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Moto News Weekly for August 13, 2019

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What happened this week

• Jared Mees wins 2019 Sacramento Mile
• Texter tops AFT Singles at Sacramento Mile – Gauthier wins Production Twins
• Sanders, Milner & Snodgrass top Broken Hill AORC
• Rozen & Cianciarulo top 2019 Unadilla National
• Jett Lawrence shines at Rocky Mountain AMA Amateur National Motocross
• Clement Desalle renews with KRT for 2020
• Andrew Short extends contract with Husqvarna Factory Racing
• Romain Febvre to leave Yamaha following 2019 MXGP season
• 2020 KRT AMA SX & MX 450 teams announced
• Junior racing returns to Australian Supercross Championship
• Tomicek tops Hungarian Baja – Melot wins Bajas World Cup
• De Coster’s championship winning bikes go to new home

Jared Mees wins 2019 Sacramento Mile

Defending Champion Jared Mees successfully rebounded from Tuesday’s Black Hills Half-Mile crash by defeating title rival Briar Bauman at the Sacramento Mile. Cal Expo served as the latest battleground in a series of captivating showdowns waged by American Flat Track’s leading men. In the opening stages of the 25-lap AFT Twins Main Event, Mees appeared quite content to suppress the pace and jostle with the pack.

Bauman had other ideas, however, and forced Mees’ hand by leaping out front and pulling the pin. Mees responded, and then some. He rolled back around his adversary and pushed Bauman to his limits with his sheer pace. The championship leader barely clung on, giving chase from right around a second back over the race’s second half.

Bauman somehow managed to dig deep and summon up a final-lap charge. He lined up a last-gasp draft to the flag, but Mees’ decisive launch out of Turn 4 proved too perfect to overcome, powering him to a 0.151-second margin of victory.

The race was yet another demonstration of the resilient determination of the two championship rivals. Over the last five rounds, Bauman has twice bounced back from 16th-place finishes to win the next time out, while Mees has done the same on the heels of 15th- and 14th-place results.

The latest of those bounce-back triumphs saw Mees up his career record to 44 premier-class wins. That moves him out of a tie with Jay Springsteen and into sole possession of third place on the all-time AFT Twins victory order.

Jared Mees

“I banged the holeshot and then was keeping the pace kind of mediocre just to get the tires warmed up slow and try to get some players up in there. It worked out good — I finally just dropped the hammer and the bike was working so good. You don’t really get perfect motorcycles even if you win a race. You win a race and usually you think the bike still could have been a little bit better. But this bike was really, really dialed-in. It was perfect tonight.”

Third-place was an equally good story, as 2015 AFT Singles champ Davis Fisher at last secured his maiden premier-class podium after racking up multiple fourth-place finishes in 2017 and 2018.

The achievement comes just days after Fisher selflessly crashed his machine in an intentional act to avoid hitting a fallen Mees during the main event at Black Hills Speedway. A couple seconds back, Bronson Bauman overcame seven-time Sacramento Mile winner Bryan Smith to claim fourth.

AFT Twins Main Event – Sacramento Mile 2019

1. Jared Mees Indian FTR750 25 Laps
2. Briar Bauman Indian FTR750 0.151
3. Davis Fisher Indian FTR750 9.088
4. Bronson Bauman Indian FTR750 10.999
5. Bryan Smith Kawasaki Ninja 650 11.133
6. Jarod Vanderkooi HD XG750R Rev X 11.336
7. Sammy Halbert HD XG750R Rev X 17.246
8. Brandon Price Indian FTR750 20.268
9. Brandon Robinson Indian FTR750 30.849
10. Ronnie Jones Yamaha MT-07 35.011

AFT Twins Standings

1. Briar Bauman 218
2. Jared Mees 191
3. Bronson Bauman 163
4. Brandon Robinson 144
5. Jeffrey Carver Jr. 144
6. Jarod Vanderkooi 133
7. Henry Wiles 129
8. Jake Johnson 116
9. Robert Pearson 106
10. Sammy Halbert 105

Texter tops AFT Singles at Sacramento Mile
Gauthier wins Production Twins

Roof Systems AFT Singles superstar Shayna Texter added to her legend on Saturday night. Texter featured up front throughout an epic 15-lap Main that saw a freight train numbering in the double digits do battle for the bulk of the race before whittling away to “just” an eight-rider lead pack in the end.

She led the penultimate lap and looked well in control before being unexpectedly shuffled back to fifth to start the final lap following an assertive pass on the part of teammate Dan Bromley.

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Undeterred, Texter powered around the outside of two riders entering Turn 3 for the last time, and then launched out of the last turn to blast by leader Bromley and Red Mile winner Mikey Rush in the decisive sprint to the checkered flag.

As a result, Texter now boasts eight Mile wins among her class-leading 17 career victories.

Shayna Texter

“I definitely got pushed off the groove a little bit, unfortunately, by my teammate. I didn’t see that coming, so that elevated my heart rate a little bit coming to that white-flag lap. I just put it in so hard into 3, and got myself in a really good position and then got a draft off these guys into the lead.”

Rush and Tristan Avery also powered past the big-bodied Bromley to finish second and third, respectively. Bromley held on for fourth, while former AFT Singles class champ Ryan Wells rounded out the top five despite being just 0.214 seconds off the win.

AFT Singles Main Event – Sacramento Mile 2019

1. Shayna Texter KTM 450 SX-F 15 Laps
2. Mikey Rush Honda CRF450R 0.063
3. Tristan Avery Honda CRF450R 0.097
4. Dan Bromley KTM 450 SX-F 0.112
5. Ryan Wells Yamaha YZ450F 0.214
6. Chad Cose Suzuki RMZ 450 0.802
7. Dalton Gauthier Husqvarna FC450 0.884
8. Brandon Kitchen Honda CRF450R 1.911
9. Kayden Downing KTM 450 SX-F 3.967
10. Cameron Smith Honda CRF450R 4.016
    …DNF. Max Whale

AFT Singles Standings

1. Dalton Gauthier 203
2. Dan Bromley 196
3. Mikey Rush 193
4. Jesse Janisch 157
5. Shayna Texter 153
6. Chad Cose 143
7. Ryan Wells 140
8. Morgen Mischler 114
9. Kevin Stollings 93
10. Max Whale 90

AFT Production Twins

Dalton Gauthier made history in Saturday night’s AFT Production Twins class, guiding Harley-Davidson’s production-based XG750R racebike to its maiden American Flat Track Main Event victory.

Title leader and top qualifier Cory Texter jumped out to the lead early and threatened to return to his winning ways early. However, Gauthier and teammate James Rispoli responded en force, running down Texter in tandem and hounding him as a duo.

Gauthier overhauled Rispoli and Texter around the outside in quick succession and went about making his escape at the front as Rispoli and Texter continued to tangle behind him. Gauthier would open up a three-plus second advantage before backing off late to secure the XG750R’s breakthrough triumph with 1.926 seconds in hand.

Dalton Gauthier

“The whole Vance & Hines crew, everybody at Harley and Black Hills Harley-Davidson put me on this awesome motorcycle… This bike was working so good tonight. I couldn’t believe it. Right from the first lap in the Main, I knew it was going to be a good one. I got off to a good start, just like I wanted. I passed Cory around the outside in Turn 3 and just set sail. I just did consistent laps and tried to do my own race. I looked back halfway through the race and nobody was there, so I was like, ‘sweet!’”

The battle for second continued to grow in scope as the race evolved. Texter and Rispoli were first joined by a charging J.R. Addison, and finally by Kolby Carlile and Cody Johncox, who made it a five-rider scrap for the position on the final lap.

In fact, Texter and Rispoli were ultimately left off the podium altogether, as Addison earned second in the end, and Carlile squeaked through as well to steal away third at the flag. Texter picked up fourth-place points for his title campaign, finishing just 0.087 seconds behind Carlile, with Rispoli another 0.014 seconds behind in fifth.

AFT Production Twins – Sacremento Mile 2019

1. Dalton Gauthier HD XG750R Rev X 15 Laps
2. J.R. Addison Kawasaki Ninja 650 1.926
3. Kolby Carlile Yamaha MT-07 3.063
4. Cory Texter Yamaha MT-07 3.150
5. James Rispoli HD XG750R Rev X 3.164
6. Cody Johncox Yamaha MT-07 3.213
7. Ben Lowe Kawasaki Ninja 650 5.666
8. Kevin Stollings Kawasaki Ninja 650 15.650
9. Michael Inderbitzin Kawasaki Ninja 650 15.661
10. Tristan Avery Kawasaki Ninja 650 17.701

AFT Production Twins Standings

1. Cory Texter 123
2. Ryan Varnes 96
3. Kolby Carlile 80
4. J.R. Addison 78
5. Dalton Gauthier 69
6. Chad Cose 67
7. Ben Lowe 65
8. James Rispoli 63
9. Kevin Stollings 58
10. Cody Johncox 52

Cooper Webb out for rest of AMA MX season

Cooper Webb will miss the final two rounds of the 2019 AMA Pro Motocross Championship. The reigning AMA Supercross Champion suffered a bone contusion in his left knee during Moto 1 of the Unadilla National on Saturday and while the injury does not require surgery, Webb will need a few weeks to recover.

Fresh off his first-career 450MX overall win at Spring Creek, Webb was beginning to gain traction in the outdoor season. With podium finishes in seven motos through the first 10 rounds, he currently sits sixth overall in the 450MX Championship Standings with two rounds remaining in the series.

Sanders, Milner & Snodgrass top Broken Hill AORC

Dry, dusty and windy conditions greeted the riders at Round Seven of the Australian Off Road Championship (AORC) at the western New South Wales town of Broken Hill with Daniel Sanders topping the outright results and the E3 win, while Daniel Milner and Lyndon Snodgrass completed the top three and took the E2 and E1 class wins respectively.

Read the round overview here:
Daniel Sanders tops Broken Hill AORC on Husky FE501 (link)

E3 Standings

E2

Daniel Milner qualified fastest in the E2 division at end of Saturday’s prologue with a 5m19.074s lap-time and then went on to win with a total time of 3h32m38.447s in windy, dry weather conditions.

Daniel Milner

“It was a good weekend, especially because of how dry it’s been in the area. They haven’t even had any rain since last year when we were there, so it was really dry and difficult. It was a sketchy race, I’d say, and it’s so different to every other round but I think it’s good to have a desert race in the Australian championship. It took some time for me to get going, but I picked the pace up as the race went on and was able to get to second outright and first in class, so we were happy with that for the round.”

Josh Green was a model of consistency all day as he navigated his way around the Australian outback on route to a fourth place finish outright and second in the E2 after three and a half hours of racing.

Josh Green

“It was a demanding race in many ways, nine laps made the track quite rough and racing on dirt as dry and powdery as it was offered no traction at all. Then add the three hours of racing at high intensity and it makes for a real hard day at the office. Out of the nine laps, seven of them were in the 23minute area and I had two into the 24’s but that was because of crashes. They were nothing huge, but it just adds to the demanding nature of the day when you have to pick yourself and your bike up and get going again. But, I’m pretty happy to get out of here unscathed and hold my position in class.”

E2 Standings

E1

Lyndon Snodgrass also rose to the occasion in the New South Wales desert, piloting his KTM 250 EXC-F to the E1 victory at 3h33m53.624s.

Lyndon Snodgrass

“Today was good and I knew what we had to do, so I managed to come through and grab the class win, as well as an overall podium. We’re going forward on the KTM 250 EXC-F all the time, working hard to get as comfortable as I can and I’m really starting to feel at home in E1. Finishing up there outright this weekend in the desert really shows how strong the bike is on a really fast, sketchy track!”

Luke Styke was in fine form in the early stages of the round and had his WR250F singing in the opening laps. Styke was running inside the top three and not far from the lead pair for the first half of the event as well as leading the E1 division. But just past half way, the speed and intensity of the race began to take its toll as some mistakes crept into his riding. For the last four laps, he couldn’t replicate his opening burst and lost a couple of positions to slip to second in class and fifth outright.

Luke Styke

“Today was tough, I wanted to run with Milner and Sanders for as long as I could, and I did that for the first half of the race but I crashed at one point and from then on I wasn’t able to regain the same speed and pace again. With the cross- country format, its like a three hour motocross race and I usually like that style of racing but I struggled with the conditions, especially the dry dirt and dust, once I lost my flow. I battled on as best I could do no better than second in class. I still lead the E1 class, but my goal is to win so I will need to go back and keep working hard to give myself the best chance for the remaining rounds.”

Michael Driscoll wasn’t his usually speedy self on the weekend and had to settle for fourth in class and just outside the top 10 outright, in eleventh. Although extremely consistent all day, Driscoll was slightly off the pace of the front runners in the E1 division.

Michael Driscoll

“I just didn’t have the speed or the confidence to ride at the same pace as the guys up the front and was just the fourth place rider today. I tried a few different things, but nothing really made a difference. The reality is, I need to be better in conditions like this so it’s something I will have to work on so I’m far more competitive in the future. It’s a big effort to come all the way out here for a one day event, so thank you to the team and our sponsors for making all this happen.”

E1 Standings

EJ Standings

Seniors Overall Result

AORC classes explained

E1, E2 and E3

There are three senior classes are the AORC Senior Premier classes. Each of these classes always race on the same track across the duration of the event and their times are split via their classes. You must be over the age of 16 years to compete in any of these senior competition classes. A rider’s age on 1st January will determine their age for competition purposes for that year.

• E1 – 100cc to 200cc 2-stroke & 150cc to 250cc 4-stroke
• E2 – 220cc to 250cc 2-stroke & 275cc to 450cc 4-stroke
• E3 – 290cc to 500cc 2-stroke & 475cc to 650cc 4-stroke

EJ

The Enduro Junior or EJ class is designed as a development class for senior riders who have stepped up recently from Juniors and want to be able to compare their times up against the best in the business in E1, E2 and E3 classes as they prepare to eventually race in these respective classes. Riders must be Under 18 years on the 1st January of the competition year. Machines may be of any capacity.

Veterans

Riders must have turned 35 years before 1st January in the year of competition. Machines may be of any capacity.

Masters

Riders must have turned 45 years before 1st January in the year of the competition. Machines may be of any capacity.

Both the Veterans and Masters classes is for former champions of the sport that still love their racing and are passionate about it and wish to race with champions and riders from there era.

Women

The Womens class is designed to support and actively engage women in an all-women’s class which is one of the strongest of all the disciplines of motorcycling. You must be over the age of 16 years to compete in this senior competition. A rider’s age on 1st January will determine their age for competition purposes for that year. Machines may be of any capacity.

Juniors – J2, J3 and J4

These are the three junior classes at the AORC. Each of these classes always race on the same track across the duration of the event and their times are split via their classes. No person who is under the age of 16 years may compete in other than a junior competition. A rider’s age on 1st January will determine their age for competition purposes for that year.

• J2 – 12 to 15 years: 85cc 2-stroke & Up to 150cc 4-stroke
• J3 – 13 to 14 years: 125cc to 200cc 2-stroke & 200cc to 250cc 4-stroke
• J4 – 15 years: 125cc to 200cc 2-stroke & 200cc to 250cc 4-stroke

Rozen & Cianciarulo top 2019 Unadilla National

See the full report here:
Roczen goes 1-1 at Unadilla | Jett Lawrence scores a P8 on debut (link)

The 34th running of the Circle K Unadilla National brought perfect weather and a massive crowd of dedicated Upstate New York fans for Round 10 of the 2019 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship.

The legendary Unadilla MX facility celebrated its 50th birthday, while challenging the world’s best riders with incredibly technical conditions that consisted of deep ruts created by rain the evening prior to the race.

450

In the 450 Class Ken Roczen was untouchable all day. The former champion recorded his most impressive riding of the season en route to a dominant 1-1 performance for his third win of the season.

Marvin Musquin finished runner-up and maintains second in the championship, just a single point ahead of Roczen. The reigning series champion Eli Tomac ended the day fourth overall on his Monster Energy Kawasaki and holds a 40-point lead with two rounds remaining.

Ken Roczen

“Everything just came natural today and was clicking. I’m liking the bike a lot and I like the track too, so I just went out and had fun. I feel like when I’m having fun, that’s when I get the best results. As a team, we’ve never had a day where we were the fastest in practice and went 1-1 in the motos, and I haven’t personally done that in a long time either, so today was definitely one for the books. It’s a big monkey off my back and a good confidence boost because we have a couple races to go. I feel like we’ve got the bike dialed in over the last couple of weeks and now I’m just going to leave it the way it is. Hopefully we’ll keep getting good results.”

450 Round Overall – Unadilla National

450 Standings – Top 10

250

In the 250 Class, it once again came down to an all-out duel between the championship’s top two riders. Adam Cianciarulo and Dylan Ferrandis took turns chasing each other throughout the afternoon, trading moto wins.

The Frenchman prevailed thanks to a second moto victory and used 2-1 moto scores to take his third overall win of the season. Cianciarulo’s 1-2 finishes were good enough to maintain his 28 point lead in the championship.

Dylan Ferrandis

“Today, the track was very challenging and rough. My bike setup was not perfect in the first moto, but the team made some changes for me between motos and I think that really helped me heading into the second moto. I’m happy to grab another win, my second in a row, and need to keep it going into the final two rounds for a shot at the championship.”

250 Round Overall

250 Standings – Top 10

Jett Lawrence shines at 2019 AMA Amateur National Motocross

Aussie up-and-comer Jett Lawrence proved a force to be reckoned with in the 250 Pro Sport class at the AMA Amateur National Motocross Championship held at Loretta Lynn, claiming a first and second-place in the first two motos, putting him on track to claim the 250 Pro Sport crown.

Unfortunately a mechanical issue proved his undoing, with Lawrence leading the final moto only to have to push his bike back to the mechanics area, with the DNF result ensuring the young rider came away empty handed.

Jett turned 16-years-old a few days after Loretta Lynn’s, and went on to make his AMA Pro Motocross debut at the Unadilla National, where his best result was a P8.

Jett Lawrence

“Had a good first Pro Motocross round at Unadilla, there was ups and downs but was able to come away with some progress and more experience. First moto was going pretty good but on the second lap I misjudged a single and hit the edge of it and went down, I was ok just the bike was a lil bent up a bit so a little bit hard to ride in the ruts but was able to come back to 21st. Second moto started off with not the best start so I started 18th and was able to come through and get 8th in the end, so I am pretty happy with that and ended up with 13th overall so pretty good weekend.”

Clement Desalle renews with KRT for 2020

The Monster Energy Kawasaki Racing Team has announced that Clément Desalle will enter his fifth consecutive season with the team in the 2020 FIM MXGP Motocross World Championship. The Belgian GP is one of the ‘home GPs’ for the Monster Energy Kawasaki Racing Team, and last weekend both Clément Desalle and Julien Lieber visited the team in Lommel.

Both riders are currently recovering from their injuries, and had the opportunity to meet the team members and guests during two days alongside Tommy Searle; the British rider was forced to withdraw from racing after the first practice session as his right hand, injured one week earlier in the Czech Republic, was too painful.

The weekend provided an opportunity for Clément to meet with KRT team owner Thierry Chizat Suzzoni and Kawasaki Europe race manager Steve Guttridge to sign his contract for season 2020 as all parties continue their successful partnership.

Clément Desalle

“I never had any doubt about my future; I know where I want to go, I know what to expect and for me there was no reason to stop my career after my injury! I have a good feeling when I practice in different sports, and I still have a huge motivation. I know that even if the level of my rivals is very high I can battle for the win, and when I’m at the start gate my goal is always to win. And I have a great feeling with the team; you need a good team and a good bike to win, and I have all of this with KRT where they offer me great working conditions. I got the green light from my doctor to start riding my bicycle on asphalt, and in a few weeks I will be back on my mountain bike, then my enduro bike and finally my motocross bike. It’s great to be able to have some activities, and it’s a good mental stimulation; after my knee injury earlier this season the goal was to be back racing as soon as possible, but after this injury in Russia I knew that it would take a fairly long time as I couldn’t do any activities for several weeks. The goal has always been to take the necessary time to be back at 100%, so I have not set a specific date for my comeback,” added Clément, who was watching his first MXGP race for some time. “Of course it’s difficult to watch the races on television as you would like to be in action on your bike. We’re used to a very intense life; at each race we produce a lot of adrenaline and I’m missing that so much!” he concluded at the end of a weekend in which he was happy to spend time with his second “family” – the Green one!

Andrew Short extends contract with Husqvarna Factory Racing

Husqvarna Motorcycles have announced that Andrew Short has signed a one-year extension to his current contract with Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, which will see the American continue to race cross-country rally competitions through to the end of the 2020 season.

The 36-year-old has enjoyed continued success in this year’s world championship including fifth in the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge followed by an excellent runner-up finish in the recent Silk Way Rally. For 2020, he is expected to continue his strong run of form and produce top results in both the Dakar Rally and at the FIM Cross-Country Rallies World Championship.

Andrew Short

“I’m excited to be with the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna team for another year. It takes time to get to the point where you understand rally and can ride competitively, but I believe I am at that stage now. There is always more to learn, but with the Dakar moving to Saudi Arabia it will be a new experience for everyone and I’m hoping that will be in my favour and help me continue to progress. I’m really happy to be part of the team and I think it gives me the very best opportunity. To be successful in rally, you need the very best crew behind you, and I have exactly that right now. I’m looking forward to what 2020 brings.”

Romain Febvre to leave Yamaha following 2019 MXGP season

Yamaha Motor Europe has announced that its partnership with Romain Febvre will be drawn to a close at the end of the 2019 MXGP season. Together with Yamaha, the “461” has taken his YZ450FM to 27 Grand Prix race wins, 50 Grand Prix podiums, and 12 Grand Prix victories, with the highlight of his career being crowned 2015 MXGP World Champion in an unforgettable rookie season.

In addition to his Grand Prix success’, the YZ450FM mounted Frenchman has played a key role in the glory of Team France at the prestigious Monster Energy Motocross of Nations with Febvre leading his team to victory on three occasions.

The Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP team shared that they look forward to lining up at the remaining four rounds of the 2019 MXGP World Championship with Febvre at the helm, where they hope to toast even more success.

2020 KRT AMA SX & MX 450 teams announced

The Monster Energy Kawasaki race team returns in 2020 with a set of familiar faces, looking to continue their winning ways next year. The team has had a successful year in AMA Supercross and is in the thick of the AMA Pro Motocross Championship battle in both classes.

For 2020, the roster of riders aboard KX450 motorcycles will feature two-time defending AMA Pro Motocross Champion and current AMA Pro Motocross Championship points leader Eli Tomac. Joining him will be Adam Cianciarulo making his premier class debut. After a successful debut in the 450 class, Joey Savatgy will finish the final three AMA Pro Motocross rounds with full support of the team to close out his rookie season.

Tomac and Cianciarulo aim to complete the 2019 AMA Pro Motocross Championship with a green sweep of the championships in both the 450MX and 250MX classes.

Tomac and his new premier class stable-mate Cianciarulo will then head to Las Vegas on October 19th to battle in the desert for the coveted “Monster Million” at the annual Monster Energy Cup.

Marking what will be his fifth year with Kawasaki Racing, Tomac relentlessly proved to be a top contender in the premier class, earning 27 450SX wins. He currently sits fifth on the all-time 450MX Class win list with 18 overall wins and 36 podium finishes aboard his KX450 motorcycle.

Cianciarulo looks to carry the momentum of his 2019 success into the premier class. Cianciarulo currently holds the points lead in the 250MX class with six moto wins and six overall wins, and is the only rider in the class to have finished every moto on the podium this season.

Eli Tomac

“I’m thrilled to continue the relationship with Kawasaki, I feel we have an outstanding team in place, an excellent KX450 motorcycle and a common goal of winning races and championships. Right now our focus is on winning this Pro Motocross Championship and then we will begin preparing for the 2020 Supercross season. Let the good times roll!”

Adam Cianciarulo

“I am super excited and grateful for this opportunity, I was just a little kid when I signed with Kawasaki in 2004, and it’s been a dream of mine since then to reach this point. From growing up in the Team Green program, to my 250cc career with Mitch Payton and Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki, I feel I’m prepared to take on this next challenge of competing at the highest level.The work has just begun and I’m ready to get started on my new KX450.”

Junior racing returns to Australian Supercross Championship

Junior racing returns in strength to the Australian Supercross Championship in 2019 with the announcement of three junior categories to run alongside the SX1 and SX2 championships. The Australian Supercross Championship has announced that the Junior Lites (13yrs – Under 16yrs) and Junior 85 (12 – Under 16) will all run in 2019 alongside the senior classes this year.

In an effort to maximise participation numbers while making entering the championship as cost effective as possible, each junior class will consist of three rounds of the Australian Supercross Championship. Supplementary regulations and entries will open for all junior categories on September 1, 2019 via the Australian Supercross Championship website – www.australiansupercross.com.au (link).

2019 Juniors Calendars
Junior Lites (13 – Under 16)

• Round 2 SA (October 19) – Fly Racing Round 2 Gillman Speedway, Port Adelaide
• Round 3 NSW (November 9) – Yamaha Round 3 WIN Stadium Wollongong
• Round 5 VIC (November 30) – Round 5 Monster Energy AUS-X Open Melbourne

Junior 85s (12 to Under 16)

• Round 1 QLD (October 12) – Honda Round 1, Brisbane Entertainment Centre
• Round 2 SA (October 19) – Fly Racing Round 2 Gillman Speedway, Port Adelaide
• Round 3 NSW (November 9) – Yamaha Round 3 Win Stadium Wollongong

2019 Australian Supercross Championship calendar (SX1 and SX2)

• Round 1 (October 12) – Honda Round 1, Brisbane Entertainment Centre
• Round 2 (October 19) – Fly Racing Round 2 Gillman Speedway, Port Adelaide
• Round 3 (November 9) – Yamaha Round 3 , WIN Stadium Wollongong
• Round 4 (November 16) – Round 4 Monster Energy S-X Open Auckland
• Round 5 (November 30) – Round 5 Monster Energy AUS-X Open Melbourne

Tomicek tops Hungarian Baja – Melot wins Bajas World Cup

After 805km, including 588km on competitive selective sections around Várpalota and Lake Balaton, the Hungarian Baja rounded off the 2019 FIM Cross-Country Bajas World Cup. Adam Tomicek claimed his maiden motorcycle victory, the Pole finishing ahead of Stefan Svitko and Maciej Giemza.

Adam Tomicek

“This last special was very fast, as we left behind the cars, there were a lot of stones on the track. So I was careful because it was easy to fall. But I still had to keep up a good pace because I had a very small advantage over Stefan Svitko before the last special. In any case, I had fun and it was a very nice race!”

Each special was important to riders for different reasons. For Benjamin Melot, claiming a finish was much more important than taking the victory laurels, as he was aiming for the FIM title in Hungary.

Benjamin Melot

“It’s great to win the FIM Cross-Country Bajas World Cup and celebrate here in Hungary. This is the first time I have participated in an entire championship. The first race was on my favourite course, in Dubai, where I live. In Portugal, as in Spain, it was difficult terrain for me. This weekend, it was the first time I have competed in Hungary.The stages were very fast and technical. Yesterday, I fell on a jump. It was nothing serious but my left wrist hurt me today. The three top ridees were very fast. I would have liked to be able to catch up and win the title with a podium finish, but I would have taken risks and I preferred to secure the title.”

It was the same scenario for the Chilean rider Tomas de Gavardo, who was also engaged in the battle for the title.

Tomas de Gavardo

“I am very moved to win the Junior Trophy in the FIM Cross-Country Bajas World Cup at 20 years of age. I know I have a lot still to learn, but it was an amazing experience. Now, I’m leaving for Chile, at home, and preparing my rally bike to participate in the Atacama Rally, the third round of the FIM Cross-Country Rallies World Championship.”

2019 FIM Cross-Country Bajas World Cup Standings

1. Benjamin MELOT FRA 66
2. Jakub PIĄTEK POL 41
3. Sultan AL BALOOSHI ARE 31
4. Adam TOMICZEK POL 30
5. De Gavardo TOMAS CHL 28
6. Maciej GIEMZA POL 26
7. Michael METGE FRA 25
8. Aaron MARE ZAF 25
9. Abdullah T. ALSHATTI KWT 21
10. Štefan SVITKO SVK 20

De Coster’s championship winning bikes go to new home

Illinois based motorcycle collector Terry Good has struck a deal with motocross legend Roger De Coster to acquire the five-time World Champ’s collection of motorcycles and associated parts.

These are not just your normal old RM’s and CR’s, but a collection of proper works factory machinery that includes the RC500 Honda that De Coster won his last MX GP on in 1980, along with his championship winning Suzuki’s, boxes and boxes of parts and even old film reels.

This is an amazing collection of works motocross machinery that will eventually end up in Good’s motorcycle museum, which even before adding De Coster’s championship machinery was already perhaps the largest and most significant collection of pukka works motocross bikes from the 1970s.