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Abestone axed from 2023 FIM Hard Enduro calendar

The Red Bull Abestone – originally scheduled as round three of the 2023 FIM Hard Enduro World Championships on 7/8/9 July – has been cancelled due to issues with the local authorities and will not be replaced.

Venue changes for MXGP of Finland, date change for MXGP of Great Britain

The MXGP of Finland which was set to take place on July the 29th and 30th will see a change of venue to now take place in Vantaa, where the FIM Junior Motocross World Championship was hosted last year.

The MXGP of Finland will host the MXGP and MX2 categories with no additional classes foreseen. The city of Vantaa is really close from the capital city of Helsinki and is only located 10 minutes away from the airport of Helsinki.

The MXGP of Great Britain set in Matterley Basin previously scheduled on October the 1st, will be brought forward to September the 23rd and 24th featuring the MXGP, MX2, EMX250 and EMX125 Presented by FMF Racing classes line up for the final round of the 2023 season. Ticketing for the 2023 MXGP of Great Britain will be released shortly.

Chad Reed joins SX Global as WSX advisor

Australia’s Chad Reed will join the SX Global team as an advisor for the FIM World Supercross Championship (WSX) and joins the broadcast team for the 2023 season, offering invaluable experience to provide operational and strategic advice in all sporting aspects of WSX, from track design to format and safety.

Reed will also host exclusive behind-the-scenes content for WSX.TV.

Chad Reed

“Supercross has had a piece of my heart since I was 12 years old, I’ve been fortunate enough to travel the world and race supercross at the highest level and at some of the most amazing stadiums and events known in the supercross world. I can now use my understanding of the sport and my experience as an athlete, series promoter, and team owner to assist SX Global in making the best decisions to sustainably grow supercross around the world. My goals are always based on winning, and winning means contributing to WSX successfully running supercross races globally and giving future supercross racers the platform to be worldwide superstars. 2023 will be exciting, and I am thrilled to be a part of it. When I see the announcements and images for locations like Singapore, it genuinely makes me so proud of the potential for Supercross in the future. Even our biggest critics are envious of those images. Supercross is a sport loved globally, and it’s time to grow like never before.”

Ken Roczen talks WSX and Supercross

Fresh from signing a three-year deal to race in the World Supercross Championship, Ken Roczen will defend his WSX crown when the 2023 season kicks off with the British Grand Prix on 1 July. After last year’s pilot season, he talks about World Supercross, racing at home, and being a supercross specialist.

What factors made you commit to another three years of World Supercross?

Ken Roczen – “Ultimately, I followed my heart. It’s no secret that I’ve struggled with my body in recent years and at this stage of my career I asked myself, how can I be around this sport for as long as possible. I’ve struggled with the outdoor and honestly it hasn’t been that fun in the last couple of years, so I’m following my heart now to become a supercross specialist.

“I also had my eyes opened last year. I had so much fun with WSX in 2022, and that was my main objective; to bring the fun back, and being able to race supercross all-year-round will do that and hopefully help me prolong my career. And also being able to race in different countries around the world, and especially in my home country of Germany this year, that got me really excited and was a big part of my decision. So I was excited to make this decision and I’m excited for a new chapter.”

How much are you looking forward to racing Germany again?

Roczen – “It has been a very long time since I raced at home. And we’ve been so busy in the US, which is our home now, but as a result I hadn’t really thought about it. But we did the WSX races last year and I was like, this feels new and exciting. Familiar, too, and obviously it reminded me a lot of my GP days, but it felt like I’d found what had been missing from my life. So it was good to race in the UK and Australia, but I’m super-excited to race in Germany.”

It’s not just Germany this year, obviously the series has expanded to six rounds in six countries…

Roczen – “It’s amazing and that’s a big part of why I made the decision to race WSX again. The thought of racing around the world took me back to my childhood and racing in different countries with different fans. That’s what I grew up doing, that was so much fun for me, and I got a taste of it last year and it made my heart smile again, honestly speaking; it’s what I needed and the fact that we’re growing this sport is great and I’m looking forward to the future. I’m excited to race in things like soccer stadiums as well. That’s new, that’s cool, and seeing these tracks in different venues gets me excited.

Do you think we could see other riders decide to be supercross specialists in the future?

Roczen – “For sure, I think you’ll see this happen more often. You’ve got some older dudes like me at the elite level of supercross, and you can see people might start thinking about retirement, but it can be a mistake. This championship gives guys like me the chance to become a supercross specialist, which can be a way to prolong a career and see some of the world. We’re already seeing it with some of the guys that are signed up again this year and some of the new names on the entry list. I only expect it to grow from here. And all those guys are still hungry, I’m excited to see what the future holds.”

Round one of the 2023 World Supercross Championship takes place on Saturday 1 July, with the Birmingham’s Villa Park hosting the British Grand Prix.

Josep Garcia on the mend following surgery

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Josep Garcia is recovering well having successfully undergone a surgical procedure last week to repair a displaced fracture to his left collarbone, which he sustained during a heavy fall during the third and final lap of the EnduroGP of Sweden.

Last week Josep was operated on successfully by Dr. Xavier Mir – a hand, elbow, and microsurgery Trauma specialist – at the Hospital Universitari Dexeus in Barcelona. Following his operation Josep has returned to light training and rehabilitation with the goal of returning to competition at the upcoming GP of Slovakia – round five of the FIM EnduroGP World Championship.

Josep Garcia

“It’s good to be getting well again, but obviously it’s super disappointing that I got injured. Following the surgery, I’m feeling better and better. I knew right away that my left collarbone was broken. Dr. Mir put a plate and some screws in it, and that’s it. It’s a very common injury so I am not worried, I’m just waiting to see how the elbow improves. My objective is to compete in the next EnduroGP in Slovakia. Obviously, I will not be at 100 percent, but I will be able to arrive without pain, that’s the goal anyway!”

Toni Bou tops Day 1 of Andorra TrialGP

The fifth round of the TrialGP season kicked off in the town of Sant Julià de Lòria, Andorra, where on Day 1 Toni Bou earned his sixth victory of the year.

Bou dominated the day from the first lap. The Repsol Honda Team rider put together a run of six consecutive zeros that gave him the lead. On the second lap, the reigning world champion conceded only four penalty points on the twelve zones. Finally, Bou earned another victory on the first day of the TrialGP.

With this result, Bou consolidates his position as leader of the series with an 11-point lead over Jaime Busto. Marcelli is in third place overall. Tomorrow the second race will be held, starting at 9am local time.

Toni Bou

“I’m very happy with this victory, in a race that is like a home round. It is a very important event for us and there is always pressure. I’m very happy with how everything has gone. We’ll see what happens tomorrow, but the terrain is going to be trickiet due to the rain in the afternoon. Although they are the same zones, there will be different conditions. Today I felt very good on the bike and we only had a small problem at the end of the first lap because we were very tight for time. On the second lap we refocused and this has given us this great victory.”

Day 1 Results

Two for two in Andorra for Toni Bou

Intense rain was the main protagonist of the second day of the Andorran TrialGP. The slippery and muddy zones provided a challenge for the Repsol Honda Trial Team riders, who were able to put in good performances: Toni Bou taking another victory in Sant Julià de Lòria.

As he did on the previous day, Bou dominated on the second day in Andorra. The Repsol Honda Trial Team rider had seven consecutive cleans on the first lap and occupied the lead, then on the second run maintained first place and earned another victory. Bou has a total of seven wins this season, four of them in a row.

Toni Bou – P1

“I’m very happy. It has been a great weekend for us, not only because of the victories, but also because of how I felt on the bike. The team have done an incredible job; in Andorra it is always difficult because of the altitude, so thank you to everyone. The objective in the next race in Italy will be to finish as high as possible, arrive in good shape and fight for a title in a battle that will be tight until the end.”

Jaime Busto – P2

“I’m really happy with how the weekend turned out. I struggled on the first lap on both days – I couldn’t find a feeling in the mud – but I managed to recover so I’m happy with that. It was very positive today to record the best lap of the race on my second lap. I just need to learn from my mistakes and get ready for the next race in Italy.”

Bou remains the series leader with 191 points, and Marcelli is still in third position with 133 points, behind Jaime Busto. The next round of the TrialGP World Championship will be held in Italy from July 21st-23rd.

Day 2 Results

TrialGP Standings

Holcombe tops Italian Enduro Round Four

The weekend saw the fourth round of the Italian Enduro Championship take place in Città della Pieve, Umbria, on the Motoclub Castello della Pieve designed course in the shape of a figure of eight with a total length of 56 km divided into three special tests to be repeated four times.

It was a one-day race on a course that included in order: a very fast 4.5 km Cross Test on hard terrain, characterised by numerous ups and downs and counter-slopes, followed by a 1.5 km Extreme Test in the interior with an undergrowth of mixed gravel terrain in which natural ups and downs alternated with many areas with artificial obstacles, and at the end of the lap, a 6 km Enduro Test on hard terrain interspersed with numerous rocks.

Steve Holcombe was the star of the day, the British rider on his Beta RR 350 4T dominated the race, recording five best overall times in the twelve special tests run. Steve Holcombe won the Overall class and the Foreigners class, overtaking his team-mate Brad Freeman in the provisional standings of both classes, with Freeman suffering a severe head contusion on Saturday in the Super Test and not competing after that.

Steve Holcombe

“I am happy with the result because in Città della Pieve there were many riders who also participate in the World Championship. At the moment we are leading the Overall class and the Foreigner class but I would like to wish my team-mate Brad Freeman a speedy recovery.”

Behind Holcombe was Hamish McDonld, Cavallo Matteo completing the podium. Nathan Watson fourth.

Aussies Wil Ruprecht and Daniel Milner were also in the mix, claiming fifth and seventh overall respectively. Thomas Oldrati sandwiched between the two Aussies.

The next round of the Italian Enduro Championship is scheduled for July 22 & 23 in Sant’Angelo in Vado.

WA Senior State Championship reaches Round Two

Round Two of the WA Senior State Championship has been run at Coastal Park, with Kayden Minear claiming the MX1 victory from Jayden Rykers and John Darroch across two races. Minear claiming 50-points, to Rykers’ and Darroch’s 42 a-piece.

Rounding out the MX1 top-10 was veteran Dean Porter ahead of Stuart Eardley-Wilmot, Cody Heggs, Jake Fewster, Ayden Bridgeford, Luke Few and Callum Bayliss.

Dylan Hennessey took the MX2 overall, but not without a fight, winning race one, but having to settle for second to Deacon Paice in race two. Hennessy collected 47-points, Paice and Taj Moore winning 40 each, with Paice coming out ahead.

Dylan Hennessey

“WAMX State Round 2 was a good one. Went P2 qualifying and 1-2 in my motos and finally got my first ever state round race win and overall! Got myself a flat front tyre in qualifying but got lucky I had Evan Browne there to sort it for me. Massive thanks to uncle Stewy Heggs swinging off the pitboard all day and for making sure my bike was ready to go. Massive thanks to my good friends/sponsors that make it possible to go out there and have some fun.”

Jordan Minear and Cody Chittick completed the top-five, Isaac Atkins, Kai Pratt, Alec Watkins, Tahlia O’Hare and Jye Tomerini the top-10.

Seth Shackleton took the two MX3 wins of the weekend, ahead of Patrick Butler and Jake Rumens who went 3-2 and 2-3 respectively, each collecting 42-points in second and third.

Tahlia O’Hare swept all three Women’s races, Jaylee Rimbas the runner up in all three, and Megan Bagnall third, mirroring their final positions.

MX1 Round Two Overall

MX2 Round Two Overall

MX3 Round Two Overall

MX1W Round Two Overall

WA Junior State Championships – Round Two

The WAMX Junior State Championships also competed their round two on the Sunday following the Senior races.

In the 100cc/125cc 13-U16 Yrs class, Patrick Butler narrowly missed out on a sweep of all three races on 72-points, with runner-up Brayden Upperton (69-points) claiming the final race win to deny it. Third overall was Nate Graham on 60-points.

Seth Shackleton topped the 128cc-150cc/200cc-250cc 13-U16 Yrs class on 72-points from three races, with two race wins to his name, Jake Rumens second overall with the remaining race win and 67-points. Patrick Butler completed the podium in third on 62-points.

James Marrs topped the 50cc Auto 7-U9 Yrs class, tying on points with Nate Forwood, both on 67-points. Jaylan Hall took third by a point over Chase Wilson, 54-53.

Jayve Stocker took the 65cc 10-u12 Yrs overall, with two race wins and a second. Charlie Butler second on 65-points, and Evan Foley third, tying on points with fourth placed Noah Thomas.

Topping the 65cc 7-U10 Yrs class was Chase Wilson with a 2-1-1 result, well clear of second-placed Nate Forwood on 58-points, and third placed Toby Edmonds on 50. Jaxon O’Grady took the remaining race win for 25-points total.

Ryley Fiford topped the 85cc/150cc 12-U16 Yrs overall on 72-points, to Luca Novello’s 63 in second and Levi Farr on 62 in third.

The 85cc/150cc 9-U12 Yrs class was swept by Ollie Birkitt, Bam Hill second on 55 and Nate Tomerini third on 54.

Leah Rimbas won all three races in the Girls 100cc/150cc-128cc/250cc 13-U16 Yrs class, Makayla Rimbas second overall with a bevvy of seconds and Ella Foley third across all three race for the same overall result.

In the Girls 65cc/85cc 7-U12 Yrs class, Halyan Halfstead won all three races, Holly Barfood second running 2-2-2 and Karisma Heeney third with a 3-3-3.

Leah Rimbas also won the Girls 85cc/150cc 12-U16 Yrs overall with two race wins and a second, Addison Orr second (2-2-3) and Hemi Sellenger third (3-4-4).

2023 Junior World MX Championship Entry Lists

The entry lists for the 2023 FIM Junior Motocross World Championship that will take place in Bucharest, Romania on the 8th and 9th of July have been revealed!

The event will bring together riders from 35 different nations who will race for their country. There will be three classes taking part in the racing and competing to become Junior World Champion for the 125cc and 85cc classes and World Cup Winner for the 65cc category.

Take a look at the full entry lists below to see who will line-up for the biggest junior motocross race of the year.

125cc WJMX Entry List

85cc WJMX Entry List

65cc WJMX Entry List

2023 AMA Pro MX Round Four – Highpoint National Rider Quotes

For the full report and full results see:
Jett Lawrence goes 1-1 at Highpoint – Hunter wins 250 but docked points

Lawrence’s fourth straight 1-1 sweep equals the single-most-successful class start in the history of the sport as his eight consecutive moto wins to open his 450 Class career is shared with Hall of Famer David Bailey, who accomplished the same feat to start his 500cc career during the 1984 season.

In his first start of the summer Roczen finished in the runner-up spot (7-2), while Cianciarulo finished in third (4-4) for his first podium result since the 2021 High Point National.

Lawrence added even more to advantage in the championship standings, which now sits at 49 points after four races over Ferrandis, while Webb sits third, 53 points out of the lead.

Jett Lawrence – P1

“I was a little uncomfortable all day. To have a track like this be covered in mud makes it hard to even ride, let alone race. Honestly, it was really humbling all day, having to battle and break up the routine. I almost feel like that crash was needed just to stay focused and keep the perspective that it won’t always be holeshots and checking off laps. I’m learning how to push through when I don’t have my best stuff, which I know I’ll need as we go on. I’m excited to have a little bit of time off this week, and I can’t wait to head to RedBud.”

Ken Roczen – P2

“I am beyond stoked. I appreciate all the support from the fans today. This was a tough one to come back to with the track conditions. I can’t believe I got second [overall] after that first moto with the crash. I felt good at the beginning [of Moto 2], but I struggled with lines and Jett was riding great. I think I’m going to have to do some more of these.”

Adam Cianciarulo – P3

“That’s back-to-back weeks where the track was really difficult. You had to be 100% focused the whole time out there. It really was a mental battle as much as it was a physical battle. I had good pace early in the moto and that almost means more to me than the result. I still have a long way to go but I’m so excited to be up here.”

Cooper Webb – P5

“It was an up-and-down day here at High Point. The second qualifier was good with a P2, before in the first moto I got a great start, rode consistent, solid, and got third, which was a good step. Second moto, just got an average start and didn’t do much with it and ended up sixth. Fifth overall on the day – not our best day, not our worst day – but we’ll enjoy this off weekend and come back strong at RedBud.”

Aaron Plessinger – P8

“High Point started off very muddy! I didn’t ride great in practice and then tried a couple of changes for the first moto, which didn’t work in my favor – I didn’t ride too good at all. Second moto, I made some better changes and was in third, but went down, unfortunately. Charged back, was riding good, but yeah, we’ve got some homework to do before RedBud.”

Highpoint 450s Top 10 Overall

250s at Highpoint

Lawrence’s impeccable Moto 2 efforts once again landed him atop the overall podium to remain unbeaten. It marked the third time this season that 3-1 finishes proved to be the winning formula for the Australian, who now has five career wins.

After a resilient ride to recover from his first-lap crash, Hampshire secured the runner-up spot (1-7), while Deegan earned his third podium finish in four races this season in third (2-6).

At the conclusion of the race, officials reviewed footage to confirm that Lawrence had violated Section 2.10, Item b.iii., 9.c.** of the AMA Pro Racing Pro Motocross Rulebook pertaining to the adherence of signal flags. As a result, Lawrence was penalized seven championship points. Event results were not affected.

The impressive winning streak to open the season has put Lawrence 28 points ahead of Deegan, who moved into second, and 42 points ahead of Hampshire, who now sits third.

Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Justin Cooper, who entered the day second in points, was forced to miss the afternoon motos following a crash in practice and dropped to fifth in the championship standings.

Hunter Lawrence – P1

“Apart from the penalty, it was a great day. We got the overall, so we couldn’t ask for more there. The track was wild. There were so many soft spots and sinkholes that you didn’t really know what to do; it was all throttle control and finesse. From first practice on, my goal was just to not crash. I took what I could in the first moto without getting too aggressive, and just focused on hitting my lines in the second. It was a really good day for us, and I’m looking forward to a little break.”

RJ Hampshire – P2

“I felt really awesome on the bike today and my FC250 was working unreal. In the first moto I got out with the holeshot, led a lot of laps, had a mistake, and came through the pack again for the win.,” said Hampshire. “In the second moto I got another good start and made a mistake. I came in too hot into the second turn and ended up taking my teammate out. Of course, that was a bummer for me, him, and the whole team. We recovered…I was able to get back up to seventh for second overall on the day. I’m just going to enjoy this weekend off and I look forward to these next couple of races. I’m feeling awesome on this bike and excited to go racing.”

Haiden Deegan – P3

“That was some crazy racing. I crashed on the start and got ran over. Kind of the whole nine yards. My thought after that was either crash or get on the podium today. I gave it my all and it paid off.”

Jo Shimoda – P4

“I’m happy with the progress we’re making each week and I just need to stop making costly mistakes,” said Shimoda. “Things haven’t really gone my way but I’m up for the challenge and I can’t wait to get to RedBud in a few weeks where I got my first overall.”

Tom Vialle – P5

“It was very muddy here at High Point at the beginning of the day. First moto, unfortunately, I fell in the first corner with another rider – I had nowhere to go, so I charged through the field for 11th. Second moto was a better start, which was important for vision, and then I got in behind Hunter [Lawrence] and was on him for a lot of the race, and finished in P2 which was good. Two weeks before the next one, my wrist was okay here as we taped it up very good, so the rest will be good.”

Chance Hymas – P6

“Today was a big learning day. I kind of struggled in qualifying and the first moto, trying to find my groove. It was a great experience leading some laps in the second moto; I just need to focus on finding more lines as the race goes on and keeping the tempo up. Overall, it was a good day and one I can take some positives from.”

Ryder Difrancesco – P7

“I’m happy with the day overall,” said DiFrancesco. “It’s a challenging track and the rain made it even more demanding each moto. I think we learned a lot here and I’m really excited to go back to RedBud where I made my pro debut last year.”

Jalek Swoll – P8

“I had some steps in the right direction compared to weekends past. We’re on the right path and coming forward. I got good starts and I’m riding decent.,” said Swoll. “I feel like my starts are too good to not be up fighting for wins and positions on the box. In moto one I held third for literally the whole moto, but a little mistake, a little bit of lappers, in the last couple laps cost me. That one stung. In moto two I had a good start, but went down in the second turn and was down for a while. But I came back to 11th. All-in-all, it was an okay day and steps in the right direction, so that’s all we can ask for.”

Maximus Vohland – P10

“First moto, I started decently and pushed as hard as I could, but was struggling a little with the conditions and finished in sixth place. In the second moto, I was in the first turn carnage and was toward the back, then had another big crash on lap one. Remounted and battled back to 12th for 10th overall. Not what we wanted, but I’m healthy and looking forward to RedBud.”

Highpoint 250s Top 10 Overall