Moto News Wrap
December 18, 2018 by Darren Smart
Proudly brought to you by Dunlop Geomax
This week’s Moto News!
- Brayton Wins Torino Supercross
- Toby Price Injured
- Jeremy Martin out for 2019
- Luke Clout Joins Kirk Gibbs at CDR
- Dylan Long Joins Empire Motorsports Kawasaki
- Milner and Snodgrass Remain with KTM for 2019
- Sanders and Higlett head Husky challenge
- GYTR roll on for 2019
- Watch 2019 Australian Senior Speedway Championship LIVE
- 2019 AORC Junior Coaching Days Announced
- Coffs Harbour Kicks off Season 2019
- 2019 250 line-up for the JGR/Yoshimura Suzuki team
- Christian Craig Injured
- Gavin Faith Retires
- Glen Coldenhoff Injured
- FIM Enduro World Championship Calendar Announced
- Changes to World Motocross Championship Opener
Brayton Wins Torino Supercross
American rider Justin Brayton has capped off a record-breaking off-season after winning the Torino Supercross in Italy ahead of fellow Honda rider Cole Seely and French rider Jimmy Clochet on a KTM.
The American won the Australian Supercross Championship for the third time before either being on the podium or winning every supercross event since. “It’s a great event, I love coming to Italy. Great to be crowned King of Torino,” Brayton said. “Had a great battle with Seely in that last one. Cole is a friend of mine, so that was nice. It’s good to get a win ahead of A1 in a couple of weeks.”
In the two finals, Seely on the first and Brayton the second, with Angelo Pellegrini also showing some good speed over the evening – see the results below.
Malcolm Stewart had a bad crash in practice when the motor in his Honda literally blew apart as Stewart was in the air leaving the American with little choice but to go over the bars and smash into the stadium floor.
Stewart was stretchered off and there were rumours that he had suffered a broken femur but his Smartop/Bullfrog Spas/MotoConcepts teammate Justin Brayton confirmed that Malcolm doesn’t have any major injuries and is just banged up.
Toby Price Injured
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing rider Toby Price underwent surgery with Dr. Mir in Barcelona to fix a fracture in his right scaphoid sustained in a crash while training last week.
Toby is currently at home to Australia to recuperate and as you would expect the 31-year-old fully expects to be fit for the Dakar Rally in January – here is what he wrote on social media:
“Some more hardware for the collection, once again not the best preparation leading in Dakar, but I’ll be there on the line ready to give my best! Thanks to the doctors getting me patched up and ready for 5,000KM ahead. Thank you to everyone for the messages also, you guys are the ones keeping the fight alive!”
Jeremy Martin sidelined for 2019 season with back injury
Geico Honda’s Jeremy Martin has received the bad news that the back surgery required after his huge crash at the Tennessee Motocross National in June was not successful. A new surgery has been scheduled for January at the Steadman Clinic in Colorado, and Martin will have to begin the entire rehabilitation process anew. Due to this, he will miss the entire 2019 racing season, with hopes to be back on a motorcycle in the third quarter of the new year.
Martin’s GEICO Honda contract was set to expire at the end of the 2019 season, but the team has extended his deal through the 2020 and 2021 seasons.
Martin, the winner of two supercross races in 2018, had five vertebrae fused to help heal a burst fracture in his lower back. Six months into his recovery, he had begun light training only to find out just 10 percent of the burst fracture had healed.
“The get this news was a complete kick in the gut,” said Martin. “Racing is all I know and to sit out the entire 2019 season is going to be one of the biggest challenges I have ever faced. To have [team owners] Jeff [Majkrzak] and Ziggy [Rick Zielfelder] commit to me long-term proves they believe in me, and that motivates me to come back and overcome adversity. That’s been the story of my career, though. Nothing has been given to me, I have worked and earned everything I’ve won. This will be no different.”
Martin will return to racing for the 2020 season, and the GEICO Honda team wished him the best during his surgery, rehabilitation and recovery.
With Martin on the sidelines, the 2019 GEICO Honda lineup will feature four riders. Christian Craig recently suffered a fracture in his thumb which moves him to the 250SX East Region of Monster Energy Supercross. Australian supercross rookie Hunter Lawrence will join him there, with RJ Hampshire and Chase Sexton kicking off the 2019 season for the team at the 250SX West Region opening round at Angel Stadium in Anaheim, California on January 5th.
Hunter Lawrence on his hopes for Supercross 2019
Luke Clout Joins Gibbs at CDR
The CDR Yamaha Monster Energy Team have confirmed their second rider for the 2019 season, with Luke Clout joining Kirk Gibbs on the teams’ championship winning YZ450Fs.
Clout is contracted to race the 2019 MX Nationals and the Australian Supercross Championship in the MX1 division where his familiar bold number four will be bolted firmly to his YZ450F machines.
Luke Clout
“It may have taken me an extra few years to get here, but I’m so happy and proud to be racing for CDR Yamaha Monster Energy Team in 2019 and I can’t wait to get stuck into testing and the new season. It’s no fluke that CDR Yamaha Monster Energy Team win as often as they do as they use the best products and have the best technical staff in Australia. My plan is to fully commit to their program and buy into the CDR Yamaha way as it has been so successful for so many riders over time. I took a couple of weeks off to recover and rest from the 2018 season and now I’m feeling good and excited about what the year will bring. It’s now its wide open into 2019 where I hope that I can get more championship success under my belt and represent the CDR Yamaha Monster Energy team and brand well.”
Clout won Australian MX2 Motocross Championship in 2014 when he raced for the Serco Yamaha team so he obviously jumped at the chance to be parked under the CDR awning for 2019 and feels he is ready to take the next step in his racing career.
Craig Dack – CRD Team Owner
“He wasn’t afraid to take to Justin Brayton or any other big-name rider and was the only Australian based rider to really want to get in there and get his hands dirty, so to speak. On top of that, he already has a strong Yamaha history and when discussing our arrangements for 2019, he asked the right questions and was certainly focussed on getting the best results possible. So his motivation is right. Luke will contest both motocross and supercross for us and I believe he is a genuine championship contender in both series as he rides both disciplines equally well. I think pairing Luke and with Kirk will make for a great team and the pair already have a good working relationship and having two new riders to the team keeps everything fresh and everyone on their toes. We look forward to working with both riders and assisting them to achieve their goals.”
Luke Clout will kick off his year on his new ride at the Coffs Harbour Stadium MX on January 12 while the first major commitment for the new CDR Yamaha Monster Energy Team will be at the opening round of the MX Nationals at Appin in Sydney on March 16/17.
Dylan Long Joins Empire Motorsports Kawasaki
Empire Motorsports will run the largest Kawasaki supported Motocross and Supercross effort in the 2019 MX Nationals and Australian Supercross Championship series with Dylan Long spearheading their MX1/SX1 class effort while Deakin Hellier will race aboard a KX250 in the MXD class in the MX Nationals.
Empire Motorsports Team Manager Tyson Cherry
“We are really looking forward to the upcoming season with Dylan Long (#7) competing on the Kawasaki KX450 in MX1 class and Deakin Hellier (#123) on board the Kawasaki KX250 in MXD class. Empire Motorsports are very excited to be teaming up with Kawasaki Australia for both motocross and supercross in 2019. Early testing on both bikes is going exceptionally well and both riders are really enjoying the experience. So exciting times ahead for both Empire Motorsports and Kawasaki Australia.”
Milner and Snodgrass Remain with KTM for 2019
Daniel Milner will enter his third season with KTM Australia’s factory off-road squad and is coming off of his most successful campaign to date. The 27-year-old clinched the A4DE AORC E3 class crown, with a perfect win rate along with earning the elusive outright honours for the event.
The popular Victorian also played an instrumental role in assisting Team Australia to the World Trophy at the International Six Days Enduro (ISDE) in Chile, where he ranked first in the individual standings aboard KTM 500 EXC-F machinery.
Daniel Milner – KTM 350 EXC-F
“It’s really good to be back with the KTM Enduro Racing Team and to be riding the KTM 350 EXC-F is honestly really exciting for me as a rider. Having the year that I had this year, hopefully we can carry that momentum into 2019 – that’s the goal! I’ve been on the new bike already and the agility of it, being so light, makes it so much fun to ride and my speed has been really competitive already. I almost rode the 350 when I first signed with KTM, but we went with the 450 back then and won on that, then won on the 500 this year and now I’m aiming to do the same on a different capacity bike again. It’s always good to change it up and I’m super-happy to be with KTM Australia for another year.”
Fellow Victorian Snodgrass, 20, also embarks on his third season with the in-house KTM Enduro Racing Team, putting a stellar year behind him after securing 10 podiums on his way to runner-up in the AORC E2 series rankings. He was also alongside Milner as a member of the winning Australian ISDE World Trophy team.
Lyndon Snodgrass – KTM 250 EXC-F
“I’m pumped to be part of the KTM Enduro Racing Team again in 2019. We’ve had two good years together, so now to be part of the team for a third year is awesome – it’s a great environment to go racing in. Next year I will be on the KTM 250 EXC-F and aiming for that top step, so to be working with everybody from KTM Australia again is a real positive for my career and I’m looking forward to it!”
The opening stop of AORC is scheduled for 9-10 March at Gympie in Queensland, while the A4DE is set for 1-4 May at Moruya in New South Wales. Next season will see Milner step across to the KTM 350 EXC-F as he switches to the E2 ranks, while Snodgrass will compete in E1 aboard a KTM 250 EXC-F.
Glenn Kearney – Motorsport manager, KTM Australia
“We’re certainly excited to re-sign Daniel Milner and Lyndon Snodgrass for 2019, which will be the third year that they ride with the KTM Enduro Racing Team. Obviously Milner has been very impressive since joining KTM, topping the AORC outright two years in a row and he’s been very dominant along with his success at the ISDE. Young Lyndon as well, he’s improved every year and is our young guy coming through that we really enjoy working with. Together and with our major partners back on-board – Motorex, Troy Lee Designs, Dunlop and WP – it’s all looking good for the season ahead. To have Daniel on the KTM 350 EXC-F in E2 will be great to see, while Lyndon will be on the KTM 250 EXC-F in E1 and we’re really happy with that decision also.”
Daniel Sanders and Fraser Higlett head Husky challenge
Returning duo Daniel Sanders and Fraser Higlett will form the Husqvarna Enduro Racing Team for 2019, competing within the Australian Off-Road Championship (AORC) and Australian Four-Day Enduro (A4DE) events.
At 24 years of age, Sanders experienced an array of success throughout his first season with Husqvarna Motorcycles Australia this year, lifting the AORC E2 crown aboard a Husqvarna FE 450 and clinching a commanding maiden victory in the Hattah Desert Race riding a Husqvarna FE 501.
The versatile Victorian capped off the year by contributing to Team Australia’s incredible World Trophy victory at Chile’s International Six Days Enduro (ISDE), along with finishing third in the outright individual results and second in the E3 division. Next season could see Sanders step up to the Husqvarna FE 501 full-time off-road, that decision to be confirmed.
Daniel Sanders
“I’m definitely excited to be back on-board with the Husqvarna Enduro Racing Team. They were great to be a part of this season and I adapted really well to the four-stroke as well, so it’s shaping up to be a strong year in 2019. Now that we’ve learned so much together as a team, the plan is to go even better, be super-consistent and right there at the pointy-end. Winning is always the goal, that’s the objective of going racing and I’m confident that being part of Husqvarna Motorcycles Australia’s factory team with Fraser will provide a great platform to work from, that’s for sure.”
Factory team newcomer Higlett, 19, established himself as a rising star of the sport this season, earning runner-up honours in the AORC E1 title-fight after scoring an inspiring 10 podiums from 11 rounds. Impressing in his inaugural appearance at the ISDE, Higlett went on to assist the Australian Junior World Trophy to fifth position, while being ranked ninth in E1 standings.
Fraser Higlett
“It’s a good feeling to be with the Husqvarna Enduro Racing Team for 2019, it’s just awesome to be a part of and I’m already keen to go racing next year. I was able to learn so much this season and picked up some good results along the way, so now we can take advantage of that experience and aim even higher in terms of results. To be alongside ‘Chucky’ as teammates is great for me, he’s a huge help and so is the entire team, so I’m really happy to be back for another season together.”
Husqvarna Enduro Racing Team’s first national hit-out of the 2019 season will be at the opening round of the AORC series, scheduled for 9-10 March at Gympie in Queensland. Next year’s A4DE will be staged from 1-4 May at Moruya in New South Wales.
Christian Horwood – Team manager, Husqvarna Enduro Racing Team
“We’re over the moon to sign both Daniel ‘Chucky’ Sanders and Fraser Higlett for 2019. As a team we achieved some fantastic results together in 2018 and it was a really good team dynamic that we worked within. Both riders have been outstanding since joining Husqvarna, they assist each other as much as they possibly can and we’re proud to welcome back our major sponsors for next year, so we are all set and are extremely excited to get things underway.”
GYTR roll on for 2019
2018 proved to be a massive season for Yamaha in the junior ranks with a 14-rider GYTR YJR team taking multiple state and national championships as well as the introduction of the all new YZ65, an updated YZ85 and now there are no signs of slowing down in 2019.
While others are scaling back, its pedal to the metal for the GYTR Yamaha Junior Teams again hitting a track new you with a national 14 rider line up, an updated pit presence and the momentum of the bLU cRU program behind them.
With a season of racing on the YZ65, some valuable seat time on the updated YZ85, the all new YZ250F and the world’s most under rated bike, the YZ125, the GYTR Yamaha Junior Racing riders are armed with the best fleet of bikes in junior racing.
New rider additions to the rider line up are Kipp Adams, Jay Jennings, Jake Rumens and Jobe Dunne who will team up with existing YJR riders to make for a massive show of force at junior events around the nationals.
2019 GYTR YJR Team
- WA: Cody Chittick (YZ125 and YZ250F) / Jake Turner (YZ125 and YZ250F) / Jake Rumens (YZ65 and YZ85SW)
- SA: Alex Larwood (YZ125 and YZ250F) / Wil Carpenter (YZ85SW)
- VIC: Kipp Adams (YZ125 and YZ250F) / Jobe Dunne (YZ65 and YZ85SW)
- TAS: Angus Pearce (YZ85LW) / Jay Jennings (YZ65 / YZ85SW)
- NSW: Bayley Clancy (YZ125 and YZ250F) / Ryder Kingsford (YZ85LW and YZ125) / Kayd Kingsford (YZ65 and YZ85SW)
- QLD: Levi Roger (YZ125 and YZ250F) / Jake Cannon (YZ65 and YZ85SW)
And just when you think there is enough blue in the pits, add to that a proposed four round YZ65 Cup in conjunction with the MX Nationals, more YZ65 Cup action at supercross rounds, junior support classes at national events plus the Australian Junior Motocross Championship and it will make for a busy year for the Yamaha junior stars of tomorrow.
2019 marks the final year in the program for three riders who have been in the team since 2013. Alex Larwood, Bayley Clancy and Levi Rogers have all been at Yamaha Junior Racing since getting picked up when they were just nine years old. Between the trio now are countless national, state and regional championships over the years and a great working relationship within Yamaha.
“This season will be the 14th year since the Yamaha Junior Racing program went national with a team in each state. In a time where teams come and go pretty quickly, it is a credit to Yamaha Australia and their passion to unearth and develop riders that YJR continues to be as strong and successful as it is,” explains Scott Bishop.
“We have tweaked the set up and structure of the teams a little over the time but the philosophy of Yamaha Junior Racing remains the same. We have a group of great people who are at the track and on hand to mentor these riders in each state and fast track their progress in racing. On top of that, we want them to be good sports and conduct themselves professionally off the track and we value that at Yamaha.
“2018 was such a big year for us with the introduction of the 65 and the reception of that bike and the Yamaha initiatives has been over whelming. But we aren’t prepared to rest on our laurels and the hard-working team at Yamaha Australia have plenty of things in the pipeline for 2019 and we now have representation in almost every junior category. Let’s go racing,” Bishop ends.
2019 AORC Junior Coaching Days Announced
Motorcycling Australia (MA) has announced the 2019 AORC Junior Coaching Days to be held across Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland and due to popular demand, the AORC Junior Coaching Days has expanded from three to four days, with two of the four days held in Victoria.
All AORC Junior Coaching Days are for juniors aged 12-16 years, with all proceeds going toward funding the 2019 FIM International Six Days Enduro (ISDE) team who head off to Portugal in November.
Spots are expected to fill quickly, so don’t hesitate to get your entry in with all of the information available on the AORC Facebook page and the good news is that any entered riders of the 2019 AORC Junior Coaching Days who compete in all 11 rounds of the 2019 AORC season are eligible for one entry fee back!
2019 AORC Junior Coaching Days
- Saturday 19th January 2019, 9am – 3pm – Yarra Valley, VIC
Coaches/Riders – Daniel Sanders, Andy Wilksch - Sunday 20th January 2019, 9am – 3pm – Lang Lang, VIC
Coaches/Riders – Daniel Milner, Lyndon Snodgrass - Saturday 9th February 2019, 9am – 3pm – Stroud, NSW
Coaches/Riders – Joshua Green, Jessica Gardiner - Saturday 23rd February 2019, 9am – 3pm – Gympie, QLD
Coaches/Riders – Jemma Wilson, Fraser Higlett
Watch 2019 Australian Senior Speedway Championship LIVE
MA have partnered with NRGTV to produce the livestreaming for the final two rounds of the 2019 Australian Senior Speedway Championship with free access via the Australian Speedway Championships website and/or Facebook page.
Streaming will commence with a pre-event panel show airing from 5PM (AEDT) with the racing starting at 7:15PM (AEDT) at each of the two rounds and in an exciting change from 2018, fans will not have to pay for a subscription to watch the Albury-Wodonga (Jan 9) and Kirri Kurri (Jan 12) rounds.
With names such as Chris Holder, Max Fricke and Rohan Tungate in the mix of seeded riders, the 2019 Championship is set to be the biggest competition in years!
Kevin Williams NRGTV
“NGRTV have worked with MA to build a platform to grow the profile of the riders and the Australian Championship, by delivering the final two rounds to people all around Australia. We at NRGTV learnt a lot and developed a good relationship with the riders. We’re looking forward to delivering a strong program that includes a pre-race panel show to really give viewers a feel on where the riders are at in the lead to that evening’s race.”
Coffs Harbour Kicks off Season 2019
The 10th annual Coffs Harbour Stadium Motocross will kick off the 2019 Australian motocross and supercross season on the 12th of January with some of the biggest names in the sport ready to rock the regional event.
CDR Yamaha will debut their new riders in Kirk Gibbs and Luke Clout in the 450 class at Coffs Harbour while last years winner Jay Wilson will be on hand to defend his 250 crown after hosting a coaching class leading up to the event.
The much-touted event boasts A, B, C, Junior, Women and Vets classes on a well laid out course inside the Coffs Harbour Showground at 123 Pacific Highway, Coffs Harbour, New South Wales and entries are open and available on the nominate web site. – go to the Facebook page for more information.
2019 250 Line-Up for the JGR/Yoshimura Suzuki Team
The 2019 250 rider line-up for the JGR/Yoshimura Suzuki team has been announced with the adjoining news that Answer will be the team’s main gear sponsor.
The team will be competing in the Monster Energy Supercross series in both the East and West regions with riders Alex Martin, Jimmy Decotis, Kyle Peters and Enzo Lopes before turning their sights to the Lucas Oil Outdoor Motocross Series.
JGR/Yoshimura Suzuki Team Manager Jeremy Albrecht
“We’re beyond excited to partner with Answer Racing for 2019 and 2020. Answer has long been on the cutting edge of design and style trends. The JGRMX Suzuki 250 Factory Team riders rave about the performance and fit of the Answer Racing gear. It’s cool how our 250 athletes will have a cohesive look in the pits and out on the track. These are several reasons why the JGRMX/Answer Racing partnership is a win-win.”
The JGR/Yoshimura Suzuki 250 team will make their Answer Racing debut on January 5 at Anaheim stadium.
Gavin Faith Retires
Two-time Australian SX2 Supercross and Amsoil Arenacross Champion Gavin Faith has announced his retirement from professional racing after sustaining injuries to his vertebrae during this years Arenacross series.
The well liked 26-year-old Idaho native turned pro in 2012 and spent most of his early career as a privateer or with fill-in rides before eventually winning his four national championships.
Faith’s injury happened the second practice at the Nampa, Idaho, round of the Arenacross series after he sustained a fractured T-3, 4, and 5 vertebrae and two broken ribs which forced him to miss the remainder of the championship and handing the title to arch rival Jacob Hayes.
Faith wrote on Instagram that his back injury sustained earlier this year will keep him from racing professionally.
Gavin Faith
“It’s been one hell of a ride but all good things must come to an end. If you told me I would win four championships and make a living racing a dirt bike when I was little I probably wouldn’t believe you. It’s been a hell of a good time through the good times and even the bad times! Looking back I wouldn’t have changed a thing. I’ve met so many amazing people and made so many life long friends from all over the world. I was able to travel, have fun, and accomplish so many more things then I ever imagined. I unfortunately seriously injured my back in March which will prevent me from racing professionally. At the end of the day I need to take care of myself and do what’s best for me. Even though racing for a living is great there’s a lot more to life than racing. I want to thank everybody that supported me along the way whether you were family, friend, fan, or sponsor. Not sure what the future holds yet but I look forward to whatever life has in store for me!”
Glenn Coldenhoff Injured
Standing Construct KTM rider Glenn Coldenhoff sailed over the handlebars and landed heavily when he crashed while testing at the famous Lommel sand track last weekend and despite a compressed vertebra and a cracked bone in his wrist his team is upbeat about his recovery. Check out the video of the crash.
“To avoid some speculation and dramatising…@hoff259 had a crash today in Lommel. How it looks now he has compressed vertebrae but has no further complications. He also has a fracture in his wrist which needs no surgery. He will be back soon at his MXON- speed #toughguy”
FIM Enduro World Championship Calendar Announced
The dates for the FIM Enduro World Championship were released back in September but the opening round has now been filled by an established enduro venue in Dahlen, Eastern Germany, on March 22-24.
That earlier date in Dahlen has meant a slight change to the running order from the previous provisional calendar, with the Portuguese round shifting weekends to May 3-5. That was a jump forward in the original calendar of two weeks and means Portugal has now leap-frogged the Spanish round – though they remain on consecutive weekends.
When the FIM and series promoters released provisional dates for 2019, we saw a return to back-to-back rounds ‘close’ to each other geographically: Portugal and Spain in May, then Corsica (making its debut in the series) followed by Italy in June. It makes life easier for teams and riders who can budget and plan around being away for the races, travelling between rounds in good time for the next weekend. The round in the Czech Republic is also a popular choice and will join Germany on the Eastern side of Europe where the fan-base is equally as strong as it is in France, Spain, Italy and Portugal.
2019 Enduro World Championship provisional dates
- 22-24 March – Dahlen, Germany
- 03-05 May – Valpaços, Portugal
- 10-12 May – Santiago de Compostela, Spain
- 14-16 June – Ajaccio, Corsica (no Enduro Youth class at this round)
- 21-23 June – Rovetta, Italy
- 13-15 September – Uhlirske Janovice, Czech Republic
- 27-29 September – Ambert, France
Changes to World Motocross Championship Opener
Youthstream have announced an update to the recently scheduled opening round of the season 2019, the MXGP of Patagonia Argentina, which will now take place on March the 2nd and 3rd thanks to a local government election which prohibits public events from coinciding with such elections.
Organisers claim that the new anticipated date will however better suit the interest of both riders and fans as the best athletes in the world return to MXGP racing following winter preparation and while the earlier start in Neuquen likely means warmer weather, as fall begins in Argentina, one constant remains with the event being unforgettable and full of not to be missed racing!
