the NZ MX2 championship and learn as much as I can from Ben and Josh, while building as a rider. Plus it’s a perfect preparation for the Australian championships.”

Dylan Walsh of the Woodville GP

“It was a rough start to the New Zealand racing, although it was good to learn the bike all weekend and make changes. The best race I had was the last moto, despite having a fall. I’ve got to take the positives from it and the fact I’ve got the bike set-up a lot better for next weekend.”

Dylan Walsh

Australian Kirk Gibbs returned to the Altherm JCR Yamaha team for the second consecutive year and will be looking to repeat his 2018 MX1 win in the 2020 Fox New Zealand Motocross Championship. He joins the team’s Hamilton-based rider Kayne Lamont, who will also race in the top-tier motocross class.

2020 Altherm JCR Yamaha Race Schedule

• Woodville NZ Grand Prix 2020 – 25th & 26th January

2020 Fox New Zealand Motocross Championship

• Round One – Balclutha, 1st February 2020
• Round Two – Rotorua, 23rd February 2020
• Round Three – Hawkes Bay, 1st March 2020
• Round Four – Taupo, 15th March 2020

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Weekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop

Luc Ackermann wins shortened 2019 FMX World Championsip

Following the cancellation of the final round of the 2019 campaign, Luc Ackermann has been crowned the FIM FreeStyle Motocross World Champion in 2019, ending a run of five years of dominance for his great rival Maikel Melero in forceful fashion.

2020 FMX podium – Filip Podmol, Luc Ackermann, Adam Jones – Image by Oliver Franke

After taking the silver medal last year, the German leapfrogged the Spaniard in the ‘Night of the Jumps’ rankings by winning all but one round this time, and with the riders’ lowest score of the season written off from their final total he effectively ended the campaign with a maximum points-haul.

Just as they had done last season, Ackermann and Melero fought fiercely throughout the year, although this time the young German had added consistency to his impressive range of skills. After spectacular victories in front of vociferous home crowds in Berlin and Munich, Ackermann endured a disastrous first ever visit for the series to Lake Zurich, Switzerland, when he crashed heavily and missed out on the final.

Impressive Australian Paterson Bowden put together a strong challenge for the win in his breakout season but Melero’s experience told in the final and a first victory of the year kept him in title contention.

The decisive ‘Night of the Jumps’ came in August in Daqing, the fifth different Chinese city to be visited by the series in the past eight years.

Luc Ackermann – Image by Oliver Franke

Whilst Bowden unfortunately could not compete due to visa issues, Ackermann returned to his best with a sensational run despite dewy ramps in the final – landing his Front Flip, Flair, 360 Nac Nac and Surfer Tsunami Flip and finishing with a Double Backflip to secure the gold medal in style.

Pos	Rider	Nat.	Man.	Points
1	Luc ACKERMANN	GER	Husqvarna	120
2	Maikel MELERO	ESP	KTM	108
3	Paterson BOWDEN	AUS	Yamaha	74
4	Adam JONES	USA	Yamaha	68
5	Filip PODMOL	CZE	Yamaha	61
6	Kai HAASE	GER	Suzuki	53
7	Libor PODMOL	CZE	Husqvarna	42
8	Javier VILLEGAS	CHI	Suzuki	41
9	Robert ADELBERG	AUS	Yamaha	40
10	Hannes ACKERMANN	GER	KTM	38

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Petr Pilát renews FMX contract with KTM Factory Racing

KTM Factory Racing will continue their association with leading Freestyle athlete Petr Pilát and will support the Czech rider for a fifteenth consecutive year for his 2020 campaign of events and appearances. The 29 year old will again benefit from latest spec two-stroke and four-stroke machinery from the factory for his training regime and calendar of international shows and competitions this season.

Pilát, who is one of the principal FMX names from the Czech Republic and is known for his style, determination and initiatives such as the Petr Pilát Junior Academy, will jump with 250 SX motorcycles and will maintain a link with KTM that began back in 2005.

Among a busy schedule, Pilát can be seen in the Arenacross series in the UK, Night of the Jumps, Masters of Dirt, Night of Freestyle, Goodwood Festival and appearances at the Austrian MotoGP round at Red Bull Ring and the MXGP Grand Prix of Czech Republic later in the summer.

Petr Pilát

“Another year of an epic association with KTM and I’m super-happy because I love the brand and the people at the factory. I’ve never had an issue with the bikes and they are perfect for what I need. 2019 wasn’t the best year for me even though I was really motivated. I had been working on two new tricks but then managed to break my foot and needed surgery. Unfortunately, I had an infection and a lot of pain. It meant another operation and four months of antibiotics, so I missed a lot of riding but managed to get back by the end of the year and finished 4th in the last round of the FIM World Championship in Bulgaria. Not a great result but after all I had been through it was a positive end. I’m fit and excited about 2020 and will start at the UK Arenacross series. Again, a big thanks to KTM and I’m really proud to be riding those orange bikes.”

Petr Pilát – Image KTM Racing
Source: MCNews.com.au