Moto Wrap | Controversy surrounds 2017 A4DE

Moto News Wrap for August 22, 2017 by Darren Smart

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Latest News

• 2017 A4DE – Off or On or Off?
• Australia Locked and Loaded for ISDE
• Green and Evans take MX Nats Privateer awards
• Zach Osborne Moves to 450 Class in 2018
• Cianciarulo Extends Contract
• 3 Rider MotoConcepts Team for 2018 – No Mike Alessi
• Vsevolod Brylyakov Signs with Yamaha For 2018
• Pawlicki Wins GP Challenge
• Indian on Top of Grand National Championship
• Harwood Replaced Carter in NZ MXoN Team
• Great Britain and The Netherlands Announce MXoN Teams
• Barreda and Brabec clinch the 2017 Vegas-Reno

This Week’s Race Reports

• Rd 16 – FIM World Motocross Championships – Uddevalla, Sweden
• Rd 11 – AMA Nationals – Budds Creek, Mechanicsville, Maryland
• Rd 10 – Australian Motocross Championship – Coolum, QLD
• Rd 1 – 2017 AMA EnduroCross Series – Orleans Arena
• Atacama Rally – Chile
• 2017 Australian Senior Dirt Track Championship – Jambaroo Park, Victoria

2017 A4DE – Off or On or Off?

As of the 20^th of August, the 2017 A4DE had been cancelled according to an official Facebook post by the Toowoomba Motorcycle Club, with the reason given for the cancellation being a lack of entries with only 52 riders confirmed at that stage – the Facebook post read like this:

‘The Toowoomba Motor Cycle Club deeply regrets that due to the lack entries to date and the lack of an expected increase prior to the event, they have no choice but to CANCEL the 2017 A4DE.’

‘Please be assured that this decision has not been made lightly, but we also have to give people time to adjust their calendars and cancel accommodation etc. with adequate time. We ask that you please understand that our club cannot run an event that will produce a substantial loss.’

‘Riders who have paid their nominations will be reimbursed in full (including PAYPAL Fees) over the next 2-3 weeks as we collate the details. We will email you in this time to let you know the process for refunds. We would also like to thank all the T.M.C.C Members who to date have put in a powerful amount of time and effort to have the Special Test Areas ready for the event.’

Then on the 21^st of August Motorcycle Australia made this statement:

‘In a retracted Facebook statement made yesterday (20/08/17), the named host club of the 2017 Australian Four Day Enduro (A4DE) has announced that the 2017 A4DE earmarked for September 25th – 30th will not go ahead as planned.

The Toowoomba Motor Cycle Club (TMCC) sighting poor attendance forecasting figures weeks in advance of entries closing for the termination.

Both Motorcycling Australia and the State Controlling Bodies are currently working with the TMCC to reach an alternate solution for the successful running of the 2017 A4DE. Details of revisions will be released in due course. End statement.’

There is more to this story than meets the eye and while I was unable to talk to any of the TMCC members personally there is a whisper around the traps that the release of the information regarding the 2018 A4DE to be held at Cessnock early next year was a kick in the guts for the TMCC.

Their ‘cancellation post’ on Facebook was a reaction to that release AND according to section 4.1 of the supplementary regulations the event can only be cancelled with the approval of MA so there is obviously an issue between the club and MA.

‘4.1 Entries are now open and close on 11 September 2017. Late entries may be accepted at the discretion of the promoter. Late entry fee will be $150. Contact Race Secretary at [email protected]. The minimum number of entries will be 150 and the maximum will be 350. If there are less than 150 entries the event may be cancelled with the approval of MA.’

Australia Locked and Loaded for ISDE

Australia’s Senior, Junior and Women’s World Trophy teams are locked and loaded for the International Six Days Enduro (ISDE) at Brive in France between the 28^th of August and the 2^nd of September.

The red-hot team of Josh Green, Daniel Milner, Matthew Phillips and Daniel Sanders will make up the Senior World Trophy Team while the Junior Trophy Team will feature the dynamic trio of Michael Driscoll, Wil Ruprecht and Lydnon Snodgrass.

It will be our tried and proven Womens team of Jessica Gardiner, Tayla Jones and Jemma Wilson who will once again be the favourite as they go for five titles in a row.

This World Championship winning team will line up against the world’s best women’s international teams to defend a title previously claimed four times by the Australians, and will now be chasing a historic fifth win in a row.

Jess Gardiner who is now staring down the barrel of wrapping up her first European Enduro Championship, is pumped for this year’s ISDE.

Jess Gardiner

“I have been spending a bit of time in France this year competing throughout Europe, so I am really looking forward to compete in my adopted country. I’m super excited to be reunited with our Australian girls team, whom are all on separate continents right now. Looking forward to seeing all the Australian crew and doing our best to secure our fifth world championship title together!” Gardiner exclaimed.

Tayla Jones, who has been cleaning up in the Kenda Full Gas series in the United States this year and leading the Women’s Pro Overall Standings, also cannot wait to defend the title.

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Tayla Jones

“I can’t wait to head over to France to try make it out fifth world title in a row. I am feeling really good on the bike and I know Jess and Jemma are also killing it, so it’s going to be a good race. I’ve seen several pictures of the tracks that have started being set up, and they look awesome, I’m excited to get there and start racing.”

Jemma Wilson, after taking out the Women’s Yamaha AORC title in Omeo (VIC) is in ripping form and ready to compete at the ISDE.

Jemma Wilson

“I have stayed in Australia all this season and I am really looking forward to heading over to France. Tayla and Jess have been phenomenal in America and Europe all year, and I have enjoyed the AORC season. We all appear to be ready to go for five in a row! Thanks to Yamaha and Motorcycling Australia for making it possible!”

Senior World Trophy Team

• Joshua Green
• Daniel Milner
• Matthew Phillips
• Daniel Sanders

Womens World Trophy Team

• Jessica Gardiner
• Tayla Jones
• Jemma Wilson

Junior World Trophy Team

• Michael Driscoll
• Will Ruprecht
• Lyndon Snodgrass 

For more information and to stay up to date with everything happening over the week of 2017 ISDE this From August 28th to September 2nd, head to AORC.org.au.

Green and Evans take MX Nats Privateer awards

The highest placed privateer riders in the Thor MX1 class and the Motul MX2 category have had their names added to two of the most prestigious trophies in the championship, with the Jono Porter and Andrew McFarlane Privateer awards handed out at Coolum.

Joel Green in the Thor MX1 class took out the Andrew McFarlane Privareer award after finishing in an impressive 10th in the championship, while Richie Evans in the Motul MX2 category took out the prized Jono Porter Privateer trophy after finishing ninth in the points, despite being injured and unable to compete at the final two rounds.

After racing had concluded on Sunday, Green shared what it means to have his name now featured on the Andrew McFarlane trophy alongside many other great riders who have taken out the award in the past.

Joel Green – Andrew McFarlane trophy winner

“I’d really like to thank those who got behind me and supported me this year, especially the guys at Gas Imports, they’ve helped a lot and made a lot of this possible. It’s been a great series at the MX Nationals, and it’s a great honour to take out this award for 2017.”

For Evans, taking out the Jono Porter Privateer award is one of the highlights of his career, and says that he’s honoured to hold the trophy for the next 12 months.

Richie Evans – Jono Porter Privateer trophy winner

“It’s very humbling to have achieved this and to have taken out the privateer of the year. I have to give a big thanks to Mike Ward, if it wasn’t for him I truly wouldn’t be here. And my parents, they put so much into me this year, and I’m glad I can walk away with this. I’m so appreciative and honoured, and can’t wait to come back next year and do it again.”

Zach Osborne Moves to 450 Class in 2018

In the post-race press conference following the Budds Creek National on Saturday, Rockstar Energy Husqvarna’s Zach Osborne confirmed that he will defend his 250SX East Region title and then move up to the 450 Class for the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship.

Zach Osborne

“I’m going to defend the supercross, and I want to ride the 450 outdoors. It’s something I ride every week at home and I’m making good progress with. So, it’s an opportunity that I’m looking forward to. I’m 27, about to be 28 years old and it’s time to move up. I finally got my opportunity to do so. A lot of people think that those jobs and rides are easy to come by even when you’re a champion, and they’re not. It’s my turn and my time so I’ll be moving up for outdoors next season.”

Jason Anderson will return to the team after signing an extension in 2015 that will expire at the end of the 2018 season. Dean Wilson has also signed with the team for 2018.

Cianciarulo Extends Contract

Adam Cianciarulo has announced that he and the Monster Energy Pro-Circuit Kawasaki team have agreed to a multi-year extension to the contract he signed way back in 2011.

Adam Cianciarulo

“It’s awesome. Those guys have stuck by me through everything, both Kawasaki and Pro Circuit. I’ve been Kawasaki since 2004. I was seven years old. I’ve been with Pro Circuit since I was about 12 years old. Mitch and Bruce and Dan and Zach at Pro Circuit and Kawasaki, those guys have always been so supportive of me. It’s difficult for me to describe how bad I felt when I kept getting hurt. I felt like I was letting those guys down. They invested so, so much in me as an amateur, and they invested in me to win. I completely understand that. Just for them to stick by me and never really complain. They never put pressure on me. They let me come around at my own pace. They’re like family to me. It’s a special feeling.”

Cianciarulo’s extension will see him return to the only team he’s ever ridden for in his pro career while Joey Savatgy and Austin Forkner will also return in 2018.

Justin Hill’s status with the team is still up in the air with the 2017 250SX West Region champion being linked to the JGR Suzuki team for a 250 ride in 2018, and a 450 deal in 2019.

3 Rider MotoConcepts Team for 2018 – No Mike Alessi

MotoConcepts Racing (MCR) has signed the experienced trio of Justin Brayton, Vince Friese and Jake Weimer for the 2018 AMA Supercross Championship with no sign of regular teamster Mike Alessi.

Tony Alessi – MCR Team Manager

“Brayton’s experience and maturity allows consistently strong starts and top ten finishes making him a strong podium contender. Friese, who is proven to be one of the strongest starters in the 450 class continues to display growth that will enable him to be a top-ten finisher. I look forward to working with both of these talented riders again. While looking to add a third 450 rider, we had multiple ex-champions to choose from. After speaking with Jake, we felt with the proper training, testing and time to prepare, Jake will possess the needed confidence to perform at a high level. It is our belief Jake has plenty left in the tank to be competitive.”

MCR will continue it’s partnership with American Honda for the 2018 race season.

Mike Genova – MCR Team Owner

“I’m enthused about our 2018 team program. MCR will have more 450 riders on the track than any other team in the paddock and the quality of our riders is quite impressive. I’m excited to go into a second year with a group like Honda. We found last years’ experience to be productive, enjoyable and effective for all parties involved and expect the relationship to only improve.”

MCR’s 2018 race plan includes the upcoming Monster Energy Cup in Las Vegas as well as the full Monster Energy AMA Supercross series.

Vsevolod Brylyakov Signs with Yamaha For 2018

Yamaha Motor Europe have announced that Vsevolod Brylyakov will be joining Jago Geerts under the Kemea Yamaha Official MX2 awning where he hopes to achieve the same sort of success that took him to his first Grand Prix podium, which he achieved at the MXGP of Leon in April 2016.

At the tender age of twenty-two-years old, Vsevolod Brylyakov will enter his final year in MX2 with the full-support of the Grand Prix winning team, Kemea Yamaha Official MX2. He will be based in Mol, Belgium, less than 20-minutes from his young teammate, Geerts, and 45-minutes from the team’s workshop in Genk.

Vsevelod Brylyakov

“I am really excited to join Kemea Yamaha in 2018. I have been off the bike for quite some time now, so it’s exciting to know that when I return I will be joining a new team. It’s also really exciting to have factory support for the first time in my career. That’s a big thing for me and a big step forward. I can’t wait to join Yamaha and start testing and riding with new structure. The team looks really cool and I believe that I can do great things with the YZ250F. When I look at the team, and Yamaha’s entire structure, it seems like it is very organised and very professional, and you can see how much the brand is investing and developing inside the paddock at the World Championship. That makes me confident that this is the right team to go to.”

Hans Corvers – Kemea Yamaha Official MX2 Team Owner

“I’m glad to sign Vsevolod. He has shown that he has the speed and the talent to be at the top of MX2, but for a number of reasons, he has not achieved what he is capable of up until now. I believe that our complete package at Kemea with an extremely good YZ250F, Marnicq Bervoets, Jacky Vimond and all of the crew, we are sure he can achieve some amazing things.”

Pawlicki Wins GP Challenge

Polish star Przemyslaw Pawlicki has won the annual GP Challenge ahead of home town hero Artem Laguta in a run-off for victory at the Russian track in Togliatti with both riders now qualifying for the 2018 SGP series while current SGP star Patryk Dudek is guaranteed his return ticket for next year by finishing third on the night.

Pawlicki suffered the agony of falling half a wheel short of qualification when he was pipped on the line by GB star Chris Harris at the 2015 GP Challenge in Rybnik so the win and to race the SGP series in 2018 has been a long time coming.

GP Challenge Scores

1 Przemyslaw Pawlicki 13+3, 2 Artem Laguta 13+0, 3 Patryk Dudek 12, 4 Craig Cook 11, 5 Michael Jepsen Jensen 9, 6 Piotr Pawlicki 9, 7 Peter Kildemand 8, 8 Vaclav Milik 6, 9 Kai Huckenbeck 6, 10 Leon Madsen 6, 11 Mateusz Szczepaniak 6, 12 Matej Zagar 6, 13 Gleb Chugunov 5, 14 Martin Smolinski 5, 15 Andrei Kudriashov 2, 16 Roman Lakhbaum 2, 17 Martin Vaculik 1.

Indian on Top of Grand National Championship

During their first return to competition in many years Indian Motorcycles has clinched its first ever Manufacturer title in the American Flat Track’s (AFT) Grand National Championship.

The AFT Manufacturer Championships tally up the points earned by the highest-placed rider representing each manufacturer in every Main Event and the combined efforts of the Indian ‘Wrecking Crew’ in the AFT Twins class have been such this season that the crown have been clinched before the season’s end.

Indian’s 2017 campaign using the Scout FTR750 has been one of consistent and unrelenting excellence taking 335 out of a possible 350 points in the Manufacturers’ standings, with 11 victories and three runner-up finishes in 14 races while Jared Mees, Bryan Smith and Brad Baker have combined for five podiums sweeps and on 11 occasions, at least two have stood together on the podium.

Gary Gray – Vice President, Product for Indian Motorcycle

“Securing the Manufacturers’ Championship through 14 races is an unbelievable accomplishment. To return to professional flat track racing after more than 60 years away from the sport and win the championship on a brand-new Scout FTR750 race bike is a testament to all the hard work from the entire Indian Motorcycle Racing team.”

Harwood Replaced Carter in NZ MXoN Team

Team New Zealand has been forced to make a change to their original line-up for the 2017 Motocross of Nations at Matterley Basin after Rhys Carter sustained a broken collarbone while testing and will miss the MXoN.

Rhys Carter

“Absolutely guttered had a practice crash yesterday braking my collarbone pretty good. Unfortunately this will put me out of the MXON this year which hurts just that much more. Good luck to the boys you will smash it.”

Carter’s replacement will be Hamish Harwood who has previously rode for the team in 2014 and 2016, is the two-time and current MX2 champion in New Zealand. Harwood will join Cody Cooper (MXGP) and Josiah Natzke (MX2) on the team.

Great Britain and The Netherlands Announce MXoN Teams

On the same day that the host nation Great Britain announced a team of Dean Wilson, Max Anstie, and Tommy Searle, The Netherlands have announced a strong team of Jeffrey Herlings, Glenn Coldenhoff, and Brian Bogers for the 2017 Motocross of Nations.

The same three members finished runner-up to France at last year’s MXoN in Italy, losing out on the Chamberlain Trophy by just one point.

Marcel Hartman – Dutch Coach

“For the first time in years, we come to the start with the same trio as in previous Nations. This year there are many teams that are evenly matched in terms of level, but Jeffrey, Glenn, and Brian are well attuned to one another. Therefore, we have certainly not inferior to the rest and we will again compete for the podium this year.”

Barreda and Brabec clinch the 2017 Vegas-Reno

Joan Barreda and Ricky Brabec grabbed top honours in a Monster Energy Honda Team one-two victory in the twenty-first edition of one of the United States’ most prestigious races, the Vegas to Reno.

After triumphing in the 2017 Baja Aragon in July, Joan Barreda once again turned on the winning style, this time at the V2R held this weekend in the Nevada desert.

Alongside fellow Monster Energy Honda Team member Ricky Brabec (USA), the Honda CRF450 RALLYs dominated throughout the longest off-road race in the United States.

Barreda and Brabec were outstanding in the 539-miles race (864 kilometres). Setting a blistering pace from the very start in Las Vegas, the duo were soon in the lead and it was pedal-to-the-metal all the way to the finish-line in Reno, where the pair arrived with a lengthy advantage over rivals.

All this despite a spill for Ricky Brabec just after the race’s halfway point. The team had been supported throughout by Johnny Campbell with assistance from JCR-Honda.

Both riders came through the tough test with flying colours, as they once again add their names to the honours list. Joan Barreda was victorious last year while Brabec won the 2014 edition. The Spanish rider finished with a total time of 8:56′.

Joan Barreda

“We are very pleased with this win at the Vegas to Reno, my second race of the season where we clinched the victory; so that’s mission accomplished. I wish to thank Johnny Campbell and the whole team for all the support, not just here in the race, but for all the facilities we have had all year round, in the testing and for the quality navigation-filled stages. I’m already focusing on the next race, the Ruta 40, a very different race with a lot of navigation. So far we have prioritized sprint races, to build speed, and now we are starting with the navigation, which might be a bit trickier in the beginning, but that’s what we’ve planned and we hope that everything works out well.”

2017 Vegas-Reno Result

1. Brabec, Barreda – Honda – 08:56’22.892
2. Argubright, Shirey – Husqvarna – 09:12’13.810
3. Cooper, Pearson – Honda – 09:43’11.649
4. Spaise, Damon – Yamaha – 09:51’35.332
5. Stevens, Schlapia – Husqvarna – 09:56’22.633
6. Brittner, Tichenor – KTM – 10:00’05.521

Smarty’s Race Reports

Rd 16 – FIM World Motocross Championships – Uddevalla, Sweden

[youtube id=”8cPFiVSr7Y0″ width=”100%” height=”400″]

Tim Gajser and Jeremy Seewer have won the MX1 and MX2 classes respectively, when the historic Uddevalla circuit hosted the 16th round of the 2017 FIM Motocross World Championship, against the backdrop of thousands of fans on the hills surrounding the track.

MX1 Report

Gajser had missed the podium for several rounds before the MXGP of Sweden but 1-2 finishes scored the defending champion his third win this season but the first since Leon 12 rounds prior.

Tim Gajser

“It is good to be back on the top step after quite a long time! We have been working so hard for this, we have had some bad weekends and some bad races but we are now getting better and better. I am grateful for everything my team have done and I just want to say a huge thank you to everyone around me. My goal for the end of the season is now to do try and win some more GP’s to finish the season strong. I knew in the second race that if I got second I would take the overall. I made a small mistake at the beginning of the race and then Jeffrey passed me for second. Then, he had a problem with his bike which allowed me to get back into second and catch Romain. It was tough to pass him so the last couple of laps I stepped back a little bit as I knew I had done enough to take the win.”

Romain Febvre was wining the opening moto before a fall saw the Yamaha rider drop back to an eventual 6^th place finish but it was the Febvre of old in the second moto who went on for his first race win this season.

Romain Febvre

“I am really happy, it has been a tough season for me. We finally made a good step forward and we can start at the front. I finally got on the podium this weekend after I finished 4th I think three times so it is good.”

Gautier Paulin’s pair of thirds took third overall.

Gautier Paulin

“We had a good weekend in Sweden. With the rain falling on Saturday and Sunday morning we were faced with changing track conditions. It took some time for me to get a good feeling but once this happened I was able to get a good speed and keep that throughout both motos. In the opening moto I got off to a good start and after making some mid race passes I managed to get third. Then in the second moto I lost some time right after the gate dropped, but my bike was so good that I could remain inside the top five going into the first corner. It was tough to remain fast on this track and you had to rely a lot on a good technique. I pushed hard for another third-place result and I was happy to earn one more podium result.”

Jeffrey Herlings raced to a solid second place in the opening moto and while charging toward the leader Febvre in moto two ‘the bullet’ had a bike issue which immediately ended his race.

Jeffrey Herlings

“It’s a shame and things like that can happen in this sport. I didn’t have any luck today. I came from mid-pack to second in the first moto and was then about to attack the leader in the second race and I’m sure I would have won both the race and the overall. These things happen. I was trying to win three races in a row. I’m very motivated.”

Antonio Cairoli finished 7th overall and thanks to Herlings’ DNF in moto two the Italian now sits 101 points clear in the championship with three rounds remaining.

Antonio Cairoli

“This weekend was OK. It is important to look for the championship and I don’t care too much about single races. We are nearly at the end and it is easy to make a mistake and hurt yourself and we really want to bring the title back to KTM. I’m really looking forward to that and I don’t have any pressure to make it happen quickly. We are experienced and can deal with some average results like today. This was never one of my favourite tracks but I have won here six times – equal with Stefan Everts – but I always arrived before without championship pressure and more in ‘attack’ mode. I made some mistakes today and we struggled a little bit. Overall it was OK to finish here safe and healthy for the next one.”

MXGP Race 1 Top Ten

1. Tim Gajser (SLO, Honda), 34:57.413
2. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), +0:09.286
3. Gautier Paulin (FRA, Husqvarna), +0:12.301
4. Clement Desalle (BEL, Kawasaki), +0:17.530
5. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, KTM), +0:19.141
6. Romain Febvre (FRA, Yamaha), +0:20.596
7. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, Yamaha), +0:22.919
8. Evgeny Bobryshev (RUS, Honda), +0:25.946
9. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), +0:27.326
10. Arminas Jasikonis (LTU, Suzuki), +0:29.405.

MXGP Race 2 Top Ten

1. Romain Febvre (FRA, Yamaha), 35:40.541
2. Tim Gajser (SLO, Honda), +0:04.402
3. Gautier Paulin (FRA, Husqvarna), +0:13.010
4. Clement Desalle (BEL, Kawasaki), +0:16.251
5. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, KTM), +0:18.148
6. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, Yamaha), +0:21.519
7. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), +0:35.840
8. Max Anstie (GBR, Husqvarna), +0:38.986
9. Arminas Jasikonis (LTU, Suzuki), +0:40.499
10. Evgeny Bobryshev (RUS, Honda), +0:44.403.

MXGP Overall Top Ten

1. Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 47 points
2. Romain Febvre (FRA, YAM), 40 p.
3. Gautier Paulin (FRA, HUS), 40 p.
4. Clement Desalle (BEL, KAW), 36 p.
5. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, KTM), 32 p.
6. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, YAM), 29 p.
7. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 26 p.
8. Evgeny Bobryshev (RUS, HON), 24 p.
9. Arminas Jasikonis (LTU, SUZ), 23 p.
10. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 22 p.

MXGP Championship Top Ten

1. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 631 points
2. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 530 p.
3. Gautier Paulin (FRA, HUS), 526 p.
4. Clement Desalle (BEL, KAW), 519 p.
5. Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 453 p.
6. Romain Febvre (FRA, YAM), 441 p.
7. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, YAM), 377 p.
8. Maximilian Nagl (GER, HUS), 364 p.
9. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, KTM), 352 p.
10. Evgeny Bobryshev (RUS, HON), 344 p.

MX2 Report

[youtube id=”8cPFiVSr7Y0″ width=560″ height=”400″]

Jeremy Seewer came into the MXGP of Sweden only one week after missing out on winning his home GP and while the competition was tough he managed to take the overall with 2-2 results.

Jeremy Seewer

“In the first moto I got a decent start and made my way to third position, where I then made a small mistake. That only cost me a few seconds, but it would prove crucial in the end as I came home in second, really close to Jorge Prado in first. And then in the second moto I got a really good start with the KTM duo up front. I made the passes happen and moved into the lead really quickly. I had my team mate Lawrence on my back in second place, in between me and Thomas Covington who was riding really well. I did my best all the race, I made a few mistakes near the end and of course I’m frustrated he passed me on that last corner but he was just on another level on those last couple of laps. It was frustrating on one side but I’m really happy to have got my fifth GP win this year, which is awesome for everyone in the Suzuki World MX2 team. I’m just enjoying racing so much at the moment and I’m having a lot of fun. The championship is important and it won’t be easy with just three to go, but we shall see how it goes.”

Jorge Prado won the opening moto then a hard fought 5th in race two for 2^nd overall for his 4th podium this season.

Jorge Prado

“It was pretty good, in the first race I got the Fox Holeshot and I could lead the whole race so that was a perfect race and in the second race I struggled a bit more but anyway I came second overall so I’m pretty happy.”

Pauls Jonass scored valuable points but the gap has now dropped to 45 between him and Seewer.

Pauls Jonass

“I still got pretty decent points this weekend again twice third and then again 3rd on the podium. I didn’t ride my best races but still 40 points is good for the championship and now I’m just looking forward to the next GP.”

Hunter Lawrence crashed in the opening moto and was forced to mount another charge through the field to 12th place but even more disappointing was the second moto where Lawrence crashed out of second place to finish in sixth place which was good enough for another top ten with 9th overall.

 MX2 Race 1 Top Ten

1. Jorge Prado Garcia (ESP, KTM), 34:43.460
2. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, Suzuki), +0:01.823
3. Pauls Jonass (LAT, KTM), +0:28.793
4. Conrad Mewse (GBR, Husqvarna), +0:30.835
5. Brian Bogers (NED, KTM), +0:38.535
6. Darian Sanayei (USA, Kawasaki), +0:39.396
7. Benoit Paturel (FRA, Yamaha), +0:40.303
8. Ben Watson (GBR, KTM), +0:42.035
9. Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, Husqvarna), +0:43.397
10. Calvin Vlaanderen (NED, KTM), +0:46.421.

MX2 Race 2 Top Ten

1. Thomas Covington (USA, Husqvarna), 34:06.609
2. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, Suzuki), +0:00.055
3. Pauls Jonass (LAT, KTM), +0:21.635
4. Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, Husqvarna), +0:22.772
5. Jorge Prado Garcia (ESP, KTM), +0:24.457
6. Hunter Lawrence (AUS, Suzuki), +0:24.811
7. Benoit Paturel (FRA, Yamaha), +0:25.192
8. Conrad Mewse (GBR, Husqvarna), +0:35.912
9. Darian Sanayei (USA, Kawasaki), +0:38.203
10. Calvin Vlaanderen (NED, KTM), +0:44.945.

MX2 Overall Top Ten

1. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, SUZ), 44 points
2. Jorge Prado Garcia (ESP, KTM), 41 p.
3. Pauls Jonass (LAT, KTM), 40 p.
4. Conrad Mewse (GBR, HUS), 31 p.
5. Thomas Covington (USA, HUS), 30 p.
6. Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, HUS), 30 p.
7. Benoit Paturel (FRA, YAM), 28 p.
8. Darian Sanayei (USA, KAW), 27 p.
9. Hunter Lawrence (AUS, SUZ), 24 p.
10. Brian Bogers (NED, KTM), 23 p.

MX2 Championship Top Ten

1. Pauls Jonass (LAT, KTM), 669 points
2. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, SUZ), 624 p.
3. Benoit Paturel (FRA, YAM), 504 p.
4. Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, HUS), 497 p.
5. Julien Lieber (BEL, KTM), 436 p.
6. Thomas Covington (USA, HUS), 417 p.
7. Jorge Prado Garcia (ESP, KTM), 392 p.
8. Brian Bogers (NED, KTM), 331 p.
9. Hunter Lawrence (AUS, SUZ), 284 p.
10. Brent Van doninck (BEL, YAM), 273 p.

Honda 150 Report

After sweeping the Grand Prix of Sweden, Andrea Adamo is on top of the points standings yet again while Anton Nordstrom-Graaf will enter the final round, which will be held in The Netherlands on the second weekend in September, just four points down.

Andrea Adamo

I have had a perfect weekend. I have had two good starts and then great races too. I had a good feeling with my bike and on this track. I’m looking forward to the next round! Thanks to my family, friends, team and sponsors.”

Marcus Youngberry has spent time practicing with the Jett Lawrence over in Europe but the young Queenslander had a tough time in Sweden and missed out on scoring points but look for Marcus to bounce back into the points in The Netherlands.

Honda EMX150 Race 1 Top Ten

1. Andrea Adamo (ITA, Honda), 25:39.968; 2. Toa Kishi (JPN, Honda), +0:06.129; 3. Anton Nordström Graaf (SWE, Honda), +0:09.675; 4. Rasmus Moen (SWE, Honda), +0:22.559; 5. Kjeld Stuurman (NED, Honda), +0:38.941; 6. Magnus Vassgaard (NOR, Honda), +0:49.701; 7. Lynn Valk (NED, Honda), +1:18.910; 8. Cas Valk (NED, Honda), +1:21.341; 9. Melwin Bengtson (SWE, Honda), +1:31.706; 10. Verneri Aaltonen (FIN, Honda), +1:51.280.

Honda EMX150 Race 2 Top Ten

1. Andrea Adamo (ITA, Honda), 26:22.577; 2. Luis Outeiro (POR, Honda), +0:12.152; 3. Anton Nordström Graaf (SWE, Honda), +1:00.510; 4. Rasmus Moen (SWE, Honda), +1:07.192; 5. Kjeld Stuurman (NED, Honda), +1:15.895; 6. Lynn Valk (NED, Honda), +1:21.852; 7. Toa Kishi (JPN, Honda), +1:55.382; 8. Senne Hermans (BEL, Honda), +2:24.895; 9. Melwin Bengtson (SWE, Honda), +2:28.060; 10. Verneri Aaltonen (FIN, Honda), -1 lap(s).

Honda EMX150 Overall Top 10

1. Andrea Adamo (ITA, HON), 50 points; 2. Anton Nordström Graaf (SWE, HON), 40 p.; 3. Rasmus Moen (SWE, HON), 36 p.; 4. Toa Kishi (JPN, HON), 36 p.; 5. Kjeld Stuurman (NED, HON), 32 p.; 6. Lynn Valk (NED, HON), 29 p.; 7. Luis Outeiro (POR, HON), 26 p.; 8. Melwin Bengtson (SWE, HON), 24 p.; 9. Senne Hermans (BEL, HON), 22 p.; 10. Verneri Aaltonen (FIN, HON), 22 p.

Honda EMX150 Championship Top 10

1. Andrea Adamo (ITA, HON), 176 points; 2. Anton Nordström Graaf (SWE, HON), 172 p.; 3. Luis Outeiro (POR, HON), 156 p.; 4. Kjeld Stuurman (NED, HON), 130 p.; 5. Rasmus Moen (SWE, HON), 124 p.; 6. Lynn Valk (NED, HON), 121 p.; 7. Toa Kishi (JPN, HON), 99 p.; 8. Nikolay Malinov (BUL, HON), 75 p.; 9. Senne Hermans (BEL, HON), 75 p.; 10. Magnus Vassgaard (NOR, HON), 65 p.

Rd 11 – AMA Nationals – Budds Creek, Mechanicsville, Maryland

The Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship made its annual visit to Southern Maryland for the Budds Creek National, and after an unpredictable afternoon of racing the 450 Class saw Justin Bogle emerge with his first career overall win, while Adam Cianciarulo broke through for his debut victory in the 250 Class.

450 Report

As the opening 450 Class moto roared down the start straight it was Matt Bisceglia who came away with the holeshot, with Martin Davalos and Bogle in tow. Davalos and Bogle quickly took control of the top two positions on the opening lap, shifting Bisceglia back to third.

Championship points leader Eli Tomac found himself outside the top-10 in 12th on the opening lap chasing both Marvin Musquin and Blake Baggett, his primary rivals in the title fight.

Davalos and Bogle set a quick pace at the front of the field and started to distance themselves from the competition, while Cole Seely battled his way past Bisceglia into third.

Davalos bobbled, which allowed Bogle to take advantage and move into the race lead. With a clear track ahead, Bogle dropped the hammer as Davalos gave chase. However, the 450 Class rookie began to lose touch with the Suzuki rider.

With Bogle continued to push hard at the front of the 40-rider field, Davalos asserted himself into second, but on Lap 9, Musquin closed in on Seely and made the pass stick before the end of the lap.

Musquin’s surge forward continued as he soon moved onto the rear fender of Davalos for second, successfully taking over the runner-up spot on Lap 12.

In the end, Bogle held on to take the chequered flag and capture his second moto win of the season by less than a second over Musquin.

Third went to Davalos, who earned his third moto podium of the season. Seely was fourth, with Baggett in fifth and Tomac fighting his way through the field to finish seventh.

When the gate dropped for Moto 2, it was Bisceglia who once again put his Suzuki out front, sweeping the holeshots for the day just ahead of Bogle and Baggett. At the beginning of the opening lap, the freight train of Bogle, Baggett, and Weston Peick all made their way around Bisceglia to assume control of the top three positions.

With another clear track ahead of him, Bogle attempt to breakaway yet again, however, Baggett battled hard to keep him within striking distance. Tomac, who started fifth, was the fastest rider on the track early on, which allowed him to make his way around Peick to take over third on Lap 3.

As this occurred, Baggett began to hit his stride and closed onto the rear fender of Bogle before making the pass stick for the lead on Lap 4.

Baggett pushed hard once out front, but Bogle maintained the deficit while Tomac continued his push to catch the leaders. Tomac took advantage of an incredible drive through the track’s rollers and made the pass on Bogle for second as they crossed the finish to start Lap 5.

Tomac’s relentless pursuit of the lead wasn’t done yet, as he forced his way around Baggett to seize control of the race lead on Lap 6.

Tomac appeared unstoppable as he immediately broke away from the competition, however, a big mistake on Lap 7 allowed Baggett and Bogle to close back in. As Baggett gave chase he too made a mistake that sent him off of the track and left Bogle on his rear fender in the fight for second.

Tomac successfully pulled away from the competition yet again to take his ninth moto win of the season, with a 7.4 second advantage over Baggett in second.

Bogle fought hard until the final lap to finish third. After an eighth-place start, Musquin was unable to factor into the battle at the front of the field and was forced to settle for fourth.

Bogle scored his first overall victory in the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship (1-3) in his 21st start in the premier class. He became the 67th different 450 Class winner in series history.

It was also Bogle’s first career 450 Class podium, with his previous best result of fourth coming at Round 3 from Thunder Valley, where he took his first ever moto win.

Justin Bogle

“It was an incredible feeling to get a win. This is my first career podium in the 450 Class and to make it a win is pretty unreal. My starts were awesome today and that was really important since the track was very difficult to make passes on. I’ve been putting in a lot of work this summer and its been frustrating when the results aren’t there every week. Today the hard work paid off, and I’m looking forward to carrying the momentum into our final round.”

Bogle’s triumph was also the first for RCH/Yoshimura/Suzuki Factory Racing team this season. The Ricky Carmichael and Carey Hart led effort is the defending 450 Class Champions following Ken Roczen’s dominant season last summer and recently announced they will cease operations at the conclusion of the season.

Musquin’s 2-4 moto scores ended his winning streak, but still were good enough for second overall. Tomac rebounded from a tough first moto to grab the final spot on the podium in third (7-1).

Eli Tomac

“I was starting to lose my mind before the second moto today. I had three motos in a row that were really difficult and I found out that going into protective and safe mode is not the way to go. I got bumped around on the start in the first moto today and a seventh was all that I was able to make happen. In the second moto I finally felt like I got myself together and regrouped, which was a relief to put myself back on top. Hopefully we can go get this thing done [clinch the championshio] next weekend.”

Tomac’s lead in the 450 Class standing entering next weekend’s final round sits at 28-points over Baggett, who finished fourth overall (5-2), while Musquin sits third, just two points behind Baggett and 30 markers back from Tomac.

The Kawasaki rider will need to earn at least 22 points at the final round in order to clinch his first premier class title, which could be accomplished with a runner-up finish or better in the opening moto.

450 Class Overall Results (Moto Finish)

1. Justin Bogle, Cushing, Okla., Suzuki (1-3)
2. Marvin Musquin, La Reole, France, KTM (2-4)
3. Eli Tomac, Cortez, Colo., Kawasaki (7-1)
4. Blake Baggett, Grand Terrace, Calif., KTM (5-2)
5. Cole Seely, Newbury Park, Calif., Honda (4-8)
6. Weston Peick, Wildomar, Calif., Suzuki (8-6)
7. Cooper Webb, Morehead City, N.C., Yamaha (9-7)
8. Matt Bisceglia, Tualatin, Ore., Suzuki (6-10)
9. Christian Craig, Corona, Calif., Honda (10-9)
10. Dean Wilson, Glasgow, Scotland, Husqvarna (16-5)

450 Class Championship Standings

1. Eli Tomac, Cortez, Colo., Kawasaki – 439 Points
2. Blake Baggett, Grand Terrace, Calif., KTM – 411 Points
3. Marvin Musquin, La Reole, France, KTM – 409 Points
4. Dean Wilson, Glasgow, Scotland, Husqvarna – 320 Points
5. Cole Seely, Newbury Park, Calif., Honda – 294 Points
6. Justin Bogle, Cushing, Okla., Suzuki – 286 Points
7. Martin Davalos, Quito, Ecuador, Husqvarna – 263 Points
8. Weston Peick, Wildomar, Calif., Suzuki – 241 Points
9. Cooper Webb, Morehead City, N.C., Yamaha – 237 Points
10. Jason Anderson, Edgewood, N.M., Husqvarna – 216 Points

250 Report

The first 250 Class moto saw Cianciarulo race to his third holeshot of the season, just ahead of the GEICO Honda duo of Jeremy Martin and RJ Hampshire.

Osborne’s hopes of clinching the title were almost dashed instantly after he found himself on the ground, involved in a major first turn pileup that include several riders. The Husqvarna rider was fortunate to avoid damage and re-entered the race, ultimately credited with 26th at the completion of the opening lap.

As has been the case several times in his career, Cianciarulo displayed incredible speed out front and opened a small cushion on Martin, who was being stalked by his teammate.

On Lap 7, the Honda duo’s continued pursuit allowed them to close the gap on Cianciarulo. However, each time Martin got close enough to mount a challenge Cianciarulo would respond by stretching his lead back out again.

The lone representative of the legendary Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki effort refused to surrender the lead, and was able to pick up the pace on Lap 10 an pull away from both Martin and Hampshire. Cianciarulo continued to extend his lead over the next several laps, while Hampshire remained within striking distance of Martin.

Cianciarulo led wire-to-wire to break through for the first moto win of his career, crossing the finish 6.2 seconds ahead of Martin in second.

Hampshire finished in a close third for his second moto podium of the season. Shane McElrath was fourth, followed by Aaron Plessinger in fifth. Osborne put forth an impressively resilient ride to finish eighth.

When the 250 Class field powered down the start straight for Moto 2 it was Martin who grabbed his class-leading seventh holeshot of the season, narrowly edging out McElrath and Osborne.

McElrath was able to make his way by Martin early, bringing Osborne along with him into second by the end of the opening lap. Cianciarulo started just behind the lead trio in fourth.

McElrath looked comfortable running a strong pace at the front of the field and kept Osborne at bay, while Martin pushed hard just behind the leaders as Cianciarulo gave chase.

As the race wore on, the Husqvarna of Osborne began to inch closer to McElrath’s KTM and by Lap 5 the lead pair were separated by just bike lengths.

On Lap 7, Osborne made an aggressive move just before the finish line to block McElrath and take possession of the top spot and control his own championship destiny.

On the same lap, Martin made a mistake that sent him to the ground and allowed Cianciarulo to move into third. Cianciarulo continued to move forward and eventually made the move on McElrath to take over second on Lap 12.

Once out front, Osborne went unchallenged and took the checkered flag to capture his class-leading eighth moto win of the season, 1.7 seconds ahead of Cianciarulo, and become 250 Class Champion. McElrath rode well to take his second moto podium finish of the season in third.

Cianciarulo’s 2-1 moto scores awarded him with a long awaited first overall victory, which came in his 37th career start in a career that dates back to 2013. He’s the 81st different winner in 250 Class history and had just one overall podium finish to his credit during the 2015 season.

Adam Cianciarulo

“[A win] has been a long time coming, and this is a massive relief. It was a struggle for me the past couple of weeks and really easy for me to get down on myself since I was so close to a win and blew it a couple of times. In the first moto today I told myself that I would rather pass out from trying so hard before I was willing to let someone pass me. I felt so much weight lifted off of my shoulders when I crossed the line for the win in that first moto. It’s taken me longer than I expected to get here with all of my injuries, but in the end it’s made it more rewarding and I’m so glad that I never gave up.”

Osborne’s championship gives him a sweep of 250 Class titles in 2017, three months after claiming his first AMA Supercross 250SX Eastern Regional title in May.

He’s the 28th different champion in 250 Class history, and made his pro debut during the 2006 season. It’s also the first ever Lucas Oil Pro Motocross title for Husqvarna, which was a part of the inaugural championship back in 1972.

Zach Osborne

“This season has been challenging for a few different reasons, and it gave me cold chills when I passed by the mechanics area on the final lap with the team cheering. The first moto today was tough with going down on the start and I was forced to battle through the field, which seems like it’s been a common thing for me this season. I felt good in the second moto and really comfortable once I got into the lead, so I just raced it like it was any other race. It’s ironic that I captured my first career win here at Budds Creek last year and now my championship. This is definitely a track that I love.”

Martin’s fourth-place finish (2-6) also clinched the runner-up spot in the championship standings, while Cianciarulo’s victory vaulted him from seventh to third. He holds a six-point lead over teammate Joey Savatgy, who was forced to miss the race following an injury in practice.

The 2017 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship will crown a 450 Class Champion this Saturday with the final round of the season from Ironman Raceway in Crawfordsville, Indiana, on August 26th.

250 Class Overall Results (Moto Finish)

1. Adam Cianciarulo, Port Orange, Fla., Kawasaki (1-2)
2. Zach Osborne, Abingdon, Va., Husqvarna (8-1)
3. Shane McElrath, Canton, N.C., KTM (4-3)
4. Jeremy Martin, Millville, Minn., Honda (2-6)
5. Aaron Plessinger, Hamilton, Ohio, Yamaha (5-4)
6. RJ Hampshire, Hudson, Fla., Honda (3-7)
7. Colt Nichols, Muskogee, Okla., Yamaha (7-5)
8. Chase Sexton, La Moille, Ill., Honda (9-9)
9. Kyle Cunningham, Willow Park, Texas, Suzuki (6-12)
10. Mitchell Harrison, Brighton, Mich., Yamaha (11-10)

250 Class Championship Standings

1. Zach Osborne, Abingdon, Va., Husqvarna – 451 Points
2. Jeremy Martin, Millville, Minn., Honda – 387 Points
3. Adam Cianciarulo, Port Orange, Fla., Kawasaki – 330 Points
4. Joey Savatgy, Thomasville, Ga., Kawasaki – 324 Points
5. Aaron Plessinger, Hamilton, Ohio, Yamaha – 319 Points
6. Dylan Ferrandis, Avignon, France, Yamaha – 305 Points
7. Alex Martin, Millville, Minn., KTM – 296 Points
8. Colt Nichols, Muskogee, Okla., Yamaha – 265 Points
9. Mitchell Harrison, Brighton, Mich., Yamaha – 250 Points
10. Shane McElrath, Canton, N.C., KTM – 248 Points

Rd 10 – Australian MX Nationals – Coolum, QLD

The final round of the Australian MX Nationals was held at the picturesque motocross facility at Coolum last weekend. It was no surprise to see Dean Ferris continue his dominance of the MX1 class, but all eyes were on the closely fought MX2 class. Despite some controversy it was Egan Mastin who came away with the round and championship win.

2017 Thor MX1 Report

As sure as blue is Craig Dack’s favourite colour, it was Ferris who claimed the moto one win while second place went to Waters after Gibbs was forced to settle for third thanks to a late moto crash.

Mosig wrapped up race one in fourth position ahead of Long, Metcalfe and Kyle Peters, while Styke, Hamish Harwood, and Joel Milesevic completed the top ten.

And when bikes crossed the finish line at the end of the second moto it was Ferris who took the final MX1 race victory for 2017. Second place went to Waters, while Gibbs secured third.

Long took a season best fourth in race two, followed by Metcalfe, Mosig, Crawford, Peters, Styke and Joel Milesevic who completed the top ten.

With the results from both motos combined it was once again Ferris who claimed his ninth round victory at Coolum, second overall today went to Waters, while Gibbs completed the Thor MX1 podium.

With Ferris crowned the 2017 champion last weekend at Toowoomba, it was Gibbs’ whose consistent results on track at Coolum today which saw him awarded with second in the 2017 Thor MX1 Championship for the second consecutive year, while DPH Motorsport’s Mosig completed this year’s premier class podium.

Dean Ferris

“This championship means everything, it’s just as good as the first one, if not better. Last year was rough and tough, but this one is special to me as well. It was nice to roll into Coolum this morning without all that pressure I had last year, but I really wanted to win today, and I wanted to finish the season the true champ. It was an amazing day, I got two holeshots which I’m not sure that I’ve done before, but I knew we would be celebrating tonight, so I had some extra incentive to pull a good start. But the championship this year, it’s been amazing. I can’t thank the CDR Yamaha team enough, they worked day and night this year, my girlfriend Renae, she’s been amazing, my family and all of my friends for coming and supporting me, this year has been special that’s for sure.”

Kirk Gibbs

“I was really happy to get my first SuperPole win of the year, but I spun up a little over the concrete in the first race though and had to fight my way through. It took me a little bit to get in my grove, but once I did I pushed to the front. I made the pass on Todd but he was all over me trying to pass me back and I made a mistake and had a little lay down, which was disappointing. I’d put a lot of effort into pushing through and was really cooked after that, so I struggled a little in that second moto and my back was a bit sore. We had a few ups and downs of various types this year, but we kept working as a team, trying to make ourselves better every week and towards the end we started putting ourselves into good positions, so hats off to the team. We were the only ones to steal a win off Dean this year, so it just goes to show we were still working really hard. I’m looking forward to a few days now to regroup and then I’ll get ready for the Des Nations. I’m looking forward to riding for Australia with Dean and Hunter. Dean’s riding at a world class level and Hunter’s riding amazingly well too, so hopefully I can pull my weight and get a good result.”

Kade Mosig

“I put everything into this year. I felt like my preparation was great, and when I look back at the season, I’m happy with how I handled everything that was thrown at me, but I fell short of my personal goal” said Kade. ‘I’m so happy to give the team a podium in the championship, and to not only battle with, but beat factory teams is a great achievement, but I’m a racer, and I won’t be satisfied unless I’m on the top step! I can’t thank Dale, Pynee, our sponsors and the entire DPH team enough.”

Thor MX1 Round 10 Results

1. Dean Ferris – 70 points – Yamaha
2. Todd Waters – 64 points – Honda
3. Kirk Gibbs – 60 points – KTM
4. Dylan Long – 54 points – Yamaha
5. Kade Mosig – 53 points – Yamaha
6. Brett Metcalfe – 51 points – Kawasaki
7. Kyle Peters – 47 points – Suzuki
8. Luke Styke – 45 points – KTM
9. Joel Milesevic – 42 points – Husqvarna
10. Hamish Harwood – 42 points – KTM

Thor MX1 Championship

1. Dean Ferris – 705 points – Yamaha
2. Kirk Gibbs – 616 points – KTM
3. Kade Mosig – 542 points – Yamaha
4. Todd Waters – 532 points – Honda
5. Luke Styke – 500 points – KTM
6. Kyle Peters – 478 points – Suzuki
7. Brett Metcalfe – 426 points – Kawasaki
8. Luke Clout – 425 points – Honda
9. Nathan Crawford – 382 points – Kawasaki
10. Joel Green – 335 points – KTM

Motul MX2 Report

The Motul MX2 Championship came down to the final moto at Coolum with Egan Mastin finally securing the 2017 championship despite a controversial incident involving championship leader Wilson Todd.

With only three points the difference in the Motul MX2 Championship heading into the grand finale at Coolum today, spectators were treated to the tightest racing of the season, with DPH Motorsport’s Wilson Todd and Mastin going head to head for the final time this year.

After initially qualifying in third, Mastin was relegated 25 positions due to an on track incident involving Todd in free practice on Saturday. The resulting crash cast doubt on Wilson’s further participation on Sunday but he was given the all clear to race by medics in the morning.

As a result, Mastin took 28th gate pick when racing commenced but it only took the KTM rider three laps to find himself in the lead so by the time riders received the last lap board Kyle Webster and Todd were left to scrap over the final podium positions.

When the chequered flag flew on race one it was Mastin who collected the race win while second place went to Webster, followed by red plate holder Todd in third. Fourth place went to Evans, followed by Harwood, Wilson, Wills, Isaac Ferguson, Purvis and Tomas Ravenhorst who completed the top ten.

After race one, Mastin became the new MX2 Championship point’s leader with Todd only two points behind him so moto two was set to be the decider!

And what a race it was, Todd and Mastin were running 1-2 right from the get-go but unfortunately for Todd it was on lap six that everything changed with the Yamaha rider going down handing the top spot to Mastin.

With two and a half minutes remaining, Todd was doing everything in his power to close in on the race leader Mastin, but holding more than a nine second lead it was looking more and more likely that the championship would be Mastins.

That’s the way it ended with the KTM pilot celebrating the win while second went to Todd, followed by Webster, Mellross, and Evans who completed the top five. Sixth in race two went to Jayden Rykers, followed by Wilson, Connor Tierney, Wills and Hugh McKay who completed the top ten.

Mastin was finally crowned the 2017 Motul MX2 Champion while second in the championship podium went to the brave Todd with Mitchel Evans securing third in his rookie year in the 250cc class.

Egan Mastin

“Everyone has to work so hard to get to this spot and to get to this moment, and we put in countless hours this season to make it happen. My dad has been behind me 110% this year through the good and the bad. At one stage we didn’t know if we were going to have a ride this year but KTM stepped up and I can’t thank those guys enough for giving me the opportunity. We made our weaknesses our strong points this season, and I can’t thank the guys and my mentors enough who have been in my corner. Also the Davey Motorsport’s crew. Those guys work so hard, they’re an awesome group of people who put so much effort in, so to give them this back, it’s exactly what I wanted to do. The 250 two-stroke it’s an awesome bike and it’s the first time KTM have actually won a championship in this class, so it’s awesome to have done it today.”

Wilson Todd

“That was a tough weekend. I was confident coming into the meeting that I could win, but the crash on Saturday really threw a spanner in the works and I’m disappointed that things went the way they did. After getting the clearance to race, I wasn’t 100% but I wanted that championship, so in the first race I just hung in there for 3rd, moving into 2nd by 2 points in the championship. The final race, my only option was to win and after leading for the first half, I was confident I could do it, but I hit a hole and crashed, putting me in 2nd and that’s where I stayed.”

Kyle Webster

“Overall Coolum was a really great finish to the championship for me. Getting P1 in Qualifying was a great start to the day, and then in the first moto I got a good start and was running around fifth, but then managed to work my way up to second and even started to catch up to Egan (Mastin), but ran out of tear-offs near the end. So I knew I had good speed at Coolum and was feeling strong for the final race of the year, but then in race two I got a shocking start and had to do so much work to come through, so to get up to third by the chequered flag and get another podium placing, as well as third overall for the round, was a good result. I felt pretty awesome all day and flowed really well.”

Motul MX2 Round 10 Results

1. Egan Mastin – 70 points – KTM
2. Wilson Todd – 62 points – Yamaha
3. Kyle Webster – 62 points – Honda
4. Mitchell Evans – 54 points – Yamaha
5. Jay Wilson – 49 points – KTM
6. Dylan Wills – 46 points – Husqvarna
7. Hamish Harwood – 45 points – KTM
8. Connor Tierney – 42 points – Yamaha
9. Hugh McKay – 39 points – Yamaha
10. Jayden Rykers – 38 points – KTM

Motul MX2 Championship

1. Egan Mastin – 617 points – KTM
2. Wilson Todd – 612 points – Yamaha
3. Mitchell Evans – 590 points – Yamaha
4. Hamish Harwood – 524 points – KTM
5. Kyle Webster – 508 points – Honda
6. Dylan Wills – 477 points – Husqvarna
7. Jayden Rykers – 452 points – KTM
8. Jackson Richardson – 365 points – Yamaha
9. Richie Evans – 350 points – Yamaha
10. Joel Evans – 326 points – Yamaha

Vets, 125cc Juniors & KTM Amateur Cup wrap up at Coolum

The Yamaha Motor Finance and Yamaha Motor Insurance Veterans categories raced for Australian Championships at Coolum, with Chase Mosig and Cameron Taylor the first riders to be crowned Australia’s newest champions.

The third and final round of the Yamaha 125cc Junior Cup took place at Coolum Pines Motocross Track on the Sunshine Coast as well, with Regan Duffy overcoming adversity and wrapping up the championship after two hard fought races.

In the KTM Australian Amateur Cup class Kerrod Morrissy claimed the 2017 title on day one of Round 10 of the Motul MX Nationals.

YMI 30+/YMF 40+ Vets

With healthy numbers in both the YMI 30 plus and YMF 40 plus classes, an incredible 30 competitors hit the track as a group for practice and qualifying.

In the 30-39’s category it was Mosig who topped the time sheets with a 1:46.773 lap time, from Steven Powell and Malcolm Cash. In the 40 plus category, Honda mounted Aaron Hunt was quickest (1:51.667) ahead of Mark Oberthur and Christian Horwood.

With two gate drops to separate the veteran’s classes at Coolum, it was the YMI 30 plus riders who took off first, with Powell securing the holeshot and the race lead, and when gates dropped for a second time and the YMF 40 plus riders left the grid, it was Yamaha mounted Taylor who immediately moved in to the race lead.

With seven lap races for the most experienced riders at the MX Nationals this weekend, both of the veteran’s classes wasted no time in getting comfortable on the Coolum circuit and battling hard for podium positions.

After three laps, Mosig had bypassed his competitors Powell and Malcom to move in to the 30 plus race lead, while Taylor continued to maintain control of the over 40s category ahead of Christian Horwood and Mark Oberthur.

Surprisingly at the five lap mark, over 30s leader Mosig put his machine down in the first turn, however the experienced rider was able to remount his bike with enough time not to relinquish his race lead.

By the time riders received the last lap board, the categories had well and truly blended together, providing race leaders Mosig and Taylor with the added challenge of navigating their way through lapped traffic. But when the chequered flag flew, it was the Yamaha pair who claimed victory.

In the YMI 30 plus class, Mosig took the race win from Honda mounted Cash, and Powell (Husqvarna), while Andrew Haack and Andrew Shacklock wrapped up the moto in fourth and fifth places respectively.

In the YMF 40 plus category it was Taylor who took the win from Travis Regeling (Honda) and Yamaha moutned Oberthur, followed by Christian Horwood and Aaron Hunt.

The YMF and YMI Veterans were the last riders to take to the track, and as a result the oldest riders in the field were handed with the roughest and most difficult track of the day.

With two gate drops once again, the over 30s were the first to take off, and it was Mosig who this time took the holeshot. When the gate dropped for the second time for the over 40s class, it was once again Yamaha’s Taylor who shot off into the race lead.

After only a lap, Mosig continued to lead from Cash and Powell in the over 30’s, while Taylor remained in the top spot ahead of Horwood and Regeling in the 40 plus category.

With the track drying significantly in the later stages of today, the veterans had not only their competitors to contend with, but the dust too, and once again it was Mosig and Taylor who took to the conditions like true professionals, ticking off lap after lap in the lead of their respective classes.

As the final moto for the veterans began to reach it’s later stages there had been little change to positions, and when the chequered flag flew for the last time, it was a repeat of moto one’s results with both Mosig and Taylor claiming race victories.

Second place in race two for the YMI 30 plus category went to Cash, followed by Powell in third. Horwood secured second place in the over 40’s class, while Regeling held on to finish his final moto in third.

With the results from both motos combined, it was Mosig who claimed his first Yamaha Motor Insurance 30 plus Veterans Australian Championship, second was awarded to Honda mounted Cash, while Victorian Powell completed the 30 plus podium.

In the YMF 40 plus category, Taylor’s 1,1 race results saw him take the championship honors at Coolum, followed by Regeling and Horwood who completed the veterans class podium.

Chase Mosig – YMI 30 plus Veterans Australian Champion

“I’m feeling really good about today! This is pretty much my first race back since 2013. I have been doing a bit of riding with my brother Kade and I’m feeling really good, so I thought I’d come out and race and it’s worked out really good. I turned 30 last year and I didn’t really feel like I should even be in the class – I still feel young, but I’m 31 now so I was pretty keen to give it a crack. I’m really happy with how it’s turned out.”

Cameron Taylor – YMF 40 plus Veterans Australian Champion

“I think this is my fifth or sixth Veterans class championship, but it’s not even just about that, I enjoy racing and it’s a lot of fun these days. It’s still cool to win races, and its even just fun to come up to Coolum and get a bit of sun and enjoy riding motorbikes. The track today was tough. The weather played a big part in that with the wind, but we got through it and we’ll be celebrating with a couple of beers tonight.”

Yamaha Motor Insurance 30 Plus Results

1. Chase Mosig – 70 points – Yamaha
2. Malcolm Cash – 64 points – Honda
3. Steven Powell – 60 points – Husqvarna
4. Andrew Haack – 56 points – KTM
5. Andrew Shacklock – 52 points – Yamaha
6. Elmsly Eshman-Myhill – 50 points – Suzuki
7. Sam Lytlle – 47 points – Kawasaki
8. Cassidy Holland – 44 points – Husqvarna
9. Stephen Moylan – 44 points – Yamaha
10. Michael Little – 40 points – KTM

Yamaha Motor Finance 40 Plus Results

1. Cameron Taylor – 70 points – Yamaha
2. Travis Regeling – 62 points – Honda
3. Christian Horwood – 60 points – Husqvarna
4. Mark Oberthur – 58 points – Yamaha
5. Aaron Hunt – 52 points – Honda
6. Travis Boroughs – 49 points
7. Clay Thompson – 47 points
8. Hamish Guy – 45 points – KTM
9. Chris Keegan – 44 points – Kawasaki
10. Paul Boddington – 43 points – Kawasaki

Yamaha 125cc Junior Cup Championship – Coolum

The tenth round of the Motul MX Nationals welcomed the Junior 125cc riders as a feature class, with the talented group putting on strong performances in both races on the sandy Coolum Pines circuit.

In qualifying Husqvarna’s Bailey Malkiewicz secured the fastest time on his last lap, with an incredible 1:42.793 lap. Second quickest was KTM mounted Mason Semmens (1:45.967) followed by Jack Kukas who secured third gate pick with a 1:46.149 hot lap.

The opening moto for the Yamaha 125cc Juniors took place late in the morning, and competitors were dealt with a track that was becoming rougher and rougher by the minute.

When gates dropped, KTM’s Semmens stormed down the start straight and collected the Raceline holeshot, but it only took four turns for fastest qualifier Malkiewicz to move into the race lead.

After a lap on track Jack Kukas had moved up to second position behind Malkiewicz while Semmens had slipped back to third. The front three riders then checked out, leaving the likes of Duffy, Kipp Adams and Noah Ferguson to battle for the remaining positions inside the top five behind them.

After three laps on track there had been no change to positions, however Malkiewicz had stretched his race lead out to an impressive seven seconds. Meanwhile behind him, Kukas, Semmens and Duffy had found each other on track and began to battle for the remaining podium spots.

By the time riders headed in to their last lap, Duffy had passed both Semmens and Kukas and found himself in second position, but it was Malkiewicz who simply needed to complete one more rotation on two wheels in order to collect the race victory.

And claim the win is exactly what the Husqvarna rider did. Second place went to KTM’s Duffy, followed by Kukas (Yamaha) in third.

Semmens and Ferguson finished in fourth and fifth places respectively, while Jai Walker, Ryan Gaylor, John Bova, Riley Ward and Adams all wrapped up moto one inside the top ten.

In race two for the Yamaha 125cc Junior Cup it was Sunshine Coast local Ferguson who secured the final Raceline holeshot, and by the time riders came around for their second lap the KTM rider continued to lead from Semmens and Kukas.

Unfortunately for Ferguson his lead was somewhat short lived, because when riders headed in to lap three they were greeted by a new race leader – KTM’s Semmens.

The charge from behind did not stop there either, only a few turns later Malkiewicz had found Fergusons rear wheel, and soon after he too had found his way past the local rider.

By lap four the running order saw Semmens continuing to lead from Malkiewicz and Ferguson, while behind the top three, was Kukas and Duffy in fourth and fifth positions, attempting to hunt down the lead trio of riders.

As moto two reached it’s closing stages, Malkiewicz put his foot down and made his move for the lead, charging past Semmens with incredible speed, and pulling a comfortable gap on the KTM rider after only one more lap.

And when the chequered flag flew for the final time this afternoon it was Malkiewicz who clinched his second race win. Second place in moto two went to Semmens, followed by local rider Ferguson in third.

Kukas and Gaylor wrapped up the final race in fourth and fifth places respectively, while Bova, Tyler Darby, Ward, Walker and Duffy who went down hard on the final lap completed the top ten.

With two race wins to his name at Coolum, Husqvarna’s Malkiewicz claimed the round victory this afternoon, while Semmens and Kukas completed the round ten podium.

But it was the title that was up for grabs at Coolum this afternoon, and despite suffering a heavy last jump crash in race two, it was KTM’s Duffy who secured the Yamaha 125cc Junior Cup title today.

Second in the championship went to Malkiewicz, while Semmens completed the 2017 podium.

Regan Duffy – Yamaha 125cc Junior Cup Championship Winner

“I’m a little bit busted up, but I’m stoked to come away with the overall for the year. The track wasn’t your typical sand track, I was hoping for some big rollers and stuff, but it turned out to be quite choppy and square edged, which ended up catching me out. I get good experience racing these Junior support classes. I still have a couple of years of junior racing left before I’m racing here in the Under 19s class, but it’s good to ride the tracks and get to know how things work.”

Yamaha 125cc Junior Cup Coolum Results

1. Bailey Malkiewicz – 70 points – Husqvarna
2. Mason Semmens – 60 points – KTM
3. Jack Kukas – 58 points – Yamaha
4. Noah Ferguson – 56 points – KTM
5. Regan Duffy – 53 points – KTM
6. Ryan Gaylor – 50 points – Husqvarna
7. John Bova – 48 points – KTM
8. Jai Walker – 47 points – Yamaha
9. Riley Ward – 45 points – KTM
10. Tyler Darby – 43 points – KTM

Yamaha 125cc Junior Cup Championship

1. Regan Duffy – 190 points – KTM
2. Bailey Malkiewicz – 186 points – Husqvarna
3. Mason Semmens – 185 points – KTM
4. Jack Kukas – 142 points – Yamaha
5. Noah Ferguson – 130 points – KTM
6. Tyler Darby – 129 points – KTM
7. Hayden Matterson – 105 points – KTM
8. John Bova – 92 points – KTM
9. Kipp Adams – 87 points – Husqvarna
10. Mason Rowe – 87 points – KTM

KTM Australian Amateur Cup – Coolum

Despite tough competition from a bunch of newcomers, Morrissy proved that consistency pays off today, and despite not finishing on the round podium, it was the KTM rider who had reason to celebrate.

The action on track at Coolum got started with the KTM Amateur Cup class this morning, with an incredible 39 riders taking to the circuit for their practice and qualifying session.

Despite high speed winds at the Coolum Pines Motocross Track during qualifying, after 20 minutes on the circuit it was Jordan Flaherty (Husqvarna) who topped the time sheets with a 1:42.081 lap time, also securing the first gate pick.

Second fastest on track was last-minute entry Chase Mosig aboard his Yamaha machine (1:42.467), followed by Shane Blinksell (1:44.092) who completed the top three qualifiers.

Following qualifying this morning, the KTM Australian Amateur Cup riders lined up for their first moto of the weekend, and when gates dropped it was the number 22 machine of Jesse Bishop who stormed down the start straight to collect the first Raceline holeshot of the weekend.

After a lap on track, Bishop maintained his lead from fastest qualifier Flaherty, while back in third Ryan Kenney continued to keep the lead pair well within his sights.

With only seven laps making up race one, it wasn’t long before Kenney began to close in on Flaherty’s rear wheel, and by the time riders headed in to their third lap, KTM mounted Kenney had made the move up into second place.

For Flaherty, the overtaking did not stop there – only a few turns later, Mosig also made the move on the Yamaha rider, slotting up into third and relegating Flaherty to fourth.

By the halfway point in race one, Bishop continued to lead from Kenney, Mosig and Flaherty, while behind the top four, was Toowoomba round winner Morrissy, Ryan Hardman and Blake Cobbin.

As race one reached it’s closing stages, you could throw a blanket over the top three riders, Bishop, Kenney, and Mosig all within striking distance, and keeping the crowd guessing as to who would have the stamina to hold on to the finish line.

But it all went pear shaped for Kenney on the final lap, the KTM rider going down dashing his hopes of a podium finish.

And when the chequered flag flew it was Bishop who led from the gate drop all the way to the finish line, second place went to Mosig, followed by Flaherty, Morrissy and Hardman who completed the top five.

Cory Watts wrapped up race one in sixth, followed by Blake Cobbin, James Maslin, Shane Blinksell and Riley Stevens.

The second moto for the KTM Australian Amateur Cup competitors took place in windy conditions once again this afternoon, but with a title up for grabs, competitors once again headed out to race for the final time this season.

When gates dropped, Yamaha mounted Mosig launched off the starting grid and secured the Raceline holeshot, and after a lap, Watts, Kenney and Bishop had slotted in behind him.

With the sandy Coolum surface forming up to be rough and square edged, the Amateur riders had their work cut out for them in their final moto of the year, but one rider who continued to gel with the track was race leader Mosig.

By the third lap, Flaherty had recovered from a mid-pack start and charged his way up to third position, relegating both Kenney and Bishop a spot each in the standings. And from there Flaherty was on a charge, also overtaking Watts and moving in to second position behind race leader Mosig.

As moto two progressed, the top three riders of Mosig, Flaherty and Kenney who had made the move into third separated themselves from the field of riders – showing off their skill on the deteriorating Coolum circuit.

And when riders received the last lap board the only position change had come from Bishop who was handed third thanks to a mistake from Kenney.

So when the chequered flag flew for the final time, it was Mosig who crossed the finish line with the final KTM Amateur Cup race victory. Second place went to Flaherty while Bishop wrapped up the final moto in third.

Morrissy and Hardman finished in fourth and fifth place respectively, followed by Kenney, Cobbin, Maslin, Watts and Livesey who completed the top ten.

When the points from each moto were calculated, it was Mosig who was awarded the round overall with 2,1 race finishes. Second at Coolum went to Bishop, while Flaherty completed the days’ podium.

But it was the title they were racing for this weekend at Coolum and it was Morrissy who secured the title by 21 points, second in the championship went to Flaherty, and Cobbin completed the 2017 podium.

Kerrod Morrissy – KTM Australian Amateur Cup Championship Winner

“I’m absolutely pumped to get the title today, at Toowoomba I got two holeshots, but today my starts let me down a little bit and I had to make my way through the field a lot, but it was super enjoyable and the track was awesome. This is the first time I’ve competed in all of the Amateur Cup rounds, and having them held at Toowoomba and Coolum it really gives us two completely different tracks and caters to all riders. The series has been awesome – to be honest I’d love to have a go in the MX1 class, the 30-minute motos are the hard part but maybe that’s a goal for next year.”

KTM Australian Amateur Cup Coolum Results

1. Chase Mosig – 67 points – Yamaha
2. Jesse Bishop – 65 points – Yamaha
3. Jordan Flaherty – 62 points – Husqvarna
4. Kerrod Morrissy – 56 points – KTM
5. Ryan Hardman – 52 points – KTM
6. Blake Cobbin – 48 points – KTM
7. Cory Watts – 47 points – Honda
8. James Maslin – 46 points – KTM
9. Riley Stephens – 41 points – KTM
10. Shane Blinksell – 39 points – Kawasaki

KTM Australian Amateur Cup Championship – Coolum

1. Kerrod Morrissy – 126 points – KTM
2. Jordan Flaherty – 105 points – Husqvarna
3. Blake Coobbin – 101 points – KTM
4. James Maslin – 96 points – KTM
5. Ryan Kenney – 89 points – KTM
6. Lachy Steen – 75 points – Yamaha
7. Chase Mosig – 67 points – Yamaha
8. Jesse Bishop – 65 points – Yamaha
9. Brock Healey – 65 points – KTM
10. Riley Stephens – 64 points KTM

Yamaha Motor Finance Women’s Report

After narrowly missing out on the championship win in 2016, DPH Motorsport’s Maddy Brown was crowned the 2017 Yamaha Motor Finance Women’s Australian Motocross Champion.

With 1-1-1-2 race results over the four motos it was Brown who was crowned the champion while second in the standings was KTM Australia’s Jessica Moore who in turn finished ahead of the fast and consistent Tori Dare.

Maddy Brown

“It was awesome racing Jess (Moore) this whole weekend, she was definitely on my tail and I mean it feels so good to win because she didn’t make it easy,” Brown said. “I just kept pushing, and you just put in so much effort and train so hard and you just have to keep fighting – it’s not yours until you bring it home.  After last year, I kept telling myself that – and I still get emotional talking about losing the title in 2016, but you can’t go back in time, and we’re just so happy that we could get the 2017 title here today.”

Yamaha Motor Finance Womens’ Australian Motocross Championship

1. Maddy Brown 137 Points
2. Jessica Moore 131 Points
3. Tori Dare 118 Points
4. Courtney Whyte – Dennis 112 Points
5. Chelsea Carter 99 Points
6. Lily Kent 95 Points
7. Steph Cutler 83 Points
8. Danielle Foot 78 Points
9. Hayley Miller 78 Points
10. Madison Bird 73 Points

Rd 1 – 2017 AMA EnduroCross Series – Orleans Arena

Rockstar Husqvarna Factory racing backed Colton Haaker fired first to take the win at round one of the 2017 AMA EnduroCross series inside the Orleans Arena.

He battled with FMF KTM backed Cody Webb all night and managed to come out on top in the heat race, new bracket race and again in the all-important main event to take maximum points on the night. SRT Racing backed Trystan Hart had an impressive night to take the final podium spot, his first ever podium.

When the gate dropped for the main event, it was Webb in front and Haaker quickly made a few moves to get into second. The top two riders rode in unison until lap eight of fourteen when Webb was the first to take the No Joke lane.

This allowed Haaker to take the lead and he tried to open a gap but Webb closed back in and briefly took the lead before Haaker passed him back in the rock pile and then the two made contact with Webb once again going down.

This allowed Haaker to safely open a ten second gap but he still waited until the final lap to take the No Joke lane but safely took the win. Webb finished twelve seconds back in second.

The battle for third was a race long affair between SRT Offroad teammates, Hart and Redmond. Hart held the position at the start before Redmond moved by only to be re-passed for the final podium spot. The two riders finished within one second of each other.

Beta’s Max Gerston took fifth ahead of RPM KTM’s Ty Tremaine in sixth. SRT’s Cory Graffunder was seventh and Cooper Abbot took the important eight place position that will put him directly into the night show at the next round.

Joan Pau Segura made the long trip from Spain and finished ninth on his GasGas ahead of fellow GasGas rider Noah Kepple in tenth.

Colton Haaker

“They dropped the gate about four seconds earlier than I expected and I got caught way off guard. I came into the first turn not in first unlike I did in every other race tonight. My starts were on point for every race except the main. I moved into second quickly and started pacing Cody and he took the joker lane at about the midway point and I knew I needed to get a gap going. Unfortunately, I made a major mistake and, even though the track wasn’t as technical as some, Cody made a mistake, too. So, if two of the best riders in the world make mistakes it seems it was pretty hard, actually. I caught back up to Cody after my mistake and he left the door open a bit and somehow my foot went into his front wheel and he went down. I didn’t mean to put my foot in there, obviously. From there, all I could think about was hitting the joker lane. I did it on the last lap and got the win.”

Cody Webb

“The main event wasn’t ideal but I’ve never been known to enjoy the faster tracks and this was probably the easiest track EnduroCross has ever had. I felt really great tonight and led for a bit. My plan was to have Colton lead with the pressure of taking the joker lane and I was just going to hunt him down and when we had to take the joker lane I would take advantage of it. But he got ahead of me when I made a mistake, then he crashed and I passed him momentarily and eventually he moved over on me and his foot peg or something got stuck in my wheel and I couldn’t hold the bike up. I went down, killed the motor, knocked my lever down too far and by that point it was too late in the race to recover. My confidence feels great. I wasn’t pumped on the track when I walked it and I’m looking forward to the rest of the series.”

Trystan Hart

“For sure my good start was so key to the race for me. I had a good gate pick and the track wasn’t super hard but it was super-fast and you couldn’t make a mistake and that made for some really tight racing between Kyle (Redmond) and myself for the entire time. It was super tiring even though the track wasn’t too hard. You had to be on it the entire time that it was really intense. I worked hard for this and now that I’m up here it doesn’t feel real. Everybody always says that, but the last lap I thought, ‘This is it!’ Last year I was fourth in Boise and I felt like I threw third away a little. Now, it feels great to get it.”

There was a strong field of women riders and the main event proved to be one of the most exciting of the evening with the lead changing several times among the top five riders.

Canada’s Shelby Turner, the defending Women’s EnduroCross champion passed Australia’s Tayla Jones on the final lap to take an exciting win. Jones crashed out of the lead and FMF KTM’s Kacy Martinez also snuck by for second while Jones recovered for third. Tarah Geiger and Morgan Tanke rounded out the top five.

The next round of EnduroCross will be a first-time event inside the Reno – Sparks Livestock Events Center on September 23rd.

Super EnduroCross

1. Colton Haaker – Husqvarna
2. Cody Webb – KTM
3.  Trystan Hart – Husqvarna
4. Kyle Redmond – Beta
5. Max Gerston – Beta
6. Ty Tremaine – KTM
7. Cory Graffunder – KTM
8. Cooper Abbott – Yamaha
9. Joan Pau Segura Verdaguer – GasGas
10. Noah Kepple – KTM

Women’s EnduroCross

1. Shelby Turner
2. Kacy Martinez
3. Tayla Jones
4. Tarah Geiger
5. Morgan Tanke

Atacama Rally – Chile

Ensuring the best possible end to his week-long adventure in the dunes of Chile, Pablo Quintanilla has secured overall victory at the 2017 edition of the Atacama Rally.

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Following a well-calculated plan of attack, Pablo took advantage of his good starting position to make up for time lost during yesterday’s stage four.

Completing the 158km special in a total time of one hour and 35 minutes, the FR 450 Rally mounted rider regained the lead in the overall standings, going on to open up an eventual gap of more than two minutes to his closest rival.

Securing a fifth career victory at the Atacama Rally, Quintanilla has reduced the gap to the provisional leader of the FIM Cross-Country Rallies World Championship to six points.

Pablo Quintanilla

“This victory means a lot to me, after my injury in Qatar, I had such a tough month recovering. To return to competition here at my home round in Chile and take the win, it is such an incredible feeling. All through the event I felt fit and strong on the bike. My Husqvarna FR 450 Rally has been perfect every single day. I am glad that I have been able to close on Sam Sunderland in the championship. With two rounds remaining there is still everything to play for. It’s been a huge team effort and there are no words to thank each member of the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna squad. They have been so supportive of me after coming back from my injury. I am proud that I could reward them with a win.”

Championship leader heading into the event, Red Bull KTM’s Sam Sunderland finished eighth on the extremely fast and short special stage near the city of Iquique leaving him in fourth place for the event which was enough to retain his lead in the FIM Cross-Country Rallies World Championship.

Sam Sunderland

“The main goal was to arrive at the finish and luckily I made it home safe and I still lead the world championship. Fourth place overall is not what I was hoping for, but it could have been worse. It’s disappointing not to finish on the podium, but at the same time I’m simply glad to arrive at the finish in one piece. The road book seemed to be inaccurate at times. Distances were wrong and there were some hazards missing. I had a few moments today where my life flashed in front of my eyes. There are two rounds of the championship to go and I’m already looking forward to Argentina. My team have been perfect the entire rally – as they always are – so thank you very much to them.”

The next round of the FIM Cross-Country Rallies World Championship will head to the Desafío Ruta 40 in Argentina.

Final Standing Atacama Rally 2017

1. Pablo Quintanilla – Husqvarna Factory Rally Team: 12:53’49
2. Kevin Benavides – Monster Energy Honda Team +2’23
3. Paulo Concalves – Monster Energy Honda Team +11’51
4. Sam Sunderland – KTM Factory Racing Team +23’15
5. Xavier De Soultrait – Yamaha Motor Europe +33’46
6. Matthias Walkner – KTM Factory Racing Team +34’05
7. José Cornejo – Cornejo Rally Team +43’35
8. Adrien Van Beveren – Yamaha Motor Europe +49’41
9. Franco Caimi – Yamaha Motor Europe +1:23’31
10. Daniel Gouet – Motorola +1:49’08

FIM Cross-Country Rallies Championship after 3 of 5 races:

1. Sam Sunderland, 74 points
2. Pablo Quintanilla, 68
3. Paulo Goncalves, 55
4. Matthias Walkner, 49
5. Kevin benavides, 41
6. Pela Renet, 28
7. Antoine Meo, 25
8. Mohammed Al Balooshi, 23
9. Adam Tomiczek, 20
10. Maciej Giemza, 17

2017 Australian Senior Dirt Track Championship – Jambaroo Park, Victoria

The North Western Victorian Motorcycle Club hosted the 2017 Australian Senior Dirt Track Championship at Jamberoo Park in Victoria and from all account the racing was nothing short of breath taking over the two days.

Australia’s fastest dirt trackers did battle for supremacy in all classes including 500cc Sliders, Pro Open, MX Open, Pro 450, Pro 250, Under 19s, Pro Open Women’s, Junior 250cc Class, Over 35years, 85cc 2 stroke/150cc 4 stroke and Sidecars – see the full results below:

In the first time since 2004, the Slider ‘up to’ 500cc class made a triumphant return to the track and saw Jake Schneiders snatch two wins from two starts, closely followed behind by Jesse Davies in second place and class master Jason Stewart, third (still showing the young lads how it’s done!) His son, Jordan, registered a fourth place finish with only three points separating the pair.

Pro Open class on Saturday had three riders tied on 50 points after two rounds on day one, being namely Nicholas Waters, Rowan Tegart and Kayden Downing, with closely following Damien Koppe on 47 points then Brad Burns and Daniel Wicks on 42. The Pro Open boasted an incredible 32 riders over the weekend at Jamberoo Park.

The Pro Open final didn’t come without its spills, with young Max Whale on his first outing in an Australian Senior Title event. Whale attempted an unobtainable move on the competitor in front of him (Nicholas Waters) on the second last turn of the last lap, connecting with the rear wheel of Waters, bringing himself down in spectacular fashion.

The Pro 250 class on Saturday had Jarred Brook on first with two wins, Brad Burns behind with a win and a third placing and Nicholas Waters with two second places from two starts. The Pro 250cc class was again tipped as a huge final showdown on Sunday, where third and fourth positions were very tightly contested with Ty Lynch coming out the collector of third place. Jarrod Brook took the lead and was never challenged.

Saturday’s Pro 450 class had Jarred Brook in first position with two wins, but Damien Koppe was sitting on the same points and was closely followed by Nicholas Waters on 47 points, tied with Kayden Downing – Ty Lynch on 45. The Final on Sunday saw Kayden Downing take the lead from the gate, and Jordan Dall fought hard to keep at him over the four laps. Jarred Brook crashed out on lap one, managing to remount and continue.

Under 19yrs featured fantastic racing with Max Whale convincingly taking hold of the class from Round 1 until the Final, when he had a coming together in the Pro Open class, putting him out for the rest of Round 5. Whales’ points were strong enough to give him second placing in the Championship, Bailey Spencer taking honours, with local Cooper Riordan who normally races Speedway – rounding out the podium.

Saturday’s MX Open had Ty Lynch on the top points after two heats, joining him in a tie was Nicholas Waters and Jordan Dall all on 47 points then closely followed by Rowan Tegart on 45. The MX Open final on Sunday didn’t start without dramas off the line, with biffing and barging bringing out the red flag and a dressing down from Officials before the re-start. Jarrod Brook got the hole shot and wasn’t contested for the four lap journey, the field behind swapping and changing positions until the chequered flag dropped.

Saturday’s Pro Open Womens was hotly contested and tightly fought, with Briony Hendrickson from Queensland as the stand out perfomer, clenching two convincing wins that were followed by Grace Hudson and Amy Wedd on equal points. Brooke Lonie six points behind. On Sunday, the Womens class saw outstanding racing and were noticeably faster than last year.

The Junior 250cc Class featured as a support category, ensured tight racing with both Ned Faulkhead just coming back from a round of the Asia Talent Cup (Road Race last weekend in Indonesia), and Harrison Ryan from NSW pushing him in every round race, coming out on top with only three points between them both. Hamish McCarten really stepped it up for the weekend, bringing home third place after his success from the 2017 Junior Australian Track Championships held last month at the NWVMCC track.

Saturday’s Over 35years class saw Jason Stewart running first, Mitch Wolfe trailing the leader, and Michael Rix in third with Jared Anskaitis on same points. Sunday’s version of the Over 35years support category provided another great run of straight races. Jaons Stewart took home the glory and clearly had a ball along the way.

The 85cc 2 stroke/150cc 4 stroke support class, had Remmie Fyffe first, Damon Burke second and Zane Kinna third on day one. Local Chloe Ackerley and Oliver Dichiera also held their own on the track. On Sunday, riders put on a super show for the crowd at Jamberoo Park with each race, even managing to mix it up for the finish line honours.

The sidecars as always put on a great show for the audience, with Liebke/Liebke sitting in first at present with Fien/Jobling running in second position, closely followed by Grainger/Gaze and Pearce/Harrison that were only separated by one point ahead of the all-important A Final.

The Final heat on Sunday went as smoothly as possible, with the pairing of Adam and Graham Liebke from Queensland taking the win quite convincingly while the other competitors following a further full three seconds behind.

For the results see here (link).