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Moto News Weekly Wrap
August 13, 2024

What’s New:

• Aussie Junior Track Championship
• Byron Dennis injury update
• EMX250 and EMX125 Reports from Sweden
• MXGP of Sweden
• ProMX at Gympie
• Unadilla AMA Pro MX
• 2024 Racing Calendars

2024 Australian Junior Track Championship

The Forbes Auto Sports Club has played host to the 2024 Australian Junior Track Championships over the weekend, in an area still recovering from the floods of 2022, crowning a host of new champions, including Sam Drane, Riley Nauta, Bodie Paige, and many more… Check out the top three from each class below.

Bodie Paige – 13-U16 250cc 4T Champion

“WOW, just wow! Fresh off the excitement of racing in America, I was both nervous and thrilled to hit the track at the Aussie Championships this weekend at Forces Auto Sports Club. This victory has been a long time coming, and after always falling just short I can FINALLY announce that I’ve won my first Aussie 200-250 cc 4 Stroke 13-16 Years Championship. So many people have been crucial in helping me reach this milestone, but someone who doesn’t get recognised is my Dad. He is always in the pits, working tirelessly to make sure I’m race-ready. Thanks heaps, Dad, for everything you do! Mum and Dad work so hard behind the scenes to make this all possible, I can’t thank them enough. Congratulations to all the other podium finishers everyone truly rode the wheels off! A huge shout out to all the officials and volunteers for putting on such an epic event, and of course, a massive thank you to my sponsors for their continued support. None of this would be possible without you all!”

Sam Drane – 13-U16 150cc 2T Champion

“Awesome to be able to win an Australian Championship in my home town in front of all my friends, family and supporters. Big shout out to Mark Dunker, Cameron Dunker Racing and Pauly at MotoShox for all their help over the weekend and getting my bikes dialled in for the finals. These results would not of been possible without you. Thank you Wade Carter and for the loan of the bike. I was happy to be able to repay you with the win. That was my last race in Australia for the next couple of months as I take back off to 🇺🇸 to be back with my team.”

Byron Dennis out for AusProMX final

MX2 rookie Byron Dennis will miss the final round of the 2024 Australian ProMX Championship as he continues to to recover from a hand injury sustained at Toowoomba, and has now shifted his focus towards the upcoming Australian Supercross Championship (AUSX).

The 17-year-old starred with a podium result at the second round of the outdoor season in Horsham, Victoria, riding the GASGAS MC 250F, but was then side-lined after breaking his arm at Maitland and requiring surgery. He managed to return in time for Toowoomba, but unfortunately his hand injury has resulted in him having to sit out the final two rounds.

Byron Dennis

“I had a crash at Toowoomba in the opening moto after I came together with another rider and tweaked my hand. I’ve had a couple of weeks off the bike just to let it heal, and we’ve made the decision to sit out the last two rounds. Ultimately, we thought it was best to think big picture and sit the final two rounds out. My rookie season wasn’t exactly what I was looking for with a few ups and downs, but we’re moving forward now onto Supercross and looking forward to a clean slate.”

Dennis is rated as one of the sport’s most capable young talents in Australia, picking up the ProMX MX3 title last year to earn himself a professional seat at the GASGAS Racing Team for 2024. He will make his SX2 debut in the five-round AUSX championship when the gates drop at Kayo Stadium in Redcliffe, Queensland, for Rounds 1 and 2 on October 12-13.

EMX250 and EMX125 Reports from Sweden

The MXGP of Sweden at Uddevalla saw the EMX250 and EMX125 classes cutting their teeth on the challenging layout, with great racing over the two days, where consistency was key as riders racing without mistakes were rewarded.

As a result it was VRT Yamaha Racing’s Ivano Van Erp in EMX250 who stepped on the top box of the podium for the first time this season thanks to a solid 2-2, while in EMX125 Francesco Bellei managed to get his first ever overall with a 2-3.

EMX250

VRT Yamaha Racing’s Gavin Towers trailed Max Werner from JM Honda Racing when the gates dropped, before Latvian Marius Pumpers snuck into second ahead of the American. There was a moment for Gabriel SS24 KTM’s Cas Valk as he tried to go past, but he did eventually find his way into fourth at the end of the opening lap.

Beddini GASGAS Factory Juniors’s Valerio Lata was right behind and went by Pompers and moved into second on lap 2. Valk found his way past the Latvian as well.

Bud Racing Kawasaki’s Mathis Valin had an average start and found himself in eighth on the opening lap, while Pumpers would retired from the race.

Championship leader Valin forced his way past Saad Soulimani of the Ghidinelli Racing Team to go from seventh to fourth during lap four.

On lap 6, Lata took over the lead with a great move on Werner. Valk then found his way past the German onto Lata’s tail. Valin moved into 3rd with a pass on the Werner, with everybody ganging up behind the JM Honda rider.

Bud Racing Kawasaki’s Benjamin Garib got the better of Soulimani on lap 11. Then forced his way up the inside of Werner into fifth where he finished – in front of Soulimani.

All seemed to be heading the right direction for Lata until lap 12, the Italian ace getting unlucky when he couldn’t avoid a backmarker who crashed right in front of him and went down. Lata lost the lead to Valk and would finish fifth.

Valk had a free field in front of him to clinch his fifth race win in 2024, Van Erp and Valin finishing second and third respectively.

Race 2 saw Werner leading the pack from the start trailed by Lata and Valin. It was an average start for Valk who found himself 12th.

Lata quickly took the lead from Werner but a few corners later crashed out to pick himself up in third behind Valin, only to urgently get back to business, overtaking Valin straight away, then Werner for the lead several turns later showing his incredible speed. Garib started in sixth.

Gavin Towers showed good rhythm as he moved up to fourth on lap three behind his teammate Ivano Van Erp.

Valin, also settled into his rhythm by lap 3 and Lata in his sight. The other contender in the championship, Valk, carved his way through the pack and quickly got up to speed.

Lata led Valin with a1-2 seconds gap, not allowing him any mistakes. Van Erp was hot on Valin’s wheel. The top five consistent for few laps with Tower and Garib in fourth and fifth.

Valk passed Werner on lap 10 for sixth, where the Dutch would finish. Lap 13 then saw a great battle take place between the top of Lata, Valin and Van Erp. Lata held onto the lead, while the battle for the second between Van Erp and Valin would determine the final order on the overall podium.

Van Erp did amazingly to pass Valin for second with three laps to go, thanks to a great sequence of turns and jumps. But Valin responded and retook second.

With two laps to go Van Erp got decisive and moved past the French red plate for second, netting him the overall win, his first of the season, and the first since Latvia 2023.

Despite showing amazing speed with the race win, Lata finished second overall, Valin finishing third and third overall.

Valin maintains his red plate but Valk and Lata are getting more menacing, with five rounds to go.

Ivano Van Erp

“It’s been a long time since my last win. I struggled so muchearlier in the sason but we trained quite hard in the summer. I feel ready and my fitness is very good so I can rider as I want. I had some starts this season and didn’t feel so good but I’m back now! Watch out!”

EMX250 Overall – Top 10

1. Ivano Van Erp (NED, YAM), 44 points
2. Valerio Lata (ITA, GAS), 43
3. Mathis Valin (FRA, KAW), 40
4. Cas Valk (NED, KTM), 40
5. Benjamin Garib (CHI, KAW), 32
6. Nico Greutmann (SUI, HUS), 26
7. Maximilian Werner (GER, HON), 25
8. Elias Escandell (ESP, GAS), 24
9. Joe Brookes (GBR, KTM), 22
10. Gavin Towers (USA, YAM), 18 p

EMX250 Championship – Top 10 Classification

1. Mathis Valin (FRA, KAW), 327 points
2. Cas Valk (NED, KTM), 314
3. Valerio Lata (ITA, GAS), 312
4. Ivano Van Erp (NED, YAM), 249
5. Saad Soulimani (MAR, YAM), 187
6. Nico Greutmann (SUI, HUS), 151
7. Francisco Garcia (ESP, GAS), 150
8. Karlis Alberts Reisulis (LAT, YAM), 149
9. Maxime Grau (FRA, KTM), 144
10. Maximilian Werner (GER, HON), 129

EMX125

The first race of the weekend delivered intense action and surprising turns. Racestore KTM Factory Rookies’ Gyan Doensen faced an early setback when he was squeezed out by his rival and championship leader, Fantic Factory Racing EMX125’s Noel Zanocz, forcing him to the back of the pack.

Dani Heitink from Yamaha Europe EMX125 MJC grabbed the holeshot, but his moment in the lead was brief as Fantic Factory Racing EMX125’s Simone Mancini quickly overtook him.

Swede Sandro Sols initially held third place for Sweden, but Marcus Ozolins made a move at the start of the second lap, pushing Sols back with Niccolò Alvisi from Racestore KTM Factory Rookies hot on his heels. By the end of the opening lap, Doensen and Zanocz were struggling in 19th and 27th positions, respectively, with a daunting challenge ahead.

Alvisi overtook Sols for fourth, but soon found himself under pressure from Francesco Bellei, who claimed the same position on lap three. Meanwhile, RFME GASGAS MXJunior Team’s Salvador Perez also capitalised on Sols moving into sixth, though a mistake later in the race saw Sols drop to 11th place.

Further down the field Zanocz, the championship leader, began a determined charge, clawing his way up to 15th.

Bellei continued his impressive run, overtaking Ozolins to move into third, Alvisi following in his wake to claim fourth. Doensen, despite his early misfortune, showed remarkable resilience, climbing back up the ranks and passing Perez on lap nine into sixth.

However, the race took a dramatic turn when Mancini, who had been leading comfortably and demonstrating excellent control and speed, suffered a heartbreaking bike issue, forcing him out of the race.

This development opened the door for Heitink, who had been riding solidly and positioned himself perfectly to capitalise on Mancini’s misfortune. Heitink seized the lead and held on to claim his second victory of the season, while Doensen fought his way to an admirable fourth place finish.

The race was a testament to the unpredictability and was predicting another exciting race on the Sunday.

In race two Niccolo Mannini led Doensen and Sols when the flag dropped. Red plate Zanocz got a better start as he found himself seventh. Heintink started his battle from 17th.

Doensen sensed the opportunity to attack Mannini from the get-go but Mannini surprised by his control, maintining third in front of Bellei. On lap 2, Doesnen made a decisive move to take the lead with Mancini following into second.

Lap two saw the top three Championship contenders within the top five, Zanocz moving up to fifth and quickly attacked Bellei as he clocked the fastest lap, passing the Italian with a brave pass into fourth.

The Hungarian then moved past Mannini for third at the same spot he passed Bellei a lap earlier.

Doensen crashed out of the lead on lap 4 to pick himself up in fifth behind Mannini, threatening his podium finish. With that change, Bellei was the one on the top step of the podium at that time for the first time of the season.

Heintink was in a battle with Alvisi to claim 11th and a precious point that could potentially have moved him onto the third step of the podium on lap 6. Mancini was holding off Zanocz comfortably, with an eight-second gap.

Zanocz nearly crashed but saved it to keep his second place on lap 7. Heitink made his way up to eighth place to consolidate his podium spot. At the top, Zanocz closed the gap to Mancini and the lead on lap 10.

Zanocz was close when Mancini tipped over, losing the lead to his teammate but finishing with a strong showing  in second place. Mancini showed his qualities over the weekend despite up and downs and is now 39 points behind leader and teammate Zanocz who retains his red plate.

Doensen managed to pass a great Mannini to finish fourth, Mannini relegated to fifth.

Heintink crashed out of eighth th to finish 10th and unfortunately lost the podium to his countryman Doensen, who was rewarded after a solid second race. Doensen is now 18 points off the lead in the Championship in second position.

The rider who took the spotlight in the end was Bellei who with a great and consistent 2-3 to take his first overall win of his career.

Francisco Bellei

“Wow! I don’t know what to say! It’s my first win after two solid races… I had to push and push this round. It was a really challenging track for me but I’m very happy with the results. Wow! Thank you, Sweden!”

EMX125 Overall – Top 10 Classification

1. Francesco Bellei (ITA, KTM), 42 points
2. Noel Zanocz (HUN, FAN), 40
3. Gyan Doensen (NED, KTM), 36
4. Dani Heitink (NED, YAM), 36
5. Sandro Sols (SWE, GAS), 28
6. Áron Katona (HUN, KTM), 27
7. Nicolò Alvisi (ITA, KTM), 27
8. Niccolo Mannini (ITA, YAM), 24
9. Simone Mancini (ITA, FAN), 22
10. Salvador Perez (ESP, GAS), 18

EMX125 Championship – Top 10 Classification

1. Noel Zanocz (HUN, FAN), 285 points
2. Gyan Doensen (NED, KTM), 267
3. Simone Mancini (ITA, FAN), 246
4. Francesco Bellei (ITA, KTM), 224
5. Salvador Perez (ESP, GAS), 210
6. Mano Faure (FRA, YAM), 185
7. Dani Heitink (NED, YAM), 168
8. Áron Katona (HUN, KTM), 160
9. Markuss Ozolins (LAT, GAS), 148
10. Maximilian Ernecker (AUT, GAS), 129

2024 MXGP of Sweden – Round 15 Uddevalla Wrap

See the full report here:
Prado and Coenen double up MXGP of Sweden

The MXGP of Sweden ran over the weekend at the Glimminge Motorstadion circuit near Uddevalla, with temperatures unusually high for the northernmost MXGP event of the season, ensuring a test of mental fitness and concentration on the hard-packed, loose surface, around the rocky valley.

In MXGP it was the turn of Jorge Prado to show his overtaking prowess as he took a double victory for Red Bull GASGAS Factory Racing to further close the gap at the top of the Championship between himself and Team HRC’s Tim Gajser – who took the qualifying race victory. Jeffrey Herlings and Romain Febvre battled for third overall, Herlings coming out ahead despite the duo tying on points.

The momentum in the MX2 World Championship shifted again, as Lucas Coenen delivered an imperious performance for a 1-1 scorecard for Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing, with his Championship leading teammate Kay de Wolf missing the podium to make that points gap smaller. Rounding out the MX2 overall were Andrea Adamo and Simon Laengenfelder both tied on 40-points, Adamo’s second place in race two making the difference.

2024 MXGP of Sweden Video Highlights

MXGP Overall

The championship returns to Herlings’ home sand next weekend at Arnhem, with Prado now 17 points behind Gajser (757) in the standings, while Herlings faces a 48-point deficit to the Slovenian with five Grands Prix remaining.

It’s a much bigger gap to fourth and fifth placed Vlaanderen and Seewer on 538 and 516 respectively. With Rebvre sixth (451) and Coldenhoff seventh (447). Kevin Horgo, Valentin Guillod and Pauls Jonass round out the top-10.

Jorge Prado – P1

“I’m so happy to finally get back on top of the box! I knew I had to ride at absolute 100% to get the overall win here. I made it a little tough for myself in the first moto with the very bad start, but in the second moto I managed to get out of the gate much better and brake hard into the first corner. I put in some good opening laps and just tried to manage the pace. The track was very tough too – you had to be super accurate; but overall I’m just super happy! Let’s move on to the sand, and hopefully get another win over there! Thanks to the whole Red Bull GASGAS Factory Racing Team – let’s go for the championship!”

Tim Gajser – P2

“I mean, I felt solid today, you know. I had a good first race, but there was just one mistake that I made and I just left the door so open when Jorge (Prado) passed me. That was my mistake, but anyway, the pace was good. The second race was sketchy, also the lappers, you know, like a couple of times I had to slow down. But anyway, you know, a solid weekend, good points for the championship and I’m really looking forward to the next one.”

Jeffrey Herlings – P3

“This wasn’t an easy one. I had nowhere to go at the start on Saturday and this is definitely not the easiest of tracks for passing. I got back some points. I had work to do in the first moto after being pushed out: this did not help. A good start finally arrived in the second moto. I was behind Jorge [Prado] and I kept the distance but then had a pretty big one on the last lap. I still managed to finish on the podium and we have ten in a row now so I hope to keep the streak going. Next up is Arnhem. I hope my hand will be OK and it doesn’t feel too bad. The home GP always gives you the extra little boost usually and I hope I can use that to my advantage.”

Romain Febvre – P4

“I had a really good start in the first race; I lost two positions but I stayed with the leading group so I was happy with my pace. My start in the second race wasn’t good and I was thirteenth at the second corner; on a track like this one that’s a real problem! At the same time Prado, Gajser and Herlings were in front from the start so I knew that the best I could expect was a fourth, and that’s what I achieved. I’m happy with that, but of course for the podium result it was not quite enough. I had to ride the second half of the race without the visor on my helmet as I took two big rocks when I was behind Vlaanderen; luckily they didn’t hit my goggles but particularly on the finish jump it was not easy to see with the low sun in my eyes.”

Calvin Vlaanderen – P5

“It wasn’t the best day today. I’m feeling a little beat up after crashing yesterday, so my goal for today was to finish in the top five in both races. I didn’t quite get that by going 6-5 but I ended up fifth overall so that’s not too bad. Ahead of next weekend, I’ll be resting up the best I can to be ready for Arnhem.”

Jeremy Seewer – P6

“The real Jeremy Seewer was back for the first twenty minutes of race one with good pace after a good start but I have not been used to racing at that pace this year so eventually I lost my rhythm and started fighting the bike. It’s been a tough season so at least I was happy to show that my skills and potential are still there. I had another great start in race two but I just didn’t “go” in the first few laps. I don’t know why; I just felt strange already on the sighting lap. I came back to eighth and if I had had the ride of my life I could have been P6 but if you are in pack here it’s so hard to come back; it would have been a lot of risks for those two points and I prefered to stay safe. But I keep the positives from those first twenty minutes of race one and keep looking forward.”

Andrea Bonacorsi – P14

“I struggled a lot all weekend and today wasn’t the best day really. I found it difficult to put laps together and just couldn’t get into a good rhythm. Next weekend, we’re back on the sand so I’m looking forward to that. We have some new settings for the bike for sand tracks so I think it will be a good one for me.”

Mattia Guadagnini – P18

“I knew it was going to be a tough weekend, but I gave it everything I had. I was missing some speed, and being on the ground so many times didn’t help. Yesterday in qualifying wasn’t too bad – even though I crashed on the first lap. In the first race on Sunday, I was fighting around 15th, but then I had a crash. In the second moto, I crashed on the first lap with some other riders. We’ve got six races left, and I’m taking everything I learned here into the next round in the Netherlands, hoping to do better.”

MXGP Round Overall

MXGP Championship Points – Top 30

MX2 Overall

It was all about Lucas Coenen as he took home his fifth GP win of the year to rebuild his momentum and slash De Wolf’s points lead from 67 before today to 49, Lucas now 676, while de Wolf is on 725.

After missing Lommel due to his Loket injuries, Adamo showed true grit to claim second overall ahead of Laengenfelder, who climbed his third straight podium to consolidate his third place in the series.

Haarup was fourth for Triumph, de Wolf only collecting 32-points in fifth, while the rest of the top-10 consisted of Everts, McLellan, Elzinga, Reisulis and Braceras.

Lucas Coenen – P1

“It was the perfect day, coming just when I needed it most. I made the most of my strong starts today, seizing every opportunity. Qualifying had been tough, but today, everything seemed to click into place. My goal was to prove that I can still win, and taking victories in both motos was a great feeling. Now, it’s all about keeping the momentum going. What happened at Lommel, especially at my home race, was hard to accept, but this result at Husqvarna’s home GP feels incredibly rewarding – for both me and the team.”

Andrea Adamo – P2

“I was happy with my riding and speed today. I had missed one GP and I was ‘sleeping’ in the Qualification race so this morning I had to wake up! I didn’t have the best start in the first moto but I made some passes and finished pretty good. In the second I almost had the lead but made a mistake. I needed a few laps to pass Simon [Laegenfelder] for 2nd but then tried to keep the same pace the whole moto to see if there were any mistakes from Lucas [Coenen] but he was strong and I took P2. It was nice to get back on the podium, especially after missing Lommel. I was motivated to come back…and I hope from now until the end of the season I can keep this pace and be at the front.”

Simon Laengenfelder – P3

“This race was definitely a tough one, especially finding the right lines on such a rocky surface. You had to be flawless, with no room for error—hitting the lines perfectly straight was crucial because even a small mistake could cost you. I didn’t have the speed to win today, but being back on the podium and staying consistent is a great feeling. I’m really happy with that.”

Kay de Wolf – P5

“It was definitely a difficult Sunday. In the first moto, I made three mistakes, which wasn’t ideal. However, my overall riding was good, so that’s a positive takeaway. In the second moto, I didn’t get the best start and got closed in at the first turn, which forced me to fight my way through the pack. At that point, it was about staying calm and making as many passes as possible. It was really tough to make those passes, but I’m trying to take what I can learn from this weekend. I’m feeling more positive about my home Grand Prix coming up next weekend, and I’m really looking forward to that!”

Liam Everts – P6

“I was feeling pretty good in the qualifying race, even though I had a tumble and finished 5th: it was OK, nothing to get over-the-moon about. I started around 8-9th in the first moto, got up to 5th and things were going well but then I had really bad stomach cramps. I didn’t feel well. I managed to finish 5th but between the motos was really hard and pretty messy. Considering everything, I was happy to finish the second moto! I managed to make it to the end. I wanted more from the weekend but that’s the way it is.”

Sacha Coenen – P11

“I had a big crash in Timed Practice yesterday and hurt my legs and ankle so it was hard today. I tried my best to race, and to finish both motos was the most important… but the result was not what we wanted. I think I will be OK for next week.”

MX2 Round Overall

MX2 Championship Standings – Top 20

Australian ProMX Round Seven – MX Farm, Gympie Wrap

Honda Racing had a weekend to remember at the seventh and penultimate round of the Australian ProMX Motocross Championship held at MX Farm in Gympie.  Brodie Connolly wrapped up the Pirelli MX2 series with a round to spare, while Thor MX1 championship leader Kyle Webster extended his lead to a more comfortable 14 points.

Completing the trifecta for the team, Jake Cannon snatched the MAXXIS MX3 red plate after a day of tight racing around the Queensland circuit.

In the junior ranks Yamaha’s Blake Bohannon edged out Sidney Stephenson in the KTM Group MX65 Futures.

See the full review:
Australian ProMX round up from Round Seven at MX Farm

Brodie Connolly – 2024 Aus ProMX2 Champion

“It’s just awesome; people don’t see what goes into this. Two years ago, I didn’t even have a full-time ride. Thanks to everyone at Honda, Polyflor, and all our sponsors for believing in me. Last year was a learning experience—I didn’t know how to eat or train properly, and I made a lot of errors. This year has been different. I moved in with the Townsend family, who provided the stability I needed to focus solely on racing. Ross Beaton has been a great trainer, and Yarrive and the team share the same goals I have. I’m pumped and proud to represent my country. It’s going to be a busy few months with MXGP in China, MXON, Australian Supercross, and possibly other international races. I’m just loving riding my Polyflor Honda CRF250R.”

2024 Pro Motocross Round Nine – Unadilla Report

Check out the full race by race report and results here:
Unadilla AMA Pro MX – An illustrated recap

The 2024 AMA Pro Motocross Championship returned to action in the lush rolling hills of Central New York’s iconic Unadilla MX for the ninth round of the eleven-round season.

After a week filled with rain from Hurricane Debby, racers and fans were greeted with balmy temperatures, abundant sunshine, and good track conditions for the ELF Fuels Unadilla National, thanks to the proactive efforts of the event organisers to preserve the racing surface amidst the storm. It provided a fitting setting for Unadilla’s 55th-anniversary celebration, which saw tiebreakers determine the overall winner in each class on a highly competitive day of racing.

In the 450 Class, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing rider and championship leader Chase Sexton edged out Team Honda HRC’s Hunter Lawrence for Sexton’s fourth consecutive win.

In the 250 Class, Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki’s Levi Kitchen emerged with his second career victory over Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing rider and championship leader Haiden Deegan.

450 Round

With identical moto results, Sexton (2-1) and Lawrence (1-2) finished tied atop the overall standings with the second moto tiebreaker going to Sexton for his fourth straight victory, fifth win of the season, and 11th of his career.

With his late charge in Moto 2, Lawrence was able to prevent any points loss in the championship in a runner-up effort, while Plessinger (3-4) made late passes in the final moto to grab the third and final spot on the podium.

Sexton remains 28 points ahead of Lawrence with two rounds remaining, while Plessinger’s fourth podium finish of the season moved him into third, 88 points behind Sexton.

Chase Sexton – P1

“I’ve worked on my starts a lot, that was my first holeshot of the summer in Moto2, and I felt so good at the beginning of the race. I sprinted away and managed it from there – that was a fun moto! The track felt a lot better to me in that second moto, so I’m excited for the next two to finish out the season.”

Hunter Lawrence – P2

“It was a tough track to pass on and the roost was gnarly. A great first day on the 2025 bike. I would have loved to have the overall, but still a good day [in second]. I feel like a new man [after the schedule break] and now I’m back to being the Hunter I know.”

Aaron Plessinger – P3

”Man, I was so far back on the first lap! It felt like they held the gate for 20 seconds and I almost sat up, then sure enough, they dropped it. I was not ready at all, but it was a hard-fought ride and I just clicked another gear – I felt so good, it was such a good ride. Definitely hard-fought, I could hear the fans and I knew I just had to keep taking over the positions. In the end, we found ourselves on the podium for the weekend.”

Jason Anderson – P5

“The weekend started off well for me, placing third in qualifying. The Monster Energy® Kawasaki team has my bike feeling the best it has been all season and we are trending better and better each day I ride it. The motos were good, but I lost a bit of pace near the end which resulted in fifth overall on the day. I know I belong up front and we are going to continue working towards that to put myself where I belong. Budds Creek has always treated me well and I am looking forward to putting my KX450SR back on the box.”

Malcolm Stewart – P7

“I had a crash in practice and banged myself up a bit, and then the track was very technical in the motos.  We ended up ninth overall, which we’ll take, and I’m looking forward to moving forward at these last couple.”

Christian Craig – P9

“Unadilla was good for us.  I qualified really good, sixth in the first session and seventh in the final one, so my speed was there. In Moto 1, I fought my way up to ninth and was in the battle, then second moto I made a few too many mistakes early and got shuffled back. All in all, riding was better, and my arm was in a better spot today – things are coming around.“

450 Round Results

450 Championship Points

250 Round

By virtue of their identical moto finishes, Kitchen (2-1) and Deegan (1-2) finished the afternoon tied atop the overall standings, but the second moto tiebreaker went to Kitchen to secure his second career victory and his second win in the past three races.

Deegan maintained his comfortable lead in the championship with a runner-up finish, while Swoll gave Triumph its first ever podium result as a manufacturer in third (6-4).

Deegan’s lead in the championship grew once again and now sits at 70 points over Kitchen, who moved from third to second.

Vialle, who finished 11th overall due to a crash in Moto 1 (22-3), dropped to third and sits 81 points out of the lead. Deegan is now able to clinch the championship at the next round.

Levi Kitchen – P1

“This feels amazing. I needed that break (in the schedule). I feel refreshed. Jo [Shimoda] and I were sending it in that [second] moto, but he went down, which sucks. I hope he’s ok. Two holeshots, this is amazing. I feel so great on the bike. It was a really good day for me.”

Haiden Deegan – P2

“After seeing guys go down around me I realized I have a comfortable points lead [and didn’t need to push]. This is still second place and a really good day for me. Levi [Kitchen] was on it today, so congrats to him.”

Jalek Swoll – P3

“I’m ecstatic. It feels like it’s taken longer than it should [to finish on the podium]. To come out here and ride so good in front of all these fans and on a track like this, it’s awesome. This was long overdue.”

Garrett Marchbanks – P4

“My debut weekend with the team went very well. I started the day qualifying 13th, but I have never been the best at qualifying. I came into Moto 1 feeling solid and got off to a top 10 start. I stayed consistent and rode the best I could and finished in fifth. I didn’t get the best start in Moto 2 and had to work my way up from mid pack, but managed to get back up to fifth. I tried to get into fourth after battling with Jalek (Swoll), but I didn’t end up having enough time. Overall, I am pumped on the whole team and everything they have done so far. I’m looking forward to Budds next weekend.”

Pierce Brown – P6

“It was an alright day today with sixth overall. My riding was good, I just didn’t execute how I would really like to, but the track was gnarly and I’m happy to come out of this one with the result we managed.”

Ty Masterpool – P8

“The track turned out very good considering how much rain we got on Friday. It wasn’t as deep as I wanted it, but it shaped up to be a good race. I have a lot of positives from this weekend, including the two great starts I had, but costly mistakes got the best of me. I made a charge in both motos from way back and managed to salvage an eighth place. I am looking forward to redemption next weekend in Maryland.”

Julien Beaumer – P9

“It was a good day. Qualifying wasn’t the best, but I turned it around in the motos. In both races I had bad starts, but really good riding. In that second one I made a mistake late in the moto, but came back to ninth, so I’m happy with my day and the progress we were able to make over the three-week break.“

Ryder DiFrancesco – P10

“Unadilla was okay, but my starts were off and I had to come from behind all day. Second moto, I got up inside the top 10 and ended up going down… I just need starts, because everything else seems to be there at this point of the season.”

Tom Vialle – P11

“I had a big crash in the opening lap of the first moto and was last, then had to stop to make some adjustments on the bike, so came back to P22 and that was the best I could do. In the second moto, I started around seventh or eighth and finished the moto third, so of course I am a little bit frustrated, but we will keep fighting across these two races to go.”

250 Round Results

250 Championship Points

Next Up

The 2024 Pro Motocross Championship continues next week at Budds Creek ahead of the Ironman finale on August 24th.  Then we head into the SMX playoffs in across the first two weekends in September ahead of the SMX Final in Las Vegas on September 21.

2024 Racing schedule

2024 FIM EnduroGP Calendar

2024 MXGP Calendar (Provisional)

2024 FIM Hard Enduro World Championships Provisional Calendar

2024 Monster Energy Supercross & Pro Motocross calendars

2024 FIM Speedway Grand Prix World Championship calendar