Moto News Wrap for October 31, 2017 by Darren Smart
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Latest News
- Ronnie Mac V GOAT at AUS-X
- Ferris Signs with CDR Yamaha for 2018
- Australian Supermoto Championships Kick into Overdrive
- Marmont Wins Mt Kembla 2-Stroke Cup
- Everts in NZ being Coached by Townley
- Cooper and Coppins Wrap Up NZ SX Champs
- Groombridge Win Taupo 4-Hour
- Chad Reed goes from Surgery to Husqvarna to A1
- Harrison to Rockstar Husqvarna
- Kyle Peters to JGR Suzuki
- Haaker Has Surgery
- 2018 FIM Motocross World Championship Revised
- Jed Beaton signs with F&H Kawasaki MX2 team for 2018 season
- Martin Barr completes the REVO Husqvarna UK line-up for 2018
- Irwin and Mewse Join KTM UK
This Week’s Race Reports
- QBE Insurance Australian FIM Speedway Grand Prix (Melbourne)
- GNCC – Round 13 – Ironman, Crawfordsville, IN
- AMA EnduroCross – Round 5 – Phoenix, AZ
- Australian Supercross Championship – Round 3 – South Australia
- Wildwood Rock Extreme Enduro – Sunbury, Victoria
Ronnie Mac V GOAT at AUS-X
Ronnie Mac has been confirmed as the latest high-profile athlete set to contest the 2017 Monster Energy AUS-X Open where he will compete in a head to head battle against 4 x times World Supercross Champion Ricky Carmichael in the all new ‘2-Stroke Showdown Feature Race.’
Carmichael announced on Friday that he would bring his famous 2005 World Supercross championship winning RM250 machine to Sydney for the clash which drew this comment from Mr Mac.
Ronnie Mac
“I asked him (Carmichael) to bring his banana piece of shit to Red Bull Straight Rhythm along with all the others that thought they had a chance. The only reason I lost is because I send that shit every time I swing my leg over that fire breathin’ screamin’ eagle of a 1998 CR250 – checkers or wreckers boss!”
When asked about his motivations to make his international supercross debut in Sydney, Mac did not mince his words.
“People may think I’m the shit talker, but I’m not going to let some GOAT represent the only thing that’s core in this sport. When men were men, they rode 2-strokes and drank beer like I do. As for Chad Reed pulling out, we all saw that coming, but Ron never pulls out… God bless America!”
Event Director Adam Bailey, says Ronnie Mac’s unique brand of racing, personality and style is most certainly going to be a feature attraction of this year’s event.
Adam Bailey – Event Director
“There’s no doubt Ronnie Mac is currently one of the most talked about Supercross riders on the planet. His speed is incredible and his style is definitely one of a kind. He’s most definitely going to bring an exciting element to this year’s Monster Energy AUS-X Open, that you’d be crazy to miss. It’s going to be a wild couple of nights in Sydney, that’s for sure.”
The 2017 Monster Energy AUS-X Open Sydney is one of the largest Supercross, FMX and action sports events in the world, featuring some of the world’s best on two wheels including current World number 3 Jason Anderson, Dean Wilson, Justin Brayton and many more.
This year one million dollars is up for grabs to any fan who purchases tickets to both days of the event on November 11 and 12. The revolutionary prize allows fans to watch Saturday’s event results, before making their top twelve picks for Sunday, giving them a very strong second chance at $500,000. For further details head to www.ausxopen.com/million
Tickets are selling fast, go to www.ausxopen.com or www.ticketek.com.au to avoid disappointment.
Ferris signs with CDR Yamaha for 2018
Despite interest in racing full-time in the United States, Dean Ferris has re-signed with CDR Yamaha for 2018 and will compete in the Australian Motocross and Supercross Championships next year.
Ferris, who also raced internationally in the FIM World Motocross Championship, said he’s happy to return to the team he’s won two straight Australian Motocross titles with.
Dean Ferris
“My decision didn’t include other teams in Australia. If the right opportunity presented itself in the US, then I would have looked into it but if I was staying in Australia, then it was always going to be CDR Yamaha. The last two years have been the best of my career and I have formed some great relationships with everyone on the team. So personally, I have some great friends here at CDR and professionally, I know the team will provide me with exactly what I need to win races and championships.”
Team owner Craig Dack expressed his excitement on Ferris returning to the team for a third year.
Craig Dack – Team Owner
“Working with Dean over the past two seasons has been a gratifying experience for everyone here at CDR Yamaha. His professionalism, dedication and pure determination rubs off on the entire team and we feel he is the perfect fit for what CDR Yamaha strives for. He has grown into his role as the number one rider in Australia and has become an extremely good ambassador for the sport. He is giving of his time with the race fans and happy to work with young kids who look up to him. He has become a true professional in every sense of the word and we are humbled that he will continue with CDR Yamaha and together we can chase even more championship success.”
Australian Supermoto Championships Kick into Overdrive
The 2017 Australian Supermoto Championships are fast approaching, taking place at the Wanneroo International Kartway at Neerabup Western Australia, over the weekend of November 18th & 19th 2017.
Marking the first time SupermotoWA has hosted this event since 2010, the club will be welcoming talented racers from all over Australia. With SupermotoWA recently taking out Motorcycling Western Australia’s club of the year award, the event is in great hands. Entries have been very strong for this year, including 109 entries and 82 supermoto riders, including 11 women.
The 2017 event will feature classes such as Pro, Open, Clubman, Vets and Women’s. In conjunction with these classes the event will be supported by racers on the smaller mini-motards and mini GP bikes and there is even a Postie bike class. The Juniors will be out on the track as well, providing a glimpse of the future of the sport.
In terms of schedule, practice and qualifying on Saturday morning and racing Saturday afternoon and all-day Sunday. Spectators can pop in and see all the action anytime over the weekend. There are exhibitor stands, a canteen will be open if you want a bite to eat and kids are welcome – there will be a bouncy castle and face-painting on the Sunday. Make sure to bring the whole family!
Information about the 2017 Make Smoking History Australian Supermoto Championship Event can be found on their official Facebook page (link).
Championship Classes
- Pro over 175cc to 250cc 2-stroke and over 290cc to 450cc 4-stroke
- Open up to 500cc 2-stroke and up to 700cc 4-stroke
- Women up to 500cc 2-stroke and up to 700cc 4-stroke
Support Classes
- Junior 13 to 15 up to 125cc 2-stroke and up to 250cc 4-stroke
- Clubman up to 500cc 2-stroke and up to 700cc 4-stroke
- Veterans up to 500cc 2-stroke and up to 700cc 4 stroke
- Senior Mini-Motard 5B
- Up to 85cc 2-stroke
- Up to 160cc 4-stroke
- Up to 1.5kw electric
- Postie Bikes Class
- MiniGP Class
- Supermini Class
Gibbs Wins Mt Kembla 2-Stroke Cup
The Mt Kembla 2-Stroke Cup held last weekend in perfect conditions and it was none other than Kirk Gibbs who took out the major win over Ryan Marmont and John Bova before also taking out the 500c class over Corey James and Josh Brookes while Marmont took out the 250cc class over Caleb Best and Jake Cobbin.
Everts in NZ being coached by Townley
Liam Everts, son of Stefan, is spending three months in New Zealand during the Euro winter to be coached by former World motocross Champion Ben Townley AND compete in at least nine local and regional races.
Cooper and Coppins Wrap Up NZ SX Champs
Veterans Cody Cooper and Josh Coppins have wrapped up the SX1 and SX2 classes respectively at the final round of the New Zealand Supercross Championships held at Winton, near Invercargill last weekend.
Cooper won the SX1 title ahead of Kayne Lamont and Ben Broad while Coppins easily accounted for Micah McGoldrick and Reece Lister in the SX2 class.
Groombridge Win Taupo 4-Hour
Brad Groombridge won his fifth Four-Hour Cross Country race which was held in the hills of Taupo last weekend but he had to beat some of New Zealand most experienced hard chargers to get the win with Paul Whibley coming across the line just 20 seconds behind the winner while the combination of Cam Negus and Barry Morris, both former Professional racers, came home in third.
Chad Reed – From Surgery to Husqvarna
Chad Reed underwent surgery this week to repair two fractures in his ankle (talus) sustained at Red Bull Straight Rhythm before announcing in an Instagram post that despite being forced to sit out AUS-X Open he still aims to be ready for Anaheim 1. Reed confirmed that he will be on Husqvarna for the 2018 AMA Supercross Championship.
Chad Reed
“I’ve been slow on the unfortunate news in respect to AUSX-Open The one race on my calendar I look forward to most is the Sydney AUSX-Open. This year’s race was always going to have its challenges but nothing I wasn’t up for Unfortunately my slight over jump last week resulted in two fractures to my ankle (talus) I saw my specialist and the best chance at a healthy fast recovery was to do surgery. So unfortunately I won’t be able to compete in two weeks time, BUT I’ll make the trip down to see as many fans as possible. As for 2018, the goal remains the same! A1. I’m going to run with a Husky next season. I’ll probably do it myself and have fun. Let’s do things well. I think we’re going to have a competitive bike. I just want to go to the track, to have fun but now I want to recover from my injury and train.”
Harrison to Husqvarna
Rockstar Energy Husqvarna and Mitchell Harrison have agreed to a deal for the 2018 Monster Energy Supercross and Lucas Oil Pro Motocross season.
The Michigan native turned pro in 2016 and spent two years with Yamalube/Star Racing Yamaha. He blossomed in his second year with the team, finishing inside the top 10 in four rounds of the 250SX East Region, and 10 (of 12) rounds of Lucas Oil Pro Motocross.
Mitchell Harrison
“2018 is my chance to charge forward on an elite team, I look forward to starting the season out strong and ending each night up on the podium! I am grateful for this opportunity with the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing team.”
Bobby Hewitt – Team manager
“I am excited and feel very fortunate to have Mitchell Harrison for this season. He will be very competitive in the 250 class and has the abilities to be on the box each week. I have some very talented young rider’s that are going to need some time to develop over the next two or three seasons and this addition will help them gain the knowledge and experience that they may need as the team evolves.”
Kyle Peters to JGR Suzuki
AutoTrader/Yoshimura Suzuki (JGR) has signed a third member to their four-rider 250 Monster Energy Supercross squad, having come to terms with Kyle Peters for the 2018 season.
The team, which will feature four 250 riders in supercross and two in Lucas Oil Pro Motocross next year, previously announced deals with Justin Hill (SX and MX) and Jimmy Decotis (SX). A fourth rider has yet to be announced.
Haaker Has Surgery
Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Colton Haaker will be forced to sit out the final three rounds of the AMA EnduroCross Championship and will thus relinquish his fight to successfully defend his title in the US.
Haaker won the opening round of the 2017 AMA EnduroCross series in Las Vegas and then went on to claim top three results in the following three rounds of the series but has since undergone minor surgery to remove the Bursa Sac in his elbow and clean up the remainder of an existing staph infection.
While doctors are currently unsure of the recovery time needed, the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing rider is already looking to be back in time to defend his FIM SuperEnduro World Championship title. The 2018 SuperEnduro series kicks off in Poland on December 9, 2017.
2018 FIM Motocross World Championship Revised
Youthstream and the FIM have announced revisions to the 2018 FIM Motocross World Championship calendar, and as expected, the U.S. Grand Prix is off the schedule for 2018, as is the MXGP of Mexico while Italy gets three rounds, Holland gets two as does Indonesia with back-to-back rounds early in July.
Youthstream also confirmed that the 2018 Motocross of Nations, which will be held at RedBud, will take place on October 7, one week later than the event was held this year while the World Junior Motocross Championships will be held at Horsham, Australia on August the 26th.
Below is the updated schedule
Rd 1: Mar. 4 – Argentina
Rd2: Mar. 18 – Spain
Rd3: Mar. 25 – Holland 1
Rd4: Apr. 8 – Italy 1
Rd5: Apr. 15 – Portugal
Rd6: May 1 – Russia
Rd7: May 13 – Latvia
Rd8: May 20 – Germany
Rd9: June 3 – England
Rd10: June 10 – France
Rd11: June 17 – Italy 2
Rd12: July 1 – Indonesia
Rd13: July 8 – Indonesia
Rd14: July 22 – Czech Republic
Rd15: Aug. 5 – Belgium
Rd16: Aug. 12 – Sweden
Rd17: Aug. 19 – Switzerland
Rd18: Sept. 2 – Turkey
Rd19: Sept. 16 – Holland 2
Rd20: Sept. 30 – Italy 3
Jed Beaton signs with F&H Kawasaki MX2 team for 2018 Season
F&H Kawasaki has signed Aussie Jed Beaton to join the recently announced Adam Sterry under the team’s awning for the 2018 season to contest the MX2 World Championship.
After winning the MX2 Australian MX National title in 2016, Jed had the opportunity to race the EMX250 series with the Carglass-Hond as a rookie in 2017. Beaton put in some impressive rides throughout the course of the season and finished fourteenth in the series despite missing two rounds due to injury.
Beaton also didn’t contest the last round of the EMX250 series as he had the opportunity to race the MX2 World Championship. During the course of the season Beaton had the opportunity to race three rounds of the MX2 World Championship so will know exactly what to expect heading into the 2018 season.
At the final round of MX2 series, Beaton impressed at Villars Sous Ecot and got himself on the podium with a third overall. The Aussie will be hoping to get back on the podium in the 2018 season with the support of the F&H Kawasaki team behind him.
Jed Beaton
“I’m really excited about signing with the F&H Kawasaki Racing Team. It’s a very good team and I’m keen to see how the team and I can build coming into and through the 2018 season.”
Harrie van Hout – F&H Kawasaki
“I’m really looking forward to start working with Jed in a few weeks when he is back from Australia. I believe he has a lot off potential since the first day I saw him riding last March in the sand. I think he showed us and the world what he’s capable off doing at the last MXGP in France when he finished third overall. We hope he can progress further like this and we can have great succes together.”
Nathalie Fase
“We are really happy that we could sign the deal with Jed and we are looking forward for when he’s back in The Netherlands. Jed showed this year that he has the potential to run up front in the EMX250 and MX2 class. The next few months we will start to prepare for the upcoming season and we hope that Jed will continue to develop and keep the momentum going like he had towards the end off the season.”
Australia will have two representatives now in the MX2 championship with Jed Beaton joining Hunter Lawrence who will be Honda mounted in 2018.
Martin Barr completes the REVO Husqvarna UK line-up for 2018
30-year-old Irishman Martin Barr, who finished second in the 2017 Maxxis ACU British Motocross MX2 Championship, officially signed today at the International Dirt Bike Show. He joins Mel Pocock, Dylan Woodcock and Ollie Colmer on the Husqvarna UKbacked team.
Over the last 15 years Martin has forged a well-deserved reputation as a top-flight front-runner in domestic motocross and he’s relishing the opportunity to take his talents to a wider stage as he concentrates his efforts on the European EMX 250 series along with the Maxxis ACU British Motocross MX2 Championship. He’s also the second longest-serving competitor in the FIM Motocross of Nations – the World Cup of MX – having represented his country every year since 2006.
Mark Yates – Team Principal
“Martin’s always consistent and he’s also consistently fast which is precisely what we need for the team. He’s very experienced and is incredibly mature which is a massive asset for us. Mel Pocock’s 25 and has been around the block a few times but our new signing Dylan Woodcock’s only 17 and will really benefit from being on the team with Martin. And let’s not forget that he will perform – he’s very, very fast. There are no team orders – I’m confident that both Martin and Mel are capable of winning the British championship for us.”
Martin Barr – MX2
“I’m really looking forward to it. Obviously, I’ve been doing the British championship for a long time so to get the chance to race the European championship presents me with a new challenge which is very exciting. I can’t wait to jump on the REVO Husqvarna – those guys know how to make a fast bike and this will give me a really good shot at winning the British and European championships. Don’t get me wrong, I know there are going to be a lot of fast kids coming through and I’m going to be the veteran of the class but my fitness is as good as it’s ever been and I have the experience so there’s no reason why I can’t do it.”
Irwin and Mewse Join KTM UK
Graeme Irwin and Conrad Mewse will lead the way for Roger Magee’s KTM-backed team for full-on assault in the 2018 MXGP and the Maxxix British Motocross championships.
The new rider line-up was announced at the International Dirt Bike Show on October 28 and Magee’s team is no stranger to success with KTM; the outfit is the most successful in the British series, having won an incredible 11 titles since it was founded in 2008, most recently with Ben Watson as British MX2 champion this year.
Reigning British MX1 champion, Irwin, 25, moves to KTM for a chance to participate in the MXGP Championship for the first time along with defending the no.1 plate in the UK series. The Carrickfergus born rider from is relishing the chance to compete in Grand Prix and to ride the World Championship-winning KTM 450 SX-F.
Graeme Irwin
“My goals for the season are to retain the British championship and to start the year in MXGP in the top 15 and progress to the top 10. I‘m really excited to ride the 450 SX-F as Tony Cairoli and Jeffrey Herlings have been so strong this season and KTM is a brand is constantly pushing their products forward; they’re the market leader for a reason. I will go to California in a couple of week’s time and start riding over there. I’ll focus on my physical training and attack it hard in January. I prepared myself this year like I was going to be riding in GPs and I’ve raced some guys who are already in that class. I’ll move to Belgium to make sure my training is the best it can be for this season. Bring it on!”
Conrad Mewse will be tasked with the team’s MX2 attack in both Grand Prix and the British championship. Since his 2013 World and British 85cc championships titles, the 18-year old has had a rapid rise through categories and the #426 competed his first season of Grand Prix this year, finishing 16th overall with 225 points.
Conrad Mewse
“I’m looking forward to starting a new page in my career and returning to KTM. It feels like I’m coming back home, as I’ve had a lot of success with the brand in the past. I’m hoping together we will be able to fulfil some of my future goals and the KTM 250 SX-F will no doubt be a weapon – their bikes have never disappointed me. Next season will also be my first season in the British Motocross Championship. I’ve not raced a British series since my 65 and 85cc days, so it is going to be a learning curve for sure. There’s going to be a lot of races with doing MX2 in both Grand Prix and the UK, but I’ve had a month off and I’m fully recovered from this season. The plan is to train hard over winter and come out of the blocks fast.”
The team will announce its sponsors and supporters for the 2018 season in the coming weeks.
Smart’s Race Reports
QBE Insurance Australian FIM Speedway Grand Prix – Melbourne
Jason Doyle approached the QBE Insurance Australian FIM Speedway Grand Prix in Melbourne with a ‘win it or bin it’ attitude and is now Australia’s sixth speedway world champion and the first to be crowned Down Under as he stormed to an unforgettable victory in front of a cheering Melbourne crowd ahead of Tai Woffinden, Bartosz Zmarzlik and Patryk Dudek.
Doyle revealed a boat trip with FIM Speedway Grand Prix greats Tony Rickardsson and Leigh Adams inspired his sensational surge into the sport’s most elite club in Melbourne last night. Doyle also admitted he has been a tough man to live with over the past few weeks as he waited for his chance to seal gold, after falling just short of finishing the job in Torun three weeks ago.
Jason Doyle
“There was one big moment in my career when I sat on a speedboat in Mildura. Rickardsson and Adams were talking about Darcy and Chris and how they were going to be the next best thing. I thought, ‘Hang on, I want to be part of this. I want to work hard and be in the same category as them.’ So from then on, I worked very hard and did it all behind the scenes. I tried to get to where we are now and not many people thought it was possible for me to win a world title. The last couple of years has been very hard with injuries, but it was all worth it tonight. I knew what I needed to do. I needed to train hard and do the right things. It all worked out in the end.
“But today I just thought ‘win it or bin it’ – the same as I have done all year. I rode pretty hard and it worked in the first three rides and flowed from there. Once that monkey of the title came off my back, it just seemed to work. We have worked very hard. I have done a lot of work behind the scenes and so have the boys. It has finally come together and it’s just perfect. This was a perfect night and hopefully it sinks in one day because tonight, it still hasn’t at the moment.”
Doyle hailed his mechanics Dave and Sam Haynes, Johno Birks and Mark Seabright for their role in an historic season as they provided the ice to his fire.
“They have been through so many hard times with me. It has been a great couple of years, but having Dave and Johno, as well as Mark and Sam, has really helped me in my career. Doyle also admits he and his crew were written off and branded ‘amateurs’ by one particularly venomous critic, who remains anonymous.
“Dave is a very placid guy and I’ve got a bit of a temper. It’s nice to have that happy medium when you come to a race meeting. This is a special moment for me and the team. It’s not just all about me; it’s about how hard they have worked for the last five years. Without them, we wouldn’t be here. The first couple of years, they thought we were going to be knocked out of the Grand Prix straight away and not be in the top eight. But that was another incentive to do as well as possible. That guy who said we were only amateurs has a hard pill to swallow now, we’ve just won a world title.”
Doyle races two more meetings Down Under, before jetting back to Europe where he will undergo surgery to finally fix his broken foot.
“I have to go and get a bone graft when I go back to Poland in three week’s time. Not many people knew I was riding with a shattered foot still. I just needed to carry on and get through the last couple of meetings. This is hopefully a simple fix. They’re going to do a bone graft on my foot to fix the last broken bone. There are still three bones that are broken in the foot, but once I get off the bike, it’s going to heal a lot better than while I’m riding all the time. We have done about 100 meetings this year, so it has been quite difficult. The pain is alright. I just can’t run and this is the biggest problem. I want to try and lose as much weight as possible. I guess the training side has really suffered, but when you get on a motorbike and you have all the adrenaline pumping, it just changes. You just need to focus on winning races, and it worked.”
Polish racer Patryk Dudek became the first rider to finish in the World Championship’s top two in his debut season since the SGP series was launched in 1995, and he was delighted to see his efforts pay off with a place in the history books.
Patryk Dudek
“I am ecstatic because I am the first rider to get second position in their first season. I am very happy. This is my work and I work hard all the time. I am the second rider in the world now.”
World Championship bronze medallist Tai Woffinden was delighted with his fourth podium place in five years, and it’s an impressive run he’s keen to maintain.
Tai Woffinden
“It was really good, it was nice to get on the podium here. We were chasing a medal for the first half of the meeting and I secured that going into the semis. Then it was all about trying to win the GP. I am happy with the result. I got the bronze and it’s one of my worst finishes in the last five years. If I can stay like that for the rest of my career, it will be pretty good.”
World champion Doyle is joined in securing automatic qualification for the 2018 World Championship by Dudek, Woffinden, Maciej Janowski, Bartosz Zmarzlik, Emil Sayfutdinov, Matej Zagar and Fredrik Lindgren. They will meet GP Challenge qualifiers Przemyslaw Pawlicki, Artem Laguta and Craig Cook. The final four places in the 2018 competition will be taken by four wild-card picks made by the SGP Commission.
Of the other Aussie rider Rohan Tingate was the next best with two spectacular wins from his two ‘fill-in’ rides while Justin Segman scored four points from five rides while the other Aussie race winner was Brady Kurtz who won the opening heat while Chris Holder and Davey Watt scored three points from five rides.
QBE Insurance Australian SGP Scores
- Jason Doyle 19,
- Tai Woffinden 16,
- Bartosz Zmarzlik 13,
- Patryk Dudek 15,
- Matej Zagar 10,
- Martin Vaculik 9,
- Maciej Janowski 9,
- Emil Sayfutdinov 8,
- Rohan Tungate 6,
- Martin Smolinski 6,
- Peter Kildemand 6,
- Antonio Lindback 4,
- Justin Sedgmen 4,
- Brady Kurtz 3,
- Chris Holder 3,
- Dave Watt 3,
- Sam Masters 2,
- Piotr Pawlicki 2.
Final World Championship Standings
- Jason Doyle 161,
- Patryk Dudek 143,
- Tai Woffinden 131,
- Maciej Janowski 122,
- Bartosz Zmarzlik 121,
- Emil Sayfutdinov 117,
- Matej Zagar 107,
- Fredrik Lindgren 107,
- Martin Vaculik 99,
- Chris Holder 85,
GNCC – Round 13 – Ironman, Crawfordsville, IN
2,398 riders contested the final round of the 2017 AMSOIL Grand National Cross Country in Crawfordsville, Indiana and for 47th time it was FMF/KTM Factory Racing’s Kailub Russell who stood atop of the podium making him the all-time winningest bike GNCC rider, breaking Scott Summers record.
XC1
It was Ricky Russell who snagged the holeshot but K Russell quickly stole the lead and headed into the woods in first. R Russell wasn’t ready to settle for second and took back the lead after K Russell made a small bobble.
When the Russell duo reached Twin Hills they were wheel-to-wheel and had a small gap on Thad Duvall and over the next few laps all three battled for supremacy with Duvall able to move into second behind Kailub late in the race and that is the way they finished with K Russell putting the icing on another stellar season while Duvall and R Russell rounded out the podium..
Grant Baylor had one of his best rides of the season, where he narrowly missed the podium in fourth, and Josh Strang raced his Rockstar Energy/Factory Husqvarna Racing-backed machine into the top five.
Kailub Russell
“I’ve worked super hard up until this point, and I have a lot of people around me, it’s just the attitude that I bring to the race track that allows me to be so successful and never give up. To take the most wins away from Scott [Summers] is pretty awesome. I grew up watching those guys race so it’s pretty surreal. I’m a little disappointed in second, because I thought I had the win in me,” explained Duvall. “It took me a couple laps to get going, I was pretty timid with my wrist at first. I haven’t ridden that pace for a couple months now, but once I got going I just kind of stayed even.”
XC1 Open Pro Event Results
- Kailub Russell (KTM)
- Thad Duvall (HSQ)
- Ricky Russell (YAM)
- Grant Baylor (HSQ)
- Josh Strang (HSQ)
- Trevor Bollinger (HON)
- Steward Baylor Jr. (KTM)
- Jordan Ashburn (BET)
- Russell Bobbitt (KTM)
- Jonathan Girroir (KTM)
Overall National Championship Standings
- Kailub Russell (320)
- Thad Duvall (227)
- Ricky Russell (220)
- Steward Baylor (207)
- Josh Toth (192)
- Grant Baylor (180)
- Trevor Bollinger (152)
- Craig Delong (141)
- Layne Michael (140)
- Josh Strang (130)
XC2
Indiana native Mike Witkowski found himself in the lead when the green flag waved on the XC2 250 Pro start but Austin Lee led the first two laps, until Austria’s Pascal Rauchenecker made the pass for the lead and continued leading until the chequered flag – marking his first career GNCC win.
The 2017 class champion, Josh Toth, placed his Yamaha in the runner-up position, while Craig Delong rounded out the class podium.
XC2 250 Pro Event Results
- Pascal Rauchenecker (HSQ)
- Josh Toth (YAM)
- Craig Delong (HSQ)
- Layne Michael (HSQ)
- Ben Kelley (KTM)
XC2 250 Pro Series Standings
- Josh Toth (347)
- Craig Delong (289)
- Layne Michael (280)
- Mike Witkowski (224)
- Ben Kelley (193)
- Austin Lee (182)
- Jesse Groemm (164)
- Zack Hayes (138)
- Sam Evans (122)
- Zach Nolan (112)
XC3
Jimmy Jarrett shot off the line to earn the holeshot but at the conclusion of the three-hour race it was Jack Edmondson standing in the middle of the box with Chris Venditti and Hunter Neuwirth rounding out the podium but the star of the class was Aussie Tayla Jones who rode her arse off to earn a sensational fifth place.
XC3 Top Five
- Jack Edmondson
- Chris Venditti
- Hunter Neuwirth
- Matthew Sims
- Tayla Jones
XC3 Championship Standings
- Jason Thomas 292
- Hunter Neuwirth 253
- Jack Edmondson 238
- Mark Heresco Jr. 233
- Jaryn Williams 162
WXC
Becca Sheets took the 10 a.m. overall win over the nearly 900 racers with John Maschino and Phil Smith filled the overall podium while Brooke Cosner and Rachel Gutish placed second and third in the WXC class but Tayla Jones had already wrapped up the title several rounds ago.
WXC Championship Standings
- Tayla Jones 180
- Becca Sheets 174
- Mackenzie Tricker 166
- Brooke Cosner 159
- Rachel Gutish 118
AMA EnduroCross – Round 5 – Phoenix, AZ
Cody Webb kept his hot streak alive, taking his fourth straight win at the Law Tigers Scottsdale EnduroCross while Trystan Hart and Ty Tremaine rounded out the podium.
Webb took the win in the Super EnduroCross gate pick qualifier with the SRT Racing backed trio of Kyle Redmond, Cory Graffunder and Hart finished second, third and fourth respectively.
The top 12 riders face off in the single lap brackets races and the crowd was treated to a great show in the second round when Hart beat Webb to the first turn and the two battled all the way to the finish with Webb making contact to push Hart out and take the win. That put Webb in the final against Redmond and Webb, again, took the win for his second bonus point of the evening.
The short start straight made for a hectic first turn and Webb came away with the lead. He was closely followed by Hart and those two had a race of their own for the win. Hart kept Webb honest for most of the main but started to lose touch and ultimately finished nineteen seconds behind Webb. For Webb, it was his fourth straight win and he opened a large lead in the championship due to Colton Haaker missing the Scottsdale event due to injury. For Hart, this was his third podium in five races and he took over second from the absent Haaker.
The battle for third was intense as Redmond held the spot early but he was passed by a charging Tremaine on lap three. Tremaine finished lap one in seventh, so his podium finish was an impressive result. Redmond held on for fourth and Graffunder put in a good ride to round out the top five.
Regarding Colton Haaker missing this race and likely the rest of the season, Webb had this to say.
Cody Webb
“No, I still want to charge hard and it is a bummer Colton could not be here because we were putting on a good show for the fans. In the main, I really wanted to sprint right away but then Hart kept holding the gap the same, so everyone is stepping it up.”
Trystan Hart
“I really wanted to get second since the last race was a big confidence boost, I didn’t get the greatest start but tucked into inside in the first two turns and came out with second. I could see that Ty was staying close the whole way and I’m just happy that I was able to get back up here for second again.”
Ty Tremaine
“I had a bad start, mid pack and just put my head down and fought for it on those first few laps. I tried to chase Trystan down but he was riding really good. I have been working really hard and I am really happy with third.”
Webb now has a 28-point lead over Hart, who took over second from Haaker. Haaker held onto third but will likely miss the remainder of the season. Redmond and Tremaine round out the top five.
Round six of the 2017 EnduroCross series will take place inside the Ford Idaho Center in Boise, Idaho on Saturday, November 4.
Super EnduroCross Final
- Cody Webb
- Trystan Hart
- Ty Tremaine
- Kyle Redmond
- Cory Graffunder
Super EnduroCross Championship Standings
- Cody Webb 128
- Trystan Hart 100
- Colton Haaker 87
- Kyle Redmond 86
- Ty Tremaine 68
Australian Supercross Championship – Round 3 – South Australia
Justin Brayton and Wilson Todd have won the MX1 and MX2 classes respectively when round three of the 2017 Australian Supercross Championship roared into Adelaide Motorsport Park at Virginia last Saturday night.
SX1 Report
Defending champion and current points leader Brayton dominated proceedings by being the fastest qualifier before winning his heat, winning the Dash for Cash and taking a wire-to-wire win in the 20 lap final to extend his championship lead to 13 points with three rounds remaining.
Justin Brayton
“I’m just so happy to be able to take another win tonight. The whole Penrite Honda Racing team and sponsors have put in a massive effort for the championship and another win is the reward for their commitment.”
Dylan Long (CDR Yamaha) delivered his best performance of the series with a solid second place finish while Kade Mosig (DPH Motorsport Yamaha) completed the podium.
Dylan Long
“It feels awesome to finally get back up on the podium, my first time with CDR Yamaha. It’s taken a while to get back to where I need to be but I’m so pumped to finish second tonight and within sight of Justin. I think I saw a pit-board from Brad that said we had five or six laps to go and I had a pretty good gap over third place so I decided to calm down a little, maintain my position and finish in second place. I’m so glad to finally give CDR Yamaha a result they can be proud of. It’s been a long season but things have turned around and everyone at CDR Yamaha has had my back and I can’t thank them enough for their support.”
Dean Ferris (CDR Yamaha) fought back from last place early in the final to finish fourth, on place ahead of former Australian champion Dan Reardon (Mega Fuels Monster Energy Kawasaki) who rounded out the top five.
Dean Ferris
“It’s a disappointing result, that’s for sure, I had a pretty good start and was just behind Luke Clout, who was leading the race, when he went down after the double going into the second corner and I got caught up in that and also crashed. I got up and moving as quickly as I could and still had a goal of getting back onto the podium but I could only get to fourth. As you get closer to the front, the riders get harder to pass and on a track like this, you either had to wait for a mistake from them or pull and aggressive move and I had to do a few of them in the later stages of the race. I can’t complain too much if fourth is the worst result I have had in over 12 months, but I’m determined not to make a habit of it. I put in a good couple of weeks with the team since round two and felt much better tonight so we are going to keep pushing for a race win and look forward to the Aus- X open in a couple of weeks’ time.”
Todd Waters qualified 4th and made his way to the lead of his SX1 heat race, but made a small mistake which allowed Dean Ferris past and as a result finished second but the Honda pilot had a good gate pick for the main event, and a great start meant he came out in 3rd and quickly got himself into 2nd.
Unfortunately Waters dropped the bike down in the sand section, and fell back into 11tth before ralying into 7th, but there was a massive gap from his position to the next group of riders and he finished in 7th.
Waters was happy with his starting position, but was devastated to have dropped the bike and is now looking forward to claiming some redemption at the Sydney round.
Todd Waters
“The weekend wasn’t too bad, it was a pretty small and basic track that turned super hard pack and wasn’t too enjoyable to ride. I was gutted to drop the bike in the sand after getting a good start, but we move on to next week. Big thanks to my dad for backing me all the way, Mike Landman and the rest of Team Honda for their support.”
SX1 Final
- Justin BRAYTON
- Dylan LONG
- Kade MOSIG
- Dean FERRIS
- Daniel REARDON
- Nathan CRAWFORD
- Todd WATERS
- Jesse DOBSON
- Daniel HERRLEIN
- Nick SCHMIDT
- Robbie MARSHALL
- Joel WIGHTMAN
- Luke CLOUT
- Warren CARROLL
SX1 Championship Standings after Round 3
- Justin BRAYTON – 75 Points
- Dean FERRIS – 62 Points
- Dylan LONG – 54 Points
- Daniel REARDON – 52 Points
- Todd WATERS – 50 Points
- Kade MOSIG – 43 Points
- Nathan CRAWFORD – 43 Points
- Luke CLOUT – 40 Points
- Nick SCHMIDT – 33 Points
- Daniel HERRLEIN – 32 Points
SX2 Report
Like Brayton in the SX1 class, Wilson Todd was in a league of his own in Adelaide. The Yamaha pilot won his heat with ease before blitzing the field to earn a 6.7 second victory in the final over defending champion Jackson Richardson (Serco Yamaha) and Dylan Wills finished third to score a first podium placing for the Dyson Motorsport Husqvarna team.
Wilson Todd
“It’s been a perfect day for me, I won my heat race and then won my first supercross, so it couldn’t have been better. I feel like my riding is improving every week and I can’t wait for the remaining rounds.”
After a top five start Richardson was able to move into second and set off in pursuit of the racer leader but was never able to bridge the gap so he rode a smart and well-constructed race to take second place and tighten up the points in the championship.
Jackson Richardson
“Second tonight was pretty good and it was one of those nights where you just want to come through unscathed and in good shape and we were able to do that. Wilson rode really well tonight and deserved the race win but for me it was important to keep collecting points and building championship momentum. The track was really hard pack dirt by the end of the night and it was so easy to fall so it was about being smart tonight and just getting the result we needed to stay in the hunt.”
Mitch Evans (Serco Yamaha) scored a solid fourth place finish ahead of championship leader Gavin Faith (Penrite Honda Racing) who rode through the pain of a sore wrist which he injured at the previous round two weeks earlier in Bacchus Marsh, Victoria but the American continues to hold on to the red plate after three rounds.
Mitch Evans
“My first few laps weren’t good and that let me down tonight. I was in fourth and right on the top three when I made that mistake and dropped back. Then I took too long to get around those guys again and give myself any chance of getting on the podium. My last half of the race was pretty good and my fitness is fine so just that race intensity right from the get go will see me with a better finish.”
As for Jay Wilson, the Queensland qualified in sixth before earning a second place in his heat race but the KTM pilot was forced to come through the field from 13th back to eighth position after 15 laps. Wilson now sits in fifth in the SX2 championship standings with three rounds remaining.
Jay Wilson
“It was a bit of a disappointing weekend to be honest. We had a great lead up, and we had good speed at Virginia, but in the main we just couldn’t make the passes we needed to. I felt really good in my heat race, and knew I had the track all dialled in, but I got caught up in the carnage of the first lap and it was a track where it was very difficult to make passes, so your position in the early stages of the race was really important. I am happy with my riding and I know that if I can make things happen in those first few laps that we will be on the podium – I just need to make sure I’m not leaving my run as late as I am at the moment. I’m one of the fastest guys on the track in those last few laps, but we need to make it happen earlier.”
SX2 Final
- Wilson TODD
- Jackson RICHARDSON
- Dylan WILLS
- Mitchell EVANS
- Gavin FAITH
- Geran STAPLETON
- Connor TIERNEY
- Jay WILSON
- Aaron TANTI
- Taylor POTTER
SX2 Championship Standings after Round 3
- Gavin FAITH – 63 Points
- Wilson TODD – 61 Points
- Jackson RICHARDSON – 59 Points
- Dylan WILLS – 52 Points
- Jay WILSON – 47 Points
- Mitchell EVANS – 38 Points
- Connor TIERNEY – 35 Points
- Geran STAPLETON – 33 Points
- Taylor POTTER – 30 Points
- Aaron TANTI – 29 Points
Junior Lites and Junior 85/150cc
In the Junior Lites, Joshua Zorbas (KTM) emerged with the win ahead of Tyler Darby (Honda) and Joel Cigliano (Kawasaki) while in the Junior 85/150cc class, Blake Fox (KTM) went unbeaten in all three races, to lead home Brodie Connolly (KTM) and Jake Kowal (KTM).
The next two rounds being staged as a double-header on November 11/12 at the Aus-X Open event at Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney, when fellow USA stars Jason Anderson and Dean Wilson jet Down Under to join the fray. To secure your tickets head to Ticketek.
The championships then wrap up with the grand finale at Jimboomba X-Stadium in south-east Queensland on November 18.
Junior Lites (13 to Under 16 Years) Round 3
- Joshua ZORBAS – 68 Points
- Tyler DARBY – 66 Points
- Joel CIGLIANO – 56 Points
- Jake CUKA – 53 Points
- Ezrah DEMELLWEEK-DODDS – 51 Points
- Zackariah WRIGHT – 49 Points
- Rylee GOETSCH – 43 Points
- Royce ANELL – 43 Points
- Jaxon RAYNER – 36 Points
Junior Lites (13 to Under 16 Years) Championship Standings After Round 3
- Tyler DARBY – 192 Points
- Joshua ZORBAS – 191 Points
- Jake CUKA – 159 Points
- Joel CIGLIANO – 154 Points
- Ezrah DEMELLWEEK-DODDS – 151 Points
- Rylee GOETSCH – 133 Points
- Zackariah WRIGHT – 132 Points
- Royce ANELL – 86 Points
- Bailey MALKIEWICZ – 72 Points
- Ezra CARTER 44 – Points
Juniors 85/150
- Jake FOX – 75 Points
- Brodie CONNOLLY – 66 Points
- Jake KOWAL – 60 Points
- Clay BURNETT – 49 Points
- Seth CARPENTER – 42 Points
- Brayden VAUGHAN – 41 Points
- Jake AVERAY – 40 Points
- Lachlan WINCHESTER – 36 Points
- Zane MACKINTOSH – 31 Points
Juniors 85/150 Championship Standings After Round 3
- Blake FOX 219 Points
- Brodie CONNOLLY 192 Points
- Jake KOWAL 172 Points
- Lachlan WINCHESTER 124 Points
- Zane MACKINTOSH 120 Points
- Tyler DARBY 72 Points
- Zachary WATSON 54 Points
- Brandon STEEL 50 Points
- Clay BURNETT 49 Points
- Connor MCLAUGHLIN 45 Points
- Seth CARPENTER 42 Points
- Brayden VAUGHAN 41 Points
- Jake AVERAY 40 Points
Wildwood Rock Extreme Enduro – Sunbury, Victoria
Sherco rider Wade Young has taken just over four hours to win the 2017 Wildwood Rock Extreme Enduro held in country Victoria last weekend that saw just 20 riders finish the event.
Young finished with a time of 4 hours and 2 minutes, well ahead of Beta rider Pol Tarres from Spain and Kiwi Hamish McDonald also on a Sherco.
2017 Wildwood Rock Top 10
- Wade Young
- Pol Tarres
- Hamish MacDonald
- Mitcham Harper
- Broc Grabham
- Wade Ibrahim
- Timothy Coleman
- Ben Grabham
- Michele Bosi
- Chris Perry
