Moto Wrap – Ferris wins at Nowra | Lawrence misses Portugal

Moto News Wrap for July 4, 2017 by Darren Smart

Proudly brought to you by Dunlop Geomax

Latest News

• Tonus stays with Yamaha
• Lawrence it Out Portugal
• 2018 FIM Motocross World Championship Provisional Calendar Released
• Charboneau and Facchetti Take First EMX Wins in Portugal
• Graaf Beats Adamo in Honda 150 Championships in Agueda – Youngberry Top 20
• Australian Supercross Junior Classes Upgraded to Championship Status
• KTM Australia on board again for the AJMXC
• Bob Moore Inducted into AMA Hall of Fame
• Tickle Injured at RedBud

This Week’s Race Reports

• Rd12 – MXGP, PORTUGAL Agueda EMX125, EMX250
• FIM EnduroGP World Championship – Round 9 and 10 – Greece
• Rd6 – AMA Motocross Nationals, Buchanan, Michigan
• Rd6 – Australian Motocross Championship – Nowra, NSW
• Event 1 – FIM Speedway World Cup – King’s Lynn (GREAT BRITAIN):
  • Teams = Great Britain V Australia V USA V Czech Republic

Tonus stays with Yamaha

Yamaha Motor Europe is pleased to announce a contract extension with Arnaud Tonus that will see him continuing to race the YZ450F for the next two years, through to 2019.

Arnaud Tonus – Wilvo Yamaha Official MXGP Rider

“I am really happy to sign with Yamaha. It was my number one choice since joining with Louis and the team at Wilvo. I have a really good relationship with them and I know how hard they work for me to be happy on the team, I am grateful for that. It made my decision to stay with Yamaha really easy, and I just wanted to move forward with them. On top of that, I have tried the 2018 YZ450F and I can honestly say it’s a really good bike and I can see a really solid future.”

Erik Eggens – Yamaha Motor Europe MX Manager

“It’s a pleasure to have Arnaud onboard for another two-years. He has been testing the 2018 YZ450F already and it he seems very confident with the new bike, so it we feel it is a good move to continue building a relationship with him. I think he has a lot of potential and a good working relationship with the Wilvo team, so I am looking forward to saring his success over the next two-years.”

Louis Vosters – Wilvo Yamaha Official MXGP Team Manager

“I am really happy to have Arnaud on board and I’m excited for the next two years. Arnaud is a really nice rider to work with, it’s been really good this year and he is a really good rider. I am extremely happy that he has signed.”

Lawrence Out in Portugal

After missing the MXGP of Lombardia, Aussie hard charger Hunter Lawrence was hoping to make a return to action in Portugal last weekend for the 12th round of the FIM Motocross World Championship but scans have shown that along with two compressed vertebrae, he also has a small fracture on the side.

Hunter Lawrence

 “It’s a massive shame, but with this type of injury, I’m just glad that I can ride in the future. I will attend Portugal and cheer on the rest of my Suzuki World teammates and hope to be back out on the track as soon as I can.”

2018 FIM Motocross World Championship Provisional Calendar Released

Even though we expect changes in the future, Youthstream has revealed the 2018 FIM Motocross World Championship Provisional Calendar including the FIM Women’s Motocross World Championship races, the Veterans’ World Cup and the European Championships rounds.

The 2018 season is expected to open at the popular oversea round of Neuquen in Patagonia-Argentina instead of Qatar and from there the series will head to the new venue of Red Sands in Spain.

MXGP will also return for a second visit to Russia and Indonesia with different timing and a new venue of Palembang for Indonesia. The 19 rounds of the FIM Motocross World Championship will host a total of 4 fly away races plus the 2018 Monster Energy FIM Motocross of Nations in the USA with a track yet to be announced and several well-known tracks.

Charboneau and Facchetti Take First EMX Wins in Portugal

The MXGP of Portugal hosted the European Championship classes of EMX250 and EMX125 and it was Tristan Charboneau who won the EMX250 overall while Gianluca Facchetti won the EMX125 class.

Tristan Charboneau started the weekend by qualifying with the fastest time to earn the first gate pick. The gate choice proved valuable as he would strong in both races. Charboneau led every lap of the weekend to put in the perfect result and in dominant fashion.

The Italian rider Simone Furlotti, also had identical race results as he finished 2nd in each. In Saturday’s race 1, Furlotti started 4th but had a strong mid race passing 2 riders in 2 laps. Race 2 he again first crossed the finish 4th but his charge came early in the race making his 2 passes on lap 2 and 3.

With his consistent result and 2nd overall, Furlotti takes the points lead from Monster Energy Kawasaki Racing Team’s Morgan Lesiardo. Lesiardo in fact had a weekend he would prefer to forget with a 13th and 12th taking 10th overall.

Charboneau’s American teammate, BUD Racing Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Marshal Weltin was comfortable on the Agueda circuit putting in two 3rd place finishes for 3rd overall.

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In race 1 he would chase his teammate for two laps while in second until being passed on lap 3 and again on lap 7 before fighting his way back into 3rd. Although in race 2 he didn’t see the same luck, off of the start, he battled his way forward passing several to get into third.

EMX250 Race 1 Top Ten

1. Tristan Charboneau (USA, Kawasaki), 29:03.102; 2. Simone Furlotti (ITA, Yamaha), +0:04.502; 3. Marshal Weltin (USA, Kawasaki), +0:14.604; 4. Mathys Boisrame (FRA, Honda), +0:23.723; 5. Nicholas Lapucci (ITA, KTM), +0:27.053; 6. Pierre Goupillon (FRA, KTM), +0:29.553; 7. Jago Geerts (BEL, KTM), +0:29.933; 8. Alberto Forato (ITA, Honda), +0:31.531; 9. Ruben Fernandez (ESP, Kawasaki), +0:40.614; 10. Todd Kellett (GBR, Husqvarna), +0:45.673.

EMX250 Race 2 Top Ten

1. Tristan Charboneau (USA, Kawasaki), 30:50.128; 2. Simone Furlotti (ITA, Yamaha), +0:04.459; 3. Marshal Weltin (USA, Kawasaki), +0:21.508; 4. Mathys Boisrame (FRA, Honda), +0:22.561; 5. Ruben Fernandez (ESP, Kawasaki), +0:23.127; 6. Alberto Forato (ITA, Honda), +0:27.438; 7. Jago Geerts (BEL, KTM), +0:32.880; 8. Pierre Goupillon (FRA, KTM), +0:41.285; 9. Karlis Sabulis (LAT, Yamaha), +0:46.203; 10. Adrien Malaval (FRA, Husqvarna), +0:52.291.

EMX250 Overall Top 10

1. Tristan Charboneau (USA, KAW), 50 points; 2. Simone Furlotti (ITA, YAM), 44 p.; 3. Marshal Weltin (USA, KAW), 40 p.; 4. Mathys Boisrame (FRA, HON), 36 p.; 5. Ruben Fernandez (ESP, KAW), 28 p.; 6. Alberto Forato (ITA, HON), 28 p.; 7. Jago Geerts (BEL, KTM), 28 p.; 8. Pierre Goupillon (FRA, KTM), 28 p.; 9. Mike Stender (GER, SUZ), 18 p.; 10. Morgan Lesiardo (ITA, KAW), 17 p.

EMX250 Championship Top 10

1. Simone Furlotti (ITA, YAM), 235 points; 2. Morgan Lesiardo (ITA, KAW), 227 p.; 3. Alberto Forato (ITA, HON), 180 p.; 4. Jago Geerts (BEL, KTM), 171 p.; 5. Ruben Fernandez (ESP, KAW), 162 p.; 6. Ken Bengtson (SWE, YAM), 152 p.; 7. Marshal Weltin (USA, KAW), 143 p.; 8. Miro Sihvonen (FIN, KTM), 126 p.; 9. Mathys Boisrame (FRA, HON), 124 p.; 10. Tristan Charboneau (USA, KAW), 114 p.

Gianluca Facchetti takes the EMX125 win in Portugal 

Facchetti took the overall after charging hard in race 1 to finish 3rd even after crashing twice, once while attempting to pass for the lead. During race 2 he moved into the lead after only a few laps but then he made a mistake missing a corner and dropping back to second. By the end Facchetti found his way back into the lead scoring one point over second.

BUD Racing Monster Energy’s Brian Strubhart Moreau battled with Facchetti throughout race 2 after grabbing the holeshot. After being passed by Facchetti, Moreau rode consistent and even made it back by the Italian before eventually finishing 2nd in race 2 and the overall. Moreau maintains the red plate before heading to Lommel in 1 month.

Last weeks winner IceOne Racing Husqvarna’s Mikkel Haarup started the weekend the same as he finished the last when he won race 1. In race 2 however Haarup instead finished fourth after having to battle his way back from 6th due to a mistake whilst running 3rd. His 1-4 took the 3rd spot on the podium.

EMX125 Presented by FMF Racing Race 1 Top Ten

1. Mikkel Haarup (DEN, Husqvarna), 30:50.065; 2. Brian Strubhart Moreau (FRA, KTM), +0:09.654; 3. Gianluca Facchetti (ITA, Husqvarna), +0:15.404; 4. Kevin Horgmo (NOR, KTM), +0:17.647; 5. Isak Gifting (SWE, KTM), +0:18.523; 6. Andrea Zanotti (SMR, KTM), +0:19.497; 7. Emilio Scuteri (ITA, KTM), +0:20.866; 8. Paolo Lugana (ITA, TM), +0:45.633; 9. Tim Edberg (SWE, Yamaha), +0:48.663; 10. Rene Hofer (AUT, KTM), +0:52.163

EMX125 Presented by FMF Racing Race 2 Top Ten

1. Gianluca Facchetti (ITA, Husqvarna), 29:48.849; 2. Brian Strubhart Moreau (FRA, KTM), +0:04.914; 3. Kevin Horgmo (NOR, KTM), +0:07.532; 4. Mikkel Haarup (DEN, Husqvarna), +0:21.090; 5. Rene Hofer (AUT, KTM), +0:31.427; 6. Emilio Scuteri (ITA, KTM), +0:32.168; 7. Raivo Dankers (NED, KTM), +0:35.048; 8. Sergi Notario (ESP, KTM), +0:40.945; 9. Petr Polak (CZE, KTM), +0:45.204; 10. Yann Crnjanski (FRA, KTM), +0:48.073

EMX125 Presented by FMF Racing Overall Top 10

1. Gianluca Facchetti (ITA, HUS), 45 points; 2. Brian Strubhart Moreau (FRA, KTM), 44 p.; 3. Mikkel Haarup (DEN, HUS), 43 p.; 4. Kevin Horgmo (NOR, KTM), 38 p.; 5. Emilio Scuteri (ITA, KTM), 29 p.; 6. Rene Hofer (AUT, KTM), 27 p.; 7. Andrea Zanotti (SMR, KTM), 22 p.; 8. Tim Edberg (SWE, YAM), 20 p.; 9. Sergi Notario (ESP, KTM), 19 p.; 10. Paolo Lugana (ITA, TM), 19 p.

EMX125 Presented by FMF Racing Championship Top 10

1. Brian Strubhart Moreau (FRA, KTM), 208 points; 2. Mikkel Haarup (DEN, HUS), 190 p.; 3. Gianluca Facchetti (ITA, HUS), 189 p.; 4. Kevin Horgmo (NOR, KTM), 172 p.; 5. Rene Hofer (AUT, KTM), 121 p.; 6. Sergi Notario (ESP, KTM), 114 p.; 7. Isak Gifting (SWE, KTM), 101 p.; 8. Paolo Lugana (ITA, TM), 100 p.; 9. Tim Edberg (SWE, YAM), 75 p.; 10. Emilio Scuteri (ITA, KTM), 75 p.

Graaf Beats Adamo in Honda 150 Championships in Agueda – Youngberry Top 20

Nordstrom Graaf has narrowly beaten championship leader Andrea Adamo at the second round of the Honda 150 European Championship run in conjunction with the Grand Prix of Portugal last weekend while young Aussie hard-charger Maruc Youngberry has earned 15-17 moto finishes for 16^th overall to now sits 18^th outright in the championship.

Adamo still leads the series from Graaf by eight points heading into the next round which will be in the deep sands of Lommel in Belgium on the 5th & 6th August.

Honda EMX150 Overall Top Ten at Agueda

1. Anton Nordström Graaf (SWE, HON), 47 points
2. Andrea Adamo (ITA, HON), 45
3. Luis Outeiro (POR, HON), 42
4. Kjeld Stuurman (NED, HON), 36
5. Toa Kishi (JPN, HON), 30
6. Nikolay Malinov (BUL, HON), 29
7. Lynn Valk (NED, HON), 28
8. Rasmus Moen (SWE, HON), 27
9. Magnus Vassgaard (NOR, HON), 22
10. Ruben Ferreira (POR, HON), 19 

Honda EMX150 Championship Top 10

1. Andrea Adamo (ITA, HON), 95 points
2. nton Nordström Graaf (SWE, HON), 87
3. Luis Outeiro (POR, HON), 86
4. Kjeld Stuurman (NED, HON), 62
5. Lynn Valk (NED, HON), 62
6. Rasmus Moen (SWE, HON), 55
7. Toa Kishi (JPN, HON), 50
8. Nikolay Malinov (BUL, HON), 44
9. Magnus Vassgaard (NOR, HON), 37
10. Ryan Mawhinney (GBR, HON), 35

Australian Supercross Junior Classes Upgraded to Championship Status

Motorcycling Australia (MA) has upgraded the Junior Lites and Junior 85cc classes to championship status in the 2017 Australian Supercross Championship season.

Inclusion of these two classes will help to foster junior development, ensure more race entries and assist in raising sponsorship for competitors.

Junior Lites and Junior 85cc classes have acted as a support category to the championship for the past four years. Typically in the past, supercross has been senior class focused with competitors typically transferring to the sport from other disciplines such as motocross.

Granting these classes with championship status will help to promote junior development within the discipline itself, in recognition of the fact that it can be difficult for younger riders to get involved in the sport. Now that these are classes operate on a national championship level, it should assist in developing the stars of the future.

Supercross juniors compete on the same track as the seniors, with alterations appropriate for the sizing of machines and skill level of riders.

The two affected classes include

• SX Junior Lites 13 to 16 Yrs – 122cc to 150cc two stoke / 200cc to 250cc four stroke
• SX Junior 85 12 to 16 Yrs – 85cc two stroke / 150cc four stroke

Peter Doyle – MA CEO 

“The commission has been discussing including juniors at a championship level for some time now and it’s great to see it approved for the 2017 championship and beyond. The promotion of Junior Lites and Junior 85cc classes to championship status, will help to foster and develop future growth from within supercross itself. We want to encourage as many juniors as possible to become involved with the sport and to provide them with the experience they need to tackle the senior classes as they progress.”

The 2017 instalment of the Australian Supercross Championship promises to be the biggest and best yet. With the juniors now competing on a championship level, the future of Supercross in Australia is bright indeed.

2017 Australian Supercross Championship calendar

• Round 1 Jimboomba, QLD – 23 September
• Round 2 Bacchus Marsh, VIC – 14 October
• Round 3 Virginia, SA – 28 October
• Round 4 Qudos Bank Arena, NSW (No Juniors) – 11 November
• Round 5 Qudos Bank Arena, NSW (No Juniors) – 12 November
• Round 6 Jimboomba, QLD – 18 November

KTM Australia on board again for the AJMXC

KTM Australia has extended its naming rights sponsorship agreement for the Australian Junior Motocross Championship (AJMXC) until 2020 in an exciting commitment that will mark an incredible eight-year partnership that started back in 2013.

KTM Australia’s involvement with the AJMXC is the famous Austrian manufacturer’s way of ensuring the event remains at the pinnacle of junior motocross racing in Australia. The AJMXC already enjoys immense popularity, and is likely to experience healthy growth in the coming years.

Jeff Leisk – KTM Australia General Manager

“Junior development is crucial towards our industry, without it we simply do not have a sport. A key strategy of KTM is to give aspiring young riders the best riding experience possible from their very first ride on a motorcycle. KTM is the only brand in the market that can offer customers the ability to progress in a competitive sense all the way through their motorcycling journey. Many riders have famously progressed through their entire careers solely on KTM machinery and the brand has assisted numerous riders to achieve their dreams of winning titles. KTM is heavily involved at each AJMXC, including providing a team to assist with technical support and spare parts. It’s all part of KTM’s mission to provide exceptional service to its customers and racers.”

This year’s 2017 KTM AJMXC, will take place at the Horsham Motorcycle Club in Victoria (September 30 – October 6). The AJMXC is the apex of junior motocross competition in Australia and this year’s eagerly anticipated event at the well-equipped Horsham track will provide plenty of action and excitement when it showcases the stars of tomorrow.

Peter Doyle – Motorcycling Australia CEO

“It’s great to hear the news that KTM Australia has chosen to once again renew itself as naming rights sponsor for the AJMXC. KTM have been unyielding in their support for the AJMXC and we are looking forward to growing the championship, fostering new talent and encouraging young riders together. It is just so important to have a partner like KTM whose focus is on the sports future.” 

Bob Moore Inducted into AMA Hall of Fame

American motocross racer Bob Moore will be inducted into the AMA Hall of Fame at a ceremony on Sept. 22 at the Greater Columbus Convention Center in Columbus, Ohio.

Moore won the AMA 125cc West Region Supercross Championship in 1985 before shifting his focus to the world stage. That move paid off a decade later when Moore captured the 1994 125cc World Motocross Championship.

Over his career, Moore notched 28 individual moto wins in the 125cc and 250cc divisions. After his racing career, Moore co-founded Road 2 Recovery in 2000 to offer support to injured AMA motocross and Supercross racers.

Tickle Injured at RedBud

RCH/Yoshimura Suzuki have confirmed that Broc Tickle sustained a dislocated shoulder in the second practice session at RedBud last Saturday.

Tickle set the fourth fastest lap time in the 450 Class in his first practice session, but was only able to complete two laps in the second session. Although he was able to line up for the first moto, Tickle crashed again on the start and finished 18th. He lined up for the second moto as well and finished 17th for 17th overall on the day.

In a team statement, Tickle said he is going to try and race round seven of the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship this weekend at Southwick.

Broc Tickle

“RedBud was tough, I crashed in the second practice and dislocated my shoulder. We popped it back in but it was pretty painful. I decided to race and try to just manage some points but that’s really how my day went. I crashed again in the first turn of the first moto so that didn’t help, either. I’m going to try and get my shoulder better this week and hopefully be able to race at Southwick. If I can get through the next race, then we’ll have a week off so that should give me plenty of time for my shoulder to get better. That’s the focus right now. Obviously, I’m bummed about the situation and my results but I managed to do the best I could and not hurt myself any more than what I already did.”

Smarty’s Race Reports

Rd12 – FIM World Motocross Championships – Portugal, Agueda

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Antonio Cairoli and Jeremy Seewer have won the MX1 and MX2 classes respectively at the 12^th round of the FIM World Motocross Championships held in Agueda, Portugal on the weekend with both riders swapping moto wins with their closest rivals in the championship.

MX1 Report

Red Bull KTM rider Antonio Cairoli has won the Grand Prix of Portugal with a very smart performance. The Italian went 2-1 for the victory, showing once again experience is everything. Cairoli beat home KTM team-mate Jeffrey Herlings, who also went 1-2, but his poorer second moto meant he didn’t win the GP.

Once again Herlings clocked the quickest laps in the two motos, but it was Cairoli and his brilliant starts that told the main story.

Antonio Cairoli

“The first moto I had the lead, but Jeffrey was riding good in a part of the track and could pass me. I tried to come back, but he was riding well, so good luck to him. The second moto I wanted to push early and I know my condition is good, so I was able to get the win. I am very happy about that. We are thinking about the championship now.”

In the championship points Cairoli has walked away from the opposition with 478pts, compared to 387 from Desalle, 383 from Paulin and Herlings now nearly second with 382 points.

Jeffrey Herlings

“So many second places this year. I wasn’t sure I would race today, because I passed out for like 15 minutes last week, so to leave with 47 points is pretty good. I am closing in on second place in the championship points, so that is good, but I really want to get a GP win, its frustrating.”

Suzuki World MXGP’s Arminas Jasikonis put in the best weekend of his career so far, first winning Saturday’s Qualifying then following it up with his first ever overall podium. The young Lithuanian is also the first rider for his country to podium in the history of the Motocross World Championship.

Arminas Jasikonis

“A year ago I was only dreaming about a podium and now I have one, the hard work really pays off. The race was really good you know, I’m better in the sand but now I’ve proved I can do well on the hard pack as well.”

Romain Febvre, is turning his season into the right direction with a 4th overall in Portugal. Febvre has struggled this year but had a good start in race one scored him 5th. It was a different story in race 2 as he was 11th on lap one he put his head down and by the final laps found himself just behind Team HRC’s Tim Gajser in 5th.

Febvre not only passed Gajser but he made a pass on Max Nagl one lap later. The pass on Nagl tied the two in points after Nagl’s 5th in race 1, but the better race 2 took the better overall result of 4th for Febvre.

Meanwhile Gajser continued to improve his result after returning from injury, aside from 8th and 6th for 6th overall the Slovenian also took the race 2 Fox Holeshot.

Clement Desalle had a hard fought battle in race one against Romain Febvre where in the end Febvre prevailed. Race 2 started with a crash for Desalle but he managed to come from near last to finish 10th for 8th overall.

MXGP – Race 1 – Classification

1. Herlings, Jeffrey NED KNMV KTM 35:13.457
2. Cairoli, Antonio ITA FMI KTM 35:14.737
3. Jasikonis, Arminas LTU LMSF Suzuki 35:43.153
4. Nagl, Maximilian GER DMSB Husqvarna 35:48.842
5. Febvre, Romain FRA FFM Yamaha 35:57.283
6. Desalle, Clement BEL FMB Kawasaki 36:00.196
7. Coldenhoff, Glenn NED KNMV KTM 36:01.718
8. Gajser, Tim SLO AMZS Honda 36:03.202
9. Tonus, Arnaud SUI FMS Yamaha 36:04.439
10. Anstie, Max GBR ACU Husqvarna 36:15.155

MXGP – Race 2 – Classification

1. Cairoli, Antonio ITA FMI KTM 35:28.572
2. Herlings, Jeffrey NED KNMV KTM 35:30.340
3. Jasikonis, Arminas LTU LMSF Suzuki 36:07.316
4. Febvre, Romain FRA FFM Yamaha 36:13.465
5. Nagl, Maximilian GER DMSB Husqvarna 36:14.792
6. Gajser, Tim SLO AMZS Honda 36:17.266
7. Tonus, Arnaud SUI FMS Yamaha 36:23.071
8. Anstie, Max GBR ACU Husqvarna 36:24.691
9. Bobryshev, Evgeny RUS MFR Honda 36:28.694
10. Desalle, Clement BEL FMB Kawasaki 36:30.174

MXGP – Overall Classification

1. Cairoli, Antonio ITA FMI KTM – 47
2. Herlings, Jeffrey NED KNMV KTM – 47
3. Jasikonis, Arminas LTU LMSF SUZ – 40
4. Febvre, Romain FRA FFM YAM – 34
5. Nagl, Maximilian GER DMSB HUS – 34
6. Gajser, Tim SLO AMZS HON – 28
7. Tonus, Arnaud SUI FMS YAM – 26
8. Desalle, Clement BEL FMB KAW – 26
9. Anstie, Max GBR ACU HUS – 24
10. Bobryshev, Evgeny RUS MFR HON – 22
11. Coldenhoff, Glenn NED KNMV KTM – 21
12. Paulin, Gautier FRA MCM HUS – 19

MXGP – Championship Classification

1. Cairoli, A. ITA KTM – 478
2. Desalle, C. BEL KAW – 387
3. Paulin, G. FRA HUS – 383
4. Herlings, J. NED KTM – 382
5. Gajser, Tim SLO HON – 310
6. Febvre, Romain FRA YAM – 309
7. Nagl, M. GER HUS – 289
8. Bobryshev, E. RUS HON – 267
9. Van Horebeek, J. BEL YAM – 267
10. Tonus, Arnaud SUI YAM – 253
11. Coldenhoff, G. NED KTM – 244
12. Anstie, Max GBR HUS – 240
13. Jasikonis, A. LTU SUZ – 227

MX2 Report

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Suzuki Factory rider Jeremy Seewer has won his second Grand Prix in a week, although while he got the victory, he failed to close the point’s gap to Red Bull KTM Factory rider Pauls Jonass after both riders went 1-2 in Portugal.

Seewer got the verdict with a better second moto (2-1) and second overall was Jonass with 1-2 scores. Third overall was Thomas Covington with 3-3 results.

Jeremy Seewer

“I felt good all day and am really happy for the Grand Prix victory. Despite the heat it all went well and I am now really looking forward to my home Grand Prix.”

Pauls Jonass

“You know, I had a good first moto, and I am disappointed with the second moto, but we didn’t lose any points, it was equal today and I am now looking forward to the three week break before the next Grand Prix.”

In the championship points its now Jonass with 501 and Seewer with 463. 

Thomas Covington

“It’s good to be on the podium again, I’ve been inconsistent in the past with one good race then one bad so it’s good to see that coming along. I never found the rhythm but it’s good to be on the podium and put the American flag up there on the 4th of July weekend.”

Behind the top three overall finishers was Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Thomas Kjer Olsen and Kemea Yamaha’s Official MX Team’s Benoit Paturel. Olsen had a solid race 1 where he battled in the top 5 and came out fourth but 34 seconds off the leaders. Olsen’s race 2 kicked off with a 8th place start but ended with fifth after progressing the #19 forward.

Paturel made the weekend hard on himself after crashing in qualifying gave him horrible gate picks for today. The Frenchman is known for bad starts and lining up from the far outside didn’t help as he was 13th on lap 1 of race 1 and 14 on the first lap of race 2. Luckily for Benoit he is well versed in battling through the field as he did so again today finishing 6th and 4th for 5th overall.

LRT KTM’s Julien Lieber took 5th in race one after fighting for position with Olsen and others but would not finish race 2 result in 14th overall and only 16 championship points.

MX2 – Grand Prix Race 1 – Classification

1. Jonass, Pauls LAT LAMSF KTM 34:12.844
2. Seewer, Jeremy SUI FMS Suzuki 34:14.611
3. Covington, Thomas USA MUL Husqvarna 34:15.544
4. Olsen, Thomas Kjer DEN DMU Husqvarna 34:47.264
5. Julien BEL FMB KTM 34:51.189
6. Paturel, Benoit FRA FFM Yamaha 34:52.988
7. Bogers, Brian NED KNMV KTM 34:56.977
8. Watson, Ben GBR ACU KTM 35:03.944
9. Van doninck, Brent BEL FMB Yamaha 35:06.605
10. Rodriguez, Anthony VEN FMV Honda 35:11.778

MX2 – Grand Prix Race 2 – Classification

1. Seewer, Jeremy SUI FMS Suzuki 34:25.343
2. Jonass, Pauls LAT LAMSF KTM 34:29.243
3. Covington, Thomas USA MUL Husqvarna 34:48.739
4. Paturel, Benoit FRA FFM Yamaha 34:52.445
5. Olsen, Thomas Kjer DEN DMU Husqvarna 35:04.756
6. Bogers, Brian NED KNMV KTM 35:13.636
7. Van doninck, Brent BEL FMB Yamaha 35:18.298
8. Rodriguez, Anthony VEN FMV Honda 35:22.741
9. Cervellin, Michele ITA FMI Honda 35:29.460
10. Herbreteau, David FRA FFM Kawasaki 35:31.295

MX2 – GP Classification

1. Seewer, Jeremy SUI FMS SUZ – 47
2. Jonass, Pauls LAT LAMSF KTM – 47
3. Covington, Thomas USA MUL HUS – 40
4. Olsen, Thomas Kjer DEN DMU HUS – 34
5. Paturel, Benoit FRA FFM YAM – 33
6. Bogers, Brian NED KNMV KTM – 29
7. Van doninck, Brent BEL FMB YAM – 26
8. Rodriguez, Anthony VEN FMV HON – 24
9. Herbreteau, David FRA FFM KAW – 20
10. Larranaga Olano, Iker ESP RFME HUS – 20

MX2 – World Championship Classification

1. Jonass, Pauls LAT KTM 501
2. Seewer, Jeremy SUI SUZ 463
3. Olsen, T. DEN HUS 377
4. Paturel, B. FRA YAM 363
5. Lieber, Julien BEL KTM 355
6. Covington, T. USA HUS 303
7. Bogers, Brian NED KTM 241
8. Prado Garcia, J. ESP KTM 233
9. Van doninck, B. BEL YAM 221
10. Lawrence, H. AUS SUZ 199

FIM EnduroGP World Championship – Round 9 and 10 – Greece

Steve Holcombe and Josep Garcia have extended their EnduroGP and Enduro2 championship point’s leads respectively after two hard fought rounds in Greece last weekend.

EnduroGP – Day 1

Holcombe (Beta) quickly made his intentions known as he faultlessly completed the opening extreme test to extend his lead and despite the stifling heat and increasingly demanding extreme test, Holcombe ended the day 12 seconds ahead of Nathan Watson (KTM) who ensured a British one-two result as he delivered the strongest challenge to Holcombe.

Loic Larrieu (Yamaha) rounded out the podium in the EnduroGP class ahead of Alex Salvini (Beta), Christophe Nambotin (KTM), Jaume Betriu (KTM), Matt Phillips (Sherco), Mathias Bellino (Husqvarna), Cristobal Guerrero (Yamaha) and Giacomo Redondi (Honda).

EnduroGP Day 2

Just as on day one in Grevena, day two of the EnduroGP of Greece saw riders battle against scorching temperatures but for Nathan Watson the day couldn’t have gone any better as he delivered his best performance of the year to claim victory and his first podium topping result of the year.

Nathan Watson

“Winning on day two here in Greece is a great way to end the back-to-back GPs we’ve had in Hungary and Greece. Hungary was a turning point for me – before that it seemed like I’d had nothing but bad luck. But I carried a lot of confidence into this weekend and made a good start to the first day. I felt really good all weekend, really comfortable on my bike, and I’ve got my confidence back. Day two went well. I still wasn’t overly comfortable on the extreme test, but I managed to stay ahead during the day and get my first EnduroGP class win of the year.”

Unable to match the pace of winner Watson, Steve Holcombe (Beta) nevertheless further extended his EnduroGP championship lead with a runner-up result, some six-seconds ahead of Loic Larrieu (Yamaha) while Alex Salvini (Beta), Jaume Betriu (KTM), Mathias Bellino (Husqvarna), Matt Phillips (Sherco), Cristobal Guerrero (Yamaha), Christophe Nambotin (KTM) and Giacomo Redondi (Honda) rounded out the top ten.

Defending champion Phillips now sits fifth overall, 54 points out of the lead with six rounds remaining.

Enduro2 – Day 1

Securing his fifth Enduro 2 class day win of 2017, Josep Garcia (KTM) earned an 18-second margin of victory over Jamie McCanney (Yamaha) and Davide Guarneri (Honda) while Pascal Rauchenecker (Husqvarna), Eero Remes (TM), Henric Stigell (Husqvarna), Danny McCanney (Husqvarna), Lorenzo Santolino (Sherco), Daniel Sanders (KTM) and Jonathan Barragan (Gas Gas) rounding out the top 10.

Enduro2 – Day 2

Jamie McCanney (Yamaha) bounced back from a second-place result to win in Greece on day two after being locked in a close battle with Josep Garcia, less than two seconds separated the two riders entering the final special test with Jamie securing an eventual win of nine seconds.

Jamie McCaney

“I had a few small issues on day one and made a few small mistakes, which knocked my confidence a little on the extreme test but I’m more than happy with how things have ended up on day two. Just like in Hungary last weekend there was only a few seconds between myself and Josep Garcia going into the final test of the day, and I managed to get the win. The enduro test was long, around 10 minutes, and I was able to push hard all the way to the finish. There’s a lot of racing still to do this year but I’m really looking forward to continuing to fight for the top of the podium.”

Second to McCanney having won on day one, Josep Garcia (KTM) continues to lead the Enduro 2 championship, once again showing impressive speed but crashing on more than one occasion while Davide Guarneri (Honda) finished third well ahead of Eero Remes (TM) Pascal Rauchenecker (Husqvarna), Jonathan Barragan (Gas Gas), Danny McCanney (Husqvarna), Daniel Sanders (KTM) and Manuel Monni (Yamaha).

With two top ten finishes in a row in Greece Daniel Sanders now sits 7^th in the standings, just a handful of points behind 5^th placed Daniel McCanney.

The 2017 Maxxis FIM EnduroGP World Championship moves on to Portugal in Castelo Branco on July 21-23.

EnduroGP – Standings after Greece

1. Steve Holcombe – 214 Points
2. Loic Larrieu – 186 Points
3. Christophe Nambotin – 169 Points
4. Nathan Watson – 164 Points
5. Matthew Phillips – 160 Points
6. Giacomo Redondi – 129 Points
7. Cristobal Guerrero – 121 Points
8. Alex Salvini – 112 Points
9. Jaume Betriu – 108 Points
10. Antti Hellsten – 84 Points

Enduro2 Standings after Greece

1. Josep Garcia – 223 Points
2. Jamie McCanney – 211 Points
3. Eero Remes – 199 Points
4. Pascal Rauchenecker – 170 Points
5. Daniel McCanney – 138 Points
6. Henric Stigell – 128 Points
7. Daniel Sanders – 126 Points
8. Davide Guarneri – 125 Points
9. Thomas Oldrati – 118 Points
10. Jonathan Barragan – 116 Points

Rd6 – AMA Motocross Nationals, Buchanan, Michigan

The 2017 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship reached its halfway point with the RedBud National hosting the sixth round and it was Eli Tomac who put in a dominant performance by sweeping both motos for his third 450 Class victory of the season and regaining possession of the championship lead while Zach Osborne claimed his third win of the season to extend his points lead in the 250 class.

450 Race Report

On a fast and flowing circuit, Eli Tomac systematically sliced his way to the lead in both motos – in fact, it was his patience during his race to the lead that proved his confidence in the Kawasaki and bids well for the rest of the championship.

The 1-1 effort by Tomac propelled him to his eighth career 450 Class win Tomac’s win and returned him to the championship points lead for the first time since the season opener and now holds a 13-point advantage over Blake Baggett, while Jason Anderson continues to control third, 25-points out of the lead.

Eli Tomac

“This is so awesome, the day could not have gone any better. I didn’t want to rush anything in the second moto as the pace was already pretty fast and gnarly. There was a lot of roost and tear offs being pulled, so I just wanted to do my best to be smart. I took my time and slowly chipped away at the lead and eventually opened up a gap. It feels good to have a clean race and grab another win.”

Anderson’s (4-2) was good enough for second overall on the day, while Musquin (3-3) completed the overall podium in third.

Jason Anderson

“The first start, all I saw was bikes flipping and I got hit by someone and fell down. I got back up and fell again by myself in the second corner. Then made my way up. I was able to make my way up to fourth and it wasn’t bad. Kind of had to work pretty hard to catch and pass all those guys. In the second moto, I started up front and I was in that battle between me, [Justin] Barcia and Eli. Eli got the best of us again that second moto. I feel like I stayed closer and was a little bit better this weekend. I just need to keep working and try and just be better next weekend.”

Marvin Musquin

“My stomach was killing me and cramping and all that. It got better for the second moto so that was better. Second moto I just couldn’t get going. I was behind Josh Grant and Weston Peick and they were actually going good. I needed to get around those guys because up front Eli and Jason was up there, but they were not going anywhere. They were not too far. But I lose a little bit of time, too much to get a chance to battle at least with Jason. Overall, it’s a good day. To get third is good for the confidence and we move forward.”

Baggett finished just off the podium in fourth with 2-10 result after crashing on the opening lap of the second moto when he came together with Jason Anderson and while we expected a huge come from behind ride from Baggett the KTM rider could only make it back to tenth place to lose the red plate to Tomac.

Justin Barcia (7-6), Josh Grant (10-5), Cole Seely (6-9), Justin Bogle (9-7), Dean Wilson (8-8) and Peick (14-4) rounded out the top ten.

450 Class Overall Results (Moto Finish)

1. Eli Tomac, Cortez, Colo., Kawasaki (1-1)
2. Jason Anderson, Edgewood, N.M., Husqvarna (4-2)
3. Marvin Musquin, La Reole, France, KTM (3-3)
4. Blake Baggett, Grand Terrace, Calif., KTM (2-10)
5. Justin Barcia, Greenville, Fla., Suzuki (7-6)
6. Josh Grant, Riverside, Calif., Kawasaki (10-5)
7. Cole Seely, Newbury Park, Calif., (6-9)
8. Justin Bogle, Cushing, Okla., Suzuki (9-7)
9. Dean Wilson, Glasgow, Scotland, Husqvarna (8-8)
10. Weston Peick, Menifee, Calif., Suzuki (14-4)

450 Class Championship Standings

1. Eli Tomac, Cortez, Colo., Kawasaki – 241
2. Blake Baggett, Grand Terrace, Calif., KTM – 228
3. Jason Anderson, Edgewood, N.M., Husqvarna – 216
4. Marvin Musquin, La Reole, France, KTM – 201
5. Justin Bogle, Cushing, Okla., Suzuki – 163
6. Dean Wilson, Glasgow, Scotland, Husqvarna – 163
7. Broc Tickle, Holly, Mich., Suzuki – 146
8. Weston Peick, Menifee, Calif., Suzuki – 137
9. Josh Grant, Riverside, Calif., Kawasaki – 133
10. Cole Seely, Newbury Park, Calif., Honda – 132

250 Race Reports

Much like Tomac, Osborne showed great confidence and patience in his 2-1 moto finishes to earn his fourth career victory, and his third of the 2017 season.

Zach Oborne

“The crowd at RedBud is definitely next level. The first moto I started just behind Jeremy [Martin], and we kind of went back and forth the whole moto. It sucked to lose it, but it was nice to at least be on the lead pace. It wasn’t a huge deal as we still scored good points. I never jumped LaRocco’s Leap all day and felt like I was able to make up for it in other sections of the track.”

For the second consecutive week, Osborne further extended his championship points lead, which now sits at 38-points over Alex Martin while Jeremy Martin’s third overall was good enough to maintain third in the standings, just seven points behind his brother.

Alex Martin’s consistency placed him second overall on the day (3-3), while Jeremy Martin (1-8) overcame adversity in the second moto to finish third overall.

Alex Martin

“I love coming here to RedBud, it’s definitely one of my favorite events of the year and I always enjoy racing here. The first moto we were all so close and evenly matched that it made it extremely tough. The second moto was a bit of a bummer as I had the lead when I crashed. I think I had a good chance for the overall win today if I could have limited that one mistake.”

After winning the opening moto Jeremy Martin pulled another holeshot in moto two put lost the front end of his Honda in the second corner and was forced to race through the pack for a credible eighth place.

Jeremy Martin

“I made one mistake today and that was in the second turn in moto two. Otherwise it was a good day. I felt really good in the second moto. I felt like I was riding better in moto two. I would have liked to have been up there with the boys battling, but I was in the back, ripping tear-offs and eating roost.”

Mitchell Harrison (7-2), Dylan Ferrandis (5-4), Aaron Plessinger (6-11), Austin Forkner (4-14), Shane McElrath (9-9), Chase Sexton (12-7) and Joey Savatgy (11-10) rounded out the top ten.

The 2017 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship will return to action next Saturday, July 8, for the seventh  round of the season at The Wick 338 in Southwick, Massachusetts.

250 Class Overall Results (Moto Finish)

1. Zach Osborne, Abingdon, Va., Husqvarna (2-1)
2. Alex Martin, Millville, Minn., KTM (3-3)
3. Jeremy Martin, Millville, Minn., Honda (1-8)
4. Mitchell Harrison, Brighton, Mich., Yamaha (7-2)
5. Dylan Ferrandis, Avignon, France, Yamaha (5-4)
6. Aaron Plessinger, Hamilton, Ohio, Yamaha (6-11)
7. Austin Forkner, Richards, Mo., Kawasaki (4-14)
8. Shane McElrath, Canton, N.C., KTM (9-9)
9. Chase Sexton, La Moille, IL., Honda (12-7)
10. Joey Savatgy, Thomasville, Ga., Kawasaki (11-10)

250 Class Championship Standings

1. Zach Osborne, Abingdon, Va., Husqvarna – 254
2. Alex Martin, Millville, Minn., KTM – 216
3. Jeremy Martin, Millville, Minn., Honda – 209
4. Aaron Plessinger, Hamilton, Ohio, Yamaha – 190
5. Austin Forkner, Richards, Mo., Kawasaki – 184
6. Adam Cianciarulo, Port Orange, Fla., Kawasaki – 168
7. Joey Savatgy, Thomasville, Ga., Kawasaki – 165
8. Dylan Ferrandis, Avignon, France, Yamaha – 152
9. Mitchell Harrison, Brighton, Mich., Yamaha – 147
10. Colt Nichols, Muskogee, Okla., Yamaha – 144

Rd6 – Australian Motocross Championship – Nowra, NSW

Dean Ferris predictably continued his winning streak in the MX1 class at round six of the Australian Motocross Championship held in Nowra last weekend while Egan Mastin won his first MX2 round of his career and Callum Norton earned the MXD overall.

Thor MX1 Report: Ferris scored the holeshot in the opening moto and thanks to a massive pile-up behind the Yamaha rider which included Brett Metcalfe there wasn’t much to trouble the championship point’s leader al of the way to the chequered flag but in the second moto Ferris had to pass Nathan Crawford, Luke Clout, Metcalfe and Kade Mosig to earn the win.

Dean Ferris

“All the boys laid down a big challenge today – the first race was good but even in the second race I had my work cut out for me and even when I got into the lead Brett Metcalfe kept pushing. Overall though it was a good day – all of the guys at CDR Yamaha are putting in hours, and hours to make this happen. I love working with them and we’ll just continue to stay focussed and keep the ball rolling on to Shepparton.”

Metcalfe’s move to the Kawasaki team has already paid dividends with a HUGE come from behind ride in the opening moto for second place then another stellar ride for second in moto two for second overall ahead of Kirk Gibbs who went 3-4 over the two motos.

Kirk Gibbs

“The first turn is tight here and it’s really hard to pass, so, it makes life pretty difficult unless you holeshot both races. I had a bit of a struggle today. I feel like I am riding really well, but I’m frustrated with how it’s going. I’ve been working on a lot of things and getting better and better, but the results were worse. 3-4 is not a bad result on paper, but I believe in myself and the team, and I believe that we should definitely be chasing wins every race. That second moto I took on a lot of roost battling with a few guys right at the end there, and ended up breaking a set of roll-offs with about 5 minutes to go – the string got stuck out. I believe that I’m there and I’m ready. It’s so close I can feel it. I know the one weekend I get a bit of luck on my side, that I can put the whole thing together.”

American import Kyle Peters was involved in the first turn crash in moto one then faced up to the second moto with a sore shoulder.

Kyle Peters

“It was a difficult weekend for me, but there were some positives. Even though I went down in the first turn in moto one I fought back to seventh so that was somewhat of an achievement given the circumstances. We’re working hard anytime that we aren’t racing and although that the results aren’t showing on paper we have the speed so it’s just about putting all of the pieces of the puzzle together. I had my family over from the U.S at Nowra which was a big help, it’s nice to have that extra support at the track. Now we’ll just re-focus and shift our attention to Shepparton, there are still four rounds of the championship left and I’m determined to finish the year strong.”

Pirelli MX1 Moto 1

1. Dean Ferris
2. Brett Metcalfe
3. Kirk Gibbs
4. Luke Clout
5. Nathan Crawford
6. Luke Styke
7. Kyle Peters
8. Brodie Sims
9. Keiron Hall
10. Zak Small
11. Kade Mosig
12. Dylan Long
    … DNF. Todd Waters                  

Pirelli MX1 Moto 2

1. Dean Ferris
2. Brett Metcalfe
3. Kade Mosig
4. Kirk Gibbs
5. Luke Clout
6. Nathan Crawford
7. Todd Waters
8. Luke Styke
9. Kyle Peters
10. Keiron Hall
11. Zak Small

Thor MX1 Overall

1. Dean Ferris – 70 Points
2. Brett Metcalfe – 64 Points
3. Kirk Gibbs – 58 Points
4. Luke Clout – 54 Points
5. Nathan Crawford – 51 Points
6. Kade Mosig – 50 Points
7. Luke Styke – 48 Points
8. Kyle Peters – 46 Points
9. Keiron Hall – 43 Points
10. Brodie Sims – 42 Points

MX1 Championship Standings

1. Dean Ferris – 427 Points
2. Kirk Gibbs – 366 Points
3. Kade Mosig – 329 Points
4. Luke Styke – 310 Points
5. Todd Waters – 304 Points
6. Luke Clout – 277 Points
7. Kyle Peters – 276 Points
8. Brett Metcalfe – 239 Points
9. Aleksandr Tonkov – 218 Points
10. Keiron Hall – 216 Points
11. Nathan Crawford – 200 Points

MX2 Report

Mastin moved to the lead early in the opening moto and rode flawlessly to take the win from Jayden Rykers and Jackson Richardson and it looked to be the same results in the second moto until Richardson found some extra speed to storm to the lead but Maston held on to second for the overall victory.

Egan Mastin

“Finally ended up getting the overall today – I’m pumped especially that I got it this weekend too, I’ve been sick all week and I lost a lot of weight prior to this round, so to go 1-2 and to get the overall I’m stoked. I’m just going to keep doing what I’m doing and stay on schedule – I can’t thank the whole crew of people who help me enough. We worked a lot on bike setup during the break and that helped a lot.”

Richardson was forced to come from behind to finish third in the opening moto but in the second moto the Serco Yamaha rider ended up winning by 13 seconds and now moves within 19 points of the championship lead with eight motos to go.

Jackson Richardson

“I put in two good motos today and was finally able to break through for a race win. At nearly every round this year I have been in positions to win races but I haven’t been able to do it so it’s a relief to finally win one and know that I can do it. The championship is really tight between four of us and no one can afford to make a mistake with just eight races left. I feel like I’m hitting good form at the right time and will continue to work hard to ensure I give myself every opportunity to win this thing. Thank you to Serco Yamaha again for their support and it’s nice to reward everyone with a podium today.”

Championship leader Wilson Todd struggled to 4-8 moto finishes but still leads the championship on 362 points while Mitchell Evans is just five point back on 357 points with Mastin moving to 344 Points and Richardson on 343 Points.

Mitchell Evans

“It was a battle all day and not much separated the top 10 riders in terms of speed so you had to work really hard for your positions. The first moto crash happened when I hit a jump and got kicked pretty hard and went down. I hit me head pretty hard and smashed by peak on my helmet so I looked like a bit of a goon out there. But it was nice to bounce back in moto two with a strong ride. It helped a lot in the championship and even on a day where things didn’t go smoothly, I was able to stay close in the points and even gain one.”

Jay Wilson returned to racing in Australia by qualifying in an impressive third place before racing to 10-5 race finishes putting him in ninth overall for the round.

Jay Wilson

“We were able to take a few positives out of yesterday, the results on paper don’t look to good but we actually aren’t too far off the pace. In race one I pumped up worse than I ever have. In Europe and the U.K the tracks are a lot more wide open and fast and at Nowra a lot of the track you really need to be patient and I guess the transition to an Australian spec circuit wasn’t as smooth as I would have liked. We qualified in third and I was in third for the majority of moto two so we know the speed is there, it’s more just about finding my flow earlier in the race and keeping that intensity for the entire 30 or 20 minutes.”

Motul MX2 Moto 1

1. Egan Mastin           
2. Jayden Rykers        
3. Jackson Richardson
4. Wilson Todd           
5. Richie Evans
6. Hamish Harwood   
7. Dylan Wills 
8. Kyle Webster                      
9. Mitchell Evans       
10. Jay Wilson

Motul MX2 Moto 2

1. Jackson Richardson
2. Egan Mastin                       
3. Mitchell Evans       
4. Kyle Webster                      
5. Jay Wilson              
6. Jayden Rykers                    
7. Hamish Harwood   
8. Wilson Todd                       
9. Richie Evans                       
10. Joel Evans 

Motul MX2 Overall – Nowra

1. Egan Mastin – 67 Points
2. Jackson Richardson – 65 Points
3. Jayden Rykers – 57 Points
4. itchell Evans – 52 Points
5. Kyle Webster – 51 Points
6. Wilson Todd – 51 Points
7. Hamish Harwood – 49 Points
8. Richie Evans – 48 Points
9. Jay Wilson – 47 Points
10. Dylan Wills – 44 Points

Motul MX2 Top 30 Championship Standings

1. Wilson Todd – 362 Points
2. Mitchell Evans – 357 Points
3. Egan Mastin – 344 Points
4. Jackson Richardson – 343 Points
5. Hamish Harwood – 327 Points
6. Dylan Wills – 286 Points
7. Kyle Webster – 284 Points
8. Jayden Rykers – 266 Points
9. Richie Evans – 253 Points
10. Aaron Tanti – 232 Points

MXD Report

KTM mounted Callum Norton proved that consistency is the key to success, racing to two third place finishes to collect the Pirelli MXD round victory at Nowra while championship leader Jy Roberts went 2-6 for fifth overall.

Callum Norton

“Today was awesome – I had two consistent motos and finished on the box both races so I’ve come away with the overall so it’s awesome. I can’t thank Dad enough for getting me up here – without him it wouldn’t have happened. The boys produced some great racing today, it’s probably the best racing I’ve ever had, so to finish up here is awesome, I couldn’t be happier.”

Jy Roberts

“Nowra was alright I guess. I had some really solid laps in practice, but the track got really choppy and I got really bad arm pump, which made the racing hard. I’m really happy with how I rode though, with my bad starts – definitely made it hard on myself. Moto 1 I was about tenth off the start and then I came back to fourth, then moto 2, I was last off the gate and made my way back up to fourth and just had a couple of crashes and came in sixth or seventh. But I put in some consistent laps and tried to make passes and I ended up extending my lead, so I’m stoked with that.”

Pirelli MXD Moto 1

1. Kaleb Barham        
2. Jy Roberts   
3. Callum Norton                   
4. Cooper Pozniak      
5. Isaac Ferguson       

Pirelli MXD Moto 2

1. Maximus Purvis     
2. Isaac Ferguson                   
3. Callum Norton       
4. Riley Dukes
5. Morgan Fogarty
6. Jy Roberts                           

Pirelli MXD Overall – Nowra

1. Callum Norton – 60 points – KTM
2. Hugh Mckay – 59 points – Yamaha
3. Isaac Ferguson – 58 points – KTM
4. Maximus Purvis – 56 points – Yamaha
5. Jy Roberts – 53 points – Husqvarna
6. Cooper Pozniak – 53 points – Yamaha
7. Riley Dukes – 52 points – Husqvarna
8. Morgan Fogarty – 49 points – KTM
9. Cody Dyce – 47 points – Yamaha
10. Jye Dickson – 41 points – KTM

Pirelli MXD Championship Standings

1. Jy Roberts – 352 points – Husqvarna
2. Cody Dyce – 340 points – Yamaha
3. Morgan Fogarty – 308 points – KTM
4. Isaac Ferguson – 298 points – KTM
5. Hugh McKay – 285 points – Yamaha
6. Cooper Pozniak – 278 points – Yamaha
7. Kaleb Barham – 264 points – Husqvarna
8. Brodie Ellis – 238 points – Yamaha
9. Jai Constantinou – 231 points – Honda
10. Callum Norton – 227 points – KTM
11. Jy Roberts – 352 points – Husqvarna
12. Cody Dyce – 340 points – Yamaha
13. Morgan Fogarty – 308 points – KTM
14. Isaac Ferguson – 298 points – KTM
15. Hugh McKay – 285 points – Yamaha
16. Cooper Pozniak – 278 points – Yamaha
17. Kaleb Barham – 264 points – Husqvarna
18. Brodie Ellis – 238 points – Yamaha
19. Jai Constantinou – 231 points – Honda
20. Callum Norton – 227 points – KTM

Yamaha 85cc Cup Report

Ryder Kingsford impressed in race one on Sunday, leading from the gate drop all the way to the chequered flag aboard his GYTR Yamaha while second place was awarded to TM mounted Burgess-Stevens, while Towill wrapped up the first 15 minute moto for the 85cc category in third.

Moto two saw Burgess-Stevens battle hard with Kingsford to eventually cross the line ahead of Kingsford and Towill so despite both Kingsford and Burgess-Stevens finishing on equal points it was the TM rider Burgess-Stevens who was awarded the Yamaha 85cc Cup victory over Kingsford and Towill.

Yamaha 85cc Cup Round Results

1. Jett Burgess-Stevens – 67 points – TM
2. Ryder Kingsford – 67 points – Yamaha
3. Connor Towill – 60 points – KTM
4. Cambell Williams – 54 points – KTM
5. Cooper Dudley – 51 points – KTM
6. Brodie Petschauer – 51 points – KTM
7. Mason Hills – 48 points – Yamaha
8. Nate Thompson – 46 points – KTM
9. Koby Hantis – 46 points – Kawasaki
10. Jack Bates – 41 points – KTM

Event 1 – FIM Speedway World Cup – King’s Lynn (GREAT BRITAIN)

Great Britain V Australia V USA V Czech Republic

Great Britian roared to victory in Event 1 of the Monster Energy FIM Speedway World Cup at King’s Lynn on Saturday with 53 points to secure a place at the Final in Leszno next Saturday alongside hosts Poland, plus the Event 2 and Race Off winners.

Australia finished second on 44 and take their place in the Race Off, also at Leszno, on Friday. They’re joined by a plucky USA team, which defied the absence of four-time world champion Greg Hancock to finish third with 15 points, knocking the Czech Republic (13) into fourth place.

The night belonged to GB, and Cook sees no reason why the Lions can’t top the podium again in the Monster Energy SWC Final as they seek their first world title since 1989.

Craig Cook

“We’re not going there to win a medal. We’re going to win. What’s the point of looking to finish second? We just have to believe. Yes, the Poles are good. The Swedes are good, the Australians are good and the Danes are good. They’re all good; they’re all fantastic in fact. But that doesn’t mean they’re unbeatable. If you think ‘we’re up against the Poles, we’re not going to win’, you’re defeating the object.”

Cook led the charge on 14 points, with Robert Lambert, Steve Worrall and Chris Harris all weighing in with 13 apiece. The Cumbrian believes the lightening start, which saw the Brits win the opening five races, put their rivals on the back foot.

Craig Cook

“We can all ride this King’s Lynn track really well. We hit them hard from the get-go and we were out there to prove a point and make a statement. That’s what we did. We set the tone for the whole meeting and kept it up.”

The last team to win the Monster Energy SWC after reaching the Final via the Race Off was Denmark in 2012. But with that meeting now staged just 24 hours before the Final, Aussie boss Mark Lemon believes his side has a tough task to lift the Ove Fundin Trophy. Reflecting on Event 1, Lemon paid tribute to the Brits, as well as skipper Chris Holder, who led the Roos’ challenge on 19 points. 

Mark Lemon

“I know it has been done, but now it’s back-to-back nights, it’s tough. People take for granted how much effort goes into these meetings. Whether you win or you lose, it takes it out of the boys. The Brits will go in there fresh. The Race Off isn’t a double-edged sword – it’s hideous. The Brits rode great; you can’t deny them that, Chris had plenty of resilience, but one man can’t do it alone. The boys just didn’t fire on the track. The slick conditions kind of caught them out a little bit. Collectively, we struggled at the starts. But you have to adapt. They’re pro riders.”

American team manager Lance King hailed his USA heroes as they overcame a Czech team packed with far more experienced stars to earn their place in the Race Off, as well as qualification for the 2018 tournament.

Lance King

“This is obviously the first step. When we get to Leszno, we’re just going to do the best we can. But this shows the heart of these kids. We made a lot of mistakes out there. We had a lot of stuff go against us. But we still made it, so these kids should be so proud of themselves.”

EVENT 1 SCORES

GREAT BRITAIN 53:
1 Steve Worrall 13,
2 Craig Cook 14,
3 Chris Harris 13,
4 Robert Lambert 13,
5 Adam Ellis DNR.

AUSTRALIA 44:
1 Jason Doyle DNR,
2 Chris Holder 19,
3 Nick Morris 5,
4 Troy Batchelor 12,
5 Max Fricke 8.

USA 15:
1 Ricky Wells 3,
2 Gino Manzares 7,
3 Luke Becker 2,
4 Dillon Ruml 2,
5 Broc Nicol 1.

CZECH REPUBLIC 13:
1 Matej Kus 0,
2 Vaclav Milik 6,
3 Josef Franc 4,
4 Hynek Stichauer 3,
5 Eduard Krcmar 0.