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Moto News Weekly Wrap
June 21, 2022

What’s New:

• Hunter Lawrence to remain with HRC into 2024
• Pol Tarres’s Erzbergrodeo Tenere 700 Bike Build Video – 175 kg!
• 2022 ProMX Round 5 Race Schedule
• Toni Bou clinches Trial World Championship win #200
• Dutch Masters at Rhenen
• Seppi Fally wins Endergebnis Mitas Rocket Ride 2022
• Fraser Higlett tops QLD Off-Road Championship Round 5
• 2022 Popanyinning Cross Country Wrap
• MITAS Victorian Offroad Championship Rounds 7 & 8
• 2022 ProMX Round 5 Race Schedule released
• Riders talk Pro Motocross Round Four – High Point
• Red Bull Erzbergrodeo 2022 Report
• 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

Hunter Lawrence to remain with HRC into 2024

In the Team Honda HRC pits at the High Point round of the AMA Pro Motocross Championship, Hunter Lawrence extended his agreement with HRC, prolonging his relationship with Honda for another two years. The Australian is currently in his second year with Team Honda HRC after spending two years with Factory Connection, Honda’s former 250 satellite team. Under the new agreement, Lawrence will remain with Honda through the 2024 season, corresponding with his period of eligibility in AMA Supercross 250SX Regional racing.

Hunter’s agreement puts him on a similar trajectory with Jett, who currently has an agreement with Honda through the 2025 season.

Last year saw Lawrence finish second and third, respectively, in the final standings of the AMA Supercross 250SX West Region and the AMA Pro Motocross 250 Championship. Earlier this year, the CRF250R rider again finished a close second in the AMA Supercross 250SX West standings, and as he enters this afternoon’s motos at round 4 of AMA Pro Motocross, he sits second in 250 points behind brother Jett Lawrence. So far in his young career, Hunter has collected five AMA Supercross 250SX victories, one AMA Pro Motocross 250 overall win and four AMA Pro Motocross 250 moto wins.

Hunter Lawrence

“I’m really happy to continue with the team for another two years,” Hunter said. “I’ve been with Honda for a while now, and everyone here has become like a family to me. My team has the bike working well, and we have a lot of fun together. I hope to be here for a long time to come.”

Pol Tarres’s Erzbergrodeo Tenere 700 Bike Build Video – 175 kg!

MotoConcepts Racing Honda World Supercross line-up revealed

MotoConcepts Racing Honda determination to win is reflected in the four-rider lineup: Justin Brayton and Vince Friese, competing aboard Honda CRF450R motorcycles in the SX1 division, and Mitchell Oldenburg and Cole Seely taking on the SX2 division with Honda CRF250R motorcycles.

Tony Alessi – Team Manager of MCR

“WSX is an important and exciting opportunity for MCR in many ways! We now have a world platform to operate from and, as one of the ten charter teams, are a leading group that is capable of winning races and championships. This project is nothing short of a dream come true for me, team owner Mike Genova, and our entire crew. Preparation will begin with our annual team summit during the second week of July in Priest Lake, Idaho, and we will then move to Southern California for a six-week summer boot camp.”

The FIM World Supercross Championship will annually take place in the second half of the year, including up to four events in 2022, from early October through November. This year will serve as a “pilot” season, allowing the championship to establish itself and build momentum going into the future.

Toni Bou clinches Trial World Championship win #200

Toni Bou’s track record continues to go from strength to strength, with his latest triumph triumph ensuring the Repsol Honda Trial Team rider became the first rider to reach 200 Trial World Championship victories, accumulating a tally of 127 TrialGP wins and 73 X-Trial wins since debuting in 2003.

Toni Bou

“I’m very happy with how the day went. Yesterday was a tough trial but today was too and we have been able to snatch a very important win towards the championship. In addition, achieving my 200th world championship win here in Andorra, including indoor and outdoor, makes it all the more thrilling. We have to be realistic – taking a first and a second position in a world championship weekend is positive, as it was in l’Hospitalet de l’Infant. I think my numbers are very good: we are not used to finishing second, but when we do it feels like a disaster, which it isn’t. I always say that it’s important to keep your feet on the ground, because coming here level on points and coming away from Andorra 11 points ahead of the runner-up is very positive. I would have liked to have won yesterday, but realistically, I made some mistakes, as we did today, but we managed to overcome them, so I’m pleased with the weekend.”

Day 1 – TrialGP of Andorra

Repsol Honda Trial rider Toni Bou climbed onto the second step of the Andorra TrialGP podium, after a battle for the win which went to the final sections, with Adam Raga taking the victory.

Despite having been in the fray for the final win right up until the final sections, Toni Bou’s day in Sant Julià de Lòria was anything but easy. The Repsol Honda Trial Team rider committed an excess of errors on the first lap, especially in the more complex sections. On the second time around, Bou received three more maximum penalties that weighed the points in favour of his main rival, Adam Raga.

Day 2 – TrialGP of Andorra

On day two of the Andorra TrialGP, an improved Bou came out guns blazing, rectifying the errors that had let yesterday’s win slip away, to finish top on both laps one and two. In the general standings, Repsol Honda Trial Team’s Catalan rider now holds the TrialGP World Championship lead, 11 points clear of the nearest second-placed rider.

2022 TrialGP World Championship Standings (After Round 2)

Romain Febvre second to Coldenhoff at Rhenen Dutch Masters

After his great comeback the previous weekend in Germany, Frenchman Romain Febvre was keen to gain more race practice before heading to Indonesia for the twelfth round of the FIM MXGP World Championship.

The high-profile Dutch race on Saturday allowed him to spend more hours on the bike and enjoy start- and race-action against other top riders, a preparation more valuable than training alone.

After posting the second-fastest lap-time in the morning Romain secured the holeshot and led the entire first moto to celebrate his first victory since his return to action. Another holeshot in race two confirmed the strength of the KX450-SR, but in this moto Romain was content to secure the overall podium with a fourth-placed finish in a tight battle with rivals who have each scored MXGP moto victories in recent weeks. Glenn Coldenhoff was the MX1 victor.

Seppi Fally wins Endergebnis Mitas Rocket Ride 2022

Austrian rider, Seppi Fally, has won the spectacular opening competition on the intimidating steep annual slope racetrack based around a daunting quarry complex. 234 participants from 20 nations and 3 continents started the first day of the MITAS Rocket Ride steep slope race at the foot of the Erzberg. The rugged course consisted of four steep slopes and offered the usual spectacular full-throttle action for the thousands of early visitors, who anticipated a full weekend of incredible riding.

After qualifying, the fastest 48 riders went into the superfinal in the evening, led by the two most successful MITAS Rocket Ride participants: Ossi Reisinger (AUT, 5-time winner) and Kawasaki KX mounted Seppi Fally (AUT, 2-time winner). Despite strong competition, both Austrians made it through all the races to the final, in which the Spaniard Pol Tarres also competed with his Yamaha Tenere 700.

In the end, Seppi Fally put in a flawless, dominant final run in the new Rocket Ride course and won his third rock cup, ahead of Sonny Goggia and Armin Ohrlinger.

Fraser Higlett tops QLD Off-Road Championship Round 5

Fraser Higlett has topped Round Five of the Queensland Off-Road Championship over the weekend at Goondiwinidi, taking the overall well clear of runner up Matt Murry, while Benjamin Korn was third overall in the Pro All Powers class.

Higlett now leads Todd Waters, who was absent for the round, in the standings 105 to 100 points respectively, with Blake Hollis third overall, 12-points ahead of Matt Murry.

Samuel Batham topped the Expert All Powers class ahead of Jackson Horley with Tomas Kruger third overall. In the Veterans Over 35s, Christopher Thomas took the overall, John Baker won the Master Over 50s, Simon Betts was top Masters Over 45s and Ian Jenner won the Legends class.

Over 40s Vets was won by Ian O’Brien, Ebony Nielsen won the Laides All Powers ahead of Emily Bielenberg and Ivy Cross, with Zeth Bond the fastest Clubman Under 250 cc, with Brandon Cross top Clubman over 250 cc, with both classes including two and four-strokes.

Pro All Powers Results

Expert All Powers Results

Ladies All Powers Results

Pro All Powers Standings

Expert All Powers Standings

Ladies All Powers Standings

2022 Popanyinning Cross Country

The 2022 Popanyinning Cross Country ran over the weekend, with competitors battling it out across two races for their class wins in extremely trying conditions.

In the Expert Open class it was Brennan Abbs who took the overall, ahead of Scott Hewitt and Tahni Macara, with Brock Buckingham and Mitch Lay rounding out the top five, despite not finishing Race 2.

Carl Pickersgill was the top Veteran performer, winning from Ashley Rogers and Philip Carmichael.

In the Clubman Open it was Jayden Clear taking top honours ahead of Owen Forrester and Calvin Doyle. Jay Branson won the Masters class and Brodie Lantzke took both Clubman Lites wins for the overall.

Melissa Hookway won the Women’s class, ahead of Jasmine Clark and Carissa Leigh. David Harris topped the Fossils, as the only rider to complete both races, and Russell Scoble took the Expert Lites win.

2022 Popanyinning Cross Country Expert Results

MITAS Victorian Offroad Championship Rounds 7 & 8 Wrap

Matt Ryan took the Round 7 victory at the Victorian Off-Road Championship over the weekend, leading home William Price and Andrew Wilksch for the overall victory.

Those same three riders topped the Pro All Powers class, while Ashley Day won the E1 Expert, and Simon Cox was top E3 Expert. Craig Prout took the E2 win.

Round 8 in comparison saw Cooper Sheidow take the overall from Samuel Pretscherer by a narrow margin, with Liam Mason rounding out the top three.

Again the top three represented the Pro All Powers front runners, while Cory Watts topped the E2 Expert and Luke Bunnick was fastest E3 Expert. Jacob Deagon took the E1 Expert win.

Leading the standings in the Pro class is Wilksch (170), ahead of Price (134) and Sheidow (121), while in the E1 it’s Ashley Day (158) to Nathan Dalbosco (128) and Christoper Wynd (115).

Stuart Holt holds the E2 lead on 151 points to second-place Craig Prout’s 141-points, and Jonothan Rumbold is a more distant third on 97. Simon Cox leads the E3 on 155-points, to Patrick McGillivray on 128, trailed by Thomas Anderson on 121.

Christensens Senior XC Round 7 Results

Christensens Round Eight Senior Results

MITAS Victorian Offroad Pro Standings

MITAS Victorian Offroad E1 Standings

MITAS Victorian Offroad E2 Standings

MITAS Victorian Offroad E3 Standings

2022 ProMX Round 5 Race Schedule released

Find below Race Schedule and link to Final Instructions for Round 5 at Maitland, NSW of the 2022 Penrite ProMX championship, Presented by AMX Superstores.

Final Instructions:
https://auspromx.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/2022-ProMX-Round-5-Final-Instructions-v1.pdf

Riders talk Pro Motocross Round Four – High Point

Perfect weather conditions with balmy temperatures and partly cloudy skies set the tone for the East Coast debut of the 50th Anniversary of the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship. The sport’s own Father’s Day tradition headlined the fourth round of the 2022 season with the 45th running of the Lucas Oil Stabilizer High Point National from legendary High Point Raceway.

The battle for victory in the 450 Class saw Monster Energy Star Yamaha Racing’s Eli Tomac become the fourth different winner in as many races, prevailing via tiebreaker for the first win with his new team. In the 250 Class, the Lawrence brothers stole the show with a thrilling battle for the win, from which Team Honda HRC’s Jett Lawrence emerged via tiebreaker for his fourth straight victory.

For the full report see:
Jett and Hunter Lawrence share High Point glory

250 Round Overall

After trading victories, the Lawrence brothers finished tied atop the overall classification for the first time with identical moto scores, but the tie-breaker was awarded to Jett (2-1) by virtue of his second moto win. It’s the ninth overall victory of his career. Hunter finished second (1-2), while Shimoda rounded out the overall podium in third (3-5) after a fifth-place finish in the final moto.

Jett Lawrence maintained his 12-point lead in the 250 Class standings over Hunter, while Shimoda strengthened his hold of third, 49 points out of first.

Jett Lawrence – P1

“The track was fun, but the main line was always fastest. In that second one, thankfully I had energy, where last week I had none, so I was able to fight a bit. Whenever we’d pass in a certain spot, the next lap we’d block that line. It was a fun race to just go back and forth. We can push the limits hard and get close to each other, but we know we’re technically good enough not to take each other out and end our race. It was fun, but very difficult, because you’d have to use a passing spot and make sure to make the pass, because otherwise he’d know and use that line. For the week off, I’ll probably just keep at it and come back to RedBud.”

Hunter Lawrence – P2

“The track was tough and gnarly today—not flowing compared to a traditional High Point—but it was a good one. Me and Jett went 1-2 in the first one, and then 2-1 in the second one. It was a coin toss in that second one, honestly—so close! It was virtually a 35-minute sprint; from the gate drop, we were sprinting the whole moto. Third place was 36 seconds behind us, and I set the fastest lap of the race on the last lap. There will be another time for sure, and I’ll get him back. There’s going to be many more motos just like that one, and I think it’s cool; it’s what everyone has been wanting to see for a long time.”

Jo Shimoda – P3

“Today was pretty challenging for me, I’m still feeling not 100 percent and it kept me from being more confident on this track. When I was able to work through that, I felt a lot better and could start pushing. We’ve got some work to do this week and thankfully get a break so I can get back to full health.”

Michael Mosiman – P4

“Today was a day of mixed emotions! This track is extremely technical and tough and I think it really fell into a lot of my strengths. I’m proud of where the bike was at and just my riding and speed. It’s a really cool feeling to pass for the lead in the first moto! I was able to make up some really good ground, make good clean passes and that’s a feeling I’m going to remember and replay over in my head and look to repeat throughout the season. I made some mistakes, too, and I’m really going to work on staying engaged and focusing on solutions to put together a solid 35 minutes out there.”

Justin Cooper – P5

“The day started off all right, I just didn’t get very good starts today and didn’t put myself in a good position. I didn’t make much progress in the first moto, but in the second one, I was able to make a few passes and get up to the Lawrence Brothers (Hunter and Jett). I even made a pass on Jett for a second, but I just didn’t have the pace to run with them. I wasn’t that comfortable out there; this is always one of those tracks that is a little tough to ride. We’re going to take the positives from this weekend, but we definitely need to be better and need to give those guys a fight.”

Seth Hammaker – P6

“This race was much better but a few mistakes really did cost me,” said Hammaker. “Getting both holeshots was awesome. I’m happy with the progress and we get some time to continue to make improvements. The crowd was so awesome this weekend and it really does help you push through – especially when I went down.”

RJ Hampshire – P7

“Today was a tough day but we battled through it,” Hampshire said. “Did what we could, showed up and gave it all I had today. That was probably the hardest 7-7 I’ve ever had in my life. I’m glad we showed up and went racing today, though. We’ll have a good weekend off now and we’re headed to my favorite track. I’m looking forward to RedBud.”

Max Vohland – P8

“The day went pretty good, I feel like the riding was the best-ever so far. We nailed the bike setup today – I felt like we could go where we wanted to. The 6-9 results didn’t show how good I rode but still getting ninth the second moto after being down in the first corner and almost dead last was great. The riding was good, bike is good, just need to work on some starts before RedBud.”

Pierce Brown – P9

“I had just a tough day all-around. I had some decent starts and I was up there in the fight for a little bit but I just struggled today and couldn’t put it all together. I ended up ninth overall, a step forward from last week, so that’s a positive. We’ve been trending in the right direction results-wise from Hangtown until now but still nowhere near where I should be, or where I want to be, so we’re going to do some work during the off-week and be ready for RedBud.”

Nate Thrasher – P10

“It started off pretty good in qualifying. I felt like I had a pretty good pace today, but there were some things that kind of held me back. I felt good in that first moto and got a good start and ran up there for a little bit, but I didn’t make passes early enough. I got stuck there and then pumped up a little bit and went back at the end. In the second moto, I got a horrible start and I had to work through the pack. So, it was an okay day, but it also was my first time here, so we’ll just learn from it and come back stronger.”

Stilez Robertson – P11

“The day was up and down for me,” Robertson said. “I went into the motos confident and really happy. I didn’t get a good jump and in the third-turn, I went down and hit someone’s back tire so I came from last up to 14th. Second moto, I got an okay start and stayed around that position. I battled the whole moto, it was fun, but definitely not where we want to be. We’ll take this weekend off and rest/recoup and come back to my favorite track swinging at RedBud.”

Levi Kitchen – P12

“I’d say the only positive today was two good starts. I just really struggled with kind of everything. I fell the first lap in both motos while I was up front, so I could blame that, but to be honest, just riding-wise I didn’t feel comfortable out there. At the end of the day, I’m glad I’m healthy and we’ll come back stronger at RedBud and do our best.”

Nick Romano – P13

“It was another up-and-down day. I qualified really well in eighth, which is the best I’ve qualified so far. When it came to racing, I just wasn’t really riding at my full potential. I wasn’t really gelling with the track or my bike. This track is tough. It was my first time here and it was completely different from what I expected, but no excuses. We’re going to go back and work on our weaknesses during this off-weekend and come back at RedBud.”

Matt LeBlanc – P14

“It was kind of a tough day. My qualifying wasn’t that great and then in the first moto, I was around 10th and ended up getting something stuck in my rear brake. I had to roll around a little bit, then it finally freed up and I made a few passes and ended up 12th. In the second moto, it was just a bad first lap and I didn’t put myself in a good spot. I was kind of in the same place the whole moto and didn’t really gain or lose much. Overall, the day wasn’t that great, but we learned some things and we’ll move on to Red Bud.”

250 Round Points

250 Championship Points Standings

450 Round Overall

In trading moto wins, Tomac (2-1) and Sexton (1-2) finished in a tie atop the overall classification, but Tomac prevailed for the 28th win of his career by virtue of his victory in Moto 2, which awarded him the tiebreaker. As a result, Tomac now has sole possession of third on the all-time 450 Class wins list. Sexton continued his four-race podium streak with a runner-up effort, while Anderson finished third overall (3-5) following a fifth-place result in the final moto.

Eli Tomac – P1

“It was an awesome weekend! It was our first overall win together in motocross as a team. I’m super thankful for all the work that has been put in, and I’m glad that I was able to get a win for the team. It was a tough fight today in Moto 1, but I was able to get to second. To be honest, I was struggling with a few lines in that first moto, but in the second one, I felt like I was the best guy with the lines, and I was able to make passes and go forward through the pack. I just felt great on the motorcycle in Moto 2 and was riding well. I’m looking to keep this momentum rolling.”

Chase Sexton – P2

“In the first moto I had the luxury of being able to ride my own lines; it felt like a practice moto for me, so that was obviously really good. When you’re out front on a track like this, you’re able to be more creative and take your time in places that are rough but charge in spots that are not. The second moto, I didn’t really feel like I rode that great, especially in the beginning; I was just kind of bulldogging and not riding super smooth. That was a little bit difficult, and then I made a mistake; I got by Kenny, he got me back and then Eli got me. I think ‘Dunge’ [Ryan Dungey] almost got me too, so I had to kind of kick it in gear there. I got Kenny and then Eli [Tomac] was pretty far ahead at that point. I just tried to ride as hard as I could, but it obviously wasn’t enough to win. It was a good day for me—the first moto was a dream moto and the second moto was a good fight. I’m looking forward to going into my week off and then going into my home race at RedBud.”

Jason Anderson – P3

“My day started great. I was able to lay down the fastest lap in qualifying and got a podium finish in the first moto. I struggled to find the right lines in the second moto and had a small tip over, but I still salvaged a third on the day. Overall it was a decent day for us, but I think I can still work on getting better and more comfortable with the bike during this weekend off to be challenging for another win at Redbud.”

Ken Roczen – P4

“It was a little bit of a struggle bus today. I didn’t really gel with the track really well, with how choppy it was. We’ve got to do better as a team; we’re going to go back and do some work. It was so awesome racing with Dunge; we found each other on the track in both motos. After he passed me, I stalled it at the top of track, and that gave us a big gap. The moto kind of went by pretty quick, and I saw the two-lap board and just wanted to fight for it again. That’s what I did, and with a couple of turns left, I was able to make a pass happen. Every point counts, so it was damage control this weekend, but we’ll go back and enjoy the off weekend but keep working.”

Ryan Dungey – P5

“It was awesome. This week we made progress with the bike and it really translated to the weekend. I didn’t get a great start in the first moto but I was happy that we made a lot of passes and came through the pack. I got off to that good start in Moto 2 and it was so nice to just get clean air and run up there with the fast guys. A little slower start, got passed a little bit but got into the mix and it just felt good. The setup felt good, track felt good and it was nice to be up front and one step closer to the podium.”

Justin Barcia – P6

“We’re taking steps in the right direction. I had a pretty good practice and had some great starts in my motos. The first moto was really good, I charged hard and ended up fourth. The second moto was a little bit of a let-down for me. I felt really good, the bike setup was really good, but I just over-rode a little bit. The track was really gnarly but all-in-all, a lot of positives. I’m really looking forward to this off-week to catch up on some motos and just keep working on things so I can send it into RedBud!”

Joey Savatgy – P7

“I ended up finishing seventh overall today and got the chance to race with the lead pack early in Moto 1, which was a big confidence booster. I know I have the speed and the skill to mix it up with those guys so it’s nice to see we’re trending in the right direction and getting better each week. We’re going to do some extra bike testing this week and enjoy the weekend off before we head to RedBud for Round 5.”

Christian Craig – P8

“Our day started off alright. I felt pretty good in practice and qualified seventh, which wasn’t bad. We went into the day wanting to put in two solid motos, and that’s what we did. In the first moto, I didn’t have any flow with the track, but in the second moto, I was able to rebound and battle up towards the front and went 8-6 on the day. I didn’t have the best ride, but we were battling, and our starts were better. We are kind of back on track after a tough Thunder Valley last weekend, but we were just a tick off today and we still need to be a little bit better. We’ll get back to work and move on to RedBud.”

Aaron Plessinger – P13

“The bike was feeling good in practice and I made some changes going into Moto 1 that didn’t really benefit me. I rode really tight in the first one and salvaged ninth. Second moto, I was feeling really good – ready to rumble – and I got a good start and was running really good laps, but I ended up twisting my ankle pretty bad with two laps to go. I’m pumped on the way I was riding all day, it’s unfortunate that that had to happen at the end but we’ll focus on RedBud and try to get up there on the podium.”

Antonio Cairoli – P40

“I look forward to this race because the track I really like. In practice this morning, I felt better than the previous race, of course the pace was much better and we worked a little bit on speed this week, so the feeling was good. First moto, the start was okay with sixth on the first lap and I knew I needed to attack to win some positions but I made a mistake and touched together with another rider and I put down my knee really hard. I felt it immediately because this knee is giving me some trouble already and it was a big hit. It started swelling up and fluid inside, so I pulled off. Second moto, I was last off the start because it’s a different format than in GPs and I was a little surprised at the silly mistake I did and I had to line up on the outside, which is not the ideal place to start. With the knee in this condition, I couldn’t really pull a good start and then I was out of the top-20. I got back up to 13th but I was struggling a lot with my knee, so I decided it’s not really a good day, let’s move on. We had a good time here. For sure I would like to end up in a different situation but it’s okay. We are not hurt so bad, just a bad day.”

450 Round Points

450 Championship Points Standings

Next Up

The Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship will observe its first break of the 2022 season before returning to action with its Independence Day tradition from Michigan’s celebrated RedBud MX for the fifth round of the 50th anniversary season. The KTM RedBud National will commence on Saturday, July 2.

Red Bull Erzbergrodeo 2022 Report

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Manuel Lettenbichler has won the 2022 running of the Red Bull Erzbergrodeo, fending off Sherco Factory Racing’s Mario Roman, while FMF KTM Factory Racing’s Trystan Hart became the first Canadian to claim a podium finish.

The Red Bull Erzbergrodeo roared back into life for round three of the FIM Hard Enduro World Championship over the weekend for the first time since 2019. In an epic 26th edition at the Iron Giant, it was Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Manuel Lettenbichler who led home the field of 500 starters. A debut win for the German, it also marked the first father and son duo to win the race, with Mani matching his father Andreas’ victory from 2015.

All the top contenders qualified on the front row and hungry to lead, Lettenbichler was quick to do so, a position he would never let go of.

As the competitors battled section after section, Lettenbichler led the way. Early on, home favourite GASGAS Factory Racing’s Michael Walkner was close behind in second, with Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Billy Bolt, Teodor Kabakchiev (KTM), and Mario Roman in contention. Drama struck championship leader Graham Jarvis (Husqvarna) off the start as a technical issue resulted in him taking over one hour to make repairs.

As the race progressed, the new section of Udo’s Playground – an uphill rock garden – saw the leading group of Lettenbichler, Walkner, and Roman bunch up. Dropping into the infamous Carl’s Dinner, Lettenbichler managed to extend that gap while Roman overtook a fading Walkner to move into second.

With the latter sections coming hard and fast, the fight for victory hung in the balance between Mani and Mario. At times there was very little in it, but Mani maintained the upper hand, pushing through to take a memorable three-minute margin of victory after three hours of racing.

Behind the top two, Trystan Hart showed incredible pace in just his second time racing at the Iron Giant. The Canadian was inside the top five early on, before slipping back to seventh at Udo’s Playground. Giving it absolutely everything through Carl’s Dinner, Hart reached the top five before then moving to third. Negotiating the final sections of Dynamite and Lazy Noon, Hart crossed the finish line to become the first Canadian to podium at Red Bull Erzbergrodeo.

With the podium complete, the battle for the remainder of the top five was played out between Bolt and Gomez. At Motorex Highway, Gomez was ahead but Bolt wouldn’t give up. Pushing on, he found a way past to take fourth, with Alfredo completing the top five.

After an incredible start, an exhausted Walkner hung on to take sixth and become the best-finishing Austrian in the 26 editions of the Red Bull Erzbergrodeo. An up and down race for South Africa’s Wade Young (Sherco) saw him take seventh.

Putting in an incredible ride, and securing his first finish of the Red Bull Erzbergrodeo, Rigo Racing’s Matthew Green was the eighth and final finisher of this year’s race. The result puts him as the top Junior of the 2022 Red Bull Erzbergrodeo.

For Jarvis fans, the Hard Enduro legend put in one of the comeback stories of the day. After re-joining the race from the start line after one hour, and last of the 500 competitors, Graham raced his way to take 18th.

Manuel Lettenbichler – P1

“Ahh, I’m definitely exhausted. I had to push so hard, but I’m completely over the moon. Winning this race has always been on the bucket list. I got close a couple of times, but now it’s done, its ticked! The whole race was so stressful, especially with Mario so close during the second half of it too. As first rider in Motorex Highway there was no line and I had to move trees. I just had to keep pushing. I’m so stoked though. I always said I wanted another trophy into the Lettenbichler house and now I’ve finally made it happen!”

On Board With the Winner of the Red Bull Erzbergrodeo 2022

Mario Roman – P2

“It was super hard. We had walked a lot of sections, but there were a lot of surprises to contend with. It was probably the hardest edition I’ve ever done. Mani and myself were close all the way and at Dynamite it was down to nearly 20 metres, but I couldn’t close the gap. He rode a great race. I lost my grandfather on Monday too, so I want to dedicate this result to him.”

Trystan Hart – P3

“On the section before Carl’s Dinner I made a huge mistake and dropped to about eighth. I thought my chances were done. When I got to Carl’s Dinner I knew I had to make a run for it there if I wanted a good result. But that took a lot out of me and I was exhausted coming out of it. I wasn’t crazy tired, but I was cramping so bad in my legs. Getting on the podium is a huge result for me. I really wanted to put Canada on the map for Hard Enduro, so hopefully this does it!”

Billy Bolt – P4

“That was hard, probably the hardest Erzbergrodeo I’ve ever done so I’m happy with fourth considering my fitness and the injuries I’ve got. I was struggling a little at Machine, but I just kept plugging away and taking things section by section. I managed to pass two riders in the closing stages to get fourth, so I’m happy for that and to also extend my lead in the championship is sweet too.”

Michael Walkner – P6

“I’m so happy to get this result. It’s my home race and such an iconic one too. I gave it my all from the very start. I wanted to push hard to stay near the front as much as possible. To ride in second for so long was amazing, but at Carl’s Dinner I was running out of steam. I found a tiny bit of energy in the tank at the very end and got sixth.”

The FIM Hard Enduro World Championship continues with round four at Red Bull Abestone in Italy on July 8-10.

2022 Red Bull Erzbergrodeo Results

Championship Standings – After Round 3

2022 Racing schedule

2022 Yamaha Australian Off-Road Championship, presented by MXstore

2022 FIM Motocross (MXGP) World Championship Calendar

2022 FIM Hard Enduro World Championship Provisional Schedule

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-18
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 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
22-24 July	Baja Aragon	Teruel	Spain
04-07 August	Hungarian Baja	Varpalota	Hungary
27-30 August	Atacama Baja 1	Iquique	Chile
31 Aug-01 Sept	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