Moto News Wrap for April 12, 2016 by Darren Smart
Proudly brought to you by Dunlop Geomax
This Weeks Racing Overview
– AMA Supercross Championships – Round 13 – Indianapolis
– FIM World Motocross Championships – Round 4 – Neuquen, Argentina
– Kenda AMA National Enduro Series – Round 2 – Forest Hill, Louisiana
– Yamaha Australian Off-Road Championship – Round 3 – Portland, NSW
– AMSOIL Arenacross ‘Race to the Championship’ – Round 2 and 3 – Salinas, CA
– FIM Trial World Championship – Round 1 and 2 – Barcelona
– FIM Cross-Country Rallies Championship – Round 1 – Abu Dhabi Challenge
This Week’s News Overview
– Luksich Leads CRF Honda Racing Into 2016
– TNQ Motocross Series – Round 1 – Ingham
– Sunshine State Series – Round 2 – Tivoli
– MX Guns at AORC
– Musquin Misses Indy
– Hill Misses Indy
– Paulin Up-Date
– Townley Misses Argentina
Australasian News
Luksich Leads CRF Honda Racing Into 2016
Mark Luksich is one of the most experienced team managers and professional people in the motorcycle industry and his CRF Honda Racing team kicked off it’s 2016 season at the opening round of the MX Nationals at Horsham, Victoria two weekends ago with Joel Wightman and Kyle Webster at the helm of two very well fettled CRF250Rs.
Webster and Wightman carded tenth and eleventh overall in the MX2 class and now look forward to improving their standings in the championship this weekend at round two of the MX Nationals at Appin.
TNQ Motocross Series – Round 1 – Ingham
The Far North Queensland Road Racing Club hosted the opening round of the TNQ Motocross Series at Ingham last weekend and it was Mitch Evans who won the Senior Lites class ahead of Cameron Ogilvie and Bailey Calvert while former junior champion Harley Pezzutti dominated the Senior Open class over Aaron Hunt and Brent Storey.
Sunshine State Series – Round 2 – Tivoli
The iconic Tivoli Raceway hosted round two of the Sunshine State Motocross Series last weekend and it was Jesse Madden who won the MX2 class from Ricky Latimer, Zak Small, Loch Latimer and Bailey Coxon while Small won the MX1 class ahead of Reece Rayner, Kerrod Morrissey, Matt Torrington and Matt Haworth.
MX Guns at AORC
Interesting to see current Pro Motocrossers Jack Simpson, Riley Graham and Justin Carafa competing at the Portland round of the AORC last weekend while former Pro Motocrossers in Peter Boyle, Tye Simmonds and Beau Rolston are now established stars in the off-road world. See how the MX guns went in the report and results below.
Motul Pirelli Sherco Team committed to racing after fire destroys race kit
A fire in the early hours of Thursday morning, April 7 destroyed the King Valley Motorcycles workshop and office building, taking with it the entire Motul Pirelli Sherco Factory Team race bikes, spares and pit setup. The race Team bikes and equipment had been prepared onsite for the upcoming Australian Off-Road Championship in NSW.
“It’s been a rough few days for the Team,” said Motul Pirelli Sherco Team manager, Stephen Tuff. “We’re all just so upset for Dave Suter and his family. Dave is a massive part of our Team. He’s not just a fantastic mechanic, he’s the experienced, cool head that makes the right moves for our Team. He’s worked super-hard getting our race bikes as good as any you will find. The fire has wiped out our team infrastructure and Dave has lost his livelihood.”
Despite the huge challenge of getting to Portland, NSW for rounds 3 & 4 of the AORC the Team worked hard to pull together bikes and enough equipment to go racing. Factory Team riders Justin Carafa and Wil Ruprecht and Academy Team riders Jai Wedlock and Baylee Davies took on the task and made it happen.
“Jai Wedlock and his father Wayne were incredible getting the Team to the race,” Tuff continued. “With the help of Paul Luxmore at Powerhouse Motorcycles the Wedlock’s carted the Team van with borrowed bikes and parts from Powerhouse Motorcycles and got the show on the road. Our Team might not be the biggest or brightest just yet but it is the best.”
The highlight of the weekend was the performance by Under-19 class competitor Wil Ruprecht. Riding a borrowed Sherco 300SE-R, Ruprecht dug in and quickly adapted to the 300cc two-stroke to pull off 3rd and 2nd place over the two days of competition.
American News
Musquin Misses Indy
Marvin Musquin missed round 13 of the Monster Energy Supercross from Indianapolis last Saturday due to a practice crash in Santa Clara. “It’s a bummer. I was really excited to go back to Indy. I love it there,” said Musquin. “But after my crash last weekend in Santa Clara, my wrist is too painful right now to be able to race. It needs to heal and I don’t want to make it worse, I’m hoping it won’t take long.”
Hill Misses Indy
Justin Hill missed round 13 of the Monster Energy Supercross from Indianapolis last Saturday after crashing in the second 250 timed practice session at the Detroit round. After hitting his head Hill was able to stand up and spoke with the medical team before leaving the track, but did not race that night.
Audette and Williamson have new Kawasaki Rides
Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki have signed Gannon Audette to replace the injured Arnaud Tonus for the remaining rounds of the 250SX East Coast series starting last weekend in Indianapolis while young privateer Jacob Williamson will take the place of the Audette on the Legends and Heroes Kawasaki team.
Euro News
Paulin Up-Date
Honda MXGP star Gautier Paulin has personally up-dated the moto world on his progress after a huge practice crash leading up to round three of the World Motocross Championship. “Since my crash, my recovery has been going well. I fractured my vertebrae and broke a rib, so in the early days it was not so easy and I chose to stay quiet and just focus on myself. Now, I am feeling much better and I’m back in physical training again off the bike. We haven’t scheduled a return date yet, but I’m working hard to fully recover and keep my fitness at the right level, and I’m looking forward to being back racing as soon as the time is right. We won’t know when this will be until we’re a bit further through the rehabilitation, but I hope it won’t be long. Thanks to HRC, the team and all the fans for their support of me in this time, and I’ll see you on track again soon.”
Townley Misses Argentina
Ben Townley missed last weekend’s MXGP of Argentina and will miss this weekend’s round in Mexico due to a virus he suffered prior to the Grand Prix of Europe at Valkenswaard over Easter weekend. The team said that Townley has been very “lethargic” and “drained” and has decided to miss the flyaway rounds of the FIM World Motocross Championship.
Smarty’s Race Reports and Official Results from last Weekend
AMA Supercross Championships – Round 12 – Indianapolis
The Monster Energy AMA Supercross made its 25th annual visit to Indianapolis with 60,085 fans on hand to watch Ryan Dungey fend off several attacks from Ken Roczen to capture his seventh win of the series while Aaron Plessinger became the fifth different winner in as many races in the 250SX East series ahead of championship leader Malcolm Stewart.
450 Race Report
1st – Ryan Dungey: I have said it once and I will say it again – RD16 is a different rider than in any year in the past – the old Dungey would have folded or thought better of battling Roczen tooth-and-nail like he did at Indy BUT you may be surprised the find that I personally think that it isn’t just the actual race win or the championship that is motivating Ryan right now.
You see, momentum is an essential part of being a winner – ask Jeremy McGrath, Ricky Carmichael or tefen Everts – once the momentum is on your side you can steam-roll your way to win after win, championship after championship – BUT, if an opposing rider can get a win or two in a straight up battle the momentum can shift dramatically and there can be a perceived chink in the armour – that is the last thing RD16 wants right now (especially from Roczen) and he is hungry to keep things going his way so that is why Dungey was so keen on keeping K-Roc at bay last Saturday night – he has a much bigger picture in mind right now.
Here is what RD said after the race. “That’s what it’s all about right there. That’s why we work hard [during the week], to put on a good show,” said Dungey, who won for the third-straight season in Indianapolis. “It’s not going to be easy all the time, but we fought to the end. I was riding on the ragged edge there to keep it [the bike] in line. I was able to get a good start and that’s what put me in position to run up front and take the win.”
2nd – Ken Roczen: Roczen wanted this win like no other – as written above about Dungey the same is for K-Roc – the Suzuki rider is as keen as mustard to take a chunk out of Dungey’s confidence and he threw everything bar the kitchen sink at his old team mate but it just wasn’t to be and here is what the German said after the race.
“Ultimately I wish the race kept going for another five laps. The track was really rough out there, but we kept fighting the whole way,” said Roczen. “I was able to make a pass for the lead but I made a mistake right before the finish and couldn’t make the jump, so that gave [Dungey] back the lead. I made another mistake later and that pretty much ended it.”
Roczen is now 45 points back with four rounds remaining and rumour has it that the former World Motocross Champion is dumping Suzuki and moving back to KTM in 2017 on the BTO team.
3rd – Jason Anderson: Another third place for the Husqvarna rider but on this track everyone was happy to walk away with a solid finish and not crash out in the deep ruts – Anderson had this to say after the race: “Ended up pretty good. My practices went pretty smoothly all day. Made one little change, but for the most part stuck to our base setting. It felt good. It’s hard to say you felt good on this track, but I felt controlled and I was able to do my laps. But it was rutted out there and very, very sketchy. But I made it through and just kind of stuck to my plan and ended up with a podium. Very happy with it.”
4th – Trey Canard: Canard is trying to get his mojo back and a fourth on a track like this is a great finish for the Honda pilot. “I was in third at one point, right after Tomac stalled it,” Canard told RacerX. “But it was like a tenth of a second. I couldn’t remember if Anderson had passed me before that or what. It was a better night. It’s still not where I want to be, but it was better. I’ll tell you how bad the ruts were, I could see the timing and scoring loop [the pipe with cables in it, under the dirt] on the finish line. It was sketchy. Once I was in fourth and I wasn’t going to be able to mount a charge on Anderson, I was like, just back it down and be safe.
5th – Blake Baggett: Can you believe that this is the highlight of the Yoshimura Factory Suzuki team for 2016? Baggett’s fifth place was well earned and with four rounds remaining we can only hope that the likeable Yank can stay healthy into the motocross series.
6th – Chad Reed: Chad is riding great right now and despite a good jump out of the gate Chad was dropped back to 14th place after getting a poor run out of the first corner and through the next rhythm section – here is what Chad told RacerX – good reading: “I actually had good starts; I just didn’t get around the first turn like I needed to. Fourteenth on the first lap. So it would appear that my start wasn’t good, but my start was actually pretty good for me. I was pretty happy with it. But it was just my first turn and first rhythm that was the problem.”
“It’s crazy back there in the pack. Anderson was about three or four places in front of me. I kind of saw him and I was trying to latch onto him. But I want to say it was [Weston] Peick and [Justin] Bogle that I just didn’t really get around clean and go. I took too long. So I kind of spent two or three laps with that. And then I started to get my rhythm going and actually felt like I rode pretty good. But we had a little bit of an issue there at the end that kind of stopped progress and I had to ride out for sixth.”
450SX Class Results
1. Ryan Dungey, Belle Plaine, Minn., KTM
2. Ken Roczen, Clermont, Fla., Suzuki
3. Jason Anderson, Rio Rancho, N.M., Husqvarna
4. Trey Canard, Edmond, Okla., Honda
5. Blake Baggett, Grand Terrace, Calif., Suzuki
6. Chad Reed, Dade City, Fla., Yamaha
7. Christophe Pourcel, San Antonio, Fla., Husqvarna
8. Justin Brayton, Mint Hill, N.C., KTM
9. Eli Tomac, Cortez, Colo., Kawasaki
10. Mike Alessi, Hilliard, Fla., Honda
450SX Class Championship Standings
1. Ryan Dungey, Belle Plaine, Minn., KTM – 303
2. Ken Roczen, Clermont, Fla., Suzuki – 258
3. Jason Anderson, Rio Rancho, N.M., Husqvarna – 240
4. Eli Tomac, Cortez, Colo., Kawasaki – 212
5. Chad Reed, Dade City, Fla., Yamaha – 193
6. Marvin Musquin, Corona, Calif., KTM – 182
7. Cole Seely, Sherman Oaks, Calif., Honda – 173
8. Justin Brayton, Mint Hill, N.C., KTM – 149
9. Trey Canard, Edmond, Okla., Honda – 138
10. Jacob Weimer, Wildomar, Calif., Suzuki – 106
250SX Race Report
In his first race for the Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki team Gannon Audette claimed the holeshot ahead of Aaron Plessinger and championship leader Malcolm Stewart while Jeremy Martin say back in sixth place.
Plessinger and Stewart got around Audette before lap two was completed then Audette lost two more positions to Martin and Martin Davalos with the top five riders settled into position until just past the halfway point when Martin crashed so hard that it ripped the handlebars from the triple clamps of his YZF250.
Davalos to move into third for four laps until a crash while attempting to get around lappers caused him to lose two positions which handed Audette a podium spot.
Plessinger took the win ahead of Stewart, Audette, Shane McElrath, Davalos, RJ Hampshire, Anthony Rodriguez, Tyler Bowers, Luke Renzland and Cedric Soubeyras.
“I can’t even tell you how amazing this feels. I’m speechless,” said Plessinger. “These fans are crazy. I heard them every lap. I was so determined today, especially in front of my hometown crowd. I just put my head down and got the start. It wasn’t easy, but it was easier than my last races for sure.”
“Hats off to Aaron. Now he knows what it feels like to win,” said Stewart. “I’m happy with second. I can’t take anything negative from this. I’m going to keep doing what I’m doing and hopefully I keep the red plate [as the points leader] and win this championship. We only have four races left, so we’ll keep trying to get those points.”
Stewart’s lead in the Eastern Regional standings now sits at 10 points over Plessinger, who moved into second with the win. Davalos, who finished fifth, is third, 25 points out of the lead.
Eastern Regional 250SX Class Results
1. Aaron Plessinger, Hamilton, Ohio, Yamaha
2. Malcolm Stewart, Haines City, Fla., Honda
3. Gannon Audette, Tallahassee, Fla., Kawasaki
4. Shane McElrath, Canton, N.C., KTM
5. Martin Davalos, Clermont, Fla., Husqvarna
6. RJ Hampshire, Brooksville, Fla., Honda
7. Anthony Rodriguez, Cairo, Ga., Kawasaki
8. Tyler Bowers, Corona, Calif., Kawasaki
9. Luke Renzland, Hewitt, N.J., Yamaha
10. Cedric Soubeyras, France, Kawasaki
Eastern Regional 250SX Class Championship Standings
1. Malcolm Stewart, Haines City, Fla., Honda – 102
2. Aaron Plessinger, Hamilton, Ohio, Yamaha – 92
3. Martin Davalos, Clermont, Fla., Husqvarna – 77
4. Jeremy Martin, Millville, Minn., Yamaha – 74
5. Tyler Bowers, Corona, Calif., Kawasaki – 66
6. Justin Hill, Yoncalla, Ore., KTM – 63
7. Gannon Audette, Tallahassee, Fla., Kawasaki – 61
8. RJ Hampshire, Brooksville, Fla., Honda – 59
9. Shane McElrath, Canton, N.C., KTM – 53
10. Matt Bisceglia, Weatherford, Texas, Suzuki – 49
Western Regional 250SX Class Championship Standings
1. Cooper Webb, Newport, N.C., Yamaha – 170
2. Joey Savatgy, Thomasville, Ga., Kawasaki – 154
3. Christian Craig, Corona, Calif., Honda – 147
4. Zach Osbourne, Lake Elsinore, Calif., Husqvarna – 132
5. Colt Nichols, Muskogee, Okla., Yamaha – 132
6. Mitchell Oldenburg, Alvord, Texas, KTM – 113
7. James Decotis, Peabody, Mass., Honda – 109
8. Kyle Peters, Greensboro, N.C., Honda – 100
9. Kyle Cunningham, Willow Park, Texas, Suzuki – 78
10. Jordon Smith, Belmont, N.C., Honda – 77
FIM World Motocross Championships – Round 4 – Argentina
Tim Gajser and Jeffrey Herlings have won the MXGP and MX2 classes respectively at the fourth round of the FIM Motocross World Championship held in the foothills of Villa la Angostura, Argentina last weekend.
MXGP Race Report
The track in Villa la Angostura is a fast, flowing affair but despite being a favourite among the riders it is also a track that can be deceptively treacherous and despite this it was the nineteen-year-old rookie Honda Gariboldi’s Tim Gajser who took out his second grand prix overall of the year with 3-1 moto results.
“I had a really good weekend”, the 2015 MX2 World Champion said, “I won my first ever qualifying race yesterday and I took a holeshot and won today. Next we go to Mexico and I have good memories there, I won my first ever MX2 race there and I really like the track so I look forward to going there.”
Antonio Cairoli battled at the pointy end of the pack all weekend and his 2-2 moto results earned the former World Champion his first podium finish since May last year and more importantly the Italian jumped from fifth to third in the championship standings. “I am very happy with my race, this winter’s injury was more serious than expected and it took longer than expected to recover and still I’m not 100% fit. In some parts of the track felt that I did not have enough strength yet, so I tried to drive more smoothly, but I’m not very used to it. I am very happy to be back on the podium and I started to feel again myself, especially in the first laps, although I still miss the speed in the early stages of the race to go as the guys in front.
Max Nagl convincingly won the opening moto and was sitting in third place behind Cairoli in the second moto and was pushing hard to get around the Italian but late in the race the German backed off a little which allowed Romain Febvre and Jeremy Van Horebeek push Nagl back to fifth for third overall in the GP.
“I’m a little bit disappointed because I could have won this GP, but I backed off and the Yamaha guys passed me, but a third place is better than a DNF, so I am happy.”
The red plate holder Romain Febvre struggled with small crashes in both motos to finish with 6-3 moto results for fourth overall which breaks his 16 round podium streak and almost relinquished the red plate to Gajser so he will head into the MXGP of Leon in Mexico next weekend with a three-point lead over the rookie.
“In the first moto I tried to anticipate the start with the gate still up, and I had to wait and go again, so in the pack I was 9th or 10th but I knew I had good speed,” said Febvre. “Then in one of the corners I went a bit too fast in a corner and went over the front of the bike. The second race I was better, but still this is a result we know we can improve on. We know the track in Mexico, but it’s summer up there and so its much hotter than here in Argentina right now. We think the track is going to be really hard in Leon, and that’s a good objective for us.”
MXGP Race 1 Top Ten: 1. Maximilian Nagl (GER, Husqvarna), 34:29.721; 2. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), +0:05.185; 3. Tim Gajser (SLO, Honda), +0:07.776; 4. Evgeny Bobryshev (RUS, Honda), +0:11.472; 5. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, Yamaha), +0:12.973; 6. Romain Febvre (FRA, Yamaha), +0:24.641; 7. Clement Desalle (BEL, Kawasaki), +0:34.253; 8. Shaun Simpson (GBR, KTM), +0:40.168; 9. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, KTM), +0:46.162; 10. Tommy Searle (GBR, Kawasaki), +0:52.900
MXGP Race 2 Top Ten: 1. Tim Gajser (SLO, Honda), 34:47.423; 2. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), +0:03.936; 3. Romain Febvre (FRA, Yamaha), +0:07.794; 4. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, Yamaha), +0:11.910; 5. Maximilian Nagl (GER, Husqvarna), +0:19.640; 6. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, KTM), +0:40.886; 7. Kevin Strijbos (BEL, Suzuki), +0:47.977; 8. Valentin Guillod (SUI, Yamaha), +0:51.197; 9. Shaun Simpson (GBR, KTM), +0:53.609; 10. Christophe Charlier (FRA, Husqvarna), +0:54.351
MXGP Overall Top Ten: 1. Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 45 points; 2. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 44 p.; 3. Maximilian Nagl (GER, HUS), 41 p.; 4. Romain Febvre (FRA, YAM), 35 p.; 5. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, YAM), 34 p.; 6. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, KTM), 27 p.; 7. Evgeny Bobryshev (RUS, HON), 27 p.; 8. Shaun Simpson (GBR, KTM), 25 p.; 9. Kevin Strijbos (BEL, SUZ), 24 p.; 10. Clement Desalle (BEL, KAW), 24 p.
MXGP Championship Top Ten: 1. Romain Febvre (FRA, YAM), 172 points; 2. Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 169 p.; 3. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 144 p.; 4. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, YAM), 138 p.; 5. Evgeny Bobryshev (RUS, HON), 134 p.; 6. Maximilian Nagl (GER, HUS), 125 p.; 7. Shaun Simpson (GBR, KTM), 105 p.; 8. Kevin Strijbos (BEL, SUZ), 103 p.; 9. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, KTM), 82 p.; 10. Tommy Searle (GBR, KAW), 74 p.
MX2 Race Report
Jeffrey Herlings obviously dominated the MX2 class BUT we have seen Herlings ride like this before and become cocky and although it is great to see big whips and scrubs you have to wonder if all of that is wise considering that he has lost the last two World Championships thanks to similar antics going wrong.
Anyway, here is what Herlings had to say after racking up GP win number 100 in Argentina. “We had a really good weekend and were the fastest. We won the qualifying on Saturday and on Sunday I was second at the start of the first moto and worked my way up to the lead and pretty much checked out after that. Then we did what we had to do in the second race and made it happen to get the 100 moto wins. I’m really happy about that. Hopefully we can get this winning going again in Mexico next weekend. I think I made a statement today. I came out good third or fourth in the first moto, had the lead quick and just did my own thing. I got my 99th moto win in moto one and I wanted to get my 100th in the second moto. I had to hurry up to get my flight (he laughed) We did it again, still won pretty much everything I could and I feel better every weekend.”
Jeremy Seewer battled hard all day to earn his 4-2 finishes and sits second in the championship, 48 points behind Herlings and 13 points in front of Aleksandr Tonkov. “Second overall, I’m so happy. I couldn’t get going with the track yesterday so I had to make the best of it. We changed the bike a lot and it worked out well. Someone cut across me at the start of the first moto and I had to use a lot of energy to come through and it was a hard fight with Alex in the second. I want to thank the team and my mechanic because we have been working so hard for this and now I’ll look forward to Mexico.”
Aleksandr Tonkov earned 3-3 results over the two motos and was as aggressive as ever which landed the Yamaha pilot on the podium for the second time this year and moved the Russian up to third in the championship after Pauls Jonass high-sided out of turn two in the opening moto causing the KTM rider to DNF the moto.
“After some bad luck and sickness for two weeks, I really surprised myself,” said Tonkov. “It’s nice to rebuild and battle at the front and be back on the podium. I hope we can start working and get stronger for next work and go even further. After Valkenswaard the team really came together and did a great job to get us back up to this level, and everybody at Wilvo Standing Construct, my mechanic Gaitan and all the staff worked really hard to get us this result in Argentina.”
Italian Samuele Bernardini managed to put his TM at the pointy end of the field in each moto and ended the day with very respectable 5-6 finishes for fourth overall.
MX2 Race 1 Top Ten: 1. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 34:29.494; 2. Max Anstie (GBR, Husqvarna), +0:34.840; 3. Aleksandr Tonkov (RUS, Yamaha), +0:36.815; 4. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, Suzuki), +0:49.465; 5. Samuele Bernardini (ITA, TM), +0:56.817; 6. Petar Petrov (BUL, Kawasaki), +1:07.056; 7. Calvin Vlaanderen (NED, KTM), +1:09.327; 8. Vsevolod Brylyakov (RUS, Kawasaki), +1:13.359; 9. Jorge Zaragoza (ESP, Honda), +1:22.090; 10. Thomas Covington (USA, Husqvarna), +1:23.679
MX2 Race 2 Top Ten: Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 34:54.991; 2. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, Suzuki), +0:30.746; 3. Aleksandr Tonkov (RUS, Yamaha), +0:33.248; 4. Pauls Jonass (LAT, KTM), +0:41.457; 5. Benoit Paturel (FRA, Yamaha), +0:43.160; 6. Samuele Bernardini (ITA, TM), +0:51.648; 7. Roberts Justs (LAT, KTM), +0:57.064; 8. Petar Petrov (BUL, Kawasaki), +0:58.093; 9. Vsevolod Brylyakov (RUS, Kawasaki), +1:03.564; 10. Thomas Covington (USA, Husqvarna), +1:11.648
MX2 Overall Top Ten: 1. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 50 points; 2. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, SUZ), 40 p.; 3. Aleksandr Tonkov (RUS, YAM), 40 p.; 4. Samuele Bernardini (ITA, TM), 31 p.; 5. Petar Petrov (BUL, KAW), 28 p.; 6. Vsevolod Brylyakov (RUS, KAW), 25 p.; 7. Benoit Paturel (FRA, YAM), 24 p.; 8. Thomas Covington (USA, HUS), 22 p.; 9. Calvin Vlaanderen (NED, KTM), 22 p.; 10. Max Anstie (GBR, HUS), 22 p.
MX2 Championship Top Ten: 1. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 200 points; 2. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, SUZ), 152 p.; 3. Aleksandr Tonkov (RUS, YAM), 131 p.; 4. Pauls Jonass (LAT, KTM), 130 p.; 5. Petar Petrov (BUL, KAW), 104 p.; 6. Benoit Paturel (FRA, YAM), 99 p.; 7. Samuele Bernardini (ITA, TM), 91 p.; 8. Vsevolod Brylyakov (RUS, KAW), 84 p.; 9. Brent Van doninck (BEL, YAM), 78 p.; 10. Alvin Östlund (SWE, YAM), 70 p.
Kenda AMA National Enduro Series – Round 2 – Forest Hill, Louisiana
National Enduro Champ Steward Baylor walked away with his first national win in over a year at round three of the Kenda AMA National Enduro Series held in Forest Hill, Louisiana last weekend.
450 off-road competitors turned up for the event but it was Baylor who turned in a consistent and nearly flawless performance en route to the win over Russell Bobbitt by 21 seconds. “I had a pretty good day; things went pretty good for me,” said Baylor. “It was a close battle between me and Russell [Bobbitt] and Charlie [Mullins], and it just came down to being consistent.”
Bobbitt got off to a fast start at the beginning of the day, winning tests one and two, but lost ground to Baylor when he finished fourth in tests three and four. The FMF/KTM rider came back with a win in test five, but Baylor countered with a win of his own in the final test, leaving Bobbitt with second overall for the day.
“Stew had a great ride in that last test, and I struggled in a couple of tests,” said Bobbitt. “I had a problem stalling my bike today. I don’t think it was the bike, I think I was just stomping on the rear brake and stalling it; I just wasn’t getting the clutch pulled in in time.”
Rounding out the podium was two-time champ Charlie Mullins, who turned in his best performance since returning to action after missing over a year of racing due to a pair of wrist injuries. “I definitely felt a lot better today, and it seems each race I’m getting closer to the middle step of the podium,” said Mullins. “I won the fourth test and felt pretty good at that point. I was just going to try to bring it on in, but the last test was tight and my hands got a little tired.”
Points leader Grant Baylor never got into the flow of the Louisiana trail and ended the day in fifth. “Today was kind of rough,” admitted Grant Baylor. “We made some adjustments after the first test, and I felt like I was riding okay but my times just weren’t there.”
Josh Strang was the best of the second half of the top ten, finishing the day in sixth, with Brad Bakken finishing 37 seconds behind the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna rider in seventh.
With three races in the books, Grant Baylor holds a slim lead in the points race, leading Bobbitt by just a single point with Steward Baylor another six points back.
The Kenda AMA National Enduro Series resumes action on May 22nd in Greensboro, Georgia for the Cherokee National Enduro.
Results: 1. Steward Baylor (KTM). 2. Russell Bobbitt (KTM). 3. Charlie Mullins (KTM). 4. Jesse Groemm (Bet). 5. Grant Baylor (Yam). 6. Josh Strang (Hus). 7. Brad Bakken (Yam). 8. Evan Smith (KTM). 9. Drew Higgins (KTM). 10. Nick Fahringer (Hus)
AMSOIL Arenacross ‘Race to the Championship’ – Salinas, CA
Gavin Faith and Chris Blose are still going toe-to-toe in the Arenacross ‘Race to the Championship’ but at the latest round held in the Salinas last weekend it was Honda’s Ben Lamay who managed a final win after Faith crashed in the mud while leading.
Blose still leads the series just a few points ahead of Faith.
Arenacross Class Results – Main Event 1
1. Gavin Faith, Fort Dodge, Iowa, Kawasaki
2. Chris Blose, Phoenix, Kawasaki
3. Ben Lamay, Forney, Texas, Honda
4. Gared Steinke, Woodland, Calif., Husqvarna
5. Jacob Hayes, Liberty, N.C., Kawasaki
6. Kyle Regal, Lake Elsinore, Calif., Husqvarna
7. Jace Owen, Matoon, Ill., Honda
8. Travis Sewell, Westville, Ind., KTM
9. Cody VanBuskirk, Harvard, Ill., KTM
10. Connor Pearson, El Dorado, Calif., Kawasaki
Arenacross Class Results – Main Event 2
1. Ben Lamay, Forney, Texas, Honda
2. Chris Blose, Phoenix, Kawasaki
3. Jace Owen, Matoon, Ill., Honda
4. Jacob Hayes, Liberty, N.C., Kawasaki
5. Gavin Faith, Fort Dodge, Iowa, Kawasaki
6. Kyle Regal, Lake Elsinore, Calif., Husqvarna
7. Travis Sewell, Westville, Ind., KTM
8. Kyle Bitterman, West Pelzer, S.C., Husqvarna
9. Gared Steinke, Woodland, Calif., Husqvarna
10. Cody VanBuskirk, Harvard, Ill., KTM
RMATV/MC Head 2 Head Challenge Results (Bonus Points)
1. Gavin Faith, Fort Dodge, Iowa, Kawasaki (2 points)
2. Chris Blose, Phoenix, Kawasaki (1 point)
3. Jacob Hayes, Liberty, N.C., Kawasaki (1 point)
4. Austin Politelli, Menifee, Calif., Kawasaki (1 point)
5. Ryan Breece, Athol, Idaho, Yamaha (1 point)
6. Gared Steinke, Woodland, Calif., Husqvarna (1 point)
7. Ben Lamay, Forney, Texas, Honda (1 point)
8. Jace Owen, Matoon, Ill., Honda (1 point)
Arenacross Class Overall Results (Main Event Results)
1. Ben Lamay, Forney, Texas, Honda (3-1)
2. Chris Blose, Phoenix, Kawasaki (2-2)
3. Gavin Faith, Fort Dodge, Iowa, Kawasaki (1-5)
4. Jacob Hayes, Liberty, N.C., Kawasaki (5-3)
5. Jace Owen, Matoon, Ill., Honda (7-4)
6. Kyle Regal, Lake Elsinore, Calif., Husqvarna (6-6)
7. Gared Steinke, Woodland, Calif., Husqvarna (4-9)
8. Travis Sewell, Westville, Ind., KTM (8-7)
9. Kyle Bitterman, West Pelzer, S.C., Husqvarna (11-8)
10. Cody VanBuskirk, Harvard, Ill., KTM (9-10)
Race to the Championship Standings
1. Chris Blose, Phoenix, Kawasaki – 99 (3 Main Event Wins)
2. Gavin Faith, Fort Dodge, Iowa, Kawasaki – 96 (8 Main Event Wins)
3. Jacob Hayes, Liberty, N.C., Kawasaki – 84 (8 Main Event Wins)
4. Jace Owen, Matoon, Ill., Honda – 83 (1 Main Event Win)
5. Ben Lamay, Forney, Texas, Honda – 77 (3 Main Event Wins)
6. Travis Sewell, Westville, Ind., KTM – 69 (5 Main Event Wins)
7. Gared Steinke, Woodland, Calif., Husqvarna – 67
8. Kyle Regal, Lake Elsinore, Calif., Husqvarna – 58
9. Cody VanBuskirk, Harvard, Ill., KTM – 30
10. Daniel Herrlein, Bethesda, Ohio, Honda – 1
Western Regional Arenacross Lites Class Results
1. Jared Lesher, Ball Ground, Ga., KTM
2. Carlen Gardner, Paso Robles, Calif., KTM
3. Devin Harriman, Brush Prairie, Wash., Suzuki
4. Cody VanBuskirk, Harvard, Ill., KTM
5. Cheyenne Harmon, Colleyville, Texas, KTM
6. Ben Nelko, Aliquippa, Pa., KTM
7. Ashton Hayes, Rockford, Mich., Suzuki
8. Robbie Wageman, Newhall, Calif., Yamaha
9. Dylan Rouse, Florence, Ky., KTM
10. Dillon Cloyed, Papillion, Neb., Honda
Western Regional Arenacross Lites Class Standings
1. Cody VanBuskirk, Harvard, Ill., KTM – 99 (1 Main Event Win)
2. Ben Nelko, Aliquippa, Pa., KTM – 96 (2 Main Event Wins)
3. Cheyenne Harmon, Colleyville, Texas, KTM – 89 (1 Main Event Win)
4. Jared Lesher, Ball Ground, Ga., KTM – 73 (1 Main Event Win)
5. Carlen Gardner, Paso Robles, Calif., KTM – 73
6. Scott Zont, Algonquin, Ill., KTM – 63
7. Dylan Rouse, Florence, Ky., KTM – 58
8. Dave Ginolfi, Midvale, Utah, Husqvarna – 56
9. Brandon Marley, McEwen, Tenn., KTM – 35
10. Dillon Cloyed, Papillion, Neb., Honda – 33
2016 Yamaha Australian Off-Road Championship – Round 3 and 4 – Portland NSW
Despite a small knee injury during the second test on Sunday, KTM’s Daniel Sanders has managed to keep his win streak in the 2016 Yamaha AORC well and truly alive after two days of hot and dusty competition in Portland, NSW.
Sanders came out on top on day one (round 3) ahead of Chris Hollis and Josh Green while day two saw Glen Kearney slot into second behind Sanders and just ahead of Green.
Rounds 5&6 of the 2016 Yamaha Australian Off-Road Championship will be held in Murray Bridge, South Australia in just two weeks’ time on April 23-24.
Round 3 Top 20
1. Daniel Sanders – 45:06.674
2. Chris Hollis – 45:40.697
3. Josh Green – 46:00.217
4. Glenn Kearney – 46:02.417
5. lachlan Stanford – 46:06.691
6. Tye Simmonds – 46:39.204
7. Chris Davey – 46:41.357
8. Beau Ralston – 46:42.268
9. Scott Keegan – 46:44.482
10. Broc Grabham – 47:16.300
11. Tom McCormack – 47:20.872
12. Jack Simpson – 47:28.670
13. Stefan Granquist – 47:49.553
14. Tom Mason – 48:03.834
15. Nic Tomlinson – 48:04.455
16. Justin Carafa – 48:39.077
17. Fraser Higlett – 48:39.806
18. Kane Hall – 48:41.126
19. Peter Boyle – 48:41.539
20. Mitch Bowen – 49:01.774
23. Riley Graham – 49:13.964
Round 4 Top 20:
1. Daniel Sanders – 54:00.242
2. Glenn Kearney – 55:05.592
3. Josh Green – 55:08.965
4. lachlan Stanford
5. Chris Hollis – 55:27.419
6. Beau Ralston – 55:53.518
7. Tye Simmonds – 56:04.844
8. Scott Keegan – 56:13.766
9. Chris Davey – 56:27.125
10. Broc Grabham – 56:58.790
11. Tom McCormack – 57:00.955
12. Kane Hall – 57:54.37
13. Nic Tomlinson – 57:58.975
14. Wil Ruprecht – 58:36.57
15. Stefan Granquist – 58:39.494
16. Jack Simpson – 58:52.220
17. Justin Carafa – 58:56.600
18. Lyndon Snodgrass – 59:09.044
19. Riley Graham – 59:12.518
20. Tom Mason – 59:16.476.
AORC Championship Standings
1. Daniel Sanders – 100
2. Josh Green – 82
3. Lachlan Stanford – 76
4. Chris Hollis – 69
5. Tye Simmonds – 63
6. Beau Ralston – 61
7. Scott Keegan – 50
8. Glenn Kearney – 49
9. Chris Davey – 43
10. Jack Simpson – 40
11. Broc Grabham – 39
12. Stefan Granquist – 33
13. Justin Carafa – 26
14. Tom McCormack – 20
15. Riley Graham – 20
16. Tom McCormack – 18
17. Nic Tomlinson – 17
18. Tom Mason – 17
19. Kane Hall – 16
20. Mitcham Harper – 13
FIM Trial World Championship – Round 1 – Barcelona
With the defending champion Toni Bou carrying a shoulder injury it was the perfect time for arch rivals Adam Raga or Albert Cabestany to take out the opening round of the FIM Trial World Championship held in Catalunya last weekend but with Cabestany going 1-7 and Raga 3-2 over the two days they fell short of Bou’s 2-1 results.
Toni Bou: “I had a bad night (after the opening day), it’s been a really complicated weekend, but today the pain let up a bit and was more bearable. I don’t know how, but today I was able to compete with Adam at the highest level. The changes to the four sections turned out to be a good thing especially in section six, which I was able to get over three times and not Adam. I was able to battle on in spite of the injury and I’m really pleased with the final result as I wasn’t expecting to be the leader in the world championship ten days ago.”
Results GP Catalunya Trial Day 1: 1. Cabestany. 2. Bou. 3. Raga. 4. Busto. 5. Fajardo Jeroni.
Results GP Catalunya Trial Day 2: 1. Bou. 2. Raga. 3. Dabill. 4. Busto. 5. Fujinami. 7. Cabestany
Rider Standings After Round 1: 1. Bou – 37. 2. Raga – 32. 3. Cabestany – 29. 4. Busto – 26. 5. Dabill – 22. 6. Fajardo – 21. 7. Fujinami – 20. 8. Casales – 17. 9. Gubian – 21. 10. Grattarola Matteo – 11.
2016 FIM Cross-Country Rallies Championship – Round 1 – Abu Dhabi Challenge
Australia’s Dakar winner and KTM factory rider Toby Price launched his bid for the 2016 FIM Cross-Country Rallies Championship title in Abu Dhabi by taking victory in the opening round ahead of Sam Sunderland and Pablo Quintanilla.
The final day was definitely the hardest fought and the end result was wide open and could have gone the way of any of the three leading riders. “Today it was a race from start to finish and we were really pushing all the way to the finish. That’s what I enjoy most and I had to work for it. We were really on the gas. Now we just have to keep going this way,” Price commented after the finish.
Final Standings Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge 2016
1. Price, 18:18:24 h
2. Sunderland, +2:11 min
3. Quintanilla, +3:23
4. Mo. Al Balooshi (UAE), KTM, +38:38
5. Renet, +29:30
