Moto Wrap | Finke | TrialGP | MX | ISDE | Enduro | WSX

Moto News Weekly Wrap
June 14, 2022

What’s New:

• David Walsh wins Finke Desert Race
• Matt Moss dominates WA MX Round 4
• James Scott wins NZ Enduro final – Yearbury crowned champ
• Maxime Renaux fractures T1, T2, T5 and T7 vertebrae in qualifying
• Broadford 100 postponed due to weather
• Jordon Smith to Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing
• Sam Rogers & Hunter King to ride with Rieju Australia
• Altherm JCR Yamaha downscales heading towards 2023
• FIM Speedway of Nations to run over four days in Esbjerg
• World Supercross announces 250 cc SX2 format
• 2023 and 2024 ISDE host confirmed
• Sanders replaced by Andy Wilksch for ISDE 2022
• Hard Enduro next stop Red Bull Erzbergrodeo
• JD Beach wins Laconia Short Track
• Bou & Busto leave Spanish TrialGP opener tied
• Rick Elzinga tops EMX250 in Germany
• Alexis Fueri takes the EMX125 win in Germany
• Record entries for Junior e-Motocross Round 3 in Germany
• Riders talk the 2022 Thunder Valley AMA Pro MX
• Mitch Evans seventh at 2022 MXGP of Germany
• 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

David Walsh wins Finke Desert Race 2022

Hometown hero David Walsh piloted his KTM 500 EXC-F to his third Finke Desert Race victory in a row over the long weekend. 32-year-old Walsh had set the pace on the opening day of competition to build a three-minute lead over Husqvarna FE501 pilots Jacob Smith and Jack Simpson. That trio retained those places on the return run to complete the podium.

Walsh finished with a total of 3h35m45s and enjoyed a handy advantage of 2m24s over second place. His performance saw him eclipse the previous Finke Desert Race record of Toby Price by a full 11 minutes over the 452 kilometre race distance.

David Walsh – P1

“We put in a lot of work and it feels amazing to reap the rewards of that to get my third-consecutive win. This race means a lot to me and I’m glad we can keep the trophy here in Alice Springs. On the whole leg home today I forced myself to concentrate on the job at hand as there were some nasty sections out there and you only win if you cross the finish line in first place. I’m looking forward to celebrating now and to welcoming our new baby – due this week – into the world.”

Jacob Smith – P2

“We laid low heading into Finke and then started well. I had a really good Prologue and put it on pole, which was cool. Obviously started on the front row and got a good jump off the line, I led for the first 30-odd kilometres. I had a bit of moment – hit a square edge that I didn’t see and that sort of rattled me for a little bit. Then Jack [Simpson] got by me and I was in dust for probably 120 kilometres. Once I got back by Jack, I put some time into him and got down to Finke in second, so I was pretty happy with that overnight. I knew Walshy [David Walsh] was going to be pretty hard to beat, he was just on another level, so on the way home I went as fast as I could. I knew it was going to be big gap to try and pull in three minutes, but I just wanted to stay in second and overall I’m pretty pumped with the result, all things considered.”

Kurrajong’s Korey McMahon was nearly four-minutes further behind to claim fourth and the 450 cc category win.

Korey McMahon – P4

“All in all it was a good weekend, had a lot of progression and learnt a lot. To be that far up in my second Finke was pretty good, so I will continue to learn and focus on getting even further up the front! I’m pretty stoked with the result, especially I’m still only new to the game in the desert and the MC 450F handled the conditions really well. On the way down I had a little bit of a fault with my steering damper, so I couldn’t push as hard as I wanted to, but on the way back I was able to push and ride to my potential there. It’s a good result still, but I think I left a little bit on the table on the way down to be three minutes quicker on the way home! We’ll see what next year brings and I’m grateful for everybody who made it possible.”

Brodie Waters finished fifth. Brodie’s brother Nick crashed quite heavily before the first fuel stop on day one. Older brother and three-time Aussie Superbike Champ Josh helped crew for his siblings as they have done so often for him in ASBK.

Finke was for a long time dominated by Honda. A perfect run from 1991 through to 2002, and then again from 2004 through to 2008 particularly strong periods for Honda. Since 2009 though KTM have only been beaten twice, once by Honda in 2013 when Todd Smith gave Big Red their 20th victory, and once by Yamaha with Daymon Stokie in 2017.

This year the top 16 finishers were all on machines born from Mattighofen, across the KTM, Husqvarna and GASGAS stable of brands controlled by KTM AG. The first non KTM built machine home was the Sherco of Ryan Coussens in 17th place.

In what we believe must also be a first, four Victorian brothers all competed in and completed the 2002 Finke Desert Race. Victoria’s Four Brothers Racing, more widely known for their exploits on quad bikes, but with the four-wheelers not invited to Finke this year, the quartet took on the challenge on two wheels. They had their challenges along the way, but all the Van Vliet brothers made it home with Mitchell (76th), Cooper (151st), Harrison (170th) and Jake (242nd).

2022 Finke Desert Race Results (Top 30)

Matt Moss dominates WA MX Round 4

WA MX Round 4 was run at a muddy Hendley Park Motocross in Byford over the weekend. Matt Moss dominated proceedings to take two wins and a perfect 50-points in the MX1 Pro class. Jayden Rykers claimed both second places. Charlie Creech and Liam Atkinson shared the final podium positions with a third a-piece.

Rykers now leads the overall standings on 189-points, from Creech on 160 and third placed Liam Atkinson is more distant on 142-points. Matt Moss currently sits 14th, purely on the 50-points earned at this meet.

In the MX2 Pro category, Jake Turner went 2-1 for the overall, with Ayden Bridgeford second off a 3-2 result. Cody Rowe completed the podium with the Race 1 win, but sixth in Race 2.

Stuart Eardley-Wilmot holds the MX2 lead despite finishing the weekend fourth, his buffer slimmed to 12-points over Turner on 171. Jordan Minear completes the MX2 top-three on 148 points.

MX1 Pro Results

MX1 Pro Standings

MX2 Pro Results

MX2 Pro Standings

James Scott wins NZ Enduro final – Yearbury crowned champ

James Scott won the final NZ Enduro round over the weekend, ahead of Joshua Jack and Brad Groombridge. However it was Dylan Yearbury who collected the title, ahead of Joshua Jack and Wil Yeoman. Next on the calendar is the Moto SR GNCC Series running from August into November as a four-round contest.

Maxime Renaux fractures T1, T2, T5 and T7 vertebrae in qualifying

Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP’s Maxime Renaux has fractured his T1, T2, T5 and T7 vertebrae during qualifying at the MXGP of Germany.

Renaux has returned to Belgium for a further assessment and to formulate a recovery program.

Broadford 100 postponed due to weather

The Harley Club of Victoria has released a statement following the postponement of the Broadford 100, with wet weather wreaking havoc at the track. Here’s what they had to say:

“The intended inaugural staging of the Broadford 100 could not go ahead last week – due to the wet weather that hit the area. An inspection of the track on Thursday afternoon indicated that it was too wet to race on and with no clear weather in the forecast for the next few days, there was no chance of it drying out. The tough decision to postpone at least gave plenty of notice for those who would have been travelling long distances. The Harley Club of Victoria are hopeful of organising a new date for the meeting – stay tuned.”

The rescheduled date will be announced in due course.

Jordon Smith to Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing

The Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing 250 team has announced the addition of Jordon Smith to their 2023 roster in the Monster Energy AMA Supercross and Lucas Oil Pro Motocross championships.

Jordon Smith

“I’m really excited to be joining the Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing team. After a few rough years, this past year was a building year for me. My goal was to get back to a factory team, and after all of the hard work I put in, I landed on the best team out there. I’m really excited to get to work and see what I can do working with this great group of people!”

It’s been a tough few years for the rider from Belmont, North Carolina, who was sidelined with injuries the following seasons. Back to full fitness, a reenergized Smith is hungrier than ever and ready to come out swinging next season with Yamaha.

Sam Rogers & Hunter King to ride with Rieju Australia

Hard Enduro rider Sam Rogers and protégé Hunter King will now be competing across Australia on the Spanish built Rieju MR 300 Pro in 2022, supported by Rieju Australia.

Sam Rogers’ skill, technique and ability in Trials made it easy for him to transition into the Hard Enduro scene, which led to him competing in numerous events up and down the east coast of Australia. Sam started competing in Hard Enduro at the end of 2018, being thrown in at the deep end with more well known and experienced riders, including some of the world’s best at the 2018 Wildwood Rock Extreme Enduro.

Sam has achieved ‘Gold’ class finishes in virtually every event that he has competed in to date. This year, Sam has decided to coach and bring young-gun Hunter King under his wing. Hunter has also been quite a successful rider in his own right, competing in not only Hard Enduro and Trials, but also Motocross. Sam also runs his own coaching clinics, Enduro Tech, where he passes on his years of experience in both Trials & Enduro competition.

Sam Rogers

“I am stoked to be a part of the Rieju team! I’ve gelled really well with the bikes as they are set up perfectly to suit my style of riding. I can’t believe how good these bikes are straight out of the crate! I can’t wait to get racing! Bring on the rest of 2022 and beyond!”

Some of the events that Sam & Hunter anticipate competing in 2022 are: the Grassroots Series, Wildwood in Victoria, Selected NSW and QLD events and the Queensland off-road series.

Hunter King

“I’m super excited to be part of the Rieju Australia team led by Sam Rogers. I am extremely grateful to get to ride in this team and with such a historic brand. Riding the Rieju MR 300 Pro is amazing! The bike looks stunning, feels light and has incredibly responsive power. I cannot wait to compete in some race events over the coming months.”

Altherm JCR Yamaha downscales heading towards 2023

Altherm JCR Yamaha has decided to scale back the size of its motocross team for the 2022/23 season. The reasons are two-fold and firstly revolve around the team’s focus on developing its younger riders; and secondly on ensuring it can sufficiently support all team members in New Zealand and abroad.

Altherm JCR Yamaha Team Manager Josh Coppins says increasing daily costs were a factor in the decision to downscale the number of riders, but he also wants to raise the bar higher in other areas.

Josh Coppins

“This includes our team and rider package, plus the technical aspects of our Yamaha motorcycles. We also want to put more resources into mechanic staffing, as well as coaching and leadership.”

2022/23 Altherm JCR Yamaha Team

• MX1 – Maximus Purvis (Mangakino) #44
• MX2 – Brodie Connolly (Tauranga) #88
• MX125 – Cole Davies (Auckland) #17

FIM Speedway of Nations to run over four days in Esbjerg

The draw for the FIM Speedway of Nations in Danish seaside city Esbjerg from July 27-30 has been revealed as the sport’s world team championship enters an exciting new era.

For the first time in the competition’s history, all four rounds of the FIM SON will be staged over four nights at a single venue as Semi-Finals 1 and 2, SON2 and the FIM SON Final all take place at Esbjerg’s Granly Speedway Arena.

With hosts Denmark seeded through to the FIM SON Final on July 30 automatically, 14 countries will battle it out for the remaining six spots over two nights of epic Semi-Final action on Wednesday, July 27 and Thursday, July 28.

The top three countries in each Semi-Final also book their places in the Final, which will be contested as a one-day event for the first time in the competition’s history on Saturday, July 30.

In a change for 2022, each country will be represented by their top three senior stars. Team managers are no longer required to select an under-21 rider – instead the sport’s top young guns will race in SON2 on Friday, July 29 in the revamped FIM Team Speedway Under-21 World Championship.

Hosts Denmark come up against reigning, 14-time FIM Team Speedway Under-21 world champions Poland, as well as Great Britain, Australia, Sweden, Czech Republic and Latvia.

The five-rider squads and starting line-ups for each nation will be revealed in the weeks leading up to the Esbjerg event.

World Supercross announces 250 cc SX2 format

SX Global, the company spearheading the FIM World Supercross Championship (WSX), have revealed the official FIM World Championship for the 250cc class (SX2) and an open format that provides significantly more freedom and flexibility for teams and riders.

For the first time in the history of supercross, an official FIM-sanctioned world supercross championship will be up for grabs in the SX2 class for the upcoming FIM World Supercross Championship, scheduled for this October.

To date, supercross has only offered an official FIM World Supercross Championship for 450 cc riders, a title currently held by Cooper Webb after his Championship in 2021. SX2 250 cc riders were never previously competing for official “FIM World Champion” status. That all changes with the upcoming pilot season for WSX and will continue ongoing, with official FIM World Championship titles available for both classes.

Adam Bailey – Managing Director Motorsport for SX Global

“An official FIM World Championship for 250cc riders is something that’s been a long-time coming in our sport, and with the truly global nature of our series, it just made sense to finally make it a reality for WSX as we move into this new era of global supercross competition.”

In addition to the official SX2 FIM World Championship, the entire structure of the SX2 class has been redefined to move away from the more “developmental” nature that the class has traditionally been held to in prominent supercross and motocross series. For decades, the sport’s most prominent series have mandated a system of points thresholds and age limits that restrict participation in the 250cc class.

The mandates force riders to move up to the 450cc class once a certain amount of competitive points have been earned over time. But with available seats in the 450 cc class typically being severely limited, these rules have forced many talented riders out of the sport entirely. The removal of these parameters will translate into significantly increased freedom and flexibility for teams in selecting riders, while also increasing competitive and professional opportunities for riders looking to extend their careers and maintain relevance.

The global series will also feature the richest championship prize purses in the sport’s history, with a total of $250,000 up for grabs at each round.

The FIM World Supercross Championship will annually take place in the second half of the year, including up to four events in 2022, from October through November. 2022 will serve as a “pilot” season, allowing the Championship to establish itself and build momentum going into 2023. 2023, and subsequent years, will see the FIM World Supercross Championship expand annually between June and November, with up to twelve events in 2023.

2023 and 2024 ISDE host confirmed

FIM International Six Days of Enduro (ISDE) hosts for 2023 and 2024 have been confirmed as Argentina and Spain respectively.

Next year will see the ISDE return to Argentina, this being only the second time that this historic event has visited this South American country, the inaugural visit being back in 2014 when the enduro world descended on San Juan for a memorable edition of the 6DAYS. Details regarding dates / location will be released during this year’s ISDE in France.

A year later, in 2024, the FIM International Six Days of Enduro will return to Spain for the fifth occasion, with this enduro rich country having previously hosted the event in 1970 – El Escorial, 1985 – Alp, 2000 – Granada and 2016 – Navarra. The last time the 6DAYS was held in Spain in 2016 it also marked the first edition of the FIM Enduro Vintage Trophy, which took place during the last three days of the competition at that time, with both the modern and historic event attracting a high level of entries. As is traditional full details of this event will be released during the 2023 ISDE.

Sanders replaced by Andy Wilksch for ISDE 2022

GasGas Factory rider Daniel ”Chucky” Sanders has withdrawn from Team Australia for the 2022 International Six Day Enduro Enduro (ISDE) due to the unavailability of suitable machinery for his intended class and will be replaced by fellow Victorian Andy Wilksch.

2022 Australian Men’s World Trophy Team:

• Andy Wilksch (E3) replacing Daniel Sanders
• Wil Ruprecht (E2)
• Daniel Milner (E2)
• Joshua Green (E1)

2022 Australian Women’s World Trophy Team:

• Jessica Gardiner
• Tayla Jones
• Emelie Karlsson

2022 Australian Junior World Trophy Team:

• Kyron Bacon (E1)
• Blake Hollis (E1)
• Korey McMahon (E2)

The 2022 International Six Day Enduro ISDE will be held in Puy en Velay, France from the 29th of August through 4th September 2022.

Red Bull Erzbergrodeo

It’s all systems go this week as the FIM Hard Enduro World Championship heads to Austria’s iconic Red Bull Erzbergrodeo for round three.

Put on hold during the Covid pandemic, the idyllic Austrian town of Eisenerz will once again come alive to the excitement of Hard Enduro, as thousands of competitors and race fans ready themselves for the Red Bull Erzbergrodeo.

Thursday’s MITAS Rocket Ride kicks the action into life. An infamous hill climb, competitors go head-to-head through a series of qualifiers trying to tame one of the Iron Giant’s cliff-like quarry walls.

Things turn high-speed on Friday with the first day of the Blaklader Iron Road Prologue. A test of flat-out speed and bravery, competitors tackle the quarry roads in a 13-kilometre-long time trial race from the bottom of the mountain right to the top. Some take it seriously as they bid for one of the 500 places available for Sunday’s main event, while the remainder of the 1,200 strong entry just want to have fun.

Saturday is again another day of qualification on the Blaklader Iron Road Prologue as those on the fringes of qualification give it one last shot, while others aim to better their start grid position for Sunday.

Sunday’s Red Bull Erzbergrodeo is what everyone has been waiting for. At the strike of 2.30pm riders are set loose on the iconic Red Bull Erzbergrodeo course. Waved away in groups of 50, it’s riders against the mountain. Only an elite few will cross the finish line within the four-hour allowed race time, with the majority scrambling to get as far as they can.

Currently jointly leading the FIM Hard Enduro World Championship, Graham Jarvis has won the previous two editions of Red Bull Erzbergrodeo, in 2019 and 2018. Already on the podium twice during the 2022 season, the Jarvis Racing Team rider has high hopes of making it a hat trick.

JD Beach wins Laconia Short Track

JD Beach (No. 95 Estenson Racing Yamaha MT-07 DT) scored a milestone victory as the 2022 Progressive American Flat Track season resumed with Saturday’s Progressive Laconia Short Track presented by MOMS at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon, New Hampshire.

Faced with an extraordinarily technical surface, passing was at a premium on the day, making the start all that more important. Beach earned the top pick of starting positions with his performance in the lead-up to the Mission SuperTwins presented by S&S Cycle Main Event but appeared to throw that pivotal advantage away by slipping down to third in the race’s opening corner.

However, the versatile Beach somehow slashed past both Briar Bauman (No. 3 Indian Motorcycle/Progressive Insurance FTR750) and Jared Mees (No. 1 Indian Motorcycle/Progressive Insurance FTR750) in less than a quarter mile to reassert his dominance before it could ever be questioned. He was effectively perfect from that point forward, never providing another rider with any real hope of stealing away the victory.

While Yamaha had gone nearly a half-century between oval wins prior to the Mission Red Mile I triumph of Beach’s Estenson Yamaha teammate, Dallas Daniels (No. 32 Estenson Racing Yamaha MT-07 DT), it took just two weeks to add another.

The triumph also happened to be the first oval win of Beach’s Progressive AFT career to go along with his four prior TT victories. And as a result of today’s points haul, Beach now holds the early advantage in the recently announced Progressive Triple Crown.

He said, “I felt great. Thanks to the whole team – this track has been rough. It’s been a long day, but we squeaked out a win. It feels amazing to finally win on an oval. We’ve still got a lot of races to go, but I’m looking forward to it.”

Speaking of Daniels, the rookie might have been able to give Beach a run if not for a poor start that saw he and Mees shuffled back into an early scrap for sixth. Despite the general difficulties with overtaking at the venue, Daniels systematically made his way forward, ultimately charging all the way up to second at the checkered flag.

It was a rewarding 1-2 for Estenson Yamaha who backed up their Mile excellence with an even more convincing outing at a Short Track.

After being overtaken by Daniels, Jarod Vanderkooi (No. 20 Mission Roof Systems Indian FTR750) followed the rising star up the order. With less than two minutes remaining, he made his way past the aforementioned Bauman and ‘19 Laconia ST winner Bronson Bauman (No. 37 Latus Motors Racing Harley-Davidson XG750R) to claim the final spot on the box.

Bronson ultimately finished fourth with Briar fifth after the Baumans waged a brother-vs-brother duel for the runner-up spot for more than half the contest.

Reigning champion Mees never did find his typical front-running form, ultimately coming home in sixth position. Despite suffering his worst finish of the season, Mees continues to lead the title fight. However, Daniels is now just 15 points back (122-107) while Briar and Beach remain significant factors as well with 100 and 98 points, respectively.

Davis Fisher (No. 67 Bob Lanphere’s BMC Racing Indian FTR750), Jesse Janisch (No. 33 Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson XG750R), Brandon Robinson (No. 44 Mission Roof Systems Indian FTR750), and Dan Bromley (No. 62 Vinson Construction/Viper Air Yamaha MT-07) completed the top ten.

Also notable is Sammy Halbert (No. 69 Mission Roof Systems Indian FTR750), who made his return to racing following his terrifying crash and subsequent injury at last year’s Charlotte Half-Mile. Halbert ran as high as fourth early before eventually fading back to eleventh.

SuperTwins Results – Laconia Short Track

SuperTwins Standings

Production Twins

Billy “the Kid” Ross (No. 109 Roof Systems/JRi Shocks Harley-Davidson XG750R) earned his first career Progressive AFT victory in dramatic, come-from-behind fashion in Saturday’s thrilling Mission Production Twins presented by Vance & Hines Main Event.

For just over six minutes, the race seemed all but certain to go to championship leader Jesse Janisch (No. 33 Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson XG750R), a one-time TT ace added Half-Mile and Mile victories to his résumé in recent weeks.

However, the combination of a couple small mistakes on an unforgiving track and heavy traffic saw Janisch’s hard-earned gap eaten away, allowing the 17-year-old Ross to close back to within striking distance just as they approached the final two laps. Ross proceeded to pounce when Janisch made a minor miscue with just over a lap to go and then successfully defended the position to the checkered flag.

The victory wasn’t just the first of Ross’ young career, it was his first Mission Production Twins result better than tenth and the first top-five of his pro career full stop.

“I can’t even take it all in yet,” Ross said. “I feel like it’s been coming for a couple races now, but I’m just glad it happened here. I almost settled in behind Jesse, but then he made a little bobble and I was like, ‘Okay, I’ve got to take advantage.’ It was a fun race.”

A few seconds back, the “partially-retired” Dan Bromley (No. 62 Vinson Construction/Viper Air Yamaha MT-07) showed he’s still got his chops with a strong ride to third. As a result, Bromley stands two-for-two in podiums per attempt this year following his runner-up at the season opener in Volusia.

Cory Texter (No. 1 G&G Racing/Yamaha Racing Yamaha MT-07) once again salvaged a decent result out of a less-than-perfect round. The defending class champ executed successive passes on sixth-placed Cole Zabala (No. 51 Memphis Shades/Corbin/Vinson Yamaha MT-07) and fifth-placed Johnny Lewis (No. 10 Moto Anatomy X Powered by Royal Enfield 650) to minimize the day’s damage with a fourth-place finish.

Meanwhile, it was a second consecutive tough outing for former points leader Nick Armstrong (No. 60 Competitive Racing Frames/Lessley Brothers Yamaha MT-07), who ended up 13th. As a result, Janisch has expanded his points lead from one to six (112-106) over Texter, while Armstrong now sits a distant third at 87.

Production Twins Results – Laconia Short Track

Production Twins Standings

AFT Singles

Parts Unlimited AFT Singles presented by KICKER title leader Kody Kopp (No. 12 Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 450 SX-FFE) was in a class of his own all day long at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

The prodigious Kopp was fastest in every practice and qualifying session, won his Semi and the Al Lamb’s Dallas Honda Challenge going away, and then stamped his authority through multiple starts and stops in a three-time red-flagged Main Event.

The field was gifted a pair of late Hail Marys, first when the charging Gage Smith (No. 113 BigR Racing/L&R Racing Honda CRF450R) crashed with a minute-and-a-half remaining on the clock, and then again when Michael Inderbitzin (No. 54 1st Impressions Services of Florida Honda CRF450R) had an incident shortly after the restart.

While the red flags deleted Kopp’s six-second advantage, they may have actually done him a favor by clearing out the possibility of encountering trouble in traffic in his final sprint to the flag.

The victory was Kopp’s third of ‘22. That, combined with an eighth on the part of title rival Morgen Mischler (No. 13 American Honda/Progressive Insurance CRF450R), and the DNS of the injured Max Whale (No. 18 Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 450 SX-FFE), allowed Kopp to rip his championship advantage open to 18 points over Mischler, and 41 over teammate Whale.

Despite his strong championship position, the 17-year-old Kopp remains focused on the here and now. He said, “It’s too early to think about that. We’re just playing it race-by-race. I can’t believe the opportunity this team has given me. It’s been so great for myself and my family.”

Behind Kopp, Trent Lowe (No. 48 Mission Foods/Al Lamb’s Dallas Honda CRF450R) narrowly edged rookie Chase Saathoff (No. 106 American Honda/Progressive Insurance CRF450R) for second at the stripe by 0.019 seconds.

It was an impressive performance for both riders with Lowe securing his second podium in the most recent three races. Saathoff, meanwhile, earned his first-career Progressive AFT podium in third despite having to start from the back of the field after forcing the race’s first red flag.

Trevor Brunner (No. 21 Estenson Racing Yamaha YZ450F) took fourth ahead of Mission Red Mile II winner Dalton Gauthier (No. 79 American Honda/Progressive Insurance CRF450R), who rounded out the top five.

AFT Singles Results – Laconia Short Track

AFT Singles Standings

Bou & Busto leave Spanish TrialGP opener tied

Reigning world champion Toni Bou began his title defence with a hard-fought second place as the TrialGP World Championship got underway today in l’Hospitalet de l’Infant, Tarragona. On the first lap, the Repsol Honda Trial Team rider’s performance was hampered by the heat and the hardness of the sections. By the second lap, Bou had begun to improve on the sensations, rectifying some of the errors committed on lap one to eventually climb the order to second place behind Jaime Busto.

Bou appeared to feel far more at ease on the second day of the Spanish TrialGP, something reflected in his marks. On the first lap, Toni Bou managed to finish first with just 3 penalty points, avoiding some of the more serious mistakes committed yesterday in certain areas.

On the second lap, the Repsol Honda Trial Team rider received the maximum penalty mark in section 2, leaving the battle for the win to go down to the wire against Jaime Busto, who once again rode a high-level performance today. Despite this, Bou’s consistency and skill – together with some of his rival’s errors in the latter sections – tipped the balance in favour of the Repsol Honda Trial Team’s Catalan rider.

Next stop for the TrialGP World Championship will be next weekend, from the 18-19th of June, in another double-date event in Sant Julià de Lòria (Andorra).

TrialGP World Championship Standings after Round 1 (Spain)

Rick Elzinga tops EMX250 in Germany

In the first EMX250 race which took place on Saturday, it was Hutten Metaal Yamaha Racing’s Rick Elzinga who led the way ahead of TBS Conversions Racing Team’s Camden Mc Lellan, Sahkar Racing’s Jorgen-Mathias Talviku, Sacha Coenen of Jumbo Husqvarna BT Racing Team as well as Mike Gwerder of WZ Racing Team.

Immediately, Talviku took over first place and began to push in order to open up a comfortable gap from the rest of the field.

Mc Lellan caught onto the rear wheel of Elzinga and was looking to launch an attack to take second place from the Dutchman. Though the pass that Mc Lellan to execute saw Elzinga stay firm as the two banged bars which left Mc Lellan down on the ground.

Fantic Factory Team Maddii’s Cornelius Toendel was down in ninth and manage to climb a couple of positions by the end of the race to eventually finish in seventh place.

On lap four, Elzinga was back in the lead as he got around Talviku, though the Estonian was not making it easy for Elzinga as he looked to fight back. Eventually, Talviku was also caught by S. Coenen who moved up to second.

As the race progress, Talviku dropped down to seventh and then eighth by the chequered flag as Elzinga was slowly pulling away from S. Coenen. Though Coenen crashed on lap nine and while it looked like Elzinga was going to have an easy win in the bag, his teammate Andrea Bonacorsi had other ideas.

In the latter stages of the heat, Bonacorsi set the fastest lap of the race after making his way up to third behind Team VRT KTM Veritise’s David Braceras and then passing, before pushing onto the rear wheel of Elzinga and passing him on the very last lap with only a few corners from the finish line.

Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Maxime Grau also made a late charge as he climbed his way up the order to third after a nice battle with Quentin Marc Prugnieres of 9MM Energy BUD Racing Kawasaki.

In the end, Bonacorsi was the winner ahead of Elzinga, Grau, Prugnieres and Braceras.

In the second race, it was S. Coenen who took the holeshot and led Elzinga, Grau, Haakon Osterhagen of Fantic Factory Team Maddii and Mc Lellan, while Bonacorsi crashed and was way down the order on the opening lap.

Toendel was running well in seventh in the early moments of the race before crashing down to 14th. He did manage to fight back to seventh though by the end of the race.

Back with the leaders, Grau dove down the inside of Elzinga for second. A few laps later he had to ride defensive as Elzinga was looking to take back his position and did so by the end of lap four.

Braceras then got passed by Mc Lellan for fourth place, as Bonacorsi made a few more passes further down the order which put him on the podium, provisionally at the time as this change a couple more times before the end of the race.

All while S. Coenen was looking solid in the lead and was on his way to his first race victory in EMX250. All was looking good until he crashed big and ultimately placed in 36th. This of course gifted Elzinga the lead as Grau pushed him in second place.

In the end, Elzinga won the race ahead of Grau, Mc Lellan, Braceras and Lucas Coenen of Jumbo Husqvarna BT Racing Team.

A 2-1 result gave Elzinga his fourth overall of the season, as Grau celebrated his first ever podium with a 2-3 scorecard ahead of Bonacorsi who secured his spot on the box ahead of Mc Lellan who missed out by just one point.

After six rounds Elzinga continues to lead the championship, 20-points ahead of Toendel and then Bonacorsi who is third.

Rick Elzinga

“For me, this overall was the best of the season. It was the hardest one for sure, my body was just giving up, mentally I was there, I just tried to hang on. I was a bit lucky, did my laps and that was the most important thing of the weekend. It paid off, second and first in the races, another overall, good points, so I’m happy.”

EMX250 – Overall Top 10 Classification

1. Rick Elzinga (NED, YAM), 47 points; 2. Maxime Grau (FRA, HUS), 42 p.; 3. Andrea Bonacorsi (ITA, YAM), 36 p.; 4. Camden Mc Lellan (RSA, KTM), 35 p.; 5. David Braceras (ESP, KTM), 34 p.; 6. Quentin Marc Prugnieres (FRA, KAW), 31 p.; 7. Lucas Coenen (BEL, HUS), 28 p.; 8. Cornelius Toendel (NOR, FAN), 28 p.; 9. Eddie Wade (ESP, KAW), 23 p.; 10. Haakon Osterhagen (NOR, FAN), 21 p.;

EMX250 – Championship Top 10 Classification

1. Rick Elzinga (NED, YAM), 241 points; 2. Cornelius Toendel (NOR, FAN), 221 p.; 3. Andrea Bonacorsi (ITA, YAM), 166 p.; 4. Camden Mc Lellan (RSA, KTM), 159 p.; 5. Lucas Coenen (BEL, HUS), 158 p.; 6. Haakon Osterhagen (NOR, FAN), 151 p.; 7. David Braceras (ESP, KTM), 147 p.; 8. Quentin Marc Prugnieres (FRA, KAW), 145 p.; 9. Jorgen-Matthias Talviku (EST, KTM), 113 p.; 10. Mike Gwerder (SUI, KTM), 102 p.;

Alexis Fueri takes the EMX125 win in Germany

In the opening heat of the EMX125 Presented by FMF Racing it was Ferruccio Zanchi of Yamaha Europe EMX125 MJC who got off to a flying start as he led with Fantic Factory Team Maddii’s Cas Valk behind him along with Julius Mikula, Yamaha Europe EMX125 MJC’s Ivano Van Erp and Fantic Factory Team Maddii’s Alexis Fueri.

In the opening lap, Valk dropped back to fourth and then fifth as his teammate Fueri passed him. Meanwhile further down the order, Karlis Alberts Reisulis of Yamaha Europe EMX125 MJC was making up for his poor start as he began to push inside the top five.

He quickly passed both Valk and Fueri and was in fourth, as Van Erp also got by Mikula to get himself into second position.

By the second lap, K. Reisulis was all over the rear wheel of Van Erp and by the fourth lap was ahead of the Dutchman. Then just one lap after that he also managed to fly by Zanchi and take over the lead.

Fueri then passed Mikula and then Zanchi by the 10th lap, as K. Reisulis was already more than eight seconds ahead of the rest of the riders.

Mikula needed to be careful as he had a hard-charging Valk urging him on, as he looked to make up for the slow start and maximise points.

In the closing stages, Fueri was also pushing hard as he managed to take a lot of time out of the leader and whittle the gap down to less than a second as he urged him on for the win.

In the end, K. Reisulis was able to hold on and win the race, Fueri crossed the line 0.862 seconds behind in second ahead of Zanchi, Valk and Janis Martins Reisulis.

In race two, Fueri was the leading rider out of the gate with Valk, Simone Mancini of KTM Racestore MX2, Maximilian Werner of Diga Procross KTM Racing, Zanchi and K. Reisulis just behind.

K.Reisulis then crashed on the opening lap and got going again just inside the top 20, while Fueri looked like he was settling into the lead. Van Erp crashed early on too.

Edgar Canet of RFME GasGas MX Junior Team passed Mancini to take fifth as Zanchi set the fastest lap of the race while he remained third behind Valk and Fueri. The top three were close and the battle was intense.

Further down the order, Van Erp and K. Reisulis banged bars as Van Erp moved past his teammate to get into 12th. That’s when K. Reisulis also looked like he was having issues with his bike and eventually could only salvage 10th, while Van Erp continued his assault further up the field.

In the final laps, Valk began to push his teammate as the two worked through traffic, though Fueri was able to stay mistake free and keep Valk behind him until the chequered flag. Fueri won the race, Valk was second ahead of Zanchi, Van Erp and Canet.

The top three of the second race were also the top three of the podium, as Fueri won with 47 points, while Valk and Zanchi tied on 40 points each.

Valk continues to lead the EMX125 Presented by FMF Racing Championship with a 27-point advantage over Fueri, while K. Reisulis remains third ahead of his brother J. Reisulis who is fourth in the standings.

Alexis Fueri

“I try to do my best every race and every weekend. Finally, I am back on the top, it was good for me, I am happy but I need to work for Lommel.”

EMX125 Presented by FMF Racing – Overall Top 10 Classification

1. Alexis Fueri (FRA, FAN), 47 points; 2. Cas Valk (NED, FAN), 40 p.; 3. Ferruccio Zanchi (ITA, YAM), 40 p.; 4. Karlis Alberts Reisulis (LAT, YAM), 36 p.; 5. Janis Martins Reisulis (LAT, KTM), 31 p.; 6. Antonio Gallego (ESP, GAS), 27 p.; 7. Edgar Canet (ESP, GAS), 25 p.; 8. Marc-Antoine Rossi (FRA, KTM), 25 p.; 9. Simone Mancini (ITA, KTM), 23 p.; 10. Vitezslav Marek (CZE, KTM), 20 p.;

EMX125 Presented by FMF Racing – Championship Top 10 Classification

1. Cas Valk (NED, FAN), 252 points; 2. Alexis Fueri (FRA, FAN), 225 p.; 3. Karlis Alberts Reisulis (LAT, YAM), 216 p.; 4. Janis Martins Reisulis (LAT, KTM), 179 p.; 5. Ivano Van Erp (NED, YAM), 176 p.; 6. Marc-Antoine Rossi (FRA, KTM), 146 p.; 7. Julius Mikula (CZE, KTM), 122 p.; 8. Ferruccio Zanchi (ITA, YAM), 116 p.; 9. Elias Escandell (ESP, GAS), 97 p.; 10. Mathis Valin (FRA, GAS), 89 p.;

Record entries for Junior e-Motocross Round 3 in Germany

Gaining in popularity with every passing round, the third stop of the European Junior e-Motocross Series attracted a record line-up or 35 riders from 13 countries. The strong entry delivered close racing throughout both races around the Teutschenthal circuit in Germany with the overall victory secured by young French racer Timoteï Cez. Joining Cez on the rostrum were a pair of British racers, Austin Edwards in second with Cameron Berry in third.

Racing to victory at round one of the European Junior e-Motocross Series just two weeks ago in Spain, Timoteï Cez endured a tough second round at home in France to place seventh overall. Eager to put his title aspirations back on track in Germany the youngster was flawless all weekend. Posting the fastest time in qualifying, he then stormed to victory in both races to secure his second overall win of the series.

In the opening race, Cez lead from start to finish aboard his KTM SX-E 5 while an intense battle for the remaining spots on the podium unfolded behind him. Round two overall runner-up Austin Edwards was on the move throughout the seven minute plus one lap race, advancing from fourth on lap one to make the pass for the runner-up position on the final lap. Spaniard Logan Liberal Rodas chased Edwards across finish line for third with current series leader, Berry, who crashed twice, in sixth.

Race two saw Cez once again show his competition the fast way around the hardpack circuit, claiming another impressive victory and securing maximum points. Capitalising on their strong starts, Berry, Austria’s Elias Eder, and Edwards quickly found themselves in a race-long fight for a place on the podium. It was Berry who would come out on top of the tussle to finish as runner-up, with Eder third and Edwards fourth. At the finish line, the trio were separated by just three seconds in what was a truly intense end to the second race in Germany.

At the conclusion of an exciting third round, Berry retains the European Junior e-Motocross Series lead by just a single point over Cez, while the super-consistent Edwards advances to third. Now, with only two rounds to go and 100 points still up for grabs, the series will conclude with a double header event at the MXGP of Czech Republic on July 16-17.

Timoteï Cez

“My weekend went really well here in Germany. I must thank my parents and all of my sponsors. It was just a perfect weekend for me. I had good starts in both races, which helped a lot, and I love this kind of track with it being hardpack and all the beautiful ruts. It’s great to win again and I’m excited for the final two rounds next month.”

Cameron Berry

“The first race wasn’t so good as I crashed twice but I was able to finish sixth and score some good points. Race two was much better for me by finishing second and I wasn’t too far from the leader, so I was much happier with that one. I’m in a good position with the series lead going into the final two rounds so I’m happy and excited for the trip to Loket.”

MXE – Series Top 10 Classification

1. Cameron Berry (GBR, KTM), 120 points; 2. Timoteï Cez (FRA, KTM), 119 p.; 3. Austin Edwards (GBR, KTM), 108 p.; 4. Elias Eder (AUT, KTM), 98 p.; 5. Logan Liberal Rodas (ESP, KTM), 94 p.; 6. Adan Quesada (ESP, KTM), 77 p.; 7. Riccardo Galia (ITA, GAS), 67 p.; 8. Alejandto Mellado Palomino (ESP, KTM), 60 p.; 9. Ares Gil (ESP, HUS), 59 p.; 10. Noé Methais (FRA, KTM), 52 p.;

Riders talk the 2022 Thunder Valley AMA Pro MX

The highest temperatures of the season thus far, combined with more than 6,000 feet of elevation at Thunder Valley Motocross Park, provided a true challenge for the world’s best riders at the third round of the 50th Anniversary of the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship.

With the heat index hovering in the mid-30’s, the Toyota Thunder Valley National became a battle of endurance across both classes as Team Honda HRC swept the overall wins for the second time this season, where Ken Roczen prevailed in the 450 Class and Jett Lawrence raced to a third straight victory in the 250 Class.

See the full moto-by-moto report here:
Four different race winners at Thunder Valley AMA Pro MX

250 Overall

Despite missing out on a moto win, Jett Lawrence’s consistent 2-2 effort was enough to put him atop the overall classification for his third straight win to open his title defense. It marked the eighth win of the young Australian’s career. Hunter Lawrence followed in the runner-up spot (4-1) for the second 1-2 performance for the siblings this season, while Kitchen’s resilient ride in the final moto was enough to bring him his first career podium result in third (1-5).

Jett Lawrence added another point to his lead in the championship standings, which now sits at 12 points over Hunter. Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki’s Jo Shimoda, who finished fifth, is third, 38 points out of the lead.

Jett Lawrence – P1

“I’m happy just to get through this day; I just went flat, and my speed wasn’t there, although I’m better than last weekend. It obviously helped getting really good starts today, but I didn’t think my sprinting was that great because Levi [Kitchen] and Hunter both were able to gap me. I hate to keep using the sickness, but last year I was fine here with the altitude. Hunter and I didn’t do much this week, just mainly starts. I think our bodies are working twice as hard during the moto because they’re fighting off the sickness and then riding. It’s annoying, but I’ve been lucky to put myself in pretty good spots with my starts. That first moto when Levi was out front, he was a bit of a new one because I haven’t got to race with him much. I had four or so laps where I tried to see if I could break him, but he pulled out even more. I ended up going, ‘Alrighty, I just need to keep second here and just try to get another good start in the second one.’ Then Hunter ended up pulling a holeshot, and I thought, ‘Oh gosh, this isn’t going to be fun trying to get around him.’ I’m hoping this week we can finally get rid of this cold, but I got the overall win, so I’m pumped.”

Hunter Lawrence – P2

“It was a good race. The first one, I was kind of frustrated with myself because my start didn’t give me the best opportunity to be where I wanted. The second one, I was pretty much like, ‘Screw it, I’m just going to hold it wide,’ and it worked out really well. Trying to get rid of this cold, we didn’t do any laps or such during the week—just worked on starts and different clutch delivery and stuff like that. The first moto I didn’t give it enough rpm, and the second moto, I said, ‘Screw it, I’m just going to send it.’ I held it wide, and it worked out pretty good. I got out of the gate, and I’m like, ‘I don’t see anyone—it’s like a dream!’ I was like, ‘Alright, I feel trash, but I can’t drop the anchor.’ I pushed as hard as I could, and it wasn’t too bad. I haven’t had a holeshot outdoors in a long time, so it was good; it made it easier. We’ll keep working on it—hopefully two more holeshots next week.”

Levi Kitchen – P3

“It was a good day in Colorado. I got a great start in that first moto and ended up winning it! Then in the second one, I got a mediocre start and then fell on the first lap and charged back up to fifth and got third overall. It’s my first podium, so I’m stoked! It’s a little bit easier than I thought it would be, to be honest, and I can’t wait to race again next weekend.”

Justin Cooper – P4

“The day was good overall. We had a consistent day, but the speed wasn’t there the whole time. We felt really comfortable towards the end of the moto, which is a good feeling. That’s when the track is at its worst, and we were able to feel good pushing. So, that’s something to take away from today, but we’ve really got to start challenging at the front more and be a little bit more aggressive. We’re going to take it from there, work on that, and show up next week ready to go.”

Jo Shimoda – P5

“I came into the day feeling pretty under the weather with a cold, so I knew that would be an extra challenge on top of the heat and altitude. I fought hard to make the most of the day and I came away with fifth overall. Now I’ll get some rest and come back next week ready to fight at the front again.”

Stilez Robertson – P6

“Today was pretty good,” Robertson said. “I went 6-7 in the motos, so it was the best day ever in outdoors for me. Six motos down and 18 to go, so let’s keep it going! I’m having fun and the team is killing it, so I’m looking forward to the rest.”

Michael Mosiman – P7

“I’ve been looking forward to this round all year, I love riding this track and I always feel comfortable here. We went to work this week and made some improvements on the bike and qualified P1, which is a personal best for me. It felt really good to have the opportunity to pick my own gate. First moto, I didn’t get the best of starts, made some quick passes and then made a mistake but I really was riding good. I started having some bike issues toward the end, which left me kind of limping it home for 13th. Second moto, I had a better start and was riding even better – I felt like I could have gone for a win but unfortunately had more bike issues. The speed is certainly there so I’m looking forward to putting all the pieces together.”

Matt LeBlanc – P8

“It was a good day and a big step in the right direction. We went 10-9 for eight overall today. We’re learning every time we go out there, and I’m happy with the improvements. I’m excited for the rest of the season. It was kind of my goal to prove that I should be here for all 12 rounds. I accomplished that, and now it’s time to keep this thing going. I’m looking forward to High Point next weekend.”

Seth Hammaker – P9

“In Moto 1, I battled up at the front for the whole race and finished fifth. In Moto 2, I started up front and was looking to compete in the top-five again but, after I crashed with another rider on the opening lap, I had to pull into the mechanic’s area briefly and came out close to last. I was hoping for a better finish than 15th but, I made a tough charge to pass most of the field and minimized the damage after that crash on Lap 1.”

Nick Romano – P10

“It was an up-and-down day. I was P19 in qualifying, which wasn’t good, but I put that behind me. I finished ninth in the first moto, which I was happy about, and then 13th in the second moto, which I’m not really happy about. I made a bike change that didn’t work out, and that’s on me for the second moto. We live and learn, though, and I’m leaving here healthy and ready to go for High Point.”

Pierce Brown – P11

“It was a rough day today. I was on the ground most of the day and just couldn’t get a flow. I’m pretty bummed on it but I guess you’re going to have those days. Hopefully we can be able to bounce back at High Point next week and try to put this one behind us.”

250 Round Points

250 Championship Points Standings

450 Round Overall

By virtue of his unexpected moto win, Roczen vaulted to the top of the overall classification, where his 2-1 moto finishes were enough to give him the 21st win of his career and his fifth victory at Thunder Valley, where he also emerged triumphant one year ago. Tomac earned a runner-up finish at his home race (1-3), while Sexton’s result in the final moto moved him into third overall (4-2).

With his third overall podium finish in as many races this season, Sexton maintained his hold of the championship lead. He currently holds a five-point advantage over Roczen, who gained seven points, while Tomac moved into third, 14 points behind Sexton.

Ken Roczen – P1

“Obviously I’m really happy with how today ended up. I’m getting better. I’m not the fastest out there, but I’m applying myself, I try really hard and I stay in it. I actually thought we got kind of lucky today with the weather. I feel physically pretty dang good compared to what I’ve been in the past. It seems like somewhere around halfway, when I start hitting lappers, I’m kind of searching a little bit and losing a lot of time. Once I make a mistake and get passed, I find myself and charge forward again. I’m going to try to work on that, to not get out of the flow. We always have little improvements to do, but I’m super-happy with what we’ve done this weekend. Obviously, Chase went down, so it was kind of given to me on that point, but I also had to battle really hard with Eli [Tomac] to stay in second place or else it wouldn’t have happened. I just got rewarded today, and I’m taking it. I’m just having fun with everything right now and trying to figure out these little pieces. Nothing’s ever perfect, and I’m good with where we’re at right now. I dedicate this win to everybody that’s behind me, especially my team. They keep believing in me.”

Eli Tomac – P2

“It was a good weekend. We were really close to getting the overall, but not quite enough. I was really happy with our first moto this weekend. It was our best first moto of the year that we’ve had, and I was able to make passes and push through the guys, so that was nice. Then in the second moto, I was really close to getting that overall. I made a couple of pass attempts on Kenny but couldn’t make anything fully stick. So, like I said, we put up a great fight, but it was just not quite enough this weekend.”

Chase Sexton – P3

“My starts were very subpar today; I was probably about 10th in both motos, which isn’t great. I had my work cut out for me. The first moto was pretty muddy, and I ran out of tear-offs before halfway; I was wiping my goggles and that was kind of a struggle. The second moto, minus that last mistake, was probably one of my best motos of the season. We’re in a good spot. It’s been fun racing these guys, and overall I feel like I’m in a different spot than I have been on the 450. The speed’s there, the bike’s pretty good, I’m in a good spot mentally and I’m having fun—that’s the key to it. We’ll take that and try to build off of it. I look forward to High Point.”

Jason Anderson – P4

“I believe me and my KX450SR were capable of winning today but, that mistake early in Moto 2 really cost me. It was good to grab another podium in Moto 1 and shows that we’re in a spot to compete consistently at the front of the field so that’s encouraging as we head into next weekend.”

Antonio Cairoli – P5

“I’m really happy about the race. Of course, I know that with my conditioning, all those guys in front are prepared for racing and winning the championship, and last moment only a month ago, I started to really work out to be here and it’s not enough. I felt today, I was a little bit worse off with the altitude. We have already a big improvement from the first round so I think we are in a good way and let’s move on from here and let’s see on the week and next week.”

Ryan Dungey – P6

“Today, I was pretty happy. In the first moto, I got a decent start and the pack didn’t just break away – we were all kind of right there for the first 15-20 minutes and that was encouraging. Even at the end of the race, the gap is shrinking. Second moto, I didn’t get the greatest of starts and I was trying to come through the pack. I got up to McElrath for fifth and I just got stuck at his pace and those guys got away. Two good solid motos, I just had to dig really deep but all-in-all, a positive day.”

Justin Barcia – P7

“It was a little better day, 6-8 for seventh overall. I was happy with the first moto, I definitely rode really well. The second moto, I struggled a little bit but all-in-all, it was definitely a big improvement. I’m looking forward to heading to the east coast with some good tracks and some good ruts.”

Shane McElrath – P8

“Much better today and a much better week all-around,” McElrath said. “We had a couple good riding days this week – actually my best ones yet – and we made really good progress on the bike. I think I’m just growing confidence every time I’m on the bike. It took me a while to get going today, so I need to work on that, but we’re taking big steps and I’m happy.”

Joey Savatgy – P9

“I ended up with the same overall result again this weekend but, I definitely feel better about my riding today. Overall, it was a strong day for me on the track and I’ll look to get more seat time this week so we can improve the result at Highpoint.”

Aaron Plessinger – P11

“I didn’t have the best day. I struggled in practice but going out for the motos, I felt pretty good. I made some good passes and came back but struggled with keeping it on two wheels. Overall, I’m kind of bummed about the way I rode but we’re good and we are ready to go for High Point and hopefully we can get the bike a little bit better this week and go from there.”

Christian Craig – P12

“It was a rough day at Thunder Valley. In the first moto, I crashed in the first turn, so I had to come from last and was able to make it back to 10th. In the second moto, I was running with the top guys and had a pretty big crash down the hill. Unfortunately, my bike was all twisted up, and I had to pull into the pits to fix it up. I was only able to get back to 12th, which was disappointing, but we’re going to take the positives and move on to High Point!”

450 Round Points

450 Championship Points Standings

The Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship will travel east for the first time next weekend with the Father’s Day tradition from Pennsylvania’s famed High Point Raceway and the fourth round of the 50th anniversary season.

Mitch Evans seventh at 2022 MXGP of Germany

Tim Gajser took the overall win at the MXGP of Germany, two-points ahead of Jeremy Seewer, with Thibault Benistant claiming the MX2 victory – his first – a point ahead of Jago Geerts. Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Tom Vialle suffered a problem with his bike in the second heat dropping down the overall and meaning that Geerts took back the red plate.

We also saw a shake up in the MXGP championship standings. With Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing’s Maxime Renaux out with several broken vertebrae after his crash in qualifying this allowed Gajser to extend his lead to 99 points over Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing’s Jeremy Seewer who now moves up.

For Aussie Mitch Evans, an excellent fifth in the qualification race gave him the opportunity to mix it up with the top riders off the gate and he was able to take advantage of that by posting two results inside the top 10 for the first time this year.

In both races, it was pretty much the case that where you crossed the first lap, is where you finished the race but Evans was able to advance from ninth to eighth in race one. In race two, he knew a better start would help him out and he was able to achieve that, crossing the line in sixth the first time around.

He was then involved in a race-long battle with riders ahead and behind, but he kept posting strong, consistent laptimes and received the chequered flag in sixth. His 28-point tally was four more than his previous best and gives him a lot of confidence that things can get even better in future rounds.

Mitch Evans – P7

“Today was my best points tally of the season, so I am very happy with how the weekend went. I got my joint-highest moto finish with a sixth in race two and that was after an eighth in race one, so two results inside the top ten and not too far away from a top five overall. I knew the starts would be important, so that helped, but it felt good to be battling the whole motos and fighting for every position. Now I have a couple of weeks to improve more and I’m feeling confident that this is going to be the start of some really good results.”

F&H Kawasaki Racing Team’s Jed Beaton emerged seventeenth from the opening lap of the first moto but was able to push for the entire thirty-five minutes to gain three positions on his way to fourteenth. The Australian was quickly fourteenth in race two and also finished in that position after a race-long battle with the runner-up from race one. He is now seventeenth in the series standings despite missing three rounds through injury.

2022 MXGP of Germany Video Highlights

MXGP Race 1

In MXGP race one, the Fox Holeshot went to Team HRC’s Tim Gajser who was the leading rider with Pauls Jonass of Standing Construct Husqvarna Factory Racing, Kawasaki Racing Team MXGP’s Romain Febvre, Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing’s Jeremy Seewer and Red Bull GasGas Factory Racing’s Jorge Prado and Mattia Guadagnini behind him.

Early on, Seewer began to push Febvre for third. It took the Swiss two laps, but he was able to make the pass happen.

Prado briefly took fifth from Guadagnini who immediately fought back, but eventually by the end of the lap Prado was able to secure the position from his teammate. Once the Spaniard got by the Italian, he set his sights on Febvre who was just ahead.

Gajser led the way and was looking solid as he also set the fastest lap of the race. While he was looking to run away with it, Seewer began to close in on Jonass who was second.

Meanwhile Prado continued to push Febvre, though made a mistake himself and crashed on lap 12. He got going again in seventh just behind Guadagnini and Honda 114 Motorsports’ Ruben Fernandez.

There was no change inside the top for the next several laps as Gajser went on to win the race ahead of Jonass and Seewer.

MXGP Race 2

In race two, it was Seewer who got the Fox Holeshot that time around, with Gajser, Prado, Fernandez and JM Honda Racing’s Henry Jacobi just behind.

In the first few corners, Prado took second from Gajser who responded shortly after to move back up to his original positions.

Jonass crashed out of fifth as he and Fernandez looked like they had a moment. With Fernandez losing ground, Gebben Van Venrooy Yamaha Racing’s Calvin Vlaanderen was able to use this to his advantage to take over fourth from the Spaniard.

With Seewer in the lead, Gajser was looking fast though could not get close enough to the Swiss to execute an attack.

Fernandez meanwhile was looking to fight back and take his lost position from Vlaanderen who immediately went defensive to keep the Honda rider at bay.

In the end there was not big changes inside the top 10 as Seewer claimed his second race victory of the season. Gajser crossed the line in second ahead of Prado, Vlaanderen and Fernandez.

A 1-2 result gave Gajser the upper hand as he took his seventh overall victory of the season ahead of Seewer who made it two podiums on the bounce with second overall ahead of Prado who was third.

With Renaux out of the GP, Gajser now holds a 99-point lead in the championship standings ahead of Seewer and Prado who both move up.

Tim Gajser – P1

“It was good to get back to winning ways and taking another holeshot was a bonus too. I really enjoyed the track this weekend and I think that showed in my riding. I was fastest in every session I think and even had the fastest laps in both races, so to come away with the overall was the best way to end this event. Going one-two and extending my lead to over 100 points is more than I could have hoped for so I must thank the team and my girlfriend Špela, who’s birthday it was today for their support. We have all worked extremely hard and I couldn’t do it without the backing they give me.”

Jeremy Seewer – P2

“In the first moto today, I was a little bit frustrated because I couldn’t get Pauls (Jonass). I tried a few times but couldn’t quite close the gap. The second race, I knew I needed a good start, and I managed to pull the holeshot, which was my first of the season. And then I managed to put in one of my best rides of the season with good rhythm. I felt amazing on my bike and my fitness is good. Tim (Gajser) was strong all weekend, topping every session except for the second moto, so for me, that feels good, and now we have to keep going.”

Jorge Prado – P3

“It was an okay weekend. I did not expect to be on the box after the first moto! I was struggling a little bit, but we made some steps in a good direction and that helped me in that second moto. We need to keep working though, especially on tracks like this. I am looking forward to the next event in Indonesia. I will do everything possible to go there at one hundred percent.”

Rubén Fernández – P4

“It was a good weekend for me. I was feeling strong in Saturday’s qualifying race but I made a small mistake and had a slow-speed crash and lost quite a few positions. I managed to push hard and come back to seventh, which was OK. I didn’t have the best starts today, but I was feeling good with my riding. I finished in fifth place in both motos and this gave me fourth overall. My results have been solid recently and this is what we want to see so I’m happy.”

Romain Febvre – P5

“I’m feeling happy at my performance but I’m really tired this evening. I knew it would be a tough track. I had some good practice but I have only had nine-or-ten hours on the bike during the last two-and-a-half weeks and after six months out that is nothing. My speed is not that bad but I knew my fitness would be tough. On Saturday I already showed good speed and even more today but the opposition have their flow after half-a-season and I have to catch up. I got a really good start in the first moto and it was great to race up there with the front-three but after fifteen-twenty minutes I missed some physical condition. When I decided to come here I never expected to be able to finish fourth but I knew the second moto would be even tougher. I had another good jump but the rear wheel spun over the gate and the two guys either side of me closed me down immediately. I think I was around seventh most of the race. I’m really happy but really tired.“

Pauls Jonass – P6

“I am disappointed to miss the podium, of course. Getting on the podium is always the goal! I felt so good on my FC 450 all weekend. Even in the second moto, when I was coming through the field, my speed was really good. I am confident though. The speed is there, as is the feeling on the bike, and the team is working so hard.”

Glenn Coldenhoff – P9

“It was a really tough weekend. I didn’t find my flow all weekend; I felt the track was pretty sketchy, but no excuses. My starts were also ‘off’ today and it’s pretty hard to fight back. Here it is more like ‘follow the leader.’ In the second race, I made a pass, but I am still really disappointed. It’s not where I should be, but what can I say? It just wasn’t my weekend.”

Mattia Guadagnini – P12

“I was not feeling one hundred percent this weekend, of course, because of the crash last week. I was really, really happy with the first race. I got into a rhythm and made no mistakes. I had a really good start in the second race, around fifth or sixth, but crashed in the second corner. I am disappointed about that, because I think that I could have been in the top eight. We will start training again now and get back to where we left off before the crash.”

MXGP Overall Result

MXGP Standings

MX2 Race 1

In MX2 race one, it was Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Tom Vialle who grabbed the Fox Holeshot ahead of Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing’s Thibault Benistant, Jan Pancar of TEM JP253 and Red Bull GasGas Factory Racing’s Simon Längenfelder.

Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Kay de Wolf went down in the start and was left with a lot of work to do as he started from the back of the field.

Benistant was pushing for the lead but briefly went off track, though managed to not to lose any positions. Geerts meanwhile began to push Pancar for the pass and shortly after, the Belgian was up to third.

Längenfelder then dropped back to fifth, as Big Van World MTX Kawasaki’s Mikkel Haarup caught onto the rear wheel of the German and began applying pressure. He made the pass and then also got around Pancar several laps later for fourth.

Vialle meanwhile was looking comfortable as he set the fastest lap of the race. This was quickly followed by a quick lap by Geerts who was looking to not to lose track of his championship, though he struggled to get around his teammate who was holding him up from getting to Vialle.

It took Geerts nine laps to pass Benistant and when he did that he was able to get his head down and focus on Vialle. He was able to take the gap down and in the final stages of the race we watched the pair battle it out for the win.

In the end, Vialle was able to keep calm and bring the win home in the opening heat, Geerts finished second ahead of Benistant, Haarup and Pancar.

MX2 Race 2

In race two, it was again Vialle who got the Fox Holeshot, but moments later Benistant was the leading rider as he made a quick move on the factory KTM rider. SM Action Racing Team YUASA Battery’s Andrea Adamo was next ahead of Geerts and Längenfelder.

Haarup made an early pass on Längenfelder for fifth, as Pancar faded to ninth after being got by F&H Kawasaki Racing’s Kevin Horgmo and de Wolf.

Geerts got around Adamo, and so did Längenfelder, as de Wolf dropped back to 11th,

While it looked like we had a French battle at the front on our hands, the race took a dramatic turn as Vialle stalled the bike and could not get it fired up again. After several tries, the Frenchman accepted defeated and walked back to the paddock. It was a costly moment for Vialle who lost the championship lead as a result.

At that point Benistant had clear track and was pulling away from his teammate. He was looking fast as he set several fastest laps of the race.

In the end, Benistant took the win ahead of Geerts, Haarup, Längenfelder and Horgmo.

A 2-1 result gave Benistant his first overall of the season, as Geerts settled for second ahead of Haarup who made his return to the box for the first time since Trentino.

A DNF for Vialle in race two hands Geerts the championship lead. The Belgian now has a 12-point lead over Vialle as Längenfelder remains third.

Thibault Benistant – P1

“My first GP win! I am really happy about this. I was riding really good all weekend, even though the first moto I was a little bit tight. I tried to stay with the guys, but they were going really fast, and I was not feeling really comfortable, so I finished P.3. I started second again in the second moto and tried to push directly. I managed this and took the victory. I really want to thank all the people in the background who we don’t see, but a lot of people are working with me and believe in me, so thanks to all of them.”

Jago Geerts – P2

“I am really happy with two second places today. I was not feeling great on the track all weekend, so the first heat came as a bit of a surprise that I had the speed to win. In the second heat, I didn’t have the best feeling on the track and struggled a little bit, but still managed to take the championship lead again, so overall, it was a positive weekend.”

Mikkel Haarup – P3

“That was so good for my confidence to come back onto the podium. I didn’t actually realise until the last lap that I was up there but I felt good all weekend and the entire team worked well; a big shout-out for them. I love this track and I was having fun out there; it has high speed, a good flow and I could charge through the pack both motos. And there were so many Danish fans out there; they were the best, making so much noise. I could hear them every lap; they were just great support so it was a real bonus to be able to give them a podium. Now I’m ready for more in Indonesia.“

Kevin Horgmo – P4

“Yesterday I made a silly mistake in Qualifying and hit the gate, but I felt good on the bike as I came from last to eighth and the set-up was good all weekend. I got pushed wide at turn one from that gate position today but I came from mid-pack both motos to sixth and fifth for fourth overall; I felt my riding was better than the result but that mistake at the gate yesterday cost me. Now to Indonesia; it will be a new experience for me and for sure it will be even hotter than here.”

Simon Langenfelder – P5

“I had a good start in the first race, but I just did not have the speed or rhythm. I had a small crash too and was not riding like myself after that. I turned it up a couple of laps into the second race and went from sixth to fourth. I stayed there, tried my best and was riding really well. For me, I was on the limit. The track was not easy and the pace is so high in MX2 right now. I am happy with that fourth place in moto two.”

Stephen Rubini – P8

“It’s such a shame that I had a crash in the qualifying race. I had good speed and felt strong. It was just a silly crash and unfortunately I broke the clutch lever so this made it tough and I qualified 14th. In the first race I still managed to get quite a good start and came around in ninth and still raced a good moto. I was strong but my final result didn’t show this so well. Then in the second race I started in around 15th place and came back to eighth at the finish which was again okay but I can do much better and I hope to show this at the next race in Indonesia.”

Tom Vialle – P9

“I really like the track in Germany and had a good connection right away that allowed me to win the qualifying race and then have the holeshot and control the first moto. I holeshotted the second race – my starts were really strong this weekend – and [Thibault] Benistant passed me on the first lap and I was quite settled in 2nd. Unfortunately, we had a small issue and could not finish. It cost us a few points but we’re doing really well and I know we’ll be able to answer and fight back very soon.”

Kay de Wolf – P11

“I crashed in the first turn in moto one; I was dead last and came back to eleventh. You do a lot of physical training when you are injured, but there is nothing that compares to riding a bike. I had an okay start in the second moto and passed some people. I hit a stone in a turn, tucked the front wheel and went back to eleventh. I just did my own thing in the last ten minutes.”

MX2 Overall Result

MX2 Standings

2022 Racing schedule

2022 Yamaha Australian Off-Road Championship, presented by MXstore

2022 FIM Motocross (MXGP) World Championship Calendar

2022 Monster Energy AMA/ FIM World Supercross Schedule

2022 FIM Hard Enduro World Championship Provisional Schedule

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 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
22-24 July	Baja Aragon	Teruel	Spain
04-07 August	Hungarian Baja	Varpalota	Hungary
27-30 August	Atacama Baja 1	Iquique	Chile
31 Aug-01 Sept	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