Moto News | Forkner injuries confirmed | Waters to A4DE/Hattah | MXGP | Enduro

Moto News Weekly Wrap
January 25, 2022

What’s New:

• Forkner confirms broken collarbone
• Russian MXGP cancelled – replacement to be announced
• Bathurst Long Track Masters this weekend!
• Todd Waters sets sights on A4DE and Hattah in 2022
• Mikael Persson joins Husqvarna Factory Racing’s 2022 Enduro efforts
• Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge next stop on World Rally-Raid calendar
• New-look KTM Enduro line-up revealed with Granquist & Karlsson
• Husqvarna Factory Racing docuseries kicks off with Part 1
• PWR Yamaha strong at NZ Cross Country opener
• Riders talk Arlington AMA SX Round 8
• 2022 MXGP of Great Britain Round 1 – Matterley Basin
• Cas Valk and Michael Sandner top EMX in Britain
• 2022 Racing Calendars
  • 2022 FIM Motocross (MXGP) World Championship
  • 2022 Monster Energy AMA/ FIM World Supercross
  • 2022 FIM Hard Enduro
  • 2022 Australian Arenacross
  • 2022 ProMX (Australia)
  • 2022 Lucas Oil Pro MX
  • 2022 Victorian Junior MX State Titles
  • 2022 WA State Supercross
  • 2022 FIM Bajas World Cup
  • 2022 Silk Way Rally
  • 2022 FIM ISDE

Forkner confirms broken collarbone

Austin Forkner has confirmed that he has suffered a broken collarbone as a result of his mid-air clash with Jett Lawrence at last weekend’s Arlington triple-header.

The 23-year-old had been battling with Aussie teenager Jett Lawrence, who had come through the field to challenge Forkner for third place, before clipping a tough-block on an up-ramp which changed his trajectory to one that saw him clash with Forkner at great height.

The resulting sickening impact left Forkner clutching and supporting his arm, while Lawrence eventually managed to remount and claim tenth place. Jett Lawrence took full responsibility for his mistake and expressed plenty of remorse in the most race press conference.

Austin Forkner

“Well, collarbone is broke… but after watching how hard I hit I’m lucky it wasn’t worse. Same one from last year just broke around the plate and through a couple screws. I knew it was broken as soon as I got up. I’ve just been dreading making the post about it, but I guess here it is. You know, I really was trying to make changes this year to my riding and my mentality to be ok with not being the fastest guy at every race, or settling for a third or a fifth at times so I would be at every race and make it to the end of the season. And if that left me with a championship then great, but if not then so be it. But that’s why this sport is so damn tough because sometimes none of that matters and things just happen. Anyways, it is what it is. I do really appreciate all the support from everyone, it means a lot. I’ll be back.”

Russian MXGP cancelled – replacement to be announced

The Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM) and Infront Moto Racing have announce that due to the current situation, it is not possible to hold the MXGP of MFR set to take place on April 30-May 1 in Orlyonok.

The local Organizer has been informed. The entire MXGP collective thoughts are with the people suffering the consequences of the present situation. A replacement Grand Prix will be announced shortly.

Bathurst Long Track Masters this weekend!

The long wait is nearly over with the motorcycle racing set to return to the Bathurst Showground this weekend with the Bathurst Long Track Masters meeting more than four years since the last time the venue hosted racing.

Practice for the vast majority of competitors takes place on Friday March 4, with the rest (much smaller numbers) having their shakedown on the Saturday before the race programme gets under way. The entry list does not just have quantity, as the best dirt track and long track riders in the country are prominent in the line-ups with some to travel from as far away as Melbourne in the south, Mildura in the west and Townsville in the north.

Most travelled riders will be Damien Koppe, Kayden Downing, Harrison Maxwell and Dale Borlase from FNQ, Jason and Jordan Stewart from Mildura plus a contingent from Melbourne. Queenslander Jarred Brook has been the most successful rider in the sport in recent years, and he will be out to build on his dominant showings in previous appearances at Bathurst.

The programme has 111 races across the 14 classes of races with the final of those classes spread between the afternoon and evening session, plus the Masters Shootout. Fans should remember they can secure their tickets before race day via the website https://www.eventbrite.com.au/o/panorama-motorcycle-club-long-track-40142513283

Todd Waters sets sights on A4DE and Hattah in 2022

Todd Waters is back with the Husqvarna Racing Team in 2022, and will continue to compete the Australian Off-Road Championship (AORC) this season, but is adding the Australian Four-Day Enduro (A4DE) and Hattah Desert Race to his calendar to mix things up.

Former national MX1 champion Waters was already named as leading Husqvarna Motorcycles’ in-house factory ProMX effort riding an FC 450, while he will enter AORC as a title favourite in E2 and outright within his own Husky-backed enduro program.

Despite 2022 being his third campaign battling the best off-road racers in the country, 31-year-old Queenslander Waters is still relatively new to sport, having only raced five rounds of the AORC over two shortened seasons.

In that short time, though, Waters has quickly established himself as a serious contender. After finishing third in the AORC E2 standings on debut in 2020, Waters stormed to two E2 class wins at Golden Beach, VIC, last year prior to the season being cancelled.

With the promise of a full season of racing the clock beckoning, Waters will be equipped with the highly-competitive Husqvarna FE 450 in the AORC when it takes off at Cherrabah in Queensland on 19-20 March.

Todd Waters

“It’s exciting to be adding enduro to our motocross plans for another season and I’m ready to go. I’m never really results-driven from a training perspective, but I’m definitely going out to win any time that we line up. At the same time, it’s hard to prepare for the AORC, as I haven’t raced a full championship and I’ve never experienced a cross-country format yet! The different formats that we race in off-road really excite me and I’m looking forward to the longer enduro races and the likes of Hattah. This year we’re running the Husqvarna enduro program ourselves and that suits me to a tee – I’m confident with what we can supply and we’ve spent the past three months finding the optimal bike and suspension set-up. I’m fit, healthy and I’m going into the first round as prepared as I can possibly be.”

Kyle Blunden – KTM Group Australia Motorsport Manager

“To continue our long-standing relationship with Todd in his pursuit for success in the off-road segment and also in motocross is very exciting. Todd has shown on numerous occasions that he has what it takes to win against the country’s best racers and, after refining his set-up with Paul at MPE, he is feeling more comfortable than ever. Todd has grown both as a racer and Husqvarna Motorcycles ambassador over the years and we are thrilled to be going racing with him in 2022.”

Mikael Persson joins Husqvarna Factory Racing’s 2022 Enduro efforts

Husqvarna Factory Racing has signed experienced enduro racer and former 125cc Enduro Youth Cup World Champion Mikael Persson for the 2022 season. Returning full-time to world championship competition following a number of years away from the series, Mikael will compete in the Enduro3 class on a TE 300i.

A dominant junior competitor on the EnduroGP World Championship scene back in 2015, in recent years Mikael has focused on competing in his national championship in Sweden. Winning the Swedish Enduro Championship in 2018, 2019, and 2021, Mikael also claimed victory in Sweden’s two most prestigious standalone events last year – Gotland Grand National and Novemberkasan.

In addition to his impressive national results, Mikael topped the Enduro1 class at the 2021 International Six Days Enduro in Italy while also finishing third overall, competing at the top of the results throughout the week-long event.

Mikael will ride as Husqvarna Motorcycles’ sole official EnduroGP competitor, and will join Billy Bolt in the team who will race in both the FIM SuperEnduro World Championship and FIM Hard Enduro World Championship for Husqvarna Factory Racing.

The FIM EnduroGP World Championship starts with round one in Lalin, Spain on May 6-8.

Mikael Persson

“I’m very, very happy to get this opportunity to return to the EnduroGP World Championship, especially with Husqvarna. As a Swede, competing officially for Husqvarna is a big honour. Being around familiar machinery and people I have known for many years, yeah, I can’t wait to get racing again. There are still some months to go before the start of the world championship, but my training and preparation has been going well. I headed to southern Europe early in the New Year to get familiar with the new bike, and since then I’ve just been riding and training. I’ve put a lot of hours in on the bike now and switching back to a 2-stroke, and back to being a full-time racer, is all going well. I’m enjoying the process. I’m building my way back into everything. I know that I have a lot of experience, and I’m 100% focused on doing the best I can, but I’m not putting myself under any crazy pressure – the team and myself know what we’re aiming for, and I’ll do all I can to be competing at the front of my class. This is a great opportunity for me, I’m certainly going to give my all and make the best of it.”

Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge next stop on World Rally-Raid calendar

Six weeks after the finish of the Dakar Rally, the first round of the unified FIA and FIM World Rally-Raid Championships, the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge is preparing to host the second round of the 2022 calendar.

Red is in the spotlight in the premier Rally GP category, but not always from the same constructor! Sam Sunderland won the Dakar on his GasGas Factory Racing bike and is the provisional leader with 38 points. His team-mate, Daniel Sanders, who crashed on his way out of Riyadh, wasn’t able to contribute to the constructors’ point tally and won’t be able to do so in Abu Dhabi either, as is he still recovering from a broken arm.

Thanks to the second-place result of Pablo Quintanilla (30 points) and the fifth place of Joan Barreda (17 points), Monster Energy Honda leads the constructors’ classification, two points ahead of GasGas. The third-place result in Jeddah of the reigning world champion, Matthias Walkner, with 24 points, sees the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing team in third place in the constructors’ classification (36 points).

In trouble at the Dakar after Skyler Howes crashed out on stage 5 and Luciano Benavides finished 13th, the Husqvarna Factory Racing team is sixth in the manufacturers’ standings and will have to get back on track without delay.

Rui Gonçalves at Sherco will leave it to Lorenzo Santolino to defend the honour of the French brand, which is fourth in the constructors’ classification (14 points). The Spaniard will have to watch his back and the Hero Motorsports clan. The Indian brand, fifth in the constructors’ standings with 13 points, is adopting the opposite policy. Joaquim Rodrigues will be joined by Franco Caimi, who was injured in testing while preparing for Abu Dhabi last year, and Ross Branch, the Yamaha defector. All the factory riders and the valiant privateer Martin Michek, present at the Dakar in RallyGP, have entered round two of the championship.

New-look KTM Enduro line-up revealed with Granquist & Karlsson

An all-new KTM enduro line-up has been uncovered ahead of the upcoming 2022 Australian Off-Road Championship (AORC) season, with new riders Stefan Granquist and Emelie Karlsson ready and eager for the stopwatches to start.

Granquist and Karlsson have been regulars in the Australian off-road scene ever since 2011 and consistently feature towards the top of the time-sheets. The pair will also contest the Australian Four-Day Enduro (A4DE) and Hattah Desert Race this year.

The past two years have seen Granquist solidify himself as a competitive racer in the E2 category. In 2020, the experienced 35-year-old finished sixth in class despite entering the shortened AORC season with a broken hand. Last year, he went 5-6 at Golden Beach’s opener, before the series cancellation.

For 2022, the Port Stephens local will ride the powerful KTM 500 EXC-F within the E3 class in the AORC and A4DE, as well as the Hattah Desert Race. Granquist is gunning for glory in E3 and a top-five outright at both the AORC and A4DE, in addition to a podium target at Hattah.

Stefan Granquist

“It’s definitely an honour to ride for KTM and it’s something I’ve always been striving for. I’m motivated to put in the work and get some good results. I tend to have a smoother riding style and being able to use the torque of the 500 EXC-F is something that really suits me. I’m feeling really good on the bike and I’m excited for the season ahead. Nothing beats being at the races and I can’t wait to get back out there and see how all the work over the past year has paid off.”

Over the past two years, Karlsson has proven to be a tenacious racer in the Women’s All Powers class. She underwent surgery for carpal tunnel syndrome just before the opening round of the 2020 AORC series and, despite having no seat time in the lead-up, finished second in the three-round championship.

In last year’s AORC rounds at Golden Beach, the former Australian champion finished a gritty third in class, despite injuring her shoulder in a crash. Karlsson will be equipped with a KTM 350 EXC-F for 2022 and will settle for nothing less than the overall victory in her class.

Emelie Karlsson

“It’s exciting and a breath of fresh air to have signed with KTM. It’s been a good change and it’s super-exciting to race a different bike and capacity, to have access to the KTM factory resources, such as suspension testing. The 350 EXC-F has significantly more power than 250Fs I’ve ridden in the past and I’m finding I can use the torque of the motor more without having to rev the engine as much. That style of riding really suits me, as I always focus on being a smooth rider rather than an aggressive one.”

The season will commence with the opening rounds of the 2022 Australian Off-Road Championship to be held at Cherrabah, Queensland, between 19-20 March.

Kyle Blunden – KTM Group Australia Motorsport Manager

“We’re excited to welcome both Stefan and Emelie to the KTM brand and are very much looking forward to working with them in 2022. Both racers have shown a burning desire to be successful in their respective classes and have a keen eye for detail when it comes to their presence at the track. As a group, we have chosen to approach this season a little differently, however, the goal is still the same. Both riders are partnered with Choice Suspension, who had them feeling comfortable on the bikes right away, and to say we have high hopes for our racers is an understatement. We look forward to supporting both Stefan and Emelie as they pursue their goals for the season.”

Husqvarna Factory Racing docuseries kicks off with Part 1

Husqvarna Motorcycles have launched the first instalment of their five-episode docuseries, Grit and Grind. The docuseries highlights the dynamic Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing Team, chronicling the highs and lows of competing in the 2022 AMA Supercross Championship. From seasoned veterans to team-newcomers, the series offers a behind-the-scenes look at the sport’s elite athletes as they battle for glory on the global stage.

Featuring five full episodes, Grit and Grind focuses on each of the team’s five riders – Malcolm Stewart, Jalek Swoll, RJ Hampshire, Dean Wilson and Stilez Robertson – and their individual stories.

Kicking off with Malcolm Stewart, the newest member of the team’s 450 cc roster, Episode 1 showcases the Florida-native’s journey as he enters an all-new team, training program and outlook for 2022.

Nearly halfway into the season, Stewart has battled his way into title contention and the behind-the-scenes perspective is a can’t-miss opportunity for race fans around the world.

New episodes of Grit and Grind: a Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing Series will regularly drop throughout the Supercross season as the team continues to battle through all 17 rounds of the AMA Supercross Championship. Stay tuned for Episode 2, featuring 250SX West rider Jalek Swoll.

PWR Yamaha strong at NZ Cross Country opener

The PWR Yamaha team had a strong start to the four-round 2022 New Zealand Cross Country Championship with Tommy Watts, Wil Yeoman and satellite rider Charlotte Russ winning their respective classes yesterday.

Watts has a target on his back as the defending champion and although he gave it everything he had on his YZ250FX, he couldn’t catch overall winner James Scott by the three-hour race’s end.

The two frontrunners just increased their pace every 30-minute lap at Holly Farm near Marton, with Scott holding onto a gap through the farmland track, which was punctuated by pine forest and bush-filled gullies. Watts saw his main rival exit the pits as he entered them and after a quick stop he was back on the hunt.

Tommy Watts

“I didn’t get the best of starts, which made it pretty tough on that first lap. I got taken down twice by riders trying to get to the front as well and I made a few silly little mistakes. I’d picked through the pack by the end of the first lap and was sitting in around third. I kept going and pushing hard and by the end of the third lap I was in second behind James. I knew we were fairly close, so I was out of there. I couldn’t manage to chase James down though and he pulled 20 seconds on me every lap which I was pretty gutted about.”

However, Watts enjoyed his debut ride on his new Yamaha 250FX, which took him to the 4 Stroke Under class win and second overall for the Bush Riders Motorcycle Club-hosted event. He vowed to work on his starts with PWR Yamaha Team Manager Paul Whibley before the next round in April.

Yeoman had a hard-charging start, climbing up to second place after lap one. He wound up an impressive third overall and won the 2 Stroke Over class on his Yamaha YZ250FX.

Wil Yeoman

“I tried to keep James Scott in sight for as long as I could, then my team mate Tommy passed me on the next lap. So, I aimed to keep it smooth and hang on for the remainder of the three-hour race. Huge thanks to Bush Riders and Cam Smith for making the event happen. It was a real cross country track with lots of variety. Also thank you to all my sponsors – it’s great to finally get the riding season underway.”

The third PWR Yamaha rider Seth Reardon had a rough tumble at the beginning of his 2022 campaign, after a positive start saw him make his way to the front of the pack.

Seth Reardon

“I was feeling good, then just after the halfway mark, I hit a hole in the long grass which sent me down a bank and injured my knees, so I couldn’t carry on. I’m not broken, so I will be ready for the next one in April.”

Motorcycling New Zealand (MNZ) cross-country commissioner Chris Smyth hopes that the cross country championship can run unimpeded in 2022, unlike in 2020 where only one round went ahead before the pandemic forced the cancellation of the remaining competition.

Round two is set for land near Pahiatua on Saturday, April 16. Round three will run in Central Hawke’s Bay just two days later, on Easter Monday, April 18. A venue is still to be decided for the fourth and final round on Saturday, May 14.

Riders will be able to discard their worst result over the four rounds with just their three best efforts counting towards the championship standings.

Riders talk Arlington AMA SX Round 8

Images by Jeff Kardas

450 Main One

Vince Friese got away well but it was Marvin Musquin that took the early lead, while Jason Anderson engaged in battle with Friese. Malcolm Stewart then came through on both of them to take that second place but out front Musquin had pulled the pin. Eli Tomac was down in 15th at this early juncture.

Two-minutes in and it was Musquin leading Stewart by almost two-seconds, with Anderson a further second behind in third but with a decent buffer over Justin Barcia.

Malcolm Stewart then went through to the lead after Musquin looked to have stalled the bike coming out of a turn. Musquin fired the KTM back into life quick enough but his flow had been interrupted enough for Anderson to also slip past and relegate him further back to third. Barcia and Webb then pushed the Frenchman further back to fifth.

Musquin then went down and lost many more positions. Ferrandis also went down after hitting the back of Justin Brayton when the Honda was slow out of a berm, making it two Frenchmen on the deck.  It appeared as though shortly after that a German also joined them on the deck, with Roczen going down.

Jason Anderson started to close on Malcolm Stewart as the race entered its final few laps but then they tangled and both went down! This was becoming a war of attrition.  Justin Barcia inherited the lead and Cooper Webb moved into second.

Defending champ Cooper Webb got Barcia on the final lap from way behind, perhaps surprising the GASGAS man to score the opening win. Eli Tomac had come through the pack to secure third place ahead of Chase Sexton.

450 Main One Results

450 Main Two

Chase Sexton scored the holeshot from Anderson and Tomac after an amazing run through turn one that saw him enter far from first but carrying enough speed through the turn to come out the other side way out in front.

Cooper Webb was quickly up to fourth ahead of Friese and Brayton, Malcolm Stewart seventh, Ferrandis eighth and Barcia ninth.

The leading trio were running fairly close but Sexton maintained sway up front ahead of Anderson and Tomac, that pair swapping positions numerous times through the mid stages of the race.

Anderson eventually managed to escape the clutches of Tomac and then once clear, ran down Sexton with apparent ease before moving through to the lead just past half race distance. It took Tomac a few minutes more to get the better of the Honda man and by the time he did Anderson had built a five-second lead with three-minutes remaining.

Jason Anderson cruised home to victory ahead of Tomac, while Sexton managed to hold off Webb all the way to the flag.

Dylan Ferrandis was fifth ahead of Stewart, Barcia and Friese, while Roczen again failed to fire, the German coming home ninth just ahead of Justin Brayton.

450 Main Two Results

450 Main Three

Eli Tomac got off to a good start this time around but it was Shane McElrath with the holeshot, while Marvin Musquin went down as did Cooper Webb and Ken Roczen.

Tomac made short work of McElrath to move into the lead while Jason Anderson slipped past Stewart and Brayton to move up to third. Moments later he was also past McElrath and had his head down chasing Tomac.

Dylan Ferrandis was fifth and Sexton sixth with nine-minutes remaining after relegating Brayton to seventh, while Webb had worked his way up to eighth.

By half race distance Anderson was on Tomac and the two engaged in battle before Anderson finally made a pass stick with five-minutes left on the shot clock and one past he pulled the pin and escaped.

Malcolm Stewart and Chase Sexton were third and fourth respectively until Sexton made a mistake that allowed Cooper Webb to sneak through and push the Honda man back to fifth.

Jason Anderson the clear victor in the end but Tomac the round winner despite not taking a race win. Tomac gaining the best score off the back of his 3-2-2 results just edging out Anderson’s 6-1-1, extending Tomac’s championship points lead over Tomac out to six-points.

This pair now enjoying a good points buffer over the rest of the field and shaping up as the championship favourites at this now almost halfway point of the season.

Eli Tomac – P1

“It was a night of consistency to win the overall. In that first race, it was a big fight back to a podium spot, and I was just charging. Then in the second one, I had a really good battle with Jason (Anderson). We passed each other multiple times, and I ended up finishing second. I took some good momentum into race three, so I knew where we were at and what needed to be done. I had a really good start and felt like I pretty much had the holeshot, but not quite. Then I tried to push and kept going, but Jason got by me. At that point, I was like, ‘I’m going to try and lock on to his rear wheel and maybe try and make a move later on in the race,’ but didn’t quite make it happen. Overall though, it was a good night for us with another win and some more points in the championship.”

Jason Anderson – P2

“All-in-all it was a good night for us as a team, I won two of the three main events and came away with second overall. I’m happy with the momentum we have right now and I think we’re in a really good place as far as the bike goes. My results have been great lately but, my focus is still on taking it one race at a time and staying on my toes because this 450SX class is stacked with talented riders that all want to win.”

Cooper Webb – P3

“I felt really good in that last Main Event, I feel like we made some great bike changes for it and that’s what we live for – to go into the last one tied. We all got bunched up in the first-turn and unfortunately ended up going down, but I charged really hard, which I’m happy with. Today I was in the fight and I got my first [Triple Crown Main Event] win but overall, I’m bummed – I felt like I had it tonight and really wanted to go win, so we’ll work hard this week and we’ll keep fighting.”

Chase Sexton – P4

“Round 8 in Arlington I guess was okay. I finished fourth overall with 4-3-5 moto scores. It wasn’t ideal but I’m happy to be back racing after last weekend. I felt fine on the bike all day, but I didn’t really execute that well with my starts, which didn’t put me in a great position. In the second race, I didn’t ride that well. I’m excited for Daytona since it’s near home for me in Florida. It’s going to be nice being back in the warm weather, and it’s just time to get after it.”

Malcolm Stewart – P5

“It was a good night. We managed a fifth overall and it could have been better but honestly, it could have been a lot worse. I felt good in the first one but I got tangled up with another rider and finished fifth. I had a really bad start in the second one, completely my fault, I blinked on the gate and put myself in a bad position. The lapped riders were kind of tough and I came in with one and stalled my bike going through the finish. In the last one, I had a decent start and just managed the race. The good thing about the Triple Crown is that you can kind of save yourself – it’s like a throw away – so I think we’re just learning. We’re on a good streak and there are a lot of positives, so we’re looking forward to Daytona, a home race for me.”

Justin Barcia – P6

“It was a tough one! The first race was good, I felt good on the track I made some great passes and was pretty fast. As the track broke down, I just struggled a bit, and I didn’t get the best of starts in the second and third races, which made it really difficult. And when you get stuck in a little bit of groove, you just get stuck there. We need to go back to the track, do some training and come back swinging at Daytona. I love it there, it’s a fun place and I know we’ve got a good bike, so we’ll have a good time with the crew and be close to home, so that will be fun!”

Dylan Ferrandis – P7

“I had another good qualifying, but I struggled a bit at the Triple Crown with some crashes and mistakes. The bike was awesome, though, and I look forward to next weekend. We’re going to go back to work and get ready for Daytona.”

Dean Wilson – P10

“My night wasn’t too bad, I felt like my riding was good and my starts have improved, which is something I’ve been working really hard on. Unfortunately, I washed the front in a slippery corner and ended up getting 13th in the second race, so that really hurt my points but we have some positives and we’ll keep working until we get up there.”

Ken Roczen – P13

“The race here in Dallas was a better start to the day. I felt a lot better about myself and was able to put in some good qualifying laps. I haven’t been that far up on the board in a long time, so overall this was probably the first race where I was actually having fun. Come the night show though, that all turned around because of how slick the track was – they watered pretty heavily. I was really struggling with the bike and with traction, resulting in a lot of crashes which is very unlike me. It was another very frustrating weekend. I’m looking forward to Daytona, as it usually changes things up and makes for a fun track.”

Marvin Musquin – P14

“It was a crazy day and unfortunately I just didn’t perform today, even though I was leading the first Main Event and doing great until I stalled the bike and lost momentum. I just need to be better. It was a tough day physically and the feeling with the bike was just not good, so it’s especially tough when it’s a Triple Crown with three races. In the last race, I ended up going down off the start with someone else and got burned on the back a little bit and from there, it was done.”

450 Main Three Results

450 Round Results

450 Championship Standings (Round 8 of 17)

250 Main One

Jett Lawrence was on fire in the qualifying session, his time not only topping the 250 ranks but also quick enough to have placed him third in the 450 class.

The young Aussie scored the holeshot in the first of the three mains in the first triple-header round of the season for the 250 East competitors but then went down after losing the rear. That allowed Stilez Robertson, Cameron McAdoo and Austin Forkner through to the front, while Jett had been shuffled all the way back to 19th before he was back up and running.

By half race distance Forkner was leading and McAdoo following him in a Kawasaki 1-2 ahead of RJ Hampshire after Roberston had also been passed by Oldenburg and Smith.  Lawrence had just got into the top ten with five-minutes remaining.  Young rookie Levi Kitchen went down and looked as though he may have picked up an injury.

Jett Lawrence continued to storm through the field but could only get up to fourth before the chequered flag.  Jett set the fastest lap of the race a full eight-tenths quicker than race winner Forkner despite having to pass riders constantly and almost pushed Hampshire off the podium on the line.

Forkner took the win ahead of McAdoo while RJ Hampshire rounded out the podium.

250 Main One Results

250 Main Two

Jett Lawrence and Stilez Roberston both got away well but Robertson had the exit line and Jett did not push the point and settled for second. Lawrence almost clipped the rear of Robertson at the end of the next section but somehow managed to avoid it and stay on the bike and in the contest. Jeremy Martin was third ahead of Forkner and McAdoo at this early stage of the bout.

Jett Lawrence moved past Robertson and left him for dead. Martin relegated Roberston further back to third place and shortly after that McAdoo pushed him further back to fifth.

Jeremy Martin was showing some great pace, almost as fast as Lawrence but with five-minutes to run the 18-year-old had a four-second advantage and maintained that lead all the way to the flag. Cameron McAdoo scored third ahead of Austin Forker and Phil Nicoletti.

RJ Hampshire was running strong in sixth until a mistake on the final lap when he brushed the back of Nicoletti, the medical flags came out to protect an injured Hampshire and the Husqvarna man would take no further part in the nights proceedings.

250 Main Two Results

250 Main Three

Jett Lawrence went down at turn one and thus commenced the final bout of the day from dead last.  Up front Cameron McAdoo had clear air and was the early leader ahead of Jace Owen and Pierce Brown.

Austin Forkner was running seventh behind Nicoletti and Robertson. That was until Nicoletti went down with Robertson which saw the pair lose a number of positions, promoting Forkner up to fourth and Martin fifth.

Martin collected the back of another rider which put him on the deck and he was back to ninth before he was up and running again.

Jett Lawrence had come from dead last up through the field, setting outright fastest lap of the race again and again, working his way up to fourth place and onto the back of Forkner with three-minutes left on the shot clock.

Lawrence then made a pass, but didn’t get as good a run out of the next turn which meant Forkner hit the next up-ramp with more speed, while Jett changed lines in the air after clipping a tough block on launch which led to the two colliding in the air after Forkner collected his rear wheel.

Both went down pretty hard and for a moment it looked as though neither might play any further part in proceedings but Lawrence did manage to get going again in tenth position, Forkner though did not and was left clutching his shoulder.

Oblivious to all this drama was Cameron McAdoo who was way out in front with an eight-second advantage over Pierce Brown.  That pair came home in that order while Jeremy Martin claimed third ahead of Jace Owen.

Jett Lawrence salvaged tenth place to finish third for the round.

McAdoo the round winner to join Lawrence at the top of the championship table with 47-points apiece.

Jeremy Martin was second which promotes him into third in the championship, five-points behind that pair.

Cameron McAdoo – P1

“It was a crazy night of racing and we all know these triple crowns are gnarly,” said McAdoo. “Three riders going into the final race tied for the win made it an intense race. I picked the same gate each time and had good starts, which helps when it comes to these events. The track was tough, but I enjoyed the feeling on the bike. Everything felt great and I’m looking forward to going back to where I got my first win next week in Daytona.”

Jeremy Martin – P2

“It was a bit of a rough day, to be honest. I think I was ninth in the first free practice, but I kept getting better every session. The team worked very hard, and I let them take the lead on some stuff with suspension, and it really paid off tonight. I got off to a decent start in the first race of the triple crown, but I had nowhere to go when a rider went down in front of me, and I had to make my way from last to ninth. The second one was better, and I finished second, just behind Jett (Lawrence). In the third race, I was ready to see what we could do to finish out the night. I went to make a pass and hit the guy in front of me and went down in front of the mechanics’ area. I got back up and kept pushing and was able to make it to third in that race for second overall. It feels good to get on the podium. We’ll keep working on getting to the top spot.”

Jett Lawrence – P3

“I was feeling really good all day today for my second round. I really gelled with the track, and the bike was feeling awesome. I made a few stupid mistakes, and I’m really disappointed in myself; I’m not happy one bit. The only takeaway is that the bike has been great. I’m just very disappointed and looking forward to the next round. Thankfully I’m okay but very, very sorry. My riding was good and the track was awesome. I made too many mistakes, and if I didn’t make them, there wouldn’t have been carnage. Obviously the main topic from tonight was the [Austin] Forkner crash. I’m truly sick to my stomach that it happened. I’ve never intentionally wanted to take anyone out like that or hurt someone. I’m sorry to Austin, his girlfriend Rylee and the Forkner family. I’m truly, truly sorry. I have nothing much else to say besides that. The rest of the night was great. The bike is handling awesome, and the team was awesome. I just need to tidy up my mistakes if I want a chance at the title.”

Jordon Smith – P5

“I didn’t feel great all day. I had a small crash in qualifying and hurt my elbow. In race 1 I did ok but rode sensible, in race 2 I gated well and felt stronger, we made a small change to the rear, and it was working. Unfortunately, I ended having two falls, one I couldn’t avoid as a rider crashed in front of me over a jump. I was happy to get up and get back to tenth. I have some things I need to work on, we improved the bike over the weekend, but I can’t afford these falls.  Fifth was great and we are within striking range of the top three.  I want to be a podium guy and we will work hard to get there.”

Stilez Robertson – P10

“It was an okay day, we’ll definitely take the positives and keep going with it. We definitely have the starts down and the riding is getting better. The team is coming to Baker’s [Factory] this week to work on some things and try to get a bit better for Daytona and hopefully we can go there and redeem ourselves from last year.”

Pierce Brown – P12

“It was a tough day but we didn’t quit, so I think we ended it off on a good note. We started the day off a little rough. In qualifying one, I crashed and knocked the wind out of myself, and it took me a little bit to get up. That kind of snowballed into Q2 and I had some mistakes in the first two races, so it was a tough day until moto three when I finally got off to a good start, put my laps down and rode like myself. Overall, it’s not the day we wanted but I’m just happy to rebound from the tough day that we had. Onto Daytona and let’s just get back to work!”

250 Main Three Results

250 Round Results

250 East Championship Standings (Round 2 of 9)

2022 MXGP of Great Britain Round 1 – Matterley Basin

The 2022 MXGP championship has officially kicked off with Round 1 in Great Britain’s Matterley Basin, where Team HRC’s Tim Gajser and Red Bull GasGas Factory Racing’s Simon Längenfelder laid claim to the MXGP and MX2 overall victories respectively.

It was a near-perfect day for Gajser who secured his first Grand Prix win in Matterley Basin for the first time since 2016, when he still raced in MX2, and now heads into round two with the red plate back on his CRF450R.

Meanwhile Simon Längenfelder continued his ‘fairy tale’ weekend by winning his first ever MX2 race, claiming his first Grand Prix victory and leaving Great Britain with the red plate!

Round 1 saw Australian Jed Beaton (F&H Kawasaki Racing Team) make an impressive start to his season as he clinched sixth place overall.

In the opening bout Beaton was seventh early on before working his way up to fifth by the flag.

Beaton was again impressive in race two, quickly making a couple of significant passes to move into the top six again on the opening lap. Concentrating on riding consistently as the low late-afternoon sun cast dramatic shadows over the deeply-rutted terrain he surrendered one position mid-moto but his sixth place in the overall GP classification was never in danger.

Jed Beaton – P6

“Obviously I’m pretty happy with my day. I didn’t know what to expect coming here so it’s been pretty crazy to finish sixth first-time in MXGP. I think everyone always likes riding this track and I felt relaxed all day, got two good starts, rode my own race each time and tried to stay solid for fifth and seventh. For me I actually feel a lot more comfortable on the 450 and am really enjoying riding it; it’s more to handle but I’m a big guy and the little bit more power is good for me.“

It was a mixed weekend for fellow Aussie Mitch Evans, although it was always going to be a tough ask to come up against the best motocross riders in the world after over 15-months of absence due to injury.

However Evans showed his fighting spirit, clicking off his laps and completing both motos in what were some extremely difficult conditions. His 17-22 results aren’t where he wants to be, but this was an important step in his recovery, as he attempts to get back to the front of this competitive MXGP class.

Mitch Evans – P20

“It’s been a long time since I competed at this level and although my results aren’t the best, it felt good to be out there racing and I’m happy to have finished both races without any major incidents. This was a big step for me, so now I can concentrate on getting better and better, and that starts next week in Mantova.”

2022 MXGP of Great Britain Highlight Video

MXGP Race 1

In MXGP race one, it was Red Bull GasGas Factory Racing’s Jorge Prado who grabbed the first Fox Holeshot of the season ahead of Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing’s Jeremy Seewer and Glenn Coldenhoff.

Team HRC’s Tim Gajser got squeezed in the start and was around ninth on the opening lap, as Honda 114 Motorsports’ Ruben Fernandez crashed.

Prado led Seewer, Coldenhoff and Alberto Forato of SM Action Racing Team YUASA Battery, as Maxime Renaux of Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing got by Gajser for fifth and set his sights on Forato, as F&H Kawasaki Racing’s Jed Beaton was right there in the mix behind Gajser. The Aussie eventually finished the race in fifth position.

Seewer then picked up the pace, setting the fastest lap of the race which allowed him within striking distance of Prado. And he did just that, to take over the lead.

Renaux took fifth from Forato and Gajser followed into suit, to remain close to the Yamaha rider.

We then saw Fernandez come into pitlane, before heading back on track again. A few laps later the Spaniard retired from the race.

Gajser then went purple in sectors one and three and was all over Renaux. Meanwhile Renaux was busy battling his teammate Coldenhoff, which allowed the Slovenian to close in further.

Gajser then launched an attack onto Renaux, and then passed Coldenhoff too, to move into third position. It didn’t take long for the Honda rider to also catch Prado and slip into second position.

With 12 minutes to go Seewer had a 2.325 second advantage, but that was brought down rapidly by a hard charging Gajser. We then witnessed an intense battle between the pair, which lasted seven laps, until Seewer went down with just two laps to go. This gave Gajser a clear path to take the first MXGP race win of 2022.

Seewer managed to get going quickly and secure second place, while Renaux finished third ahead of Prado and Beaton.

Home hero Ben Watson of Kawasaki Racing Team MXGP finished the race in 11th place. Mitch Evans finished in 17th.

MXGP Race 2

In race two, it was again Prado with the Fox Holeshot ahead of Coldenhoff and Seewer, Fernandez and Gajser. Alessandro Lupino of Beta SDM Corse MX Team went out of the race early on, similar to race one.

Prado was looking to waste no time at making a run for it, as he extended his lead to over 3 seconds, while Beaton chased Fernandez for fifth.

Gajser meanwhile was making progress on Seewer for third and on lap three was ahead of the Swiss. A couple of laps later he also managed to get by Coldenhoff and then it was game on for the race win.

Gajser was flying and managed to bring down Prado’s five second lead down to almost nothing in a matter of a couple of laps, with still more than 10 minutes on the clock. He took chunks of time out of the Spaniard until finally on lap 11 he made the pass stick.

But the Slovenian’s lead lasted just a lap as he went down with three laps to go. This was the perfect opportunity for Prado who was keen on getting his first race win of 2022.

Despite Gajser’s best efforts, Prado was able to stay in front and win the race by just 0.500 of a second! Coldenhoff also held of his teammate Seewer, with Fernandez crossing the line in fifth followed by Renaux and Beaton. Evans dropped to P22 in Race 2.

With a win and a second, Gajser took to the top step of the podium and now leads the MXGP Championships standings, with Prado second with 43 points and Seewer third with 40.

Tim Gajser – P1

“It is great to begin the season with a strong performance like today. I didn’t make it easy, getting bad starts in both races, but I came through to the front, making passes on a tricky surface, and in the first moto I came through for the win. Unfortunately, in race two, I got to the front, but I made a small mistake with a couple of laps remaining and although I pushed really hard to get back into the lead, I crossed the line less than a second behind. Still, I won the GP overall and lead the MXGP championship, and that was the aim coming into today. A big thanks to the whole Team HRC, who have worked hard over the winter to make this result happen.”

Jorge Prado – P2

“Today was a great day! It is perfect to start the season on the podium. I felt a bit rusty in the first moto and did not really have a good rhythm in the beginning. The last two laps were good, so I knew that the second moto would be a bit better. I felt more relaxed. The start was important here, because the sun was very low. I was running a good pace after the start – I knew I had a chance and could not throw it away. I pushed as hard as possible and won the moto, so I am very happy. I feel good.”

Jeremy Seewer – P3

“It was a really positive day. I’ve never started the season this far up front. I’ve never started the season on the podium, so it’s pretty good. It shows I’m ready. I enjoyed the racing. The track was difficult but really nice, and the sun was super low, so it was quite tricky. I’m super happy, except for the first moto when I thought I had the win in the pocket, but I lost the front and then caught some ruts, and my legs weren’t long enough to save me. I am on the podium, I’m fit and I’m happy with everything and the team around me, so it’s all positive. I’m ready for more.”

Maxime Renaux – P4

“I’m not too happy with the second moto, but it was not a bad weekend for the first one. Third in the first race was pretty good and I finished fourth overall, but I know I can do better. I made a little bit too many mistakes today, but fourth… we can keep building from here.”

Glenn Coldenhoff – P5

“I started good both motos, which was really positive. In the first moto, it was going good until I started to struggle at the half way point, so to go from third to ninth is never ideal, but we made some changes for the second moto. It definitely worked out well. I got another good start and just felt a lot better. I couldn’t quite follow the leaders, but still managed to finish third, which was enough for fifth overall. So overall a decent start to the season, a positive one.”

Brian Bogers – P10

“I felt better on Sunday, compared to Saturday. I was seventh in the first moto and quite happy with that. It was a good way to start the season and something to build on! I finished twelfth in the second moto for tenth overall. I’m looking forward to the next race, because the feeling with the bike and team is really good.”

MXGP Overall Results

MXGP Standings

MX2 Race 1

It was Red Bull GasGas Factory Racing’s Simon Längenfelder who took the Fox Holeshot ahead of Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Tom Vialle, Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Kay De Wolf and F&H Kawasaki Racing’s Kevin Horgmo.

Team Ship to Cycle Honda rider Stephen Rubini was also looking strong as he was pushing Horgmo for fourth, though was caught out by Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing’s Jago Geerts.

Horgmo then went by De Wolf, as the Dutchman looked to respond. And just when Geerts was looking to be moving forward he crashed and re-joined down in ninth.

Hitachi KTM fuelled by Milwaukee’s Isak Gifting was also in the mix as he started to get pressured by Roan Van De Moosdijk of Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing and Big Ban World MTX Kawasaki Racing’s Mikkel Haarup. Gifting crashed now too long after.

Horgmo then dropped from third to fifth after making a mistake and going down, while Längenfelder set the fastest lap of the race and was getting comfortable in the lead.

Further down the field Red Bull GasGas Factory Racing’s Mattia Guadagnini was battling with fellow countryman Andrea Adamo from SM Action Racing Team YUASA Battery. Adamo was able to keep him behind and actually moved forward to pass Haarup, who crashed.

Längenfelder remained the fastest rider on track as he pushed forward and extended his lead over Vialle to 7.618.

De Wolf was also looking fast as he started to get closer to Vialle, but in the end it was Längenfelder who won his first ever MX2 race ahead of Vialle, De Wolf, Geerts, Rubini, Moosdijk, Horgmo, Haarup, Adamo and Hakon Fredriksen of Honda 114 Motorsports who was making his debut in MX2.

MX2 Race 2

In race two, we saw Längenfelder put his GasGas machine out in front once again as he claimed the second Fox Holeshot of the day. He was followed by Vialle, Horgmo, Geerts, Van de Moosdijk and Gifting.

A few laps later, Längenfelder made a mistake which allowed Vialle to move closer and not long after, the pair were side-by-side, with Vialle finally making a move for the lead. Vialle then put his head down and clocked the fastest lap of the race. And he followed that up on the next lap too.

All was looking good for the Frenchman as he was on track for the race win and overall victory, but a crash jeopardised that. He did however pick himself up quickly to re-join the race in second.

Meanwhile Geerts was ahead on Horgmo, with the Kawasaki rider also being chased down by Van de Moosdijk. Horgmo got cross-rutted and went down and out of fourth place.

Geerts then set the fastest lap of the race as he looked to catch Vialle. At that point Vialle was also within touching distance of Längenfelder. The battle between the German and the Frenchman carried on for a few laps, with Vialle trying the same inside line on the wave section several times.

It looked like Vialle had a chance to go for the win but then crashed again which allowed Geerts through. Geerts then sought his own opportunity for a win but was unable to get it done and Längenfelder went on to win the race, the Grand Prix and claim the red plate.

Second was Geerts, followed by Vialle, Van de Moosdijk, De Wolf, Gifting, Haarup, Guadagnini, Horgmo and Rubini.

Längenfelder will head to round two in Mantova with the red plate, as Vialle and Geerts sit second and third in the standings.

Simon Längenfelder – P1

“I did not expect this! I came into the weekend with the goal of doing my best. I did not think about positions or anything. I felt so good in the qualifying race and then I had two really good starts today. The second moto was tough, fighting with the other riders, but I just tried to do my best and go forward. I am so happy to go home with the red plate.”

Tom Vialle – P2

 “Not a bad result to start the season but I was a bit disappointed with the crash at the end of the second moto while trying for the win. If we consider that I’ve only been riding a month and a half and we are fine-tuning the new racebike then this was a good day. It was nice to be at the front and it was a bit of a surprise to have that good rhythm. A good GP for the confidence. Mantova next week and a track where we race a lot. We know it well and we will be ready.”

Jago Geert – P3

“I’m really happy with the day. In the first heat I was riding pretty well the first few laps but had a small crash and fell back to ninth. After that I needed some time to recover and find my rhythm again but in the end I felt really good on the track and made some passes to finish fourth. I was happy with that and feeling confident for the second heat. In the second race, my start wasn’t too good, but I was pretty quick into fourth and then into third. So, then it was a three-man battle for the lead with Tom (Vialle) and Simon (Laengenfelder). I really pushed hard to get the win but we were all quite similar in speed and it was hard to make the difference, so I had to settle for second, which is still pretty good, especially after two weeks off the bike with an arm problem.”

MX2 Overall Results

MX2 Standings

Cas Valk and Michael Sandner top EMX in Britain

The opening rounds of the EMX125 Presented by FMF Racing and EMX Open categories have concluded with overall victories from Fantic Factory Team Maddii’s Cas Valk and Michael Sandner of Raths Motorsports.

The European Championship riders were treated to two days of perfect conditions which made for some great racing that featured plenty of excitement and close battles.

EMX125

In Saturday’s EMX125 Presented by FMF Racing heat it was Karlis Alberts Reisulis of Yamaha Europe EMX125 MJC who grabbed the holeshot from Julius Mikula, Alexis Fueri of Fantic Factory Team Maddii and Elias Escandell of RFME GASGAS MX Junior Team.

A couple of corners later the running order was a little different with K. Reisulis still in the lead as Brit Joe Brookes moved into third and Yamaha Europe EMX125 MJC’s Ivano Van Erp into fourth.

Van Erp then took third from Brookes, as Ferruccio Zanchi of Yamaha Europe EMX125 MJC was making his way up the order but made a mistake and was off the track as he looked to get around Cas Valk of Fantic Factory Racing Maddii.

K. Reisulis then led Van Erp by 6.629 seconds after the Dutchman passed Maximilian Werner from KTM Kosak Team. But it was Valk who was pushing hard as he set the fastest lap of the race and moved himself into third, pushing Werner further down the order.

Brookes was looking strong in the opening stages of the race but then went out of the race after a crash. The Brit rode into pitlane holding his shoulder.

Janis Martins Reisulis was also having a good ride in fifth and eventually finished in third. But his brother Alberts crashed hard out of the lead and re-joined just ahead of Zanchi. Clearly shaken by the crash, K. Reisulis lost the position to Zanchi who became the new race leader on lap eight.

3 laps from the end there was another shake up as K. Reisulis crashed big again and did not re-join the race. Zanchi went on to claim the first race win of the season ahead of Valk, J. Reisulis, Fueri and Escandell.

Doing it for the girls in the EMX125 Presented by FMF Racing class was Lotte Van Drunen who made the move up to the 125cc bike for the 2022 season. She placed in a strong 30th place.

In race two, it was Fueri with the holeshot ahead of Marc-Antoine Rossi of Tech 32, Escandell and Van Erp. Van Erp was quick to make moves and got himself into second by the end of the opening lap.

Race 1 winner Zanchi was also making his way up the order as he sat in seventh behind Antonio Gallego of RFME GASGAS MX Junior Team.

Fueri was doing a great job of keeping Van Erp at bay, as the Yamaha rider went off the track but managed to keep his position.

J. Reisulis was doing great again in the second heat as he was fifth ahead of Zanchi and Valk who were closing in.

Van Erp then set the fastest lap of the race as he closed the gap down from the leader and it didn’t take him long to get by Fueri and move into first place. Rossi then started to apply the pressure onto Fueri too and moments later squeezed down the inside to take second.

Meanwhile Valk continued his charge to the front as he had both J. Reisulis and Fueri well in his sights.

While Fueri looked like he was on his way to a potential podium finish, disaster struck as the Italian went down hard. It took him a couple of minutes to get back on the bike, but he did and rode back to pitlane to DNF the second race.

Rossi then crashed out of second position as he chased Van Erp and a lap later Van Erp crashed himself. This meant that Fueri was the new race leader.

In the final laps we witnessed an intense lap between Fueri and Valk, as Valk pushed his teammate for the win. In the end he was able to make a pass stick to secure the race win and the overall victory. Fueri was second, Rossi third and J. Reisulis was fourth ahead of Escandell. Van Erp eventually came back to sixth.

Valk was the overall winner, with Fueri joining him on the podium on the second step and J. Reisulis making his first ever podium appearance in EMX125 Presented by FMF Racing.

The next round of the EXM125 Presented by FMF Racing will take place in Pietramurata on the 9th/10th of April for the round of Trentino.

EMX125 Presented by FMF Racing – Overall Top 10 Classification

1. Cas Valk (NED, FAN), 47 points
2. Alexis Fueri (FRA, FAN), 40
3. Janis Martins Reisulis (LAT, KTM), 38
4. Marc-Antoine Rossi (FRA, KTM), 34
5. Elias Escandell (ESP, GAS), 32
6. Charlie Heyman (GBR, KTM), 25
7. Matteo Luigi Russi (ITA, KTM), 25
8. Ferruccio Zanchi (ITA, YAM), 25
9. Maximilian Ernecker (AUT, HUS), 20
10. Ivano Van Erp (NED, YAM), 15

EMX Open

During the first EMX Open race, it was Jose Butron who took the holeshot ahead of Davide De Bortoli, Michael Ivanov, Raf Meuwissen of Raths Motorsports and Dan Thornhill.

Ivanov then passed De Bortoli, as Butron extended his lead to 3.053 seconds. Multi-time EMX2t Champion Brad Anderson was running well in 11th as he made a wildcard appearance in the EMX Open class for the British round.

Butron continued to chip away at the lead as he extended the advantage to 5.147 seconds, as Brit Tom Grimshaw of Chambers Racing got by his fellow Anderson to take his spot in 11th.

Michael Sandner of Raths Motorsports then made his way up the order and eventually passed De Bortoli for third. Meanwhile Anderson was looking to respond and pass back Grimshaw. Ando managed to do just that and by the end of the race finished eighth.

Thornhill then closed in on Meuwissen but eventually dropped down to sixth where he finished the race, ahead of another Brit Liam Knight.

Butron went on to win the race ahead of Ivanov and Sandner. Meuwissen finished fourth ahead of De Bortoli and Thornhill.

In race two, it was Ivanov who took the holeshot ahead of Sandner and Knight. Race one winner, Butron, started outside the top 15.

It didn’t take long for Sander to get past Ivanov, as he moved into first position, all while Butron fought hard further down the field to have a chance of a podium finish.

Anderson and Grimshaw found themselves together once again as they battled for fifth and later the pair came under pressure from a hard charging Butron who was making his way through the field. Butron was actually the fastest rider on track despite being down in eighth, but that just showed how fast he was making progress.

Less than halfway through the second race we saw Anderson, Grimshaw and Butron locked in a battle for fifth. Grimshaw was trying his best to get around the #60 of Ando while also fending off Butron. Micha-Boy De Waal shortly joined the trio, applying even more pressure.

Butron first made the move on Grimshaw, as De Waal crashed out of eight to finish the race 10th.

Meanwhile, De Bortoli struggled in the second race as he was just outside of the top 10 for most of the heat. Things then became worse as his bike began to smoke. He finished 12th in the end.

Towards the closing stages of the race Anderson and Butron both got by Knight who was ahead of Meuwissen and then a few laps later Butron was able to get Anderson and Meuwissen, with the pass on the Raths Motorsports rider taking him from the third to the second spot on the podium.

In the end Sandner was able to keep Ivanov at bay for the entire race to win the second heat with a 2.199 second gap. Butron was third, Meuwissen fourth and Grimshaw got by Anderson for fifth.

A third and a win gave Sandner his first ever overall victory in the EMX Open category, as Butron took to the second step of the podium and Ivanov celebrated in third.

The next EMX Open round will take place in Pietramurata on the 9th/10th of April for the Round of Trentino.

EMXOpen – Overall Top 10 Classification

1. Michael Sandner (AUT, KTM), 45 points
2. Jose Butron (ESP, KTM), 45
3. Michael Ivanov (BUL, HUS), 44
4. Raf Meuwissen (NED, KTM), 36
5. Tom Grimshaw (GBR, HUS), 28
6. Brad Anderson (GBR, HON), 28
7. Liam Knight (GBR, KTM), 28
8. Davide De Bortoli (ITA, HON), 25
9. Sven Van der Mierden (NED, GAS), 23
10. Tomas Kohut (SVK, KTM), 23

2022 Racing schedule

2022 Yamaha Australian Off-Road Championship, presented by MXstore

2022 FIM Motocross (MXGP) World Championship Calendar

2022 Monster Energy AMA/ FIM World Supercross Schedule

2022 FIM Hard Enduro World Championship Provisional Schedule

2022 Australian Arenacross Calendar

Round	Location	Date
Round 1	Bacchus Marsh	Jan-29
Round 2	Swan Hill	Feb-12
Round 3	Albury/Wodonga	Feb-26
Round 4	Renmark	Mar-12

2022 ProMX Championship Calendar

Round	Location	Date
Round 1	Wonthaggi, VIC	Mar-27
Round 2	Mackay, QLD	Apr-10
Round 3	Wodonga, VIC	May-01
Round 4	Gillman, SA	May-29
Round 5	Maitland, NSW	Jun-26
Round 6	Coffs Harbour, NSW	Jul-24
Round 7	Queensland Moto Park	Aug-14
Round 8	Coolum, QLD	August 20-21

2022 Lucas Oil Pro MX Championship Calendar

Round	Event	Location	Date
Round 1	Fox Raceway National I	Pala, CA	May-28
Round 2	Hangtown Motocross Classic	Sacramento, CA	Jun-04
Round 3	Thunder Valley National	Lakewood, CO	Jun-11
Round 4	High Point National	MT Morris, PA	Jun-28
Round 5	Redbud National	Buchanan, MI	Jul-02
Round 6	Southwick National	Southwick, MA	Jul-09
Round 7	Spring Creek National	Millwille, MN	Jul-16
Round 8	Washougal National	Washougal, WA	Jul-23
Round 9	Unadilla National	New Berlin, NY	Aug-13
Round 10	Budds Creek National	Mechanicsville, MD	Aug-20
Round 11	Ironman National	Crawfordsville, IN	Aug-27
Round 12	Fox Raceway National II	Pala, CA	Sep-03

2022 Victorian Junior MX State Titles Calendar

Round	Location	Date
Round 1	Shipwreck	April 2-3
Round 2	Broadford	May 7-8
Round 3	Horsham	July 30-31
Round 4	Korumburra	September 3-4

2022 WA State Supercross Championship Calendar

Round	Event	Date	Location
–	SX Accreditation 1	Dec-04	Coolup
–	SX Accreditation 2	Jan-15	Coolup
Round 1	SX Championship	Feb-05	Coolup
Round 2	SX Championship	Feb-19	Coolup

 2022 FIM Bajas World Cup Calendar

Date	Event	Venue	Country
17-19 February	Jordan Baja	Aqaba	Jordan
24 -26 February	Qatar Intl. Baja	Doha	Qatar
06-08 May	Baja do Oeste Castelo	Branco	Portugal
22-23 July	Baja Aragon	Teruel	Spain
04-07 August	Hungarian Baja	Varpalota	Hungary
29-31 August	Atacama Baja 1	Iquique	Chile
01-02 September	Atacama Baja 2	Iquique	Chile
27-29 October	Baja Portalegre	Portalegre	Portugal
10-12 November	Saudi Baja * Tbc	Saudi	Arabia
01-03 December	Dubai Intl. Baja	Dubai United	Arab Emirate

2022 Silk Way Rally – July 6-16, 2022

2022 FIM ISDE – Le Puy en Velay, France
29 August-3 September, 2022