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Moto News Weekly Wrap
May 10, 2022

What’s New:

• Jorge Prado misses MXGP of Italy
• Herlings laid up for longer
• Justin Brayton signs off on Supercross career
• Honda win Supercross Manufacturers Title
• Sherco EB16 Factory up for grabs at Hattah Desert Race
• 2022 Supercross champions ready for 50th Lucas Oil Pro MX season
• Strong results for RIDE RED Honda riders at ProMX Round 3
• Micael Simão tops Baja Oeste de Portugal
• Mario Román wins 2022 Extreme XL Lagares
• Ben Kelly wins 2022 Hoosier GNCC
• EMX250 and EMX Open in action at Maggiora
• 2022 A4DE wraps up with Kyron Bacon the victor
• Strong Aussie showing at EnduroGP Round 1 in Spain
• Riders talk the 2022 MXGP of Maggiora, Italy
• Riders talk 2022 Salt Lake City AMA Supercross Round 17
• 2022 Racing Calendars
  • 2022 FIM Motocross (MXGP) World Championship
  • 2022 Monster Energy AMA/ FIM World Supercross
  • 2022 FIM Hard Enduro
  • 2022 Australian Arenacross
  • 2022 ProMX (Australia)
  • 2022 Lucas Oil Pro MX
  • 2022 Victorian Junior MX State Titles
  • 2022 WA State Supercross
  • 2022 FIM Bajas World Cup
  • 2022 Silk Way Rally
  • 2022 FIM ISDE

Jorge Prado misses MXGP of Italy

Second place holder in the MXGP World Championship standings Jorge Prado missed round seven of the 2022 FIM Motocross World Championship, the Grand Prix of Italy, following a practice crash last week.

Jorge Prado sustained a dislocated shoulder in a small crash and, although his shoulder was repositioned without sustaining any further damage, a lack of strength ruled him out of Maggiora. The injury is set to be re-evaluated in the days prior to Grand Prix of Sardegna, which will be run on May 15.

Jorge Prado

“I crashed in practice last week. It was not a very big crash, but I dislocated my shoulder. A shoulder specialist put it back in as quickly as possible and I am thankful for that. I’m working very hard right now, just to make sure that I can get back as soon as possible. Hopefully I will be at Riola Sardo, as long as everything goes well. That would be a big achievement for me! It is a pity that I cannot ride this weekend – I am second in the championship and in the fight for the title. Maggiora is a track that I like as well! I hope that I can put my GASGAS back on track in Sardegna.”

Herlings laid up for longer

Jeffrey Herlings has decided to opt for two further medical procedures and miss both the rest of the 2022 MXGP term – which is now seven rounds old – and the slight possibility of competing in the forthcoming AMA Pro National motocross series in the USA that begins at the end of this month.

The 27-year-old will have a plate removed and his left foot corrected and will also visit the operating theatre a second time for more repair work on his troublesome right foot to reduce the discomfort and inflexibility the Dutchman has been suffering. Recuperation and rehab from both processes means that ‘The Bullet’ can head into the winter, fit and ready to test and train with a view to a potential third MXGP title in 2023.

Herlings has claimed five titles: three in MX2 with the KTM 250 SX-F and two in MXGP with the 450 SX-F including one of the most dominant seasons in the modern era in 2018 and then the unforgettably close contest in 2021 that was won in the last moto and by just four points. With 99 grand prix wins Jeffrey is just two victories away from the all-time record.

Jeffrey Herlings

“I wish the situation was not like this and it’s so frustrating that my career keeps throwing things at me! I’ve been recovering from the injury but the condition of my foot – because of some old problems – means it is not in the best shape and not enough to think about racing at the highest level this summer. It’s a bummer not to run the #1 plate in MXGP or to think about the chance of doing the AMA Pro Nationals but we’ve made our decision and now my only goal is to get my body right, get pain-free and think about preparation for 2023. It feels like a long way away but I know it will also come quickly. Thanks to all my fans for the messages of support and of course to the best team in the sport. Red Bull KTM have always had my back and I’m really grateful they still do.”

Justin Brayton signs off on Supercross career

Justin Brayton finished the Main in seventh to sign off a great and long career in Supercross with ninth place in the 2022 Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship. 170 top ten finishes from those 190 starts for Brayton in what is a long and distinguished record.

Justin Brayton Press Conference

Honda win Supercross Manufacturers Title

Final manufacturer points standings in Supercross are calculated on a combined basis of 250 and 450 results, and coming out on top was Honda by five-points over Yamaha.

Sherco EB16 Factory up for grabs at Hattah Desert Race

The 2022 Hattah Desert Race in Victoria from July 1-3 will kick off with the silent approach – thanks to a fleet of Sherco electric balance bikes. A demonstration will be held on Friday night, July 1, alongside official Hattah scrutineering in Red Cliffs between Hattah and Mildura.

One of the kids will then win an EB16 Factory on the night, which will be presented by Motul Pirelli Sherco Race Team riders Callum Norton and Jonte Reynders.

All the EB16 Factorys at Red Cliffs will be fitted with race numbers, and riders must use an approved off-road helmet and gloves. These rulings will be strictly enforced. Entry is free.

Simply send an email to [email protected] by Friday, June 24 with the rider’s name, date of birth and address, as well as the contact details (phone/email) of their parent or guardian.

Hard Enduro heads for Serbia for Xross

t’s full steam ahead to Serbia as the FIM Hard Enduro World Championship prepares to click into gear again and head to round two, the Xross Hard Enduro Rally. A tough, traditional, and long-standing event, the Hard Enduro takes place across four days in the rugged mountains of Zlatibor, Tara, and Mokra Gora.

The event itself has been steadily growing in stature since its first edition in 2014. Starting off small on the Kopaonik mountain, it’s grown and expanded to include the additional Mount Tara and Mokra Gora mountains, with Zlatibor becoming the new centre location for the race.

The 2022 running of the Xross Hard Enduro Rally will also create its own piece of history by becoming the first world championship level motorsport event held in Serbia.

Action begins on Wednesday, May 18, with an opening ceremony followed by the afternoon Akrapovic Straight Rhythm prologue. It’s then down to the serious business of racing on Thursday for the first of three 100-kilometre-long days. Each day the riding will take the Pro, Expert, Hobby, and Amateur competitors deep into the surrounding mountains, pushing everyone to their limits.

Round two of the FIM Hard Enduro World Championship takes place at Serbia’s Xross Hard Enduro Rally on May 18-21.

2022 Supercross champions ready for 50th Lucas Oil Pro MX season

Monster Energy Star Yamaha Racing’s Eli Tomac (450SX Class) and Christian Craig (250SX West) as well as Team Honda HRC’s Jett Lawrence (250SX East) will now turn their focus to the summer, where each will set their sights on continued success in the impending 50th Anniversary of the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing, which begins on Memorial Day weekend with the Honda Fox Raceway National on May 28 in Southern California.

Eli Tomac (450SX)

The second 450SX Class title for Tomac has brought even more prominence to both the Colorado native, the offseason’s most coveted free agent, and the rapidly ascending Star Racing effort. After the team captured the 450 Class title last summer in its first season of premier class competition it now holds both the supercross and motocross crowns, instantly making it a powerhouse.

Tomac certainly saw the trajectory the organization was headed and made a high profile move to blue, determined to add more championship hardware to an already decorated career. He and Star hit the ground running from the moment the season began in January, winning their first race together at Round 4, and had effectively built an insurmountable points lead just past the halfway point of the 17-round schedule.

That proved to pay big dividends after Tomac suffered a challenging knee injury at Round 14, as he clinched the title one round early in his home state and sat out the finale. His championship tally consisted of seven wins, including a string of five in a row, and 11 podiums. Now, Tomac will seek a fourth 450 Class Championship in Pro Motocross and look to become the first rider since Ryan Dungey in 2015 to sweep the sport’s most coveted titles.

Christian Craig (250SX West)

After a supercross season riding a 250cc Yamaha for Star Racing, Craig will transition for the 450 Class this summer. The strategic decision to leverage Craig’s experience in the 250SX Class was focused solely on capturing an elusive first championship, and it paid off handsomely.

His confidence was unmatched in the Western Regional Championship, where he put on a showcase of speed, patience, and savvy with every gate drop. His control of the championship was never in doubt from the moment he captured the opening round win as he went on to secure four victories and nine podiums in 10 rounds.

While Craig’s maiden championship was long overdue, he’s never been better aboard the motorcycle and has all the pieces to put together a breakthrough season this summer, where his teammates Tomac and defending 450 Class Champion Dylan Ferrandis will set a high bar that Craig will surely benefit from.

Hunter Lawrence (250SX East)

The surge to stardom for Lawrence took another major step with the Australian’s first supercross title in the Eastern Regional Championship. An injury prior to the start of the season in January resulted in an initial setback that forced Lawrence into the East Region, but when he eventually made his 2022 debut Lawrence established himself as the rider to beat with an impressive opening round victory.

He went on to win four of the first five rounds and never finished worse than third en route to clinching the championship one round early. Perhaps even more impressive during Lawrence’s title run was his ability to overcome adversity, showing an all-around skill set that will be advantageous in the demanding 24-moto Pro Motocross season, where he’ll look to become the first rider since Jeremy Martin in 2014-2015 to successfully defend the 250 Class Championship.

For the full results see the AMA SX Rider Quotes section below.

Strong results for RIDE RED Honda riders at ProMX Round 3

RIDE RED, the Honda Australia development program achieved outstanding results through its riders in Round 3 of the Australian Motocross Championship in Albury. Honda Australia supports riders in all championship classes, and the weekends results proved the program is working.

Joben Baldwin went on to claim his best finish of his career, a sixth in moto 1. Unfortunately, a fall in moto 3 hurt his overall position for the weekend but it didn’t hurt his confidence.

Liam Andrews proved to all privateers that hard work will pay off. He finished fourth overall on the day in the MX2 class and moved to eighth in the championship. Liam is no stranger to success, and neither was his dad. He has his sights set on a podium before the championship ends.

In the MX3 class it was RIDE RED rider Ty Kean who finished 5th overall against the factory riders on his Honda CRF250R. Ty now sits in eighth overall and has set his sights on an overall podium in the next round in Gilman, South Australia.

Although the women didn’t compete on the weekend it’s important to note that Honda’s RIDE RED rider Maddison Brown sits in 3rd in the Women’s championship and their next round will take place in Gilman, South Australia at the end of the month.

Micael Simão tops Baja Oeste de Portugal

After a Prologue and two days of racing, Micael Simão (GasGas) sealed victory in the motorcycle category at the Baja Oeste de Portugal, the Portuguese rider finishing ahead of Fabio Magalhães (Honda) and Konrad Dabrowski (KTM Duust).

The Baja Oeste de Portugal took place to the north of Lisbon, in the areas of Torres Vedras, Bombarral, Cadaval, Azambuja, Alenquer, Óbidos and Sobral de Monte Agraço. Competitors enjoyed fine weather, although some suffered a little from the unusual heat this early in the season.

Mario Román wins 2022 Extreme XL Lagares

The 17th edition of Extreme XL Lagares has been held over three days, between Friday and Sunday, in the cities of Vila Nova de Gaia, Paredes and Penafiel. The event brought together 251 competitors this year, representing 15 nationalities and five categories in competition: Hobby, XL, Veterans, Expert and PRO.

After the forced cancellation in 2020 and the restrictions imposed by the DGS in 2021, this was the year of the public’s return, the premiere of a new Prologue on the opposite bank of the Douro River and, the year of Mario Román’s return to triumphs in Extreme XL Lagares, after his victory in 2019.

The Spaniard showed what was coming on Friday in the Endurocross qualifying heats, and to be the fastest in the Prologue held at Cais de Gaia the next day.

The second day of competition ended at night, with the Endurocross semifinals and finals. In the track designed for the Campo de Manobras da Serra do Pilar, Mario Román would again be the featured rider, this time prevented from starting and, with that, from fighting for one of the bonuses at stake in these finals.

Diogo Vieira, third in the Prologue and second in the Endurocross final, ended Saturday in the provisional lead of the race, ahead of Wade Young and Will Hoare, a Brit who secured the maximum bonus (5m) after winning the Endurocross final.

Everything remained open for the main course on Sunday, in a single 52 km loop, starting and ending in Serra da Boneca, in Penafiel.

With the dry weather, the difficulties were, this year, less in the crossing of some obstacles and streams, which was reflected in the final time of the race, much quicker than what was foreseen by the organization.

Starting from fourth place for the course, Mario Román went on the attack and caught up to his opponents, reaching the finish, in just over three hours, with enough advantage to celebrate the second triumph of his career at Extreme XL Lagares, with his teammate, South African Wade Young, finishing in second place.

Mario Román

“I gradually increased the pace, forcing the pace from the second half, when I was already ahead and needed to gain advantage. It is a great joy to win again here. I felt really good throughout the weekend and I got better every day. Today’s special was very technical in the early part, but I managed to set a strong pace and win again in Portugal. Next year I’ll be here to try to get a third victory.”

Wade Young

“It was a great fight with Mario, who is a great driver and a very combative opponent. The course was fantastic, but I got lost a few times and couldn’t fight until the end. Many thanks to all the Portuguese fans who supported me throughout the race.”

With the first two places given to the Sherco Racing Factory duo, there was still hope that Diogo Vieira would confirm a place on the final podium. The Portuguese rider tried hard and fought until the end, but a mistake on the course ended up leaving him down in fourth position.

The podium of this 17th edition was thus completed with the British Will Hoare, SuperEnduro World Champion in the Junior category in 2019.

In the Expert category, which put 24 competitors in the final, Emanuel Costa, Bruno Freitas and Tiago Sousa made the national full on the podium.

In the XL class, the victory went to the French Etiene Clozel and Fabrice Pereira, while the Spaniard Anxo Torres took the best in the Hobby category. Among the veterans, the victory among the six finalists went to José Ferreira.

2022 Extreme XL Lagares Pro Results

Ben Kelly wins 2022 Hoosier GNCC

The Grand National Cross Country (GNCC) has concluded round six, Hoosier GNCC on Sunday, May 8 at Ironman Raceway. After some slick conditions on Saturday due to rain earlier in the week, Sunday’s weather conditions were near perfect as temperatures remained somewhat cool and the partly cloudy.

As the XC1 Open Pro class took off it was FMF/KTM Factory Racing’s Josh Toth grabbing the $250 All Balls Racing Holeshot Award. However, it would not take long for his teammate, FMF/KTM Factory Racing’s Benjamin Kelley to make his way into the lead position. Kelley would continue to lead the way for the duration of the race, crossing the finish line to earn his sixth-straight win of the season.

Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Trevor Bollinger made his way up to second overall after starting the day off back in sixth. Bollinger would steadily battle his way up through the pack, making a last lap pass on Toth for second overall in Indiana.

Holding onto the last podium position was FMF/KTM Factory Racing’s Josh Toth after earning some extra cash for grabbing the holeshot. Toth would remain second for the majority of the race, but he would be unable to hold off a hard-charging Bollinger on the last lap of the race. Toth continued to push, but he would be unable to make the pass back. He would hold onto third on the day.

Earning fourth on the day was Magna1 Motorsports/Husqvarna’s Jordan Ashburn as he battled back and forth inside the top five throughout the race. Ashburn continued to push, making a pass on the last lap for that fourth place position. Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Craig DeLong came back to round out the top five finishers on the day.

Babbitt’s Online/Monster Energy/Kawasaki Team Green’s Josh Strang returned to racing after injuring his arm in Florida. Strang would battle back in ninth for the first couple of laps but would begin to make his way through the pack for the second half of the race. After running up in third for the start of the race AmPro Yamaha’s Layne Michael found himself back to seventh with three laps remaining. Michael would try to continue to push, but he would be unable to make up any ground on the competitors in front of him.

Josh Strang

“Back at it yesterday… after the first 2 laps I really enjoyed being back but I struggled early just trying to get back into it which I was a little frustrating but damn it’s good to be back. As much as it’s sucks getting caught by xc2 I was pretty pumped to see the boys I train and train with leading the whole race… but in the end the old dog had to show em how to finish.”

Coastal GASGAS Factory Racing’s Ricky Russell battled back to finish eighth in XC1, with Rev Motorsports/GASGAS Racing’s Grant Baylor coming through ninth. Justin Ashburn would come through in tenth on the opening lap, but he would suffer a mechanical issue.

XC1 Pro Event Results

1. Benjamin Kelley (KTM)
2. Trevor Bollinger (HQV)
3. Joshua Toth (KTM)
4. Jordan Ashburn (HQV)
5. Craig DeLong (HQV)
6. Josh Strang (KAW)
7. Layne Michael (YAM)
8. Ricky Russell (GAS)
9. Grant Baylor (GAS)
10. Justin Ashburn (KTM)

*Overall National Championship Standings

1. Benjamin Kelley (180)
2. Jordan Ashburn (115)
3. Trevor Bollinger (114)
4. Craig DeLong (102)
5. Lyndon Snodgrass (83)
6. Joshua Toth (77)
7. Michael Witkowski (62)
8. Ruy Barbosa (55)
9. Grant Baylor (53)
10. Ryder Lafferty (48)

XC2 250 Pro

In the XC2 250 Pro class it was Babbitt’s Online/Monster Energy/Kawasaki Team Green’s Lyndon Snodgrass earning his second win of the season. Snodgrass continues to lead the way in the points standings after six rounds of racing.

RPM/KTM Racing’s Angus Riordan made his second appearance on the XC2 podium this season after coming through to earn second in the class. Riordan also grabbed the STACYC Holeshot Award to start the day. Tely Energy/KTM Racing’s Liam Draper put in his best ride of the season thus far with a third place position on the day in Indiana.

XC2 250 Pro Event Results

1. Lyndon Snodgrass (KAW)
2. Angus Riordan (KTM)
3. Liam Draper (KTM)
4. Ryder Lafferty (GAS)
5. Cody Barnes (HON)
6. Thorn Devlin (HQV)
7. Ruy Barbosa (HON)
8. Benjamin Herrera (KAW)
9. Simon Johnson (KTM)
10. Mike Witkowski (YAM)

XC2 250 Pro Series Standings

1. Lyndon Snodgrass (151)
2. Michael Witkowski (129)
3. Ryder Lafferty (102)
4. Ruy Barbosa (101)
5. Angus Riordan (92)
6. Benjamin Herrera (81)
7. Cody Barnes (79)
8. Thorn Devlin (72)
9. Jack Edmondson (72)
10. Jonathan Johnson (66)

FMF XC3 125 Pro-Am

In the FMF XC3 125 Pro-Am class it was Husqvarna/Fly Racing/Coppersmith Racing’s Jake Froman would earn his first win of the season as he led the race for the duration of the three-hours. Motorcycle Enthusiast Inc/Moose Racing/MX Tech’s Hunter Neuwirth came back from a fifth place start to the day to finish second in the class as Carolina XC/Moose Racing/XC Gear’s Zack Hayes rounded out the FMF XC3 class podium.

Bubz Tasha would bring home the Top Amateur honors with a 18th place overall finish, and a win in the 250 A class. Jason Tino and Trevor Maley rounded out the top three Top Amateurs and top three finishers in the 250 A class. Tino would come through 22nd overall, and Maley 23rd overall.

10 a.m. Race

As the 10 a.m. race got underway it was Trail Jesters KTM’s Korie Steede jumping off the line and grabbing the $100 Trail Jesters WXC Hoelshot Award and the early lead as they headed into the woods. Steede would be met with a battle from Fly Racing/FMF Racing/KTM Racing’s Brandy Richards as she made the pass for the lead on the second lap. Richards would continue to lead for the next couple of laps before Steede would make a last lap pass on Richards for the win. Steede continues to hold onto the points lead after six rounds of racing in 2022. AmPro Yamaha’s Rachael Archer battled her way up to third in WXC and would remain there for the duration of the race.

During the 8 a.m. youth race it was Nicholas DeFeo coming through to earn his sixth consecutive overall win and YXC1 Super Mini Sr. class win. Peyton Feather would come through to earn second overall and in YXC1 while Ryan Amancio earned third overall and YXC2 Super Mini Jr. class win. Van Gosselin rounded out the top three finishers in YXC1, while Brody Amos and Cade Staats rounded out the YXC2 top three.

Canyon Richards would earn the 85 (12-13) class win, while Ryder Sigety earned the 85 Big Wheel (12-15) class win. In the 85 (7-11) class Nash Peerson took home the win, while Travis Lentz earned the 65 (10-11) class win. Hunter Jones battled back to take the 65 (7-8) class win, with Karson George earning the 65 (9) victory. The Girls Sr. class win was earned by Addison Harris, while Aubrey Tsakanikas earned the Girls Jr. class win. Lane Vincent tried his hand at GNCC Racing and earned the trail rider win.

The next round of racing will take place on May 21-22 in Millfield, Ohio with The Wiseco John Penton GNCC.

EMX250 and EMX Open in action at Maggiora

The third and fourth rounds of the EMX250 and EMX Open Championship have concluded in Maggiora for the round of Italy. The weekend saw varying conditions, with rain staying away on Saturday, though with heavy rainfall in the night, the EMX riders were presented with much tougher conditions this morning.

Fantic Factory Team Maddii’s Cornelius Toendel did not let this affect his performance, as went on to claim his first overall victory in EMX250 as well as the red plate after Hutten Metaal Yamaha Racing’s Rick Elzinga did not finish the second race and lost vital championship points.

Meanwhile in the EMX Open class, Stefano Pezzuto claimed his first overall win on home soil as JD Gunnex KTM Racing’s Jose Butron secured the red plate after Rath’s Motorsports Michael Sandner’s struggles in the second heat too.

EMX250

In the opening EMX250 race the holeshot went to Fantic Factory Team Maddii’s Cornelius Toendel as he led Lucas Coenen of Jumbo Husqvarna BT Racing Team and Yago Martinez.

Camden McLellan of TBS Conversions Racing Team crashed as Martinez began to come under pressure from Fantic Factory Team Maddii’s Haakon Osterhagen as the two battled for third.

Series leader, Rick Elzinga of Hutten Metaal Yamaha Racing started down in around tenth and was doing his best to make some nice passes in the opening laps. He caught onto his teammate Andrea Bonacorsi and passed him to move into ninth before also catching his other teammate, Dave Kooiker.

By that point Toendel was already more than four seconds ahead, as Osterhagen continued his quest for third with Martinez not backing down easily. There was not changed inside the top three until lap seven, when Osterhagen was finally able to fight an opportunity to pass for third place.

Elzinga struggled to fight back further up the field as he managed to make just one more pass before the chequered flag as him and Bonacorsi got by Lorenzo Ciabatti. In the end, Elzinga was forced to settle for seventh.

Toendel went on to win the opening race with a 5.970 second advantage over Coenen who rode a strong and consistent race and finish in second, ahead of Osterhagen who was third.

In the second race, it was Osterhagen who grabbed the holeshot from his teammate Toendel, Wade, David Braceras of Team VRT KTM Veritise and Marcel Stauffer of WZ Racing Team.

Lucas Coenen, who finished second in race one, got unlucky as he crashed on the start straight after the gate dropped, eventually managing to fight back to 15th.

Elzinga started down in around seventh behind Bonacorsi and Braceras, as Camden Mc Lellan of TBS Conversions Racing Team passed the series leader, pushing him down to eighth.

Bonacorsi then passed Braceras as he set his sights on Stauffer who managed to move by Wade for third. All while Elzinga crashed and rapidly dropped down the order. The Dutchman did not carry on with the race and therefore lost valuable points and the red plate.

Toendel set the fastest lap of the race in the early stages, as Osterhagen responded in order to keep a healthy gap at the front. While Wade lost another spot to Bonacorsi and then to Braceras and eventually Mc Lellan.

On lap six, Bonacorsi got himself into third but was too far behind the two Norwegians at the front. Osterhagen was able to maintain a clean and steady race on his way to his first EMX250 race victory, with Toendel second, Bonacorsi third, Braceras third and Mc Lellan fifth.

With a 1-2 result, Toendel celebrated an overall victory at the round of Italy, with his teammate Osterhagen in second and Braceras finishing on the box in third. With Elzinga not picking up any points in the second race due to a DNF, Toendel now leads the series, as Elzinga slips to second and Osterhagen takes the third spot.

The next round of the EMX250 championship heads to Riola Sardo for the round of Sardegna which will take place next weekend.

Cornelius Toendel

“Solid weekend, good starts and good races. The most important thing is to score good championship points and I did that, and we came away with the red plate. I would like to also congratulate my teammate; he had a good second race and it was nice to get a 1-2 for the team”.

EMX250 Results – Top 10

EMX250 Standings

EMX Open

In the first EMX Open race of the weekend, it was Rath’s Motorsports Michael Sandner who took the holeshot from JD Gunnex KTM Racing’s Jose Butron. The Spaniard was quick to get himself in the lead as Sandner followed, ahead of Stefano Pezzuto, Tomas Kohut of Osicka MX Team and KTM Beddini MX2 Joakin Furbetta, while Millionair Racing Team’s Giuseppe Tropepe started in around seventh.

Davide De Bortoli and Tropepe got around Furbetta, as Tropepe also made a pass on last year’s EMX Open champion to move into fifth as he set his sights on higher positions. By that point Butron was 3.141 seconds ahead of Sandner as Tropepe made yet another pass to get around Kohut for fourth.

Sandner and Pezzuto were locked in battle for second position as they started to close the gap to Butron who had a train forming behind him as Tropepe also joined the battle after setting some very fast laps.

On lap six Butron lost the lead to Pezzuto as Tropepe also went by. By the following lap the leader changed again, with Tropepe in the driving seat.

The final few laps of the race were full of action as the battle for the win intensified. Butron was able to close down the gap as Tropepe was caught by Pezzuto and in the closing stages of the first race, Butron was able to fight back and take over first place for the second time.

The Spaniard led the final five laps of the race as he took the race win ahead of Tropepe, Pezzuto and Sandner, with Kohut rounding out the top five.

In the second race, it was Tropepe who was the leading rider into the first corner before Simone Croci moved into the lead, all while race one winner, Butron, was down in 19th position.

Quite a few riders struggled with the muddy conditions as the track became stickier, though Croci was able to keep his focus and stretch the lead to 6.549 seconds at the early stages of the race.

Further down the order, Furbetta passed Andrea La Scala for eighth as Butron made good progress despite the tough conditions, to get himself into 11th and then a couple of laps later into 8th as he passed Furbetta.

Tropepe was able to bring down Croci’s lead, as Sandner lost a couple of positions to Jost and then Kohut. Sandner’s race only went from bad to worse as on lap eight he crashed and struggled to pick up his bike which was heavy from all the mud.

Tropepe took over the lead on lap six as Pezzuto got himself into second too, with Croci dropping to third in a matter of corners. De Bortoli was the next rider to pass Croci.

Tropepe led for two laps before going down himself and eventually ended up 21st behind Sandner.

In the final laps, Croci was able to close in on Pezzuto and challenge him for the win. The two battled closely and then it looked like Pezzuto’s bike stopped which gave Croci and easy pass on his way to the race victory. Pezzuto managed to get going in second, with Kohut finishing in third ahead of Jost and Butron who fought back to fifth.

Pezzuto claimed the overall victory with a 3-2 result ahead of Butron who was second and Croci third. In terms of the championship, Butron now leads with 150 points, 21 ahead of Sandner who lost valuable points this weekend, while Kohut is third just two points behind.

The next round of the EMX Open Championship will take place in Finland on the 13th and 14th of August.

Stefano Pezzuto

“Two good races but not really perfect for me as yesterday I was third and today second, but I am happy to get the first overall. Thanks to my team and sponsors.”

EMX Open Results – Top 10

EMX Open Standings

2022 A4DE wraps up with Kyron Bacon the victor

The 2022 edition of the Prestige Truck Centre backed Australian Four Day Enduro came to an exciting conclusion today with a natural terrain motocross style final special test for each individual category and here we bring you the A4DE Results across all categories along with the top 15 outright.

While conditions were incredibly slippery throughout, A4DE stalwarts described it as one of the less technical events in recent memory in regards to the ruggedness of the terrain. The event was staged near the tiny Victorian town of Erica, 135 kilometres east of Melbourne, a located that had previously hosted an A4DE in 1987.

Tasmanian teenager Kyron Bacon impressed throughout the entire competition and lapped the final natural terrain moto three-seconds faster than anyone else in the E1 category to not only clinch the A4DE E1 class win (100cc to 200cc two stroke and 150cc to 250cc four stroke), but also took outright honours for the entire event on the Shop Yamaha Offroad Racing Team WR250F.

Bacon’s Shop Yamaha Offroad Racing team-mate Josh Green finished second outright and took the E2 class (201cc to 250cc 2 Stroke and 275cc to 450cc four stroke) victory on a WR450F in what was his 13th A4DE.

With that E2 victory 32-year-old Green notched up his third category win at the event and the Yamaha stalwart helped guide his young team-mate through the event in what was 19-year-old Bacon’s first attempt at the A4DE.

Bacon’s A4DE debut had been delayed by the plague years but he obviously used that time well to hone his craft alongside mentor Matt Phillips back home in Wynyard, Tasmania, as the teenager has also been dominant in the opening rounds of the 2022 AORC series.

Victorian Andy Wilksch was second quickest across the four days of competition but a three-minute time penalty for a procedural error before racing even got underway on day one put him behind the eight-ball.  Not to be deterred, Wilksch powered on aboard the big-bore Husky FE501 to finish the event only 36-seconds behind Bacon, but with the three-minute penalty added to his time that pushed him down to fifth outright, and demoted him to second place in the E3 category (290cc to 500cc two stroke and 475cc to 650cc four stroke).

The time penalty for Wilksch also promoted Thomas Mason on to the outright podium and overall E3 category honours on a 300 cc kitted GASGAS MC250 two-stroke. Mason took numerous test wins along the way to third place outright and the E3 victory despite a scare at almost the final hurdle when his kick-starter broke.  After a long time away from the sport it was a brilliant performance from Mason in an event that was otherwise dominated by four-stroke machinery.

Multiple Australian Motocross Championship winner Todd Waters finished fourth outright on an FE450 Husqvarna, and second in the E2 category behind Green. Waters won the Natural Terrain style Final Moto and fourth place overall is a great result for the traditionally motocross specialist.

Cooper Sheidow again shone in the slippery conditions and got stronger as the event wore on in what was first ever A4DE. The South Australian youngster rode his Kessner Motorcycles backed 250 XC-F to a brilliant sixth outright, second in the E1 category.

Sheidow also has the honour of being the highest finishing KTM ahead of the hugely experienced 500 EXC-F mounted Stefan Granquist who finished seventh outright and third in the E3 category.

Jeremy Carpentier and Blake Hollis finished eighth and ninth outright on WR250F Yamahas and third and fourth respectively in the E1 category.

Fraser Higlett finished tenth outright on a Beta 430 RR Racing which also put him on the E2 podium ahead of Brad Hardaker on a WR450F.

Jessica Gardiner was the 41st rider home which was plenty good enough to secure the JGR Ballard’s Off Road Team rider her sixth A4DE class victory.

For the full results see: A4DE Results – Teenager Kyron Bacon wins A4DE on WR250F

2022 A4DE Final Outright Standings

2023 A4DE – Harvey, WA

The Trail & Enduro Motorcycle Club of WA has announced that their A4DE, which was to be run in 2021, has been re-scheduled to 17-20 May 2023 and will attract up to 250 riders from across Australia to compete in Harvey, Western Australia.

Planning and organisation for the re-scheduled 2023 A4DE in Harvey, Western Australia is in full swing, and we are excited that major stakeholders have re-committed to the event. Australian owned company Pilot Air Compressors have renewed their commitment to the A4DE as the Naming Rights sponsor for the 2023 Australian Four Day Enduro Championships.

The event, to be held in Harvey, Western Australia, is the premier event on the Off-road Enduro Motorcycling Calendar.

The Shire of Harvey has thrown their weight behind the event with extensive support and assistance to the Club while Parks and Wildlife Services are working with organisers to enable access to a great variety of trails and tracks.

2022 EnduroGP Round One – Spain

Italy’s Andrea Verona (GASGAS) claimed first blood at the end of the first full day of competition at the opening round of the 2022 FIM EnduroGP World Championship, the GP of Spain held in Lalin.

In what boiled down to a three-way fight for victory, the GASGAS Factory Racing rider emerged victorious from the final Just1 Enduro Test to secure his maiden EnduroGP overall win. With less than four seconds separating the top three, Britain’s Steve Holcombe (Beta) and Australia’s Will Ruprecht (TM) completed the EnduroGP podium on day one.

New Zealand’s Hamish Macdonald was sixth fastest on Day One, while Aussie Daniel Milner was 11th overall, but seventh in the E2 class.

Josep Garcia gave his Spanish fans plenty to cheer about on day two of the 2022 FIM EnduroGP World Championship opener in Lalin, Spain, as the KTM Factory Racing star battled his way to the top step of the EnduroGP podium in impressive style.

Day one winner Andrea Verona continued to prove himself to be a serious contenderby backing up his day one victory with a runner-up finish to Garcia on day two. Defending EnduroGP champion Brad Freeman (Beta) regrouped impressively following a disappointing performance on the opening day to complete the overall top three.

Ruprecht was just off the overall podium on Day 2 in fourth but second E2 rider, ahead of Macdonald in fifth, while Milner improved to 10th overall and fifth in the E2 class.

For the full report see: Aussies in the top ten at EnduroGP season opener in Spain

Riders talk the 2022 MXGP of Maggiora, Italy

Round 7 of the 2022 FIM Motocross World Championship has seen Team HRC’s Tim Gajser and Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing’s Jago Geerts take the wins in the MXGP and MX2 classes respectively, making it back-to-back wins for both riders.

The heavy rainfall in the night and some more throughout the day made for some tough conditions but the top MXGP and MX2 stars took on the challenge and produced some intense racing that saw Stephen Rubini of Ship to Cycle Honda SR Motoblouz celebrate his first podium in MX2 and Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing claim a 2-3 podium with Jeremy Seewer and Maxime Renaux.

With Jed Beaton still out with injury, Mitch Evans was the sole Aussie in the MXGP class, but struck bad-luck on lap one getting tangled with other riders and had to battle his way back from the back of the pack to finish the race in 13th. Evans had a better showing in race two, pushing hard to make his way back from a mid-pack start to finish the race in sixth, giving Evans ninth overall.

Mitch Evans – P9

“Other than my starts, I had a good couple of races, especially race two where I came from 14th on lap one, to finish in sixth place. This was my best moto result of the season and it was such a nice confidence boost to be passing guys, coming through the field and pushing right until the very end. Of course, I’d prefer to be up front to begin with, but I know that will come as I am doing all the right things off the grid, so I’m just going to keep working hard and I’m sure next weekend in Riola will be much better.”

MXGP Race 1

In the opening MXGP race of the Italian Grand Prix, the first Fox Holeshot went to Gebben Van Venrooy Yamaha Racing’s Calvin Vlaanderen, who led Team HRC’s Tim Gajser, Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing’s Maxime Renaux and Jeremy Seewer, as well as Standing Construct Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Pauls Jonass.

Renaux then slipped by Gajser as he took over second place on the opening lap and the pair then battled closely for much of the race, with Gajser making several attempts to pass. While the two fought for second, Vlaanderen was looking pretty comfortable in the lead, until lap six when Renaux went through and lap or so later so did Gajser.

In that time, Seewer found his way past Jonass and could then put in a couple of good laps in order to close in on Vlaanderen, Gajser and Renaux.

As the fight between Renaux and Gajser intensified, the pair came within touching distance as they almost made contact, but it was the Slovenian who came out on top and became the new race leader on lap 11.

Seewer then upped his pace as he worked his way around Vlaanderen on lap 11, after battling with the Dutchman for four laps. Towards the final laps of the race, Seewer passed Renaux and then crashed with two laps to go but managed to get going quickly to maintain second position.

Gajser won the race, Seewer was second ahead of Renaux, Vlaanderen and Jonass.

MXGP Race 2

In the second race, it was Kawasaki Racing Team MXGP’s Ben Watson who secured his first Fox Holeshot of the 2022 season and led Jonass, Seewer and Gajser.

Gajser was quick to pass Seewer as Jonass took the lead away from Watson on lap two. The Brit then came under more pressure from Gajser and Seewer, and eventually dropped to fourth by the third lap.

SM Action Racing Team YUASA Battery’s Alberto Forato was looking good as he challenged Renaux for his position and eventually took fifth away from the Frenchman. He looked solid for a couple of more laps before crashing and finishing the race in 13th position.

On lap five we saw a change for the lead, as Gajser got around Jonass, while Seewer remained close. Moments later the Swiss got around the Latvian who crashed five or so laps later and dropped back to 8th.

From then on it was a steady race for Gajser, as Seewer got comfortable in second, while Watson was looking good in third. Renaux was on a mission though, as he looked to fight back and score some solid points. On lap 12 the Frenchman sensed an opportunity to get Watson and took it with both hands and solidified his spot on the box.

Gajser won the race with a 20.264 second advantage over Seewer. Renaux was third ahead of Watson and Fernandez.

Gajser went on to claim his sixth overall win of the season, with Seewer finally making a comeback on the box since Matterley Basin to secure the second spot ahead of his teammate Renaux who celebrated his fourth podium in MXGP.

With Red Bull GasGas Factory Racing’s Jorge Prado out for the Italian GP, this now means that Gajser leads by 81 points as Renaux moves into second in the championship standings ahead of Seewer who is third.

Tim Gajser – P1

“Today the conditions were a lot different than yesterday and that allowed more lines to form, which gave me more opportunity to make the passes I needed. I was able to get two good starts and move into the top three in both races early on. From there, I just had to choose the right time and the right place to make my moves and try to control the race afterwards. The track certainly wasn’t easy after the rain but I enjoyed creating my own lines and I’m just really enjoying my riding at the moment and this win was a nice moment. A big thank you to Team HRC for all their work with the bike, and just being great people to be alongside during a race weekend. Also thank you to all the fans who come to these races, it is much better this year having a good crowd to cheer us along.”

Jeremy Seewer – P2

“It feels great to be on the podium and with two very solid second place finishes. Clearly being the second fastest today was very good, but I know it’s not my full potential. I still struggle with a few little things that I can improve. Just small details that could make the difference and have me battling with Tim (Gajser). But, for now I am happy with second. I didn’t try to push or force the issue to catch Tim. So it was just a big step forward and now I look forward to the racing to come.”

Maxime Renaux – P3

“I have to be happy with the result today because I was not happy with my riding. I didn’t ride like I know I can. I rushed a little bit and made some mistakes, which was not the best, but I have to see the positive. It’s still a podium in my rookie season and I stepped up to second in the championship. I also had two very consistent and good starts, so that was the main goal for this weekend. So, it’s a step forward and we keep learning and improving, looking to get closer to fight for the top step of the podium.”

Rubén Fernández – P5

“On Saturday the track was really fast and there weren’t so many lines to make passes, but I finished the Qualifying Race in fourth place, so that gave me a good pick on the start-gate for Sunday’s races and this helped a lot. I didn’t manage to get a great feeling from the track all weekend, but even after what I’d call a bad ride, the result still wasn’t so bad for me with two solid results in both motos. Riola in Sardinia is next for us. A very sandy and tricky track for everyone. Not one of my favourites, but I’ll do my best and try for a good result.”

Ben Watson – P6

“This result is a big, big relief and really nice, not just for me but for the entire team; everybody’s been working so hard and nobody has given up on me, so it was nice to finally bring something back to them. I still wasn’t feeling how I wanted yesterday; the track wasn’t technical enough in the dry so I was quite happy when it rained and they had ripped the track. There was still just one main dry line and you either had to take the risk of changing lines or wait for a mistake to pass so that’s why the start was so important and we again went with the scoop tyre as we had in Trentino. We sacrificed everything for the start and it paid off with two great starts and tenth and fourth at the finish for sixth overall. I always like the sand so to go to Riola next weekend on the back of a good result is great; I went 7-7 there last year so I’m really looking forward to the next Grand Prix.“

Pauls Jonass – P7

“If I did not crash twice in the second moto then it would have been a good day! I was riding comfortably in third in that second moto and just made a mistake. It is just a pity. I was trying very hard to get back to fourth, which is why I made another mistake on the last lap. If you remove those mistakes though then it would have been an okay weekend, overall. I am determined to get back to where I should be.”

Glenn Coldenhoff – P10

“It was a big off weekend, I guess. My starts were not good, and riding was also not the best. It was just an off day, 10th overall is not where I want to be, so it’s a terrible weekend, we will put it in the past and look to bounce back in Riola next weekend.”

Brian Bogers – P12

“Today was not good for me. There were too many mistakes, but some of them were not even my fault! A rider made a mistake in front of me in that second moto and that caused me to crash. I just did not have great starts this weekend and that made it difficult on me. Everyone was using the same lines and riding in a train out there, which made it tricky to pass. It was difficult. I am not happy, but very focussed on the next race. I am looking forward to bouncing back there!”

MXGP of  2022 Round Results

MXGP Standings after Round 6 – Top 20

MX2 Race 1

As the gate dropped for MX2 race one, the first Fox Holeshot of the weekend went to Red Bull GasGas Factory Racing’s Mattia Guadagnini who immediately crashed in the third corner and that also stopped Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Tom Vialle in his tracks and allowed Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing’s Jago Geerts into the lead!

Geerts then led Kay Karssemakers of Hitachi KTM Fuelled by Milwaukee, Stephen Rubini of Ship to Cycle Honda SR Motoblouz as well as Hitachi KTM Fuelled by Milwaukee’s Isak Gifting.

Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Kay de Wolf started well too along with Diga Procross KTM Racing’s Liam Everts who was running well inside the top 10.

Rubini then moved into second place as Guadagnini crashed once more. The Italian did not finish the rest of the race.

Everts then passed de Wolf to move into fifth place, as Gifting passed Karssemakers. The Dutchman then crashed which allowed Everts to move into fourth. By that point Vialle was in seventh and catching up to de Wolf and the pair then battled intensely.

While at the front of the field, Rubini was looking impressive and was the fastest rider on the track for a while. The Frenchman consistently improved upon his lap times as he closed the gap to Geerts. This is when backmarkers started to play their part, as Rubini got help up which allowed Geerts to pull away.

At around the mid-way stage of the race, Everts found himself in the sights of de Wolf which meant that he could not afford any mistakes or a moment to relax. Eventually on lap 12, de Wolf was able to get by Everts, though crashed just two laps after that which handed fourth place back to Everts. By that point Vialle also picked up the pace as he got within striking distance of Everts.

In the end, Geerts went on to win race one with Rubini crossing the line in second place ahead of Gifting, while Everts kept Vialle at bay to secure fourth.

MX2 Race 2

In race two, the Fox Holeshot went to Karssemakers who led Vialle, Geerts, de Wolf and Red Bull GasGas Factory Racing’s Simon Längenfelder. de Wolf dropped down to seventh as Längenfelder got by and so did Adamo and Guadagnini.

Geerts and Längenfelder then got by Karssemakers, as Längenfelder set the fastest lap of the race and looked to close the gap down between him and the Belgian ahead of him.

Adamo was next to go after the Hitachi KTM fuelled by Milwaukee of Kay Karssemakers but pushed too hard and crashed. The Italian got going again in 11th but then slipped down to 16th by the end of the race.

Big Van World MTX Kawasaki’s Mikkel Haarup, Rubini and F&H Kawasaki Racing’s Kevin Horgmo were locked in a close battle for seventh as they pushed their way closer to Guadagnini and de Wolf just ahead. Karssemakers was still ahead, with de Wolf pushing to get by but a mistake saw him drop to fifth, with Rubini and Haarup looming in his shadow.

Eventually de Wolf was able to get himself into fourth, as Karssemakers found himself being urged on by Rubini. As the Frenchman focused on the KTM rider ahead of him, Haarup was able to seize his own opportunity to get by, catching Rubini off by surprise, as did Horgmo who shortly after passed him too.

Back with the leaders, Geerts kept things close to Vialle who was still the rider in the lead. In the final few laps the Belgian really stepped up his game as he applied the pressure onto his championship rival, though it was not enough to spook Vialle who ended up winning the race. Geerts was second, Längenfelder third, de Wolf finished fourth ahead of Haarup.

A 1-2 result of Geerts, compared to Vialle’s 5-1 gave Geerts the overall victory, with Vialle second on the box ahead of Rubini who celebrated his first ever podium in the world championship.

As it stands, Geerts leads the MX2 Championship with a 6-point advantage over Vialle. Längenfelder is third, five points ahead of de Wolf and Haarup who are tied on points in fourth and fifth.

Jago Geerts – P1

“I am really happy. Two consistent motos, two consistent starts and I felt good on track all weekend. I managed to stay out of trouble during the motos, which helped with good starts. I was riding well today, in the second race I did try to go for the win, and went for the pass on Tom (Vialle), but in the end the track was very one lined, and I made the push a bit late. So, I am happy with a 1-2 for today and already looking forward to next weekend in the deep sand.”

Tom Vialle – P2

“I missed a little bit of luck in the first moto. My bike was completely blocked behind Mattia and I think a lot of riders crashed behind me. I felt like I was quite far down, maybe 15th or something, but I came back to 5th on a track that was pretty sketchy for passing. The result was not so bad. I almost had the holeshot in the second moto but still took the lead and led every lap. Jago came quite close but I was able to win. I’m quite happy because there were some positives to take from today and the new bike is working really well. We made some improvements and we had two great starts, which is great for the races to come.”

Stephen Rubini – P3

“It was a really positive weekend, especially today on Sunday. We managed to do two good starts and to battle in the front is just so nice. It’s finally where I wanted to be, fighting at the front in the first race, putting in some good laps and catching up to Jago. And actually, after the second race I didn’t know I was on the podium until my friends told me and I was just relieved to know, it’s been quite a few long years. And I’m happy to finally be where I want to be”.

Simon Langenfelder – P4

“Today was a good day! I was almost last in the first race, but I made some passes and my speed was very good in the end. I was quite happy about my sixth place! My start was a lot better in the second race. I was really, really fast and catching the top two. The track was so difficult and I had a nice gap behind me, so I decided to take it easy and stay safe. I finished fourth overall and, unfortunately, not on the podium, but I think that we will be back on the podium soon.”

Kay de Wolf – P5

“It was a difficult day. It was really muddy in the morning! I did not have a very good start in the first moto and was lucky that a few people crashed. I was in third or fourth, but I made a small mistake. I had to fight back and then I crashed two more times. We learnt from that, so the second moto was a lot better. I still had a small crash in that moto, unfortunately, but I fought back to fourth. I was pretty happy with that. It was a big learning day.”

Mikkel Haarup – P6

“I have mixed feelings with the day but I’m happy with my efforts and to come away with two decent motos and sixth overall. I knew this morning it would be a tricky day for me on this track. I didn’t have fantastic starts so I had to work my way up the field both motos; I felt I would have a better rhythm in the second moto but I spent a lot of energy in the first race, making a lot of mistakes and trying too much.”

Kevin Horgmo – P9

“I was stuck in the third corner after a mid-pack start in the first moto when they crashed in front of me and I had nowhere to go. It wasn’t easy to pass and I crashed two times to finish twelfth. The second moto I made a mid-pack start and we were almost riding a train with no-one able to pass. I almost crashed a couple of times but everybody else was on the edge too; a couple of the guys in front of me did crash and I ended up seventh. The starts were so important here. I don’t know why they didn’t work here today but I’m not worried; I had perfect starts in Latvia and I’m confident we can bring the starts back at Riola Sardo next weekend. I have raced the Italian championship there and we were there for pre-season training so I know the track well and it’s a good one for me.”

Thibault Benistant – P11

“My weekend was quite difficult. It’s quite difficult to accept this result, for the past few weeks I have been quite close to the podium, so to finish this far from it; it is quite difficult mentally. But, from here, we will keep working hard to come back strong. I was not riding completely free and flowing today, but I think after a few more training sessions it will come back.”

Mattia Guadagnini – P17

“Today was pretty bad. I was feeling really, really good all weekend though! I took the holeshot in the first moto and felt really confident, but then I threw the race away in the third corner. I did not have such a bad start in moto two; I was fighting for fourth place when I crashed. I re-joined the race and tried my best. I finished tenth – that was not what I wanted. I feel really good on the bike at the moment, but it is just not showing up in the results. We are going to keep working on that.”

MXGP of MX2 Round Overall – Top 15

MX2 Standings – Top 20

Riders talk 2022 Salt Lake City AMA Supercross Round 17

Images by Jeff Kardas

450 Main Event

Justin Bogle got another holeshot on the Suzuki ahead of Cooper Webb and Jason Anderson as Chase Sexton and Justin Barcia gave chase.

Anderson blasted past Bogle in the whoops on lap two and Sexon then swiftly demoted Bogle further back to third where he then fell into the clutches of Webb, Barcia and Stewart.

Anderson continued to lead from Webb but five-minutes in the battle for third was being hotly contested by Barcia, Webb, Stewart and Musquin. 38-year-old Justin Brayton was seventh at this early juncture in what was his 190th Main Event start.

Stewart eventually got the better of Webb for fourth and then reeled in Barcia with ease but catching the GASGAS man was one thing, passing him was another… It took Stewart a few minutes to do it and he looked to have the speed to clear out but Barcia rammed straight into the side of him at the next tight left-hander which left Stewart on the deck.  Webb and Musquin also had a minor spat at this halfway point of the race.  (Check out the video highlights further down this page)

At half race distance Anderson led Sexton by four-seconds, who in turn had six-seconds on Barcia. Musquin was fourth and Stewart had regrouped and pushed his way back past Webb.

Stewart’s next target was Musquin and he made short work of the KTM man to get back up to fourth. Next target, Justin Barcia for some payback time, and the fans were cheering him on towards that goal… Stewart though had five-seconds to make up in order to get back on terms with Bam Bam, and only a little over seven-minutes to do it. In the bigger picture this pair were also tussling over third place in the championship…

With three-minutes to run Stewart had halved that gap to third placed Barcia, the gap under three-seconds and that big target on the back of Barcia’s back was now within the view of Stewart, and the crowd loved it…

Lapped traffic did Barcia no favours and a minute later the gap was 1.5-seconds…  The two revving their engines hard as they closed on lappers to let them know they were coming…

Up front it was Anderson the clear leader, and Sexton a safe second, but the interest was all on the Barcia versus Stewart battle about to recommence…

With two laps to run the gap was now down to a second then as Stewart closed on Barcia the Salt Lake City crowd were going bananas…

On the final lap Stewart almost managed to jump into a challenging position but was not quite close enough, he was then baulked by a lapper which saw him run out of time to make another challenge.  Barcia was booed loudly as he crossed the line.

Jason Anderson had stopped to celebrate his victory and acknowledge the crowd, but they were not in a celebratory mood as they continued to mock Barcia in protest of that earlier t-bone he made on Stewart.

With that victory Anderson closed to within nine-points of champion Tomac and finished his season with an incredible four Main wins in a row. Anderson won seven Mains across the season, the same number as champion Tomac.

While Barcia had finished ahead of Stewart on the track, it was the Husqvarna rider that claimed third place in the championship by a slender two-points over Barcia.

The crowd cheered very loudly when Stewart was handed his third place medal for the championship as he was clearly the fan favourite tonight on the back of his comeback after Barcia’s t-bone. Conversely, every time the circuit screens showed Barcia, the crowd jeered and heckled loudly.

Barcia docked ten points for move on Stewart

Later on in the night, after the press conferences, organisers docked Barcia ten-points for the incident as he was already under probation for incidents earlier in the season. For his third place he was only awarded 11-points instead of the normal 21-points, so that actually demoted him in the championship points standings behind Marvin Musquin. That will cost Barcia quite a bit of both prize and bonus money.

Marvin Musquin fifth in the final race and fifth in the championship ahead of Chase Sexton. The Honda rider a strong second place in that final round to finish the season on a high note ahead of Pro Motocross getting underway.

2021 champ Cooper Webb finished his title defence with a somewhat disappointing seventh place in the championship.

Justin Brayton finished the Main in seventh to sign off a great and long career in Supercross with ninth place in the 2022 Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship. 170 top ten finishes from those 190 starts for Brayton in what is a long and distinguished record.

Atop the final manufacturer points standings, which are calculated on a combined basis of 250 and 450 results, is Honda by five-points over Yamaha.

Jason Anderson – P1

“This has been an amazing season for me. Taking home seven wins is the best I’ve ever done in a single season, and I have everyone at Monster Energy Kawasaki to thank for helping me reach such an accomplishment at this point in my career. Yeah, I wish I could’ve taken the title fight to the very last round but to finish second my first year with a new team is still an amazing achievement.”

Chase Sexton – P2

“At the beginning, Jason [Anderson] and I had a really good pace going. I made a few mistakes and kind of lost my flow a little bit, and once I lost touch, there was no getting it back; he was riding really good. Lappers did come into play, but he had to deal with them just like I did. It was a tough racetrack. I struggled in the dry, slick parts, but I was happy they put a lot of water down for the night show; it plays to my strengths when there’s ruts on the track. I’m happy to end the season on a somewhat high note. Minus three races where I didn’t finish, everything else was really good. I was in the top five pretty much every race, and eight podiums and a win is big progress from last year. That was my goal coming into this year; I wanted to be a little bit calmer. I still had a few moments out there, but I made a lot of progress with my riding and mentality. I just want to keep progressing. I’ve got a lot of work to do, but I feel like I’m on the right track. I’m looking forward to the outdoors and next year racing supercross. It’s going to be fun.”

Justin Barcia – P3

“I’m happy to end the supercross series with a podium finish here in Salt Lake City. Obviously, tonight’s racing was intense but we were racing for third in the championship and I was going for it. All-in-all, I’m stoked with how the season went, we had a lot of fun together as a team and we definitely have some positives to take away and bring into the outdoor series.”

Malcolm Stewart – P4

“The night was great honestly, and I was riding really good all day,” Stewart said. “In the Main Event, I made a pass for third and got into it with Barcia and he shuffled me back a couple positions. I was able to make my way back up and run him down again, all the way to the last lap, but I had a lapped rider in front of me and made a little mistake. The big goal for us was to end on a high note with third in the series and we accomplished that, so I can’t thank the whole team enough for a great year! We’ve been solid and we’ve been smooth, so let’s take this thing outdoors!”

Marvin Musquin – P5

“Obviously I wanted to finish on a high note but it was a tricky track. I was able to win the heat race, which was satisfying. In the main, I just wasn’t able to get up front. Off the gate, I was pretty far back and I got myself up to fifth but I spent a lot of energy trying to pass some guys and I lost some time. Overall, I’m happy with my season even though there were a lot of ups and downs. We were able to learn a lot with the bike and we still are. We can definitely be better but it was a learning year. The highlight of the season was winning the Triple Crown in St. Louis. It’s an amazing feeling to be able to do that at 32 years old, it’s special for me. I actually made up quite a bit of points in the championship and I was getting closer to getting third but they were strong and consistent. I’m healthy at the end of the season, I always want to do better, but I have to be happy with what I’ve accomplished.”

Cooper Webb – P6

“Today was a little bit better for me and the riding was pretty good. I was able to lead some laps in the heat and ended up second. I got a good start in the Main Event and it felt good to be up front. I made a few mistakes but I had a good fight all the way to the end. I ended the year healthy and at all 17 rounds, so we’ll re-group and get ready for next year and try to go after a championship.”

450 Main Event Results

450 Final Championship Standings (Round 17 of 17)

Amended with Barcia ten-point penalty applied

250 E/W Showdown Main Event

Hunter Lawrence and Christian Craig were side-by-side in turn one but it was Hunter that took the early advantage as Craig played it somewhat safe to protect his box seat in the championship.

In third place was Craig’s team-mate Nate Thrasher and he was not going to force the issue but a door opened two-minutes into the race and Thrasher rode through it to that second place and immediately started to challenge Hunter Lawrence for the lead.  Thrasher’s pass on Lawrence not quite as careful as it was on his team-mate but it was still clean enough and once through he left Lawrence in his dust.

Christian Craig went down five-minutes into the race and lost a couple of positions from that mistake, slipping to sixth place just behind Austin Forkner. The Kawasaki man then made a small mistake which allowed Craig to go back up to fifth.

At the halfway point of the contest Thrasher led Lawrence by 2.5-seconds with Pierce Brown a similar distance further back in third place.  RJ Hampshire was a few bike lengths behind Brown and running in fourth place, while Craig was a couple of second further back in fifth.

Jo Shimoda then worked his way past Austin Forkner before then proceeding to push Christian Craig back to sixth.

With four-minutes to run Lawrence stepped up to take the challenge for victory to Thrasher as they negotiated lapped traffic. Two-minutes later Hunter was all over the back of Thrasher and looking for a way past. Hunter’s first attempt cost him a little time and the clock was running down fast. Further back Craig had been relegated to eighth by Forkner and Mosiman…

Hunter made another attempt on Thrasher with 30-seconds left on the clock which again cost him plenty of time but they still had a lot of lapped traffic to negotiate over the final two laps.

It was a tense and exciting final lap but Lawrence could not find a way past Thrasher and had to settle for second place a bike length behind the Yamaha man who ended his sometimes difficult season on a high note.

Pierce Brown rounded out the podium ahead of RJ Hampshire and Jo Shimoda but with an eighth place finish that was enough for Christian Craig to win his first ever AMA Supercross Championship.

30-year-old Christian Craig the 2022 250 West Championship winner by ten-points over 23-year-old Hunter Lawrence.

23-points further back Michael Mosiman finishes with third place in the West championship, 35-points ahead of 19-year-old Jo Shimoda.

Jett Lawrence might not have contested the final round but still finishes season 2022 with a 34-point advantage over RJ Hampshire as the young Aussie added the 250 Supercross East Champsionship ahead of getting his AMA Pro Motocross Title defence underway late this month.

250 Rookie of the Year was Cullin Park.

Atop the final manufacturer points standings, which are calculated on a combined basis of 250 and 450 results, is Honda by five-points over Yamaha.

Nate Thrasher – P1

“I felt pretty good all day. I’ve been working on my starts quite a bit and finally came out in the top five in the heat race and got into second. Christian was a little too far ahead to go and make a run for the heat win, but I matched his times, so I felt like I had the speed coming into the night. Then in the main event, I had the speed early and was way faster than anybody else. I moved through and just tried to get to the front as quickly as I could. It was tough with Christian having a championship to win and I didn’t want to get in between that, so I tried to get around him as quickly as possible. After I got around him, I then tried to chase down Hunter (Lawrence) and knew that the best thing for me to do was go and beat him, and that’s what I did.”

Hunter Lawrence – P2

“On the first few laps, I was jumping through the whoops, which I lost a lot of time on. I didn’t have that extra bit of energy and strength tonight, so I was watching the clock, trying to time gassing myself out. It was tough, a good race. [Nate Thrasher] was really close in a few spots, and I thought if I went a little more it may have crossed the line and put both of us on the ground. I just kept it clean, and it was a good race. Every year you see what’s kind of trending with the champions that win the class; the first thing that comes to mind is you obviously have to win, but also be on the box every round, so that was one of my big goals this year. I did that at every race I finished, bar A3 where I crashed out. That’s huge to tick that box in my book, so a lot of positives. We fell short a little bit, but I’m still not mad on the season. I proved a lot to myself and to other people. I left it all out there and tried my best every race.”

Pierce Brown – P3

“It was a good day. I had a tough heat race, I made a couple mistakes and got together with a couple riders but we pulled it together for the LCQ. In the Main Event, I trusted myself and committed from the outside gate and ended up top-five in the first couple laps. I passed a few guys and ended up third on the night. I was the first east coast guy and that felt good also. All-in-all, I’m stoked on the season, we clinched third in the series, which is my best supercross season yet, and I’m really excited with how we grew all season with the team and I’m just stoked for more!”

RJ Hampshire – P4

“We started out a little bit of a struggle but we salvaged that Main Event,” Hampshire said. “We got a good start from the outside and I felt like I rode pretty solid for the second half of the race and gave ourselves a shot at the podium. I’m stoked to end the season on a good note, a healthy note, and second in the championship. I can’t be too bummed, especially with how it started, so just to be here at the end is a huge improvement for myself and the team. Another series coming up, so I’m excited to get it going again.”

Jo Shimoda – P5

“The track was really tough tonight and it made it really hard to get by guys,” said Shimoda. “The start was key and we didn’t get what we needed to challenge for the win or the podium. It was good to find some speed near the end of the season so we can hopefully bring that into outdoors in a few weeks.”

Austin Forkner – P6

“Passing opportunities were very hard to come by on this track,” said Forkner. “I had to wait a long time for it to happen in the heat race and I wasn’t really able to do much in the main event. It’s a bummer after getting the heat race win, but I’m just happy to be closing out supercross healthy and we can look forward to starting strong for the motocross season.”

Michael Mosiman – P7

“It was a tough night for me to cap off a season with a lot of highs and lows. I think my season just spoke a lot to what supercross is – both challenging and difficult – but also, there is glory to be fought for. There were a lot of great moments and building moments, and some of the struggles are only fuel to the fire. I can’t wait for the outdoor season!”

Christian Craig – P8

“Obviously, there was a lot of pressure throughout the day with the championship on the line and being the last round, but I feel like I handled it all pretty well. I just took it practice by practice and enjoyed every moment. I was treating it like any other race, but at the same time, I also knew what could happen. In the main event, I was riding a little tight, knowing where I was and where I needed to be, and finished eighth to clinch this title. This is something I’ve dreamed of and worked for my whole life. I’m just going to sit here and enjoy it.”

250 E/W Showdown Main Event Results

250 East Final Championship Standings

250 West Final Championship Standings

2022 Racing schedule

2022 Yamaha Australian Off-Road Championship, presented by MXstore

2022 FIM Motocross (MXGP) World Championship Calendar

2022 Monster Energy AMA/ FIM World Supercross Schedule

2022 FIM Hard Enduro World Championship Provisional Schedule

2022 Australian Arenacross Calendar

Round	Location	Date
Round 1	Bacchus Marsh	Jan-29
Round 2	Swan Hill	Feb-12
Round 3	Albury/Wodonga	Feb-26
Round 4	Renmark	Mar-12

2022 ProMX Championship Calendar

Round	Location	Date
Round 1	Wonthaggi, VIC	Mar-27
Round 2	Mackay, QLD	Apr-10
Round 3	Wodonga, VIC	May-01
Round 4	Gillman, SA	May-29
Round 5	Maitland, NSW	Jun-26
Round 6	Coffs Harbour, NSW	Jul-24
Round 7	Queensland Moto Park	Aug-14
Round 8	Coolum, QLD	August 20-21

2022 Lucas Oil Pro MX Championship Calendar

Round	Event	Location	Date
Round 1	Fox Raceway National I	Pala, CA	May-28
Round 2	Hangtown Motocross Classic	Sacramento, CA	Jun-04
Round 3	Thunder Valley National	Lakewood, CO	Jun-11
Round 4	High Point National	MT Morris, PA	Jun-28
Round 5	Redbud National	Buchanan, MI	Jul-02
Round 6	Southwick National	Southwick, MA	Jul-09
Round 7	Spring Creek National	Millwille, MN	Jul-16
Round 8	Washougal National	Washougal, WA	Jul-23
Round 9	Unadilla National	New Berlin, NY	Aug-13
Round 10	Budds Creek National	Mechanicsville, MD	Aug-20
Round 11	Ironman National	Crawfordsville, IN	Aug-27
Round 12	Fox Raceway National II	Pala, CA	Sep-03

2022 Victorian Junior MX State Titles Calendar

Round	Location	Date
Round 1	Shipwreck	April 2-3
Round 2	Broadford	May 7-8
Round 3	Horsham	July 30-31
Round 4	Korumburra	September 3-4

 2022 FIM Bajas World Cup Calendar

Date	Event	Venue	Country
17-19 February	Jordan Baja	Aqaba	Jordan
24 -26 February	Qatar Intl. Baja	Doha	Qatar
06-08 May	Baja do Oeste Castelo	Branco	Portugal
22-23 July	Baja Aragon	Teruel	Spain
04-07 August	Hungarian Baja	Varpalota	Hungary
27-30 August	Atacama Baja 1	Iquique	Chile
31 Aug-01 Sept	Atacama Baja 2	Iquique	Chile
27-29 October	Baja Portalegre	Portalegre	Portugal
10-12 November	Saudi Baja * Tbc	Saudi	Arabia
01-03 December	Dubai Intl. Baja	Dubai United	Arab Emirate

2022 Silk Way Rally – July 6-16, 2022

2022 FIM ISDE – Le Puy en Velay, France
29 August-3 September, 2022