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Moto News Weekly Wrap
July 30, 2024

What’s New:

• Australia to Yamaha YZ bLU cRU Superfinale
• AFTN season opener postponed
• 2024 Australian Senior Dirt Track Championship entries open
• Garrett Marchbanks joins Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki
• Red Bull KTM Factory Racing expand MXGP program with De Carli Team
• Husqvarna Factory Racing extend Nestaan-MX partnership
• Sammy Halbert tops Flat Track World Championship Round Two
• Tosha Schareina wins Baja Spain Aragón
• EMX250 & EMX Open from the MXGP of Flanders
• 2024 MXGP of Flanders (Lommel) – Round 14 Wrap
• AORC QMP Support and Junior Wrap
• 2024 AORC Rounds 7 & 8 – QLD Moto Park
• 2024 Red Bull Romaniacs Wrap
• 2024 American Flat Track Championship Round 11 – Peoria TT
• 2024 Racing Calendars

Australia to Yamaha YZ bLU cRU Superfinale

As part of Yamaha’s global relationship, Yamaha Motor Australia and New Zealand have been invited to attend the 2024 YZ bLU cRU FIM Europe Cup Superfinale, ran in conjunction with the Motocross of Nations at Matterley Basin. Yamaha Europe runs a Yamaha only YZ Cup for the 65, 85 and 125cc classes at selected rounds of the MXGP World Championship and the Superfinale for 2024 is ran on the Saturday at the Motocross of Nations.

Yamaha Australia and New Zealand were asked to select riders to compete at the high profile and prestigious event and we will be sending a team of three over to represent the Yamaha ANZAC team. Blake Bohannon will handle the YZ65 duties, reigning world champion, Levi Townley will take on the YZ85 class while MX3 points leader, Koby Hantis is set down for the YZ125.

It’s a huge honour for Yamaha in Australia and New Zealand to be invited and part of a growing plan to unite Yamaha riders and teams across the globe. From the Intercontinental Challenge and R3 Cups in Europe and Asia, to the YZ bLU cRU Superfinale, Yamaha offer more pathways and opportunities for riders to further their careers overseas, than any other manufacturer. And we are just getting started.

The MXoN is on October 5 and 6, sandwiched between the Australian Junior Motocross Championships in Perth and the opening round of the Australian Supercross Championships in Brisbane.

AFTN season opener postponed

Unforecasted inclement weather has caused the postponement of the first two rounds of the Yamaha bLU cRU Aussie Flat Track Nationals (AFTN) at Appin’s Macarthur Motorcycle Club.

A mid-morning reprieve saw the Macarthur track crew and machinery back on track, with a promising outlook before yet another shower ultimately sealed the fate of the event.

The AFTN will now set sights firmly on Brisbane’s Mick Doohan Raceway where the North Brisbane Junior Motorcycle Club is set to host the series on August 31 and September 1. Two days of action-packed racing on the decomposed granite surface in the heart of Brisbane.

2024 Australian Senior Dirt Track Championship entries open

Entries are now open for the 2024 JR’s Motorcycle and Suspension Specialists Australian Senior Dirt Track Championship, to be held at Drays Park in Gunyarra, near Proserpine (Qld), on the weekend of October 5-6.

To be hosted by the Whitsunday Dirt Riders Club, there will be 10 championship classes for solo, sidecar and ATV competitors, with the new (or defending) champions crowned after a series of heats, repechage and final.

Support classes for juniors and veterans will round out the racing schedule at Drays Park.

Click here to enter via RiderNet.

Garrett Marchbanks joins Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki

Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki has announced the addition of Garrett Marchbanks to Team Green’s roster, effective immediately. Marchbanks is set to return to the Pro Motocross Championship starting gate at Unadilla and will continue through the SuperMotocross World Championship and beyond.

Marchbanks was a rising talent with Monster Energy Kawasaki Team Green and has shown exceptional promise and skill throughout his career including multiple podiums and a 250SX win at Daytona on his KX250.

Garrett Marchbanks

“I am stoked to be returning to the Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki team. We are hopping on the KX250 about a week and a half before Unadilla and I’m looking forward to the last three rounds of Pro Motocross and securing some points to be able to participate in the SuperMotocross World Championship Finals. I’m super thankful for Mitch and the whole team for the opportunity to start early and be prepared for the 2025 season.”

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing expand MXGP program with De Carli Team

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing will grow for the 2025 FIM Motocross World Championship and for the Grand Prix seasons to come. The multi-title winning squad will reincorporate the Rome-based De Carli team for a return to the previous regime in both MXGP and MX2 categories.

The complete rider roster and array of works KTM SX-F machinery in both GP classes has yet to be confirmed for 2025 but the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing crew will again operate from Austrian and Italian bases for the best training, preparation and competitive network.

The De Carli team was integrated into the Red Bull KTM family for the 2010 world championship campaign where they won the first of nine titles for the company (in all classes) and the maiden #1 plate with the KTM 350 SX-F. Davide and his staff have continued competing and winning, earning their seventh ‘gold medal’ with Jorge Prado in MXGP last year and are currently vying for their eighth in the premier class.

Davide De Carli – Team Manager

“This is like ‘back to the future’ for us! It’s good to ‘return’ to KTM and to bring two strong structures together again. We have never stopped pushing for wins and podiums at the very highest point of the sport, regardless of the rider, but we have also helped the younger or more inexperienced racers find their way in GPs. It is a line we are excited and motivated to follow. We want to deliver more titles for KTM.”

Husqvarna Factory Racing extend Nestaan-MX partnership

Husqvarna Factory Racing have announced an extension of its successful partnership with Nestaan-MX. The new multi-year contract will see Nestaan-MX continue as “Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing” in the FIM Motocross World Championship.

Under the leadership of dedicated team manager Rasmus Jorgensen – who is now in his fifth year with the team – Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing is currently enjoying a fantastic season with MX2 riders Kay de Wolf and Lucas Coenen, as well as Mattia Guadagnini in MXGP.

De Wolf and Coenen currently occupy the top two spots of the MX2 championship with a combined nine wins from thirteen championship rounds so far. Furthermore, a combined tally of fifteen podiums between current MX2 Red Plate holder Kay de Wolf and second-placed Lucas Coenen, means Husqvarna currently leads the manufacturers’ standings by sixty-six points.

Rasmus Jorgensen – Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing Team Manager

“It is a big honour for us to continue writing this story with the Husqvarna brand. Our relationship with the factory has only grown in the last five years, and this is another big milestone for us. 2024 is going really well so far, with excellent support from Kay and all of our partners. I want to thank Kay for his leadership, all my crew members and also all the management at the Pierer Mobility AG as well. Our team is young, but I feel we have set high standards. The plan is to keep pushing for 2025 and beyond. I’m very excited!”

Sammy Halbert tops Flat Track World Championship Round Two

American star Sammy Halbert forced his way onto the top step of the podium and raced into the series lead at round two of the 2024 FIM Flat Track World Championship over the weekend.

The hugely-experienced 36-year-old from Washington State in the extreme north-west of the USA made his championship debut last season and claimed victory at the final round of 2023 following a faltering first campaign that saw him placed seventh at the end of the year, but his victory in the Speedwaystadion Meissen puts him at the top of the points standings for the first time.

He raced to victory in the programme’s opening Heat ahead of 2022 champion Gerard Bailo (Zaeta) from Spain and he was joined on maximum points after the first block of racing by defending champion Ervin Krajčovič (KTM) from the Czech Republic and 2021 runner-up Kevin Corradetti (GASGAS) from Italy.

A second victory, this time over Corradetti, saw Halbert further flex his Flat Track muscles, but Krajčovič also won again to tie him at the top as two-time champion and round one winner Lasse Kurvinen (KTM) took his first victory of the afternoon from Britain’s Tim Neave (Yamaha) – who was runner-up when the championship kicked off a week ago in Italy – and Czech charger Ondřej Svědík (Yamaha) who won at the opening round of 2023.

With Krajčovič then dropping a point to his compatriot Svědík, Halbert’s third consecutive win – that came at the expense of Kurvinen and Neave – gave him a clear lead and victory number two for Corradetti ensured the Italian remained firmly in contention heading into the final block of Heats.

With the top ten riders gaining an automatic place in the Grand Final, the fight at the front of the field was now about getting a favourable gate pick rather than simply just qualifying for the programme’s main race and when Halbert finally tasted defeat at the hands of 2022 series runner-up Matteo Boncinelli (Beta) from Italy and Krajčovič won again it was all square between the leading pair.

Corradetti went through to the Grand Final in third ahead of Kurvinen who won his fourth Heat and they were joined by Svědík, Boncinelli, Neave, the Italian pairing of Daniele Tonelli (KTM) and Giacomo Bossetti (GASGAS) and Bailo who all earned a direct transfer.

The remining places in the Grand Final were decided in a Last Chance Heat for the ten riders finishing the Heat stages ranked from eleventh through to twentieth that saw Germany’s Markus Jell (KTM) – who was sixth at the opening round – and Japanese rider Masatoshi Ohmori (Zaeta) secure the two slots that were up for grabs.

Halbert signed off on a dominant display with victory – and a maximum twenty-five points – in the Grand Final ahead of Krajčovič with Svědík putting the disappointment of finishing tenth at Boves-Cuneo seven days ago firmly behind him in third with Corradetti, Kurvinen and Boncinelli completing the top six ahead of Bailo and Neave.

The result gives Halbert a four-point lead from Kurvinen with Krajčovič another point adrift in third, but with four rounds still remaining in the extended 2024 championship the title chase is still wide open.

After the first two rounds in the space of seven days, competitors now have a well-earned four-week break before the action resumes at the Adrian Flux Arena at King’s Lynn in Great Britain on Saturday 24 August.

Tosha Schareina wins Baja Spain Aragón

For this third round of the FIM Bajas World Cup, Tosha Schareina (Honda) delivered a polished performance to win the 5.83km Prologue and the three special stages of 181km, 163km and 162km. From the start, the Spaniard showed his claws and set a fast pace that only Junior Edgard Canet (KTM) was able to maintain.

Building on his performance, the Valencia rider repeated his winning feat in the last stage on Sunday and that left Canet more than four minutes behind with Sherco rider Lorenzo Santolino almost 10 minutes adrift.

Tosha Schareina

“The Baja Spain Aragón is a difficult event,” said Schareina, the winner of this 40th edition. “One of the most difficult to manage with lots of stones, dust and intense heat. The first day, I had a little trouble getting into the rhythm and, in the afternoon, we were on the morning car course and it was very rough. In the last special, I wanted to take advantage of opening the track and keep my lead to take the victory, even if it was difficult!”

Schareina, therefore, claimed the laurels in the 450cc category, ahead of Canet, Santolino, Neels Theric (Kove) and Martin Ventura (Husqvarna).

There was also a great return of David Casteu (Husqvarna), who is preparing to participate in the 2025 Dakar on a motorcycle to celebrate his 50th birthday. The former Sherco rider and team manager finished eighth and won the Veteran category from Pedro Bianchi Prata (Honda), who finished 13th overall, and Raffin Eid (Honda).

Mohammed Al-Balooshi, the leader of the FIM Bajas World Cup, struggled on terrain he doesn’t like and finished 14th.

In the Women’s category, Sara Garcia (Yamaha) completed the rally in 15th and won the laurels in the FIM Bajas World Cup. She finished ahead of Sherco rider Aishwarya Pissay and Tanika Shanbhag (KTM).

In Juniors, Canet finished ahead of Ventura, Filip Grot and Shanbhag.

EMX250 & EMX Open from the MXGP of Flanders

The tough sand of Lommel during the MXGP of Flanders saw the 7th round of EMX250. Riders had to keep their focus sharp at every give moment as the sand track is known to be one of the most challenging in the world.

The EMX250 Championship racing was intense, and riders couldn’t afford to make any mistakes on the demanding Belgian track, making for an entertaining weekend. With the sun coming out on Sunday, everything was aligned to deliver an amazing round of motocross.

The demanding conditions at Lommel tested the riders’ skills and determination, setting the stage for a weekend of entertaining action and great racing. And this was Bedddini GASGAS Factory Juniors’s Valerio Lata with a solid 2-2 who came out on top to win in Belgium his 3rd overall win of the season.

Valerio Lata – EMX250

“To be honest I didn’t feel like it was my best weekend. Yesterday I felt good on the track in the Qualifying with the pole position but yesterday not my best riding and today I tried to push for a while to get closer to Valk but he was faster. I finished 2-2 and win the GP so I’m happy about that and thanks to my team and mechanics and see you at the next race!”

The unique round of the European Championship EMX Open also took place during the MXGP of Flanders in the temple of motocross at Lommel, one of the most challenging tracks in the world, the racing was intense, and riders couldn’t afford to make any mistakes on the demanding Belgian track, making for an entertaining weekend. With the sun coming out on Sunday, everything was aligned to deliver an amazing round of motocross and crowned the EMX Open Champion.

The gold medal was won by the Czech rider, Jakub Teresak who proved to be the most consistent and solid rider over the weekend to take home the EMX Open Championship after impressive rides in the notoriously physical track.

Jakub Teresak – EMX Open

“I’m feeling super good. I didn’t expect to win this weekend to be honest so I’m very happy about it. I had two great starts. In the first race I suffered with arm pump but came back to it in the second race and I had a good rhythm. I’m so happy!”

EMX250

In the first race on Saturday, it was Mathis Valin from Bud Racing Kawasaki who took the holeshot, but it didn’t take long for Bedddini GASGAS Factory Juniors’s Valerio Lata to seize control after a couple of corners. Ghidinelli Racing Team’s Saad Soulimani quickly moved into 2nd place with Francisco Garcia from RFME GASGAS MXJunior Team hot on his heels, capitalising on a poorly negotiated turn by Valin. Soulimani was relentless, staying right on Lata’s back wheel.

The race took an early turn when VRT Yamaha Racing’s Gavin Towers crashed in the first corner and had to retire. Another championship contender, Cas Valk from Gabriel SS24 KTM faced an uphill battle after a tough start, completing the first lap in 17th position. Meanwhile, Valin had to regroup and managed to overtake Garcia.

On lap 2, Soulimani didn’t waste any time launching an attack on Lata and succeeded in taking the lead. Behind them, Valin’s Kawasaki was already smoking, likely due to heavy clutch use, but this didn’t deter the red plate holder. Valin found his rhythm and cleverly passed Lata for 2nd on lap 4 of 13. Garcia, showing impressive pace, put pressure on Lata and moved up to 3rd on the same lap.

Lata and Garcia engaged in a fierce battle on laps 4 and 5, exchanging positions several times. However, Garcia’s challenge felled flat when he buried his front wheel on lap 6, dropping from 4th to eventually finish 7th. KTM Kosak Team’s Bradley Mesters and JM Honda Racing’s Max Werner took advantage of Garcia’s mistake, moving up to 4th and 5th respectively. Valk, riding superbly, climbed up to 10th place.

After a few laps, Lata found his way and attacked Soulimani to reclaim 2nd place, which he held firmly till the end. However, he was too far from the leader Valin, who maintained a 6-second lead. Valin demonstrated excellent maturity and confidence, staying cool and meticulously working his way back to win the race. VRT Yamaha Racing’s Ivano Van Erp stayed consistent, finishing 6th, where he had been in the opening lap.

The performance of the race was undoubtedly from Valk, who never stopped believing in his potential for a top finish. His relentless determination paid off as he astonishingly finished 4th, giving himself a strong chance for an eventual podium. The other impressive run was Mesters who finished strongly in 3rd position.

The start in race 2 was controlled by Lata who made blistering run off the gate. He led the pack ahead of Joel Rizzi. Meanwhile Valin was behind in 3rd but pressured by Valk right from the start and lost the 3rd place as Valk dived in to pass Valin and Rizzi for 2nd.

Still in the opening lap Van Erp started well and found himself 5th in front of Werner. Van Erp showed a confident style as he launched a couple of passes on Valin and Rizzi to move up to 3rd while Valk was pulling away with the lead already in lap 2. Valin started to get back to the rhythm we saw in the first race and passed Rizzi on a long jump on the outside to go 4th.

The gaps between the front 4 were getting around 4 seconds each in lap 4. At that time Lata was winning the overall by 1 point in front of Valk and Valin.

While the front 4 never changed again, Valk was immaculate as he pulled away and never seemed to be looking back and winning the race by 14 seconds on Lata and more than 20 seconds on Van Erp 3rd. Lata had a couple of scares towards the end which reminded him that this track can be merciless if you’re not always 100% focused.

Meanwhile Mesters showed up again with an excellent 6th place to go 5th overall and his best finish of the season. Rizzi who started great faded during the race and had to finish 7th seeing Mertens and another good performer, Nicolai Skobjerg from Wozniak MX Racing Team passing him. Skovbjerg finished 5th and Mertens 6th in the end.

This was a solid round for the Van Erp who finished 4th overall with an excellent second race where he battled at the top. In the end the podium was filled by the front three riders in the championship, although in different order. However, with Valk finishing 2nd overall and Lata winning the round, they both reduced the gap with red plate Valin who ended on the 3rd step of the podium.

With now four rounds to go, the EMX250 is getting more and more exciting as the top 3 riders in the championship are getting closer but the advantage still remains with Mathis Valin at the moment with 13 points ahead of Cas Valk and 18 points on Valerio Lata.

EMX250 Overall – Top 10

1. Valerio Lata (ITA, GAS), 44 points
2. Cas Valk (NED, KTM), 43
3. Mathis Valin (FRA, KAW),
4. Ivano Van Erp (NED, YAM), 35
5. Bradley Mesters (NED, KTM), 35
6. Saad Soulimani (MAR, YAM), 28
7. Nicolai Skovbjerg (DEN, YAM), 27
8. Francisco Garcia (ESP, GAS), 27
9. Joel Rizzi (GBR, KAW), 21
10. Mairis Pumpurs (LAT, HUS), 21

EMX250 Championship – Top 10 Classification

1. Mathis Valin (FRA, KAW), 287 points
2. Cas Valk (NED, KTM), 274
3. Valerio Lata (ITA, GAS), 269
4. Ivano Van Erp (NED, YAM), 205
5. Saad Soulimani (MAR, YAM), 171
6. Francisco Garcia (ESP, GAS), 150
7. Karlis Alberts Reisulis (LAT, YAM), 149
8. Maxime Grau (FRA, KTM), 144
9. Nico Greutmann (SUI, HUS), 125
10. Maximilian Werner (GER, HON), 104

EMX Open

The first race of the EMX Open kicked off with Freek Van Der Vlist taking the holeshot, leading ahead of Belgium’s Brent Aerden and Matteo Puffet. Puffet ran wide off the track on the opening lap as Jakub Teresak launched a bold move on the inside to take 4th place. Unfortunately for Puffet, his performance declined as he made several mistakes, ultimately finishing 10th.

On lap 2 of 14, Giuseppe Tropepe from Millionaire Racing Team-ABF Italia, who had a strong start, dived inside of Aerden to claim 2nd place. Tropepe appeared to be in control, doing everything right behind fast starter Van Der Vlist on the challenging Lommel sand. Meanwhile, Micha-Boy De Waal was steadily making his way up the field, showcasing great speed and skill getting up to 5th.

On lap 4, De Waal was finding the best lines to overtake Teresak and Aerden and move up to 3rd while things got harder for Aerden as he couldn’t maintain his good start and finished 11th in the end. a lap later, this was when Tropepe took the lead of Van Der Vlist and started to pull away directly after that pass. De Waal also started to attack his Dutch compatriot Van Der Vlist to go 2nd.

The race seemed set for Tropepe’s victory until heartbreak struck just four corners from the finish line when his bike suddenly stopped. Powerless and devastated, Tropepe watched as the riders he had kept at bay for most of the race overtook him, shattering his dream of winning the EMX Open with a registered position of 25th in the end.

De Waal was the big winner of the race as he capitalised on Tropepe’s misfortune to win the first race thanks to his solid ride with Van Der Vlist 2nd and the well-place Estonian Meico Vettik in 3rd after having to make his way up from 12th on lap 1.

Behind them, Teresak was a consistent force riding around the 4th place during the whole race and placing himself for a potential podium in front of Sven Van Der Mierden. Jere Haavisto showed a good consistency but could not get better than 8th in the end.

In the second race on Sunday, under a clear sky Haavisto took the lead early on with fast starter Teresak behind him.

Tropepe who was 4th crashed on the opening lap and this was one of these weekends for the Italian. Picking his bike up in 9th.

Nico Koch made a good start too as he found himself 3rd with Puffet well placed in 4th and Vettik in 6th. De Waal on 7th on lap 3 had to work to put himself on the top step of the podium.

The second in race one, Van Der Vlist had a poor start as he found himself in 13th on lap 4 and could only got back up to 9th for 5th overall in the end. De Waal, 7th on lap 4 had to make up 2 positions to win it all but took his time to get into the groove as he followed Vettik and Puffet with some smoke concerningly coming off the bike.

De Waal made the first of his compulsory pass on the Belgium Puffet to get to 6th on lap 5, however a lap later his bike looked like it overheated and came to a complete stop with no chance to get back to it and unfortunately losing the podium.

Meanwhile Haavisto seemed very comfortable on the terrain as he led Teresak who was going to win the overall with a very good 4-2 and a great consistency. Meanwhile, Vettik was chasing forward from lap 1 and its 8th position as he constantly moved up throughout the race to finish 4th, synonymous of 3rd overall.

Right at the moment when we thought that Haavisto was immaculate, his bike stalled in the last lap and lost the lead to Teresak and the 2nd overall in the meantime. But it was Haavisto’s day as he bravely came back up behind Teresak and directly made his move to take incredibly the lead again with half a lap to go to win the race and step on the 2nd step of the podium.

The great winner of the weekend though was the Czech Jakub Teresak, known in the past for finishing 3rd in 2013 in the Monster Energy FIM Junior Championship behind none other than Conrad Mewse and Hunter Lawrence and in front of Chase Sexton and Jorge Prado.

This year Teresak is the one on the top step with great racing, good flow and amazing determination. The Czech becomes the 2024 EMX Open Champion in Lommel and comes out on top of tough competition and a physical track.

EMX Open Overall – Top 10 Classification

1. Jakub Teresak (CZE, HUS), 40 points
2. Jere Haavisto (FIN, KTM), 38
3. Meico Vettik (EST, KTM), 38
4. Gert Krestinov (EST, HON), 35
5. Freek van der Vlist (NED, KTM), 34
6. Sven Van der Mierden (NED, KAW), 31
7. Nico Koch (GER, GAS), 28
8. Matteo Puffet (BEL, KTM), 25
9. Micha-Boy De Waal (NED, GAS), 25
10. Jeremy Knuiman (NED, KTM), 23

EMX Open Championship – Top 10 Classification

1. Jakub Teresak (CZE, HUS), 40 points
2. Jere Haavisto (FIN, KTM), 38
3. Meico Vettik (EST, KTM), 38
4. Gert Krestinov (EST, HON), 35
5. Freek van der Vlist (NED, KTM), 34
6. Sven Van der Mierden (NED, KAW), 31
7. Nico Koch (GER, GAS), 28
8. Matteo Puffet (BEL, KTM), 25
9. Micha-Boy De Waal (NED, GAS), 25
10. Jeremy Knuiman (NED, KTM), 23

2024 MXGP of Flanders (Lommel) – Round 14 Wrap

See the full results here:
Herlings and De Wolf on top at Lommel

The MXGP of Flanders turned up the heat at the Stedelijk Motocrossterrain Lommel circuit and in the MXGP class it was expected to be a battle of the sand masters Jorge Prado and Jeffrey Herlings. With incredible riding, Herlings delivered a knockout punch to record a perfect 1-1 day, make a statement about his speed in the soft stuff, and close in on the World Championship lead.

A similar battle was expected in MX2, but in two highly eventful races that saw most riders fall at one point or another, it was Championship leader Kay de Wolf who claimed his sixth GP win of the season and extended his advantage in the World Championship over his teammate Lucas Coenen.

MXGP Race One

It looked like Prado was the one putting his marker down at the start of the race, with a scorching pace from a typical Fox Holeshot that nobody could match. Jeremy Seewer and Calvin Vlaanderen put themselves between Prado and Herlings initially, red plate holder Tim Gajser started sixth and looked a little off the pace, being briefly passed by the Fantic’s Brian Bogers.

Vlaanderen soon pounced on Seewer, and Herlings went through as well before the end of the first full lap, then “The Bullet” moved into second at the end of lap two. Looking up the track, he had about five seconds to make up, but Prado put the hammer down to extend the distance between him and the Dutchman.

On lap four there were ten seconds between each of the leading four riders, as Romain Febvre caught his teammate Seewer, and made a pass that forced the Swiss rider to run wide and allow Gajser through, putting the two ex-Champions into fourth and fifth, where they would stay to the flag.

As if the 15-minute mark was his signal to go, Herlings started to close the gap to Prado, but then disaster struck in front of the packed gallery of fans as he collided with a lapped rider and hit the floor. With Prado still on a good pace, and the gap up to 17 seconds after Herlings remounted, the battle looked like it would never materialise.

What followed was one of the greatest recoveries from adversity in Motocross history, as somehow “The Bullet” started to claw back the lead, putting in the fastest lap of the entire race on lap 12 of 16, taking a five-second chunk out of Prado’s advantage. Carving through lapped riders, he caught the Spaniard less than a lap later, nailed a double-dune section that few had perfected all day, and flew into the lead before anyone could believe what they were seeing.

Barely relenting his speed in the final laps, Herlings himself pulled out a ten-second lead in the last three laps to claim yet another famous victory in his already incredible career.

Behind Prado was a lonely Vlaanderen, who put in another sterling ride for third. Glenn Coldenhoff was sixth, another Dutchman on a great late charge, followed by Kevin Horgmo who backed up Saturday’s good result with seventh. Vlaanderen’s teammate Andrea Bonacorsi claimed eighth ahead of Bogers and Seewer.

MXGP Race One Results

MXGP Race Two

Unfazed by the pace of Herlings towards the end of race one, Prado went for the same tactic again in race two, the one that has served him so well in recent years, taking yet another Fox Holeshot Award, his 14th of the year, and scampering away at the head of the field. Herlings did well to come out of turn two in fourth place behind the Kawasaki men, with Febvre passing Seewer for second into turn three.

After putting a pass on Seewer before the end of the first lap, Herlings had Febvre fall from second place and leave him a clear path to the leader. This time it was a simple eight-second gap that he had to haul in, but with a couple of rare errors from Prado as he struggled to find his line in a right-hand corner, “The Bullet” once more pounced and led from the halfway point onwards.

Behind them, Gajser had moved forward in the first full lap to reach fourth place and benefit from Febvre’s tip-over. The two former Champions fought hard, but the Frenchman, after many attempts, eventually took over third on lap twelve – a move that put him back onto the podium for the first time since his injury in France, and helped out the leading two by taking points away from the red plate holder.

Meanwhile, Vlaanderen was having a nightmare with two crashes that left him in twelfth at the finish, while Seewer held off a late charge from Coldenhoff. The Dutchman had crashed in the RAM Qualifying Race and had to fight from poor starts all day, thoroughly deserving his hard-fought fifth overall, helped by Horgmo running wide in the later laps with a slight throttle issue.

JM Racing Honda’s local man Brent van Doninck took a solid eighth ahead of Bonacorsi and Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing star Mattia Guadagnini.

Out front, Herlings cruised on the last lap but still won by over ten seconds from Prado, executing his game plan of maintaining a solid pace throughout the race and still having enough left to overhaul Prado’s initial burst of speed. It brings “The Bullet” to totals of 106 Grand Prix victories and 202 GP race wins.

MXGP Race Two Results

MXGP Overall

Herlings took a perfect 50-points from Prado on 44-points, Romain Febvre (38) holding off Gajser (34) for third. Coldenhoff rounded out the top five on 30-points and was followed by Vlaanderen, Horgmo, Seewer, Bonacorsi and Koch to complete the top-10.

The result brings Herlings to within 14 points of current runner-up Prado, and 38 points behind Gajser at the top of the field as they head to the MXGP of Sweden in two weeks’ time. With six rounds to go, any one of the top three could still take the title.

Vlaanderen sits fourth on a distant 507 points and Seewer fifth on 479, but have a decent gap on seventh-placed Coldenhoff and Febvre on 419-points and 405-points respectively. Even more distantly, Horgmo, Jonass and Guillod round out the top-10.

Jeffrey Herlings – P1

“It’s been a really good weekend. First moto I was trying to overtake the same guy a couple of times and ended-up hitting him and banging my knee. That meant I had to warm-it-up and take it a big easy at the start of the second moto. Jorge [Prado] has been really strong at the start of races so I had to make a rhythm and try not to blow up. I passed him and made a little gap and then managed it. Every point counts, and I fought for every one today. It’s a fun track and I obviously I’m strong in the sand. I was beaten in Sardinia but I’ve been getting better and better and riding more like my old self. I’m looking forward to the next one and then soon my home GP.”

Jorge Prado – P2

“It has been a great weekend overall. Yesterday, I won the qualifying, and today, I secured two second places. My speed was good all day, but I knew ‘The Bullet’ [Herlings] was coming, so I focused on maintaining a fast and consistent pace. I did my best to beat him, but honestly, he was faster today. I’m very happy with my second place. We reduced the gap in the championship, which was the goal, so that’s super positive as we head to Sweden in two weeks!”

Romain Febvre – P3

“Just before I got injured we had made some changes to the settings on the bike for the hardpack, but we had no chance to test them in sand until this week and I just couldn’t find my flow yesterday, so we made the conscious decision to return to our settings from the start of the season for today and it worked well. I got punched in the first turn in race one and had to come from far back for fourth, then in the second race I got a really good start but crashed just after the finish line on the second lap. I thought it would be tough after that but I immediately found the flow again and wasn’t exhausted; even Jorge was not far away. I’m really happy to be back on the box after five weeks out; I did everything I could except riding whilst I was out injured, but when you jump back on the bike it is so physically demanding just to find the flow. And it is so much easier when you are not fighting the bike because you don’t land in all of the holes.”

Calvin Vlaanderen – P6

“This weekend was going really well until Race Two. In the first race, everything went to plan and I had a good start, kept the top two in sight and felt like I rode well for third. Then in Race Two, I tangled with someone in the first turn and then crashed at the end of lap one. I was coming through the pack well, re-passing riders I’d already passed, but then crashed again. This one bent my bars and moved my clutch lever down, and I crashed again not long after. By then I was way down the field, but I did what I could to score some points and finished up 12th. A tough weekend in the end, and now it’s on to Sweden.”

Jeremy Seewer – P8

“To finish fifth in the second moto is where I should be in the sand; I made a podium here in the past but I can’t expect to match those real sand riders. I got two super starts and we kept adjusting the bike settings all weekend; perhaps I could have stayed sixth in the first moto too but I just didn’t feel safe riding that pace at the end so I had to back it off. I’m not tired even now after the second moto even though the track was so rough. The track was strange this weekend with no rhythm; normally you can surf over the bumps but this year it was on-off all the time.”

Andrea Bonacorsi – P9

“I’d say it was quite a good weekend. This was my first MXGP at Lommel and everyone knows it’s the toughest race on the calendar, but I was looking forward to it. I didn’t have a great start in Race One but came through well to finish eighth. My start in Race Two was much better, around fifth, and I was able to pass Jeremy Seewer quickly. But then I began to get cramps and it made the race pretty difficult. With every GP, I keep learning so the experience was tough but also rewarding and now we look forward to Sweden for the next one.”

Mattia Guadagnini – P13

“What can I say – that was a tough weekend. Lommel for sure is one of the most difficult weekends of the championship – but even though I was trying my best, I was making it even more difficult for myself. On Saturday I had a crash during free practice – and I hurt my thumb. Then after that I was just trying to make the best of it. I had a good start but then crashed during the first lap. I was stuck under the bike and I burned my leg – it took a lot of time to get up and going again. But I only got up to 20th. On both of Sunday’s motos I made good starts but again came into difficulties. On the first moto I crashed on the second corner, but fought my way back to 16th from last. The second moto was better – I made a good start and tried to work on my flow and riding; in the end I finished 10th, which was better. For Sweden I’m aiming to stay out of trouble and race two solid motos!”

MXGP Round Overall

MXGP Championship Points – Top 20

MX2 Race One

Race one began, as many have this year, with a Fox Holeshot Award for Sacha Coenen, although his brother Lucas was right with him during the first lap, and Team HRC rookie Ferruccio Zanchi was showing great pace in third.

De Wolf took a couple of attempts to get past the young Italian, but with Lucas unable to get past Sacha, the tall Dutchman cruised up to his teammate’s rear wheel and skipped past in a long right-hand corner. On lap two, Lucas made the first of several mistakes on the day, and De Wolf ripped past Sacha with sheer pace through the unending depth of the sand.

Another Dutchman, Rick Elzinga, was riding well for Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MX2, but Sacha’s teammate Everts was also on the move. On a frantic lap six, De Wolf fell from the lead, handing it back to Sacha, as Everts slotted past Zanchi for third.

However, on the next lap, Everts went down around the same corner that claimed De Wolf, the red plate holder took the lead back, and then Lucas was back up to third behind Zanchi.

It all changed again on lap eight, as Lucas hit the ground for the second time, leaving Elzinga in third ahead of charging Monster Energy Triumph Racing star Camden McLellan. The South African battled through the race with his teammate Mikkel Haarup, and they both benefitted from another crash for Everts and a last lap heartbreaker for the previously rock solid Zanchi.

Elzinga had already moved up to second by that point to match his best race result of the year, and McLellan held his teammate back to claim third and fourth for the Triumph team.

Amazingly, Lucas recovered to fifth ahead of Everts and Zanchi at the finish, with the top ten being completed by Simon Laengenfelder in eighth, Karlis Reisulis taking ninth, and Sacha Coenen eventually in tenth.

MX2 Race One Results

MX2 Race Two

The diminutive Belgian took his 14th Fox Holeshot Award in race two, making it a clean 50% strike rate for the 2024 season. Yamaha men Reisulis and Elzinga chased after him to begin with, the Dutchman passing the Latvian into the third corner as De Wolf worked past Laengenfelder into fourth.

The series leader appeared to be taking his time, patiently picking off riders to take the lead from Sacha on lap five. Lucas had already fallen and had to come into Pit Lane for fresh goggles. The home favourite had to work through the pack to get into the top ten at the close.

What was looking like an easy race for De Wolf turned out to be anything but, as a crash on lap eight put him back to third briefly, and he had to pass Sacha for the lead again on lap nine. Elzinga followed him through, putting in a great ride to make it a Dutch 1-2.

On lap eleven, the chasing duo of Everts and Laengenfelder moved forward into second and third, and they were chasing Elzinga, who had become the first Yamaha rider to lead in MX2 since the injury for Thibault Benistant, as De Wolf misjudged a sand dune to send his bike off the track and himself, in a hole, on it.

Tasting victory in his grasp for the first time since Trentino in April, Laengenfelder nailed a section of the circuit near the spectator banks, and first got past Everts for second, then taking advantage of an issue for Elzinga, who seemed to be nursing a hot motor, swept into the lead on lap 13 of 16.

De Wolf wasn’t done yet, however, as he followed Everts past Elzinga, and passed the tiring Belgian with a beautiful, feet-up move around the outside of a huge berm as the two-lap board beckoned.

A first corner crash had limited Zanchi’s race to a twelfth-place finish, leaving him out of podium contention, and Lucas Coenen got up to eighth on the final lap, passing McLellan who took ninth ahead of Jens Walvoort. Haarup had to settle for seventh, Sacha Coenen sixth, and Reisulis fifth, as Elzinga managed to nurse the bike home for fourth to cement a fine second place overall.

De Wolf had one late charge on Laengenfelder’s lead, but ran off-track with a lap to go to end his charge in second. The German’s third race win of the season was enough to put him onto the third step of the podium, but De Wolf clinched his sixth GP win of the year, the seventh of his career.

MX2 Race Two Results

MX2 Overall

It was a strong win for de Wolf in Flanders, collecting 47-points, seven clear of Rick Elzinga on 40, while Simon Laegenfelder was third on 38-points. Everts and Haarup completed the top five, followed by McLellan, Coenen.L, Reisulis, Coenen.S and Zanchi.

De Wolf’s lead is slightly extended as a result, at 683-points, to the 618 of Coenen.L, while Laegenfelder is closer to the current runner-up on 606-points. Everts and Haarup hold down fourth and fifth, on 556 and 465-points respectively.

Rounding out the top 10 are Adamo (457), Elzinga (429), Coenen.S (391), Oliver (255) and Zanchi (254).

Kay de Wolf – P1

“It was a really positive weekend overall. The thing is, that each weekend we are trying to get as many points as possible, and preserve our position at the top of the championship. Sometimes that doesn’t mean winning every single moto. I have to be critical also because the second moto wasn’t good enough – I made too many mistakes, which shouldn’t have happened – so I will for sure be working on that. I’m happy to finally win Lommel – I can’t thank the team enough, I think the timing is really great too. Having everyone here, just two minutes from the workshop, and with the news on Friday that Husqvarna is staying. Now we look ahead to Sweden in two weeks, and will keep pushing!”

Rick Elzinga – P2

“The last month or so has been really difficult for me on the mental side of things, and it’s taken a lot of work to get back up on the podium. The whole time, the team has believed in me, so I have to thank them for everything and it’s a team effort for sure. I was leading for a bit in Race Two but we had a small technical issue with the bike. I’ll be taking the positives from this weekend into the remaining rounds of the season and I feel fit and confident that I can finish off the season strong.”

Simon Laengenfelder – P3

“I’m really happy with the result in the second moto. We faced some challenges with the suspension settings throughout the weekend, but I think we nailed it for the final moto. It was great to show that I can win in the sand, especially without prior experience at Lommel. I’ve always enjoyed riding in the sand, but proving I can win here is fantastic! A win is always a great feeling, so let’s build on this momentum moving forward.”

Liam Everts – P6

“I was feeling very good in the Quali race and came back to P5. Two crashes in the first moto – not ideal – but my riding was good. I started around 4th in the second moto and took the race in a different way; a lot easier. I wanted to see what would happen and I knew there would be some crashes. I tried to do my thing and stay upright. I was maybe a bit too conservative and led for half a lap before finishing P3 which wasn’t good enough for the podium. I’m very disappointed to have messed-up that first race. We’ll move on.”

Lucas Coenen – P7

“It was definitely a challenging home race weekend, but Lommel always tests your limits. Despite some setbacks, we managed to push through. Every race is a lesson, and I’m determined to take what I’ve learned here to improve and come back even stronger for the next round in Sweden. A big thankyou to the team and fans for making it another huge MX weekend in Belgium!”

Karlis Reisulis – P8

“This weekend was really positive, although in the first race I couldn’t quite find my rhythm. But then in Race Two, I had a really good start and battled around third and fourth for quite a while. However, when I was pushing to move back into third, I had a small crash. I was able to finish fifth though, so I’m really pleased about that and I’m really happy about the whole weekend.”

Sacha Coenen – P9

“We tried to work on the setting this weekend but couldn’t get the feeling we wanted. I crashed out of the lead in the first moto and that was a bummer. 10th was not good at all. I stayed quite safe in the second moto and rode clean and did my laps. With four to go I crashed in the same place as the first moto! Difficult to end the weekend like this and especially my home GP. We need to look forward and to Sweden.”

Ferruccio Zanchi – P10

“I was so close to my first race podium finish with a third in that first moto, but unfortunately Lommel caught up with me and I crashed on the last lap. It was disappointing to only finish seventh in the end, but to ride for a lot of the race in second place, I have to be happy with my riding. Unfortunately, I made a mistake in the second corner of the second race and that left me last, and although I got up to 12th, it was a lot of effort and a tough race. Like has happened before, I think my riding is better than my results show, so my aim is to fix that.”

MX2 Round Overall

MX2 Championship Standings

AORC QMP Support and Junior Wrap

It was a weekend of hard work and hard racing here at Queensland Moto Park (QMP), resulting in wins for the lucky few. Rounds 7 & 8 of the 2024 Yamaha Australian Off-Road Championship presented by MXstore (AORC) featured a timecard Enduro for our Seniors and J4 classes, whilst remaining Juniors and EWD tackled Sprints.

The top step was claimed consecutively by Rowan Pumpa (Kessner Motorcycles, Motorex) in EM, John Baker (KTM) in EL, Trent Puddy (Carbide Race Team) in 2T, Madi Simpson (Honda Ride Red, Fly Racing) in JG, Mitch Ford (Lusty Industries, Motorex) in J3, Drake Hutton (Belle Property Samford) in J1 and Lachlan Devlin (Devlin Electrical, Yamaha) in JJ.

EV

All the action was up top in EV, as Mark Cook (Dubbo City Motorcycles, KTM), Dale Schmitke (BFR, KT), Joe Watson (Buderim Air, Beta) and Joel Seaby (Honda) battled it out for the top step. For Round 7, Cook claimed first place and produced a whopping lead of over two-minutes! Seaby and Watson rode into second and third place, respectively.

After Round 8 though, Schmitke jumped up into first, leaving Cook and Seaby in second and third place, respectively.

EM

It might not shock you but it’ll probably delight you to know that Rowan Pumpa has claimed even more glory in EM, with back-to-back class wins here at QMP. Pumpa smoked his competition, riding happily ahead of the pack. The action though, was definitely in the fight for second and third!

For Round 7, Vito Porto (Simford Group Motorsport) and Jason Hubbard (TDub, Husqvarna) claimed silver and bronze respectively, managing to fend off Sean Morris (Beta) for their spots on the podium. In Round 8 though, Morris clawed his way up to second, leaving Hubbard to take third.

EL

It was a clean sweep in EL as John Baker takes home another two class wins! Behind Baker in second place for both Rounds 7 & 8, was Troy Henderson (KTM).

For third place though, Michael Byrnes (All parts & accessories, Gas Gas) claimed the bronze for Round 7 while Loui Stylianou (Gas Gas) took the final podium spot for Round 8.

2T

Trent Puddy had a very good weekend here at QMP, coming away with two first place finishes in 2T. Behind Puddy in second for both Rounds 7 & 8 was Levi Van Panhuisv 547 Sport Performance, ROC Moto).

That left third place up for grabs and claimed by Harrison Strong (KTM) for Round 7, followed by Tim Newman (Clearview Innovations, Gas Gas) in Round 8.

EWD

The Emblem family had a strong presence in the EWD field this weekend! Charlie Emblem (Beta) claimed the top step for Round 7, followed by Ellie Horton (KTM) and Emily-Rose Higgs (Yamaha) in second and third, respectively.

After Round 8 though, Horton jumped up into first, followed by Charlie Emblem and Jade Emblem (Husqvarna) in second and third, respectively.

J4

The top three in J4 had a fierce battle all weekend for the glory, tangoing back and forth for a chance at gold. Dylan McDonald clinched Round 7, leaving Bradley Rayner (KTM Newcastle) in second and Ollie Gear (Limestone Coast Motorcycles, Yamaha Australia) in third.

During Round 8 though, Gear managed to push ahead to claim first, followed by McDonald and Rayner in second and third, respectively.

JG

Over in JG, the podium was immovable. Madi Simpson comfortably claimed two undisputed first place finishes. Simpson’s speed is clearly unmatched as she managed to clock off Round 8 with a lead of over 5-minutes!

Jade Chellas (Northbound Driver Training, KTM) claimed consecutive silver, followed by Kirra Pamenter (KTM) in third place.

J3

QMP has played host to a very good weekend for Mitch Ford, who walks away with back-to-back J3 wins! Marcus Nowland (Yamaha Australia) managed to have a consistent weekend as well, claiming consecutive second place finishes, producing impressive leads of nearly one-minute to protect his silver.

In third for Round 7 was Kai Austin (Coffs KTM, Wauchope Concreting) who beat Lachlan Roche (Amac Cranes, Yamaha) by almost one-second to the final podium spot! For Round 8 though, Harry Gilbertson (Fox Australia, KTM) came out of nowhere to clinch the bronze!

J2

The top of the J2 pack remained fairly consistent this weekend! Harley Hutton claimed the Round 7 win, with Levi Rossi (Kessner Motorcycles, KTM) hot on his heels.

After Round 8 though, Rossi pushed past Hutton to claim gold with a near 30-second lead. Blake Brown (Carbide Race Team, Yamaha) claimed consecutive third place finishes this weekend in J2.

J1

It was Groundhog Day in J1 as the podium remained the same in both Rounds 7 & 8! Drake Hutton had a fantastic weekend here at QMP, claiming back-to-back J1 wins.

As Hutton screamed ahead of the pack, the action was electric between Koby Munro (Powerhouse Motorcycles, Husqvarna) and Ryder Lambing (Gas Moto, KTM)! At the close of Round 7, Munro won silver with a near 1-second lead ahead of Lambing. Munro and Lambing also claimed respective second and third place finishes for Round 8.

JJ

Lachlan Devlin leaves QMP with all the glory in JJ, as he claims consecutive class wins! He had his work cut out for him though, as Banjo Sutherland (KTM) was right on his heels all weekend. For Round 7, Sutherland was almost one-second behind Devlin in the bid for glory.

Sutherland claimed back-to-back second place finishes this weekend.

Thomas Hathway (Eagle Powersports, Get Switched On Electrical) claimed the final podium spot for Round 7, followed by Brody Brown for Round 8.

2024 AORC Rounds 7 & 8 – QLD Moto Park

For the full results see:
Daniel Milner dominates once again as AORC hit QMP

The last weekend in July saw competitors tackle the bush and tracks around QMP in the enduro format. The previous rounds had been sprints only due to the dry conditions and changed from enduro for the safety of the riders due to the lack of vision in the dust. But it was back to enduro at QMP for a test of man and machine across both days.

Kyron Bacon returned to Australian soil after a successful month in Europe contesting the World Enduro Championships and took E1 honours Sunday, but the Tasmanian was beaten to the E1 victory on Saturday by Korey McMahon. New Zealand’s Tom Buxton was the third E1 rider home on both days.

Kyron Bacon

“It was a good weekend without being great, as I was a little off the pace in some areas and looking back, I think I know what I need to work on. The dirt on the weekend was dry, hard and slippery and I tried to be too aggressive on it in my riding when I should have tried to keep momentum and carry speed. Instead, I was charging corners, being hard on the throttle and clutch and I was just lighting up the rear tyre. I needed to open the corners up, ride with some flow and not try and force it so that’s something I can learn for next time we are faced with conditions like this.”

Korey McMahon

“It was a big weekend of riding and we spent more than nine hours on the bike over the two days. Yesterday was an awesome day, and it was great to take my second round class win for the year. I was really consistent and fast all day, and it felt like everything clicked. Today got off to a rough start, but I was able to get back to within a couple of seconds of the leader. And then I had a couple of crashes late in the day, so it was a bit frustrating, but it’s good to know the speed’s there.”

Tom Buxton

“Finishing the weekend with another two thirds was pretty good. The conditions are a lot different to home, so it was just about trying to stay safe out there. I didn’t have any problems with the bike and was content to get through the weekend safely and add a couple more podium results to my first AORC season. I’d still like to be closer to the two riders up front, but we’ve got four more rounds and we’re seeing improvements. Kingston should be a lot of fun.”

The fastest man outright on both days was, yet again, Daniel Milner. Thus, of course, Milner was also E2 division winner, trailed by Jonte Reynders and Andy Wilksch on both days.

Daniel Milner

“On a whole, it was a good weekend and I was able to keep my perfect season going. The bike didn’t miss a beat and I was able to win both days. The conditions were brutal! Saturday wasn’t quite so bad, but we spent six hours on the bike and as a result I was a bit fatigued on Sunday. I went down in the first test and after that I just had to concentrate on minimising the mistakes as the tracks got rougher. The times were a lot tighter today as the boys behind me sent it, but I was able to still get it done.”

Jonte Reynders ran Milner pretty close at QMP, finishing 30-seconds behind Milner on Saturday before closing that gap to less than six-seconds on Sunday.

Billy Hargy and Jye Dickson shared the wins and second places in E3. Fraser Higlett rounded out the E3 podium on Saturday but on Sunday it was Riley McGillivray taking that third step.

Billy Hargy

“The tracks were absolutely brutal this weekend and by Sunday afternoon it felt like we were ploughing through deep talcum-powder dust ruts, into big braking bumps, into technical rock sections. I’ve got tracks at home that are similar, but not to the extent we faced at QMP. I went into the weekend really wanting to win, but I just fell short on Saturday. Getting my first E3 win on Sunday was massive, though. It’s good to prove it can be done and I knew it would happen eventually, but didn’t exactly know when.”

Danielle McDonald dominated the EW category ahead of Jessica Gardiner, the JGR Yamaha team-mates 1-2 on both days and well ahead of the rest of the field. Round Seven Senior Top 20

Jett Yarnold, Eli Tripcony and Jackson Versteegen filled the Enduro Junior podium on both days, in that order.

Round Seven Senior Top 20

Round Eight Senior Top 20

2024 Red Bull Romaniacs Wrap

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Manuel Lettenbichler has won the 2024 Red Bull Romaniacs, round four of the FIM Hard Enduro World Championship. After seizing the lead on Offroad Day 1, the KTM 300 EXC racer maintained his sizeable advantage for the remainder of the event to take the overall win by over 33 minutes. The victory marks the German’s third win of the 2024 Hard Enduro season, after missing round three due to injury.

Red Bull Romaniacs is widely regarded as the world’s toughest hard enduro rally, and the 2024 edition lived up to that billing. Competitors faced an intense city prologue followed by four grueling days of offroad racing in the mountains close to the home city of Sibiu, totaling over 23 hours of riding.

Kicking off his return to competition with Tuesday’s prologue, Lettenbichler made a strong start to the race, but a small mistake on the opening straight left the German playing catch-up. In placing third on the tight and technical SuperEnduro-style course, Mani was awarded the unenviable task of leading out the field on Wednesday’s Offroad Day 1.

First on the road into the opening full day of racing, Mani put on a faultless showcase of hard enduro racing. Navigating his way through what many described as the toughest single day in Red Bull Romaniacs history, the reigning Hard Enduro World Champion went fastest on nine of the 11 checkpoints to clock an advantage of over 28 minutes at the finish.

Offroad Day 2 marked the first half of a challenging marathon stage, where riders would part with their teams on Thursday and not reunite until Friday afternoon. Mani fought for the lead all day, swapping places with rival Teodor Kabakchiev. Despite finishing as runner-up to the Bulgarian, Lettenbichler increased his overall race lead to close to 35 minutes.

On Friday’s Offroad Day 3, Mani continued to confidently control the race from the front – maintaining a good rhythm on the varied Romanian terrain while not taking any unnecessary risks. Thanks to the German’s consistency and relentless pace, he completed the day as runner-up and would enter Offroad Day 4 holding a comfortable lead of over 40 minutes.

On Saturday’s final day of racing, just 100 kilometres stood between Mani and his fifth career Red Bull Romaniacs victory. A solid third-place finish on Offroad Day 4 was enough to ensure the German held on to his overall race lead, ultimately claiming victory by 33 minutes and 22 seconds. Confidently sailing up the iconic, final hill climb, Lettenbichler took to the top step of the Red Bull Romaniacs podium to regain his lead in the overall championship standings.

Round five of the 2024 FIM Hard Enduro World Championship heads stateside after a three-week summer break for Red Bull TKO on 22-25 August.

Manuel Lettenbichler

“That was great! I am pretty tired, the last three days I was struggling quite a lot, but the last 20 kilometers before the finish I felt better knowing I was close. You always find that last bit of energy to push to the finish. The other guys have ridden unbelievably well all week, but I’m stoked with my riding and my fifth win in a row! Even though it’s been tough for sure, it feels good to come back from injury and go straight to the top of the podium. We have a little time now to build on my fitness and then it’s back to it at TKO. I’m really looking forward to it.”

2024 Red Bull Romaniacs Results

1. Manuel Lettenbichler (GER), KTM, 23:22:21
2. Teodor Kabakchiev (BGR), Sherco, 23:55:43 +33:22
3. Mario Roman (ESP), Sherco, 23:57:58 +35:37
4. Wade Young (RSA), GASGAS, 24:30:08 +1:07:47
5. Michael Walkner (AUT), GASGAS, 24:48:47 +1:26:26

FIM Hard Enduro World Championship
Provisional standings – After 4 of 7 rounds

1. Manuel Lettenbichler (GER), KTM, 67 pts
2. Wade Young (RSA), GASGAS, 62 pts
3. Mario Roman (ESP), Sherco, 62 pts
4. Teodor Kabakchiev (BUL), Sherco, 57 pts
5. Mitch Brightmore (GBR), Husqvarna, 50 pts

2024 American Flat Track Championship Round 11 – Peoria TT

Images courtesy of AFT, by Tim Lester

AFT Singles – Peoria TT

Chase Saathoff outdueled double defending AFT Singles champion Kody Kopp to claim a second consecutive victory in his home state of Illinois.

Fresh off his triumph at the high-speed DuQuoin Mile, Saathoff did the business under very different circumstances on Sunday at the twisty Peoria TT. An aggressive Saathoff first worked his way into the lead with a bucking overtake of Tom Drane and then appeared fully capable of clearing off en-route to victory.

However, a red flag following a fall by Hunter Bauer reset the order and gave the champ another shot at victory. Kopp took full advantage of the second chance, diving up the inside of Saathoff with less than four minutes remaining and then pulling an immediate gap of his own.

The race’s complexion shifted yet again when Kopp made a minor mistake with less than a minute left on the clock. Back within striking distance, Saathoff struck at the first available opportunity, reclaiming first place with only 30 seconds to go.

That back and forth also brought Drane back into the fight. But even with Kopp and Drane lurking, Saathoff was perfect over the final two laps to close out a Saathoff-Kopp-Drane 1-2-3.

Chase Saathoff

“I don’t even know what to say. I came to Peoria the last two years and couldn’t even make it on the podium. I knew I had the speed to go run up front at this track; it was so hard to figure out my corner speed here, and we finally got it done today. I’d like to give a huge shout out to my mom and dad for everything they’ve done for me. I’ve been coming to this track since I was a 65(cc). I remember doing the exhibition race here in 2015.”

Some seven seconds in arrears, Tarren Santero came out on top of a four-rider scrap for fourth. He edged Evan Renshaw for the position with brothers Jared Lowe) and Trent Lowe close behind in sixth and seventh, respectively.

James Ott, Tyler Raggio, and Travis Petton IV completed the top ten.

While winless since Bridgeport, three consecutive runners-up have allowed Kopp to maintain a healthy advantage in the championship chase, now with 246 points to Saathoff’s 218 and Drane’s 206.

AFT Singles Main Result – Peoria TT

AFT Singles Standings – Top 20

Mission SuperTwins – Peoria TT

Briar Bauman took a dominant win in Sunday’s Peoria TT, Round 11 of the 2024 American Flat Track season, despite for the previous three years running having come second in the fabled race, each time watching as TT maestro JD Beach leave Peoria, Illinois, with top honors.

The two-time series champion was provided with an unexpected opportunity for revenge when Beach was made a late addition to the entry list, riding in place of injured Mission AFT SuperTwins championship leader Dallas Daniels.

However, it was reigning Grand National Champion Jared Mees who grabbed the early lead, securing the holeshot with a full-throttle trip up the grass banking leading to the jump on the race’s opening lap.

Bauman didn’t take long to make his move, slashing through in Turn 2 on the race’s second lap. Beach was desperate to work through himself, hoping to prevent Bauman from clearing off. And he in fact lost a few tenths in the handful of laps it took him to find his own way by Mees.

Even when Beach did have clear air in front of him, it was evident this was Bauman’s day. While the Estenson Racing super sub was undeniably impressive to finish second after jumping on a dirt track machine for the first time all season long, Bauman managed to open up more than eight second’s padding at the front while threatening to lap his way into the top five. He ultimately claimed a 4.569-second margin-of-victory over Beach, a gap that narrowed considerably on the final lap due to an extended victory wheelie to take the checkered flag.

The win was Bauman’s second at the Peoria TT, backing up his 2019 triumph.

Briar Bauman

“First and foremost, my heart goes out to Dallas Daniels right now. I’ve been through it myself and I know Jared has been through it too. I don’t have any words… I’m sorry. And beating JD today… you want it to count, but I don’t think it does. He hasn’t been on a flat track bike all year, so I could tell he was a little bit uncomfortable. But no matter what, huge thanks to Rick Ware Racing. The team deserves this. I want to get better on the ovals, but we took advantage of the TT and strengths of the KTM. And we’re going to keep working, that’s all I can say.”

Nine-time series king Mees closed to within a single point of Daniels (216-215) with his eighth podium of the season. Due to Daniels’ continued absence, the focus will soon shift to Mees versus Brandon Robinson. On that front, Robinson did well to minimize the damage, finishing one position behind fourth-placed Jarod Vanderkooi to earn his first-career Peoria top five.

As a result, Robinson has collected 201 points on the season and the gap that separates him from Mees is just 14 points with five races left to go. Meanwhile, Bauman has quietly (or not so quietly) snuck back into contention at 192 points, less than a single-race points haul behind Mees.

Trevor Brunner bolstered his Rookie of the Year campaign in sixth, followed by fellow class newcomer Max Whale.

Meanwhile, Davis Fisher came home eighth, followed by third rookie Declan Bender and Cameron Smith.

SuperTwins Main Result – Peoria TT

SuperTwins Standings – Top 20

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