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Moto News Wrap for Sept’ 26, 2017

Brought to you by Dunlop Geomax and by Darren Smart

Latest News

• Aussies sizzling on the International Stage
• Cooper Webb out of MEC
• 2018 AMA numbers announced
• Milner and Snograss stay with KTM for 2018
• Spain Wins Trials Des Nations – Australia Wins International Class
• Gardiner one-point up after disappointing French Enduro Round
• Jeremy Martin Stays In 250 Class with Honda
• Lawrence third at ADAC Master of Motocross
• Cody Webb Wins AMA Endurocross Series in Reno
• Billy Janniro wins eighth AMA Speedway National Championship
• Brent Van doninck in for Belgium at MXoN
• Husqvarna gears up for MXoN
• 2017 FIM Oceania Junior MX Challenge Australian Team Revealed
• Australian Team named for FIM Oceania Trials Championship
• Aussies 6^th in Quad Cross of Nations
• Action packed Australian Junior Dirt Track Championship
• Wilksch wins Robe Sandmasters
• Fontanesi becomes most successful woman in MX

This Week’s Race Reports

• Rd 17 – AMA Flat Track – Lone Star Half-Mile – Texas Motor Speedway, Fort Worth.
• Rds 13 and 14 – FIM World Enduro Championships – GP of UK (Hawkstone Park)
• Rd 11 – GNCC – Mountaineer Run, Masontown, WV
• Rd 10 – Stockholm FIM Speedway Grand Prix (Stockholm)
• Rd 1 – Australian Supercross Championship – Toowoomba, Queensland

Aussies sizzling on the International Stage

As you go through this week Moto News Wrap you will see a heap of Aussie doing battle all around the world – sure there are some mixed results but keep an eye out for Daniel Sanders and Matthew Phillips in the World Enduro Championships, Josh Strang, Tayla Jones and Mackenzie Tricker in the GNCC, Jess Gardner in the French Enduro Championships, Hunter Lawrence in the ADAC Masters of Motocross AND we had great results in the Trails Des Nations and Quad Cross Des Nations. Check it Out!

Cooper Webb out of MEC

Cooper Webb will not compete in the Monster Energy Cup on October 14 at Sam Boyd Stadium in Las Vegas due to lingering issues with the right thumb that he injured in practice at the Monster Energy MXGP of the USA in Jacksonville, Florida, earlier this month.

Cooper is having surgery to repair the damage he sustained during the MXGP, and he will begin rehabbing as soon as possible in order to be 100% ready for the start of the 2018 Monster Energy Supercross season, which begins in early January.

Cooper Webb

“I’m extremely bummed that I will miss out on the Monster Energy Cup, I’ve had success in the past at that event, and I was really looking forward to racing the new 2018 YZ450F under the lights in Las Vegas. With that being said, I will be getting surgery today on my thumb to speed up the healing process and make sure that I’m 100 per cent for the 2018 season. Anaheim is the main priority right now, and I will be doing everything in my power to make sure I’m healthy and focused when the gate drops. Thank you to my awesome fans and sponsors for sticking behind me, and I will be ready to go come January.”

2018 AMA Numbers Announced

The American Motorcyclist Association has announced the professional competition numbers for pro-licensed riders competing in Monster Energy AMA Supercross and the Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship for the 2018 season.

All riders use the assigned professional number for competition. In addition, the current champion runs the No. 1 plate instead of an assigned professional number when competing in the class or region in which the No. 1 plate was earned. When competing in a class other than the class where the championship was earned, the rider must use the assigned professional number.

2018 Top 100 and Career Pro Numbers for AMA Supercross and Motocross

* Career Numbers, ** New Career Number for 2018

• 1 – 450MX – Eli Tomac
• 1 – 250MX – Zach Osborne
• 1 – 450SX -Ryan Dungey
• 1 – 250SX West – Justin Hill
• 1 – 250SX East – Zach Osborne
• 2* Cooper Webb
• 3* Eli Tomac
• 4* Blake Baggett
• 5* Ryan Dungey
• 6* Jeremy Martin
• 7* James Stewart
• 10* Justin Brayton
• 11* Kyle Chisholm
• 12* Jake Weimer
• 14* Cole Seely
• 15* Dean Wilson
• 16* Zach Osborne
• 17* Joey Savatgy
• 18* David Millsaps
• 19* Justin Bogle
• 20* Broc Tickle
• 21* Jason Anderson
• 22* Chad Reed
• 23* Aaron Plessinger
• 24 Dylan Ferrandis
• 25* Marvin Musquin
• 26* Alex Martin
• 27** Malcolm Stewart
• 28 Shane McElrath
• 29 Martin Davalos
• 30 Mitchell Harrison
• 31 Colt Nichols
• 32 Christian Craig
• 33* Josh Grant
• 34 Weston Peick
• 35 Austin Forkner
• 36 RJ Hampshire
• 37 Fredrik Noren
• 38 Luke Renzland
• 39 Kyle Cunningham
• 40 Chase Sexton
• 41* Trey Canard
• 42 Dakota Alix
• 43 Sean Cantrell
• 44 Lorenzo Locurcio
• 45 Jordon Smith
• 46** Justin Hill
• 47 Jimmy Decotis
• 48 Henry Miller
• 49 Nick Gaines
• 50 Dan Reardon
• 51* Justin Barcia
• 52 Mitchell Oldenburg
• 53 Bradley Taft
• 54 Phil Nicoletti
• 55 Vince Friese
• 56 Anthony Rodriguez
• 57 John Short
• 58 Matt Bisceglia
• 59 Cole Martinez
• 60 Benny Bloss
• 61 Heath Harrison
• 62 Justin Cooper
• 63 Hayden Mellross
• 64 Michael Mosiman
• 65 Gannon Audette
• 66 Cameron McAdoo
• 67 Justin Hoeft
• 68 Justin Starling
• 69 Tyler Bowers
• 70 Jesse Wentland
• 71 Josh Mosiman
• 72 Josh Hansen
• 73 Brandon Scharer
• 74 Jon Ames
• 75 Noah McConahy
• 76 Kyle Peters
• 77 Ryan Surratt
• 78 Ronnie Stewart
• 79 Nick Schmidt
• 80 AJ Catanzaro
• 81 Chase Marquier
• 82 Cody Williams
• 83 Cole Thompson
• 84 Scott Champion
• 85 Joshua Cartwright
• 86 Dylan Merriam
• 87 Dylan Wright
• 88 Paul Coates
• 89 Jerry Robin
• 90 Dakota Tedder
• 91 Alex Ray
• 92** Adam Cianciarulo
• 93 Mark Worth
• 94* Ken Roczen
• 95 Joey Crown
• 96 Zack Williams
• 97 Cade Clason
• 98 Ryan Sipes
• 99 Dillan Epstein
• 800* Mike Alessi

Milner and Snograss Stay with KTM for 2018

KTM Australia have announced that Daniel Milner and Lyndon Snodgrass will remain with the factory KTM Enduro Racing Team in 2018, primarily focusing on the Australian Off-Road Championship (AORC) and the Australian 4-Day Enduro (A4DE) while Hattah, Finke and several other major events will also be part of their calendar.

Milner dominated the 2017 AORC series with a clean-sweep to capture the Enduro 2 (E2) championship as leading rider outright on-board a 450 EXC-F, the 26-year-old Victorian is scheduled to transfer to Enduro 3 (E3) aboard KTM’s class-leading 500 EXC-F next season.

As a former Enduro 1 (E1) title-winner and current E2 champion, Milner has his sights set on claiming an E3 championship for 2018 in a bid to complete the elusive triple-crown alongside the immense outright success achieved during his career.

Milner’s switch will effectively see him indirectly trade places with 19-year-old revelation Snodgrass, who after clinching this year’s E3 title and claiming second in the unofficial outright standings, is due to make the move to the E2 division. In doing so, he will also switch his title-winning KTM 300 EXC two-stroke for a KTM 450 EXC-F four-stroke next season.

Daniel Milner

“I’ve never had the opportunity to ride the E3 class in previous years, but KTM has such a diverse range of bikes to ride and they’re happy for us to ride whatever bike we select, so I thought it’d be ideal to choose the 500 EXC-F after riding one in the Hattah Desert Race – it will be good to have a bit more torque in the off-road scene as well. Our tracks are a bit more open and more like motocross tracks in the bush, so the 500 will work really well in that environment. Nobody has ever won an E1, E2 and E3 title outright, so it would be a big achievement to do that, but it’s another year next year and we never underestimate the challenges ahead. To get the opportunity to sign with KTM again and work with GK, Mick, Harry and then with Lyndon as my teammate, it’s nice to have that continuity. With the support from the team and all of our sponsors, it’s definitely the best team out there for me and to be able to switch to an E3 bike with them, I’m really looking forward to it. Looking ahead to the A4DE, it is probably my favourite race in the country, just because of the format, it’s such a long race and the tracks are always so good to ride. It’s shaping up to be an awesome event from what I’ve heard and around that area there are a lot of trail riders who will race the event, so that’ll make it big and I’m really looking forward to the event returning to the calendar.”

Lyndon Snodgrass

“I’ve been in Sydney testing the KTM 450 EXC-F and it was pretty interesting, switching from the two-stroke to the four-stroke. After getting used to the power differences, it’s an awesome bike to ride because it has really smooth power and a heap of torque. I’ve had a strong year riding the KTM 300 EXC in my first year with the KTM Enduro Racing Team and to finish first in E3 and second outright was an amazing result for myself and the whole team. Getting on the KTM 450 EXC-F for next year is exciting, I can’t wait for 2018 to start up and to get the AORC series underway! It’s good to have the same team heading into next year and having the same teammate in Milner to ride together with again – I’m definitely confident with the people around me. With the A4DE getting cancelled this year, that was disappointing and I was really looking forward to it, but we will have to wait until next year’s one at Cessnock. It’s shaping up to be a really good year ahead.”

Spain Wins Trials Des Nations – Australia Wins International Class

For the 14^th time in a row local heroes Spain have won the 2017 FIM Trial des Nations at Baiona while Team Australia have spectacularly won the International Class.

Team Spain featured the three top-ranked riders in the world with eleven-time FIM Trial World Champion Toni Bou teamed up with Adam Raga and Jaime Busto  so predictably they were simply untouchable against the seven nation field on the towering coastal rocks lining the Atlantic coastline.

Toni Bou

“I’m very happy,” says Bou. “The Trial des Nations is always special because we work together as a team. For the national team to win in Spain is very important and makes it even more special for the fans and the riders. The venue is fantastic for the public. The sections are very close to the town and it is a beautiful place to ride.”

Their opening lap was not without drama, however, with Bou crashing heavily over the handlebars on section three, but solid cleans from Raga and Busto made sure the Spanish score was not affected.

After a disastrous maximum in qualification, Team Great Britian’s James Dabill, Jack Price and Iwan Roberts were able to finish second place ahead of the Japanese trio of Takahisa Fujinami, Kenichi Kuroyama and Tomoyuki Ogawa.

In the International class Australia came out on top of the thirteen competing nations after a close-fought contest that saw the Czech Republic team of Martin Matejicek, Marek Wunsch and Martin Kroustek lead after an unpenalised opening lap.

The Australian trio of Connor Hogan, Kyle Middleton and Christopher Bayles held second at the halfway stage on five, two marks ahead of the United States but as the Czech challenged crumbled on lap two, Daniel Blancgonnet, Bryan Roper and Pat Smage steered the US into the lead but two maximums on section thirteen sealed their fate and they finished second, four marks behind Australia and five ahead of the Czech Republic.

Gardiner one-point up after disappointing French Enduro Round

Jess Gardiner has experienced an up-and-down weekend at the penultimate round of the French Enduro Championship last weekend, which took place at Réquista, a commune in the Aveyron department in southern France.

Gardiner, who entered the fourth round of the championship confident of another solid result was all class on the first day of competition, which saw her to bolting to her seventh straight victory for the year. The 24-year-old beat her main championship rival, Samantha Tichet by 32.480 seconds.

Gardiner, who won five out of the six tests explained that she started off a bit slow, but picked up the pace once she got into a comfortable rhythm which saw winning the day with an overall time of 41min05.895.

Jess Gardiner

“It’s a nice way to be able to prove to myself that I can still win after a week from having surgery. It’s a credit to the surgeons who added extra stitches, which made sure my finger didn’t open up while racing. They really did do a fantastic job.”

The second day of racing was affected by mother-nature, as it rained on and off in the morning during the races and the first test saw Gardiner sitting on top of the time sheets with a 7.607 second lead over Tichet, while in the second test it was a comfy 17.819 second margin over Tichet.

In the third test, Gardiner’s time would be a 1.81 second deficit to Tichet, but nevertheless Gardiner did look as if it was going to be smooth sailing towards another race victory but the Aussie crashed out hard which resulted in Gardiner pulling out for the remaining tests which meant she finished in eleventh place overall.

While Gardiner may have had a disappointing end to the day, the main thing is her finger was still safe and not affected in shape or form.

With Gardiner scoring zero points on the second day, it meant she was only able to add 20-championship points to her lead after her race win on Saturday. This means heading into the last round of the Championnat de France d’enduro, Gardiner will hold onto a one point advantage over Tichet.

Jess Gardiner

“It’s a shame to end the weekend like this. The Rider Camp Yamaha team and I have had a good run up until this point, so it’s disappointing to crash out. In saying that, its motorcycle racing and at some point throughout the championship I guess we are going to come off at some point as we are all pushing at ten tenths when we race. I just hope we can bounce back strong at the final round. The championship has now tightened up quite a lot, which sets stage for a great battle between Samantha and me. I’ll just have to focus on riding my own race and make sure I finish as strongly as possible in each test.”

Final round of the Championnat de France d’enduro will head 286km to Ambert, which is a commune in the Puy-de-Dôme department in Auvergne in central France from 30 September to 1 October.

Championnat de France d’enduro championship standings (top 5) – After 4 rounds

1. Jess Gardiner 140
2. Samantha Tichet 139
3. Juliette Berrez 122
4. Valerie Roche 100
5. Justine Martel 96

   

Jeremy Martin Stays In 250 Class with Honda

Former AMA 250cc Motocross Champion Jeremy Martin he has decided to stay on the 250s for the next two years. His new deal with GEICO Honda now extends through 2018 and 2019 which will also put him on a factory Honda HRC 450 in selected supercross races on the opposite coast of which he races his 250.

Jeremy Martin

“I’d say there are two reasons why I decided to stay in the 250 class. The first one is really results—we had a good year and I finished second outdoors, but I want to do even better. I want to win more races and championships so when I move up to the 450 full-time I’m coming in with a lot of momentum. It was a big learning year working with a new team and a new bike and I really like the people over at GEICO Honda—I’m excited to keep working with them. The second reason is the new Honda CRF250R. I haven’t ridden one yet but I’ve heard it has a lot of the same characteristics of the CRF450R I raced at the Daytona Supercross. As soon as I hopped on that bike, I was comfortable immediately. From what I’ve heard the new 250 is very similar, if not even better. So I’m really looking forward to racing that bike.”

Martin will begin testing the new 2018 CRF250R next week in California, and he is also scheduled to go to Japan to race the bike in a round of the All-Japan Motocross Championships in October.

The full GEICO Honda line-up for 2018 features Martin, Christian Craig, RJ Hampshire, Chase Sexton and Cameron McAdoo.

Webb Wins AMA Endurocross Series in Reno

Cody Webb has won the second round of the AMA Endurocross Championship held in Reno last weekend and in doing so has taken over the championship points lead.

In the Super Endurocross seeded heat races and the points paying bracket races Webb got the better of round one winner Colton Haaker and when the gate dropped in the final it was Haaker who grabbed the holeshot but the Husqvarna rider made an mistake on the first lap to drop to second behind Webb and that was that for Webb who went on to take the win from Kyle Redmond and Haaker.

Cody Webb

“It was a long race so it gave me a long time to recover from a couple of mistakes. The track was really fun tonight and made for some great racing. There were multiple lines in a lot of spots. So, it was great to get the win. I have to thank KTM and my mechanic Robbie, my bike was awesome tonight.”

Kyle Redmond

“Yeah, I got a really good start from the outside gate. I was out front and I just tried putting in consistent laps but then Cody caught up me and Colton passed me but then crashed. So, second is good. I have not led a race like that for a while so I am happy.”

Colton Haaker

“The competition this round made for a tough race, but I am happy on getting a podium position. It was only the second round so there’s still more to tackle. I’m looking forward to being on top of the podium again”

Reno Super EnduroCross Results

1. Cody Webb
2. Kyle Redmond
3. Colton Haaker
4. Trystan Hart
5. Noah Kepple

Super EnduroCross Series Points

1. Cody Webb – 49 points
2. Colton Haaker – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing – 47 points
3. Kyle Redmond – 40 points
4. Trystan Hart – 38 points
5. Ty Tremaine – 30 points

Lawrence third at ADAC Master of Motocross

Just one weekend before the 2017 Motocross of Nations at Mattrley Basin, Aussie hard charger Hunter Lawrence has finished third at the final round of the ADAC Master held in Holzgerlingen last weekend.

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Against a gaggle of 450cc mounted riders Hunter went 3-3 behind Jeremy Seewer and Max Nagle for his third outright which garnered the Suzuki pilot fifth in the championship despite missing two rounds of the seven.

Hunter Lawrence – Instagram

“Another fun weekend at the last round of the ADAC Masters in Holzgerlingen, 3-3 for 3^rd overall – getting used to racing against the 450c again for this weekend!”

Round 7 – Holzgerlingen – MX Masters

1. Jeremy Seewer
2. Max Nagl
3. Hunter Lawrence
4. Filip Neugebauer
5. Dennis Ullrich
6. Petr Smitka
7. Jeremy Delince
8. Christian Brockel
9. Henry Jacobi
10. Jernej Irt

MX Masters Championship Standings

1. Dennis Ullrich – 284
2. Jens Getteman – 199
3. Henry Jacobi – 187
4. Christian Brockel – 178
5. Hunter Lawrence – 142

Billy Janniro Wins 8th AMA Speedway National Championship

Californian Billy Janniro captured his eighth AMA National Championship during the final round of the AMA Speedway National Championship Series at Fast Fridays Motorcycle Speedway in Auburn, California.

Ken Saillant – AMA Track Racing Manager

“Billy is a talented racer and fierce competitor who has cemented his place in AMA speedway racing by tying Greg Hancock’s record of eight AMA National titles. The AMA is pleased to award him his eighth AMA National Championship, and we look forward to him returning to defend his championship again next year.”

With this championship, Janniro broke a tie with Mike Bast, who won seven AMA Speedway National Championships in the 1970s.

2017 AMA Speedway National Championship Results

1. Billy Janniro – 72
2. Max Ruml – 65
3. Broc Nicol – 52
4. Gino Manzares – 50
5. Luke Becker – 45
6. Dillon Ruml – 41
7. Aaron Fox – 33
8. Austin Novratil – 30
9. Gage Geist – 24
10. Eddie Castro – 23

Brent Van doninck in for Belgium at MXoN

Already without the services of Clement Desalle due to a back injury, team Belgium have announced that MX2 rider Julien Lieber will miss the event due to knee injury sustained at the final round of the FIM Motocross World Championship in France and that Brent Van doninck would fill the MX2 slot this weekend at Matterley Basin.

Van doninck finished 10th in MX2 points this year and is no stranger to the MXoN, the Yamaha rider raced a 450 for the team last year and went 18-39.

Husqvarna gears up for MXoN

Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing will have no fewer than eight riders competing at the 2017 FIM Motocross of Nations, which takes place at Matterley Basin, Great Britain this coming weekend. Gautier Paulin and Christophe Charlier will race for Team France, Zach Osborne and Thomas Covington will represent Team USA while Max Anstie with Dean Wilson will form an important pairing for Team Great Britain. Further strengthening the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing team’s presence will be Thomas Kjer-Olsen and Max Nagl, who represent Denmark and Germany respectively.

Held at the iconic Matterley Basin track in the south of England on September 30 and October 1, the 2017 edition of the prestigious event will host riders from 29 different nations. The most highly anticipated event in the annual motocross calendar, the MXoN will see Husqvarna mounted riders battle for victory in all three major classes MXGP, MX2 and Open.

Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing – MXoN 2017 Line-Up

• #1 Gautier Paulin – Husqvarna FC 450 – Team France
• #2 Christophe Charlier – Husqvarna FC 250 – Team France
• #8 Zach Osborne – Husqvarna FC 250 – Team USA
• #9 Thomas Covington – Husqvarna FC 450 – Team USA
• #19 Max Anstie – Husqvarna FC 450 – Team Great Britain
• #21 Dean Wilson – Husqvarna FC 450 – Team Great Britain
• #41 Thomas Kjer-Olsen – Husqvarna FC 250 – Team Denmark
• #64 Max Nagl – Husqvarna FC 450 – Team Germany

2017 FIM Oceania Junior MX Challenge Australian Team Revealed

Motorcycling Australia (MA) announced the Australian Team for the 2017 FIM Oceania Junior MX Challenge at Horsham, Victoria that will run in conjunction with the 2017 KTM Australian Junior Motocross Championship (AJMXC) (September 30 – October 7) has been announced.

The 2017 FIM Oceania Junior MX Challenge will be the battle ground for Australia and New Zealand’s best up and coming talent. MA is excited about the prospects for the Australian Team.

The two nations have enjoyed a healthy and long-lasting rivalry over the years and it’s about to go to a whole new level with the FIM Oceania Junior Motocross Challenge.

The challenge marks a fantastic initiative to display the skill of these young Juniors. The AJMXC is one of the largest motorcycle events by numbers and fosters future talent of tomorrow. Racing for Team Australia is a fantastic opportunity for Juniors to represent their country. The battle between the two nations will no doubt generate plenty of interest and publicity.

The KTM AJMXC is the apex of Junior motocross competition in Australia and this year’s eagerly anticipated event at the well-equipped Horsham track will provide plenty of action and thrills. The week-long event will see international hopefuls, defending champions and a deep pool of talent test their skills.

The points scored from each country’s nominated riders will have their final placing rescored and the points added together to give an overall result. The country with the highest overall team score will be deemed the winners of the Oceania Challenge.

Below is the Australian Team.

65cc 9 to under 11 years

• 61 Kayden Minear

65cc 11 years

• 213 Jasper Moon

85cc Standard Wheel

• 21 Ryder Kingsford
• 42 Jet Alsop
• 727 Jett Burgess Stevens

85cc Big Wheel 12 to under 14

• 5 Alex Larwood
• 31 Tyran Tomich
• 45 Brad West

125cc 13 to under 15 years

• 25 Blake Fox
• 49 Noah Ferguson
• 61 Regan Duffy
• 74 Lochie Smith
• 401 Levi Rogers
• 428 Ricky Chalmers

125cc 15 years

• 47 Bailey Malkiewicz
• 241 Tyler Darby
• 284 John Bova
• 602 Matt Fabry

250cc 13 to 15 years

• 32 Liam Andrews

250cc 15 years

• 3 Mason Semmens
• 22 Rhys Budd
• 45 Jack Kukas

Junior Lites Girls

• 2 Tanesha Harnett

Australian Team named for FIM Oceania Trials Championship

Motorcycling Australia (MA) has announced its respective teams for the 2017 FIM Oceania Trials Championship to take place at the Vine Inn Barossa 2017 Australian Trials Championships. Competition will run from September 30 to October 1 2017 at Manglers Hill, Barossa Valley, South Australia. The Keyneton Motorcycle Club will host the event.

Australian Trial competitors Toby Coleman (Masters), David MacDonald (Junior Open 13 to under 16) and Bridie Sutton (Junior Women 7 to under 16) will lead the charge for the green and gold.

Medallions will be awarded to the winning nation with Australia and New Zealand having nominated competitors in the Solo, Women’s and Junior Classes. The riders in each class with the lowest observed score for the two days will receive one point for their nation, the second placed nominated team rider receives zero points for the team, with the nation with the best of three classes being declared the winner.

2017 FIM Oceania Trials Championship – Team Australia

• Masters – Toby Coleman
• Junior Open 13 to under 16 – David MacDonald
• Junior Women 7 to under 16 – Bridie Sutton

Aussies sixth in Quad Cross of Nations

The Van Vliet brothers Jake and Mitch teamed up with Luke Gaisford for the 2017 Quad Cross des Nations in Italy and despite the last minute preparations they were able to pull off a sensational sixth outright.

Jake van Vliet

“The first time in history Australia has been invited to Quad cross of nations and we managed to leave in 6th place overall! Stoked is an understatement, it was such an amazing opportunity to meet the fastest ATV riders in the world. Congrats to the rest of the team Mitch van Vliet and Luke Gaisford, also to Harry Van Vliet for taking on role as team manager who did an awesome job! And the biggest thanks of all goes to all the family and friends who donated to our go fund me and made this all possible! You guys are awesome.”

Action Packed Australian Junior Dirt Track Championship

The Taree Motorcycle Club hosted the Australian Junior Dirt Track Championship and from all accounts the meeting was full of close racing.

Kye Andrews competed in three classes for the 13 to Under 16s age group and he is the new Australian champion in all of those three classes, the only multiple winner across the 11 championship classes.

In the combined 2-stroke and 4-stroke class Andrews decisively won in the final ahead of Brisbane rider Cyshan Weale and Newcastle’s Tom Edwards and in the 2-stroke class Andrews emerged on top ahead of Weale and Singleton rider Billy Van Eerde while Andrews sleso won a re-run 4-stroke final ahead of North Brisbane rider Travis Hall and Van Eerde.

In the 13-Under 16s, the 85cc 2-stroke / 150cc 4-stroke Big Wheel Callan Butcher edged out Kruze Brady of Temora and Mitchell Bisley while Hayden Nelson won the final of the 85cc 2-stroke / 150cc 4-stroke Standard Wheel class for the 9 – Under 11s over Tom Drane and Harrison Voight in third.

Drane also won the 65cc 9-Under 13s over Will Bisley and Archie McDonald from Albury-Wodonga in the final and it was Jacob Roulstone who took out the 85cc 4-stroke Modified 10- Under 14s ahead of Drane with Mitchell Bisley in third place.

Senna Agius took out the 85cc 2-stroke / 150cc 4-stroke Standard Wheel 11 – Under 13s from John Lytras  and Andrew Jordan while in the Standard wheel class for the same age bracket it was John Lytras taking the honours from Ryan Smith and Senna Agius.

Jayden Holder was dominant in taking out the 65cc 7-Under 9s ahead of Jack Fritsch and Forbes rider Beau Bailey in the final while Cameron Dunker won the final of the 85cc 4-stroke Modified 7- Under10s with local Will Bisley taking another second place with Glenn Nelson in third.

2017 Australian Junior Dirt Track Championship – Taree, NSW – Sept 23-24 Results

65cc 7 – U/9:

1. Jayden Holder
2. Jack Fritsch
3. Beau Bailey

65cc 9 – U/13:

1. Tom Drane
2. Will Bisley
3. Archie McDonald

85cc 4-str Modified 7- U/10:

1. Cameron Dunker
2. Will Bisley
3. Glenn Nelson

85cc 4-str Modified 10- U/14:

1. Jacob Roulstone
2. Tom Drane
3. Mitchell Bisley

85cc 2str / 150cc 4str Std 9 – U/11:

1. Hayden Nelson
2. Tom Drane
3. Harrison Voight

85cc 2str / 150cc 4str B/W11 – U/13:

1. John Lytras
2. Ryan Smith
3. Senna Agius

85cc 2str / 150cc 4str Std11 – U/13:

1. Senna Agius
2. John Lytras
3. Andrew Jordan

85cc 2str / 150cc 4str B/W 13 – /16:

1. Callan Butcher
2. Kruze Brady
3. Mitchell Bisley

100-150 2str 13 – U/16:

1. Kye Andrews
2. Cyshan Weale
3. Billy Van Eerde

200-250 4-str 13 – U/16:

1. Kye Andrews
2. Travis Hall
3. Billy Van Eerde

Combined 2str & 4str 13 – U/16:

1. Kye Andrews
2. Cyshan Weale
3. Tom Edwards

NON-Championship Support Classes

50cc Auto Div.2 7 – U/9:

1. Jayden Holder
2. Jett Kubelka
3. Nate Jaeger

85cc 2str / 150cc 4str Std13 – U/16:

1. Mitchell Bisley
2. Jack Norden
3. Alex Kenworthy-Jones

Wilksch Wins Robe Sandmasters

Despite twisting his foot and breaking his leg in the second heat race, Motul Pirelli Sherco Team rider Andy Wilksch has put in a victorious performance at the Robe Sandmasters event in South Australia. Wilksch was forced to seek medical attention following the event where it was discovered he had, in fact, fractured his tibia in his left leg.

Andy Wilksch

“The track was so much fun to race. It was all sand and it flowed well with banked corners in every turn. The track was graded flat and it settled beautifully with rain. The 450 SEF-R was awesome and it ripped across the sand. It was fairly fast and I clicked 5th gear a few times. The doctors said I’m looking a six-week recovery but I’m hoping it’s sooner. I’m booked in to race the final EnduroGP World Championship rounds in Germany next month. It’s not looking good at this stage and it’ll depend how well I heal. We’ll just have to wait and see.”

Wilksch is currently resting with his leg in a half-cast until swelling subsides before a fibreglass cast can be fitted.

Fontanesi becomes most successful woman in MX

One of the most recognised riders in women’s motocross, Kiara Fontanesi, is now the most successful in the history of FIM Women’s Motocross, with five FIM WMX titles to her name.

Kiara Fontanesi was born and raised in Parma, Italy, where she started riding at a very young age. Kiara took after her brother who ripped around on a mini-bike. The young gymnast one ride later was hooked and ready to race.

2017 was a testing year for the women’s MX field as they faced varied conditions through the six race season and coming into the final round at Pays de Montbéliard, France, only 5 points separated the top four women. Anything was possible as Kiara came into the race 4th in the championship standings. While the other riders struggled to have two strong race results Kiara scored a first and a third giving her one more point to claim her fifth World title, over runner up Livia Lancelot.

Kiara Fontanesi career

• First round raced – Sevlievo, Bulgaria, 2009
• World Titles – 5
• First World Title – WMX, 2012
• Round wins – 17
• First Round win – Vantaa, Finland 2011
• Last Round win – 2017, MXGP of Pays de Montbeliard, Villars sous Ecot
• 2017 position in the Championship – 1, WMX

Smart’s Race Reports

Rd 17 – AMA Flat Track – Lone Star Half-Mile – Texas Motor Speedway, Fort Worth

Privateer Jeffrey Carver Jr. took it to the factory stars and controlled the Lone Star Half-Mile presented by Indian Motorcycle from the front throughout en route to his first-career win on a Twin in American Flat Track’s premier class. In doing so – and as a result of a late-season swap of equipment – Carver simultaneously delivered Harley-Davidson its first victory of the season when he took the checkered flag aboard the No. 23 Ben Evan’s Racing/Carver’s BBQ Harley-Davidson XR750.

Carver’s maiden premier-class victory came back in 2013 at the Castle Rock TT aboard a Single. Saturday’s controlled and precision performance was of an entirely different sort. Carver proved himself virtually untouchable on Texas Motor Speedway’s clay Half-Mile despite being pited up against the best of the best in AFT Twins presented by Vance & Hines action.

Jeffrey Carver

“I’m just stoked, I’ve been really pushing hard this year. I started my own program at the beginning of the year and showed up at Daytona with just one motorcycle. We’ve been trying to excel and just keep picking up the pace with these guys… We’ve been traveling the circuit all year. We slept on the ground after a couple nationals this year because we didn’t have any money. We are just going for it. I love this sport. The chance to beat the fastest guys in the world is a really good thing. I studied the tracks. I rode XRs in ’11 and ’12 – I’ve rode them off and on. We started putting some things together, and we thought the last two races of the year would be a good place to bring it out. With this shape of track, I really thought it had what it took. I’m really glad I took the gamble and rolled the dice.”

Champion Mees was the only rider with the pace to even keep Carver honest on this night. He applied pressure from just over a second back throughout the majority of the race but was unable to force a pivotal mistake. Mees’ runner-up finish was his 16th podium finish in 17 races this season, including 15 of first or second. He is now well positioned to claim sole possession of the single-season podium record with just the finale remaining on the season’s slate.

Jared Mees

“(Carver) was able to get a good start. He was able to put together three strong laps in the beginning, and then we just stalemated there for the whole race. I tried so hard to gain on him… I couldn’t bridge the gap. He rode strong – he really did. Hats off to him and his whole team. It’s cool to see a kid like that come out here and… I’m not saying we didn’t have him picked to win, but it’s a little bit of a surprise. It was awesome.”

Furthering the underdog theme of the evening were the last-lap heroics of Johnny Lewis (No. 10 Team Nila/John Wise Indian Scout FTR750). Having only climbed aboard his privateer Indian Scout FTR750 for the first time earlier in the day, Lewis tracked down factory Indian star and 2016 AFT Twins champion Bryan Smith (No. 1 Indian Motorcycle Racing backed by Allstate Scout FTR750) and overtook him on the final lap to steal away the final spot on the box.

Johnny Lewis

“Not bad for a bike I jumped on for the first time today in practice. It’s been a while since I’ve been on the podium. I can’t tell you how happy I am. It feels good.”

Two-time ’17 AFT Twins race winner Briar Bauman (No. 14 Zanotti Racing Kawasaki Ninja 650) finished a couple tenths behind Smith to complete the Main Event’s top five. Also of note was the showing of NBCSN’s American Flat Track color commentator Larry Pegram, who returned to the fray aboard the back-up bike of the injured Brad Baker (No. 6 Indian Motorcycle Racing backed by Allstate Scout FTR750).

The former Superbike star proved he’s still blessed with plenty of speed. Pegram not only qualified for the Main Event aboard the No. 272 Indian Motorcycle Racing backed by Allstate Scout FTR750, but actually managed to round out the evening’s top 10.

Rds 13 and 14 – FIM World Enduro Championships – GP of UK (Hawkstone Park)

After winning the opening day of the GP of the UK which was round 13 of the FIM World Enduro Championships, Steve Holcombe was looking good to wrap up the EnduroGP class on day two before a mechanical issue forced the Pom to finish in fifth place but the Beta rider still has a 40 point lead over Loic Larrieu with two rounds remaining.

EnduroGP – Day 1

Steve Holcombe (Beta) made a winning start at the FunnelWeb Filter GP of Great Britain where the EnduroGP World Championship leader claimed a commanding win at the end of the series’ first ever enduro sprint.

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Placing 31 seconds ahead of runner-up Nathan Watson (KTM) and a further 12 seconds in front of third placed Christophe Charlier (Husqvarna), Steve also extended his championship lead and is now just seven points away from the 2017 EnduroGP title.

Hitting the ground running, Steve Holcombe (Beta) dominated the six laps of the enduro test at the start of day one of the GP of Great Britain. Ending the first half of the day with a commanding lead, Steve then held his own on the six laps of the motocross test to earn a 31-second margin of victory in front of a delighted home crowd.

Steve Holcombe

“It’s such a relief to have won the sprint enduro, I’ve been working for this result for close to eight weeks, at times it’s felt like the event was never going to arrive. But the hard work definitely paid off. I didn’t feel like I was riding at my limit on the enduro test, but I didn’t make any mistakes. I was surprised to win all six tests, but it was the perfect thing with the motocross test in the afternoon. I was able to manage my lead a little then as I knew a few of the riders would be faster than me there. It’s been a perfect start to the event, but I know tomorrow’s cross-country race is going to be really challenging.”

With Steve showing all others the way to go during the enduro test, Nathan Watson (KTM) was very much the rider to beat around the Hawkstone Park motocross test where he topped five of the six laps. Reducing Steve’s gap at the top of the results, Watson was ultimately unable to challenge for the day win but took a well-deserved runner-up result and managed to finish 12 seconds ahead of third placed Christophe Charlier (Husqvarna).

Missing out on a podium result by just over one-second, Loic Larrieu (Yamaha) placed fourth to end the day as the fastest rider on the 12th and final special test. More than one-minute behind Larrieu, Jaume Betriu (KTM) put in a strong performance to finish ahead of several factory-backed riders.

Next up was Alex Salvini (Beta) with Matt Phillips (Sherco), Giacomo Redondi (Honda), Cristobal Guerrero (Yamaha) and Deny Philippaerts (Beta) rounding out the top 10.

EnduroGP – Day 1 results

1. Steve Holcombe (GBR), Beta, 56:38.71
2. Nathan Watson (GBR), KTM, 57:09.96 +31.25
3. Christophe Charlier (FRA), Husqvarna, 57:22.12 +43.41
4. Loic Larrieu (FRA), Yamaha, 57:23.15 +44.44
5. Jaume Betriu (ESP), KTM, 58:28.65 +1:49.94
   …7. Matt Phillips (AUS), Sherco

EnduroGP – Day 2

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At the end of a hugely physical three-hour cross-country race around the iconic Hawkstone Park venue, Nathan Watson was the big winner on day two of the FunnelWeb Filter GP of Great Britain. The EnduroGP World Championship’s first ever XC race, the event certainly didn’t fail to deliver close, drama-filled racing across all classes.

There was happiness, relief and extreme disappointment in equal measure for the UK’s two leading riders. Steve Holcombe (Beta), who needed just a handful of points to clinch the EnduroGP title, made the perfect start to the event and lead from the start. Followed by Nathan Watson (KTM) he pushed hard from the front and looked extremely comfortable in the lead.

Aussie Matthew Phillips was a DNF on Day 2 following his seventh place finish on Day 1.

Matthew Phillips

“A real season breaker this weekend. 7th and another DNF today. Great event ran here in the UK, great to see the fans out and getting into it.”

Shortly before the one-hour mark he was forced into the pits with a technical issue that saw his lead vanish. Battling his way forward and setting the fastest lap of the race Steve eventually placed fifth.

Nathan Watson (KTM) was the rider to eventually claim the EnduroGP class win, but not before he battled with Christophe Charlier (Husqvarna). Taking over the lead from Holcombe, Nathan held a comfortable advantage for much of the second hour of the race before being caught and passed by Charlier.

Nathan Watson – P1

“I’m really happy with how the weekend has gone, I put a lot of work into training for this event and I’m glad it’s paid off. I made a mistake on day one, on one of the enduro tests, and it was hard to fight back from that. The cross tests went really well but I wasn’t quite able to take the win. The cross-country race was a lot tougher than I imagined. I got a good start and was soon into second place behind Steve Holcombe. He then had some issues that meant I was able to take the lead. I tried to push on to create a gap over second but possibly used too much energy as midway through the race I began to feel tired. Charlier caught me, but after fighting with him for a few laps I was able to take the lead again and held it to the finish. That was definitely one of the hardest races I have ever done.”

Putting in one of the strongest performances of the race, Charlier charged his way to the front of the EnduroGP class following a poor start. Taking the lead from Watson he then hit a tree, yet refused to throw the towel in.

Christophe Charlier – P2

“My speed was good throughout the weekend. On day one I struggled with the different format. I did my best to get some good times in the morning enduro tests but as we headed to the cross test I soon found out the lines where nothing close to what I expected them to be. Then on day two I got off to a bad start in the cross-country race but pushed hard to find myself battling for the win. I felt quite good on my bike but a couple of crashes forced me to settle for second at the finish. Overall, it’s been a great weekend for me and I’m very happy to secure two more podium results in EnduroGP class.”

Managing to get back into the lead, in needing to make a final pit stop he fell behind Watson and eventually placed second. Putting in one of the most consistent performances of the race Loic Larrieu (Yamaha) rounded out the Enduro GP podium in third, just six seconds behind Charlier.

Loic Larrieu – P3

“This weekend we were faced with a new race format and that was a new experience for us. On day one I enjoyed the sprint racing format. I managed to put in some consistent times in the first enduro tests. Improving my speed as the day went on I topped the last motocross test and that was good going into the second day. I finished day one in fourth and just one second behind the top three. For Sunday’s GNCC-styled race our plan was to make a steady start and then keep improving on my speed as the racing went on. The track was already destroyed from Saturday’s racing so it was hard to avoid small mistakes. I started the race inside the top five and managed to make a few passes for third at the finish line. It’s been really busy for me these last couple of weeks and at the end of the weekend here in the UK I felt physically exhausted. We’re still in contention for the title and it’ll all go down to the final round in Germany in October.”

Spain’s Jaume Betriu (KTM) was another rider to put in a notably strong performance to finish fourth, ahead of the day’s unluckiest rider Steve Holcombe (Beta). Cristobal Guerrero (Yamaha), Denny Philippaerts (Beta) and Giacomo Redondi (Honda) rounded out the top eight with wild card rider Brad Anderson (KTM) finishing ninth.

Steve Holcombe – P5

“Despite things going so, so well on the first day here at Hawkstone I can hardly put into words how disappointing it is to have a simple technical problem undo what was looking like being another great and potentially winning result. Everything went exactly to plan at the start of the cross-country race – I got the holeshot, opened up a good lead and felt great. Then I had problems with my rear wheel. I had no option but to come into the pits, which cost me the lead and five to 10 minutes. That was the win gone, so I just pushed as hard as I could to try and salvage the best result I could. Fifth is what it is, but I know it could have been so much better. Thankfully, the sprint enduro went much better. Winning the first six enduro tests was amazing. I knew it would be hard to beat the ex GP motocross riders on the six motocross tests we had but I hung on in there and got the day win. Despite the issue on day two I still have a 40-point lead going into the final round of the series. So many people helped me prepare for this event, and supported me during the weekend, I owe them a huge thank you.”

EnduroGP – Day 2

1. Nathan Watson (GBR), KTM, 3:01:44.372 (18 laps)
2. Christophe Charlier (FRA), Husqvarna, 3:02:23.735 +39.363
3. Loic Larrieu (FRA), Yamaha, 3:02:29.636 +45.264
4. Jaume Betriu (ESP), KTM, 3:02:37.119 +52.747
5. Steve Holcombe (GBR), Beta, 3:07:01.512 +5:17.140

EnduroGP Provisional Championship Standings (after round 7)

1. Steve Holcombe (GBR), Beta, 300 points
2. Loic Larrieu (FRA), Yamaha, 260
3. Nathan Watson (GBR), KTM, 247
4. Matt Phillips (AUS), Sherco, 216
5. Christophe Nambotin (FRA), KTM, 180

Enduro 2 – Day 1

In the Enduro 2 class three riders set wining times during the six enduro tests but it was championship leader Josep Garcia (KTM) who ended the day as the rider to beat. Placing an eventual 10 seconds ahead of Finn Eero Remes (TM) Garcia extended his championship lead with third on the day going to Jamie McCanney (Yamaha), who saw his chances of fighting for the win ended with one fall on the enduro test and a stalled engine on one of the motocross tests.

Josep Garcia

“Things went really well for me today. One of my goals was to make sure I didn’t crash, which I managed to do so I’m very pleased. I had some good tests in the morning, on the enduro test, and then on the cross test I pushed but not as much as I could – I managed my lead. I enjoyed racing in the sand here, but it was a difficult day. But nowhere near as difficult as tomorrow is going to be.”

With Eero Remes (TM) ending the day as runner-up in Enduro 2, British rider Jamie McCanney (Yamaha) was one rider disappointed with his final result having had the speed to fight for the win. Falling once on the enduro test and stalling his bike once on the motocross test, Jamie ended the day 21 seconds behind Garcia in third.

Just four seconds behind Jamie, Danny McCanney (Husqvarna) saw a few mistakes prevent him from finishing on the podium but managed to finish comfortably ahead of fifth placed Davide Guarneri (Honda). Pascal Rauchenecker (Husqvarna), Manuel Monni (TM), Rudy Moroni (KTM), Henric Stigell (Husqvarna) and Jonathan Barragan (Gas Gas) rounded out the top 10.

Australian, Daniel Sanders suffered a couple of crashes on day one to finish 13th, but improved on day two’s cross-country race to finish inside the top-10 in ninth place in the Enduro 2 class.

Enduro 2 – Day 1 results

1. Josep Garcia (ESP), KTM, 57:22.85
2. Eero Remes (FIN), TM, 57:33.03 +10.18
3. Jamie McCanney (GBR), Yamaha, 57:44.04 +21.19
4. Daniel McCanney (GBR), Husqvarna, 57:48.26 +25.41
5. Davide Guarneri (ITA), Honda, 58:32.54 1:09.69

Enduro 2 – Day 2

Without doubt one of the stand out performers of the event was Pascal Rauchenecker (Husqvarna) who topped the Enduro 2 class, as well as managing to overtake all of the EnduroGP class riders ahead of him to become the first rider to reach the finish.

Eventually finishing close to two minutes ahead of Husqvarna team-mate Danny McCanney (Husqvarna), Pascal showed no signs of fatigue during the closing stages of the race and charged to a convincing win. In doing so he became the first Austrian ever to win a day of the EnduroGP World Championship.

Pascal Rauchenecker – P1

“It was a good weekend for me and I’m happy with my first victory in the class. On day one I struggled to get a good speed in the toughest parts of the enduro test but as soon as we got to the cross test I was able to show my speed. I was happy to end the day by winning the last two tests. Then on day two we made some small changes to our set-up and it was a lot easier for me to push in the woods sections. My bike was working awesome. I knew the race would be long so I decided to keep a steady pace from the start. In the last hour I decided to up my pace a bit without pushing over the limits. Overall, it all worked according to plan and I was really glad to get the win. I’m also proud to be the first Austrian rider to win an Enduro World Championship race.”

For much of the early part of the three-hour race it looked as if any one of six riders might top the E2 class. Josep Garcia (KTM) and Jamie McCanney (Yamaha) were both left at the back of the class as their bikes were slow to fire into life.

Danny McCanney – P2

“I’ve put a lot of effort into this race and I was really looking forward to it. We had two great tests on Saturday and a long and exhausting three-hour long race on Sunday. It was a new experience for all so I just did my best for some good results. Overall, I’m really happy with fourth on Saturday and second on Sunday. It was a tough weekend and we manged to come out of it with two positive results. My bike ran great throughout the weekend and it was pleasing to get these two results. The plan now is to take some rest before going back to my normal special test training. My focus now is on the big final in Germany.”

Josep Garcia – P3

“I felt really great straight away on day one and I knew my pace was good. My goal was to make the minimum of mistakes and not crash, which I managed to do. I pushed hard on the enduro tests in order to make a gap over my rivals, I was then able to just ride sensibly on the cross tests to take the win. I had a terrible start to the cross-country race, I was left at the line. It took a while to fight through the field. That used up a bit of energy, so it was hard to catch up with the leaders. It was really tough out there – one of the most difficult races of my life – but I’m happy to get third. It’s a really important result for the championship as I finished in front of my closest rival. Now I just have to stay focused for the remaining round in Germany and hopefully will be able to take the title.”

In contention for the win throughout the race Danny McCanney (Husqvarna) eventually placed second with championship leader Josep Garcia (KTM) rounding out the top three. Looking to reduce Garcia’s advantage at the top of the E2 standings, Jamie McCanney (Yamaha) narrowly missed the podium following an eventful race.

Davide Guarneri (Honda) placed fifth ahead of early pace-setter Eero Remes (TM) with Henric Stigell (Husqvarna) and Jonathan Barragan (Gas Gas) rounding out the top eight. Eero Remes (TM) set the fastest lap of the race in the E2 class.

The 2017 Maxxis FIM EnduroGP World Championship now moves onto the eighth and final round of the series, the Acerbis GP of Germany in Zschopau on October 20-22.

Enduro 2 – Day 2

1. Pascal Rauchenecker (AUT), Husqvarna, 3:01:36.598 (18 laps)
2. Daniel McCanney (GBR), Husqvarna, 3:03:32.419 1:55.821
3. Josep Garcia (ESP), KTM, 3:04:28.301 +2:51.703
4. Jamie McCanney (GBR), Yamaha, 3:05:15.515 +3:38.917
5. Davide Guarneri (ITA), Honda, 3:06:29.555 +4:52.957

Enduro 2 Provisional Championship Standings (after round 7)

1. Josep Garcia (ESP), KTM, 312 points
2. Jamie McCanney (GBR), Yamaha, 299
3. Eero Remes (FIN), TM, 274
4. Pascal Rauchenecker (AUT), Husqvarna, 244
5. Danny McCanney (GBR), Husqvarna, 206

Rd 11 – GNCC – Mountaineer Run, Masontown, WV

Round 11 of the AMSOIL Grand National Cross Country (GNCC) Series spent last weekend at Marvin’s Mountain Top in Masontown, West Virginia, for the sixth annual Rocky Mountain ATV/MC Mountaineer Run GNCC and it was 2016 ISDE winner Ryan Sipes who took out his first ever GNCC win over championship leader and defending champion Kailub Russell.

XC1

Ricky Russell, Mason Atherton and Ryan Sipes led the way onto the dusty 12-mile course but by the time the riders flew into the open field section it was Sipes in the lead some thirty seconds clear of Kailub Russell who had Trevor Bollinger close behind.

Sipes continued charging and as they completed the second lap, he sat over a minute ahead of K Russell who was accompanied by Bollinger who was on his rear wheel. Bollinger secured the second-place position on the next lap right before the FMF PowerPoint rock garden, but K Russell quickly worked his way back by him.

All eyes were on K Russell and Bollinger who had cut the gap on Sipes to only 30 seconds as they set out on lap four of the seven-lap race. Sipes’ struggled through a pit stop where his quick fill gas can malfunctioned, followed by a machine that wouldn’t fire back up, but even with the added time he kept a comfortable gap over K Russell.

At the mid-way point of the race, a change-up occurred for the final podium position where Bollinger fell back to fifth and R Russell and SRT/KTM’s Stu Baylor moved to third and fourth.

Sipes still had command of the lead once the two-lap card came out, while K Russell tipped over just before checking in timing and scoring. K Russell quickly remounted his bike, but the gap remained the same as the white flag came out.

Sipes continued his dominance on the last lap, while R Russell began closing the gap on K Russell. Sipes raced his way to the checkered flag 33 seconds ahead of K Russell, earning his first ever overall win. R Russell cut the gap to only five seconds by the time he crossed the finish line in third.

S Baylor was accredited fifth overall, while Rocky Mountain ATV*MC/KR4/Husqvarna’s Grant Baylor and Bollinger finished sixth and seventh while Josh Strang Struggled in the dust to 10^th place.

XC1 Results

1. Ryan Sipes
2. Kailub Russell
3. Ricky Russell
4. Stewart Baylor
5. Grant Baylor
6. Trevor Bollinger
7. Russell Bobbitt
8. Mason Atherton
9. Chris Back
10. Josh Strang

XC1 Championship Standings

1. Kailub Russell – 260
2. Thad DuVall – 202
3. Steward Baylor Jr. – 193
4. Ricky Russell – 184
5. Grant Baylor – 144

XC2

When it was time for the second line to take off it was Layne Michael who earned the holeshot before leading the first two laps of the race, until Josh Toth took over the lead. Toth stayed consistent in the lead until the finish, where he was awarded with the No. 1 plate for the XC2 250 Pro class championship. Craig Delong followed in second, while Michael followed his teammate in third.

XC2 Results

1. Josh Toth
2. Craig Delong
3. Layne Michael
4. Michael Witkowski
5. Benjamin Kelley

XC2 Championship Standings

1. Joshua Toth – 301 – 2017 Champion
2. Craig Delong – 238
3. Layne Michael – 237
4. Micael Witkowski – 195
5. Benjamin Kelley – 159

XC3

Paul Whibley snagged the holeshot but Jason Thomas was able to get in the early lead and maintain the front position until the chequered flag flew. Whibley and Jack Edmondson rounded out the class podium while Tayla Jones scored a sensational sixth place in her first ride in the XC3 class. Thomas’ win vaulted him to the top of the point’s standings where he was presented with the National Championship.

XC3 Results

1. Jason Thomas
2. Paul Whibley
3. Jack Edmondson
4. Christopher Venditti
5. Hunter Neuwirth
6. Tayla Jones

XC3 Championship Standings

1. Jason Thomas – 292 – 2017 Champion
2. Hunter Neuwirth – 217
3. Mark Heresco Jr. – 205
4. Jack Edmondson – 178
5. Joshua Adkins – 137

WXC

Becca Sheets claimed her second win of the season this time ahead of Aussie Mackenzie Tricker and Brooke Cosner who rounded out the podium in third but it is World ISDE Champion Tayla Jones who continues to lead the WMX championship despite competing in the XC3 class to a sensational 6^th place finish.

WXC Results

1. Becca Sheets KTM
2. Mackenzie Tricker KTM
3. Brook Cosner Yamaha

WXC Championship Standings

1. Tayla Jones – 180
2. Becca Sheets – 171
3. Mackenzie Tricker – 156
4. Brooke Cosner – 104
5. Rachel Gutish – 100

The series now travels to St. Clairsville, Ohio in two weeks, October 7 and 8, with the Polaris Ace Powerline Park GNCC.

Rd 10 – Stockholm FIM Speedway Grand Prix (Stockholm) – Doyle Extends Lead

Slovenian star Matej Zagar has beaten Bartosz Zmarzlik, Jason Doyle and Peter Kildemand in the final to win his second straight FIM Speedway Grand Prix in Stockholm last Saturday but the big news was that Doyle’s third place and huge 18-point haul puts him 21 away from securing his first world title, which could come at the NICE Torun SGP of Poland on October 7.

But Zagar is also a man on a mission, having surged up to the all-important eighth place in the World Championship, which would guarantee him qualification for the 2018 SGP series.

Matej Zagar

“I hope this is a big turnaround for the rest of my career and I don’t get many more of these bad meetings. If I can avoid them, I will fight for much better positions. But I’ll take it as it is. I’d rather finish well than start strong and finish badly, so it’s okay.”

Second-placed Zmarzlik was elated to get back on form in the SGP series after scoring just two points at the last round in Teterow.

Bartosz Zmarzlik

“I’m very happy today because I am second. My last GP was not very good. I only scored two points. This was a little better. I say thank you to my sponsors and thank you very much to my team – they did a very good job.”

World Championship leader Doyle may not have topped the podium, but he was ecstatic with his 18-point tally.

Jason Doyle

“It’s not all about winning the final; I am very happy with the points I scored tonight. Who would have dreamt that I could get 18 points in a GP and extend my lead? To score that many points, I am over the moon. Hats off to the boys; they rode very well in the final. I am happy with my third place.”

World Championship SGP Standings – Top 15

1. Jason Doyle 132
2. Patryk Dudek 110
3. Maciej Janowski 108
4. Fredrik Lindgren 107
5. Emil Sayfutdinov 102
6. Tai Woffinden 100
7. Bartosz Zmarzlik 94
8. Matej Zagar 86
9. Martin Vaculik 85
10. Chris Holder 75
11. Antonio Lindback 72
12. Piotr Pawlicki 69
13. Peter Kildemand 46
14. Greg Hancock 45
15. Niels-Kristian Iversen 44
    …21 Max Fricke 7

Stockholm SGP Scores

1. Matej Zagar 13
2. Bartosz Zmarzlik 12
3. Jason Doyle 18
4. Peter Kildemand 10
5. Emil Sayfutdinov 12
6. Chris Holder 9
7. Fredrik Lindgren 9
8. Antonio Lindback 8
9. Maciej Janowski 7
10. Piotr Pawlicki 6
11. Max Fricke 6
12. Patryk Dudek 6
13. Tai Woffinden 6
14. Martin Vaculik 5
15. Jacob Thorssell 4
16. Martin Smolinski 4
17. Kim Nilsson 2
18. Filip Hjelmland 0

Rd 1 – Australian Supercross Championship – Toowoomba, Queensland

Justin Brayton and Hayden Mellross and have won the SX1 and SX2 classes at the opening round of the Australian Supercross Championship held at Jimboomba for the third consecutive year to kick off the 2017 series.

SX1 – 450 Final

Dylan Long grabbed the holeshot but only held the top spot for a couple of seconds before losing the front end and crashing in a corner and handing the lead over to Brayton.

Dan Reardon charged in the second spot with Dean Ferris hot on his heels and Ferris would make the pass at the halfway point before setting a series of blistering fast laps as he tried to reduce the gap to leader Brayton but the American rode an almost perfect race and held Ferris at bay to kick off his championship defence in the best possible fashion.

In his first race since the finish of the AMA Supercross Championship back in May Reardon was able to earn the final podium position ahead of Crankt Protein Honda teammates Luke Clout and Todd Waters who in turn had young Nathan Crawford in tow while Long recovered to finish in seventh.

Veteran Cheyne Boyd will be happy to rack up another top ten finish while Joel Wightman and a disappointed Kade Mosig who was caught up in the Dylan Long crash rounded out the top ten.

Justin Brayton

“My Honda 450 was amazing, everything was working well and I felt settled all day. The team worked well together which is a credit to our Team Manager Jay Foreman as the team is made up of people from all over Australia and the world.”

Dean Ferris

“I didn’t feel great on the track all afternoon but I was able to get focussed before final and turn things around which was pleasing. It was our first race on the new bike and both Dylan and I were right there at the start and it works unbeliveably well on the track. Dan and I had a great race and it was a shame we just let Justin get away in those early laps. It’s the same podium as we had here last year and the three of us had some awesome races in 2016 so hopefully it’s the same this year as I enjoy racing with both these guys. I have the Motocross of Nations this weekend so once that is done I can focus solely on Supercross and start to make some big improvements.”

Luke Clout

“I’m a little bit disappointed to go down, but to come back to fourth and ride the way I did, I’m pretty happy. I know I have to go home and do some work, but I know I’m right there. I know my speed is around the podium, so I’m just going to go home, work hard and get on the box. The plan is to just keep riding well and see how we go.”

Todd Waters

“We got a good start in the heat race earlier and ended up getting third there. I haven’t ridden supercross for a long time, so I’m just dipping my feet and I think the season will be good. Luke went down in the first turn and I was caught up in that, so I went from last to fifth at the end of the final. That’s racing though and that’s how it goes. I’ve got two weeks and I’ve been working on all of my motos and stuff now, so it’s now time to bring some intensity in,” he explained. “Apart from that everything is good, we’ve got the bike in a happy place, so we’ll just keep working.”

Dylan Long

“While the result wasn’t great, I felt like I rode pretty well and the new 2018 YZ450F was awesome. Apart from the one fall at the start of the main event, my laps were good and fitness has been the best it’s been all year. Next round the aim is to improve on tonight and if I get another start like that, capitalise on it and get myself onto the podium in a mistake free race. Thank you to the CDR Yamaha team and the promoters for a great night in front of a big crowd.”

Joel Wightman

“It’s been a while, so it felt awesome to be back at the races and especially at a Supercross. I’ve been looking forward to being on a 450 in Supercross for so long now and I really enjoyed the event. I was happy to be running as high as fourth and then settle into sixth for consecutive laps, and I can certainly take away plenty of positives from Jimboomba and hopefully put them into practice for round two. It was just a lack of recent race time and race fitness due to my injuries that cost me late in the race,” Wightman continued, “when I made a few mistakes a couple of laps in a row on a long rhythm section, which certainly cost me time in the last part of the race and put me in ninth place at the finish. Still, it was a solid start to the series.”

Kade Mosig

“I felt good all day today, and I’m happy to carry my strong starts towards the end of the motocross season into supercross, but it was tough to go from battling for the lead to almost last, but that’s racing. I had nowhere to go when Dylan (Long) went down, so I just concentrated on turning out consistent laps and moving through the field as fast as I could tonight” said Mosig after the race.

Nick Schmidt

“My speed was there this weekend. I qualified well and the times were good. I was sort of just getting used to racing Down Under, it’s a little different to what we race back home.  I like the challenge of being here, last night we just needed to get those first race jitters out of the way. I rode a little tight and I just needed to focus on doing what I do and getting the results. I had some bad luck in the heat race and tipped it over a couple of times, and made some little mistakes. In the main event I got a good jump and I was in fourth for a while but I made a mistake and it cost me. I was down a couple of laps after that so I just used the rest of the race to see where my speed was at. I know what I need to work on now, we have a little break, and I’m just looking forward to getting to round two, seeing what we can do and putting the Suzuki on the podium where it belongs.”

Luke Wilson

“This weekend was a round to forget. I guess Jimboomba is usually a good one for me, but after taking the year off and coming back I thought things were going to go better. Nothing happened for me tonight. Coming back to my first race and just having everyone else around me, it just didn’t seem to work so we have some things to work on. I need to spend the next couple of weeks figuring some things out, and come to round two fresh and ready to go.”

SX1 Final Result

1. Justin BRAYTON – Best Lap 49.035 (Fastest Lap)
2. Dean FERRIS – Best Lap 49.741
3. Daniel REARDON – Best Lap 49.738
4. Luke CLOUT – Best Lap 49.602
5. Todd WATERS – Best Lap 50.647
6. Nathan CRAWFORD – Best Lap 51.002
7. Dylan LONG – Best Lap 50.464
8. Cheyne BOYD – Best Lap 50.588
9. Joel WIGHTMAN – Best Lap 51.014
10. Kade MOSIG – Best Lap 50.798
11. Daniel HERRLEIN – Best Lap 51.711
12. Jesse DOBSON – Best Lap 51.098
13. Luke WILSON – Best Lap 53.994
14. Nick SCHMIDT – Best Lap 50.778

SX2 – 250 Report

Gavin Faith managed to come away with the holeshot in the SX2 main event but there was instant pressure from Mellross who by lap seven was in the lead and stretching his margin back to Faith out to 10 seconds when the chequered flag dropped. An obviously fatigued Faith held on to second place ahead of a fast finishing Mitch Evans who had sliced his way into the final podium position after a so-so start.

Jay Wilson silenced the doubters with an impressive fourth-place finish while Wilson Todd, Jackson Richardson, Dylan Wills, Aaron Tanti, Geran Stapleton and the impressive Callum Norton rounded out the top ten.

Hayden Mellross

“I’m really happy to start the season off like this! I felt really good all day on track, and I knew that I would be able to maintain some consistent, strong laps come the final. I got off the gate well, but I still came through in 4th so used my speed in the whoops to make passes each lap, before working my way towards Gavin Faith. Once I made the pass, I was able to stick to my plan and to come away with a 10 second winning margin.”

Gavin Faith

“The final was going well; I got the holeshot and felt comfortable. I pushed hard in the opening laps and exhausted myself. It’s been 5 months since I last raced and I didn’t compose myself and it most certainly affected my overall result. That said, I am happy to walk away with a second place and take the weekends lessons into round 2.”

Mitch Evans

“I didn’t finish off the motocross season as well as I would have liked so I was pretty determined to get things rolling in the right direction here. We made a few changes to the bike throughout the day and my goal here was really to get out of Jimboomba safely as the last two times I have been here, I have crashed out. So, I’m stoked to get on the podium and the fact that I was able to close in on Gavin at the end of the race gives me some confidence going into the rest of the championship. Thank you to Serco Yamaha and my family for the huge effort getting ready for supercross and I look forward to some good racing at the coming rounds.”

Jay Wilson

“I’m really happy with how the first round went. Finishing one position shy of the SX2 podium is a solid way to start the season, and means that we have good points going in to Melbourne. I had a good lead up to the weekend, and it was sort of nice having everyone except those in my corner count me out – it meant I could just focus on doing my job without any added pressure and it paid off. I got second in my heat race, and fourth in the main which is nice and consistent and exactly what we wanted to achieve. Obviously a podium would have been the perfect scenario but you need to be smart in Supercross, particularly at the first round. The KTM 250 SX-F was flawless last night. We made a couple of small changes throughout the day, and by the time we got to the main we had one of the strongest bikes out there. I’m excited to see where we can go from here.”

Wilson Todd

“After feeling pretty strong through the day, I knew I had the speed to be able to run at the front come the final, but I didn’t get out of the gate and had my work cut out for me from the start, once I did get going I got into a good rhythm and made some passes to work my way to 5th by the time I crossed the line”.

Jackson Richardson

“Sixth on paper doesn’t look great but I think there is a lot to work with and still plenty of improvements that can and will be made. As much as you can keep up the off-bike training through injury, you can beat pure bike time especially in race conditions, and with a bit of a break until the next round, I will be in much better shape in Melbourne. So, it’s back to Cairns and to keep working hard and be 100 per cent for round two.”

Kyle Webster

“I definitely lacked some intensity from not having enough time on the bike while I was injured recently. In the Final I was in a reasonable position and started to get into a good groove but then I got a bit sketchy in the whoops and went down. The crash twisted up the front end a bit and I could only manage an 11th place finish at the flag.”

Jayden Rykers

“The whole day started off relatively good, especially when you could say in some sense that this is my first Supercross. We found a good base with the team – then I qualified fastest in my group in the afternoon which put me in 13th, and then my heat race went well. I got up the inside and worked my way in to fourth which I was happy with. I was really happy up until the main event. I didn’t get a good start and I lost traction on one of the doubles about seven laps in and I had a bit of a crash – I found it hard to get the bike going after that and I dropped back. All in all, the day was good up until the main event but I’m happy to walk out of here healthy. We have a good break now to work on our weaknesses so we’ll keep building.”

Egan Mastin crashed during qualifying and didn’t make it to the main event.

Egan Mastin

“I was excited to get the day started and start with the new team. The start of the day was good and I actually felt comfortable, everything was going well and I was happy with the bike. My foot came off in one of the sections during qualifying and I went over the ’bars and hit my head pretty hard. It wasn’t my night, but I’m going to take the positives from the start of the day and focus on what’s next from there. I couldn’t ask for a better team to be on, they’re an awesome group of people and we’re already talking about how to make things better, so we’ll be putting the work in over the next two weeks and I’m very excited to keep learning.”

SX2 – 250 Main Event Results

1. Hayden MELLROSS – Best Lap 49.919 (Fastest Lap)
2. Gavin FAITH – Best Lap 50.069
3. Mitchell EVANS – Best Lap 50.551
4. Jay WILSON – Best Lap 50.627
5. Wilson TODD – Best Lap 50.400
6. Jackson RICHARDSON – Best Lap 50.533
7. Dylan WILLS – Best Lap 50.842
8. Aaron TANTI – Best Lap 51.175
9. Geran STAPLETON – Best Lap 51.540
10. Callum NORTON – Best Lap 51.924
11. Kyle WEBSTER – Best Lap 51.315
12. Cooper POZNIAK – Best Lap 51.951
13. Taylor POTTER – Best Lap 52.249
14. Dylan WOOD – Best Lap 53.566
15. Connor TIERNEY – Best Lap 52.351
16. Nick SUTHERLAND – Best Lap 53.539
17. Jesse MADDEN 1 – Best Lap 52.788
18. Lochie LATIMER – Best Lap 53.987
19. Jye DICKSON – Best Lap 54.690
20. Jayden RYKERS – Best Lap 52.645