Moto News Weekly Wrap
April 24, 2018 – By Darren Smart
Proudly brought to you by Dunlop Geomax
Latest News & Reports
- Why Eli Tomac Can’t Win Championships
- Musquin and Osborne Win Foxborough Supercross
- Morocco Rally Wrap
- Nicholls and Mewse Win in UK Motocross
- Chris Blose Win Portland Arenacross
- Russell Wins South Carolina GNCC
- Daniel Sanders Wins in Rawson VORC
- Dean Ferris Dominates Warwick Sunshine State Motocross
- Callum Norton Wins Victorian Motocross Champs
- David Birch Wins WA Motocross in Beverly
- Nagl Wins ADAC Masters
- Red Bull KTM Announces American Flat Track Team
- Osborne Signs with Husky to 2020
Why Eli Tomac Can’t Win Championships
A few years back I got to spend some time with Stefan Everts while he was here in Australia and he told me personally that the way he saw it, intelligence was the key ingredient to being a successful rider – sure you needed the skill and the fitness but intelligence was the most important part of the puzzle.
Eli Tomac does not lack skill or fitness but the most important ingredient according to the 10 time world champion Everts is missing from Eli’s arsenal, intelligence. So, what proof to you have in saying that Smarty, I hear you ask?
OK, let’s put all of the dumbarse little crashes that Eli has had over the last two season’s aside and go to last weekend’s round of the AMA Supercross in Foxborough. There is no secret that there is little love lost between many of the top 450 riders but despite that fact Tomac decides, on the last lap of the main event, to run the ‘racing line’ while leaving the inside line wide open in a tight right-hand hair-pin turn with his rival Musquin right up his arse – THEN he is all up-set and indignant when he gets dropped on his bum by Musquin who slipped up the inside, made contact then goes on to win the race.
Are you shitting me? ANY racer worth his or her salt would have done the same thing and while on the subject of block passes, let’s go back to Las Vegas last year – the final round of the 2017 AMA Supercross Championship and Tomac has an outside chance of winning the title over Ryan Dungey so he decides to block and bump Dungey on several occasions to slow the main event down in an effort to win the championship – whether you see it as fair play or not that is what Tomac decided to do to try and win so why is it now so terrible, in the eyes of Tomac, that Musquin does what he deems necessary to attain the same result – to win?
The reason why Eli hasn’t won an AMA 450cc Supercross Championship yet has little to do with his skill, he simply isn’t a smart racer which allows more thoughtful riders like Dungey and now Jason Anderson to be smart, consistent championship winners.
Will Eli learn? Who knows but what he will lose is his fan base if he keeps pissing and moaning every time things don’t go his way – simple as that!
Musquin and Osborne Win Foxborough Supercross
Gillette Stadium in Foxborough hosted a dramatic round 15 of the 2018 Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship and it was Marvin Musquin who decked Eli Tomac on the last lap to win the 450 class final while Zach Osborne capped off a sensational day of racing to win the 250 class final.
As the gate dropped for the 450SX Main Event, Musquin powered to the front and assumed the lead for the first 21 laps of the race until Eli Tomac slipped up the inside just before the white flag but Musquin fought back by making an aggressive last-lap pass that left Tomac on the ground to capture his third win of the season.
Marvin Musquin
“After Eli got past me, I knew I had to do something – it’s for the win, I led so many laps and I was bummed but I felt like I was riding really good so I knew I could charge. I was going into the main rut the whole Main Event, and he cut really tight, I definitely didn’t expect it. Obviously, the outcome was pretty brutal, and I’m sorry about what happened with the crash, but it could have been bad for me too. It was for a 450 Main Event win, sometimes you have to try your hardest, and I know I did that.”
Tomac carried on like a spoiled kid after the incident but he had enough time to re-mounted and finish just ahead of points leader Jason Anderson who in turn had a pretty good gap back to Blake Baggett and Dean Wilson.
Tomac saw the incident a bit different to Musquin.
Eli Tomac
“It was just a cheap shot really, that’s all there was to it. I passed him straight up square and clean, and he went way, way, past clean, that was bad! It was a joke. Hopefully he gets to sleep on it. I am not going to do anything stupid, it was just bad!”
Jason Anderson was top-five at the start and battled with a freight train of riders up front. He maintained his position in third and focused on staying consistent in order to get a good finish to maintain his lead in the 450 championship.
Jason Anderson
“It was a pretty consistent day, I had good qualifying sessions; then as the night went on, I got a heat race win then a third place in the Main. I earned some more points. I’m just trying to move forward, and I’m excited to get the Championship wrapped up.”
Chad Reed pulled the holeshot in heat race two to the delight of the crowd to qualify for his 235th main event start. The 36-year-old Australian had a reasonably strong ride to cross the line tenth in the main event.
450 Main Event
- Marvin Musquin
- Eli Tomac
- Jason Anderson
- Blake Baggett
- Dean Wilson
- Weston Peick
- Malcolm Stewart
- Justin Brayton
- Justin Barcia
- Chad Reed
450 Rider Point Standings
- Jason Anderson – 332 points
- Marvin Musquin – 298 points
- Eli Tomac – 269 points
- Justin Brayton – 247 points
- Blake Baggett – 243 points
- Weston Peick – 219 points
- Broc Tickle – 184 points
- Dean Wilson – 183 points
- Cooper Webb – 183 points
- Malcolm Stewart – 150 points
…13. Chad Reed – 135 Points
250SX
After winning his heat race Zach Osborne pulled the holeshot in the 250SX East Championship main event and worked hard to pull a gap while Jordon Smith and Kyle Peters battled for the minor placings.
Osborne stayed consistent despite the rutted track and maintained the lead. He led every lap and cruised to his seventh career victory to maintain his lead in the 250SX East Championship. Osborne will lay it all on the line as he heads to the series finale in two weeks in Las Vegas with a 15 point lead.
Zach Osborne
“What a great day in Foxborough, I was able to win both my heat and the Main Event. I figured something out with my starts, and I pulled two holeshots. It was just a really good night. I’m happy, and I’ll take a 15 point lead into the finals.”
Jordon Smith got the better of Kyle Peters to take the second step on the podium with the Autotrader/ Yoshimura/ Suzuki Factory Racing rider having another solid finish with third. It was not an easy night for Peters who was riding with a knee injury and having to qualify through the LCQ, which he won.
Ride of the night went to Jeremy Martin who clawed his way to a gutsy fourth place after a crash on lap one left him dead last and half a lap behind but when it was all said and done Osborne heads into the Las Vegas finale with a 15-point lead over Smith.
250SX East Main Event
- Zach Osborne
- Jordon Smith
- Kyle Peters
- Jeremy Martin
- Sean Cantrell
- Joshua Osby
- Brandon Hartranft
- Anthony Rodriguez
- Luke Renzland
- Thomas Ramette
250SX East Rider Point Standings
- Zach Osborne -180 points
- Jordon Smith – 165 points
- Jeremy Martin – 157 points
- Austin Forkner – 137 points
- Luke Renzland – 109 points
- Kyle Peters – 107 points
- Sean Cantrell – 96 points
- Brandon Hartranft – 89 points
- Anthony Rodriguez – 72 points
- John Short – 58 points
Morocco Rally Wrap
The Merzouga Rally closed late last week with a final stage around Erg Chebbi and despite finishing back in fifth place Joan Barreda convincingly won the overall placing by six minutes over Honda teammate Kevin Benavides and Husqvarna’s Pablo Quintanilla.
The final special of the Merzouga Rally, at just over 40 kilometres long, was a spectacular one, with one hundred riders making a mass line-start. Argentine Kevin Benavides reached the finish line conceding a mere three seconds to the final stage winner, Pablo Quintanilla. This guaranteed the rider second place on the overall leader board while Barreda kept his rivals in check all the way from the en masse start and cruised to overall victory in the 2018 Merzouga Rally with a fifth place finish on the day.
Meanwhile American Ricky Brabec completed a successful rally, finishing in fifth position and young Chilean prospect José Ignacio Cornejo sealed an eighth final place, crossing the line hot on the heels of Brabec in this final stage. Portuguese Paulo Gonçalves, growing ever stronger, followed his rivals, yet in spite of finishing among the leading pack, was unable to improve on his overall twelfth position.
Determined to wrap up his week-long adventure in Morocco on a high, Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Pablo Quintanilla has topped the fifth and final stage of the Merzouga Rally to secure a solid third overall in the event’s final overall standings. Continuing to make progress Andrew Short has claimed a spot inside the top 10 in the overall.
Featuring a mass, motocross-styled start in the dunes of the Merzouga Desert, the fifth and final stage of the event saw Pablo Quintanilla put in a dominant performance. Posting the fastest time for the day, the Chilean rally star solidified his strong third position in the overall standings.
Putting in his best individual stage performance Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Andrew Short crossed the line in eighth position. Wrapping up the Merzouga Rally 10th in the overall, the American is content with the progress he made during the week in Morocco.
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Toby Price has brought his KTM 450 RALLY home in third place on the final stage of the 2018 Merzouga Rally. Suffering a small crash during the timed special, Laia Sanz finished a very creditable 30th. At the close of the six-day event in Morocco, Price finished sixth overall with Sanz placing 14th.
The fifth and final stage of the Merzouga Rally comprised a short 50km timed special through the dunes of the Chebbi erg. With 80 riders setting off together motocross style it took a few kilometres for the pack to spread out. Despite being shorter than the others on the rally, stage five still threw up some challenges.
Unhappy after the decision by the organisers of the rally to scrap the final waypoints of Thursday’s stage four, Toby Price went into today’s special with a point to prove. After making his way to the front of the group, the Australian put in a strong performance to eventually cross the line in third position.
Yesterday’s decision to disregard the final waypoints of the stage relegated Toby to sixth place in the overall standings. Despite his superb performance on today’s stage, it simply wasn’t enough to regain a podium position. Although disappointed, the 2016 Dakar Champion was still positive about his, and the team’s, performance on the rally.
Joan Barreda
“I am very happy to be back winning races again, especially because we can now forget about a year of injuries. There is still work to do to get back to 100% physically and be able to ride my way, without pain. That’s the way I like to do it: return to the competition like that, have a great race and finish with a win. This will serve as great motivation to keep pushing and reach the highest level by the end of the year.”
Kevin Benavides
“We finished the stage with Quintanilla which meant that I finished second overall. I go home very happy after winning three of the six stages. It was a very good race for me without any falls. The navigation mishaps were due to errors in the roadbook. I think I was never able to regain the time I lost on the first day, but I did well and battled hard every day to get a one-two for Honda. Congratulations to Joan and the entire Monster Energy Honda Team for the race.”
Toby Price
“Today was a good stage with the mass-start. 80 bikes taking off at the same time is a little bit chaotic and it took a few kilometres for it all to settle down. It was really good fun and I enjoyed the ride. I’m still a little upset about the outcome of yesterday’s stage and I don’t believe the final results tell the true story of the rally. Nevertheless, I am here in one piece and we were able to test a lot of things on the bike and get some good training for the Dakar at the beginning of next year. I’m looking forward to the next rally now in the middle of the year and then we have a few more to contest on the run up to the Dakar.”
Andrew Short
“I really enjoyed this week in Morocco. Especially this last day was really fun, bringing back memories from my days racing motocross. Before the flag dropped the nerves were there and I was maybe a bit late off the start. It was a good experience racing alongside the fastest guys in the dunes and being able to see their pace. The adrenaline kicked in and I had some really good fun. Overall, the week has been great for me. I enjoy the atmosphere in rally racing and I feel I am improving, getting closer to the top guys. I might still have a long way to go but I understand it needs to be done step-by-step. This week was a positive step in the right direction.”
Final Standings Merzouga Rally 2018
- BARREDA Joan – 13:28’19
- BENAVIDES Kevin – +6’10
- QUINTANILLA Pablo – +11’25
- CAIMI Franco – +18’49
- BRABEC Ricky – +20’04
- PRICE Toby – +21’04
- PEDRERO Joan – +29’18
- CORNEJO José Ignacio – +42’37
- SVITKO Stefan – +53’00
- SHORT Andrew – +1:01’25
Nicholls and Mewse Win UK Motocross
Round two of the Maxxis ACU British Motocross Championship was held at the Canada Height MX facility and it was Jake Nicholls and Conrad Mewse who took out the overall victories in the MX1 and MX2 classes respectively.
After a less than stellar opening round Nichol dominated Canada Height with a pair of moto wins over Elliot Banks-Browne in moto one and Evgeny Bobryshev in moto two so with round one winner Graeme Irwin relegated to fifth on the day Bobryshev will take a small points lead into round three.
Jake Nicholls
“Perhaps I’m thinking a bit more that I used to, I’ve got a different mindset these days because I’ve got a different outlook on things. They changed something on my bike suspension wise from last week and that made a massive difference. The first race I holeshot and rode pretty good – the bike was amazing and I could go wherever I wanted. I just had fun to be honest and that makes so much difference. I’m really enjoying racing, trying my hardest and taking it as it comes which certainly worked for me today.”
Mewse continued his dominance of the MX2 class with a pair of wins over Mel Pocock in moto one and defending champion Martin Barr in moto two while Kiwi Josh Natzke ended the day back in 9th overall.
Josiah Natzke
“In the opening race I got to the first corner first and I had the inside where the dirt was nice and hard but it was too tight and I over-shot it a bit, I was something like fourth when I fell over a berm and couldn’t get going for ages so I was way back. I got a decent start in the second and just did what I could. I wasn’t able to ride how I wanted to ride and was really timid. It was a bit of a rough day to be honest.”
MX1 Overall
- Jake Nicholls 1-1
- Evgeny Bobryshev 4-2
- Elliott Banks-Browne 2-4
- Ivo Monticelli 3-5
- Graeme Irwin 10-3
- Tommy Searle 6-8
MX2 Overall
- Conrad Mewse 1-1
- Martin Barr 3-2
- Mel Pocock 2-3
- Josh Spinks 4-4
- Liam Knight 5-6
…9. Josiah Natzke 13-7
Blose Wins Portland Arenacross
AMSOIL Arenacross hosted the third round of the Race to the Ricky Carmichael Cup inside Veteran’s Memorial Coliseum in Portland, Oregon and it was Chris Blose who came away with the overall win in the 250AX class while Carson Brown took his first-career Main Event win in the AX Lites class.
The first 250AX Main Event saw Jacob Hayes and Blose side-by-side in the first turn and through the whoops until Hayes pushed Blose high on the next berm leaving Blose to start the second lap in ninth place but the Honda rider worked his way back into second as Hayes took the Main Event win followed by Blose, Steinke and Travis Sewell who finished fourth.
The second 250AX Main Event saw Blose and Hayes out front again, but on Lap 3 Hayes had a mishap right before the rhythm section, losing positions to Blose who extended his lead early on. The race for second between Steinke and Sewell was brewing throughout most of the race as the duo battled back and forth, creating constant contact and banging bars in each turn. Meanwhile, Blose led all 15 laps to take the second Main Event victory with Sewell in second, Steinke third and Hayes fourth.
In the fourth round of the AX Lites West season, the Main Event looked like it was going to be a repeat of the last three rounds with Ryan Breece grabbing the holeshot and the early lead until a mistake right before the rhythm section forced Breece to lose a few positions, moving him back into fourth. Mason Kerr took over the lead with Carson Brown close behind in second. Brown charged to overtake the lead with five laps to go and took his first AX Lites Main Event victory of his career. Kerr followed in second while Breece finished third.
250AX Class Main Event Results
- Chris Blose, Phoenix, Ariz, Honda (2-1)
- Jacob Hayes, Greensboro, N.C., Kawasaki (1-4)
- Travis Sewell, Westville, Ind., Kawasaki (5-2)
- Gared Steinke, Woodland, Calif., Kawasaki (3-3)
- Heath Harrison, Silverhill, Ala., Honda (4-6)
- Ryan Breece, Athol, Idaho, Kawasaki (6-7)
- Dare Demartile, Lincoln, Calif., Honda (7-8)
- Daniel Herrlein, Bethesda, Ohio, KTM (12-5)
- Robbie Wageman, Newhall, Calif., Yamaha (10-10)
- Dylan Rouse, Florence, Ken., (8-11)
250AX Class Championship Standings
- Chris Blose, Phoenix, Ariz., Honda (107)
- Jacob Hayes, Greensboro, N.C., Kawasaki (103)
- Heath Harrison, Silverhill, Ala., Honda (71)
- Gared Steinke, Woodland, Calif., Kawasaki (71)
- Travis Sewell, Westville, Ind., Kawasaki (68)
- Daniel Herrlein, Bethesda, Ohio, KTM (66)
- Kyle Bitterman, West Pelzer, S.C., Kawasaki (42)
- Gavin Faith, Duncombe, Iowa, Kawasaki (10)
- Shane Sewell, Westville, Ind., Kawasaki (4)
- Jacob Williamson, Swartz Creek, Mich., Kawasaki (3)
AX Lites West Class Main Event Results
- Carson Brown, Ravensdale, Wash., Honda
- Mason Kerr, Altoona, Iowa, Kawasaki
- Ryan Breece, Athol, Idaho, Kawasaki
- Dare Demartile, Lincoln, Calif., Honda
- Devin Harriman, Longview, Wash., KTM
AX Lites West Class Championship Standings
- Ryan Breece, Athol, Idaho, Kawasaki (62)
- Carson Brown, Ravensdale, Wash., Honda (50)
- Kevin Moranz, Topeka, Kan., KTM (50)
- Johnny Garcia, Moriarty, N.M., Honda (30)
- Devin Harriman, Brush Prairie, Wash., KTM (29)
Russell Wins South Carolina GNCC
South Carolina hosted round five of the 2018 Amsoil Grand National Cross Country (GNCC) Series with the third annual CST Tires Camp Coker Bullet GNCC and it was Kailub Russell taking his fourth win of the season while Aussie Tayla Jones got back to her winning ways in the WMX class.
XC1
Thad Duvall grabbed the early lead with K. Russell and Ricky Russell hot on his heels heading into the first turn but it wasn’t long before Russell would pass Duvall and push ahead for a six-second gap as they came through timing and scoring on lap one. K. Russell and Duvall continued to break away from the rest of the XC1 Open Pro field just as R. Russell and Jordan Ashburn were fighting forward.
On lap three, Duvall would make a pass for the lead around the three-mile marker, but by the time the riders came through the finish, K. Russell was back in the lead by mere seconds. R. Russell continued to hold the number-three spot, followed by hard-charging Trevor Bollinger.
When the chequered flag flew, it was K. Russell just .620 seconds ahead of Duvall. After three hours of wheel-to-wheel racing, the two shared a pat on the back from one another after crossing the finish line.
Russell continued to hold onto his third-place finish, followed by Bollinger, Baylor, Josh Strang, Ashburn, Cory Buttrick, Jesse Groemm and Andrew Delong.
XC1 Open Pro Event Results
- Kailub Russell (KTM)
- Thad Duvall (HQV)
- Ricky Russell (YAM)
- Trevor Bollinger (HON)
- Steward Baylor Jr. (KTM)
- Josh Strang (HQV)
- Jordan Ashburn (BET)
- Cory Buttrick (HQV)
- Jesse Groemm (KTM)
- Andrew Delong (GAS)
Overall National Championship Standings
- Kailub Russell (145)
- Thad Duvall (126)
- Steward Baylor Jr. (99)
- Trevor Bollinger (90)
- Ben Kelley (79)
- Josh Strang (71)
- Josh Toth (61)
- Layne Michael (52)
- Ricky Russell (51)
- Pascal Rauchenecker (50)
XC2
The XC2 250 Pro class saw Craig Delong take the holeshot before Cole Mattison took over the lead as riders came around on the first lap but Josh Toth was right behind him, with Mike Witkowski running in the third-place position.
As the racing continued, Ben Kelley made the move into the second-place position, followed by Austin Lee charging to third place while Liam Draper was having his best race of 2018, running in the fourth place position.
At the conclusion of the three-hour race, it was Toth taking the win, followed by Kelley, who was 11 seconds behind. Lee remained in the third spot, followed by Draper and Husqvarna-rider Evan Smith, who rounded out the top five.
XC2 250 Pro Event Results
- Josh Toth (KTM)
- Ben Kelley (KTM)
- Austin Lee (HON)
- Liam Draper (HQV)
- Evan Smith (HQV)
XC2 250 Pro Series Standings
- Ben Kelley (140)
- Josh Toth (110)
- Pascal Rauchenecker (100)
- Craig Delong (75)
- Liam Draper (69)
XC3
As the FMF XC3 125 Pro-Am class took off, it was Alex Teagarden grabbing the holeshot but it was Jesse Ansley who took home the win while Jason Raines came through in second, followed by Cody Barnes, Teagarden and Colin Keegan.
WMX
Tayla Jones was back on top in South Carolina, earning her fourth win of the season in the WMX class ahead of Becca Sheets and Mackenzie Tricker who rounded out the top three. Jones now has a 15 point lead over Sheets in the championship.
Daniel Sanders Wins in Rawson VORC
Daniel ‘Chucky’ Sanders has won the opening two rounds of the Victorian Off-Road Championships held in Rawson last weekend after winning Saturday’s Cross Country ahead of Lyndon Snodgrass and Fraser Higlett then backing that up with six straight wins in the one-lap sprint races on Sunday with Snodgrass, Higlett and Tom Mason fighting over the podium positions.
Dean Ferris Dominates Warwick Sunshine State Motocross
Dean Ferris continues his run of wins in 2018 after dominating the MX1 class at the Warwick round of the Queensland Sunshine State Motocross Series with three solid wins to take the overall over Jacob Wright and Joel Rizzo while in the MX2 class Richie Evan got the win over Nathan Crawford, Zak Small, Jordan Hill and Jackson Richardson.
Callum Norton Wins Victorian Motocross Champs
Horsham hosted then opening round of the Victorian Motocross Championships last weekend and it was talented youngster Callum Norton who won the MX1 class ahead of Lachlan Davis and Joel Green while in the MX2 class it was Morgan Fogarty who took victory over Lachlan Davis, Kale Makeham and Cody Dyce.
David Birch Wins WA Motocross in Beverly
The second round of the WA Motocross Championships were held in Beverly last weekend and it was David Birch who won the MX1 class over Charlie Creech and Michael Mahon while in the MX2 class it was Mat Fabry who took victory over Mitch Outram and Cody Rowe.
Nagl Wins ADAC Masters
The little town of Luckau hosted the opening round of the German ADAC Masters and it was Max Nagl who won both motos ahead of young Henri Jacobi while Jeffrey Dewulf scored the final podium position with 3-4 motos wins with Sven van der Mierden (5-3) and Jans Getteman (4-8) rounding out the top five.
Red Bull KTM Announces American Flat Track Team
Building upon its racing success in the off road and motocross segments, as well as the continued commitment to American Road Racing at the junior level, KTM Motorsports has announced its plan to go racing in the 2019 American Flat Track Championship.
American Flat Track is America’s original extreme sport. At its core, it’s a highly competitive, adrenaline-fueled motorsport, featuring specialized motorcycles and piloted by young world-class athletes. With history dating back to the first two-wheel racers in the 1920s, American Flat Track is widely regarded as the most prestigious and competitive form of dirt track motorcycle racing in the world.
John Hinz – President of KTM North America, Inc.
“We have been following the changes happening to the racing in American Flat Track and the excitement it’s produced, so as a READY TO RACE company it was natural for KTM to want to be involved. I am proud to continue a long-standing relationship with Chris Fillmore as the new Team Manager for our Flat Track and Road Racing efforts. Chris has a history with KTM beginning in 2003 when he rode on KTM’s first Super Moto team before leading our RC8R Sport Bike effort in Road Racing, and most recently setting the World record on a 1290 SUPER DUKE R at Pikes Peak. Chris has been working with the MotoAmerica RC Cup racers and is currently heading the Orange Brigade Road Racing Team with two young riders in the MotoAmerica Junior Cup so we’re confident in his abilities to take on this exciting project.”
For 2019, KTM will field a race team to compete in the AFT Singles Class aboard the championship-proven 450 SX-F FACTORY EDITION. The future is poised to bring even more excitement in the AFT Twins class with the upcoming 2019 KTM 790 DUKE.
Chris Fillmore
“It’s pretty exciting to work on this new project to go racing in the American Flat Track Championship. We have the full support of KTM’s global motorsports team with Pit Beirer, Roger De Coster, Ian Harrison and the Austrian R&D department which provides a wealth of knowledge and experience behind us. Our goal is to use 2019 as a building year to create our structure and race team in the AFT Singles Class and the 450 SX-F FACTORY EDITION is a championship-proven race bike and the perfect platform for KTM to engage with the new American Flat Track series. We’re well aware that KTM’s new 790 DUKE has the perfect power plant to compete in the AFT Twins class and we’re excited to see what the future brings in this new journey.”
The 2018 American Flat Track Championship is underway with the first two rounds complete. KTM-mounted rider Dan Bromley has gotten off to a great start as he currently leads the AFT Single class on a privateer-backed KTM 450 SX-F. For more information on the American Flat Track Championship, please visit their website https://www.americanflattrack.com.
Osborne Signs with Husky to 2020
Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing have announced the extension of Zach Osborne’s contract through 2020. He has been successful and a true brand pioneer with his first, as well as Husqvarna Motorcycles’ first, 250SX East championship in the 2017 AMA Supercross season and again with the 250 class overall in the 2017 AMA Pro Motocross season. He will be contending both series through 2020 and be aboard the FC 450 in the near future.
Zach Osborne
“I’m very excited for the opportunity to continue this relationship with the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing team. We’ve had good successes so far and I hope to continue that through 2020, in the 450 class, and beyond. It’s a great feeling to have the best equipment and team around you in a long term commitment, and I am lucky to have that!”
Bobby Hewitt (Team Manager)
“Zach is a core team member and amazing rider to work with. We believe that Zach has what it takes to keep the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing team on top and we couldn’t be happier to have him with us even longer.”
Diego Clement (Head of Motorsport, Husqvarna Motorcycles)
“We are very excited to continue working with Zach in the upcoming years! The past season was very successful and now we are working even harder at more championships. The work ethic of Zach is very impressive and the “never give up” attitude is appreciated by all team members and fans.”
