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Moto News Weekly Wrap
July 23, 2024

What’s New:

• Volunteers needed for 2025 MXGP of Australia
• FIM Bajas World Cup returns to Spain
• Cooper Webb to compete AuSX Open
• Yamaha throw support behind 2024 AFTN
• Kurvinen tops FIM Flat Track World Championship opener
• Junior e-Motocross Rounds 3 & 4 held at Loket
• EMX65, EMX85 & EMX2T at MXGP of Czech Republic
• 2024 MXGP of Czech Republic Round 13 Report
• 2024 Australian ProMX Round Six – Toowoomba Wrap
• 2024 Pro Motocross Round Eight – Washougal Wrap
• 2024 Racing Calendars

Volunteers needed for 2025 MXGP of Australia

The FIM Motocross World Championship (MXGP) is coming to Darwin in 2025, with Motorcycling Australia and Motorcycling NT now seeking expressions of interest from volunteer officials and marshals who would like to get a front row seat to all the action.

The MXGP of Australia in Darwin will be held in September 2025, with a final date to be announced soon. If you are interested in volunteering at the event, here is your early chance to register your name and join the mail list for more information. Click HERE to register.

• Senior Race Officials;
• Flag Marshals;
• Track Marshals;
• Scrutineers; and
• Marshal Support Services.

FIM Bajas World Cup returns to Spain

The opening round of the FIM Bajas World Cup took place in Saudi Arabia and the second was staged in Spain on the Portuguese border, now round three returns to the Aragón region of northern Spain with a route of just over 800 km across the mythical rural tracks near the town of Teruel in the heat and dust of July.

This year’s Baja Spain Aragón returns to its traditional three-day format with a 7.5 km Prologue taking place on Friday (July 26th) followed by two days of special stage action on Saturday and Sunday (July 27th-28th). The route includes 523 competitive kilometres in a route of 810 km.

Honda rider Tosha Schareina will defend his title as winner of last year’s Baja Spain Aragón but will have to fend off the challenge from his compatriot Lorenzo Santolino (Sherco) and the Portuguese rider Bruno Santos (Husqvarna), winner of the Baja Dehesa Extremadura.

Mohammed Al-Balooshi (Husqvarna) tops the FIM Bajas World Cup rankings on 29 points and is present along with Veteran rider Pedro Bianchi Prata (Honda), who is second in the provisional standings. The entry list also contains Harith Noah (Sherco), Neels Theric (Kove), Abdullah Al-Shatti (KTM) and the two Junior riders, Edgar Canet (KTM) and Filip Grot (GasGas), the leader of the category.

Three women will also be at the start: Sara Garcia (Yamaha) tops the provisional rankings in the Women’s category and lines up with the Indian riders Aishwarya Pissay (Sherco) and Tanika Shanbhag (KTM).

There are a total of 29 FIM motorcycle riders and five FIM quad entrants, including three Women, five Juniors and seven Veterans.

2024 FIM Bajas World Cup – Provisional classification after round 2: Motorcycles

1. Mohammed Al-Balooshi (KTM) 29pts
2. Pedro Bianchi Prata (Honda) 27pts
3. Bruno Santos (Husqvarna) 25pts

Cooper Webb to race AuSX Open

The AUSX Open has announced American sensation and two-time Monster Energy AMA Supercross and FIM World Champion, Cooper Webb, is heading down under to line-up against rivals Jett and Hunter Lawrence on November 30 inside Marvel Stadium.

Webb, a Monster Energy Star Racing Yamaha rider, finished a close second in the 2024 AMA 450SX Supercross Championship to overall winner Jett Lawrence and is looking for redemption this November. The 28-year-old is determined to spoil the Aussie duos fairy-tale homecoming at the rebooted AUSX Open.

Cooper Webb

“When you go to Australia and race their top guys it’s no joke, the Australian crowds are electric. The vibe and atmosphere will be incredible. It would be awesome to win especially with Jett & Hunter there – any time I beat them is great, but it would be cool to do it in their own country. I am friends with Jett and have a lot of respect for him but am confident in my ability – I’m going there to win. We know Jett is a generational talent – he’s the full package. Equally Hunter is in great form right now and will be hard to beat as well and no doubt he will want to prove a point at home – but I’ll be ready for the challenge. Whatever happens on the night, I know it will be intense and hard-fought racing between us all – the Aussie fans are in for a treat!”

Tickets are on sale from Ticketmaster – visit www.ausxopen.com.au for more information.

Yamaha throw support behind 2024 AFTN

Yamaha Motor Australia has added to its event sponsorship portfolio, taking up naming rights of the 2024 Yamaha bLU cRU Aussie Flat Track Nationals, contested over six rounds, across three weekends, promising to be the highest profile dirt track championship in the country, bringing together the best riders in three unique and popular venues.

Appin Raceway, North Brisbane and Gunnedah all host a weekend of the championship and provide a variety of tracks and surfaces that will challenge the best riders but also provide some great racing to crown a worthy Australian champion.

Yamaha will also have two more young guns of Australian racing at each round with regular dirt tracker Cody Lewis joined by road race sensation, Cameron Dunker. Both are Hunter Valley based and still in their teens and nothing would be more satisfying than to see YZ450F’s at the front of the Pro 450 field alongside YZ-F-mounted AFTN regular, Dale Borlase.

Joining them for a cameo appearance will be US based, Yamaha mounted dirt track star, Tom Drane. The 17-year-old from New South Wales now resides in the US and races the US Flat Track Nationals where he is currently inside the top three in the 450 cc (Singles) division. Drane is expected back in Australia to contest a weekend of racing as part of his off- season program.

The championship gets under way at Appin, near Sydney on July 27 before heading to Brisbane on August 31 and the final weekend of racing at Gunnedah on November 16.

bLU cRU Bonus Bucks

• Class: Pro Class
• Eligible riders: Yamaha YZ450F or WR450F riders
• Round: 1st – $1,000 / 2nd – $500 / 3rd – $250
• Championship: 1st – $5,000 / 2nd – $2,500 / 3rd – $1,000.

Kurvinen tops FIM Flat Track World Championship opener

Following a two-year absence from the series, super-fast Finn Lasse Kurvinen (KTM) made a winning return to the FIM Flat Track World Championship after racing to victory at the opening round at Boves-Cuneo in north-west Italy.

Only fourth in his opening Heat race, a win second time out pushed him up to fourth in the overall standings as a full field of the world’s leading Flat Track riders battled it out and with only the top six after flour blocks of racing earning an automatic place on the Grand Final startline, every single pass was crucial.

After the first block of Heats it was America’s Sammy Halbert, Britain’s Tim Neave (Yamaha) and defending champion Ervin Krajčovič (KTM) from the Czech Republic who shared the early lead before Halbert pulled clear with victory in his second Heat as Neave took second behind Italy’s Vittorio E. Marzotto (Fantic) and Krajčovič had to settle for third as Kurvinen won from Dutchman Menno Van Meer (Honda).

Halbert, a former American Motorcyclist Association Grand National Champion, then defeated Neave to make it three from three and Krajčovič added another win as Kurvinen came home second behind Germany’s Markus Jell (KTM).

The six riders progressing directly to the Grand Final were decided in the fourth block of Heats where Halbert, despite tasting defeat for the first time after losing to Kurvinen, qualified top ahead of Neave – who claimed his third victory of the programme – and Krajčovič. Kurvinen went through in a clear fourth from 2022 champion Gerard Bailo (Zaeta) from Spain – whose first win came in his fourth Heat – and Jell.

The next eight riders then lined up for the Last Chance Heat to decide the two final riders to make the evening’s main points-paying race. With so much at stake, the action was fierce for the full duration as Van Meer and Marzotto booked their places on the startline at the expense of, among others, Czech rider Ondřej Svědík (Yamaha) who drew first blood almost twelve months ago at the opening round of the 2023 series in Great Britain.

Drawing on all his experience, Kurvinen then completed his sensational return to the series with victory in the Grand Final from Neave who, in just his second full season in the sport, continued his impressive progression with a career-best second as Halbert completed the podium ahead of Krajčovič, Bailo, Jell, Van Meer and Marzotto.

With barely any time to regroup, riders now travel to the Speedwaystadion Meissen in Germany for round two on Saturday 27 July.

Junior e-Motocross Rounds 3 & 4 held at Loket

Round Three

Lucas Bos topped the timesheets on Saturday at round three of the 2024 Junior e-Motocross Series, steering his KTM SX-E 5 to victory in race two. The Frenchman extended his lead in the overall standings to an impressive 24 points. On Sunday, it was Austrian Ryan Gabriel who came out on top at round four, the second round of the double-header at the MXGP of Czech Republic.

Hosting rounds three and four of the 2024 Junior e-Motocross Series, the hard-pack circuit in Loket, Czech Republic, was perfect for the 40 youngsters lining up to compete. Both days saw riders take on a timed practice session, followed by two seven-minute-plus-one-lap-races. In the first timed practice session of the weekend, it was Austria’s Ryan Gabriel who topped the timesheets on his Husqvarna EE 5, with Alexander Bihimann and Lucas Bos coming in second and third.

Saturday’s first race saw Alexander Bihimann dominate, leading the whole race to come out on top aboard his GASGAS MC-E 5. Securing his best result of the series so far, it was Belgium’s Roan Calado Reyes who took second place on the last lap after lying in third for the first two laps. Ryan Gabriel rounded out the top three in race one.

Race two belonged to series leader Lucas Bos, who steered his KTM SX-E 5 to victory in Loket. Taking the lead on the second lap, the French youngster then maintained it for the rest of the race to secure his spot on the top of the podium, taking the overall round three win at the same time. Just three seconds behind Bos was fellow Frenchman Mathis Negre in second, with Austria’s Raphael Edlinger in third.

Junior e-Motocross Overall – Top 10 Classification

1. Lucas Bos (FRA, KTM), 43 points
2. Alexander Bihlmann (GER, GAS), 43
3. Mathis Negre (FRA, KTM), 38
4. Roan Calado Reyes (BEL, KTM), 34
5. Raphael Edlinger (AUT, GAS), 29
6. Kay Hubers (NED, KTM), 27
7. Cesar Lagut (FRA, KTM), 26
8. Vitus Horsebog (DEN, GAS), 25
9. Pau Torres Miranda (ESP, GAS), 23
10. Ryan Gabriel (AUT, HUS), 20

Round Four

Sunday morning saw the enthusiastic young riders line up for round four of the Junior e-Motocross Series. Ryan Gabriel put in the fastest time again in the second timed practice of the weekend, making his intentions clear ahead of the upcoming two races.

Lucas Bos, fuelled by his win in race two on Saturday, took control in Sunday’s race one and moved into the lead by lap two, maintaining it until the finish to claim the victory. Ryan Gabriel secured a solid runner-up finish, with current championship runner-up Alexander Bihimann coming home in third.

Race two saw a new victor emerge, with Austria’s Raphael Edlinger claiming his first victory of the series after leading the race from start to finish. Collecting another runner-up finish and proving that consistency is key, Ryan Gabriel put in an excellent ride to secure the overall round four win. Third place went to Denmark’s Vitus Horsebog who finished less than a second behind Gabriel.

The Junior e-Motocross series entertained the packed crowds at the MXGP of Czech Republic, showcasing the capability of the Husqvarna, KTM, and GASGAS machines as well as the talent of the next generation of riders. After four exciting rounds of racing, the 2024 Junior e-Motocross series comes to a close in Fraunfeld, Switzerland, on August 24-25 for round five.

Junior e-Motocross Overall – Top 10 Classification

1. Ryan Gabriel (AUT, HUS), 44 points
2. Raphael Edlinger (AUT, GAS), 43
3. Lucas Bos (FRA, KTM), 39
4. Vitus Horsebog (DEN, GAS), 33
5. Mathis Negre (FRA, KTM), 33
6. Roan Calado Reyes (BEL, KTM), 32
7. Kay Hubers (NED, KTM), 26
8. Cesar Lagut (FRA, KTM), 26
9. Jordi Dauset (ESP, GAS), 22
10. Alexander Bihlmann (GER, GAS), 20

Junior e-Motocross Championship – Top 10 Classification

1. Lucas Bos (FRA, KTM), 145 points
2. Alexander Bihlmann (GER, GAS), 121
3. Mathis Negre (FRA, KTM), 117
4. Vitus Horsebog (DEN, GAS), 116
5. Ryan Gabriel (AUT, HUS), 100
6. Roan Calado Reyes (BEL, KTM), 96
7. Jonas Moutin (FRA, KTM), 90
8. Raphael Edlinger (AUT, GAS), 90
9. Cesar Lagut (FRA, KTM), 88
10. Kay Hubers (NED, KTM), 76

EMX65, EMX85 & EMX2T at MXGP of Czech Republic

The MXGP of Czech Republic was the stage for the thrilling finals of the EMX65, EMX85, and an exclusive round of the EMX2T series. Spectators were treated to spectacular races across all categories. Marcel Stauffer of Osicka MX Team clinched the Gold Medal in EMX2T, Sleny Goyer triumphed in EMX85 and Roko Ivandic dominated the EMX65.

EMX85

In the opening race of EMX85 it was the Italian David Cracco who took the advantage right from the start with by holding a nice tight line on the inside but it was then a drag race on the long first straight that saw another Italian Edoardo Riganti taking the lead in front of Neo Nindelt and Cracco. However, it only took a couple of turns for the Frenchman Sleny Goyer to place himself in 3rd position behind Nindelt.

Goyer quickly attacked Nindelt and moved up to 2nd in the opening lap with Cracco coming in his wake to go 3rd while Nindelt made some mistake and moved down the rank. It became soon too hard to contain the riders behind for leader Riganti with Goyer making a decisive move on the inside on lap 2 to take the lead.

There was nothing stopping Goyer who had the best pace of the race as he pulled away quickjly with the lead. Cracco then found his way past his countryman Riganti on lap 4 of 12 to go 2nd.

Behind them, it was the Austrian Ricardo Bauer who following an average start made a solid comeback from 13th on lap 1 to 4th in the end after making impressive successive passes on every lap between lap 6 and 10, such as the Estonian Lucas Leok to get the 4th place. Leok finished 7th. Léo Dis-Ferdinand settled for 5th with some good moves, especially on Jorge Salvador who finished 8th after battling for the 4th position mid-way through the race.

In Race 2, Patrick Cirulis got the best start but got overtaken quickly by Riganti with Salvator up to 2nd. However, Jordi Alba rushed down to moved them past and take the lead early on. However, Salvador who was really much in the mix fell and lost many positions to find himself at the end of the pack. Goyeard on his side crashed in the opening lap and had a mountain to climb but managed to climb up to 16th at the turn of the first lap.

With all this, Riganti in 2nd position on lap 3 was the virtual EMX85 champion. The battles al throughout the rank were tough and Leok could find himself benefitting from mistakes of Aston Alias and Dis-Fenard in front of him to move up to 6th in one move on lap 4.

Meanwhile Jekabs Hudolejs passed Riganti for 2nd with Alba still leading the race and showing good pace. The fastest on the track at that time was Leok who moved up to 5th and being the only rider in the 2:02s. Meanwhile Goyer was riding superbly and with great determination as the Frenchman went up to 9th on lap 4.

On lap 5, the Latvian Hudolejs started top push for the lead and put pressure on Alba for the race win but the young Spanish showed up and stay very resistant to the attack from the Latvian.

With two laps to go Goyer was up to 7th and near the overall. He then passed a direct contender for the win, Riganti as well as an excellent Pau Caudet Ruiz to go to 5th and clinch the EMX85 Championship title.

Alba made a great run after a missed first race on his part and finished at an encouraging 2nd place with another rider who had a solid race, Andrea Uccellini who finished 3rd for 5th overall. It was tough one for Leok who rode superbly to finish 4th for 4th overall not far of the podium.

Meanwhile, Hudolejs was up for anything in this race and showed a fantastic pace to win the race and go 11-1 for a surprising but deserved 2nd overall. For Riganti, the second race didn’t go as planned with a 7th finish but the Italian still managed to get on the podium and his bronze medal in the end.

EMX85 – Overall Top 10 Classification

1. Sleny Goyer (FRA, GAS), 41 points
2. Jekabs Hudolejs (LAT, GAS), 35
3. Edoardo Riganti (ITA, HUS), 34
4. Lucas Leok (EST, HUS), 32
5. Andrea Uccellini (ITA, HUS), 31
6. David Cracco (ITA, KTM), 30
7. Léo Diss-Fenard (FRA, KTM), 29
8. Ricardo Bauer (AUT, KTM), 29
9. Aston Allas (EST, KTM), 24
10. Jordi Alba (ESP, KTM), 22

EMX85 – Championship Top 10 Classification

1. Sleny Goyer (FRA, GAS), 41 points
2. Jekabs Hudolejs (LAT, GAS), 35
3. Edoardo Riganti (ITA, HUS), 34
4. Lucas Leok (EST, HUS), 32
5. Andrea Uccellini (ITA, HUS), 31
6. David Cracco (ITA, KTM), 30
7. Léo Diss-Fenard (FRA, KTM), 29
8. Ricardo Bauer (AUT, KTM), 29
9. Aston Allas (EST, KTM), 24
10. Jordi Alba (ESP, KTM), 22

EMX65

In race 1, a multi-rider collision happen in the first turn but it was the Croatian Roko Ivandic who was the fastest of the pack to get the holeshot and the lead with authority with Luca Nierychlo and Theo Kolts who quickly placed themselves in good position in 2nd and 3rd respectively.

Ivandic and Nierychlo pulled away from the pack and began a thrilling fight for the lead. The German Nierychlo showed his wheel a couple of times and Ivandic had to respond to stay on top. Ivandic managed to defend superbly these attacks and flew to victory although he nearly lost control of his bike on the last lap but this was all forgotten when he passed the checkered flag first.

The Estonian Kolts settled his pace comfortably and rode smart to keep the 3rd place throughout the whole race and have a shot at the mighty victory in race 2. He finished in front of his compatriot Erki Raudnagel in 4th. The performance of the race was for the FIM 65cc World Cup Winner Kash Van Hammond who found himself 23rd on the turn of lap 1 of 8 to finish impressively in 5th place and keeping his chance for an overall podium.

Just as in Race 1, the number 243 of Ivandic got the holeshot and took the lead with confidence. Behind him were Elia Eder, Kolts and Timoteï Cez all well placed to fight for the top places. Unfortunately for Cez he fell down and lost hope of a better finish.

Cez who was riding smart and was well place but crashed out of 4th place on lap 2 and finished 11th in the end. Meanwhile, Kolts began to find his pace and pressure Eder for 2nd. It was a done deal for the Estonian on lap 4 of 8. Kolts moved up 2nd and kept his position until the end to get a great 2-2 for 2nd overall. Behind him Elder stayed strong until the end to finish 3rd for 6th overall.

Following his good first race, Nierychlo made an impressive comeback after a poor start in 19th on lap 1. The German powered through the rank in style to move up to 4th in the end. This prowess propelled him on the podium.

Ivandic in the end dominate the race from start to finish to win it in style with a perfect 1-1 and the gold medal, synonymous of the EMX65 European Title!

EMX65 – Overall Top 10 Classification

1. Roko Ivandic (CRO, KTM), 50 points
2. Theo Kolts (EST, GAS), 42
3. Luca Nierychlo (GER, HUS), 40
4. Kash Van Hamond (NED, GAS), 31
5. Erki Raudnagel (EST, KTM), 31
6. Elias Eder (AUT, KTM), 27
7. Liam Morette (FRA, HUS), 27
8. Svit Vizintin (SLO, KTM), 23
9. Timoteï Cez (FRA, GAS), 22
10. Willads Gordon (DEN, YAM), 22

EMX65 – Championship Top 10 Classification

1. Roko Ivandic (CRO, KTM), 50 points
2. Theo Kolts (EST, GAS), 42
3. Luca Nierychlo (GER, HUS), 40
4. Kash Van Hamond (NED, GAS), 31
5. Erki Raudnagel (EST, KTM), 31
6. Elias Eder (AUT, KTM), 27
7. Liam Morette (FRA, HUS), 27
8. Svit Vizintin (SLO, KTM), 23
9. Timoteï Cez (FRA, GAS), 22
10. Willads Gordon (DEN, YAM), 22

EMX2T

The first race saw Bence Pergel taking the holeshot with some riders going down in the first corner. By the time of turn 2 it was Adam Fridlund who took the early lead in front of Pergel and Florian Hellrigl. Pergel went through Fridlund on lap 2 of 15 to take the lead.

Said Soulimani from Ghidinelli Racing Team was quick on the charge and impressive as he tripled jump on first sector to get an edge and powered himself through to go 2nd on lap 2 passing Frindlund to go behind race leader Pergel.

Then came the stunning charge from Austrian Marcel Stauffer from Osicka MX Team who didn’t start very well going 6th on the opening lap and slower to get going but once he found his rhythm, he was simply the fastest on track. He made several passes early on to find himself 3rd on lap 4 passing a shading down Fridlund.

Stauffer then kept his pace up and brought down the gap with Soulimani to make a decisive move on lap 9 to go 2nd, clocking the fastest lap in the meantime on lap 7. Stauffer kept going and a couple of laps later took the lead off Pergel and then control the race until the end.

The top 3 would stay in that order until the end while Hellrigl managed the 4th place in front of Latvian Karlis Sabulis, 5th and the local rider Vaclav Kovar 6th who made a great come back coming from 17th place on lap 1 showing the potential he had if he would have started better.

First race winner, Stauffer could come into the second race with confidence as well as Pergel to compete for the title.

In Race 2, Pergel once again made a great start and took the lead once again in front of TM moto SteelsDrJack’s Brando Rispolli briefly who got overtaken by Stauffer for 2nd. The top 2 riders of race 1 leading the race in reversing order.

The battle for the raged-on right from the start with the front two riders pulling away from Rispoli. Pergel was riding defensively with Stauffer breathing down his neck and putting pressure and Pergel who held on well.

Behind them Soulimani was 4th and pushed behind Rispoli. The Moroccan finally managed to pass Rispoli on lap 3 to move 3rd. Meanwhile Stauffer got a scare on a landing in front of the Pitlane but managed to stay up and got back on the charge.

There was heartbreak for Soulimani whose bike just came to complete stop ending his dream of a podium with Rispoli moving up to 3rd. While it was all over for Soulimani, Stauffer took the command on lap 6 with a great pass and better drive than Pergel to get his hope of gold medal very much real.

Rispoli came under pressure by Jan Wagenknecht but showed a good strength to hold his 3rd rank for a while but then faded with the German passing him on lap 10. Once again Kovar sowed an impressive determination after another average start going 10th on lap 1. The Czech managed to pass many riders to get to 5th already on lap 4. At that time was on the virtual podium in 3rd overall, but despite this he kept charging in front to cement his podium even more. Following several laps bringing down the gap with first Wagenknecht and then Rispoli, he finally passed the Italian on lap 11 of 15 for 4th and to get cherry on the cake passed the solid Wagenknecht for 3rd.

Second on the podium with an amazing 2-2 and showing great qualities was the Hungarian Bence Pergel who the second best this weekend in front of Vaclav Kovac with the bronze medal.

In the end though, it was all Marcel Stauffer’s moment. Following the serious back injury he sustained in 2023, and not knowing if he could ever be back at 100%, it was an emotional day for the Austrian as he showed tremendous pace and control in both races, and showed an incredible mental and physical strength to get the gold.

EMX2T – Overall Top 10 Classification

1. Marcel Stauffer (AUT, KTM), 50 points
2. Bence Pergel (HUN, KTM), 44
3. Vaclav Kovar (CZE, KTM), 35
4. Florian Hellrigl (AUT, KTM), 32
5. Karlis Sabulis (LAT, HUS), 31
6. Jan Wagenknecht (CZE, —), 28
7. Adam Fridlund (SWE, HUS), 26
8. Brando Rispoli (ITA, TM), 25
9. Andrea Rossi (ITA, KTM), 25
10. Saad Soulimani (MAR, YAM), 20

EMX2T – Championship Top 10 Classification

1. Marcel Stauffer (AUT, KTM), 50 points
2. Bence Pergel (HUN, KTM), 44
3. Vaclav Kovar (CZE, KTM), 35
4. Florian Hellrigl (AUT, KTM), 32
5. Karlis Sabulis (LAT, HUS), 31
6. Jan Wagenknecht (CZE, —), 28
7. Adam Fridlund (SWE, HUS), 26
8. Brando Rispoli (ITA, TM), 25
9. Andrea Rossi (ITA, KTM), 25
10. Saad Soulimani (MAR, YAM), 20

2024 MXGP of Czech Republic Round 13 Report

The daunting slopes of the Loketske Serpentiny circuit presented an tough challenge for riders at the MXGP of Czech Republic, where overnight rain added to the brilliant track preparation, for the over 250 riders giving their all over the two GP classes and multiple EMX races.

MXGP World Championship leader Tim Gajser claimed his first ever overall Grand Prix win at the classic Czech circuit, bouncing back from third in race one to claim the second race and victory on the day for Team HRC.

MX2 saw another epic battle throughout the leading positions, and ultimately the red plate holder Kay De Wolf prevailed to take his fifth GP win of the year for Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing, and extend his points lead over his teammate, and first race winner, Lucas Coenen.

2024 MXGP of Czech Republic Highlights

MXGP Race One

It was all green at the top of the morning Warm-Up time charts and the green trend continued in the opening MXGP race, as Seewer fought off the challenge from Jorge Prado to claim his fourth Fox Holeshot Award of the year, with De Baets Yamaha man Benoit Paturel running in third early on.

While the Frenchman was quickly pounced on by both Gajser and Herlings, Seewer led for several corners before the reigning Champ took control for Red Bull GASGAS Factory Racing with a forceful move at the bottom of the circuit.

Behind, Herlings passed Gajser to move into third halfway around the lap, then muscled his way past Seewer to claim second and give chase to Prado.

On the second lap, Gajser also made a move on Seewer, so the big three were out in command once more. Prado wasn’t making a mistake as Herlings was finding out as he tried time and again to pass.

Their efforts to better each other left Gajser a lonely third, and Seewer a similarly solitary fourth in a consistent ride. Paturel had to yield to Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP rider Calvin Vlaanderen and Febvre in the second half of the race, but still scored a seventh place finish, his best since October 2021.

As for the leaders, Herlings generated one of his bursts of speed to fire alongside Prado and make the Spaniard back off, after which “The Bullet” powered away to win by over 8 seconds at the chequered flag. In his first visit to the track since 2018, he looked to be in dominant form.

MXGP Race One Results

MXGP Race Two

The second race started disastrously for the Dutchman, as a poor jump from the gate left him having to avoid a first corner crash, then in turn two a domino effect of collisions saw him on the floor.

His main rivals were soon first and second, as Prado rediscovered his starting touch to claim his twelfth Fox Holeshot Award of the year, and Gajser moved past Vlaanderen to grab second.

Febvre was a solid fourth ahead of Fantic Factory Racing’s Brian Bogers, back from his Indonesian shoulder dislocation, and veteran Valentin Guillod.

All eyes were on Herlings, as he sliced through to twelfth on the second lap, before tripping over the Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP machine of a sliding Andrea Bonacorsi, clipping the Italian’s back wheel and tipping over again.

Undaunted, the Dutchman was back with the same rider two laps later, and continued to advance. As Seewer recovered from his poor start, he clashed with Bogers, who fell from fifth, and suddenly Herlings was up to sixth spot and getting a pit board of “17 seconds to the leader!”

He passed Seewer on lap seven, then crossed the gap to Febvre by lap 14 and made an easy pass for fourth as the Frenchman struggled with a bike problem.

Meanwhile, Gajser had taken the lead, after out-foxing his rival with an inside pass on the cambered corner before the Pit Lane, actually banging bars as they passed their pit boards.

The Slovenian held the inside line and took the lead, to the roar of the many fans who had made the trip up from his homeland. Prado seemed to have no answer, and on a circuit where he had never had overall success before, “Tiga” won the race by three seconds to secure his 48th career Grand Prix victory.

Once more, Herlings stole the limelight as he attacked Vlaanderen on the final two laps, raising excitement with two near crashes as he closed to within striking distance.

Ultimately, the Yamaha man held on for third in the race, and Herlings had to settle for fourth, ahead of Romain Febvre.

MXGP Race Two Results – Top 10

MXGP Overall

At the end of the day it was Tim Gajser taking a narrow win for the weekend on 45-points to Jorge Prado’s 44, while Jeffrey Herlings nipped at their heels on 43-points, Calvin Vlaanderen and Jeremy Seewer a more distant fourth and fifth on 36 and 33-points. Rounding out the top 10 was Febvre, Coldenhoff, Van Doninck, Paturel and Bogers.

The round overall ensured minimal movement in the standings top three, Gajser leading on 663-points, Prado second on 627 and Herlings third on 608. From there it’s a hefty drop to Vlaanderen in fourth on 471, while Seewer is fifth on 451.

Tim Gajser – P1

“It’s amazing to finally get a win here in Loket. I’ve had some good moments here, but never been able to take the victory so this is just a great feeling. I didn’t have the best first moto, but we worked together as a team to improve things for race two and I immediately felt a lot better. I got a good start, put pressure on the leader and then made a move midway through and controlled the rest of the race. A big thank you to all the team, and to all the fans Slovenian fans who create such an awesome atmosphere and who support me around the whole track. I’m glad I could finally repay them here in Loket.”

Jorge Prado – P2

“A solid weekend overall you could say – with three P2 finishes. Starting from Saturday I just tried to stay consistent. I was struggling a little bit on this track with traction because I’m quite light, but I tried my best and gave it my all, and I think we came away with the best result we could this weekend. I felt ok in the second moto, my start was good but then I just made a mistake with the line and Tim [Gajser] got past me. It’s important to grab points for the championship; I want to catch up – but it is what it is. We’ve got some sand races coming up – I’ve been putting in training time on the sand, so it should be good. I’m looking forward to Lommel, and to make a good bounce back!”

Jeffrey Herlings – P3

“I felt like my old self from a few years ago today. I am still improving, and these kinds of tracks are not easy for me. I went from 5th to 1st in the first moto and wanted to make another statement in the second but I messed up; maybe a bit too much confidence. From dead last to 13th and then I hit someone’s rear wheel and had to do it again. Speed was good, fitness was good but luck was not on my side today. So, not great, not bad and to win my 200th moto was pretty special, nobody else has reached that amount. Still seven races to go and I’m looking forward to the next one.”

Calvin Vlaanderen – P4

“It’s been a physically tough weekend. Unfortunately, I picked up a sickness bug after Indonesia but I still came here with high expectations. I knew today would be challenging, and I didn’t have a great start in Race One, but I battled through for fifth. In the second one, I had a much better start and tried latching onto the front guys. I was able to stay third all race, and near the end, I could see Jeffrey Herlings closing in, so I dug deep, gave it everything I had, and pushed to the end to stay in third. Overall, I’m satisfied with today and happy to keep this momentum going.”

Jeremy Seewer – P5

“I have won races here in the past and been on the podium a few times so the final result was a little frustrating. It’s always nice to get a holeshot but those three are on a high, high level at the moment and they have a little extra, especially in the first two laps. I managed a good fourth place but I take too long to get into the race. My start was not quite so good in the second race; it’s always tough to pass here and I was felt a little empty in the end. But I was happy I get through this GP safe; I didn’t make any mistakes and a lot of riders are going home in pain. Now on to Lommel; I think we are fit enough so we just need some laps in the sand this week to get the feeling.”

Romain Febvre – P6

“It’s never easy to jump back into the championship mid-season after a break, so overall the result was not too bad with a sixth and a fifth. I was missing just a little physically but I had hoped my speed would be a little better in the first race. In the second race I could match the speed of the leaders until I overstretched my ankle on a jump; I had to slow down for two or three laps and that cost me fourth.”

Andrea Bonacorsi – P13

“I struggled out there this weekend. In the first race I didn’t find my flow at all, and then in Race Two I fought hard for 11th, but it wasn’t easy. The track was really tricky in Race Two and much more difficult than what we usually see, so it was a bit of a learning experience. It was also my first time racing here, so everything was new. For next weekend we head to Lommel, and I love the sand, so I can’t wait to head there and I’m really looking forward to it.”

MXGP Round Overall

MXGP Championship Points – Top 20

MX2 Race One

The first race began with Sacha Coenen taking yet another holeshot, in front of his two Red Bull KTM Factory Racing teammates, Adamo and Liam Everts.

Unfortunately however at the start of the second lap, Bike It MTX Kawasaki rider Jack Chambers crashed in front of the Pit Lane and the race had to be stopped as he was treated for concussion.

On the restart, Sacha Coenen once more emerged in front to claim his twelfth Fox Holeshot Award of the season, this time with his brother Lucas, who had been buried in the pack before the restart, right in his wheel tracks in second. Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MX2 star Rick Elzinga was into third and looking good on a surface which is not his usual favourite.

On the third lap, Lucas Coenen moved past Sacha into the lead, before the KTM-mounted twin hit the floor to lose second place to Elzinga.

Simon Laengenfelder held third for Red Bull GASGAS Factory Racing, urged on by his many fans who had made the short trip over the nearby German border.

Everts battled past Laengenfelder after a couple of attempts, before making a particularly sweet pass on Elzinga. The Belgian fell a lap later, and would have to settle for fifth at the flag. Elzinga slipped back to sixth as Sacha Coenen crashed out of the race on lap 12.

In the frantic battle, Mikkel Haarup had worked his way up to third for Monster Energy Triumph Racing, behind Laengenfelder, but a late charge from Kay de Wolf led to a last lap pass by the red plate holder. Nobody could stop Lucas Coenen, however, who won by nearly ten seconds at the flag.

MX2 Race One Results – Top 10

MX2 Race Two

Race two was like a representation of the whole MX2 series so far, with frantic action all through the pack. Passes and crashes were taking place almost every lap, but somehow the series leader prevailed to take the victory again.

It was Everts who claimed the Fox Holeshot Award this time, only his third of the series, Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MX2 new rider Karlis Reisulis held second early on, before being passed by Haarup on the first lap. Everts suddenly fell on the first corner of the second lap, but recovered quickly enough to re-pass Haarup on the big right-hander alongside the start straight.

That corner would be a problem for Haarup, as he was later passed there by both Laengenfelder and Lucas Coenen, on his way to a fifth-place finish. De Wolf had advanced steadily, past an impressive Reisulis on lap six, then Haarup a lap later. He had pressure from his teammate, who had started poorly, until Lucas collided with the bank coming out of turn two and crashed heavily.

Laengenfelder reeled in Everts, to take a loudly cheered leading position from lap eight, and he looked in control on his favoured hard-pack, but De Wolf suddenly lit the afterburners, battling back and forth with Everts for second place.

Finally getting the pass to stick on lap 13, their battle had brought them to Laengenfelder’s rear wheel, and with a stunning move on lap 15 the Dutchman took a convincing win in brilliant style, depriving the German of his first GP victory of the year in the process.

With Everts third, Lucas took fourth from Haarup. Elzinga, Reisulis, Mc Lellan, Sacha and Oliver rounding out the top-10 respectively.

MX2 Race Two Results – Top 10

MX2 Overall

De Wolf took the MX2 round win on 45-points to Laegenfelder’s 44,and Lucas Coenen’s 43; Everts and Haarup rounding out the top five.

The result sees de Wolf continue to lead on 626-points, L.Coenen second on 580 and Laegenfelder third on 560.

Kay de Wolf – P1

“It was amazing to get the victory. I was a bit emotional on that podium. From last year I was in so much pain standing on the podium and also in 2018 when I missed the EMX85 win and finished 2nd so I’m so happy to finally get the win here as this place is amazing. I couldn’t do it without this team. They do a great job! My mechanics yesterday had to do so much job to the bike as it was in bad shape after my crash so big shout out to them, I appreciate it a lot!”

Simon Laengenfelder – P2

“Almost a GP win this weekend you could say! My fitness is now getting better and better. Just before Maggiora, I had a fever, and since then I had been struggling – but now things are improving. This weekend we managed some strong finishes. The track was really difficult to ride fast – you had to push alot to try to ride over all the bumps out of the corners. I’m happy to be consistent with a 2-2 result. For sure everyone wants to win, but it’s not always easy. I think we will get there though; and I am really looking forward to Lommel.”

Lucas Coenen – P3

“For the first race nothing to say as it was good. In the second race, my stsart was good but got pushed wide from the inside found myself far but I came back well and was behind Kay (de Wolf) and wanted to pass him. It was a bit sketchy at some points but then I crashed and try to come back as fast as possible. Now we don’t quit and want to go to Lommel to win so see you next week!”

Liam Everts – P4

“A good qualifying moto on Saturday and it was enough for a decent pick in the gate. We had two starts and I had a tip-over for the second one, the full race, and 5th was alright. The holeshot helped in the second moto but I rode a bit tight. I’m not super-happy about some things but I was quite happy with my riding today. I just need to cut down the mistakes and hope for better at my home GP.”

Rick Elzinga – P6

“I’m really happy with the progress I’ve made since Indonesia, and it’s been a good weekend overall. In the first race, I was lucky because it was restarted, and I started third with Karlis fourth before I moved into second pretty quickly. But I pushed a little too hard and lost my flow near the end and slipped back to sixth. My start in Race Two wasn’t as good but my riding was much better. I had good speed, found my flow, and I was able to push all moto. We’ve made some good improvements this weekend and thanks to the team for their support.”

Karlis Reisulis – P8

“It’s been a really good weekend for me here in Loket, and things are going in the right direction. In Race One I felt really good although I crashed with another rider, but I was happy to finish in 10th. I had a great start in Race Two, and I was running in second for a while, which was really good, but I got a little tired towards the end. Overall, my progress in the class has been positive, and I’m looking forward to Lommel next weekend.”

Ferruccio Zanchi – P12

“I was happy with the majority of my riding, but a few moments cost me once again. I made a lot of passes over the weekend and that is something to be happy about, but I also wanted to be better in the first few laps so that I don’t have to make so many moves. Still, I am healthy and learning all the time and although I’m not getting the end results I want, I still think I am progressing and moving in the right direction.”

Sacha Coenen – P15

“Two holeshots but only one counted and I was riding with my brother at the front until I had a small tip-off that was really strange. I got back to 5th but had to bail off the bike on the jump at the bottom of the hill. I was lucky to have just a few scratches. My riding was good in the second moto although I had some pain and the start wasn’t great. I’m really looking forward to racing Lommel; I wish the race was tomorrow!”

Andrea Adamo – DNF/DNS

“This morning I had a scary crash and I was 50-50 for the races but I said I wanted to try, I wanted to give it a go. I had a pretty good start but then we had the red flag, and I hope everyone is OK. We had to re-group and it was not so easy because I was feeling a bit weak. I fought as much as I could the whole moto but towards the end I made one small mistake and hit my head and also my torso where I had a cut and it re-opened. I had to go to the hospital because my blood pressure was very low. I had some stitches and things are well now. To go home with only five stitches after the fall from the morning is positive and I hope to be back on my bike as soon as I can.”

MX2 Round Overall

MX2 Championship Standings

2024 Australian ProMX Round Six – Toowoomba Wrap

See the full report and results here:
Things tight at the top in MX1 after Echo Valley battles

Toowoomba’s Echo Valley saw multiple race winners across each of the classes as the 2024 Penrite ProMX Championship, presented by AMX Superstores, arrived in Queensland for round six on Sunday.

And the gears clicked another level, firstly by featuring as retro round and resulting in a number of seriously nostalgic throwback bike liveries, and secondly, with the late addition of MotoGP megastar Jack Miller on track – trying his hand in the dirt during the MotoGP summer break.

CDR Yamaha Monster Energy’s Jed Beaton swapped race wins with Thor MX1 series leader Kyle Webster to emerge victorious on countback, and ensure the slender seven-point gap remains with two rounds remaining.

The factory Honda Racing team took round honours in the remaining categories, with Brodie Connolly again extending his Pirelli MX2 points margin, Jake Cannon narrowing the gap in MAXXIS MX3, and Charli Cannon continuing her perfect season in EZILIFT MX3.

MotoGP star Jack Miller scored 23rd and 24th place finishes in MX1, two-laps behind the winners after the 25-minute plus on-lap race distances. Miller’s fastest lap 2min10.055s, 16-seconds slower than race winners Kyle Webster and Jed Beaton, but importantly with nothing broken and ready to roll when MotoGP reconvenes at Silverstone for the British Grand Prix early next month.

Jed Beaton – P1

“I had to make a stand this round and stay in the fight,” Beaton said after the final race. “If the points got out to thirteen with four races to go, then all Kyle had to do was follow me around at the last two rounds and he would have won. I wasn’t about to let that happen, so the goal today was to either get some points back or at the very least, not let the gap get any bigger. The first race was a little disappointing. My arms tightened up a little and didn’t ride with a lot of flow, but race two was much better and it was good to get the race win and give the team a reward for all the effort they have been putting in. We have a couple of weeks between now and the final two rounds which are both in Queensland. It’s back to work again and try and build on how we left here today as I know this will come down to the final race between myself and Kyle, but I’m loving the challenge.”

Kyle Webster – P2

“Race 1 was one of the best races of my career; the bike, the team, everything was working well, and things just clicked. In Race 2, I got a terrible start and had to come from 6th to 2nd. I couldn’t push too hard as a crash would have resulted in a much worse position, so I just settled. Equal on overall points but 2nd on the day due to countback is fine with me. I knew this weekend was going to be one of the hardest rounds for me; I don’t think I have ever been on the podium in Toowoomba.”

Nathan Crawford – P3

“I’m happy with my riding in practice, but in Superpole I was just rushing it a little bit. I rode really well in moto one and there were times I was consistently the fastest on track and matching those top guys – I’m kicking myself as I had a little crash in that moto and had to fight my way back to third. I wanted a good start to the second moto and I ripped the holeshot. I led a couple of laps, but found myself settling into a pace that was a bit off those guys and ended up third. The track was tricky, because it was one of those days where it felt like there was high risk out there, especially with the sun position in that final race. I’m stoked to be back on the podium and look to finish out the next two rounds on the podium as well. I’d like to tick off an overall, that’s the aim, so we’ll see how we go!”

Todd Waters – P5

“Toowoomba’s always super-challenging for me, as I’m not a hard-pack rider. I’ve been working hard on the bike and feeling more comfortable on it, but I didn’t get the best start to the first moto. I caught up to third and I felt I had speed, but I couldn’t make any passes happen. In the second moto, I got a good start and was in P2, but the track was baked and it was just scary at that point – I didn’t have the extra push the front guys were running. Overall, we’re making progress, and I had some fight this weekend. I’m looking forward to the last two rounds, getting myself further up there and battling with the guys up front.”

Kirk Gibbs – P6

“Overall, I’m happy with how I rode today, but on paper the results don’t show that. My first race was good, but at the start of the second moto there were all these ruts going into the second turn and I got shuffled right back. I managed to get myself back to fifth, but then I pushed into a turn too hard and blew through it. Being in a taller gear in the mud, the bike stalled and it took a while for me to get going again. I fought back to P8, but the track was really difficult today – there were ruts right into the base of the up ramps, then you were landing into more ruts, so you had to basically pick a line in the air and line yourself up. It was pretty gnarly!”

Thor MX1 Round Points

Brodie Connolly – P1

“I was smart in Race 1 and took 2nd; I didn’t want to push it and make a mistake. I was getting good communication on the pit board. In Race 2, I didn’t let up; I had one goal, to win the race and take the overall. A 54-point advantage is nice, but my goal is to wrap the championship up as quickly as I can, so I will be going all out in Round 7 to wrap this up. But I won’t do anything to jeopardise my chances to represent NZ in the Des Nations, something I hope I am picked to do.”

Jayce Cosford – P3

“A cross between relief and happiness,” Cosford expressed at the podium. “I always put in during the week and I feel like my riding during the week was always pretty good, but I never have been able to turn that into a result, so to finally get on the box was a combination of those two emotions as I knew I could do it, I just found it hard to get it done. But it’s cool because the team kept working and believing in me so having them all at the podium was a nice moment and hope we have a few more of them before the season is out.”

Kaleb Barham – P4

“I saw Brodie got the lead on lap one so I maybe panicked a little and tried to rush a rutty corner entry and just over balanced and went down, which was frustrating, but I’m happy with how I rode all day,” Barham offers. “I gave it everything that I had in both races and can leave here saying I left it all on the table. This is now the benchmark of what I can achieve and the effort I need to give every time I race and with two rounds left to go, hopefully I can get on the podium and finish the championship strongly.”

Kayden Minear – P6

“Today the track was probably the gnarliest I’ve ever ridden at Toowoomba, but the bike felt good all day. I’m not satisfied with my riding, though. I just struggled in the last moto and I didn’t find a flow. It took a while and my fastest laps were at the end, but the track was just really tough and easy to make mistakes on. We’ve got to fix the problems I had today and make sure we’re better at MX Farm.”

Rhys Budd – P8

“Today started decently and I was sixth-fastest in qualifying, but the times were quite close towards the front. I struggled with the starts and wasn’t quite comfortable getting off the mesh today, but somehow I managed to come around the first turn near the top-five in each moto and felt pretty good for the first couple of laps. I just had a couple of tip-overs early in the motos, which made it hard, and I ended up fighting just inside the top 10 in both races. We’ll get back to work and get ready for Gympie.”

Ryder Kingsford – P9

“I just wanted to get through the round and stay in the points hunt,” Kingsford explain, “but I was doing it tough in that first one with a crash at the start, then another fell directly in front of me a lap later costing me plenty of positions, so it didn’t start well. But race two was much better and I rode better so it was nice the finish the day on a good note. I ran third for a lot of that race but just didn’t want to push the injury anymore so I took the common sense approach and got as many points as possible. With a few weeks between now and the final two rounds, hopefully my ankle can keep getting better and I will be back to full strength by round seven at MX Farm.”

Jack Mather – P11

“Today was pretty solid. The starts weren’t great, but I was able to fight through the pack to two top 10s on what ended up being a very technical track. I’m happy with my riding, so I’m looking forward to a track we’re more familiar with at MX Farm.”

Pirelli MX2 Round Points

Pos	Rider	Bike	M1	M2	Points
1	B Connolly	Hon	22	25	47
2	R Taylor	Kaw	18	22	40
3	J Cosford	Yam	20	20	40
4	K Barham	Yam	25	14	39
5	A Larwood	Hon	14	18	32
6	K Minear	KTM	15	15	30
7	C Williams	Yam	16	13	29
8	R Budd	Hus	12	12	24
9	R Kingsford	Yam	7	16	23
10	N Ferguson	Hon	13	10	23
11	J Mather	Hus	11	11	22
12	R King	Hon	10	8	18
13	J Kukas	Hus	8	9	17
14	B Flynn	Hus	9	5	14
15	J Scott	Yam	4	7	11
16	W Daish	Gas	1	6	7
17	C King	Hon	5	1	6
18	T Kean	Gas	6		6
19	M O’bree	Gas	2	3	5
20	R Fitzpatrick	Kaw		4	4
21	J Sweet	Yam	3		3
22	M Norris	Kaw		2	2

Kobe Drew – P2

“That has been a long time coming and I’m pumped to finally able to win one,” Drew said from the podium. “Jake had a bit of a lead on us, and I got past Seth the lap earlier, so when I saw Jake down, I knew I had to ride well for the last half to ensure I got the win and its good to be here on the podium. Thanks to everyone who came out today as I have a lot of friends and family here and also the WBR Yamaha team. We have four riders in the truck and its hectic in there at times, but we all keep at it and getting good results.”

Seth Burchell – P3

“I like racing here even though I haven’t always gone well. It’s a tough track to ride with all the ruts, the hills and different traction so I was happy to be able to put two good races together inside the top three and get back on the podium again.”

Koby Hantis – P4

“I didn’t qualify that well this morning and my starts were a bit off today, so I had to work hard to salvage some reasonable results. Being so rutty, I can be hard to pass here sometimes so track position at the start of the race is supper important. I will try and clean those up for the final two rounds and keep doing what I am doing.”

Maxxis MX3 Round Points

Pos	Rider	Bike	M1	M2	Points
1	J Cannon	Hon	25	20	45
2	K Drew	Yam	18	25	43
3	S Burchell	Yam	20	22	42
4	K Hantis	Yam	22	18	40
5	K Woods	Gas	15	14	29
6	K Kingsford	Yam	16	13	29
7	D Paice	KTM	12	16	28
8	J Alsop	KTM	9	15	24
9	F Manson	KTM	13	10	23
10	S Shackleton	Hon	14	9	23
11	J Deveson	Hus	8	11	19
12	P Dusschoten	Hon	11	8	19
13	S Morrow	KTM	5	12	17
14	C Wilmington	Hus	10		10
15	D Rose	Hus	2	7	9
16	W Delangen	KTM	7		7
17	J Salih	Hon		6	6
18	P Wolfe	Hus	6		6
19	P Martin	Hus		5	5
20	H Groundwater	Hon		4	4
21	M Compton	Gas	1	3	4
22	Z O’loan	KTM	4		4
23	N Parkes	Yam	3		3
24	H Downie	Gas		2	2
25	A Widdon	Yam		1	1

2024 Pro Motocross Round Eight – Washougal Wrap

The 2024 AMA Pro Motocross Championship made its final trip to the West Coast for the eighth round of the summer campaign, where the scenic surroundings of Washougal MX Park challenged riders under some of the hottest temperatures of the season.

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Chase Sexton dominated with his third straight 1-1 effort to capture his fourth 450 Class victory of the season and add to his championship points lead.

In the 250 Class, points leader Haiden Deegan edged out Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Tom Vialle via tiebreaker for the fifth win of the season for the Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing rider.

See the full report and results:
Washougal AMA Pro MX – An illustrated recap

450 Moto One

The opening moto of the afternoon got underway with a massive holeshot for Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Aaron Plessinger, who had a lead of several bike lengths exiting the first turn with the Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing machine of Justin Cooper in second and Team Honda HRC’s Hunter Lawrence in third. Sexton started outside the top 10 but made quick passes to slot himself into sixth by the completion of the opening lap. Back up front, Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Jason Anderson made the pass on Lawrence for third.

As the moto progressed through its midway point the field settled in, but Sexton was mounting a charge. After a pass on Phoenix Racing Honda’s Dylan Ferrandis for fifth, Sexton began to lay down the fastest laps of the moto, which allowed him to close in on the lead group. He caught and passed Anderson for fourth with ease and then set his sights on Lawrence and Cooper, who were in a battle for second. Lawrence made the move on Cooper to take second, then Sexton followed through into third with a little more than 10 minutes to go.

While he looked to keep Sexton at bay, Lawrence went down, which caused him to lose three positions and remount in fifth. Sexton inherited second and looked to erase a near five-second deficit to his teammate with just under 10 minutes remaining. Cooper moved into third, with Anderson fifth.

With two minutes to go Sexton had cut the deficit in half, but Plessinger responded with his quickest laps of the moto. Sexton didn’t relent and continued to increase his pace to inch closer to Plessinger. With three laps to go less than a second separated the teammates. Plessinger then stalled his KTM briefly, which allowed Sexton to get alongside as Plessinger restarted. The momentum allowed Sexton to slip past and pull away from Plessinger.

The championship leader stayed solid through the final laps to capture his sixth straight moto win by 5.3 seconds over Plessinger. Cooper followed in a distant third, with Anderson fourth and Lawrence fifth.

450 Moto Two

The deciding moto started with Cooper leading the field to the MotoSport.com Holeshot, but he gave way to Lawrence briefly until Anderson made a charge to go from third to first in just a few hundred feet. Sexton followed in fourth, while Plessinger started fifth. While Anderson looked to sprint out to a lead, Lawrence strengthened his hold of second as Sexton made his way around Cooper for third.

Five minutes into the moto, Anderson had established a 3.3 second lead on the field, while Lawrence, Sexton, and Plessinger settled into their respective positions. Cooper, meanwhile, encountered misfortune and dropped outside the top 10. As the opening 10 minutes passed, Sexton started to apply pressure on Lawrence for second. The championship rivals battled briefly, but Sexton made the pass stick and set his sights on Anderson, who sat 4.6 seconds ahead. Lawrence then faced pressure from Plessinger in fourth, as the KTM rider was eventually able to make his move into the top three.

As the second half of the moto unfolded, Sexton was able to chip away at Anderson’s advantage, running the fastest laps on the track. With a little more than 10 minutes to go, Sexton closed to within 1.2 seconds of the lead. An outside line opened the door for Sexton to attempt a pass, as he edged ahead on the exit to secure the lead with a little more than eight minutes remaining.

Anderson kept Sexton honest for several laps, but the KTM rider pulled away at the end to cap off another perfect afternoon by 13 seconds over Anderson, who wrapped up his best moto result of the season. Plessinger finished solidly in third.

450 Round

Sexton’s third consecutive 1-1 performance, and his fourth of the season, resulted in a milestone 10th career win. Plessinger equaled his career-best result in second (2-3) to complete KTM’s second 1-2 sweep in three races. Anderson’s strong second moto landed him on the overall podium for the first time this season in third (4-2).

With seven straight moto wins in tow, Sexton has built a 28-point lead in the 450 Class standings over Lawrence, who finished fourth (5-4) and missed the podium for the first time in his premier class career. Cooper, who finished fifth (3-7), sits third, 76 points behind Sexton.

Chase Sexton – Red Bull KTM Factory Racing (1-1)

“It feels nice, because I wanted to get this win before the break, and to go into that with some momentum. We’ve got two weekends off, so I plan to go back and rest, because I haven’t been feeling the greatest these last few days. I felt really good on the bike, was able to push through and find a flow, which got me to the end. This crowd’s awesome and I love coming to this track every year. We’ll keep the hammer down from here and go for it!”

Aaron Plessinger – Red Bull KTM Factory Racing (2-3)

“These fans at Washougal are unreal! It’s cool to see this same support country-wide and that these people have the same passion for dirt bikes that I do. I’m still achieving the goals that I set for myself, even if unfortunately last week I had a crash that kept me off the podium in fourth, but we’re back here now and I’m happy. We’ll take some weeks off for now and do some things I don’t usually get to do with the family!”

Jason Anderson – Monster Energy Kawasaki (4-2)

“I feel really good about today. I had a good qualifying session and good starts all day. In Moto 1, I was in contention for a podium spot until small mistakes on my end where I lost time, and we also made changes to my KX450SR before Moto 2 which was huge. It felt really great to establish a gap and lead a majority of the second moto, and I feel really good about where we are at as a team. I’m finally heading back home to California instead of continuing to test in South Carolina, and I’m excited to be back with the team and to have a little break before getting back to it. I felt great in the morning on my KX450SR and qualified first, which felt good heading into the motos. In Moto 1, I got a good jump out of the gate and thought I had more pace on the guys in front of me, but a few mistakes caused me to stay in that fourth spot all moto. In Moto 2, I had an even better jump out of the gate and maintained pressure on the top guys the entire race, but stayed consistent and finished just outside the Top 3. Overall, I am happy with the direction we are going and I am looking forward to more racing.”

Hunter Lawrence – P4

“I’m looking forward to reevaluating after this weekend. I’ve kind of been struggling since RedBud—it just seems like I haven’t been the same since that crash. So we’ll go back to the drawing board and figure a few things out about myself. It’s been two weekends in a row that I haven’t even had one good moto in me, which is extremely uncharacteristic. We’ll take this break to make sure we’re 100% healthy, so we can come out swinging for the last three rounds.”

450 Round Results

450 Championship Points

250 Moto One

The first 250 Class moto began with Vialle and Deegan side-by-side, with Vialle narrowly earning the MotoSport.com Holeshot. The rivals remained alongside one another until Vialle gained a slight edge going up Horsepower Hill to secure the lead. Behind them, Troy Lee Designs/Red Bull/GASGAS Factory Racing’s Ryder DiFrancesco slotted into third.

The leaders settled in until Deegan tipped over and gave up second to DiFrancesco. Despite the miscue, Deegan remounted in third. The point leader bided his time and reclaimed the position from DiFrancesco on the following lap. Deegan’s deficit to Vialle was four seconds with 23 minutes to go.

The lead pair mirrored times through the heart of the moto, which saw the lead stabilize at about 3.5 seconds. Behind them, DiFrancesco continued to run third but was forced to fend off Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Jordon Smith, who made the pass briefly before crashing, and then Team Honda HRC’s Jo Shimoda, who applied pressure in the closing minutes and successfully made the pass for third.

Back up front, Deegan attempted to make a late charge, but Vialle responded and effectively ended any threat. The Frenchman raced to just his second moto win of the season, his first since Round 2, by a margin of 11.3 seconds over Deegan. Shimoda finished in third, followed by a career-best moto result for DiFrancesco in fourth, with Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Max Anstie rounding out the top five.

250 Moto Two

The final moto of the afternoon saw Vialle keep the momentum going with a sweep of the MotoSport.com Holeshots as Deegan got another run alongside to try and take the lead in what was a mirror image of the start of Moto 1. Once again, the KTM rider got a better run up Horsepower Hill to fend off Deegan and maintain his hold of the top spot. Behind them, DiFrancesco got another stellar start in third while hometown hero Levi Kitchen was able to make his way into fourth aboard his Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki. Despite the opening lap flurry, Vialle was able to move out to a lead of more than a second over Deegan.

A torrid opening 10 minutes saw several passes unfold, but soon the top five settled with Vialle and Deegan inching away from DiFrancesco as Shimoda made the pass on Kitchen for fourth. Deegan then decided to go on the attack and seemingly caught Vialle off guard. The points leader used an alternate line to get alongside Vialle and completed the pass at the next corner. Behind them, Shimoda made the pass on DiFrancesco for third.

The top three remained unchanged over the second half of the moto as Deegan continued to build his lead into the double digits. He easily secured his seventh moto victory of the season, which also ended a run of six winless motos, by a margin of 14 seconds over Vialle, who went unchallenged in second. Shimoda finished in a distant third.

250 Round

After two rounds without a victory, Deegan (2-1) returned to the top step of the podium with identical moto scores to Vialle (1-2), as the second moto tiebreaker gave the second-generation racer his fifth overall win of the season and the seventh of his young career. It also signified Vialle’s first podium result in two rounds and equaled his season-best effort. Shimoda (3-3) captured his third podium result in the past four races.

Deegan’s lead in the championship standings grew to 53 points over Vialle, who moved from third to second, while Kitchen sits third, 70 points behind Deegan.

Haiden Deegan – Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing (2-1)

“We made a little different bike setup [for Moto 2] and it made a world of difference. Got a good start, made the pass, and just rode my own race. It’s nice to keep the Washougal [win] streak going [after last year] and put it back on top of the box.”

Tom Vialle – Red Bull KTM Factory Racing (1-2)

“Today was a good day! We were able to go fastest in qualifying and won the first moto, and then Haiden [Deegan] beat me in the second moto. The track was tough and I did my best – it’s nice to finish on the podium before the break. We’ll keep training and hopefully we can come back and win these last three races.”

Jo Shimoda – Team Honda HRC (3-3)

“Third overall on the day is pretty good. I think I need to find a little more pace to keep up. I’m stoked on getting better starts though. Hopefully I can put it all together at Unadilla.”

Ryder DiFrancesco – P4

“That was my best finish that I’ve had and we’re happy with that achievement. I had two good starts today, so I was able to learn the speed up front more, and I keep getting better in terms of overall finishes. I’m excited to keep improving and the goal is to get on the podium by the end of the year. I’m looking forward to these couple of off weekends now.”

Pierce Brown – P5

“Washougal was a much better day for me after the last two weeks didn’t go to plan. It was refreshing to get a solid overall result today, which is tied with my best result of the season, and I’m looking forward to putting in the work over the break before Unadilla!”

Levi Kitchen – P6

“I had an okay weekend. I always love coming back to my hometown and home track at Washougal, and the fans are always supportive and great. I felt great after qualifying close to the top of the board, and then in Moto 1 did not get a good jump off of the start. I struggled to find my groove and make up time on a fast paced track, so I did everything I could to make up as many positions as I could. Moto 2 I had a much better start, and began to find good lines and carry a consistent pace which ended up paying off to finish fourth. I’m bummed on my results at home, but I’m ready for the break to regroup and refresh for Unadilla.”

Chance Hymas – P9

“Washougal was a rough one. I came in not even knowing if I was going to race. Shoutout to Doc G [Rey Gubernick]; he got me all taped up and worked on me all day, so big thanks to him for getting me out there. Unfortunately, that crash on the start of the second moto got me. I tweaked my knee and flared up my ankle, so that moto was a bit of a grind. I rode with my heart, left it all out there and was able to salvage some points.”

Julien Beaumer – P11

“It was a decent day at Washougal. I was good in practice, and then struggled in that first moto – I don’t really know what happened there. In Moto 2, I was able to come back with better riding, so in this break we will look to make further improvements and come out swinging in Unadilla.”

Ty Masterpool – P12

“This was a rough weekend for me. I came into the weekend pretty sick, and still beat up from the start crash last week. I knew I was going to have to be as conservative as I could be to make sure I didn’t injure myself further, but I struggled with fatigue all day. I’m not satisfied with my results, but I’m happy to be heading into the break to let my body heal up and get back to the podium at Round 9.”

250 Round Results

250 Championship Points

Next Up

The 2024 Pro Motocross Championship will observe a late summer break of two off weekends before a return to action for its stretch run of the final three rounds, which will begin on Saturday, August 10, from the hallowed grounds of Central New York’s Unadilla MX. The ELF Unadilla National will serve as Round 9 of the season.

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