Moto News Wrap for October 20, 2015 by Darren Smart
Proudly brought to you by Dunlop Geomax
Australasian News
Makeham Injured: Team Motul Suzuki’s Kale Makeham missed the second round of the Australian Supercross Championship at Jimboomba last Saturday night due to an ankle injury, that included a small fracture and ligament damage, after he mis-timed a rhythm section during practice at the opening round of the series at Bathurst.
NRGTV Saves the Day: I was at yet another Caravan and Camping Show last weekend (my 20th for the year) so I couldn’t make it to the Jimboomba round of the Australian Supercross Championship so I went to the NRGTV web site to watch the action on-line and I have to say that the coverage was pretty good – big thanks to all involved in putting that together – it’s a tough gig.
The Whoops: What I did notice while watching round 2 of the Australian Supercross Championships, held on a very ‘American’ style trac,k was that the whoops were brutal! Dan Reardon almost tossed his lead away on them, Caleb Ward went over the bars on the second to last whoop and there wasn’t a rider who didn’t have a moment going through them during the night. For mind, Matt Moss looked the best through them.
Reardon – V – Moss: There appears to be no love lost between Dan Reardon and Matt Moss – Moss wants to continue his dominance and Reardon wants to stop it, so I don’t think it’s anything personal but the two fastest Supercross racers in Australia threw everything but the kitchen sink at each other in the opening laps of the final at Jimboomba which makes the next round at Wayville, South Australia on October 31 even more mouth-watering. For the record, Reardon’s very first Supercross win was at Boondall (Brisbane Entertainment Centre) in 2004 on a Whale Kawasaki KX250F.
A4DE: The 2015 A4DE is underway in Tasmania and to pick the winner out of our world beating enduro guns is impossible but what is possible it to give you the full report and results next week – which I will do.
American News
Strang Wins GNCC at Powerline Park: YEEHAA! Aussie Josh Strang has won round 12 of the GNCC held at Powerline Park, Ohio last weekend. See full report and results below.
Tomac to Kawasaki: This is HUGE!! Monster Energy Kawasaki has signed Eli Tomac to join the over-rated Wil Hahn for the 2016 AMA Supercross and Motocross Championships. “Joining Monster Energy Kawasaki has always been a goal and dream of mine,” said Tomac. “I feel like with a bike and chassis as good as the KX, plus a team totally dedicated to the 450 class, we should be able to do big things in the near future. It’s a new team, new bike and a new year of racing. I can’t wait to get back at it.”
PC Kawasaki Team Announced: Kawasaki have announced that Mitch Payton’s Monster Energy/Pro Circuit Kawasaki team would go unchanged in 2016. Adam Cianciarulo, Chris Alldredge, Tyler Bowers, Arnaud Tonus, and Joey Savatgy will all return for next season.
“We are looking forward to starting the 2016 season at full strength,” said Mitch Payton, Pro Circuit owner. “I know every one of our riders is capable of winning races and I expect nothing but the best from them every weekend.”
Chad and His Yamaha: Chad Reed turned up to the Monster Energy Cup on a Discount Tire/Monster Energy backed Yamaha YZF450 and over the three 10 lap finals went 9-16-8 for 10th overall. Chad posted this on Twitter after the race: ‘On paper the weekend doesn’t look great but so many things to be positive about Had fun being back on the start gate Looking forward to A1’
RV Back?: Ryan Villopoto turned up to Vegas for the Monster Energy Cup and rode practice and the Opening Ceremonies but didn’t race – for the record, RV was 17th fastest in practice.
Webb Wins GEICO Endurocross: Round 7 of the GEICO Endurocross was held inside XFINITY Arena in Everett, WA last weekend at Cody Webb took out the final ahead of Colton Haaker, Taylor Robert and Mike Brown so in the championship Webb has an 11 point lead over Haaker with only two rounds remaining.
Proudly brought to you by Dunlop Geomax
Euro News
Jeremias Israel Dismissed by HRC: Honda Racing Corporation has decided that Mr. Jeremias Israel is officially and irrevocably relieved from all his duties as a member of the HRC Dakar Team.
HRC has determined, in fact on the basis of factual evidence, that the rider – even if possibly in good faith – contravened however the exclusivity image rights granted to HRC, in addition making improper and non authorized use of HRC and Honda trademarks and goods.
Mr. Israel was formally advised of the objections raised by HRC and of the termination of his contract with immediate effect.
Euro Championship Dates Confirmed: Youthstream has announced the official calendars for the 2016 European Motocross Championships EMX125, EMX250, EMX300 as well as the finals of the EMX65 and EMX85 championships. Here are the calendars with all the official dates and locations:
EMX125 European Championship
- 1 May – MXGP of Latvia, Kegums
- 8 May – MXGP of Germany, Teutschenthal
- 15 May – MXGP of Trentino, Pietramurata
- 29 May – TBA
- 5 June – MXGP of France, St.Jean d’Angely
- 19 June – MXGP of Great Britain, Matterley Basin
- 26 June – MXGP of Lombardia – Italy, Mantova
- 31 July – MXGP of Belgium (TBC), Lommel
- 7 August – MXGP of Switzerland, Frauenfeld
EMX250 European Championship
- 17 April – MXGP of Europe, Valkenswaard
- 1 May – MXGP of Latvia, Kegums
- 8 May – MXGP of Germany, Teutschenthal
- 15 May – MXGP of Trentino, Pietramurata
- 29 May – TBA
- 5 June – MXGP of France, St.Jean d’Angely
- 19 June – MXGP of Great Britain, Matterley Basin
- 26 June – MXGP of Lombardia – Italy, Mantova
- 31 July – MXGP of Belgium (TBC), Lommel
- 7 August – MXGP of Switzerland, Frauenfeld
EMX300 European Championship
- 17 April – MXGP of Europe, Valkenswaard
- 1 May – MXGP of Latvia, Kegums
- 29 May – TBA
- 19 June – MXGP of Great Britain, Matterley Basin
- 24 July – MXGP of Czech Republic, Loket
- 31 July – MXGP of Belgium (TBC), Lommel
EMX65/85 FINALS
- 24 July – MXGP of Czech Republic, Loket
Smarty’s Race Reports and Official Results from last Weekend
Australian Supercross Championship – Round 2 – Jimbomba
SX1 Race Report
The race for the lead in the opening laps of the final between Dan Reardon and Matt Moss was heart-stopping and it could well have gone on for the whole race but Moss lost the front end going through a slippery left hand berm (while under the yellow flag) which basically handed Reardon the win as the Queenslander was in a class of his own from that moment on.
“That feels so good to win,” said Reardon. “This is pretty much a home town race for me and it was so good to see so many people in the pits and at the track today who I’ve known for so many years. It feels great to get a win for them; I think I’m as happy as the fans tonight!”
Reardon led home Adam Monea and Moss who remounted and was charging through the field only to get tangled up with Kirk Gibbs which cost him any chance of getting up to Monea.
“It was one of those nights,” said Moss. “I think I just tried a bit too hard and made some mistakes and paid the price. I lost the front end and went down, and then my hand came off the grip and I tangled with Kirk when I was trying to come back though the field – That’s just how it goes sometimes, but I’ll be back, I know what I need to work on and we’ve got two weeks to get ready for the next round.”
SX1 Overall: 1. Dan Reardon. 2. Adam Monea. 3. Matt Moss. 4. Kade Mosig. 5. Kirk Gibbs. 6. Lawson Bopping. 7. Gavin Faith. 8. Dylan Long. 9. Daniel McCoy. 10. Luke Styke.
SX1 Series Standings after 2 of 6 Rounds: 1. Dan Reardon – 67pts. 2. Matt Moss – 65pts. 3. Kade Mosig – 54pts. 4. Kirk Gibbs – 54pts. 5. Gavin Faith – 54pts. 6. Adam Monea – 53pts. 7. Lawson Bopping – 48pts. 8. Luke Styke – 45pts. 9. Danny Ham – 35pts. 10. Sam Martin – 25pts.
SX2 Race Report
Pint sized Jimmy Decotis got the holeshot and took off from a pack of hard charging Aussies led by two Far North Queensland riders in Jackson Richardson and Wade Hunter. The top three riders were within half a second of each other in lap times but never quite got close enough to actually battle for positions but it was obvious that the top three on the podium deserved to be there.
“Yeah, I had some struggles in practice, but then everything came good when it counted most,” said Decotis. “A good start in the Final makes all the difference and once I got into a rhythm I could just ride my own race and come home with the win.”
“It feels awesome to get another win and to get so many cheers from all the Australian fans. I really appreciate all their support, and I also have to thank everyone in the Penrite Honda team, who have been looking after me so well and have given me the best equipment.”
“My plan was to get on the box tonight and after getting a good start and riding consistently, that’s just what I did,” said Richardson who now sit second in the championship. “It feels so great to get my first podium in a Supercross in Australia and to have another ‘FNQer’ up here as well is just awesome.”
Hunter was happy to be on the podium with Richardson. “Myself and Jatz (Richardson) have been racing together since we were five, so to share our first ever Supercross podium is just really special.”
Rounding out the top five SX2 results at Jimboomba were class favourite Luke Clout who had to fight his way through the pack to finish fourth after a mid-pack start while Geran Stapleton brought his Penrite WIlson Honda MX machine home in fifth.
SX2 Overall: 1. Jimmy Decotis. 2. Jackson Richardson. 3. Wade Hunter. 4. Luke Clout. 5. Geran Stapleton. 6. Luke Arbon. 7. Taylor Potter. 8. Dylan Wills. 9. Lewis Woods. 10. Jessie Madden.
SX2 Series Standings after 2 of 6 Rounds: 1. Jimmy Decotis – 70pts. 2. Jackson Richardson – 60pts. 3. Luke Clout – 60pts. 4. Luke Arbon – 55pts. 5. Wade Hunter – 54pts. 6. Geran Stapleton – 52pts. 7. Lewis Woods – 47pts. 8. Dylan Wills – 44pts. 9. Taylor Potter – 42pts. 10. Jesse Madden – 40pts.
Monster Energy Cup – Las Vegas
Race One
Jason Anderson pulled the holeshot ahead of Trey Canard who quickly took control of the lead which he held for five laps until a crash put pay to the Honda pilot taking the win. Just as Canard was remounting, James Stewart came storming into the same corner, lost the front end and crashed heavily and injured his wrist which forced him out for the remaining races.
Ken Roczen took over the lead ahead of a freight train of riders including Ryan Dungey, Jason Anderson, Davi Millsaps, Blake Baggett and Justin Barcia.
The Suzuki rider kept his head and dove into the Joker Lane late in the race followed by all of the top riders except Anderson who crossed the finish line first on lap ten but was penalized five positions for going through the Joker Lane on the opening lap (rules state that the Joker Lane is open from Lap 2 to 9) giving the win to Roczen ahead of Dungey, Milsaps, Baggett, Barcia and Anderson.
Race One Results: 1. Ken Roczen. 2. Ryan Dungey. 3. Davi Millsaps. 4. Blake Baggett. 5. Justin Barcia, 6. Jason Anderson.7. Dean Wilson. 8. Broc Tickle. 9. Chad Reed. 10. Trey Canard. 11. Justin Brayton. 12. Shane McElrath. 13. Andrew Short. 14. Christian Craig. 15. Weston Peick. 16. Vince Friese. 17. Christophe Pourcel. 18. James Stewart. 19. Zach Osborne. 20. Mike Alessi. 21. Kyle Partridge. 22. Martin Davalos.
Race Two
Anderson grabbed the holeshot once again (putting him in contention for a brand new Toyota Tundra for the rider to garner all three holeshots) but the Husqvarna rider was quickly passed by Justin Barcia but Anderson wasn’t in the mood to follow so he blew by Barcia to take the lead on lap two and the leading due battled hard just ahead of a gaggle of hard chargers including Trey Canard, Davi Millsaps, Ryan Dungey, and Ken Roczen.
Roczen moved through the pack to put himself into third place behind Anderson and Barcia but much to everyone’s surprise Canard fought his way back to second just as riders started darting into the Joker Lane and it was Anderson, Canard and Roczen who waited until the very last lap to make the obligatory pass so when they re-joined the fray Anderson was able to take the wn ahead of Canard, Barcia, Roczen and Dungey.
Race Two Results: 1. Jason Anderson. 2. Trey Canard. 3. Justin Barcia. 4. Ken Roczen.5. Ryan Dungey.6. Davi Millsaps. 7. Justin Brayton. 8. Weston Peick. 9. Blake Baggett. 10. Broc Tickle. 11. Zach Osborne. 12. Christophe Pourcel. 13. Vince Friese. 14. Christian Craig. 15. Andrew Short. 16. Chad Reed. 17. Mike Alessi. 18. Shane McElrath. 19. Kyle Partridge. 20. Dean Wilson. 21. James Stewart. 22. Martin Davalos.
Race Three
He did it! Jason Anderson scored holeshot number three to win the Toyota Tundra but a mistake through the rhythm section saw Roczen take over the lead while Dungey made a move into second place on lap three but the KTM rider would never get close to Roczen who had extended his lead up to eight seconds before entering the Joker Lane on lap nine allowing for comfortable run up to the finish to take the win ahead of Dungey, Anderson and Barcia.
Canard finished back in 14th place after being in contention before a scary crash where nearly took out the mechanics tower while Chad Reed managed his best race in 8th place after suffering from poor starts all night on his Yamaha.
Roczen’s 1-4-1 scored the Suzuki pilot the overall and more importantly confidence leading into the 2016 AMA Supercross Championships that kicks off in 12 weeks’ time. “I felt great out there,” he said. “The bike felt good, but we only had a week and a half to really go through a lot of testing. We tried to squeeze everything in, but it worked out.”
Race Three Results: 1. Ken Roczen 2. Ryan Dungey. 3. Jason Anderson. 4. Justin Barcia. 5. Christian Craig. 6. Davi Millsaps. 7. Christophe Pourcel. 8. Chad Reed. 9. Shane McElrath. 10. Weston Peick. 11. Zach Osborne. 12. Justin Brayton. 13. Mike Alessi. 14. Trey Canard. 15. Vince Friese. 16. Andrew Short. 17. Broc Tickle. 18. Blake Baggett. 19. Kyle Partridge. 20. James Stewart. 21. Dean Wilson. 22. Martin Davalos.
Overall Results: 1. Ken Roczen 6pts. 2. Ryan Dungey 9pts. 3. Jason Anderson 10pts. 4. Justin Barcia 12pts. 5. Davi Millsaps 15pts. 6. Trey Canard 26pts. 7. Justin Brayton 30pts. 8. Blake Baggett 31pts. 9. Christian Craig 33pts. 10. Chad Reed 33pts. 11. Weston Peick 33pts. 12. Broc Tickle 35pts. 13. Christophe Pourcel 36pts. 14. Shane McElrath 39pts. 15. Zach Osborne 41pts. 16. Vince Friese 44pts. 17. Andrew Short 44pts. 18. Dean Wilson 48pts. 19. Mike Alessi 50pts. 20. Kyle Partridge 59pts. 21. James Stewart 60pts. 22. Martin Davalos. 65pts.
Amsoil GNCC – Round 12 – Powerline Park, Ohio
Round 12 of the 2015 Amsoil Grand National Cross Country Series was full of excitement and chaos and as the green flag dropped for the XC1 Pros it was Jordan Ashburn who jumped out ahead of the rest of the field but unfortunately suffered a small bobble right after that allowing Ryan Sipes to lead the pack into the woods.
Sipes led the first lap, setting himself up for what looked to be like an overall win until taking a bad line up a hill climb and opening up the lead position for Aussie speedster Josh Strang. While riding in second, Sipes would unfortunately deal a bad wheel bearing forcing him take an extra pit stop, ultimately robbing him of a podium finish. In the end it would Strang, the 2010 GNCC Champion, who was victorious for the second time this season.
“It’s always good to race someone until the finish, but it’s also good just to have a gap at the end of the race like today,” said Strang. “After Sipes missed the hill climb I was able to pass him, and I was able to get a gap between us and maintain it.”
After finishing second at the previous round, Grant Baylor had the confidence to pull another second overall today making for his fifth podium finish of the season. During the first half of the race the South Carolina native swapped positions back and forth with Chris Bach and Cory Buttrick, but would ultimately prevail and move himself back into second in the point’s championship.
In the latter half of the race the battle for third heated up between Ashburn, Buttrick and Bach. Ashburn ended up claiming the last position on the podium followed by Bach, who ran a consistent race crossing the finish line in fourth. Sipes was able to rebound and sneak his way into the fifth-place position on the final lap, just ahead of Buttrick, who rode arguably the best race of his season, finishing sixth in the XC1 Pro division.
“I really wanted a good start this weekend, and I actually got the holeshot,” reported Ashburn. “But then I crashed four corners in, but it’s all good. I just had to fight really hard today and charge to get back up to third.”
With XC2 Pro Lites title in hand, Jason Thomas added yet another class win to his record. The win wouldn’t come easy for him, as Nick Davis put up a hard fight for the first half of the race until a cracked piston would ultimately put him out of the race. Ricky Russell found himself in second, followed by his teammate Austin Lee in third.
“Having the championship already locked in took the pressure off of this race,” said Thomas. “I ended up letting Russell by, and then we both crashed together, but it was a fun race against him and Davis.”
The 2015 Amsoil GNCC series heads to Crawfordsville, Indiana, on October 31 and November 1 for the Amsoil Ironman GNCC.
XC1 Event Results: 1. Josh Strang (HSQ). 2. Grant Baylor (YAM). 3. Jordan Ashburn (YAM). 4. Chris Bach (HON). 5. Ryan Sipes (HSQ). 6. Jason Thomas (KTM). 7. Cory Buttrick (BET). 8. Ricky Russell (YAM). 9. Austin Lee (YAM). 10. Jesse Groemm (BETA).
Overall National Championship Standings: 1. Kailub Russell (283). 2. Grant Baylor (223). 3. Thad Duvall (200). 4. Josh Strang (196). 5. Chris Bach (191). 6. Ryan Sipes (170). 7. Jordan Ashburn (162). 8. Jason Thomas (147). 9. Ricky Russell (106). 10. Trevor Bollinger (97).
XC2 Event Results: 1. Jason Thomas (KTM): 2. Ricky Russell (YAM). 3. Austin Lee (YAM). 4. Jesse Groemm (BET). 5. Tegan Temple (KTM). 6. Ryder Lafferty (HSQ). 7. Scott Grills (YAM). 8. Michael Witkowski (KTM). 9. Trevor Bollinger (HON). 10. Callan May (YAM).
XC2 Series Standings: 1. Jason Thomas (307). 2. Ricky Russell (215). 3. Trevor Bollinger (194). 4. Nick Davis (183). 5. Craig Delong (175). 6. Tegan Temple (146). 7. Austin Lee (142). 8. Layne Michael (142). 9. Cory Buttrick (122). 10. Callan May (116)
