Moto News Weekly Wrap
January 30, 2018 – By Darren Smart
Proudly brought to you by Dunlop Geomax
Latest News
- RIP Daymon Stokie
- RIP Jeff McLeary
- 2018 Yamaha A4DE News
- Treloar Wins Round 2 of Gillman Sidecar Super Prix
- Yamaha backs 2018 AORC
- Watson Second at Enduropale du Touquet Beach Race
- NSW MX Titles Revamped
- Wilson Todd Enters 10th Year with Yamaha
- Matechuk Wins X-Games Snow Bike Cross
- Suzuki partners with KSF Racing for 2018 MX & SX
Race Reports
- AMA Supercross Championships – Round 3 – Glendale
- AMA Arenacross Championship – Round 4 – Greenboro
- UK Arenacross Tour – Round 4 and 5 – Belfast
- X-Trial World Championship – Round 4 – Strasbourg
- Woodville Grand Prix – New Zealand
- The Tough One Hard Enduro – Great Britain
RIP Daymon Stokie
27 year old Victorian born Daymon Stokie has passed away after crashing heavily while contesting the 2018 Deep Well Motocross in the Northern Territory on the 27th of January 2018.
In 2017, the well liked and respected Alice Spring resident became the first Yamaha rider to win the Finke Desert race in 30 odd years and is a former member of a winning Baja 1000 motorcycle team.
Thoughts and prayers go out to all of Daymon’ family and friends.
RIP Jeff McLeary
Unfortunately the bad new doesn’t stop with Daymon Stockie, Jeff McLeary died last Friday night after a vehicle in which he was a passenger hit a tree not far from his family home in Buchanan, near Kurri Kurri in the NSW Hunter Valley.
The 52-year-old McLeary was husband to Maree, and father to Brock and Shae as well as being part owner of Australia’s number one KTM dealership, KTM Newcastle.
This sad news has rocked the motorcycle industry and our thoughts and prayers go out to all of Jeff’s family and friends.
2018 A4DE News
The 2018 Yamaha A4DE has received unprecedented support and enthusiasm by riders from all over Australia with nominations now completely full, 9 weeks out from the start of the event that is scheduled for Cessnock from March 4-7.
270 riders have entered for the modern bike classes while there are 70 riders signed up for the Vintage (Pre 1986) Class including the winner of the inaugural event in 1978, Norm Watts, the father of multi A4DE winner Shane Watts.
As has been reported previously, 1980 A4DE winner and eight time AMA Enduro Champion Dick Burleson is flying over from America with his wife to ride the event and the exciting news is that another A4DE front runner from yesteryear Geoff Udy has sourced a 1982 Husqvarna XC250 for Dick to ride.
Geoff and Dick rode on the same minute in 1980 and both riders will be turning 70 years of age in 2018, a year that they and 340 odd fellow riders will cherish as they compete in what is set to be the best A4DE in the history of the event – go to www.A4DE.com.au for more information and to see who has entered click on the nominations section.
Treloar Wins Round 2 of Gillman Sidecar Super Prix
The four round Nankang Tyres/Mitch Chassis Sidecar Super Prix is the richest speedway series in the world and last Saturday night saw 25 plus ‘outfits’ put on a series of heats and finals at Gillman Speedway that were simply draw dropping as far as on track action goes.
But, when the final chequered flag dropped it was round one winner Darrin Treloar/Jesse Headland who managed another win this time over Mark Plaisted/Ben Pitt, Trent Headland/Darryl Whetstone and Andrew Buchanan/Denny Cox.
The third round will be on the 24th of February with Treloar/Headland taking a narrow four point lead over Plaisted/Pitt.
Super Prix Final
- Darrin Treloar/Jesse Headland
- Mark Plaisted/Ben Pitt
- Trent Headland/Darryl Whetstone
- Andrew Buchanan/Denny Cox
Super Prix Round 2 Points
- Darrin Treloar/Jesse Headland – 16
- Mark Plaisted/Ben Pitt – 16
- Trent Headland Darryl Whetstone – 14
- Mick Headland/Brenton Kerr – 11
- Mark Mitchell/Dale Knights – 10
- Shane Rudloff/Scott Morris – 10
- Andrew Buchanan Denny Cox – 9
- Dave Bottrell/Chris Bottrell – 7
- Damien Niesche/Mitchell Spear –
- Neale Hancock/Brock Gates – 6
Yamaha Backs 2018 AORC
Yamaha will continue as the naming rights sponsor for the 2018 Australian Off Road Championship (AORC), making this the 13th consecutive year Yamaha has thrown its support behind the prestigious championship.
Ray Howard – Yamaha Motorsport Manager
“Yamaha Motor Australia is very excited to continue our support of the Australian Off-Road Championship. We were pleased with the progress and improvement of the 2017 championship and see more initiatives in place for the 2018 season that will again see further gains and a greater impact for teams and competitors. We look forward to working closely with MA and the promoting clubs to further develop an already prestigious championship that has proven to be a fertile ground for producing international standard riders that have had success on the world stage.”
Motorcycling Australia’s AORC Coordinator, Matthew Falvo also shared; “Yamaha Motor Australia has been a great advocate for AORC, and the continued support shows the strength in the relationship between Yamaha, Motorcycling Australia and AORC. AORC has continued to grow from strength to strength, and make a real name for the championship which wouldn’t be possible with-out Yamaha’s support.”
Watson Second at Enduropale du Touquet Beach Race
After three tough hours of sand racing, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Nathan Watson has completed the gruelling Enduropale du Touquet in second place behind French beach race specialist Milko Potisek and ahead of Camille Chapeliere who placed third.
The Enduropale du Touquet is the biggest beach race in the world with approximately 1200 riders taking to the sand at this year’s event in Le Touquet-Paris-Plage, France to compete in the three-hour long event.
Watson has been contesting the French beach race series throughout the winter, winning three out of six races so the British rider travelled to Le Touquet as one of the favourites for victory and after a good start he rode sensibly for the first couple of laps but the sheer number of competitors proved to be one of the biggest challenges throughout the race.
Watson managed his pace perfectly however and as the race went on moved his way forward, chasing down eventual winner, Milko Potisek. Arriving at the finish exhausted, Nathan was pleased with his result but disappointed not to take the win.
Nathan Watson
“I’m really happy with second place, to get on the podium at my first real shot at Le Touquet is something special. I am a little disappointed not to have taken the win, but it’ll give me something to aim for next year. There are so many riders out there, you have to weave left and right to get past them and sometimes you get a little held up. One of the biggest factors in the race is the physical hardship, other than the start straight there is nowhere to get a rest – you are stood up and riding hard the entire three hours. The event is amazing, with all the build-up before the race, I’ve never been so nervous. The fans are incredible too, there are so many here cheering us on. My team have been great all winter so it’s nice to reward them with this result. I definitely want to be back here next year and hopefully to take the win.”
Results – 2018 Enduropale du Touquet
- Milko Potisek (FRA), Yamaha, 3:00:34.840
- Nathan Watson (GBR), KTM, 3:02:45.302
- Camille Chapeliere (FRA), KTM, 3:09:11.571
- Daymond Martens (BEL), Yamaha, 3:14:42.211
- Ken Dy Dycker (BEL), KTM, 3:15:10.280
NSW MX Titles Revamped
A revitalized NSW State Titles has been unveiled with a unique new format set to make becoming the NSW Champion a more appealing option for those riders looking to build their racing careers with 6 qualifier events taking place around the state allow racers to earn a ‘Golden Ticket’ to the ‘King of MX’ final being held at Goanna Tracks, Coonabarabran on June long weekend (9th-11th).
Motorcycling NSW CEO, Dave Cooke
“It’s no secret that the NSW State Titles has been in need of a boost, so we went back to the drawing board and developed a completely new concept, which makes it easier for riders of all ages and all levels to be a part of the event, while also allowing them to race as many other club and open race meetings and series as they like without any disadvantage. We really wanted to create something special, and so the King of MX idea was born.”
The Format
Racers need to enter one of the six qualifier events (see schedule below) where the top 5 or 6 finishers in each class earn their Golden Ticket to the final. Once a rider has qualified, they can still ride the other qualifier events but they can’t win another Golden Ticket, so that gives even more riders a chance to qualify. At the final, State Title Champions will be decided over 3 motos for each class, and some will also earn a spot in the King of MX feature race.
- Qualifier 1 March 3-4 Sydney Region (Clarence)
- Qualifier 2 March 10-11 South Coast (Nowra)
- Qualifier 3 March 17-18 Hunter (Cessnock)
- Qualifier 4 April 21-22 Riverina (Young)
- Qualifier 5 May 5-6 Central West (Dubbo)
- Qualifier 6 May 12-13 North Coast (Moree)
- FINAL June Long Weekend 9-10-11 Goanna Tracks Coonabarabran
King of MX
There is prize money on offer for the State Title classes, but the big one is the feature race, a winner takes all, $10,000 prize purse. The King of MX feature race is the richest motocross race in Australia, and will consist of the top senior racers from every class, so everyone from the pros right through to the C-Graders and Vets who get through will be in with a chance. And at only 10 minutes in length, the door is wide open for anyone to take out the crown in this epic sprint race. Ten Grand for Ten Minutes, to crown the true King Of MX.
For further information on the King of MX NSW State Titles, Supp. Regs and details on how to enter, head to www.kingofmx.com (link)
Senior Classes
All classes are Championship Classes for the State Titles
- MX1
- MX2
- MXD (under 19)
- MXW (Ladies – All Powers)
- C Grade (All Powers)
- Veterans +35yrs (All Powers)
Junior Classes
- 4/u9 50cc Division 1 (Demonstration – non championship)
- 7/u9 50cc Division 2
- 7/u9 65cc
- 9/u12 65cc
- 9/u12 85cc/150cc 4 stroke (Standard Wheel)
- 12/u14 85cc/150cc 4 stroke (Standard & Big Wheel)
- 12/u16 Girls 85cc/150cc 4 stroke (Standard & Big Wheel)
- 14/u16 85cc/150cc 4 stroke (Standard & Big Wheel)
- 13/u15 100cc – 125cc 2 stroke
- 15 Years 100cc – 125cc 2 stroke
- 13/u15 128cc 2-stroke – 250cc 4 stroke
- 15 years 128cc 2-stroke – 250cc 4 stroke
- 13/u16 Years Junior Girls 100cc – 150cc 2 stroke & 250cc 4 stroke
Wilson Todd enters 10th Year with Yamaha
In a time and a sport where loyalty is sometimes hard to find, 19- year old Wilson Todd, racks up his 10th consecutive year racing for Yamaha Motor Australia after recently signing on with the Serco Yamaha team for the 2018 season.
Unearthed way back in 2008 as a fresh-faced, nine-year-old in Far North Queensland, the quietly spoken Todd has gone on to become one of the established stars in Australian motocross and supercross and continues to improve every year.
Originally selected for the Queensland Yamaha Junior Racing Team before progressing through Yamaha supported teams in MXD and MX2, Todd is living proof of the Yamaha step up program and how it rewards the rider in staying with the one brand as they develop throughout their careers.
Wilson Todd
“10 years has gone pretty fast but I’m still excited to be with Yamaha Australia and they continue to support me with energy and enthusiasm in my racing. From the first couple of years racing around on a small wheel YZ85, then to a YZ125 and now a YZ250F, its been a great relationship and I can’t thank Ray Howard and everyone at Yamaha and the teams I have raced for enough. The structure of their teams has allowed me to move up through the ranks with great support and it has been pretty cool to keep working with the same people each year as they know what I like and continue to give me what I need for success. I also still feel there is a long way to go and I would love to ride for CDR Yamaha when I make the move to the 450cc class. CDR Yamaha are the best in Australia so to get there and continue my relationship with Yamaha in the future would be awesome.”
The 10-year relationship that Wilson has with Yamaha Motor Australia isn’t lost on Motorsport Manager, Ray Howard, who has been a big behind the scenes supporter of Todd and his development as a racer.
Ray Howard – Motorsport Manager
“10 years on the one brand is a good innings for anyone in racing and Wilson has been a great asset to Yamaha with his racing results and his calm demeanour. With each passing year, Wilson matures both on and off the track and he is just entering the prime of his racing career so we look forward to what he can produce in the coming season.”
Matechuk Win X-Games Snow Bike Cross – Aspen
Yamaha ride Cody Matechuk has won the X-Games Snow Bike Cross final held at Aspen last weekend and it was a particularly well earned win with the best snow bike riders joined by dirt bike stars Ryan Villopoto, Josh Hansen and Josh Hill.
X-Games Snow Bike Cross Final
- Cody Matechuk – Gold
- Brock Hoyer – Silver
- Kody Kamm – Bronze
- Darrin Mees
- Nolan Heppner
- Josh Hill
- Axell Hodges
- Jake Scott
- Yanick Boucher
- Keaton Ward
Suzuki partners with KSF Racing for 2018 MX & SX
KSF ECSTAR Suzuki Racing team will become the official outfit for Suzuki’s MX Nationals and Australian Supercross Championship campaigns for the 2018 season. The new partnership will field Suzuki’s largest factory backed rider line-up in recent times and also mark a return to Lites class racing with young guns Jesse Madden and Isaac Ferguson on board RM-Z250 machinery.
The team will also field two premier class 450cc riders, which along with other key team sponsors will be announced in due course.
Kyle Fischer – Director of KSF Racing
“We’re beyond excited to step-up and become the official racing effort for Suzuki Australia. We ran the all-new RM-Z450 in Supercross last year with Daniel Herrlein and were super impressed with the bike’s competitiveness, to have our whole team exclusively running Suzuki this year along with their support and also ECSTAR oil as a title sponsor is phenomenal.”
KSF Racing’s involvement with the sport extends beyond just the pro ranks, with the organisation also running a rapidly expanding junior development program focussing on the fundamentals both on and off bike assisting young athletes in achieving their dreams.
Lewis Croft – Suzuki Motorcycles Australia National Marketing Manager
“We were really impressed KSF Racing’s initiatives and commitment to developing young talent within the Australian motocross scene. Suzuki has recently introduced several new programs to assist riders racing efforts. Our Suzuki Support Rider Contingency program is second to none and we’re also reimbursing the cost of National Competition licences through our benefits incentive with Motorcycling Australia. We saw partnering with KSF Racing as the perfect fit in achieving our goal of improving Suzuki’s involvement with the sport whilst also paving a way for young riders to successfully make the transition from grass roots junior racing to professional aboard yellow.”
Suzuki would also like to take the opportunity to thank the Wilsons MX squad and supporters for all their efforts and contribution to the brand over the last two seasons. Wilsons MX will take a breather from the MX Nationals circuit for 2018, however their association with Suzuki will continue with Luke Wilson #15 taking on the role of brand ambassador for the Queensland region.
Smarty’s Race Reports
AMA Supercross Championships – Round 3 – Glendale
Eli Tomac and Aaron Plessinger have won the 450cc and 250cc man events respectively at the fourth round of the 2018 AMA Supercross Championship which was held at Glendale last weekend.
450 Report
The track at Glendale was mega hard packed with a massive whoop section and plenty of technical rhythm sections which gave us great racing all night but in the main event it was Eli Tomac who got to the lead early and managed to lead every lap al of the way to the chequered flag AND land himself back inside the top ten in the championship points – albeit 36 point back from championship leader Jason Anderson.
Eli Tomac
“That was a big, big push, the pressure behind me was there the entire time; you couldn’t miss a line. I nailed everything, which was just awesome. We put in a big effort all day and to go out on top was the best.”
And Tomac is right, Justin Barcia didn’t give Tomac too much breathing room and once Ken Roczen moved into third the top three weren’t too far apart in a fast paced, highly skilled freight train that pulled them away from the rest of the pack.
Justin Barcia
“(After last week) it was a good rebound and it shows that I belong up in the top five and battle for this championship. Ken was coming from behind and keeping the pressure on and Eli was riding really great but in the end we were all pretty close which made it pretty exciting.”
Ken Roczen
“I started th main about fifth and I made a couple of passes to get to third. The front two were going really good and I wasn’t going to catch them at a second per lap so I tried to find something to do a little different, hit my marks and towards the end we kind of closed up a little but I didn’t have enough speed to make things happen, all up, I am happy with third.”
Jason Anderson was on a charge towards the front of the pack but then lost his rhythm and was shuffled back to eighth place but Anderson’s ability to limit the damage on the night and race back to fourth meant he would leave with a 9 points lead in the championship over Barcia and will hold onto the red plate as the series heads to Oakland, CA next week for round five.
Jason Anderson
“My practices were great today, I was able to figure everything out. I got pretty set up and was good for the night show. I qualified first in practice and was able to get another heat race win. I started out great in the Main but got shuffled back to around seventh but then worked my way back to fourth. I just need to keep the ball rolling.”
Musquin got off to a top-ten start early on the opening lap but he quickly charged his way up to the 5th place battle, where he engaged through the first half of the race. Musquin eventually made his way up to 4th just after the halfway point but the French rider was ultimately passed by a hard-charging Jason Anderson late in the race.
Marvin Musquin
“Given the last few weeks and all the rehab work I’ve put in to strengthen my shoulder, I’m happy with 5th place tonight, I was able to get a reasonable start around 8th and just tried to put in solid laps until the end. I’m happy to make good gains this week and I look forward to building from here.”
Weston Peick continues to impress with sixth place at Glendale which gives the Suzuki rider 5-5-5-6 finishes over the first four rounds to be fourth place in the championships after Cole Seeley had issues late in the main event, which relegated him to 12th for the round and fifth in the standings.
Chad Reed still isn’t riding between races so it was no surprise that he had to ride the LCQ to get to the final in which he struggled to 19th place.
450SX Main Event Results
- Eli Tomac
- Justin Barcia
- Ken Roczen
- Jason Anderson
- Marvin Musquin
6. Weston Peick - Justin Brayton
8. Cooper Webb - Blake Baggett
- Josh Grant
- Broc Tickle
- Cole Seely
- Malcolm Stewart
- Vince Friese
- Dean Wilson
- Tyler Bowers
- Justin Bogle
- Jake Weimer
- Chad Reed
- Benny Bloss
450SX Points after Round 4
- Jason Anderson – 89
- Justin Barcia – 80
- Ken Roczen – 77
- Weston Peick – 71
- Cole Seely – 70
- Justin Brayton – 68
- Josh Grant – 58
- Blake Baggett – 57
- Marvin Musquin – 54
- Eli Tomac – 53
250 West Report
Joey Savatgy got the holeshot over Shane McElrath and Plessinger but there was no denying Plessinger as the Yamaha rider blitzed his way to the lead and eventual win and he now leads the championship by one point over McElrath and five point over Savatgy.
Aaron Plessinger
“I got off to a great start and that’s a little unusual for me. But we got ’em down. The team and I went to work this week. And we practiced starts all week. And as you can see, it’s paying off. And yeah, when I passed Shane I guess he said I cut over on him. But I apologized. But, you know, I want to win. We all want to win. And there’s only one way we can do that.”
McElrath got by Savatgy on the opening lap and led for a lap or two then went toe-to-toe with Plessinger but he couldn’t push hard without making mistakes.
Shane McElrath
“The track was really slippery and fast, making it challenging to find spots to gain time. It was hard to push while trying to minimize mistakes. I had a lot of fun battling with these guys up front. We are learning every week and will come back even stronger next week.”
Cianciarulo was once again forced to come back from a less than stellar start but he isn’t making any excuses.
Adam Cianciarulo
“It is cliché to blame the starts and I feel it is disrespectful to these guys (Plessinger and McElrath) and even though I was riding well I didn’t feel like this was the night that you can come back from a tenth place start and win, to do that you have to have everything going for you and that one section where you are killing everybody and that wasn’t me tonight.”
Joey Savatgy had quite a crash in the whoops during his heat race and was forced to race the LCQ then start from an outside gate of which he used to holeshot the main but the bashed and bruised Kawasaki rider was a little sloppy on his way to fourth place.
Hayden Mellross got into another first corner incident and was in dead last as he got underway so to finish 14th on this track was a great effort – look for Mellross’ results to pick up in the coming weeks.
250SX West Main Event Results
- Aaron Plessinger
- Shane McElrath
- Adam Cianciarulo
- Joey Savatgy
5. Chase Sexton - Bradley Taft
- Justin Hill
8. Mitchell Harrison - Kyle Chisholm
- Christian Craig
- Phil Nicoletti
- Cole Martinez
- Justin Starling
- Hayden Mellross
250SX West Points after Round 4
- Aaron Plessinger – 92
- Shane McElrath – 91
- Joey Savatgy – 87
- Adam Cianciarulo – 77
- Christian Craig – 70
- Chase Sexton – 69
- Justin Hill Justin Hill Yoncalla, OR 58
- Mitchell Oldenburg – 58
- Kyle Chisholm – 53
- Bradley Taft – 51
- Mitchell Harrison – 44
- Hayden Mellross – 43
AMA Arenacross Championship – Round 4 – Greenboro
Round 4 of the Amsoil Arenacross Championship was held in Greensboro, North Carolina last weekend and there were two different Main Event winners in the 250AX Class but the overall win went to championship leader Gavin Faith after his win in the Head 2 Head Challenge broke the tie between Faith and Kawasaki teammate Jacob Hayes.
The first 250AX Main Event saw Greensboro native Jacob Hayes lead the majority of the race with Faith and Chris Blose close behind but on lap 10, the leaders started getting into lapped traffic, forcing Hayes not to jump the catapult while Faith was able to complete the jump, took over the lead and grabbed the first Main Event win ahead of Hayes and Blose.
The second 250AX Main Event saw Hayes take the holeshot and lead all 15 laps to take the second Main Event win while Faith finished close behind in second with Blose finishing third again so Faith remains the championship leader on 97 points while Hayes sits in second on 93 points.
Gavin Faith
“It was another great night, I won my qualifier, the Head-2-Head Challenge and went 1-2 in the mains. The whole team is off to a great start and I’m looking forward my home race next weekend.”
Jacob Hayes
“I had a lot of fun racing tonight. It was unfortunate I couldn’t get both wins, but I’m happy to get a win and remain in the title fight.”
In the Lites East Class Main Event Carter Halpain pulled the holeshot and led the first half of the Main Event until a mishap stalled his bike after the whoops. Heath Harrison took over the lead and Halpain was able to quickly recover and finish second ahead of Tanner Stack who finished his first race of the season up on the box.
250AX Class Main Event Results
- Gavin Faith, Duncombe, Iowa, Kawasaki (2-1)
- Jacob Hayes, Greensboro, North Carolina, Kawasaki (1-4)
- Chris Blose, Phoenix, Arizona, Honda (3-2)
- Gared Steinke, Woodland, California, Kawasaki (4-3)
- Shane Sewell, Westville, Indiana, Kawasaki (6-7)
- Jacob Williamson, Swartz Creek, Michigan, Kawasaki (5-5)
- Kyle Bitterman, West Pelzer, South Carolina, Kawasaki (7-6)
- Justin Rodbell, Prince Frederic, Md.,Yamaha (8-DNS)
- Daniel Herrlein, Bethesda, Ohio, KTM (9-DNS)
- Wilson Fleming, Cairo, Ga., Yamaha (12-8)
250AX Class Championship Standings
- Gavin Faith, Duncombe, Iowa, Kawasaki (97)
- Jacob Hayes, Greensboro, North Carolina, Kawasaki (93)
- Chris Blose, Phoenix, Arizona, Honda (84)
- Daniel Herrlein, Bethesda, Ohio, KTM (65)
- Gared Steinke, Woodland, California, Kawasaki (60)
- Jacob Williamson, Swartz Creek, Michigan, Kawasaki (54)
- Shane Sewell, Westville, Indiana, Kawasaki (53)
- Kyle Bitterman, West Pelzer, South Carolina, Kawasaki (49)
- TJ Albright, Mount Marion, New York, KTM (33)
- Travis Sewell, Westville, Indiana (31)
AX Lites East Class Main Event Results
- Heath Harrison, Silverhill, Ala., Honda
- Carter Halpain, Lubbock, Texas, Yamaha
- Tanner Stack, Shawnee, Kan., Yamaha
- TJ Albright, Mount Marion, N.Y., KTM
- Hunter Hilton, Youngsvilla, La., Kawasaki
- Isaac Teasdale,Robbinsville, N.C., Kawasaki
- Jake McKinney, Hamersville, Ohio, Kawasaki
- Tanner Ward, Woodstock, Ontario, KTM
- Mason Kerr, Altoona, Iowa, Kawasaki
- Jyire Mitchell, Devonshire, Bermuda, Yamaha
AX Lites East Class Championship Standings
- Heath Harrison, Silverhill, Alabama, Honda (55)
- Isaac Teasdale, Robbinsville, North Carolina, Kawasaki (52)
- Garrett Marchbanks, Coalville, Utah, Kawasaki (47)
- Josh Mosiman, Menifee, California, Husqvarna (28)
- TJ Albright, Mount Marion, New York, KTM (26)
- Jeremy Hand, Mantua, Ohio, Honda (21)
- Tanner Ward, Woodstock, Ontario, KTM
- Carter Halpain, Lubbock, Texas, Yamaha (15)
- Tanner Stack, Shawnee, Kan., Yamaha (14)
- Jake McKinney, Hamerville, Ohio, Kawasaki (14)
UK Arenacross Tour – Round 4 and 5 – Belfast
Belfast hosted the only double-header for the 2018 UK Arenacross Tour and it was French riders Adrien Escoffier and Thomas Ramette who won the Friday and Saturday nights main events respectively.
Escoffier edged out former MXGP star Evgeny Bobyshrev on Friday night with Cyrille Coulon coming home in third ahead of Nique Thury, Cedric Soubeyras and Ramette while Dan Reardon struggled once again to finish in 9th.
Saturday’s final was a completely different affair with Ramette out front but he had a fired up Reardon breathing down his neck all race and that is the way they finished with Elliott Banks-Browne coming home in third just ahead of championship leader Cedric Soubeyras.
Reardon’s 9-2 results over the two nights has seen the Aussie climb up to 7th in the championship and just 13 points away from 3rd position.
Friday (Round 4) Pro Main Event
- Adrien Escoffier, France, MVR-D St Blazey Husqvarna, 20 points
- Evgeny Bobyshrev, Russia, RFX Suzuki, 18
- Cyrille Coulon, France, SR75 World Suzuki, 16
- Nique Thury, Germany, MVR-D St Blazey Husqvarna, 15
- Cedric Soubeyras, France, Team FRO Systems, 14
- Thomas Ramette, France, SR75 World Suzuki, 13
- Hugo Basaula, Portugal, Shocktech Kawasaki, 12
- Ashley Greedy, GB, Team FRO Systems, 11
- Dan Reardon, Australia, I-Fly JK Yamaha, 10
- Jack Brunell, GB, Team Green Holeshot Kawasaki, 9
Saturday (Round 5) Pro Main Event
- Thomas Ramette, France, SR75 World Suzuki, 20 points
- Dan Reardon, Australia, I-Fly JK Yamaha, 18
- Elliott Banks-Browne, GB, Geartech Husqvarna, 16
- Cedric Soubeyras, France, Team FRO Systems, 15
- Fabien Izoird, France, Buildbase Honda, 14
- Adam Chatfield, GB, Team Green Holeshot Kawasaki, 13
- Adrien Escoffier, France, MVR-D St Blazey Husqvarna, 12
- Charles Lefrancois, France, Buildbase Honda, 11
- Nique Thury, Germany, MVR-D St Blazey Husqvarna, 10
- Jack Brunell, GB, Team Green Holeshot Kawasaki, 9
- Joe Clayton, GB, Team Green Holeshot Kawasaki, 8
- Ashley Greedy, GB, Team FRO Systems, 7
Pro Championship Points after Round 5
- Cedric Soubeyras, 84 points
- Thomas Ramette, 82
- Charles Lefrancois, 71
- Fabien Izoird, 64
- Cyrille Coulon, France, SR75 World Suzuki, 63
- Hugo Basaula, Portugal, Shocktech Kawasaki, 60
- Dan Reardon, 58
- Adrien Escoffier, 55
- Jack Brunell, 51
- Ashley Greedy, 45
X-Trial World Championship – Round 4 – Strasbourg
No surprises here but Toni Bou completely dominated the fourth round of the X-Trial World Championship which was held in Strasbourg last weekend
Despite a nagging pain in his arms that has dogged the champion since the season began in Montpellier three weeks ago, the Repsol Honda Team rider achieved his goal of overcoming the various phases to end up winning the fourth final of the year.
With this victory Toni Bou increases his lead in the general standings over Adam Raga to twenty-six points going into the next trial will take place in Barcelona on Sunday, February 4.
Toni Bou
“I’m really very happy. Physically it was a very demanding trial, and with the problem in my arms I didn’t train all week so as to not to put pressure on them. It was very difficult, because when you have problems, everything is much more complicated. Technically it was very tough, especially the semi-final. Adam didn’t make any mistakes and that’s why I qualified by a single point. In the final section I tried to get through in time, but I missed out by just a second. I pushed hard and it worked out right. I want to congratulate Miquel Gelabert for his first final and his podium place. I rode the part at the beginning well which made a difference. I am satisfied with how I achieved the victory today and also because I am doing very well in the championship.”
Results X-Trial Strasbourg 2018
- BOU Toni
- GELABERT Miquel
- RAGA Adam
- BINCAZ Benoit
- FAJARDO Jeroni
Provisional Standings after Round 4
- BOU Toni – 80
- RAGA Adam – 54
- BINCAZ Benoit – 35
- GELABERT Miquel – 31
- BUSTO Jaime – 26
Woodville Grand Prix – New Zealand
Cody Cooper and Wyatt Chase have won the MX1 and MX2 classes respectively at the 57th running of the Woodville Grand Prix held in New Zealand each year while Kayne Lamont won the Invitational Feature Race and Aussie Maddy Brown won the Woman’s Class.
Cooper won the MX1 class over Hamish Harwood, Rhys Carter and Kirk Gibbs while Chase won the MX2 class from Harwood and Aussie Jay Wilson.
In the Grand Prix 125cc class Maximus Purvis nudged out Aussie Mason Semmens and Tommy Watts for the win and in the Grand Prix Womens class Brown got the win over Taylar Rampton and Rachael Archer.
Grand Prix MX1
- Cody Cooper
- Hamish Harwood
- Rhys Carter
- Kirk Gibbs
- John Phillips
- Brad Groombridge
- Kayne Lamont
- Jared Guthrie
- Cohen Chase
- Benjamin Broad
Grand Prix MX2
- Wyatt Chase
- Hamish Harwood
- Jay Wilson
- Hayden Smith
- Cooper Pozniak
- James Anderson
- Micah McGoldrick
- Darryl Hurley
- Logan Blackburn
- Kieran Scheele
Invitation Feature Race
- Kayne Lamont
- Kirk Gibbs
- Rhys Carter
- John Phillips
- Hamish Harwood
- Wyatt Chase
- Cody Cooper
- Jay Wilson
Grand Prix 125cc
- Maximus Purvis
- Mason Semmens
- Tommy Watts
- Grason Veitch
- James Scott
Grand Prix Womens
- Madison Brown
- Taylar Rampton
- Rachael Archer
- Roma Edwards
- Shelby Catley
The Tough One Hard Enduro – Great Britain
Graham Jarvis has claimed a fifth Pro class victory at The Tough One, in Great Britain some eight minutes ahead of Travis Teasdale (Beta) and David Knight (Gas Gas).
With the Pro class competitors starting behind the Expert class racers, Jarvis spent the opening two laps of the race working his way into the lead. Once there he set a pace no other rider could match. Opening up an important advantage over South African Travis Teasdale, as he started the second hour of racing Jarvis showed his mastery of the slippery conditions and edged further ahead.
Opting not to stop and refuel during the race, Jarvis kept his pace high during the closing 60 minutes to finish The Tough One 2018 as one of only three riders to complete 11 laps. In placing eight minutes ahead of eventual runner-up Travis Teasdale, Graham earned his fifth Tough One victory.
Graham Jarvis
“It’s always nice to get a win at The Tough One. But it’s always difficult here, and this year it was really slippery. But I felt good and the little 250cc four-stroke was great. I had a steady start, as I always do, and just built my speed as the laps went by. I found some good lines and kept pushing. I didn’t need to stop for fuel so the two-and-a-half hours with no break was tough. But once I got into the lead it all went well. I relaxed and just rode my own race. Everything went to plan really, another good Tough One for me.”
Results – The Tough One 2018
- Graham Jarvis (Husqvarna) 11 laps
- Travis Teasdale (Beta) 11 laps
- David Knight (Gas Gas) 11 laps
- Jonathan Richardson (Beta) 10 laps
- James Dent (Sherco) 9 laps
- Owain Humphreys (Husqvarna) 9 laps
