Moto News Weekly Wrap with Smarty

Moto News Wrap for January 10, 2017 by Darren Smart

Proudly brought to you by Dunlop Geomax

News Headlines:

• Price Crashes out of Dakar
• James Stewart is Coming Back!
• TiLube Honda Sign Noren and Wetland
• Barcia Out – Weimer In
• Tommy Searle Injured
• Troy Bayliss Classic Is Almost Here!
• 2017 Mountain Man Is Going To Be Huge!
• Australians riders feature in 2017 MXGP

Race Reports:

• AMA Supercross Championships – Round 1 – Anaheim
• 2017 Dakar – Mid-way report
• AMA Arenacross Championship – Rounds
• UK Arenacross Series – Round 1 – Manchester
• FIM SuperEnduro World Championship – Round 2 – Riesa, Germany
• 2017 Australian Solo Championships – Rounds 1 and 2 – Gillman and Mildura

Price and Faggotter out of the Dakar 2017

Bugga! You will have all heard by now that the defending Dakar Champion Toby Price has crashed out of the 2017 Dakar Rally during the fourth stage held last Thursday while Rodney Faggotter’s Yamaha has poo’d itself but is hanging around to support Price until he is out of hospital.

Toby won the second stage but a navigation error at the beginning of Wednesday’s Stage 3 cost the Aussie 20 plus minutes so he was charging hard to catch the leader Joan Barreda and had just got in front of the Honda rider when he crashed in a riverbed at the 371 km mark.

The medical team reported he had fractured the thighbone in his left leg when he was only a few kilometres from Tupiza in southern Bolivia, where the stage finished.

The factory team later confirmed Price was being transported to the capital La Paz for further treatment.

In true Aussie style Rodney Faggotter is with Price and posted this on his FB page:

‘Rest day here at Lapaz. Found some pics to share. Feeling pretty gutted not being able to continue but accepting the fact that totally out of my control or the team. Going to stay here and wingman for @tobyprice while he recovers and is fit to fly. It’s no fun being alone in these foreign countries but more so in foreign hospitals! I have had a chance to go through the online support and am once again stunned but also proud of the support you all have shown me and Cherie. Thankyou!’

James Stewart is Coming Back!

Despite being denied any form of support from the factory teams James Stewart has vowed to return to the 2017 AMA Supercross Series – Check out what James posted to his Instagram account @TheRealJS7 below:

“It’s been 16 years since a Saturday night in Jan came and I wasn’t in a stadium doing what I love. But all I can say is it won’t last for long!!! Truly can’t tell ya how much I’m looking forward to returning doing it my way. After months of trying to make things happen, I realize that no matter what I would do, it wasn’t going to work. You keep doing the same thing then it’s no one else fault besides your own no matter who’s doing it to ya. So we’re doing it on our own. To all that supported me… I’ll see you soon. Too all that didn’t… I’ll see you soon. Wanna thank all my sponsors that are supporting me thru this adventure @redbull @gopro @oakley @dcshoes @sevenmx_ @bell_powersports. And most importantly, I wanna thank my fans for being Ultra Patient with me thru all of this. Wasn’t until last week that I actually had a final plan to go at it this way. For those that tried to break me. Sorry… but you can’t get rid of me that easy. Not quite done yet!”

TiLube Honda Sign Noren and Wetland

TiLUBE Honda has signed Fredrik Noren and Jesse Wentland to contend the 2017 East Coast Lites Supercross Series. Their Hondas will be prepped by Buddy Brooks, with support from American Honda, along with continued support from Storm Lake Honda.

Barcia Out – Weimer In

JGR Suzuki’s Justin Barcia has been forced to miss at least the opening few rounds of the Monster Energy Supercross series due to a wrist injury which occurred several weeks ago when a chain failure in the whoops sent Barcia over the bars.

Justin Barcia

“I am so disappointed to have this wrist injury, especially now, but I’m glad that surgery is not necessary”.

Jake Weimer was slotted in to fill in for Barcia and did a sensational job at A1 by winning his Semi then backed that up with an 11^th place finish in the main event.

Tommy Searle Injured

Kawasaki MXGP and current UK MX1 Champion, Tommy Searle has been injured in pre-season training at Glen Helen in the USA recently.

RelatedPosts

Jason Crump congratulates Bartosz Zmarzlik on taking his record

June 18, 2024

Branch heads Brabec after Dakar stage one

January 7, 2024

Catching his foot in a rut while riding his 2017 KX450-F, the 26 year old Team Green rider underwent corrective surgery to the muscle tissue in the lateral area of his right knee and is predicting the injury will not affect his prospects in MXGP.

Tommy Searle

“It’s a harsh fact that motocross practice cannot be half-hearted, it’s as demanding and risk prone as racing itself. I have some great medical, dietary and physiotherapy professionals to call on and the severity of the injury is not causing any concern. Now it’s just a case of focussing all my thoughts and energy on a swift recovery. I’ll know more in a few weeks but right now I am not stressing about it.”

Troy Bayliss Classic Is Almost Here!

The Troy Bayliss Classic is just a couple of weeks away and it has been confirmed that Australian speedway star Sam Masters is set to contest the event on Saturday January 21 at Taree Motorcycle Club.

The 25-year-old from Newcastle, who was part of the 2016 championship winning Region Varde Danish Metal Speedway team and Wolverhampton Speedway Great Britain Premiership team, will line-up in the All-Star class.

Sam Masters

“It is a priviledge to get the opportunity to race at the Troy Bayliss Classic. I grew up racing dirt track but it has been quite a while since I have raced it, especially on an oil track, so I am looking forward to geting out there and having a lot of fun.”

Masters will have his work cut out for him with American flat track racers Jared Mees, Henry Wiles, Sammy Halbert as well the likes of three-time Superbike World Champion Troy Bayliss and three-time Speedway World Champion Jason Crump all in red hot form. Speedway legend Jason Crump has contested every Troy Bayliss Classic.

Jason Crump

“This is the fifth year of the Troy Bayliss Classic and I get as much enjoyment now as I did at the first one. It is really cool to be able to catch up with friends and competitors from the past and race with them again.”

The challenge is just as great for three-time Australian Superbike Champion Shawn Giles who joins Crump in the Legends field and will be aiming for his first podium at the iconic event.

Shawn Giles

“I am really looking forward to mixing it up with the Legends at the Troy Bayliss Classic. Hopefully this year I will be in contention for the podium.”

The competitive Legends field features an incredible line-up of racers including Damon Buckmaster, Vaughn Style, Kevin Horton, Phil Lovett, Anthony Gunter, Rick Rice, Wayne Clark, Chris Watson and Stephen Gall.

2017 Mountain Man Is Going To Be Huge!

The elite legends of the Australian motocross scene like Gary Flood, Peter Boyle, Pelle Granquist, Robert (Beatle) Bailey, Anthony Gunter, Stephen Gall, David Armstrong, Craig Dack, Jeff Leisk, Glenn Bell, Troy Carroll and Kade Mosig have all been crowned ‘The Mountain Man of Motocross’ and the 2017 event which will be held on March 11/12 is going to be the biggest ever!

For many of the national teams this will be the perfect opportunity to get into the race groove leading into the MX Nationals on the best motocross track in Australia in Echo Valley in Toowoomba.

To further sweeten the pie there will also have massive amounts of prize money for not only the premier Unlimited Pro class which will feature 3 x 10 minute back-to-back motos and 1 x 30 minute moto but also for the plethora of support classes that includes the Goldentyre 125 Cup, Junior Mountain Man, Mountain Woman, Mini Mountain Man, Sidecar and Classic Motocross Classes.

Saturday will see the Sidecar and Classic Motocross riders going toe-to-toe while Sunday will feature the Unlimited Pro Class (Mountain Man), Goldentyre 125 Cup, Junior Mountain Man, Mountain Woman and Mini Mountain Man.

Australians riders feature in 2017 MXGP

The FIM 2017 MXGP World Championship kicks off on 25th February in Qatar for round one of the epic twenty round, twenty country battle, across Asia, South America, Central America, North America and Europe, that will see competitors bashing bars until October.

FIM have announced that the rider entry list provisionally consists of 73 riders from every corner of the globe, competing in two classes consisting of the MXGP (Over 175cc to 250cc 2-stroke / 290cc to 450cc 4-stroke) and the MX2 class (Over 100cc to 125cc 2-stroke / 175cc to 250cc 4-stroke)

Australia will be represented in the MX2 class by Team Suzuki rider, Hunter Lawrence who will be wearing the 96 race number on the RM-Z250. Lawrence is touted to have a very successful year ahead, as his 2016 race results show.

Caleb Ward, 20 year-old from Ravenshoe, Queensland, will be riding a 2017 Husqvarna FC250 for the Italian based, 8Biano Racing Team. The young gun will don race number 170 in this year’s MX World Championship and is also set to impress on the back of his 2016 campaign.

At the completion of round one at the Losail track in Qatar, the MXGP moves on to Pangkal Pinang, Indonesia, on 5th March 2017. The lengthy series will finally wind up in the United Kingdom on October 01 2017. The busy race schedule as below.

2017 MXGP World Championship Calendar:

• 25 Feb – MXGP of Qatar Losail
• 05 Mar – MXGP of Indonesia Pangkal Pinang
• 19 Mar – MXGP of Patagonia Argentina Neuquen
• 02 Apr – MXGP of Leon Leon, MEX
• 16 Apr – MXGP of Trentino Pietramurata
• 23 Apr – MXGP of Europe Valkenswaard
• 07 May – MXGP of Latvia Kegums
• 21 May – MXGP of Germany Teutschenthal
• 28 May – MXGP of France Ernee
• 11 Jun – MXGP of Russia Orlyonok
• 25 Jun – MXGP of Italy Maggiora
• 02 Jul – MXGP of Portugal Agueda
• 23 Jul – MXGP of Czech Republic Loket
• 06 Aug – MXGP of Belgium Lommel
• 13 Aug – MXGP of Switzerland Frauenfeld – Gachnang
• 20 Aug – MXGP of Sweden Uddevalla
• 03 Sep – Monster Energy MXGP of USA Charlotte Motor Speedway
• 10 Sep – MXGP of The Netherlands Assen
• 17 Sep – MXGP of Pays de MontbéliardVillars sous Ecot
• 01 Oct – Monster Energy FIM MXoN Matterley Basin UK

Be sure to keep an eye on our Australian riders in the MXGP as it unfolds.

Smarty’s Race Reports:

AMA Supercross Championships – Round 1 – Anaheim

Well, what can I say – it doesn’t matter if you were watching it live on the web (like I was), on FOX Sports or one of the 45000 sitting in the stands, the opening round of the 2017 Monster Energy Supercross was a dead-set cracker!!

The much anticipated event saw Ken Roczen cement his favouritism for the championship with a dominant display to take the win over arch rival Ryan Dungey and former World MX Champ Marvin Musquin while the 250SX West final was won by Shane McElrath who captured his first career win by leading the entire race.

450SX

The Track: The track was not that technical as far as the jump and rhythm section go BUT the soil was tricky with hard and slick spots littered all over the place so it took a good set up to be pushing hard or trying get pass other riders.

The Racing: Roczen didn’t get the holeshot but got to the lead real fast and just took off – Kenny and the Honda were one and it was like watching Jeremy McGrath 20 years ago.

Ken Roczen

“It’s like I’ve been saying [all week], I’m just bringing that much more focus [into the season] and I’m super fit. I had a lot of fun out there. The track got rough, and since they tamed it down it helped out a lot once it got rough. We’ve got to keep our head on our shoulders, bottom line.”

Roczen’s win ties him with Chad Reed and James Stewart for the most Anaheim opener wins of all time.

He also becomes the first rider in history to win the Anaheim opener aboard three different brands of motorcycles (not sure if he should be proud of that stat).

Dungey got a crap start (he was 8^th out of the first corner) and worked his way to second but Roczen was gone so RD did what RD does, he just kept clicking off lap times that kept him well in front of third place and just shy of pushing it too hard. Give Dungey a holeshot and Roczen is in for a hard time.

Ryan Dungey

“Ken rode great. From where I was at [coming off an injury] to have the first big race, this gets my feet back in the game. All we’ve done is testing and we’ve been waiting to get into a race. This was a true challenge. There was a good distance between first and second and that’s a challenge. I’m looking forward to closing that.”

Marvin Musquin narrowly edged out Roczen for the holeshot but lost places to Roczen, Eli Tomac and Ryan Dungey but the KTM star was able to get back around Tomac to score an impressive third place.

Marvin Musquin

“It feels really good to be on the podium tonight, especially at Anaheim I, it was big. I knew I was capable and it’s just really awesome to see the work that we put in while in Florida pay off. It was a tough track tonight so I’m really happy to be on the podium and I’m looking forward to making some more adjustments with the bike and continuing the momentum.”

Jason Anderson started the race so far back we didn’t even know he was in the main event but the tenacious Husqvarna rider worked his way into the top ten then managed to get all of the way up to pass Tomac in the dying laps for an impressive fourth place.

As for Tomac, his performance was a disappointment.  “My arms basically blew up like mushroom clouds,” said Tomac, who was at a loss as to why this happened.

Cole Seely rode a solid race for sixth place while the injured (Ribs) Davi Millsaps rode well to finish seventh just ahead of Weston Peick who was in a ding-dong battle with Chad Reed until the two collided leaving the Aussie with a broken water pump which obviously saw the Aussie to finish the night on the side-lines.

Josh Grant and Cooper Webb rounded out the top ten and both will be disappointed with that result while Jake Weimer will be wrapped with his night after winning his Semi Final before finishing in a credible 11^th in the final one place ahead of Dean Wilson on a super-privateer Yamaha setup. Dean’s dad put his bike together and he pitted out of the family’s 2008 Sprinter van.

[youtube id=”rd1ReslVOlM” width=”560″ height=”315″]

450SX Class Results

1. Ken Roczen, Clermont, Fla., Honda
2. Ryan Dungey, Belle Plaine, Minn., KTM
3. Marvin Musquin, Corona, Calif., KTM
4. Jason Anderson, Rio Rancho, N.M., Husqvarna
5. Eli Tomac, Cortez, Colo., Kawasaki
6. Cole Seely, Sherman Oaks, Calif., Honda
7. Davi Millsaps, Cairo, Ga., KTM
8. Weston Peick, Wildomar, Calif., Suzuki
9. Josh Grant, Riverside, Calif., Kawasaki
10. Cooper Webb, Newport, N.C., Yamaha

450SX Class Championship Standings

1. Ken Roczen, Clermont, Fla., Honda – 25
2. Ryan Dungey, Belle Plaine, Minn., KTM – 22
3. Marvin Musquin, Corona, Calif., KTM – 20
4. Jason Anderson, Rio Rancho, N.M., Husqvarna – 18
5. Eli Tomac, Cortez, Colo., Kawasaki – 16
6. Cole Seely, Sherman Oaks, Calif., Honda – 15
7. Davi Millsaps, Cairo, Ga., KTM – 14
8. Weston Peick, Wildomar, Calif., Suzuki – 13
9. Josh Grant, Riverside, Calif., Kawasaki – 12
10. Cooper Webb, Newport, N.C., Yamaha – 11

250SX

The Western Regional 250SX Class Main Event began with McElrath edging out Martin Davalos for the holeshot while the Aussie duo of Hayden Mellross and Dan Reardon were sitting just behind the leaders until Mellross was forced to pull off the track and out of the race with what was later diagnosed as an electrical problem.

The early pace by McElrath allowed him to open a gap over Davalos and the rest of the field, which he ultimately maintained through the remainder of the race while Davalos eventually succumbed to the hard charging Aaron Plessinger with about six minutes remaining.

McElrath crossed the finish line just over two seconds ahead of Plessinger.

Shane McElrath

“Winning doesn’t really have a feeling, so it’s hard out put it into words. The whole time out there riding I was tired, but my opponents were tired too. It was ‘keep pushing, keep pushing,’ ‘one more lap, one more lap.’ When I crossed the finish line I wanted to let go of the bike. It’s unreal.”

Jeremy Martin qualifying fastest but the Honda rider was in twelfth after the opening lap in the main and was forced to work his way through the pack to end up in sixth place.

Dan Reardon rode smart to finish a more than credible seventh place and just ahead of pre-race favourite Austin Forkner who crashed in the whoops and went over the bars while running seventh but the plucky Kawasaki pilot remounted and worked his way back to eighth.

[youtube id=”TM2EX36ZMZI” width=”560″ height=”315″]

Western Regional 250SX Class Results

1. Shane McElrath, Canton, N.C., KTM
2. Aaron Plessinger, Hamilton, Ohio, Yamaha
3. Martin Davalos, Clermont, Fla., Husqvarna
4. Mitchell Oldenburg, Alvord, Texas, KTM
5. Justin Hill, Yoncalla, Ore., Kawasaki
6. Jeremy Martin, Millville, Minn., Honda
7. Dan Reardon, Menifee, Calif., Yamaha
8. Austin Forkner, Richards, Mo., Kawasaki
9. Jimmy Decotis, Peabody, Mass., Honda
10. Kyle Chisholm, Valrico, Fla., Honda

Western Regional 250SX Class Championship Standings

1. Shane McElrath, Canton, N.C., KTM – 25
2. Aaron Plessinger, Hamilton, Ohio, Yamaha – 22
3. Martin Davalos, Clermont, Fla., Husqvarna – 20
4. Mitchell Oldenburg, Alvord, Texas, KTM – 18
5. Justin Hill, Yoncalla, Ore., Kawasaki – 16
6. Jeremy Martin, Millville, Minn., Honda – 15
7. Dan Reardon, Menifee, Calif., Yamaha – 14
8. Austin Forkner, Richards, Mo., Kawasaki – 13
9. Jimmy Decotis, Peabody, Mass., Honda – 12
10. Kyle Chisholm, Valrico, Fla., Honda – 11

2017 Dakar – As of Stage 7

Ricky Brabec kicked off the second week of Dakar Rally by becoming the sixth different winner in the bike class in as many stages, narrowly beating Paulo Goncalves while Sam Sutherland still leads the event by 17 minutes.

After shortening Stage 5 and cancelling the subsequent run due to poor weather, the Monday test was also modified as it became a combination of the sixth and seventh stages and Brabec, who started the day in 21st, nearly two hours adrift leader Sam Sunderland, was 1m44s in the clear by the finish.

His closest challenger was Goncalves, the fellow Honda rider gaining one position to eighth in the overall classification.

Paulo Goncalves

“Let’s keep fighting and try to recover from the penalty we got two days ago. I will just try to do the best as possible every day and try to recover and be as often at the front as possible. It is not easy to recover one hour only through speed. I need others to make mistakes with navigation”.

Sam Sunderland was third and beat main rival Pablo Quintanilla to extend his overall lead to 17 minutes. The Chilean was ninth in the stage, as top Yamaha rider Adrien Van Beveren and KTM’s Gerard Farres Guell, third and fourth overall, followed him in 10th and 11th respectively.

Despite a 25 minute penalty, Aussie Todd Smith is sitting in 15^th outright and riding extremely well while Mathew Hart has made his way from 138^th to 62^nd after the seventh stage.

This was just posted on the official Dakar web site:

‘At the age of 31 years old, Todd Smith is taking part in his first Dakar behind the handlebars of a non-official KTM bike. The Australian undoubtedly did not expect to be in with a shout so early on, especially on a Dakar rally that has tripped up many of the favourites. However, with every special he completes, Smith seems to be more and more comfortable, as he showed today with a magnificent seventh place. He is unquestionably a rider to watch, up to Buenos Aires and in the years to come…’

2017 Dakar Overall Standings:

1. SUNDERLAND (GBR)
2. QUINTANILLA (CHL)
3. VAN BEVEREN (FRA)
4. FARRES GUELL (ESP)
5. WALKNER (AUT)
6. DE SOULTRAIT (FRA)
7. RENET (FRA)
8. GONCALVES (PRT)
9. BARREDA BORT (ESP)
10. DUPLESSIS (ARG)
11. RODRIGUES (PRT)
12. CAIMI (ARG)
13. RODRIGUES (PRT)
14. BRABEC (USA)
15. SMITH (AUS)

…
62: HART (AUS)

AMA Arenacross Championship – Round1 – Cincinnati

The 2017 AMSOIL Arenacross season got underway last Saturday night at the U.S. Bank Arena in Cincinnati and it was Jace Owen who captured his first career overall victory in the 250AX class while Heath Harrison cruised to the win in the AX Lites class.

Owen’s night started with a win in the ‘Head 2 Head Challenge’ against defending champion Gavin Faith to claim two championship bonus points and when the field launched out of the gate for the first main event it was Owen who took the early which turned out to be an easy win over Faith, Jacob Hayes, Matt Goerke and Ben Lamay.

Owen put his Honda out front again to start the second main event, this time with Lamay, Daniel Herrlein, Faith, Goerke and Gared Steinke in tow. Owen quickly laid down his fastest lap to open up a gap which would never be challenged while Faith, Goerke, Lamay and Steinke rounded out the top five.

Owen’s perfect night gave him maximum points, while Faith’s title defence got off to a strong start with a runner up effort (2-2). Goerke (4-3) finished third in his return to AMSOIL Arenacross competition, followed by Lamay in fourth (5-4) and Hayes in fifth (3-7).

Owen will carry the red number plate as the championship leader for the first time next weekend, holding a three-point lead over Faith.

250AX Class Results – Main Event 1

1. Jace Owen, Matoon, Ill., Honda
2. Gavin Faith, Fort Dodge, Iowa, Kawasaki
3. Jacob Hayes, Liberty, N.C., Kawasaki
4. Matt Goerke, Lake Helen, Fla., Yamaha
5. Ben Lamay, Forney, Texas, Honda
6. Gared Steinke, Woodland, Calif., Kawasaki
7. Daniel Herrlein, Bethesda, Ohio, KTM
8. Kyle Bitterman, West Pelzer, S.C., Kawasaki
9. Steven Mages, Sardinia, Ohio, Kawasaki
10. Cameron McAdoo, Sioux City, Iowa, Honda

250AX Class Results – Main Event 2

1. Jace Owen, Matoon, Ill., Honda
2. Gavin Faith, Fort Dodge, Iowa, Kawasaki
3. Matt Goerke, Lake Helen, Florida, Yamaha
4. Ben Lamay, Forney, Texas, Honda
5. Gared Steinke, Woodland, Calif., Kawasaki
6. Daniel Herrlein, Bethesda, Ohio, KTM
7. Jacob Hayes, Liberty, N.C., Kawasaki
8. Heath Harrison, Silverhill, Ala., KTM
9. Cameron McAdoo, Sioux City, Iowa, Honda
10. Cory Green, Nowata, Okla., Suzuki

250AX Class Overall Results (Main Event Results)

1. Jace Owen, Matoon, Ill., Honda (1-1)
2. Gavin Faith, Fort Dodge, Iowa, Kawasaki (2-2)
3. Matt Goerke, Lake Helen, Florida, Yamaha (4-3)
4. Ben Lamay, Forney, Texas, Honda (5-4)
5. Jacob Hayes, Liberty, N.C., Kawasaki (3-7)
6. Gared Steinke, Woodland, Calif., Kawasaki (6-5)
7. Daniel Herrlein, Bethesda, Ohio, KTM (7-6)
8. Cameron McAdoo, Sioux City, Iowa, Honda (10-9)
9. Heath Harrison, Silverhill, Ala., KTM (12-8)
10. Chris Blose, Phoenix, Yamaha (11-12)

RMATV/MC Head 2 Head Challenge Results (Bonus Points)

1. Jace Owen, Matoon, Ill., Honda (2 points)
2. Gavin Faith, Fort Dodge, Iowa, Kawasaki (1 point)
3. Matt Goerke, Lake Helen, Florida, Yamaha (1 point)
4. Ben Lamay, Forney, Texas, Honda (1 point)
5. Jacob Hayes, Liberty, N.C., Kawasaki (1 point)
6. Gared Steinke, Woodland, Calif., Kawasaki (1 point)
7. Daniel Herrlein, Bethesda, Ohio, KTM (1 point)
8. Chris Blose, Phoenix, Yamaha (1 point)

250AX Class Championship Standings

1. Jace Owen, Matoon, Ill., Honda – 34 (2 Main Event Wins)
2. Gavin Faith, Fort Dodge, Iowa, Kawasaki – 31
3. Matt Goerke, Lake Helen, Florida, Yamaha – 28
4. Ben Lamay, Forney, Texas, Honda – 26
5. Jacob Hayes, Liberty, N.C., Kawasaki – 25
6. Gared Steinke, Woodland, Calif., Kawasaki – 24
7. Daniel Herrlein, Bethesda, Ohio, KTM – 22
8. Cameron McAdoo, Sioux City, Iowa, Honda – 15
9. Heath Harrison, Silverhill, Ala., KTM – 14
10. Chris Blose, Phoenix, Yamaha – 12

Eastern Regional AX Lites Class

Heath Harrison stormed out of the gate to grab the holeshot over Jacob Williamson and Cheyenne Harmon. Harrison and Williamson fought hard for the lead, staying within a few bike lengths of one another while Kyle Bitterman moved up from his fourth-place start to pass Harmon for third on Lap 1 and from there the top thee remained unchanged, with Harrison eventually pulling away to take the victory. Yamaha riders Justin Cooper and Jerry Robin rounded out the top five.

Harrison now holds a one point lead over Williamson in the Eastern Regional AX Lites Class standings.

AMSOIL Arenacross will head to Grand Rapids, Michigan, next weekend for the second round of the championship from Van Andel Arena on Saturday, January 14.

Eastern Regional AX Lites Class Results

1. Heath Harrison, Silverhill, Ala., KTM
2. Jacob Williamson, Swartz Creek, Mich., Kawasaki
3. Kyle Bitterman, West Pelzer, S.C., Kawasaki
4. Justin Cooper, Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y., Yamaha
5. Jerry Robin, Corcoran, Minn., Yamaha
6. Dylan Rouse, Florence, Ky., KTM
7. Cheyenne Harmon, Colleyville, Texas, Suzuki
8. Scott Zont, Algonquin, Ill., Kawasaki
9. Carter Gordon, Matoon, Ill., Yamaha
10. Cody Williams, Barneveld, Wis., Kawasaki

Eastern Regional AX Lites Class Championship Standings

1. Heath Harrison, Silverhill, Ala., KTM – 16 (1 Main Event Win)
2. Jacob Williamson, Swartz Creek, Mich., Kawasaki – 15
3. Kyle Bitterman, West Pelzer, S.C., Kawasaki – 14
4. Justin Cooper, Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y., Yamaha – 13
5. Jerry Robin, Corcoran, Minn., Yamaha – 12
6. Dylan Rouse, Florence, Ky., KTM – 11
7. Cheyenne Harmon, Colleyville, Texas, Suzuki – 10
8. Scott Zont, Algonquin, Ill., Kawasaki – 9
9. Carter Gordon, Matoon, Ill., Yamaha – 8
10. Cody Williams, Barneveld, Wis., Kawasaki – 7

UK Arenacross Series – Round 1 – Manchester

Thousands of eager AX fans packed out the Manchester Arena for the opening round of the 2017 Arenacross Tour and it was Angelo Pellegrini who took out the main event from the hard charging duo of Florent Richier and Adam Chatfield.

Last year’s series was marred by the over-aggressive antics of Thomas Ramette and Cedric Soubeyras but both riders failed to feature in the Main Event this year leaving Pellegrini, Richier and Chatfield to race hard and clean all of the way to the flag.

Paul Irwin – Team Boss

“I’m delighted for Angelo and the buzz his result has given the team, however, I share Cedric’s disappointment. But, it is only the first round and we have the rest of the series to look forward to. That, as they say, is racing.”

Aussie Jay Wilson had the third fastest time in Group 1 but a 7^th in his first heat and a 6^th in his second heat saw the JK Yamaha rider having to watch the main event from the stands.

The Monster Energy Arenacross Tour now heads to the SSE Hydro Arena, Glasgow for round two of the 2017 Arenacross Tour.

Pro Main Event

1. Angelo Pellegrini
2. Florent Richier
3. Adam Chatfield
4. Adrien Escoffier
5. Jack Brunell
6. Matt Bayliss
7. Hugo Basaula
8. Cedric Soubeyras
9. Cryille Coulon

Pro Championship

1. Angelo Pellegrini – 23 points
2. Florent Richier – 18 points
3. Adam Chatfield – 16 points
4. Adrien Escoffier – 15 points
5. Jack Brunell – 14 points
6. Matt Bayliss – 13 points
7. Cedric Soubeyras – 13 points
8. Hugo Basaula – 12 points
9. Cyrille Coulon – 10 points
10. Thomas Ramette – 10 points

Pro Lites Final

1. Yannis Irsuti
2. Chris Bayliss
3. Joe Clayton

Pro Lites Championship

1. Yannis Irsuti – 40 points
2. Chris Bayliss – 36 points
3. Joe Clayton – 30 points

FIM SuperEnduro World Championship – Round 2 – Riesa, Germany

Round two of the FIM SuperEnduro World Championship held in Germany last weekend saw , Colton Haaker blitz all three final to move to the top of the SuperEnduro series standings with a 22 points over Alfredo Gomez.

Haaker carried his good form from the opening round of the championship in Poland into the Reisa event to master the technical track and come away with three impressive final wins.

Colton Haaker

“It’s awesome to have had such a great night here in Germany, and to be leading the championship now. I’ll be honest, I didn’t feel great on the track tonight and didn’t feel like I rode that well for the most part. But I got good starts, put down fast laps, and got the results I needed. I struggled with a little arm pump but apart from that things went well. I’ve spent a fair amount of time riding since the first race in Poland, but because we’ve had so much rain in California my Endurocross track’s been flooded. I’ve spent all my time riding in the hills. I guess it hasn’t been a bad thing, but like I said I did get a little arm pump. I’m doing Winter X Games soon, so I’m looking forward to a little down time in February and having some fun doing something a little different before getting back to business at round three in Spain.”

Alfredo Gomez

“I’m very happy with the way everything went tonight. I felt good from the first free practice and managed to continue that into the finals. I changed a few of the lines I was using during the finals and I really think that helped me. It allows me to stay ahead of Jonny (Walker) because he was really pushing me hard. Everything went well during the three finals.”

For Jonny Walker round two brought improved speed, a podium result and close battles with Gomez.

Jonny Walker

“My speed was good. I raced well. My starts just weren’t what I needed. It’s tough on all SuperEnduro tracks, but especially this one here in Germany. There’s one good line and it’s so, so difficult getting around riders. I learned at the first round that there’s a very fine line between pushing hard and pushing a little too hard and making mistakes. It was difficult – I knew I was a little faster than Gomez, but getting ahead of him was hard. Of course I was hoping for the win but I really enjoyed the racing and the track. I feel like I rode and raced better than I did in Poland. The more technical track suited me, it was a cool night of racing.”

Prestige Class Results:

1. Colton Haaker – 1-1-1
2. Alfredo Gomez – 2-3-2
3. Jonathan Walker – 3-2-3
4. Mario Roman – 4-5-4
5. Pascal Rauchenecker – 5-4-5
6. Eloi Salsench – 6-7-6
7. Mike Brown – 7-6-7
8. Rannar Uusna – 8-8-8
9. Pittens Wesley – 10-9-10
10. David Leonov – 12-10-9

Prestige Class Championship Standings

1. Colton Haaker – 117
2. Alfredo Gomez – 95
3. Jonathan Walker – 93
4. Mario Roman – 59
5. Tadeusz Blazusiak – 58
6. Mike Brown – 56
7. Pascal Rauchenecker – 53
8. Rannar Uusna – 37
9. Eloi Salsench – 33
10. Manuel Lettenbichler – 27

2017 Australian Solo Championships – Rounds 1 and 2 – Gillman and Mildura

The opening two rounds of the 2017 Australian Solo Championships have been held at Gilman and Mildura and so far we have seen veteran Dave Watts win the opening round before young Sam Master took out round two leaving the championship well and truly in the balance heading into round three at Undera.

So far the series has seen Troy Batchelor’s bike catch on fire and the sensational scratching of

Justin Sedgmen who was excluded from the A Final in Mildura due to a ‘technicality’ leaving Sam Masters to take the win from Max Fricke and Watt.

Sam Masters

“Gillman has always been my weak round, but to come here (to Mildura) and win is great because it takes the pressure off coming into Undera. It was a hard night because it was so hot which made life hard for everyone in the end. But we all had a good night.”

Max Fricke

“Undera is my closest track to home. I grew up on it in the early days, but Kurri Kurri is a track I really like and I am looking forward to achieving a really strong result at round 4.”

David Watt leads the championship coming into round three.

David Watt

“I’m confident and riding well. I had bad run in the final with the bike and the competition is super tight too. Undera is unknown for me as I have not been there for a while. Im really looking forward to Kurri Kurri as I feel really comfortable there. I need to work on Justin because he beat me there on Boxing Day! So I will need to be on top of my game.”

Attention is now on the all-important round three of the fast moving championship, held at Undera Park Speedway near Shepparton in Victoria, this Wednesday 11th January.

Australian Solo Championship Standings after Round 1 – Gillman:

1. Davey Watt – 17
2. Justin Sedgmen – 17
3. Nick Morris – 14
4. Troy Batchelor – 12
5. Sam Masters – 10
6. Rohan Tungate – 10
7. Max Fricke – 9
8. Ty Proctor – 6
9. Jack Holder – 6
10. Jaimon Lidsey – 5
11. Todd Kurtz – 5
12. Brady Kurtz – 5
13. Josh Pickering – 5
14. Cooper Riordan – 4
15. Mason Campton – 3
16. Jordan Stewart – 2

Australian Championship points tally after Round 2 – Mildura:

1. Dave Watt 32
2. Justin Sedgmen 29
3. Sam Masters 26
4. Max Fricke 25
5. Nick Morris 22
6. Toy Batchelor 20
7. Brady Kurtz 15
8=. Jack Holder 13
8=. Josh Pickering 13
8=. Rohan Tungate 13
11. Ty Proctor 12
12. Jaimon Lidsey 11
13. Todd Kurtz 9
14. Mason Campton 7
15=. Cooper Riordan 6
15=. Jordan Stewart 6