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Moto News Weekly Wrap
June 29, 2021

What’s New:

• Webster to move up to MX1 with Honda Racing Australia in 2022
• Australian National Classic & Post Classic MX Championships postponed
• Gillman to host ProMX Final in September
• Silk Way Rally 2021 at a glance | Sanders to represent Australia & GasGas
• Cairoli bounces back to MXGP of Great Britain win
• Todd Wilson eighth in MX2 at British MXGP – Beaton 12th
• Briar Bauman wins 2021 Lima Half-Mile
• Ben Kelly dominates 2021 Snowshoe GNCC
• WAMX competes Round 3 at Esperance MCC over the weekend
• 2021 Australian ProMX – Maitland Wrap
• 2021 FIM EnduroGP of Italy – Round 2 Wrap
• 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…

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Webster to move up to MX1 with Honda Racing Australia in 2022

Kyle Webster has signed a long-term contract with Honda Racing Australia, which will see the current MX2 points leader move up to the MX1 class from 2022.

Kyle Webster

“It’s a dream to race for Factory Honda and I am proud to extend my relationship with them long-term. Honda continues to prove they have race and championship winning bikes, the new CRF450R has already won a World Championship so I am pumped to move into the MX1. We have come close, but I haven’t won it. This is my first full season of racing with Factory Honda and so far, things are going to plan. We will keep our heads down and maintain our focus for the rest of the season. We have a great program this year, we are winning races and I am working hard to keep that momentum going. There are 10 moto’s to go so I am focusing on each race as it comes, as moto two on the weekend was certainly a reminder of the unpredictability of the sport.”

Webster has endured his fair share of ups and downs throughout his career, where an overall National MX2 Championship has eluded him thus far. With a 34 point lead in the current MX2 Championship after three rounds, Webster isn’t ready to let his guard down just yet.

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Capricorn X-Treme takes over as AHEC Round 3

Grassroots Enduro Australia has replaced the postponed Tasmanian Insane Ride Event with the Capricorn X-Treme as Round 3 of the Australian Hard Enduro Championship, after Covid restrictions prevented almost half of the 220-rider line-up from attending the event.

The Capricorn X-Treme is located in Mount Morgan, just 30 kms from the city of Rockhampton in Queensland, Australia and will be held this weekend, July 3-4.

Day One will feature an eight-kilometre track for the prologue for all classes, with the Juniors racing a two and a half hour hard enduro to complete the day. Day Two will feature a 45 km track, where the Gold, Silver, Bronze and Ladies classes will battle the terrain and elements during a four-hour hard enduro event. A pony express format means riders can do as many laps as they like with the allocated time, with completing a third lap seen as a pretty big challenge.

Victorian-based Wade Ibraham and Chris Perry are travelling 3800 km to defend their first and third places respectively, while Queensland’s Ruben Chadwick will be defending his second place in the championship.

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Australian National Classic & Post Classic MX Championships postponed

The Heaven VMX hosted 2021 Australian National Classic and Post Classic Motocross Championships, set for July has been postponed due to concerns around COVID-19 in NSW and the ensuing lockdown.

New Championship dates will be announced shortly. All current entries will carry forward to the new dates. If once the new dates are announced, if any entrant is unable to attend, a full refund will be provided.

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Gillman to host ProMX Final in September

The ProMX Round 3 at Gillman which was postponed from May 30 due to the SA Government border restrictions will not be possible on the tentative rescheduled date due to the current COVID-19 outbreak in Greater Sydney.

ProMX in consultation with host club – Motocross Riders Association (MRA), have revealed a new date of Sunday September 5, for this  round of ProMX in South Australia. Further communication to advise teams and riders about Gillman round entries will be announced in the coming weeks.

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Silk Way Rally 2021 at a glance

After the opening round in Kazakhstan, the 2021 FIM Cross-Country Rallies World Championship moves east with the second round starting in the Siberian city of Omsk. The route crosses Mongolia from west to east over a course of 5,000km, including more than 3,000km in special stages through Siberian forests, across mountainous plateaux, steppes and the Gobi Desert in Mongolia, before reaching Ulan Bator on July 11.

This is the first day of the traditional Mongolian festival of Naadam and a national holiday in the ‘Land of the Blue Sky’. Twenty-four riders, including 10 in RallyGP are scheduled to attend administration and technical checks in Omsk on June 30 and July 1.

Amongst them is the Yamaha team of recent Kazakhstan Rally winner Ross Branch, from Botswana, and his team-mates Adrien van Beveren and Andrew Short.

Sam Sunderland (KTM) was injured after a violent crash on the last day in Kazakhstan and he misses out on this occasion, with KTM fielding only one motorcycle for the Austrian rider Matthias Walkner.

Team Husqvarna has entered both Luciano Benavides and Skyler Howes, while Daniel Sanders will ride in the colours of the GasGas team.

Sanders will be jumping in at the deep end of rally competition, the Silk Way represents just his fourth competitive rally outing. Signing for GASGAS Factory Racing earlier this year following a stand-out ride at the Dakar, the 26-year-old will be looking to continue gaining more experience, and work on his speed and navigation skills as he takes on the grueling 10-day event.

Daniel Sanders

“I’m really looking forward to the Silk Way Rally, it’s definitely looking like it’s going to be hard, both physically and mentally. I’ve been getting in the miles since Kazakhstan, so I’m really happy with how the bike feels and I think we’re in a good place with the settings heading into this second round of the championship. Looking at the terrain it really does look like a real mixture, and the stages are long – even when the specials aren’t too bad, there is often some lengthy liaisons to cover, and that can really prove tiring. My strength is definitely racing in sand, so I hope we see plenty of that when we hit Mongolia. Up to then, my plan is to get through the first week safely and then push on towards the end. With the added points awarded at this race, it’s important to get a good safe finish, so that’s my number one goal.”

Hero continues with the three-rider line-up of Franco Caimi, Joachim Rodrigues and the young Sebastian Bühler.

Among the 14 Rally2 riders are Carlo Cabini (Honda) and the returning Aldo Wrinkler (KTM), who has been absent from the rally scene for many years and will accompany his son Andrea on the Silk Way Rally adventure.

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Cairoli bounces back to MXGP of Great Britain win

The MXGP of Great Britain saw rain forecasted for the entire day, but this did not stop a healthy crowd of British fans from making the trip to Matterley Basin to enjoy some of the most exciting racing of the season so far.

In MXGP all eyes were on Antonio Cairoli who bounced back in incredible fashion, following an unlucky GP in Orlyonok, going 1-3 in the races to secure his sixth GP win in Matterley Basin. Joining him on the podium was Tim Gajser and Jeffrey Herlings who put together another solid day to get himself on the podium.

MXGP

In the opening heat it was Jorge Prado who grabbed the Fox Holeshot with Jeremy Seewer and Cairoli closely behind. Though Cairoli wasted no time as he jumped into the lead, while Gajser was fighting further down the order.

On the opening lap it was Cairoli, Prado, Glenn Coldenhoff of Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing and Herlings, with Seewer, Gajser and Pauls Jonass just behind.

A few laps later, Gajser had managed to get around Seewer and was closing in on the back of Herlings, while Seewer was coming under more pressure from Jonass. And so was his teammate Coldenhoff, who lost two positions in one lap to Herlings and Gajser as the pair went after Cairoli and Prado.

On his return to MXGP racing, Arminas Jasikonis had a tough opening heat, as he eventually pulled into the pits to retire from the race.

With 2 laps to go Cairoli stretched out his lead to 8.731 seconds over Prado, with Herlings, Gajser and Coldenhoff completing the top 5, as Romain Febvre from Monster Energy Kawasaki Racing Team chased down Jonass.

In the end it was Cairoli who secured his first race win of 2021, with Prado second and Herlings third.

In race two it was Febvre who grabbed the second Fox Holeshot, though much like in the opening heat, Cairoli was quick to get out in front.

The opening lap was exciting, with Prado taking the lead from Cairoli and then Febvre doing the same as Gajser got himself up into third.

Seewer then lost a position to Herlings who took 5th from the Swiss. Prado also lost another position, this time to Gajser as he got up into second and then it was game on as the Slovenian rode patiently behind Febvre for most of the race.

Gajser worked away at the gap lap by lap and towards the end of the race he was right on Febvre’s tail. Cairoli kept up with the leaders and at one point it looked like both Gajser and Cairoli were in for the chance of stealing the race win from Febvre.

The last two laps of the heat were intense, as Gajser and Febvre traded positions, with Gajser eventually able to make a pass on the Frenchman stick, on the final lap, and edge out slightly to take the chequered flag.

Cairoli topped the podium, with Gajser second and Herlings third. Febvre ended up fourth overall just 2 points off the podium.

Heading into the third round of the FIM Motocross World Championship, Tim Gajser continues to lead with 93 points, as Jeffrey Herlings sits second in the championship standings just 15 points behind and Romain Febvre is third a further 5 points back.

Antonio Cairoli – P1

“Actually, I enjoyed race two more because it was nice with all the passing, and it was nice to be back battling. In the first race I had a really good start and immediately after a few corners I made my way into first place and then pushed as fast as I can. Of course, I was disappointed with last week. I was really not happy about this mistake; we lost a lot of points but of course today was very good and I really enjoyed the track. I ran short of breath during the second race in the last 4 laps, the guys were pushing hard. It was easy to make a mistake, so I thought let’s bring it home and make this 93rd GP victory happen.”

Tim Gajser – P2

“I always enjoy coming to England and racing here at Matterley Basin. The weather meant that they didn’t rip the track so much, so in the first moto there weren’t many lines and it wasn’t easy to pass on so I just had to settle for a fourth place. I felt I could have challenged for the lead but I didn’t want to push too hard and I thought that in race two it would be easier. I got a better start in second race and although there was a lot of passing and action going on, I stayed calm and focused on finding good lines and working my way to the front. When I was in second place, I couldn’t stay too close to the leader for a long time because the roost was hard and I wanted to make sure I had clear vision for near the end of the race. When I saw the two-lap board come out, I knew a couple of places where I could make my move and on the last lap I used a really good outside line and took the lead. I’m really happy with how I’m riding and how everyone in the team is working together to improve each weekend. I can’t wait for Maggiora and I hope to continue this run of results. A big thank you to everyone!”

Jeffrey Herlings – P3

“It’s our goal this year. We used to go out and try to win but I just want to be on the podium, and it has shown in the past that when you are on the podium almost every weekend you can keep close to the championship. First race was alright, the second race same, nothing impressive, I just don’t have the speed yet, I can do a good lap, but I still struggle with race speed. I’m not far off but I don’t want to throw it away in the beginning. I just want to keep racing and get better and improve week by week.”

Romain Febvre – P4

“A lot of guys were fast today and with a bad start in the first race it was not so easy to come back through the pack; my jump out of the gate was good but I was maybe too far inside and after the first corner I was outside the top ten. I came back strongly to seventh, but then the speed was similar with my rivals and it wasn’t possible to make the difference. I changed my gate pick for the second race and my start was much better as I got the holeshot and for sure that made life much easier! There was one section on the track where I didn’t find the best line; that is where Tim passed me as I didn’t know which one he would choose. We exchanged the lead several times during the last two laps and in the end he won; it’s always frustrating to lead all the race apart from the last two laps but that’s it; we’ll continue to work before Maggiora next weekend.”

Jorge Prado – P5

“Today was good in some ways but a bit negative with that second moto. I was struggling with the track from the morning and how flat it was. I knew the start would be important for me. I had the holeshot but made a small mistake and Tony came past. That was actually pretty good because he was riding really well: I could stay behind him and he pulled me along. Physically I felt strong in the second moto, which is positive for the next few races, but I didn’t have the feeling with the bike or the set-up. It was too difficult for me to turn, open the gas and go with the others when they were full-on. I was too slow, even taking some risks. So, we need to look at that. We will keep working. It will come. I’m in the right place.”

MXGP of Great Britain Overall Results

MXGP Standings

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Todd Wilson eighth in British MXGP – Beaton 12th

In MX2, Maxime Renaux was determined to make up for lost ground in Orlyonok and he did just that with a win and a second to secure his career second overall victory.

Mattia Guadagnini placed second overall during what was his second Grand Prix as a factory KTM rider and Ruben Fernandez continued his podium streak to finish third.

MX2

In race one, it was Renaux who took the Fox Holeshot as he edged out ahead of Isak Gifting and Mathys Boisrame. Thibault Benistant was keen to move forward as he got himself into third, with Jed Beaton getting off to a fantastic start in fourth as he pushed Benistant.

Meanwhile Geerts struggled down the order as he was 12th, though he managed to get back up into 7th by the end of the race.

Benistant remained one of the fastest riders out on track as he was pushing to catch Boisrame and Renaux, while also fending off Beaton. Beaton then crashed out of 4th and eventually came into pitlane before retiring from the heat.

Benistant then crashed also, dropping from 3rd to 5th. At that point Renaux had pretty much controlled the race but things got interesting behind him as Fernandez and Guadagnini were having a strong fight for third.

Guadagnini was applying the pressure as he clocked fast laps, lap after lap, though Fernandez was able to respond and that’s when the pair caught up with Boisrame who was second. Fernandez went after Boisrame and was able to make a pass on the corner before the finish line, for the perfect photo finish.

Renaux was the race winner, with Fernandez and Boisrame 2nd and 3rd.

In race 2, it was Simon Laengenfelder who secured the Fox Holeshot. Though he didn’t hold the lead for long as Guadagnini and Rene Hofer were quick to jump into P1 and P2. Fernandez didn’t have the best start as he began the race in 11th.

Guadagnini then edged out from the rest of the field as Boisrame went after Hofer with the pair having a close battle. Hofer did a great job of fending off the Frenchman, though some laps later Boisrame was able to find a way through into P2, before making a mistake and crashing. He re-joined to eventually finish in 7th.

Jago Geerts was another rider to crash and had to restart from the back.

Race 1 winner, Renaux was keen on getting back in the action and chase a podium spot as he worked his way up the order as he caught up with Roan Van De Moosdijk and then Hofer.

5.929 seconds separated Renaux from Guadagnini, as Geerts finally found his way up into the points. And as Renaux was looking like he was working away at the gap to the race leader, Guadagnini responded quickly to keep the gap healthy.

In the end it was the #101 of Guadagnini who won his first ever MX2 race, while Renaux was second and Hofer third.

A 1-2 result gave Renaux the overall win, while Guadagnini got his first taste of a World Championship Podium and Fernandez made it two in a row with a 3rd overall.

With Tom Vialle not lining up for today’s races due to injury sustained during the week, Ruben Fernandez has taken the championship lead, five-points ahead of Maxime Renaux who is second and Mathys Boisrame who sits third on the same points (74).

Maxime Renaux – P1

“I had really good races, we worked with the team to make progress on the starts, and I actually took the Fox Holeshot in race one so I’m happy about that. I had some consistent races, so I’m very happy about the weekend.”

Mattia Guadagnini – P2

“It’s amazing. I just felt really good and really enjoyed racing here, really like the track and also good feeling on the bike, didn’t’ get the best time this morning but I did a good start and first race. I know the start is important and I took a good start, I was second and passed for the lead in the first lap. I just enjoyed the racing, I made my race, and I got the win, so I’m really happy about that. It was an amazing weekend.”

Ruben Fernandez – P3

“I’m happy. To get the red plate is just awesome. I didn’t expect it so just to have it is unbelievable. The day started well with pole position, but I made my races really difficult with two bad starts. In the first race I was able to get second place after a last corner pass on Mathys Boisrame and also, I had a good battle with Mattia Guadagnini and I felt the pressure from behind so I knew I had to push. In race two, was difficult with the start and then I made a mistake on the first lap. I got sixth in the second race, and I was expecting more. It was a tough day but I am on the podium and with the red plate so just have to keep working.”

Mathys Boisrame – P4

“I took a great start in the first moto and rode a strong race but at the end I lost a position in the last corner. I had a good start in the second race too but I made a small mistake which cost me several positions and a podium result. I tried to pass Hofer for many laps but there were not so many ruts as usual so it was difficult to pass him quickly and then I made that mistake after passing him. My riding was good but I am still making little mistakes; I learnt that again today but the final result is not so bad. I got good starts and the bike is really strong so now I must avoid those mistakes and continue to work.”

Roan van de Moosdijk – P5

“My reaction at the gate was not good in the first race so I got closed down and I didn’t really find my rhythm all moto. I went a bit more outside on the gate for race two, got a better start and could turn better at the first corner. I could follow the leaders but it’s never easy to pass here so I’m satisfied with my result in the end. I was involved in a crash with another rider during the week but luckily I only had a little muscle pain from it and the physio confirmed everything is OK. I never raced Maggiora where we race next weekend but of course I know my home GP track at Oss where we go two weeks later; I raced many times there in the Dutch championship and I did some tests there earlier this year so I’m really excited about that GP.”

Wilson Todd – P8

“Eighth overall for the British GP, slowly getting back up to speed and fitness. Hopefully start a little further up the field in coming weeks!

Jed Beaton – P12

“As soon as I went out for the first lap in practice I felt great on my bike. I loved the track and then in race one things were going really good. I got into fourth and was just biding my time, finding some good lines and letting the track dry out before making a charge. Unfortunately, I caught a bump wrong and had a pretty big crash. I hit my head and my bike was too bent up to continue. It’s a real shame as up until that point I felt awesome out there. In race two I lined up to give it a good go and finished eighth. Not where we want to be but it’s early in the season and there’s a long way to go. My starts were good so despite the crash there are some positives to take away from this weekend.”

MX2 of Great Britain Overall Results

MX2 Standings

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Briar Bauman wins 2021 Lima Half-Mile

Images by Scott Hunter

Defending Grand National Champion Briar Bauman scored arguably the most critical victory yet of the 2021 American Flat Track season following an epic showdown with Brandon Robinson in Saturday evening’s Lima Half-Mile at Allen County Fairgrounds in Lima, Ohio.

While Bauman controlled the SuperTwins points coming in, Robinson threatened to seize control of the momentum with another impressive performance. Robinson entered the Main Event as the clear favourite, soundly defeating Bauman in their shared Semi before adding his fourth Mission Challenge win with relative ease as well.

In the Main, Robinson squared up teammate Jarod Vanderkooi on the opening lap and immediately looked to check out yet again. A motivated Bauman didn’t allow that to happen, however, overhauling Vanderkooi with maximum expediency before trading haymakers with Robinson over the lead.

That heavyweight fight went right down the final lap, with Robinson attempting one final desperation overtake in the race’s final corner before Bauman cut back underneath to secure his second victory of the season.

Briar Bauman

“What a battle, this was an incredible event… I didn’t really think we had anything for Brandon there today – he was so fast all day. He smoked us in the heat race and smoked us in the dash. But Dave (Zanotti) got dialed in for the Main Event, so I’m really, really happy with that one. It was an incredible event. I’m so happy we were able to do that for this big of a crowd. There are so many people all the way around this facility. Lima is probably the best track on the circuit. And to actually have a battle and not let Brandon just check out like we kinda planned on him doing, it means a lot to me and a lot to my team.”

Behind, Vanderkooi outdueled Brandon Price to grab his third podium on the season as the Mission Roof Systems squad locked down spots 2-3-4 on the evening.

Kolby Carlile continued his recent run of form to finish fifth, marking the third consecutive race in which he was the highest-placed among the non-Indian riders.

Meanwhile, the widely expected victory challenge of race promoter and multi-time Lima Half-Mile winner Jared Mees failed to materialise. Mees was simply not his usual self, suffering from the ill effects of his still mending knee. As a result, he was stuck down near the bottom of the order from start to finish, ultimately finishing an uncharacteristic eighth.

AFT Singles

Last weekend’s AFT Singles winners, Henry Wiles and Max Whale picked up right where they left off in Saturday’s rematch.

Wiles, in particular, showed off his rediscovered vintage form, moving his way to the front early and opening up more than two seconds of padding. The race still wasn’t over at that point, however, as Whale put his head down after overhauling Wiles’ teammate, Trevor Brunner to slash away at that gap.

Whale did well to reduce the margin to around a half-second at one point, but Wiles ultimately proved too strong in the end.

After opening his season in disappointing 17-5-5-11 fashion, the 450cc legend has firmly put himself back in title contention with consecutive finishes of 1-2-1. Aussie Whale is in even better shape as he’s now tied with Dallas Daniels atop the points order while holding the tiebreaker with two wins to Daniels’ one.

Henry Wiles

“I think I’ve used about every line at this track besides the low line that I was running today. I’ve really just relied on the whole Turner Racing crew powered by Progressive Insurance. My suspension guy, Tim (Bennet) at TCD racing, made a phenomenal call and we actually changed shocks for the Main Event. It was a pretty ballsy move. We were just so confident in it and I’m glad we made the choice. I’ve got to thank the whole crew. It wasn’t me — it was the bike. All I could do was ride the wheels off of it, and I tried to do that and be as smart as I could all day. I’m glad we could execute and get the job down again.”

Despite no claims as a cushion specialist, Morgen Mischler charged his way up through the field to round out the podium. Second American Honda runner Brunner held on to claim fourth, while defending champion Daniels salvaged fifth after dropping as low as seventh at mid-distance.

An unlucky Brandon Kitchen was forced to retire with a mechanical issue while running fourth. Fellow future stars Kody Kopp and Dustin Brown came home sixth and seventh, respectively.

AFT Production Twins

Johnny Lewis sat out last weekend’s OKC Mile doubleheader in order to best position himself and his factory Royal Enfield race bike for success in the AFT Production Twins presented by Vance & Hines class at the Lima Half-Mile. It worked.

To the surprise of no one, despite getting the third pick on Row 1, title leader Cory Texter scored yet another holeshot. Despite the rapid start, however, he had nothing for the streaking Lewis, who drove underneath Texter less than a minute into the Main, blasted him with the roost, and immediately opened up a sizable advantage.

Second qualifier Ben Lowe then worked his way into a scrap with Texter over second as Lewis continued to escape at the front.

That battle came to a momentary half when the red flag flew due to a downed rider with less than two minutes remaining on the clock. In fact, Lowe and Texter both beat Lewis off the line at the restart, but the Royal Enfield pilot easily powered around the outside of both to reclaim his spot at the front.

The real drama came courtesy of Ryan Varnes, who seemingly found another gear in the second leg.

Varnes, who found himself near the bottom of the top ten early, somehow put himself in podium contention late. Over the final few laps of the Main, he zapped both Lowe and Texter, and actually managed to close down on Lewis just as the checkered flag flew. But in the end, Lewis held on for the win by 0.153 seconds.

Johnny Lewis

“I just cannot give Woody Kyle and David Lloyd enough credit for what they’ve been able to accomplish. Going into the first race this year, we had a pretty slow motorcycle. Every weekend it’s more work, more work. David and Woody just do not stop. It’s amazing to have these guys on my team. I cannot thank them enough. It was a fun Lima.”

The results marked the first podiums of the year for 2020 race winners Lewis and Varnes, while third-place finisher Texter added his sixth. Fourth-place finisher Lowe, meanwhile, was left still seeking his first. OKC podium finisher Cameron Smith closed out the top five.

Lima Half Mile Results

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Ben Kelly dominates 2021 Snowshoe GNCC

The Grand National Cross Country (GNCC) Series concluded its ninth round of racing at the Yamaha Racing Snowshoe GNCC in Snowshoe, West Virginia on Sunday, June 27.

Benjamin Kelley would come through to earn his second win of the season and conquer Snowshoe Mountain. Kelley found himself running third throughout the first couple of laps, but he would make the pass for the lead on the fourth lap and hold that lead until the checkered flag flew.

Earning second at round nine was Steward Baylor. Right off the start Baylor had hoped to grab the early lead, but he would slide out on the pavement start at the first turn. Baylor would move into the lead on the second lap but would be unable to hold off Kelley as he applied the pressure. Baylor would hold onto second, coming through 30 seconds behind Kelley.

Jordan Ashburn grabbed the early lead, holding onto first for the first lap. Ashburn continued to run at the front of the pack and battle with Baylor and Kelley. As they came through the finish Ashburn would come through to earn his fourth podium finish of the season.

Coming through fourth on the day was Josh Toth. Toth had a consistent day running in fourth for the entire three-hour race. Toth remains sixth in the points standings as the series will kick back off in September.  Grant Baylor made his way to fifth in XC1 after starting out the day in seventh.

Thad Duvall fought back to finish the day sixth overall in his home state of West Virginia. Duvall started out the day in eighth and steadily worked his way up through the pack. Ricky Russell crossed the finish line seventh overall on the day after battling early on in the race in the top five.

After a mid-race setback, Josh Strang would continue to push until the checkered flag flew. Strang crossed the finish eighth in the XC1 Open Pro class.  Layne Michael maintained the ninth place position in XC1 throughout the duration of the race. Rounding out the top 10 was Benjamin Herrera.

In the XC2 250 Pro class it was Jonathan Girroir coming through to earn his sixth win of the season. Girroir made the move into the lead after running in second for the first two laps. Girroir continues to lead the championship standings as the series heads into its summer break.

Earning his first XC2 podium finish was Ben Nelko. After coming through in 13th on the opening lap, Nelko put his head down and pushed for the rest of the race. Nelko steadily moved through the pack at Snowshoe and put himself in a great position during the last lap where he overtook second place just miles from the finish line. After missing three rounds due to an injury, Ryder Lafferty came through to earn third in the XC2 class.

Grabbing the early lead in the FMF XC3 125 Pro-Am class was Jonathan Johnson. Johnson would continue to lead the way in the class for the duration of the three hour race. Crossing the line in second was Jake Froman. While Noah Clark rounded out the top three in the FMF XC3 class.

Rachael Archer battled back at Snowshoe to earn the WXC class win and close the points gap to just two behind BABS Racing Yamaha’s Becca Sheets. After holding the lead for the first two laps, Tayla Jones would come through to finish second on the day in West Virginia. Shelby Turner battled for the last spot on the WXC podium atop Snowshoe Mountain. This was also Turner’s first-ever WXC podium finish.

In the youth race it was Cole Forbes coming through to earn the overall and YXC1 Super Mini Sr. class win. Nicholas Defeo and Thor Powell came through to round out the top three overall and in the YXC1 class. Peyton Feather earned the YXC2 Super Mini Jr. class as Robert Weiss and Ryan Amancio finished second and third in the class. Ryder Sigety earned the 85cc (12-13) class win, while Mason Raynor took the 85cc (7-11) class win. Nash Peerson and Hunter Hawkinberry took home the two 65cc class wins. Ruby Fustini earned the Girls (8-15) class with Chance Mayfield earning a win in the trail rider class.

GNCC Racing will return to racing in September for The Mountaineer GNCC in Beckley, West Virginia.

2021 Snowshoe GNCC Results

WAMX competes Round 3 at Esperance MCC over the weekend

Jayden Rykers has claimed top honours over the weekend, at the WAMX Round 3, held at Esperance MCC, taking both race wins in the MX1, ahead of Josh Darroch, with Luke Davis completing the top three. Charlie Creech was just outside the top three with his fourth place finishes, while Austin Ridley and Cody Higgs took a fourth and fifth a piece, to tie on 31 points.

The MX1 Pro class now sees just five-points celebrating the top three, with Luke David on 130-points, Darroch on 129 and Creech on 125. Jayden Rykers moved into ninth with the single round competed.

The MX2 Pro class saw Daniel Pajewski sweep both races for the win, ahead of Conan Forrester and Revonn Nieuwoudt, who took second and third in each of the races respectively. Pajewski extends his standings lead as a result to 16-points on 140, ahead of Forrester (124) and Nieuwoudt (104).

In the MX3 class Dylan Walsh and Jordan Minear shared the race wins and took a second a-piece, tying on 47-points, with Walsh the victor. Jake Rumens was third, with two fourth place finishes, with consistency winning out. Walsh now leads the MX3 standings on 131 points, to Minear’s 125. Deacon Paice is third overall on 109, with Minear fourth on 100.

Luke Few won both Vets races, ahead of James Craig and Oliver Smith, with the same results across both races. Few now holds the standings lead on 168-points, to Smith’s 151. Aaron Chircop is third overall on 138-points.

Kara Cats won the Womens races, ahead of Hannah Stewart (2-2) and Che’ Ebert (3-3), to extend her lead in the standings, with the same three riders in the same order making up the top three.

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2021 Australian ProMX – Maitland Wrap

Images by Rob Mott, RBMotoLens

The 2021 Penrite ProMX Championship presented by AMX Superstores saw Luke Clout take a dominant win in the Thor MX1 class in Maitland over the weekend, kicking off with top qualifier, pole in the Top 10 Shootout, as well as winning the opening moto and first part of the Back-to-Back motos.

That performance added the overall championship lead and red plate to the Thor MX1 overall, with the round victory over Kirk Gibbs and Todd Waters. Clout now leads the MX1 class by three-points over Regan Duffy, with Waters third.

Luke Clout

“When I saw Maitland on the calendar this year, I pencilled it in as a must win round for me knowing that I ride the track well, so it was pleasing to achieve that goal,” Clout begins, “but to combine that with coming away with the championship lead makes it a great day for myself and the team. I was able to get great starts all day and put myself in good positions very early in the race. I grabbed the lead in race three, but Kirk was able to sneak by me, but I kept the pressure on and chased him all the way to the finish. The bike and team were again awesome today and a feel my riding is good at the moment. I have been able to work on things during the week and then see that work rewarded on weekends. It’s a month until the next round at Albury, but the plan is to continue doing what I have been doing and ride this momentum for as long as I can.”

The Pirelli MX2 class provided incredible on track action in Maitland, with the first chink in the armour of red plate holder Kyle Webster and his Honda Racing Australia machine showing, as a trio of contenders stepped up to try and make their mark on the round and Championship.

No one could quite topple Webster however, who took the opening moto win and fourth in the second moto, securing the round overall by a single point over Jesse Dobson, while Jay Wilson was third overall. Webster retains his large MX2 lead as a result, with Dobson current standings runner-up and Rhys Budd third.

Jesse Dobson

“It’s finally nice to get up on the podium for a round, I have been so close so many times over the years and had way too many fourth places to even think about so it’s awesome to break that ceiling and actually get the job done. I was close at Wonthaggi and Canberra but now to be 100% fit and to get on the podium is a huge monkey off my back. I am also just as happy that I was able to put together two good motos where I was strong all the way to the end and didn’t many too many mistakes out there, especially in that second race as the track went hard and slippery in spots. My bike was in great shape all day so thank you to Ben and the team for all the hard work and I’m now second in the championship, which is also the best I have ever been in a national professional championship. The result is also the result of a lot of work I have been putting in with Ford Dale, so I will continue to work with him as I think the best is yet to come and hopefully a round win isn’t too far away.”

The Maxxis MX3 class showcased incredible speed and talent as the next generation of Australian Motocrossers took to the Maitland circuit, with Blake Fox proving unbeatable. Ryder Kingsford was runner-up, with Cooper Holroyd and Cambel Williams both finishing the round on 34-points.

Blake Fox leads the standings on 147-points, to Kingsford’s 127, while Kayden Minear is a distant third.

The Classic Motocross Evolution Cup gave a two stroke taste of nostalgia and amazing on track battles at Maitland and saw Craig Anderson and Liam Beverly battle it out, with Beverly the eventual round winner, Craig Anderson second, and Danny Anderson third.

Thor MX1

In Moto 1 Luke Clout took the 100% Goggles MX1 Holeshot and immediately begin to break away from the field on his CDR Yamaha Monster Energy YZ450F. BBR Motorsports mounted Yamaha privateer Matt Moss ran in second position in the early stages, with Honda Racing Australia’s Kirk Gibbs third.

As Moss dropped back, Gibbs moved into second with Gas Gas Australa’s Arron Tanti third. Meanwhile the freight train battle of Husqvarna Racing Team’s Todd Waters, KTM Racing’s Regan Duffy, CDR Yamaha Monster Energy’s Hayden Mellross and Honda Racing’s Brett Metcalfe raged across the middle of the moto.

By the chequered flag, Tanti was shuffled further back, while Luke Clout took the win from Kirk Gibbs and Todd Waters.

The second moto’s of the day for Thor MX1 class saw the return of the back to back moto format, with short and sharp races challenging the riders, teams and machinery to the limits on the hard, rough and technical Maitland circuit.

Luke Clout maintained a manageable margin over the rest of the field to win part 1 of back to back format, with Arron Tanti in second, and Kirk Gibbs third. Regan Duffy came home in fourth despite a mid race crash, while Todd Waters round out the top five.

In Part 2 of the back to back’s Kirk Gibbs secured the holeshot and track position early, as he and Luke Clout battled strategically for the lead ahead of third placed Tanti.

At the chequered flag it was Kirk Gibbs who took the win, just ahead of Clout in second, and Tanti in third.  Maximus Purvis finished fourth on the WBR Bulk Nutrients Yamaha and Hayden Mellross was fifth.

The round overall went to Luke Clout, ahead of Gibbs, Waters and Duffy, with the standings showing Clout with a narrow three-point lead from Duffy, who in turn leads Waters by three-points. Gibbs in fourth is a further two points in arrears.

Kirk Gibbs – P2

“We came into this round at 15 points out of Championship contention and we’ve closed that gap to only eight points, winning another race and finishing 2nd was great. Our starts are strong and everything is coming together. This is my third race on a Honda and we keep learning as we go. I know I have more to show and I look forward to the next round.”

Todd Waters – P3

“We’re stoked to be back up on the podium here in Maitland, the points were good and it was a hard day of racing with everyone up there at the front. Finishing third in that opening moto was my best result of the day and then we were battling for every position in those back-to-back sprints to end the day, so the end result there was fourth. Like I said, podiums are always good, we definitely want to win one here soon and we’re still right there in the championship.”

Regan Duffy – P4

“The track wasn’t ripped as deep a what I was expecting and in qualifying struggled to gel with the conditions. I didn’t get a great start in the opening race, but still worked my way up to fourth place from 10th, so I was pretty happy with that. In the first back-to-back race I got a good start, but had a small tip-over trying to make a move for third place and ended up in fourth. My start in the final race was pretty bad, but I came through for sixth and fourth overall on the day. I’m not stressed at all about losing the points lead. We’re only three points off the lead and my coach [Ross Beaton] has said I only need to be in front at the end of the last round, which is right! We’ll keep the training up, work hard and come back stronger in four weeks time.”

Pirelli MX2

In the opening moto Yamalube Yamaha’s Jay Wilson rocketed out of the gate for the holeshot and attempted to sprint away early. However Webster proved too strong and made a move early, before proceeding to check out from the competition, leading throughout the moto to a relatively easy victory.

Yamalube Yamaha’s Rhys Budd started third but late in the moto moved into second position, capitalising on Wilson’s mistake. As the chequered flag waved it was Webster first, Rhys Budd second and Serco Yamaha’s Jesse Dobson third.

Moto 2 saw the first real sign of weakness from Webster, as he fell from the lead pack on the opening lap. From there a Yamaha trio of Jay Wilson, Nathan Crawford and Jesse Dobson looked to capitalise and fought fiercely for track position and the lead of the race in the opening laps.

Eventually Nathan Crawford (after a DNF due to a mechanical issue in moto 1) took the lead and never looked back on his Serco Yamaha, leaving Dobson and Wilson to battle for second.

Ultimately Dobson would secure the runner-up positon, as Jay Wilson fought off late attacks to claim third from Husqvarna mounted Dylan Wills and the hard charging Webster.

The Pirelli MX2 overall podium for Round 4 saw Kyle Webster taking the win, with Jesse Dobson second and Jay Wilson third overall.

Kyle Webster – P1

“The day was going well, I felt strong following a great qualifier and first race. In race two, I had a momentary lapse of concentration (brain fade) and dropped it. I came from 16th to 4th and only nine seconds off the lead. My Honda Genuine CRF250R was solid and I’m stoked to take another overall. We have a few things to work on before round four in Albury, but I am glad we extended our points lead to 34.”

Maxxis MX3

In the opening moto, KTM mounted youngster Connor Towill took the holeshot, closely followed by GasGas Australia’s Blake Fox and Yamaha Junior Australia’s Ryder Kingsford.

Blake Fox then blazed his way to the front spot and never looked back, opening up an incredible 21 second lead over the rest of the field. Ryder Kingsford moved into second, before a mistake saw the Yamaha mounted rider slip down the field, before mounting a charge back to the front.

As the chequered flag waved, it was Blake Fox in front after dominating the race, from Kingsford who charged back to second and Connor Towill with a career best third position.

In Moto 2 Blake Fox would put on another dominating display of precision, gapping the field by a huge margin en-route to the race win and the overall round win.

Ryder Kingsford rode to a solid but distant second position in the moto and on the overall podium.

The battle for third was the real on track battle as Conor Towill crashed out of podium contention despite factoring into the lead pack early in the final moto.

Cambell Williams on the BCP Yoshimura Honda and Yamaha mounted Cooper Holroyd traded positions, battling furiously for third position in the moto, with Holroyd prevailing to take the final podium position both in the moto and on the overall podium for the round.

Results