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Moto News Weekly Wrap
August 17, 2021

What’s New:

• All ProMX events officially on hold due to national restrictions
• Brabec runner up at Vegas to Reno – Top solo rider
• 2021 AJMX latest victim of Covid with postponement
• Higlett set for AORC return on board a Beta 430
• 36 champs crowned at AMA Amateur National MX Championship
• Monster Energy Star Yamaha Racing re-signs Jeremy Martin
• 2021 Australian Senior Track championship moved to Queensland, October 2-3
• 2021 Australian Junior Track joins Covid postponements
• 2021 Australian Trial Championship postponed
• Barcia and Mosiman miss Unadilla due to injuries
• Zmarzlik makes the Swedish SGP win number four in 2021
• Sammy Halbert wins New York Short Track I
• Jared Mees back on top for New York Short Track II
• MXstore South Coast MX Championships Round 4
• WAMX Junior State Championships – Round 4
• 2021 MTAS MX Championships Round 3 – Port Sorell
• Ken Roczen tops the 450s at Unadilla AMA MX
• Jett Lawrence runs 2-1 for the win at Unadilla
• 2021 Red Bull TKO Hard Enduro
• 2021 Racing Calendars
  • 2021 Provisional MXGP
  • 2021 Yamaha AORC presented by MXStore
  • 2021 Australian Penrite ProMX
  • 2021 Speedway GP
  • 2021 FIM Hard Enduro World Championship
  • 2021 FIM Cross-Country Rallies
  • 2021 AMA Supercross
  • 2021 GNCC
  • 2021 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross
  • 2021 Progressive American Flat Track
  • 2021 New Zealand Motocross
  • 2021 New Zealand Cross-Country
  • 2021 New Zealand Enduro
  • 2021 Australian Supercross (provisional)
  • And more…

All ProMX events officially on hold due to national restrictions

The ProMX Management Team has today stated that all remaining ProMX events scheduled are currently on hold due to the current national landscape around COVID-19 State Border Restrictions.

The ProMX Management has added they will continue to work tirelessly on plans to ensure that the remaining rounds of the Penrite ProMX Championship presented by AMX Superstores are run as soon as it is safe and practical to do so. More information will be released to competitors, teams and fans in the coming weeks outlining the remaining rounds of the Championship.

ProMX Management acknowledged how difficult this period is for teams, competitors, and host clubs, thanking them for their patience and understanding during this difficult time.

2021 Penrite ProMX Championship Calendar

Vegas to Reno

Ricky Brabec has finished runner up at the 2021 running of the Vegas to Reno event, with the Dalton Shirey and Jacob Argubright duo taking top honours as a team in the longest one-day off-road race held in the United States.

The 800-kilometre race, which kicked off near bustling Las Vegas, covered part of Nevada’s wild west, passing through mining towns such as Goldfield, Tonopah and Mina before crossing the finish line in Carson City. The race served as a fine day for training and preparation in the build-up to the forthcoming 2022 Dakar Rally.

Although Ricky had previously won the Vegas to Reno on three occasions, this edition of the arduous race proved to be a hazard-filled slog, as Johnny Campbell – organiser of the team’s logistics – accurately pointed out.

Ricky, who completed the course in less than eight hours, kept up a swift pace in spite of a minor crash early in the competition, with no serious physical consequences, but enough to merit two unplanned stops for the Monster Energy Honda Team rider.

This effectively ruled out any chances for Brabec – riding the entire race aboard the Honda CRF450 RALLY alone – of challenging for the top spot.

Ricky Brabec – P2

“It was a tough race this year in the Las Vegas to Reno. I got away from a good second-placed starting position, but I hit a rock early on and it caused a lot of pain in my foot throughout the rally. I pushed hard the whole race, but I crashed once and had to change the wheel towards the end. I kept my team busy, who supported me through the unexpected setbacks. Congratulations to Dalton and Jake, who rode well. Thanks to the JCR team, Honda, HRC and Monster Energy for their support – I’ll be back next year to reclaim the number 1!”

2021 Vegas to Reno Rally Results

2021 AJMX latest victim of Covid with postponement

The Rockhampton and District Motocross Club in consultation with Motorcycling Australia, have made the tough decision to postpone the 2021 KTM Australian Junior Motocross Championships (AJMX) due to COVID-19 pandemic impacting Australia.

The Rockhampton and District Motocross Club have put in significant work in recent months to ensure the Championship could go ahead, however with current State Government border restrictions and lockdowns across the nation it is not currently possible to hold the Championships which were to be held at Rockhampton, September 28-October 2.

The event sees the best junior racers from across the country attend the five-day Championships, but the safety of competitors, families, teams, and officials are paramount. The Rockhampton and District Motocross Club thanked riders, families, and event sponsors for their understanding.

The Rockhampton and District Motocross Club is monitoring and evaluating the evolving State border restrictions in an attempt to reschedule the Championship with an announcement to follow in the coming weeks.

Higlett set for AORC return on Beta 430

ISDE Winner and former Australian Off-Road Championship Champion Fraser Higlett will return to AORC aboard his new red beast, the Beta 430 when racing gets back on track.

The 21-year-old Queenslander, who finished third in the E3 class last year is chomping at the bit to get back racing in the national Championship.

The dream team of Beta and Higlett came together after John Hafey, who previously worked at Husqvarna moved to Beta Motors Australia as the National Sales and Marketing Manager.

Fraser Higlett

“We’ve been together since I started racing and he moved to Beta and the opportunity came up to start a racing team with Beta in Australia, and we made it happen. The bike is awesome I honestly can’t fault anything about it. The thing is unreal. Dead set, I hopped on it with full stock suspension, and I felt comfortable straight away. I’ve never been able to do that straight away on a new bike.”

Higlett has spent the past few months training hard and competing in his state off road series, but it is the AORC where he wants to rumble. He missed the first two rounds of the Championship earlier this year, but is determined to make an impact when the Championship resumes.

“This year I will be competing in the E2 class on the 430 Beta. I’ve just always sort of liked the 430 in the class which seems to be the obvious choice. The E2 class is a really competitive class in the AORC and we will see where we end up. It’s the first year on a Beta so we are not expecting massive things, but I personally feel there is a lot of potential this year and hopefully we can get on the podium in the AORC E2 class. That would be the ideal goal. Top three in E2 would be an awesome thing for me in the first year on the Beta, that’s what I’m aiming for. We just need this COVID to go away… I’d like to compete in the ISDE again. Beta is a really close-knit supportive family environment and I hope there is an opportunity to go overseas. But first I want to see how I go in Australia and then see what opportunities are available.”

36 champs crowned at AMA Amateur National MX Championship

The Monster Energy AMA Amateur National Motocross Championship held Aug. 2-7, saw hundreds of the USA’s top motocross racers descend on the Loretta Lynn Ranch in Hurricane Mills, Tenn., and when the dust cleared, 33 riders claimed AMA No. 1 plates in 36 classes.

Among them was Yamaha rider Levi Kitchen, who earned AMA championships in 250 Pro Sport and Open Pro Sport, one of the most competitive classes at this year’s event, as well as winning the Nicky Hayden AMA Motocross Horizon Award, which is presented annually to the amateur motocross racer with the most promising professional career.

Here’s the full list of winners and their score-cards.

• Open Pro Sport: Levi Kitchen, Washougal, Wash., Yamaha (3-1-1)
• 250 Pro Sport: Levi Kitchen, Washougal, Wash., Yamaha (3-1-2)
• 450 B: Chase Prince, Petersburg, Tenn., Honda (3-1-1)
• 450 B Limited: Julien Beaumer, Lake Havasu, Ariz., Husqvarna (1-3-2)
• 450 C: Brennan Schofield, Canada, Yamaha (3-2-5)
• 250 B: Nick Romano, Bayside, N.Y., Yamaha (1-1-1)
• 250 B Limited: Matti Jorgensen Jr., Pompano, Fla., KTM (2-3-1)
• 250 C: Brandon Bollino, Essex, Ill., Yamaha (2-2-1)
• 250 C Limited: Nico Long, Scottsdale, Ariz., KTM (1-1-2)
• 250 C Jr. (12-17) Limited: Gabe Holland, Winterville, Ga., KTM (1-1-2)
• Schoolboy 1 (12-17) B/C: Evan Ferry, Largo, Fla., Husqvarna (1-2-2)
• Schoolboy 2 (12-17) B/C: Caden Braswell, Shalimar, Fla., KTM (5-2-1)
• 125 C: Keegan Rowley, Channahon, Ill., KTM (3-1-1)
• Women: Sophia Phelps, St. George, Utah, Kawasaki (2-1-1)
• Supermini 1 (12-15): Haiden Deegan, Temecula, Calif., KTM (1-1-1)
• Supermini 2 (13-16): Krystian Janik, Oak Lawn, Ill., Kawasaki (4-2-2)
• 65cc (7-9): Elliott Bowsher, Cornelius, Ohio, GASGAS (2-1-1)
• 65cc (10-11): Vincent Wey, Murrieta, Calif., Husqvarna (3-1-1)
• 85cc (10-12): Drew Adams, Chattanooga, Tenn., Kawasaki (1-1-1)
• Girls (11-16): Kyleigh Stallings, Austin, Texas, Husqvarna (1-1-1)
• 125cc (12-17) B/C: Evan Ferry, Largo, Fla., Husqvarna (2-1-1)
• College (18-24): Justin Cokinos, Hanover, Mass., GASGAS (1-2-2)
• Junior (25+): Heath Harrison, Salisbury, N.C., Honda (1-2-2)
• Vet (30+): Broc Peterson, Delta, Ohio, (1-1-2)
• Senior (40+): Edward Walston, Pinetops, N.C., KTM (2-3-1)
• Senior (45+): Mike Brown, Bristol, Tenn., Husqvarna (1-1-1)
• Masters (50+): Keith Johnson, Carver, Mass., Kawasaki (2-1-1)
• Mini-E (4-6) Jr.: Talon Hinson, Clovis, Calif., KTM (1-2-2)
• 51cc (4-6) Shaft Dr. LTD: Carter Schutte, Chesterfield, S.C., Yamaha (1-1-1)
• 51cc (4-6) Limited: Kannon Zabojnik, Rowlett, Texas, Cobra (1-1-3)
• 51cc (7-8) Limited: Sawyer Gieck, Alpine, Wyo., Cobra (2-1-1)
• 65cc (7-9) Limited: Tayce Morgan, Lehi, Utah, GASGAS (1-2-5)
• 65cc (10-11) Limited: Carson Wood, Zephyrhills, Fla., GASGAS (2-1-1)
• 85cc (10-12) Limited: Caden Dudney, Athens, Texas, KTM (2-2-1)
• Mini Sr. 1 (12-14): Drew Adams, Chattanooga, Tenn., Kawasaki (3-2-2)
• Mini Sr. 2 (13-15): Thomas Wood, Cairo, Ga., KTM (1-2-1)

Monster Energy Star Yamaha Racing re-signs Jeremy Martin

Yamaha Motor Corporation U.S.A. has confirmed that Jeremy Martin will return with the Monster Energy Star Yamaha Racing team for the 2022 Monster Energy AMA Supercross and Lucas Oil Pro Motocross season.

The two-time 250MX Champion returned to the team this season and has shown strength as a title contender and a lot of perseverance coming back from injuries. He boasts back-to-back overall victories in the 250 class and looks to keep building on his success with the team.

Jeremy Martin – Monster Energy Star Yamaha Racing

“I’m really excited to be back with Monster Energy Star Yamaha Racing for 2022. I haven’t had the year I was hoping for, so I’m very grateful to do what I love and have another opportunity to race my butt off for some championships next year. The team and I have had a lot of success together over the years, and we look to build on that.”

2021 Australian Senior Track championship moved to Queensland, October 2-3

Due to COVID-19 State border restrictions the 2021 Australian Senior Dirt Track Championships have been moved to the weekend of October 2 and 3, at Mick Doohan Raceway, Banyo, Queensland.

The Championship were scheduled for September 4 and 5, however due to extended State lockdowns and border restrictions the event has now been moved. The North Brisbane Junior MCC will host the Championships with a full fields of 10 Championship classes expected following the success of the Track Championships held at Tamworth, NSW earlier this year.

Classes of competition will include:

• Pro 250 100cc to 150cc 2-stroke & 200cc to 250cc 4-stroke (MX)
• Pro 450 250cc 2-stroke & 450cc 4-stroke (MX)
• MX Open 500cc 2-stroke & Over 300cc 4-stroke (MX)
• 250cc Slider Up to 250cc
• 500cc Slider Up to 500cc
• Slider Open Unlimited 460cc and over
• Pro Open Women Unlimited (MX)
• Sidecar Up to 1100cc
• ATV Open Up to 550cc 2-stroke & 700cc 4-stroke
• ATV Open Women Up to 550cc 2-stroke & 700cc 4-stroke

Jarred Brook who earlier this year had success at Tamworth will be hoping to repeat his 2019 Australian Senior Dirt Track Championships results (the last time the Championship was held) where he swept the competition in the MX Open, Pro 450 and Pro Open classes.

2021 Australian Junior Track joins Covid postponements

The Gunnedah Motorcycle Club have been forced to postpone the 2021 Australian Junior Track Championship due to COVID-19 border closures and restrictions.

The championship was slated to be held September 17 and 18, however with current border restrictions and their impact on riders and family’s ability to attend the Championship, the tough decision has been made to postpone the two-day championship. The Gunnedah Motorcycle Club and Motorcycling Australia are currently working together to find an alternative date to allow the Championship to run, with further information to follow in the next week.

2021 Australian Trial Championship postponed

Due to the COVID-19 border restrictions and State lockdowns the 2021 Australian Trial Championship, which were to be held in Queensland, October 2-3 at the Western District Trials Club, have been postponed.

With nation-wide State border restrictions and lockdowns continuing the Western District Trials Club, for the health and safety of competitors and officials, have decided to postpone the Championship. An alternative date is being sought.

Barcia and Mosiman miss Unadilla due to injuries

GASGAS Factory Racing’s Justin Barcia did not line up at the Unadilla MX National laast weekend after suffering a big practice crash during the recent break from racing. His 250MX teammate, Michael Mosiman, also endured a practice crash during the time off and will joined Barcia on the sidelines.

Barcia, Round 6 overall winner in the 450MX class, suffered a pretty big crash last week during a routine practice session. After consulting with his doctor, the New York native took the rest of this week off and will be re-assessing for future races.

Justin Barcia

“I’m definitely disappointed to say I won’t be heading to Unadilla this weekend – I’m a New York guy and it’s one of my favorite races – but I want to make sure I’m going there to win and if I’m not able to do that, I need to take my time and get back to 100%. I’m definitely going to miss the whole team there, all the supportive fans and of course being on the gate and racing for those wins but I’ll see everyone very soon.”

As for Mosiman, the 250MX class front-runner experienced a separate practice crash while preparing for the Unadilla National. Despite being pretty banged up, Mosiman hopes to return to racing at Budds Creek for Round 9.

Michael Mosiman

“I am super bummed that I’m not going to be able to race Unadilla, I was looking forward to it and felt really good. I feel like I’ve got a lot of momentum at my back right now but I’m going to take the time to heal up 100% and be right so I can race at the front of the pack. I’ve already missed a race and I’m out for the championship so it’s better for me to race at 100% than to go and try to salvage at less than that. We’ll come back stronger hopefully very soon.”

Zmarzlik makes the Swedish SGP win number four in 2021

World champion Bartosz Zmarzlik overcome his early setup struggles to claim his fourth FIM Speedway Grand Prix win of 2021 at the Swedish SGP in Malilla on Saturday. The Pole collected five race points in his opening four heats to leave himself at risk of a disastrous exit before the semi-finals.

But Zmarzlik won his final heat, his semi and then the final, which saw him defeat Artem Laguta and home hero Fredrik Lindgren to top the podium and extend his SGP World Championship advantage over Laguta to three-points.

Riders were forced to get to grips with changing track conditions following heavy rain in the afternoon. Zmarzlik admits he and his team worked hard in the pits to perfect their bike setup, and he was delighted to get it right when it mattered most to follow up his Malilla triumph in 2017.

Bartosz Zmarzlik

“I am very happy because it was the second time I have won in Malilla. For me it is unbelievable. I love racing here. The start of the meeting was not so easy for me. It was very hard to find the setups. In every ride, I changed something – the ignition, jets and sprockets; every time it was different. I feel for my fifth race it was a little bit better. I changed it for the semi-final and had good speed. Before the final, I changed it again, but only a little bit. Then it was good. But I am very happy with today’s result – I won and I did everything I could. Again it was a good night, but now I am focused on the next round. Keep your fingers crossed for Togliatti and I will see you soon.”

Zmarzlik will be keen to continue his incredible form at the Togliatti SGP on August 28, but his nearest rival Laguta will also have his sights set on a big night in his home country.

The Russian-born rider topped the heat score chart with 14 race points tonight, but Zmarzlik got the better of him when it mattered most in the final to take 20 championship points, leaving Laguta with 18. Zmarzlik leads the standings on 121, with Laguta close behind on 118. The world #7 was still pleased with his night in Sweden, though.

Artem Laguta

“It’s an absolutely great feeling to be in the top three and drinking the champagne – it’s something special. I am very happy about that. It was a tough competition and I knew it was going to be very tough in Malilla. After the first race, we swapped the bike and that was a good choice. We worked hard to get the best speed from the bike. The whole team put a lot of effort in and the bike was working very well. Bartek and I are so very close and we know it’s going to be a fight until the end. There is no room for mistakes. I will be focused with the whole team to score as many points as we can, to get the best speed from the bikes and to get to finals. That’s the major thing. Thank you to my team and my sponsors. I am very happy and I will see you in Togliatti!”

Third-placed Lindgren was content with his night, but admits top two Zmarzlik and Laguta have too much speed for the competition currently.

Fredrik Lindgren – P3

“I feel pretty good. I think I executed this meeting really well. I was feeling fast all night. It was just a shame I couldn’t make it happen in the final. Again, Zmarzlik and Artem Laguta were too strong. Congratulations to both of them. They are one step ahead of the rest of us at the moment. I finished in third place, but overall I am very happy. I wish I could have won. It didn’t happen this time. But I thought I rode really well in pretty tough conditions early on after the rain.”

Sammy Halbert wins New York Short Track I

Images by Scott Hunter

Sammy Halbert (No. 69 Coolbeth-Nila Racing Indian FTR750) beat the odds on multiple fronts to score an inspiring victory in the New York Short Track I on Friday night at Weedsport Speedway in Weedsport, New York.

Already riding wounded after suffering a broken foot and missing multiple rounds earlier this season, Halbert was forced to sit out the evening’s Mission Challenge following a heavy fall as a result of being taken out in his Semi.

Despite it all, Halbert rose up to grab the lead away from double defending Grand National Champion Briar Bauman two minutes into the 10-minute-plus-two-lap Mission SuperTwins presented by S&S Cycle Main Event.

Unsurprisingly, Bauman did not go away that easily. He instantly altered his lines to mimic Halbert’s and went into full-on Friday the 13th stalking mode for almost the entirety of the remainder of the race.

With less than 30 seconds on the clock, Bauman finally threw an attempt up the inside of Halbert, even as the Coolbeth-Nila Racing ace sat tight on the bottom line. The champ grabbed the advantage momentarily, but the combination of a big handful of throttle and ultra-slick surface nearly sent Bauman to the ground.

Halbert went right back by as a result, only to see Bauman return with a similar, albeit more measured strike. Still, Halbert had an answer and successfully countered yet again. He then rebuked any further attempts with some precision bike placement to the flag en route to his 15th career premier-class victory.

Sammy Halbert

“That was awesome — I love it! I was fired up to say the least. I just had to focus in and be smart. He was trying those block passes on me and I just had to use my years of experience to keep it on the bottom and not let him get the best of me. I know he’s so aggressive going for these wins, so I did not give him an opening and we brought it home.”

Despite narrowly missing out on a third successive victory, Bauman still managed to expand his title lead to 33 points with seven races remaining. Meanwhile, Jared Mees ran down the resurgent Bronson Bauman and beat him to the line by 0.307 seconds to secure the final spot on the podium.

Jarod Vanderkooi came out on top of a four-way fight for fifth, out-dueling an impressive JD Beach as well as his Mission Roof Systems teammates Brandon Robinson and Brandon Price for the position. Davis Fisher and home-state hero Kolby Carlile rounded out the top ten.

AFT Singles

Reigning AFT Singles king Dallas Daniels scored a thrilling, last-lap victory over Trevor Brunner to reignite his title defense with aplomb.

Daniels spent the second half the race clawing his way back up to Brunner, who had somehow managed to eek away from an intense battle for the lead that also included the likes of Morgen Mischler, Henry Wiles, Ferran Cardús and Trent Lowe.

With the lines constantly evolving, the final laps saw Brunner and Daniels hugged low and tight and Mischler and Cardús circulating high and wide, all running with nearly equal efficiency. Just when Brunner looked to have a second-career Progressive AFT win within his grasp, Daniels made a last-gasp push to eliminate the distance to his one-time amateur foe.

With a lap-and-a-half to go, Daniels slid up the inside to steal a slight advantage. The two then took the white flag running side-by-side, but the Estenson Yamaha ace held the inside line and made it work to the checkered flag with 0.129 seconds to spare.

Dallas Daniels

“It was a great day here at Weedsport. The day started off actually pretty rough. We were way back in free practice, and it seemed like it was going to go the direction of Port Royal. I was sort of getting upset and down on myself, but we made some changes to the motorcycle, and we were pretty fast in qualifying, giving us a front-row start in the Semi. I won my Semi and was on pole for the Main Event, but I got a pretty terrible start and found myself in fourth or fifth and riding around in places I didn’t want to be. I finally got to my line and was able to put in some smooth, consistent laps. About halfway through, I had a really good line and just kept tracking down the leader. He got out to a pretty big lead, but I was able to catch him with about two laps to go. I think I only led one lap of the race, but it was the last one, so that’s all that matters. I want to give a big thanks to the whole Estenson Racing team. We had a really rough weekend at Port Royal. I’m not going to lie; these past two weeks trying to figure out how we’re going to fix this was probably one of the toughest moments in my young professional career. We kept working hard, my dad, my crew chief, James Hart, Tommy Hayden, and myself. We said we’re going to fix this problem because it’s not going to fix itself, and we went out and fixed it. We did everything we could, and it worked out in our favor. I want to thank those guys for sticking behind me and believing in me.”

Mischler railed his way to third – his sixth podium on the season and third third-place in succession – while Lowe snatched fourth away from weekend teammate Cardús at the stripe by 0.042 seconds.

Early leader Wiles faded to sixth, finishing one position ahead of championship leader Max Whale (No. 18 Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 450 SX-FFE). The seventh-place finish marked the Aussie’s worst result of the season, allowing Daniels to close to within two points heading into Saturday’s rematch.

AFT Production Twins

Breakaway AFT Production Twins title leader Cory Texter went wire-to-wire to notch up his fifth victory of the 2021 season. Among his many strengths as a rider, perhaps the most consequential is Texter’s uncanny ability to bolt off the line and take the holeshot with regularity.

He did so again on Friday night and leveraged the clear track to work up an immediate one-second gap. That ultimately proved vital in his efforts to deny a hard-charging Cameron Smith a maiden Progressive AFT win.

Despite starting with the last pick on Row 2, Smith made quick work of a talented group of pursuers that included Dalton Gauthier, Johnny Lewis, and Dan Bromley.

He drove up the inside of Gauthier with over four-and-a-half minutes remaining to move into second and then set his sights on the escaping Texter. Over the next several minutes, Smith made up a fraction here and a fraction there. That hard work nearly positioned Smith within striking distance as the two opened the final lap with a group of lappers ahead.

Despite that promise of drama, Texter carved his way through without incident to climb back atop the podium following two consecutive third-place finishes.

Cory Texter

“I’m just gonna dig, I’m going to take advantage of every opportunity to get on the front row and get a holeshot. It was a technical track and I’m happy with this (win). It’s been a long few weeks since Port Royal, and I’m happy to be back up here.”

Gauthier gritted out a podium some six seconds in arrears. The Port Royal HM victor was in serious pain throughout the Main after catching his inside foot in a hole during his Semi but still managed to fight his way to third.

Fourth went to Lewis following a highly entertaining battle with Bromley that saw the two square each other up and trade positions just about every corner deep into the contest. Bromley fell off the chase for the position late and came home a lonely fifth.

Results

Jared Mees back on top for New York Short Track II

Images by Scott Hunter

Progressive American Flat Track legend Jared Mees was at his crushing best on Saturday night, claiming a lopsided victory in the New York Short Track II, New York.

With line choice on the slick Weedsport Speedway surface very much in question for the bulk of the field ahead of the Mission SuperTwins presented by S&S Cycle Main Event, Mees rode decisively. The multi-time Grand National Champion went to the high line from the start and made it work to his advantage.

Brandon Robinson quickly followed suit, utilizing that same line to overtake Friday winner Sammy Halbert and move into second position.

Despite his rivals’ momentum, Halbert remained committed to the low line he took to victory the night before and gradually came under fire from above by Robinson’s Mission Roof System’s teammate, Jarod Vanderkooi, as well.

Robinson flashed the pace to offer a potential challenge to Mees at mid-distance but fell back to Halbert and Vanderkooi late after encountering brake issues. Increasing the intensity to the maximum, the three met on the race’s final lap, going side-by-side as they entered the final corner. Vanderkooi split his adversaries as they exited Turn 4 to snatch away runner-up honors at the checkered flag, beating Robinson by a meager 0.003-second gap.

A bruised and battered Halbert was relegated to fourth despite coming home just 0.064 seconds back of second place.

Meanwhile, defending Grand National Champion Briar Bauman never really found his footing. After coming together with Robinson early, Bauman tried the low, middle, and high lines to no avail. He was ultimately tracked down and passed by JD Beach, who took the final spot in the top five in the process.

Jared Mees – P1

“I always have a lot of passion and heart for what I do but getting a win is always a good thing. I said it earlier, going to win a Mile it’s like, ‘Oh yeah, he should,’ because I’ve got a really good package for a Mile, and I’m older and really experienced. I always had really great success on these slippery, small car tracks, but the last couple years, I kind of lost touch with that and Briar has been killing us with that. So to come out here and actually win a clay Short Track, it feels really phenomenal to get that mojo back again.”

Despite Mees earning his third win of ‘21 and Bauman taking his worst result of the season in sixth, Bauman continues to lead the Mission SuperTwins points standings by a healthy 22-point margin over Mees (197-175). Robinson is third at 168.

JD Beach – P3

“The race was crazy today! All-day long everyone was running around the bottom of the track, and we really didn’t think we would get off of there. Then in the 450 race, Morgen (Mischler) went straight to the top and was rolling really well. So before our Main, you could see all the SuperTwins riders checking the track out to decide where to go. My game plan was to go straight to the bottom and let them all go up top. Well, that went right out the window when the green light went, and I went to the top. I kept searching between the top and the bottom of the track, trying to decide where I wanted to run. Once I committed to the bottom and got in a good groove, I started moving forward. I had no idea what place I was in but knew I was closing in on Briar (Bauman) and wanted to get by him. At the end of the race, I found out we got fifth, and I was over the moon. We came into this weekend thinking it wasn’t going to be good because of how slick this track is, but we had a great one in the end. A big thanks to my crew who worked so hard all weekend.”

AFT Singles

Morgen Mischler earned his second-career AFT Singles victory – his first since 2018 – and did so in about the most Morgen Mischler-esque manner imaginable.

Starting from Row 3, Mischler ignored the deep pack of riders scraping down low and instead railed his way around the extreme high line. In just a matter of a couple short laps, Mischler was in the lead and leaving the field in his wake en route to the checkered flag.

The win came only after Mischler had stacked up an incredible 16 podiums (including six this season) between victories.

Morgen Mischler

“I nailed the start and was sitting pretty good. I came out of Turn 4 and was already doing pretty well. Then it was just a matter of how high can we run it? After one or two laps, it was pretty incredible to come through the pack from the third row. It’s great. It was a long three years, but it feels so great to be up here.”

Once Mischler made it clear the high line was the fast line, several riders reconsidered their tactics. One of those riders was Brandon Kitchen, who made a late push to overhaul the likes of Dallas Daniels, Trent Lowe, and Tanner Dean to finish as the race’s runner-up and secure his first podium of 2021.

Despite not getting a great start and never settling into a comfortable line, defending champ Daniels still managed to fight his way onto the box. Combined with last night’s victory, his Saturday third not only saw him get his title campaign back on track, but reclaim the championship lead.

Lowe finished fourth, while pre-race title leader Max Whale minimised the damage by slipping past early leader Dean at the flag to round out the top five. As a result, Daniels now leads Whale by a narrow two-point margin (178-176).

AFT Production Twins

It was several years in the making, but Cameron Smith is officially a Progressive American Flat Track Main Event winner. Smith first showed the potential to run up front in AFT Singles competition as far back as the 2016 season, but he didn’t truly establish himself as a threat to claim the checkered flag until this season. Following a pair of ‘21 runner-ups – including last night’s near miss – Smith at last broke through with a dominant victory.

Holeshot artist Cory Texter didn’t get his usual flier of a start, which altered the completion of the race completely. With Texter running fourth early, Smith slashed past Dalton Gauthier and then tracked down leader Dan Bromley.

Smith made his move just past half-distance and did so in style; he powered around the outside of Bromley and then brushed back his opponent’s attempted counter maneuver to lock down first position. Once in front, he dropped the field en route to a 1.270-second margin of victory.

Cameron Smith

“Oh my gosh, we’re so excited to come out here and get a win finally. After getting second two times, I think we were ready. We knew we could do it and we showed it tonight. And big thanks to (my crew), they made me feel like I was sailing the ship on dry land, I was so smooth out there.”

Despite being unable to stand and riding in intense pain after injuring his left ankle last night, Gauthier not only soldiered on, he worked past Bromley to improve upon his Friday third with a runner-up result on Saturday.

Unfortunately for Bromley, his slide down the order didn’t end until after the race’s final corner. Texter pulled off a last-gasp move to bump Bromley off the podium altogether after he looked to be in good shape to score a first win of ‘21 over the Main’s opening half.

Ryan Varnes held off Ben Lowe to complete the top five. Lowe’s sixth still came as an impressive performance considering he was forced to start from the back of the pack, burning his provisional start after crashing out of contention in his Semi.

Results

MXstore South Coast MX Championships Round 4

Last week sure the MXStore South Coast MX Championships compete Round 4, with Siegah Ward dominating the MX1 class ahead of Jack McLean and Aaron Dent. In the MX2 class it was a similar story, while Riley Pitman won two of three Junior Lite races, while Cody Loffler won the final race. Charlie Hollis meanwhile topped the Vets & Womens races.

See below for the race results:

Results

WAMX Junior State Championships – Round 4

The WA Junior State Championship competed Round 4 last weekend, with Kayden Minear sweeping the 100cc/125cc 13-U16 Yrs class with three wins, while also dominating the 128cc/150cc-200cc/250cc 13-U16 Yrs.

Jayce Stocker won the 50cc Auto 7-U9 Yrs class, with Mason Brown topping the 65cc 10-U12 Yrs. In the 65cc 7-U10 Yrs class it was Nate Tomerini taking three wins, while Jake Rumens ran 1-1-2 in the 85cc/150cc 12-U16 Yrs class for the overall.

Mason Brown also made a reappearance, winning the 85cc/150cc 9-U12 Yrs races, sweeping all three races. Makalya Rimbas topped the Girls 65cc/85cc 7-U12 Yrs and Jaylee Rimbas was the Girls 85cc/250cc 12-U16 Yrs victor.

Results

2021 MTAS MX Championships Round 3 – Port Sorell

The 2021 MTAS MX Championships competed Round 3 last weekend, with Hugh Mckay taking the Senior Lites win, while Brendon Rose topped the Clubman class and Cooper Ford was the victor in the 65cc 10-U12Yrs category.

Hugh Mckay took the Senior Open A victory with three race wins, while in the 125/250cc 13-U16 years class it was Angus Pearce with three wins. Cooper Ford topped the 85cc 9-U12s, with Nicolai Marchant the top performaner in the 50cc 7-U9 years Div 2 class and Zack Bassett won the 85cc 12-U14 years races.

Results

Ken Roczen tops the 450s at Unadilla AMA MX

The final, five-round run to crown a pair of champions kicked off with Round 8 and the Circle K Unadilla National, which signified the anticipated return of the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship to Central New York’s iconic Unadilla MX. The world’s best racers were challenged all afternoon long on the legendary circuit, which was regarded as the toughest track of the 2021 season thus far. In the end, Team Honda HRC left the field seeing red as they swept the overall victories across both the 450 Class and 250 Class.

After a bit of a rough stretch to open the second half of the summer season, Ken Roczen bounced back in a big way with perhaps the most dominant outing of 2021 thus far. The German rider was in a class of his own in both 450 Class motos and cruised to a 1-1 sweep for his second win of the season, which also helped him gain valuable points in the ongoing title fight.

In the 250 Class, Jett Lawrence rose to the occasion in Moto 2 with one of the best rides of his young career, where an overdue moto win allowed him to prevail with his second victory of the season. The triumphant effort also paid dividends in the championship standings, as Lawrence closed to within just a handful of points of recapturing the red plate.

450 Moto 1

As the gate dropped on the opening 450 Class moto it was Roczen clear ahead of the field exiting the first turn to easily capture the MotoSport.com Holeshot. As the rest of the field jockeyed for position behind him, it was the Monster Energy/Star/Yamaha Racing duo of Aaron Plessinger and Dylan Ferrandis who slotted into second and third. Roczen was able to drop the hammer on the opening lap and took full advantage of the clear track to establish a multi-second lead over Plessinger and Ferrandis, as the lead trio surged out to a significant margin over the remainder of the 40-rider field.

Soon the race became a two-rider affair as both Roczen and Plessinger continued to pull away from Ferrandis. Roczen was comfortable in control of the moto, but Plessinger continually kept him honest by mirroring the lap times. No more than two seconds separated the lead pair through the first half of the moto. Plessinger looked to be faster than Roczen in some places and even showed a wheel a couple times, but the Honda kept him at bay and put a few bike lengths between them.

With 10 minutes remaining in the moto, as he gave chase to Roczen, Plessinger suffered a frightening crash that saw his Yamaha loop out and resulted in heavy impact with the ground. Fortunately, Plessinger was able to get up and walk away under his own power, but it brought what began as a strong start to the afternoon to an abrupt and heartbreaking conclusion.

With the pressure no longer a factor, Roczen rode alone out front and managed a double-digit lead through the remainder of the moto to earn an impressive wire-to-wire win. He took the checkered flag 10.6 seconds ahead of Ferrandis, while Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Eli Tomac followed in a distant third. Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Marvin Musquin was fourth, with his teammate Cooper Webb fifth.

450 Moto 2

The second and deciding moto began with Team Honda HRC’s Chase Sexton out front with the MotoSport.com Holeshot, followed by Webb, Ferrandis and Roczen. As Sexton looked to take advantage of his position at the front of the field Roczen was incredibly aggressive and made passes on both Ferrandis and Webb to surge up into second behind his teammate. Shortly thereafter Ferrandis put the pressure on Webb for third and successfully moved into podium position.

As the points leader took over control of third, the Hondas out front had built a lead of more than five seconds. Sexton showed impressive pace to maintain a lead of about a second over Roczen, but the German bided his time and waited for the race to come to him. As the moto reached its opening 10 minutes Roczen pulled the trigger and went on the attack. An impressive outside move allowed Roczen to make quick, easy work of his teammate. From there he cemented his control of the moto with one of his fastest laps of the race.

Sexton kept Roczen honest and was within reach as the moto reached its halfway point, but Roczen responded to open up his biggest lead of the moto. The German never looked back and put the finishing touches on one of the most dominant outings of his career. He wrapped up a sweep of the motos by six seconds over Sexton, while Ferrandis withstood a persistent threat from his fellow Frenchman Musquin to finish third.

450 Overall

It’s the second 1-1 effort for Roczen this season and signifies the 20th victory of his career, which moves him into a tie with James Stewart for sixth on the all-time wins list. It’s also the second straight victory for Roczen at Unadilla, where he won the last time the championship visited during the 2019 season.

Ken Roczen – P1

“Unadilla weekend was really good for us. It seems like it’s a track that suits me well, obviously; it’s starting to become a pattern of me doing well here. I seem to like the long ruts and just the way the track develops and the soil that it has; I feel like it’s something that I kind of grew up with, so I just feel super comfortable here. We had the bike dialed a lot more for the track conditions this weekend, so that helped out a lot. We’ve been doing a little bit of testing to try and get the bike better, and at least for this weekend it paid off. We topped qualifying and I had pole position going into the first moto. I got a super-good start and was leading every single lap to get the first-moto win. Then in the second moto, I got off to another decent start, around fifth, and made some really quick moves happen and settled in behind Chase [Sexton] for about half the moto. He made a little mistake, and I had some good lines and carried a little bit more momentum and made my way by him and then just stayed up front and rode a really solid end of the race. I got into a good flow, and we ended up going 1-1 at Unadilla. I’m super happy for me and the team.”

Ferrandis finished in the runner-up spot (2-3) for his eighth podium result this season, which effectively minimized the damage done in the championship standings. Musquin captured his first podium result of the season in third (4-4) to complete an overall podium composed entirely of international competitors.

Dylan Ferrandis – P2

“I came here to win, but second overall was the best I could do today. The track was just wild! It was so technical and so hard to ride and go fast. We didn’t have the pace, and Ken (Roczen) was way too strong, so congrats to him. We’ve been on every podium so far this season, and I’m really happy about that. We will keep working to be back on the top step.”

Roczen gained eight points on Ferrandis in the 450 Class standings, and now 39 points sit between them with four rounds remaining. Tomac, who finished fourth (3-7), is third, 62 points out of the lead.

Marvin Musquin – P3

“It was a good weekend and I felt good right away, I love Unadilla! In the first moto, I came back to fifth and started fighting with Tomac. I was looking forward to passing him but I landed in a hole on the finish line jump and thought I broke something in the shock or the wheel, so I slowed down big time to make sure everything was fine and I lost connection with him. In the second moto, I put myself in a good position but I was never capable of putting an attack on Dylan for third. Trying to pass the lappers was pretty tough with all the ruts and I couldn’t do much more, so 4-4 on the podium in third place is a good positive.”

Eli Tomac – P4

“In the first moto I had a good start going around the first corner but, I had to check up to avoid a crash at the front and got shuffled back a few positions. From there I went straight into the fight and worked my way to fourth before another rider crashed and gave me third. I was riding well, my body felt good, and I was hitting the right lines around the track. Finishing third in Moto 1 put me in a good spot for the overall and gave me solid gate selection for Moto 2. In the second moto I moved further inside for the start, but that choice didn’t pay off because I came out a little further back in the pack and was having a hard time moving forward. It was a difficult track with a lot of ruts that changed throughout the day. In the morning the track was really soft, so ruts formed up all over the place, but later in the afternoon the dirt got hard and dry with a crust on the ruts which required challenging adjustments. It’s frustrating that I only made it up to seventh in the second moto, but at least we had that podium finish in Moto 1.”

Chase Sexton – P5

“Round 8 at Unadilla started off pretty good; I qualified first in the first session. I didn’t really feel that great on the bike and ended up third in the second one. I got a good gate pick going into the first moto and got a good start but ended up going down pretty hard in the second corner. It was a tough way to start the day, but I charged back as much as I could. I ended up going down again, which definitely hindered me a little bit. I came out in the second moto and got the holeshot. I tried to run away as fast as I could, but Ken [Roczen] obviously is really good at that too, and he’s faster. I felt like I rode pretty good. Definitely got roosted a lot today, so I’m going to be a little bit sore from that and the crash, but I’m looking forward to Budds Creek and will try and get some wins under my belt before the season’s over.”

Cooper Webb – P6

“Today was a pretty good day. My starts were good in both motos, which helped. I didn’t ride too great in the first moto but I felt a lot better in the second moto – we made a complete bike change for the second moto and it worked out a lot better. So 5-5, it was definitely a better day and we’ll keep building to try and get better for Budds Creek.”

450 Results

Jett Lawrence runs 2-1 for the win at Unadilla
250 Moto 1

The opening 250 Class moto saw championship point leader Justin Cooper emerge with the MotoSport.com Holeshot aboard his Monster Energy/Star/Yamaha Racing machine just ahead of Lawrence, Cooper’s championship rival, and Monster Energy/Star/Yamaha Racing’s Jeremy Martin, who brought a two-race win streak into Unadilla. Lawrence applied heavy pressure on Cooper on the opening lap and looked for a way around, but to no avail. Instead, Cooper withstood the challenge and put a few bike lengths on the field, as Martin looked to close in from third.

The field stabilized about 10 minutes into the moto, but the lead trio were closer than ever with less than two seconds between them. Lawrence appeared to be the fastest of the leaders and once again went on the attack. The top two riders in the championship put on a show as they went to battle for control of the race, which allowed them to drop Martin in third, but Cooper was able to respond to the challenge again. As they reached the halfway point of the moto the leaders settled into their positions, where Cooper managed a multi-second advantage over Lawrence as Martin continued to give chase from third.

Cooper was able to pick up the pace over the second half of the moto and pulled away from Lawrence to establish a lead of more than five seconds. He continued to charge through to the finish and capped off a wire-to-wire victory by 3.3 seconds over Lawrence, with Martin third, Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s RJ Hampshire fourth, and Team Honda HRC’s Hunter Lawrence fifth.

250 Moto 2

As they field charged through the first turn to start Moto 2 it was Cooper who wrapped up each of the day’s MotoSport.com Holeshots, with Martin in tow. Behind them, Jett Lawrence and Hampshire duked it out for third. Martin didn’t waste any time trying to put the pressure on his teammate as the Yamaha-mounted riders went bar-to-bar on multiple occasions on the opening lap. Cooper held him off as Lawrence closed in to make it a three-way fight.

Martin’s persistence paid off five minutes into the moto when he took advantage of a slight bobble by Cooper to take over the lead. Lawrence then proceeded to follow his way into second, but only briefly, as Cooper responded and reclaimed second. Meanwhile, Martin moved out to a lead of nearly two seconds. A lap later Lawrence found his way back onto Cooper’s rear fender and seized the moment to make the pass once again for second. The Australian then set his sights on Martin for the lead.

As Lawrence continued his pursuit of Martin out front, Cooper was facing additional pressure from behind, this time from Hampshire. The Husqvarna rider needed a couple tries, but soon dropped Cooper outside the top three. Not long after that, Lawrence’s path to the front was complete with a decisive pass on Martin just before the halfway point of the moto.

Once out front, Lawrence was able to sprint away from his rivals and quickly built a lead of more than five seconds. He maintained that advantage through to the finish to earn his first moto win since RedBud, taking the checkered flag 3.6 seconds ahead of Martin, with Hampshire in third and Cooper a distant fourth.

250 Overall

The triumph in the second moto vaulted Lawrence to the overall win (2-1), the third of his young career. It ended a three-race drought from the podium and follows up his season-opening victory at Fox Raceway in May.

Jett Lawrence – P1

“I got P8 in both qualifiers, but I felt pretty good; I was a little confused but not too worried about it because I really like this track. In the first moto I got a good start and was P3, then quickly moved into second. I had a few goes at first but couldn’t get close enough to make a full pass. I tried looking at some new lines to see if I could make a pass and ended up losing some ground on the leader. I was trying to bring back that time again, but it was so hard because we’re all so close on speed. I ended up getting second in that one, which I’m not too mad about; it’s a good improvement from the weekends before. In the second moto I had another good start and felt really, really strong and was having a lot of fun chasing the boys. I ended up getting [Justin] Cooper, then I made a mistake and he got me back. I was able to get him back a couple laps later and made a charge on J-Mart [Jeremy Martin] in first. I ended up getting him in the same spot and just kept pushing because I felt so good. I ended up getting the win and getting back in this championship chase again, which is really nice.”

Cooper finished in the runner-up spot (1-4) to miss out on a win in his home state but has still finished on the overall podium in all eight rounds this season. Martin rounded out the podium in third (3-2).

Justin Cooper – P2

“The track was very difficult all day with the long choppy ruts. I had a really good first moto, but I was really fighting the bike in the second moto. I lost my flow pretty early, and once you lose your flow on this track, it’s pretty dangerous. I’m glad to be out of here safe, and we’ll keep coming out swinging and going for this championship.”

After eight rounds, just four points separate Cooper and Lawrence in the 250 Class standings. Hunter Lawrence, who finished sixth (5-11), is third, 61 points out of the lead, while Martin sits an additional point back in fourth.

Jeremy Martin – P3

“I was very excited to race Unadilla since my last race there was in 2017. It was definitely a really technical race track this year, with minimal track prep. I got arm pump really bad in the first moto but held on for third. The bike and I were better for Moto 2, but I just couldn’t quite get the job done.”

RJ Hampshire – P4

“For the most part, the day was pretty solid. I felt like we had more potential to be on the box but on a track like that, it was tough to keep it together and get the results. All-in-all, I can’t complain, it’s a solid weekend. I’m going to take the week to recover and Budds Creek is a good one for me, so I’m excited to go there.”

Hunter Lawrence – P6

“It was a tough weekend, very frustrating. In the first moto, I made mistakes in the first two corners, and the one mistake in the first turn cost me a bunch of positions. I had a really good start but ended up getting fifth, which was okay; I wasn’t really happy with my riding, and I struggled to pass. In the second moto I got a decent start, but in the fourth turn something happened to my front brake; my brake rotor was that bent it was hitting the caliper, so I had to deal with that for the moto, which was sketchy from the first lap—not ideal. It was pretty sketchy, but nothing we can do, nothing my mechanic could do, so just a bit of an unfortunate racing incident. On to the next!”

The Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship will continue next weekend with a visit to Southern Maryland, in the shadow of the nation’s capital of Washington D.C., where Mechanicsville’s famed Budds Creek Motocross Park will host Round 9 of the championship and the Circle K Budds Creek National.

250Results