Smarty’s Moto Wrap for May 13, 2014
Oh dear. There isn’t a national series in the world that has had a more tumultuous history than the Australian Supercross Championship and after two years of running the series it looks like International Entertainment Group (IEG) has hit a snag with their relationship with Motorcycling Australia so at the time of writing the series appears to be up in the air for 2014. I will keep you posted when something that isn’t just rumour or innuendo comes to light.
Wow!! Well, we kind of knew this was going to happen but still, having Brett Metcalfe replace Ryan Villopoto on the factory Kawasaki KX450F for the AMA Motocross Championships still deserves a WOW!!
Metty has been training his arse off while ripping laps around California since January and there is nothing surer that he had his eye on RV’s KX for at least the last month or so and as soon as Villopoto announced that he was sitting out the series to get his knee sorted Metcalfe was given the opportunity of a life time.
So, how will he go? Well, for the opening round at Glen Helen at least Metcalfe is going to be on pace after logging 100s of laps around the undulating layout over the last few months and for the rest of the series Metcalfe will be revisiting venues and tracks that he has raced on for many years and even won on, so for my mind he has as good a chance as any to win the championship if he stays healthy and rides to his full potential.
Speaking of the AMA Motocross Championships, keep an eye on Team Valli Motorsport Yamaha who have just signed former factory rider and Yamaha and Honda team manager Erik Kehoe to help former World Motocross Champion Christophe Pourcel win the 250 championship. Like Metcalfe, Pourcel has done some serious time around Glen Helen since January and if he rides to his full potential could leave California with the championship lead. OR, if it doesn’t go to plan he could be flying home to France with his tail between his legs…who knows with Pourcel??? Yamaha is hoping for the former.
Cairns racer Jackson Richardson is planning on doing at least the first three rounds of the AMA Motocross Championships before flying home for a rest. Last Sunday, Jackson turned up to Glenn Helen and won the REM MX 250 Pro class with 2-1 finishes ahead of Zach Bell so with that form to go by look for ‘Jatz’ to score a heap of top 15 finishes before heading home. IF Jackson decides to do a few of the MX Nationals rounds he will be a top five contender.
How good is Takeshi Katsuya going over in Japan right now? The Gold Coast rider is completely blitzing the 250 class in the MJF Motocross Championship and after three rounds has only dropped one moto and takes a solid 19 point lead into Sugo in two weekend’s time. See full report and results below.
Matt Phillips has sensationally stopped the win streak of enduro legend Ivan Cervantes on the second day of the World Enduro Championships held in Greece last weekend. Cervantes had won every day of competition in the Enduro 3 class so far this year and did it again on Day 1 in Greece with Phillips crashing his way back to third but on Day 2 Phillips came out swinging and led from the get-go and won the day by a comfortable margin over Cervantes. See full report and results below.
Luke Styke was looking good after an opening moto 11th place finish at round seven of the World Motocross Championships held in Spain last weekend but moto two saw the Aussie finish second last in 21st place. Styke is starting every moto at the back of the pack and it is tough going to try and come from behind every race. See full report and results below.
While on the subject of the World Motocross Championship round in Spain, thanks to on-going rumours (from other teams) about the actual capacity of Antonio Cairoli’s KTM350SX-F the FIM technical delegate Andy Summers measured the bore and stoke of the motor Cairoli used in Spain on the Sunday night and it was confirmed that the motor is indeed a 350cc. Was there ever any doubt?
Josh Strang is specialising in third place finishes at the moment. The gutsy Aussie rode the wheels off his Yamaha in hot and slippery conditions to come home third outright at round 6 of the GNCC held in Springville last weekend and has consolidated third place in the championships so far. See full report and results below.
The Rosebud circuit hosted round two of the Victorian Motocross Championships last weekend and can you believe that veteran Cameron Taylor won the Pro-Lites ahead of a gaggle of nationally rated youngsters including Jack Simpson, Riley Graham and Josh Cachia.
In the Pro Open class Sam Martin took the round win from Lewis Woods and Jacob Wright while Adam Monea was on hand but it looks like he didn’t finish the final moto to end up back in ninth outright on the day.
Down in Tasmania we had Baylee Davies and Tom Jones winning the Senior Open and Senior Lites classes respectively at round two of their State Motocross Championships held at St Helens last weekend with both riders taking over the points lead in their championships.
I mentioned last week that Ben Townley was out racing at a local event in Taupo, New Zealand a few weeks ago. Well it appears that the former World Champion has been training hard with an eye to return to the race track at this year’s Manjimup 1500 on June 1. Townley will join the Yank pairing of Brett Cue and AJ Catanzaro to take on the likes of Kirk Gibbs, Ford Dale, Kade Mosig, Jay Marmont, Jake Moss, Luke Arbon, Louis Calvin, Kyle Webster, Dean Porter, Josh Adams and Jayden Rykers. With that line-up I am sure the racing will be sensational and don’t count Townley out for the win.
Moto Wrap for the weekend of May 10/11 includes:
– Round 7 of the World Motocross Championships in Spain
– Round 6 of the GNCC at Loretta Lynn Ranch in Hurricane Mills, Tennessee
– Round 3 of the World Enduro Championships being held in Greece
– Round 3 of the All Japan Motocross Championships at Hiroshima
– World Motocross Championships – Round 7 – Spain
MXGP Qualifying Race: 1. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 24:36.272; 2. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, Yamaha), +0:15.857; 3. Kevin Strijbos (BEL, Suzuki), +0:17.419; 4. Clement Desalle (BEL, Suzuki), +0:26.272; 5. Evgeny Bobryshev (RUS, Honda), +0:27.837; 6. Xavier Boog (FRA, Honda), +0:32.569; 7. Steven Frossard (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:34.814; 8. Rui Goncalves (POR, Yamaha), +0:36.162; 9. Shaun Simpson (GBR, KTM), +0:38.883; 10. Joel Roelants (BEL, Honda), +0:39.955.
MX2 Qualifying Race: 1. Valentin Guillod (SUI, KTM), 24:57.007; 2. Jordi Tixier (FRA, KTM), +0:04.233; 3. Christophe Charlier (FRA, Yamaha), +0:07.150; 4. Romain Febvre (FRA, Husqvarna), +0:13.946; 5. Jose Butron (ESP, KTM), +0:15.984; 6. Julien Lieber (BEL, Suzuki), +0:18.463; 7. Dylan Ferrandis (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:19.462; 8. Aleksandr Tonkov (RUS, Husqvarna), +0:22.305; 9. Petar Petrov (BUL, Yamaha), +0:27.367; 10. Arnaud Tonus (SUI, Kawasaki), +0:34.229. 12. Luke Styke (Aus, Yamaha), +0.41.297.
Official Race Report: To attack or respect, the riders in round seven of the FIM Motocross World Championship were forced to decide as the sun baked clay sculpted their stage here in Talavera de la Reina, dictating line selection and demanding a combination of both mental and physical strength. Ray Archer image
Both proving to have returned to their expected form, Rockstar Energy Suzuki World’s Clement Desalle and Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Jeffrey Herlings dominated their respective races to claim victory here at the MXGP of Spain in perfect score style.
MXGP Race Report: The real Rockstar Energy Suzuki World’s Clement Desalle took a stand today proving he’s still a real player in this game. The Belgian looked more aggressive than he has of late, getting off to two great starts and going on to lead every lap from start to finish for his first ever FIM Motocross World Championship win in Spain, as well as his first perfect score of the season.
The podium almost wouldn’t look right without Yamaha Factory Racing’s Jeremy Van Horebeek as he makes himself the most consistent podium placer in the MXGP class this season. “Today I had an awesome feeling, but my starts were not that good and that is where I lost it, but overall I am really happy, second on the podium to make it six times in a row, and I am really happy.”
Rockstar Energy Suzuki World’s Kevin Strijbos fought hard from an average start in race one to take a hard fought fourth when he passed both Cairoli and Bobryshev with two-laps to go. After making a change to his bike to help with the start in race two, the Belgian got the FOX Holeshot and rode solid to make the podium a complete Belgian domination for the second time this year. “I think the track was good, it was a little bit like old school and overall the track was nice to ride.”
The saying goes ‘Championships are not won on your good days, but on your bad days’, which can be said for Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Antonio Cairoli as he looked uncharacteristically uncomfortable out on the roasted clay today, but with fourth place being the result of a bad day, the Italian still has a lot to smile about as he continues to lead the championship by twenty-four points.
After having some big falls already this year like the one at Arco di Trento and then again two weeks ago in Valkenswaard, Monster Energy Kawasaki Racing Team’s Steven Frossard is happy to have kept his KXF450 on two wheels this weekend to bring home a solid fifth.
MXGP Race 1: 1. Clement Desalle (BEL, Suzuki), 34:16.039; 2. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, Yamaha), +0:05.376; 3. Steven Frossard (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:11.106; 4. Kevin Strijbos (BEL, Suzuki), +0:18.572; 5. Evgeny Bobryshev (RUS, Honda), +0:20.806; 6. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), +0:26.363; 7. Xavier Boog (FRA, Honda), +0:30.702; 8. Tyla Rattray (RSA, Husqvarna), +0:33.979; 9. Joel Roelants (BEL, Honda), +0:35.869; 10. Shaun Simpson (GBR, KTM), +0:51.498.
MXGP Race 2: 1. Clement Desalle (BEL, Suzuki), 33:58.407; 2. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), +0:01.732; 3. Kevin Strijbos (BEL, Suzuki), +0:03.845; 4. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, Yamaha), +0:15.603; 5. Steven Frossard (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:23.521; 6. Jake Nicholls (GBR, KTM), +0:43.618; 7. David Philippaerts (ITA, Yamaha), +0:50.876; 8. Rui Goncalves (POR, Yamaha), +0:52.007; 9. Xavier Boog (FRA, Honda), +1:06.104; 10. Tyla Rattray (RSA, Husqvarna), +1:12.517.
MXGP Overall: 1. Clement Desalle (BEL, SUZ), 50 points; 2. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, YAM), 40 p.; 3. Kevin Strijbos (BEL, SUZ), 38 p.; 4. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 37 p.; 5. Steven Frossard (FRA, KAW), 36 p.; 6. Xavier Boog (FRA, HON), 26 p.; 7. David Philippaerts (ITA, YAM), 24 p.; 8. Tyla Rattray (RSA, HUS), 24 p.; 9. Jake Nicholls (GBR, KTM), 23 p.; 10. Joel Roelants (BEL, HON), 22 p.
MXGP World Championship Classification Top Ten: 1. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 304 points; 2. Clement Desalle (BEL, SUZ), 280 p.; 3. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, YAM), 276 p.; 4. Kevin Strijbos (BEL, SUZ), 220 p.; 5. Gautier Paulin (FRA, KAW), 205 p.; 6. Maximilian Nagl (GER, HON), 166 p.; 7. Steven Frossard (FRA, KAW), 142 p.; 8. Evgeny Bobryshev (RUS, HON), 136 p.; 9. Joel Roelants (BEL, HON), 134 p.; 10. Xavier Boog (FRA, HON), 134 p.
MX2 Race Report: For the majority of this season Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Jeffrey Herlings has been claiming he’s lacking on-the-bike training and therefore is not as dominant as he has been in the past. After today’s performance on a surface which is the complete opposite end of the spectrum to the sand of Valkenswaard, it is almost safe to say “The Bullet” has been training hard and now he is back, and he means business.
CLS Kawasaki Monster Energy’s young Frenchman Dylan Ferrandis put his hard pack knowledge to good use this weekend utilizing a smooth and solid riding style to bring home two consistent third place finishes for second overall for the second time this year. “Today in the race we had some nice battles, it was really close for first to eight, but I am very happy to be back on the podium, three and three is good for me”
Meanwhile his CLS Kawasaki Monster Energy teammate Arnaud Tonus did exactly what he needed to do here in race one, riding his own pace to take second. In race two the creativity of the Swiss was put to the ultimate test as he was forced to make new line combinations in order to make passes stick. After his plausible efforts in race two, where he scrapped his way into second only to lose it after going into a berm a little too hot and catching an edge which tipped him off his bike, he still managed to come home for fifth which landed him on the podium for the fourth time this year.
Persistent is one word that sums up Wilvo Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Romain Febvre. The young French star on the rise fought tooth and nail this weekend, which left him face first in the dirt a couple of times. Nevertheless the youngsters never give up attitude kept him moving forward which rewarded him with fourth overall for the Grand Prix of Spain.
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Jordi Tixier can’t get the monkey off his back this year. While the Frenchman had moments of greatness where he looked at home and on the move around the hilly circuit here in Talavera, a few costly mistakes forced him backwards in both races leaving him in fifth overall.
It was heartbreak for KTM Silver Actions local kid Jose Butrón after he caused a thirty-five minute fence line fiesta when he snapped up the FOX Holeshot and led the best part of race two. After throwing his heart on the table to bring a podium home for his frenzy of screaming fans, the Spaniard appeared to have second place already in his pocket when he made an error over the back of the track and dropped back to sixth with a gut wrenching quarter of a lap to go.
Also making his MX2 Grand Prix comeback, Yamaha Factory Racing’s Christophe Charlier, who qualified an outstanding third place yesterday, crashed twice in race one and only managed to salvage twelfth, but bounced back strong in race two to come home in eighth. Although the return from injury could have been better, Charlier is satisfied with his results and progress from today, and is now looking forward to the next round of MXGP in two weeks time.
MX2 Race 1: 1. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 35:08.693; 2. Arnaud Tonus (SUI, Kawasaki), +0:32.142; 3. Dylan Ferrandis (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:41.915; 4. Jordi Tixier (FRA, KTM), +0:44.578; 5. Romain Febvre (FRA, Husqvarna), +0:52.004; 6. Julien Lieber (BEL, Suzuki), +1:06.023; 7. Damon Graulus (BEL, KTM), +1:10.108; 8. Jose Butron (ESP, KTM), +1:12.316; 9. Petar Petrov (BUL, Yamaha), +1:13.364; 10. Aleksandr Tonkov (RUS, Husqvarna), +1:14.768. 11. Luke Styke.
MX2 Race 2: 1. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 34:48.430; 2. Tim Gajser (SLO, Honda), +0:05.468; 3. Dylan Ferrandis (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:05.958; 4. Romain Febvre (FRA, Husqvarna), +0:07.510; 5. Arnaud Tonus (SUI, Kawasaki), +0:08.977; 6. Jose Butron (ESP, KTM), +0:14.974; 7. Valentin Guillod (SUI, KTM), +0:17.417; 8. Christophe Charlier (FRA, Yamaha), +0:20.364; 9. Jordi Tixier (FRA, KTM), +0:23.987; 10. Petar Petrov (BUL, Yamaha), +0:37.601. 21. Luke Styke.
MX2 Overall: 1. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 50 points; 2. Dylan Ferrandis (FRA, KAW), 40 p.; 3. Arnaud Tonus (SUI, KAW), 38 p.; 4. Romain Febvre (FRA, HUS), 34 p.; 5. Jordi Tixier (FRA, KTM), 30 p.; 6. Jose Butron (ESP, KTM), 28 p.; 7. Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 26 p.; 8. Julien Lieber (BEL, SUZ), 25 p.; 9. Petar Petrov (BUL, YAM), 23 p.; 10. Christophe Charlier (FRA, YAM), 22 p. 17. Luke Styke, 10p.
MX2 World Championship Classification: 1. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 294 points; 2. Arnaud Tonus (SUI, KAW), 267 p.; 3. Romain Febvre (FRA, HUS), 232 p.; 4. Dylan Ferrandis (FRA, KAW), 225 p.; 5. Jordi Tixier (FRA, KTM), 215 p.; 6. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, SUZ), 176 p.; 7. Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 171 p.; 8. Aleksandr Tonkov (RUS, HUS), 170 p.; 9. Jose Butron (ESP, KTM), 159 p.; 10. Valentin Guillod (SUI, KTM), 153 p. 17. Luke Styke, 55p.
– GNCC (Limestone 100) – Round 6 – Loretta Lynn Ranch in Hurricane Mills, Tennessee
The 2014 AMSOIL Grand National Cross Country Series presented by Maxxis, an AMA National Championship, made its return to the Loretta Lynn Ranch in Hurricane Mills, Tennessee for the 33rd running of the Parts Unlimited Loretta Lynn’s GNCC. After just less than three hours of racing through the rough and rocky 11-mile course, it was Charlie Mullins who prevailed with his second consecutive victory of the season.
Sunday’s Round 6 began with dry and sunny conditions but things quickly switched gears as a big rain storm let loose just one hour before the start of the afternoon race. Along with the wet and slippery conditions on the racetrack, came hot and humid temperatures to add yet another variable into the mix.
XC1: As the green flag dropped, it was Factory FMF/KTM’s Kailub Russell who shot off the start to claim the $250 All Balls Racing XC1 Holeshot Award. However, Russell bobbled in the slick first turn and his teammate Charlie Mullins took over the early lead on lap one.
Russell reclaimed his lead on the same lap but it didn’t last for long as the reigning champion had to make an unexpected stop in the woods to change out a set of goggles. As a result, Russell fell back to fourth place, where Rocky Mountain ATV*MC/N-Fab AmPro Yamaha’s Josh Strang and Maxxis/KLIM/DirtWise KTM Race Team’s Jason Thomas moved into the second and third place positions.
From there, Russell and Mullins took turns leading different parts of the six-lap race. Heading into the final lap, the Factory FMF/KTM duo was evenly matched and both riders were prepared for a head-to-head battle to the very end. Russell stopped in his pits to get a splash of gas and that’s when Mullins capitalized to close the gap that Russell had gained late in the race. From there, the front-runners diced it out for the lead position.
“On the last lap I made a little mistake and Charlie got around me,” Russell said. “We battled pretty hard the next couple of corners, banging bars pretty hard and fighting for the first place position. I kind of got rebounded out of a rut and it sent me to the ground. I put on a hard charge to catch up but the damage was done.”
Mullins held off Russell in the final moments to capture his second straight victory of the season, finishing just six seconds ahead of the second place finisher of Russell, where he now holds a 12-point lead over Russell heading to Round 7 in two weeks.
“I definitely had to work for this one,” Mullins said. “That last lap we got pretty close and it was everything I had. It feels good to get a win but it’s far from over. We’ve got the tough rounds coming up so I definitely need to stay on my game and get ready for the rocks in West Virginia.”
Russell once again pulled the $100 KR4 Performance Fastest Lap, this time on lap five of racing. Mullins came less than one second away from earning this honor.
Strang put forth a solid performance at the Parts Unlimited Loretta Lynn’s GNCC, where he began the afternoon in a favorable second place position. From there, Strang stuck by himself in the third place position for a majority of the afternoon as he maintained a comfortable gap over JCR Honda’s Chris Bach in fourth. Strang made a big push at the end, where he nearly exhausted himself after almost three hours of racing.
“It was a tough day today the heat and humidity played a toll on all of us. I’ll take third today, considering last round’s results,” Strang commented.
After riding inside the top five all afternoon, Bach scored an impressive fourth place overall, his best of the season, at the sixth round.
N-Fab AmPro Yamaha’s Jordan Ashburn was another consistent front-runner on Sunday, where he battled with Bach and Factory Husqvarna’s Andrew Delong closely all afternoon. Ashburn ultimately finished fifth for the day, followed by Delong, N-Fab AmPro Yamaha’s Paul Whibley came in seventh, while HR Motorsports-backed Takeshi Koikeda took eighth.
Illinois native Adam Bonneur finished ninth in the XC1 Pro class, while Rockstar Energy/WMR KTM’s Ryan Sipes rounded out the top ten in the class.
“It was a tough day today the heat and humidity played a toll on all of us. I’ll take third today, considering last round’s results,” Strang commented.
XC2: It was yet another shakeup in XC2 Pro Lites point standings as KTM Support rider Grant Baylor captured a big win on Sunday to reclaim the points lead after six rounds. Raines Riding University/Atlas Cycles’ Ricky Russell rode hard all afternoon but it wasn’t enough to stop the reigning XC2 champ this time, as he finished second place in the class.
By the mid-way point, Maxxis/KLIM/DirtWise KTM Race Team’s Jesse Groemm had put himself into a favorable position for a podium finish. However, RideMPS.com/AMSOIL Honda’s Layne Michael joined Groemm in battle with less than one mile to go from the finish. Michael put a spectacular last-minute pass on Groemm in the motocross track, where the West Virginia native captured a podium finish in he XC2 Pro Lites class. Groemm took fourth and Imperium Bicycles’ Chris Douglas rounded out the top five.
XC1 Event Results: 1. Charlie Mullins (KTM). 2. Kailub Russell (KTM). 3. Josh Strang (YAM). 4. Chris Bach (HON). 5. Jordan Ashburn (YAM). 6. Andrew Delong (HSQ). 7. Paul Whibley (YAM). 8. Takeshi Koikeda (HON). 9. Adam Bonneur (KTM). 10. Ryan Sipes (KTM).
Overall National Championship Standings: 1. Charlie Mullins (155). 2. Kailub Russell (143). 3. Josh Strang (111). 4. Jordan Ashburn (93). 5. Paul Whibley (89). 6. Grant Baylor (80). 7. Ricky Russell (74). 8. Steward Baylor (71). 9. Andrew Delong (70). 10. Thad DuVall (61).
XC2 Event Results: 1. Grant Baylor (KTM). 2. Ricky Russell (YAM). 3. Layne Michael (HON). 4. Jesse Groemm (KTM). 5. Chris Douglas (KTM). 6. Jedediah Haines (YAM). 7. Sam Evans (YAM). 8. Callan May (YAM). 9. Trevor Bollinger (HON). 10. Shane Hufford Jr (KTM).
XC2 Series Standings: 1. Grant Baylor (151). 2. Ricky Russell (148). 3. Trevor Bollinger (117). 4. Layne Michael (90). 5. Shane Hufford Jr (89). 6. Callan May (83). 7. Jesse Groemm (70). 8. Sam Evans (70). 9. Chris Douglas (61). 10. Rory Mead (56).
The 2014 AMSOIL Grand National Cross Country Series resumes May 24 and 25 with the Mountaineer Run GNCC in Masontown, West Virginia.
– World Enduro Championships – Round 3 – Greece
Official Race Report – Day 1: Epic battles throughout all classes saw an explosive start to the FIM Maxxis Enduro World Championship GP Maxxis of Greece in Kalambaka. In front of the world famous monastic heritage sites of the peaceful and picturesque Kalambaka, the world’s best enduro riders battled for victory. Remaining unbeaten in the championship to date, the KTM duo of Ivan CERVANTES and Christophe NAMBOTIN won their respective Enduro 3 and Enduro 1 categories. Husqvarna’s Pela RENET emerged from a titanic four-rider battle as the winner of the Enduro 2 class. Beta’s Giacomo REDONDI kept his cool in the Greek heat to win the Enduro Junior class while Yamaha’s Davide SORECA was victorious in the 125 Youth Cup.
Enduro 3: Remaining unbeaten in the Enduro 3 category, Spain’s Ivan CERVANTES recorded his fifth victory of the series. Fifth at the end of lap one, the KTM rider charged his way forward to secure a comfortable 15-second margin of victory. “It’s fantastic to win again,” confirmed CERVANTES. “I didn’t have a great start to the day but soon found a faster pace and was able to take the win. I’m delighted with how the day has worked out.”
Despite topping Friday’s Super Test, France’s Mathias BELLINO (Husqvarna) found himself in sixth position at the end of lap one. Working hard to recover from his mistakes, the Frenchman rode well to place as runner-up to CERVANTES. For Australian Matt PHILLIPS, the day was one of mixed fortunes. Setting the pace early on to lead, the KTM rider crashed on the second extreme test and eventually placed third. Setting the fastest time in three of the day’s 13 special tests, Portugal’s Luis CORREIA (Beta) took fourth while France’s Jeremy JOLY (KTM) equalled his best result of the series so far with fifth.
E3 Round 3, Day 1 Results. 1. Ivan Cervantes. 2. Mathias Bellino. 3. Matthew Phillips. 4. Luis Corriea. 5. Jérémy Joly. 6. Fabien Planet. 7. Aigar Leok. 8. Deny Philippaerts. 9. Matti Seistola. 10. Antoine Basset.
Enduro 1: The Enduro 1 category again belonged to France’s Christophe NAMBOTIN (KTM). Finding the enduro test and the technical extreme test to his liking the Frenchman claimed a comfortable 38-second margin of victory. “I’m really happy to take my fifth victory of the season,” commented NAMBOTIN. “It’s been a good day for me with no big mistakes. Hopefully I can win again tomorrow.”
Behind Nambotin the fight for the final steps of the podium was fought out between France’s Jeremy TARROUX (Sherco) and Finland’s Eero REMES (TM). Bettering REMES in the final two special tests of the day, TARROUX forged ahead to secure his first runner-up result of the season. Despite holding TARROUX at bay for the majority of the day, REMES suffered some technical issues and was forced to retire in the closing stages of the race. With REMES out of contention, France’s Anthony BOISSIERE (Sherco) benefited from REMES’ misfortune to take third. Delivering a consistent performance throughout the day, KTM’s Cristobal GUERRERO (S) took fourth. Completing the top five, Spain’s Jaume BETRIU (Husqvarna) ended his day in fifth.
E1 Day 1 Results: 1. Christophe Nambotin. 2. Jeremy Tarroux. 3. Anthony Boissiere. 4. Cristobal Guerrero. 5. Jaume Betriu. 6. Thomas Oldrati. 7. Nicolas Deparrois. 8. Maurizio Micheluz. 9. Rudi Moroni. 10. Kévin Rohmer.
Enduro 2: Recording his second victory of the season, France’s Pela RENET (Husqvarna) took the Enduro 2 class win. Involved in a three-rider battle with Johnny AUBERT (F-Beta) and Alex SALVINI (I-Honda), the Husqvarna rider worked his way from third position to the front of the field. Holding off a last minute charge by Antoine MEO (F-KTM), Renet finally took the victory.
“It’s been another incredible battle for the victory,” told RENET. “First I fought with Aubert and Salvini and then on the final lap Meo attacked hard. Thankfully this time I made no mistakes and the win was mine.”
Recovering strongly from a disastrous start to his day, MEO eventually placed second. Ending lap one over 25 seconds behind the leaders due to numerous crashes, the Frenchman then settled into the race. Improving with each lap he found a way past both AUBERT and SALVINI to take the runner-up result. Enjoying his strongest performance of the series, SALVINI challenged hard for the race win.
Losing out on the final lap, he placed third. Despite leading the way for the first half of the day, a couple of mistakes from AUBERT was all it took to miss out on the race win and finish fourth. Rounding out the top five, Spain’s Oriol MENA (Beta) was fifth.
E2 Day 1 Results: 1. Pierre Alexandre Renet. 2. Antoine Meo. 3. Alex Salvini. 4. Johnny Aubert. 5. Oriol Mena. 6. Lorenzo Santolino. 7. Romain Dumontier. 8. Mirko Gritti. 9. Jamie Lewis. 10. Jonathan Barragan.
Official Race Report – Day 2: The FIM Maxxis Enduro World Championship GP Maxxis of Greece in Kalambaka was brought to a thrilling close on day two as the 2013 Enduro Junior world champion Matt Phillips claimed victory in the Enduro 3 category.
Enduro 3: Claiming his debut win in the senior rankings Australia’s Matt Phillips (KTM) topped the Enduro 3 classification at the end of day two. Determined to make amends for his misfortune on day one, the 2013 Enduro Junior world champion led from the opening special test of the day two to secure the victory.
“Today was perfect, it couldn’t have gone any better,” Phillips commented. “I pushed hard from the word go and led the whole day, it’s an awesome feeling to get my first senior win.” Phillips added.
Suffering his first defeat of the series, championship leader Ivan Cervantes (KTM) ended his day as runner-up. Recording his second visit to the podium in Greece, Husqvarna’s Mathias Bellino completed the top three.
Improving on his day one result of ninth Finland’s Matti Seistola (Sherco) finished just ten seconds behind Bellino in fourth. Delivering another consistent ride, Portugal’s Luis Correia (Beta) ended his day in fifth.
E3 Round 3, Day 2 Results: 1. Matthew Phillips. 2. Ivan Cervantes. 3. Mathias Bellino. 4. Matti Seistola. 5. Luis Correia. 6. Aigar Leok. 7. Deny Philippaerts. 8. Jérémy Joly. 9. Oscar Balletti. 10. Fabien Planet.
E3 Championship Standings After Round 3: 1. Ivan Cervantes – 117 Pts. 2. Matthew Phillips – 99 Pts. 3. Mathias Bellino – 83 Pts. 4. Matti Seistola – 77 Pts. 5. Luis Correia – 70 Pts. 6. Jérémy Joly – 58 Pts. 7. Aigar Leok – 57 Pts. 8. Antoine Basset – 43 Pts. 9. Fabien Planet – 36 Pts. 10. Deny Philippaerts – 33 Pts.
Enduro 1: It was all change in the Enduro 1 class with Finland’s Eero Remes (TM) holding off a late charge from Christophe Nambotin (KTM) to take the win. Leading from the start, Remes quickly opened up an advantage as Nambotin made numerous mistakes.
Keeping his cool on the final lap, the Finn secured a well-deserved victory. “It’s been a brilliant day for me and for TM,” Remes stated. “I’m so happy to take the win but for TM it’s their first victory in E1 so this win is even more special.”
After a slow start to his day, Nambotin, despite his best efforts, was unable to reel the TM rider back in and had to settle for second position. Battling with Remes early on, Spain’s Cristobal Guerrer (KTM) slipped back to third position as the Greek heat began to takes its toll on the riders.
Unable to repeat his runner-up result from day one, France’s Jeremy Tarroux (Sherco) finished less than six seconds behind Guerrero in fourth. Still recovering from his shoulder injury sustained at the GP of Portugal, Italy’s Thomas Oldrati (Husqvarna) rounded out the top five.
E1 Day 2 Results: 1. Eero Remes. 2. Christophe Nambotin. 3. Cristobal Guerrero. 4. Jeremy Tarroux. 5. Thomas Oldrati. 6. Anthony Boissiere. 7. Jaume Betriu. 8. Rudi Moroni. 9. Kévin Rohmer. 10. Maurizio Micheluz.
E1 Championship Standings After Round 3: 1. Christophe Nambotin – 117 Pts. 2. Cristobal Guerrero – 88 Pts. 3. Eero Remes – 80 Pts. 4. Anthony Boissiere – 78 Pts. 5. Jeremy Tarroux – 78 Pts. 6. Jaume Betriu – 62 Pts. 7. Thomas Oldrati – 40 Pts. 8. Maurizio Micheluz – 40 Pts. 9. Rudi Moroni – 40 Pts. 10. Kévin Rohmer – 37 Pts.
Enduro 2: Day two in Greece produced yet another intense battle and drama filled day in the Enduro 2 class. Taking control of the race lead at the end of lap one, Honda’s Alex Salvini looked back to his winning form following his recent injury, but a crash on lap two forced him out of the race with injury.
That opened the door for Antoine Meo (KTM) to regain the lead. Increasing his advantage on the final lap, the Frenchman secured victory. “It’s been a really tough weekend but it’s great to end it with a win,” commented Meo. “The level is really high in E2 and I made some mistakes. I had to push hard to get the win here in Greece.”
Battling with Johnny Aubert (Beta) early on, France’s Pela Renet (Husqvarna) eventually pulled clear of his French rival to secure the runner-up result. Hampered by a few mistakes midway through the day, Aubert lost touch with Renet and ended his day in third.
Equalling his best result of the series to date, former MXGP rider, Jonathan Barragan (Husqvarna) continues to adapt well to enduro and placed fourth. Spain’s Oriol Mena (Beta) completed the top five.
E2 Round 3, Day 2 Results: 1. Antoine Meo. 2. Pierre Alexandre Renet. 3. Johnny Aubert. 4. Jonathan Barragan. 5. Oriol Mena. 6. Lorenzo Santolino. 7. Manuel Monni. 8. Mirko Gritti. 9. Jamie Lewis. 10. Romain Dumontier.
E2 Championship Standings After Round 3: 1. Antoine Meo – 114 Pts. 2. Pierre Alexandre Renet – 106 Pts. 3. Johnny Aubert – 86 Pts. 4. Alex Salvini – 66 Pts. 5. Oriol Mena – 63 Pts. 6. Lorenzo Santolino – 62 Pts. 7. Jonathan Barragan – 56 Pts. 8. Jamie Lewis – 42 Pts. 9. Mirko Gritti – 36 Pts. 10. Manuel Monni – 34 Pts.
The FIM Maxxis Enduro World Championship continues with the GP of Finland on June 7/8.
– All Japan Motocross Championships – Round 3 – Hiroshima
Makoto Ogata has ended championship leader Akira Narita’s win streak when he took out the 450 class win at round three of the MFJ Motocross Championships held at Hiroshima last weekend while Gold Coast racer Takeshi Katsuya continued his dominance of the 250 class to win both motos at Hiroshima and takes a handy 19 point lead over Toshiki Tomita into the Sugo round in two weekends time.
450 Class: 1. OGATA Makoto – 1-2. 2. ATSUTA Yoshitaka – 2-3. 3. ARAI Hiroaki – 5-1. 4. NARITA Akira – 3-5. 5. MIHARA Takuya – 6-4. 6. FUKAYA Koh’ichi – 4-6. 7. HOSHINO Yui – 7-7. 8. HOSHINO Yutaka – 10-8. 9. IKEGAYA Yuta – 9-9. 10. KOJIMA Yohei – 8-10.
450 Class Championship Points: 1. NARITA Akira – 131. 2. OGATA Makoto – 119. 3. ARAI Hiroaki – 107. 4. ATSUTA Yoshitaka – 101. 5. MIHARA Takuya – 94. 6. HOSHINO Yui – 91. 7. FUKAYA Koh’ichi – 79. 8. KOJIMA Yohei. 71. 9. ITOH Masanori – 66. 10. NUMATA Seiji – 59.
250 Class: 1. KATSUYA Takeshi – 1-1. 2. TOMITA Toshiki – 4-2. 3. NOHTSUKA Chihiro – 3-3. 4. OKANO Takashi – 2-5. 5. TAKENAKA Jun’ya – 9-4. 6. YASUHARA Nozomu – 6-9. 7. UEDA Kouhei – 8-8. 8. SANTANA Lucas Kenji – 11-6. 9. WATANABE Yusuke – 7-11. 10. UEDA Shota – 15-7.
250 Class Championship Points: 1. KATSUYA Takeshi – 143. 2. TOMITA Toshiki – 124. 3. TAKENAKA Jun’ya – 103. 4. NOHTSUKA Chihiro – 100. 5. OKANO Takashi – 98. 6. TANAKA Masami – 75. 7. YASUHARA Nozomu – 72. 8. INOUE Shin’ichi – 66. 9. OHTSUKA Gota – 62. 10. OGAWA Kouhei – 56.
Moto Wrap for the weekend of May 17/18 includes:
– Round 4 of the Australian MX Nationals at Murray Bridge, SA
– Round 4 of the British Motocross Championships at Canada Heights, Swanley, Kent
– Round 3 of FIM Speedway Grand Prix at Tampere, Finland
– Round 4 of the Dutch Motocross Championships at Harfsen
– Round 2 of the French Motocross Championships at Pernes les Fontaines
Moto Wrap for the weekend of May 24/25 includes:
– Round 8 of the World Motocross Championships at Matterley Basin, Great Britain
– Round 7 of the GNCC in Masontown, West Virginia
– Round 5 of the Australian MX Nationals at Wanneroo, WA
– Round 1 of the AMA Motocross Championships at Glen Helen, San Bernardino, Calif.
Moto Wrap for the weekend of May 31/Jun 1 includes:
– Round 9 of the World Motocross Championships at St Jean d’Angely, France
– Round 5 of the Dutch Motocross Championships at Rhenen
– Round 4of the FIM Speedway Grand Prix at Prague, Czech Republic
– Round 4 of the UK MX Nationals at Pontrilas
– Round 3 of the Belgian Motocross Championships at Kester
– Round 2 of the AMA Motocross Championships at Hangtown, Sacramento, Calif.
– Round 1 of the CMRC Canadian Motocross Championships at Nanaimo
– 2014 Manjimup 15,000 at the Cosy Creek Circuit, WA
Moto Wrap for the weekend of Jun 8/9 includes:
– Round 8 of the GNCC (John Penton) at Millfield, OH
– Round 6 of the Dutch Motocross Championships at Oldebroek
– Round 4 of the World Enduro Championships at Heinola, Finland
– Round 4 of the All Japan Motocross Championships at Sugo
– Round 3 of the French Motocross Championships at Gaillac Toulza
– Round 3 of the AMA Motocross Championships at Thunder Valley, Lakewood, Colo.
– Round 2 of the CMRC Canadian Motocross Championships at Kamloops
– Round 2 of the AMA Endurocross Championships at Austin, Texas
– X-Games from Junes 5 to 8 at Austin, Texas
– 2014 Tatts Finke Desert Race
