Moto News | Lawrence tops 250s in Florida | Ice Speedway | Baja | ISDE entries

Moto News Weekly Wrap
February 16, 2021

What’s New:

• Dinar Valeev crowned Ice Speedway World Champ
• Dubai International Baja to kick off FIM Bajas World Cup
• 2021 ISDE pre-registration opens
• Harley-Davidson announces $250k contingency support for AFT
• GASGAS & Andrea Verona join EnduroGP in 2021
• ShopYamaha Off Road Racing team announced
• Cooper Webb wins AMA Supercross Round Seven in Orlando
• Jett Lawrence dominates 250s in Florida
• 2021 Racing Calendars

Dinar Valeev crowned Ice Speedway World Champ

Overcast skies and the occasional light snow greeted the spectators on the second day and with temperatures hovering around -9° and once again it was the four local riders who emerged at the top of the qualifying scorers to set up a repeat of Saturday’s Final. It had been an uneventful meeting until then with nothing to prepare the onlookers for the drama that was to come

With the destiny of the 2021 title at stake Valeev had drawn the inner gate with Dmitry Khomitsevich alongside him in gate 2 and Igor Kononov the unfavourable gate 3. Defending champion Daniil Ivanov took the outside grid ready for a sweep around the outer edge if the opportunity came.

However, fate was to intervene when, dramatically, disaster struck for Khomitsevich as he fought to protect his two-point lead. Attempting an outside pass, he ploughed through the straw bales on the top bend causing the race to be stopped, his disqualification confirmed and his world championship hopes shattered.

In the restart it was Valeev and Kononov who battled for the win with Valeev getting a narrow victory but leaving both on a total of 36 points and a race off needed to decide the title. A tremendous race-off saw Valeev have the advantage into the first bend to take a narrow lead but closely chased by Kononov who then headed the race on the third lap with a wide sweep around the outside on the top bend. Valeev was not to be beaten however and a dramatic pass on the run in to the chequered flag brought him the win and a well-deserved first gold medal.

With local riders stealing the limelight there was little for the others to enjoy. The Austrians had provided the greatest opposition during the preliminary races with Franky Zorn and Harald Simon finishing in 5th and 7th positions separated by local Wild Card Nikita Toloknov and claiming three heat wins between them. Marcus Jell was the only other visitor to take a heat win when the German headed Heat 4 and his overall total of 14 points secured his 9th place in the final classification.

There can rarely have been a more unexpected end to an ice speedway final but this one proved the merits of fighting to the end while there is still hope. In the famous words of American baseball legend Yogi Berra “it ain’t over till it’s over”.

2021 FIM Ice Speedway – Togliatti – Final Results

Dubai International Baja to kick off FIM Bajas World Cup

After a complicated year for the motorcycle racing world, the Dubai International Baja has attracted 43 registered competitors (37 motorcycles and six quads) for two stages and a total of 427 competitive kilometres.

South African Aaron Mare (Honda) sports the #1, ahead of compatriot Marck Ackerman (#2 Husqvarna) and Emirati Sultan Al-Balooshi (#3), who will ride alongside his brother Mohammed (#7) on a Husqvarna.

Four riders will be present in the female category: Llobera Farre, Pissay, Pol and Hkuraibet, while Konrad Dabrowski (KTM) who, at 19-years-old, has just finished 28th at the Dakar Rally, will set off to try and win the Junior title.

Centred around the city of Dubai, the event gets underway with administrative and technical checks at the Innovation Center on Wednesday (February 17th) for national riders and for international riders on Thursday (February 18th).

This year the FIM Bajas World Cup takes on a new format with a series of qualifying events and a final. Each event has a coefficient of 1 and the final at Baja Portalegre in Portugal will have a coefficient of 2.

The final is open to all competitors, provided that they have completed and scored points in at least one of the events of the qualifying series.

The final classification of the FIM Bajas World Cup will be established on the basis of the two best results of the qualifying series added to the points awarded during the final.

Dubai International Baja Programme of events

• Wednesday February 17
  • 15.30-17.00hrs Administrative and technical checks for national pilots (Innovation Center)
• Thursday February 18
  • 07.00-13.00hrs Administrative checks for international pilots (Innovation Center)
  • 11:30hrs Virtual Press Conference
  • 8.00-14.00hrs Scrutineering for international pilots (Innovation Center)
  • 18.00hrs Entrance to the Parc Fermé
• Friday February 19
  • 07.01hrs Departure of the first motorcycle for the first round of 212.13 km
  • 07.41hrs Distribution of the Road Book before the start of the first bike.
• Saturday February 20
  • 08.01hrs Departure of the first motorbike for the second round of 214.55 km
  • 08.41hrs Distribution of the Road Book before the start of the first bike.
  • 17.15hrs Podium and Prize-giving

2021 ISDE pre-registration opens

After the long wait, the time has finally come for pre-registration for the 2021 FIM International Six Days of Enduro (ISDE).

The ISDE is encouraging those interested to not not delay, and pre-register now, before 31 March – to ensure a chance at a spot in the 95th ISDE to be held at Rivanazzano Terme, in the north of Italy, from August 30 to September 4.

Pre-Registration closes March 31

All riders (World Trophy, Junior World Trophy, Women’s World Trophy Teams and Club Teams / riders) must contact their National Motorcycling Federation (FMN) to register. Login access will only be given to FMNs. Federations have to complete the relevant online form before the pre-registration closing date.

Confirmation of selected teams on April 15

At the end of the first phase, depending on the number of pre-registrations, Club Teams will be informed about the selection of their teams by their National Motorcycling Federation. The National Motorcycling Federation must then pay the relevant 25% deposit of registration fee relating to the number of Club Teams confirmed. At this stage, each National Motorcycling Federation will be asked to fill the detailed information about the team(s) and riders as soon as is possible to do so.

Final entry phase from April 15 to July 18

The National Motorcycling Federation must pay the remaining 75 per cent of the registration fee for all Teams as confirmed on 15 April. The National Motorcycling Federation must have fully completed the entry form and details about team(s) and riders as soon as is possible to do so, and before 18 July.

Harley-Davidson extends contingency support to AFT SuperTwins

Harley-Davidson have announced a restructured contingency program to include Progressive American Flat Track’s Mission SuperTwins class, with the Milwaukee-based manufacturer posting a package totaling over $250,000 of support distributed among both twin-cylinder classes.

Michael Lock – CEO of Progressive AFT

“With the start of the 2021 Progressive AFT season just a month away, Harley-Davidson’s rider support contingency program is a real boost for all teams planning to campaign on XG750R’s this year. We welcome Haley-Davidson’s continued support for Progressive American Flat Track and we are proud of our association with this famous brand across many decades. 2021 represents new opportunities for XG750R mounted riders in both Twins classes and we are anticipating exciting stories throughout the season.”

Harley-Davidson has been synonymous with flat track racing since the inception of the sport. Throughout the golden era of pro flat track, powerhouse Harley-Davidson dealerships from around the country scored hundreds of wins aboard the legendary XR750.

With defending 2020 AFT Production Twins Champion James Rispoli charging his wicked fast Latus Motors Racing XG750R in the Mission SuperTwins class, and with several high-powered XGs entered to compete throughout the season in AFT Production Twins, there are sure to be several H-D-mounted rider appearances in victory lane ahead.

Jon Bekefy – Harley-Davidson GM Brand Marketing

“We look forward to the 2021 AFT racing season and we’re proud to continue the tradition and legacy of Harley-Davidson supporting Flat Track racing and our dealers’ efforts in the sport.”

Riders mounted on the Harley-Davidson XG750R in the Mission SuperTwins class are eligible for their piece of a $200,500 total contingency package for Progressive AFT’s premier class. Winners of each event will be awarded $4,000, with bonuses being awarded through tenth place. Add to that a championship bonus of $25,000 and pilots of the XG750R can be looking at some massive perks in 2021. The per-event payout for Mission SuperTwins will be broken down as follows:

1. $4,000
2. $2,000
3. $1,000
4. $800
5. $750
6. $500
7. $250
8. $200
9. $150
10. $100

With $1,000 awarded to XG750R riders for each AFT Production Twins race win plus a $12,500 championship bonus on the line, the contingency package offered by Harley-Davidson is sure to heat up the on-track action next season. A total of $53,450 will be up for grabs to XG750R riders in AFT Production Twins in 2021. The per-event payout will be broken down as follows:

1. $1,000
2. $500
3. $325
4. $250
5. $200

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. See the full 17-round calendar below.

GASGAS & Andrea Verona join EnduroGP in 2021

Leading GASGAS Factory Racing into the EnduroGP series, Italian Andrea Verona has his sights set firmly on retaining his Enduro1 title on GASGAS EC 250F machinery while also challenging the established stars of the overall EnduroGP class.

Entering the FIM Enduro World Championship in 2021 is another important step forward for GASGAS Factory Racing. Together with Taddy Blazusiak, who will handle business in the FIM Hard Enduro World Championship, Verona will complete a formidable two-rider line-up.

Andrea Verona

“It’s an amazing feeling to be a part of the GASGAS Factory Racing team in enduro. To be chosen as the rider to lead the team in EnduroGP is a really good feeling, and it makes me really proud. I’ve been able to spend a little bit of time on the bike, and with the team, and I have a good feeling with everything already, which is really positive this early in the year. My main goal for 2021 is to retain my Enduro1 title but this won’t be easy with so many good riders in the class. I’m also looking to challenge for the overall EnduroGP title as well. Last season was kind of like my rookie year in the EnduroGP class, so I now have a better understanding of what it takes to be successful in that class. I have some things to work on, to improve my riding and sharpen my skills, so that I’ll be ready and fully prepared for round one. This is a fantastic opportunity for me, I can’t wait to start racing for GASGAS.”

Jumping into the world enduro scene back in 2017, Verona made an immediate impact by capturing the Youth 125cc Enduro World Championship crown in just his first full season of international racing. One year later, the youngster topped the 2018 FIM ISDE Junior World Trophy competition together with lifting the J1 Enduro World Cup title.

More recently, and following a rapid rise through the enduro ranks, Verona claimed the 2020 Enduro E1 World Championship title at just 21 years old! Winning five of the eight days of racing that formed last year’s series, when he wasn’t victorious the Italian racer placed second each time out to deliver a 100% podium record throughout the season. Furthermore, Andrea secured third overall in the EnduroGP category to impressively round off his truly memorable breakout season.

Fabio Farioli – GASGAS Factory Racing Enduro Team Manager

“2021 is going to be a really exciting season for both Andrea and GASGAS Factory Racing. Last year he really took a big step forwards and I believe that he can continue to improve at the highest level. With a little more time, I also believe he will consistently challenge for the EnduroGP podium, as well as the Enduro1 title. To be the official GASGAS rider in EnduroGP is a big honor for Andrea, I know that he is ready to give his all and has been training hard to be ready for the start of this season. With EnduroGP, the Italian Enduro Championship and the ISDE being in Italy, Andrea will have a busy and exciting season of racing. We all believe Andrea has a very bright future and look forward to watching him race in 2021.”

ShopYamaha Off Road Racing team announced

In 2021, Yamaha Motor Australia’s headline off road team will be known as ShopYamaha Off Road Racing, with YMA’s online retail store taking up the naming rights branding with the highly successful team. The new racing banner marks a significant change for Yamaha’s off road team as after a decade working alongside Active8 Refrigeration, they have elected to stand down their major sponsorship of the team heading into 2021.

ShopYamaha Off Road Racing, Team Manager AJ Roberts, is more than thankful for their contribution not just to Yamaha and his team, but also the off road community in Australia.

AJ Roberts – ShopYamaha Off Road Racing Team Manager

“Active8 have been a major player in the success of our team over the past nine years and I want to publicly thank them for their years of support, passion and enthusiasm. They have been instrumental in the growth and development of this team and also played a big part in promoting off road racing in Australia. Hopefully, we have been able to give them good value for money during our time and they will always be a close friend to not just myself but also the riders who have passed through over the last decade. But, we are equally excited to have ShopYamaha on board as our naming rights partner for the 2021 season. With the expanding online demand for motorcycle parts and accessories, I believe we can be a great ally to ShopYamaha and help promote Yamaha’s on line retail space to a wider audience via our racing endeavours and directly to the end user in off road who are always in need of a wide range of OEM parts, GYTR parts and accessories as well as Yamalube oils. Both Josh and Luke are seasoned professional racers and will be ready to go when the season rolls around. We have a long term relationship with both of them but as a team we continue to push boundaries in our search for success. We will soon announce our off road support programs but I’m happy to say Yamaha Australia have been able to maintain our off road presence despite some trying times in 2020. We will have a strong Yamaha contingent at the AORC and will be out to win as many championships as possible in 2021.”

While the name might have changed, the rider line up remains the same as Josh Green and Luke Styke continue their racing journey with the ShopYamaha Off Road Racing Team.

Green will again line up on the 450cc machine and contest the E2 class in the Australian Off Road Championships. Green is now a veteran of off road world but continues to produce results that show he is a championship contender. Despite the Covid interrupted season in 2020, Green again finished in the top three outright as well as second in class.

2021 will mark nine years for Green working alongside Roberts and the pairing is anything but stale. Together they have already put many of the building blocks in place for a successful season with testing and training going extremely well in the off season.

Josh Green

“I get excited at this time every year as we are about to start a new season. It doesn’t feel like I have been doing this for nine years with the team and each year I try and ensure myself, my bike and my fitness are better than ever and my goals each year never change. I want to win! With not many events in 2020, I missed racing and can’t wait to get back to the AORC and race with some of the best riders in the world. I love the atmosphere and the competitive nature of a national championship and this year promises to be one of the best championships yet.”

Back for his fourth consecutive season with Yamaha and looking to make it a record breaking four E1 championships in a row, Luke Styke returns on his trusty 250F. Much was made of Styke’s change from motocross to off road four years ago, but the man from Nowra, New South Wales, has made every post a winner, collecting round win and championship after championship along the way.

Styke has well and truly established himself in the off road game and despite some challenges faced over the off season, he is revved up and ready to return to racing at 100 per cent.

Luke Styke

“2020 was a tough year for a lot of us in many ways, so I’m looking at putting that year behind me and making the most of what lies ahead. Each year more young guys come into off road racing via the E1 class so it getting harder to win each year but I’m ready to do the work and keep the number 1 plate on my bike for at least another year. This year we even start the championship off in my local area with rounds one and two in Nowra, so it will be an awesome way to start the championship racing with the support of my family and friends in the area that I have done so much riding growing up.”

With the start of the season fast approaching, The ShopYamaha Off Road Racing Team will finalise testing before contesting some lead up events to ensure things are ready for the opening weekend of the AORC on March 27-28.

To check out Yamaha’s online shop for parts and accessories, visit: https://shop.yamaha-motor.com.au/

Cooper Webb wins AMA Supercross Round Seven in Orlando

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Cooper Webb had a big night in Orlando, topping the 450SX podium with his second Main Event victory of the season at Round 7 of the 2021 AMA Supercross Championship. Webb, who sits second overall in the early standings, picked up three valuable points as he continues to chip away at the leader in his quest for a second career title.

The 2019 450SX Champion continues to make positive improvements in his overall setup, which led him to a favorable second-place qualifying position earlier in the day. He didn’t get off to the best start in 450SX Heat 1 as he rounded the opening lap in eighth. Climbing his way up to sixth by lap five, he finished strong with a sixth-place transfer into the Main Event. In the main, Webb got off to a great start and positioned himself up front on the opening lap.

Four laps in, he made a spectacular move to launch his KTM 450 SX-F Factory Edition from third to first, establishing himself as the rider to beat for the remainder of the race. Fending off a hard-charging Ken Roczen in the final laps, Webb remained poised under pressure to best his championship rival by less than one second at the end of 25 laps.

Cooper Webb – P1

“It was a great race tonight, we were one and two for pretty much the whole thing, tooth and nail. It was a tough race, the track really broke down a lot, especially from the beginning laps and it’s definitely a little different when you are leading the majority of the Main Event. I made a few mistakes those last few and Kenny caught up, but I was able to get it done and man does it feel good.”

At times German Ken Roczen seemed destined to score his fourth consecutive victory, as he gained ground on the leading Cooper Webb in the whoop section, but the margin stretched to nearly three seconds due to a couple of mistakes by Roczen. Still, a late-race charge brought him close again, and he finished less than a second back.

Ken Roczen – P2

“Orlando was a different kind of race. The schedule was delayed due to the possibility of rain and lightning, so we only had two qualifying practices, with completely different types of dirt. The first practice was kind of sketchy because it was super hard-packed on the jumps and soft and wet at the bottoms, from the water sitting. Then it ended up being really slick and tricky. By the night show, we felt pretty decent; got a holeshot and heat-race win, which set us up nicely for the night show, and grabbed another good start there; it wasn’t quite a holeshot, but I was in the top three, battling up there with Cooper [Webb], who ended up getting by me. By then it was basically just him and me battling all the way to the end. It wasn’t quite enough for the win, but with the track a little tricky, I was happy to keep the rubber side down and take second place for the night. Hopefully we can turn it around for Orlando 2 and see if we can get back on the top step.”

Zach Osborne – P3

“It feels so good to get back on the podium and kind of find some mojo tonight. It felt good to get a start, that’s where I have really been struggling. It felt so good to get out there out front, getting in some clean air and breathe a little bit. I am super grateful to be up here.”

Ken Roczen now holds a 13-point head over Cooper Webb in the standings, 161-148, with Eli Tomac third overall on 132-points. Adam Cianciarulo and Justic Barcia complete the top-five on 118 and 115-points respectively.

450 Main Event Results

450 Standings – Top 20

Jett Lawrence dominates 250s

Jett Lawrence dominated the evening in his class, topping his heat race before riding his CRF250R flawlessly in the main event, finishing a full second ahead of Colt Nichols, while third-placed Christian Craig was a distant third +19.403s off pace. The young Australian will now have a couple months off from racing before the East Region finishes up in Salt Lake City.

Colt Nichols now holds the 250 East lead on 166-points, with closest competitor Christian Craig on 158. Jo Shimoda completes the top three on 138-points, with Jett Lawrence currently fourth a further 10-points in arrears.

Jett and brother Hunter will train at Chad Reed’s old facility now, before the 250SX West Region Class series kicks off where Hunter Lawrence will be debuting on his 2021 CRF250R.

Jett Lawrence

“Today was a smooth day; I felt like I rode very smart and made smart decisions in qualifying and was P3 in both sessions. I felt like I was smarter with my thinking process. Going into the heat race, I didn’t get a very good start; I popped the clutch a little, which made me wheelie out, but I was able to manage the first turn and get further up in the pack. With [Christian] Craig going down, I ended up winning that, so got pretty lucky. In the main event, I executed my start very well and was able to manage the race to the checkered flag. Colt [Nichols] was on me, which was good to have the pressure there, keeping me on it. I’d like to thank the team, my mechanic Christian [Ducharme], and my trainer Johnny [O’Mara] for all the support. We’ve been working really hard and it’s good to leave on a good note. I can’t wait for Salt Lake.”

Colt Nichols – P2

“I was just a touch off of Christian all day in practice. I was able to get the heat race win, which was nice. I got to line up where I wanted on the gate. I just didn’t quite execute the start as well as I wanted to. Jett (Lawrence) got ahead of me and was able to control the inside. So that was kind of the race right there. The track was a little difficult to pass on, and it was so slick. The moisture started to come up, and it got slicker and slicker as the night went on. So that made it tough. But overall, I can’t complain. I got some points in second place, and that’s always a good thing. I just was a little bummed about my riding. I felt really flat at the beginning of the race. I didn’t have much intensity there, so that’s why I was a little frustrated. We’ve got a long break now, so I’m going to try to enjoy things and get some outdoor riding and come back swinging in a few months.”

Christian Craig – P3

“The weekend started off great. I qualified first. I loved this track, everything about it. The dirt was hard-packed, just like the test track, so I was feeling so good. I got off to a good start in the heat race, and then on the second lap, some sort of little case turned into a big fall. I’m sure everyone has seen it on TV. I banged up my hand pretty good. I wasn’t sure I was even going to race, but we had it taped up by Dr. G. and had to grit it out. I knew I had to do what I could to get through tonight. We have 10 weeks after this, so I can heal up then. I was able to get out to a good start from way on the outside in the Main. I got into third quick and stayed with Colt for a lot of the race. Then I had some sketchy moments, so I backed it off and finished third. I only lost two points to Colt. After the Heat race, if you would have told me I’d get third, I would have been jumping up and down. It was a win in my books after that crash. We’ve got a long break, so we’re going to heal up and get ready for Salt Lake.”

250 Main Event Results

250 Standings – Top 20

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