Moto Wrap | Whale podiums at Castle Rock TT | WSX | Enduro | MX | SGP

Moto News Weekly Wrap
August 16, 2022

What’s New:

• Waters joins ISDE Team Australia
• Wilson Todd wins MX2 Championship, then takes pole and stars in MX1!
• 2022 Atacama Bajas cancelled
• Honda NILS Racing joins WSX line-up
• Mateusz Cierniak storms to SGP2 victory in Great Britain
• JD Beach wins Castle Rock TT 2022 | Whale on Singles podium
• 2022 ProMX Round 8 Race Schedule
• EMX in Finland Report
• 2022 FIM Motocross World Championship Round 16 – MXGP of Finland
• 2022 Red Bull TKO Hard Enduro
• 2022 Pro Motocross Round Nine – Unadilla Wrap
• 2022 Penrite ProMX Championship Round Seven – QMP Wrap
• 2022 Racing Calendars
  • 2022 Australian Off-Road Championship
  • 2022 FIM Motocross (MXGP) World Championship Calendar
  • 2022 FIM Hard Enduro World Championship Provisional Schedule
  • 2022 ProMX Championship Calendar
  • 2022 Lucas Oil Pro MX Championship Calendar
  • 2022 Victorian Junior MX State Titles Calendar
  • 2022 FIM Bajas World Cup Calendar
  • 2022 FIM ISDE – Le Puy en Velay, France

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Waters joins ISDE Team Australia

Motorcycling Australia (MA) have revealed a a change to the MX Store Team Australia squad for the 2022 International Six Day Enduro (ISDE) to be held in France. Previously nominated team member Wil Ruprecht has been forced to withdraw from the 2022 squad.

Joining Team Australia is motocross veteran but newly minted Enduro hero Todd Waters who is enjoying a stand-out full-year racing in the Australia Off-Road Championship (AORC), where he currently sits second in the highly competitive E2 class.

The 2022 International Six Days Enduro will begin on Monday, 29 August and ends on Saturday, 3 September and will be held in Puy en Velay, France.

2022 Australian Men’s World Trophy Team:

• Andy Wilksch (E3)
• Todd Waters (E2)
• Daniel Milner (E1)
• Joshua Green (E1)

2022 Australian Women’s World Trophy Team:

• Jessica Gardiner
• Ebony Nielsen
• Emelie Karlsson

2022 Australian Junior World Trophy Team:

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

 

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Wilson Todd wins MX2 Championship, then takes pole and stars in MX1!

Entering the seventh round of the 2022 Australian Pro MX Championship with a commanding lead in the MX2 class, HRC Australia’s Wilson Todd did more than enough to clinch the title in the first moto on Sunday in what was a historic moment for all involved.

Proving just how capable he is aboard the ‘red’ machinery, Todd also competed in the MX1 class and claimed pole position in his maiden outing on the CRF450R. His races did not quite go to plan, as he felt the effects of racing and qualifying for both classes.

Wilson finished fifth overall in his first MX1 outing and is looking forward to Coolum this weekend.

Wilson Todd

“I am so happy to win the MX2 title. The Honda was flawless all year and it was nice to win the championship with a round to spare. We made the late decision to race moto one in the MX2 class. The original plan was that I was only going to race in the MX1 class. It was my decision and I paid the price; I was definitely feeling beaten up by the end of the day. I will race in the MX1 class only this weekend and will make sure that I rest this week to be better prepared for the challenge on my CRF450R.”

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2022 Atacama Bajas cancelled

The FIM, the Chilean Motorcycling Federation and the local organiser regret to announce that the Atacama Baja 1 & 2 scheduled on 27 August to 30 August and 31 to 01 September have been cancelled.

This is despite the best efforts of all concerned but is due to the current travel and economic situation, which has led to the relevant difficulties encountered in attracting an adequate number of participants.

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Honda NILS Racing joins WSX line-up

Italian team, Honda NILS has been announced as the 10th and final team competing in the 2022 FIM World Supercross Championship. The team will announce its four riders in the coming weeks as it prepares for the Global WSX Championship kicking off on Saturday, October 8th in Cardiff, Wales at Principality Stadium.

Livia Lancelot – Honda NILS Racing Team Manager

“We are excited to get to work and believe we will make a strong showing during the pilot FIM World Supercross Championship season. Our ‘offseason’ is only a few weeks, so we are quickly working to get riders and crew members under contract, and bikes ready to race, all while tackling the logistics a global series requires. It’s a great challenge, and we are ready to face it.”

Adam Bailey

“Having a trailblazer like Livia Lancelot who has contributed so much to the sport both on and off the race track, serving as Team Manager adds another layer of excitement and intrigue around this team and our series. We are incredibly excited to have Honda NILS join us on our journey. Our pilot season boasts strong teams from the US, France and Australia, fielding incredible riders from across the globe.”

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Mateusz Cierniak storms to SGP2 victory in Great Britain

Polish racer Mateusz Cierniak stormed to victory in the FIM SGP2 of Great Britain at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium as he took pole position in the race for FIM Speedway Under-21 World Championship gold.

The Lublin star rounded off Cardiff’s 20th-anniversary Speedway GP weekend by topping the scorechart on 12 race points after five heats, winning his opening four races, before looping his bike at the start line in his final heat.

Despite that, Cierniak’s four race wins were enough to see him win the round on countback after the FIM Jury elected to halt racing after 20 heats due to concerns over track conditions.

Cierniak still claims the maximum 20 championship points, meaning he has now won back-to-back rounds after also taking victory in the FIM SGP2 of Czech Republic on May 27.

He topped the Cardiff podium on countback ahead of Danish racer Kevin Juhl Pedersen, who also scored 12 race points. His fellow countryman Benjamin Basso was third after registering 11 race points – tying with Jan Kvech, but beating the Czech star to the last podium spot on countback.

Cierniak heads into the title-deciding FIM SGP2 of Poland in Torun on September 30 with a massive 12-point lead at the top of the standings on 40 overall. This means a semi-final appearance in his home round would be enough to secure the FIM Speedway Under-21 World Championship – the first of the SGP2 era under new global promoter Discovery Sports Events.

Mateusz Cierniak

“Maybe I will make it a hat-trick. We will see. There is a long way to go before Torun. Now I have a Polish Championship round tomorrow in Krosno, so I must prepare for it and also the play-offs in the Polish league. Today was very hard. The track was very hard, so everyone had to have full focus on everything we were doing on the track. I was happy with the end result. The result is good for me and I would like to say thank you to everyone.”

Runner-up Juhl Pedersen crashed out of the opening SGP2 round in Prague, suffering a head injury. So he was pleased to show his skills on Cardiff’s grand stage and earn a huge 18 points to move up to fourth place on 22.

Basso enjoyed a rough end to his night when Kvech brought him down in heat 20 – their last race of the night. The Czech was holding second place, which would have been enough to give him victory on the night ahead of Cierniak with 13 race points. His exclusion, followed by Basso’s win in the re-run, saw the Dane pip him to third spot.

Next up on the FIM Speedway calendar is a blockbuster double-header, featuring the FIM Speedway GP of Poland – Wroclaw on August 27, with SGP3, the FIM Speedway Youth World Championship taking place 24 hours earlier on August 26 at the legendary Olympic Stadium.

SGP2 CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS

1. Mateusz Cierniak 40
2. Jan Kvech 28
3. Benjamin Basso 25
4. Kevin Juhl Pedersen 22
5. Petr Chlupac 20
6. Wiktor Lampart 19
7. Francis Gusts 18
8. Jakub Miskowiak 18
9. Jonas Knudsen 14
10. Timi Salonen 12
11. Gustav Grahn 12
12. Tom Brennan 12
13. Leon Flint 10
14. Norick Blodorn 9
15. Casper Henriksson 8
16. Mateusz Swidnicki 8
17. Jason Edwards 6
18. Drew Kemp 5
19. Celina Liebmann 3
20. Daniel Klima 2
21. Bruno Belan 1.

FIM SGP2 OF GREAT BRITAIN SCORES

1. Mateusz Cierniak 20
2. Kevin Juhl Pedersen 18
3. Benjamin Basso 16
4. Jan Kvech 14
5. Tom Brennan 12
6. Wiktor Lampart 11
7. Leon Flint 10
8. Norick Blodorn 9
9. Jakub Miskowiak 8
10. Gustav Grahn 7
11. Jason Edwards 6
12. Drew Kemp 5
13. Petr Chlupac 4
14. Jonas Knudsen 3
15. Casper Henriksson 2
16. Mateusz Swidnicki 1
17. Daniel Klima 0

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2022 FIM Speedway GP of Great Britain

Dan Bewley blew the roof off the iconic Principality Stadium when he stormed to his first-ever SGP win ahead of Speedway GP World Championship leader Bartosz Zmarzlik and his fellow Polish star Patryk Dudek, with Leon Madsen taking fourth place at the FIM Speedway GP of Great Britain overnight.

The Cumbrian ace, competing in his first Speedway GP season, made a lightning start in the biggest race of his life to top the podium in Cardiff’s 20th-anniversary SGP event.

He did it in front of a galaxy of Speedway GP stars as previous Cardiff winners including former world champions Tony Rickardsson, Greg Hancock, Jason Crump and Chris Holder watched on from trackside, along with Britain’s 2007 FIM British Speedway GP winner Chris Harris.

Dan Bewley

“It was pretty crazy. It was only the last lap of the final where I really noticed the crowd. I could hear them for the last couple of laps and it was pretty cool. You have to remain focused and not let the bike get ahead of you on these tracks. I was just thinking ‘we’re here, we’re here – don’t throw it away.’ It all worked out well. I stayed cool and this gives me a taste of what it’s like to win. It only makes me want to have more wins now.”

FIM Speedway GP of Great Britain – Cardiff Scores

1. Dan Bewley 20
2. Bartosz Zmarzlik 18
3. Patryk Dudek 16
4. Leon Madsen 14
5. Jack Holder 12
6. Fredrik Lindgren 11
7. Mikkel Michelsen 10
8. Jason Doyle 9
9. Max Fricke 8
10. Maciej Janowski 7
11. Andzejs Lebedevs 6
12. Robert Lambert 5
13. Tai Woffinden 4
14. Pawel Przedpelski 3
15. Anders Thomsen 2
16. Tom Brennan 1
17. Leon Flint 0
18. Adam Ellis 0

FIM Speedway GP World Championship Points Standings

1. Bartosz Zmarzlik 96
2. Leon Madsen 74
3. Patryk Dudek 65
4. Dan Bewley 64
5. Fredrik Lindgren 62
6. Maciej Janowski 60
7. Tai Woffinden 54
8. Martin Vaculik 53
9. Jason Doyle 53
10. Mikkel Michelsen 52
11. Robert Lambert 52
12. Anders Thomsen 51
13. Jack Holder 44
14. Max Fricke 41
15. Pawel Przedpelski 22
16. Matej Zagar 11
17. Kai Huckenbeck 7
18. Andzejs Lebedevs 6
19. Maksym Drabik 4
20. Szymon Wozniak 3
21. Jan Kvech 1
22. Tom Brennan 1

Next up is the Betard FIM Speedway GP of Poland – Wroclaw on Saturday, August 27, with the first-ever SGP3 event – the revamped FIM Speedway Youth World Championship for the sport’s 250cc under-16 riders on Friday, August 26.

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JD Beach wins Castle Rock TT 2022

Images by Tim Lester

JD Beach (No. 95 Estenson Racing Yamaha MT-07 DT) furthered his claim as one of the greatest TT riders in Progressive American Flat Track history, scoring a blowout win before a packed house in Saturday night’s Parts Unlimited Castle Rock TT.

The start was always destined to be critical at a track where overtaking opportunities were at a premium, but no one could have predicted just how impactful it would prove to be. Dallas Daniels (No. 32 Estenson Racing Yamaha MT-07 DT), who started alongside Beach on the front row after the Yamaha teammates won their respective Semis, threw his hand in the air when his machine lost power just seconds into the Main Event.

With nowhere to go, TT legend Henry Wiles (No. 17 Willy Built/Lyndy Roofing Co. Kawasaki Ninja 650) smashed into the back of Daniels’ machine, kicking off a chain reaction that also collected Robert Pearson (No. 27 Rackley Racing/John Franklin Indian FTR750), Dan Stanley (No. 222 Rackley Racing/Wells Tuned Indian FTR750), and Ben Lowe (No. 25 Rackley Racing/Mission Foods Indian FTR750).

While Daniels would go on to make an impressive charge to a fourth-place finish from his back-row restart grid position, the incident effectively removed him from contention for the win after he previously looked to be Beach’s biggest concern.

With Daniels busy slashing his way up through the pack, Beach rocketed away off the start and piled it on, stacking up more than a second on the field less than two short laps into the race.

Reigning Mission SuperTwins champ Jared Mees (No. 1 Indian Motorcycle/Progressive Insurance FTR750) beat teammate/rival Briar Bauman (No. 3 Indian Motorcycle/Progressive Insurance FTR750) in the sprint to Turn 1. Whether a result of a calculated decision or a forced hand, Mees spent the Main focused behind him rather than in front. The strategy paid off, though, as he managed to keep Bauman corralled behind him for full race distance to stretch his scant championship advantage out just a little bit further (209-203).

Beach, who now boasts six wins in the series’ most recent seven TTs, stands just three points behind Daniels for third (188-185). More importantly, both Estenson Racing aces are now within single-race striking distance of the championship lead with three consecutive Miles looming on the horizon.

JD Beach

“I was just pushing, pushing, pushing the whole time. I didn’t look back. I didn’t know how close they were. For me, it was just about hitting my marks every single lap. Thanks to all the fans. It was a great night for me and my team, but we’ve still got a lot of races to go, and we’re starting to close the points gap just a little bit. We’ll keep working.”

Jarod Vanderkooi (No. 20 Mission Roof Systems Indian FTR750) edged three-time Castle Rock TT winner Sammy Halbert (No. 69 Mission Roof Systems Indian FTR750) for fifth, while another local star, Davis Fisher (No. 67 Bob Lanphere’s BMC Racing Indian FTR750), finished another further position back in seventh.

Bronson Bauman (No. 37 Latus Motors Racing Harley-Davidson XG750R), Jesse Janisch (No. 33 Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson XG750R), and Ben Lowe (No. 25 Rackley Racing/Mission Foods Indian FTR750) completed the top ten.

Super Twins Results – Castle Rock TT 2022

Super Twins Standings

Mission Production Twins presented by Vance & Hines

Jesse Janisch (No. 33 Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson XG750R) extended his Mission Production Twins presented by Vance & Hines championship advantage over Cory Texter (No. 1 G&G Racing/Yamaha Racing Yamaha MT-07) thanks to a clutch, come-from-behind victory.

A back-and-forth battle between the two played out over the course of the entire event. Throughout practice and qualifying, TT superstar Janisch looked to have the measure of the entire field once again. But a huge crash out of the lead in his Semi (and further difficulties getting his machine restarted after the fall) forced Janisch to open the Main from the back row.

That put Texter on pole after he won his Semi. However, he had his own issues to deal with, as the defending champion was competing despite feeling under the weather at the physically demanding course.

The next reversal of fortune occurred off the line, when Texter dropped from first to fourth while Janisch leapt up from ninth to fifth. Janisch quickly pounced on his title rival when Texter made a small bobble and then set off after the battle for the lead.

Holeshot winner Kayl Kolkman (No. 98 B&L Plumbing/Rod Lake Racing Yamaha MT-07) threatened to steal the win in what’s slated to be his only Progressive AFT race of the season, but a mistake approaching the jump allowed Johnny Lewis (No. 10 Moto Anatomy X Powered by Royal Enfield 650) to drive by into the lead. Janisch forced his way past Kolkman moments later as well, not wanting to provide Lewis any opportunity to make an escape at the front.

The Vance & Hines pilot then threw a number of unconventional lines at the Royal Enfield runner in hopes of finding a way through, a cat-and-mouse game that allowed Texter and Kolkman to close back in on the leaders as the clock ticked down to :00.

But with just two laps left to determine the winner, the red flags flew as a result of a crash on the part of Michael Hill (No. 47 Pacific Auto Trim/Jim Speer Yamaha MT-07).

Despite starting behind Lewis in a staggered restart formation, Janisch powered into first and then successfully defended the position to grab his fifth win of the season.

Lewis finished second, followed by Texter, who briefly dropped to fifth at the restart before fighting back to the podium in one of his best salvage jobs in a season packed with them.

Talented privateer Kolkman took fourth while the versatile Andy DeBrino (No. 162 See Motor Coffee Co. KTM 790 Duke) rounded out the top five.

Janisch now leads Texter by 14 points (239-225) as the ever-evolving title fight approaches its final stages.

Production Twins Results – Castle Rock TT 2022

Production Twins Standings

Parts Unlimited AFT Singles presented by KICKER

Dalton Gauthier (No. 79 American Honda/Progressive Insurance CRF450R) survived an intense, thrice red-flagged Main Event to score his second win of the Parts Unlimited AFT Singles presented by KICKER season.

Title leader Kody Kopp (No. 12 Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 450 SX-FFE) struggled off the line at the start and again in the subsequent restart, and then lost another position after coming together with third-placed Brandon Kitchen (No. 80 Vance & Hines/Husqvarna Motorcycles FC450).

Despite the rocky start(s), Kopp finally settled in and set about executing a charge to the front. First, he dove up the inside of teammate Max Whale (No. 18 Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 450 SX-FFE). He then took full advantage of a tactical error on the part of Trevor Brunner (No. 21 Estenson Racing Yamaha YZ450F), who opened the door for Kopp while looking for a line around the outside of race leader Gauthier.

But then – just as Kopp started to apply a heavy dose of pressure on Gauthier – a second red flag was shown following a Andrew Luker (No. 11 Rackley Racing/Keeran Racing Yamaha YZ450F) crash.

Kopp was frustratingly beaten off the line by Brunner for a third time and had a big job in front of him with time running out if he hoped to win in front of his home state fans. That harsh reality may have contributed to the race’s next dramatic turn; Kopp crashed from third with Spanish champion Ferran Cardús (No. 377 Roof Systems of Dallas/Bullet Strong Racing Honda CRF450R) catapulting over top of the fallen factory KTM, bringing out a third red flag.

That forced the championship leader to the back of the field while setting up a critical final start-line duel between Gauthier and Brunner. The Honda ace took the race’s final holeshot, setting him up perfectly to defend the position over his Yamaha-mounted adversary to the flag.

Whale fended off a late challenge from rookie Chase Saathoff (No. 106 American Honda/Progressive Insurance CRF450R) to complete the podium, while Chad Cose (No. 49 1st Impressions Race Team/Voodoo Ranger Honda CRF450R) edged Kitchen for fifth.

Max Whale

“It was an awesome track, a lot of fun, but it was really hard to pass on and hard to race on because it was super tight and one-lined. I ended the night with P3, which was awesome from where we started. I felt off the in the first session, not like myself, but I got better every session out there. Sitting second row going into the Main Event, I just rode smart and made a few passes and then a few incidents happened that helped me get up a spot or two and I ended up P3. I can’t thank my whole team enough!”

Kopp suffered his worst result of the year, finishing down in tenth. It was far from a total disaster, however, as he extended his point lead slightly in the process, finishing two positions ahead of second-ranked Morgen Mischler (No. 13 American Honda/Progressive Insurance CRF450R). He now leads by a healthy 46 points (243-197) with just five rounds remaining. Gauthier is third at 185.

AFT Singles Results – Castle Rock TT 2022

AFT Singles Standings

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2022 ProMX Round 8 Race Schedule

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EMX in Finland Report

Finland made a memorable comeback to the World and European Championship racing calendar this weekend, with title celebrations from Fantic Factory Team Maddii’s Cas Valk who after the first race was crowned the EMX125 Presented by FMF Racing Champion.

Yamaha Europe EMX125 MJC’s Ivano Van Erp was the overall winner of the class, after a perfect 1-1 scorecard, which was also repeated by Lucas Coenen of Jumbo Husqvarna BT Racing in the EMX250 class, while in EMX Open the overall winner was Estonian Gert Krestinov.

EMX125

In the opening EMX125 Presented by FMF Racing class, it was Yamaha Europe EMX125 MJC’s Ivano Van Erp who got himself quickly into the lead ahead of Maximilian Werner of Diga Procross KTM Racing Team. While Fantic Factory Team Maddii’s Cas Valk started in seventh.

Karlis Alberts Reisulis of Yamaha Europe EMX125 MJC started down in around eighth, while his brother Janis Martins Reisulis was 12th. K. Reisulis had a very strong lap and quickly found himself in third before getting around Werner to move into second by the second lap.

Alm dropped to seventh as Valk climbed his way into fourth and was looking to take third from Werner. He managed to do that just a couple of laps later.

Meanwhile, Van Erp was already more than seven seconds ahead of K. Reisulis who also had a steady seven second gap to Valk in third. J. Reisulis was also making good progress as he took away fourth from Werner on the sixth lap.

Werner crashed and finished the race 27th.

In the end, Van Erp took the victory ahead of K. Reisulis and Valk, with Valk celebrating his title victory as he crossed the line! At the beginning of the race, Alexis Fueri of Fantic Factory Team Maddii was his closest rival in terms of the championship but only finished 9th.

In race two it was Werner with the holeshot ahead of Van Erp, Hindersson and Maximilian Ernecker of F4E GasGas Racing Team. Lotte Van Drunen started in fifth ahead of Valk who was seventh.

K. Reisulis started in 13th while his brother J. Reisulis was 15th on the opening lap.

By lap two, Van Erp was in the lead, as K. Reisulis worked his way into fourth after a couple of very strong laps! Valk was in second at the time, as Werner dropped a position.

Further down the order, Julius Mikula got by Ernecker for fifth, while moments later the Austrian dropped to seventh after being passed by J. Reisulis, who was looking to pick up vital championship points!

Fueri then crashed out of ninth, which handed more points to the Reisulis’ brothers who were closing in on him in the championship standings.

Van Erp though was no match for anyone this weekend as he secured his first double race win victory ahead of Valk, K. Reisulis, Mikula and Werner.

A 1-1 result put Van Erp on the top step ahead of Valk and K. Reisulis. Though it was Valk who was awarded the gold plate and medal and was officially declared the 2021 EMX125 Presented by FMF Racing Champion! K. Reisulis finished second in the standings with 314 points, just 13 points ahead of his younger brother J. Reisulis.

Cas Valk

“I pushed hard all season, tried to avoid any big mistakes. I took good points in every race. For sure I was pushing hard in that final race to get the win but came up a little short. But overall, I am super happy and big thanks to my team for all of this, I wouldn’t have been able to do it! I will enjoy this moment.”

Ivano Van Erp

“Yes for sure I am happy because it’s my last race in European EMX125, it’s really nice to win this, It’s also my last race with Kenny this year, it’s really nice.. I want to thank all the Yamaha crew for this season… It’s really emotional thank you!”

EMX125 Presented by FMF Racing – Overall Top 10 Classification

1. Ivano Van Erp (NED, YAM), 50 points; 2. Cas Valk (NED, FAN), 42 p.; 3. Karlis Alberts Reisulis (LAT, YAM), 42 p.; 4. Janis Martins Reisulis (LAT, KTM), 32 p.; 5. Julius Mikula (CZE, KTM), 28 p.; 6. Kasimir Hindersson (FIN, KTM), 28 p.; 7. Edgar Canet (ESP, GAS), 26 p.; 8. Laban Alm (SWE, HUS), 24 p.; 9. Alexis Fueri (FRA, FAN), 21 p.; 10. Roberts Lusis (LAT, KTM), 18 p.;

EMX125 Presented by FMF Racing – Championship Top 10 Classification

1. Cas Valk (NED, FAN), 363 points; 2. Karlis Alberts Reisulis (LAT, YAM), 314 p.; 3. Janis Martins Reisulis (LAT, KTM), 301 p.; 4. Alexis Fueri (FRA, FAN), 294 p.; 5. Ivano Van Erp (NED, YAM), 291 p.; 6. Julius Mikula (CZE, KTM), 212 p.; 7. Ferruccio Zanchi (ITA, YAM), 164 p.; 8. Marc-Antoine Rossi (FRA, KTM), 155 p.; 9. Adrien Petit (FRA, YAM), 124 p.; 10. Francisco Garcia (ESP, GAS), 123 p.;

EMX250

In the first EMX250 race, Fantic Factory Team Maddii’s Haakon Osterhagen continued to assert himself as a holeshot king in the category after getting off to another strong start, leading the likes of Lucas Coenen of Jumbo Husqvarna BT Racing and Mike Gwerder of WZ Racing Team. Gwerder then tagged L. Coenen on the opening lap which saw him crash out of third.

9MM Energy BUD Racing Kawasaki’s Quentin-Marc Prugnieres was one of the riders who got unlucky at the start and crashed. The Frenchman got going eventually and finished the race in 26th.

By the end of the opening lap, series leader Rick Elzinga of Hutten Metaal Yamaha Racing was already third, while L. Coenen took the lead from Osterhagen. The Belgian then clocked the fastest lap of the race to extend his lead.

On lap two, L. Coenen lost the lead as he dropped back to fourth, which meant that Osterhagen was back in first place. Elzinga was promoted to second as TBS Conversion’s Camden McLellan was right there in third, looking to get around the Yamaha rider.

L. Coenen was pushing hard and was keen on making up for his earlier mistake as he got onto the rear wheels of McLellan and Elzinga. He managed to pass Elzinga during lap six, while it took him a few more laps to get around McLellan, but he did eventually on lap 11 as he went straight into the lead. Osterhagen dropped to third.

L. Coenen won the race ahead of McLellan, Osterhagen, Elzinga and Fantic Factory Team Maddii’s Cornelius Toendel.

In race two, the holeshot went to L. Coenen who was keen on getting out in front early on ahead of Hutten Metaal Yamaha Racing’s Andrea Bonacorsi, Team VRT KTM Veritise’s David Braceras, Gwerder, Osterhagen and Toendel, while Elzinga started in 10th.

Elzinga found himself quickly in sixth, while Tondel began to push Braceras for third and eventually managed to take away the position from the Spaniard.

Osterhagen climbed into fourth but was coming under pressure from Prugnieres who was keen on taking away the position from the Norwegian. By lap seven he was able to do just that.

As the race went on, Osterhagen then got caught by McLellan who was trying everything to get around the Fantic rider for fourth. After several attempts he managed to make the pass stick four laps from the end.

L. Coenen was fully in control from start to finish and ended up winning the race an impressive 21.885 seconds ahead of Bonacorsi and Toendel.

There was no doubt about who the winner was as Coenen stood on the top step proudly after winning both races ahead of McLellan who secured his second podium finish on the bounce and Bonacorsi who was third.

With one round to go, Elzinga will take the championship fight to France in one week, with Toendel 40 points behind and Coenen in third a further 20 points behind and still has a chance to go for the silver medal!

Lucas Coenen

“It was a perfect weekend. First place in both races. The track was rough in the second race, but I kept my rhythm, made a big gap and controlled my race. Whereas first race was more difficult because I made a small crash, but I came back to win. Two wins, we will see what happens in St Jean.”

EMX250 – Overall Top 10 Classification

1. Lucas Coenen (BEL, HUS), 50 points; 2. Camden Mc Lellan (RSA, KTM), 40 p.; 3. Andrea Bonacorsi (ITA, YAM), 37 p.; 4. Cornelius Toendel (NOR, FAN), 36 p.; 5. Haakon Osterhagen (NOR, FAN), 36 p.; 6. Rick Elzinga (NED, YAM), 32 p.; 7. Meico Vettik (EST, KTM), 22 p.; 8. Scotty Verhaeghe (FRA, KTM), 21 p.; 9. Maximilian Spies (GER, KTM), 20 p.; 10. David Braceras (ESP, KTM), 17 p.;

EMX250 – Championship Top 10 Classification

1. Rick Elzinga (NED, YAM), 343 points; 2. Cornelius Toendel (NOR, FAN), 303 p.; 3. Lucas Coenen (BEL, HUS), 283 p.; 4. Camden Mc Lellan (RSA, KTM), 264 p.; 5. Andrea Bonacorsi (ITA, YAM), 244 p.; 6. Haakon Osterhagen (NOR, FAN), 241 p.; 7. Quentin Marc Prugnieres (FRA, KAW), 220 p.; 8. David Braceras (ESP, KTM), 184 p.; 9. Maximilian Spies (GER, KTM), 166 p.; 10. Meico Vettik (EST, KTM), 130 p.;

EMX Open

In the first EMX Open of the weekend, the holeshot went to the championship leader Jose Butron of JD Gunnex KTM Racing who got comfortable in first position from the get-go. Second was Michael Ivanov ahead of Pekka Nissinen, Domantas Jazdauskas and Tomas Kohut of Osicka MX Team.

Michael Sandner of Raths Motorsports started in around sixth place and was looking to close the gap down to Kohut but a small mistake saw him drop back to ninth. Gert Krestinov was 10th at that point and was keen to move up the order.

Jazdauskas was second by the second lap but ended up crashing and did not carry on with the rest of the heat.

Butron opened up a steady 10-second gap fairly quickly as Krestinov made progress after getting around Sander and then Juuso Matikainen for fifth. The Estonian then got around John Adamson a few laps later and then Kohut to eventually make his way up to second position by the eighth lap.

By that point, Butron was too far in front for Krestinov to be able to do anything about it and in the end, the Spaniard won the race and extended his championship lead while Krestinov was second ahead of Matikainen, Kohut and Andero Lusbo who worked his way into fifth on the final lap after Erki Kahro dropped two positions.

In race two, it was home hero Matikainen with the holeshot ahead of Krestinov, Butron and Sandner. Kohut started in around sixth place.

Matikainen was looking solid in the lead ahead of Krestinov, with Butron keeping an eye on both in third. Krestinov was able to close the gap after setting the fastest lap of the race. The Estonian was eventually able to get the job done in lap three to take control of the race.

At the same time, Butron was passed by Kohut as Sandner crashed out of sixth. The Spaniard had another mistake a couple of laps later that saw him crash but he managed to get going quickly and stay ahead of John Adamson who was applying the pressure.

In the final few laps, Kohut put in the work to get by Matikainen to second place from the Finnish rider and also solidify his spot on the podium! Krestinov won the race ahead of Kohut, Matikainen, Butron and Adamson.

A 2-1 result gave Krestinov his first overall win in the EMX Open class ahead of Butron who was forced to settle for second ahead of Kohut who joined the pair in third.

The next round of the EMX Open class will take place in Turkey where the title will be decided. Butron heads into the final round of the series with a 26-point lead over Kohut.

Gert Krestinov

“The weekend was really good. It’s a short trip for us to come over. I like the sand tracks which makes it easier. First race, I had a bad start and came through to second. Second race, I got a good start, made a pass and took the lead and made a gap. Thanks to everyone that helped me to get here.”

EMXOpen – Overall Top 10 Classification

1. Gert Krestinov (EST, HON), 47 points; 2. Jose Butron (ESP, KTM), 43 p.; 3. Tomas Kohut (SVK, KTM), 40 p.; 4. Juuso Matikainen (FIN, HUS), 40 p.; 5. Andero Lusbo (EST, HUS), 31 p.; 6. John Adamson (GBR, GAS), 28 p.; 7. Emil Silander (FIN, GAS), 27 p.; 8. Michael Sandner (AUT, KTM), 27 p.; 9. Pekka Nissinen (FIN, GAS), 22 p.; 10. Twan Van Essen (NED, HON), 20 p.;

EMXOpen – Championship Top 10 Classification

1. Jose Butron (ESP, KTM), 193 points; 2. Tomas Kohut (SVK, KTM), 167 p.; 3. Michael Sandner (AUT, KTM), 156 p.; 4. Michael Ivanov (BUL, HUS), 115 p.; 5. Simone Croci (ITA, HUS), 110 p.; 6. Giuseppe Tropepe (ITA, HUS), 104 p.; 7. Simon Jost (SVK, KTM), 103 p.; 8. Gert Krestinov (EST, HON), 76 p.; 9. Stefano Pezzuto (ITA, KTM), 64 p.; 10. Raf Meuwissen (NED, KTM), 60 p.;

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2022 FIM Motocross World Championship Round 16 – MXGP of Finland

See the full report here:
Tim Gajser clinches MXGP title two-rounds early in Finland

It was a momentous Grand Prix for Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing in Finland, who for the first time in its history celebrated a 1-2-3 in the premier class as Glenn Coldenhoff, Jeremy Seewer and Maxime Renaux dominated the podium.

Finland also saw title celebrations as Team HRC’s Tim Gajser was crowned the 2022 MXGP FIM Motocross World Champion, joining many greats as a now five-time World Champion after securing his fourth championship in the premier MXGP class.

In MX2 KTM’s Tom Vialle won the round, closing in on Yamaha’s Jago Geerts, who currently leads the standings.

Of the Aussies, F&H Kawasaki Racing Team’s Jed Beaton had a difficult race to nineteenth from his outside gate-pick in race one but displayed his fighting spirit in race two as he pushed relentlessly forward from an initial eighteenth to secure fourteenth at the finish for sixteenth overall on the day. He is now eighteenth in the series standings.

Unfortunately, Mitch Evans wasn’t able to put his practice and qualification speed into either of the two motos, as first lap crashes in each race ruined his chances of challenging for a podium.

The Australian had proved in every other session that he was a contender on this gruelling Hyvinkaa surface, but luck wasn’t on his side and instead has to prepare himself for the final two rounds of the season where he’ll be once again aiming to be up there at the front of the field.

Mitch Evans – P18

“Today was definitely not my day. I felt good coming into the motos but things just didn’t work out for me. A crash on the first lap in race one ruined any chance of a good result there, as I was almost last by the time I remounted. I charged through to 14th but it definitely wasn’t what I was after. Then a similar story in race two. Obviously, I’m really disappointed with how it went but I’m still fit, and motivated to get things right in the final two rounds of the season.”

2022 MXGP of Finland Video Highlights

Tim Gajser – 2022 MXGP Champion

“It’s unbelievable! I am speechless. To win one world title is already a lot, but to win five with the HRC crew… We are an amazing team! Of course, we were struggling a little bit towards the end, I was a bit nervous but I’m glad it’s over! I want to say a huge thanks to all my crew, everybody around me, my girlfriend, Filippo, everyone at home watching, thank you very much guys, I am super happy!”

Glenn Coldenhoff – P1

“It was a good weekend. I have waited way too long for this. I have always believed in myself, and I know I am capable of being here and doing this. I am just really happy. This is my first win with the Yamaha as well, and it’s really nice to pay them back with this victory. They have put in big effort to help me get here, and in the last few weeks it has really paid off. Now, I am celebrating with my teammates! Does it get any better?”

Jeremy Seewer – P2

“I am in good form at the moment, everything is clicking, even today on this track, which was not my favourite. I’ve had three GP wins now, but because this was not my type of track, I achieved my goal of two solid moto’s with no big mistakes to finish on the podium with my teammates. Two GP’s to go, the season is not finish. I know I am in good form and there is still some good racing ahead at some really nice tracks, so I look forward to it.”

Maxime Renaux – P3

“It was a really nice day for Yamaha. We made history today, with it being the first time we had three Yamaha riders on the podium in the MXGP class. Today, the result with two third-place finishes is really good, but I still want to go for more. I believe I can still fight for the championship podium. Glenn just took over third, so there will be some interesting races coming up and we will all fight hard for it.”

Brian Bogers – P4

“I am very happy with that first moto. It was just amazing and my FC 450 worked incredibly well. I felt so good on the track! I wanted to replicate that ride in the second moto, but I made a couple of errors. I pushed too hard at the beginning of the race and then made some mistakes. I wanted to be on the podium, of course, but I am happy with our progress.”

Romain Febvre – P7

“Of course I’m not satisfied with my races today, even if I got twice a good start both times. In the first race I made a small mistake when I was leading and Bogers passed me; then I tried to pass him back but I made another mistake and crashed. I was still second when I got back on the bike but as Gajser was coming close I pushed too hard and made another mistake. This crash was stupid; if I had taken my time instead of pushing maybe I could even have take the victory as I had a good speed. I finished fifth but I had used up a lot of energy with two crashes. My second start was again a good one and I tried to pass Coldenhoff for the lead but he closed the door after a jump and I had nowhere to go so I crashed. I was then around twelfth and came back to eighth but it was not easy riding in the pack. I have the speed and I got good starts; we’ll try to finally get the podium we deserve in France next weekend.”

Jorge Prado – P11

“Saturday was good. I have been struggling with a sickness lately, so I am trying to salvage whatever I can. I am having so much fun on my MC 450F and my speed in time practice shows how strong that I can be. I am hoping to get better before the next round, because I want to give my team the results that they deserve.”

Pauls Jonass – P12

“I was quite lucky, after crashing hard in the qualifying race yesterday. I was left with a bad gate pick today, because of that, and had to fight from the back each time. I was trying to get in a rhythm today and I was happy to finish with a solid ride in the second moto. There are some good tracks ahead, so we will not stop pushing.”

Mattia Guadagnini – P15

“I just could not get good starts today, because of where I ended up in the qualifying race yesterday. It has not been the best day. I am happy with what I salvaged though and know that there is a lot more to come. We are better than this! We will get back to work this week and focus on being closer to the front next weekend.”

MXGP Overall Result

MXGP Championship Standings

MX2

Tom Vialle – P1

“The weekend didn’t start as planned but my position was not too bad for the gate. In the first moto I tried to follow Jago but made a few small mistakes. I felt great on the track though and even better in the second moto and when Jago crashed I went for it. I ran off course at one point but then Roan crashed and I was back in front. Kay pushed me hard to the end and I knew the points for the championship would be important. I wanted to win, and it was great to do it in the sand, especially after a tricky weekend in Lommel. This was a big win for me. I will give everything I can again in France next week.”

Kay de Wolf – P2

“I ran out of time in that second moto. It was a difficult race; I really gave it my all and I just missed out in the end. I am happy with my riding and my feeling on my FC 250 though. I am looking forward to France next weekend. I just cannot thank the team enough – they are working so hard for us and I really appreciate it.”

Jago Geerts – P3

“Race two was quite difficult. I made a mistake and crashed on lap one and got stuck under my bike, but I was riding well once I got going again. I came back through the pack strong and felt good on the bike until I came together with another rider. At that moment, I knew it was over. I am still happy with the way I am riding at the moment and my performance. Now, I’m looking forward to France next week, it’s one of my favourite tracks, so I’m looking forward to getting back behind the gate.”

Roan van de Moosdijk – P4

“I had a good gate pick today. My start was not too bad in the first moto and I made some good passes early on. I struggled in the middle of the moto, because I need to get used to the intensity. Where do I even begin with the second moto? I took the lead and just did my own thing. I led for more than half the moto, but hit an edge in a corner and crashed. I am angry with myself. This is a big improvement though.”

Kevin Horgmo – P6

“It’s never easy starting from the outside heading into a 180 degree first turn; I got a great jump each time, but I just started too wide. I had two difficult races but I passed many riders. The first moto got better and better as the race wore on; I made a nice pass on Everts and got close to Bénistant at the last corner but couldn’t quite make the pass. The second race was the same at the end when I got stuck behind Längenfelder, but I stayed healthy and two sixths from that gate position were good points for the championship.”

Thibault Benistant – P7

“This weekend was really tough. I had quite a bit of pain, but I still gave my best. I didn’t have good starts, so I just had to do my best with what strength I had to return to fifth and eighth. This was a hard weekend, but I will keep fighting.”

Simon Langenfelder – P8

“I was just riding in sixth in the first moto and looking to make progress, but I had a hard crash. I jumped up and salvaged a ninth. I did not have the best jump out of the gate in the second moto, but I was riding a lot better. I was feeling good on my MC 250F and did not make many mistakes. I think that we got the best out of a difficult day.”

Mikkel Haarup – P9

“It was a tough day but I gave everything I have. In the first moto I had a solid ride and battled into fourth but on the last lap there was a lapped rider in the way for half-a-lap and, when I went to go outside him, he went wider and took me out. I don’t think he saw me; that’s racing. I came back to seventh from a crash at the start of the second moto with good speed all around the track but Geerts took me out quite hard; at that point I had used all my energy and had to settle for eleventh. It was a tough day, but I’ll be ready to go again in France next weekend.”

MX2 Overall Result

MX2 Championship Standings

 

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2022 Red Bull TKO Hard Enduro

Trystan Hart has led a KTM 1-2 at the 2022 Red Bull TKO Hard Enduro, proving unstoppable at the Trials Training Centre in Sequatchie, Tennessee, USA. Hart won all of the knock-out style races, before taking the final win, to make the Red Bull TKO his debut FIM Hard Enduro victory.

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Manuel Lettenbichler offered Hart his closest challenge, but was unable to stop the Canadian charging ahead to win. With Lettenbichler finishing as runner-up, Sherco Factory Racing’s Mario Roman completed the podium in third.

After Thursday’s excitement in nearby Nashville for the Nashville Pro Straight Rhythm, won by AG Racing 89’s Alfredo Gomez, the world’s best Hard Enduro riders got down to business for round six at the Trials Training Centre for the Red Bull TKO.

Across a series of knockout-style qualification races, the fastest riders progressed to a final 30-minute-plus-one-lap race. Eager to build on his results of third and fourth from rounds three and five, Hart was fired up for Red Bull TKO.

The morning qualifier to determine start positions for the first of two Knockout Races would quickly set the tone for the rest of the day. Laying down a blisteringly fast hot lap, Hart fired a warning shot to his rivals that he was up for the fight.

In the opening Knockout Race, Hart comfortably topped the time sheets by over one minute from GASGAS Factory Racing’s Taddy Blazusiak in second. Team Bulgaria’s powered by ECONT Teodor Kabakchiev was close behind in third, while Lettenbichler finished over two minutes behind Hart in fourth.

With the majority of the top riders making it through the first Knockout Race unscathed, pressure mounted for Knockout Race 2 with just the top 20 riders offered a place in the ‘winner-takes-all’ final. Hart again topped the time sheets, this time finishing over one minute and 35 seconds clear of Roman in second, with Kabakchiev a further one minute and 21 seconds back in third.

All eyes were on the 30-minute-plus-one-lap final to see if Hart could pull off a clean sweep on North American soil and secure his debut FIM Hard Enduro win. Urged on by the spectators, he didn’t disappoint.

Quickly out front, he never looked back. Looking increasingly comfortable in the rocky riverbeds with each passing lap, he steadily increased his lead. Setting the fastest lap of the race to cap off a perfect day, Hart crossed the finish line as a very worthy and well deserved winner.

Working his way into second, Lettenbichler just didn’t have an answer for Hart in Tennessee and had to settle for the runner-up result – mirroring his Red Bull TKO result from 2021. In the overall championship standings, he now moves to within one point of leader Roman.

Yet again proving himself to be a model of consistency in 2022, Roman claimed another podium result with third.

Back in action following a recent injury, Wade Young (Sherco) rode a solid race for fourth. Kabakchiev completed the top five. A strong showing from Ryder Leblond (KTM) saw the American edge out Alfredo Gomez for sixth.

Top GASGAS finisher at Red Bull TKO was Spain’s Alfredo Gomez who enjoyed a strong run through the knockout races and placed seventh in the final.

Having also enjoyed a strong ride through the event so far, the Final Knockout race saw Taddy’s lack of bike time catch up with him in the points-paying sprint race. Pushing on to the finish and knowing he’d made positive progress throughout the day, a solid 11th place result was his final placing.

Trystan Hart – P1

“I had a bit of pressure coming into the final because I had won each round and I just wanted to keep that momentum rolling. It feels amazing to win. This championship is so competitive, so I’m humbled to be up there with the best of them. It’s been an amazing day, I can’t thank the team and the fans enough for their support. Having the fans cheer me on like that was awesome!”

Manuel Lettenbichler – P2

“From the first qualifier today I was struggling so bad and knew it would be a really tough event for me. I have a foot injury I’ve been managing, and on the downhill sections here it was very hard to control the rear brake. I just tried to manage each race as they came and do my best. But Trystan rode amazing today, so hats off to him. I’m really happy to finish second and close in on Mario at the top of the championship, with just one point in it, there’s still everything to play for.”

Mario Roman – P3

“I’m so happy to finish on the podium here. This format is so intense and you have to push very hard with each round. Getting on the podium is important for the championship too. Things are close, but we’re coming towards the end of the season now so I just need to try and keep fighting as best I can for this title.”

Taddy Blazusiak – P11

“Overall Red Bull TKO has been really positive. Things were going good until the final when my lack of seat time due to injury caught up with me. Up until then I felt great on the bike and my speed was good, so I’m really happy about that. I just need more time on the bike to build up some fitness and that will make things easier. For sure it’s not the result I wanted but the bigger picture is that my speed is where it needs to be. We have two weeks until the next one and I’ll be on the bike as much as possible before we head to Canada.”

The FIM Hard Enduro World Championship continues its North American tour with round seven at Red Bull Outliers in Canada on August 27-28.

Round 6, Red Bull TKO – Final Knockout Race Results

1. Trystan Hart (KTM) 5 laps
2. Manuel Lettenbichler (KTM) 5 laps, +1:19.577
3. Mario Roman (Sherco) 5 laps, +58.055
4. Wade Young (Sherco) 5 laps, +2:55.829
5. Teodor Kabakchiev (KTM) 4 laps
6. Ryder LeBlond (KTM) 4 laps, +39.752
7. Alfredo Gomez (GASGAS) 4 laps, +26.267
8. Graham Jarvis (Husqvarna) 4 laps, +43.098
9. Cody Webb (Sherco) 4 laps, +59.056
10. David Cyprian (KTM) 4 laps, +28.429

Provisional Championship Standings (After Round 6)

1. Mario Roman (Sherco) 88pts
2. Manuel Lettenbichler (KTM) 87pts
3. Graham Jarvis (Husqvarna) 68pts
4. Teodor Kabakchiev (KTM) 63pts
5. Billy Bolt (Husqvarna) 62pts
6. Alfredo Gomez (GASGAS) 56pts
7. Michael Walkner (GASGAS) 49pts
8. Wade Young (Sherco) 46pts
9. David Cyprian (KTM) 45pts
10. Matthew Green (GASGAS) 36pts

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2022 Pro Motocross Round Nine – Unadilla Wrap

See the full report:
Sexton doubles up at Unadilla while Shimoda tops 250

The Parts Unlimited Unadilla National signified the ninth round of the 2022 season and featured one of the summer’s toughest challenges with a rough and highly technical track, where Team Honda HRC’s Chase Sexton was able to reclaim the lead of the 450 Class point standings with a dominant 1-1 sweep of the motos.

Sexton has a one-point edge over Tomac with three rounds and six motos remaining. Anderson further strengthened his hold on third, 84-points out of the lead.

In the 250 Class, Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki’s Jo Shimoda prevailed with his second win of the season following a wild day of racing in the smaller displacement.

It was a rough and tumble weekend for the Lawrence brothers at Unadilla. Jett had qualified fastest but ended up on the deck numerous times in the motos, one of which was quite brutal. Hunter stayed on the pegs more of the time but had his potential dulled by a bike problem in the second moto, but still made the overall podium.

Jett retains the lead in the 250 Championship and still has a significant 26-point buffer over Hunter. Shimoda and Cooper move a little closer to the Aussie brothers in the championship rankings, with the Japanese rider now only 14-points behind Hunter with three rounds still remaining.

Unadilla Video Highlights

 

250 Overall

The wildest and most unpredictable afternoon of racing of the season thus far saw Shimoda prevail with his second victory of the season and of his career following 1-3 finishes. Cooper’s dominant second moto landed him in the runner-up spot (5-1), while Hunter Lawrence edged out his brother for the final spot on the overall podium in third (2-5).

Despite missing out on the overall podium for just the second time this season in fourth (7-2), Jett Lawrence lost just two points to his brother in the championship battle. A total of 26 points now separates the siblings with six motos remaining, as Shimoda sits 40 points behind in third.

Jo Shimoda – P1

“In the first moto I had a good start and passed a couple of riders ahead quickly before putting in some sprint laps to get away. Once I established a gap I focused on maintaining my pace and controlling the race from the front. In the second moto, I got an okay start before a small tip over cost me a few positions. I had to make a comeback through the field to get to the podium but, I feel both motos were good for me. It feels great to back up my first overall motocross win from earlier in the season with another one here at Unadilla.”

Justin Cooper – P2

“It was a good day overall, I just had the one mishap in the first moto while leading, and that kind of threw away my chances to win the overall. The bike was pretty messed up from that, so I just tried to salvage what I could in the first moto. Then in the second moto, I got the holeshot and was able to manage the race. It was a good day overall. I’m just bummed about the little crash I had that cost me the overall. I’m feeling good though and looking forward to Budds Creek next weekend.”

Hunter Lawrence, Team Honda HRC – P3

“It was an okay day. The first moto wasn’t too bad; we had an average start and then fought back to second, which was really good. In the second moto we were in a great position—we had the overall—and then ran into some issues mechanically, which funnily enough resolved themselves. We were able to finish the race, thankfully, and salvage what we could. I’m not happy by any means, but we’ll take it.”

Jett Lawrence – P4

“If you want an example of when it’s not your day, it was not my day today! [laughs] The riding side of things was great—I felt really good—but I think in the first moto I was just pushing too much. I was riding the track faster than it was supposed to be ridden at that point in time; I was washing a lot everywhere, and over-leaning. I had two crashes, but thankfully I was okay apart from some road rash on my back. The second moto I got a really good start but again pushed too hard and went down again—not an ideal day.”

RJ Hampshire – P5

“We had positives today. I was fast in qualifying, which I haven’t been. First moto, I felt like I got into a really good flow early and was clicking good laps off and landed back on the podium for the first time since Round 1. Second moto, I got a decent start and then just split out right after the finish. Someone went into the line I was going for and I tried to get out of it and just swapped the front. It was a bummer but we’ll definitely take the positives out of today.”

Nick Romano – P7

“My first Unadilla was an awesome time. I ended up 4-9 on the day for seventh overall and had some really good battles in that first moto with the top guys. The second moto was a solid ninth, so I’m super stoked on how it went, and I’m already excited for Budds Creek next weekend.”

Cameron McAdoo – P8

“It’s always tough to jump back into racing this late in the season when everyone already has their rhythm and has been racing with that intensity every weekend. That said, I built up throughout the day to make a strong ride through the pack after a bad start in Moto 1 and I battled for the podium with Jo until the very end of Moto 2, so I’m happy with this as a starting point. It’s great to be back out there battling and I’m ready to bring the fight again next weekend.”

250 Round Points

250 Championship Points Standings

450 Round

Sexton’s second 1-1 sweep of the summer brought him his third victory of the season and his second in a row. It’s the fifth win of his career. Tomac (2-2) settled for the runner-up spot, while Anderson (3-3) completed the overall podium.

The winning effort vaulted Sexton back atop the championship standings, where he reclaimed his hold of the red plate with a one-point edge over Tomac with three rounds and six motos remaining. Anderson further strengthened his hold of third, 84 points out of the lead.

Chase Sexton – P1

“Today was awesome. I liked the conditions, which were similar to what I grew up riding on. In practice I was really struggling with trying to adapt to it being dryer and choppier than usual. We had to make more bike changes than I have been, but I didn’t change it from moto 1 to moto 2. I felt pretty comfortable for the race, even though the track could bite you really easily; I had a few close calls in the first moto. You really had to be on your game, and today was one of those days where I felt like I was in control and flowing really well. This means a lot, as this is one of my favorite tracks to come to; it has a lot of history. I’ve been wanting to have a good race here for a long time, and I’m pumped with how today went.”

Eli Tomac – P2

“It was a decent day for us. I had really good starts in both motos today, so I was happy about that. With the racing, I put myself in a great position in both motos, but I felt like I was just kind of the second fastest guy today. I did what I could and made some adjustments between the first and second moto, but I had the same result. With that being said, it was definitely an improvement over what I’ve done here in the past few years, so I’m happy about that. I’m chasing Chase again for the overall, so we will keep pushing and see if we can get it back next week.”

Jason Anderson – P3

“The track conditions were different than what we’ve come to expect from Unadilla, so getting comfortable on the fast edgy sections was the big challenge of the day. I’m happy with how my KX™450SR handled in both motos and we put together two solid races for another overall podium. I’m still getting better as we go on and I’m going to continue pushing toward the front through these final three rounds.”

Aaron Plessinger – P4

“It was a pretty good day! I got a pretty good start in the first moto and kind of pumped up in the middle, and went from fifth to seventh. We didn’t really make too many changes in the second moto and I got a really good start – I was right there with Eli [Tomac], and then Chase [Sexton] got by me and I was trying to follow his lines but he was on another level today. I kind of dropped back a bit in the middle and with about five laps to go, I really, really picked it up and tried to get Jason [Anderson] back. I made up good time but still finished up fourth. It was really good, better than my last few motos, and we’re making really good progress with the bike, so I’m really pumped and looking forward to Budds Creek.”

Ken Roczen – P5

“Unadilla was somewhat of a step in the right direction. I definitely showed some speed on the day, but I really struggled with riding super-tight and my right arm being extremely pumped up, to where I had a very hard time holding on, especially with how choppy it was and the speed of the track. That unfortunately made me go backwards, especially in the first moto. I made some passes and was leading for a little bit, but I had to let it go. It’s a bummer, but I’ll try and work on it. We went fifth and seventh for fifth overall. Obviously, I was looking forward to trying to get on the podium; that didn’t happen, but I’m working hard at home to try and come back and hopefully put it on the podium at these last few rounds. Thanks to the team; they’ve been supporting me really good.”

Ryan Dungey – P6

“Unadilla was pretty nasty today – the track was pretty gnarly and more unique than it has been in the past. I feel like we had two good starts but my first laps didn’t execute as good as I should have. I had little mistakes and got passed by a couple guys, which made it harder for me to work in the moto and passes were tough for me today. All things considered, I was really happy with my riding and the bike setup was good for such a nasty track. I’m honestly just really excited to finish out these last three and just keep building.”

Dylan Ferrandis – P7

“It was a tough track to come back on. I had a good first moto and it was good to get the holeshot, but unfortunately, in Moto 2, I ran out of strength in my hands due to my injury. It was a positive day overall and was good to be back racing.”

Justin Barcia – P8

“Going into the first moto, I was feeling good! I got off to a decent start and unfortunately had a crash and found it a little hard to regroup, so I ended up getting 10th. It’s frustrating because I felt like I didn’t ride to my ability but I came back, made a couple more bike changes and ripped a pretty good holeshot in the second moto. I rode behind Aaron [Plessinger] a lot of the race and we were pushing each other hard; I was trying to catch him really bad but just couldn’t make it happen. I was really happy with the change we made on the bike and I was happy with the finish. Wish I would have had a better first moto but we’re definitely going in the right direction and headed towards that podium in these last few races!”

Joey Savatgy – P9

“I definitely started the day out strong with the third fastest lap in qualifying and looked to contend for a spot in the top-5. I had a minor fall while trying to make a pass in Moto 1 that ended up costing me quite a bit of time but, altogether, I had two pretty consistent motos for another top-10 overall. I’m still making steady progress with the team, and we’ll look to clean up the mistakes and improve the result next weekend.”

Christian Craig – P10

“The day started off pretty rough. About the third lap of practice, I had a big crash. It caught me off guard and slammed me to the ground pretty hard. From there, it was just survival mode. I was debating whether or not to sit out and rest for a couple of days, but we gutted it out, and I got through the motos. The first moto was definitely rough and I pretty much rode around in 11th. In the second moto, I got off a little bit better on the start and was able to get up to ninth. Now I’ll just need to recover and get ready for Budds Creek.”

450 Round Points

450 Championship Points Standings

Next Up

The 2022 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship will continue next Saturday, August 20, with a visit to the shadow of the nation’s capital and Southern Maryland’s Budds Creek Motocross Park for the GEICO Motorcycle Budds Creek National.

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2022 Penrite ProMX Championship Round Seven – QMP Wrap

Race fans, including a few famous ones, flocked to Queensland Moto Park (QMP) to witness the first of two epic weekends of back-to-back ProMX racing action.

For the full results see:
Brief all category recap from ProMX Round Seven at QMP

Thor MX1 Race One

In the opening THOR MX1 Moto, it was yet again another trademark Holeshot from Dean Ferris on the HRC Honda Racing Australia CRF450R. Behind Ferris, the tone for the day was set, with Red Plate Holder Aaron Tanti of the CDR Yamaha Monster Energy team in 2nd place in the opening laps.

As the battle developed giving the fans everything they wanted to see, the two Championship heavy weights maintaining close track position for the majority of the race.

With a race track proving one lined at times in the opening races due to heavy rain on Saturday, the majority of the top placings would remain relatively unchanged throughout the first half of the Moto, before riders began to find their flow.

A hard charging Brett Metcalfe on the GO24 KTM caught fire at the halfway mark, passing from the back side of the top 10 on the opening laps all the way through to 3rd position.

Ferris began to edge away from Tanti over the final laps and took the chequered flag with a comfortable margin.

Husqvarna Australia’s Todd Waters in 4th and a very impressive 5th position for the THOR MX1 debut of newly crowned Pirelli MX2 class Champion, HRC Honda Racing Australia’s Wilson Todd, fresh not only from winning the MX2 Championship, but he also showed the MX1 boys up with pole position from the AMX Superstores Top Ten Shootout.

Thor MX1 Race Two Part One

Welcoming the return of the back-to-back racing format for the second Moto of THOR MX1, starts and track position were crucial with riders being presented with an extremely rough and challenging race track for the afternoon at QMP.

Dean Ferris wasted no time executing another perfect Holeshot in Part 1 of the back-to-back Moto’s, leading wire-to-wire in the shorter race format to claim an all important win, setting himself up in a great position for the lowest combined points score of the two back-to-back Moto’s and an overall win on the day.

Behind Ferris, KTM Australia’s Kirk Gibbs found form, following Ferris closely to 2nd position with Aaron Tanti a consistent 3rd.

Thor MX1 Race Two Part Two

In Part 2 of the back-to-back Moto’s, Wilson Todd emerged as the Holeshot winner out of turn 1, as Ferris tangled bars with a number of riders.

Gibbs sprinted to the front of the field early, passing Todd for the lead and did not look back as he logged clean laps to take the chequered flag.

Ferris and Tanti mounted charges on each other and inch towards Gibbs, but ultimately had to settle for 2nd and 3rd in the Moto, respectively.

With 2-1 Moto scores in the back-to-back’s, Gibbs scored lowest points and took the overall win for the combined race.

But the overall win on the day belonged to Ferris, who clawed back valuable Championship points on Tanti, who was second overall while Gibbs completed the round podium.

Tanti entered round seven with a solid 29-point lead and left with a 24-point lead after a fast and consistent day that has him well-placed leading into the final weekend at Coolum.

Dean Ferris – P1

“I did everything that I could and we claimed another overall win. It is not over and I will do everything that I can to win the final round and let what happens behind me be whatever it is going to be.”

Aaron Tanti – P2

“My attitude coming into these last few rounds hasn’t changed as I still want to win races and still will fight all the way to the end, regardless of the result,” Tanti begins. “My goal today was to win, but when I reflect, maybe the biggest obstacle I faced was that I didn’t get the starts to make that happen. The track was technical and difficult to ride and pass at times, so track position was extremely important and while my starts were good, they weren’t perfect and when you give riders a bit of a head start, it was hard to hunt them down on a track like this. Still, I’m not disappointed as I was able to string together three good races and finish up second on the day and maintain a pretty good point lead heading into the final round. I will just keep doing what I’m doing, so no chances for me this week. I will get my training done as per usual with maybe a small tweak given that we ride Saturday but otherwise what’s worked for me all season will continue and I plan to race well again this weekend and finish the championship positively.”

Kirk Gibbs – P3

“I had a pretty good feeling when we first got out on the track, felt like I was going to be able to ride quite well today. I had a pretty big crash in superpole, which scared me a little bit… I got out of it really well, but it was pretty gnarly! First moto I just got a pretty bad start, just got pinched out, and the way the track formed it was super-hard to pass. Everyone is going super-fast these days, which made it tough. We made a couple of little changes before the last two-part moto, where I got really good starts and put myself in good positions to go 2-1 in those. It’s a lot easier out the front when you get to ride your own race and it just felt like I was at the practice track, so I’m happy to finish on a really good result and finally get a race win!”

Wilson Todd – P5

“We made the late decision to race moto one in the MX2 class. The original plan was that I was only going to race in the MX1 class. It was my decision and I paid the price; I was definitely feeling beaten up by the end of the day. I will race in the MX1 class only this weekend and will make sure that I rest this week to be better prepared for the challenge on my CRF450R.”

Todd Waters – P6

“It was another tough day for us. Moto one in P4 was okay and I was hoping to mount and charge for a podium this afternoon, but it didn’t come together. Unfortunately, a crash in the last corner of the final race didn’t help our overall position, but I’m focused now on next weekend at Coolum and achieving a strong result at a track that I like to conclude the season.”

Hayden Mellross – P13

“I was riding really well and felt like it was coming to me easy and I could really maintain that pace for the whole race. Unfortunately, as I was going past a lapped rider they got out of control in the whoops and their bike ran into the side of my front wheel and sent me over the handlebars. That was tough, being in such a good position and working so hard to get there but when I landed I hurt my hand and my ribs, and whole left side of the body was in pain. Tried to rest up as best as I could for the back to backs and first part of moto two wasn’t ideal, but the second one was much better. Reflecting on the day, when I look at my laptimes throughout the motos versus the person who won the moto, I’m within a second with my fastest time. We know we have got what it takes, just need to work on getting a little bit of luck!”

Thor MX1 Championship Points

Pirelli MX2

Kaleb Barham on the MPE Husqvarna brought the momentum and speed he gained at Coffs Harbour right into QMP with a Holeshot and flawless opening laps to lead the field until the half-way point. Yamalube Yamaha’s Rhys Budd ran in 2nd place with the Championship on the line, as Red Plate holder, HRC Honda Racing Australia’s Wilson Todd started in 5th position.

Todd did not look rushed as he slowly worked his way forward, eventually passing Yamaha privateer Jayce Cosford for fourth. With 4th position being more than enough to clinch the title in the opening Moto, Todd was crowned the Pirelli MX2 Class Champion at the chequered flag, to the delight of the entire HRC Team.

As the Moto played out in front of Todd, it was KTM Australia’s Nathan Crawford who worked his way forward to pass Budd, and then Barham for the Moto win. Budd finishing in 2nd and Barham holding onto 3rd ahead of newly crowned Champion, Wilson Todd.

Pirelli MX2 Race Two

Wilson Todd elected to focus on his THOR MX1 racing commitments for the afternoon, leaving the class wide open.

Nathan Crawford took the Holeshot, with WBR Bulk Nutrients Yamaha’s Levi Rogers in 2nd and KTM privateer Reid Taylor in 3rd in the opening laps. These three riders rode in close proximity for the first half of the moto before the Serco Yamaha freight train of Bailey Malkiewicz and Jesse Dobson put on a charge to the front. Moving towards the top 3, Dobson would eventually pass his team-mate and sethis sights firmly set on the front, passing Rogers for 2nd in the closing laps.

At the chequered flag it was Crawford with perfect 1-1 Moto scores and the overall win. Dobson in 2nd and Rogers 3rd.

Nathan Crawford – P1

“I’m really happy to get this first win with the KTM Racing Team! The day sort of started off a little bit slow for me, I got sixth in qualifying which was obviously not ideal. We sorted it out for the motos, made a couple of bike changes and got the double win. I pulled a holeshot in the last race, which made that race feel a lot easier. It was a really good day, I can’t really ask for much more – going 1-1 is basically perfect in our eyes, so keen to keep the ball rolling into Coolum next weekend.”

Rhys Budd – P2

“It was good to get back on the podium here at QMP after a couple of tough rounds at Maitland and Coffs. I had a good lead up and the team rallied around me, and we were able to get some good results at a state event the weekend before and then carry that into the weekend. Race one was good, I just needed to get into the lead earlier. I had some opportunities and I didn’t make the most of them, so that’s something I can take from that race. The second one I didn’t get a good start at all then there were bikes going everywhere in the first turn. I think I seat bounced someone’s bike as it was on the track. Anyway, I was able to stay on and get myself into the top five and finish on the podium for the round. I still feel there is more to learn and improvements to be made and we will continue to try and make those steps forward, but a podium result is a good reward for the guys on the team and we will look to be better again next week at Coolum.”

Pirelli MX2 Championship Points

Maxxis MX3 Moto One

KTM Australia’s Ryan Alexanderson has emerged as a late season sensation in the class, showing speed, consistency and maturity in the second half of the season to, at times, dominate the MAXXIS MX3 class. QMP was no different.

Early race leader and pace setter Connor Towill on the KTM Newcastle machine gapped the field early on before an unfortunate crash saw him unable to finish.

As the field regrouped, it was Alexanderson who passed Red Plate holder, KTM Australia’s Kayden Minear into the top 5, before working his way through to the Moto win.

Ryley Fitzpatrick on the Rising Motorsports Gas Gas in 2nd, Yamaha’s Cooper Holroyd in 3rd, GAS GAS Australia’s Byron Dennis in 4th and Minear in 5th at the flag.

Maxxis MX3 Moto Two

Young Byron Dennis scored the Holeshot but it wasn’t long before Western Australia’s Myles Gilmore hit the lead.

As the race took shape, Alexanderson moved up to second while Yamaha Australia Junior Racing’s Jake Cannon slotted in to 3rd. These three riders battled but eventually Alexanderson proved too strong, passing Gilmore on the closing laps to take a perfect 1-1 Moto score on the day and the overall win.

Gilmore would take a fantastic 2nd in the Moto, with Cannon 3rd. Overall contenders Dennis and Fitzpatrick would finish 5th and 6th respectively with Red Plate Holder, Minear going 5-8 on the day.

Maxxis MX3 Championship Points

Yamaha bLU cRU YZ65 Cup

The next generation of Australian Motocross talent put on an incredible show at QMP for the Yamaha bLU cRU YZ65 Cup.

Heath Davy continued his dominance from earlier in the season at Maitland, with a perfect day and 1-1 Moto scores to take the overall victory.

Behind Davy, Deegan Fort and Jaggar Townley would trade podium positions in both Moto’s, with Fort claiming 2nd overall and Townley 3rd.

Yamaha bLU cRU YZ65 Cup Championship Points

 

The Penrite ProMX Championship presented by AMX Superstores now heads to Coolum, Queensland for the final Round 8 on August 20th and 21st. Get your tickets here.

2021 Australian ProMX Championship Calendar

1. March 27 – Wonthaggi, VIC
2. April 10 – Mackay, QLD
3. May 1 – Wodonga, VIC
4. May 29 – Gillman, SA
5. June 26 – Maitland, NSW
6. July 24 – Coffs Harbour, NSW
7. August 14 – QLD Moto Park, QLD
8. August 20-21 – Coolum, QLD

 

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2022 Racing schedule

2022 Yamaha Australian Off-Road Championship, presented by MXstore

2022 FIM Motocross (MXGP) World Championship Calendar

2022 FIM Hard Enduro World Championship Provisional Schedule