Moto Wrap | Atlanta SX | MXGP | Enduro | AORC

Moto News Wrap
March 5, 2019 – By Darren Smart

Proudly brought to you by Dunlop Geomax

Moto News Latest

• Webb and Cianciarulo storm Atlanta AMA SX
• Cairoli and Prado take first blood at Argentina MXGP
• Evans creates history at Argentina
• Barcia concussed – misses Atlanta
• Holcombe kicks off 2019 with win in Italy
• Price to be honoured at Aussie F1 GP
• Dacka ready for season 2019
• The stars of the AORC hit Toowoomba this Weekend
• Mentoring role brings Matthew Phillips to AORC
• Cosford wins Coolum 2-Stroke Cup
• Jay Wilson & Richie Evans all set for 2019 MXN
• 2020 Aussie Speedway Solo Champs calendar announced
• 2020 & 2021 Australian Junior and Senior Speedway Sidecar calendar

Webb and Cianciarulo storm Atlanta AMA SX

Atlanta, Georgia hosted the ninth round of the AMA Supercross Championships last weekend and it was an all KTM podium in the 450 class with championship leader Cooper Webb taking the win over Blake Baggett and Marvin Musquin while it was Adam Cianciarulo who won the first of the 250 East/West Shootouts ahead of Dylan Ferrandis and Austin Forkner.

See the full report here:
KTM 1-2-3 in Atlanta as Webb takes fifth victory of season (link)

Unfortunately, Chad stalled his Suzuki late in the race to drop back to a disappointing 13th place but the Aussie still sits seventh in the championship, two spots ahead of Justin Barcia who was forced to sit out the event thanks to suffering a concussion after crashing during the week.

Cooper Webb

“Yeh, it was tough, the track was changing a lot but I knew where I was good but there were also places where Marv would catch me, I knew where he was catching me but I didn’t know what line he was using, it is hard when you are leading so I just hit my marks and they weren’t working as good as I would have liked so I started changing things up, made a few mistakes in front of Blake who I knew would be good through the whoops but towards the end I found some lines so another win, that was sweet.”

Blake Baggett

“It was really hard to pass, you could make a run on someone but to get by was another thing, Marv and Cooper were making runs at each other, I could see it going on in front of me then I got into second and could do the same but when they have that horseshoe sand section over the tunnel I will hands down voice my opinion that I am not for it, it is supercross with steep obstacles and no sand.”

Marvin Musquin

“It was tough being the chaser tonight, you had to follow through the sand section and same with the whoops, I didn’t want to chance going to the right, it was a really tough track, I missed the main line in the sand and Blake got me and I would gain some ground then lose some ground, it was tough.”

450SX Main Event Results

1. Cooper Webb
2. Blake Baggett
3. Marvin Musquin
4. Ken Roczen
5. Aaron Plessinger
   …13. Chad Reed

   

 450SX Points after 9 of 17 Rounds

1. Cooper Webb – 199
2. Ken Roczen – 186
3. Marvin Musquin – 182
4. Eli Tomac – 177
5. Blake Baggett – 142
6. Dean Wilson – 137
7. Chad Reed – 124

250 East-West Shootout Report

There was no catching Cianciarulo with the East Coast championship leader taking the win by four second over Ferrandis who dropped Forkner by seven seconds while Sexton, Cooper, McElrath, Nichols, Martin Davalos, Michael Mosiman and Brandon Hartraft rounded out the top ten.

Adam Cianciarulo

“After the start I stayed patient behind Chase, made the move to second behind Austin and obviously didn’t want to do anything stupid which came to mind but I had a good race, mistake free and learned a lot throughout the day.”

250SX East/West Shootout Results

1. Adam Cianciarulo
2. Dylan Ferrandis
3. Austin Forkner
4. Chase Sexton
5. Justin Cooper
6. Shane McElrath
7. Colt Nichols
8. Martin Davalos
9. Michael Mosiman
10. Brandon Hartranft

250 East Coast Report

For the current top three riders in the East Coast series the shootout did them no harm with Forkner’s third place earning him a handy 18-point margin back to Cooper, who in turn has a two-point buffer back to Sexton.

250 East Coast Points after 4 of 9 Rounds

1. Austin Forkner – 99
2. Justin Cooper – 81
3. Chase Sexton – 79
4. Jordon Smith – 70
5. Alex Martin – 60

West Coast Report

The shootout couldn’t have gone better for Cianciarulo who now holds a 15-point lead over Ferrandis who moved into second in the championship by two points over McElrath, who in turn has a three-point lead over Nichols.

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250 West Coast Points after 6 of 10 Rounds

1. Adam Cianciarulo – 140
2. Dylan Ferrandis – 125
3. Shane McElrath – 123
4. Colt Nichols – 120
5. RJ Hampshire – 86

Cairoli and Prado take first blood at Argentina MXGP

The MXGP of Patagonia, Argentina hosted the opening round of the 2019 FIM Motocross World Championship and it was the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing duo of Antonio Cairoli and Jorge Prado who earned double moto victories in the MXGP and MX2 classes respectively.

MXGP Race Report

The only thing Cairoli failed at all weekend was his starts but the Italian managed to use all of his veteran savvy to squeeze his way to the lead before the end of the opening lap in moto 1 but it took 6 laps in the second moto to move into the lead.

While defending champion Jeffrey Herlings is on the sidelines with injury Cairoli is under no illusion as to how important these points are and he was doggedly determined to walk away with maximum points in Argentina.

Antonio Cairoli

“I am happy overall today because after yesterday I wasn’t sure how I will do off the starts. The rhythm was high in the beginning but I was just trying to see where I could gain some time. I managed to have 2 good starts, both were in the top ten…I found some good lines and I had a good race taking the overall which makes me really happy. There are a lot of Argentinian fans who cheer for me all year on social media so it is nice to give them a win especially on this track which I have never had the chance to win at, I was close last year but it is always nice to race where people don’t see us often and make them happy.”

Honda’s Tim Gajser took a hit after crashing on Saturday and was on the sore side on race day but he came through from a poor start in moto one to end the race in second, just 6 seconds back from a cruising Cairoli but in the second moto Tim was right there all race and was just 2 seconds back at the chequered flag – the former champ is showing form that will see him win races in 2019 – Herlings or no Herlings.

Tim Gajser

“It was good, I am really happy, yesterday I had a big crash and today I was a bit sore. In the first race I had a solid start inside the top ten and had to work hard to come through the pack but I finished 2nd which was good. In the second race I was a bit tight and didn’t relax, then Febvre and Tony passed me. I tried to stay with them to see where I was losing time then I passed Romain and with Tony we were about the same times, I tried to push but couldn’t get closer. It was a nice race and I’m looking forward to the next round already.”

Romain Febvre scored third in the opening moto and was running a solid third in the second moto until a huge crash on lap 14 put the French Yamaha star out of the race and to rub salt into the wound former Yamaha rider Jeremy Van Horebeek put his Honda into third in the moto and third overall in his debut for his new team.

Jeremy Van Horebeek

“It is still unbelievable, until two weeks ago I didn’t know we would be here so it has been a crazy ride since last year. I am so thankful to this team for giving me the chance. I am thankful and I am going to keep on working to make this a great season.”

Veterans Clement Desalle and Gautier Paulin earned top five positions with Arminas Jasikonis, Tommy Searle. Shaun Simpson, Jeremy Seewer and Pauls Jonass rounding out the top ten while Romain Febvre ended up 12th, one position ahead of Max Anstie and several ahead of Glenn Coldenhoff who was on deck to score points while recovering from injury.

MXGP Round 1, 2019 – Race 1

1. Cairoli, Antonio ITA KTM 34:41.270
2. Gajser, Tim SLO Honda +0:06.253
3. Febvre, Romain FRA Yamaha +0:09.838
4. Desalle, Clement BEL Kawasaki +0:11.464
5. Paulin, Gautier FRA Yamaha +0:02.566
6. Van Horebeek, Jeremy BEL Honda +0:32.226
7. Lieber, Julien BEL Kawasaki +0:39.435
8. Jasikonis, Arminas LMSF Husqvarna +0:49.752
9. Jonass, Pauls LAT Husqvarna +0:50.285
10. Seewer, Jeremy SUI Yamaha +0:59.164

MXGP Round 1, 2019 – Race 2

1. Cairoli, Antonio ITA KTM 34:56.475
2. Gajser, Tim SLO Honda +0:02.386
3. Van Horebeek, Jeremy BEL Honda +0:37.829
4. Anstie, Max GBR KTM +0:42.332
5. Paulin, Gautier FRA Yamaha +0:43.070
6. Desalle, Clement BEL Kawasaki +0:47.509
7. Searle, Tommy GBR Kawasaki +0:49.602
8. Jasikonis, Arminas LTU Husqvarna +0:58.810
9. Simpson, Shaun GBR KTM +1:01.941
10. Tonus, Arnaud SUI Yamaha +1:03.513

MXGP Round 1, 2019 – Standings

1. Cairoli, A. ITA KTM 50
2. Gajser, Tim SLO HON 44
3. Van Horebeek, J. BEL HON 35
4. Desalle, C. BEL KAW 33
5. Paulin, G. FRA YAM 32
6. Jasikonis, A. LTU HUS 26
7. Searle, Tommy GBR KAW 22
8. Simpson, Shaun GBR KTM 22
9. Seewer, Jeremy SUI YAM 21
10. Jonass, Pauls LAT HUS 21

MX2 Race Report

The defending champ Prado was expected to be the man to beat in Argentina but the Spaniard led every lap to win the opening moto from Thomas Kjer Olsen, Henry Jacobi, Calvin Vlaanderen and Mitchell Evans before handing down the same punishment in the second moto to take the win from Kjer Olsen, Evans, Vlaanderen and Jacobi.

Jorge Prado

“It was great to be back at the GPs, it is a long season but I have so much fun. Yesterday I had a good day but today I woke up and felt even better. I had 2 good starts which is very important because everyone is going fast and it is hard to make a difference. I am very happy with two firsts, for first overall, and points lead so it is a good start to the season.”

Kjer Olsen and his Husqvarna were working a treat all weekend but his starts on Sunday saw the Dane playing catch up all day.

Thomas Kjer Olsen

“The first race I did slide on the gate…I felt like a came through the pack pretty good but once I got to second Prado was already like 12 seconds ahead so I tried to save some energy for the second race. Again not the greatest of starts but we will go back and work on those for sure to be more consistent. Overall I feel my riding was good and I felt good on the bike so I’m happy about that and it is a great feeling at the start of the season.”

Mitch Evans sat in seventh place for most of the opening moto before passing Ben Watson and Tom Vialle late in the race to earn fifth place but in the second moto Evans was right on leader Prado’s rear wheel until Kjer Olsen dropped the Aussie to third on lap 5 but Mitch pushed hard to end the moto in third, only 12 seconds behind Prado after 18 laps – impressive!

Mitch Evans

“I couldn’t be any happier, I didn’t really know what to expect being my first GP.  I enjoyed every moment of it, it was awesome being here, the fans were awesome so I really enjoyed it. I knew the work that we put in during the off season and the preseason races that we had if I got good starts I could run with these boys.”

Vlaanderen, Jacobi, Watson, Vialle, Jago Geerts, Adam Sterry and Davy Pootjes rounded out the top ten while New Zealand’s Dylan Walsh ended up in 15^th overall, five spots ahead of Evans’ teammate Zach Pichon who would have been hoping for better than 20^th overall.

Jed Beaton was unable to compete in Argentina thanks to picking up an injury just a week before the opening GP but the Aussie will definitely be at the second round in the UK in a few week’s time so two Aussies on the podium in the coming rounds is more than possible.

MX2 Round 1, 2019 – Race 1

1. Prado, Jorge ESP RFME KTM 34:50.385
2. Olsen, Thomas Kjer DEN DMU Husqvarna +0:16.677
3. Jacobi, Henry GER DMSB Kawasaki +0:23.565
4. Vlaanderen, Calvin NED KNMV Honda +0:25.535
5. Evans, Mitchell AUS MA Honda +0:27.289
6. Watson, Ben GBR ACU Yamaha +0:29.198
7. Vialle, Tom FRA FFM KTM +0:37.127
8. Sterry, Adam GBR ACU Kawasaki +0:39.496
9. Mewse, Conrad GBR ACU KTM +0:41.631
10. Pootjes, Davy NED KNMV Husqvarna +0:52.057
    …13 Walsh, Dylan NZL Husqvarna +1:07.458

MX2 Round 1, 2019 – Race 2

1. Prado, Jorge ESP RFME KTM 33:48.208
2. Olsen, Thomas Kjer DEN DMU Husqvarna +0:04.825
3. Evans, Mitchell AUS MA Honda +0:12.437
4. Vlaanderen, Calvin NED KNMV Honda +0:23.647
5. Jacobi, Henry GER DMSB Kawasaki +0:30.601
6. Geerts, Jago BEL FMB Yamaha +0:31.623
7. Watson, Ben GBR ACU Yamaha +0:34.405
8. Vialle, Tom FRA FFM KTM +0:46.909
9. Sterry, Adam GBR ACU Kawasaki +0:51.470
10. Pootjes, Davy NED KNMV Husqvarna +0:53.754
    …18. Walsh, Dylan NZL Husqvarna +1:26.232

MX2 Round 1, 2019 – Standings

1. Prado, Jorge ESP KTM 50
2. Olsen, T. DEN HUS 44
3. Evans, M. AUS HON 36
4. Vlaanderen, C. NED HON 36
5. Jacobi, Henry GER KAW 36
6. Watson, Ben GBR YAM 29
7. Vialle, Tom FRA KTM 27
8. 193 Geerts, Jago BEL YAM 25
9. Sterry, Adam GBR KAW 25
10. Pootjes, Davy NED HUS 22
11. Mewse, Conrad GBR KTM 21
12. Vaessen, Bas NED KTM 15
13. Cervellin, M. ITA YAM 13
14. Östlund, Alvin SWE HUS 13
15. Walsh, Dylan NZL HUS 11

Evans creates history at Argentina

Mitch Evans has sensationally created history by becoming the first Aussie to podium on his GP debut, bettering the likes of Robert Scott, Lyndon Heffernan, Jeff Leisk, Craig Dack, Andrew McFarlane, Chad Reed, Hunter Lawrence and Jed Beaton (to name a few) along the way.

After his solid performance in tough conditions at the 2018 Motocross of Nations in America, Evans was starting to get calls from teams in Europe and it wasn’t long before Hunter Lawrence’s old team Honda 114 came knocking and the rest is history.

Mitch Evans

“I am grateful for the opportunity that Honda 114 Motorsports has presented me. Racing in the FIM Motocross World Championship has been a goal of mine since I competed in the world junior championship in 2010. There is a lot for me to learn and I am looking forward to the challenges ahead. I am excited to be racing with the best in the world.”

Evans will now head to the MXGP of Great Britain at Matterley Basin in three weekend’s time and there is nothing surer that the Aussie has learned a lot in Argentina and will hit the second round with a belly full of confidence.

Barcia concussed – misses Atlanta

Justin Barcia has been evaluated to see if he sustained a concussion and was forced to sit out last weekend’s Atlanta Supercross following a training crash at his riding facility in Florida. Barcia

Below is the Monster Energy Yamaha statement:

“Following a medical check at TOC in Tallahassee, Florida, Barcia is being evaluated for concussion and as a precautionary measure will not take part in this weekend’s Monster Energy Supercross round at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, GA.

“The news of Justin’s accident this morning is a real pity, but our main concern is Justin’s health and recovery. Following the Concussion Protocol, we hope that Justin will be back to 100% and cleared to participate soon.”

Holcomba kicks off 2019 with win in Italy

In an effort to get some valuable race miles under his belt ahead of the Enduro World Championships in March, Beta Factory Racing’s Steve Holcombe has started his 2019 racing season with a confidence inspiring result at the opening two rounds of the Italian Enduro Championship in Gioia dei Marsi last weekend.

As the reigning Assoluti d’Italia champion, Holcombe was bettered by TM rider Loic Larrieu on the opening day but the World Champ rose to the occasion on day two to take the win from Larrieu and his teammate Daniel McCanney who scored third on both days.

Steve Holcombe

“It’s been a really strong start to the 2019 season for me. I had a good ride on Saturday to finish second and then with some improvements to our setup I was able to take the win on Sunday, which is a real boost. On day one we opted to use a hard compound rear tyre. But with overnight rain that choice didn’t work in our favour and I struggled to find grip on the first lap, especially in the enduro test. As conditions improved, so did my pace and I worked my way back into contention. Fastest on the final extreme test, I got close to topping the results but I wasn’t able to make it happen on the last cross test. However, with a strong end to the day I was able to carry that speed into Sunday. I won the first test to put myself into the lead, before going on to set the fastest time in three more tests and claim victory. I honestly didn’t expect to hold this sort of pace so soon in the year as this race is part of my training plan towards the Enduro World Championship. Overall, it’s been a great result for us as a team and one that will keep us pushing hard as we head towards round one of EnduroGP in Germany at the end of this month.”

Results – Italian Enduro Championship
Round 1

1. Loic Larrieu (TM) 48:18.93
2. Steve Holcombe (Beta) 48:25.39
3. Daniel McCanney (TM) 48:29.79

Round 2

1. Steve Holcombe (Beta) 47:46.11
2. Loic Larrieu (TM) 48:01.61
3. Daniel McCanney (TM) 48:01.98

Price to be honoured at Aussie F1 GP

In an unprecedented move and with global television coverage to boot, 2019 Dakar Rally Champion Toby Price is set to join the Formula One drivers’ parade for a lap of honour ahead of the season opening race of the FIA Formula One World Championship at 2.30pm on Sunday, March 17.

Price will follow the convoy of Formula One drivers during the parade to salute fans while riding aboard the KTM machinery he rode to his second Dakar victory.

Australian Grand Prix Corporation CEO, Andrew Westacott, acknowledged that the scheduled lap of honour is a fitting way to allow the fans to celebrate the popular two wheel and four wheel racer’s ackomplishments.

Andrew Westacott – Australian Grand Prix Corporation CEO

“Toby Price is the only Australian to have ever conquered the gruelling Dakar Rally, and to have now won it for a second-time in defying circumstances is an incredible achievement. What better way to celebrate Toby’s accomplishment than allowing him to join 20 of his peers that are the best racing drivers in the world in a lap of honour on the world stage. We are thrilled to honour Toby at the Formula 1 Rolex Australian Grand Prix 2019 and see him receive the global recognition he deserves, when the world’s eyes are on Melbourne for the opening round of the FIA Formula One World Championship.”

Dack ready for season 2019

It is hard to believe that it was 27 years ago that Craig Dack Racing (CDR Yamaha) was formed but what is not hard to believe that Craig himself, a multiple Australian Motocross and Supercross Champion still has the competitive juices flowing and is pumped for the new season.

Craig Dack

“I love this time of year. All the hard work over the off season from both the riders and the teams comes to the surface now and it’s time to go racing. This is why we do the work – to see how it plays out on the weekends. Having Appin as the opening round this year should make for a great start to the season as the track always turns on great racing and its well supported by the fans. Our team has a good history at the venue and we hope for that to continue this year. Both Luke (Clout) and Kirk (Gibbs) have had a great pre-season, and both are showing good form. Kirk has raced in New Zealand and showed plenty of speed and quickly adapted to the YZ450F while Luke has done a couple of local races and been successful at those, so I feel we are well placed heading into round one.”

“This is our second full season on the current generation YZ450F and it’s a sensational bike with a great chassis and powerful motor. Our time isn’t spent trying to develop the bike a great deal but rather personalise it for the individual rider as the production platform is so good. Brad, Aiden and Gary are able to get the most from it and the riders respect the fact we have such high quality technical staff at CDR. We value the long term partnerships we have with the best companies in the industry. It takes a lot of support to run a team like CDR and I’m proud of the relationships we have built over the years.”

Long term and loyal sponsors like Fox, Pro Circuit, Dunlop, NGK, DID as well as major partner Yamaha have been with CDR Yamaha since the early days and the continued building of relationships with companies like Monster Energy, Kincrome tools and Renthal keep the CDR Yamaha Monster Energy Team at the front of the pack.

Look for ‘Dacka’ as he is known, the big blue Yamaha rig and the rest of the team on March 17 at Appin Raceway, south west of Sydney.

The stars of the AORC hit Toowoomba this weekend

This coming weekend Toowoomba will host then opening two rounds of the AORC and all of the heavy hitters will be on hand to have a crack at drawing first blood on their competition – let’s see what is going down in the three main classes.

E1

Reigning 2018 E1 Champion Luke Styke (Active8 Yamaha Yamalube) has to go into the series as class favourite but the former motocross star will have to contend with four-time world champion Matthew Phillips (MX Store, KTM) in 2019.

The trouble doesn’t end there for Styke, Fraser Higlett (Husqvarna Enduro Racing Team) will no doubt come into Rounds 1 and 2 with a point to prove as will Lyndon Snodgrass (KTM Enduro Racing Team) and Michael Driscoll (Active8 Yamaha Yamalube) make thids class the hottest in the series.

E2

2018 E3 Champion Daniel Milner (KTM Enduro Racing Team) will move across to the E2 class this season and the early money is on Jeremy Carpentier (Yamaha MX Store Ballards Off-Road Team), Joshua Green (Active8 Yamaha Yamalube) and Broc Grabham to be Milner’s biggest competition this season.

Daniel Milner

“The 500cc bike was awesome, no doubt, but for me as a rider I find I suit a smaller bike better. So switching to a 350cc E2 class bike has been a really enjoyable change. I’m finding I’m moving faster and achieving better results with the smaller bike.”

 E3

After taking out the E2 crown in 2018, Daniel Sanders (Husqvarna Enduro Racing Team) has moved to the E3 class and by all accounts Andy Wilksch (Motul Pirelli Sherco Team), Beau Ralston and Western Australian Jesse Lawton will all look to keep Sanders on his toes throughout the series.

Mentoring role brings Matthew Phillips to AORC

After a couple of tough years overseas and right in the midst of potentially retiring from the sport, four-time World Champion Matthew Phillips has committed to the 2019 AORC on KTM machinery and it is in the role of mentoring young Kyron Bacon who will be competing in the EJ class that will see Phillips riding for the ‘love for the sport’ once again.

Matthew Phillips

“My plan is to compete in all 11 rounds of the AORC 2019 season, beginning in Rounds 1 and 2 in the E1 class. As the season moves on I’ll change things up a bit by moving across the senior classes with different bikes. The main thinking is that I want to maintain the love for the sport and by changing things up each round will definitely help that! Kyron rode at my property already, and he explained his situation back in 2018. I then offered my support to help him grow and climb up the ranks. Since we became a team, Kyron has been putting in an enormous number of hours, working his bike hard to get faster and faster. I definitely see him as a title contender in the EJ class for 2019 and beyond!”

Look for the KTM/MX Store team this weekend at the opening round of the 2019 AORC at Toowoomba.

Cosford wins Coolum 2-Stroke Cup

Young Jayce Cosford has overcome the weight of his three-digit race number to better some of the fastest riders in Australia to win the premier class at the second round of the 2019 2-Stroke Nationals held at Coolum raceway last weekend.

Cosford won all three motos of the YMI All Powers Cup to take the overall ahead of local shot-shot Jai Walker and round one winner Joel Milesevic while Andrew Shacklock (Hallman Retro Cup). Alex Larwood (125 Junior Cup), Hunter Collins (Yamaha 85cc Cup) and Ky Woods (Raceline 65cc Cup) all took out the support class wins.

YMI All Powers Cup

1. Jayce Cosford
2. Jai Walker
3. Joel Milesevic
4. Jesse Bishop
5. Ryan Kenney
6. Nicholas Kefford
7. Danny Ham
8. Wilson Greiner-Daish
9. Cale Harkin
10. Kobe Barton

2020 Aussie Speedway Solo Champs calendar announced

On the back of a highly successful 2019 championship, a completely revamped 2020 Australian Speedway Solo Championship calendar has been announced with five rounds running from 2-11 January, commencing first in Kurri Kurri, NSW and moving South through VIC and landing at the iconic Gillman Speedway in SA.

Reflecting on the new calendar, defending champion Max Fricke is wrapped with the new schedule.

Max Fricke

“The new tighter schedule is a really great change! It matches the European style and suits what we’re used to as we compete throughout the year. It’s also a great experience for riders and fans alike, with such a tight window to collect as many points as you can whilst maintaining your fitness and drive. Going up against such strong competition back in January, which seemed to include everyone bar Jason Doyle, and then taking out my first Australian Senior Solo Championship title was such a great feeling! As we prepare for the European season, I am finding myself increasingly comfortable competing against the likes of Tungate and Holder. It’s also great to come back home to Australia and compete against locals that you haven’t experienced before, who may have different tactics and styles. The growth in Australian Speedway talent that competes in the Senior Solo Championship is really impressive and continues to grow the sport” highlighted Fricke.

Jay Wilson & Richie Evans all set for 2019 MXN

With the opening round of the 2019 MX Nationals just over a week away, the Yamalube Yamaha Racing team of Jay Wilson and Richie Evans are bursting at the seams to get the championship under way. Appin Raceway, in Sydney’s western suburbs, will hold the opening round of the 2019 MX Nationals.

Jay Wilson, finished fourth on last years’ MX2 championship, and after winning the 2018 Australian SX2 championship in dramatic fashion, took some time off to allow an injured wrist to recover but is now ready for 2019.

Jay Wilson

“I had a pretty good crash in qualifying at the final round of Supercross last year and did some damage to my hand that meant I have to have eight weeks off the bike. There was some bone bruising in there as well as some general soreness, but I was able to start riding again in late January and have put in a solid six weeks riding. Each day on the bike I feel a bit better and my fitness off the bike has been good. I have had three races in the lead up to the opening round and done well at those. The bike itself is largely unchanged from what I raced at the end of last season and that’s fine by me as I love the 2019 YZ250F. Appin was a good round for me in 2018 and I’m happy to get our championship under way at a track I have done well at in the past. The team has done a great job getting things ready so all that is left to do is execute probably out on the race track.”

Richie Evans remains with the team this year but has made the transition to the MX1 division on board the Yamaha YZ450F.

Richie Evans

“It took me a couple of rides to get my head around the power of the YZ450F but once I understand how it works and where it works best, I adjusted to the bike quickly and now really enjoy riding it. I’m certainly not chasing extra power, we just spent some time fine tuning the handling to my tastes and I’m really happy with the bike the Yamalube Yamaha Racing Team have built for me. My goals for this year are set but its hard to get an idea of where I fit into the established riders in MX1. But, I feel like I have done the work and enter this season as prepared as I have ever been, so I hope to be in the mix and challenging the riders who have been in this class for some time. I am really excited for the championship to start look forward to another great year in racing with a great group of people around me.”

 2020 Australian Senior Solo Speedway Championship

• 2nd Jan – Qualifying Meeting (If Required) – Kurri Kurri, NSW
• 3rd Jan – Round One – Kurri Kurri, NSW
• 6th Jan – Round Two – Albury, VIC
• 7th Jan – Round Three – Undera, VIC
• 9th Jan – Round Four – Mildura, VIC
• 11th Jan – Round Five – Gillman, SA

Stay in the loop with all things Australian Speedway by checking out the Australian Speedway Championships website and Facebook!

2020 & 2021 Australian Junior and Senior Speedway Sidecar calendar

The 2020 and 2021 Australian Junior and Senior Speedway Sidecar Championship calendar has also been announced, and reflecting the ever-increasing Speedway Sidecar talent that resides within the Australia, the Championship will land in Mildura, Victoria for 2020 and then venture across the Nullarbor Plain to Pinjar, Western Australia (WA) in 2021!

The 2020 Championship will run from 27-28 April* (*TBA), following on from the festivities of the Easter long weekend. Across in WA for 2021, the Championship will run over the Easter long weekend from 20-21 April.