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Moto News Weekly Wrap
June 18, 2024

What’s New:

• Trackmasters rained out – To be rescheduled
• Team Australia Motocross of Nations fundraiser
• Crump on Zmarzlik breaking his SGP record
• Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki Racing Team reach 300 wins
• Six-rider Aussie Junior MX World Championship team revealed
• Carson Mumford joins Firepower Honda
•  Manuel Lettenbichler to miss Xross due to injury
• Aussie Flat Track Nationals entries open
• GYTR Yamaha Junior Racing Team results update
• Honda celebrate Manjimup & King of the Sand efforts
• Erik Riss wins 2024 FIM Long Track World Championship Challenge
• Bou and Busto share TrialGP of Italy wins
• Valk tops one-race WMX at Maggiora MXGP
• EMX125 Wrap from MXGP of Italy
• 2024 MXGP of Italy Round 10 – Maggiora Park Wrap
• 2024 ProMX Round Four High Point Raceway Wrap
• Przyjemski wins FIM SGP2 of Sweden – Malilla
• 2024 FIM Speedway GP of Sweden – Mallila Report
• FIM Speedway Youth World Cup SGP4 Report
• 2024 AFT Round 12 – Orange County Half-Mile Report
• 2024 Racing Calendars

Trackmasters rained out – To be rescheduled

The annual Trackmasters meeting was washed out last weekend without a wheel getting on to the track. Rain from Friday afternoon continued well in to Saturday which also ruled out any possibility of racing on Sunday.

The Hunter Motorcycle Club will look at rescheduling for later in the year.

Team Australia Motocross of Nations fundraiser

Jeff Leisk, Mark Luksich, Stephen Gall, Gary Benn, QMP’s Ray Buchanan, MQ & MA have organised a one-day August 3, 2024 MX Training event with all entry money going to helping Team Australia at this year’s World Teams Motocross Championship (MXoN) at Matterley Basin Track, in England.

Enter here: https://ridernet.com.au/eventView/?e=1856512

• When: One day only – August 3, 2024
• Where: Queensland Moto Park, 110 Goan Rd, Coulson Qld
• What: Taught the best current MX riding techniques.
• How many: Only 100 entries taken.
• How Much: $349 each
• Who: Coaching you will be Australian MX legends & Australian Motorsport ’Hall of Famers’ – Jeff Leisk, Craig Dack, Stephen Gall and Glen Bell. Assisted by current Aussie factory pro riders Dean Ferris, Kyle Webster, Jed Beaton and Todd Waters. Plus Australia’s most experienced Race Mechanic and Suspension technician Gary Benn who will be sharing his knowledge to the rider groups.

Don’t have a bike or unable to ride? No problem. Enter to ‘watch and listen’ to the Elite Coaching group. You can walk, cycle or ride around to be part of this unique training day.

• Senior riders only (over 16 yrs)
• NOT Accepted are 50, 65 or 85 cc capacity MX bikes
• Ability separated groups
• MA one-day license available online
• $349 each to ride or observe.

Enter here: https://ridernet.com.au/eventView/?e=1856512

Crump on Zmarzlik breaking his SGP record

Aussie legend Jason Crump says the FIM Speedway Grand Prix class of 2024 is facing the Ivan Mauger or Tony Rickardsson of their era after Bartosz Zmarzlik eclipsed the three-time Speedway GP world champion’s record victory haul with victory in Sweden over the weekend, marking the Pole’s 24th SGP event win.

Jason Crump

“Honestly, it is not a surprise that he has broken the record. If you look at Bartosz and his consistency in the last five years, it’s quite remarkable. It’s a pleasure to watch and the record is not something I am disappointed to lose.

“Every record is made to be broken and losing a record to a rider of his skill and passion is something you don’t worry about too much. I certainly don’t anyway. I rate the guy in all aspects, and not just as a speedway rider. I rate the way he operates, the way he rides and the way he goes about his business. I think he is a credit to himself, his family and to speedway. I wish him all the success in the world.”

For all of Jason Crump’s thoughts see here:
Jason Crump congratulates Bartosz Zmarzlik on taking his record

Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki Racing Team reach 300 wins

With the recent triumph by Ty Masterpool at High Point Raceway, the illustrious Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki racing team has reached the seemingly impossible milestone of 300 total race wins. This achievement, spanning 24 years and including victories in supercross, motocross, and supermotocross, is a testament to the team’s unwavering dedication, perseverance, and unparalleled skill in the highly competitive 250 class.

It’s impossible to overlook the pivotal moments and iconic figures shaping the team’s legacy. From Brian Swink’s groundbreaking win in 1991 at the Orlando, Florida, Supercross in the 125ESX class, which kicked off the team’s supremacy, to the unmatched dominance of legends like Ricky Carmichael and Ryan Villopoto, who exemplify the team’s excellence through the years.

Carmichael leads the long list of 39 winning riders with an astounding 38 wins, while Villopoto follows with 30 victories. In addition to these two champions, Adam Cianciarulo (18 wins), Christophe Pourcel (18), Blake Baggett (17), Austin Forkner (14), Dean Wilson (13), Jeremy McGrath (12), Joey Savatgy (12), Jake Weimer (11), Ivan Tedesco (11), and Grant Langston (10) all collected double-digit wins in their careers under Mitch Payton.

Six-rider Aussie Junior MX World Championship team revealed

Six riders have been selected to represent Team Australia in the 2024 FIM Junior Motocross World Championship, which will be held at the Circuit Kamperweg Heerde in The Netherlands from July 12-14. The Team Australia representatives across the three two-stroke classes are as follows:

• 65cc: Lewis-Jay Carafa (Vic, GASGAS) and Mason Ezergailis (Vic, GASGAS);
• 85cc: Seth Thomas (NSW, KTM) and Bodie Court (Qld, KTM);
• 125cc: Koby Hantis (Qld, Yamaha) and Heath Fisher (Qld, KTM).

Five of the six Team Australia riders – Carafa, Ezergailis, Thomas, Court and Hantis – are currently competing in the 2024 Penrite ProMX Championship presented by AMX Superstores, while Fisher has been based in America over the last two seasons after winning the 85cc 2T/150cc 4T 12-U14 class at the 2022 Australian Junior Motocross Championship in Rockhampton.

Carson Mumford joins Firepower Honda

The Firepower Honda team has signed Carson Mumford to a multi-year deal, providing the three-time Loretta Lynn’s winner an opportunity to build on his achievements. Team Principal Martin Davalos believes Carson is capable of much more.

Since turning pro in 2019, Mumford has consistently finished in the top 5 and top 10 in Supercross and Motocross, respectively. The young 22-year-old is excited to join Firepower Honda, noting their impressive success since their inception in 2020.

Carson Mumford

“MCR was great, and I want to thank them for their efforts. The Firepower Honda opportunity gives me a chance to race around the world and work with Martin and the team, which I believe is invaluable. I have seen what Anstie and the others have achieved.”

Mumford will also compete for the Factory Honda Team in the Australian Supercross Championship and other international races this season. The Firepower Honda team might also compete in selected rounds of the AMA Motocross Championship and the SMX playoffs this year before entering the 2025 AMA Supercross Championship

Manuel Lettenbichler to miss Xross due to injury

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Manuel Lettenbichler has been sidelined from the upcoming Xross Hard Enduro Rally due to him suffering an injury to his left knee while training in Tuscany, Italy. The reigning FIM Hard Enduro World Champion is scheduled to undergo surgery to repair the damage, and will therefore miss round three of the series.

Fabio Farioli – Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Enduro Team Manager

“Obviously, this is a setback for Mani and one that comes at the worst possible time, during one of the busiest periods of the year. Mani has undoubtedly shown his class this season, maintaining his unbeaten record from last year and proving he really is a level above the competition in hard enduro. While this injury means he will miss the upcoming Xross Hard Enduro Rally, we hope to see him back on the bike and winning again as soon as possible. It goes without saying that the whole team wishes Mani all the best with his recovery.”

Aussie Flat Track Nationals entries open

The highly anticipated 2024 Aussie Flat Track Nationals (AFTN) has officially opened entries over the weekend. The six-round Australian Flat Track Championship is set to fire into life with the first two rounds at the Macarthur Motorcycle Complex’s Skyline Flat Track in Appin, NSW, on July 27 and 28. Round one will see Australia’s best battle it out on the more traditional flat track layout, while Sunday’s round two will see four races per class hit the TT circuit.

Entries for rounds one and two of the AFTN can be found on www.ridernet.com.au and will close on July 13, 2024.

Spectator tickets are available the Rider Support Australia events page – https://ridersupportaustralia.com.au/events.

Saturday July 27 – Round 1: Flat Track

• 9am: Practice & Qualifying
• 10:45am: Pro 450 Superpole
• 11am: Racing underway (4 races per class from 6 to 15 laps in length)
• 3:45pm: Podium Presentations

Sunday July 28 – Round 2: TT

• 9am: Practice & Qualifying
• 10:45am: Pro 450 Superpole
• 11am: Racing underway (4 races per class from 6 to 15 laps in length)
• 3:45pm: Podium Presentations

2024 Aussie Flat Track Nationals

• Round 1: Flat Track Layout – Appin, NSW, Saturday July 27
• Round 2: TT Layout – Appin, NSW, Sunday July 28
• Round 3: Flat Track Layout – Brisbane, QLD, Saturday August 31
• Round 4: TT Layout – Brisbane, QLD, Sunday September 1
• Round 5: Flat Track Layout – Gunnedah, NSW, Saturday November 16
• Round 6: TT Layout – Gunnedah, NSW, Sunday November 17

GYTR Yamaha Junior Racing Team results update

The GYTR Yamaha Junior Racing Team has had a busy few weeks with more state-based racing around the country. Events in WA, QLD, NSW, and Victoria have kept the motocross boys busy and allowed them to continue achieving excellent results.

The third and final round of the New South Wales motocross championships was held at Wagga Wagga last weekend with Blake Bohannon and Heath Davy in action. Blake Bohannon putting together an impressive season and added a couple more victories to his resume with success in the 10-12 years 65 cc class and the 9-11 years 85 cc class.

Bohannon won the round with 2-1-2 results on the 65 cc and took home the championship by 30 points. He did likewise in the 85 cc division only winning every race bar one in the nine-race championship to secure state championship number 2 for 2024.

Heath Davy claimed second for the day as well as the championship in the 12-15 years 85 cc class. Davy started and finished the championship strongly at rounds 1 and 3 but had an off day at round two and that impacted his title aspirations. Regardless, it was still a huge effort from Davy in what will be his last year on the YZ85 before moving to the bigger bikes.

Jobe Dunne continues to find his way back to top form with victory in the Junior 250 cc class at the Winton round of the Victorian Motocross championships.

Dunne finished with 1-4-1 results to wrap up the round win on his YZ250F. And to make it a real weekend to remember, Dunne also took the gold in the 125 class with a dominant day that saw him win all three motos contested and take home the perfect 75 points.

With one round remaining, Dunne now leads the 125 class and has drawn within 11 points of the lead in the 250 cc division. Add to that the second place finishes of Deegan Fort and Manjimup in the 85 cc class and a second place finish for Lachlan Allen in the Sunshine State Series on his YZ125 and it has been a good month for the YJR crew.

Honda celebrate Manjimup & King of the Sand efforts

The Factory Honda team has been on the road for four weeks, travelling from Maitland, New South Wales, to compete in Western Australia’s two most prestigious events: the Manjimup 15000 and the King of the Sand. The team faced their fair share of challenges but has emerged stronger for it.

The Manjimup 15000 attracted more than 500 riders competing across three days. In the MX1 class, Boost Mobile Honda’s Kyle Webster, the early favourite, entered the final race with a 5-point advantage. Unfortunately, he collided with another rider in the first turn of the final race and got stuck under their bike. Although he remounted and charged through the pack, the fall dashed his hopes for the overall win. Webster’s cumulative points secured him 3rd place.

Lars Van Berkel, travelling from the Netherlands, finished 4th, and Dean Wilson, the reigning Australian Supercross Champion, finished 8th after crashing in two of the four races, hurting his chances of a podium finish.

The MX2 class presented even greater challenges. Honda’s Larwood, Ferguson, and Jake Cannon were taken down on the first lap in a massive pile-up. Despite their efforts to charge back, the 5-lap race didn’t provide enough time to close the gap. The next three races were dominated by Honda, but it wasn’t enough to recover the points lost in race 1. Jake Cannon finished 2nd, followed by Noah Ferguson in 3rd.

Charli Cannon raced against the best women in Western Australia and secured a stunning victory. Her presence was well received, and it’s believed she will help elevate women’s racing in WA.

Another amazing event in Western Australia took place last weekend on the famous deep sand track in Wanneroo. Honda won the MX1 class with Kyle Webster.  Lars Van Berkel finished 3rd.

In the MX2 class, Larwood took the win ahead of team-mates Brodie Connolly and Jake Cannon. The biggest surprise was Jake’s sister, Charli, who raced in both the Women’s and MX2 Pro classes.

Charli dominated the women’s class and held her own against the pro riders in MX2, taking two holeshots and holding off some of the nation’s best MX2 riders for several laps.

Erik Riss wins 2024 FIM Long Track World Championship Challenge

Erik Riss put on an outstanding show on home ground at Mühldorf in Germany this afternoon at the FIM Long Track World Championship Challenge, recording an almost perfect performance as he out-paced a ferociously fast field to claim the top step of the podium.

His heroics mean he has booked an automatic place behind the tapes in the 2025 FIM Long Track World Championship where he will be joined by his compatriot Daniel Spiller, the British pairing of Zach Wajtknecht and Chris Harris and Denmark’s Kenneth Kruse Hansen who claimed the remaining four qualification positions up for grabs.

The racing was intense from the first block of Heats that saw Riss, Wajtknecht, Harris and the Czech Republic’s Hynek Stichauer all take an early win, but Riss – a two-time world champion in the discipline – then faltered in his second outing when he trailed home last.

With Wajtknecht and Harris adding a second win and Hansen and Dave Meijerink from the Netherlands moving into contention with victories, Riss showed his undisputed class by reeling off three consecutive wins to make it through to the Semi Finals.

Wajtknecht was also in fine form and he dropped just one point – to Riss in their fourth Heat – as he also progressed to the Semi Finals on the same score as Harris who lost a point to fast Finn Jesse Mustonen in the Heat stages.

Hansen recorded three Heat wins as he made the cut for the Semi Finals alongside Spiller, Meijerink and Mustonen with Dutchman Henry van der Steen, Germany’s Stephan Katt and Jan Macek from the Czech Republic also progressing to the knock-out stage.

Wajtknecht raced to victory in the first Semi Final ahead of Hansen and Spiller at the expense of two-time Finnish national champion Mustonen and Katt before Riss took care of business in the second Semi Final from Harris as Van der Steen, Meijerink and Macek were eliminated.

By this point the five riders qualifying for next year’s series were already decided, but a Grand Final was needed to determine the podium positions and Riss did not disappoint the noisy home fans who wanted to see a German racer on the top step.

Wajtknecht continued to show the form that carried him to second in last month’s FIM Long Track World Championship opening round to take second with Hansen third ahead of Harris and Spiller.

With the Challenge event completed for another year, the focus now shifts to the second Final of the 2024 FIM Long Track World Championship which will be held at Marmande in France on Saturday 13 July.

Bou and Busto share TrialGP of Italy wins

Day One

Extending his win-streak to five from five starts, reigning champion Toni Bou produced another polished performance to dominate a wet opening day at the TrialGP of Italy – round three of the 2024 FIM Trial World Championship – as Arnau Farre became the first two-time winner this year in Trial2 and George Hemingway strengthened his grip on the Trial3 class.

With the series making its first-ever visit to Valsassina in the north of the country, competitors faced a challenging mixture of man-made and natural hazards plotted on super-steep bankings and in a riverbed studded with huge rocks. Heavy overnight rain meant many sections had to be reworked before the action got under way, but despite this early-morning maintenance there was a shortage of grip all around the course and opening lap scores were the highest we have seen so far this season.

Starting the day unbeaten following the opening two rounds in Japan and Andorra, Spanish superstar Bou needed just two sections to seize an early lead, but even the seventeen-time world champion incurred an early five on section three that claimed maximums from all the elite TrialGP riders on the first lap.

The steep, slippery bankings and tree roots of section five also took maximums from the entire TrialGP field on lap one and Bou then picked up back-to-back fives on sections seven and eight that wound their way up an imposing boulder-strewn riverbed. Despite this, his score of twenty-two at the halfway mark put him nine clear of local hero Matteo Grattarola who held second, one ahead of Gabriel Marcelli and three in front of two-time world champion Adam Raga.

With rain falling all day, Bou defied the tough conditions with an incredible second lap total comprising single dabs on sections one and five as he added a miserly two to his score as his main rivals all posted improved second lap totals, although no-one came close to challenging him.

Cheered on by his home fans, Grattarola – whose hometown is less than twenty kilometres from Valsassina – rose to the occasion. The two-time Trial2 world champion always seems to ride well on his native soil with at least one podium finish at every TrialGP of Italy since 2021 – including a day win two years ago – and the 36-year-old maintained this impressive record with a solid second lap total of 19 seeing him end the day in second position on 50.

The fight for third raged until the last section, a man-made jumble of large logs, with Marcelli, Raga and Jaime Busto – who had recovered well following an expensive opening lap score of 40 – all in contention for the final step of the podium.

With grip in short supply where the bark had been ground away over the course of the day, 24-year-old Marcelli held his nerve and went clean to make sure of third on a total of 56, just two clear of Raga and five ahead of Busto with Jorge Casales a further mark adrift in sixth.

With four different winners from the opening four days of competition, the Trial2 class was wide open at the start of the day with no one rider yet to emerge as a clear favourite.

Having claimed victory on the opening day in Andorra, Farre already knew what it takes to get on the top step of the podium and the Spaniard put this knowledge to good use as he became the first repeat winner of 2024. Leading after the opening lap on a score of 12, he knocked one off this total at his second attempt to end the day on 23 with a comfortable nine-mark winning margin over Britain’s Jack Peace, the winner on day two in Japan.

Britain’s defending champion Billy Green completed the podium on a score of 34, two ahead of his compatriot and 2022 Trial3 champion Harry Hemingway who won a tie-break for fourth with Spain’s Alex Canales who won last time out in Andorra and now holds a two-point lead ahead of Peace in the standings.

After winning both days in Andorra, defending Trial3 champion George Hemingway had already opened up an advantage at the top of the table and the 16-year-old extended his lead with a clinical performance today.

His first lap total of 20 placed him nine ahead of Romeo Piquet at the halfway mark before he put the result beyond doubt after parting with a further ten on lap two which saw him finish sixteen ahead of the French teenager. Norwegian Jonas Jorgensen posted his best result of the season in third on 52 to complete a clean sweep of the podium by the Italian manufacturer.

Day Two

Jaime Busto blasted back into contention on day two of the TrialGP of Italy with a sensational victory, as Jack Peace regained the points lead in Trial2 and George Hemingway continued his dominance of the Trial3 class.

Conditions were considerably drier in Valsassina for day two following day one’s rain, but an overnight downpour ensured that grip was still in short supply for riders on the opening lap, especially on the steep, slick bankings and tree roots of sections five and six which claimed big scores from everyone apart from defending champion Toni Bou who skipped through with a single dab and a clean.

Having won the first five scoring days of this year’s series with relative ease, it looked to be business as usual for the superstar Spaniard who wasted little time opening up a healthy lead, but his momentum came to an abrupt halt when he reached the river sections. A run of four consecutive maximums put the 17-time champion on the back foot and at the end of the first lap his total of 22 was just three ahead of Busto with home favourite Matteo Grattarola best of the rest on 31.

Bou had started the day complaining of feeling unwell, but he maintained his advantage until section six on lap two where, following Busto’s faultless ride, he lost a five and with it the event lead and another maximum on section seven after his compatriot had produced a brilliant clean looked to have dropped him out of contention.

Busto then had a maximum on section eight where a huge step out of the riverbed caused problems for most of the field and Bou seized this lifeline by escaping with just a dab, but with the remaining sections relatively straightforward it was Busto in the driving seat and he kept his cool to record his first win of the season on a total of thirty-nine.

Jaime Busto – P1

“It’s an incredible feeling being back on the top of the podium! After a difficult start to the season, I’m super happy for myself and the team that all our hard work is paying off now. I didn’t have the best day one, I made a lot of silly mistakes but I still had a really good feeling on the bike. So, on day two, I really focused and made sure I made as few mistakes as possible and took the win. I’m really happy!”

Bou looked almost relieved to get the event over on a total of 43 to extend his championship lead with Grattarola maintaining his brilliant home form to end the day in a hugely-popular third on 50, ten marks clear of Adam Raga with Gabriel Marcelli a disappointed fifth on 61.

Toni Bou – P2

“It’s been a positive weekend as we have achieved many points in the championship. Today was not our day and, in fact, yesterday we were not at 100% either, but we had a very good race. Today it wasn’t to be, but the best thing is to be second when things are not going well. I am very happy with the work the team have done today and the points are good for the standings.”

It was all-change at the top of Trial2 where 24-year-old British rider Peace went head-to-head with his compatriot and defending champion Billy Green on a close opening lap that saw Green hold the lead at the halfway point on five, one clear of Peace and three ahead of series leader Alex Canales from Spain.

A maximum by Peace on his second visit to section three appeared to be pivotal, but Green collected a five on the big rock steps of section four and Peace then put in a controlled performance that allowed him to ease clear to end the day on a score of fourteen that gave him a seven-mark winning advantage and saw him regain the championship lead.

With his chance of victory gone, Green almost slipped back into the clutches of Harry Hemingway, but he took second on a tie-break on a great day for British riders who recorded a one-two-three in this incredibly competitive class.

A further eight marks off the pace, yesterday’s winner Arnau Farre was a solid fourth, one mark clear of Canales in fifth.

The pace-setter in Trial3 with three wins from three starts, reigning champion Hemingway maintained his impressive 100 per cent record with victory number four on a day when he was never seriously challenged.

Leading by thirteen marks at the halfway stage, the 16-year-old’s second-lap total of nine saw him sign off on a total of 20, 16 clear of series newcomer Euan Sim and 24 ahead of third-placed Pablo Echene from France.

TrialGP Standings after Italy

Valk tops one-race WMX at Maggiora MXGP

WMX round five in Italy for the FIM Women’s Motocross World Championship at Maggiora delivered another intense and competitive race mixed with tough conditions for all the WMX riders. Despite all of these factors Schmicker Racing’s Lynn Valk rose to the occasion to win the one race round and her first overall of the season at the same time.

With the first race stopped by red flags before the half of the race was past and therefore cancelled; all hope for the riders to get on the podium fell on the second race on Sunday.

It all began with a tremendous start for Larissa Papenmeier who remained on a high after winning her home round in Germany. The German led the race in front of Lynn Valk,  Daniela Guillen and Kiara Fontanesi . The defending World Champion F&H Racing Team’s Courtney Duncan fell in the first corner and had a mountain to climb but was incredibly back up to fifth already on the opening lap with the red plate Lotte Van Drunen not far behind in seventh after a poor start.

Danee Gelissen had a good start in fifth and rode a large part of the race on her own but Duncan was closing the gap.

Papenmeier lost traction before the finish line jump on lap one and Valk leapt past into the lead. By lap 3, Fontanesi, with the crowd right behind her, stormed through the top corner before the elevator shaft to take second off Papenmeier. The Italian looked comfortable and only 3 seconds behind the leader.

Papenmeier then crashed on the big uphill after the start and gifted her third place to Guillen with the bike completely stuck to the muddy track, struggling to get back to it. The German finally picked up her bike up in fifth just in front of Van Drunen. Meanwhile, Duncan crashed out again of seventh and got back up in 16th which was a hard one for the defending championship. The Kiwi would finish 11th.

Meanwhile, with roll-off film trailing behind her, Fontanesi closed in on Valk, desperate for a win in front of her home fans. However, it was Kiara who fell around the back of the circuit. Losing ground but keeping second. That reduced the gap to eight seconds with third placed Guillen.

In the end, the race was stopped by red flag after 22 minutes 20 seconds. This meant that Valk clinched her first overall win of the season thank to her solid race. Fontanesi took a well-deserved second place in front of the home fans.

Guillen showed once again why she is right in the mix for the Championship with another podium. She also closes the gap with Van Drunen in the series to just three points following the Dutch rider’s sixth place-finish.

Gelissen stayed strong the full race after a great start to finish fourth place and in front of the red plate Van Drunen.

Lynn Valk

“It was definitely a good weekend for me. Today I took a good start. It was difficult to pass but Kiara (Fontanesi) was riding very well and pushed me from the back as well as Larissa (Papenmeier). There was a good clean line and the uphill was tough so I’m so happy to have won. My brother won last week*and now it’s me so I’m super happy and want to thank my team Schmicker Racing, my family as they do everything for me and my sponsors.”

WMX – Overall Classification

WMX – Championship Classification

EMX125 Wrap from MXGP of Italy

The hilly circuit of Maggiora Park welcomed the EMX125 for their seventh round of the 2024 campaign but due to the race direction decision, the EMX125 was cancelled and we saw just an intense one-race round.

Gyan Doensen completely controlled the race to claim the top step of the podium and come closer in the championship to Noel Zanocz

Brandon Rispoli led Gyan Doensen, teammate Nicolò Alvisi and Tom Brunet after the first corners. It was another tough start for red plate Noel Zanocz, emerging in 13th place.

Other riders we are used to seeing at the front and missing included Salvador Perez, Mano Faure and Francesco Bellei who were all 10th and above in the opening lap.

Rispoli created a gap on Doensen after the first lap which was a dream start for the home rider. Zanocz started his climb and got right behind Faure on lap 2 in 11th. Rispoli made a mistake dropping to 4th place as Doensen took the lead with a comfortable 8 second cushion on Alvisi. The Dutch rider was the fastest of the pack as he clocked the best time in lap 4.

Faure passed teammate Dani Heitink for 9th on lap 3 with Zanocz pressuring Heitink, but Faure crashed on lap 5 and lost precious time as he picked himself up in 12th.

Brunet did everything he could to squeeze pass Alvisi on the inside after the big climb to move up to 2nd and therefore the podium. Things were not over for Alvisi as Rispoli also found a way past his countryman to move up third.

With Doensen, 10 seconds clear in the lead with 5 min + 2 to go, all was to play for second place as Rispoli had Brunet just in front of him. Rispoli pressured the young Frenchman but backmarkers made it hard to have a clear line to pass.

On lap 8 saw Rispoli perfectly to pass Brunet but the fight wasn’t over as the French rider took back his spot a couple of corners later. Another Italian rider Simone Mancini made his way past Alvisi to move up into fourth and get into the mix for a last showdown for the podium.

By lap 10, the hopes of a podium were all gone for Brunet as he made a costly mistake that that saw Rispoli and Mancini passing him. Brunet would hold 4th until the end missing out on a podium.

This was the perfect scenario for Rispoli who took his first podium of the season in second as well as the consistent Mancini getting his fourth podium in a row. The fans showed their happiness to see two Italians on the podium at home.

Red Plate Zanocz managed to get back to eighth and kept his red plate but will need to watch out over the next rounds.

Gyan Doensen

“After all that rain the track turned up perfectly with deep ruts of course but good for me. I’m happy to get this win as I worked hard for this and great to get points in the championship. Let’s keep the ball rolling again after a couple of less good rounds but so happy to get the overall and to the next one!”

EMX125 Overall – Top 10 Classification

EMX125 Championship – Top 10 Classification

2024 MXGP of Italy Round 10 – Maggiora Park Wrap

See the full report and results here:
Gajser and Herlings share Maggiora MXGP wins

Saturday at Maggiora Park proved a muddy affair, but come Sunday the sun burst through and a drying track provided an incredible day of racing. In MXGP, the leading three Championship contenders provided a nail-biting first race, won by Team HRC’s red plate holder, Tim Gajser.

Race two saw a multi-rider pile-up between turns one and two, which saw reigning World Champion Jorge Prado pull out of the race with his Red Bull GASGAS Factory Racing machine. After a late fall by Gajser, Jeffrey Herlings took the second race win for Red Bull KTM Factory Racing, but it was not enough to deprive the Slovenian of his 47th career Grand Prix win as he extended his series points lead.

For the second weekend in a row, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Sacha Coenen won the MX2 class. Two wildly different races saw crashes for several riders and reduced the points lead for Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing’s red plate holder Kay de Wolf.

MXGP Overall

Gajser took the round overall on 47-points, just two clear of Herlings, with a 1-2 result, beating out the KTM rider’s 3-1. Seewer was a distant third on 36-points, ahead of Vlaanderen (34) and Bogers (33).

Gajser leads the standings with 511 points, compared to Prado’s 470. Herlings is a more distant fourth with 440, with Vlaanderen fourth (339) and Seewer fifth (332). Romain Febvre is not far off the top five, however, with 327 points, and Coldenhoff is seventh with 302.

Tim Gajser – P1

“It is great to win another GP and put in three good races. I’m a little bit disappointed to have that small tip-over otherwise I’d have gone one-one-one and that would have really been great, but still, I can’t complain about how this weekend went. Everyone in the whole of Team HRC works so hard and they do it for days like this so a big thanks to everyone and now we have a weekend off before going to Indonesia which I think is an important couple of rounds for the series. I am looking forward to them because they will also be at a new track for me, and that is always nice.”

Jeffrey Herlings – P2

“I feel I am getting better and better each weekend and, here, even my starts were OK! Being on the inside kept me safe and at the front. Hard to overtake in the first moto. With all the rain we had and because it was a tight track it was just so hard to pass when the speed was very close. I tried all I could but not making that move unfortunately cost me the ‘Overall’. I was on Tim’s [Gajser] rear wheel all the time in the second moto but it was like being in a paintball game because I was only eating roost! He was riding perfectly and with good lines and I couldn’t get him until he made a small mistake and that was to my benefit. So, 3-1, but the most important thing is that I am closing to the gap to the others guys. If you see the races at the start of the season [then] they were pulling away from me but now I’m coming closer and closer. We’ll keep fighting from here.”

Jeremy Seewer – P3

“It’s nice to be back on the box. I should be up there more often but it just hadn’t happened this year until today; I was a little lucky that Jorge crashed out but I’ll take it. But I think I deserved the podium; this is my kind of track where I am strong and I am physically ready. I don’t know exactly what happened in that second turn until I see the images. I was third turning in and I got hit from behind; I was lucky to stay up. I didn’t push as the track was still pretty sketchy after the rain and I had a solid gap to those behind. Now the goal will be to close the gap to the front guys in the next races.”

Calvin Vlaanderen – P4

“It’s a little disappointing to be involved in that huge crash in Race Two as I knew my chance of an overall podium was thrown away. But I put my head down and charged all race. I found a good line out on the back of the track where I could make passes and just used it to move forward. I’m really happy with my bike, my riding and my fitness, and it was just unfortunate to start Race Two like that. I had a pretty good start and a few riders crashed in front of me and I just couldn’t avoid hitting Jorge Prado. Now it’s onto Indonesia for two back-to-back races and another shot at the podium.”

Andrea Bonacorsi – P9

“Today was ok I guess. In Race One I didn’t get the best of starts but managed to pass a lot of riders quite quickly, so that was good and I finished in eighth. For Race Two I was hoping to be nearer the top five but then there was a big crash at the start. It was then a tough race back to 12th for ninth overall Next up is Indonesia, so we’ll keep working and go again.”

Jorge Prado – P10

“We finished the GP of Maggiora, though not in the best way. It was a tough weekend for sure. On Saturday, it was pretty much all mud riding. During the qualifying race, I finished sixth, which was okay – I didn’t want to take any risks in those conditions. Then on Sunday, the conditions were a little better and drier, but that meant the track was pretty much a single line. For the first moto, I got out of the gate quite well, but then in the third corner, Gajser cross-rutted and came into me. He passed me there, and then we were battling pretty much for the whole moto. I caught up to him a little more at the end, and we were pretty close at the finish line. It was a good P2. During the second moto, I also had a very good start, but I went a bit wide into the second corner as I got off balance. Then the guy in front of me crashed, and though I tried to avoid him, I crashed as well. From there, it was difficult to say; there were many riders involved. I got a bit hurt, and the bike was damaged. I pulled off after a lap because I felt a little hurt, but everything seems fine. I just need to take it easy for a couple of days, and I should be okay to fight for the win in Indonesia!”

Mattia Guadagnini – P11

“Overall, I had a really good feeling about this weekend. On Saturday, the rain and conditions made things difficult, and then on Sunday, the track was a little strange because it was almost just one line. This meant that getting a good start in every race was super important. I made some good passes in the qualifying race and finished 8th, which was good for the gate position I had. Then on Sunday, for the first moto, I got stuck behind some guys in front of me and just couldn’t make the passes I wanted. I think in trying so hard, I had two small crashes and lost a lot of time. I went from 17th to 14th in the end, so I wasn’t happy with that. The second moto was much better at the start. I made some mistakes again, but I finished 7th in the end, which I’m a bit more happy about. I’m a little disappointed to have thrown away the first moto, which cost me a good result at my home GP. But there were still plenty of positives to focus on from my riding to keep building on, so I can fight for better results at the next GP.”

MXGP Round Overall – Top 10

MXGP Championship Points – Top 10

MX2 Overall

Sacha Coenen and Liam Everts ended the weekend tied on 43-poinst, with the win going to Sacha, local Valerio Lata taking the final step on the overall round podium on 36-points, also tied with Andrea Adamo. Simon Laegenfelder rounded out the top five on 35-points, just a point off the podium!

Kay de Wolf retains his MX2 standings lead with 473-points, despite only collecting 29 in seventh for the weekend, Laegenfelder narrowing the gap slightly to now sit on 425-points. Lucas Coenen is the leading brother in the standings on 421-points, Sacha in eight on 278. Liam Everts and Andrea Adamo round out the top five, on 394 and 368-points respectively.

Sacha Coenen – P1

“I felt really good this weekend. I was leading the first moto but then had a tip-off and finished 4th. Not so bad but I made the holeshot and then led the whole way in the second. I carried on my good feeling from Latvia, and now I want to keep it going.”

Liam Everts – P2

“Very positive weekend. I’m obviously happy but I’m a racer so I want to win! I gave my ‘all’ to make the pass in the second moto but it was impossible and I have no regrets. Anyway, I’m super-happy to be back to form and on the podium again. Improving my training intensity during the week from Latvia, and also Germany, helped this weekend. I just want to keep on giving the maximum for the races to come.”

Valerio Lata – P3

“It’s unbelievable; I don’t have the words right now – this is an absolute dream come true! I work every day for moments like this! This is the first time I’ve cried after a race. Finishing 5th in the first moto and 3rd in the second moto, and securing a third place overall podium here at home in Italy is beyond my wildest dreams! Thank you to my family, my team, mechanics, and sponsors; your support is incredible and means the world to me.”

Andrea Adamo – P4

“I’m a little bit disappointed because my speed and feeling was good and I gave everything but it didn’t pay off. There haven’t been many weekends where I’ve felt this competitive so I want to take this positive and we’ll try to keep working in this way. The results are not great today…and it was so hard to pass, there was very little overtaking without a crash or mistake from another rider. The conditions were the same for everybody though. We’ll regroup and aim for more in the next GPs.”

Simon Längenfelder – P5

“I was having a good weekend until my crash in the second moto, so it was a shame about that. I made some great starts and thought I was riding really well with good speed. It was very difficult to pass on this track – even getting past the lapped riders was almost impossible. I was having a great time; my bike felt fantastic, but unfortunately, the crash took away the podium. I’m a little bit angry about that. However, the important thing is that we are healthy and can fight again in Indonesia!”

Lucas Coenen – P6

“Maggiora is always a unique challenge, and this weekend was no exception. Starting from 26th in the first moto was tough, but I pushed hard to get 10th place. The second moto was a different story, battling for the lead with my brother Sacha. Finishing just 1.7 seconds behind him in second place was a great feeling; but of course I want to win! Our progress this season shows how much everyone is pushing, and I’m excited to keep building as we head to Indonesia.”

Kay de Wolf – P7

“Not an easy weekend, but still overall positive! I still have a good margin on the Red Plate, so I’m feeling good! Saturday was difficult; I had a crash on the opening lap, and the bars on my bike were bent, making it hard to fight back. I managed to get back up to 10th and earned one point. Then on Sunday, during the first moto, I had a crash at the start because I couldn’t avoid the riders in front of me. So, I had to work my way up to eighth from last, which I thought was okay. In the second moto, it felt like a train ride; everyone was just lined up behind each other, and no one could really pass. I saw Simon and Haarup crash, and that was the only real event during the moto. As the track dried, there was really only one line. So, in general, it was a positive weekend, and I’m looking forward to Indonesia!”

Ferruccio Zanchi – P10

“I feel that after my performance on Saturday, that I could have done better than 10th overall, however on a track that was so difficult to pass on, those couple of mistakes I made really cost me. In race one, I was in sixth place and then a small crash which dropped me to 16th, and then I just got a really bad start in race two and had to fight through to get 10th. Still, I really enjoyed the experience in front of my home fans and I can’t wait to do it again. I am also really looking forward to my first trip to Indonesia where I hope to keep battling near to the front.”

Rick Elzinga – P11

“In the Qualifying Race on Saturday I crashed and hurt my elbow so for today I had to manage it the best I could. I had a really good start in Race One and ran upfront but because of my elbow, I was overcompensating with my riding so I couldn’t really challenge the guys at the front. My start in Race Two was also good but I almost crashed on lap one and tweaked my wrist. I didn’t feel strong and lost a lot of places. I dropped quite a way back but then when I found my strength and flow again I was able to get back to 14th.”

MX2 Round Overall – Top 10

Pos	Rider	Nat.	Bike	R1	R2	Total
1	Coenen, Sacha	BEL	KTM	18	25	43
2	Everts, Liam	BEL	KTM	25	18	43
3	Lata, Valerio	ITA	KTM	16	20	36
4	Adamo, Andrea	ITA	KTM	20	16	36
5	Laengenfelder, Simon	GER	GAS	22	13	35
6	Coenen, Lucas	BEL	HUS	11	22	33
7	de Wolf, Kay	NED	HUS	14	15	29
8	Haarup, Mikkel	DEN	TRI	13	14	27
9	Prugnieres, Quentin Marc	FRA	KAW	12	11	23
10	Zanchi, Ferruccio	ITA	HON	10	12	22

MX2 Championship Standings – Top 10

Pos	Rider	Nat.	Bike	Total
1	de Wolf, Kay	NED	HUS	473
2	Laengenfelder, S.	GER	GAS	425
3	Coenen, Lucas	BEL	HUS	421
4	Everts, Liam	BEL	KTM	394
5	Adamo, Andrea	ITA	KTM	368
6	Haarup, Mikkel	DEN	TRI	314
7	Elzinga, Rick	NED	YAM	300
8	Coenen, Sacha	BEL	KTM	278
9	Benistant, T.	FRA	YAM	226
10	Prugnieres, Q.	FRA	KAW	197

2024 ProMX Round Four High Point Raceway Wrap

See the full report and results here:
AMA Pro MX High Point National – An illustrated recap

An evening of scattered thunderstorms gave way to picture-perfect weather conditions and an ever-changing racetrack on Saturday as the Pro Motocross Championship kicked off its East Coast swing with the annual Father’s Day weekend tradition from the legendary High Point Raceway.

The 47th running of the High Point National Presented by Sustainable Yard Management represented Round 4 of the 2024 season, where the “Country Club of Motocross” welcomed a massive crowd that saw reigning 450 Class Champion Jett Lawrence pilot his Team Honda HRC machine to a 1-1 effort for his third win of the season.

In the 250 Class, Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki’s Ty Masterpool prevailed with a breakthrough maiden victory that also signified an unprecedented 300th victory for the most successful team in the history of the sport.

450 Round

Jett Lawrence’s second 1-1 effort of the summer resulted in his third overall win in four rounds and the 14th victory of his 450 Class career and provided back-to-back wins to follow up his worst outing in the premier class in which he crashed and suffered minor injuries.

Sexton (3-2) earned the tiebreaker over Hunter Lawrence (2-3) for the runner-up spot, while the elder Lawrence, who is the championship leader, remains the only rider to finish on the overall podium at each round thus far and maintains his six-point lead over Sexton at the top of the points table. Jett Lawrence is now only two-points behind Sexton. Justin Cooper is a further 20-points behind in fourth.

Jett Lawrence – P1

“Chase had some good lines [in Moto 2]. It was a bummer to see him go down. It was his race for sure. My shoulder was a bit more fatigued today. I struggled a bit, so it’s good to get the overall and head into the break.”

Chase Sexton – P2

“Round 4 was better than Thunder Valley, my speed was a little better, but I just made way too many mistakes. These next two weeks, I’ll be trying to rest because I’ve been physically exhausted the last couple of weeks. I’ve gotta get back to 100 percent and we’ll come out swinging for the upcoming middle four races of the season.”

Hunter Lawrence – P3

“It’s pretty gnarly out there. In the second moto I just didn’t have the explosive fire like I had in Moto 1. I think that was pretty clear. It was good to minimize the damage [in points] and not do anything silly.”

Aaron Plessinger – P4

“Overall, today was the most comfortable I’ve felt on the bike in a long time or, really, ever. I was just gelling. Qualifying went pretty good in seventh, and then in the first moto I really botched the start and had to come from around 20th to fifth. The result didn’t reflect how awesome I was riding, because I felt so good, could really push, and get going! Second one, I got a better start and made my way into fifth early, so it was 5-5 for today. I ended up fourth overall, which isn’t too bad. I’ll take a relaxing weekend off and come back swinging at Southwick – I’m ready for it!”

Jason Anderson – P6

“Solid ride today for me and the team. We had a great qualifying session but unfortunately my start wasn’t there in Moto 1. I had to put in work to get myself back up into the Top 10. Moto 2 was way better, and we made some changes on my KX450SR that I was happy with. It felt good to lead some laps and battle up front, but I know I have more . We have been training in South Carolina to prepare for the back east races and I feel like it’s paying off also. Thanks to my team for supporting me and let’s get ready for The Wick.”

Justin Barcia – P8

“Today started really good, P3 in the first practice, but then on the last lap I slid out on a blind jump and got my knee run over, so that was a struggle! I went out for the second session and was in pretty bad pain, so qualified P6 overall, and I knew the motos would be tough. We did everything we could – tape and that kind of thing – to get out there, but both of my knees are extremely weak right now and hurting pretty bad. We salvaged what we were able to today, which is a bit sad because the bike was really good and I thought we could have had a successful day. All-in-all, we scored points, and I’m happy we have a weekend off now so I can sort these knees out, and come out swinging for Southwick!”

Malcolm Stewart – P9

“Today was okay, the track was very, very tough after the rain on Friday night, and it got really rutty out there,” said Stewart. “All-in-all, I had a really good time. We did the best we could, and 9-9 finishes aren’t the results we want, but sometimes when you’re a little bit off this track can work you! We’re safe and we’ll enjoy this weekend off before Southwick – I think I’m going to shine at that one and am looking forward to getting out there in the sand!”

450 Round Results

450 Championship Points

250 Round

With the moto win, Masterpool (2-1) and Deegan (1-2) finished tied atop the overall classification, but Masterpool earned the second-moto tiebreaker to capture the first overall win of his professional career.

Masterpool became the 175th rider in Pro Motocross history to earn a 250-class victory, which also signified the milestone 300th win for the decorated Pro Circuit race team led by Mitch Payton.

Hymas secured his second straight podium result in third (4-3).

With three wins and a runner-up finish through the first four rounds, Deegan’s lead in the championship standings sits at 32 points over Hymas. Vialle, who finished fifth (8-4), sits third, 38 points behind Deegan.

Ty Masterpool – P1

“It’s been a rough three to four years. I’m lucky to have a great team around me and just keep my head down. This is proof hard work pays off. I believed in the team around me and in God’s plan and it all worked out.”

Haiden Deegan – P2

“I’m super proud of Masterpool [for the win]. He’s been through a lot of highs and lows. It was a battle and we took it down to the wire. I made things hard on myself today, but we still showed a lot of speed and extended the points lead, so it was still a good day.”

Chance Hymas – P3

“I felt good on the bike all day. I just got to be better. I’m super glad to be on the podium again and show some consistency. Now I’ve got second all to myself [in the point standings] and I’m ready to come out swinging after the break.”

Tom Vialle – P5

“High Point was not really a good day. I finished with 8-4 moto results, and went down in both motos. I was leading the second moto and crashed, so we were a little bit better in that one, but that’s not where I want to be, and it’s kind of frustrating. I look forward to Southwick and being back in the sand in two weeks, so hopefully it will be a better race there.”

Julien Beaumer – P6

“It was a way better day for me today at High Point. Qualifying wasn’t good, but my starts were better, and I had good rides both times for my best overall of the season in P6. I’m happy with where we’re at right now, so am going to keep building on this. I’m excited to get back to work, try to fix some things that we need to improve on, and try to finish strong for the rest of the season. It will be my first time to Southwick, so I’m going to practice in some sand and be ready!”

Ryder DiFrancesco – P7

“High Point was better than the last few weeks. First moto I took fifth, and then in the second moto, I was running inside the top 10 and went down. That put me seventh overall, which is an improvement, so the goal going into Southwick is to put two solid motos together. It was a good day and I’m ready for a weekend off.”

Pierce Brown – P8

“We were eighth overall today. The first moto was not great after I fell and just couldn’t find my flow, but we went back to a base setting for Moto 2 and the comfort was there for me again. My start was better and I ended up sixth, so closer to the front, and we’re going to work on fixing our weaknesses during the break before Southwick.”

Levi Kitchen – P9

“This was definitely not my race, and it was more about managing. I used up a lot of energy that first race coming through the pack, and the track was very challenging in my spot. We’re going to take this weekend off to regroup and see if we get to find what we need to come out swinging at Southwick.”

250 Round Results

250 Championship Points

Przyjemski wins FIM SGP2 of Sweden – Malilla

Polish star Wiktor Przyjemski insists he won’t be putting any extra pressure on his shoulders after opening his FIM Speedway Under-21 World Championship bid with victory in the FIM SGP2 of Sweden – Malilla on Friday.

Przyjemski was tipped by many as one of the championship favourites and delivered a big ride when it mattered most to lead a Polish one-two-three in the final, beating second-placed Bartosz Banbor and Sebastian Szostak in third, with Swedish favourite Philip Hellstrom-Bangs taking fourth spot.

Last year’s champion Mateusz Cierniak, silver medallist Damian Ratajczak and third-placed Bartlomiej Kowalski packed the podium for Poland in the 2023 SGP2 championship.

But even with a new generation of stars in 2024, Przyjemski and his compatriots have maintained the nation’s grip on the FIM Speedway Under-21 World Championship series.

Two-time SGP2 gold medallist Przyjemski was expected to be the most likely rider to follow Cierniak into the club of SGP2 winners. While he was delighted to live up to this tag, the Lublin favourite insists he won’t be putting too much pressure on his shoulders ahead of the final two rounds in Latvian capital Riga on September 6 and at Polish venue Torun on September 27.

Wiktor Przyjemski – Winner

“I didn’t put too much pressure on myself tonight and I am taking it step by step. People may think that I am favourite, but we will see about that at the end of the series. Right now, I am very happy with the win tonight and that’s all that matters. I didn’t feel very good and comfortable on this track tonight. First of all, I struggled with the starts. I couldn’t find the best setups for tonight’s meeting. I changed everything before the last heat of the night, and still didn’t feel that comfortable. But I found a line on the inside of the track, and I made the most of it. I just had a bit of luck. I am very proud of myself and my friends. It’s a great feeling to be on the rostrum with my compatriots. I would say that Poland rules, but we will take it step by step. Last year, the podium at the end of the series was Polish. Maybe it will be the same again, but we will see. It is the first round, and we will keep it going.”

Runner-up Banbor, 17, delivered a sensational performance on his SGP2 debut as he followed his Lublin teammate Przyjemski home in the final.

He only entered the series courtesy of a wild card from the SGP2 Commission after falling just short of qualification at German track Ludwigslust last Saturday. Banbor feared his chance of racing against the sport’s top junior stars had gone for 2024.

Bartosz Banbor – P2

“I thought I had no chance of getting the wild card. It was a really nice surprise for me. I wanted to show I deserved it. I think I did that, and I hope to do it again. I am 17 and this is a really big thing for me. It’s my first time in SGP2 and my first time on the podium. It was a good debut, I think. I want to keep it up for the next rounds and have fun.”

Third-placed Szostak started his night with two last places but hit back in incredible style with four straight victories to reach the final.

Sebastian Szostak – P3

“For me, third place was a very positive outcome. Obviously, the start of the meeting wasn’t great for me. After zero, zero, I had to be very strong mentally to bounce back. I did it and I am very happy about my third. We made a lot of changes to the bike through the night before every heat. Before the crucial one when I scored my first three points, we made a big change and that paid off.”

Hellstrom-Bangs in fourth was delighted his Malilla track knowledge paid dividends. But he was gutted to miss out on the podium in front of his home fans after delivering a dramatic battling performance to score 13 points from five heats, before producing a daring ride in the semi-final to snatch second place from Danish teenager Mikkel Andersen.

2024 FIM Speedway GP of Sweden – Mallila

American young gun Brady Landon took the win at the second-ever FIM Speedway Youth World Cup (SGP4) with a 15-point maximum at Swedish venue Målilla on Saturday.

The SGP4 project made its debut last year as part of Warner Bros. Discovery Sports’ vision to train a new generation of champions, with six-time world champion Tony Rickardsson designing a 190cc bike to train the sport’s newest riders, aged between 11 and 13. Riders from nine different countries and four different continents headed to the iconic Målilla racetrack in the Swedish forests, battling it out over a hard-fought 20 heats on the Skrotfrag Arena’s training track.

Landon, 13, went unbeaten over five races to take gold. Australia’s Cooper Antone finished in second with 13 points and Denmark’s Niklas Bager took third with 10 points, repeating their podium positions from the SGP4 event in 2023.

Landon was delighted to take home the title in his first-ever SGP4 championship after making the long trip over to Sweden from California.

Brady Landon

“I’m feeling super stoked with everything. My coach Gino Manzares helped me so much – it wouldn’t have been possible without him. It was a lot of fun and I love this track and the competition. I hope to carry on with speedway as far as it takes me. Maybe I can be world champion one day.”

Runner-up Antone from Albury-Wodonga, located on the New South Wales-Victoria border, loved the experience at his second SGP4. Antone was also second in 2023.

Cooper Antone

“I’m feeling pretty stoked. I was happy to ride here again. I was hoping to win it this time around, but I wasn’t able to. Brady was just better today. He won every race he could. Niklas was riding really well as well. So, I can’t blame anything.”

Third-placed Bager said: “I fought very hard. The other guys were very good. I did what I could to win. It wasn’t good enough to be first today. But I’m feeling happy with my result. It was a good track, the event was very well organised, and the motorbikes are very well prepared. It was good fun!”

The event culminated in a close battle for the medals, with Australia’s Sonny Spurgin, Swedish stars Adrian Axelsson and Fabian Magnusson, and Ukrainian racer Arsen Mykulchyn all finishing on nine points, falling just short of the podium.

There was also a memorable moment for Czech charger Stepanka Nyklova as SGP4’s first female racer collected a heat victory on her way to a fantastic five points.

Swedish legend Tony Rickardsson

“What an absolutely fantastic show you guys put on. I couldn’t believe the excitement on the racetrack. I think my heart stopped about four times each race! I just couldn’t believe how well everything was running, the organisation all-round has been fantastic. Being here is awesome. The racing the guys put on today was just second to none. I think this was one of the best Grand Prix meetings I’ve ever seen, even compared to Speedway GP, so thanks guys, you did a fantastic job!

“I think we need to give the parents a big applause for putting in the effort too. I know it’s not a cheap thing to fly halfway across the world to let the kids compete here, but it really made our day to have these guys over here. So, thanks to everyone, all of the sponsors and the parents, who are mechanics and managers at the same time.

“We’ve proved that the SGP4 concept works in real life. It’s really important for us to grow the sport and make it more available for more families. This is a program to reach all the way down to grassroots level and reach riders and families from new countries and new areas.”

SGP4 2024 Results

1. Brady Landon (USA) 15 pts
2. Cooper Antone (Australia) 13 pts
3. Niklas Bager (Denmark) 10 pts
4. Sonny Spurgin (Australia) 9 pts
5. Adrian Axelsson (Sweden) 9 pts
6. Fabian Magnusson (Sweden) 9 pts
7. Arsen Mykulchyn (Ukraine) 9 pts
8. Tino Stjernegaard Olsen (Denmark) 8 pts
9. Andzejs Smulkevics (Latvia) 8 pts
10. Augusto Camoriano (Argentina) 7 pts
11. Kensei Matsudaira (USA) 7 pts
12. Stepanka Nyklova (Czech Republic) 5 pts
13. Texas Johansson (Sweden) 5 pts
14. Erik Barth (Germany) 3 pts
15. Harald Fohlin (Sweden) 2 pts
16. Eddie Ljung (Sweden) 2 pts

2024 FIM Speedway Youth World Cup SGP4 Report

American young gun Brady Landon took the win at the second-ever FIM Speedway Youth World Cup (SGP4) with a 15-point maximum at Swedish venue Målilla on Saturday.

The SGP4 project made its debut last year as part of Warner Bros. Discovery Sports’ vision to train a new generation of champions, with six-time world champion Tony Rickardsson designing a 190cc bike to train the sport’s newest riders, aged between 11 and 13. Riders from nine different countries and four different continents headed to the iconic Målilla racetrack in the Swedish forests, battling it out over a hard-fought 20 heats on the Skrotfrag Arena’s training track.

Landon, 13, went unbeaten over five races to take gold. Australia’s Cooper Antone finished in second with 13 points and Denmark’s Niklas Bager took third with 10 points, repeating their podium positions from the SGP4 event in 2023.

Landon was delighted to take home the title in his first-ever SGP4 championship after making the long trip over to Sweden from California.

Brady Landon

“I’m feeling super stoked with everything. My coach Gino Manzares helped me so much – it wouldn’t have been possible without him. It was a lot of fun and I love this track and the competition. I hope to carry on with speedway as far as it takes me. Maybe I can be world champion one day.”

Runner-up Antone from Albury-Wodonga, located on the New South Wales-Victoria border, loved the experience at his second SGP4. Antone was also second in 2023.

Cooper Antone

“I’m feeling pretty stoked. I was happy to ride here again. I was hoping to win it this time around, but I wasn’t able to. Brady was just better today. He won every race he could. Niklas was riding really well as well. So, I can’t blame anything.”

Third-placed Bager said: “I fought very hard. The other guys were very good. I did what I could to win. It wasn’t good enough to be first today. But I’m feeling happy with my result. It was a good track, the event was very well organised, and the motorbikes are very well prepared. It was good fun!”

The event culminated in a close battle for the medals, with Australia’s Sonny Spurgin, Swedish stars Adrian Axelsson and Fabian Magnusson, and Ukrainian racer Arsen Mykulchyn all finishing on nine points, falling just short of the podium.

There was also a memorable moment for Czech charger Stepanka Nyklova as SGP4’s first female racer collected a heat victory on her way to a fantastic five points.

Swedish legend Tony Rickardsson

“What an absolutely fantastic show you guys put on. I couldn’t believe the excitement on the racetrack. I think my heart stopped about four times each race! I just couldn’t believe how well everything was running, the organisation all-round has been fantastic. Being here is awesome. The racing the guys put on today was just second to none. I think this was one of the best Grand Prix meetings I’ve ever seen, even compared to Speedway GP, so thanks guys, you did a fantastic job!

“I think we need to give the parents a big applause for putting in the effort too. I know it’s not a cheap thing to fly halfway across the world to let the kids compete here, but it really made our day to have these guys over here. So, thanks to everyone, all of the sponsors and the parents, who are mechanics and managers at the same time.

“We’ve proved that the SGP4 concept works in real life. It’s really important for us to grow the sport and make it more available for more families. This is a program to reach all the way down to grassroots level and reach riders and families from new countries and new areas.”

SGP4 2024 Results

1. Brady Landon (USA) 15 pts
2. Cooper Antone (Australia) 13 pts
3. Niklas Bager (Denmark) 10 pts
4. Sonny Spurgin (Australia) 9 pts
5. Adrian Axelsson (Sweden) 9 pts
6. Fabian Magnusson (Sweden) 9 pts
7. Arsen Mykulchyn (Ukraine) 9 pts
8. Tino Stjernegaard Olsen (Denmark) 8 pts
9. Andzejs Smulkevics (Latvia) 8 pts
10. Augusto Camoriano (Argentina) 7 pts
11. Kensei Matsudaira (USA) 7 pts
12. Stepanka Nyklova (Czech Republic) 5 pts
13. Texas Johansson (Sweden) 5 pts
14. Erik Barth (Germany) 3 pts
15. Harald Fohlin (Sweden) 2 pts
16. Eddie Ljung (Sweden) 2 pts

2024 Progressive American Flat Track Championship
Round 12 – Orange County Half-Mile

Images courtesy of AFT, by Tim Lester

It was reigning AFT Singles champion Kody Kopp’s weekend at the Orange County Half-Mile, making history and regulating Saathoff and Drane to the lower steps of the podium.

Already with a strong claim as most decorated rider the category has ever seen, Kopp furthered his argument by equalling Shayna Texter-Bauman for most career AFT Singles wins by scoring his 19th triumph in just his 58th attempt.

While Kopp has authored his fair share of runaway wins, #19 ranked among the most lopsided. The star shook free of an early four-rider melee and promptly checked out. Despite cruising to the checkered flag, the Washington native still hit the stripe with more than three-and-a-half seconds in his favor.

Kody Kopp

“I feel like I’m really focused on this sport in general. I want to keep checking off goals and climbing up the list. Huge shout out to my Rick Ware Racing team. This one is huge for sure. And with four weekends in a row racing, it’s good to start it off with a win. We want to keep working towards that end goal of a championship.”

Second-ranked Chase Saathoff and third-ranked Tom Drane finished in their championship standing order at the conclusion of a relatively processional affair despite some early fireworks.

Trent Lowe extended that championship mirror to fourth after tracking down New Yorker Justin Jones.

Even with that disappointment, Jones played a starring role throughout the day and actually looked like the rider beat after winning his heat and the Al Lamb’s Dallas Honda Challenge with style.

Jones led the opening two laps and didn’t go away easily after being dispatched by Kopp, countering momentarily and then tussling with the title fighters for the opening half of the race. While Jones wouldn’t earn a second-career win nearly a decade after taking his first, he did give the home state fans plenty to cheer about en-route to a top-five result.

Behind, Travis Petton IV came home sixth with Hunter Bauer, Jared Lowe, Tarren Santero, and Evan Renshaw completing the top ten.

Kopp continues his march towards an unprecedented third Parts Unlimited AFT Singles title. He now leads by 26 points – more than a full race haul – over second-ranked Saathoff (158-132). Drane is third at 126, followed by Lowe with 108.

AFT Singles Main Result – Orange County Half-Mile

AFT Singles Standings – Top 20

Mission SuperTwins – Orange County Half-Mile

Unfortunately, Max Whale was missing from the start line on Saturday. The Australian got his foot caught in a hole in the track during qualifying and broke his tibia. Whale is heading for surgery on Tuesday and hopes to race at De Quoin in three weeks’ time.

While slippery conditions and continually altering lines at Middletown, New York’s Orange County Fair Speedway kept the world’s elite motorcycle dirt track racers guessing all day long, AFT SuperTwins championship leader Daniels was composed and in control throughout.

After sitting atop the leaderboard in practice and qualifying, and then winning his heat and the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge, Daniels merely needed to get off the line clean and then do his thing in the Main. Once he did, the end result was a drama-free 5.293-second margin of victory.

Daniels’ second triumph of the season also saw him build upon his Grand National Championship advantage on a day that was, by contrast, frustratingly off for nine-time champion Jared Mees, who was forced to rally just to finish inside the top five.

Dallas Daniels

“To come here and do what we did all day… These are the days you dream of. It was one of those days when you’re just on, and you feel it no matter what. Man, we’ve been working behind the scenes, and it’s starting to pay off. We put on a clinic, and it feels good. The Estenson Racing Monster Energy Yamaha motorcycle is handling so good. Just a big thanks to everyone. What a day… What a day.”

While Mees battled his way forward from outside the top ten, Briar Bauman got away in second and was the only rider who managed to catch even a fleeting glimpse of Daniels’ immediate escape.

While unsuccessful in his bid to keep pace, the effort to do so catapulted Bauman into the clear himself where he ultimately took second with more than four seconds to spare.

Meanwhile, third place had major ‘Cinderella story’ potential with Billy Ross desperate to fend off Brandon Robinson in search of a first career premier-class podium in what was his ‘24 debut after suffering an injury shortly before the season opener.

However, that Cinderella story was swapped out for another when the fight for fourth, featuring Mees and Dalton Gauthier, converged with the scrap over third as the contest neared its conclusion.

Gauthier, in just his first race on the Royal Enfield in substitute duty, pulled off a final-corner overtake to steal away third and grab what was instead his first career premier-class podium by an impossibly slim 0.002 seconds. Ross held on for fourth, while Mees pushed Robinson down to sixth by a similarly tight 0.045 seconds at the checkered flag.

Positions seventh through ten went to Brandon Price, Jarod Vanderkooi, Trevor Brunner, and Davis Fisher in that order.

SuperTwins Main Result – Orange County Half-Mile

SuperTwins Standings – Top 20

Progressive American Flat Track will be right back in action next weekend with the Bridgeport Half-Mile at Bridgeport Speedway in Swedesboro, New Jersey, on Saturday, June 22.

2024 Racing schedule

2024 FIM EnduroGP Calendar

2024 MXGP Calendar (Provisional)

2024 FIM Hard Enduro World Championships Provisional Calendar

2024 Monster Energy Supercross & Pro Motocross calendars

2024 FIM Speedway Grand Prix World Championship calendar