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Moto News Weekly Wrap
January 30, 2024

What’s New:

• Wade Young wins 24MX Alestrom Hard Enduro
• New Zealand’s Cole Davies tops 250SX Futures Main Event in Anaheim
• Another runner-up position for Mason Semmens at WORCS
• Jorge Prado says goodbye to America and the AMA SX, as he heads for MXGP
• Team Australia wins inaugural FIM Oceania Women’s Motocross Cup
• Jaimon Lidsey wins 2024 FIM Oceania Speedway Solo Championship
• Justin Sedgmen wins 2024 Phil Crump Solo Classic
• Jordi Tixier tops Indian Supercross opener, Moss second
• YZ bLU cRU FIM Europe Cup set for big year in 2024
• 2024 FIM Speedway of Nations to decide SON2 champion
• 2024 FIM Sand Races World Cup confirmed
• Harri Kullas does the Aberdeen double at Rounds 5 & 6
• Speedway GP qualification places for 2025 increased to four
• Niedermaier tops 2024 FIM Ice Speedway qualifier
• AMA Supercross Round Four – Anaheim Triple Crown Rider Quotes
• 2024 Racing Calendars

Wade Young wins 24MX Ales Trem Hard Enduro

The 2024 Ales Trem Hard Enduro has been run and won, with Wade Young making a surprise appearance on GASGAS machinery, after years riding Sherco. The South African came out swinging for a narrow win over previous team-mate Mario Roman.

The ninth running of the Ales Trem Hard Enduro saw Young take victory by two-seconds, from Roman, while Alfredo Gomez rounded out the podium in a more distant third. Roman’s team-mate Teodor Kabakchiev then finished fourth.

Mario Roman – P2

“I’m very happy with the result of the weekend second and second. For sure, I would like to win because Alestrem is very important for us and it’s one of my favourite races and I am one of the best riders for this kind of races. But I came with an injury, my clutch finger which is one of the most important fingers or parts of the body. A week ago, I wasn’t sure if I could be able to race and now we almost win the the weekend. For the first two laps. I was saving energy and trying to get the base, as the boys were on fire. Because of the injury, I lose a lot of confidence, so I was trying to not crash and save energy, because I wasn’t sure how good would be my finger at the end of the day. And at the third lap, I ride full gaz and i catched Téo and Wade pretty fast in the first and second uphill. And from that I’ve been fighting with them especially with Wade. I get a good lead of five minutes gap and then at seven or ten minutes from the end, Wade chased me and we fight each other full gas until the Finnish flag, so it’s not a victory. But I feel like a victory because I, I did my 100 or even 200 today, and ‘everything was very good. Thanks to the team for the big effort, it was amazing on the mechanics, all the people around and it will be awesome to have all this team in other races as well.”

Alfredo Gomez – P3

“At the Ales Trem Hard Enduro from less to more, with a few falls in between… today my Rieju has behaved well.”

Teodor Kabachiev – P4

“This was the first race for the Sherco team and me since we joined forces. We managed to get a win in the prologue and a 4-th place in the 8 hour main race. Solid start. I am sure that we will only build from here!”

24MX Alestrom Hard Enduro Finishers

New Zealand’s Cole Davies tops 250SX Futures Main Event in Anaheim

Anaheim 2 saw the opening stop of the 250SX Futures development category, where new GASGAS amateur recruit Cole Davies won the Main Event to commence his 2024 AMA Supercross campaign in fine fashion on the top step of the podium.

Davies hails from Waitoki, New Zealand and battles Gavin Towers for the win, with the leading duo well clear of the rest of the field, third placed Parker Ross over eight-seconds off the winning pace.

250SX Futures Main Event Results

Another runner-up position for Mason Semmens at WORCS

Mason Semmens has grabbed another podium in the Pro 250 class at WORCS Round 2 held at Glen Helen Raceway, completing the podium behind Colton Aeck, with Kai Aiello third.

In the Pro 450 class Tyler Lynn took the win, followed by Dare Demartile and Trevor Stewart.

Mason Semmens – Pro 250 P2

“P2 for the day, was a battle for two hours, just came up that little bit short! Healthy and ready for the next one. Thanks everyone”

Jorge Prado says goodbye to America and the AMA SX, as he heads for MXGP

Jorge Prado has said goodbye to America where he’s been competing in the AMA SX series with the Troy Lee Designs/Red Bull/GASGAS Factory Racing Team, as he heads back over to Europe to defend his MXGP title.

Jorge Prado

“Saying goodbye to America, seeing a great progression on competition days. I finish the experience happy and knowing that this learning will possibly help me face the world of MXGP. I feel lucky to live here. Thanks to all the Spaniards who flew expressly to see me. To the affection of Latin Americans and America in general for the treatment received. It’s time to go back and keep training to fight for revalidate the title. Can’t wait to compete with N1.”

Team Australia wins inaugural FIM Oceania Women’s Motocross Cup

Team Australia led by six-time Australian champion Charli Cannon have taken victory at the inaugural FIM Oceania Women’s Motocross Cup, with the Aussie team also comprising of Emma Milesevic (Honda), Madison Brown (Honda), Taylor Thompson, (Yamaha), Tayla McCutcheon (Kawasaki) and Madi Healey (GasGas).

Team New Zealand were represented by Karaitiana Horne, Taylar Rampton, Breanna Rodgers, Hannah Powell, Letitia Alabaster and Melissa Patterson, with four-time FIM women’s motocross world champion Courtney Duncan providing counsil.

Held over three motos of 12 minutes plus one lap and incorporated into the Woodville senior women’s races, the team with the lowest score was declared winner.

Australia largely dominated the three races, Charli Cannon winning race one, with Taylor Thompson runner-up and New Zealand’s Karaitiana Horne rounding out the podium.

McCutheon, Milesevic, Healey and Brown were then fourth through seventh, and New Zealand’s Rampton, Rodgers and Powell rounded out the top-10.

Cannon again took the win in race two, with Australia locking out the top-five, McCutcheon second, Heley third, and Milesevic and Brown fourth and fifth.

Cannon wasn’t able to make it three from three in the third race however, McCutcheon finishing the weekend on a high note with the final win for Australia, Cannon runner-up and Thompson third. Australia again dominated the top five, Healey fourth and Brown fifth.

Charli Cannon

“I was nervous about racing – but I wanted to race for Australia, and if I could race, I was going to give it my all,” Cannon said. “Winning overall and playing my role in helping Team Australia secure victory in the FIM Oceania Women’s Motocross Cup is an experience I’ll never forget. Every member of the team did an amazing job.”

The full live stream can be watched at: https://aunzus.com/womens-motocross/ but a free account is required.

FIM Oceania Women’s Motocross Cup individual standings

1. Charli Cannon (Aust)
2. Taylah McCutcheon (Aust)
3. Taylor Thompson (Aust)
4. Madison Healey (Aust)
5. Maddison Brown (Aust)
6. Karaitiana Horne (NZ)
7. Emma Milesevic (Aust)
8. Taylar Rampton (NZ)
9. Letitia Alabaster (NZ)
10. Breanna Rodgers (NZ)
11. Mel Patterson (NZ)
12. Hannah Powell (NZ)

Jaimon Lidsey wins 2024 FIM Oceania Speedway Solo Championship

Jaimon Lidsey is the 2024 FIM Oceania speedway champion after producing a blemish-free scorecard in the Gillman-hosted event on Saturday, January 27. The 2020 world under 21 champion came out all guns blazing in his opening heat, and then waltzed through the evening en route to victory in the final ahead of Tai Woffinden, Brady Kurtz and Justin Sedgmen.

Lidsey’s victory in the FIM Oceania Championship – promoted by the Speedway Riders Association of SA – continued a stellar summer for the 23-year-old from Red Cliffs, who won the Speedway Centenary meeting in North Brisbane before finishing fourth in the Australian title to wrap up a spot in 2024 Speedway Grand Prix (SGP) qualifying.

Jaimon Lidsey

“After being injured for most of the last Aussie summer, and then with Covid before that, I really haven’t had a good go at racing domestically for a while now, so the last couple of months have been great. I have been trying to win the Oceania Championship for ages, so to get the win and go through the card unbeaten was really satisfying. I didn’t feel too fast in practice, but when I started racing everything just clicked and came together. In the final, I got the jump before Tai came under me, but I passed him back on the second corner and held onto the lead for the rest of the race.”

After a large chunk of the field had made the 400km road trip from Mildura to Gillman – Mildura’s 75th anniversary meeting was held the night before – to compete in the 2024 FIM Oceania Speedway Championship, the big guns immediately loomed large as Lidsey (15pts) completed the heats ahead of triple world champion Woffinden (13), Josh Pickering (13), Brit Sam Hagon (11), Kurtz (11) and Sedgmen (10).

Lidsey and Kurtz then progressed from the opening semi-final with Pickering and Fraser Browes eliminated, and the second semi saw Woffinden and Sedgmen make it to the decider at the expense of Hagon and Zane Keleher.

There were two major talking points ahead of the final: who would become the new FIM Oceania champion, and would Kurtz or Sedgmen lock in the final 2024 SGP qualifying spot?

Lidsey’s decisive early move on Woffinden emphatically answered the first question, while Kurtz also had Sedgmen’s measure as they flashed across the line in third and fourth.

FIM OCEANIA SPEEDWAY CHAMPIONSHIP RESULTS

• HEAT SCORES: 1 Jaimon Lidsey 15, 2 Tai Woffinden 13, 3 Josh Pickering 12, 4 Sam Hagon 11, 5 Brady Kurtz 11, 6 Justin Sedgmen 10, 7 Fraser Bowes 9, 8 Zane Keleher 7, 9 Michael West 7, 10 Jacob Hook 7, 11 Sam Martin 5, 12 Dayle Wood 4, 13 Jack Morrison 2, 14 Declan Knowles 2, 15 Matt Marson 2, 16 Jake Turner 1.
• SEMI-FINAL 1: Lidsey, Kurtz, Pickering, Bowes.
• SEMI-FINAL 2: Woffinden, Sedgmen, Hagon, Keleher.
• FINAL: 1) Lidsey, 2) Woffinden, 3) Kurtz, 4) Sedgmen.

Justin Sedgmen wins 2024 Phil Crump Solo Classic

The Mildura Motorcycle Club has announced the winners at their 75th anniversary meeting, where Justin Sedgmen topped the GT On-Site Windscreens Phil Crump Solo Classic class, ahead of Brady Kurtz and Jaimon Lidsey. Fourth through sixth were then Josh Pickering, Sam Masters and Frederick Jakobsen.

In the Dudley Bradshaw Sidecar Shootout we saw Mick Headland/Brenton Kerr claim victory, ahead of Byren Gates/Michael O’Loughlin and Max Howse/Riley Commons, while the duo of Shane Rudloff/Scott Morris were fourth.

Tixier tops Indian Supercross opener, Moss second

The 2024 Indian Supercross Racing League kicked off in Pune over the weekend, with Jordi Tixier taking the opening 450 cc International win, while in the 250 cc International class it was Reid Taylor taking top honours.

In an exciting result for Australia’s Matt Moss he finished runner up in the 450 cc class, tying on points with Cedric Soubeyras, both riding for Bigrock Motorsports. Thomas Ramette and Paul Haberland then completed the top-five.

Behind Reid Taylor on the 250s, was Hugo Manzato, followed by Julien Lebau, Enzo Polias and Mickael Lamarque.

“Team work makes the dream work,” shared Moss, also congratulating teammate Taylor for his 250 cc win. “To say I’m pumped for this kid to get his first international win and first win is an understatement the smile says it all well done legend.”

Harwood & Scott top 2024 Woodville GP

The 61st annual New Zealand Motocross Grand Prix at Woodville is an important prelude to race meeting before the Yamaha New Zealand Motocross Championships begins this weekend, and Australian import Jed Beaton’s first time riding for the Altherm JCR Yamaha team proved a good one, settling for second in the MX1 class.

Beaton was second overall, behind Hamish Harwood, while Jack Treloar rounded out the top three in the premiere class.

Jed Beaton

“It’s been a long time between races for me and it was good to get back behind a start gate and get the intensity that only racing brings. I felt pretty good on the bike, but also think there is room for improvement and the New Zealand champs will be the perfect place to get myself and my bike 100% before the start of the ProMX championship in March.”

In MX2 Altherm JCR Yamaha took the win, James Scott a point clear of Madoc Dixon, with Cody Cooper rounding out the top three.

Altherm JCR Yamaha supported rider Nelson’s Wills Harvey claimed the MX125cc class title in what was his first senior class win. It also earned the 17-year-old the Roddy Shirriffs Memorial Trophy, as the youngest senior class winner aged under 19.

Other notable results for the team in the junior categories, which raced on Saturday, were achieved by young Yamaha supported riders Jack Ellingham who won the 125cc class and the Townley brothers Levi (1st 13/16 85cc; 2nd 12/14 125cc) and Jaggar (1st 11/12 85cc).

YZ bLU cRU FIM Europe Cup set for big year in 2024

Yamaha’s award-winning bLU cRU program has seen a surge in popularity. The number of youngsters racing off-road as part of the bLU cRU has increased by 53% over the past two years, with more than 600 YZ riders from 29 countries set to compete for a place at the 2024 YZ bLU cRU FIM Europe Cup SuperFinale this season. This is the largest entry since Yamaha Motor Europe launched the unique bLU cRU program in 2015.

As in previous years, the Yamaha YZ bLU cRU FIM Europe Cup will see riders aged from 8 to 16 years racing throughout Europe and competing for a place on the start gate at the Yamaha YZ bLU cRU FIM Europe Cup SuperFinale in front of a huge and typically enthusiastic crowd, the world’s media and the biggest teams in the sport.

Some ‘famous’ surnames feature on the rider list, including Augusts Reišulis, younger brother of Yamaha stars Kārlis and Jānis, and Nixon Coppins, son of MX star and JCR Yamaha Manager Josh Coppins. The 29 different nations registered represent every corner of Europe, bringing a cosmopolitan feel to the bLU cRU patch of the paddock when they come together at the YZ bLU cRU FIM Europe Cup SuperFinale.

2024 FIM Speedway of Nations to decide SON2 champion

Eight of the sport’s top under-21 teams will compete over an epic 28 heats for the FIM Speedway of Nations – SON2 title in Manchester on Friday, July 12.

The FIM Team Speedway Under-21 World Championship is staged as part of the FIM Speedway of Nations – the sport’s world team championship for 2024, which takes place at Britain’s National Speedway Stadium from July 9-13.

Great Britain was due to sit out the 2024 event after finishing seventh in Riga. But after being seeded into the competition as host nation, they will now join an eight-team field, expanded from seven in 2023, featuring Poland, Denmark, Latvia, Australia, Germany, Czech Republic and the returning Swedish team, which missed the 2023 competition after finishing seventh in 2022.

With 28 heats and the sport’s under-21 world team crown on the line, René Schäfer, FIM race director for SON2, is expecting a dramatic night of action in Manchester.

René Schäfer – SON2 FIM Race Director

“We looked at all the different options. With this being an under-21 event, the SON2 riders are the future of our sport, and we felt the right decision was to find a way to allow every team to race and give these riders the valuable experience of an FIM Speedway World Championships event. There will be no Semi-Final or Final to decide the champions. Every team will race against the other seven nations. The highest-scoring team at the end of it will be the world under-21 team champions, and we look forward to seeing who comes out on top.”

The FIM has confirmed the FIM Speedway of Nations world rankings ahead of the 2024 tournament, which sees Australia defend the title they won at the last FIM SON, staged at Danish venue Vojens in 2022.

The FIM SON rankings correspond to the countries’ finishing positions in the 2022 competition, with the SON2 rankings taken from the 2023 event in Riga.

2024 FIM Speedway of Nations rankings

2024 FIM Sand Races World Cup confirmed

The FIM has confirmed a number of major changes to the 2024 FIM Sand Races World Cup series, with each round again having its own unique format as detailed in the respective Supplementary Regulations, but all still counting towards the overall standings.

In addition to the expanded six-round calendar that was published last month, the FIM Sand Races World Cup will now be contested across nine categories. These are Motorcycle (M), Motorcycle Junior 1 (MJ1), Motorcycle Junior 2 (MJ2), Quad (Q), Quad Junior (QJ), SSV (S), Vintage 1 (V1), Vintage 2 (V2) and Vintage Quad (VQ).

The Motorcycle category will have Overall, Veteran and Women classes while MJ1 and MJ2 will include both Junior and Women classes. Quad competitors will also have Overall, Veteran and Women classes while QJ will include Junior and Women classes.

To qualify for the Vintage categories, machines must be pre-1997 and be equipped with steel frames.

Consisting of races in five separate countries across two continents, the series runs from February to December and gets under way with the world-famous Enduropale du Touquet Pas-de-Calais from 2-4 February.

2024 FIM Sand Races World Cup Calendar

Harri Kullas does the Aberdeen double at Rounds 5 & 6

FUS Marsh Geartec’s Harri Kullas scored an epic win in the Traxxas Pro Main Event at Aberdeen for round five of the 2024 British Arenacross Championship presented by Fix Auto UK.

In typical AX fashion, the intensely close Main Event podium was rounded out by Stark Future teammates Justin Bogle and Jack Brunell, representing the top three in the standings too.

Bogle held the lead for the majority of the race, with Harri gaining ground lap by lap until finally passing Bogle after a lengthy battle, treating the crowd to edge of the seat racing throughout.

Notably missing from the lineup was round four winner Conrad Mewse. Having initially planned to race Aberdeen, after MRI results, Mewse has been forced to take six weeks out of racing to recover.

The result saw Kullas close in on standings leader Brunell, with Bogle third, a point ahead of Mewse who won’t be going anywhere but down the standings with his injury preventing competition.

Harri Kullas then scored another win in the Traxxas Pro Main Event round six, the Main Event podium  rounded out byJack Brunell and Dirt Store Kawasaki’s Thomas Do.

Brunell holds on to his lead in the Championship by just one single point after round six, with Kullas not quite able to close down that gap. Four points separate Bogle (52) and Adam Chatfield (48) with Ashley Greedy also not far off on 46-points.

The penultimate round is held in Birmingham next week.

Arenacross Standings after Round Six

Speedway GP qualification places for 2025 increased to four

The stakes will be high in the 2024 FIM SGP Challenge at Czech track Pardubice in October as FOUR places in the 2025 FIM Speedway Grand Prix series will now be up for grabs.

Staged alongside Pardubice’s iconic Golden Helmet meeting, one of the sport’s most famous and prestigious open events, which takes place on Sunday, October 6, the FIM SGP Challenge is the hotly contested final round of the Speedway GP qualifiers, which sees riders from all over the world battle for their place on the sport’s biggest stage the following year.

The SGP Commission has increased the number of Speedway GP qualification places on offer at the FIM SGP Challenge from three to four, giving riders an additional opportunity to secure a life-changing spot in the SGP elite. As a result, four permanent wild cards – reduced from five – will be selected by the SGP Commission for the 2025 series.

The FIM SGP Challenge comes just six days after the 2024 SGP season reaches its climax at the FIM Speedway GP of Poland – Torun on September 28, meaning the Pardubice showdown will be the final chance for Speedway GP World Championship hopefuls to book their place for 2025.

The top six riders in the 2024 SGP series will qualify for the 2025 competition, along with the Speedway European Championship winner and the top four at the FIM SGP Challenge. The 2025 Speedway GP line-up of 15 riders will be completed by four wild cards.

The 2024 SGP series sees FIVE new riders make their full-time Speedway GP World Championship debuts. Latvia’s Andzejs Lebedevs, Germany’s Kai Huckenbeck and Poland’s Dominik Kubera received permanent wild cards, while Polish racer Szymon Wozniak and Czech star Jan Kvech made it via the 2023 FIM SGP Challenge in Gislaved, Sweden last August.

The 2024 Speedway GP series launches with the FIM Speedway GP of Croatia in Donji Kraljevec on April 27.

Niedermaier tops 2024 FIM Ice Speedway qualifier

Germany’s Max Niedermaier snatched a dramatic Run-Off win from Heikki Huusko to claim overall victory at Örnsköldsvik’s Kallehov track over the weekend, as the Swedish city hosted the Qualifying Round of the 2024 FIM Ice Speedway World Championship.

The pair were locked together on fourteen points each after the action-packed programme of twenty Heats was completed with each rider scoring four wins and one second-placed finish. When they met in the second Heat of the afternoon it was Huusko who drew first blood, but when the top step of the podium was on the line it was Niedermaier who ran out winner in sub-zero conditions around five-hundred kilometres south of the Arctic Circle.

The top eight will now face defending champion Martin Haarahiltunen from Sweden along with Austria’s Franz Zorn and Germany’s Luca Bauer who finished second and fourth in 2023. Harald Simon from Austria, who finished third last season, will be unable to compete because of health issues and Germany’s Markus Jell – who was sixth – will take his place.

Sweden’s Niclas Svensson, who was fifth in 2023, is also sidelined with a back injury and he will be replaced by his father Stefan who ended last year in seventh.

They will be joined in both Finals by two FIM-selected permanent wild card riders and one local wild card.

2024 FIM Ice Speedway World Championship Qualifier

AMA Supercross Round Four – Anaheim Triple Crown Rider Quotes

250 Main One

The opening ten-minute plus one-lap 250 bout saw Levi Kitchen get away to an early lead as Ryder DiFrancesco and Nate Thrasher gave chase.  RJ Hampshire fourth early on while series leader Jordon Smith was down in 17th. Jo Shimoda was just outside the top ten but fell on the second lap which demoted him to 20th place.

Nate Thrasher took second place from DiFrancesco four-minutes into the race. RJ Hampshire pushed DiFrancesco further back to fourth moments later.

Hampshire moved up to second place with just under four-minutes left on the shot clock, relegating Thrasher to third. The gap from Hampshire to race leader Levi Kitchen was 1.4-seconds.

After a terrible start Jordon Smith had worked his way through the field up to fifth with two laps to run.

RJ Hampshire closed on Levi Kitchen on the final lap but the Kawasaki rider didn’t open any doors and held on for the victory.

Nate Thrasher took third while Jordon Smith got the better of DiFrancesco on the final lap to clinch fourth.

Jo Shimoda had clawed his way back up to ninth by the flag.

Riders reported that the track at this stage of the night was very fast.

250 Main Two

Phil Nicoletti scored the holeshot ahead of RJ Hampshire, Anthony Bourdon and Levi Kitchen.  Jordon Smith and Nate Trasher both down early along with Mitch Oldenburg.  Smith then went down again on lap two.

Nicoletti held off Hampshire for the opening three laps but once Hampshire made a pass stick he immediately started to streak away.  Moments after Hampshire passed Nicoletti, Levi Kitchen then also went through to relegate Nicoletti to third. Kitchen chased Hampshire hard and the pair pulled away from the field.

Kitchen got his nose in front momentarily on the final lap but Hampshire responded and took the victory. That pair finished 16-seconds ahead of Jo Shimoda, the Honda man getting the better of Nicoletti late in the race.

250 Main Three

Nate Thrasher took the early lead in the final 250 contest ahead of Levi Kitchen, Robbie Wageman, Anthony Bourdon as Garrett Marchbanks gave chase. RJ Hampshire sixth early on ahead of Jo Shimoda and Jordon Smith.

With just over three-minutes left on the clock RJ Hampshire hit the deck and was demoted from sixth place down to eighth. At this juncture Thrasher still led Kitchen, while Jo Shimoda had worked his way up to third ahead of Jordon Smith.

Nate Thrasher the clear victor in the final bout.

Jo Shimoda got the better of Kitchen late in the race to take second place.

Jordon Smith five-seconds further back in fourth ahead of Garrett Marchbanks and Julien Beaumer.

RJ Hampshire was seventh at the flag after riding the latter half of the race with a flat rear tyre.

Levi Kitchen the round victor ahead of RJ Hampshire and Nate Thrasher.

Kitchen and Jordon Smith are now tied on points at the top of the table.

Levi Kitchen – P1

“The triple crown format is always a crazy night. You really have to be consistent and then in that final race know where you need to be in order to finish the overall. I knew I was in a good spot and tried to ride smart, but I made a few mistakes towards the end. It worked out, and I’m really happy to be able to give this win to the team. They have worked really hard and we’ll keep at it to come back strong in two weeks in Glendale.”

RJ Hampshire – P2

“It was a solid night at A2 and I was fast all day. We topped all three practices, and the first two Races were awesome – I had so much fun battling with Levi [Kitchen], we put on a good show, which was sick. Third Race, not a great start, and then just a bit of a mishap. Still made up a lot of points, cut the deficit in half, so I’m stoked on that.”

Jo Shimoda – P4

“I think my pace was there all day. I feel confident in my speed and fitness. I still haven’t figured out my starts yet. We know these results don’t reflect the work we’ve put in, so we’ll just keep pushing ourselves.”

Julien Beaumer – P7

“Anaheim 2, my first Triple Crown, was good. Race 1 was not the best, I forced it a little too much and crashed, but the last two were a little better. I still made it hard on myself with the starts, so I had to make my way back toward the front. We’ll get back to work these next two weeks, work on some things, and come out swinging in Glendale.”

Ryder DiFrancesco – P8

“Positives from the weekend were my starts, they were way better, and then in Race 1 I was right amongst the fight. I made some mistakes across the day, but I’m ready to take this next weekend off and come back for Glendale in a better position.”

Anaheim 2 Round Points

1. Levi Kitchen 1-2-3 = 25
2. RJ Hampshire 2-1-7 = 22
3. Nate Thrasher 3-10-1 = 20
4. Jo Shimoda 9-3-2 = 18
5. Jordon Smith 4-8-4 = 17
6. Anthony Bourdon 8-6-8 = 16
7. Julien Beaumer 12-5-6 = 15
8. Ryder DiFrancesco 5-7-12 = 14
9. Garrett Marchbanks 6-16-5 = 13
10. Phil Nicoletti 7-4-18 = 12
11. Carson Mumford 15-9-9 = 11
12. Mitch Oldenburg 13-12-10 = 10
13. Robbie Wageman 16-11-11 = 9
14. Hunter Yoder 10-14-14 = 8
15. Cole Thompson 14-13-13 = 7
16. Max Miller 18-15-15 = 6
17. Matti Jorgensen 19-17-16 = 5
18. Joshua Varize 17-19-17 = 4
19. Talon Hawkins 11-22-22 = 3
20. Slade Verola 21-18-20 = 2
21. Max Sanford 22-20-19 = 1
22. Billy Laninovich 20-21-21 = 0

250 West Championship Points

1. Levi Kitchen 84
2. Jordon Smith 84
3. RJ Hampshire 76
4. Garrett Marchbanks 70
5. Anthony Bourdon 55
6. Jo Shimoda 54
7. Mitch Oldenburg 51
8. Nate Thrasher 50
9. Julien Beaumer 48
10. Carson Mumford 47
11. Hunter Yoder 44
12. Ryder DiFrancesco 42
13. Joshua Variza 35
14. Cole Thompson 34
15. Phil Nicoletti 30
16. Robbie Wageman 28
17. Matti Jorgensen 22
18. Max Vohland 20
19. Max Sanford 16
20. Slade Verola 10
21. Talon Hawkins 10
22. Lance Kobusch 9
23. TJ Albright 8
24. Geran Stapleton 6
25. Max Miller 6
26. Deegan Hepp 5
27. Julien Benek 3
28. Lux Turner 2
29. Ty Freehill 2
30. Alex Nagy 1

450 Main One

Adam Cianciarulo was missing from the grid due to a finger injury. Dean Wilson had missed the qualifying cut-off and had to watch from the sidelines.  Justin Cooper had topped qualifying ahead of Chase Sexton and Jason Anderson.

Chase Sexton scored the holeshot while Jett Lawrence was on the deck early on after taking evasive action to avoid jumping into the back of Aaron Plessinger.  Justin Barcia also an early faller.

No problems early on for Sexton as the #1 KTM led Cooper Webb and Jason Anderson over the opening couple of laps.

Ken Roczen closed and passed Anderson for third place but the Kawasaki man came right back at him and the pair swapped positions once again.  Eventually, Roczen did get the better of Anderson and the #21 Kawasaki then started to come under attack from Aaron Plessinger.

With nine-minutes left on the shot clock Sexton led Webb by two-seconds. Roczen was a further 1.5-seconds back in third. Jason Anderson fourth, Plessinger fifth, Eli Tomac sixth, Jorge Prado seventh and Hunter Lawrence eighth. Jett Lawrence now up to 13th, but 16-seconds behind the race leader.

Jett Lawrence got the better of his brother for eighth place with just over three-minutes left on the clock. At this juncture Chase Sexton had a clear four-second lead over Cooper Webb, who was still being chased hard by Ken Roczen. Eli Tomac was trying to get the better of Jason Anderson for fourth. Aaron Plessinger was seventh and Dylan Ferrandis seventh.

Jett Lawrence then got the better of Ferrandis for seventh, but with only 90-seconds plus two-laps left the Aussie youngster needed to pull back more than seven-seconds on Plessinger before he could challenge for sixth. He got that gap down to two-seconds by the flag but had to settle for seventh. A good comeback considering he was dead last at the end of lap one.

Chase Sexton backed it off on the final lap but still took the victory over Cooper Webb by 2.3-seconds.

Ken Roczen rounded out the podium ahead of Jason Anderson and Eli Tomac.

450 Main Two

Cooper Webb the early leader in the second bout ahead of Jason Anderson, Aaron Plessinger and Justin Cooper. Jett Lawrence seventh, Hunter ninth. Sexton and Bloss came together early on which put the defending champ on the back foot with plenty of work to do. Eli Tomac also well back in the pack.

Up front, Jason Anderson was looking real aggressive and hunting for a way past Cooper Webb. The Kawasaki man made his move a couple of laps in and immediately started pulling away from Webb.

Four-minutes in Anderson led Webb by over two-seconds, with Plessinger a second further behind in third. Justin Cooper fourth and Jett Lawrence was now up to fifth, well clear ahead of sixth placed Jorge Prado. The MXGP champ now being hunted by Ken Roczen with Dylan Ferrandis, Chase Sexton, Hunter Lawrence, Eli Tomac and Malcolm Stewart all in close company.

Jett Lawrence got the better of Justin Cooper only to then almost go down ,which gave the position back to the Yamaha man. Half a lap later Jett again got past Cooper to take that fourth place, his next target was Aaron Plessinger.

Jett Lawrence was chasing Plessinger and Webb hard over the last couple of laps. Despite a couple of small mistakes Jett got Plessinger with two laps to run.

However, the 20-year-old had almost two-seconds to find if he was going to challenge Webb for second place before the chequered flag. That was too much of a gap to bridge, Webb holding onto that second place with Jett third.

Jason Anderson dominated that bout. He had almost seven-seconds on Webb as they started the last lap before backing off and cruising to the flag.

Race one winner Chase Sexton finished 11th.

450 Main Three

Heading into the final bout Cooper Webb was leading the night by a point over Jason Anderson. Ken Roczen was four-points further back while Jett Lawrence and Aaron Plessinger were six-points behind Webb.

Eli Tomac took the early lead from a fast-starting Chase Sexton and Aaron Plessinger. Jett Lawrence away better this time in fourth ahead of Cooper Webb and Vince Friese.  Ken Roczen went down at turn one. Jason Anderson hit the deck a few turns in.

Tomac stretched away from the field over the opening laps. The KTM pairing of Sexton and Plessinger second and third respectively ahead of Jett Lawrence.

Jett Lawrence managed to split that KTM duo with just over six-minutes left on the shot clock and then immediately closed onto the rear wheel of Sexton. Moments later Jett took that second place, the defending champion letting his previous team-mate by without too much protest. Jett was now up to second but with four-minutes left on the clock Tomac had a five-second lead.

Jason Anderson was making a remarkable recovery from his early fall, chasing Justin Cooper for sixth place over the final laps. Ken Roczen was up to tenth with two laps to run.

Early on the final lap Jett Lawrence crashed while 3.5-seconds behind Tomac.   Chase Sexton and Aaron Plessinger both passed the stricken Aussie before he regrouped to claim fourth. Cooper Webb fifth, Justin Cooper sixth and Jason Anderson seventh.

That fifth place was good enough to give Cooper Webb the round win ahead of Jason Anderson.

Webb the fourth different round winner across the opening four rounds. This victory coming despite the Monster Yamaha rider being under the weather this week.

With third place for the round Aaron Plessinger retains the red plate and it is a Red Bull KTM 1-2 at the top of the championship, Sexton trailing his team-mate by four-points.

Cooper Webb a further two points back in third with Jett Lawrence equidistant behind in fourth. Eli Tomac moves up to fifth in the championship standings. Only 13-points separate the top six after four rounds.

Cooper Webb – P1

“It was a great day. Qualifying wasn’t that good, but we turned it around for the night show. I got two great starts in the first two and ended up second in both of those, which was awesome and put us in a good spot for the third one. Then I just rode a consistent and solid race in the last one. I knew the points and just kind of cruised her in. Man, it feels great to get our first win of the season. It’s awesome for myself but also really awesome for the team.”

Eli Tomac – P2

“This was an important race for us to get on the podium. In the first two motos, I actually struggled a little bit on the starts and put myself back, but I knew I had good speed and never gave up. Then I just executed a much better start in the third moto and was able to ride out front with some good clean air. I had some good rhythm combinations and also jump combinations through the whoops, and I felt like that gave me a good edge and a good gap on the field in that last moto.”

Aaron Plessinger – P3

“This race was really important for me, just to stay consistent and not let things get to my head. I feel like I did a good job of that – I got great starts all night, I tightened up a little in Race 1, before in Race 2 I rode really good, and then Race 3 I was right there behind Chase [Sexton]. Tonight was tough, a lot of the success had to do with being consistent, and I think I did a good job of that.”

Jason Anderson – P4

“Today was definitely a good day for me. I am happy with my progression on the bike and we are trending in the right direction. I am happy to have dry conditions this weekend and qualifying went well. The first race was decent. I had a good battle with Kenny (Roczen) and finished in fourth. The second race was a good one for me. I got a great start on my KX™450SR and then made a quick move early in the race on Webb and started to hit my marks and pull away. The last race did not go the way I wanted. I made a mistake in the second whoop section and went down. I quickly got up and tried to work my way back up the field to salvage a podium spot. I was frustrated to find out after the race I was docked a position causing me to finish fourth overall. There is plenty of racing still to go and I am focused on what is ahead. Huge thanks to my Monster Energy Kawasaki team for keeping everything dialed all day. On to Detroit!”

Chase Sexton – P5

“Round 4, Triple Crown, I think I finished 1-11-2. First Race was good, second Race I came through the pack and then had a stupid crash, which put me back, then the third Race was okay also – I was just focused on closing it out consistently. Not my greatest night, but we’ll bounce back next week, and onto some east coast dirt, which I’m excited about.”

Jett Lawrence – P6

“Not the ideal situation we wanted to be in, but we’re making our way back to where we were. I made a silly decision in the last race, and that really cost me. We’re only eight points back, so it’s still a very close championship at the moment. I need to work on stuff for the rest of the season, but it’s always a good thing when you can learn something from the weekend.”

Justin Cooper – P8

“Overall, it was a really positive day. I started out the day with the fastest qualifier, which was awesome. I got the perfect lap at the end of the session and followed it up with three good starts. Unfortunately, I got caught up in the first turn in the first moto, which hurt my overall, but I was a top-five guy all night, so we will take the positives and move on to the east!”

Malcolm Stewart – P10

“A2 for me, there are positives to take. I was P1 in the first qualifier and then was affected by some tough starts in the Races for the Triple Crown. Went down in Race 1 with Hunter [Lawrence], came back to 11th. Then the others, just struggled with starts again, but I’m getting back into the swing of things – I haven’t raced for a long time, so this one really felt like A1 to me. We’re heading in the right direction and it’s going to come, so we’ll keep on trucking into Detroit.”

Hunter Lawrence – P11

“Really tough day in the office. We have a lot to work on in these hard-packed, slippery, California conditions. We’ll keep working on the bike and myself, and come out swinging in Detroit.”

Jorge Prado – P12

“Just finished my racing here in the U.S. and it’s been a great experience. I would say that this was my second real Supercross behind Anaheim 1, because this one and A1 seemed like the track was more realistic to Supercross with the conditions. I’m happy with my progress, the Triple Crown today was way different again… So much speed and intensity in the first laps, and I struggled with that, especially in the first one. I dropped back to P12 quickly, so I made more adjustments for the other two. But overall, I am quite satisfied, it’s been a good experience, for sure, and with more racing I could get better, so I am motivated for the future.”

Justin Barcia – P13

“It was a very challenging day for me at A2 and definitely one to leave in the past. I struggled from the get-go… I just wasn’t very comfortable. A few too many crashes, which ruined our races, although I did get good starts! In the second Race I was in a good position, then had a big crash. Race 3, I was caught up with another rider getting squirrely, which put me back, and overall just a very challenging day. We’ll need a rebound in Detroit!”

Christian Craig – P14

“My day started decently and qualifying went okay. It was nice to be on a dry track after the last couple of weeks, but yeah, I went down in the second corner in Race 1 and was way, way back. Inched up, did what I could, then in the second one I think I got 12th. Race 3, not enough intensity at the start, got passed a bunch, and then had to try to make those passes back. It has been a frustrating start to the season, but we’ll keep trying.”

450 Round – Anaheim 2

1. Cooper Webb 2-2-5 = 25
2. Eli Tomac 5-7-1 = 22
3. Aaron Plessinger 6-4-3 = 20
4. Jason Anderson 4-1-8 = 18
5. Chase Sexton 1-11-2 = 17
6. Jett Lawrence 7-3-4 = 16
7. Ken Roczen 3-6-10 = 15
8. Justin Cooper 10-5-6 = 14
9. Dylan Ferrandis 8-15-7 = 13
10. Malcolm Stewart 11-10-9 = 12
11. Hunter Lawrence 9-9-12 = 11
12. Jorge Prado 12-8-15 = 10
13. Justin Barcia 13-16-11 = 9
14. Christian Craig 17-12-13 = 8
15. Justin Hill 16-13-14 = 7
16. Vince Friese 15-14-16 = 6
17. Kyle Chisholm 14-20-19 = 5
18. Shane McElrath 19-17-18 = 4
19. Freddie Noren 20-18-20 = 3
20. Benny Bloss 18-19-21 = 2
21. Derek Drake 21-21-17 = 1

450 Championship Points

1. Aaron Plessinger 80
2. Chase Sexton 76
3. Cooper Webb 74
4. Jett Lawrence 72
5. Eli Tomac 70
6. Jason Anderson 67
7. Dylan Ferrandis 62
8. Ken Roczen 57
9. Justin Barcia 49
10. Jorge Prado 45
11. Hunter Lawrence 38
12. Justin Cooper 36
13. Shane McElrath 33
14. Adam Cianciarulo 33
15. Malcolm Stewart 26
16. Dean Wilson 24
17. Christian Craig 20
18. Derek Drake 17
19. Justin Hill 15
20. Freddie Noren 11
21. Cade Clason 10
22. Benny Bloss 9
23. Kyle Chisholm 9
24. Austin Politelli 7
25. Vince Friese 6
26. Justin Rodbell 5
27. Jason Clement 1

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