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Moto News Weekly Wrap

May 8, 2018 – By Darren Smart

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Latest News & Reports

• RIP Eric Geboers
• The New Champions Crowned at Las Vegas Supercross
• Jacob Hayes Wins Arenacross Title in Las Vegas
• Alex Salvini Dominates Portugal Enduro GP
• Milner, Sanders, Styke and Driscoll Win Hedley AORC
• Mees Wins Calistoga Half Mile
• Nichols and Barr Win British MX
• Herlings Dominated Dutch MX Masters
• Action Aplenty at Qld Post Classic & Vets MX Champs
• Chris Warwick Wins Kamfari
• Todd Waters to HRC for MXGP
• On-Line Training with Ben Townley
• Cianciarulo and Davalos OUT of AMA Motocross
• Makeham Struggles at Indo SX Championships
• North Brisbane to Host Australian Championship
• Harrisville to Host Qld Classic MX Championships

RIP Eric Geboers

Very sad news came through late yesterday that former FIM Motocross World Motocross Champion Eric Geboers was tragically killed in his hometown of Mol, Belgium. It is reported that Geboers was boating with friends at Lake Miramar when he jumped from the boat to save a dog that had fallen overboard.

Eyewitnesses say that the 55 year old Geboers disappeared beneath the water and never resurfaced and at the time of writing his body is still missing but the dog made it safely to shore.

The well-liked and respected Geboers was affectionately known as ‘The Kid’ and became the first rider to win the 125cc, 250cc and 500cc World Championships after winning the 125 title in 1982 and 1983, the 250 title in 1987 then the 500 title in 1988 and 1990.

Geboers will be sadly missed by friends, family and fans worldwide.

The New Champions Crowned at Las Vegas Supercross

While Kawasaki’s Eli Tomac and Adam Cianciarulo took out the 450 and 250 main events at the final round of the AMA Supercross Championship in Las Vegas last weekend it was also the crowning of three new champions in Jason Anderson (450SX), Zach Osborne (250SX East) and Arron Plessinger (250SX West).

See the full report and results here: (Link)
Anderson claims 450SX title | Osborne defends 250SX East

Go back 15 rounds when Anderson took over the red plate and many would have bet against the hot headed Husqvarna rider to last the rest of the season with the points lead but he proved many wrong over the next 14 rounds and with the championship on the line, Anderson took on a conservative approach to the final round, qualifying third in his heat before surviving a crowded first corner to earning a top-ten start in the main event.

Anderson quickly worked his way to fifth position early on where he stayed still the chequered flag and claim his first-ever 450SX title.

Jason Anderson

“Today was really stressful, but I feel like I handled it really well and came out with the championship,” Anderson said who was suffering from a bout of food poisoning. “I’m so excited. We put our whole lives into this, we’ve been riding dirtbikes for so long and to win this championship, me and my team, it’s the most surreal moment of my life up to this point.”

Looking at the main event itself, Tomac grabbed the lead early with Marvin Musquin shadowing his every move for the majority of the race but as the leading duo started to lap the tail end of the field, Tomac was able to pull out a couple of second lead.

Tomac went on to take his 8^th win of the season ahead of Musquin while Blake Baggett rounded out the podium for the round.

Aussie Chad Reed had the crowd on their feet earlier in the night, with the former champion leading the majority of his heat race, before eventually finishing second to Tomac. Unfortunately Chad got a crap start in the main event and could only muster an 11^th place finish.

450SX Main Event

1. Eli Tomac
2. Marvin Musquin
3. Blake Baggett
4. Christian Craig
5. Jason Anderson
   …11. Chad Reed

450SX Rider Point Standings

1. Jason Anderson – 356 points
2. Marvin Musquin – 347 points
3. Eli Tomac – 318 points
4. Blake Baggett – 285 points
5. Justin Brayton – 275 points
   …13. Chad Reed 159 Points

East/West Showdown

The East/West Showdown in Vegas is a tricky event for championship contenders with both coasts thrown into and scored as one main event so the chances of losing or gaining big points is high so there was plenty of tension when the gate finally dropped.

Championship leaders Osborne and Plessinger both scored less than stellar starts but the bad news didn’t end there with Osborne’s closest rival Jordan Smith right at the pointy end as was Plessinger’s closest rival in Adam Cianciarulo.

With a championship mindset, Osborne maintained his seventh-place position to emerge as a two-time 250SX champion by a mere 8 points over Smith.

Zach Osborne

“This year has been tough for me. I’ve had to fight every inch for this championship,” Osborne said. Jordon and the rest of the guys rode really awesome this whole season and gave me a heck of a challenge. This was the hardest one so far, I would say, but it’s amazing to be a three-time champion.”

Like Osborne, Plessinger knew where he needed to be at race end and the Yamaha star finished directly behind Osborne in 8th to clinch his maiden championship by just 2 points over Cianciarulo who ended up taking a comfortable win at Vegas after passing early leader Shane McElrath and Jeremy Martin.

Aaron Plessinger

“It was crazy, I got off to a mid-pack start, had to battle my way up to 8^th and had a moment where I swapped out pretty good down the back straight away so after that I just backed it down, I was behind Zach and I knew I didn’t need to make any more positions so I just sat back and had a good old time riding my dirt bike.”

Australia’s Hayden Mellross bounced back from a disappointing previous round to end the season to finish 10^th in Vegas and 10^th overall in the 250 West Championship standings.

250SX E/W Showdown Main Event

1. Adam Cianciarulo
2. Jordon Smith
3. Shane McElrath
4. Joey Savatgy
5. Jeremy Martin
   …10. Hayden Mellross

250SX East Rider Point Standings

1. Zach Osborne – 196 points
2. Jordon Smith – 188 points
3. Jeremy Martin – 175 points
4. Austin Forkner – 137 points
5. Luke Renzland – 118 points

250SX West Rider Point Standings

1. Aaron Plessinger – 211 points
2. Adam Cianciarulo – 209 points
3. Shane McElrath – 193 points
4. Joey Savatgy – 193 points
5. Chase Sexton – 167 points
   …10. Hayden Mellross – 101 points

Jacob Hayes Wins Arenacross Title in Las Vegas

AMSOIL Arenacross hosted the final round of the 2018 season inside Las Vegas’ Orleans Arena and it was Jacob Hayes who was crowned a first-time AMSOIL Arenacross Champion while Heath Harrison was crowned the Arenacross Lites East Coast Champion and Ryan Breece became a two-time defending Arenacross Lites West Coast Champion.

Title contender Chris Blose was forced to miss the event after going down in the rhythm section during practice so it was a slightly less crowded first corner when the first Main Event saw Hayes get out to an early lead with Jacob Williamson close behind in second. Williamson was able to make the move stick just past the halfway point and secured the win with Hayes finishing second and Daniel Herrlein rounding out the podium

The second Main Event saw Hayes take the jump off the start and lead all 15 laps while Williamson worked up from a fourth-place start to finish out the night with a second while Travis Sewell finished off the night with a third.

Jacob Hayes

“This is a dream come true, I’ve worked so hard for this and I can’t thank Team Babbitt’s and Kawasaki enough for all their endless support. This feels incredible, I’m speechless.”

The Arenacross Lites East-West Showdown saw the West point’s leader Breece, jump out of the gate with the holeshot and ended up leading all 15 laps while Robbie Wagemen worked his way up from a mid-pack start to a second-place finish, and Isaac Teasdale, eager to gain as many points over Harrison as he could, finished third.

Harrison rounded out the night with a fourth-place finish, and the 2018 AMSOIL Arenacross Lites East Coast Championship. Breece captured his second-consecutive AMSOIL Arenacross Lites West Coast Championship.

Ryan Breece

“Wow, what a season, I felt the best I ever have this season and to win these championships back-to-back feels incredible. I want to thank everyone who supported me throughout these last two years, I couldn’t have done it without them.”

250AX Class Main Event Results

1. Jacob Hayes, Greensboro, N.C., Kawasaki (2-1)
2. Jacob Williamson, Swartz Creek, Mich., Kawasaki (1-2)
3. Travis Sewell, Westville, Ind., Kawasaki (4-3)
4. Daniel Herrlein, Bethesda, Ohio, KTM (3-4)
5. Kyle Bitterman, West Pelzer, S.C., Kawasaki (5-5)
6. Robbie Wageman, Newhall, Calif., Yamaha (8-7)
7. Steven Mages, Sardinia, Ohio, Kawasaki (10-6)
8. Preston Taylor, Hastings, Neb., Kawasaki (7-9)
9. Gared Steinke, Woodland, Calif., Kawasaki (6-13)
10. Ryan Breece, Athol, Idaho, Kawasaki (9-10)

250AX Class Championship Standings

1. Jacob Hayes, Greensboro, N.C., Kawasaki (167)
2. Chris Blose, Phoenix, Ariz., Honda (135)
3. Travis Sewell, Westville, Ind., Kawasaki (127)
4. Daniel Herrlein, Bethesda, Ohio, KTM (125)
5. Gared Steinke, Woodland, Calif., Kawasaki (112)

AX Lites Main Event Results

1. Ryan Breece, Athol, Idaho, Kawasaki
2. Robbie Wageman, Newhall, Calif., Yamaha
3. Issac Teasdale, Robbinsville, N.C., Kawasaki
4. Heath Harrison, Silverhill, Ala., Honda
5. Carson Brown, Ravensdale, Wash., Honda
6. Mason Kerr, Altoona, Iowa, Kawasaki
7. Renton Minuto, Avalon, Calif., Yamaha
8. Devin Harriman, Brush Prairie, Wash., KTM
9. Hunter Hilton, Youngsville, La.,
10. Dawson Newby, Eaton, Co., KTM

AX Lites West Class Championship Standings

1. Ryan Breece, Athol, Idaho, Kawasaki (94)
2. Carson Brown, Ravensdale, Wash., Honda (76)
3. Kevin Moranz, Topeka, Kan., KTM (68)
4. Devin Harriman, Brush Prairie, Wash., KTM (50)
5. Mason Kerr, Altoona, Iowa, Kawasaki (38)

AX Lites East Class Championship Standings

1. Heath Harrison, Silverhill, Ala., Honda (99)
2. Isaac Teasdale, Robbinsville, N.C., Kawasaki (96)
3. Garrett Marchbanks, Coalville, Utah, Kawasaki (47)
4. Tanner Basso, Alpine, Calif., Yamaha (33)
5. Tanner Ward, Woodstock, Ontario, KTM (33)

Alex Salvini Dominates Portugal Enduro GP

It was a dry and dusty affair at the Portugal round of the FIM Enduro World Championship but nothing was stopping veteran Alex Salvini from winning the EnduroGP and Enduro2 classes in both days of competition.

Salvini got the nod over Jamie McCanney by 16 seconds on the opening day.

Alex Salvini

“It was a long difficult and very difficult day, both on the liaison and on the special tests, where I couldn’t make any mistakes as Jamie McCanney was putting a lot of pressure on me. I made a big mistake in the race and luckily I was able to concentrate afterwards to still finish strong… but it was hard!”

Day 1 (EnduroGP Overall – Top 3)

1. Alex Salvini (Husqvarna) 1:25:00.46
2. Jamie McCanney (Yamaha) 1:25:16.80
3. Christophe Nambotin (Gas Gas) 1:25:21.01

On day two, Salvini was as far back as 8^th after a mishap in the early stages so by the time he got to the final short special test he had to complete the course in less than 1 minute 35 seconds to take the win and incredibly the Husqvarna rider set a blistering time of 1’32’57, which allowed him to scrape through with a victory over Holcombe.

Salvini’s double win propels him to the head of the EnduroGP standings, tied with Eero Remes who finished 5^th on the day.

Alex Salvini

“After my fall in the first Extreme, I didn’t think I had much chance to achieve the double or to be at the top of the championship, and to have won everything here since Friday is pure happiness for me. This incredible fight at the final Super Test was the perfect way to finish!” Salvini said.

Day 2 (EnduroGP Overall – Top 3)

1. Alex Salvini (Husqvarna) 1:14:41.27
2. Steve Holcombe (Beta) 1:14:44.14
3. Christophe Nambotin (Gas Gas) 1:14:54.4

E1

Jamie McCanney easily won in E1 class on Day 1 ahead of Brad Freeman and Antoine Basset but on Day 2 Brad Freeman scored his first victory in a senior class ahead of McCanney, Basset and Eemil Pohjola. McCanney still holds the lead in the championship.

Jamie McCanney

“It’s been a great weekend and I’m happy with the results and my overall performance here in Portugal. On Saturday, I got a good feeling on my bike right from the start and managed to secure the win in Enduro 1. During the day, I got a little bit dragged into the fight for the EnduroGP class victory, but a mistake in the enduro test forced me to settle for second in the overall. It’s good to be able to fight for the overall, but clearly my eyes this year are set on the 250cc class. On day two I pushed hard and could not avoid a few small mistakes. We made a few changes to my suspension in the last enduro test and my times immediately got better, but it was a bit late to fight for the win. Fair play to Brad Freeman on securing the victory on Sunday. It’s been a tough two weeks of racing and I’m happy we wrap up these two back-to-back GPs in Spain and Portugal with the provisional lead in my class.”

E2

Salvini’s double victory has also catapulted him to the outright lead in the E2 class  after beating Mathias Bellion, Loic Larrieu, Eero Remes and Matthew Phillips on Day 1 and Remes, Larrieu, Christophe Charlier and Thomas Oldrat on Day 2.

E3

On Day 1 Christophe Nambotin scored victory in the E3 class over Steve Holcombe and Danny McCanney but Holcombe bounced back on Day 2 to take the win over Nambotin, McCanney, Anthony Geslin and Romain Dumontier. Holcombe remains the point’s leader.

Unfortunately for fans of Aussie Matthew Phillips the Sherco rider ended the weekend with 10-13 overall finishes but you can back the plucky Tasmanian to come out swinging at the Estonian GP in Tallinn on the 1^st and 2^nd of June.

Milner, Sanders, Styke and Driscoll Win Hedley AORC

The South Eastern Victorian town of Hedley hosted rounds 3 and 4 of the 2018 AORC and in a rare result Daniel Milner (E3), Daniel Sanders (E2), Luke Styke (E1) and Michael Driscoll (EJ) all won both days of their respective classes.

Find the full report and results here: (Link)
AORC Rnd 3 & 4 | Milners, Sanders, Styke dominate

Reminiscent of the dry bull-dust of Cessnock at the recent A4DE, the tracks and trails of Hedley were challenging for all riders who were faced with 3 x 16km Supersprints on Saturday and 5 x 8km Sprints on Sunday and it was Husqvarna’s Sanders who was the fastest over KTM’s Milner on day 1 then Milner who edged Sanders out on day 2.

As for Yamaha pilots Styke and Driscoll, they were simply unstoppable in their respective classes and will take solid points leads heading to the next two rounds at Dungog, NSW over the weekend of the 28^th  and 29^th of July.

Daniel Milner

“Today was definitely better than yesterday, I didn’t make as many mistakes and got around pretty clean which was really important for me today. The track was a battle in itself, it was almost the hardest sprint I have done in my career, but I’m happy how the day panned out.”

Daniel Sanders

“It was good fun, the team worked really well and we got the bike to near perfect for these conditions. Today was a bit tough as there was a part of the track I just wasn’t as quick in but I knew I had to make some ground up on the other side and we managed to do that and take the class win.”

Styke is continuing to impress at AORC.

Luke Styke

“Today was awesome, I felt really comfortable on the track and it definitely was a hard one and I can’t thank the team enough for everything they did over the weekend for me. We know look forward to the next round in Dungog.”

Michael Driscoll

“It was definitely a tough one, yesterday was tough but this was on another level. We made a few changes to the front end and the results came through for us straight away, we just hope to keep this form going over to Dungog.”

The Junior classes were won by Kyron Bacon, Will Riordan and Angus Riordan while in the support classes Jess Gardner continued her run of wins in the Women’s class, Richard Chibnall won the Veterans class and Geoff Ballard was forced to share the spoils in the Masters class with Michael Widdison.

E3 Championship Standings (After 4 of 11 Rounds)

1. Daniel Milner (KTM) 100
2. Lachlan Stanford (Husqvarna) 79
3. Andrew Wilksch (Sherco) 76
4. Broc Grabham (Gas Gas) 72
5. Tom Mason (KTM) 66

E2 Championship Standings (After 4 of 11 Rounds)

1. Daniel Sanders (Husqvarna) 100
2. Joshua Green (Yamaha) 84
3. Lyndon Snodgrass (KTM) 84
4. Stefan Granquist (Yamaha) 70
5. Riley Graham (Yamaha) 65

E1 Championship Standings (After 4 of 11 Rounds)

1. Luke Styke (Yamaha) 100
2. Jack Simpson (KTM) 82
3. Fraser Higlett (Husqvarna) 76
4. Jeremy Carpentier (Yamaha) 71
5. Nicolas Tomlinson (Yamaha) 70

Mees Wins Calistoga Half Mile

The defending AFT Twins AMA Flat Track Champion Jared Meed has won a thrilling Calistoga Half-Mile final following a nail-biting last-lap duel with Jeffrey Carver Jr. to claim his third victory of 2018.

See the full Calistoga Half Mile report here: (Link)
Indian sweep Calistoga Half-Mile podium | Mees wins

Jared Mees

“We didn’t have it dialled in during the Semi and came back and debriefed and made a few small changes. Hats off to my entire team. We work together on these wins, there’s no doubt. Sometimes when I’m weak, they’re strong. And sometimes when they’re weak, I’m strong. I looked back a couple times and I had a little bit of a gap, and then Jeffrey was right on me. We got into those lappers, and I just started thinking too much and he started charging hard. It was close at the end there, but we were able to pull through.”

Mees now leads the championship fight by 17 points over Saturday’s seventh-place finisher Henry Wiles 75-58 while Bauman is third with 57 points.

AFT Singles

It may have taken a few rounds to rediscover his form but Ryan Wells worked his way into the lead on the second lap and effectively put the race out of reach with his pace from that point forward and ultimately took the chequered flag with room to spare.

Ryan Wells

“Hopefully this is the first of many podium appearances. I think we know what we know what we’ve got to do now. We made some major headway today, and I can’t wait for the rest of the season.”

The 2018 American Flat Track season picks right back up next Saturday, May 12, in Phoenix, Arizona.

Nichols and Barr Win British MX

Jake Nichols and Martin Barr have won the MX1 and MX2 classes respectively at round three of the Maxxis ACU British Motocross Championship in Suffolk last Sunday.

Nichols won the opening moto from Tommy Searle and Elliot Banks Browne then backed that up with another win this time over Evgeny Bobryshev and Banks-Browne to now have a 19 point lead in the MX1 championship.

Jake Nichols

“I was a little bit anxious coming into today, I put pressure on myself because this is my local track so, obviously, I’ve ridden it quite a bit and it would have been horrible for it to go wrong in front of my home crowd. I got two good starts and rode well. I struggled a little in qualifying but the races went to plan. I just put my head down and tried really hard and it paid off again. I didn’t look back all day – I just kept pushing. The bike’s exceptional and I’m really, really happy.”

It was Liam Knight who won the opening MX2 moto from Josh Gilbert and Barr then in the second moto it was championship leader Conrad Mewse who got the win over Barr and Gilbert with Barr getting the overall win from Gilbert and Mewse.

Josh Gilbert

“It’s been a good day but annoying at the same time, I had to take not winning the first race on the chin. In the second I had Martin [Barr] in front of me and I knew if I could get him I would have had the overall. “I’m nearly there, just not quite. My fitness is good which showed in the first race when I put the hammer down in the last few laps – I felt really strong but it was a tough track to pass on.”

Mewse continues to lead the MX2 championship as they head to Hawkstone Park in three weeks’ time.

Herlings Dominates Dutch MX Masters

Red Bull KTM Factory rider Jeffrey Herlings has won the MX1 class at the latest round of the Dutch Masters of Motocross with 1-1 results while Max Anstie was second with 2-2 and Gautier Paulin third with 3-4.

Teenagers Jago Geerts won the MX2 class with 3-1 results over Calvin Vlaandersen’ s 1-3 results and Thomas Covington’s 4-2 finishes while Aussie Jed Beaton battled poor starts to finish the day in 7^th.

MX1 Overall – Results

1. Jeffrey Herlings – 50
2. Max Anstie – 44
3. Gautier Paulin – 38
4. Glenn Coldenhoff – 36
5. Jeremy Seewer – 34

MX2 Overall

1. Jago Geerts – 45
2. Calvin Vlaanderen – 45
3. Thomas Covington – 40
4. Ben Watson – 37
5. Davy Pootjes – 34
6. Ruben Fernandez-Garcia – 30
7. Jed Beaton – 23

Action Aplenty at Qld Post Classic & Vets MX Champs

The iconic Tivoli Raceway near Ipswich, which started dirt track and motocross racing back in the 1960s to go on to host multiple Australian Championships and Mr Motocross events, hosted one of its final events last weekend with the Queensland Post Classic and Veterans Motocross Championships being held over two days and the racing lived up to expectations with plenty of bar banging action.

Former national top ten punter Nathan Crawford took out the Vets 35-39 while evergreen Travis Regeling won the Vets 40-44 with Lee Paterson (Vets 45-49) and James Deakin (Vets 50-59) taking out the other two vet classes.

On a fast, flowing and technical layout, there were several stand out performances including young Riley Lee who, with the assistance of his mega fit mother, either won or landed on the podium in no less than seven classes while James Deakin won three classes, Tamara Gray and Jacob Dank won two classes then there is young second generation champion Ashley Mason who scored podium finishes in all six classes he contested.

The roost throwing and spectacular David Mattock and Vaughn Fletcher won both Sidecar classes and left little doubt as to who deserved two more Queensland titles to add to their already long list of achievements.

Larger than life Bob Johnstone returned to where it all began for him as a racer and a commentator as did former Tivoli championship winners Stephen Gall, Peter Boyle, Andrew Bailey and Calvin Brewster but sadly, Tivoli Raceway closes down later this year so last weekend’s racing was thankfully a true testament to the history and heritage that the facility deserved. See the top finishers from all of the classes below:

Veterans 35-39

1. Nathan Crawford
2. Luke Wolfe
3. Francisco Jimenez
4. Geoff Harry
5. Justin McMahon
6. Tamara Gray

Vets 40-44

1. Travis Regeling
2. Kirk Hutton
3. Eric Falkenhagen
4.  Jason Borg
5. David Tansell

Vets 45-49

1. Lee Petersen
2. Jason Doyle
3. Craig Wills
4. Terry Scarborough
5. Simon Beston

Vets 50-59

1. James Deakin
2. Brad Van Barrelo
3. Ron Hendrickson
4. George Knight
5. Darren Smart

Vets Over 60

1. Peter Boyle
2. Steven New
3. Rex Day
4. Wayne Skyring

125 Pre 85

1. Jaron Shorten
2. Steven Gant
3. Rex Day
4. Matthew Dank
5. Ashley Woolford

125 Pre 90

1. Jacob Dank
2. Riley Lee
3. Ashley Mason
4. Simon Abel
5. Matthew Dank

125 Pre 95

1. Jacob Dank
2. Riley Lee
3. Ashley Mason
4. Tamara Gray
5. Brooke Williams

250 Pre 85

1. Riley Lee
2. Brad Van Barrelo
3. Ashley Mason
4. Darren Ilka
5. Wayne Skyring

250 Pre 90

1. Connor Lister
2. Brock Haskins
3. Kevin Bradley
4. Darren Smart
5. Steven Hughes

250 Pre 95

1. Kirk Hutton
2. Riley Lee
3. Darren Smart
4. Sean Williams
5. Matt Beagle

500 Pre 85

1. Riley Lee
2. Andrew Williams
3. Ashley Mason
4. Steven New
5. Ian Jones

500 Pre 90

1. James Deakin
2. Riley Lee
3. Ashley Mason
4. Connor Lister
5. Brad Van Barrelo

500 Pre 95

1. James Deakin
2. Riley Lee
3. Ashley Mason
4. Craig Wills

Sidecars Pre 90

1. David Mattock & Vaughn Fletcher
2. Darren Ilka & Daniel Tyson
3. Guy Westerman & Daniel Moles
4. Wayne Holloway & Nick Higgs

Sidecars Pre 85

1. David Mattock & Vaughn Fletcher
2. Wayne Holloway & Matthew Gummins
3. Guy Westerman & Daniel Moles
4. Darren Ilka & Daniel Tyson

Women up to Pre 90

1. Tamara Gray
2. Brooke Williams
3. Julie-Anne Keable

Women’s Vets/ Over 35

1. Tamara Gray
2. Julie Folley
3. Jackie Joyce
4. Julie-Anne Keable

Chris Warwick Wins Kamfari

Darwin’s annual Kamfari is touted as Australia’s muddiest enduro and this year it took Chris Warwick just over four hours to complete five laps and claim the overall victory in the motorcycle division ahead of Bren Rodda and Nathan Evans while in the quad class it was Philip Nathanael who took the win over Jason McArthur and Kurt Baxter.

Amazingly, despite the conditions more than half the competitors got to the finish line this year.

Motorcycle Top 10

1. Chris Warwick
2. Bren Rodda
3. Nathan Evans
4. Peter Manning
5. Neil Doyle
6. Jackson Smith
7. Jason Auton
8. Graham Havens
9. Matthew Preca
10. Brent Nott

Quads Top 5

1. Philip Nathanael
2. Jason McArthur
3. Kurt Baxter
4. Caleb Gotts
5. Harrison Woods

Todd Waters to HRC for MXGP

Starting from the MXGP of Latvia this weekend, Todd Waters will join Team HRC to step in for the injured Brian Bogers aboard the Honda CRF450RW alongside full-time HRC rider Tim Gajser.

Todd Waters

“Words can’t tell how excited I am not only to be back in MXGP, but to be doing so with Team HRC. It’s a dream come true, so I really want to thank them for this huge opportunity. Obviously I would like to wish Brian a speedy recovery, because every racer knows how hard is to be forced to be at home and watch other riders compete. I feel I have been putting in the work to be ready for my season debut in Latvia, although I know as its round 7 that my rivals have built their speed in the meantime. Being more mature and experienced this time around, I know what to expect from spending time in Europe – and what it means in terms of different type of living and culture. I feel more prepared and therefore ready to focus on what needs to be done. I want to show what I’m capable of and play my chances to get another shot at MXGP in the future, because that’s where I feel I belong. I really look forward to working with such a high-calibre racing team and to be back travelling around the world.”

On-Line Training with Pickard and Townley

Through his personal training company KP Performance, former Kiwi BMX Olympian Kurt Pickard has teamed up with former MXGP World Champion Ben Townley to offer a World Class on-line training package.

This full training package is about giving riders of all levels from anywhere in the world the ability to have their riding technique reviewed with constructive feedback from Ben, in combination with KP Performance providing performance planning, strength, conditioning and more.

Go to https://kpperformance.co.nz for more information.

Cianciarulo and Davalos OUT of AMA Motocross

Injuries will force Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki riders Adam Cianciarulo and Martin Davalos to miss the 2018 Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship.

Cianciarulo will undergo surgery to repair a torn ACL, an injury that has plagued him for more than a year. Despite the injury, he has been competitive through all 10 rounds of the 2018 Monster Energy AMA Supercross season, including a win Saturday night in Las Vegas, finishing second in the 250SX Western Region rider point standings.

Adam Cianciarulo

“I’m very disappointed that I won’t be out there doing what I love and competing this summer. At the same time, I’m excited to get this behind me so I can be at my very best going into next season and many seasons to come.”

Davalos suffered multiple injuries to begin the 2018 Monster Energy Supercross season that ultimately led to him missing five rounds of the 250SX Eastern Region series. Davalos will undergo knee surgery as well as recover from a neck injury forcing him to miss the AMA Pro Motocross Championship this year.

Martin Davalos

“This season has been very tough for me. After multiple evaluations and doctor visits, I’ve decided I will need the time to recover and get back to feeling healthy while doing what I love most. I’m beyond grateful for the opportunity to work with the entire Pro Circuit Kawasaki crew again and thankful for all of their time, efforts and support throughout this whole process.”

Mitch Payton

“This was a difficult decision, but I support Adam and Martin taking care of themselves. I’m proud of what Adam has been able to accomplish this year and I look forward to seeing what he can really do once he’s back to being 100% healthy. It is a shame that Martin never had a chance to show what he was capable of this season. Our athletes work hard all year long and put a lot of stress on their bodies for this sport. It’s important to listen to what your body is telling you and take the necessary time to recover.”

The Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki team will be represented by Joey Savatgy, Austin Forkner and newcomer Garrett Marchbanks during the AMA Pro Motocross Championship as the team looks to claim its 11th motocross championship in 2018.

Makeham Struggles at Indo SX Championships

Kale Makeham raced the opening round of the Indonesian Supercross championship but according to his social media post it didn’t all go to plan.

Kale Makeham

“Round 1 in Indo is done! Moto 1 I got a good start then went down on the first lap, I got up came back to 3rd then 3 laps later crashed again, so again I came back through the pack to 3^rd. Moto 2 I crashed first corner so again I am in last. But rode really well and after 15 minutes I had made my way into 1st place, starting to check out then my rear wheel came loose, chain came loose and smashed my clutch housing so DNF. Bit of bummer not to win it but I felt really good and learnt a lot about racing here and the Husqvarna 350 so I look forward to coming again and getting the job done.”

North Brisbane to Host Australian Championship

The Brisbane Motorcycle Club in conjunction with the North Brisbane Junior Motorcycle Club will host the 2018 Australian Classic Dirt Track Championship at Mick Doohan Raceway over the weekend of the 7^th and 8^th of July.

The fast and flowing circuit is comprised of decomposed granite which offers plenty of predictable traction so there will be a plethora of high speed side-by-side action over the two days of racing.

Go to https://osm-ma.omnisportsmanagement.com (Link) to enter.

Harrisville to Host Qld Classic MX Championships

The much anticipated Queensland Classic Motocross Championships will be held at the Brisbane Motorcycle Club’s Harrisville facility out West of Ipswich over the weekend of the 26^th and 27^th of May and looking at early entries the event is going to be another cracker.

Classes include Pre 1960, Pre 1975, Pre 1978, Evolution, Pre 1985 Sidecars as well as age group classes so there is something for everyone at the event with camping and canteen facilities available.

Go to https://osm-ma.omnisportsmanagement.com to enter.