Moto News Wrap for May 26, 2015 by Darren Smart
Proudly brought to you by Dunlop Geomax
Australasian News
Dunlop athletes Kirk Gibbs and Caleb Ward claimed number one positions on the podium at round four of the MX Nationals, proving the notorious Murray Bridge circuit was no obstacle for either rider. At a venue where tyre choice was critical to results, both Gibbs and Ward used Dunlop’s backing to their advantage, taking holeshots, race wins, and posting fastest lap times throughout round four.
Gibbs claimed hole shots in both MX1 motos, recorded a race win and a second place, to secure yet another round overall on home soil, with the support of Dunlop Tyres behind him. “We ran the 32 front all day with the paddle on the rear for practice which I think helped a lot with the surface being softer in the morning. We then switched to the 32 rear for the motos and they were awesome,” he said. “They hooked up so good off the line and I got two awesome hole shots which made my day so much easier. “
The success for Dunlop in the MX1 class at round four did not stop there – Daniel Reardon (CDR Yamaha) claimed third overall, and made his first appearance on podium for 2015, while Dunlop backed Kade Mosig, and Lawson Bopping finished the round in fourth and fifth places respectively.
In the MX2 Class Caleb Ward (KTM Racing Team) made a comeback to racing to remember, posting the fastest lap time of the day, taking two race wins, and claimed the MX2 overall for round four. “I ran an MX11 rear in qualifying because the track ripped deep and was pretty soft. I then switched to a 32 front and rear for both motos as the track firmed up and they were great, hooking up really good out of the gate if I didn’t run wide, I would have got both holeshots,” he said. “The track had some soft parts and some hard parts so the MX32’s were the perfect tyres and helped me get a 1-1 result.”
Again, the success for Dunlop continued in the MX2 class, with four of the top five positions for the day collected by Dunlop athletes Takeshi Katsuya, Wade Hunter and Kyle Webster.
MX2 Round four overall results: 1) Caleb Ward 70 – Dunlop. 2) Luke Arbon 64. 3) Takeshi Katsuya 56 – Dunlop. 4) Wade Hunter 53 – Dunlop. 5) Kyle Webster 52 – Dunlop.
MX1 round four overall results: 1) Kirk Gibbs 67 – Dunlop. 2) Adam Monea 63. 3) Daniel Reardon 60 – Dunlop. 4) Kade Mosig 57 – Dunlop. 5) Lawson Bopping 51 – Dunlop.
World Motocross and AMA Supercross Champion Ben Townley will return to Australia to compete in Round 5 of the MX Nationals at Coolum on May 31. Townley will ride a Honda CRF450R prepared by the Penrite Honda team.
Young pro motocrosser Dylan Leary has made the decision to step back from motocross. Leary who has missed the last two race seasons due to injury was thrown a life line to come race for the newly formed Proformance race team. Dylan was stoked with the opportunity and loved the team atmosphere and equipment provided.
Dylan has had some up and down results so far this season but had been steadily improving with a 5th place moto at Broadford. “This may come as a shock to a few people but my head is not where it needs to be competing at a professional level.” Leary stated.
American News
Yamalube/Star Racing Yamaha was down two riders at Glen Helen. Cooper Webb is out after sustaining two torn ligaments and an ankle sprain at the opening round at Hangtown while his teammate Anthony Rodrigues crashed while practicing at Perris Raceway. Rodriguez said on Instagram that the crash was the result of “another rider crossing the track without paying attention.”
Team Honda HRC rider Trey Canard learned during a recent doctor appointment that his hiatus from racing will have to be extended. The Oklahoman broke his left arm in a crash at the March 21 Detroit Supercross and had a carbon-fiber plate applied to the broken bone during an operation on March 24. Canard will return to the doctor in two weeks to be re-examined.
Beginning at round three of the AMA Pro Motocross Championship in Lakewood, Colorado, Fredrik Noren will substitute aboard Canard’s factory Honda CRF450R.
Write Chad Reed off at your peril – after struggling at the opening round at Hangtown, Chad scored 4th in the opening moto at Glen Helen then came from well outside the top ten to finish eighth in the second moto for 6th outright and is now 9th in the points.
Bret Metcalfe was running ninth in the opening moto until he made contact with another rider and ripped the spokes out of his KX’s front wheel. Metty scored 11th in the second moto and is now off to Canada for their series.
Jackson Richardson and Hayden Mellross were running well inside the top 20 in the opening 250 moto at Glen Helen and both hung on for 18th and 19th respectively but in the second moto Jackson was taken out during the opening lap and was dead last but managed to get up to 24th while Hayden rode a great race for 16th place.
Josh Strang and Daniel Milner skipped round seven of the GNCC at Masontown last weekend. Strang’s shoulder need more time to heal before he gets back into action while Milner is heading back to Australia to get himself fit for the second half of the season. Let’s hope they are back in action sooner than later.
Euro News
Xavier Boog joined Tyla Rattray in the Monster Energy Kawasaki Racing Team at the MXGP of Great Britain as the replacement for Ryan Villopoto who is still suffering from his back injury. Boog managed two top 20 rides for 18th outright on the day.
Todd Waters and Dean Ferris were in the thick of the action at the British MXGP last weekend. Todd scored a solid ninth place in the opening moto but a poor start in the second moto saw the Queenslander finish back in 16th place while Ferris managed 13th in the opening moto and 18th in the second.
Mike Alessi was on hand in Great Britain as well and scored 22nd in the opening moto then split the Aussie in the second moto for 17th. Alessi is off to the opening round of the Papua New Guinea Scootercross Championship next weekend before heading over to Russia for their annual kite flying competition….such is the fickle life of an Alessi….who knows where he will turn up next?
Australia’s Madison Brown scored fourth overall at the third round of the FIM Women’s Motocross World Championship held in Great Britain.
Team HRC’s Portuguese ace Paulo Goncalves has clinched overall victory in the Desafío Ruta 40. Goncalves and the other Honda CRF450 RALLY riders commanded the tough, lengthy and demanding rally throughout, winning four of the five stages.
Race Reports and Results from last Weekend
- – World Motocross Championships – Round 7 – Great Britain
- – GNCC – Round 7 – Mountaineer Run – Masontown, WV
- – Yamaha Australian Off-Road Championships – Round 5 and 6 – South Australia
- – World Speedway GP – Round 3 – Prague, Czech Republic
- – AMA Motocross Championships – Round 2 – Glen Helen
World Motocross Championships – Round 7 – Great Britain
450 Race Report: Winning the MXGP of Great Britain last weekend meant Antonio Cairoli has become the most successful grand prix rider on British soil. The Italian eight-times world champion has now won six British grand prix, which puts him ahead of the Belgian greats Stefan Everts and Joel Robert, who have both only won five.
Tony said, “It was amazing today, England has given me a lot of good memories. I am really happy I made the decision to move to the 450cc, it makes it much easier for me to keep up with these guys, so for me the weekend went perfect, I wouldn’t change anything.”
As the most consistent rider in the championship with seven from six possible podium finishes, it was another narrow and frustrating loss for Clement Desalle, who claimed two consistent second places for second overall. “I want to win and have that feeling again,” Desalle said, “but it’s like this, maybe I could have had better lines but the other guys were riding good and for me to be consistent, that is also important, so I am happy with that.”
Perhaps the happiest face in the paddock was that of the super rookie Roman Febvre who claimed his first MXGP race win and second consecutive podium finish today at Matterley Basin. It was always assumed that it would only be a matter of time for the Yamaha Factory Racing Yamalube rider who has been on the gas all year, and today there was no one more deserving of the second race win. “I am really happy to win. Even when I won I was thinking that I was not on the podium so when I came off the track I was really surprised and it was probably the best feeling ever.”
Also showing some impressive speed today was Evgeny Bobryshev. Russian Bob is clearly back on the rise which was obvious with his solid lap times today. Despite not getting off to the best of starts, the Honda rider still managed to put in two remarkable rides for fourth overall.
Championship leader Max Nagl appeared to struggle to find his flow out on the slick and tricky surface of Matterley Basin. Despite getting good starts, the red plate holder just had to do his best to take as many points as possible, which he managed with fifth overall.
Thanks to the British fan favourite Shaun Simpson, the crowd was bought to life today when he took the holeshot and fronted the field for a good part of race two. The public lined the fences and showed an immense amount of support for the Brit who put in a remarkable ride to wrap up his home grand prix in sixth overall.
250 Race Report: Valentin Guillod put in an extremely impressive performance to take his second consecutive grand prix victory here in Matterley Basin. The very humble and happy-go-lucky Swiss rider smiled, “It was so fun out there, I was just having a lot of fun and the fans were having fun and my team was having fun, so it was just really cool.”
Next week the MXGP of France in Villars sous Ecot, which is close to the border of Switzerland, will be almost a home race, “the fans here were sick! Okay they weren’t cheering for me, they were cheering for Max Anstie, but it was still awesome. I hope that next weekend all the Swiss fans bring their flags and go crazy for me!”
It’s unusual for Jeffrey Herlings to be on the second step of the podium yet it seems to be happening a lot more frequently these days. “I haven’t been able to ride this week because I still have pain from the crash in Spain, so I was pretty stiff.” Jeff mentioned, “and it’s not nice to get beaten, but he was better today, so I just want to win again.”
Jordi Tixier is fast becoming a fixture on the MX2 podium with his fourth consecutive podium finish of the year. The Frenchman admitted he was a little disappointed today because he felt great out on the track yesterday but he remains confident he can still improve as the season goes on.
Meanwhile Pauls Jonass is establishing himself as a pretty hot starter. The young Latvian is always up at the pointy end of the field around turn one which is already half the battle one for someone as young as he is. Another solid performance landed Jonass in fourth overall.
Egged on massively by the awesome crowd Max Anstie electrified the atmosphere here at MXGP of Great Britain with his near win in race one. Unfortunately a bad start in race two hindered what could have been a better result; nevertheless, a top five finish on home soil isn’t too shabby.
Grand Prix of Great Britain – Results
MXGP Race 1 Top Ten: 1. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 34:01.346; 2. Clement Desalle (BEL, Suzuki), +0:03.020; 3. Maximilian Nagl (GER, Husqvarna), +0:04.067; 4. Evgeny Bobryshev (RUS, Honda), +0:13.676; 5. Shaun Simpson (GBR, KTM), +0:16.369; 6. Gautier Paulin (FRA, Honda), +0:17.680; 7. Romain Febvre (FRA, Yamaha), +0:19.284; 8. Tyla Rattray (RSA, Kawasaki), +0:34.863; 9. Todd Waters (AUS, Husqvarna), +0:38.855; 10. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, Yamaha), +0:41.855.
MXGP Race 2 Top Ten: 1. Romain Febvre (FRA, Yamaha), 34:18.842; 2. Clement Desalle (BEL, Suzuki), +0:02.087; 3. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), +0:09.664; 4. Evgeny Bobryshev (RUS, Honda), +0:13.390; 5. Maximilian Nagl (GER, Husqvarna), +0:23.149; 6. Shaun Simpson (GBR, KTM), +0:27.787; 7. Gautier Paulin (FRA, Honda), +0:30.814; 8. Ken de Dycker (BEL, KTM), +0:39.725; 9. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, Yamaha), +0:41.970; 10. Steven Frossard (FRA, KTM), +0:43.350.
MXGP Overall Top Ten: 1. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 45 points; 2. Clement Desalle (BEL, SUZ), 44 p.; 3. Romain Febvre (FRA, YAM), 39 p.; 4. Evgeny Bobryshev (RUS, HON), 36 p.; 5. Maximilian Nagl (GER, HUS), 36 p.; 6. Shaun Simpson (GBR, KTM), 31 p.; 7. Gautier Paulin (FRA, HON), 29 p.; 8. Ken de Dycker (BEL, KTM), 23 p.; 9. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, YAM), 23 p.; 10. Tyla Rattray (RSA, KAW), 23 p. 11. Todd Waters 17p
MXGP Championship Top Ten: 1. Maximilian Nagl (GER, HUS), 295 points; 2. Clement Desalle (BEL, SUZ), 291 p.; 3. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 274 p.; 4. Gautier Paulin (FRA, HON), 237 p.; 5. Romain Febvre (FRA, YAM), 235 p.; 6. Evgeny Bobryshev (RUS, HON), 207 p.; 7. Shaun Simpson (GBR, KTM), 145 p.; 8. Ryan Villopoto (USA, KAW), 124 p.; 9. Todd Waters (AUS, HUS), 121 p.; 10. Tyla Rattray (RSA, KAW), 118 p. 19. Dean Ferris (AUS, HUS), 65 p
MX2 Race 1 Top Ten: 1. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 34:26.799; 2. Valentin Guillod (SUI, Yamaha), +0:05.515; 3. Max Anstie (GBR, Kawasaki), +0:10.678; 4. Pauls Jonass (LAT, KTM), +0:29.783; 5. Jordi Tixier (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:36.055; 6. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, Suzuki), +0:42.085; 7. Thomas Covington (USA, Kawasaki), +0:44.125; 8. Aleksandr Tonkov (RUS, Husqvarna), +0:58.139; 9. Benoit Paturel (FRA, Yamaha), +1:01.738; 10. Ivo Monticelli (ITA, KTM), +1:11.618
MX2 Race 2 Top Ten: 1. Valentin Guillod (SUI, Yamaha), 34:48.889; 2. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), +0:00.865; 3. Jordi Tixier (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:29.243; 4. Pauls Jonass (LAT, KTM), +0:38.510; 5. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, Suzuki), +0:43.357; 6. Max Anstie (GBR, Kawasaki), +0:54.396; 7. Aleksandr Tonkov (RUS, Husqvarna), +1:08.337; 8. Benoit Paturel (FRA, Yamaha), +1:10.771; 9. Petar Petrov (BUL, Kawasaki), +1:11.839; 10. Thomas Covington (USA, Kawasaki), +1:21.065
MX2 Overall Top Ten: 1. Valentin Guillod (SUI, YAM), 47 points; 2. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 47 p.; 3. Jordi Tixier (FRA, KAW), 36 p.; 4. Pauls Jonass (LAT, KTM), 36 p.; 5. Max Anstie (GBR, KAW), 35 p.; 6. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, SUZ), 31 p.; 7. Aleksandr Tonkov (RUS, HUS), 27 p.; 8. Benoit Paturel (FRA, YAM), 25 p.; 9. Thomas Covington (USA, KAW), 25 p.; 10. Petar Petrov (BUL, KAW), 22 p.
MX2 Championship Top Ten: 1. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 308 points; 2. Valentin Guillod (SUI, YAM), 216 p.; 3. Pauls Jonass (LAT, KTM), 213 p.; 4. Dylan Ferrandis (FRA, KAW), 205 p.; 5. Aleksandr Tonkov (RUS, HUS), 189 p.; 6. Jordi Tixier (FRA, KAW), 189 p.; 7. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, SUZ), 182 p.; 8. Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 169 p.; 9. Julien Lieber (BEL, YAM), 167 p.; 10. Max Anstie (GBR, KAW), 158 p.
GNCC – Round 7 – Mountaineer Run – Masontown, WV
XC1 Race Report: Round seven of the 2015 AMSOIL Grand National Cross Country Series presented by Maxxis, an AMA National Championship took place at Marvin’s Mountaintop in Masontown, West Virginia for the 4th annual Rocky Mountain ATV/MC Mountaineer Run GNCC.
Kailub Russell would get the jump off the starting line to claim the $250 All Balls Racing Holeshot Award, and head into the woods leading the XC1 Pro class. Russell would face a battle with Ryan Sipes, as they would swap positions multiple times.
“We kind of went back and forth a few times the next couple laps and it was just tough the first few laps reading the trail and not knowing where some rocks were that you could hit,” said Russell.
On lap three, Russell would make the pass stick and go on to take the checkers and his sixth overall win this season. Russell holds the championship points, 79 points ahead of Grant Baylor.
Ryan Sipes has been on a steady incline as he continues to show improvement each round. Sipes, who lead the first two laps and battled with the defending champion Russell, earned his best finish of his GNCC career at the Mountaineer Run with a second overall. “Me and Kailub had a good time out front there, that pace was fun definitely wore me out towards the end of the race,” said Sipes.
Thad DuVall finished an impressive third place overall after crashing two weeks ago in New York, which ended his day. DuVall started the day mid-pack, but would make a two-lap charge to finish in third place.
Grant Baylor began the day just outside the top five as he pushed his way through the pack, landing just outside of the overall podium. Baylor moves into second place in the championship points standings with his fourth place finish and due to the absence of Josh Strang. Strang, who raced in New York, was noticeably absent in West Virginia due to a separated shoulder he suffered while practicing just before the Dunlop Tomahawk GNCC.
After winning two weeks ago in New York, Chris Bach started out just inside the top five, before battling with Baylor and ultimately receiving a fifth place finish. Baylor’s teammate Jordan Ashburn, who had a rough ride two weeks ago, held down the sixth place position in XC1 and seventh overall until the checkered flag flew.
After mechanical issues at the last round and a DNF, Moto Tech KTM’s Steward Baylor put in an impressive ride to finish seventh in XC1 and ninth overall. Andrew DeLong had a great jump off the starting line, heading into the woods around third. DeLong would run third the first two laps, before pulling into the pits to have adjustments made from what looked like was caused by a crash. DeLong would lose valuable time and positions during this, and would finish the day fifteenth overall, but eighth in the XC1 class.
Adam Bonneur would run inside the top ten all afternoon, swapping positions with Chris Douglas. Bonneur would finish the Mountaineer Run GNCC ninth in XC1, while Honda’s Takeshi Koikeda rounded out the top ten in XC1.
XC2 Race Report: In the XC2 Pro Lites class, Husqvarna Support Rider Craig DeLong earned the $100 Hot Cams XC2 Holeshot Award and would run inside the top three on the first lap. Jason Thomas would soon move into the lead, until a timely pit-stop was necessary on lap five to change Thomas’ back tire.
Nick Davis would start the day in second behind Thomas. Davis pressured Thomas for five laps, where he would then move into the lead. Davis would not look back and would earn second win of the season.
Ricky Russell would continue his consistent season with a second place finish in the XC2 class, and eighth overall. Tegan Temple would follow up his first podium finish in New York with another podium finish in West Virginia this weekend as he rounded out the podium in third.
XC1 Pro Overall
1. Kailub Russell
2. Ryan Sipes
3. Thad Duvall
4. Grant Baylor
5. Chris Bach
6. Jordan Ashburn
7. Steward Baylor Jr.
8. Andrew Delong
9. Adam Bonneur
10. Takeshi Koikeda
XC2 Pro Lites Overall
1. Nick Davis
2. Ricky Russell
3. Tegan Temple
4. Jason Thomas
5. Jesse Groemm
6. Layne Michael
7. Trevor Bollinger
8. Austin Lee
9. Craig Delong
10. Ryan Lojak
Overall National Championship Standings
1. Kailub Russell – 205pts
2. Grant Baylor – 126pts
3. Josh Strang – 118pts
4. Christopher Bach – 115pts
5. Thad Duvall – 102pts
6. Ryan Sipes – 97pts
7. Jason Thomas – 75pts
8. Jordan Ashburn – 74pts
9. Ricky Russell – 60pts
10. Layne Michael – 60pts
11. Craig Delong – 58pts
12. Trevor Bollinger – 58pts
13. Andrew Delong – 44pts
14. Steward Baylor Jr. – 43pts
15. Tegan Temple – 41pts
XC2 Pro Lites Series Standings
1. Jason Thomas – 167pts
2. Layne Michael – 127pts
3. Craig Delong – 121pts
4. Ricky Russell – 119pts
5. Trevor Bollinger – 113pts
6. Cory Buttrick – 94pts
7. Tegan Temple – 90pts
8. Nick Davis – 87pts
9. Austin Lee – 77pts
10. Callan May – 65pts
Yamaha Australian Off-Road Championship (AORC) – Rounds 5 and 6 – Wanbi, South Australia
The Motorex KTM Off-Road Team made it a perfect weekend with 1-2-3 results at rounds 5 and 6 of the 2015 Yamaha Australian Off-Road Championship (AORC) held in Wanbi, South Australia last weekend.
Defending champion Toby Price spearheaded a Motorex KTM Off-Road Racing Team clean sweep of the podium at round 6 on Sunday. Price, who also took out the E3 class win in the process, took the win from teammates Tye Simmonds (E2 Class winner) in second and Daniel Sanders in third.
The podium for the sprint round finished in the exact same order as Saturday’s Round 5 cross country, with Toby Price taking out both the overall and E3 class win for the fifth time this season, ahead of teammates Tye Simmonds (E2 class winner) and Daniel Sanders.
The occupants of the fourth and fifth positions also didn’t alter from Saturday with CDR Yamaha’s Chris Hollis and Active8 Yamaha’s Josh Green rounding out the top five.
The 2015 Yamaha Australian Off-Road Championship will now head to Aratula, Queensland for Rounds 7 and 8 on June 20-21.
Round 5 – Top 10 Outright
1. Toby Price (Motorex KTM Off-Road Racing, E3 Class)
2. Tye Simmonds (KTM Off-Road Racing, E2 Class)
3. Daniel Sanders (Motorex KTM Off Road Racing, E3 Class)
4. Chris Hollis (CDR Yamaha, E2 Class)
5. Josh Green (Active8 Yamaha, E1 Class)
6. Beau Ralston (Active8 Yamaha, E2 Class)
7. Tom McCormack (CDR Yamaha, E1 Class)
8. Lachlan Stanford (Husqvarna Off-Road Team, E2 Class)
9. Glenn Kearney ((Husqvarna Off-Road Team, E3 Class)
10. Ivan Long (Motorex KTM Off-Road Racing, E3 Class)
Round 6 – Top 10 Outright
1st: Toby Price (Motorex KTM Off-Road Team, E3)
2nd: Tye Simmonds (Motorex KTM Off-Road Team, E2)
3rd: Daniel Sanders (Motorex KTM Off-Road Team, E3)
4th: Chris Hollis (CDR Yamaha, E2)
5th: Josh Green (Active8 Yamaha, E1)
6th: Beau Ralston (Active8 Yamaha, E2)
7th: Glenn Kearney (Husqvarna Enduro Team, E3)
8th: Stefan Granqvist (Yamaha Privateer, E2)
9th: Riley Graham (KTM Privateer, E1)
10th: Ivan Long (Motorex KTM Off-Road Team, E3)
World Speedway GP – Round 3 – Prague, Czech Republic
British born, but Perth (WA) raised, FIM Speedway World Championship leader Tai Woffinden completed a sensational hat-trick of Czech Republic FIM Speedway Grand Prix wins in Prague on Saturday, and dedicated it to his British fans.
The 2013 world champion topped the Marketa Stadium rostrum for a third season in succession after beating Polish international duo Jaroslaw Hampel and Maciej Janowski and triple world champion Nicki Pedersen in the final.
Woffinden is now six points clear of the Dane at the top of the World Championship ahead of the blockbuster British SGP at Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium on July 4. “There was such a big British fanbase here tonight. Every year it has grown more and more.” Woffinden said. “That’s great for me. I don’t just do speedway for myself. I do it for the people I work with, my sponsors, my family, my friends and the fans. When I get on my bike, it’s not just for me. It’s for everybody and I want to put on a show for everyone watching.”
Seven of the last 11 Czech SGP winners have gone on to be crowned world champion in the same season. Woffinden capitalised on the Czech charm in 2013, but missed out on retaining his title after triumphing in Prague last year.
Hampel raced to his sixth podium finish at the Marketa Stadium to retain third place in the World Championship. But he was disappointed he couldn’t find the consistency needed to finally land Czech gold. “I didn’t start well. My races were up and down. I’d win one and come third in another.” Hample commented. “I couldn’t find the right setup and I couldn’t get my speed. That’s why I couldn’t find the right line to fight on the track. I worked really hard in the pits with my team to find some more speed and the result was okay in the end.”
Third-placed Janowski went into the Czech SGP with just five points from two rounds. He ended his five heat rides with a sublime 15-point maximum to top the scorechart, before finishing second to Pedersen in his semi-final.
The Wroclaw-born racer held second in the final for almost three laps, but he was passed by Hampel for the silver medal. Magic still left Prague very happy with an awesome 18 points. “I started very well. I had the setup right, I was gating well and I was pretty quick on the track. It was tough in the final. My bike was not fast enough. But I’m very happy I finally scored some good points.” He said.
Janowski says he has now overcome the knee injuries he suffered at Coventry on April 10, which have ruled him out of Poole’s British Elite League fixtures. “My knee is 100 percent ready for racing again. I hope I don’t miss anymore races and I can stay without injuries for the rest of the season.”
The Three Australian riders in the field finished in 9th, 10th and 11th, with Jason Doyle leading the way from Chris Holder and Troy Batchelor
The SGP series takes a break until the British SGP in six weeks as the sport’s top stars prepare for the Monster Energy FIM Speedway World Cup.
CZECH SGP SCORES
1 Tai Woffinden 18 Pts
2 Jaroslaw Hampel 13 Pts
3 Maciej Janowski 18 Pts
4 Nicki Pedersen 15 Pts
5 Greg Hancock 13 Pts
6 Andreas Jonsson 9 Pts
7 Matej Zagar 9 Pts
8 Niels-Kristian Iversen 8 Pts
9 Jason Doyle 7 Pts
10 Chris Holder 6 Pts
11 Troy Batchelor 6 Pts
12 Chris Harris 5 Pts
13 Krzysztof Kasprzak 4 Pts
14 Michael Jepsen Jensen 4 Pts
15 Vaclav Milik 2 Pts
16 Tomas H Jonasson 1 Pts
WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS
1 Tai Woffinden 40 Pts
2 Nicki Pedersen 34 Pts
3 Jaroslaw Hampel 31 Pts
4 Greg Hancock 27 Pts
5 Matej Zagar 24 Pts
6 Andreas Jonsson 24 Pts
7 Maciej Janowski 23 Pts
8 Jason Doyle 22 Pts
9 Niels-Kristian Iversen 21 Pts
10 Michael Jepsen Jensen 19 Pts
11 Chris Harris 18 Pts
12 Krzysztof Kasprzak 17 Pts
13 Chris Holder 13 Pts
14 Troy Batchelor 13 Pts
15 Tomas H Jonasson 9 Pts
16 Tomasz Gollob 4 Pts
AMA Motocross Championships – Round 2 – Glen Helen
450 Race Report: When Moto 1 got underway, it was Justin Barcia claiming the Motosport.com Holeshot Award ahead of his teammate Phil Nicoletti. Roczen experienced misfortune, crashing on the opening lap with Jason Anderson, while Chad Reed, Eli Tomac and Ryan Dungey were all well placed.
Nicoletti slipped past Barcia lead the opening lap, but Barcia got back around to lead Lap 2. On Lap 3 Dungey took control of the race, while Tomac soon followed into second. The top two were able to open a gap on the field and soon started to inch closer to one another.
On Lap 7, Tomac pressured Dungey for the top spot and was able to move out front after Dungey’s bike stalled. While Tomac checked out, Dungey was able to resume, maintaining second. Once in the lead Tomac cruised to the win, but Dungey experienced another stall on the final lap and fell outside the top five. That allowed Barcia to move into second and Nicoletti into third and Reed in fourth. Dungey crossed the line in sixth.
In Moto 2, Tomac ensured he controlled the race from the get go by earning his second Motosport.com Holeshot Award of the season ahead of Dungey. While he kept Tomac within reach during the opening laps, Dungey ultimately couldn’t keep pace, which allowed the Honda rider to move out to a multiple second margin early in the moto.
While Dungey locked down control of second, Roczen was rebounding from his first moto misfortune to ride consistently in third ahead of Barcia. Tomac took the checkered flag by 23.426 seconds over Dungey, with Roczen third.
As he had in each of his two career wins entering the afternoon, Tomac relied on a 1-1 effort to claim his third career overall victory. Barcia tied his career-best finish in second overall (2-4), while Dungey recovered from his first moto troubles to round out the overall podium in third (6-2).
“I’m really comfortable right now. I’ve never been in this position before [feeling comfortable] this early in the season where I feel like I’m one with the bike,” said Tomac, who won in his first professional start at Glen Helen. “The motorcycle is just really easy to ride right now. I’ve improved my starts a whole lot and that’s been huge for me. I battled with Ryan [Dungey] there for a while in the first moto and he stalled his bike, which made it a little easier [to make the pass and win]. In Moto 2, I just ripped the holeshot and had fun.”
Tomac’s perfect 4-0 moto record to start the season moved him to 19 points ahead of Dungey in the 450 Class standings. After a fifth-place overall finish (5-6), Autotrader.com/Toyota/Yamaha’s Weston Peick moved into third, 36 points back.
“Third place isn’t necessarily something to be bummed at, it’s a respectable spot. But we want to win. That’s what we’re here for,” said Dungey. “The bike wanted to shut off in the first moto and it kept getting worse and worse before it eventually did. In the second moto we just wanted to focus on a good finish, so I got a good start and just followed Eli. We made up some ground from last week and we’ll keep working at it.”
250 Race Report: Before the first moto began, Martin and his Yamalube/Star Racing Yamaha team were scrambling to get his bike started. The team was able to fix the issue right before the gate dropped on the field and Martin entered the race a handful of seconds after the moto got underway.
Out front, Jessy Nelson earned the Motosport.com Holeshot Award and maintained the lead over Marvin Musquin for the first six laps.
Musquin gradually chipped away at the deficit to Nelson and made the pass for the lead on Lap 6. Once at the point, Musquin consistently pulled away from his competitors. That left the battle for second amongst three riders in Nelson, Joey Savatgy and Justin Hill.
On Lap 11, Hill passed Savatgy for third after a long fight for the position. On the ensuing lap, Hill’s charge forward continued with a pass on Nelson, who would later drop another spot to Savatgy. Musquin took the win, while Hill followed with a career-best moto finish in second and Savatgy third. After starting at the tail end of the field, Martin battled his way to an impressive fifth-place finish.
In Moto 2, Musquin seized control from the start by grabbing the Motosport.com Holeshot Award ahead of Nelson and Alex Martin. Jeremy Martin also got an improved start over the first moto and was in the lead group as they exited the first corner, but contact with another rider sent him to the ground and to the back of the field again.
The top three jockeyed for position on the opening lap and Alex Martin emerged with the lead to pace the field on Lap 1, with Nelson second and Musquin third. The following lap, Musquin got back around both riders to reclaim the lead and never look back. With Musquin pulling away, Martin continued to assert himself in second while Nelson engaged in a battle for third with his teammate Shane McElrath. Musquin took the win 6.612 seconds over Martin, who enjoyed a career-best moto finish in second, while McElrath earned a career best moto finish of his own in third after a last-lap pass on Nelson. Jeremy Martin again was impressive in his climb through the field, finishing sixth.
Musquin’s 1-1 effort gave him the win he missed out on via a tiebreaker last weekend as well as sole possession of the championship lead. Hill earned his first career overall podium in second (2-5), while Nelson tied the best finish of his career in third (4-4). It marked the first time in history that the KTM brand swept the overall podium.
“I always like racing at Glen Helen,” said Musquin. “I remember coming here for the first time for the [FIM] USGP and won both motos. It’s great to do it again in the U.S. [AMA] Championship. The track was great and I really enjoyed it out there. The first moto was a great battle with Jessy [Nelson], and I finally was able to get the lead and win the moto. In the second moto I got a great start but made a little mistake early, but I recovered and got back out front. That allowed me to ride my own race.”
Justin Hill was happy with his day and had this to say to RacerX: “Today was a lot better than the last race I had, obviously. Big leap for me. I knew I belonged up front before the start of the series. I felt good, and the bikes have been amazing all year. So there was no reason for me to not be up on the podium, so I was quite disappointed last weekend when I couldn’t make it happen. Coming into this weekend, I just had a little bit more confidence. I just wanted to prove it that I could belong up here. First moto was okay. We got a decent start, and then I worked up, made passes, and got into second. Great moto. Second moto I didn’t get a good start. Came from quite a way back. Got up battling with with Jessy and Shane [McElrath] at the end there, but ended up getting fifth place. Second and fifth for second—that’s a shakeup but I will take it.”
Musquin opened a 19-point lead over Jeremy Martin, who finished seventh (5-6), in the 250 Class standings. A fifth-place finish (11-2) allowed Alex Martin to move into third, 32 points back.
The 2015 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship continues next Saturday, May 30, with the True Value Thunder Valley National from Lakewood, Colorado.
450 Class (Moto Finish)
1. Eli Tomac, Cortez, Colo., Honda (1-1)
2. Justin Barcia, Monroe, N.Y., Yamaha (2-4)
3. Ryan Dungey, Belle Plaine, Minn., KTM (6-2)
4. Ken Roczen, Germany, Suzuki, (8-3)
5. Weston Peick, Wildomar, Calif., Yamaha (5-6)
6. Chad Reed, Australia, Kawasaki (4-8)
7. Blake Baggett, Grand Terrace, Calif., Suzuki (7-7)
8. Christophe Pourcel, France, Husqvarna (9-10)
9. Cole Seely, Laguna Beach, Calif., Honda (14-9)
10. Jason Anderson, Edgewood, N.M., Husqvarna (38-5)
450 Class Championship Standings
1. Eli Tomac, Cortez, Colo., Honda, 100
2. Ryan Dungey, Belle Plaine, Minn., KTM, 81
3. Weston Peick, Wildomar, Calif., Yamaha, 64
4. Blake Baggett, Grand Terrace, Calif., Suzuki, 61
5. Justin Barcia, Monroe, N.Y., Yamaha, 58
6. Ken Roczen, Germany, Suzuki, 51
7. Jason Anderson, Edgewood, N.M., Husqvarna, 50
8. Christophe Pourcel, France, Husqvarna, 48
9. Chad Reed, Australia, Kawasaki, 46
10. Broc Tickle, Holly, Mich., Suzuki, 43
250 Class (Moto Finish)
1. Marvin Musquin, France, KTM (1-1)
2. Justin Hill, Yoncalla, Ore. KTM (2-5)
3. Jessy Nelson, Paso Robles, Calif., KTM (4-4)
4. Joey Savatgy, Thomasville, Ga., Kawasaki (3-7)
5. Alex Martin, Millville, Minn., Yamaha (11-2)
6. Shane McElrath, Canton, N.C., KTM (9-3)
7. Jeremy Martin, Millville, Minn., Yamaha (5-6)
8. Matt Bisceglia, Tualatin, Ore., Honda (6-11)
9. Kyle Peters, Greensboro, N.C., Honda (7-12)
10. Adam Cianciarulo, Port Orange, Fla., Kawasaki (12-10)
18.Hayden Mellross, Australia, Honda (19-16)
22. Jackson Richardson, Australia, Honda (18-24)
250 Class Championship Standings
1. Marvin Musquin, France, KTM, 97
2. Jeremy Martin, Millville, Minn., Yamaha, 78
3. Alex Martin, Millville, Minn., Yamaha, 65
4. Joey Savatgy, Thomasville, Georgia, Kawasaki, 58
5. Justin Hill, Yoncalla, Ore. KTM, 52
6. Chris Alldredge, Powell Butte, Ore., Kawasaki, 49
7. Jessy Nelson, Paso Robles, Calif., KTM, 46
8. Matt Bisceglia, Tualatin, Ore., Honda, 45
9. Shane McElrath, Canton, N.C., KTM, 44
10. Adam Cianciarulo, Port Orange, Fla., Kawasaki, 42
