Moto News Weekly Wrap with Darren Smart – October 14, 2014
This is big. From 2015 to 2019, the Australian FIM Speedway Grand Prix will be held at Melbourne’s state-of-the-art Etihad Stadium as the final round of FIM Speedway Grand Prix (SGP) series.
BSI Speedway managing director Paul Bellamy is delighted to be bringing the series home to the country where speedway was born in the early 20th century. “Australia is one of the true superpowers of world speedway and it has been a long-term goal of ours to take the FIM Speedway Grand Prix series back Down Under,” Bellamy said.
Next month’s MOTO EXPO being held at the Melbourne Showgrounds will feature the first ever Head-2-Head EnduroCross which will see 20 riders race in a head-to-head, elimination style format on a custom designed track. The 2014 MOTO EXPO is on November 28-30.
The opening two rounds of the Australian Supercross Championships held at Bathurst on the weekend was by all reports a success with a solid crowd on hand both nights to watch Matt Moss completely blitz the Pro-Open class while the Pro-Lites class was a hard fought affair with Gavin Faith just out pointing Brendan Harrison, Kyle Peters, Taylor Potter and Jackson Richardson over the two nights. See full report and results below.
The only negative that came from the ASX weekend was Lewis Woods breaking his leg on Saturday and fellow Victorian Dylan Long sustaining a neck injury after crashing hard during the Friday practice session.
New South Wales rider Kyle Middleton has won the Open Solo title ahead of Tim Coleman at the Australian Moto Trials Championships held in Tasmania. See the full report and results below.
Josh Coppins’ Altherm JCR Yamaha team has hired Aussies Jacob Wright and Jay Wilson to contest the 2015 New Zealand Motocross Championship.
Wilson will return for his second MX2 season in NZ on board a YZ250F with Wright spearheading the team’s MX1 campaign alongside New Zealander Scott Columb while defending MX2 champion Kayne Lamont will also be on board a YZ250F as a privateer before stepping into the factory team for 2016.
After spending a week learning the ropes with Rally legend Marc Coma, Toby Price has exceeded expectations by finishing a more than credible 8th outright at the Rally of Morocco. See the full report and results below.
Chris Holder and Troy Batchelor were in the heat of the action at the final round of the World Speedway Championship held in Poland last weekend and when all of the dust settled Holder finished the night in 9th place with Batchelor back in 11th. Holder finished the year in 7th overall while Batchelor finished one place out of automatic seeding for the 2015 season. See the full report and results below.
Former BTO Sports KTM rider Matt Goerke has signed a deal with Rockstar Energy Drink/OTSFF Yamaha to compete in the Canadian Motocross Championships for 2015. Goerke won the Canadian MX1 Championship in 2012.
Goerke will make his debut with the team this weekend at the Monster Energy Cup alongside current team members Bobby Kiniry and Kyle Chisholm.
Speaking of Monster Cup, after several weeks of intense training with Greg Moss at the Moss Institute Training Facility, former World Junior Motocross Champion and multi Australian Junior Motocross Champion Caleb Grothues will be riding in the Super Mini class in Vegas this coming weekend.
“Caleb is a top kid, best I’ve had, he is so polite and no sooking or bludging,” said Greg about Caleb. Greg Moss is as good a judge as any so we look forward to seeing how Grothues goes against some of the best young riders the world has to offer. I am thinking that a top ten would be a sensational result and a top 15 more than respectable.
According to the web site here are all of the competitors confirmed for the 2014 Monster Energy Cup with just two Aussies confirmed:
Cup Class: AJ Catanzaro. Alex Martin. Andrew Short. Ben Lamay. Chad Reed. Chris Blose. Cole Seely. Cole Thompson. Cooper Webb. Dakota Tedder. Davi Millsaps. Dean Wilson. Eli Tomac. Jake Canada. Jake Weimer. James Stewart. Jason Anderson. Jeremy Martin. Jessy Nelson. Jimmy Albertson. Jimmy Decotis. Josh Grant. Justin Barcia. Justin Bogle. Justin Brayton. Kyle Chisholm. Kyle Cunningham. Matt Bisceglia. Matt Goerke. Matt Lemoine. Michael Leib. Mike Alessi. Nick Wey. Ryan Dungey. Shane McElrath. Teddy Parks. Trey Canard. Tyler Bowers. Vince Friese. Weston Peick. Wil Hahn. Zach Bell. Zach Osborne. Zack Ames. Zack Ames.
Amateur All-Star Class: Aaron Plessinger. Alexander Frye. Ashton Hayes. Austin Forkner. Benny Bloss. Bradley Taft. Cameron Cannon. Chase Bell. Chase Marquier. Darian Sanayei. Dylan Merriam. Jon Ames. Jordan Smith. Josh Mosiman. Julio Cesar Zambrano. Justin Hoeft. Keith Tucker. Lorenzo Locurcio. Luke Purther. Marshal Weltin. Mitchell Harrison. Ryan Surratt. Tristan Charboneau. Tristan Miller. Zach Commans.
Super Mini Class: Brock Papi. Caleb Grothues. Carson Brown. Carson Mumford. Casey Keast. Chase Sexton. Christopher Fortier. Ciaran Naran. Connor Mullennix. Derek Drake. Dylan Woodcock. Enzo Lopes. Gabriel Jairala. Garrett Marchbanks. Hannah Hodges. Jack Rogers. Jalek Swoll. Jarrett Frye. Joey Crown. Jordan Bailey. Lance Kobusch. Mitchell Falk. Parker Mashburn. Tanner Stack. Tanner Ward. Zane Merrett.
Former SmarTop/MotoConcepts rider Kyle Cunningham has signed with AG Motorsports team for the 2015 AMA Supercross and Motocross Championships in the 250 class.
Husqvarna has now announced that Martin Davalos, Zach Bell and Zach Osborne have joined reigning 250 West Supercross Champion Jason Anderson on the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing Team. Anderson will race in the 450 class while Davalos will race a 250 in SX and a 450 in MX. Bell and Osborne will be on the 250 all season.
In fact, Anderson had his first outing on the Husqvarna at the MX24 International Supercross held in Stockholm last weekend and took out the main event ahead of a quality field. See the full report and results below.
RCH Suzuki announced that they have brought on Jimmy John’s Gourmet Sandwich Shops as co-primary sponsor.
Yamaha Motor Corporation USA and Star Racing announced a multi-year deal earlier this week that will keep the team and defending AMA 250 Champion Jeremy Martin and his team mate Cooper Webb on the blue bikes for the foreseeable future.
Here’s another AMA based team that I have never heard of. Tevin Tapia, Nick Schmidt and Jake Scarborough will be racing Suzuki machinery for Team 3BR throughout the 2015 AMA Supercross and Motocross Championships.
Supercross and Motocross hard man Mike LaRocco, XR600 riding legend Scott Summers and all-around motorcycle ambassador and businessman Tom White will be inducted into the Hall of Fame next week.
Kawasaki’s Bryan Smith has won the iconic Pomona Half Mile AMA Pro Flat Track season finale but it was Rodgers Racing Harley-Davidson Jared Mees who wrapped up his second Grand National Championship with a conservative fourth-place finish.
Here is some late breaking news. Former Kawasaki factory rider Jake Weimer is reportedly considering paying for his own fleet of Pro-Circuit prepared KX450Fs to compete in the 2015 AMA Supercross and Motocross Championships. Weimer has not had any offers from any of the teams so bank rolling his own gig may be his only hope.
Youthstream and Glen Helen Raceway have finalized a two-year deal that will see the California track host a round of the 2015 and 2016 FIM World Motocross Championship and the 2017 FIM Motocross of Nations.
After an injury riddled couple of seasons Honda rider Jens Getteman will stay in red next year as he joins the JTech Honda squad to contest the MX2 category of the World Motocross Championships.
The 2015 FIM MXGP & MX2 Motocross World Championship calendar has been announced and here it is (at least Ryan Villopoto finishes in his home country):
2015 FIM MXGP & MX2 Motocross World Championship
- 28 February – Losail, Qatar
- 08 March – Nakhonchaisri, Thailand
- 29 March – Neuquen, Argentina
- 19 April – Arco di Trento, Italy
- 26 April – Valkenswaard, Netherlands
- 10 May – Talavera, Spain
- 24 May – Matterley Basin, Great Britain
- 31 May – Villars-sous-Ecot, France
- 14 June – Maggiora, Italy
- 21 June – Teutschenthal, Germany
- 05 July – Uddevalla, Sweden
- 12 July – Kegums, Latvia
- 26 July – Loket, Czech Rep.
- 02 August – Lommel, Belgium
- 16 August – Trindade, Brazil
- 30 August – Assen, Netherlands
- 13 September – Leon, Mexico
- 20 September – Glen Helen, USA
And finally, these guys are dead-set nuts but Husqvarna’s Alfredo Gomez, Graham Jarvis and Mario Roman have survived one of the toughest courses on the Hard Enduro circuit to secure the top three places in the 2014 edition of Extreme XL Lagares held in Portugal last weekend. See the full report and results below.
Moto News for the weekend of October 11/12
- – Round 12 of the FIM Speedway Grand Prix in Torun, Poland
- – Round 6 of the Geico Enduro Cross Championship in Salt Lake City, UT
- – Rounds 1 and 2 of the Australian Supercross Championship at Bathurst
- – 2014 OiLibya Rally of Morocco – Oct 4 to 9
- – MX24 International Supercross – Stockholm
- – Extreme XL Lagares (Hard Enduro) – Portugal
- – Australian Moto Trials Championships in Mt Joy, Tasmania
FIM Speedway Grand Prix – Round 12 – Torun, Poland
Greg Hancock had to score a minimum of 10 points at the final round of the 2014 FIM Speedway World Championship held in Poland last Saturday night and the veteran did that and more with wins in heat 2 and heat 5 back up by a pair of 2nd places in heats 10 and 15 before cementing his place in the record books by sensationally winning heat 20 for 13 points on the night.
The night didn’t completely to plan though with Hancock being denied a chance to win the Borygo Torun SGP when he suffered a puncture in his semi-final but the 1997 and 2011 champion broke his own record by becoming the sport’s oldest world champion at 44 years as well as the first American to win speedway’s biggest prize three times. “Being world champ feels sweet every time. It still feels like it’s sinking in. The adrenaline is dropping now, but the actual sensation of being the champ is finding its place. It’s an incredible feeling. It really is.”
“Every year I ride, the biggest carrot at the end is to win the World Championship. The first one was fantastic; the second one was amazing and this is unreal.” Hancock inherited his iconic No.45 from fellow countryman and double world champ Bruce Penhall.
“Guys like Bruce Penhall and Mike Bast were my heroes growing up. They were national champions. Lance King showed me the ropes when I first came to Europe. These guys gave me the inspiration and Bruce inspires me to this day. I get messages from him before and after each Grand Prix still today. They’re there to push you as much as celebrate with you. It’s awesome. They continue to be heroes.”
Oh yeh, Krzysztof Kasprzak won the final round ahead of Andreas Jonsson and Jaroslaw Hampel with Aussies Chris Holder and Troy Batchelor performing below par finishing 9th and 11th place respectively on the night.
BORYGO TORUN SGP SCORES: 1 Krzysztof Kasprzak 17, 2 Andreas Jonsson 17, 3 Jaroslaw Hampel 11, 4 Nicki Pedersen 14, 5 Greg Hancock 13, 6 Tai Woffinden 9, 7 Adrian Miedzinski 9, 8 Kenneth Bjerre 8, 9 Chris Holder 7, 10 Maciej Janowski 7, 11 Troy Batchelor 6, 12 Matej Zagar 5, 13 Pawel Przedpelski 4, 14 Martin Smolinski 4, 15 Chris Harris 4, 16 Fredrik Lindgren 3, 17 Oskar Fajfer 0, 18 Michael Jepsen Jensen 0.
WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS (Top 8 Seeded for 2015): 1 Greg Hancock 140, 2 Krzysztof Kasprzak 132, 3 Nicki Pedersen 121, 4 Tai Woffinden 121, 5 Matej Zagar 114, 6 Andreas Jonsson 103, 7 Chris Holder 100, 8 Jaroslaw Hampel 98, 9 Troy Batchelor 91. 10 Fredrik Lindgren 90, 11 Niels-Kristian Iversen 87, 12 Martin Smolinski 81, 13 Kenneth Bjerre 79, 14 Darcy Ward 75, 15 Chris Harris 48, 16 Michael Jepsen Jensen 42, 17 Peter Kildemand 33, 18 Bartosz Zmarzlik 17, 19 Adrian Miedzinski 14, 20 Kasts Puodzuks 10, 21 Peter Ljung 7, 22 Mikkel Bech Jensen 7, 23 Tomas H Jonasson 7, 24 Maciej Janowski 7, 25 Joonas Kylmakorpi 5, 26 Pawel Przedpelski 4, 27 Kauko Nieminen 4, 28 Andzejs Lebedevs 3, 29 Kim Nilsson 3, 30 Jason Bunyan 2, 31 Vaclav Milik 2, 32 Craig Cook 2, 33 Adrian Cyfer 2, 34 Lukasz Kaczmarek 2, 35 Lasse Bjerre 1.
Geico Enduro Cross Championship – Round 5 – Salt Lake City, UT
The Salt Lake City round of the GEICO AMA EnduroCross Series was a dead-set cracker with Factory Beta’s Cody Webb over-coming a tough track and a brain fade to take the win and the championship lead.
Webb chased down factory Husqvarna’s Mike Brown for the early lead and opened up a wide gap on the field. It appeared Webb was going to sail to victory but due to some confusion with the finish line flagging he nearly ended his race early.
Webb paused for a fist-pump after the 12th lap, thinking the race was over (due to the short lap times, the main event was stretched to 15 laps). Fortunately, Webb’s gap over second was big enough that he wasn’t in danger of losing the lead and he completed three more laps to claim his second victory of the season over defending champion Taddy Blazusiak.
Taddy found his way around Brown midway through the race to secure the runner-up position ahead of fellow factory Red Bull KTM rider Taylor Robert, who finally got onto the podium.
JCR Honda’s Colton Haaker had a rough night in Salt Lake City. The Lucas Oil/Rockstar Energy rider had an uphill battle in the main event after tangling with another rider on the opening lap. Haaker’s CRF450R was trapped underneath the other bike, and before he knew it, the entire pack was already down the next straight by the time he got going. Despite his best efforts, Haaker could only muster a fifth-place finish, which now sets him behind Webb and Blazusiak in points.
Mike Brown tried to fend off Robert to claim his first podium of the season, but had to settle for fourth in Salt Lake. Brown’s race started off on the right foot, as he collected the Nexen Holeshot in the main event. Despite missing the podium, Brown was still glad to see his results improving, as he admits things are moving in the right direction.
Factory Beta/Stillwell Performance rider Max Gerston finished sixth followed by Ty Tremaine, Nick Thompson and Bobby Prochnau with Geoff Aaron rounding out the top-10.
Cody Webb now sits three points ahead of Blazusiak in the championship with Haaker now 10 points out of the lead with three rounds remaining.
Main Event Results: 1. Cody Webb (Bet). 2. Taddy Blazusiak (KTM). 3. Taylor Robert (KTM). 4. Mike Brown (Hus). 5. Colton Haaker (Hon). 6. Max Gerston (Bet). 7. Ty Tremaine (KTM). 8. Nick Thompson (KTM). 9. Bobby Prochnau (KTM). 10. Geoff Aaron (KTM). 11. Noah Kepple (KTM). 12. Cory Graffunder (KTM). 13. Wally Palmer (Chr).
AMA EnduroCross Championship Points after Round 6 of 9: 1. Cody Webb (143/2 wins). 2. Taddy Blazusiak (140/2 wins). 3. Colton Haaker (133/2 wins). 4. Taylor Robert (107). 5. Max Gerston (80). 6. Mike Brown (76). 7. Cory Graffunder (74). 8. Bobby Prochnau (68). 9. (TIE) Geoff Aaron/Ty Tremaine (67).
Penrite Australian Supercross Championship – Rounds 1 and 2 – Bathurst
Friday Night: There is no a lot to report about the Friday night Pro-Open (SX1) main event with the defending champion Matt Moss grabbing the lead before the end of the opening lap and more or less disappeared to take the win well ahead of NP Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Adam Monea and KTM’s Kirk Gibbs.
“Due to MXoN I didn’t actually have the best supercross preparation,” Moss explained. “But the bike is really good and I am as fit as I could possibly be so once I got out in front I just tried to maintain it. I look forward to backing up again tomorrow night.”
2012 champion Gavin Faith grabbed the holeshot at the start of the Pro-Lites (SX2) final but the American speared off the track was well outside the top ten by the time he re-joined the proceeding.
Brendan Harrison took over the lead and rode fast and consistent laps to take an easy win ahead of Wilson Jetpilot Honda rider Kyle Peters and Faith (Penrite Honda). “The win has given me good confidence,” Harrison said. “I got the monkey off my back finally with that win, I am really looking forward to the rest of the series still ecstatic about last night but I have to move on and finish the season off strong.”
SX1 Main Event – Round 1: 1. Matt Moss. 2. Adam Monea. 3. Kirk Gibbs. 4. Lawson Bopping. 5. Kade Mosig. 6. Sam Martin. 7. Jake Moss. 8. Jay Marmont. 9. Josh Cachia. 10. Jesse Dobson.
SX2 Main Event – Round 1: 1. Brendan Harrison. 2. Kyle Peters. 3. Gavin Faith. 4. Jackson Richardson. 5. Lewis Woods. 6. Hayden Mellross. 7. Taylor Potter. 8. Ryan Marmont. 9. Luke Arbon. 10. Nick Sutherland.
Saturday Night: Moss repeated his Friday night performance by smashing all comers in the final to take a very comfortable win over Adam Monea and new teammate Lawson Bopping with Kirk Gibbs and Jake Moss rounding out the top five.
“I am really happy with the way we have started the season,” Moss said. “The bike is great, the team is awesome and I am fit and healthy. Everything is gelling, I did make a couple of little mistakes tonight and stalled the bike towards the end of the final. Fortunately I had a healthy buffer and was able to get going again.”
“We don’t have much time until next weekend’s double-header at Moto GP but my fitness is great and I am mentally really strong,” Moss concluded.
Gavin Faith didn’t get the best of starts but as he made his way forward he stayed out of trouble to take the Pro-Lites final win ahead of early leader Taylor Potter with Kale Makeham rounding out the podium ahead of Brendan Harrison and Jackson Richardson.
“I actually had a pretty solid weekend,” said Faith. “After making a mistake on the first night it was good to come through with the win tonight. My start was horrible, but I put my head down and focused on picking the guys off one-by-one.”
SX1 Main Event – Round 2: 1. Matt Moss. 2. Adam Monea. 3. Lawson Bopping. 4. Kirk Gibbs. 5. Jake Moss. 6. Sam Martin. 7. Jesse Dobson. 8. Kade Mosig. 9. Daniel McCoy. 10. Josh Cachia.
SX2 Main Event – Round 2: 1. Gavin Faith. 2. Taylor Potter. 3. Kale Makeham. 4. Brendan Harrison. 5. Jackson Richardson. 6. Kyle Peters. 7. Hayden Melross. 8. Luke Arbon. 9. Nick Sutherland. 10. Ryan Marmont.
SX1 Championship: Rd 1 Rd 2 Total
1. Matt MOSS 35 35 70
2. Adam MONEA 32 32 64
3. Lawson BOPPING 28 30 58
4. Kirk GIBBS 30 28 58
5. Jake MOSS 24 26 50
6. Sam MARTIN 25 25 50
7. Kade MOSIG 26 23 49
8. Jesse DOBSON 21 24 45
9. Josh CACHIA 22 21 43
10. Daniel McCOY 20 22 42
SX2 Championship: Rd 1 Rd 2 Total
1. Gavin FAITH 30 35 65
2. Brendan HARRISON 35 28 63
3. Kyle PETERS 32 25 57
4. Taylor POTTER 24 32 56
5. Jackson RICHARDSON 28 26 54
6. Kale MAKEHAM 19 30 49
7. Hayden MELLROSS 25 24 49
8. Luke ARBON 22 23 45
9. Ryan MARMONT 23 21 44
10. Nick SUTHERLAND 21 22 43
Round 2 and 3 of the championship will coincide with the Philip Island Moto GP weekend on the 18th and 19th of October before heading to Brisbane on the 8th of November.
2014 OiLibya Rally of Morocco
As you would expect, Rally legend Marc Coma has won the OiLibya Rally of Morocco and wrapped up his sixth World Rally Championship but the big news for us Aussies is that Toby Price continued his stellar season by claiming 8th overall as he continues to learn the ropes in the world of rally.
“It’s been an unreal trip, to be with all the KTM guys here and have all those guys helping me out, and to se all the countryside that Morocco has on offer has been a pretty special thing. Just to finish the rally was the main thing for me but we’re stoked on the result that came from it,” Price said.
“On day two I had a taillight that snapped off, and somehow played up with my map reader, so I missed a way-point and ended up copping a 20-minute penalty because I couldn’t actually scroll my map to follow the course and had to just follow dust a little bit.”
“The KTM guys, they don’t say too much but I’m pretty sure they’re happy. Every time I’ve come in they’ve always shaken my hand and been pretty stoked about everything. They keep calling me “Skippy” or asking me if I’ve seen any kangaroos today!”
“It’s been a pretty good adventure and hopefully it can lead to more Rally stuff in the near future. It’s been really good the support from Australia, people have been trying to keep up to date with what I’m doing and I can’t thank everybody enough,” Price concluded.
“We know that the Morocco Rally is one of the toughest on the calendar so we came with tactics not to take any risks for the championship,” Coma said. “But the feeling is amazing and it’s been a special week full of emotions because I had my birthday, then I won the title and today the win in the rally. To be six-times World champion is not easy. There is a lot of work behind it.”
Final Results
1. Marc Coma 17:37’58 KTM KTM Red Bull Rally Factory
2. Sam Sunderland +5’28 GBR KTM KTM Red Bull Rally Factory
3. Helder Rodrigues +12’13 PRT HONDA Team HRC
4. Joan Barreda +12’54 ESP HONDA Team HRC
5. Ruben Faria +15’17 POR KTM KTM Red Bull Rally Factory
6. Jordi Viladoms +19’30 ESP KTM KTM Red Bull Rally Factory
7. Chaleco López +21’26 CHI KTM KTM Red Bull Rally Factory
8. Toby Price +1:01’36 AUS KTM AUS Rally Factory
9. Alain Duclos +1:13’59 FRA SHERCO Sherco Rally Factory
10. Laia Sanz +1:42’56 ESP HONDA Team HRC
MX24 International Supercross – Stockholm
American Jason Anderson made a winning debut ride on the Husqvarna FC 450 on Saturday at the 24MX Supercross in Stockholm. His victory in the Swedish capital was highly symbolic as it also represented the brand’s successful return to its spiritual homeland.
Even in early free practice Anderson said he liked the track and had a good feeling on his new factory bike. He then had a solid ride in the last of three pro-class heats, scrambling back to second after a crash in Lap 4. The US rider then advanced to the second semi and was able to convert his holeshot into a race win after grabbing the lead over Phil Nicoletti in lap four.
Anderson was then set to take on the competition in the final and quickly set the stage for success with another holeshot. He went on to accumulate an impressive lead and sealed the victory in front of 14,000 fans in Stockholm’s Tele2 Arena.
It was an important occasion for Husqvarna as well as being the debut ride for Anderson, who also took time to meet company officials in Sweden and visit the Husqvarna museum. “That was pretty cool,” Anderson said. “Then we cruised down here for a good night of racing. I managed to get the holeshot in the main and then I just tried to ride a mistake-free race. I was excited to be able to race the Husky here in Sweden and to get it done. I think we’re in a pretty good spot and I felt good all day.”
Man Event Results: 1. Jason Anderson. 2. Mike Alessi. 3. Phil Nicoletti. 4. Josh Hill. 5. Shane McElrath. 6. Fabien Izoird. 7. Jake Canada. 8. Jack Brunell. 9. Loic Rombaut. 10. Toni Eriksson.
Extreme XL Lagares – Portugal
Husqvarna Motorcycles’ riders Alfredo Gomez and Graham Jarvis, and Mario Roman, have filled the podium positions at the 2014 edition of Extreme XL Lagares, held last weekend.
Leading the way, Bel-Ray Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Alfredo Gomez captured his debut Hard Enduro win and brought to an end what’s been a difficult year due to illness and injury. Fresh off his strong ride at the recent Red Bull Sea to Sky in Turkey, Gomez entered the event in Portugal in a confident mood. Making his winning intentions known from the start, the Husqvarna rider claimed the prologue victory around the streets of Porto.
Knowing the main event would be one of the toughest of the year, Alfredo took control of the lead early on and tried to break away. Leading at the end of the first lap, he fought back midway through the second and final lap when teammate Graham Jarvis momentarily passed him for the lead. Back in front, he upped his pace and pushed on to secure the victory.
For Jarvis, Portugal didn’t bring the winning result he’d hoped for. With Gomez proving too strong, Graham was forced to settle for the runner-up result.
Ensuring a Husqvarna 1-2-3 in Portugal, Husqvarna Spain’s Mario Roman delivered one of the standout performances of the event to take third. A newcomer to the Hard Enduro scene, Roman secured a debut podium result.
Alfredo Gomez: “This year has been very bad for me, with injuries, crashes and appendicitis – I felt like things were never going to go my way. But now, finally, things have worked out great for me. It’s amazing to win Extreme Lagares. I didn’t really think I could win here, but things went well for me. I’m so, so happy. I took things quite calmly on the first lap because I knew it would be hard on the second lap. But I felt good, and I found a good rhythm. Graham passed me half way through the last lap, so I followed him. He made a small mistake, which was enough for me. I passed him, pushed hard, and stayed in front to take the win. This win is for everyone that’s helped me this year.”
Graham Jarvis: “I struggled on the first lap and Alfredo got quite a long way ahead of me. I dropped into a few holes, made a few mistakes, and just lost too much time really. I was quite a long way back so I was pleased to have closed the gap on him and move into the lead. I blew it after that when I made more mistakes. But Alfredo was riding very well, pushing hard wherever he could. It was good battling with him. The track was tough, really tough in places. I’d say it was one of the hardest races of the year. It’s so slippery that it’s hard to be precise. There’s also a fair amount of luck involved because we had to pass a fair few of the Hobby class riders.”
Results: 1. Alfredo Gomez (Husqvarna). 2. Graham Jarvis (Husqvarna). 3. Mario Roman (Husqvarna). 4. Andreas Lettenbichler (KTM). 5. Dani Gibert (Gas Gas).
Australian Moto Trials Championships – Mt Joy – Tasmania
Gas Gas pilot Kyle Middleton overcame injury to win the Open Solo title ahead of Tim Coleman, Colin Zarczynski and Chris Bayles at the Australian Moto Trials Championships held in Tasmania.
Middleton was suffering from a shoulder injury but toughed it out to take the win. “It was a really high pressure event, sections were not easy. We were all close, Colin was right behind me at the start of the day and I got a 5 which had me worried, but I just pulled it together, kept riding and pulled it off.”
“Thanks to everyone has supported me this year The Hell Team, Global Racing Oil Australia, Longwall Haul, Kaebel Leisure, Signwave Newcastle and Pacific Park, we’ve done it again!”
Open Solo: 1. Kyle Middleton (Gas Gas – NSW) 13 points. 2. Tim Coleman (Beta – VIC) 34 points. 3. Colin Zarczynski (Gas Gas – NSW) 43 points.
Luke Clout to defend MX2 Title with Serco Yamaha
19 year old Clout, from Anangrove in New South Wales, reached an agreement with the Yamaha supported Serco team just prior to jetting out and representing Australia in the Motocross Of Nations.
“I’m excited to be racing for Serco Yamaha again in 2015 and look forward to another great season with the best MX2 team in the country,” Clout offers.
“I did explore some options overseas but nothing eventuated so it was just a formality that I again did the deal with Serco as we have a great relationship and an amazing bike that will only continue to get better now that we have had a year to develop it.
“2014 has been a great year for me after returning from injury to win the MX Nationals and then get selected to race for Australia in the MXoN. I will be working even harder to ensure the 2015 season is just as good if not better,” Clout ends.
Clout won the 2014 MX2 championship after taking control of the series at round two and never relinquished the points leaders red plate. His 2015 deal will see him carry the number 1 plate into the new season and team owner, Gavin Eales, is confident his team can again achieve great success in 2015.
“It’s great to have Luke back on board again in 2015 and we look forward to more success with him. I’m really excited to have both Luke and Jed Beaton on board for the new season as both are talented and dedicated riders that want to win championships.
“Yamaha Australia has also been a great supporter of ours and our program now enters its 14th year with Yamaha and we aim to bring them more championships in the future.
Luke Clout and Jed Beaton complete the Serco Yamaha line up for the 2015 season. More team announcements regarding sponsors and advertising partners will follow as we build towards the new year.
Moto News for the weekend of October 18/19
- – Round 9 of the World Off-Road Championship Series at Buffalo Bill’s Casino and Resort in Primm, Nevada
- – Round 7 of the AMA WMX Series (Top Gun Showdown) at Blountville, TN
- – Round 7 of the Geico Enduro Cross Championship in Everett, WA
- – Rounds 3 and 4 of the Australian Supercross Championship at Philip Island (Part of Moto GP Weekend)
- – Round 1 of the Queensland Supercross Championships held at Leyburn
- – 2014 Monster Energy Cup in Las Vegas
- – 2014 Weston Beach Race
