Smarty’s Moto Wrap for April 8, 2014
There is some good news for Joel Dinsdale with the teenage sensation waking up from a coma last week and is now expected to make a full recovery. Joel is going through rehabilitation in Townsville, is speaking well and from all accounts would like to eventually get back riding again, depending on his rehabilitation of course.
How about the final race at round one of the World Speedway Championships? Rarely does a rider come from last for first with just two laps remaining but that is exactly what German star Martin Smolinski did. He slid under Fredrik Lindgren three corners remaining then got by Krzysztof Kasprzak going into the last lap and coming out of the first corner of the last lap Smoliski found traction to get to the inside of race leader Nicki Pedersen as they entered the final corner side by side and bam, from last to first in four corners, amazing. See full report and results below.
As far as the Aussie contingent goes, Chris Holder won one heat race to end up fifth overall on the night while Darcy Ward ended up being taken out by another rider during the night to finish a distant 13th place, just one place ahead of young Troy Batchelor who was off pace all night.
Matt Phillips has kicked off his 2014 World Enduro Championship campaign with a 2nd and a 3rd in the E3 class over the two days of racing at the opening round in Spain last weekend while our female contingent of Jessica Gardiner and Jemma Wilson are sitting 3rd and 5th outright after the two days in Spain. See the full report and results below.
Youthstream have once again revised the official calendar for the 2014 World Motocross Championships. The political situation in the Ukraine has forced this statement from the Youthstream. “At this point in time the Ukrainian round of the FIM MXGP and MX2 Motocross World Championships, originally scheduled in Dimitrov, Donetsk on 17 August, is postponed to 2015.” Youthstream is currently looking for a replacement venue for what is the final round of the 2014 championship.
I found this pretty cool. On the 21st of July Ricky Carmichael and Stefan Everts will go head to head at the ‘Everts and Friends’ Charity event, held at the Genk circuit in Belgium. This will be the first time since the 2005 MXoN in Ernee, France that the two have battled and the first time they meet in Belgium since that memorial 2003 MXoN at the Zolder circuit.
Adding to this the Ricky Carmichael University in 2014 will be run at the Belgian circuit of Genk and in Sweden at the Uddevalla circuit. On the 19th of July Carmichael will run the event in Sweden, then on the 23rd and 24th of July in Belgium. The teachers for the schools will be Ricky Carmichael, Stefan Everts, Jeff Emig, Jeff Stanton, James Dobb and Brian Jorgensen. How good would it be taught by this mob of riders???
This week we have the race reports and results from:
- – Round 14 of the AMA Supercross at the Edward Jones Dome in St. Louis
- – Round 2 of the British Motocross Championships at Lyng
- – Round 2 of the Belgian Motocross Championship in Mons
- – Round 2 of the East Coast Bullbars Australian Rally Championship in WA
- – Round 1 of the FIM Enduro World Championships in Solsona, Spain
- – Round 1 of the FIM World Speedway Championships in Auckland, New Zealand
- – Round 1 of the Western Australian State Motocross Championships at Coastal Park
2014 Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship – Round 14 – Houston
450 Race Report: Despite crashing twice in practice and wiping out in the whoops in his heat race, Villopoto put himself up front early with a holeshot ahead of Andrew Short, Mike Alessi, Justin Barcia, Ken Roczen, Trey Canard and James Stewart. Title contender Ryan Dungey went down hard on the first jump section after getting tangled up with Weston Peick who in turn took down Vince Friese, and Josh Grant as he spewed across the track.
Villopoto immediately opened a gap on the field and by the time Barcia and Roczen slotted into second and third there was little hope of them catching the defending champion. Villopoto was the only rider able to jump a table top-quad section on a regular basis and was never really challenged out front and scored an emphatic win while Barcia secured his third consecutive podium to finish in second ahead of Roczen and Canard.
Villopoto’s fourth straight title is looking much better after this win as he extended his lead in the championship to 45 points over Stewart with three rounds remaining. “It was awesome tonight considering everything we had to overcome,” said Villopoto. “With the start the way it was, I don’t think I could have asked for anything more and it made my life easy. The track was tough, but our Kawasaki was able to handle everything. That’s not the way I wanted the heat race to go, but we were able to bounce back even stronger.”
Stewart battled an illness all day but managed to ride to a fifth place finish ahead of Andrew Short with Dungey battling back to seventh after his first lap crash. Speaking of crashes, after a promising start to his night with a sensational heat race Josh Hill crashed in the first corner of the main event and could only get back to 12th place.
Main Event Results: 1. Ryan Villopoto. 2. Justin Barcia. 3. Ken Roczen. 4. Trey Canard. 5. James Stewart. 6. Andrew Short. 7. Ryan Dungey. 8. Mike Alessi. 9. Eli Tomac. 10. Chris Blose. 11. Nick Wey. 12. Josh Hill. 13. Nick Schmidt. 14. Cody Gilmore. 15. Jimmy Decotis. 16. Ronnie Stewart. 17. Jimmy Albertson. 18. Kyle Regal. 19. Ben LaMay. 20. Weston Peick. 21. Josh Grant. 22. Vince Friese.
450SX Championship Standings After Round 14 of 17: 1. Ryan Villopoto – 293. 2. James Stewart – 248. 3. Ryan Dungey – 247. 4. Ken Roczen – 235. 5. Justin Barcia – 198. 6. Justin Brayton – 196. 7. Andrew Short – 181. 8. Broc Tickle – 126. 9. Wil Hahn – 122. 10. Josh Hill – 112.
250 Race Report: Jessy Nelson grabbed the holeshot with Jason Anderson, Justin Hill, Dean Wilson, Malcolm Stewart and Cole Seely in hot pursuit. Anderson immediately went to the lead as the field entered the second corner and instantly opened a gap over Wilson and Hill who quickly relegated Nelson back to fourth.
At the end of lap three it was Anderson with a three second gap back to Wilson, Hill, Stewart and Seely but on lap four Hill swapped out in the whoops, giving up third position to Stewart.
Anderson maintained about a two-second margin for the most of the race until lapped riders started to take their toll and Wilson started closing in but the Scot was unable to make a pass before the finish.
So Anderson takes another win and extends his lead in the championship to 11 points with two races remaining while Wilson overcame a dislocated shoulder suffered in a heat race crash to finish second ahead of Stewart and Cole Seely.
“It feels great to come back strong after such a long break. I’m super stoked to get the win,” said Anderson. “We did a lot of work over the break and it paid off. We killed it off the start and were able to run our own race. That’s going to be the key to winning this championship over the last few rounds, put myself up front and move into a position so we can do what we need to do.”
The West Coast 250SX series heads to their penultimate round next weekend in Seattle.
Main Event Result: 1. Jason Anderson. 2. Dean Wilson. 3. Malcom Stewart. 4. Cole Seely. 5. Zach Osborne. 6. Cooper Webb. 7. Shane McElrath. 8. Jake Canda. 9. Justin Hill. 10. Jessy Nelson. 11. Zach Freeberg. 12. Dakota Tedder. 13. Michael Leib. 14. Scott Champion. 15. Topher Ingalls. 16. Preston Mull. 17. Brandon Scharer. 18. Chris Howell. 19. Ruben Alanis. 20. Cheyenne Harmon. 21. Colton Aeck. 22. Mark Weishaar.
250SX West Regional Championship Standings After Round 7 of 9: 1. Jason Anderson – 156. 2. Cole Seely – 145. 3. Dean Wilson – 120. 4. Justin Hill – 119. 5. Malcolm Stewart – 109. 6. Cooper Webb – 107. 7. Jessy Nelson – 87. 8. Zach Osborne – 85. 9. Shane McElrath – 85. 10. Dean Ferris – 63.
250SX East Regional Championship Standings After Round 6 of 9: 1. Martin Davalos – 149pts Kaw. 2. Justin Bogle 141pts Hon. 3. Adam Cianciarulo 120pts Kaw. 4. Blake Baggett 120pts Kaw. 5. Vince Friese 100pts Hon. 6. Kyle Cunningham 94pts Hon. 7. Cole Thompson 89pts KTM. 8. Jimmy Decotis 78pts Hon. 9. Matt Lemoine 74pts Kaw. 10. Alex Martin 72pts Yam. 11. Matt Bisceglia 60pts Hon. 12. AJ Catanzaro 59pts Hon. 13. Blake Wharton 51pts Hon. 14. Jeremy Martin 49pts Yam. 15. Mitchell Oldenburg 43pts Hon. 16. Kyle Peters 40pts Hon. 17. Jackson Richardson 36pts Hon. 18. Jesse Wentland 34pts Hon. 19. Gannon Audette 25pts Kaw. 20. Levi Kilbarger 21pts Hon.
2014 Monster Energy AMA Supercross Series an FIM World Championship – Remaining Rounds
Rd 15: April 12 – Century Link Field – Seattle
Rd 16: April 26 – MetLife Stadium – East Rutherford, N.J.
Rd 17: May 3 – Sam Boyd Stadium – Las Vegas
British Motocross Championships – Round 2 – Lyng
MX1 Race Report: Despite the fact that Dantec Husqvarna’s Nathan Watson seemed to have the speed to take the MX1 class win it was a rear wheel problem that put pay to his hopes in the opening moto while Shaun Simpson and Jake Nicholls showed speed and consistency to end up on the top two spots on the podium.
The last podium spot went to MBO Sport ASA Scaffolding Yamaha’s Kristian Whatley who bounced back from a poor result in the second race to just sneak into third overall.
Simpson now has a five point lead over Nichols in the championships.
MX1 Overall: 1. Shaun Simpson (HM Plant KTM UK) 69. 2. Jake Nicholls (Wilvo Forkrent KTM) 67. 3. Kristian Whatley (MBO Sport Yamaha) 48. 4. Elliott Banks-Browne (Buildbase Honda Racing) 46. 5. Nathan Watson (Dantec Husqvarna) 45. 6. Graeme Irwin (Heads & All Threads Suzuki) 44. 7. Gert Krestinov (Apico LPE Kawasaki Racing) 44. 8. Brad Anderson (Buildbase Honda Racing) 42. 9. Priit Rätsep (Oakleaf Kawasaki) 35. 10. Matthew Moffat (JAR Honda) 31.
MX1 Championship Points: 1. Shaun Simpson (HM Plant KTM UK) 139. 2. Jake Nicholls (Wilvo Forkrent KTM) 134. 3. Kristian Whatley (MBO Sport Yamaha) 108. 4. Elliott Banks-Browne (Buildbase Honda Racing) 100. 5. Brad Anderson (Buildbase Honda Racing) 94. 6. Nathan Watson (Dantec Husqvarna) 74. 7. Gert Krestinov (Apico LPE Kawasaki Racing) 73. 8. Graeme Irwin (Heads & All Threads Suzuki) 69. 9. Alex Snow (Phoenix Tools Rocket Honda) 66. 10. Jamie Law (Dyer & Butler KTM) 59.
MX2 Race Report: Young Wilvo Forkrent KTM rider Adam Sterry surprised everyone by winning the opening moto ahead of HM Plant KTM’s Mel Pocock and then it was Sterry’s teammate Matiss Karro who took out the next two moto wins yet when the points were tallied it was Mel Pocock’s 2-2-3 finishes that gave the hard charging Pom the round win over Karro and Putoline Apico Honda’s Bradshaw.
The title chase is far from over with just two points separating Pocock and Karro after two rounds.
MX2 Overall: 1. Mel Pocock (HM Plant KTM UK) 64. 2. Matiss Karro (Wilvo Forkrent KTM) 62. 3. Neville Bradshaw (Putoline Apico Honda) 62. 4. Adam Sterry (Wilvo Forkrent KTM) 56. 5. Bryan Mackenzie (Pendrich Height Services Kawasaki) 50. 6. Ben Watson (HM Plant KTM UK) 45. 7. James Cottrell (HM Plant KTM UK) 41. 8. Lewis Tombs (JAR Honda) 39. 9. Steven Clarke (Dyer & Butler KTM) 37. 10. Lewis Trickett (MBO Sport ASA Scaffolding Yamaha) 33.
MX2 Championship Points: 1. Mel Pocock (HM Plant KTM UK) 128. 2. Matiss Karro (Wilvo Forkrent KTM) 126. 3. Neville Bradshaw (Putoline Apico Honda) 107. 4. Adam Sterry (Wilvo Forkrent KTM) 98. 5. Bryan Mackenzie (Pendrich Height Services Kawasaki) 94. 6. Lewis Trickett (MBO Sport Yamaha) 75. 7. James Dunn (HM Plant KTM UK) 75. 8. Ben Watson (HM Plant KTM UK) 66. 9. Lewis Tombs (JAR Honda) 65. 10. James Cottrell (HM Plant KTM UK) 61.
Belgian Motocross Championships – Round 2 – Mons, Belgium
Factory Yamaha rider Jeremy Van Horebeek has won round two of the Belgian Motocross Championships in Mons, Belgium. The GP star finished with 1-1 results, leading home Joel Roelants 3-2 and Kevin Strijbos 2-5.
MX1 Moto One: 1. VAN HOREBEEK Jeremy. 2. STRIJBOS Kevin. 3. ROELANTS Joel. 4. LIEBER Julien. 5. HOUGHTON Ryan. 6. VAN DAELE Marvin. 7. DEWULF Jeffrey. 8. SALAETS Kristof. 9. VAN NOOTEN Jurgen. 10. LONKA Lukasz.
MX1 Moto two: 1. VAN HOREBEEK Jeremy. 2. ROELANTS Joel. 3. VAN DAELE Marvin. 4. DELINCE Jérémy. 5. STRIJBOS Kevin. 6. RAMON Steve. 7. LIEBER Julien. 8. TRIEST Nick. 9. SALAETS Kristof. 10. HOUGHTON Ryan
MX1 Overall: 1. VAN HOREBEEK. 2. ROELANTS. 3. STRIJBOS. 4. VAN DAELE. 5. LIEBER. 6. DELINCE. 7. HOUGHTON. 8. SALAETS. 9. RAMON. 10 91 DEWULF.
East Coast Bullbars Australian Rally Championship – Round 2 – 2014 Quit Forest Rally
KTM Desert Racing Team rider Ben Grabham has won his third consecutive WA Forest Rally at Busselton and Nannup in the south-west region of Western Australia.
The Quit Forest Rally was the second round of the East Coast Bullbars Australian Rally Championship and is one of the few off-road races on the Australian calendar to combine car and motorcycle classes. Grabham aboard the KTM 500 EXC excelled in the fast, slippery conditions and topped the time sheets of the Moto division on both days of the event, winning from Graeme McKinley (KTM), and Nathan Grech (Can-am).
“The weekend went well for us; I had a pretty good run and picked up the win.” Grabham stated. “It’s always tricky over here on the pea gravel and just getting used to the slipperiness of it, there wasn’t as much cleaning of the trails by the rally cars this year, as they seem to have gone away from the fast four-wheel drives and into mainly front wheel drives, which is why the quads were so prominent in the outright results. They just get so much more traction than the motorcycles were.”
“They were pretty long days this time round; yesterday would have been seven hours on the bike. It’s not the hardest riding ever but you can’t switch off for a second as the pea gravel and high speeds are a bad combination, and you can end up coming unstuck pretty quick.”
“Any time you’re racing, whether it be club level or whatever, your body just reacts differently when you know you’re racing the clock. There really is no better practice than a race, even for Mikey the mechanic, it’s practice for everyone.”
2014 Quit Forest Rally Results: 1. Ben Grabham (KTM) 80. 2. Graeme McKinley (KTM) 68. 3. Nathan Grech (Can-Am) 60. 4. Brett Tribbick (Honda) 52. 5. Alan Makin (Yamaha) 44.
FIM Enduro World Championships – Round 1 – Solsona, Spain
Day 1 Official Race Report:
Under perfect race conditions in Solsona, Spain, KTM claimed a clean sweep of all three Senior classes with Christophe Nambotin, topping the Enduro 1 category, Antoine Meo, E2 and Ivan Cervantes secured a home win in the Enduro 3 class.
Wasting no time in adapting to the Enduro 1 class, Nambotin, the 2013 Enduro 3 World Champion, secured victory fighting it out with teammate Cristobal Guerrero. Despite a crash midway through the day, Nambotin claimed a 14-second margin of victory.
“I’m very happy to win,” confirmed Nambotin. “It’s only the first day but it’s great to start the season like this. The class is very tight and I think it will be a good fight all year.”
Topping the Friday SuperTest, Guerrero immediately showed that he was ready to battle for the win. Matching Nambotin’s pace during the day, the Spaniard placed a well-deserved runner-up result. Finishing 13 seconds behind Guerrero and posting the fastest time on the second Extreme Test, France’s Jeremy Tarroux (Sherco) claimed his first podium result of the season in third.
Impressing on his debut ride in E1, Spaniard Jaume Betriu (Husqvarna) edged out Finland’s Eero Remes (TM) by less than one second to snatch fourth.
Stamping his authority on the Enduro 2 category, France’s Antoine Meo, immediately positioned himself as the rider to beat this season. Setting the fastest time in six of the day’s 10 special tests, Meo eased his way to a comfortable win.
“It was important to try and win the first day of the season but it didn’t come easy,” explained Meo. “I crashed on the Extreme Test, which cost me time, and because I started in the middle of the pack it was quite dusty in places, but it’s fantastic to start with a result like this – I’m delighted,” he added.
Despite his best efforts to give chase, France’s Johnny Aubert (Beta) was unable to stay with his countryman and had to settle for the runner-up result.
After a steady start to his morning, Husqvarna’s Pela Renet won the final Enduro Test to end his day 12 seconds behind Aubert. Off the pace of the leading trio, Spain’s Lorenzo Santoino (Sherco) and Oriol Mena (Beta) traded places all day.
Getting the better of Mena in the final test, Santolino took fourth, pushing Mean back to fifth. Fighting through the pain barrier, defending champion Alex Salvini (I-Honda) was sixth.
In the Enduro 3 category a battle raged between the KTM duo of Ivan Cervantes and Australian Matt Phillips. With little to separate them, it was Cervantes better time on the final Enduro Test that ultimately secured him the win.
“That was an incredible fight with Phillips – I really enjoyed it,” smiled Cervantes. “We pushed each other hard all day but thankfully I got the win. It’s fantastic to win my first race back in E3 but also do it in Spain.”
Instantly establishing himself as a title contender, 2013 Enduro Junior champion Phillips secured his first Senior class podium with second. Behind the leading duo the race for the final step of the podium was played out between Husqvarna’s Mathias Bellino and Portugal’s Luis Corriea (Beta).
Beating Corriea by eight seconds, Bellino placed third. With Correia just missing out in fourth, France’s Jeremy Joly (KTM) – also debuting in E3 – completed the top five.
Queen of enduro Laia Sanz won all but Friday’s SuperTest to record her first win of the season in the Women’s class. Britain’s Jane Daniels (Husqvarna) ended her day second while Australia’s Jessica Gardiner (Sherco) completed the top three.
Round 1 – Day 1 Results:
E1: 1. Christophe Nambotin. 2. Cristobal Guerrero. 3. Jeremy Tarroux. 4. Jaume Betriu. 5. Eero Remes. 6. Anthony Boissiere. 7. Thomas Oldrati. 8. Nicolas Deparrois. 9. Kévin Rohmer. 10. Rudi Moroni.
E2: 1. Antoine Meo. 2. Johnny Aubert. 3. Pierre Alexandre Renet. 4. Lorenzo Santolino. 5. Oriol Mena. 6. Alex Salvini. 7. Mirko Gritti. 8. Romain Bourcardey. 9. Manuel Monni. 10. Jamie Lewis.
E3: 1. Ivan Cervantes. 2. Matthew Phillips. 3. Mathias Bellino. 4. Luis Correia. 5. Jérémy Joly. 6. Matti Seistola. 7. Aigar Leok. 8. Fabien Planet. 9. Antoine Basset. 10. Simone Albergoni.
Women’s: 1. Laia Sanz. 2. Jane Daniels. 3. Jessica Gardiner. 4. Juliette Berrez. 5. Géraldine Fournel. 8. Jemma Wilson.
Day 2 Official Race Report:
Perfect weather and close racing on day two at AMV GP of Catalunya in Solsona, Spain ensure the 2014 FIM Maxxis Enduro World Championship got off to a thrilling start.
Picking up his second race win in Solsona, KTM’s Christophe Nambotin topped the Enduro 1 class. Husqvarna’s Pela Renet became the new winner of the Enduro 2 category while Ivan Cervantes gave his home support a result to remember with victory in the Enduro 3 class.
Quickly proving himself as the rider to beat in the Enduro 1 category, France’s Nambotin (KTM) secured his second victory of the weekend. Despite a small crash on the final Extreme Test, Nambotin enjoyed a sizable 39-second margin of victory.
“I’m very happy with my two victories – it’s the perfect way to start the season,” Nambotin commented. “Today I only made one mistake but thankfully I had a nice lead so the victory was safe.”
With Nambotin out front the battle for the final steps of the podium took centre stage. Anthony Boissiere (Sherco), Eero Remes (TM) and Spain’s Cristobal Guerrero (KTM) all pushed hard for a top three result.
In the end, Boissiere edged out Remes by less than one second to finish as runner-up. Less than one-second behind Remes, Guerrero took fourth. France’s Jeremy Tarroux (Sherco) rounded out the top five.
A change of winners in the Enduro 2 class saw Husqvarna’s Pela Renet secure victory on day two. Posting consistent test times, Renet held off a last lap charge from Antoine Meo (KTM) to grab the top step of the podium.
“From the beginning I fought hard with Johnny and Antoine. Johnny slipped back but Antoine attacked hard on the final lap,” Renet said. “Luckily I had enough in hand to win – I’m really happy for this result.”
A crash on the opening Extreme Test saw day one winner Antoine Meo work hard to recover from his mistakes. Dominating the final lap, the KTM rider fought his way back to second. Losing touch with Renet and Meo, France’s Johnny Aubert (Beta) rode a lonely race for third.
Recording a surprise result, former MXGP rider Jonathan Barragan (Husqvarna) ended his day in fourth. Improving one position over his day one result, Italy’s Alex Salvini (Honda) gained valuable championship points in fifth.
Claiming his second victory of the weekend, Spain’s Ivan Cervantes (KTM) got his Enduro 3 championship winning aspirations off to a great start. Taking a 32-second win, Cervantes left Solsona as the early championship leader.
“It’s been a perfect start to the season,” commented Cervantes. “My feeling with the bike is fantastic and I’ve been able to push hard to set some fast times. Coming away from round one with two wins is a big confidence boost for me.”
Delivering an impressive ride in his first season in E3, Sherco’s Matti Seistola ended day two as runner-up. Holding off a four-way battle for the final step of the podium, Australia’s Matt Phillips (KTM) eventually beat Portugal’s Luis Corriea (Beta) by just two tenths of a second to snatch third.
Narrowly missing out on a podium result, Correia had to be content with fourth. Finishing a further three seconds behind the Beta rider, Estonia’s Aigar Leok (TM) chased Corria home for fifth.
Recording the perfect start to the defence of her title, Spain’s Laia Sanz (Honda) won day two to leave Solsona with maximum points. Behind Sanz, Britain’s Jane Daniels (Husqvarna) secured the runner-up result with Australia’s Jessica Gardiner (Sherco) finishing just 13 seconds behind the Brit in third. Australia’s second rider in the class Jemma Wilson finished fourth.
Round 1 – Day 2 Results:
E1: 1. Christophe Nambotin. 2. Anthony Boissiere. 3. REMES Eero Remes. 4. Cristobal Guerrero. 5. Jeremy Tarroux. 6. Thomas Oldrati. 7. Jaume Betriu. 8. Maurizio Micheluz. 9. Nicolas Deparrois. 10. Edward Huebner.
E2: 1. Pierre Alexandre Renet. 2. Antoine Meo. 3. Johnny Aubert. 4. Jonathan Barragan. 5. Alex Salvini. 6. Lorenzo Santolino. 7. Oriol Mena. 8. Victor Guerrero. 9. Manuel Monni. 10. Mirko Gritti.
E3: 1. Ivan Cervantes. 2. Matti Seistola. 3. Matthew Phillips. 4. Luis Correia. 5. Aigar Leok. 6. Mathias Bellino. 7. Jérémy Joly. 8. Mario Roman. 9. Antoine Basset. 10. Fabien Planet.
Women’s: 1. Laia Sanz. 2. Jane Daniels. 3. Jessica Gardiner. 4. Jemma Wilson. 5. Juliette Berrez.
Championship Standings after Round 1:
E1 Championship Standings After Round 1 of 8: 1. Christophe Nambotin – 40. 2. Cristobal Guerrero – 30. 3. Anthony Boissiere – 27. 4. Eero Remes – 26. 5. Jeremy Tarroux – 26. 6. Jaume Betriu – 22. 7. Thomas Oldrati – 19. 8. Nicolas Deparrois – 15. 9. Kévin Rohmer – 11. 10. Edward Huebner – 11.
E2 Championship Standings After Round 1 of 8: 1. Antoine Meo – 37. 2. Pierre Alexandre Renet – 35. 3. Johnny Aubert – 32. 4. Lorenzo Santolino – 23. 5. Alex Slavini – 21. 6. Oriol Mena – 20. 7. Jonathan Barragan – 18. 8. Mirko Gritti – 15. 9. Manuel Monni – 14. 10. Jamie Lewis – 11.
E3 Championship Standings After Round 1 of 8: 1. Ivan Cervantes – 40. 2. Matthew Phillips – 32. 3. Matti Seistola – 27. 4. Luis Correia – 26. 5. Mathias Bellino – 25. 6. Aigar Leok – 20. 7. Jérémy Joly – 20. 8. Fabien Planet – 14. 9. Antoine Basset – 14. 10. Mario Roman – 11.
Women’s Championship Standings After Round 1 of 4: 1. Laia Sanz – 40. 2. Jane Daniels – 34. 3. Jessica Gardiner – 30. 4. Juliette Berrez – 24. 5. Jemma Wilson – 21.
FIM World Speedway Championships – Round 1 – Auckland, New Zealand
Martin Smolinski was delighted to defy his doubters and claim a shock New Zealand FIM Speedway Grand Prix triumph in Auckland, and now he wants to put German speedway back in the limelight.
The Munich-born hero won one of the greatest SGP finals in recent memory after sitting at the back for two laps, before scything majestically past Nicki Pedersen, Krzysztof Kasprzak and Freddie Lindgren to collect his first Grand Prix win on only his second SGP appearance.
Smolinski, now third in the World Championship with 15 points, has come a long way since failing to score on his debut in the 2008 Final SGP at Polish circuit Bydgoszcz, where the European SGP takes place on April 26. The 29-year-old returns there full of confidence after picking up the biggest victory for a German rider since Egon Muller won the 1983 World Final.
Smolinski was written off by the pundits after qualifying via the 2013 GP Challenge at Poole, so he was over the moon to make the speedway world sit up and take notice with a hard-charging masterclass in the land of the long white cloud. “I can’t put this into words.” Smolinski said. “I can’t really believe what has happened here at the moment. The main reason I’m sitting here and I won is the hard work I have done and my team has done over the winter.”
“I’ve had big issues in the press – no-one believed in me because I don’t race in Poland, I don’t race in Sweden and I don’t race in Britain. I’d like to say a big thank you to all the people in my team, my engine tuner, my girlfriend and the people who believed in me.”
“My fans at home in Olching got up at 6am. They had a party and watched me. I bet they’re going mad. There were 250 people watching at home on the big screen, this was a big result for my fans, for German speedway and hopefully we can make a big step and get the sport back where we had it in the seventies and eighties with Egon Muller.”
Smolinski rode the Western Springs circuit in his own, unique style, showing astonishing speed around the white line to rack up 10 points in his heats, before following Kasprzak home in semi-final two.
After picking off Lindgren in the final, he then showed remarkable patience and poise to pounce up the inside as Pedersen and Kasprzak scrapped for the lead to claim the biggest victory of his career. “There were three riders there who had some of the best bike control in the series.” Smolinski continued. “They work at a very high level. We were very hard, but we were very fair and we left some room to race.”
“I’ve been working a lot over the winter with my mental and fitness coach. I’ve done a lot of boxing and it’s about having the fight, you also have to be in the right position at the right moment and maybe make a step backwards and think what’s happening. You have to have a clear head in these extreme situations.”
“The guys were fighting against each other at the front. I waited one lap, two laps, three laps, I read them. Every lap is different, every book and every page is different. It’s the same with speedway. The track was good and everything was good. The right moment came and bang, I was gone. I was leading.”
Despite this result, Smolinski insists his target remains a top 10 finish in the World Championship, even if his awesome Auckland performance will prompt others to set the bar higher. “My target is still the top 10. I was in the GP Challenge for the first time in 2005 and that’s nine years ago. But everything comes at the right time. I’ve taken it step by step, I’m not going to say I’m going to be world champion straight away. But I do want to be consistent and be on a good level. Then maybe I can go up a step again, nobody can make five steps in one go. You have to go step by step and that’s the way we’re working. You never know what can happen. But I believe in me and my team.”
NZ SGP runner-up Pedersen leaves Auckland as the World Championship leader on 19 points after blitzing to a 15-point maximum in his heats, before finishing second to Lindgren in semi one.
He was delighted to build on his 2012 and 2013 bronze medals in Auckland after playing his part in an enthralling final. “I think I have to go back many years to remember a final like this.” Pederson said. “I don’t remember seeing a guy who was last for a couple of laps win the Grand Prix, fair play to Martin – I think everyone had a fair chance in this final. I’m happy with second place. I rode well all night and I got one place better than I have done in the last two years, so I can’t complain.”
Third-placed Kasprzak was content to leave New Zealand with a massive 17 points, leaving him second in the World Championship. “I am very happy and it was a good evening for me.” Kasprzak said. “Congratulations to Martin – that was a good debut in the GP and I hope the next round will be as good as it was in Auckland.”
Smolinski’s only low point was being excluded from heat 14 after appearing to hit a rut and crashed in to Aussie star Darcy Ward, who was briefly knocked unconscious. The Queenslander withdrew from the meeting, suffering with concussion. Fellow Australian’s Chris Holder finished in 5th with 11 points, while Troy Batchelor finished 14th with four points.
It was also a tough night for the British riders as world champ Tai Woffinden missed the semi-final cut on countback with seven points. Chris Harris failed to score on his SGP return after a year out of the series.
New Zealand SGP Points: 1. Martin Smolinski 15. 2. Nicki Pedersen 19. 3. Krzysztof Kasprzak 17. 4. Fredrik Lindgren 13. 5. Kenneth Bjerre 11. 6. Chris Holder 11. 7. Jaroslaw Hampel 8. 8. Andreas Jonsson 7. 9. Tai Woffinden 7. 10. Greg Hancock 6. 11. Matej Zagar 6. 12. Niels-Kristian Iversen 6. 13. Darcy Ward 5. 14. Troy Batchelor 4. 15. Jason Bunyan 2. 16. Chris Harris 0.
World Championships Standings: 1. Nicki Pedersen 19. 2. Krzysztof Kasprzak 17. 3. Martin Smolinski 15. 4. Fredrik Lindgren 13. 5. Chris Holder 11. 6. Kenneth Bjerre 11. 7. Jaroslaw Hampel 8. 8. Tai Woffinden 7. 9. Andreas Jonsson 7. 10. Niels-Kristian Iversen 6. 11. Greg Hancock 6. 12. Matej Zagar 6. 13. Darcy Ward 5. 14. Troy Batchelor 4. 15. Jason Bunyan 2. 16. Chris Harris 0.
Webster, Rykers, Hirst and Bosnakis Fire The Opening Shots as WA State Championship Kicked Off.
2014 Western Australian State Motocross Championship – Round One – Coastal Park
Celebrating its tenth year of promoting the Western Australian State Motocross Championships, the 2014 WAMX opening round had something to whet the appetites of the crowd at Coastal Park in Henderson, in Perth’s southern suburbs.
A renowned tough, deep sandy circuit, the riders were greeted with a pristine circuit, which dramatically changed as the day went on to test both riders and their machines.
Womens Class
Kicking off the championship season with a perfect score for the day Courtney Hirst dominated all three motos with Shelley Connor second and Chelsea Blakers in third position for the day. Sitting on the sidelines injured, defending champ Jess Moore was itching to be back out competing: “I am still a few weeks away from getting medical clearance to ride again, it’s pretty hard watching the girls out there but I can’t wait to be fit and back out there”.
Round 1 winner Courtney Hirst, on a Honda this season, was delighted with her win for the day, “I can’t thank the team at Prestige Honda for such a great bike and set up this season, bring on Round 2’!
Veterans Class
In the Veterans Class it was a tough battle between last year’s Pro Vet Champion Scott Petricevich, Paul Smithson and hard charging Kenny Smith. Smith pulled off a fantastic moto in the second race to take the win, yet Petricevich bounced back for the last moto win, whilst in the Clubman Vets it was Troy Deer for the win after three convincing motos from John Young and Tim Dunstan.
Pro Lites/MX2
The Pro Lite/MX2 Class round was taken out by Jayden Rykers on the top step of the podium from Josh Adams and David Birch.
Moto 1.
Robbo Lovett stormed out early in the first moto with last season’s victor Josh Adams in second and Rykers on his tail. With two laps to go, Lovett’s front wheel washed out allowing Adams through to take the win from Rykers in second and Lovett home in third place.
Moto 2
The six lap sprint format for race two suited Jayden Rykers style as the Bunbury KTM leapt into the lead from the gates drop. Josh Adams scrambled into second place as Rykers took the win from Adams and David Birch with Kyle Webster, Robbo Lovett, Paul Humberston and Brody Fewster next over the line.
Moto 3
The final moto was electrifying with 2011 Champion David Birch grabbing the holeshot and the lead. Jayden Rykers was outstanding in his charge to catch Birch. The hard charging Rykers narrowed the gap, making the pass and taking over the lead and going on taking the race win. Birch finished in second place with Josh Adams home for third, Paul Humberston in fourth and Kyle Webster in fifth.
Both Jayden Rykers and Kyle Webster head to the second round of the MX Nationals at Appin, where they will continue their charge in the MXD class.
Jayden Rykers: “It was a great day today, I am really rapt with how my day went, and it is very pleasing to have the number 1 red plate heading into the next round at Kalgoorlie. I’m holding onto this Pro Lites number 1 red plate very tight, it’s a good start to the season!
Clubman Lites
Tom Michelson took the opening moto and then settled for two seconds for the day, the results enough to have him on the top step odf the podium from Scott Jackman who took out the final moto of the day. Jack Turner took out the second moto and had mixed results for his day which saw him miss the podium by a handful of points.
Quad Championship
Flying out of the gates, it was little surprise when Chris Bosnakis took out the round win in the Pro Quad Championship. Bosnakis swept the field and was never challenged with leads blowing out to over 20 seconds in each of the three motos. A short lived return to racing for Jordan Dummett until mechanical issues had him retiring from the first moto thus ending his day.
In the Clubman Quads
Jemma Merrylees took the first two moto wins from Jeff Hogan as Jonathan Mosby came through for the final win of the day.
Intermediate Lites
Ryan Scarlett dominated the Intermediate Lites taking the three wins ahead of Dylan Lowry, and Mario Dercole. Keagan Williamson fought hard with Kurt Baxter yet in very tough conditions it was Scarlett who was impressive in his debut Senior WAMX event taking the round win.
Clubman Open
Brody Grothues took out Clubman Open from Dylan Furnihough and Shaun Snow, who broke through to take out his very first moto win in the first race.
Pro Open/MX1
The Pro Open/MX1 class would be another exciting and very interesting set of three motos with all eyes on defending champion Louis Calvin, and the attack that was anticipated from the younger riders coming into the class.
Moto 1
Louis Calvin broke through taking the first moto win, after Stevie Heilers took the early lead in the Premiere class. Calvin made the pass and took the win from Stevie Heilers and Kyle Webster through in third place, Dan Woodward in fourth and Paul Humberston in fifth place.
Moto 2
The Cullys Yamaha with Kyle Webster on board broke through for the win in the second race ahead of Calvin and Heilers. Calvin struggled in the second race despite frantic pit board messages encouraging the 2013 champ, he managed second place, unable to chase down Webster. The early race lead to Stevie Heilers was soon thwarted with a flat tyre, which had the Mini Diggers Demolition entry managing to limp home in third place.
Moto 3
The final moto had the big names struggling as Dan Woodward captured a brilliant holeshot and then the early lead. The racing from the main contenders coming through the packs was sensational. The ride of the day surely went to the 17 year old Kyle Webster. He managed to carve his way through the field, despite a poor start, now on a very heavily rutted and very tough Coastal Park circuit. Louis Calvin made the pass was out in the lead with Stevie Heilers moving through into second. Kyle Webster put in a blinding lap to pass Heilers through the air to move into second place, and then made a swift pass on Calvin to take the lead and the moto win. Calvin crashed out but managed to come through in third as Heilers picked up second.
Kyle Webster: “We head off on Monday straight to Appin, so no time to really get back on the bike! It was a tough day out there, I just had to be on my game! I am so thankful for the help from the team at Cullys Yamaha, Brian and Strett have helped so much, plus with working hard on my fitness, that helped me so much today. I’m looking forward to Round 2 at Kalgoorlie and hope to back that up with a strong ride”.
Round 2 of the WAMX series, heads 600 kilometres east, to the historic goldfields town of Kalgoorlie. The Goldfields Motorcycle Club celebrates its 100th year, and this hard packed track is free-flowing and very fast, and favoured by many riders.
The Easter long weekend is a bumper double header with Juniors on Saturday and Seniors on Sunday.
Next Week’s Moto Wrap Includes:
– Round 15 of the AMA Supercross at the Century Link Field in Seattle
– Round 4 of World Motocross Championships in Arco di Trento, Italy (Includes Women & 125 support)
– Round 4 of the GNCC at Big Buck, Union, SC
– Round 2 of the MX Nationals at Appin, NSW
– Round 2 of the FIM World Enduro Championships in Vale De Cambra, Portugal
– Round 1 of the FIM World Speedway Championships in Auckland, New Zealand
