Moto News | NZ MX Rnd2 | GNCC Big Buck | Speedway | ProMX | AORC

Moto News Weekly Wrap
February 23, 2021

What’s New:

• Josh Strange third as GNCC 2021 kicks off with Big Buck
• Hamish Harwood dominates NZ MX Round 2
• 2021 North Brisbane Speedway Masters
• Sam Smith wins FIM Baja opener
• Shoalhaven City Council sponsors 2021 AORC Rounds 1 & 2 in Nowra
• ProMX unveils 2021 initiatives, classes, entries, prizes
• Max Whale a KTM Factory rider in 2021
• Indian announce Factory team & contingency 2021
• Bronson Bauman to run Indian Factory-backed privateer effort in 2021
• Yamaha bLU cRU expands AORC line-up in 2021
• 2021 FIM Oceania Speedway Sidecar nominations open
• Cervesina circuit to host 2021 ISDE
• 2021 FIM Hard Enduro World Championship calendar
• Webb & Musquin top 450s at Orlando 2
• Hunter Lawrence fifth as 250SX West kicks off in Orlando
• 2021 Racing Calendars

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Josh Strange third as GNCC 2021 kicks off with Big Buck

The 2021 Grand National Cross Country (GNCC) Series presented by Specialized completed round one of racing on Sunday in Union, South Carolina For the second-straight year cool and partly sunny conditions greeted the GNCC Racing Nation.

Coming back from a seventh place start to take the first overall win at Big Buck was KLM Milwaukee GASGAS’ Grant Baylor. As Baylor steadily made his way through the field of riders, he would make the pass for the lead with three laps remaining. Baylor put his head down and pushed building almost a 20 second lead as he crossed the finish line to a waving checkered flag.

Rockstar Energy Factory Husqvarna Racing’s Thad Duvall earned second overall on the day. After missing the majority of 2020 due to injury, Duvall was eager to get back to racing at the front of the pack. Duvall made the move into second after two laps of racing and remained there until the checkered flag flew.

Earning some extra cash was Babbitt’s Online/Monster Energy/Kawasaki Team Green’s Josh Strang as he crossed the line first for the $250 All Balls Racing XC1 Open Pro Holeshot Award. Strang would battle throughout the race as he made his way back up to third on the last lap of racing.

Jordan Ashburn earned fourth overall aboard his new Magna1 Motorsports/Husqvarna team. Ashburn had a rollercoaster ride of a day as he held the lead at one point, and even managed to hold onto third for majority of the race. However, Ashburn would be unable to hold off a hard-charging Strang and would cross the line 12 seconds behind.

After holding the early lead, FMF/KTM Factory Racing’s Ben Kelley would have to make up ground on the third lap as he came through timing and scoring in seventh. As the race went on, Kelley began picking off riders and making the passes stick. By the time the checkered flag waved Kelley had salvaged a top five overall finishing position.

XC1 Open Pro Results – Big Buck 2021

Grabbing the $100 Hot Cams XC2 Holeshot Award was AmPro Yamaha’s Mike Witkowski. As the pack of XC2 250 Pro class riders came through timing and scoring Witkowski would find himself in the fourth place position, as Coastal GASGAS Factory Racing’s Jonathan Girroir led the way. Witkowski would put his head down and push, making the pass for the lead stick. After six laps of intense racing Witkowski would cross the finish line first in his class with over a minute gap back to second.

Rockstar Energy Factory Husqvarna Racing’s Craig DeLong made his way up to the front after a mid-pack start to the day. DeLong would come through to finish second in the XC2 250 Pro class after battling with his fellow XC2 competitors for multiple laps of the race.

Rounding out the XC2 podium was Babbitt’s Online/Monster Energy/Kawasaki Team Green’s Lyndon Snodgrass. After earning a podium at Ironman last in 2020, Snodgrass made his return from Australia to take on XC2. Snodgrass would have a back-and-forth day as he swapped positions multiple times before making a last lap pass to hold onto the last podium position.

Max Motorsports/FXR/Forma Boots’ Evan Smith brought home a fourth place finish in XC2, with Phoenix Racing Honda’s Cody Barnes rounding out the top five.

XC2 Results – Big Buck 2021

As the FMF XC3 125 Pro-Am class took off it was Lojak Cycle Sales/Yamaha’s Chase Colville grabbing the $100 Lojak Cycle Sales XC3 Holeshot Award. Colville would soon feel the pressure from Magna1 Motorsports/Husqvarna’s Jonathan Johnson as Johnson would make the pass for the lead on lap one. Johnson and Colville would battle for most of the day swapping the lead around the halfway point.

Colville would lead as they came around on the fourth lap, but Johnson would soon regain the lead as the white flag was waving. Johnson came through to take the FMF XC3 class win, with Colville 29 seconds back. The 2020 FMF XC3 Champion and Carolina KTM/Moose Racing/XC Gear’s Zack Hayes battled his way back from a fifth place start to round out the podium in third.

XC3 125 Pro-Am Results – Big Buck 2021

Taking home Top Amateur honors from the afternoon race in South Carolina was Open A rider, Nathan Rector, who finished 24th overall and first in his class. Will Sievenpiper placed second in Open A and 25th overall, with Dakota Devore earning 28th overall and the 250 A class win.

As the 10 a.m. race got underway over 670 riders took to the woods of South Carolina, and as the WXC class took off it was Babbitt’s Online/Monster Energy/Kawasaki Team Green’s Korie Steede grabbing the $100 Trail Jesters WXC Holeshot Award.

As the pack of WXC riders headed into the woods AmPro Yamaha’s Rachael Archer would make the pass for the lead and begin to push even harder. Archer would continue place a gap over the rest of the field for the duration of the 2-hour race, as she would ultimately cross the line over a minute ahead of the competition.

Battling her way back for a second place overall and WXC class finish was the WXC defending champion, and BABS Racing Yamaha/Maxxis/Pro Circuit’s Becca Sheets.

Sheets would start off the day in third as she came around on the opening lap, but she would soon fall back to fourth before making the necessary passes as the white flag flew indicating one more lap to go. Factory Beta’s Rachel Gutish rounded out the WXC podium at round one after running at the front of the pack for majority of the day.

WCX Results – Big Buck 2021

It was an YXC1 Super Mini Sr class sweep at the end of the youth race. Cole Forbes would come through to take the overall and class win at round one followed by Caleb Lane and Nicholas Defeo rounding out the overall podium. Both Lane and Defeo also brought home second and third place finishes in the YXC1 class.

Chase Landers and Thor Powell battled back to round out the top five overall youth finishers. While Andrew Segars, Peyton Feather and Robert Weiss earned the top three positions in the YXC2 Super Mini Jr. class. Mason Raynor was the first non-YXC rider to cross the line as he took the 85cc (7-11) class win.

Jason Flynn was nominated and awarded the AMSOIL Moto Hero at round one.

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Hamish Harwood dominates NZ MX Round 2

25-year-old Hamish Harwood has taken a step closer to claiming the New Zealand Motocross MX1 title in 2021, dominating Round 2 at Rotorua to extend his overall lead, with two rounds remaining of the four round championship.

Harwood swept the three MX1 races of the weekend, for a perfect 75-points, with a consistent Cody Cooper second overall on 60-points, having taken second in every race. Wyatt Chase completed the top three for Round 2, with a fourth, third and fifth result for 54-points.

The overall standings now see Harwood in the lead on 122-points, 16 in front of Cody Cooper (106), while Wyatt Chase is third on 95-points.

Hamish Harwood

“As far as points goes, it couldn’t have gone much better for me at Rotorua this weekend. I did what I needed to do. In each race, I simply put myself in a good position and then just monitored where the other riders were. In the second race I was under a bit of pressure from Cooper. I couldn’t tell where on the track I was faster or where he was the faster rider, but I didn’t take the option to change my lines and risk making a mistake. I had a rough couple of laps early on in the third race. The track was unpredictable. I knew I just needed to focus. Then I put a charge on and got the win. The next round at Pukekohe will be different because it’s a hard clay surface. It’s so different from what we had at Rotorua. Everyone is the same speed at Pukekohe because it’s a lot like road-racing… such a hard-pack track. But I do like that track.”

Altherm JCR Yamaha’s MX1 rider Kayne Lamont had a mid-week crash before the Rotorua round, which left him a little banged up, while in race two, following a crash, Lamont thought the engine had seized on his YZ450. When he walked it back to the pits, Coppins found a rock had jammed the rear brakes on.

The resulting DNF and third in the final outing dropped Lamont down to sixth for the weekend and dented his championship hopes.

Kayne Lamont

“For this four-week break between rounds I’ll recover and rethink my training program to come back to the final two rounds in the best position to deliver the results I know I can!”

In MX2 Maximus Purvis added another perfect round to his tally, claiming 75-points, with Josiah Natzke and Hayden Smith battling for second and third, only to end the weekend tied on 58-points. Natzke took a second, third and fifth, while Smith took two thirds and a fourth.

Purvis leads the MX2 standings on 125-points, while Natzke is second on 98. Smith completes the top three on 89-points, a single point ahead of James Scott.

Maximus Purvis

“It definitely feels good knowing I’ve got the points lead going into the last two rounds. I’ve been working hard and I’m just going to keep it going for Pukekohe and Taupo.”

Jack Treloar topped the U19s who raced alongside the MX2 class, with two second positions and a first in the final race for 69-points in his class, with Luke van der Lee second overall for the weeked on 62-points and Nick Westgate five-points in arrears in third.

The standings now see Treloar in the lead on 99-points, a single point ahead of van der Lee, while Westgate is a more distant third on 80-points.

Madoc Dixon almost went undefeated in the MX125 class, but had to settle for second in race one, before wins in races two and three. He claimed 72-points, with Codie Bourke second on 67, with a first, second and third place finish respectively. Hayden Smith completed the top three on 62-points running third in the opening two races, before finishing second in the final race of the weekend.

Dixon now leads the overall standings by a narrow 3-point margin from Bourke and Smith, 110 to 107, with the latter duo tied.

Madoc Dixon

“I felt awesome all day on the bike and the track was brutal and gnarly – just how I like it. I had a mishap in race one with a fall but picked the bike up and dusted myself off to finish second. It feels mean and I’m going to keep putting the hard yards in. My goals are to just keep improving myself, which [Yamaha ambassador] Ben Townley and Josh Coppins are helping me with a lot.”

2021 NZ Motocross Champs calendar

• Round Three – Saturday, March 20 – Pukekohe Motorcycle Club
  • MX1 (& 2T Cup), MX2 (& under-19), MX125 & MX3 (followed by Junior and Mini open at Pukekohe on Sunday, March 21).
• Round Four – Sunday, March 28. – Taupo Motorcycle Club
  • MX1 (& 2T Cup), MX2 (& under-19), MX125, MX3 & round two of the Women’s Cup. Prize giving is arranged for that evening.

Senior NZ Motocross Championship Results

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2021 North Brisbane Speedway Masters

Saturday was a new era in Speedway in South East Queensland with the running of the inaugural North Brisbane Speedway Masters. The event was a 24 heat competition followed by repechage style finals. Each final was race with a subsequent three-minute break for the winner of the previous final to check his bike and get back to the start line for the next heat.

Racing was incredible with riders like Zane Keleher winning multiple heats to climb back up the riders list, unfortunately as is the case, exhaustion finally took its toll.

The ultimate final was between Ryan Douglas, Zaine Kennedy, Jason Crump and Nick Morris. Sadly, in the final event Nick Morris jumped the start and was ultimately excluded from the final.

This was a new format and event for the venue and the sign of things to come for Speedway in South East Queensland and the wider Australian Speedway world.

For the full report and gallery see:
 2021 North Brisbane Speedway Masters wrap & gallery

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Sam Smith wins FIM Baja opener

The first round of the FIM Bajas World Cup saw a turnaround in the results at the head of the race on the second day. Ackerman from South Africa, crossed the finish line in first position, only to see the top step of the podium slip away when he was penalised 20 minutes and he slipped to fifth place.

So Sam Smith – third in SS1 – won the first FIM Baja of the season with a 1min 31sec cushion over the Czech rider Martin Michek (Husqvarna) who managed to complete the event after a heavy crash on day one.

Emirati rider Mohammed Al-Balooshi (Husqvarna) rounded off the podium places, despite a crash of his own. His brother Sultan was not so fortunate and was transported to hospital by helicopter after sustaining several fractures after a fall.

Polish rider Konrad Dabrowski (KTM) took part in the Dubai International Baja for the first time and proved, once again, that he has a wise head on young shoulders by finishing sixth and first in the Junior category. He scored vital points in the 2021 FIM Bajas World Cup.

Mirjam Pol (Husqvarna) finished 10th and won the Women’s category, the Dutch rider finishing ahead of Margot Llobera Farre (KTM) and Aishwarya Pissay (Husqvarna).

FIM Baja Official Result – Bike

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Shoalhaven City Council sponsors 2021 AORC Rounds 1 & 2 in Nowra

MA have revealed a sponsorship partnership with the Shoalhaven City Council to support Rounds 1 and 2 of the Yamaha Australian Off-Road Championship, presented by MXStore (AORC), at Nowra, NSW, March 27 and 28.

With record entries expected for the season opener, hundreds of riders, teams and fans will descend on the picturesque Shoalhaven region for two days of intense competition across 14 classes.

Hannah Bayly – Motorcycling Australia Events Manager

“We are extremely thankful for the ongoing support from Shoalhaven City Council which ensures we can provide a memorable season opener of the 2021 Yamaha Australian Off-Road Championship, presented by MXStore. Nowra is a spectacular venue for our first two rounds and the local Oyster Bay Motorcycle Club are busy designing challenging circuits to test every rider’s ability and fitness.”

2021 Yamaha Australian Off-Road Championship, presented by MXStore calendar

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ProMX unveils 2021 initiatives, classes, entries, prizes

The countdown is on for Round 1 of the inaugural Penrite ProMX Championship, presented by AMX Superstores with a range of new initiatives for the 2021 Championship being rolled out.

Peter Doyle – Motorcycling Australia CEO

“We’ve spoken to teams, riders and our partners about the inaugural year of the 2021 Penrite ProMX Championship, presented by AMX Superstores, about these new initiatives the ProMX Management Team are introducing, and the feedback has been very positive. These changes are about making each round exciting and challenging for our riders and also providing plenty of entertainment for fans at the track and we believe we have struck the right balance. We will also have some exciting news about the developments of our media platforms in the coming weeks.”

The new initiatives and developments for riders and teams include:

Classes & Rounds Competed

Prize Money Awarded Each Round

Total prize money will be increased for the Championship and will be paid after each round which provides riders with more enticement to go harder ensuring fans get to see riders at their best chasing victory.

Decreased Entry Costs

Decreased rider entry costs, making it more affordable for riders to enter the Penrite ProMX Championship, presented by AMX Superstores, across all classes. Entry fees per round are as follows:

• MX1 $290.00
• MX2 $275.00
• MX3 14 to Under 18’s $245.00
• WMX Women’s $245.00
• Veterans $190.00
• Cup Classes $140.00

More Passes

Increased number of passes for teams and riders at each round of the Championship to ensure they can have more of their supporters and sponsors trackside, supporting them. Entry Passes are as follows:

• MX1 & MX2 = four passes = one rider plus three support crew
• All other Classes = three passes = one rider plus two support crew

These will be issued at each round at sign on (A list to be provided at gate for riders arriving Sunday), additional passes can be purchased via RiderNet prior to the event.

New Race Formats & Full Classes

The inaugural Penrite ProMX Championship, presented by AMX Superstores, will see new race formats for MX1 class with alternating race formats at every second round throughout the eight round Championship.

MX1 Round Formats

Back to Back Races (MX1)

• Race will be scored using Olympic Scoring. Once the points are totalled for both B2B races then the total Olympic points will be rescored to determine Series Championship points and overall results as per a single race.
  • Olympic scoring as follows – Points as per position 1st – 1 point, 2nd – 2 points 3rd – 3 points etc
  • The rider with the lowest number of points after both motos of that race will be awarded championship points as per item 19. If there is a tie the count back system will be applied.
• Race distance for back to back (B2B) race 1 & 2 will be 13 minutes plus one lap.
• A 2 minute warning and 1 minute warning will be given prior to the commencement of the 2nd B2B race
• The rider must return to the same starting gate selected by the rider for the first B2B race for the second B2B race.
• The second B2B race will start 10 minutes from the time the winner of the first B2B crossed the finish line.
• No change of motorcycle is allowed between B2B races
• No refuelling of motorcycle is allowed between B2B races
• Work may be carried out to complete repairs or adjustments on the bike between B2B races in the start area, behind the start pad or any other works area as defined at Riders Briefing. No work on motorcycles is permitted on the Start Pad or outside of the designated work areas.

All Other Class Formats

Practice and Qualifying

MX1, MX2, MX3 & MXW will have 10 minutes free practice and 15 minutes qualifying.

One practice start will be allowed in front of the start gates at the commencement of each free practice.

All other classes will be run as follows: Vets & 125 cup – 10 minutes free practice and 10 minutes qualifying; Classic Motocross Evolution Cup – 1 lap practice and 10 mins qualifying.

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Max Whale a KTM Factory rider in 2021

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s newest addition, Max Whale, will debut his #18 KTM 450 SX-F Factory Edition in 2021 as he enters his fourth season in the AFT Singles Class.

The Australian native has progressively climbed through the ranks over the last four years, taking home a respectable second overall in last year’s championship with two race-wins and four podium finishes. With an all-new bike and team behind him, Whale looks to battle up front this season with hopes of claiming the 2021 crown.

Max Whale

“Riding for the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Team this season, I feel like we have a really strong chance at the top spot. I have been fortunate enough to spend a bit of time with the team in California during the offseason and it’s been awesome. I really feel at home on the KTM 450 SX-F Factory Edition, doing a lot of testing and just enjoying my time out here. It’s been a dream of mine to ride for Red Bull KTM and I just really want to come out and do these guys proud and end up with the number one plate.”

Returning for her third season with the team, 19-time AFT Singles winner Shayna Texter-Bauman will line up to once again battle for the top spot alongside new team-mate and 2020 AFT Singles runner-up, Max Whale. The dynamic duo will compete aboard the KTM 450 SX-F Factory Edition.  Texter-Bauman, a multi-time race winner, collected two podium finishes last season in the AFT Singles Class where she finished 12th overall in the championship. The Pennsylvania native has been working hard during the off-season to put her KTM into the mix up front in 2021.

The 2021 Progressive AFT season kicks off with a Volusia Half-Mile doubleheader event at Volusia Speedway Park on Friday, March 12 and Saturday, March 13, 2021.

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Indian announce Factory team & contingency 2021

Indian Motorcycle Racing will line up Mission SuperTwins Champion Briar Bauman, along with Progressive AFT Champion Jared Mees was the 2021 Indian Wrecking Crew.

Progressive AFT Champion Bryan Smith and Mission SuperTwins rider Bronson Bauman will join Indian Motorcycle Racing as factory-backed privateers. Indian Motorcycle Racing has committed over $266,000 in privateer contingency for the 2021 Progressive AFT Mission SuperTwins season.

The two-man Wrecking Crew of Briar and Mees, which hold the last four championships, return in 2021 with presenting sponsor Progressive Motorcycle Insurance and be backed by S&S Cycle, Indian Motorcycle Oil, Parts Unlimited, Drag Specialties, Alpinestars and Bell Helmets. Briar will receive additional support from J&P Cycles, while Mees will continue with support from Rogers Racing and additional sponsors.

Gary Gray, Vice President – Racing, Technology & Service for Indian Motorcycle

“2020 brought its breadth of challenges for everyone, but watching Briar and Jared stay on top of their game and compete race in and race out was really a testament of their work ethic, dedication and drive to be the greatest. For 2021, we’re excited to get back on the track, support Bryan and Bronson as factory-backed privateers, while committing a season-long contingency for our privateers.”

 

Bryan Smith will be riding for Crosley/Howerton Motorsports and will have his own unique chassis built around the Indian FTR750 motor.

In support of its privateers, Indian Motorcycle Racing has committed over $266,000 in contingency, including $14,225 per race and a $25,000 championship bonus. The 2021 contingency structure breaks down by the following:

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

To be eligible for contingency payouts, riders must run an Indian FTR750 at all races the team participates in for the 2021 Progressive AFT Mission SuperTwins season. The bike must maintain the original red, white and black paint scheme on the tank panels and include the full “Indian Scout” logo across both sides. Additional logos on the bike are acceptable but must be pre-approved by Indian Motorcycle Racing. Privateers must also wear three Indian Motorcycle patches, including one on the upper chest on either the left or right side, as well as one on both shoulders.

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Bronson Bauman to run Indian Factory-backed privateer effort in 2021

Bronson Bauman will form his own Mission SuperTwins effort aboard an Indian FTR750 for the 2021 season with support from Indian Motorcycle of Oklahoma, leaving the Factory S&S Indian Motorcycle team. Bauman claimed his first career win at the Laconia Short Track in 2019 en route to finishing third in the point standings. In 2020, Bauman had another successful season with five top-five finishes and a fifth overall in the championship.

Bronson Bauman

“I want to thank the Factory S&S Indian Motorcycle team for all the support the last two years. I am saddened by our separation, but I am thankful to have a program in place that I can continue to race at the top level in 2021. I plan to contest the entire series and chase down the championship on my own dime and time. I want to thank all of the supporters who stepped up to keep me on the racetrack this year. Racing for a Factory for two seasons was a dream come true, but I still have goals to chase and will keep working hard to make it happen.”

In addition to Indian Motorcycle of Oklahoma, providing the motorcycle that Bauman will race, support will also come from Roof Systems of Dallas, Texas, DPC Racing, Rod Lake, Drew Masa and Glen’s Auto Body. Bauman also credited Pro Plates and 19 Cycle Works for their continued support.

Bauman will debut his new race program at the 2021 season kick-off doubleheader weekend at the Volusia Half-Mile in Barberville, Florida.

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Yamaha bLU cRU expands AORC line-up in 2021

Alongside the main ShopYamaha Off Road Racing Team, ran by AJ Roberts, Yamaha will expand its bLU cRU support team for the 2021 season. Michael Driscoll (E2) and Blake Hollis (EJ) will now be joined by Tasmanian up and comer, Kyron Bacon, who will contest the (E1) division, under the banner of bLU cRU Yamaha Off Road Racing.

The bLU cRU team will have the same look and feel as the main team and carry the same sponsors, with Yamalube, GYTR, Thor and Michelin adding additional support to make it a fully self-contained and professional unit to house three of the young-guns of Australian Off Road.

All riders showed serious promise in 2020 despite the Covid shortened season and will be looking to again take further steps up the ladder and establish themselves as major players in the 2021 championship. Driscoll finished fourth in the premier E2 division in just his first year on the 450cc machine. Hollis just missed winning the EJ (Under 19) championship by the barest of margins but is determined to make amends in 2021 while Bacon charged to third in the competitive E1 class and continues to improve with each and every outing.

AJ Roberts

“The bLU cRU Yamaha Off Road Racing Team has been a great initiative for Yamaha and boosts our off road presence significantly. We have three talented and dedicated riders in a team that fits in with Yamaha’s global step-up program and who are knocking on the door of a major team ride in the years to come. We will assist the team in everything from on course knowledge and mentoring to bike and technical set up to ensure they get they success they deserve. The team has been going for a couple of seasons now and 2021 is looking positive as we have great riders and team support in place to propel them to their best season yet. Having Jess and her team is a bonus to Yamaha. She has proven herself to be a very successful rider both in Australia and overseas and does a great job of running her own team. It gives Yamaha great representation across a range of classes and bikes and the results are always good.”

Also running on Yamaha machinery will be the Yamaha MX Store Ballard’s Off Road Team comprising of multi-time Women’s champ Jess Gardiner, Jeremy Carpentier and Danielle McDonald. Gardiner will be out to continue her domination of the Women’s class that has seen her racking up championship after championship in recent years. She will be mounted on the Yamaha WR250F.

Carpentier will contest the E2 class on the all new WR450F and will be looking to secure a podium position in class and lock down a top eight position outright, while young female star, Danielle McDonald, will move up from the 85cc to the 125cc as she continues her steep learning curve of off road racing.

Emilie Karlsson will also continue on in the Women’s division with Yamaha support. Gardiner and Karlsson make a formidable combination in the Women’s class and both a determined competitors.

Yamaha are also well represented in the junior divisions with Wil Dennett, Boyd Cooper and Harley Hutton, all competing on Yamaha machinery.

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2021 FIM Oceania Speedway Sidecar nominations open

Nominations are now open for the 2021 FIM Oceania Speedway Sidecar Championship, which will be held on Saturday April 17, at the always spectacular Gillman Speedway, South Australia, and promoted by the Speedway Riders Association of SA.

Rider nominations are open via Ridernet (link) and close at 5pm, Thursday, March 18.

Peter Doyle – FIM Oceania President

“Over the years we have seen some amazing sidecar racing and strong rivalry battling it out for the FIM Oceania Speedway Sidecar Championship trophy. Fans are guaranteed a night of scintillating action at Gillman Speedway. While we were unable to hold the Championship last year due to COVID-19, we know fans are eager to see the best sidecar talent go head-to-head. We also thank the team at Gillman Speedway who always work hard to put on spectacular events ensuring fans are thoroughly entertained.”

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Cervesina circuit to host 2021 ISDE

The countdown has begun for the 95th edition of the FIM International Six Days of Enduro (ISDE) to be held in Italy. After the 12-month delay due to the global pandemic, the organisation of the World Enduro Team Championship has officially restarted and is now scheduled to take place in Rivanazzano from 30 August to 4 September.

Once the route and the forty participating nations have been confirmed, a completely new cross-country test will be revealed, specially created within the Cervesina circuit. With the announcement that rider and team registrations are officially open from 15 February, organisation will restart exactly from the point where it was stopped due to last year’s force majeure.

The date is set from 30 August to 4 September between Lombardy and Piedmont, between the Oltrepo Pavese and Valcurone, on terrain that promises to offer a great challenge and create a show worthy of the highest World competition for enduro teams.

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2021 FIM Hard Enduro World Championship calendar confirmed

WESS GmbH has revealed the the eight events that will form the FIM Hard Enduro World Championship in 2021, kicking off with the Extreme XL Lagares in Portugal, May 7-9.

Marking round two on the calendar is the Red Bull Erzbergrodeo in Austria, June 3-6, followed by the Abestone Hard Enduro in Italy, July 10-11.

The Red Bull Romaniacs marks round four in Romania, July 27-31, before the championship heads to the USA for the Red Bull TKO August 13-15.

Round six is the Hero Challenge in Poland, September 11-12, before the penultimate event, the Hixpania Hard Enduro in Spain, October 1-3.

The Hard Enduro World Championship wraps up in Germany with the Gtezenrodeo, October 29-30.

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Webb & Musquin top 450s at Orlando 2

For the full report see:
AMA SX Round 8 was a brutal encounter | Video Highlights | Report | Results | Points

It was a successful night of racing for the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Team, who topped the 450SX class at Round 8 of the 2021 AMA Supercross Championship with powerful 1-2 performances by teammates Cooper Webb and Marvin Musquin. For Webb, Saturday’s triumph was in the form of explosive back-to-back victories in Orlando, giving him a substantial boost in the championship chase. Musquin, who has battled up and down this season, took one step closer to the center of the podium with a season-best finish of second.

Webb came into the first Orlando round 16-points down in the 450SX Championship but two big wins in the sunshine state have propelled the 2019 champ to within striking distance of the title as he now sits only six points back. Webb, the second-place qualifier, put himself into third off the start of 450SX Heat 1 but he clipped a tuff block on the second lap and went down. Dropping back to sixth early on, Webb was able to battle his way back to finish fourth in the heat.

In the Main Event, Webb powered his KTM 450 SX-F FACTORY EDITION to another third-place start and he quickly jumped into second on lap two. About halfway through, Webb turned up the pressure on race leader Adam Cianciarulo and he made his move into the lead on lap 11. With quite a bit of action taking place behind him, Webb maintained his focus ahead to nail down win number three of the season.

For Musquin, the end result was worth the fight as he earned his third podium finish of the season in the Main Event. Qualifying seventh, he powered his KTM 450 SX-F FACTORY EDITION into second off the start of 450SX Heat 2 and he quickly moved into the lead on the first lap. He led the first eight laps of the heat until another rider came into contact with him on the last lap. Despite going down just before the finish, Musquin was able to remount and salvage a second-place transfer into the Main Event.

In the main, Musquin put himself into a great position off the start as he settled into fourth on the opening lap. He battled inside a group of front-runners early on before setting himself up for a sole push to the front. Applying increasing pressure on Cianciarulo in second, Musquin set himself up to capitalize on any mistakes and it wasn’t long before the French rider went on to join his teammate in the lead battle. Musquin continued to charge into the final laps, finishing only three seconds behind his teammate Webb for second overall.

Cooper Webb – P1

“This one is huge, back-to-back wins is amazing! It was a great race battling with AC [Cianciarulo] and great points for tonight. Marvin was riding great. I knew he was coming there at the end and I know how strong he is because we ride and train together every day. I felt like start to finish I was in my comfort zone just clicking laps away and it felt really good. KTM going one and two is incredible, this is an awesome feeling.”

Marvin Musquin – P2

“It feels really good to be running up front. The whoops started to be very tough so I was trying to be careful but at the same time I wanted to gain time on Cooper. I felt like I was a little bit quicker at one point but I didn’t want the track to bite me and go down. At least I had a great feeling out there. I want to thank the team for their hard work, I felt better today.”

Justin Barcia – P3

“It was a tough day for sure, I had a crash in practice and kind of destroyed myself. I had to regroup and I felt like I got a little bit better. We made a lot of changes on the bike for the Main Event and I got off to a great start. I picked my speed up at the end of the race and I got into a flow, which was cool. For how the morning went, to be up on the podium was a solid race. Obviously, I want a lot more out of myself but it will be nice to have a week off, regroup and get the body right before heading to Daytona, which I’m excited for.”

450 Main Event Results

450 Standings

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Hunter Lawrence fifth as 250SX West kicks off in Orlando

Monster Energy Star Yamaha Racing’s Justin Cooper won the Monster Energy AMA Supercross 250SX West season opener for the second year running. Although not the traditional Anaheim I, Saturday’s victory at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Florida, was a great start to his title campaign on a night of challenging conditions.

Cooper got off to a flying start, topping both qualifying sessions to take the fastest qualifier honors. He didn’t get off the gate as he wanted to in his heat and had to work his way from sixth to second. The New Yorker remedied that for the race that counted, getting a good start before the red flag and then grabbed the holeshot after the restart. Cooper built a comfortable gap to cross the line nearly five seconds ahead of the competition for his second career victory in the class. It was a stellar first round for the New Yorker who is still not 100% due to a training injury to his foot.

After watching his brother and 250SX East contender Jett Lawrence race the year’s first seven events, 250SX West competitor Hunter Lawrence commenced his 2021 season in Orlando. The Australian showed good speed throughout the day, posting the fifth-best qualifying time and placing a solid third in his heat race. After he took a third-place start in the main event, a lap-one red flag caused a restart. Lawrence started 10th the second time but worked his way through the pack to fifth place at the finish.

Justin Cooper – P1

“It feels awesome to get the win. That’s definitely the way you want to start the series. I had a foot injury coming in, so I was a little bit nervous about that, not having enough time on the bike, but it all started out well. I was fastest in all of the practice sessions. I just didn’t have my starts down. We didn’t really practice too many of those at home, so that was a struggle until the Main Event. Luckily, we pulled it off twice, so I’d say they came around at the right time.  It was good to get out of this place safe. There’s always a lot of hype around the season opener. You don’t really want to throw away the championship at the first round. I got myself in a good position where I could ride my own race and was able to take it easy to the finish line. It was a pretty perfect night for me. I’m excited to keep building on tonight and getting stronger since I didn’t have much time to prep for this round. I want to be on the podium every weekend and do the best I can. I’m glad to have a weekend off before Daytona. We can definitely work on some things to be a little bit stronger heading into the second round.”

Hunter Lawrence – P5

“My Supercross season debut was pretty good; I’m pretty happy with it. We checked off a lot of the goals we had set during the preseason, with the limited time we had coming back from my shoulder recovery. That held me back a little bit to be honest. The strength was a big issue, but cardio and fitness have been great and I’m feeling really good; I need to keep building strength. We just finished the sixth week on the bike, so I can’t complain. My starts were good until a restart in the main event. I put in some good, hard laps and was able to charge all the way back up to fifth from a pretty bad start. I’m content with the night. I got a solid one on the board and I’m looking forward to gaining more strength in my shoulder and coming back swinging at Daytona in two weeks. Massive shout-out to the team and all the fans supporting.”

250 Main Event Results

250 Standings (Top 30)

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2021 Racing schedule

2021 Provisional MXGP Calendar

2021 Yamaha AORC presented by MXStore calendar

2021 Australian Penrite ProMX calendar

2021 Speedway GP Calendar

2021 FIM Hard Enduro World Championship (Provisional)

2021 Australian Speedway events

2021 FIM Cross-Country Rallies calendar

2021 AMA Supercross calendar

2021 GNCC

2021 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship

2021 Progressive American Flat Track calendar

2021 New Zealand Motocross Championship

FIM Bajas World Cup 2021 (Provisional)

2021 Provisional Australian Supercross dates

• 25 September – Further information TBA
• 9 October – Further information TBA
• 16 October – Further information TBA
• 23 October – Further information TBA
• 30 October – Further information TBA
• 6 November – Further information TBA
• 20 November – Further information TBA
• 27 November – Further information TBA

2021 Australian Four Day Enduro (A4DE) Cancelled

2021 Enduro Australian Three Day Vintage Enduro (A3VE)
7-9 May – Blackwood, VIC

2021 Finke Desert Race
11-14 June – Northern Territory

2021 Hattah Desert Race
3-4 July – Hattah, Victoria

2021 Motocross Australian Classic Motocross Championship
9-11 July – Nowra, NSW

2021 Motocross Australian Post Classic Motocross
16-18 July – Nowra, NSW

2021 International Six Day Enduro (ISDE)
30 August – 4 September – Italy

U.S. AMA West ISDE Qualifier Series

• March 20-21: Red Mountain, Calif., Desert MC and Prospectors MC, AMA District 37 Sprint Enduro
• April 17-18: Campwood, Ariz., Arizona Trail Riders, AMA AMRA
• May 22-23: Craig, Colo., Enduro Colorado, AMA RMEC

U.S. AMA East ISDE Qualifier Series

• May 1-2: Battle Creek Mich., BCMC, AMA Michigan Sprint Enduro
• May 7-8: Plantersville, Ala., Southern Enduro Riders Association
• May 29-30: Glen Daniel, W. Va., AMA Full Gas Sprint Enduro