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Moto News Weekly Wrap
November 17, 2020

2020 EnduroGP of Marco de Canaveses, Portugal

Day 1

For the second time in two weeks, the FIM Borilli Enduro World Championship is enjoying a race in Marco de Canaveses, Portugal. On the first day of the 2020 season finale, we saw four riders crowned champions, and above all a magnificent battle in EnduroGP…

Victory seemed promised to Steve Holcombe at the end of the second lap as the Brit was almost 20 seconds ahead of title rival Brad Freeman. But in the EnduroGP class, things are never finished until the last corner of the last special test! In a shock twist, it was Freeman who took 24 seconds out of his team-mate, earning himself a precious victory on Day 1! The gap is therefore narrowing between the two rivals, now only separated by 4 points in favour of Holcombe. For his part, Holcombe made too many mistakes in the last two tests when he was looking to secure victory.

The Factory Beta pair were lucky that Josep Garcia was unable to take an EGP victory today, despite the “comeback kid” earning another third place. Andrea Verona, Thomas Oldrati and Jaume Betriu also put on a good show for the last positions in the top five overall. The Spaniard was unable to stop his Italian rivals in the class, and Verona took an emphatic fourth while Oldrati was fifth. It was a difficult day for the series “rookie” of the weekend, Manuel Lettenbichler, who had to be content with 23rd place overall.

In Enduro 1, the impressive victory of Andrea Verona allows him a little breathing space in the title fight with his rival, Thomas Oldrati. The 2019 Junior Champion is now seven-points ahead of the 2008 Junior Champion. Tomorrow is sure to see another thrilling day in the battle for the E1 crown. Antoine Magain took a podium for the fourth time in a row to the detriment of Christophe Charlier. Eero Remes completed the top five.

In the E2 class, a very impressive sixth victory of the season for Steve Holcombe also means he also takes his sixth World title, one day before the end of the season! The Beta Factory rider left no chance for Josep Garcia, who was the only one capable of taking victory from him. Behind them Matteo Cavallo grabbed the last step of the podium, 14 seconds ahead Danny McCanney. The 2019 E2 Champion, Loïc Larrieu took 11 points and fifth position.

In the big class, E3, Brad Freeman also collected the World Champion’s crown! The young Brit remains unbeaten and formidable in the category. Once again, he won the day with a lead of more than 1.5 minutes over runner-up Jaume Betriu. This time around it was David Abgrall who enjoyed the podium Champagne ahead of his compatriot Antoine Basset and Spaniard Marc Sans Soria.

Hamish MacDonald had only one task on this penultimate day of the season; finish in front of his teammate Théo Espinasse. He managed this perfectly and the New Zealander takes his second title in as many years, after he won the Youth Cup 125cc last year. He took his fourth victory in a row and looked unflappable, beating Espinasse by more than 15 seconds.

Espinasse tried everything during the day to keep with his team-mate but it was to no avail. At the forefront all day, the impressive Wil Ruprecht crashed heavily on the last special test and seems to have seriously injured his left arm. Roni Kytonen therefore joined the two Sherco riders on the podium in the Under 23 category. Lorenzo Macoritto takes 13 points for fourth place while Ruprecht clenched his teeth to still finish an amazing fifth!

With this latest victory in Junior, MacDonald also wins the Junior 2 World Cup ahead of Espinasse and Ruprecht, while Roni Kytonen gets a little closer to the J1 World Cup with this new victory ahead of Macoritto and Bruno Crivilin.

In Youth 125cc we will see a final day full of suspense since Sergio Navarro won the day with both Claudio Spanu and his brother Alejandro Navarro between himself and the championship leader, Jed Etchells, who could only manage fourth today. There is now only a four-point gap between the Brit and the Spaniard heading into the final day of the season! Harry Edmondson completed the top five, just five-seconds behind his compatriot.

In the Women’s Cup, 2019 Champion Jane Daniels won the first day in style ahead of the France’s Justine Martel and Spain’s Mireia Badia. Sandra Gomez and Nieve Holmes completed the top five.

Finally, in Champion Lubricants Enduro Open World Cup, the first day saw Gonçalo Reis take a seventh consecutive victory and with it his second Open 2-Stroke title in a row! The Swede Arvid Modin managed second place ahead of the Portugal’s Gonçalo Sobrosa. In Open 4-Stroke, Mathias Van Hoof took the advantage ahead of the final day of racing, the Belgian beat his compatriot Damiaens Diegter and is now three-points ahead in the provisional standings. Jorge Paradello took the third step on the podium, to the detriment of Andrea Belotti. In Open Senior, Alessio Paoli took his fifth victory and he could win the World Cup tomorrow if he is victorious again. David Martinez and Duccio Graziani completed the podium.

While the E2, E3, Junior and Open 2-Stroke titles have already been awarded, the premier class is still undecided, as are E1, Youth, Open Senior, Open 4-Stroke and Women. Tomorrow will therefore be another day packed full of excitement and unexpected twists and turns! See you at 08.00 on the start ramp for the grand finale of a special 2020 season!

2020 EnduroGP of Portugal (2) Day 1 Results

Day 2

For those who love suspense, drama, and twists and turns, this very last day of the FIM Borilli EnduroGP World Championship 2020 was a dream! Heavy rain swept through the final day, the special tests increasingly degraded, and everything was set for a dantesque final…

And that’s what we got in the premier class! Brad Freeman took the lead from the first tests of the day and seemed to be going all out for the crown. Just four-points separated him and his great rival and team-mate, Steve Holcombe coming into the final day, and whoever beat the other would be in champion.

Everything seemed to be falling perfectly into place for the 2019 EnduroGP World Champion as Josep Garcia got in between the two Brits and allowed Freeman some breathing space. Holcombe had a day littered with mistakes and it seemed the title chances were slipping through his fingers… all until the last special test of the season! The riders were held for 30 minutes due to the national riders still completing the last test, and there were issues about the amount of fuel left in Freeman’s factory Beta!

This question was soon answered and, devastatingly, the Brit lost 1 minute and 20 seconds on the final Champion Enduro Test of the season to test winner Danny McCanney. He had quite simply run out of petrol. This initially benefited Garcia, who was able to get his second victory of the year but more so Holcombe, who had lost all hope in the title, and suddenly found himself crowned 2020 EnduroGP World Champion!  Of course with the factory efforts of KTM and Husqvarna directed towards the rival World Enduro Super Series, and not at EnduroGP, this has not been a true best of the best contest with so many big names missing from EnduroGP. Here is hoping they can all come together under the one umbrella next year.

Steve Holcombe

“I’m lost for words right now, it’s hard to explain how much winning this EnduroGP title on the 350F means to both Beta Motorcycles and myself. Today was a crazy day, in a way I guess it’s fitting for how strange 2020 has been. I was behind, kind of where I needed to be, but also not able to find the speed I had on day one. But I just tried to keep fighting and hoping for a break. When the weather turned, things changed, and, well, here I am as world champion. I feel for Brad because he was doing everything right, but in an instant his luck was out. Unfortunately, that’s racing – I’ve been there before and know how that feels. On the whole I just can’t thank Beta and all the team’s and my sponsors enough for all they’ve done. We’ve proved again that we’re the best team in the paddock and these titles are for them as much as for myself.”

Despite the obvious heartbreak for Freeman, this highly dramatic end to the championship seemed somewhat fitting with what has been a tumultuous year. Danny McCanney finished fourth on the day, while the fifth position taken by Andrea Verona allows him to place top three in the Championship.

The outcome was slightly less dramatic in Enduro 1 since Andrea Verona did a superb job throughout the weekend to control his experienced rival, Thomas Oldrati. On the very first test of the day a mistake from the Honda rider allowed the TM rider to pull out a 30 second lead. Oldrati tried everything in vain to try and catch a confident and quick Verona but he had no answer.

This means the young TM rider is this year’s E1 World Champion, just one year after his Junior title! This special achievement has also been done by big names such as Phillips, Holcombe and Freeman in the past! Christophe Charlier took his second podium of the year while Belgium’s Antoine Magain secured third place overall and Eero Remes got another top five.

Andrea Verona

“It’s a great year that has ended perfectly for me! A title in Enduro 1 feels amazing even it was not really a goal I set for myself this season. But once I realised it was possible I absolutely went after it! My perseverance was really the key to my success and I hope to continue in this way and continue to learn too…”

In E2, it was Josep Garcia who won the day ahead of Steve Holcombe and Danny McCanney. Loïc Larrieu and Joe Wootton completed the top five.

Josep Garcia

“The last EnduroGP of the season has gone really well for me. On day one, similarly to last week, I made a big mistake in the extreme test that cost me a lot of seconds and put me out of the battle for the class win. On Sunday, the goal was to take the win and I pushed really hard for that. Freeman was really fast, especially in the extreme test, but on the last lap he had a problem, and I was able to come through to take the win in E2 and EnduroGP. I’m really happy with how I rode, and I don’t think I could ask for more.”

On the E3 side, Freeman’s setbacks did not prevent him from signing the perfect season and remaining undefeated. Jaume Betriu takes the place of Vice-Champion with a second place finish on Sunday. We also had the pleasure of seeing Cristobal Guerrero back on an enduro podium when he took third. David Abgrall and Antoine Basset finished fourth and fifth!

The Youth 125cc category also gave us a lot of drama from the first lap to the last one. Championship leader, Jed Etchells shockingly lost more than 20 minutes in the Cross Test due to mechanical problems. From then on his title dreams flew away and he was forced to let Sergio Navarro and Claudio Spanu fight it out for the crown!

Sergio Navarro

“This just proves that we have to believe in it until the end! When I saw Etchells had problems I wanted to push as much as I could, but it was very difficult with this weather. Besides, Spanu was very strong and he put a lot of pressure on me in every special test… But we got there in the end! I am so happy for my team and my parents!”

As for the Junior classes, the 2020 Champion Hamish MacDonald, who was crowned on Day 1, made a point by winning the day again ahead of Roni Kytonen and Matteo Pavoni. Ruy Barbosa and Théo Espinasse completed the top five!

In J1, Roni Kytonen showed good form and won again and the J1 World Cup ahead of Ruy Barbosa and Pau Tomas while Hamish MacDonald took J2 victory ahead of Matteo Pavoni and Théo Espinasse.

It was a second crown in as many years for the UK’s Jane Daniels, who left no chance for her rivals on either day of racing, winning by a huge margin and firmly cementing her place among the sport’s best riders! The Iberian duo Mireia Badia and Sandra Gomez completed the podium. It was a similar situation in the Women’s Championship standing but France’s Justine Martel took third there to the detriment of Gomez.

There was drama again in Open 4-Stroke as after having gained the advantage the day before, Mathias Van Hoof had to finally hand over the crown to the winner of the day Damiaens Diegter! Despite being tied on points and victories it was Diegter who obtained the title thanks to the fact he’d won more recently. In the Open Senior class, with a 6th victory in as many participations, Alessio Paoli succeeds David Knight on the roll of honour! Duccio Graziani finished second on the day ahead of David Martinez. Finally, in Open 2-Stroke, it was a perfect season for Gonçalo Reis as the local rider won again, completing a clean sweep. Arvid Modin and Robert Friedrich rounded out the top three.

So the curtain has fallen on the 31st season of the FIM Borilli World Enduro Championship, and it was full of the type of suspense and chaos that makes this sport so special! Now we look ahead to 2021 for a new season and a new Enduro era!

2020 EnduroGP of Portugal (2) Day 2 Results

2020 EnduroGP Standings

Casey Stoner Cup kicks off this weekend at Loxford Park

Kurri Kurri Junior Motor Cycle Club will again honour its former member Casey Stoner who went on to become MotoGP world champion at Loxford Park Raceway, situated in Dickson Road, Loxford, (Kurri Kurri, New South Wales) this Saturday, November 21.

The Tradecore Industries Casey Stoner Cup dirt track meeting has been staged for over a decade and already has an impressive list of previous winners.

A classy line-up of riders in both senior and junior classes will be keen to get in to action this Saturday after months of inactivity. Practice gets underway at 8.30am with the Cup finals wrapping up the programme in the afternoon. For fans it is a cheap day out on Saturday with just a $5.00 per car entry fee with full canteen facilities available.

While Australian Championship racing for track and dirt track all fell victim to COVID and its restrictions, New South Wales has been able to get this discipline of the sport up and running this month. This Saturday’s meeting comes in between several state championship meetings.

Kempsey hosted the senior and junior dirt track titles, along with the Akubra Classic events before Quirindi Showground hosted motorcycle racing for the first time when it hosted the senior track titles. The Junior Track title at Tamworth is still to come on November 28.

Yamaha Junior Racing display strong talent in Tas, NSW & WA

Despite it being late in the year, Yamaha Junior Racing continues to bring the heat and enthusiasm to each event and again achieved significant results as racing winds down for the season. The racing continues around the national with state based events in Western Australia, Tasmania and New South Wales all taking centre stage in recent weeks.

Western Australia

The final round of the Western Australian Motocross Championship ripped through the coastal town of Bunbury with good numbers in attendance and all desperate to finish their season on a positive note. The YJR crew were in full force with Jake Rumens back from injury and joining Jake Turner while Yamaha support rider, Deegan Fort, was also on hand and all three ready to grab some silverware.

Rumens return to the track was a successful one taking a second place finish in the 12-15 years 85cc class on the back of his 2-1-2 results for the day. It was a good return to form for Rumens, who had been sidelined with a hand/ wrist injury and missed a round leaving him out of contention for the series.

Jake Turner was right in the middle of a championship fight in both the 13-15 years 125 and 250cc classes. He had consistently been on the podium at the previous rounds and wanted a round win before the year was out.

In the 250cc class, Jake charged to a third place finish for the round and as a result, locked up third for the championship. He raced strongly at Bunbury to finish with 3-3-3 results and keep his consistency intact. He could only manage a fourth place result on the day in the 13-15 years 125cc class, but still managed to take third in the championship, making it a dual championship podium for Turner.

He then turned senior the next day and instantly went into the MX2 ranks and showed he wasn’t there to make up the numbers. He led two and out the three races and only a crash in race two kept him from a round podium in his first senior outing.

But the star of the YJR show in WA was Deegan Fort. The young gun charged his way to victory in the 7-9 years 65cc class in both the day and the championship, adding another championship to the quickly expanding YZ65 list of achievements.

WA Round Results
7-9 years 65cc

1. Deegan Fort – 102 (Yamaha Junior Racing)
2. Nate Tomerini – 93
3. Ollie Birkitt – 90

12-15 years 85cc

1. Deacon Paice – 102
2. Jake Rumens – 99 (Yamaha Junior Racing)
3. Patrick Butler – 90

13-15 years 250cc

1. Kayden Minear – 105
2. Brock Flynn -94
3. Jake Turner – 90 (Yamaha Junior Racing)

13-15 years 125cc

1. Brock Flynn – 105
2. Kayden Minear – 96
3. Dylan Walsh – 85
4. Jake Turner – 84 (Yamaha Junior Racing)

WA Championship Standings
7-9 years 65cc

1. Deegan Fort – 284 (Yamaha YZ65)
2. Ollie Birkitt – 277
3. Nate Tomerini – 273

13-15 years 250cc

1. Kayden Minear – 295
2. Brock Flynn – 285
3. Jake Turner – 270 (Yamaha YZ250F)

13-15 years 125cc

1.  Brock Flynn – 265
2. Kayden Minear – 253
3. Jake Turner – 234 (Yamaha YZ125)

Tasmania

The penultimate round of the Tasmania Motocross Championship was conducted over the weekend at the Penguin Circuit with Jay Jennings and Angus Pearce in action. Jennings is in championship contention in his 65 and 85cc classes and was desperate for a good round, while Pearce is getting back to his best form and determined to climb back on top of the podium.

Jennings indeed showed plenty of spirit as he took the round win in the 9-11 years 85ccc class. He finished with two race wins and a second to claim the day and claw back a few points on his rival, Cooper Ford.

The tables were turned in the 65cc class, with Ford taking the win on the day and Jennings in tow. Jennings sits in second place in both divisions and will need to pull out all the stops at the final round to win the either championship in 2020.

In the 12-15 years 125cc class, it was all Angus Pearce as he showed a clean pair of heels all day to take three wins from three starts and be the dominant rider in the class. Unfortunately, he still a way back in the championship points after missing rounds due to injury but his goal is to continue to win races as the season draws to a close.

Tasmania MX Round Results
10-12 years 65

1. Cooper Ford – 105
2. Jay Jennings – 96 (Yamaha Junior Racing)
3. Angus Barber – 30

9-11 years 85cc

1. Jay Jennings – 102 (Yamaha Junior Racing)
2. Cooper Ford – 97
3. Jed Grey – 92

13-15 years 125cc

1. Angus Pearce – 105 (Yamaha Junior Racing)
2. Zack Buxton – 94
3. Will Schuuring – 92

Tasmanian Championship Standings
10-12 years 65cc

1. Cooper Ford – 516
2. Jay Jennings – 489 (Yamaha YZ65)
3. Angus Barber – 376

9-11 years 85cc

1. Cooper Ford – 514
2. Jay Jennings – 483 (Yamaha YZ85)
3. Luca Wright – 403

New South Wales

The popular East Coast Motocross Series was concluded over the weekend with good rider numbers turning up for the final round in Wollongong. Yamaha Junior Racing were well represented with the Kingsford brothers back in action and out to make every post a winner.

The day got off to a rough start for Ryder Kingsford when he had a huge fall during practice that saw both himself and his bike cartwheeling down the track. After laying motionless on the side of the track, Ryder was able to get to his feet, dust himself off and prepare for the first of his six races for the day.

The talented 14 year old shrugged off the crash and went on a rampage. He took the perfect three wins from three starts in the 13-15 years 250cc class and backed that up with 1-2-2 results in the 13-15 years 125cc division to win both classes on the day in an outstanding effort.

The dominant performance at the final round lifted Kingsford to second in the final standings on his YZ125 and third on his YZ250F.

Kayd Kingsford is back on track after a broken wrist and still returning to top speed but made good improvements since the last round. He finished fourth on the day in the hotly contested 12-15 years 85cc class with 5-4-4 results and closed the gap on the riders at the front of the field.

In the senior divisions, Rhys Budd took the win the 250cc Pro division for both the round and the championship. He dominated the day to win all four motos in that class and back that up with a third place finish for the round in the Pro Open group. That was enough to make it two series victories for the Sydney based rider.

East Coast MX – Round Five
13-15 years 250cc

1. Ryder Kingsford – 105 (Yamaha Junior Racing)
2. Rory Fairbrother – 88
3. Connor Rossandich – 80

13-15 years 125cc

1. Ryder Kingsford – 99 (Yamaha Junior Racing)
2. Hunter Collins – 98
3. Connor Towill – 90

12-15 years 85cc

1. Jyle Campbell – 102
2. Mason Hills – 95
3. Koby Hantis – 92
4. Kayd Kingsford – 82 (Yamaha Junior Racing)

East Coast MX Final Series Standings
13-15 years 250cc

1. Connor Rossandich – 439
2. Rory Fairbrother – 388
3. Ryder Kingsford – 367 (Yamaha YZ250F)

13-15 years 125cc

1. Connor Rossandich – 430
2. Ryder Kingsford – 386 (Yamaha YZ125)
3. Hunter Collins – 372

SX4 confirms Cody Cooper as first signing

SX4 is a new format of Motocross launched by NZ motocross star, Ben Townley, combining four riders, four laps, four corners and four obstacles into two-minutes of action-packed racing, with tickets now on sale via Eventbrite. Now Cody Cooper, nine-time NZ MX1 motocross champion, has officially confirmed he will be the first signing for the inaugural SX4 event set to be staged in Taupo on 9 January 2021.

Cody Cooper

“What Ben has created will not only have fans on the edge of the seat, but, it will change the future of our sport for the better. I’m just stoked to get involved to help bring the event to life! The tightness of the track combined with quick fire racing gives spectators an experience they haven’t seen before in our sport. It was great to race alongside some of the best in the business over Labour Weekend and I can’t wait to take them to the slaughter in the New Year.”

Cody Cooper was one of riders that competed in the SX4 demo event over Labour Weekend at MXFest. The inaugural event will see 12 of NZ’s top riders compete of 15 races in a two-hour window on 9 January 2021 at Digger McEwan Motorsport Park, Taupo. Individuals will compete for prize money. A Manufacturers Championship is also in development and will be another NZ first in the sport of motocross.

For more information and to buy tickets head to www.sx4.co.nz.

Duncan and Archer to headline KawiGirls Kings & Queens MX event

The inaugural Kawasaki KawiGirls Kings & Queens Motocross event will see double Women’s World MXChampion Courtney Duncan and GNCC WXC Championship (GNCC) runner-up Rachael Archer headlining the event. The December 12 meet celebrates New Zealand’s motocross women and the country’s top female riders will ensure the racing at the Rotorua Motorcycle Club is action-packed.

Courtney Duncan

“It’s awesome to see so many girls riding. When I started racing there were very few girls in the sport. It has been cool for me to show that you can be a girl but still be successful in motocross.”

They include Hamilton riders KawiGirls ambassador Mikayla Rowe, who was fifth in the 2020 New Zealand Women’s Motocross Championship and second at the TT Nationals, plus current national women’s motocross champion Amie Roberts.

A foot injury sustained in her final GNCC round also won’t stop Archer turning up to race in December.

Rachael Archer

“I’ve flown home and will be spending the next two weeks in isolation, so by the time that’s done I’m hoping my foot will be all healed, as that will be six weeks since breaking it. Yamaha will give me a brand new 2021 YZ250FX to train on, so I’ll be riding that at the KawiGirls event.”

Eight-round ProMX Championship slated for 2021

Australia’s 2021 national motocross season is ready to fire into action with the announcement the 2021 ProMX Championship will see eight rounds of jam-packed action across seven weekends, launching a new era for the Australian Motocross Championship.

The ProMX Management Team have announce the 2021 ProMX Championship will explode into action April 11th and running through until mid-August. ProMX, the new name of the Australian Motocross Championship will see Australia’s best motocross riders go head to head as they battle to take victory as the 2021 Champion.

Race fans in attendance trackside will see Australia’s fastest riders on dirt compete and fight it out in MX1, MX2, the newly created MX3 and MXW class along with a host of exciting support classes for the 2021 ProMX Championship.

Peter Doyle – Motorcycling Australia CEO

“There has been significant work undertaken by the ProMX Management Team over many months to secure the right locations and venues, to create the best possible ProMX Championship calendar for 2021. Locking in the 2021 Calendar is a critical step forward in the preparation for a not to be missed ProMX Championship. We know teams are eager to go racing, and motocross fans are eager to see the fierce action on track that the ProMX Championship will deliver.”

As the final preparations take place The ProMX Management Team are busily working to create new event formats and schedules and are on track to announce the calendar at the end of next week. ProMX has worked with industry partners and host clubs and all look forward to go racing in 2021.

Nominations open For Gillman Speedway two-day extravaganza

Motorcycling Australia (MA) are pleased to announce that nominations are now open for FIM Oceania Speedway Championship, Australian Speedway U21 Championship, and Australian Speedway U16 250cc Championship, to be held at Gillman Speedway, South Australia between, January 29 and 30.

This two-day speedway extravaganza is guaranteed to showcase the best speedway riders in the Oceania region as well as Australia’s future champions.

The highest placed Australian rider in the FIM Oceania Speedway Championship on Saturday, January 30, will gain automatic entry into the 2021 Australian Speedway Senior Solo Championship.

Last won by Australian ace Jack Holder who had a blistering year in Europe this year, this championship is destined to provide close handlebar to handlebar action for race fans.

The Australian Under 16 250cc Championship, to be held on Friday, January 29, will also be the qualifier for the 2021 FIM Speedway Youth World Championship to be held in Cloppenburg, Germany, on July 23 and 24, 2021.

There is expected to be some fierce competition in this class with the growing numbers of junior riders coming through.

The Australian Speedway Under21 Championship to be held on Friday January 29, 2021, will also have spectators on the edge of their seats to see if it can produce another World Champion.

Current Australian Under 21 Champion Jaimon Lidsey, went on to win the World Under21 Speedway Championship title earlier this year.

Nominations close for all three championship events 5pm, December 30, and can be accessed at https://www.australianspeedwaychampionships.com.au/competitor-info/

2021 SGP & SON calendars announced

The provisional 2021 FIM Speedway Grand Prix and Monster Energy FIM Speedway of Nations calendars have been released. Next year’s SGP world individual champion is set to be crowned over 11 rounds, across at least seven different countries, including Russia which is staging its first-ever SGP event.

Next season also marks the 20th Adrian Flux British SGP at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium. Prague’s Marketa Stadium will extend its run as the longest-serving SGP venue when it stages the Czech SGP on June 5 – the 26th SGP round to take place in the Czech capital which first hosted the event in 1997.

The Monster Energy SON returns on September 17 and 18, in Latvia, where the top three countries in each event will qualify for the Final. The 2021 calendars are subject to change due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

Paul Bellamy – Senior Vice President of Motorsports Events at IMG

“We are hopeful we will deliver an unforgettable year of world championship action after what has been a tough 2020 for everyone. Given that restrictions continue to change, the 2021 calendars remain subject to alteration. But despite all the challenges we faced, we were still able to stage some fantastic speedway this season and whatever 2021 brings, we are determined to bring our fans around the world more incredible racing. We look forward to returning to the nations that were unable to stage racing this year and I am particularly pleased to see Togliatti host SGP action for the first time. I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who made our 2020 events possible, including our partners at the FIM. We look forward to seeing you all again in 2021.”

2021 FIM Speedway Grand Prix calendar

• April 24 – TBA
• May 15 – PZM Warsaw SGP of Poland (Warsaw, Poland)
• May 22 – German SGP (Teterow, Germany)
• June 5 – Czech Republic SGP (Prague, Czech Republic)
• June 19 – TBA
• July 17 – Adrian Flux British SGP (Cardiff, GB)
• July 31 – Betard Wroclaw SGP of Poland (Wroclaw, Poland)
• August 14 – Swedish SGP (Malilla, Sweden)
• August 28 – Russian SGP (Togliatti, Russia)
• September 11 – Danish SGP sponsored by Ecco (Vojens, Denmark)
• October 2 – Torun SGP of Poland (Torun, Poland)

2021 Monster Energy FIM Speedway of Nations calendar

• September 17 – Semi-Final 1 (Daugavpils, Latvia)
• September 18 – Semi-Final 2 (Daugavpils, Latvia)
• October 16 – Final Day 1 (Manchester, GB)
• October 17 – Final Day 2 (Manchester, GB)

Yamaha Europe 2021 EMX250 line-up confirmed

Yamaha Motor Europe and the Hutten Metaal Yamaha Official EMX250 Team have confirmed a three-rider line-up for the 2021 EMX250 Championship. The team have retained 15-year-old Dutch talent Dave Kooiker and welcomed two new riders, reigning EMX125 Champion Andrea Bonacorsi and EMX250 podium finisher Jeremy Sydow, to the team.

Already a proven talent following his EMX125 title success, Bonacorsi in an exciting addition to the highly acclaimed Dutch team. The 17-year-old Italian celebrated seven EMX125 race wins, four overall victories and five podium finishes on his way to the 2020 EMX125 crown and will enter his first EMX250 season as a rider to watch.

Completing Yamaha’s bid for EMX250 success, Sydow celebrated an EMX250 podium finish on his way to sixth overall in the 2019 EMX250 Championship. Following a successful year inside the EMX250 class where he proved he was a top-three contender, the 20-year-old made the jump up to MX2 and instantly impressed with a top-10 race finish at the Grand Prix of Italy, in Imola. After a 2020 season hampered by health issues, Sydow will return to the EMX250 Championship next season, determined to fight for a top-three finish in the series standings.

All three riders will be racing a GYTR kitted YZ250F. The 2021 EMX250 Championship is provisionally scheduled to take place over 10 rounds and is set to start in Agueda, Portugal on May 8th.

Wim Hutten – Hutten Metaal Yamaha Official EMX250 Team Owner

“This year was fantastic. We are very happy that we have become European Champions in the EMX250 class. It was our goal and we made it happen! I would like to thank Yamaha and my entire team for this. We have needed each other to achieve this. Teamwork makes the dreamwork! Going into next year we will continue with Dave Kooiker. He is only 15 years old, but we expect a lot from him in the future. He is a very talented rider. We are also happy that we have contracted Italian rider Andrea Bonacorsi for next season. This year he became European Champion in the EMX125 class, and we think he could be a surprise inside the EMX250 Championship. As the third rider, we welcome the German Jeremy Sydow to our team. He is an experienced rider on the bike. We think we have a nice mix of riders with him. Our goal remains the same, we want to become European champions in the EMX250 class again. We are looking forward to 2021!”

Thorsten Lentink – Yamaha Motor Europe MX Racing Coordinator

“We are very happy with the rider selection for next year. Hutten Metaal have already proven they are a very professional and serious team, which is really important for Yamaha to have a solid base to our Yamaha Racing pyramid, that is used to promote and develop the next generation of racing talent in a safe and professional manner. Our pyramid structure has already proven to be successful with the success of Thibault Benistant securing both the EMX125 title and this year’s EMX250 title within our Official Yamaha teams. With that said, we believe in the Hutten Metaal team and we are really looking forward to continuing with them in 2021 with a new line up. Starting with Dave Kooiker, Dave is young talent and has already shown that he is very capable, although he is very young, and we understand that this will take time to develop. This will be the same for the newly crowned EMX125 Champion Andrea Bonacorsi. Andrea will also need some time to adapt to the bigger bike, the 250cc, and for the two young riders Dave and Andrea our main goal will be consistency. Our German rider Jeremy Sydow has already shown some good things on the 250cc and is already experienced, so we hope that he can follow the same path as our 2020 EMX250 Champion Thibault. It is an exciting line up, and we look forward to adding to the Yamaha story in 2021.”

FIM World Under 21 Speedway Champion Jaimon Lidsey returns to Oz

Recently crowned FIM World Under 21 Speedway Champion Jaimon Lidsey, has returned home from Europe to celebrate a phenomenal speedway season. Lidsey is currently in hotel quarantine and when released it will be the first time he has seen his son Eddie, born earlier this year, and will get to celebrate his World Championship win with family and friends in his home town of Red Cliffs, Victoria.

Jaimon Lidsey

“To be back in Australia is a relief as it looked like I would not be able to get back into Australia with what’s going on (COVID-19). Eddie is definitely the best highlight of my year. I’m still in the hotel at the moment and the weeks have been going slow and I’m very keen to go home and see him and my partner. Winning the World Under 21 Championship was definitely a highlight. I dreamt of it and worked hard over the years, so deep down I expected it within myself. I rode well this year and luck was on my side that night. I didn’t feel like I had won a World title until a few days later with people messaging me and when I looked back on the replay it sunk in. Now I know I’m a World Champion so it’s a pretty good feeling. Having that on your resume can’t get much better, it gives you a bit more negotiating power, but you can’t expect everything from it. I still have to race hard next year, and I haven’t finished yet, I still have more goals I want to achieve and want to keep improving.”

Lidsey, his partner and son, will relocate to Poland next year where he will again ride for Unia Leszno as well as Vastervik in Sweden. While his off-season will be spent with son Eddie and family, Lidsey will still keep fit in preparation for 2021 with plenty of cycling and practice days at Mildura Speedway as well as some events in January. Lidsey puts a large part of his success to the people that have helped him over many years.

Jaimon Lidsey

“I want to be fit for next year and ready to race, so I will keep training and maybe have a little holiday some time. I want to keep improving and not go backwards. I’ve got good equipment around me, under me and good people by my side, good mechanics and it’s all down to me at the end of the day. As long as I feel good, I know I can keep improving and race as much as I can… There is so many people I want to thank, from people that have helped back when I was a junior to those that help me now, my mum and dad, my grandparents, uncle and auntie, my partner and son for supporting me all the way. I want to thank everyone for waking up to watch every meeting, and particularly my family who didn’t miss a meeting this year. Everyone that has sponsored me over the years to help me win this World Championship title, I can’t thank them enough.”

MA release 2020-2023 “whole of motorcycling” strategic plan

Earlier this year the Motorcycling Australia (MA) Alliance set about developing the 2020-2023 “whole of motorcycling” strategic plan – “MOTORCYCLING UNLEASHED”, which was released earlier this month.

The process of developing the strategic plan took several months and considered the contributions and feedback of a large group of stakeholders from across the sport. You can read the plan here https://www.ma.org.au/about-ma-2/operational-structure/strategic-plan/

The strategic plan outlines the future direction of the MA Alliance by building on the significant achievements of the motorcycling community throughout the last five years. Due to the improved systems and processes adopted, the MA Alliance is in a sound collective financial position. Their strong financial position coupled with the growing popularity of recreational motorcycling offers the MA Alliance a solid platform from which to grow motorcycling into the future.

The strategic priorities that were identified in the strategic plan include

• One-Motorcycling – Consolidating national systems has been identified as the first strategic priority for the future. Following a positive cost benefit analysis, the adoption (of where it makes sense) of licensing, national finance, human resource, legal, commercial and communications processes and procedures will ensure efficiency across the MA Alliance whilst creating a united Motorcycling Australia Alliance brand to communicate and engage through.
• Connecting Communities with Motorcycling – The MA Alliance identified the second strategic priority to significantly grow the number and diversity of people enjoying and benefitting from regular motorcycling experiences, either as participants, volunteers, or via the myriad of other engagement opportunities that motorcycling offers.
• Performance Pathways – The further development of performance pathways was identified as the third strategic priority by the MA Alliance, to ensure that Australia continues to produce and support elite athletes.

The strategic plan will be delivered by working as one motorcycling community and by effectively fulfilling respective roles and responsibilities. Over the next three years, the MA Alliance will be using a range of internal and external measurements to ensure the monitoring and progress.

The MA Alliance will also measure the satisfaction levels across a range of areas, including membership, education, events, club support, and other service areas. This monitoring will ensure members, participants, volunteers, and workforce are well supported and are being provided value.