Moto News Weekly Wrap
October 3, 2023
What’s New:
- Kyron Bacon sizzles at World Enduro Championships
- Dylan Wills breaks collarbone, to miss ASX opener
- Seven to broadcast Australian SX, alongside WSX.tv streaming
- Australian SuperEnduro Championship Round Four cancelled
- Stark Varg now eligible for Australian competition
- 2023 Australian Senior Dirt Track Championship Preview
- GASGAS Factory Racing signs Ryder DiFrancesco for 2024 SMX
- CML GASGAS Racing Team welcome Cody Cooper for MXoN
- Portugal prepares for Baja de Oeste this weekend
- 2024 AMA Supercross & Motocross numbers announced
- Monster Energy Kawasaki reveal 2024 SMX roster
- Bartosz Zmarzlik crowned FIM Speedway World Champion
- 2023 FIM EnduroGP of Portugal – Round Six
- 2023 Racing Calendars
- 2024 Racing Calendars
Kyron Bacon sizzles at World Enduro Championships
Using a break in the AORC calendar, Kyron Bacon jetted out to Europe to contest the Portugal round of the World Enduro Championships. With his form getting back near his best after a three-month layoff with injury, the weekend proved a great time to challenge against the best in the world in the off-road scene.
Bacon competed in the Junior division which caters for riders under 23. In that class, it is broken down to E1 – 250cc riders and then as an All-Powers division as well, so the level of competition was high.
Each day is broken up into a round and Bacon finished on the podium in the Junior E1 class with 3-2 results. He was a little off the pace in the Friday prologue but hit the ground running when racing started and was right in the thick of the action.
Those results translated into 4-3 in the combined Junior division and made for a stunning weekend for the Tasmanian. Bacon will stay on for another week as the next round of the World Enduro Championship is also in Portugal.
Kyron Bacon
“I was planning to come over earlier in the season to test the waters, but my injury put a quick stop to that. I looked through the calendar and this weekend worked out well and with thanks to Yamaha, both here and in Australia for assisting me experience this. I have another week over here, so hopefully, I can take the experience from last weekend and get a little closer to the front this week before flying home for the final round of AORC at Dungog.”
Record entries for 2023 Australian Supercross opener
The outlook for Australian Supercross is bright with a record number of riders locked in for Round 1 of the FOX Australian Supercross Championship in Adelaide on October 7, together with the remaining rounds of the 2023 series.
Less than two weeks from the opening race, 125 gates are confirmed to drop at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre across the SX1, SX2, SX3 and 85cc classes, with waitlists for the latter, which will be the largest volume of riders per round in recent history for the Championship.
In terms of wider numbers, Championship Director, Kelly Bailey confirmed an increase in year-on-year prizemoney for each round in 2023, together with an upsurge in privateers and factory racers.
There has been significant growth in various aspects of Australian Supercross including a 40% boost in round prizemoney, a 25% rise in privateers participating in SX1, SX2 and SX3 compared to the previous year, and an impressive 113% year-on-year increase in overall privateer riders with the reintroduction of the 85cc class. Equally noteworthy is the nearly 60% surge in Factory Supported Riders across all three primary classes.
Seven to broadcast Australian SX, alongside WSX.tv streaming
Australia’s Seven Network will broadcast every round of the 2023 FOX Australian Supercross Championship (AUSX) on 7plus, live and free, in a win for supercross fans around the country. The on-air action kicks off with round one, this Saturday October 7, at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre from 5.45pm (AEST).
Additionally, in a boost for the event’s global eyeballs, the championship will be beamed internationally, via WSX.tv’s Freemium service. The broadcast will feature exclusive AUSX content including behind the scenes access and interviews in addition to a four-hour racing package.
Kelly Bailey – Championship Director
“Talking to the quality of the event, we’ve seen nearly 10% of overall entries from world-class international riders which bumps the calibre of racing to another level for both fans watching and on track competitiveness. Within Australia, the NSW pool continues to lead the way contributing 40% of entrants, with the remaining riders coming from Queensland (23%), Victoria (19%), South Australia (7%), Western Australia and Tasmania (2%).”
2023 FOX Australian Supercross Championship Calendar
- Round 1: Adelaide Entertainment Centre, Adelaide, South Australia – October 7
- Round 2: McDonald Jones Stadium, Newcastle, New South Wales – November 11
- Round 3: Marvel Stadium, Melbourne, Victoria – November 24
Dylan Wills breaks collarbone, to miss ASX opener
Dylan Wills has revealed he’ll have to sit out the Australian Supercross opener after breaking his collarbone on Friday, with surgery planned for this week.
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Australian SuperEnduro Championship Round Four cancelled
The Australian SuperEnduro has released the following statement, explaining the cancellation of the fourth round of the series, following the shock closure of the Sydney Speedway venue earlier this month:
“It’s with great sadness we have had to make the decision to cancel the November round of Australian SuperEnduro (ASC). This is due to the sudden closer of the host venue, Sydney Speedway earlier this month. We made efforts to source a new suitable venue to hold this event, with no luck. From the very inception of ASC, the ethos is to create an entertainment product to bring the incredibly skilled athletes and their supporting partners into the spotlight, in front of the general public. The inaugural round at Ballarat is our benchmark therefore, to simply move the event to a venue that could house the track and not meet any of the other requirements such as seating, catering, liquor licence/sales, parking, sanitary facilities, close proximity to a densely populated area amongst other key requirements was not in line with the ASC ethos. We appreciate your patience and understanding with this situation. More information about future dates to come.”
Stark Varg now eligible for Australian competition
Motorcycling Australia has announced that the electric Stark Varg will likely be eligible to compete in All Powers Class of Competition at a club level, in the Motocross, Supercross, Enduro, Dirt Track, Track, Flat Track, Supermoto disciplines.
MA continues to collate the necessary data and information to make an informed determination on the eligibility of the Stark Varg to compete in differing classes of Competition. Once the eligibility process is completed, MA will distribute further information regarding the Stark Varg eligibility to compete at State and National level and what is required for it to compete in different classes.
2023 Australian Senior Dirt Track Championship Preview
With Peter Baker
The Albury Wodonga Motorcycle Club is all set to host the 2023 WEC Australian Senior Dirt Track Championship meeting this coming weekend October 7 and 8, at its Lincoln Causeway track. .
There are six championship classes – four two-wheel classes, as well as Dirt Track Sidecars and the ATV Open class – and there is certain to be some new champions crowned with several of the 2022 champions missing from this weekend’s line-up.
Last year saw Queenslander Jarred Brook add two more class wins to his already impressive record by winning both the Pro 450 and MX Open classes, but he will miss the chance to defend those titles as he will be contesting the final round of the World Flat Track Championship this weekend in France.
The absence of Brook should ensure an extremely hard-fought battle for honours with many riders sure to fancy their chances of success, ironically there are significant numbers of both young guns and those who fit in to the ‘experienced campaigners’ category.
Teenager Rory McQualter is one of the few Queenslanders who will make the trip south and he will be among the favourites along with fellow young guns local rider Remmie Fyffe, Newcastle duo Luke Bush and Cody Lewis, Connor Ryan from the Central Coast and lone South Australian Kyle Machin.
Sydney rider David Smith, who is coming off a record-breaking fourth win in the Central Coast Cup, perennial placegetter Daniel Wicks who is always prominent whenever he appears, and the likes of Tom Herrick, Grant Charnock, James Sawdy and Mildura rider Rowan Tegart will also be serious contenders.
The Pro 250 class is invariably closely fought and this weekend’s edition should be no exception. Both James Sawdy and Grant Charnock have previously won the Australian Track Championship and along with Rory McQualter and Remmie Fyffe loom as major contenders.
In the absence of defending champion Briony Hendrickson in the Pro Womens class former Track champion Tayla Street is probably favourite but fellow Victorian Kelsey Jensen and the experienced Hunter area duo Bree-Anna Etheridge and Sharnelle Sipple should also be prominent.
Both the three and four wheel categories will feature the 2022 champions.
In the Dirt Track Sidecars it will be the young Queensland cousins Troy Pritchard and passenger Ethan Wade facing some red-hot opposition from the New South Wales brigade including Jarred Marko/Shaun Fuller, Corey Forde/Darren Freudenstein and Jim Jobling/Tom Northey who have all shown good form in recent track meetings.
Josh Griffiths is the defending champion in the ATV Open class and as is often the case his toughest opposition could come from his brother Matthew who won the recent Australian Track Championship.
The Pro Womens class will be decided over five point-scoring rounds so every placing in each round is vital.
All other championship classes will feature four rounds of heats, then a repêchage and a final.
In addition to the championship classes there will also be five support classes – an ATV 450 class, Over 35s and three junior classes which will give fans a chance to watch some of the great young talent coming through the age groups.
Practice gets under way at 9am on Saturday, and then on Sunday there will be a parade lap of competitors and the National Anthem at 9.30am.
Fans can see the action for an entrance fee of just $10 per car.
GASGAS Factory Racing signs Ryder DiFrancesco for 2024 SMX
Troy Lee Designs/Red Bull/GASGAS Factory Racing has signed Ryder DiFrancesco for the 2024 SuperMotocross World Championship (SMX) season, spanning the AMA Supercross and Pro Motocross Championships, as well as the high-profile SMX Finals series.
The 2024 season will see DiFrancesco line up for his rookie 250SX campaign – the specific region yet to be determined – when the gates drop on Supercross early next year, in addition to his second term of lining up outdoors in 250MX, and the SMX post-season.
Ryder DiFrancesco
“I am very excited to make the transition to the Troy Lee Designs/Red Bull/GASGAS Factory Racing Team for my first full professional season! I’m ready for new challenges and learning a new bike, which is the exciting part of what’s ahead together.”
CML GASGAS Racing Team welcome Cody Cooper for MXoN
CML GASGAS Racing Team will partner 10-time New Zealand Motocross Champion Cody Cooper, as the highly-experienced Kiwi is set to race onboard MC machinery, commencing at the Motocross of Nations (MXoN) in Ernee, France, next week from October 6-8.
Cooper is a proven front-runner with a wealth of international gate-drops under his belt. He successfully clinched the 2023 NZ national MX2 title this season, while also claiming a convincing third overall in the MX1 division while pulling double-duties.
In joining GASGAS, Cooper will make his competitive debut onboard the MC 450F at next weekend’s MXoN as he represents Team New Zealand at the prestigious international event. From there, the high-profile pairing will extend into the 2024 season, where Cooper will have the opportunity to potentially ride an MC 450F in MX1 and MC 250F in what would be his MX2 title defence.
Cody Cooper
“I’m really excited about this partnership! I rode the bike and Karl has been good with testing and getting me comfortable. For the Motocross of Nations, it just fell into place where he could organise me a bike over there and I thought it would fit better with his package. Even though there wasn’t much time to get used to the GASGAS, just the way the team has let me test and whatnot has made me that much more comfortable on the MC 450F already. I’m looking forward to racing next year in the nationals with the CML GASGAS Racing Team!”
Portugal prepares for Baja de Oeste this weekend
Riders will meet in the area of Cadaval, north of Lisbon, to compete in the sixth round of the 2023 FIM Bajas World Cup this weekend. Organised by Escuderia Castel Branco, Baja de Oeste will run over two days and a total of 490 competitive kilometres across the winding rural tracks of Portugal.
According to the FIM regulations, only the best six scores out of the eight Bajas will be retained in the final classification for the 2023 FIM Bajas World Cup. The last two will take place in Dubai and Jordan in the Middle East and that explains the absence of Mohammed Al-Balooshi, who is atop the provisional rankings, for the moment, with 61 points. The Dubai rider has only one victory this season and will need to be wary of his opponents who are present and ready to fight for victory in Portugal.
David Megre (52 points), Andrew Houlihan (43 points), Pedro Bianchi Prata (42 points) and Jonathan Finn (40 points) are his closest rivals, with Finn also aiming for the Junior title.
In total, 10 motorcycle riders are registered in the FIM category and they include four women: Sara Garcia, Alona Ben Natan, Esther Merino Garcia and Sarah Khuraibet.
2024 AMA Supercross & Motocross numbers announced
The American Motorcyclist Association have announced the professional competition numbers for pro-licensed riders participating in 2024 Monster Energy AMA Supercross, AMA Pro Motocross Championship and SuperMotocross Championships.
Professional numbers are assigned and used in competition. The reigning champion races with the No. 1 plate when competing in the region or class in which the plate was earned, while the assigned professional number is used when competing outside of the champion’s region or title class.
Monster Energy Kawasaki reveal 2024 SMX roster
Monster Energy Kawasaki and Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki are ready for more world-class racing in 2024, encompassing the 2024 Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship, AMA Pro Motocross Championship and SuperMotocross World Championship.
Monster Energy Kawasaki will continue with its two title favorites in the 450 class aboard the all-new 2024 KX450. Adam Cianciarulo will compete for his fifth year alongside Jason Anderson. In the 250 Class, Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki is set to lineup with established race winners, Austin Forkner, Cameron McAdoo, and Seth Hammaker, while also welcoming the championship contenders Levi Kitchen and Maximus Vohland.
Levi Kitchen
“I am super excited for my future with Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki. I am ready to have a fresh start on a new team and put the KX250 on top.”
Max Vohland
“I am beyond thrilled to get on a new bike, especially with Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki. The power behind these machines are incredible and I am looking forward to my future with the team.”
Adam Cianciarulo
“I had a good run in Moto 1 and a tough one in Moto 2. We are ending the season healthy and ready to keep improving for 2024. We have an all-new KX450 that I’m really looking forward to preparing for next year.”
Jason Anderson
“Today was a great way to end the year. I felt great coming into this weekend and although I had a mistake in the first moto, I’m pumped to be able to finish the year strong on my KX450SR.”
Bartosz Zmarzlik crowned FIM Speedway World Champion
2023 FIM Speedway GP
Round Ten FIM Speedway GP of Poland, Torun
Polish icon Bartosz Zmarzlik became the sport’s seventh four-time FIM Speedway World Champion after fending off Fredrik Lindgren to seal gold at the DeWalt FIM Speedway GP of Poland – Torun on Saturday night.
Zmarzlik won his fourth Speedway GP crown in five years, holding his nerve to produce the start of a lifetime and win the final ahead of the Swede, who was second, with Denmark’s Leon Madsen third and Poland’s Patryk Dudek fourth.
Victory also saw Zmarzlik match Aussie legend Jason Crump’s series record of 23 Speedway GP wins.
Adding to the gold medals he won in 2019, 2020 and 2022, Zmarzlik joins six-time FIM Speedway champions Ivan Mauger and Tony Rickardsson, five-time winner Ove Fundin and four-time champions Barry Briggs, Hans Nielsen and Greg Hancock in the sport’s most elite club of champions.
Zmarzlik, 28, is the youngest rider in the sport’s history to reach four FIM Speedway world titles – surpassing Swedish legend Fundin, who lifted his fourth championship in 1963 at the age of 30.
Following his Vojens disqualification, Zmarzlik admits he had even more motivation than normal to take victory.
Bartosz Zmarzlik
“It’s the first time in my career I have felt, ‘I must do this.’ Normally it’s always, ‘I can do this.’ Never must. I feel like this because I felt a little bit bad after what happened in Vojens – my mistake, 100 percent. It was really bad for my results and the situation ahead of Torun. When I woke up today, all the time I was looking at my watch – 12 hours to go, 11 hours, 10, nine. I didn’t know in the morning what would happen today. But now I feel like the happiest man in the world – really. I am very happy about this also because that’s 23 times I have won a GP. That’s also the next level for me, which is really nice. How many more will I win? We don’t know. We don’t know what will happen next year and in the future. Always when I go to the track, I want to win every heat. I always feel like this. I don’t look at next year now because I am happy with what I am feeling today,” Zmarzlik said. “Of course, I am maybe going to go on holiday with the family now. Then I will go home and start thinking about next season. One hundred percent, I will work with my team and family to make everything good for next season. I will try my best again.”
Speedway GP World Championship runner-up Lindgren was delighted to finish in the series’ top two for the first time, having won two bronze medals in 2018 and 2020. He only fell short of silver in 2020 after a run-off with Great Britain racer Tai Woffinden.
The Orlen FIM Speedway GP of Poland – Warsaw winner is proud of an unforgettable season and is determined to build on it as he chases the sport’s biggest prize again in 2024.
Fredrik Lindgren
“I am very, very proud of my season. I have been very consistent this season. I have made most of the finals and this is my best finish so far in my career. I am very proud of that. I still have a lot of motivation. I really feel I can get better and develop myself. I have a lot of motivation to do it. I am going to work really hard in the winter and hopefully come out of next year better than this year. That’s my aim and we will see if it happens.”
The bronze medal was won by Slovakia’s Martin Vaculik, who saw off Aussie ace Jack Holder by two points to take the final spot on the podium, winning his and his country’s first Speedway GP World Championship medal.
Martin Vaculik
“I am so happy with this bronze medal. It is an historic moment for Slovakian speedway. I am so pleased and happy with that. I would like to say thank you to my family, my team, my tuners, my club in Poland (Gorzow), all my sponsors and supporters. I am so happy to have these people around me. At the same time, I would like to congratulate Bartek because he showed he’s a really big champion and respect for that. Big congratulations for him and to Freddie – he really showed he’s an amazing, great rider. I’m so pleased I can be here next to these boys.”
Despite falling just short of bronze, Holder joins Zmarzlik, Lindgren and Vaculik in qualifying automatically for the 2024 Speedway GP series. The final two top-six automatic qualification places went to Madsen in fifth and Great Britain racer Robert Lambert.
They are joined by Speedway European Championship winner Mikkel Michelsen, plus Aussie ace Jason Doyle and Poland’s Szymon Wozniak, who qualified at the FIM GP Challenge in Gislaved on August 19.
Vaculik also reached the rostrum to secure qualification in Sweden, but with the Slovak finishing in the Speedway GP World Championship top six, his qualification place from the Challenge passes to Czech racer Jan Kvech, who was fifth in the Challenge. He becomes the first full-time Czech Speedway GP rider since Lukas Dryml raced in the 2008 series.
The 2024 Speedway GP line-up will be completed by five permanent wild cards, selected by the SGP Commission with news to follow soon.
2023 FIM Speedway GP of Poland Results
FIM SGP Standings following 2023 SGP of Poland
2023 FIM EnduroGP of Portugal – Round Six
The opening day of competition at round six of the Paulo Duarte FIM EnduroGP World Championship belonged to Josep Garcia who took a hard fought victory on Saturday. The Red Bull KTM Factory Racing rider led home a three-way fight for the overall in Valpacos with GASGAS Factory Racing’s Andrea Verona finishing in second and Beta Factory Racing’s Steve Holcombe third.
New Zealand’s Hamish Macdonald was the top performer for the day from Oceania amongst the senior ranks, however Daniel Milner wasn’t far off in 10th, claiming fourth and sixth in the E2 class for Saturday, alongside those overall results.
In the Juniors, Aussie Kyron Bacon just missed out on the J1 podium, finishing fifth for the day in Juniors and fourth in that J1 class.
Sunday marked the final day of racing at round six, and was a thriller with Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Josep Garcia eventually claiming another hard-fought victory following an epic battle for the top of the podium. The Spaniard took the win by just one second from Beta Factory Racing’s Steve Holcombe, with GASGAS Factory Racing’s Andrea Verona rounding out the podium.
Sunday saw Hamish Macdonald move up to fifth in the overall results, which was fourth in the highly competitive E2 class, while Daniel Milner was eighth, and fifth in E2. From a standings perspective, Macdonald now holds fifth in the overall EnduroGP rankings, Milner 15th. In the E2 class Macdonald is ranked third, Milner seventh.
Kyron Bacon had a stronger Sunday, finishing third overall in the Juniors, and claiming second in the J1 class on his Yamaha. With all his points earned with his Portugal performance Bacon jumped to 15th in the Junior rankings, and 13th in J1.
Day One – Saturday
Both the racing and the weather were at boiling point on day one at round six of the Paulo Duarte FIM EnduroGP World Championship in northern Portugal. With temperatures above 30 degrees Celsius, competitors faced an intense and gruelling day of racing as they battled their way through 11 special tests and over 70 minutes of timed racing.
On track the action was red hot as riders returned to EnduroGP competition for the first full day of racing following their extended summer break. Everyone was eager to make their mark, and after topping last night’s AKRAPOVIC Super Test it was Josep Garcia who hit the ground running.
He topped the opening POLISPORT Extreme Test to build up a five second advantage over Andrea Verona and CH Racing Sherco’s Zach Pichon in third. Beta Factory Racing’s Brad Freeman sat in fifth, with Luc Fargier (Beta) sixth.
Verona was in a determined mood on lap one and went on to win the following JUST1 Enduro Test and ACERBIS Cross Test to edge out Garcia for the lead by nearly two seconds as they ended the first lap. By now Steve Holcombe was up to third, but sitting 11 seconds behind meant he had work to do if he was to catch the duo ahead.
Topping the second POLISPORT Extreme Test saw Holcombe do just that – almost halving the gap to Verona and Garcia. Garcia was up for the fight though and by winning the JUST1 Enduro Test and ACERBIS Cross Test, it put him back into the lead with a lap and a half to go.
On lap three Holcombe won the Extreme and Enduro Tests to set up an exciting end to the day. Swapping test wins, by just fractions of a second, it was ultimately Garcia who won the final ACERBIS Cross Test to clinch the win from Verona and Holcombe.
With the pace of the top three pulling them away from the rest of the field, Pichon placed over one minute and 18 seconds behind in fourth. Honda Racing RedMoto’s Samuele Bernardini completed the top five, edging out Fast Eddy Racing’s Jamie McCanney in sixth by five seconds.
Enduro3 was a closely fought affair. Coming on strong in the latter half of the day, WP Eric Auge’s Jaume Betriu claimed his first victory of the season. Brad Freeman and Mikael Persson (Husqvarna) rounded out the top three.
Enduro1 saw Josep Garcia claim a commanding victory over Zach Pichon in second. Jamie McCanney raced his way onto the podium with third, while Beta Oxmoto’s Theo Espinasse and TM Racing’s Matteo Pavoni completed the top five.
The battle for Enduro2 honours was decided between Verona and Holcombe, with Verona getting the win by just two seconds. Samuele Bernardini scored his first podium of the season with third.
The GALFER FIM Junior Enduro World Championship was super-close between Jed Etchells and Albin Norrbin. The duo pushed each other hard for victory, pulling themselves clear of the chasing pack. In the end it was Etchells who just hung on long enough to get the job done and take the win by one second from Norrbin.
In the fight for the final step of the podium, Sergio Navarro (Husqvarna) beat Jeremy Sydow (Sherco) by three seconds to take third.
Getting back to his winning ways having missed last time out in Slovakia, Fantic’s Kevin Cristino restored normal order in Enduro Youth. The Italian won by four seconds from Beta’s Leo Joyon, with Thibault Giraudon (Sherco) a further 10 seconds behind in third.
Josep Garcia – P1
“It feels so good to win again. I worked so hard during the summer break to get back fit and healthy. But you never know how it goes until you race. So, to get this win and know I have the speed to race with the best is amazing. I’m excited for tomorrow!”
Andrea Verona – P2
“It’s been a really big, fun fight today for the victory. I love racing like this, but for sure I wanted to win bad. I’m happy with my riding, everything is good. I’ll see what I can do tomorrow.”
Steve Holcombe – P3
“It was a great battle on the final laps. I gave away some time this morning that I couldn’t make back when the pace is this hot, but that’s how it goes sometimes. I’m looking forward to tomorrow and will try to be there from the off.”
2023 EnduroGP of Portugal Day One Highlights
Day One Results – Top 20
| Pos | Rider | Nat | Cat | Bike | Gap |
| 1 | GARCIA Josep | ESP | E1 | KTM | 1:12:01.87 |
| 2 | VERONA Andrea | ITA | E2 | GASGAS | +6.37 |
| 3 | HOLCOMBE Steve | GBR | E2 | Beta | +8.58 |
| 4 | PICHON Zachary | FRA | E1 | Sherco | +1:27.19 |
| 5 | BERNARDINI Samuele | ITA | E2 | Honda | +1:41.07 |
| 6 | MCCANNEY Jamie | GBR | E1 | Husqvarna | +1:46.62 |
| 7 | MACDONALD Hamish | NZL | E2 | Sherco | +1:53.88 |
| 8 | WATSON Nathan | GBR | E2 | Honda | +1:55.54 |
| 9 | ESPINASSE Theophile | FRA | E1 | Beta | +2:10.17 |
| 10 | MILNER Daniel | AUS | E2 | TM RACING | +2:10.25 |
| 11 | BETRIU Jaume | ESP | E3 | KTM | +2:10.98 |
| 12 | FREEMAN Brad | GBR | E3 | Beta | +2:16.54 |
| 13 | PERSSON Mikael | SWE | E3 | Husqvarna | +2:35.52 |
| 14 | ROUSSALY Julien | FRA | E3 | Sherco | +2:44.26 |
| 15 | PAVONI Matteo | ITA | E1 | TM RACING | +3:04.51 |
| 16 | CHARLIER Christophe | FRA | E3 | Husqvarna | +3:14.90 |
| 17 | EDMONDSON Jack | GBR | E1 | Husqvarna | +3:27.85 |
| 18 | KOUBLE Krystof | CZE | E2 | Husqvarna | +3:30.66 |
| 19 | MACORITTO Lorenzo | ITA | E3 | Fantic | +3:35.13 |
| 20 | KYTONEN Roni Markus | FIN | E1 | Honda | +3:46.88 |
Day Two – Sunday
After a thrilling day of racing yesterday, today’s action at round six of the Paulo Duarte FIM EnduroGP World Championship was every bit as exciting in Valpacos, Portugal. Despite chewed up special tests and intense heat, competitors raced hard in the Portuguese sun.
Following Saturday’s titanic battle between Josep Garcia (KTM), Steve Holcombe (Beta) and Andrea Verona (GASGAS), the trio picked up where they left off on the first POLISPORT Extreme Test. Making amends for his slow start to day one, Holcombe immediately set the pace by clocking the fastest time and then backed that up by winning the opening JUST1 Enduro Test to claim an early lead over Garcia and Verona.
The fight for fourth was just as intense with TM Racing’s Daniel Milner, CH Racing Sherco’s Hamish MacDonald and teammate Zach Pichon, plus Mikael Persson (Husqvarna) all separated by one second.
Closing out lap one by topping the ACERBIS Cross Test, Garcia gained some ground on Holcombe, but on lap two he got to work topping the Enduro Test and Cross Test, before topping the final POLISPORT Extreme Test to draw within two seconds of the Brit.
For the rest of the day, there would be little to separate them. A crash from Verona on the final JUST1 Enduro Test saw the Italian drop out of the fight for the overall. With a win on the final ACERBIS Cross Test, Garcia incredibly overhauled Holcombe to claim victory.
Behind the top three it was RedMoto Honda’s Nathan Watson who worked his way into fourth. The Brit found some extra pace on the final lap to leapfrog MacDonald and Pichon to claim a well-earned result.
With his fight for EnduroGP honours pulling him clear of his Enduro1 classmates, Josep Garcia took a commanding victory. The Spaniard ended his day one minute and 40 seconds ahead of Zach Pichon in second with Fast Eddy Racing’s Jamie McCanney third.
Pleased with his day’s performance, Steve Holcombe took victory in Enduro2. The Beta rider was joined on the podium by Andrea Verona in second and Nathan Watson third.
Although losing touch with his EnduroGP rivals, Brad Freeman (Beta) has kept his Enduro3 title hopes on track by securing back-to-back wins in Portugal. Mikael Persson held off JET Zanardo Husqvarna’s Christophe Charlier by one second to take the runner-up result.
In the GALFER FIM Junior Enduro World Championship it was Fantic Factory Racing’s Albin Norrbin who took the win on day two. After losing out to Fantic JET Racing’s Jed Etchells yesterday, the Swede meant business today. With seven test wins from 11, Norrbin topped the classification by 26 seconds ahead of Etchells. Australia’s Kyron Bacon (Yamaha) put in a great ride to claim a debut podium with third.
The Youth Enduro class saw Kevin Cristino (Fantic) make it two wins from two starts in Portugal. The Italian now looks favourite to take the title at next weekend’s final round. Beta’s Leo Joyon placed as runner-up again in Valpacos, with Pietro Scardina (Fantic) rounding out the top three.
The 2023 Paulo Duarte FIM EnduroGP World Championship concludes with the seventh and final round next weekend in Santiago do Cacém in the south of Portugal, October 6-8.
Josep Garcia – P1
“It’s been an amazing weekend for me. To take a double EnduroGP win is the perfect comeback. After my crash in Sweden, I wasn’t riding so well in Slovakia but since then, I’ve been putting in so much hard work over the summer to build my strength and fitness back up again. I wasn’t certain how things would go here in Portugal, but I definitely felt good coming into this penultimate round. It’s been a huge fight all weekend with Steve (Holcombe) and Andrea (Verona) but despite a couple of small crashes, I was able to stay on top both days. My win in the Super Test makes it 1-1-1 for this round and I’m hoping to do the same next weekend and finish the season off on a high.”
Steve Holcombe – P2
“This weekend’s goal was to not make any serious mistakes and compromise a positive and profitable outcome of the race. On Day One, I managed third position in the EnduroGP, while on Sunday, I definitely changed my strategy by setting some absolute best times in the first special stages. Now the maximum concentration for the final rush in which the future winner of the EnduroGP and E2 class will be decided.”
Andrea Verona – P3
“Wow, it was a really hot weekend! I’m happy to have won Enduro2 on Saturday and to have made the podium twice in EnduroGP. On Saturday with Josep and Steve we really played it to the wire. We pushed like crazy, but in the end Josep managed to give me a few seconds. Even on Sunday we were all fighting for the victory, and I felt ready to take it but in the last Enduro Test I ended up against a tree and hurt myself quite badly. At that point I just tried to save the podium. The championship ends next weekend, I want to continue giving my best and we’ll see how it goes!”
Hamish Macdonald
“I struggled a lot on Saturday, I felt fast, and I felt like I was going to achieve my goals and ride well, but the times I achieved proved otherwise. On Sunday, I felt better, I had to be careful when attacking, my times were better. Thanks to the team and everyone for the support!”
Brad Freeman
“Over the summer, I recovered from my mid-season injuries and didn’t manage to train as well as I had hoped, so I didn’t get as many hours on my bike and a few races to warm up my arms. However, I managed to finish both days ahead of my direct opponent, and in Santiago do Cacem I will fight for the title.”
2023 EnduroGP of Portugal Day Two Highlights
Day Two Results – Top 20
| Pos | Rider | Nat | Cat | Moto | Gap |
| 1 | GARCIA Josep | ESP | E1 | KTM | 1:11:51.62 |
| 2 | HOLCOMBE Steve | GBR | E2 | Beta | +1.90 |
| 3 | VERONA Andrea | ITA | E2 | GASGAS | +58.83 |
| 4 | WATSON Nathan | GBR | E2 | Honda | +1:24.70 |
| 5 | MACDONALD Hamish | NZL | E2 | Sherco | +1:35.78 |
| 6 | PICHON Zachary | FRA | E1 | Sherco | +1:40.61 |
| 7 | MCCANNEY Jamie | GBR | E1 | Husqvarna | +1:47.85 |
| 8 | MILNER Daniel | AUS | E2 | TM RACING | +1:50.05 |
| 9 | FREEMAN Brad | GBR | E3 | Beta | +1:57.42 |
| 10 | ESPINASSE Theophile | FRA | E1 | Beta | +2:19.02 |
| 11 | PERSSON Mikael | SWE | E3 | Husqvarna | +2:29.72 |
| 12 | CHARLIER Christophe | FRA | E3 | Husqvarna | +2:30.94 |
| 13 | LESIARDO Morgan | ITA | E3 | Sherco | +2:33.56 |
| 14 | BERNARDINI Samuele | ITA | E2 | Honda | +2:35.66 |
| 15 | BETRIU Jaume | ESP | E3 | KTM | +2:42.43 |
| 16 | FARGIER Luc | FRA | E3 | Beta | +2:53.39 |
| 17 | PAVONI Matteo | ITA | E1 | TM RACING | +3:23.44 |
| 18 | MACORITTO Lorenzo | ITA | E3 | Fantic | +3:26.70 |
| 19 | KYTONEN Roni Markus | FIN | E1 | Honda | +4:18.61 |
| 20 | HERRERA Benjamin | CHI | E3 | GASGAS | +4:25.33 |
EnduroGP Standings
| Pos | Rider | Nat | Bike | Total |
| 1 | HOLCOMBE Steve | GBR | Beta | 196 |
| 2 | VERONA Andrea | ITA | GASGAS | 177 |
| 3 | GARCIA Josep | ESP | KTM | 170 |
| 4 | FREEMAN Brad | GBR | Beta | 162 |
| 5 | MACDONALD Hamish | NZL | Sherco | 127 |
| 6 | ESPINASSE Theophile | FRA | Beta | 96 |
| 7 | WATSON Nathan | GBR | Honda | 95 |
| 8 | PICHON Zachary | FRA | Sherco | 90 |
| 9 | PERSSON Mikael | SWE | Husqvarna | 73 |
| 10 | MCCANNEY Jamie | GBR | Husqvarna | 71 |
| 11 | BERNARDINI Samuele | ITA | Honda | 47 |
| 12 | CAVALLO Matteo | ITA | TM RACING | 45 |
| 13 | MAGAIN Antoine | BEL | Sherco | 36 |
| 14 | RUPRECHT Wil | AUS | Sherco | 32 |
| 15 | MILNER Daniel | AUS | TM RACING | 32 |
| 16 | PAVONI Matteo | ITA | TM RACING | 29 |
| 17 | OLDRATI Thomas | ITA | Honda | 22 |
| 18 | FISCHEDER Luca | GER | Sherco | 17 |
| 19 | LESIARDO Morgan | ITA | Sherco | 13 |
| 20 | ELOWSON Albin | SWE | Husqvarna | 12 |
| 21 | CHARLIER Christophe | FRA | Husqvarna | 7 |
| 22 | KYTONEN Roni Markus | FIN | Honda | 7 |
| 23 | BETRIU Jaume | ESP | KTM | 6 |
| 24 | FARGIER Luc | FRA | Beta | 5 |
| 25 | HERRERA RIED Benjamin | CHI | GASGAS | 3 |
| 26 | ROUSSALY Julien | FRA | Sherco | 2 |
E1 Standings
| Pos | Rider | Nat | Bike | Total |
| 1 | GARCIA Josep | ESP | KTM | 209 |
| 2 | ESPINASSE Theophile | FRA | Beta | 177 |
| 3 | PICHON Zachary | FRA | Sherco | 167 |
| 4 | MCCANNEY Jamie | GBR | Husqvarna | 166 |
| 5 | PAVONI Matteo | ITA | TM RACING | 143 |
| 6 | KYTONEN Roni Markus | FIN | Honda | 100 |
| 7 | OLDRATI Thomas | ITA | Honda | 93 |
| 8 | CRIVILIN Bruno | BRA | Honda | 82 |
| 9 | SORECA Davide | ITA | Sherco | 81 |
| 10 | HALJALA Hermanni | FIN | Beta | 59 |
| 11 | EDMONDSON Jack | GBR | Husqvarna | 41 |
| 12 | GESLIN Anthony | FRA | Husqvarna | 28 |
| 13 | FASTH Adam | SWE | KTM | 18 |
| 14 | HUEBNER Edward | GER | KTM | 17 |
| 15 | MINOT Carlo | ITA | KTM | 14 |
| 16 | GUNNERHEIM Alexander | SWE | KTM | 10 |
| 17 | OBRADO GARCIA Samuel | ESP | GASGAS | 8 |
| 18 | SEGANTINI Matteo | ITA | Husqvarna | 6 |
| 19 | JOCHEMS Tommie | NED | KTM | 5 |
| 20 | PAVONE Luca | ITA | TM RACING | 2 |
E2 Standings
| Pos | Rider | Nat | Bike | Total |
| 1 | HOLCOMBE Steve | GBR | Beta | 228 |
| 2 | VERONA Andrea | ITA | GASGAS | 210 |
| 3 | MACDONALD Hamish | NZL | Sherco | 166 |
| 4 | WATSON Nathan | GBR | Honda | 145 |
| 5 | BERNARDINI Samuele | ITA | Honda | 125 |
| 6 | RUPRECHT Wil | AUS | Sherco | 98 |
| 7 | MILNER Daniel | AUS | TM RACING | 96 |
| 8 | KOUBLE Krystof | CZE | Husqvarna | 85 |
| 9 | SANS SORIA Marc | ESP | Yamaha | 64 |
| 10 | ELOWSON Albin | SWE | Husqvarna | 39 |
| 11 | KUTULAS Nicolas andres | ARG | KTM | 39 |
| 12 | BLANJOUE Hugo | FRA | KTM | 33 |
| 13 | BOLT Billy | GBR | Husqvarna | 19 |
| 14 | POHJOLA Eemil | FIN | Honda | 17 |
| 15 | MARTINI Gianluca | ITA | GASGAS | 16 |
| 16 | LINDHOLM Casper | SWE | Husqvarna | 12 |
| 17 | LJUNGSTROM Oskar | SWE | Beta | 12 |
| 18 | BURUD Kevin | NOR | KTM | 12 |
| 19 | NELSON Oliver | SWE | KTM | 10 |
| 20 | SILVA Renato | POR | Beta | 8 |
| 21 | LOFQUIST Franz | SWE | Yamaha | 6 |
| 22 | BIGIARINI Alessio | ITA | Husqvarna | 5 |
| 23 | MEISOLA Ville | FIN | Kawasaki | 2 |
E3 Standings
| Pos | Rider | Nat | Bike | Total |
| 1 | FREEMAN Brad | GBR | Beta | 197 |
| 2 | PERSSON Mikael | SWE | Husqvarna | 188 |
| 3 | MAGAIN Antoine | BEL | Sherco | 136 |
| 4 | CAVALLO Matteo | ITA | TM RACING | 131 |
| 5 | LESIARDO Morgan | ITA | Sherco | 124 |
| 6 | FISCHEDER Luca | GER | Sherco | 95 |
| 7 | HERRERA Benjamin | CHI | GASGAS | 95 |
| 8 | FARGIER Luc | FRA | Beta | 89 |
| 9 | BETRIU Jaume | ESP | KTM | 83 |
| 10 | LE QUERE Leo | FRA | Rieju | 71 |
| 11 | MACORITTO Lorenzo | ITA | Fantic | 69 |
| 12 | ROUSSALY Julien | FRA | Sherco | 59 |
| 13 | CHARLIER Christophe | FRA | Husqvarna | 49 |
| 14 | BUXTON Tom | NZL | Sherco | 44 |
| 15 | ADIELSSON Marcus | SWE | Beta | 12 |
| 16 | CIANI Mirko | ITA | Beta | 3 |
| 17 | MARTINI Andrea | ITA | Sherco | 1 |
FIM Junior Enduro World Championship
| Pos | Rider | Nat | Bike | Total |
| 1 | ETCHELLS Jed | GBR | Fantic | 210 |
| 2 | NORRBIN Albin | SWE | Fantic | 200 |
| 3 | SYDOW Jeremy | GER | Sherco | 169 |
| 4 | AHLIN Max | SWE | KTM | 164 |
| 5 | NAVARRO HUERTAS Se… | ESP | Husqvarna | 146 |
| 6 | SEMB Axel | SWE | Husqvarna | 97 |
| 7 | PUHAKAINEN Samuli | FIN | Beta | 77 |
| 8 | NAVARRO HUERTAS Al… | ESP | Beta | 75 |
| 9 | RINALDI Enrico | ITA | GASGAS | 70 |
| 10 | ALIX Antoine | FRA | Beta | 62 |
| 11 | EDMONDSON Harry | GBR | Fantic | 60 |
| 12 | MORETTINI Manolo | ITA | Honda | 56 |
| 13 | ERLANDSSON Max | SWE | Honda | 43 |
| 14 | JUUPALUOMA Peetu | FIN | Husqvarna | 36 |
| 15 | BACON Kyron | AUS | Yamaha | 26 |
| 16 | FONTOVA Albert | ESP | GASGAS | 25 |
| 17 | SKUTA Matej | CZE | Beta | 22 |
| 18 | PANDO Julio | ESP | Beta | 7 |
| 19 | CHLUM Matyas | CZE | Sherco | 6 |
| 20 | BENGTSSON Nisse | SWE | Sherco | 6 |
| 21 | BERGSTROM Lucas | SWE | Husqvarna | 5 |
| 22 | BERNINI Lorenzo | ITA | GASGAS | 5 |
| 23 | INGHAM Max | GBR | Yamaha | 2 |
| 24 | KALNY Jaroslav | CZE | Sherco | 2 |
| 25 | LUNIER Killian | FRA | Husqvarna | 1 |
2023 Racing schedule
2023 FIM EnduroGP World Championship Calendar
| Date | Location | Country |
| 6 -8 October | St Andre/Santiago do Cacem | Portugal |
2023 FIM World Supercross Calendar
| Date | Venue, Stadium | Country |
| 04 November | Etihad Arena, Yas Island | Abu Dhabi |
| 24-25 November | Melbourne, Marvel Stadium | Australia |
| *TBA = To be announced | ||
GNCC 2023 Schedule
| Date | Event | Location |
| Oct 7-8 | Buckwheat 100 | Newburg, WV |
| Oct 21-22 | Ironman | Crawfordsville, IN |
2023 Australian Dirt Track Calendar
| Date | Championship | Location |
| October 7-8 | Australian Senior Dirt Track Championships | Albury-Wodonga MCC (Diamond Park) (VIC) |
| October 28-29 | Australian Senior Track Championships | Hunter MCC (Barleigh Ranch Circuit) (NSW) |
2023 FIM Hard Enduro World Championship calendar
| Round | Event | Date |
| Round 7 | 24MX GetzenRodeo, Germany | November 3/4 |
2023 FIM Baja World Cup calendar
| Date | Venue | Country |
| September-October* TBC | Baja do Oeste | Portugal |
| 2-4 November | Jordan Baja | Jordan |
| December *TBC | Baja Dubai | UAE |
| *To be confirmed = TBC | ||
2023 FIM Ice Speedway World Championship Calendar
| 2023 FIM Ice Speedway World Championship | |||
| Date | Event | Venue | Country |
| FIM Speedway Grand Prix World Championship – Qualifying Meetings | |||
| FIM SGP2 World Championship – Qualifying Meetings | |||
| FIM SGP3 World Championship – Semi finals | |||
| FIM Flat Track World Championship | |||
| 07 October | Final | Morizès | France |
2024 Racing schedule
2024 FIM Hard Enduro World Championships Provisional Calendar
| DATE | EVENT | COUNTRY | W. CHAMP | J. WORLD |
| 10-12 May | Valleys Extreme | UK | X | X |
| 30 May-2 June | Red Bull Erzbergrodeo | Austria | X | X |
| 19-22 June | Xross Hard Enduro Rally | Serbia | X | X |
| 23-27 July | Red Bull Romaniacs | Romania | X | X |
| 22-25 August | Red Bull Tennessee Knockout | USA | X | |
| 06-08 September | Abestone | Italy | X | X |
| TBC September | TBC | TBC | X | |
| TBC October | TBC | TBC | X |
2024 Monster Energy Supercross & Pro Motocross calendars
