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Moto News Weekly Wrap
June 4, 2024

What’s New:

• Beaton tops Manjimup 15000
• Jason Doyle injury update
• Brady Kurtz injured
• Chadwick makes Australian history at Erzbergrodeo
• Return to form for Jay Wilson in Japan MX
• 2024 ISDE U.S. Teams revealed
• Australian SX Round 3 and the Adelaide 500 team up
• Mason-Dixon GNCC Report
• Sunshine State MX wraps up with Round Five
• Brabec wins Desafío Ruta 40 opening stage
• Tuareg 660 wins Hellas Rally Raid in Greece
•  2024 Junior e-Motocross Series Round Two Wrap
• Mathis Valin tops EMX250s at MXGP of Germany
• Papenmeier tops WMX on home ground at German MXGP
• 2024 MXGP of Germany – Teutschenthal
• 2024 ProMX Round Two – Hangtown Classic
• 2024 Red Bull Erzbergrodeo
• 2024 Speedway GP of Czech Republic
• 2024 Racing Calendars

Beaton tops Manjimup 15000

CDR Yamaha Monster Energy Team racer, Jed Beaton, has won the 2024 Manjimup 15,000, in his first attempt, to take home a wallet full of prize money.

Entered into the All-Stars feature event that sees the Pro riders tackle the torturous sand and red road-base track across four motos throughout the day, it was Beaton who prevailed with 3-2-1-1 results to take victory ahead of Kayden Minear and Kyle Webster.

The event saw thousands of spectators line the fences and brave ever changing conditions throughout the day. Over 50mm of rain fell overnight and then there were brief showers throughout the day to keep conditions challenging for riders and teams.

After a slow start in the morning motos, Beaton found his mojo in the afternoon and dominated the final two motos to snatch victory and have his name etched on the Manjimup Honour Board, with a five-point advantage over Minear and Webster, who both ended the event after four races on 85-points.

Jed Beaton

“What an awesome event and thanks to all the people that lined the track to make the racing atmosphere so good. I had heard great things about racing here, so it was nice to finally do it, and have it lived up to expectations. I wasn’t getting great starts in the morning and was coming from deep in the pack in the first two motos. Because the track was so smooth and fast as well as the short sprint races, I couldn’t get to the front by race end. But I gated much better in the final two races and was able to get the moto wins when I really needed them. The final moto felt good as the track was super rough and I was able to pull out a good lead and coming over the finish line, it was good to see them team on the track waiting for me. Thank you to Willie and the event organisers, the track crew who did a great job to give us a raceable track and the CDR Yamaha Monster Energy Team for all the hard work in getting me over here.”

Ryder Kingsford also made the trip west and won the MX2 division of the All-Stars race on his Yamalube Yamaha Racing YZ250F. Kingsford had plenty of opposition, not just in the 250 class but also going up against the 450 cc machines on the power-sapping circuit.

Kingsford racked up 1-3-2-2 in the MX2 division to win comfortably and join Beaton on the podium making it a successful outing for Yamaha, Jake Cannon the runner-up and Noah Ferguson third.

Ryder Kingsford

“The first race was the most hectic thing I have ever raced. There were bikes going everywhere, the roost from a 450 nearly punched holes in me and its five laps wide open. I loved it. I got destroyed on the start because the 450s have so much more power, but I just tried to race with as much intensity as I could and go all the way to the finish, so it was good to get the class win. Like Jed, it was my first time here and hope there are plenty more trips to come as everyone has been so welcoming and I loved the track. Thanks to the Yamalube Yamaha team and our sponsors for getting me over and the work Mike out in during the day as it’s pretty hard on a 250 around here.”

Allstars MX1 Overall

Allstars MX2 Overall

Jason Doyle injury update

Jason Doyle

“Hi everyone, I just want to let everyone know what’s been happening and what’s going to happen in the next couple of days. Sorry I have been so quiet regarding my injuries, I needed some time to sort this situation out. Firstly most of you will be aware I had a decent crash last week at Kings Lynn, I ended up joining the fans in the crowd. I went straight to the hospital, and they diagnosed me with four broken ribs and a lung contusion. I was in a bit of pain so I just didn’t know what was wrong at that point in time. I felt like I was shattered. Guess you have this feeling when you land on concrete. I told them about my left shoulder, and they couldn’t see any breaks, but there was a weird feeling of numbness, and I knew this wasn’t right.

“So two days later, I went for an MRI scan in Norwich to check ligaments and tendons in the shoulder. The results came back Wednesday, and I, being stubborn, didn’t want to believe what they came back with. So I hopped on a plane and went to Rehar Sports Clinic in Poznan yesterday and underwent more tests and scans where they once again told me I had snapped two tendons and torn my rotator cuff, and it needsimmediate treatment.”

“Now, normally I would ride with broken bones and injuries, but this one I can’t get out of. I have no strength and I can’t wait till the end of the season to get it sorted. I must have it repaired fast, or it will have long-term consequences. Can’t lift a beer when I retire.

“I’m sorry I have to give you all this shit news. I’m devastated! But life still goes on. I’m safe and healthy, and there are way more sadder things in life and that are going on in the world. I am lucky I can spend time now with my family, my little baby girl and my wife.

“My operation is booked in to repair and fix the shoulder, and I hope this will stop all the pain I am having. The specialist told me I will be out for four to six months. I would like to thank my clubs, Ipswich Witches KGM Grudiandz and Outrup, and the Speedway Grand Prix, for the short memories I have of this season. This isn’t the end, I have loads more to give, I just need time to recover and repair for another crack at world class speedway. I will miss the buzz but I will miss the cheers. I will be back, thank you and see you all around the tracks when I come to support the sport I love.”

Brady Kurtz injured

Brady Kurtz has revealed that he injured his right lateral ankle ligaments in a Swedish league match.

Brady Kurtz

“During a Swedish league match last Tuesday I was in a crash that unfortunately left me with a lot of damage to my right lateral ankle ligaments. MRI results have shown a grade 3/3 tear to one, grade 2/3 tear in another and a grade 1/3 to the last. Recovery without surgery will be possible, and although I hope to return to racing asap in the coming weeks, months of ongoing physio and rehab will be required. Riding with this injury is something I will have to find a way to deal with. My absence right now is due to the fact that I’m currently unable to walk on it, and if my ankle was to take anymore damage in its current condition right now, surgery will be required to repair it. The recovery from that surgery would most likely end my season. My main focus now is recovery and getting myself in a position to return to racing, but also when I know it will be safe to do so.”

Chadwick top finishing Aussie at Erzberg

Last weekend, Ruben Chadwick took to the iconic 2024 Red Bull Erzbergrodeo in Eisenerz, Austria for his first race outside of Australia. Friday and Saturday saw Ruben compete against a sea of 1,500 riders in the Iron Road prologue. Located over 1,000 meters up in the Styrian mountains, riders were met with low-level cloud and plenty of heavy rain which hampered visibility and made the treacherous tracks even tougher.

Ruben finished the prologue in 59th place, securing him a second row start for the main race. Considered one of the most technically and physically demanding courses of all time, the main race was packed with some of the hardest sections in Erzberg history. Consisting of two passes through the boulder-strewn Carl’s Dinner, and two runs through the Erzberg’s notoriously wet forests, with each pass being trickier than the last, putting both rider and bike to the test.

On Sunday, Ruben, along with 499 other riders lined up in rows of 50 for the iconic Erzberg Rodeo main race. Ruben had a good start, but experienced plenty of bottlenecks early on in the race, which hampered his ability to make passes. However, as the race progressed, and the tracks became more technical, Ruben was able to get into a good flow and began to pick off riders, clawing his way up the leaderboard.

Chadwick finished his race at checkpoint 22 (Burping Stones) with a time of 3:51:00 and in 20th place out of the 500 riders. Ruben’s result marks the highest position an Australian has achieved in the history of Erzbeg and a stellar result for the Queenslander’s first overseas race.

Ruben Chadwick

“Having a less-than-ideal start coming from the second row, I faced a lot of bottlenecks at the start of the race, but once I clawed back some spaces and headed to the harder technical stuff, it actually got easier for me. I got into the flow and continued to pick riders off throughout the tougher sections working my way up to 20th place. For my first time here, I’m happy with the result and can’t wait to get back next year to finish the race. It’s been an awesome experience, comparing myself to the best in the world. Thank you to the Beta Factory and my sponsors for your support.”

Chadwick returns to Australia for Round Three of the AHEC at Tenterfield, NSW on 29/30 June.

Return to form for Jay Wilson in Japan MX

Jay Wilson got back into the winners’ circle with a dominant weekend t round four of the Japanese Motocross Championships at Sugo on the weekend. Wilson and his Yamaha Factory Innovation YZ450F charged to the perfect weekend, winning all three IA1 motos contested to stretch his lead in the championship.

Wilson had a difficult weekend at round three and was out to get things back on keel at round four and did exactly that in muddy, yet drying conditions to reassert his authority in the championship as they pass the halfway stage.

Jay Wilson

“I was pretty disappointed in myself after round three, so I was determined to rebound quickly at Sugo. The track was quite rutty and technical and I was able to get some good starts and get to the front in each race without making too many mistakes. We did some testing here a couple of weeks ago with the team and it felt successful at the time and this just cements the bike and the team made the right decisions and we were able to put that homework to use this weekend to secure a confidence boosting win.”

Australian SX Round 3 and the Adelaide 500 team up

The Fox Australian Supercross Championship will partner with the VAILO Adelaide 500, with round three of the Australian championship to take place within the street circuit known as the Boost Mobile Supercross Sprint forming part of the major Adelaide event from November 15-17, 2024.

Taking place on a custom built, full-sized Supercross dirt track located in the premium playing field area, supercross fans and VAILO Adelaide 500 racegoers can take in the race action and atmosphere from the existing and beloved heritage grandstand, or purpose-built bleachers for the best view of the Boost Mobile Supercross Sprint event.

Kelly Bailey – Fox Australian Supercross Championship MD

“We are thrilled to be working with the South Australian Motor Sport Board to deliver a world-class weekend of motor sport action in Adelaide at the VAILO Adelaide 500. The partnership will deliver intense racing across both bikes and cars, and non-stop entertainment for fans, while providing the sport of Supercross and our Australian Championship, a significant platform for enhanced reach and exposure. It’s exciting for us to showcase how incredible our sport is to more people, from the world-class riders involved, to lightning-fast turns and heart-stopping jumps – the Boost Mobile Supercross Sprint will have fans on the edge of their seats from the moment gates open until the final gate drops. And for the first time in Australian Supercross history, a new format will be in play with a focus on speed – where SX1 & SX2 competitors will race in four sprint finals, with points from each final being accumulated to award the overall round winner. Additionally, one championship point will be awarded for the fastest lap in each in SX1 and SX2 final – incentivizing faster and more intense racing – with riders throwing everything they have at each race.”

2024 ISDE U.S. Teams revealed

The 10 Trophy and 21 Club Team riders who will represent the United States at the 98th FIM International Six Days Enduro (ISDE), which takes place Oct. 14-19 in Galicia, Spain have been revealed.

The 10 Trophy riders will make up the U.S. World Trophy, Junior World Trophy and Women’s World Trophy teams. Looking to defend their 2023 title, the 2024 U.S. World Trophy Team includes Dante Oliveira (KTM), Johnny Girroir (KTM), Craig Delong (Husqvarna) and Josh Toth (GAS GAS).

Also seeking a second-straight title, the 2024 U.S. Women’s Trophy Team is running it back with its trio of Brandy Richards (KTM), Korrie Steede (Husqvarna) and Rachel Gutish (Sherco).

After last year’s second-place finish, the 2024 U.S. Junior Trophy Team — which consists of Mateo Oliveira (KTM), Grant Davis (KTM) and Jason Tino (Husqvarna) — looks for continued growth in Spain.

Mason-Dixon GNCC Report

The Mason-Dixon GNCC marked the eighth round of the Grand National Cross Country championship over the weekend, in Mt. Morris, Pennsylvania, where showers and cloudy conditions in the morning made for great afternoon battles in the XC1 Open and 250 Pro classes.

Aussie Lyndon Snodgrass grabbed himself the $250 Steel City Medical Center’s XC1 Holeshot Award, however, as the pack of racers made their way around on the opening lap, Jordan Ashburn moved into the lead.

Snodgrass battled with Ashburn for the next couple of laps, swapping the lead position back-and-forth. Ashburn held the lead until the fifth lap of the race when Steward Baylor applied the pressure after making his way up through the pack. Baylor made the pass on Ashburn to take over the lead as the white flag came out, indicating one more lap.

Nevertheless, the hard-charging Johnny Girroir would apply the pressure on the last lap. Girroir would catch Baylor and battle for the last a little over a mile to the finish line. Girroir would come through to edge out Baylor for his third overall win of the season. Baylor would hold on and come through to earn second overall on the day.

Coming through to earn third overall from the XC2 250 Pro class was Grant Davis. Davis and Riordan would swap the lead position and hold the overall lead with adjusted times for the first half of the race. Davis made his way back around Riordan and push towards the front as he crossed the finish line first in his class, earning him third overall on the day. Riordan earned second in the XC2 class and fourth overall on the day.

Ashburn continued to push after leading the first couple of laps as he crossed the finish line third in the XC1 Open Pro class, while earning fifth overall on the day. Dante Oliveira returned from the West Coast in what would be his first appearance since winning the Camp Coker Bullet GNCC. Oliveira worked his way up to finish fourth in the XC1 class and sixth overall on the day.

Craig Delong did not get off to the best start as he came through timing and scoring on the opening lap back in the ninth place position. Delong would continue to push throughout the day making his way up to fifth in the XC1 class and seventh overall on the day.

After grabbing the holeshot and running at the front of the pack, Snodgrass eventually fell back to finish sixth in XC1, and eighth overall on the day. Michael Witkowski had a good start to his day as he came through second on the opening lap of the race. Witkowski would fall back to tenth at one point, but he would make his way up back seventh in the XC1 results and ninth overall.

Lyndon Snodgrass

“P6 at the Mason Dixon. I grabbed the holeshot and battled for the lead for half the race.. Bummed i made a few too many mistakes and dropped back to 6th. Super close racing all day, looking forward to more!”

Evan Smith battled back from an eleventh place start to his day, to coming through the finish line eighth in the XC1 class and rounding out the top 10 overall finishers on the day.

Australian Josh Strang found himself up at towards the front of the pack early on in the race, but he would cross the finish line after three-hours of battling ninth in XC1.

XC1 Pro Event Results

1. Jonathan Girroir (KTM)
2. Steward Baylor (KAW)
3. Jordan Ashburn (GAS)
4. Dante Oliveira (KTM)
5. Craig Delong (HQV)
6. Lyndon Snodgrass (KAW)
7. Michael Witkowski (HON)
8. Evan Smith (HQV)
9. Josh Strang (SHR)
10. Grant Baylor (KAW)

*Overall National Championship Standings

1. Jonathan Girroir (207)
2. Steward Baylor (173)
3. Grant Davis (130)
4. Jordan Ashburn (126)
5. Craig Delong (118)
6. Angus Riordan (105)
7. Grant Baylor (100)
8. Michael Witkowski (92)
9. Liam Draper (69)
10. Evan Smith (66)

XC2 250 Pro Event Results

1. Grant Davis (KTM)
2. Angus Riordan (KTM)
3. Cody Barnes (HON)
4. Toby Cleveland (HQV)
5. Jason Lipscomb (BET)
6. Thad Duvall (KAW)
7. Liam Draper (YAM)
8. Brody Johnson (BET)

XC2 250 Pro Series Standings

1. Grant Davis (216)
2. Angus Riordan (193)
3. Liam Draper (151)
4. Cody Barnes (121)
5. Thad Duvall (110)
6. Brody Johnson (99)
7. Jason Lipscomb (96)
8. Ruy Barbosa (94)
9. Josh Toth (93)
10. Toby Cleveland (91)

Sunshine State MX wraps up with Round Five

The fifth and final round of the 2024 Sunshine State Series was conducted at MX Farm over the weekend.

Kirk Gibbs almost had a perfect weekend, running 1-2-1 for the MX1 Pro win, followed by Luke Zielinski and Travis Olander to round out the podium.

The final MX1 Pro standings saw Zielinski take the title, Dean Ferris a narrow second and Kirk Gibbs rounding out the top three, closely followed by Kyle Webster and Todd Waters.

Jayce Cosford took the MX2 Pro round win, ahead of Kobe Drew and Curtis King, with Cosford also winning the MX2 championship, Kayden Minear and Ryder Kingsford rounding out the top three.

Jackson Fuller took out the Junior Lites round overall, Riley Burgess and Peter Wolfe in second and third. Fuller also took the title, Wolfe second and Hayden Downie third.

MX1 Pro Round Results

MX2 Pro Round Results

Junior Lites Round Results – Top 10

MX1 Pro Standings – Top 20

MX2 Pro Standings – Top 20

Junior Lites Standings – Top 10

Brabec wins Desafío Ruta 40 opening stage

Just a second separated Ricky Brabec and his teammate Tosha Schareina after four hours of rallying at the opening stage of the Desafío Ruta 40 as Argentina provided the battleground for a close day on the World Rally Raid Championship.

Characterised by gravel tracks up in the mountains the 505 kms stage looped around Córdoba with less importance on sheer navigation but it still meant the riders had to keep an eye on the road book for the 381 kilometres of special stage.

With a reverse starting order following the prologue results it was prologue winner Tosha Schareina who set off from 11th as he looked to capitalise on any mistakes from the riders ahead. However, at 241 kms in he was only eight seconds behind stage leader with the entire top ten covered by just two minutes. The Spaniard kept the pressure on though to seize the advantage and take the lead of the stage by just one second.  Brabec was on the hunt for victory too and with the prologue dominated by poor visibility, the Dakar 2024 winner utilised the better conditions to close in on his time through the waypoints.

The lead was then taken by the American rider after 334km cementing why he is one of the favourites for the overall victory in Argentina come Friday as he took the stage victory by a single second over Schareina and to now be second overall by also a single second. Adrien Van Beveren enjoyed the day’s stage and kept the top two within his sights throughout the day, crossing the line just 44 seconds behind Brabec which keeps him within touching distance in the overall standings.

Despite being amongst the front runners early on, Pablo Quintanilla had to settle for sixth as he got to grips with the wet conditions while Skyler Howes ended the stage in seventh after a couple of crashes and off-track excursions in the slippery conditions caught him out.

Ricky Brabec  – P1

“Today was mostly tracks and dirt roads and even we had 10km of a sand wash with a little bit of navigation, but otherwise it was all good. There were a lot of fast pistes so we did 380km that were fairly quick so all in all it was a fast day. After the refuelling I decided to make a push as I had lost a bit of time in the first part of the stage, so in the second half I put my head down and really made sure I could enter and exit the corners without sliding too much. The roads out here are slick but we did a good job, so I’m looking forward to the next four days.”

Tosha Schareina  – P2

“It was a hard day at the office as it was super sketchy and very slippery too. I tried to push the first 100km but with that huge amount of mud and also with the cold conditions it wasn’t easy at all. I’ll keep the pressure on heading into tomorrow’s stage.”

Adrien Van Beveren  – P3

“It was a good day, I really enjoyed the riding here in Córdoba as the tracks are very ‘WRC style’ with many of corners but you have to be really careful as it was so slippery. It was a lot of fun using a lot of riding skills and the bike was amazing on this terrain, so it’s good for the team that we got a one-two-three.”

As the 12th fastest rider in yesterday’s prologue, Sanders took the opening stage in his stride today, skillfully navigating the tricky gravel terrain and lingering dust to bring himself home safely in ninth place. Chucky now sits in eighth overall, but he certainly has his eyes on the prize and will be looking to take advantage of his mid-pack start position tomorrow.

Daniel Sanders – P9

“Today was alright, unfortunately I got stuck in Sam’s dust all day and I couldn’t pass him, so it wasn’t the most comfortable to say the least. The roads were really slippery too and there were so many turns. I couldn’t even keep count! Today was really hard on the tires, so it got pretty loose by the last few tracks and I had to cruise to the end. Hopefully the terrain tomorrow will be a bit different and we’ll see how it goes!”

Stage two tomorrow will see the teams head out of Córdoba to the next bivouac at the Circuito San Juan Villicum as they will endure the longest day of the rally with a 301km road section and 423km of special stage that will take them through spectacular mountainous passes and valleys that will provide stunning backdrops for the thousands of fans as they make their way through the Cuyo Region in the west of Argentina.

RallyGP Results – Stage 1

Pos.	Rider	Nation	Team	Time/Gap
1	BRABEC Ricky	USA	Monster Energy Honda Team	03:59:37
2	SCHAREINA Tosha	SPA	Monster Energy Honda Team	+ 00:01
3	VAN BEVEREN Adrien	FRA	Monster Energy Honda Team	+ 00:44
4	BÜHLER Sebastian	POR	Hero Motorsports Team Rally	+ 02:06
5	EVAN BRANCH Ross	BWA	Hero Motorsports Team Rally	+ 02:29
6	QUINTANILLA Pablo	CHI	Monster Energy Honda Team	+ 02:45
7	HOWES Skyler	USA	Monster Energy Honda Team	+ 04:14
8	CORNEJO FLORIMO José Ignacio	CHI	Hero Motorsports Team Rally	+ 19:06

Tuareg 660 wins M6 class of Hellas Rally Raid in Greece

In the mountains of central Greece, Jacopo Cerutti and Francesco Montanari, in the saddle of the Aprilia Tuareg 660, pulled a great performance out of the bag in the Hellas Rally Raid, finishing in first and second in the M6 class dedicated to twin-cylinder bikes.

The rain that had fallen in the days preceding the race had made the ground extremely slippery, but Aprilia Racing Tuareg rose to the occasion despite the conditions. The ground improved in subsequent days, enabling Cerutti and Montanari to show their potential and finish the 1850 km without setbacks.

At the end of the seven stages, Jacopo Cerutti was crowned winner of the M6 category, giving Aprilia Tuareg Racing another important victory. With regard to the overall classification, Cerutti finished in fourth. During his first experience in this rally, Francesco Montanari also put on an excellent performance, completing the one-two in the M6 class, and coming eighth place in the overall classification.

Jacopo Cerutti

“It was a challenging seven days. Overall, it went really well, I kept up a good pace and didn’t make many mistakes. I was close to the podium in the overall classification – just 50 seconds away – but I gave it my all and didn’t quite manage it in the end. The team worked very well together; Cecco also did great. I am very satisfied, it was excellent training, and we also took the opportunity to test a few things for the new season.”

Francesco Montanari

“It was an amazing experience, the standard was very high and my performance got better and better. The marathon days were very positive although they were certainly hard, as they were very long. I made a small mistake, I fell in the special long stage but although I lost a lot of time, I still did well. I wanted to achieve a good result to thank the team for the great job they did. They deserve this result, and getting first and second in the M6 class was the best way to repay them!”

 2024 Junior e-Motocross Series Round Two Wrap

Jonas Moutin has emerged victorious in Teutschenthal at round two of the 2024 Junior e-Motocross Series after securing a commanding race win on Saturday. The KTM SX-E 5 mounted French youngster put in an impressive ride in front of a packed crowd at the MXGP of Germany.

Just two weeks on from the season opener, the 2024 Junior e-Motocross Series head to the valley of Teutschenthal, Germany, one of the most iconic circuits on the MXGP calendar, for round two. The action kicked off with a timed practice session, followed by the first of the weekend’s two scheduled seven-minute-plus-one-lap races. With a full start gate made up of passionate young riders of 12 different nationalities, it made for some exciting racing. As he did in France, Lucas Bos went fastest in timed practice, ahead of fellow Frenchmen Mathis Negre and Jonas Moutin.

Race one saw plenty of exciting battles as the youngsters took on the fan-favourite MXGP circuit. Fuelled by his race win at round one, it was Jonas Moutin who came out on top on his KTM SX-E 5 for the second time this season after battling with Alexander Bihimann in the early stages of the race. GASGAS MC-E 5 mounted Bihimann ultimately secured second place ahead of Vitus Horseborg, despite the Danish rider piling on the pressure in the final few laps.

Unfortunately, following the first race, a meeting was held with Infront Moto Racing, organisers of the FIM MXGP World Championship, and it was decided that the second race would be cancelled due to track conditions following heavy rain on Saturday.

Racing in front of the packed hillsides of fans in Teutchenthal, the Junior e-Motocross Series provided no shortage of entertainment for fans at the MXGP of Germany. The series showcases not only the skill of the future generation of motocross stars, but also the remarkable capability of their electric machines. The 2024 Junior e-Motocross Series heads to Loket, Czech Republic for more action at round three on July 20-21.

Jonas Moutin

“I’m really happy to have got my first overall win! At round one I won one of the races, but not overall, so it’s really exciting to have done that this weekend. Thanks to everyone who helped me get here and I can’t wait for the next round.”

Junior e-Motocross – Race 1 – Top 10 Classification

1. Jonas Moutin (FRA, KTM), 9:15.991
2. Alexander Bihlmann (GER, GASGAS), +0:10.658
3. Vitus Horsebog (DEN, GASGAS), +0:18.080
4. Raphael Edlinger (AUT, GASGAS), +0:25.314
5. Lucas Bos (FRA, KTM), +0:28.030
6. Kay Hubers (NED, KTM), +0:50.514
7. Jordi Dauset (ESP, GASGAS), +1:00.815
8. Pau Torres Miranda (ESP, GASGAS), +1:01.589
9. Mathis Negre (FRA, KTM), +1:02.677
10. Placido Aranda Escribano (ESP, GASGAS), +1:14.102

Junior e-Motocross Championship – Top 10 Classification

1. Jonas Moutin (FRA, KTM), 64 points
2. Lucas Bos (FRA, KTM), 63
3. Alexander Bihlmann (GER, GAS), 58
4. Vitus Horsebog (DEN, GAS), 58
5. Mathis Negre (FRA, KTM), 46
6. Ryan Gabriel (AUT, HUS), 36
7. Cesar Lagut (FRA, KTM), 36
8. Pau Torres Miranda (ESP, GAS), 33
9. Roan Calado Reyes (BEL, KTM), 30
10. Jules Alemany (FRA, GAS), 29

Mathis Valin tops EMX250s at MXGP of Germany

The fifth round of the EMX250 in Teutschenthal was an eventful one in the deep ruts of the German track and it was the EMX250 red plate holder Mathis Valin who was the winner of the day after showing a lot of composure and good determination.

Race One

In Race 1 it was Karlis Reisulis who managed the Holeshot just in front of Valerio Lata, the Italian managing to take the lead after a couple of corners.

New red plate Mathis Valin could have made a better start, he found himself sixth but charged quickly to get behind Valk into fourth at the end of the opening lap. New addition to the Championship, American Gavin Towers from VRT Yamaha Racing made a decent start on his debut, finishing the first lap seventh.

Reisulis showed speed after making a great start and was trailing by only a couple of seconds behind Lata for the first three laps. Further down, Valin begun to close up the gap with Valk, and managed to outsmart him on lap four with a combination to go inside out to pass the Dutch rider. On lap 6, the efforts of Frenchman Valin went to a waste when he crashed out of third place and picked himself up in fifth just in front of Towers.

The other Frenchie, Maxime Grau managed to get up from sixth on the opening lap to fourth on lap 6 of 15, and overtook Valk for third a lap later after getting the best drive on a jump. Meanwhile Lata was setting his fastest lap of the race to move six-seconds clear of Reisulis.

With three laps to go, the rained started to fall down but Lata kept the lead while Reisulis could not hold off Grau, who passed the Latvian for second and keep that place until the end. Reisulis settled for third while Valin could only fight back to fifth.

Race Two

Race 2 was an eventful one, but it started perfectly for Towers who took the Holeshot in front of Grau and Valin. Alexis Fueri made a decent start in fourth with Lata fifth after a couple of corners.

After a few corners, Towers went down and threw away his lead to pick himself in fourth, giving Grau, Valin and Lata the opportunity to pull away. Also falling early on was Reisulis. Nico Greutmann was another who fell, but would recover to sixth.

Leader Grau was caught by his countryman Valin on lap two for the lead, as the red plate took the inside line in a corner. Unfortunately, while chasing back Grau fell and find himself in fifth position. Valin led Lata and Towers who showed great technique and composure for his first European outing.

As the ruts were getting deeper, riders had to stay full focus to not make mistakes. Valin hit a rut and Lata took his chance to take the lead. Valk quickly climbed up to fourth where he would control this position until the end.

Lata showed his qualities as he controlled the lead until the end but unfortunately jumped on a waved yellow flag which would be very costly for the young talented Italian, as he lost the European Championship standard 10 positions-penalty. With the top 10 riders winning a position in race two, the entire podium was shaken up.

In the end, Valin took to the top step with a 5-1 and consolidated his red plate. With two solid races, Grau went 2-4 for second overall while Valk was the one who clinched an unexpected podium with third overall with a 4-3.

Mathis Valin

“It was not a bad weekend at all. Of course, i don’t like to win like this but this is racing. Yesterday was a bit more complicated for me but I felt good on the track today. Now we go back to work and see you the next rounds.”

EMX250 – Overall Classification

1. Mathis Valin (FRA, KAW), 41 points
2. Maxime Grau (FRA, KTM), 40
3. Cas Valk (NED, KTM), 38
4. Gavin Towers (USA, YAM), 37
5. Valerio Lata (ITA, GAS), 35
6. Karlis Alberts Reisulis (LAT, YAM), 34
7. Nico Greutmann (SUI, HUS), 26
8. Benjamin Garib (CHI, KAW), 24
9. Saad Soulimani (MAR, YAM), 23
10. Alexis Fueri (FRA, FAN), 22

EMX250- Championship Classification

1. Mathis Valin (FRA, KAW), 212 points
2. Cas Valk (NED, KTM), 186
3. Valerio Lata (ITA, GAS), 182
4. Maxime Grau (FRA, KTM), 137
5. Ivano Van Erp (NED, YAM), 132
6. Saad Soulimani (MAR, YAM), 130
7. Francisco Garcia (ESP, GAS), 113
8. Karlis Alberts Reisulis (LAT, YAM), 105
9. Nico Greutmann (SUI, HUS), 104
10. Alexis Fueri (FRA, FAN), 79

Papenmeier tops WMX on home ground at MXGP of Germany

The fourth round of the FIM Women’s Motocross World Championship in Teutschenthal saw some great action and an amazing scenario for the German fans, with one of their own in Larissa Papenmeier winning for the first time since 2021 – this time on home soil.

Race One

In Race 1 home star Papenmeier took the Holeshot and the lead with it in front of Daniela Guillen, Lynn Valk and Kiara Fontanesi. The red plate holder Lotte Van Drunen had a bad start compared to her usual standards, in sixth.

During the opening lap the German took the outside line while Guillen stormed up the inside to take the lead. A lap later it was Fontanesi, who maybe after seeing Guillen earlier, repeated the same move into second.

Van Drunen moved up to fifth by lap two, then charging past Valk to move up to fourth a couple of laps later. Things got tougher for Papenmeier with the Red Plate on her tail. Van Drunen attacked Papenmeier after fifteen minutes but the German repeatedly shut the door. German crowd making huge noise as Papenmeier held off the series leader.

Meanwhile Guillen was comfortable at the top as she pulled away from Fontanesi. The Spanish rode superbly and controlled the race from the front, controlling the pace until the end to win the race. Fontanesi second, while Van Drunen was way behind the top two, settling for third, Papenmeier fourth, Valk fifth.

Race Two

With rain falling race two was bound to be an exciting one. Valk took the best start in front of a hard charging Papenmeier who seemed to get an extra push from her home fans who made themselves heard the whole weekend. Both riders swapped places a couple of time in the first corners but Valk took the advantage and the lead.

Sara Andersen started very well in third, Guillen fifth but crashed in the opening lap and picked herself up in 12th. Meanhwhile, Fontanesi made her way to fourth while Van Drunen had another bad start in sixth at the turn of the opening lap. Van Drunen started her comeback however and soon passed April Franzoni for fifth, and continued charging.

Andersen dropped down the standings with Fontanesi and Van Drunen passing the Dane over the course of two laps. On lap 7 of 10, Fontanesi was heading for the top step of the podium when she fell and picked herself up in seventh, ending up eighth.

That left Valk in the lead racing for the top spot of the podium, while Papenmeier eyed second place. Guillen charge up to seventh by lap 4 and would eventually manage to finish fourth.

With three laps to go, Van Drunen attacked Papenmeier trying for second, but the German held strong to keep the second spot and deny the young Dutch talisman.

Valk received a two-place penalty for not respecting a waved yellow flag during the race and lost two places, which demoted her from the podium, giving the race win to home hero Papenmeier, and therefore the overall with a 4-1.

Second on the overall podium was the Spaniard Guillen who fought back heroically after falling at the beginning of race two, and closing out the same podium was red plate holder Van Drunen, securing her lead in the championship with a solid weekend.

Larissa Papenmeier

“It was really tough, especially on home soil. I hard the fans and I was super nervous as I heard them every lap. On Saturday was already goo for me and was satisfied with it. Today, with the tough conditions, ruts were deep and you had to stay focus and find your lines. I’m really speechless, I don’t know what to say! Fans were incredible and supported me so much. It’s a dream come true to win on home soil!”

WMX – Overall Classification

1. Larissa Papenmeier (GER, HON), 43 points
2. Daniela Guillen (ESP, GAS), 43
3. Lotte Van Drunen (NED, YAM), 42
4. Lynn Valk (NED, KTM), 36
5. Kiara Fontanesi (ITA, GAS), 35
6. Sara Andersen (DEN, KTM), 30
7. April Franzoni (FRA, HON), 27
8. Malou Jakobsen (DEN, KTM), 27
9. Danee Gelissen (NED, YAM), 26
10. Alexandra Massury (GER, KTM), 18

WMX – Championship Classification

1. Lotte Van Drunen (NED, YAM), 183 points
2. Daniela Guillen (ESP, GAS), 175
3. Kiara Fontanesi (ITA, GAS), 141
4. Lynn Valk (NED, KTM), 141
5. Sara Andersen (DEN, KTM), 123
6. Larissa Papenmeier (GER, HON), 122
7. Courtney Duncan (NZL, KAW), 101
8. Malou Jakobsen (DEN, KTM), 94
9. Shana van der Vlist (NED, YAM), 89
10. April Franzoni (FRA, HON), 79

2024 MXGP of Germany – Teutschenthal

For the full report see:
Prado does the MXGP double in Germany – Weekend recap

Wet weather put a damper on things as the MXGP World Motocross Championships reached the MXGP of Germany in Teutschenthal over the weekend, put couldn’t lessen the enthusiasm of the German fans, as reigning World Champion Jorge Prado took his sixth GP win of the season.

That was with two race wins for Red Bull GASGAS Factory Racing, leaving the German with the red plate back on his machine, and a slender two-point lead in his pocket heading to Latvia.

In MX2, the Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing duo of series leader Kay de Wolf and Lucas Coenen battled hard, with the Belgian teenager coming out on top to make it three straight GP wins for the #96 rider. This moves him up to second in the Championship table, 59 points behind his teammate.

MXGP Overall

The round overall went to Jorge Prado 1-1, with Gajser and Herlings tied on 42-points a-piece with a second and third place each. Vlaanderen and Coldenhoff rounding out the top five.

Prado now leads the standings on 402-points, to Gajser’s 400, Herlings a distant third on 336-points, and Febvre next closest in fourth on 327. From there it’s a larger gap to fifth, held by Jonas on 274-points, followed by Seewer (267) and Vlaanderen (263).

Jorge Prado – P1

“It was a perfect weekend. I felt great all weekend long – the bike was great, and I enjoyed the track. We had so much rain on Saturday that track conditions were actually quite tough. It was easy to make mistakes; Tim and Jeffrey were always right behind me, so I couldn’t afford any errors. I worked on my starts and just tried to push to the end of the race. I’m super happy and want to give a big thank you to the whole Red Bull GASGAS Factory Racing Team. The championship lead is back, and the red plate is back! Latvia next – let’s get some good sand riding done there!”

Tim Gajser – P2

“It was a solid weekend of racing, winning the qualification race and then going three-two here. I’m a bit disappointed in the first race, getting arm-pump and not being able to push how I wanted but I was still third. And then race two, I was able to ride a lot better and was a lot closer to the lead but I couldn’t quite get close enough to make the pass. Still, the championship is very close and I am happy, and healthy and I’m looking forward to Latvia next weekend.”

Jeffrey Herlings – P3

“My speed is getting better and better. We changed my set-up today and it was an improvement. I got unlucky with the lapped riders twice today but I guess they were having their own race! Anyway, 2-3 for 3rd: not bad. In the past I’ve left here a few times straight to the hospital and now I’m going home! It’s not my favorite track and there are some better ones for me coming up. We’re 3rd in the championship and it’s still a long season ahead. I’m proud of today but I’m hoping for a GP win at some point.”

Calvin Vlaanderen – P4

“Overall, this weekend has been pretty good and I was really consistent. I was a little disappointed to crash in Race One though as that cost me second place. In Race Two I was third early on then Tim (Gajser) passed me. I really tried to stay with the top three then, but their pace was really high. I had no one close behind me so I just rode my own race and put some good points on the board. I’m happy with my riding so now it’s onto Latvia next weekend.”

Jeremy Seewer – P6

“Luckily it wasn’t quite as muddy this weekend as in Portugal and France but it was not easy in the conditions; the track was different every session with the weather continually changing – rai , no rain, and they were always out there with the bulldozer. All those tight corners made it tricky with the set-up; there was no flow. I was simply not satisfied with my first race, but the second was better; it was just a shame I had that small crash. Mentally it was frustrating because I am normally really strong on this type of track when the weather doesn’t play tricks, but that’s life.”

Mattia Guadagnini – P10

“I can be quite happy with today! I didn’t feel great yesterday and couldn’t find my flow, but I took the holeshot in the qualifying race and did my best to finish in a respectable 10th place. Today was much better; unfortunately, I had two really bad starts, but I managed two solid comebacks and can be satisfied with my riding and determination. Things are getting better and better, and soon we’ll be closer to the front.”

Andrea Bonacorsi – P12

“Besides Race Two, it’s been a good weekend. I got my first Qualifying Race points of the year yesterday and then seventh in Race One today. I had a really good jump off the line in Race Two but then there was a big crash in the first turn, and I couldn’t avoid it. I did what I could to get back in the points and now my focus will be to recover quickly for next weekend.”

MXGP Round Overall

MXGP Championship Points – Top 20

Pos	Rider	Bike	Total
1	J Prado	GAS	402
2	T Gajser	HON	400
3	J Herlings	KTM	336
4	R Febvre	KAW	327
5	P Jonass	HON	274
6	J Seewer	KAW	267
7	C Vlaanderen	YAM	263
8	G Coldenhoff	FAN	231
9	K Horgmo	HON	161
10	V Guillod	HON	151

MX2 Overall

Lucas Coenen took the round overall for 50-points, with a 1-1, de Wolf second on 44 and Laegenfelder third on 40 running 3-3 for dual podiums in front of the home crowd. Adamo and Elzinger rounded out the top five.

In the standings de Wolf holds a significant lead on 396-points, to Lucas Coenen on 337, with Laegenfelder a closer third on 333-points. Liam Everts and Andrea Adamo round out the top five on 304 and 299-points respectively.

Now the teams and crews head 1,400 km north-east to the sandy terrain of Kegums in Latvia.

Lucas Coenen – P1

“It feels fantastic to get this result, especially here, to be honest. I was concerned we might struggle as we did last year, but now I’ve put that behind me. It was a perfect weekend. In the first moto, I had a great battle with my teammate Kay, and in the second moto, I aimed to do the same. He was ahead of me, so I pushed hard and wasn’t sure if I could get past him. Then I saw him go down in a corner, which allowed me to overtake. It was an easier race from then on, but I’m just delighted to have another great weekend. We will keep building on these results, and I’m looking forward to Latvia.”

Kay de Wolf – P2

“I made a few mistakes in the second moto, but overall, it was a weekend full of positive vibes. We gained crucial points in the championship, which is what it’s all about. The main goal is to maintain consistency every weekend and keep finishing as high as possible. Overall, I’m really happy with this weekend; I think, as a team, we showed great speed and only made a few minor mistakes, which we’ll definitely work on. I’m really pleased and can’t thank the team enough!”

Simon Laengenfelder – P3

“Home GPs can always be challenging, but this was a good one for sure! I wanted to be higher up – but I’ll take two thirds! The crowd was amazing, and I enjoyed every single lap. To be honest, every single lap the crowds were cheering, and I could hear it above the engine noise on my bike! In the later stages of race two, I was fighting with Kay – he overtook me, but I managed to stay close. He made a few mistakes too, so I just kept chasing. It’s great to be on the podium at home. The track was great after so much rain, and I’m feeling very good – so I’m looking forward to Latvia now.”

Andrea Adamo – P4

“Saturday was really good with a P2 and the first moto today was solid, nothing special with 4th. In the second moto I was feeling good and was attacking. I tried to pass for the lead and made a mistake. I got back to a podium position and another crash meant 6th and I struggled a bit then for flow. The track was compacted because of all the rain and the ruts were tight and not so round. Not the best…but it was the same challenge for everyone. We’ll regroup and try again in Latvia.”

Rick Elzinga – P5

“It was pretty muddy this morning after the rain, but I don’t mind the mud and I was feeling good and placed third in Warm-up. In Race One I had a really good start but then I was shuffled back a little bit. I got into fifth and then there was a big gap to the leaders and a big gap behind me, so it was a little bit like a training moto to the end. For Race Two they had done a lot of work to the track and I made a few mistakes early on. I passed Andrea Adamo when he fell and then I held him off to the end so that was good. The intensity in Race Two was really high so I’m happy with my performance in that one.”

Liam Everts – P7

“Difficult weekend. P3 in quali was a decent result and I thought there was so more today and my speed was OK but the two crashes cost me time. Not much more to say but I didn’t perform my best. We’ll review what went wrong and look to bounce back next week.”

Ferruccio Zanchi – P8

“Today was a much better day, riding consistently throughout in what were difficult conditions. Going eight-eight is a fair reflection of my speed and although I missed out on points in the qualification race, I am on a good run of form and each weekend is another chance to show everyone what I am capable of. And that starts in Latvia next weekend which will be a completely different challenge to this, as it is a lot softer and sandier but one that should be good.”

Sacha Coenen – P12

“Not so good this weekend. I couldn’t find my rhythm in the wet. The track was really rough and I had a few tip-offs. I made my motos difficult! Too many mistakes…but the speed was good and I could recover a bit in the second moto.”

Jack Chambers – P14

“The first moto was good with no falls and riding smooth, but I still need to work on a few things; I feel like I’m riding too safe and cautious. I got a good start in tenth in race two and was making good progress but I made a mistake, fell and went back to nineteenth. I made some good passes to come back to fifteenth but the next guy was making crazy line-choices, all over the track. Eventually I almost passed but I hit him pretty hard and broke off my front brake lever so I had to ride the last three laps with no brake and my teammate passed me. I’m looking forward to Lavtia now; the track has more flow and speed, and that suits me.”

MX2 Round Overall

Pos	Rider	Bike	R1	R2	Points
1	L Coenen	HUS	25	25	50
2	K de Wolf	HUS	22	22	44
3	S Laengenfelder	GAS	20	20	40
4	A Adamo	KTM	18	15	33
5	R Elzinga	YAM	16	16	32
6	M Haarup	TRI	11	18	29
7	L Everts	KTM	14	14	28
8	F Zanchi	HON	13	13	26
9	O Oliver	KTM	12	12	24
10	Quentin M Prugnieres	KAW	15	8	23

MX2 Championship Standings

Pos	Rider	Bike	Total
1	K de Wolf	HUS	396
2	L Coenen	HUS	337
3	S Laengenfelder	GAS	333
4	L Everts	KTM	304
5	A Adamo	KTM	299
6	M Haarup	TRI	252
7	R Elzinga	YAM	249
8	T Benistant	YAM	226
9	S Coenen	KTM	178
10	Q Prugnieres	KAW	152

2024 ProMX Round Two – Hangtown Classic

See the full report here:
Hangtown AMA Pro Motocross shakes series up in more ways than one

The second round of the 2024 Pro Motocross Championship hit Northern California, in the shadow of the state capital of Sacramento, for the landmark 55th running of the Hangtown Motocross Classic. Abundant sunshine and temperatures approaching 35-degrees greeted racers and fans at Prairie City SVRA.

While one major storyline centred around the end of Australian phenom Jett Lawrence’s perfect record in 450 Class competition, it was Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Chase Sexton who left a lasting impression with a captivating victory from behind that resulted in a dramatic shake-up of the early title fight.

In the 250 Class, points leader and Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing rider Haiden Deegan overcame a huge crash in the second moto to prevail with back-to-back wins to open the season.

450 Round

Sexton’s seventh career win was his first since the 2022 season, and his maiden KTM triumph outdoors ended a 49-race winless drought for the Austrian brand, who last won at the 2019 Spring Creek National with Cooper Webb.

Sexton’s last-lap pass on Plessinger altered the final two spots on the podium and moved Hunter Lawrence into second (2-4), while Plessinger settled for third (5-2).

A difficult afternoon for Jett Lawrence saw the No. 1 earn a resilient 12th-place finish for the round off the back of his 24-6 results.

The victory vaulted Sexton to the top of the 450 Class standings, where he now holds an eight-point lead over Hunter Lawrence in second, and a 21-point lead over Plessinger in third.

Jett Lawrence, who entered Hangtown with an eight-point advantage, dropped to sixth, 24-points out of the lead.

Chase Sexton – P1

“First race, it definitely felt good to win my first moto in a while, although not the way I wanted to with Jett [Lawrence] going down, but I had a good flow going and was able to win that one. In that second moto, I slid out at the start and I was dead-last, so I knew it was going to be a hard moto! That was wide-open from the start to the end. I don’t even know what to say – that was the best ride, I think, of my life. Thanks to the team, they put in so much hard work, and these fans are awesome. They were cheering me on the whole way around the track and this one means a lot. This has been one of my best races and wins so far!”

Hunter Lawrence – P2

“It was a tough day. Normally, downhills are a strength I can count on. We sucked on them today, if we’re being honest, but what can you do? We just have to get back to work. The beautiful thing about this sport is we get to line up again next weekend.”

Aaron Plessinger – P3

“I got out front and I pushed as hard as I could, and then I figured I could back it down just a little bit, but no, these guys were riding so good – Chase was riding unreal – and I couldn’t seal the deal. But we’re back up here on the podium, I missed out on it last weekend, and we’ve bounced back! It’s third place, but we’ll take it and move on to the next round. I’ve gotta give it up to the whole team, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing, and everybody who has helped me get here.”

Jason Anderson – P5

“This was a good weekend for my team and I. We made a lot of positive changes to the bike coming into this weekend that I’m really happy with, and I feel like that showed. I qualified really well and had a good Moto 1 minus my fall, and I think we definitely have the speed to be able to run up front. I’m excited with the changes we made to my KX450SR and I can’t thank my team enough for their help.”

Justin Barcia – P7

“Hangtown was a challenging day, for sure. I felt okay in the first practice when it was a little bit smoother, but then second practice I struggled a little. We made a change for the first moto and it wasn’t what I needed, before in Moto 2 we made a good step and it was a lot better. Hopefully we can do some testing this week to improve a little bit, because we haven’t been able to ride too much, so it will be good to get on track and catch up a little bit. All-in-all, not the results we want, but we will definitely keep at it, never give up, and the results should be coming soon.”

Malcolm Stewart – P8

“Hangtown was fun for me!” Stewart said. “It’s been 10 years since I’ve been here and the track’s changed, but the people haven’t. I’ve always had some really solid fans here and there’s nothing better than the fans welcoming me back. Practice was good, then first moto I rode a solid race, before in the second moto I had a rough start, went down, and made a lot of passes right until the very end! I was enjoying the moment, so we’ll take what we learned here, regroup, and come back out swinging in Colorado.”

Christian Craig – P10

“Today was a better day and in qualifying my speed’s starting to come around,” commented Craig. “I’m still lacking strength, but that’s going to take time and will eventually come. We were better today, I had two mid-pack starts and stayed out of the chaos, so ended up going 11-12 for 10th overall – we’ll take that luck on our side with the overall. I’m getting more comfortable on the bike again with more seat time, so we’ll just keep building each week from here.”

Jett Lawrence – P12

“I kind of used all my upper body strength in the first part [of Moto 2]. I was feeling ok, but then I got tired and had to use my legs, and the strength just wasn’t there. I’ve got a chunk taken out of my leg, so that affected things. It’s a bummer, but we’ll go back and recover and try to come back stronger next weekend.”

450 Round Results

450 Championship Points

Pos	Rider	Points
1	Chase Sexton	90
2	Hunter Lawrence	82
3	Aaron Plessinger	69
4	Justin Cooper	69
5	Jason Anderson	67
6	Jett Lawrence	66
7	Dylan Ferrandis	62
8	Justin Barcia	61
9	Malcolm Stewart	57
10	Freddie Noren	46

250 Round

Despite his misfortune in the second moto, Deegan still prevailed with the overall win by virtue of his 1-2 finishes for the fourth victory of his career. Vialle’s impressive performance in Moto 2 vaulted him into the runner-up spot with a 4-1 effort, while Kitchen rounded out the overall podium in third (3-3). The same three riders comprised the overall podium at the opening round.

Deegan became the sixth different 250 Class rider to win at Hangtown over the past six years and added to his early season points lead, which now sits at 13 points over Kitchen. Vialle solidified his hold of third, 16 points out of the lead.

Haiden Deegan – P1

“We made a suspension change [for Moto 2] and I went for a helicopter ride. It is what it is. We came, we rode, and we got the win. We’ll move on from here.”

Tom Vialle – P2

“I knew I could do it and the second moto was way better! I want to thank the team, we changed a lot for the second moto and I felt great, so I am pretty happy. That’s the first moto where I could push to my full potential and now I’m really excited for the next races with that setting on the bike. The track was awesome today, so I’m really happy to be on the podium.”

Levi Kitchen – P3

“The track was tough, and I wasn’t able to push like I wanted to,” said Kitchen. “Every time I tried to turn it up a little, I felt uncomfortable and didn’t want to make a mistake that would cost me. We have the whole summer to keep after this championship, so to come out with third feels good for me. We’re going to get aggressive this week and go to Colorado with high hopes of a win.”

Chance Hymas – P4

“Round 2 was good to me. I didn’t have it for qualifying, but I got the holeshot in the first moto and led every lap until the last three laps, which was a big confidence boost. In the second moto, I got a fourth-place start and a fourth-place finish. There are still some things we need to work on, but overall, it was another good weekend.”

Jo Shimoda – P5

“Today was an improvement. I felt it in the suspension and gearing, so it’s good to see our hard work is paying off. I was closer to the top guys from last week, which I’m happy about. It’s going to take a little bit of time to figure this out, but we’ll take it race by race.”

Pierce Brown – P6

“Today was better than the first round with sixth overall and we made some improvements that I’m happy about. I think we’re in a good spot, trending in the right direction, and I’m excited for Colorado next week.”

Ty Masterpool – P8

“Today was a lot of fun, and I learned a lot,” said Masterpool. “We had a great qualifying but I couldn’t get it done on the start of Moto 1 and used a lot of energy to get through the pack. Moto 2 was awesome running with the front guys for a good chunk of the race, but I didn’t have a ton left in the tank and I was happy to hold on to 11th. Getting a top 10 with such a stacked class and such limited time on the bike shows how good this team is supporting me to get me where I need to be. I’ll keep putting in the work to see if we can do it again next weekend.”

Julien Beaumer – P9

“Hangtown was a good day for me. A lot of learning, happy to get two good starts – my bike was amazing! – and to run up front for a while in both motos. I’m going to keep learning that pace and keep getting better each weekend. That was a big step forward, so we’re going to keep improving and look to be up front soon.”

Casey Cochran – P10

“It was definitely a good day,” reflected Cochran. “I surprised myself and I think a lot of people this morning by qualifying fastest, then ended up 10th overall for the weekend. To finish inside the top 10 at the second round, we can keep building and building off of that result, and I’m happy with the day overall.”

Ryder DiFrancesco – P15

“It was a better weekend with two good qualifying sessions this morning. We had two good starts, but I just didn’t have the speed to run up front, so made it hard on myself. I’m looking forward to Thunder Valley.”

250 Round Results

Pos	Rider	M1	M2	Points
1	H Deegan	1	2	47
2	T Vialle	4	1	43
3	L Kitchen	3	3	40
4	C Hymas	2	4	40
5	J Shimoda	7	5	32
6	P Brown	5	10	29
7	J Swoll	8	8	28
8	T Masterpool	6	11	27
9	J Beaumer	9	9	26
10	C Cochran	12	12	20

250 Championship Points

Pos	Rider	Points
1	H Deegan	97
2	L Kitchen	84
3	T Vialle	81
4	C Hymas	78
5	J Shimoda	62
6	J Swoll	61
7	P Brown	55
8	J Beaumer	48
9	N Thrasher	46
10	J Savatgy	41

2024 Red Bull Erzbergrodeo

The Red Bull Erzbergrodeo is the most iconic race on the HEWC calendar, and the 28th edition of the Austrian hard enduro provided no shortage of excitement and entertainment.

A prologue held over two days set the starting order for Sunday’s main event: a gruelling 35-kilometre race around the Iron Giant featuring legendary sections such as Carl’s Dinner, Machine and Dynamite, which riders have just four hours to complete.

The 2024 edition saw many curveballs thrown at competitors, from new sections and significant changes to the order of the checkpoints. Riders were also not allowed to walk the track prior to racing.

A two-day qualification process on Friday and Saturday faced the 1300 riders brave enough to take on the Iron Giant.  Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Josep Garcia topped the time sheets by over 30-seconds to win comfortably. Mani Lettenbichler set the fifth-fastest overall time on his KTM 300 EXC. The Iron Road Prologue also saw Trystan Hart ensure his spot on the front row for Sunday’s Main Race, qualifying ninth overall.

The 500 fastest riders lined up for Sunday’s Main Race. Mani immediately put his head down and got his elbows out, storming into the lead just metres before the first checkpoint. Largely untroubled by the tough course, the German put on an Erzbergrodeo masterclass to build up an impressive 20-minute lead as he took on some of the most difficult sections in hard enduro.

Choosing his lines tactically, Mani preserved his energy and maintained his speed until the very end of the race, where he crossed the finish line with over an hour to spare.  Mani the fastest rider out of the eight who finished.

Manuel Lettenbichler

“It’s such an intense race and so many physical and technical sections. No time at all to relax even for a second. More or less everything is super difficult. I didn’t have the best start, but I was surprised how fast I was in getting back to the front. After that I just tried to keep the gap as big as possible and in the end managed to even do some wheelies for the fans. I’m feeling really good on the bike, I’m definitely in the peak of my career. I know there’s going to be a point where I’m not at the peak anymore but for now, I’m trying to enjoy everything.”

Mani’s victory increases his win streak to 10 in the FIM Hard Enduro World Championship, as well as marking his third victory in a row at the Red Bull Erzbergrodeo, making him one of only two people to ever achieve the incredible feat.

The German extends his lead in the HEWC standings to 13 points after two rounds. The 2024 FIM Hard Enduro World Championship continues with round three in Serbia for the Xross Hard Enduro Rally on June 19-22.

KTM Team-mate Trystan Hart also had an incredible day at the Iron Giant, finishing 20 minutes behind Mani as the runner-up. Despite getting caught in a small crash in the first corner at the start of the race, Trystan demonstrated his skill and experience to work his way through the pack to move up to second place by the time he reached checkpoint nine.

Trystan Hart

“I’m so happy to have finished second and on the podium again! The first corner threw me off initially and, because of that, it felt like I was in a warzone for the first 30 minutes of the race. It was a lot of fun though and when I got to Carl’s Dinner, I felt really good and managed to get up into second place. There were some really tough sections, but I put my all in and held on to that position. This is my third podium in a row at Erzberg and this place really does feel like home to me now. I’ll definitely be fighting for the win next year!”

US-based motocross rider Carson Brown, famous for his YouTube videos, placed an impressive 8th in the prologue but didn’t manage to finish the main race as the clock ran out, with him having finished just over 30 per cent of the course. He summed up his rookie journey in extreme enduro as one of the hardest things he has ever encountered.

Carson Brown

“Unfortunately, I ran out of gas, and cramped up so bad that even if I didn’t run out of gas, I probably would have stopped anyways. Being out here in the trenches and learning was so cool – everybody is helping each other out. Few of the times I had my bike on top of me, or just physically couldn’t get the bike anywhere, and guys were helping out, so huge shout out to them.”

2024 Red Bull Erzbergrodeo Results

1. Manuel Lettenbichler (GER), KTM, 2:47:23
2. Trystan Hart (CAN), KTM, 3:07:40
3. Mario Roman (ESP), Sherco, 3:21:47
4. Graham Jarvis (GBR), KTM, 3:23:39
5. Wade Young (RSA), GASGAS, 3:39:48

FIM Hard Enduro World Championship (after 2 of 7 rounds)
Provisional Standings

1. Manuel Lettenbichler (GER), KTM, 45 points
2. Mario Roman (ESP), Sherco, 32 pts
3. Wade Young (RSA), GASGAS, 29 pts
4. Mitch Brightmore (GBR), Husqvarna, 24 pts
5. Teodor Kabakchiev (BUL), KTM, 20 pts

2024 Speedway GP of Czech Republic

Images by Jarek Pabijan and Taylor Lanning

See the full report here:
FIM Speedway GP of Czech Republic – Difficult week for the Aussies…

After what had been a truly stellar opening three rounds for Australian competitors, this week saw some significant setbacks. Some far worse than others…

Aussie legend Jason Doyle was third in the championship after the opening three rounds and had won in Poland, but a big crash at King’s Lynn during the week left the 38-year-old with four broken ribs and a contusion to his right lung. Further investigation also revealed two major tears in his shoulder.

Doyle expects to have surgery on Tuesday and expects to be out for up to six months, meaning that he will take no further part in the 2024 FIM Speedway GP World Championship.

Countryman Jack Holder took only six-points away from Prague after finishing 11th. The 28-year-old from Appin (NSW) now trails Zmarzlik by 12-points in the championship chase.

The top Aussie for the round was Max Fricke. The Victorian finished seventh this week to score his first championship points of the season, which moved the 28-year-old up to 16th in the championship standings.

2024 FIM Speedway GP World Championship
Round Four – FIM Speedway GP of Czech Republic
Prague Results

1. Martin Vaculik 20
2. Fredrik Lindgren 18
3. Bartosz Zmarzlik 16
4. Dominik Kubera 14
5. Robert Lambert 12
6. Mikkel Michelsen 11
7. Max Fricke 10
8. Andžejs Ļebedevs 9
9. Szymon Woźniak 8
10. Leon Madsen 7
11. Jack Holder 6
12. Daniel Bewley 5
13. Vaclav Milik 4
14. Jan Kvech 3
15. Kai Huckenbuck 2
16. Tai Woffinden 1

Next up for the SGP stars is the 3P Logistics FIM Speedway GP of Sweden – Malilla on Saturday, June 15 – a weekend which also features SGP2, the opening round of the 2024 FIM Speedway Under-21 World Championship on Friday, June 14. The FIM Speedway Youth World Cup (SGP4) for 11-13-year-olds will feature on the Saturday afternoon, which sees a number of the youngsters who took part in this weekend’s SGP Academy in Prague competing for the sport’s newest world title on 190cc machines.

2024 Racing schedule

2024 FIM EnduroGP Calendar

2024 MXGP Calendar (Provisional)

2024 FIM Hard Enduro World Championships Provisional Calendar

2024 Monster Energy Supercross & Pro Motocross calendars

2024 FIM Speedway Grand Prix World Championship calendar