Moto News Weekly Wrap
July 4, 2023
What’s New:
- Skyler Howes & Husqvarna Factory Racing part ways
- Successful knee surgery for Chance Hymas
- Australian Supercross calendar update for South Australia
- Nestaan-MX and Husqvarna Factory Racing extend partnership
- British GP kicks off 2023 WSX Championship
- Rough WSX opener for CDR Yamaha Monster Energy
- 2023 French WSX round postponed
- 2023 AFTN Rounds One & Two – Appin
- 2023 AMA Pro Motocross Round Five – RedBud
- 2023 AFT West Virginia Half-Mile
- 2023 MXGP Round 11 – MXGP of Lombok – Indonesia
- 2023 Hattah Desert Race
- 2023 FIM EnduroGP Round Five – Slovakia
- 2023 Racing Calendars
Skyler Howes & Husqvarna Factory Racing part ways
After thorough discussions, Skyler Howes and Husqvarna Factory Racing have mutually agreed to conclude their partnership with immediate effect.
Signing with Husqvarna Factory Racing prior to the 2021 Sonora Rally, Skyler immediately made his presence felt, taking second place in the overall classification of the rally. Howes would end 2021 strongly, claiming multiple stage wins and overall event podiums.
Following a disappointing retirement in the 2022 Dakar Rally, Skyler bounced back later that season to take victories in both the Sonora Rally and Rallye du Maroc. The 2023 Dakar saw Howes lead the early stages of the event before ultimately securing third in the overall classification – his best Dakar finish to date.
Successful knee surgery for Chance Hymas
Team Honda HRC rider Chance Hymas underwent successful surgery to repair a left-knee injury that he suffered while training in Florida on June 20.
A subsequent visit to Dr. Warren Kramer in Newport Beach, California, confirmed that Hymas’s ACL had been torn, and although the Idaho native felt he was able to ride, he and his team ultimately decided that it would be more prudent for him to undergo reconstruction surgery.
Hymas is expected to miss the remainder of the 2023 season while he recovers and rehabilitates.
Chance Hymas
“It’s obviously a disappointment. I feel like I had found my speed and was making good progress on improving my consistency, so I was really excited to head to RedBud for the next round. This injury is unfortunate, and I actually feel like I could race if I had to. At the same time, it’s better for my health to get it taken care of now, and I’m thankful that my team supports that. I’m in good hands and am super-motivated to come back healthy and show what I can do. In the meantime, I’ll focus on having a successful recovery while I cheer for my teammates from home.”
Australian Supercross calendar update for South Australia
The FOX Australian Supercross Championship today advised of an update to its 2023 calendar with the South Australian based round shifting to October 7, as well as a venue change, moving to the Adelaide Entertainment Centre for the series opener.
The venue change has been motivated by fan experience, with a rare date opportunity opening at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre – Adelaide’s contemporary indoor stadium – which will provide not only more seats but enhanced opportunities to enjoy the action.
The change of date also means a re-ordering of the rounds with Adelaide set to kick off the FOX Australian Supercross Championship and the Triple Crown in Newcastle to now sit in the middle of the three-round series. The final round will culminate on the global stage of the Melbourne Grand Prix & closing event of the 2023 FIM World Supercross Championship at Marvel Stadium in Melbourne.
2023 Australian Supercross Championship Calendar
Round | Venue | Location | Date |
Round 1 | Adelaide Entertainment Centre | Adelaide, South Australia | October 7 |
Round 2 | McDonald Jones Stadium | Newcastle, New South Wales | November 11 |
Round 3 | Marvel Stadium | Melbourne, Victoria | November 24 |
Nestaan-MX and Husqvarna Factory Racing extend partnership
Husqvarna Factory Racing has announce a contract extension with Nestaan-MX. The new contract will ensure that Nestaan-MX will continue to act as Husqvarna Motorcycles’ official factory team in the FIM Motocross World Championship.
Nestaan-MX is owned by Kay Hennekens, and has been a staple in the Grand Prix paddock for some time now. Rasmus Jorgensen is in his fourth year as the team manager of the successful squad that is run out of a state-of-the-art facility in Belgium.
Currently represented by a talented trio in the MX2 division, Nestaan-MX has title aspirations. Kay de Wolf has held the red plate already this term and is twenty-two points adrift of the series leader now that the halfway point has been overcome.
Competing alongside de Wolf underneath the Nestaan-MX banner, Lucas Coenen just won his first Grand Prix with a brilliant sweep of the first Indonesian round. Roan van de Moosdijk, the third rider on the team, has also won a moto this year and finished on the podium twice.
Rasmus Jorgensen – Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing Team Manager
“Representing a manufacturer as prestigious as Husqvarna Motorcycles is an honour. The passion to win a world championship with the Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing team burns brighter than ever and I am so excited for the years of success that lie ahead. Thank you to all involved in Austria, as well as our team in Belgium, for their endless support and confidence.”
British GP kicks off 2023 WSX Championship
The British Grand Prix kicked off the 2023 World Supercross Championship on front of a huge Birmingham crowd, where Ken Roczen took the overall victory after going one-two-one in the three main events. Roczen was joined on the overall podium by Joey Savatgy and Vince Friese.
Shane McElrath went one-two-one in the SX2 class, Max Anstie second and Enzo Lopes third overall on the SX2 rostrum.
The night started perfectly for Roczen on his PMG Suzuki; fastest in warm-up and fastest in qualifying before winning his heat race by a comfortable margin to make it through to Superpole.
After Dean Wilson, Matt Moss, Savatgy, and Friese had set their lap times, Justin Hill, aboard the BUD Racing Kawasaki set Villa Park alight by going nearly a second quicker than anyone else. Roczen followed, but he was unable to go quicker, and Hill took the extra championship point.
A frenetic start to the opening main event saw Friese take an early lead on his MotoConcepts Honda from a flying Thomas Ramette. Hill and Roczen were third and fourth, and eventually made it past Ramette, before Roczen passed Hill and set off after Friese. However, the fans were denied a grandstand finish when Friese went down out of the lead. He still held on to second, with Hill third.
Roczen again gave himself work to do off the start in the second main event, while Friese hit the front and pulled away. The reigning champion reeled him in, but was unable to find a way past and took the chequered flag first and second. However, the pair were penalised for jumping through a medical flag, and demoted to third and fourth. As a result, Hill inherited the win, ahead of Rick Ware Racing’s Savatgy.
A battle at the front of the final main of the night saw Roczen, Friese, and Savatgy go bar-to-bar. Unfortunately for Friese he went down, as Roczen pulled away. Savatgy was second, ahead of home hero Wilson. Friese took the chequered flag in 10th.
Ken Roczen – P1
“The track wasn’t super technical but it was hard tonight. And my starts weren’t where they needed to be so I gave myself some work and had to make some passes. With the races being so short you had to make a plan on the fly and pass when you could and it got a bit close. But I was strong in the whoops and tried to stay low over the jumps. I had to push hard tonight, and we’ve got some areas where we want to get better.”
Vince Friese – P2
“I’m happy with where I was tonight. The injury I’ve had is like a year injury and I’m seven months in. The goal was always to come back better and continue to improve. I had an issue with the footpegs but, I believe I’ve got the best bike on the grid. I’ll continue to heal and get closer to Ken [Roczen]. I’ve got to make it hard for him but beat him tonight, I’ve shown he’s beatable and I’ll only get better.”
Joey Savatgy – P3
“I’m second tonight but honestly I wasn’t the second best guy today. But I’m on the podium, that’s the goal, I want to be here every round. We’ve got some things to work on and improve going forward but, I was second overall last year, and I want to make sure I’m in that top three every round.”
SX1 GP Overall/Standings
Pos. | Rider | Nat. | Man. | S.P. | R1 | R2 | R3 | Total |
1 | ROCZEN Ken | GER | Suzuki | 0 | 25 | 18 | 26 | 69 |
2 | SAVATGY Joey | USA | Kawasaki | 0 | 18 | 22 | 22 | 62 |
3 | FRIESE Vince | USA | Honda | 0 | 22 | 20 | 11 | 53 |
4 | HILL Justin | USA | Kawasaki | 1 | 20 | 25 | 6 | 52 |
5 | WILSON Dean | GBR | Honda | 0 | 15 | 16 | 20 | 51 |
6 | CHISHOLM Kyle | USA | Suzuki | 11 | 14 | 18 | 43 | |
7 | BRAYTON Justin | USA | Honda | 16 | 13 | 12 | 41 | |
8 | NICHOLS Colt | USA | Kawasaki | 14 | 12 | 13 | 39 | |
9 | ARANDA Gregory | FRA | Yamaha | 5 | 15 | 16 | 36 | |
10 | MORANZ Kevin | USA | Honda | 8 | 11 | 14 | 33 | |
11 | HILL Josh | USA | Yamaha | 9 | 8 | 15 | 32 | |
12 | CLASON Cade | USA | KTM | 2 | 10 | 10 | 22 | |
13 | RODRIGUEZ Anthony | VEN | KTM | 7 | 7 | 8 | 22 | |
14 | SOUBEYRAS Cedric | FRA | Kawasaki | 3 | 9 | 9 | 21 | |
15 | SEELY Cole | USA | Honda | 13 | 6 | 1 | 20 | |
16 | TIXIER Jordi | FRA | Honda | 6 | 5 | 7 | 18 | |
17 | RAMETTE Thomas | FRA | Yamaha | 12 | 3 | 2 | 17 | |
18 | MOSS Matt | AUS | Yamaha | 0 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
19 | BRUNELL Jack | GBR | Husqvarna | 0 | 4 | 4 | 8 | |
20 | LEFRANCOIS Charles | FRA | Suzuki | 0 | 2 | 5 | 7 | |
21 | CARTWRIGHT Josh | USA | Yamaha | 1 | 1 | 3 | 5 | |
22 | HARLIN Grant | USA | Yamaha | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
SX2
It was decided on a ‘best of three’ in the SX2 mains, defending champion and 2022 vice champion Anstie resuming their rivalry from last season, trading main event wins.
Sadly for the Brit, Anstie was unable to deliver the overall for the home crowd, taking a brace of seconds on his Firepower Polyflor Honda to McElrath’s double victory aboard his Rick Ware Racing Yamaha.
Brazilian Lopes showed he’s going to be a force in this year’s championship, finishing third overall for Club MX FXR despite dislocating his shoulder in warm-up.
Mixing it at the sharp end of the mains, he was twice third before a crash in the final race cost him another rostrum finish. He managed to salvage fourth – finishing behind Mitchell Oldenburg – to take third overall in the British GP.
Shane McElrath- P1
“It’s good to start with a win,” McElrath said. “Rick [Ware – team owner] said he wants to win a championship and he wants me to do that for him. I said this is what I need and he’s made it happen. The Yamaha feels like my bike. I’ve ridden lots of bikes but the Yamaha suits me, it feels good, and it’s good of Rick to trust us as riders to deliver. I’m happy with tonight and it’s a good start to the season.”
Max Anstie – P2
“It was tough tonight. I’ve raced at home before and I know the vibe, but as well as the racing we’ve been pulled into different directions and lots of obligations, but it’s one of those, it comes with the territory and it’s a positive because it’s good for the sport; it’ll be the same for Kenny [Roczen] in Germany and it’s good for the fans to be able to support their guy. Hopefully we put on a show. It was close out there with Shane [McElrath], obviously I wanted to win and we’ll go again in Singapore.”
Enzo Lopes – P3
“To be here on the podium is incredible. I made the decision to do World Supercross after the US series. I turned down offers to race in America this summer to be here because I like racing with my team and I want to be the Ayrton Senna of supercross to Brazil. It also gives me time to spend at home with my family, otherwise I’d spend the whole year in the US. So I’m grateful for this opportunity and very happy to be on the podium.”
SX2 GP Overall/Standings
Pos. | Rider | Nat. | Man. | R1 | R2 | R3 | Total |
1 | MCELRATH Shane | USA | Yamaha | 25 | 22 | 25 | 72 |
2 | ANSTIE Max | GBR | Honda | 22 | 25 | 22 | 69 |
3 | LOPES Enzo | BRA | Yamaha | 18 | 20 | 19 | 57 |
4 | OLDENBURG Mitchell | USA | Honda | 20 | 7 | 20 | 47 |
5 | PETERS Kyle | USA | Honda | 15 | 15 | 15 | 45 |
6 | DESPREY Maxime | FRA | Yamaha | 11 | 14 | 16 | 41 |
7 | TANTI Aaron | AUS | Yamaha | 14 | 13 | 11 | 38 |
8 | MILLER Henry | USA | Yamaha | 12 | 12 | 12 | 36 |
9 | OWEN Jace | USA | Yamaha | 10 | 16 | 6 | 32 |
10 | PARK Cullin | USA | Suzuki | 13 | 2 | 14 | 29 |
11 | CLOUT Luke | AUS | Yamaha | 16 | 0 | 13 | 29 |
12 | BLOSE Chris | USA | Honda | 9 | 18 | 1 | 28 |
13 | MILLER Max | USA | KTM | 7 | 5 | 10 | 22 |
14 | BOURDON Anthony | FRA | Kawasaki | 6 | 9 | 7 | 22 |
15 | ESCOFFIER Adrien | FRA | Kawasaki | 0 | 11 | 8 | 19 |
16 | YODER Hunter | USA | Suzuki | 4 | 3 | 9 | 16 |
17 | BOGLE Justin | USA | KTM | 8 | 1 | 5 | 14 |
18 | WOODCOCK Dylan | GBR | Fantic | 5 | 6 | 3 | 14 |
19 | LINVILLE Gage | USA | Honda | 3 | 8 | 2 | 13 |
20 | ALESSI Michael | USA | Honda | 2 | 10 | 0 | 12 |
21 | NEESE Luke | USA | Yamaha | 1 | 4 | 4 | 9 |
Rough WSX opener for CDR Yamaha Monster Energy
It was a mixed season-opening round for CDR Yamaha Monster Energy to begin its 2023 World Supercross Championship (WSX) campaign at the British Grand Prix in Birmingham on Saturday night, with WSX riders Josh Hill and Grant Harlan, along with SX2 pairing Aaron Tanti and Luke Clout, displaying their share of speed, only to be caught up in unfortunate incidents that hampered results.
Craig Dack – CDR Yamaha Monster Energy Team Owner
“Our riders showed speed all night long, but this was just one of those events. We seemed to be caught up in everyone else’s incidents, which made for a very frustrating night. We will regroup and hit the ground running for round two in Singapore.”
The early pace in the SX2 class was set by championship contender Clout, who topped the timesheets in the second SX2 qualifying session, while teammate Tanti posted the sixth-fastest time in qualifying group one.
A consistent 7-8-9 scorecard across the event wasn’t reflective of Australian national MX1 champion Tanti’s night, who was involved in opening corner carnage in each final by virtue of a difficult heat race and a poor gate position for the night show. Still, the number nine battled hard all evening, and was seventh overall.
Aaron Tanti – SX2 P7
“I’m excited to be back racing the WSX Championship this year! My day started decent, but in my heat race I unfortunately got tangled up in the first turn and came from last to sixth place, which gave me a pretty average gate pick for the main. Starting wide meant I was involved in some sort of first turn carnage in every single main, though in saying that, I’m happy with where we are in seventh to start the season, and we’ll go home and work harder for the next one.”
Clout continued his form by notching a strong fifth place in the opening SX2 GP final, before misfortune struck in the second final where he was hit entering the first turn and went down. A seventh place in the final moto was a rebound to form, with the Australian finishing 11th overall on the night.
Luke Clout – SX2 – P11
“Round one of World Supercross is in the books, which, overall, it was a decent day for me. Qualified third overall which was really good to show that my speed is pretty close to where I want to be, and that was confidence-building. Night show, got a great jump in the first final and ran up front early, I just got a bit tight as we’ve been off supercross for a while, so ended up in fifth. Then second race, good start, but that’s where the chaos began when I got t-boned and that was pretty much all she wrote… Last race, I finished seventh, which was probably the best I rode, so I think we’ll come out strong with a bit more prep at the next one. Big thanks to the CDR team, it’s a massive workload, so a big shoutout to them.”
The story was similar in the WSX Class, with American racer Hill opening his day in Birmingham by posting the sixth fastest time in the first qualifying group. On a track that was hugely start-dependent, Hill struggled off the line from an outside gate pick, which therefore meant that he was engaged in mid-pack battles throughout the night, and would secure a 12-13-6 scorecard for 11th overall.
Josh Hill – P11
“Just not really my night here in Birmingham. I struggled for flow throughout the day on the tight track and then with an average heat race, that gave me an average gate pick. Starts were so important here tonight, so if you didn’t get a good one, most of your race was just battling in the mid-pack. Overall, I’m stoked to be back racing in the WSX Championship with the CDR Yamaha Monster Energy Team again, and am looking ahead to round two now.”
A difficult encounter was on the cards for teammate Harlan on debut with CDR Yamaha Monster Energy, who qualified in seventh, before a tough start in the heat race resulted in a bad gate pick. The number 78 would hit the ground in all three main events, with a punctured radiator in main event three spelling an end to his Birmingham weekend.
Grant Harlan – P22
“My weekend started off good here, got comfortable with the bike in practice and qualifying. A bad start in the heat race held me from a good gate pick in the mains, and I ended up on the ground in all three main events. Punctured radiator in the third race put me out which was disappointing, but we’ll re group in three months’ time for round two.”
2023 French WSX round postponed
The FIM and SX Global, the official and exclusive promoter of the FIM World Supercross Championship (WSX) regret to announce that due to unforeseen scheduling and logistical challenges, the 2023 FIM World Supercross World championship round originally scheduled to take place in Lyon-Décines, Groupama Stadium France on 22 July, has been postponed until further notice.
Additionally FIM and SX Global confirm that a new round in Abu Dhabi has been added to the 2023 calendar.Yas Island, Abu Dhabi will host the penultimate round of the FIM World Supercross Championship (WSX) in 2023. The WSX Abu Dhabi GP will be held over two days at the Etihad Arena on Yas Island on 4-5 November 2023. The historic event will be the first time a World Supercross event has been held in the region.
Date | Venue, Stadium | Country |
01 July | Birmingham, Villa Park Stadium | Great Britain |
30 September | Asian Grand Prix (TBA) | South-East Asia |
14 October | Dusseldorf, Merkus Spiel Arena | Germany |
28 October | Vancouver, BC Place Stadium | Canada |
4-5 November | Yas Island, Abu Dhabi | United Arab Emirates |
24-25 November | Melbourne, Marvel Stadium | Australia |
2023 AFTN Rounds One & Two – Appin
The 2023 Aussie Flat Track Nationals (AFTN) season fired into life in spectacular fashion over the weekend as Appin played host to the opening two rounds of the six round national series.
With both rounds following the same program of Qualifying, Superpole for the top six Pro 450 riders, and four races varying in length from 6 to 15 laps through the day across both Flat Track and TT circuits, Mick Kirkness (Pro 450), Cameron Dunker (Junior Lites), Jed Fyffe (Junior 85) and Shane Gale (Clubman Open) are now the current class series leaders.
Full report and results on the way.
Pro 450 Standings – Top 5
Pos | Rider | Total |
1 | Michael KIRKNESS | 413 |
2 | Jarred BROOK | 384 |
3 | Daniel WICKS | 339 |
4 | Cyshan WEALE | 337 |
5 | Matthew DAVIES | 329 |
Junior Lites Standings – Top 5
Pos | Rider | Man. | Total |
1 | Cameron DUNKER | Yamaha | 413 |
2 | Lachlan RUSSELL | KTM | 407 |
3 | Thoren OPENSHAW | KTM | 348 |
4 | Bodie PAIGE | KTM | 342 |
5 | Cooper ARCHIBALD | KTM | 320 |
Junior 85 Standings – Top 5
Pos | Rider | Man. | Total |
1 | Jed FYFFE | KTM | 440 |
2 | Lenny DUGGAN | Honda | 372 |
3 | Lockie DUGGAN | KTM | 365 |
4 | Zac BRADY | Honda | 302 |
5 | Charlie NICHOLS | Kawasaki | 286 |
Clubman Standings – Top 5
Pos | Rider | Man. | Total |
1 | Shane GALE | GasGas | 394 |
2 | Darren WEBB | KTM | 378 |
3 | Lee HUNTER | KTM | 364 |
4 | Rory HUTCHINSON | KTM | 359 |
5 | Neil GIRDLER | Kawasaki | 313 |
RedBud Scouting Moto Combine Report 2023
The 2023 RedBud Scouting Moto Combine took place on the eve of the FMF RedBud National, as a development program established to mentor the sport’s top amateur prospects and Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Casey Cochran took his first Combine victory.
Prior to hitting the track for a pair of 25-minute-plus-two laps motos, the invited group of 24 top A & B Class prospects were provided with insight and tutelage regarding training, nutrition, and media engagement in a classroom-style setting.
Additionally, riders were divided into four groups and assigned one of four combine coaches – Buddy Antunez, Broc Glover, Alex Martin, and Broc Tickle – for mentorship from some of the sport’s most respected and successful former pros.
Moto 1
The key to Cochran’s success on Friday was his prowess out of the starting gate. In Moto 1, he stormed out to the holeshot and early lead over Orange Brigade KTM’s Julien Beaumer and quickly built a multi-second advantage over the field.
Behind him Beaumer and Monster Energy Kawasaki Team Green’s Drew Adams soon settled into second and third, respectively. However, Beaumer came up short on RedBud’s famed LaRocco’s Leap and damaged the spokes on his wheel, which would hinder his progress as the race continued. The top three in the running order remained unchanged leading up to the midway point of the moto.
Cochran continued to build on his lead while Beaumer maintained his hold on second, despite the damage. Behind them, Adams was forced to deal with pressure from Orange Brigade KTM’s Ryder McNabb.
The Canadian started fifth but methodically worked his way into podium contention and made the pass on Adams for third right at the halfway mark. As Beaumer’s pace continued to be hampered from his damaged wheel he lost ground to McNabb and was eventually passed for second. Not long after he pulled out of the moto. That moved Adams back into third.
Out front Cochran led every lap and took the checkered flag 16.6 seconds ahead of McNabb, followed by Adams in third. Monster Energy Kawasaki Team Green’s Enzo Temmerman was fourth, while Orange Brigade KTM’s Preston Boespflug rounded out the top five.
Moto 2
As the field roared out the gate for the final moto of the day Cochran once again positioned his Husqvarna at the head of the pack with the holeshot while New Zealander Cole Davies slotted into second aboard his Yamaha ahead of Boespflug. Adams started in fourth, with Beaumer in fifth. McNabb started all the way back in 10th.
Much like the first moto, the clear track proved advantageous for Cochran as he once again opened a multi-second lead over his rivals. Davies and Boespflug engaged in a spirited battle for second through the opening laps, from which the KTM rider eventually got the upper hand and made the pass. Their battle also allowed Beaumer to stay in the hunt from fourth and he was able to drop Davies out of the top three with a pass for third just before the halfway point.
Beaumer continued his push forward and pressured his Orange Brigade teammate for several laps before making the pass on Boespflug for second. A three-rider battle amongst KTM teammates emerged in the waning laps as McNabb clawed his way into the top five and then into a fight for the podium. The Canadian made his way around Boespflug for third and closed in on Beaumer in his hunt for second.
Cochran once again enjoyed a drama-free moto and led every lap to put the finishing touches on a dominant afternoon. He took the win 7.9 seconds ahead of Beaumer, who rebounded from his Moto 1 misfortune and fended off late pressure to secure second, while McNabb settled for third, passing seven riders along the way.
With six minutes to go Lawrence was within striking distance of Roczen and went on the attack as soon as the opportunity presented itself. An outside line on an uphill off-camber gave Lawrence the momentum he needed to surge past Roczen and put another moto win within reach. Roczen kept him honest for a while, but Lawrence closed out the moto strong to keep his undefeated record intact by 2.4 seconds over Roczen, with Ferrandis in third.
RedBud Moto Combine Overall Results (Moto Finishes // Points)
Pos | Rider | Man. | Results | Points |
1 | Casey Cochran | Husqvarna | 1-1 | 50 |
2 | Ryder McNabb | KTM | 2-3 | 42 |
3 | Preston Boespflug | KTM | 5-4 | 34 |
4 | Enzo Temmerman | Kawasaki | 4-6 | 33 |
5 | Drew Adams | Kawasaki | 3-8 | 33 |
6 | Mark Fineis | GASGAS | 9-5 | 28 |
7 | Leum Oehlhof | Yamaha | 7-7 | 28 |
8 | Parker Ross | Honda | 8-9 | 25 |
9 | Trevin Nelson | Yamaha | 6-12 | 24 |
10 | Julien Beaumer | KTM | 21-2 | 22 |
2023 AMA Pro Motocross Round Five – RedBud
The AMA Pro Motocross championship returned to the track for round five at RedBud MX, which celebrated its 50th anniversary, where Team Honda HRC’s Jett Lawrence continued his streak with another perfect outing in which he led every lap to go 1-1 in the motos and capture his fifth straight victory.
Jett Lawrence
“That second [moto], it took me a little bit to find my flow—and it was the worst time for that because Dylan [Ferrandis] was right there! I didn’t even know he was there at first; I saw my pit board with the gap and was like, ‘Oh, we’ve got to step it up.’ Once I found my flow, I could go back to just trying to time things, and stuff like that. It’s been an awesome season so far. It’s Chase’s first race back since round 1, so he’s going to get better and better—and the same with Dylan; he’s made progress from the first race to now. We’ll just try to make sure we keep those starts good, because it makes it a lot easier on myself.”
In the 250 Class, an unpredictable afternoon saw heartbreak befall the championship leader and opened the door for a breakthrough performance for Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing rookie Haiden Deegan as the second-generation racer emerged with the first win.
Hunter Lawrence
“It was a bit of a hero-to-zero day here at RedBud. We executed perfect for our first-moto holeshot and rode good laps, well within my limits. The second moto was a bit of chaos after the start. I’m not entirely sure where it went wrong—I didn’t holeshot, so I guess that’s where it started. It’s unfortunate, but it is what it is—part of the sport. I’m thankful it’s nothing major; we’ll buff her out, and should be good to go.”
For the full report and results see:
Jett doubles up at RedBud – Disaster for Hunter
2023 AFT West Virginia Half-Mile
It was a tough weekend for the Aussies at the West Virginia Half-Mile, Max Whale having to settle for sixth with Tom Drane coming home in seventh, as Kody Kopp took the win and extended his standings lead further.
In the SuperTwins we saw Jared Mees close down Dallas Daniels’ standings lead with a win, now sitting just five-points off. Briar Bauman a close second, well clear of Daniels.
For the full report and results see:
Mees & Kopp top West Virginia HM | Whale & Drane P6 & P7
MXGP 2023 Round 11 – MXGP of Lombok – Indonesia
For the full report and results see:
Febvre & Prado top MXGP of Lombok | Geerts MX2 victor
Round 11 of the 2023 FIM Motocross World Championship took place over the weekend, in Lombok, Indonesia at the Selaparang Circuit, where Kawasaki Racing Team’s Romain Febvre claimed the round win. Red Bull GASGAS Factory Racing’s Jorge Prado and Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP Team’s Glenn Coldenhoff rounded out the overall podium.
In MX2, Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MX2 Team’s Jago Geerts was back on top going 1-1-1 and winning his first Grand Prix since injury. Red Plate Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Andrea Adamo showed speed and finished second in front of Red Bull GASGAS Factory Racing’s Simon Laengenfelder who got his second podium of the season and his first since his injury.
Aussie Mitch Evans had to dig deep after waking up sick in the morning. He quickly moved forward to ninth in race one, but was clearly feeling the impact of the humid conditions during the later stages of the race, particularly through the energy-sapping rhythm section, and sensibly settled for twelfth at the finish.
The Australian again found himself ninth by the second lap of race two and settled into a solid rhythm to maintain that position to the chequered flag. Tenth overall on the day, he has jumped to fifteenth in the series standings.
Mitch Evans
“It was a difficult day for me. I woke up feeling a little sick this morning, so the main goal in the end was to get out of here healthy. We have some more new parts to test when we get back to Europe so I’m looking forward to Loket.”
2023 MXGP of Lombok – Indonesia
2023 Hattah Desert Race
The 2023 Hattah Desert Race raced into full force over the weekend. Jack Simpson topped the prologue, with Korey McMahon, Todd Waters, Andrew Wilksch and Nathan Trigg filling out the top five rankings heading into the main event.
Sunday’s eight-lap race began with 22-year-old Semmens (Trail Jesters KTM Racing Team) making a succession of quick moves into third, before steadily hunting down the leaders and moving into the lead at the midway mark.
From there the now US-based Victorian managed the lead until the chequered flag flew to take his first Hattah overall and the 251cc-450cc four-stroke class win.
See the full report and results here:
Mason Semmens wins the 2023 Hattah Desert Race
2023 FIM EnduroGP Round Five – Slovakia
The EnduroGP of Slovakia kicked off with Beta Factory Racing’s Steve Holcombe securing the day one overall win, after a difficult 24 hours for the EnduroGP paddock following the untimely passing of Jaroslav Diro in the previous day’s AKRAPOVIC Super Test.
Holcombe was joined on the podium by GASGAS Factory Racing’s Andrea Verona and CH Racing Sherco’s Wil Ruprecht.
The final day of racing at round five went on to be a memorable one for GASGAS Factory Racing’s Andrea Verona, the Italian securing victory.
After a difficult season for the defending EnduroGP champion, Andrea came good, making the most of a technical issue suffered by Beta Factory Racing’s Steve Holcombe, to master the mud and rain and claim the overall win.
Holcombe placed a close second to take over the EnduroGP championship points lead while CH Racing Sherco’s Hamish MacDonald secured his debut EnduroGP podium with third.
See the full report and standings here:
Wil Ruprecht scores podium at EnduroGP of Slovakia
2023 Racing schedule
Revised 2023 MXGP Calendar (Remaining Rounds)
Date | Country | Venue |
04 June | Latvia | Kegums |
11 June | Germany | Teutschenthal |
25 June | Indonesia | Sumbawa |
02 July | Indonesia | Lombok |
16 July | Czech Republic | Loket |
23 July | Belgium | Lommel |
30 July | Finland | Hyvinkää |
13 August | Sweden | Uddevalla |
20 August | The Netherlands | Arnhem |
03 September | Türkiye | Afyonkarahisar |
17 September | Italy | Maggiora |
01 October | Great Britain | Matterley Basin |
2023 FIM EnduroGP World Championship Calendar
Date | Location | Country |
31 March-2 April | San Remo/Arma di Taggia | Italy |
5-7 May | Lalin | Spain |
26-28 May | Heinola | Finland |
1-3 June | Skövde | Sweden |
30 June-2 July | Gelnica | Slovakia |
29 Sept-1 Oct | Valpaços | Portugal |
6 -8 October | St Andre/Santiago do Cacem | Portugal |
2023 American Flat Track Calendar
Round | Date | Race | Location |
1 | March 9 | Daytona Flat Track I | Daytona Beach, FL |
2 | March 10 | Daytona Flat Track II | Daytona Beach, FL |
3 | March 25 | Senoia Short Track | Senoia, GA |
4 | April 1 | Arizona Bike Week | TBA |
5 | April 22 | Devil’s Bowl Half Mile | Mesquite, TX |
6 | May 6 | Ventura Short Track | Ventura, CA |
7 | May 13 | Sacramento Mile | Sacramento, CA |
8 | May 27 | Red Mile | Lexington, KY |
10 | June 17 | Du Quoin Mile | Du Quoin, IL |
11 | June 24 | Line Half-Mile | Lina, OH |
12 | July 1 | West Virginia Half-Mile | Mineral Wells, WV |
13 | July 8 | Orange Country Half-Mile | Middletown, NY |
14 | July 22 | Bridgeport Half-Mile | Bridgeport, NJ |
15 | July 30 | Peoria TT | Peroia, IL |
16 | August 6 | Buffalo Chip TT | Sturgis, SO |
17 | August 12 | Castle Rock TT | Castle Rock, WA |
18 | September 2 | Springfield Mile I | Springfield, IL |
19 | September 3 | Springfield Mile II | Springfield, IL |
2023 FIM World Supercross Calendar
Date | Venue, Stadium | Country |
01 July | Birmingham, Villa Park Stadium | Great Britain |
30 September | Asian Grand Prix (TBA) | South-East Asia |
14 October | Dusseldorf, Merkus Spiel Arena | Germany |
28 October | Vancouver, BC Place Stadium | Canada |
4-5 November | Yas Island, Abu Dhabi | United Arab Emirates |
24-25 November | Melbourne, Marvel Stadium | Australia |
2023 AMA SuperMotocross Calendar
Rnd | Series | Stadium | Location | Date |
4 | AMA SX | Angel Stadium | Anaheim, CA | January 28 |
5 | AMA SX | NRG Stadium | Houston, TX | February 4 |
6 | AMA SX | Raymond James Stadium | Tampa, FL | February 11 |
2* | AMA SX | RingCentral Coliseum | Oakland, CA | February 18 |
7 | AMA SX | AT&T Stadium | Arlington, TX | February 25 |
8 | AMA SX | Daytona Int. Speedway | Daytona Beach, FL | March 4 |
9 | AMA SX | Lucas Oil Stadium | Indianapolis, IN | March 11 |
10 | AMA SX | Ford Field | Detroit, MI | March 18 |
11 | AMA SX | Lumen Field | Seattle, WA | March 25 |
12 | AMA SX | State Farm Stadium | Glendale, AZ | April 8 |
13 | AMA SX | Atlanta Motor Speedway | Atlanta, GA | April 15 |
14 | AMA SX | MetLife Stadium | East Rutherford, NJ | April 22 |
15 | AMA SX | Nisssan Stadium | Nashville, TN | April 29 |
16 | AMA SX | Empower Field at Mile High | Denver, CO | May 6 |
17 | AMA SX | Rice-Eccles Stadium | Salt Lake City, UT | May 13 |
18 | ProMX | Fox Raceway National | Pala, CA | May 27 |
19 | ProMX | Hangtown Classic | Rancho Cordova, CA | June 3 |
20 | ProMX | Thunder Valley National | Lakewood, CO | June 10 |
21 | ProMX | High Point National | Mount Morris, PA | June 17 |
22 | ProMX | RedBud National | Buchanan, MI | July 1 |
23 | ProMX | Southwick National | Southwick, MA | July 8 |
24 | ProMX | Spring Creek National | Millville, MN | July 15 |
25 | ProMX | Washougal National | Washougal, WA | July 22 |
26 | ProMX | Unadilla National | New Berlin, NY | August 12 |
27 | ProMX | Budds Creek National | Mechanicsville, MD | August 19 |
28 | ProMX | Ironman National | Crawfordsbille, IN | August 26 |
29 | SMX | zMAX Dragway | Charlotte, NC | September 9 |
30 | SMX | Chicagoland Speedway | Joilet, IL | September 16 |
31 | SMX | LA Memorial Coliseum | Los Angeles, LA | September 23 |
2023 Penrite ProMX Championship calendar
Round | Location | Date | Classes |
Round 1 | WONTHAGGI, VIC | 5 March | MX1, MX2, MX3, MXW |
Round 2 | APPIN, NSW | 19 March | MX1, MX2, MX3 |
Round 3 | WODONGA, VIC | 16 April | MX1, MX2, MX3, |
Round 4 | TBA | TBA | TBA |
Round 5 | GILLMAN, SA | 28 May | MX1, MX2, MX3, MXW |
Round 6 | TOOWOOMBA, QLD | 25 June | MX1, MX2, MX3, |
Round 7 | QLD MOTO PARK (QMP) | 13 August | MX1, MX2, MX3, MXW |
Round 8 | COOLUM, QLD | 19-20 August | MX1, MX2, MX3, VETS, MXW |
GNCC 2023 Schedule
Date | Event | Location |
Feb 18-19 | Big Buck | Union, SC |
Mar 4-5 | Wild Boar | Palatka, FL |
Mar 11-12 | The General | Washington, GA |
Apr 1-2 | Tiger Run | Bick Buck Farm, Union SC |
Apr 15-16 | Camp Coker Bullet | Society Hill, SC |
May 6-7 | Hoosier | Crawfordsville, IN |
May 20-21 | The John Penton | Millfield, OH |
Jun 3-4 | Mason-Dixon | Mt. Morris, PA |
Jun 24-25 | Snowshoe | Snowshoe, WV |
Sep 16-17 | The Mountaineer | Beckley, WV |
Oct 7-8 | Buckwheat 100 | Newburg, WV |
Oct 21-22 | Ironman | Crawfordsville, IN |
2023 Australian Dirt Track Calendar
Date | Championship | Location |
April 15-16 | Australian Junior Dirt Track Championships | Mike Hatcher MCC (QLD) |
July 15-16 | Australian Junior Track Championships | Hunter MCC (Barleigh Ranch Circuit) (NSW) |
October 7-8 | Australian Senior Dirt Track Championships | Albury-Wodonga MCC (Diamond Park) (VIC) |
October 28-29 | Australian Senior Track Championships | Hunter MCC (Barleigh Ranch Circuit) (NSW) |
2023 FIM Long Track World Championship
FIM Long Track World Championship | |||
Date | Event | Venue | Country |
24 June | Challenge | La Réole | France |
18 May | Final | Herxheim | Germany |
17 June | Final | Ostrów | Poland |
13 July | Final | Marmande | France |
20 August | Final | Scheessel | Germany |
02 September | Final | Morizès | France |
17 September | Final | Mühldorf | Germany |
FIM Long Track of Nations | |||
24 September | Final | Roden | The Netherlands |
FIM Speedway Youth Gold Trophy | |||
08 July | Final | Holsted | Denmark |
FIM Track Racing Youth Gold Trophy | |||
23 July | Final | Gdańsk | Poland |
2023 FIM E-Xplorer World Cup Calendar
DATE | VENUE | COUNTRY |
13 May | Barcelona | Spain |
24 June | Crans-Montana* | Switzerland |
29 July | Vollore-Montagne | France |
09 September | TBA | USA |
28 October | Busan* | South Korea |
18 November | TBA | ASIA |
*Subject to contract |
2023 FIM Hard Enduro World Championship calendar
Round | Event | Date |
Round 1 | Xross, Serbia | May 17/18/19/20 |
Round 2 | Red Bull Erzbergrodeo, Austria | June 8/9/10/11 |
Round 3 | Red Bull Abestone, Italy | July 7/8/9 |
Round 4 | Red Bull Romaniacs, Romania | July 25/26/27/28/29 |
Round 5 | Red Bull Outliers, Canada | August 26/27 |
Round 6 | Roof of Africa, South Africa | September 28/29/30 |
Round 7 | 24MX GetzenRodeo, Germany | November 3/4 |
2023 Northern NSW Ironman MX Series Calendar
- Round 1 – 14th May Coonabarabran Goanna Tracks
- Round 2 – 18th June Coffs Harbour Motorcycle Club
- Round 3 – 25th June Hastings Valley Motorcycle Club
- Round 4 – 13th August Moree Motorcycle Club
- Round 5 – 3rd September Inverell Motorcycle Club (Finale & Presentation)
2023 FIM Baja World Cup calendar
Date | Venue | Country |
2-4 February | Saudi Baja- | Saudi Arabia |
16-18 March | Qatar International Baja | Qatar |
14-16 April | Baja TT | Dehesa Extremadura |
21-23 July | Baja Aragon | Spain |
10-12 August | Hungarian Baja | Hungary |
September-October* TBC | Baja do Oeste | Portugal |
2-4 November | Jordan Baja | Jordan |
December *TBC | Baja Dubai | UAE |
*To be confirmed = TBC |
2023 FIM Ice Speedway World Championship Calendar
2023 FIM Ice Speedway World Championship | |||
Date | Event | Venue | Country |
28 January | Qualifying round | Örnsköldsvik | Sweden |
18 – 19 March | Finals | Inzell | Germany |
01 – 02 April | Finals | Heerenveen* | The Netherlands |
FIM Speedway Grand Prix World Championship – Qualifying Meetings | |||
27 May | Qualifying round | Zarnovica | Slovakia |
27 May | Qualifying round | Lonigo | Italy |
29 May | Qualifying round | Abensberg | Germany |
29 May | Qualifying round | Debrecen | Hungary |
19 August | Challenge | Gislaved | Sweden |
FIM SGP2 World Championship – Qualifying Meetings | |||
20 May | Qualifying round | Pardubice | Czech Republic |
20 May | Qualifying round | Krsko | Slovenia |
20 May | Qualifying round | Vojens | Denmark |
FIM SGP3 World Championship – Semi finals | |||
12 July | Semi final 1 | Västervik | Sweden |
12 July | Semi final 2 | Västervik | Sweden |
FIM Flat Track World Championship | |||
TBA | Final | TBA | TBA |
09 September | Final | Debrecen | Hungary |
16 September | Final | Boves | Italy |
23 September | Final | Pardubice | Czech Republic |
07 October | Final | Morizès | France |
2023 FIM Sidecar Motocross World Championship Provisional Calendar
Date | Venue | Country |
26 March | Talavera de la Reina | Spain |
02 April | Alqueidao | Portugal |
07 May | Kramolin | Czech Republic |
14 May | Heerde | The Netherlands |
28 May | Brou | France |
11 June | Lange Motokeskus | Estonia |
18 June | Gdansk tbc | Poland |
25 June | Lommel | Belgium |
16 July | Strassbessenbach tbc | Germany |
22 July* | Red Brae | Northern Ireland |
30 July | Cusses Gorse | Great Britain |
20 August | Kaplice | Czech Republic |
17 September | Rudersberg | Germany |
01 October | Castelnau de Levis | France |