Moto News Weekly for October 8, 2019

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What happened this week

• Garcia leads KTM BR2 Enduro Solsona 1-2-3
• Roczen wins 2019 Straight Rhythm on McGrath’s 2006 CR250R
• Toby Price leads Rally du Maroc at half-way point
• Jarred Brook dominates Barleigh Ranch Senior Dirt Track
• 2019 KTM AJMX Champions crowned
• Gow-Smith wins 2019 Holden On Tight Sportsman Spirit Award
• Jason Doyle claims 2019 Golden Helmet title in Pardubice
• 2020 SpeedwayGP permanent wild cards announced
• Smolinski leads 2020 SGP substitute rider line-up
• 2019 Australian SX Championship shaping up to be a belter
• Justin Rodbell out for Australian Supercross
• Team HRC & Gajser lead the way at MXGP Awards Ceremony
• Meghan Rutledge to become Kawasaki ambassador in 2020
• bLU cRU Masterclass riders announced
• Romain Febvre joins Monster Energy KRT for 2020
• Monster and KRT renew MXGP partnership
• Mikkel Haarup joins F&H Kawasaki for 2020

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Garcia leads KTM BR2 Enduro Solsona 1-2-3

Following Friday night’s action-packed Super Test in Solsona, Saturday saw the 350-strong entry set out on what would prove to be a long and physical day of racing to kick off the 2019 BR2 Enduro Solsona, in the first of two full days of racing.

Josep Garcia took an early lead at Round 7 of the World Enduro Super Series with victory on Day 1 of the BR2 Enduro Solsona in Spain. Delivering a masterclass in Classic Enduro racing, the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing rider ended the opening day of competition with a healthy 40-second advantage over teammates Nathan Watson and Jonny Walker. In what proved to be a top-five clean sweep for KTM, Manuel Lettenbichler and Taddy Blazusiak placed fourth and fifth respectively.

Garcia followed up on Sunday, delivering a home win for Round 7 of the World Enduro Super Series. The Red Bull KTM Factory Racing rider proved uncatchable as he led home Britain’s Nathan Watson and Jonny Walker in second and third respectively.

Championship leader Manuel Lettenbichler kept his advantage in the standings with fourth, moving a step closer to becoming the 2019 Ultimate Enduro World Champion. Yamaha’s Cristobal Guerrero also rode an incredible final lap to snatch fifth from Taddy Blazusiak and deny KTM a clean sweep of the top-five.

Day 1 – BR2 Enduro Solsona

A lengthy liaison on Day 1 took competitors from Solsona to nearby Bassella, where they faced the Cross Test, Extreme Test and Enduro Test at the Bassella Experience centre. They then returned to Solsona to complete the loop. A second lap of the course – ending with an additional Super Test – ensured many tired and weary bodies on Saturday evening.

Determined to maximise his Classic Enduro skills, Garcia quickly got down to business on Saturday after a mixed-outing in Friday’s Super Test. Quickest on the opening Enduro Test and then again on the Cross Test, he ended lap one leading. Building on his advantage during the final lap, he returned to Solsona as the provisional overnight leader.

Behind him, Watson gave chase. Pushing hard, but not quite able to consistently match the Spaniard’s pace in the Enduro or Cross Test, he had to be content with ending Day 1 in second position.

Winning Friday’s Super Test, Walker showed he’s up to speed in the Classic Enduro discipline. Boosted by some of the fastest times in the technical Extreme Test, he sat in third after Saturday.

For championship leader Lettenbichler the opening day of racing went better than expected. Enjoying an exciting battle with Blazusiak and Walker, while setting some impressive test times, the German will look to hold off Blazusiak in the battle for fourth and maintain the pressure on Walker.

Ending just four seconds behind Blazusiak, Honda’s Kirian Mirabet was just outside the top five, in sixth, after showing more speed on the Cross Test.

Yamaha’s Cristobal Guerrero had a difficult start to his day when a crash cost him valuable time on lap one. Regrouping, he worked his way back up the leader board to place seventh, but is less than 10 seconds behind Blazusiak.

Round 7 – Enduro Solsona, Day 1 Results

1. Josep Garcia (KTM – ESP) 45:49.650
2. Nathan Watson (KTM – GB) 46:29.920
3. Jonny Walker (KTM – GB) 46:45.240
4. Manuel Lettenbichler (KTM – GER) 47:02.870
5. Taddy Blazusiak (KTM – POL) 47:45.830
6. Kirian Mirabet (Honda – ESP) 47:49.840
7. Cristobal Guerrero (Yamaha – ESP) 47:54.760
8. Jaume Betriu (KTM – ESP) 48:01.460
9. Bernat Cortes (KTM – ESP) 48:15.280
10. Tosha Schareina (Husqvarna – ESP) 48:24.220…

Day 2 – BR2 Enduro Solsona

Building on his winning momentum from Saturday, local Garcia locked his sights on victory at Round 7. Starting out with a 45-second advantage over teammate Watson, he pushed hard from the off. Maximising his time on the Cross Test and Enduro Test, while limiting the damage on the technical Extreme Test, he controlled his lead to secure the top step of the podium.

With a sizeable deficit to Garcia, Watson always knew overhauling his teammate in Spain was going to be a tall ask. Keeping the Spaniard honest throughout, he cemented himself as the runner-up to ensure his second podium result in as many races.

Clearly demonstrating his Classic Enduro speed matches his Hard Enduro talents, Walker looked both fast and comfortable in the dry and dusty Solsona conditions as he battled for third. With time in hand over Lettenbichler in fourth, he maintained his third position.

Entering BR2 Enduro Solsona, championship leader Lettenbichler initially hoped for a top-10 result among the many Spanish Classic Enduro specialists. But also proving that he’s adept in the special tests, the German held on to a strong fourth position.

The battle for fifth was a close affair between Guerrero and Blazusiak. The Polish rider held fifth overnight and was determined to sign out with a top-five result. A crash on lap one of Saturday saw Guerrero fight his way back into contention.

Starting Sunday in sixth, he gained time on Blazusiak in the Enduro and Cross test, but lost time on the Extreme test. Putting everything into the final Super Test he managed to overthrow the KTM rider, beating him by eight seconds.

Honda’s Kirian Mirabet edged out Jaume Betriu by just one second to take seventh, while Marzal Schareina and Ramon Quer rounded out the top-10.

Josep Garcia – P1

“It felt really good to take the win here at home in front of all my friends and family. I couldn’t have asked for more really. Yesterday I had a couple of crashes but today went perfectly. I had to take a lot of care in the final Supertest, I knew I had some seconds to spare, but Nathan has been so close all weekend and also the extreme guys have been really quick here too. I felt a little extra pressure coming here for my home event, but that only motivated me even more to win. Overall it’s been the perfect weekend.”

Nathan Watson – P2

“I’m happy with second – Josep was on fire here in Spain and really pushed hard, especially on that first lap yesterday. It’s been a really hectic few weeks for me and I didn’t really come into this race at 100 percent, so to pick up second and more WESS points is a good weekend. With all the travel and non-stop races, things have been tough. The Motocross of Nations was really tiring both mentally and physically, I also hurt my shoulder there a little. Overall, it’s been an amazing couple of weeks, and I couldn’t have hoped for better results to be honest. I definitely need a week’s rest now, that’s for certain.”

Jonny Walker – P3

“It’s been a good race here in Spain, I’m really happy to get on the podium again. I had quite a steady start to the year, partly from coming back after my fall and not being quite at 100 percent. I’m starting to feel like I am getting back into a groove again but I’m still nowhere near where I want to be. The race started well with a win in the Supertest and then I’m really pleased with how I rode on both Saturday and Sunday – I was on top of the extreme test and not too far away on the others considering the opposition. The plan now is to get a good result at GetzenRodeo and hopefully come away with second in the championship.”

Manuel Lettenbichler – P4

“I feel so pleased right now. I came here with no expectations at all, even though I was feeling quite confident after Hawkstone. I thought top-10 would be a good result, so to finish fourth feels amazing.”

Cristobal Guerrero – P5

“Today I found my rhythm and was able to get fifth position. Luckily, I had a good final Super Test – I got a good start and was able to get in behind Josep. Thankfully that was enough to overtake Taddy for fifth place overall. I think having WESS here in Spain has been good for both the Spanish championship and WESS. It’s good to see a lot of different riders racing and it’s a very different race for the WESS championship too with a lot of variety between all the test. It’s been a great weekend and I’ve really enjoyed it.”

Taddy Blazusiak – P6

“It’s been a tough weekend, and a shame not to get fifth, but considering the preparation I’ve been able to do for this race I should be happy. You can’t prepare for everything, there just isn’t enough time and here I was getting faster each lap as I settled into the type of riding, which shouldn’t be the case. The good thing is, things started to click towards the end, but it was just too little, too late to challenge for the podium. I’m feeling good which is the main thing, so it’s off to America for the next two Endurocross rounds soon, then back to Europe for GetzenRodeo.”

Alfredo Gomez – P12

“Overall I’m really happy with how the weekend has gone. Yesterday wasn’t so good but I was able to find a good rhythm to finish 10th today and secure 12th overall for the event, which I’m really pleased about. I made a mistake yesterday and had a small crash and then today I missed my line in a test which cost me some more time. Coming from a Hard Enduro background I found myself losing out to some of the other riders on the faster tests, so I need to work on that. However, I was very strong on the extreme test. I’m looking forward to GetzenRodeo now. I had a really good battle there last year, so I want to finish the season with a win.”

The 2019 World Enduro Super Series concludes with the eighth and final round at Germany’s GetzenRodeo on Saturday November 2.

Round 7 – Enduro Solsona, Day 2 Results

1. Josep Garcia (KTM – ESP) 1:26:16.000
2. Nathan Watson (KTM – GB) 1:27:06.700
3. Jonny Walker (KTM – GB) 1:28:42.870
4. Manuel Lettenbichler (KTM – GER) 1:29:11.100
5. Cristobal Guerrero (Yamaha – ESP) 1:30:08.760
6. Taddy Blazusiak (KTM – POL) 1:30:17.120
7. Kirian Mirabet (Honda – ESP) 1:30:51.560
8. Jaume Betriu (KTM – ESP) 1:30:52.040
9. Marzal Schareina (Husqvarna – ESP) 1:31:05.790
10. Ramon Quer (Husqvarna – ESP) 1:31:35.700…

WESS Championship Standings (after Round 7 of 8)

1. Manuel Lettenbichler (KTM – GER) 5110 points
2. Jonny Walker (KTM – GB) 4240
3. Josep Garcia (KTM – ESP) 4165
4. Alfredo Gomez (Husqvarna – ESP) 4034
5. Graham Jarvis (Husqvarna – GB) 3920
6. Nathan Watson (KTM – GB) 3881
7. Taddy Blazusiak (KTM – POL) 3850
8. Mario Roman (Sherco – ESP) 3070
9. Billy Bolt (Husqvarna – GB) 2725
10. Pol Tarres (Husqvarna – ESP) 2520

2019 World Enduro Super Series Calendar

• Round 1: Toyota Porto Extreme XL Lagares (Portugal) May 10-12
• Round 2: Trèfle Lozérien AMV (France) May 17-19
• Round 3: Erzbergrodeo Red Bull Hare Scramble (Austria) May 30-June 2
• Round 4: Hixpania Hard Enduro (Spain) June 21-23
• 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 4-6
• Round 8: GetzenRodeo (Germany) November 2

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Roczen wins 2019 Straight Rhythm on McGrath’s 2006 CR250R

The sixth running of the Red Bull Straight Rhythm saw a commemoration of two-stroke racers, with participants donning vintage-inspired gear to truly get into the spirit on an ‘un-wound’ track across three classes.

Split into 250cc, 125cc and a special 500cc exhibition race, the main two classes saw a best-of-three format with a single elimination bracket.

In his first appearance at the event since 2015, Team Honda HRC’s Ken Roczen had an exciting day at the 2019 Red Bull Straight Rhythm in Pomona, California, taking home the 250cc title after winning every matchup and going undefeated on the day. The unique two-stroke only-format saw Roczen pay homage to Jeremy McGrath, as he rode “The King’s” factory 2006 CR250R while wearing a retro kit inspired by McGrath’s 1996 gear.

After qualifying second-fastest in practice, Roczen’s first matchup of the evening was against Tevin Tapia, which he won with ease. Advancing in the bracket, he then went head-to-head with Ryan Sipes, who once again was no match for the German. Roczen finally faced his first real challenge in Josh Hanson, in the semifinals, and despite an incredibly close race, Roczen continued his undefeated run, moving into the finals. In the final matchup, Roczen took on Brandon Hartranft, who fought hard but ultimately couldn’t overtake the Honda rider.

Ken Roczen

“I’m so stoked! I had such a blast and am so excited to come away with the win tonight. I’ve never raced a two-stroke before so to be able to ride Jeremy McGrath’s actual bike from 2006 and get the win is awesome. Nothing but good vibes and hopefully this translates into many more for the season to come. I have to give it up to the entire team, who put so much work into this whole event. It was always supposed to be super-fun but I know it was also a lot of work, so I have to thank the guys.”

Jeremy McGrath (Instagram)

“Congrats Ken Roczen on the win at Straight Rhythm. I think I recognize that sick gear you were wearing tonight. Thanks for the tribute! I am guessing my old bike ran pretty good to huh?”

In the 125cc class, Joey Crown lived up to his name, racing his way to the top step of the podium. In the most anticipated and exciting match of the night, Tyler Bowers edged out Travis Pastrana in the Maxxis 500cc Showdown.

500cc Showdown

1. Tyler Bowers
2. Travis Pastrana

250 Class Results

1. Ken Roczen
2. Brandon Hartranft
3. Josh Hansen

125 Class Results

1. Joey Crown
2. Michael Leib
3. AJ Catanzaro

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Toby Price leads Rally du Maroc at half-way point

Marking the second half of the rally’s marathon stage, Day 3 of the Rally du Maroc was set to be the longest of the event. However, organisers cancelled the third part of the timed special for safety reasons, taking the day’s results from the end of the second special.

With riders only receiving their road books 15 minutes prior to entering the stage – a first for the FIM Cross-Country Rallies World Championship – ultimate navigation skills would prove critical to success on the demanding desert stage.

Following his tough Day 2, where issues with the road book ended up costing him valuable minutes, Toby Price knew he had to attack stage three to stay competitive in the overall standings. As the ninth rider to take to the special, the reigning Dakar Champion immediately set about chasing down the riders ahead. Unfortunately, with the stage cut short, the Australian was unable to maximise his advantage, but was still able to win the stage and move himself up to the top of the provisional overall standings.

Toby Price

“The stage went well for me today. There were a couple of sections that were quite tricky and I didn’t quite catch them at the right point to make up time on the guys in front. Even so, we were able to close the gap a little and I felt good all day. The roles will be reversed again for tomorrow so the other guys will be chasing us down again but that’s just rallying. It’s a shame they cancelled the last part of the stage because I think we could have made up even more time but that’s the way it is sometimes. A disadvantage for you might be an advantage for someone else. But we completed the marathon stage safely, so let’s see what tomorrow brings.”

Also losing time on the previous stage, Matthias Walkner also put in a superb performance on Day 3 to claim runner-up for the stage and elevate himself to second in the rally standings. Happy with how he rode on the sandy, two-part timed special, Matthias managed his tyres perfectly, bringing his KTM 450 RALLY home just one minute and 55 seconds behind his teammate.

Matthias Walker

“I think today was the first day that I really enjoyed the riding. It was tough because the tyres had already ridden a lot of kilometres yesterday and toward the very end of the stage today, I could really feel that they were worn. I know I made some mistakes with my navigation and I thought it would have cost me a lot of time, so I was quite surprised to find out I had finished second. Hopefully I can continue like this and finish the year with a good result here in Morocco.”

Stage 3 Rally du Maroc 2019

1. Toby Price (AUS), KTM, 3:00:33
2. Matthias Walkner (AUT), KTM, 3:02:28 +1:55
3. Franco Caimi (FRA), Yamaha, 3:02:54 +2:21
4. Johnny Aubert (FRA), Sherco, 3:04:34 +4:01
5. Ignacio Cornejo (CHI), Honda, 3:04:49 +4:16

Rally du Maroc 2019 after 3 of 5 stages

1. Toby Price (AUS), KTM, 11:57:39
2. Matthias Walkner (AUT), KTM, 12:01:45 +4:06
3. Franco Caimi (ARG), Yamaha, 12:04:19 +6:40
4. Pablo Quintanilla (CHI), Husqvarna, 12:04:20 +6:41
5. Luciano Benavides (ARG), KTM, 12:05:31 +7:52

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Jarred Brook dominates Barleigh Ranch Senior Dirt Track

Jarred Brook stamped his dominance on the Barleigh Ranch round of the 2019 Australian Senior Dirt Track Championship over the weekend, winning the MX Open, Pro 450 and Pro Open classes, winning ten of his 12 heats in the running.

Jarred Brook

“Amazing weekend down at Barleigh Ranch Raceway for the 2019 Australian Dirt Track Championships. Absolutely stoked to come away with winning the Pro Open, Mx Open and Pro 450. I am also extremely honoured to win the Duke of Edinburgh award and to be presented with the Rod Allen and The Begley Family memorial Trophy’s. I cannot thank my little team enough for all of their help and a support over the weekend. Dad and Tom Laycock worked their butts off all weekend. Thank you to the Reay family for all of their support and help through out the weekend as well.”

In the 250 Pro class it was James Chapman who took top honours, while Briony Henrickson topped the Women’s class. Harrison Ryan was the top Under 19s performer, while the Support classes were won by Jason Griffin, Lachlan Russell, Cameron Dunker and Max Berry.

Pro 450

1. Jarred Brook
2. Kayden Downing
3. Daniel Wicks

Pro 250

1. James Chapman
2. Angus Hutchinson
3. Harrison Ryan

MX Open

1. Jarred Brook
2. Damien Koppe
3. Kayden Downing

Pro Open

1. Jarred Brook
2. Kayden Downing
3. Daniel Wicks

Under 19s

1. Harrison Ryan
2. Angus Hutchinson
3. Jake Farnsworth

Womens

1. Briony Hendrickson
2. Brooke Goulding
3. Tayla Street

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2019 KTM AJMX Champions crowned

The Championship decider of the KTM Australian Junior Motocross Championship (AJMX) was held at the Motocross Riders Association in South Australia and saw plenty of thrills, battles and celebrations as 12 national titles were decided in an incredible day of racing.

The Motocross Riders Association club in Gillman was blessed with exceptional weather conditions all week and the track produced top notch racing, while the Motocross Riders Association, officials and volunteers were commended on the professionalism and efficiency in which the week-long event was conducted, and the daily track preparation and maintenance ensured the safety of all competitors.

128-150cc 2st/200-250cc 4st – 13-U15

The first 2019 AJMX Champion of the day crowned was Queenslander, Brad West who sealed the title when he took the chequered flag in the first race of the day and the sixth final of the 128-150cc 2st/200-250cc 4st – 13-U15 class.

With what was once again the Banana Bender Show, West charged to victory beating rival and fellow Queenslanders Deegan Mancinelle coming through with a close second and Jackson Camilleri rounding off the top three for the last final for this class.

128-150cc 2st/200-250cc 4st – 13-U15 Top 3

1. Brad West – 185
2. Jackson Camilleri – 169
3. Ryan Alexansderson – 166

65cc 7-U10

The third and final race for the 65cc 7-U10 class was won by Queensland’s “Mr Consistency” Cooper Downing with an impressive fast lap time of 2:14.508. Fellow Queenslander Peter Wolfe came second and local rider Cooper Ford (TAS) crossed the line with a strong third, to seal the championship win.

65cc 7-U10 Top 3

1. Cooper Ford – 97
2. Cooper Downing – 91
3. Lachlan Allen – 82

100-150cc 2st/200-250cc 4st– 13-U16 Girls

Queenslander, Charli Cannon has dominated this class and the final moto to take the Junior Lites – 13-U16 Girls Championship in fine style. The massive 210-points Cannon clocked up was more than enough to seal the deal and she won the final race by over five-seconds. Cannon was followed by Victorian Madison Healey for second and Taylah McCutcheson rounded up the top three for their final race.

100-150cc 2st/200-250cc 4st– 13-U16 Girls Top 3

1. Charli Cannon – 210
2. Taylor Thompson – 184
3. Madison Healey – 180

85cc 2st/150cc 4st – 9-U12

The third final and probably the most hotly contested class of the KTM AJMX saw New South Welshman Hixson McInnes prove to be the surprise package in the third final of the 85cc 2st/1500 4st 9-U12 class.

Not only did Hixon have the fastest lap time of 1:56.285 but he also took the win over Queenslander Jet Alsop in second and West Australian Kayden Minear who took third place for the final and the overall win of the championship.

85cc 2st/150cc 4st – 9-U12 Top 3

1. Kayden Minear – 95
2. Liam Owens – 95
3. Jet Alsop – 88

85cc 2st– 150cc 4st 12-U16 Girls

Charli Cannon from Queensland made it a clean sweep once again in the Mini Lites BW 12-U16 Girls final to grasp the title, completing the week with a dominant 18-second victory. Taylor Thomson from New South Wales pulled through for another consistent runner-up placing ahead of Queenslander Taylah McCutcheon.

85cc 2st– 150cc 4st 12-U16 Girls Top 3

1. Charli Cannon – 210
2. Taylor Thomson – 186
3. Taylah McCrutcheon – 186

100-125cc – 2st 15yo

New South Welshman Blake Fox has sealed the 125cc – 15yo championship, despite coming third in the final moto and winning one final. It was Queenslander Levi Rogers who took victory in the sixth final, followed by local champion Alex Larwood who had the fastest lap time of 1:45.589 and Blake Fox (NSW) followed him eight-seconds later to take third.

100-125cc – 2st 15yo Top 3

1. Blake Fox – 191
2. Levi Rogers – 187
3. Alex Larwood – 177

85cc 2st/150cc 4st– 12-U14

The championship battle for the Mini Lites BW – 12-U14 could not have been any closer, with the only 3 points between the top three! Ryder Kingsford was awarded the championship on countback, after finishing fourth in the final race.

It was New South Welshman Byron Dennis stormed home to take the chequered flag in the final race for this class, with a fastest lap time of 1:53.500, Queenslander Branden Plath crossed the line under 2 seconds later to take second and Cody Kilpatrick from New South Wales rounded up the top three.

85cc 2st/150cc 4st– 12-U14 Top 3

1. Ryder Kingsford – 90
2. Connor Towill – 90
3. Byron Dennis – 87

85cc 2st/150cc 4st – 14-U16

New South Welshman, Benny Novak has once again sealed the Mini Lites BW – 14-U16 championship with his first-place finish in the final moto securing 201 points overall to retain the title for 2019.

Fellow state counterpart Hunter Collins secured runner up in the championship by coming second in the final moto with the fastest lap time of 1:51.684 and Queenslander Jake Kowal crossed the line in third.

85cc 2st/150cc 4st – 14-U16 Top 3

1. Ben Novak – 201
2. Hunter Collins – 199
3. Zachary Watson – 176

65cc – 10-U12

West Australian Kayden Minear made it two championship wins at Gillman with victory in the 65cc – 10-U12 category. His first place and fastest lap time of 2:02.221 in the final moto was enough to guarantee the title.

New South Welshman Jack Deveson crossed the line closely behind for second and fellow state counterpart Ky Woods rounded up the top three in their final race of the day, placing him second on the championship podium.

65cc – 10-U12 Top 3

1. Kayden Minear – 202
2. Ky Woods – 189
3. Jake Cannon – 168

100-125cc 2st – 13-U15

West Australian Liam Atkinson sealed the title with a solid second-place finish in the final moto. Queenslander Ryan Alexanderson took a three-second margin win over Atkinson and New South Welshman Hunter Collins came in third with the fastest lap time of 1:51.977 in their last race of the championship.

100-125cc 2st – 13-U15 Top 3

1. Liam Atkinson – 92
2. Brock Flynn – 84
3. Jack Mather – 83

50cc Division 2 – 7-U9

It was all the sandgroper’s way as Mason Brown (WA) took a sensational victory in the final moto of the 50cc class to earn himself a championship win, while Deegan Fort (WA) crossed the line three-seconds later second making him runner up for the championship in his first national event.

West Australian Brian Gyles had the fastest lap time of 2:24.483 which saw him third over the line for their last race of a very long week for this group of little Aussie troopers!

50cc Division 2 – 7-U9 Top 3

1. Mason Brown – 210
2. Deegan Fort – 176
3. Kyle Harvey – 171

128-150cc 2st/200-250 4st 15yo

Taking his second podium of the day, local hero Alex Larwood took the championship in style with the final chequered flag and the fastest lap time of 1:46.880 in the last moto of both the day and the 2019 KTM AJMX Championships.

New South Welshman, Blake Fox pulled through for second in the race making him runner up for the championship ahead of fellow state counterpart Cameron Torpy rounding of the top three for the final race of the 2019 KTM Australian Junior Motocross Championships!

128-150cc 2st/200-250 4st 15yo Top 3

1. Alex Larwood – 210
2. Blake Fox – 190
3. Cameron Torpy – 157

2019 KTM 2019 Interstate Challenge Cup

Earlier this week each state chose a team of eight riders from four different classes to compete for the Interstate Challenge Cup and each of those competitors was scored within their own class.

At the end of the event, the state with the highest point scoring six team members had their final placings re-scored for an overall score. The state with the highest overall team score is the winner.

Queensland were the winners this year on 199 points, the runner up state for 2019 is New South Wales on 196 points, third place was Western Australia on 193 points, followed by Tasmania 189 points, Victoria 182, South Australia 174 and Northern Territory on 132 points.

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Gow-Smith wins 2019 Holden On Tight Sportsman Spirit Award

On Saturday the 5th of October the Motocross Riders Association Club proudly hosted the presentation night of the 2019 KTM Australian Junior Motocross Championships at the Port Adelaide Football Club.

During the proceedings the prestigious Holden On Tight Sportsman Spirit Award winner was announced and presented in front of a packed house of over 300 guests by Holden On Tight Organisations founder, Rosco Holden.

In 2017 the Holden On Tight Organisation created the “Holden On Tight Spirit Award” as part of the KTM Australian Junior Motocross Championships. The “Spirit Award” is exactly that, it can be a selfless act to help a fellow competitor, one of true grit or continuing to compete through adversity of injury or so much more that can make someone a contender.

Rosco, who attended the week-long event, opened his speech congratulating the South Australian Motocross Riders Association President Anthony Slade and his tireless hardworking team of officials, medical staff, corner stewards and volunteers.

Rosco Holden

“I’m proud to say my Holden On Tight Organisation is in its 4th year unofficially, and 3rd year officially, for contributing prize money sponsorship for every class for the KTM AJMX championships. The thing that impresses me each year is the commitment that all have shown in preparing all year and attend this event. The top three place getters will get their rewards, but the winners are all of you that have taken on this annual September School Holiday Dirt Challenge. But it’s not all about winning far from it, hence why in 2017 I created the Holden On Tight Spirit Award. This year’s remarkable standouts were #6 Patrick Butler in the 65cc 10-12 class who stopped and helped get #213 Cohen Guatt get his leg out from his wheel and the start line dummy grid dynamic duo of Josh and Billy who did an awesome, yet thankless job all week. There was also the fearless young Jack Ellingham who rides for Josh Coppins in New Zealand, Jack who rode in the 65cc 7-9 yr. class, got 3rd degree tyre burns to the side of his wrist and bravely continued on and still racing all week…”

There were many contenders, including Tasmania’s #77 Jordan Hingston who also helped Northern Territory rider #174 Clayton Bogucki get out from under his bike during a race.

During the very first practice session for the 2019 KTM AJMX, newly crowned champion, Brad West was badly trapped under his bike at the first corner with no-one around to help.

Taj Gow-Smith was about to leave the start line for his practice when he saw Brad. Taj instantly raced down to turn one and threw his bike down on the ground and helped him. Brad fortunately wasn’t hurt and by Taj lifting his bike off him he was able to get back on his way and finish his all-important practice session. Gow-Smith earnt the 2019 Holden On Tight Sportsman Spirit Award for his selfless act.

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Jason Doyle claims 2019 Golden Helmet title in Pardubice

Aussie ace Jason Doyle celebrated retaining his FIM Speedway Grand Prix status by winning the iconic Golden Helmet in Pardubice for the second straight season on Sunday.

Doyle triumphed over former European champion Andzejs Lebedevs, Patryk Dudek, Max Fricke, Antonio Lindback and Jack Holder in the final on the giant Czech track, which features six-rider races.

Jason Doyle

“What a way to celebrate my birthday weekend!! Qualified for 2020 SGP series with seventh in the world and then on my birthday won the Golden Helmet! The biggest individual meeting of the season! So happy! Thank you for all the nice messages over the weekend! Bring on 2020!”

Only SGP wild card Antonio Lindback defeated Doyle at the quarter final stages, before he stormed through his semi group and triumphed in the decider.

It capped a strong weekend for the Newcastle-born racer who secured seventh spot in the World Championship on Saturday night to retain his record of qualifying for the SGP series without the aid of a wild card every year since his debut in 2015.

Slovak star Martin Vaculik won the consolation final ahead of Matej Zagar, Chris Holder, Viktor Kulakov, Vaclav Milik and Tero Aarnio.

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2020 SpeedwayGP permanent wild cards announced

Former FIM Speedway Grand Prix world champions Greg Hancock and Tai Woffinden are back for 2020 after the SGP Commission confirmed next year’s four permanent wild cards.

Two men with seven world titles between them are joined by Russian racer Artem Laguta and Swedish star Antonio Lindback in receiving invites to compete in the SGP World Championship.

Hancock is set for an historic return to speedway in a year, which will see him become the first 50-year-old to compete in the SGP series, when he celebrates his half-century on June 3, 2020.

The four-time world champion is taking a break from the sport this year to support wife Jennie as she undergoes breast cancer treatment, but he has made no secret of his desire to continue battling it out with the world’s best.

Great Britain hero Woffinden, who became the nation’s first triple world champion last year, is back after a tough season, which saw him sidelined for two months with a broken TH4 vertebra sustained in a PGE Ekstraliga crash in Lublin on June 7.

Woffinden was 13th in this season’s standings – the first time he has finished outside the world’s top four since he rejoined the series in 2013.

Laguta claimed 11th place in the SGP series, but still ended 2019 a world champion after racing to Monster Energy FIM Speedway of Nations glory with Emil Sayfutdinov at Russian track Togliatti in July.

And Lindback returns to the SGP stage after finishing 12th this season. The Swedish international is a two-time FIM Speedway World Cup winner and has three SGP victories and two Swedish Championships to his name.

The top eight riders in this year’s SGP World Championship – Bartosz Zmarzlik, Leon Madsen, Emil Sayfutdinov, Fredrik Lindgren, Martin Vaculik, Maciej Janowski, Jason Doyle and Patryk Dudek – qualify automatically for SGP 2020.

The line-up is completed by the top three riders from the GP Challenge in Gorican, Croatia on August 24 – winner Matej Zagar, runner-up Niels-Kristian Iversen and third-placed Max Fricke. The substitute riders for the 2020 FIM Speedway Grand Prix series will be confirmed soon.

2020 FIM Speedway Grand Prix Ride Line-Up
(in FIM ranking order with rider numbers to be confirmed in due course)

1. Bartosz Zmarzlik (Poland)
2. Leon Madsen (Denmark)
3. Emil Sayfutdinov (Russia)
4. Fredrik Lindgren (Sweden)
5. Martin Vaculik (Slovakia)
6. Maciej Janowski (Poland)
7. Jason Doyle (Australia)
8. Patryk Dudek (Poland)
9. Matej Zagar (Slovenia)
10. Niels-Kristian Iversen (Denmark)
11. Artem Laguta (Russia)
12. Antonio Lindback (Sweden)
13. Tai Woffinden (Great Britain)
14. Max Fricke (Australia)
15. Greg Hancock (USA)

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Smolinski leads 2020 SGP substitute rider line-up

German ace Martin Smolinski will serve as the 2020 FIM Speedway Grand Prix first substitute rider as the full SGP 2020 line-up is confirmed.

The 2018 FIM World Longtrack champion heads the list of substitute stars and will be called into SGP 2020 events if any of the 15 permanent riders are forced out of action for any reason such as injury or illness.

Smolinski famously won the 2014 New Zealand SGP on his full World Championship debut at Auckland’s Western Springs Stadium.

The charismatic Munich-born man has also played a pivotal role in helping Germany reach two straight Monster Energy FIM Speedway of Nations Finals – the country’s first world team finals of the 21st century.

He’s joined on the substitutes list by second stand-in Mikkel Michelsen of Denmark – the new European champion having won a run-off with Russia’s Grigory Laguta at the final round in Chorzow last month.

Last year’s FIM Speedway Under-21 World Championship winner Bartosz Smektala of Poland is the third reserve, with Denmark’s Anders Thomsen – who finished fifth in his first-ever GP Challenge in August – the fourth substitute.

Swedish racer Pontus Aspgren suffered cruel luck in his quest for SGP qualification at the GP Challenge with an engine failure in his final ride. He will be the fifth reserve for SGP 2020.

The list is completed by French star Dimitri Berge – the new FIM World Longtrack champion and a Speedway of Nations star for his country in 2018 and 2019.

2020 SGP Substitute Riders

1. Martin Smolinski (Germany)
2. Mikkel Michelsen (Denmark)
3. Bartosz Smektala (Poland)
4. Anders Thomsen (Denmark)
5. Pontus Aspgren (Sweden)
6. Dimitri Berge (France)

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2019 Australian SX Championship shaping up to be a belter

The 2019 Australian Supercross Championship is shaping up to be one of the most competitive seasons in history, with a host of decorated international talent preparing to face off against the best Australia has to offer, and take the coveted SX1 and SX2 Championships to foreign lands.

Leading the charge and looking to secure his fourth consecutive Australian championship will be Penrite Honda’s Justin Brayton, who has recently signed a deal with the HRC corporation for his World Championship campaign in 2020, and will come with additional parts for his Honda machine which is an ominous sign for the competition. The American is known as one of the world’s best supercross riders, having made his debut in 2004 and progressively making his way into the top echelon of the sport, and has his sights locked on another title.

Justin Brayton

“The aim is to defend (my championship), and add a fourth to the belt. I’m under no illusion that it’ll be an easy defence though, with a lot of good guys putting that target on my back and wanting the SX1 Championship. I’m expecting a few guys to step up and make it difficult, however, I’m confident in my preparation and believe that I can get the job done.”

Team USA will have a presence in the SX2 ranks too, with Mitchell Oldenburg and Chris Blose as the sister Penrite Honda’s of Brayton, albeit both in the small-bore division. Bradley Taft (Empire Motorsports Kawasaki), Jacob Hayes (Serco Yamaha) and Josh Osby (Raceline KTM Thor) will all return for their second season in Australia and will no doubt be after the championship.

Mitchell Oldenburg

“I’ve watched the Australian Supercross Championship expand over the last couple seasons, and was pretty eager to be involved. I’m super thankful for the opportunity to come and race with Penrite Honda – it’s going to be awesome to spend the summer in Australia and go after an international championship.”

The Australian Supercross Championship will span five rounds in 2019, with Brisbane Entertainment Centre playing host for the opener on October 12. The series then heads to South Australia the next weekend, followed by Wollongong on the 9th of November. The series will then cross the pond to New Zealand on the 16th, before concluding in Melbourne at Marvel Stadium on November 30.

Tickets for Round 1 (Brisbane Entertainment Centre) are available from just $45 at www.ticketek.com.au.

2019 Australian Supercross Calendar

• Round 1 – Queesland, October 12, 2019
• Round 2 – South Australia, October 19, 2019
• Round 3 – Wollongong, NSW, November 9, 2019
• Round 4 – Auckland, NZ, November 16, 2019
• Round 5 – Melbourne, VIC, November 30, 2019

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Justin Rodbell out for Australian Supercross

Justin Rodbell has apologised to the Raceline KTM Thor Team, after being unable to compete in the up-coming Australian Supercross Championship due to being in Australia on a vacation visa, which does not allow him to work as a professional racer. Here’s what he had to say:

Justin Rodbell

“I would like to apologise to the whole Raceline KTM Thor Team for not being able to compete in the Australian Supercross championship. This is completely my fault, I take full responsibility for not being over there on the correct visa. Sucks my trip to Australia has ended this way, I met so many rad people during my stay in AUS. I’d also like to thank @dvlanwood @markwood25 @ksf_racing for taking me in and giving me a place to live. As for what’s next for me I honestly couldn’t tell you. Sorry @cwktm250 for causing you all this stress, thanks for the opportunity. Basically what happened was I got paid on a vacation visa and I needed to be on a professional sporting visa.”

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Team HRC & Gajser lead the way at MXGP Awards Ceremony

Taking place on Saturday night at the 2019 Motocross of Nations, Team HRC, Honda and Tim Gajser wrapped up four different awards as they were recognised for what was an excellent MXGP campaign.

Winning nine overalls during the course of the season in Trentino, Portugal, France, Russia, Latvia, Germany, Indonesia (twice) and Belgium, Gajser proved that it didn’t matter what the conditions were as he took victories in a whole host of terrain and surfaces. This not only helped him win the MXGP title by 202-points but it also meant that Honda took the manufacturers classification by 22-points.

In addition to race wins and overalls, Gajser also posted the most fastest laps during the season, to further prove just how dominant he was in the competitive MXGP class. While this ceremony celebrated the 2019 season as a whole, the Slovenian rider wasn’t done collecting awards as he took a moto victory and MXGP class overall at the Motocross of Nations, the first for his country.

He also collected two holeshot awards from his two races, showing the power of the Honda CRF450RW once again in the wet, sandy conditions of Assen. Team HRC MX2 rider Calvin Vlaanderen also put in a fine performance on Sunday as he helped the Netherlands win their first ever Chamberlain Trophy, in front of an ecstatic home crowd.

Tim Gajser will now prepare himself for a completely new challenge as he goes to Las Vegas in order to compete in the Monster Energy Cup on October 19th.

2019 MXGP Awards

• MXGP Manufacturer World Champion: Honda
• MXGP Winning Team: Team HRC
• Tag Heuer Best Lap Challenge MXGP: Tim Gajser
• MXGP World Champion: Tim Gajser

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Meghan Rutledge to become Kawasaki ambassador in 2020

Kawasaki Motors Australia has announced Meghan Rutledge will continue working with them heading into 2020 as an Ambassador and in a coaching role. Rutledge has been supported by Kawasaki for over 10 years and in 2020 has announced she will be stepping away from motocross racing to focus on career and personal growth.

Meghan Rutledge

“After an incredible 2019 season, that included taking out back-to-back National Women’s Motocross and Queen of MX Titles, 2020 holds new opportunities to grow outside of motocross competition. I will be stepping away from competitive racing and focusing on my career with coaching and personal training. Motocross is in my blood, I will continue to ride for fun, be a coach and mentor the next generation. I am excited for what 2020 has in store for me and thrilled to still be working closely with all my current sponsors as an ambassador. I would like to take the opportunity to thank my sponsors for the support over many years. Sponsorship support has enabled me to win eight Championship Titles in the past two years.”

Meg Rutledge has won a trophy room full of Championships in her racing career and Kawasaki will continue to support Meg in an Ambassador and Coaching role.

“I’m eager to focus on my future with my amazing supportive partner Aaron. My job as a personal trainer will work in with motocross coaching and we will take some time to enjoy life. I have put my life into racing and training nearly every weekend for the past 10 years and I never really had any down time, as much as I love racing it’s time to expand my focus. I really appreciate the support from all my fans and sponsors and I look forward what lays ahead.”

Meghan’s sponsors include: Kawasaki Motors Australia, Shock Treatment, EastCoast Supplements Mudgee, Fly Racing, Kwala Racing, Ross McWatters, Willmax Graphics, Strike Seats, Asterisk Australia, Sidi Sport, McLeod Accessories, Rockwell Watches Australia, Motocross Products #, Rip it performance, Fist Handwear, Bridgestone Motorcycle Tyres Australia, Giant Mudgee, SCOTT Motosports, Unifilter Australia.

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bLU cRU Masterclass riders announced

Following an enthralling weekend of racing in the YZ bLU cRU FIM Europe Cup SuperFinale at the Monster Energy Motocross of Nations in Assen, the line-up of young Yamaha riders picked to take part in the bLU cRU Masterclass in November has been announced.

Featuring the top three finishers in the YZ65, YZ85 and YZ125 SuperFinale classes respectively, the Masterclass will also include two carefully selected wildcard riders from each class, chosen on the basis of their talent, attitude and potential demonstrated at the SuperFinale.

The YZ65 Masterclass category for the youngest riders consists of podium finishers #724 Jëkabs Kubulins from Latvia, #292 Freddie Bartlett from Sweden, and #80 Frederik Stampe from Denmark in first, second and third respectively. The three will be joined by wildcards #484 Dex Kooiker from the Netherlands, and #517 Niccolo Mannini from Italy.

The YZ85 top three of #910 Olle Mårtensson from Sweden, #567 Levi Schrik of the Netherlands and #78 Adrian Bølviken from Norway will be joined by #15 Sven Borger of the Netherlands and #11 Zoltan Ordog from Romania.

Featuring the oldest YZ bLU cRU riders, the YZ125 Masterclass line-up includes top three #601 Mairis Pumpurs from Latvia, #252 Raul Sanchez of Spain and #579 Bobby Bruce from Great Britain, who will be joined by #96 Victor Alonso Rodilla from Spain and #397 Simon Depoers from France.

Representing ten European nations, the YZ bLU cRU riders will meet again in Spain on 18-20 November where, together with their road-racing bLU cRU counterparts, they will receive expert motocross tutelage from bLU cRU ambassadors and Yamaha MXGP riders Jeremy Seewer and Gautier Paulin. From the Masterclass, one lucky YZ rider will receive the top prize of direct Yamaha support in their 2020 European Championship.

The Masterclass also serves as the deciding round of the 2019 YZ bLU cRU FIM Europe Cup, with one overall winner from each class chosen. The top YZ125 bLU cRU rider will win a place on the MJC Yamaha EMX125 team, while the top YZ65 and YZ85 riders will receive support from Yamaha Motor Europe N.V. for the 2020 season.

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Romain Febvre joins Monster Energy KRT for 2020

The Monster Energy Kawasaki Racing Team has announce that Romain Febvre has joined the squad on a multiple year deal for the FIM MXGP Motocross World Championship. Next season KRT will line up two of the most successful and experienced riders in the series as the Frenchman joins Clément Desalle to compete on the KX450 Kawasaki.

Crowned world champion in 2015 during his rookie season Febvre, who will turn 28 in December, has raced to podium results every year since he joined the MXGP category; despite missing a third of the 2018 season due to injuries he claimed five GP podiums with a double-victory in the Czech Republic, won four motos, took four pole-positions, led ninety laps of racing and posted the fastest lap five times.

With his long racing experience he will form a perfect twin-spearhead alongside Desalle; the Belgian will enter his fifth season with the team and has formed a perfect relationship with both the bike and the team staff who are more excited than ever to start working with both riders.

Clement has now recovered from his injury and will start testing soon, while Romain still needs to wait a few more weeks to recover from the broken leg he sustained during the Swedish round of the World Championship when he was racing for another podium result.

Romain Febvre

“We turn to a new page but the book is still open and there is a new adventure on the horizon! I’m very happy with this choice; it’s never easy to change after five years on the same team but I’m sure this is the best moment to do it. My injury late this season will delay my first days with the team, but I will be even more motivated later this winter when I can get back on a bike again! Everyone in the team is highly motivated and I’m impatient to be with them and on the bike. As far as my injury is concerned it’s taking a long time of course but everything is going as planned by the medical staff; I will soon have the first examination six weeks after surgery; we’ll see how it is with the femur and we’ll be able to make our plans for the rehabilitation. I will take a longer winter break than usual but patience is the only option and I don’t want to endanger any stage so I will be able to start testing in good conditions and to open this new chapter of my career on a good basis. The team is 100% behind me; they have a strong experience of racing and I’m sure we’ll achieve great things together.”

Thierry Chizat Suzzoni – KRT Team Owner

“We are very happy to welcome Romain to the team alongside Clément; both have a lot of experience and I’m convinced that they will join forces to cooperate and get the best from our Kawasaki; it’s a great bike which both of them will want to put on the podium. We know that Romain always gives 100% and we confidently expect that both he and Clément will put the bike in the leading pack. It gives us great satisfaction to see one of this season’s GP winners so enthusiastic to join us. We are confident that the new KX450, which we have developed so meticulously since the end of last year, has a huge potential. It’s a winning bike and we now have two GP winners on the team to show that to the world.”

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Monster and KRT renew MXGP partnership

Long time partners in the FIM MXGP Motocross World Championship, Monster Energy and the Kawasaki Racing Team have renewed their partnership and will continue their successful association.

Joining the Kawasaki Racing Team in 2014 as title sponsor of the factory squad, Monster Energy has always been the main partner of the team and even as the 2019 season was not the best due to rider injuries the American company renewed the contract for the future. Both Romain Febvre and Clément Desalle are long time Monster athletes, and they achieved great results during the past seasons with fifteen Grand Prix wins and thirty heat wins. They will be team mates for the first time in their career next season, joining their experience and efforts to offer the best results to the team in the premier class.

Mitch Covington – Monster Energy Vice President of Sport Marketing

“We’re excited to go again with our long-term partner KRT. It’s been a difficult year with injuries, but it happens. Unfortunately it’s part of the sport when you have riders who are passionate about the sport and really do what it takes to win so sometimes you’re going to have injuries and accidents; we’ve been in the sport a long time and we understand that. We hope for an injury-free season next year. We’re really excited for Romain to stay in the Monster family; moving over from one Monster team to another should be a really smooth transition. Romain has been a champion for our brand for a long time now and we’re wishing him the best in his new team. It’s a very strong team with Romain and Clement. We have two of the most-experienced riders in the series; they are both very fast and we have high expectations from both.”

Thierry Chizat Suzzoni – KRT team Owner

“Since 2014 we’re working in collaboration with Monster Energy and we are very pleased to continue with such a renowned partner who has a very strong image in motorsports. It’s a very long time partner who follow us with great loyalty even in difficult period such as like we had this season. We are currently working to prepare next season with both Clément and Romain who are Monster athletes since many years; every day we work to be ready for 2020, and we expect a great season.”

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Mikkel Haarup joins F&H Kawasaki for 2020

Team F&H Kawasaki will line up an ambitious young trio next year in the FIM MX2 Motocross World Championship as Mikkel Haarup joins Roan van de Moosdijk and Mathys Boisrame in the Dutch team.

Mikkel, just eighteen years old, will contest the MX2 World Championship alongside nineteen-year-old Roan van de Moosdijk from the Netherlands and twenty-one-year-old Mathys Boisrame from France.

The multi-national squad will be one of the youngest team line-ups in the World Championship; the F&H Kawasaki team will focus exclusively on the MX2 class next season after their successful 2019 campaign.

All three riders will be trained by Marc de Reuver and they will also contest the Dutch Masters in which they will defend the MX2 title which the F&H team secured this year with Henry Jacobi.

Mikkel Haarup

“I believe joining F&H is going to be a really good move for me; it’s a step forward after four years with my previous team. I feel Kawasaki is very supportive and they will do a good job to help me develop in the future. The team has already done really well the past few years and they work really hard to be even better. Their goal is just like mine … to win the championship; it’s nice to have a team whose main focus is the same. It will be very good for both of us, developing our relationship and achieving results together. Of course it’s a step higher to race the MX2 GPs and the intensity is even higher, but I think everyone can see by the results Roan put in at the end of the season that the speed in the European is also really quick. I already rode a few GPs this year so I think I’m well-prepared to be ready for next year. It’s going to be interested to work with Marc de Reuver; he’s clearly a good trainer and I’m looking forward to working with him. It’s going to be interesting for sure and you see that every rider he has worked with has progressed.”

Source: MCNews.com.au