Smarty’s Moto News Weekly Wrap | Jan 24, 2017

Smarty’s Moto News Weekly Wrap for January 24, 2017

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News Headlines

• The latest on Ken Roczen
• “The Slap!’ – Jason Anderson’s DNQ
• Jay Wilson to World Motocross
• Maddison Brown Set for WMXGP
• Mackenzie Tricker Signs with KTM for the 2017 GNCC season
• Davey Motorsports KTM Line-Up Announced
• Proformance Yamaha Confirms Three Rider Line-Up
• Whatley Signs with Apico Husqvarna
• 2017 WMX Championship Schedule Announced
• Four Riders for Coastal Racing GNCC Effort

Race Reports

• AMA Supercross Championships – Round 3 – Anaheim
• AMA Arenacross Championship – Round 2 – Royal Farms Arena, Baltimore
• UK Arenacross Series – Round 3 – Birmingham
• 2017 Troy Bayliss Classic
• FMF Indoor Winter Series – Round 7 & 8 – Shelbyville, TN
• King of the Mountain – Taranaki, New Zealand
• Alès Trêm Extreme Enduro – Ales, France

The latest on Ken Roczen

We have all seen ‘The Crash’ and we now know that Ken Roczen was transported to a local hospital for evaluation before flying to Colorado on Sunday morning to have his personal physician perform surgery.

The word from the people in the know is that the injury is going to take quite a while to heal and that the German will more than likely struggle to be at his best at the opening round of the AMA Motocross Championship on the 20^th of May at Hangtown.

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Jason Anderson ‘Slaps’ His Way to a DSQ

After on and off track incidents during and after the opening 450 heat with Vince Friese, Jason Anderson was disqualified from contesting the remaining events at Anaheim 2 thus bumping the Husqvarna star down to ninth in the point’s standings after three rounds.

Anderson passed early leader Friese in their heat race but Friese dived under Anderson in the next right hander taking the Husqvarna rider and Marvin Musquin to the ground but after the race Anderson and Friese exchanged differences in the tunnel which led to Anderson slapping Friese on the helmet.

It was an awkward altercation which involved Friese’s mechanic who was on the back of his Honda pushing Anderson to the ground. FIM and AMA race officials afterwards confirmed the DSQ of Anderson and were investigating the on-track incident between the two riders.

Jay Wilson to World Motocross

Well, you read the news here first in last week’s Moto News Wrap and it has been confirmed that Jay Wilson will be contesting the entire 2017 World MX2 Motocross Championship with the i-FLY JK Yamaha team.

Jay Wilson

“Very excited to say that in 2017 I will be lining up at the MXGP in the MX2 class with i-FLY JK Yamaha. Since I first started racing, this has been my lifelong goal and I’m beyond grateful for this opportunity. The decision to race the full World Championship wasn’t an easy one as it means I will be away from my daughter and my fiancé Misty a lot, but if anything, it gives me even more motivation to give this year everything I’ve got. From having no ride at all, to racing the MXGPs….things can change quickly, and I can’t wait to see where this next adventure takes us. Thank you to everyone who has continued to support me, hopefully I can do Australia proud.”

Wilson joins the largest contingent of Australasian motocross racers ever to race in Europe at the same time with Jet and Hunter Lawrence (Team Suzuki), Caleb Ward (8Biano Racing Husqvarna), Jed Beaton (Carglass Honda Racing), Caleb Grothues (DIGA-Procross Husqvarna), Madison Brown (JK Yamaha), Courtney Duncan (Yamaha) and Joshua Natzke (KTM) all scoring rides in either MX2GP or EMX in 2017.

Maddison Brown Set for WMXGP

Australia’s Maddison Brown has signed to race with the JK Yamaha team to contest all six rounds of the Women’s World Motocross Championship and in doing so joins Kiwi Courtney Duncan on Yamaha machinery to take on the best female motocross riders in the world.

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Mackenzie Tricker Signs with KTM for the 2017 GNCC

Former Australian Woman’s Motocross Champion Mackenzie Tricker has signed to ride a KTM for her first full season in the American GNCC series. Tricker made several GNCC appearances in 2016 and came away with two victories.

Mackenzie Tricker

“I’ve raced over in the US since 2012 and always raced motocross, but then last year I raced a couple of off road races, cross countries and sprint enduros and I really like it. I’ll still do motocross but off-road is going to be the main focus. That’s what this deal is for. Luckily I’ve had the support of Jeff Leisk and KTM Australia over here and they’ve given me a 250SX-F while I’m at home. I put 20 hours on it and I really like it – I think I needed a bit of a change from the women’s motocross right now and this is something exciting, so it should be really good. Over in the US I’ll have the 250 SX-F and also the 250 EXC-F which is just the off-road version. My goal is to win; I don’t expect anything less of myself, but it will be hard with the conditions and the amount of people – sometimes they have 1000 riders out there so you can get taken out or stuck in the pack. But I’d love to win, that’s the goal.”

Jeff Leisk – KTM Australia General Manager

“We’re excited to see Mackenzie join the KTM team for 2017, and I’m sure she’ll very much enjoy competing aboard our fantastic machines. It’s great that we could help her championship effort here in Australia by supplying a bike for her off-season training, and we wish her all the best for the coming season.”

Davey Motorsports KTM Line-Up Announced

Daniel Banks, Hamish Harwood, Egan Mastin, Liam Walsh, Chandler Burns and Courtney White-Dennis have all signed with the Davey Motorsports KTM team for the 2017 MX Nationals and the Australian Supercross Championship making the team one of the most comprehensive line-ups in the paddock.

Banks will take on the MX1 class while Harwood is looking at doing both classes from the get-go but Mastin will concentrate on the MX2 class for his first full season in the class. Walsh and Burns will head the MXD class assault while White-Dennis will contest some of the MX2 class rounds and WMX Championship.

Proformance Yamaha Confirms Three Rider Line-Up

Victoria Based team Proformance Yamaha will field a three-rider roster across both the MX2 and MXD categories for the 2017 Australian motocross and supercross seasons with Aaron Tanti and Connor Tierney in the MX2 category while the talented Hugh McKay will look after the MXD class duties.

Whatley Signs with Apico Husqvarna

Former British Motocross Champion Kristian Whatley will join Matt Burrows and Jamie Law at the Apico Husqvarna MX1 team for the 2017 UK MX Nationals.

The former British Champion who produced a clean sweep of all major Pro Class competitions back in 2013 when he claimed the British Maxxis, Red Bull Pro Nationals and British Masters MX1 titles. Whatley is now fired up to show he still has what it takes to win a British Championship.

Kristian Whatley

“I’m really happy to have the opportunity to ride for the Apico Husqvarna Team set up, with everything now in place to make sure I can concentrate on winning the British Maxxis and MX Nationals MX1 titles. I’d like to thank Sean Burrows, Dylan Brown at Apico and David Edwards from Husqvarna for the opportunity to compete in the premier British MX series for 2017 and can’t wait to get behind the gate”.

2017 WMX Championship Schedule Announced

MX Sports Pro Racing, along with the American Motorcyclist Association and participating race organizers, are pleased to announce the 2017 Women’s Professional Motocross Championship (WMX) schedule. The 2017 WMX schedule has been re-designed to allow the world’s best female racers an opportunity to compete at eight unique events throughout the course of six months.

Racers must meet the WMX Eligibility and Criteria in order to hold a license in 2017 and all licensing must be completed before participating at an event. Please refer to the WMX Eligibility and Criteria before applying for a WMX license.

2017 WMX Schedule

• Rd1: Mar 13 – Ricky Carmichael Daytona Amateur Supercross – Daytona Beach, FL
• Rd2: Mar 25 – Freestone Spring Championship – Wortham, TX
• Rd3: Apr 9 – California Classic Motocross Championship – San Diego, CA
• Rd4: May 5 – Vegas Arenacross – Las Vegas, NV
• Rd5: May 18/19 – Hangtown Classic – Rancho Cordova, CA
• Rd6: June 2 – Thunder Valley National – Lakewood, CO
• Rd7: June 16 – High Point National – Mt. Morris, PA
• Rd8: Aug 5 – Loretta Lynn Ranch – Hurricane Mills, TN

Four Riders for Coastal Racing GNCC Effort

Coastal Racing have announced a four-rider line-up for the 2017 racing season with Ryan Sipes, Craig DeLong, Layne Michael and Jack Edmondson all mounted on Husqvarna machinery for the GNCC and selected off-road events.

Sipes will return to the Coastal Racing team to compete in the XC1 Open Pro class aboard a Husqvarna FX350 while Pennsylvania’s Craig DeLong joins the Coastal Racing Husqvarna-backed team for the second-consecutive season where he will compete in the XC2 250 Pro (16-24) class aboard a Husqvarna FX250.

West Virginia native Layne Michael will once again line up alongside his teammate DeLong in the XC2 250 Pro class and the team welcomes the addition of 125cc World Enduro Champion Jack Edmondson to its 2017 line-up to contest the all-new XC3 125 Pro-Am class aboard a Husqvarna TC125.

The 2017 Grand National Cross Country Series kicks off March 4 and 5 in Union, South Carolina.

Night of the Jumps – 2016 in review

The FIM Freestyle MX World Championship season in 2016 started off at the end of January with NIGHT of the JUMPs in Basel, Switzerland. The opening weekend hosted two rounds of competition where the crowd witnessed one of the most technical body varials, the “Volt”.

Both David Rinaldo (FRA) and Remi Bizouard (FRA) risked performing the trick to take the win.

But that wouldn’’t be enough for either of them when the reigning World Champion, Maikel Melero from Spain, brought the California Roll on the 23 metre jump to one hand landing, finishing with a Double Grab Flip and a Nac-Nac Flair. With this combination, he finished both days with the win and landed directly on top of the World ranking.

On 19th of November, the final points of the FIM Freestyle MX World Championship tour were awarded in Gdansk, Poland.

Here, the fans could experience a huge comeback from Remi Bizouard. Remi dug deep to bring possibly his best run of the season despite injury, to land the Ruler Flip, Hart Attack Flip, Egg Roll, Cliffhanger Flip and the Volt which had already taken down 3 riders in the 2016 season.

It was just enough to inch ahead of Petr Pilat who he was battling with for the bronze medal for the 2016 season. Melero would go on to take his 10th victory of the season from a possible 11 starts to score a maximum points haul of 200 points in the FIM FMX World Championship in 2016. The Silver medal went to Rob Adelberg for an unbelievable battle through the year.

So the NIGHT of the JUMPs FMX World Championship 2016 is in the books. Already next weekend the NIGHT of the JUMPs starts in Basel into the new season (January 2, 2017, St. Jakobshalle Basel).

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Smarty’s Race Reports

AMA Supercross Championships – Round 3 – Anaheim

Oh boy, what a night! The third round of Monster Energy Supercross saw 42,984 on-site fans and the 200,000 plus on-line/TV fans jump out of their seats when championship leader Ken Roczen spectacularly flew through the air without his factory Honda attached only to land hard and lay on the track holding his left arm.

Meanwhile race leader at the time and defending champion Ryan Dungey finished the 22 laps for an easy win in the 450SX class while Justin Hill made the most of a sensational start to take his first win of the 250 West Series at Angel Stadium last Saturday night in Southern California.

450SX Final:

After crashing early in his heat Dungey was forced to go to the semi where he struggled with a poor start to finish in third place. The defending champion jumped out of the far inside gate in the 20 minute main event and was only just beaten to the first corner by Coper Webb, however Dungey quickly sliced under Webb to take the lead while Ken Roczen finished the opening lap in seventh position.

Dungey immediately pulled a gap on Webb, Cole Seeley, Josh Grant, Marvin Musquin, Weston Peick, Roczen, Malcolm Stewart, Chad Reed and Eli Tomac who were all battling for position early.

Roczen was the mover though with the factory Honda pilot picking riders off at will and on lap five moved into third place behind Dungey and Seeley.

The number 94 Honda rider didn’t pounce on his teammate as you would expect and looked to lose some of his rhythm. Then on lap 10 Roczen’s Honda spewed off the face of a triple, leaving Ken with no option but to jump over the front of his CRF450R and land heavily into the third jump with the peak of his helmet and goggles flying off.

Roczen immediately grabbed his left arm which as it turns out has a compound fracture putting Roczen out for the supercross season and has the potential to side-swipe his motocross season as well.

Dungey set a torrid pace out front but backed it down slightly in the dying laps as the track became more chopped out, so the defending champions winning margin was just three seconds ahead of his KTM teammate Marvin Musquin.

Musquin was handed second place when Seeley stalled his Honda late in the race, while Webb, Peick, Grant, Reed, Tomac, Davi Millsaps and Blake Baggett rounded out the top ten.

This was Dungey’s 32nd career win and his fifth victory in Anaheim.

Ryan Dungey

“I didn’t have the greatest gate pick, but I got out of the gate good. I got out front and I could see the [pit] board, and I knew Ken [Roczen] was coming. I hope he’s OK. He’s been right on my heels and the pressure was on. You’re either going to fail or go after it and he just kept pushing. The track was nasty. It deteriorated quickly and I just focused on hitting my lines and hitting my marks.”

Dungey’s win, combined with Roczen’s DNF, resulted in a dramatic shift in the 450SX Class championship standings. The defending champion has taken over the top spot in the points and will carry the red number plate beginning next weekend.

Dungey now holds a seven-point lead over Musquin, while Roczen dropped from first and into a tie for third with Seely, 18 points out of the lead.

Cole Seely

“It’s always good to walk away with a podium finish. Unfortunately, I had a little hiccup there in the middle that definitely cost me second but I was still able to come away with third. I really wanted to push toward the front and set my sights on [Ryan] Dungey instead of settling for a third place but I’m still happy with it. We made some good improvements this week, so thanks to my team for being behind me.”

Reed had moved into seventh position on lap 13 and was right on the back wheel of Josh Grant for the rest of the main event but couldn’t make a pass stick to finish in that position while Malcolm Stewart ended the race back in 17^th after being well inside the top ten early.

Thanks to the rain leading up to the event the qualifying session was shortened which didn’t favour Geran Stapleton who was having a crack at qualifying for the 450 class at A2 aboard a Honda but the Victorian missed the night show after setting the 43rd fastest time.

450SX Class Results

1. Ryan Dungey, Belle Plaine, Minn., KTM
2. Marvin Musquin, Corona, Calif., KTM
3. Cole Seely, Sherman Oaks, Calif., Honda
4. Cooper Webb, Newport, N.C., Yamaha
5. Weston Peick, Wildomar, Calif., Suzuki
6. Josh Grant, Riverside, Calif., Kawasaki
7. Chad Reed, Dade City, Fla., Yamaha
8. Eli Tomac, Cortez, Colo., Kawasaki
9. Davi Millsaps, Cairo, Ga., KTM
10. Blake Baggett, Grand Terrace, Calif., KTM

450SX Class Championship Standings

1. Ryan Dungey, Belle Plaine, Minn., KTM – 69
2. Marvin Musquin, Corona, Calif., KTM – 62
3. Ken Roczen, Clermont, Fla., Honda – 51
4. Cole Seely, Sherman Oaks, Calif., Honda – 51
5. Eli Tomac, Cortez, Colo., Kawasaki – 44
6. Weston Peick, Wildomar, Calif., Suzuki – 43
7. Davi Millsaps, Cairo, Ga., KTM – 39
8. Josh Grant, Riverside, Calif., Kawasaki – 37
9. Jason Anderson, Rio Rancho, N.M., Husqvarna – 36
10. Cooper Webb, Newport, N.C., Yamaha – 36
11. Chad Reed, Kurri Kurri, Australia, Yamaha – 27

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Western Regional 250SX

In the Western Regional 250SX Class Main Event it was Austin Forkner who grabbed the first holeshot of his career ahead of Aaron Plessinger and his teammate Justin Hill while championship leader Shane McElrath slotted into fifth and Dan Reardon was sitting in 10^th place early.

With a clear track ahead of him, Hill was able to lay down some of quickest lap times in the early stages of the 15 minute main event and by mid-race the Kawasaki rider had a four second lead.

Hill led Plessinger, McElrath and Forkner while Reardon had moved up to seventh place behind Jimmy Decotis. The race was already over for fellow Aussie Hayden Mellross who was involved in a first corner pile-up that had damaged his Yamaha beyond rideable.

Hill went on to lead the entirety of the Main Event for the fourth win of his career, crossing the line 5.3 seconds ahead of Plessinger, McElrath, Forkner, Martin Davalos, Decotis, Reardon, Tyler Bowers, Josh Hansen and Jeremy Martin – who was involved in the same first corner incident as Mellross.

Justin Hill

“I would say a little bit of pressure is off [with this win]. It’s always tough getting that first win [of the season]. Ironically enough these are the exact same scores as last year [starting the season] – fifth, second, and first. It’s been a good season so far and I just need to stay in it. I felt off all day, but the team just did so much great work for me. Now I can go into next week looking to do it again.”

McElrath maintained his hold of the Eastern Regional points lead, with his three straight podium finishes to start the season giving him a six-point lead over Plessinger, who has also finished on the podium in all three races. Hill now sits just seven points out of the lead in third.

Shane McElrath

“Being in the championship race has been a whole new thing for me. It’s something that we can’t be anything other than thankful for [finishing third]. We’ve still got the red plate and we’re still in the points lead. Tonight everyone was going fast. I gave it everything I had, but tonight that was third.”

The 2017 Monster Energy Supercross season continues next Saturday, January 28, for the fourth round from University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, California.

Western Regional 250SX Class Results

1. Justin Hill, Yoncalla, Ore., Kawasaki
2. Aaron Plessinger, Hamilton, Ohio, Yamaha
3. Shane McElrath, Canton, N.C., KTM
4. Austin Forkner, Richards, Mo., Kawasaki
5. Martin Davalos, Clermont, Fla., Husqvarna
6. Jimmy Decotis, Peabody, Mass., Honda
7. Dan Reardon, Menifee, Calif., Yamaha
8. Tyler Bowers, Danville, Ky., Yamaha
9. Josh Hansen, Elbert, Colo., Husqvarna
10. Jeremy Martin, Millville, Minn., Honda

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Western Regional 250SX Class Championship Standings

1. Shane McElrath, Canton, N.C., KTM – 70
2. Aaron Plessinger, Hamilton, Ohio, Yamaha – 64
3. Justin Hill, Yoncalla, Ore., Kawasaki – 63
4. Martin Davalos, Clermont, Fla., Husqvarna – 54
5. Austin Forkner, Richards, Mo., Kawasaki – 47
6. Jimmy Decotis, Peabody, Mass., Honda – 42
7. Jeremy Martin, Millville, Minn., Honda – 40
8. Tyler Bowers, Danville, Ky., Yamaha – 33
9. Dan Reardon, Menifee, Calif., Yamaha – 32
10. Phil Nicoletti, Cohocton, N.Y., Suzuki – 26

17. Hayden Mellross, Australia, Yamaha – 14

AMA Arenacross Championship – Round 3 – Royal Farms Arena, Baltimore

The third round of the 2017 AMSOIL Arenacross season was a cracker of an event last Saturday night inside Royal Farms Arena where championship leader Jace Owen saw his win streak come to an end.

Defending 250AX Class Champion Gavin Faith earned his first overall victory of the season with a sweep of the Main Events while Justin Cooper made it a clean sweep in Baltimore, posting back-to-back wins to take over the points lead in the Eastern Regional AX Lites Class

Owen was poised to race his way to another overall win after emerging victorious in the Head 2 Head Challenge, where he defeated Travis Sewell to garner two championship bonus points.

When the first of two 250AX Class Main Events got underway it was Faith who put his Kawasaki out front, grabbing the holeshot over Owen and Chris Blose. The lead trio looked to pull away from the field, but Blose encountered misfortune on lap four and pulled out of the race which allowed Steven Mages to move into third place.

From that point forward the battle at the front of the field went unchanged as Faith slowly started to pull away. He led all 15 laps to take his first Main Event win of the season, 4.5 seconds ahead of Owen, Mages, Sewell and Daniel Herrlein.

The second Main Event holeshot saw Sewell put his Kawasaki out front initially, but he was soon surpassed by several riders and dropped outside the top five. Gared Steinke emerged from the fray with the lead, followed by Faith and Matt Goerke with Owen tucked into fourth.

Steinke’s time out front was short lived, as Faith was able to make the pass and once in control of the race, the defending champ quickly pulled away. Behind him Goerke started to apply pressure on Steinke for second, successfully making the pass on Lap 4. The top three then stabilized through to the finish.

Faith capped off his winning effort by taking the chequered flag 1.2 seconds ahead of Goerke, Steinke, Owen and Ben Lamay completed the top five.

With three overall wins to his credit, Owen maintains control of the 250AX Class championship standings, 20 points ahead of Faith, who moved into second. Goerke dropped to third, 23 points out of the lead.

250AX Class Results – Main Event 1

1. Gavin Faith, Fort Dodge, Iowa, Kawasaki
2. Jace Owen, Matoon, Ill., Honda
3. Steven Mages, Sardinia, Ohio, Kawasaki
4. Travis Sewell, Westville, Ind., Kawasaki
5. Daniel Herrlein, Bethesda, Ohio, KTM
6. Gared Steinke, Woodland, Calif., Kawasaki
7. Matt Goerke, Lake Helen, Fla., Yamaha
8. Ben Lamay, Forney, Texas, Honda
9. Cody VanBuskirk, Harvard, Ill., KTM
10. Isaac Teasdale, Robbinsville, N.C., KTM

250AX Class Results – Main Event 2

1. Gavin Faith, Fort Dodge, Iowa, Kawasaki
2. Matt Goerke, Lake Helen, Florida, Yamaha
3. Gared Steinke, Woodland, Calif., Kawasaki
4. Jace Owen, Matoon, Ill., Honda
5. Ben Lamay, Forney, Texas, Honda
6. Daniel Herrlein, Bethesda, Ohio, KTM
7. Travis Sewell, Westville, Ind., Kawasaki
8. Chris Blose, Phoenix, Yamaha
9. Heath Harrison, Silverhill, Ala., KTM
10. Isaac Teasdale, Robbinsville, N.C., KTM

250AX Class Overall Results (Main Event Results)

1. Gavin Faith, Fort Dodge, Iowa, Kawasaki (1-1)
2. Jace Owen, Matoon, Ill., Honda (2-4)
3. Matt Goerke, Lake Helen, Florida, Yamaha (7-2)
4. Gared Steinke, Woodland, Calif., Kawasaki (6-3)
5. Daniel Herrlein, Bethesda, Ohio, KTM (5-6)
6. Travis Sewell, Westville, Ind., Kawasaki (4-7)
7. Ben Lamay, Forney, Texas, Honda (8-5)
8. Steven Mages, Sardinia, Ohio, Kawasaki (3-15)
9. Cody VanBuskirk, Harvard, Ill., KTM (9-11)
10. Isaac Teasdale, Robbinsville, N.C., KTM (10-10)

RMATV/MC Head 2 Head Challenge Results (Bonus Points)

1. Jace Owen, Matoon, Ill., Honda (2 poins)
2. Travis Sewell, Westville, Ind., Kawasaki (1 point)
3. Chris Blose, Phoenix, Yamaha (1 point)
4. Steven Mages, Sardinia, Ohio, Kawasaki (1 point)
5. Cody VanBuskirk, Harvard, Ill., KTM (1 point)
6. Gavin Faith, Fort Dodge, Iowa, Kawasaki (1 point)
7. Cory Green, Nowata, Okla., Suzuki (1 point)
8. Daniel Herrlein, Bethesda, Ohio, KTM (1 point)

250AX Class Championship Standings

1. Jace Owen, Matoon, Ill., Honda – 130 (6 Main Event Wins)
2. Gavin Faith, Fort Dodge, Iowa, Kawasaki – 110 (2 Main Event Wins)
3. Matt Goerke, Lake Helen, Florida, Yamaha – 107
4. Gared Steinke, Woodland, Calif., Kawasaki – 96
5. Ben Lamay, Forney, Texas, Honda – 83
6. Daniel Herrlein, Bethesda, Ohio, KTM – 80
7. Chris Blose, Phoenix, Yamaha – 79
8. Heath Harrison, Silverhill, Ala., KTM – 69
9. Steven Mages, Sardinia, Ohio, Kawasaki – 55
10. Cody VanBuskirk, Harvard, Ill., KTM – 52

Eastern Regional AX Lites Class Results

1. Justin Cooper, Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y., Yamaha
2. Jacob Williamson, Swartz Creek, Mich., Kawasaki
3. Isaac Teasdale, Robbinsville, N.C., KTM
4. Hunter Sayles, Merrill, Wis., KTM
5. Heath Harrison, Silverhill, Ala., KTM
6. Brandon Gourley, Boonville, Ind., KTM
7. Jared Lesher, Ball Ground, Ga., KTM
8. Dylan Rouse, Florence, Ky., KTM
9. Kai Mukai, Hilo, Hawaii, Yamaha
10. Dylan Greer, Summerfield, Fla., Yamaha

Eastern Regional AX Lites Class Championship Standings

1. Justin Cooper, Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y., Yamaha – 60 (2 Main Event Wins)
2. Heath Harrison, Silverhill, Ala., KTM – 58 (2 Main Event Wins)
3. Jacob Williamson, Swartz Creek, Mich., Kawasaki – 54
4. Isaac Teasdale, Robbinsville, N.C., KTM – 41
5. Brandon Gourley, Boonville, Ind., KTM – 35
6. Scott Zont, Algonquin, Ill., Kawasaki – 30
7. Josiah Hempen, Argyle, Iowa, Yamaha – 21
8. Cody Williams, Barneveld, Wis., Kawasaki – 21
9. Carter Gordon, Matoon, Ill., Yamaha – 18
10. Dylan Greer, Summerfield, Fla., Yamaha – 15

AMSOIL Arenacross continues next weekend with its fourth round of the 2017 season from Nashville, Tennessee’s Bridgestone Arena.

UK Arenacross Series – Round 3 – Birmingham

The third round of the UK Arenacross Series was held last Saturday night inside the Genting Arena at the NEC in Birmingham where the Pro class main event was won by Cyrille Coulon, who proved that age isn’t an issue when it comes to Arenacross.

The 34-year-old Suzuki rider started behind Honda’s Florent Richier and picked his way past in the early stages of the race to take the lead and the eventual win.

Behind him a hard-charging Brit in the shape of Jack Brunell, stayed strong throughout on his Kawasaki and was perfectly placed to take his first podium position of the season with a solid third.

There must be some kind of quirky qualifying system to make the main event because Jay Wilson finished 6^th and 3^rd in his two heats yet didn’t make it to the 11 man main event while his I-Fly JK Yamaha teammate Yannis Irsuti was an AX unknown prior to this season, but has firmly stamped his mark of authority on the Pro Lites category.

Irsuti rode two flawless races to take the win and extend his championship lead.

Coulon will have the red plate as the 2017 Arenacross Tour heads across the Irish Sea to Belfast for the only double-header of the Tour at the The SSE Arena next Friday and Saturday nights.

Pro Main

1. Cyrille Coulon, #5, SR75 World Suzuki, 20 points
2. Florent Richier, #2, Keystone Honda Racing, 18 points
3. Jack Brunell, #155, Team Green Kawasaki, 16 points
4. Angelo Pellegrini, #941, RFX St Blazey MX, 15 points
5. Adam Chatfield, #407, Buildbase Honda Racing, 14 points
6. Sulivan Jaulin, #211, 13 points
7. Thomas Ramette, #1, SR75 World Suzuki, 12 points
8. Gaetan Le Hir, #11, FRO Systems PAR Elite, 11 points
9. Adrien Escoffier, #10, MVR-D Husqvarna, 10 points
10. Cedric Soubeyras, #85, RFX St Blazey MX, 9 points
11. Hugo Basaula, #747, Team Green Kawasaki, 8 points

Pro Championship

1. Cyrille Coulon, 55 points
2. Angelo Pellegrini, 46 points
3. Florent Richier, 46 points
4. Adam Chatfield, 44 points
5. Jack Brunell, 43 points
6. Cedric Soubeyras, 42 points
7. Thomas Ramette, 41 points
8. Adrien Escoffier, 41 points
9. Hugo Basaula, 30 points
10. Matt Bayliss, 25 points

Pro Lites Overall

1. Yannis Irsuti, #170, I-Fly JK Yamaha, 40 points
2. Dylan Woodcock, #60, Team Green Kawasaki, 34 points
3. Joe Clayton, #14, Keystone Honda Racing, 31 points

Pro Lites Championship

1. Yannis Irsuit, #170, 115 points
2. Chris Bayliss, #259, Buildbase Honda Racing, 103 points
3. Dylan Woodcock, #60, 99 points

2017 Troy Bayliss Classic – Taree

The 2017 Motul Pirelli Troy Bayliss Classic presented by Shannon’s Insurance delivered some of the best racing in the history of the event with four-time AMA Grand National Champion Jared Mees becoming the first dual winner of the Troy Bayliss Cup ahead of Troy Herfoss and former champion Michael Kirkness.

Australian dirt track Champion Luke Gough set the fastest lap in the Motul Pirelli Superpole a mere .0096 ahead of American Henry Wiles.

In the 21-lap Troy Bayliss Classic, Mees shot to the lead at the start but wasn’t afforded an easy race with Herfoss and inaugural Troy Bayliss Cup winner Mick Kirkness pressuring the international throughout the race but were unable to find a way past, eventually finishing second and third respectively.

Mees praised event organisers acknowledging the 2017 Troy Bayliss Classic as the best yet.

Jarred Mees

“It was an awesome event. We had a good crowd, fantastic racing and perfect weather. I want to thank Troy and Kim Bayliss for bringing me out. What they are doing to raise the profile of flat track racing in Australia is truly incredible. In the Troy Bayliss Cup I finally got the start I had been looking for all day, but I knew Troy (Herfoss) would be a big threat. Thankfully, I was able to hold on for the win and hopefully I will be back to defend my title.”

In the Americana, it was Herfoss who claimed the win ahead of Mees and compatriot Sammy Halbert.

Troy Herfoss

“A win in the Troy Bayliss Cup continues to elude me. That is the third time I have finished second. This is a great event I really enjoy coming here and racing it was awesome to see the calibre of riders across all classes.”

While event organiser Troy Bayliss didn’t get the on-track result he was looking for he was pleased the event delivered exceptional racing and entertainment for spectators.

Troy Bayliss

“This was the best one yet. My day didn’t go to plan but I know the crowd watched some of the best racing they will see anywhere. We had perfect weather, the track was great and we had the strongest rider line-up across the classes,” he concluded.

2017 Troy Bayliss Cup

1. Jared Mees
2. Troy Herfoss
3. Michael Kirkness

2017 Troy Bayliss Classic Americana

1. Troy Herfoss
2. Jared Mees
3. Sammy Halbert

2017 Shannon’s Insurance Legends

1. Darren Herrick
2. Damon Buckmaster
3. Jason Crump

Troy Bayliss Cup Presented by MOTUL PIRELLI 21 Laps

Place # Rider Total Time Diff Laps Fastest Time on Lap
1 9 JARED MEES 7:42.928 0.000 21 21.625 2
2 17 TROY HERFOSS 7:43.740 0.812 21 21.562 5
3 387 MICHAEL KIRKNESS 7:45.134 2.206 21 21.512 4
4 69 SAMMY HALBERT 7:46.182 3.254 21 21.731 7
5 62 LUKE GOUGH 7:53.491 10.563 21 21.824 5
6 73 ROBBIE MENZIES 7:57.485 14.557 21 22.036 5
7 24 LUKE RICHARDS 7:57.675 14.747 21 22.093 3
8 16 JOSHUA HOOK 8:00.137 17.209 21 22.172 19
9 23 BROC PARKES 7:49.147 1 lap 20 22.576 6
10 H HENRY WILES 7:59.005 1 lap 20 21.844 7
DNF 20 KURTIS TYDD 2:06.220 0.000 5 22.483 2
DNF 21 TROY BAYLISS 1:34.188 0.000 4 21.778 2

FMF Indoor Winter Series – Rounds 7 & 8 – Shelbyville, TN

Despite missing a round while he was racing in Europe, Husqvarna rider and living legend Mike Brown is making a serious run at winning the 450 and 250 classes in the FMF Indoor Winter Series after scoring 2-1 finished at both main events at rounds seven and eight held in Shelbyville, Tennessee last weekend.

With four rounds remaining, Brown has moved within seven points of 450 championship leader Robbie Horton and within 17 points of 250 championship leader Marshall Weltin.

Round 9 and 10 will be held over the weekend of the 23^rd and 4^th of February in Ashevile, NC  while the final two rounds will be held in Morristown, TN over the weekend of the 10^th and 11^th of February.

Round 7 – 450 Pro Main Event

1. Daniel Baker
2. Mike Brown
3. Chandler Lindsay
4. Donny Brown
5. Robbie Horton
6. Marshall Weltin
7. Cody Gragg
8. Harrison West
9. Shane Hall
10. Taco Short

Round 8 – 450 Pro Main Event

1. Mike Brown
2. Robbie Horton
3. Marshall Weltin
4. Chandler Lindsay
5. Donny Brown
6. Cody Gragg
7. Harrison West
8. Shane Hall
9. Taco Short
10. Daniel Baker

450 Standings after 8 Rounds:

1. Robbie Horton – 177
2. Marshall Weltin – 173
3. Mike Brown – 170
4. Cody Gragg – 142
5. Tyler McSwain – 134
6. Kyle Bitterman – 129
7. Chandler Lindsay – 107
8. Taco Short – 96
9. Shane Hall – 94
10. Isaac Teasdale – 76

Round 7 – 250 Pro Main Event

1. Tyler McSwain
2. Mike Brown
3. Marshall Weltin
4. Chandler Lindsay
5. Robbie Horton
6. Donny Brown
7. Cody Gragg
8. Brandon Marley
9. Shane Hall
10. Taco Short

Round 8 – 250 Pro Main Event

1. Mike Brown
2. Marshall Weltin
3. Robbie Horton
4. Cody Gragg
5. Donny Brown
6. Chandler Lindsay
7. Harrison West
8. Shane Hall
9. Taco Short
10. Eric Moore

250 Standings after 8 Rounds:

1. Marshall Weltin – 192
2. Robbie Horton  – 180
3. Mike Brown – 175
4. Tyler McSwain – 170
5. Cody Gragg – 140
6. Kyle Bitterman – 133
7. Taco Short – 108
8. Chandler Lindsay – 99
9. Shane Hall – 83
10. Kyle Dillin – 73

King of the Mountain – Taranaki, New Zealand

Kayne Lamont has won a wet and extremely muddy King of the Mountain motocross event in Taranaki, New Zealand, last weekend after a race long duel with Rhys Carter.

With high winds and frequent rain squalls transforming an otherwise perfect track into a treacherous mess, organisers were forced to reduce the King of the Mountain to just one six lap race.

With former champion Cody Cooper opting not to ride, it was Lamont who took his Altherm JCR Yamaha Racing Team YZ450F into the front from the start but when Lamont stalled his bike just a handful of corners into the race, Mount Maunganui’s Rhys Carter (Kawasaki KX450F) pounced and took the lead.

Then, at about the halfway stage, Carter became a victim of the treacherous condition and crashed allowing Lamont back into the lead.

The two leading riders continued to battle each other and the elements but the gap remained the same to the finish, Lamont getting the win by 20 seconds from Carter with Richard Horne (Yamaha YZ450F) claiming third, nearly four minutes further back.

Kayne Lamont

“I could see that Rhys had fallen off and knew I had inherited the lead, but I couldn’t afford to back off. When my goggles fogged up, I tossed them away, and, with mud in my eyes, I started making mistakes. But I got there in the end.”

King of the Mountain MX1 Results:

1. Kayne Lamont
2. Rhys Carter
3. Richard Horne
4. Kyle Platt
5. Simon Lansdaal

• DNF Sam Cleland
• DNF Roydon White
• DNS Cody Cooper

Alès Trêm Extreme Enduro – Ales, France

Graham Jarvis has won the third running of the Alès Trêm Extreme Enduro in Ales, France ahead of the Sherco duo of Mario Roman (ESP) and Wade Young (RSA).

Described by those who finished as one of the hardest days riding they’ve endured for many years, Alès Trêm 2017 started in a hugely positive way for the KTM team with Alfredo Gomez topping the seven-lap Endurocross-style prologue on his KTM 300 EXC ahead of Jonny Walker after both riders won their respective heat races.

Assuming the three-lap main race would be challenging, no riders were expecting things to get as difficult, or dark, as they did.

Graham Jarvis

“That was such a tough race. It’s great to finally pick up a win here at Ales Trem, but that has to be one of the hardest days of racing I’ve done for a long, long time. The first two laps were long and demanding but it was the extreme stuff that they put in on the third lap that was the deal breaker. There were two or three places where we had to get off and push. At one point I wasn’t sure if we were going to get to the finish. Thankfully, we made it. It was very close at the finish. Mario rode really well and it could have gone either way. Riding in the dark wasn’t expected, and certainly made things interesting. It was tough, but awesome to win.”

Jonny Walker

“I guess this year’s Alès Trêm was a bit of a wild one. The first lap was pretty straightforward – there was a bunch of us all riding together and things weren’t too difficult at all. The second lap was similar. On the third lap it really started to get interesting. I started to push a little harder and Graham and myself opened up a little gap. I felt good but as I passed through a check point I made a very small mistake losing no more than 10 or 15 seconds. As I was pushing to catch back up to Graham I missed a track marker. I accidentally followed the track used during the second lap. At the next check point I was told I was out, so I sat there for a while. Eventually I followed the trail back to where I missed the arrows and got back on track. I was a long way behind the other riders but at least I managed to finish. It’s great to be back competing in an Extreme Enduro but a little frustrating that I wasn’t able to challenge for the win.”

Results Alès Trêm 2017

1. Graham Jarvis (GBR), Husqvarna, 6:51:36 h
2. Mario Roman (ESP), Sherco, +55 sec
3. Wade Young (RSA), Sherco, +12:53 min
4. Jonny Walker (GBR), KTM, +29:01
5. Billy Bolt (GBR), Husqvarna, +30:54