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Moto News Weekly Wrap
February 11, 2025

What’s New:

• Wil Ruprecht returns to Australia
• Aaron Tanti injury update
• WBR Yamaha’s Madi Simpson to represent Australia
• De Wolf & Everts return with Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing
• Kawasaki Racing Team reveal MXGP & MX2 line-up
• Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP & MX2 teams revealed
• Mathis Valin impresses at Hawkstone International MX
• Repsol Honda HRC 1-2 at Stavanger X-Trial
• Tim Gajser tops 2025 Internazionali d’Italia opener
• 2025 Enduropale du Touquet Pas-de-Calais Wrap
• FIM MXGP/MX2 Motocross World Championships Entry lists
• 2025 AMA Supercross Round Five – Tampa Rider Quotes
• 2025 FIM SuperEnduro Round Five – Hungary Wrap
• 2025 Racing Calendars

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Wil Ruprecht returns to Australia

The ShopYamaha Off-Road Team is in the final stages of preparation for the upcoming Australian Enduro Championship season opener in Kempsey on March 1. The team recently completed the final shake-down of their race bikes, joined by Wil Ruprecht.

Wil Ruprecht has returned to Yamaha and is settling back into life in Australia. He has adapted well to the bike and enters the championship feeling confident, having logged extensive hours on the machine and completed a comprehensive testing program.

Wil Ruprecht

“I’m just really looking forward to getting the season started,” Ruprecht begins. “It’s been a while since I raced, so I’m keen to get back in a competitive environment and test myself and my bike against the competition. It’s not far away now, so hopefully the conditions are good and the first weekend of the Australian Enduro Championship sets a high standard of racing.”

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Aaron Tanti injury update

Monster Energy CDR Yamaha’s Aaron Tanti is on the road to recovery after sustaining a serious injury while training for the 2025 ProMX season. Tanti suffered an awkward fall, resulting in a fracture to the C1 vertebra in his neck. Fortunately, he was extremely lucky to have only damaged the bone without causing any further complications.

Tanti has been placed in a halo to give his neck some stability while the bones recover. No surgery was needed.

Aaron Tanti

“I don’t really recall the crash, but I landed on my head and the guys tell me there was a rock on the jump face that I might have hit. My helmet looks fine, so it must have been the way I landed. I’m in the best hands with Dr Steve Andrews and already doing plenty of rehab with their spinal team. It sounds like a bone break so hopefully it should be smooth sailing for my recovery, but I will take the time to ensure its right and I’m back to full strength before getting back on the bike and racing again.”

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WBR Yamaha’s Madi Simpson to represent Australia

WBR Yamaha’s Madi Simpson has been selected as one of five riders to represent Australia in the upcoming Oceania Women’s Motocross Cup, which will be held at Wonthaggi alongside the opening round of the 2025 ProMX season.

Teams from Australia, New Zealand, Africa, and the United States will compete, with the Aussie women aiming to defend their title, won last year in New Zealand. For Simpson, this selection marks another milestone in her career as she continues her rapid ascent in women’s motocross racing.

At just 16 years old, Madi Simpson is already a multi-time national champion in both motocross and off-road racing. The Wonthaggi event is one of many on her 2025 schedule, where she will compete in both the Women’s ProMX and Women’s Australian Enduro Championships.

Madi Simpson

“I’m excited to be selected to represent Australia at the Oceania Women’s Motocross Cup and we have a great bunch of girls ready to battle the best from New Zealand and the USA. The Wonthaggi round also is a round of national championship so it’s important to ride well both from a personal level as well as the team. “We aren’t too far away from getting the year started as we plan on doing a state race at Wonthaggi in a couple of weeks, then its straight into the opening round of the Enduro Championship before heading back to Wonthaggi for the ProMX.”

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De Wolf & Everts return with Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing

Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing is set to compete in the 2025 FIM MX2 Motocross World Championship, led by reigning MX2 World Champion Kay de Wolf. He will be joined by new teammate Liam Everts as the team aims to defend and build upon their success.

De Wolf enjoyed a record-breaking 2024 season, delivering an astonishing seven overall Grand Prix victories and maintaining the red plate as the championship leader from start to finish.

Kay de Wolf

“My off-season has been great – lots of hard work, but nothing drastic has changed. I feel strong, confident, and ready to go. Running the #1 plate is something I’ve dreamed about my whole life, and now that I have the chance, I see it as motivation rather than pressure. The goal is simple: stay consistent, get on the podium as much as possible, and fight to defend my title.”

Meanwhile, Everts, coming off a season disrupted by injury, is highly motivated to regain form and reassert himself as a top contender in the class, further strengthening the team’s ambitions.

Liam Everts

“Recovery has been going well, and I’ve been easing back on the bike, but we’re taking it slow. Whether I’ll race the first round is still uncertain, and we’ll make a decision after my check-ups this month. Joining Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing has been a great experience – they welcomed me with open arms, and I feel at home here. My focus this season is to rebuild step by step, regain my race rhythm, and get back to the front.”

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Kawasaki Racing Team reveal MXGP & MX2 line-up

The Kawasaki Racing Team is poised for a strong 2025 season in the FIM Motocross World Championship, competing in both major classes—MXGP and MX2.

The team had a busy and intense winter, maintaining their commitment to success in MXGP with French rider Romain Febvre, entering his fourth season with the team, and Latvian Pauls Jonass, a former MX2 World Champion. Additionally, the team is expanding its portfolio by officially entering the MX2 class for the first time, with Mathis Valin leading their charge.

Romain Febvre

“We had perfect conditions to work in Sardinia; I also had a perfect physical training schedule in Spain before Christmas and then again n Sardinia. The Japanese engineers were with us in Sardinia; we had successful testing sessions with them, and I must say that the bike now suits me even better! I feel confident for the season ahead; now I can’t wait to be behind the starting gate to finalise our preparation!”

Pauls Jonass

“Everything has been going really good so far, good preparation and good testing weeks in Sardinia, it was good to know the bike more and more and work on different things as I have never been riding a Kawasaki before joining the team. It has been great to learn the bike better, to work with the mechanics and everyone in the team before the first races. Of course there is still some work to do, but the season is long. I feel ready to go racing and excited to see how the bike and I react in race conditions.”

Mathis Valin

“I was welcomed whole-heartedly by the team and I immediately felt comfortable with the team members and the bike. We worked a lot this winter with the team. I also worked hard physically and I feel ready for the new season; I’m happy to be back racing soon to face the challenges ahead.”

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Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP & MX2 teams revealed

The countdown to the 2025 FIM Motocross World Championship is underway, with the Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP and MX2 teams prepared and eager for an exciting new season of racing.

In the MXGP class, former MX2 World Champion Maxime Renaux enters his fourth season with the Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP team aboard the factory YZ450FM. The team is strengthened by the return of Belgian talent Jago Geerts, who gets a fresh start at his rookie MXGP season after injury cut short his 2024 campaign.

Completing the MXGP roster is Calvin Vlaanderen, who has shown impressive progression since joining the Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP team in 2024.

Having shown flashes of brilliance throughout his MX2 career since 2021, Thibault Benistant enters his final year in the class with the title firmly in his sights. The Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MX2 star will sport the number 9 in 2025, moving away from his traditional 198.

Alongside him, Dutch talent Rick Elzinga has also embraced change, adopting the number 4 for his final season in MX2. Despite a winter setback with a broken elbow, Elzinga is expected to line up in Argentina, albeit with shortened preparation.

The most intriguing story within the MX2 squad belongs to Karlis Reisulis. The 18-year-old Latvian prodigy made an immediate impact during his mid-season MX2 debut in 2024, leading 23 laps and securing a stunning second-place finish in Race 2 at the MXGP of Switzerland.

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Mathis Valin impresses at Hawkstone International MX

Mathis Valin made a sensational debut for the Kawasaki Racing Team when the teenager totally dominated the MX2 racing and was narrowly edged for victory in the Superfinal against MXGP opposition in the opening event of the 2025 British Motocross season at Hawkstone Park in central England.

The French teenager had already served notice of his intentions during morning practice as he topped the training session in fresh but dry weather; in the afternoon he took a clear holeshot in each moto and, lapping several seconds faster than the opposition, claimed a clearcut victory in each of the twenty-eight minute MX2 motos, winning the first by forty-three seconds and the second by twenty-nine seconds.

In the Superfinal, the closing race on the programme against the more powerful 450cc bikes, he again excelled, taking full advantage of the five-second start bonus for the smaller bikes to lead until half-distance; he eventually finished a close runner-up, defeated by just one of the MXGP riders who had managed to pass him on a long climb.

Mathis Valin

“It was a very good day for my first race with the team to win both MX2 races! In the Superfinal I finished second; the MX2 started five seconds before the MXGP and even my teammates could not catch me! The track was really soft but I enjoyed it. I had a really good winter with the team and today’s results showed that we did a good job and that I am ready.”

The KRT duo in the MXGP class also enjoyed a satisfactory day as Romain Febvre and Pauls Jonass finished third and fourth overall from 2-3 and 5-4 moto finishes after the Latvian, on his Kawasaki race debut and racing for the first time in seven months since he was injured last summer, had qualified on pole from the morning Qualifying. A further solid race in the closing Superfinal saw the KRT duo finish in teammate Valin’s wheeltracks in third and fourth.

Romain Febvre

“It was a good weekend to start the new season and we were even lucky with the weather so early in the year in the UK! The racing was good for me; it’s always important to see how everything is going compared to other riders, to see how are the starts and so on. I started second twice and then took the MXGP holeshot in the Superfinal. I would have liked to win at least one moto and this holeshot was perfect but then I stalled the engine twice and also fell one time in this race. I feel ready physically, the bike is running perfectly and in all three motos I was happy with my riding. Now we have two more races before flying to Argentina; two great opportunities to prepare for the GPs.”

Pauls Jonass

“The day went really well when you consider that it’s seven months since my last race. The first race of the year is always exciting but especially so with a new team and a new bike. I was riding a little tight, particularly in the first moto, but that’s normal for the first race back and I actually surprised myself as I had no arm pump. That was really positive and it was good to get the feeling for racing again. We got to know where the bike is working good for me and where we need to look to make adjustments. All-in-all I think we worked very well today and I felt I improved each session. And we couldn’t have a had a better place to start. The track was rough but that’s Hawkstone Park; it’s old school, rough, and good for training and also to challenge the bike. That’s why we like it.”

MXGP International Overall

MX2 International Overall

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Repsol Honda HRC 1-2 at Stavanger X-Trial

It was an unbeatable debut for the Repsol Honda HRC riders in Stavanger, The Norwegian city hosted an indoor world championship event for the first time, and Toni Bou put in an impeccable performance that brought the entire DNB Arena crowd to its feet. Teammate Gabriel Marcelli was on the podium in second place, with Jaime Busto rounding out the podium-getters.

Bou had a perfect weekend in Stavanger, and from the first round he was very comfortable making only one mistake at Zone 4. He remained at the top of the classification, securing his place in the final alongside Marcelli and Jaime Busto. In the Super Pole, Bou reaffirmed his dominance, which allowed him to start from fourth position in the closing round. Finally, after overcoming the different sections with 16 points, the Repsol Honda HRC rider achieved his latest victory.

Marcelli also had a good first experience in Stavanger, carrying on the great level of performance displayed in recent races. In the first round, the Montesa Cota 4RT rider qualified directly for the final, finishing third with 12 points. In the Super Pole, he obtained second position. Then, with 23 points, tied with Busto, Marcelli faced the tiebreaker zone, where he finished ahead of his rival to take second place.

After five events, Bou remains top of the overall standings with 95 points, holding a 31-point advantage over closest rival Busto. Marcelli moves up one position and is now third, with 51 points.

Toni Bou

“I’m very happy because it’s a vital victory for the championship. We came from Barcelona with a great feeling and here we had a great first round. The first part of the final was very difficult, but we got through it successfully. Then we made some mistakes, but we already had the victory assured. The break will be good for us because we didn’t have much time to prepare for preseason, so I’m looking forward to gathering strength and continuing with the dynamic in Austria.”

Gabriel Marcelli

“This second half of the season is going better for me, as little by little I’m getting used to the new regulations. It was difficult for us, but we’ve returned to the positions we need to be in. I’m happy overall with second place, although I didn’t have the best feeling of the season. In any case, the team worked excellently and the result is very positive for the championship as a whole, because we’ve recovered positions and are getting closer to second place. Now we have a month off, so we will try to take advantage of it to rest and come back even better -to keep on the podium.”

Stavanger X-Trial Results

X-Trial Standings

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Tim Gajser tops 2025 Internazionali d’Italia opener

A muddy Mantova circuit in northern Italy hosted the first round of the Internazionali d’Italia, where the entire Honda HRC team took to the track for their first shakedown event of 2025. Despite the horrible conditions, Tim Gajser showed his class by taking a dominating one-one performance and sending out a warning to his rivals that once again he’ll be up their challenging for the top honours this year.

The Slovenian led every single lap of the race, getting good starts and making quick passes to get to the front and pull away from the field. As he showed last year, when the conditions get worse, he gets better, so it was good to see he still maintains that excellency when the rain falls.

For Honda CRF450R teammate Ruben Fernandez, things didn’t quite go so well though. The Spaniard had a collision on the first lap which dropped him down the field, forcing him to pick himself up and fight back through the pack in sloppy mud. He came back to sixth place though and was hoping for better in the second gate-drop, with things looking good early-on as he was following Gajser around in second place.

However, a small tip-over left him stuck under his bike and after eventually being assisted out from underneath it, he pulled into the pits where they decided to pull off the race track.

Tim Gajser

“It was a good day of racing, despite the weather. Always important to get in a couple of gatedrops against some fast guys and just get back into the rhythm of racing. Conditions were tough, and the ruts and everything weren’t easy but I found a good flow and just settled in, with a strong pace. Very happy to win both races, and now onto next week in Montevarchi and hopefully continue in the same way.”

In the MX2 class, new Honda HRC signing Valerio Lata proved his speed by going two-three in his debut for the team. The young Italian got two decent starts and fought hard for the duration of both races, minimising mistakes and making the necessary passes in order to get himself onto the second step of the podium. After only having a few months to get used to this brand-new machine, it was an impressive start to his Honda career and gives him a big boost of confidence heading into the MX2 world championship.

Valerio Lata

“I had a really good day in Mantova, riding in the mud and the rain and with Honda HRC for the first time. Two-three results got me onto the podium for second place overall, and it was nice to have the battle at the end of the second race to gain me a position. We have worked hard as a team to be here and I’m very happy with how we started. Hopefully it will continue!”

MX1 Race 1

1. Tim Gajser (Honda HRC)
2. Lucas Coenen
3. Andrea Bonacorsi
4. Isak Gifting
5. Jeremy Seewer
6. Ruben Fernandez (Honda HRC)

MX1 Race 2

1. Tim Gajser (Honda HRC)
2. Lucas Coenen
3. Andrea Bonacorsi
4. Jeremy Seewer
5. Mattia Guadagnini
6. Isak Gifting

MX1 Overall

1. Tim Gajser (Honda HRC)
2. Lucas Coenen
3. Andrea Bonacorsi
4. Jeremy Seewer
5. Isak Gifting
6. Mattia Guadagnini

MX2 Overall

1. Andrea Adamo
2. Valerio Lata (Honda HRC)
3. Cas Valk
4. Sacha Coenen
5. Simon Langenfelder
6. Quinten Prugnieres

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2025 Enduropale du Touquet Pas-de-Calais Wrap

Defending Moto class champion Todd Kellett – Drag’on Yamaha made it three wins in a row in the Enduropale du Touquet Pas-de-Calais to seize an early lead in the 2025 FIM Sand Races World Championship as Amandine Verstappen – Yamaha dominated the Moto Women category and Christophe Brucker – Yamaha crossed the line as first Moto Veteran rider home.

With the main category upgraded to full FIM World Championship status this season, 27-year-old Kellett – who won back-to-back FIM World Cup titles in the Moto class in 2023 and 2024 – made his customary fast start and controlled the three-hour epic from the front of the thirteen-hundred-strong field, leading every lap as he threw down the gauntlet to his rivals.

The iconic course on the coast of northern France had been extended by two kilometres to fifteen kilometres to mark the event’s fiftieth anniversary and the British Lion took the extra distance in his stride. His biggest challenge was expected to come from his team-mate and three-time Enduropale du Touquet Pas-de-Calais winner Milko Potisek, but the thirty-five-year-old Frenchman found himself over ten seconds behind after surviving the chaos of the opening lap as his compatriot Matheo Miot – Yamaha provided the early opposition to Kellett.

Kellett extended his advantage to around thirteen seconds over Miot on lap two as Potisek kept himself in contention in third ahead of his fellow countrymen Cyril Genot – Honda and last year’s series runner-up Jeremy Hauquier – Yamaha.

On lap three Potisek moved into second, but by this time he was almost thirty seconds in arrears and Kellett stayed on the gas to lead by almost a minute at the one-hour mark as Miot’s brother Florian moved into fourth ahead of Genot.

By the halfway point Kellett’s advantage over Potisek was over two minutes and he was able to manage the gap for the remainder of the race before finally breaking free on the penultimate lap, extending his lead to nearly three minutes before easing off to complete his fourteenth and final lap with a winning margin of two-and-a-half minutes.

Todd Kellett

“It was an incredible race and we’ve started the championship in a great way,” said Kellett. “I took a great start and felt as though from there I commanded the race to make it three in a row and make a dream start to the series. It’s a long campaign so we have time to work hard and make sure we do the job.”

The 2025 FIM Sand Races World Championship now takes an extended break before round two – the Enduro del Invierno – is staged in Argentina on 29-31 August.

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FIM MXGP/MX2 Motocross World Championships Entry lists

The FIM and Infront Moto Racing have announce the official entry lists for the YPF Infinia MXGP of Argentina, marking the season opener of the 2025 FIM Motocross World Championship.

2025 MXGP Entry List

2025 MX2 Entry List

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2025 AMA Supercross Round Five – Tampa Rider Quotes

See the full report and results here:
Blow by blow reports from AMA SX Round Five – Tampa

250 Main Race Report

The first bout of the season for 250 East competitors got underway in Florida on Saturday night and it was Heat winner Max Anstie that got the jump on Pierce Brown, Daxton Bennick, Tom Vialle and Chance Hymas. An ill Austin Forkner down in seventh-place early on ahead of Cameron McAdoo.

The Monster Energy Yamaha 1-2-3 continued as Seth Hammaker moved up to fourth place and Brown took the lead from Anstie.

Levi Kitchen had not started well and his problems were compounded when he went down in the deep sand. Another to suffer early misfortune was RJ Hampshire. The Husqvarna rider was just inside the top 10 before getting a tough-block hooked up in his machine which refused to come out, even with the help of two determined marshals trying to free him. Hampshire lost more than a full lap in that tangle.

Brown then held the lead until just before the halfway point of the contest. The 22-year-old then made a mistake in the whoops that cost him dearly. The Utah native was left stricken on the track and in need of medical attention which forced officials to bring out the red flag and halt the race.

The red flag restart when more than three laps have been completed, but less than 90 per cent of the total race distance, is a ten-minute delay followed by a staggered start for the remainder of the scheduled laps.

As the race leader when the red flag came out, Max Anstie was away first ahead of Daxton Bennick. The Monster Energy Yamaha riders 1-2 ahead of the Kawasaki pairing of McAdoo and Hammaker, who were then followed away by KTM’s Tom Vialle. Austin Forkner went down from eighth place after being brushed by Cullin Park as he made a pass on the Triumph rider.

Anstie went on to win with a three-second buffer over Bennick at the flag while Kawasaki’s McAdoo rounded out the podium ahead of team-mate Hammaker. Tom Vialle fifth after holding a charging Chance Hymas at bay over the final laps.

Cameron McAdoo – P3

“I am so grateful to have the strength to be here racing tonight. It was a difficult day and it has been difficult since the injury. I didn’t come in with any expectations, I wanted to go out and do my best. I am very happy with how tonight ended and how the team was able to manage everything. I got a lot of questions this weekend from people asking if I will be able to race, but I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t think I would be able to race.”

Seth Hammaker – P4

“Today was pretty good, I came out swinging in the first qualifier with P1, so I felt confident with that. In the second qualifier I was rushing in the beginning, I was not gelling with the track but still got a decent lap in and felt pretty good going into the night show. In the Heat Race I got a pretty bad start and worked my way up to fourth so I did put myself in a great position for a good gate pick in the main. I got a decent start in fourth place then made a pass and was in third for a while until the red flag forced a staggered restart. Soon after I got passed by McAdoo and rode fourth for the rest of the race. I wanted to stay smart and have a solid finish for the first race of the season, and I will look to improve this week and get a better result in Detroit.”

Tom Vialle – P5

“I had a big crash through the whoops in qualifying, so I was lucky to get away with that one. I didn’t feel great in practice or qualifying, although felt a bit better for the night show and P5 for our first Main Event of the year. It’s not bad, and although it’s not where we want to be, we’ll build from here and get better for next weekend.”

Chance Hymas – P6

“The first round in Tampa was a pretty good day for me overall. I struggled in qualifying, just knocking the rust off a bit. I have about a week on the bike, overall, and the team and I worked really hard all day and busted our butts. Each qualifying session got better and better. In the heat race, I was lacking a little bit of sprint speed; I haven’t done a sprint in around six months. The heat race was good, and honestly, the main event was a lot better than I expected. I had a good start and ran up front with those guys and felt good the whole race, but I was definitely out of breath a little bit. I just need some more laps under me, but overall, a solid start to the year.“

Levi Kitchen – P9

“After having to switch from West to East Coast I took about two weeks off to recover from the flu and pneumonia. I’m very thankful the team was able to make that change happen for me. I’ve got two weeks on the bike now and it’s been great, including testing. The time off helped give me a break and I feel much better now, although today could have gone a little bit differently for me. Qualifying wasn’t great, but it wasn’t bad. In the Heat Race, I had to make a quick stop in the mechanics’ area with a bike issue, and that set me up for a poor gate pick. I did not execute my start in the main, and then I crashed in the sand section, so I was quite a ways back. I just tried to make do with what I had. I’m not really happy with my performance. I do feel like I’m riding pretty well right now, so I just have to put this one behind us and go to the next.”

Carson Mumford – P10

“I just blew out—I wasn’t breathing properly and made mistakes. It’s a solid start considering my injury, but it’s not where I want to be. I’ll use this weekend as a lesson on what I need to work on.”

Austin Forkner – P17

“I woke up this morning with some sort of sickness. Every single time I got on the track I was better, which is positive. I was in seventh in the main and satisfied. I made one little mistake in the sand, then someone ran it up the inside of me and took me out. It took me a minute to get up and I was pretty far behind, so I just focused on finishing. I would have been happy with a seventh or better, considering how the day went, but that is just the way that it goes.”

RJ Hampshire – P18

“I was really excited to go racing again in Tampa,” commented Hampshire. “I qualified second and felt really good fighting for that top spot, and then took that into the Heat Race, which I won. Main Event, I didn’t get a good start and got pushed around a bit during the opening laps, and then around lap three I caught a tuff block on my footpeg, and from there the rest is history. I couldn’t get it out for some time and it’s disappointing because I felt really good tonight. It is what it is, I have dug myself a bit of a hole, although we’ve done it before and I know I can get out of it, so we’ll just get after it in these next rounds.”

250 Main Results

250 East Championship Points

450 Main Report

The brutal track had already claimed a high-profile victim during practice when Eli Tomac hurt his leg in an incident not all that dissimilar to that which ruled out defending champ Jett Lawrence last weekend in Glendale. Everyone feared the worst but the Coloradan fronted up to the start gates after an x-ray cleared him of any breaks! The early verdict suggesting that it was just some extreme bruising of the calf, time will tell…

Hunter Lawrence had qualified fourth quickest and got away well in the opening Heat race but the 25-year-old Australian went down hard on the opening lap. He looked to land heavily on his shoulder into an up-ramp after clipping a tough-block and took no further part in the nights proceedings. He also perhaps took a knock to the head in the incident.

Championship leader Chase Sexton scored the holeshot ahead of Justin Cooper, Jason Anderson and Ken Roczen. Anderson wasted little time getting the better of Cooper, railing around the outside of a sandy berm to get the better of the Yamaha man.  Roczen then pushed Cooper back to third. Meanwhile up front Sexton already had 2.5-seconds on the field after two laps after making the most of clear air.  Cooper Webb was working his way steadily forward, up to sixth after three laps. Tomac was rolling around at the back of the field in a quest to pick up the crumbs of a few points should misfortune strike other riders in the field.

Ken Roczen chased down Jason Anderson and took that second place from the Kawasaki man at the five-minute mark.  Moments later Malcolm Stewart pushed Anderson back to fourth with an awesome move through the whoops. Cooper Webb than then also got the better of Anderson as he moved up to fourth.  Chase Sexton had a lead of five-seconds and was running by himself up front.

Malcolm Stewart had the afterburners lit and started to reel in Roczen. The 32-year-old impressing on home soil and looking very much at home in the sand. Mookie made short work of Roczen and looked sensational on track.

By the ten-minute mark Stewart had trimmed Sexton’s lead to just over two-seconds as they all negotiated lapped traffic. Further back Cooper Webb had managed to get the better of Roczen for third when they were in the thick of lapped traffic.

The German then had a massive off as he collided with two lapped riders in mid-air, Tristan Lane and Jeremy Hand both getting impacts from Roczen but it was the Suzuki rider that came off second best with the chain coming off the RM-Z450 which saw him take no further part in the contest. A massive blow to his championship hopes, but there were more twists and turns still to unfold in the Tampa sand…

Chase Sexton had been running up front and looked to have it all his own way but disaster struck the championship leader. Stewart had reeled Sexton in and was piling on the pressure and that forced a mistake from the KTM man towards the end of a whoop section that ended with him on the deck!

The Florida crowd went absolutely mental as Stewart swept through to the lead.

Sexton was back up and running second later but his rhythm was ruined and he quickly succumbed to Cooper Webb and then Jason Anderson. In the closing stages Justin Cooper pushed Sexton further back to fifth. After the fall Sexton was struggling with some damage to his brake lever and throttle tube.

Malcolm Stewart kept his composure over the final laps to take his maiden 450 win.

The victory a clear seven-second win over Cooper Webb, who in-turn had five-seconds over Jason Anderson, the Kawasaki man rounding out the podium.

Stewart’s win was very much deserved as he was clearly the fastest rider on what was a very tough track, but he made it look easy.  Raymond James Stadium erupted on the back of what was a very popular victory amongst just about everyone in the house as he was celebrated by all and sundry. So much joy contrasting with the disappointment for Roczen, Tomac and Hunter Lawrence, and to a lesser extent Sexton.

The Supercross show moves on to Detroit next weekend for round six with Chase Sexton still in the lead. Cooper Webb leapfrogs both Eli Tomac and Ken Roczen on the ladder to move up to second, five-points behind Sexton. Anderson moves from sixth in the championship chase all the way up to third, 17-points behind the points leader, a single point ahead of Roczen and four-points ahead of Tomac. Malcolm Stewart’s victory promoted him from ninth to fifth on the leaderboard, 24-points away from the series leader. And there is a whole lot of racing still to go in this championship…

Hunter Lawrence – DNS

“What started out as a great night in Tampa turned into a very short night! At the end of lap 1 in my heat race, I landed on some tough blocks and banged myself up really nicely; now I’m just focusing on getting back to 100%.”

Malcolm Stewart – P1

“After the Las Vegas final last season, I was planning on taking some time off and maybe do some fishing and things like that, then we had a hurricane (Milton) come through and I’m sitting in 5 feet of water and my whole house is destroyed… I ran the words Florida Strong on the back of my helmet because I want people to understand that I’m here, I feel you, I feel your pain, and you know we’re all one big family.”

Jason Anderson – P3

“Tonight I was more likely to be a fifth-place guy. I was figuring out my rhythm through the whoops, but was dealing with some arm pump that dropped me back a little. I hung in there and I was able to pass Chase [Sexton] at the end for third so that was good. This class was tough and you never know what can happen. Being able to get three podiums so far in the season and being third in points is nice. I definitely want to keep moving further up and it would be nice to have more of these nights where I feel super comfortable and can make a charge for the win”

Chase Sexton – P5

“Not the way I wanted to end my night after a good day in Tampa. I was solid all day and qualified fastest, but on a bad lap in the Main Event I went down in the whoops while leading and damaged my front brake and throttle, so basically just had to salvage what I could, limping it home to finish out the race – not an ideal way to finish out the weekend. We’ll get to work again this week and come out swinging at Detroit.”

Justin Barcia – P6

“Tampa was a step in the right direction and the day went much better. In the Heat Race we got off to a good start, before I got a bit tangled up in the first turn, so I made a push to make up positions. Later on, I got off to a pretty good start in the Main, the track was super-technical, and we had some good battles. I’m really hungry to get that podium and I know with how we’re working we’ll get there soon.”

Joey Savatgy – P7

“My start killed what could have been a much better result. That’s my focus this week—I need to get out of the gate better. The bike is in a much better place, and I know we can fine-tune it even more. A 7th is good, but I know we can be fighting further up front.”

Aaron Plessinger – P8

“The afternoon was tough, but we found a setting heading into the Heat Race and felt like I ripped in that one! I made a few good passes in the first couple of laps, then ended up second. Come the Main, my start was decent before I got shuffled back early, and just rode around in eighth from there. That was the best I had today, so we’ll go back and do some homework before Detroit.”

Shane McElrath – P9

“I’m glad I lined up, and I’m happy we came away with a top 10, but I was drained. I’ve been sick all week, and my energy was low. I know where we should be, and we need to be inside the top 10 every weekend. I’ll take a few more days to recover and be ready to fight again.”

Colt Nichols – P12

“Tampa was good for me,” reported Nichols. “I was under the weather all week, which made for a tough day, honestly. But I salvaged a P12 in the main, and I felt like I rode well when I needed to. We’re excited for Detroit.”

Kyle Chisholm – P15

“I live about 25 minutes from the stadium, and it’s awesome to race in front of so many people that I know and share what we do on a weekly basis. I got to go out in opening ceremonies with my kids, and with my family there it was awesome,” said Chisholm. “But to the racing, I rode pretty good all day and felt comfortable. We’ve got the bike working really well and haven’t changed anything on it much the last few weeks. I got bumped on the start of the heat race and ripped a little hole in my rear brake line. So, I had no rear brake and then had a little tip over. In the LCQ I ripped a pretty good start and got up to second to put ‘er in the main. In the main, didn’t execute the first few laps the best that I should have, so I had to fight my way up from the back. I got up to 15th.”

Ken Roczen – P21

“It was an unfortunate situation that happened in the main event in Tampa,” said Roczen. “It’s a long season though, so we are going to put this behind us and focus on the next race in Detroit.”

450 Main Results

450 Championship Points – Top 10

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2025 FIM SuperEnduro Round Five – Hungary Wrap

See the full results here:
Bolt extends SuperEnduro lead in Hungary but Walker made him work for it…

Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Billy Bolt extended his winning streak to five with a hard-fought overall victory at the fifth round of the 2025 FIM SuperEnduro World Championship in Budapest. Bolt secured two race wins, while runner-up Jonny Walker claimed the Superpole victory and a race win for Triumph.

The track inside the MVM Dome was one of the shortest of the season so far. In SuperPole, Jonny Walker claimed the full three points with a commanding lead, finishing nearly half a second ahead of the competition. Billy Bolt pushed hard on the demanding course to secure two crucial championship points, while Mitchell Brightmore earned the final point in third place.

Billy Bolt got off to a strong start in race one, taking an inside line through the first corner to secure the holeshot. From there, the Brit remained focused, skillfully navigating lapped traffic and maintaining a solid pace to cross the finish line in first place. Jonny Walker followed in second, with Ashton Brightmore rounding out the podium in third.

Starting from the back row in race two’s reverse-grid start, Jonny Walker had an incredible launch, emerging from the first turn in third place. The TF 250 rider quickly hunted down his competitors, taking the lead by lap four and building a comfortable advantage. With a flawless performance, Walker delivered a masterclass in racing, securing a well-deserved victory—Triumph’s first-ever SuperEnduro race win. Billy Bolt finished in second, with William Hoare completing the podium in third

Billy Bolt made another strong start in race three, rounding the first corner in second before taking the lead after clearing the rocks. From that point on, he was untouchable for the final 13 laps of the evening. Looking fast, smooth, and in complete control, Bolt lapped all but the top four riders on his way to securing his second race win of the night. Mitchell Brightmore finished second, while Jonny Walker crossed the line in third, both trailing over 10 seconds behind.

With a second-place finish in SuperPole and 1-2-1 race results, Bolt clinched his fifth consecutive overall victory, extending his lead at the top of the championship standings to a commanding 85 points.

Billy Bolt – P1

“Overall, I’m really happy with how the evening went. I was frustrated after race one, because I knew I could have ridden better. Then, even though I came second in race two, I was a lot happier with how that race went – we were able to make some changes to the bike and I tried out some new lines, and that all seemed to pay off. In race three, everything came together and I felt really comfortable out there. It feels great to take another win, and now I’m looking forward to my home race in Newcastle in three weeks’ time.”

Jonny Walker’s impressive performance earned him a well-deserved runner-up finish overall in Budapest, solidifying his hold on second place in the championship standings with two rounds remaining.

Jonny Walker – P2

“Just finished up here in Budapest, P2 overall with a race win and SuperPole victory! There were definitely some positives to take away, and of course we are going to keep working hard ready for Newcastle in three weeks for my home race which I’m really excited for. The bike was perfect tonight and I have no complaints, so we’re just going to keep making steps every race and well be on that top step soon.”

2024/2025 FIM SuperEnduro World Championship
Round Five Results

Prestige Round Overall

Prestige World Championship Standings

Junior World Cup Standings

Youth World Cup Standings

Round six of the 2025 FIM SuperEnduro World Championship is set in Newcastle, in the United Kingdom on 1 March.

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