Smarty’s Moto Wrap for May 6, 2014
Defending AORC champion and 2014 point leader Daniel Milner missed the Hedley round of the Australian Off Road Championship after injuring his ankle in a training incident “I came up a bit short on a double jump I have at my house and instantly I felt some pain in my ankle,” Milner explained. “I tried to ride it out thinking it was just a good hit, but the swelling was pretty big when I finished training so I went and got it X-rayed and it confirmed there was a crack in my ankle.” Toby Price made the most of Milner’s misfortune to dominate Hedley, see full report and results below.
After a month in a Townsville hospital following a horrific car crash, Joel Dinsdale is now back at his home in Mackay and starting the long road back to full health.
Likewise, Broc Tickle is on the road to recovery after breaking his back earlier in the AMA Supercross Championship ans is looking to hopefully make a return to racing before the end of the AMA Motocross Championships.
After a career best second place behind Ryan Villopoto at the Easte Rutherford 450 main event, Eli Tomac crashed and broke his colar bone while practicing in the lead up to Las Vegas and is now looking for the best way forward in the hope of making the start line at the opeining round of the AMA Motocross Championship on May 24.
Speaking of broken colarbones, Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Gautier Paulin has reportedly suffered a broken right collarbone and left thumb thanks to a spectacular ctash during the second moto at Valkenswaard. Paulin had earlier in the day won the opening moto.
On the international front we had Jackson Richardson and Taylor Potter competing at the final round of the AMA Supercross Championship at Las Vegas in the 250SX East Coast series while Meghan Rutledge and Luke Styke were competing in the World Motocross Championships in Holland.
Richardson clocked the seventh fastest time in qualifying then backed that up with a sensational come from behind ride in the main event that unfortunately went un-noticed by the comentators.
Jackson crashed in the first corner of the 15 lap main event and completed the first lap in 22nd place out of 22 starters but as the laps clicked by Richardson passed rider after rider to finish with a sensational ninth place at the checker flag.
That finish qualified Richardson for the East/West Shootout and again the young Queenslander was involved in a first corner incident that had him coming from the back of the pack and in such a telented field was still able to claw his way up to 13th place.
Likewise, Potter had his best round to date after qualifying 15th the privateer backed that up with a 17th place finish in the main event.
Ruteledge won the third round of the World WMX Championships with a pair of second places and now sits just a few points from the championship lead while our lone World MX2 contender Luke Styke went 17-18 for 19th overall on the day and now sits 18th overall in the championships.
Former MX Nationals competitor Brad Anderson has taken outthe MX1 class ahead of Kristian Whatley and Nathan Watson at round three of the UK MX Nationals held at Skelder Bank Circuit, Whitby last weekend.
Steven Lenoir won the MX2 class at Whitby ahead of Bryan MacKenzie and Lewis Trickett. As of Tuesday morning the official web site for this series still had no race report or official results so I had to scour MyLaps just to get this info to you. Hmmmm.
Kirk Gibbs and Luke Arbon have won the MX1 and MX2 classes respectively at the opening round of the South Australian Moocross Championships held at Gillman last weekend while Ben Townley snuck out to Taupo last Sunday for the opening round of the Winter Series and took a couple of moto wins for his troubles.
Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Ryan Villopoto will be unable to defend his 2013 AMA Pro Motocross Championship title after opting to get knee surgery to fix a lingering injury. Villopoto battled with the knee issue throughout the Monster Energy Supercross season, and after consulting his medical team, it was decided he will undergo surgery on his knee as soon as possible. Monster Energy Kawasaki has signed the 2013 Canadian Monster Energy Motocross Nationals Champion Brett Metcalfe to join Jake Weimer for the 2014 AMA Pro Motocross season.
“This is definitely not the news I wanted to hear from the doctors,” said Villopoto. “We have worked hard to be in position to win championships for Monster Energy Kawasaki and to not be able to race this summer is very disappointing. Going from a really great feeling after winning a fourth straight supercross title, to knowing I am going to spend the summer rehabbing a knee injury is devastating.”
“Obviously this is a big blow for the Monster Energy Kawasaki team,” said Kawasaki Senior Manager of Racing Reid Nordin. “Even with the injury Ryan has shown he is the top rider in our sport, but we are listening to his medical team to make sure he gets his knee fixed properly and he can compete for championships in 2015.”
Villopoto is coming off of a dominant Monster Energy Supercross season where the Poulsbo, Wash. native joined “The King of Supercross” Jeremy McGrath as only the second rider to ever win four consecutive supercross championships.
Moto Wrap for the weekend of May 3/4 includes:
– Round 17 of the AMA Supercross in Las Vegas
– Rounds 5 and 6 of the AORC at Hedley, VIC
– Round 6 of the World Motocross Championships at Valkenswaard, Netherlands
– Round 3 of the British Sprint Enduro Championship held in Mid Wales
– Round 1 of the 2014 GEICO AMA EnduroCross Championships held in Las Vegas
AMA Supercross – Round 17 – Las Vegas
450SX: In the 450SX Class Main Event, Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Jake Weimer won the first Nuclear Cowboyz® Holeshot Award of his season but was quickly passed by Villopoto on the opening lap. Red Bull KTM’s Ryan Dungey passed Weimer on Lap 2, and his teammate Ken Roczen took over third place the following lap.
Villopoto’s lead was nearly 9 seconds by Lap 15, and he finished the race with a 13.9 second margin of victory. Dungey finished second and Roczen finished third. Roczen passed James Stewart for third place in season standings.
“It is a long season, and it is hard, but I have good people behind me that give it 100 percent,” said Villopoto. “Something started to click for me about halfway through the season, and I am excited to have another championship.”
Villopoto clinched his fourth consecutive Monster Energy Supercross Championship last weekend at the first-ever race held at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., and tonight’s win marked the 41st of his career.
450SX Main Event: 1. Ryan Villopoto Kaw. 2. Ryan Dungey KTM. 3. Ken Roczen KTM. 4. Justin Barcia Hon. 5. Trey Canard Hon. 6. Jake Weimer Kaw. 7. Josh Hill Suz. 8. Josh Grant Yam. 9. Chris Blose Hon. 10. Andrew Short KTM. 11. Kyle Chisholm Yam. 12. Ben Lamay Yam. 13. Jimmy Albertson Hon. 14. Nick Schmidt Hon. 15. Cody Gilmore Kaw. 16. Kyle Regal Hon. 17. Mike Alessi Suz. 18. Ronnie Stewart Suz. 19. Bracken Hall Hon. 20. Weston Peick Suz. 21. Tyler Bowers Kaw. 22. James Stewart Suz.
450SX Final Point Standings: 1. Ryan Villopoto 368pts Kaw. 2. Ryan Dungey 304pts KTM. 3. Ken Roczen 285pts KTM. 4. James Stewart 272pts Suz. 5. Justin Barcia 250pts Hon. 6. Andrew Short 218pts KTM. 7. Justin Brayton 196pts Yam. 8. Josh Hill 159pts Suz. 9. Broc Tickle 126pts Suz. 10. Mike Alessi 123pts Suz. 11. Wil Hahn 122pts Hon. 12. Weston Peick 120pts Suz. 13. Eli Tomac 115pts Hon. 14. Chad Reed 111pts Hon. 15. Nick Wey 102pts Kaw. 16. Josh Grant 98pts Yam. 17. Chris Blose 78pts Hon. 18. Trey Canard 77pts Hon. 19. Matt Goerke 75pts KTM. 20. Jake Weimer 73pts Kaw. 30. Matt Moss 28pts Suz
Western Regional 250SX: Yamaha/Star Racing/Yamalube’s Cooper Webb jumped out to the early lead with the Nuclear Cowboyz Holeshot Award to begin the Western Regional 250SX Class season finale. Anderson started near the middle of the pack, crossing the finish line in ninth place at the end of Lap 1.
Wilson held down the number-two position until the end of Lap 7 when he passed Webb for the lead. Webb answered back the following lap to take over the lead. Wilson returned the favor on Lap 9 and rode to his second victory of the season.
Webb followed in second place and Wilson’s teammate Justin Hill, who had four top-three finishes this season, rounded out the podium in third place. Anderson finished in sixth place, enough to award him the first championship of his career.
“Everyone that lines up on the starting line gives everything they have to this sport, and to come out on top with the championship means a lot to me,” said Anderson. “This win is for all of my supporters – my team and family. It has not been an easy ride to the top, but we got it done.”
250SX West Region Main Event: 1. Dean Wilson Kaw. 2. Copper Webb Yam. 3. Justin Hill Kaw. 4. Cole Seely Hon. 5. Malcolm Stewart Hon. 6. Jason Anderson KTM. 7. Zach Osborne Hon. 8. Shane McElrath Hon. 9. Jessy Nelson Hon. 10. Jake Canada Hon. 11. Michael Leib Hon. 12. Scott Champion Yam. 13. Zack Freeberg Yam. 14. Dakota Tedder Kaw. 15. Preston Mull Yam. 16. Chad Gores Hon. 17. Blake Lilly KTM. 18. Chris Howell Yam. 19. Ruben Alanis KTM. 20. Colton Aeck Hon. 21. Aaron Siminoe Kaw. 22. Ross Johnson Hon.
250SX West Region Final Point Standings: 1. Jason Anderson 193pts KTM. 2. Cole Seely 188pts Hon. 3. Dean Wilson 163pts Kaw. 4. Justin Hill 159pts Kaw. 5. Cooper Webb 143pts Yam. 6. Malcolm Stewart 137pts Hon. 7. Jessy Nelson 115pts Hon. 8. Zach Osborne 114pts Hon. 9. Shane McElrath 109pts Hon. 10. Jake Canada 83pts Hon. 11. Michael Leib 79pts Hon. 12. Dakota Tedder 75pts Kaw. 13. Scott Champion 70pts Yam. 14. Dean Ferris 63pts KTM. 15. Preston Mull 35pts Yam. 16. Zack Freeberg 32pts Yam. 17. Valentin Teillet 28pts Kaw. 18. Topher Ingalls 25pts Hon. 19. Cole Martinez 24pts Kaw. 20. Chris Howell 23pts Yam.
Eastern Regional 250SX: En route to the championship, Bogle opened the Eastern Regional 250SX Class Main Event with the Nuclear Cowboyz Holeshot Award, and Jeremy Martin and GEICO Honda’s Matt Bisceglia followed Bogle in second and third respectively.
On Lap 5, Webb moved around Bogle to take over the lead and eventual win, while Bogle crossed the finish line in second place. Bisceglia earned a career-best third place finish.
Martin had this to say of his win. “It was a good night. All day was good! I was fastest in practice and I was able to bring it to the main event and get my first ever win. And it happened in Vegas, so that’s pretty cool. In the first couple laps I kind of settled in behind Justin Bogle and I just decided to let the race come to me. I knew where I was faster than he was, and I was able to triple into a section and get in front of him. He tried to get back around in the sweeper so I just held it on a little longer to make sure he couldn’t. From there I was able to ride my own race and pull away.”
“I am definitely excited about this championship,” said Bogle. “I am going to celebrate this win tonight and get back to work tomorrow.”
250SX East Region Main Event: 1. Jeremy Martin Yam. 2. Justin Bogle Hon. 3. Matt Bisceglia Hon. 4. Kyle Cunningham Hon. 5. Jimmy Decotis Hon. 6. Mitchell Oldenburg Hon. 7. Alex Martin Yam. 8. Gannon Audette Kaw. 9. Jackson Richardson Hon. 10. Vince Friese Hon. 11. Landen Powell KTM. 12. AJ Catanzaro Hon. 13. Levi Kilbarger Hon. 14. Zack Williams Hon. 15. Jacob Baumert Kaw. 16. Justin Starling Hon. 17. Taylor Potter Hon. 18. Bryce Stewart Yam. 19. John Pauk Hon. 20. Kyle Bitterman Hon. 21. Matt Lemoine Kaw. 22. Nick Desiderio Hon.
250SX East Region Final Point Standings: 1. Justin Bogle 188pts Hon. 2. Martin Davalos 149pts Kaw. 3. Vince Friese 131pts Hon. 4. Kyle Cunningham 127pts Hon. 5. Adam Cianciarulo 120pts Kaw. 6. Blake Baggett 120pts Kaw. 7. Jimmy Decotis 106pts Hon. 8. Alex Martin 100pts Yam. 9. Matt Bisceglia 98pts Hon. 10. Jeremy Martin 96pts Yam. 11. Matt Lemoine 91pts Kaw. 12. Cole Thompson 89pts KTM. 13. AJ Catanzaro 76pts Hon. 14. Mitchell Oldenburg 71pts Hon. 15. Jackson Richardson 59pts Hon. 16. Blake Wharton 51pts Hon. 17. Gannon Audette 48pts Kaw. 18. Kyle Peters 40pts Hon. 19. Levi Kilbarger 35pts Hon. 20. Jesse Wentland 34pts Hon. 26. Taylor Potter 26pts Hon
Dave Coombs Sr. East/West Shootout: In the Dave Coombs Sr. East/West Shootout, Hill led the field through the Nuclear Cowboyz Holeshot with Bisceglia in tow. Wilson moved through the pack on the opening lap, passing Bisceglia for second place before the finish line.
Troy Lee Designs/Honda’s Malcolm Stewart assumed the number-three spot on Lap 3 but crashed out of the race the following lap. Hill held on for the win, and Wilson and Anderson finished second and third respectively.
Dave Coombs Sr. East/West Shootout: 1. Justin Hill Kaw. 2. Dean Wilson Kaw. 3. Jason Anderson KTM. 4. Copper Webb Yam. 5. Jeremy Martin Yam. 6. Cole Seely Hon. 7. Jake Canada Hon. 8. Kyle Cunningham Hon. 9. Shane McElrath Hon. 10. Jessy Nelson Hon. 11. Michael Leib Hon.12. Matt Bisceglia Hon. 13. Jackson Richardson Hon. 14. Alex Martin Yam. 15. Mitchell Oldenburg Hon. 16. Landen Powell KTM. 17. Justin Bogle Hon. 18. Gannon Audette Kaw. 19. Jimmy Decotis Hon. 20. Malcolm Stewart Hon. 21. Matt Lemoine Kaw. 22. Zach Osborne Hon.
AORC – Rounds 5 and 6 – Hedley, VIC
Official Report: It was a strange sight to see the Hedley track dry at Corner Inlet over Rounds 5 & 6 of the AORC this weekend and it made for some great racing, check out a wrap-up of the weekends action below…
DAY 1: The Yamaha Australian Off-Road Championship (AORC) introduced the Cross Country format for the first time this year in Round 5 at Corner Inlet.
The racers experienced true endurance riding in the notoriously grueling Hedley course and provided exciting viewing on a day with uncharacteristic sunshine.
With the absence of championship leader, CDR Yamaha’s Daniel Milner, Toby Price (Motorex KTM) took the opportunity to claim his second outright and E2 win of the season.
Price, 26, guided his KTM 450 EXC to win comfortably from Active8 Yamalube Yamaha’s young gun, Josh Green by 15.255 seconds.
“The day went really well” said Price who got off to a great start in the nine lap XC. “I got in to a bit of a groove and slowly moved my way to the front, three hours today was pretty tough but, the track got really beat up, we got a win, we’re tied on points in the championship which we are stoked about but It’s bummer but with Daniel [Milner] being out.”
Green, who won round five at Corner Inlet last year, admitted that today was tough as he had a bad start after miss-kicking the start. “Yeah I just miss kicked it at the start which was my bad” explained Green who also suffered a minor arm injury during the race. “I struggled for the first few laps with just trying to get past people. Once I got clear of that, I just rode my own race and pushed through to the end.
“I was actually hoping for more laps, another two laps would have been nice.” The fastest lap of the race went to Green who posted a 20 minute 21.132 seconds on the ninth and final lap.
Third place overall and winner of the E3 class Glenn Kearney (Husqvarna Enduro Racing) was among many riders to say the track was tough work.
“I thought it would have been easy to get on top and get going” Said Kearney after the race. “I didn’t have the fitness to ride like that for three hours. I found I was really tight, I just couldn’t get a flow going, I never really felt good, I just thought I would ride steady all day and see how it would pan out.” Kearney is looking forward to tomorrows sprint format as he can push hard to make up for lost ground.
Fourth place went to CDR-Yamaha rider Chris Hollis and rounding out the top five was Green’s Active8 teammate Stefan Granqvist.
Victorian Daniel ‘Chucky’ Sanders (KTM) had arguably one of the best rides of the day and finished sixth overall and first in the Transmoto 19 & Under class with a total time of three hours 12 minutes and 47.940 seconds.
Sanders was happy enough with the result, but after having to pit twice for fuel he felt that did cost him track position.
21-year old Jess Gardiner (Balllards Motorex Off Road Team Sherco) was in a class of her own in the Women’s championship.
Gardiner didn’t get the best of starts, she was third in the first few corners. “It was really good fun out there today” said Gardiner who now has three round wins on the trot in 2014. “It was hard getting past the boys out there after starting on the last row in the women’s class, It made it interesting. Tayla [Jones] (KTM) got the hole shot and then she started pulling away from me which I started freaking out about.”
This championship is sure to be a hard fought battle right to the end between Gardiner, Jones, and Jemma Wilson (Yamaha). “The girls have really stepped it up a notch” explained the New South Wales rider. “It sure will be a long season, but a very interesting one that’s for sure!”
Second to Gardiner was Jones with Emelie Karlsson rounding out the podium.
Other class winners included, Geoff Ballard in the Masters with David Flemming in second and Mike Shearer in third.
Will Ruprecht was the victor in the J4 class, 12.204sec clear of Seth Muller. Ben Kearns won the J3 class, while Joshua Brierly was the winner in the J2 class.
Going into tomorrow’s Round six sees Price and Kearney topping the championship on 94-points. Two points behind the pair is Green on 92. Daniel Milner who is out till round seven in South Australia sits in fourth on 85-points with Hollis rounding out the top five on 79.
DAY 2: The Yamaha Australian Off-Road Championship (AORC) saw a pack of weary riders switch from the XC yesterday format to the sprints today at Hedley.
Toby Price (Motorex KTM) was again in fine form, snaring the round six win. It was a master class ride by Price who took the win with a total time of 57minutes 08.374 seconds and was once again the overall victor in the E2 class.
After winning all five heats, bar the last which was taken out by CDR-Yamaha’s Chris Hollis, the three times AORC champion now leads the outright championship on 119-points. “A great weekend all in all” beamed Price after the race. “The KTM 450 EXC was working awesome all day today, I had no problems at all this weekend, so I can’t complain at all!”
“I can’t thank the whole team enough for a great job they have done all weekend, massive credit to them” added Price who will now turn his attention toward the Finke desert race which kicks off 7 June
Active8 Yamaha Yamalube rider Josh Green was second once again to Price and stared strong but had a few falls towards the end of the day.
Green ended up 1 minute 01.058 seconds down on Price and admitted to having a pretty tough weekend. “I’m happy enough with my result, but I want to win” said Green. “I’m just finally starting to get to 100% fitness now, so I find every round I get stronger and fitter and faster so I’m really looking forward to the last second half of the championship to have a crack at this title.” added Green.
Glenn Kearney climbed on to the final podium spot for Husqvarna recording a total time of 58 minutes 46.747 seconds, Kearney was once again the winner of the E3 class beating JBR Husaberg’s Jarrod Bewley who was sixth overall. Kearney and Green are now locked up in second overall with 114-points each
The first Victorian rider home was yet again Daniel Sanders on his KTM. Sanders prevailed after a mechanical problem in the first heat which forced the youngster to ride his practice bike. “I’m stoked to finish in fourth place as it’s my best finish to date.
“I’ll keep chipping away with it and hopefully get up there in the top three.” Sanders did admit he needs to get on the bike a bit more to get his fitness up as he cramped up a bit.
Rounding out the top five was Chris Hollis who had a few falls in the first few tests but made up for lost time as the day went on. “I lost too much time this morning” explained Hollis. “It took me a while to adapt to the pace in the sand. I don’t have anything like this at home, so it’s something I definitely have to work on for next time.”
After a DNF in round five due to mechanical gremlins, Bewley wrapped up sixth from Lachlan Stanford (Husqvarna Racing Team) in seventh. Active8 Yamaha Yamalube’s Beau Ralston was eighth.
Price’s Motorex KTM teammate Peter Boyle was ninth and the winner of the E1 class with another Active8 Yamaha Yamalube pilot in Stefan Granqvist who rounded out the top ten.
Jess Gardiner recorded her fourth consecutive victory with a faultless ride to take out the Women’s class. The Balllard’s Motorex Off Road Team rider proved to be in a league her own as she beat Emelie Karlsson aboard her Yamaha and Tayla Jones mounted on her KTM. 25-year old Jemma Wilson was fourth again with Sophie Coldicutt rounding out the top five.
Other class winners included Kirk Hutton in the Vets. David Flemming took out the Masters from Geoff Ballard and Trent Lean. The J2 Class was taken out by Joshua Brierley. J3 was won by Ben Kearns while Lyndon Snodgrass took out the J4.
Rounds 7 & 8 will be on 21-22 June at Coonawarra in South Australia, the return of reigning champion Daniel Milner will certainly make for some interesting racing.
2014 Yamaha Australian Off-Road Championship Outright Points after 6 of 12 Rounds: 1 Toby Price 119, 2 Josh Green 114, 3 Glenn Kearney 114, 4 Chris Hollis 95, 5 Lachlan Stanford 90, 6 Daniel Milner 85, 7 Daniel Sanders 82, 8 Jarrod Bewley 74, 9 Tom McCormack 71, 10 Stefan Granqvist 66, 12 Scott Keegan 58.
World Motocross Championships – Round 6 – Valkenswaard, Netherlands
Gorgeous bright blue skies and sunshine welcomed MXGP of The Netherlands today with open arms. While there was a chill in the air with a crisp winter breeze taking the edge off of the direct sunlight, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s pair of reigning FIM Motocross World Champions Antonio Cairoli and Jeffrey Herlings rewarmed the atmosphere with their impressive performances in both races to dominate round six of the FIM Motocross World Championship.
Official MXGP Race Report: Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Antonio Cairoli continues to prove why he is the seven-time FIM Motocross World Champion. After breaking his front wheel early in race one the Italian continued to fight to the finish and remarkably managed to salvage third. In race two, the champ took his second Fox Holeshot of the day and went on to lead every lap unchallenged to stand on top of the box here in Valkenswaard for the fifth year in succession.
Fast becoming an MXGP podium fixture, Yamaha Factory Racing’s Jeremy Van Horebeek put in a couple more solid performances to land himself on the second step of the podium for the second time this year. “I was feeling good all weekend out there. I got good starts and I just rode my own race, I could have gone faster but then I would have made too many mistakes, like I tried to push and make up some time on Kevin (Strijbos) in the last race, but then I made a big mistake so at that point I knew I was second on the podium today, so I just let him go.”
Meanwhile raising the second Belgian flag on the podium of MXGP, Rockstar Energy Suzuki World’s Kevin Strijbos managed to turn up the heat in the second race to put a super sweet pass on his countryman Van Horebeek for second. With a fifth in race one and a second in race two Strijbos rounded out the top three. “I didn’t feel good in the first race, I made some changes to my set up and then I felt better in race two. I am just really happy to be on the podium today,” Strijbos concluded.
Rockstar Energy Suzuki World’s duo of Clement Desalle and Kevin Strijbos are stuck together like magnets this season. While Strijbos took home his second podium result this year, his teammate Clement Desalle rode two smart races for a trio of fourths (4-4, for fourth overall).
Another rider to verify that Belgian’s (like the Dutch) are great sand riders, J-Race Racing’s Joel Roelants rode like a man on fire in race two to pass Monster Energy Kawasaki Racing Team’s Steven Frossard for fifth with two laps to go. After finally banking a top five score, Roelants, who was eighth in race one, managed come home as the fourth Belgian inside the top five with fifth overall.
Race one winner Monster Energy Kawasaki Racing Team’s Gautier Paulin had a gnarly crash on the opening lap of race two which has left him with a suspected broken collarbone. Meanwhile two MXGP fan favorites made their awaited returns this weekend, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Ken De Dycker and CLS Kawasaki Monster Energy’s Tommy Searle. Both riders’ comebacks seemed a little pre-mature, but plaudits must be given to De Dycker for gritting his teeth and finishing the first race and half of the second race purely for the racing experience. Meanwhile Searle, at the last minute, opted out of a ‘pre-mature’ return withdrawing from both races after warm-up this morning.
On the note of injuries, the team at MXGP would like to wish a full and fast recovery to Team HRC’s Max Nagl, Red Bull IceOne Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Todd Waters and Rockstar Energy Suzuki Europe’s Glenn Coldenhoff who were all injured while training in the two-week break between MXGP’s round five in Bulgaria and today’s round six here in Valkenswaard.
MXGP Race 1: 1. Gautier Paulin (FRA, Kawasaki), 34:53.781; 2. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, Yamaha), +0:09.759; 3. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), +0:18.371; 4. Clement Desalle (BEL, Suzuki), +0:30.792; 5. Evgeny Bobryshev (RUS, Honda), +0:32.695; 6. Kevin Strijbos (BEL, Suzuki), +0:46.964; 7. Tyla Rattray (RSA, Husqvarna), +0:48.846; 8. Joel Roelants (BEL, Honda), +0:50.977; 9. Marc de Reuver (NED, Honda), +1:16.555; 10. Steven Frossard (FRA, Kawasaki), +1:17.789
MXGP Race 2: 1. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 35:21.488; 2. Kevin Strijbos (BEL, Suzuki), +0:10.683; 3. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, Yamaha), +0:20.504; 4. Clement Desalle (BEL, Suzuki), +0:29.708; 5. Joel Roelants (BEL, Honda), +0:39.061; 6. Steven Frossard (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:40.778; 7. Tyla Rattray (RSA, Husqvarna), +0:43.793; 8. Shaun Simpson (GBR, KTM), +0:48.536; 9. Xavier Boog (FRA, Honda), +1:13.651; 10. Matiss Karro (LAT, KTM), +1:16.979
MXGP Overall: 1. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 45 points; 2. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, YAM), 42 p.; 3. Kevin Strijbos (BEL, SUZ), 37 p.; 4. Clement Desalle (BEL, SUZ), 36 p.; 5. Joel Roelants (BEL, HON), 29 p.; 6. Tyla Rattray (RSA, HUS), 28 p.; 7. Steven Frossard (FRA, KAW), 26 p.; 8. Gautier Paulin (FRA, KAW), 25 p.; 9. Tanel Leok (EST, TM), 20 p.; 10. Evgeny Bobryshev (RUS, HON), 19 p.
MXGP World Championship Classification Top Ten: 1. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 267 points; 2. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, YAM), 236 p.; 3. Clement Desalle (BEL, SUZ), 230 p.; 4. Gautier Paulin (FRA, KAW), 205 p.; 5. Kevin Strijbos (BEL, SUZ), 182 p.; 6. Maximilian Nagl (GER, HON), 166 p.; 7. Evgeny Bobryshev (RUS, HON), 114 p.; 8. Shaun Simpson (GBR, KTM), 113 p.; 9. Joel Roelants (BEL, HON), 112 p.; 10. Xavier Boog (FRA, HON), 108 p.
Official MX2 Race Report: It may come as no surprise to the majority, Red Bull KTM Factory Racings Jeffrey Herlings was right in his element here on a track so close to home he even went as far to say “this track here in Valkenswaard is like my back garden.” After winning both races with ease, ‘The Bullet’ wrapped up his fifth Grand Prix win of the year and took back the coveted MX2 red plate.
One rider to stand out with two very impressive performances at the front of the pack, Wilvo Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Romain Febvre put all those laps around his team’s home circuit of Lommel to good use. Looking very comfortable in the sand, Febvre rode in second for 99% of both races only to make a small fault with less than 100m to go, not once but twice. Despite the costly errors, Febvre kept the bike on two wheels on both occasions to come home with a bitter yet sweet pair of thirds for second overall and his best finish of the year.
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Jordi Tixier was looking in great shape in race one when he wasted no time in slicing through the pack to take over third. Once in third, the determined young Frenchman rode a relentless race, chasing down and passing fellow Frenchman Febvre with one turn to go to take second place. Unfortunately in race two, Tixier got off to a great start but fell under the pressure of his race one nemesis Febvre. After failing to re-group, the best he could do was fifth, which was enough for third overall and his second consecutive podium finish this season.
Another impressive performance is in the bag for Standing Construct KTM’s Swiss sensation Valentin Guillod. Guillod was riding an incredible pace in race one, but unfortunately a bad start ruined what could have been a podium finish this weekend. Nonetheless, the MX2 rookie should be happy with his performance, taking a fourth and a seventh for fourth overall.
Coming into MX2’s Grand Prix of The Netherlands, CLS Kawasaki Monster Energy Arnaud Tonus, who was carrying the red plate up until now, was realistic in saying he didn’t really expect to beat Jeffrey Herlings in the sand but definitely felt he was more than capable of two times second. Despite a disappointing race one which saw him lay his bike down a couple of times and only bounce back for twelfth, the stylish Swiss redeemed himself in race two with a spectacular pass on his teammate Dylan Ferrandis and Wilvo Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Romain Febvre on the last lap for second in race two and fifth overall.
MX2 Race 1: 1. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 34:15.867; 2. Jordi Tixier (FRA, KTM), +1:07.713; 3. Romain Febvre (FRA, Husqvarna), +1:09.289; 4. Valentin Guillod (SUI, KTM), +1:22.228; 5. Aleksandr Tonkov (RUS, Husqvarna), +1:29.254; 6. Max Anstie (GBR, Yamaha), +1:30.486; 7. Julien Lieber (BEL, Suzuki), +1:39.265; 8. Dylan Ferrandis (FRA, Kawasaki), +1:43.269; 9. Tim Gajser (SLO, Honda), +1:46.792; 10. Jose Butron (ESP, KTM), +1:48.963; 17. Luke Styke.
MX2 Race 2: 1. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 34:41.469; 2. Arnaud Tonus (SUI, Kawasaki), +0:45.837; 3. Romain Febvre (FRA, Husqvarna), +0:46.825; 4. Dylan Ferrandis (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:47.909; 5. Jordi Tixier (FRA, KTM), +1:08.651; 6. Jose Butron (ESP, KTM), +1:12.233; 7. Valentin Guillod (SUI, KTM), +1:12.785; 8. Aleksandr Tonkov (RUS, Husqvarna), +1:15.787; 9. Tim Gajser (SLO, Honda), +1:22.671; 10. Julien Lieber (BEL, Suzuki), +1:28.894; 17. Luke Styke.
MX2 Overall: 1. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 50 points; 2. Romain Febvre (FRA, HUS), 40 p.; 3. Jordi Tixier (FRA, KTM), 38 p.; 4. Valentin Guillod (SUI, KTM), 32 p.; 5. Arnaud Tonus (SUI, KAW), 31 p.; 6. Dylan Ferrandis (FRA, KAW), 31 p.; 7. Aleksandr Tonkov (RUS, HUS), 29 p.; 8. Jose Butron (ESP, KTM), 26 p.; 9. Julien Lieber (BEL, SUZ), 25 p.; 10. Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 24 p. 19. Luke Styke 7 p.
MX2 World Championship Classification: 1. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 244 points; 2. Arnaud Tonus (SUI, KAW), 229 p.; 3. Romain Febvre (FRA, HUS), 198 p.; 4. Dylan Ferrandis (FRA, KAW), 185 p.; 5. Jordi Tixier (FRA, KTM), 185 p.; 6. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, SUZ), 176 p.; 7. Aleksandr Tonkov (RUS, HUS), 159 p.; 8. Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 145 p.; 9. Valentin Guillod (SUI, KTM), 139 p.; 10. Jose Butron (ESP, KTM), 131 p. 18. Luke Styke 45 p.
Official EMX125 Race Report: With a full gate of screaming two-strokes, the gates dropped for race two and the ‘play-to-win’ mentality set in. After Rockstar Energy Suzuki Europe’s Brian Hsu went down hard on the start straight, only a few turns later there was even more carnage when at least six riders went down in a pile. One of which was yesterday’s runner up, Diga Racing’s Tomass Sileika who managed to dust himself off but was so far back, he couldn’t salvage a top twenty finish.
Before the end of lap one, yesterday’s race one winner and The Netherlands’ latest sensation Red Bull KTM Racing’s Davy Pootjes was in the lead, checking out for his third consecutive round win this season.
After bringing home third place yesterday, SV Racing MX Team Russia’s Ivan Baranov was hauling in a comfortable second. With space before as well as behind him, the Russian looked to have sealed a comfortable second for second overall for the EMX125 round of The Netherlands, until disaster struck and the youngster hit a huge kicker which threw him over the bars with two laps to go.
Meanwhile Mafi Yamaha’s Alvin Ostlund had been pushing his way forward since the start of the race with HSF Logistics Motorsport Team’s Max Engelen in his wake. Although at one point the duo was fifteen seconds back on Baranov, due to his misfortune both Ostlund and Engelen could come home in second and third respectively.
Rounding out the top five, KTM Junior Academy Finland’s Miro Sihvonen put in a stellar ride to come from all the way outside of the top fifteen to take fourth ahead of De Carli KTM’s Joakin Furbetta.
After the results of race two, Red Bull KTM Racing’s Davy Pootjes made his EMX125 season so far a hat-trick taking his third consecutive overall win this season. Standing on the second step of the podium Mafi Yamaha’s Alvin Ostlund rode solid all weekend with a second and a fourth place result, while HSF Logistics Motorsport Team’s Max Engelen rounded out the top three. Kemea Yamaha Racing’s Cyril Genot wound up fourth thanks to his sixth and eighth place finishes with TMX Competitions Dan Houzet taking home fifth.
EMX125 Race 1: 1. Davy Pootjes (NED, KTM), 29:29.983; 2. Tomass Sileika (LAT, KTM), +0:15.531; 3. Ivan Baranov (RUS, KTM), +0:18.421; 4. Alvin Ostlund (SWE, Yamaha), +0:25.435; 5. David Herbreteau (FRA, Yamaha), +0:28.627; 6. Cyril Genot (BEL, Yamaha), +0:29.884; 7. Brian Hsu (GER, Suzuki), +0:33.542; 8. Max Engelen (NED, KTM), +0:36.908; 9. Glen Meier (DEN, KTM), +0:46.804; 10. Dan Houzet (FRA, KTM), +0:51.873
EMX125 Race 2: 1. Davy Pootjes (NED, KTM), 30:55.233; 2. Alvin Ostlund (SWE, Yamaha), +0:23.417; 3. Max Engelen (NED, KTM), +0:36.884; 4. Miro Sihvonen (FIN, KTM), +0:45.775; 5. Joakin Furbetta (ITA, KTM), +0:53.130; 6. William Andersson (SWE, KTM), +0:55.863; 7. Dan Houzet (FRA, KTM), +1:01.119; 8. Cyril Genot (BEL, Yamaha), +1:08.862; 9. Thomas Marini (SMR, KTM), +1:16.719; 10. Anthony Bourdon (FRA, KTM), +1:20.361
EMX125 Overall: 1. Davy Pootjes (NED, KTM), 50 points; 2. Alvin Ostlund (SWE, YAM), 40 p.; 3. Max Engelen (NED, KTM), 33 p.; 4. Cyril Genot (BEL, YAM), 28 p.; 5. Dan Houzet (FRA, KTM), 25 p.; 6. Tomass Sileika (LAT, KTM), 22 p.; 7. Ivan Baranov (RUS, KTM), 20 p.; 8. Glen Meier (DEN, KTM), 19 p.; 9. Miro Sihvonen (FIN, KTM), 18 p.; 10. Joakin Furbetta (ITA, KTM), 16 p.
EMX125 Championship Standings: 1. Davy Pootjes (NED, KTM), 145 points; 2. Alvin Ostlund (SWE, YAM), 91 p.; 3. David Herbreteau (FRA, YAM), 85 p.; 4. Brian Hsu (GER, SUZ), 83 p.; 5. Tomass Sileika (LAT, KTM), 82 p.; 6. Joakin Furbetta (ITA, KTM), 66 p.; 7. Michael Ivanov (BUL, KTM), 62 p.; 8. Filippo Zonta (ITA, KTM), 50 p.; 9. Michele Baraiolo (ITA, TM), 48 p.; 10. Dan Houzet (FRA, KTM), 48 p.
Official WMX Race Report: Stunning blue skies were in contrast of the gnarly black sand here in Valkenswaard for round three of the FIM Women’s Motocross World Championship where Bud Racing Kawasaki’s Meghan Rutledge put in two solid and consistent performances to take home her second WMX round victory this year.
When the gates dropped for WMX’s second race this morning, Bud Racing Kawasaki’s Meghan Rutledge nailed the holeshot but was quickly passed by both Team One One Four’s Livia Lancelot and HM Plant KTM UK’s Natalie Kane. While Lancelot went on to pull a small gap and lead eleven solid laps for her first WMX race win of the season, a vast game of cat and mouse was in play between Rutledge and Kane.
Meanwhile back in fourth, local Dutch heroine Nancy Van De Ven was holding off Team Dragon Moto’s Stephanie Laier, while yesterday’s race one winner Chiara Fontanesi was on damage control after a mistake early on in lap one left her buried at the back of the pack.
As Fontanesi continued to pick the riders off one-by-one, which was made a little easier when Van De Ven crashed out of fourth, the battle between Kane and Rutledge started to get serious. With lap traffic coming into play and four laps to go, a determined Rutledge took the advantage and second place.
Heading into the last lap of the race it appeared a battle for the win could have unfurled between Team One One Four’s Livia Lancelot and Bud Racing Kawasaki’s Meghan Rutledge, but after passing pit-lane and realizing she had the overall win in the bag, Rutledge chose to back off and settle for a safe second only one second clear of HM Plant KTM UK’s Natalie Kane in third. Race one winner Chiara Fontanesi put in a remarkable ride to redeem fourth with Team Dragon Moto’s Stephanie Laier rounding out the top five.
Although Chiara Fontanesi had a tough second race, her win in race one in combination with her fourth in race two was enough for second overall and to claim the WMX red plate for the first time this season. Meanwhile Natalie Kane added up two third place finishes for third overall and now sits second in the overall standings one point behind Fontanesi. The Australian Meghan Rutledge was consistently second this weekend and now jumps from fifth to third in the championship standings, only two points short of the red plate.
Due to a mechanical failure in race one, race two’s winner Team One One Four’s Livia Lancelot only finished ninth overall for WMX’s round of The Netherlands and has now dropped back to fifth in the overall standings trailing the lead by twenty-two points.
WMX Race 1 top ten: 1. Chiara Fontanesi (ITA, Yamaha), 26:20.086; 2. Meghan Kat Rutledge (AUS, Kawasaki), +0:04.392; 3. Natalie Kane (IRL, KTM), +0:06.894; 4. Nancy Van De Ven (NED, Yamaha), +0:21.413; 5. Stephanie Laier (GER, Suzuki), +1:05.213; 6. Marianne Veenstra (NED, Husqvarna), +1:24.911; 7. Anne Borchers (GER, Suzuki), +1:27.478; 8. Larissa Papenmeier (GER, Suzuki), +1:45.634; 9. Gabriela Seisdedos (ESP, Kawasaki), +1:47.792; 10. Joanna Miller (POL, Suzuki), +1:55.694
WMX Race 2 top ten: 1. Livia Lancelot (FRA, Kawasaki), 26:06.326; 2. Meghan Kat Rutledge (AUS, Kawasaki), +0:05.394; 3. Natalie Kane (IRL, KTM), +0:11.851; 4. Chiara Fontanesi (ITA, Yamaha), +0:30.727; 5. Stephanie Laier (GER, Suzuki), +0:32.093; 6. Nancy Van De Ven (NED, Yamaha), +1:02.877; 7. Larissa Papenmeier (GER, Suzuki), +1:15.291; 8. Marianne Veenstra (NED, Husqvarna), +1:25.336; 9. Anne Borchers (GER, Suzuki), +1:40.392; 10. Nina Klink (NED, KTM), +1:50.628
WMX Overall top ten: 1. Meghan Kat Rutledge (AUS, KAW), 44 points; 2. Chiara Fontanesi (ITA, YAM), 43 p.; 3. Natalie Kane (IRL, KTM), 40 p.; 4. Nancy Van De Ven (NED, YAM), 33 p.; 5. Stephanie Laier (GER, SUZ), 32 p.; 6. Marianne Veenstra (NED, HUS), 28 p.; 7. Larissa Papenmeier (GER, SUZ), 27 p.; 8. Anne Borchers (GER, SUZ), 26 p.; 9. Livia Lancelot (FRA, KAW), 25 p.; 10. Joanna Miller (POL, SUZ), 20 p.
WMX World Championship Classification Top Ten: 1. Chiara Fontanesi (ITA, YAM), 121 points; 2. Natalie Kane (IRL, KTM), 120 p.; 3. Meghan Kat Rutledge (AUS, KAW), 119 p.; 4. Stephanie Laier (GER, SUZ), 104 p.; 5. Livia Lancelot (FRA, KAW), 99 p.; 6. Nancy Van De Ven (NED, YAM), 93 p.; 7. Larissa Papenmeier (GER, SUZ), 85 p.; 8. Marianne Veenstra (NED, HUS), 75 p.; 9. Francesca Nocera (ITA, SUZ), 68 p.; 10. Anne Borchers (GER, SUZ), 68 p.
Enduro21.com ACU British Sprint Enduro Championship – Rounds 3 & 4 – Mid Wales
In challenging conditions Danny McCanney secured a terrific double Michelin Comp VI Elite class victory at rounds three and four of the Enduro21.com ACU British Sprint Enduro Championship, powered by Husqvarna Motorcycles, held at Saints Well, Mid Wales.
With intermittent rain ensuring a challenging weekend of racing McCanney powered his way through the challenging conditions to win the Michelin Comp VI class. In the Husqvarna Under 23 category it was a double victory for Rob Johnson while Brad Freeman and Joe Wootton traded wins in the Motul Under 19 class.
Leading from the off, Beta mounted Danny McCanney took an early lead in the Elite class at round three. Setting the fastest time in all but one of the day’s seven test, the Manxman took a comfortable win. Challenging McCanney during the early part of the day, while also topping the third special test – KTM’s Tom Sagar was unable to match McCanney’s pace in the latter part of the day and settled for a strong runner-up result. Claiming his first Elite class top three result, KTM’s Steve Holcombe edged out Husqvarna’s Jack Rowland for third. With Rowland taking fourth, Daryl Bolter (KTM) was fifth.
Fastest in the first special test at round four, McCanney again placed himself at the head of the field. But a costly crash on lap two saw Sagar lead. Playing catch up, McCanney eventually reeled in the flying Sagar on the penultimate test of the day before going on to secure the win. Proving a strong match for McCanney in the difficult conditions, Sagar enjoyed his best performance of the series so far to finish second. Retiring from round three due to an injured thumb, Husqvarna’s Jamie Lewis bounced back to place third on day two. Holcombe and Rowland completed the top five.
Picking up from where he left off at the series opener in Canada Heights, Husqvarna mounted Rob Johnson immediately set the pace in the Husqvarna Under 23 class. Consistently posting times inside the top ten overall, Johnson took victory at round three. Behind Johnson, James Dent (KTM) delivered a strong ride to take second. Frazer Norrie chased Dent home for third. A mistake from Fraser Flockhart (KTM) on lap five saw him place fourth while Gary Daniels (Sherco) took fifth.
At home in the tough conditions, Johnson made it four wins from four starts in 2014 with victory at round four. Making amends for his error at round three, Flockhart produced a determined ride to finish second. Holding second for the early part of the day, Dent slipped up on lap four and dropped back to third. Placing 14 seconds behind Dent, Norrie was fourth while TM’s Josh Gotts rounded out the top five.
In the Motul Under 19 class KTM’s Brad Freeman continued his winning ways from Canada Heights to win round three. Despite being hampered by a crash on lap four, Wootton finished close behind in second. Behind the leading duo, Husqvarna’s Lee Sealey placed third. Beta’s Antoine Criq edged out Jon Hunt (Sherco) to finish fourth.
Enjoying the challenging conditions at round four, Wootton turned the tables on his younger classmate. Leading from lap one, the Husqvarna rider secured his first win of the series. Suffering his first BSEC defeat in over 12 months, Freeman nevertheless still placed second. Sealey again completed the top three while Charlie Frost (KTM) found a way past Criq to end his day in fourth.
Taking his first win the BSEC event, Husqvarna’s Jordan Ridgway was the winner of the Enduro21.com 125 Youth class at round three. Fighting hard with Ridgway for the win, Brandon Sharples (KTM) finished just seven seconds behind in second. KTM’s Alex Walton ended his day in third while Robbie Wallace (Yamaha) and Ben Churchill (KTM) placed fourth and fifth respectively.
With his confidence running high, Ridgway upped his pace at round four to take a commanding win. Mistakes from Sharples saw him drop further behind Ridgway taking second while Walton again finished third. Wallace and Rob Armitage (Husqvarna) completed the top five.
Results – British Sprint Enduro Championship, Round 3
Michelin Comp VI Elite: 1. Danny McCanney (Beta) 57:36.70; 2. Tom Sagar (KTM) 59:07.42; 3. Steve Holcombe (KTM) 1:00:05.40; 4. Jack Rowland (Husqvarna) 1:00:25.65; 5. Daryl Bolter (KTM) 1:00:48.69; 6. Mark Roberts (KTM) 1:02:42.91; 7. Lee Edmondson (Beta) 1:02:48.26
Husqvarna Under 23: 1. Rob Johnson (Husqvarna) 1:01:12.40; 2. James Dent (KTM) 1:03:24.52; 3. Frazer Norrie (KTM) 1:04:26.22; 4. Fraser Flockhart (KTM) 1:05:20.95; 5. Gary Daniels (Sherco) 1:06:39.47; 6. Jonathan Rowlands (Beta) 1:08:41.73; 7. Roger Holland (Sherco) 1:10:21.06; 8. Josh Gotts (TM) 1:12:03.33; 9. Thomas Kirk (KTM) 1:12:05.40
Motul Under 19: 1. Brad Freeman (KTM) 1:00:15.14; 2. Joe Wootton (Husqvarna) 1:00:59.22; 3. Lee Sealey (Husqvarna) 1:04:48.65; 4. Antoine Criq (Beta) 1:05:41.21; 5. Jon Hunt (Sherco) 1:06:13.91; 6. Luke Flack (Beta) 1:06:23.64; 67. Aaron Edwards (Beta) 1:07:14.72; 8. Charlie Frost (KTM) 1:07:20.23; 9. Harvey Dark (KTM) 1:11:13.47; 10. Jake Morgan (KTM) 1:12:26.85…
Enduro21.com 125 Youth: 1. Jordan Ridgway (Husqvarna) 1:13:37.16; 2. Brandon Sharples (KTM) 1:13:44.29; 3. Alex Walton (KTM) 1:14:09.65; 4. Robbie Wallace (Yamaha) 1:25:18:18; 5. Ben Churchill (KTM) 1:26:15.32; 6. Rob Armitage (Husqvarna) 1:48:14.45
The Enduro21.com ACU British Sprint Enduro Championship, powered by Husqvarna Motorcycles continues with rounds five and six at Chavenage Farm, Tetbury on May 24/25
GEICO AMA EnduroCross Championships – Round 1 – Las Vegas
Round one of the 2014 GEICO AMA EnduroCross series, fueled by Monster Energy and presented by Lucas Oil kicked off on Friday night inside the Orleans Arena and Beta USA/GEICO/Stillwell Performance’s Cody Webb took the win.
Bel-Ray/FMF/Moose/Husqvarna’s Mike Brown took the $500 NEXEN Tire Holeshot award with a clean jump off a unique elevated starting line, beating the rest of the Pro Main Event competitors out of the tight first turn.
It didn’t take long for Cody Webb to move into the lead as the tight pack of front-runners moved around the first lap. Lucas Oil/Rockstar/JCR Honda’s Colton Haaker, Factory KTM’s Taddy Blazusiak and CYCLENANO/Everrev/FMF/Kenda’s Kyle Redmond and Gary Sutherlin all were in the mix right away as well—making for an exciting battle for the top spots in the initial laps.
By the end of the first lap it was Webb, five-time Champion Taddy Blazusiak and Kyle Redmond across the line for the top three. Right after the line, Redmond’s machine suffered a mechanical issue stopping him in his tracks. Husqvarna’s Mike Brown eventually pulled off the track due to a finger laceration and possible hand injury suffered earlier in the evening, ending his race evening as well.
It quickly looked to be an exciting showdown between the evening’s three heat-race winners (Webb, Blazusiak and Haaker) and the opening round of AMA EnduroCross didn’t disappoint. Webb quickly focused on a mission to pull ahead and put down flawless laps to stay out front.
Behind him, carnage ensued, with Haaker passing Blazusiak on lap two after a rare mistake by the Factory KTM racer. By the end of the lap, Blazusiak had moved back into third after Haaker made a similar bobble in a tricky rock turn. Gary Sutherlin moved into fourth place in striking distance of a podium spot. By halfway through the 12-lap main event, Blazusiak had found trouble in the rock corner, already coming into lapped riders, allowing the hard-charging Haaker to get back into second.
That standing didn’t last long as Blazusiak moved back into second and looked to stay there. Meanwhile, Webb moved steadily forward, lapping up to fourth place by lap nine.
In the final laps, Haaker remained in-the-hunt, gaining on Blazusiak when the defending champ stalled in a challenging rock corner after trying to get around lapped-traffic, and going down.
Webb stayed the course, pushing forward and riding a nearly flawless race without a challenge for the lead from the second lap on. Geoff Aaron, Sutherlin, Taylor Robert and Bobby Prochnau battled for the top five positions. Haaker made a last-lap pass on Blazusiak for second as he was stuck in the final rock turn. Webb took the convincing win with Haaker in second and Blazusiak in third.
Cody Webb: “I only made a few mistakes the whole main event” Webb said. “I have been practicing just racing the track at home and when I passed Taddy on the first lap, I just focused on the track for six laps and did not even know how much of a lead I had”.
Colton Haaker: “I won in Las Vegas a few years ago and I did not even know how I won so this second feels better because I have been working really hard to get everything dialed in on that big 450” Haaker said.
Taddy Blazusiak: “The start was amazing….I went into the tunnel way back and somehow came out in first. I think Brownie went down” Blazusiak said. “Third was an OK way to start the season because I think we are going to have to be consistent to win the championship”.
Main Event Results: 1. Cody Webb – Beta. 2. Colton Haaker – Honda. 3. Taddy Blazusiak – KTM. 4. Bobby Prachnau – KTM. 5. Taylor Robert – KTM. 6. Geoff Aaron – KTM. 7. Gary Sutherlin – KTM. 8. Cory Graffunder – KTM. 9. Bryan Roper – KTM. 10.Jamie Lanza – Husqvarna.
2014 GEICO AMA EnduroCross, fueled by Monster Energy Schedule
– May 2, 2014 – Las Vegas, Nevada. Orleans Arena (Friday Night)
– June 6, 2014 – Austin, Texas. X Games, Circuit of the America’s
– June 21, 2014 – Sacramento, California. Sleep Train Arena
– August 23, 2014 – Atlanta, Georgia. Gwinnett Center
– October 4, 2014 – Denver, Colorado. National Western Complex
– October 11, 2014 – Salt Lake City, Utah. Energy Solutions Arena
– October 18, 2014 – Everett, Washington. Comcast Arena
– November 15, 2014 – Boise, Idaho. Ford Idaho Center
– November 22, 2014 – Ontario, California. Citizens Business Bank Arena
Moto Wrap for the weekend of May 10/11 will include:
– Round 6 of the GNCC (Limestone 100) held in Springville, IN
– Round 7 of the World Motocross Championships in Spain
– Round 3 of the World Enduro Championships being held in Greece
