Moto News Weekly Wrap for February 14, 2017 with Darren Smart
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News Headlines
- Venue Change for the Final Round of the MX Nationals
- Roczen’s Magnetic Visor
- The NO Tear-Off Rule Is Still In Place!
- Herlings’ Big Crash
- QVMX Woman’s Coaching Day – Saturday March 4 – Biddadaba
- JGR Suzuki Injury Woes
- Grant Joins Injury List
- MA Streamlines One Event Competition licenses
- GYTR Yamaha Junior Racing and Ficeda Join Forces
- Kawasaki Backs Whale and West
- AORC Kicks Off in Dungog
- 2018 Speedway Championships Calendar Released
- Dunlop and MXGP Join Forces
- Supermoto Championship Events Expressions of Interest open for 2018-2019
Race Reports
- AMA Supercross – Rd 6 – AT&T Stadium – Arlington, Texas
- UK Arenacross Tour – Rd 6 – Sheffield Arena, Sheffield
- Italian MX Championships – Rd 3 – Ottobiano, Italy
- International Motocross – Lacapelle Marival, France
Venue Change for the Final Round of the MX Nationals
The sand infested layout at the Coolum Pines Motocross Facility has hosted the final round of the MX Nationals for as long as most of us can remember but just recently the MX Nationals calendar has TBA posted next to the final round venue leaving many to wonder why Williams Event Management would dump one of the best venues in the championship?
The fact is that Kevin Williams handed over a substantial cheque to the then president of the Suncoast Junior Motorcycle Club (SJMC) when the final round was completed last year and the pair shook hands on the agreement continuing for another three years but a new president and committee was formed at the SJMC for 2017 and it appears that they weren’t happy with the agreement.
Just recently Kevin Williams received an e-mail from the new president Justin Grover which stated that a meeting was held the night before and the committee had voted that they were no longer interested in running a round of the MX Nationals but that they were happy to simply hire the track to WEM at an inflated fee from the previous agreement.
Well, we all know that the WEM structure doesn’t cater for just hiring the track, WEM has and always will work in conjunction with the club to hold the meeting and the club gets a fee from WEM as well as other benefits like the gate and canteen takings – some agreements differ from others but that is the general gist from my understanding.
WEM sent back a reply to all of the key committee members and thanked them for their help over the years and immediately moved on to find another club who were interested in replacing Coolum as the final round and at the time of writing there have been several clubs who are keen to do so.
Justin Grover – Suncoast Junior Motorcycle Club president – wrote on FB
“Instead of negotiating and calling me back Kevin decided to forward my email addressed to him to the life members of the club for them to put pressure on me to accept the lame deal we have had for years. I expressed to Kevin the agreement is not in the best interests of the club. I asked Kevin for a fee but he decided to not call me and to cut us from this year’s line-up. There is always another side to the story. Coolum Pines is the best venue in the country and he is now denying the athletes and the motocross fans of witnessing another sensational event. I sent Kevin an email which again he has not attempted to make contact with me… Such a shame.”
Details of the venue for the final round of the MX Nationals will be available in the very near future.
Roczen’s Magnetic Visor
Ken Roczen has put out an interesting message on his Instagram which mentions that his helmet visor is held on by magnets and not screwed into place.
Ken Roczen
“Everyone that saw my crash saw that it was suuuper gnarly. I literally smashed head first into the next jump. We now have magnetic visors that can pop off on heavy impact rather than catch on the dirt and possibly twist your head. They are strong so that they don’t pop of with just roost coming at you. I think it’s time to shout out the @foxheadinc @foxracing @motoxlab crew for protecting my head. I didn’t hurt my head. I wasn’t knocked out. I didn’t even see stars. For that type of crash, I think that is remarkable. That helmet did more than its job and I am absolutely blown away. Here’s the bottom line: I think every rider deserves good head protection. I have seen in the past that riders settle for a pile of crap because they already struggle to make it to the races. They don’t want to spend the few extra dollars and they get a shitty helmet. They think, ‘Welp, let’s do it…. whatever it takes to go racing, right!? What could go wrong?…’ Until this happens. So please, helmet brands, please put in the extra little bit to protect rider’s heads because this crash could have been it for me. How much is your head worth?”
Apparently Chad Reed and Ryan Dungey have been testing the same visor for FOX. Ken also posted an update on the surgery on his arm, with his final surgery to be on Friday.
“Looks good. Getting my final surgery this coming Friday to get my arm completely fixed. So looking forward to it so we can make progress and move forward! I miss repping all my people at the races. Miss putting a smile on my fans face. Love Y’all”
The no tear-off rule is still in place!
As we all know, as of January the 1st, tear-offs are banned from all forms of dirt bike racing in Australia and over the last few weeks there has been a whisper that the ban has had to be postponed till the end of March. Rumour had it this was thanks to many of the goggle distributors not having enough roll-off systems to meet the current demand and the sad news is that the whispers were off the mark.
Queensland’s motocross sub-committee did have a discussion about relaxing the rule and allowing tear-offs until the end of the March but officially nothing is in writing and the ban is still 100 per cent in place.
Herlings’ Big Crash
Red Bull KTM Factory rider Jeffrey Herlings made his MX1 class debut at the third round of the Italian Motocross Championship last weekend but it didn’t go to plan for the multi MX2 World Champion after he had a massive crash with Tim Gajser in the opening MX1 moto.
Herlings was battling with Gajser for third place when his front wheel spewed sideway in the soft sand and as he cartwheeled down the track Gajser collided with both the bike and the rider.
Herlings rode his badly bent KTM back to the pits while Gajser returned to the track, climbing his way through the field. Both riders are fit and ready fr Qatar in two weekend’s time.
QVMX Woman’s Coaching Day – Saturday March 4 – Biddadaba
Motorcycling Queensland’s runner up for Best Event of 2016, the QVMX Women’s Coaching Day is being held again on Saturday 4th of March. ISDE Gold medallist Jemma Wilson and multi Enduro and Motocross Champion Tamara Gray will be leading the long list of highly experienced coaches including Tania Millard, Rod Jenner, Barry Surawski, Craig Wills and some old wobbler by the name of Darren Smart.
The event which caters for ages five and above of all abilities allows women to gain confidence and skills in a fun supportive environment. This event is part of the QLD International Women’s Week Activities and is held at Biddadaba, 8kms from Beaudesert.
Cost is just $80 for the day which includes a full day of coaching, morning tea, lunch and afternoon tea and there will also be giveaways. Non MQ licence holders can also attend by purchasing a day licence for $30. Any dirt bike is permitted and we will also have M33 Photography taking photos on the day for purchase.
For further information please contact John at the Queensland Vintage Motorcycle Club on 0412747729, email [email protected] or search QVMX Womens Coaching day on Facebook.
Injury Woes at JGR Suzuki
The Autotrader/Suzuki/JGRMX team kicked off 2017 with Justin Barcia, Weston Peick, Mat Bisceglia and Phillip Nicoletti all fired up for the season ahead. However at the time of writing not one of these riders are actively racing thanks to injury, after the last man standing Nicoletti injured his left foot while participating in Press Day activities for the sixth round of the AMA Supercross Championships held in Arlington, Texas last weekend.
Bisceglia who was injured just prior to the start of the season will not be ready to compete when the 250SX East Series begins this weekend so Kyle Peters, who rides for Wilson’s Coolair Factory Suzuki Team in Australia will substitute for Bisceglia for at least the first round of the series.
Jeremy Albrecht – JGR team manager
“Unfortunately injuries are a part of our sport, we appreciate Kyle and the Wilson’s Coolair Factory Suzuki Team helping us out while Matt makes final preparations to come back, and we will do everything we can to help Phil make a quick and full recovery.”
Jake Weimer will continue to be the lone 450 rider for the Autotrader/Suzuki/JGRMX Team while Peters will race for Bisceglia this weekend at Minneapolis.
Grant Joins Injury List
Monster Energy Kawasaki have confirmed in a short statement that Josh Grant will join the long list of injured riders and was forced to sit out last weekend’s round of the AMA Supercross Championships after suffering a thumb injury at the 5th round of the series in Oakland.
“As a result of an injury to his left thumb suffered at Round 5 of Monster Energy Supercross, Josh Grant will miss Round 6 in Arlington, Texas. Grant’s return to competition is currently being evaluated on a race by race basis,” the statement read.
Here is the current injury list for AMA Supercross riders: Josh Grant, Weston Peick, Ken Roczen, Christophe Pourcel, Justin Barcia, Phil Nicoletti, Matt Biscelgia, Zac Commans, Tyler Bowers, Josh Hansen, Mitchell Oldenburg, Colt Nicholls and Bradley Taft.
MA Streamlines One Event Competition licenses
In conjunction with all State Controlling Bodies (SBCs), Motorcycling Australia (MA) have made the decision to formulate a new, all encompassing ‘One Event Competition’ offered to members at the set rate of $75.00.
The ‘One Event Competition’ licence now covers riders for Practice, Coaching, Recreation events, Club Events, Inter-Club events and National/ Open events. The One Event Competition licence offers a fantastic amount of flexibility for members to better suit their specific competition licencing requirements at a reasonable rate.
Competition licencing information can be found on page 33, chapter 3.1.2 of the 2017 Manual of Motorsport (MoMS). For further information on licencing and guidelines, visit the Motorcycling Australia website.
GYTR Yamaha Junior Racing and Ficeda Join Forces
The GYTR Yamaha Junior Racing program for season 2017 will consist of Mat Fabry, Jake Turner and Kaj Radcliffe from WA, Thomas, Alex Larwood and Taj Gow Smith from South Australia, Liam Andrews and Ty Sharp from Victoria, Bayley Clancy and Rider Kingsford from NSW as well as Jack Kukas and Levi Rogers from Queensland.
The 11 riders across the five states will have a unified look as all riders will be using GYTR and Yamalube products as well as all of the Ficeda Accessories products including AXO, Dunlop, Just 1, Scott, Unifilter, JT Sprockets, DID Chains, NGK, Serco Custom MX Decals and Pro Taper.
Joel Ryan – Ficeda Brand Manager
“It’s fantastic that we have been able to bring all of Yamaha Junior Racing in house and make it a truly national team. We have worked hard to increase our product range in the off road market and investing in YJR is a great way to showcase our products at a national level with a great group of riders and families.”
Yamaha’s in house hard parts department, GYTR (Genuine Yamaha Technology Racing) has also stepped up with increased support for the team. Each rider will now have at their disposal a greater range of GYTR products including a potent GYTR YZ125 motor kit developed in Europe as well as performance products designed for the YZ85, YZ125 and YZ250F.
Greg Haring – GYTR Sales and Marketing Manager
“While we have always been a part of Yamaha Junior Racing, we are excited to step up our involvement and offer them a great range of support this year. We also proud to have our high performance Yamalube lubricants used exclusively by the riders so we are totally committed to junior development in Australia. The riders not only provide us with great results and publicity but also assist in developing products for the YZ85 and YZ125. We wish them every success in 2017.”
The complete 11 rider line up for 2017 consists of Mat Fabry, Jake Turner, Kaj Radcliffe from WA. Thomas and Alex Larwood as well as Taj Gow Smith from South Australia, Liam Andrews and Ty Sharp in Victoria, Bayley Clancy and Rider Kingsford in NSW while Jack Kukas and Levi Rogers hail from Queensland.
But while the support of the team has been unified, there will still be a state based mentor for each rider with former professional racers and Y-Aim agents Cameron Taylor and Shane Metcalfe leading the way in Victoria and South Australia respectively. Darren Thompson, Peter Strickland and Scott Bishop will work with the NSW, WA and Queensland based riders.
Ray Howard – Yamaha Motorsport Manager
“Yamaha Motor Australia sees the YJR program as the first yet vital step in our internationally recognised Step – up initiatives,” states . “For over 12 years since the program went nationally, YJR has consistently produced high quality riders that have gone on to bigger and better things, and especially in recent years, reaped plenty of success in the professional ranks and landing major national championships.”
Kawasaki Backs Whale and West
Multi Australian Dirt Track Champion Max Whale and young motocross star Brad West will continue their relationship with Kawasaki as the pair head into a very competitive 2017 season.
Max will be aboard the 2017 Kawasaki KX250F this year and he has already set the pace at the 2017 Troy Bayliss Classic where he won his three heat races.
Brett Whale – Max Whale’s father
“Max plans to compete as a junior until he turns 16 half way through the year which will qualify him for senior competition, so ultimately Max will aim to be a junior and senior champion all in the one year!”
West enters his third year of receiving direct support from Kawasaki Motors Australia as a member of the KX Junior Squad and he will step up from his small wheel KX85 to campaign aboard a large wheel KX85-II, provided with the assistance of Rosenberg Motorcycles in Rockhampton QLD.
Sean West – Brad West’s father
“Brad has shown great maturity and focus in terms of how he approaches a season. He has had a solid off season, keeping fit and healthy so coming out blistering at the beginning of races is great but we need to maintain the pace all year and that’s what we are going to do.”
Robert Walker – National Sales and Marketing Manager of Kawasaki Motors Australia
“We are extremely proud of the progress that Brad West and Max Whale have made during their time with the KX Junior Squad and we are honoured to be supporting the development of Australian talent at the grassroots level and beyond.”
AORC Kicks Off in Dungog
The Yamaha AORC rounds 1 and 2 on 8-9th April, will be held in Bandon Grove, Dungog, and hosted by the Dungog Motorcycle Club instead of Monkerai as previously stated.
MA would also like to advise that the AORC rounds are card carrying Enduro events, and part of the Senior course runs through public roads and state forests. This means all Senior riders must have registered motorcycles and carry a road licence as well as their MA licence.
Alongside Motorcycling Australia (MA), Dungog Motorcycle Club will now host rounds 1 and 2 of the AORC as well as rounds 1 and 2 of the NSW Enduro series. Dungog Motorcycle Club was voted the Host Club of the Year in 2016 which leaves no doubt that these events will run smoothly.
Club President and AORC Course Assessor, Trent Lean, has been working hard behind the scenes with the club members to acquire council approval for the Saturday and Sunday Enduro format.
Trent Lean
“We are very excited to host the first rounds of the year here in Dungog, and thought we would kick it off bigger and better, and get back to an Enduro format as riders have been calling for this.”
Supp Regs for the series will follow in the coming weeks. See below for the full 2017 Yamaha AORC Calendar:
- Round 1 & 2: Dungog, NSW – 8 – 9 April 2017
- Round 3 & 4: Rawson, VIC – 22 – 23 April 2017
- Round 5 & 6: Miva, QLD – 13 – 14 May 2017
- Round 7 & 8: Renmark, SA – 24 – 25 June 2017
- Round 9 & 10: Kyogle, NSW – 22 – 23 July 2017
- Round 11 & 12: TBA, VIC – 5 – 6 August 2017
Speedway 2018 Championships Calendar Released
Motorcycling Australia is pleased to announce the release of the 2018 Australian Speedway Championship Calendar, ahead of the highly anticipated Australian Speedway season.
The Australian Speedway Senior Solo Championship will be started, run, done and dusted inside a week in 2018 with four gruelling rounds kicking off in Kurri Kurri before moving south to Undera in central Victoria, then onto the major tristate border town of Mildura and winding up at Gillman Speedway in South Australia.
The Under 16 250cc solo, 125cc Solo and 125cc Teams Championships is currently listed for 25-28 January and will slot into the Speedway calendar after the Under 21’s Solo Championship, scheduled for 20 January in Mildura. The Australian Speedway Sidecar Championship will feature in April at Tamworth, New South Wales, which is a new location on the Sidecar schedule in 2018.
- 6-Jan – Australian Senior Solo Championship – Round 1 – Kurri Kurri, NSW
- 10-Jan – Australian Senior Solo Championship – Round 2 – Undera, VIC
- 12-Jan – Australian Senior Solo Championship – Round 3 – Mildura, VIC
- 14-Jan – Australian Senior Solo Championship – Round 4 – Gillman Speedway, SA
- 20-Jan – Australian U21’s Solo Championship – Mildura, VIC
- 25-28 Jan – Australian U16 250cc / 125cc Solo 125cc Teams Championships – Mildura, VIC
- 13-14 April – Australian Speedway Sidecar Championship – Tamworth, NSW
Dunlop and MXGP Join Forces
Dunlop have announced an increased commitment to the FIM MXGP World Championship by signing a new three year partnership agreement to be an Official Tyre Supplier of the series.
MXGP not only highlights the intense competition between riders and motorcycle manufacturers, but it also provides a battle of the tyre manufacturers. The classes feature open tyre competition, encouraging manufacturers to develop winning tyres across the championship’s wide range of terrain.
Dunlop enter the new contract riding a crest of the wave, with the tyre brand being used by the winning rider in each of the last three MXGP events of 2016.
Xavier Fraipont – Managing Director Dunlop Motorsport and Motorcycle
“MXGP allows us to prove our tyre performance and durability in this most demanding and gruelling World Championship. With a mixture of sand, mud and rocky terrain on the calendar we give our riders confidence to perform at the limit all season long. The MXGP promoters, Youthstream, are pioneers when it comes to fan engagement. With live streaming of each event, open paddock access for fans and a strong social media following, MXGP is really connecting with riders and spectators.”
Dunlop’s range of MXGP tyres, including the MX3S for soft to medium terrain, MX52 for harder ground and MX11 for soft and sandy conditions are commercially available from Dunlop Dealers. The demands of the championship have also allowed Dunlop to introduce new technologies such as Progressive Cornering Block Technology (PCBT) which provides tighter control in corners.
David Luongo – Youthstream Director
“It is a pleasure to renew this partnership with a brand as prestigious as Dunlop. The MXGP World Championship takes place in all kind of tracks that are very demanding for the tyres, it is the best place to develop new technologies and products. On top of that Youthstream’s objective is to continue developing our media coverage with traditional broadcasters, our digital platform MXGP-TV.com and our various social media networks. Having all the MXGP, MX2, WMX and European Championships races broadcasted live through MXGP-TV.com is giving an impressive exposure to all our partners, teams and riders.”
The FIM MXGP World Championship begins in Qatar on 25 February.
Supermoto Championship Events Expressions of Interest open for 2018-2019
Motorcycling Australia (MA) has called for expressions of interest from suitably qualified states, clubs and promoters who are interested in hosting Australian Motorcycle Sport National Championships in Supermoto for 2018 and 2019.
An Australian Championship is the pinnacle of competition in Australia and a great way to promote your club and your community. These meetings not only bring competitors and spectators from all over Australia, but in some cases competitors from all over the world.
The following Championships are now available for hosting by suitable applicants: Supermoto (2018 & 2019)
Please return completed Expression of Interest form to: Motorcycling Australia’s Event Organiser – Road Race, Liz Galazkiewicz [email protected]
The closing date for 2018 applications is Monday, 20 March 2017. Upon receipt of your club’s Expression of Interest, Motorcycling Australia will send additional information on the specific championship and the requirements therein.
Expression of Interest forms for Australian Motorcycle Sport National Championships can be found by clicking here, or by visiting the ‘Forms’ section of the Motorcycling Australia
Smarty’s Race Reports:
AMA Supercross Championships – Rd 6 – AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas
The sixth round of the AMA Supercross Championship was held in Arlington, Texas last Saturday night with the drama filled 450SX main event being won by Frenchman Marvin Musquin while Justin Hill won his fourth consecutive Western Regional 250SX Class main event after race leader Shane McElrath suffered a mechanical problem mid race.
450SX Class Main Event
When the gate dropped for the 450SX Class Main Event it was Cooper Webb who blasted into the lead and immediately opened up a gap to the rest of the field but it wasn’t long before red flags started being waved frantically after Justin Brayton went down hard in the first corner and was left lying on the track.
As Brayton was escorted off the track under his own steam the 450 field made their way back to the start gate and the re-start saw Musquin capture the holeshot and put his KTM out front for the first time in 2017.
On a slippery and technical track that featured several hair pin turns, Musquin started gapping Justin Bogle, Webb and Cole Seely while Eli Tomac sat back in seventh place well ahead of championship leader Ryan Dungey who was buried outside of the top-10 following his worst start of the season.
Webb was looking sharp and jumped his way past Bogle for second and on the ensuing lap Seely followed Webb past Bogle for third as Eli Tomac slipped into fifth place and immediately started to make ground on Bogle who he passed on lap six.
While Musquin rode around in the lead there was chaos behind with Webb having to make a pit stop to swap rear wheels after suffering a flat tyre before Tomac crashed and was also forced to the pits to get his front brake hose cut to allow his front wheel to spin and then it was Chad Reed’s turn to make his way into the pits to sort a problem with his Yamaha.
The hard luck of his fellow competitors worked to the advantage of Jason Anderson who found himself in third place ahead of his teammate Dean Wilson and Dungey who valiantly fought his way into the top five after starting 13th.
Wilson fended off the attacks from Dungey for several laps, but the reigning two-time champion’s persistence paid off with a pass for fourth on Lap 20 but is was Musquin’s race with the KTM pilot leading the entire 26 laps to take the win by a margin of 5.3 seconds for his first premier class win.
Seely equalled his season-best result in the runner-up spot, followed by Anderson with his first podium of the year. Dungey enjoyed an impressive comeback, but saw his current six-race podium stream come to an end finishing fourth.
Webb finished back in 14th, Tomac ended the night in 15th and Reed even further back in 19th.
Musquin becomes the 61st different 450SX Class winner in history and the Frenchman to claim victory since David Vuillemin this same weekend 15 years ago in 2002. He dedicated the win to his brother, Mika Musquin, who suffered career-ending injuries in a crash at the end of 2015 in Europe.
Marvin Musquin
“I grabbed the holeshot on the restart and just tried to focus on what was in front of me. It was so easy to make a mistake out there tonight. This [victory] feels so good, to stand up here [on top of the podium] for the first time in my career. I’ve dreamed of this since I was a little boy in France and would like to dedicate this to my brother, who has been so supportive of me and gone through difficult times the past few years.”
Jason Anderson – told RacerX
“My practice day was good. I went into that heat race and then Mookie took a digger and his bike went up in the air. I just got clotheslined and looped out. My bike was in another section. So to come back from that and end up on the podium, I’m super psyched. It feels like it’s been a while. It’s cool to be on the podium and I want to stay up here. It’s good.”
Cole Seely – told RacerX
“We’re definitely figuring this new bike out for sure. The team’s done an awesome job. I really got to hand it off to Andrew Short. He’s been awesome with testing and helping me stay mentally strong while I’m out there, and obviously my riding coach Jeff Ward. I think we’re just putting in the time and it’s paying off.”
Despite finishing off of the podium, Dungey still managed to leave Texas with a larger advantage in the championship due to Tomac’s troubles. He now holds an 18-point lead over Musquin and sits 22-points ahead of Seely.
450SX Class Results
- Marvin Musquin, Corona, Calif., KTM
- Cole Seely, Sherman Oaks, Calif., Honda
- Jason Anderson, Rio Rancho, N.M., Husqvarna
- Ryan Dungey, Belle Plaine, Minn., KTM
- Dean Wilson, Clermont, Fla., Husqvarna
- Broc Tickle, Holly, Mich., Suzuki
- Jake Weimer, Rupert, Idaho, Suzuki
- Davi Millsaps, Cairo, Ga., KTM
- Justin Bogle, Cushing, Okla., Suzuki
- Malcolm Stewart, Haines City, Fla., Suzuki
450SX Class Championship Standings
- Ryan Dungey, Belle Plaine, Minn., KTM – 129
- Marvin Musquin, Corona, Calif., KTM – 111
- Cole Seely, Sherman Oaks, Calif., Honda – 107
- Eli Tomac, Cortez, Colo., Kawasaki – 100
- Jason Anderson, Rio Rancho, N.M., Husqvarna – 85
- Davi Millsaps, Cairo, Ga., KTM – 83
- Cooper Webb, Newport, N.C., Yamaha – 71
- Chad Reed, Dade City, Fla., Yamaha – 64
- Dean Wilson, Clermont, Fla., Husqvarna – 64
- Broc Tickle, Holly, Mich., Suzuki – 55
Western Regional 250SX Class Main Event
McElrath was quick out of the gate and led the field through the first corner with Justin Hill and Austin Forkner in tow while Dan Reardon and Hayden Mellross snuck into the top ten well ahead of Aaron Plessinger who was dead-last.
McElrath and Hill paced one another during the opening laps, establishing a small cushion over Forkner, Jimmy Decotis, Cole Martinez, Reardon and Mellross but by the half way mark McElrath had gapped Hill while the slow starting Jeremy Martin and Aaron Plessinger were starting to make their presence felt inside the top ten.
Just as it looked to be McElrath’s race, disaster struck on Lap 16 when his bike lost pace and caused him to lose positions, ultimately allowing Hill to take over the lead. McElrath would continue to drop back and eventually had to retire from the race. Forkner then moved into second ahead of Plessinger, Decotis and Reardon.
Hill grabbed his fourth consecutive victory and seventh win of his career by a margin of just over two seconds.
Justin Hill
“It was a tough break for Shane [McElrath] tonight. I hate to win like that but we never gave up all night. This is the first time I’ve been in the championship fight this late in the season and I’m going to do all I can to bring it home. It’s great for the entire team to extend our lead heading into the break.”
Forkner earned a career-best finish in second while Plessinger enjoyed an incredible come-from-behind effort to finish third ahead of Decotis, Reardon, Martin, Martin Davalos, Martinez and Mellross.
Austin Forkner – told RacerX
“I didn’t get a perfect start, still got a pretty good one though. I was just kind of pacing myself off of Justin. Shane was getting away a little bit in the beginning. I was just trying to really pace myself off of those two and try to run with them and not really worry about who was behind me. Then I kind of made a mistake in the whoops and lost a little bit of time. I saw Aaron coming, so I kind of just had to regroup and put on a late race charge. Then Shane ended up making a mistake. I was really just trying to catch Justin and not worry about who was behind me. It was good.”
Aaron Plessinger – told RacerX
“It was pretty hectic. I had to go around some hay bales and then get back on the track. I don’t even know how many people I passed but it was a lot. Trying to dodge the carnage. It was just crazy. But I came through and we got third. Happy to be on the box.”
Hill’s lead in the Western Regional Championship extended to 21-points over Plessinger, whose third-place finish moved him into second. After a 22nd-place finish McElrath slid back to third and faces a 25-point deficit to the lead, one full race.
The 2017 Monster Energy Supercross season continues next Saturday, February 18, with the seventh round and its debut inside the new U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis.
Western Regional 250SX Class Results
- Justin Hill, Yoncalla, Ore., Kawasaki
- Austin Forkner, Richards, Mo., Kawasaki
- Aaron Plessinger, Hamilton, Ohio, Yamaha
- Jimmy Decotis, Peabody, Mass., Honda
- Dan Reardon, Menifee, Calif., Yamaha
- Jeremy Martin, Millville, Minn., Honda
- Martin Davalos, Clermont, Fla., Husqvarna
- Cole Martinez, Rimrock, Ariz., Yamaha
- Hayden Mellross, Australia, Yamaha
- Kyle Chisholm, Valrico, Fla., Honda
Western Regional 250SX Class Championship Standings
- Justin Hill, Yoncalla, Ore., Kawasaki – 138
- Aaron Plessinger, Hamilton, Ohio, Yamaha – 117
- Shane McElrath, Canton, N.C., KTM – 113
- Martin Davalos, Clermont, Fla., Husqvarna – 106
- Jimmy Decotis, Peabody, Mass., Honda – 91
- Austin Forkner, Richards, Mo., Kawasaki – 90
- Dan Reardon, Menifee, Calif., Yamaha – 72
- Kyle Chisholm, Valrico, Fla., Honda – 60
- Jeremy Martin, Millville, Minn., Honda – 55
- Phil Nicoletti, Cohocton, N.Y., Suzuki – 54
- Hayden Mellross, Australia, Yamaha – 26
UK Arenacross Tour – Rd 6 – Sheffield Arena, Sheffield
Cedric Soubeyras and Yannis Irsuti have won the Pro and Pro-Lites classes in front of a packed Sheffield Arena where the sixth round of the UK Arenacross Tour was held last weekend.
Soubeyras rode a near perfect main event to not only take the win but also stretch his Pro championship lead over team-mate Angelo Pellegrini while reigning AX champ Thomas Ramette is still in the thick of it in third place, just one point behind the Italian. The Frenchman has rediscovered his 2016 form.
Cedric Soubeyras
“Finally! As soon as I got out on the whoops today, I knew that I stood a good chance. Congratulations to both Angelo and Thomas though as they pushed me all the way.”
Aussie Jay Wilson has found his feet in the Arenacross Tour to finish in a credible fifth place in the final.
Dylan Woodcock and championship leader Yannis Irsuti took a win apiece in the fast-paced Pro Lites group, with Joe Clayton and Jason Meara also in contention.
The Tour now heads to the double-points finale at Wembley in London next weekend, with any of the top six in with a fighting chance of lifting the 2017 AX Pro crown.
Pro Main
- Cedric Soubeyras – 20 points
- Angelo Pellegrini – 18 points
- Thomas Ramette – 16 points
- Jack Brunell – 15 points
- Jay Wilson – 14 points
- Adam Chatfield – 13 points
- Hugo Basaula – 12 points
- Gaeten Le Hir – 11 points
- Matt Bayliss – 10 points
- Cyrille Coulon – 9 points
Pro Championship
- Cedric Soubeyras, (FR) 104 points
- Angelo Pellegrini, (IT) 96 points
- Thomas Ramette, (FR) 95 points
- Adam Chatfield, (UK) 88 points
- Jack Brunell, (UK) 87 points
- Cyrille Coulon, (FR) 72 points
- Adrien Escoffier, (FR) 69 points
- Florent Richier, (FR) 69 points
- Hugo Basaula, (PT) 65 points
- Matt Bayliss, (UK) 54 points
Pro Lites Overall
- Yannis Irsuti – 36 points
- Dylan Woodcock – 35 points
- Jason Meara – 34 points
- Joe Clayton – 33 points
Pro Lites Championship
- Yannis Irsuti – 212 points
- Dylan Woodcock – 202 points
- Joe Clayton – 191 points
- Jason Meara – 174 points
Italian MX Championships – Rd 3 – Ottobiano, Italy
Red Bull KTM factory riders Tony Cairoli and Jorge Prado have made a clean sweep of the three championships up for grabs at the final round of the Italian Motocross Championships held at Ottobiano last Sunday.
Cairoli lost his first race of the 2017 season to Jeremy Van Horebeek in the MX1 moto but it was enough for the Italian to take the championship but when it came to the Elite moto Cairoli was in no mood to suffer another defeat and took the win over Van Horeek by 16 seconds.
Tony Cairoli
“We had another good weekend here in Ottobiano and we got five wins and a second in these first races, so I’m really happy about how everything is going. The preparation with Glenn (Coldenhoff) and the team has been very good and we’re looking forward to the first GP. It’s important to get the wins but most important is the see that you feel great, the bike is working very well, you feel confident and that you’re happy with your riding.”
Jorge Prado led for most of the MX2 race before Italian Michele Cervellin seized the advantage and went to the front but Prado’s second place was good enough to wrap up the MX2 title. The result clearly boosted the 16-year-old’s confidence going into the final showdown in the Elite Class race where the Spaniard charged out of the gates to grab the holeshot on his KTM250SX-F to eventually finish in fifth place, well ahead of his nearest MX2 rival.
Jorge Prado
“I got the holeshot today in the first race and I was able to make a big gap to the second rider but towards the end I got some arm pump and had to slow down a bit and finished second. I wanted to see where I am at the moment. I took the holeshot but the first three riders passed me pretty quickly. I had a long fight with Butron and we passed each other quite a few times. Then Febvre made the pass with just two laps to go. Top five against the big bikes is good for me. I’m feeling confident and I think I’ve learned a lot, so I need to keep my feet on the ground and keep working.”
Jeffrey Herling made his MX1 debut but crashed out of the opening moto and didn’t make it back to the start of the Elite Class race while Aussie Caleb Ward was on hand for his first ride in Europe but the young KTM rider hit the deck in the first corner in both of his races but has come out of the event unharmed and will head to Qatar 100% fit.
Results MX1
- Jeremy van Horebeek (BEL), Yamaha, 30:17.197 min (16 laps)
- Tony Cairoli (ITA), KTM, +9.882 sec
- Evgeny Bobryshev (RUS), Honda, +11.444
- Tanel Leok (EST), Husqvarna, +36.138
- Valentin Guillod (SUI), Honda, +1:12.737 min
Final MX1 Standings after 3 of 3 rounds
- Cairoli, 340 points
- Van Horebeek, 320
- Bobryshev, 200
- Tim Gajser (SLO), Honda, 196
- Leok, 165
Results MX2
- Michelle Cervellin (ITA), Honda, 30:20.976 min (16 laps)
- Jorge Prado (ESP), KTM, +26.256 sec
- Samuele Bernardini (ITA), TM, +32.451
- Calvin Vlaanderen (RSA), KTM, +40.838
- Giuseppe Tropepe (ITA), Suzuki, +54.672
- Caleb Ward (AUS), KTM
Final MX2 Standings after 3 of 3 rounds
- Prado, 300 points
- Cervellin, 280
- Bogers, 165
- Bernardini, 159
- Benoit Paturel (FRA), Yamaha, 155
- Julien Lieber (BEL), KTM, 146
Results Elite Class Ottobiano 2017
- Cairoli, 30:13.503 min (16 laps)
- Van Horebeek, +16.685 sec
- Butron, +38.959
- Romain Febvre (FRA), Yamaha, +39.344
- Prado, +49.904
- Coldenhoff, +58.013
Final Elite Class Standings after 3 of 3 rounds
Two best results count
- Cairoli, 240 points
- Van Horebeek, 200
- Febvre, 145
- Gajser, 140
- Butron, 130
- Coldenhoff, 125
International Motocross – Lacapelle Marival, France
Clemet Desalle and Benoit Paturel have won the MX1 and MX2 classes respectively at the International Motocross held in France last weekend.
Desalle has won the MX1 overall with 1-3 results while his Kawasaki team-mate Jordi Tixier second overall and the surprise packet Aminas Jasikonis finishing third after winning the second moto.
Benoit Paturel won the MX2 with 2-1, while Jeremy Seewer scored 1-2 for second overall, and third was Thomas Olsen with Hunter Lawrence once again showing that he can run with the top factory riders with a solid sixth outright.
Desalle also won the Superfinal from Arminas Jasikonis, Jordi Tixier, Kevin Strijbos and Benoit Paturel. Round out the top ten of the superfinal was Arnaud Tonus, Jeremy Seewer, Shaun Simpson, Thomas Kjer Olsen and Gautier Paulin.
Arminas Jasikonis
“It was an awesome day. I didn’t expect to feel so good on a hard pack track, but I managed to adapt to the track quite quickly. If you look to last year, these tracks were my weaknesses, but Sunday I showed that we made big progress on that. It’s still a very long way to improve, to collect experience, but for me this is a big motivation to work even harder. Especially in the second moto I didn’t have a good start, but I managed to pass some guys on quite a tight track and I even took the win. This proved that my training all winter long has paid off! “But of course, without Stefan and Harry, I would be far away from this result, they are the ones who showed me the right way of working. I’m very happy to get the best advice from the best people. The bike worked super, we managed to set-it-up quite quickly. Thanks to the whole team, they are all working so hard. I hope that this proves a little bit that they don’t work for nothing.”
Jeremy Seewer
“In the first moto I didn’t have the best start, but I recovered really well and I was second after a few corners. I was following Pauls Jonass but he crashed, so suddenly I was leading. It was close between me and Paturel but I managed to win, so that was good. In the second moto I got the holeshot and ended up finishing second. In the Superfinal I had another really good start and did a decent race. I finished seventh, which was ok, I’m happy with that.”
Gautier Paulin
“It was good to race in front of my home fans. It was my first race in hard-packed terrain aboard the FC 450 and I felt we made some great progress. My highlight for the day was the opening MX1 moto, where I managed to get third. Overall, what I definitely take out of this race is the fact that now I feel a lot more confident to push in any kind of condition on my new bike. All the members of the team have been giving their best since day one and now I’m a lot more familiar with the bike. The MXGP season that starts in two weeks will be a long one. The goal is to take one moto at a time and push hard to reach the top.”
Max Nagl
“This weekend we decided to focus on testing different race set-ups without overly stressing ourselves about the results in any of the motos. Our goal was to try new things and see what suits us the most. I’m really happy that we managed to find a really good set-up that we tried during the combined MX1/MX2 Superfinal. Most probably this will be our base set-up for the opening round of the MXGP series in two weeks’ time. The plan now is to take some time off the bike so that both physically and mentally I’m 100% ready for the Qatar GP.”
Max Anstie
“It might not have been the perfect day for me, but overall I felt we took some more steps in the right direction. My goal for the weekend was to try new things with the bike and with my riding on the big FC 450, and I’m glad everything worked well. It was a great training event and a good way to wrap up our pre-season preparations before Qatar. With the racing now done, we have two weeks to perfect some small details. The work never stops so we will try to make the most of the time left to get the best out of the bike and myself before the start of the MXGP season.”
Thomas Kjer-Olsen
“It was a good day and a great event. We got two good starts and that was very important. Overall, I’m happy I showed once again I can battle for the top. In the opening moto I got a good start but had a small crash in the back part of the track that dropped me to 10th. I got back on the bike and started passing people to finish sixth. Considering the track was one-lined, I think it was great I could make passes. Then in moto two I had another good start and battled my way to third at the chequered flag. We will continue working hard and I’m really looking forward to the start of the World Championship in Qatar.”
Conrad Mewse
“I felt good on my bike this weekend. All the hard work during the winter is slowly paying off. I know the speed is there and I now need to work on some small details such as my starts. I had a good jump out of the gate in the opening moto and pushed hard to end third. I missed the start in moto two and had to work my way from outside the top 10 to eighth. I feel that we made some good progress in that kind of hard-packed terrain. We still need to work more in fine-tuning our set-up and suspension, but we now have a good base for the first GP of the season in Qatar.”
Thomas Covington
“I’m satisfied with the progress made this weekend. Despite not having fully recovered from my sickness I raced two strong motos to get 7/4. Unfortunately, in the Superfinal I felt the effects of my illness and decided not to take any unnecessary risks. My speed was good during the whole day and I even managed to lead the second MX2 moto for a while, before some small mistakes dropped me to fourth. It was another good test for all of us and now we will be focusing on doing the best we can to start the World Championship with a good overall result in Qatar.”
MX1 Overall
- Clement Desalle
- Jordi Tixier
- Arminas Jasikonis
- Kevin Strijbos
- Gautier Paulin
- Arnaud Tonus
- Shaun Simpson
- Gert Krestinov
- Maxime Desprey
- Nicolas Aubin
- Max Nagl
- Max Anstie
- Greg Aranda
- Jeremy Delince
- Andy Baumgartner
MX2 Overall
- Benoit Paturel
- Jeremy Seewer
- Thomas Kjer Olsen
- Conrad Mewse
- Thomas Convington
- Hunter Lawrence
- Alvin Ostlund
- Brent Van Donnick
- Anthony Boissiere
- Thomas Do
- Adrien Malaval
- Jordan Divall
- Arnaud Aubin
- Anthony Bourdon
- Jimmy Clochet
