Moto News Wrap for November 7, 2017 by Darren Smart
Proudly brought to you by Dunlop Geomax
Latest News
- RIP Peter Melton
- Josh Grant out RJ Hampshire in for AUS-X Open
- Shannons Shortcut Is Back For 2017 Monster Energy Aus-X Open Sydney
- Faith Out – Blose In for Penrite Honda
- 2018 Yamaha AORC Calendar Released
- Legends Line Up for Postie Bike Challenge
- RIP Tom White
- Baylor Takes AMA National Enduro Championship
- Max Nagl to TM for MXGP
- Wild Cards Sorted for 2018 SGP
- Bowers and Starling Win Dutch Supercross in Zuidbroek
- Team HRC announce 2018 MX rider line-up at EICMA
This Week’s Race Reports
- AMA EnduroCross – Round 6 – Boise, Idaho
- World Vets Championship – Glenn Helen, California
- 2017 Hixpania Hard Enduro – Northern Spain
RIP Peter Melton
I don’t even know where to start with this……Peter Melton passed away last week. He was riding on a motocross track West of Brisbane and while the cause of death is yet to be verified, Melton’s passing is having a massive impact on the motocross community.
Melton won four Australian Supercross titles, three National Motocross titles and 17 Queensland Motocross and Supercross titles in a career that saw the Acacia Ridge kid become not only an icon of our sport but one of the most well-liked and respected individuals in our industry.
There have been hundreds of Peter ‘Reggie’ Melton stories shared on Facebook this week but the one that stands out for me was at the final round of the Thumper Nationals at Dargle in 1997. World numbers one and two, Joel Smets on a Husaberg and Daryl King on a Husqvarna turned up after a year of doing battle in the World Motocross Championship and Pete put his Kawasaki KLX650R ‘trail bike’ right at the pointy end of the field all day.
I was commentating the race at the time and I made the statement that Smets and King wouldn’t even know what a KLX650 was let alone having raced against one but here was Reggie, mixing it with the two hottest riders on the planet on the big heavy shit box and making it look easy.
Pete was also in integral part of my Smartway Off-Road Riding Clinics that were held at Tivoli Raceway from 2003 to 2006 – NO-ONE could demonstrate the way to smash a berm, rail a rut or hit a jump like Pete and our students were constantly in awe of his skill, speed and above all, modesty. He was just so natural on a dirt bike with absolutely no ego.
The grief his family and close friends are feeling right now is incomprehensible – I have no more to say except RIP Reggie.
Josh Grant out RJ Hampshire in for AUS-X Open
Josh Grant has pulled out of the Monster Energy AUS-X Open at Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney on November 11 and 12and he will be replaced by America’s RJ Hampshire.
23 riders are confirmed for the AUS-X Open SX1 450 Class Championship, which includes rounds four and five of the 2017 Australian Supercross Championship.
The Factory Honda rider Hampshire came in at fifth place in the AMA West Coast Supercross Championship (250cc) in 2015, and eighth place in the AMA West Coast Supercross Championship (250cc) in 2016.
RJ Hampshire
“I can’t wait to race in Australia! I’ve been putting in a lot of hours on the 450 lately and am feeling really good on the bike. I’ll give it everything I have to compete for the win!”
A surprise last minute change has seen Josh Grant’s Kawasaki Racing Team withdraw him from competing at the AUS-X Open, due to his upcoming testing schedule for the 2018 Supercross season.
Adam Bailey – AUS-X Open Director and Co-founder
“We were extremely disappointed that Kawasaki had decided to withdraw Josh (Grant) from this year’s AUS-X Open. Josh was really excited to come out, as were we to have him – but regardless, we’re really excited to have an up and coming talent like RJ Hampshire out to make his Australian debut. He has an incredible style and flair that we’re sure fans are going to love watching.”
As the final official SX1 rider lineup is now finalised, AUS-X Open ticket holders will have the chance to enter their predictions to the AUS-X Million, which will officially open in the coming days.
Stay tuned for further announcements!
Monster Energy AUS-X Open Sydney – SX1 450cc Lineup
- Jason Anderson (Factory Husqvarna)
- Justin Brayton (Factory Honda)
- Dean Wilson (Factory Husqvarna)
- Dean Ferris (Factory Yamaha)
- Daniel Reardon (Factory Kawasaki)
- Kade Mosig (Satellite Yamaha)
- Dylan Long (Factory Yamaha)
- Todd Waters (Factory Honda)
- Luke Clout (Factory Honda)
- Nathan Crawford (Factory Kawasaki)
- RJ Hampshire (Factory Honda)
- Nick Schmidt (Factory Suzuki)
- Daniel Herrlein (Privateer Suzuki)
- Joel Wightman (Privateer Honda)
- Jesse Dobson (Factory Honda)
- Robbie Marshall (Privateer Honda)
- Luke Wilson (Factory Suzuki)
- Geran Stapleton (Privateer Honda)
- Boyd Hocking (Privateer Yamaha)
- Nicholas Bressan (Privateer)
- Jono Krusic (Privateer Yamaha)
- Tim Macarthur (Privateer)
- Joshua Bell (Privateer)
Shannons Shortcut Is Back For 2017 Monster Energy Aus-X Open Sydney
Shannons Insurance is on board as Official Insurance Partner for the second year in a row at the Monster Energy AUS-X Open in Sydney, with the return of the ‘Shannons Shortcut’ which allows the riders to miss the whoop section of track and gain an advantage over the competition once during the main events.
Dan Reardon
“The Shannons Shortcut gives riders the opportunity to skip the whoops on one lap The interesting thing about whoops is that they generally get worse as the race goes on, so you’ve got to be pretty calculated about when you’re going to make it work.”
Kade Mosig
“I think this year is going to be interesting where they’ve placed it (Shannons Shortcut) on the track. For me, at the end of a 20-lap final, I may be able to save that last lap and get that last lap pass in or do a dash in the last lap and get two passes. So you never know, it’s going to be one to think about.”
Current SX1 leader Justin Brayton can see the short cut having a big influence on the outcome of both nights main events.
Justin Brayton
“The Shannons Shortcut is going to be a massive play on how the race actually unfolds. To go around the whoops is a massive benefit, obviously the whoops are sometimes the most challenging part of the track, so to be able to go around those once, it is going to be a huge strategy. If you get the holeshot, do you take it right away or do you wait, or do you watch track positions? There’s a lot of different things that can play into that, and I think it’s just one more cool thing about the AUS-X Open is to know when to take the Shannons Shortcut.”
To celebrate, Shannons Insurance has up for grabs an exclusive meet and greet opportunity on either Saturday or Sunday at this year’s event with four times World Supercross Champion and the Greatest Rider Of All Time (GOAT) – Ricky Carmichael.
Shannons Insurance Business Development Manager – Sheena Watkins said the team is excited to once again be on board as the Official Insurance Partner for the 2017 Monster Energy AUS-X Open Sydney.
Sheena Watkins – Shannons Insurance
“Shannons believe in supporting the motorcycling community, which includes one of a kind events such as AUS-X, that appeals to all motorcycling enthusiasts, young and old, while giving them the opportunity to meet, greet and watch some of the best riders in the SX & FMX worlds. Well done to the organisers and looking forward to some great racing!”
Faith Out – Blose In for Penrite Honda
With championship leader Gavin Faith opting to head home to get his injured wrist operated on, Penrite Honda has recruited Chris Blose for the remainder of the Australian Supercross Championship.
Gavin Faith
“It’s disappointing and it was a hard decision, I have the points lead and I wanted to try and continue but the pain is unbearable and I personally don’t believe I could race with the pain across two nights in Sydney. I feel the best decision for me is go home and have surgery on it. It’s really tough as mistakes have halted my chance of a championship two years in a row. I want to thank everyone for their support and Honda for the continued opportunities.”
Team principal Yarrive Konsky was saddened by Faith’s departure but understands the realities of the sport.
Yarrive Konsky – Team principal
“It’s tough to lose Gavin halfway through the season but the truth is our sport can bite hard. I hope he makes a full recovery and we wish him all the best. To find a competitive rider during a championship is really difficult, most of the riders placing inside the top ten are either already signed with teams and or have personal sponsors that would conflict with ours. We want to continue to prove that we have a race winning program and we need to provide our sponsors and fans the best results we can, that is why we choose Chris.”
Blose achieved two overall podiums in 2016 and 2017 in the AMA Arenacross Championships with a 2nd and 3rd respectively. He has proven himself against the world’s best; finishing as high as 4th in a 450SX final class.
Chris Blose
“I was excited when I got the call; I know how professional and competitive the Honda program is. I have watched the Aus-X-Open and the track is similar to what I have been racing on these past two seasons. This is a great opportunity for me.”
Blose will compete in the 250SX class aboard the championship leading Honda CRF250R.
2018 Yamaha AORC Calendar Released
The Yamaha Australian Off-Road Championship (AORC) 2018 calendar has been officially released, confirming dates and locations for the highly anticipated 11-round national Enduro Championship.
Next year’s Championship will continue to use a double-header format, except for Round 7 at Broken Hill NSW, which will feature Juniors on the Saturday and Seniors on the Sunday, teaming up with Dirt2ride events to Run the Silver City Desert Enduro Round.
Kicking off the season will be Rounds 1 & 2 in Gympie QLD, taking place 10 – 11 March 2018. The Championship will then move to Victoria, followed by two successive rounds in NSW at Dungog and Broken Hill, then it’s off to SA. The Championship finale will conclude at Victoria, 6-7 October.
Specific locations of the Victorian and South Australian rounds will be released in due time. The Yamaha AORC is the premier Australian Enduro Championship and is recognised both nationally and internationally recognised as producing top level competitors. Many have even gone on to win world championships and have represented Australia in the International Six Days Enduro (ISDE). The Championship includes a variety of classes for different age groups and machines.
The 2018 Yamaha AORC is shaping up to be bigger and better than an already successful 2017 season. As always, make sure to tune in to all AORC channels in the lead up to the 2018 season.
2018 Australian Off-Road Championship Calendar
- Round 1 & 2: Gympie, QLD 10 – 11 March 2018
- Round 3 & 4: VIC 5 – 6 May 2018
- Round 5 & 6: Dungog, NSW 28 – 29 July 2018
- Round 7: Broken Hill, NSW 1 – 2 Sept 2018
- Round 8 & 9: SA 22 – 23 Sept 2018
- Round 10 & 11: VIC 6 – 7 Oct 2018
Legends Line Up for Postie Bike Challenge
What sort of race attracts the likes of Michael Kirkness, Chris Watson, Robert ‘Beatle’ Bailey, Phil Lovett, Paul Caslick, Mark Avard, Kevin Curtain, Luke Richards and many more? Well, it’s the 2017 Australia Postie Grand Prix held this year in Cessnock on a track succumbing to the light rain that hung over it all weekend.
The team of Brody Nowlan and Josh Pickering took out the major race ahead of Daniel Wicks and Mackenzie Childs with Chris Watson and Michael Kirkness rounding out the podium while motocross legend Robert Bailey and his daughter Karina finished inside the top 25.
RIP Tom White
Tom White, famed motorcycle racer, business owner, philanthropist, and historian, has passed away after a courageous battle against cancer. He was 68.
Tom was raised near the ocean in Huntington Beach, California, where he grew up surfing before discovering his life-long passion: motorcycles. He soon found his niche in flat track racing, eventually earning national number 80 as a professional.
In 1976, White founded Tom White’s Cycle Specialties, which would later become White Brothers Cycle Specialties when White partnered with his twin brother, Dan. Over the next 25 years, White Brothers would grow into a nearly $40 million-a-year company that employed nearly 200 employees at its peak. White sold White Brothers in 2000, and turned his attention towards restoring and collecting vintage motocross bikes.
Over the next decade, White’s collection grew to over 170 motorcycles, including a variety of unique models from brands such as Husqvarna, CZ, Maico, Bultaco, BSA, and others. White believed his efforts were but one piece of a greater industry initiative to ensure the history and legacy of motorcycle racing in the United States remained intact and relevant for future generations of racers and fans.
White’s Early Years of Motocross Museum, located on his family’s private property in Orange County, California, is not open to the public, but it has played host to motorcycle industry events including product launches, professional racing media gatherings, as well as numerous charity fundraising efforts.
In addition to his role as a motorcycle historian, White discovered another passion over the past few decades: announcing motorcycle races. White became the announcer of the weekly REM motocross series at Glen Helen Raceway in San Bernardino, California, one of his greatest joys. In 2017, White was honored with a monument along Glen Helen’s Walk of Fame. White also served as the announcer for many professional races throughout the United States, revelling in the thrill of all disciplines of motorcycle racing.
In 2014, White was inducted into the AMA Hall of Fame. And in 2018, White is due to receive the prestigious Dick Hammer lifetime achievement award from the Southern California Trailblazers Motorcycle Club.
Stateman from the White family
“While we mourn the loss of an incredible human being, we also celebrate his life, his achievements, his passion for motorcycles, and his love of friends and family. We hope that Tom’s life story serves as inspiration to everyone that fierce determination and good will can yield a life extraordinarily well lived.”
Tom White passed away peacefully in his home, surrounded by his family, along several of his favorite motorcycles. He is survived by his wife, children, grandchildren, dear friends, and motorcycle enthusiasts around the world.
Baylor Takes AMA National Enduro Championship
Steward Baylor topped the Gobbler Getter National Enduro – the ninth and final round of the Kenda AMA National Enduro Series in Stanton, Alabama, and by doing so claimed this second National Enduro title ahead of arch rival Thad DuVall who came into the final round sitting two points behind Baylor in the series standings.
Steward Balyor
“I was able to gap those guys by quite a bit after the fourth test and I knew I could relax a little in the last two tests, but I made a mistake in test five and it set me back a little. I went down and I was counting as I was trying to get going and I counted to seven so I knew I was still in decent shape. Thad ended up getting me by 12 seconds in that test and at the end of the day, only 12 seconds separated us in the final scoring so I’m super happy with how the day went.”
After six tests, the nine-round Kenda AMA National Enduro Series came down to just 12 seconds at the finish, with Baylor grabbing four race wins on the season, while DuVall also won four rounds.
Thad Duvall
“It was a hard-fought series, it’s funny because I came into the series not exactly feeling comfortable with the enduros, but over the season I have come to really enjoy it, and though I’m not exactly happy with second overall in the series, I feel I rode the best I could. I just wish I could have ridden the way I did today in the last two rounds when I was nursing my wrist injury.”
Results
- Steward Baylor (KTM)
- Thad DuVall (Hsq)
- Evan Smith (KTM)
- Russell Bobbitt (KTM)
- Cory Buttrick (KTM)
Max Nagl to TM for MXGP
TM Racing has signed German ace Max Nagl as they return to the MXGP for the first time in many years on their full factory MX 450 F1.
The MX 450 FI we will see next year at the MXGP World Championship is going to undergo a constant progress throughout the whole season and the aim is the continuous development, race after race, in order to have a machinery, which perfectly suits the German rider. His ideal bike.
Marco Ricciardi – Team Manager
“Engaging Max in our Team is a great honour. I have a great opinion of Max, talking from a technical point of view and especially for his professionalism and honesty demonstrated for so many years in the paddock. This is the reason why I think he is the right rider for our come back to the Top Class. To tell you the truth, I’m very proud of being part of this evolution and important project for TM Racing.”
Max Nagl
“I’m very happy to be part of TM Racing Factory Team. I feel so inspired! TM Racing Factory Team is a different reality; the team is smaller compared to others and this fits with me. I can’t wait to start developing the new MX 450FI machinery, as well as working side by side with such a highly motivated Team.”
Team HRC announce 2018 MX rider line-up at EICMA
On the eve of the annual EICMA Motorcycle Exhibition in Milan, Italy, Team HRC announced its rider line-up for the 2018 FIM Motocross World Championship, MXGP, as part of its traditional factory motorsport announcement.
Tim Gajser, 2016 MXGP World Champion, remains with Team HRC aboard the #243 Honda CRF450RW, and is joined in the MXGP category by Brian Bogers as the 21-year-old Dutchman joins the factory outfit from the HSF Motorsport team.
The third machine under the Team HRC awning will be Calvin Vlaanderen who will line up behind the MX2 gate on the Honda CRF250RW. The 21-year-old South African joins Honda, like teammate Bogers, from the HSF Motorsport team as part of the sponsorship deal with Team HRC and HSF Logistics, effective from the 2018 season onwards.
The three motocross riders were joined on stage by their counterparts in HRC’s factory MotoGP, Trial, and Dakar / Rally teams, bringing together a world-beating wealth of talent on two wheels.
Team HRC are testing throughout the off-season in preparation for the opening round of the 2018 MXGP series in Argentina on 3-4 March, where Tim Gajser has dominated for the last two years.
Tim Gajser
“It’s great to stay with HRC into 2018 for another – we’ve already been a long time on this journey together and I’m so happy to continue. For 2018 I have new teammates which is something new to me – we are all young guys in the team and I think that’s going to be good as we’re all hungry for the challenge together. I’m really excited for the year ahead; we’re fit and ready to go again. It’s a pleasure too to be at EICMA with the rest of the family – the MotoGP guys, Dakar and the Trial team. It’s a really strong family to be part of!”
Wild Cards Sorted for 2018 SGP
Four-time world champion Greg Hancock, triple winner Nicki Pedersen and 2012 champion Chris Holder and Slovak star Martin Vaculik have been given Wildcard status for the 2018 SGP season.
Hancock was unable to defend his title this year after undergoing surgery to fix the shoulder damage caused by a dislocation in a freak fall on the stairs at his Swedish base in mid-July while Pedersen, who has been sidelines since May due to a fractured vertebraa, has raced in the SGP elite full-time since 2001, winning 16 rounds and establishing himself as one of the most talked-about stars in the sport.
Holder finished 10th in this year’s World Championship after enduring a tough campaign on and off the track as he battled with equipment issues while Vaculik is also selected after finishing ninth in this season’s series, just eight points short of the top eight and with a victory at the series-opening AZTORIN Slovenian SGP in Krsko to his name.
Six-time Danish champion Niels-Kristian Iversen could also play a part in the 2018 SGP series, after being named as first series reserve. He will be called up in the event any of the regular 15 stars are forced out of a round due to injury, illness or other reasons.
Czech ace Vaclav Milik is next year’s second series reserve after showing huge promise in three SGP outings this term, with a third place at the Mitas Czech SGP in Prague a real career highlight.
Swedish international Linus Sundstrom is named third series reserve, with new World Under-21 champion Maksym Drabik of Poland and Australia’s Max Fricke handed the fourth and fifth stand-in berths respectively.
2018 Fim Speedway Grand Prix Line-Up (In Ranking Order):
- Jason Doyle (Australia)
- Patryk Dudek (Poland)
- Tai Woffinden (Great Britain)
- Maciej Janowski (Poland)
- Bartosz Zmarzlik (Poland)
- Emil Sayfutdinov (Russia)
- Matej Zagar (Slovenia)
- Fredrik Lindgren (Sweden)
- Martin Vaculik (Slovakia)
- Chris Holder (Australia)
- Greg Hancock (USA)
- Nicki Pedersen (Denmark)
- Przemyslaw Pawlicki (Poland)
- Artem Laguta (Russia)
- Craig Cook (Great Britain)
Series Reserves
- Niels-Kristian Iversen (Denmark)
- Vaclav Milik (Czech Republic)
- Linus Sundstrom (Sweden)
- Maksym Drabik (Poland)
- Max Fricke (Australia)
Bowers and Starling Win Dutch Supercross in Zuidbroek
American Tyler Bowers is in Europe picking up some pocket money and he started it off with a win at the Dutch Supercross event in Zuibroek ahead of Harri Kulas and Jace Owen in the SX1 class while fellow Yank Justin Starling took out the SX2 class over Red Bull Straight Rhythm winner Gared Steinke and world-traveller Dylan Walsh.
SX1 Final
- Tyler Bowers
- Harri Kulas
- Jace Owen
- Cole Martinez
- Dominque Thury
SX2 Final
- Justin Starling
- Gared Steinke
- Dylan Walsh
- Nico Barcelo
- Jullien Lebeau
Smart’s Race Reports
AMA EnduroCross – Round 6 – Boise, Idaho
Cody Webb has dominated the Boise EnduroCross to take his fifth straight win this time ahead of the hard charging duo of Cory Graffunder and Ty Tremaine.
Webb got the night started off strong with a win in the Super EnduroCross gate pick qualifier. Graffunder served notice that he was ready for a good result by finishing second and Cooper Abbott put in a strong result for third.
To start the main event, Webb fought hard to take the lead exiting the first turn and was closely followed by Graffunder, Geoff Aaron, Cooper Abbott and Kyle Redmond. Webb rode a flawless main event despite an extremely difficult wood pit and No Joke Lane. He steadily pulled away from Graffunder to take his fifth straight main event win.
Graffunder had an equally solid race to maintain second for all but one lap when he took the No Joke Lane but he was quickly back into second. He could not match Webb’s pace, but it was a great result considering he missed round two with a badly broken thumb less than six weeks ago.
The fight for third was exciting as Aaron and Abbott battled for the position in the early laps until Abbott had problems. Then Aaron crashed in the No Joke Lane on lap eight and Tremaine made a bold pass as he was already committed to the lane on the same lap. Trystan Hart passed both riders but then relinquished the position back to Tremaine when he took the No Joke Lane on lap ten. This gave Tremaine the final podium spot despite completing lap one in thirteenth. Hart, currently second in the points, held on for fourth.
Beta’s Max Gerston had a pretty quiet night but came out with a fifth-place finish on the tough Boise track. Aaron recovered for sixth position. Abbott finished seventh and fellow Yamaha rider Mason Ottersberg finished eighth. Redmond finished in ninth after a pretty tough night that included a big crash in the qualifying race. Ty Cullins rounded out the top ten on his Beta.
Cody Webb – 1st Place
“This was definitely the toughest track we’ve had this year. Boise always has a ridiculous wood pit and I fell down there five or six times in practice. I fell more in those first two practice sessions than I have all year. I really struggled early today and didn’t let the track come to me. In the Qualifier I rode great. Graffunder got me in the Bracket Race but it was a great race and good show for the fans. In the main, I got the holeshot and felt awesome. I had two little bobbles and a couple issues with the lappers in the wood pit where I was forced to just take my time. It was probably the loosest I rode all year and it feels great to get the win.”
Cory Graffunder – 2nd Place
“Tonight was probably the most incident free, smoothest and cleanest race I’ve ever had. I attribute it to my good riding early in the day that set me up with a good gate pick that put me ahead of a lot of carnage and let me just click off laps. I did two laps and had a big enough gap to do the No Joke Lane, got that out of the way when I was nice and fresh and made it through there without incident. Then, I kept clicking off laps. I don’t want to say it was the easiest race because the track was difficult but, as far as adversity and making mistakes, it definitely was the easiest I’ve had. It was clean, start to finish.”
Ty Tremaine – 3rd Place
“It was not an easy one tonight. I’ve been working hard all year and the beginning of the season has kind of sucked, to be honest. I haven’t felt like I’m riding where I’m supposed to. I was fastest in the second practice so I knew I had the speed. Cody and Colton have always been so far out front and my goal is, if I don’t beat them, I want to be really close. Tonight, that was my goal again but, right off the bat, nothing went right. People were crashing right in front of me and it was a nightmare. Coming around the first lap I was in dead last place. So, I just started charging forward and made passes. I found myself in fourth behind Trysan Hart and then I took the No Joke lane behind Geoff Aaron because I knew he’d make it and then he ended up crashing! I don’t know how I made it through but I passed Geoff and got out of there, and then Hart took the No Joke lane and I made it into third. I just stayed there, thankfully. It was the hardest race I’ve ever done.”
Webb now holds an insurmountable 32-point lead over Hart in the championship heading into the final round in Ontario. Tremaine has taken over third, nine points back from Hart. These two will battle for the Junior EnduroCross championship for riders twenty-one and under.
The final round of the 2017 EnduroCross series will take place inside the Citizens Business Bank Arena and Saturday, November 18.
Super EnduroCross Final
- Cody Webb
- Cory Graffunder
- Ty Tremaine
- Trystan Hart
- Max Gerston
- Geoff Aaron
- Cooper Abbott
- Mason Ottersberg
- Kyle Redmond
- Ty Cullins
Super EnduroCross Championship Standings
- Cody Webb – 132
- Trystan Hart – 100
- Ty Tremaine – 91
- Colton Haaker – 91
- Kyle Redmond – 87
- Cory Graffunder – 82
- Noah Kepple – 68
- Max Gerston – 67
- Cooper Abbott – 64
- Joan Pau Segura Veraguer – 62
World Vets Championship – Glen Helen, California
Every November for as long as most can remember the World Vets Championship has been held at the famous Glen Helen moto facility and this year, like so many before, was riddled with former champions from all over the world.
In fact, in 2017 there were riders from USA, France, England, Ireland, Germany, Spain, Portugal, Norway, Sweden, Tahiti, Japan, New Zealand, Australia, Brazil, Costa Rica, Holland, Italy, Canada, South Africa and Denmark.
At 33 years of age our own Brett Metcalfe raced his first ever World Vets event to win the Over 30s Pro class ahead of Mike Brown and Jason Potter while it was Brown who won the Over 40s class ahead of Doug Dubach, Kenjiro Tsuji and Kurt Nicoll.
Dubach bounced back to win his 26th World Vets title in the Over 50s class ahead of Kurt Nicoll and Keith Bowen while Pete DeGraaf won the Over 60s class ahead of Chuck Sun and Kiwi flyer and former World Vets Champion Tony Cooksley and finally Steve Machado won the Over 70s class over Jim O’Neal and Claes Elmgrei.
Cooksley posted this on FB: ‘A fantastic weekend at the world vet motocross Glen Helen. Heavy rain in the morning turning the track into heavy going. Rain stopped for 2nd race, track was rough but perfect soil. Finished 3rd overall 60 expert class. Pete Degraaf 1st Chuck Sun 2nd .Thanks every one for your messages of support. Also the great staff at MX Heaven’
Aussie Aaron Hunt returned for the second year in a row and won the 40+ Expert class before claiming 19th overall in the 40+ Pro Class.
Over 30 Pro – Top 20
- Brett Metcalfe (Kaw) 1-1
- Mike Brown (Hus) 2-2
- Jason Potter (Hon) 5-3
- Tonni Anderson (KTM) 3-5
- Mike Sleeter (KTM) 6-4
- Benny Breck (Hon) 4-7
- Arik Swan (Yam) 7-6
- Kenjiro Tsuji (Yam) 9-8
- Matt Smith (Kaw) 10-9
- Jason Thomas (Hon) 8-11
- Michael Carter (OTH) 14-10
- Andy Mathieu (Hus) 12-12
- Matt Karlsen (Kaw) 11-13
- Ronny Herlitschke (Yam) 13-14
- Jonathan Camarena (Yam) 16-15
- Nick Enstrom (Suz) 18-17
- Mike Cundari (Yam) 21-16
- Steve Thinger (Kaw) 20-18
- Robert Casper (Hon) 15-DNF
- Adrian Torres (Hus) 17-DNF
Over 40 Pro – Top 10
- Mike Brown (Hus) 1-1
- Doug Dubach (Yam) 2-2
- Kenjiro Tsuji (Yam) 4-3
- Kurt Nicoll (KTM) 3-4
- John Grewe (Kaw) 5-5
- Jeremy Chaussee (Kaw) 7-6
- Brian Wheeler (Kaw) 8-7
- Todd DeHoop (Hon) 6-9
- Matt Karlsen (Suz) 9-8
- Julien Cerny (Kaw) 11-10
…19. Aaron Hunt (Yam) 17-18
Over 50 Pro – Top 10
- Doug Dubach (Yam) 1-1
- Kurt Nicoll (KTM) 2-2
- Keith Bowen (Hon) 3-4
- John Grewe (Kaw) 5-3
- Ron Lechien (Kaw) 4-5
- Kevin Foley (Suz) 7-6
- Pete Murray (Yam) 6-7
- Kevin Barda (Suz) 8-8
- Ed Foedish (Hus) 11-9
- Steve Machado, Jr. (Yam) 9-11
Over 60 Pro – Top 10
- Pete DeGraaf (KTM) 2-1
- Chuck Sun (KTM) 3-2
- Tony Cooksley (Yam) 4-3
- Val Tamietti (Yam) 5-4
- Trey Jorski (KTM) 6-5
- Jim Latendresse (Hus) 7-7
- Jay Miglioire (Hon) 8-8
- Bob Rutten (KTM) 10-10
- George Ellinger (KTM) 9-11
- Bill Nolan (Yam) 12-9
Over 70 Expert
- Steve Machado (Yam) 2-1
- Jim O’Neal (Hus) 1-3
- Claes Elmgrei (Hus) 4-2
- Barg Kellogg (KTM) 3-4
- Ernie Cabral (Other) 5-5
- Gary Anderson (Hon) 6-6
2017 Hixpania Hard Enduro – Northern Spain
Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing rider Graham Jarvis has claimed victory at the 2017 Hixpania Hard Enduro in northern Spain ahead of the KTM duo of Jonny Walker and Alfredo Gomez.
For the second edition of the Hixpania Hard Enduro, the racing was staged over three days which included a SuperEnduro-styled course in the town square of Aguilar de Campoo on Friday before conquering a 48-kilometre enduro loop three times on Saturday while Sunday’s main event was a short 15-minute extreme loop, raced over a two-hour 30-minute duration. With points allocated per race, an overall classification of the three days determined this year’s Hixpania champion.
Getting his event off to a slow start, Jarvis placed an unusual seventh in the Friday prologue. Picking up things to end up fourth on Saturday, Graham knew only victory on the third and final day would help his chances of winning this year’s Hixpania Hard Enduro.
Last away in the Le Mans style start, he steadily began to pick riders off as the race progressed. By mid-distance he had climbed up to fourth and was beginning to find his pace. With two laps to go, Jarvis launched his attack for victory and managed to break away. With an impossible climb delivering the final sting in the tail for the race, he was the first to reach the top. In doing so he also took the overall event win.
Graham Jarvis
“I honestly wasn’t expecting to win this one today. Coming into the final race, Sunday’s extreme race, I was about fourth overall in the points classification and so thought the overall win was out of reach. My plan was to just fight for the win in this race and see what happened. I was actually the last rider to reach my bike at the start and so was last away. I picked off a few riders quickly enough and to be honest it helped not leading. I could read the tracks the guys had made and managed to avoid some of their mistakes with line choices. The top four riders bunched up at about the halfway point and then with about two laps to go I got into the lead and pushed on. The final hillclimb was pretty much impossible. But luckily I got there first and was roped up. I just had to watch and see what would unfold next. Jonny Walker had a crash and dropped to fourth. We tied on points but my win was enough for victory. I’m really happy with that because Hixpania was one of the few hard enduro races I’d yet to win.”
Arriving third at the base of the final hill, a mistake by Walker near the summit saw him passed by Gomez. Fourth place across the line tied him on points with Graham Jarvis, but his position on the final day would relegate Walker to second overall.
Jonny Walker
“Friday’s Prologue went really well for me. It was tough on such a short lap with so many riders, but I held on to take the win, which was great. Saturday went well too, I knew I just had to ride consistently and not make any mistakes – second place there put me joint first going into the final day. The track was great on Sunday, I enjoyed it and was really happy with my speed. I made one mistake that caused me to drop back behind Graham, but after that I was able to really push on. I reached the final hill in third behind Billy, but managed to loop the bike out nearing the top and I had to have another go. I finished tied with Graham on points, but his win on the final day gave him the overall victory. I’m disappointed not to have won, but I have to be happy with how I rode. At the end it just came down to the final hill and I lost out.”
Results — Hixpania Hard Enduro 2017
- Graham Jarvis (Husqvarna)
- Jonny Walker (KTM)
- Alfredo Gomez (KTM)
- Billy Bolt (Husqvarna)
- Mario Roman (Sherco)
