Moto News Wrap for November 8, 2016 by Darren Smart
Proudly brought to you by Dunlop Geomax
This Week’s News Overview
- Troy Bayliss Classic News
- Milner To Be MA Enduro Ambassador
- Ward To World MX2 in 2017
- Gautier Paulin signs with with Rockstar Energy Husqvarna
- ASTES4-TESAR Yamaha is now the Official EMX250 Team
- NO-DIRT Start Gates for MXGP
- Pozniak to take on America’s Best
- 2017 Maxxis FIM Enduro World Championships & Enduro World Cup Calendar
- Gomez Beats Jarvis at Hixpania Hard Enduro
- Champion Stays with Yamaha
- Traders Racing Kawasaki Sign Renzland and Gaines
- Connor Tierney out with injury
- 2017 AXO Trans Am gear lands in OZ
- 2016 A4DE stars to keep an eye on
- YMA build CR22 tribute two-stroker YZ250
- Vale Barry Marshal
This Week’s Racing Overview
- Australian Supercross Championships – Round 4 – Victoria
- GEICO Endurocross Championship- Boise, ID
- World Vet Motocross Championship – Glen Helen, California
- Wildwood Rock Extreme Enduro – Wildwood, Victoria
Troy Bayliss Classic News
Well, it’s that time of the year when we start looking forward to the annual Troy Bayliss Classic and the biggest news at hand right now is the fact that defending champion Jarred Mees has been confirmed for the event on the 21st of January 2017.
This will be the fifth time that some of the world’s best flat track racers will converge on the Taree Motorcycle Club for the running of what is now called the Motul Pirelli Troy Bayliss Classic presented by Shannon’s Insurance.
Mees will return to defend his 2015 crown, a title that remains in place due to rain forcing the cancellation of the final race in 2016.
Jarred Mees
“I am really looking forward to making the trip to Australia again for the 2017 Troy Bayliss Classic. The very first time I came to the event I knew I would always look forward to coming back. I can’t thank Brisbane Motorcycles enough for the bikes and support and everyone at the Troy Bayliss Classic for inviting me back again.”
Event Organiser Troy Bayliss said an incredible amount of planning and development has gone into ensuring an even greater experience for spectators at the 2017 event.
Troy Bayliss
“I am looking forward to our fifth Troy Bayliss Classic at Taree Motorcycle Club. This event continues to evolve, and I am excited with what we have planned for 2017. We have extended grandstand seating and included shade cover to ensure an event better experience for spectators. This option is perfect for people wanting to arrive a little later and not worry about bringing pop-up tents. Grandstand tickets are limited and will be available to purchase online from Friday 11 November.”
“While personally, I would love to take another win I do think with the likes of Jared (Mees) and the rest of the All-Star line-up my best days are behind me. In saying that, I will definitely give it a nudge and if I am on a good day; who knows what could happen. The most important aspect for me is ensuring everyone who comes to the event enjoys themselves. We have also refined the support classes for the 2017 Troy Bayliss Classic, this new qualifying process will ensure we are attracting the best young and amateur racers from around Australia.”
In addition to the All Star’s and Legends class, the event will include a strong line-up of support categories, featuring some of Australia’s best youth and amateur racers. In fact, the top seven competitors from the 65cc, 85cc and 250cc (13-16yrs) classes at the 2016 Australian Junior Dirt Track titles all received invitations to enter for the 2017 event.
The Akubra Classic to be held at Kempsey’s Greenhill Speedway on Saturday 19th November will also be a qualifier for the 2017 Motul Pirelli Troy Bayliss Classic, with the top eight finishes from the 450 final, eligible for an approved entry.
Milner To Be MA Enduro Ambassador
Motorcycling Australia has announce that Daniel Milner will be the first ever MA Enduro Ambassador ahead of the 2016 Australian Four Day Enduro where Milner is looking to defend the A4DE outright title for the fifth consecutive year.
This initiative has been developed by Motorcycling Australia to help increase the growing spectrum of Enduro racing and the introduction of a newly formed Enduro team which will provide the Enduro community a platform for communication.
Milner will work with MA to create exposure for our championships and to aid in its continuing development.
Daniel Milner
“It is really cool. This is the first time something like this has happened, and I am really looking forward to it. Hopefully we can get some young people in to the sport, and also get the ones who have been there and done it before back in to it, as they still have the racing and riding in their heart. I am happy to try and help people, and get them back on their bike. I think it is one of those things where it has always felt like the attention was on ‘Motocross’ back in the day, but seeing how much it has turned around and how much time is getting put in to Off-Roads now, I think it’s a pretty cool thing. It’s especially important with the talent of our riders, we have the world’s best riders here in Australia. I think that is definitely a big move for MA to do something like this, and it’s definitely the right move.”
Ward Signs for World MX2 in 2017
19-year-old Far North Queensland racer Caleb Ward has signed on with the 8biano Racing Husqvarna Team to compete in the 2017 World MX2 Motocross Championships and will be based at the team’s Italian headquarters for the season.
Caleb Ward
“I’m super excited to be racing for the 8biano Racing team in 2017, it’s been a goal and dream of mine to race the World Championships so I’m really stoked that I’ve been given the opportunity to do it. I’m really looking forward to getting over to Europe and experiencing everything and riding the new Husqvarna. I’ve ridden KTM’s for a long time and I think the Husky will be quite similar so it should be an easy transition. I’m also keen to ride all new tracks and to be racing different riders for the first time which will be really cool, I’m sure it’s going to be a huge learning curve but I can’t wait!”
Ward will join Jed Beaton and the Lawrence brothers Jet and Hunter who are also racing in Europe in 2017 giving us Aussie moto fans something to follow throughout the 20 round series – it could also bid well for a young and fresh Australian Motocross of Nations team at Matterley Basin on October the 1st.
2017 FIM Motocross World Championship Calendar:
Rd1 – 25 February (Sat): QATAR – Losail
Rd2 – 5 March: INDONESIA – Pangkal Pinang
Rd3 – 19 March: PATAGONIA ARGENTINA – Neuquen
Rd4 – 2 April: LEON – MEXICO – Leon
Rd5 – 16 April: ITALY – Maggiora
Rd6 – 23 April: EUROPE – Valkenswaard
Rd7 – 7 May: LATVIA – Kegums
Rd8 – 21 May: GERMANY – Teutschenthal
Rd9 – 28 May: FRANCE – Ernée
Rd10 – 11 June: RUSSIA – Orlyonok
Rd11 – 25 June: TRENTINO – Piatramurata
Rd12 – 2 July: PORTUGAL – Agueda
Rd13 – 9 July: SAN MARINO – Baldasserona
Rd14 – 23 July: CZECH REP. – Loket
Rd15 – 6 August: BELGIUM – Lommel
Rd16 – 13 August: SWITZERLAND – Frauenfeld/Gachnang
Rd17 – 20 August: SWEDEN – Uddevalla
Rd18 – 3 September: MXGP OF USA – Charlotte
Rd19 – 10 September: THE NETHERLANDS – Assen
Rd20 – 24 September: PAYS DE MONTBELIARD (France)
1 October – Monster Energy FIM Motocross of Nations – GREAT BRITAIN, Matterley Basin
Gautier Paulin signs with with Rockstar Energy Husqvarna
Gautier Paulin has signed on to race for the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing MXGP team for the 2017 and 2018 FIM Motocross World Championship seasons alongside teammates Max Nagl and Max Anstie.
The 26-year-old Frenchman has been a part of France’s winning MXoN team during the past three years.
Gautier Paulin
“I’m really excited to be part of Rockstar Energy Husqvarna. In our sport there are no limits to improvement and I believe I’ve got everything I need now to take my riding a step further. I’m in a very professional team that’s proven they have the potential to win championships. We have a very good base in terms of equipment and the best support to battle for the top. Obviously, I need time to adapt to my new bike but my goal is to get the best feeling I ever had on a bike. With 20 rounds announced for next year’s MXGP series, it’s going to be more important than ever to remain consistent and stay away from injuries. My plan is to work harder than ever to get familiar with the bike and prepare myself for every different kind of track.”
ASTES4-TESAR Yamaha is now the Official EMX250 Team
The amalgamation of the DP19 Yamaha team and fellow Italian squad SDM Corse MX Team will form the ASTES4-TESAR Yamaha team for the 2017 European Motocross Championship.
Fabio Tognella will be overseeing the new team as Marketing Manager with Daniele Marchese as Team Manager and former MX1 (MXGP) World Champion David Philippaerts as Rider Manager for Maxime Renaux, Karlis Sabulis and Roan Van de Moosdijk on YZ250Fs.
David Philippaerts
“Three years ago I started my own team by myself and it was pretty tough but I learned so much about going racing in the right way. This new move to put two-teams-into-one comes at a great time to do something a bit different and very strong for Yamaha. For me it is also a new role where I can focus more on what I am good at and what I’d like to do; be based more around the riders and making sure everything from a technical and supply side is right. We are joining together to make a great team and I’m really happy.”
NO-DIRT Start Gates for MXGP
A new innovation will be introduced in the 2017 MXGP series with metal mesh replacing the dirt behind the starting gate. This was introduced by Youthstream at the SMX and was also used in the Monster Energy Cup. The metal mesh will make the starting gate 100% equal and will also end the rider preparation on their starting gate.
Giuseppe Luongo had this to say. “It is a new innovation that will give all the riders the same chance at the start, with everyone having the same type of grip, in all weather conditions. With the start being so important in this sport, it really makes it much more equal for the riders.”
Pozniak to take on America’s Best
Newcastle’s Cooper Pozniak will take on America’s fastest young guns at the 2016 Mini O’s Winter Olympics between November 21 and 26 at the famous Gatorback Cycle Park in Florida.
The 17-year-old heads off to USA on the 12th of November to spend a week of training and bike prep at the Milsaps Training Facility (MTF) in Georgia before driving down to Florida to compete at the Mini O’s which features motocross and supercross events over the five days of competition.
The Pozniak family are grateful to Johnny Mclean from Lusty Industries for helping sort out two KTM 250SX-Fs and making all this possible. Cooper will travel with his parents Darren and Theresa, in a hired a motorhome for the three week trip.
Cooper Pozniak
“I am looking forward to the challenge and the great adventure ahead. I know the event itself will be tough as some of the best riders in America will be trying, just like me to win. I am looking forward to meeting new people on the way, and am grateful to have the opportunity to race for the first time in the USA.”
2017 Maxxis FIM Enduro World Championships & Enduro World Cup Calendar
Multi World Champion Matthew Phillips will be defending his World Enduro Championships amonst a changed format and calendar with Enduro, Enduro Sprint and GNCC style events over 18 days of competition in nine countries between March and October, 2017. See full dates and classes below:
Gomez Beats Jarvis at Hixpania Hard Enduro
1. Alfredo Gomez (KTM) – 2. Graham Jarvis (Husqvarna) – 3. Mario Roman (Husqvarna)
Graham Jarvis has suffered a rare defeat to Alfredo Gomez at the inaugural Hixpania Hard Enduro, a 2.5-hour, multi-lap race set in and around a quarry in northern Spain.
Gomez was cheered on by his home crowd to finish ahead of the hottest rider on the planet right now in Jarvis while Mario Roman of Spain finished third ahead of a field of mostly Spanish riders.
Alfredo Gomez
“Winning this race is incredible. It’s my home race, so many people came here to watch me, and to give them a Spanish victory is fantastic. I’m so happy right now. The whole weekend has been really good. I rode well on both Friday and Saturday but in the back of my mind I wanted to save something for today and win when it really counted.
“I got to my bike okay in the Le Mans style start and exited the cave fourth or fifth. Then after the first big climb I got into the lead and pretty much rode at the front for the entire race. On lap two I found out that Graham (Jarvis) had a problem with his bike and it gave me a big lead. But I had to keep pushing hard until the end because you never know with Graham.”
Champion Stays with Yamaha
Scott Champion has re-signed with Barn Pros/Home Depot Yamaha will join Chris Alldredge for the 2017 season. “I am very excited to be back with the Barn Pros/Home Depot Yamaha team for 2017,” Champion said. “I enjoy working with the team and look forward to seeing the results with the added amount of support we will have in 2017.”
AMA Supercross and Motocross legend Rick Johnson will work with Champion in 2017. “I’m looking forward to working with Scott Champion in 2017. I worked with him for a short time when he was racing minis. It’s time for part two of our journey.”
Traders Racing Kawasaki Sign Renzland and Gaines
Traders Racing Kawasaki have announced that they will field a two-rider team to contest the 2017 Monster Energy Supercross 250SX East Region and the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship with Luke Renzland and Nick Gaines at the helm of their well fettled KXF250s.
Connor Tierney out with injury
Connor Tierney’s season came to a premature end after a serious crash, with the rider now recovering and having released the following statement:
Connor Tierney
“Thanks to everyone for all the messages of support over the last few days, it means a lot. I’ve been checked out of the Royal Melbourne Hospital this afternoon and am pretty lucky to be flying home tomorrow! I’ve got a pretty bad concussion and have fractured my 3L vertebra in my back but I’m alright and can still walk and function, just a little sore. So unfortunately that’s the end of my year! I can’t thank everyone from RaceSafe and the hospital enough, you guys are the best. Also a huge thanks to ThorMX Australia for making such a good product that really pulled through, my head got a pretty nasty hit. It’s a disappointing and frustrating end to the season but I can’t thank everyone in my corner enough for their support throughout the whole year and I’ve had a blast.”
2017 AXO Trans Am gear lands in OZ
The AXO Trans Am jersey and pants are now available in two colour options for 2017, with the pants and jersey available in Red/Blue/White and Black/White/Yellow.
The pants feature AXO’s slip fit knee technology and thigh pattern suspends the thigh from the knee, combined 600 denier Polyester thigh and crotch panels, genuine leather inner knee panels and on the rear of the pants, 1000 denier Nylon layering. They are available for $199.95 RRP. The 2017 AXO Trans Am jersey is 100 per cent Polyester, offering a generous fit for good comfort, as well as stain and odour resistance, with fully sublimated graphics. They are available for $59.95 RRP.
For more information on the AXO range of gear or to find your nearest stockist visit www.ficeda.com.au.
2016 A4DE stars to keep an eye on
A thick pool of talent expands from the Australian shores and with most of them returning home, there are a few key names that everyone should watch out for as the 2016 Yamaha Australian Four Days Enduro (A4DE) grows closer, starting this Monday the 14th of November.
There is not denying that all eyes will be on Daniel Milner next week as the 25-year-old puts his helmet on, ready to commence four days of challenging terrain in the hope to claim his fifth Yamaha A4DE outright title in consecutive years.
A ball of ‘fire’ and ‘ambition’ describes Daniel “Chucky” Sanders in only two words, as this 2016 newly crowned AORC Champion sets his sights on an A4DE title.
After coming off a very impressive International Six Days Enduro performance where Chucky secured himself an E3 World Championship, and with his eyes firmly set on contesting in Europe next year backed by his KTM support, Sanders will have a lot to prove across the four days.
Matthew Phillips will still be on a confident steak after an amazing World Enduro GP Championship win earlier this year. Returning home after a season in Europe Phillips confirmed his A4DE ride, contesting his fellow Australians.
This week will also see Josh Green have his second outing on his Yamaha machine after injury in the first round of the AORC this season cut his championship chase short. With the recovery going well and given the OK from his doc’s, Green will be back competing amongst his Yamaha team mates.
Jack Simpson is the newest name to the Enduro scene, but having already proved himself this year claiming an E1 Championship at the AORC in his rookie year Simpson has people watching.
For all competitors, Wednesday the 16th of November will see the commencement of the 2016 Yamaha Australian Four Days Enduro straight after a day of prologue in Merrijig near Mansfield in rural Victoria.
YMA build CR22 tribute two-stroker YZ250
This coming weekend sees Yamaha stars rolling into the Qudos Bank Arena for the AUS-X Open supercross event and there are no stars bigger than CR22 Chad Reed.
Reed won his first AMA SX title back in 2004 on a YZ250 two-stroke and in order to celebrate that achievement, YMA has built a tribute bike from a brand new 2017 YZ250 fitted with a host of trick parts and retro graphics.
Although Reed has raced the four-stroke YZ450F with great success, he harbours fond memories of the two-stroke YZ250 and still practices on one in the US.
But will he ride it at the AUS-X Open? You’ll have to attend the event to find out.
Matt Ferry – YMA National Sales Supervisor
“We posted pictures of the CR22 YZ250 on our social media and the response was overwhelmingly positive. It seems people really want to see Chad back on the model that took him to glory 12 years ago, even if he’s just spinning a few demo laps. Seeing and hearing him back on a two-stroke would really stir the memory for fans who have followed the career of our greatest ever dirt bike rider.”
Not content with dominating the action on track with Reed and fellow stars AMA SX champ Cooper Webb and French rider Thomas Pages, YMA is also owning the outdoor display area with the bLU cRU truck which will feature the trick CR22 YZ250 as well as kid’s fun bikes, the latest model dirt bikes and the pure sports YXZ1000R sports ROV.
Plus Yamaha stunt rider and Street Cred range ambassador Dave McKenna will be entertaining the big crowds on his custom built MT-09.
So if you are lucky enough to have scored a ticket, come and enjoy the biggest dirt bike spectacle of the year, check out our CR22 YZ250 and witness the air turning blue…
2017 YZ250 CR22 tribute bike mods:
- Frame and swingarm powder coated black – CVS Powder Coating www.cvsgroup.com.au
- Cycra powerflow kit with Stadium plate – Ficeda Accessories www.ficeda.com.au
- Custom designed graphics inspired by Chad’s 2004 YZ250 – Serco www.serco.com.au
- Custom MX Decals www.serco.com.au
- Pleated seat cover – Topline Upholstery www.toplineseats.com.au
- Renthal Twinwall Reed bend handlebars
- Pro Circuit Works pipe and Ti-2 silencer – Monza Imports www.monzaimports.com.au
- Kite Elite wheel set – Off Road Imports www.offroadimports.com.au
- Dunlop Geomax MX-3S tyres – Ficeda Accessories www.ficeda.com.au
- DID 520 MX chain – Ficeda Accessories www.ficeda.com.au
From Yamaha Genuine Accessories www.yamaha-motor.com.au
- Moto Tassinari V-Force3 reed valve system
- GYTR 270mm front rotor
- GYTR billet clutch cover
- GYTR axle blocks
- GYTR alloy rear sprocket
- GYTR launch master
- GYTR chain guide
- GYTR brake line pinch clamp
- LightSpeed carbon front sprocket cover
Vale Barry Marshal
(29 April 1944 – 10 October 2016)
The Queensland and Australian motorcycle sport community is remembering the life of renowned Brisbane journalist and photographer Barry Marshall, who passed away last month, aged 72.
Best known as Big Bazza, Barry was a much loved and highly respected member of the Queensland motorcycling community for more than four decades.
Boasting a beaming smile and fabulous sense of humour, and always armed with a brace of ever-ready Nikon cameras, Barry was an infield and pit lane fixture at hundreds, if not thousands, of state and national race events and functions over so many years.
During his extensive media career, Barry fulfilled editorial roles for a wide resume of motorcycle media outlets that included titles such as REVS Motorcycles News, Australian Motorcycle News, Speedway News, ADB Magazine, Dirt Action Magazine and Trail Zone Magazine.
He was also the longtime Editor of Motorcycling Queensland’s news magazine and also worked closely with leading event promoters and racers to assist with their marketing and communications activities.
At his recent funeral in Brisbane, which was attended by motorcycle sport and industry figures that included Stephen Gall, David Armstrong, John and Kevin Titman, Tony and Gavin Eales, Michael Oliver, Darren Smart, Dave Lucas and Alan Halley amongst others, Barry was remembered for the unwavering support and infectious enthusiasm he brought to all his activities in motorcycle sport.
A literally larger than life figure, Barry will be warmly remembered by all who met him, and all who knew him through his published work.
Rest in peace Barry Marshall.
Smarty’s Race Reports:
Australian Supercross Championships – Round 4 – Avalon, Vivtoria
On a dry and slippery track Dean Ferris and Gavin Faith have won the SX1 and SX2 main events respectively at the fourth round of the Australian Supercross Championship held at the Avalon Speedway in Victoria last Saturday night.
You can read the full race report here.
SX1
Justin Brayton started the night as he intended to continue with the fastest time in qualifying backed with a convincing win in his heat race ahead of the CDR Yamaha duo of Dan Reardon and Dean Ferris who in turn got the nod over Kyle Peters and former CDR Yamaha rider and now part-timer Cheyne Boyd.
With Todd Waters sitting out the night thanks to a mountain bike crash it was all up to Wilson’s Coolair Motul Factory Suzuki’s Luke Wilson who grabbed the holeshot in heat two before handing the lead to Lawson Bopping who was soon passed by Jay Marmont and it looked like the former Supercross Champion was going to hold on to the win until Wil Hahan forced his way to the lead and the heat win ahead of Marmont and Bopping.
While Brayton was left on the ground in the first corner of the 20 lap main event it was Reardon and Ferris who shot to the lead and rode wheel-to-wheel for the first seven laps until Ferris slipped into the lead and the eventual win over the defending champion Reardon.
Dean Ferris
“I’m stoked. Thank you to the team for all their effort this afternoon as I really made them work for it after my crash, I was fortunate to not hurt myself but the bike was a mess and the team did an awesome job of getting everything right for the night show and they played a huge part in tonight’s result. Since the Motocross of Nations I have been able to get into a good routine with riding and training for supercross and I feel a lot more comfortable on the track these days. I built my own track at home so I have everything I need to do well and its already starting to pay off. I’m really looking forward to Sydney this weekend and the addition of Chad, Cooper and Ryan will make for a great event.”
Dan Reardon
“I was a little disappointed not to get the win tonight as I put myself in the best position to do it only to let it slip through my fingers. Dean was a little more aggressive in that sand section and that was pretty much the difference between us as the rest of the track we stayed about the same. Still, it’s always good to be on the podium and that makes it three out of four for me, so the goal is to keep that rolling at Sydney this weekend.”
Marmont sat in third for most of the main event until caught by the American duo of Hahn and Brayton late in the race while Jesse Dobson finished in sixth position giving KTM something to cheer about after team-mate Kyle Peters crashed out of the race. Mosig, Boyd, Bopping and Jay Wilson rounded out the top ten.
Wil Hahn
“I feel like this is where I should have been last weekend, so tonight was really good to be back on the podium. The heat race felt strong and it was good to win that, then in the main I didn’t really get that good of a start. By the time I got into third, Dean [Ferris] and Dan [Reardon] had kind of checked out and I felt like I made up some ground over a few laps, but tonight was a matter of who made the least mistakes. The track made it very tough to push on. The result was good tonight, it’s great for myself and the National Pump Monster Energy Kawasaki Racing Team to be back on the podium and it’s a good feeling – I’m really happy.”
Jay Marmont
“It was unbelievable. I finished second in my heat after leading at one point then got a really good jump in the final. Will and Justin got a bit stuck together which allowed the Yamaha boys and I to go up the inside. Will got me around lap 12, and then I unfortunately made a couple of mistakes in the later part of the race and allowed Justin Brayton to get me on the last lap. Overall a very positive result, we were close to the podium but unfortunately just drifted a couple of spots back to fifth. But aside from that it was a really good night, no crashes when it was a really tough track. You definitely didn’t want to be on the ground.”
With two rounds and 50 points still up for grabs Ferris has moved to within 11 points of championship leader Brayton with Hahn a further six points back in third. Reigning champion Reardon sits 19 points behind leader Brayton with Marmont currently rounding out the top five on 61 points.
Justin Brayton
“Everything was going well, we qualified first and won our heat race again. In the final I was hit hard from behind and fell. I got up in last place and had to start my race all over again. Once I got to fourth I knew I needed to settle and focus on the championship. There was very little grip. It was so windy, that track dried very quickly and I needed to be smart and ride to the conditions. I have a comfortable points lead but I can’t afford to give away any more points.”
American Chris Alldredge’s first Australian outing for the Honda team was less than stellar but the American was testing his injured shoulder in preparation for this weekend’s AUS-X.
Chris Alldredge
“The main goal of the weekend was to test the shoulder out and make sure that we will be ready for Sydney. Thankfully the shoulder actually held up really well and I just suffered a bit of bad luck with my position on the track when I went down those couple of times.”
SX1 Final Results:
- Dean FERRIS
- Daniel REARDON
- Wil HAHN
- Justin BRAYTON
- Jay MARMONT
- Jesse DOBSON
- Kade MOSIG
- Cheyne BOYD
- Lawson BOPPING
- Jay WILSON
SX1 Championship Standings After Round 4 of 6
- Justin BRAYTON 93 Pts
- Dean FERRIS 82 Pts
- Wil HAHN 76 Pts
- Daniel REARDON 74 Pts
- Jay MARMONT 61 Pts
- Kade MOSIG 58 Pts
- Jay WILSON 48 Pts
- Adam ENTICKNAP 46 Pts
- Kyle PETERS 38 Pts
- Luke WILSON 35 Pts
SX2
In SX2 qualifying it was Gavin Faith who topped the field ahead of Luke Clout and Kale Makeham and it was Makeham who headed the field in the opening heat over Jackson Richardson and Kyle Webster while Wade Hunter and Faith were forced to fight through the field after poor starts.
Richardson crashed in the third corner which baulked Makeham and handed Webster the lead and the eventual win while Hunter and Faith worked their way up to second and third positions with Richardson forced to the LCQ.
Dylan Wills grabbed the holeshot in heat two and took off for the win ahead of Mellross while Aaron Tanti held on to finish in third place.
Jordan Hill grabbed the Holeshot in the main event but his lead was short lived as Faith shoved his way to the lead and was never headed as he raced to his second win of season while Richardson came from an outside start gate to clinch another podium position finish.
Mellross on the other hand crossed the finish line in 12th position at the end of the opening lap but the championship leader was not to be denied as the Yamaha pilot sliced his way to fourth with three laps remaining before passing Wills for third with just a lap to go.
Wills backed up his heat race win with a fine fourth place finish ahead of Wilson Todd, Joel Wightman, Kyle Webster, Aaron Tanti, Jesse Madden and Taylor Potter.
Mellross continues to lead the championship from Richardson who trails the Yamaha rider by eight points while Faith’s win moved him into third spot in the SX2 standings, 17 points behind Mellross.
Gavin Faith
“Not finishing round two has hurt me however my win on the weekend has given me a fighting chance. Indoor racing is my speciality and I am focused on giving my all in an effort to take out both nights.”
Jackson Richardson
“Considering how the heat went and the dry and slippery track, taking second tonight wasn’t too bad. I knew I had to get a great jump from the start because I was so far wide, but I was able to do that and put myself in a good position in the early stages. Congratulations to Gavin tonight. He never really made a mistake and deserved his win but this sets up a pretty good finish at the final rounds with the three of us not that far apart in the points and anything can happen at an indoor event.”
Wilson Todd
“Another good night and feeling like I’m making progress. There was no traction out there so you had to be patient and ride to the surface and the conditions. I’m now in seventh place and that’s not too bad considering I missed the opening round with a broken hand. Hopefully I can jump a few more spots after next weekend.”
It proved to be a tough main event for some of the pre-race contenders with Wade Hunter, Luke Clout both crashing out of the main event and looking like they will miss the final two rounds in Sydney.
Luke Clout
“I am bummed, I felt strong, I qualified well and was looking forward to a good night. This crash was out of my control. Someone jumped on top of me, out of the first turn and took me down hard. I am not sure if I am in for Sydney, I am just focused on my recovery now.”
Wade Hunter
“It’s a really disappointing way to end and the incident wasn’t my fault. In the first couple of turns, there were bikes going everywhere and someone jumped across on me and we collided in the air. As soon as I hit the ground I knew something was wrong as the pain was instant. I have had fun in the years’ championship and it’s been nice to turn my year around after a terrible motocross season.”
Rounds five and six of the 2016 Australian championship will head to Sydney next weekend as the AUS-X Open hosts the final two rounds on the 12th and 13th of November.
SX2 Final Results:
- Gavin FAITH
- Jackson RICHARDSON
- Hayden MELLROSS
- Dylan WILLS
- Wilson TODD
- Joel WIGHTMAN
- Kyle WEBSTER
- Aaron TANTI
- Jesse MADDEN
- Taylor POTTER
SX2 Championship Standings After Round 4 of 6
- Hayden MELLROSS – 89 Pts
- Jackson RICHARDSON – 81 Pts
- Gavin FAITH – 72 Pts
- Wade HUNTER – 58 Pts
- Dylan WILLS – 53 Pts
- Joel WIGHTMAN – 53 Pts
- Wilson TODD – 47 Pts
- Jordan HILL – 42 Pts
- Aaron TANTI – 39 Pts
- Kyle WEBSTER – 37 Pts
GEICO Endurocross Championship- Round 7 – Boise, ID
The penultimate round of the AMA EnduroCross Championship took place inside the Ford Idaho Center last weekend and it was Colton Haaker who came out on top of the main event while his championship rival Cody Webb salvaged a second place finish despite two violent crashes. Kyle Redmond led for several laps in the main event and finished a solid third.
Webb, Haaker and Cory Graffunder won the three heat races to earn a bonus championship point each but when the main event started, Haaker took the holeshot while Webb went down hard and got run over by several riders.
Haaker looked set to walk away with an easy win but got stuck in the firewood pit at the start of the second lap and lost a couple of positions. Redmond took over the lead and held it for five laps as Haaker worked his way back to second but struggled with the firewood pit nearly every lap.
Haaker worked his way past Redmond for the lead on lap six and pulled a small lead but continued to struggle with the firewood pit. Webb got up from his first turn crash well behind the field but started methodically working his way through the pack and was able to pass Redmond for second on lap seven and then closed in on Haaker to keep the race exciting all the way to the finish. Haaker managed to keep it together to take his fifth win of the season while Webb showed his toughness to take second.
Redmond had a close call when he landed on a log midway through the race and bent his footpeg up. Despite that, he held on to take his first podium finish of the season.
Colton Haaker
“I got the Holeshot and was riding really good but got stuck the first six laps. I saw Cody crash several times and he was going down hard and still managed to catch me because I was getting stuck in the firewood but I have been on the other side of that. It felt good to get another win.”
Cody Webb
“In the beginning I almost wasn’t going to keep going. I took a big digger and got run over but I realized I wasn’t seriously hurt. Then I crashed again from the top of the rock pile so my bars were bent but I gave it my all to get back up there.”
Kyle Redmond
“Everything was good today, I was fastest in the afternoon hot lap, led some laps in the main and finished up with a third place, so that was a great day. I was riding with a really bent footpeg for the second half of the race so that made it difficult but I held on for the podium.”
Canada’s Trystan Hart put in another amazing race to finish forth on his Husqvarna ahead of Graffunder, Brown, Ty Tremaine, Ty Cullins, Geoff Aaron and Noah Kepple who rounded out the top ten while Taddy Blazusiak was credited with 13th after he pulled off after a big crash during the main event.
Haaker opened up a 14-point lead over Webb in the championship (179 to 165) while Brown currently holds third with 115 points, just five ahead of Tremaine. Redmond moved into the top-five with 103 points.
The final round will take place in Ontario, California at the Business Bank Arena on Saturday, November 19.
Main Event Results
- Colton Haaker, Husqvarna
- Cody Webb, KTM
- Kyle Redmond, Beta
- Trystan Hart, Husqvarna
- Cory Graffunder, KTM
- Mike Brown, Husqvarna
- Ty Tremaine, KTM
- Ty Cullins, Beta
- Geoff Aaron, GasGas
- Noah Kepple, KTM
- Nick Thompson, KTM
- Cooper Abbott, Husqvarna
- Taddy Blazusiak, KTM
World Vet Motocross Championship – Glen Helen, California
Thousands of riders come from all over the world to contest the annual World Vet Motocross Championship at Glen Helen Raceway and this year we saw more than a handful of Kiwi racers make their way to the USA and boy, did they make an impact!
Josh Coppins gave Glen Helen specialist Mike Sleeter a hard time throughout the 30+ Pro class and swapped moto wins to end the championship in second place while Darryl Hurley managed fourth in the 30+ Pro class before winning the 40+ Pro Class ahead of a stacked field of former champions including Kurt Nicoll, Javier Garcia Vico, Gordon Ward, Brian Wheeler, Jeff Willoh and Ron Lechien.
Kiwi legend Mitch Rowe earned fourth overall in the highly competitive 50+ Pro class while former World Vet Champion and multi New Zealand Champion Tony Cooksley managed fourth overall in the 60+ class, swapping positions with American legend Chuck Sun throughout the two moto format.
30+ Pro Results:
- Mike Sleeter (2nd – 1st)
- Josh Coppins (1st – 2nd)
- Travis Preston (3rd – 3rd)
- Daryl Hurley (7th – 4th)
- Cole Siebler (5th – 6th)
- Tonni Andersen (8th – 7th)
- Javier Vico (6th – 9th)
- Dennis Stapleton (9th – 8th)
- Arik Swan (4th – 15th)
- Gordon Ward (10th – 10th)
40+ Pro Results:
- Daryl Hurley (Hus) 1-1
- Kurt Nicoll (KTM) 2-2
- Kenjiro Tsuji (Hon) 4-3
- Javier Garcia Vico (Hon) 3-4
- Ryan Hunt (Hon) 6-5
- Gordon Ward (Yam) 5-6
- Brian Wheeler (Kaw) 8-7
- Julian Cerny (Kaw) 7-8
- Jeff Willoh (Suz) 11-9
- Brandon Milstead (Yam) 10-10
- Ron Lechien (Kaw) 12-11
50+ Pro Results:
- Kurt Nicoll (1st – 1st)
- Pete Murray (2nd –2nd)
- Ed Foedish (3rd – 3rd)
- Mitch Rowe (4th – 4th)
- Jon Ortner (5th – 6th)
- Bob Weber (6th – 9th)
- Rob Engel (9th – 7th)
- Luther French (13th – 5th)
- Ed G Heacox (8th – 10th)
- Loren Pochirowski (11th – 8th)
60+ Overall
- Pete Degraaf (1st – 1st)
- Isao Ida Saita (2nd – 2nd)
- Chuck Sun (4th – 3rd)
- Tony Cooksley (3rd – 4th)
- Jim Latendresse (5th – 5th)
70+ Overall
- Bill Tanner (2nd – 1st)
- Jim Oneal (1st – 2nd)
- Rickey Anderson (5th – 3rd)
- Steve Machado (3rd – 5th)
- Tom Pearl (7th – 6th)
- Edgar Perriton (10th – 4th)
- Bill Van Vug Sr (4th – 12th)
- David Davis (9th – 8th)
- Lars Larsson (6th – 11th)
- Rod Harrison (8th – 10th)
Wildwood Rock Extreme Enduro – Wildwood, Victoria
Mitch Harper has won the Wildwood Rock Extreme Enduro after completing six laps of the gruelling course in just over three hours to finish almost four minutes ahead of Chris Bayles who in turn finished with a healthy seven minute lead over third placed Tim Coleman.
To read the full Wildwood Rock Extreme Enduro report click here.
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Former World Enduro Champion Mathias Bellino proved his number one billing status by claiming the morning Prologue and led the final early before pulling out of the event while Harper made his way forward from a poor start to take the lead from Dylan Rees on the opening lap.
Mitch Harper
“This is easily the hardest race in Australia and probably one of the hardest in the world I guess. It’s a different style to Erzberg; more of a cross-country extreme. It’s got the fast sections as well so it’s not just all trialsy technical stuff. There were five riders a minute ahead of me off the start, but I got into the lead by the end of the first lap. I got three of them up and down the gullies, in the first three quarters of the lap, and then in the final rock garden I got the last two, and when I got up out of the rock section where it’s like a flat, rocky paddock all the way back to the pits, I was looking back and I had a pretty good lead, so I put my head down and pushed on from there. I did a few good laps and the gap was getting bigger and bigger.”
Mathias Bellino
“I got the best lap time in Prologue and was leading for almost one lap when I got to the last uphill rock section. I crashed like four times and everybody caught me up and I lost a lot of time and energy. The bike is pretty wrecked! It was epic! On the second lap I broke my gear lever and then on the third lap I couldn’t get through. It was too much for me, and I had to DNF unfortunately.”
Second place Bayles started the final in 14th place but steadily made his way to second place by race end while Coleman passed Rees on the very last lap to earn the final podium position.
One talking point after the event was last year’s winner Daniel Sanders who finished the event with no throttle housing and was forced to manually work the throttle cable with his right hand over some of the toughest terrain on the course.
Daniel Sanders
“On the last lap however I looped out on one of the hill climbs which resulted in a mechanical issue, which was a broken throttle housing. So the only way I managed to finish the race was pull on the throttle cable.”
Prologue:
- Mathias Bellino
- Dylan Rees
- Hamish Macdonald
- Tim Coleman
- Broc Grabham
- Angus Macdonald
- Daniel Sanders
- Ruben Chadwick
- Mitch Harper
- Chris Perry
Wildwood Rock Extreme Enduro:
- Mitch Harper
- Chris Bayles
- Tim Coleman
- Fraser Higlett
- Dylan Rees
- Ruben Chadwick
- Chris Perry
- Broc Grabham
- Robert Nowak
- Adrian Harry
