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Moto News Weekly Wrap
April 4, 2023

What’s New:

• AusProMX adds additional races for MX1 & MX3 at Maitland
• Jacob Smith claims sixth Condo 750 victory
• Tiger Run GNCC Report
• GASGAS & Husqvarna ISDE bike rental & service packages available for 2023
• Connolly and Tanti win Sunshine State MX Round 2
• Ruben Chadwick wins Australian Hard Enduro Round 1 at Towong
• WA Hard Enduro season kicked off in Bridgetown
• Italian Motorally Championship in Riotorto
• EnduroGP of Italy
• AFT Arizona Super TT
• 2023 Racing Calendars

AusProMX adds additional races for MX1 & MX3 at Maitland

For the two classes that did not race at our opening round in Wonthaggi (MX1 & MX3), the Australian ProMX series will be running additional races at our two-day event at Round 4 in Maitland, NSW on 6 – 7 May.

As a result, the Saturday of the event will consist of practice and qualifying for all classes, (including MX85) and a single race for MX1 and MX3 that afternoon. Sunday will be run as normal for the two-day event. (With a warm-up session to replace practice and qualifying on Sunday morning)

The additional Saturday races will be scored in Round 4 with the Sunday races, therefore MX1 and MX3 will have a total of 3 Motos scored over the 2 days.

Truck bump-in will commence on Thursday the 4th, all other competitors bump in, sign on and track walk will take place on Friday the 5th.

Don’t forget to get your entries in too, with strictly limited spots available. Due to a number of classes being oversubscribed previously, riders are encouraged to enter early in order to avoid disappointment.  Entries are available via RiderNet 2.0 with a link on the competitor info page of the ProMX

Jacob Smith claims sixth Condo 750 victory in 2023

Jacob Smith has added yet another Condo 750 trophy to his tally, after winning the 2023 running of the event, now turning his eye to the Finke Desert Race.

Smith won the Moto overall ahead of Lachie Manwaring and Toby Hederics, while Zac Manwaring was the H1 victor and took home the Rookie of the Year award, David Geezes topped the H2 class, Mark Blake won the Over 45s, and Liam McConnell topped the 2-strokes. The Andrew “Butch” L’Estrange Memorial Trophy went to Don Lark.

Jacob Smith

“Dusted off the boots for my 6th #condo750 win. Excited to kick off the year with a win and looking forward to the season ahead with the #schwarzexcavations #channosbottleyard crew. Huge thanks to Channo and Ange for the help this weekend and to my wife for the undying support. Also stoked to be apart of the @wearelusty family again this year. Onto Finke!!”

2023 Condo 750 Results (Moto – Overall)

2023 Tiger Run GNCC Report

The Grand National Cross Country Series (GNCC Racing) concluded round four, Dunlop Tires Tiger Run, on Sunday in Union, South Carolina. The day saw sunny and warm conditions throughout the day, a very different scene from the previous round of racing.

As the green flag waved and the bikes fired up, it was Josh Strang grabbing the $250 All Balls Racing XC1 Holeshot Award. Yet it wouldn’t take Ricky Russell long to make his way into the early lead. Russell would continue to hold the lead for the duration of the race, coming through to earn his first victory of the 2023 season.

Behind Russell the positions were constantly changing throughout the three-hour race, but it would be Steward Baylor making a last lap pass for the second place position after working his way up front from a fifth place start to the day. Jordan Ashburn would cross the line in third overall, rounding out the podium, after running second for majority of the race.

As he came through scoring in ninth on the opening lap, Craig DeLong would battle his way towards the front only to crash and work his way back up through the pack. DeLong would go back-and-forth between third and fourth for the last couple of laps, ultimately coming through fourth to finish the day.

After making a mistake early in the race Ben Kelley would find himself working his way up for majority of the race. Kelley would end up fifth overall on the day, maintaining his second place position in the points standings.

Josh Strang would come through third on lap one after earning the holeshot, but he would have a setback on lap two forcing him to battle towards the middle of the pack for most of the race. Strang would come through sixth overall at the fourth round of racing. Jonathan Girroir would finish seventh on the day after a rough start put him at the back of the pack. Girroir would continue to push for the duration of the race, as he continues to improve each week.

Making his way up to eighth overall after an eleventh place start to the day in his home state of South Carolina was Grant Baylor. Thad Duvall would have an up-and-down day as he continued to push, crossing the line ninth in XC1 and 14th overall.

Rounding out the top 10 in XC1 was Layne Michael. However, Michael was only able to complete three of the laps and was forced to push his bike back to his pit area. Michael was having a great run, coming through second and then in the third place position before his machine quit.

XC1 Pro Event Results

1. Ricky Russell (YAM)
2. Steward Baylor (KTM)
3. Jordan Ashburn (HQV)
4. Craig DeLong (HQV)
5. Ben Kelley (KTM)
6. Josh Strang (KAW)
7. Jonathan Girroir (KTM)
8. Grant Baylor (KAW)
9. Thad Duvall (GAS)
10. Layne Michael (GAS)

Overall National Championship Standings

1. Steward Baylor (98)
2. Ben Kelley (92)
3. Craig DeLong (85)
4. Ricky Russell (69)
5. Jordan Ashburn (64)
6. Grant Baylor (55)
7. Josh Strang (53)
8. Angus Riordan (43)
9. Ruy Barbosa (40)
10. Lyndon Snodgrass (38)

XC2 250 Pro

As the XC2 250 Pro class took off it was Trail Jesters KTM Racing’s Mason Semmens grabbing the $250 Steel City Men’s Clinic Holeshot Award, however the racing action behind him was heating up as the racers made their way through the woods on the opening lap. AmPro Yamaha’s Liam Draper would hold the early lead, but he would soon have Ruy Barbosa right behind him ready to make a pass for the lead.

Barbosa would make a pass for the lead, but he would find himself engaged in a heated battle with Draper for majority of the race as the two swapped the lead position back-and-forth. Barbosa’s teammate, Cody Barnes would enter the mix upfront and make a pass for the lead later in the race.

Barnes would hold the lead for two laps, but a mistake on the last lap would let Barbosa make the pass stick for the first place position. As they emerged from the woods it would be Barbosa coming through to earn his first-ever XC2 class win. Barnes would finish second, with Draper coming through to round out the XC2 top three.

Current points leader FMF RPM KTM Racing’s Angus Riordan would finish fifth on the day, as the defending champion Babbitt’s Online/Monster Energy/Kawasaki Team Green’s Lyndon Snodgrass had a rough day coming through seventh in class. The Ryder Lafferty, XC2 class front-runner earlier this season, would suffer from mechanical issues through the day.

XC2 250 Pro Event Results

1. Ruy Barbosa (HON)
2. Cody Barnes (HON)
3. Liam Draper (YAM)
4. Mason Semmens (KTM)
5. Angus Riordan (KTM)
6. Grant Davis (KTM)
7. Lyndon Snodgrass (KTM)
8. Michael Witkowski (HON)
9. Jesse Ansley (KTM)
10. Nathaniel Tasha (KTM)

XC2 250 Pro Series Standings

1. Angus Riordan (83)
2. Ruy Barbosa (81)
3. Ryder Lafferty (78)
4. Lyndon Snodgrass (75)
5. Cody Barnes (74)
6. Liam Draper (73)
7. Mason Semmens (59)
8. Evan Smith (56)
9. Grant Davis (48)
10. Michael Witkowski (47)

FMF XC3 125 Pro-Am, WCX, Youth

In the FMF XC3 125 Pro-Am class it would be Toby Cleveland battling his way up through the pack to take home his third win of the season and extend his points lead in the class. Jhak Walker would make his way onto the podium once again as he came through second in the class. Zack Hayes would round out the top three in the FMF XC3 class on the day. Dakoda Devore would earn the $100 Lojak Cycle Sales XC3 Holeshot Award to start the race.

Earning the Tiger Run Top Amateur honor was Michael Delosa who came through 18th overall, and first in the 250 A class. Coming through second on the Top Amateur podium was second place 250 A finisher, Jason Tino who came through 20th overall, while Joseph Cunningham rounded out the Top Amateur podium and 250 A top three finishers on the day. Cunningham would come through 24th overall.

When the WXC class took off for the morning race it was Rachel Gutish jumping off the line to grab the $100 Trail Jesters WXC Holeshot Award. However, when the pack of racers came through timing and scoring on the opening lap it was Korie Steede leading the way.

However, it would not take long for Rachael Archer to close the gap and make the pass into the lead position. Archer would continue to push and place a gap over the field, crossing the line first and earning her second win of the season while taking over the points lead in the class after four rounds of racing.

Rachel Gutish would continue to push, coming through to earn second in the class. Rounding out the WXC podium was Shelby Turner as she battled her way up to third as the white flag came out. Turner would put her head down and push, earning her first podium finish of the season. Unfortunately for Steede, she would fall back to third and fourth before being unable to take the checkered flag due to a mechanical issue.

In the morning youth race, it would be Ryan Amancio coming around first to earn the Youth Overall and YXC1 Super Mini Sr. class win in South Carolina. This is Amancio’s second win of the season, he currently sits second in the points standings behind Austin Tsakanikas.

Caleb Wood would come through to earn second overall, and first in the YXC2 Super Mini Jr. class, followed by Brayden Baisley coming through third overall in the youth race and second in YXC2. Canyon Richards and James Jenkins would round out the top three in the YXC1 class, while Jiggs Fustini rounded out the YXC2 top three.

In the 85 Big Wheel (11-15) class it was Colton McQuarrie taking home the win, while Travis Lentz earned his fourth-straight win in the 85 (12-13) class. Ace Tokar earned the 85 (7-11) class win, and Evan Porter came through first in the 65 (10-11) class.

After earning the win in Saturday’s Micro Bike race, Maverick Boyer earned the 65 (9) class win. Tripp Lewis would win the 65 (7-8) class and Addison Harris kept her win streak alive by earning the Girls Super Mini (12-16) class win. Sahara Robinson took the Girls 85 (7-13) class win, and Paisley Harris earned her second win in the Girls 65 (7-11) class. Cale Dejarnett won the Youth Trail Rider (7-15) class at Tiger Run.

The AMSOIL Moto Hero was awarded to Broc French at this weekend’s Tiger Run GNCC. Broc is from Southport, Florida and serves in the United States Air Force. Broc has been in the USAF for 15 years and has served in 4 deployments to the Middle East. Broc received numerous leadership awards while in the service and has nominated over 25 times by family, friends and fellow racers in the series.

It was said in almost every nomination that Broc is what a true moto hero is all about. Broc received a $250 AMSOIL Shopping spree, a set of Kanati Truck Tires courtesy of GBC Tires, a commemorative American Flag and gift certificate from Columbia Sign and Company as well as a camouflage pair of 100% Goggles.

The next round of GNCC Racing will take place in Society Hill, South Carolina with the FMF Camp Coker Bullet on April 15-16, 2023.

GASGAS & Husqvarna ISDE bike rental & service packages available for 2023

The ISDE might be a little way off, but GASGAS and Husqvarna are both offering bike rental and service plans for the 2023 ISDE in San Juan, Argentina.

With GASGAS you can fly in and race on a brand new EC 250F, with the bike prepped, insured and ready to race for the event for €3,900.00 (incl. VAT). There’s also a race service package specifically for riders bringing their own GASGAS to Argentina, giving access to the Service Station each day, and a team of technicians on hand for recommendations and technical advice.  The total cost for the GASGAS Race Service is €1,700.00 Euro (incl. VAT).

You can also combine the two, for a full service experience, ensuring there’s nothing to worry about and including bike rental and of course the race service technical support and access to spare parts.

The GASGAS Six Days Race Service is available to any rider on a GASGAS and must be confirmed before 30th June, 2023. Book your package now: ISDE 2023 – GASGAS Motorcycles GmbH (link). 

If your loyalty lies with Husqvarna you can rent out a two-stroke TE 300 2024 model for € 3.500,00 (incl. VAT) for the ISDE, again including bike transport, registration and insurance for the event. The Husqvarna race service is also available for € 1.700,00 (incl. VAT), offering all the technical assistance allowed for the event, petrol, WP support, and much more.

Husqvarna are encouraging riders to contact them if they are interested, with entry also needing to be confirmed by June 30. To book see: https://events.husqvarna-motorcycles.com/isde-2023.

Connolly and Tanti win Sunshine State MX Round 2

Aaron Tanti has taken the Sunshine State MX Round 2 win, claiming 70-championship points across the three races and narrowly missing a clean sweep. Second was Kirk Gibbs who collected consistent second-place finishes across all three races.

Dean Ferris claimed the final podium step, running 4-3-1, with Luke Clout, Kyle Webster, Todd Waters, Jai Walker, Robbie Marshall, Levi Rogers and Zachary Watson rounding out the top-ten.

In the MX2 class we saw Brodie Connolly take the overall win, finishing off the weekend with a race win, running 4-5-1. Wilson Todd was five-points in arrears in second, also with a race win to his name, and Jayce Cosford  was third. Kaleb Barham took the first race win, but a DNF in Race two, even with second place in the final race, left him down in fifth.

MX1 Pro Round Overall (Top 10)

MX2 Pro Round Overall (Top 10)

Ruben Chadwick wins Australian Hard Enduro Round 1 at Towong

Beta’s Ruben Chadwick took the opening win of the season at the Australian Hard Enduro Championship (AHEC) over the weekend. in Towong Upper, VIC. Named the Kosciuszko Killer for a reason, it’s considered one of the toughest rounds on the calendar and was held across two gruelling days of racing, with a combined result determining the winners.

In the Gold class behind Chadwick was Adam Giles and Tom Woodhouse, while the over 45s saw Craig Bryne defeat Craig Stevenson.

Ruben Chadwick

“The bike felt great with plenty of grip and the track was in great condition. Following some good battles on Saturday, I finished in 2nd place allowing me a good starting position for race day. With a good start on Sunday, I was able to make a pass for 1st place on the first gold section (Fig Tree Hill) and kept going strong through to the finish line. It was great to walk away with the win and I’m looking forward to the next race.”

Joshua Morgan won the Silver class, ahead of Brandan Buckman and Aled Davies, Ebony Nielsen the Women’s Silver victor. Brett Barret won Silver Over 45s, Reece Findlay the Bronze and Emily Haeysler the Women’s Bronze. Stephen Mason topped the Bronze Over 45s.

2023 AHEC Round 1 – Gold Results

1. Ruben Chadwick
2. Adam Giles
3. Tom Woodhouse

2023 AHEC Round 1 – Gold over 45 Results

1. Craig Byrne
2. Craig Stevenson

2023 AHEC Round 1 – Silver Results

1. Joshua Morgan
2. Brandan Buckman
3. Aled Davies

2023 AHEC Round 1 – Women’s Silver Results

1. Ebony Nielsen

2023 AHEC Round 1 – Silver over 45 Results

1. Brett Barrett
2. Shane Bowden
3. Glenn Fairweather

2023 AHEC Round 1 – Bronze Results

1. Reece Findlay
2. Tom Aquilina
3. Lachie Nugent

2023 AHEC Round 1 – Women’s Bronze Results

1. Emily Haeusler
2. Cassandra McRae
3. Natalie Samson

2023 AHEC Round 1 – Bronze over 45 Results

1. Stephen Matheson
2. Mark Brown
3. Damian Warde

 2023 WA Hard Enduro season kicks off in Bridgetown

The 2023 WA Hard Enduro Series got underway at Bridgetown over the weekend. The event kicked off on Saturday with a coaching day led by none other than hard enduro legend Graham Jarvis, with the help of Kat Kingsley who stepped in on short notice to work with Graham in delivering a coaching session like no other. The group were put through their paces under varying conditions down at Riverhill Farm.

This was followed on Sunday with the Jarvis Invitational, that was also open to spectators, where Graham Jarvis, Wade Ibrahim and Sam Rogers claimed the podium positions in that order, Jarvis claiming the $7500 top prize.

Sam Rogers – P3

“WHES produced on the weekend, super happy with a P3 with some stiff competition. Rode really hard and kept it consistent! Mad to be on the podium with Gforce Jarvis and Wade Ibrahim, and cannot wait for the next one! Huge thanks to Motomax Motorcycles for supplying this bike for the whole season, and the Rieju Motorcycles Australia & New Zealand #mr300pro ran beautifully.”

The WHES season kicks off in full force at Toodyay for Round One (May 6), before Rounds Two and Three at Roelands (June 3-5), Round Four at Brookton (July 22), Rounds Five and Six at Bridgetown (Sept 23-25) and finally the Bridgetown Invitational in October (21st or 28th, tbc).

2023 Italian Motorally Championship kicks off in Riotorto

The opening round of the Italian Motorally Championship was staged over the weekend in Riotorto, province of Livorno. Competitors covered around 200 kilometres per day with an additional 60 kilometres of special stages.

There are various categories including a G-1000 category for adventure bikes such as the Aprilia Tuareg 660 and Yamaha Tenere.

Aprilia formed a team to take on the series and Jacope Cerutti rewarded their investment by not only taking out the big-bore category win, but also went close to scoring victory against the single-cylinder bikes, finishing second outright in Saturday’s competition.

Jacopo Cerutti

“I’m extremely happy! I didn’t expect to be so high in the standings straight away! It is a great source of pride for me to have been able to win at the Tuareg’s début. We knew that we were competitive and I expected to be able to make a play for the win against the other twin-cylinders, but even being a threat to the specialised enduro bikes was a big surprise. We won even coming close to clinching the overall title and that is a clear demonstration of the bike’s potential, which is extremely high. The Tuareg 660 handles extremely well and rides great on mixed terrain and this characteristic helped me a lot in the special stages – very technical – which we tackled over the weekend. We’ll need to work ahead of the upcoming races with more flowing tracks, but we already know what we have to do to perform well even on the fast stretches. Competing helps us understand where to focus in order to make even more progress in view of our future commitments. Our development work has only just begun!”

2023 EnduroGP of Italy – Round One

The opening day of competition at round one of the 2023 Paulo Duarte FIM EnduroGP World Championship saw Beta Factory Racing’s Brad Freeman back to his winning ways, claiming EnduroGP class victory at the ACERBIS GP of Italy. Aussies Daniel Milner and Wil Ruprecht finished 14th and 27th respectively in the overall.

Putting an injury plagued 2022 season firmly behind him, Freeman returned to the top step of the EnduroGP podium for the first time since winning the title in 2021. After a fierce, day-long battle, GASGAS Factory Racing’s Andrea Verona took the runner-up overall result, with Beta Factory Racing’s Steve Holcombe third. The GALFER FIM Enduro Junior World Championship saw Fantic’s Jed Etchells secure a debut victory, while home favourite Kevin Cristino (Fantic) won the Enduro Youth category.

Hitting the ground running in the defence of her Magnorange FIM Women’s Enduro World Championship, Jane Daniels (Fantic) topped the classification on day one ahead of Australian Jessica Gardiner (Yamaha).

Day two of racing at the 2023 Paulo Duarte FIM EnduroGP World Championship opener in Italy saw Beta Factory Racing’s Brad Freeman once again rise to the top to secure his second EnduroGP class win of the weekend, Milner and Ruprecht once again 14th and 27th respectively.

Brad Freeman (Beta)

“The day started off great. I went for it on the first enduro test and put in a fast time to build a lead. I lost a bit of my rhythm in the middle part of the day but was able to control things and regroup for a final push on the last lap, despite a crash on the last enduro test. It was hard to judge conditions at times and I think that’s why I crashed. But a double win is a perfect start to the season!”

Daniel Milner (TM Racin) – P14

“Rough weekend in the office. P14 overall, P5 in E2 Saturday and P14 overall, P6 in class Sunday. Happy that race is over, onwards and upwards from here.”

Wil Ruprecht (Sherco) – P27

“This was a weekend of testing for me, coming off the back of an injury with limited bike time, it worked against me all weekend and I was never really able to set my eye into the race conditions. That being said I am happy with how the team operates and the work they do from their sidelines. Given my history with riding bikes with the fuel tank at the back, this weekend’s race showed me how I need to adjust my suspension to optimise my performance on the Sherco. With the coming French championship race and a few weeks of testing I hope to make adjustments and have more favorable results”

Mirroring Day One’s results, GASGAS Factory Racing’s Andrea Verona and Beta Factory Racing’s Steve Holcombe finished second and third respectively.

After a daylong fight for victory, Jeremy Sydow (Sherco) emerged on top in the GALFER FIM Enduro Junior World Championship class, while Kevin Cristino (Fantic) narrowly topped the Enduro Youth class. Ensuring a perfect start to the defence of her Magnorange FIM Women’s Enduro World Championship title, Jane Daniels (Fantic) also took her second victory of the weekend at the ACERBIS GP of Italy, with Jessica Gardiner now second in the standings.

Jessica Gardiner

“P3 today for Day 2 and currently sitting second in the world in the EnduroGP Women’s standings! My day started off tough as I didn’t get much sleep last night, coughing so much! Lost a lot of time in the first enduro test (still trying to wake up properly and a lot of mistakes). Fought back strong and had some solid battles with the girls, with a few test wins to settle for 3rd by 5 secs and 20secs to first place. Goal achieved..to come back to Aus with a couple of podiums after getting sick! Now it’s time to get healthy and be back stronger in a few months for the next round. Italy you were wild and crazy, you reminded me of the feeling to want something so bad and give your everything of every second in a test! Can’t thank everyone involved for their support to make this possible!”

For the two-day report see:
Brad Freeman wins EnduroGP 2023 opener in Italy

2023 AFT Arizona Super TT

See the full report:
JD Beach wins Arizona Super TT | Max Whale P3 in Singles

Progressive American Flat Track TT master JD Beach (No. 95 Estenson Racing Yamaha MT-07 DT) added another chapter to his legend by reigning supreme at Saturday’s ZO CBD Arizona Super TT presented by RideNow Powersports at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park in Chandler, Arizona.

2019 Parts Unlimited AFT Singles presented by KICKER champion Dalton Gauthier (No. 79 D&D Racing/Certified KTM 450 SX-F) closed to within one point of the ‘23 points lead with a precise and patient ride to victory at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park, ahead of Kody Kopp and Max Whale…

2023 Racing schedule

2023 MXGP Calendar

FIM SuperEnduro World Championships Calendar

2023 FIM EnduroGP World Championship Calendar

2023 American Flat Track Calendar

2023 FIM World Supercross Calendar