Coming into round six of the MX2 World Championship, Jed Beaton was in great form following podium appearances and solid results in recent weeks. In Belgium, the Australian’s strong speed continued with an eighth-place finish in race one despite a small crash around the halfway stage of the moto.
Jed Beaton – 2021 MXGP of Flanders-Belgium – Round 6
In race two, Beaton started eighth and moved into fifth as the moto reached half distance. The 23-year-old then engaged in a battle for position with Conrad Mewse, ultimately coming out on top to claim fifth in the moto and secure his third consecutive top-five overall finish.
Jed Beaton
“Today was a little bit of a bad day, but if I can take fifth overall on a bad day then it’s not so bad. I was fortunate in race one to miss a big crash just after the start but then while sixth I crashed on my own and fell way down the field. I got back to eighth which was ok though. My start in race two wasn’t so good and by the time I got into fifth the leaders were gone. It was unfortunate but fifth was good and solid points overall so all things considered, I’m happy with today.”
Bike It MTX Kawasaki’s Wilson Todd had a tough introduction to the deep Lommel sand. A respectable thirteenth in Qualifying, the Australian charged from twenty-third to fifteenth during the first half of race one before being forced out.
Wilson Todd – 2021 MXGP of Flanders-Belgium – Round 6
A lightning start in race two saw him round turn one in the top six but the joy did not last long as a fall at turn three put him at the back of the field; he bravely persisted to the end to finish twenty-third despite two further falls. He is now thirteenth in the series points standings.
MX2 Race 1
In the first MX2 race, it was Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Tom Vialle who grabbed the Fox Holeshot, though it was Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing’s Maxime Renaux who led the way.
Tom Vialle – 2021 MXGP of Flanders-Belgium – Round 6
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing rider Mattia Guadagnini had an unlucky start to the race as he crashed in the first corner and had to re-join the race way behind the rest of the pack. Eventually the Italian was able to fight back to 14th place.
Hitachi KTM Fuelled by Milwaukee rider Conrad Mewse got off to a great start in the race as he was running behind Renaux, Vialle and Geerts, though by the second lap he crashed and was unable to carry on due to a bike issue.
Kay de Wolf – 2021 MXGP of Flanders-Belgium – Round 6
Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Kay De Wolf started the race down in around 10th place, while his teammate Jed Beaton was fighting sixth place. By the following lap Beaton dropped to 12th, while De Wolf was able to make a couple of nice passes to get into eighth.
Vialle also crashed in the beginning stages of the race as Renaux continued to lead Geerts who was keeping close.
Jago Geerts – 2021 MXGP of Flanders-Belgium – Round 6
De Wolf continued his charge up the field after making passes on F&H Kawasaki Racing’s Mikkel Haarup and Mathys Boisrame, while Vialle took third from Honda 114 Motorsports rider Ruben Fernandez.
At one point, De Wolf and Vialle were the two fastest riders on the track, setting very similar lap times. By lap seven De Wolf caught onto Fernandez to take fourth and then just under three laps later he was also ahead of Vialle as he got himself into third position.
Maxime Renaux – 2021 MXGP of Flanders-Belgium – Round 6
Renaux continued to lead the race keeping Geerts at bay until lap 10. The Frenchman crashed which allowed Geerts through. Luckily, the pair was so far ahead that Renaux was still able to finish the race second, as Geerts took the win and De Wolf finished third. Jed Beaton finished eighth.
MX2 Race 2
In race two, it was De Wolf who was flying into the first corner and took the second Fox Holeshot of the races. He led the race immediately with Geerts and Thibault Benistant of Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing, Renaux and Mewse just behind.
Maxime Renaux – 2021 MXGP of Flanders-Belgium – Round 6
Geerts then got Benistant for second as Renaux struggled for a few laps to do the same. Meanwhile, Vialle started the race in sixth place though crashed lap two and dropped down to 10th.
After making several attempts, Renaux was finally able to get Benistant for third at lap five, by which point De Wolf and Geerts were already quite far ahead as the two leaders kept a steady gap, setting very similar lap times.
T Benistant – 2021 MXGP of Flanders-Belgium – Round 6
At one point, Mewse started to close in on Renaux and Benistant as it looked like the Brit was going to push for higher positions, though he started to fade a little towards the end of the race to eventually finish in sixth position. Beaton was one of the riders who passed Mewse in the closing stages, as the Aussie made his way from eighth to fifth in the race.
De Wolf’s gap to Geerts remained at around three seconds for most of the race, though with two laps to go Geerts put on a late charge to get onto the back of the Husqvarna rider.
Jago Geerts – MXGP of Flanders-Belgium – Round 6
The battle for the win was close and continued right until the chequered flag, but it was De Wolf who came out on top to win his first ever MX2 race, while Geerts finished second and Renaux in a distant third.
With a win and a second, Jago Geerts was the overall winner at his home track, while Kay De Wolf stood on the second step of the podium after some very strong races and Maxime Renaux joined the pair, to stand on the third step of the podium and extend his championship lead to 26 points over Mattia Guadagnini who only managed 12th overall today. Fernandez remains third in the standings, while Geerts is fourth just two points from second.
MX2 Podium – de Wolf, Geerts, Renaux – 2021 MXGP of Flanders-Belgium – Round 6
Jed Beaton finished fifth, to claim fifth overall for the weekend, while Wilson Todd was 23rd.
Jago Geerts
“I’m really happy to win here in Lommel. Last year I think everyone expected that I would win at least one of the three GP’s but it didn’t happen. In the second race Kay was riding really good and at the end I tried to go for the pass, but I couldn’t make it happen. It’s nice to head in the right direction but the season is still long and I’m not really thinking about the championship that much, I just want to go out every weekend, do my best and collect as many points as possible.”
Jago Geerts – 2021 MXGP of Flanders-Belgium – Round 6
Kay De Wolf – P2
“The fight in race two already started with two laps to go. I enjoyed racing. It’s an amazing feeling to win a race. It’s going really well this season so far, so we’ll keep on fighting and keep up with the hard work.”
Kay de Wolf – 2021 MXGP of Flanders-Belgium – Round 6
Maxime Renaux – P3
“The first race, I took a good start, well actually the start was better in race two but I went wide in the first corner because Kay was really close, so I went wide. The first race I made a good start and was feeling great on the track and took a little gap to Jago. I was just feeling really good and made a silly mistake passing a lapped rider, I got cross rutted and went down. That was a shame but finishing second was really good for the points for the championship. The second race I had a good start, I didn’t push too hard as the guys were pretty quick and were so far in front that it was almost impossible to get them, so I finished the race third. Third overall is good, good for the championship so I’m happy. I’ve only won one race since the beginning of the year and I’m not happy with that, I want to win more races. When you win races and put 25 points you can get a bigger gap to your opponent, so yeah, I try to be as consistent as I can and will try to win races, take good starts, which I think is very important this year and hopefully it will pay off.”
Maxime Renaux – 2021 MXGP of Flanders-Belgium – Round 6
Thibault Benistant – P6
“My day was quite good overall because I finished fourth with 34-points. This is only 1-point less than my best ever finish this year, with my best weekend being 35-points. When you look at it like this, it is quite good. I had a bit of bad luck in the first race. Another rider hit my lever and I had no front brake for the whole race, but in the end of the race I was feeling really good and was one of the fastest guys on track at the end of the moto. In the second race, the feeling was not there, so I did not want to go over the limit and make a mistake for nothing; fourth overall in Lommel is not a bad result.”
Tom Vialle – P7
“Seventh is not what we want but after the injury I have not ridden in the sand for a long time. I tried twice this week but it wasn’t going too well with my hand. In another way I’m quite happy because my hand came through the motos well. We can build from here. I was already tired at the start of the second moto and the track was really tough today. If you are not ‘bike fit’ then it is extra difficult here. I think I would have enjoyed today a lot more if I had that fitness. I know from here we will be a bit better every day. We will train hard this week and I know I will be 100% by the time we go to Turkey.”
Simon Langenfelder – P9
“I felt really good on my bike today. I was flowing in the turns and after qualifying I was really confident for some strong results. Unfortunately, in both races I had to come from the back because of avoiding a crash in race one and then in moto two, I had a really good start, but I was pushed wide and off the track. In that one I came from 25th to ninth so my speed is there, I just needed a little bit of luck to get some better results.”
2021 Australian Classic and Post Classic MX Championships Cancelled
The 2021 Australian National Classic and Post Classic Motocross Championships hosted by Heaven VMX, originally set for July in Nowra, NSW that had been postponed due to concerns around COVID-19 have now officially been cancelled for 2021.
Due to the ongoing outbreak of Covid-19 across the country and the uncertainty in the current climate the Heaven VMX Club in consultation with Motorcycling Australia made the tough decision to cancel these events.
Kenneth Swan – Heaven VMX President
“The Heaven VMX club is passionate about the great sport of Vintage Motocross. The planned 2021 Australian National Classic and Post Classic Motocross Championships was intended to be an opportunity to extend our arms to, and share our passion with, all VMX racers from around Australia. Bring the whole VMX family together for a VMX Festival of Fun. When the Heaven VMX Club of NSW does run this event, we want to do it at the right time when all VMX racers from around Australia are safe and happy to travel and give it every chance to be the amazing event we have planned.
2021 Australian Classic and Post Classic MX Championships cancelled
“Therefore for 2021 for the Heaven VMX Club, have made the difficult decision to cancel the Australian National Classic and Post Classic Motocross Championships. With this news we are equally as disappointed as everyone is, we hope you understand though as this should be a truly national event for all our competitors.”
The Heaven VMX Club thanked all those riders that had already entered and supported the events. Over the next 2 weeks, all entry fees taken to date will be refunded through Ridernet and refunds will be finalised by July 31.
Australian Speedway Under 16’s 125cc Solo & Teams nominations open
Motorcycling Australia ihave opened nominations for the 2021 Australian Speedway under 16’s 125cc Solo and Teams Championships. The Championships will be held at South Australia’s Sidewinders U16’s Speedway Club, September 23-25.
Two New Zealand Oceania Speedway Sidecar rounds announced for 2022
FIM Oceania, Speedway NZ (SNZ) and Motorcycling NZ (MNZ) have revealed that competitors will be set to battle out the 2022 FIM Oceania Speedway Sidecar Championship over two rounds on January 29th, 2022, at Moore Park Speedway, Christchurch, New Zealand and Oreti Park Speedway, Invercargill New Zealand on February 5th, 2022.
The FIM Oceania Speedway Sidecar Championship heads to New Zealand in 2022
This will be the first time the FIM Oceania Speedway Sidecar Championship has been hosted on New Zealand soil, and over two rounds. With both host tracks sporting a rich history in Motorcycle Racing.
Moore Park speedway was founded and named after the late Ronnie Moore, and Oreti Park Speedway, Invercargill has strong ties to Burt Munro.
The final round of this FIM Oceania Championship finishing in Invercargill the week before the annual pilgrimage to the South for the Burt Munro Classic, which is always a talked about two wheel event.
Peter Doyle – FIM Oceania President
“FIM Oceania was very pleased to be working with Speedway NZ and their host tracks, Moore Park & Oreti Park Speedways for what is sure to be an amazing 2022 FIM Oceania Speedway Sidecar Championship. It is excellent to have this FIM Oceania Championship conducted in New Zealand and we encourage motorcycle racing fans from across New Zealand and Australia to get along and not miss a minute of this speedway action. There is a long history of excellent competition and hard fought battles between the Aussies & Kiwi riders across many motorcycle races over the years. I am sure in January 2022, there will be two rounds of sensational speedway racing.”
Speedway NZ will be seeking Expressions of Interest from New Zealand based riders for the event over the next six weeks before finalising the qualification process for NZ representation.
Motorcycling Australia and ACU have been delegated 8 of the 16 spots in the rider line-up, for what promises to be an action packed international event.
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Maciej Janowski tops Czech Speedway GP Round 1
Polish star Maciej Janowski was elated to end his Prague struggles as he topped the Anlas Czech Republic FIM Speedway Grand Prix round-one podium on Friday evening.
‘Magic’ delivered a dream start to his season when he overhauled Emil Sayfutdinov at the start of lap three to win the final. Great Britain racer Tai Woffinden was third, while Sweden’s Fredrik Lindgren was fourth after hitting the tapes.
Despite Sayfutdinov cruising through to the final after topping the heat score chart on 12 race points, it was Janowski who got the verdict when it mattered most to top the World Championship.
It’s the first time he has qualified for a Prague final since his SGP debut season in 2015, when he finished third. Janowski had reached the semi-finals at Marketa Stadium three times in seven appearances going into Friday night, so he was delighted to triumph at the opening round of SGP 2021.
Maciej Janowski
“For the last couple of years, I have been struggling on this track. But today I felt great and my team was working great. The bike was so quick and I really enjoyed racing. I want to say thanks to my team. I love you guys. We found a good setup from the beginning and that was very fast. I used good lines on the track. I got good points and I rode very well. So I am very happy and that’s a great start to the Grand Prix series. The season is long; we have 11 rounds. We need to be smart and fast like today. Tomorrow is a different day. We will try to focus on the same things as tonight and I hope tomorrow I can show the same speedway.”
Maciej Janowski
Double European champion Emil Sayfutdinov was content with second spot as reached his first SGP podium since 2019.
Emil Sayfutdinov
“It was very good. I felt good from the start and I was happy around the track because I had good speed. I would like to say thanks to my team, who have been working very hard. That’s the next goal, so we will just concentrate on that. It is always a different day and a different track. Today I will try to relax, have a good sleep and then we will see.”
Woffinden was pleased to pick up third place on the Marketa Stadium track where he won three SGP rounds on the bounce between 2013 and 2015.
Tai Woffinden
“We salvaged a third, which was pretty good. I started the night okay with a second and a win. The next two races were really bad and we were just trying to find the setup. We were chasing it all night. I needed to win my last race to make the semi, which I did. I needed to finish first or second to get into the final, which I did. If Freddie hadn’t touched the tapes, I wouldn’t have been on the podium. We learned a lot today for tomorrow.”
Australian Max Fricke finished eighth with nine-points, while Jason Doyle was 12, on five.
Speedway GP World Championship Standings after Round 1
Maciej Janowski 20
Emil Sayfutdinov 18
Tai Woffinden 16
Fredrik Lindgren 14
Artem Laguta 12
Bartosz Zmarzlik 11
Leon Madsen 10
Max Fricke 9
Martin Vaculik 8
Robert Lambert 7
Matej Zagar 6
Jason Doyle 5
Jan Kvech 4
Anders Thomsen 3
Oliver Berntzon 2
Krzysztof Kasprzak 1
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Artem Laguta claims Speedway GP Round 2 victory
Triple FIM Speedway of Nations world champion Artem Laguta admits the Prague rain clouds had a golden lining as he stormed to victory in Anlas Czech Republic FIM Speedway Grand Prix round two on Sunday.
Czech Republic FIM Speedway Grand Prix Round 2
The sport’s biggest stars returned to Marketa Stadium for an early-afternoon start after Saturday’s event was postponed due to heavy downpours in the Czech capital.
A rare afternoon round proved lucky for Laguta as he collected the second SGP victory of his career – following up his triumph at the 2020 season opener in Wroclaw.
Laguta raced past fellow SON winner Emil Sayfutdinov to hit the front, with Friday’s round-one winner Maciej Janowski joining him for second and Sweden’s Fredrik Lindgren rounding Sayfutdinov for third on the final corner.
Heavy rain followed by bright sunshine meant track conditions changed drastically for speedway’s biggest stars. But Laguta made the most of them to move up to second place in the World Championship on 32 points – just six behind leader Janowski.
Artem Laguta
“I am very happy today. It was a good day for me. It was a good meeting and I made good starts today. I am very, very happy with the win. Now I am looking forward to the next meeting. But Speedway Grand Prix is always very hard. There was a lot of rain on Saturday, but it went today and the track was okay. It was very hard with grippy starts, but for me it was no problem. I want to say thank you to my team and thank you to my family – they are my life. I am very happy. Thank you.”
Artem Laguta topped the Round 2 podium
Janowski admits the bike which fired him to victory in Friday’s first round didn’t have the same impact today. But a change of equipment saw him bounce back with a very handy second place – meaning he has dropped just two championship points from a possible 40.
Maciej Janowski
“They were two completely different days. After four heats I changed my bike. My first bike that I used on Friday lost some energy, so we changed and then everything was much, much better. It could have been better, but I am happy with what we got. Second place in the second GP sounds good and I scored good points – that’s the most important thing. We had a very hard day, but I am happy with how it finished.”
Maciej Janowski
Lindgren has made a habit of scraping into semi-finals and taking full advantage of the opportunity. He turned eight race points in the heats into a very useful 16 championship points with third place.
The Swede is now fourth in the World Championship on 30 points and was pleased to make his mark when it mattered once again.
Fredrik Lindgren
“Today was a big battle all the way through. I never really felt I had good speed. I was making decent starts and had good track craft, but I was struggling a bit and really had to scrape through to the semis. In the semi we found a bit more speed in the bike and I was very happy I made it to the final. In the final I just gave it everything I had. It was a big battle and a big blast around the outside on the last corner to make it on to the podium. I am happy with that.”
Round 2 saw Jason Doyle in sixth, claiming 11-points, with Max Fricke in 11th for six. Doyle and Fricke are now ninth and 10th in the standings respectively.
Next up for the FIM Speedway Grand Prix stars is Betard Wroclaw SGP of Poland rounds three and four at the legendary Olympic Stadium on July 30 and 31, as Janowski bids to extend his series lead in his home city, with Laguta and Tai Woffinden also lining up on their Polish home track.
Speedway GP Round 2 Results
Artem Laguta 20
Maciej Janowski 18
Fredrik Lindgren 16
Emil Sayfutdinov 14
Bartosz Zmarzlik 12
Jason Doyle 11
Martin Vaculik 10
Anders Thomsen 9
Tai Woffinden 8
10 Leon Madsen 7
Max Fricke 6
Matej Zagar 5
Krzysztof Kasprzak 4
Jan Kvech 3
Robert Lambert 2
Oliver Berntzon 1
Petr Chlupac 0
Daniel Klima DNR
Speedway GP World Championship Standings after Round 2
Maciej Janowski 38
Artem Laguta 32
Emil Sayfutdinov 32
Fredrik Lindgren 30
Tai Woffinden 24
Bartosz Zmarzlik 23
Martin Vaculik 18
Leon Madsen 17
Jason Doyle 16
Max Fricke 15
Anders Thomsen 12
Matej Zagar 11
Robert Lambert 9
Jan Kvech 7
Krzysztof Kasprzak 5
Oliver Berntzon 3
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DuQuoin Mile Cancelled Due to Weather
Due to the significant level of rainfall in the area, the 2021 DuQuoin Mile has been cancelled. Progressive AFT will continue its season with the Port Royal Half-Mile on Saturday, July 24 at Port Royal Speedway in Port Royal, Penn.
Fans who have purchased advanced tickets for the DuQuoin Mile will receive information on refunds and ticket credits from Track Enterprises in the coming days.
2021 Capricorn XTreme – Grassroots Enduro Round 3
Round Three of the Australian Hard Enduro Championship has been run and won, despite the challenges to organisers and promotors of the national series, Grassroots Enduro Australia, who spent the week leading up to the race contending with Covid lockdowns and heavy rains.
A brand new venue located at Mount Morgan, eight hours north of Brisbane in Queensland saw 176 Hard Enduro nutters register for the Capricorn X-Treme.
Riders were meant to compete in the prologue in order to determine their starting positions for race day, with Juniors racing a two and a half hour event on the same day as the prologue. However 80 mm of rain preceeded the event, which saw the access road washed out, with the go-ahead only coming through 6 pm the day prior to racing.
2021 Capricorn XTreme – Grassroots Australian Hard Enduro
As such the the prologue was abandoned and Juniors race moved to the morning of race day. Gold, Silver, Bronze and Ladies classes raced on the 45 km track over a six hour time limit, while the Juniors track was eight km in length, with a reduced two hour limit.
The Pro/Gold class was won by Rob Nowak (KTM), a veteran of the Hard Enduro scene in Australia with international race experience such as RBR, Erzberg and Sea to Sky. Runner up went to Wade Ibrahim (KTM), who won round two, leaving him in a strong position on the points chart.
Sherco rider Chris Perry rounded out the top three with a solid performance and backing up his third place at the previous round.
In the Silver class Chris Dark took the win ahead of Trent Tucci, with just a minute separating them, while Frank Fee completed the podium.
Mac Vonthien won the Bronze category by a handy seven-minutes over Robert Brosig, while Adam DeCaria claimed the final podium positon.
Ebony Nielsen won the Ladies, ahead of Cheyenne Jones and Zeena Gadsby, with Amy Davidson a more distant fourth.
In the Junior class, Brody Reed took the win ahead of Toby Page, as the only two riders to complete five laps. Third placed Michael Blake completed four.
Weekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop
What happened this week
Jett Lawrence set for his professional SX debut
Toni Bou claims French X-Trial Round 2 victory
Jack Holder crowned 2019 Oceania Speedway Champion at Gillman
Wade Young wins 2019 Uncle Hard Enduro in South Borneo
Harley announce massive 2020 AFT contingency program
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
2020 Australian Dirt Track
2020 Australian Track
Jett Lawrence set for his professional SX debut
Australian sensation Jett Lawrence will make his professional supercross debut with Honda Racing Australia at the Monster Energy AUS-X Open event this coming weekend at Marvel Stadium in Melbourne.
Jett Lawrence – Monster Energy Cup 2019 – Image by Hoppenworld
The Queensland native currently lives in the USA, but is heading back to Melbourne to race his first-ever professional career and international Supercross race onboard a Honda CRF250R.
Since landing in the United States in early 2018, Lawrence has been unstoppable, racking up a multitude of prestigious amateur championships, which have subsequently made him the hottest property on the market. The 16-year-old recently signed a long-term contract to ride under the powerhouse Geico Honda squad in the 2020 World 250cc SX2 Supercross (West Coast AMA) Championship.
Jett Lawrence
“I’m really excited to be making my pro debut in Melbourne. I’ve had my eye on these events for a while now and they’ve progressively grown into something that’s world-class. Being a proud Australian makes it pretty cool that I’ll debut there, in front of friends, family and a lot of riders I grew up with too. Winning Monster Cup was a real confidence booster for me, especially on a Supercross track. I definitely think more gate drops and just being in that race environment will help me heaps as I get ready for 2020.”
Jett Lawrence – Image by Hoppenworld
Lawrence will ride under the awning of the ‘Ride Red’ Honda Racing program, backed by Honda Genuine. General Manager of Honda Motorcycles, Tony Hinton is looking forward to seeing Lawrence in action sharing, “We are really pleased to have Jett under our wing for this final round. He has certainly made a name for himself overseas, so it will be fantastic for local fans to see him race on home soil. We hope for strong results and know he will do the CRF250R proud!”
The addition of Lawrence will add to an already stacked international SX2 division, with existing riders involved in a ferocious title fight that’ll come down to the wire at the Australian Supercross Championship finale.
Jett Lawerence – Image by Hoppenworld
During New Zealand’s press conference, two-time World Champion Chad Reed indicated that this could very likely be his final race as a professional athlete in Australia, which makes Melbourne a landmark event for Australian Supercross fans, with one legend potentially retiring and a future star being born.
Melbourne’s Marvel Stadium will also feature the Monster Energy Best-Trick Freestyle Motocross contest set to feature some of the world’s most insane stunts, with the legendary Josh Sheehan as the headliner. Best Whip will be back again, along with the Yamaha Celebrity challenge as some of Australia’s highest profiled stars do battle on track, including Jack Riewoldt, Jordan De Goey, Scott McLaughlin and many more celebrities.
Aus-X Open
Tickets can be secured from www.ticketmaster.com.au (link) with new tickets released from just $39.95! The Monster Energy AUS-X Open doubles as the fifth and final round of the Australian Supercross Championship, and Grand Final of the FIM Oceania Supercross Championship.
SX1 Standings
Pos
Name
R1
R3
R3
R4
PTS
1
Luke CLOUT
20
22
25
22
89
2
Justin BRAYTON
25
25
20
18
88
3
Daniel REARDON
22
20
22
16
80
4
Brett METCALFE
18
18
16
20
72
5
Dylan LONG
16
11
15
13
55
6
Richie EVANS
13
16
10
8
47
7
Todd WATERS
15
13
12
7
47
8
Joel WIGHTMAN
10
15
9
9
43
9
Lawson BOPPING
14
13
11
38
10
Jayden RYKERS
12
10
8
5
35
11
Josh HILL
18
15
33
12
Cody DYCE
5
5
14
4
28
13
Jesse DOBSON
7
14
7
28
14
Jackson RICHARDSON
12
1
14
27
15
Jason ANDERSON
25
25
16
Henry MILLER
11
12
23
17
Dylan WOOD
8
6
6
3
23
18
Gradie FEATHERSTONE
11
7
2
20
19
Caleb WARD
9
8
17
20
Justin CARAFA
9
4
13
21
Joey SAVATGY
10
10
22
Lochie LATIMER
6
4
10
23
Cody COOPER
6
6
24
Jesse MADDEN
5
5
25
Blake COBBIN
4
4
26
Jamie HARVEY
3
3
27
Joel CIGLIANO
3
3
28
Chad REED
2
2
SX2 Standings
Pos
Name
R1
R2
R3
R4
PTS
1
Joshua OSBY
18
22
22
25
87
2
Chris BLOSE
20
16
25
22
83
3
Aaron TANTI
22
20
18
20
80
4
Mitchell OLDENBURG
13
25
20
16
74
5
Jay WILSON
16
18
15
18
67
6
Dylan WILLS
12
10
16
12
50
7
Bradley TAFT
15
12
13
5
45
8
Connor TIERNEY
14
14
15
43
9
Regan DUFFY
15
12
14
41
10
Ricky LATIMER
8
8
9
10
35
11
Geran STAPLETON
9
7
11
27
12
Rhys BUDD
11
8
8
27
13
Jayce COSFORD
10
6
4
6
26
14
Kyle WEBSTER
11
11
3
25
15
Jacob HAYES
25
25
16
Tomas RAVENHORST
13
10
23
17
Morgan FOGARTY
9
3
9
21
18
Kaleb BARHAM
7
7
5
19
19
Wilson TODD
14
14
20
Darian SANAYEI
13
13
21
Hugh McKAY
6
7
13
22
Jack KUKAS
5
4
9
23
Jaxson HADLOW
6
6
24
Chandler BURNS
5
5
25
Madison LATTA
4
4
26
McKenzie O’BREE
2
2
27
Caleb GOULLET
1
1
Toni Bou claims French X-Trial Round 2 victory
The second round of the X-Trial World Championship got underway at the brand new Glaz Arena in Rennes, France, with Repsol Honda Team ace Toni Bou dominating throughout to claim a second 2020 indoor season victory.
Toni Bou – 2020 X-Trial, Round 2, France
Toni Bou did not disappoint the French crowd, turning out a fine display of riding prowess in front of the Rennes spectators in Brittany. The Repsol Honda Team rider made it through the first five sections of the heats as the superior rider, picking up just four marks.
In the second round, with the top rider from each group qualifying directly for the final, Bou has once again gave a masterful showing, collecting 7 marks in the process.
Toni Bou – 2020 X-Trial, Round 2, France
The grand finale saw Toni Bou overcome the six sections with a total of 15 points ahead of the 27 accrued by arch-rival Adam Raga, to seal a second season victory.
Toni Bou – 2020 X-Trial, Round 2, France
Repsol Honda Team will now enjoy a almost two-month break ahead of the third X-Trial World Championship season date which will not be held until January 19, 2020 in Budapest. Bou will arrive as clear leader in the contest on 40 points, 10 more than the nearest second-place rival.
Toni Bou – 2020 X-Trial, Round 2, France
Toni Bou
“Today I did not start the first round very well; the points were fine, but I didn’t feel right with the riding sensations. I didn’t feel comfortable and it took me a while to get into the sections. We will have to work so that in the coming trials we won’t experience these feelings, since it is very easy to get knocked out in the eliminations. In the end, I was able to enjoy myself more in the second round and the final to take the victory. I want to congratulate the organizer of the event, who set up a very tough trial, where I think the spectators really enjoyed it. Now there will be a break before the third trial in Budapest so it is very important to take the leadership here.”
Toni Bou – 2020 X-Trial, Round 2, France
X-Trial Rennes Round 2 Results
Pos.
Rider
Nat.
Team
Con.
P.
1
BOU Toni
SPA
Repsol Honda Team
Montesa
20
2
RAGA Adam
SPA
TRRS Factory Team
TRRS
15
3
FAJARDO Jeroni
SPA
Sherco Factory Team
Sherco
12
4
GELABERT Miquel
SPA
Vertigo Factory Team
Vertigo
9
5
BUSTO Jaime
SPA
Vertigo Factory Team
Vertigo
6
6
BINCAZ Benoit
FRA
Beta Factory Racing
Beta
4
7
MARCELLI Gabriel
SPA
RG Team
Montesa
2
8
MARTIN Toby
GBR
Beta Factory Racing
Beta
1
2020 X-Trial Rider Standings
Pos.
Rider
Nat.
Points
1
BOU Toni
SPA
40
2
RAGA Adam
SPA
30
3
GELABERT Miquel
SPA
18
4
BUSTO Jaime
SPA
18
5
FAJARDO Jeroni
SPA
12
6
CASALES Jorge
SPA
6
7
BINCAZ Benoit
FRA
6
8
MARCELLI Gabriel
SPA
6
9
MARTIN Toby
GBR
1
10
TOULY Kieran
FRA
1
Holder crowned 2019 Oceania Speedway Champion at Gillman
New South Welshman Jack Holder has taken out the inaugural FIM Oceania Speedway Championship at Gillman in South Australia, dominating the seven-race event, only dropping one point finishing ahead of under-21 champion Jaimon Lidsey, British rider Dan Bewley and Australian junior international Jordan Stewart.
Holder scored 14 points, and recorded the fastest time of the night, in the heats, passed his biggest challenger, Jaimon Lidsey, to win his semi-final, and then won the final relatively comfortably in a dominating performance.
Holder’s only loss on the night was to Lidsey in their fourth heat, but by that time Holder had already qualified for the semi-finals, and therefore did not need to take any risks to try to pass Lidsey, highlighting one of the obvious flaws with the FIM format used for the meeting, where there is no reward, apart from choice of gate positions, for finishing on, or near, the top of the scorecard.
Second and third, in both the heat points and the final were Lidsey and English rider Dan Bewley, with the other finalist, Jordan Stewart, a non-finisher after he fell on the first lap.
Holder was ecstatic finishing on the top step and believes the new event formula has the support of riders. Holder said he believed European riders currently going through their winter break could see the FIM Oceania Speedway Championship as an opportunity to race.
Jack Holder
“The format and event was great, and similar to events in Europe. Hopefully it (FIM Oceania Speedway Championship) will help us push to gain GP qualifiers. It’s cold over there at the moment with no racing so they may want to come and enjoy the Australian summer and sunshine but to also remain competitive before returning to the European season.”
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FIM Oceania Vice President, Peter Doyle, said the FIM Oceania Speedway Championship showcased the international talent that Australia produces each year.
Peter Doyle – FIM Oceania Vice President
“We have a wealth of speedway talent and this inaugural FIM Oceania Speedway Championship will hopefully open up other avenues for upcoming Australian speedway stars to make their mark on the international stage. With the establishment of this championship we are continuing to support the growth of speedway here in Australia and promoting our international riders.”
Final – Holder (R), Lidsey (W), Bewley (B), Stewart (Y-fell), 56.254 (1st and 2nd from the two semi-finals)
Wade Young wins 2019 Uncle Hard Enduro in South Borneo
The 2019 Uncle Hard Enduro held in South Borneo, Indonesia has presented an incredibly tough challenge that ultimately saw just two riders complete the race over the weekend, with Sherco’s Wade Young on blistering form to take the win in front of Graham Jarvis.
Wade Young
“It was a tough day out at the Uncle Hard Enduro. There was only two finishers as there was a big downpour of rain just before the start which made things interesting.”
Wade Young – 2019 Uncle Hard Enduro
Young’s victory at the Uncle Hard Enduro follows his dominant performance at Wildwood Rock Extreme in Australia just a few weeks ago. Young will now head home to South Africa where he will finalise his preparations for the 2019 Roof of Africa.
Young is the defending Roof of Africa champion and is gunning for his fifth Roof of Africa win. Held in the Kingdom of Lesotho, the Roof as it is commonly called, is an event steeped in history dating back to 1967 with legendary winners such as Graham Jarvis, Alfie Cox, Chris Birch and of, course, Wade Young. Labelled, the Mother of Hard Enduro, the 2019 Motul Roof of Africa begins on December 4, 2019.
2019 Uncle Hard Enduro results
Wade Young – ZAF – 1:58.04
Graham Jarvis – GBR – 2:13:25
Harley announce massive 2020 AFT contingency program
Harley-Davidson have announced a major increase in their support of American Flat Track’s AFT Production Twins class. For the first time ever, authorised Harley-Davidson dealerships will now have the race-proven XG750R available for purchase, ensuring that more competitors will field these race-winning machines during the 2020 American Flat Track season.
Dalton Gauthier – 2019 AFT Twins, Springfield Mile – Image by Scott Hunter
To support the racing efforts of Harley-Davidson-mounted riders in the class, the Milwaukee-based marque has also posted a $250,000 contingency package.
Jon Bekefy – GM of Brand Marketing for Harley-Davidson
“As we celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Harley-Davidson XR750 next season, this expanded pledge of support shows our lasting commitment to the sport of flat track. Harley-Davidson dealerships fielding the XG750R will provide an opportunity for our community to rally behind this great American sport.”
Harley-Davidson has been synonymous with flat track racing since the inception of the sport. Throughout the golden era of pro flat track, powerhouse Harley-Davidson dealerships from around the country scored hundreds of wins aboard the legendary XR750.
James Rispoli – Lima Half Mile 2019 – Image by Scott Hunter
Moments of brilliance during the 2019 AFT Production Twins season hearkened back to that golden era, as Dalton Gauthier and James Rispoli made consistent podium appearances and scored two wins aboard a privateer XG750R backed by Black Hills Harley-Davidson.
With $7,500 awarded to XG750R riders for each AFT Production Twins race win plus a $25,000 championship bonus on the line, the contingency package offered by Harley-Davidson is sure to heat up the on-track action next season.
A total of $15,000 will be up for grabs to XG750R riders at each AFT Production Twins round in 2020, broken down as follows, by place:
James Rispoli & Ryan Varnes – 2019 AFT – Meadowlands Mile – Image by Scott Hunter
The XG750R is available for purchase for $35,999 and deliveries will begin immediately. Supply is limited and priority will be given to dealerships, with the availability of the XG750R and Harley-Davidson’s contingency setting the stage for a renaissance movement of dealer-backed privateers contesting for AFT championships in 2020.
American Flat Track will kick off its highly-anticipated 2020 season with the first-ever Saturday of Speed featuring the DAYTONA 200 and DAYTONA TT Doubleheader at Daytona International Speedway. It all kicks off at the peak of Daytona Bike Week on Saturday, March 14, 2020. You can check out the full calendar below:
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)
The RecoveR8 Australian Junior Trophy Team were crowned ISDE World Champions at the 94th running of the FIM International Six Day Enduro.
Daniel Sanders – Image Dario Agrati
Lyndon Snodgrass enjoyed a standout week with fourth in E1 for the 2019 ISDE and seventh outright for the event across all categories.
Lyndon Snodgrass
“We are Junior World Trophy Champions this year! I’m already loosing my voice as we have been celebrating after a massive week. Thanks to my team mates Fraser Higlett and Machael Driscoll and to everyone involved in getting us here and making this win happen. It feels great!”
Australian won the Junior category – Image Dario Agrati
Fraser Higlett put himself on the international map with fourth in E2 for the ISDE, and tenth outright overall across all categories.
Michael Driscoll further underlined the strength of the Aussie Junior squad by finishing ISDE 2019 as the 16th fastest rider of the event across all categories, ahead of plenty of well-known regulars on the senior stage of World Enduro.
Michael Driscoll
“We had an awesome week in Portugal and to be a part of the win with the Junior Team is amazing. “It still seems unreal to think myself, Fraser Higlett and Lyndon Snodgrass are world champions,” said an excited Driscoll. To win something like this, everything and everyone plays a part and the WR450F was just perfect for the conditions. In fact, the more I rode it the more comfortable I felt, and I got faster as the week went on. Apart from replacing a couple of levers from my crashes, we just poured fuel in it every day and kept on riding. Thanks to Yamaha and my Yamaha Active8 Yamalube Team for building me a bullet proof bike and to everyone at MA for their assistance and guidance throughout the event.”
Michael Driscoll – Image by Dario Agrati
The Australian Senior World Trophy Team ultimately finished second to the USA in the ISDE World Trophy standings.
Daniel Sanders was the fastest overall rider outright of ISDE 2019 – Image by Dario Agrati
Daniel Sanders was the stand-out rider across the entirety of ISDE 2019 winning the majority of the special tests and days out-right to end the event as the fastest individual overall on his Husqvarna FE 501.
Daniel Sanders – Image by Dario Agrati
Daniel Sanders
” It has been a hectic week here at the ISDE and we gave it our all as a team. Although we didn’t reclaim the World Trophy, we can be proud of second place and there’s always next year to come out swinging! I am so happy to claim the individual outright ISDE Championship, it’s been a big year for me and I’m now looking forward to some off season down time before a big 2020″.
Daniel Sanders – Image by Dario Agrati
Both Josh Green and Luke Styke put in some great performances with Styke finishing fourth in E1, and ninth outright for the event as a whole while Josh Green was 12th outright.
Luke Styke
“This is my first ISDE and I have to say it was one of the most challenging things I have done. The course was first class with a huge variety of terrain and conditions as we went from mud to dust and back again and from roads to sand, this ISDE had everything. Fortunately, one thing I didn’t have to worry about was the durability of my bike. I might have crashed and bent a radiator or two during the week and its probably not in show room condition and ready for sale but mechanically it was rock solid and performance wise, we led the way for Yamaha so it’s a real credit to the team and the production bike to last through such tough conditions. As a team, we busted our butts all week and in the end we just weren’t good enough. But we gave it our all and we all leave Portugal with our heads held high,” Styke ends.
Luke Styke – Image by Dario Agrati
In the Women’s Trophy, Jessica Gardiner was the sole team member remaining on day six. With the teams unbeaten run of six straight ISDE Championships coming to an end with the retirement of Makenzie Tricker and Tayla Jones earlier in the event, Gardiner soldiered on for individual results, finishing fourth outright in the Womens World Trophy.
Jessica Gardiner
“I think this my ninth ISDE now and this years event in Portugal has been a tough week for the team, but I was happy with my individual performance. I felt the best I have all year spending a month training in France in the lead up to this event. I’m stoked to finish fourth overall individually in the womens category, it’s been fun and it’s a shame the Aussie girls couldn’t finish on the podium this year. I’m proud of all the girls for their efforts and we will be back next year fighting!”
Jessica Gardiner – Image Dario Agrati
2019 ISDE Top 10 Overall
Daniel Sanders Husqvarna Australia
Josep Garcia KTM Spain +53.23s
Taylor Robert KTM USA +4min22.34s
Kailub Russell KTM USA +6min02.99s
Daniel McCanney TM GBR +7min30.46s
Ryan Sipes KTM USA +7min31.50s
Lyndon Snodgrass KTM Australia +8min10.41s
Davide Guarneri Honda Italy +8min11.69s
Luke Styke Yamaha Australia +8min35.26s
Fraser Higlett Husqvarna Australia +10min03.39s
Steward Baylor KTM USA +10min25.82s
Joshua Green Yamaha Australia +10min39.46s
Rudy Moroni KTM Italy +10min44.00s
Grant Baylor KTM USA +10min53.91s
Eero Remes Yamaha Finland +10min58.24s
Michael Driscoll Yamaha Australia +12min00.91s
Antoine Magain KTM Belgium +12min03.82s
Thomas Oldrati Honda Italy +12min13.94s
Ben Kelley KTM USA +12min20.34s
Roni Kytonen Husqvarna Finland +13min29.92s
Smarty’s Weekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop
Toni Bou has continued his cracking form in Réunion, where the crowd at the curtain-raising event of the new season witnessed a dazzling performance in the Stade Jean Ivoula, in Saint Denis, capital of Réunion.
Toni Bou
Bou becomes the provisional leader in the 2020 championship standings, after he made his maiden outing count in the venue in spectacular style.
In the first qualifying phase, with competitors facing five sections, Bou was already looking leagues ahead of his adversaries with just six marks on the scorecard.
Toni Bou
In the second, with only the winner of each group making the cut for the final, the champion again lapped with a mere six penalty marks.
In the final, up against one of his toughest rivals Adam Raga, Bou scored 10 marks compared to the 16 collected by Raga.
Toni Bou
Repsol Honda Team and Toni Bou will get little rest as the second season event is scheduled to be held in French city of Rennes this coming weekend.
Results: X-Trial Reunion Island 2020 Toni Bou, Montesa/Spain, (10 – Final) Adam Raga, TRS/Spain, (17 – Final) Jaime Busto, Vertigo/Spain, (2 – Runners-up Final)
Toni Bou
“I am very happy to start off winning. For us it was really important. Today I felt at ease with my riding, and I had a very good first round. I am also very happy too, as this is the first time that I have participated here, with some very technical areas. I want to congratulate the organizer for the marked sections. Now it’s time to think about next week, as in this championship it is very easy to not get through to the semi-finals or the other round for that matter, as everything is really tight. It is very important to come away from this first trial with these twenty points.”
Championship Standings: X-Trial World Championship 2020
Toni Bou, Montesa/Spain, 20 points
Adam Raga, TRS/Spain, 15
Jaime Busto, Vertigo/Spain, 12
Miquel Gelabery, Vertigo/Spain 9
Jorge Casales, GasGas/Spain, 6
Marcelli Gabriel, Montesa/Spain, 4
Smarty’s Weekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop
Aussie Supercross hits NZ
2019 Monster Energy S-X Open Auckland Video Highlights
Fans were treated to an action-packed show that saw the event reach it’s climax when 2018 World Supercross Champion Jason Anderson took the top honours in the premier SX1 Class, and subsequently assumes the points lead in the S-X Open FIM Oceania Supercross Championship.
Jason Anderson – Image by AM
Jason Anderson didn’t have it easy however, with a stiff challenge from new Australian Championship points leader Luke Clout, who stood on the podium in P2 with a victory in race two of the Triple Crown format, along with South Australian legend Brett Metcalfe, who took third overall.
Jason Anderson – Image by AM
“I’m stoked to grab the win here in Auckland, the racing was super intense tonight. It’s always a blast to come over here and race in front of these fans – I’ll look to keep the ball rolling come Melbourne,” commented Anderson.
Jason Anderson – Image by AM
For Clout, a second place to the 2018 World Champion was as good as a win, as he states that he’s ‘back’ after a few turbulent years of supercross and motocross competition.
“I said to my brother this week; I’m back. There’s a lot of stuff behind the scenes that people haven’t seen, and for a while there I didn’t really even want to ride a dirt bike. I’ve got that passion back, and my eyes are back on the United States,” commented Clout.
Luke Clout – Image by AM
The racing in the quarter-litre SX2 category was electrifying, with Australian SX2 Supercross point’s leader Josh Osby taking the top spot, posting the most consistent result through the Triple Crown format. Penrite Honda’s Chris Blose claimed second, with Australian Aaron Tanti rounding out the podium.
“It feels so good to extend my points lead. The crowd here was insane tonight; every time they went nuts, I wanted to know what was happening! I’m keen to get back to work and look to wrap up the Australian Championship in Melbourne,” commented Osby.
Josh Osby – Image by AM
In his last FMX competition ever, New Zealand native Levi Sherwood catapulted himself into the Auckland night sky with a double backflip, and subsequently edged Blake ‘Bilko’ Williams for the gold medal, in a fitting end to his Freestyle Motocross career in what was an amazing Freestyle Best-Trick contest.
“This means so much to me. To call time in front of my home fans, and to get the gold; I’m speechless. Thank you for the support over the years, it’s been a dream come true,” commented Sherwood.
The ANAZAC vs. USA saw the stars and stripes come out on top when Ricky Carmichael took down Ben Townley in the final race, after Cody Cooper beat Jason Anderson, and Luke Clout topped Joey Savatgy.
The next round will take place in Melbourne’s iconic Marvel Stadium on November 30 for the first time ever, where champions in each category will be crowned, in front of over 35,000 fans, in what promises to be the largest ever Supercross event in history in the Oceania region.
Smarty’s Weekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop
American Flat Track announces 2020 calendar
American Flat Track has announced the 18-event schedule for the 2020 season, which once again features coast-to-coast action, kicking off at the legendary Daytona International Speedway on March 14 with an epic season opener with the Daytona 200 & Daytona TT Doubleheader. It all comes to a close after 18-rounds with the Meadowlands Mile* finale in September at the most spectacular venue of the season: Meadowlands in East Rutherford, N.J.
There are two fan favorite events returning to the schedule and one event revamped for a thrilling new experience. The returning venues is the Half-Mile at Charlotte Motor Speedway in Charlotte, N.C. and the famed OKC Mile.
Additionally, the fastest Mile in the world – the Springfield Mile – will run back-to-back as a doubleheader, making for a Labor Day weekend event unlike any other.
Michael Lock – CEO of American Flat Track
“AFT is coming off the back of a record-breaking season and we have planned the 2020 schedule to push things to the next level and return to the best tracks in the country. We are delighted to be restoring the series to OKC and Charlotte and to amplify the thrilling action of Springfield Mile with a fall doubleheader.”
Weekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop
What happened this week
Lettenbichler wins 2019 GetzenRodeo & claims 2019 WESS title
Gunter, Gall, Dack & Marmont all set for ASX Round 3 in Wollongong
Tommy Searle announces GP racing retirement
2019 ISDE & Enduro Vintage Trophy set to kick off in Portimao
2020 Australian Dirt Track & Track Championships announced
2020 Australian Speedway Senior Solo Calendar Update
Speedway GP scoring & qualification revamped for 2020
2020 Speedway Grand Prix calendar announced
2020 Championship Calendars
2020 AMA Motocross
2020 Monster Energy AMA Supercross
2020 MXGP
2020 Australian Speedway Senior Solo Speedway
Lettenbichler wins 2019 GetzenRodeo & WESS title
Manuel Lettenbichler became 2019 Ultimate Enduro World Champion with a winning ride at the final round of the World Enduro Super Series, the GetzenRodeo in Germany over the weekend.
2019 Overall Podium – 1) Manuel Lettenbichler, 2) Alfredo Gomez, 3) Jonny Walker – Image by Future7Media
In what was a fairy tale outing for the home favourite, Lettenbichler delivered a riding masterclass in front of thousands of passionate Enduro fans to win both the morning GetzenRace qualifier and afternoon GetzenChamp race, clinching the world title in emphatic style.
Putting in an incredible final charge in the closing moments of the GetzenChamp race, Alfredo Gomez secured second to jump from fourth to runner-up in the final series standings. A sixth-place finish on the day saw Jonny Walker slip to third in the championship.
2019 GetzenRodeo – Image by Future7Media
Entering the eighth and final round of the 2019 World Enduro Super Series as champion elect, Lettenbichler didn’t put a foot wrong all day. Taking control of the two-hour morning qualifier on lap one, he controlled his pace at the head of the 60-strong field of world-class Enduro riders.
2019 GetzenRodeo – Image by Future7Media
Going on to win the GetzenRace over Taddy Blazusiak and Walker set the tone for what was to follow in the all-important 80-minute plus one-lap GetzenChamp finale. With Gomez, Graham Jarvis, Billy Bolt and Mario Roman close behind, the outcome of the afternoon battle seemed too close to call.
2019 GetzenRodeo
The 20 qualified riders blasted off the start line at 2.00pm sharp for what would become a gruelling battle. Lettenbichler wasted no time in establishing himself at the front and took the lead early on lap one. Behind him Gomez, Blazusiak, Walker and Jarvis all fought for position.
2019 GetzenRodeo – Image by Future7Media
As the laps continued Lettenbichler appeared to pull clear of the field, but not from Blazusiak, with the Polish star picking up his pace during the final 30 minutes. Riding right up to Lettenbichler’s rear wheel entering the final lap, it set up a showstopper of an ending.
2019 GetzenRodeo – Image by Future7Media
Going for Gold, Blazusiak briefly took the lead but then crashed, giving Lettenbichler the breathing room he needed entering the final Red Bull X-Loop. With Lettenbichler riding clear to claim victory and become world champion, drama then struck Blazusiak when his bike stopped.
2019 GetzenRodeo – Image by Future7Media
Manuel Lettenbichler – 2019 Ultimate Enduro World Champion
“I’m over the moon, I can’t describe it. To be honest I nearly cried on the podium. It was such a long, tough race today and it’s been such a long season. To finish the year with a first place in front of my home fans would have been amazing, but to win the championship as well is unbelievable. I’m on top of the world right now. My plan for today in both races was to get away well and try to control the race from the front. I was a little nervous in this morning’s race but thankfully it all went to plan. I was honestly exhausted in this afternoon’s race – I couldn’t have given any more. When Taddy passed me, I knew I had to dig deep and carry on and thankfully I managed to get past him again and make it to the finish. The fans have been amazing too – I hope they enjoyed the race as much as I did.”
Manuel Lettenbichler – Image by Future7Media
Capitalising on Blazusiak’s misfortune, Gomez incredibly worked his way past and into second – a move which ultimately sees him jump to second in the championship. With the top three decided, it was Bolt who ended his day in fourth, with Pol Tarres claiming his best result of the 2019 series with fifth.
Alfredo Gomez
“I’m very happy for myself and the team. I feel a little sorry for Taddy, but I actually damaged my bike on lap two and that meant I had a disadvantage for the rest of the race. I had a few crashes, but I think the race was tough on everyone – it’s so physical and the terrain is so technical, there is no time to rest at all. That and the fact that everyone else is pushing as hard as they can makes it really, really tough. I’m really pleased with my result and so happy with second in the championship – it’s what we were aiming for and it makes all the hard work worth it.”
Alfredo Gomez
Taddy Blazusiak
“I’ve enjoyed the race and rode my heart out, only to lose out just at the end. It’s racing I know, but it seems I get a little more bad luck than others. I’m pleased with how I rode – the race was a little up and down but to catch Mani near the end and take the lead was fantastic. I was really pushing as hard as I could because I knew what I had to do to get second in the championship, unfortunately it just wasn’t to be. I have to be proud – I’ve not given up all year and that is the main thing.”
Taddy Blazusiak
With Walker unable to break inside the top-five with a sixth-place result, and with Gomez placing second, it meant the Brit would slip to third overall in the final standings. Jarvis pushed on to take seventh, with Sherco’s Mario Roman eighth.
Jonny Walker
“It was a really tough race today, I enjoyed it, but I’m a little disappointed not to get second in the championship. I had a good ride this morning, I just stayed consistent and tried to conserve some energy. This afternoon I really tried my best but it wasn’t quite good enough. Nevertheless, if you’d offered me third overall at the start of the year I would have taken it. I have struggled all year in the extreme stuff, but I know what I need to work on, and with a good winter to get back to 100 per cent, the plan is to come back next year and attack right from the start of the season.”
Jonny Walker
Sweden’s Eddie Karlsson impressed by bringing his Sherco home in ninth, while Norway’s Ib Anderson completed the top-10 for Gas Gas.
With the 2019 season complete, the eight-round 2020 WESS Enduro World Championship begins with Extreme XL Lagares in Portugal on May 8-10.
World Enduro Super Series result from GetzenRodeo
Manuel Lettenbichler (KTM – GER) 10 laps 1:52:29.720
Alfredo Gomez (Husqvarna – ESP) 10 laps 2:01:32.662
Taddy Blazusiak (KTM – POL) 9 laps 1:35:24.393
Billy Bolt (Husqvarna – GB) 8 laps 1:40:49.789
Pol Tarres (Husqvarna – ESP) 7 laps 1:36:36.490
Jonny Walker (KTM – GB) 7 laps 1:38:07.331
Graham Jarvis (Husqvarna – GB) 7 laps 1:46:21.162
Mario Roman (Sherco – ESP) 6 laps 1:45:55.845
Eddie Karlsson (Sherco – SWE) 5 laps 1:36:54.766
Ib Anderson (Gas Gas – NOR) 4 laps 1:46:32.079
2019 World Enduro Super Series final standings
Manuel Lettenbichler (KTM – GER) 6110pts
Alfredo Gomez (Husqvarna – ESP) 4884
Jonny Walker (KTM – GB) 4810
Taddy Blazusiak (KTM – POL) 4620
Graham Jarvis (Husqvarna – GB) 4450
Josep Garcia (KTM – ESP) 4165
Nathan Watson (KTM – GB) 4136
Mario Roman (Sherco – ESP) 3560
Billy Bolt (Husqvarna – GB) 3415
Pol Tarres (Husqvarna – ESP) 3130
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Gunter, Gall, Dack & Marmont all set for Australian SX Round 3
Supercross fans at the Yamaha Round 3 of the 2019 Australian Supercross Championship in Wollongong are set to enjoy the ultimate dose of Supercross nostalgia, with a second-to-none line up of supercross and motocross legends on November 9.
Round 3 of the 2019 Australian Supercross Championship next heads to Wollongong – Brisbane Round 1 pictured
The legends featured will be headlined by Illawarra local and Australian dirt bike champions Anthony Gunter (three-time Mr Motocross), Jay Marmont (eight-time Australian Champion) Ryan Marmont (four-time Australian Champion) and accompanied by motocross and supercross royalty Craig Dack, Stephen Gall and one of Australia’s most recent Champions Dean Ferris (three-time Motocross Champion), making it five decades worth of Champions (70, 80, 90, 00, ’10s) .
Often referred to as the golden era, the Mr Motocross titles were the most coveted prize on offer and between the names above have collected 11 of the 16 titles. (Dack four, Gall four, and Gunter three).
Anthony Gunter
“I will be riding my 1979 Mr Motocross bike, I look forward to being on the grid next to so many respected riders, Gally and I had incredible rivalries and to be next to him on Nov 9 in WIN Stadium will be something special. It’s great to see Supercross back in the Illawarra and I hope everyone comes to enjoy the atmosphere.”
Phil Lovett and Anthony Gunter
The third round of the Australian Supercross Championship promises to be a spectacle both on and off the track and the addition of the Legends Parade is another great way for fans to enjoy a trip down Supercross/Motocross memory lane.
Stephen Gall
“Anthony and I were at the very start of Supercross in Australia, I retired from racing in 1990 but have been actively involved since. To see the sport continue to evolve is great to see. To be at the gates and look left and right to see riders from my era and more recent will be something special.”
Stephen Gall
CDR Owner and champion Craig Dack is equally as pumped to line up next to his old foe and put on a show for the fans on November 9.
Craig Dack
“To line up alongside some of the guys from my era not to mention some of my former CDR Yamaha team racers over the past 26-years will be such a special occasion. Geelong’s appreciation laps in 2018 was such a great thrill for us riders and the fans and I hope to see thousands of Wollongong’s fans enjoy it just as much.”
CDR Yamaha’s Craig Dack
Final release tickets have just been made available starting at $30 for Children and $40 for Adults. The Australian Supercross Championship is supported and sanctioned by Motorcycling Australia (MA).
Yamaha Round 3 of the Australian Supercross Championship is proudly supported by Dunlop, MotorEx, Destination Wollongong, Westrac, 100%, Honda, M2R Helmets, Kawasaki, Fly Racing, Suzuki, UniFilter & Australian Motorcycle Festival.
Tickets to Yamaha Round 3 of the 2019 Australian Supercross Championship WIN Stadium, Wollongong, on November 9 are on sale now via the www.ticketmaster.com.au website.
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Tommy Searle announces retirement from GP racing
Tommy Searle, long-time member of the Green family, has decided to retire from the FIM Motocross World Championships where he has been a leading player of the series for more than a decade.
Tommy Searle – 2019 MXGP of Italy, Imola
Having first ridden round the family garden at the tender age of two Tommy’s natural talent was evident at an early age and he and his parents jumped at the opportunity to join Kawasaki’s prestigious Team Green youth squad when he was old enough to move to the 85cc class.
A five-times UK youth champion the English teenager was enrolled into the official Molson Kawasaki MX2 World Championship team for the 2005 British GP at Matchams Park and responded eight days before his sixteenth birthday with a typically gutsy and enthusiastic ride, twice recovering from falls to score championship points in both motos and send a signal to the world that he would play a significant role in the sport throughout the years to come.
Tommy Searle
The following year he already finished eighth in his first full GP campaign with his first trip to the podium in Sweden and was runner-up in the world in each of the two following seasons before heading for America for two years.
Returning to Europe in 2011 with Team Monster Energy CLS Kawasaki he immediately revived his World title challenge, adding two more series medals, eight GP victories and twenty-six podiums to his CV over the next two years to close his MX2 career with his third series silver medal and a heart-pounding double-victory in front of his adoring home-country fans at Matterley Basin.
With fourteen career GP wins Tommy is Britain’s most successful GP rider in the MX2 class and ranks third in total victories across all classes to multiple world champions David Thorpe and Jeff Smith. His MXGP career was unfortunately interrupted by injuries but he remained a top-ten runner throughout the subsequent seven years and he played a significant role in consecutive Motocross of Nations podiums for Great Britain in 2017 and 2018.
Tommy Searle
A Green warrior to the core Tommy assisted the Monster Energy Kawasaki Racing Team with competition development and further top-ten finishes during the closing stages of the 2019 campaign and signed off his Kawasaki career in style with the British national MX1 title. Recently a proud father to Alfie James together with wife Sophia, Tommy’s future racing focus will be the British motocross series.
Kawasaki thanked Searle for his commitment to the Green family throughout the past two decades and wished him all the best for the future in both his professional career and private life.
Tommy Searle
“After almost fifteen years racing at the top level – twelve full years in the world championship and two in America – my focus next year will just be racing in the UK. As a kid I never knew it was possible to achieve what I’ve done – it seems one minute I was racing schoolboy motocross with the family, the next I was on the GP podium at 16 years old, racing against the best in the world. Now in the blink of an eye I’m retiring from the GPs. I’ve had so many good memories of travelling around the world – I’ve lived the dream and have had the privilege to work with and race a lot of great people along the way. I never managed to win a world championship but I came close a couple of times and overall I’m very proud of what I’ve achieved with fourteen GP wins and podiums in the US as a young gun. I’ll always be grateful to everyone who has supported me along the way. I want to say a massive thanks to the fans who have cheered me on – hopefully I gave you a few good memories over the years too – and of course a huge thank you to Kawasaki Motors Europe and Team Green UK for the past years working together! You have been a massive part of my career; cheers Steve Guttridge and Ross Burridge for the support and good times!”
Tommy Searle
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2019 ISDE & Enduro Vintage Trophy set to kick off in Portimao
In little over a week more than five hundred riders from twenty-six nations will compete in the 2019 FIM International Six Days of Enduro (ISDE) to be held in Portimao, Portugal from 11-16 November. This will mark the 94th edition of this huge and historic event, which remains the oldest competition in the FIM calendar.
ISDE 2018 – Image John Pearson
Defending champions Australia, both in the World Trophy and Women’s World Trophy classes headline an entry packed with professional and amateur riders from as far afield as Canada and Japan, and with a strong showing from European countries such as France, Germany, Italy and the Netherlands, not forgetting the participants from Argentina, Mexico and Guatemala.
This year’s ISDE will again include the fourth edition of the FIM Enduro Vintage Trophy also. First introduced at the ISDE in Spain back in 2016, the competition for enduro bikes from yesteryear has also enjoyed growing support with over one hundred and twenty riders from nine countries included on the 2019 entry list.
The 2019 ISDE Australian Team has already been announced, check out the rider entries for a full list via the links below
With a combined entry just shy of six hundred and fifty riders the 2019 ISDE in Portugal is set to be another important chapter in the rich heritage of this unique event.
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2020 WESS calendar and rename announced
From the start of 2020, the World Enduro Super Series will be officially known as the WESS Enduro World Championship, with WESS Promotion GmbH also announcing the championship schedule for 2020. Featuring eight rounds and extending into the United States, the WESS Enduro World Championship is set to grow in stature and popularity in 2020.
The WESS gets a name update for 2020 – 2019 Hawkstone Park Cross-Country – Image by Future7Media
Now entering its third season, the WESS Enduro World Championship continues to thrive, strengthening its vision of a series that encompasses all Enduro formats while providing a global platform for both professional and privateer riders to compete together.
For 2020 the championship retains many of its world-renowned favourites from seasons one and two and includes the welcomed return of the popular Red Bull 111 Megawatt event in Poland. Breaking new ground, the championship heads to the United States and the well-established Tennessee Knockout.
111 Megawatt 2018
Ensuring a varied and challenging start to the new season, established events Extreme XL Lagares (Portugal) and Trefle Lozerien AMV (France) will see racing commence in May.
During the month of June, Austria’s iconic Erzbergrodeo Red Bull Hare Scramble will host round three, while Red Bull 111 Megawatt makes a welcome return to the WESS Enduro World Championship for round four.
Romania’s Red Bull Romaniacs will spectacularly kickstart the second half of the season in late July for round five. Then venturing outside of Europe for the first time and cementing itself as a true world championship, the United States’ most-prestigious Hard Enduro – Tennessee Knockout – will be eagerly anticipated on August 15-16.
Red Bull Romaniacs
Switching gears to Cross-Country racing, the fabled Hawkstone Park in Great Britain will mark the penultimate round of the series in September with the Hawkstone Park Cross-Country. Following its well-received addition to the 2019 series, Spain’s Hixpania Hard Enduro takes the honour of hosting an October championship finale in what’s sure to become a thrilling crowning of the Ultimate Enduro World Champion 2020.
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
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2020 Australian Dirt Track & Track Championships announced
Motorcycling Australia has announced the release of the 2020 Australian Dirt Track and Track calendar ahead of the highly anticipated season.
2019 Australian Junior Dirt Track Championships – Image by Dave Lamont
The four 2020 Australian Dirt Track and Track Championships will each be run at a different venues across three states and territories: Queensland, New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory.
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 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
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2020 Australian Speedway Senior Solo Calendar Update
Following a request from the Kurri Kurri Speedway Club, Motorcycling Australia (MA) have announced the following date change for 2020 Australian Speedway Senior Solo Championships.
The Australian Senior Solo Speedway – Image by Judy McKay
Due to unforeseen circumstances the initial qualifying/round scheduled for the January 2-3 at Kurri Kurri Speedway (NSW) has been changed to January 3-4, 2020.
MA advises that no other changes have been made to the Speedway calendar and thanked rider’s for their patience and understanding regarding this change of date.
2020 Australian Speedway Senior Solo Speedway Calendar
Round 1, January 3 – Kurri Kurri Speedway, Loxford Park NSW
Round 4, January 9 – Olympic Park, Regina Street, Mildura VIC
Round 5, January 11 – Gillman Speedway, Wilkins Road, Gillman SA
Speedway GP scoring & qualification revamped for 2020
The stakes will be even higher in FIM Speedway Grand Prix finals after the SGP Commission confirmed changes to the scoring and qualification system from 2020. Riders will be awarded championship points according to their finishing position in the SGP meetings, rather than how many points they score in each heat.
2020 Speedway GP points revamped announced
The system will see every rider who qualifies for the semi-final guaranteed at least nine championship points, with riders who fall short receiving eight or less on a sliding scale.
The winner of an SGP event will earn 20 championship points, with the runner-up 18, the third-placed rider 16 and the rider in fourth 14 points.
Director of the FIM Track Racing Commission (CCP) Armando Castagna explains the new system will add value to the championships by rewarding riders who reach finals and win rounds more regularly, ensuring an even more thrilling climax to SGP events.
Armando Castagna – FIM Track Racing Commission
“The main thinking for us is to harmonise our championship scoring system with other big sports events so that the winner always comes away with the most points, which will help attract and retain a wider audience for our sport.”
Phil Morris – SGP Race Director
“We want to reward those riders who get into the finals. Riders in the semi-finals will be giving their absolute all to get through as there is the potential to score an extra eight championship points. That’s a big swing and ensures there’s everything to race for when we reach that stage of the night, all building to a huge crescendo.”
Points scored by riders in their five heats will still be used to determine the eight riders who reach the semi-finals. The third-placed riders in the semi-finals will then be ranked ahead of the riders who finish fourth.
2019 Speedway GP
Of the two third-placed semi-final riders, the one who finished highest after the heats will be ranked fifth and receive 12 championship points, while the other will be ranked sixth and earn 11 championship points – with the existing countback system used to resolve any ties if riders finished level.
Likewise, the fourth-placed semi-final rider who scores highest in the heats will be ranked seventh, receiving 10 championship points, and the other fourth finisher will finish eighth and earn nine.
Meanwhile those who fall short of the top eight will be ranked according to the points they scored over 20 heats, again with the existing countback system used to decide any ties if riders finish level on points. Their overall finishing position in the meeting will determine how many championship points they are allocated on a sliding scale, with the rider ranked ninth scoring eight championship points and the rider in 16th spot earning one.
In another change for 2020, only the top six riders in the SGP World Championship will be guaranteed a place in the following season’s series – down from the eight automatic qualification places allocated this year.
Speedway GP of Sweden 2019
The top three from the GP Challenge will still qualify for the following season, while the winner of the Speedway European Championship series will also be guaranteed a spot in the SGP World Championship.
The line-up will be completed by five permanent wild cards, which will be selected by the SGP Commission.
FIM Speedway GP Qualification places
Top six in SGP World Championship standings
Top three at the GP Challenge
Winner of the Speedway European Championship
Five permanent wild cards selected by the SGP Commission
Speedway GP will boast a new point and qualification system in 2020
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2020 Speedway Grand Prix calendar announced
The FIM Speedway Grand Prix series heads for Russia next year as Togliatti joins nine returning venues on the 2020 SGP World Championship calendar.
Following the city’s successful Monster Energy FIM Speedway of Nations Finals last July, the sport’s individual World Championship heads to the Anatoly Stepanov Stadium – one of the world’s finest purpose-built track-racing venues – on August 29, 2020.
2020 Speedway Grand Prix calendar announced
Russian stars Emil Sayfutdinov, Artem Laguta and Gleb Chugunov retained the country’s world team title on home shale last summer and now riders will go for individual glory in one of the biggest speedway meetings ever staged in Russia.
The SGP 2020 series launches with the PZM Warsaw SGP of Poland on May 16 at PGE Narodowy, with tickets already selling rapidly for Poland’s biggest speedway event.
That prestigious night of racing is followed by an historic German SGP in Teterow on May 30 as the Bergring Arena celebrates its 100th event and 90 years of racing at the venue with a must-see SGP and longtrack double-header weekend.
The action switches to Prague on June 13 as the Czech SGP returns to Marketa Stadium for a 24th straight year – extending the picturesque capital city’s record as the longest-serving SGP host.
After a month’s break the World Championship then resumes with a breathless few weeks, starting with one of the sport’s flagship events – the Adrian Flux British SGP at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium on July 18. With the SGP series celebrating its 20th season of racing in the Welsh capital, fans can expect this year’s event to be bigger and better than ever.
Attention switches to Hallstavik just a week later as the Credentia Arena hosts the Swedish SGP on July 25.
2019 SGP of Poland
The summers hots up in Poland when the Betard Wroclaw SGP of Poland returns to the storied Olympic Stadium on August 1 – a year on from staging what many have claimed was one of the all-time great SGP meetings, which saw Bartosz Zmarzlik top the podium on his way to the world title.
Another of the sport’s finest race tracks follows on August 15 as the Scandinavian SGP heads to Malilla.
Two weeks after the first-ever Russian SGP on August 29, Vojens Speedway Center plays host to the Danish SGP sponsored by ECCO on September 12 – the penultimate round of the season.
The action concludes with the Revline Torun SGP at the iconic Marian Rose Motoarena on October 3 as fans flock from all over the world to see the 2020 world champion crowned.
The calendar for the Monster Energy FIM Speedway of Nations will be announced in due course.
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
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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)
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What happened this week
Watson conquers 2019 Hawkstone Park Cross-Country
Briar Bauman crowned AFT Twins Champ
Mikey Rush wins AFT Singles at Minnesota Mile
Kolby Carlile tops AFT Production Twins at Canterbury Park
Toni Bou sweeps 2019 TrialGP championship
2019 AORC Wrap-Up
Leon Madsen claims British SGP win in Cardiff
Australian Junior Dirt Track heads to Somersby this weekend
Ben Kelley extends KTM contract
AMA announces 2020 rider numbers
Watson conquers 2019 Hawkstone Park Cross-Country
Nathan Watson delivered the goods to claim a home win at round six of the World Enduro Super Series – Hawkstone Park Cross-Country in the UK. The rider showed his class on the physically demanding Shropshire course to take victory over Germany’s Manuel Lettenbichler and Jonny Walker.
2019 Hawkstone Park Cross-Country – Image by Future7Media
Saturday – Sprint Enduro
Britain’s Nathan Watson sprinted to victory on the opening day of racing at the Hawkstone Park Cross-Country. Delivering the goods on home soil, the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing rider topped Saturday’s Sprint Enduro to claim pole position for Sunday’s Cross-Country race. Making it a 1-2 for KTM, teammate Josep Garcia – the 2018 Hawkstone Park Cross-Country winner – was second, with British wildcard entrant Alex Snow bringing his Gas Gas home in third on Saturday.
Nathan Watson – 2019 Hawkstone Park Cross-Country – Image by Future7Media
Glorious weather greeted the 500-plus entry for the opening day of competition at round six of the WESS. Conditions were perfect for racing at the iconic venue with a two-stage Motocross and Enduro loop set to test competitors. The Enduro special test – ridden four times – weaved its way through the surrounding woodland, while the Motocross test – also ridden four times – saw riders blast their way around the famous, sandy motocross circuit.
At the head of the field Garcia was quick to lay down his marker. Despite riding with a recent hand injury, he showed no weakness on the bumpy Enduro test and led the way as they moved over to Motocross test.
Eager to close in on Garcia, Watson chipped away at the Spaniard’s lead to close the 10-second gap before increasing his own advantage to 10 seconds by the end of the day.
Josep Garcia – 2019 Hawkstone Park Cross-Country – Image by Future7Media
With the leading duo breaking away from the chasing field, both Snow and Finland’s Romi Kytonen battled head-to-head for third. Snow held a slender four-second advantage at the end of the Enduro tests, but Kytonen fought back on the Motocross section. Closing the gap with each run, he came within one-tenth of a second of Snow for fourth.
The battle for top-five was equally fierce between Jonny Walker and championship leader Manuel Lettenbichler. Walker held the upper hand after the Enduro tests, but with Lettenbichler coming on strong in the Motocross portion, the duo went to the wire, with Walker just hanging on to take fifth.
Sunday – Cross-Country
Nathan Watson delivered the goods on Sunday of the Hawkstone Park Cross-Country. The rider showed his class on the physically demanding Shropshire course to take victory over Germany’s Manuel Lettenbichler and Jonny Walker. Placing as runner-up in Great Britain, Lettenbichler extends his lead in this year’s race to become the Ultimate Enduro World Champion.
Nathan Watson claims 2019 Hawkstone Park Cross-Country victory – Image by Future7Media
Saturday’s glorious weather gave way to scattered showers, but it did little to dampen the race action, as riders blasted off the Hawkstone Park start line, it was Alex Snow who took the initial holeshot with Walker and the ensuring pack of riders close behind. There was immediate drama when both Watson and 2018 winner Josep Garcia were slow to start. Watson fared better than his teammate and was quickly mid pack, while Garcia had work to do after leaving the start in last position.
By the end of lap one, Walker was in the lead but Watson was up to second with Lettenbichler, Taddy Blazusiak and Snow chasing. Garcia was battling through the field and closing in on the top-10. A lap later and Watson was out front.
Exiting the mid-distance fuel stop of the two-hour and 30-minute race, Watson had increased his advantage to over one-minute from Lettenbichler and Walker. Controlling the pace for the second half of the race, he rode on to take a memorable win with Lettenbichler and Walker rounding out the podium.
Behind the top three, Blazusiak put in a strong charge in the closing stages to take fourth, with Garcia regrouping following his bad start to place fifth. Snow showed his pace for sixth, while Will Hoare impressed with seventh.
Weekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by DunlopGraham Jarvis – 2019 Hawkstone Park Cross-Country victory – Image by Future7Media
The World Enduro Super Series continues with round seven in Spain for the BR2 Enduro Solsona on October 4-6.
Nathan Watson – P1
“I’m super-happy to win today. I felt a lot of pressure coming into this weekend because it seems everyone expected me to win. Obviously, I got second here last year, so I was extra-motivated this weekend. Winning the Sprint Enduro gave me some confidence for today, but then I got a bad start and was near last. I made some aggressive passes early on to fight my way back up to the front. Once I got into the lead I felt so comfortable and was able to control the pace. I’m feeling pretty confident now going into BR2 Enduro Solsona.”
Nathan Watson – 2019 Hawkstone Park Cross-Country victory – Image by Future7Media
Manuel Lettenbichler – P2
“I came into this round with no expectations at all, but the plan was to collect as many points as possible for the overall standings. I thought if I could do a little better than last year and get inside the top-five it would be amazing because there are so many fast guys out there. I got a really good start and managed to find a good rhythm, so the whole race went really well – I surprised myself a little. Although my result here gives me quite a confidence boost going into the next round, it’s going to be really different racing in Spain. I’ll give it my best as always and if we can get a good result it will be a boost heading to Getzenrodeo.”
Manuel Lettenbichler – 2019 Hawkstone Park Cross-Country victory – Image by Future7Media
Jonny Walker – P3
“It’s great to get a podium at my home race. I led the race for a little bit too, which was good. I knew the guys would be fast so it was always going to be tough to be right up there. I made a really good start and set about chasing down the leader, he had a crash which put me in front and from then on I just tried to get into a good rhythm rather than push too hard early on because I knew it was going to be a really tough race. I’m looking forward to Solsona now, we’ve got a two-week break to rest a little then hopefully come back strong in Spain and challenge for the podium again.”
Jonny Walker – 2019 Hawkstone Park Cross-Country victory – Image by Future7Media
Placing as runner-up in Great Britain, Lettenbichler extends his lead in this year’s race to become the Ultimate Enduro World Champion.
Taddy Blazusiak – P4
“I really enjoyed the race today. I’m a little disappointed not to have finished on the podium again but all-in-all the race went well. I tried to settle into things early on and my speed was good. Mani got past me but then I could see I was closing in on Jonny for third. I got within about 10 seconds but then made a mistake and lost everything I had gained. Towards the end I still felt strong enough to push again but after one lap, I really started to suffer with the blisters on my hand and decided to settle for fourth. The next round in Spain is like a second home race for me so I’m going to try an heal my hand over the next two weeks then head to Solsona and give it all I have.”
Taddy Blazusiak – 2019 Hawkstone Park Cross-Country victory – Image by Future7Media
Josep Garcia – P5
“It was a really tough race for me today. I knew it would be hard coming into today so close after hurting my hand, but yesterday went really well and I felt quite confident. Unfortunately, I had trouble at the start and set off right at the back. It wasn’t too bad, but I knew I would have to push hard to make my way to the front. I made a few mistakes then and ended up crashing a few times, which knocked my confidence. Each time I felt comfortable to push again I ended up making another mistake. I’m not too happy with fifth but I’m looking forward to the next round in Spain now and hopefully come out of that one on top.”
Alfredo Gomez and Graham Jarvis both put in creditable rides at the Hawkstone Park Cross-Country to finish in eighth and ninth places respectively, and currently hold second and third in the overall WESS standings.
Alfredo Gomez – 2019 Hawkstone Park Cross-Country victory – Image by Future7Media
Alfredo Gomez – P8
“I tried my best today but had a few crashes, which knocked me back a little. The track became so rough and it was really tough to ride for over two hours. Overall, I’m happy with my performance – I got eighth, which is not bad and earned good points for the championship. I’m looking forward to the next one now.”
Alfredo Gomez – 2019 Hawkstone Park Cross-Country victory – Image by Future7Media
Graham Jarvis – P9
“I felt good today, I got an okay start and managed to get into a good rhythm. I was around 12th or 13th but got past a few riders ahead of me, so I’m pleased to equal my result from last year and get ninth. The fitness is there, which is the main thing. It can really wear you down out there so I’m happy with the result. It’s always good to race in England, too. It’s a shame it didn’t suit my style a little better, but I’m glad to get some good points in the bag.”
Graham Jarvis – 2019 Hawkstone Park Cross-Country victory – Image by Future7Media
The World Enduro Super Series continues with Round 7 in Spain for the BR2 Enduro Solsona on October 4-6.
Nathan Watson topped the podium from Manuel Lettenbichler and Jonny Walker – 2019 Hawkstone Park Cross-Country victory – Image by Future7Media
World Enduro Super Series 2019 standings (After round 6)
Manuel Lettenbichler (KTM – GER) 4420 points
Graham Jarvis (Husqvarna – GB) 3920
Alfredo Gomez (Husqvarna – ESP) 3654
Jonny Walker (KTM – GB) 3470
Taddy Blazusiak (KTM – POL) 3280
Josep Garcia (KTM – ESP) 3165
Mario Roman (Sherco – ESP) 3070
Nathan Watson (KTM – GB) 3031
Billy Bolt (Husqvarna – GB) 2725
Pol Tarres (Husqvarna – ESP) 2270
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Briar Bauman crowned AFT Twins Champ
American Flat Track crowned Briar Bauman the 2019 AFT Twins Champion following Saturday evening’s wild and intense Minnesota Mile at Canterbury Park in Shakopee, Minnesota.
2019 AFT Twins – Minnesota Mile Podium
Even though multi-time reigning champion Jared Mees did all he could by winning his seventh AFT Twins Main Event of the season in runaway fashion, both he and Bauman were well aware all Bauman needed to do to lock up the crown was finish on the podium — something he’d already accomplished 14 times in 16 attempts this season.
While he ultimately made it 15 to clinch the title, Bauman’s crowning achievement did not come without drama or adversity – not by a long shot. The first of Bauman’s obstacles came early, as he was involved in a high-speed crash in the early stages of the Main Event that also involved his brother, Bronson Bauman, Rookie of the Year Brandon Price, Stephen Vanderkuur and Sammy Halbert.
Jared Mees – 2019 AFT Twins – Minnesota Mil
Bauman’s crew worked frantically during the stoppage to repair his heavily damaged machine, beating the odds and getting it back out for the restart. However, as a result of his crash, his path to the podium would have to begin from the back row as opposed to the front.
Immediately following the restart, a second red flag was issued due to another two-rider crash. The local curfew forced a 10-lap reduction in the Main for the third and final restart, which meant Bauman would only have 15 laps to feel out his rebuilt machine, master the tricky racing conditions, and fight his way forward past the world’s best dirt track racers.
2019 AFT Twins – Minnesota Mile
Nevertheless, he did so with gusto, owning a bold, high line which he used to claw his way up to the fight for second that was being waged by Bryan Smith and Jeffrey Carver Jr.
In one final breathtaking moment, Bauman and Smith came together exiting Turn 4 for the final time. That clash allowed Smith to just beat him to the line for second, but in the end, third was good enough for Bauman to realize his lifelong ambitions.
Briar Bauman
“I don’t know if I can put words on this right now. I’ve dreamed of this my whole life. I used to have posters of Bryan and Jared hanging in my room growing up. And to win it… I can’t even put it into words. I don’t even know what else to say.”
Briar Bauman celebrated his victory with a lap on the back of Jared Mees’ bike
Mees showed his class by taking Bauman on his victory lap.
Jared Mees
“My goal was to win these last two races. Being 35 points down, it was really going to take some extremely bad luck for Briar — which almost happened to him. But he has a phenomenal team and they worked endlessly to get that bike put back together and back up front. I knew once he re-entered the race he was going to get third. Hats off to him and his team, and huge hats off to Indian Motorcycle for clinching their third championship. It’s hard to lose that #1 plate, especially after the domination we’ve had the last two years. But it went to the best guy this year, and I’m looking forward to next year to get it back.”
Carver – who scooped three holeshots on the night – finished fourth with Henry Wiles completing the top five.
2019 AFT Twins – Minnesota Mile Podium – 1) Jared Mees, 2) Bryan Smith, 3) Briar Bauman
AFT Twins Main Event – 2019 Minnesota Mile Result
#
Rider
Bike
Gap
1
Jared Mees
Indian FTR750
15 Laps
2
Bryan Smith
Kawasaki Ninja 650
2.931
3
Briar Bauman
Indian FTR750
3.038
4
Jeffrey Carver Jr.
Indian FTR750
3.73
5
Henry Wiles
Indian FTR750
7.812
6
Bronson Bauman
Indian FTR750
12.78
7
Brandon Robinson
HD XG750R Rev X
14.075
8
Jarod Vanderkooi
HD XG750R Rev X
17.534
9
Robert Pearson
Indian FTR750
20.662
10
Davis Fisher
Indian FTR750
23.37
AFT Twins Standings
#
Rider
Points
1
Briar Bauman
322
2
Jared Mees
295
3
Bronson Bauman
234
4
Jeffrey Carver Jr.
210
5
Brandon Robinson
191
6
Jarod Vanderkooi
190
7
Henry Wiles
167
8
Robert Pearson
159
9
Sammy Halbert
153
10
Davis Fisher
148
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Mikey Rush wins AFT Singles at Minnesota Mile
Following 15 thrilling laps of AFT Singles action, Mikey Rush edged Ryan Wells by an impossibly close 0.004 seconds for victory at the checkered flag. Rush didn’t appear headed toward a photo finish on Saturday night when he opened up a 0.799-second lead on the opening lap. That only seemed even more obvious when he stretched that advantage out to more than 1.2 seconds a pair of laps later.
However, ‘16 class champ Wells located a fast line that he used to successfully track Rush down, setting the stage for an incredible test of courage and tactics to determine the win between the two.
Wells looked to be exactly where he wanted to be on the final lap, lining Rush up for a drafting maneuver on the final straight. However, when he attempted to execute it, he managed to pull up alongside Rush but no further – running out of steam just a couple inches short of what he needed to beat his adversary to the stripe.
Mikey Rush – 2019 AFT Singles – Minnesota Mile
The narrow victory was Rush’s third win of the season and a satisfying consolation prize on the night he was officially eliminated from contention for the ’19 Roof Systems AFT Singles crown.
Mikey Rush
“Ryan showed me a killer line, and I stuck with it after he got by me. I made it work, and I knew my Honda was on point tonight – it runs like a champ. Big thanks to the whole team and everyone who supports us.”
Mikey Rush – 2019 AFT Singles – Minnesota Mile
Championship leader Dalton Gauthiermoved a big step closer to winning that title by finishing in fourth, one position behind rookie standout Dallas Daniels.
Gauthier may have been a bit too eager to lock the title up a round early; the ultra-talented rider actually jumped the start and was sent from Row 1 to Row 4. All that did was add a bit more drama to Gauthier’s ongoing championship pursuit, as he ultimately overhauled chief rival Dan Bromley – and everyone else that stood in his way short of the podium finishers.
Mikey Rush and Ryan Wells race to the finish line – 2019 AFT Singles – Minnesota Mile
Meanwhile, defending class champ Bromley finished the Main down in 10th, dropping him to 21 points back (281-260). As a result, Bromley’s hopes of a repeat are still alive – albeit barely – with one race to go.
AFT Singles Main Event – 2019 Minnesota Mile Result
#
Rider
Bike
Gap
1
Mikey Rush
Honda CRF450R
15 Laps
2
Ryan Wells
Yamaha YZ450F
0.004
3
Dallas Daniels
Yamaha YZ450F
1.489
4
Dalton Gauthier
Husqvarna FC450
1.584
5
Trent Lowe
Honda CRF450R
2.224
6
Morgen Mischler
KTM 450 SX-F
2.648
7
Max Whale
Kawasaki KX450F
3.541
8
Chad Cose
Suzuki RMZ 450
6.153
9
Brandon Kitchen
Honda CRF450R
6.275
10
Dan Bromley
KTM 450 SX-F
8.766
AFT Singles Standings
#
Rider
Points
1
Dalton Gauthier
281
2
Dan Bromley
260
3
Mikey Rush
255
4
Chad Cose
186
5
Jesse Janisch
183
6
Ryan Wells
177
7
Shayna Texter
169
8
Morgen Mischler
158
9
Max Whale
132
10
Kevin Stollings
109
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Kolby Carlile tops AFT Production Twins at Canterbury Park
Kolby Carlile made certain the AFT Production Twins championship fight would go down to the season finale with a clutch performance to score his second victory of the season.
2019 AFT Production Twins – Minnesota Mile
Chad Cose threatened to escape at the start, but Carlile put his head down and extracted the most from an evolving high line to systematically reel in Cose. On lap 8, Carlile finally drafted up alongside and dove up the inside of his quarry to snatch away the lead.
Cose attempted to return the favor a lap later but couldn’t quite make it stick. From there, he found himself on the back foot, as the two leaders’ battle stretched them more than a full straightaway out in front of the rest of the field.
Chad Cose and Kolby Carlile – 2019 AFT Production Twins – Minnesota Mile
Carlile shook free at the end to claim the checkered flag with a 2.195-second margin of victory. Cose had nearly seven seconds on third as their intense battle for the win pushed the two more than a full straightaway out in front of the remainder of the field.
Kolby Carlile
“I really couldn’t have gone any faster. I just can’t thank my team enough… and I can’t thank them any better than by coming out here and getting the win, so that’s what I did today.”
Kolby Carlile – 2019 AFT Production Twins – Minnesota Mile
Cody Johncox picked up his second podium of the season in third, successfully outdueling title hopefuls Cory Texter and Ryan Varnes.
Varnes recovered from a rough start in which he nearly looped his Kawasaki coming off the line and plummeted back through the field at the start. With his title chances flashing before his eyes, Varnes quickly regrouped and somehow managed to weave all the way up to fourth and latch onto Johncox’s rear wheel in third.
Dallas Daniels – 2019 AFT Production Twins – Minnesota Mile
However, a subsequent mishap dropped Varnes out of podium contention and all the way down to an eventual sixth-place result. Even more crucially, it allowed Texter to get back around him and finish in fourth, further extending the points differential separating the two.
In fact, Varnes’ sixth-place finish combined with Carlile’s triumph saw Carilie step forward and seize control of second place in the title chase heading into next weekend’s season finale. The new runner-up now trails championship leader Texter by 15 points (180-165) with Varnes still very much in the mix in third at 162.
2019 AFT Production Twins – Minnesota Mile Podium – 1) Kolby Carlile, 2) Chad Cose, 3) Cody Johncox
AFT Twins Main Event – 2019 Minnesota Mile Result
#
Rider
Bike
Gap
1
Kolby Carlile
Yamaha MT-07
15 Laps
2
Chad Cose
Kawasaki Ninja 650
2.195
3
Cody Johncox
Yamaha MT-07
8.951
4
Cory Texter
Yamaha MT-07
9.877
5
Dalton Gauthier
HD XG750R Rev X
11.687
6
Ryan Varnes
Kawasaki Ninja 650
17.788
7
Morgen Mischler
Kawasaki Ninja 650
23.708
8
Jeffery Lowery
Kawasaki Ninja 650
31.563
9
Andrew Luker
Kawasaki Ninja 650
57.467
10
Brock Schwarzenbacher
Kawasaki Ninja 650
14 Laps
AFT Production Twins Standings
#
Rider
Points
1
Cory Texter
180
2
Kolby Carlile
165
3
Ryan Varnes
162
4
Dalton Gauthier
136
5
James Rispoli
116
6
Chad Cose
114
7
J.R. Addison
111
8
Cody Johncox
109
9
Ben Lowe
100
10
Kevin Stollings
90
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Toni Bou sweeps 2019 TrialGP championship
With seven wins out of seven events, Toni Bou closed out the 2019 TrialGP World Championship. The Repsol Honda Team rider claimed top honours in the Spanish TrialGP held in the Ciudad Deportiva of La Nucía, where Takahisa Fujinami took the third step of the podium.
Toni Bou – 2019 TrialGP – Spain
The final trial of the season was by no means easy. The steep areas and the lack of time to conclude the first lap proved a hindrance for riders. Toni Bou finished the day accruing the least marks, thus achieving a 14th consecutive victory in Trial World Championships and a 112th in elite competition. With the title already sealed in the previous outing in France, Bou has completed a full-house of wins in all the trials disputed this season.
Takahisa Fujinami – 2019 TrialGP – Spain
Takahisa Fujinami fought hard for a place on the podium in La Nucía with his endeavours finally paying dividends.
Toni Bou
“Having a perfect season and winning all races has been spectacular. After exceeding 100 wins, this was the challenge that I was lacking and I am very happy to have achieved it. In addition, I am also very happy to be able to tie with Jordi Tarrés on 14th consecutive victories. We always want more, so we hope to start next season continuing this good spell. Today’s trial was tough, the sections were very slippery and we had very little time, so we made a lot of mistakes. Luckily, everyone made mistakes but our opponents picked up more marks. I am very happy to be able to finish the season this way. Thank you very much to the whole team for making it possible.”
Toni Bou topped the podium from – 2019 TrialGP – Spain
2019 TrialGP of Spain Results
#
Rider
Nat.
Points
1
BOU Toni
SPA
160
2
RAGA Adam
SPA
134
3
FUJINAMI Takahisa
JPN
112
4
BUSTO Jaime
SPA
96
5
CASALES Jorge
SPA
81
6
DABILL James
GBR
80
7
BINCAZ Benoit
FRA
69
8
GELABERT Miquel
SPA
66
9
KADLEC Franz
GER
64
10
PRICE Jack
GBR
49
2019 TrialGP Standings
#
Rider
Nat.
Team
Points
1
BOU Toni
SPA
Repsol Honda Team
36
2
RAGA Adam
SPA
TRRS Factory Team
43
3
FUJINAMI Takahisa
JPN
Repsol Honda Team
64
4
FAJARDO Jeroni
SPA
Gas Gas
65
5
BUSTO Jaime
SPA
Vertigo Factory Team
67
6
GELABERT Miquel
SPA
Sherco Factory Team
69
7
CASALES Jorge
SPA
Vertigo Factory Team
70
8
BINCAZ Benoit
FRA
Beta Factory Racing
83
9
DABILL James
GBR
Beta Factory Racing
89
10
PRICE Jack
GBR
Gas Gas
89
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2019 AORC Wrap-Up
After eleven rounds across six weekends the Yamaha Australian Off-Road Championship (AORC) concluded last weekend at Hedley in Victoria. Here’s a look at the season that was…
E3
Its fair to say that Daniel Sanders simply dismantled his rivals this year in the E3 category. The 25-year-old was in a class of his own taking the round win in every race this year. Sanders’ stats in the E3 category continues to grow as he now has racked up 22 victories from a total of 35 round starts.
Daniel Sanders
This year’s championship marks Sanders’ fourth title in the AORC series. He now has taken out the 19 & Under Championship in 2014, E2 title in 2018 and the E3 championship this year and 2016.
Sanders’ nearest rival throughout the year was Andrew Wilksch, who was 63-points behind who managed to stand on the podium at every round, apart from round three.
The biggest upset for the year would have to be Beau Ralston, who injured himself. Ralston scored second place at the first six rounds of the year before his season was put on hold, so it’s a case of what could have been.
At the end of the championship, Ralston found himself in sixth place in the standings with 148-points to his name. Jesse Lawton was able to salvage third place in the championship and get back to finish in the championship and finish off his best season.
E2
Just like Sanders in the E3 class, Daniel Milner also made the season his own in the E2 class by romping to victory in every round this year. Josh Green tried everything he could to put up a fight to Milner but was unable to prevail and had to settle finishing second in all of the eleven rounds this year. Still, it was an improvement from last year as Green did finish third in 2018 with six second places and three third places.
Daniel Milner
Jérémy Carpentier, who made the jump from E1 to E2 this year certainly put on a solid show in 2019. With seven visits to the podium this year and three top five finishes, it was enough to hand the Frenchman third place for the year finishing 37-points behind Green.
Brad Hardaker, who took out third place at round six, battled through injuries in the first part of the year and was still pretty consistent, which showed in his overall position for the year. At the end of the jigsaw puzzle Hardaker finished in fourth place, scoring 148-points for the year.
E1
Luke Styke has become the second rider in the sports history to win back-to-back championships in the E1 division. Styke, who now has 15 wins in the E1 class just held onto the championship win by 18-points, beating Lyndon Snodgrass, who last year finished second in the E2 championship.
Luke Styke
Fraser Higlett this year dropped from second to third in the overall standings. Unlike last year, his season has not exactly been consistent. Last year saw Higlett scoring two race wins, six seconds and two thirds, while this year he has only been able to win one round, which came at the fifth round, one second and five thirds. The third place in the championship went all the way down to the wire between Higlett and last year’s EJ champion, Michael Driscoll. Driscoll just missed out on third place by three points.
EJ
For 2019, Kyron Bacon leaped up to the EJ class after finishing second in last year’s J4 category. A total of seven round wins, two second places and third places saw the 17-year-old winning the title beating Josh Brierley, who again finished second in the EJ class for another year running, by 30-points.
Kyron Bacon
Last years J4 champion, Korey McMahon, round the EJ championship in third place, eight points off Brierley and along the way picked up three second places and seven second place finishes to his credit.
Women
Once again Jess Gardiner proved just to good for the field, racking up her fifth championship, which has not been done in the sports history in the Women’s class. Not only that, but the 26-year-old of course has scored over 2000 championship points and after the weekend just gone, she now has a total of 2,063 championship points to her name.
Jess Gardiner
While Gardiner might be the Queen at her game at the moment, Honda RideRed’s Emma Milesevic has proven to be a future star of the sport. After switching from motocross to AORC this year, the Victorian based rider came on strong from the word get go. Her first-round win came at Broken Hill and took out another win in South Australia at the ninth round of the championship. In total, nine podium finishes for the Honda rider who finished 28-points off from Gardiner.
Milesevic just hung onto second place in the championship tussle, beating Emelie Karlsson by just one slender point. What was looking like a winless year coming up for the Swedish rider, Karlsson broke through during Saturday’s cross-county event to win her fourteenth AORC round win, beating Milesevic and Gardiner.
Danielle Foot guided the #885V Motul Pirelli Sherco Off-Road machine to fourth place in the championship, which was also her first year in the AORC series.
Juniors
The J4 class was the closest finish out of all the championships in the AORC series. Mackenzie Johnson took out the championship by one point ahead of Blake Hollis. Round eight and nine which Hollis missed proved to be costly in the end. However, it is what it is…
Blake Hollis – 2019 AORC
Riley McGillivray took out the J3 class by locking up ten round wins for the year. 44-points down on him was Kodi Stephens.
It was back-to-back championship wins for Billy Hargy in the J2 class, who finished 14-points ahead of Max Phillips and Campbell Hall who was 21-points down.
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Masters & Vets
Kirk Hutton won every round bar the final two rounds, purely because there was no need for him to roll up as he locked up the title the round before. This left Peter Rudd to finish second in the championship, but took out the final two rounds. It was really a two-horse race between the pair.
Kirk Hutton – 2019 AORC
Lee Stephens to had a great year. He took out a total of nine wins which handed him the title win over Chris Thomas and former 2017 Veterans champ Jason Perace.
This brings the 2019 AORC season to a close, proving that Australia’s Enduro talent is growing in leaps and bounds. Please stay tuned for further AORC updates as well as the 2020 calendar, which will be released in due course.
Leon Madsen claims British SGP win in Cardiff
British FIM Speedway Grand Prix winner Leon Madsen says completing a Warsaw and Cardiff golden double is an awesome feeling – whether or not he’s crowned world champion. The Dane topped the podium ahead of Emil Sayfutdinov, Bartosz Zmarzlik and Jason Doyle at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium on Saturday.
2019 British FIM Speedway Grand Prix
Madsen was delighted to have won at both of the SGP series’ biggest venues in his first full World Championship season. He’s currently third in the standings on 109 points – nine behind series leader Zmarzlik, who has 118 going into the title-deciding REVLINE Torun SGP of Poland on October 5. Sayfutdinov is second on 111.
While Madsen knows claiming the sport’s biggest prize in a fortnight will be no easy task, he admits his Warsaw and Cardiff wins would represent a sweet consolation prize.
Leon Madsen
“I had a talk with my girlfriend at home before the meeting; I said ‘I might not be world champion this year, but wouldn’t it be nice to win the two biggest events on the calendar and finish off as No.1 in the Polish Ekstraliga rankings. At the moment, I am No.1 in the Polish rankings. I have won the two biggest events and I am very happy about that and proud as well. If I don’t win the championship, it’s kind of a plaster on the wound to win those two big events.”
2019 British FIM Speedway Grand Prix podium
Madsen is determined to finish of SGP 2019 with at least a medal to show for an impressive debut season, which has seen him defy a disc problem in his back and an ankle injury to pile up the points.
Sayfutdinov heads to Torun seven points short of Zmarzlik. While he was gutted not to overtake Madsen for victory in the Cardiff final, he was content with a healthy 17-point haul. And now he’s determined to hunt down Zmarzlik for top spot.
Third-placed Zmarzlik is 15 points away from guaranteeing the SGP 2019 world title – irrespective of what his rivals score in Torun. This target will decrease with every point dropped by Sayfutdinov and Madsen.
With Zmarzlik racing the title decider in his homeland, there’s no doubt the spotlight will shine brightest on him. But he admits he felt more pressure in Cardiff, where he has reached the final on all of his four visits.
2019 British FIM Speedway Grand Prix podium
SGP World Championship Standings
Bartosz Zmarzlik 118
Emil Sayfutdinov 111
Leon Madsen 109
Fredrik Lindgren 98
Martin Vaculik 88
Maciej Janowski 80
Patryk Dudek 75
Matej Zagar 74
Jason Doyle 73
Artem Laguta 69 …16 Max Fricke
2019 British SGP Scores
Leon Madsen 17
Emil Sayfutdinov 17
Bartosz Zmarzlik 15
Jason Doyle 13
Fredrik Lindgren 11
Martin Vaculik 9
Antonio Lindback 9
Matej Zagar 9
Maciej Janowski 7
Artem Laguta 6
Australian Junior Dirt Track heads to Somersby this weekend
This weekend the Nation’s best junior motorcycle riders from across the country will invade the Central Coast to battle it out in the Australian Junior Dirt Track Championship for a two-day event on September 28-29 at Allen Park MVR Speedway, in Somersby, New South Wales.
Australian Junior Dirt Track heads to Somersby – Image by David Lamont
Although some riders may be young in age, they are much older in experience, skills and talent if the results shown at the recent Central Coast Cup event were any indication. With strong competition likely from Queenslanders, Riley Nauta, Nate Hicks, Steph Connors, Lenny and Henry Snell.
Flying the flag for Victoria is Cooper Antone, Jed Fyffe and Oli Bergic, while Sam and Tom Drane, Noah Grabham and Beau Bailey will try and do the Central West NSW proud.
Being just a few riders to beat if they want to be crowned champion. Forbes brothers Tom and Sam Drane along with Queenslander Riley Nauta have just returned from 6 weeks of competition racing long track in America.
Riders from seven through to sixteen will compete in their individual classes to hold the title of 2019 National champion. Several previous winners of this event have continued on to hold World Championships.
Australian Junior Dirt Track heads to Somersby – Image by David Lamont
The weekend entertainment will not only be provided by the high quality of the competitors but on the Sunday the crowd will be treated by a special appearance and demonstration ride by clinically blind Australian Ben Felten who is the current Guinness World Record and FIM record holder for the fastest land speed by a blind motorcycle rider.
Practice will commence at 9.30am followed by racing on the Saturday and racing opening from 9.30am on the Sunday. Entry fee of $10.00 per car will cover you for the two days of competition.
Ben Kelley extends KTM contract
KTM Motorsports is proud to announce the contract extension of recently-crowned back-to-back GNCC XC2 250 Pro Champion Ben Kelley, who will join the FMF KTM Factory Racing Team in 2020 to compete in the premier XC1 Open Pro class in the AMA Grand National Cross Country (GNCC) Series.
As a member of the KTM-Supported Trail Jesters KTM Racing Team since 2017, Kelley has spent a majority of his career with the KTM brand where he has achieved many great milestones as a young racer. Now a two-time GNCC XC2 Champion, Kelley remains undefeated in the current series as he continues to vie for a perfect season in 2019.
Ben Kelley
“I am really excited to be joining the FMF KTM Factory Racing team going into the 2020 season. I have high hopes for next year and look forward to moving up to the premier XC1 class in GNCC.”
Ben Kelly – Image by Ken Hill
Antti Kallonen – FMF KTM Factory Racing Team Manager
“I’m very pleased to see Ben graduate from the Trail Jesters KTM Racing Team. We’ve been supporting him and the team for a few years now and this is the result of a great feeder program and now he’s ready to take on the premier class. Obviously, we’re looking for a very bright future for Ben as he’s already shown an enormous amount of potential in the XC2 class. Now he will be on a bigger bike in the premier class and our expectations are high, as are his, so we’re looking forward to the next three years and beyond.”
In addition to finishing out the last three rounds of the GNCC Series, the 23-year-old will go on to represent the U.S. Junior World Trophy Team on Nov. 11-16 at the 94th edition of the FIM International Six Days Enduro (ISDE) in Portimao, Portugal.
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AMA announces 2020 rider numbers
The American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) has announced the professional competition numbers for pro-licensed riders competing in AMA Supercross, an FIM World Championship, and the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing, for the 2020 season.
2019 AMA Supercross – Image by Hoppenworld
Each rider uses the assigned professional number for competition. In addition, the current champion runs the No. 1 plate, instead of an assigned professional number when competing in the class or region in which the No. 1 plate was earned. When competing in a class other than the class in which the championship was earned, the rider must use the professional number assigned.
2020 Top 100 & Career Pro Numbers for SX and MX
* Career Numbers – ** New Career Number for 2020
Rider # (Class)
Rider
1 (450SX)
Cooper Webb
1 (450 Class)
Eli Tomac
1 (250 Class)
Adam Cianciarulo
1W (250SX)
Dylan Ferrandis
1E (250SX)
Chase Sexton
2*
Cooper Webb
3*
Eli Tomac
4*
Blake Baggett
6*
Jeremy Martin
7*
Aaron Plessinger
9**
Adam Cianciarulo
10*
Justin Brayton
11*
Kyle Chisholm
12*
Shane McElrath
13
Colt Nichols
14**
Dylan Ferrandis
15*
Dean Wilson
16*
Zach Osborne
17*
Joey Savatgy
18*
Weston Peick
19*
Justin Bogle
20*
Broc Tickle
21*
Jason Anderson
22*
Chad Reed
23*
Chase Sexton
24**
R.J. Hampshire
25*
Marvin Musquin
26*
Alex Martin
27*
Malcolm Stewart
28
Michael Mosiman
29
Cameron McAdoo
30
Brandon Hartranft
31
Fredrik Noren
32**
Justin Cooper
33*
Josh Grant
34
Tyler Bowers
35
Hunter Lawrence
36
Garrett Marchbanks
37
Martin Davalos
38
Kyle Peters
39
Jordan Bailey
40
Mitchell Oldenburg
41
Ty Masterpool
42
Ben Lamay
43
John Short
44
Kyle Cunningham
45
Jacob Hayes
46*
Justin Hill
47
Lorenzo Locurcio
48
Henry Miller
49
Chris Blose
50
Benny Bloss
51*
Justin Barcia
52
Austin Forkner
53
Jimmy Decotis
54
Jordon Smith
55
Martin Castelo
56
Justin Starling
57
Derek Drake
58
Sean Cantrell
59
Josh Osby
60
Mitchell Falk
61
Alex Ray
62
Christian Craig
63
Jess Pettis
64
Vince Friese
65
James Weeks
66
Enzo Lopes
67
Jerry Robin
68
Nick Gaines
69
Carlen Gardner
70
Dylan Merriam
71
Ryan Breece
72
Robbie Wageman
73
Chase Marquier
74
Mitchell Harrison
75
Coty Schock
76
Mike Alessi
77
Kevin Moranz
78
Jake Masterpool
79
Isaac Teasdale
80
Thomas Covington
81
Anthony Rodriguez
82
Cade Autenrieth
83
Jett Lawrence
84
Jo Shimoda
85
Cole Martinez
86
Josh Cartwright
87
Ramyller Alves
88
Logan Karnow
89
Marshal Weltin
90
Killian Auberson
91
Ryan Sipes
92
Austin Politelli
93
Blake Wharton
94*
Ken Roczen
95
Carson Brown
96
Justin Thompson
97
Chris Howell
98
Bradley Lionnet
99
Brandan Leith
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Weekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop
What happened this week
JD Beach wins 2019 Buffalo Chip TT
Ryan Sipes tops AFT Singles at Buffalo Chip TT
Gajser and Prado claim victory at 2019 MXGP of Belgium
Van De Moosdijk tops EMX at Lommel
Husqvarna’s Waters & Todd claim titles at Coolum MX Nationals
Bartosz Zmarzlik wins Speedway Grand Prix of Poland
Dan Reardon joins CDR Yamaha for 2019 Australian SX
Cole Seely announces retirement
Team Belgium for 2019 Motocross of Nations announced
JD Beach wins 2019 Buffalo Chip TT
JD Beach took an unexpected last-second victory at the 2019 Buffalo Chip TT at the American Flat Track premiere class showdown in Sturgis, with Jake Johnson seeming a clear winner until a mechanical issue on the final corner of the final lap wreaked havoc on his would-be victory.
AFT Twins Start – 2019 Bufallo Chip TT
TT standout Johnson grabbed the holeshot and quickly broke free at the front while a four-rider fight for second took shape involving Jarod Vanderkooi, Jared Mees, Bronson Bauman and Beach.
And they are off! – 2019 Bufallo Chip TT
Passing opportunities proved few and far between as the riders negotiated the purpose-built TT circuit on the Sturgis Buffalo Chip Campground that encircled “The Bar” and was pressed tight by thousands of fans on the fences. As a result, the top five could have easily been set from the opening lap if not for repeated drama.
First, Vanderkooi ran wide and quickly gave up three positions. An aggressive Beach then made his way by Bauman as well and immediately went about applying intense pressure on Mees for second.
Jake Johnson – AFT Twins – 2019 Bufallo Chip TT
That pressure was so great, in fact, that Mees ultimately decided it was better to just hand the position over to Beach than invite trouble in an attempt to defend it, especially once he saw that championship rival Briar Bauman was destined to DNF after crashing further back in the field.
At that point, Mees’ calculated decision appeared likely only to open the door for an eventual Estenson 1-2, but Beach still wasn’t satisfied. He somehow reeled in teammate Johnson, arriving on his rear wheel just in time to take the white flag. However, Beach simply couldn’t find a way through and was all but ready to follow Johnson to the checkered flag when Johnson’s bike suffered a mechanical issue exiting the race’s very final corner.
JD Beach claims the win from Jake Johnson – AFT Twins – 2019 Bufallo Chip TT
Beach promptly powered past, officially claiming the victory by 0.201 seconds. The win was the second of Beach’s AFT Twins career and his second straight on the tour’s run of TTs, having also won at the Arizona Super TT earlier this season.
JD Beach
“I’m heartbroken for Jake. He rode an amazing race. I came from like fifth and caught him, but we only had a lap to go. I was trying to find a way by him but there just wasn’t any room. Coming out of the last turn, I heard his bike blubber, so I knew I was hooked up and going. It’s awesome to get a win, but to get a win like that — especially with Jake because he’s such a good guy – it feels good but it doesn’t. I have to thank the whole crowd for coming out. This event is awesome. And I’ve got to thank the whole Estenson racing team. They’ve been working really hard. We’ve got a bike that can go right, and I think we’ve proved it. And we have another chance at the Peoria TT, so we’ll see what happens.”
JD Beach – AFT Twins – 2019 Bufallo Chip TT
Mees came home in third, slashing his title deficit from 26 to just 12 (173-161) to open the second half of the ‘19 title fight. Bronson Bauman finished fourth, followed by Vanderkooi in fifth.
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Ryan Sipes tops AFT Singles at Buffalo Chip TT
For the second consecutive year, Ryan Sipes put on a masterclass of all-around riding ability at the Buffalo Chip TT with a convincing victory in the once-stopped and restarted AFT Singles Main Event.
AFT Singles start – 2019 Bufallo Chip TT
With right- and left-handers of varying radii and jumps to navigate, the TTs demand a somewhat different, expanded skillset compared to the other three AFT disciplines. It should be no surprise that the supremely versatile Sipes once again shone under the lights at the Buffalo Chip, as he showcased the talents that also made him a Supercross race winner and America’s first-ever ISDE overall winner.
Ryan Sipes – AFT Singles – 2019 Bufallo Chip TT
Sipes was in dominant form all day long, and effectively secured the win at the critically important start when he hammered into the lead off the line. His combination of superior speed and inch-perfect lines provided his opponents with precious little hope of defeating the Kentucky native on this night.
Ryan Sipes
“I wanted this one really bad. All I’ve thought about since I crashed at Springfield was I should have won there, and now I have to win here. And I did it, so I feel really good about it.”
Ryan Sipes – AFT Singles – 2019 Bufallo Chip TT
AFT Singles points leader Dalton Gauthier was ecstatic to finish second. With series part-timer Sipes not in championship contention and key title rival Mikey Rush suffering another difficult outing, Gauthier’s podium performance opened up some breathing space at the top of the standings.
Defending champ Dan Bromley took over second in the championship chase with his sixth podium result of the season by finishing third. 2016 class champ Ryan Wells made an impressive charge on a track that was nearly impossible to pass on to arrive in fourth while top qualifier Chad Cose rounded out the top five.
Ryan Sipes topped the AFT Singles podium- AFT Twins – 2019 Bufallo Chip TT
Aussie Max Whale came home in the AFT Singles main event eighth on his Kawasaki KX450F, and currently sits ninth in the standings on 83-points.
Max Whale
“Had a blast at the Buffalo Chip TT. Ended the night with a solid P8. The track was unique, tight and hard to pass! Had to come from row 3. Plenty of bar bagging! Thanks to all my sponsors!”
Max Whale – AFT Singles – 2019 Bufallo Chip TT
Buffalo Chip TT – AFT Singles Main Event
#
Rider
Bike
Gap
1
Ryan Sipes
KTM 450 SX-F
0.000
2
Dalton Gauthier
Husqvarna FC450
2.141
3
Dan Bromley
KTM 450 SX-F
3.272
4
Ryan Wells
Yamaha YZ450F
7.56
5
Chad Cose
Honda CRF450R
8.072
6
James Rispoli
Yamaha YZ450F
8.369
7
Jesse Janisch
Yamaha YZ450F
8.509
8
Max Whale
Kawasaki KX450F
8.86
9
Jacob Lehmann
Honda CRF450R
9.119
10
Andrew DiBrino
Husqvarna FC450
9.866
AFT Singles Standings
#
Rider
Points
1
Dalton Gauthier
189
2
Dan Bromley
168
3
Mikey Rush
161
4
Jesse Janisch
150
5
Ryan Wells
126
6
Shayna Texter
108
7
Chad Cose
105
8
Morgen Mischler
90
9
Max Whale
83
10
Kevin Stollings
79
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Gajser and Prado claim victory at 2019 MXGP of Belgium
Tim Gajser claimed the MXGP of Belgium victory over the weekend, with a 2-2 result netting 44-points and extending his championship lead, with Romain Febvre runner up on 43-points thanks to a 1-4 result. Glenn Coldenhoff claimed the final overall podium position with a consistent 3-3 result for 40-points.
Tim Gajser – MXGP of Belgium 2019, Round 14
Following the MXGP of Belgium Gajser holds the championship lead by an all but insurmountable 187-points with four rounds to go, with second place sitting with Jeremy Seewer who took fourth overall over the weekend and now holds 439-points. That’s a 37-point lead over Gautier Paulin on 402. Arnaud Tonus is a close fourth with 396-points.
Tim Gajser
“I had fun today and it is weird saying that in the sand for me. I had two good races and I let Max pass because he was faster, then he made a mistake and I got him back, then he passed me again. They told me if I was second, I would have won the overall. I very happy with this GP win as I didn’t’ expect it. I expected a top five would be good and to win here is really special. We have worked in the sand in the winter and it really worked out. The track was rough, and it was easy to make a mistake. I will try and make a good start and see if I can stay with these guys, but if I can’t I will settle for the points. It is always mental, coming here in Lommel, we know the race will be tough, so deep and so bumpy and I did my best.”
Tim Gajser – MXGP of Belgium 2019, Round 14
Romain Febvre
“I used a lot of energy for the qualifying race. I wanted a good start gate. I was first in the first corner of the first race and then Tim passed me, and I passed him again. I was feeling comfortable but it was really tough. The first race was easier, and the second race I didn’t get the start I liked.. It was tough and it was hot. I struggled at the beginning of the first race a bit, then 10 minutes before the end I lost a bit my rhythm and I was super happy to have won the first race. In second race I ended fourth for a second overall. I couldn’t pass Van Horebeek and Coldenhoff and I lost my rhythm. I am a little bit disappointed. Today I felt better than yesterday, but I didn’t have so much energy at the end.”
Romain Febvre – MXGP of Belgium 2019, Round 14
Glenn Coldenhoff
“It is great. Two weeks ago I didn’t feel good in the sand, but the team helped with a great bike and I give it to those guys. I am happy to be back up here and I enjoy it. The sand always suits me well, and it is easier than hard pack for me. Yesterday I felt good. I went into qualification to save energy for today’s race and maybe that was wrong, because I couldn’t find my rhythm and I struggled a bit. I pushed this morning and had that good feeling again pulling also the FOX Holeshot. I have to thank my boss and the whole team. We have been through difficult time, but we are back. The team has done an amazing job to have me comfortable in the sand.”
Glenn Coldenhoff – MXGP of Belgium 2019, Round 14
MXGP Round Overall
Pos
Rider
Total
1
Gajser, Tim
44
2
Febvre, Romain
43
3
Coldenhoff, Glenn
40
4
Seewer, Jeremy
34
5
Van Horebeek, Jeremy
29
6
Jasikonis, Arminas
28
7
Anstie, Max
25
8
Jonass, Pauls
24
9
Monticelli, Ivo
23
10
Paulin, Gautier
23
MXGP Standings
#
Rider
Points
1
Gajser, Tim
SLO
HON
626
2
Seewer, Jeremy
SUI
YAM
439
3
Paulin, G.
FRA
YAM
402
4
Tonus, Arnaud
SUI
YAM
396
5
Cairoli, A.
ITA
KTM
358
6
Jasikonis, A.
LTU
HUS
355
7
Coldenhoff, G.
NED
KTM
349
8
Febvre, Romain
FRA
YAM
336
9
Van Horebeek, J.
BEL
HON
329
10
Jonass, Pauls
LAT
HUS
321
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In MX2 Jorge Prado proved unstoppable with a 1-1 result and 50 championship points to the tally, with the runner up position proving a tight competition with Calvin Vlaanderen, Ben Watson and Tom Vialle all sitting on 36-points a-piece, with Vialle missing out on the podium and Vlaanderen runner up. Adam Sterry in fifth overall was a further point in arrears.
Jorge Prado – MXGP of Belgium 2019, Round 14
Following Belgium Prado (644) holds a 124-point lead from Thomas Kjer Olsen (520), with Tom Vialle (416) a further 104-points back in third place. Jago Geerts sits fourth in the standings on 413-points, while Henry Jacobi completes the top five with 399-points.
Jorge Prado
“Normally it is a tough race even if I had a good flow the whole race. I was enjoying it and I was mentally prepared for this. We are closing in on the championship and looking for the next round. The first race was also good, the track is very rough, and you need to be careful with your energy and have energy for the second one. The second race was good, another FOX holeshot and that was my goal. The last lap I had more than 30 seconds lead and I tried to make it bigger, but I lost my hand and fell, lucky I got up quickly. Third GP win at Lommel, so I am happy.”
Jorge Prado – MXGP of Belgium 2019, Round 14
Calvin Vlaanderen
“It feels good to be back, this is the goal to come on the podium. First race I wasn’t happy, put it down and came back. Didn’t expect to be on the podium as I started the second race with the goal to have fun. I was stoked when I saw I was on the podium. I think in Italy I need two good starts and two good races. Maybe on the hard-pack I can put a bit more pressure on Prado and try and fight at the front.”
Calvin Vlaanderen – MXGP of Belgium 2019, Round 14
Ben Watson
“I am gutted for my teammate. I come here not knowing what to expect as I decided to race just some days ago. I came here to one of the toughest Grand Prix of the year and got on the podium. I want to thank the team, my girlfriend, my family and everyone who has been a part of this. The last few weeks have been difficult, I had a lot of time to improve after Indonesia and I got a lot of physical training in as I wanted a good comeback race. I only rode Tuesday for the first time, and we decided to come, and it was a big shock to me and the whole team. My teammate Jago deserved the second spot on the podium.”
Ben Watson – MXGP of Belgium 2019, Round 14
MX2 Round Overall
Pos
Rider
Total
1
Prado, Jorge
50
2
Vlaanderen, Calvin
36
3
Watson, Ben
36
4
Vialle, Tom
36
5
Sterry, Adam
35
6
Renaux, Maxime
29
7
Genot, Cyril
22
8
Östlund, Alvin
22
9
Jacobi, Henry
22
10
Geerts, Jago
22
MX2 Standings
#
Rider
Points
1
Prado, Jorge
ESP
KTM
644
2
Olsen, T.
DEN
HUS
520
3
Vialle, Tom
FRA
KTM
416
4
Geerts, Jago
BEL
YAM
413
5
Jacobi, Henry
GER
KAW
399
6
Sterry, Adam
GBR
KAW
314
7
Watson, Ben
GBR
YAM
282
8
Renaux, Maxime
FRA
YAM
271
9
Beaton, Jed
AUS
HUS
250
10
Vlaanderen, C.
NED
HON
248
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Van De Moosdijk tops EMX at Lommel
The EMX250 and EMX125 classes continued their championships stories in Lommel at the MXGP of Belgium, and once again it was the sand masters who came out with amazing skills around one of the toughest circuits in the World.
EMX250 start at Lommel
Roan van de Moosdijk is the king of the sand in the EMX250 class, going 1-1 and taking the points’ lead in the series standings heading to the next round in Sweden. The Dutchman was a level above his competition as he clocked lap times bunch of seconds quicker than the other EMX250 riders. Kevin Horgmo was second overall and Mikkel Haarup third.
In the EMX125 class it was Simon Laengenfelder who scored 2-1 results to win the overall, ahead of series leader Mattia Guadagnini and Tom Guyon. Guadagnini continues to lead the series by 20 points over Guyon.
EMX250
Kevin Horgmo was quickly into the lead in the opening EMX250 race, followed by Isak Gifting, Kay Ebben and Roan van de Moosdijk. Mikkel Haarup moved past van de Moosdijk on lap two, and championship front runners, Rene Hofer was back in seventh, Stephen Rubini was ninth and Alberto Forato way back in 14th. Van de Moosdijk moved into second place on lap three.
Alberto Forato
Van de Moosdijk moved into the lead on the fourth lap while Rubini was up to sixth position. After six laps the lead was 12 seconds between van de Moosdijk and Horgmo. Haarup moved into second on lap 10 and Rubini moved into fifth place. Van de Moosdijk won the Saturday’s race 1 from Haarup and Horgmo.
In the second EMX250 race it was Van De Moosdijk who led early from Horgmo, Raivo Dankers, Bastian Boegh Damm and Rene Hofer. Rubini was down in seventh place. After just one lap the lead was already more than five seconds as the Dutchman was showing off his sand skills. A lap later the lead was nearly 10 seconds.
Forato moved into second place when he passed Horgmo, and Rubini crashed and dropped to 10th place. Not a lot changed with Van De Moosdijk moved to 30 seconds ahead of Forato on lap eight, then came Horgmo, Dankers and Boegh. Rubini remained in 10th place.
With a 32 second lead Van de Moosdijk slipped over in a corner, but still had an easy lead when he got up and just to make matters even better for the leader, Rubini dropped out of the top ten and was in 13th.
Van De Moosdijk won race 2 from Forato and Horgmo and getting is double race win of the season and the Red Plate for the first time in his career. The Dutch rider got in the Belgian round in thirst position in the series and will head to Switzerland leading the series with 11 point over Rubini.
Roan Van De Moosdijk
“I didn’t know I had the points lead until the end of the race. The start today was good, and I controlled the races even if at the end I got tired. It’s been always a dream to have a red plate and now I have it, and close to home with all my family and friends here to see it. I want to thank my team and my trainer.”
Roan Van De Moosdijk
EMX250 – Overall Top Ten
Roan Van De Moosdijk (NED, KAW), 50 points
Kevin Horgmo (NOR, KTM), 40
Mikkel Haarup (DEN, HUS), 35
Alberto Forato (ITA, HUS), 34
Ken Bengtson (SWE, HUS), 31
Jeremy Sydow (GER, HUS), 28
Rene Hofer (AUT, KTM), 28
Stephen Rubini (FRA, HON), 26
Isak Gifting (SWE, KTM), 23
Hakon Fredriksen (NOR, YAM), 20
EMX250 – Championship Top Ten
Roan Van De Moosdijk (NED, KAW), 288 points
Stephen Rubini (FRA, HON), 277
Alberto Forato (ITA, HUS), 275
Rene Hofer (AUT, KTM), 195
Thibault Benistant (FRA, YAM), 137
Giuseppe Tropepe (ITA, YAM), 133
Jeremy Sydow (GER, HUS), 131
Josh Gilbert (GBR, HON), 127
Kevin Horgmo (NOR, KTM), 99
Raivo Dankers (NED, YAM), 97
EMX125
Joel Rizzi took the holeshot in the opening EMX 125 race but it was Mattia Guadagnini who took the lead quickly and just walked away from the field. Second was Simon Laengenfelder, and third Tom Guyon. Mike Gwerder finished in fifth and lost ground on the two front guys in the points race.
EMX125 start
The second EMX125 presented by FMF Racing race proved a surprise as Laengenfelder took the lead on Guadagnini and Guyon on lap 3. After five laps the lead was five seconds as the German rider showed amazing sand skills.
Rizzi was also looking good in fourth position ahead of fifth placed Kay De Wolf. Laengenfelder rode brilliant to remain in control and winning from Guadagnini and Guyon.
EMX125 podium
Simon Laengenfelder won his first EMX125 Presented by FMF Racing round of his career with his 2-1 and he stands third in the championship while Mattia Guadagnini keeps the red plate.
Simon Laengenfelder
“I had the holeshot and Guadagnini passed me then I passed him back. I am so happy with the victory. I want to thank my team. This is unbelievable.”
Simon Laengenfelder
EMX125 – Overall Top Ten
Simon Laengenfelder (GER, KTM), 47 points
Mattia Guadagnini (ITA, HUS), 47
Tom Guyon (FRA, KTM), 40
Andrea Bonacorsi (ITA, KTM), 34
Liam Everts (BEL, KTM), 30
Camden Mc Lellan (RSA, KTM), 26
Mike Gwerder (SUI, KTM), 25
Max Palsson (SWE, KTM), 24
Kay de Wolf (NED, HUS), 23
Joel Rizzi (GBR, KTM), 23
EMX125 – Championship Top Ten
Mattia Guadagnini (ITA, HUS), 265 points
Tom Guyon (FRA, KTM), 245
Simon Laengenfelder (GER, KTM), 175
Mike Gwerder (SUI, KTM), 174
Jorgen-Matthias Talviku (EST, HUS), 165
Oriol Oliver (ESP, KTM), 156
Kay de Wolf (NED, HUS), 155
Liam Everts (BEL, KTM), 123
Guillem Farres (ESP, KTM), 101
Andrea Bonacorsi (ITA, KTM), 95
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Husqvarna’s Waters & Todd claim titles at Coolum MX Nationals
DPH Husqvarna Factory Racing team racers Todd Waters and Wilson Todd dominated the final two rounds of the MX Nationals in Coolum, to win both the MX1 450cc and MX2 250cc National Motocross Championships, and become the only team to win both the MX1 and MX2 titles in the one MX Nationals season.
Todd Waters – Image by iKapture
Todd Waters quickly secured the MX1 Superpole on Saturday, before going on to win all three MX1 races, while Wilson Todd took both MX2 wins and secured a dominant round nine display for DPH.
With Sunday hosting the tenth and final round of the MX Nationals on the very same track, Todd Waters once more secured Superpole before going on to win both 16-lap MX1 races and securing the MX1 Championship.
Wilson Todd took a 1-2 finish in the back-to-back format and a third in the final moto to also secure the MX2 overall and the 2019 MX2 Championship.
Wilson Todd – Image by iKapture
Todd Waters – 2019 Thor MX1 Champion
“I’ve wanted this for so long, and I’m pumped to be able to do it with such a great group around me. From personal sponsors that have been with me through my whole career, to new supporters, and the team at DPH, my family, and especially my Dad Steve. Having him behind me at every gate drop has been unreal and really helped to take the pressure off and just enjoy racing my bike. I’ve said it a lot this season, but I really love riding the FC450. DPH builds a family atmosphere where it’s easy to relax, focus and get the job done and that’s exactly what we did this weekend. I was confident coming into the weekend that I could wrap up the season, but I never expected to have a perfect finish with two superpoles and five race wins!”
Todd Waters – Image by iKapture
Wilson Todd – 2019 MX2 Champion
“Everything came together for me this weekend. I’ve been comfortable leading the championship, but with such a small gap, and a double header weekend, anything could’ve happened. I didn’t get a great lap in qualifying, but I got out of the gates strong and was able to ride at a strong pace to take both race wins and increase my lead for the final day of racing. For Sunday, I wanted to win, but not at the sake of the championship, so I used my head, raced hard and took opportunities when they were there, without risking too much. I’m now a two-time MX2 champion, and really glad I could help DPH make history by taking both championships in the one season. Thank you to everyone that supports me and the whole team.”
Wilson Todd – Image by iKaptureWeekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop
CDR Yamaha’s Luke Clout MX1 runner-up
Heading into the final two rounds over the weekend the premier MX1 championship rolled into Coolum on a knife’s edge with just two points separating the top two riders and with four points scoring motos on a track known to wreak havoc, where anything could have happened.
Luke Clout – Image by iKapture
But, fight as he may, Luke Clout wasn’t able to overcome rival Todd Waters and had to settle for fourth place in each round which more than secured second place in the championship on board his Yamaha YZ450F.
Clout stuck to his guns all weekend and went down swinging. He wanted to take the challenge right up to Waters but a crash proved costly and he was unable to make any headway into the championship lead.
Luke Clout
“I did everything I could all weekend and the boys in the CDR Yamaha Monster Energy Team really put in the hard yards but I wasn’t good enough today and Todd deserved his victory. I felt pretty good on the bike most of the weekend but I had a decent crash in the final race on Saturday afternoon which left me and my bike pretty battered. The team worked through the night to get it back into perfect shape and we gave it our all, but just couldn’t get it done. Congratulations to Todd and his team this year. I know he has wanted this for a long-time and he has been great to race with all season. For me it was a better result than last season which is good, and the CDR Yamaha Monster Energy Team have been amazing to work with. Finishing second has given me more motivation to work harder for next years championship and I will be back to give it 100%. Thank you to my team, my family and my girlfriend for their support this season, also to WEM and the series sponsors in making the MX Nationals happen. Time now for a few days off and then its back into it for Supercross and I can’t wait to get back in the stadiums again.”
Luke Clout – Image by iKapture
Strong Coolum result for Kawasaki’s Dylan Long
Dylan Long finished off the 2019 MX Nationals championship in spectacular fashion at Coolum, scoring dual MX1 podium results in the double-header series finals.
Saturday’s Round 9 marked Long’s first overall podium of the year after he qualified in sixth position and then powered to 3-7 results in the opening MX1 sprint races for a combined moto score of fourth. In the final outing, he charged to third, granting him a deserved third overall for round nine.
Round 10 was even more impressive for the popular Victorian talent, transferring through Super Pole to qualify in third. The first moto saw him one again ride to a top-three result in third place, before backing that form up with second in moto two. Those results saw him achieve back-to-back overall podiums, this time in P2 for round 10 to cap-off the series.
Dylan Long
“I’m really stoked for myself and the Empire Kawasaki team to finish the season with these podium finishes,” beamed an elated Long. “The goal was to get better and better at every round once I came back from injury and we did that. After finishing third yesterday, I knew I would have to back it up today and we managed to finish second, so we’re really happy. The track was gruelling this weekend and especially today, but Empire Kawasaki had my KX450 working so good in these conditions and I can’t thank them enough!”
Dylan Long – Image by iKapture
2019 MX1 Championship Final Points
Todd Waters 568
Luke Clout 530
Hayden Mellross 462
Kirk Gibbs 435
Brett Metcalfe 432
Justin Rodbell 373
Richie Evans 372
Jesse Dobson 360
Dylan Long 325
Jayden Rykers 300
2019 MX2 Championship Final Points
Wilson Todd 562
Kyle Webster 536
Jay Wilson 523
Nathan Crawford 492
Aaron Tanti 460
Dylan Wills 394
Bailey Malkiewicz 387
Ricky Latimer 360
Cooper Pozniak 345
Morgan Fogarty 327
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Bartosz Zmarzlik wins Speedway Grand Prix of Poland
World No.2 Bartosz Zmarzlik raced to Betard Wroclaw FIM Speedway Grand Prix of Poland glory on Saturday night and declared the epic event “the best GP in history.”
2019 Speedway Grand Prix of Poland
The Polish icon raced to his second win of 2019 and the second of his career on home soil – five years on from his unforgettable 2014 Gorzow SGP triumph as a wild card, which saw him become the youngest SGP winner of all time at the age of 19.
Zmarzlik topped the podium ahead of Martin Vaculik and Leon Madsen, and now leads the World Championship standings on 61 points – level with Emil Sayfutdinov and Madsen, but ahead of his rivals by virtue of his FIM ranking.
It was an incredible night of action which saw passing aplenty as Wroclaw staged its first SGP event in 12 years in a sold-out Olympic Stadium.
Zmarzlik was delighted to take the win a huge 17-point haul, but admits he had to fight for it.
Bartosz Zmarzlik
“I think that was the best GP in history because there were so many riders changing places all night. It was nice speedway. I’m very happy because this is my first win in Poland away from my home track Gorzow. I am very happy because I scored good points and it was a good meeting. It was good work today. It wasn’t so easy at the start, but the last heats were the best.”
Bartosz Zmarzlik – Speedway Grand Prix of Poland
Zmarzlik is nicely placed in his quest to become Poland’s third world champion, following in the footsteps of his former Gorzow team mate and mentor Tomasz Gollob in 2010.
But he’s not taking anything for granted at the championship’s halfway stage, with five rounds still to race.
Next up is the Scandinavian SGP at Malilla’s G&B Arena on August 17. Zmarzlik triumphed there in 2016 and has been in extraordinary form in the Swedish Elitserien this season, leading the average charts on 2.900 per race – from a maximum of 3.000.
Vaculik was pleased to pick up his third SGP second place of the season and 15 valuable points. He’s now just two off top spot with 59, occupying fourth place. But the Slovak admits he’s determined to convert his next final appearance into a victory.
Third-placed Madsen produced a show reel of epic rides on his way to the final. While he admits his starts forced him to go on the offensive, he was pleased to have the pace to pull off some big moves to stay among the championship frontrunners.
Bartosz Zmarzlik tops the 2019 Speedway Grand Prix of Poland podium
Speedway GP World Championship Standings
Bartosz Zmarzlik 61
Emil Sayfutdinov 61
Leon Madsen 61
Martin Vaculik 59
Patryk Dudek 55
Fredrik Lindgren 47
Janusz Kolodziej 44
Maciej Janowski 36
Jason Doyle 35
Artem Laguta 34
Betard Wroclaw SGP Scores
Bartosz Zmarzlik 17
Martin Vaculik 15
Leon Madsen 14
Janusz Kolodziej 15
Emil Sayfutdinov 14
Maciej Janowski 12
Patryk Dudek 8
Antonio Lindback 7
Artem Laguta 7
Tai Woffinden 6
Jason Doyle 5
Fredrik Lindgren 5
Maksym Drabik 4
Max Fricke 4
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Dan Reardon joins CDR Yamaha for 2019 Australian SX
Former multi-time Australian Supercross champion, Dan Reardon, will re-unite with the CDR Yamaha Monster Energy Team for the 2019 Australian Supercross Championship starting on October 12 in Brisbane.
Dan Reardon on the podium for the SX1 Overall at the Aus-X Open in 2018 Jason Anderon 75 Dean Wilson 62 Daniel Reardon 60
Reardon, who finished third in the 2018 championship on board a YZ450F, has joined forces with the most powerful team in Australian motocross and supercross and already deep into his preparations for the coming season.
In a deal that sees Reardon combine the championship winning formula of the CDR Yamaha Monster Energy Team, he has also been able to bring his own sponsors to the effort to create a unique and powerful team.
Dan Reardon
“It’s awesome to be back with the CDR Yamaha Monster Energy Team and working with a great group of guys. We won the championship together in 2015 and I have built a close bond to CDR and Yamaha over the years. Last year I did my own program together with the help of Yamaha but the logistics of managing that and also preparing to race become more time consuming than I anticipated. It’s great to be back with CDR Yamaha Monster Energy Team again as I know that all the background work is taken care of and my sole focus is to win races and get the job done with no distractions. Craig has been great to work with in putting this deal together and we have been able to put together a deal that allows me to keep my global deals in place with companies like Fasthouse, DR Homes, Bell, Go Pro and Boost, but also take on the CDR Yamaha Monster Energy Team sponsors, infrastructure and support. I’m excited to go racing again and really looking forward to a successful year and a great championship battle in 2019.”
Dan Reardon – Image by TBG
The CDR Yamaha Monster Energy Team were on the look out for another rider for the 2019 supercross season as Kirk Gibbs is contracted for the MX Nationals only. After assessing all options, team owner Craig Dack, felt Reardon was the right man for the job and with previous success, Dack hopes to build on the already proven platform.
Craig Dack – CDR Yamaha Team Owner
“Dan is obviously a talented, highly skilled and well credentialled supercross rider who has had a long term relationship with Yamaha here in Australia and the US. On limited budget in 2018, he was able to put together an impressive season and now with the extra support and infrastructure the CDR Yamaha Monster Energy Team can provide, we hope to take it to the next level with Dan in 2019. He is already comfortable with the Yamaha YZ450F and well under way in his preparation for the series. We are happy to put this deal together with Dan and some of his partners that have been behind him in recent years and feel we have the riders and the team to challenge for the 2019 SX1 supercross championship.”
CDR Yamaha’s Craig Dack
The opening round of the Australian Supercross Championship gets under way on Saturday October 12 at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre before travelling through Adelaide, Wollongong and Auckland before the grand final at Marvel Stadium in Melbourne on November 30.
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Cole Seely announces retirement
Team Honda HRC rider Cole Seely announced his retirement from professional racing after over a decade competing at the highest level in both the AMA Supercross and Pro Motocross series. Seely has dedicated nearly his entire professional career to the Honda brand, riding for a Honda satellite team throughout most of his 250 tenure before spending five years aboard a factory CRF450R.
At 29, Seely has accomplished a number of milestones. After turning pro in 2009, he signed with the then-Honda-backed Troy Lee Designs team in 2010. During his five-year stint with that team, Seely captured five 250SX victories and finished runner-up in the 2014 250SX West title chase.
In 2015, he was awarded 450SX Rookie of the Year honors after finishing third overall in the AMA Supercross series, highlighted by his first 450cc victory, at the Houston Supercross. Seely also represented Team USA at the 2017 Motocross of Nations.
Cole Seely – Image by Hoppenworld
Over the past few seasons, Seely has been plagued by injuries, which contributed to his decision to retire.
Cole Seely
“These past two years have been very difficult. Last year’s injury was severe and very tough on me both mentally and physically. I fought hard to return this season, but it was much more challenging than I anticipated. Now with this recent shoulder injury, it’s just another setback. This decision definitely wasn’t easy, but I think it’s the right choice. I’m grateful for having been given the opportunity to do something I’ve loved since I was a kid and to make it into my career. I’m grateful for the support from my fans and many sponsors throughout the years. I’d especially like to thank Honda, who has been behind me for my entire career, supporting me through the ups and downs. I’m grateful to have been partnered with such a great brand. I’m looking forward to this next chapter and to seeing where the future takes me.”
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Team Belgium for 2019 Motocross of Nations announced
The MXGP of Belgium hosted the presentation of the Belgian team for the Monster Energy FIM Motocross of Nations. Presentation was held at the public area of the Lommel GP in front of a huge crowd of Belgian fans.
Team Belgium Manager Johan Boonen presented the 2019 Line up representing the Belgian colors in Assen on September the 28thand 29th.
Team Belgium for 2019 Motocross of Nations announced
Jeremy van Horebeek will lead the team riding the MXGP class, while Jago Geerts will compete the MX2 class and veteran Kevin Strijbos rounded up the Squad representing Belgium in the Open class.
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Kyle Middleton takes fourth Australian X-Trial title
The final round of the 2019 Australian X-Trial Championship headed to Wollongong, New South Wales on July 27, marking the first time that the series has ventured across to the East side of the country.
Tasmanian’s Chris Bayles took the win in a stunning victory with Reigning Champion Kyle Middleton, narrowly tying up the Australian Championship in a night of twists and turns that could not have been scripted.
2019 Australian X-Trial Championship – Wollongong
In the Qualifying Round, Middleton was in fine form dropping only five-points. Meanwhile Bayles was tied on 12 with Western Australia’s Neil Price for third and NSW’s Kevin Zarczynski was only three-points behind on nine. Zarczynski’s younger brother, Colin, had a few unlucky mistakes that cost him a place in the final along with Craig Austin who had a number of great rides but unfortunately could not finish them off.
The Wollongong audience was roaring when the riders returned to the arena for the Final and they certainly got a show. The first section saw Zarczynski, Price and Bayles all fail to complete the tallest Waco Kwikform Scaffold Step, before state hero, Middleton made it up in a stunning ride. With a five-point lead Middleton had some room to relax into Section 2. Zarczynski and Bayles both had a couple of safe rides on the very slippery concrete, before Price failed to complete the section, and Kyle made an uncharacteristic mistake and slipped off one of the lower pipes and touched the ground.
2019 Australian X-Trial Championship – Wollongong
This reduced Middleton’s lead to only one point going into the notorious Barrier section. Zarczynski, slipped off for five points, failing to complete and then both Price and Bayles rode beautifully to clean the Barriers consecutively. Middleton then failed to complete the first major turn dropping to 12 points and back to fourth place. This moved Bayles into the lead on only seven-points. Section four all riders failed to complete and with Middleton and Zarczynski both having big crashes, in the Pipes.
After the tyres and races, the final results were Bayles first on 14-points, Price second (16), Middleton third on count back (17) and Kevin Zarczynski (17) fourth.
Chris Bayles
“I was super stoked with the result and my riding. The sections were all or nothing. The crowd’s vibe was unreal, really got the riders motivated.”
The third place for Middleton meant the Championship standings literally had Bayles and Middleton tied on 45 points apiece, and meant they had to be separated by the combined observed scores over the two events, giving Middleton his fourth Australian X-Trial Championship with Bayles in second and Price rounding out the podium in third.
2019 Australian X-Trial Championship – Wollongong
Kyle Middleton
“Round two was a tough one! I am sore, I was challenged but the crowd really helps me get to the end. Not everything went to plan for me but I am absolutely stoked with my fight and managed to just sneak in the championship result.”
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Jacob Thorssell claims Scandinavian FIM SGP wild card
Swedish star Jacob Thorssell raced to his first Swedish Championship in Hallstavik to clinch the Scandinavian FIM Speedway Grand Prix wild card for Malilla on August 17. Thorssell did it the hard way after reaching the semi-final with 10 points, while Andreas Jonsson, Linus Sundstrom (both 13) and Kim Nilsson (12) all progressed automatically through to the final as top scorers in the heats.
Jacob Thorssell claims Scandinavian FIM SGP wild card
The semi shoot-out for the last final spot saw Thorssell beat Ludvig Lindgren – younger brother of SGP star Freddie – Victor Palovaara and Pontus Aspgren. Thorssell then carried his momentum into the medal race, beating Rospiggarna legend Andreas Jonsson on his home track, denying him a record-equalling eighth Swedish title in the process. Nilsson was third with Sundstrom fourth.
The Scandinavian SGP will be Thorssell’s third World Championship appearance after he made his debut as a wild card at the 2016 Stockholm SGP, scoring one point. He then scored four points as a track reserve in the Swedish capital a year later, winning heat 12 ahead of SGP icon Tai Woffinden, Freddie Lindgren and Martin Smolinski.
Charles Wright to wildcard British FIM Speedway GP
New British champion Charles Wright hailed his first national title “an unbelievable achievement” as he booked his place at the British FIM Speedway Grand Prix in Cardiff on September 21.
Wright started the British Championship Final in Manchester as one of the meeting’s dark horses to triumph. He ended it wearing the famous No.16 SGP wild-card race jacket he’ll don when he takes on the world’s top riders at the Principality Stadium.
The Stockport-based racer produced a lightening start to see off Danny King, Craig Cook and Chris Harris and win the Grand Final at the National Speedway Stadium – just 10 minutes from his home. The rider admits joining the British Championship roll of honour and earning his ticket to Cardiff will take some time to get his head around.
Charles Wright
“I have come on in leaps and bounds in the last couple of years and every year I seem to be going better and better. But I just can’t believe what I have done today. I beat some fantastic riders that I looked up to, and I have done it. I was just gating. I felt fast on the track and I knew if I got to that turn first in the last one, I was away. It’s an unbelievable achievement and I am so proud of myself. There’s nothing on it for me – I can just go out and enjoy it and see what I can do. I’ll see if I can beat a few GP boys and get the crowd going. There’s no pressure on me. I am there and that’s the main thing.”
Charles Wright in the #16 SGP jersey
Wright did it the hard way after reaching the semi-final on 11 points, while King and Cook qualified for the Grand Final automatically on 14 and 12 respectively. He won the semi ahead of Harris, Steve Worrall and Lewis Kerr, before pulling off the start and race win of his career in the decider to earn his SGP debut.
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Sherco’s Michael Metge wins 2019 Baja Spain Aragón
The 36th edition of Baja Spain Aragón was fiercely contested again and the outcome was never certain until the finish of the fourth stage. Ultimately, Michael Metge managed to impose his pace and confirm victory for the second successive year, the Frenchman finishing ahead of Junior rider Tosha Schareina and Joan Pedrero.
2019 Baja Spain Aragón Top 3 – Motorcycles
Cautious at the start, because he was taking part in Baja Spain Aragón with his rally motorcycle that was much heavier and less manoeuvrable on the winding tracks around Teruel, Metge took the lead in the opening stage and held on, despite the challenge from his rivals. Benjamin Melot finished eighth and maintains his lead in the FIM Cross-Country Bajas World Cup standings.
Michael Metge
“I did not think I would make such a good result. But riding with our Sherco Rally allowed us to test new settings. I quickly had a good feeling with the bike and I was able to keep up a good rhythm throughout the race. These settings are very interesting because David Castera, who was present on the second day on the Baja, told us that the first week of Dakar 2020 would be on beautiful tracks. Santolino obviously shared the same settings and we were able to fight on the tracks. I know his track record in Enduro and I was happy to beat him. It gives me confidence. Unfortunately, he took 14 minutes of speeding penalties. On the second day, young Tosha (Schareina) was very determined but, in the first special, I lost three to four minutes to the refueling because I had to repair the Stella bracket. On the first day, I fell and the bracket weakened and I arrived at the refueling with the Stella in hand.”
Michael Metge wins the 2019 Baja Spain Aragón
In the Women’s category, Rosa Romero won Baja Aragón and finished in front of Rita Vieira and Sara García. In Juniors, victory fell to Tosha Schareina, ahead of Maciej Giemza and Adam Tomicek.
Rosa Romero won Baja Aragón in the Women’s category
The final round of the FIM Cross-Country Bajas World Cup is the Hungarian Baja on August 9-11.
Overall Results – Bike
Michael Metge (Sherco) 6h30’21
Tosha Schareina (Husqvarna) +3’39
Joan Pedrero (KTM) +7’18
Lorenzo Santolino (Sherco) +14’36
Martin Micek (KTM) +21’10
FIM Cross-Country Bajas World Cup standings
Benjamin MELOT (FRA) 45
Jakub PIĄTEK (POL) 26
Aaron MARE (ZAF) 25
De Gavardo TOMAS (CHL) 19
Sultan AL BALOOSHI (ARE) 18
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2019 Red Bull Romaniacs about to kick off
Excitement builds at round five of the World Enduro Super Series as Red Bull Romaniacs approaches race day in Sibiu, Romania. Long regarded as the world’s toughest Hard Enduro Rallye, round five of WESS marks the 16th edition of Red Bull Romaniacs.
2019 Red Bull Romaniacs – Image by Future7Media
On the eve of race day, riders from the 50 competing nations enjoyed a City Ride parade through the narrow, cobbled streets, supported by hordes of spectators who enthusiastically cheered them on.
Featuring five days of racing, with a Prologue on the streets on Sibiu followed by four days in the surrounding mountains the Romaniacs Hard Enduro Rallye looks set to be one of the toughest and most demanding events on the WESS calendar. The race will test the riders’ skill, stamina and mental strength.
2019 Red Bull Romaniacs – Image by Future7Media
Offering a teaser to when the action kicks off, the Gold class riders assembled on the prologue course to sample what’s on offer for 2019. For most it was an opportunity to test both body and machines ahead of the start of the racing, while others used it as a chance to size up their racing lines.
2019 Red Bull Romaniacs – Image by Future7Media
Graham Jarvis
“For me Red Bull Romaniacs is all about the mountains. I enjoy the prologue, but I’m a bit too steady – it must be my age! I’m aiming for a strong Off Road Day 1 and then see where things are at. It’s a long week and the competition is tougher than ever, but I didn’t come here to finish second.”
Graham Jarvis claimed the Hixpania Hard Enduro win in 2019
Josep Garcia
“Last year’s Romaniacs was the hardest race for me, but I got through it and I plan to do the same this year. It looks like the weather might play a part again but I think I am better prepared and have been working a lot on my training. My plan is to get to the finish and earn good WESS points before the next two rounds at Hawkstone and Solsona, where I think I have a good chance of taking the win.”
Josep Garcia – Image by Future7Media
Jonny Walker
“I’m feeling good coming into this year’s Romaniacs, I’m lucky in that so far this year I haven’t had any major problems with my fitness, it’s just the strength in my arm that’s lacking a little. I have been spending a lot of hours on the bike on the run up to the event and I’m confident that my pace and skill is definitely good enough for the podium. I’ve won before and finished second last year so I know what to expect and what to do to succeed. It’s definitely going to be a challenge as always but I’m hoping the extreme sections this year will fit in nicely with the faster flowing tracks and we can get a really good race out of it. Obviously, nobody can control the weather and if conditions are bad it could make for a very tough race.”
Jonny Walker – Image by Future7Media
Taddy Blazusiak
“I’ve been looking forward to Romaniacs, partly due to what happened last year. I’m feeling good and more comfortable on the bike now and I think I have a really good package for the race. Everyone knows the event will be tough and the organisers always try to throw in a few surprises along the way. I know my pace is good, so if everything goes well, I’ll definitely be aiming for a position on the podium.”
Taddy Blazusiak
Wade Young
“It’s nice to be back here in Romania and carry the #1 plate into this race. I’m excited to get going. We’ve worked a lot behind the scenes to be ready. I’ve got a new frame and switched to KYB suspension. Overall, I feel good and I’m happy on the new setup. I feel well prepared despite a slight shoulder injury. The goal is just to stay humble and level headed this week – take each day as it comes and be strong when it counts.”
Wade Young – Image by Future7Media
2019 WESS Championship Standings after Round 4
Graham Jarvis (Husqvarna – GB) 2690 points
Manuel Lettenbichler (KTM – GER) 2570
Mario Roman (Sherco – ESP) 2540
Alfredo Gomez (Husqvarna – ESP) 2314
Billy Bolt (Husqvarna – GB) 2155
Josep Garcia (KTM – ESP) 2125
Jonny Walker (KTM – GB) 2090
Taddy Blazusiak (KTM – POL) 1900
Nathan Watson (KTM – GB) 1631
Travis Teasdale (KTM – RSA) 1610
2019 World Enduro Super Series Calendar
Round 5: Red Bull Romaniacs (Romania) July 30-August 3
Round 6: Hawkstone Park Cross Country (United Kingdom) September 21-22
Round 7: BR2 Enduro Solsona (Spain) October 5-6
Round 8: GetzenRodeo (Germany) November 2
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AORC heads to Broken Hill for Round 7 – Aug 10-11
The 2019 Yamaha Australian Off-Road Championship (AORC) returns in two weeks to Broken Hill for Round 7, following a successful round at Kyogle in NSW. Now the championship heads to the Outback desert stage, with Dirt2Ride Events’ Lyndon Heffernan giving some insight into what’s to come. Entries can be done here (link) with a full race schedule to be found here (link).
AORC heads to Broken Hill for Round 7
Lyndon Heffernan – Dirt2Ride Events
“It has long been a dream of mine to create my own ‘bucket list’ event. And after riding the iconic Finke and Hattah Desert Races, I knew it had to be a desert race. After meeting the awesome crew from Silver City MCC, who had similar aspirations, the hunt for a great location was on. The Langwell Station become an option – a 110,00-acre sheep station situated 60km south of the iconic NSW Outback township of Broken Hill. After a quick trip and a day of riding around the place, I knew it offered the access, variety of conditions and the perfect venue to create a two-day event in picturesque, rugged terrain that every dirt bike rider will want to have a crack at. The crew from the AORC’s organising committee then approached me about incorporating the event into the prestigious national series last season, which is what we did.
AORC heads to Broken Hill for Round 7
“Logistically, it is way closer than Finke and/or Hattah for most NSW and Queensland riders. It is actually pretty central for those who live in a lot of east coast riding regions. We are trying to keep it affordable by camping at the track, and good value by offering up a good, long, hard ride. As it is a loop-style track like Hattah with varied distances for each class (see supp regs for full details), and not a point-to-point like Finke, the logistics are easy. Crews stay in one spot all weekend and no special equipment is needed. We want it to be a fun and easy-to-be-at, and still dish up an awesome desert riding experience – without the cost and logistical challenges usually associated with desert races.
AORC heads to Broken Hill for Round 7
“The event caters to a range of Junior classes, to a Pony Express teams race on Sunday Morning, and Senior capacity and veteran classes, so we’ve made sure there’s something for everyone. This will include a 4 Hour Cross Country for E1, E2, E3, EJ, Pony Express and Veterans Class. The Womens and Masters will feature a 3 Hour Cross Country and also the Juniors will have a 3 Hour Cross Country, its plenty of action for all.”
Entry for adults to watch all the action are $5, with kids under 16 free, while there’s a gold coin donation for parking, going to a local charity.
The 2019 AORC heads to Broken Hill for Round 7
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Husqvarna have announced that they have signed 125cc Junior Motocross World Champion Mattia Guadagnini for the 2020 EMX250 Championship with team Husqvarna Junior Racing Maddii.
Mattia Guadagnini – 2019 FIM Junior Motocross World Championship
The 17-year-old Italian, who leads the FIM European Motocross Championship EMX125 class with two rounds remaining, will step into the EMX250 class having enjoyed a highly impressive 2019 season to date. Holding a 13-point lead in the EMX125 series with only events in Belgium and Sweden remaining, Mattia has so far enjoyed six race wins including two double victories in Italy and moto wins in The Netherlands and Germany.
Winning both motos at the recent FIM 125cc Junior Motocross World Championship held at Arco di Trento, Italy, Mattia secured the coveted title in front of his home fans and joins the likes of Pauls Jonass, Tim Gajser and Jago Geerts in becoming a 125cc Junior World Champion.
Mattia Guadagnini
“I’m really happy to continue with Husqvarna Junior Racing Maddii for 2020. We are working really well together, and I think I can keep growing as a racer with them. I will race in EMX250 next year, which is another step for my career – a step that I am looking forward to and I’m confident about.”
Mattia Guadagnini
Marco Maddii – Husqvarna Junior Racing Maddii
“This is our third year together with Mattia and I’m very happy to continue our work in the next level of the EMX250 championship. Mattia has grown a lot this year and I’m proud of him as rider and person. Now he has finished his study and he will be totally focused on motocross. I believe he still has a lot to show with more training, testing and racing.”
2019 Australian Junior Dirt entries open
Motorcycling Australia have announced that entries are now open and Supplementary Regulations (link) are available for the 2019 Honda Australian Junior Dirt Track Championships.
Australian Junior Dirt Track – Image by Sheree Griffin
Hosted by the Central Coast Junior Motorcycle Club on the 28th and 29th September, this event will highlight the talent that continues to emerge from Australian riders all across the nation. The 2019 Honda Australian Dirt Track Championships will be held at Allen Park MVRG on Debenham Road North, Somersby in New South Wales.
2019 Honda Australian Dirt Track Championships schedule
Saturday 5th October
Sunday 6th October
Gates Open
7.00am
7.00am
Scrutineering & Sign On
7.30am to 8.45am
7.30am to 9.00am – if required
Riders Briefing
8.45am
9.00am
Practice
9.00am
No Practice
9.30am Parade Lap and National Anthem (Ben Felten)
Racing
Immediately after the conclusion of practice
Immediately after the conclusion of the Parade Lap and National Anthem
80cc 4 Stroke Standard 7 to U11yrs – NO MODIFICATIONS
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Kristie Mckinnon joins Australian 2019 Trial des Nations team
Due to prior commitments Kristie Mckinnon originally had to dismiss her duties from the 2019 Trial des Nations (TdN), which this year takes place in Ibiza, Spain, however with those commitments now pushed aside, the nine-times Australian Trials Champion is back on deck and ready to help her teammates, Jenna Lupo and Lillie Yiatrou at the twentieth running of the Women’s Trial des Nations event.
Kristie McKinnon
Mckinnon brings a lot of experience and a lot of stability to the Australian team. The 34-year-old, who hails from Penrith, New South Wales, has been the Australian Trial Champion for the past nine years and represented Australia on at least ten occasions in the TdN. The 2019 Trials des Nations runs from the 28-29 September.
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Entries Open for 2019 Australian Senior Dirt Track Championships
Gajser and Prado Win MXGP of Latvia
Kegums in Latvia has hosted an action packed ninth round of the FIM Motocross World Championship and it was Team HRC’s Tim Gajser and Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Jorge Prado who have won the MXGP and MX2 classes respectively and in doing so have extended their championships points leads.
MXGP of Latvia 2019
MXGP Report
The most successful team in recent GP history has been the Red Bull KTM team but season 2019 went completely pear shaped in Latvia with their brightest hopes in Antonio Cairoli and Jeffrey Herlings both suffering major set-backs.
Jeffrey Herlings leading the MXGP Race 1 start – MXGP of Latvia 2019
Herlings, in his second GP back from injury won the opening moto before it was reported that he has re-broken his previously injured ankle after incredibly crashing during the second moto warm up lap then former 2019 championship dominator in Cairoli crashed hard out of the second moto just an hour after a solid fourth in the opening moto.
All of that aside, there were three riders tied on 40 points at the top of the MXGP points tally for the day but on a count back Gajser scored his 20th GP victory with 6-1 moto finishes but more importantly now holds a 33-points lead in the championship over Cairoli.
Tim Gajser
“I am so happy about today. First race I was struggling, but the second one I found a good rhythm and I had a good battle with Jeremy. I am so happy for the team. Yesterday I had good speed but at the qualification race I had a big crash and I was a little sore today with some pain in my neck, but I got enough for sixth in the first race. Second race I tried to ride my race and I didn’t know I had won the overall. This is everything we work for and I am happy for the team.”
Tim Gajser – MXGP of Latvia 2019
Romain Febvre (4-2) and Arnaud Tonus (2-4) rounded out the podium for the Yamaha fans.
Romain Febvre
“Today was okay, much better than yesterday. I made some mistakes with bike set-up yesterday. We changed it a lot for today and I felt better. My start was not there, and I struggled a bit. I could have finished fourth but I got really bad arm pump. Tony was in front of me and I couldn’t catch him. The second race I had a good first lap and kept my moment. Middle of the race I struggled in the wave but I could catch the guys in front. Maybe I needed two or three extra laps to catch Tim. I thought I won the overall, but I am happy even if a bit disappointed. It isn’t so long after I came back from my injury, so I feel satisfied.”
Romain Febvre – MXGP of Latvia 2019
Arnaud Tonus
“I had a good feeling, at the beginning I got passed by Jeffrey and I followed him, then I found some good lines and it was great to lead. I had a good lead, but Jeffrey passed me, and he got the win. I will take every race to learn and just get better. I have to be happy. Sure, a bit frustrated, coming so close to the win, I will keep working and it is great to be on the podium, I enjoy this a lot. The way I was riding today, it’s maybe the best I have ridden in these types of conditions. It’s been years that I am trying to work on myself to compete at this level and if you look at the last few GPs, I am super happy. My mechanic told me if I could pass Romain, I could win the GP, but the track was sketchy, and I tried to keep it on two wheels.”
Arnaud Tonus – MXGP of Latvia 2019
Cairoli walked off the track after spectacularly crashing out of the second moto holding his right arms and at the time of writing the extent of his injuries are unknown while Herlings is already in hospital to repair the damage he incurred during his warm up lap crash.
Tony Cairoli
“On Saturday I had the Flu and a fever, and my arm was not as strong as I wanted after the crash in Russia. I could battle with the guys for first position in the first moto but then I got a bit tired and settled for third, which was good for the championship. In the second moto I was fourth and trying to follow [Arnaud] Tonus. I had quite a big crash and when I stood up I felt my shoulder was out. My hope is to be ready to at least start next week in Germany. I don’t want to give up at all and I want to be there as much as possible for the championship.”
Tony Cairoli – MXGP of Latvia 2019
MXGP Overall Classification Top 10
Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 40 p
Romain Febvre (FRA, YAM), 40 p
Arnaud Tonus (SUI, YAM), 40 p
Jeremy Seewer (SUI, YAM), 36 p
Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, HON), 30 p
Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 25 p
Gautier Paulin (FRA, YAM), 23 p
Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, KTM), 22 p
Ivo Monticelli (ITA, KTM), 22 p
Max Anstie (GBR, KTM), 20 p
Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 20 p
MXGP – World Championship Classification Top 10
Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 391 p
Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 358 p
Jeremy Seewer (SUI, YAM), 256 p
Gautier Paulin (FRA, YAM), 254 p
Arnaud Tonus (SUI, YAM), 246 p
Arminas Jasikonis (LTU, HUS), 226 p
Clement Desalle (BEL, KAW), 208 p
Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, HON), 200 p
Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, KTM), 190 p
Pauls Jonass (LAT, HUS), 186 p
Smarty’s Weekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop
MX2 Report
The Kegums track offered plenty of lines and passing opportunities but none of that worried Prado who won the opening moto from Jago Geerts, Thomas Kjer Olsen, Ben Watson and Maxime Renaux before dominating the second moto over Geerts, Kjer Olsen, Watson and Adam Sterry.
Jorge Prado – MXGP of Latvia 2019
Jorge Prado
“It is my first time to win here, I was fourth two times here. I won the qualification race and two races today, so that makes me happy. Another great weekend going 1-1 and making the gap bigger in the points. I felt comfortable and I want to thank the team, my family and my girlfriend. It is making me stay in the top level like I am doing now.”
Jorge Prado – MXGP of Latvia 2019
Jago Geerts
“Pretty good start, but the first three corners I messed up a little, I tried everything I could do to pass Thomas and I am really happy with the weekend.”
Thomas Kjer Olsen
“I am finally getting good starts and being up there I learn a lot. The speed is high from the beginning and it is a bummer I couldn’t stay there, but I gave my all and I want to thank everyone behind me.”
Thomas Kjer Olsen – MXGP of Latvia 2019
Aussie Jed Beaton went 10-13 for 10th overall on the day while Mitch Evans was forced to sit out the qualifying race after crashing hard during qualifying. This gave him the most outside gate in both GP races but it was looking good after a ninth in Moto 1, before a massive over-the-bars crash in Moto 2 relegated the Honda rider to 22nd for 15th overall.
Evans and Beaton are now 7th and 13th in the MX2 championship points respectively but nothing is surer that these two are cementing themselves as worthy of their factory rides.
Mitchell Evans
“Tough day, finishing ninth and twenty-second. A crash in moto two ruined my chances of achieving my goal of two top-ten finishes today.”
Mitch Evans – MXGP of Latvia 2019
Jed Beaton
“It’s been a really tough GP for me, but I’m pleased I came away with points in both motos. I got sick with the flu on Thursday before the race and I really struggled with a fever and low energy. I worked hard during the qualification race and did all that I could during today’s motos.”
Van De Moosdijk and Bengtson win EMX rounds in Latvia
The Latvian round for European Championship classes of EMX250 and EMX2T saw Roan Van De Moosdijk and Ken Bengtson score 1-1 moto finishes in their respective classes.
Roan van de Moosdijk – MXGP of Latvia 2019
EMX250
Van De Moosdijk proved to be very strong in the sand of Kegums and also closed up on new series leader Alberto Forato, who finished second overall with 3-4 results while third overall in the EMX250 class was Jeremy Sydow with 2-5 results obtaining his first podium of his career.
Roan van de Moosdijk
“Unbelievable! 1-1 for my first perfect weekend; I was first in every session in practice and in racing. The start was the key and today I was fourth leaving turn one; I soon had the lead so I could ride my own race and check out to control the race. I’m really happy that I didn’t make any mistakes today; I was riding safe in the sketchy section. I didn’t look at the standings but I know that I’ve closed the gap with the leaders again and I’m just focusing on each race. I’ve got a great family behind me at Kawasaki and F&H Racing and we can look forward confidently to Teutschenthal next weekend after taking the last two overall wins and four motos from the last five.”
Roan van de Moosdijk – MXGP of Latvia 2019
EMX250 – Overall Classification Top 10
Roan Van De Moosdijk (NED, KAW), 50 points
Alberto Forato (ITA, HUS), 38
Jeremy Sydow (GER, HUS), 38
Stephen Rubini (FRA, HON), 36
Raivo Dankers (NED, YAM), 32
Mattia Guadagnini (ITA, HUS), 29
Rene Hofer (AUT, KTM), 28
Bastian Boegh Damm (DEN, KTM), 27
Thibault Benistant (FRA, YAM), 24
Giuseppe Tropepe (ITA, YAM), 18
EMX250 – Championship Top 10
Alberto Forato (ITA, HUS), 201 points
Stephen Rubini (FRA, HON), 201
Roan Van De Moosdijk (NED, KAW), 194
Rene Hofer (AUT, KTM), 138
Giuseppe Tropepe (ITA, YAM), 114
Thibault Benistant (FRA, YAM), 112
Jimmy Clochet (FRA, KAW), 88
Josh Gilbert (GBR, HON), 86
Karlis Sabulis (LAT, KTM), 74
Ruben Fernandez (ESP, YAM), 73
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EMX2T
Sweden’s Ken Bengtson might have just made his debut in the EMX2T but he looked solid in the sand of Kegums. With second place overall, Team Ecomaxx Fuels team’s Mike Kras scored 2-2 results leading the series points with a two point over Verde Substance KTM team’s Brad Anderson. Third overall was Andero Lusbo with 4-3 scores.
Bengtson held on for both race wins to take the overall victory ahead of Mike Kras, Andero Lusbo, Todd Kellet and former championship leader Brad Anderson so when the dust settled Kras now has the red-plate by just two points over Anderson.
EMX2T Presented by FMF Racing – Overall Classification Top 10
Ken Bengtson (SWE, HUS), 50 points
Mike Kras (NED, KTM), 44
Andero Lusbo (EST, HUS), 38
Todd Kellett (GBR, YAM), 36
Brad Anderson (GBR, KTM), 34
Mario Tamai (ITA, KTM), 29
Gianluca Deghi (ITA, KTM), 28
Vaclav Kovar (CZE, GAS), 26
Nick Leerkes (NED, KTM), 23
Andrea Vendruscolo (ITA, YAM), 20
EMX2T Championship Classification Top 10
Mike Kras (NED, KTM), 199 points
Brad Anderson (GBR, KTM), 197
Todd Kellett (GBR, YAM), 178
Andero Lusbo (EST, HUS), 162
Vaclav Kovar (CZE, GAS), 153
Youri van t Ende (NED, KTM), 88
Brad Todd (GBR, YAM), 86
Andrea Vendruscolo (ITA, YAM), 79
Andrea Gorini (SMR, YAM), 72
Pier Filippo Bertuzzo (ITA, YAM), 72
Tomac and Cianciarulo win High Point AMA Motocross
The infamous High point Raceway has hosted the latest round of the AMA Motocross Championships and it was the Kawasaki paring of Eli Tomac and Adam Cianciarulo who have won the 450 and 250 classes respectively.
AMA MX 2019 – High Point
450 Report
In a day of ups and downs on a brutally rut infest layout Tomac’s 3-2 effort gave him his second overall victory of the season and the 19th of his career. Ken Roczen’s second-moto win vaulted him into the runner-up spot (6-1) ahead of Jason Anderson who finished third overall on the back of 2-5 moto finishes.
AMA MX 2019 – High Point
Eli Tomac
“Today was a unique situation by winning with 3-2 moto scores. I’m not sure if I’ve ever won a race without winning a moto. We did what we could and battled towards the front, so overall the day was good. The track had a lot of good character today, the ruts were plenty deep and the track was rough.”
Eli Tomac – AMA MX 2019 – High Point
Ken Roczen
“I’m glad we left today on a high note. I had a new setup in Florida and unfortunately with the weather, I’ve only been able to put a very short amount of time on it, and that’s what I started with here today. I struggled all morning with it. Going into the first moto, we went back to my Colorado setting, except with some clicker changes I’ve been running at home. However, that didn’t work for me at all. I wasn’t riding well and just went backwards in the first moto. For the second moto, I just went back to our full Colorado setup, and it was nice to see that we have a very solid base that I can go back to. I just knew exactly what the bike was going to do, and we had an incredible moto. I came from far behind after a bad start and came away with a moto win and second on the podium. It was pretty huge.”
Ken Roczen – AMA MX 2019 – High Point
With the win, Tomac move to a tiebreaker with Roczen in the championship point standings with 176 points apiece while teammates Zach Osborne and Anderson are tied for third, 32 points out of the lead.
Dean Ferris battled hard all day on his factory Yamaha to come home 11-11 for 11th outright to sit ninth in the championship points chase.
Dean Ferris – AMA MX 2019 – High Point
450 Results
Eli Tomac Eli 3 – 2
Ken Roczen 6 – 1
Jason Anderson 2 – 5
Cooper Webb 7 – 3
Zach Osborne 5 – 4
Marvin Musquin 4 – 7
lake Baggett 1 – 15
Joey Savatgy 8 – 6
Justin Bogle 9 – 8
Justin Barcia 10 – 10
Dean Ferris 11 – 11
450 Points Standings
Eli Tomac – 176
Ken Roczen – 176
Zach Osborne – 144
Jason Anderson – 144
Marvin Musquin – 139
Cooper Webb – 132
Justin Barcia – 99
lake Baggett – 92
Dean Ferris – 89
Justin Bogle – 88
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250 Class Report
The opening moto was a slug fest between front runners Justin Cooper, Colt Nichols, Hunter Lawrence, Cianciarulo, Dylan Ferrandis and Chase Sexton with the layout offering a multitude of passing opportunities, but in the end it was Lawrence who got his first win on American soil over Cianciarulo, Ferrandis and Sexton.
250 Start – AMA MX 2019 – High Point
Moto 2 was pedestrian in comparison with Cianciarulo taking the moto win for his fourth consecutive victory (2-1) of the season. Lawrence’s consistent (1-3) moto scores carried him to a career-best second overall ahead of Sexton who also had the best finish of his career with third (4-2).
250 Start – AMA MX 2019 – High Point
Wilson Todd recovered from a poor start in the opening moto to score a solid 12th but in the second moto the current Australian MX Nationals Championship leader dropped his TLD KTM into fourth place coming out of the second corner. He then held fifth place for a large part of the early part of the moto before slipping back to 10th for 10th overall – Lawrence and Todd Currently hold down seventh and 12th respectively in the championship.
Hunter Lawrence – AMA MX 2019 – High Point
Adam Cianciarulo
“I’m so grateful for these wins, they’re hard to do and I’m just stoked. The first moto was a battle from the beginning, I had a terrible start. By the time I was able to get into second, I just kind of struggled and that was it. The second moto I obviously put myself in a much better position to get the win and that is what I was able to do. I just want to keep the ball rolling heading into Jacksonville.”
Adam Cianciarulo – AMA MX 2019 – High Point
The win helped Cianciarulo extend his championship point lead to 26 points over Cooper who could only muster ninth overall (6-9). Ferrandis remains in third, 42 points out of the lead.
Wilson Todd – AMA MX 2019 – High Point
250 Results
Adam Cianciarulo 2 – 1
Hunter Lawrence 1 – 3
Chase Sexton 4 – 2
Dylan Ferrandis 3 – 4
Colt Nichols 5 – 5
J. Hampshire 9 – 6
Cameron McAdoo 8 – 7
Michael Mosiman 7 – 8
Justin Cooper 6 – 9
Wilson Todd 12 – 10
250 Points Standings
Adam Cianciarulo – 186
Justin Cooper – 160
Dylan Ferrandis – 144
Chase Sexton – 134
Colt Nichols – 126
Michael Mosiman – 112
Hunter Lawrence – 111
J. Hampshire – 104
Alex Martin – 87
Garrett Marchbanks – 63 …12. Wilson Todd – 56
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Bauman Brothers Storm Laconia AFT Grand National
In a final that featured no less than three re-starts, Bronson and Briar Bauman have gone 1-2 at the inaugural Laconia AFT Twins Grand National while championship rivals in Jared Meeds, Henry Wiles and Sammy Halbert all suffered from either mechanical issues or crashes.
AFT Twins Start – 2019 Laconia Short Track
Bronson Bauman won his first career Grand National win by a narrow margin over his brother and championship leader Briar who actually took over the lead just as the third red flag came out but because Bronson was leading the lap before he was reinstated as the leader for the restart – a lead he would not relinquish.
Bronson Bauman – AFT Twins – 2019 Laconia Short Track
Henry Wiles held down third place for most of the race but crashed just before the third restart and was able to gather several places to earn a credible seventh while Sammy Halbert’s bike stopped during the first restart before Jared Mees mount suffered the sme dilemma during the second restart.
Bronson Bauman – AFT Twins – 2019 Laconia Short Track
Points wise Briar has extended his championship lead over Brandon Robinson to 34 points while Mees remains in third, now 35 points behind Briar Bronson.
AFT Twins Podium – 2019 Laconia Short Track
AFT Twins Main Event (30 Laps)
Bronson Bauman – 25p
Briar Bauman – 20p
Jake Johnson – 17p
Jarod Vanderkooi – 15p
Bryan Smith – 14p
Brandon Robinson – 13p
Henry Wiles – 12p
Roger Hayden – 11p
Jeffrey Carver Jr. – 10p
Robert Pearson – 9p …15/DNF. Jared Mees – 4p …16/DNF. Sammy Halbert – 3p
AFT Twins Championship points
Briar Bauman – 142
Brandon Robinson – 108
Jared Mees – 107
Bronson Bauman – 87
Jarod Vanderkooi – 85
Henry Wiles – 79
Jake Johnson – 70
Jeffrey Carver Jr. – 70
Sammy Halbert – 66
Robert Pearson – 65
AFT Singles
The 20 lap AFT Singles final was also drama filled with two restarts but it was Dalton Gauthier who dominated the early running. After the first restart he lost the lead to the hard charging Mikey Rush who ran away with the win after keeping himself out of harm’s way after the second restart which saw a five lap dash to the finish.
AFT Singles Start – 2019 Laconia Short Track
Rush got the win over Gauthier just ahead of Aussie hard charger Max Whale, who snuck his way towards the front at every restart from his seventh place starting position.
AFT Singles – 2019 Laconia Short Track
Rush now has a 10 point lead in the series ahead of Gauthier with former championship leader in Jess Janisch dropping to third after a disappointing ninth at Loconia while Whale has moved to eigth in the championship.
AFT Singles Podium – 2019 Laconia Short Track
AFT Singles Main Event (20 Laps)
Mikey Rush – 25 points
Dalton Gauthier – 20
Max Whale – 17
Andrew Luker – 15
Dan Bromley – 14
Ryan Wells – 13
James Rispoli – 12
Ben Lowe – 11
Jesse Janisch – 10
Kevin Stollings – 9
AFT Singles Points
Mikey Rush – 141
Dalton Gauthier – 131
Jesse Janisch – 129
Dan Bromley – 114
Ryan Wells – 91
Shayna Texter – 69
Chad Cosem – 67
Max Whale – 66
Morgen Mischler – 65
Michael Inderbitzin – 58
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Kolodziej Wins Czech SGP
Polish racer Janusz Kolodziej admitted becoming an FIM Speedway Grand Prix winner has boosted his belief on the world stage after triumphing at the ANLAS.
2019 Speedway GP of Czech – Image by Jarek Pabijan
Kolodziej raced to the first SGP win of his career at the Czech Republic SGP in Prague last Saturday beating Leon Madsen, Patryk Dudek and Jason Doyle in the final.
Dudek now holds top spot in the World Championship – level on 40 points with Madsen – as the pair maintained their record of reaching every final this year. But the night belonged to an elated Kolodziej – a man competing in his first SGP season since 2011.
Janusz Kolodziej
“Now maybe after this win, I can believe more in myself and I will try to win more. But there is not too much pressure on me. The best situation for me is when I just race. I don’t like too much pressure. We will see what happens. But this is so, so amazing. I am older, but I can still win.”
Madsen was pleased to maintain his sublime start to SGP life as he made it three finals in as many rounds in what is his full-time debut season.
Leon Madsen
“It’s great, now I have a first, second and third place. I’ve been in the final and on the podium in my first three GPs. I am very happy. We are a third of the way into the season and I’m tied for first position. I am very pleased with that.”
Third-placed Dudek – the new World Championship leader by virtue of his superior FIM ranking over Madsen – admitted his ANLAS Czech SGP was no easy night after he battled his way into the semi-finals on nine points, before making it into the final after Emil Sayfutdinov dropped a chain while holding second place.
The Aussie duo of Jason Doyle and Max Fricke had their best results for 2019 with Doyle earning two wins to make his first final for the year while Fricke sensationally won three heats on his way to 13 points. Next up is the Norrbil Swedish SGP in Hallstavik on July 6.
2019 Speedway GP of Czech
Czech SGP Top Ten
Janusz Kolodziej – 7 Rides 4 Wins = 15 points
Leon Madsen – 7 Rides 2 Wins = 14
Patryk Dudek – 7 Rides 1 Win = 12
Jason Doyle – 6 Rides 2 Wins = 12
Max Fricke – 6 Rides 3 Wins = 13
Fredrik Lindgren – 6 Rides 3 Wins = 12
Emil Sayfutdinov – 6 Rides 2 Wins = 11
Artem Laguta – 6 Rides 2 Wins = 9
Bartosz Zmarzlik – 5 Rides 1 Win = 8
Maciej Janowski – 5 Rides 1 Win = 7
SGP Points Standings
Patryk Dudek – 40
Leon Madsen – 40
Bartosz Zmarzlik – 36
Fredrik Lindgren – 32
Emil Sayfutdinov – 30
Martin Vaculik – 28
Janusz Kolodziej – 26
Niels-Kristian Iversen – 24
Jason Doyle – 23
Artem Laguta – 22 …14. Max Fricke – 16
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Clout and Rutledge Crowned Champions at Nowra
Nowra has hosted the 2019 King of MX Final and it was Luke Clout and Meghan Rutledge who successfully defended their thrones in Nowra in front of over 4000 spectators who enjoyed the two-day event. The Nowra event included 20 classes, and two action-packed, 10-minute, $10,000 winner-takes-all feature races.
2019 King of MX Final winners
It was a strong weekend for Luke Clout, taking all three MX1 A-grade race wins to seal the State Title before drawing the 40th gate pick. Selecting a yet-to-be-used inside gate, Luke raced to the holeshot and, ultimately, to the King of MX feature-race win.
The reigning Queen of MX, Meghan Rutledge, entered the final under an injury cloud after wrapping up the Australian Women’s Championship the previous weekend. However, two from three race wins and a dominant performance in the Queen of MX feature race saw Rutledge take the win and the $10,000 cheque.
For the newly crowned Prince of MX, Blake Fox, it wasn’t an easy run. A first-turn crash in race one put the 15-year-old in last. However, some strong, smart racing saw the KTM-mounted rider move through the field to finish second. Two impressive race wins later, and the youngster was crowned Prince of MX and the 15 years 250cc State Champion. Up-and-coming racer Taylor Thompson has made it back-to-back Princess of MX crowns after a dominant performance in the 13-u16 ladies’ class.
Luke Clout
“I can’t thank everyone enough for their support. I feel like I’m at the top of my game at the moment and to take home the MX1 State Title, as well as the King of MX race, this year is unreal. For me, the King of MX has worked out perfectly for my pre-season and mid-season Nationals campaign and it’s great to see a state championship with this many people here racing and watching. I’m full of confidence right now and I can’t wait to go racing again.”
Meghan Rutledge
“This time last week, I wasn’t even sure I’d be able to race after hurting my thumb in Manjimup, so to come to Nowra and take home both the Queen of MX race and the WMX State Title wins is unbelievable. It’s been a roller coaster of a year for me so far and, with the support of my family and sponsors, I’ve been able to achieve my goals and keep the #66 KX250F at the front of the pack.”
Dave Cooke – MNSW CEO
“What a weekend! First and foremost, I want to congratulate the Nowra club, and, in particular, Tyson, the manager of Nowra Motoplex, for turning the circuit into a world-class race track that not only provided awesome racing for the elite racers, but to those in all classes throughout the three days of racing. I also want to thank all the competitors that raced a qualifier. We had over 1600 entrants in the King of MX this year, not just from NSW but from across Australia, so to even make it to the final was an achievement in itself. To our 20 new State Motocross Champions, congratulations. NSW has some of the best racers in Australia, and the depth of talent is amazing. We’re dedicated to working hard to grow and improve motorcycle racing and we’re already working on 2020 in the Motorcycling NSW office.”
Duvall Stays with Husqvarna
Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing Off-Road have announced that they have agreed to terms with Thad Duvall on a two-year contract extension that will run through the 2021 season.
Thad Duvall
“I am excited to continue my relationship with the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing Team. I love being a part of a pioneering brand and I look forward to a successful future with the team!”
Thad Duvall – Image by Simon Cudby
Through seven rounds of the 2019 Amsoil Grand National Cross Country (GNCC) Series, Duvall has two wins and sits second in points, 18 behind Kailub Russell. Duvall, who has been with the team since 2017, has finished runner-up in the championship to Russell the last two years.
Tim Weigand – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing Off-Road Team Manager
“I have had the privilege to work with and get to know Thad over the last three years. He is class act guy whose determination and grit is infectious. Thad is a constant front runner no matter what race series he lines up for and this is evident by his results over the last few years. I know we have yet to see his true potential and I look forward to seeing his confidence grow in the years to come. We are extremely happy and grateful Thad has chosen to continue his journey with us.”
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Desalle, Lupino and Bobryshev injured
Three prominent MXGP class riders in Clement Desalle, Alessandro Lupino and Evgeny Bobryshev are all recovering from injuries sustained at the MXGP of Russia, two weekends ago.
Alessandro Lupino
The Russian round of the FIM Motocross World Championship has been a success for Kawasaki during the past two seasons with overall GP victories for Desalle but 2019 saw the Kawasaki rider crash hard in the first race and was back on Monday in his homeland to have surgery with Doctor Claes. He underwent successful surgery to his broken left tibia-fibula but he’s also suffering from a right ankle sprain and is now entering a long recovery programme.
Clement Desalle – MXGP of France, 2019, Round 7
Lupino and Bobryshev also crashed in the first moto, with Lupino hit by another rider and for several seconds immediately after the incident he didn’t have any feeling in the legs. He was transferred earlier this week to Italy where Doctor Sangiorgi confirmed injury to the D11-D12-L1-L2 vertebrae of transverse processes, and a fracture of the sternum while Bobryshev suffered a broken right tibia.
Seely injured
Team Honda HRC’s Cole Seely will be sidelined for the remainder of the 2019 AMA Pro Motocross series due to a torn labrum and fractured glenoid socket, sustained when he dislocated his right shoulder in a practice crash at the Moto Sandbox in Claremont, Florida, on Tuesday, June 11.
Cole Seely – Image by Hoppenworld
Seely flew to California on Wednesday for further evaluation, during which it was determined that he would need to undergo surgery. Dr Warren G. Kramer, the same surgeon who operated on Seely’s shoulder in 2015, will conduct the surgery on Tuesday, June 18, at the Newport Surgical Center in Newport Beach. The recovery time is estimated to be three months.
Cole Seely
“I’m extremely sad to have to sit out the remainder of the season. I’ve been working really hard to continue to build myself up after my big injury last year, so to have another setback like this is very disappointing. It seems like I’ve had nothing but challenges. I want to thank all of my fans and my team for their support.”
Cole Seely
Erik Kehoe – Team Honda HRC Manager
“It’s really unfortunate to see Cole’s season end this way. The beginning of this season has been a challenge for him, but he showed a lot of speed during the first moto at Colorado; it’s a bummer that we won’t be able to see how he progresses. He’s had some tough luck with injuries, but he has kept a good attitude and continued to give his best effort. On behalf of the team and everyone at Honda, I wish him well during his recovery.”
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Entries open for 2019 Australian Senior Dirt Track Championships
Entries have now opened for the 2019 Australian Senior Dirt Track Championships, hosted by the Hunter Motorcycle Club at Barleigh Ranch Raceway in Eagleton, NSW on October 5-6.
2019 Australian Senior Dirt Track Championships
The event also marks the first time that the new Australian Dirt Track Championship logo will be used, a move that demonstrates Motorcycling Australia’s (MA) commitment to developing a professional image for this renowned event.
Across the two-day event, the 2019 Australian Senior Dirt Track Championships will feature the following classes (subject to entries):
Championship Classes • Under 19’s • Pro 250 • Pro 450 • 250cc Slider • Pro Open • MX Open • 500cc Slider • Pro Open Women’s • Sidecars • ATV Pro • ATV Open • ATV Open (Women) Support Classes • Junior (65cc, 8 to under 12 years) • Junior (85/150cc, 9 to under 13 years) • Junior (150cc 2 stroke, 250cc 4 stroke, 13 to under 16 years) • Senior (Unlimited over 35 years)
Further information can be found in the Supplementary Regulations (download).
**Where there are insufficient entries for the Slider Classes, these machines may be combined with the events marked with asterisks in the table above. All machines must have one effective brake where MX and slider classes are combined.
Entries close 23 September 2019. Late entries will not be accepted. Gates open at 7AM (AEST) each day, with racing commencing immediately after the conclusion of practice and parade lap.
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MXGP of Finland back in 2020
Youthstream and Finnish based Lahti Events have announced that the FIM Motocross World Championship will make its return to Finland at the KymiRing motor circuit in 2020.
Motocross has had a great history in Finland with legendary World Champions and the last time MXGP visited Finland was back in 2014 but the 2020 MXGP of Finland has been built at KymiRing motor circuit, which is situated only 50 km from Lahti and 140 km from Helsinki.
Daniele Rizzi – Chief Operating Officer of Youthstream
“We are very happy to have come to an agreement with Lahti Events for the return of MXGP to this beautiful and innovative country. There is indeed a very innovative, ambitious, fan-oriented project behind the Finnish MXGP and we, like all parties involved, are eager to support it: it will definitely do good to the sport. This event will add a bit of Motocross fashion to the outstanding location of KymiRing which, thanks to Lahti Events’ choice of venue, will broaden its horizons to include the sport of Motocross in its program”
MXGP of Finland back in 2020
Kurt Ljungqvist – Managing Director of Finnish Motorcycling Federation
“World Championship races have always a very special meaning when it comes to awareness of the sport. When the youth gets to see the stars of the motocross world championship ride, it awakes an interest to try the sport and eventually they become our future stars and champions. The return of the race to our home soil also creates good opportunities to make it to the highest level of the sport and serves as a good motivator to believe in success and reaching the World Championship level. Motorcycling federation is very happy that Lahti Events has chosen to bring the highest level of motocross to the future heart of motorsport, the KymiRing circuit,”
Emilia Mäki – Managing Director of Koko Lahti
“The MXGP of Finland in 2020 will be our first ever motocross race for our Lahti Events company at the KymiRing and with this event we will set the standards of this venue. As the event organizer in Lahti region, we can also guarantee that the events will have their presence regionally,”
Finland is also home race of Ice1racing team; Antti Pyrhönen, former motocross rider himself, is one of the internationally known faces of Finnish motocross and he is currently the Team Manager of Team Ice1Racing, now Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing owned by the F1 driver Kimi Räikkönen.
Antti Pyrhönen
“The return of MXGP to Finland after several years is great news for our team, whose origins are in Finland and whose owner is Finnish, too. I’m sure that all the MX community, including teams and riders, will be also very excited to be back to Finland for an MXGP event.”
Smarty’s Weekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop
Smarty’s Weekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop
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Roczen & Cianciarulo Win AMA Motocross at Hangtown
The 2019 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship kicked off last weekend with the Bell Helmets Hangtown Motocross Classic and it was Ken Roczen who got the overall in the 450 class while Adam Cianciarulo bounced back from a tough loss in supercross to win the 250 class overall.
Ken Roczen – Image by Hoppenworld
450 Report
The opening moto saw riders taking on a track that was breaking down faster than usual thanks to rain in the lead up to the weekend and there were battles right from the get-go but the real head-turner was Roczen blowing by Eli Tomac, Justin Barcia, Jason Anderson and early leader Cooper Webb to take the lead before the completion of the opening lap.
Eli Tomac – Image by Hoppenworld
Once he had a clear track Roczen quickly put multiple seconds between he and Webb, while Anderson, Zach Osborne and Tomac rounded out the top five but Tomac made his way by Osborne before actually passing Anderson for third but Anderson quickly got back around the defending champ then started his way to the rear wheel of Webb.
With ten minutes to go the rain began to fall and Anderson’s pace increased, while Tomac’s dropped which carried the two riders into different directions with Anderson moving by Webb for second as Tomac lost a spot to Osborne to be in fifth.
Jason Anderson – Image by Hoppenworld
Despite the rain, Roczen continued his flawless ride all the way to the finish where he took the opening moto win by 15 seconds over Anderson, Webb and Tomac who was gifted fourth when Osborne crashed in the slippery conditions.
In muddy conditions Marvin Musquin emerged with the second moto holeshot over Webb, Tomac and Roczen but it wasn’t long before Tomac was in the lead ahead of Roczen and the two soon opened up a gap over Anderson who got by his training partners in Osborne, Webb and Musquin.
Cooper Webb – Image by Hoppenworld
Roczen’s impressive early pace allowed him to jump by Tomac into the lead but the Honda rider couldn’t shake Tomac and as they approached lapped riders just before the halfway point it worked to the benefit of Tomac who seized the moment to dive to the inside the reclaim the lead.
From that point on, he left Roczen and the rest of the field behind taking the chequered flag by 43 seconds over Roczen while a resilient Musquin never backed down in his pursuit of Anderson for third, and successfully got back around, but in the closing laps a hard charge from Osborne ultimately put the rookie onto the moto podium.
Marvin Musquin – Image by Hoppenworld
Roczen’s 1-2 outing provided him with his first win since the final round of his championship-winning 2016 season. Since then he has endured through a pair of career-threatening injuries to each of his arms, in which he was forced to fight his way back from more than 10 total surgeries. It’s been a long and difficult road, but Roczen was able to prevail for the 16th win of his career.
Ken Roczen
“It’s been a very, very long time [since I won a race]. Overall the whole day was good,” said Roczen. “It’s difficult at the first race to know what to expect [from yourself] and to know where everyone else is. I just did my best every time I was on the track and it got us a win. It was really sloppy out there and [when conditions are like that] it can easily go in either direction [bad or good], so it feels good that we ended up on the positive side of it.”
Ken Roczen – Image by Hoppenworld
Tomac’s second-moto win vaulted him to second overall (4-1), while Anderson rounded out the overall podium in third (2-5) so Roczen holds a slim four-point lead over Tomac in the 450 Class standings heading into the second round. Anderson sits nine points back in third.
As for the Aussies and Kiwis, factory Yamaha fill-in rider Dean Ferris came back from two bad starts to end the day with 11-8 moto finishes for ninth overall while Todd Waters took his privateer Husqvarna to 12-13 finishes for a credible 12th outright, but there was a disappointing result for Cody cooper who earned 15th in the opening moto before not finished the second mud moto.
450 Class Overall Results Ken Roczen, Germany, Honda (1-2) Eli Tomac, Cortez, Colo., Kawasaki (4-1) Jason Anderson, Edgewood, N.M., Husqvarna (2-5) – Image by Hoppenworld
Smarty’s Weekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop
250 Report
Justin Cooper narrowly grab the holeshot over Chase Sexton and Cianciarulo while Hunter Lawrence started well outside the top ten but that wouldn’t last for long with the Aussie flying his way into the top ten.
Justin Cooper – Image by Hoppenworld
Up front Cooper successfully held on to that advantage and established himself as the early leader, with Cianciarulo slotting into second and Sexton into third but with about eight minutes left the Kawasaki rider was all over Cooper’s rear fender, but the Yamaha rider withstood the charge and used lapped riders to his advantage to extend the lead once more.
Hunter Lawrence had forced his way up to sixth place after passing teammate RJ Hampshire and just as they were closing in on fifth placed Colt Nichols, Hunter high sided over an inside rut and was clipped by Hampshire’s footpeg gouging a wound across Lawrence’s arse.
Hunter Lawrence – Image by Hoppenworld
Cooper went wire-to-wire on to take the second moto win of his career by 1.8 seconds over Cianciarulo, who rode to an uneventful second-place finish but the battle for third came down to the final corner, where a moto-long charge by Dylan Ferrandis, who started sixth, culminated with a stellar last lap in which he stole third from Sexton as they came to the line.
Lawrence dropped all of the way back to 18th but managed to climb back to 11th place, four places ahead of fellow Aussie Wilson Todd who was up to 12th at one point in the moto.
With rain falling, the deciding moto got underway with Nichols earning then holeshot from Cianciarulo who quickly moved to the lead while Cooper and Ferrandis were at the tail end of the top ten as Lawrence and Todd sat just outside the top ten.
Dylan Ferrandis – Image by Hoppenworld
With the track deteriorating to a slippery mess, Cianciarulo easily opened up a considerable margin over the rest of the field but as the moto wore on, Ferrandis and Nichols began to inch closer to second placed Alex Martin but the Suzuki rider was able to hang on to the runner up spot while Nichols and Cooper got around Ferrandis in the dying laps
In the end Cianciarulo took the moto win by 16.3 seconds over Martin, Nichols, Cooper and Ferrandis while Todd finished in a sensational ninth place, three places ahead of a struggling Larence.
Colt Nichols – Image by Hoppenworld
Cianciarulo’s 2-1 effort gave him the second overall win of his career in his first start since the 2017 season, following knee surgery last summer. He becomes the 32nd different rider to earn a 250 Class victory at Hangtown.
Adam Cianciarulo
“It means a lot [to get this win], for all the kids out there that watch us, we go through such peaks and valleys. [This win] is a testament to understanding that the most important shot is your next one. You’ve got to keep fighting. It feels great to get a win at the opening round of the [Pro Motocross] season and start this summer off on a high note.”
Adam Cianciarulo – Image by Hoppenworld
Cooper’s resilient second moto landed him in the runner-up spot (1-4) for the second time in his career. Nichols (5-3) and Ferrandis (3-5) ended up in a tie for third, but by virtue of his better result in the final moto Nichols earned the tiebreaker.
Cianciarulo establishes a four-point lead over Cooper in the 250 Class standings entering the second round, while Nichols and Ferrandis sit 11 points back.
250 Class Overall Results (Moto Finish) Adam Cianciarulo, Port Orange, Fla., Kawasaki (2-1) Justin Cooper, Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y., Yamaha (1-4) Colt Nichols, Muskogee, Okla., Yamaha (5-3) – Image by Hoppenworld
250 Moto Results and Overall
Adam Cianciarulo 2 -1
Justin Cooper 1-4
Colt Nichols 5-3
Dylan Ferrandis 3-5
Chase Sexton 4-6
RJ Hampshire 6-7
Michael Mosiman 7 -11
Alex Martin 23-2
Shane McElrath 14-8
Christian Craig 13-10
Hunter Lawrence 11-12
Wilson Todd 15-9
250 Class Championship Standings
Adam Cianciarulo, Port Orange, Fla., Kawasaki – 47
Justin Cooper, Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y., Yamaha – 43
Colt Nichols, Muskogee, Okla., Yamaha – 36
Dylan Ferrandis, France, Yamaha – 36
Chase Sexton, La Moille, Ill., Honda – 33
RJ Hampshire, Hudson, Fla., Honda – 29
Michael Mosiman, Sebastopol, Calif., Husqvarna – 24
Alex Martin, Millville, Minn., Suzuki – 22
Shane McElrath, Canton, N.C., KTM – 20
Christian Craig, El Cajon, Calif., Honda – 19
Hunter Lawrence, Australia, Honda – 19
Wilson Todd, Australia, Husqvarna – 18
Smarty’s Weekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop
Villopoto wins at Hangtown
The Hangtown Motocross Classic fans at Prairie City OHV Park were treated with seeing multi AMA motocross and supercross champion Ryan Villopoto taking on a field of 32 riders and win the first round of the 125cc All-Stars race.
Ryan Villopoto – Image by Hoppenworld
RV piloted his No. 2 Yamaha to victory ahead of fellow YZ rider Robbie Wageman while 16-year-old Brandon Ray rounded out the podium in third aboard a KTM.
125cc All Star Results
Ryan Villopoto, Yamaha
Robbie Wageman, Yamaha
Brandon Ray, KTM
Wyatt Mattson, Husqvarna
Carter Dubach, Yamaha
Tyler DuCray, KTM
Angus Riordan, KTM
Cole Barbieri, Suzuki
Dennis Stapleton, Husqvarna
Ty Freehill, Yamaha
Derik Denzin, Yamaha
John Ayers, Husqvarna
Antonio Calavano, KTM
Bryson Olson, Honda
Conner Degraaf, KTM
Toline Tyler, KTM
Hunter Cross, KTM
Talon Gorman, Honda
Steven Stultz, Yamaha
Jared Lang, Honda
Dylan Simao, Yamaha
Geoff Wills, KTM
Tyler Edmondson, Honda
Aron Martin
Wyatt Bullen, Kawasaki
Brooks, KTM
Blaine Holdsclaw, Yamaha
Derek Cappiello, Yamaha
Chase Forsberg, KTM
Nick Roby, Kawasaki
Jeremy Ryan, KTM
Ryan Eager, Suzuki
Gajser and Prado Win MXGP of Portugal
The Portuguese circuit of Agueda has hosted the sixth round of the 2019 World Motocross Championship and it was Tim Gajser and Jorge Prado who went 1-1 in the MXGP and MX2 classes respectively.
MXGP of Portugal 2019
MXGP Report
Antonio Cairoli was in a winning position in both of the MXGP motos but the KTM rider stalled briefly in the opening moto while leading and tipped over in the second moto while in the same position and both times Gajser was right there to take advantage of the situation to claim both moto wins, the overall and to reduce Cairoli’s championship points lead to 34 points
Tony Cairoli – MXGP of Portugal 2019
Cairoli took 2-2 for 2nd overall ahead of Arnaud Tonus who reached the podium with hard fought 3-3 finishes while Clement Desalle, Jeremy Seewer, Pauls Jonass, Julien Lieber, Romain Febvre, Glenn Coldenhoff and Gautier Paulin rounded out the top ten.
Tim Gajser
“Last weekend was tough, so I tried to forget it and just focus on this weekend. I was feeling good yesterday and also today, the riding was good, and I had two good starts. It was great racing and I am really happy to win both races, hopefully we can carry that moment to the next round.”
Tim Gajser
Antonio Cairoli
“On one side I’m happy because this is the goal to be on the podium and always consistent but on the other side I’m disappointed of course. I am happy like I said but focused on the next one where I will try to be consistent and not make these mistakes.”
Tony Cairoli – MXGP of Portugal 2019
Arnaud Tonus
”It feels amazing, it is hard to find the right words at the moment, I have been through a lot so it is good to be up here. I really had to fight today, in the first race I was battling with Jeremy (Seewer) and he passed me in the beginning of the race so I had to come pass him back, it feels even better knowing that I fought to make it happen. I am super happy and I hope that I can keep it going.”
Arnaud Tonus
MXGP Results
MXGP Race 1 Top Ten
Tim Gajser (SLO, Honda), 34:00.609
Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), +0:01.197
Arnaud Tonus (SUI, Yamaha), +0:17.885
Jeremy Seewer (SUI, Yamaha), +0:27.240
Julien Lieber (BEL, Kawasaki), +0:28.880
Clement Desalle (BEL, Kawasaki), +0:29.847
Pauls Jonass (LAT, Husqvarna), +0:35.562
Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, KTM), +0:51.205
Romain Febvre (FRA, Yamaha), +0:52.970
Alessandro Lupino (ITA, Kawasaki), +0:53.969
MXGP Race 2 Top Ten
Tim Gajser (SLO, Honda), 34:47.988
Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), +0:10.604
Arnaud Tonus (SUI, Yamaha), +0:12.909
Clement Desalle (BEL, Kawasaki), +0:15.819
Gautier Paulin (FRA, Yamaha), +0:18.856
Romain Febvre (FRA, Yamaha), +0:20.225
Pauls Jonass (LAT, Husqvarna), +0:22.115
Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, KTM), +0:24.630
Julien Lieber (BEL, Kawasaki), +0:27.080
Jeremy Seewer (SUI, Yamaha), +0:30.999
MXGP Overall Top Ten
Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 50 points
Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 44
Arnaud Tonus (SUI, YAM), 40
Clement Desalle (BEL, KAW), 33
Jeremy Seewer (SUI, YAM), 29
Pauls Jonass (LAT, HUS), 28
Julien Lieber (BEL, KAW), 28
Romain Febvre (FRA, YAM), 27
Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, KTM), 26
Gautier Paulin (FRA, YAM), 22
MXGP ChampionshipTop Ten
Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 285 points
Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 251
Gautier Paulin (FRA, YAM), 197
Clement Desalle (BEL, KAW), 175
Arminas Jasikonis (LTU, HUS), 166
Jeremy Seewer (SUI, YAM), 153
Pauls Jonass (LAT, HUS), 137
Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, HON), 136
Arnaud Tonus (SUI, YAM), 122
Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, KTM), 120
Smarty’s Weekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop
MX2 Race Report
Prado took the opening moto holeshot and eased away for an easy win over Thomas Kjer Olsen, Jago Geerts and Mitchell Evans but in the second moto Prado was forced to pass the fast starting Roan Van de Moosdijk for the lead and usually that is where the action stops for the lead but this time Mitch Evans decided he wanted to have a run at the front and soon passed Van de Moosdijk and Prado for the lead.
Jorge Prado – MXGP of Portugal 2019
Evans held the lead for four laps before Prado found his way through to take the lead and the eventual win ahead of Henry Jacobi, Evans and Kjer Olsen.
This was Prado’s 5th 1-1 result of 2019 and despite Kjer Olsen finishing second overall but it was a bitter sweet moment as he also lost the championship lead to Prado while for the second time in his rookie MX2 season Evans reached the podium in 3rd position.
Jed Beaton – MXGP of Portugal 2019
As for Jed Beaton, the Husqvarna pilot was a solid 12th in the opening moto despite a crash and a stall but the second moto went pear shaped with his bike being landed on after an early crash forcing the Aussie to DNF the race. Beaton sits 13th in the championship.
Jorge Prado
“This is the closest race to a home GP for me, we are very close to Spain and there are so many fans that came out and many were cheering for me, I really enjoy it. When I went onto the podium they went crazy so it is great to have a race like this and it was a great weekend. For me it was important to get the red plate because I feel more comfortable with it but it is tough to keep so I try to not make any mistake but in motocross you never know.”
Jorge Prado – MXGP of Portugal 2019
Thomas Kjer Olsen
“I felt like my riding all weekend was really good so that was a huge positive. I felt pretty calm all weekend and I had a lot of confidence in my riding along with my technique on the bike. I am kind of bummed out about the mistake I made on the start of race 2 but it could have been much worse and I got up to 4thwhich was pretty good. I am just going keep working and focus on myself to be the best that I can, not worrying about much else.”
Thomas Kjer Olsen – MXGP of Portugal 2019
Mitch Evans
“It feels great to be back on the podium, we had a few tough weekends with some little injuries and my fitness dropped off because of it. We are finally back to the normal program and I am feeling a lot better which also gives a lot confidence coming into the weekend.”
Mitch Evans – MXGP of Portugal 2019
Jed Beaton
“It’s been a tough GP for me. I’m pretty beaten up and, yeah, things just didn’t go well despite two good starts. I went down in the second turn in the first moto so I just pushed as hard as I could. I stalled my bike at the end of the wave sections after passing about 10 riders, so I went back to last again. I gave everything to get to 12th, which I think was a good result considering what happened. I was about sixth off the start in the second heat but clashed with another rider over one of the jumps. I got landed on, my bike got landed on and it was pretty messed up and bent. There was no point in continuing so unfortunately I had to retire.”
Jed Beaton – MXGP of Portugal 2019
MX2 Results – Portugal MXGP
MX2 Race 1 Top Ten
Jorge Prado (ESP, KTM), 35:07.339
Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, Husqvarna), +0:03.304
Jago Geerts (BEL, Yamaha), +0:27.504
Mitchell Evans (AUS, Honda), +0:28.329
Mathys Boisrame (FRA, Honda), +0:34.618
Tom Vialle (FRA, KTM), +0:35.418
Henry Jacobi (GER, Kawasaki), +0:44.519
Adam Sterry (GBR, Kawasaki), +0:45.789
Maxime Renaux (FRA, Yamaha), +0:51.829
Bas Vaessen (NED, KTM), +0:53.710 …12. Jed Beaton (Husqvarna) 36:03.407
Smarty’s Weekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop
Duncan Dominates Portugal WMX
Portugal hosted the second round of the FIM Women’s Motocross World Championship and it was Kiwi flyer Courtney Duncan who not only won both motos but also took over the championship lead.
Courtney Duncan – MXGP of Portugal 2019
Duncan won the opening moto by 12 seconds ahead of Larissa Papenmeier and Nancy Van De Ven before dishing out a similar performance in moto two to take the win over Van De Ven and Papenmeier so the championship leaders red plate now belongs to Duncan with 89 points while former championship leader Van de Ven is four points back in second.
Aussie Tahlia TJ O’Hare struggled in the tough conditions to score just 7 points over the two motos for 19th outright to now sit 13th in the championship.
Courtney Duncan – MXGP of Portugal 2019
Duncan will now return to New Zealand to continue her training before taking the red plate into round 3 in Loket, Czech Republic, July 27-28.
Courtney Duncan
“I was really happy with the weekend; the goal was to put two solid races together and I did that. I got blocked in at the first turn in that second race, but I didn’t panic, sorted out a good place to make a clean pass and could race away. I’m just taking it race by race at the moment and not really thinking about the championship, but I’m stoked to get the double win and take the red plate to the next round. We’ve got a nine week break now, so I’ll be going back to New Zealand to keep doing the work and come out swinging at Loket.”
Courtney Duncan – MXGP of Portugal 2019
WMX Race 1 Top Ten
Courtney Duncan (NZL, Kawasaki), 25:37.493
Larissa Papenmeier (GER, Yamaha), +0:12.938
Nancy Van De Ven (NED, Yamaha), +0:20.911
Lynn Valk (NED, Yamaha), +0:49.788
Sara Andersen (DEN, KTM), +0:59.251
Nicky van Wordragen (NED, Yamaha), +1:07.227
Shana van der Vlist (NED, KTM), +1:13.030
Line Dam (DEN, Honda), +1:34.821
Anne Borchers (GER, Suzuki), +1:39.651
Amandine Verstappen (BEL, Yamaha), +1:42.185
WMX Race 2 Top Ten
Courtney Duncan (NZL, Kawasaki), 24:51.296
Nancy Van De Ven (NED, Yamaha), +0:30.514
Larissa Papenmeier (GER, Yamaha), +0:45.003
Sara Andersen (DEN, KTM), +1:08.450
Lynn Valk (NED, Yamaha), +1:13.670
Line Dam (DEN, Honda), +1:14.835
Nicky van Wordragen (NED, Yamaha), +1:24.616
Shana van der Vlist (NED, KTM), +1:25.103
Amandine Verstappen (BEL, Yamaha), +1:28.714
Britt Van Der Werff (NED, Husqvarna), +1:39.760
WMX Overall Top Ten
Courtney Duncan (NZL, KAW), 50 points
Nancy Van De Ven (NED, YAM), 42
Larissa Papenmeier (GER, YAM), 42
Sara Andersen (DEN, KTM), 34
Lynn Valk (NED, YAM), 34
Nicky van Wordragen (NED, YAM), 29
Line Dam (DEN, HON), 28
Shana van der Vlist (NED, KTM), 27
Amandine Verstappen (BEL, YAM), 23
Anne Borchers (GER, SUZ), 20
WMX ChampionshipTop Ten
Courtney Duncan (NZL, KAW), 89 points
Nancy Van De Ven (NED, YAM), 85
Larissa Papenmeier (GER, YAM), 82
Amandine Verstappen (BEL, YAM), 67
Lynn Valk (NED, YAM), 63
Shana van der Vlist (NED, KTM), 61
Line Dam (DEN, HON), 54
Nicky van Wordragen (NED, YAM), 54
Sara Andersen (DEN, KTM), 49
Anne Borchers (GER, SUZ), 37
Smarty’s Weekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop
Kras Wins Portuguese EMX
Portugal hosted the third round of the EMX2t championship and it was Mike Kras who grabbed his second overall in as many rounds to take over the championship points lead by one over Brad Anderson.
Kras won the opening moto from Todd Kellett and Youri van t Ende while Anderson was back in eighth before the second moto also went to Kras with Anderson in second ahead of Andero Lusbo.
Now leading the championship by 1 point over Anderson, Kras, and the rest of the field will head to Russia’s south in 3 weeks’ time for round four at Orlyonok.
EMX2T Presented by FMF Racing Result
EMX2T Presented by FMF Racing Race 1 Top Ten
Mike Kras (NED, KTM), 29:58.291;
Todd Kellett (GBR, Yamaha), +0:06.600;
Youri van t Ende (NED, KTM), +0:14.879;
Vaclav Kovar (CZE, Gas Gas), +0:16.610;
Andero Lusbo (EST, Husqvarna), +0:17.066;
Brad Todd (GBR, Yamaha), +0:23.102;
Emanuele Alberio (ITA, Husqvarna), +0:25.081;
Brad Anderson (GBR, KTM), +0:27.130;
Andrea Vendruscolo (ITA, Yamaha), +0:27.656;
Pier Filippo Bertuzzo (ITA, Yamaha), +0:28.476.
EMX2T Presented by FMF Racing Race 2 Top Ten
Mike Kras (NED, KTM), 29:52.732;
Brad Anderson (GBR, KTM), +0:05.300;
Andero Lusbo (EST, Husqvarna), +0:07.202;
Youri van t Ende (NED, KTM), +0:09.878;
Vaclav Kovar (CZE, Gas Gas), +0:11.292;
Todd Kellett (GBR, Yamaha), +0:27.263;
Pier Filippo Bertuzzo (ITA, Yamaha), +0:28.560;
Brad Todd (GBR, Yamaha), +0:34.053;
Andrea Vendruscolo (ITA, Yamaha), +0:43.325;
Ben Putnam (GBR, Husqvarna), +0:44.770.
EMX2T Presented by FMF Racing Overall Top Ten
Mike Kras (NED, KTM), 50 points;
Youri van t Ende (NED, KTM), 38
Todd Kellett (GBR, YAM), 37
Andero Lusbo (EST, HUS), 36
Brad Anderson (GBR, KTM), 35
Vaclav Kovar (CZE, GAS), 34
Brad Todd (GBR, YAM), 28
Pier Filippo Bertuzzo (ITA, YAM), 25
Andrea Vendruscolo (ITA, YAM), 24
Ben Putnam (GBR, HUS), 21 p
EMX2T Presented by FMF Racing Championship Top Ten
Mike Kras (NED, KTM), 119 points
Brad Anderson (GBR, KTM), 118
Vaclav Kovar (CZE, GAS), 101
Todd Kellett (GBR, YAM), 95
Youri van t Ende (NED, KTM), 88
Brad Todd (GBR, YAM), 86
Andero Lusbo (EST, HUS), 82
Ben Putnam (GBR, HUS), 60
Andrea Gorini (SMR, YAM), 59
Andrea Vendruscolo (ITA, YAM), 59
FIM Junior Motocross World Cup heads to Trentino in 2019
Youthstream have announced the venue and timing of the 2019 FIM Junior Motocross World Championship and FIM Junior Motocross World Cup! On the 13-14th of July 2019 Junior Motocross riders from around the world will head to the famous circuit of Trentino in Italy’s North.
The event will return to Italy eight years after its last visit in 2011. The 2019 edition will take place at the same venue as the MXGP and MX2 World Championship of Pietramurata. The two-day event will host practice and qualifying sessions Saturday followed by racing of the three classes, 125cc, 85cc, and 65cc, on Sunday. Riding for themselves and also their country with the results of nations makes the event one of a kind and always creates a great atmosphere of both comradery and competition.
FIM Junior Motocross World Cup heads to Trentino in 2019
The world class facility has been a long time favorite of riders and fans with its stunning backdrop and amazing surroundings. The venue, aside from being in one of the most passionate motocross countries in the world, is easily accessible from the nearby cities of Milan, Venice, and Verona.
The FIM Junior Motocross World Championship includes the 125cc and 85cc two stroke categories plus the 65cc FIM Junior Motocross World Cup. Along with returning competitors and even previous champions the junior rising talents of motocross will all be going to Trentino from different countries racing at the unique race for the chance to become an FIM Junior Motocross World Champion!
Duvall Wins Ohio GNCC
Thad Duvall has won the sixth round of the 2019 GNCC which was held in Ohio last weekend and in doing so has reduced his points deficit to championship leader Kailub Russell to just 13 points.
Kailub Russell – Image by Ken Hill
Duvall scored his second win of the year at Ohio ahead of Russell and Trevor Bollinger while Steward Baylor Jr and Josh Strang rounded out the top five.
XC1 Open
Kailub K Russell – 165
Thaddeus Duvall – 152
Steward Baylor Jr – 123
Trevor Bollinger – 111
Josh V Strang – 83
Ben Kelly is undefeated the XC2 class and took the Ohio win over Craig Delong and Evan Smith while Austin Lee and Michael Witkowski rounded out the top five.
XC2 250 Pro Result
Benjamin M Kelley – 180
Michael Witkowski – 119
Evan Smith – 107
Austin Lee – 91
Liam Draper – 78
Becca Sheets got her second win of the season in the WXC class over Aussie Mackenzie Tricker and Rachael Archer while defending champion Tayla Jones had a shocker with a rare ninth place finish.
WCX Result
Becca N Sheets – 160
Tayla Jones – 153
Mackenzie Tricker – 125
Rachael Archer – 107
Shyann Phelps – 85
Smarty’s Weekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop
Madsen Wins SGP of Poland
The much-awaited opening round of the 2019 FIM Speedway World Championship got underway with the Boll Warsaw FIM Speedway Grand Prix of Poland last weekend and the surprise winner was Danish star Leon Madsen who pounced on a Fredrik Lindgren error to hit the front and win the final.
2019 SGP of Poland
Madsen didn’t win any of his regular heats, but made it into the semis on eight points, before finishing second to Niels-Kristian Iversen in semi-final two to reach his maiden SGP final where he got his first win of the night when it mattered most and the European champion celebrated wildly with a 50,000-plus crowd.
Madsen made no secret of his bold SGP ambitions ahead of the meeting as he targets World Championship gold. But he insists he’s not piling the pressure on himself to land the world title at the first attempt.
Leon Madsen
“I don’t need to be No.1 this year. I am here to gain a lot of experience, especially on tracks like Warsaw. I am not here just to take part. I am here to fight for the championship. It was a good round tonight and I clocked a lot of points. If I can be consistent all season, things could be quite good. But I’m not setting the bar higher. I’m just in this game to fight for the championship. I don’t put it as a goal that I must be No.1 or in the top three. You are obviously here to fight for the championship and I feel I have the quality to do that.”
Despite recovering from a crash and coming third in the final it is Patryk Dudek who topped the World Championship standings with his 16-point haul.
2019 SGP of Poland
Patryk Dudek
“Before the last heat, I heard my name and I was thinking ‘oh, but let’s see what happens after the heat!’ I was third, so that’s not bad. I would like to say a big, big thank you to the fans. This night was tough for me and the season has been tough for me. Today was great. I want to say a big thanks to my team, my family and my sponsors. I hope to stay in the same position at the next round. But we will see.”
It was his third straight Warsaw final and Fredrik Lindgren was delighted to leave the PGE Narodowy cauldron of noise with another podium finish.
Fredrik Lindgren
“Overall I am very happy, I really enjoy racing here in front of this crowd. It is intense and you have to give 100 percent for all four laps. I am disappointed not to win after the start I made in the final. I made a huge mistake on lap two to lose the winning position. But I am also very happy with the way I was racing, the points I scored and the way our team worked together.”
It was far from the prefect start to the championship for the Aussie duo of Jason Doyle and Max Fricke who scored 6 and 5 points respectively after a full night of racing.
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Doyle kicked off in fine form, marking a strong return from injury not even two weeks prior. As the evening progressed, Doyle’s injuries weighed heavy, but the Australian star remained steadfast as he focussed on racking up as many points as possible. Doyle finished Round 1 of the 2019 SGP with five points, landing in 13th place in the World Championship standings.
Jason Doyle
“The bike is good and the crowd is awesome! We’re just trying to get the right set up at the moment because the conditions are different from practice, as we expected. Tonight we’re just trying to get points and stay consistent.”
Newcomer to the SGP line-up, Fricke tackled what was undeniably an intense environment, finishing Saturday night with three points. Now sitting on 16th place in the World Championship standings, Fricke suffered a blow when he crashed out during one of his heats, however the young Australian remained the image of positivity as he reflected on the turn of events.
Max Fricke
“I’m really grateful for this call up! It’s not something I ever expected to happen this year so I’m really grateful for this experience and to be able and come out in front of a huge stadium. I picked up a few points, learnt a lot, and lead a few laps in the end, but I threw it away, which is on me. Hopefully we can come back sometime during the year and do some more rounds of the SGP.”
2019 SGP of Poland Podium
Boll Warsaw SGP Result
Leon Madsen 13
Fredrik Lindgren 15
Patryk Dudek 16
Niels-Kristian Iversen 14
Bartosz Smektala 10
Bartosz Zmarzlik 10
Antonio Lindback 10
Robert Lambert 8
Martin Vaculik 7
Matej Zagar 7
Emil Sayfutdinov 6
Tai Woffinden 6
Jason Doyle 5
Janusz Kolodziej 4
Artem Laguta 4
Max Fricke 3
Dominik Kubera DNR
Rafal Karczmarz DNR
World Championship Standings
Patryk Dudek 16
Fredrik Lindgren 15
Niels-Kristian Iversen 14
Leon Madsen 13
Bartosz Zmarzlik 10
Antonio Lindback 10
Bartosz Smektala 10
Robert Lambert 8
Matej Zagar 7
Martin Vaculik 7
Tai Woffinden 6
Emil Sayfutdinov 6
Jason Doyle 5
Artem Laguta 4
Janusz Kolodziej 4
Max Fricke 3
Garcia Win WESS in France
Spain’s Josep Garcia has won round two of the World Enduro Super Series, storming to victory at France’s Trèfle Lozérien AMV ahead of Jamie McCanney and Nathan Watson.
Josep Garcia – 2019 Trefle Lozerien
For 2019, the second round of the WESS championship proved a challenge for the 600-plus riders competing with continuous rain throughout the three days of racing at France’s most-prestigious Enduro – Trèfle Lozérien AMV – ensured the 719 kilometres of riding were both physically and mentally demanding for all.
Josep Garcia
“To get my first WESS victory of 2019, and also to create a little piece of history by being the first non-French winner here at Trèfle Lozérien, is amazing. The conditions really didn’t suit me – I’m not really a big fan of wet, slippery mud. But I pushed hard on all special tests and, well, everything went perfectly. Coming here straight from Extreme Lagares wasn’t easy but I knew this race was going to be important to my WESS championship.”
Josep Garcia – 2019 Trefle Lozerien
Behind Garcia the battle for the remainder of the podium places was fierce but McCanney held his ground over his rivals to take the runner-up result.
Jaime McCanney
“Right from when I started walking the special tests here in France I knew Josep Garcia would be the rider to watch. When conditions weren’t too wet, or when they suited the 450 more, I managed to win some tests. And I’m really pleased about that. But Garcia was really strong throughout the event. I’ve been away from enduro racing for some time now, firstly getting over a shoulder injury and surgery and then focusing on rally. To come here and get the result I’ve got is really great. Despite the weather it’s been a great event. I can’t say if I’ll be back for more WESS racing, but I’d love to compete at Hawkstone if my schedule allows it.”
Jamie McCanney – 2019 Trefle Lozerien
Entering the final special test it was all to play for between Watson and Julien Gauthier for third with Gauthier holding just one tenth of a second in hand over the KTM rider and with both riders putting it all on the line, Watson edged out Gauthier by just over one second to snatch the final step of the podium in the last few moments of the race.
Nathan Watson
“I’m really happy with third overall, this is the first Classic Enduro I’ve raced since this event 12 months ago, so I came into it a little unsure what to expect but also confident that it would suit me. I had a consistent three days and kept things upright over the 15 special tests, which was really important. I’ve really enjoyed racing the 450 – being able to keep things smooth in these conditions has really helped me. Things were really close coming into the final test, just half a second between third and fourth overall. Thankfully, I managed to jump up one position to third, which was a great way to end the race.”
Nathan Watson – 2019 Trefle Lozerien
For Gauthier it was not to be and with his fourth place result it also marked the first time in the event’s history that a French rider wasn’t present in the top three positions. After a strong ride on day two, Tarroux slipped down to fifth, with teammate Theo Espinasse (FRA) completing the top six.
The eight-round World Enduro Super Series continues with round three at Austria’s Erzbergrodeo Red Bull Hare Scramble on May 30 – June 2.
Results – Round 2: Trèfle Lozérien AMV 2019
Josep Garcia (KTM – ESP) 01:03:07.557
Jaime McCanney (Yamaha – GB) 1:03:49.586 +42.029
Nathan Watson (KTM – GB) 1:03:55.612 +48.055
Julien Gauthier (Yamaha – FR) 1:03:57.013 +49.456
Jeremy Tarroux (Sherco – FR) 1:04:10.136 +1:02.579
Theo Espinasse (Sherco – FR) 1:05:04.311 +1:56.754
Christophe Nambotin (Gas Gas – FR) 1:05:10.817 +2:03.260
Joe Wootton (Husqvarna – GB) 1:05:52.828 +2:45.271
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Brayton Set for 2019 Aussie SX Championships
Justin Brayton is the first of the international riders to confirm that he will compete in this year’s Monster Energy AUS-X Open Melbourne on November 30 at Marvel Stadium as part of his attempt to win a fourth straight Australian Supercross Championship.
Justin Brayton
“The AUS-X Open is one of the greatest events outside of the US, and having been so close to winning it before, I’m determined to come back faster and ready to win in November. The racing at Sydney was always incredible but I think moving to Melbourne, into such an awesome stadium, is going to take Supercross racing in Australia to the next level and I can’t wait to put on a show for all the fans in Australia. Marvel Stadium will be the closest thing Australia gets to the World Championship. The track will be full-sized and I have no doubt both the racing and the atmosphere will be electric on November 30.”
Justin Brayton – Image by Hoppenworld
The AUS-X Open Melbourne is the final round of the Australian Supercross Championship and is sanctioned by Motorcycling Australia (MA).
“I’m so pumped to be returning to Australia in 2019 and fighting for the Australian Supercross title for a fourth straight year with Penrite Honda Racing,” Brayton said. “I have the most amazing team when I head down under to race, and it would be awesome to bring home the trophy again, especially in front of the huge Melbourne crowd.”
Chad Reed returns for 2019 AUS-X Open
Two-time World Champion Chad Reed has announced he’ll be back to race on home soil this November 30 at Melbourne’s Marvel Stadium, as tickets go on sale from for the Monster Energy AUS-X Open.
Chad Reed at the AUS-X Open in Sydney in 2018
The 37-year-old will head to Victoria to race for the first time since 2012 and his first time racing in Melbourne since 2000, where he says he’ll be looking for redemption. The legend sat out the 2017 event due to injury and was unable to complete a fairytale comeback last year, with the 2018 World Champion Jason Anderson (USA), taking the win.
Chad Reed
“I’m definitely looking for redemption, to come out and work hard and just be better prepared on all levels myself, the bike, the team, so I can hopefully take out that AUS-X crown. Getting back to Melbourne to race will be awesome, it’s been a long time since I’ve raced there, I love the city, and I’ve never been to Marvel Stadium before so I’m really looking forward to it.”
Chad Reed – Image by Hoppenworld
Tickets for the event will be available exclusively through Ticketmaster.com.au, starting from $39.95, and are expected to sell out fast.
Australia’s largest Supercross event, the AUS-X Open, has proven successful for the Aussie hero since its inception, including back-to-back wins during the first two years in 2015 and 2016, and Reed says he’s proud to have watched the event grow over the past four years and how it has significantly changed the Australian Supercross industry.
Chad Reed
“My favourite thing about AUS-X Open as a rider and an athlete is it’s such a reflection for me, remembering back to when I was eight years old watching all the Australian greats in a Newcastle motordrome, and now seeing it, [AUS-X Open] being held at Marvel Stadium at the highest level makes me real proud to be apart of the sport. I was around for the first ever AUS-X Open in Sydney and I’m really proud to see how it’s grown into Marvel Stadium in Melbourne. It’s so hard to put into words the energy that you get at a stadium like Marvel, a stadium filled with 35-45,000 people, there’s just nothing like it. And really why I still, at 37-years-old, choose to do this as my day-to-day job. I love it, and I can’t replace that feeling and I’m always excited to come back for more.”
Chad Reed after winning the 2016 AUS-X Open
Reed will not have it all his own way in Melbourne, with what will arguably be the most competitive field of international supercross racers, to ever line up on Australian soil. More of the world’s biggest names in Supercross and Freestyle Motocross, including recent World Championship winners, will be announced in the coming days.
Already confirmed to compete on November 30, are current World Number 10 and defending Australian Supercross Champion – Justin Brayton, as well as 2019 World Supercross Championship Rookie of the Year and current World Number 8 – Joey Savatgy.
The 25-year-old American rider had an incredible rookie season in the premier 450SX1 class of the 2019 World Championship and is expected to be hard to beat at the AUS-X Open.
Joey Savatgy
“I can’t wait to head Down Under for the Monster Energy AUS-X Open. The calibre of riders that the event brings each year makes me so pumped to get out there and take it to the world’s best on Aussie soil. Racing Chad Reed at home, is certainly not going to be easy, but a challenge I’m ready for.”
Joey Savatgy competing in the World Supercross Championship
The largest international Supercross and action sports event in the world outside of the USA, the Monster Energy AUS-X Open Melbourne, will feature the world’s best riders going head-to-head on a full-sized World Championship style Supercross track for the first time ever inside Marvel Stadium.
It will also be an engineering feat, arguably unmatched by any Supercross event in the world, as supports imported and constructed in the lower level carpark, prepare to handle the immense pressure of up to 6,000 tonnes of dirt, machinery and infrastructure, all positioned within Australia’s largest indoor stadium.
Featuring live music and entertainment, stunning pyrotechnics and the world’s best freestyle motocross riders battling to win the best-trick and best-whip competitions; the Monster Energy AUS-X Open Melbourne is an incredible entertainment spectacle for all ages.
The AUS-X Open Melbourne is the final round of the Australian Supercross Championship and is sanctioned by Motorcycling Australia (MA). *$39.95 Silver Tickets will incur additional transaction and booking charges.
Wollongong SX to Feature ‘Speed & Style’ Championship
Troy Bayliss Events have announced that the Recover8 Australian Speed & Style Championship will be held on Saturday the 9th of November at Wollongong WIN Stadium – coinciding with Round 3 of the Australian Supercross Championships.
The Australian Speed & Style Championship will also be featured at Wollongong
The exclusive feature for fans attending the Wollongong Supercross, Recover8 Australian Speed & Style Championship will be run and won on the night, in a thrilling elimination style winner takes all format.
Australian and International riders are invited to compete, with the winner crowned the Official Australian Speed & Style Champion by sanctioning body Motorcycling Australia.
Speed and Style is a unique sport that originated at the American X-Games and combines the technical racing skills of Supercross with the incredible talents of Freestyle Motocross, giving fans an unbeatable mix of speed and wow.
Riders will race head-to-head, across whoops, over jumps and around berms with the added obstacle of a steel up-ramp and 75-foot gap for a finish line, allowing riders to perform backflip variations, huge whips and much more. Riders are judged based on a combination of time and the difficulty of tricks performed within the short action-packed race.
Troy Bayliss right – TDJ Images
Troy Bayliss
“If you haven’t planned your trip to Wollongong Supercross yet, I suggest you do. Not only will fans be treated to an incredible night of Bar to Bar Supercross Action they will now be on the edge of their seats watching the best in the business compete for the Recover8 Speed & Style title. Troy Bayliss Events welcomes Recover8 as the official partner to the Australian Speed & Style Championship. Recover8 is a brand new supplement product that is being widely promoted as a go-to product by many elite athletes here in Australia and around the world, and makes for a perfect fit for this exciting feature.”
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James Stewart finally announces retirement
James Stewart, the seven-time AMA Motocross and Supercross Champion, who has not raced since July 23, 2016, has finally announced that he is retiring from the sport.
James Stewart
“Where I’m at in my life, I think it’s time to say I’m retiring. I’ve retired, it’s hard for sure, because I love racing and I love the fans, I love the opening ceremonies, I love the autograph lines, but I don’t miss the sweat and tears and training and having to feel like you have to win every race and having to be James Stewart. I don’t love doing that anymore.”
James Stewart retires
Stewart had a controversial career where he at times put other riders at risk with his brash riding style and while he was once known as the “fastest man on the planet,” he was also known as the “fastest soil sampler on the planet” with multiple crashes tainting what was supposed to be a dominating and long career – of which neither materialised.
Stewart retires with 20 career 250/450 Class wins in AMA Pro Motocross (fifth all-time) and 28 career 125/250 Class wins (first all-time) and 50 supercross wins.
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