Cooper Webb has been forced miss last weekend’s round of the Monster Energy Supercross in Atlanta after injuring his shoulder in a qualifying heat at the Minneapolis round a week earlier.
Cooper Webb
Cooper Webb
“I felt great in qualifying, and then, I pulled the holeshot in the heat. I was leaned over in the turn heading into the first rhythm section when I spun the rear wheel. I wasn’t able to get through that section the way I wanted to, and unfortunately, another rider’s rear wheel basically landed on the left side of my handlebars, and I went down. I flew to California, and I’ve been working with Dr. G (Dr. Rey Gubernick) this week. I had an MRI today , and it showed deep bruising. We were concerned that there was a fracture to the scapula , so it was great news that the MRI revealed just a bruise. The plan right now is to work with Dr. G all week, and then, get back on my bike as soon as possible and see how I feel.”
Charlotte USGP – Cancelled
The USGP in Charlotte that was slated for the 3rd of September as the 17th round of the 2017 World Motocross Championships has been cancelled.
Charlotte axed from the 2017 MXGP calendar.
At the time of writing Youthstream, the promoter of the MXGP series is in negotiations with several track owners in America in the hope of securing a replacement venue. Let’s hope Unadilla steps up to the plate.
2017 MX Nationals launch at Wonthaggi
It was at the Wonthaggi Motocross Track in Victoria, the home of round one this year, that the 2017 Motul MX Nationals series was launched, revealing some of its biggest plans for this year’s race season.
With little over a month to go until the first gate drop of the series, riders, teams, and press were on site for the Motul MX Nationals to unveil some major initiatives as part of its 2017 program, including presenting partners, series title sponsor, fresh branding of NRGTV, all new partnerships, as well as the announcement of a virtual series.
2017 MX Nationals – Dean Ferris
It was confirmed that Motul will maintain its strong partnership with the championship as the official title sponsor, while Thor, Yamaha Motor Australia, Yamaha Motor Finance and Yamaha Motorcycle Insurance will once again return as round presenting partners in 2017.
In addition, there was confirmation today that all major class sponsorships have been renewed for 2017, with the Thor MX1, Motul MX2 and Pirelli MXD classes all set to headline this year’s series.
2017 MX Nationals – Free online game
The Motul MX Nationals will also conduct a virtual series, which will for the very first time enable fans to race the exact same tracks online week by week, as part of the official Motul MX Nationals computer game, online and free.
Reigning Motul MX Nationals Champion Dean Ferris (CDR Yamaha) along with championship contenders Todd Waters (Crankt Protein Honda Racing), KTM’s Luke Styke, and 2015 Champ Kirk Gibbs were just four of the high profile riders who took to the sandy circuit for the first time since 2014.
2017 MX Nationals – Luke Clout
The track, which is famous for its deep and dark surface sets the scene for what will be a huge round one of the championship when the Motul MX Nationals heads back to the venue for the first time in three years on April 2.
Kevin Williams – Motul MX Nationals Promoter
“It’s fantastic to unveil some of the things we have been working on since August last year – everything is coming together, and we are all very excited to be back at Wonthaggi after a bit of a hiatus. Last year we had great depth of talent, particularly in our premier Thor MX1 class, but I think 2017 will be even better. We have fresh new faces stepping up onto the 450 machines, and it’s going to make every round of the championship unmissable for our fans. The fact that we have so many wonderful sponsors returning to support the series in 2017 really shows the strength and reliability of our championship. We can’t say too much yet, but in 2017 we will also be working exclusively with beyondblue at every round of the Motul MX Nationals.”
2017 MX Nationals – Luke Styke
In addition to today’s exciting series announcements, Williams also confirmed that NRGTV will once again be broadcasting every round of the Motul MX Nationals live online, with a fresh new look ‘MX Live’.
Round one of the 2017 Motul MX Nationals is set to take place at Wonthaggi on Sunday April 2, 2017.
2017 MX Nationals – Dean Ferris
2017 Motul MX Nationals Calendar
Round 1 – 2nd April – Wonthaggi, Victoria
MX1, MX2, MXD, 125cc Juniors
Round 2 – 23rd April – Appin, NSW
MX1, MX2, MXD, 250cc Juniors
Round 3 – 7th May – Conondale, Queensland
MX1, MX2, MXD, 125cc Gold Cup Seniors
Round 4 – 21st May – Horsham, Victoria
MX1, MX2, MXD, 250cc Juniors
Round 5 – 28th May – Murray Bridge, South Australia
MX1, MX2, MXD, 125cc Juniors
Round 6 – 3rd July – Nowra, NSW
MX1, MX2, MXD, 85cc Cup 9-12 years
Round 7 – 16th July – Shepparton, Victoria
MX1, MX2, MXD, 125cc Gold Cup Seniors
Round 8 – 30th July – Port Macquarie, NSW
MX1, MX2, MXD, 125cc Gold Cup Seniors
Round 9 – 13th August – Toowoomba, Queensland
MX1, MX2, 250cc Juniors, Amateur Cup
Round 10 – 19th & 20th August – Coolum, Queensland
Williams Event Management and the MX Nationals have announced that entries for the 2017 Motul MX Nationals series are now open.
To enter this year’s championship, hit this link, which will take you to the rider login area where you can enter on the Motul MX Nationals website.
Kirk Gibbs at the 2017 MX Nationals Launch
Once logged in, click on your profile and begin your entry. If you have any issues with processing your entry or accessing your profile, please do not create a new profile, simply call the Williams Event Management office on 03 5659 2176.
Riders are reminded that payment will not be taken until the Monday prior to each entered round, with payment processed at 4pm.
The DSR Motul Pirelli Sherco Off-Road Team has announced a three-rider line-up to contest major off-road championship titles in 2017.
Team Manager, Dave Suter, will be assisted by Master’s Class front runner and industry expert Derek Grundy and together they will direct the Team with the backing of lubricant giant Motul and world rated tyre manufacturer Pirelli.
Derek Grundy
Dave Suter
“Appointing rider talent to a Team is always a difficult task. But this year it just fell into place and we couldn’t be happier with our line-up. Nic Tomlinson and Andy Wilksch will headline our team in the Pro ranks while Derek Grundy will support me in the management role and contest the Master’s Class.”
Nic Tomlinson
Tomlinson comes to the team with plenty of talent and experience. The NSW-based rider represented Australia at the 2016 International Six Day Enduro in Spain and placed second in the Australian Off-Road Championship Under-19 title. Tomlinson also placed 2nd in the Under-19 Class at the 2016 Hattah Desert Race.
Tomlinson will race the 2017 Sherco 450 SEF-R in the Under-19 Class in the Australian Off-Road Championship, Hattah Desert Race and in the E2 division at the Australian Four Day Enduro along with plenty of racing in State and regional events.
Andy Wilksch
Joining Tomlinson at the premiere level is Victorian rider Andy Wilksch who will race a 2017 Sherco 300 SEF-R. Wilksch will be busy in 2017 contesting the AORC, Hattah Desert Race, A4DE, Victorian Off-Road Championship and South Australian Off-Road Championship where he was runner-up in 2016.
Dave Suter
“Nic is a dedicated rider that wants to win. He loved the Sherco from the very first ride and testing has seen him shave considerable amounts of time from the stopwatch. Andy has some serious raw speed. He tested the 300 SEF-R and was immediately faster than on his race bike from last year. He’s a fantastic talent that has the respect of our industry partners and that says a lot about his character.”
The DSR Motul Pirelli Sherco team is in the middle of pre-season testing and finalising support. Expect to hear more exciting news from DSR Motul Pirelli Sherco in the coming days.
Atlanta’s MotoFest a huge success
Monster Energy Supercross, AMSOIL Arenacross and a host of amateur riders converged on the Georgia Dome last weekend for the first ever MotoFest ‘double header’ where the Arenacross riders got to compete on four lanes of the supercross track for round seven on their championship on Friday night.
Motofest Podium – Image: ShiftOne Photography
Then the full track was opened up for round eight of the AMA Supercross series on Saturday night and finally Sunday saw the amateur riders get to have a crack at a down scaled supercross layout.
But the event didn’t just hinge on the racing, Friday saw all of the Arenacross and Supercross riders make themselves available for a mega poster signing session with Ricky Carmichael and Jeremy McGrath on hand to add to the star studded line-up.
Jasikonis out of Qatar
Suzuki World MXGP rider Arminas Jasikonis has been forced to miss the opening round of the 2017 MXGP World Championship due to visa issues that weren’t able to get sorted out in time for the gate drop at the Qatar event.
MXGP 2016 Switzerland Jasikonis
Stefan Everts – General Manager
“AJ is back on a plane to Europe because he didn’t have the right visa. It’s a very bad break for him, after having a good pre-season and we were really looking forward to having him on the start line on the new RM-Z450WS. It is a big disappointment, especially for himself, but also for the whole team and Suzuki, to not see him here after all the work we’ve put in. This is how it is and we have to accept it, we should have taken care better on the visa issue and we will learn from this. I want to apologise to all our sponsors, partners and fans, and especially to Suzuki that he won’t be on the start line.”
Dunlop Geomax MX3S
Sexton Breaks Leg at Atlanta
GEICO Honda rookie Chase Sexton will miss the remainder of the Monster Energy Supercross 250SX East Region after sustaining a broken femur in qualifying in Atlanta. According to the team, Sexton is expected to undergo surgery soon.
Sexton rode well in the first session on Saturday, setting the ninth fastest time. He rode just three laps in the second session before crashing and sustaining a broken femur.
Mountain Man of Motocross Heats Up
The Mountain Man of Motocross event is just a few weeks away and there has been a huge response from many of the professional motocrossers who want to etch their name in motocross history and grab a hunk of the $18,000 in prizemoney.
Kirk Gibbs will be leading the charge alongside Cooper Posniak, Cody Dyce, Mitch Evans, Jackson Richardson, Ricky Latimer, Wilson Todd, Darcy Jones, Zac Small, Joel Rizzo, Jesse Bishop, Justin Hart, Bailey Coxon, Dakota Court, Kaleb Barham, Josh Kilvington and Luke Reardon who are heading up to Echo Valley over the weekend of March 11th and 12th.
2017 Mountain Man
Saturday will see full fields of racers on Pre 1995 machinery including some knucklehead by the name of Darren Smart on his 60 horsepower Husqvarna TE610 fearlessly taking on a gaggle of 250cc and 500cc two-strokes.
Then on Sunday the Mountain Man of Motocross will be held over four motos while the 125cc Gold Cup, Junior Lites, Mini Lites and the Woman’s class are set to have the usually large crowd on their feet.
Between my times on the track I will be commentating the racing on both days alongside the living legend of Inverell, Dave Sutherland. Go to the Mountain Man of Motocross Facebook page for more info.
Dukes Wins NSW Motocross Championship
The one and only round of the NSW Motocross Championships was held at Port Macquarie last weekend and it was a shocker with rain falling most of the day but that didn’t stop Riley Dukes from coming away with three wins from three starts in the Under 19s class.
Unfortunately there are no results available for any of the other classes available at the time of writing.
Coastal Motorcross Club to host 2018 AJMX
Motorcycling Australia (MA) has announced that 2018 Australian Junior Motocross Championship (AJMX) will be held in Penguin, Tasmania hosted by the Coastal Motorcross Club in late September/early October.
The announcement marks the first time since 2004 that AJMX has been hosted on the island State, while the Coastal Motocross Club (CMXC) has contributed in hosting many successful events including the 2015 Australian Four Day Enduro (A4DE).
AJMX Start
Stuart Weller – Club President
“The Club is looking forward to hosting the AJMX, being the pinnacle of Junior Championships in Australia. The CMXC club and committee are very excited to have this high profile event back in Tasmania. We will strive to make this an enjoyable and memorable event for all competitors and mainland visitors. I know Coastal Motocross Club with the support of all the clubs in Tasmania will do a fantastic job of hosting the Australian Junior Championships for 2018. Tasmania is a beautiful place at that time of the year, and it will be great for locals to have the chance to come and enjoy some of the best motocross talent Australia has to offer on one of the top tracks in the country!”
The 2018 World Junior Motocross Championships will be held in mid to late August 2018 in Horsham, prior to the 2018 Australian Junior Motocross which will be held in Penguin, Tasmania.
The 2017 Australian Junior Motocross Championships are scheduled to be held in Horsham, Victoria on 30th September – 7th October 2017.
Motorcycling Australia has also advised that the following Championships are now available for hosting by suitable applicants:
Junior Motocross (2019 only)
ATV Motocross (2018 & 2019)
Classic Motocross (2018 & 2019)
Post Classic Motocross (2018 & 2019)
The closing application date for 2019 Junior Motocross is Friday April 14, 2017. Upon receipt of club’s Expression of Interest, Motorcycling Australia will send additional information on the specific championship and the requirements therein.
Expression of Interest forms for Australian Motorcycle Sport National Championships can be found by visiting the ‘Forms’ section of the Motorcycling Australia website.
Dunlop Geomax MX3S
Smarty’s Race Reports:
AMA Supercross – Rd 8 – Atlanta, Georgia
Ryan Dungey and Zach Osborne celebrated main event wins when the AMA Supercross hosted it’s 26th and final visit to the legendary Georgia Dome where 60,074 fans were on hand to not only bid farewell to the iconic venue but to be part of the inaugural MotoFest which saw the Arenacross and Supercross series held over the same weekend at the same venue.
450SX Main Event
Dungey earned his second holeshot of the season over Mike Alessi, Blake Baggett, Justin Bogle, Cole Seeley and Chad Reed while Eli Tomac, who had won three of the last four races entering Atlanta, started in ninth.
2017 AMA SX – Rnd 8, Atlanta – Ryan Dungey – Image: Simon Cudby
Dungey quickly moved away from the field but the action behind saw Baggett, Bogle, Seely and Reed lining up to get around Alessi as quick as they could while dicing among themselves on which was, for the second week in a row, a one-lined and less than spectacular track.
Reed was the first to falter when he crashed at the end of the whoops to drop back to 14th place on lap five while Baggett, Seely and Bogle settled into a battle for the podium well behind Dungey,
2017 AMA SX – Rnd 8, Atlanta – Cole Seely
However there was one rider who was on fire by mid-race and that was Tomac who had steam rolled his way from ninth to fifth and was closing on the Baggett, Seely, Bogle freight train in a great rate of knots and to cut a long story short the Kawasaki rider was in second place by lap 17.
It was at about this time that Bogle took another tumble and dropped well out of the top ten while Chad Reed had rebounded from his crash and was well and truly back inside the top ten but all eyes were on Tomac and the stop watches were out to see if there was a chance that Eli could catch Dungey before the race ended.
2017 AMA SX – Rnd 8, Atlanta – Marvin Musqin – Image: Simon Cudby
While Dungey and Tomac traded fastest laps throughout the remainder of the race, Jason Anderson and Marvin Musquin moved by Seely for fourth and fifth place but it was obvious that Dungey was controlling his gap back to Tomac.
2017 AMA SX – Rnd 8, Atlanta – Jason Anderson – Image: Simon Cudby
It was no surprise when Dungey took his 33rd career win ahead of Tomac, Baggett, Anderson, Musquin, Seely, Reed, Justin Brayton, Josh Grant and Dean Wilson.
Dungey’s win was his fifth inside the Georgia Dome in the 450SX Class, tying him for the most all time, and also signified the third consecutive year he’s won in Atlanta. The Dome was the site of Dungey’s first ever Monster Energy Supercross win in the 250SX Class, all the way back during the 2007 season.
2017 AMA SX – Rnd 8, Atlanta – Ryan Dungey – Image: Simon Cudby
Ryan Dungey
“The start , for sure. I was really able to drive off the gate good and held it into the corner. As all the guys shot wide I was able to tuck under and get the holeshot. This track was key for that, it was very hard to really make a lot of time on guys. I wanted to get out front and we did that. I saw Eli coming at the end, but wanted to just keep things easy . A win is a win.”
Tomac’s runner-up effort was his first podium finish of the season that wasn’t a win.
Eli Tomac
Eli Tomac
“I’m satisfied . That was tough. didn’t really happen in the Heat Race either, and it’s something I’ll look back on. I really need to be better off the start, that’s how important they are. But no excuses, Ryan straight up beat us tonight and got the start. I did what I could.”
Baggett captured his second career podium result in third.
Blake Baggett
“Yeh, it’s been a while but each weekend gets better and better, getting a good start and being up there early in the race was definitely a big deal for me, I am just enjoying the team and improve each weekend.”
2017 AMA SX – Rnd 8, Atlanta – Cole Seely
Dungey moved out to a 25-point lead over Tomac, who moved into second, in the 450SX Class standings. Dungey’s Red Bull KTM teammate Marvin Musquin, who finished fifth, dropped to third, 27 points out of the lead.
450SX Class Results
Ryan Dungey, Belle Plaine, Minn., KTM
Eli Tomac, Cortez, Colo., Kawasaki
Blake Baggett, Grand Terrace, Calif., KTM
Jason Anderson, Rio Rancho, N.M., Husqvarna
Marvin Musquin, Corona, Calif., KTM
Cole Seely, Sherman Oaks, Calif., Honda
Chad Reed, Dade City, Fla., Yamaha
Justin Brayton, Mint Hill, N.C., Honda
Josh Grant, Riverside, Calif., Kawasaki
Dean Wilson, Clermont, Fla., Husqvarna
2017 AMA SX – Rnd 8, Atlanta – Ryan Dungey – Image: Simon Cudby
450SX Class Championship Standings
Ryan Dungey, Belle Plaine, Minn., KTM – 174
Eli Tomac, Cortez, Colo., Kawasaki – 149
Marvin Musquin, Corona, Calif., KTM – 147
Cole Seely, Sherman Oaks, Calif., Honda – 138
Jason Anderson, Rio Rancho, N.M., Husqvarna – 121
Davi Millsaps, Cairo, Ga., KTM – 98
Dean Wilson, Clermont, Fla., Husqvarna – 84
Chad Reed, Dade City, Fla., Yamaha – 83
Blake Baggett, Grand Terrace, Calif., KTM – 83
Broc Tickle, Holly, Mich., Suzuki – 76
Eastern Regional 250SX Class Main Event
Jordon Smith grabbed the holeshot for the second weekend in a row but this week it was Dylan Ferrandis, Alex Martin and Osborne tucked in behind, while championship leader Joey Savatgy found himself outside the top 10 in the early running.
2017 AMA SX – Rnd 8, Atlanta – Zach Osborne – Image: Simon Cudby
Osborne was on a mission and by lap five the Husqvarna pilot was in the lead and it wasn’t long before Martin was into second place ahead of team mate Smith who kept pace with Martin for several laps. However on lap 15 the two came together leaving Smith on the ground handing Colt Nichols third ahead of Savatgy and Smith.
2017 AMA SX – Rnd 8, Atlanta – Joey Savatgy
Osborne went unchallenged over the remainder of the race and easily took the win 6.3 seconds ahead of Martin, who posted a career-best result in second in just his third trip to the podium. Nichols grabbed his second career podium result in third, while Savatgy salvaged a fourth-place finish to keep things close in the points.
2017 AMA SX – Rnd 8, Atlanta – Alex Martin, Jordon Smith – Image: Simon Cudby
Osborne’s maiden win came in his 49th career start. He became the 104th different 250SX Class winner in Monster Energy Supercross history. He’s the 13th different rider to claim his first career win in Atlanta, and is the 22nd different 250SX Class winner inside the Georgia Dome.
2017 AMA SX – Rnd 8, Atlanta – Zach Osborne – Image: Simon Cudby
Zach Osborne
“I can’t explain . It hits home. I’ve worked so hard for this and there are hundreds of people that helped get me to this point. Tonight was my night. I felt like I missed out on one last weekend. After I got a good start I felt like it was my turn to just get in there and make it happen. I got into the lead about halfway and it was easy from there.”
Osborne surpassed Savatgy atop the Eastern Regional standings and now holds a slim two-point lead over his Kawasaki rival. Smith dropped to third, seven points out of the lead while Martin is now inside the top ten overall.
2017 AMA SX – Rnd 8, Atlanta – Alex Martin – Image: Simon Cudby
Colt Nichols
“It’s nice to get the ball rolling now in the right direction, after last weekend I was really bummed, I got a really good start which didn’t end up real well (Nichol was taken out by another rider) but third place after the injury I had is a blessing, just to be up here with these guys.”
The 2017 Monster Energy Supercross season continues next Saturday, March 4, with the championship’s lone visit outside the U.S. The ninth round will commence from Canada’s largest city of Toronto, inside the Rogers Centre.
Eastern Regional 250SX Class Results
Zach Osborne, Abingdon, Va., Husqvarna
Alex Martin, Millville, Minn., KTM
Colt Nichols, Muskogee, Okla., Yamaha
Joey Savatgy, Thomasville, Ga., Kawasaki
Jordon Smith, Belmont, N.C., KTM
Luke Renzland, Hewitt, N.J., Yamaha
Adam Cianciarulo, Port Orange, Fla., Kawasaki
Fredrik Noren, West Farmington, Ohio, Honda
Kyle Peters, Greensboro, N.C., Suzuki
RJ Hampshire, Brooksville, Fla., Honda
2017 AMA SX – Rnd 8, Atlanta – Zach Osborne – Image: Simon Cudby
Eastern Regional 250SX Class Championship Standings
Zach Osborne, Abingdon, Va., Husqvarna – 45
Joey Savatgy, Thomasville, Ga., Kawasaki – 43
Jordon Smith, Belmont, N.C., KTM – 38
Colt Nichols, Muskogee, Okla., Yamaha – 31
Adam Cianciarulo, Port Orange, Fla., Kawasaki – 30
Friday night’s AMSOIL Arenacross action inside the Georgia Dome signified the seventh round of the 2017 season and it was Chris Blose who broke through for his first overall victory of the season in the 250AX class while Jayce Pennington took his first career win in the sixth round of the Eastern Regional AX Lites Class.
The first 15-lap 250AX Class Main Event saw Gared Steinke grab the holeshot with Blose, Josh Osby, Jace Owen and Matt Goerke in tow while defending champion Gavin Faith struggled with a poor start.
Chris Blose – Image: ShiftOne Photography
Blose wasted little time in applying pressure on Steinke for the lead and successfully seized control of the Main Event on Lap 1. On the following lap Goerke broke into podium position by passing Osby for third, bringing Owen along into fourth and Faith, the defending series champion, into fifth.
Matthew Goerke – Image: ShiftOne Photography
Osby fell to sixth. Goerke’s forward progression continued on Lap 4 when he passed Steinke in the whoops to move into second behind his teammate. By this point Blose had opened a gap of nearly three seconds and while Goerke did all he could to erase the deficit, he soon ran out of time.
Chris Blose – Image: ShiftOne Photography
Blose took his first Main Event win of the season, crossing the line 1.7 seconds ahead of Goerke, which gave the Rockstar Energy/OTSFF/Yamaha team its first ever 1-2 finish. Steinke held on for a solid third-place finish, with Owen fourth and Faith fifth.
250AX Class Results – Main Event 1
Chris Blose, Phoenix, Yamaha
Matt Goerke, Lake Helen, Fla., Yamaha
Gared Steinke, Woodland, Calif., Kawasaki
Jace Owen, Matoon, Ill., Honda
Gavin Faith, Fort Dodge, Iowa, Kawasaki
Ben Lamay, Forney, Texas, Honda
Daniel Herrlein, Bethesda, Ohio, KTM
Cody VanBuskirk, Harvard, Ill., KTM
Isaac Teasdale, Robbinsville, N.C., KTM
Ryan Breece, Athol, Idaho, Kawasaki
250 AX Main Event 2
When the second Main Event got underway it was Owen who took control of the early lead with Travis Sewell and Faith not far behind. Both Goerke and Blose were left to fight their way through the field, starting in sixth and seventh, respectively.
Jace Owen – Image: ShiftOne Photography
Owen moved out to a lead of more than a second at the conclusion of the first lap, while Sewell and Faith engaged in a heated battle for second. Behind them, Goerke broke into the top five on Lap 2, with Blose following into sixth. Goerke gained another spot on Lap 3, passing Steinke for fourth. Blose would move into fifth on the following lap.
Gared Steinke – Image: ShiftOne Photography
As the race reached the halfway point, less than a second separated the top three on the track. After a persistent challenge against his teammate, Faith moved into second on Lap 9 with just about a second separating he and Owen. Goerke was able to also pass Sewell and move into third.
Travis Sewell – Image: ShiftOne Photography
Goerke was then able to pressure Faith for second, soon moving into the runner-up spot on Lap 12 just prior to the finish line. Blose moved past Sewell for fourth that same lap.
Jace Owen – Image: ShiftOne Photography
Goerke attempted to overcome a gap of just over a second to Owen over the closing laps, but the championship leader secured his eighth Main Event win by a slim margin of 0.12 over Goerke. Faith was third, with Blose fourth and Sewell fifth.
Chris Blose – Image: ShiftOne Photography
When the overall results were tallied, Blose’s (1-4) extra bonus point from the Head 2 Head Challenge gave him a one-point edge over Owen (4-1) and Goerke (2-2), who tied for second, giving Blose his first victory of the season. Faith was fourth (5-3) and Steinke fifth (3-6).
Jace Owen – Image: ShiftOne Photography
Owen’s runner-up effort helped him add to his lead in the 250AX Class standings, which now sits at 20 points over Faith. Goerke maintains control of third, 26 points out of the lead.
Gavin Faith, Fort Dodge, Iowa, Kawasaki – 232 (5 Main Event Wins)
Matt Goerke, Lake Helen, Florida, Yamaha – 226 (1 Main Event Win)
Gared Steinke, Woodland, Calif., Kawasaki – 195
Chris Blose, Phoenix, Yamaha – 190 (1 Main Event Win)
Ben Lamay, Forney, Texas, Honda – 172 (1 Main Event Win)
Daniel Herrlein, Bethesda, Ohio, KTM – 162
Cody VanBuskirk, Harvard, Ill., KTM – 118
Travis Sewell, Westville, Ind., Kawasaki – 98
Steven Mages, Sardinia, Ohio, Kawasaki – 89
Eastern Regional AX Lites Class Main Event
The 12-lap Eastern Regional AX Lites Class Main Event saw Pennington grab the early lead over Ryan Breece and Isaac Teasdale. The clear track allowed Pennington to open a gap of over a second by the completion of Lap 1, but Breece immediately started to make a push.
Jayce Pennington – Image: ShiftOne Photography
The two paced one another for several laps until Breece closed the deficit to under a second on Lap 5. Just one lap later Breece’s hopes of victory would come to an end after he crashed in the whoops while trying to chase down Pennington.
Justin Cooper – Image: ShiftOne Photography
Breece would lose several positions and fall out of contention, moving Teasdale into second and Justin Cooper, the championship points leader, into third.
Breece’s misfortune gave Pennington a comfortable lead of nearly four seconds, which would ultimately be all he needed to take home the win. He went unchallenged over the second half of the Main Event to take the chequered flag 4.5 seconds ahead of Teasdale, who firmly maintained control of second. Cooper went on to grab the final spot on the podium in third.
Isaac Teasdale – Image: ShiftOne Photography
Cooper’s podium effort helped extend his lead in the Eastern Regional standings to 18 points over Teasdale, who moved into second. Jacob Williamson, who finished fourth, is third, 19 points out of the lead.
AMSOIL Arenacross continues with its eighth round of the season next weekend, with two nights of action from Southaven, Mississippi’s Landers Center.
Eastern Regional AX Lites Class Results
Jayce Pennington, Walnut Hill, Ill., Yamaha
Isaac Teasdale, Robbinsville, N.C., KTM
Justin Cooper, Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y., Yamaha
Jacob Williamson, Swartz Creek, Mich., Kawasaki
Brandon Gourley, Bonnville, Ind., KTM
Dylan Bolinger, Corona, Calif., Yamaha
Ryan Breece, Athol, Idaho, Kawasaki
Nick Schnagl, Stillwater, Minn., Honda
Scott Zont, Algonquin, Ind., Kawasaki
Jordan Bailey, Orlando, Fla., Husqvarna
Eastern Regional AX Lites Class Championship Standings
Justin Cooper, Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y., Yamaha – 104 (3 Main Event Wins)
Isaac Teasdale, Robbinsville, N.C., KTM – 86
Jacob Williamson, Swartz Creek, Mich., Kawasaki – 85 (1 Main Event Win)
Red Bull KTM Factory riders Antonio Cairoli and Paul Jonnas have won the MXGP and MX2 classes respectively at the opening round of the World Motocross Championships held under light in Qatar last weekend.
2017 MXGP Round 1 – Losail – Start
MXGP Report
Moto One
Cairoli scored the all-important holeshot from Bobryshev, Gajser, Desalle, Nagl, Febvre, Anstie, Van Horebeek, Strijbos, Lupino and Nicholls while Herlings is down in 16th.
2017 MXGP Round 1 – Qatar – Tim Gajser
Desalle surprisingly passed Gajser and moved into third place in the early going but after four laps the lead by Cairoli is seven seconds ahead of Bobryshev and Desalle third while Gajser and Van Horebeek have the flying Herlings closing in fast Herlings.
Herlings started struggling with what he later called ‘really bad arm pump’ thanks to his hand injury and after seven laps he was back in 11th and would end the race in 18th place.
2017 MXGP Round 1 – Qatar – Max Nagl
After 10 laps the top ten is Cairoli, Bobryshev, Desalle, Gajser, Van Horebeek, Paulin, Nagl, Tonus, Febvre, and Tixier and the order remained the same for several laps until Bobrysheve lost two psitions late in the moto but when the chequered flag dropped it was Cairoli a mile ahead of Desalle and Gajser.
Moto Two
Gajser scored the holeshot in moto two ahead of Cairoli, Febvre, Desalle, Paulin, Coldenhoff, Van Horebeek, Nagl, Anstie, Bobryshev and Tixier.
Gasjer seemed determined to keep the red-hot Cairoli at bay and the pace pulled the leading do well away from third placed Febvre while Herlings was battling along in 11th place.
It was the veterans battling the young guns with Desalle pushing hard to get around Febvre for third and Cairoli sizing Gajser up to take the lead and after 11 laps Gajser held a slim lead over Cairoli, Febvre, Desalle, Paulin, Van Horebeek, Bobryshev, Coldenhoff, Tixier, Anstie and Herlings.
2017 MXGP Round 1 – Losail – Gautier Paulin
Late in the moto there was a massive battle between Cairoli and Gajser but the Italian legend burst by for the victory and the GP win. In fact, Cairoli’s second last lap was four seconds quicker than Gajser which shows that the KTM pilot is in great shape.
Febvre managed to stay ahead of Desalle for third place while Paulin scored a solid fifth place ahead of Van Horebeek, Bobryshev, Coldenhoff, Tixier, Anstie and Herlings.
2017 MXGP Round 1 – Losail – Tony Cairoli
Antonio Cairoli
“You know in the beginning I tried to pass him and I hit him and I thought I had trouble with the spokes and I slowed. But then it felt ok and I started pushing again. I am really happy with this double victory. Unfortunately I was sick with the flu, so I wasn’t 100% on Wednesday and Thursday, so I took medication yesterday, and it was the first day I stopped throwing up. For sure I will be more fit for the next one. I don’t know how it feels to have the red plate, two long years, but I try and keep it.”
2017 MXGP Round 1 – Losail – Tim Gajser
Tim Gajser
“I am happy with the weekend,” said Gasjer. “Coming here I felt sick all weekend and didn’t feel good on the bike all weekend. Second moto I felt better, but the last couple of laps I lost concentration and made some mistakes. I am looking forward to next weekend.”
2017 MXGP Round 1 – Losail – Clement Desalle
Clement Desalle
“It is really good to start the year on the podium. I was not happy with how things were going on Friday. It was hard to pass, it was not easy riding out there and I wasn’t pleased! It was much better today. I had a good feeling on the bike and that is very important for me and I had some good starts. I changed my mentality a little bit but so much depends how and where you are after the second corner! Today I could make a difference. The first race is done now and we can look ahead.”
2017 MXGP Round 1 – Losail – Jeffrey Herlings
Jeffrey Herlings told MXLarge
“We took everything out of the situation, we broke our hand 11 days ago and had surgery 10 days ago, and we needed to race. We thought it was nearly impossible, and we gave it a try and I think we got 13 points. I had lost the championship by four points once, so I tried to get maximum. The pain was incredible. I know it’s a long series and this weekend and next weekend we just need to survive. Hopefully by Argentina we can start working from there. The competition. I hadn’t ridden for three weeks before my crash in Italy, and then didn’t ride for two weeks, so five weeks off the bike and we did what we could and kept the dream alive.”
MXGP – Race 1 – Classification
Cairoli, Antonio
Desalle, Clement
Gajser, Tim
Bobryshev, Evgeny
Van Horebeek, Jeremy
Paulin, Gautier FRA
Tonus, Arnaud
Nagl, Maximilian
Tixier, Jordi
Febvre, Romain
Strijbos, Kevin
Butron, Jose
Anstie, Max
Lupino, Alessandro
Coldenhoff, Glenn
Leok, Tanel
Simpson, Shaun
Herlings, Jeffrey
Goncalves, Rui
Nicholls, Jake
Guillod, Valentin
2017 MXGP Round 1 – Losail –
MXGP – Race 2 – Classification
Cairoli
Gajser
Febvre
Desalle
Paulin
Van Horebeek
Bobryshev
Coldenhoff
Tixier
Anstie
Herlings
MXGP – Overall Classification
Cairoli – 50
Gajser – 42
Desalle – 40
Bobryshev – 32
Febvre – 31
Gautier – 31
Van Horebeek – 31
Tixier – 24
Coldenhoff – 19
Anstie – 19
Strijbos – 19
Nagl – 18
Butron – 17
Tonus – 16
Herlings – 13
MX2 Report
Moto One
After grabbing the holeshot Jonass pulled away from his young KTM teammate Prado while Seewer made his way into 11th place and was on the move after a poor start but the Suzuki pilot goes down and is now in 25th so after two laps the top 15 is Jonass, Lieber, Prado, Olsen, Paturel, Covington, Bernardini, Vaessen, Sterry, Bogers, Lawrence, Watson, Cervellin, Ostlund and Rubini.
2017 MXGP Qatar – Jorge Prado
Lieber looks strong as he pulls in Jonass, Olsen passed Prado for third place. Lawrence moved into the top ten as Covington went down and dropped back to 12th.
After four laps Seewer is now 16th. Lieber goes down and gives Jonass a big lead while Prado is dropping back, now in sixth place. Top ten after five laps was Jonass, Lieber, Olsen, Paturel, Bernardini, Prado, Vaessen, Sterry, Lawrence, and Bogers.
2017 MXGP Qatar – Hunter Lawrence
Lawrence passes Sterry and closes in on Vaessen but soon tangles with another rider and goes down, dropping the Aussie to 23rd – he would eventually finish the race in 18th.
Paturel tried everything to get Jonass, but the KTM rider held on for the victory, only his second moto win in his MX2 GP career while Lieber, Kjer Olsen, Bernardini, Cervellin, Prado Garcia, Covington, Brylyakov and Sanayei round out the top ten.
2017 MXGP Qatar – Michele Cervellin
Aussie Jay Wilson struggled to finish back in 27th place while Caleb Ward didn’t make it to the start line after hurting himself during timed practice.
Caleb Ward
“Tough weekend at Qatar, hurt myself in timed practice and still tried to race the qualifying race but the next day when I woke up made the decision not to race the motos because of swelling and would only be risking hurting myself more. Will rest up and be back asap when I’m healthy hopefully!”
Moto Two
Jonass led Olsen early with Paturel, Prado, Covington, Lieber, Lawrence, Seewer, Bernardini, and Cervellin all in tow before Bernadini crashes hard leaving the front of the pack to battle for position.
By lap 10 Jonass had just a one second lead over Paturel with Lieber two seconds back, then came Olsen, Covington, Seewer, Lawrence, Cervellin and Prado.
2017 MXGP Qatar – Hunter Lawrence
Covington is dropping down the results as he is out of the race with a mechanical problem while the Suzuki boys of Seewer and Lawrence move into fifth and sixth.
Despite pressure throughout the race Jonass takes a well deserved win ahead of Paturel, Lieber, Kjer Olsen, Seewer, Lawrence, Van doninck, Cervellin, Brylyakov, Östlund, Prado and Sanayei with Jay Wilson ended the race in 26th.
2017 MXGP Qatar – Pauls Jonass
Pauls Jonass
“I didn’t expect that I would get two moto wins this weekend as well as qualifying. I had a good gate pick, two good starts, two consistent motos without any big mistakes – which was also a goal coming to this race – and to go home with two wins and my first overall makes me so happy. We still have eighteen GPs to go; it is such a long season. It will be difficult to continue like we were today but I will do my best! Today I really enjoyed my riding. I think I still have a lot of room for improvement but I am so happy with the bike and the team have done so much.”
Benoit Paturel
“It’s good to start the season like this…but I pushed so hard to win! It was hard to pass because just one line was good and fast. Pauls was a little bit better than me but I will try to beat him in the next race. I think it will be very close between us this year. We have worked really hard for this speed.”
Hunter Lawrence
Hunter Lawrence
“First moto I was feeling good. I didn’t get the best start, top 15-20 something like that and I was coming through the pack pretty good and I was happy with how I was going. Then I made a mistake on my part with another rider, a rookie mistake. Got back up, finished 18th which isn’t the best but this is the world championship and it’s not going to be easy. I came back in, put it behind myself and looked forward to going out there and doing it again. Second race I got a better start, around 12-13, made some passes and found myself inside the top 10, coming through to finishing sixth behind Jeremy. It felt like we had a good rhythm going as a Suzuki train, so that was pretty cool. Really though, I’m just happy to have got it out of the way, the first round can have a lot of carnage so I’m happy to be walking away with no injuries and to have made good progress.”
2017 MXGP Qatar -Thomas Kjer Olsen
MX2 – Grand Prix Race 1 – Classification
Jonass, Pauls
Paturel, Benoit
Lieber, Julien
Kjer Olsen, Thomas
Bernardini, Samuele
Cervellin, Michele
Prado Garcia, Jorge
Covington, Thomas
Brylyakov, Vsevolod
Sanayei, Darian
Sterry, Adam
Seewer, Jeremy
Östlund, Alvin
Vaessen, Bas
Bogers, Brian
Pootjes, Davy
Van doninck, Brent
Lawrence, Hunter
Watson, Ben
Gole, Anton
Larranaga Olano, Iker
Rubini, Stephen
Vlaanderen, Calvin
Mewse, Conrad
Monticelli, Ivo
Klingsheim, Magne
Wilson, Jay
Petrov, Ivan
Notsuka, Chihiro
DNS – Caleb Ward
2017 AMA SX – Rnd 8, Atlanta – Dean Wilson – Image: Simon Cudby
MX2 – Grand Prix Race 2 – Classification
Jonass
Paturel
Lieber
Kjer Olsen
Seewer
Lawrence
Van doninck
Cervellin
Brylyakov
Östlund
Prado Garcia
Sanayei
Wilson
DNS – Ward
MX2 – GP Classification
Jonass
Paturel
Lieber
Kjer Olsen
Cervellin
Seewer
Brylyakov
Prado Garcia
Sanayei
Östlund
Lawrence
Van doninck
Sterry
Bernardini
Bogers
Sunshine State MX Series – Round 1 – Coolum
The Queensland motocross season kicked off with a bang with 500 riders turning up for the opening round of the Airoh Helmets Sunshine State Motocross Series at Coolum last Sunday and it was the hard charging duo of Joel Rizzo and Ricky Latimer have won the premier MX1 and MX2 classes respectively.
Levi Rogers
The next crop of stars did battle in the 15 year 125cc and 250cc categories with Levi Rogers taking out the 13-14 Years 250cc class ahead of Jake Cuka and Lance Cameron while Hayden Matterson won the 15 Years 250cc Class ahead of Jack Kukas and Connor McNamara.
Noah Ferguson stormed to a win in the 13-14 years 125cc class over Ryan Gaynor and Levi Rogers while Kukas reversed the finishing order in the 15 years 125cc Class by beating Matterson and McNamara.
Jack Kukas
Most of these rider will be heading to Conondale this weekend for the annual Conondale Cup before heading to Toowoomba for the massive Mountain Man of Motocross event over the weekend of the 11th and 12th of March and then round two of the Airoh Helmets Sunshine State Series will take place at the sandy Hervey Bay circuit on March 18 /19. Busy times up here in Queensland.
