Moto News Weekly Wrap
March 22, 2022
What’s New:
- Volunteers needed for ProMX Round 1 at Wonthaggi
- Serco Yamaha set for ProMX Round 1
- Trackmasters 2022 POSTPONED
- Bajas World Cup heads to Qatar for Round 2
- Jared Mees wins 2022 Texas Half-Mile
- Billy Bolt wraps up SuperEnduro title a round early
- Riders talk 2022 AORC Rounds 1 & 2 at Cherrabah
- Riders talk AMA Supercross Round 11, Indianopolis
- 2022 MXGP of Patagonia-Argentina – Round 3 Report
- 2022 Racing Calendars
- 2022 FIM Motocross (MXGP) World Championship
- 2022 Monster Energy AMA/ FIM World Supercross
- 2022 FIM Hard Enduro
- 2022 Australian Arenacross
- 2022 ProMX (Australia)
- 2022 Lucas Oil Pro MX
- 2022 Victorian Junior MX State Titles
- 2022 WA State Supercross
- 2022 FIM Bajas World Cup
- 2022 Silk Way Rally
- 2022 FIM ISDE
Volunteers needed for ProMX Round 1 at Wonthaggi
They need quite a few volunteers for the ProMX round at Wonthaggi on this weekend (Sunday 27th March 2022), and there are various jobs on offer. Most are for flag marshalling, start gate, pre-grid area, which are the best jobs, as they get you very close to the action. Volunteers will be provided with lunch.
To register for volunteering at the event and entering the draw for the Alpine Star Fluid jersey, pants and gloves email: [email protected] with the following information:
- Name
- Age range (i.e. 20-30, 30-40, etc.)
- Email address
- Mobile phone number
Serco Yamaha set for ProMX Round 1
Wonthaggi in Gippsland, Victoria will host the opening round and the black, sandy surface and always changing conditions are sure to present a challenging environment for all competitors. Brisbane based Serco Yamaha will again headline Yamaha’s MX2 (250cc) effort, with Jesse Dobson and Bailey Malkiewicz piloting their YZ250F’s.
Gavin Eales
“We have had a good look at things over the off season and noted the things we have done well and also worked on the areas that we felt were lacking as a team. The bikes have received more development as Yamaha were able to get us organised early and we could go over things with the riders and the mechanics, while the riders have enlisted a rider coach to assist them with the training. These were the two major areas of focus and we just finished off with an updated look on the bikes and we are happy with how they present. Wonthaggi is always a tough first round, but I believe we have the riders and the team infrastructure for a successful 2022 championship and get off to a great start at the opening weekend. We are ready to go.”
Both Dobson and Malkiewicz have been in good form leading into the opening rounds with both riders contesting local events in Queensland and gaining valuable race time prior to the start of the Pro MX.
Dobson was the big improver in the 2021 season, charging to second place in the MX2 division on the back of some fast and consistent riding. Having Coolum as a home track means he is more than comfortable on the Wonthaggi track given the similarities between the two circuits.
Malkiewicz is back in Australia and back to 100 per cent health after two injury riddles years of racing in Europe. The talented rider is looking to establish himself as a contender in the Pro MX championship and believes he enters the 2022 season better prepared than ever.
Trackmasters 2022 POSTPONED
Hunter MCC have had to make the difficult decision to POSTPONE the 31st Trackmasters event that was to be held at Barleigh Ranch this Sunday, due to the very heavy overnight rain which continued all day. At this time, they are working for a new date and will advise as soon as possible.
Hunter MCC thanked riders for their understanding, with many travelling from interstate and all over NSW, while the poor weather continuing for the next week adds a further challenge, alongside giving competitors enough notice to cancel accommodation and similar.
Bajas World Cup heads to Qatar for Round 2
The FIM Bajas World Cup season continues its tour in the State of Qatar. No less than 30 motorcycles are registered, in addition to six quads and one SSV. A great race is in prospect over a total distance of 881.84 km, including 459.30 km of selective sections.
After his victory in Jordan in the motorcycle category, Mohammed Al-Balooshi leads the FIM Bajas World Cup and, of course, is the favourite on the handlebars of his Husqvarna FR450. His main opponents are the Jordanian Abdullah Abu Aishah, Pole Konrad Dabrowski (Husqvarna Duust) – the leader of the Junior category – Kuwaiti Abdullah Al-Shatti and the Danish rider Thomas Kongshøj (Husqvarna Duust).
Jared Mees wins 2022 Texas Half-Mile
Images by Tim Lester
Progressive American Flat Track superstar Jared Mees (No. 1 Indian Motorcycle/Progressive Insurance FTR750) rebounded like a champion with a convincing victory in Saturday night’s Mission Texas Half-Mile presented by Roof Systems at the Dirt Track at Texas Motor Speedway.
Few expected Mees to kick off his Mission SuperTwins presented by S&S Cycle title defense as a relative non-factor, running in fifth in last weekend’s season opener at Volusia Speedway Park. That muted performance made this weekend’s showdown all that more important, and given a second chance, Mees made clear the path to the #1 plate still goes through him.
Mees looked virtually unbeatable all night long, a trend he continued once he dove underneath a quick-starting JD Beach (No. 95 Estenson Racing Yamaha MT-07 DT) to take control of the Main Event while still in its opening stages.
The defending champ pulled clear and cruised to the checkered flag, only suffering a minor scare when Beach and his Estenson teammate, Dallas Daniels (No. 32 Estenson Racing Yamaha MT-07 DT), used traffic and their own battle for second to reduce the gap to back under a second over the race’s final two laps.
“It felt really good,” Mees said. “Last weekend we were a little off for sure, but it felt good to rebound. That Main Event was really hectic with all the lappers, but the Indian Motorcycle backed by Progressive Insurance worked awesome tonight. It was so hooked up. My guys are all working so hard. I really wanted to come in and have a good result today with the break we have coming up. Last week didn’t sit well… I wanted this one bad.”
The Yamaha 2-3 was another sign that the series’ attempts to balance the field are working as hoped, while also providing positive feedback for Estenson Racing in regards to their offseason MT-07 DT upgrades.
It also underlined the potency of the talented Beach-Daniels tandem. That was made especially clear when Mission SuperTwins rookie Daniels not only diced with two-time class champion Briar Bauman (No. 3 Indian Motorcycle/Progressive Insurance FTR750) but got the better of him.
A bobble on Bauman’s part put him out of podium contention, but he was well clear of the pack behind and finished alone in a safe fourth. Some five seconds back, Jarod Vanderkooi (No. 20 Mission Roof Systems Indian FTR750) won out over teammate Brandon Robinson (No. 44 Mission Roof Systems Indian FTR750) in their scrap for fifth.
Meanwhile, Davis Fisher (No. 67 Bob Lanphere’s BMC Racing Indian FTR750), Bronson Bauman (No. 37 Latus Motors Racing Harley-Davidson XG750R), and Brandon Price (No. 92 Briggsauto.com/Martin Trucking Indian FTR750) came home seventh through ninth, respectively, while Ben Lowe (No. 25 Helipower Racing/Mission Foods Harley-Davidson XG750R) turned his Mission Production Twins Challenge entry into a top-ten premier-class finish.
Texas Half-Mile 2022 SuperTwins results
Pos | Rider | Man. | Gap |
1 | Jared Mees | Indian FTR750 | WINNER |
2 | JD Beach | Yamaha MT-07 | 0.408 |
3 | Dallas Daniels | Yamaha MT-07 | 0.383 |
4 | Briar Bauman | Indian FTR750 | 4.827 |
5 | Jarod Vanderkooi | Indian FTR750 | 5.179 |
6 | Brandon Robinson | Indian FTR750 | 0.915 |
7 | Davis Fisher | Indian FTR750 | 0.18 |
8 | Bronson Bauman | HD XG750R | 1.53 |
9 | Brandon Price | Indian FTR750 | 1 Lap |
10 | Ben Lowe | HD XG750R | 1.791 |
11 | Larry Pegram | Indian FTR750 | 3.229 |
12 | Kolby Carlile | HD XG750R | 0.133 |
13 | Danny Eslick | Indian FTR750 | 2.598 |
14 | Nick Armstrong | Yamaha MT-07 | 1.319 |
15 | Robert Pearson | Indian FTR750 | 9.603 |
16 | Shayna Texter-Bauman | Indian FTR750 | 11 Laps |
Standings following Texas Half-Mile 2022 SuperTwins
Pos | Rider | Total |
1 | Briar Bauman | 40 |
2 | Jared Mees | 39 |
3 | JD Beach | 37 |
4 | Dallas Daniels | 32 |
5 | Bronson Bauman | 31 |
6 | Brandon Robinson | 26 |
7 | Jarod Vanderkooi | 24 |
8 | Brandon Price | 19 |
9 | Davis Fisher | 17 |
10 | Kolby Carlile | 15 |
11 | Jesse Janisch | 12 |
12 | Nick Armstrong | 12 |
13 | Dan Bromley | 11 |
14 | Ben Lowe | 9 |
15 | Danny Eslick | 9 |
16 | Shayna Texter-Bauman | 9 |
17 | Larry Pegram | 8 |
18 | Robert Pearson | 8 |
Production Twins
While reigning Mission Production Twins presented by Vance & Hines champion Cory Texter (No. 1 G&G Racing/Yamaha Racing Yamaha MT-07) got his own title defense off to a bit of a quiet start last weekend, all it took was a return to the scene of his maiden class victory in 2019 to remind the paddock of the pecking order he’s worked so hard to maintain ever since. That and a lot of perseverance.
Texter was in control throughout the Main Event despite the numerous potential pitfalls thrown his way. Moments after he claimed the initial holeshot, Chad Cose (No. 49 DPC Racing/Voodoo Ranger Harley-Davidson XG750R) crashed after coming together with Jesse Janisch (No. 33 Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson XG750R), bringing out an early red.
Then after getting a second holeshot and opening up a healthy advantage, Texter was forced to do it a third time when a second red flag was shown following a Jeffery Lowery (No. 223 Lowery Racing/Gray Hogs Yamaha MT-07) fall. Make that a fourth time, as Billy Ross (No. 109 Pro 1 Industries/Campbells Services Kawasaki 650 Ninja) was the next to crash and cause another stoppage.
Texter then had to set the pace and avoid any mistakes of his own on an extremely tricky dry surface before at last securing his first win of the young 2022 season.
“You don’t like to see red flags when you’re leading,” Texter said. “When you have a gap, it’s like, ‘Man…’ But I’ve been in that situation before so I just stayed calm, had confidence in my starts, and trusted my instincts. The boys said to keep doing what I was doing, so at that point you just don’t want to mess up. This is such an emotional win for me. The last time we were here and I won, I gave my mechanic, Jon (Reid), the victory lap, and he passed away at the end of the season. So I really wanted to win this one for him. This one means a lot.”
Ben Lowe (No. 25 Helipower Racing/Mission Foods Harley-Davidson XG750R) kept Texter honest in the final leg of the Main and was well positioned to capitalize on any mistake. While that mistake never came, Lowe did finish as the runner-up, earning a strong result at his primary sponsors’ home round.
The still-mending Kolby Carlile (No. 36 KC36 Las Vegas Harley-Davidson XG750R) rounded out the podium. He did so only after fending off last weekend’s surprise winner, Nick Armstrong (No. 60 Competitive Racing Frames/Lessley Brothers Yamaha MT-07), who proved that his opening-weekend performance was no fluke with a close fourth.
New class contender Cole Zabala (No. 51 Memphis Shades/Corbin/Vinson Yamaha MT-07) made a late move around Johnny Lewis (No. 10 Moto Anatomy X Powered by Royal Enfield Twins FT) to complete the top five.
2022 Texas Half-Mile Production Twins Results
Pos | Rider | Man. | Gap |
1 | Cory Texter | Yamaha MT-07 | WINNER |
2 | Ben Lowe | HD XG750R | 0.872 |
3 | Kolby Carlile | HD XG750R | 1.808 |
4 | Nick Armstrong | Yamaha MT-07 | 0.214 |
5 | Cole Zabala | Yamaha MT-07 | 2.07 |
6 | Johnny Lewis | Royal Enfield 650 | 1.306 |
7 | Ryan Varnes | KTM 890 Duke | 4.108 |
8 | Michael Hill | Yamaha MT-07 | 0.781 |
9 | Kasey Sciscoe | Kawasaki Ninja 650 | 1.581 |
10 | David Wiggin | HD XG750R | 4.437 |
11 | Gary Ketchum | HD XG750R | 0.235 |
12 | Billy Ross | Kawasaki Ninja 650 | 11 Laps |
13 | Jeffery Lowery | Yamaha MT-07 | 0.649 |
14 | Jesse Janisch | HD XG750R | 7 Laps |
15 | Cody Johncox | Yamaha MT-07 | 4 Laps |
16 | Patrick Buchanan | HD XG750R | 1 Lap |
17 | Chad Cose | HD XG750R | DNF |
Production Twins standings after Texas Half-Mile
Pos | Rider | Total |
1 | Nick Armstrong | 40 |
2 | Cory Texter | 37 |
3 | Ben Lowe | 33 |
4 | Kolby Carlile | 32 |
5 | Johnny Lewis | 27 |
6 | Jesse Janisch | 22 |
7 | Dan Bromley | 20 |
8 | David Wiggin | 20 |
9 | Michael Hill | 18 |
10 | Cole Zabala | 17 |
11 | Ryan Varnes | 16 |
12 | Jeffery Lowery | 16 |
13 | Billy Ross | 12 |
14 | Chad Cose | 11 |
15 | Patrick Buchanan | 11 |
16 | Kasey Sciscoe | 10 |
17 | Cody Johncox | 10 |
18 | Gary Ketchum | 8 |
AFT Singles
Best known for epic, come-from-behind rides exploiting the high line, Morgen Mischler (No. 13 American Honda/Progressive Insurance CRF450R) won in the complete opposite fashion on Saturday night. After beating polesitter Max Whale (No. 18 Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 450 SX-FFE) into the opening corner, Mischler immediately set about what would ultimately prove to be a race-long defense of the low line.
It was actually Trevor Brunner (No. 21 Estenson Racing Yamaha YZ450F) who was the rider on the move in the early stages, blasting his way up from the third row and into third place on a track where no one else seemed to have much success overtaking.
However, the reason for that was made evident with the manner in which Brunner’s charge ended. His aggressive attempts to overhaul Whale for second concluded with the Yamaha pilot on the dirt. Making matters worse, Tanner Dean (No. 38 Waters Autobody Racing KTM 450 SX-F) had nowhere to go but over top of Brunner’s downed machine, the incident provoking a red-flag stoppage.
Mischler resumed the lead at the restart, but Whale lost another spot off the line. This time it was teammate Kody Kopp (No. 12 Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 450 SX-FFE) who displaced him, diving into second to take over the pursuit for the lead.
The three then raced in close formation for the remainder of the race. Despite Kopp sizing Mischler up for a final-lap attack, he thought better of it and accepted second rather than risk disaster.
Race-winner Mischer said, “Our team has a lot of great pieces that pull this whole program together. The whole Turner Factory Honda team is amazing and they have a wealth of knowledge. I felt really bad because in practice I wadded one of these bikes up pretty bad. This is actually my ‘B bike,’ but she got the job done today. Those guys put in a ton of work, and I wouldn’t be here without them.”
Mischler’s teammate, Dalton Gauthier (No. 79 American Honda/Progressive Insurance CRF450R), put in a relatively lonely ride to fourth, followed by Michael Inderbitzin (No. 54 1st Impressions Services of Florida Honda CRF450R) and Trent Lowe (No. 48 Mission Foods/Al Lamb’s Dallas Honda CRF450R).
2022 Texas Half-Mile Singles Results
Pos | Rider | Man. | Gap |
1 | Morgen Mischler | Honda CRF450R | WINNER |
2 | Kody Kopp | KTM 450 SX-FFE | 0.123 |
3 | Max Whale | KTM 450 SX-FFE | 0.087 |
4 | Dalton Gauthier | Honda CRF450R | 5.562 |
5 | Michael Inderbitzin | Honda CRF450R | 0.56 |
6 | Trent Lowe | Honda CRF450R | 0.327 |
7 | Hunter Bauer | KTM 450 SX-F | 1.951 |
8 | Gage Smith | Honda CRF450R | 0.392 |
9 | Ryan Wells | KTM 450 SX-F | 0.153 |
10 | Chase Saathoff | Honda CRF450R | 0.064 |
11 | Tarren Santero | Yamaha YZ450F | 1.872 |
12 | Kevin Stollings | Honda CRF450R | 1.813 |
13 | Aidan RoosEvans | Honda CRF450R | 0.332 |
14 | Logan McGrane | KTM 450 SX-F | 3.939 |
15 | Trevor Brunner | Yamaha YZ450F | 20 Laps |
16 | Justin Jones | Honda CRF450R | 0.85 |
17 | Tanner Dean | KTM 450 SX-F | 0.916 |
Singles Standings after 2022 Texas Half-Mile
Pos | Rider | Total |
1 | Kody Kopp | 45 |
2 | Morgen Mischler | 39 |
3 | Max Whale | 37 |
4 | Dalton Gauthier | 32 |
5 | Trent Lowe | 28 |
6 | Michael Inderbitzin | 21 |
7 | Chase Saathoff | 21 |
8 | Aidan RoosEvans | 19 |
9 | Gage Smith | 19 |
10 | Ryan Wells | 15 |
11 | Trevor Brunner | 14 |
12 | Hunter Bauer | 12 |
13 | Travis Petton IV | 11 |
14 | Tanner Dean | 11 |
15 | Kevin Stollings | 10 |
16 | Tarren Santero | 8 |
17 | James Ott | 6 |
18 | Logan McGrane | 5 |
19 | Tyler Raggio | 4 |
20 | Justin Jones | 3 |
21 | Tyler Scott | 2 |
Billy Bolt wraps up SuperEnduro title a round early
Delivering another showstopping performance, Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Billy Bolt defended his FIM SuperEnduro World Championship crown thanks to a victorious result at the penultimate round of the season in Germany.
Winning all three races, plus SuperPole qualification, he simply dominated the proceedings from start to finish. Rising to the fore in Riesa, teammate Colton Haaker made it a Husqvarna 1-2 on the night’s overall podium. Claiming three seconds place finishes, Haaker also moves to second overall in the championship chase.
As winner of all three rounds of the 2022 season to date, Bolt arrived at the penultimate stop in Germany with a healthy 50-point lead in the championship and with the potential to wrap up the title one round early.
Quick to get going, the Brit set a blisteringly fast time in SuperPole to top the qualification by almost one-and-a-half seconds from Haaker. From the drop of the gate in race one, Bolt led the way on his FE 350. Gaining time on the highly technical rock climb, he pulled further and further from his rivals to win by 23 seconds.
Unfazed by the reversed start order for race two, Billy calmly set about his business. Ending lap one in seventh, he then moved his way into the top-four. Up to second, Bolt then found a way past Haaker with two laps to go to take the lead and ultimately the race win.
Knowing a win in race three could seal the world title, Billy set about doing exactly that. Quickly out front, he led all but one of the nine laps. A small mistake midway allowed those behind to close up, but with composure resumed, Bolt raced ahead to win the race and with it successfully defend his SuperEnduro crown.
GASGAS Factory Racing’s Taddy Blazusiak suffered a broken right wrist at the penultimate round of the series in Germany, forcing him out of the two-round, double header event in Reisa.
FIM SuperEnduro World Championship Round 4 Results
- Billy Bolt (Husqvarna) 63 points
- Colton Haaker (Husqvarna) 53
- Jonny Walker (Beta) 45
Round 5
Drawing his participation in the 2022 FIM SuperEnduro World Championship to a close at round five in Germany, Billy Bolt delivered another dominant display of riding, clinching the overall win in Riesa, ensuring a clean sweep of podium results across the five rounds. Fighting tooth and nail, teammate Colton Haaker ended his championship campaign in third overall.
Less than 24 hours after winning the 2022 SuperEnduro World Championship in Riesa, Bolt was back inside the stadium on Sunday afternoon for the fifth and final round of the season. A reversed course offered new motivation for Billy as he aimed for an unbeaten run of overall victories this season.
Posting the fastest time in SuperPole on his FE 350 set the tone for what was to follow. Immediately taking the lead on the opening lap of race one, the British rider soon checked out. Comfortably attacking all of the biggest obstacles, he eased away from the field to take a commanding 27-second margin of victory.
In race two with the start order reversed, Billy eased his way around the first corner before beginning his fight forward. Up to third on lap three, he put his Husqvarna into the lead on lap five and controlled proceedings from there to take his second win.
Determined to sign off his season on a high, Bolt gated third in race three but was leading by the end of lap one. Clocking in a series of near-perfect laps, he claimed the race win to end his championship campaign on the top step of the podium for the fifth time in as many rounds.
In what’s been an incredible year, Billy not only won the world title, but won all five SuperPole qualifications and took 14 race wins from a possible 15. He now sets his sights on successfully defending his FIM Hard Enduro World Championship crown, beginning with the season opener in Israel on April 5-7, in less than three weeks’ time.
Entering the final round of the championship tied on points for second, Haaker was focused on making it a Husqvarna 1-2 in SuperEnduro. However, things didn’t quite go to plan for the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing rider with some small mistakes proving more costly than expected.
Third in SuperPole, he then raced to third in the opening race. Quickly getting to the front of the field in race two, Colton led until lap four before giving way to Bolt.
With second looking likely, a small error saw him slip to third on the final lap. Putting in his best showing of the afternoon, Haaker raced hard in race three, hoping luck would fall his way.
Battling with rival Jonny Walker, Colton eventually took second place. Although not quite enough to claim the championship runner-up position, the American nevertheless did enough to secure a well-deserved third overall in the final standings.
Billy Bolt – P1 Overall
“It’s pretty much been the perfect season and to cap things off with a clean sweep here in Riesa is brilliant. I’ve really enjoyed things this weekend. Winning the title last night left me pretty relaxed coming into today and I felt like that showed in my riding and I delivered one of my best performances of the season. To win all but one race this year is pretty special too. It’s been an amazing championship, which has gone so well from the start. The races in Hungary weren’t easy, and I’m a little frustrated that I got beaten in that first heat there, which is my only loss all year. From my team, family, friends, and everyone around me that supports me, I can’t thank them enough. I’ll try to let this moment sink in as champion and then look to getting focused and back on the 2-stroke for Hard Enduro next month.”
Colton Haaker – P3 Overall
“Coming into the final night of the series tied on points with Jonny (Walker) I knew what I had to do. The track was really good, and I felt good, but I just made a silly mistake in the opening final, which put me a long way back. I tried as hard as I could to catch up, but it didn’t really happen. The second moto was going great, I was second into the final lap, ahead of Jonny, and I got into it with another rider. I didn’t want to take any risks, which meant that I basically meant that I needed to win the final round. And with Billy riding so well that’s not easy to do. I finished second in the race, third in the championship. It’s been a fun series. Husqvarna have done great, and congrats to Billy for an incredible championship.”
FIM SuperEnduro World Championship Round 5 Results
- Billy Bolt (Husqvarna) 63 points
- Jonny Walker (Beta) 51
- Colton Haaker (Husqvarna) 48
FIM SuperEnduro World Championship Standings
- Billy Bolt (Husqvarna) 321 points
- Jonny Walker (Beta) 232
- Colton Haaker (Husqvarna) 229
- Diogo Vieira (GAS GAS) 147
- Tim Apolle (Beta) 141
Riders talk 2022 AORC Rounds 1 & 2 at Cherrabah
Images by Troy Pears
The weekend saw the 2022 Yamaha Australian Off-Road Championship presented by MXstore kick off the season in Cherrabah, Queensland with Rounds 1 and 2 held over two days, with competition proving fierce as riders returned from an almost year long AORC hiatus.
Round 1
After six laps across two tests (the WR450F and Beta tracks), AORC Round 1 victory was claimed by Kyron Bacon (Shop Yamaha Offroad Racing Team) in E1, Joshua Green (Shop Yamaha Offroad racing Team) in E2, Andrew Wilksch (Simford Racing, Husqvarna) in E3, Billy Hargy (Husqvarna Offroad Racing Team) in EJ and Jessica Gardiner (Yamaha JGR Ballard’s Off Road team) in EW.
Reigning supreme in the season opener for the Juniors was Harley Hutton (Yamaha Motor Australia) in J1, Mason Phillips in J2, Levi Stephens (True Painting, KTM Newcastle) in J3, Jett Yarnold (Supermoto New England, Yamaha Australia) in J4, Danielle McDonald (Yamaha JGR Ballard’s Off Road team) in JG and Cooper Clarke in JJ.
For our Masters, Veterans and 2 Stroke Cup Round 1 was fought out over four laps across the Ballards MXstore test track, the victors were John Baker in EM and Lee Stephens (True Painting, KTM Newcastle) in EV. Over on the WR450F and Beta test tracks, Kane Hall took first place in the 2 Stroke Cup.
Round 1 Overall Top 10
Pos | Rider | Total Time |
1 | Kyron BACON | 1:24:40.814 |
2 | Andrew WILKSCH | 1:25:55.205 |
3 | Joshua GREEN | 1:26:00.326 |
4 | Jonte REYNDERS | 1:27:27.343 |
5 | Korey MCMAHON | 1:28:19.925 |
6 | Michael DRISCOLL | 1:28:20.138 |
7 | Todd WATERS | 1:28:22.905 |
8 | Fraser HIGLETT | 1:29:22.150 |
9 | Jeremy CARPENTIER | 1:29:28.864 |
10 | Stefan GRANQUIST | 1:29:36.139 |
Round 2
Round 2 in comparison raced seven laps and the class winners were Kyron Bacon (Shop Yamaha Offroad Racing Team) in E1, Joshua Green (Shop Yamaha Offroad Racing Team) in E2, Andrew Wilksch (Simford Racing, Husqvarna) in E3, Billy Hargy (Husqvarna) in EJ and Jessica Gardiner (Yamaha JGR Ballard’s Off Road team) in EW.
E2
Todd Waters – E2, P3/P2
“I’ve never ridden a motorbike in anything like the conditions we faced over the weekend – it was the gnarliest thing I’ve ever done on a motorcycle. Saturday was a bit of a nightmare with a number of crashes that cost me lots of time, but I felt I got my head around it and adapted a lot better to the conditions on Sunday, so it was good to improve and take second place at round two. While I’ve got some homework to do if I want to be an Australian Off-Road Champion, there are a lot of positives to take from the weekend and I’ve got plenty of motivation to continue improving before Mackay in a month’s time.”
Fraser Higlett – E2, P4/P5
“I’m really happy to come away with 4th place over the weekend, while it wasn’t quite what I was hoping for the main goal for the weekend was to see where I stand and figure out what we need to do moving forward for the next rounds. The tracks were super technical and heaps of massive mud holes, every lap was more of a concern to just get around more so than riding fast but everyone was in the same boat! The team was awesome and my bike was faultless, I’m feeling as determined as ever and looking forward to Rounds 3 & 4 in Mackay in a few weeks.”
Callum Norton – E2, P5/P4
“Spearing chest-first into a tree early on day one took the wind out of my sails,” said Norton. “There was a bit of damage to the front of the bike, but I pushed on and I was pleased that I was able to keep improving over the wo days. I actually enjoyed the whole experience, even though it wasn’t really my type of track. The goal in rounds three and four will be eradicating some of the smaller mistakes and getting onto the podium.”
E3
Jonte Reynders – E3, P2/P2
“The tracks were super gnarly, nothing I have ridden before, so many rocks and dry sections and then big bog holes that could ruin your day in seconds if you didn’t take the right line,” said 24-year-old Reynders, who also went 4-6 in the outright results. The crash on Saturday banged up my up foot and wrist made it tough, but we toughed it out to put in some solid results. I also got a stick caught in the rear wheel on another occasion, which cost me time removing it, and I also landed on a rock and damaged the rear sprocket on my bike – I’m not sure how the chain stayed on! I’m looking forward to getting to the next rounds and fixing up all the little mistakes. A big thanks to the team in what was a super hard event for both riders and machines.”
Stefan Granquist – E3, P3/P3
“It was a really tough opening weekend for the championship and it felt like a proper enduro – 90 percent of the track was great, but the other 10 percent were nasty bog-holes that were a real challenge. Saturday was a tough one, but we still managed a podium result in class and got stronger as the day went on, before Sunday was a bit more consistent and I was really happy to get through the day unscathed. Although I’d like to be further up the outright order, I’m happy to take two podium results from a difficult weekend of racing!”
Ruben Chadwick – E3, P6/P7
“It was awesome to finally kickstart the racing season off and get a bit of race time in on the new 2022 bikes, it was really good working with the team and getting everything dialed in for a good season ahead. The tracks at Cherrabah were pretty demanding, huge mud holes and it it took a lot of concentration to get through the tracks without getting swallowed up! The bike handled it really well, moving forward there is a few things I’d like to improve on with my riding and I’m looking forward to the next race.”
EW
Emelie Karlsson – EW, P3/P2
“Saturday was a really difficult day that was more about surviving and it involved a lot of luck as to whether your lines through the bog-holes were the right ones! I got stuck a few times, including one time where it took three people to pull my bike out of the mud, and it was hard to come back from that. Sunday was a lot smoother and, although I still got bogged twice, I felt like I was able to get through without too many dramas and I was pleased to improve one position into second to end the weekend. I’m really looking forward putting these rounds behind us and working on a few areas that I know I can improve on before Mackay next month.”
It was nearly a mirror of Round 1 in Cherrabah in the Junior classes for Round 2, racing six Sprint laps across the Offroad Advantage test, and claiming consecutive wins was Harley Hutton (Yamaha Motor Australia), Mason Phillips, Jett Yarnold (Supermoto New England, Yamaha Australia), Danielle McDonald (Yamaha JGR Ballard’s Off Road team) and Cooper Clarke in J1, J2, J4, JG and JJ respectively.
After another day of Sprints, this time across the WR450F track, Christopher Thomas (Thomas Lee KTM) stole EV glory, John Baker took out a consecutive win in EM, while the 2 Stroke Cup battled across the Ballards MXstore and Beta test tracks today, and the winner after a hard fought battle, was Kane Hall.
Round 2 Overall Top 10
Pos | Rider | Total Time |
1 | Kyron BACON | 1:17:18.648 |
2 | Andrew WILKSCH | 1:18:14.032 |
3 | Joshua GREEN | 1:18:28.993 |
4 | Jonte REYNDERS | 1:19:50.082 |
5 | Korey MCMAHON | 1:20:11.812 |
6 | Michael DRISCOLL | 1:20:19.649 |
7 | Todd WATERS | 1:20:36.790 |
8 | Jeremy CARPENTIER | 1:21:30.235 |
9 | Fraser HIGLETT | 1:21:34.144 |
10 | Stefan GRANQUIST | 1:21:36.470 |
2022 Monster Energy AMA Supercross
Round 11 – Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, IN
Images by Jeff Kardas
450 Main
Justin Barcia scored a major holeshot ahead of Jason Anderson and Malcolm Stewart while Eli Tomac was fourth ahead of Marvin Musquin and Chase Sexton.
Tomac was through on Mookie on lap two and he then wasted little time closing in on Jason Anderson. He took his time with the Kawasaki man and didn’t challenge for that second place until he saw a safe opportunity to make the pass with as little risk as possible, but lapped traffic saw him have to delay his moves.
The lappers slowed the front runners quite considerably. Jason Anderson took the lead nine-minutes in, but then hit the deck after clashing with Barcia and was relegated from P1 to P7. Coming out the other side of that incident with the race lead was Barcia. But Tomac was on a charge and looming large… Musquin a strong third, Stewart fourth and Sexton fifth just ahead of Copper Webb and the recovering Jason Anderson.
Eli Tomac took the lead with five-minutes left on the shot clock and once in front immediately put the hammer down and escaped from the clutches of Barcia. Musquin was third and Stewart fourth but a mistake with just over two-minutes remaining saw him on the deck and losing a number of positions,.
Once in the lead Eli Tomac pulled away with apparent ease and with a couple of minutes remaining had four-seconds on Barcia. He backed off in the closing stages but still took a comfortable win over Barcia despite a mistake on the final lap.
Musquin rounded out the podium ahead of an exciting battle for fourth between Sexton and Webb that went all the way to the flag. It was Sexton by a nose for that fourth place.
Four victories in a row for Tomac. And that win moves him into fifth place on the all-time 450 winners list, one win behind Chad Reed, and only five wins behind Ricky Carmichael.
Tomac now enjoys a 41-point lead over Barcia and Anderson who are joint-second on the points table.
Eli Tomac – P1
“It was another great night! It’s kind of unbelievable to have four in a row now. We’ve been tested by all kinds of conditions, so it’s cool to win in all of these different ones. I just have to give it up to the team, the crew, and everyone that has put me in this position. This is one of the hardest tracks to ride because the ruts get so deep here. You have to manage your race well, and try to figure out where to really push and where not to push. I was able to do that tonight, so it was another great night for us, and I look forward to next weekend.”
Justin Barcia – P2
“It was a nice start, it felt good! The team gave me a good bike tonight. I didn’t get the win but second is pretty good, I’ll take it. The track was insane. Man, it was wild! That pass with Jason [Anderson], I’m going to have to watch it. It’s a bummer, I don’t want to see anybody go down. I’m happy with my race and I’m pumped and ready to go next weekend.”
Marvin Musquin – P3
“I love these conditions and I love this place but I knew coming in that this year in Indy it was going to be tough. It was a tough day, I’m not going to lie, but I was there when it counts. In those conditions, you have to be smart and you can’t override this track. I was being so patient, while trying to be consistent, precise and not make any mistakes, and I was able to pass Malcolm and get third tonight. It was awesome, I’m really happy.”
Chase Sexton – P4
“Overall, Indianapolis was a nice race for me to build on after Detroit, especially because I had good speed throughout the day. It was also fun to race close to where I’m originally from, and to get to see some family and friends. The lap times were super-short, so the track got to be pretty tricky over the course of the day, but I handled it well and stayed on two wheels. A podium would’ve been good, but I wasn’t far back at all. Now we’ll take what we’ve learned, do some testing this week and come back ready in Seattle.”
Cooper Webb – P5
“Today wasn’t great feeling-wise, I’m in a lot of pain but just getting through it. I kind of saved it all for that Main Event and I’m glad I was able to get through it. I had a good ride but I wish I would have had a better start to be in the mix. It was tough riding and not being able to do some obstacles but we fought in there. My goal was top-five tonight and I achieved that. I was right there for fourth and it felt good. We were close to that podium, which is all I can ask for.”
Jason Anderson – P6
“I came into the weekend feeling ready to fight for a win and had a solid day going, especially after the heat race win and first gate pick. Come main event time, I had to do some serious defending early to stay in second and have a chance at the win. We lost some points this weekend but there’s still plenty of fight left in me. I’m here to win and that’s going to remain my main goal for the rest of the season.”
Dean Wilson – P7
“Indianapolis was definitely a step in the right direction,” Wilson said. “I’m definitely getting closer to the guys up front but tonight was a very, very technical track. In the main, I just kind of struggled with the ruts and the whoops were really tricky. P7 is my best finish yet but I’m not real stoked on it because my riding wasn’t very good, but definitely some positives that we’ll take to Seattle next weekend.”
Malcom Stewart – P8
“I feel like Indy actually treated me well, I’ve always liked this track and the atmosphere here has always been good. In the Main Event, I was sitting in fourth and I didn’t feel bad at all. The track was tough for everybody and I made one big mistake that kind of cost me but honestly, I’m just thankful that I’m okay. I’m a little bummed and irritated but it actually motivates me a little bit more to get back up there and get ready for Seattle. Let’s go get ‘em!”
450 Main Results
Pos | Rider | Bike | Laps/Interval |
1 | Eli Tomac | Yamaha | 27 Laps |
2 | Justin Barcia | GASGAS | +01.322 |
3 | Marvin Musquin | KTM | +05.359 |
4 | Chase Sexton | Honda | +09.635 |
5 | Cooper Webb | KTM | +10.120 |
6 | Jason Anderson | Kawasaki | +44.029 |
7 | Dean Wilson | Husqvarna | 26 Laps |
8 | Malcolm Stewart | Husqvarna | +24.737 |
9 | Vince Friese | Honda | 25 Laps |
10 | Ryan Breece | Yamaha | +14.818 |
11 | Justin Starling | GASGAS | +22.884 |
12 | Cade Clason | Honda | +33.918 |
13 | Justin Bogle | Suzuki | +39.764 |
14 | Fredrik Noren | KTM | +46.600 |
15 | Brandon Hartranft | Suzuki | 24 Laps |
16 | Kevin Moranz | KTM | +16.508 |
17 | Tristan Lane | KTM | +20.807 |
18 | Joan Cros | Kawasaki | +24.203 |
19 | Logan Karnow | Kawasaki | +33.315 |
20 | Alex Martin | Yamaha | +41.559 |
21 | Justin Rodbell | Kawasaki | 23 Laps |
22 | Scott Meshey | Husqvarna | 21 Laps |
450 Championship Standings (Round 11 of 17)
Pos | Rider | Points |
1 | Eli Tomac | 255 |
2 | Jason Anderson | 204 |
3 | Justin Barcia | 204 |
4 | Malcolm Stewart | 202 |
5 | Cooper Webb | 191 |
6 | Marvin Musquin | 185 |
7 | Chase Sexton | 183 |
8 | Dylan Ferrandis | 141 |
9 | Dean Wilson | 135 |
10 | Ken Roczen | 133 |
11 | Shane McElrath | 101 |
12 | Justin Brayton | 99 |
13 | Aaron Plessinger | 97 |
14 | Brandon Hartranft | 97 |
15 | Justin Bogle | 70 |
16 | Vince Friese | 65 |
17 | Kyle Chisholm | 57 |
18 | Max Anstie | 55 |
19 | Alex Martin | 51 |
20 | Cade Clason | 44 |
21 | Justin Starling | 44 |
22 | Ryan Breece | 42 |
23 | Mitchell Oldenburg | 37 |
24 | Joey Savatgy | 27 |
25 | Adam Cianciarulo | 23 |
26 | Kevin Moranz | 23 |
27 | Fredrik Noren | 18 |
28 | Logan Karnow | 14 |
29 | Josh Hill | 13 |
30 | Garrett Marchbanks | 8 |
31 | Joan Cros | 8 |
32 | Justin Rodbell | 7 |
33 | Alex Ray | 6 |
34 | Tristan Lane | 6 |
35 | Adam Enticknap | 1 |
36 | Scott Meshey | 1 |
37 | Brandon Scharer | 1 |
250 Main
Jett Lawrence scored the holeshot with Cameron McAdoo right on his tail. This pair have been the pacesetters since Forkner’s demise the other week and thus this had the potential to be an intriguing battle.
McAdoo hung with Lawrence and took the lead just over three-minutes into the Main as soon as he saw a safe opportunity, and immediately capitalised on it. He then pulled out a two-second lead over Lawrence over the course of the following couple of laps, before Lawrence started reeling him back in as the race approached half race distance, just as the pair started encountering lapped traffic.
Lawrence saw his moment to thread the needle in the lappers to pass McAdoo relatively easily and safely. A lap later though Jett made a mistake that allowed McAdoo to close right back on him after the Aussie failed to clean a triple after getting a bit too sideways on the approach.
Jett regrouped though to again eke out an advantage over McAdoo and went on to take victory by six-seconds.
McAdoo also set the fastest lap of the Main and to underline the superiority of McAdoo and Lawrence, they both finished the race almost half-a-minute ahead of the rest of the field.
RJ Hampshire rounded out the podium, 35-seconds behind Lawrence in what was only a 15-minute race.
Next week Supercross heads to Seattle for the switch back to the 250 West Championship. Jett takes an 11-point lead into the break, McAdoo still right on his tail….
Jett Lawrence – P1
“Cameron [McAdoo] was on a lot faster pace after the start, and every turn I could feel him there. I was like, ‘Okay, he’s obviously doing something,’ and it was pretty clear he was skimming the whoops; I was very scared and was jumping the whoops at the beginning. Cameron got me and gapped me a little bit, and I didn’t like that; I followed his line through the whoops and then started skimming. We had a really good battle, and I had fun with that because we both had the respect for each other to race clean. The lapped riders were pretty gnarly tonight, and I think we both had some good luck and bad luck with that. The track was so rutted, and we were following each other in a couple of the turns. I think going down in my heat race earlier and coming through kind of helped me find different lines and learn the track more. I like it with the track changing like that because it makes you think a little bit. Cameron rode phenomenal, and I think I’d have had fun even if I’d gotten second.”
Cameron McAdoo – P2
“I felt great all day, the track was rutted and technical, which I really enjoyed. I finally got a heat race win this season and got the starts dialed. I was able to really challenge for the lead but wasn’t able to navigate the lappers like my competition and it cost me. It wasn’t the outcome we wanted, but overall it was a good day and we’re going to keep fighting.”
RJ Hampshire – P3
“We made progress tonight. It’s been a struggle and I haven’t been comfortable at all. When the Main Event came, I just kind of managed my race and didn’t try to push anything and we had our best result of the season so far. So, I can’t be too bummed on the night. It’s a good way to end this little stint and we’ll go into the break and get some time on the bike that I’ve been racing. Hopefully we will have a new guy when we come back in a couple weeks for St. Louis.”
Pierce Brown – P4
“It was a somewhat tough day for me. The heat race was going really well, I was in the lead, and then had a pretty big fall in the whoops that shook me up. I went to the medical unit rig and they checked me out to make sure my head was good and my body was okay. I went out for the LCQ and got it done there, and then ended up fourth in the main. It was a tough night but I’m just happy to be somewhat healthy.”
Kyle Chisholm – P7
“The track in Indy gave us a tough challenge, being very soft and rutted, but we made some really good improvements on the bike this week, which made the tough track easier for me. The changes the team made were great, and the bike was awesome! Overall, it was a good night with almost winning the heat race and finishing seventh in the main. I’m looking forward to getting back to work at the practice track and will keep working on getting into the top five and hopefully a podium!”
250 Main Results
Pos | Rider | Bike | Laps/Interval |
1 | Jett Lawrence | Honda | 21 Laps |
2 | Cameron McAdoo | Kawasaki | +05.945 |
3 | Rj Hampshire | Husqvarna | +34.906 |
4 | Pierce Brown | GASGAS | +35.304 |
5 | Mitchell Oldenburg | Honda | +38.915 |
6 | Enzo Lopes | Yamaha | 20 Laps |
7 | Kyle Chisholm | Yamaha | +08.938 |
8 | Jordon Smith | Honda | +22.937 |
9 | Jace Owen | Yamaha | +24.886 |
10 | Cullin Park | Honda | +26.302 |
11 | Derek Drake | Suzuki | +34.098 |
12 | Joshua Varize | Husqvarna | +43.398 |
13 | Marshal Weltin | Yamaha | +52.498 |
14 | Hardy Munoz | Kawasaki | 19 Laps |
15 | Henry Miller | KTM | +05.033 |
16 | Michael Hicks | KTM | +13.361 |
17 | Jarrett Frye | Honda | +22.206 |
18 | Lance Kobusch | Honda | +26.983 |
19 | Hunter Yoder | Honda | +32.672 |
20 | Luke Neese | Honda | 18 Laps |
21 | Josh Osby | Yamaha | +12.619 |
22 | Luca Marsalisi | Yamaha | +28.669 |
250 East Championship Standings (Round 11 of 17)
Pos | Rider | Total |
1 | Jett Lawrence | 125 |
2 | Cameron McAdoo | 114 |
3 | Pierce Brown | 87 |
4 | Rj Hampshire | 81 |
5 | Enzo Lopes | 81 |
6 | Jordon Smith | 78 |
7 | Mitchell Oldenburg | 68 |
8 | Stilez Robertson | 67 |
9 | Phillip Nicoletti | 58 |
10 | Jace Owen | 55 |
11 | Derek Drake | 49 |
12 | Joshua Varize | 48 |
13 | Jeremy Martin | 42 |
14 | Henry Miller | 41 |
15 | Austin Forkner | 39 |
16 | Cullin Park | 30 |
17 | John Short | 30 |
18 | Kyle Chisholm | 27 |
19 | Marshal Weltin | 25 |
20 | Hardy Munoz | 21 |
21 | Kyle Peters | 20 |
22 | Levi Kitchen | 15 |
23 | Jarrett Frye | 15 |
24 | Jeremy Hand | 14 |
25 | Lance Kobusch | 12 |
26 | Joshua Cartwright | 9 |
27 | Grant Harlan | 8 |
28 | Michael Hicks | 8 |
29 | Coty Schock | 8 |
30 | Brock Papi | 6 |
31 | Hunter Yoder | 4 |
32 | Luke Neese | 3 |
33 | Devin Simonson | 2 |
34 | Josh Osby | 2 |
35 | Jack Chambers | 2 |
36 | Max Vohland | 1 |
37 | Luca Marsalisi | 1 |
2022 MXGP of Patagonia-Argentina – Round 3 Report
Round Three of the 2022 MXGP Championship has wrapped up with Team HRC’s Tim Gajser claiming his third GP win of the season at the MXGP of Patagonia-Argentina. In MX2 we also saw the 90th career podium of Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Tom Vialle who finally made his comeback to the top step.
The MXGP of Patagonia-Argentina delivered, with a crowd of 39,000 fans keeping the atmosphere at a maximum from the first warm-up session to the last chequered flag of the day, reminding the whole paddock why the Argentinian Grand Prix is among the best on the racing calendar.
Mitch Evans was the top Australian performer, continuing his improvement, taking eighth overall after his ten-eight moto finishes. His speed was good in both races, and showed that his ceiling is consistently rising every time he gets on the track. Now, the target is to maintain that pace for the whole moto, but this is understandable, given he missed over 15-months of MXGP action with a serious wrist injury.
Mitch Evans – P8
“I love riding this track and it feels good to make more positive progress throughout the weekend. I am really pleased with my speed and it felt good to be up there inside the top 10, battling with the top guys. Now, I need to work on getting my race fitness up to the level where I can do that for the whole race, but this is really encouraging for me and it gives me more motivation for the next round in Portugal which is another track I like.”
Beaton was also carrying an injury from the previous GP and entered race day in Argentina coming off a massive collision during the first lap of the Qualifying race. With less track-time than his rivals and a gate-pick on the extreme outside after the incident he inevitably needed some time to settle but regrouped to clinch thirteenth in the opening moto, adding eleventh in race two to advance from eleventh to ninth in the championship standings after three rounds of the series.
Jed Beaton – P13
“It was a pretty difficult weekend for me; I still have a sore shoulder from Mantova and don’t have as much strength in it as I would like. And it didn’t help crashing in Quali and landing on it again. I was so far wide at turn one from the gate pick but I managed to do the best I could with the cards I was dealt. I wasn’t riding at the level I should have been but I’m just glad to be going home safe. The next GP is at Agueda where I got my first GP podium; in fact, I like all the tracks coming up and look forward to getting my shoulder back in shape so I can perform to my ability.“
MXGP Race 1
In the opening MXGP race of the weekend, we saw JM Honda Racing’s Henry Jacobi grab the Fox Holeshot, though it was Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing’s Maxime Renaux who jumped into first place ahead of Honda 114 Motorsports’ Ruben Fernandez, who sensed his own opportunity to lead an MXGP race and did just that.
Standing Construct Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Pauls Jonass was right there too, searching for a way around Renaux and so was Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing’s Jeremy Seewer and Gajser.
Fernandez’ lead did not last long as only a couple of corners later it all went wrong, and he crashed hard. This meant that Jonass took over the lead after finding a way past Renaux. Fernandez managed to get going again and eventually came back to 15th.
On lap four, Gajser eased past Seewer for third, as Prado was starting to come under attack from Thomas Kjer Olsen of Diga Procross KTM Racing for fifth.
Gajser then focused his efforts on the front as he closed in on Renaux. The Frenchman made a small mistake which handed Gajser an opportunity to attack, but he could not get it done as Renaux was riding defensive and not backing down to the multi-time world champion.
After leading for 11 laps of the race, Jonass went down, which meant that Renaux was then the leading man with Gajser breathing down his neck. The battle continued for another nine laps as Gajser tried his best but ultimately Renaux was cool under pressure and went on to secure his first ever MXGP race victory ahead of Gajser and Seewer. In the final laps Jonass dropped two spots, finishing behind Prado and Olsen.
MXGP Race 2
In MXGP race two, it was Gajser who secured his first Fox Holeshot of 2022, though it was Prado who led the race. Gajser though was not going to miss out on a win again, as he made a quick pass on the Spaniard to move into the leading position.
Seewer and Olsen went down on the opening lap, with Olsen not finishing the race, while Seewer gave it his best to come back to 13th before deciding to retire from the race just four laps from the end.
Renaux got by Jonass for third, as Fernandez did the same. Though Jonass was able to get the Spaniard back by the third lap and maintain his position for much of the race, until Fernandez bounced back in lap 14 to take away fourth from the Latvian as the pair banged bars.
Back at the front, Gajser was looking in control as he got his head down and opened up a strong gap to second position. At that point it was Prado who was second, though Renaux played it smart and took his time to get by the GasGas rider on lap five.
Team HRC’s Mitch Evans was having a strong race in sixth, though later in the race, dropped two positions and finished eighth.
In the end, it was a fairly easy race victory for Gajser, who was victorious ahead of Renaux, Fernandez, Prado and Jonass.
In terms of the podium, it was Gajser who secure his third back-to-back GP win, while Renaux celebrated his second time on the box in MXGP, as Prado joined them in third.
Heading into the next round at the MXGP of Portugal, Gajser leads the MXGP standings with 141 points ahead of Renaux who now moves into second 124 points, six points ahead of Prado in third.
Tim Gajser – P1
“I had a really good weekend here and it feels really good to come away with another overall victory. This is such a nice place and track, and I am very pleased that so many fans came out to support us. I hope we continue to come back here because it an amazing event for everyone. In the first moto, I didn’t get the best start but came through the field and was fourth after the first lap. I knew it was a long race so I didn’t rush too much because it was a tricky track and it was easy to make mistakes. I eventually worked my way into second and I got close to the leader but I couldn’t quite make the pass happen, and had to settle for second place. Race two started off a lot better with a holeshot, my first of the season. I did run a little wide so I dropped into second but I quickly re-passed for the lead and then I set about pulling out a gap. By the midway stage I had a good lead and just settled down and controlled the race, winning by over seven seconds. It feels really good to win another overall and extend my lead in the championship, but I know it is a long season and I need to keep up this high level. A big thanks to the team for all their support on what is a really long trip down here to Argentina.”
Maxime Renaux – P2
“It was a really good day and I’m really happy with it. We started slowly yesterday, but step-by-step I made some improvements on the track. Very solid start in the first race, I didn’t quite make the Fox Holeshot, but I was leading and got passed by Pauls, but then he crashed, and I could lead again. In the end had some good battles with Tim, he really pushed me in that race but I’m really happy with it. In the second one, it was a little bit of a different story, a bit of a worse start and had to come through the pack, I managed to pass everyone but Tim who was really fast. Solid weekend, I am very happy.”
Jorge Prado – P3
“Overall, it was a tough weekend for me. I just didn’t feel good from Saturday on, so it was hard and not being able to be competitive it’s harder also, but the guys next to me were way faster and I just couldn’t hold on and I couldn’t really ride like myself. It was hard, I didn’t have good lines and didn’t ride good. Sometimes it happens, still on the box and third in the championship. But we are going back to Europe and the next round is Agueda, I got the red plate there in 2019 so I have confidence and will get back to work, nothing else to say.”
Pauls Jonass – P4
“It has been a tough road, but to win the qualifying race on Saturday was crazy. I was feeling really good! I was feeling great once I got in a flow in the first moto today too, but I made that small mistake and crashed. My arms got pumped up at that point! The bike was working really well today. I am excited to get to work now and keep building for the future.”
Glenn Coldenhoff – P5
“Yesterday, I took the holeshot in the qualifying heat and was feeling really good until about 20-minutes in, when I started struggling a bit. We made some changes and tried to solve the problem today, but in the first moto it didn’t work. I also completely missed the starts in both races today. But, I am happy to finish on a positive note because, in the second moto, I came from almost dead-last, back to sixth. I was happy with my riding. The team did a great job with the changes we made for the second moto, it was definitely working and I was starting to feel a bit more like myself, so I am happy with that.”
Jeremy Seewer – P10
“Today was bitter-sweet. I felt good on the track here, and it was cool to race in front of all the Argentinian fans. They were super supportive and to have the fans back after the last couple of years, you really feel it; the change in energy and atmosphere is really special. The first race today went pretty good; P. 3 is not too bad for the first moto, but then in the second moto I had big crash, and then crashed again, and I couldn’t continue. Obviously, it’s always disappointing to DNF, but we need to look at the positives, and try to recover and be back fighting for podiums at the next one.”
Ben Watson – P12
“It was another very tough weekend. I was far from my potential again but I am trying my best to put my weaknesses behind and get back to myself as soon as possible. I felt better in the timed sessions but struggled in the races more than I should have. I didn’t feel I could ride to my potential but I tried to salvage everything I could. All the team worked hard to try to find areas to improve and we will keep going in this direction.”
MXGP Round 3 Overall
Pos | Rider | R1 | R2 | Total |
1 | Gajser, Tim | 22 | 25 | 47 |
2 | Renaux, Maxime | 25 | 22 | 47 |
3 | Prado, Jorge | 18 | 18 | 36 |
4 | Jonass, Pauls | 15 | 16 | 31 |
5 | Coldenhoff, Glenn | 13 | 15 | 28 |
6 | Van Horebeek, Jeremy | 14 | 14 | 28 |
7 | Fernandez, Ruben | 6 | 20 | 26 |
8 | Evans, Mitchell | 11 | 13 | 24 |
9 | Tixier, Jordi | 12 | 12 | 24 |
10 | Seewer, Jeremy | 20 | 0 | 20 |
11 | Jacobi, Henry | 10 | 9 | 19 |
12 | Watson, Ben | 7 | 11 | 18 |
13 | Beaton, Jed | 8 | 10 | 18 |
14 | Forato, Alberto | 9 | 8 | 17 |
15 | Olsen, Thomas Kjer | 16 | 0 | 16 |
16 | Rolando, Nicolas | 3 | 7 | 10 |
17 | Villaronga, Sergio | 0 | 6 | 6 |
18 | Arco, Victor Dario | 1 | 5 | 6 |
19 | Martin, Humberto | 5 | 0 | 5 |
20 | Trossero, Marcos | 0 | 4 | 4 |
21 | Carrasco, Agustin | 2 | 2 | 4 |
22 | Toro, Lautaro | 4 | 0 | 4 |
23 | Galletta, Pablo | 0 | 3 | 3 |
24 | Cabarcos, Francisco | 0 | 1 | 1 |
MXGP Standings
Pos | Rider | Nat. | Bike | Total |
1 | Gajser, Tim | SLO | HON | 141 |
2 | Renaux, Maxime | FRA | YAM | 124 |
3 | Prado, Jorge | ESP | GAS | 118 |
4 | Seewer, Jeremy | SUI | YAM | 94 |
5 | Van Horebeek, J. | BEL | BET | 76 |
6 | Fernandez, R. | ESP | HON | 74 |
7 | Olsen, T. | DEN | KTM | 73 |
8 | Coldenhoff, G. | NED | YAM | 71 |
9 | Beaton, Jed | AUS | KAW | 58 |
10 | Forato, A. | ITA | GAS | 58 |
11 | Bogers, Brian | NED | HUS | 57 |
12 | Watson, Ben | GBR | KAW | 51 |
13 | Tixier, Jordi | FRA | KTM | 47 |
14 | Jacobi, Henry | GER | HON | 45 |
15 | Jonass, Pauls | LAT | HUS | 42 |
16 | Evans, M. | AUS | HON | 42 |
MX2 Race 1
In the first MX2 race of the Argentinian Grand Prix, it was Vialle with the Fox Holeshot as he led the way ahead of Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing’s Jago Geerts, Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Kay de Wolf, Red Bull GasGas Factory Racing’s Simon Längenfelder and Gianluca Facchetti of KTM Beddini MX2.
Further behind was Big Van World MTX Kawasaki pilot Mikkel Haarup who was applying a lot of pressure onto Hitachi KTM fuelled by Milwaukee’s Isak Gifting. He was able to make it stick and move into sixth and set his sights on Facchetti ahead.
Geerts then managed to break free of the hard charging de Wolf and set the fastest lap of the race as he looked to get back in the battle with Vialle.
de Wolf then lost some ground and it looked like Längenfelder was going to use this to his advantage to go after third. As the battle between the pair intensified, both de Wolf and Längenfelder crashed hard, in two separate crashes within second of each other, with de Wolf not finishing the race, while the Längenfelder was able to get going again.
Meanwhile F&H Kawasaki Racing’s Kevin Horgmo was looking very strong as he charged through the field. By lap seven, he inherited third and was looking good to finish inside the top three.
Meanwhile Vialle was looking more and more comfortable in the lead, as the riders battled behind him. Red Bull GasGas Factory Racing’s Mattia Guadagnini got by 426 Motorsports Conrad Mewse for fifth, with Haarup doing the same after crashing earlier in the race.
In the final two laps we saw some excitement at the sharp end of the field, as Geerts looked to steal the win from Vialle. And he did just that, though Vialle responded, and it took the Belgian a couple more corners to secure the spot entirely.
Geerts went on to win the race ahead of Vialle, Guadagnini, Haarup and Horgmo, who lost two spots on the final lap.
MX2 Race 2
The second race of the MX2 category did not begin as planned with the race being red flagged less than two laps in, as Facchetti went down, and the medical crew needed a clear track to move him safely. The Italian confirmed on his Instagram page that he sustained a small fracture to his wrist and ribs.
The restart of the race though saw Längenfelder claim the second Fox Holeshot with Geerts right behind him.
By the end of the second lap, Geerts was already the race leader, as Vialle also went by Längenfelder and so did Horgmo. The German and Norwegian then had a close battle, though were caught out by Guadagnini who was on a charge, as he managed to get by both riders by the fifth lap, to move himself into third.
Vialle looked like he was on a mission after a tough couple of races and on lap five he got by Geerts to take over first place. A couple of laps later Horgmo crashed out of fourth, but was able to get going quickly in sixth, though he did not finish the race in the end.
Haarup was on it as he passed both Längenfelder and then later Guadagnini to secure third place in the race by the chequered flag.
Vialle crossed the finish line first, 6.463 seconds ahead of Geerts, with Haarup third, Guadagnini fourth and Längenfelder fifth.
A 2-1 result gave Vialle his first Grand Prix victory of the season, with Geerts forced to settle for second, while Haarup celebrated his first MX2 podium since Matterley Basin 2020.
As it stands, heading into the fourth round of the series in Portugal, Geerts leads the championship with 137 points, 26 ahead of Vialle, with Längenfelder third just a further point behind.
Tom Vialle – P1
“A nice weekend and I really wanted to win that second moto but it was very fast and tough out there. I wanted to make the passes quickly and it worked out I had to stay focussed. I’m getting back to speed and physically I’m strong after a difficult winter of preparation. The season is getting going for me now. We have another 17 GPs ahead. I want to thank the whole team for the job at this GP. We have an amazing race bike.”“It was a nice victory, you know it was a little bit tough for me in the last few weeks, so after Mantova we made tested with the bike and I made a pretty good set-up. I felt good and I really wanted to win the second race and when I passed Jago I was really wanted to push until the end and it was a nice victory and hard because Jago was really fast, but I tried to stay focused on the race. The weekend went pretty well, and it was a nice victory.”
Jago Geerts – P2
“It was a good weekend for me. The first heat was really good, and I was happy to pass Tom in the last two laps. In the second moto, I wasn’t feeling great, but it did start coming back. I felt good, but I had really big blisters on my hands, so it was impossible to keep the pace. But, overall, I have to be happy, I get to keep the red plate and I am fit and healthy for the next round.”
Mikkel Haarup – P3
“Already yesterday I could feel I had a good flow around the track and like in the weekends before I was improving every session; after fourth in the Qualifying race I could see my pace was there for the podium but I didn’t want to take it for granted so I kept working and really pushed for it. I made some nice passes both motos but I made it difficult for myself in race one when I slid out when fifth so I had to come back from twelfth to fourth. I recovered well between the races and could push all of the second race too. I’m really happy, not just for myself but for the entire team and everybody around me; this was a team effort and we’re only just getting started. It was so good to be back on the podium. It’s difficult to describe the emotion; you work so hard for it and I just tried to enjoy every moment up there but tomorrow is a new week and we carry on working; I can see I have even more and want to be up there with the guys right at the front.”
Mattia Guadagnini – P4
“I am pretty happy about my weekend. I found a good rhythm again. I finished third and fourth for fourth overall, but I had the same points as third. That was tough to accept. It is good though – I am back in the rhythm. I am so happy about that! We will use this as a starting point and keep working from here.”
Simon Langenfelder – P9
“I was fourth in the first moto and felt faster. I wanted to prepare my pass, but gave it too much gas and hit the ground really hard. I am happy that I am okay! I just salvaged points. I took the holeshot in the second moto, but I made a mistake in the middle of the race. I was trying to be loose after that and salvage something. I am going to recover and be ready for the next race.”
Kevin Horgmo – P10
“Once again I had good speed but I was just making too many mistakes on my part, again hitting the ground a couple of times. But I felt good in myself, the bike was perfect for this track and I felt really comfortable. I’m still trying to establish myself in the top six; I should soon be getting used to it but it is relatively new to me and I still have a lot of nerves. Let’s go from here.”
MX2 Round 3 Overall
Pos | Rider | R1 | R2 | Total |
1 | Vialle, Tom | 22 | 25 | 47 |
2 | Geerts, Jago | 25 | 22 | 47 |
3 | Haarup, Mikkel | 18 | 20 | 38 |
4 | Guadagnini, Mattia | 20 | 18 | 38 |
5 | Mewse, Conrad | 15 | 12 | 27 |
6 | Rubini, Stephen | 13 | 13 | 26 |
7 | Adamo, Andrea | 10 | 15 | 25 |
8 | Sydow, Jeremy | 11 | 14 | 25 |
9 | Laengenfelder, Simon | 8 | 16 | 24 |
10 | Horgmo, Kevin | 16 | 8 | 24 |
11 | Fredriksen, Hakon | 9 | 11 | 20 |
12 | Gifting, Isak | 14 | 6 | 20 |
13 | Pascual, Pablo Jeremias | 6 | 10 | 16 |
14 | Righi, Luciano | 7 | 9 | 16 |
15 | Ciccimarra, Fermin | 5 | 7 | 12 |
16 | Facchetti, Gianluca | 12 | 0 | 12 |
17 | de Wolf, Kay | 4 | 0 | 4 |
MX2 Standings
Pos | Rider | Nat. | Bike | Total |
1 | Geerts, Jago | BEL | YAM | 137 |
2 | Vialle, Tom | FRA | KTM | 111 |
3 | Laengenfelder, S. | GER | GAS | 110 |
4 | Haarup, Mikkel | DEN | KAW | 92 |
5 | Adamo, Andrea | ITA | GAS | 85 |
6 | Guadagnini, M. | ITA | GAS | 81 |
7 | de Wolf, Kay | NED | HUS | 78 |
8 | Horgmo, Kevin | NOR | KAW | 78 |
9 | Rubini, S. | FRA | HON | 69 |
10 | Gifting, Isak | SWE | KTM | 67 |
11 | Mewse, Conrad | GBR | KTM | 65 |
12 | Fredriksen, H. | NOR | HON | 59 |
13 | Van De Moosdijk, R. | NED | HUS | 55 |
14 | Sydow, Jeremy | GER | KTM | 51 |
15 | Facchetti, G. | ITA | KTM | 32 |
2022 Racing schedule
2022 Yamaha Australian Off-Road Championship, presented by MXstore
Round | Location | Date |
Round 1 & 2 | Cherrabah, QLD | 19-20 March 2022 |
Round 3 & 4 | Mackay, QLD | 8 – 9 April 2022 |
Round 5 & 6 | Kyogle, NSW | 16 – 17 July 2022 |
Round 7 & 8 | Nowra, NSW | 6 – 7 August 2022 |
Round 9 & 10 | Kingston SE, SA | 17 – 18 Sept 2022 |
Round 11 & 12 | Wynyard, TAS | 8 – 9 Oct 2022 |
2022 FIM Motocross (MXGP) World Championship Calendar
Round | Date | Event/Location |
Round 1 | 20 Feb | MXGP of Great Britain, Matterley Basin |
Round 2 | 06 Mar | MXGP of Argentina, TBA |
Round 3 | 20 Mar | TBA |
Round 4 | 27 Mar | MXGP of The Netherlands, Oss |
Round 5 | 10 Apr | MXGP of Trentino (ITA), Pietramurata |
Round 6 | 24 Apr | MXGP of Latvia, Kegums |
Round 7 | 01 May | MXGP of MFR, Orlyonok |
Round 8 | 15 May | MXGP of Sardinia (ITA), Riola Sardo |
Round 9 | 29 May | MXGP of Spain, intu Xanadú – Arroyomolinos |
Round 10 | 05 Jun | MXGP of France, Ernee |
Round 11 | 12 Jun | MXGP of Germany, Teutschenthal |
Round 12 | 26 Jun | MXGP of Jakarta (INA), Jakarta |
Round 13 | 03 Jul | MXGP of Indonesia, Semarang |
Round 14 | 17 Jul | MXGP of Czech Republic, Loket |
Round 15 | 24 Jul | MXGP of Flanders (BEL), Lommel |
Round 16 | 07 Aug | MXGP of Sweden, Uddevalla |
Round 17 | 14 Aug | MXGP of Finland, Iitti-KymiRing |
Round 18 | 21 Aug | MXGP of Charente Maritime (FRA), St Jean d’Angely |
Round 19 | 04 Sep | MXGP of Turkey, Afyonkarahisar |
Round 20 | 18 Sep | TBA |
2022 Monster Energy AMA/ FIM World Supercross Schedule
Round | Date | Venue | Location |
Round 1 | January 8 | Angel Stadium | Anaheim, CA. |
Round 2 | January 15 | RingCentral Coliseum | Oakland, CA |
Round 3 | January 22 | Petco Park | San Diego, CA |
Round 4 | January 29 | Angel Stadium | Anaheim, CA |
Round 5 | February 5 | State Farm Stadium | Glendale, AZ |
Round 6 | February 12 | Angel Stadium | Anaheim, CA |
Round 7 | February 19 | US Bank Stadium | Minneapolis, MN |
Round 8 | February 26 | AT&T Stadium | Arlington, TX |
Round 9 | March 5 | Daytona Intl. Speedway | Daytona Beach, FL |
Round 10 | March 12 | Ford Field | Detroit, MI |
Round 11 | March 19 | Lucas Oil Stadium | Indianapolis, IN |
Round 12 | March 26 | Lumen Field | Seattle, WA |
Round 13 | April 9 | Dome at America’s Center | St. Louis, MO |
Round 14 | April 16 | Atlanta Motor Speedway | Atlanta, GA |
Round 15 | April 23 | Gillette Stadium | Foxborough, MA |
Round 16 | April 30 | Empower Field at Mile High | Denver, CO |
Round 17 | May 6 | Rice-Eccles Stadium | Salt Lake City, UT |
2022 FIM Hard Enduro World Championship Provisional Schedule
Round | Event | Country | Date |
Round 1 | Minus 400 | Israel | April 5/6/7 |
Round 2 | Xross | Serbia | May 19/20/21 |
Round 3 | Red Bull Erzbergrodeo | Austria | June 16/17/18/19 |
Round 4 | Abestone Hard Enduro | Italy | July 8/9/10 |
Round 5 | Red Bull Romaniacs | Romania | July 26/27/28/29/30 |
Round 6 | Red Bull TKO | USA | August (date TBC) |
Round 7 | Red Bull Outliers | Canada | August (TBC, two weeks after TKO) |
Round 8 | HERO Challenge | Poland | September 10/11 (location TBC) |
Round 9 | Hixpania Hard Enduro | Spain | October 7/8/9 |
2022 Australian Arenacross Calendar
Round | Location | Date |
Round 1 | Bacchus Marsh | Jan-29 |
Round 2 | Swan Hill | Feb-12 |
Round 3 | Albury/Wodonga | Feb-26 |
Round 4 | Renmark | Mar-12 |
2022 ProMX Championship Calendar
Round | Location | Date |
Round 1 | Wonthaggi, VIC | Mar-27 |
Round 2 | Mackay, QLD | Apr-10 |
Round 3 | Wodonga, VIC | May-01 |
Round 4 | Gillman, SA | May-29 |
Round 5 | Maitland, NSW | Jun-26 |
Round 6 | Coffs Harbour, NSW | Jul-24 |
Round 7 | Queensland Moto Park | Aug-14 |
Round 8 | Coolum, QLD | August 20-21 |
2022 Lucas Oil Pro MX Championship Calendar
Round | Event | Location | Date |
Round 1 | Fox Raceway National I | Pala, CA | May-28 |
Round 2 | Hangtown Motocross Classic | Sacramento, CA | Jun-04 |
Round 3 | Thunder Valley National | Lakewood, CO | Jun-11 |
Round 4 | High Point National | MT Morris, PA | Jun-28 |
Round 5 | Redbud National | Buchanan, MI | Jul-02 |
Round 6 | Southwick National | Southwick, MA | Jul-09 |
Round 7 | Spring Creek National | Millwille, MN | Jul-16 |
Round 8 | Washougal National | Washougal, WA | Jul-23 |
Round 9 | Unadilla National | New Berlin, NY | Aug-13 |
Round 10 | Budds Creek National | Mechanicsville, MD | Aug-20 |
Round 11 | Ironman National | Crawfordsville, IN | Aug-27 |
Round 12 | Fox Raceway National II | Pala, CA | Sep-03 |
2022 Victorian Junior MX State Titles Calendar
Round | Location | Date |
Round 1 | Shipwreck | April 2-3 |
Round 2 | Broadford | May 7-8 |
Round 3 | Horsham | July 30-31 |
Round 4 | Korumburra | September 3-4 |
2022 WA State Supercross Championship Calendar
Round | Event | Date | Location |
– | SX Accreditation 1 | Dec-04 | Coolup |
– | SX Accreditation 2 | Jan-15 | Coolup |
Round 1 | SX Championship | Feb-05 | Coolup |
Round 2 | SX Championship | Feb-19 | Coolup |
2022 FIM Bajas World Cup Calendar
Date | Event | Venue | Country |
17-19 February | Jordan Baja | Aqaba | Jordan |
24 -26 February | Qatar Intl. Baja | Doha | Qatar |
06-08 May | Baja do Oeste Castelo | Branco | Portugal |
22-23 July | Baja Aragon | Teruel | Spain |
04-07 August | Hungarian Baja | Varpalota | Hungary |
29-31 August | Atacama Baja 1 | Iquique | Chile |
01-02 September | Atacama Baja 2 | Iquique | Chile |
27-29 October | Baja Portalegre | Portalegre | Portugal |
10-12 November | Saudi Baja * Tbc | Saudi | Arabia |
01-03 December | Dubai Intl. Baja | Dubai United | Arab Emirate |
2022 Silk Way Rally – July 6-16, 2022
2022 FIM ISDE – Le Puy en Velay, France
29 August-3 September, 2022