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Moto News Weekly Wrap
May 7, 2024

What’s New:

• Australian Senior Track Championship
• FIM Long Track World Championship
• Motocross of Nations fundraiser
• Silver Dollar Short Track postponed to May 18
• MXGP of Castilla La Mancha confirmed as 2024 season finale
• Foxhill to host 2024 FIM Vintage Motocross World Cup
• Darwin secures MXGP round for 2025
• FIM E-Xplorer World Cup Round 2
• Repsol Honda 1-2 at Geneva X-Trial Round 4
• FIM Bajas World Cup Baja TT
• Hard Enduro 2024
• MXoN to host YZ bLU cRU SuperFinale
• 2024 Australian ProMX at Gillman
• 2024 AMA Supercross Round 16 in Denver
• EMX Reports from Portugal
• MXGP in Portugal
• 2024 Racing Calendars

2024 Australian Senior Track Championship Wrap

With Peter Baker

Five winners were crowned across six classes at the 2024 Landscaping Yard & Hardware Australian Senior Track Championship at Mick Doohan Raceway in Brisbane on May 4-5. The most successful rider being the Gold Coast’s Rory McQualter, who won the Pro 250 and Pro 450 Championships and was second in MX Open behind Jarred Brook.

In fact, Queenslanders cut a swathe through the North Brisbane Junior Motorcycle Club-hosted event, winning all six classes – with McQualter and Brook joined as 2024 champions by Briony Hendrickson (Pro Open Women), Darren Fien/Shaun Fien (Sidecars up to 1100cc) and Matthew Griffiths (ATV Open).

The heats of MX Open class saw Brook as the unbeaten top qualifier, ahead of McQualter and Reid Battye – and that was the same order in the six-lap final.

McQualter comfortably won the Pro 250 class after winning all five rounds. Behind him it was very tight between the next four riders, with Ben McLaughlin and Talon Cardinale eventually joining him on the rostrum.

The Pro 450 final wrapped up the program, and it was McQualter who took the honours ahead of Brook – the unbeaten top qualifier – and Battye. A protest against McQualter was then dismissed before the presentation could proceed.

While McQualter, Brook and Battye were standouts in MX Open and Pro 450 finals, the likes of Cyshan Weale, Daniel Wicks, Cody Lewis and Zaine Kennedy were all strong in the heats.

For the tireless campaigner that is Hendrickson, her first wedding anniversary corresponded with a 14th Australian championship – one of two riders to successfully defend a crown, with Griffiths the other. Tayla Street and Kelsey Jensen completed the Women’s top three, swapping positions from the 2023 Championship.

The Sidecar class turned into a two-way battle between brothers Darren and Shaun Fien and runners-up Matthew Davies and passenger Tom Northey. The Fiens enjoyed an unblemished scorecard, while Davies/Northey beat everyone else except the winners. Joel Askew and passenger Tyson Keogh finished third.

In ATV Open, Griffiths’ 11th national title saw him eclipse his father Kevin’s record. Matthew’s brother Joshua chased him home in the final, with Chevy Green third. The support classes saw Tony Walsh (Over 40yrs Unlimited), Levi Layton (9-U13s) and Neiko Donovan (13-U16) score the honours.

The next major event on the dirt calendar will be the 2024 Australian Senior Dirt Track Championship in Proserpine (Qld) on July 20-21.

2024 Australian Senior Track Results
Pro 450

1. Rory McQualter (Qld)
2. Jarred Brook (Qld)
3. Reid Battye (NSW)

MX Open

1. Jarred Brook (Qld)
2. Rory McQualter (Qld)
3. Reid Battye (NSW)

Pro 250

1. Rory McQualter (Qld)
2. Ben McLaughlin (Qld)
3. Talon Cardinale (NSW)

Women

1. Briony Hendrickson (Qld)
2. Tayla Street (Vic)
3. Kelsey Jensen (Vic)

ATV Open

1. Mathew Griffiths (NSW)
2. Joshua Griffiths (NSW)
3. Chevy Green (NSW)

Dirt Track Sidecar

1. Darren Fien/Shaun Fien (Qld)
2. Matthew Davies/Tom Northey (NSW)
3. Joel Askew/Tyson Keogh (Qld/NSW)

2024 FIM Long Track World Championship kicks off Thursday

The 2024 FIM Long Track World Championship gets under way this coming Thursday afternoon (May 9) with the sport’s elite riders beginning their season-long fight for supremacy at Herxheim’s Waldstadion in south west Germany in the first of this year’s five Finals to decide the eventual outcome of the coveted crown.

Defending champion Martin Smolinski has his sights set on a third world title, but the 39-year-old engine tuner from Munich will face stiff opposition from a talent-filled field all looking to end his reign. Such is the in-depth strength of the entry, out of the seventeen riders on the Herxheim starting list there are no fewer than nine who between them have won a total of eighteen FIM medals in this spectacular and dramatic discipline.

2024 Motocross of Nations fundraiser

It’s the stuff of dreams: a motocross training day with Australian jumps legends Stephen Gall, Jeff Leisk, Craig Dack and Glenn Bell, with complementary wise counsel from current ProMX Championship factory racers Dean Ferris, Kyle Webster, Jed Beaton and Todd Waters.

And when the on-track action is over, a Q&A to talk all things Motocross of Nations (MXoN) past, present and future. That’s all going to be reality on Saturday, August 3 when a MXoN fundraiser is held at Queensland Moto Park (QMP), with all monies generated from the training day going directly into the 2024 MXstore-supported Team Australia MXoN assault.

This year’s MXoN will be held at Matterley Basin in England on October 5-6.

Full details of the MXoN training day are as follows:

• When: Saturday, August 3
• Where: Queensland Moto Park, 110 Goan Rd, Coulson
• What: learning the best motocross riding techniques from motocross legends and Australian Motorsport ’Hall of Famers’ Leisk, Dack, Gall and Bell, assisted by Ferris, Webster, Beaton and Waters.
• How many spots for the training day? 100
• Who can enter? Riders have to be at least 16 years old, on machines 125cc and up. Groups will be broken up based on ability to ensure a more tailored experience.
• Do I need a licence? Motorcycling Australia one-day licenses are available for those who don’t have competition licences.
• Also: Australia’s most experienced race mechanic and suspension technician, Gary Benn, will be imparting his knowledge on the rider groups.
• What else? After the training finishes at 6:00pm, there will be a ‘meet and greet’ under a big marquee, starting with the current ProMX stars and then moving onto the legends.
• There will also be an auction of MXoN memorabilia and an all-expenses paid two-day trip to the Great Barrier Reef’s Lady Elliot Island.
• Can I camp at QMP? Yes you can, for free on both the Friday and Saturday nights.
• Can’t ride or don’t have a bike? No worries! Spectators are welcome to pay the entry fee and observe the elite coaching sessions firsthand.
• What else? Every participant will receive a free Australian MXoN cap and t-shirt.
• How much to enter? $349 per person.

How do I enter? Click HERE to enter on RiderNet.

Gall holds a special place in Australian MXoN history, combining with David Armstrong, Trevor Williams and Vaughan Style for the first ever tilt at the prestigious event when it was held in Sweden in 1984.

Four years later, in France, Leisk, Dack and Bell finished in fourth, which was Australia’s best result in the MXoN until third places in 2011 (Chad Reed, Brett Metcalfe and Matt Moss) and 2022 (Jett Lawrence, Hunter Lawrence and Mitchell Evans) – both usurped by a brilliant second place in 2023 (the Lawrence brothers and Ferris).

Silver Dollar Short Track postponed to May 18

This weekend’s Silver Dollar Short Track, scheduled for Saturday, May 4 at Silver Dollar Speedway in Chico, California, has been postponed due to significant rainful. The event has been rescheduled for Saturday, May 18.

Brad Sweet – Co-Promoter

“While we regret having to postpone the event, we’re excited that we still have the opportunity to bring motorcycle racing back to Northern California just two weeks later than we had originally planned. We are looking forward to delivering an entertaining event with exceptional racing on May 18 and appreciate the community’s understanding and support.”

Significant rainfall is expected to begin Friday night and continue through early Sunday morning, necessitating the postponement of the event which was originally scheduled for this Saturday, as round 5 of the 2024 Progressive American Flat Track championship, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing.

The 2024 Progressive American Flat Track season, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing, continues in southern California with the Memphis Shades Ventura Short Track, scheduled for Saturday, May 11 at Ventura Speedway.

MXGP of Castilla La Mancha confirmed as 2024 season finale

The Spanish venue of Cózar has been confirmed as the host for the final round of the 2024 MXGP series, making it the third Spanish stop of the season. The MXGP of Castilla La Mancha will take place on the 28th and 29th September.

The MXGP of Castilla La Mancha promises to deliver exhilarating action as it brings the season to a close. Additionally, it will serve as the ultimate showdown for the European support classes; EMX125 Presented by FMF Racing and EMX250.

Castilla – La Mancha was declared last December in Toledo as the European Region of Sport for the year 2024. In this context, the association of sports clubs of Tierras del Quixote and the Castilian-Manchegan motorcycle federation have collaborated and worked together to ensure that the region enjoys the best of motocross worldwide.

2024 MXGP Calendar

Foxhill to host 2024 FIM Vintage Motocross World Cup

The FIM Vintage Motocross World Cup 2024 will be staged at the Foxhill circuit in Great Britain over the weekend of July 13-14 , where a new World Cup Winner in FIM Vintage Motocross will be crowned.

A one-off event for 2024, it is open to riders aged 35 to 65 who will compete in a single Evo Open class for two-stroke motorcycles manufactured from 1989 to 2004 with an engine capacity of between 125cc and 550cc, giving riders the opportunity to chase the dream and run away with the title of FIM World Cup Winner over just one weekend.

Run alongside a round of the British Motocross Championship, the simple format will give competitors from all over the world two practice sessions – one free and one timed – followed by an opening fifteen-minute plus one lap race on Saturday plus another two thrilling similar races on Sunday. The winner will be decided by the the overall score after the three races, all this for an attractive entry fee set by the Organisers: Langrish Motorcycle Club & RHL Activities.

Foxhill was the setting for a string of epic British Motocross Grands Prix in the 1990s with riders of the calibre of Stefan Everts, Alessio Chiodi, Sebastien Tortelli and Yves Demaria all winning there. Set in a steep-sided valley, the track is rated by Everts – the most successful Motocross racer of all time – as one of his favourites as he led Belgium to victory there in the 1998 FIM Motocross of Nations.

Darwin secures MXGP round for 2025

After a 24-year absence, the FIM Motocross World Championship will make a spectacular return to Australia in 2025 after a landmark agreement with the Northern Territory Major Events Company (NTMEC), supported by the Northern Territory Government.

The Australian-exclusive deal, including Motorcycling Australia and NTMEC as key partners, will see the MXGP round held in Darwin in September 2025 until 2029, with an option to extend the collaboration beyond the initial five-year term.

The new round will be held on a purpose-built track at the Hidden Valley Motorsports Complex in Darwin and broadcast to more than 100 countries. Construction will begin soon at the multi-purpose Hidden Valley Motorsports Complex.

The MXGP of Australia will feature the established MXGP and MX2 classes as well as the FIM Women’s Motocross World Championship.

The full 2025 MXGP world championship calendar will be announced later this year, including when exactly the world’s best motocross riders will be ripping it up in Darwin.

FIM E-Xplorer World Cup Round 2 run and won by Bonnell Racing

Bonnell Racing’s Tanja Schlosser and Dylan Woodcock saw off tough competition to win Round 2 of the FIM E-Xplorer World Cup in Oslo over the weekend, while the all-Australian outfit, AUS-E Racing, was the only team riding EBMX in a different design and capacity to the Stark Future and Honda CR Electric Proto teams, represented by Jack Field and Jessica Gardiner, and finishing seventh.

Winning the GT class AUS-E Racing extracted everything from their machinery. Jack Field ran in third at one stage in race three, despite having less power than the Hyperbike class. The team will hope to use this momentum when the World Cup heads to France for the next round where the class is expected to grow in popularity.

Schlosser took a clean sweep of race victories to achieve maximum points in the Women’s category, winning the round. The big haul of points means she now leads the World Cup, leapfrogging Sandra Gomez and Francesca Nocera.

Woodcock stayed out of trouble and finished third across all three Men’s heats, securing him third place in the men’s category and the overall round win for Bonnell Racing. Bonnell Racing now lies third in the World Cup standings, only a single point behind INDE Racing.

Home favourite, Even Heibye, won over the crowd in Norway and was victorious in the men’s category, taking two out of three race victories. A debutant in the series, Heibye was a wildcard entry in Oslo with team GF Logistikk. Heibye’s teammate, Vilde Marie Holt, was also fighting at the front in all three of the Women’s heats, but some small mistakes kept dropping her down the order in the races. Despite this misfortune, GF Logistikk still managed to finish third in the overall standings, a fantastic achievement for the local team.

The Norwegian rider would be denied victory in the final race by Team HRC’s Tosha Schareina. Schareina took pole position in this morning’s qualifying session but would lose out to Heibye in the first two races, putting on a show for the home crowd.

In the final race, Schareina looked determined from the outset, passing Gravity’s Alex Andreis for the lead on the opening lap and controlled the race to the chequered flag. This determination would reward Schareina with second place in the men’s category, pushing him into first place on the World Cup leaderboard.

Francesca Nocera valiantly battled through this afternoon’s races after suffering a crash in qualifying. The Italian rider was cleared to race, attaining the vital points to place Team HRC second in the overall standings for Round 2.

The Honda CR Electric Proto split two Stark Future bikes on the podium, and the second-place finish retains Team HRC’s lead in the Hyperbike category.

FIM E-Xplorer World Cup Round 2 Results

1. Bonnell Racing, 135 Points
2. Team HRC, 121 Points
3. GF Logstikk, 116 Points
4. INDE Racing, 112 Points
5. PCR-E PERFORMANCE, 107 Points
6. Gravity, 96 Points
7. AUS-E Racing, 84 Points
8. SEVEN Racing, 74 Points

FIM E-Xplorer World Cup Championship Ranking

1. Team HRC, 253 Points
2. INDE Racing, 233 Points
3. Bonnell Racing, 232 Points
4. Gravity, 214 Points
5. PCR-E PERFORMANCE, 196 Points
6. AUS-E Racing, 165 Points
7. SEVEN Racing, 74 Points

Repsol Honda 1-2 at Geneva X-Trial Round 4

After twelve years off the X-Trial World Championship calendar, Geneva in Switzerland hosted the fourth round of the 2024 season, where Repsol Honda Team riders Toni Bou and Gabriel Marcelli took victory, with a 1-2 result.

Bou started the first lap with some uncharacteristic mistakes that dropped him to second position, fighting with his teammate for the victory. On lap two, Bou took a step up and snatched the top spot, going straight into the final. In that, the reigning world champion accrued 22 points from the 6 zones, earning a fourth consecutive victory of the season.

Toni Bou – P1

“I’m happy with today’s victory, even though my riding was not the best. We made quite a few mistakes, especially at the end of the second lap, when we had a heavy fall. In the final, I wasn’t completely comfortable due to the knock I took, so now it’s time to recover. The next round is in Japan. We start the outdoor world championship at Honda’s home race and we have to give 100%. The team are doing a great job and we have to continue in the same vein.”

Marcelli’s first experience in Switzerland saw him ride at a high level from the first lap, taking the lead with 8 penalty points. On the second lap, Marcelli remained in the fight for the podium positions, finally placing second and going directly into the final along with Toni Bou and Toby Martin. After completing the six action zones with 26 penalty points, he finished second.

Gabriel Marcelli – P2

“The Trial itself was tough, especially in the final, but it went quite well for me. On the first lap I rode at a very good level and I managed to get that extra point in the standings. On the second lap I rode quite well and in the final the same, although it was hard. I’m happy with the points we took and with us regaining second position overall. We are having a good season and I want to thank the team for the work they are doing.”

It was a die-hard performance by Jaime Busto at round four of FIM X-Trial World Championship in Switzerland. But a couple of small mistakes in the first two rounds cost the GASGAS Factory Racing star dearly, ruling him out of the grand final by just one mark. Jaime finished in fourth place overall and now ranks third in the series standings.

Jaime Busto – P4

“I’m really disappointed after tonight. I was so motivated to do well here in Switzerland ahead of the break, but things just didn’t go my way. A mistake in the first round put me on the back foot a little, but I went into round two giving it everything I had. The first section went really well, but then on the second, I jumped down from one obstacle and the next one moved a little and I lost my balance. Unfortunately, with the results so tight here tonight, I just missed out on getting through to the final. Third overall now, but only a few points back from second. TrialGP starts in a couple of weeks so I’m looking forward to that.”

The next event for the X-Trial World Championship will be on October 5th in Andorra la Vella.

2024 X-Trial Round Four Results

2024 X-Trial Standings after Round Four

Baja TT – FIM Bajas World Cup Round Two

Portuguese riders filled all podium places at the second round of the FIM Bajas World Cup with Bruno Santos (Husqvarna) dominating both days of the event to keep fellow countryman and last year’s winner David Megre (Kawasaki) at bay to claim victory.

Veteran rider Pedro Bianchi Prata (Honda) showed great form to confirm the final spot on the podium and Sara Garcia (Yamaha) rode exceptionally to top the Women’s category and finish fourth overall.

The opening six-kilometre Prologue stage carved a path through tracks around the urban area of Badajoz on the Portuguese border and was followed by the opening 89 km special stage that started on dry and dusty terrain and finished in the mud of very broken military tracks. Navigation and speed control zones added to the difficulty and the results changed as a result with many riders discovering a multitude of penalties imposed by officials at the end of the day.

Junior rider Edgar Canet won the Prologue but failed to finish the opening day of Baja TT Dehesa Extremadura after a mechanical breakdown. Portuguese riders then began to dominate proceedings with three local riders finishing on the podium – Santos, Megre and Bianchi Prata.

Saturday’s route included two special stages of 100km and 175km on well-used tracks. The leading riders maintained a good pace all day on a smoother course than the day before and Santos won SS2, finishing ahead of Megre and the Spaniard Josep Pedro Subirats.

The major loser from the second round of the FIM Bajas World Cup was the series-leading Emirati Mohammed Al-Balooshi, who finished 12th.

Garcia finished ahead of Joanna Modrzwska to win the Women’s category, Filip Grot topped the standings in Juniors and Bianchi Prata won the Veterans’ Trophy.

Lettenbichler fired up for Hard Enduro 2024

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Manuel Lettenbichler is fired up and ready to take on the opening round of the 2024 FIM Hard Enduro World Championship. Following on from his perfect 2023 season, where the German won every round of the series, Mani is eager to defend his title and continue his exceptional winning streak.

For Lettenbichler, 2024 is all about defending his 2023 Hard Enduro crown. Riding his favored KTM 300 EXC, Mani showed impressive form over the winter in the FIM SuperEnduro World Championship, finishing third overall after a series of intense races. Now, with his busy preseason of training and testing completed, the 26-year-old is on top form and ready to tackle the seven-round Hard Enduro championship.

Mani’s 2023 Hard Enduro season was one for the history books. Not only did he secure back-to-back world championship titles, but he won all six rounds of the series to complete a perfect season. The Red Bull KTM Factory Racing star took his sixth and final victory on home soil at Germany’s GetzenRodeo, making the feat even more special.

The seven-round 2024 Hard Enduro World Championship kicks off with the Valleys Hard Enduro in South Wales on May 10-12, followed by a trip to the Iron Giant for the Red Bull Erzbergrodeo just three weeks later. Over the summer, the series will visit Serbia for the Xross Hard Enduro Rally, Romania for fan-favorite Red Bull Romaniacs, as well making a return to the United States for Red Bull TKO. This year’s calendar also sees the addition of Turkey’s Sea to Sky and the Hixpania Hard Enduro in Spain, which will close out the championship in October.

Manuel Lettenbichler

“I can’t wait to get the 2024 Hard Enduro season underway! I don’t even know what to say about last year, I went into the season with no expectations, but then after winning the first few rounds, I realized I had a shot at doing something unique. I had a perfect season, and to make history in our sport is so cool! There are a lot of different things we’ve done to get race ready during preseason. I have focused on my fitness a lot, but we also had a lot of bike testing to do too. I tried to ride as many different disciplines as possible like enduro, hard enduro and motocross, so I’m prepared for everything this season. Going into this year, we have so much more experience with this bike and which settings work best for each race. Of course, I want to replicate what I did last year, but we are just going to start the season and see how it goes. I can’t wait to get the championship underway in Wales!”

MXoN to host YZ bLU cRU SuperFinale

The 2024 YZ bLU cRU FIM Europe Cup SuperFinale will take place alongside the biggest motocross event of the year, the Motocross of Nations (MXoN), at Matterley Basin in the UK from October 4th to 6th.

The SuperFinale is a culmination of a season’s worth of racing taking place across Europe as part of Yamaha’s YZ125, YZ85 and YZ65 bLU cRU FIM Europe Cups, with the promising young talents accumulating points throughout the season and the top 40 riders in each class invited to race at Matterley Basin for the biggest and most-watched event of the season, the Monster Energy FIM Motocross of Nations.

2024 has already been a record-breaking year for the project with 754 riders aged between eight and 16 registered from 29 different countries, an increase of 40% on 2023, and for the first time Yamaha are pleased to welcome a truly international field with riders from the United States, Canada, Australia, Japan, Indonesia, and Brazil set to take on their European counterparts in the SuperFinale.

At the SuperFinale, after racing in front of the world’s media and thousands of enthusiastic fans, the top three riders from each class and two carefully selected wild cards from each category will receive an invite to the prestigious bLU cRU Masterclass at the end of the season. The Masterclass is designed to give riders a taste of the professional racing world as the aspiring youngsters receive expert training and advice from Yamaha’s bLU cRU Ambassadors.

At the end of the two-day Masterclass, one YZ125 rider is chosen to join a Yamaha-supported team and contest the EMX125 Championship in 2025, emulating riders such as 2022 YZ125 bLU cRU FIM Europe Cup winner Nikolai Skovbjerg, who raced in the 2023 EMX 125 Championship and has moved up to the EMX250 championship in 2024. Riders from the YZ65 and YZ85 categories will be selected to receive additional Yamaha support and GYTR parts for the following season.

2024 Australian ProMX Round Three – Gillman, SA Wrap

See the full reports and results here:
Honda riders paint Gillman red – ProMX Round Three

Honda’s Kyle Webster reclaimed the Thor MX1 red plate with a double victory at Gillman on the weekend – achieving that feat for the second time this season – at the popular, loamy South Australian venue.

While Webster was exceptional on his way to the 450cc overall, Honda Racing team-mate Brodie Connolly kept his perfect season intact with a dominant Pirelli MX2 performance. The New Zealander going 1-1 for the third time in as many weekends of racing this year.

There were yet more twists in the MAXXIS MX3 division, as Honda Racing youngster Jake Cannon was perfect today for his first win of 2024 ahead of new points leader Kayd Kingsford.

In the Fox Racing MX85 Cup division, Levi Townley and Seth Thomas split wins in Adelaide.

Round four of the Australian ProMX Championship will be contested at Maitland in New South Wales, from May 24-25, in the first two-day race weekend of the 2024 season.

Thor MX1 Round

The 1-1 result earned Webster the overall round win directly ahead of title rival Beaton.

2019 champion Waters made a welcome return to the overall podium, tied on points with Ferris, but getting the position on countback following his better result in moto two.

Jed Beaton – P2

“Just frustration is my only emotion right now. I had everything I needed to win today as my bike was awesome, my speed was good all day and I just made a mistake that cost me the round victory and in the same situation as what happened at round one. Thanks to the CDR Yamaha team for their hard work, I just need to deliver on the weekends, so it’s back to work this week and make sure it doesn’t happen again at Maitland.”

Todd Waters – P3

“What a day it’s been! Qualifying was good in P5 and I’m so hungry at the moment, trying to turn this ship around, but I cooked it in Superpole with P9. I didn’t have the best start in the first one, but I fought through to fifth and made some good passes. The second moto, I had a good start in P2, and overall we made some really good progress this weekend. The team has been working hard to find what works for me and it is always a good weekend to land on the box.”

Dean Ferris – P4

“I guess there are two ways to look at it. I come to every race to win it and I couldn’t do that, so that’s not good. But on the positive side, I rode much better than last year here and that was a good step to take. I had some vision issues as I was just taking roost all moto in race two, but my pace wasn’t quite there in that one either. But the team put in a lot of hard work between the rounds and I think we are definitely making gains, so I look forward to Maitland and a track where I had a lot of success last year and really got on a roll.”

In terms of the championship, Webster is a single point clear of Beaton following three of eight rounds.  Crawford is a further 24 points back in third position.

GASGAS rider Kirk Gibbs eventually took seventh in the opening moto before bouncing back for a hard-fought fourth in moto two and marginally missed out on a round podium. The former MX1 title winner’s consistency has him positioned fifth in the standings.

Kirk Gibbs – P5

“Today wasn’t too bad! In the first moto I struggled a bit, rode a bit tight and dropped back in the end, but in the second moto I was a lot more comfortable and we took a lot of positives. I need to get away with those front guys early and we should be right there in the mix.”

KTM Racing Team’s Nathan Crawford charged hard to a valuable fourth position in the opening moto and was looking on course for third in the second bout before a bike issue saw him limp home to salvage a seventh place, which was enough for sixth overall this weekend. It was a disappointing end to the round for the Queenslander, but he’s retained third in the standings following three of eight rounds.

Nathan Crawford – P6

“It was a very bittersweet day for me. I was fourth in practice and third in qualifying, but just felt a little bit off all day. I rode average in the first moto for the first 15 minutes, then put my head down to charge to fourth. We made some changes for the second moto, and I was in third towards the end, but with three-quarters of a lap to go, we had an issue, and I had to roll around to the finish. It’s just super disappointing to almost get on the podium like that, but I’m happy to leave with some points and it’s not all bad.”

Thor MX1 Round Points

Thor MX1 Championship Points

Pirelli MX2 Round

Connolly made it three-consecutive overall round wins from the opening three rounds.

Joining him on the overall podium was Minear in his return to the top three.

Ferguson’s efforts were rewarded with third position for the weekend.

Connolly is now a full 38 points ahead of Ferguson in the title race. Kingsford is another 10 points in arrears.

Brodie Connolly – P1

“With 11 races remaining and 275 points up for grabs, I’m not getting ahead of myself. There’s still much I need to improve on.”

Ryder Kingsford – P4

“The first race was terrible and not how I ride. I didn’t actually feel that bad, but I just seemed to ride at the one speed all moto and even through there was a group of riders just ahead of me, I could do anything to catch and pass them. I needed to rebound in the next race and it was good to finish third and finish the day on a positive note. I locked bars off the start with another rider and was buried early but I worked hard early to try and get as many as I could, then once the race settled, pick them off one at a time. My focus now needs to be putting a solid day together and doing the job completely, so that’s the goal for the rest of the championship.”

Jayce Cosford – P6

“The plan today was to get through it the best I can and without any dramas so I was able to do that. The three weeks off the bike didn’t really affect me, it was just ensuring I stayed focused, and my eye could keep up with what was going on. The doctors say everything is fine now and I will be back to 100% in the coming week, so it was good to get through Gilman without incident and now I can get back into my regular riding and training for the Maitland round.”

Byron Dennis – P8

“It was a bit of an average day for me at Gillman. I just didn’t have the intensity in the first race and had a bit of bad luck in the second one, but my speed is definitely there. I’m going to put my head down from here and keep on working.”

Kaleb Barham – P9

“Moto one wasn’t much fun and not worth talking about, but moto two was good, although, I wished I had of been able to hang onto third in the closing laps. I don’t think it was a fitness, thing as I wasn’t tired, they just had a little more speed than me at that stage of the race and I tried to fight them all off, but just couldn’t stay ahead. At each round, my race two has been pretty good so it’s the first moto of the morning that has been my issue. My first motos have gone 8-10-16 while my last motos have been 6-5-6, so I just need to get up to speed earlier in the day and give myself the best shot at a podium as possible.”

Charli Cannon, representing SCT Logistics Honda and leading the women’s championship, joined the MX2 boys at Gillman, and despite a fall in race 1 she managed to finish 26th before securing 24th place in race two.

Charli Cannon

“These races against faster competition and longer distances are important for my improvement. I can see areas to work on.”

Pirelli MX2 Round Points

Pirelli MX2 Championship Points

Maxxis MX3 Round

Terrafirma Honda’s Jake Cannon showed that he has overcome what were life-threatening injuries late last year. The 17-year-old from Queensland showcased his improving fitness and speed with two outstanding races and a perfect score.

Jake Cannon – P1

“Taking it race by race, we’ll aim to close the gap in the championship standings. I want to be in contention for the title at the final round.”

Kayd Kingsford – P2

“The weekend was good, just needed to keep things together there and not fall. My speed has been good this year and I have been able to qualify well and that has put me in good positions on the track. The track was unreal today and the club did a great job. I love riding this kind of dirt as you can just lay into it and be really aggressive.”

Kobe Drew – P3

“It’s always good to be on the podium and stay in the championship hunt. Horsham wasn’t a great round for me, so it was important I had a good round here and get the momentum rolling my way.”

Cannon was joined on the podium by Kingsford and Drew.

Second place was enough for Kingsford to take charge of the championship lead, and is now three points ahead of Drew.

Sixth overall at Gillman saw former leader Hantis slip back to P3 in the standings, eight behind Kingsford, while Cannon has climbed to P6.

Maxxis MX3 Round Points

Maxxis MX3 Championship Points

Fox Racing MX85 Cup Round

Thomas took the overall for the weekend ahead of Ford and Brown, with Townley having to settle for P10.

In the series, Davy and Thomas are tied on points at the top of the table, five points in front of Townley.

Next up is Maitland’s two-day, fourth round of the 2024 Penrite ProMX Championship, presented by AMX Superstores on May 25-26.

Fox Racing MX85 Cup Round Points

Fox Racing MX85 Cup Points

2024 AMA Supercross Round 16 – Denver Wrap

See the full report and results here:
Blow by blow reports from 250-450 AMA SX in Denver

450 Main

Hunter Lawrence and Cooper Webb tussled in Heat Race Two, with Webb scoring the win, while Jett Lawrence had dominated the opening 450 Heat.  A hard landing for Eli Tomac earlier in the day had the local hero a little shaken, while Cooper Webb was struggling with a thumb injury.

Hunter Lawrence scored the holeshot ahead of his brother. Chase Sexton had a great run towards the first turn but then went down, leaving the defending champion plenty of work to do from there.  Justin Cooper was third, Eli Tomac fourth, Jason Anderson fifth, Justin Barcia sixth, and Cooper Webb was down in seventh place early on.

Eli Tomac moved up to third place two laps in and the home crowd were vocal in the support of their man. Tomac though made a mistake on the following lap, going down and losing a number of positions on what was looking quite a tricky surface in regards to traction at both ends of the motorcycle.

Five minutes into the race and Hunter had a handy two-second lead over his brother. Jason Anderson had moved up to third place, two-seconds behind Jett.  Barcia was up to fourth, Webb fifth, Cooper sixth and Tomac seventh. Chase Sexton had come back from dead last on the opening lap to be on the back of Tomac and challenging for that seventh place.

By the ten-minute mark, Jett was on the back of Hunter and shortly thereafter moved through to the lead after his pit-board informed him that Jason Anderson was closing in on the pair from behind. Barcia was still fourth and, at this juncture, had a four-second gap over Cooper Webb, who was not being chased down by Chase Sexton.

Sexton got the better of Webb with just over five-minutes left on the clock only to lose the front moments later which handed that fifth place position back to Cooper Webb. Jett led Hunter by 1.3 seconds at this point, and the pair had managed to prevent Anderson from getting any closer.

Jett Lawrence went on to take the eighth win of his rookie 450 AMA SX season, his third victory on the trot. It was a clear and concise victory by the 20-year-old, set up with some really smart and cautious line choices while staying out of trouble at turn one by being acutely aware of his surroundings.

Hunter Lawrence is also strong and precise. The 24-year-old made it a Honda 1-2, an Aussie 1-2, and a Lawrence family 1-2, the first sibling 1-2 in the category.

Jason Anderson took third, well ahead of Justin Barcia and Cooper Webb. An injury for Webb held him back in this contest on what was a difficult night for the 28-year-old. This is not really how we saw the epic championship battle between Webb and Lawrence to perhaps be decided, but this is a cruel sport.

This victory sees Jett’s championship lead over Webb grow from 12 to a much safer 20-points. 336 points to Webb’s 316.

Eli Tomac and Chase Sexton are level pegged on 282 points in third place, 54-points behind Jett.

One round to go… The final showdown at Salt Lake City plays out next weekend.

Jett Lawrence – P1

“It’s an awesome accomplishment to get my eighth win in my rookie season, but the bigger story of tonight is Hunter and I going first and second, for the first brothers to ever do that! Hunter was holding a really good pace all race, but I knew I had to get those extra of couple points for next weekend. But it did feel like we were home at the Dog Pound [practice facility] all race, just Hunter and me following each other.”

Hunter Lawrence – P2

“Tonight would’ve been awesome to get a win, but the championship isn’t about me right now; I’ll have my time next year, and maybe even next weekend. It felt amazing to get the holeshot I’d been waiting on, and to lead some laps. It’s crazy to think back to earlier this season, when I got three seventh-place finishes in a row, and now to see where I’m at. I just have to learn more, gain more confidence on the bike, and keep working.”

Jason Anderson – P3

“I always like to do well here in Denver, since it is the closest race to my hometown. The day started off a bit timid, but as the day progressed, I found my flow and became more comfortable. In the main, I got a decent start, but quickly found my pace and tried to latch onto the Lawrence brothers, but I was not able to get them. Overall, it was a good night and my Monster Energy Kawasaki was feeling good all day. It was nice to land on the podium and I am ready for Salt Lake next weekend.”

Justin Barcia – P4

“Practice and Qualifying were good today, and then the Heat race was okay, even if fourth wasn’t exactly what I wanted. Going into the Main, I knew the track had deteriorated and that my bike would work good on that in the hard-pack. I got a pretty good start, had a lot of intensity in the race, and we were just off the podium in fourth. All in all, it’s been a positive couple of weekends, and we’ve got one more to go in Salt Lake City – podium or bust!”

Malcolm Stewart – P7

“I had a really good time here – for some reason, I always ride really good here in Denver,” Stewart said. “Practice was amazing, the track was hard-pack and a little technical. We got third in the Heat, which was actually okay, and then in the Main Event unfortunately we were in a first turn pile-up. I went down again with a lap or two to go, then finished strong and ended up seventh. The result wasn’t what we wanted, but the riding was really good and keeps the motivation up going into Salt Lake City. We’ll try to finish this season off on a high note! We’ve had some flashes, which is what I need and what the team needed, so I’m excited.”

Chase Sexton – P8

“Denver, not a great Main Event, but we had a pretty solid day up until that point. I fell in the first turn, came from pretty much last to fifth and then fell again, so I rode it in from there for eighth. I pretty much have every piece of the puzzle, so I just have to put them together now, and that’s encouraging for us at least heading into the final round next weekend.”

Adam Cianciarulo – P15

“Denver was my second to last race and I wish the weekend went a little better for us. My KX450SR was feeling great all day, but the track was technical and I never found my groove. I started the day qualifying 11th, which wasn’t too bad, but I wanted more. In my heat race, I got a bad jump out of the gate and got buried mid pack. I made some passes and battled with some guys, but seventh was where we ended up. In the main, I am not sure if I got wheel spin, but I was very deep in the field on the first corner again. I put my head down and tried to make as many passes as I could. 15th on the day, but I am excited for Salt Lake to celebrate my last race with everyone. I appreciate all the fans and support this weekend. One more round!”

450 Main Results

450 Championship Points

250 Main

Jo Shimoda broke away in the latter half of the 250 Main, leading Levi Kitchen by 2.5-seconds at the halfway mark. The upper two fastenings on Kitchen’s left boot had come undone as the race wore on, a distraction the Kawasaki man certainly didn’t need.

RJ Hampshire and Nate Thrasher had made contact early that proved costly for both of them. At the halfway juncture Hampshire was two-seconds behind Kitchen after finally shaking off the advances of Thrasher.

Jo Shimoda went on to take his second ever Main Event win with a clean and controlled ride after managing to hold off a late charge from Kitchen.

With Kitchen second and Hampshire third, those scores level them at the top of the 250 West Championship points table with only the final 250 East-West showdown to come next weekend in Salt Lake City. Both Kitchen and Hampshire congratulated Shimoda on his win during the cool down lap.

Jordon Smith ran in third place for the opening laps but had been shuffled down to fifth place by the flag.

Jo Shimoda – P1

“I’m super pumped to get a win for me and my new team; it feels like I’m rewarding the whole team for all of their work. I’ve been putting in a lot of work on the starts, and I think my recent finishes have shown that it’s paying off. I’m hoping to keep building off of this.”

Levi Kitchen – P2

“It was a pretty good night for me and my Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki team. The day started out a bit slow for me, but every time I was on the track, I felt more and more comfortable. I am just glad to get out of here healthy and tied for the points lead heading into the final round. I know Salt Lake is going to be a brawl, but I am ready for the challenge. A huge thanks to everyone that supports me and I am excited to go for this championship!”

RJ Hampshire – P3

“We’re leaving with the red plate still and it’s all tied up heading into the final round,” Hampshire recalled. “It’s awesome to be in this position and going for a championship. We had really good speed all day and I needed some things to go my way in the Main Event, but they didn’t. I need to focus on getting out of the gate better, put myself in a better position, and we can win this championship next weekend. I’ll be ready to go in Salt Lake.”

Julien Beaumer – P10

“It was a good day overall, probably my best riding of the season, and I’m happy with that. Unfortunately I got landed on early in the Main Event and started from way back at that point, but came back to 10th. I’m happy with my riding, even if the result doesn’t show, so we will go back to work this week and be ready for Salt Lake.”

Ryder DiFrancesco – P11

“Denver was okay, but not the result we wanted. In the Heat race I got a holeshot and led a few laps, which was good. In the Main Event I went down on the opening lap and ended up 11th, but came back even if I didn’t ride very well. I’m excited to try and finish up good next weekend before we head outdoors!”

250 Main Results

250 West Championship Points

EMX Reports from Portugal, Agueda (MXGP Round Five)

The third round of the EMX250 and EMX125 Presented by FMF Racing at Agueda happened in tough conditions for the young riders who had to focus hard and showed great skills to stay on the bike with ruts deepening as the races went on.

This Portuguese test gave the opportunity to riders to show their resilience and skills to stay unscathed throughout the weekend. At this game it was the perfect weekend of Cas Valk who showed great speed and control to go 1-1 while in EMX125, it was a celebrated first career win for Gyan Doensen.

EMX250

Despite the muddy conditions, Ivano Van Erp got to front early on while Cas Valk quickly got to 2nd on the rundown of turn 3. WZ Racing Team’s Maxime Grau got to a good start to see himself 4th after few turns. Still in the opening lap Van Erp went completely off track seeing Valk take the lead. This off-piste unnerved the Dutch as he lost his rhythm and got under attack from Grau and Valerio Lata who both went by as well as Mathis Valin on lap 2.

Van Erp’s misfortune continued unfortunately with a hesitation in clearing a rut which Saad Soulimani capitalised on to pass him on lap 4 and went on to finish 5th while Van Erp finished 6th. The top two in the Championship, Valin and Lata got into a battle and reversed role as Valin passed the red plate for 2nd on lap 10, scaring himself in nearly losing control of his bike but hanged on in 2nd place.

Following a good start that saw him passed the opening lap in 3rd, Valerio Lata’s racing wasn’t smoothed and got picked up by Maximilian Werner on lap 8 to move down to 4th and made some mistakes that placed him in 7th on lap 9 of 12. However, Lata showed championship’s leader qualities to fight back to 3rd place on the very last lap. Werner settled for 7th in the end.

Valk who led and managed the race lost a bit of focus when he ran into traffic and back markers but kept his cool to fly to victory with around 25 seconds gap and took a good option on the overall win.

In race 2, Van Erp made a blistering start with Valk trailing in 2nd place with red plate Lata behind. The race promised to be very competitive. While in the top 10, Valin crashed and flew of his bike while he was 3rd and found himself in 7th position but got back to 5th quickly.

A little moment later, his back wheel touched Werner’s front wheel with Werner going down while Valin managed to go up to 6th place. Nothing was easy for Valin as the Frenchman got under pressure by Karlis Reisulis soon after on lap 7 but Reisulis got bike issues and finished 11th in the end.

Meanwhile, Valk went on the chase of Van Erp and was right behind him on lap 5 while Lata was 4 seconds behind and saw them fighting. Soulimani’s great start and good speed saw him climb up to 4th on lap 7 but went down leaving Valin going through and finished 5th for an excellent 5th overall. Meanwhile, Valk attacked and took the lead off Van Erp with Lata coming in hot too behind. The Italian managed to pass the Dutchman for 2nd.

Fighting for the 3rd place overall, Valin raced very well until the end to get 4th for a 2-4 and 3rd overall keeping his 2nd place in the Championship, with Van Erp staying at the bottom of the podium despite a solid race and finishing 3rd.

It was then all about the front two riders. Lata started to charge on Valk with 3 laps to go for a great battle full of control on the challenging muddy track. With backmarkers coming into play, the fight got intense and the two riders had to be careful to not lose their speed.

There was nothing between them but Valk managed to defend very well to keep his perfect score for the weekend with 1-1 while Lata finished second for 2nd overall, keeping his red plate safe in front of Valin and Valk.

Cas Valk

“It was the perfect weekend, P1 in Time Practice, P1 in both races. It got me 3 races to get a win finally! So it is great to win both races this weekend. Difficult track conditions but the track in the second race was good. That was a perfect weekend. Big thanks to all my team for the hard work and we’ll keep working for the next one and see you all there.”

EMX250 Overall – Top 10 Classification

1. Cas Valk (NED, KTM), 50 points; 2. Valerio Lata (ITA, GAS), 42 p.; 3. Mathis Valin (FRA, KAW), 40 p.; 4. Ivano Van Erp (NED, YAM), 35 p.; 5. Saad Soulimani (MAR, YAM), 32 p.; 6. Maxime Grau (FRA, KTM), 27 p.; 7. Nico Greutmann (SUI, HUS), 25 p.; 8. Francisco Garcia (ESP, GAS), 24 p.; 9. Magnus Smith (DEN, YAM), 23 p.; 10. Ryan Alexanderson (AUS, KTM), 18 p

EMX250 Championship – Top 10 Classification

1. Valerio Lata (ITA, GAS), 139 points; 2. Mathis Valin (FRA, KAW), 121 p.; 3. Cas Valk (NED, KTM), 114 p.; 4. Ivano Van Erp (NED, YAM), 92 p.; 5. Francisco Garcia (ESP, GAS), 83 p.; 6. Saad Soulimani (MAR, YAM), 74 p.; 7. Nico Greutmann (SUI, HUS), 58 p.; 8. Maxime Grau (FRA, KTM), 57 p.; 9. Alexis Fueri (FRA, FAN), 49 p.; 10. Magnus Smith (DEN, YAM), 45 p

EMX125

In the first race, chaos ensued right from the get-go as several riders went down in the first turn including Dean Gregoire, but Filippo Mantovani grabbed the lead with a strong start, however his lead was short-lived as Noel Zanocz swooped in around the outside at turn 2, and quickly started to pull clear from the solid 2nd, Gyan Doensen.

Meanwhile, Aaron Katona made a decisive move on Mantovani to go 3rd and Salvador Perez appeared at the top end of the pack and overtook Matonvani for 4th with the Italian moving down the ranks throughout the race.

Katona nearly lost his position on the treacherous terrain but saved it well although Perez seized an opportunity right after to overtake him. Katona wasn’t finished and came back up to 3rd but then took a cross rut and crashed out of 3rd to finish 5th as Francesco Bellei took this opportunity to finish 4th.

Mano Faure managed to push hard to overtake Katona for 4th on lap 8 but some mistakes made him go down to 6th and finished in this position. Zanocz controlled the race until the end to win in front of Doensen and Perez.

In race 2, Doensen made a strong start in front while Zanocz managed to get up to 3rd after few turns wasting no time on the tail on McCullough who tipped over to gift 2nd place to the red plate. Perez saw himself in 4thbehind Mancini but managed to pass the winner in Trentino to get to 3rd on lap 2.

Meanwhile, Doensen began to pull out at the lead but Zanocz was on a mission to reduce the 5-seconds gap on lap 2. Jayson Van Drunen was a rider that seemed to like the conditions as storm on to 5th place until he crashed on lap 5. Doensen showed great control as he kept his 5-seconds advantage on Zanocz for a while but past mid-race the Hungarian began to work hard to get closer to the leader.

Brando Rispoli and Faure managed at that time to get themselves in the top 10 after an average starts as they finished 6th and 7th respectively, with Faure finishing 4th overall.

Doensen had to pick up his pace after giving few looks over his shoulder and seeing Zanocz getting closer. With the race leader pulling again a little from the red plate, Zanocz looked like racing the smart race t keep his 2nd place and his lead in the championship with a good 2nd overall.

The path was free for Doensen to finish perfectly the race but then nerves might have kicked in and he tipped over in a cross-rut in the very last lap. Fortunately, his 19 seconds advantage on Zancoz was more than enough to get back to it and win the race to go 2-1 and win his first overall of his career. Perez rounded the overall podium with a convincing 3rd place in the race.

Gyan Doensen

“The second race was amazing you know. From start to finish at the lead but yeah I nearly threw it away in the last lap because of the nerves! 2-1 and my first overall and victory, very happy and big thanks to my team Racestore KTM Factory Rookies, my sponsrs, my family and the guys at the factory so thank you everyone!”

EMX125 Overall – Top 10 Classification

1. Gyan Doensen (NED, KTM), 47 points; 2. Noel Zanocz (HUN, FAN), 47 p.; 3. Salvador Perez (ESP, GAS), 38 p.; 4. Mano Faure (FRA, YAM), 29 p.; 5. Francesco Bellei (ITA, KTM), 29 p.; 6. Brando Rispoli (ITA, TM), 27 p.; 7. Freddie Bartlett (SWE, KTM), 27 p.; 8. Simone Mancini (ITA, FAN), 26 p.; 9. Jarne Bervoets (BEL, YAM), 23 p.; 10. Tom Brunet (FRA, KTM), 19 p

EMX125 Championship – Top 10 Classification

1. Noel Zanocz (HUN, FAN), 124 points; 2. Gyan Doensen (NED, KTM), 116 p.; 3. Salvador Perez (ESP, GAS), 103 p.; 4. Mano Faure (FRA, YAM), 87 p.; 5. Francesco Bellei (ITA, KTM), 85 p.; 6. Simone Mancini (ITA, FAN), 75 p.; 7. Áron Katona (HUN, KTM), 75 p.; 8. Dani Heitink (NED, YAM), 64 p.; 9. Jarne Bervoets (BEL, YAM), 63 p.; 10. Brando Rispoli (ITA, TM), 54 p

2024 MXGP of Portugal, Agueda – Round Five Wrap

For the full report see:
Jonass claims maiden MXGP round win in Portuguese mudfest – MXGP Round Five

The MXGP of Portugal, Agueda presented plenty of rain and muddy conditions to challenge competitors.

Saturday action included the RAM Qualifying races, where Tim Gajser worked his way to a clear victory in MXGP for Team HRC in the heavily rutted conditions. The MX2 race was won with a clinical performance from Liam Everts of Red Bull KTM Factory Racing.

The main races went on to offer the most challenging conditions of the season thus far, the distinctive red dirt of the Crossodromo Internacional de Agueda continued to take a battering from the weather, putting a chaotic spin on the established order of the series so far.

MXGP saw a monumental battle between the two five-time World Champions, Tim Gajser and Jeffrey Herlings. That pair shared the two race wins, however, the jubilant overall victor was Pauls Jonass, who took second places in both races to top the overall podium for Standing Construct Honda MXGP.

in MX2, Liam Everts celebrated a stunning win in a mud masterclass that begun from the first drop of the gate, and apart from a few yards of race two the Belgian led the racing throughout the day as he completed his first maximum point haul for his fifth Grand Prix win.

2024 MXGP of Portugal, Agueda Highlights

MXGP Overall

Jonass’ overall round victory was his 12th in Grand Prix racing, but his first in the MXGP class. His last victory had come nearly six whole years ago in MX2, and it was also the first MXGP victory for an independent team since Standing Construct won with Bogers back in July 2022.

Febvre was second for the round on 38-points, to Jonass’s 44, while Gajser was third on 36. Bogers and Toendel rounded out the top five on 30 and 29-points respectively.

In the overall MXGP standings Gajser holds a healthy lead on 252-points, Prado second on 238, while Febre rounds out the top three on an even 220-points. Herlings and Jonass are a more distant fourth and fifth on 198 and 192-points respectively.

Pauls Jonass – P1

“This year, our main goal was to be consistent, enjoy my riding, enjoy racing. We work very hard in the winter time with the team and we improved a lot from last year and it’s paying off as, you can see the results! Now, it’s staying consistent! I really enjoyed the mud today. I have to give a massive shout out to all the team, the sponsors and the supporters, my wife at home and I look forward to go home!

Romain Febvre – P2

“Looking at the big picture this weekend was good for the championship as I pulled back points so I remain positive but I want to win GPs and motos and both were in my hands until I threw it away. All of the crashes were my mistake but at least they happened late in the races when they did not cost too many positions. In the first moto I was second entering the last lap but I cross-rutted on landing over the finish-jump and crashed. I wasn’t sure if it had cost me a position at first as I didn’t know if Pauls was on the same lap; I passed him back through the waves but my gloves were full of mud and I crashed again at the last corner. I was second through the first turn in race two but Tim slid out and crashed right in front of me. I had no chance to avoid him and I thought I would crash too but somehow I stayed on; I hope Tim is OK. I was soon third and six laps from the end I almost passed Pauls but I crashed again. It was really tough for everybody this weekend so my congratulations to Pauls for the win; he made no mistakes and deserved it. But I remain positive; the points are still close and it’s only five down with fifteen to go.”

Tim Gajser – P3

“Of course it is great to get the red-plate after all the work we’ve put in. Even getting the podium position after that second moto was a surprise but those conditions it can be a lottery. I made far too many mistakes, which is frustrating as I had a really good start before that first mistake and from there on it was just survival. It was also a shame because the first moto was a really good one for me. I got the holeshot and had a good battle for the lead and eventually won in really difficult conditions. Overall though, to get on the podium, winning two of the three motos over the weekend and to get the red-plate I have to be happy with that.”

Andrea Bonacorsi – P6

“I’m really happy about today. It could have been better as I made mistakes in both races but for my first GP in the MXGP class, I have to be happy, especially in the conditions like we saw today. I knew I could do good on the 450 so thanks to Yamaha and the team for making it all happen. I’m excited for next weekend.”

Jeffrey Herlings – P9

“In drier conditions on Saturday I showed I had the speed. The first moto was a shame. I was closing in for the lead and I think I could have made a pass but we ended up with zero points. I led all the way in the second, so it’s a pity we only go home with one win. It could have easily been a GP victory today. Spain next and my goal is to be back on the podium there. A win would be amazing…but we’ll aim for the top three. I’m just over 50 points down at the moment, but we’ve had our bad luck and we’re still not that far away and there are 15 races to go. A lot ahead.”

Jeremy Seewer – P12

“I think this was our first mud-race of any kind for a couple of years and this was another level of mud; I think the last time we had a race like this was Russia in 2017. I knew it would be difficult to get a good start from far outside after P17 from Qualifying but I was riding consistently and running eighth, with sixth in sight, until the bike stopped in the first race. Anyway I got some consolation with fifth in race two so now I’m looking forward to the next two GPs on consecutive weekends; I’m fit and I recover well so I hope I can soon be back where I want to be.”

Jorge Prado – P13

“The MXGP of Portugal is over, and it was extremely challenging. I was the fastest when the track was dry early in the weekend, but then the rain came on Saturday and Sunday. In the qualifying race, I struggled a bit with getting the bike set up, but by Sunday, I was the fastest again. I definitely had good speed, but the starts from P7 were tough: there were mistakes, crashes. The conditions on Sunday made it super tough. I had to make two pit stops in the first moto, and then I crashed after a good start in the second moto. It was a pity because I know I’ve been hard to beat on this track—but sometimes, that’s just how it goes! Now, we’re just looking forward to the next race. We’re 15 points down, but hopefully, we’ll get back that red plate soon enough!”

Calvin Vlaanderen – P15

“Yesterday I felt great on the bike and my speed was good, but today it was a totally different track because of the weather. In Race One I was running inside the top 10, close to the top five but then a bike issue happened. The second race was better, and I managed the race well for ninth. I’m feeling good on the bike, and I’m fit, healthy, and ready for next weekend.”

Mattia Guadagnini – P17

“It’s great to be back racing, though this wasn’t the easiest race to come back to! Qualifying on Saturday went well; I was really focused on building my pace. But Sunday was a whole different story – it felt more like we were just trying to survive out there. I was in a good position, running up to sixth at one point, and then on the last lap when I was in 9th the bike stopped – so I couldn’t finish the race. I know it was a tough day for everyone. I managed to finish 14th in the second race, and get 17th overall under such wild conditions—it’s honestly just great to be back. These challenging races are just part of motocross, and I want to say thankyou for the team and family for the support to get me back here!”

MXGP Round Overall

MXGP Championship Points – Top 20

MX2 Overall

Everts took the perfect MX2 round overall on 50-points, with Elzinger second on 40. The battle for third was tighter fought, Benistant on 34-points claiming the final podium position, Kay de Wolf fourth on 32 and Andrea Adamo fifth on 29-points.

De Wolf holds the standings lead by 30-points from Längenfelder on 216, Everts third on 188-points, with Benistant nipping at his heels on 185. Lucas Coenen rounds out the top five on 171-points.

Liam Everts – P1

“These are the kinds of weekends you dream of. Everything goes so well and you are just in the zone, just your focus, your bike and the track. These days don’t come often. You win a championship on tough days but this was a good one! I know tougher ones will come but this was something special.”

Rick Elzinga – P2

“I really can’t be happier! My first MX2 podium is just amazing. I really like this track, so it was a shame about the mud but in Race One it wasn’t too bad. I started third then moved into second but then made a few mistakes. I ended up fourth but overall, I was happy with my riding. I took the holeshot in Race Two but ran too wide, so I lost a couple of places. I was third for a while and then moved into second and made no mistakes, stayed up, and finished second for second overall and my first ever podium in MX2. I have to say a huge thanks to the team this year, and especially today because of how muddy it was.”

Thibault Benistant – P3

“It was a really tough weekend because of the weather, but there is plenty to be positive about. Tough conditions are part of motocross and to get on the box with a 5-4 is good and good points for the championship. I still have some work to do to be better and for sure it’s nice to be on the podium again.”

Kay de Wolf – P4

“This weekend at Agueda was a true test for us. Facing a tough track and early falls in the races, it was all about fighting back and proving what we can do. Keeping the red plate means a lot for sure, and looking forward to the upcoming rounds, we’re fired up to keep pushing and improving. With a third place in the first moto and a ninth in the second, it’s clear we have good speed. The support from the team and fans has been phenomenal, and I’m excited to go again next weekend.”

Andrea Adamo – P5

“We didn’t start the weekend in the best way or have the best qualifying race and in those kinds of motos the start position counts for a lot. Today was a situation where you could gain a lot but also lose a lot! We did neither and were pretty solid. It’s not the result we are working towards…but we didn’t make big costly mistakes. It was good to come back to P7 in the second moto. I’m looking forward to Spain now and hopefully better weather because this weekend was crazy!”

Simon Längenfelder – P9

“Every lap in Agueda was a battle against the elements as much as against the clock this weekend. We showed our pace and fought hard, proving that even under the toughest conditions, we push to the limit. It’s a setback, for sure, but every challenge is a setup for a stronger comeback. We’ll heal, regroup, and hit the track with even more determination. Thank you, as always, to the team for all their hard work and support this weekend!”

Lucas Coenen – P10

“This weekend at Agueda threw everything at us, and despite the setbacks, and my shoulder not being 100%, we pulled through with some points for the championship. The conditions were brutal, especially with my injury, but my focus was on managing my pace and staying as consistent as possible. Finishing 16th and then 8th in the motos under such circumstances really tests you. We’re still in the fight for the championship, and I’m determined to hit the ground running in Galicia.”

Jack Chambers – P13

“This track was gnarly; puddles everywhere and long deep ruts with holes you couldn’t even see at the end of them. I’ve ridden GNCC Cross-country in the States but nothing like this. It was a mud festival; just a matter of survival. I made good progress for eleventh in race one and was running sixth/seventh together with my teammate Bobby in race two with good pace until each of us came unstuck. I had one big crash when I got stuck under the bike and banged my knee but I kept going for fifteenth.”

Sacha Coenen – P16

“Not the weekend I wanted. I had a really bad start in the first moto and tried to push but made mistakes a crashed a lot! Second moto was the same and I was flooded at the start. I built up my speed and got quite fast. I was having fun until two tip-offs and then it was done. I had to come in and change goggles and after another crash on the finish line jump that was it. We’ll look to the next one.”

MX2 Round Overall

MX2 Championship Standings

2024 Racing schedule

2024 FIM EnduroGP Calendar

2024 MXGP Calendar

2024 FIM Hard Enduro World Championships Provisional Calendar

2024 Monster Energy Supercross & Pro Motocross calendars

2024 FIM Speedway Grand Prix World Championship calendar