2021 Pro Motocross Championship
Round 4 – Twisted Tea RedBud National
Following its second break of the 2021 season the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing, returned to action for its Fourth of July tradition with the annual Twisted Tea RedBud National.
The fourth round of the season saw a massive crowd line the fences in their red, white, and blue for America’s Independence Day holiday and were treated to an afternoon of perfect weather.
Monster Energy/Star/Yamaha Racing’s Dylan Ferrandis continued his impressive season by leading the way in the 450 Class for his third victory of the season.
In the 250 Class, Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s RJ Hampshire demonstrated incredible speed all day en route to his third career win.
450 Moto1
As the gate dropped on the opening 450 Class moto, Monster Energy/Star/Yamaha Racing’s Aaron Plessinger prevailed with the Motosport.com Holeshot ahead of Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Cooper Webb and Team Honda HRC’s Ken Roczen. A quick pass by Webb in the second turn allowed him to steal the lead from Plessinger who retaliated to retake the lead just turns later. It was Plessinger, Roczen, and Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Adam Cianciarulo at the completion of the opening lap. Championship point leader Ferrandis was sixth at the start.
As the moto surpassed the 10-minute mark, Roczen started to close on Plessinger for the lead, eventually making the pass stick as Plessinger slid back to second. As Cianciarulo continued his charge in third, he would soon find himself under pressure from Ferrandis who was turning the fastest lap times of the race.
Ferrandis was relentless in his push to the front and made the move on Cianciarulo just before the halfway point of the moto. The battle for the lead began to tighten up as Plessinger closed in on Roczen while his teammate Ferrandis closed in on them both with 10-minutes remaining. The Star Racing Yamaha teammates pulled alongside each other several times before Ferrandis took possession of second with a pass on Plessinger through the sand rollers.
Ferrandis’ charge to the front could not be stopped as he struck on his championship rival Roczen to take the lead with just three laps remaining. The Frenchman would hold on to claim his second moto win of the season with 2.9 seconds to spare on Roczen. After leading early, Plessinger would finish third.
450 Moto 2
The deciding 450 Class moto kicked off with Plessinger launching out of the gate to sweep the Motosport.com Holeshots by edging out the Monster Energy Kawasaki duo of Eli Tomac and Cianciarulo, followed by Roczen and Ferrandis. Cianciarulo would lose the front end coming downhill on the opening lap and be forced to rejoin near the tail end of the field as Plessinger, Tomac, Roczen, and Ferrandis led the way on the opening lap.
The deciding 450 Class moto kicked off 450 Moto 2with Plessinger launching out of the gate to sweep the Motosport.com Holeshots by edging out the Monster Energy Kawasaki duo of Eli Tomac and Cianciarulo, followed by Roczen and Ferrandis. Cianciarulo would lose the front end coming downhill on the opening lap and be forced to rejoin near the tail end of the field as Plessinger, Tomac, Roczen, and Ferrandis led the way on the opening lap.
The battle immediately intensified up front as Tomac made quick work of Plessinger to take the number one position from Plessinger. Just behind the leaders, Roczen and Ferrandis matched one another’s pace in an effort for valuable championship points and to keep the leaders in sight. Roczen made a costly mistake that saw him go down hard, but he was able to dust himself off and remount in sixth.
Up front, Tomac and Plessinger were separated by no more than two seconds for the majority of the race as they took turns on clocking the better lap times.
With the race winding down, the battle for second began to heat up as Ferrandis closed in on his teammate Plessinger. He would use an excellent drive through the sand rollers to take second and set his sights on the race leader Tomac. As the crowd cheered them on, Tomac held on to take his second moto win of the season by just 1.5 seconds over Ferrandis. A distant third would go to Plessinger, while Roczen recovered for sixth.
It was Ferrandis who’s hard charging and consistency would give him the overall victory (1-2). Tomac earned his second consecutive podium of the season in season (4-1), while Plessinger completed the podium with an impressive 3-3 moto scores on the day. Roczen’s 6-2 was good enough for fourth. A jump during the red cross flag in Moto 1 resulted in Ferrandis being docked a single point and Roczen two points, however, the overall finishes remained the same.
Dylan Ferrandis
“I gave it everything and it was a big fight today, I charged really hard at the end of the motos. I wanted to win the second moto, but Eli [Tomac] was riding really good. I dreamed of winning here at RedBud and thanks to the fans for cheering loud for us all day. It’s been a good start to the season and I’m really looking forward to keep working hard so we can stay up front the rest of the season.”
With the win Ferrandis was able to extend his lead in the championship standings to 14-points over Roczen who lost crucial points in the second moto. Plessinger sits third, 36-points out of the lead.
Ken Roczen
“I was excited coming into RedBud for Fourth of July; it’s always a special race and the fans always go wild. We had a pretty decent couple of qualifying sessions. I ended up going fifth to the gate, which was totally fine; I felt pretty good on the track and was ready for the moto. In the first moto, I think I was third after the start and just kind of worked my way up there into second right away and made a move on [Aaron] Plessinger and was leading most of the race until about two laps to go. I kind of lost my rhythm a little bit. The track is really hard-packed underneath and soft on top, so it was really tricky to ride. It just wasn’t really my best performance, but at the same time I was okay with the second place. I got passed there with a couple of laps to go and tried to hang on behind [Dylan] Ferrandis and tried to make a pass back, but it just wasn’t enough. I was looking forward to the second moto. Moto 2 was kind of like when everything came undone. I was battling really hard to get to the front. I was in third and [Eli] Tomac was leading and Plessinger was second. I made my way past Ferrandis and just sat in third for a while trying to see what the race gave me. I had a bad case on [LaRocco’s] Leap, as Plessinger’s roost slowed me down so much. I hurt my wrist a little bit, but then a couple laps later I fell right after the leap. I tucked the front end, had a pretty big get-off, and my bars were a little bent. I’m glad I was able to finish at least in sixth and minimize the points damage. We’re healthy leaving RedBud and I’m just looking forward to prepping for next weekend’s race.”
250 Moto 1
When the gate dropped for the first 250 Class moto of the day it was Monster Energy/Star/Yamaha Racing’s Justin Cooper who emerged with the Motosport.com holeshot just ahead of the Team Honda HRC duo of Jett and Hunter Lawrence, Monster Energy/Star/Yamaha Racing’s Jeremy Martin and Hampshire.
As they crossed the finish on the opening lap, Cooper lost traction going up the face of the finish line and crashed out of the lead. Cooper’s mistake allowed a hard charging Hampshire to inherit the lead over the Lawrence brothers and Martin. Cooper would remount in 10th.
Hampshire pushed the pace out front with Jett Lawrence in tow and the duo began to slowly distance themselves from the train of riders behind them. As Jett Lawrence applied the pressure, Hampshire crashed out of the lead, but was able to restart quickly in second. Hunter Lawrence remained a distant third.
With the race closing in on the halfway point of the 30-minute-plus-two-lap moto, Hampshire started to inch back onto the rear wheel of Jett Lawrence and searched for a way around. Hampshire would once again lose the front end of his motorcycle and find himself on the ground while contending for the race lead. Hunter Lawrence took full advantage of Hampshire’s mistake to move into second, while Hampshire remounted in third.
As Jett Lawrence continued to control the race out front, Hunter Lawrence and Hampshire started to gain momentum and slowly reduce the gap to the race leader. With three laps to go, Hampshire muscled his way around Hunter Lawrence for second and began to set his sights on the race leader Jett Lawrence but Jett held on to take the checkered flag for his third moto win of the season by 2.2 seconds over Hampshire. Hunter Lawrence finished third, just ahead of Cooper who recovered for fourth.
250 Moto 2
The final 250 Class moto of the afternoon saw Cooper capture his second Motosport.com Holeshot of the day, just ahead of his teammate Martin and first moto runner-up finisher Hampshire. The Lawrence brothers found themselves mired deep in the pack as Hunter was scored 11th and Jett 18th at the completion of the opening lap.
As the lead trio went to work with a clear track out front, Jett Lawrence put his head down in an attempt to do damage control, however, a costly mistake would see him make contact with another rider and go down, losing valuable time as he remounted outside the top-30.
Out front, Hampshire began to find his momentum as he moved Cooper to within striking distance for the race lead, using every inch of the track to find a way past. At the 15-minute mark, Hampshire would get a drive and out drag race Cooper to become the new race leader.
Just as Hampshire looked to have the race under control he would yet again find himself picking himself up off the ground as he surrendered the lead to Cooper in the late stages of the moto. Cooper emerged with his second moto win of the season by 12.9 seconds over Hampshire. Martin finished third in an impressive return from injury, followed by Hunter Lawrence in fourth. An inspiring ride by Jett Lawrence netted him sixth.
By virtue of 2-2 finishes Hampshire prevailed for his first win of the season and won the RedBud National for the second consecutive year. Cooper’s second moto win earned him second overall (4-1) as Jett Lawrence completed the podium in third (1-6), followed by his brother Hunter in fourth (3-4).
RJ Hampshire
“This win just feels so good after everything I’ve gone through lately,” said Hampshire. “As you can hear, I’ve been super sick all week, so to be up here today is a bit emotional. I give it my all everytime I’m on the track, and it would have been great to get those moto wins today, but to win here at RedBud for the second year in a row is an amazing feeling. The speed has been really good lately and I’m looking forward to some of my favorite tracks coming up on the schedule.”
Jett Lawrence maintains his hold of the championship point lead by eight over Cooper who reduced the gap by three on the day. Hunter Lawrence remains third, 44-points out of the championship lead.
Jett Lawrence
“The bike setting in the first moto wasn’t good. I had RJ [Hampshire] charging, and if he got me, I didn’t really have any ammo to fight back. Between motos, my team did a great job making some adjustments that made the bike work better for me, but I just didn’t give myself a very good chance for winning or even getting myself into a good position. I came from 37th to sixth, so I think that’s pretty good. I definitely made a lot of passes, maybe the most passes of the day. I think if you look at the result it sucks because I lost three points, but you have to look at the positives; it was a strong ride, and I felt like there’s not many other people in this class that could do that.”
Hunter Lawrence
“My weekend wasn’t bad; it wasn’t great, but we’ll take it. We went 3-4 moto scores for fourth overall. I missed out on the box by two points. That second moto I was in a ‘do or die’ position to catch J-Mart [Jeremy Martin] and make that pass. I was pushing to make up a lot of ground on him, coming from a pretty bad start, so I was ‘damned if I did, damned if I didn’t’; I had to risk it and push. I ended up laying it down and got back up, managing to finish in a position where I was chasing down fourth. All in all, I’m really happy with how the team worked together to make changes on the bike for the second moto, which benefited us a lot. It maybe wasn’t a moto-score result, but as far as my feeling on the bike, and everything else, we left better than what we started in the first moto, so I’m happy with that. RedBud was awesome. That was my first proper Fourth of July RedBud experience, so it was pretty cool. I also checked something else off my bucket list; I really wanted to scream ‘RedBuuuuud’ into the microphone. I hadn’t been able to do that until today, so that was cool.”
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.”
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.”
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.”
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.”
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 – 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.”
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.”
The World Enduro Super Series continues with Round 7 in Spain for the BR2 Enduro Solsona on October 4-6.
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
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.
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.
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.
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.”
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.
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
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.
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.”
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.
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
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.
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.
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.”
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.
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.
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
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.
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 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.”
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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…
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.
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.
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.
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.”
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.
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.
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.
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.”
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.
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.
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.
Tony Bou wins 2019 TrialGP Championship – Title Win #13
Dobson & Rowe top Queensland MX Championships at Echo Valley
Junior Motocross wraps up in Victoria and Queensland
Sam Sunderland wraps up 2019 Silk Way Rally
Penrite Honda sign Chris Blose for AUS-X Open
Hayes to Serco Yamaha for Australian Supercross 2019
Dalton Gauthier joins AFT Production Twins for remainder of season
AFT announces Springfield Mile double-header in August
Harley-Davidson announce 2019 AFT Production Twins Contingency Program
Webb & Cianciarulo top Spring Creek MX National
The Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship stormed into Spring Creek for Round 8 of the championship and was greated by storms and lightning, forcing delays as rainfall ensured challenging conditions for all riders.
Cooper Webb dominated the 450 class with a 1-1 result, winning both motos and closing in on the championship lead, with Zach Osborne (4-3) and Eli Tomac (2-5) completing the round overall top three with 38-points apiece.
Marvin Musquin took a 3-7 result in fourth overall, while Ken Roczen was fifth overall on the back of a 14-2 result, with a rocky first moto.
The 450 standings now see Eli Tomac in the lead on 342-points, from Marvin Musquin (304) and Ken Roczen (293). Webb’s result has moved him to within five-points of Roczen, now holding 288 points, with Jason Anderson completing the top five on 272.
It was a weekend of records for Webb too, earning his first-career 450MX moto win in race one, only to double down in race two to claim his first overall podium, as well as first overall win, of his career in the premier 450MX class.
Cooper Webb
“I felt really good today. It’s incredible to go 1-1, I don’t know what happened to everyone else but I got two good starts, stayed out of trouble and it felt really awesome. It’s amazing what a moto-win can do for your confidence!”
For second in the standings Musquin, the day didn’t quite go as planned but the French rider salvaged as much as he could with the cards he was dealt.
Marvin Musquin
“I’m definitely not happy because the riding today was pretty good but the result is not what I wanted. I was looking forward to a good battle for the lead and to make up some points but that didn’t happen. Next week is Washougal and we’ll spend the week in California working with the team, so it will be good.”
450 Round Results
Pos
Rider
M1
M2
Pts
1
Cooper Webb
1
1
50
2
Zachary Osborne
4
3
38
3
Eli Tomac
2
5
38
4
Marvin Musquin
3
7
34
5
Ken Roczen
14
2
29
450 Standings
Pos
Rider
Total
1
Eli Tomac
342
2
Marvin Musquin
304
3
Ken Roczen
293
4
Cooper Webb
288
5
Jason Anderson
272
250
In the 250 class it was Adam Cianciarulo who took the round win, but it was Hunter Lawrence who claimed the opening race win, with a sixth place result in the second moto regulating Lawrence to third overall.
Cianciarulo proved consistent with a 3-1 result, as did Alex Martin with a 2-3 – claiming second overall, with just five-points separating the three for the round.
In the standings Cianciarulo continues to lead with a 36-point advantage over Dylan Ferrandis who had to settle for fourth overall on the back of a 5-4 result. Justin Cooper sits third in the standings, with Hunter Lawrence fourth on equal points to Colt Nichols.
Hunter Lawrence
“Gnarly weekend at Millville! 1-6 for third overall we’ll take it, massive thanks to the whole team for their efforts in these crazy conditions!”
250 Round Results
Pos
Rider
M1
M2
Pts
1
Adam Cianciarulo
3
1
45
2
Alex Martin
2
3
42
3
Hunter Lawrence
1
6
40
4
Dylan Ferrandis
5
4
34
5
Shane McElrath
4
5
34
250 Standings
Pos
NAME
Total
1
Adam Cianciarulo
352
2
Dylan Ferrandis
316
3
Justin Cooper
306
4
Hunter Lawrence
233
5
Colt Nichols
233
Weekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop
Sanders & Milner dominate 2019 Kyogle AORC
The Australian Off Road Championship (AORC) returned over the weekend for Rounds 5 & 6 at Kyogle, with a much longer test route than normal being of note, as sunny conditions prevailed for some great racing by all involved.
Saturday’s Round 5 saw Daniel Sanders take the overall win, with Daniel Milner next fastest on combined times, followed by Fraser Higlett. Sunday’s Round 6 saw a similar result, with Daniel Sanders again taking the overall win from Milner, and this time Luke Styke in third.
Leaving Kyogle the AORC Championship standings see Daniel Sanders (150 points) leading the E3 class from Beau Ralston (130) and Jesse Lawton (108), while in E2 it’s Daniel Milner (150) leading Joshua Green (132) and Jeremy Carpenter (109).
Luke Styke (140) holds the E1 lead by 13-points from Lyndon Snodgrass (127), with Fraser Higlett only four-points behind on 123, while Kyron Bacon (150) holds a 22-point lead to Joshua Brierley (128) in the EJ class, with Korey McMahon (115) completing the top three.
E1 Standings – Top 5
Pos
Name
Total
1
Luke STYKE
140
2
Lyndon SNODGRASS
127
3
Fraser HIGLETT
123
4
Michael DRISCOLL
120
5
Lachlan ALLAN
89
E2 Standings – Top 5
Pos
Name
Total
1
Daniel MILNER
150
2
Joshua GREEN
132
3
Jeremy CARPENTIER
109
4
Brad HARDAKER
95
5
Harrison TEED
91
E3 Standings – Top 5
Pos
Name
Total
1
Daniel SANDERS
150
2
Beau RALSTON
130
3
Jesse LAWTON
108
4
Andrew WILKSCH
102
5
Matt MURRY
100
EJ Standings – Top 5
Pos
Name
Total
1
Kyron BACON
150
2
Joshua BRIERLEY
128
3
Korey MCMAHON
115
4
Cooper SHEIDOW
106
5
Nathan HOWE
100
For the full results see the full report link above.
Australia third at 2019 Speedway of Nations
Team Australia claimed a solid third place finish at the 2019 FIM Speedway of Nations (SoN), held at the Anatoly Stepanov Stadium in Togliatti, Russia, marking the first medal in the SoN since finishing third in 2014 in Poland.
At the end of the first night on Saturday, the ‘Roo’s were sitting pretty on top of the order with 23-points, one point ahead of the host nation, Russia, while Poland was third on 21-points. The final night saw the Australian Speedway team scoring eighteen points, which handed them a total of 41, which was good enough for third place overall. Russia claimed the 2019 Speedway of Nations win from Poland.
The Aussie team consisted of Jason Doyle, Max Fricke and Jaimon Lidsey, with Doyle leading the team to the Day 1 lead with 23-points, laying claim to 16-points himself, while Day 2 saw the trio bring home 18-points, with Doyle once again leading the team with 14, in a strong performance.
Max Fricke
“We haven’t had a medal for a couple of years now, I think everyone is really happy. We couldn’t ask for much more. Jason was absolutely on fire this weekend and he scored an absolute bagful of points for us, and it was lucky we had a really good under-21 reserve (Jaimon Lidsey) to help us out!”
Team leading rider, Doyle explained in a post-race interview that the team had done Australia proud.
Jason Doyle
“We would like to thank all of our team members, mechanic and Mark Lemon for doing all of the organizing and not forgetting all of our sponsors back home in Australia and our personal sponsors. Hats off to the Russians. Its an amazing atmosphere out there when their team won. In saying that, they have not only supported their own, but they have supported every other rider and country. Fair play, thank you very much for everything, we have really enjoyed our time in Russia.”
2019 Speedway of Nations Final Standings
Russia 45
Poland
Australia 41
Denmark 37
Sweden 35
Germany 30
Great Britain 16
Tony Bou wins 2019 TrialGP Championship – Title Win #13
Repsol Honda Team rider Toni Bou has been crowned 2019 TrialGP World Champion, triumphing in the French Trial to take his tally of consecutive title wins to 13 in TrialGP, in addition to the 13 indoor trophies.
The latest trial victory, the seventh of the season, meaning that Toni Bou mathematically seals the TrialGP World Champion title for the thirteenth time in a row.
Toni Bou was clearly feeling at ease as evidenced by the mere nine marks accrued throughout. The trial or the title never looked in question. The triumph is the 111th victory for Toni Bou in Trial World Championships as well as the thirteenth consecutive trial win since Andorra last season. The Repsol Honda Team star has made a clean streak so far in the 2019 Trial World Championship, with one event still to contest.
The next trial for the Repsol Honda Team will be the final round of the TrialGP World Championship set to take place on 21st and 22nd September in La Nucia, Spain.
Toni Bou
“Today was a day where I had to work hard to make any difference, especially during the opening sections. But that is what we did and we made it to section eight on zero. I think I rode an intelligent trial. I felt very comfortable on the bike. As always, there is no better way to win a new title than with a victory and with good feelings. It was a short but intense world championship. I think that this season we have matured a lot. Last year we had so many injuries, this year we have been very comfortable on the bike, which we’ve seen reflected in the wins and the riding, so now it’s time to savour the moment and enjoy the holidays.”
TrialGP of France 2019 Result
BOU, Toni SPA – Repsol Honda Team 9
BUSTO, Jaime SPA – Vertigo Factory Team 23
RAGA, Adam SPA – TRRS Factory Team 25
FAJARDO, Jeroni SPA – Gas Gas 30
FUJINAMI, Takahisa JPN – Repsol Honda Team 36
CASALES, Jorge SPA – Vertigo Factory Team 42
GELABERT, Miquel SPA – Sherco Factory Team 45
DABILL, James GBR – Beta Factory Racing 54
BINCAZ, Benoit FRA – Beta Factory Racing 57
KADLEC, Franz GER – TRRS Factory Team 71
TrialGP Rider Standings 2019
BOU, Toni 140
RAGA, Adam 113
FAJARDO, Jeroni 95
FUJINAMI, Takahisa 88
BUSTO, Jaime 77
DABILL, James 68
CASALES, Jorge 65
BINCAZ, Benoit 53
KADLEC, Franz 53
GELABERT, Miquel 50
Dobson & Rowe top Queensland MX at Echo Valley
Jesse Dobson and Mason Rowe have claimed 2019 maroon plates for at the final round of the Queensland Motocross Championships at Echo Valley. Toowoomba was bathed in sunshine and the the Toowoomba Club did a great job with track preparation, and all that was left was for the riders to enjoy the famous Skyline and the Matterhorn features.
In the premier class Jesse Dobson took the win with a dominant final round performance, with Mason Rowe second in each moto on his way to the runner-up position in MX1. Jesse Madden grabbed the final step on the podium for the day, while Robbie Marshall and ‘King of the North’ Luke Weaver completing the top five.
Luke Weaver’s 5,4,5 result was enough to net third in the 2019 state championships for the man who currently leads both the Central Queensland and Tropical North Queensland series championships in both MX1 and MX2.
A battle for MX2 honours saw five riders share the podium finishes, with Aaron Tanti claiming 1-3-1 results, which gave first on the day and 12th from the one appearance. Mason Rowe’s second on the day (2- 4-2) was plenty enough to earn him the title of MX2 Champion.
Noah and Isaac Ferguson entered the final moto tied on points, and changed position three times before Noah decided the issue in his own favour by a single point, taking the Vice Champion position on the podium.
MX1
Jesse DOBSON 193
Mason ROWE 182
Luke WEAVER 158
Robbie MARSHALL 157
Sam LARSEN 139
Joel PHILLIPS 130
Kye ORCHARD 129
Cody HALL 115
Darcy CAVANAGH 114
Joshua MOHAMMED 112
MX2
Mason ROWE 197
Noah FERGUSON 171
Isaac FERGUSON 170
Joel EVANS 162
Jayce COSFORD 156
Luke REARDON 145
Jake WILLIAMS 139
Navrin GROTHUES 128
Cody HALL 125
Cody SCHAT 121
Junior Motocross wraps up in Victoria and Queensland
Over the weekend the Victorian and Queensland state motocross championships wrapped up, with South Australia having a single round to go, however plenty of Junior champions were crowned, with GYTR Yamaha Junior Racing putting in a particularly strong showing.
Victorian MX
The final round of the Victorian Junior Motocross Championship was ran, after earlier being postponed a couple of weeks ago due to weather. Some of the classes had already been decided with Alex Larwood having locked up the 125 A-Grade division on his YZ125. Ty Kean was runner up in the A-Grade 125cc class, while Kipp Adams completed the top three.
The weekend did however see the remaining classes finish their championships and it was Kipp Adams who came through for a championship win. Adams finished with 1-3-3 results at the final round to take second on the day but more importantly, wrap up the championship on his YZ250F in the 250cc A-Grade class. Ty Kean was runner up 19-points behind in the championship, with Ben Novak third.
Young Tasmanian Jay Jennings had been making the trek backwards and forwards across the Tasman for the Victorian championship in the 65cc A-Grade class and was rewarded with a second place in the series, despite taking the final round win with 2-1-1 results. It wasn’t enough to close the gap to the championship leader Cooper Rowe, who held a 44-point advantage, with Wil Carpenter completing the overall top three.
125cc A Grade
Alex Larwood – 343 (Yamaha YZ125)
Ty Kean – 300
Kipp Adams – 282 (Yamaha YZ125)
250cc A Grade
Kipp Adams – 355 (Yamaha YZ250F)
Ty Kean – 336
Ben Novak – 323
65cc A Grade
Cooper Rowe – 393
Jay Jennings – 359 (Yamaha YZ65)
Wil Carpenter – 274 (Yamaha YZ65)
South Australian MX
Alex Larwood continued his domination of South Australian racing, taking a clean sweep at the third round of the South Australian Motocross Championships, in Ceduna. Larwood took the perfect six from six on the weekend and comfortably won both the 13-15 years 125cc and 250cc classes. With one round remaining, Larwood is on the box seat to claim another two championships in his final year of Junior racing.
In the 125cc class Larwood leads Jack Mclean and Brodie Petschauser, both of which sit on 260 points, 55-points behind. In the 250cc class Larwood holds a similar lead over Jack Colbert on 260-points, with Jack Mclean on 256.
Jobe Dunne charged through to take the win in the 7-9 years 65cc class on his YZ65. Dunne needed a big finish to the series to claim the title as points were tight at the top, but the youngster pulled it out when it mattered most finishing with 2-3-1 race finishes to claim the round win. Dunne leads Jai Hay and Kye Little into the season final.
Wil Carpenter wanted in on the podium action and managed to finish second on the day in the 10-12 years 65cc class. Carpenter rode well to finish with 1-2-2 results, but it wasn’t enough to peg back the series leader Ollie Gear who finished just six points ahead of him so the championship is on a knife’s edge for the final round. Nine-points seperate Gear and Carpenter, with Hudson Crothers a distant third 33-points behind.
13-U16 years 125cc
Alex Larwood – 315 (Yamaha YZ125)
Jack Mclean – 260
Brodie Petschauser– 260
13-U16 years 250cc
Alex Larwood – 315 (Yamaha YZ250F)
Jack Colbert – 260
Jack Mclean – 256
7-9 years 65cc
Jobe Dunne – 290 (Yamaha YZ65)
Jai Hay – 263
Kye Little – 252
10-12 years 65cc
Ollie Gear- 301
Wil Carpenter – 292 (Yamaha YZ65)
Hudson Crothers – 259
Queensland MX
The final round of the Queensland Motocross Championships took place in the picturesque Echo Valley circuit in Toowoomba on the weekend, with Levi Rogers forging ahead to claim the 125cc and 250cc wins in the 15 years classes.
Rogers won five out of the six motos contested over the weekend across the 15 years 125 and 15 years 250cc classes and only a spectacular fall in Moto 2 on his YZ125 prevented a clean sweep of the round and the series.
Rogers won the 15 years 125cc class from Jake Kowal and Harrison Purdy, while taking the 15 years 250cc title from Jake kowal and Harrison Nolan. Rogers, as the highest junior point scorer in the championship, retains the number 1 plate for the second year in a row and keeps it in the possession of YJR riders for the fifth year running.
Jackson Camilleri also pulled down two class wins in the 13-14 years 125 and 250cc classes as well as a third place in the 14-15 years 85cc division in an ironman effort.
Camilleri took the 13-14 years 125cc title six-points ahead of Deegan Mancinelli, with Zac Watson completing the top three. Camilleri also took the 13-14 years 250cc win ahead of Jesse Holding with a 20-point lead, with Kobe Drew third overall.
Deegan Mancinelli laid claim to the 14-15 years 85cc title, ahead of Zac Watson and Jackson Camilleri, while in the 12-U14 years 85cc class Braden Plath took the title from Kobe Drew and Charli Cannon.
15 years 125cc
Levi Rogers – 207 (Yamaha YZ125)
Jake Kowal – 179
Harrison Purdy – 160
15 years 250cc
Levi Rogers – 210 (Yamaha YZ250F)
Jake Kowal – 188
Harrison Nolan – 163
13-14 years 125cc
Jackson Camilleri – 191 (Yamaha YZ125)
Deegan Mancinelli – 185
Zac Watson – 181 (Yamaha YZ125)
13-14 years 250cc
Jackson Camilleri – 210 (Yamaha YZ250F)
Jesse Holding – 190 (Yamaha YZ250F)
Kobe Drew – 182
14-15 years 85cc
Deegan Mancinelli – 201
Zac Watson – 174 (Yamaha YZ85)
Jackson Camilleri – 167 (Yamaha YZ85)
12-U14 years 85cc
Braden Plath – 202
Kobe Drew – 198
Charli Cannon – 173 (Yamaha YZ85)
Sam Sunderland wraps up 2019 Silk Way Rally
KTM’s Sam Sunderland has won the 2019 Silk Way Rally on the back of a sixth place finish in the final round across the Gobi Desert. Having built up an advantage over the earlier stages Sunderland was able to wrap up the Rally with a 20-minute advantage over Andrew Short, with Adrien Van Beveren third overall.
Sunderland now leads the FIM Cross-Country Rally World Championship following the first two rounds on 83-points, with Andrew Short second in the standings on 56-points and Luciano Benavides third on 51.
The next rally will be the Atacama Rally, round three of the FIM Cross-Country Rallies World Championship, held in Chile from September 1 – 7.
Sam Sunderland
“For me I’m so happy to get the win, it makes it two-out-of-two this championship and it’s a really important one because of the points earned this round. I felt really good at the beginning of the event and was able to create a good gap. I felt a bit sick during the middle stages but was able to manage the race and stay on a good pace right to the end. I’m really pleased for Andrew, who has ridden a great race, and also Luciano and Laia. Now I’m looking forward to a bit of rest.”
2019 Silk Way Rally Results
SUNDERLAND Sam (GBR) Red Bull KTM Rally Factory Team 26:12’47
SHORT Andrew (USA) Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing +20’22
VAN BEVEREN Adrien (FRA) Yamalube Yamaha Official Rally Team +21’01
BENAVIDES Kevin (ARG) Monster Energy Honda Team +21’37
BENAVIDES Luciano (ARG) KTM Factory Racing Team +36’50
MENA Oriol (SPA) Hero Motorsports Team Rally +51’50
SANZ Laia (SPA) Red Bull KTM Rally Factory Team +1:56’26
TOMICZEK Adam (POL) KTM Orlen Rally Team +2:08’04
BARREDA Joan (SPA) Monster Energy Honda Team +2:54’25
GIEMZA Maciej (POL) KTM Orlen Rally Team +3:10’31
Provisional FIM Cross-Country Rallies World Championship Standings
Sam Sunderland (GBR), KTM, 83 points
Andrew Short (USA), Husqvarna, 56 pts
Luciano Benavides (ARG), KTM, 51 pts
Penrite Honda sign Chris Blose for AUS-X Open
Penrite Honda has started Supercross preparation, signing 2017 AUS-X-Open winner Chris Blose to race the up and coming Australian Supercross Championship, with Blose coming off a successful AMA Supercross campaign where he finished ninth overall, with his best round finish a fifth place. Blose is no stranger to Australia having competed here several times and is looking forward to chasing a championship win down under.
Chris Blose
“The Honda Australia Factory program is a professional and successful team and I am sure we will be competitive. I have raced the current CRF250R and am confident we have a strong package, there are going to be several contenders and I can’t wait for the championship to start.”
Penrite Honda also remain focused on the completion of the Motocross season, where Brett Metcalfe is aiming for the overall win, with Yarrive Konsky sharing:
Yarrive Konsky
“American Honda has been fantastic with Brayton and the like and we couldn’t do this without their ongoing support. Whilst we are preparing for Supercross we can’t take our focus off Motocross. We believe Brett is capable of winning and we are in the pursuit of an overall win. We have regrouped following Maitland and devised a plan to be better prepared for the final three rounds.”
Hayes to Serco Yamaha for Australian Supercross 2019
US based, Jacob Hayes will return to Australia and join the Serco Yamaha Team to contest the 2019 Australian SX2 Supercross Championship, starting in Brisbane on October 12. Hayes, who came to Australian for the first time in 2018, finished the season in third place in the SX2 category on his Serco Yamaha YZ250F, shared he is pleased to return and looking forward to racing the Australian Championship again.
Jacob Hayes
“I had an amazing time in Australia last year and the Serco Yamaha team really looked after me so it was good to be able to hook up with Gavin and his team again and build on our relationship. This year I feel I will be a little more prepared on several levels as I have raced the 2019 season in the US on a YZ250F as well as I now know how the Australian series works as well as a better understanding of the level of racing there. There are some quality riders in SX2 in Australia and I loved racing them last year. I’m planning on them being even better again in 2019 so my preparations will need to be good. Last year I was third after a bit of a slow start to the season, so this year the goal is to improve and try and win the championship for myself and the Serco Yamaha team.”
The Australian Supercross Championship kicks off on October 12 in Brisbane before moving to Adelaide, Wollongong, Auckland in NZ and the finale at Marvel Stadium in Melbourne on November 30.
2019 Australian Supercross Championship Calendar
Rd1: Brisbane Entertainment Centre – October 12
Rd2: Adelaide – Gillman Speedway – Oct 19
Rd3: Wollongong – Win Stadium – Nov 9
Rd4: Auckland NZ- Mt Smart Stadium – Nov 16
Rd5: Melbourne – Marvel Stadium – Nov 30
Gauthier joins AFT Production Twins for remainder of season
Black Hills Harley-Davidson which currently runs a Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson XG750R in the AFT Production Twins class piloted by James Rispoli, has announced signing current AFT Singles points-leader Dalton Gauthier to ride a second XG in the AFT Production Twins class for the remainder of the AFT season.
Gauthier, who will continue to contest the AFT Singles championship aboard a Rob McLendon-tuned Husqvarna FC450, will join Rispoli on the Black Hills AFT Production Twins squad when the two-man team debuts at the upcoming Black Hills Half-Mile on August 6 at Black Hills Speedway in Rapid City, SD during the annual Sturgis Rally.
Dalton Gauthier
“I’m extremely excited to get this opportunity with Harley-Davidson and the Black Hills team. I’ve seen what the bike can do and I feel I can win races on the thing. My goal is to ride the AFT Twins series next year, and I want to show everyone that I can ride a twin as well as a Single. Just have to stay consistent and put in some good rides. I’ve raced the Production Twins class twice this year and did pretty well, so I know what to expect and am quite confident.”
Seven races remain in the 2019 AFT Production Twins season, Half-Miles at Black Hills and Williams Grove, and Miles at Sacramento, Springfield (2), Minnesota and the Meadowlands. Cory Texter leads the series, with Rispoli and Gauthier currently 9th and 11th, respectively.
AFT announces Springfield Mile double-header in August
AFT will take over the Illinois State Fairgrounds in Springfield, beginning with the AFT Singles class sparring on the Springfield Short Track on Friday, August 30, followed by a highly-anticipated AFT Twins Springfield Mile Double-Header on Saturday, August 31 and Sunday, September 1.
One of the tightest, wildest short tracks of the season, the Springfield Short Track will feature the AFT Singles going handlebar-to-handlebar as the championship race heats up. Friday night event hosts many races in multiple classes, culminating in the AFT Singles Main Event.
Known as the world’s fastest Mile, the Springfield Mile, typically run twice a season in May and August, will now run back-to-back so that fans may experience twice the excitement in a single weekend. Fans holding tickets from May’s postponed event may use their tickets for Saturday’s Mile race.
Harley-Davidson announce 2019 AFT Production Twins Contingency Program
Harley-Davidson has announced a 2019 American Flat Track Contingency Program for the AFT Production Twins class to begin with the 2019 Black Hills Half-Mile running Tuesday, August 6 in Rapid City, S.D.
The momentum behind the XG750R as an AFT Production Twins machine has been growing as James Rispoli took his first class podium aboard the Black Hills Harley-Davidson ProBEAM XG750R at the Lima Half-Mile.
Eric Jensen – Global Brand Marketing Lead for Harley-Davidson
“We are very excited to see the growth and emerging talent within the AFT Production Twins class. Harley-Davidson motorcycles go back to the very foundation of professional flat track and we see the AFT Production Twins class as an opportunity to expand the legacy of Harley-Davidson within the sport.”
The per-race contingency payouts are available to non-factory riders in the AFT Production Twins class and is broken down as follows by finishing position:
$2,500
$1,500
$1,000
Per-Race Subtotal $5,000
Races 7 races
Per-Race 2019 Total $30,000
To be eligible for contingency payouts, riders must run an eligible XG750R in the AFT Production Twins class. To remain eligible, all machines must maintain stock bodywork and riders must wear a Harley-Davidson logo on the upper-chest portion of their leathers.
Australia strong in 2019 FIM Junior Motocross World Championship
Team Australia fourth in U21 Speedway World Championship
AORC final Rounds 10 & 11 move to Hedley, Victoria
Briar Bauman dominates New York Short Track
Images by Scott Hunter
Briar Bauman rebounded from his worst result of the 2019 American Flat Track season at the Lima Half-Mile, where a mechanical DNF took a bite out of his championship lead, by scoring a dominant victory at the 2019 New York Short Track held at Weedsport Speedway.
Rather than allow the pressure to cause additional difficulties to escalate following the disappointing previous round, the championship leader responded with perhaps the most convincing performance of his standout ‘19 campaign.
At the start of the 30-lap Main Event, the recently rejuvenated Jeffrey Carver Jr. squeezed past Bauman and his brother, Bronson Bauman, to lead the opening lap. But before Carver could even contemplate the possibility of completing his career Grand Slam with a maiden Short Track win, Bauman blasted back by and ripped open a gap at the front.
Smooth and in control throughout, Bauman took the win with 3.589 seconds in hand. Despite the result representing his eighth podium (and seventh top two) in nine Main Events this season, the victory was Bauman’s first since his triumphant season opener.
Briar Bauman
“I’ve got to thank my team — they bust their butts during the week. The bike was insane… today we showed up and didn’t change a thing and we were good all day. It just feels good. It feels like it’s been a whole season since I got a win. Seconds are really cool… ‘I know there’s nothing’s wrong with silver’ — said the great Ricky Bobby — but I’m just glad to get a win again.”
Carver backed up his first podium of the year with a second consecutive runner-up result. He was followed to the stripe by Short Track standout Henry Wiles in third. Bronson Bauman extended his streak of top fives to three with a fourth-place finish, while Robert Pearson secured his best result of the season in fifth.
Meanwhile, multi-time time defending AFT Twins champ Jared Mees could manage just seventh on the night. As a result, Bauman stretched his advantage back out to 26 points (170-144) as the title fight reached its halfway point.
AFT Twins Main Event – New York Short Track 2019
Briar Bauman, 30 Laps, 0:18.795
Jeffrey Carver Jr. +3.589
Henry Wiles +4.983
Bronson Bauman +7.111
Robert Pearson +8.734
Davis Fisher +12.466
Jared Mees +14.310
Brandon Robinson +15.296
Brandon Price +15.498
Bryan Smith +16.911
2019 American Flat Track – AFT Twins Standings
Briar Bauman 170
Jared Mees 144
Brandon Robinson 119
Bronson Bauman 116
Henry Wiles 113
Jeffrey Carver Jr. 110
Jarod Vanderkooi 93
Robert Pearson 92
Sammy Halbert 81
Jake Johnson 79
Dalton Gauthier claims AFT Singles win
Images by Scott Hunter
Dalton Gauthier took maximum advantage of the opportunity before him in the 20-lap AFT Singles Main Event. Pre-race title leader Mikey Rush was forced to watch from the fences after he failed to make the Main, finishing 0.135 seconds short of a qualifying position in his semi. And since Rush competed in the premier AFT Twins class in 2018, he earned no AFT Singles points and thus had no provisional start to call upon.
As a result, Gauthier fully capitalized. The ‘Comeback Kid’ dropped down the order early despite starting from pole, but he quickly demonstrated the speed he used to earn that starting slot in the first place.
He exploded through a tight, back-and-forth pack contesting the lead and escaped from that early chaos to power to his second victory of the season and reclaim the AFT Singles championship lead in the process.
Dalton Gauthier
“I picked up a lot of confidence tonight, and it’s definitely going to help us with this championship. The day went off so good. I was fast in practice and qualifying and felt really comfortable. I can’t thank Jimmy Wood at Öhlins enough for helping us out with our shock and our suspension. He was a gamesaver, and I felt so much more comfortable than I had before on this bike. And my mom’s here for her first National ever – it’s awesome to win in front of her.”
Morgen Mischler put in a late charge, slashing his way through the same talented pack Gauthier diced through earlier in the race, to work up to second position. Mischler even managed to dramatically close down the gap to Gauthier but ultimately ran out of laps, coming up 0.413 short of the victory at the checkered flag.
He was followed home by reigning class champion Dan Bromley. Just behind, Kevin Stollings finished fourth while Bromley’s teammate, Shayna Texter, completed the top five.
As a result of Saturday’s pivotal outcome, Gauthier now leads Rush in the AFT Singles championship chase 169-156. Defending champ Bromley remains in close contention at 151 points thanks to his remarkable consistency, despite still seeking the first Main Event victory of his title defense.
AFT Singles Main Event – New York Short Track 2019
Dalton Gauthier, 20 Laps, 0:18.888
Morgen Mischler +0.413
Dan Bromley +1.953
Kevin Stollings +3.593
Shayna Texter +3.706
Andrew Luker +4.431
Cole Zabala +5.548
Tanner Dean +6.026
James Rispoli +7.527
Jesse Janisch +8.616
2019 American Flat Track – AFT Singles Standings
Dalton Gauthier 169
Mikey Rush 156
Dan Bromley 151
Jesse Janisch 138
Ryan Wells 111
Shayna Texter 108
Chad Cose 91
Morgen Mischler 90
Kevin Stollings 79
Max Whale 72
Andrew Short wins Silk Way Rally Stage 9 Sam Sunderland leads into final
Stage 9 of the 2019 Silk Way Rally has just been won by Andrew Short, while Sam Sunderland heads into the final in the lead, with a 23-minute lead over Short, but it’s been a long journey to get this far.
Sam Sunderland looks like a shoe-in for the win, following strong performance throughout the nine stages so far, while Andrew Short and Adrien Van Beveren are only separated by a minute heading into the final stage. Kevin Benavides is a further two-minutes behind Beveren, ensuring he’s well within reach of a podium position.
Here’s a quick recap of the action so far…
The Silk Way Rally kicked off in Serbia, where heavy rain ensured challenging conditions for the opening stage, with Honda’s Kevin Benavides claiming the stage win from Luciano Benavides and Xavier de Soultrait.
Stage 2 was held in Russia to the south-east of Lake Baikal, featuring a 212km timed special and saw Sam Sunderland close down the lead on Kevin Benavides with a stage win.
Stage 3 saw the Silk Way Rally cross into Mongolia with the finish close to Ulan Bator, with 691km travelled including a 243km timed special, reaching altitudes of 1500m and mixed terrain of forested foothills and open mountain passes. Kevin Benavides claimed the stage win, from Joan Barreda and Luciano Benavides, with Sam Sunderland fourth.
It proved to be KTM’s stage for the fourth iteration marking the first of a two-part marathon with only riders able to work on their bikes overnight, with Sunderland and Luciano Benavides taking the 1-2, propelling them into the same positions in the standings.
Sunderland opened Stage 5 on the back of his Stage 4 victory, leading riders across the plains of Mongolia to extend his lead to 13-minutes. Luciano Benavides and Kevin Benavides held onto second and third in the standings.
Sam Sunderland further extended his lead in Stage 6, covering 411km across fast, open gravel roads which criss-crossed the stage, with many riders getting caught out by a tricky waypoint. Sunderland had to settle for fourth, with Oriol Mena taking the stage win and moving into second in the standings.
Stage 7 saw the Silk Way Rally arrive in China, with just three more stages to go following Sunderland’s win from Oriol Mena and Luciano Benavides.
Heading into Stage 8 Sunderland was confident in the lead with a 785km distance to travel, including a 326km timed special which included the dunes of the Gobi Desert. It proved Kevin Benavides who would take the stage win however, from Adrien Van Beveren and Paulo Goncalves, with Sam Sunderland settling for eighth despite an early crash, and retaining a 25-minute lead.
It was Andrew Short however, who rode a faultless Stage 9 of the 2019 Silk Way Rally to post the fastest time and elevate himself to second in the provisional overall standings. Mastering the rough and physical timed special while navigating accurately through the stage, Short completed the 290.3-kilometres in less than four hours. The stage covered rough, sandy roads and camel grass covered dunes, with navigation proving a challenge for many riders.
Andrew Short
“Stage nine was really good for me today. I knew it would cover really similar terrain to yesterday so I had a little better idea of what to expect. With my start position I had a lot of tracks laid down ahead of me but at times those tracks would split up. I navigated well and always chose the right direction. My pace to the refuel was really good and then after that I was able to keep to a good speed and again, where other people had made mistakes, I was able to make the right choices and push on to the finish. I’m happy with how the day has gone and really happy with my performance.”
Enjoying a comfortable motorcycle class lead as the rally entered China due to his dominant performance through Russia and Mongolia, Sam Sunderland knew he had to simply maintain a strong but steady pace to stay ahead. Keeping things safe, the British rider controlled the race from the front, doing exactly what he had to do to defend his lead. Finishing fourth, Sunderland now leads the overall standings by close to 23 minutes.
Sam Sunderland
“I think they definitely saved the toughest till last because the two days in China so far have been super physical. The tracks have been really technical with a lot of broken rivers and washes coming through the piste. It makes it really difficult to find a good rhythm and of course the temperature here is much hotter. For me personally, after a good run through Russia and Mongolia these last few days were about just managing my pace. Obviously yesterday I got caught out which was frustrating, with a lead like I have the goal should be to take things easy and not take any risks, but I clipped a rock and got thrown off. Today I kept a cool head, in fact I saw Andrew just before the refuel and he was riding really well. I tagged onto him for a bit but in the end just decided to keep my own pace and bring it home at the end of the day.”
Benavides, after the Stage 8 win, was forced to open the track. The Argentinean was making swift progress until he was caught by other riders who arrived back at the Jiayuguan bivouac in a group. Barreda, meanwhile, sought to maintain a fast pace in spite of not feeling very much at ease on the terrain, and sits 2.5-minutes off third placed Adrien Van Beveren heading into the final.
Kevin Benavides
“Today was a hard day, more than yesterday. There was a lot of navigation and offroad until kilometre 130. Opening the stage was a tough task in the stage with the most navigation of all. I felt good, I liked the terrain and I pushed hard throughout. The others didn’t catch me up until the end of that navigational phase. I let Van Beveren pass in front of me to be able to push hard again after the refuelling. I think it was good for both of us and we ended up happy with each other after having pushed the whole stage. And for tomorrow? Well, let’s go for it. In rally you never know what could occur. Until the final kilometre everything can happen.”
Provisional Standings After Stage Nine – 2019 Silk Way Rally
Sam Sunderland (GBR), KTM, 23:27:27
Andrew Short (USA), Husqvarna, 23:50:18 +22:51
Adrien Van Beveren (FRA), Yamaha, 23:51:09 +23:42
Kevin Benavides (ARG), Honda, 23:53:35 +26:08
Luciano Benavides (ARG), KTM, 24:01:45 +34:18
Provisional Standings After Stage Nine – 2019 Silk Way Rally
Sam Sunderland (KTM) 23:27:27
Andrew Short (Husqvarna) 23:50:18
Adrien Van Beveren (Yamaha) 23:51:09
Kevin Benavides (Honda) 23:53:35
Luciano Benavides (KTM) 24:01:45
Toni Bou claims 2019 Portuguese TrialGP victory
Toni Bou has repeated his 2018 efforts, claiming the 2019 Portuguese TrialGP victory, where last year he took his 100th TrialGP World Championship victory. 2019 sees Bou increase that figure to 110, with teammate Takahisa Fujinami coming home in fifth, a point shy of fourth.
The fifth round of the TrialGP world championship, held today in Gouveia, Portugal was marked by roasting temperatures and very demanding sections located amongst the boulders of the Parque de Nostra Senhora los Verdes.
Repsol Honda Team ace Toni Bou suffered considerably in the gruelling Portuguese trial. In spite of a first lap which saw Bou make several mistakes and pick-up a penalty for exceeding the lap time limit, the champion was nevertheless able to stage a comeback on lap two to take his win tally to 110 out of 210 world championship participations. This, the fifth victory of the season increases Bou’s overall lead to 22 points over the nearest second-place rival.
Toni Bou
“Today was a very tough trial. It was a very positive weekend, with the type of terrain that we like a lot. We rode a very good second round through the sections, so we leave here with a very good taste in our mouths. We will try to be fully recovered for France to be able to have a good trial. We know that, if we win, I will be champion, something really impressive, but the important thing is to have a great trial. I am very happy and I want to thank the whole team because this week they have done a great job.”
The next TrialGP world championship outing, the sixth points-paying round, will be held next weekend in Auron, France, July 20-21.
Round 7 of the 2019 MX Nationals kicked off over the weekend, with Luke Clout claiming a double-win in the opening motos, with Brett Metcalfe and Kirk Gibbs completing the top three over the combined results, while the final moto of the weekend for full points saw Kirk Gibbs claim victory. Clout was runner up in the final moto but, secured 67-points for the weekend and the round win, while Gibbs was two points in arrears and Hayden Mellross was third overall on 58-points.
The result sees Clout leave Round 7 with a nine-point lead from Mellross, who is three-points ahead of Todd Waters. Kirk Gibbs sits in fourth with 312-points, to Clout’s leading 397.
Luke Clout
“The team did a great job today and the bikes were awesome. It showed in the results with Kirk and I winning all three races and going 1-2 for the day that CDR Yamaha really do the work. Looking forward to the next round at Moree in a couple of weeks and want to keep this momentum rolling all the way through to the final corner at Coolum.”
MX1 Round 7 Overall – Top 10
Pos
Rider
Total
R1
R2
1
Luke Clout
67
35
32
2
Kirk Gibbs
65
30
35
3
Hayden Mellross
58
28
30
4
Todd Waters
53
25
28
5
Brett Metcalfe
52
32
20
6
Dylan Long
51
26
25
7
Jayden Rykers
47
24
23
8
Caleb Ward
44
22
22
9
Connor Tierney
44
23
21
10
Richie Evans
41
17
24
MX1 Standings – Top 10
Pos
Name
Total
1
Luke Clout
397
2
Hayden Mellross
388
3
Todd Waters
385
4
Kirk Gibbs
312
5
Jayden Rykers
300
6
Brett Metcalfe
293
7
Justin Rodbell
287
8
Jesse Dobson
258
9
Richie Evans
258
10
Lawson Bopping
215
MX2
In the MX2 class it was Nathan Crawford who claimed the moto 1 win from Kyle Webster and Jay Wilson, while the final moto saw a turn-around as Kyle Webster came out on top, with championship leader Wilson Todd crashing and having to fight his way back to sixth. The result saw Webster and Crawford tied on 67-points for the weekend overall – while Webster took top honours, with Jay Wilson third on 58-points.
Wilson Todd continues to lead the standings despite disappointment in moto 2, with 397 championship points. Kyle Webster is just 10-points behind, while third places Jay Wilson likewise has a 10-point decificit.
Kyle Webster
“I’m stoked I got the race win and that gave me the overall round win on a tie-breaker, which is awesome. It’s the best feeling to get another overall win, and the best way to thank everyone on the Penrite Pirelli CRF Honda Racing team and all the sponsors for their support. With three rounds to go, it’s going to be an exciting finish to the Championship and I’m just going to keep doing what I have been doing. I don’t want to change anything.”
MX2 Round 7 Overall – Top 10
Pos
Rider
Total
R1
R2
1
Kyle Webster
67
32
35
2
Nathan Crawford
67
35
32
3
Jay Wilson
58
30
28
4
Aaron Tanti
56
26
30
5
Wilson Todd
53
28
25
6
Dylan Wills
48
24
24
7
Morgan Fogarty
45
22
23
8
Cooper Pozniak
43
21
22
9
Ricky Latimer
43
23
20
10
Luke Reardon
41
20
21
MX2 Standings – Top 10
Pos
Name
Total
1
Wilson Todd
397
2
Kyle Webster
387
3
Jay Wilson
377
4
Nathan Crawford
339
5
Aaron Tanti
328
6
Dylan Wills
304
7
Bailey Malkiewicz
280
8
Ricky Latimer
252
9
Cooper Pozniak
249
10
Morgan Fogarty
243
Weekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop
Tim Gajser won the MXGP of Asia in Indonesia with another perfect performance and 1-1 race results, marking his seventh Grand Prix win in a row, making the red plate owner has become the most successful Honda rider of all time for GP wins in a row. He also extended his points lead to 173 points over Jeremy Seewer who is now second in the points. Second overall was Arnaud Tonus and third place went to Jeremy Seewer.
Tim Gajser
“Unbelievable, I was enjoying that second race so much and that is the most important thing. I took the FOX Holeshot and I controlled the second race. I had a big crash yesterday and I got a lot of help with that from people around me. After the crash yesterday in time practice I was struggling a little bit, I had a good start in the first race, made a gap and I was enjoying it out there. I am very happy to go home safe, that is the most important thing.”
Arnaud Tonus
“We had a tough time last week in Palembang, but we rebounded today with a second place and I didn’t have a good feeling yesterday, so it is amazing for the team and it feels even better when you have struggled. I really like coming to these races, the people are so excited to see us, and we are always welcomed very well.”
Jeremy Seewer
“It is safe to say that I am now second in the championship, I saw some sketchy crashes and I didn’t want to take risk and I knew I would have been on the podium and got a lot of point. I told my practice mechanic I would bring back the black plate (holeshot award) and I did that. I look forward to the next Grand Prix’s now.”
MXGP – GP Classification Top 10
Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 50 points
Arnaud Tonus (SUI, YAM), 42
Jeremy Seewer (SUI, YAM), 38
Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, KTM), 32
Max Anstie (GBR, KTM), 29
Arminas Jasikonis (LTU, HUS), 28
Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, HON), 26
Gautier Paulin (FRA, YAM), 25
Ivo Monticelli (ITA, KTM), 23
Pauls Jonass (LAT, HUS), 22 …14. Lewis Stewart (AUS) 16 …16. Adam Coles (AUS) 11 …17. Joel Milesevic (AUS) 9
MXGP Championship Standings Top 10
Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 538 points
Jeremy Seewer (SUI, YAM), 365
Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 358
Arnaud Tonus (SUI, YAM), 346
Gautier Paulin (FRA, YAM), 343
Arminas Jasikonis (LTU, HUS), 299
Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, KTM), 288
Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, HON), 271
Pauls Jonass (LAT, HUS), 268
Romain Febvre (FRA, YAM), 243 …26. Lewis Stewart (AUS) 29 …29. Adam Coles (AUS) 22 …40. Joel Milesevic (AUS) 9
MX2
Jorge Prado won the MX2 class overall at the MXGP of Asia in Indonesia, with the Spanish rider scoring 1-1 results and extending his championship points lead over Thomas Kjer Olsen to 78 points. Second overall at Semarang was Tom Vialle and third overall was Calvin Vlaanderen.
Jorge Prado
“I am happy about the weekend. I went first in every single session. It is a good feeling to come to Indonesia and win both races. I felt good and I enjoyed today. It is good to be on the podium, on the top step of the box. I had a very good jump out of the gate in the first race, but I braked too much and two guys passed me. I made a pass early on Olsen and I am enjoying the track way more today. I was looking forward to the second race and it was a good one, I pulled away and put it in cruise control. I had some sketchy moments so I took it easy as I felt a little dizzy.”
Tom Vialle
“It is good for the team and all the hard work. Second again on the podium, it is fantastic, and I am very happy. The first race was good for me following Jorge, but then I made a mistake. The second race I didn’t have a good rhythm and I just tried to control myself to be sure to be on the podium.”
Calvin Vlaanderen
“First podium of the year. It feels good to be back and I didn’t expect it as it is just my second race back. I recovered well during the week. Renaux was riding really well and he was catching me, then I started thinking of the podium and he passed me. I want to thank the team for being behind me and also my girlfriend and everyone back home. We spent some time in Bali between the races and I got to do some surfing and really enjoyed that. I enjoy coming to these races, but am looking forward to heading back to Europe too.”
MX2 Grand Prix Top Ten
Jorge Prado (ESP, KTM), 50 points
Tom Vialle (FRA, KTM), 40
Calvin Vlaanderen (NED, HON), 36
Maxime Renaux (FRA, YAM), 35
Henry Jacobi (GER, KAW), 28
Mathys Boisrame (FRA, HON), 28
Jed Beaton (AUS, HUS), 28
Brent Van doninck (BEL, HON), 26
Jago Geerts (BEL, YAM), 26
Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, HUS), 23
MX2 – World Championship Top Ten
Jorge Prado (ESP, KTM), 544 points
Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, HUS), 466
Tom Vialle (FRA, KTM), 366
Jago Geerts (BEL, YAM), 360
Henry Jacobi (GER, KAW), 335
Ben Watson (GBR, YAM), 246
Adam Sterry (GBR, KAW), 242
Mitchell Evans (AUS, HON), 228
Maxime Renaux (FRA, YAM), 227
Jed Beaton (AUS, HUS), 220
2019 FIM Junior Motocross World Champions crowned
The 2019 FIM Junior Motocross World Champions were crowned at the Italian track of Il Ciclamino where Italians Mattia Guadagnini and Valerio Lata were the 125cc and 85cc World Champions respectively, while Vitezslav Marek from Czech Republic was the best in the 65cc class. Team Italy dominated the Nations classification, followed by France and UK.
Dutch rider Lotte Van Drunen took the first FOX Holeshot of the day while the Australian Ky Woods dominated the first laps ahead of the Dutch rider Lotte Van Drunen, the Czech Vitezslav Marek, Gyan Doensen, Salvador Perez and home rider Edoardo Martinelli. The young Australian rider dominated the 8 laps of race one and crossed the finish line five-seconds ahead of Marek and Van Drunen. Martinelli was forth and Boughen completed the top five.
It was the British rider Ashton Boughen who was first at the start of race two, closely followed by Perez and Van Drunen. The winner of race one Ky Woods did not have a good start, but was already third by the end of the first lap. The Czech rider Marek had an unfortunate start but gave his best to move from seventh to the lead after five laps, and he kept the first position until the end followed by Minear and Woods.
The huge effort of Vitezslav Marek in race 2 paid off as the Czech rider won the 65cc World Title with Australian Ky Woods on the second step of the podium and Lotte Van Druden from the Netherlands completing the top three.
65cc Junior World Cup Overall Top Ten
MAREK Vitezslav – CZE KTM – 47
WOODS Ky – AUS KTM – 45
VAN DRUNEN Lotte – NED KTM – 38
MINEAR Kayden – AUS KTM – 35
MARTINELLI Edoardo – ITA Husqvarna – 34
DOENSEN Gyan – NED KTM – 29
PEREZ Salvador – SPA Yamaha – 27
BOUGHEN Ashton – GBR Husqvarna – 26
RYBAKOV Semen – RUS Ktm – 20
MARTORANO Paolo – ITA KTM – 18
Latvian rider Karlis Alberts Reisulis took the FOX holeshot of the first 85cc race, ahead of home riders Matteo Luigi Russi and Valerio Lata, Lucas Bruhn, Maximilian Ernecker, Edvards Bidzans and American Nicholas Romano. After a few turns there was a change of leader and Valerio Lata commanded the 13 laps to win the first 85cc race, followed by his compatriot Matteo Luigi Russi and Karlis Alberts Reisulis.
A very motivated Lata started at the front in race 2, followed by his compatriot Russi, who crashed in the second turn; Grau was then second and the Bruhn was third. Once again home rider Lata kept the lead with an amazing determination until the end of the race and claimed the 85cc World Title with superb authority. Bidzans was second and Prugnieres third.
Valerio Lata was on the top of the 85cc podium to collect the gold medal, while Edvards Bidzans from Latvia and Matteo Luigi Russi from Italy received the silver and bronze medals respectively.
85cc Junior World Championship Overall Top Ten
LATA Valerio – ITA KTM – 50
BIDZANS Edvards – LAT Husqvarna – 40
RUSSI Matteo Luigi – ITA KTM – 38
PRUGNIERES Quentin – FRA KTM – 35
REISULIS Karlis Alberts – LAT KTM – 33
GRAU Maxime – FRA KTM – 32
ROMANO Nicholas – USA KTM – 30
CANET Edgar – SPA KTM – 27
HEYMAN Charlie – GBR Husqvarna – 20
GUILLEMOT SCHEID – David FRA KTM – 19
Race 1 of the 125cc saw Joel Rizzi taking the holeshot followed by Simon Langenfelder, the Meico Vettik, Max Palssson, Mattia Guadagnini and Samuel Nilsson. However, after just one lap the current leader of the EMX125 Championship Mattia Guadagnini took the lead and kept it until the end. Tom Guyon from France did not have a good start but managed to finish second and Mike Gwerder ended third.
Guadagnini was determined to win the second and final race of the 125cc class and he managed to have a perfect start claiming the FOX holeshot and taking the lead, but Guyon was right after the Italian wheel. Behind them there were Gwerder, Osterhagen, Rizzi and Langenfelder. Half way through the race Guyon succeeded in overtaking Guadagnini, but after a few meters the Italian bounced back taking advantage of an error of the Frenchman and took the lead which he kept until the chequered flag.
Mattia Guadagnini became the 125cc Junior World Champion with a 1-1 result, and Tom Guyon and Mike Gwerder completed the podium.
125cc Junior World Championship Overall Top 10
GUADAGNINI Mattia – ITA Husqvarna – 50
GUYON Tom – FRA FFM KTM – 44
GWERDER Mike – SUI FMS KTM – 40
LANGENFELDER Simon – GER DMSB KTM – 33
RIZZI Joel – GBR ACU KTM – 29
MC LELLAN Camden – RSA KTM – 28
WADE Eddie Jay – GBR KTM – 28
NILSSON Samuel – SPA KTM – 24
PALSSON Max – SWE KTM – 21
MIOT Florian – FRA Yamaha – 20
Australia strong in FIM Junior Motocross World Championship
Team Australia put on a strong showing in the World Junior Motocross Championship (WJMX) in 2019, which was held in Pietramurata, Italy over the weekend. The green and gold riders fared particularly well in the 65cc World MX Junior Cup, with KTM riders Ky Woods and Kayden Minear finishing second and fourth respectively.
Boasting some of the world’s best junior motocross riders, the FIM Junior Motocross World Championship saw Aussies represented across all three classes (65, 85, and 125cc). Although they were unable to successfully defend Australia’s Team of Nations trophy won on home soil at Horsham in Victoria, the team that traveled to Italy acquitted themselves brilliantly, finishing ninth overall.
Mark Willingham – Team Australia Team Manager
“Really happy with the effort from all the riders. Similar to some previous years our 65cc class riders were amazing, and then we see the strength of the European racing program really shine through in the 85 and 125 classes. “From my perspective, Team Australia had one of the best set ups we’ve ever provided on site to ensure the riders had everything they needed. With our main section arranged under the Diga Racing truck we had a full catering service for our meals along with their experience and guidance. On top of this our Yamaha riders were provided services from Yamaha Europe’s official race trucks, which was a result of all the effort the Aussies arranged last year welcoming the European riders at Horsham. In the end Team Australia finished up 9th in the standings, and were the first team home that was unable to score points in all three classes.”
Ryder Kingsford (Yamaha) and Campbell Williams (KTM) also made it to the finals, finishing in 13th and 24th places in the 85cc class. Also representing Australia were Alex Larwood (Yamaha,125cc), and Blake Fox (KTM, 125cc).
Team Australia fourth in U21 Speedway World Championship
Team Australia have claimed fourth in the 2019 FIM Team Speedway Under-21 World Championship final over the weekend, which was held in Manchester, England. The Joeys came in behind Poland, Great Britain and Denmark, with 21-points. Poland was crowned World Champions with 41-points, to take their sixth consecutive gold medal.
Great Britain and Denmark battled it out for the runner-up position, with the UK coming out ahead by two-points, with 33 to Denmark’s 31-points.
The Joey’s lack of international experience turned out to be their ‘chink in their armour’, while a late flurry of points in the closing stages on the meeting came with some relief as Captain Jaimon Lidsey and Jordan Stewart won their remaining races proving they have the abilities to compete with best of their age brackets.
Mark Lemon – Team Australia Team Manager
“A podium place was always going to be big ask for the young speedsters. However, ultimately, they did themselves and their country proud, gaining invaluable experience that will serve them well in the future. They can be very proud of efforts in reaching the final. We would like to thank everyone who sent messages and showed their support, and special mention to CBS Bins from Adelaide for their continued and generous sponsorship the team, our travel partners ATPI, Motorcycling Australia and Sport Australia,”
Great Britain 33: Robert Lambert 20, Dan Bewley 11, Drew Kemp 2, Kyle Bickley 0, Leon Flint 0
Denmark 31: Mads Hansen 11, Fredrik Jakobsen 8, Patrick Hansen 6, Jonas Jeppesen 6
Australia 21: Jaimon Lidsey 12, Jordan Stewart 5,Kye Thomson 2,Matthew Gilmore 1, Zach Cook 1
AORC final Rounds 10 & 11 move to Hedley, Victoria
The Yamaha Australian Off-Road Championship has announced that the final rounds originally scheduled to be held in Penshurst, in Victoria have been moved due to council and agricultural restrictions.
Instead Rounds 10 & 11 will be co-hosted by the Geelong Motocross Club and Corner Inlet Motorcycle Club in Hedley, Victoria over September 14-15 (2019).
Special consideration for the location was made to minimise disruption and ensure minimal additional travel distance, while retaining a Victorian round.
Hedley will feature a Cross Country racing format for Round 10, followed by Sprints for Round 11. Further information on the final rounds and accommodation can be found at the AORC website – www.aorc.org.au (link). Entries will open shortly for Rounds 10 & 11.
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