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More than 230 racers land in Darwin for 2023 KTM AJMX

The 2023 KTM Australian Junior Motocross Championship (AJMX) is about to get underway in Acacia Hills, Northern Territory ahead of a jam-packed five days of Motocross (MX) racing.

Featuring iconic red dirt and clear, blue skies, this year will showcase 12 Australian Championship classes featuring from riders aged between seven to under 16 years.

Thursday 13 July will feature Heats 1 & 2 for categories with more than 40 riders, while classes with under 40 riders go straight to Finals.

Yamaha AORC Rounds 5 & 6 Postponed

The Yamaha Australian Off-Road Championship (AORC) has announced the postponement of rounds five and six, which was scheduled to take place at Edenhope (VIC) on July 22-23.

The decision to postpone the event was made due to adverse weather conditions in the region. The tracks and surrounding areas are not safe to access, and the AORC team does not want to put the safety of the riders, officials, and spectators at risk.

The AORC team is working with the local club and the property owners to reschedule the event. An update will be provided in the near future.

Cooper Webb and KTM Factory Racing part ways

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing and Cooper Webb have parted ways with immediate effect. Cooper had the option in his contract as to whether he wanted to race outdoors and he decided at Daytona that he would not compete in AMA Pro Motocross in 2023.

However, following his SX season-ending crash in Nashville, Cooper reached out about racing MX and KTM agreed to support him for the summer. Both sides came into the series somewhat underprepared and a practice crash before RedBud sidelined Cooper once again.

The decision will give him time to recover and then move on to the next chapter of his racing career.

FIM Speedway GP of Great Britain

The FIM Speedway global promoter and circuit builder Speed Sport are on track to deliver a much-improved racing surface for the FIM Speedway GP of Great Britain – Cardiff on September 2.

Britain’s biggest indoor motorsport event returns to the Principality Stadium in just under two months, with Britain’s Dan Bewley bidding for back-to-back Cardiff wins after his heroic victory in 2022, with fellow GB stars Tai Woffinden and Robert Lambert also going for glory.

Bewley defied some testing track conditions to top the podium last year, racing to victory in record-breaking temperatures, which presented unprecedented challenges to the track-building team.

It takes 3,500 tonnes of shale, seven days and a cumulative 400 hours of labour by the team to build the circuit, with the material transported to the Principality Stadium in 140 lorry loads.

Two wheel-based loaders, two tracked excavators, one grader, two vibrating compactors, two tractors, two vibrating plates, one forklift and an experienced labour crew all work together within the confines of the Principality Stadium during track construction.

Maximus Purvis unable to defend NZ title

The reigning New Zealand Motocross MX1 champion, Altherm JCR Yamaha’s Maximus Purvis will be unable to defend his crown this summer due to sustaining a serious knee injury in the Australian Motocross championship, with a surgeon now recommending surgery on his ACL, with an expected recovery time of nine months.

Maximus Purvis

“I’m disappointed with my knee being like it is because I wanted to have a crack at going back-to-back in the MX1 Championship. However, an injury is what it is and I will come back strong for the 2025 season.”

Gajser cleared for MXGP of Czech Republic

Reigning 2022 World Motocross Champion will make his long-awaited 2023 MXGP debut at Loket, Czech Republic, after successfully being officially cleared to race by Team HRC’s medical team.

Returning from a broken femur is a long and complicated process and the last thing anyone wanted was for the #243 to return too soon and put his health in jeopardy, so it was vitally important that every box was ticked before he lines up at the gate, against the best motocross riders on the planet.

Tim Gajser

“It’s great news to the final all-clear to ride in Loket. I’ve been feeling good for the last few weeks training at Tiga243land, but it’s good to get one last medical approval and know that my body is prepared to take on the challenges of an MXGP weekend. I know that it won’t be easy and I don’t want to put too much pressure on myself, so really I want to enjoy being back, seeing all my teammates again and of course seeing all my fans who support me so well.”

Tommy Searle to defend title at AX Fest

Reigning British AX Champion Tommy Searle is the first leading Pro Riders to sign up for three days and two nights of festival action this September. Searle will ride in the UK’s first ever Motocross Music Festival at Bolesworth Castle in Cheshire.

The Arenacross tour heads outdoors from 15-17 September for an amazing three-day festival of racing, also including onsite camping (Friday and Saturday night), family fun including funfair, live shows, bike experiences, a huge range of food and drink options by day, plus a live music stage with bands and DJs kicking off at night when the sport finishes.

25-year-old reigning, three-time FIM SuperEnduro World Champion and 2021 FIM Hard Enduro World Champion Billy Bolt will also head to Bolesworth Castle to take part in the pro SuperEnduro class.

The following classes will compete:

• AX Autos
• AX Electric e5
• AX 65cc Youth
• AX SW85 Youth
• AX BW85 Youth
• AX Rookies Youth
• AX Amateur 250
• AX Amateur 450
• AX Clubman Super Enduro
• AX Pro Super Enduro
• AX Pro

Chad Reed joins AUSX
85cc class renamed CR22 Cup

Chad Reed will return to the Australian Supercross championship as an ambassador of the Adelaide race, as well as lending his name and support of the new 85cc class which will be known as the CR22 Cup.

With a passion for giving back to the sport and desire to help others realise their dreams, the two-time world champion, will be front & centre at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre supporting the opening AUSX round as well as the 12-to-14-year-old racers competing in the 85cc class.

Chad Reed

“I’m honoured to head back to Australia, play a role supporting the FOX Australian Supercross Championship and put my name to a race that meant everything to me as a kid. Racing the 80cc class was pivotal for my career and I’m so happy the AUSX events are giving these kids a huge opportunity on the main stage in 2023. Kids aged 12 to 14 are full of enthusiasm and want to learn – the CR22Cup is a great way to support this age group and give them something to strive towards. This is an important move in developing the future of SX – learning proper techniques early on is a great foundation for any rider and will help better the sport in the long term. The end game is to create a pathway for kids while supporting skilled, smart and safe Supercross riders who can progress to take on Australia’s best and then ultimately on the world stage. And I love that Adelaide will get to enjoy the first one, it’s a special place given it was my first supercross ride on a 80cc – it’s pretty special to be back and involved.”

Andrea Adamo extends KTM contract in MX2

FIM MX2 Motocross World Championship leader, Andrea Adamo, has signed a multi-year extension to his current contract with Red Bull KTM Factory Racing.

Adamo has posted seven rostrums from the first half of the 2023 slate – the joint-highest total prior to the Grand Prix of Czech Republic – and has yet to finish outside the top seven in twenty-two motos. This excellent consistency means he currently holds the red plate as championship leader.

Andrea Adamo

“It is so nice to extend my contract. I feel good with the team and I cannot ask for more. This year is going well so far and we’ve won races, taken the red plate and finished on the podium a lot. This is what we are working for, and we are achieving our goals but we always want more. I’m very proud to have a race shirt with a Red Bull KTM logo and I’m happy that I will wear it for more time beyond this season.”

Thrills galore at Australian Junior Track Championship (Report)

With Peter Baker

The Australian Junior Track Championships were hosted by the Hunter Motor Cycle Club at their Barleigh Ranch Raceway last weekend and will be remembered as one of the all-time best ever junior meetings.

That is a massive claim, but long-time observers were united in their acclaim of a meeting that provided high quality competition throughout the heats and finals.

A superbly prepared track gave the youngsters plenty of opportunity to came from behind and hardly a race on the 103-event programme failed to produce some, if not multiple, overtaking manoeuvres at different points on the track.

Even the entertaining four rounds of heats could not prepare onlookers for the dramas produced in the final series of races.

The two girls’ classes were decided over five rounds, and the last round of the 85cc 2str/150cc 4str 11 – U/16 class proved to be a final in all but name. Amelia Kotze and Matilda Heaton-New were equal on points going in to the race where Heaton-New led but was passed by Kotze who took the honours.

The 150cc 2str/250cc 4str 13 – U/16 class was more clear-cut with Romee Flewell-Smith a clear winner on points after Holly Hope-Hodgetts crashed out in round three suffering a broken wrist.

Amazingly in the eight classes that were decided by a final, after four rounds of heats, only twice did the top point scorer from heats go on to win the final.

What was more prevalent in the finals was excitement, drama and plenty of overtaking moves including several races that were only resolved in the dash to the flag after five hectic laps.

The 50cc Auto 7 – U/9 class saw George Holmkvist beat top qualifier Braxsen Anderson to the flag by 25 one-thousands of a second, the closest of all the finishes.

Cohen McCosker in the 65cc 7 – U/9 class was one top scorer who did win the final, but it did take him until the final corner to get to the lead.

In the other 65cc class for 9 – U/13s it was Jed Fyffe who lowered the colours of the top qualifier Hugo Holmes.
Jed Fyffe made it a double by winning the 85cc 4-str Moified 7-U/12 class as Hugo Holmes was again top qualifier but could only manage fourth in the final.

Jake Paige was the other top scorer from the heats to go on and win a final, for the 85cc 2str / 150cc 4str 9 – U/13 class and in doing so denied Jed Fyffe a third class victory.

The older age groups always attract plenty of interest with many of these riders heading in to the senior ranks in the near future. In the 85cc 2str / 150cc 4str 12 –U16 class Riley Nauta claimed the first of his class wins before then taking out the 100 – 150cc 2str 13 – U/16 class.

The 200 – 250cc 4str 13 – U/16 class is the premier class in junior competition being for the oldest riders on the biggest bikes and this final wrapped up two days of great competition with local rider Cameron Dunker holding off Bodie Paige for the last few laps.

The action turned on proved that junior racing can be as close and exciting as senior competitions and showcased the enormous talent pool that is coming through the ranks. And it’s not just the weekend’s champions who deserve recognition.

In total the 10 championship class wins were spread across three states with the Albury Wodonga club flying the Victorian flag, riders from the Ayr, North Brisbane and Gold Coast clubs in Queensland had wins, along with New South Wales clubs Kurri Kurri Juniors, Central Coast Juniors and the host Hunter club.

2023 Australian Junior Motor Cycle Track Championships Results

Fraser Higlett tops QORC Rounds 7 & 8

Last weekend saw Beta Motorcycles Australia enduro rider, Fraser Higlett head to Mount Perry, QLD for rounds 7 & 8 of the Queensland Off-Road Championship.

Both race days were in a sprint format on very technical tracks that were littered with tree roots, rocks, and featured long creek sections, putting riders and their bikes to the test.

Fraser, aboard his RR 390 Racing continued his dominating performance from last month’s Goondiwindi rounds and took the win on both days in Mount Perry, beating both Matt Murry and Adam Giles across both days.

Fraser Higlett now leads the A Pro class in the 2023 Queensland Off-Road Championship.

Fraser Higlett

“I’m very happy with the results from the weekend, especially after a few weeks off the bike. The tracks were super technical but suited my riding style and the RR 390 Racing performed great. Next up is RD 5 &6 of the AORC which I’m looking forward to.”

Round 7 Merge Results (Top 20)

Round 8 Merge Results (Top 20)

2023 AMA Pro Motocross Championship
Round Six – The Wick 338 Southwick, MA

Images by Ryan Wilson

For the full report and results see:
Jett’s winning streak continues – Deegan takes 250 points lead

250 Overall

Vialle’s consistent 1-3 moto finishes were enough to land him atop the overall podium for the first time in the States in just his sixth Pro Motocross start and makes it back-to-back first-time winners this season. He’s the latest World Champion to make the full-time move to America and achieve success, following in the footsteps of the likes of fellow Frenchman Marvin Musquin and German Ken Roczen. Vialle is the 91st different winner in 250 Class history.

Cooper narrowly missed out on his first win of the year in second (2-2), while Shimoda’s second moto victory vaulted him to his first overall podium result of the season in third (6-1).

With the mixed fortunes of Lawrence and Deegan the championship standings saw a dramatic shakeup with five rounds remaining. Deegan’s sixth-place finish (4-10) was enough to put him atop the 250 Class standings for the first time, where he now holds a five-point lead over Lawrence, who finished 13th (26-8). Hampshire’s fourth place finish (3-4) moved him to within 13 points of the lead in third.

Tom Vialle – P1

“It means a lot to get my first national win! I’ve had a few tough races, so to get on the podium with an overall win is nice, as it’s been challenging to get a good feeling at all of these new circuits. I feel like we are making great progress and we’re in a good position for the rest of the season. The track here was nice, way different to Lommel and places like that, but it felt good to be back in sandy conditions, and I’m looking forward now to next weekend in Millville.”

Justin Cooper – P2

“I’m pretty wasted right now. I’m very tired. I gave it everything. I had to. I was riding a bit over my head [in Moto 2] and pushed it a little too hard [to catch Shimoda]. The way this track is, it’ll bite you quick. We’ll keep pushing and got good points, so an awesome day for us.”

Jo Shimoda – P3

“I’ve been struggling the whole year and wasn’t sure if this day would come,” said Shimoda. “The whole team never gave up and they deserve it. It was a super fun day and I love the fans here at Southwick. I can’t wait to come back next year, but really hope this win carries over to the round next weekend in Millville.”

RJ Hampshire – P4

“Overall, it was just a really solid weekend. Nothing special, but I made up a lot of points. I had two decent starts and salvaged what I could. It was 3-4 on the day and I’ll just keep plugging away. We’re at the halfway mark and I’m still in the championship hunt.,” said Hampshire. “I’ll go back, recover, and Millville is another fun one for me. I’m just looking to get these starts figured out to give me a little bit more of a shot at these wins.”

Seth Hammaker – P5

“It feels so good to run up at the front with those guys,” said Hammaker. “That will really push me to get better and fight for my first podium of the season. I wasn’t sure what to expect so I’m happy to have a good, clean race with not as many mistakes as last week. We’ll get back to work and hopefully find the podium before the end of the year.”

Maximus Vohland – P7

“To finish inside the top 10 in qualifying and both motos showed we were consistent and the final moto result was an improvement. Myself and the team will keep putting in the work together in these middle stages of the season and I’m looking forward to getting to Millville now!”

Jalek Swoll – P9

“Qualifying was good for me, and it was nice to finally find some speed in practice and carry it into the motos. In the first moto I had a good start and was riding okay but I went down early and that was kind of tough. I had two falls in that one and it put me pretty deep and I only got back to 11th. In moto two I had a good start, in the middle of the top ten, and it was okay…nothing crazy. I started to feel better at the end but just a little too late. I had sixth right in front of me but I ran out of time,” said Swoll. “I’m looking forward to next weekend and build off the momentum that I got today, despite the crashes.”

Hunter Lawrence – P13

“It was a rough day at Southwick. A malfunction in the first moto hurts, and the second moto was all about salvaging points. Obviously, I didn’t want to be coming out of this race five points behind, but we’re going to enjoy the chase.”

250 Round Results

250 Championship Points

450 Overall

Another 1-1 effort gave Lawrence his sixth consecutive overall win and further extended the record start to his 450 Class career. He now sits tied with both Sexton and Ferrandis as the winningest active riders in the division and has led every lap in five of six rounds this season. Sexton earned an assertive runner-up effort (2-2) for his third podium result in three starts, while Ferrandis rounded out the top three overall in third (3-3) with his fourth podium of the summer.

Lawrence’s lead in the championship standings now sits at 67 points over Ferrandis, while Plessinger, who finished fourth (4-4), is third, 90 points out of the lead.

Jett Lawrence – P1

“It was a pretty brutal day–it was all about survival. I was just looking to get out of the roost and toward the front as soon as possible; I wanted to put in some fast laps early and gain some distance. I knew everyone would be gassed toward the end of the moto, so late charges wouldn’t be in the cards. I’m just looking forward to getting out of this place and heading to Spring Creek; that’s one of my favorite places on the schedule.”

Chase Sexton – P2

“It’s a lot harder when you haven’t been racing like these guys. I felt good all day, but it’s tough to be in the best shape for Southwick without gate dops. I feel like my riding and my speed were good all day, I just didn’t have it in the second moto. I need to be more smooth and consistent. Eli [Tomac] and I had a great battle at Spring Creek last year, so hopefully I can bring that experience over and get back to where I was.

Dylan Ferrandis – P3

“We’ve been pushing really hard in practice and training [during the week] and it’s paying off. Today was just tough. I did all I could to keep up with Jett [Lawrence] but it was a long moto. We’ll keep working and try to be better next week.”

Aaron Plessinger – P4

“Yeah, man! 4-4 on the day for Southwick – it’s alright, can’t be mad at it. I felt solid all day, the first moto I struggled with comfort a little bit, and then for the second moto we made really good changes, but I just struggled a little bit with my body in that one. Super-rough track today – it was a hot one out here – but my back is slowly improving, so the aim is to land on the podium again at Spring Creek next weekend.”

Adam Cianciarulo – P8

“Unfortunately, I came into this race a little sick and I was digging deep, but ended up getting heat stroke. It was a tough day, but it’ll make the good ones ahead all that much sweeter.”

Jason Anderson – P10

“The entire day was a challenge for me with the conditions. Not stoked on the finish, but we are healthy and excited to battle again next weekend.”

450 Round Results

450 Championship Points

2023 AFT Orange County Half-Mile Report

Parts Unlimited AFT Singles presented by KICKER

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Kody Kopp took an impressive 13th AFT Singles victory of his career at the Orange County Half-Mile, with Tom Drane looking to be his main competition going in.

While that initially proved true, what wasn’t expected was that their clash would be for second with Chase Saathoff (No. 88 American Honda/Mission Foods CRF450R) blasting away a couple second out in front.

Saathoff’s long-awaited maiden Progressive AFT victory was delayed yet again, however. Once in the clear after shaking free of Drane, Kopp set about tracking the Turner Honda pilot down.

The KTM star quickly gobbled up the gap and then searched for a way into first. He found one quickly enough although perhaps not exactly as scripted. The defending champ caught a rut in the middle of the corner and was sent wide, forcing Saathoff to chop the throttle to prevent contact.

Once into first, Kopp flexed his sheer pace advantage and walked away with his sixth victory of the season.

Kody Kopp

“Notched pretty much the perfect day of racing here in New York – managed to top qualifying, won the heat race, won the Dash, and then was able to get the win in the Main Event. The win didn’t come easy this weekend though, we had to fight from being way back and, I think at one point I was three seconds down, but dug deep for that one. The goal was to keep the winning streak going and show we’re here to fight for this championship. That’s win number six for me this year, so we’ll go back to work and be back for New Jersey, hungry for more.”

Drane held on for third ahead of Sathoff’s teammate, Trent Lowe (No. 48 American Honda/Mission Foods CRF450R). Fifth went to a strong-running Aiden RoosEvans (No. 26 A1R Racing/FRA Trust Honda CRF450R), who pushed his way into the early podium battle before settling in for his best career Parts Unlimited AFT Singles finish to date.

Trevor Brunner (No. 21 Estenson Racing Yamaha YZ450F) ended up sixth with Dalton Gauthier (No. 79 D&D Racing/Certified KTM 450 SX-F), Tarren Santero (No. 75 Vinson Construction/Eric Hoyt Honda CRF450R), Hunter Bauer (No. 24 BigR Racing/Little Deb Racing Honda CRF450R), and Travis Petton IV (No. 82 ECG Racing/3 Bros KTM 450 SX-F) rounding out the top ten.

Kopp’s big title lead got that much bigger with his triumph. He now leads Saathoff by nearly two full races (241-194).

Kopp’s Red Bull KTM Factory Racing teammate Max Whale posted the fifth-fastest time in qualifying, before racing to a fourth-place finish in the second Heat race of the night. The Australian would then experience a first turn fall in the Main Event, and struggle to completely come to grips with the track surface as the laps clicked off, restarting to finish in 18th place.

Max Whale

“The day started off decent for me, felt good in practice and qualifying, even though this was a very challenging circuit to ride. I struggled as the day went on with the track drying out, and then rode average in the Heat race. That meant I had a second row start for the main, but then went down by myself in the first turn, and just struggled here in a big way. We’ll need to regroup and come back for the next one.”

AFT Singles Main Result

AFT Singles Standings – Top 20

Mission SuperTwins presented by S&S Cycle

Jared Mees (No. 1 Indian Motorcycle/Rogers Racing/SDI Racing FTR750) claimed sole possession of the career Grand National Championship Half-Mile wins record with a showcase performance in Saturday night’s Orange County Half-Mile as Progressive American Flat Track, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing, returned to Orange County Fair Speedway in Middletown, New York, for the first time in 35 years.

The combination of Mees’ immense ability, experience, and support provided the reigning Mission SuperTwins presented by S&S Cycle champion with a decisive edge on a hyper-slick surface that tested the upper limits of the field’s collective skill.

Even a late red flag that wiped out the multi-second lead Mees had diligently assembled did little to dent the factory Indian star’s dominance on the evening. He simply powered off the staggered start and marched away while his primary rivals waged war for second behind him.

The last time the series visited the century-old venue, the legendary Scott Parker earned one of his record-setting 35 career Half-Mile wins. Mees’ victory tonight was his 36th HM win, which established the new all-time mark.

Mees’ monumental night also saw him wrest the points lead away from Dallas Daniels (No. 32 Estenson Racing Yamaha MT-07 DT) for the first time this season.

Prior to the red flag, the young title hopeful was caught up in a heated scrap for second with the rolling Briar Bauman (No. 3 Parts Plus/Jacob Companies KTM 790 Duke). After the restart, his season-long podium streak came under serious threat with the additions of Brandon Robinson (No. 44 Mission Roof Systems Indian FTR750) and JD Beach (No. 95 Estenson Racing Yamaha MT-07 DT) to the fray.

Bauman slashed up to second and controlled the spot to the flag. Afterward, the Rick War Racing ace proclaimed himself a contender from here on out now that the bike is properly dialed, a sentiment backed up by a win, two seconds, a third, and a fourth in his last five attempts.

Daniels, meanwhile, had to hustle his way back past Robinson over the race’s final two laps to narrowly finish third, upping his active podium streak to 12 in the process. Still, it wasn’t quite enough to retain his championship standing, as Mees now leads the chase 257-255.

Jared Mees

“We’ve just got to keep plucking away. Dallas has been riding phenomenally all year. It’s almost underrated how consistent he’s been this season. It’s making me dig down as deep as I can, and I’m really enjoying the battle. We’ve got a lot of racing to go, and I’ve got a couple tracks coming up that are more his forte than mine with the TTs. It’s an honor to keep the ball rolling, really.”

Robinson and Beach completed the top five, while Billy Ross (No. 109 Mission Foods/Roof Systems Kawasaki Ninja 650) took the best finish of his premier-class career in sixth.

Jarod Vanderkooi (No. 20 JMC Motorsports/Fairway Ford Indian FTR750) finished seventh, followed by Davis Fisher (No. 67 Rackley Racing/Bob Lanphere’s BMC Racing Indian FTR750), Henry Wiles (No. 17 BriggsAuto.com/Martin Trucking Indian FTR750), and Bronson Bauman (No. 37 Fastrack Racing/2 Wheelz KTM 790 Duke), in that order.

SuperTwins Main Result

SuperTwins Standings – Top 20

Next Up

Progressive American Flat Track will return to action on Saturday, July 22, for the inaugural Bridgeport Half-Mile at Bridgeport Speedway in Swedesboro, New Jersey.