Moto News Weekly Wrap
August 8, 2023
What’s New:
- 2023 Loretta Lynn – AMA Amateur National MX Championship
- Penrith Dirt Track Charity Weekend Wrap
- Australian Senior Track Championship this weekend! Aug 12-13
- 2023 Golden Beach 6 Hour Cross Country
- Kevin Benavides side-lined by wrist injury
- FIM Speedway of Nations – SON2 line-up confirmed
- 2024 Enduro World Championships & FIM Enduro World Cups calendar revealed
- Next stop Hungary for Bajas World Cup
- 2023 Progressive American Flat Track – Black Hills Half-Mile
- 2023 FIM Flat Track World Championship – Final One
- 2023 Racing Calendars
2023 AMA Amateur National MX Championship
Tuesday at Loretta Lynn
Racing at the 2023 Monster Energy AMA Amateur National Motocross Championship kicked off on Tuesday with the opening day featuring a full slate of 23 motos.
The action at Loretta Lynn’s Ranch started bright and early, at 7:30 a.m. local time, and signified the first opportunity for title hopefuls to make their first statement for the tension-filled week that lies ahead for 36 different classes.
Open Pro Sport Moto 1
Arguably the most high-profile class at the Ranch, a lot of attention centered on the first Open Pro Sport moto. A slew of contenders lined up on the gate, which saw Yamaha rider Mitchell Frantz emerge with the STACYC Holeshot, only to be overtaken by multiple riders. From there it was Bryce Shelley who took control of the lead aboard his Yamaha, followed by GASGAS rider Evan Ferry and Honda rider Noah Viney. The Yamahas of Keegan Rowley and Daxton Bennick slotted into fourth and fifth, respectively.
A couple laps into the moto Bennick went on the charge and began a march to the front. He moved into the top three by the completion of the second lap and didn’t relent, passing both Viney and Shelley on the same lap to seize control of the moto. He then dropped his fastest lap to establish a gap he would never relinquish.
As Bennick walked away with the moto, the action for a spot on the moto podium was compelling. The early frontrunners of Shelly, Viney, and Ferry soon came under pressure from a bevy of hard chargers. After starting ninth, Parker Ross piloted his Yamaha into the top five and continued a march into the top three halfway through the moto. Right behind him, Yamaha rider Avery Long was on a big move forward from 15th off the start. Shelly went from the early lead to dropping multiple positions in the second half of the moto, while Viney battled it out with Ross and Long.
Bennick took an assertive opening moto win by a double-digit margin, while Long closed out the moto strong with a late pass on Ross for the runner-up spot. Ross followed closely in third.
Open Pro Sport Moto 1 Results
- Daxton Bennick, Morganton, N.C., Yamaha
- Avery Long, New London, Minn., Yamaha
- Parker Ross, Herald, Calif., Honda
- Mark Fineis, Westfield, Ind., GASGAS
- Gavin Towers, Venetia, Pa., Yamaha
Aussie Brad West is over in the States and competing in both Pro 250 and Open Pro classes, with the first Open Pro race held on Tuesday, where he finished 20th.
Tuesday winners were as follows:
- Open Pro Sport – Daxton Bennick
- 250 B – Casey Cochran
- Senior (40+) – Mike Brown
- Masters (50+) – Jeff Emig
- Mini Sr. 1 (12-14) – Jayce Wolf
- Mini Sr. 2 (13-15) – Vincent Wey
- Vet (30+) – Broc Peterson
- 450 B – Nicolas Israel
- 125 C – Makai Olerich
- 85cc (10-12) – Darren Pine
- 65cc (7-9) Limited – Kade Nightingale
- 450 C – Chase Haynes
- 250 B Limited – Leum Oehlhof
- 65cc (10-11) Limited – Jackson Vick
- 125 Jr. (12-17) B/C – Tiger Wood
- Junior (25+) – Heath Harrison
- 250 C – Damion Holmes
- WMX – Kyleigh Stallings
- College (18-24) – Jaxon Pascal
- Micro 1 (4-6) Shaft Dr. Ltd. – Ollie Johnson
- Micro-E (4-7) Limited – Levi Meyer
- Micro 2 (4-6) Limited – Kameron Buckman
- Micro 3 (7-8) Limited – Abshur Hall
Wednesday at Loretta Lynn
The second day of racing saw 22 more motos, racing getting underway in the morning to complete the remaining opening motos from the 36 classes of competition before the afternoon gave way to the start of second motos. The competition was fierce, and several riders made additional statements after an already strong start to the week.
250 Pro Sport Moto 1
After a dominant performance in Open Pro Sport on Tuesday, Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing rider Daxton Bennick had earned the attention of onlookers as the 250 Pro Sport field lined up for the first time.
However, Bennick would face challenges from the likes of KTM Orange Brigade’s Julien Beaumer, GASGAS riders Evan Ferry and Mark Fineis, Rock River Yamaha’s Avery Long, and NSA Yamaha Amateur Factory Team rider Gavin Towers.
Out the gate it was Towers who led the field through the first turn aboard his Yamaha with the STACYC Holeshot. He held the top spot briefly but was soon overcome by Beaumer before the completion of the opening lap. Muc-Off/FXR/ClubMX Yamaha’s Trevin Nelson slotted into third ahead of Yamaha rider Brad West, while Ferry completed the top five. Bennick was several spots back deep in the top 10, while Fineis was just outside the top 10.
The clear track allowed Beaumer to build a multi-second advantage over Towers, who in turn distanced himself from the rest of the field. As the lead duo asserted themselves out front, the jockeying for third started to unfold as Nelson, West, and Ferry battled it out.
Both West and Ferry were able to get by Nelson and each rider held onto the third spot for a brief period, but Fineis was on a torrid charge through the field. After he methodically improved one position each of the opening laps, he was able to pass multiple riders through the halfway point of the moto and had soon fought his way into podium position in third. As the fastest rider on the track, the GASGAS rider quickly made inroads on his deficit to Towers and made the pass for second with a couple laps remaining.
Beaumer enjoyed a pressure-free ride to capture his first moto win of the week, while Fineis impressed in his climb to second. Towers parlayed his strong start into a third-place finish. Bennick was unable to make up the kind of ground he did in Open Pro Sport and was never a factor, mired in a battle just outside the top five throughout the moto, ultimately settling for seventh.
250 Pro Sport Moto 1 Results
- Julien Beaumer, Lake Havasu City, Ariz., KTM
- Mark Fineis, Westfield, Ind., GASGAS
- Gavin Towers, Venetia, Pa., Yamaha
- Avery Long, New London, Minn., Yamaha
- Jayden Clough, Elko New Market, Minn., Kawasaki
Open Pro Sport Moto 2
The return of Open Pro Sport highlighted the set of second motos that concluded the afternoon on Wednesday as Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Daxton Bennick looked to pick up where he left off following a Moto 1 victory. Unfortunately for his competitors, that’s exactly what happened.
Bennick opened the moto with the early advantage to capture the STACYC Holeshot and grab the early lead over NSA Yamaha Amateur Factory Team rider Gavin Towers. The Yamaha mounted rivals were chased briefly by former pro Ben Lamay aboard his KTM, but soon distanced themselves from the field as Bennick was able to grow his lead to more than five seconds.
As Towers settled into second the rider who was generating the most attention was KTM Orange Brigade’s Julien Beaumer, fresh off his 250 Pro Sport triumph. Beaumer was forced to battle his way forward from a ninth place start, but broke into the top five by the midway point of the moto.
Beaumer closed onto the rear fender of Triangle Cycles Yamaha’s Bryce Shelly, who ran third for most of the moto, and successfully made the pass with just a handful of laps remaining. Beaumer then set his sights on Towers, who had fallen back more than 10 seconds to Bennick in the late stages of the moto. Once he got close enough to mount an attack, Beaumer made quick work of Towers to take over the runner-up spot.
Bennick never put a wheel wrong and looked even more impressive en route to his second moto win. Beaumer’s valiant effort was rewarded with a second-place result, while Towers once again leveraged his good start into a podium result in third.
Open Pro Sport Moto 2 Results
- Daxton Bennick, Morganton, N.C., Yamaha
- Julien Beaumer, Lake Havasu City, Ariz., KTM
- Gavin Towers, Venetia, Pa., Yamaha
- Bryce Shelly, Telford, Pa., Yamaha
- Parker Ross, Herald, Calif., Honda
Brad West finished the opening 250 Pro Sport race in 17th, and was out on track for the second Open Pro race, where he finished a much improved 13th.
Wednesday’s victors spanning Moto 1 and Moto 2 races were as follows:
- Moto 1
- 250 Pro Sport – Julien Beaumer
- Schoolboy 2 (12-17) B/C – Casey Cochran
- Schoolboy 1 (12-17) B/C – Tiger Wood
- Supermini 1 (12-15) – Seth Dennis
- Supermini 2 (13-16) – Landen Gordon
- 65cc (7-9) – Jaydin Smart
- 250 C Jr. (12-17) Limited – Kyle Paleologos
- 450 B Limited – Jeremy Fappani
- 85cc (10-12) Limited – Wyatt Thurman
- Senior (45+) – Ronnie Renner
- 250 C Limited – Chase Haynes
- Girls (11-16) – Mayla Herrick
- 65cc (10-11) – Easton Graves
- Moto 2
- Open Pro Sport – Daxton Bennick
- Senior (40+) – Mike Brown
- Vet (30+) – Carlos Badiali
- 450 B – Jadon Cooper
- 125 C – Makai Olerich
- 85cc (10-12) – Wyatt Thurman
- 65cc (7-9) Limited – Jaydin Smart
- Mini Sr. 2 (13-15) – Jayce Wolf
- 450 C – Makai Olerich
Thursday at Loretta Lynn
Mother Nature was the story of the day on Thursday, as heavy rainfall and thunderstorms forced an extended delay in action at Loretta Lynn’s Ranch. When racing eventually resumed, racers were greeted with a wet and challenging racetrack, which resulted in an unpredictable afternoon of competition.
Thursday winners were all running their second races:
- 250 B Limited – Jeremy Fappani
- 250 B – Krystian Janik
- Masters (50+) – Mike Brown
- Mini Sr. 1 (12-14) – Dakota Baker
- Supermini 1 (12-15) – Deacon Denno
- 65cc (10-11) Limited – Jaydin Smart
- 125 Jr. (12-17) B/C – Kyle Paleologos
- Junior (25+) – Jeremy Fappani
- 250 C – Wyatt Thurman
- WMX – Ronnie Renner
- College (18-24) – Chase Haynes
- 65cc (7-9) – Easton Graves
Friday at Loretta Lynn
Racers at Loretta Lynn’s Ranch were greeted with a second day of weather delays on Friday morning, which once again resulted in a condensed schedule for the fourth day of action. Racing was able to get started in the late morning, which led to a jam-packed afternoon schedule and ultimately pushed back all the third, championship-deciding motos to Saturday’s finale.
Friday winners were:
- Open Pro Sport – Daxton Bennick
- 250 Pro Sport – Mark Finies
- Schoolboy 2 (12-17) B/C – Krystian Janik
- 450 B Limited – Leum Oehlhof
- Supermini 2 (13-16) – Deacon Denno
- 85cc (10-12) Limited – Darren Pine
- 65cc (10-11) – Easton Graves
- 250 C Jr. (12-17) Limited – Robert Weiss
- Schoolboy 1 (12-17) B/C – Klark Robbins
- Senior (45+) – Ronnie Renner
- 250 C Limited – Chase Haynes
- Girls (11-16) – Mayla Herrick
- Micro 3 (4-7) Limited – Jarrett Tincher
- Micro 1 (4-6) Shaft Dr LTD – Brody Jones
- Micro 2 (4-6) Limited – Kameron Buckman
- Micro 3 (7-8) Limited – Kannon Zabojnik
Saturday at Loretta Lynn (Final)
A week of fun, excitement, and intrigue came to a fitting conclusion on Saturday, as all 36 classes of competition hit the track for the championship-deciding third and final motos.
Another day filled with rain added a layer of complexity to the action on the track, but the same grit and determination that has defined this event for more than 40 years was as prevalent as ever with championships on the line.
Open Pro Sport Moto 3
The first two motos of Open Pro Sport proved to be showcases of dominance for Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Daxton Bennick, who entered Saturday with a pair of moto wins and largely unchallenged performances. The odds-on favorite to become the newest Open Pro Sport Champion and latest recipient of the Nicky Hayden AMA Motocross Horizon Award simply needed to keep doing what he’d been doing.
The race didn’t start as cleanly as Bennick would have hoped as Phoenix Racing Honda’s Heath Harrison emerged with the STACYC Holeshot and early lead in the moto. He was followed by Kawasaki rider Jacob Hayes to put a pair of former pros at the head of the pack. Rock River Yamaha’s Avery Long slotted into third while Bennick had some work to do from fifth.
Bennick battled his way into third by the second lap and quickly latched onto the rear fender of Hayes for second. Despite being the faster rider, Bennick needed a couple laps to make a move and was faced with a five-second deficit to the leader once he completed the pass.
On the ensuing lap, Bennick laid down the fastest lap of the moto to move within striking distance of the lead. He applied heavy pressure on Harrison, who kept him at bay for a little while before Bennick made the winning pass with just a couple laps remaining.
Bennick completed the sweep of Open Pro Sport by just over two seconds on Harrison, while Hayes was unchallenged en route to third.
Open Pro Sport Moto 3 Results
- Daxton Bennick, Morganton, N.C., Yamaha
- Heath Harrison, Silverhill, Ala., Honda
- Jacob Hayes, Menifee, Calif., Kawasaki
- Matti Jorgensen Jr., Pompano Beach, Fla., KTM
- Preston Masciangelo, Canada, GASGAS
Open Pro Sport Overall Podium (Moto Scores // Event Total)
- Daxton Bennick, Morganton, N.C., Yamaha (1-1-1 // 3)
- Parker Ross, Herald, Calif., Honda (3-5-8 // 15)
- Bryce Shelly, Telford, Pa., Yamaha (7-4-6 // 17)
250 Pro Sport Moto 3
With 2-1 moto scores coming into the final moto, GASGAS Amateur Team rider Mark Fineis was in control of his own destiny in 250 Pro Sport. However, incredibly wet and muddy conditions from the rain would ultimately be the biggest obstacle to overcome for the entire field.
As the field emerged from the first turn it was NSA Yamaha Amateur Factory Team rider Gavin Towers leading the way with the STACYC Holeshot. However, he was passed by AEO Powersports GASGAS’ Lux Turner who showed impressive speed early on. Towers was also passed by KTM Orange Brigade’s Julien Beaumer. Fineis was mired deep in the field, completing the opening lap in 18th.
A battle for the lead materialized as Beaumer was flying despite the challenging conditions, which forced Turner to up his pace a bit more. Unfortunately, Turner lost the top spot when he slid out, which handed the lead to Beaumer and moved Towers into second. Turner remounted in fifth and kept pushing to the front. Further back, Fineis’ tough start got even worse when misfortune dropped him to the tail end of the field and eventually out of the race, dashing any aspirations for the title.
With Fineis out, the battle for the class championship came down to Towers and Bennick, who followed one another in second and third, respectively.
Out front, Beaumer’s pace dropped considerably as the moto wore on, which included a tip over that cost him valuable time, but not a position on the track. He piloted his KTM to a second moto win to bookend 250 Pro Sport with victories. Despite being the winningest rider in the class, Beaumer’s 17th-place finish in Moto 2 prevented him from being in the title picture.
Towers brought home a runner-up finish to complete an incredibly consistent weekend that saw him prevail with the 250 Pro Sport Championship. It signifies the first ever Loretta Lynn’s title for Towers, doing so in one of the event’s most high-profile classes.
250 Pro Sport Moto 3 Results
- Julien Beaumer, Lake Havasu City Ariz., KTM
- Gavin Towers, Venetia, Pa., Yamaha
- Jayden Clough, Elko New Market, Minn., Kawasaki
- Lux Turner, Garnerville, Nev., GASGAS
- Noah Viney, Murrieta, Calif., Honda
Open Pro Sport Overall Podium (Moto Scores // Event Total)
- Gavin Towers, Venetia, Pa., Yamaha (3-3-2 // 8)
- Daxton Bennick, Morganton, N.C., Yamaha (7-2-6 // 15)
- Parker Ross, Herald, Calif., Honda (6-7-7 // 20)
Saturday proved challenging for Brad West, with 29th in the third and final 250 Pro Sport moto, but being unable to start in the final Open Pro Sport moto.
That netted West 16th overall in the 250 Pro class, and 30th in the Open Pro overall.
2023 Monster Energy AMA Amateur National Motocross Champions
- Open Pro Sport – Daxton Bennick
- 250 Pro Sport – Gavin Towers
- 250 B – Krystian Janik
- Schoolboy 2 (12-17) B/C – Casey Cochran
- Supermini 1 (12-15) – Deacon Denno
- Supermini 2 (13-16) – Landen Gordon
- Mini Sr. 1 (12-14) – Colby Lessar
- Mini Sr. 2 (13-15) – Vincent Wey
- Senior (40+) – Jeff Emig
- Masters (50+) – Jeff Emig
- Vet (30+) – Broc Peterson
- 450 B – Jadon Cooper
- 125 C – Makai Olerich
- 85cc (10-12) – Wyatt Thurman
- 65cc (7-9) Limited – Jaydin Smart
- 450 C – Chase Haynes
- 250 B Limited – Jeremy Fappani
- 65cc (10-11) Limited – Jackson Vick
- 125 Jr. (12-17) B/C – Klark Robbins
- Junior (25+) – Heath Harrison
- 250 C – Robert Weiss
- WMX – Kyleigh Stallings
- College (18-24) – Jesse Wessell
- 65cc (7-9) – Nico Verhoeven
- 250 C Jr. (12-17) Limited – Robert Weiss
- 450 B Limited – Leum Oehlhof
- 85cc (10-12) Limited – Nolan Ford
- Schoolboy 1 (12-17) B/C – Klark Robbins
- Senior (45+) – Ronnie Renner
- 250 C Limited – Chase Haynes
- Girls (11-16) – Mayla Herrick
- 65cc (10-11) – Easton Graves
- Micro-E (4-7) Limited – Jarrett Tincher
- Micro 2 (4-6) Limited – Kameron Buckman
- Micro 3 (7-8) Limited – Kannon Zabojnik
- Micro 1 (4-6) Shaft Dr. Ltd. – Brody Jones
Saturday drew to a close with the annual awards ceremony at the Ranch, which celebrated the 36 newly crowned AMA National Champions and handed out the respective awards for the 2023 event.
Penrith Dirt Track Charity Weekend Wrap
With Peter Baker
The City of Penrith Motorcycle Club staged its 16th Classic Dirt Track Charity Meeting at the Nepean Raceway on the weekend of August 5-6 and there was an overwhelmingly positive verdict from competitors and onlookers alike.
This year the two-day meeting featured 2023 New South Wales Classic and Post Classic Dirt Track Championships, as well as support classes for classes which attracted smaller numbers.
There were lots of old bikes, over 220 in total, ranging from some in great condition to others that had simply been dusted off and fired up.
Riders travelled from as far away as Proserpine in the north, Adelaide in the west and Melbourne in the south and there were plenty of honours going to those riders to make their trip worthwhile.
The whole two days was a great success marked by some great camaraderie between competitors, who ranged from several prominent names from the past to plenty of club-level riders who simply get out there to enjoy themselves.
Many machines were able to contest more than one class so that certainly kept the riders very busy, with many of them taking to the track on both days.
There was plenty of serious intent out on the track but the riders seemed to remember that they and their machines were not as young as they used to be.
Victorian father and son Ray and Aaron Stevens were among dual class winners along with Damien Krizaic and sidecar duo Corey Forde / Darren Fraudenstein.
Another class winner Lee Hunter and Damian Krizaic were the winners of the 25-lap races that wrapped up the programme each day.
On Saturday in the Pre 90s Hunter could not shake off Ray Stevens but the Victorian could not get any closer than about 10 metres adrift for much of the race.
Damian Krizaic scored an all-the-way win in the Classic marathon on Sunday.
Results were acknowledged with place-getters in each class receiving an award, but overall the most telling outcomes were sentiments expressed at those presentations.
Without exception riders praised and thanked the club for organising the meeting which has become a ‘must-do’ for many riders.
On-going battles with particular opponents delighted many while the spirit of proceedings extended to some of the competitors being mocked for being so slow walking up to the presentation rostrum and some winners chided for struggling to get up to the top step – some of them taking the long way round via the 3rd place step!
One other feature of the weekend that must be mentioned was the Honour Lap for sidecar great, the late Peter Shoemark which was staged at lunchtime on Saturday.
Shoemark, who passed away in March, was a multiple championship winner who competed in over 100 meetings at his ‘home’ track, Nepean, and he was also a prolific builder of race machines.
A number of those machines took part in the parade which was witnessed by a large group of family members.
At the presentation on Saturday afternoon the City of Penrith Motorcycle Club announced that this year’s charity, the Newborn & Paediatric Emergency Transport Service (NETS) will receive $5,000, with that amount likely to be ‘topped up’ when the accounts for the weekend are finalised.
Penrith Dirt Track Charity Weekend Results
POST CLASSIC CLASS | 1st | 2nd | 3rd |
Period 20 250cc | Tom Yarnold | Lee Hunter | Andrew Smith |
Pre 85 Sidecar | Corey Forde / Darren Fraudenstein | Jarred Marko / Shaun Fuller | Brett Newel / Adam Laman |
Period 20 125cc | Kenny Angel | Tom Northey | Jack Passfield |
Period 20 263cc & over | Lee Hunter | Tom Yarnold | Ray Stevens |
Pre 90 Slider | Christopher Steep | Shane Baker | Miles Roe |
Pre 85 250cc | Tom Northey | Robert Hayden | Brendan Tickner |
Pre 90 250cc | Edmund Krizaic | Tom Day | — |
Pre 90 263cc & over | Damien Krizaic | Shawn Giles | Reece Crimeen |
Pre 95 125cc & 250cc | Trevor Marsh | Edmund Krizaic | Paris Halsey |
Pre 90 4-stroke | Ray Stevens | Shawn Giles | Miles Roe |
Pre 85 263cc & over | Simon McAdie | Ray Stevens | Jasper Freebairn |
Pre 90 Sidecar | Andy Bridge / Robby Weston | Jarred Marko / Shaun Fuller | Jackson Bond / Tom Glover |
Pre 95 263cc & over | Ray Stevens | Trevor Marsh | — |
PRE 90 & PERIOD 20 | |||
ALL POWERS 25 LAP | Lee Hunter | Ray Stevens | Edmund Krizaic |
CLASSIC CLASS | 1st | 2nd | 3rd |
Pre 65/70 263cc & over | Gregg McLean | David Lewis | Miles Roe |
Pre 75 up to 125cc | Robert Hayden | Brett Copperfield | — |
Pre 75 263cc & over | Graham Judd | Ben Snell | Kenneth Warren |
Pre 75 All Powers | Keeley Pritchett | Miles Rowe | — |
Pre 75 250cc | Damien Krizaic | Wayne Clarke | Shane Baker |
Pre 75 Sidecar | Corey Forde / Darren Fraudenstein | Brett Newell /Adam Laman | Matthew Kelly / Anthony Martin |
Pre 78 263cc & over | Aaron Stevens | Damien Krizaic | Graham Judd |
Slider 250cc | Shane Baker | Brett Glover | — |
Senior 70 & over | Geoff f Watson | Gregg McLean | Phillip Gibson |
Evolution 263cc & over | Aaron Stevens | Christopher Steep | Andrew Smith |
Pre 75 Slider | Mark Collins | Alan Jones | Brett Glover |
Pre 78 250cc | Reece Crimeen | Steve Baker | Edmund Krizaic |
Evolution 250cc | Wayne Clarke | Robert Hayden | Bradley Halsey |
CLASSIC ALL POWERS | |||
25 LAP | Damien Krizaic | Keeley Pritchett | Giovanni Mariani |
Australian Senior Track Championship Round 2 this weekend! Aug 12-13
With Peter Baker
The Hunter Motor Cycle Club will host its second title meeting for 2023 when the Australian Senior Track Championship is staged this coming weekend, August 12 and 13, at their Barleigh Ranch Raceway.
After the highly successful Australian Junior Track Championship last month officials are confident the track will be again be in pristine condition to allow the huge entry list of riders to battle it out for honours.
Riders are coming from Queensland, Victoria and South Australia as well as across New South Wales and the quality of the entries should ensure close competition across the six championship classes.
So large is the entry list that five heats will be required in each of the four rounds for both the MX Open and Pro 450 classes and every place in every race will be important.
Only the top ten qualify direct to the Final, while the next 12 on points have to battle for the last two Final berths in what is always a cut-throat Repechage race.
Finding a favourite is no easy task, but Queensland teenager Cyshan Weale deserves that tag after his brilliant showing in the New South Wales Championship at Coffs Harbour last month.
Locally based youngsters Luke Bush and Cody Lewis and Central Coast brothers Harry and Connor Ryan are other prominent contenders among the younger brigade.
While certainly not in the veteran class, seasoned campaigners like Daniel Wicks from Cowra, Jordan Dall from Gunnedah, Grant Charnock from Penrith and Bailey Spencer from Coffs Harbour will all fancy their chances of battling it out in the Final.
The Pro 250 class along with the Up to 1100cc Dirt Track Sidecars and the ATV Open class will all have two heats per round before the Repechage and Final.
Cody Lewis is one of the two competitors who will be trying to repeat their 2022 title win when he contests the Pro 250 class.
Perhaps one of the hottest favourites for the weekend will be Joshua Griffiths in the ATV Open class.
In the Dirt Track Sidecars there was little between Jarred Marko / Shaun Fuller and Corey Forde Darren Fraudenstein in the New South Wales showdown and a repeat of that would not be surprising.
The only championship class that be decided solely on points over five rounds will be the Pro Open Womens class where defending champion Tayla Street will again lock horns with Brisbane rider Briony Hendrickson who is the most successful womens rider over the past decade..
As well as the championship classes there will be a number of support classes including the always competitive Over 35s and a class for ATV 450cc machines.
Last but not least there will be three junior classes, featuring a number of successful performers from last month’s Australian Junior Track Championship meeting.
Practice starts at 9am on Saturday while Sunday kicks off with the Parade Lap and National Anthem at 9.30am.
The Barleigh Ranch Raceway is situated just off the Pacific Highway north of Raymond Terrace and there is no charge for fans on Saturday while a car load of fans will pay $20 to see the deciding events on Sunday.
2023 Golden Beach 6 Hour Cross Country
The 2023 Golden Beach 6 Hour Cross Country has been run and won with Timothy Lonsdale, Jagger Senior and Lucas Poole claiming the Ironman wins, in the Senior, Junior 12-16 and Junior 8-12 categories respectively.
In the 6 Hours Richard Carroll and Luke Haaja topped the 2 Men Novice class, while Jack Simpson and Kallam Dyce were top performers in the 2 Men Open class.
Riley and Paddy McGillivray alongside Nathan Dalbosco took the 3 Men Open victory, while Matthew and David Zygarlicki were Fastest Family Teamn – also the name of their class.
The Juniors also competed in 4 Hours, Tomas Porto and Mason Boucher topping the 13-16 category, while Elijah Cameron and Koby Munro won the 8-12s.
2023 Golden Beach 6 Hour Cross Country – Top 3 Results
Pos | Team | Riders | Time |
2 Men Novice Team | |||
1 | Goon Squad | Richard Carroll, Luke Haaja | 6:07.12 |
2 | 567 Dogs | Lucas Campbell, Kris Jackson | 6:28.32 |
3 | Boily Crue | Jason Vlug, Seth Williamson | 6:31.38 |
2 Men Open Team | |||
1 | Local Boys | Jack Simpson, Kallam Dyce | 6:21.02 |
2 | Peter Stevens | Tom Mason, Tyran Tomich | 6:30.58 |
3 | 2-Smoke Mafia | Matt Van Slooten, Travis Cooper | 6:01.39 (10 Lap) |
3 Men Open Team | |||
1 | Punkah Bois | Riley & Paddy McGillivray, Nathan Dalbosco | 6:07.08 |
2 | Tripod | Will Price, Fabian Bill, Tom Griffin | 6:16.03 |
3 | VCG | Chandler Burns, Justin Carafa, Steve Oakley | 6:19.48 |
Fastest Family Team | |||
1 | ZYGS | Matthew & David Zygarlicki | 6:27.44 |
2 | Bongiorno Race Team | Ethan, Gerard & Jacob Bongiorno | 6:34.01 |
3 | Pays | Darren, William & Tom Pay | 6:37.22 |
Ironman | |||
1 | Timothy Lonsdale | 6:02.26 | |
2 | Raymond Bell | 6:09.27 | |
3 | Craig Prout | 6:12.45 | |
Juniors 13-16 4 Hours | |||
1 | Sand Surfers | Tomas Porto, Mason Boucher | 4:07.20 |
2 | 2 Smokerz | Cruiz Rikys, Oscar Harris | 4:09.25 |
3 | Townzys | Charlie Townley, Bayling Townsend | 5:39.21 (14 lap) |
Junior Ironman 12-16 | |||
1 | Jagger Senior | 4:17.16 | |
2 | Mason Innella | 4:04.52 (13 lap) | |
3 | Jet Avard | 4:06.08 | |
Juniors 8-12 4 Hours | |||
1 | On the Bopper | Elijah Cameron, Koby Munro | 4:10.05 |
2 | J&B | William Rickhuss, Joel Stephens | 4:02.06 (11 lap) |
3 | Factory Team | Seth Milne, Tyler King | 4:21.05 |
Junior Ironman 8-12 Years | |||
1 | Lucas Poole | 4:17.26 | |
2 | Harley Bastow | 4:08.07 | |
DNF | Phoenix O’Brien | 4:17.43 |
Kevin Benavides side-lined by wrist injury
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Kevin Benavides is recovering after undergoing surgery to repair an injury sustained to his right wrist while training in the United States. The reigning Dakar Champion was riding a test loop with the team on Sunday, July 30, when he came off his KTM 450 RALLY.
Benavides was taken to hospital where he underwent surgery to repair the broken lunate bone and ligament damage in his wrist. While the surgery went well, it’s not yet clear how long the Argentinian will be out of action. Kevin will miss the upcoming fourth round of the FIM World Rally-Raid Championship – the Desafio Ruta 40 in Argentina.
Norbert Stadlbauer – Rally Team Manager
“This is a terrible set-back for both Kevin and the whole team, especially coming so soon after he worked incredibly hard to return to full fitness after breaking his femur back in February. Thankfully, it looks like the surgery to his wrist went well and Kevin is already on the road to recovery. Although, like with any injury, it’s difficult to predict when we’ll see Kevin back aboard his KTM 450 RALLY, the team are of course 100 percent behind him and wish him a fast and complete recovery.”
FIM Speedway of Nations – SON2 line-up confirmed
The starting line-ups for the DeWalt FIM Speedway of Nations – SON2 event in Riga this Friday have been confirmed.
The sport’s top seven junior sides race for the FIM Speedway of Nations Under-21 World Championship at Bikernieki – the night before the OlyBet FIM Speedway GP of Latvia – Riga takes place on Saturday.
The DeWalt FIM SON2 event sees all seven teams meet each other over a 21-heat pairs format, with the country that scores the most points advancing directly into the Grand Final. The second and third-placed nations then meet in the Grand Final Qualifier for the right to join them, with the Grand Final winner crowned this year’s FIM Speedway of Nations Under-21 world champion.
Hosts Latvia take on 15-time winners and reigning champions Poland, plus Czech Republic, Great Britain, Denmark, Australia and Germany, who step into the line-up for 2023, replacing Sweden, who finished seventh last year. Every country selects three riders – two starters at No.1 and No.2, with a reserve at No.3, who can be called into action at any time.
Australian Under-21 champion Keynan Rew captains his country, joining forces with Plymouth star James Pearson in the starting pair. Talented Queensland star Tate Zischke – a protegee of former Speedway GP icon Darcy Ward – is handed the No.3 spot.
The Latvian challenge is led by SGP2 rider Francis Gusts, who is part of the FIM Speedway Under-21 World Championship series. He teams up with Ricards Ansviesulis and reserve Ernests Matjusonoks.
Reigning SGP2 champion Mateusz Cierniak leads Poland’s challenge after teaming up with Jakub Miskowiak to win gold in SON2 in 2022. He joins forces in the starting pair with SGP2 rival Bartlomiej Kowalski.
Bydgoszcz shooting star Wiktor Przyjemski was part of Poland’s gold medal-winning side in 2022, but he was forced out of the SON2 event at Vojens after a crash. He is named at No.3 for 2023.
Danish SGP2 duo Emil Breum and Esben Hjerrild join forces to lead their country’s challenge with Jesper Knudsen – brother of 2022 SGP2 rider Jonas – serving as Denmark’s reserve.
Great Britain under-21 boss Neil Vatcher selects Anders Rowe and Dan Gilkes as his starting pair as the Lions bid to build on the bronze medal they won in 2022. Drew Kemp is listed at No.3.
The Czech challenge is led by 2022 SON2 silver medallist Petr Chlupac. He links up with Prague teammate Daniel Klima, while Prague FIM SGP2 of Czech Republic track reserve Jaroslav Vanicek will hope for the chance to impress at No.3.
SGP2 regular Norick Blodorn captains Germany as they enter the competition, with Erik Bachhuber set to partner him. Patrick Hyjek takes the reserve place.
2024 Enduro World Championships & FIM Enduro World Cups calendar revealed
Promoters of the FIM EnduroGP World Championship have revealed provisional dates for the 2024 FIM EnduroGP World Championship. The planned eight-round series will visit several countries that are regulars hosts of EnduroGP competitions, as well as the inclusion of a number of new events.
Starting a little earlier than this year’s series, the 2024 championship will begin in early April in Spain. One week later, the championship will cross the border into Portugal for round two.
Following what will be a busy two weeks for all involved in the FIM EnduroGP World Championship, one month after the Portuguese event, the series will head to Romania. The last time the championship visited the south-eastern European country was back in 2013.
June will see the series head to Italy, and an event that, once completed, will mark the mid-way point of the championship with eight full days of competition completed.
Round five will take place in Slovakia before a TBA event two weeks later.
At the start of August, the penultimate round of the EnduroGP championship will visit Wales. A long-talked-about location from the 2008 championship, the event will set the series up for the eighth and final round in France on September 13-15.
Location information for all rounds will be announced soon.
Provisional 2024 FIM EnduroGP World Championship calendar
Round | Date | Location | FMNR |
Round 1 | 5–7 April | Spain | RFME |
Round 2 | 12–14 April | Portugal | FMP |
Round 3 | 10–12 May | Romania | FRM |
Round 4 | 21–23 June | Italy | FMI |
Round 5 | 12–14 July | Slovakia | SMF |
Round 6 | 26–28 July | TBA | TBA |
Round 7 | 2–4 August | Wales/UK | ACU |
Round 8 | 13–15 September | France | FFM |
Next stop Hungary for Bajas World Cup
After rounds in the Middle East and the Iberian Peninsula, the FIM Bajas World Cup continues this weekend in Hungary. Fourteen FIM Moto riders will face off in the heat of this region on a military field at Várpalota, not far from the famous Lake Balaton.
Despite disappointment at the recent Baja Spain Aragón, Dubai rider Mohammed Al-Balooshi (KTM) still leads the provisional motorcycle classification. But he will need to remain vigilant on this kind of terrain, which is a far cry from the sandy tracks of the desert and does not always suit him, especially with both David Megre (Kawasaki) and Andrew Houlihan (Husqvarna) dangerously close in the overall championship standings.
The FIM Bajas World Cup has eight events but only the best six results will count at the end of the season.
With Al-Balooshi in his sights, Australian Andrew Houlihan travelled the 15,655km from his hometown to race at the Hungarian Baja.
Andrew Houlihan
“I’m going to try to do a better race than in Aragón,” commented the leader of the Veteran class. “Because, the first day, I hurt my shoulder and, the second, I flooded the engine crossing a ford and wasted time… I’m only 16 points behind Al-Balooshi and I hope to close the gap.”
In addition to the leading three in the FIM Bajas World Cup standings, Stefan Svitko, Jonathan Finn, Pedro Bianchi Prata and Jan Brabec are also present in Hungary… the race is going to be exciting.
On the Women’s side, Sarah Khuraibet (Husqvarna) leads the category and faces Ester Merino, Alona Ben-Natan, Johanna Modrzewska and Krystyna Vankova on a quad.
On Thursday August 10th, riders will head to the administrative and technical checks.
Friday, August 11th starts with a 9.47km Prologue to give the starting order, followed by two loops of 52.67km and 57.99km, respectively, for a total of 221.32km.
On Saturday, August 12th riders will compete on a course of 245.60km that is divided into two runs through two loops. In total, the Hungarian Baja is 633.37km long and includes 466.92km of specials.
2023 Progressive American Flat Track – Black Hills Half-Mile
Kody Kopp No. 1 Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 450 SX-F pulled off the most impressive of his seven race wins this season on Sunday at Black Hills Speedway, taking a narrow victory from Tom Drane, with Trent Lowe and Max Whale battling it out for the final podium position, Whale missing out.
Kopp not only had to work up through a talented field on a slick track after running as low as seventh early, he also had to somehow find a way around the race’s heavy pre-race favorite, Tom Drane (No. 59 Estenson Racing Yamaha YZ450F), to complete that epic charge to victory.
Kopp exploited a high line no one else could quite master to slash up from seventh to second. That strategy could take him only that far, however, as Drane was too fast and too smart to simply power around.
Instead, the factory Red Bull KTM ace applied as much pressure as he possibly could and then pounced as soon as Drane made a slight mistake as the two leapt out of Turn 4 with just two laps remaining.
Once into first, Kopp kept it together and held on by 0.227 seconds at the checkered flag.
Kody Kopp – P1
“That was probably the toughest race of my career. I really dug myself out of a hole after a terrible heat, but I knew we had the speed… (But) Tom made it so hard to do. I would roll him – I had a lot of entry speed into (Turn) 1 – but he would see me and come up and block, which is what you have to do at a track like this, and it would cost me all of my momentum. But he just slipped up once coming off 4, and that’s all it took. Last year around this time, when we started thinking about the championship, I feel like I was settling for like fifths and sevenths. This year, I want to get eight wins like Dallas (Daniels did in 2020). This is huge for me and my team.”
The two were joined on the box by Trent Lowe (No. 48 American Honda/Mission Foods CRF450R), who held off second factory KTM ace Max Whale (No. 18 Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 450 SX-F), by 0.096 seconds for the spot.
Max Whale – P4
“It was a decent day here at Black Hills. I qualified second, which adds to my run of good qualifiers over the last few rounds, so had a front row start, made it into the Dash, though felt I was chasing something all day long. The team and I made great changes throughout the round and by the Main Event, I felt great, just a slow opening few laps put me back, unfortunately. I charged hard from there and by the mid-point I was running the times of the leaders, but I just gave up too much time to begin with. Overall, I’m stoked with how I feel on the bike, I just need to be better early on.”
Early frontrunner and ‘22 Black Hills HM winner Trevor Brunner (No. 21 Estenson Racing Yamaha YZ450F) finished in fifth, just 0.005 seconds ahead of Chase Saathoff (No. 88 American Honda/Mission Foods CRF450R).
Rookie Declan Bender (No. 216 Killer Bee Racing/Luczak Racing KTM 450 SX-F) earned the best finish of his Progressive AFT career in seventh.
He was followed by Dalton Gauthier (No. 79 D&D Racing/Certified KTM 450 SX-F), Travis Petton IV (No. 82 ECG Racing/3 Bros KTM 450 SX-F) and Tarren Santero (No. 75 Vinson Construction/Eric Hoyt Honda CRF450R) to round out the top ten.
Kopp now leads the championship by 49 points over Drane (298-249). Should he build that advantage by just a single point next weekend at his home race in Castle Rock, Washington, he’ll successfully complete his title defense a full two rounds early.
AFT Singles Main Result
Pos | Rider | Bike | Gap | Point |
1 | Kody Kopp | KTM 450 SX-F | 23 Laps | 25 |
2 | Tom Drane | Yamaha YZ450F | 0.227 | 21 |
3 | Trent Lowe | Honda CRF450R | 1.439 | 18 |
4 | Max Whale | KTM 450 SX-F | 1.535 | 16 |
5 | Trevor Brunner | Yamaha YZ450F | 2.788 | 15 |
6 | Chase Saathoff | Honda CRF450R | 2.793 | 14 |
7 | Declan Bender | KTM 450 SX-F | 7.433 | 13 |
8 | Dalton Gauthier | KTM 450 SX-F | 7.790 | 12 |
9 | Travis Petton IV | KTM 450 SX-F | 8.133 | 11 |
10 | Tarren Santero | Honda CRF450R | 8.371 | 10 |
11 | James Ott | Husqvarna FC450 | 8.937 | 9 |
12 | Morgen Mischler | Honda CRF450R | 9.414 | 8 |
13 | Chad Cose | Husqvarna FC450 | 9.439 | 7 |
14 | Hunter Bauer | Honda CRF450R | 9.657 | 6 |
15 | Aidan RoosEvans | Honda CRF450R | 9.672 | 5 |
16 | Tyler Raggio | Yamaha YZ450F | 13.821 | 4 |
17 | Logan Eisenhard | KTM 450 SX-F | 14.719 | 3 |
18 | Landen Smith | KTM 450 SX-F | 14.799 | 2 |
19 | Aidan Brown | Honda CRF450R | 15.866 | 1 |
AFT Singles Standings – Top 20
Pos | Rider | Points |
1 | Kody Kopp | 298 |
2 | Tom Drane | 249 |
3 | Trevor Brunner | 248 |
4 | Chase Saathoff | 238 |
5 | Max Whale | 228 |
6 | Trent Lowe | 227 |
7 | Dalton Gauthier | 214 |
8 | Morgen Mischler | 161 |
9 | Chad Cose | 142 |
10 | James Ott | 140 |
11 | Travis Petton IV | 97 |
12 | Aidan RoosEvans | 76 |
13 | Jared Lowe | 76 |
14 | Shayna Texter-Bauman | 69 |
15 | Cole Zabala | 69 |
16 | Tarren Santero | 68 |
17 | Justin Jones | 62 |
18 | Hunter Bauer | 55 |
19 | Logan Eisenhard | 43 |
20 | Andrew Luker | 36 |
Mission SuperTwins
The AFT took the spotlight at the 83rd Sturgis Motorcycle Rally on Sunday night, and all of its superstars, Mees again shone the brightest. He looked nearly unbeatable entering the Mission SuperTwins presented by S&S Cycle Main and then proved those fears well founded as soon as the race began. He shot out into the lead from pole and stretched out a sizable gap within a matter of laps, extinguishing any hopes of an upset as he did so.
Drama-free at the front, the Main Event was anything but from second place on down the order. Despite being in desperate need of a runner-up finish to minimize the damage to his championship chances, Dallas Daniels (No. 32 Estenson Racing Yamaha MT-07 DT) found himself in fourth behind JD Beach (No. 95 Estenson Racing Yamaha MT-07 DT) and Briar Bauman (No. 3 Parts Plus/Jacob Companies KTM 790 Duke) and in danger of being displaced to fifth by Brandon Robinson (No. 44 Mission Roof Systems Indian FTR750).
Fueled by that desperation, Daniels somehow thread the needle, splitting Beach and Bauman to emerge from fourth in second with eight minutes to go. He and Estenson Racing teammate Beach then separated from the fight for fourth and flew their Yamahas in formation from that point forward.
However, Beach didn’t appear to be content to merely follow Daniels to the flag, instead showing his teammate a wheel more than once as the race neared its conclusion. While Beach may have had some pace on Daniels, he was wise enough to hold off on anything but the cleanest of passes – an opportunity for which never showed itself.
As a result of Mees’ victory and Daniels’ runner-up, Mees now leads by 5 points (321-316) and has locked up the tiebreaker with just three races left to determine this year’s champion.
Jared Mees
“It was a good day for us. We knew we needed to come in and do exactly that. We were dominant all day long. Jimmy Wood had the Öhlins suspension so hooked up – the Indian was probably one of the most hooked up motorcycles on a Half-Mile that I’ve ever been on, honestly. And Kenny Tolbert had the thing tuned-up perfectly, obviously. We were solid right off the truck, and that was a big key to today – not having to search for the speed.”
Meanwhile, nine riders were in contention for fourth place in a wild fracas just behind the podium positions. Fourth and fifth, ultimately went to Davis Fisher (No. 67 Rackley Racing/Bob Lanphere’s BMC Racing Indian FTR750) and Cameron Smith (No. 34 Martin Trucking/Fredericktown Yamaha MT-07). Brandon Robinson (No. 44 Mission Roof Systems Indian FTR750) held on for sixth, while Bauman suffered the most in the fray, dropping all the way down to 12th by the time he took the checkered flag.
Seventh was taken by Kolby Carlile (No. 36 G&G Racing/Yamaha Racing Yamaha MT-07) while Johnny Lewis (No. 10 Moto Anatomy X Powered by Royal Enfield 650), Jarod Vanderkooi (No. 20 JMC Motorsports/Fairway Ford Indian FTR750), and Bronson Bauman (No. 37 Fastrack Racing/2 Wheelz KTM 790 Duke) completed the top ten.
SuperTwins Main Result
Pos | Rider | Bike | Gap | Point |
1 | Jared Mees | Indian FTR750 | 28 Laps | 25 |
2 | Dallas Daniels | Yamaha MT-07 | 1.377 | 21 |
3 | JD Beach | Yamaha MT-07 | 1.477 | 18 |
4 | Davis Fisher | Indian FTR750 | 9.773 | 16 |
5 | Cameron Smith | Yamaha MT-07 | 11.590 | 15 |
6 | Brandon Robinson | Indian FTR750 | 12.222 | 14 |
7 | Kolby Carlile | Yamaha MT-07 | 12.920 | 13 |
8 | Johnny Lewis | Royal Enfield 650 | 13.294 | 12 |
9 | Jarod Vanderkooi | Indian FTR750 | 14.601 | 11 |
10 | Bronson Bauman | KTM 790 Duke | 15.792 | 10 |
11 | Ben Lowe | Indian FTR750 | 16.458 | 9 |
12 | Briar Bauman | KTM 790 Duke | 18.993 | 8 |
13 | Henry Wiles | Indian FTR750 | 21.125 | 7 |
14 | Kasey Sciscoe | Harley XG750R | 21.634 | 6 |
15 | Ryan Wells | Royal Enfield 650 | 27 Laps | 5 |
16 | Cody Johncox | Yamaha MT-07 | 2.927 | 4 |
17 | Scooter Vernon | Kawasaki Ninja 650 | 3.996 | 3 |
18 | Michael Hill | Yamaha MT-07 | 5.069 | 2 |
19 | Jimmy McAllister | KTM 890 Duke | 8 Laps | 1 |
SuperTwins Standings – Top 20
Pos | Rider | Points |
1 | Jared Mees | 321 |
2 | Dallas Daniels | 316 |
3 | JD Beach | 253 |
4 | Briar Bauman | 251 |
5 | Davis Fisher | 210 |
6 | Brandon Robinson | 200 |
7 | Jarod Vanderkooi | 185 |
8 | Bronson Bauman | 159 |
9 | Kolby Carlile | 148 |
10 | Ben Lowe | 138 |
11 | Johnny Lewis | 127 |
12 | Dan Bromley | 71 |
13 | Billy Ross | 64 |
14 | Henry Wiles | 63 |
15 | Cameron Smith | 62 |
16 | Kasey Sciscoe | 51 |
17 | Ryan Wells | 47 |
18 | Jeffery Lowery | 41 |
19 | Sammy Halbert | 40 |
20 | Kayl Kolkman | 27 |
2023 FIM Flat Track World Championship – Final One
The 2023 FIM Flat Track World Championship kicked off at the National Speedway Stadium in Belle Vue, England, on Saturday night, with Ondřej Svědík taking his Yamaha to victory despite the wet conditions.
The 27-year-old Czech rider won all four of his Heat races and led every lap of the Grand Final to open up an immediate advantage at the top of the points table, as rain threatened to bring a premature end to the action following the first three blocks of racing.
Extensive track maintenance was able to ensure the racing went ahead after a short delay and the crowd were treated to an adrenalin-charged conclusion to the eighteen-race programme.
Ondřej Svědík
“This was a new experience for me. The track in Manchester is very different compared to where I have raced before, but I enjoyed the experience. To win the first round is huge for me. There are still many rounds to come and this result is a good start to my championship campaign. Conditions were challenging to begin with and it was quite wet after the rain, but after the track work it was much better for racing and I am delighted to have won.”
Svědík’s main opposition came from his compatriot Ervin Krajčovič (KTM) with both riders showing great form in the first of five Finals that will be staged over the next two months to decide the destination of the 2023 title.
The opening block of four six-lap Heats, each contested by seven riders, saw Svědík and Krajčovič share the early lead with Australia’s Jarred Brook (Husqvarna) and Matias Lorenzato (Zaeta) from Argentina.
Svědík and Brook then pulled ahead after winning their second Heats, but Krajčovič remained in contention and former American Grand National Champion Sammy Halbert (GASGAS) and defending champion Gerard Bailo (KTM) from Spain climbed up the leaderboard.
Victories in his final two Heats ensured Svědík got the all-important first pick of starting position for the Grand Final, just one point ahead of Brooks and two clear of Krajčovič and Halbert as the top-ten finishers following the Heats automatically transferred to the twelve-lap main race of the night.
With riders who finished from eleventh to twentieth fighting it out in the Last Chance race for the final two Grand Final places up for grabs, it was Germany’s Markus Jell (KTM) and home hero Jack Bell (Honda) who made the cut.
A first-lap crash by Daniele Tonelli (TM) resulted in a red light, the Italian’s disqualification and a restarted Grand Final which Svědík led from the start chased by Krajčovič with Halbert slotting into third.
With Bailo holding fourth from Brook, the stage was set for a thrilling climax to a tough night of racing as the leading pair gradually opened up an advantage.
During the middle stages Brook looked to be closing on Bailo, but his challenge dropped off as Italy’s Matteo Boncinelli (GASGAS) – the 2022 series runner-up – began to apply pressure from behind.
When the chequered flag came out it was Svědík who held on for the win after soaking up race-long pressure from Krajčovič. Halbert was a fighting third ahead of Bailo and Brook with Boncinelli chased across the line by Lorenzato and Jell.
Jarred Brook – P5
“It was a wet and soggy start to the series held at Belle Vue Aces. After coming down with food poisoning on Wednesday, I qualified in second place by one point and came away with a fifth place in the main event collecting a good chunk of points to start the series off with. Massive thank you to Dad, Jason Crump, Mark Lemon, Richard, Manchester Motorcycles, Anthony, Tim, Joshie Pickering and the Etheridge family for their help. Thank you to the Aussies that were in Manchester and back home for the support. Thank you to my team, family, friends, sponsors! Onwards and upwards for round two, I’m hungry for more.”
The focus now switches to the second Final of 2023, scheduled for Debrecen in Hungary on 10 September.
2023 Racing schedule
Revised 2023 MXGP Calendar (Remaining Rounds)
Date | Country | Venue |
04 June | Latvia | Kegums |
11 June | Germany | Teutschenthal |
25 June | Indonesia | Sumbawa |
02 July | Indonesia | Lombok |
16 July | Czech Republic | Loket |
23 July | Belgium | Lommel |
30 July | Finland | Hyvinkää |
13 August | Sweden | Uddevalla |
20 August | The Netherlands | Arnhem |
03 September | Türkiye | Afyonkarahisar |
17 September | Italy | Maggiora |
01 October | Great Britain | Matterley Basin |
2023 FIM EnduroGP World Championship Calendar
Date | Location | Country |
31 March-2 April | San Remo/Arma di Taggia | Italy |
5-7 May | Lalin | Spain |
26-28 May | Heinola | Finland |
1-3 June | Skövde | Sweden |
30 June-2 July | Gelnica | Slovakia |
29 Sept-1 Oct | Valpaços | Portugal |
6 -8 October | St Andre/Santiago do Cacem | Portugal |
2023 American Flat Track Calendar
Round | Date | Race | Location |
1 | March 9 | Daytona Flat Track I | Daytona Beach, FL |
2 | March 10 | Daytona Flat Track II | Daytona Beach, FL |
3 | March 25 | Senoia Short Track | Senoia, GA |
4 | April 1 | Arizona Bike Week | TBA |
5 | April 22 | Devil’s Bowl Half Mile | Mesquite, TX |
6 | May 6 | Ventura Short Track | Ventura, CA |
7 | May 13 | Sacramento Mile | Sacramento, CA |
8 | May 27 | Red Mile | Lexington, KY |
10 | June 17 | Du Quoin Mile | Du Quoin, IL |
11 | June 24 | Line Half-Mile | Lina, OH |
12 | July 1 | West Virginia Half-Mile | Mineral Wells, WV |
13 | July 8 | Orange Country Half-Mile | Middletown, NY |
14 | July 22 | Bridgeport Half-Mile | Bridgeport, NJ |
15 | July 30 | Peoria TT | Peroia, IL |
16 | August 6 | Buffalo Chip TT | Sturgis, SO |
17 | August 12 | Castle Rock TT | Castle Rock, WA |
18 | September 2 | Springfield Mile I | Springfield, IL |
19 | September 3 | Springfield Mile II | Springfield, IL |
2023 FIM World Supercross Calendar
Date | Venue, Stadium | Country |
01 July | Birmingham, Villa Park Stadium | Great Britain |
22 July | Lyon-Décines, Groupama Stadium | France |
30 September | Asian Grand Prix (TBA) | South-East Asia |
14 October | Dusseldorf, Merkus Spiel Arena | Germany |
28 October | Vancouver, BC Place Stadium | Canada |
24-25 November | Melbourne, Marvel Stadium | Australia |
*TBA = To be announced |
2023 AMA SuperMotocross Calendar
Rnd | Series | Stadium | Location | Date |
4 | AMA SX | Angel Stadium | Anaheim, CA | January 28 |
5 | AMA SX | NRG Stadium | Houston, TX | February 4 |
6 | AMA SX | Raymond James Stadium | Tampa, FL | February 11 |
2* | AMA SX | RingCentral Coliseum | Oakland, CA | February 18 |
7 | AMA SX | AT&T Stadium | Arlington, TX | February 25 |
8 | AMA SX | Daytona Int. Speedway | Daytona Beach, FL | March 4 |
9 | AMA SX | Lucas Oil Stadium | Indianapolis, IN | March 11 |
10 | AMA SX | Ford Field | Detroit, MI | March 18 |
11 | AMA SX | Lumen Field | Seattle, WA | March 25 |
12 | AMA SX | State Farm Stadium | Glendale, AZ | April 8 |
13 | AMA SX | Atlanta Motor Speedway | Atlanta, GA | April 15 |
14 | AMA SX | MetLife Stadium | East Rutherford, NJ | April 22 |
15 | AMA SX | Nisssan Stadium | Nashville, TN | April 29 |
16 | AMA SX | Empower Field at Mile High | Denver, CO | May 6 |
17 | AMA SX | Rice-Eccles Stadium | Salt Lake City, UT | May 13 |
18 | ProMX | Fox Raceway National | Pala, CA | May 27 |
19 | ProMX | Hangtown Classic | Rancho Cordova, CA | June 3 |
20 | ProMX | Thunder Valley National | Lakewood, CO | June 10 |
21 | ProMX | High Point National | Mount Morris, PA | June 17 |
22 | ProMX | RedBud National | Buchanan, MI | July 1 |
23 | ProMX | Southwick National | Southwick, MA | July 8 |
24 | ProMX | Spring Creek National | Millville, MN | July 15 |
25 | ProMX | Washougal National | Washougal, WA | July 22 |
26 | ProMX | Unadilla National | New Berlin, NY | August 12 |
27 | ProMX | Budds Creek National | Mechanicsville, MD | August 19 |
28 | ProMX | Ironman National | Crawfordsbille, IN | August 26 |
29 | SMX | zMAX Dragway | Charlotte, NC | September 9 |
30 | SMX | Chicagoland Speedway | Joilet, IL | September 16 |
31 | SMX | LA Memorial Coliseum | Los Angeles, LA | September 23 |
2023 Penrite ProMX Championship calendar
Round | Location | Date | Classes |
Round 1 | WONTHAGGI, VIC | 5 March | MX1, MX2, MX3, MXW |
Round 2 | APPIN, NSW | 19 March | MX1, MX2, MX3 |
Round 3 | WODONGA, VIC | 16 April | MX1, MX2, MX3, |
Round 4 | TBA | TBA | TBA |
Round 5 | GILLMAN, SA | 28 May | MX1, MX2, MX3, MXW |
Round 6 | TOOWOOMBA, QLD | 25 June | MX1, MX2, MX3, |
Round 7 | QLD MOTO PARK (QMP) | 13 August | MX1, MX2, MX3, MXW |
Round 8 | COOLUM, QLD | 19-20 August | MX1, MX2, MX3, VETS, MXW |
GNCC 2023 Schedule
Date | Event | Location |
Feb 18-19 | Big Buck | Union, SC |
Mar 4-5 | Wild Boar | Palatka, FL |
Mar 11-12 | The General | Washington, GA |
Apr 1-2 | Tiger Run | Bick Buck Farm, Union SC |
Apr 15-16 | Camp Coker Bullet | Society Hill, SC |
May 6-7 | Hoosier | Crawfordsville, IN |
May 20-21 | The John Penton | Millfield, OH |
Jun 3-4 | Mason-Dixon | Mt. Morris, PA |
Jun 24-25 | Snowshoe | Snowshoe, WV |
Sep 16-17 | The Mountaineer | Beckley, WV |
Oct 7-8 | Buckwheat 100 | Newburg, WV |
Oct 21-22 | Ironman | Crawfordsville, IN |
2023 Australian Dirt Track Calendar
Date | Championship | Location |
April 15-16 | Australian Junior Dirt Track Championships | Mike Hatcher MCC (QLD) |
July 15-16 | Australian Junior Track Championships | Hunter MCC (Barleigh Ranch Circuit) (NSW) |
October 7-8 | Australian Senior Dirt Track Championships | Albury-Wodonga MCC (Diamond Park) (VIC) |
October 28-29 | Australian Senior Track Championships | Hunter MCC (Barleigh Ranch Circuit) (NSW) |
2023 FIM Long Track World Championship
FIM Long Track World Championship | |||
Date | Event | Venue | Country |
24 June | Challenge | La Réole | France |
18 May | Final | Herxheim | Germany |
17 June | Final | Ostrów | Poland |
13 July | Final | Marmande | France |
20 August | Final | Scheessel | Germany |
02 September | Final | Morizès | France |
17 September | Final | Mühldorf | Germany |
FIM Long Track of Nations | |||
24 September | Final | Roden | The Netherlands |
FIM Speedway Youth Gold Trophy | |||
08 July | Final | Holsted | Denmark |
FIM Track Racing Youth Gold Trophy | |||
23 July | Final | Gdańsk | Poland |
2023 FIM E-Xplorer World Cup Calendar
DATE | VENUE | COUNTRY |
13 May | Barcelona | Spain |
24 June | Crans-Montana* | Switzerland |
29 July | Vollore-Montagne | France |
09 September | TBA | USA |
28 October | Busan* | South Korea |
18 November | TBA | ASIA |
*Subject to contract |
2023 FIM Hard Enduro World Championship calendar
Round | Event | Date |
Round 1 | Xross, Serbia | May 17/18/19/20 |
Round 2 | Red Bull Erzbergrodeo, Austria | June 8/9/10/11 |
Round 3 | Red Bull Abestone, Italy | July 7/8/9 |
Round 4 | Red Bull Romaniacs, Romania | July 25/26/27/28/29 |
Round 5 | Red Bull Outliers, Canada | August 26/27 |
Round 6 | Roof of Africa, South Africa | September 28/29/30 |
Round 7 | 24MX GetzenRodeo, Germany | November 3/4 |
2023 Northern NSW Ironman MX Series Calendar
- Round 1 – 14th May Coonabarabran Goanna Tracks
- Round 2 – 18th June Coffs Harbour Motorcycle Club
- Round 3 – 25th June Hastings Valley Motorcycle Club
- Round 4 – 13th August Moree Motorcycle Club
- Round 5 – 3rd September Inverell Motorcycle Club (Finale & Presentation)
2023 FIM Baja World Cup calendar
Date | Venue | Country |
2-4 February | Saudi Baja- | Saudi Arabia |
16-18 March | Qatar International Baja | Qatar |
14-16 April | Baja TT | Dehesa Extremadura |
21-23 July | Baja Aragon | Spain |
10-12 August | Hungarian Baja | Hungary |
September-October* TBC | Baja do Oeste | Portugal |
2-4 November | Jordan Baja | Jordan |
December *TBC | Baja Dubai | UAE |
*To be confirmed = TBC |
2023 FIM Ice Speedway World Championship Calendar
2023 FIM Ice Speedway World Championship | |||
Date | Event | Venue | Country |
28 January | Qualifying round | Örnsköldsvik | Sweden |
18 – 19 March | Finals | Inzell | Germany |
01 – 02 April | Finals | Heerenveen* | The Netherlands |
FIM Speedway Grand Prix World Championship – Qualifying Meetings | |||
27 May | Qualifying round | Zarnovica | Slovakia |
27 May | Qualifying round | Lonigo | Italy |
29 May | Qualifying round | Abensberg | Germany |
29 May | Qualifying round | Debrecen | Hungary |
19 August | Challenge | Gislaved | Sweden |
FIM SGP2 World Championship – Qualifying Meetings | |||
20 May | Qualifying round | Pardubice | Czech Republic |
20 May | Qualifying round | Krsko | Slovenia |
20 May | Qualifying round | Vojens | Denmark |
FIM SGP3 World Championship – Semi finals | |||
12 July | Semi final 1 | Västervik | Sweden |
12 July | Semi final 2 | Västervik | Sweden |
FIM Flat Track World Championship | |||
TBA | Final | TBA | TBA |
09 September | Final | Debrecen | Hungary |
16 September | Final | Boves | Italy |
23 September | Final | Pardubice | Czech Republic |
07 October | Final | Morizès | France |
2023 FIM Sidecar Motocross World Championship Provisional Calendar
Date | Venue | Country |
26 March | Talavera de la Reina | Spain |
02 April | Alqueidao | Portugal |
07 May | Kramolin | Czech Republic |
14 May | Heerde | The Netherlands |
28 May | Brou | France |
11 June | Lange Motokeskus | Estonia |
18 June | Gdansk tbc | Poland |
25 June | Lommel | Belgium |
16 July | Strassbessenbach tbc | Germany |
22 July* | Red Brae | Northern Ireland |
30 July | Cusses Gorse | Great Britain |
20 August | Kaplice | Czech Republic |
17 September | Rudersberg | Germany |
01 October | Castelnau de Levis | France |