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Moto News Wrap for June 11, 2019 by Darren Smart

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The LATEST News

• Gajser and Prado win MXGP of Russia
• Walsh blitzes Finke
• Bou wins GP of Japan
• Fricke forges ahead with 2020 SGP Challenge
• Brayton set to defend SX Title
• Epstein-Barr virus slows Covington
• Musquin stays with KTM till 2021
• Woffendin Injured
• Webb Injured
• KTM take full ownership of KTM Australia and New Zealand
• Yamaha bLU cRU YZ65 Cup hits Wollongong
• Action aplenty at Australian Classic Dirt Track Championship
• Tayla Street creates Classic Dirt Track history

Gajser and Prado Win MXGP of Russia

The seaside venue of Orlyonok, Russia hosted round eight of the FIM World Motocross Championship last weekend and the drama filled weekend saw not only a heap of sensational racing but we now have a new MXGP championship leader after Tim Gajser dominating the class while Jorge Prado extended his MX2 championship points lead.

MXGP Report

The drama actually started on Saturday when championship leader Antonio Cairoli crashed during the qualifying race and landed hard on a crusty rut only to get up holding his back before retiring from the race but the plucky nine-time World Champion was on the gate for moto one on Sunday morning.

On a fast and slick circuit Gajser not only earned his third MXGP overall in three rounds via double race wins but he now owns the MXGP Championship leader’s red plate while Arnaud Tonus took second overall with his 2-2 finishes ahead of fellow Yamaha rider Jeremy Seewer who scored his career first MXGP podium overall.

Tim Gajser

“I am feeling really good but both races were really tough because Arnaud was really fast and pushing. Overall, I am happy winning again and thanks to everybody at Honda, the bike is just amazing. Three races ago I was more than 40 points behind Tony and now I have the red plate.”

Arnaud Tonus

“It wasn’t easy to fight for the lead, but I was super happy that I had quite starts so I could fight from the beginning and come quite close to Tim. I went for it and really wanted to pass him but made a small a mistake, it happens. I am happy I went for it anyway and could recover to finish second which is great, I am super thankful and super happy because 3 podiums in a row is amazing.”

Jeremy Seewer

“It is amazing to make it on the MXGP podium, it just feels a lot harder than even any of MX2 wins. It is a lot of work and a lot of fast guys so it feels really good. It is amazing to have two Swiss guys on the podium it hasn’t happened in the history of motocross in Switzerland and to do it on two Yamahas is even better.”

Cairoli battled hard all day to go 13-4 for eighth outright to now be 13 points shy of Gajser as far as the championship goes while Jefferey Herlings was on hand in his first race of the year to end the day with very respectable 4-7 moto results for fourth overall.

Jeffrey Herlings

“I had a serious injury and it has been tough to get back here, mentally and physically, and with a lot of pain for a long time. I did not expect this result here today especially on this track. So to be close to the podium again feels pretty beautiful. I like the track in Latvia but I don’t have any firm expectations and I will not forget where I have come from to get to this point. Having said that we’ll always try to fight for a podium spot when we can!”

Tony Cairoli

“A very difficult weekend and of course the crash from yesterday did not help as it meant I was totally on the outside for the gate pick. I was riding very stiff and by missing the start it is almost impossible to make a good result on this track; everybody is riding at a similar speed. We lost the red plate but the positive is that I’m not badly injured, and we saw some big crashes today. We walk away a bit banged-up but we will re-group and look to Latvia, which is a nice track, and to regain some points.”

MXGP Overall Top Ten

1. Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 50 points
2. Arnaud Tonus (SUI, YAM), 44
3. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, YAM), 36
4. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 32
5. Romain Febvre (FRA, YAM), 32
6. Julien Lieber (BEL, KAW), 31
7. Pauls Jonass (LAT, HUS), 29
8. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 27
9. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, KTM), 24
10. Arminas Jasikonis (LTU, HUS), 22

MXGP Championship Top Ten

1. Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 351 points
2. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 338
3. Gautier Paulin (FRA, YAM), 231
4. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, YAM), 220
5. Arminas Jasikonis (LTU, HUS), 212
6. Clement Desalle (BEL, KAW), 208
7. Arnaud Tonus (SUI, YAM), 206
8. Julien Lieber (BEL, KAW), 172
9. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, HON), 170
10. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, KTM), 168

MX2 Report

Despite a poor start Prado won the opening moto narrowly from Thomas Kjer Olsen, Jago Geerts, Tom Vialle and Mitchell Evans while Jed Beaton cake home in 12th after a poor start but in the second moto Prado earned the holeshot and took off like a cut cat to take an easy win over Kjer Olsen, Geerts. Michele Cervellin, Vialle, Ben Watson, Beaton, Henry Jacobi, Maxime Renaux and Evans.

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Prado now leads the championship over Kjer Olsen by a clean 20 points while Evans is 6^th in the points, just two behind Vialle while Beaton sits 14th in the points despite missing two of the eight rounds due to injury.

Jorge Prado

“I felt pretty good this weekend, the track was hard but I felt good getting the Saturday Qualifying Race win and today I was in the back of the pack so I had to make my way up to the front, but I had good speed and fought all the way to the end to get the win. I am happy and looking forward to the next round.”

Thomas Kjer Olsen

“I felt good all weekend. Yesterday in the Qualifying I felt really good then we made some changes on the bike to make it feel really comfortable on the hard pack. Overall, I am happy I got to lead some laps, felt great on the bike, and everything so I am looking forward to Latvia for sure.”

Jago Geerts

“It was a really solid weekend for me, I was really happy with the starts, I had three good starts this weekend which is positive for the rest of the season. Next weekend is Latvia, one of my favourite tracks but the goal is the same, to be on the podium, so we’ll see.”

Mitchell Evans

“In the first moto I got off to a good start and just kind of rode my own race, so stayed in fifth the whole race. I tried to follow the leaders, but they just had a little bit more pace. I was struggling with the speeds on the track and just how slippery it was. In moto two I had a really bad start, around twentieth or something, and on a track that was really hard to pass on I made my way to tenth. I was really happy with my riding this weekend. My pace was a little bit off, but we know where we can improve. I have just got to focus on making my starts better. I am looking forward to Latvia.”

Jed Beaton

“I’m really happy with the way the GPs gone. Obviously, I needed a little bit of time off following my crash in Portugal and to come back after being unable to race in France and get two solid results is great. I did three good days of riding before coming to Russia, so I was confident things would go well because I felt good and importantly was pain free. The opening moto didn’t start too well, I got a bad start so had to work really hard. I went from outside the top 20 to 12th and put in a lot of effort. I was feeling the hard work in the second moto but made some good passes. I’m really pleased with seventh. I feel like I’m where I should be and now that the Portugal crash is behind me I want to build on these results starting with the Latvian GP next weekend.”

MX2 Overall Top Ten

1. Jorge Prado (ESP, KTM), 50 points
2. Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, HUS), 44
3. Jago Geerts (BEL, YAM), 40
4. Tom Vialle (FRA, KTM), 34
5. Michele Cervellin (ITA, YAM), 30
6. Mitchell Evans (AUS, HON), 27
7. Ben Watson (GBR, YAM), 26
8. Henry Jacobi (GER, KAW), 26
9. Maxime Renaux (FRA, YAM), 26
10. Jed Beaton (AUS, HUS), 23

MX2 Championship Top Ten

1. Jorge Prado (ESP, KTM), 347 points
2. Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, HUS), 327
3. Jago Geerts (BEL, YAM), 257
4. Henry Jacobi (GER, KAW), 236
5. Tom Vialle (FRA, KTM), 216
6. Mitchell Evans (AUS, HON), 214
7. Ben Watson (GBR, YAM), 210
8. Adam Sterry (GBR, KAW), 169
9. Davy Pootjes (NED, HUS), 157
10. Michele Cervellin (ITA, YAM), 132

Moosdijk and Kellett win EMX in Russia

Roan Van de Moosdijk and Todd Kellett have won the EMX250 and EMX2T classes respectively at the Russian round of the FIM Europe Championship at Orlyonok last weekend.

EMX250 Report

Despite Van De Mooslik taking the overall with 2-1 moto results it was Stephan Rubini who rode to 3-1 finishes and subsequently took the red plate from former championship leader Alberto Forato who struggled to 14-4 moto results but it was a solid round for Aussie Caleb Grothues who went 9-9 for ninth overall.

Rubini now holds a two-point lead over Forato with four rounds remaining while Grothues sits 14th in the points despite missing the Italian round due to injury.

EMX250 Overall Top Ten

1. Roan Van De Moosdijk (NED, KAW), 47 points
2. Stephen Rubini (FRA, HON), 45
3. Rene Hofer (AUT, KTM), 42
4. Giuseppe Tropepe (ITA, YAM), 29
5. Jeremy Sydow (GER, HUS), 29
6. Rick Elzinga (NED, YAM), 28
7. Thibault Benistant (FRA, YAM), 28
8. Alberto Forato (ITA, HUS), 25
9. Caleb Grothues (AUS, YAM), 24
10. Raivo Dankers (NED, YAM), 22

EMX250 Championship Top Ten

1. Stephen Rubini (FRA, HON), 165 points
2. Alberto Forato (ITA, HUS), 163
3. Roan Van De Moosdijk (NED, KAW), 144
4. Rene Hofer (AUT, KTM), 110
5. Giuseppe Tropepe (ITA, YAM), 96
6. Jimmy Clochet (FRA, KAW), 88
7. Thibault Benistant (FRA, YAM), 88
8. Karlis Sabulis (LAT, KTM), 74
9. Ruben Fernandez (ESP, YAM), 73
10. Josh Gilbert (GBR, HON), 70

EMX2T Report

The EMX2T overall win was the first for Kellett with 1-2 moto results while Brad Anderson’s second overall gives him the championship leader’s red plate by eight points over Mike Kras while Kellett sits third some 21 points back from Anderson.

EMX2T Overall Top Ten

1. Todd Kellett (GBR, YAM), 47 points
2. Brad Anderson (GBR, KTM), 45
3. Andero Lusbo (EST, HUS), 42
4. Mike Kras (NED, KTM), 36
5. Pier Filippo Bertuzzo (ITA, YAM), 31
6. Charlie Putnam (GBR, KTM), 29
7. Vaclav Kovar (CZE, GAS), 26
8. Max Buelow (GER, KTM), 26
9. Robert Holyoake (GBR, HUS), 26
10. Lurii Lukash (RUS, HON), 23

EMX2T Championship Top Ten

1. Brad Anderson (GBR, KTM), 163 points
2. Mike Kras (NED, KTM), 155
3. Todd Kellett (GBR, YAM), 142
4. Vaclav Kovar (CZE, GAS), 127
5. Andero Lusbo (EST, HUS), 124
6. Youri van t Ende (NED, KTM), 88
7. Brad Todd (GBR, YAM), 86
8. Pier Filippo Bertuzzo (ITA, YAM), 70
9. Ben Putnam (GBR, HUS), 60
10. Andrea Gorini (SMR, YAM), 59

Walsh Blitzes Finke

KTM’s David Walsh has put on a riding clinic at the 2019 Tatt’s Finke Desert Race winning the three-leg event by just under five minutes from Honda’s Jacob Smith who in turn had the best part of a three-minute gap back to third placed Husqvarna rider in Beau Ralston.

Almost 600 bike and quad competitors slogged their way through the prologue plus the 500km run from Alice Springs to Finke and back but it was Walsh who dominated all three days to claim his maiden win in convincing fashion with an overall time of 3 hours and 56 minutes.

2019 was Walsh’s 12th Finke race recording a best finish of second three-times previously (2018, 2014 and 2012) so the Alice Springs local was visibly emotional when he took the chequered flag, with the crowd erupting in cheer as he crossed the Start/Finish line in first position.

David Walsh

“I’m just completely blown away and I’m over the moon with getting my first win here at Finke. It’s truly a credit to the North Star Pastoral KTM Desert Racing Team, because without those guys, I wouldn’t be here. They work around the clock and it’s like a big family – I can’t thank them enough for their efforts. Getting down to Finke with a five-minute lead made it easier for me, I knew I could probably get through the rough stuff a bit easier coming home, and that’s what I did. I’m so happy to finally get it after the 12 years that I’ve been trying and it’s an amazing feeling.”

Callum Norton

“A silly crash just two or three minutes out of Finke cost me this weekend and bit me hard, everything was hurting pretty bad, so I just had a breather there before getting going again. Straight away I thought it was over, but once I got to the next stop the boys told me I wasn’t too far behind, so that gave me a boost. I just kept pushing on, started seeing dust and every time I saw dust, I got excited again. I was sore as hell, but I just kept pushing to get it home so I could rest up. I crossed the line fifth, which was good. I’m pretty happy with it, considering what happened.”

Jacob Smith

“Six weeks ago, laying in a hospital bed here in Alice Springs with a few injuries, I’m just so happy to be here on the podium. I knew David had a fair gap and five minutes is a long way, so I was trying to just keep my position today and go as hard as I could so the guys behind didn’t catch me. I made some time at the second fuel stop, so I just coasted into town and didn’t do anything silly.”

Beau Ralston

“I’m stoked to finish, let alone get on the podium after my last couple of years being injured. The Schwarz Husqvarna Desert Team has put in a huge effort to get us out here this year and I really appreciate it. I was over two minutes behind Jake and I was fresh, so I thought I was going to have a good crack at reeling him in, but I didn’t anticipate what the cars were going to do to the track. I had some really hairy moments, so I just backed off to get home in one piece for a podium finish.”

2019 Finke Top Ten Outright

1. Walsh, David – 03:56:01.0
2. Smith, Jacob – 04:01:00.4 +00:04:59.4
3. Ralston, Beau – 04:03:57.7 + 00:07:56.7
4. Simpson, Jack – 04:09:38.7 + 00:13:37.7
5. Norton, Callum – 04:14:19.5 + 00:18:18.5
6. Davie, Sam – 04:15:25.4 + 00:19:24.4
7. Terry, Lachlan – 04:20:52.3 + 00:24:51.3
8. Grove, Mark – 04:23:23.4 + 00:27:22.4
9. Jones, Thomas – 04:28:43.2 + 00:32:42.2
10. Waters, Nicholas – 04:28:45.5 + 00:32:44.5

Top 3 – Each Class
Class 01 : 251cc and above Two Stroke

1. Pfitzner, Kyle
2. Russell, Benjamin
3. Handley, Samuel

Class 02 : 451cc and above Four Stroke

1. Walsh, David
2. Smith, Jacob
3. Ralston, Beau

Class 03 : Up to 250cc Two Stroke

1. Simpson, Kyle
2. Brierley, Mitchell
3. Foot, Danielle

Class 04 : Up to 250cc Four Stroke

1. Geale, Thomas
2. Elliott, Zoran
3. Wilson, Jarrod

Class 05 : 251cc to 450cc Four Stroke

1. Simpson, Jack
2. Norton, Callum
3. Grove, Mark

Class 06 : Masters 35 to 39 Years  (Total 3)

1. Jones, Thomas
2. Stephens, Lee
3. White, Matthew

Class 07 : Seniors 40 to 44 Years

1. Faggotter, Rodney
2. Wilkinson, Brad
3. Stewart, Jason

Class 08 : Veterans 45 Years and Over

1. Bell, Matthew
2. Doyle, Neil
3. Hicks, Darby

Class 09 : Quads up to 40 Years

1. Van Vliet, Cooper
2. Bailey, Lachlan
3. Jackson, Andrew

Class 10 : Quads 40 Years and Over

1. Spiers, Craig
2. Beer, Richard

Bou Wins GP of Japan

The Twin Ring Motego circuit hosted round two of the FIM Trial World Championship last weekend and predictably it was the defending champion in Toni Bou who won both days of competition to extend his early championship lead.

Bou won both days over Adam Raga and teammate Takahisa Fujinami, so heading to the third round Bou has an 11-point lead over Raga who in turn has a nine-point lead over Fujinami.

Toni Bou

“Today we had a perfect trial in a perfect place. I’m very happy with my riding today. Having done this perfect trial here in Japan was really special. Thank all the team who have done a great job. We have prepared a lot for these first events and the results have been incredible, so I can’t be happier this weekend.”

Rider Standings after Round 2

1. BOU Toni – 60
2. RAGA Adam – 49
3. FUJINAMI Takahisa – 40
4. FAJARDO Jeroni – 35
5. DABILL James – 33

Fricke forges ahead with 2020 SGP Challenge

Running side-by-side on Saturday June 8, the three Australian Speedway stars of Max Fricke, Rohan Tungate and Chris Holder rode into battle with one end goal in mind, to score one of the top three positions into the Challenge for the 2020 FIM Speedway Grand Prix (SGP).

With Holder and Tungate competing in Glasgow, Scotland, and Fricke in Lamonthe, France, Saturday’s racing set the three Australian Senior Solo Speedway Champions fans hearts alight, as they awaited the official results to be released.

Upon the close of racing in Glasgow, Tungate had an evening to forget as he finished his heats with one point. Finishing in 5th with 11 points and just missing out on one of the coveted qualifier positions, was Holder, who drew the evening with Italy’s Nicolas Covatti, sitting behind England’s Robert Lambert by a mere one point.

Over in Lamonthe, Fricke lit up the track to win four of his races, finishing the evening with 12 points. Fricke’s strong presence at Lamonthe has secured him a spot in the Challenge later this year in Gorican, Croatia on 24th August.

Brayton set to Defend SX Title

Three-time Australian Supercross Champion Justin Brayton has confirmed that he will be back to defend his 2018 title and once again he will be on the CRF450R with Penrite Honda Racing with the intension of making it four straight victories.

Justin Brayton

“I will be doing my best to bring home a 4th title. Riders learn from one another and we push to improve ourselves in an effort to get to or be at the top. I imagine some younger riders will be faster this year and some older ones will be hungrier as their careers are nearing the end. The championship in Australia goes from strength to strength, the venues continue to improve, as do the riders and teams and I am proud to have been a small part of it all.”

The 3-time Champion has grown fond of Australia and has toyed with the idea of relocating here to live.

“It really is like a second home and this year will mark my 5th year in Australia. The country, the people and the racing are amazing and I appreciate how welcome my family and I feel when we come.”

Travelling the globe racing for more than 10 years, Brayton affirms retirement isn’t on the horizon just yet confirming there is still plenty left in the tank and his dedication and passion for racing remains.

“I love racing and riding dirtbikes! Racing at home and around the world is still exciting for me and I get the same butterflies when I line up now as I did when I was younger. So long as it’s fun and I am competitive I aim to keep racing.”

Epstein-Barr virus slows Covington

Multiple GP winner Thomas Covington has had a horror start to the 2019 AMA Motocross Championship with the Husqvarna rider logging overall finishes of 26th, 17th and 26th respectively over the first three rounds to sit 22nd in the 250 Class points standings.

In the way of explanation Covington posted this statement on social media:

“Sorry I’ve been silent to everyone as to what’s been going on the last few weeks. After seeing the doctor and having tests done this week, I’ve been diagnosed with Epstein-Barr Virus. I’ve been super tired and lacking strength for around a month now and really hit a wall last weekend in Colorado. That’s when I knew something had to be wrong. Doing everything I can now to be back to myself as soon as possible. Thanks to everyone’s continued support and a huge thank you to @rockstarhusky for helping me through this.”

Musquin stays with KTM till 2021

KTM North America has extended Marvin Musquin’s contract with the French star remaining with the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Team for the 2020 and 2021 race seasons.

Marvin Musquin has spent the last 10 years of his professional career with the KTM brand and is continually a championship contender in the sport’s premier racing circuits. A true “Ready to Race” athlete and KTM brand ambassador, Musquin’s performance in North America has gained recognition amongst fans as a fierce competitor.

Marvin Musquin

“I am pleased with the extension of my contract with the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Team for the next two years. KTM and Red Bull have supported me immensely and I believe the product, team and the overall program will contribute to my future success.”

Ian Harrison – Team Manager

“I have had the privilege of working with Marvin for nine years and he is a first-class guy that always gives his best, both on and off the track. The 2019 SX Championship proved what a tough contender Marvin is and I’m sure we will get to witness more of his talent in the years to come. I am so happy he has made the decision to stay with Red Bull KTM for the ’20 and ‘21 race seasons. On behalf of all of us at KTM, thank you Marvin, for continuing your journey with us.”

Roger De Coster – Director of Motorsports, KTM Group

“Marvin came over to the U.S. from the MXGP circuit for the 2011 season, which was the same time Ian Harrison and I joined the team and it is hard to believe that this is our ninth year working with him. During this time, Marvin won a 250SX East title, but more importantly, he has not finished off the podium in either the 450 SX or MX Championships and he is still improving every season. I am truly happy Marvin chose to extend his relationship with Red Bull KTM for two more years.”

The 29-year-old French rider has been with the KTM brand since 2009, where the rising star at the time captured back-to-back MX2 World Championships in ’09 and ‘10. In 2011, Musquin signed with Roger De Coster and the U.S. based Red Bull KTM Factory Racing team and by 2015 he captured the 250SX Eastern Regional Championship.

Since moving to the premier 450cc division in 2016, Musquin has accumulated eight AMA 450SX victories and seven AMA 450MX victories, while consistently maintaining a top-three position in the overall championships.

Woffendin Injured

Defending World Champion Tai Woffinden has confirmed that he faces a month on the sidelines after an MRI scan revealed he suffered a broken TH4 vertebra and shoulder blade after crashing with Russian star Grigorii Laguta in heat one of Wroclaw’s PGE Ekstraliga trip to Lublin on Friday night,

Woffinden immediately withdrew from the meeting and was taken to Wroclaw to undergo further checks to ascertain the full extent of the damage to the neck vertebra and shoulder.

Tai Woffinden tweeted

“After leaving hospital last night and making a 500km trip to Wroclaw to see the spinal specialists and a MRI scan, it’s actually TH4 that is broken along with my shoulder blade. At this point I’m out for one month and we will see how much my neck has healed in that period.”

It has been officially confirmed he will miss the ANLAS Czech SGP in Prague next Saturday and the Norrbil Swedish SGP in Hallstavik on July 6.

The news comes as a blow to his hopes of retaining the world title with Woffinden currently eighth in the standings on 15 points – 13 behind top two Bartosz Zmarzlik and Patryk Dudek.

SGP second reserve Max Fricke replaces Woffinden in Prague, while the news guarantees that first reserve Robert Lambert will also appear in both Prague and Hallstavik.

Webb injured

Extreme endure star Cody Webb tweaked his knee while dropping off a ledge in a technical rock section just days before heading to the world-famous Erzbergrodeo in Austria. Webb was determined to line up at the infamous event this year only to call it quits early into the race and spent the remaining time helping his KTM teammates through a challenging section of the course.

Webb has claimed two extreme enduro victories already this season, in addition to a heartbreakingly close runner-up finish in the 2019 FIM SuperEnduro World Championship.

Cody Webb

“Being injured is always unfortunate, but I’m taking it as a positive. I intend to take rehab very seriously post-operation and will come back better and stronger than before. It’s a long road ahead, but I will make the best of it and am already excited about the thought of being back at the races.”

KTM take full ownership of KTM Australia and New Zealand

After 25 years of stable and successful business, Automotive Holdings Group (AHG) has sold the remaining 74 per cent share of its motorcycle importation business to the brands’ parent company KTM.

AHG has been the exclusive importer and distributor of the KTM brand for the Australian and New Zealand market since 1994, with the Husqvarna Motorcycles and WP Suspension brands joining the stable in recent years.

In 2017 KTM, which is Europe’s leading motorcycle manufacturer purchased a 26 per cent share of the AHG motorcycle importation business. It now moves to full ownership of both KTM Group Australia and KTM Group New Zealand.

The move to full ownership will see KTM Group Australia and KTM Group New Zealand become full subsidiaries of the Austrian company. Now selling more than 11,000 KTM and Husqvarna Motorcycle units combined, the Australian and New Zealand business has become the third largest market in the world for KTM and will now become the third largest subsidiary for the company.

Jeff Leisk – General Manager, KTM Group Australia and New Zealand

“What a journey it has been since our first AHG Dealer Conference in 1994 and there have been so many significant milestones along the way. I am extremely proud to have seen the KTM and Husqvarna Motorcycle brands go from strength to strength in both the Australian and New Zealand markets. We have built strong relationships with our dealers and our customers and this has been the key to our success. Becoming a factory owned subsidiary will increase the level of support that we can offer our dealer network, our staff and our customers, so I am excited about the next chapter.”

Hubert Trunkenpolz – Chief Marketing Officer

“We are absolutely delighted with the outcome and our full ownership of KTM Group Australia and KTM Group New Zealand. This transaction once again reinforces our commitment to the Australian and New Zealand markets. This is a very positive development for the KTM dealer network and the KTM customer in both countries.”

The change will take effect from the 1st July 2019. While the change of ownership is a significant development for both the company and the market, there will be no impact on KTM Group staff or the established dealer networks for KTM, Husqvarna Motorcycles and WP Suspension.

Yamaha bLU cRU YZ65 Cup hits Wollongong

November 9 will be a memorable night for 20 young hopefuls as the compete in the Yamaha bLU cRU YZ65 Cup during round three of the Australian Supercross Championship at WIN Stadium, Wollongong.

The 20 lucky juniors will be selected for this incredible experience from a mix of current YZ65 owners along with wildcard juniors who don’t currently own the model.

The junior riders get to experience what it’s like to be a professional rider and become guests of Yamaha’s factory race teams, which event promoter Troy Bayliss says will provide valuable insights into professional racing, including mentoring from CDR Yamaha Monster Energy factory riders and owner Craig Dack.

Troy Bayliss

“We are pleased to be able to provide the opportunity for junior girls and boys to experience Supercross within an incredible venue like WIN Stadium, and for them to do laps in front of thousands of fans will be something they will remember for a lifetime.”

Since releasing the YZ65 in 2018, Yamaha Motor Australia has given many junior riders the opportunity to compete side-by-side within select Australian Supercross Championship events and MX National rounds, including the first-ever YZ65 Cup at Geelong’s GMHBA Stadium during last year’s third round of the Australian Supercross Championship.

Matthew Ferry – YMA National Sales & Marketing Manager

“Our first YZ65 Cup experience at Supercross was in Geelong last year and the parents and kids enjoyed the full bLU cRU treatment, and to see so many happy faces and positive feedback we knew we wanted to offer this experience again this year within the Yamaha presented Round 3 of the Australian Supercross Championship at WIN Stadium. Spots are limited to 20 lucky riders available to YZ65 owners, plus Yamaha will also offer a few wildcard entries for non YZ65 owners to experience what it’s like to be part of the bLU cRU, it’s a money-can’t-buy experience.”

Troy Bayliss Events are committed to ensuring the future looks bright for Supercross in Australia, with further Championship junior classes to be announced in the coming weeks for the 2019 Australian Supercross Series.

Round 3 of the Australian Supercross Championship takes place at WIN Stadium, Wollongong on Saturday November 9, with tickets available now via Ticketmaster.com.au

YZ65 owners can register via the following link:  https://yma.bike/YZ65CupSX1. Wildcard (non YZ65 owners) can register via the following link:  https://yma.bike/YZ65CupSXWC

Action aplenty at Australian Classic Dirt Track Championship

The Broadford circuit in Victoria last weekend hosted the Shannons 2019 Australian Classic Dirt Track Championship and by all accounts the racing was close and hard fought all weekend – see results below:

Australian Championship classes

Support Classes

Tayla Street creates Classic Dirt Track history

History was made in motorcycle racing at Broadford last weekend with the inaugural Women’s Classic Dirt Track Championship and there were eight hard charging females on hand on a myriad of different machinery.

When the dust settled it was the talented Tayla Street on a fire breathing 1980 Suzuki RM250 who earned the title ahead of Brooke Lonie (DT400) and Janet Kelly (TT500) – see full results below:

1. Tayla Street – RM250 – 122p
2. Brooke Lonie – DT400 – 113p
3. Janet Kelly – TT500 – 96p
4. Laura Saxon – IT250 – 94p
5. Abbey Wason – Bultaco Astro – 70p
6. Nicole Thompson – DT250 – 62p
7. Carina Peschel – DT400 – 60p
8. Denise Widjaja – DT250 – 58p