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Moto News Weekly Wrap
August 31, 2021

What’s New:

• Honda still collecting results on track in Queensland and SA
• AFT next stop Springfield ST & Mile double header
• Yamaha Day 2021 awards winners
• Romain Febvre signs with Kawasaki until 2023
• Josep Garcia extends KTM contract a further two-years
• Hard Enduro next stop Poland’s HERO Challenge
• 2021 AMA Speedway National Championship kicks off September
• Artem Laguta wins Togliatti FIM Speedway Grand Prix
• Toni Bou increases TrialGP lead in France
• Jack Dance wins Trial125 Championship in France
• Conondale Classic 2021 run and won
• 2021 Pro Motocross Championship Round 10 – Ironman Wrap
• Jett Lawrence back in the 250 lead
• 2021 Racing Calendars
  • 2021 Provisional MXGP
  • 2021 Yamaha AORC presented by MXStore
  • 2021 Australian Penrite ProMX
  • 2021 Speedway GP
  • 2021 FIM Hard Enduro World Championship
  • 2021 FIM Cross-Country Rallies
  • 2021 AMA Supercross
  • 2021 GNCC
  • 2021 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross
  • 2021 Progressive American Flat Track
  • 2021 New Zealand Motocross
  • 2021 New Zealand Cross-Country
  • 2021 New Zealand Enduro
  • 2021 Australian Supercross (provisional)
  • And more…

Honda still collecting results on track in Queensland and SA

Honda riders aren’t letting Covid restrictions get them down, with Metcalfe winning the South Australian Championship over the weekend, as Gibbs claimed second in the opening round of the Queensland Championships!

Mongrel Boots Honda Racing’s Brett Metcalfe also won the final round of the South Australian Championship convincingly. The likeable South Australian went undefeated in the five-round competition. Honda riders claimed the top three positions in the MX1 class. Metcalfe was extremely happy with his 2022 CRF450R.

Brett Metcalfe

“I had so much fun racing the South Australian Championships and its so cool to be doing it with my two boys. The new Honda is awesome and its great to see Honda sweep the podium with their CRF450R. Honda rider’s Mitch Norris rode well so did Siegah Ward. Its unfortunate Levi McManus couldn’t compete in the final round, but overall Honda dominated the SA titles.”

Terrafirma’s Honda rider Kirk Gibbs proved once again that he can win, but the overall eluded him as he finished third, first and second respectively in round 1 of the Queensland Championships to claim second overall. Three points separates him from first with one round remaining.

Kirk Gibbs

“I need to execute the first few laps better and I need to make my passes stick. The speed is there, and the bike is working great. When I piece it all together, I win but I am too inconsistent at the moment. I have a month to work on my weaknesses before round 2.”

Whilst racing is suspended in Victoria, Emma Milesevic leads the Victorian State women’s championship.

Yarrive Konsky – Team Director

“We are trying to compete in as many races as possible to keep everyone poised and ready. We continue to adapt to the ever-changing restrictions. We are positive national racing will resume before the end of the year and we want to make sure our riders are ready.”

QMX1 Round Results

QMX2 Round Results

AFT next stop Springfield ST & Mile double header

A highlight of the 2021 season awaits as the American Flat Track prepares for a monumental Labor Day Weekend double-header at the Illinois State Fairgrounds in Springfield, Illinois, on September 3-5.

The weekend will kick off on Friday evening with the Springfield Short Track Doubleheader, which packs two complete rounds of the tightly fought AFT Singles championship into a single evening. And then Saturday and Sunday will see the big twins head over to the “World’s Fastest Mile” for the Springfield Mile I & II.

An epic by any measure, this year’s Progressive AFT weekend in Springfield has a bit of added meaning as it represents the end of an era. It will mark the final time the “Mile Master,” Bryan Smith (No. 4 Crosley/Howerton Motorsports Indian FTR750) competes at the Springfield Mile after recently announcing his intention to retire at the end of the season.

AFT Production Twinsalso returns to the venue where the class was originally introduced to the world at speed in 2018. An already wild AFT Singles title fight likewise has the potential for another titanic shift with two full points-paying rounds taking place in a single night during Friday’s Springfield Short Track Doubleheader.

Yamaha Day 2021 awards winners

Yamaha Day 2021 saw celebrations to mark the 66th birthday of Yamaha Motor Corporation, with Yamaha Music putting a RevStar RS702B Electric Guitar up for grabs.

Following careful deliberation, the Yamaha Motor Australia Board of Directors judged the entry by Elwyn Jordan as the one that stood out from the crowd and best captured the #UnitedByYamaha spirit.

Elwyn’s highly entertaining Instagram post revealed he’s been #UnitedByYamaha for more than 40 years. His story and pictorial walk down memory lane unveiled a long-time musician and motorcycle rider with a passion for guitars and two wheels – as long as they carry the Yamaha badge. Topped off with the hashtags #UnitedByYamaha and #YamahaDay2021, his competition entry caught the eye of the judges.

Elwyn Jordan

“I’m a huge fan of Yamaha, and I’m thrilled to have won the Yamaha Revstar Guitar. I bought my first Yamaha guitar in 1979 and loved the quality so much I’ve been adding more Yamaha’s to the collection ever since. Now I’m looking forward to adding the Revstar, it’s such a unique looking guitar.”

Elwyn said he has a range of Yamaha guitars in his collection including bass, electric and classical models. Also a keen motorcyclist, Elwyn purchased his first Yamaha motorbike way back in 1977 and has never looked back. “I’ve only owned Yamaha’s since – I love the quality and reliability.”

Also up for grabs in this year’s competition were two ShopYamaha gift vouchers. Rachel Ferlazzo claimed the $500 voucher, and Scott Wolfson the $200 voucher. Both winners will enjoy a shopping spree choosing from the huge range of products available at ShopYamaha.com.au

Here are the three #UnitedByYamaha competition winning entries for you to enjoy.

• 1st Prize: Elwyn Jordan
• 2nd Prize: Rachel Ferlazzo
• 3rd Prize: Scott Wolfson

Romain Febvre signs with Kawasaki until 2023

French rider, Romain Febvre, has signed a direct contract with KHI, the Kawasaki factory to compete in MXGP for 2022 and 2023. For Romain to conclude a two-year deal before the 2021 season has matured will allow him to concentrate on the current championship.

Romain Febvre

“It was very important for me to agree a deal to allow me to focus on the 2021 Championship and give my best efforts to my team. I am now one of the fastest guys in the Championship and I am looking forward to a new adventure and achieving great things on the factory Kawasaki. A two-year deal will allow me to plan and extend even further my abilities with the KX450. It already suits my style well in terms of the type of power delivery I like plus the narrow chassis suits my riding style and body positioning really well. Now I have the time and space to fine tune the package and continue the necessary training regime to achieve my goal, an MXGP world title for Kawasaki.”

Steve Guttridge – Kawasaki

“There is still work to do in this year’s championship and Romain and our team are pushing as hard as they can to get on the top step at every round and fighting for the title this season. We are super happy to have secured Romain to compete in MXGP and we hope that all Kawasaki fans worldwide will join us on this exciting journey. Now that we have announced this factory deal for the coming two years, we hope that Romain will be given the time, space and respect necessary now to focus on the job in hand.”

Josep Garcia extends KTM contract a further two-years

Josep Garcia has signed a two-year contract extension with Red Bull KTM Factory Racing, which will see the former Enduro World Champion remain with the team through to the end of the 2023 season, riding the proven KTM 350 EXC-F in the FIM Enduro World Championship and the ISDE.

Josep Garcia

“I’m super happy to extend my contract with KTM for another two years. We have been working together since 2017 and I think it’s the best team to be in, plus I also have a great relationship with my mechanics, Ivan and Daniele. Signing for two more years means the team and I are free to focus on the racing and aim to be at the very top. Continuing with the KTM 350 EXC-F in EnduroGP helps to keep things consistent too, so I can really work on my riding. After that, I’m hoping to experience a few new disciplines and expand my horizons as my career continues!”

Fabio Farioli – Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Team Manager

“We are very proud of everything we’ve achieved with Josep and we’re happy to be continuing our strong relationship with him for a further two years. Our main focus now is to compete for great results at the ISDE, and then turn our attention back to the FIM E2 and EnduroGP championship, which concludes in October. We’ll be giving our all as a team to fight for victory, and we’re looking forward to the future together.”

Hard Enduro next stop Poland’s HERO Challenge

The FIM Hard Enduro World Championship will soon gear up for the second half of the series, beginning with Poland’s HERO Challenge on September 11/12. Marking round six of this year’s championship chase, the extreme cross country race is set to welcome the world’s best Hard Enduro competitors, along with a host of passionate amateur warriors, as they do battle across two days in the Polish region of Dabrowa Górnicza.

Offering a real mix of challenges for competitors, racing begins with a qualifier on Saturday morning featuring motocross, enduro and superenduro elements, ensuring riders will work up a sweat. From there, the top 30 qualifiers line up in the nearby city centre for an evening SuperEnduro race. Under artificial lighting, an intense course is set to produce some exciting racing.

Returning to the Dabrowa Gornicza race circuit for Sunday, the business end of the weekend features a tough, physically demanding three-hour extreme cross country race. Laid out across a 15-kilometre loop, it will be an all-out action affair.

At the head of the standings Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Manuel Lettenbichler holds a narrow one-point lead over Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Billy Bolt. Sherco Factory Racing’s Wade Young and Mario Roman are also locked in a close battle for third. With three rounds remaining in this year’s title fight, there is a lot to gain at Poland’s HERO Challenge.

FIM Hard Enduro World Championship Standings

1. Manuel Lettenbichler (KTM) – 54
2. Billy Bolt (Husqvarna) – 53
3. Wade Young (Sherco) – 40
4. Mario Roman (Sherco) – 37
5. Jonny Walker (Beta) – 34
6. Taddy Blazusiak (GASGAS) – 26
7. Alfredo Gomez (Husqvarna) – 24
8. Michael Walkner (GASGAS) – 21
9. Teodor Kabakchiev (Husqvarna) – 19
10. Graham Jarvis (Husqvarna) – 15

2021 AMA Speedway National Championship kicks off September

The AMA Speedway National Championship Series will take place with two of the three-round series being held in New York, followed by a final round in California in 2021.

Typically, the entire series has been held solely in California, where the sport has a large following and draws thousands of fans. By hosting rounds on both coasts this year, the goal is to further grow the popularity of the sport by reaching new fans and racers.

The series will determine which racer takes home an AMA National No. 1 plate and opens at Action Park East in Greene, New York on September 4. On September 5, the bar-to-bar action moves to Champion Speedway in Owego, New York.

The third and final round of the series will see racers travel to the West Coast on Sept. 25 to compete at Fast Fridays Motorcycle Speedway in Auburn, Calif., where the AMA Speedway Championship No. 1 plate will be handed out.

Riders scheduled to highlight the New York field for the 2021 season include four-time Speedway Track Champion Len McBride; 2020 East Coast Points Champion Spencer Portararo; 2015 U.S. Open Champion Casey Donholt; and Veteran star Dave Oakden.

Riders from the California field include 10-time and current AMA U.S. National Champion Billy Janniro; Current FIM North American Final Champion Max Ruml; Former British League and USA World Team rider Gino Manzares; Former U.S. National Under 21 Champion and current U.S. Open Champion Austin Novratil; and the rising Northern California star, Blake Borello.

The 10-year British League Veteran David Meldrum from Florida will also be competing, as will Colorado’s Redmond Bohannon.

2021 AMA Speedway National Championship Calendar

Artem Laguta wins Togliatti FIM Speedway Grand Prix

Home hero Artem Laguta celebrated writing his name in history by winning the first-ever Togliatti FIM Speedway Grand Prix to turn up the heat in the World Championship race on Saturday. Laguta topped the podium at the Anatoly Stepanov Stadium ahead of series leader Bartosz Zmarzlik, Danish champion Anders Thomsen and Emil Sayfutdinov as the Motorcycling Federation of Russia staged its first SGP event and the biggest speedway meeting in its history.

The Bolshoy Kamen-born racer cruised to the top of the heat score chart with 14 race points, but was on the verge of exiting the meeting in semi-final one until a mistake from Fredrik Lindgren allowed Laguta to overhaul the Swedish star for the all-important second place to join Sayfutdinov in the final.

He then kept his cool when it mattered most to make a fine start and triumph ahead of Zmarzlik, reducing the Pole’s lead at the SGP World Championship summit to just one point with three rounds to race. Laguta now has 138 points, with Zmarzlik just ahead on 139.

With Zmarzlik and Laguta almost inseparable in the championship chase, the Bydgoszcz-based star is expecting a close battle at the next round in Vojens, Denmark on September 11 and then a tense finish as the hunt for the sport’s biggest prize concludes with the eWinner Torun SGP of Poland double-header on October 1 and 2.

Artem Laguta

“I knew this meeting could be something special. Of course I want to win every single round and every single race. But winning in my home country – the first-ever Grand Prix here – is something special. It will go down in history and hopefully everyone will remember that the first-ever Togliatti SGP was won by me. I am pretty sure that even after Vojens it will be pretty tight. We want to do the best we can and Bartosz does too, so it’s a tough game. I am pretty sure Torun will decide everything. At 7am, we have to go to the airport and we are flying back to Poland to be ready for the Polish play-offs. We have some more goals in front of us, so we will take it step by step. There will be time for celebrations later for sure. Thank you Russia, thank you to my team and my sponsors. I am very happy. See you in Vojens.”

Runner-up Zmarzlik was content with his sixth straight top-two finish in an SGP round as he maintained top spot.

Bartosz Zmarzlik

“I am feeling good because I made my plan before Togliatti and second place is nice. I made the podium and I am really happy. I am feeling good on the bike and that’s the best thing for me. It’s important that I am feeling good this season in meeting after meeting. Congratulations to Artem and Anders. Thank you very much for your support and see you at the next round.”

Third-placed Thomsen was elated with a night he will never forget in Togliatti and cannot wait to line up in the Danish SGP sponsored by Ecco at the legendary Vojens Speedway Center in two weeks.

Anders Thomsen

“I feel amazing – my first podium and also my first final. What a feeling to get on the podium in such a big event and the first event here. Thank you to everybody. Vojens is my home track in Denmark and I have been performing pretty well there. I have won the Danish title there two times in a row now. I feel I have some engines, bikes and equipment working well there, so I am focused for the next Grand Prix.”

2021 Togliatti FIM Speedway Grand Prix results

FIM Speedway GP Standings

Toni Bou increases TrialGP lead in France

Repsol Honda Team rider Toni Bou came away from France having extended his lead at the head of the world championship after a win in the French town of Cahors.

After the twin trials in Andorra, the single-day sixth event of the 2021 Trial World Championship took place today in Cahors, France. The course turned out to be somewhat artificial, with some sections even resembling indoor, rather than natural ones.

Even in such conditions, Repsol Honda Team rider Toni Bou claimed the top honours in an almost flawless manner, completing the two laps of the 12 French sections with only three penalty marks in the first lap, ten less than the nearest second placed rider and main rival, Adam Raga.

The second lap of the Montesa Cota 4RT rider was impeccable, without so much as a single mistake. With today’s results Bou remains top of the overall TrialGP World Championship standings, 11 points off Raga with three races still to go.

Toni Bou

“I’m very happy with how the weekend went. It was a trial to not make mistakes and that’s how it turned out. One of the most complicated sections was section one, where we had to take a different line to the other riders and it went very well. I’m happy with the choice because it worked for us and it also helped me to gain confidence. I want to thank the team who did a great job. We had problems in Andorra, this week too and everyone has worked very hard day and night to solve them, so today’s victory is a great prize for everyone. We are still in the lead, that’s important, but it’s even more important to get back the good feelings on the bike.”

Repsol Honda Team team-mate Takahisa Fujinami did not get off to the best of starts, struggling on the first lap, but on the second he was able to pull back, to eventually finish in fifth position with the same score as the fourth-placed rider, but only thirty seconds behind. With this result “Fujigas” remains fifth in the overall standings.

Next stop for the TrialGP World Championship will be in Pobladura de las Regueras, Spain, on 11th and 12th September with the double-date format.

2021 French TrialGP Cahors results

2021 TrialGP Standings

Jack Dance wins Trial125 Championship in France

Finishing the 2021 FIM Trial125 World Championship exactly as he started it – winning – Jack Dance put the finishing touches to his highly impressive 125cc world championship campaign, claiming victory at the TrialGP of France. In doing so he secured the Trial125 World Championship title.

Jack Dance

“It’s an amazing feeling to be the Trial125 World Champion. It’s been a tough season, staying on top was hard, but my mum, dad, brother, and the whole GASGAS team have been there to support me so that has been a big help. Today I just concentrated on riding trial like I know how and didn’t think about becoming a world champion, because otherwise the pressure would have been too much. It was an amazing feeling coming out of section 12. I wanted to come and win today, not just to secure the championship but because it’s an awesome feeling for the team and my family.”

Arriving at the final round of the Trial125 championship at the head of the class standings, Jack put in a champion’s performance in France, completing the event’s opening lap with the loss of just one mark.

Remaining cool, calm, and collected throughout the all-important second lap, in dropping only four marks he ended the day with just five marks lost, 10 clear of his nearest challenger Guadi Vall. Jack’s win, added to his two other victories and two runner-up day results earlier in the series, saw him win the Trial125 title in style, 18 points ahead of runner-up Harry Hemingway.

Trial125 Standings – Top 3

Conondale Classic 2021 run and won

The Conondale Classic ran over the weekend, with Zak Brown taking the twin in the Pro Class, from James Deakin and Tomas Kruger.

Jacob Dank won the Period 20 125 class, with Riley Lee runner up and Jacob Day third. In the Period 20 250s it was Adam Martin winning all three races, ahead of Riley Lee and Justin Ryan. Riley Lee meanwhile won the Pre 20 263+ class, ahead of Christopher Bangay and Shane Briese-Marshall.

In the Pre 90 125/Pre 95 250 races, Jacob Dank was the winner with three wins, from Matthew Roeder and Tomas Kruger. James Deakin won all three Pre 90 250/Women races, ahead of Riley Lee and Brett Bellairs. James Deakin and Zak Brown battled for the Pre 90 263+/Pre 95 125 race wins, with Deakin coming out in front.

Harry Sorensen won the Evo/Pre 95 263+ class, while Justin Ryan and Riley Lee completed the podium. Peter Baguley topped the Pre 85/Pre 95 4 stroke overall, ahead of Tomas Kruger and Justin Ryan. In the 125 GP it was Jacob Dank on top.

2021 Pro Motocross Championship Round 10 – Ironman Wrap

Images by Jeff Kardas

The Guaranteed Rate Ironman National signified the 10th stop of the 12-round season and featured arguably the toughest weather conditions of the summer thus far with both high temperatures and high humidity.

Eli Tomac took the 450 round win thanks to victory in the second Moto but championship leader Dylan Ferrandis took an identical 47-points from the round. Cooper Webb rounded out the overall podium.

With Roczen scoring 36-points from the round that means that Ferrandis now enjoys a 50-point lead with only two rounds remaining in the championship. The 27-year-old Frenchman certainly looks odds-on to back up the 250 Championship he won in 2020 with the 450 Championship in 2021.

In the 250 Class, the points lead changed hands for the third time this season following a dominant sweep of the motos by Team Honda HRC’s Jett Lawrence.

Jeremy Martin’s failure to score also allowed Hunter Lawrence to move up to third place in the championship standings and pull 12-points clear from the Yamaha man. Hunter had been battling illness all weekend but the points he claimed have made a mighty difference to his championship standing.

With two rounds remaining, Fox Raceway II and the Hangtown finale, Europeans currently rank 1-2 in the 450 championship chase, while Australians currently hold down first and third place ranks in the race for the 250 Title. Never before have both the 450 and 250 Championship been won by foreign riders in the same year.

450 Moto 1

As the gate dropped on the first 450 Class moto and the field emerged from the first turn it was Rocky Mountain ATV/MC-KTM-WPS’ Joey Savatgy who grabbed the MotoSport.com Holeshot as Monster Energy/Star/Yamaha Racing’s Dylan Ferrandis and Tomac gave chase.

A wild opening lap saw several riders engaged in battle at the head of the pack, as Ferrandis went on the attack and got by Savatgy for the lead. However, Savatgy battled back and brought along a hard-charging Ken Roczen aboard his Team Honda HRC machine. Soon Roczen was in the lead, but Ferrandis battled back to reclaim the position.

After a torrid opening phase of the moto Ferrandis, Rozen and Tomac settled into the top three and started to put some distance over the rest of the field. All three riders remained within a couple seconds of one another as the momentum ebbed and flowed.

Roczen showed a wheel on Ferrandis a few times, but the championship leader never flinched. As the moto passed the halfway mark, Tomac pulled the trigger on a move on Roczen and successfully made the pass for second. The Kawasaki rider then looked to track down Ferrandis for the lead.

The pressure on Ferrandis persisted throughout the moto, but he remained focused on hitting his lines and logged consistent laps to keep Tomac at bay. Ferrandis was also efficient in navigating through lapped riders, which allowed him to put some distance on Tomac in the late stages.

The Frenchman finished strong to capture his sixth moto win of the season, finishing 4.1 seconds ahead of Tomac, followed by Roczen in third. Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Cooper Webb posted his best moto finish of the season in fourth, followed by Team Honda HRC’s Chase Sexton in fifth.

450 Moto 2

The second and deciding moto got underway with Ferrandis leading the way with the MotoSport.com Holeshot ahead of Webb. With the clear track things appeared to be advantageous for the Yamaha rider, but Webb came on strong before the conclusion of the opening lap and surged into the top spot.

On the following lap Ferrandis found himself under attack from Tomac, and while the Frenchman initially held off the Kawasaki rider, Tomac made the pass happen and dropped Ferrandis to third.

Eli TomacWith second place in hand Tomac set his sights on the lead and put the pressure on Webb. Ferrandis gave chase from third, while Roczen lurked in fourth. Despite Tomac’s best efforts, Webb’s crafty defensive riding allowed him to prevent the initial pass attempts.

Tomac regrouped and mounted another attack, this time with success about 10 minutes into the moto. Tomac built a lead of nearly two seconds as soon as he had control of the moto, while Webb and Ferrandis began a battle for second.

Ferrandis wasted no time in attempting a pass on Webb and made the move as soon as the opportunity presented itself, which resulted in contact between the two. Webb got the worse end of the moment, briefly checking his balance, which allowed Ferrandis to slip by for second. Behind this battle, Honda team-mates Roczen and Sexton engaged in a brief battle for fourth, from which Sexton came away with the position.

The top five continued unchanged through the remainder of the moto as Tomac went unchallenged en route to his fourth moto win of the season, all of which have come in the second moto. He took the checkered flag 4.7 seconds ahead of Ferrandis, who was closely pursued by Webb for the rest of the race as the KTM rider captured his first moto podium since the 2019 season.

450 Overall

Tomac’s 2-1 finishes put him into a tie with Ferrandis in the overall classification, but by virtue of Tomac’s second moto win the tiebreaker went to the Kawasaki rider. The win is his first since the eighth round of the abbreviated nine-round 2020 season and ends a 10-race winless drought, which is the longest gap between victories of Tomac’s decorated career. It also signified his 26th win in the 450 Class, where he sits fourth all-time.

Eli Tomac – P1

“In both motos today I gave myself good track position at the start and really jelled with the track well which led to a great overall result. In the second moto, I came around the first turn near the front and made some critical moves right away to get myself closer to the lead. Once I was up into second I knew it was go time for me and I was determined to get the job done. It’s awesome to celebrate this first win of the championship with the entire Monster Energy Kawasaki team!”

Ferrandis secured his 10th podium finish of the season in the runner-up spot (1-2), while Webb landed on the overall podium for just the second time in the premier division in third (4-3).

By virtue of his second-place finish, combined with a fourth-place finish by Roczen (3-5), Ferrandis extended his lead in the 450 Class standings to 50 points, which puts him into a position to clinch the Edison Dye Cup one round early should he tie or finish ahead of Roczen at the next round.

Dylan Ferrandis – P2

“Today was a hard day, and I didn’t have the power to push deep. It was just gnarly physically, so to get that first moto win was awesome. Then in the second moto, I said it’s time to get the holeshot, and I did, but Eli (Tomac) was on it today, so congrats to him, he deserved this win. Second overall was a good result for today and good for the championship. The bike was awesome all day; we didn’t touch anything, which was great.”

Cooper Webb – P3

“Today was overall a step in the right direction and an awesome day. Getting our first podium of the year feels great and means that all the hard work is paying off – better late than never. I’m super happy with today and looking forward to finishing these last two strong.”

Ken Roczen – P4

“Indiana this weekend was just a so-so day for me and the crew; I went third and fifth for fourth overall, so nothing really to brag about. Still, even on those days you learn together with the team, throwing out ideas about the bike and what we want to try. It was a really hot one on top of that, so it made it for some really difficult race conditions. I didn’t quite have the level that I had the last couple rounds. We’re still healthy, so that’s good. We’re going wide-open into these last couple of rounds to hopefully finish out the season super strong and do the best we can for the overall championship.”

450 Results

Jett Lawrence back in the 250 lead
250 Moto 1

The first 250 Class moto of the afternoon began with the points leader, Monster Energy/Star/Yamaha Racing’s Justin Cooper, earning the MotoSport.com Holeshot ahead of Lawrence, his title rival, and Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Max Vohland. As Cooper looked to establish a lead on the opening lap, Lawrence and Vohland traded second place before Lawrence asserted himself in the position and set his sights on Cooper.

A few bike lengths separated the lead pair for several laps as Lawrence applied persistent pressure and looked at alternative lines to mount an attack on Cooper.

The Australian dropped the hammer and made an easy pass on Cooper to seize control of the moto. Once out front, Lawrence quickly sprinted out to a mult-second lead as Cooper was then forced to fend off his teammate, Jeremy Martin, from third. The Star Racing riders battled for a couple laps before Martin got the upper hand and moved into second.

Four seconds separated Lawrence from Martin as the moto reached its halfway point, but all eyes were on the Yamaha rider, who was the fastest on the track.

The former division champion took chunks out of Lawrence’s lead and was all over the Honda with 10 minutes remaining in the moto. Behind them, Cooper continued to lose ground and fell out of the top three, giving up third to Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki’s Jo Shimoda.

Back out front, Martin’s attack brought him bar-to-bar with Lawrence for the lead, which the Honda rider fended off. About a lap later Martin crashed while in pursuit of Lawrence, which ended the Yamaha rider’s day. Martin’s misfortune moved Shimoda into second and Troy Lee Designs/Red Bull/GASGAS Factory Racing’s Michael Mosiman into third, with Cooper trailing in fourth.

With no pressure from behind, Lawrence cruised to an emphatic moto win, crossing the finish line 8.3 seconds ahead of Shimoda, who earned the best moto finish of his career in second. Mosiman finished third, followed by Cooper in fourth and Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki’s Austin Forkner in fifth.

250 Moto 2

The second moto began with Shimoda charging to the MotoSport.com Holeshot and the early lead ahead of Lawrence and Cooper. The Japanese rider’s first opportunity at the head of the pack was met with a stiff challenge from his former teammate and close friend. Lawrence started to look for a way past Shimoda, and while the Kawasaki rider responded initially, Lawrence eventually made the pass to once again secure control of the moto.

Lawrence quickly built a multi-second advantage over Shimoda as Cooper gave pursuit from third. The Australian continued to extend his advantage on the field, which shifted the focus to Shimoda and Cooper and their battle for second.

Cooper closed on the Kawasaki rider briefly, but then started to lose touch. Before long, Cooper was battling just to keep hold of his spot in the top three as Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s RJ Hampshire closed in from fourth. Hampshire made quick work of Cooper and took over third.

Hampshire’s forward push continued as he set his sights on Shimoda for second. The Husqvarna rider closed the gap and was patient in looking for his opportunity to try and make a pass.

When he finally made his run it came on the track’s longest stretch of jumps, which carried Hampshire around Shimoda and into second. However, the battle persisted as Shimoda fought back. They traded fast laps and Shimoda was able to show a wheel in several areas, but Hampshire held on as they navigated lapped traffic.

Back out front, Lawrence capped off the most impressive outing of his young career and the most dominant performance of the 2021 season with his first ever moto sweep. He took the checkered flag nine seconds ahead of Hampshire, who fended off Shimoda in third. Cooper finished a distant fourth.

250 Overall

Jett Lawrence’s triumph (1-1) signifies the third overall victory of the season for the 18 year old and the fourth win of his career. Shimoda followed in the runner-up spot (2-3) to equal his career-best result, while Cooper secured his 10th podium finish of the season in third (4-4), despite failing to finish in the top three in either moto for the first time this summer.

Jett Lawrence – P1

“So today was a very good day. I ended up going 1-1 in the first qualifying and then obviously 1-1 in the race, so yeah, pretty good day. I was just having a lot of fun and was having such a good flow on the track and having a great time. I felt like it really showed in those motos. I went out and gave it my best and was finally able to get my first 1-1 in a pro motocross race, so that was awesome. Hopefully we can carry on to do the same thing in these next two rounds. I’m going to go with the same mentality I came into today with and try and execute the same races as I did today.”

Jo Shimoda – P2

“My fitness and my speed have been really strong for a while, but I have been fighting my way through the pack. Today my starts were much better, and I was happy to ride in the top-3 both motos. I have been doing lots of practice starts to improve, so it felt really great to grab the holeshot in Moto 2 on my way to second overall.”

Lawrence’s return to the top of the 250 Class standings came via a 14-point swing between he and Cooper, who entered the Ironman National with a three-point lead. Lawrence now holds an 11-point advantage over Cooper with four motos remaining.

Justin Cooper – P3

“I just have to keep fighting. It’s not going to be easy. Jett (Lawrence) was riding awesome today and I had nothing for him. I got the best I could out of myself and I have to be happy with that. I just need to keep digging. It’s not over til it’s over.”

Jeremy Martin’s failure to score also allowed Hunter Lawrence to move up to third place in the championship standings and pull 12-points clear from the Yamaha man. Hunter had not carded great results as he was very much under the weather throughout the weekend.

Michael Mosiman – P4

“Man, I am so proud of our team, my riding and the day. I’ve only ridden three times in the last four weeks or so, and to come out like this with minimal preparation is just awesome. It was a challenging and hot day but I gave everything I had. All-in-all, it was a great weekend to build on and I’m looking forward to ending the last two on a good note.”

Austin Forkner – P5

“Overall today was another building day for me. I have been talking for several weeks about my focus on putting together consistent motos in the top-5 and today I accomplished just that. I definitely want to continue moving closer to the front, but my riding was solid enough to bring me through the pack in both motos today and I’m still progressing at this stage in the series.”

RJ Hampshire – P6

“It was quite the day and week but we showed up and gave it everything we had. I’m a little bit bummed on the first moto but happy to get second in the second moto. We keep digging and we show up every weekend, so you know what you’re going to get from me. I’m going to recover this week and be back to my form at Pala.”

Hunter Lawrence – P9

“Today, I saw Jesus every lap — it was really tough. That’s about it — feeling really below par. I just struggled and did what I could to bring her home. With me just putting two motos out there, we ended up bumping me back up to third in the championship, so that’s a positive. The easier decision was obviously to stay home, but it was probably one of the toughest days of my career. I just pushed through it and ended up walking away super empty, so now I’m just focusing on resting up and trying to shake this [sickness] and bounce back next weekend.”

The 2021 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship will make its return to the West Coast for the penultimate round of the season next Saturday, September 4, for a second visit to Pala, California’s Fox Raceway on Labor Day weekend.

250 Results

2021 Racing schedule

2021 MXGP Calendar

2021 Yamaha AORC Championship Calendar

2021 Penrite ProMX Championship Calendar

2021 Speedway GP Calendar

2021 FIM Hard Enduro World Championship

2021 Australian Speedway events

2021 AMA Speedway National Championship Calendar

2021 FIM Cross-Country Rallies calendar

2021 GNCC