Moto News Weekly Wrap
October 2, 2018
Proudly brought to you by Dunlop Geomax
What Went Down Last Weekend?
- AORC heads to 2018 final at Omeo, Victoria
- FIM World Motocross Championships – Round 20 – MXGP of Italy
- MXGP Awards Ceremony Concludes 2018 Season in Imola
- GNCC – Round 11 – Mason Dixon
- American Flat Track – Minnesota Mile
- Holcombe Wraps Up Italian Championships
- Doyle Wins Golden Helmet
- Reed confirms JGR Suzuki for S-X Open Supercross Championship
- Crawford Replaces Ferris for Australian Supercross Championships
- Jonass Misses Imola – Hands MX2 Title to Prado
- Paulin to Wilco Yamaha
- Kawasaki Announces FIM and AMA Line-Up
- Dates Set for 2019 New Zealand Senior Motocross Championships
- Jett Lawrence wins ADAC Youngsters Cup
- Cooper Webb to Red Bull KTM Factory Racing in 2019
- What Racing is Left for 2018?
AORC final heads to Omeo Victoria this weekend
The final rounds of the Yamaha Australian Off-Road Championship (AORC) take place this weekend (October 6-7) at Omeo, Victoria and the championship race are headed for an enthralling finish.
The E3 class has really been all about Daniel Milner on his KTM, as he has taken out every race so far is season 2018. Milner has barely put a foot wrong. Milner holds a 36-point lead heading into the final weekend and if he makes it win number ten on Saturday, he will take home the E3 title. Still within striking distance despite Milner winning ever race to date, is Lachlan Stanford on his Husqvarna. The battle for third place will be the talk of the weekend in the E3 class, as Andrew Wilksch sits in third with 149 points, but Thomas Mason is just three points behind in fourth. Broc Grabham sits in fifth but has the same points as Mason in fourth meaning the trio is split by just three points.
What a season it has been for Daniel Sanders on his Husqvarna in the E2 class, after making his return from Europe this season and changing from KTM to Husqvarna, he has made the transition seem seamless. Sanders just like Milner has not dropped a single point in the E2 class to head into Omeo, Vic with a 39-point lead. Sitting in second position coming into the weekend is Lyndon Snodgrass on his KTM. In third position in the E2 class it’s Yamaha’s Joshua Green, he is just 18 points a drift of Snodgrass and will rue the DNF at Broken Hill, NSW which has pushed him back to third.
After making the switch from Motocross to off-road racing, Yamaha’s Luke Styke has picked up the off-road format quickly in the E1 class. Styke heads into the final round with a 23-point lead, after picking up seven of the nine wins to this point. Fraser Higlett has also improved at every round this season to be a front runner in the class, and has a 23-point deficit to the top spot. In third position is Jack Simpson but he doesn’t have much breathing space as Jeremy Carpentier sits just two points further back.
After taking out the 2017 EJ title, Yamaha’s Michael Driscoll has been keen to replicate that effort again here in 2018 and his current undefeated streak has him in good sted with a deserving 35-point lead. Second placed Brierley has adapted well to the senior ranks and will have his sights set on grabbing his first EJ win and the chance to stop Driscoll going undefeated. Corey Hammond heads into the weekend in third position, trailing Brierley by 38 points.
The women’s class has been an enthralling battle all year between Jessica Gardiner and Emelie Karlsson. Gardiner has taken out five wins this year and will now head into Omeo, Vic with a 20-point lead over Karlsson. Karlsson will be looking to add to her two wins this season at Omeo, Vic and if she can pull off both wins, the championship race will go down to the wire. Danielle Foot has showed immense improvement throughout the year and sits in third. Foot is 32 points behind Karlsson and will be hoping to grab her first AORC win on either Saturday or Sunday.
In the J4 class things are going to get interesting this weekend, as current points leader Korey McMahon holds a 33-point gap over Kyron Bacon. This leaves the door wide open for Bacon, and if he can take the win on Saturday it will bring the points gap down to just eight points, setting up a thrilling final days racing. Matthew Pye currently sits in third position in the race for the J4 title.
Leading the way in the J3 class is Blake Hollis, but he is another one of the off-road riders who is a keen motocross rider as well and will miss Saturday’s cross country and will return for Sunday’s sprints. Hollis holds a 28-point advantage over Ned Chapman leading into Omeo, Vic. A win in Saturday’s cross-country for Chapman will bring the gap in the championship to just three points, basically meaning whoever takes the win on Sunday will also take the J3 crown. Coming into Omeo, Vic in third place is Charlie Milton.
A picture of consistency has been the name of the game in the J2 class for current points leader Billy Hargy. Having only missed the podium once this season, and when he missed he grabbed fourth, the Husqvarna rider currently holds a 21-point advantage. Kobe Conley sits in second place, and will be looking to make up the 21 points he trails Hargy. Just behind Conley in the third position is Max Phillips. Phillips is just 11 points behind Conley.
In Veterans Richard Chibnall has been the rider to beat for most of the 2018 season and his stretch of four wins in a row from rounds 3-6, sees him leading the championship by 24 points. Trailing Chibnall is second position heading into Omeo, Vic is Jade Gartlan. Just 24 points separates the pair and in third position we see Peter Rudd filling the last spot on the podium, but he is just 17 points behind Gartlan heading into the final weekend of season 2018.
Picking up five wins throughout the Masters season, Geoffrey Ballard holds a 29 points lead. Ballard carries this lead despite missing a round at Broken Hill, NSW and will look to wrap up the championship with a win on Saturday in the cross country, if not he will have to wait to finish the job on Sunday in the sprints. 29 points a drift is Craig Treasure in second position and a further 16 points back is Michael Widdison sits in third position.
FIM World Motocross Championships
Round 20 – MXGP of Italy
The Italian circuit of Imola hosted the final round of the 2018 MXGP FIM Motocross World Championship last weekend and it was Jeffrey Herlings and Jorge Prado who capped of the year with another pair of dominant wins.
For the full report see: Jorge Prado crowned MX2 Champ | Herlings goes 1-1 (link)
MXGP
The new MXGP World Champion, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Jeffrey Herlings, had nothing to prove this weekend but still came out and dominated with double race wins to take the final MXGP overall of the year ahead of Tim Gasjer and Clement Desalle.
Jeffrey Herlings
“It is a great way to finish of the year, to finish with a win. I am very happy and thankful, it has been a great journey, a great experience, a great year, and I have met a lot of great people. I really want to thank especially my team as without them I wouldn’t to be able to do what I did… it is something that will be hard to ever accomplish again. The most beautiful way to finish off the year is to go 1-1 at the Monster Energy FIM Motocross of Nations and if I can accomplish that it will be the cherry on top!”
Tim Gajser
“It’s good to finish the season on the podium. That was the goal and we did it. It was not an easy season for us, and there have been many ups and downs, but in the second part of the season we really stepped up our game and we managed to improve race after race. Overall I have to be happy, especially given what happened at the start of the year. I’m grateful and thankful that I can be here. The season went so quickly and now I cannot wait for the next one to start; hopefully things will go smoothly throughout the winter. The bike was amazing but I’m sure HRC will do their best to improve it even more. I will work as hard as I can, and I will give everything I have to fight for the title. Once again, I would like to thank everyone at Team HRC for their outstanding support; they are like a family to me.”
Clement Desalle
“Finishing third in the championship is really great, also it is a great feeling to be on the box at the end of the championship. My whole team works to be the best possible and to beat those guys and have the best result in the GPs. It is not easy but we are very motivated… it was a very good season overall.”
Todd Waters’ final ride in MXGP saw the Aussie earn a pair of 17th place finishes for 17th overall on the day to finish the year 24th in the final standings on 69 points.
Todd Waters
“I’m disappointed it’s the last race of the season because I didn’t do the full championship and I’ve only done two rounds with this Redmoto team. I feel as though I’m just starting to get comfortable on the bike and set it up how I want so it’s a shame that it has to end now. This weekend I showed a bit of fight and I think it’s probably the best I’ve ridden all MXGP season so although it’s not the result that I wanted, at least I can walk away knowing that I fought this GP and tried my best.”
MXGP Championship Top Ten
- Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 933 points
- Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 782
- Clement Desalle (BEL, KAW), 685
- Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 669
- Gautier Paulin (FRA, HUS), 574
- Romain Febvre (FRA, YAM), 544
- Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, KTM), 534
- Jeremy Seewer (SUI, YAM), 469
- Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, YAM), 433
- Max Anstie (GBR, HUS), 386
MXGP Manufacturers
- KTM, 997 points
- Kawasaki, 704
- Yamaha, 685
- Honda, 684
- Husqvarna, 643
- Suzuki, 289
- TM, 245
MX2
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Jorge Prado came into this weekend already knowing he was going to be crowned 2018 MX2 FIM Motocross World Champion but it didn’t stop the 17-year old from taking yet another double moto victory for his 12th overall victory, this time ahead of Thomas Kjer Olsen and Thomas Covington.
Prado’s season has been nothing short of impressive, the 17-year old becomes the first Spanish MX2 World Champion via 10 pole positions, 331 laps in the lead, 17 individual race wins, 12 overall victories and 17 podiums. Prado scored 873 points in 20 rounds of racing averaging 43.6 points per race of the maximum 50.
Prado becomes one of only three riders to win the title at such a young age joining Ken Roczen and Jeffrey Herlings and is also now tied for 3 most career MX2 Overall wins with Tyla Rattray behind Herlings and Antonio Cairoli.
Jorge Prado
“I knew I was World Champion already on Thursday so it was a great moment that I didn’t expect. It was a great weekend and I am really happy to finish off the season with a win.”
Thomas Kjer Olsen
“I am really happy to finish third of course, I would like to be closer to Prado and Jonass but I did everything that I could this season. There was a lot of positives this season and there are a lot of things I have learned. I am super happy with my 10 podiums and I don’t think I can be anything other than happy.”
Thomas Covington
“With this being my last GP it’s been a stressful weekend here in Italy and I am glad I wrapped it up with a spot on the podium. The track was slippery and quite technical, but I kept pushing for the best possible result in each and every session. In the opening moto I made a few mistakes in the last few laps and missed the chance for a top-three result. Then in moto two I got off to a good start and kept a good pace from start to finish. I’m really happy to end this season on the podium.”
Hunter Lawrence was one of the fastest on track at Imola with the Aussie leading the opening moto until his Honda overheated and came to a stop then in the second moto Larence came from well outside the top ten to finish a more than credible 2nd place behind the new World Champion Prado.
Hunter Lawrence
“I was really happy with my weekend. It was disappointing how the first moto ended but all weekend I felt pretty good. Every session we went out, I was in the top five, including a second in timed qualifying. Then in the qualification race we had a rock and mud jamming into the rear brake which lost me some places but I was still able to ride well and finish fourth. In the first moto I ripped a good start on my Honda CRF250R, made some quick passes and got myself into the lead. I then led the whole race until two or three laps to go, until we had a small technical issue, so I ended up not finishing. I wasn’t too demoralised though because I knew how well I was riding, so I regrouped in the break and got my focus back to try and do the same again in race two. Unfortunately I didn’t get such a great start but I put my head down and moved from outside the top 10 into the top five, halfway through the race. I knew my speed and fitness were good so I kept charging and got into second place and moved to within striking distance on first place before the race expired. I know deep down I was the fastest this weekend, I believe that, and I know I’ve worked really hard to be here, which is a satisfying feeling.”
Both Covington and Lawrence head to America in 2019 to contest the AMA Supercross and Motocross Championships.
MX2 Overall Top Ten
- Jorge Prado (ESP, KTM), 50 points
- Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, HUS), 40
- Thomas Covington (USA, HUS), 34
- Michele Cervellin (ITA, YAM), 32
- Henry Jacobi (GER, HUS), 32
- Anthony Rodriguez (VEN, YAM), 28
- Jago Geerts (BEL, YAM), 25
- Hunter Lawrence (AUS, HON), 22
- Calvin Vlaanderen (NED, HON), 22
- Ben Watson (GBR, YAM), 17
MX2 Championship Top Ten
- Jorge Prado (ESP, KTM), 873 points
- Pauls Jonass (LAT, KTM), 777
- Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, HUS), 673
- Ben Watson (GBR, YAM), 602
- Thomas Covington (USA, HUS), 599
- Calvin Vlaanderen (NED, HON), 543
- Michele Cervellin (ITA, YAM), 397
- Jago Geerts (BEL, YAM), 391
- Hunter Lawrence (AUS, HON), 353
- Henry Jacobi (GER, HUS), 343
WMX
Italy’s Autodromo Enzo & Dino Ferrari circuit hosted the season finale of the FIM Women’s Motocross World Championship and after a hard fought season Kiara Fontanesi wrapped up her 6th FIM Women’s Motocross World Championship title with 2-1 moto results.
WMX Overall Top Ten
- Kiara Fontanesi (ITA, YAM), 47 points
- Nancy Van De Ven (NED, YAM), 47
- Larissa Papenmeier (GER, SUZ), 40
- Amandine Verstappen (BEL, KTM), 34
- Sara Andersen (DEN, KTM), 33
- Stephanie Laier (GER, KTM), 31
- Shana van der Vlist (NED, KTM), 28
- Mathilde Denis (FRA, YAM), 23
- Virginie Germond (SUI, KTM), 20
- Justine Charroux (FRA, YAM), 20
WMX Championship Top Ten
- Kiara Fontanesi (ITA, YAM), 260 points
- Nancy Van De Ven (NED, YAM), 252
- Larissa Papenmeier (GER, SUZ), 231
- Courtney Duncan (NZL, YAM), 184
- Stephanie Laier (GER, KTM), 183
- Amandine Verstappen (BEL, KTM), 180
- Shana van der Vlist (NED, KTM), 150
- Natalie Kane (IRL, HON), 132
- Sara Andersen (DEN, KTM), 119
- Line Dam (DEN, HON), 102
EMX300
The world famous Autodromo Enzo & Dino Ferrari circuit in Imola hosted the championship deciding races of EMX300 presented by FMF Racing where Verde Substance KTM’s Brad Anderson renewed his title and became the newest FIM Europe Champion.
Mike Kras was 27 points behind Brad Anderson coming into the weekend and in the first race Kras ended up taking the win with Erik Willems and Mattia Guadagnini round out the podium while Anderson battled to 5th which reduced his lead to 18 heading into Sunday’s final moto.
Kras took the holeshot while Anderson was back in 7th and at the end of the 30 minute moto Kras took the race win and overall with the maximum possible 50 points but Anderson had the maths sorted to cross the line in 9th to win the title by just 5 points.
EMX300 Presented by FMF Racing Overall Top 10
- Mike Kras (NED, KTM), 50 points
- Erik Willems (BEL, HUS), 40
- Mattia Guadagnini (ITA, HUS), 36
- Manuel Iacopi (ITA, YAM), 32
- Yuri Pasqualini (ITA, KTM), 30
- Brad Anderson (GBR, KTM), 28
- Marco Lolli (ITA, YAM), 27
- Vaclav Kovar (CZE, GAS), 22
- Andero Lusbo (EST, HUS), 20
- Michele Cencioni (ITA, KTM), 20
EMX300 Presented by FMF Racing Championship Top 10
- Brad Anderson (GBR, KTM), 279 points
- Mike Kras (NED, KTM), 274
- Erik Willems (BEL, HUS), 223
- Andero Lusbo (EST, HUS), 221
- Vaclav Kovar (CZE, GAS), 210
- Greg Smets (BEL, KTM), 196
- Manuel Iacopi (ITA, YAM), 180
- Youri van t Ende (NED, KTM), 106
- Michele Cencioni (ITA, KTM), 78
- Tim Louis (BEL, HUS), 68
MXGP Awards Ceremony Concludes 2018 Season in Imola
Just two hours after the final race of the 2018 MXGP season completed at the famous Imola circuit, the annual MXGP Awards ceremony took place on the stage of Imola’s media centre where hosts Paul Malin and Lisa Leyland oversaw the prize giving ceremony for the entire season of accomplishments.
Youthstream President Mr. Giuseppe Luongo and FIM/CMS Director Mr. Tony Skillington personally handed out the awards to the 2018 FIM Motocross World Champions Jeffrey Herlings and Jorge Prado along with all the industry award winners.
Dr. Wolfgang Srb joined Mr. Luongo on stage to award the 2018 European Champions Mathys Boisrame, Brad Anderson, Thibault Benistant, Camden Mc Lellan, and Brando Rispoli, as well as the FIM Junior, WMX and VMX World Champions Bailey Makiewicz, Caden Braswell, Braden Plath, Kiara Fontanesi, and Martin Zerava.
Heinz Kinigardner presented a cheque of 10,000 euro as a donation to the ‘Wings For Life’ charity while MX2 rider Jago Geerts received 5,000 euros as the winner of the Jan de Groot award which honours the most promising young talent. Besides Anthony Rodriguez received the Fair Play Award, a brand new prize, with a check of 5,000 euro for helping Thomas Kjer Olsen out of dangers way during the MXGP of the Netherlands.
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Jeffrey Herlings and Jorge Prado were welcomed on stage as the winners of the Tag Heuer Fastest Lap competition where the received exquisite watches as an award.
Fox Head Europe’s Marketing Manager Austin Hoover also joined Mr. Luongo on stage to award Antonio Cairoli and Jorge Prado with their cheques for 10,000 and 5,000 euros as winners of the Fox Holeshot competition.
For the complete list of rider and team award winners, see below:
- MX2 World Champion: Jorge Prado
- MXGP World Champion: Jeffrey Herlings
- EMX 65 European Champion: Brando Rispoli (ITA)
- EMX 85 European Champion: Camden Mc Lellan (RSA)
- EMX 125 European Champion: Thibault Benistant
- EMX 250 European Champion: Mathys Boisrame
- EMX 300 European Champion: Brad Anderson
- 65cc Junior World Champion: Braden Plath (AUS)
- 85 Junior World Champion: Caden Braswell (USA)
- 125 Junior World Champion: Bailey Malkiewicz (AUS)
- Veterans’ World Cup Winner: Martin Zerava (CZ)
- Women’s World Champion: Kiara Fontanesi (ITA)
- TAG HEUER Best Lap Challenge: Jeffrey Herlings & Jorge Prado
- FOX HOLESHOT Award: Antonio Cairoli & Jorge Prado
- FairPlay Award: Anthony Rodriguez
- MXGP Manufacturer World Champion: KTM
- MX2 Manufacturer World Champion: KTM
- WMX Manufacturer World Champion: Yamaha
- MXGP Winning Team: Red Bull KTM Factory Racing
- MX2 Winning Team: Red Bull KTM Factory Racing
- WMX Winning Team: MXFonta Racing Yamaha
- Mechanic of the Year: Peter Tillerkvist – KTM Motocross Technical Coordinator
- Lifetime Career Award: Harry Everts
- The Jan De Groot ‘Most Promising Young Talent’ Award: Jago Geerts
- Wings For Life: Heinz Kinigardner
GNCC – Round 11 – Mason Dixon
The best part of 900 riders turned up for the inaugural Mason Dixon round of the GNCC which was held at the Mt Morris motocross facility in Pennsylvania and it was Thad Duvall who came away with the overall and XC1 win while young Ben Kelly not only scored third outright but he also won the XC2 class.
Josh Strang came back from a poor opening lap to end the three plus hour race in a solid fourth place ahead of championship leader Kailub Russell while Jesse Ansley won the XC3 class and in the WMX class Becca Sheet scored a rare win ahead of the hard charging Aussie duo of Tayla Jones and Mackenzie Tricker
With two rounds remaining Russell holds a 40 point lead in the overall points standing while Kelly has etched out an 18 point lead in the XC2 class but Jones’ second place was enough for her to wrap up her second straight WXC GNCC title.
Overall Finish Results
- Thad Duvall – XC1 Open Pro – 03:06:49.880
- Steward Baylor Jr – XC1 Open Pro – 03:07:30.970
- Ben Kelley – XC2 250 Pro – 03:10:57.710
- Josh V Strang – Australia – XC1 Open Pro – 03:12:02.292
- Kailub K Russell – XC1 Open Pro – 03:12:39.039
- Josh Toth – XC2 250 Pro – 03:13:44.639
- Pascal Rauchenecker – XC1 Open Pro – 03:16:02.434
- Trevor Bollinger – XC1 Open Pro – 03:16:05.999
- Grant Baylor – XC1 Open Pro – 03:17:35.459
- Jonathan Girroir – XC2 250 Pro – 03:19:39.694
- Craig B Delong – XC2 250 Pro – 03:20:06.258
- Michael Witkowski – XC2 250 Pro – 03:22:25.644
- Ricky A Russell – XC1 Open Pro – 03:23:06.278
- Layne Michael – XC1 Open Pro – 03:23:51.236
- Evan Smith – XC2 250 Pro – 03:25:08.350
- Cory Buttrick – XC1 Open Pro – 03:25:16.830
- Andrew Delong – XC1 Open Pro – 03:25:39.360
- Liam Draper – New Zealand – XC2 250 Pro – 03:27:00.117
- Jesse Ansley – XC3 125 Pro-Am – 03:27:39.250
- Austin Lee – XC2 250 Pro – 03:29:57.719
GNCC Overall Standings – 2018
- Kailub Russell 272
- Thad Duvall 232
- Trevor Bollinger 177
- Steward Baylor Jr 174
- Ben Kelley 155
- Josh Strang 154
- Josh Toth 136
- Ricky Russell 117
- Grant Baylor 83
- Craig Delong 82
GNCC XC2 Pro Standings – 2018
- Ben Kelley 268
- Josh Toth 250
- Craig Delong 160
- Pascal Rauchenecker 145
- Austin Lee 144
WXC – Class Results
- Becca Sheets – 02:21:58.629
- Tayla Jones – Australia – 02:22:14.862
- Mackenzie Tricker – Australia – 02:24:38.743
- Rachel Gutish – 02:24:59.718
- Brooke Cosner – 02:34:11.599
American Flat rack – Minnesota Mile
5000-plus hearty spectators turned out in 45-degree temperatures to witness Bryan ‘Mile Master’ Smith scored a crazy, surprise-twist victory in Saturday evening’s AFT Twins Main Event at the Indian Motorcycle Minnesota Mile.
Smith’s win came on the back of 2018 Champion Jared Mees having a mechanical failure early in the race before race leader and certain winner Briar Bauman ran out of fuel.
Bryan Smith
“I saw Jared peel off and I thought, ‘Okay, I’ve got second. This is good, but there’s no catching Briar, he’s putting the clinic on everyone today.’ And then I did a double take and thought I saw the #14 pulling off. ‘Am I leading this thing?’ I’d rather be lucky than good any day! This is definitely one of the toughest, most challenging, technical Miles we race. It was a free-for-all. Everybody was taking different lines and doing different things.”
Bauman and Mees appeared most ready to capitalize, the two engaging in a thrilling back-and-forth dogfight during the race’s opening half before Bauman broke Mees’ challenge. Bauman was well on his way to a statement-making victory before the dramatic twist finish.
In addition to Smith’s surprise win, runner-up Henry Wiles and third-place Robert Pearson saw top-five rides transformed into podium performances.
The DNF ends Mees’ hopes at equalling the legendary Ricky Graham for most wins in a single season at 12. However, if he concludes his season with an 11th triumph in next weekend’s 2018 Meadowlands Mile finale, Mees will lay claim to the highest single-season win percentage in American Flat Track history.
AFT Twins
- Bryan Smith (Ind)
- Henry Wiles (Ind)
- Robert Pearson (Ind)
- Chad Cose (Ind)
- Jeffrey Carver Jr. (Ind)
- Jarod Vanderkooi (H-D)
- JD Beach (Yam)
- Brandon Robinson (H-D)
- Mikey Rush (H-D)
- Jeremy Higgins (Kaw)
- Davis Fisher (Ind)
- Jake Johnson (Ind)
- Sammy Halbert (H-D)
- Briar Bauman (Ind)
- Jared Mees (Ind)
- Shawn Baer (KTM)
- Ryan Varnes (Kaw)
- Stevie Bonsey (Duc)
AFT Singles
2017 class champion Kolby Carlile engaged in a war for supremacy with the man who usurped his throne – newly crowned class champion Dan Bromley and it was Carlile who ended up taking the win from Bromley who in turn out paced the flying trio of 3. Tristan Avery, Ryan Wells and Cameron Smith while Aussie young gun Max Whale score a credible 8th place.
After the race the ‘Flying Tomato’ explained that his win was even more dramatic than it appeared from the fences.
Kolby Carlile
“Mentally, the win was huge because we had an electrical issue come in with about four laps to go. As soon as I let off the gas, the power would die to the bike. I would have to get it back to wide open for it to start up again. I looked back after the third time it happened and Dan was right on my tail. Luckily, he’s a great rider and no one ran into each other out there. Fortunately, the bike didn’t shut off. The last time coming through 3 and 4 I was really scared; I just wicked it right on and the thing kicked out sideways. Luckily the old girl fired up one more time.”
AFT Singles
- Kolby Carlile (Yam)
- Dan Bromley (KTM)
- Tristan Avery (Hon)
- Ryan Wells (Hon)
- Cameron Smith (Hon)
- Brandon Price (Hon)
- Shayna Texter (Hus)
- Max Whale (Kaw)
- Jesse Janisch (Yam)
- Ben Lowe (Hon)
Holcombe Wraps Up Italian Championships
Beta Factory Racing’s Steve Holcombe has been crowned overall Italian Enduro Champion following a double win at the final round of the series in San Giovanni Bianco, Bergamo. Despite not competing in the opening round of the series, Steve entered the closing two-day event of the 2018 championship with six consecutive day wins to his credit. In winning the final event he rounded out his participation in the series having won each and all of the eight days in which he competed.
With the event falling just days before the final round of the FIM EnduroGP World Championship in Germany (where Steve holds a 30-point lead at the top of the EnduroGP championship standings), while focused on rounding out his Italian Enduro Championship season with the best possible results Steve was also very much competing with a ‘no unnecessary risks’ frame of mind.
Making a strong start to the first day’s racing, Steve pushed hard to open up a strong lead before managing and maintaining his advantage and taking the win. Unable to open up an early lead on day two, Steve battled countryman Brad Freeman and Italians Matteo Cavallo and Alex Salvini during the opening laps. With Freeman crashing out Steve pushed to the finish, topping the day by an eventual 19 seconds.
Steve will now focus on the final and all-important round of the 2018 FIM EnduroGP World Championship, the EnduroGP of Germany held in Rüdersdorf, Germany on October 12-14.
Steve Holcombe
“Becoming overall Italian Enduro Champion is something really special, and something that myself and all the team have worked hard to secure. Winning the title was the absolute goal this weekend but having won each of the previous six days of the series I also wanted to do all I could to end the series unbeaten, which I managed. I pushed hard during the opening lap on day one to open up a good advantage and then held that lead to the end of the day. Knowing that the final round of the world championship is just over a week away meant
I couldn’t overstep the mark and take any big risks, but day two also went well. It was hard to get a real advantage as a few of us were really close on time. It came down to the third lap really, but I wasn’t really comfortable pushing as hard as I needed to put in the fastest times on the enduro test. I came through the second half of the day with no crashes or mistakes and was able to get the win. Now it’s on to Germany…”
Results – 2018 Italian Enduro Championship Standings
- Steve Holcombe (Beta) 160 points
- Alex Salvini (Husqvarna) 148 points
- Brad Freeman (Beta) 99 points
- Matteo Cavallo (Beta) 97 points
- Thomas Oldrati (Honda) 84 points
Doyle Wins Golden Helmet
World champion Jason Doyle continued his flying finish to 2018 after scooping the prestigious Golden Helmet in Pardubice last Sunday.
One of the sport’s biggest open meetings, the Golden Helmet is one every rider wants to win and Doyle delivered as he saw off Slovak star Martin Vaculik, home hero Vaclav Milik, Anders Thomsen, Emil Sayfutdinov and Antonio Lindback to win the six-man final on the giant circuit.
Doyle won his final ride to make it through his quarter final group, which featured SGP 2019 star Lindback, Matej Zagar, Robert Lambert, Gleb Chugunov and Rohan Tungate.
He then won his opening two semi-final rides to book his place in the last six, before topping the podium.
Triple world champion Nicki Pedersen, Chris Holder and Zagar all missed out on final qualification in their semi group after failing to win races.
Reed confirms JGR Suzuki for S-X Open Supercross Championship
Chad Reed will ride a JGR Suzuki RM-Z450 in this year’s AUS-X Open in Sydney and the S-X Open in Auckland and the two-time AMA Supercross Champion believes that winning these events is what he needs to cement himself a place in the FIM World Supercross Championship in 2019.
Chad Reed
“I’m coming to Australia and Auckland to win both events and the S-X Open FIM Oceania Championship. The AUS-X Open is on my highest priority list of wins this year for sure. Look at Barcia and Anderson, probably two of the gnarliest, most aggressive riders in AMA Supercross right now and I’ve got to go deal with that. My passion for riding is at a really good point right now, I’m really enjoying the fight and I’m really pushing hard to be a part of the team in ’19.”
Reed says jumping back on board a Suzuki brought back a lot of fond memories from his days with the Japanese manufacturer back in 2009 and believes Joe Gibbs Racing has created the perfect recipe to challenge the world’s best.
Chad Reed
“Immediately a lot of those feelings form 2009, you know getting into turns, getting out of turns, that stability of riding a Suzuki, I was just like wow. I feel really comfortable on it and feel like I’m really enjoying my riding again, which is great because the start of the year was tough. I’ve been training really hard throughout the summer here in the US and honestly feel like I’m in the best shape I’ve been in, in years.”
Crawford Replaces Ferris for Australian Supercross Championships
This is cool – Queenslander Nathan Crawford has accepted the plumb ride with CDR Yamaha to fill in for the injured Dean Ferris for the remainder of the 2018 Australian Supercross Championship.
Crawford is no stranger to the 450 class in supercross competition and actually won the final round of the series in 2017.
Nathan Crawford
“Within a week I went from not riding to suddenly racing supercross for the best team in Australia so it’s been a big week. For Craig and Gavin to allow me to do this is great and I can’t thank either of them enough for making this happen. I have been on the sidelines since April, but I have kept up my training and been riding every day since I received my clearance just over a week ago. My first race won’t set the world on fire and there certainly isn’t any pressure from Craig, but I want to do well both for myself and everyone at Yamaha who have provided me with this opportunity. My shoulder feels good and I have missed racing, so I can’t wait to get back to the track, get some laps under my belt and wear the CDR Yamaha Monster Energy colours.”
Jonass Misses Imola – Hands MX2 Title to Prado
Reigning MX2 World Champion Pauls Jonass was forced to withdraw from the Grand Prix of Italy at Imola last weekend to undergo surgery on his right knee. Pauls’ absence from Imola automatically meant that teammate Jorge Prado is confirmed as the 2018 MX2 FIM World Champion.
The 21 year old Latvian was advised to have a reparative procedure on his right ACL in the wake of his crash at the Grand Prix of Turkey early last month but Jonass decided to race with painkillers at the Grand Prix of the Netherlands two weeks ago to revive his chances of defending the MX2 crown on the KTM 250 SX-F.
Despite his efforts to take the MX2 title fight to the last of the twenty rounds and forty motos this year, Pauls was regrettably forced to have the operation. He travelled to the renowned Ortema facility in Stuttgart and was under the supervision of Dr Jorg Richter as the partially torn ACL was fixed without the need for a full reconstruction on Wednesday.
He is expected to leave the clinic in Germany by the end of the week. He will begin the process of rehabilitation and look towards a debut term in MXGP in 2019.
Pauls Jonass
“After Turkey I had some tough times. The doctors actually told me not to race any more this year but I didn’t want to give up on the title so easily. I raced in Assen with a lot of pain and so went to see the doctor again afterwards and they said surgery was necessary. We came to Germany and had the operation yesterday here at Ortema and I’m very grateful for the work done by Dr Richter. The ACL was not completely torn but it was badly damaged. It is a pity to miss Imola but health comes first and I’m still young and want to think about the future. The focus now goes on my rehab and to think about getting back on the bike as soon as possible to prepare for MXGP.”
Paulin to Wilco Yamaha
Yamaha Motor Europe has signed Gautier Paulin to the Wilvo Yamaha Official MXGP Team where he will race a YZ450F alongside teammate Arnaud Tonus in the 2019 MXGP World Championship.
In addition to his long list of individual achievements over the last decade or so, the French phenomenon has had the honour of representing his nation at the prestigious Monster Energy Motocross of Nations on nine occasions where he has played a vital role in the teams’ success, that includes four gold medals, in 2014, ’15, ’16 and ’17, and two silver medals, in 2009, and ’11.
He will represent Team France for a tenth time, alongside Yamaha Factory rider Dylan Ferrandis and Jordi Tixier, at the 2018 Monster Energy Motocross of Nations that will take place on the weekend of October 7th at the Red Bud circuit in Michigan, USA.
Erik Eggens – Yamaha Motor Europe MX Racing Manager
“We are very excited to have Gautier back on Yamaha and in Paddock Blue. He has always been a rider that can fight for podiums and he is definitely capable of challenging for race wins as well, and we saw that a few years back when he joined Yamaha and won his debut Grand Prix on a YZ450F, which is an outstanding achievement and something that not many riders can say they have done. We believe that with the support of the Wilvo Yamaha Official MXGP team he can still achieve these results, and this is something we look forward to. The team is very motivated and is a team that has shown great improvement and stability over the years, which is something a high caliber rider such as Gautier needs. With that said, we wish Gautier a warm welcome back, and we look forward to having him back on blue.”
Louis Vosters – Wilvo Yamaha Official MXGP Team Owner
“I am really happy to have Gautier join us for the 2019 season. He is a fantastic rider and I am sure that with the right structure and the tools and support that we offer, he can make it back to the top of the MXGP World Championship. Also, together with his teammate Arnaud Tonus, I am convinced that these two great riders will make each other better and bring the results that we are looking for.”
Kawasaki Announces FIM and AMA Line-Up
Kawasaki has announced their line-up for both the AMA and FIM motocross and supercross championships with no major changes to the key riders as Eli Tomac continues with the American team and Clement Desalle with the European team.
Joining Tomac for the AMA Supercross and Motocross Championships in the 450 class will be Joey Savatgy who has spent many years riding the green machinery with the Pro-Circuit team while Julien Lieber will once again team up with Desalle in the 20 round FIM World Motocross Championships. Both teams will have the continued support from Monster Energy and all four riders will be on the all new Kawasaki KX450.
Returning to the Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki race team for 2019 aboard their KX250 motorcycles are Adam Cianciarulo, Austin Forkner, Martin Davalos, and Garrett Marchbanks. Seasoned veterans, Davalos, Cianciarulo, and Forkner have proven they are a force to be reckoned with each weekend, while young gun Garrett Marchbanks aims to add his name to the long list of historic champions that have competed under the Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki awning.
This will be Marchbanks’ first full season with the team. Cianciarulo, Forkner and Marchbanks are all products of the industry-leading Kawasaki Team Green™ program.
Dates Set for 2019 New Zealand Senior Motocross Championships
MNZ have announced the dates and venues for the 2019 New Zealand Senior Motocross Championships and as per usual those riders who reside in the South Island will receive funding towards their campaign if they compete in 3 or more rounds.
- Round 1 – Sunday 3rd February – Taranaki
- Round 2 – Sunday 17th February – Rotorua
- Round 3 – Sunday 24th February – Pukekohe
- Round 4 – Sunday 10th March – Taupo
MNZ say that they look forward to working with South Island clubs to encourage the MX Champs back into the South Island for 2020 and beyond.
Jett Lawrence wins ADAC Youngsters Cup
Jett Lawrence has clinched the ADAC Youngster Cup Championship title at Holzgerlingen in Germany, the 15-year-old Australian came to the MX Masters series finale with a 13-points lead and didn’t show any signs of weaknesses in front of the 10,000 spectators, grabbing his victory in one of Europe’s most-prestigious series in the final race.
In Qualifying on Saturday, Lawrence stayed calm and placed his RM-Z250 in fourth position. The first race start didn’t go perfectly, but Lawrence was able to gain some positions early on. Even though he had no pressure, due to his big points advantage, he pushed hard on his Suzuki RM-Z250 and took the lead on the eighth lap.
Because Roland Edelbacher only reached fifth position, Lawrence had a comfortable lead of 22 points before the second race. The start of the second race again did not go as planned, but this time Lawrence saved the nerves of his crew and brought home a safe seventh place, which was enough for him to win the championship.
Jett Lawrence
“Of course I knew that I mustn’t do anything stupid, so I kept it together and did not take any risks. I’m really happy to win this important title. It’s a great way to say thank you to the whole team and my family!”
Cooper Webb to Red Bull KTM Factory Racing in 2019
KTM has officially welcome Cooper Webb to the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Team for the 2019 race season, with the North Carolina native will pilot the KTM 450 SX-F Factory Edition alongside teammate Marvin Musquin in the AMA 450 Supercross Championship and AMA 450 Pro Motocross Championship.
Webb joins the KTM family with a long list of accomplishments since his professional debut in 2013. Following a decorated amateur racing career, Webb achieved great success in the 250cc division, claiming back-to-back AMA 250SX West Championships in 2015 and ‘16, before putting a cap on his 250cc career in 2016 with an AMA 250MX National Championship.
Since moving into the premier 450cc division in 2017, Webb has earned two career podium finishes in AMA Supercross and multiple top-five finishes in Supercross and AMA Pro Motocross.
Cooper Webb
“It was an honor when Roger and Ian reached out for me to be the next guy on the Red Bull KTM team. It’s really encouraging to know what this team has achieved – they really have been there and done it, so I don’t see any reason why they can’t do it with me. I will be putting in the work and doing everything possible to come into the year as strong as I can be. With everything around me, I know I have put myself in the best possible position for winning on the track again. I had a very comfortable feeling with the guys from the very first moments and that just gives you confidence. Working with Aldon at the Baker’s Factory is another strong part of the whole KTM set-up. I have an opportunity that really involves the whole package, so the plan is to ‘stick to the plan’ and focus on getting ready with the bike for Anaheim I. I don’t want anything to take me away from that!”
What Racing is Left for 2018?
WOW, what a year so far! 20 rounds of the FIM World Motocross Championships wrapped up last weekend but there is still plenty of action coming up with the Motocross of Nations this weekend at Red Budd before we get to enjoy a plethora of supercross action as well as the final rounds of several national and world championships – see the list of the remaining events for 2018 below:
Australasia
Australian Supercross Championships
- 6 – Coolum
- 13 – Geelong
- 20 – Port Adelaide
- 11 – AUS-X Open – Sydney
New Zealand Supercross Championships
- 24 – SX Open – Auckland
- 1 – South Waikato
- 15 – Southland
AORC
- 6-7 – Rounds 10-11 – Omeo, Vic
Asia
Japan Supercross
- 3 – Tokyo 2018
America
American Flat Track
- 6 – Meadowlands Mile – East Rutherford, NJ
2018 Motocross of Nations
- 7 – Red Bud, MI
2018 Monster Energy Cup
- 13 – Las Vegas, NV
2018 RED BULL Straight Rhythm
- 20 – Pomona, CA
2018 World Vet Championships
- 3-4 – Glen Helen, CA
2018 THOR Mini Olympics
- 19-24 – Gainesville, FL
2018 Day In The Dirt
- 24-26 – Glen Helen, CA
2018 AMA World Off-Road Championships (WORCS)
- 19-21 – Adelanto, CA
- 9-11 – Primm, NV
2018 AMA EnduroCross Series
- 20 – Denver, CO
- 27 – Everett, WA
- 3 – Boise, ID
2018 GNCC
- 13 Oct. – 14 Oct – Powerline Park, Ohio
- 27 Oct. – 28 Oct – AMSOIL Ironman, Indianapolis
Canadian Triple Crown Supercross
- 3 – Quebec
- 17 – Hamilton
Europe
2018 Marseille Supercross
- 12-13 – Marseille, France
2018 Paris Supercross
- 17-18 – Paris, France
World Enduro Super Series (WESS)
- 26 – Gotland Grand National – Sweden
- 10 – Red Bull Knock Out Beach Race – The Netherlands
2018 FIM Enduro World Championship
- 14-15 — Woltersdorf, Germany
FIM Speedway GP
- 6 – Round 10 – Torun
