Moto News Weekly Wrap
August 28, 2018 by Darren Smart
Proudly brought to you by Dunlop Geomax
What Went Down Last Weekend?
- World Junior Motocross Championships – Horsham
- Goncalves leads 2018 Ruta 40 after Stage 1 – Price fourth
- AMA Motocross Championship – Round 12 – Ironman
- Ironman 125 All Star Race
- Barcia and Plessinger for Factory Yamaha
- Windham to Join Sipes and Pastrana for Puerto Rico at MXoN
- World Motocross Championships – Round 17 – Bulgaria
- Boisrame Crowned EMX250 Champion in Bulgaria
- Anderson Moves into EMX300 Championship Lead
- SGP of Poland
- 2018 Endurocross – Round 1 – Prescott
- AORC Heads to Broken Hill
- Justin Carafa competes in Swiss International Motocross
- Mario Roman wins 2018 Battle of Vikings Extreme Enduro
World Junior Motocross Championships – Horsham
The circuit of Horsham played host to the FIM Junior Motocross World Championship and it was Bailey Malkiewicz and Caden Braswell who took out the 125 and 85 classes while it was Braden Plath who won the FIM 65cc Junior World Cup.
The day in Horsham was unforgettable and started with chilly temperatures matched by overcast skies but as soon as the racing kick started sunshine arrived setting up perfectly for great racing and spectating alike. Each world’s best young riders were tested by two races against competitors that many have never faced before which required both focus and consistency.
Teams of Nation Trophy
What a weekend it was for Australian motocross as the Horsham Motorcycle Complex hosted the 2018 FIM World Junior Motocross Championship (WJMX) and the local team was rewarded by winning the Teams of Nation Trophy.
Over 20 nations were represented and over 110 riders made their way to Horsham to battle for the ultimate prize in Junior Motocross.
The track at Horsham had a bit of everything and provided thrilling racing throughout the weekend, it was fast, had big jumps and few tight technical sections, testing the riders in all facets. More than 5,000 spectators made their way to the track and didn’t they see a spectacle.
The race of the weekend not to be biased but the final race of the day between Australian Malkiewicz and Italian Mattia Guadagnini in the 125cc class was epic.
The pair had been one and two all weekend throughout qualifying and race one, and when they both got great starts in race two, you just knew the battle was on. Malkiewicz had the lead and set out putting a gap on his Italian counterpart, but slowly Guadagnini reeled him in and Malkiewicz made a mistake allowing the Italian to make his move. Guadagnini set out putting a gap on the Australian and it seemed he was controlling the race, but with three laps to go the Italian made a mistake and Malkiewicz snatched back the lead.
The crowd sensed the occasion and lifted as Malkiewicz came down the home straight willing him on as they knew only a win would hand him the world championship. The #47 had three laps to simply make no mistakes and the win would be his, the crowd was right behind Malkiewicz and with a lap to go everyone at Horsham Motorcycle Complex had their eyes glued to the number 47 machine.
Coming down the home stretch the excitement was easy for everyone to see and as Malkiewicz hit the final table top, he pumped his fist and knew he had put himself in the record books, as the first Australian to win the 125cc WJMX title.
Australia has definitely left a mark on the motocross world and a big thank you must go out to everyone who made this event possible. Kenny Watts and Jacqui Hill as part of the Horsham Motorcycle Club put in so much work and the event ran smoothly, also a big thankyou to all the stewards, officials, promoters, riders and teams.
For the full class by class report see:
Malkiewicz claims 125cc WJMX title | Plath wins MX65 (link)
125cc Junior Motocross World Championship
Italy’s Mattia Guadagnini was the fastest in the first race of the 125cc class from the start where he took the holeshot to the finish as he never looked back. Guadagnini created a gap over Australian Bailey Malkiewicz who was the only real threat but was unable to come close enough to attack the #101 Husqvarna.
Race 2 was filled with tighter racing action after Malkiewicz took the holeshot and Guadagnini took the lead away but Malkiewicz was closer in terms of pace the second time around forcing the Italian to defend his lead instead of focus forward.
The pressure caused the Italian to make a mistake and crash in the final laps costing him the World Championship title eventually finishing 3rd. Malkiewicz took the race win and in result the overall and title of FIM Junior Motocross World Champion in front of a highly supportive home crowd.
Mattia Guadagnini had to settle for being Vice World Champion after a disappointing end to his weekend. Petr Polak from the Czech Republic joined Malkiewicz and Guadagnini on the podium in 3rd place overall after a consistent 3rd and 2nd.
Last year’s 85cc Junior World Champion, Eddie Jade Wade from the UK moved up to the 125cc category this year but was unable to line up after injuring himself in Saturday’s Qualifying Practice.
Bailey Malkiewicz – New Junior Motocross World Champion
“It has been a great event the whole weekend. Winning in front of my home crowd is just fantastic. I am so happy with the result and with my performance. I’m speechless, I can’t believe I have achieved this. The crowd was insane I could hear them through my helmet down that back straight and for my hard work to pay off is great, I couldn’t believe how many people were behind me.”
Blake Fox
“It was a great experience racing with everybody from around the world and the different countries. I was pretty happy with how I went and it was good to finish in the top 10 for the weekend. It’s my first year and I have a few more years to come in the class, so that was positive and it was a good learning experience for me.”
Regan Duffy
“It definitely wasn’t what I was hoping for, but I just don’t think I was prepared in the right way for that event – the 30-minute motos were definitely an eye-opener for me. I’m used to doing 15s and they keep the same lap-times the whole race, so it was hard, but my pace was good. I know what I have to do now and I should be right! It was really cool to see where I was at though and now I can work to move forward from here.”
85cc Junior Motocross World Championship
Caden Braswell from Team USA was the fastest of the 85’s off the start but the fastest in the race as a whole was Belgian rider Liam Everts, son of motocross legend Stefan Everts. Liam masterfully led Race to the finish but during race 2 his fortunes changed when he crashed and was unable to finish due to a bike issue.
The Race 2 FOX Holeshot went to Dave Kooiker from the Netherlands but Caden Braswell, who take the Race 1 FOX Holeshot, made his way into the lead and took the Race 2 victory.
The strong racing from Braswell, including a battle over third in the first race with fellow American, Ryder Difrancesco, earned him the title of 2018 FIM Junior Motocross World Champion.
Team Netherlands conquered a notable performance in the 85 class with double podiums as Kay De Wolf became Vice World Champion with a 2nd and 6th place while Kay Karssemakers took 3rd overall for the second time in 2 years at the event after finishing 4th in both of today’s races.
Caden Braswell – 85cc Junior Motocross World Champion
“I am very proud to become a World Champion, my dreams have come true. I am the best in the World! I am really proud of myself and for my country. I would like to thank my family and Team USA for all the support.”
Brad West led the way for the Australian riders, grabbing two top ten finishes on the weekend to grab eight overall. West’s efforts over the weekend saw him finish moto one in ninth and then he bettered that in moto two with an eighth-place finish.
Deegan Mancinelli
“I had a lot of fun, it was a good weekend and I’m happy. The first moto was disappointing in the end, but I was pretty stoked with how I rode and I took a lot out of it. Just to be up there with all the top riders in the world was a really good experience. In race two I got a good start, but came together with another guy and went down, but I came back from 40th position all the way back to 15th. I just can’t wait to try again next year.”
Jett Burgess-Stevens
“The experience of racing in the world championship was great. Obviously I didn’t get the results that I wanted, but I will have to keep training harder and working to improve further. It was really good to have all the people from different countries and I enjoyed it a lot. Saturday was a bit better for me, but Sunday was more of a challenge, and now I am aiming for the Aussies in Tasmania!”
65cc Junior Motocross World Cup
Excitement to race from the riders was evident since the early morning and the first 65cc race was led with a FOX Holeshot from Czech Republic’s Vitezslav Marek. A first turn crash took several riders down but all escaped unharmed.
Relative unknown Marek was the big surprise of Race 1, taking full advantage of the FOX Holeshot. The Netherlands’ Lotte Van Drunen is the only female rider in the competition regardless of racing class and she not only impressed but beat every 65cc rider other than Marek in Race 1. 3rd in race 1 was Enzo Temmerman from the USA with the two Australian’s of Kayden Minear and Braden Plath 4th and 5th while 2018 EMX65 Champion Brando Rispoli from Italy took 6th.
Race 2 started much stronger for Rispoli however as he took the FOX Holeshot. American Logan Best took over the lead and scored the race win but only managed to finish 12th in Race 1 which held him off of the podium.
Consistency proved to be the winning attribute as Australia’s own Braden Plath was crowned 65cc Junior World Cup winner after coming back from the start crash in race to finish 5th followed by 2nd in Race 2. Temmerman’s 3rd and 4th place finishes scored him the second spot on the podium while Rispoli took 3rd after finished with 6-3 scores.
Braden Plath – Junior World Cup Winner
“We are really happy and excited with the result, because it was so cool seeing everybody from across the world and racing against them! After the first moto, where I crashed and finished fifth, I didn’t really think I could get the overall. The second moto was a lot better but, I was able to take second and a few minutes later I learned that I was the champion! I am really happy and thank everybody for their support, especially my mum and dad, Parramatta Racing, Ray White Cairns South, FXR Ride Tribe, MXRP Suspension, Duncan Powersports and Husqvarna Motorcycles Australia.”
Jet Alsop
“It was a lot of fun and I had a sick battle in race two, so that was really fun for me. The first race was tough, but I think the start I had in the second moto helped me a lot. The world championships were really fun, to be racing against kids from all around the world, and it was really tough competition – you can’t be too friendly and you really have to push your way through the pack! I am happy with how it all turned out in the end.”
Goncalves leads 2018 Ruta 40 after Stage 1
In the longest stage of the 2018 Desafio Ruta 40 cross-country rally, Paulo Goncalves took the win with teammate Kevin Benavides a favourite forced to retire after a fall.
Gonçalves proved to be untouchable, after setting off from fourth place, the rider set a blistering pace, avoiding the dust en route and crossing the finish line after 4:02:05, a feat which places him at the top of the overall standings.
Paulo Goncalves
“The stage was long and very difficult with many rivers and a lot of rocks but also a lot of off-piste too. I tried to stay focused and by the middle of the race I already had Ricky in sight. I pushed hard and I was able to win the stage. I’m happy but there are a lot of kilometres still to go. We have to be attentive from the beginning to the end and make it to the final goal as best we can. I hope Kevin’s fall was not very serious and he can recover soon.”
Securing a strong runner-up result, Pablo Quintanilla has made a solid start to the week-long event in Argentina, with the Husqvarna Factory Racing rider having his eyes set on extending his lead in the FIM Cross-Country Rallies World Championship standings.
Pablo Quintanilla
“It was a challenging stage one and I’m happy with second place for the day. The tracks were fast and there were lots of places where you had to be extra careful. It was difficult to push and you had to take some risks. To be honest, I struggled a bit to find a good pace under these circumstances, so I did my best to remain consistent and that paid off. At the end of the day, it proved to be a good stage for me and a positive to start the event. It’s going to be a difficult week of racing here in Argentina, so I’ll do my best to avoid any mistakes and hope for the best possible result.”
Matthias Walkner, having won the previous day’s short prologue, chose to set off 14th, after catching and passing a number of quads ahead of him on the stage. The reigning Dakar Rally Champion rode a solitary race while trying to minimise any mistakes on the treacherous route and a time of four hours and two minutes was enough to claim third on the day’s timesheets.
Matthias Walkner
“We know Argentina can be tough and today was no different. I am pleased with my riding today, although it was difficult to know exactly how my pace was as I rode most of the stage alone. A lot of the timed special was similar to last year with off-piste sections and rivers. Nevertheless, I’m happy with third on the first day and I’m looking forward to tomorrow.”
Despite suffering a minor technical issue with his GPS, Toby Price still posted the fourth fastest time for the day, less than one minute slower than team-mate Walkner. Hoping for more consistency with his navigation, Price will be aiming to increase his pace on tomorrow’s stage two.
Toby Price
“Everything was going great at first today, right up to the first fuel stop at kilometre 193. My GPS was struggling to find a signal and I ended up losing some time. All-in-all I am happy because I know I was riding well, it’s just frustrating to lose out through no fault of your own. Hopefully everything will be sorted for tomorrow and I can keep to a good pace.”
2018 Desafio Ruta 40 Rally
Stage 1 Provisional Classification
- Paulo Goncalves (Honda) 04:08:00
- Pablo Quintanilla (Husqvarna) 04:08:27
- Matthias Walkner (KTM) 04:12:43
- Toby Price (KTM) 04:13:32
- Ricky Brabec (Honda) 04:16:35
- Luciano Benavides (KTM) 04:24:41
2018 Desafio Ruta 40 Rally
Provisional Overall Classification [After Stage 1]
- Paulo Goncalves (Honda) 04:02:05
- Pablo Quintanilla (Husqvarna) 04:02:33
- Matthias Walkner (KTM) 04:06:55
- Toby Price (KTM) 04:07:43
- Ricky Brabec (Honda) 04:10:39
- Luciano Benavides (KTM) 04:18:31
AMA Motocross Championship – Round 12 – Ironman
The final round of the AMA Motocross Championship was held at Ironman last weekend and it was a stellar day for Yamaha with Justin Barcia going 1-1 in the 450 class while Aaron Plessinger capped off a stellar season with 1-1 moto results in the 250 class.
Check out the full report here:
Tomac wins 450 Title | Chad Reed goes 5-8 in MX comeback (link)
450 Class
In atrocious conditions Justin Barcia rode like a man processed to win the opening moto from Eli Tomac, Ken Roczen, Marvin Musquin and non-other than Chad Reed then in the second moto Barcia toughed it out to take another win from Roczen, Musquin, Cooper Webb, Blake Baggett, Tyler Medaglia, Phil Nicoletti, Chad Reed and Tomac.
That result gave Barcia the 1-1 sweep of the Ironman National and his first overall win of the year, as he finished ahead of Roczen (3-2) and Musquin (4-3) on the overall podium while Tomac earned his second straight 450 Class title in Lucas Oil Pro Motocross.
Eli Tomac
“It’s pretty incredible, we came into the motocross season with one goal, and that was to repeat what we did last year and to accomplish that is just awesome. It has been 12 years since someone won back-to-back titles in the premier class, so that shows you how hard it is to do which makes this championship that much sweeter. I couldn’t be prouder to be a part of this Monster Energy Kawasaki team.”
Chad Reed hasn’t raced a notional in three seasons yet the Aussie star ended the day in a more than credible 8th outright with 5-8 moto results while Cody Cooper had his poorest showing of the series with the Kiwi not scoring a single point with two DNFs but despite the disappointing finish ‘Coops’ ended the most competitive series in the world in 11th of the 67 riders who scored points during the championship.
Chad Reed
“My immediate feeling on the Suzuki RM-Z450 brought back so many positive feelings. It instantly changed my thoughts on motocross. I have been working on my off-bike strength and fitness over the past month, so I knew I could handle some suffering. Riding fitness is so unique to our sport, so I was really quite nervous and unsure in that area. Not having raced a National in three years, my number-one goal was to smile and enjoy a day of racing my dirt bike for one of the best teams in the paddock. The day was a success on all levels.”
Ken Roczen was named 2018 Sportsman of the Year. Over the course of his comeback season, Roczen earned six podium finishes, including two moto victories, as well as four additional top-five results, putting him third in the final points standings.
Ken Roczen
“This season was tough, but great. Nobody really sees the struggle during the week. To throw myself into this season with very little track time or testing and not even be sure I could really race, to how things progressed, especially the second half of the season, was great. I finished on the podium a bunch and got third overall in the championship, which was the goal coming into this weekend. It’s really good to finish this season healthy and strong, which is what the plan was for this year, and to get some racing under my belt.”
450 Overall Results
- Justin Barcia (1-1)
- Ken Roczen (3-2)
- Marvin Musquin (4-3)
- Eli Tomac (2-9)
- Cooper Webb (9-4)
- Tyler Medaglia (7-6)
- Phil Nicoletti (6-7)
- Chad Reed (5-8)
- Valentin Teillet (8-10)
- Blake Baggett (16-5)
- Benny Bloss (11-11)
- Henry Miller (14-13)
- Toshiki Tomita (17-12)
- Ben LaMay (15-15)
- Justin Hill (10-32)
- Kyle Cunningham (12-20)
- Isaac Teasdale (13-37)
- Nick Gaines (31-14)
- Joey Crown (20-16)
- John Short (24-17)
450 Final Point Standings
- Eli Tomac, 527
- Marvin Musquin, 511
- Ken Roczen, 445
- Justin Barcia, 444
- Blake Baggett, 391
- Phil Nicoletti, 311
- Benny Bloss, 298
- Weston Peick, 291
- Cooper Webb, 186
- Kyle Cunningham, 169
- Cody Cooper, 146
250 Class
The tougher the conditions the better Aaron Plessinger goes and the Yamaha star and current champion simply blitzed both motos at Ironman to take the overall and extend his championship winning margin to 110 points.
RJ Hampshire (4-3), Chase Sexton (2-6), Colt Nichols (8-2) and Justin Cooper (3-7) rounded out the top five while Plessinger’s closest championship rival (points wise) in Alex Martin ended his championship with a 10th outright with 9-9 moto results.
Aaron Plessinger
“All I can say is wow, this year has been unbelievable. Two championships in one year, I’m still in shock I think. I’ve had so much fun this year and it’s not even over yet! Can’t wait for what’s to come!”
250 Overall Results
- Aaron Plessinger (1-1)
- RJ Hampshire (4-3)
- Chase Sexton (2-6)
- Colt Nichols (8-2)
- Justin Cooper (3-7)
- Austin Forkner (7-5)
- Dylan Ferrandis (10-4)
- Shane McElrath (5-10)
- Michael Mosiman (6-11)
- Alex Martin (9-9)
- Hunter Sayles (12-14)
- Joey Savatgy (26-8)
- Justin Rodbell (17-13)
- Austin Wagner (15-15)
- Taylor Strauss (14-18)
- Jeffrey Walker (11-39)
- Jordan Bailey (DNQ-12)
- Zac Maley (13-32)
- Tylor Skodras (35-16)
- Cole Zitterkopf (16-22)
Aaron Plessinger (1-1)
RJ Hampshire (4-3)
Chase Sexton (2-6)
250 Final Point Standings
- Aaron Plessinger, 500
- Alex Martin, 390
- Justin Cooper, 352
- RJ Hampshire, 337
- Shane McElrath, 332
- Chase Sexton, 324
- Austin Forkner, 314
- Dylan Ferrandis, 310
- Joey Savatgy, 275
- Jordon Smith, 259
Ironman 125 All Star Race
The seventh race of the 125 All Star Series took place at Ironman last weekend and former Loretta winner Jesse Flock took the rare win for Kawasaki in the class over Jace Kessler and Noah Willbrandt.
- Jesse Flock – Kawasaki
- Jace Kessler – Husqavarna
- Noah Willbrandt – Yamaha
- Justin Cokinos – KTM
- Jordan Jarvis – Yamaha
- Chris Bach – KTM
- Jacob Ingram – Yamaha
- Jack Rogers – Husqavarna
- Chris Johnson – KTM
- Matt Buyten – Yamaha
- Chase Stevenson – Yamaha
- Shelby Rolen – Yamaha
- Matthew Burris – KTM
Barcia and Plessinger for Factory Yamaha
Monster Energy Factory Yamaha have announced that they have signed a multi-year contracts with Justin Barcia and Aaron Plessinger to ride Monster Energy Supercross and Lucas Oil Pro Motocross in the 450 Class in 2019 and beyond. The exact number of years the contracts specified was not announced.
Barcia joined the team prior to the 2018 season as a fill-in rider and was later signed through the rest of the year when Davi Millsaps announced his retirement. After struggling the last few years, Barcia turned his career around in 2018 and returned to podium form both indoors and out.
Justin Barcia
“I’m really excited to extend my contract with the team. It’s an honour and a pleasure working with everyone at Yamaha. It started out as just a fill-in ride and it turned into something a lot more. I can’t ask for a better team; it’s just been awesome. We’ve really turned my career around. I was in a really tough place, struggling a lot, and I wasn’t sure what I was going to do next, and Yamaha gave me the opportunity to ride a really good motorcycle and I went out there and gave it my all and put in some really good results. It’s just been a pleasure working with all the guys on the team and riding the new Yamaha 450. I’m really excited for the future and I hope to finish out my career at Yamaha; that’s definitely my goal.”
The team also announced that Aaron Plessinger, who is coming off a 250SX West Region title and a 250 Class Pro Motocross title, will move to the 450 Class full-time starting next year. His last race on a 250 will be at the upcoming Motocross of Nations, where he is riding the MX2 class.
Aaron Plessinger
“Signing with Yamaha for the 450 Class is amazing! I’ve been with Yamaha since 2008 and we have had an awesome relationship ever since. I feel like it’s going to go really well for me next year, just being on a great team with good people around. I can’t wait to start testing and get my bike dialed in!”
Windham to Join Sipes and Pastrana for Puerto Rico at MXoN
Since Travis Pastrana, Ronnie Mac and Ryan Sipes were named on the team, Team Puerto Rico has undoubtedly captured the attention of the entire racing world. From the team’s seemingly fictitious and unlikely rider line-up to the goal of raising funds for the hurricane-torn territory to their first donation, Team Puerto Rico has had an eventful couple of weeks.
The team has faced numerous hurdles and obstacles as they prepare for Motocross of Nations, and today, the Federación de Motociclismo de Puerto Rico, Inc., has confirmed rumours that had begun to circulate around the industry: Kevin Windham will be replacing Ronnie Mac on Puerto Rico’s 2018 Motocross of Nations team.
Although Ronnie’s departure may be a letdown to many fans, it should not come as a surprise. It turns out that Ronnie Mac does not possess the proper licenses needed to race, and understandably, the FIM cannot bend the rules for a fan-favourite character. Team Puerto Rico is grateful to Ronnie for helping to get this project off the ground and for his continued support of a good cause. The world will have to wait for the self-proclaimed “best motocross racer in the world” to showcase his unmatched skill.
The Federación de Motociclismo de Puerto Rico, Inc., is excited to have Kevin Windham on board for 2018. Windham has one of the best resumes in all of racing and his wins include a 2005 Motocross of Nations Championship.
Kevin Windham
“I’m always nervous when I get a call from Travis Pastrana, and to be honest, I wasn’t even sure this was real. It took a bit of convincing, but I’m happy to be a part of Team Puerto Rico and support a good cause, both inside and outside the racing community.”
Ricky Johnson – Team Coach And Manager
“As team manager, I’m ecstatic to welcome KW to the team. No one else has more love from the fans than he does…and he is going to help support our end goal of helping others. It really says a lot about him to come back to racing for a good cause.”
Travis Pastrana
“While I am bummed Mac can’t race, we all knew it was a long shot. I’m just happy he came to me and the team with this idea and that we are going to able to finish what he helped start. Not many people know this, but my grandfather is from Puerto Rico and I still have ties to the island, so I am especially pleased we are going to help. And we got Kevin Windham! He is my freaking idol! This is going to be fun!”
With the recent changes to the team, a new website has been created where you can follow the riders’ progress and purchase merchandise for support. Head to at www.teampuertorico2018.com now to show yours.
World Motocross Championships – Round 17 – Bulgaria
The FIM Motocross World Championship’s 17th round took place today on the hard-packed hillsides of Sevlievo for the 2018 MXGP of Bulgaria and with 3 rounds remaining in the championship Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Jeffrey Herlings and Jorge Prado extended their current points lead with overall wins in the MXGP and MX2 classes respectively.
For the full MXGP of Bulgaria Round 17 report see:
Herlings takes Bulgarian MXGP double | Prado wins MX2 (link)
MXGP
The overall win went to the dominant Herlings along with the full 50 points up for grabs while Tim Gajser took 2nd and Clement Desalle rounded out the podium while Antonio Cairoli just missed the box in 4th but more importantly lost 16 championship points to Herlings.
The series now heads to Turkey next weekend for the first time since 2009 and Herlings’ championship lead is now 73 points with three rounds to go.
Jeffrey Herlings
“I had 2 great races, yesterday started off good and then today in the first race I was behind Tim who had a good start and I got around him pretty quick, then managed to ride my own pace to take the win. In the second race it was similar but with Tony. We are already looking forward to Turkey in 7-day time.”
Tim Gajser
“I am really happy to be back on the podium after missing it for a couple of GPs. I was feeling good today and also with the team. During the weekend we made some changes with the bike and today it payed off.”
Clement Desalle
“A podium is really consistent and is good to be here this season. I was on the podium last weekend in Switzerland and now again here. I had two good races and my riding was good but we have to keep working.”
Team HRC’s Todd Waters had a difficult time at the MXGP of Bulgaria at Sevlievo and was classed nineteenth and sixteenth in the two motos.
Todd Waters
“The first race was a bit of a disaster: I had a poor start and then on the first lap, at the bottom of one of the big hills, I tucked the front; I stuck my leg out and twisted my knee,” Waters explained. “I was in a bit of pain for a couple of laps and after that I simply couldn’t get up to speed and find the right flow, and as I got angrier the situation got worse. The start of race two was a lot better and I was around tenth place, but I still couldn’t find the right rhythm. I did what I could and finished sixteenth. It was unfortunate as I wanted to get a good result this weekend, but I just couldn’t make it happen. Still, thank you to the team because they worked flawlessly.”
MXGP Overall Top Ten
- Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 50 points
- Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 42
- Clement Desalle (BEL, KAW), 38
- Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 35
- Romain Febvre (FRA, YAM), 34
- Gautier Paulin (FRA, HUS), 28
- Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, KTM), 26
- Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, YAM), 23
- Jeremy Seewer (SUI, YAM), 22
- Tommy Searle (GBR, KAW), 21
…18. Todd Waters (AUS, HON), 7
MXGP Championship Top Ten
- Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 783 points
- Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 710
- Clement Desalle (BEL, KAW), 581
- Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 549
- Romain Febvre (FRA, YAM), 544
- Gautier Paulin (FRA, HUS), 483
- Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, KTM), 446
- Jeremy Seewer (SUI, YAM), 393
- Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, YAM), 373
- Max Anstie (GBR, HUS), 313
…24. Todd Waters (AUS, HON), 49
MX2
After two holeshots and 2-1 moto results Prado took the overall while Jonass (1-3) scored second overall while the final spot on the podium went to Hunter Lawrence with his 5-2 score, slightly improved from his 5-3 podium earning result last week in Switzerland.
Prado now leads the points by 30 after gaining 2 on Jonass this weekend.
Jorge Prado
“Riding was good and it was a tough track for me with the hard pack but I am happy to take the win.”
Pauls Jonass
“I felt pretty good all weekend, I enjoy racing this track. It is an old school style track and there is a few on the calendar but this is one that I really enjoy racing on. I managed to get third in race 2 which is not so bad but not what we want. There are still 3 rounds to go, 6 races, and we will not give up easy, we will fight until the last meter.”
Hunter Lawrence moved into 10th overall in the championships.
Hunter Lawrence
“I am a little disappointed about the first race, I was feeling really good all weekend and I threw it away myself with mistakes. We improved from last weekend though and it is a step in the right direction.”
MX2 Overall Top Ten
- Jorge Prado (ESP, KTM), 47 points
- Pauls Jonass (LAT, KTM), 45
- Hunter Lawrence (AUS, HON), 38
- Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, HUS), 36
- Ben Watson (GBR, YAM), 33
- Marshal Weltin (USA, KAW), 28
- Thomas Covington (USA, HUS), 28
- Anthony Rodriguez (VEN, YAM), 22
- Tom Koch (GER, KTM), 21
- Bas Vaessen (NED, HON), 21
MX2 Championship Top Ten
- Jorge Prado (ESP, KTM), 739 points
- Pauls Jonass (LAT, KTM), 709
- Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, HUS), 555
- Ben Watson (GBR, YAM), 515
- Thomas Covington (USA, HUS), 480
- Calvin Vlaanderen (NED, HON), 462
- Jago Geerts (BEL, YAM), 346
- Michele Cervellin (ITA, YAM), 314
- Henry Jacobi (GER, HUS), 278
- Hunter Lawrence (AUS, HON), 267
Boisrame Crowned EMX250 Champion in Bulgaria
EMX250 Race 1 was the last event on Saturday and Brian Moreau was the fastest in the time practice giving him first gate choice which he took full advantage of to take the holeshot while Nicholas Lapucci was second briefly before current red plate holder Mathys Boisrame took over the position.
Brit Mel Pocock lost his radiator cap at the start of the race and later collided with another rider sending the Brit out of the race with a DNF while Steven Clarke had multiple mishaps and fell from 8th to 15th before eventually finishing 13th.
At the finish it was a race win for Moreau which marked the first of his EMX250 career as Boisrame took second followed by Tom Vialle and Gianluca Facchetti, while Michael Ivanov took the final spot in the top 5.
Ivanov and Boisrame battled for the lead early in race 2 while Facchetti tried to capitalize on the pair’s brief battle. Just further back Moreau collided with Vialle and got caught up in the back of the KTM. Moreau’s race was over but Vialle refocused and charged up to 2nd by Facchetti on lap 2.
Roan van De Moosdijk took 3rd from Facchetti a lap later and eventually charged past Vialle for second. Boisrame’s title adversary Pocock started the race in 5th but dropped to 6th by the finish which gave Boisrame the points required to clinch the 2018 EMX250 Championship one round early!
Now at the tenth round of the eleven this season Boisrame has claimed the title which seemed so distant in Spain and can rest easy as the 2018 FIM Europe 250 Motocross Champion.
EMX250 Overall Top 10
- Mathys Boisrame (FRA, HON), 47 points
- Tom Vialle (FRA, KTM), 38
- Roan Van De Moosdijk (NED, YAM), 37
- Pierre Goupillon (FRA, KAW), 34
- Matteo Puccinelli (ITA, KTM), 25
- Nicholas Lapucci (ITA, YAM), 25
- Brian Strubhart Moreau (FRA, KAW), 25
- Steven Clarke (GBR, HON), 24
- Dylan Walsh (NZL, HUS), 23
- Alberto Forato (ITA, HON), 23
…16. Caleb Grothues (AUS, YAM), 13
EMX250 Championship Top 10
- Mathys Boisrame (FRA, HON), 346 points
- Mel Pocock (GBR, HUS), 296
- Roan Van De Moosdijk (NED, YAM), 259
- Martin Barr (GBR, HUS), 253
- Steven Clarke (GBR, HON), 243
- Dylan Walsh (NZL, HUS), 239
- Brian Strubhart Moreau (FRA, KAW), 234
- Pierre Goupillon (FRA, KAW), 197
- Tom Vialle (FRA, KTM), 191
- Maxime Renaux (FRA, YAM), 168
…24. Caleb Grothues (AUS, YAM), 65
Anderson Moves into EMX300 Championship Lead
Saturday’s first race was the EMX300 class and leading with a holeshot was Mike Kras while Youri van t Ende ran second briefly before red plate holder Brad Anderson jumped past on his KTM during the opening lap.
Erik Willems battled with Vaclav Kovar moving to 3rd so when the chequered flag dropped Kras took the race win with title rival Anderson 2nd and Willems 3rd.
The 300cc 2 strokes were again the first on track on Sunday with sighting laps leading start into the first race of the morning. Kras was the fastest off the gate for the second day in a row but had Anderson just behind him. Willems was running up in third while Iacopi was under pressure from Kovar for 4th.
Anderson took the lead from yesterday’s race winner Kras quickly and pulled a small lead but Kras pulled the gap back down the following laps. Kovar took bad jump off of the grid back was up into 4th by lap 3 shuffling Iacopi back.
At the front Kras pushed Anderson hoping for a mistake but eventually made an aggressive pass for the lead. The pass squeezed Anderson nearly off track on one of the many uphill sections. Anderson retaliated quickly and the pair battled vigorously with each passing attempt more intense than the prior. Anderson managed to retake the lead and for several laps Kras chased closely by mistakes from the Dutch rider slowed his momentum and cost him to lose focus.
Anderson pulled away to take the race win and the overall balancing the points out to where they started coming into Bulgaria, 27 ahead of Kras which leaves the championship to be decided at the new round of Imola. Kras heads into the break before Imola with a second in both the race and the overall while Kovar made a pass to take 3rd with only 2 laps to go in Race 2.
EMX300 Overall Top 10
- Brad Anderson (GBR, KTM), 47 points
- Mike Kras (NED, KTM), 47
- Vaclav Kovar (CZE, GAS), 38
- Erik Willems (BEL, HUS), 38
- Manuel Iacopi (ITA, YAM), 32
- Andero Lusbo (EST, HUS), 30
- Youri van t Ende (NED, KTM), 28
- Michele Cencioni (ITA, KTM), 26
- Greg Smets (BEL, KTM), 24
- Marek Nespor (CZE, KTM), 21
EMX300 Championship Top 10
- Brad Anderson (GBR, KTM), 251 points
- Mike Kras (NED, KTM), 224
- Andero Lusbo (EST, HUS), 201
- Vaclav Kovar (CZE, GAS), 188
- Erik Willems (BEL, HUS), 183
- Greg Smets (BEL, KTM), 177
- Manuel Iacopi (ITA, YAM), 148
- Youri van t Ende (NED, KTM), 88
- Tallon Verhelst (BEL, KTM), 62
- Michele Cencioni (ITA, KTM), 58 p.
SGP of Poland
Slovak star Martin Vaculik beat home hero Bartosz Zmarzlik, Tai Woffinden and Patryk Dudek in the final at the MIB Nordic Gorzow FIM Speedway Grand Prix of Poland podium on Saturday, celebrating his second final appearance of SGP 2018 and very much back on form after a painful start to 2018.
Martin Vaculik
“I am very happy. Always when sportsmen win, it is a fantastic feeling. I’m very happy I can now be 100 percent focused on racing and not other stuff. I’m just enjoying the moment and enjoying my racing. I’m enjoying everything. Every win is fantastic. I’m a Stal Gorzow rider and my experience from this track paid today. I’m very pleased about that.”
Zmarzlik was pleased to thrive in the pressure cooker of a home SGP and deliver second place.
Bartosz Zmarzlik
“For me it was such a very hard meeting because everybody said ‘you must win’, but there’s no ‘must’ – only ‘can’. Second place in my home GP is not so bad for me. I have maximum focus on the next round now and we’ll see what happens there. But this is a nice feeling. It’s unbelievable and I’ll see you in the next round in Krsko.”
Series leader Woffinden admits track conditions proved a leveller after a heavy rain shower shortly before the meeting.
Tai Woffinden
“When it rains like that before the meeting, it really makes it a level playing field as far as anyone being faster than anyone else. The boys did well to sort the track out. I came into tonight with a 17-point lead and now I have a 16-point lead. I lost one point in the championship and didn’t win a race, so try and work that one out!? There are things I can work on. We need to go away, rethink and try and make some changes. But we’re looking good for the next round.”
The FIM Jury has also decided to fine Maciej Janowski €2,000 for violent behaviour from one of his team members and Nicki Pedersen €300 for verbal, un-gentlemanly behaviour towards the FIM race director.
MIB Nordic Gorzow SGP Scores
- Martin Vaculik 18
- Bartosz Zmarzlik 18
- Tai Woffinden 12
- Patryk Dudek 12
- Artem Laguta 13
- Matej Zagar 11
- Greg Hancock 10
- Maciej Janowski 9
- Jason Doyle 9
- Szymon Wozniak 8
- Nicki Pedersen 6
- Craig Cook 4
- Przemyslaw Pawlicki 3
- Emil Sayfutdinov 3
- Fredrik Lindgren 2
… Chris Holder 0
…Wiktor Lampart DNR
…Rafal Karczmarz DNR
SGP World Championship Standings
- Tai Woffinden 103
- Bartosz Zmarzlik 87
- Maciej Janowski 79
- Fredrik Lindgren 76
- Patryk Dudek 68
- Greg Hancock 66
- Artem Laguta 66
- Emil Sayfutdinov 65
- Matej Zagar 61
- Jason Doyle 53
- Nicki Pedersen 52
- Chris Holder 43
- Martin Vaculik 35
- Przemyslaw Pawlicki 30
- Craig Cook 25
- Niels-Kristian Iversen 9
- Szymon Wozniak 8
- Krzysztof Kasprzak 7
- Andreas Jonsson 7
- Vaclav Milik 6
- Peter Ljung 5
- Michael Jepsen Jensen 4
- Oliver Berntzon 3
- Maksym Drabik 2
- Bartosz Smektala 2
- Robert Lambert 1
- Mikkel Michelsen 1
- Joel Kling 1
2018 Endurocross – Round 1 – Prescott
The 2018 Super Endurocross season kicked off at the Prescott Endurocross held in Prescott Valley, Arizona last Saturday night and it was Cody Webb who got the drop on the field with a win over arch rival Colton Haaker while Trystan Hart rounded out the podium.
Colton Haaker
“Prescott seemed to be really slippery tonight, there was a deep water hole and the rocks were brutal. I started off behind Cody and we were just pacing each other, then I made a mistake in the rocks with the lappers. Then Cody lost out and lappers and I got the lead, then we switched again. It ended with me in second. It was definitely tough, and was brutal. It was the most slippery track we’ve ridden in a long time. It felt good to be out in the front and be in contention again. I can’t wait until Costa Mesa where we’ll have an outdoor arena and maybe a little more room.”
Next Event: Costa Mesa Endurocross – September 15 – Costa Mesa, CA
Prescott Valley EX Results – Super EnduroCross
- Cody Webb
- Colton Haaker
- Trystan Hart
- Kyle Redmond
- Ty Cullins
- Geoff Aaron
- Ty Tremaine
- Max Gerston
- Cooper Abbott
- Noah Kepple
AORC Heads to Broken Hill
The 2018 Yamaha Australian Off-Road Championship (AORC) is about to reach the crucial mid-season milestone this weekend with Round 7 Broken Hill.
The title fights are set to heat up this weekend, as the riders prepare for a historic first AORC cross country desert race! Now marks a great time to analyse who is flying and gunning for a championship trophy in 2018.
E1
In the E1 class, a new Enduro star is rising in the form of Active8 Yamaha Yamalube’s Luke Styke. His switch from Motocross to Enduro has been well documented this season and he has taken to the sport like a duck to water. Styke is well on track to take out a championship in his first attempt and Yamaha should be applauded for recognising the talent within him.
Styke has dropped only a single round so far to Fraser Higlett. The rising star, Higlett is competing in his first season out of the EJ class and showing all the right signs that he can contend for championships in the near future.
E1 Points
- Luke STYKE 147 Points
- Fraser HIGLETT 123 Points
- Jack SIMPSON 120 Points
- Jeremy CARPENTIER 94 Points
- Tomas RAVENHORST 93 Points
- Brad HARDAKER 87 Points
- Baylee DAVIES 84 Points
- Peter-Daniel ALLAN 75 Points
- Nicolas TOMLINSON 70 Points
- Neil COLLARD 53 Points
E2
Over in E2, it’s been the Daniel Sanders show, as he made his return to AORC after a difficult EnduroGP campaign. The Victorian rider has managed a clean sweep so far and is well on track to take out the coveted class trophy. Yamaha’s Josh Green has finished second to Sanders in the majority of rounds, however he’s usually amongst the fastest overall riders on track.
Lyndon Snodgrass is a rider that still appears to be adapting to 450EXC-F. After taking out a championship last year, Snodgrasss has yet to set the world on fire with the transition to E2. He could be a rider that could take it up to the front runners once he finds his rhythm, he definitely has the talent to do so.
E2 Points
- Daniel SANDERS 150 Points
- Joshua GREEN 128 Points
- Lyndon SNODGRASS 124 Points
- Stefan GRANQUIST 102 Points
- Riley GRAHAM 95 Points
- Matt MURRY 80 Points
- Brent DEAN 41 Points
- Luke BUNNIK 39 Points
- Wil RUPRECHT 36 Points
- Sean HOLMES 32 Points
E3
Moving on to E3, it’s a Daniel Milner lockout. The multiple champion is hungry and motivated to be the first to win the triple crown and the results back that up.
Like Sanders, he has not dropped a single round to his opposition. Husqvarna’s Lachlan Stanford has finished second to Milner in every round bar the first. It will be difficult for him to take the fight to Milner, who is in the form of his life.
E3 Points
- Daniel MILNER 150 Points
- Lachlan STANFORD 123 Points
- Broc GRABHAM 108 Points
- Thomas MASON 96 Points
- Andrew WILKSCH 95 Points
- Jesse LAWTON 84 Points
- Jamie ROBINS 83 Points
- Stuart HOLT 69 Points
- Kane HALL 68 Points
- Scott KEEGAN 40 Points
EJ
Yamaha mounted, Michael Driscoll has dominated the EJ Class and looks set to retain his title. Joshua Brierley on the Husqvarna has impressed with his graduation from the J4 class with second place in the standings.
Its set to be a thrilling weekend for AORC Round 7 this weekend, with Juniors set to race on Saturday, whilst the Seniors prologue on Saturday and race on Sunday. Competitors will brave the dry conditions and battle it out for supremacy in a four-hour race along a 38km loop. Stay tuned to all AORC channels to keep up with the action.
EJ Points
- Michael DRISCOLL 150 Points
- Joshua BRIERLEY 126 Points
- Corey HAMMOND 110 Points
- Mitchell BRIERLEY 94 Points
- Harrison TEED 93 Points
- Lachlan ALLAN 83 Points
- Riley NANCARROW 58 Points
- Dalton JOHNSON 53 Points
- Luke ALLAN 51 Points
- Mason Semmens 44 Points
Justin Carafa competes Swiss International Motocross Championship final
Motul Pirelli Sherco Team regular Justin Carafa joined the final round of the Swiss International Motocross Championship for the final round in Mannens, near Fribourg for two gruelling 25-minute plus two-lap motos.
Carafa raced a Sherco 450 SEF Factory edition from the Dynamic Bike Racing Team and despite not living up to his own expectations, Carafa enjoyed the experience and the generous hospitality from the Dynamic Bike Racing Team.
Justin Carafa
“It was really quite tough for me here in Switzerand. It was a difficult track and I wasn’t fit enough, 11th was the best I could do. The Dynamic Bike Racing Team treated me like royalty. The Sherco 450 was great. Their setup was great. They had the bike handling beautifully and I felt I could turn the bike really well. In a perfect world I would have had more bike time at home before I travelled but that didn’t happen, but I gave it all I had, and it was a great experience.”
Carafa now returns home to Melbourne with plans to race the final rounds of the Australian Off-Road Championship (AORC) at Omeo, Victoria on October 6.
Mario Roman wins 2018 Battle of Vikings Extreme Enduro
Sweden’s Battle of Vikings Extreme Enduro has been won by Mario Roman in 2018. The Sherco Factory team rider successfully defended his 2017 title with a hard-fought win over Joakim Ljunggren and fellow Sherco rider Eddie Karlsson.
The 2018 event was held in difficult conditions in Hallabrottet, Sweden, due to rain making the already challenging climbs near impossible for most. Roman began the event by posting the fourth fastest time in the prologue and charged through to the lead, eventually winning by 38-seconds.
Mario Roman
“It feels so good to win the battle of Vikings for the second time. Thanks to my Team and the whole Swedish audience for taking me to the top on the day. I felt super strong in the mud and the bike worked amazing. It was an awesome day for me and the Sherco Team.”
