FIM Sand Races World Cup to launch in 2023
The FIM in conjunction with the French (FFM), Argentinian (CAMOD) and Portuguese (FMP) Motorcycling Federations, the Enduropale du Touquet, Enduro del Verano and Monte Gordo Beach Algarve organisers have announced the launch of the FIM Sand Races World Cup from 2023 within the FIM Cross-Country Commission (CTT).
Jean-François Wulvérick the FIM Cross-Country Commission Director
“The launch of the FIM Sand Races World Cup marks the start of a new competition. With all the stake holders, we look forward to building and developing together the competition on Sand, which is very popular with riders, teams, manufacturers and the public. We are going to optimise the sporting and technical rules to make it evolve at the World Championship level in the future.”
The FIM Sand Racing World Cup is a completely new off-road championship that will take place on fantastic beaches or closed sand circuits that will feature the challenges of twists, turns, jumps and general undulation. The main and most important feature of each track is it must be made up of ninety percent sand.
This competition welcomes enduro and off-road motorcycles within the various classes for motorcycles, quads, vintage machines and in the future will also be open to SSV.
In 2023, the inaugural season, the calendar will comprise of three events with the legendary Enduropale du Touquet, France, February 3-5 having the honour of opening the new series. This event has now become the biggest sand race in Europe and is also the longest standing sand race in the world.
The second event is equally legendary, namely the Enduro del Verano, Argentina – which will take place from February 24 to 26. This race is considered the most significant in Latin America. With Enduropale du Touquet boasting more than 2,200 participants and Enduro del Verano up to 1,100, these two races are the most popular sand races in the world.
The first season will come to a close at Monte Gordo Algarve in Portugal in December, one of the most beautiful and longest beaches in the region. More information regarding the date for this event will be announced in due time.
2023 FIM Sand Races World Cup Calendar
- February 03-05 – Enduropale du Touquet – France
- February 24-26 – Enduro del Verano – Argentina
- December TBC- Monte Gordo Beach Algarve – Portugal
Tony Cairoli team manager for Red Bull KTM MXGP in 2023
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing have made several changes to their FIM MXGP World Championship structure for 2023. Chief among those is a fresh role for MXGP and KTM legend Tony Cairoli, who will front the squad as Team Manager.
Tony Cairoli – Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Team Manager
“2022 was a change for me and now this is another chapter! It was great to race again this year but it was also positive to take a small step back from racing and see things in a different way. I really hope I can bring as much knowledge and passion as possible to this new role. I will have some learning to do but I also worked with some amazing people in my career, so I expect to use this experience. We are already thinking about our goals for 2023.”
The 37-year-old, who was still competing at the highest level with AMA Pro National appearances this summer, won six of his championships with KTM SX-F technology and has been a Red Bull KTM factory rider since 2010.
Tony boasts exceptional knowledge of not only the sport but also KTM’s racing culture and philosophy. He will sync with fellow former multi world champion Joel Smets who will train and coach a selection of Red Bull KTM Factory racing riders and other athletes in the group.
On the technical side Vialle’s well respected and experienced mechanic Harry Norton – who helped refine two versions of the title-winning KTM 250SX-F, the 2020 edition and the brand new 2023 model – will take over the role of Team Technical Co-ordinator while long-standing leader Dirk Gruebel will assume the position of Project Manager for Motocross Development.
Claudio De Carli, the man who guided Cairoli to the six championships between 2010 and 2017, will now oversee KTM racing efforts as the new Motocross Race Director. The Italian forged an incredibly strong bond with KTM at the start of the last decade when he helped deliver the factory’s first premier class distinction in MXGP.
Claudio De Carli, KTM Motocross Race Director
“It feels very special to have this new position and to continue my story with Pit, Robert and the whole KTM group. As many people know we started our partnership well over ten years ago now and it was strong mutual trust that allowed us all to succeed right away and then to carry on winning in MXGP. We are now in transition to the next generation but we have the best possible foundations. I hope we can keep the motocross division as one of the most prolific for KTM and the race department. We’ll push to the maximum to make it happen across the categories.”
Claudio De Carli is set to oversee the on-track efforts at GASGAS, as well as KTM, in his new position as the Motocross Race Director.
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing will launch into 2023 with Jeffrey Herlings (MXGP, KTM 450SX-F) and Andrea Adamo and Liam Everts (MX2, KTM 250SX-F).
Red Bull GasGas Factory Racing 2023 line-up
Red Bull GASGAS Factory Racing will field the same three riders in 2023. Jorge Prado and Mattia Guadagnini (MXGP aboard MC 450F machinery) will be joined by Simon Langenfelder (MC 250F) beneath the team tent when the new season begins.
Davide De Carli steps into the position of Team Manager at Red Bull GASGAS Factory Racing and, in addition, Peter Tillerkvist’s is set to become the team’s Technical Co-ordinator.
Davide De Carli – Red Bull GASGAS Factory Racing Team Manager
“I am super happy to be able to fill this position. It is an absolute honor! I have been working alongside my father for many years now and think that this is the perfect time to step up. I am motivated for the 2023 FIM Motocross World Championship and excited to work with the incredible people that I have by my side. We are a strong team and will bring home good results.”
2022 Baja Portalegre 500 this weekend
Over the years, the Baja Portalegre has attracted a strong field, and this year was no exception with 114 motorbikes, 41 quads and 92 SSVs registered on the entry list. There will, therefore, be a huge motor sporting interest over the weekend in Alentejo, located around 230km northeast of Lisbon.
The weekend’s festivities get underway on Thursday (October 27) with administrative and technical checks. Five motorcycles, three quads and three SSVs are registered for the FIM series.
On two wheels, Fabio Magalhães (Honda) and Bahraini Salman Farhan are registered along with three Veteran entries for British rider Barry Howe (KTM), Rafael Marques (Honda) and Rui Ferreira (Honda).
After the administrative and technical checks, there will be a briefing at the NERPOR exhibition centre, reconnaissance of the Prologue stage and then riders will cross the start podium from 19.00hrs.
On Friday (October 28,) the first motorcycle will leave the bivouac at 07.25hrs and tackle the first selective section SS1 (Prologue) of 3.71 km. This will determine the start order for SS2 (59.61km), starting at 10.15hrs.
Saturday (October 29) is a busy day with the start of SS3 (350.89 km) given at 08:40hrs.
2022 Yamaha Racing Ironman GNCC Wrap
The Grand National Cross Country (GNCC) Series presented by Specialized, an AMA National Championship, concluded the 2022 season yesterday, October 23, 2022, at Ironman Raceway with the Yamaha Racing Ironman GNCC.
As the green flag flew Coastal GASGAS Factory Racing’s Ricky Russell would earn the $250 XC1 All Balls Racing Holeshot Award. Russell would hold the lead from start to finish as he came through with over a forty second lead on the rest of the field.
AmPro Yamaha’s Steward Baylor would make his way into the second place position after starting back in fourth on the opening lap. Baylor would continue to push, but he was unable to catch Russell to make a pass for the lead.
Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Craig DeLong rounded out the top three overall finishers at the last round of 2022. DeLong would make the pass for third at the halfway point and would continue to push until the checkered flag flew.
Coming through in fourth was the newest XC1 Open Pro racer, Coastal GASGAS Factory Racing’s Jonathan Girroir. Girroir would start back in the sixth place position, but he would make this passes and move into fourth as the white flag flew.
Motoary and Chrissy Route Racing’s Tom Knight came from Great Britain to try his hand at GNCC Racing and would come away with a top five finish on the day.
FMF/KTM Factory Racing’s Josh Toth was battling for a podium position before a mechanical issue would sideline him for the remainder of the race. However, he would still earn a sixth place finish in the class.
Factory GASGAS Racing’s Giacomo Redondi who hails from Italy rode under the Coastal Racing tent for the season finale, finishing seventh in the XC1 class. Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Thad Duvall was having a good start to the race, running second on the opening lap, but a on track incident left a hole in his radiator and ultimately ended his day.
XC1 Pro Event Results
- Ricky Russell (GAS)
- Steward Baylor (YAM)
- Craig DeLong (HQV)
- Jonathan Girroir (GAS)
- Tom Knight (KAW)
- Josh Toth (KTM)
- Giacomo Redondi (GAS)
- Thad Duvall (HQV)
Overall National Championship Standings
- Jordan Ashburn (267)
- Craig DeLong (223)
- Ricky Russell (181)
- Benjamin Kelley (180)
- Lyndon Snodgrass (156)
- Trevor Bollinger (148)
- Joshua Toth (135)
- Grant Baylor (133)
- Ruy Barbosa (120)
- Ryder Lafferty (118)
Grabbing the early lead in the XC2 250 Pro class was Babbitt’s Online/Monster Energy/Kawasaki Team Green’s Lyndon Snodgrass. As the race continued on Snodgrass would continue to hold the lead over the rest of the field. Snodgrass would cross the line first, earning the last win of the season.
Snodgrass, who earned the XC2 Championship, will wear the number one plate for the class next season. Coming through to earn second in the class was Tely Energy KTM Racing’s Liam Draper as he battled with Phoenix Honda Racing’s Ruy Barbosa.
Barbosa would make the pass on Draper, but Draper would soon make the pass back and hold second until the checkered flag flew. Barbosa would hold onto third in the class.
Aussie Mason Semmens finished sixth for the round, rounding out the season just outside the top-10 in 11th overall in the XC2 class.
Mason Semmens – P6
“Sixth XC2 and 11th overall to finish the year. Made it tough on myself but happy to fight right to the end, looking forward to next year!! Thanks everyone for the support, appreciate it!”
XC2 250 Pro Event Results
- Lyndon Snodgrass (KAW)
- Liam Draper (KTM)
- Ruy Barbosa (HON)
- Ryder Lafferty (GAS)
- Benjamin Herrera (KAW)
- Mason Semmens (KTM)
- Jesse Ansley (KTM)
- Simon Johnson (KTM)
- Jonathan Johnson (BET)
- Vincent Smith (KAW)
XC2 250 Pro Series Standings
- Lyndon Snodgrass (291)
- Ryder Lafferty (229)
- Ruy Barbosa (219)
- Cody Barnes (191)
- Liam Draper (191)
- Michael Witkowski (190)
- Angus Riordan (185)
- Benjamin Herrera (183)
- Jonathan Johnson (160)
- Simon Johnson (143)
In the FMF XC3 125cc Pro-Am class it was Devore Racing/Action Extreme Sports/Civiello Construction’s Dakoda Devore earning his first win of the season in the class.
Devore would work his way up to the lead after a fourth place start to the day in Indiana. Coming through second was Husqvarna/Fly Racing/Coppersmith Racing’s Jake Froman.
Froman and Devore would battle back-and-forth for the lead, but Froman would be unable to make the pass stick on the last lap. Rounding out the top three in the FMF XC3 class was Liqui Moly Beta Factory Racing’s Jason Lipscomb.
Earning the last Top Amateur honor of the 2022 season was Kawasaki Team Green’s Joseph Cunningham who came through 8th overall and taking the 250 A class win. In second was Cooper Jones with a 10th overall and second in the 250 A class, while Michael Delosa earned third overall on the Top Amateur podium with a 14th overall and third in the 250 A class.
As the WXC class took off it was AmPro Yamaha’s Rachael Archer grabbing the $100 WXC Trail Jesters Holeshot Award. However, it wouldn’t take long for the Rockstar Husqvarna/Surge Off-Road Coaching Team’s Tayla Jones to make the pass for the lead. Jones and Archer were tied for the points, it was a winner take all situation for the National Championship.
Jones would continue to hold the lead, while Archer was hot on her heels as the race wore on. Then as the white flag flew it was Archer coming through the finish line first with Jones twelve seconds behind her.
Archer would continue to push to place a gap over Jones, and when the checkered flag flew it was Archer holding that number one position to earn the WXC National Championship. Jones would come through second while Raines Riding University/Yamaha’s Prestin Raines would battle throughout the day to earn her first WXC podium with a third in the class.
Due to the high number of riders, the morning amateur racing at Ironman has continued to be split into two races. In the 8 am amateur race it was Austin Franklin coming through in the Warrior class to earn the overall win followed by Matt Modic in second overall and in the Warrior class. Rounding out the top three overall finishers in the morning was the 250 C Schoolboy racer, Keihin Rupp.
The youth bike racers would have an amended schedule and race on Saturday evening after the pro ATV race. A new winner emerged as Canyon Richards made the move up to the YXC1 Super Mini Sr. class. Richards, who earned the win in the 85 (12-13) class, would come through to earn the youth overall win and YXC1 class win. Sawyer Carratura and Van Gosselin came through to earn second and third overall and in the YXC1 class.
Then in the YXC2 Super Mini Jr. class it was Brody Amos coming through to earn the class win over Ryan Amancio and Doc Smith who rounded out the top three. In the 85 (12-13) it was Landon Barker earning the win, while Ethan Harwell came through to take the win in the 85 Big Wheel (12-15) class.
The 85 (7-11) class win went to Colton McQuarrie. Then in the 65 (10-11) class it was Travis Lentz earning the win, while Deegan Caplinger battled to win the 65 (9) class. The Girls Sr. (12-15) class saw Ellie Winland take the win, while Paisley Harris came through to earn the Girls Jr. (8-11) class win. Then it was Landon Bauman earning the Trail Rider (7-15) class win.
2022 Andalucia Rally crowns World Rally-Raid champion
GASGAS Factory Racing’s Sam Sunderland became the 2022 FIM World Rally-Raid Champion after wrapping up the Andalucia Rally in fifth, marking the first world title for GASGAS in rally competition.
As racing seasons go, it couldn’t really have gone much better for Sam Sunderland. Kicking off 2022 by winning the biggest race of them all, the Dakar Rally he took an early lead in the 2022 FIM World Rally-Raid Championship.
Round two, the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge, was up next and the GASGAS Factory Racing star’s winning ways continued. Riding a faultless race and still stoked on his Dakar win, the Brit claimed his second victory on the bounce to further extend his points lead at the top of the world championship.
After a couple of cancellations and postponements in the racing calendar, Sam didn’t line up for FIM World Rally-Raid Championship duty again until the Rallye du Maroc in early October. In what was perhaps his most crucial result of the season, Sam overcame the discomfort of a pre-race crash to put in a gutsy performance and place fifth overall to maintain his championship lead.
Heading into this year’s final round, the Andalucia Rally, Sam needed just three points to be crowned world champion.
A runner-up finish on stage one continued his promising start before the second day of racing was cancelled due to bad weather. A couple of mistakes on the penultimate stage and an unfortunate time penalty ruled out any chance of ending the season with a podium result.
Knowing that he just needed to complete the final stage to be crowned champion, Sam did exactly that to lift the 2022 FIM World Rally-Raid Championship trophy surrounded by the entire GASGAS Factory Racing team.
Sam Sunderland – 2022 FIM World Rally-Raid Champion
“Amazing! It’s been a crazy year with the Dakar win and then winning in Abu Dhabi, but then we had a big gap over the summer. We were back in action for the last round in Morocco but that one was tough as I hurt my wrist in a crash before we even started. But with the championship on the line, I had no choice but to push through it and my result there really made things easier for the final round. I had a couple of close calls yesterday and after that, and knowing that getting on the overall podium would be almost impossible, I kept things super steady. I’m really grateful to have the GASGAS Factory Racing team behind me, it’s been an amazing year, and I know we’re all looking forward to celebrating this one!”
Rounding out the top three in the championship were Team Monster Energy Honda’s Ricky Brabec and Adrien Van Beveren on 59 and 58-points respectively.
Husqvarna’s Luciano Benavides was fourth on 52-points, tied with Pablo Quintanilla, José Ignacio Cornejo sixth on 39-points. KTM’s top two riders were Kevin Benavides and Matthias Walkner on 36 and 35-points respectively in seventh and eighth.
Skyler Howes and Joaquim Rodrigues rounded out the top-ten in the standings with Toby Price 12th on 25-points after crashes throughout the season forced him to retire.
2022 FIM World Rally-Raid Championship Final Standings
| Pos | Rider | Team | Total |
| 1 | S. SUNDERLAND (GBR) | Team Gas Gas Factory Racing | 85 |
| 2 | R. BRABEC (USA) | Team Monster Energy Honda | 59 |
| 3 | A. VAN BEVEREN (FRA) | Team Monster Energy Honda | 58 |
| 4 | L. BENAVIDES (ARG) | Team Husqvarna Factory Racing | 52 |
| 5 | P. QUINTANILLA (CHL) | Team Monster Energy Honda | 52 |
| 6 | J. CORNEJO FLORIMO (CHL) | Team Monster Energy Honda | 39 |
| 7 | K. BENAVIDES (ARG) | Team Red Bull KTM Factory Racing | 36 |
| 8 | M. WALKNER (AUT) | Team Red Bull KTM Factory Racing | 35 |
| 9 | L. SANTOLINO (ESP) | Team Sherco Rallye | 34 |
| 10 | S. HOWES (USA) | Team Husqvarna Factory Racing | 31 |
| 11 | J. RODRIGUES (PRT) | Team Hero Motorsports Rally | 26 |
| 12 | T. PRICE (AUS) | Team Red Bull KTM Factory Racing | 25 |
| 13 | R. BRANCH (BWA) | Team Hero Motorsports Rally | 21 |
| 14 | F. CAIMI (ARG) | Hero Motosports Team Rally | 20 |
| 15 | J. BARREDA BORT (ESP) | Team Monster Energy Honda | 17 |
| 16 | R. GONÇALVES (PRT) | Team Sherco Rallye | 14 |
| 17 | X. DE SOULTRAIT (FRA) | Team HT Rally Raid Husqvarna Racing | 6 |
| 18 | A. MARE (ZAF) | Team Hero Motorsports Rally | 5 |
| 19 | M. MICHEK (CZE) | Orion – Moto Racing Group | 2 |
Van Beveren wins the 2022 Andalucia Rally for Honda
Adrien Van Beveren took his first victory as a rider for the Monster Energy Honda Team, after a great performance on the last stage of the Andalucia Rally. And there was a second reason to celebrate: the title of Manufacturers FIM Cross Country Rallies World Champion.
There was a lot of tension in this last day, reaching Cadiz after a 100 kilometres special stage (plus 300 km of liaison). Riders had the chance to experience an intense journey speeding in large dirt roads, but also challenged to navigate in small mountains in more slow and technical terrains.
In the end Adrien Van Beveren was 16 seconds faster than Kevin Benavides and won another stage. In the overall standings the Frenchman could celebrate an emotional victory, having his family right beside him.
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Kevin Benavides opened the fourth stage of the final round of the FIM World Rally-Raid Championship. Benavides knew that it would be hard to make up time on the leader over the relatively short timed special.
Setting off first into the stage early this morning, Benavides gave his all, pushing hard on the rocky, slippery tracks in the hope of staying ahead of his chasing rivals.
Topping the timesheets right up until the final few kilometres of the special, a small mistake cost Kevin around 20 seconds, and the stage win. However, despite incurring a six-minute penalty on day one, the Red Bull KTM rider’s consistent performance throughout the event secured him second place overall, just over three minutes from the winner.
Luciano Benavides has finished the 2022 Andalucia Rally in third place overall. A strong ride on the short, final stage of the Spanish event saw the Husqvarna Factory Racing rider secure his second consecutive event podium, claiming fourth overall in the final 2022 FIM World Rally-Raid Championship standings.
With the times extremely close between the top three, a small mistake by Luciano later in the special cost him several valuable seconds, and with a sizeable advantage to the fourth-placed competitor, Benavides decided to ease his pace slightly over the final kilometres to ensure a safe podium finish.
Santolino finished the Andalucia Rally in fourth, ahead of Sunderland, with Schareina sixth.
Of the Hero MotoSports Team Rally riders in the RallyGP standings, Ross completed the rally in seventh place, with Joaquim less than 2 minutes behind in ninth. Ricky Brabec was eighth and Goncalves 10th.
Adrien Van Beveren – P1
“This is not Dakar, but for me it was very important to win here in Andalucia. I knew Kevin Benavides would push a lot, so I had to go as fast as I could. I must say this victory goes also to my family that is here today with me. They are always on my back supporting me…This is a very emotional day. The Honda CRF450 RALLY is really amazing, comfortable, safe and allows me to reach a great performance. I am so happy to deliver this first victory to Honda since they welcomed me like family. Now I am looking forward to the next Dakar.”
Kevin Benavides – P2
“It was a good stage for me today. It was really tricky, there was a lot of navigation as well as a lot of mountains and kind of enduro-style tracks. I knew that everyone would push today and so I really had to go for it – I only lost about 15 seconds to Adrien (Van Beveren), even though I was opening the stage, so I’m really happy with that. Unfortunately, losing stage two due to the weather and with the event so short, I couldn’t quite regain the time I lost to the penalty on day one. It’s frustrating, but in the end, I know I did my best here and I have a really strong pace. With two months to go to Dakar I’m feeling really confident. This season doesn’t look so good on paper, I had an issue at the Dakar, and again in Abu Dhabi, but my speed has been right up there with the best. The team have done a great job with the bike, and it has worked well both here in Spain and at the previous round in Morocco, so that’s super encouraging, too. We have some time now to finish testing and prepare ourselves for the 2023 Dakar. I’m really looking forward to it, and hope to finish on top.”
Luciano Benavides – P3
“I’m happy to complete the last day of the rally – it was another crazy stage of hard navigation and really tough tracks. It was shorter than the previous days, but it was still quite challenging due to the tricky navigation and less visible pistes. There were also many, many rocks and stones, so it was hard to find a good rhythm. I made a little mistake near the end, but I knew if I stayed at a solid pace, my third place would be safe, so I eased off a little in the final kilometres to bring it home safely. To get back-to-back podiums from here and Morocco and to be able to share the podium with my brother feels great, and the result has moved me up to fourth in the world championship, so I’m really pleased with that, too. It’s important to finish the season strong, with good speed and no injuries, so the plan now is to carry this form to Dakar.”
Ross Branch – P7
“Overall, it has been a good rally for me. We have shown that we have the speed to compete with the other teams, and that has helped my confidence. The bike is running well and the team is working hard. This is exactly what we needed for our Dakar preparation. I think we have a great chance to excel at the Dakar rally, and I am looking forward to it.”
Ricky Brabec – P8
“I am just happy to finish the race safe. Overall the rally was good, the first day wasn’t the best for us – we had a lot of trouble finding the rhythm. Out here is definitely tough for me, coming from California – I like the open desert – and here there are a lot of tracks and small roads. Now I am happy to get home in one piece and start focussing in the Dakar. I am also happy to get to race number 2 two years in a row. The all team did a great job, the Honda CRF450 RALLY is really good. Looking forward for the Dakar 2023!”
Joaquim Rodrigues – P9
“This is another good finish for the team. I am happy to make it to the finish line here after my crash in Morocco. The bike has been running well, and we have finished the Championship. Now we turn our attention to the Dakar Rally, starting in a few months.”
2022 Andalucia Rally Overall
| Pos | Rider | Time | Gap |
| 1 | A. VAN BEVEREN (FRA) | 9:58m48 | 0:00:00 |
| 2 | K. BENAVIDES (ARG) | 10:02m02 | +0:03:14 |
| 3 | L. BENAVIDES (ARG) | 10:05m25 | +0:06:37 |
| 4 | L. SANTOLINO (ESP) | 10:11m43 | +0:12:55 |
| 5 | S. SUNDERLAND (GBR) | 10:14m10 | +0:15:22 |
| 6 | T. SCHAREINA (ESP) | 10:17m22 | +0:18:34 |
| 7 | R. BRANCH (BWA) | 10:18m26 | +0:19:38 |
| 8 | R. BRABEC (USA) | 10:19m10 | +0:20:22 |
| 9 | J. RODRIGUES (PRT) | 10:19m38 | +0:20:50 |
| 10 | R. GONÇALVES (PRT) | 10:24m40 | +0:25:52 |
| 11 | JI. CORNEJO FLORIMO (CHL) | 10:41m31 | +0:42:43 |
| 12 | S. BÜHLER (DEU) | 10:44m25 | +0:45:37 |
| 13 | F. CAIMI (ARG) | 11:02m50 | +1:04:02 |
| 14 | HN. KOITHA VEETTIL (IND) | 25:40m40 | +15:41:52 |
2022 Australian Supercross Championship Round 1 SX1 Wrap
Marvel Stadium in Melbourne, Australia, was a sea of red when it came to Round One of the Australian Supercross Championship, with the Honda Racing Australia CRF450R and CRF250R machines proving impossible to beat.
Equipped with a number one plate as reigning champion, Justin Brayton returned to the top step of the podium in the SX1 class.
The Melbourne layout was deteriorating rapidly by the time that the premier-class final commenced – Brayton used his experience to methodically make his way through the field after starting on the cusp of the top five.
After taking the lead on lap fourteen, he hit the checkered flag with a seven-second advantage.
Justin Brayton – SX1 P1
“It was a game of chess out there. The track was really, really challenging. The priority was just finding smooth lines and putting my CRF450R where it needed to be. It is just amazing to be back here in Australia. I love racing here and spending time with the team.”
Aaron Tanti took the second step on the podium, ahead of Dean Wilson who posted the quickest lap time in qualifying and then climbed from fifth to third in the final.
Aaron Tanti – P2
“That’s all I had, I wanted to charge as hard as I could for as long as I could and I did that, but Justin was just that bit better than me tonight, so congratulations to him. I’m pretty happy with how the night went and it gives me some confidence knowing that I can put up a good fight against some of the most experienced and professional supercross riders in the world. I did run out of gas towards the end, but I think if I can just keep a little more composure in the early stages and manage my breathing a little better, I can stay in it for longer. Thanks to the CDR Yamaha Monster Energy team for getting us up to speed and the crowd for having my back all weekend. I could hear them all round the track and its awesome to have so much support here In Melbourne.”
GASGAS Racing Team’s Hayden Mellross rode to a gritty fourth-place result, ahead of Matt Moss.
Hayden Mellross – SX1 P4
“Being the first round of supercross that we’ve raced in a few years, I had a lot of nerves early today, but I gradually got more comfortable and confident as the day progressed. I rode quite well in my heat race to finish third and I thought we were in for a good show in the main event. I didn’t get as good a start as I would’ve hoped and I tightened up early on. The track was deceptively slippery, but I was able to hang on and take advantage of the guys who made mistakes in front of me to finish fourth! It wasn’t a pretty fourth, but it was a good result and I’m happy to walk away healthy and get the first round under the belt.”
Husqvarna Racing Team’s new SX1 racer Dylan Wills finished a satisfying sixth-place in his debut aboard the FC 450. Wills found himself in seventh on the opening lap and worked his way into the top-five through the early stages of the 20-lap encounter. As the track became rougher and more technical, Wills made a small error with just three laps remaining and dropped a position to eventually finish the final in sixth position.
Dylan Wills – SX1 P6
“To finish sixth in the main and third in my heat race was more than I expected out of myself and I’m really happy with the result. I felt like I rode well at the start of the final, but I got tired due to the limited laps I’ve done on a 450, the first-round nerves and the pressure I’d put on myself. I’m really glad to get the first round of the championship out of the way and it’s a good feeling to know that I belong up there with those guys, plus that my early pace was really good. I’m going to take a lot of confidence from tonight as we head to Adelaide.”
Kyle Webster, Jackson Richardson, Dylan Wood and Joel Cigliano completed the top-ten.
Jackson Richardson – P8
“It felt so good to get back behind the gate and race supercross again. The results themselves weren’t anything to write home about and I tightened up towards the end of the race, but considering the short time I’ve been on the bike, it was a positive night. We learnt heaps and I’m excited to see what we can do at round two.”
KTM Racing Team signing Brett Metcalfe unfortunately crashed in his heat race and sat out the main event as he underwent medical evaluations, having held third in his heat until then.
2022 Australian Supercross SX1 – Round Overall/Standings
| Pos | Name | Total |
| 1 | Justin BRAYTON | 25 |
| 2 | Aaron TANTI | 22 |
| 3 | Dean WILSON | 20 |
| 4 | Hayden MELLROSS | 18 |
| 5 | Matt MOSS | 16 |
| 6 | Dylan WILLS | 15 |
| 7 | Kyle WEBSTER | 14 |
| 8 | Jackson RICHARDSON | 13 |
| 9 | Dylan WOOD | 12 |
| 10 | Joel CIGLIANO | 11 |
| 11 | Elijah WIESE | 10 |
| 12 | Mitchell NORRIS | 9 |
| 13 | Joel WIGHTMAN | 8 |
| 14 | Luke CLOUT | 7 |
| 15 | Brandon STEEL | 6 |
2022 Australian Supercross Championship Round 1 SX2 Wrap
Max Anstie was at one with his CRF250R from the second that the event started. Taking the win in the first SX2 heat race of the night set the tone, as he carried that form into the fifteen-lap final.
Although he missed out on the holeshot by the slimmest of margins, he moved into the lead immediately and was unchallenged from that moment on.
Max Anstie – SX2 P1
“I loved it today! I cannot thank the boys at Honda Racing Australia enough for getting me into this championship. Getting the win at round one was a great way to repay them and it was also important for me to blow the cobwebs off, after that long flight over to Melbourne!”
Runner up was Col Thompson, while KTM Racing Team contender Nathan Crawford claimed his first-career podium in the ASX after qualifying sixth.
Cole Thompson – SX2 P2
“There was a whole lot of learning for me going on tonight so I’m happy to end up on the podium and put myself in a good position in the championship after the first round. This was my first race on the YZ250F, very race with the Serco Yamaha team as well as finding my feet with the Australian riders and racing conditions. I’m not pumped on my riding and think there is room for improvement so with the experience from this weekend, hopefully we can kick it up another gear next weekend and go a little better. The Serco Yamaha team have been awesome since I landed and the bike is really good. We have a quick turnaround to the next round, so I will just brush up a few things and look to keep improving at Adelaide.”
Queenslander Crawford launched to a strong start in the 250 class main event and settled into second place.
Several laps later he dropped one position to P3, but continued to clock consistent lap-times for the remainder of the race, as multiple riders made errors throughout the 15-lap main event and that’s where he would take the chequered flag.
Nathan Crawford – SX2 P3
“I’ve spent six or seven weeks on the new 2023 model KTM preparing for supercross and I’m feeling very comfortable on it. I honestly didn’t know where I’d fit into the SX2 class, so it feels awesome to get my first-ever supercross podium and get that monkey off my back! I’m not super-satisfied with how I rode tonight… we can always be better, but I know the areas I need to work on and what I can improve before next weekend. The first round is always tough as everyone comes out guns blazing and there’s often a bit of carnage, but I tried to minimise my mistakes, stay out of trouble and pick up some good points on what was a deceptively slippery track. I’m definitely happy to start the season with this result!”
Kaleb Barham was fourth, ahead of Jai Constantinou and Rhys Budd, while Noah Ferguson banked solid points in the four-round championship by finishing seventh at his first-ever supercross race.
Jai Constantinou – SX2 P5
“The track was tricky tonight and it caught a lot of riders out with how slippery it was,” said Constantinou. “I got caught in a crash early in my heat and didn’t get a good jump out of the gate in the main, but I focused on staying upright and letting the race come to me. I’m stoked to finish the night with a top five, and I know we can improve from here over the next three rounds.”
Noah Ferguson – SX2 P7
“A seventh-place result isn’t quite what I was aiming for, but I’m happy to walk away from my first-ever supercross with that result. It was exciting and a lot happening, but it was really well done and the crowd was amazing. I was pretty nervous throughout the day as I’ve never ridden anything this big, plus I’d never raced supercross before! P5 was my goal, but I’m happy with seventh, and will look to improve next weekend at Adelaide.”
Jy Roberts, Geran Stapleton and Tomas Ravenhorst completed the top-ten.
Wilson Todd was in fine form all day, winning his heat race (SX2 heat two) and had high hopes going into the final. The dragon’s back caught him out on lap one and he had to retire prematurely, however.
Haruki Yokoyama’s night would end soon after when he crashed hard at the end of the whoop section and DNF’d the race with a dislocated shoulder.
Haruki Yokoyama – DNF
“It was a tough night, but there were lots of positives. My starts were really good and I was able to holeshot both my races. A third in the heat had me excited for the main and I was placed well early in that race, but I had a big crash at the end of the whoops and dislocated my shoulder. It was a disappointing end to what had been a good day, but I’m hopeful I will still line up for Adelaide next weekend.”
Bailey Malkiewicz, who showed speed all night, lost traction in a tricky jump section and fell from his bike. He was in some pain but slowly got to his feet before being assisted from the track by the RACESAFE medical team.
He was then taken away for further assessment where it was determined his ankle had been dislocated and they also found two small breaks. He had surgery on Sunday and is now on the road to recover although a timeline if yet to be set.
The second round of the 2022 Australian Supercross Championship is scheduled for October 29.
2022 Australian Supercross SX2 – Round Overall/Standings
| Pos | Name | Total |
| 1 | Max ANSTIE | 25 |
| 2 | Col THOMPSON | 22 |
| 3 | Nathan CRAWFORD | 20 |
| 4 | Kaleb BARHAM | 18 |
| 5 | Jai CONSTANTINOU | 16 |
| 6 | Rhys BUDD | 15 |
| 7 | Noah FERGUSON | 14 |
| 8 | Jy ROBERTS | 13 |
| 9 | Geran STAPLETON | 12 |
| 10 | Tomas RAVENHORST | 11 |
| 11 | Jaxon HADLOW | 10 |
| 12 | Chandler BURNS | 9 |
| 13 | Caleb GOULLET | 8 |
| 14 | Jayce COSFORD | 7 |
| 15 | Gage LINVILLE | 6 |
| 16 | Isaac FERGUSON | 5 |
| 17 | Sam LARSEN | 4 |
