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Moto News Weekly Wrap
September 7, 2021

What’s New:

• Australia won’t attend 2021 FIM Motocross of Nations due to Covid
• Blake Hollis dominates QORC Rounds 11 & 12
• Courtney Duncan reclaims WMX World Championship lead
• De Bortoli claims EMX Open victory in Turkey
• AMA also withdraws from 2021 Motocross of Nations
• Dallas Daniels sweeps Springfield ST double
• Jared Mees wins 2021 Springfield Mile
• Mees doubles up with Springfield Mile II victory
• 2021 ISDE Wrap – Italy dominates
• Herlings and Vialle top MXGP of Turkey
• 2021 Pro Motocross Championship Round 11 – Fox Raceway II
• Jett Lawrence tops 250s at Fox Raceway II
• 2021 Racing Calendars
  • 2021 Provisional MXGP
  • 2021 Yamaha AORC presented by MXStore
  • 2021 Australian Penrite ProMX
  • 2021 Speedway GP
  • 2021 FIM Hard Enduro World Championship
  • 2021 FIM Cross-Country Rallies
  • 2021 AMA Supercross
  • 2021 GNCC
  • 2021 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross
  • 2021 Progressive American Flat Track
  • 2021 New Zealand Motocross
  • 2021 New Zealand Cross-Country
  • 2021 New Zealand Enduro
  • 2021 Australian Supercross (provisional)
  • And more…

Australia won’t attend 2021 FIM Motocross of Nations due to Covid

Motorcycling Australia haved announced that Australia will not be sending a team to this month’s FIM Motocross of Nations (MXoN) to be held in Italy, due to significant COVID-19 regulations and restrictions.

MXoN is to be held on September 25 and 26, in Italy, however with border restrictions, stringent international travel restrictions which require special exemptions, vaccine and quarantine requirements in Italy and Australia, vaccine passports as well as contractual commitments of candidates and their teams, it is not possible to send a team. With constant COVID-19 legislative changes both here in Australia and Europe it is not feasible, to have an Australian team participate.

Blake Hollis dominates QORC Rounds 11 & 12

Off road racing resumed in Queensland over the weekend with a large contingent of riders converging on the Cooby Dam venue, near Toowoomba, for a double header weekend of off road action in the Queensland Off Road Championship.

The recent dry spell saw dusty conditions all weekend but with the sprint format in place and two separate courses, things ran smoothly with riders enjoying the return to racing and looking forward to more events before the year is out.

BLU cRU Yamaha’s Blake Hollis leapt up to the 450ccc machine and made every post a winner on the weekend. Hollis adapted to the more powerful bike after the first couple of laps and then went on to win on both days.

Hollis completed the eight sprint laps on Saturday in 1.08.55 to win the round and finish 30 seconds clear of fellow Yamaha rider, Harry Teed. The dust combined with the technical rocks and hard packed dirt made it a challenge for all riders, but Hollis and his Yamaha handled it the best.

He turned in a similar performance on Sunday to take another round win, this time 45 seconds clear of his nearest rival. The 1-1 results see him leap to second place in the Queensland Championship and wanting to keep the momentum going in the remaining rounds.

Pitting alongside Hollis for the weekend was Harry Teed who kept the two-stroke fans happy with two good performances over the weekend. Teed charged to a second-place finish on Saturday and then backed that up with fourth place finish on Sunday on board his YZ250X.

The big haul of points over the weekend sees Teed move to third in the state championship making it a Yamaha 2-3.

In the junior categories, two young guns from a famous racing family kept the success flowing. Harley and Drake Hutton, sons of former national off-road champ, Kirk Hutton, have the racing genes and at the ages of 11 and 9 respectively, are already tasting success.

Harley Hutton took out the small wheel 85cc class (J1) on his YZ85 on both days. Harley was a step above his rivals and now has a good lead in the championship with just a couple of rounds remaining. His winning margin was over four minutes on Saturday and three minutes on Sunday.

Younger brother Drake snared second place on both days on his YZ65 in the JJ class. Drake is just finding his feet in off road racing and progressing well in the off-road scene despite his tender age.

There are two rounds remaining on the calendar for the Queensland Off Road Championship.

2021 QORC – Championship Standings
Senior Pro

JJ- Junior 65cc

J1- Junior 85cc

Courtney Duncan reclaims WMX World Championship lead

Defending FIM Women’s Motocross World Champion Courtney Duncan of Bike IT MTX Kawasaki has bounced back with an overall victory at the Round of Turkey, finishing on the top step ahead of Kiara Fontanesi and Ceres 71 Racing’s Nancy Van De Ven.

In the opening race it was Larissa Papenmeier of Yamaha Racing 423 who grabbed the holeshot from Duncan, Fontanesi, Amadine Verstappen and Van De Ven. Papenmeier then faded which allowed Duncan, Fontanesi and Verstappen through.

With Duncan in the lead, Fontanesi was looking for a way to work away at the 5.517 second gap between her and the race leader, while Van De Ven pushed to pass Papenmeier.

Fontanesi then set the fastest lap of the race as she closed in on the Kawasaki rider while Van De Ven was finally able to take fourth from Papenmeier.

A couple of laps later, Fontanesi was on the rear wheel of Duncan who made a small mistake which presented Fontanesi the perfect opportunity to get her GasGas machine out in front as she took the lead on lap eight. Duncan was looking to fight back but made a mistake and went off track, losing a load of time as a result.

In the end it was Fontanesi who was the race winner with Duncan second and Verstappen holding on to third.

In the second heat it was Elisa Galvagno who grabbed the holeshot from Van De Ven, Duncan, Papenmeier and Fontanesi. Lynn Valk was there in sixth also.

Van De Ven then took the lead with Fontanesi getting around Duncan for second, while Verstappen got herself into fifth. By the end of the opening lap there was a change for the lead as Fontanesi was able to get good drive and get around the Dutchman.

Verstappen then passed Galvagno for fourth position, while Duncan passed Van De Ven for second place. Though the Yamaha rider was quick to respond and take back her position but only for a couple more laps as by lap three Duncan was back in P2.

Duncan then got her head down to close in on Fontanesi as she got the gap down to 0.884 seconds and it was game on from then on. As the Kiwi continued to push, she made a mistake which allowed Fontanesi to run away, though this did not last long as Duncan was able to clock in some very fast laps to end up on the Italian’s rear wheel once again.

The final lap was intense as the pair battled for the win, with Duncan giving it her all to pass Fontanesi on the final corner before the finish jump. Duncan was the race winner, with Fontanesi second and Van De Ven third.

The podium looked the same, with Courtney Duncan taking the overall victory ahead of Kiara Fontanesi and Nancy Van De Ven. With a 2-1 result Duncan now leads the WMX Championship once again, with Fontanesi picking up some solid points to get herself within 15 points of the series leader with Shana Van Der Vlist dropping down to third.

Courtney Duncan

“Yeah, it was a pretty solid day I would say. I had a pretty good qualifying and also two solid races. The second and first one, Kiara did really well. Second race also, the girls up front were fast and we had a good battle on the first few laps. Kiara had a really good pace going and then I thought “Okay, give it one last push” and passed her on the last lap. Really happy with that, not only for the race but also for taking the red plate back. There’s still so much racing to go and you can see that anything can happen in the races, you only need to look at the previous years. I just need to stay focused and take the next races as they come.”

MXGP of Turkey WMX Overall

WMX Standings

De Bortoli claims EMX Open victory in Turkey

EMX Open Championship leader Davide De Bortoli secured his first overall victory of the season, as he gets one step closer to wrapping up the EMX Open title with a round to go.

In the first race, it was De Bortoli who took the holeshot from Nicolas Dercourt of Honda SR Motoblouz ahead of JD Gunnex KTM Racing’s Tomasz Wysocki and Simone Croci.

Croci wasted no time to get around Wysocki, while Dercourt was keeping close to De Bortoli for the win. De Bortoli then set the fastest lap of the race as the gap opened up to 2.254 seconds though Dercourt was able to bring that back and get onto the Italian’s back wheel as he searched for a way through.

The pair battled for the win for most of the race as they had a little bit of a gap to Croci and Wysocki who were in their own battle for third. Krisztian Tompa was having a good ride in fifth ahead of Matej Jaros and local rider Mustafa Cetin.

With three laps to go, the gap was at 3.089 and as the race came to a close Dercourt came under fire from a hard-charging Croci who was able to get the Frenchman on the final lap to finish second. Dercourt was forced to settle for third while De Bortoli took the win.

The second race saw Dercourt not line up for the heat which mean he was out of the podium fight and would end up losing vital points in terms of the championship.

As the gate dropped for the second heat, De Bortoli was first out of the start once again, while Croci was right there in second ahead of Wysocki and Tompa.

Sakir Senkalayci dropped two positions on the opening lap which allowed Batuhan Demiryol and Mehmet Celik through.

De Bortoli then edged out by 7.367 as Croci remained second with Wysocki slowly closing the gap to second place. For the rest of the race De Bortoli was fully in control keeping a steady gap to second and third as Corci and Wysocki battled for second.

Eventually, with four laps remaining, Wysokci was able to get around Croci to move into second position, with the Polish rider then setting his sights on chasing down the race leader.

In the end De Bortoli was the race winner, with Wysocki second and Croci third, ahead of Tompa and Jaros who rounded out the top five.

With two race wins, Davide De Bortoli stood on the top step of the podium for the very first time this season, Simone Croci joined him alongside on the second step, while Wysocki celebrated his first podium finish with third overall.

De Bortoli now takes the championship to the final round on Tuesday with a 37-points advantage over Nicolas Dercourt and Simone Croci who is just four points off second place.

Davide De Bortoli

“After an infinity of third place finishes, finally I win here today and for me it’s been a great day because everything went perfect, first in time practice and a win in the first and second race. I am sorry Nicolas Dercourt didn’t start the second race because I would have liked to battle with him for the championship, but I am very happy, and I hope to do another good race on Tuesday. The championship now is almost over but I must keep focused for Tuesday and don’t make any mistakes as I really hope to win the championship.”

EMX Open Overall Results

EMX Open Standings

AMA also withdraws from 2021 MXoN

The American Motorcyclist Association will not participate in the 2021 Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme Motocross of Nations, Sept. 25-26 in Mantova, Italy. Ongoing COVID-19 mitigation efforts and ever-changing travel restrictions presented logistical challenges that contributed to the U.S. team’s decision.

Mike Pelletier – AMA Director of Racing

“A number of issues have contributed to the logistical difficulty of attending the 2021 Motocross of Nations, on both an individual and team level, and these have been exacerbated greatly by current and expected COVID-19 mitigation efforts surrounding the event. Due to the sizeable financial risk faced by all the team stakeholders, and the unknowns in play here, we came to the unanimous conclusion that suspending our participation was the responsible decision. The AMA takes great pride in our efforts to compete in the Motocross of Nations each year, and we hope to return to the Motocross of Nations in 2022. As we look forward to competing again in 2022, it’s our goal to bring back the Chamberlain Trophy to the U.S. once again.”

The FIM-sanctioned Motocross of Nations is a world championship team event featuring three-rider national teams. They compete for a combined score, which determines the overall championship-winning country.

The U.S. team is the all-time leader in FIM Motocross of Nations overall team victories, with 22 overall wins. Most of those wins took place under five-time Motocross World Champion and AMA Motorcycle Hall of Famer Roger DeCoster’s direction, with the most recent U.S. Motocross of Nations win coming in 2011.

Dallas Daniels sweeps Springfield ST double

Reigning AFT Singles champion Dallas Daniels (No. 1 Estenson Racing Yamaha YZ450F) rebounded following his recent catastrophic Peoria TT outing, doubling up at the Springfield Short Track Doubleheader in improbable fashion on Friday night in Springfield, Illinois.

It wasn’t as simple as a standard sweep of the checkered flags at the Illinois State Fairgrounds, however, as Daniels was faced with back-to-back disasters before ultimately walking away with a redemptive double win to successfully reignite his title defense in front of the home fans.

Main Event 1

A little earlier in the evening it looked as if Trevor Brunner (No. 21 American Honda/Progressive Insurance CRF450R) had returned to the scene of his maiden victory and added a second to his career tally, albeit in controversial fashion.

With less than two minutes remaining on the clock of the opening Main Event, Brunner and fellow ‘20 Springfield Short Track winner Daniels broke free from Daniels’ teammate, Mikey Rush (No. 15 Estenson Racing Yamaha YZ450F), and fast qualifier Kody Kopp (No. 143 Smartop/Jones Honda/Latus Motors CRF450R), to engage in a two-rider duel for the win.

Daniels showed Brunner a wheel twice before finally executing what felt like the race’s decisive maneuver with the clock near expiration and just two brief laps remaining to seal a timely win.

Brunner had other plans, barging up the inside in the race’s final corner. The resulting contact sent Daniels tumbling to the dirt, which brought out a late red and left Daniels’ title hopes in serious jeopardy.

After intensive review by Progressive American Flat Track officials, the final results reverted to the running order on the lap prior to the incident (the last lap completed by all active riders still on the lead lap). Daniels was therefore ultimately awarded the win. And, as Brunner was designated the sole cause of the red flag, he was dropped down to the back of the lead lap and hence credited with 11th.

The Brunner-Daniels incident elevated one-time race leader Rush to second in the final order, at last ending the veteran ace’s seven-race podium drought. It also bumped Morgen Mischler (No. 13 Mission Roof Systems KTM 450 SX-F) – who tracked down and overhauled Kopp late – to third to increase his season’s podium haul to eight.

Kopp finished fourth while Brunner’s teammate, Cole Zabala (No. 51 American Honda/Progressive Insurance CRF450R), rounded out the top five.

Title leader Max Whale (No. 18 Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 450 SX-FFE) came home in sixth.

Main Event 2

Main Event 2 was nearly as hectic, although Daniels largely managed to escape the crossfire in the rematch thanks to some skillful maneuvering on the tight arena.

That said, despite getting first pick as the fast qualifier, the champ was immediately dropped to fourth behind Zabala, Brunner and Kopp. Less than a chaotic minute into the race, teammates Brunner and Zabala came together while disputing the lead, this time with Zabala hitting the deck and forcing another red flag.

Brunner assumed the lead at the restart with Daniels right on his tail, while Zabala found himself having to fight his way up from the back of the field.

Daniels made a tidy and drama-free pass for the lead with just over two minutes remaining and quickly stretched out a big enough gap to prevent another last-corner surprise. However, that important work was undone by another red flag; this time when Rush crashed after being contacted by Mischler in their scrap for third as the clock hit 0:00.

This set up a three-lap shootout for victory, seemingly putting another surefire Daniels win in doubt. Those fears were instantly erased by a strong launch from the staggered restart as the bar-banging ensued enmasse just behind.

Brunner held on for second, followed by fellow rising star Kopp. Zabala somehow charged his way up to fourth with Mischler close behind fifth. Perhaps even more impressive than Zabala’s race-long comeback was that of Rush, who slashed his way from last to seventh in that three-lap scramble.

Whale, meanwhile, was shuffled back from sixth to ninth over that same span. As a result, Daniels has reclaimed the title lead by seven points (231-224) with just three races left to determine the 2021 AFT Singles crown.

2021 Springfield ST Results

Jared Mees wins 2021 Springfield Mile

Images by Scott Hunter

Progressive American Flat Track legend Jared Mees (No. 9 Indian Motorcycle/Progressive Insurance FTR750) overcame a checkered flag challenge from rival Briar Bauman (No. 1 Indian Motorcycle/Progressive Insurance FTR750) to reign victorious in Sunday’s Memphis Shades Springfield Mile I presented by Law Tigers at the Illinois State Fairgrounds in Springfield, Illinois.

Five minutes into the 14-minute-plus-two-lap Main, an early eight-rider lead group had whittled down to a six-rider pack consisting of Mees, Bauman, Brandon Robinson (No. 44 Mission Roof Systems Indian FTR750), Sammy Halbert (No. 69 Coolbeth-Nila Racing Indian FTR750), Brandon Price (No. 92 Mission Roof Systems Indian FTR750), and Jarod Vanderkooi (No. 20 Mission Roof Systems Indian FTR750). It would remain that way for the bulk of the contest.

A final lap showdown between Mission SuperTwins presented by S&S Cycle title rivals Mees and Bauman only took shape once the race dipped under the three-minute mark. Vanderkooi was the first to drop out with a mechanical issue. Halbert would follow for the same reason with less than a minute on the clock, while Price simply could no longer hold the pace at that point.

Then Robinson lost touch with the draft as the leaders took the final lap, leaving just Mees and Bauman to determine the victor.

While Mees and Robinson had swapped the lead back and forth throughout much of the race, defending double Mission SuperTwins Champion Bauman showed off a high-low line late that provided him a potential pathway to glory. Indeed, he attempted to replicate it in Turns 3 and 4 on the final lap but came up just inches short of slotting ahead of Mees as they streaked toward the checkered flag.

Mees then held on to win by 0.116 seconds with Robinson rounding out the podium another 0.205 seconds back.

The victory was Mees’ sixth-career Springfield Mile triumph, including four of the last five. Referencing the fact that he and his wife, Nichole, will also serve as the race promoter for the series’ crown jewel event starting in 2022, he said, “I love the Springfield Mile. I figured if I’m gonna own it, I’ve got to win it, right?”

A frustrated Bauman made it clear in Victory Circle that he considered Mees’ tactics unsafe and added that his plan would be to “not get mad, get even” in Monday’s rematch.

Robinson’s teammate, Price, finished fourth with an impressive Kolby Carlile (No. 36 Estenson Racing Yamaha MT-07 DT) collecting his third-career premier-class top-five in what proved to be an attrition-filled Main.

Included in that list of DNFs were high-profile wild cards Jeffrey Carver, Jr. (No. 23 Happy Trails Racing/DPC Racing/Bryan Bigelow Indian FTR750) and Bryan Smith (No. 4 Crosley/Howerton Motorsports Indian FTR750), who were both early retirements.

AFT Production Twins

Dallas Daniels (No. 32 Estenson Racing Yamaha MT-07) continues to check off items from his boyhood bucket list as he marches his way to Progressive AFT superstardom. The 18-year-old prodigy dominated the Springfield Mile in his first attempt, winning Sunday’s AFT Production Twins presented by Vance & Hines Main Event.

The victory follows his Friday AFT Singles sweep, setting the stage for a possible Springfield quadruple come Monday’s Springfield Mile II. And if that wasn’t enough, Daniels also pocketed an extra $5000 for winning the Memphis Shades Babe DeMay Challenge dash for cash.

Daniels now boasts two wins and a runner-up finish in his three career AFT Production Twins starts.

Vance & Hines’ talented trio gave chase early before settling into a strong 2-3-4 finish. Second-place went to Morgen Mischler (No. 13 Vance & Hines/Mission Foods Harley-Davidson XG750R), who adopted Daniels’ low line to power away from his temporary teammates, while Chad Cose (No. 49 Voodoo Ranger/Roof Systems Harley-Davidson XG750R) drafted past Jesse Janisch (No. 96 Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson XG750R) at the line to secure the final spot on the box.

Tanner Dean (No. 38 Racing Unlimited Kawasaki/Bel Ray Oils Kawasaki Ninja 650) inherited fifth after Jeremiah Duffy (No. 42 Sammy O Racing/Geiger Construction Kawasaki Ninja 650) encountered issues, leaving Cose as the only class regular to finish in the top five.

As a result, an uncharacteristic seventh-place finish on the part of Cory Texter (No. 65 G&G Racing/Yamaha Racing MT-07) was actually a positive day for his championship campaign, especially with Dalton Gauthier (No. 79 D&D Cycles/Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson XG750R) still on the mend and Dan Bromley (No. 62 Memphis Shades/Vinson Construction Yamaha MT-07) suffering a mechanical problem of his own.

Results

2021 Springfield Mile II

Images by Scott Hunter

Jared Mees (No. 9 Indian Motorcycle/Progressive Insurance FTR750) left the field in his wake — twice — on Monday to complete the Progressive American Flat Track Labor Day Weekend sweep in a one-sided Memphis Shades Springfield Mile II presented by Law Tigers at the Illinois State Fairgrounds in Springfield, Illinois.

After being accused of closing down the lines of his rivals during Sunday’s victory, Mees responded by making any such allegations irrelevant on Monday. He immediately shot out into the lead and drove away from a five-rider pack of would-be pursuers, building up an eight-plus-second advantage with just two minutes remaining.

Despite the monster lead, he was forced to prove his Springfield supremacy one more time, when a red flag brought the race to a momentary halt at that point.

While Sammy Halbert (No. 69 Coolbeth-Nila Racing Indian FTR750) managed to slide in front for a few seconds, Mees ultimately reestablished himself out front en route to a 1.134-second margin of victory.

‘20 Springfield Mile winner Halbert came home second while Mission SuperTwins presented by S&S Cycle championship leader Briar Bauman (No. 1 Indian Motorcycle/Progressive Insurance FTR750) finished third — albeit not until after surviving a close call with wild card Jeffrey Carver, Jr. (No. 23 Happy Trails Racing/DPC/Bryan Bigelow Indian FTR750).

Mees’ sixth- and seventh-career Springfield Mile wins worked to tighten up the title fight considerably. Bauman continues to lead, but a once healthy 25-point gap has been reduced to just 12 (254-242) with two more Mees’ friendly Miles directly ahead.

Jared Mees

“After the chatter that Briar had up on the podium last night, I just figured today I’d drop the hammer and really put some distance on them to where I could do whatever I wanted out there. Right before the Main Event, we made a few small changes that ended up being a huge difference. I’ve got the best team out there, and we got the thing hooked up better, running faster, and just smoothed out. It was an incredible weekend for us.”

Third-ranked Brandon Robinson (No. 44 Mission Roof Systems Indian FTR750) finished fourth with home-track favorite Carver completing the top five.

Davis Fisher (No. 67 BMC Racing/Dick Wall 60 Indian FTR750) – who was the fastest man on track save Mees at one point – finished sixth, followed by Jarod Vanderkooi (No. 20 Mission Roof Systems Indian FTR750), Brandon Price (No. 92 Mission Roof Systems Indian FTR750), JD Beach (No. 95 Estenson Racing Yamaha MT-07 DT), and Kolby Carlile (No. 36 Estenson Racing Yamaha MT-07 DT) to round out the top ten.

AFT Production Twins

Dallas Daniels (No. 32 Estenson Racing Yamaha MT-07) pulled off the nearly unthinkable Springfield double-double with a heart-pounding victory in Monday’s AFT Production Twins presented by Vance & Hines Main Event.

A hugely entertaining contest saw as many as eight riders still within shot of the victory with two minutes to go. Adding to the entertainment factor was the fact that several different lines were in play, with riders routinely railing corners several riders wide, utilizing extreme low and high lines in search of the fastest way around the high-speed Mile.

The final lap opened with Daniels leading a tight four-rider pack that also included Jesse Janisch (No. 96 Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson XG750R), Chad Cose (No. 49 Voodoo Ranger/Roof Systems Harley-Davidson XG750R) and Cory Texter (No. 65 G&G Racing/Yamaha Racing MT-07).

Janisch threw it up the inside of Daniels entering Turn 3 and held the advantage exiting 4 for the final time. Daniels sucked up in the draft and swung alongside just as Cose and Texter fanned out four-wide in the sprint to the checkered flag.

Daniels just nipped ahead of Janisch by 0.022 seconds, with Cose in third another 0.016 seconds back. Title leader Texter missed the podium in fourth, despite coming up a scant 0.089 seconds short of the victory.

In addition to sweeping both AFT Singles and both AFT Production Twins races this weekend in Springfield, Daniels now owns three wins and one runner-up in four career AFT Production Twins starts.

Morgen Mischler (No. 13 Vance & Hines/Mission Foods Harley-Davidson XG750R) grabbed his fourth top-five of the weekend in fifth, with Dan Bromley (No. 62 Memphis Shades/Vinson Construction Yamaha MT-07) bouncing back from his Sunday disappointment in sixth.

Despite threatening to break away at the front at one point in the race, Tanner Dean (No. 38 Racing Unlimited Kawasaki/Bel Ray Oils Kawasaki Ninja 650), ended up coming home in seventh.

Texter now leads Bromley by 67 points (249-182), which puts him in prime position to clinch his second AFT Production Twins title next weekend in Sacramento.

Results

2021 ISDE Wrap – Italy dominates

The 95th running of the International Six Days of Enduro (ISDE) has come to an end, after the sixth day of competition saw Italy claim top honours after a week of dominant performances, that never saw them headed, despite tough competition from Team Spain.

Making it a memorable double for Italy, the host nation also topped the Junior World Trophy category, while the USA put the finishing touches to their incredible week-long performance to win in the Women’s World Trophy category.

Those results saw the three teams that have dominated this year’s event claim their respective class winning results.

Not needing to take any unneeded risks, Italy’s Andrea Verona (GASGAS), Davide Guarneri (Fantic), Thomas Oldrati (Honda), and Matteo Cavallo (TM) finally finished four minutes and forty-one seconds ahead of second placed Spain after the final day of competition.

Andrea Verona

“I’m really happy with my week here at the Six Days, to take the win in E1, and the World Trophy title for my country feels amazing! I had a big fight all week with Josep (Garcia) for the overall, and although I only beat him overall on one day, we both pushed each other really hard, and I think that definitely increased our pace over the whole event and improved our skills. My bike has been perfect, so much fun to race. It’s been an incredible event for the Italian teams, claiming both the World Trophy and the Junior Trophy shows the level that we’re at right now as a country, in enduro. It was so good to race at home in front of all the fans, they have been so supportive all through the event and to reward them with a result like this feels great.”

With strong final day results from Josep Garcia (KTM) and Jaume Betriu (KTM), Spain, like Italy ahead of them, put the finishing touches to a solid week-long performance.

Entering the event with hopes of claiming another World Trophy team win, the USA completed their week as the third fastest team, having not quite had the pace to challenge the two European squads ahead of them.

World Trophy Team Overall Results – Top 10 Teams

Junior World Trophy

Ending their winning Junior World Trophy campaign eight minutes and thirty-one seconds ahead of second-placed France, Italy’s Lorenzo Macoritto (TM), Manolo Morettini (KTM), and Matteo Pavoni (TM) delivered a dominant team performance.

Fast from the start of the event, and remaining that way day after day, despite the best efforts of France and Sweden, Italy did what they needed to do on day six and completed their amazing week.

Matteo Pavoni

“This week has been very good for me, and of course the team. I was able to start fast, which was very important. I like this terrain and that has helped me a lot. After the first few days I was more calm with my riding, no big risks. As a team we knew that we could produce a good result, and we have. We’ve had a lot of dust on some special tests this week, so taking no risks has been very important to our team the last few days. Today, we knew what we needed to do, and, well, it’s fantastic to win.”

With their World Trophy teammates enduring a rough week, France’s Junior World Trophy team kept themselves ahead of Sweden to secure a deserved runner-up result. With Italy, France, and Sweden, separated by less than ten minutes after more than thirteen hours of special test action, the three nations all did themselves proud.

Junior World Trophy Team Overall Results

Women’s World Trophy

In the Women’s Trophy, Team USA put the finishing touches to their dominant week-long performance to complete the 2021 ISDE just over fifteen minutes ahead of second-placed Great Britain.

Once again it was Brandy Richards (KTM) who stole the show, winning the women’s day six motocross race ahead of Spain’s Mireia Badia (GASGAS) and Rachel Gutish (Husqvarna) and in doing so completing her amazing week with a dominant victory.

Brandy Richards

“I’m absolutely stoked for myself and the team here in Italy. My goals coming here were to take the overall in the Women’s class and keep Team USA at the top of the Women’s World Trophy competition and I’ve done both. There are so many fast, skillful riders here so to be inside the top 100 overall is a massive achievement for me, also. It’s been a tough week, but with the tests not being too technical, the riding has suited me perfectly.”

With no World Trophy or Junior World Trophy teams representing Great Britain, GB’s women upheld national pride and did exactly what they needed to do during the final day’s motocross races and secured a deserved runner-up overall Women’s World Trophy result.

Despite eventual third place finishers Spain closing to within less than one minute of Nieve Holmes (GASGAS), Jane Daniels (Fantic), and Rosie Rowett (KTM), GB’s women held firm and took the runner-up spot.

Women’s World Trophy Overall Results

Herlings and Vialle top MXGP of Turkey

The 2021 MXGP of Turkey ran over the weekend in Afyonkarahisar and saw Jeffrey Herlings take the overall win in the MXGP class, leaving Jorge Prado and Tim Gajser to battle over the remaining podium positions.

In MX2 it was Tom Vialle taking top honours, with Australia’s Jed Beaton finishing third after consistent 3-3 results, behind Maxime Renaux. Fellow Australian Todd Wilson was eighth, with an 11-7 result.

MXGP Race 1

After posting the fastest lap time in Time Practice, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Jorge Prado started the first race with the Fox Holeshot, as he led Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP’s Glenn Coldenhoff, Monster Energy Kawasaki Racing Team’s Romain Febvre and Standing Construct GasGas Factory Racing’s Pauls Jonass.

Team HRC’s Tim Gajser and Jeffrey Herlings of Red Bull KTM Factory Racing were side by side on the opening lap and moments later both got around Jonass who dropped to sixth.

Herlings then caught onto the back of Coldenhoff and passed his fellow Dutchman as Gajser set out to do the same. But the Slovenian struggled for 10 laps behind Coldenhoff always coming short of making a pass.

Febvre remained all over Prado for the lead, as Gajser came under fire from Cairoli who got around the Honda rider to move into sixth. He then got around Coldenhoff too and was pushing to get closer to Jonass.

Gajser then caught back up with the 259 of Coldenhoff and passed him on lap 11, as JM Honda Racing’s Henry Jacobi got Brian Bogers of Standing Construct GasGas Factory Racing for eighth to solidify a top 10 result.

After spending the majority of the race in third, Herlings switched it up a gear and was on a charge to close in on Febvre and Prado. It did not take him long as he got Febvre on lap 13 and then just two laps later was in front of Prado.

Jonass started to challenge Febvre too and with three laps from the end of the race was able to get the job done. Herlings was the race winner, with Prado finishing second and Jonass third.

MXGP Race 2

In the second heat it was once again Prado with the Fox Holeshot as he led the race once again while Febvre, Gajser, Jonass and Cairoli followed behind. Herlings struggled further down the field as he passed Kevin Strijbos of Gebben Van Venrooy Yamaha Racing for seventh position.

Herlings then continued to make progress as he got around Coldenhoff and set his sights on Cairoli, while Gajser charged past Febvre to move into second place.

The gap was then 1.366 seconds between Prado and Gajser, as the Slovenian was clear with his intentions of going for the win.

Jonass then had a big crash as he went off the track while battling with Cairoli for fourth, with the Latvian not finishing the race. Cairoli inherited his position as Herlings started to close in too.

Gajser then made another attempt to pass Prado and was able to secure the position and take over the lead on lap nine. Cairoli then caught onto the back wheel of Febvre as the pair traded positions a couple of times before the Italian was able to make it stick and take away third from the Kawasaki rider, as Herlings did the same.

Gajser then led by 2.877 seconds, as Prado was starting to feel the force of Cairoli and Herlings who were catching up fast. Cairoli and Prado had a couple of close calls before making contact, but both remained on the bikes. Eventually Cairoli crashed after, which allowed Herlings through.

With one lap to go, Herlings got his head down and got to work as he was able to pass Prado and secure the top step of the podium. Gajser was the race winner, with Herlings second and Prado third.

With a 1-2 result, Jeffrey Herlings was back on the top step, while Jorge Prado was forced to settle for second and Tim Gajser joining the pair in third. In terms of the championship standings, Gajser leads Prado by 13 points, while Febvre remains third a further four points behind.

Jeffrey Herlings – P1

“Definitely the first race was much easier because I was around fourth of fifth in the start and only had to pass a few guys. Both starts were off today and with the high altitude here we changed some things with the bike, but I think maybe we should go in a different direction. The start was pretty bad in the first race but then I managed to pass Glenn, Romain and Jorge and then it went pretty easy. Second race I was around tenth or twelfth, it was harder to get around the other guys, the last few laps were sketchy between Jorge and Tony as they were fighting for second position. Then Tony crashed right in front of me and then I managed to sneak past Jorge, but Tim was too far away for me to do anything about it. A 1-2 is good, we have some good racing and I look forward to it, I like the track but will definitely work on the starts and try some things. The arm is fine now, in Lommel it was very painful but in Latvia it was already much better, I still had a bit of pain but nothing crazy. I don’t know if you can ever be 100% but I am trying to be the best as I can because the competition is strong. If you look at the championship, the top five guys are really close.”

Jorge Prado – P2

“I think it was a great day. I got two good starts which makes things a lot easier. I led the most laps today so this gives me a confidence boost for Wednesday, the only thing is I was riding the same lines but when Jeffrey passed me in race one and Tim in the second one, I could see where I could improve. Physically I am feeling ok and I am getting better, the bike is working good. It was a pity on the last lap to be passed by Jeffrey, but hopefully on Wednesday we get some good results. There is still a lot of racing left, I need to take it race by race and stay within the top three, that is my goal, and get some race wins if I can. You don’t always get such a good field of riders because of injuries and other reasons but now everybody is ready to go racing so it is nice to race when everybody is fit.”

Tim Gajser – P3

“That was definitely two completely different races today, but I’m glad to have finished on a high note with that victory. In the first race I just got stuck behind another rider for too long and couldn’t find a rhythm. When I did get past, the front guys were too far in front so I couldn’t catch them. In race two, I got a better start and was in third early on. I quickly moved into second and then a few laps later I moved into first. Once I was there, I was able to pull away a bit and control the race until the chequered flag. Overall, it was good and I’m excited to come back on Wednesday and try and get the win here.”

Romain Febvre – P4

“This morning I had a good feeling on the track and I was happy with my third position behind the gate. The first moto I had a good start and tried several times to pass Prado but there were not so many lines to make the difference and I couldn’t really attack him. That helped Jeffrey to come back at me; when he passed me I looked at his lines but three laps from the end I made a small mistake and lost one position to finish fourth. My second start was again a good one; I was behind Prado but my feeling was not so good. I didn’t feel well and I was not at my best physically so I had to be content to secure another fourth position. It could have been better, but if we consider how I felt in the second race it could have been worse. Now I will rest to be ready for the next GP on Wednesday.”

Tony Cairoli – P5

“Overall I’m quite happy because the speed was good. I came back to 5th in the first moto after a bad start. We know that the start is so important on a track like this where it can be difficult to pass. I had good pace but couldn’t get higher than 5th. I was better at the beginning of the second moto and caught the leaders with Jorge and Tim. I was trying hard to overtake Jorge but it was pretty tough. At one moment I was really close but unfortunately when I jumped I saw someone had knocked some haybales into the track and there were in the middle of the way. I crashed pretty hard and lost two places, back to 5th. Not the best day but I’m not hurt and there is still a lot of racing ahead.”

Jeremy Seewer – P6

“As I mentioned in the preview, I am not where I want to be, so I just need to turn up and try and that’s all I can do. If I was better in Timed Practice, I would have had a better day because my starts were amazing today. I was just far outside. I think in both motos, I could have got for the holeshot if I would be on the inside. I lacked energy in the morning, and that was my disadvantage today, going to the gate in P.14. I made the most out of the situation, but in the second moto, the track was one-lined and super hard to pass. Under the circumstances, I collected good points, and I am still here and racing and not feeling too bad, so now I will take a couple of days rest, do some recovery and see where I can improve for Wednesday.”

Glenn Coldenhoff – P8

“My day started good. I got second in Timed Practice and felt good. The track was still very wet and I like those conditions. In the first moto, I got arm-pump on lap-2 and rode tight. It went from bad to worse. I started in third and ended up finishing eighth, which was not good. We tried to work on some things before the second moto. It definitely worked out better, and in the second race, I was feeling quite okay; I could keep the pace with the front guys, but then I made a small crash and I pushed really hard in the end, but the track is very one-lined. Everyone was taking this line which made it very difficult to make some passes.”

Pauls Jonass – P9

“It was a frustrating end to the day after such a good first moto. During the break in the calendar I improved my fitness even more as well as my speed on the bike and I really felt like that showed in race one. Fortunately, I’m ok after my big crash in race two. It was a wild one and I landed on asphalt, which is never good. Luckily, I just have some really bad bruising, so I’ll be back for more on Wednesday. I’ve no doubts about what I can do and I’m excited to be racing again in a few days.”

Brian Bogers – P10

“I have mixed feelings about today. I felt good on the bike and I had a good start in race one in seventh, but I was riding too stiff and making mistakes, so I dropped back to 11th. I had another good start in the second moto but in the first few corners I lost a lot of positions. After that though, my riding was much better and I moved up from 18th to 12th, so I was happy with that one. I think for Wednesday, if I can put the good starts and smooth riding together then I can be much higher in the results.”

MX2 Race 1

In the first MX2 race of the day, it was Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Tom Vialle who grabbed the Fox Holeshot ahead of his fellow teammate Rene Hofer as well as Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Jed Beaton and Kay De Wolf, as well as Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Mattia Guadagnini. While Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing MX2’s Maxime Renaux was further down the field in around eighth position.

Hofer then took over the lead from Vialle, as Renaux managed to find a way through on De Wolf to move into fifth. Vialle then got to work as he caught back up with his teammate and by lap four was back in the driving seat and leading the race.

Renaux then lost a spot to Honda 114 Motorsports’ Ruben Fernandez for a brief moment before getting back around the Spaniard, while Hofer was starting to come under pressure from Beaton and Guadagnini.

Though at the front of the field, Vialle continued to clock the fastest lap times of the race, as Thibault Benistant of Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing MX2 and F&H Kawasaki Racing’s Mathys Boisrame battled for eighth.

Guadagnini finally managed to get around Beaton on lap eight and then five or six laps later was able to get Hofer to get into second. Hofer then faded off as both Beaton and Renaux got around the Austrian, while Fernandez dived down the inside of De Wolf for sixth.

In the end it was Vialle who won the race 5.988 seconds ahead of Guadagnini and Beaton who crossed the line in third.

Australia’s Wilson Todd finished 11th.

MX2 Race 2

In race two it was Renaux with a flying start, as he took the second Fox Holeshot of the day and led the way with Beaton second and Vialle third. Guadagnini got another strong start and so did Gianluca Facchetti of Team Beddini Racing KTM on his first outing with the new team.

Hofer then got around Fernandez for fifth as Vialle tried to get around Beaton, with the Australian quick to respond and claim back his second-place spot.

As Renaux stretched out his lead to 2.490 seconds, Beaton came under fire from Vialle once again, with the KTM rider finally making a pass stick on lap five. Vialle then set the fastest lap of the race as he began to close in on the race leader, Renaux. But Renaux stepped it up a gear himself to set the fastest lap of the race himself, with the two Frenchman clock fast times lap after lap.

While the battle for the win was well and truly on between Renaux and Vialle, Guadagnini was also not letting go of Beaton for third as he started to apply the pressure.

With just a couple of laps from the finish, Vialle went down as he was focused on passing Renaux which handed the Yamaha rider a victory, while Vialle was able to get back on his bike quickly and hold on to second as Beaton was able to keep Guadagnini at bay and finish the day with another third-place finish.

With a 1-2 result, Tom Vialle was on the top step of the podium while Maxime Renaux was forced to settle for second ahead of Jed Beaton in third, as he secured his second podium of 2021.

Wilson Todd moved into the top-10 in Race 2 to claim 7th.

Renaux continues to lead the MX2 championship, maintaining a healthy 37-point lead over Guadagnini who has gained a bit of breathing room to Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing MX2’s Jago Geerts who is a further 15 points adrift.

Tom Vialle – P1

“It’s really good to be back on top after the injury. The summer break was good because I could train and work on the bike also and now to be back is really good. I was happy in the morning to take pole position because it’s not a lot of times that I’ve taken the pole position which was pretty nice. I took two good starts and in the second race I pushed to come back but it was difficult to pass as there were not so many lines and Maxime was riding pretty good. I tried to give my best. For sure to win here is good and to stay here in Turkey is nice, I like the track and it will be a good race on Wednesday.”

Maxime Renaux – P2

“Was two completely different races today. I took two good stars, but in the first race I went too wide which allowed the other riders on the inside, so I had to fight my way through the pack and come back from eighth to fourth. I was riding a little bit stiff and was not happy with the riding. For the second race we changed some things on the bike, I was feeling much more comfortable and took the holeshot and then had the perfect race. For Wednesday I will look to improve on my lap times because it’s important to be on the inside here. I take it race by race, I want to win all the races if I can but it’s pretty hard and I need to think about the championship. I’m also trying to be more clever than before and avoid making stupid mistakes and keep control of the championship.”

Jed Beaton – P3

“It feels really good to be back on the podium. It had been a bit of an up and down year heading into the break so to get this podium and put together two strong races, it’s the perfect start to the second half of the season. I had to really dig deep in that second moto, withstanding pressure for pretty much the whole race, so that one felt really good. The team has been amazing as always and this result sets us up really well for Wednesday. My bike was awesome, my starts were perfect and now we can just focus on the motos in a few days’ time and get back up on the box again.”

Mattia Guadagnini – P4

“I was feeling really good today and my riding was strong because of my rhythm and the line choices. I was happy to finish 2nd in the first moto. My start wasn’t great in the second and I lost time at the beginning but then I spent so much time trying to pass Jed for 3rd. I couldn’t make it and was a bit disappointed to miss the podium but the important thing is that I felt fast and we’ll try to keep this for Wednesday where we’ll hope for even better results.”

Rene Hofer – P5

“In general it was a really good day. It was nice to finally lead some laps again. Unfortunately I suffered some arm-pump in the first moto but I came away with 5th which wasn’t that bad. My start wasn’t too hot in the second moto but I passed some riders right away and I stayed in 5th. My riding was actually really good in that second race so we can build from that for Wednesday.”

Jago Geerts – P6

“I had a difficult timed practice this morning. I felt much better in the races, but with the 18th gate-pick, it was difficult to get off the start. I had to come back from 15th or 16th to finish ninth in race one. That was already a big step in the right direction. I actually got a really good start in the second heat but got cross-rutted and nearly crashed, so I lost around four places there. I made some passes after that, which was better, but I definitely want to try to do better on Wednesday.”

Kay de Wolf – P7

“I’m really happy with today. Seventh overall is another solid result for me and despite making a few mistakes, I felt like I was riding really well and with a good flow. I actually twisted my ankle in race one so that was pretty painful, but we strapped it up for moto two and it was ok once the adrenaline took over. It was a pretty fun track today and I’m looking forward to Wednesday.”

Wilson Todd – P8

“The day wasn’t too bad. The track was OK with some good ruts but you needed a good start to run up front. I spun at the gate the first moto which left me just outside the top ten. The second start was better but I was just a little too far outside from my gate-pick at turn one and got pushed out so had to chase again.“

2021 MXGP of Turkey Results

2021 Pro Motocross Championship
Round 11 – Fox Raceway II

Images by Jeff Kardas

450 Moto 1

The opening 450 Class moto of the afternoon started with Team Honda HRC’s Ken Roczen leading the way with the MotoSport.com Holeshot, followed by Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Cooper Webb and Ferrandis. The German looked to take advantage of the clear track and sprint away from the field, but both Webb and Ferrandis kept him within reach and even applied pressure for the lead.

Roczen responded and quickly built a three-second advantage over his rivals, which forced Ferrandis to pick up the pace and make the move on Webb for second a little more than 10 minutes into the moto. Ferrandis continued to push and eliminated a three-second deficit to Roczen to challenge for the lead at the halfway point of the moto. Once he closed onto the rear fender of the Honda, Ferrandis made quick work to take over the lead and seize control of the moto.

With first place in hand, Ferrandis continued to sustain the pace and ran the fastest laps of the moto to move out more than five seconds clear of Roczen. Behind them, a long, tense battle for third played out between Webb and Tomac.

The pair traded fast laps and momentum surges for several laps, as Webb fended off numerous pass attempts by Tomac. As the moto closed in on its final five minutes, lapped riders gave Tomac the opening he needed to take advantage of Webb being slowed, which provided an unchallenged pass for the position and moved Tomac into third.

With Webb no longer an issue, Tomac was able to pick up his pace and dramatically lowered his lap times, including the fastest lap of the moto, to close in on Roczen and make the pass for second. Roczen’s pace dropped off dramatically and caused him to lose ground to Webb, which led to a last-lap battle for third.

Back out front, Ferrandis carried on to his seventh moto win of the season by 3.9 seconds over Tomac, while Roczen held on for third. Webb finished fourth, followed by Monster Energy/Star/Yamaha Racing’s Christian Craig in fifth.

450 Moto 2

The final 450 Class moto stormed out the gate with Webb leading the way for the MotoSport.com Holeshot, closely followed by Roczen and Ferrandis. Roczen went on the attack on the opening lap and muscled his way by Webb to take control of the top spot, while Ferrandis followed through into second. The Frenchman kept the momentum rolling and looked to make his way around Roczen, which he did before the completion of the opening lap.

As the leaders settled in up front, Tomac was on the charge forward. After starting fifth, Tomac got into a groove and began to pick off riders at will. He first passed Craig for fourth, then made quick work of Webb to move into third. Not long after that the Kawasaki rider closed in on Roczen and took over second.

Tomac faced a small deficit to Ferrandis, but made quick work of erasing that. Just over 10 minutes into the moto the battle for the lead was on. Once they were side by side, Ferrandis didn’t put up a challenge and let Tomac surge ahead. As the change for the lead unfolded, Webb made the pass on Roczen for third. As the moto wore on, Roczen lost more positions and eventually dropped out of the top five.

Tomac ran away from the field over the second half of the moto and established a lead that surpassed 30 seconds. He took his fifth moto win of the season by 45.8 seconds over Ferrandis, with Webb nearly a minute behind in third.

450 Overall

With 1-2 results in the 450 Motos overnight at Fox Raceway’s penultimate round of the 2021 AMA Pro Motocross Championship Dylan Ferrandis has extended his championship lead over fellow European Ken Roczen out to a now insurmountable 62-points.

Ferrandis won the 2019 250 West Supercross Championship and then took out the 250 Motocross Championship and 250 West Supercross Championship double last year (2020), before stepping up to the 450 class this year.

In 2021 Ferrandis finished seventh in the 450 Supercross Championship before going on to wrap up the 450 Motocross Championship at his first attempt.

Dylan Ferrandis – P2

“It was another tough day, and I had to dig really deep to get this result. The weather was really hard on us, hard on the body, but I had this championship in mind, and I really wanted it. I tried the best that I could, and it looked like it was enough to grab it. It’s just unreal to be the champion in my first year on the 450. When I was young, I dreamed of being a 250 champion, but I never really dreamed of being a 450 champion. So, it’s not even a dream come true; it’s more than that. It’s just the best thing that I have ever done in my life. Today I’m really out of emotions. It was just such an awesome year for me, and it’s so awesome to win with this Yamaha bike and with this team. I’m really happy for everybody involved in winning this championship.”

Ferrandis is the eighth rider in history to earn the title in his first season in the AMA’s premier category, while also giving Yamaha its first 450 Class championship since 2007 with Grant Langston.

Ken Roczen is also now in danger of losing second place in the championship after Eli Tomac closed to within nine-points of the German off the back of his 2-1 results at this penultimate round ahead of the Hangtown finale next weekend.

Eli Tomac – P1

“I felt great in Moto 2! I started around 10th but was able to make passes quick by using some secondary lines around the track. It is just so much fun when I get into the zone like that and I’m able to click off laps out front. Also, winning the race by over 40 seconds was amazing and it feels good to be coming on strong right now.”

Cooper Webb – P3

“The track was super gnarly and just baked but I was super happy with today. Same as last weekend, we were a little bit further off the [leader’s] pace but I got a great start that second one and tried to run up there as long as I could. It was a tough day, just super warm and super rough but I’m happy to be on the podium. I usually struggle here, so I’m stoked with that.”

Ken Roczen – P4

“This weekend at Fox Raceway was tough. I haven’t really been feeling like myself with my energy level the last couple of weekends, which have been the hottest rounds of the year. Those two things together don’t mix well. After a tough first moto, I really just tried to maintain and not override anything, because I knew I was super fatigued from the beginning. I ended up throwing up trying to make a late-race charge past [Eli] Tomac, which definitely depleted me even more. I have a history of fainting when I throw up, so it was a little scary for a second, but we picked it back up in the last lap to secure third in that moto. In the second moto, I had absolutely nothing left, so we finished sixth. Not an ideal weekend, but I’m just glad we made it through the day.”

Christian Craig – P5

“It was a pretty good day at Fox Raceway. I missed last weekend due to being sore from that big crash at Budds Creek, so I’m happy to be back at the races. I kind of got thrown into it today. It was really hot and rough. The track was pretty beat up, but I got two good starts and stayed up there today. So it was a good day all around, I rode well, and the bike was solid, and I got another tie of my best season finish. We’ve got one more round left, though, and I’m going to try to get on that podium.”

The 2021 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship will conclude next Saturday, September 11, with the sport’s oldest event in Northern California, the legendary Hangtown Motocross Classic.

450 Results

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250 Moto 1

Thousands of die-hard race fans braved brutal temperatures and with tensions high, the first 250 Class moto got underway with Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Max Vohland at the head of the pack with the MotoSport.com Holeshot, but he was soon passed by Troy Lee Designs/Red Bull/GASGAS Factory Racing’s Michael Mosiman.

Behind them, the title contenders of Lawrence and Monster Energy/Star/Yamaha Racing’s Justin Cooper both got underway with top-10 starts.

With his first opportunity to pace the field this summer Mosiman quickly built a lead over Vohland, Lawrence, and the rest of the field. Lawrence bided his time in the early laps and patiently waited for his opportunity to make a pass on Vohland, which he did successfully several minutes into the moto. As Lawrence made the move, Cooper remained mired in seventh.

As the moto approached its halfway point Lawrence had chipped away at Mosiman’s lead and closed to within striking distance of the lead. Mosiman then lost traction of his front tire and went down, which handed the lead to Lawrence, second to Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s RJ Hampshire, and third to Vohland.

As this unfolded, Cooper dropped to eighth as Team Honda HRC’s Hunter Lawrence made the pass for seventh. Mosiman remounted in fifth, but went back to work and clawed his way back up to third. He didn’t stop there and kept his head down to close in on Hampshire and make the pass for second with relative ease.

Out front, Jett Lawrence was on cruise control and easily rode to his seventh moto win of the season. The Australian crossed the line 9.2 seconds ahead of Mosiman, followed by Hampshire in third and Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki’s Jo Shimoda in fourth. Cooper dug deep and made a late charge to battle his way into the top five.

250 Moto 2

Lawrence picked up where he left off to begin Moto 2, as he emerged with the MotoSport.com Holeshot ahead of Mosiman and Cooper. The clear track proved to be advantageous to the Australian, as he sprinted on the opening lap and established a multi-second lead over the field. Behind him, Mosiman and Cooper began a spirited battle for second.

Cooper appeared to be faster than Mosiman, but found difficulty in finding a way around, which allowed Mosiman to inch away. Soon, Mosiman asserted his control of the position as the top three settled into their running order. As the moto approached its final 10 minutes, Cooper was able to pick up the pace, which allowed him to catch Mosiman and make the pass for second, from which Cooper quickly pulled away.

The battle for the podium didn’t end there, as Shimoda came on strong in the waning moments of the moto. The Japanese rider caught Mosiman, applied pressure, and made an impressive pass to take over third.

Out front, Lawrence was in a class of his own yet again and enjoyed a dominant wire-to-wire victory to wrap up the moto sweep. He took the checkered flag 14.2 seconds ahead of Cooper, with Shimoda a distant third.

250 Overall

Another dominant 1-1 performance by Jett Lawrence in 250 has seen the Aussie teenager extend his advantage over Justin Cooper out to 23-points with only a single round and two races left in the championship.

Jett is on a roll of four wins in succession, has won five races out of the last nine and in that last nine contests has not finished any lower than second.

If Jett wraps up the championship next weekend he will be the first Australian to win an American 250 Title.  It would also mark the first time in history that both of the premier American Motocross Championships were won by foreigners in the same year.

Jett Lawrence – P1

“So Pala was another really good weekend. We ended up taking another 1-1, so that’s good. It was definitely really hot today, but luckily I had two really good starts, including finally getting my first holeshot. From there, I was able to flow and get myself into a comfortable gap from second and then I just cruised and rode my own race. It was a very good day — got some more points, and feeling really good for Hangtown.”

Mosiman equaled a career-best result with his second ever runner-up effort (2-4), while Cooper’s strong effort in the second moto helped maintain his overall podium streak in third (5-2).

Jett Lawrence has 464-points to Justin Cooper’s 441. Hunter Lawrence is third in the championship on 349-points ahead of RJ Hampshire on 327-points.

Michael Mosiman – P2

“Man, what a good day! It was a good day for the team and a good day for me with second overall in only my second race back after four weeks on the couch. I’m stoked on my riding and on my performance and I showed a lot of heart. I was absolutely drained after the first moto but I dug deep and was able to bring it home to fourth in the second moto. I’m looking forward to the home race next weekend in Northern California!”

Justin Cooper – P3

“The track was really beat up, and it was a hot one, so it was a really tough day, but I gave it everything that I had and came out with a podium. We’ll take it into next weekend and give it all we have one more time and see what happens.”

Jo Shimoda – P4

“In the second moto, I came together with another rider right away off the start. I’m happy I didn’t crash there, but it put me at the very back of the pack. The race was hard with a lot of heat and a rough track, so I never stopped pushing and made my way to third by the finish. I want another overall podium, so we’ll have to keep working and focus on next weekend.”

Hunter Lawrence – P5

“Today was a tough day, but we managed to get fifth overall. Being sick the past two weeks hasn’t helped. I was in the ‘hurt locker’ all day, so happy to be walking away in one piece. Nothing really to jump up and down about, but we’re third in the championship still, which is good. Looking to finish it off.”

RJ Hampshire – P6

“It was a pretty rough day. I had a good start first moto and kind of put everything I had into it. I ended up on the box but I was pretty drained after that. I tried to recover best I could for second moto but I got tangled right off the start and was dead last. The bike was tweaked up a bit and 14th was all I had. It’s been a tough go but we have one round left to try and finish this thing off good.”

Joshua Varize – P8

“My first day with the team was amazing, really no complaints here. I’m super stoked on how the day went, I finally got into the top-10, which is what I’ve been pushing for. My Rockstar Energy Husqvarna machine was ripping today and I’m really stoked to go back this week, get some testing done and be ready for Hangtown.”

Levi Kitchen – P9

“It was not a bad day overall for me. It was definitely tough out there, and I had to come from the back in both motos, but I did what I could in that heat to get into the top 10. I’m looking forward to next weekend.”

Austin Forkner – P10

“The first moto I was caught up in a crash on the start that set me back, but I made a hard push to come back through the pack. Despite a few other mistakes during the race, I made my way back into the points. In Moto 2, I was hungry to get back on track with the consistent rides I’ve been logging over the last couple of weeks. I had a much better start and put in solid laps to finish fifth.”

250 Results