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Moto News Weekly Wrap
February 21, 2023

What’s New:

• 2023 AMA Supercross Oakland Round 6 Rider Quotes
• Jay Wilson sets sights on All-Japan MX 450s in 2023
• Freestyle of Nations to return Feb 24-25 in Germany
• Tim Gajser injured at Trentino
• Wilksch joins KTM for AORC/A4DE 2023
• Wolfe joins Fisher and Deveson in Husqvarna Junior Racing Team
• Seth Thomas joins GASGAS Junior Racing roster
• 2023 Big Buck GNCC Report
• Josep Garcia dominates Spanish Enduro opener
• Tommy Searle crowned British Arenacross Champion
• 2023 Sunshine State MX Round One Results
• 2023 Jason Lyons Trophy Results
• Coenen brothers podium at Internazionali d’Italia Round 2
• Husqvarna renews European Junior eMX support
• W2RC returns to Empty Quarter for Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge
• Indian Motorcycle Racing 2023 AFT Contingency
• 2023 Racing Calendars

2023 AMA Supercross Oakland Round 6 Rider Quotes

See the full report here:
AMA SX Oakland race reports, results, points and images

Jett Lawrence – P1

“It was nice to have this race to break up the flow of having almost a second off-season. The first few laps I spent seeing where the lines were at, feeling the other guys out. Once I got into the lead, I just tried to keep my lap times consistent and limit mistakes. I got into my rhythm, where I could just keep clicking off laps and keep the same flow.”

RJ Hampshire – P2

“The day started off decent. I qualified second again, won my heat race, and I executed my start perfectly in the main event,” Hampshire said. “I led a few laps but made a mistake and lost the front wheel in a corner. Then I just battled and did all I could to survive the last few laps because I was hurting pretty bad there at the end. But I’m stoked for the whole team, and glad I could make it happen this weekend and somehow could pull something off by putting my Rockstar Husqvarna back on the box. I’m looking forward to a few weeks off and I’ll be ready in Seattle.”

Cameron McAdoo – P3

“Honestly, I’ve been bummed the previous times getting up on the podium because I thought I had more in me, but after what I went through to get here the past few weeks, I’ll take it. It’s been a battle to get strong enough to compete with the best up on the podium. I can’t say enough about every person who has supported my recovery and we’ll be working hard during this break to be stronger when we come back to Seattle.”

Levi Kitchen – P4

“It was a decent day for me. My starts were poor, but we managed to leave here healthy and with a fourth-place finish. We’ll keep working and come back stronger for my home race in Washington.”

Pierce Brown – P5

“Oakland was another tough night. I feel like the riding was there, I just didn’t put it all together. I had a decent start in the main and was waiting for a spot to make a pass. I made a pass for third, and then Mcadoo got me back and put me on the ground. I got back up in fifth, passed back into fourth, and on the last lap fell again and ended up in fifth. It’s not the night we needed and I’m pretty upset about it. But on to Seattle. We have a long break before that, so we’re just going to reset and get back to work.”

Maximus Vohland – P7

“I started the night with a holeshot in my Heat race, led some laps and had a good battle before finishing a solid second. In the Main Event I got off to a top-five start, but I just struggled in the whoops and I couldn’t get comfortable or settle into a rhythm, so I dropped a couple of positions. I have four weeks to work on some weaknesses and try to improve before Seattle.”

Matt Moss – DNF

“I was feeling really good all night, finished 3rd in my heat. Got an ok start, I was sitting in fourth when I landed awkwardly on my thumb. I could barley hang on. Disappointing but over all happy with my speed, a few things to work on… looking forward to be back behind the gates at the next round. Thanks for the support legends.”

250 Main Results

250 West Championship Points

450 Rider Quotes

Eli Tomac – P1

“It was a great rebound for us from last weekend in Tampa. This track was very technical in general. The dirt gets really soft, and the ruts get really tough. We basically had that challenge the whole day, but overall I felt really good on the motorcycle. I felt like we made some improvements basically everywhere compared to the weekend before. This was important for us to keep the red plate. We’ve just got to keep it rolling.”

Cooper Webb – P2

“After last weekend, I just had the belief back and it was important to have that momentum, so tonight’s second-place result was good. At the beginning of the Main Event, I felt like I lacked the pace and couldn’t catch the two guys out front, but I stuck to my laps and began feeling really good at the end when I found some great lines and the track came to me late in the race. A mistake from the leader on the last lap meant we got close to another win, but I pushed hard tonight and I’m proud of that.”

Chase Sexton – P3

“My riding and everything has been really good. The first 10 minutes of the main event, I was in my comfort zone; I wasn’t overriding, I was hitting my marks. After I went down, I got a little more timid and was basically in survival mode—got out of my flow, and it was tough trying to get back into it. I still have an opportunity next week to come out and fix the mistakes that I made.”

Aaron Plessinger – P4

“The day started a little rough as I wasn’t gelling with the track, but we made some changes for the Heat race and I finished fourth. The team came together and made another adjustment I really wanted to make, and I got a really good start in the Main Event. I kept it steady and made a few passes, but then caught up to a few lapped riders and rode a fairly quiet rest of the race. I’ve been pretty consistent with a fourth, a third and a fourth over the past three weekends, and I’m happy with that, so we look forward to the next one!”

Jason Anderson – P5

“We were in the battle for the podium again tonight, but a small tip-over forced me back a few positions. I think we were in a good place to have a strong result, but I’m happy with the recovery after the mistake. I need to clean up those little errors if I’m going to contend with the guys at the front end of the pack. Overall, we are definitely close and just need to link it all together here soon.”

Justin Barcia – P6

“I had a pretty good qualifying race, and it was a good battle for the top three. Unfortunately, in the main event, I didn’t get off to the best start but had some really good battles and only got up to sixth. So, it’s back to work on riding, working on getting up front fast, and I’m looking forward to Texas. I like it there and we’ve had good luck there. It’s usually a good track, good dirt, and the fans are always exciting, so I’m looking forward to getting it on the box.”

Christian Craig – P7

“In the heat race, I was a little tight and rode a little tentative, but I fixed those mistakes in the main. I got off to a better start and was in the mix, finally,” Craig said. “I had good battles with some of the guys and was seventh for most of the main. It’s something to build on, and I’ve got some positive to take away and on to Arlington next week.”

Colt Nichols – P9

“Tonight was a little bit better for me than I’ve had the past few weekends; I felt like I was actually in the race and battling some good guys. I needed to give myself a chance and get some better track position early on. Overall, a lot of steps in the right direction all day. We get to try again next weekend.”

Justin Cooper – P10

“It was a rough day for me. It started off on the wrong foot, but we continued to push on throughout the day. The track was one of the toughest I’ve ever seen, but it was good experience and another top-10 finish.”

Adam Cianciarulo – P15

“The track was technical and demanding so it was great to have my best qualifying pace thus far in the season with the fourth fastest lap. I feel I carried that pace into the heat race and even into the early stages of the main. While the track was tough for everyone, my KX™450SR was working well and we were in a good spot until that crash set me back in the pack. We’ll focus on the lessons to be learned and move forward to next weekend.”

450 Championship Points –  Top 15

Jay Wilson sets sights on All-Japan MX 450s in 2023

After a successful debut season contesting the 2022 All Japan Motocross Championships that saw him dominate the 250 cc class, winning an unprecedented 15 out of 16 motos on his way to his championship victory, Australia’s Jay Wilson is back in the land of the Rising Sun for another season, this time stepping up to the IA1 or 450 cc division for Yamaha.

Wilson signed a deal to continue his long and successful relationship with Yamaha in the newly formed Yamaha Factory Innovation Racing Team. In additional to his previous roles as a coach and mentor to up and coming Japanese riders, as well as test and develop future products for Yamaha, Wilson will also take on management duties of the new team while racing the premier 450cc class.

Jay Wilson

“2022 was a great year for me and my family and we have really found a home for ourselves in Japan both on and off the track. We have embraced living here in Japan and when presented with the opportunity to stay for 2023 and continue my relationship with Yamaha, it was a pretty simple decision.

“I still feel I have a few good years of racing left in me and moving to the IA1 class on the YZ450F is a challenge I’m ready for. The 2023 YZ450F is an awesome bike and Yamaha have surrounded me with a group of great people, so I will set my goals high, work hard and do my best to try and secure Yamaha another championship.

“Yamaha were fully supportive of me doing a pre-season boot camp in New Zealand and sent over my mechanic as well as some components to test in preparation for the new season. Despite the weather, I was able to get plenty of hours on the bike and feel I have adjusted to the 450 well and really enjoy riding the new bike.

“It’s amazing to see the development direction of dirt bikes and just what is coming down the pipeline. Over the course of the last 12 months, the EPS system improved significantly and now is a great asset to have on my race bike. I have no idea with what I will be presented with next but that is part of the fun, not knowing the direction the engineers take and then trying to shape that idea into something useable and tangible on a dirt bike.

“My wife and daughter have really enjoyed the Japanese way of life. Both have fit in really well with Poppy going to school over here and learning the Japanese language, while Misty is super supportive of my racing and takes care of so many things off the track that I simply don’t have time for. It’s a real family effort and I’m glad to have them here with me and are part of the success I’m able to achieve with Yamaha.”

Freestyle of Nations to return Feb 24-25 in Germany

On the 24th/25th of February 2023, FMX fans will be in for a treat when the world witnesses the return to competition from the previously retired multiple record holder at Red Bull X-Fighters, Dany Torres, for the Freestyle of Nations and Night of the Jumps.

Dany will return to Freestyle Motocross to compete for Team Spain, who won the very first Freestyle of Nations event in 2014 with the then, soon-to-be 5-time consecutive World Champion, Maikel Melero.

To support Dany in Team Spain, will be the in-form and always picture-perfect Maikel Melero. The young gun, Marc Pinyol will round out the 3-rider Spanish Team.

Team Germany will return with the regular faces of the reigning World Champion and X Games Gold medalist, Luc Ackermann, competing on home soil, and the return from injury of Kai Haase.

Team Czech riders, Matej Cesak, Filip Podmol and Petr Pilat have been training furiously throughout the winter months to be ready in Berlin and look for their first win for the Czech team.

Tim Gajser injured at Trentino

Team HRC’s Tim Gajser had a crash in the second moto at the Italian International Championship in Arco di Trento, landing heavily after a big jump, and having to be taken off the track by medics, breaking his right femur and requiring surgery. Once that has taken place it will be easier to determine a timetable for his return to action.

Gajser had just finished second in the first moto at the Trentino track, and had been using the Italian series as a warm-up before the beginning of the 2023 MXGP World Championship, where he would be trying to defend his fifth world title that he won in 2022.

Wilksch joins KTM for AORC/A4DE 2023

Andy Wilksch will lead KTM’s charge in the 2023 Australian Off-Road Championship (AORC) and Australian Four-Day Enduro (A4DE), entering the E2 category in a bid to make their mark together in national enduro competition.

In pursuit of the top step, Wilksch will compete onboard the KTM 450 EXC-F for the coming year within the E2 ranks, ‘Ready To Race’ when the 12-round AORC series commences on March 25-26 at Mendooran, New South Wales. The A4DE will take place in Harvey, Western Australia, between May 17-20.

KTM will also continue to support last year’s AORC EJ championship winner Riley McGillivray in both the AORC and A4DE this season. The highly-rated, young Victorian will make an exciting step up to the E3 category for 2023, to be equipped with the KTM 500 EXC-F.

Andy Wilksch

“To sign with KTM this season has been a massive goal for me. It’s the first European brand I ever rode back on a 65cc, which is where it all started, and my first year racing an enduro series was on a KTM, so it is cool to go full-circle and to have the best equipment to go racing here in 2023. After winning my class and finishing second outright last year in AORC, the goal is to go for the win and we should be in a great position to achieve that with the 450 EXC-F. There’s a lot of racing ahead of us and a lot to be ready for, but I learned a lot from last year and look forward to building with KTM to chase that goal, while keeping it fun and exciting all year.”

Wolfe joins Fisher and Deveson in Husqvarna Junior Racing Team

A three-rider Husqvarna Junior Racing Team has been confirmed for 2023, set to compete in a selection of junior national and state championships throughout the upcoming season.

Returning duo Heath Fisher and Jack Deveson will be joined by emerging youngster Ethan Wolfe, the trio often featuring at the pinnacle of competition in the domestic junior ranks.

Fisher achieved national title success last year and claimed the 85cc 12-under 14 years crown at the Australian Junior Motocross Championship (AJMX), which came in addition to immense success internationally including the American Amateur National Motocross Championship at the famed Loretta Lynn’s MX.

Making it a TC 85 1-2 at the AJMX event, Deveson joined Fisher on the podium in 2022. The duo, both 14 years of age, also represented Australia at the Junior Motocross World Championship, with Fisher finishing an impressive P7 in the 85cc class in Finland.

For 2023, Deveson will compete onboard a TC 125 and FC 250, while Fisher will have the chance to win another 85cc national title, also racing onboard the TC 125 this year.

A welcome addition to the Husqvarna Junior Racing Team this year, reigning AJMX 65cc 7-under 10 years champion Wolfe will chase further national title success equipped with the TC 65, the 10-year-old taking to the gate also in the 85cc ranks.

Seth Thomas joins GASGAS Junior Racing roster

The GASGAS Junior Racing Team will include the up-and-coming roster of Ky Woods, Bodie Court and team newcomer Seth Thomas officially announced aboard MC machinery for 2023.

Continuing with the team this year, 15-year-old Woods will take to the stage at the highest level of junior national competition and contest the Australian Junior Motocross Championship (AJMX), as well as MX3 during the ProMX season.

The highly-rated Woods is a former 65cc runner-up in the Junior Motocross World Championship and will be equipped with his MC 125, as well as an MC 250F this season. He impressed on his way to fourth in the 125cc 13-under 15 class at the AJMX event last year.

As for Court, he too is returning in red for another year as part of the GASGAS Junior Racing Team and makes the step up to the 12-under 14 years category with his MC 85. The 12-year-old highlighted his potential once again last year at the AJMX, securing bronze in the 85cc 9-under 12 years division and is looking to build upon that moving forward.

Joining the GASGAS Junior Racing Team, new signing Seth Thomas is set to ‘Get On The Gas’ at 11 years of age, the current AJMX 65cc 10-under 12 years champion and 85cc 9-under 12 years number two to be equipped with an MC 85 as he chases glory against the best young domestic talent.

2023 Big Buck GNCC

GNCC 2023 kicked off over the weekend with the VP Racing Fuels Big Buck event in Union, South Carolina, which saw saw 2,029 riders competing.

Babbitt’s Online/Monster Energy/Kawasaki Team Green’s Josh Strang was looking to put an injury plagued 2022 behind him in the XC1, but had to settle for eighth, while in the XC2 250 Pro class Babbitt’s Online/Monster Energy/Kawasaki Team Green’s Aussie Lyndon Snodgrass kicked off his title defence with the holeshot, before being regulated to second overall. Fellow Aussie Mason Semmens raced to fifth on his machinery.

XC1 Open Pro

As the green flag waved for the XC1 Open Pro riders, it was FMF/KTM Factory Racing’s Jonathan Girroir getting the jump off the line and across the holeshot line for to earn himself the $250 All Balls Racing XC1 Holeshot Award. However, it wouldn’t take long for Rocky Mountain/Tely Energy KTM Racing’s Steward Baylor to make his way into the number one spot.

Aboard his new team and KTM machine, Baylor would continue to hold the lead for the duration of the three hour race. FMF/KTM Factory Racing’s Benjamin Kelley would push his way into second, at one point catching Baylor and creating a 4 second gap between themselves.

Unfortunately, Kelley would have a small tip over in the woods and the gap would increase once again. Baylor would cruise to earn the season opener win and put himself in a good position to battle for the National Championship.

Kelley would cross the line in second to start the season after a leg injury sidelined him in 2022. Kelley’s second place would not come easy though as AmPro Yamaha’s Ricky Russell would put up a fight.

Russell would hold the second place position for the first couple of laps, but he would continue battling Kelley for the remaining laps of the race. Russell would close the gap to just five seconds but would be unable to make a pass for second. Russell would round out the podium at the Big Buck GNCC.

Fighting his way back to eighth in the XC1 Open Pro class was Babbitt’s Online/Monster Energy/Kawasaki Team Green’s Josh Strang. After starting out eighth in the class, Strang would fall back to 10th before making a push back to eighth by the end of the race.

XC1 Pro Event Results

1. Steward Baylor (KTM)
2. Benjamin Kelley (KTM)
3. Ricky Russell (YAM)
4. Jordan Ashburn (HQV)
5. Craig DeLong (HQV)
6. Grant Baylor (KAW)
7. Thad Duvall (GAS)
8. Josh Strang (KAW)
9. Layne Michael (GAS)
10. Jonathan Girroir (KTM)

*Overall National Championship Standings

1. Steward Baylor (30)
2. Benjamin Kelley (25)
3. Ricky Russell (21)
4. Jordan Ashburn (18)
5. Craig DeLong (16)
6. Grant Baylor (15)
7. Thad Duvall (14)
8. Ryder Lafferty (13)
9. Lyndon Snodgrass (12)
10. Angus Riordan (11)

XC2 250 Pro

In the XC2 250 Pro class it was Babbitt’s Online/Monster Energy/Kawasaki Team Green’s Lyndon Snodgrass jumping off the line first to earn the $250 Steel City Men’s Clinic Holeshot Award.

The XC2 class have some great racing battles throughout the day with lead changes happening throughout the duration of the race. Snodgrass would hold the lead for the majority of the race, but Coastal/GASGAS Factory Racing’s Ryder Lafferty was lurking and would make a last lap pass to take over the lead.

Lafferty would hold onto the lead to take the season opener win. Snodgrass would come through five seconds behind Lafferty. FMF/RPM KTM Racing’s Angus Riordan made his way onto the XC2 class podium after battling back from a fourth place start to take over third as the checkered flag flew. Ruy Barbosa and Mason Semmens completed the top five.

XC2 250 Pro Event Results

1. Ryder Lafferty (GAS)
2. Lyndon Snodgrass (KAW)
3. Angus Riordan (KTM)
4. Ruy Barbosa (HON)
5. Mason Semmens (KTM)
6. Liam Draper (YAM)
7. Cody Barnes (HON)
8. Michael Witkowski (HON)
9. Evan Smith (BET)
10. Jonathan Johnson (BET)

XC2 250 Pro Series Standings

1. Ryder Lafferty (30)
2. Lyndon Snodgrass (25)
3. Angus Riordan (21)
4. Ruy Barbosa (18)
5. Mason Semmens (16)
6. Liam Draper (15)
7. Cody Barnes (14)
8. Michael Witkowski (13)
9. Evan Smith (12)
10. Jonathan Johnson (11)

XC3/WCX/Youth

As the FMF XC3 125 Pro-Am class took off it was Bells Electric/FXR/FC Suspension’s Toby Cleveland grabbing the $100 Lojak Cycle Sales Holeshot Award. Cleveland would hold onto the lead for the remaining six laps of the race.

FXR/X Brand Goggles/6D Helmet’s Dakoda Devore would maintain his second place position for the duration of the race, crossing the line minutes after Cleveland. Carolina XC/Moose Racing/KTM’s Zack Hayes would work his way into the last podium spot in the XC3 class after running in fourth for the firsts couple of laps.

Earning Top Amateur honors in South Carolina was Tyler Palmer of the 250 A class who earned 24th overall and his class win. Trevor Maley came through second in 250 A and 26th overall, putting him second on the Top Amateur podium. Nicholas DeFeo would round out the top three Top Amateur finishers as he came through 27th overall and first in the 4-Stroke A Lites class.

In the WXC class it was Trail Jesters KTM Racing’s Korie Steede pushing through to earn the 10 am overall and WXC class win. Steede would start out the day by earning the $100 Trail Jesters WXC Holeshot Award but would soon find herself in second as AmPro Yamaha’s Rachael Archer made her way to the front of the pack.

Steede and Archer would battle throughout the race with Steede making a pass for the lead as the white flag flew. Steede was able to hold onto the lead and earn the WXC win by 0.76 seconds. GASGAS/Over and Out/RG Factory Racing’s Rachel Gutish would have a good race as she remained in the third place position for the duration.

Youth Bike Racing took place on Saturday evening as the round one racing schedule was modified to accommodate the large amount of amateur bike racers on Sunday. It would be Ryan Amancio coming through to earn the YXC1 Super Mini Sr. and youth overall class win. Earning second overall was Mason Raynor, who would come through to also win the YXC2 Super Mini Jr. class. Austin Tsakanikas rounded out the top three youth overall finishers, while also earning second place in the YXC1 class.

James Jenkins rounded out the top three finishers in the YXC1 class, while Caleb Wood and Doc Smith finished second and third in the YXC2 class. Jayden Riley would earn the 85 Big Wheel (11-15) class win, Travis Lentz earned the 85cc (12-13) class win, Hayden Dupuis earned the 85cc (7-11) class win, Beau Garetson won the 65cc (10-11) class, Jace Mitchell won the 65cc (9) class and Tripp Lewis won the 65cc (7-8) class.

Then in the Girls Super Mini (12-16) class it was Addison Harris earning the class win, Sahara Robinson earned the Girls 85 (7-13) class win, Baylee Arsenault earned the Girls 65 (7-11) class win. Rounding out the youth race it was Peyton Robinson earning the Trail Rider class win.

The Big Buck AMSOIL Moto Hero was awarded to Kyle Napier of Hyden, Kentucky. Napier served in the Army. He served twice in Afghanistan in the Operation Enduring Freedom. He is a purple heart recipient and has one arcom with valor, along with two presidential citations.

Kyle and his friend have also walked over 22 miles between counties to honor fallen veterans who have died by suicide. Kyle was awarded an American flag courtesy of Columbia Flag and Sign Co., plus a gift certificate to their online store.

He also received an AMSOIL Shopping spree certificate, 100% Goggles, and will receive a set of Kanati GBC truck tires. GNCC racing would like to thank Kyle and everyone for their service.

The next round of GNCC Racing will take place March 4-5 with the Moose Racing Wild Boar in Palatka, Florida.

Josep Garcia dominates Spanish Enduro opener

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Josep Garcia has won both Enduro1 and the overall ‘Scratch’ categories at round one of the Spanish Enduro Championship held in Santiago de Compostela, A Coruna.

Garcia made his intentions for the weekend clear right from the start by topping the timesheets on the Friday night Supertest, one second clear of the competition.

Despite having a few crashes along the way, the 26-year-old mastered the loose rocks and slippery roots that made up the varied terrain to win 11 of the 12 special tests and take the day-one victory by an impressive one minute and 29 seconds.

Day two in Spain went very much like the first. Although riders raced for one lap less than on Saturday, Josep was still able to open up a large time advantage over his rivals. Going on to win each of Sunday’s nine tests, the Red Bull KTM rider secured the overall win by just over one minute, making it a two-day clean sweep for the 2022 ISDE winner.

Garcia now looks ahead to the second round of his national series, the Oliana Enduro on March 17-19, which will aid in his preparations for round one of the 2023 FIM EnduroGP World Championship held just two weeks later in San Remo, Italy.

Josep Garcia

“I haven’t had an opportunity to ride the KTM 250 EXC-F in race conditions so far this year, so this weekend has been great! We have very good base settings and, although it’s clear we still have some settings to work on, we’re definitely going in the right direction. I’m really happy to start the season like this, taking the wins on both days. Saturday’s times were very good and on Sunday, I felt just as fast, and the times came out the same. We made some small modifications to the suspension over the pre-season to help me race more consistently and stop mistakes. Despite it being a technical race with a lot of heavily rutted specials, I’ve felt really confident on the bike, so the changes seem to be working well. I’m really happy with how everything is going, so we’ll continue working hard into the second round of the Spanish championship and then look ahead to the first world round in late March.”

Enduro1 – Day 1

1. Josep Garcia, KTM, 1:10:20.31
2. Sergio Navarro, Husqvarna, 1:11:49.59
3. Pau Tomas, Rieju, 1:14:47.40

Overall – Day 1

1. Josep Garcia, KTM, 1:10:20.31
2. Sergio Navarro, Husqvarna, 1:11:49.59
3. Zachary Pichon, Sherco, 1:11:49.82

Enduro1 – Day 2

1. Josep Garcia, KTM, 51:58.30
2. Sergio Navarro, Husqvarna, 53:13.35
3. Pau Tomas, Rieju, 55:55.36

Overall – Day 2

1. Josep Garcia, KTM, 51:58.30
2. Marc Sans, Yamaha, 53:04.42
3. Sergio Navarro, Husqvarna, 53:13.35

Tommy Searle crowned British Arenacross Champion

Tommy Searle has been crowned the first-ever Arenacross British Champion after taking the title battle with Conrad Mewse right down to the wire in London.

Arenacross British Championship presented by Fix Auto UK fans were treated to a nail-biting climax at the OVO Arena Wembley as Searle and Mewse battled to win the ultimate prize.

Mewse won the Main Event in London, followed by Searle and Jack Brunell, with Tommy taking the Championship.

Tommy Searle

“It means a lot to Kawasaki and to my team to keep my championship streak alive. It’s good to be here, an absolutely brilliant series and I loved every minute of it.”

The Teams Championship was won by Crendon Fastrack Honda Racing made up of Mewse and teammate Josh Gilbert, ahead of GTCi Revo Kawasaki and Mark McCann 64 YouTube Channel.

Dave Thorpe – Winning Team Boss

“It’s been amazing. The racing has been brilliant, the show excellent and we’re happy to be involved with the series. It brings a lot to our partners and it gives them an opportunity to be involved in a great environment.”

British Arenacross Pro Standings

Team Standings

2023 Sunshine State MX Round One Results

Dean Ferris topped Sunshine State MX Round 1, winning all three MX1 Pro races for 75-points, ahead of Kirk Gibbs and Jai Walker. Rounding out the top-ten was Aaron Tanti, Joel Evans, Juke Zielinski, Luke Clout, Zachary Watson, Cody Schat and Robbie Marshall.

In the MX2 Pro class, Nathan Crawford was the top performer, missing out on a clean sweep due a second place Race 3 after two wins. Runner ups were Noah Ferguson and Jayce Cosford were a point apart 60-59. Alex Larwood and Ryan Alexanderson rounded out the top five.

MX1 Pro Results

MX2 Pro Results

2023 Jason Lyons Trophy Results

Justin Sedgmen took top honours at the 2023 Jason Lyons Trophy, winning with the fastest Race Time, ahead of Jaimon Lidsey and Brayden McGuinness.

In the points tally it was again Sedgmen bringing home 12-points, with Jack Morrison runner-up on 11 and Brayden McGuinness third on nine-points, tied with Lidsey.

Jason Lyons Trophy – Race Time

Jason Lyons Trophy Points Overall

Coenen brothers podium at Internazionali d’Italia Round 2

Lucas Coenen (Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing team) just confirmed his potential aboard the FC 250, as his rookie term in the FIM Motocross World Championship beckons. Coenen ripped to a victory at the second and final round of the Internazionali d’Italia series, which was held at the hard-pack circuit of Pietramurata that so many of his peers are familiar with.

Coenen had a fairly uneventful time in the first MX2 moto – he spent the duration in the runner-up position and crossed the finish line just eight tenths from the eventual winner. The fact that he had the fastest lap time of the race also boosted his confidence entering moto two, which is a race that he dominated. ’96’ claimed the lead on lap two, sprinted to an advantage of five seconds and won in a convincing fashion. 2-1 scores meant that he was ranked in first in the overall classification.

Lucas Coenen

“The weekend went well! I followed the leader for the whole of moto one, but it was difficult to pass on this track. It was a good confidence boost. I had another good start in the second moto and made quick moves to get into the lead. I had fun and controlled the race. This is my second pre-season victory, so everything is going well at the moment.”

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing meanwhile picked up a second podium trophy of the 2023 MXGP ‘pre-season’ as Sacha Coenen classified third overall at Pietramurata in Arco di Trento for the second round of three in the Internazionali d’Italia.

Sacha Coenen

“This weekend was pretty good! I had good speed in practice and Timed Practice and this was an improvement over the first race, especially as I wasn’t pushing too much. I had a great start in the first moto and was running 2nd. I made a small mistake and dropped to 3rd but stayed there the whole race. I holeshotted the second moto and led some laps. I had a small tip-over and we learned a lot about our suspension set-up for this track. Overall lots of improvements, we made the podium so I’m happy.”

MX2 Round 2 Overall

1. Lucas Coenen (Husqvarna) 47pts
2. Thibault Benistant (Yamaha) 43pts
3. Sacha Coenen (KTM) 36pts

Husqvarna renews European Junior eMX support

Husqvarna will continue its partnership with the European Junior e-Motocross Series in 2023, with the series racing calendar now released. Returning for its third term after it was created in-part by Husqvarna Motorcycles and in conjunction with Infront Moto Racing in 2021, the series continues to grow with every passing year.

Registration for the five-round series will open on March 3 via the official website.

The 2023 European Junior e-Motocross Series kicks off at the MXGP of Spain on May 7, with the remaining four rounds taking place alongside three other events on the MXGP calendar with visits to France, Germany, and the Czech Republic.

The last of which will host a two-day event over the weekend of July 15-16 where the overall series winner will be decided.

The series is open to any rider aged 6-8 years old (age taken from January 1, 2023) mounted on a Husqvarna EE 5 or equivalent machine.

In addition, every competitor racing aboard an EE 5 will receive a selection of Husqvarna Motorcycles merchandise and Technical Accessories. For the series winner, should they be mounted on an EE 5, their prize will be an exclusive training day with Husqvarna Factory Racing.

2023 European Junior e-Motocross Series

• Round 1: 7 May MXGP of Spain – intu Xanadú – Arroyomolinos
• Round 2: 21 May MXGP of France – Villars sous Ecot
• Round 3: 11 June MXGP of Germany – Teutschenthal
• Round 4: 15 July MXGP of Czech Republic – Loket
• Round 5: 16 July MXGP of Czech Republic – Loket

W2RC returns to Empty Quarter for Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge

Six weeks after the Dakar wound to a close, the W2RC is back with the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge (ADDC), scheduled for 26 February to 3 March. The second round will bring the field to a familiar landscape —the dunes of the Empty Quarter, this time on the other side of the Saudi border, in Abu Dhabi.

After crashing out of the race within the first three days of the Dakar, Sam Sunderland and Ricky Brabec (Monster Energy Honda), first and second in the 2022 season, are back in the mix with zero points in the bag. They are in for a real challenge, but is worth noting that Adrien Van Beveren managed to finish third overall last year, just one point shy of second place, after going home empty-handed from the Dakar.

The championship remains wide open with four legs to go! “Sundersam”, a long-time Emirati resident with three ADDC wins under his belt, is still likely to mount a successful title defence. With Daniel Sanders again on the sidelines due to injury, GasGas is putting all its eggs in the Brit’s basket.

The 2022 runner-up, Ricky Brabec, will fight to catch up with the other works bikers, including his three stablemates at Monster Energy Honda, Adrien Van Beveren, “Nacho” Cornejo and Pablo Quintanilla. Red Bull KTM Factory Racing will find strength in numbers, with the Dakar champion, Kevin Benavides, his runner-up, Toby Price, and Matthias Walkner.

Skyler Howes (third in the Dakar) and Luciano Benavides will be flying the flag for Husqvarna Factory Racing. Hero MotoSports will be fielding two of its four factory bikers, namely, Ross Branch and Sebastian Bühler. The 2022 Rally2 World Cup champion, Mason Klein (BAS World KTM Racing), who has made his RallyGP debut this season, brings the total for this category to 13 bikers.

In the Rally2 category, Romain Dumontier (HT Rally Raid Husqvarna Racing), who has led the championship since the end of the Dakar, is taking a gamble by not starting the ADDC.

The rules for this learning category allow bikers to scrap one of their results from the championship tally, and the Frenchman has chosen to exercise this option for the second leg, giving a clear run to direct rivals such as Paolo Lucci (BAS World KTM Racing), Michael Docherty (SRG Motorsports), Jean-Loup Lepan and Konrad Dąbrowski from Duust Diverse Racing and Toni Mulec (BAS World KTM Racing). The Romanians Ionuț Florea and Andrei Cristian Danila bring the Rally2 total to 7 bikers in their W2RC debut.

In the quad category, the local hero and two-time defending champion, Abdulaziz Ahli, is the big favourite, just like Sunderland, who he followed in crashing out of the Dakar earlier this year. The Emirati faces a formidable Lithuanian armada.

Laisvydas Kancius (AG Dakar School), his closest rival for the championship in the ADDC, will be escorted by Adomas Gancierus and Antonas Kanopkinas. Rodolfo Guillioli, who lit up the inaugural W2RC season, will be flying in from Guatemala to take the total to 5 riders.

Indian Motorcycle Racing 2023 AFT Contingency

Indian Motorcycle Racing will commit more than $405,000 in combined privateer contingency For King of the Baggers, Super Hooligan & American Flat Track National Championship in 2023.

In addition to its AFT factory efforts around Jared Mees, Indian Motorcycle is offering the sport’s most robust privateer contingency, equating to more than $280,000.

2023 Indian Motorcycle AFT Privateer Contingency

• Championship: $25,000
• 1st: $7,500
• 2nd: $2,500
• 3rd: $1,500
• 4th: $1,000
• 5th: $750
• 6th: $350
• 7th: $250
• 8th: $150
• 9th: $125
• 10th: $100

The AFT season begins March 9 at the Daytona International Speedway.

2023 Racing schedule

2023 MXGP Calendar

FIM SuperEnduro World Championships Calendar

2023 FIM EnduroGP World Championship Calendar

2023 American Flat Track Calendar

2023 FIM World Supercross Calendar