Moto News Wrap for February 9 by Darren Smart
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Australasian News
2016 Farm Jam
The huge contingent of world-class international riders travelled to New Zealand for the 2016 Farm Jam last weekend and the freestyle motocross competition saw Australia’s Ryan Brown topple reigning champion and 2012 Red Bull X-Fighters champion Levi Sherwood for overall honours.
American News
Cianciarulo Added to the Ever Increasing Injury List
The injury toll continues to rise with the confirmation that Adam Cianciarulo has crashed and broken his wrist while turning laps at the Kawasaki practice track last week.
At the time of writing, Blake Baggett (Shoulder), Daniel Baker (Ankle), Justin Barcia( Thumb), Zach Bell (Collarbone), Matt Bisceglia (Collarbone), Justin Bogle (Foot), Trey Canard (Hand), Kyle Chisholm (Shoulder and Concussion), Luke Clout (Femur), Shane McElrath (Wrist), Jessy Nelson (?), Jackson Richardson (Shoulder), Andrew Short (Shoulder), James Stewart (Concussion – for now), Ronnie Stewart (Wrist), Tevin Tapia (Wrist), Broc Tickle (Wrist) and Dean Wilson (Knee) are on the couch for the foreseeable future.
Euro News
World Champion Injured
World MXGP champion Romain Febvre has injured his arm in a crash with Rui Goncalves at the second round of the Italian Motocross championships held last weekend. From all reports Goncalves has seriously damaged a finger while Febvre had a few stitches in the elbow and might miss the Valence International next weekend.
Last Weekend’s Racing
AMA Supercross Championships – Round 5 – Phoenix
Inside a brand new venue and on the best track so far this season Ken Roczen and Christian Craig have finally logged their first wins for the 2016 season to top off an action packed night of racing.
450 Class
Ken Roczen – Best Lap Time – 102.548 – K-Roc captured his first win of the 2016 Monster Energy AMA Supercross at the first-ever race in the University of Phoenix Stadium in front of 53,055 fans and you can tell from his post race celebrations that the Suzuki rider is relieved to have that monkey off his back.
Roczen’s Suzuki looked the stable through the whoops and it also looked like it was steering and hooking up much better than previous rounds. “We have been working really hard and it paid off,” said Roczen. “This was a tough track tonight. We got the job done.”
Ryan Dungey – Best Lap Time – 102.727: Despite having his three-race win streak come to an end, Dungey’s podium streak dates back to last season and sits at 21 races. Dungey now holds a 21 point lead over Roczen in the championship standings. “I made some good, clean passes after that bad start,” said Dungey. “I made passes where I could and had a great race.”
Eli Tomac – Best Lap Time – 102.602: Tomac finally got a great start and put in as good a ride as you can expect on a bike that isn’t handling as good as the machinery around him. “It feels great to finally get up on the podium”, said Tomac. “This is exactly how we wanted to rebound after last weeks’ performance. We worked really hard all week and it paid off. Overall, the day was smooth and the team and I are making steps in the right direction. It’s a long season, we just need to keep riding, working hard and we’ll end up where we want to.”
Jason Anderson – Best Lap Time – 103.219: Anderson made the charge from just inside the top ten up to fourth and now sits third in points, 26 points behind Dungey. Like Chad Reed, Anderson needs a start to run with Dungey and Co.
Davi Millsaps – Best Lap Time – 103.595: Millsaps earned his second holeshot for the season and looked solid for the opening few laps but he was eventually passed by the four hottest riders on the planet right now and did well to keep Chad Reed at bay to hold on to fifth place – Millsaps and the KTM are starting to like each other.
Chad Reed – Best Lap Time – 103.669: Chad got another crap start but managed to work his way forward but again spent too much time behind riders who he should just blow by and that is why he is back in sixth – Chad looked mega smooth and the pace isn’t troubling him right now – it is his starts and the ability to get around riders quicker – San Diego is on again this weekend so let’s hope Chad can jag a start!
Lawson Bopping – Best Lap Time – 105.748: Lawson pulled the holeshot in his heat then qualified directly from his Semi and managed a more than credible 16th in the main – Boppo is starting to look more and more comfortable out with the big boys….
450SX Class Results
- Ken Roczen, Clermont, Fla., Suzuki
- Ryan Dungey, Belle Plaine, Minn., KTM
- Eli Tomac, Cortez, Colo., Kawasaki
- Jason Anderson, Rio Rancho, N.M., Husqvarna
- Davi Millsaps, Murrieta, Calif., KTM
- Chad Reed, Dade City, Fla., Yamaha
- Justin Brayton, Mint Hill, N.C., KTM
- Cole Seely, Sherman Oaks, Calif., Honda
- Marvin Musquin, Corona, Calif., KTM
- Wil Hahn, Menifee, Calif. Kawasaki
16. Lawson Bopping, Australia., Yamaha
450SX Class Championship Standings
- Ryan Dungey, Belle Plaine, Minn., KTM – 119
- Ken Roczen, Clermont, Fla., Suzuki – 98
- Jason Anderson, Rio Rancho, N.M., Husqvarna – 93
- Chad Reed, Dade City, Fla., Yamaha – 90
- Eli Tomac, Cortez, Colo., Kawasaki – 88
- Cole Seely, Sherman Oaks, Calif., Honda – 83
- Marvin Musquin, Corona, Calif., KTM – 63
- Davi Millsaps, Murrieta, Calif., KTM – 61
- Justin Brayton, Mint Hill, N.C., KTM – 61
- Jake Weimer, Wildomar, Calif., Suzuki – 53
21. Lawson Bopping, Australia., Yamaha – 13
250 Class
2015 Australian Supercross Champion Jimmy DeCotis picked up his second holeshot of the year, leading his teammate Craig through the first turn but Craig made the pass for lead before the opening lap was completed while Cooper Webb made his way from seventh into the top three by the second lap and then moved into second place on Lap three.
Joey Savatgy put his Kawasaki into third place on lap five after starting eighth and on the very next lap Webb crashed but did not lose any positions, remounting right in front of Savatgy.
Craig was riding as good as he has all year and crossed the line nearly three seconds ahead of Webb to join the Monster Energy Supercross win ranks with his dad, Mike Craig. Webb finished second with Savatgy third.
“To come out of retirement and get my first win ever is amazing,” said Craig, who last raced full time in 2013. “On the last lap the crowd was so loud; it was awesome.”
“I didn’t get a great start so I was playing catch up,” said Webb. “Then I crashed and threw away any hopes of getting the win.”
Webb and Savatgy now share the points lead at 98. Craig moved into third place, 11 points out of the lead.
“Today was pretty good,” said Savatgy. “We ended up qualifying second and had a pretty good heat race, where we were able to come home with another heat win. We struggled in a few key sections of the track but to come home with a podium and salvage points is great, but we want to work for another win and keep the red plate for another weekend.”
Hayden Mellross was running inside the top ten for the first half of the final but a few mistakes dropped the Aussie back to 15th by race end.
Western Regional 250SX Class Results
- Christian Craig, Corona, Calif., Honda
- Cooper Webb, Newport, N.C., Yamaha
- Joey Savatgy, Thomasville, Ga., Kawasaki
- Mitchell Oldenburg, Alvord, Texas, KTM
- Colt Nichols, Muskogee, Okla., Yamaha
- Chris Alldredge, Powell Butte, Ore., Kawasaki
- Alex Martin, Millville, Minn., Yamaha
- Kyle Cunningham, Willow Park, Texas, Suzuki
- Jimmy DeCotis, Peabody, Mass., Honda
- Kyle Peters, Greensboro, N.C., Honda
15. Hayden Mellross, Australia., Yamaha
Western Regional 250SX Class Championship Standings
- Cooper Webb, Newport, N.C., Yamaha – 98
- Joey Savatgy, Thomasville, Ga., Kawasaki – 98
- Christian Craig, Corona, Calif., Honda – 87
- Colt Nichols, Muskogee, Okla., Yamaha – 81
- Zach Osborne, Lake Elsinore, Calif., Husqvarna – 74
- Jimmy DeCotis, Peabody, Mass., Honda – 71
- Mitchell Oldenburg, Alvord, Texas, KTM – 66
- Kyle Peters, Greensboro, N.C., Honda – 62
- Jordan Smith, Belmont, N.C., Honda – 61
- Kyle Cunningham, Willow Park, Texas, Suzuki – 54
16. Hayden Mellross, Australia., Yamaha – 29
Amsoil Arenacross Championships – Colorado
After two nights and four finals of hard-charging racing Jacob Hayes has extended his championship points lead with an overall win on Friday night and a solid second place on the Saturday night and now has a nine point lead over his Kawasaki teammate and former Australian Supercross Champion Gavin Faith.
KTM’s Travis Sewell finally got his first major win in the Arenacross series by dominating both finals on the Saturday night while Ben Nelko took out the opening two nights of the Western Regional Arenacross Championships.
Arenacross Class Overall Results (Friday Main Event Results
1. Jacob Hayes, Liberty, N.C., Kawasaki (1-3)
2. Chris Blose, Phoenix, Kawasaki (2-2)
3. Gavin Faith, Duncombe, Iowa, Kawasaki (4-1)
4. Travis Sewell, Westville, Ind., KTM (3-5)
5. Chase Sexton, La Moille, Ill., Honda (6-4)
6. Jace Owen, Matoon, Ill., Honda (5-6)
7. Ben Lamay, Forney, Texas, Honda (7-7)
8. Gared Steinke, Woodland, Calif., Husqvarna (8-9)
9. Daniel Herrlein, Bethesda, Ohio, Honda (10-8)
10. Jared Lesher, Ball Ground, Ga., KTM (12-10)
RMATV/MC Head 2 Head Challenge Results – Friday
1. Jacob Hayes, Liberty, N.C., Kawasaki (2 points)
2. Chris Blose, Phoenix, Kawasaki (1 point)
3. Chase Sexton, La Moille, Ill., Honda (1 point)
4. Daniel Herrlein, Bethesda, Ohio, Honda (1 point)
5. Cody VanBuskirk, Harvard, Ill., KTM (1 point)
6. Jace Owen, Matoon, Ill., Honda (1 point)
7. Ben Lamay, Forney, Texas, Honda (1 point)
8. Gared Steinke, Woodland, Calif., Husqvarna (1 point)
Arenacross Class Overall Results (Main Event Results)
1. Travis Sewell, Westville, Ind., KTM (1-1)
2. Jacob Hayes, Liberty, N.C., Kawasaki (2-2)
3. Gavin Faith, Duncombe, Iowa, Kawasaki (3-3)
4. Chase Sexton, La Moille, Ill., Honda (5-4)
5. Ben Lamay, Forney, Texas, Honda (6-6)
6. Gared Steinke, Woodland, Calif., Husqvarna (4-9)
7. Chris Blose, Phoenix, Kawasaki (8-5)
8. Kyle Bitterman, West Pelzer, S.C., Husqvarna (7-10)
9. Jace Owen, Matoon, Ill., Honda (9-8)
10. Daniel Herrlein, Bethesda, Ohio, Honda (14-7)
RMATV/MC Head 2 Head Challenge Results (Saturday)
1. Travis Sewell, Westville, Ind., KTM (2 points)
2. Gared Steinke, Woodland, Calif., Husqvarna (1 point)
3. Chase Sexton, La Moille, Ill., Honda (1 point)
4. Jacob Hayes, Liberty, N.C., Kawasaki (1 point)
5. Kyle Bitterman, West Pelzer, S.C., Husqvarna (1 point)
6. Ben Lamay, Forney, Texas, Honda (1 point)
7. Gavin Faith, Duncombe, Iowa, Kawasaki (1 point)
8. Daniel Herrlein, Bethesda, Ohio, Honda (1 point)
Arenacross Class Championship Standings
1. Jacob Hayes, Liberty, N.C., Kawasaki – 229 (6 Main Event Wins)
2. Gavin Faith, Duncombe, Iowa, Kawasaki – 220 (2 Main Event Wins)
3. Chris Blose, Phoenix, Kawasaki – 209 (1 Main Event Win)
4. Travis Sewell, Westville, Ind., KTM – 207 (5 Main Event Wins)
5. Ben Lamay, Forney, Texas, Honda – 148
6. Kyle Regal, Lake Elsinore, Calif., Husqvarna – 130
7. Gared Steinke, Woodland, Calif., Husqvarna – 121
8. Jace Owen, Matoon, Ill., Honda – 118
9. Daniel Herrlein, Bethesda, Ohio, Honda – 111
10. Kyle Bitterman, West Pelzer, S.C., Husqvarna – 103
Western Regional Arenacross Lites Class Results (Friday)
1. Ben Nelko, Aliquippa, Pa., KTM
2. Cody VanBuskirk, Harvard, Ill., KTM
3. Cheyenne Harmon, Colleyville, Texas, KTM
4. Dylan Rouse, Florence, Ky., KTM
5. Jared Lesher, Ball Ground, Ga., KTM
6. Carlen Gardner, Paso Robles, Calif., KTM
7. Dave Ginolfi, Midvale, Utah, Husqvarna
8. Tanner Berry, Washougal, Wash., Yamaha
9. Scott Zont, Algonquin, Ill., KTM
10. Chase Evans, Glenwood, Iowa, Yamaha
Western Regional Arenacross Lites Class Results (Saturday)
1. Ben Nelko, Aliquippa, Pa., KTM
2. Carlen Gardner, Paso Robles, Calif., KTM
3. Cody VanBuskirk, Harvard, Ill., KTM
4. Cheyenne Harmon, Colleyville, Texas, KTM
5. Collin Jurin, Monroe, Wash., Kawasaki
6. Dave Ginolfi, Midvale, Utah, Husqvarna
7. Scott Zont, Algonquin, Ill., KTM
8. Tanner Sisson, Lemoore, Calif., KTM
9. Dylan Rouse, Florence, Ky., KTM
10. Brandon Marley, McEwen, Tenn., KTM
Western Regional Arenacross Lites Class Standings
1. Ben Nelko, Aliquippa, Pa., KTM – 45 (2 Main Event Wins)
2. Cody VanBuskirk, Harvard, Ill., KTM – 41
3. Carlen Gardner, Paso Robles, Calif., KTM – 40
4. Dave Ginolfi, Midvale, Utah, Husqvarna – 36
5. Cheyenne Harmon, Colleyville, Texas, KTM – 33
6. Dylan Rouse, Florence, Ky., KTM – 30
7. Scott Zont, Algonquin, Ill., KTM – 28
8. Collin Jurin, Monroe, Wash., Kawasaki – 25
9. Jared Lesher, Ball Ground, Ga., KTM – 19
10. Brandon Marley, McEwen, Tenn., KTM – 17
Italian International Motocross Championship Round 2 – Lamezia Terme
Russian Honda rider Evgeny Bobryshev leads the MX1 and Elite classes of the Italian Motocross Championships after round 2 was held at Lamezia Terme last weekend. Bobryshev won the MX1 moto for the second weekend in a row ahead of Jeremy van Horebeek, Max Nagl, Glenn Coldenhoff and Valentin Guillod but Van Horebeek took out the Elite moto ahead of Bobryshev, Nagl, Guillod and Coldenhoff.
Results MX1 Moto:
1. Evgeny Bobryshev (RUS), Honda, 29:36.830 min
2. Jeremy van Horebeek (BEL), Yamaha, +2.680 sec
3. Max Nagl (GER), Husqvarna, +16.181
4. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED), KTM, +34.255
5. Valentin Guillod (SUI), Yamaha, 36.815
Standings MX1 Championship after 2 of 3 rounds
1. Bobryshev, 200 points
2. Van Horebeek, 200
3. Nagl, 145
4. Romain Febvre (FRA), Yamaha, 120
5. Coldenhoff, 115
Results Elite (MX1+MX2):
1. Van Horebeek, 29:51.651 min
2. Bobryshev, +4.436 seconds
3. Nagl, +14.503
4. Guillod, +36.256
5. Coldenhoff, +37.079
Standings Elite Championship after 2 of 3 rounds
1. Bobryshev, 220 points
2. Van Horebeek, 200
3. Nagl, 120
4. Guillod, 101
5. Febvre, 100
Hawkestone Park International
KTM’s Shaun Simpson and Jeffrey Herlings dominated the much anticipated Hawkstone Park International last weekend with Simpson winning the MX1 class while Herlings won the MX2 class and the Superfinal.
Herlings went 1-1 in the MX2 class and then clocked times that were two seconds per lap faster than any of the MXGP riders to win the Superfinal while Simpson scored 3-1 results to just beat home Clement Desalle (1-3) and Ben Townley (6-2).
Superfinal: 1.Jeffrey Herlings. 2. Shaun Simpson. 3. Kevin Strijbos. 4. Clement Desalle. 5. Ben Watson. 6. Bas Vaessen. 7. Benoit Paturel. 8. Jeremy Seewer. 9. Adam Sterry. 10. Marc De-Reuver.
MX1 Overall: 1. Shaun Simpson. 2. Clement Desalle. 3. Ben Townley. 4. Brad Anderson. 5. Kevin Strijbos. 6. Kevin Wouts. 7. Marc De-Reuver. 8. Jake Millward. 9. Ashley Wilde. 10. James Hutchinson.
MX2 Overall: 1. Jeffrey Herlings. 2 Davy Pootjes. 3. Max Anstie. 4. Ben Watson. 5. Jeremy Seewer. 6. Adam Sterry. 7. Bas Vaessen. 8. Liam Knight.9. Benoit Paturel. 10. Roy Van-Heugten.
New Zealand Motocross Championships – Round 1 – McKnights MX Track, Timaru
Dean Ferris and his new JCR Yamaha YZF450 have kicked off the 2016 New Zealand Motocross Championships held last weekend in the best possible style with three dominating moto wins in the MX1 class to beat home defending champion Cody Cooper (2-3-2) and Queenslander Todd Waters (3-2-3).
“This was a great track and prepped very well,” said Ferris. “I had been having problems with my starts at Woodville and we worked on that during the week. I holeshot every race today. I put in a good couple of laps early on and, by the time Cooper had fought through the traffic, I was gone. There is a lot of work still to be done and we’ll just keep testing and working hard ahead of the next round.”
Hamish Harwood took out the MX2 class with 3-1-2 finishes ahead of Hadleigh Knight (1-2-6) and Aussie young gun Jed Beaton managed to card 8-3-1 finished over the three motos.
MX1 Overall: 1. Dean Ferris – 75. 2. Cody Cooper – 64. 3. Todd Waters – 62. 4. Scott Columb – 49. 5. Hamish Harwood – 49. 6. Brad Groombridge – 47. 7. Justin McDonald – 40. 8. Daryl Hurley – 38. 9. Yu Hirata – 33. 10. Campbell King – 30.
MX2 Class Overall: 1. Hamish Harwood – 67. 2. Hadleigh Knight – 61. 3. Jed Beaton – 57. 4. Kayne Lamont – 52. 5. Micah McGoldrick – 49. 6. Ethan Martens – 48. 7. Logan Blackburn – 46. 8. Cohen Chase – 41. 9. Joel Wightman – 39. 10. Sam Cuthbertson – 37.
Eddy’s X-treme Enduro – Round 2 – Cowm Quarry
Round 2 of the 2016 Eddy’s X-treme Enduro was held at Cowm Quarry last weekend and it was Jonny Walker who convincingly took out Pro-Final win ahead of David Knight and Paul Bolton.
Pro Final: 1. Jonny Walker. 2. David Knight. 3. Paul Bolton. 4. Billy Bolt. 5. Jonathan Richardson. 6. Owain Humphreys. 7. Ben Hemingway. 8. Wayne Braybrook. 9. Keelan Hancock. 10. Sam Ludgate.
Hell’s Gate Extreme Enduro
Sherco rider Wade Young has won the 2016 Hell’s Gate Extreme Enduro ahead of Husqvarna teammates Graham Jarvis and Mario Roman.
Jarvis fought his way from outside the top 10 to third place before passing Roman for second but the experienced former winner was unable to catch leader Young who basically led from start to finish.
Graham Jarvis: “I didn’t make things easy for myself at the start. I was really slow away from the drop of the flag, so I had quite a few riders to pass. There were only two technical areas of the track, so it was hard to make up time. The spectators did a great job helping the riders, but again it made it hard for me to make up any time on Wade. But hats off to Wade, he rode a really good race. I feel like I rode well, so I’m happy with that, and it’s another podium result at Hell’s Gate. Although it was a completely different race than all previous years it was still tough – it was a long day on the bike.”
Mario Roman: “I’m really pleased with my result. Everything went well in the morning qualifying race. I had one crash that cost me around 15 seconds, without it I’m sure I would have qualified first for the evening race. The main race was tough – it wore you down lap after lap. There were only a few really hard places, but added to the long morning race it was physical. Finishing on the podium with Graham is great. Everything was going well but on one of the hard parts of the track a spectator accidentally broke my front light. I had to stop in the pits twice to fix it, losing time. But I’m really pleased. Now I return to the SuperEnduro World Championship.”
Results – Hell’s Gate 2016
1. Wade Young (Sherco)
2. Graham Jarvis (Husqvarna)
3. Mario Roman (Husqvarna)
4. Diego Nicoletti (Beta)
X-Trial World Championship – Round 2 – Bercelona
Repsol Honda Team rider Toni Bou got back on the winning trail in a thrilling Barcelona X-Trial, notching up a tenth triumph in the Catalonian capital. Fujinami missed out on the final by a single mark and Busto finished the day in eighth spot.
The final podium photo shot in Barcelona’s Palau Sant Jordi was a repeat of those of the previous ten years of Trial Indoor, with Toni Bou occupying the upper step. Astride the Montesa Cota 4RT, the champion continued to assert his command at Trial World Championship’s top venue. In doing so, the Spaniard storms back to the top of the X-Trial overall leader-table.
Toni Bou set out his stall early, cruising round the course and into the final to become the only rider to finish mark-free. The final itself once again produced a vibrant duel with an in-form Adam Raga, with Bou managing to distance himself from the competition in a highly demanding Barcelona event. Such was the difficulty of some of the sections that the Repsol rider was even forced to overcome a three metre fall in section five – an obstacle that proved insurmountable for the entire field.
Repsol Honda team-mates Jaime Busto and Takahisa Fujinami failed to make it through to the final. Although the young Basque rider had improved on last year’s outing, his 22 marks left him out of the decisive phase, finishing the event in eighth position. Similar fortune befell Takahisa Fujinami, who narrowly missed the final with just a one mark difference over Jeroni Fajardo. The Japanese rider settled for fifth place overall but comes away from the event in more buoyant spirits than after the world championship’s opening GP.
Toni Bou had this to say at the end of the event. “Clearly I’m very happy: winning in Barcelona is always very important. Besides, after the second place in Sheffield and such a short championship, it’s difficult to come here and not be nervous. On the first lap I felt more comfortable than on the second one where I started really well and was able to mark the difference in section three by taking some risks. But later in section five I had a problem but I was able to overcome it. It was a laboured victory with a lot of nerves, but I’m very satisfied with the result as far as the world championship goes.”
Results X-Trial Barcelona 2016
1. Toni BOU
2. Adam RAGA
3. Albert CABESTANY
4. Jeroni FAJARDO
5. TakahisFUJINAMI
6. Alexandre FERRER
7. Eddie KARLSSON
8. Jaime BUSTO
Rider Points Standings:
1. Toni BOU – 35 – Repsol Honda Team
2. Adam RAGA – 35 – TRS Team Raga
3. Albert CABESTANY – 24 – Sherco Factory Team
4. Jeroni FAJARDO – 18 – Vertigo Factory Team
5. Takahisa FUJINAMI – 12 – Repsol Honda Team
6. Alexandre FERRER – 8 – Sherco Factory Team
7. Eddie KARLSSON – 3 – Montesa Team Karlsson
8. James DABILL – 2 – Vertigo Factory Team
9. Jaime BUSTO – 1 – Repsol Honda Team.
