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Moto News Weekly Wrap
August 30, 2022

What’s New:

• Mitch Evans jersey joins MXoN fundraiser auction
• WSX reveals three-race main event format
• GSM Dafy Michelin Yamaha WSX line-up announced
• 2022 FIM International Six Days of Enduro kicks off in France
• 2022 Classic Dirt Track Charity Weekend Wrap
• Team USA & Brad Anderson win 2022 VMXDN
• Toni Bou wins TrialGP Round 5 in France
• Tanti & Canon’s AusProMX seasons in review
• 2022 Scouting Moto Combine at Ironman Raceway
• 2022 Red Bull Outliers Hard Enduro
• 2022 Junior Motocross World Championship Report
• 2022 FIM Speedway Youth World Championship Report
• 2022 Lucas Oil ProMX Round 11 – Ironman, Indiana Report
• 2022 Betard FIM Speedway GP of Poland – Wroclaw Report
• 2022 Racing Calendars

Mitch Evans jersey joins MXoN fundraiser auction

The MX of Nations is fundraising in 2022 with many of the top motocross competitor’s raced and signed jerseys going up for auction, offering a great opportunity to get your hands on some of the real deal gear of your favourite MX legend.

Jed Beaton’s signed MXGP jersey has now been joined by one provided by Mitch Evans.

See the full list here: MX of Nations Fundraiser Jersey Auctions

WSX reveals three-race main event format

SX Global, the Australian sports and entertainment company spearheading the FIM World Supercross Championship (WSX), have unveiled details for the competitive format to be ran in FIM World Supercross (WSX) Championship events – a format designed to maximize racing action, excitement and entertainment for fans at every WSX event.

The format will be three Main Event races for each class, with the combined individual results of each Main Event determining each Championship Round winner for both the WSX and SX2 classes.

The three, back-to-back Main Event format and shorter race durations significantly increases the overall level of intensity and unpredictability at every Championship round and makes getting effective starts and hole shots all the more critical. Much of this format has been tested successfully at SX Global-produced AUS-X Open events, with positive feedback from riders and fans alike.

In addition, the WSX class will feature a Superpole round – an individual time trial format, featuring the top-10 WSX heat race finishers, to determine the order for the Main Event races. Combined with adjacent entertainment, including live music and freestyle motocross exhibitions, the unique format translates into an unparalleled level of entertainment for fans at every WSX Championship round.

The competitive format at WSX Championship rounds breaks down as follows:

• Qualifying Session – WSX and SX2 fields will each be split into two separate timed qualifying sessions, with individual lap times determining the order for each class’ heat races. Each qualifying session will last 10 minutes, with final laps run to completion once the 10-minute session expires.
• Heat Races – WSX class heat races will determine the order for the Super Pole – a time-trial format exclusive to the WSX class that will determine the order of its Main Event round. The top five finishers in each of the two WSX heat races will earn a spot in the 10-rider Super Pole. The sixth to 11th place finishers in each heat will fill spots 11-22 in the gate pick order for the main event, with the faster overall heat taking precedent and gate picks alternating between the remaining riders.
  • For the SX2 class, in the same manner as with traditional supercross formats, heat races will determine the order for the main event. Collectively, the faster overall heat will take precedent, with gate pick choice for the Main Event alternating between the finishing order of the two SX2 heats.
• Superpole – Exclusive to the WSX class, the Super Pole round will feature 10 riders – the top-five finishers from the two WSX heat races. Featuring an individual time-trial format, lap times from the Super Pole round will determine the gate pick order of the top 10 for the WSX Main Event races.
• Main Events – Each WSX Championship round will see riders contest three ‘back-to-back’ Main Event races for each class, with only a short 5-minute break between each. The combined individual results determining the winner and podium spots for each Championship Round.
• Championship Points – FIM World Supercross Championship points will be awarded for each of the three Main Event races. Points will follow the traditional supercross format of 25, 22 and 20, 18 and 16 points respectively for first through fifth place, with the remaining 17 riders earning from 15 points to 1 point, depending on where they finish. It total, a maximum of 75 FIM World Championship Points are up for grabs at each WSX Championship round.
  • In addition to the Main Event races, the fastest SX2 qualifier and the winner of the WSX Superpole will be awarded one additional Championship point.
• Practice Sessions – As with traditional supercross event formats, practice sessions will take place during afternoons for the enjoyment of fans who arrive earlier and want to enjoy as much action as possible.

• 

GSM Dafy Michelin Yamaha WSX line-up announced

GSM Dafy Michelin Yamaha, the current French Supercross champions led by prominent former supercross and motocross rider Serge Guidetty, has announced its rider lineup for the pilot season of the FIM World Supercross Championship.

Competing for a world championship in the WSX class are experienced French riders Thomas Ramette, who holds multiple French and UK SX1 championships, and 2020 French MX2 champion Anthony Bourdon. Rounding out GSM Yamaha’s lineup of riders is Maxime Desprey, the 2021 French MX1 motocross champion and SX1 supercross champion, and up-and-coming American rider Carson Brown who will be competing in the SX2 class.

Serge Guidetty – GSM Dafy Michelin Yamaha Owner

“Our riders and team are well known in the inner motocross and supercross circles here in France, and now have a chance to truly stand out on a global stage thanks to the FIM World Supercross Championship. The opportunity to compete for an FIM-sanctioned world championship is truly special and our team is hungry to showcase its talent on a global stage, competing in front of millions of fans. We believe our team has the confidence, experience, and ability to compete for the title of world champion.”

2022 FIM International Six Days of Enduro kicks off in France

The battle has commenced in France for FIM International Six Days of Enduro (ISDE) honours.

The ninety-sixth edition of the FIM’s longest running off-road motorcycle competition, sees competitors of all ability levels gathering from more than thirty nations at this year’s FIM ISDE, it is at the head of the field where some of the greatest anticipation lies.

While many compete for the achievement of finishing such an iconic race, titanic battles are expected to form in the FIM World Trophy, FIM Junior Trophy, and FIM Women’s Trophy categories.

As defending champions of both the FIM World Trophy and FIM Junior World Trophy, Italy take to the start in Le Puy-En-Velay as the nation to beat, while it is the United States who have expectations of defending their FIM Women’s Trophy crown.

Fielding a team that is equally as talented as their 2021 winning line-up, Italy is undoubtedly hoping to secure back-to-back wins in the FIM World Trophy category. Led by current FIM EnduroGP points leader Andrea Verona (GASGAS), along with FIM ISDE stalwarts Thomas Oldrati (Honda) and Alex Salvini (Husqvarna), plus rising star Samuele Bernadini (Honda), ensures Italy will be tough to beat.

However, Italy has stiff competition by way of the national squads from Great Britain, United States, Spain, Sweden, Australia, and of course host nation France. With a strong quartet of riders in Christophe Charlier (Beta), Hugo Blanjoue (KTM), Leo Le Quere (Sherco) and Till de Clercq (KTM) – spurred on by a wealth of home support – France are certain to rise to the challenge.

In the FIM Junior World Trophy competition Italy also start as defending champions, following their success on home soil last year. For many of these riders it will be their first taste of competition on the world stage and as is usual in the FIM ISDE, young talent will use the competition as a platform to shine, as so many young Aussies have done in the past which has given them a stepping stone into European competition.

In total fifteen nations will challenge Italy for top honours. Led by newly crowned FIM Enduro Junior World Champion Zach Pichon (Sherco), France has good reason to be optimistic for success this week.

When it comes to the FIM Women’s World Trophy category, only France, United States, and Australia have ever tasted victory since its introduction in 2007. And while the United States start as defending champions in France, both Great Britain and Spain pose a real threat of adding their names to that illustrious winners’ list.

We will follow the progress all week on MCNews.com.au.

2022 International Six Day Enduro – Day 1
World Trophy Team

A further four seconds behind Great Britain are the United States in fourth. The United States figure highly in the overall individual results and will look to close that gap to Italy and Great Britain on Day Two.

Positions sixth to tenth are a little more spread out. Bolstered by Mikael Persson (Husqvarna) ending his day in third overall, Sweden are sixth.

For full results see the full report:
Spain leads ISDE 2022 after Day One | Australia P7

E1

Australia’s Daniel Milner topped the E1 class for Day 1 on his Fantic machine, ahead of Andrea Verona and Oldrati Thomas, while Junior rider Zachary Pichon was fourth.

Other Aussies competing in the E1 class were all Yamaha mounted, with Kyron Bacon 13th, Josh Green 14th, Blake Hollis in the Junior category 33rd, and Jess Gardiner in the Women’s in 55th.

E2

Josep Garcia was the fastest E2 competitor, clear of Steve Holcombe and Hugo Blanjoue, with the top Australian Todd Waters in 20th, followed by Aussie Junior Korey McMahon in 25th, and Women’s riders Emelie Karlsson in 52nd and Ebony Nielsen in 58th.

E3

Mikael Persson topped the E3 class  for Day One, a second and a half ahead of Jaume Betriu, with Leo Le Quere in third. Top and only Aussie in the class was Andrew Wilksch in seventh.

Junior World Trophy

Defending nation Italy have shot out to an early Junior World Trophy team lead in this year’s FIM International Six Days of Enduro (ISDE), leading closest rivals Finland by over one minute and thirty-two seconds, with Great Britain in third.

Drama hit home nation France with team rider Antoine Alix (KTM) exiting the race with a mechanical issue in the opening special test. Sweden and the United States also suffered similar problems on Day One with both nations each losing a rider to drop them out of the running order.

However, at the head of the standings it was all about Italy. Collectively the trio of Morgan Lesiardo (Sherco), Enrico Rinaldi (GASGAS) and Claudio Spanu (Honda) looked impressively strong as they stretched out a comfortable lead to top the opening day of racing.

Behind them, Finland slotted into second. Great Britain sit third overall on Day One to match their position in the provisional World Trophy standings and are about thirty three seconds behind Finland.

Chile enjoyed a strong start to their week with fourth, while Czech Republic rounding out the top five.

While France’s hopes of a Junior World Trophy win ended early on Day One, Zach Pichon (Sherco) still gave them reason to cheer by finishing as the fastest Junior Trophy rider in sixth overall.

Australia’s Junior efforts were led by Kyron Bacon, with the team sitting in seventh, with Korey McMahon and Blake Hollis completing the line-up.

Women’s World Trophy

Setting the benchmark United States lead the Women’s World Trophy category after Day One. Eager to make their mark in France, the United States were unstoppable. Brandy Richards (KTM) and Korie Steede (KTM) finished first and second in the individual women’s classification, and with teammate Rachel Gutish (GASGAS) close behind in sixth. USA ends Day One with a healthy three minute and fifty-five second lead over Great Britain, with France in third.

From the first of today’s five special tests, Richards was on top form. Winning the opening special test, she was never headed for the rest of the day and comfortably topped the classification by one minute and fourteen seconds.

Brandy Richards – Team USA

“It’s awesome to start off today with a team win and be first in class. You never quite know how the opening day will go, but we were determined to make the best of it. We don’t race this format of Enduro at home, so it’s rewarding to be on pace already. Let’s hope we can build on this for tomorrow!”

The fight for second was close with Steede battling hard with Great Britain’s Jane Daniels (Fantic). The duo swapped positions during the day, before Steede finally got the upper hand on the final test.

Ending Day One in third, France will be pleased with their efforts today. Multiple FIM ISDE champions Australia completes the top four, with Sweden Spain next in fifth.

2022 Classic Dirt Track Charity Weekend Wrap

With Peter Baker

The City of Penrith Motorcycle club staged its 15th Classic Dirt Track Charity Weekend at the Nepean Raceway on the weekend of August 27-28 after having not been able to hold the event for the past two years.

There were lots of old bikes, although not as many as in some previous years, and of course lots of old riders, along with a few younger riders generally riding bikes that had previously been ridden by fathers or uncles.
The whole two days was a great success marked by some great camaraderie between competitors.

Despite the convivial attitude, when the gate dropped the ‘race face’ was well and truly on even though there were no ‘sheep stations’ on offer. Pleasingly everyone rode sensibly, remembering that they (the rider) and their bikes are not as young as they used to be.

While there was some dwindling of machines over the course of the weekend the reliability of these machines from past eras was pretty good. Most pleasing was that the attending medico only moved from her station once on Sunday, but was not required as former speedway rider Mark Collins was quickly on his feet after clouting a tyre barrier. Collins contested his final ride.

A number of competitors have been regularly involved in this meeting in the past and treat the weekend as a ‘must-do’ event.

Special mention must be made of Ronald Draper who contested the Super Senior class, which he won.
It was not his first appearance at the Charity Weekend – big deal, well it is because he travelled from Proserpine in North Queensland to Sydney’s outskirts.

The whole weekend was probably best summed by regular dirt track sidecar rider Matthew Brown who couldn’t ride on three wheels because his bike is not quite old enough.

Brown rode on two wheels and while accepting a trophy said that he ‘had been smiling all weekend.’ An additional feature on Sunday was the display of some speedway bikes and other motorcycles, plus machines representing the Speedway Kart Club and the Vintage Speedcar Association of NSW – both of which are also users of the Nepean Raceway.

Action actually started on Saturday with two 25-lap races – one each for the Classic and Post Classic classes.
Darren Saxon finally won the Classic enduro for the first time leading home Graeme Judd and Darren Webb, before Lee Hunter beat Kenny Angel and Glen D’Agastino in the Post Classic version.

On Sunday there were 15 different classes of competition with the honours going to Darren Saxon with three class wins and Kenny Angel two.

Other class winners included Clinton McDonald, Reece Crimeen, Brett Chipperfield, Brendan Tickner, Graeme Judd and John Ewing.

Ronald Draper won the Super Seniors, Brett Glover and Christopher Steep won the two Slider classes and Charlie and Tom White took the honours in the Dirt Track Sidecars.

The City of Penrith Motorcycle Club is tallying up the profits of the meeting which will be donated to the Heart Foundation.

And, plans are already underway for the 16th Classic Dirt Track Charity Weekend in 2023- check out the Club’s Facebook page early next year and don’t miss the event.

Team USA & Brad Anderson win 2022 VMXDN

Team USA has won the 2022 Vets MXdN, fighting off Britain and Northern Ireland for the top spot overall.

In the individual standings, it was Brad Anderson who took top honours, winning the last race and proving consistency is king. He won from Neville Bradshaw and Mike Brown who tied on 12-points, to Anderson’s 10.

Brown started strong with two first placed, before recording runner up in the third race, dropping to eighth in the final race.

Bradshaw came home fourth in the opening two races, before winning race three and claiming third in the final, pipping Brown for second.

Brad Anderson in comparison was third across the first three races, before winning that final for the overall.

Fourth placed Mel Pocock went 2-2-5-6, dropping off after a strong start, eventually collecting 15-points.

Toni Bou wins TrialGP Round 5 in France

Repsol Honda Trial Team rider Toni Bou sealed a crucial and comfortable victory in the French town of Cahors that moves him ever closer to a new TrialGP title, with team-mate Gabriel Marcelli fourth after a very closely-fought battle for the podium.

As the 2022 TrialGP World Championship heads into the home straight, the world championship riders were once again faced with the scorching temperatures of Cahors, a course with stone-filled natural and artificial areas, adapted into the urban landscape.

From the get-go, Toni Bou showed great technical and riding prowess, dominating the first lap from start to finish and collecting just 6 penalty marks. The Repsol Honda Trial Team rider’s performance was outstanding in sections 3 and 11, with Bou managing to avoid a fiasco and gaining the edge over his rivals.

The Catalan rider got the second lap underway with an error in the highly complicated section 3, although his solidity throughout the remaining sections proved sufficient to claim another triumph in the TrialGP World Championship, a sixth of the season. The win in France means that Bou now holds 154 points, 36 points ahead of the second-placed rider as he closes in on a 16th TrialGP title.

The curtain comes down on the TrialGP World Championship with the forthcoming TrialGP of Italy, set to take place from the 16th – 18th September in the Italian town of Ponte de Legno.

There, Toni Bou could seal the 16th TrialGP title on the opening day of competition.

Toni Bou – P1

“Today we got off to a very good start. I felt good on the bike and that showed throughout the trial. It was a trial with few mistakes, but with the chance of messing up, so we had to be careful in the most complicated sections. The only serious error I made was in the tricky section three. Overall, we had a very complete trial, picking up just 12 marks. I’m very happy and in terms of the championship, these are very important points. In Italy we will have to have a normal race, taking care of the physical aspect and the bike too. We will go after another title, after a very good year in which we have been very consistent in all the championships.”

TrialGP Standings after Round 5 (France)

Tanti & Canon’s AusProMX domination in review

Yamaha Racing can lay claim to having the fastest man and woman on dirt in Australia as Aaron Tanti and Charli Cannon won the 2022 ProMX Championships after the final round of racing was completed at Coolum, last weekend.

Tanti, on board his CDR Yamaha Monster Energy Team YZ450F, had a season to remember racking up six podiums from the eight rounds, highlighted by two round wins at Gilman and Maitland. His improved speed and consistency were there every round, and he had built up a comfortable 24-point lead heading into the final round meaning that he has room for error if things got intense at Coolum.

Craig Dack – CDR Yamaha Boss

“The Tanti story is a remarkable one, he had never won a national title as a junior or a professional, his best result as a pro was second in MX2 way back in 2018 and he had only ever podiumed in one race on a 450, yet he wins the 2022 championship in convincing fashion. It showed his fighting spirit, his will to never give up on his dream and that with some hard work, guidance and dedication, everything and anything is achievable. It’s been huge year of growth for Aaron both on and off the track and at age 26, is only coming into his prime years now. He has become more confident in his abilities and matured off the track into a dedicated and professional athlete. When Luke went down at round two, we rallied the team around Aaron, gave him the support he needed and to his credit he rose to the occasion, didn’t buckle under the pressure, and won another national motocross championship for CDR. It’s a great coming of age and we congratulate him on an amazing motocross championship.”

Tanti now prepares for the supercross season where he will be a busy man, retaining his SX1 duties with CDR Yamaha Monster Energy team in Australia, but also taking on the SX2 (250cc) role with CDR International for the Global SX campaign.

Thor MX1 Final Championship Points

Charli Cannon burst onto the national scene taking all before her in a complete domination of the Women’s ProMX Championship. She won all six motos contested and was simply a cut above her rivals.

Not many were aware of the 16year old blonde-haired girl from the Sunshine Coast, but they soon were as she took it to the competition at round one in Wonthaggi and never looked back. 2022 was her first season in senior racing and shook up the established women in racing with her speed, fitness, and determination.

Mike Ward – Yamalube Yamaha Racing Team

“Charli has been great to work with and deserves every success that comes her way, she works as hard as anyone on her fitness, her technique and her racing and it shows on the track as she improved every round. Charli’s round six result with the guys in the MX2 class was sensational and it gave her that confidence to keep challenging herself to be a better rider. Off the track she has had a big year as she has had to learn to deal with the media attention of being a champion. I don’t think there was a round where she didn’t have to do an interview, or autograph session or some media commitment and she handled it well. Hopefully, she becomes the face of women’s racing, not just here, but internationally as she would be a great role model for young girls and women everywhere.”

Cannon flies out this week to contest the final round of the WMXGP in Afyon Turkey. All eyes will be on her to see how she stacks up against the best in the world.

EziLift MXW Championship Points

2022 Scouting Moto Combine at Ironman Raceway

Images by Align Media

The 2022 MX Sports Pro Racing Scouting Moto Combine, presented by U.S. Air Force Special Warfare, hosted its second gathering on Friday at Indiana’s Ironman Raceway, on the eve of the 11th and penultimate round of the 50th Anniversary of the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing.

A total of 23 riders composed arguably the most talented field of amateur prospects to date for the program, where a pair of motos were contested in front of a captive audience of key industry figureheads. At the end of a busy day that featured practice and classroom-style education sessions in addition to the motos, Team Honda HRC’s Chance Hymas, coached by Michael Byrne, put forth a dominant performance with a 1-1 effort that resulted in his first victory at the Scouting Moto Combine.

The combine journey at Ironman got underway with morning practices, which were interwoven by education sessions surrounding training, fitness and nutrition, as well as multiple facets of media engagement. Riders were broken up into four groups, assigned to one of four esteemed coaches–Byrne, Broc Glover, Chad Reed, and Broc Tickle–who provided mentorship throughout the day. A pair of 25-minute-plus-two lap motos served as the culmination of the afternoon.

Moto 1

The key to Hymas’ success all afternoon centered on the start, where Hymas put his Honda out front early ahead of NSA Yamaha Factory Amateur Team’s Evan Ferry, who made his first combine appearance.

These two riders were able to open a gap on the field in the opening laps and soon Hymas began to inch away from Ferry, who settled into second. A heated battled for third ensued between NSA Yamaha Factory Amateur Team’s Logan Best and Monster Energy Kawasaki Team Green’s Preston Boespflug, which soon saw Boespflug make the pass after a couple laps.

Back up front, Hymas quickly assumed firm control of the moto and enjoyed a multi-second advantage over Ferry. However, all that was erased when Hymas tipped over. He remounted and got rolling quickly, but the miscue allowed Ferry to assume the lead as Hymas resumed in second.

The Honda rider quickly tracked down his Yamaha rival and reclaimed the top spot less than a lap later, while Boespflug saw his podium hopes slip away with a tip over of his own that moved a hard-charging Mark Fineis to overcome a seventh place start and take over third aboard his KTM Orange Brigade machine.

With the lead back in hand, Hymas methodically rebuilt the gap he established in the early stages of the moto. He went unchallenged through the remainder of the moto and cruised home to the Moto 1 victory by 7.2 seconds over Ferry, who maintained his strong hold of second the rest of the way, despite a late push by Fineis to close the gap from third. KTM Orange Brigade’s Daxton Bennick finished in a distant fourth, overcoming a 12th-place start, while Boespflug soldiered home in fifth.

Moto 2

Hymas was on point yet again as the gate dropped on Moto 2, storming out to the holeshot to seize early control of the moto that he’d never relinquish.

Bennick enjoyed much better fortunes and easily slotted into second behind Hymas, while MJ Racing KTM’s Matti Jorgensen started third. After a strong runner-up effort in the first moto, Ferry faced an uphill battle on the outset of Moto 2 with a seventh-place start.

Much like the opening moto, it didn’t take long for Hymas to march away from the field. While he lost touch to the lead, Bennick was able to put a stranglehold on second as he did all he could to keep Hymas honest and potentially take advantage of any misfortune.

Jorgensen’s hold of third saw him fend off early pressure from NSA Yamaha Factory Amateur Team’s Jayden Clough before EBR Performance Yamaha’s Julien Beaumer moved into fourth. Misfortune then struck Jorgensen just past the halfway point of the moto as he went down and ultimately retired from the race. That allowed Ferry, who methodically marched his way forward, to grab late control of third.

From there the top three remained unchanged as each rider rode to the finish without any sense of pressure. Hymas went wire-to-wire to take the Moto 2 win and complete the sweep 6.8 seconds ahead of Bennick, with Ferry a distant third.

Overall

Hymas’ maiden combine triumph came in emphatic fashion, with a 1-1 performance that was never in doubt over the course of both motos. The dominant outing was punctuated with confirmation that Team Honda HRC will reward Hymas by allowing him to take the next step of his budding career, where the Idaho native will make his pro debut at the final round of the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship next weekend.

The resilient rides by both Ferry and Bennick were rewarded in the overall standings, as Ferry secured the runner-up finish in his combine debut with a pair of moto podiums (2-3) and Bennick rounded out the overall podium in third (4-2).

Ironman Moto Combine Overall Results (Moto Finishes / Points)

1. Chance Hymas, Pocatello, Idaho, Honda (1-1 // 50)
2. Evan Ferry, Largo, Florida, Yamaha (2-3 // 42)
3. Daxton Bennick, Morganton, N.C., KTM (4-2 // 40)
4. Mark Fineis, Westfield, Indiana, KTM (3-4 // 38)
5. Enzo Temmerman, Visalia, California, Kawasaki (7-7 // 28)
6. Jayden Clough, Elko, Minnesota, Yamaha (11-5 // 26)
7. Drew Adams, Chattanooga, Tennessee, Kawasaki (6-10 // 26)
8. Trevor Colip, Bowling Green, Indiana, GASGAS (8-9 // 25)
9. Noah Stevens, Danbury, North Carolina, GASGAS (12-6 // 24)
10. Logan Best, North Port, Florida, Yamaha (13-8 // 21)

The 2022 MX Sports Pro Racing Scouting Moto Combine will host its final gathering in conjunction with the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship finale in one week, with a return to Southern California’s Fox Raceway at Pala. The action from the epicenter of the motocross industry will take place on Friday, September 2.

2022 Red Bull Outliers Hard Enduro

Images courtesy of Red Bull Content Pool

Germany’s Manuel Lettenbichler rode to victory at the Red Bull Outliers in Canada, marking round seven of the Hard Enduro Championship. The Red Bull KTM Factory Racing rider overcame home favourite FMF KTM Factory Racing’s Trystan Hart to take the win and claim the championship lead with just one round remaining. Sherco Factory Racing’s Mario Roman pushed the duo hard all the way to round out the podium in third.

Making its first ever stop on Canadian soil, the FIM Hard Enduro World Championship witnessed a bar-to-bar battle at Red Bull Outliers. In the heart of its Badlands region, the world’s best Hard Enduro riders went head-to-head at the penultimate round of the season.

Staged across two days, racing got underway in downtown Calgary with an urban Endurocross prologue. However, with the weather turning sour, extremely heavy rain meant the action was short-lived with racing brought to an early close for the day.

With the weather back on side for Sunday, riders faced a two-and-a-half-hour multi-lap Hard Enduro battle through the Badlands region. Famed for its dinosaur fossils, the barren area also served up a mean Hard Enduro course. Steep climbs, tricky off camber traverses and tough drop offs ensured a brutal course to master.

Chasing a home win, Hart meant business at Red Bull Outliers and was eager to add to the victory he secured last time out at Red Bull TKO. However, with round seven also serving as the penultimate stop of the season, it was crunch time for both Roman and Lettenbichler in the championship fight. Separated by only one point, in Roman’s favour, going into the event both knew a winning result in Canada could dramatically turn the tables heading into round eight.

Hart was quick off the line and tried to make a break, but Lettenbichler, and soon after Roman, had closed the gap. Numerous times each rider pushed to open a lead, but every time they were pulled back in. Back and forth, the lead changed hands multiple times.

With the laps closing down Lettenbichler made a final break for it, taking Hart with him, Roman unable to respond this time. The duo were neck and neck. With the final climb set to decide the outcome, Lettenbichler left it all on the line. Despite a mistake in the final 20 metres, he was quick to remount and took the win by just six seconds.

Although missing out on the home win he came to get, Hart was happy with his efforts for second. Completing the podium, Roman finished just three minutes behind in third. With the top three breaking away, Jarvis Racing Team’s Graham Jarvis took fourth, while GASGAS Factory Racing’s Taddy Blazusiak rounded out the top five.

With one round remaining, advantage is now on Lettenbichler’s side. The German holds a four-point lead over Roman, with just the eighth and final round of the 2022 FIM Hard Enduro World Championship remaining, the 24MX Hixpania Hard Enduro on October 7-9.

Manuel Lettenbichler – P1

“I’m pretty tired but so stoked to take the win. It was such an epic battle all the way. The race was so intense, we were back and forward all the time. Trystan really wanted it and wasn’t giving up, but I wasn’t giving up either. And I just made it for the win. For the championship it’s a pretty good result too. I’m leading now with one round to go and with Trystan finishing second today it’s added a few extra points between Mario and myself too.”

Trystan Hart – P2

“Man that was a crazy race. Mani, Mario, and myself were just going at it. It was a battle the whole race. I was swapping places with Mani and then it came right down to the wire between us two. Every time I thought I would break away I made a mistake and vice versa. It was a heck of a race for two and a half hours.”

Provisional Results: Round 7 – Red Bull Outliers

1. Manuel Lettenbichler (KTM)
2. Trystan Hart (KTM)
3. Mario Roman (Sherco)
4. Graham Jarvis (Husqvarna)
5. Taddy Blazusiak (GASGAS)

Provisional Championship Standings (After Round 7)

1. Manuel Lettenbichler (KTM) 107pts
2. Mario Roman (Sherco) 103pts
3. Graham Jarvis (Husqvarna) 82pts
4. Teodor Kabakchiev (KTM) 72pts
5. Billy Bolt (Husqvarna) 62pts
6. Alfredo Gomez (GASGAS) 57pts
7. Michael Walkner (GASGAS) 57pts
8. David Cyprian (KTM) 57pts
9. Trystan Hart (KTM) 50pts
10. Wade Young (Sherco) 46pts

2022 Junior Motocross World Championship Report

The 2022 FIM Junior Motocross World Champions and World Cup Winner were crowned in Vantaa, Finland over the weekend, after battles encompassing the 125, 85 and 65 cc classes.

Close racing saw young Dutchman Ivano Van Erp crowned this year’s 125cc Junior World Champion, while countryman Gyan Doensen became the 85cc Junior World Champion while Estonian Lucas Leok won the 65cc World Cup.

In the Nations standings, it was Team USA who were victorious, finishing on top ahead of Finland and Team Netherlands.

Australia was represented by Kayden Minear and Byron Dennis in the 125 cc class, with Minear finishing Race 1 in ninth and improving to eighth in Race 2. Dennis finished 24th in Race 1 but was ten laps down in Race 2.

KTM mounted Minear finished the day in seventh overall on 25-points, tied with six-placed Ferruccio Zanchi. Dennis was 39th overall.

Australians in the 85 cc class were Heath Fisher and Jack Deveson, both Husqvarna mounted, with Fisher finishing 11th in Race 1 before improving to sixth in Race 2 for seventh overall in the standings with 25-points.

Deveson meanwhile was 21st in Race 1, improving to 17th in Race 2 for four championship points, leaving him 23rd overall.

It was Seth Thomas and Ollie Birkitt flying the flag in the 65 cc class, claiming 31st and 35th overall respectively.

125 cc Junior World Championship

In 125 cc race one, Ivano Van Erp led the way after getting the Fox Holeshot ahead of Casey Cochran and Cas Valk. There were a few riders that went down in the first corner, including Edgar Canet.

By lap three, Valk and Janis Martins Reisulis overtook Cochran. Valk continued his charge and caught onto the rear wheel of Van Erp by the end of the race, though Van Erp was able to keep the EMX125 Presented by FMF Racing Champion at bay, to win the race while Valk settled for second ahead of J. Reisulis who was third.

In race two, the Fox Holeshot went to J. Reisulis as he led the way ahead of Mathias Valin, Alexis Fueri, Van Erp and Valk. As the race progressed, Van Erp and Valk got around Valin with Cochran and Ferruccio Zanchi just behind.

In the end, J. Reisulis won the race 6.995 seconds ahead of Van Erp and Valk who was a further 13 seconds behind.

A race win in the opening heat and second in race two meant that Ivano Van Erp was officially crowned the 125 cc FIM Junior World Championship and secured the gold medal, while race two winner Janis Martins Reisulis secured silver and Cas Valk took home the bronze medal.

Ivano Van Erp – 125 cc Junior World Champion

“I feel really good in this moment! I had a big crash on Wednesday, so I could not train on my bike. This weekend was my first time on it after the crash and I was struggling a little bit with the feeling on the bike. In the first race, I took a holeshot and controlled the race by myself. In the second race, I started sixth or seventh and then made a small mistake in the first corner. Then I took second and was faster than Janis [Reisulis] at the end, but I just took it easy, didn’t push, stayed second and became World Champion.”

125 cc Junior World Championship – Race 1 Results

125 cc Junior World Championship – Race 2 Results

125 cc Junior World Championship Standings

85 cc FIM Junior World Championship

In the first 85 cc race, the Fox Holeshot went to Mano Faure, while Gyan Doensen had a decent start as he worked his way up the order and into second. Jarné Bervoets was the leader for five laps until he made a mistake which allowed Doensen into the lead.

Bervoets then crashed which also allowed Vitezslav Marek into third. Marek had to fight back from seventh after a mid-field start.

In the second race, the Fox Holeshot was won by Filippo Mantovani, but his time in the lead was cut short as Doensen was quick to take over first place in the second corner. Marek was right there too, following the Dutchman as the two battled closely.

Marek pushed hard, searching for any opportunity to pass, and after 11 minutes of the race, he was able to finally get around Doensen and take over the lead. Marek looked in control until the penultimate lap where he crashed, which handed the race win and the title to Doensen. Bervoets finished third.

A 1-1 result meant that Gyan Doensen was crowned the 85cc FIM Junior Motocross World Champion of 2022 ahead of Vitezslav Marek who placed second and Jarné Bervoets who placed third overall and secured the bronze medal.

85 cc FIM Junior World Championship – Race 1

85 cc FIM Junior World Championship – Race 2

85 cc Junior World Championship Standings

65 cc Junior World Cup

In the first 65 cc race, it was Enri Lusts who took the Fox Holeshot, though by the second corner was passed by Lucas Leok, who led the entire seven laps of the race. Lusts dropped back to 12th, while crossing the line second was Viktor Leppälä and Moritz Ernecker who finished third.

Race two saw Lusts take the Fox Holeshot once again, though was quickly passed by Andrea Uccellini. Uccellini made a mistake which allowed Eeka Laaksonen to move into first place, but at this point Aston Allas and Leok were also closing in.

By lap three Allas and Leok were able to pass the leader. Two corners later Allas crashed and Leok was the new race leader. The young Estonian was able to open up a nice gap to the rest of the field.

Meanwhile Ricardo Bauer was fourth and was on a charge. The Austrian managed to catch and pass Jorge Salvador and Pau Ruiz Caudet to finish second as Leok won the race again.

A perfect score with two race wins meant that Lucas Leok was crowned the 2022 65cc World Cup Winner with Ricardo Bauer securing the silver medal while Moritz Ernecker claimed the bronze.

65 cc Junior World Cup – Race 1

65 cc Junior World Cup – Race 2

65 cc Junior World Cup Standings

2022 FIM Speedway Youth World Championship

First-ever Beckhoff FIM SGP3 champion Mikkel Andersen admits some pearls of wisdom from some of Denmark’s speedway greats helped him top the podium in Wroclaw on Friday.

Andersen won the newly-revamped FIM Speedway Youth World Championship on 13 points, leading a Danish one-two with Villads Nagel Christiansen, who won a run-off for second place against Polish shooting stars Antoni Kawczynski and Kacper Mania, who were placed third and fourth respectively, after the trio tied on 12.

Having won his Semi-Final on Thursday with a 15-point maximum, victory caps an incredible weekend for Andersen as he celebrated atop the podium where the Betard FIM Speedway GP of Poland – Wroclaw winner will be crowned on Saturday night.

This year’s under-16 finalists delivered an epic afternoon of racing in front of a crowd of around 2,500 people – a huge attendance for an FIM youth event.

The day belonged to Andersen – son of former Speedway GP winner Brian Andersen, who was in the pits helping throughout both days of racing. Mikkel admits he has also benefitted from the advice of triple world champion and Danish youth coach Erik Gundersen, as well as support from four-time world champion and national boss Hans Nielsen, who was in the pits this weekend.

Andersen was elated to become the first-ever FIM SGP3 champion and enjoyed his first taste of the SGP spotlight after overcoming a third place in his opening heat to go unbeaten in his final four rides.

Mikkel Andersen

“It feels amazing. I can’t describe it. I was not happy with my result in the first heat, but my dad calmed me down and we made it a bit better. It was nice to be part of SGP3 – it gives you a taste of what you want to get and where you want to be in the future.”

Runner-up Nagel Christiansen, who won the opening Semi-Final with a 15-point maximum on Thursday, was delighted with second place so soon after recovering from a broken collarbone.

Nagel Christiansen

“It was pretty hard after my broken collarbone. This was my comeback and it was pretty amazing. I don’t know what to say. I was just thinking I need to get on the podium and then that would be okay. I think the SGP3 setup is pretty good. It’s a professional set-up and it’s amazing to be here on the podium.”

Third-placed Kawczynski was roared on by a large group of Polish fans and admits reaching the rostrum exceeded his expectations.

Antoni Kawczynski

“I was thinking about fourth or fifth place. I saw the guys that were in it and was thinking it would be good to be on the podium. I wasn’t thinking so much about which place I would take. All I know is I could definitely feel the support from the crowd.”

Fourth-placed Mania was excluded from the run-off for the silver medal after colliding with Nagel Christiansen in the first staging of the race, with the Dane getting up to beat Kawczynski in the re-run. But Mania certainly showed his class with an exciting display at the iconic Olympic Stadium.

Some young Australian hopefuls made the trip to Poland to contest the event.  South Australian Ashley Jansen-Batchelor and Western Australian Colby Mason, but unfortunately the Aussie duo did not make it through to the hotly contested finals.

2022 FIM Speedway Youth World Championship
Beckhoff FIM SGP3 Scores

1. Mikkel Andersen (Denmark) 13
2. Villads Nagel Christiansen (Denmark) 12
3. Antoni Kawczynski (Poland) 12
4. Kacper Mania (Poland) 12
5. Sebastian Mayland (Denmark) 11
6. Szymon Ludwiczak (Poland) 9
7. Anton Jansson (Sweden) 9
8. Patrick Kruse (Denmark) 7
9. Adam Bednar (Czech Republic) 7
10. Luke Harrison (Great Britain) 6
11. Andreas Olsen (Denmark) 6
12. Patrick Hyjek (Germany) 5
13. Ace Pijper (Great Britain) 5
14. Frido Viidas (Estonia) 5
15. Alfons Wiltander (Sweden) 1
16. Gracjan Szostak (Poland) 0
17. Mario Hausl (Germany) DNR
18. Mikolaj Krok (Poland) DNR

2022 Lucas Oil ProMX Round 11 – Ironman, Indiana

Indiana’s Ironman Raceway lived up to the legacy of the motorsports crazed Indianapolis area with a memorable afternoon of racing at the penultimate round of the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship.

The Tucker Freight Lines Ironman National was destined to play a pivotal role in the late stages of the title fights of both the 450 Class and 250 Class, and it exceeded expectations in front of a massive crowd of passionate race fans.

The closest championship battle in the history of the sport remained just as tight at the end of two 450 Class motos, as Monster Energy Star Yamaha Racing’s Eli Tomac (1-2) and Team Honda HRC’s Chase Sexton (2-1) traded wins in what proved to be another memorable chapter of their historic title fight. Tomac prevailed with the Moto 1 win after a thrilling battle, as Sexton made an assertive statement with a Moto 2 triumph that allowed him to emerge victorious via tiebreaker. A single point still separates the leaders of the division, with Tomac narrowly holding the upper hand entering the final round.

Team Honda HRC’s Jett Lawrence came to Ironman with an outside chance at clinching a second straight title one round early, and after a dominant Moto 1 win that opportunity became a serious reality. However, a mid-pack start in the final moto, combined with an early lead by Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki’s Jo Shimoda, the primary challenger in the championship, forced Lawrence to come from behind. Although he missed out on wrapping up the 250 Class crown, Lawrence still prevailed with his eighth overall win of the season and moved one step closer to completing his title defence.

250 Moto One

The first gate drop of the afternoon began with Monster Energy Star Yamaha Racing’s Nate Thrasher at the head of the pack with the MotoSport.com Holeshot as Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s RJ Hampshire and Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Max Vohland gave chase. The lead trio set a torrid pace in the early stages of the moto, which allowed them to establish a gap on the field. A persistent Vohland was able to make the pass on Hampshire, last week’s winner, and then set his sights on the lead. Behind these three riders Jett Lawrence and Monster Energy Star Yamaha Racing’s Justin Cooper looked to close in from fourth and fifth, respectively.

Ten minutes into the moto Thrasher was able to extend his lead on Vohland, who came under fire from both Hampshire and Lawrence. A savvy Lawrence made a quick pass on Hampshire to take over third and then stalked the rear fender of Vohland for about a lap before taking control of second. Lawrence faced a 3.5 second deficit to the lead when he made the pass, just before the halfway point of the moto. Behind this, Hampshire passed Vohland for third.

Lawrence made quick work of the gap to Thrasher and wasted no time in making a pass for the lead as soon as he saw an opening. Once out front, the Honda rider quickly distanced himself from the field. As Lawrence pulled away the focus turned to the battle inside the top three as Hampshire closed in on Thrasher and successfully made the pass for second. The closing minutes of the moto saw a hard charge from Team Honda HRC’s Hunter Lawrence that allowed the Australian to close in on Thrasher and grab third.

Jett Lawrence cruised to his 10th moto win of the season by 6.9 seconds over Hampshire in second. Hunter Lawrence closed strong to finish third but was penalized two points for an infraction in which he jumped on a red cross/wheels on the ground flag. Thrasher parlayed his holeshot into a season-best fourth-place finish, while Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki’s Jo Shimoda rounded out the top five.

250 Moto Two

The second moto got underway with Cooper up front for the MotoSport.com Holeshot ahead of Shimoda. The Yamaha and Kawasaki riders battled it out on the opening lap as Shimoda was able to get around to complete the opening lap with the lead in hand. Hunter Lawrence followed in third while Jett Lawrence was mired outside the top 10 in 12th place.

A clear track allowed Shimoda to quickly establish a multi-second lead over Cooper as Hunter Lawrence settled into third with a comfortable gap over Thrasher in fourth. Further back, Jett Lawrence broke into the top 10 six minutes into the moto. While Shimoda continued to build on his lead the battle for second heated up between Cooper and Hunter Lawrence. The Honda rider paced Cooper for multiple laps and made the pass with a savvy inside move to take control of the position. As that unfolded Jett Lawrence was making his move on Vohland for fifth. Lawrence’s forward progress continued with a pass on Thrasher for fourth, which was enough to put him back in control of the overall standings. His comeback carried him onto the moto podium with a pass on Cooper for third with just under 10 minutes remaining.

Shimoda’s control of the moto was never in doubt as he maintained a lead approaching 10 seconds throughout the race and secured his fourth moto win of the season by 6.5 seconds over Hunter Lawrence, with Jett Lawrence in third.

250 Overall

The come-from-behind effort in Moto 2 helped Jett Lawrence secure his eighth overall victory of the season (1-3) and the 13th win of his career, which moves him into a tie for 10th on the all-time 250 Class wins list.

Shimoda ensured the championship battle will head to the final round with a runner-up effort (5-1), while Hunter Lawrence rounded out the overall podium in third (3-2), despite his point penalty from the first moto.

Jett Lawrence will carry a 41-point lead over Shimoda into the season finale as he looks to successfully defend his title at a track he’s undefeated at. Hunter Lawrence remains in the title hunt as well, with a 48-point deficit to his brother in third.

Jett Lawrence – P1

“It was a pretty good day—back to the normal consistency. I had a decent qualifying, and then in the first moto I was around sixth place on the start and made my way through to first; I had a really good flow and kind of rode my own race. In the second moto, I had a good jump, but then everyone went by and I was like 11th. I struggled with flow in the first few laps and actually went back a few positions. I finally caught a flow and was able to make my way through to third; by that time, Hunter and Jo [Shimoda] were already gone, so I was just happy with the overall win. It wasn’t too bad—good to be back on top of the overall box. Next week, we’re just going to treat it like a normal race—try to win and have fun.”

Jo Shimoda – P2

“It’s just starts [for me]. In the first moto it wasn’t good at all. In the second moto it was better. I got into the front and just kept charging. I’m happy with the result.”

Hunter Lawrence – P3

“I got docked in the first moto, but it is what it is. It was a tough second moto—it’s not easy when you’re not getting starts, because the top guys just get away so easily. We’re still carrying some good momentum, so we’ll have a good week of recovery and then come out swinging at Pala.”

250 Round Points

250 Championship Points Standings

450 Moto One

The opening premier class moto started with Monster Energy Star Yamaha Racing’s Christian Craig leading the field through the first turn for the MotoSport.com Holeshot. However, he was soon passed by Team Honda HRC’s Ken Roczen as Muc-Off/FXR/ClubMX Yamaha’s Shane McElrath slotted into third. Tomac and Sexton started outside the top five and top 10, respectively.

As Roczen sprinted out to an early lead of more than two seconds, Tomac made an impressive charge up to second where he passed McElrath, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Ryan Dungey, and Craig to put Roczen in his crosshairs. As Tomac made his move toward the lead Sexton responded with a charge into the top five, where he settled in behind Dungey.

As Sexton looked to break his way into the top three, Tomac pressured Roczen for the lead 10 minutes into the moto. Sexton made the pass on Craig for third as Tomac began looking for alternate lines to get around Roczen. Tomac was persistent and made the pass stick with nearly 18 minutes left. The Yamaha rider quickly opened a lead as Roczen and Sexton began a battle for second, from which Sexton made an easy pass on his teammate and looked to chip away at a 2.5 second deficit to Tomac as the moto reached its halfway point.

As they entered the final 10 minutes of the moto, mere bike lengths sat between Tomac and Sexton. Lapped riders factored into the fight for the lead as the momentum between both riders ebbed and flowed. Sexton was patient and pulled the trigger on an impressive outside-to-inside move that allowed him to cut under Tomac and take control of the moto with just over five minutes remaining. With the lead in hand, Sexton started to pull away from Tomac. A late push by Tomac saw him close back in with 90 seconds to go and was soon followed by an outside pass for the lead in the same section of the track where Sexton made his pass.

Tomac dropped the hammer and posted his fastest lap of the moto as time ran out on the clock, which allowed him to open a four-second lead. Sexton made a last-ditch effort to close in, but it wasn’t enough as Tomac took his 11th moto win of the season by 1.5 seconds. Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Aaron Plessinger finished a distant third, more than half a minute behind the leaders, followed by Dungey in fourth and Craig in fifth.

450 Moto Two

The final moto saw Sexton seize the moment to grab the MotoSport.com Holeshot, but he was soon passed by Roczen. Dungey slotted into third, with Tomac fourth and Plessinger fifth. The Honda teammates duked it out for the lead briefly, but Sexton got the edge and moved back out front. Roczen tucked in behind in second as Tomac made the pass for third and looked to wage battle with the red riders ahead of him.

Sexton was able to open a lead of more than three seconds in the opening 10 minutes of the moto as Roczen served as a buffer to his team-mate. While his deficit to Sexton continued to grow, Tomac didn’t put a wheel wrong and tactfully made the pass on Roczen. A little more than four seconds separated Sexton and Tomac once the Yamaha rider moved into the runner-up spot.

The distance between the leaders hovered around five seconds for several laps before Tomac picked up the pace as the moto surpassed the halfway point. Tomac posted his fastest lap of the moto, but Sexton responded one lap later with his own personal best to sustain the advantage. As Tomac continued to try and chip away at the deficit, the battle for third heated up behind him as Roczen and Plessinger engaged in battle, from which Plessinger emerged with the position.

Back up front, the gap between first and second dropped to less than two seconds as Sexton navigated lapped riders, sometimes to Tomac’s benefit. As they approached the final five minutes of the moto Tomac closed the deficit to a second and had Sexton within striking distance. A bobble by Tomac halted his momentum briefly and allowed Sexton to pull back out to a three second lead. Behind this battle up front, Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Jason Anderson was on a charge through the field that saw him easily pass Plessinger for third.

Sexton looked to cement his hold of the lead with another quick lap, which dropped Tomac six seconds behind. The lead continued to grow as time ran out on the moto. Sexton closed out his eighth moto win of the season by 11.2 seconds over Tomac. Anderson crossed the line in third but was penalized one position for an off-track excursion where he was deemed to have gained an advantage. That moved Plessinger into third.

450 Round

In trading moto wins, Sexton (2-1) and Tomac (1-2) finished tied atop the overall standings, but the second-moto tiebreaker gave the Honda rider his fourth victory of the season and his third win in the past four races. Tomac’s fourth straight runner-up finish extended his overall podium streak to 10 races, while Plessinger (3-3) earned his second podium result of the year.

With equal points for the afternoon, a single point still separates Tomac and Sexton in the championship standings in what is now the closest title fight in the history of the sport. The landmark battle will come down to the final two motos of the season.

Chase Sexton – P1

“Eli [Tomac] and I just can’t seem to get away from each other! I think the guy who loses the first moto has that much more motivation going into the second one, and that was me today. In the first moto, I wasn’t really surprised he caught me; lappers played a big role, and I lost some time. He was going fast, and he sucked me up; I guess he found some of my lines and connected them with his. When he got around me, he dropped me, which I wasn’t really expecting. I was able to keep the pressure on for moto 2, knowing that if he had won that, he could go 2-2 at Pala and still win the championship; that was something I had in my mind, and I went out there and got a good start. I knew if I didn’t have to come through the pack again, I’d have a little more energy; that was my game plan, and I executed it. Obviously, I would’ve liked to go 1-1, but to win the overall and still be down by only one point isn’t too shabby either. Now we’ve got two more motos we need to execute next weekend.”

Eli Tomac – P2

“I made a big push because he got stuck behind some lappers and I attacked. Then I tried a little too hard and made a mistake. I’m happy with the day though and happy with the result. We’ll move on to Pala [for the final round].”

Aaron Plessinger – P3

“That one didn’t come easy! I was really happy with how I was riding in the first moto but I think I kind of overdid it and going into the second moto I was a little smoked. I knew it was going to be tough but I had some good lines and jumped on the opportunity to make it happen. I really gel with this place; I’ve been coming here for years and it’s close to home so a lot of fans and family come up here and it fires me up. It’s been a tough year but we’re back on the podium baby!”

Ryan Dungey – P6

“The day was pretty good. We got the bike set up good during practice and I think that was the most important thing going into the motos. The bike performed really well in both motos and starts were good, so I was happy with where we were at. I really just tried to push it as hard as I could, for as long as I could, and the guys just had a little more than me today. Sometimes you have to accept that; it’s tough but we’ll rest up good this week and try to finish strong at Pala.”

Ken Roczen – P7

“We were running good in the first moto, and even after Eli and Chase passed me, I was still sticking with them. Then I unfortunately hit my boot in a rut and stalled it at the same time and fell over. I only ended up seventh in the first one, but we came out swinging again; I got another good start and was running up front. It was a tough race and I had to drop back a little bit. It’s not really the weekend that we wanted, but we’re healthy and have another one to go. We’re going to California, so it will be nice to get a little change of scenery and try to finish out the season strong.”

450 Round Points

450 Championship Points Standings

Next Up

The 2022 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship finale will bring the series back to the motocross epicenter of Southern California next Saturday, September 3, where champions will be crowned at Fox Raceway at Pala.

2022 Betard FIM Speedway GP of Poland – Wroclaw Report

Dan Bewley won the Betard FIM Speedway GP of Poland – Wroclaw on his Polish home track ahead of Denmark’s Leon Madsen in second and third-placed British racer Robert Lambert, who achieved his first-ever SGP rostrum finish.

The victory comes just two weeks after Bewley sent Cardiff crazy to become the first home FIM British Speedway GP winner at Principality Stadium for 15 years on August 13.

Bewley and Lambert – FIM Speedway of Nations world champions together in 2021 – wrote more history in Wroclaw. It’s the first time since the 2000 FIM British Speedway GP in Coventry that two Brits have reached an SGP podium. That event was won by wild card Martin Dugard, with eventual world champion Mark Loram placed third. Britain seems to have a new golden generation in the 2020s.

Dan Bewley

“After Cardiff, people said to me I should enjoy it, and I did enjoy it and take it in. But I wasn’t going to celebrate for the rest of the season after that. I wanted to keep pushing and keep working. I have some important meetings coming up and some big GPs left. It has been pretty good to keep pushing and get back on the podium again.”

Bewley was not expecting to be in the Speedway GP line-up for 2022. He only received a call-up following the suspension of Russian riders Artem Laguta and Emil Sayfutdinov due to the war in Ukraine.

Despite only receiving the opportunity just a month before the opening round, his victory in Wroclaw sees him surge up to third place in the Speedway GP standings on 84 points, putting him 24 behind series leader Bartosz Zmarzlik, who has 108 and reached the semi-finals, scoring 12 points tonight.

Second-placed Madsen is also second in the overall standings on 92, with Bewley now breathing down his neck for the silver medal.

Asked if he could have predicted such success when handed his surprise Speedway GP call-up in March, Bewley joked: “Somebody out there maybe did – they would have got great odds on it! It’s pretty special.”

Bewley admits sending his Polish home fans wild in Wroclaw was a special feeling at an event he always dreamed of competing in.

“I think it’s one every rider wants to win,” he said. “Cardiff is a cool event for the fans, but when I have been watching the racing on TV, Wroclaw has always been the best. It’s really cool to win in Great Britain and at my Polish home track in Wroclaw.”

Incredibly, Bewley only made the semi-final cut on countback, scraping in with eight race points. But victory in his semi-final and final converted that to 20 championship points.

“The way the points work, it all depends on the final,” he said. “You just have to be in it to win it. I knew when I had two races to go what I needed to do to get through on eight or nine points. We just made it and the rest was good after that.”

Despite closing Zmarzlik’s Speedway GP World Championship lead to 16 points, Madsen insists he is now focused on ensuring he starts 2023 in red-hot form, rather than hunting down the Pole.

Leon Madsen

“Our focus has switched to next season. We have been testing some new equipment tonight and we are definitely going in the right direction. I’m sure when we start up next season, we will have some new tools in the toolbox and hopefully you will see me start the season stronger than I did this year. Hopefully then I will be more able to fight for the gold medal.”

Third-placed Lambert fought his way past local hero Maciej Janowski on the run to the line to snatch his first-ever Speedway GP podium.

The Speedway GP world title race moves to another of its most storied venues on September 10 for the FIM Speedway GP of Denmark – Vojens, sponsored by ECCO.

Betard FIM Speedway GP of Poland – Wroclaw Scores

1. Dan Bewley 20
2. Leon Madsen 18
3. Robert Lambert 16
4. Maciej Janowski 14
5. Bartosz Zmarzlik 12
6. Patryk Dudek 11
7. Tai Woffinden 10
8. Mikkel Michelsen 9
9. Fredrik Lindgren 8
10. Gleb Chugunov 7
11. Jack Holder 6
12. Martin Vaculik 5
13. Jason Doyle 4
14. Pawel Przedpelski 3
15. Max Fricke 2
16. Andzejs Lebedevs 1

FIM Speedway GP World Championship Points Standings

1. Bartosz Zmarzlik 108
2. Leon Madsen 92
3. Dan Bewley 84
4. Patryk Dudek 76
5. Maciej Janowski 74
6. Fredrik Lindgren 70
7. Robert Lambert 68
8. Tai Woffinden 64
9. Mikkel Michelsen 61
10. Martin Vaculik 58
11. Jason Doyle 57
12. Anders Thomsen 51
13. Jack Holder 50
14. Max Fricke 43
15. Pawel Przedpelski 25
16. Matej Zagar 11
17. Kai Huckenbeck 7
18. Gleb Chugunov 7
19. Andzejs Lebedevs 7
20. Maksym Drabik 4
21. Szymon Wozniak 3
22. Jan Kvech 1
23. Tom Brennan 1

2022 Racing schedule

2022 Yamaha Australian Off-Road Championship, presented by MXstore

2022 FIM Motocross (MXGP) World Championship Calendar

2022 FIM Hard Enduro World Championship Provisional Schedule