Moto News | EnduroGP | MXGP | EMX | GNCC | WESS

Moto News Wrap for June 25, 2019 by Darren Smart

Proudly brought to you by Dunlop Geomax

The LATEST News

• Gajser & Prado Dominate Teutschenthal
• German EMX Won by Rubini & Guyon
• GNCC of West Virginia Falls to Kailub Russell
• Waters and Wilson Storm Gympie MX National
• Musquin & Cooper Win in Florida
• McCanney and Salvini Share EnduroGP Wins
• Jarvis Wins Hixpania Hard Enduro
• Toni Bou Continues Win Streak in the Netherlands
• Cairoli and Herlings Injured
• Connor Guillot wins R&D Husky TC65
• Australian Supercross Kicks off in Brisbane
• RC V BT at New Zealand SX Open
• Max Fricke gets Norrbil Swedish SGP Call Up

Gajser & Prado dominate Teutschenthal

Teutschenthal in Germany hosted Round 10 of the FIM World Motocross Championship and it was the two championship leaders in Tim Gajser and Jorge Prado who won all motos in the MXGP and MX2 classes respectively.

MXGP Report

The Teutschenthal circuit was incredibly rough this year with deep ruts throughout the hard packed and undulating circuit but Gajser made it all look easy on his factory Honda to take the opening moto win from four Yamaha riders in Arnaud Tonus, Jeremy Seewer, Romain Febvre and Gautier Paulin before blitzing the second moto ahead of Pauls Jonass, Tonus, Paulin and Max Anstie.

With another 1-1 performance, Gajser extended his series points lead over the absent Antonio Cairoli to 83 while second overall went to Tonus with 2-3 moto results ahead of his teammate Gautier Paulin with 5-4 scores.

Tim Gajser

“I am very happy and I had a lot of fun. I made the races easier with the starts, because I took holeshots in both heats and today I couldn’t wait for Indonesia already. What I was missing in the first half of the season was the starts but now they’re better, the start was great in the first race. I took the FOX Holeshot and made a gap but made a mistake and I crashed, but then I managed to make a gap again and I looked forward to the second race. I am enjoying racing very much now. The weekend couldn’t have gone better.”

Arnaud Tonus

“First race was crazier even if I could finish second when I passed Seewer at the last lap, then in the second race I needed to push at the end to keep the third position but then also Gautier made the podium on the last lap passing Anstie, and this is super cool for the team and for the great job they do for us.”

Gautier Paulin

“It has been a long time since my last podium, I had a crash in Portugal, not a lot of luck in France and in Latvia I needed to pick it up, but I was really tired about this crazy period, eventually now I’m back on the box and I am so thankful to be on the podium with Arnaud Tonus. We are back in the game.”

MXGP Championship Top 10

1. Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 441 points
2. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 358
3. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, YAM), 289
4. Arnaud Tonus (SUI, YAM), 288
5. Gautier Paulin (FRA, YAM), 288
6. Arminas Jasikonis (LTU, HUS), 249
7. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, HON), 225
8. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, KTM), 220
9. Pauls Jonass (LAT, HUS), 219
10. Clement Desalle (BEL, KAW), 208

MX2 Report

Like Gajser, Prado proved too strong around the hard pack circuit of Teutschenthal with a win in the opening moto ahead of Tom Vialle, Henry Jacobi, Thomas Kjer Olsen, Bas Vaessen and Jed Beaton before taking a 14 second victory over Mathys Boisrame, Vialle, Kjer Olsen and Beaton in moto two.

So Prado again went 1-1 and took his ninth Grand Prix victory of the year while second overall was Vialle and third was Boisrame on his first MX2 Podium.

Jorge Prado

“I started the weekend a bit weak and didn’t have a good feeling, but today I turned it around and I felt better in the second race. It was a tough track but it was cool to race here. The second race was another great one for me. I felt very good compared to the first race, and I am very happy about it. Another 50 points and I’m very happy with the weekend.”

Tom Vialle

“This second place is good for me and for the whole team. I felt good all weekend. Training with Joel Smets has also helped me a lot.”

Mathys Boisrame

“It was incredible and I am very happy for my first podium. I have a good feeling with my bike. The feeling in the second race was very good and I am happy with my first podium. It is MX2 and not easy.”

Heartbreak for Aussie Mitch Evans who was looking for a way around Kjer Olsen in the opening moto only to crash hard and was forced out of the rest of the weekend while Beaton ended up sixth overall on the day to now sit 11th in the points.

Jed Beaton

“I’m really happy with the way things have gone this weekend. To get sixth overall is another very important step forwards. I felt like both races were pretty similar really, just with a fall in the first moto that cost me some places. I didn’t get the best of jumps from the start in either race, but I held a tight line around the first turn and made up some places. That put me around 10th and I just pushed hard from there. Falling in the first race cost me some places but overall I was pleased with my riding. Fifth in the second race was good – it’s been a while since I’ve been racing with the guys near the front so it’s just good to be back racing there. It’s a really positive way to the end the GP. To be hitting some good form mid-way through the season is great. I’m looking forward to the overseas races now, and hope I can build on today’s results.”

MX2 Championship Classification Top 10

1. Jorge Prado (ESP, KTM), 447 points
2. Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, HUS), 403
3. Jago Geerts (BEL, YAM), 313
4. Tom Vialle (FRA, KTM), 284
5. Henry Jacobi (GER, KAW), 283
6. Ben Watson (GBR, YAM), 246
7. Mitchell Evans (AUS, HON), 226
8. Adam Sterry (GBR, KAW), 204
9. Bas Vaessen (NED, KTM), 185
10. Michele Cervellin (ITA, YAM), 179

German EMX Won by Rubini & Guyon

Teutschenthal in Germany hosted the latest round of the EMX250 and EMX125 Championships and it was Stephan Rubini who won both 250 motos while Tom Guyon went 2-1 to win the 125 class.

In the championship points, it is Rubini who took the Red Plate with 251pts, followed by Alberto Forato with 241pts and Roan Van De Moosdijk with 238pts while the lone Aussie in this series in Caleb Grothues was disqualified from the event after riding his damaged Yamaha into the pit exit during qualifying.

EMX250 Overall Top 10

1. Stephen Rubini (FRA, HON), 50 points
2. Roan Van De Moosdijk (NED, KAW), 44
3. Alberto Forato (ITA, HUS), 40
4. Jeremy Sydow (GER, HUS), 36
5. Rene Hofer (AUT, KTM), 29
6. Raivo Dankers (NED, YAM), 25
7. Nicholas Lapucci (ITA, KTM), 25
8. Josh Gilbert (GBR, HON), 25
9. Thibault Benistant (FRA, YAM), 25
10. Bastian Boegh Damm (DEN, KTM), 23 p.;

EMX250 Championship Top 10

1. Stephen Rubini (FRA, HON), 251 points
2. Alberto Forato (ITA, HUS), 241
3. Roan Van De Moosdijk (NED, KAW), 238
4. Rene Hofer (AUT, KTM), 167
5. Thibault Benistant (FRA, YAM), 137
6. Giuseppe Tropepe (ITA, YAM), 133
7. Josh Gilbert (GBR, HON), 111
8. Jeremy Sydow (GER, HUS), 103
9. Raivo Dankers (NED, YAM), 91
10. Jimmy Clochet (FRA, KAW), 88

Despite Guyon’s victory it is Mattia Guadagnini who still leads the series points after finishing with 1-13 moto results so heading to the next round Guadagnini holds a 13 point lead over Guyon.

EMX125 Overall Classification

1. Tom Guyon (FRA, KTM), 47 points
2. Simon Laengenfelder (GER, KTM), 40
3. Mike Gwerder (SUI, KTM), 40
4. Mattia Guadagnini (ITA, HUS), 33
5. Jorgen-Matthias Talviku (EST, HUS), 31
6. Oriol Oliver (ESP, KTM), 29
7. Florian Miot (FRA, YAM), 29
8. Liam Everts (BEL, KTM), 27
9. Meico Vettik (EST, KTM), 19
10. Andrea Bonacorsi (ITA, KTM), 16

EMX125 Championship Classification

1. Mattia Guadagnini (ITA, HUS), 218 points
2. Tom Guyon (FRA, KTM), 205
3. Mike Gwerder (SUI, KTM), 149
4. Jorgen-Matthias Talviku (EST, HUS), 147
5. Oriol Oliver (ESP, KTM), 146
6. Kay de Wolf (NED, HUS), 132
7. Simon Laengenfelder (GER, KTM), 128
8. Liam Everts (BEL, KTM), 93
9. Guillem Farres Plaza (ESP, KTM), 87
10. Eddie Jay Wade (GBR, KTM), 76

GNCC of West Virginia Falls to Kailub Russell

The Snowshoe GNCC in West Virginia hosted round eight of the 2019 Grand National Cross Country and it was once again Kailub Russell who came away with the win in the premier XC1 class while Ben Kelley remains undefeated in the XC2 class.

Russell extended his championship points lead to 48 with the XC1 class win over Steward Baylor, Ricky Russell, Jordan Ashburn, Grant Baylor, Cory Buttrick, Andrew Delong and Josh Strang.

Kelly now holds an incredible 92 point lead in the XC2 class with the win over Craig DeLong and Kiwi Liam Draper while in the WMX class championship leader in Aussie Tayla Jones didn’t finish the event handing the win and points lead to Becca Sheets.

XC1 Open Pro – Bike – Class Results

1. Kailub K Russell
2. Steward Baylor Jr
3. Ricky A Russell
4. Jordan Ashburn
5. Grant Baylor
6. Cory Buttrick
7. Andrew R Delong
8. Josh V Strang
9. Thaddeus Duvall

XC1 Open Pro – Bike – Class Points

1. Kailub K Russell – 225
2. Thaddeus Duvall – 177
3. Steward Baylor Jr – 166
4. Trevor Bollinger – 127
5. Josh V Strang – 92

XC2 250 Pro – Bike – Class Results

1. Benjamin M Kelley
2. Craig B Delong
3. Liam Draper
4. Alex Teagarden
5. Ryder Lafferty

XC2 250 Pro – Bike – Class Points

1. Ben Kelley – 240
2. Michael Witkowski – 148
3. Evan Smith – 125
4. Austin Lee – 121
5. Craig B Delong – 113
6. Liam Draper – 111

WXC – Bike – Class Results

1. Becca N Sheets
2. Rachael Archer
3. Mackenzie Tricker
   Tayla Jones

WXC – Bike – Class Points

1. Becca N Sheets – 215
2. Tayla Jones – 183
3. Mackenzie Tricker – 159
4. Rachael Archer – 153
5. Korie Steede – 118

Waters and Wilson Storm Gympie MX National

The sprawling Queensland town of Gympie hosted Round 6 of the MX Nationals and it was Todd Waters and Jay Wilson who took the top honours in the MX1 and MX2 classes respectively.

Thor MX1 Report

On a fast and flowing natural terrain circuit the MX1 riders were on fire blitzing their way around a circuit that offered a lot to the riders in the way of passing opportunities, but the opening moto was all Waters despite constant pressure from a fresh looking Brett Metcalfe and the pair hit the chequered flag well ahead of Kirk Gibbs and Luke Clout.

Moto two had a lot of passing early which saw championship leader Clout crashing hard but by mid moto it was a four-way battle with Waters, Gibbs, Hayden Mellross and Metcalfe freight-training through the gum trees that lined the circuit just as Clout slid his way into 10th place.

With a few laps to go Gibbs made the move past Waters into the lead and the two combatants went toe to toe right to the finish with Mellross and Metcalfe not far behind while Jesse Dobson, Dylan Long and Clout rounded out the top seven.

Waters 1-2 was enough to give him the overall round win while Gibbs’ 3-1 was good for second while Brett Metcalfe was third overall but as far as the championship points go Water has taken over the lead by 3 ahead of Clout and 5 ahead of Mellross.

Kirk Gibbs

“It was good to get things back on track and finish up with a good result here. More importantly, the way I rode was what mattered and to be able to pass all the guys at the head of the championship and take the moto win means more to me than finishing on the podium for the day. I just need to focus on the way I ride and doing my best laps and the results will continue to flow for the rest of the season. Thanks to the CDR Yamaha Monster Energy Team who always put in 100% and its nice to reward everyone on the team and our supporters a podium this weekend.”

Brett Metcalfe

“I am so happy for everyone on the team. Everyone has been working hard and it paid off this weekend, it feels great to be back up there! It’s always reassuring when you get a good start and build a solid momentum as the day goes on. The break between rounds 5 and 6 has allowed my injury to heal so I am riding back to my potential. I battled back from a mediocre start and once I caught the lead group, it was tight and track condition made it difficult to pass anyone, the dust was intense so ultimately I took fourth. We have a couple of weeks to find some more pace and work on setup. I just want to win, simple as that and I can’t wait for Round 7 in Maitland.”

Luke Clout

“It wasn’t a great day and I didn’t ride my best, but I was able to salvage what I could and I’m still only three points from the lead in the championship. There are only five points between three of us in the championship and now it comes down to not making any mistakes and keep putting myself in good position to win races and rounds. Next round is at Maitland, a track that I have raced at a few times and enjoy riding so I will put this one behind me, focus forward for the next round and get things back on track there.”

Securing his first career Superpole and following it with 6-5 finishes for sixth overall, Jesse Dobson has once again shown that he is the fastest privateer in the MX1 (450cc) class.

Jesse Dobson

“I’m really happy to get back to the form I expect after Murray Bridge. I know that I have the speed, and the FC450 is an awesome bike right out of the box, so to take out Superpole was a great start to the day. I spent some time testing suspension with Paul Baericke, and I’ve been riding with Nathan Crawford a lot in the break, and it’s really helped me take another step forward. I didn’t get the starts I needed, especially in the second moto but I felt really good on track, and although it got more technical as the day went on, I was able to move forward in both races. The guys at MX Farm have done a great job, and the track is only going to get better, so thanks to WEM for getting us to such a great venue, and thanks to the crew at MPE Husqvarna, I’ll switch over to a brand new FC450 for the final four rounds of the year!”

MX1 – Raceline Superpole

1. Jesse Dobson – 1:59.656
2. Luke Clout +1:59.866
3. Kirk Gibbs +2:00.924
4. Brett Metcalfe +2:01.014
5. Todd Waters +2:21.576

Thor MX1 Moto 1 – Top Ten

1. Todd Waters 14 Laps Race Time: 29:25.020
2. Brett Metcalfe +0.773
3. Kirk Gibbs +23.767
4. Luke Clout +24.851
5. Hayden Mellross +37.623
6. Jesse Dobson +47.614
7. Caleb Ward +51.167
8. Jayden Rykers +1:07.289
9. Richie Evans +1:23.398
10. Connor Tierney +1:29.192

Fastest Lap: Todd Waters – 2:03.970

Thor MX1 Moto 1 – Top Ten

1. Kirk Gibbs 14 Laps – Race Time: 29:55.384
2. Todd Waters +0.679
3. Hayden Mellross +1.855
4. Brett Metcalfe +3.307
5. Jesse Dobson +15.624
6. Dylan Long +19.231
7. Luke Clout +31.941
8. Jayden Rykers +32.080
9. Caleb Ward +45.700
10. Richie Evans +1:02.154

Fastest Lap: Todd Waters – 2:05.823

MX1 Round 6 Overall Top Ten

1. Todd Waters – 67
2. Kirk Gibbs – 65
3. Brett Metcalfe – 60
4. Hayden Mellross – 56
5. Luke Clout – 52
6. Jesse Dobson – 51
7. Jayden Rykers – 46
8. Caleb Ward – 46
9. Richie Evans – 43
10. Dylan Long – 42

MX1 Championship Top Ten After Round 6

1. Todd Waters – 332 Points
2. Luke Clout – 329
3. Hayden Mellross – 327
4. Jayden Rykers – 253
5. Justin Rodbell – 24
6. Kirk Gibbs – 245
7. Brett Metcalfe – 241
8. Jesse Dobson – 227
9. Richie Evans – 217
10. Erki Kahro – 190

Motul MX2 Report

The MX2 class was looking like a Wilson Todd white-wash after the opening back-to-back motos where Todd won both despite serious attention from Jay Wilson in moto one and Nathan Crawford in moto two.

When the gates dropped on the third and final MX2 race of the day it was Joel Evans who grabbed the holeshot with Luke Reardon and Todd close behind but it all turned to poo early in the lap with Evans going down and taking his fellow Husqvarna rider in Todd down with him.

Jay Wilson soon took over the lead and would go on to take the moto win ahead of Crawford, Aaron Tanti, Kyle Webster and Todd so the overall goes to Wilson over Todd and Crawford but Todd keeps his championship points lead of 24 over Webster and 25 over Wilson.

Jay Wilson

“Wow, its just amazing how things work out, after the first two motos where I was over riding and crashing, I went into race three just looking to ride well and post a result I could be proud of. Winning the round was the last thing on my mind. I didn’t get a great start but made some passes early and managed to hit the lead. I just put down the best laps I could and managed to build a five second lead. It wasn’t until two laps to go that I saw my pitboard that had 1st = 1st that the overall become possible. It was my first moto win of the year. I was a bit fortunate to get the overall win, but I will take it and it just goes to show that you have to keep on plugging away, never give up, and anything can happen. Thanks to my team and my family for another massive effort and we can now look forward to the next round and keep the podium streak going.”

Webster then finished fourth in the afternoon’s final moto to take fifth overall on the day.

Kyle Webster

“Having had a great mid season break with excellent results at Manjimup (third) and the NSW MX titles (first) I was really keen to get back to the Nats. But I never really settled into the track at Gympie on the day and just had to make the most of it. I tried to find my mojo by moto three, and was happy to be able to keep second place in the championship standings. The next round will be important and I will be pushing hard to stay up the front.”

Pirelli MX2 – Timed Qualifying

1. Wilson Todd 1:58.538
2. Nathan Crawford 1:59.300
3. Jay Wilson 1:59.491
4. Aaron Tanti 2:00.394
5. Kyle Webster 2:01.055
6. Bailey Malkiewicz 2:02.047
7. Isaac Ferguson 2:02.539
8. Dylan Wills 2:03.321
9. Tomas Ravenhorst 2:03.336
10. Morgan Fogarty 2:04.256

Pirelli MX2 – Back to Back Race 1 Top Ten

1. Wilson Todd 7 Laps – Race Time: 14:42.760
2. Aaron Tanti +3.244
3. Kyle Webster +8.533
4. Nathan Crawford +16.917
5. Bailey Malkiewicz +21.017
6. Jay Wilson +21.830
7. Dylan Wills +33.230
8. Cooper Pozniak +40.975
9. Joel Evans +42.885
10. Isaac Ferguson +43.419

Fastest Lap: Wilson Todd – 2:03.718

Pirelli MX2 – Back to Back Race 1 Top Ten

1. Wilson Todd 7 Laps – Race Time: 14:49.408
2. Kyle Webster +4.477
3. Nathan Crawford +10.396
4. Aaron Tanti +12.672
5. Jay Wilson +13.589
6. Dylan Wills +26.099
7. Morgan Fogarty +27.054
8. Isaac Ferguson +34.180
9. Bailey Malkiewicz +35.273
10. Cooper Pozniak +51.539

Fastest Lap: Wilson Todd – 2:04.020

Pirelli MX2 – Moto 2 – Top Ten

1. Jay Wilson 9 Laps – Race Time: 19:20.620
2. Nathan Crawford +1.057
3. Aaron Tanti +3.006
4. Kyle Webster +13.190
5. Wilson Todd +33.362
6. Dylan Wills +36.061
7. Bailey Malkiewicz +40.524
8. Morgan Fogarty +50.981
9. Luke Reardon +56.701
10. Ricky Latimer +1:02.519

Fastest Lap: Nathan Crawford – 2:06.677

MX2 Round 6 Overall Top Ten

1. Jay Wilson – 61 Points
2. Wilson Todd – 61
3. Nathan Crawford – 60
4. Aaron Tanti – 60
5. Kyle Webster – 60
6. Dylan Wills – 50
7. Bailey Malkiewicz – 48
8. Morgan Fogarty – 43
9. Isaac Ferguson – 39
10. Tomas Ravenhorst – 38

MX2 Championship Top Ten After Round 6

1. Wilson Todd – 344 Points
2. Kyle Webster – 320
3. Jay Wilson – 319
4. Nathan Crawford – 272
5. Aaron Tanti – 272
6. Dylan Wills – 256
7. Bailey Malkiewicz – 246
8. Ricky Latimer – 209
9. Cooper Pozniak – 206
10. Riley Dukes – 202

Pirelli MXD Report

As per usual the action in the MXD class was fast and furious but it was championship leader in Regan Duffy who came away with the overall ahead of his closest river Max Purvis while Noah Ferguson claimed his maiden MXD podium result finishing in 3rd for the round.

Duffy will take a 17 point lead over Purvis as the whole MX Nationals circus heads to Maitland on July 14.

Motul MXD – Timed Qualifying

1. Regan Duffy – 2:02.150
2. Noah Ferguson – 2:02.454
3. Maximus Purvis – 2:02.454
4. Rhys Budd – 2:02.951
5. Mason Semmens – 2:03.794
6. Brodie Ellis – 2:04.167
7. Liam Walsh – 2:04.763
8. Mason Rowe – 2:05.351
9. Jai Walker – 2:05.455
10. Jack Kukas – 2:05.848

Motul MXD – Moto 1

1. Maximus Purvis – 9 Laps – Race Time: 19:13.299
2. Regan Duffy +6.021
3. Noah Ferguson +6.202
4. Mason Semmens +7.232
5. Jai Walker ++1 Lap
6. Jayce Cosford +1 Lap
7. Liam Walsh +1 Lap
8. Mason Rowe +1 Lap
9. Tye Jones +1 Lap
10. Mackenzie O’Bree +1 Lap

Motul MXD – Moto 2

1. Regan Duffy – 9 Laps – Race time: 19:31.740
2. Maximus Purvis +3.326
3. Mason Rowe +33.730
4. Jayce Cosford +40.893
5. Noah Ferguson +41.679
6. Brodie Ellis +1 Lap
7. Tye Jones +1 Lap
8. Jai Walker +1 Lap
9. Rhys Budd +1 Lap
10. Liam Walsh +1 Lap

MX2 Round 6 Overall Top Ten

1. Regan Duffy – 67 Points
2. Maximus Purvis – 67
3. Noah Ferguson – 56
4. Mason Rowe – 54
5. Jayce Cosford – 53
6. Jai Walker – 49
7. Tye Jones – 46
8. Brodie Ellis – 45
9. Liam Walsh – 44
10. Mackenzie O’Bree – 41

MX1 Championship Top Ten After Round 6

1. Regan Duffy – 356 Points
2. Maximus Purvis – 339
3. Rhys Budd – 293
4. Brodie Ellis – 263
5. Mason Rowe – 261
6. Noah Ferguson – 253
7. Jack Kukas – 233
8. Jayce Cosford – 231
9. Jai Walker – 230
10. Liam Walsh – 223

Musquin & Cooper win in Florida

The WW Ranch Motocross Park in Florida hosted the fifth round of the AMA Motocross Championship and on a tough and technical layout it was Marvin Musquin and Justin Cooper who came away with the overall wins in the 450 and 250 classes respectively.

450 Report

Musquin was forced to come from just outside the top five to win the opening moto from Ken Roczen, Jason Anderson, Cooper Webb, Zach Osborne, Justin Barcia, Eli Tomac, Blake Baggett and Dean Ferris but the second moto was all Tomac with a wire-to-wire win ahead of Osborne, Musquin, Anderson, Webb, Barcia and Ferris.

Musquin’s 1-3 scores carried him to the eighth overall win of his career and ends a six-race winless streak and despite his slow start to the afternoon, Tomac’s win in the final moto vaulted him to the runner-up spot in the overall classification (7-1), while Osborne’s late pass on Musquin landed him third (5-2).

Marvin Musquin

“I tried [to catch Tomac]. I knew I had the overall, but winning both motos is the best. I just kind of ran out of energy there at the end. I’m a little disappointed. I didn’t see Zach coming [from third], but it’s still good. I salvaged third place in the moto, and that was good enough to earn the overall.”

Tomac leaves Florida with a six-point lead in the 450 Class standings over Roczen, who finished sixth (2-10). The win allowed Musquin to climb from fifth to third, 31 points out of the lead.

Eli Tomac

“The difference from Moto 1 to Moto 2 was the result of a bad start in the first one. Not sure what happened there. I got a much better Moto 2 start and had a better feel on the bike. I’m happy to get through the heat today. The sand was a serious challenge and it changes things up for us, but overall it was a good day.”

Dean Ferris continues to impress with two solid top-ten rides.

Dean Ferris

“Overall, I’m pretty happy with today, I got two really mediocre starts, which kind of made it hard for me, but I put in a big charge. Made a lot of passes in the first moto and was able to get to 10th. In the second moto, the start was a little better. I felt really strong all moto in spite of the heat. I think my big off-season in Australia training in the heat and getting ready for this outdoor championship really helped me today. So I’m really stoked that I could push through and pick up a couple more positions late in the moto because my fitness was strong. We made some improvements while testing throughout the week, as stuff turns out. I’m looking forward to Southwick; onward and upward.”

450 Class Overall Results (Moto Finish)

1. Marvin Musquin, France, KTM (1-3)
2. Eli Tomac, Cortez, Colo., Kawasaki (7-1)
3. Zach Osborne, Abingdon, Va., Husqvarna (5-2)
4. Jason Anderson, Edgewood, N.M., Husqvarna (3-4)
5. Cooper Webb, Newport, N.C., KTM (4-5)
6. Ken Roczen, Germany, Honda (2-10)
7. Justin Barcia, Monroe, N.Y., Yamaha (6-6)
8. Dean Ferris, Australia, Yamaha (10-7)
9. Fredrik Noren, Sweden, Honda (9-8)
10. Blake Baggett, Grand Terrace, Calif., KTM (8-9)

450 Class Championship Standings

1. Eli Tomac, Cortez, Colo., Kawasaki – 215 points
2. Ken Roczen, Germany, Honda – 209 points
3. Marvin Musquin, France, KTM – 184 points
4. Jason Anderson, Edgewood, N.M., Husqvarna – 182 points
5. Zach Osborne, Abingdon, Va., Husqvarna – 182 points
6. Cooper Webb, Newport, N.C., KTM – 166 points
7. Justin Barcia, Monroe, N.Y., Yamaha – 129 points
8. Blake Baggett, Grand Terrace, Calif., KTM – 117 points
9. Dean Ferris, Australia, Yamaha – 114 points
10. Justin Bogle, Cushing, Okla., KTM – 99 points

250 Class

The 250 class had plenty of action with Chase Sexton riding the wheels off his Honda to win the opening moto ahead of Justin Cooper, Michael Mossiman, Dylan Ferrandis, Adam Cianciarulo, RJ Hampshire, Alex Martin and Hunter Lawrence before Ferrandis earned the second moto win over Cooper, Cianciarulo, Lawrence, Mossiman and Martin as Sexton sat in the pits with heat exhaustion.

Cooper’s consistent 2-2 results were enough to give him the first professional win of his career, edging out Ferrandis (4-1) who in turn got the nod over Cianciarulo who saw his four-race win streak come to an end in third (5-3) while Lawrence showed plenty of pace to recover from less than stellar star to end up 5^th overall.

Justin Cooper

“I won because I got out front, and that felt good. That Moto 2 was the longest moto of my life. I’m just so spent right now. To win in this heat really says something, and it feels great to finally get this the win off my back.”

Despite seeing his win streak come to an end, Cianciarulo still has a firm hold on the championship point lead, where he sits 18 points ahead of Cooper. Ferrandis is third, 35 points out of the lead.

Adam Cianciarulo

“I don’t want to take anything away from these guys. They were ripping all day and were just better than me. I just didn’t feel great today. I didn’t really gel with the track, and my body didn’t really feel great. I’m fortunate to have the start like I had with all those wins, and I’m happy to leave here with a podium when I wasn’t at my best.”

The 2019 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship will reach its halfway point next Saturday, June 29, with the MB Tractor & Equipment Southwick National from New England’s legendary The Wick 338.

250 Class Overall Results (Moto Finish)

1. Justin Cooper, Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y., Yamaha (2-2)
2. Dylan Ferrandis, France, Yamaha (4-1)
3. Adam Cianciarulo, Port Orange, Fla., Kawasaki (5-3)
4. Michael Mosiman, Sebastopol, Calif., Husqvarna (3-5)
5. Hunter Lawrence, Australia, Honda (8-4)
6. Alex Martin, Millville, Minn., Suzuki (7-6)
7. Colt Nichols, Muskogee, Okla., Yamaha (9-7)
8. RJ Hampshire, Hudson, Fla., Honda (6-11)
9. Jacob Hayes, Greensboro, N.C., Yamaha (13-8)
10. Jordan Bailey, Orlando, Fla., Husqvarna (10-12)

250 Class Championship Standings

1. Adam Cianciarulo, Port Orange, Fla., Kawasaki – 222 points
2. Justin Cooper, Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y., Yamaha – 204 points
3. Dylan Ferrandis, France, Yamaha – 187 points
4. Chase Sexton, La Moille, Ill., Honda – 159 points
5. Colt Nichols, Muskogee, Okla., Yamaha – 152 points
6. Michael Mosiman, Sebastopol, Calif., Husqvarna – 148 points
7. Hunter Lawrence, Australia, Honda – 142 points
8. RJ Hampshire, Hudson, Fla., Honda – 129 points
9. Alex Martin, Millville, Minn., Suzuki – 116 points
10. Shane McElrath, Canton, N.C., KTM – 79 points

McCanney and Salvini share EnduroGP wins

Rovetta in Italy hosted the fifth round of the Enduro GP Championships and it was Daniel McCanney who scored the overall win on day 1 before Alex Salvini recovered from a poor result to win day two.

The rain drenched opening day seemed not to worry McCanney who easily accounted for defending champion Steve Holcombe and the hard charging Matteo Cavallo but the second day saw sunshine which seemed to favour Salvini who stormed to the win over Loïc Larrieu, Antoine Basset, Holcombe and McCanney.

Championship leader Brad Freeman ended up with 7-10 results so his points lead is down to just 4 ahead of Holcombe but Freeman continues to have a healthy 37 point lead in the E1 class while Salvini and Holcombe continue to lead the E2 and E3 class championships respectively.

EnduroGP of Italy – Saturday

The weather had its say on Day 1 of competition at the fifth round of the FIM Maxxis Enduro World Championship. The legendary ‘Valli Bergamasche’ race is known for being tough and unpredictable, and this was certainly the case on Saturday as very violent storm swept through the Rovetta area all day long. This altered the race conditions drastically and EnduroGP’s competitors spent a hellish day between rain, mud, and thunderstorms.

Four men shared the top spot over the course of the day, taking it in turns to lead. Matteo Cavallo, Thomas Oldrati, Steve Holcombe and Danny McCanney all had their time in the spotlight, but it was the Manxman who took the spoils at the end of the long and punishing day.

The 2018 Junior World Champion, Cavallo took control of the race at the start of the day, leaving Thomas Oldrati in his wake, with the local rider overwhelmed by the presence of his many supporters. The two Italians were followed closely by a rider who loves these kind of conditions: the quadruple World Champion, Holcombe. The Brit seemed on great form despite his health woes.

The four protagonists had an absolutely fantastic battle over the three laps which made up today’s racing. The top position alternated between Cavallo and Oldrati, and then back to Holcombe. But it was Danny McCanney who put an end to this constant switch up when the factory Beta rider pipped his rivals by 6 thousandths of a second. His compatriot Holcombe had to settle for second, while Matteo Cavallo completed the top three overall. Oldrati finished 4th ahead of Loic Larrieu.

Further down the leaderboard was EnduroGP points leader Brad Freeman who had to seriously grit his teeth all day and deal with immense pain. The young Brit limited the damage by finishing an amazing 7th. Also riding injured is Alex Salvini who took a valuable 9th place.

After his victory in last night’s Akrapovic SuperTest, Antoine Meo finished 11th on the day, more than a minute and a half down on the winner.

In the E1 category, Matteo Cavallo took his first ever senior class win in front of his adoring fans. Thomas Oldrati and an ever impressive Brad Freeman rounded out the top three. In E2, Larrieu was able to overthrow Salvini and take an important victory ahead of Christophe Charlier and the ultra-consistent Benjamin Herrera.

Danny McCanney narrowed the gap in E3 title race, winning in front of Holcombe and David Abgrall.

In Junior, TM Racing rider Andrea Verona took his eighth victory out of a possible 9. After a ‘blip’ on Day 2 in Greece where he ‘only’ finished 3rd, the Italian rider was back on top form. The weather conditions and the state of the tests did not prevent Verona from being dominant. He won by more than a minute ahead of Theo Espinasse. Britain’s Jack Edmondson completed the podium.

The J1 category was also taken by Verona, ahead of Espinasse and Roni Kytonen. In J2, we saw an excellent victory from Edmondson. Chile’s Ruy Barbosa and local man Emanuele Facchetti filled out the rest of the podium.

In the 125cc Youth Cup, Matteo Pavoni took his second victory of the season, this time in front of his home fans. Hamish Macdonald, returning from injury made a great comeback with second place despite still suffering physically. Sardinia’s Claudio Spanu gave his all in the final test of the day to take a podium on Italian soil.

One race after David Knight took the Open Senior title, the Champion Lubricants Enduro Open World Cup saw another rider crowned. Portugal’s Goncalo Reis is 2019’s Open 2-Stroke winner. Joining him on the podium were Nico Ranbow and Benet Gomez.

Open 4-Stroke belonged to Robert Riedel’s today as he took a surprise win in front of Pietro Enrico Collovigh  and Tom Ellwood, who could only managed third with his Kawasaki.

David Knight kept his pace and took another win in the Senior category. Werner Muller and Duccio Graziani were second and third respectively.

Despite the party atmosphere reverberating around the hills of Rovetta and Clusone, a good night’s sleep will be in order for the exhausted riders. Day 1 at the ‘Valli Bergamasche’ tested everyone to their limits – especially those brave riders who are already injured. Sun is promised for Sunday, but whatever the weather, this  Acerbis Grand Prix of Italy 2019 will go down in history.

EnduroGP of Italy – Sunday

After the incredibly violent storms on Day 1, it was a total turn around for Sunday, with hot weather and sunshine the order of the day. However, the race conditions on this second day of the Acerbis Grand Prix of Italy were still very tricky, with waterlogged tests still very slippery and rutted. Physically and emotionally drained after Saturday’s action, the riders still gave us an absolutely unforgettable race day

Alex Salvini proved once again that he is still one of the top guns in Enduro, shrugging off the pain of his dislocated shoulder, ‘Rocky’ won his home GP in front a fervent crowd. This victory meant so much for the Honda rider, as he scored maximum points in E2 and EnduroGP. Feeling emotional at the finish line, Salvini collapsed, leaning on his ‘tifosi’ (home fans) for support. The rider from Bologna took victory by a considerable margin over his opponents – he was more than 42 seconds ahead of runner-up: Loïc Larrieu.

Loic Larrieu

“I’m a guy from the South, I’m not used to so much rain or being cold, especially in the summer! The day was really complicated, I started off badly but I managed to recover and I’m happy to win in E2, when I really thought that I was going to finish a long way down the order.”

The factory TM rider seemed much more comfortable in the sun than in the rain, he won 5 tests today (4 Cross and 1 Enduro). In fact, he has been very consistent on all terrains since the start of the year, and despite losing out to Salvini, these latest good results should give him an extra boost before the final two rounds.

One of the most impressive performances of the day came from Antoine Basset. Riding well and with no real mistakes, Basset took 3rd step on the EnduroGP podium. He was in the Top 5 of every test on Sunday, and the Frenchman may well have turned a corner before the summer break.

Steve Holcombe was the first rider to take the reins on Sunday, leading at the end of the first lap. After relinquishing the lead, he managed to stay on the podium for most of the day, but in the end his virus got the better of him and Holcombe dropped down to fourth at the end of the day. However, he can be very satisfied and proud of his overall performance in recent weeks as his health has suffered.

Danny McCanney had a contrasting Day 2, the overall winner on Saturday lost a full minute on the first test of the day when he hit a rock and the chain came off his TM Racing machine. This unfortunate moment cost him over one minute and he dropped to 21st place! He fought hard all day to finally finish an amazing fifth in the overall standings.

Danny McCanney

“I’m thrilled, this first EnduroGP win means lot to me. The day began badly – my chain came off in the first Extreme test, but when the rain started pouring down I felt very comfortable with the conditions. I am really happy with today’s result!”

By just 4 points, Brad Freeman leaves Italy with the golden plate still affixed on the front of his Beta Boano bike. But without showing extreme courage and putting himself through excruciating pain, he would have certainly lost this lead.

Freeman finished 10th on Day 2, and even won the last run through the Technomousse Extreme Test. The Brit will go to Turin on Tuesday to undergo surgery for the fractured collarbone he has been suffering with since the Grand Prix of Greece. The summer break has come at just the right time for the brave Beta Boano rider.

Brad Freeman

“I feel very bad, I am in such a lot of pain. My condition got worse every turn and the last lap was really hard. I have to really mentally prepare for tomorrow’s race day.”

On this thrilling second day, there was a reshuffle in many of the classes and lots of epic battles too! Let’s take a look at each class…

In E1, Thomas Oldrati won in front of his home crowd. As a long standing regular rider in World Enduro, he has amassed a lot of fans, and they were happy to see him on the top step. Completing the podium were Rudy Moroni and Brad Freeman.

The hero of the day in the Italian crowd’s hearts was Alex Salvini, who took a fantastic win as well as the lead of the E2 category. French duo Loic Larrieu and Antoine Basset rounded off the top three.

Amazingly, Steve Holcombe signed off another win in E3, at the expense of McCanney and Anthony Geslin.

Steve Holcombe

“The GP of Italy is always an incredible event and this year it was one of the best ever – the amount of people who came out to watch the race was incredible. The weather made it an interesting one, with one wet day and one dry day. I enjoyed it as much as I can the way my physical condition is at the moment. Overall, I’m really pleased with my results. Coming so close to winning on day one and then finishing second is a little frustrating, but still a great result all things considered. On Sunday the opening two laps were ok for me, but then I struggled during the third lap – in the rocky cross test and the enduro especially. But that’s what I expected. Being just four points from the lead of the EnduroGP championship is something I really wasn’t expecting, but with just two rounds of the championship remaining it means that everything is to play for. Now it’s all about rest and recovery the best I can. There’s a good break before the next round of the series so I’ll use that time to monitor where I’m at with the virus and do all I can to get back into the best shape.”

The title appeared to belong to Andrea Verona from the start of the season as the flawless Italian rider dominated the first 5 Grand Prix of the year. Winning 9 out of 10 days of racing so far, the youngster kept the competitive Junior class at bay in all conditions and over all terrains. A little like his compatriot, Matteo Cavallo, did in 2018, Verona has proven that he will be a star of the future.

Matteo Cavallo

“What a day! I have not often experienced this type of racing conditions in Italy, it was crazy. But I’m so happy to take my first E1 win, and to have been running at the front of EnduroGP during the day. Now that I have tasted victory I want more! But for now I am very tired, I think i’ll go to bed immediately and only get up again tomorrow morning!”

Theo Espinasse saw the victory pass him by as he crashed in the last Maxxis Cross test of the day. Disappointed to miss out, Espinasse promises to win one by the end of 2019!

Although the Frenchman will have to fight with Enric Francisco, who has only one goal for the remainder of the season: to defeat “The Shark”, Andrea Verona. Third on Day 2, the Spaniard was satisfied to have been able to finish such a difficult GP on the podium.

Naturally, the J1 class was won by Andrea Verona, ahead of Espinasse. Belgium’s impressive Antoine Magain took the 3rd step on the podium. In J2, Enric Francisco took a strong victory, beating Ruy Barbosa and Jack Edmondson.

In the Youth Cup 125cc category Claudio Spanu took his first World victory by just 0.4 of a second over the rider who had beaten him by 0.06 of a second in the Spanish GP: Matteo Pavoni! The podium was 100% Italian since Spanu and Pavoni were joined by an extremely promising Manolo Morettini. Is the future of Enduro going to be Italian?

In the Champion Lubes Enduro Open World Cup, the winners of the day are very similar to those of the day before! David Knight took another top step in the Senior class, ahead of Werner Muller and local man, Andrea Belotti. Goncalo Reis made his mark in Open 2-Stroke by winning both days of the Acerbis GP of Italy, ahead of Benet Gomez and Nico Ranbow. In the Open 4-Stroke class, Robert Riedel did the double. Thomas Elwood and Pietro Enrico Collovigh filled out the podium.

Once again the ‘Valli Bergamasche’ did not disappoint, not only living up to expectations – but exceeding them! This classic Italian event gave us two fantastic days of racing, and a wild party atmosphere! The huge crowds were thrilled by the stars of EnduroGP all weekend long.

Now it’s time for the riders and paddock personnel to have a well deserved rest…. EnduroGP be back in action on 14th and 15th of September for the Czech Republic Grand Prix in the Uhlirske Janovice region.

Enduro GP – DAY 1

1. Daniel MCCANNEY
2. Steve HOLCOMBE
3. Matteo CAVALLO
4. Thomas OLDRATI
5. Loïc LARRIEU
6. Christophe CHARLIER
7. Brad FREEMAN
8. Benjamin HERRERA
9. Alex SALVINI
10. Antoine BASSET
11. Antoine MEO

Enduro GP – Day 2

1. Alex SALVINI
2. Loïc LARRIEU
3. Antoine BASSET
4. Steve HOLCOMBE
5. Daniel MCCANNEY
6. Christophe CHARLIER
7. Thomas OLDRATI
8. Benjamin HERRERA
9. Rudy MORONI
10. Brad FREEMAN

Enduro GP – Championship Points

1. Brad FREEMAN – 164
2. Steve HOLCOMBE – 160
3. Daniel MCCANNEY – 144
4. Alex SALVINI – 96
5. Loïc LARRIEU – 93

E1 Class – DAY 1

1. Matteo CAVALLO – Italy
2. Thomas OLDRATI – Italy
3. Brad FREEMAN – United Kingdom
4. Kirian MIRABET – Spain
5. Rudy MORONI – Italy

E1 Class – DAY 2

1. Thomas OLDRATI – Italy
2. Rudy MORONI – Italy
3. Brad FREEMAN – United Kingdom
4. Kirian MIRABET – Spain
5. Gianluca MARTINI – Italy

E1 Class – Championship Points

1. Brad FREEMAN – 190
2. Thomas OLDRATI – 153
3. Matteo CAVALLO – 142

E2 Class – DAY 1

1. Loïc LARRIEU – France
2. Christophe CHARLIER – France
3. Benjamin HERRERA – Chile
4. Alex SALVINI – Italy
5. Antoine BASSET – France
6. Antoine MEO – France

E2 Class – DAY 2

1. Alex SALVINI – Italy
2. Loïc LARRIEU – France
3. Antoine BASSET – France
4. Christophe CHARLIER – France
5. Benjamin HERRERA – Chile

E2 Class – Championship Points

1. Alex SALVINI – 142
2. Loïc LARRIEU – 141
3. Christophe CHARLIER – 134

E3 Class – DAY 1

1. Daniel MCCANNEY – United Kingdom
2. Steve HOLCOMBE – United Kingdom
3. David ABGRALL – France
4. Anthony GESLIN – France
5. PHILIPPAERTS – Italy

E3 Class – DAY 2

1. Steve HOLCOMBE – United Kingdom
2. Daniel MCCANNEY – United Kingdom
3. Anthony GESLIN – France
4. David ABGRALL – France
5. Manuel MONNI – Italy

E3 Class – Championship Points

1. Steve HOLCOMBE – 191
2. Daniel MCCANNEY -179
3. Anthony GESLIN – 140

Jarvis Wins Hixpania Hard Enduro

Spain’s Hixpania Hard Enduro was round four of the World Enduro Super Series and it was veteran Graham Jarvis who has claimed the overall win and his podium-topping ride also sees the Brit become the new leader in the race to become this year’s WESS champion.

Graham Jarvis

“What an event and it’s crazy to think I’m leading the WESS now. I’m not going to get too excited just yet though and my plan is to take each race as it comes. Romaniacs is going to be the game changer – hopefully I can at least finish it this year. It was a tough race today I was still tired from yesterday – it was fast but there were still some technical bits. I think everyone was really feeling it and I know I was on the limit today.”

Mario Roman

“It feels amazing to take the win in the final race. I had such a tough time yesterday on the Cross-Country, crashing six times and bending my handlebars. Despite that I still pushed hard and managed to finish fourth. Today, I wasn’t thinking too much about points, I just wanted to take the win. Graham was really strong and all the others were right up there at the beginning. Halfway through I was thinking it’s not possible to keep going for another hour-and-a-half, but I kept going and we did it. I don’t know how many fans came out to watch the race and cheer on the riders, but to hear them all shouting my name made it possible to keep going and finish the race, so thank you very much to them.”

Entering the final day of racing having won the previous two days, Alfredo Gomez was unable to respond to the attack by Jarvis. Admitting to struggling early on, he could only finish fifth for the runner-up result.

Alfredo Gomez

“I tried to push as hard as I could today, but just ran out of strength in the last half of the race – no power at all. All I could do was to keep on going, try not to crash and stay on the bike. It was great fun racing out there with all the home fans cheering. I’m sorry I couldn’t bring home the win for them but overall, I am happy with how the race has gone and I gave it my all. Congratulations to Graham, he did it again.”

Putting in a strong ride on Sunday for fourth, Billy Bolt ended his weekend fourth overall while charging his way to third in Sunday’s Lost Roads, Manuel Lettenbichler completed the overall top five.

The World Enduro Super Series continues with round five at Red Bull Romaniacs in Romania on July 30 – August 3.

Hixpania Hard Enduro Overall

1. Graham Jarvis (Husqvarna – ESP) 44 points
2. Alfredo Gomez (Husqvarna – ESP) 44
3. Mario Roman (Sherco – ESP) 43
4. Billy Bolt (Husqvarna – GB) 40
5. Manuel Lettenbichler (KTM – GER) 36
6. Jonny Walker (KTM – GB) 30
7. Taddy Blazusiak (KTM – POL) 29
8. Pol Tarres (Husqvarna – ESP) 25
9. Josep Garcia (KTM – ESP) 21
10. Xavier Leon (Husqvarna – ESP) 19

WESS Championship Standings (After Round 4 of 8)

1. Graham Jarvis (Husqvarna – GB) 2690 points
2. Manuel Lettenbichler (KTM – GER) 2570
3. Mario Roman (Sherco – ESP) 2540
4. Alfredo Gomez (Husqvarna – ESP) 2314
5. Billy Bolt (Husqvarna – GB) 2155
6. Josep Garcia (KTM – ESP) 2125
7. Jonny Walker (KTM – GB) 2090
8. Taddy Blazusiak (KTM – POL) 1900
9. Nathan Watson (KTM – GB) 1631
10. Travis Teasdale (KTM – RSA) 1610

Toni Bou Continues Win Streak in the Netherlands

Zelhem in the Netherlands hosted the fourth round of the TrialGP World Championship and once again it was Repsol Honda Team rider Toni Bou who stormed to victory over Adam Raga and Jeroni Fajardo.

The Zelhem course proved to be a demanding one where it was easy to make mistakes in overly-easy sections but Bou took control from the off-set and kept the field in check right until the very end where he earned top spot on the podium with just one penalty picked up on the first lap – five points for time – and an error-free second lap.

Repsol Honda Team get no rest for now, as next weekend, 29th and 30th of June, sees the fifth round of the TrialGP campaign in Belgium.

Toni Bou

“Today we were very clear that it was a day of endurance. At the start of the race, a small mistake would have put you behind, so we knew that it would be tough. We did as well as we could for such a trial. It was a pity about the time penalty on the first lap, since I had a good second lap with zero points. I am in a good moment of riding and physical fitness, so I am very happy. Also thanks to the team for all their work.”

TrialGP of Netherlands 2019 Top 10

1. BOU Toni
2. RAGA Adam
3. FAJARDO Jeroni
4. FUJINAMI Takahisa
5. BUSTO Jaime
6. CASALES Jorge
7. DABILL James
8. KADLEC Franz
9. BINCAZ Benoit
10. RICE Jack

TrialGP Rider Standings

1. BOU Toni – 80 – Repsol Honda Team
2. RAGA Adam – 66 – TRRS Factory Team
3. FUJINAMI Takahisa – 53 – Repsol Honda Team
4. FAJARDO Jeroni – 50 – Gas Gas
5. DABILL James – 42 – Beta Factory Racing

Cairoli and Herlings injured

Red Bull KTM rider Tony Cairoli and Jeffrey Herlings were forced to sit out last weekend’s Grand Prix of Germany which was the tenth round of eighteen in the 2019 FIM Motocross World Championship.

Herlings re-injured his right leg just prior to winning the first race at Kegums in Latvia last Sunday after which the Dutchman was forced to withdraw from the Grand Prix with a hairline fracture at the base of his tibia bone and underwent minor surgery to insert a small reparatory screw this week. The 24 year old will remain in a cast and airboot for almost two weeks before he can again go through the physio, rehab and training process to be back on his KTM 450 SX-F.

Cairoli fell in the second race last weekend and dislocated his right shoulder and despite initial scans being positive the joint continues to be painful so further examinations will take place in two weeks time to know the exact extent of the damage.

Robert Jonas – VP of Offroad

“We had some amazing success in the last two years in the MXGP class and that has so much to do with our riders, our excellent team and all the support we have in place. Now we are experiencing the hard part of motocross but we know this is part of sport unfortunately. We don’t like it but we have to accept it and do our best to help Jeffrey and Tony get better and soon be in a position to be fighting at the front again.”

Connor Guillot wins R&D Husky TC65

Thanks to R&D Husky, 50cc 7 to under-9 racer Conner Guillot has won a brand-new Husqvarna TC65 at the 2019 The King of MX NSW State Motocross Championships.

Dave Cooke

“When you look at the 50cc seven to under nine class, it’s full of talented young racers learning their craft, with the older kids in the group usually also racing in the 65cc seven to under nine class as they progress. This means that it can be quite tough for the younger riders to win races, so we really wanted to give them something else to race for to reward their hard work, and Jeff (Mackin) from R&D Husky agreed. So, at the 2019 King of MX, any 50cc racer who qualified for the final, that didn’t have a 65cc endorsement, would be in the running to win a brand-new Husqvarna TC65, complete with custom King of MX graphics thanks to Tee N Cee.”

Motorcycling NSW has a relationship with the team at R&D for a long time, through their generous sponsorship of many state and club events. Not only was Connor the highest finishing racer in the 50cc seven to under nine State Championship without a 65cc endorsement, he raced to second overall in the class behind Kyle Harvey after scoring 2-1-3 results across the three championship races.

Australian Supercross kicks off in Brisbane

Troy Bayliss Events have announced that the opening round of the 2019 Australian Supercross Championship will return to the Brisbane Entertainment Centre on the 12^th of October.

Troy Bayliss Events surveyed a number of teams, manufacturers and riders, including three-time Australian Supercross Champion, America’s Justin Brayton in the quest to find an excellent venue for the Queensland round in 2019.

All parties unanimously touting Brisbane Entertainment Centre the best venue for bar-to-bar racing action and edge-of-your-seat entertainment for fans.

Troy Bayliss

“It’s been a great move for the series with many teams congratulating Troy Bayliss Events on its decision to go to such a quality venue. History shows indoor arenas create high levels of exciting and entertaining Supercross racing. Fans are treated to an experience like no other, the tracks are tight and produce incredible racing full of passes.”

Fans will be right on top of the action on October 12 with comfy seating and zero chance of weather issues, the night of action is set to be spectacular. Freestyle Motocross will also feature as one of many additions within the night’s program.

Bayliss suggested the move to the Brisbane Entertainment Centre will draw more international riders to Australian Supercross Championship teams.

Troy Bayliss

“Some manufacturers have already indicated more international talent will be competing in the 2019 Australian Supercross Championship due to the inclusion of the Brisbane Entertainment Centre. We want to make sure the series kicks off with a bang in 2019 and this venue will allow us to do that. The Supercross Masters era and more recently in Sydney, Supercross sold out arenas year-on-year and we expect the same in Brisbane. It’s one-night-only, we won’t be announcing another night closer to the event, the stadium holds 9500 fans and we have removed allocation for corporate and hospitality requirements so we expect the night to sell out well in advance.”

Round 1 in Brisbane will run a completely unique ‘Double Header’ format this year, with SX1 & SX2 classes contesting two main event finals, with points from each determining the round champion resulting in more racing for the fans.

Glyn Griffiths – Honda Australia Motorcycles.

“The Australian Supercross Championship reaches new markets and hits a diverse range of people which is what we need, we have been fortunate to win three championships in a row on the Honda CRF450R with Justin Brayton. We are excited with where Supercross is heading in Australia and look forward to Round 1 starting at Brisbane.”

Pre-sale tickets are available from 12 pm Tuesday 25 of June, and fans are urged to sign-up now at troybaylissevents.com to secure the best seats in the house. General Ticket Sales will be available from Wednesday 3 July and begin from as little as $40.00 through Ticketek.

Exclusive VIP packages will also be available to fans that include the full VIP experience, incredible gifts plus track walk, private meet and greets and of course, the closest seats to the action money can buy.

General public arriving between 4 – 5 pm can experience the free Pit Party outside the arena, giving all fans the opportunity to meet and greet the riders and teams. Gates Open at 5 pm and the Main Event is from 6 pm – 9 pm. For all latest Australian Supercross Championship news and updates go to www.australiansupercross.com.au.

RC V BT at New Zealand SX Open

Ricky Carmichael and Ben Townley will go head-to-head for the first time ever on New Zealand soil at this year’s Monster Energy S-X Open at Auckland’s Mt Smart Stadium in Auckland on November 16.

This will be the first time that Carmichael and Townley have raced side-by-side since 2007 and they will be joining Chad Reed and Jason Anderson at the second NZ SX Open, while the event has also confirmed Monster Energy Factory Kawasaki Rider Joey Savatgy.

Ricky Carmichael

“I couldn’t be more excited to be racing in Auckland this November 16, it will be my first time ever racing there, and I’m excited to put on an epic show for the fans at Mt Smart Stadium. BT and I have raced together many times before, and he’s always been a tough guy to beat, and it’s been a long time since we’ve gone bar-to-bar. We raced plenty back in the day at the GOAT Farm, he was easy to beat then, and I reckon he’s gonna be easy to beat now, so I think I’m going to have to beat him in front of his home crowd in Auckland on November 16.”

Townley put in a fantastic showing at last year’s inaugural S-X Open Auckland, after taking down rival Ronnie Mac and his Internationals Team, to win the International Showdown feature race, capping off a huge win for Team ANZACs over the Internationals and plans to back it up again in 2019.

Ben Townley

“I’ve had plenty of battles with RC back in the day when I based myself out of his training facility in the US in 2006 and ’07. Ricky never let any cameras in the ‘GOAT Farm’ back then and was always so secretive about the place, truth be told he just didn’t want anyone to know how much I was beating him by in his own backyard! It’s going to be awesome to battle head-to-head against Ricky again and it’s a massive win for Kiwi sports fans that the GOAT is coming to New Zealand to put on a show for us at Mt Smart Stadium on November 16. He might be an old boy now but Ricky still has plenty of tricks in the bag so I’ll be training hard to ensure I take home the trophy for the ANZACs again!”

After a stellar 2019 World Championship campaign where the 26-year old took out top rookie in the SX1 class and finished the Championship in eighth position, Savatgy will be looking to secure his maiden 450 Event Win by taking it to his International counterparts and New Zealand’s very best.

Joey Savatgy

“It’ll be tough, there are quite a few big names going over and I’m going to have to get everything dialled in straight away. Obviously, starts are huge and if you can get off the gate and put yourself in a position to win right away, that will go a long way against those guys. It’ll be fast-paced and it’ll be full of action, exactly what the fans want!”

S-X Open Auckland will also form the fourth round of the Australian Supercross Championship, the first time an event in New Zealand will be a part of the Australian series, and will feature the Triple-Crown Final race format, with non-stop, high-intensity action that will have fans on the edge of their seats, for the entire duration of the event.

The S-X Open Auckland database pre-sale commences June 20 from 12pm NZST with public on-sale becoming available from June 26 12pm NZST via Ticketmaster, tickets start from $39.00*. Sign up for pre-sale at www.sxopen.com

Max Fricke gets Norrbil Swedish SGP call up

Max Fricke will bid to put his Hallstavik home-track knowledge to good use after being called up for the Norrbil Swedish SGP on July 6. The SGP second reserve steps into the meeting in place of the absent Greg Hancock, who continues to care for wife Jennie, who is battling breast cancer in California.

The Australian joins Rospiggarna team mate Robert Lambert in the meeting, with the British champion already drafted in to cover for the injured Tai Woffinden.

The opportunity comes as a boost to Fricke after he topped the ANLAS Czech SGP scorechart in Prague on 12 points, before exiting at the semi-final stage.

Lambert has also taken his SGP chance with both hands, reaching the semis in both Warsaw and Krsko, before missing out on six points in Prague.

Both men will be keen to make the most of their local knowledge when they join their Rospiggarna colleague and SGP regular Jason Doyle in the field for one of Sweden’s biggest nights of racing.