Moto News Wrap for March 15, 2016 by Darren Smart
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This Weeks Racing Overview
- AMA Supercross Championship – Round 10 – Toronto
- Amsoil Arenacross – Cajundome, Lafayette, La
- FIM SuperEnduro Championship – Round 5 – Prague
- New Zealand Motocross Championships – Round 3 – Rotorua
- GNCC – Round 2 – Georgia
- AMA Pro-Flat Track Championships – Round 1 and 2 – Daytona International Speedway
- Dutch Motocross Championships – Round 1 – Axel, Holland
- Sunshine State Motocross – Round 1 – Hervey Bay
This Week’s News Overview
- MX National News
- Gunnedah Week of Speed
- Temora Grand Slam
- Davalos and Pourcel Sit Out Toronta
- Hunter Lawrence Impresses in Holland
- Melero Continues Jump Streak
- Anderson Looking for Funding
- Coldenhoff Sits Out Dutch Opener
Australasian News
MX Nationals and Sunny Coast Continue Relationship
Sunshine Coast’s Conondale and Coolum motocross facilities have inked a deal to host the two Queensland rounds of the Motul MX Nationals from 2016 to 2018.
Gunnedah Week of Speed
As is the case with a lot of Dirt Track events, finding the results is tough but after scouring through Facebook posts I found out that Luke Richards has won the ‘Week Of Speed’ Dirt Track event ahead of Paul Caslick and local gun Jordan Dall.
Temora Hosts Grand Slam
The lure of a huge prize money payout for the premier Pro 450 class at the Temora Motorcycle Clubs ‘Grand Slam’ has enticed current and former Australian champions Luke Richards, Marty McNamara, Michael Kirkness, Ty Lynch, Darren Herrick and Paul Caslick to the Riverina district this weekend – I will try to get you the results next week.
Young Cody Dyce bounces back from broken foot to start 2016 on the front foot
The Victorian Yamaha Junior Racing (YJR) team got their 2016 state championships aspirations underway in fine style with top results at the opening round of the Victorian Junior Motocross championships, ran over the weekend at the Korumbauura circuit.
Current Victorian number one plate holder, Cody Dyce, was back in action for the first time since breaking his foot just prior to the Australian Junior Championships in October last year, at the opening round of the Victorian Junior Motocross championships last weekend at Korumbauura.
Dyce immediately showed he is back to his best to take the round win in the A Grade 250cc with 3-1-1 results. Only a fall in race one stopped him from a clean sweep of the day and Dyce put his rivals on notice that he is back and desperate to retain his number one plate.
“It was good to be racing again,” Dyce commented at the end of the day. “It’s been a while since my last race after my injury and I was just looking forward to getting out on the track and seeing how I go.
“I’m pretty happy with how I rode and the track was in good shape all weekend. Thank you to Yamaha Junior Racing and all our team sponsors for backing us again this year and hopefully the good results can keep coming,” Dyce ends.
Callum Norton took second place in the 15-years 250cc category while Mason Semmens rounded out the podium.
Motorcycling Victoria have published this video highlights package from the season opener.
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Yamaha continues support for A4DE in 2016
Yamaha Motor Australia have once again confirmed its continued support for Australian Off-Road racing, securing the the naming rights to the nation’s most prestigious off-road motorcycle event, the 2016 Australian Four Day Enduro (A4DE), to be held in Mansfield Victoria from May 9-14.
The 2016 edition of the Yamaha A4DE will take place in Mansfield which is at the foothills of Victoria’s alpine country – with over 300 riders competing in a range of special tests and travelling through some amazing countryside over four grueling days, to determine Australia’s best two-wheeled off-road warrior.
The format for the 2016 A4DE will see riders travel to a range of special tests per day, where the riders race against the clock.
The culmination of these timed tests (around six per day including the final motocross test), as well as ensuring each check point is made on time will determine the winner.
Previous winners of the event include Australia’s very own Daniel Milner, 2016 Dakar Champion Toby Price, as well as a number of others, such as and ex-world champions from Europe Juha Salminen and David Knight, as well former Australian world champs Shane Watts and Stefan Merriman.
American News
Davalos and Pourcel Sat Out Toronto
Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Christophe Pourcel sustained a C3 vertebra minor injury in practice earlier last week which will require him to remain side-lined for seven to ten days. Pourcel will return to racing at the Detroit Supercross and continue to strive for the podium.
Teammate Martin Davalos unfortunately did not race the Toronto Supercross due to personal reasons. Davalos, who won the opening round of the 250SX East series and fought for the podium this past weekend in Daytona, has shown he is a serious contender for the title. The current red-plate holder will return for the Detroit Supercross in hopes of continuing his chase for the 250 East Supercross Championship.
Euro News
Hunter Lawrence Impresses in Holland
Kawasaki rider Hunter Lawrence had his first outing among the GP stars at the opening round of the Dutch Motocross Championships last weekend and the former Australian Junior Motocross Champion did himself and Australia proud with two top ten performances – This kid is tough, fit and fast and to have this speed at such a tender age we have our next superstar in the making!!!!! Yeehaa!
Melero Continue Jump Streak
The 6th round of the FIM Freestyle MX World Championships kicked off in front of a 13,000 strong crowd in the Tauron Arena in Krakow and it was Maikel Melero who racked up his 10th consecutive win by putting together a near perfect final run which included the Double Grab Flip, California Roll to 1 hand landing and Nac-Nac Flair.
Melero is now 20 points clear of second place Remi Bizouard who finished fourth place in the Polish round.
Coldenhoff Sits Out Dutch Opener
Red Bull KTM Factory rider Glenn Coldenhoff picked up a small injury at the GP of Thailand and didn’t race the opening round of the Dutch championships last weekend. “Unfortunately, not on the start at the Dutch Championship in Axel. During the GP of Thailand, I got a slight injury. It’s still two weeks until the Grand Prix of valkenswaard, and I hope that I am full recovery on the start.”
Paulin sidelined with injury after Lommel crash
Last weekend, on Saturday 12 March, Gautier Paulin crashed whilst practicing at Lommel, Belgium and sustained a fractured vertebrate and a broken rib. On the landing of a jump, his front wheel hit a soft spot of ground which stopped the bike, sending him over the bars with his bike landing on top of him.
He was immediately checked by local motocross specialist Dr. Claes and, after initial inspections determined that the fracture appeared stable, Gautier was permitted to return home. He will continue to see his local specialist in the coming days to continue the assessment of his condition and road to recovery. A target MXGP return date is yet to be set.
Smarty’s Race Reports and Official Results from last Weekend
AMA Supercross Championship – Round 10 – Toronto
Toronto’s Roger’s Centre hosted 50,000 fans who saw Ken Roczen and his Suzuki finally looking like they are getting their act together to take the 450 main event win ahead of Marvin Musquin and Ryan Dungey while Justin Hill took advantage of a massive first corner pile up to win the 250 main ahead of Jeremy Martin.
450SX Report
1st: Ken Roczen slotted into third behind Tomac and Dungey on lap one then took advantage of the leading duo doing battle to blast into the lead and the win – for mind this is the first time it looked like K-Roc was 100% confident to throw his Suzuki into corners without front end wash which enabled the German to pull the throttle early and let it rip out of the corners.
Ken Roczen: “Yeah, it’s awesome! The track conditions were really tough out there. I got a decent start and I got a little lucky in the second turn, because [Justin] Bogle went down—there was a bunch of carnage going on. I made a couple of good passes in the beginning and then I had a clear track. I thought for sure after I passed Eli [Tomac] he was going to come back and try to take it to me, but I was able to get a good gap and ride my race. It’s all about riding smart. It got really tough, it got notchy and really cupped out. Towards the end of the race I had a pretty good gap, just kept it on two wheels and rode a solid race. Towards the end I was just keeping it steady. I saw Marvin [Musquin] coming, but I was just taking it easy in the whoops. Normally, that’s the worst thing you can do—that’s when things go wrong—but overall it was great.”
2nd: Marvin Musquin – For the second week in a row there was a huge pile up early in the first lap (this time caused by Justin Bogle) and once again Marvin managed to avoid the carnage to come out inside the top five and from there the 450 class rookie moved to third before taking advantage of a rare Dungey mistake to score second place.
“It was good to be on the podium two weekends in a row,” said Musquin. “Today, I thought it was going to be a little bit different. It was a tough track. It was slippery, big rhythm sections and it was really important to time those sections right. That was a real track to me. It was rough, many rhythms, whoops and everything on this track. I thought I was going to get a good start and I had a great line, but I messed up the start. Then I kind of fought through the pack and unfortunately there was a big crash—I was afraid to ride over [Justin] Bogle. It was close, and it was a good thing I was able to ride around the crash. Then I was like maybe fifth, and I was able to pass [Cole] Seely and get by [Eli] Tomac. It was great to be able to make those passes and running behind [Ryan] Dungey. It felt great, and unfortunately he went down and gave me second place.
3rd: Ryan Dungey – For the second week in a row Dungey pulled the holeshot only to lose the lead to Tomac and this week Roczen flew by into the lead leaving Dungey to watch his arch rival slip away while he tried to get by Tomac – which he eventually did and instead of settling for second the championship leader put down some sizzling laps in an effort to catch Roczen before a small fall put pay to a race win and second place – this is Dungey’s 26th consecutive podium and he now sits 34 points in the championship lead over Roczen.
Ryan Dungey was happy to have the record of most consecutive podium finishes. “It’s cool; it’s an honor. As a little kid I worked hard to get in that position. I have a lot of people that helped me along the way, and I’ve always dreamed of being in the category of Ricky, Stewart and Reed and anybody else that threw a leg over a dirt bike. It’s a pretty big honor, and tonight the track was tough. We were pushing it trying to catch Kenny and I made a little mistake. I would of rather been trying and made a mistake than just putzing around. Third place is not too bad tonight.”
4th: Cole Seely – “ I felt good tonight and was happy to be back racing up front with those guys. I haven’t been able to run with the front pack in a while so it was nice to be back up where I feel like I can run. The next step would be to get back on the podium so we’ll see what happens next week in Detroit.”
5th: Eli Tomac – “We’re leaving Canada with a fifth place,” said Tomac. “We had a great practice, rode really well in the heat and tried to carry that speed into the Main Event. Once the Main Event started I got my KX out of the gate really well, avoided the incident on the first lap and then made the pass into the lead. From there I just didn’t feel exactly how I needed to get the job done. I’m looking forward to next weekend and will build off what I learned tonight.”
9th – Jason Anderson got a dcent start and I will let him tell the story from there. “I felt like I put myself in a good position. My starts have been better. I came out around sixth, but the guy who got the holeshot looped out when I was in the air and I hit his bike. It definitely wasn’t what I was planning, but at the same time I made the best of it. Luckily I’m healthy after that and put in 20 good laps. My whole front end was crooked, but all-in-all it wasn’t the worst time.”
Chad Reed was unceremoniously dumped on the ground in a tangle of handlebars heading into the tight first corner and was left stunned but the plucky Aussie posted this on his Twitter feed: ‘Appreciate all the get wells and concern I’m a little beat up but I’ll be all good and ready to try again in Detroit’
450SX Class Results
1. Ken Roczen, Clermont, Fla., Suzuki
2. Marvin Musquin, Corona, Calif., KTM
3. Ryan Dungey, Belle Plaine, Minn., KTM
4. Cole Seely, Sherman Oaks, Calif., Honda
5. Eli Tomac, Cortez, Colo., Kawasaki
6. Justin Brayton, Mint Hill, N.C., KTM
7. Trey Canard, Edmond, Okla., Honda
8. Weston Peick, Wildomar, Calif., Yamaha
9. Jason Anderson, Rio Rancho, N.M., Husqvarna
10. Jake Weimer, Wildomar, Calif., Suzuki
450SX Class Championship Standings
1. Ryan Dungey, Belle Plaine, Minn., KTM – 233
2. Ken Roczen, Clermont, Fla., Suzuki – 199
3. Jason Anderson, Rio Rancho, N.M., Husqvarna – 175
4. Eli Tomac, Cortez, Colo., Kawasaki – 170
5. Cole Seely, Sherman Oaks, Calif., Honda – 163
6. Marvin Musquin, Corona, Calif., KTM – 156
7. Chad Reed, Dade City, Fla., Yamaha – 142
8. Justin Brayton, Mint Hill, N.C., KTM – 125
9. Davi Millsaps, Murrieta, Calif., KTM – 105
10. Jake Weimer, Wildomar, Calif., Suzuki – 92
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250SX Race Report
Alex Frye earned his first career holeshot but was quickly overtaken by Matt Bisceglia just as some of the championship contenders in Malcolm Stewart, Jeremy Martin and Aaron Plessinger were picking themselves out of a huge first corner pile-up.
Shane McElrath, Tyler Bowers and Justin Hill moved by Bisceglia into on the second lap but Hill’s intentions were clear with the KTM pilot blitzing his way to the lead on lap three. While Hill started to open a gap, McElrath pulled into the mechanics area with a flat tyre which allowed Bowers into second and Bisceglia third.
Bowers then predictably crashed out of second which allowed Bisceglia to take over second with Benny Bloss to move into third but that was short lived as Martin was storming through the pack and took over second place by lap 9.
Hill went on to claim his third career 250SX Class victory ahead of Martin who now leads the championship by two points over Hill. Bisceglia rounded out the podium in third ahead of Frye, Jesse Wentland and Malcolm Stewart who proved that you can crash and keep racing to keep yourself in the championship chase – something his brother hasn’t been able to do for three seasons.
“This [win] is a big deal for me. It’s been a while since I last won,” said Hill. “It was a very difficult track and I was lucky to get through the start clean and bring it home.”
Jeremy Martin had this to say. “I was a little nervous lining up out wide, but the inside was just too far in. I was like, “You know what, I’m going to line up just outside these guys, and I’m going to get it done” I felt like I was the first one into the first turn tonight, but someone had all their weight on me. I tried and I was leaning like this [leaning on the other rider]. Unfortunately, I took out my teammate A.P. [Aaron Plessinger] and I feel really bad, but we were able to get up from last and charge our way to second. I had a lot of close calls. I almost landed on Arnaud Tonus so I had a few uh oh moments, but we were able to pull through for a second. Like you said, you’re able to win Championships on your bad days.”
Bisceglia was wrapped with the podium finish. “It feels really good just to come here on this first year team: Mad Racing / Yoshimura / Suzuki. These guys have done so much over the past two or three months just getting us ready so we can be able to compete at this level. It was a long offseason for me. I had a couple of injuries, and it was about four and a half weeks ago I was in the hospital getting surgery—it’s a miracle I’m even here. For the first couple of rounds I was ready and I’m just ready week by week.”
Malcolm Stewart has this to say after the race. “I was not giving up. The thing is I work too hard to give up. There’s no chance in heck I am coming back to this truck [before the race ends]. Unless that motorcycle cannot run, I’m not coming back here. I worked too hard in the offseason, and the team knows that I want to win. They know. If anything they came back with smiles on their face just because they know that’s riding like a champion. That’s what’s going to get you wins. Once you get the ball rolling there ain’t going to be nobody to stop you. That’s my positive energy leaving this. Get a win in Detroit [next week], regroup, and go from there.”
Eastern Regional 250SX Class Results
1. Justin Hill, Yoncalla, Ore., KTM
2. Jeremy Martin, Millville, Minn., Yamaha
3. Matt Bisceglia, Weatherford, Texas, Suzuki
4. Alex Frye, Huntingtown, Md., KTM
5. Jesse Wentland, Elk River, Minn., Honda
6. Malcolm Stewart, Haines City, Fla., Honda
7. Benny Bloss, Oak Grove, Mo., Yamaha
8. Gannon Audette, Tallahassee, Fla., Kawasaki
9. Paul Coates, Zephyrhills, Fla., Honda
10. Arnaud Tonus, Lake Elsinore, Calif., Kawasaki
Eastern Regional 250SX Class Championship Standings
1. Jeremy Martin, Millville, Minn., Yamaha – 65
2. Justin Hill, Yoncalla, Ore., KTM – 63
3. Malcolm Stewart, Haines City, Fla., Honda – 55
4. Martin Davalos, Clermont, Fla., Husqvarna – 45
5. Aaron Plessinger, Hamilton, Ohio, Yamaha – 45
6. Tyler Bowers, Corona, Calif., Kawasaki – 35
7. Matt Bisceglia, Weatherford, Texas, Suzuki – 32
8. Benny Bloss, Oak Grove, Mo., Yamaha – 32
9. Alex Frye, Huntingtown, Md., KTM – 31
10. Jesse Wentland, Elk River, Minn., Honda – 30
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Amsoil Arenacross – Cajundome, Lafayette, La
Gavin Faith has earned his third straight overall win at the Lafayette round of the Amsoil Arenacross Championship thus solidifying his top seed heading into the ‘Race to the Championship’ playoff while Sean Cantrell has scored his second straight win in the Eastern Regional Arenacross Lites Class.
Cantrell had a cracker of a night with a win in the Lites class before taking the holeshot in the 450 class ahead of Chris Blose, Kyle Regal, Jacob Hayes and Travis Sewell while Faith was forced to come from behind after starting 10th.
Once Blose got by Cantrel the Kawasaki rider went on to lead every lap to take the win over Hayes, Sewell third, Faith and Regal.
At the start of the second main event Blose and Hayes found themselves on the ground and completed the first lap in 12th and 13th while out front Ben Lamay led the race over Sewell and Faith and that is the way the race remained until Faith got around Sewell so by race end Lamay took the win ahead of Faith, Sewell and Steven Mages while Hayes fought his way back to seventh – Blose ended up 11th.
Faith’s 4-2 finishes tied him with Sewell’s 3-3 effort in the overall classification, but by virtue of his better finish in the second Main Event Faith was given the tiebreaker for the win.
Cantrell led the 15-lap Eastern Regional Arenacross Lites Class Main Event from go-to-woe and finished well ahead of Ben Nelko and Brandon Marley
The opening round of the Race to the Championship will take place in Ontario, California’s Citizen’s Business Bank Arena with two nights of action on Friday, April 1, and Saturday, April 2.
Arenacross Class Results – Main Event 1
1. Chris Blose, Phoenix, Kawasaki
2. Jacob Hayes, Liberty, N.C., Kawasaki
3. Travis Sewell, Westville, Ind., KTM
4. Gavin Faith, Fort Dodge, Iowa, Kawasaki
5. Steven Mages, Sardinia, Ohio, Kawasaki
6. Kyle Regal, Lake Elsinore, Calif., Husqvarna
7. Ben Lamay, Forney, Texas, Honda
8. Jared Lesher, Ball Ground, Ga., KTM
9. Jace Owen, Matoon, Ill., Honda
10. Cody VanBuskirk, Harvard, Ill., KTM
Arenacross Class Results – Main Event 2
1. Ben Lamay, Forney, Texas, Honda
2. Gavin Faith, Fort Dodge, Iowa, Kawasaki
3. Travis Sewell, Westville, Ind., KTM
4. Jace Owen, Matoon, Ill., Honda
5. Steven Mages, Sardinia, Ohio, Kawasaki
6. Jared Lesher, Ball Ground, Ga., KTM
7. Jacob Hayes, Liberty, N.C., Kawasaki
8. Kyle Regal, Lake Elsinore, Calif., Husqvarna
9. Isaac Teasdale, Robbinsville, S.C., KTM
10. Cody VanBuskirk, Harvard, Ill., KTM
Arenacross Class Overall Results (Main Event Results)
1. Gavin Faith, Fort Dodge, Iowa, Kawasaki (4-2)
2. Travis Sewell, Westville, Ind., KTM (3-3)
3. Jacob Hayes, Liberty, N.C., Kawasaki (2-7)
4. Ben Lamay, Forney, Texas, Honda (7-1)
5. Steven Mages, Sardinia, Ohio, Kawasaki (5-5)
6. Chris Blose, Phoenix, Kawasaki (1-11)
7. Jace Owen, Matoon, Ill., Honda (9-4)
8. Kyle Regal, Lake Elsinore, Calif., Husqvarna (6-8)
9. Jared Lesher, Ball Ground, Ga., KTM (8-6)
10. Cody VanBuskirk, Harvard, Ill., KTM (10-10)
RMATV/MC Head 2 Head Challenge Results (bonus points)
1. Jacob Hayes, Liberty, N.C., Kawasaki (2 points)
2. Chris Blose, Phoenix, Kawasaki (1 point)
3. Gavin Faith, Fort Dodge, Iowa, Kawasaki (1 point)
4. Travis Sewell, Westville, Ind., KTM (1 point)
5. Jace Owen, Matoon, Ill., Honda (1 point)
6. Kyle Regal, Lake Elsinore, Calif., Husqvarna (1 point)
7. Kyle Bitterman, West Pelzer, S.C., Husqvarna (1 point)
8. Sean Cantrell, Murrieta, Calif., KTM (1 point)
Eastern Regional Arenacross Lites Class Results
1. Sean Cantrell, Murrieta, Calif., KTM
2. Ben Nelko, Aliquippa, Pa., KTM
3. Brandon Marley, McEwen, Tenn., KTM
4. Mathew Weakley, Atoka, Tenn., Husqvarna
5. Isaac Teasdale, Robbinsville, S.C., KTM
6. DJ MacFarlane, Pinellas Park, Fla., Yamaha
7. Tallon LaFountaine, Banning, Calif., KTM
8. Addison Emory IV, Owasso, Okla., Yamaha
9. Dylan Rouse, Florence, Ky., KTM
10. Josh Struebig, Crown Point, Ind., KTM
Race to the Championship Standings
1. Gavin Faith, Fort Dodge, Iowa, Kawasaki – 6 (6 Main Event Wins)
2. Travis Sewell, Westville, Ind., KTM – 5 (5 Main Event Wins)
3. Jacob Hayes, Liberty, N.C., Kawasaki – 4 (8 Main Event Wins)
4. Chris Blose, Phoenix, Kawasaki – 4 (2 Main Event Wins)
5. Ben Lamay, Forney, Texas, Honda – 3 (1 Main Event Win)
6. Jace Owen, Matoon, Ill., Honda – 3
7. Gared Steinke, Woodland, Calif., Husqvarna – 2
8. Kyle Regal, Lake Elsinore, Calif., Husqvarna – 2
9. Daniel Herrlein, Bethesda, Ohio, Honda – 1
10. Cody VanBuskirk, Harvard, Ill., KTM – 1
Eastern Regional Arenacross Lites Class Standings
1. Daniel Herrlein, Bethesda, Ohio, Honda – 105 (2 Main Event Wins)
2. Dylan Walker, Lancaster, Ohio, Honda – 63
3. Jacob Williamson, Swartz Creek, Mich., Kawasaki – 49 (1 Main Event Win)
4. Sean Cantrell, Murrieta, Calif., KTM – 46 (2 Main Event Wins)
5. Steve Roman, Apollo, Pa., Suzuki – 43
6. Justin Cooper, Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y., Yamaha – 42
7. Lane Staley, Chillicothe, Ohio, KTM – 39
8. DJ MacFarlane, Pinellas Park, Fla., Yamaha – 38
9. Tyler McSwain, Shelby, N.C., Yamaha – 35
10. Henry Miller, Rochester, Minn., Honda – 34
FIM SuperEnduro Championship – Round 5 – Prague
Colton Haaker has claimed the overall victory at round five of the FIM SuperEnduro World Championship held in Prague last weekend and now sits just one point from the championship lead held by Jonny Walker.
Walker arrived in Prague with a nine point lead but the KTM pilot suffered a lower leg injury in practice yet he decided to compete with the injury leaving it to chance to see if he could keep himself in the championship hunt and that is exactly what he did with 7-6-6 finishes over the three finals.
Haaker on the other hand went 3-1-2 over the tree final and will go into the final round with a real chance of winning the title. “I’m pretty stoked with my first overall win. I thought I rode good in the previous two rounds and kind of felt I was getting closer and closer to the win. I knew it was coming my way since the last round in Brazil. It was tough here in Prague, the track was super tight so it didn’t take much to make mistakes. Having my fair share of unlucky moments in the previous races it felt like luck was on my side this time. I messed up in Superpole losing a lot of time but then fought hard in all three motos. I’ve been super consistent in the last few rounds and that’s a huge advantage going to the big final in Madrid. I’ll just give it all once again and hope for the best.”
Jonny Walker: “I’m glad we retained the lead in the standings after such a hard GP. |n the first practise, as I was riding through the log pit, my foot hit the ground and I felt something pop in my leg. It must have been muscle damage but it hurt badly. I rode off the track and from then on it was a matter of salvaging the situation. I got three lots of painkiller injections but it wasn’t good. The pain was almost unbearable, especially when I had to put pressure on my right side. At the end of the day I had to get points for the championship so there weren’t many options. I kept pushing and I’m so happy to come away with the championship lead after such a bad night of racing. Whatever’s happened in Prague isn’t stopping me from giving my all for the title. I’ll get things checked and do all I can to be fit for the final race.”
Prestige – Final 1: 1. Taylor Robert (KTM) 10 laps, 06:39.804; 2. Alfredo Gomez (KTM) 06:49.815; 3. Colton Haaker (Husqvarna) 06:50.674… 7. Jonny Walker (KTM) 07:16.638.
Prestige – Final 2: 1. Colton Haaker (Husqvarna) 11 laps, 07:09.938; 2. Cody Webb (KTM) 07:15.749; 3. Taylor Robert (KTM) 07:16.504… 6. Jonny Walker (KTM) 07:39.494.
Prestige – Final 3: 1. Taddy Blazusiak (KTM) 11 laps, 07:17.175; 2. Colton Haaker (Husqvarna) 07:31.051; 3. Taylor Robert (KTM) 07:32.153… 6. Jonny Walker (KTM) 07:27.606.
Prestige – Overall Classification: 1. Colton Haaker (Husqvarna) 52pts; 2. Taylor Robert (KTM) 52pts; 3. Taddy Blazusiak (KTM) 43pts. 7. Jonny Walker (KTM) 29pts.
FIM SuperEnduro World Championship Standings (After Round 5 of 6): 1. Jonny Walker (KTM) 241pts; 2. Colton Haaker (Husqvarna) 240pts; 3. Cody Webb (KTM) 234pts; 4. Taylor Robert (KTM) 193pts; 5. Alfredo Gomez (KTM) 183pts.
The sixth and final round of the FIM SuperEnduro World Championship takes place in Madrid on March 19.
New Zealand Motocross Championships – Round 3 – Rotorua
After spending the opening two rounds playing second fiddle to Australian imports Dean Ferris and Todd Waters, defending MX1 Champion Cody Cooper has bounced back into the championship lead at round three of the New Zealand Motocross Championships held on the undulating Rotorua circuit while Kayne Lamont won all three of the MX2 championship motos.
Cooper dominated the opening two motos before settling for second in the final moto to Ferris while Todd Waters kept himself well and truly in the championship chase with 2-2-3 finishes for second overall on the day with Ferris finishing back in fourth with 3-17-1 finishes.
Cooper now leads the series with one round remaining by three points over Waters and five ahead of Ferris so the final round is going to be a cracker while Harwood has a more comfortable 13 point lead over Aussie Jed Beaton who scored second at the Rotorua round with 4-2-2 results.
Todd Waters has climbed to within three points of the New Zealand MX1 Championship lead following a strong performance at Rotorua.
The 25-year-old MC2 Suzuki Racing Team RM-Z450 rider began the day 14 points behind series leader and fellow Australian Dean Ferris, but, with a 2-2-3 scorecard, he finished the day runner-up to defending national champion and current series leader Cody Cooper, putting him well within strike range for the title with just one round and three races to come.
Todd Waters
“It’s going to be a good final round. Cooper and Ferris are on top of their game and I will need to step it up. I nearly won the day at round two and I was again runner-up today, but behind a different rider. Perhaps I’m saving my best for last. Hopefully I can pull something out of the bag at the last round.”
The fourth and final round of the series is set for the Digger McEwen Motocross Park facility, on the outskirts of Taupo, on Sunday March 20th.
MX1 Overall: 1. Cody Cooper – 72. 2. Todd Waters – 64. 3. Rhys Carter – 53. 4. Dean Ferris – 48. 5. Brad Groombridg – 45. 6. Scott Columb – 44. 7. Hamish Harwood – 44. 8. Dylan Miles – 43. 9. Roydon White – 35. 10. Joaquin Fernandez – 35.
MX1 Championship Standings after Round 3 of 4: 1. Cody Cooper – 198. 2. Todd Waters – 195. 3. Dean Ferris – 193. 4. Scott Columb – 145. 5. Brad Groombridge – 142. 6. Hamish Harwood – 137. 7. Daryl Hurley – 105 8. Dylan Miles – 104. 9. Kieran Scheele – 96. 10. Joaquin Fernandez – 83.
MX2 Overall: 1. Kayne Lamont – 75. 2. Jed Beaton – 62. 3. Ethan Martens – 60. 4. Hamish Harwood – 58. 5. Micah McGoldrick – 46. 6. Joel Wightman – 42. 7. Shaun Fogarty – 40. 8. Trent Collins – 40. 9. Hadleigh Knight – 34. 10. Cohen Chase – 30.
MX2 Championship Standings after Round 3 of 4: 1. Hamish Harwood – 197. 2. Jed Beaton – 184. 3. Ethan Martens – 163. 4. Kayne Lamont – 149. 5. Micah McGoldrick – 143. 6. Hadleigh Knight – 138. 7. Cohen Chase – 125.8. Joel Wightman – 118. 9. Trent Collins – 99. 10. Sam Greenslade – 76.
GNCC – Round 2 – Cannonball Sparta, Ga
Josh Strang has done the unthinkable in the eyes of the American dirt bike fans and given defending champion Kailub Russell his second beating in a row at round two of the GNCC held in Georgia last weekend while Trevor Bollinger has followed Strang’s lead to win the XC2 class for the second week in a row.
When Russell pulled the holeshot most thought it was going to be another win for the four-time champion but Strang had other ideas and kept the pressure on Russell before taking the lead and eventual win in the dying laps. “On the third lap I got caught up in a vine and that put me back a little,” said Strang. “I had to ride pretty hard to catch back up and I was able to make the pass and put a little gap on him after Russell stalled in the pits. It was a fun race and it’s good to get another win.”
In the XC2 Pro Lites division Trevor Bollinger had an impressive ride finishing third overall on adjusted time ahead of many of the XC1 Pro riders. Bollinger lead the rest of the XC2 Pro Lites class by almost two minutes ahead of Jesse Groemm and Layne Michael.
“Last year I wasn’t sure if I could race this season, but luckily JCR Honda picked me up and Johnny had faith in me,” said Bollinger. “I’ve worked really hard this winter and it feels good to be able to get my team on the overall podium.”
XC1 Results: 1. Josh Strang. 2. Kailub Russell. 3. Steward Baylor. 4. Russell Bobbitt. 5. Jason Thomas. 6. Ryan Sipes. 7. Daniel Milner. 8. Thaddeus Duvall. 9. Russell Duvall. 10. Grant Baylor.
Outright Championship Standings after Round 2: 1. Josh Strang – 60. 2. Kalub Russell – 46. 3. Daniel Milner – 37. 4. Trevor Bollinger – 33. 5. Ryan Sipes – 30. 6. Steward Baylor – 29. 7. Christopher – 25. 8. Grant Baylor – 24. 9. Jesse Groemm – 20. 10. Ricky Russell – 20.
XC2 Results: 1. Trevor Bollinger. 2. Jesse Groemm. 3. Layne Michael. 4. Tegan Temple. 5. Graig Delong. 6. Benjamin Kelly. 7. Evan Smith. 8. Trevor Barrett. 9. Austin Bedford. 10. Zach Hayes.
XC2 Championship Points after Round 2: 1. Trevor Bollinger – 60. 2. Tegan Temple – 43. 3. Jesse Groemm – 43. 4. Craig Delong – 37. 5. Benjamin Kelley – 29. 6. Zack Hayes – 27. 7. Trevor Barrett – 24. 8. Layne Michael – 22. 9. Samuel Evans – 20. 10. Austin Lee – 19.
AMA Pro-Flat Track Championships – Round 1 and 2 – Daytona International Speedway
Sammy Halbert and Jake Johnson have won round one and two of the AMA Pro Flat Track GNC1 Expert Singles Championship held on the Daytona International Speedway’s quarter mile course last weekend.
Halbert took out the 13 lap main event on Thursday night by 1.382 seconds ahead of Brandon Robinson, Brad Baker, Jared Mees and Bryan Smith. “It’s been way too long and we just got to keep it rolling,” Halbert said. “The boys did a good job getting it hooked up. I am not a guy who usually does doughnuts or knows how but you just got to win Daytona and you learn how instantly. When you win Daytona it just comes naturally, and I am just so happy to get up here on top.”
Jake Johnson came out on top in a two-lap tussle with Halbert in the opening stages of Friday night’s 25-lap main event to take the win ahead of his teammate Coolbeth and Halbert.
“It’s been a while since I’ve won a race,” Johnson said. “It’s been since 2011 and oddly enough it was one of the last times that I rode for Zanotti. I kind of had a dry spell but we got back together and we did it again. It’s awesome to go one-two with my teammate. It was nice enough of Kenny to let me have this one. He has had a couple of wins the last couple of years. But it hasn’t sunk in yet for me, it almost feels like my first win. I want to thank everybody that’s stuck behind me the last couple of years. It’s good to win again.”
Coolbeth was happy to share the podium with his teammate. “I’m super proud,” Coolbeth said. “Dave Zanotti puts his heart and soul into our program and it shows. He’s a hell of a guy and he would do anything for us. It was a good race. I had to work for it. I got a terrible start and we should’ve been right there with Jake. He was probably on cruise control and determined.”
Halbert takes an early season GNC1 championship lead with 40 points, three ahead of Johnson’s 37 points. “I’m the only guy up here on the podium two days in a row, so stoked with that, and I’ve got to give it up to my whole team,” Halbert said. “Jake and I had a good battle there for a minute. He passed me and I kind of gave it back to him a little bit and he really gave it back to me, so that was cool. I’m sure it made it exciting, I was just doing the best that I could in second there but Kenny was coming and I tried to hold him off but he got me.”
Next up for AMA Pro Flat Track is round three at Circuit of The Americas (COTA) on Saturday, April 9, where the series will make its debut during the Red Bull Grand Prix of the Americas race weekend.
2016 AMA Pro Flat Track Schedule
- March 10: DAYTONA Flat Track I – Daytona International Speedway, Daytona Beach, Fla.
- March11: DAYTONA Flat Track II – Daytona International Speedway, Daytona Beach, Fla.
- April 9: Circuit of the Americas, Austin, Texas
- May 14: Arizona Mile – Turf Paradise, Phoenix, Ariz.
- May 21: Sacramento Mile – Cal Expo Fair, Sacramento, Calif.
- May 29: Springfield Mile I – Illinois State Fairgrounds, Springfield, Ill.
- June 18: Oklahoma City Mile – Remington Park, Oklahoma City, Okla.
- June 25: Lima Half-Mile – Allen County Fairgrounds, Lima, Ohio
- July, TBD: Official Series Test – Central New York Raceway Park, Central Square, N.Y.
- July 30: Charlotte Half-Mile – Charlotte Motor Speedway, Charlotte, N.C.
- August 9: Sturgis Half-Mile – Black Hills Speedway, Rapid City, S.D.
- August 14: Peoria TT – Peoria Motorcycle Club, Peoria, Ill.
- August 20: Central New York Raceway Park – Central Square, N.Y.
- September 4: Springfield Mile II – Illinois State Fairgrounds, Springfield, Ill.
- September 25: Santa Rosa Mile – Sonoma County Fairgrounds, Santa Rosa, Calif.
Dutch Motocross Championships – Round 1 – Axel, Holland
In front a huge parochial crowd Bobryshev and Jeffrey Herlings have dominated the star studded MX1 and MX2 classes respectively at the opening round of the Dutch Motocross Championships held in Holland last weekend.
While Bobryshev and Herlings were untroubled out front Ben Townley showed form with a second in the opening moto but the Kiwi was forced to pull out of the second moto while Max Anstie suffered a similar fate with a 4-DNF performance.
Interestingly this was the first outing among the GP regulars for young Aussie Hunter Lawrence and the Kawasaki pilot did not disappoint with two top ten finishes over the two motos.
MX1 Moto 1: 1. Evgeny Bobryshev. 2. Ben Townley. 3. Filip Bengtsson. 4. Harri Kullas. 5. David Philippaerts. 6. Kevin Strijbos. 7. Jeffrey Dewulf. 8. Christophe Charlier. 9. Jonathan Bengtsson. 10. William Saris.
MX1 Moto 2: 1. Evgeny Bobryshev. 2. Filip Bengtsson. 3. Harri Ingold. 4. Christophe Charlier. 5. Jeffrey Dewulf. 6. Kevin Wouts. 7. Rick Satink. 8. David Philippaerts. 9. William Saris. 10. Mike Gijsbertsen.
Standings MX1 after Round 1: 1. Evgeny Bobryshev – 50. 2. Filip Bengtsson – 42. 3. Harri Ingold – 38. 4. Christophe Charlier – 31. 5. Jeffrey Dewulf – 30.
MX2 Moto 1: 1. Jeffrey Herlings. 2. Alexander Tonkov. 3. Petar Petrov. 4. Brent Vandoninck. 5. Benoit Paturel. 6. Jeremy Seewer. 7. Maxime Renaux. 8. Thomas Kjer Olson. 9. Hunter Lawrence. 10. Bas Vaessen.
MX2 Moto 2: 1. Jeffrey Herlings. 2. Alexander Tonkov. 3. Jeremy Seewer. 4. Max Anstie. 5 . Bas Vaessen. 6. Benoit Paturel. 7. Thomas Kjer Olson. 8. Brian Bogers. 9. Hunter Lawrence. 10. Calvin Flanders.
Standings MX2 after Round 1: 1. Jeffrey Herlings – 50. 2. Alexander Tonkov – 44. 3. Jeremy Seewer – 35. 4. Benoit Paturel – 31. 5. Bas Vaessen – 27.
Sunshine State Motocross – Round 1 – Hervey Bay
The sand was flying in all directions with a huge line-up of riders turning up for the opening round of the Sunshine State Motocross Championships held in Hervey Bay last weekend and it was young up-start Jesse Dobson who won the Pro-Open class ahead of Kade Mosig and Reece Rayner while Caleb Ward narrowly won the Pro-Lites class ahead of Jake Moss and Ricky Latimer.
Pro Open Results: 1. Jesse Dobson – 105. 2. Kade Mossig – 105. 3. Reece Rayner – 102. 4. Ehren Keidel – 100. 5. Callum Wastel – 97. 6. Kirk Gibbs – 96. 7. Mitch Alcorn – 93. 8. Brendan Swaffield – 90. 9. Zak Small – 90. 10. Darcy Jones – 88.
Pro Lites Results: 1. Caleb Ward – 102. 2. Jake Moss – 99. 3. Ricky Latimer – 86. 4. Steven Duck – 86. 5. Liam Bladen – 84. 6. Brodie Beard – 82. 7. Darcy Cavanagh – 77. 8. Zak Small – 76. 9. Jordan Hill – 75. 10. Rhys Cutter – 74.
Sandra Gomez wins Women’s SuperEnduro World Cup
Husqvarna supported rider Sandra Gomez wrapped-up the Women’s SuperEnduro World Cup title on Saturday night in Prague, battling her way to a winning result aboard her TE 250.
With victory coming just months after she secured the 2015 AMA Women’s EnduroCross Championship, Sandra becomes the first women to have won titles in both North America and Europe.
Switching to a TE 250 for 2016, despite injury struck preparations Gomez performed well on the demanding track in the Czech Republic. Backing up a runner-up result in the night’s opening final with a second race win, she topped the GPs overall standings to win the 2016 FIM Women’s SuperEnduro World Cup.
FIM SuperEnduro World Championship Standings – Women Cup
- Sandra Gomez (Husqvarna) 37pts
- Emma Bristow (Sherco) 37pts
- Maria Franke (Yamaha) 28pts
- Kirsten Landman (KTM) 28pts
- Rita Vieira (Beta) 22pts
