WSX heads to Melbourne for 2022 finale
The FIM World Supercross Championship will arrive in Marvel Stadium, Melbourne over the October 21-22 weekend, for the culmination of its pilot season with the Australian Grand Prix. History will be made as four FIM World Champions are crowned, with the WSX, SX2, Team, and Manufacturer championships all up for grabs.
The WSX Class Championship will be headlined by a battle between Germany’s iconic Honda Genuine rider, Ken Roczen, and hard-charging American, Vince Friese, riding for MotoConcepts Honda. Both riders are in prime position to take home the title of FIM World Champion with several other 450 riders in the mix looking to spoil Roczen and Friese’s chances.
Round one wildcard, Eli Tomac – who dominated Cardiff sweeping all three main event heats – will not be heading to Australia, leaving the Championship fight between Roczen and Friese – with just three points separating the two riders.
Within striking distance of the WSX Championship is Honda’s Justin Brayton, just eight points off the lead, and American CDR Yamaha rider Josh Hill – who has won rounds of the Australian Supercross Championship in the past – sitting 17 points out heading into Melbourne.
The Melbourne event had looked to be a dramatic homecoming for Chad Reed after coming out of retirement at the age of 40 for this year’s pilot season.
Unfortunately for Reed, the British Grand Prix proved catastrophic when a fuel pump failure on his MDK Motorsport KTM threw him off-track during his heat race, resulting in a dislocated shoulder, broken hand, and broken ribs. Having already returned to Australia, Reed underwent surgery this week and is expected to make a full recovery.
In addition to Reed, MDK Motorsports rider Josh Grant was injured in Cardiff and will also be out for the final round in Melbourne. As a result of the two injuries, Australian replacement riders Joel Wightman and Jackson Richardson will race for MDK Motorsports in Melbourne.
Although Australian legend Chad Reed is out of action for this weekend’s event, fellow countryman Aaron Tanti has a chance to make history. The Craig Dack Racing rider and local favourite comes into Melbourne just eight points behind SX2 points leader, Shane McElrath, riding for Rick Ware Racing. Tanti’s local storyline aside, the SX2 Championship battle will be intense with Americans Chris Blose and Mitchell Oldenberg only one and two points back of McElrath respectively.
The FIM World Supercross Championship pits 10 licensed teams from Australia, America, Italy, and France against each other, including NASCAR and IndyCar team owner, Rick Ware and two Australian teams – Honda Genuine and Craig Dack Racing. Each team fields two riders in both the WSX and SX2 classes.
Joining the 40 licensed team riders are two local wildcards in each category, with Melbourne’s WSX additions being led by South Australian KTM, Brett Metcalfe. The multiple-time Australian Champion will compete against the best in the world from America, Germany, France, Italy, and Sweden.
Joining him as a Melbourne wildcard is 26-year-old Aussie young gun, Kyle Webster. The SX2 Australian Grand Prix wildcards, Rhys Budd and Nathan Crawford, are a duo that has been at the top of their game in Australian motocross and Supercross competition.
While the WSX Australian Grand Prix Round takes place on Saturday, the supercross action at Marvel Stadium gets underway on Friday, with the first round of the Australian Supercross Championship, along with the first practice round for WSX Australian Grand Prix.
The weekend’s high-flying supercross and freestyle motocross action will be supported by leading Australian recording artists – Peking Duk (Friday) and Bliss N Eso (Saturday). Fans will get the chance to meet their heroes during autograph sessions on Friday from 4-5 p.m. and Saturday from 12-1 p.m.
2022 Aussie Flat Track Nationals to offer $20k prize pool
The 2022 Aussie Flat Track Nationals (AFTN) has confirmed that both competitors and spectators will be in the running to take home a share of over $20,000 in cash and prizes thanks to the support of the Australian motorcycle industry.
Leading brands, manufacturers and distributors have joined forces behind the initiative to breathe life into the AFTN, and reward our most talented flat track racers.
The top five place getters of the Pro 450 class will share in $11,500 in cash & prizes, with the overall inaugural AFTN Pro 450 champion in 2022, the rider with the highest points tally after ten races over two days will take home $8000 in cash and prizes.
The top three place getters in every single AFTN class will share a total prize pool value of between $1550 and $950 per class in cash and prizes, from Pro Twins to Junior 85’s.
It doesn’t end there either with confirmation that spectators who attend either Saturday and/or Sunday also will be in the running for cash and prizes with door prizes being awarded through the day alongside raffle prizes, also on offer over both days.
The inaugural Aussie Flat Track Nationals continues to gain momentum. Be sure to get entries in before they close on October 19.
2022 Aussie Flat Track Nationals
- Round 1: Flat Track Layout – Appin, NSW, Saturday October 29
- Round 2: TT Layout – Appin, NSW, Sunday October 30
Andrea Verona extends GASGAS contract into 2024
GASGAS have revealed a two-year contract extension with 2022 Enduro1 World Champion Andrea Verona. The super-fast Italian will continue to race for GASGAS Factory Racing in the FIM EnduroGP World Championship through to at least the close of the 2024 season.
Andrea Verona
“I’m really happy to continue racing with GASGAS Factory Racing for another two years. The past two years have been amazing, not only in terms of the results but also how the whole team works together. I think it’s been really good for me, and really good for GASGAS also. I feel really good with the bike and really good with all the members of the team – I think it’s the most complete team in the paddock in terms of bike and the overall set-up. Already I’m looking forward to the winter as we will again work really hard as a team, testing the bike and preparing for what I hope will be another great season in 2023. But first we have this weekend and the last round of the championship. I’m leading the EnduroGP standings by 28 points, which is great, but as we know anything can happen, and for me it’s important to stay focused on my racing. I know in myself if I ease off at all I am more likely to make mistakes, so this weekend I’m planning to give it everything and hopefully we can finish the season in a good way.”
Fabio Farioli – GASGAS Factory Racing Enduro Team Manager
“It’s great to have Andrea confirmed with the team for the 2023 and 2024 seasons. This year has been really exciting, both for him and GASGAS Factory Racing. By claiming the Enduro1 title early, then going on to take the E1 win at the ISDE, Andrea has already shown his class this season. Now, with one weekend of racing left to go, we as a team will support Andrea the very best we can in order for him to finish the season on a high and hopefully with another world title to his name. After that, we are already making plans for next year and will soon start testing as we work together to hopefully achieve even more success.”
Lyndon Snodgrass stoked with GNCC XC2 250 title
After 12 rounds of action-packed off-road racing, Babbitt’s Online/Monster Energy/Kawasaki Team Green’s Lyndon Snodgrass secured the 2022 Grand National Cross Country (GNCC) XC2 250 Pro Class Championship at the Buckwheat 100.
Entering the penultimate round of the GNCC race series with the championship points lead, the Team Green rider from Australia captured the XC2 250 Pro Class title with a race winning performance aboard his Kawasaki KX250X.
Coming into the race weekend with a 38-point lead, Snodgrass aimed to clinch the XC2 250 Pro Class Championship one round before the GNCC season finale. A strong start to Sunday’s race saw the No.178 take an early lead before engaging in a multi-lap battle for first place.
Despite dropping to second place with only two laps left, the Australian kept the leader within his sight. Riding at a fast but calculated pace, Snodgrass began a final push to take over the lead on the last lap of the race.
Utilising the superior handling of his Kawasaki KX250X race machine, the 24-year-old moved into first place and opened a comfortable gap. Once in the lead, Snodgrass proved his championship pedigree by maintaining his six-second gap to the finish. Upon reaching the checkered flag, Snodgrass secured his third GNCC race win of the season and the XC2 250 Pro Class title.
Lyndon Snodgrass
“I’m beyond pumped to get the race win and wrap up the title early! I came into the weekend knowing I could clinch my first GNCC title but tried not to focus on that and instead treated this weekend like any regular race weekend. I got a great start at the beginning of the race and was out front early, but after the initial lap I began to feel pressure from behind. The pace was high, but I stayed close, I knew I would find a way to take the lead back. I’m so happy everything worked out according to plan and I was able to secure a championship for my team. A big thank you to everyone on the Babbitts Online/Monster Energy/Kawasaki race team. None of this would be possible without all their hard work.”
The championship capped an incredible year of racing for Snodgrass who entered the 2022 season with a career-best third place finish in the GNCC Championship. Building on his success from the previous year, Snodgrass started the year with a second-place finish at the opening round of the off-road championship.
He then went on to claim his first GNCC victory at Round 4, with additional wins coming at Round 6 and 12. The 2022 GNCC XC2 250 Pro Class title marks the inaugural GNCC championship for the Babbitt’s Online/Monster Energy/Kawasaki race team and adds Snodgrass’ name to the growing list of Aussies who have found success in GNCC racing.
Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP team unchanged into 2023
Jeremy Seewer, Maxime Renaux and Glenn Coldenhoff will remain with the Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP team into 2023, racing the premier class of the FIM Motocross World Championship, with all three riders targeting the MXGP crown aboard the Factory YZ450FM.
Filling three of the top-five places in the 2022 MXGP World Championship standings, Seewer, Renaux and Coldenhoff put in some outstanding performances this year, with their combined total of 22 podium finishes ensuring that Yamaha secured the manufacturer’s championship title in MXGP for the first time since 2015.
Set to enter his sixth season with Yamaha in MXGP, five-time FIM Motocross World Championship runner-up Seewer will once again chase a maiden FIM Motocross World Title. The Swiss star finished second in the 2022 MXGP World Championship after taking his YZ450FM to five race wins and nine podium finishes, of which three were Grand Prix wins.
Jeremy Seewer
“It’s great to stay with the same teammates in 2023. I signed my contract for 2023 quite a while ago, so I knew I would be here, but it’s nice to grow together. I started with Yamaha in 2018 and I will be on blue in ’23, so it’s my sixth year. It’s nice to have familiarity, and we have a lot of exciting things ahead of us, so I am looking forward to seeing what we can do.”
Last year’s MX2 World Champion, Renaux, was impressive in his debut season in MXGP. The 22-year-old quickly adapted to the YZ450FM and took the fight to even the most experienced 450cc riders. Finishing the season as the best-placed rookie, the young Frenchman celebrated four qualifying race wins, six championship race wins, seven podium finishes, of which one was a Grand Prix victory, on his way to a creditable fourth in the world ranking.
Maxime Renaux
“It’s good to know we will have a strong team again. I signed a two-year deal in 2021, which was good to have two years to build in MXGP. We already started quite well this season, so I am happy with the progress I have made in my move to the YZ450FM, and thankful that Yamaha has supported me fully in my decision to step up. We will be ready to go in 2023 where the goal will be to keep building in confidence and experience, so I am really looking forward to it.”
Coldenhoff enjoyed a positive second term with Yamaha in which he made encouraging progress. The ‘259’ took his YZ450FM to three race wins, a Grand Prix win and a further five podium finishes to round out the top-five in 2022.
Glenn Coldenhoff
“I’m really happy. I’ve been with Yamaha for two years, and this season, I feel like we have made some big improvements. I am looking forward to keeping the same group of people around me. We have built such a strong relationship in a short time, and they have always stood behind me, so I really appreciate that. I like the set-up and the people we have around us from the osteopath to the trainer, all these things contribute something, and I think this is important. Here, I have everything I need, and we have some even better things coming, so I look forward to it, and I am ready to go for it again next year.”
Louis Vosters – Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP Team Owner
“I’m really happy with this strong line up. When we look at the results from this year with these three riders, we were there fighting for the win every weekend. We have had 22 podiums; five GP wins and all three riders finished inside the top five in the championship. I am happy that we can continue building on these results with the three strong riders we have.”
2023 MXGP Motocross World Championship calendar
Infront Moto Racing have shared the provisional 2023 FIM Motocross World Championship calendar featuring some new locations and the support classes, where they’ll be present.
21 events are planned in 2023, including the Monster Energy FIM Motocross of Nations which is set to take place in Ernée, France, on October the 22nd.
Additional events, such as the FIM Junior Motocross World Championship will head to Romania on the 9th of July, while the MXoEN will be held on October the 8th with a TBA venue.
The FIM Motocross World Championship is set to kick off on the 12th of March at the MXGP of Patagonia Argentina in the stunning Villa la Angostura, followed by two events in locations to be confirmed on the 26th of March and then 8th and 10th of April.
Grand Prix are set to take place in Trentino, Portugal and Spain, before MXGP will return to Villars sous Ecot for the MXGP of France.
Then MXGP of Latvia and the Liqui Moly MXGP of Germany are scheduled in early June and will round out the first half of the season in Europe before the trip to Asia for the Indonesian double header in Sumbawa and the brand new Lombok.
Czech Republic, Flanders (Belgium), Finland and Sweden will see the action return to Europe, before we see the much-anticipated return of the MXGP of the Netherlands at a track that is not new to the MXGP Paddock as the Dutch GP will be held at the popular Arnhem on the 20th of August!
And to finish off the season, Turkiye will once again host MXGP in Afyonkarahisar before the series will make its very first trip to a brand-new venue in Thanh Hoa for the MXGP of Vietnam.
A ‘To Be Announced’ (TBA) event will follow in early October before the Championship is set to conclude at the MXGP of Great Britain in Matterley Basin for the 2023 Grand Finale.
2023 MXGP calendar
| Date | GP | Venue | Additional Classes |
| 12 March | Patagonia Argentina | Villa la Angostura | – |
| 26 March | TBA | TBA | – |
| 8+10 April | TBA | TBA | WMX & EMX125 |
| 16 April | Trentino | Pietramurata | EMX125 & EMX250 |
| 30 April | Portugal | Agueda | EMX125 & EMX250 |
| 7 May | Spain | Intu Xanadú – Arroyomolinos | WMX & EMX250 |
| 21 May | France | Villars sous Ecot | WMX & EMX125 |
| 04 June | Latvia | Kegums | EMX125 & EMX250 |
| 11 June | Liqui Moly MXGP Germany | Teutschenthal | EMX125 & EMX250 |
| 25 June | Sumbawa (Ina) | Sumbawa | – |
| 02 July | Lombok (Ina) | Lombok | – |
| 16 July | Czech Republic | Loket | EMX65 & EMX85 & EMX2T |
| 23 July | Flanders (Bel) | Lommel | EMX250 & EMX Open |
| 06 August | Finland | TBA | EMX125 & EMX250 |
| 13 August | Sweden | Uddevalla | EMX125 & EMX250 |
| 20 August | The Netherlands | Arnhem | WMX & EMX125 |
| 3 September | Türkiye | Afyonkarahisar | WMX & EMX250 |
| 17 September | Vietnam | Thanh Hoa | – |
| 01 October | TBA | TBA | – |
| 15 October | Great Britain | Matterley Basin | EMX125 & EMX250 |
| 22 October | Monster Energy FIM MXoN | France, Ernée | bLUcRU |
| 9 July | FIM Junior World Championship | Romania, Bucharest | – |
| 8 October | Motocross Of European Nations | TBA | – |
2023 FIM SuperEnduro World Championships calendar
The FIM SuperEnduro World Championship is back in 2023 and will run across seven events, spanning much of Europe.
Reigning World Champion Billy Bolt (GBR – Husqvarna) will put his crown back into play on 10 December at Tauron Arena in Krakow (Poland).
Renowned host venues in Germany (SachsenArena) and Hungary (Papp Laszlo Sportarena) return, while discovering new destinations such as Nice (France).
For the second consecutive year, the Pais Arena in Jerusalem (Israel) will be part of the calendar.
The Junior category will be present at six of these Grand Prix, and the remaining date will be announced shortly.
FIM SuperEnduro World Championships
| DATE | PLACE | COUNTRY | PRESTIGE | JUNIOR |
| Sat.10 December 2022 | Krakow / Tauron Arena | Poland | X | X |
| Sat.7 January 2023 | Riesa / Sachsen Arena | Germany | X | X |
| Sat.21 January 2023 | TBA | TBA | TBA | TBA |
| Sat.4 February 2023 | Budapest / Papp Laszlo SportArena | Hungary | X | X |
| Fri.17 February 2023 | Nice / Palais Nikaia | France | X | X |
| Thu.2 March 2023 | Jerusalem / Pais Arena | Israel | X | |
| Sat.18 March 2023 | Gliwice / Arena Gliwice | Poland | X | X |
2023 Provisional AFT calendar revealed
The provision 2023 American Flat Track calendar has been released, with an 18-round season kicking off in March with the Daytona Flat Track meets, and wrapping up early September with the Springfield Miles.
2023 American Flat Track Calendar (Provisional)
| Round | Date | Race | Location |
| 1 | March 9 | Daytona Flat Track I | Daytona Beach, FL |
| 2 | March 10 | Daytona Flat Track II | Daytona Beach, FL |
| 3 | March 25 | Senoia Short Track | Senoia, GA |
| 4 | April 1 | Arizona Bike Week | TBA |
| 5 | April 22 | Devil’s Bowl Half Mile | Mesquite, TX |
| 6 | May 6 | Ventura Short Track | Ventura, CA |
| 7 | May 13 | Sacramento Mile | Sacramento, CA |
| 8 | May 27 | Red Mile | Lexington, KY |
| 9 | June 3 | Virginia Half-Mile | TBA |
| 10 | June 17 | Du Quoin Mile | Du Quoin, IL |
| 11 | June 24 | Line Half-Mile | Lina, OH |
| 12 | July 8 | Orange Country Half-Mile | Middletown, NY |
| 13 | July 22 | Bridgeport Half-Mile | Bridgeport, NJ |
| 14 | July 30 | Peoria TT | Peroia, IL |
| 15 | August 6 | Buffalo Chip TT | Sturgis, SO |
| 16 | August 12 | Castle Rock TT | Castle Rock, WA |
| 17 | September 2 | Springfield Mile I | Springfield, IL |
| 18 | September 3 | Springfield Mile II | Springfield, IL |
2022 AFT wraps up at the Volusia Half-Mile
For a run down from the Volusia Half-Mile II over the weekend, which wrapped up the 2022 season, see:
Jared Mees 2022 AFT Champion | Whale top-five at Volusia
Below are the top 20 from each class, in the final standings:
Mission SuperTwins presented by S&S Cycle Standings
| Pos | Rider | Total |
| 1 | Jared Mees | 298 |
| 2 | Briar Bauman | 276 |
| 3 | Dallas Daniels | 267 |
| 4 | JD Beach | 266 |
| 5 | Brandon Robinson | 251 |
| 6 | Jarod Vanderkooi | 228 |
| 7 | Davis Fisher | 181 |
| 8 | Bronson Bauman | 177 |
| 9 | Jesse Janisch | 136 |
| 10 | Brandon Price | 98 |
| 11 | Ben Lowe | 96 |
| 12 | Robert Pearson | 91 |
| 13 | Shayna Texter-Bauman | 82 |
| 14 | Dan Bromley | 67 |
| 15 | Jeffrey Carver Jr. | 51 |
| 16 | Cory Texter | 42 |
| 17 | James Rispoli | 35 |
| 18 | Sammy Halbert | 30 |
| 19 | Cameron Smith | 24 |
| 20 | Nick Armstrong | 22 |
Mission Production Twins presented by Vance & Hines Standings
| Pos | Rider | Total |
| 1 | Jesse Janisch | 320 |
| 2 | Cory Texter | 313 |
| 3 | Nick Armstrong | 190 |
| 4 | Billy Ross | 172 |
| 5 | Cole Zabala | 165 |
| 6 | Cameron Smith | 157 |
| 7 | Dan Bromley | 154 |
| 8 | Johnny Lewis | 148 |
| 9 | Michael Rush | 138 |
| 10 | Cody Johncox | 124 |
| 11 | Ben Lowe | 109 |
| 12 | James Rispoli | 106 |
| 13 | Kolby Carlile | 97 |
| 14 | Kasey Sciscoe | 77 |
| 15 | Michael Hill | 74 |
| 16 | Ryan Varnes | 70 |
| 17 | Ryan Wells | 70 |
| 18 | Shelby Miller | 62 |
| 19 | Jordan Harris | 53 |
| 20 | Jeremiah Duffy | 51 |
Parts Unlimited AFT Singles presented by KICKER Standings
| Pos | Rider | Total |
| 1 | Kody Kopp | 318 |
| 2 | Dalton Gauthier | 255 |
| 3 | Morgen Mischler | 250 |
| 4 | Trevor Brunner | 249 |
| 5 | Max Whale | 234 |
| 6 | Trent Lowe | 220 |
| 7 | Chase Saathoff | 189 |
| 8 | James Ott | 135 |
| 9 | Aidan RoosEvans | 117 |
| 10 | Brandon Kitchen | 104 |
| 11 | Hunter Bauer | 101 |
| 12 | Chad Cose | 99 |
| 13 | Gage Smith | 67 |
| 14 | Travis Petton IV | 65 |
| 15 | Ferran Cardus | 61 |
| 16 | Kevin Stollings | 61 |
| 17 | Michael Inderbitzin | 58 |
| 18 | Jared Lowe | 54 |
| 19 | Tyler Raggio | 51 |
| 20 | Ryan Wells | 41 |
2022 EnduroGP of Germany World Championship wrap
The final days of racing in the 2022 WPTGlobal FIM EnduroGP World Championship in Zschopau, Germany, saw many titles wrapped up on the opening day.
Bringing the series to thrilling end, the all-important closing round of the season saw Wil Ruprecht (TM Racing), Brad Freeman (Beta) and Harry Edmondson (Fantic) join Andrea Verona (GASGAS), Zach Pichon (Sherco) and Jane Daniels (Fantic) as 2022 FIM Enduro World Champions.
Wil Ruprecht – 2022 E2 Champion
“To win my first world title has been a dream of mine since I was a little kid. But they don’t come easy. It’s been a good year, great results mixed with some tough days, so to finally lock it down is incredible.”
Aussie Daniel Milner also finished ninth across both daysand finishes the E2 season in 12th overall.
Zach Pichon added the Junior1 World Cup title to his overall Enduro Junior title, while Luc Fargier (Beta) topped the Junior2 Enduro World Cup series. Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Josep Garcia made it two-for-two in Germany by claiming the overall EnduroGP victory on day two in Zschopau.
Italy’s Andrea Verona notably claimed the the EnduroGP title in Germany a day early, with a fifth place finish enough to wrap up the championship.
For the full championship finale run down see:
Wil Ruprecht claims E2 EnduroGP World Championship
Day 1 Highlights:
Day 2 Highlights:
2022 Red Bull Straight Rhythm wrap
Marvin Musquin produced a 250cc masterclass at Huntington Beach State Park over the weekend to win his fourth Red Bull Straight Rhythm title, fending off Ken Roczen.
Musquin had already ridden to victory at the 2014, 2016 and 2017 editions of the race and, this time around, the 32-year-old from La Réole entered the event having never raced on a two-stroke.
He was the star attraction in the 250 cc class, though, as he defeated top qualifier and reigning champion Ken Roczen of Germany on the back of great racing and photo finishes before the finale.
Roczen overcame American home hope Justin Barcia – who went on to finish on the podium – with his upside-down whip over the big tabletop jump in the second run to secure his spot in the final.
Musquin’s undefeated record is still intact, although he had a close call with a comeback win against Josh Hansen in the second run of the semis to set up the Roczen showdown.
Marvin Musquin
“For some reason, to be honest with you, I thought it was going to be a lot harder than that. Obviously the rain played a lot of factors. Kenny was really, really fast all day.”
The 125cc division did not disappoint either with defending champion Brown breezing through his brackets on a 22’ Yamaha YZ125 bike to meet 19-year-old compatriot Josh Varize in the final.
In the second run, Brown pulled off a triple-triple in the rhythm section in tricky wet conditions to win the class for the second time in front of a sold-out crowd.
Carson Brown
“That was crazy. But man, he was riding good. I definitely had to get that triple-triple done and I’m happy I did. It means everything to me. I love two-strokes.”
