Moto News Wrap for April 19, 2016 by Darren Smart
Proudly brought to you by Dunlop Geomax
This Weeks Racing Overview
- – AMA Supercross Championships – Round 14 – St Louis
- – FIM World Motocross Championships – Round 5 – Mexico
- – AMSOIL Grand National Cross Country Series – Round 4 – Big Buck Farm – Union, South Carolina
- – World Enduro Championships – Round 3-4 – Portugal
- – AMSOIL Arenacross – Round 3 – Race to the Championship
- – Australian MX Nationals – Round 2 – Appin
This Week’s News Overview
- – A4DE Date Change
- – Wildwood Rock Extreme – 2016 Date Change
- – QBE Backs Australian Speedway
- – MX Nationals Livestream from Appin cancelled
- – Stewart Is Down!
- – Tricker On Fire
Australasian News
A4DE Date Change
Motorcycling Australia announced last week that the 2016 Yamaha Australian Four Day Enduro (A4DE) has to be rescheduled and it looks like it will be moved from a May event to as late as November and at the time of writing MA is in negotiations with the Mansfield Shire Council to find a suitable date.
Wildwood Rock Extreme – 2016 Date Change
Promoter Steve Braszell has made the decision to bring the annual Wildwood Rock Extreme Event forward to the 6th of November due to the change of date to the Yamaha Australian Four Day Enduro in Mansfield – Victoria. Entry Forms are set to be released on the 20th of July for the 2016 Wildwood Rock Extreme Enduro, further event details are updated via the Event webpage, Facebook page and other social media.
MX Nationals Livestream out of Appin Cancelled
NRGTV advised the day before the MX Nationals event at Appin that unfortunately due to insufficient satellite reception would not be broadcast live. All races were recorded and will be available on demand at NRGTV from tomorrow. NRGTV would like to apologise to their viewers for the inconvenience.
QBE Backs Australian Speedway
QBE Insurance Australia will serve as title sponsor of the Southern Hemisphere’s biggest indoor motorsport event – the QBE Insurance Australian FIM Speedway Grand Prix at Melbourne’s Etihad Stadium.
The Sydney-based insurer has signed a two-year deal to become a huge part of the FIM Speedway World Championship finale, which pulled a terrific 26,000-strong crowd when it launched in Australia’s sporting capital last October.
American News
Stewart Is Down!
Yep, we got to hear those famous words again at the St Louis round of the AMA Supercross with the World’s Fastest Soil Tester back racing from some sort of injury and after making it through sign-on and qualifying without a paper cut or something similarly disastrous the factory Suzuki star ended up being landed on by Weston Peick during his heat race. After over a decade of landing on other people and causing multiple pile-ups I wonder how Bubba liked the feeling. You guessed it, he sat out the rest of the night.
Tricker On Fire
Just one week after winning the California Classic WMX title, Mackenzie Tricker took home her first overall win in the Woman’s Class at the Big Buck GNCC held in South Carolina. “It feels good to get the monkey off my back,” Tricker said of her WMX win. “I just need to keep grinding away at the rest of the season and see how it goes.”
Smarty’s Race Reports and Official Results from last Weekend
AMA Supercross Championships – Round 14 – St Louis
57,274 fans were on hand in St Louis to cheer on another enthralling battle between Ryan Dungey and Ken Roczen only to watch Dungey lead every lap en route to his third consecutive victory while Jeremy Martin earned with his second win in the Eastern Region 250SX Series while championship leader spent most of the main event on the ground to finish back in 8th.
450SX Report
1st – Ryan Dungey: After keeping Ken Roczen at bay for the first half of the race Dungey cruised to his eighth win of the season which was also his 30th career victory and 30th consecutive podium finish. “Again, Ken was right there putting the pressure on and I was just trying to maintain and not make any mistakes. It’s hard to be the guy out front. I was trying to hit my lines as best as I could, but you never know if he’s doing something different where he’s making time. I opened the gap a little here and there, but we went back and forth over the triple and he made a mistake, fell down, and that allowed me to open up a little bit of a gap. It gave me some breathing room and I was able to hit my lines and in the last five laps I just eased in for the win. I was managing the lead, I knew where the guys were at, and I was able to get the win. It was a good day.”
Dungey now sits 48 points in front of Roczen and has put himself in a position to clinch back-to-back 450SX titles at the next round.
2nd – Ken Roczen: Some people have been saying that if Roczen can get a start beside Dungey he will win well the last two weeks has proved that theory to be critically flawed – K-Roc has the speed but Dungey has the intestinal fortitude to keep him at bay. “[Dungey and I] are both riding really good. That’s the fun part,” said Roczen. “I really wanted the win, but I tucked the front end. Hats off to Ryan. He’s riding great right now and got the win today.”
3rd – Jason Anderson: After making an aggressive move on the fast starting Justin Brayton early in the race Anderson was making his way to another lonely third place until Roczen crashed his way back to third and the two former training partners stayed close throughout the final few laps with Roczen passing Anderson with just two turns remaining as they encountered lapped riders.
“It happens, it is kind of hard on this track to get out of the way for the lappers, it was a bummer, I really thought that I had that second place in my hands but I thought I was better than that tonight, I want to be up there right away and battling with those guys (RD16 and K-Roc).”
St Louis is the third straight main event that Roczen, Dungey and Anderson finished 1-2-3 and Anderson now sits 68 points back from RD16 for the title.
4th – Justin Bogle: It is been an up and down year for Bogle but the Honda pilot is looking more and more comfortable on the 450 and it will be interesting to see how he progresses over the final few rounds.
5th – Trey Canard: Trey has been staying up-right and injury free this season which is a welcome change for the factory Honda star – slow starts has put pay to any hopes of a podium finish.
6th – Chad Reed: This was Chad’s 200th Supercross main event and here is what he said to RacerX: “Two-hundred flew by pretty fast. It’s kind of sad how fast they went, I guess. I would truthfully say that I feel more appreciative and I’m enjoying it more now. But with that said, I always still have frustrations. I’m as competitive as I was back then. I want to be a podium guy and I’m just not putting myself in good positions, not getting good starts. Then tonight we just had an issue and really struggled the last five laps.”
Chad didn’t say it out loud but he is having clutch issues late in the races as are the JGR Yamaha team.
450SX Class Results
1. Ryan Dungey, Belle Plaine, Minn., KTM
2. Ken Roczen, Clermont, Fla., Suzuki
3. Jason Anderson, Rio Rancho, N.M., Husqvarna
4. Justin Bogle, Cushing, Okla., Honda
5. Trey Canard, Edmond, Okla., Honda
6. Chad Reed, Dade City, Fla., Yamaha
7. Eli Tomac, Cortez, Colo., Kawasaki
8. Josh Grant, Wildomar, Calif., Kawasaki
9. Justin Brayton, Mint Hill, N.C., KTM
10. Mike Alessi, Hilliard, Fla., Honda
450SX Class Championship Standings
1. Ryan Dungey, Belle Plaine, Minn., KTM – 328
2. Ken Roczen, Clermont, Fla., Suzuki – 280
3. Jason Anderson, Rio Rancho, N.M., Husqvarna – 260
4. Eli Tomac, Cortez, Colo., Kawasaki – 226
5. Chad Reed, Dade City, Fla., Yamaha – 208
6. Marvin Musquin, Corona, Calif., KTM – 188
7. Cole Seely, Sherman Oaks, Calif., Honda – 173
8. Justin Brayton, Mint Hill, N.C., KTM – 161
9. Trey Canard, Edmond, Okla., Honda – 154
10. Jake Weimer, Wildomar, Calif., Suzuki – 114
250SX Race Report
Jeremy Martin scored his first holeshot for the season and came blasting out of the first corner with Gannon Audette and Malcolm Stewart hot on his heels but just two corner later Stewart dove up the inside of Audette and on the very next sand corner stalled his Honda causing a mini pile-up which left Stewart picking himself out of the sand pit in 12th place.
Martin now led Shane McElrath and last week’s winner Aaron Plessinger with Stewart riding like a man processed moving into 7th only to fall again and re-start back in 13th place.
Martin was long gone by the time Plessinger moved into second place ahead of McElrath and RJ Hampshire while Stewart worked his way up to an incredible 6th place only to hit the deck for the third time and it looked like the Geico Honda rider was going to narrowly lose his championship lead to Plessinger but a crash by Tyler Bowers on the final lap moved Stewart up one spot to eighth at the finish which was enough to hold the points lead by one point.
While watching I honestly thought that James had stolen his brother Malcolm’s Honda and was filling in for the night.
“It was nice to get the holeshot since I’ve been on ground two of last three weekends,” said Martin who now sits 3rd in the series and 16 points back from Stewart. “I was able to get a good start and ride my own race, and not worry about anything but hitting my lines. We’ve had a lot of different winners [in the Eastern Regional Championship] this season, but it feels good to get that second win first.”
Plessinger followed up his first career win last weekend with a runner-up finish, giving Yamalube/Star Racing Yamaha its first ever 1-2 finish. “I got off to an [okay] start. I just put my head down and charged past people. I got by Shane [McElrath] and sat in second. It was all I could do,” said Plessinger. “Jeremy [Martin] was just riding really well. I’m just going to take [the championship battle] race by race. Obviously it’s close, but I can’t think about it too much otherwise I [might] lose it.”
Eastern Regional 250SX Class Results
1. Jeremy Martin, Millville, Minn., Yamaha
2. Aaron Plessinger, Hamilton, Ohio, Yamaha
3. Shane McElrath, Canton, N.C., KTM
4. RJ Hampshire, Brooksville, Fla., Honda
5. Gannon Audette, Tallahassee, Fla., Kawasaki
6. Anthony Rodriguez, Cairo, Ga., Kawasaki
7. Alexander Frye, Huntingtown, Md., KTM
8. Malcolm Stewart, Haines City, Fla., Honda
9. Tyler Bowers, Corona, Calif., Kawasaki
10. Paul Coates, Zephyrhills, Fla., Honda
Eastern Regional 250SX Class Championship Standings
1. Malcolm Stewart, Haines City, Fla., Honda – 115
2. Aaron Plessinger, Hamilton, Ohio, Yamaha – 114
3. Jeremy Martin, Millville, Minn., Yamaha – 99
4. Martin Davalos, Clermont, Fla., Husqvarna – 83
5. Tyler Bowers, Corona, Calif., Kawasaki – 78
6. Gannon Audette, Tallahassee, Fla., Kawasaki – 77
7. RJ Hampshire, Brooksville, Fla., Honda – 77
8. Shane McElrath, Canton, N.C., KTM – 73
9. Justin Hill, Yoncalla, Ore., KTM – 63
10. Matt Bisceglia, Weatherford, Texas, Suzuki – 58
FIM World Motocross Championships – Round 5 – Mexico
The MXGP of Leon in Mexico has rammed home the fact that the MXGP class for 2016 is being completely dominated by two riders, defending champion Romain Febvre and 2015 MX2 World Champion Tim Gasjer with the two young guns of the class wining every race this season bar one and now leading third placed Antonio Cairoli by over 40 points after just five rounds while Jeffrey Herlings continues to steam roll his way to an undefeated season.
MXGP Race Report
Leon offers a track that is a combination of dust and mud with plenty of ruts and passing opportunities and both MXGP motos saw Max Nagl and his white Husqvarna take the holeshot but he was easy pickings for the likes of Gajser who blasted by on both occasions and if it wasn’t for a couple of self-inflicted machinery problems in moto one the Honda pilot could well have won both motos.
Tim Gajser: “I really enjoyed that second race especially! The whole weekend has gone really well and I’m really pleased to take the win again. In the first race we had a little problem with a stone in the rear brake, and then I bent the radiator guard so it wasn’t so easy to ride, but we could come back stronger in the second race. That was a really hard fight with Febvre and he was really pushing me, and the pace we both had was really fast so it was really a lot of fun! To have had the last two weekends go as well as they have done is just fantastic, and I’m just feeling so good at the moment. The bike is great, so big thanks to the team, and we’re all working so hard so it’s a great feeling to be winning.”
Gajser and Febvre were running the fastest laps all weekend with Romain not getting a great start in the opening moto but the defending champ managed to get to the lead but in moto two couldn’t find the lines or pace to make a move on Gajser. “I started the second race well and we’d changed the bike a little bit for that but Tim was in the lead very quickly and it was difficult out there. I was faster in the beginning but had different lines and once he changed then it was hard to pass. I made a few mistakes and the gap was bigger. I kinda gave up a little bit and I was disappointed about that. We still have the red plate and there is a long way to go.”
Like most of the older heads in the field, Nagl is as keen as mustard to run with Febvre and Gajser but the young guns are on a different level at the moment so 3-3 is the next best result. “It was another positive weekend for us. My team has done a tremendous amount of work to prepare my bike for the high altitude of the track in Leon. We changed the setup for this race and managed to earn the holeshot in both motos. In the first moto I was fourth behind Bobryshev but kept pushing hard and managed to make a pass for third with two laps to go. In the second moto I got another good start and found myself in third position. Desalle and Bobryshev were really pushing to pass but I managed to improve my speed towards the end of the race and that’s positive. We are all working hard and I’m happy we’re getting closer to our goals every time out.”
Try as he may but Bobryshev can’t match the speed of his young team mate and like Nagl has to be satisfied with 4-4 in Mexico. “We had a consistent weekend so I’m pretty much happy. Today I had less speed and confidence, and less flow, than yesterday though. Yesterday the speed and time was good, but today the track changed. There were big ruts and I was struggling to make the speed. To finish two times fourth is ok though, and I closed up to the top three in the championship, just one point from third, so I’m happy enough.”
What can I say about Cairoli, the former World Champ is dropping points to his two younger rivals at every round and needs to start regaining some mojo if he ever wants to win another world title. “I didn’t feel so good all weekend. The track is very difficult compared to last week (in Argentina) when I was feeling comfortable, and better than I had before that. I had a very bad start in the first moto, but I came back to sixth, which was not so bad, but for sure not what I expected. The second moto was really not good. The riding was not how I wanted it, there were a lot of mistakes and also another bad start. It was just a weekend to forget. Hopefully we can be stronger and stronger over the next two weeks. I want to be in good shape and in the mood to attack for Latvia because that’s a track I like a lot.”
MXGP Race 1 Top Ten: 1. Romain Febvre (FRA, Yamaha), 35:08.054; 2. Tim Gajser (SLO, Honda), +0:04.315; 3. Maximilian Nagl (GER, Husqvarna), +0:08.295; 4. Evgeny Bobryshev (RUS, Honda), +0:13.662; 5. Clement Desalle (BEL, Kawasaki), +0:31.207; 6. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), +0:35.377; 7. Kevin Strijbos (BEL, Suzuki), +0:36.711; 8. Shaun Simpson (GBR, KTM), +0:38.658; 9. Valentin Guillod (SUI, Yamaha), +0:46.175; 10. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, KTM), +0:46.828
MXGP Race 2 Top Ten: 1. Tim Gajser (SLO, Honda), 35:32.594; 2. Romain Febvre (FRA, Yamaha), +0:16.264; 3. Maximilian Nagl (GER, Husqvarna), +0:27.592; 4. Evgeny Bobryshev (RUS, Honda), +0:36.883; 5. Clement Desalle (BEL, Kawasaki), +0:45.418; 6. Tommy Searle (GBR, Kawasaki), +0:51.089; 7. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, Yamaha), +0:54.127; 8. Valentin Guillod (SUI, Yamaha), +0:58.423; 9. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), +1:13.686; 10. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, KTM), +1:16.958
MXGP Overall Top Ten: 1. Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 47 points; 2. Romain Febvre (FRA, YAM), 47 p.; 3. Maximilian Nagl (GER, HUS), 40 p.; 4. Evgeny Bobryshev (RUS, HON), 36 p.; 5. Clement Desalle (BEL, KAW), 32 p.; 6. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 27 p.; 7. Valentin Guillod (SUI, YAM), 25 p.; 8. Tommy Searle (GBR, KAW), 24 p.; 9. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, YAM), 24 p.; 10. Kevin Strijbos (BEL, SUZ), 24 p.
MXGP Championship Top Ten: 1. Romain Febvre (FRA, YAM), 219 points; 2. Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 216 p.; 3. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 171 p.; 4. Evgeny Bobryshev (RUS, HON), 170 p.; 5. Maximilian Nagl (GER, HUS), 165 p.; 6. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, YAM), 162 p.; 7. Kevin Strijbos (BEL, SUZ), 127 p.; 8. Shaun Simpson (GBR, KTM), 122 p.; 9. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, KTM), 104 p.; 10. Tommy Searle (GBR, KAW), 98 p.
MX2 Race Report
Ho-hum, Herlings is on another planet compared to his MX2 rivals – like I said last week I am concerned about over confidence and counting his chickens before they hatch – time will tell. “After losing my championship two years ago and come here and dominate is just amazing. Second moto I came out with the win, number 52 already and 49 to go. I have to thank everyone and looking forward to Kegums in two weeks. I mean. It is a mixed feeling coming back to this track. Losing the championship here was a bummer and I gave it my all. At least I am not racing with a broken femur this time. It is very hot, so we see how it goes. I went down a couple of times last year making stupid mistakes and yesterday I took my time and got to the lead and we just want to go and win, doesn’t matter if it’s by 20 seconds or one second.”
Jeremy Seewer and his Suzuki are racking up podiums in all conditions and what I like about Seewer is that he is willing to battle tooth-and-nail for every position. “I’m really happy to again be in second spot and to have a fourth podium in a row now feels amazing. I actually struggled all weekend – through the qualification race and the first moto – with the amount of water on the track, but I could push more in the second race. It was not easy this time and I fought hard. I’d like to thank everyone in the team because we are all trying so much and we will try to keep this consistency and see where we end up.”
Vsevolod Brylyakov scored his first ever GP podium in Mexico with 2-5 results – this kid is fast and ruthless! “I feel amazing with this first podium in my career; it’s just great that it happens now! In the first moto I got a good start and was consistent; I was following Seewer and finally passed him and pulled away. It was good to score a second place in the first moto, but it also made me nervous for the second one! I had another good start but then it was a nightmare as I crashed and thought that I had lost any chance to be on the podium. But I just tried again to do my best, rode smoothly and when I saw that Jonass also crashed I thought there was maybe a chance for me to finally get this podium. I continued to push, caught a few guys and my mechanics helped me on the board to know what was happening. I can’t believe that I got this podium; my thanks to Steve Dixon, Monster Energy, Kawasaki, my teammate Tommy Searle, all our sponsors and Cosworth who did a great job – the engine is unbelievable good!”
Pauls Jonass should be the natural predecessor to Jeffrey Herlings once ‘The Bullet’ moves to the MX1 class but KTM must be nervous about how many times this kid falls over in ruts – he is either using a front tyre that is as old as me or he needs to change his technique. “The whole weekend I was ready to do a good race. The speed was there and I was convinced I could get good results. Then in the first heat I crashed and then had problems with the brakes for the rest of the race. I got a very good start again in the second moto but I came in contact with another rider and crashed. I fought back hard again, and I had very good speed to finish in the top five. Of course I am still very confident because I know I can give much more than I did so far, I just need a bit more luck. Now I’m looking forward to the next race in Latvia because it’s my home race and it will be great to be racing in front of all my fans.”
MX2 Race 1 Top Ten: 1. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 34:11.123; 2. Vsevolod Brylyakov (RUS, Kawasaki), +0:33.978; 3. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, Suzuki), +0:38.195; 4. Pauls Jonass (LAT, KTM), +0:40.758; 5. Aleksandr Tonkov (RUS, Yamaha), +0:53.207; 6. Petar Petrov (BUL, Kawasaki), +0:54.852; 7. Samuele Bernardini (ITA, TM), +0:56.232; 8. Benoit Paturel (FRA, Yamaha), +0:56.696; 9. Calvin Vlaanderen (NED, KTM), +1:17.721; 10. Jorge Zaragoza (ESP, Honda), +1:23.832.
MX2 Race 2 Top Ten: 1. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 35:35.640; 2. Max Anstie (GBR, Husqvarna), +0:44.423; 3. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, Suzuki), +0:47.549; 4. Pauls Jonass (LAT, KTM), +0:57.008; 5. Aleksandr Tonkov (RUS, Yamaha), +0:59.649; 6. Vsevolod Brylyakov (RUS, Kawasaki), +1:00.716; 7. Benoit Paturel (FRA, Yamaha), +1:06.097; 8. Petar Petrov (BUL, Kawasaki), +1:31.849; 9. Samuele Bernardini (ITA, TM), +1:41.666; 10. Jorge Zaragoza (ESP, Honda), +1:56.479.
MX2 Overall Top Ten: 1. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 50 points; 2. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, SUZ), 40 p.; 3. Vsevolod Brylyakov (RUS, KAW), 37 p.; 4. Pauls Jonass (LAT, KTM), 36 p.; 5. Aleksandr Tonkov (RUS, YAM), 32 p.; 6. Petar Petrov (BUL, KAW), 28 p.; 7. Benoit Paturel (FRA, YAM), 27 p.; 8. Samuele Bernardini (ITA, TM), 26 p.; 9. Max Anstie (GBR, HUS), 25 p.; 10. Jorge Zaragoza (ESP, HON), 22 p.
MX2 Championship Top Ten: 1. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 250 points; 2. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, SUZ), 192 p.; 3. Pauls Jonass (LAT, KTM), 166 p.; 4. Aleksandr Tonkov (RUS, YAM), 163 p.; 5. Petar Petrov (BUL, KAW), 132 p.; 6. Benoit Paturel (FRA, YAM), 126 p.; 7. Vsevolod Brylyakov (RUS, KAW), 121 p.; 8. Samuele Bernardini (ITA, TM), 117 p.; 9. Alvin Östlund (SWE, YAM), 89 p.; 10. Max Anstie (GBR, HUS), 82 p.
AMSOIL Grand National Cross Country Series – Round 4 – Big Buck Farm – Union, South Carolina
Round four of the GNCC series was held in South Carolina last weekend and at the end of the three-hour race Kailub Russell claimed the overall win ahead of Chris Bach and his main championship rival Josh Strang.
Russell got off to the perfect start and was able to stay out of trouble and the dust all day but he did have a small problem in the pits. “When I had my pit stop my mechanic’s radio tether got wrapped around my handlebars,” said Russell. “So when I pulled out I drug his radio with me and had to slow down and unravel it. It was a bummer because I knew Ashburn and the rest of the guys were catching up so I just put in a little sprint for the next lap and was able to create another gap between us.”
Bach scored an important podium and is looking for his first win in the coming rounds. “I should have been on the podium the whole time this season,” said Bach. “This is notoriously a bad track for me because I normally struggle here, but now I’ve got a little momentum for the rest of the season. I was able to win at the new track last year and that’s my plan heading into the next South Carolina round.”
While Russell had an almost perfect race the same couldn’t be said for the championship leader with Strang getting his poorest start for 2016 and with the dusty conditions a third was the best the Aussie could do. “I had a rough start to the day,” said Strang. “It was a little stressful, but we got everything figured out and it was fine after that. It was important to get a good start today with the dust, but I just didn’t get as good as a start as I wanted, but I’m still pretty happy with third place.”
Like Strang, fellow Aussie Daniel Milner didn’t get the best of starts and struggled in the dust all day to end up with 8th overall which drops the Yamaha rider from 3rd to 6th in the championship but look for Milner to bounce back at the inaugural CST Tires Camp Coker GNCC in Society Hill, South Carolina in two weekend’s time.
XC1 Pro Event Results
- Kailub Russell (KTM)
- Chris Bach (HON)
- Josh Strang (HSQ)
- Ryan Sipes (HSQ)
- Jordan Ashburn (KTM)
- Grant Baylor (YAM)
- Ricky Russell (SUZ)
- Daniel Milner (YAM)
- Steward Baylor Jr. (KTM)
- Jason Thomas (YAM)
Overall National Championship Standings after Round 4 of 13
- Kailub Russell (106)
- Josh Strang (106)
- Chris Bach (71)
- Ryan Sipes (66)
- Trevor Bollinger (62)
- Daniel Milner (61)
- Grant Baylor (50)
- Steward Baylor Jr. (46)
- Jordan Ashburn (41)
- Craig Delong (38)
XC2
In the XC2 Pro Lites division, Trevor Bollinger continued his dominance winning his fourth race of the season but it was not easy for Bollinger as he had to work his way through the pack after Craig Delong pulled the holeshot ahead of Jesse Groemm who also had the lead for some time but in the end the best Delong and Groemm could do was keep on the podium.
“Today was probably the hardest race I’ve had all season,” said Bollinger. “Delong was running really good and ended up catching me on the last lap so I just pushed it as hard as I could without going overboard and luckily it was good enough for the win.”
XC2 Pro-Am Event Results
- Trevor Bollinger (HON)
- Craig Delong (HSQ)
- Jesse Groemm (BET)
- Austin Lee (YAM)
- Tegan Temple (BET)
- Michael Witkowski (KTM)
- Vance Francis (HON)
- Mark Heresco Jr. (KTM)
- Joshua Toth (KTM)
- Samuel Evans (YAM)
XC2 Pro-Am Series Standings
- Trevor Bollinger (120)
- Craig Delong (83)
- Jesse Groemm (78)
- Tegan Temple (66)
- Austin Lee (52)
- Layne Michael (52)
- Trevor Barrett (49)
- Benjamin Kelley (47)
- Zack Hayes (43)
- Samuel Evans (42)
2016 World Enduro Championships – Round 3-4 – Portugal
If you ever doubted the raw talent of Matthew Phillips well put those thoughts well and truly out of your head as the young Tasmanian is right now the fastest Enduro racer in the world after rounds 3 and 4 of the World Enduro Championships held in Portugal last weekend.
On a rain soaked day Phillips beat arch rival Mathias Bellino on Saturday to take out the Enduro GP and the E2 classes but on Sunday the Sherco pilot had to overcome a slow start to work his way up to fifth overall which was enough to earn the Aussie the Enduro GP and E2 points lead.
“It all came down to the last extreme test and I went for it,” explained Phillips after the opening day. “It was pretty much a battle ground so I took some completely different lines and gave it everything, and it worked. It’s great to get on top of the podium in these conditions. It was a tough day for everyone. Day two’s going to be interesting.”
With Phillips buried (literally) in the pack Steve Holcombe became the third rider to win an Enduro GP round on day two of competition. “I got close to winning on day one so to finally get the job done and a first EnduroGP win to my name is great, I enjoyed the day. The tests were pretty tough in places but the organisers did a great job in working on the track overnight. I just kept pushing on all tests and everything went well.”
A more comprehensive report from the EnduroGP of Portugal can be found here.
Enduro GP Class (Outright) Round 3 Results
1. Matthew PHILLIPS
2. Mathias BELLINO
3. Steve HOLCOMBE
4. Taylor ROBERT
5. Antoine BASSET
6. Alex SALVINI
7. Eero REMES
8. Cristobal GUERRERO RUIZ
9. Johnny AUBERT
10. Jamie MCCANNEY
Enduro GP Class (Outright) Round 4 Results
1. Steve HOLCOMBE
2. Eero REMES
3. Nathan WATSON
4. Taylor ROBERT
5. Matthew PHILLIPS
6. Alex SALVINI
7. Loïc LARRIEU
8. Manuel MONNI
9. Mathias BELLINO
10. Cristobal GUERRERO RUIZ
Enduro GP Class Championship Standings After Round 4
1. Matthew PHILLIPS – 66 Pts
2. Mathias BELLINO – 61 Pts
3. Steve HOLCOMBE – 61 Pts
4. Eero REMES – 48 Pts
5. Alex SALVINI – 42 Pts
6. Taylor ROBERT – 40 Pts
7. Antoine BASSET – 33 Pts
8. Nathan WATSON – 31 Pts
9. Johnny AUBERT – 31 Pts
10. Loïc LARRIEU – 28 Pts
E1 Class Championship Standings After Round 4
1. Eero REMES – 80 Pts
2. Nathan WATSON – 62 Pts
3. Jamie MCCANNEY – 62 Pts
4. Gianluca MARTINI – 51 Pts
5. Daniel MCCANNEY – 44 Pts
6. Rudy MORONI – 35 Pts
7. Ivan CERVANTES – 32 Pts
8. Victor GUERRERO – 32 Pts
9. Mikael PERSSON – 25 Pts
10. Alessandro BATTIG – 24 Pts
E2 Class Championship Standings After Round 4
1. Matthew PHILLIPS – 74 Pts
2. Mathias BELLINO – 65 Pts
3. Taylor ROBERT – 58 Pts
4. Alex SALVINI – 58 Pts
5. Loïc LARRIEU – 47 Pts
6. Cristobal GUERRERO RUIZ – 42 Pts
7. Oriol MENA – 36 Pts
8. Deny PHILIPPAERTS – 30 Pts
9. Tommaso MONTANARI – 24 Pts
10. Davide GUARNERI – 22 Pts
E3 Class Championship Standings After Round 4
1. Steve HOLCOMBE – 77 Pts
2. Antoine BASSET – 64 Pts
3. Johnny AUBERT – 57 Pts
4. Manuel MONNI – 52 Pts
5. Jaume BETRIU – 48 Pts
6. Thomas OLDRATI – 40 Pts
7. Luis CORREIA – 39 Pts
8. Romain DUMONTIER – 28 Pts
9. Lorenzo SANTOLINO – 26 Pts
10. Jonathan BARRAGAN – 25 Pts
AMSOIL Arenacross – Round 3 – Race to the Championship – Tacoma Dome
The Arenacross series reached the halfway point of the ‘Race to the Championship’ last weekend with its second visit to the Tacoma Dome in the Pacific Northwest and this time it was former Australian Supercross Champion Gavin Faith who not only earned his first overall win of the Race to the Championship but he also moved into a tie for the points lead after his arch rival Chris Blose went 1-7 over the two finals while in the Western Regional Arenacross Lites Class, Carlen Gardner became the fourth straight rider to break through for the first win of his career.
Arenacross Class Overall Results (Main Event Results)
1. Gavin Faith, Fort Dodge, Iowa, Kawasaki (2-3)
2. Jacob Hayes, Liberty, N.C., Kawasaki (5-1)
3. Ben Lamay, Forney, Texas, Honda (3-4)
4. Jace Owen, Matoon, Ill., Honda (6-2)
5. Chris Blose, Phoenix, Kawasaki (1-7)
6. Travis Sewell, Westville, Ind., KTM (4-6)
7. Austin Politelli, Menifee, Calif., Kawasaki (8-8)
8. Ryan Breece, Athol, Idaho, Yamaha (12-5)
9. Kyle Regal, Lake Elsinore, Calif., Husqvarna (7-12)
10. Cody VanBuskirk, Harvard, Ill., KTM (11-9)
RMATV/MC Head 2 Head Challenge Results (Bonus Points)
1. Travis Sewell, Westville, Ind., KTM (2 points)
2. Ben Lamay, Forney, Texas, Honda (1 point)
3. Gavin Faith, Fort Dodge, Iowa, Kawasaki (1 point)
4. Chris Blose, Phoenix, Kawasaki (1 point)
5. Kyle Regal, Lake Elsinore, Calif., Husqvarna (1 point)
6. Jace Owen, Matoon, Ill., Honda (1 point)
7. Cody VanBuskirk, Harvard, Ill., KTM (1 point)
8. Jacob Hayes, Liberty, N.C., Kawasaki (1 point)
Race to the Championship Standings
1. Gavin Faith, Fort Dodge, Iowa, Kawasaki – 126 (8 Main Event Wins)
2. Chris Blose, Phoenix, Kawasaki – 126 (4 Main Event Wins)
3. Jacob Hayes, Liberty, N.C., Kawasaki – 113 (9 Main Event Wins)
4. Jace Owen, Matoon, Ill., Honda – 110 (1 Main Event Win)
5. Ben Lamay, Forney, Texas, Honda – 105 (3 Main Event Wins)
6. Travis Sewell, Westville, Ind., KTM – 95 (5 Main Event Wins)
7. Gared Steinke, Woodland, Calif., Husqvarna – 82
8. Kyle Regal, Lake Elsinore, Calif., Husqvarna – 74
9. Cody VanBuskirk, Harvard, Ill., KTM – 45
10. Daniel Herrlein, Bethesda, Ohio, Honda – 1
Western Regional Arenacross Lites Class Results
1. Carlen Gardner, Paso Robles, Calif., KTM
2. Kyle Bitterman, West Pelzer, S.C., Husqvarna
3. Cody VanBuskirk, Harvard, Ill., KTM
4. Robbie Wageman, Newhall, Calif., Yamaha
5. Tallon Lafountaine, Banning, Calif., KTM
6. Jared Lesher, Ball Ground, Ga., KTM
7. Jake Anstett, Port Angeles, Wash., KTM
8. Dylan Rouse, Florence, Ky., KTM
9. Dillon Cloyed, Papillion, Neb., Honda
10. Chris Howell, Spokane Valley, Wash., Husqvarna
Western Regional Arenacross Lites Class Standings
1. Cody VanBuskirk, Harvard, Ill., KTM – 113 (1 Main Event Win)
2. Ben Nelko, Aliquippa, Pa., KTM – 102 (2 Main Event Wins)
3. Carlen Gardner, Paso Robles, Calif., KTM – 89 (1 Main Event Win)
4. Cheyenne Harmon, Colleyville, Texas, KTM – 89 (1 Main Event Win)
5. Jared Lesher, Ball Ground, Ga., KTM – 84 (1 Main Event Win)
6. Dylan Rouse, Florence, Ky., KTM – 67
7. Scott Zont, Algonquin, Ill., KTM – 63
8. Dave Ginolfi, Midvale, Utah, Husqvarna – 56
9. Dillon Cloyed, Papillion, Neb., Honda – 41
10. Brandon Marley, McEwen, Tenn., KTM – 35
Australian MX Nationals – Round 2 – Appin
Appin hosted round two of the Australian MX Nationals last weekend and it was Dean Ferris and Caleb Ward who scored the outright win in the MX1 and MX2 classes respectively ahead of the most competitive fields in the history of the series.
MX1 Report
Ferris won the opening moto in convincing fashion but struggled in the second moto to finish in third which was enough for the overall and the lead in the championship. “It’s a good feeling to get the win and reward the CDR Yamaha team for their efforts so far this year,” Ferris stated. “I felt I owed them that after Horsham. I have really enjoyed the opening two rounds and being back in Australia and the level of competition in the MX1 class at the moment is really high with a lot of guys are riding well. The plan was to get off to a good start at the opening two rounds and we have managed to do that but there is a lot of work to do and the only red plate that matters is the one after the final round at Coolum.”
Brett Metcalfe is finding the competition here in Australia more than healthy and his fourth in the opening moto is proof of that but the former AMA Supercross and Motocross factory star did manage to get the second moto win. “That was nice to come away with a moto win, and almost the overall. It was a good racing and a good day for us all on the SD3 Husqvarna team too. I didn’t qualify that well but that’s going to be a challenge for me anyway because each track is a new track and it’s always very muddy in practice. I didn’t feel ultra-comfortable but I think that’s just the way the Appin track is, with hard-packed underneath and a lot of technical and square-edged bumps. I think that was to our advantage today with the Husqvarna’s steel frame that works well in those conditions. In Moto One I got a horrible start with a wheel spin off the gate. I chipped away from 10th and ended up climbing back to fourth, but I knew my pace was good. Then in Moto two things just kind of came together and I was able to get a really good start, and I just sat second behind Matt Moss and was able to get the lead about half way in. I got a little gap, and then as they closed in at the end I just watched my pit board and managed the gap. It was great to bring the SD3 Husky home for the Moto win and second for the day.”
Todd Waters’ first two rounds has been a bit of a grind but the former MXGP star is still racking up podium moto finishes. “I was a bit bummed with my first race to tell you the truth. I started the day off well taking the win in Superpole so I knew my speed was there, I just needed to get off the line well, but I sort of blew the start in the first moto. Overall I’m very happy. We are constantly moving forward with the bike, and with the team and myself also, so this is what we want – consistent rides, and then hit the halfway mark in the series and put the hammer down. My Suzuki is working very well, we made a few changes with Jay Foreman coming in to round two, and I’m really happy with the bike at the moment. I’m just going to go home, do my homework and see what I can do at round 3.”
Defending champion Kirk Gibbs is showing that 2015 was not a fluke and is throwing himself well and truly in to the fray and ended round two with 2-4 finishes. “For a day that was full of mistakes it wasn’t too bad but I expect a lot better. I had a little crash on my Go Pro Super Pole lap so I missed an opportunity for points there. First moto I felt like I should have won the race, but Ferris decided to jump on me on the last lap and I have the tyre mark on my back and side to prove it. Luckily I didn’t go down and was still able to get second. Second moto I got myself into a good position early in third, but made two really big mistakes and let Todd past and Ferris got around me with two laps to go. Frustrating from my end, but I’m still leaving healthy and right within range of the championship lead.”
Hats off to KTM privateer (of sorts) Jacob Wright who battled hard all day for 8th outright ahead of the factory Honda duo of Dylan Long and Jay Wilson.
MX1 Overall
1st Dean Ferris (1-3) – 65
2nd Brett Metcalfe (4-1) – 63
3rd Todd Waters (3-2) – 62
4th Kirk Gibbs (2-4) – 60
5th Matt Moss – 52
6th Dan Reardon (7-6) – 49
7th Kade Mosig -48
8th Jacob Wright -45
9th Dylan Long -44
10th Jay Wilson -43
MX1 Championship Standings – After Round 2 of 10
1st Dean Ferris – 127
2nd Kirk Gibbbs – 125
3rd Todd Waters – 119
4th Matt Moss – 117
5th Brett Metcalfe – 115
6th Kade Mosig – 104
7th Dan Reardon – 99
8th Dylan Long – 92
9th Jay Wilson – 86
10th Kurt Wightman – 69
MX2 Race Report
Caleb Ward stretched his lead in the MX2 championship out to 11 points over fellow Queenslander Nathan Crawford after convincingly winning the opening moto and looking on track to make it a clean sweep before suffering a small fall which cost him several places in moto two.
“I had a pretty good day. First one I started in fifth or sixth and made my way back through the pack slowly and took my time. I ended up passing into the lead with about eight minutes to go and just sort of managed the race. Then in Moto two I came out in second or third, got up behind Mossy and we were going pretty fast at the front for a few laps, then I managed to pass him on lap three or four or something and was in cruise mode doing my own thing when I came around the corner and a rut had collapsed in on itself. I was fully leaned and committed, and hit this massive chunk of dry dirt and my front deflected off and I ended up on the ground. I got back up and salvaged some points and still got enough for the overall so I was pretty happy with that.”
Luke Arbon was one of two riders who was penalised for jumping off the track and re-entering the track in what was deemed the wrong spot by the officials. “I’m happy to be back on the podium – that’s where I’m paid to be. I definitely improved with the way I made passes and didn’t really get passed too much. Felt solid and pretty strong on the bike. I actually got second in the last moto, but they docked me a ten second penalty for jumping off the side of a jump when there was a hay bale there. I slowed right down and got back on the track at the next safest place, but they didn’t want a bar of it. I’m looking forward to round three and hopefully getting a win.”
Nathan Crawford had an up and down weekend (literally) but is keeping himself at the pointy end of the field. “Feeling pretty second-hand tonight. In qualifying I had a pretty big crash that started a few dramas and I qualified ordinary. First moto I got a pretty ordinary start, spun off the line, I was coming through and got up to fifth within the first five minutes, and then ended up crashing and had to pass all those riders all over again. Second moto I was running fifth or something, but made a few passes and Arbon got a penalty and ended up getting second. Finished the day off not too bad but it was kind of damage control.”
Jayden Rykers would have been on the podium if it wasn’t for being penalised for jumping off the track – here is Jayden had to say of his day. “I went 3 – 5 which would have given me my first podium, but we got a penalty for jumping off the track to avoid a hay bale, so unfortunately I got put back to ninth with a ten-second penalty. Unfortunate, but I felt pretty good. The first one was good, myself, Ward and Moss were in the top three and I felt quite comfortable with my speed. I’m sitting eighth in the championship now but third place is only six points ahead of me, so third is where I would have been if I never got docked for points. I’ll cop it on the chin and show them what we’re made of next round. No point in getting angry about it.”
MX2 Overall
1. Caleb Ward – 65
2. Kale Makeham – 60
3. Luke Arbon – 56
4. Nathan Crawford – 55
5. Jayden Rykers – 52
6. Wade Hunter – 47
7. Jake Moss – 47
8. Jed Beaton – 45
9. Wilson Todd – 44
10. Richie Evans – 39
MX2 Championship Points After Round 2 of 10:
1. Caleb Ward 126
2. Nathan Crawford 115
3. Jake Moss 107
4. Luke Arbon 106
5. Kale Makeham 104
6. Jed Beaton 102
7. Wilson Todd 102
8. Jayden Rykers 101
9. Wade Hunter 84
10. Hamish Harwood 81
MXD Class
Jordan Hill won the second round of the MXD Championship by won point over championship leader Connor Tierney who in turn finished one point in front of the hard charging Mitch Evans.
Jordan Hill: “We all left Horsham pretty disappointed because we are far better than the results we got at the first round,” Hill said. “This weekend our focus was to cut out the mistakes and get our championship back on track and we were able to do that.”
Connor Tierney – “It was a bit of a tough day today – I was pretty tight, I didn’t really feel like I gelled with the track from the start, so I was pretty happy to stay consistent and stay on the box. I was only one point off the lead today so it was good to extend the championship gap. I couldn’t be happier. We’ll try and get a few good weeks training in, and try to keep the momentum going at Broadford.”
MXD Overall: 1. Jordan Hill – 65. 2. Connor Tierney -64. 3. Mitch Evans – 63. 4. Wade Kirkland – 54. 5. Cooper Pozniak – 52.
MXD Championship Points after round 2: 1. Connor Tierney 134, 2. Cooper Pozniak 112, 3. Wade Kirkland 111, 4. Kaleb Barham 107, 5. Jordan Hill 103, 6. Zak Small 102, 7. Mitchell Evans 90, 8. Lochie Latimer 84, 9. Justin Hart 74, 10. Luke Abela 70
Yamaha Rising Star Rookies Round 1
Yamaha Rising Star Rookies: Former World Junior Motocross Champion and multi Australian Junior Motocross Champion Caleb Grothues made the trek from Western Australia for the opening round of the Yamaha Rising Star Rookies championship and made the most of his KTM125SX to take both motos in convincing style.
Caleb Grothues: “The track at Appin was very deep and rough, it was like a Junior Aussie title after a week of racing on it – it was crazy, but overall we are very happy to go undefeated!” he said. “I have only ever been to one other MX National so it was an awesome experience to race alongside the best in our country at Appin. For us juniors, this is where we’re hoping to be in the future so it’s cool to get a taste of it in the Rookies class.”
Yamaha Rising Star Rookies Round 1 Results and Championship Standings: 1. Caleb Grothues – 70. 2. Cody Dyce – 62. 3. Callum Norton – 62. 4. Riley Dukes – 56. 5. Brodie Ellis – 49. 6. Hayden Matterson – 46. 7. Mason Semmens – 44. 8. Morgan Fogarty – 42. 9. Jy Roberts – 42. 10. Jake Cobbin – 37.
