Moto Wrap | Finke | TrialGP | MX | ISDE | Enduro | WSX

David Walsh wins Finke Desert Race 2022

Hometown hero David Walsh piloted his KTM 500 EXC-F to his third Finke Desert Race victory in a row over the long weekend. 32-year-old Walsh had set the pace on the opening day of competition to build a three-minute lead over Husqvarna FE501 pilots Jacob Smith and Jack Simpson. That trio retained those places on the return run to complete the podium.

Walsh finished with a total of 3h35m45s and enjoyed a handy advantage of 2m24s over second place. His performance saw him eclipse the previous Finke Desert Race record of Toby Price by a full 11 minutes over the 452 kilometre race distance.

David Walsh

“We put in a lot of work and it feels amazing to reap the rewards of that to get my third-consecutive win. This race means a lot to me and I’m glad we can keep the trophy here in Alice Springs. On the whole leg home today I forced myself to concentrate on the job at hand as there were some nasty sections out there and you only win if you cross the finish line in first place. I’m looking forward to celebrating now and to welcoming our new baby – due this week – into the world.”

Kurrajong’s Korey McMahon was nearly four-minutes further behind to claim fourth ahead of Brodie Waters. Brodie’s brother Nick crashed quite heavily before the first fuel stop on day one. Older brother and three-time Aussie Superbike Champ Josh helped crew for his siblings as they have done so often for him in ASBK.

Finke was for a long time dominated by Honda. A perfect run from 1991 through to 2002, and then again from 2004 through to 2008 particularly strong periods for Honda. Since 2009 though KTM have only been beaten twice, once by Honda in 2013 when Todd Smith gave Big Red their 20th victory, and once by Yamaha with Daymon Stokie in 2017.

This year the top 16 finishers were all on machines born from Mattighofen, across the KTM, Husqvarna and GASGAS stable of brands controlled by KTM AG. The first non KTM built machine home was the Sherco of Ryan Coussens in 17th place.

In what we believe must also be a first, four Victorian brothers all competed in and completed the 2002 Finke Desert Race. Victoria’s Four Brothers Racing, more widely known for their exploits on quad bikes, but with the four-wheelers not invited to Finke this year, the quartet took on the challenge on two wheels. They had their challenges along the way, but all the Van Vliet brothers made it home with Mitchell (76th), Cooper (151st), Harrison (170th) and Jake (242nd).

2022 Finke Desert Race Results (Top 30)

Matt Moss dominates WA MX Round 4

WA MX Round 4 was run at a muddy Hendley Park Motocross in Byford over the weekend. Matt Moss dominated proceedings to take two wins and a perfect 50-points in the MX1 Pro class. Jayden Rykers claimed both second places. Charlie Creech and Liam Atkinson shared the final podium positions with a third a-piece.

Rykers now leads the overall standings on 189-points, from Creech on 160 and third placed Liam Atkinson is more distant on 142-points. Matt Moss currently sits 14th, purely on the 50-points earned at this meet.

In the MX2 Pro category, Jake Turner went 2-1 for the overall, with Ayden Bridgeford second off a 3-2 result. Cody Rowe completed the podium with the Race 1 win, but sixth in Race 2.

Stuart Eardley-Wilmot holds the MX2 lead despite finishing the weekend fourth, his buffer slimmed to 12-points over Turner on 171. Jordan Minear completes the MX2 top-three on 148 points.

MX1 Pro Results

MX1 Pro Standings

MX2 Pro Results

MX2 Pro Standings

James Scott wins NZ Enduro final – Yearbury crowned champ

James Scott won the final NZ Enduro round over the weekend, ahead of Joshua Jack and Brad Groombridge. However it was Dylan Yearbury who collected the title, ahead of Joshua Jack and Wil Yeoman. Next on the calendar is the Moto SR GNCC Series running from August into November as a four-round contest.

Maxime Renaux fractures T1, T2, T5 and T7 vertebrae in qualifying

Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP’s Maxime Renaux has fractured his T1, T2, T5 and T7 vertebrae during qualifying at the MXGP of Germany.

Renaux has returned to Belgium for a further assessment and to formulate a recovery program.

Broadford 100 postponed due to weather

The Harley Club of Victoria has released a statement following the postponement of the Broadford 100, with wet weather wreaking havoc at the track. Here’s what they had to say:

“The intended inaugural staging of the Broadford 100 could not go ahead last week – due to the wet weather that hit the area. An inspection of the track on Thursday afternoon indicated that it was too wet to race on and with no clear weather in the forecast for the next few days, there was no chance of it drying out. The tough decision to postpone at least gave plenty of notice for those who would have been travelling long distances. The Harley Club of Victoria are hopeful of organising a new date for the meeting – stay tuned.”

The rescheduled date will be announced in due course.

Jordon Smith to Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing

The Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing 250 team has announced the addition of Jordon Smith to their 2023 roster in the Monster Energy AMA Supercross and Lucas Oil Pro Motocross championships.

Jordon Smith

“I’m really excited to be joining the Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing team. After a few rough years, this past year was a building year for me. My goal was to get back to a factory team, and after all of the hard work I put in, I landed on the best team out there. I’m really excited to get to work and see what I can do working with this great group of people!”

It’s been a tough few years for the rider from Belmont, North Carolina, who was sidelined with injuries the following seasons. Back to full fitness, a reenergized Smith is hungrier than ever and ready to come out swinging next season with Yamaha.

Sam Rogers & Hunter King to ride with Rieju Australia

Hard Enduro rider Sam Rogers and protégé Hunter King will now be competing across Australia on the Spanish built Rieju MR 300 Pro in 2022, supported by Rieju Australia.

Sam Rogers’ skill, technique and ability in Trials made it easy for him to transition into the Hard Enduro scene, which led to him competing in numerous events up and down the east coast of Australia. Sam started competing in Hard Enduro at the end of 2018, being thrown in at the deep end with more well known and experienced riders, including some of the world’s best at the 2018 Wildwood Rock Extreme Enduro.

Sam has achieved ‘Gold’ class finishes in virtually every event that he has competed in to date. This year, Sam has decided to coach and bring young-gun Hunter King under his wing. Hunter has also been quite a successful rider in his own right, competing in not only Hard Enduro and Trials, but also Motocross. Sam also runs his own coaching clinics, Enduro Tech, where he passes on his years of experience in both Trials & Enduro competition.

Sam Rogers

“I am stoked to be a part of the Rieju team! I’ve gelled really well with the bikes as they are set up perfectly to suit my style of riding. I can’t believe how good these bikes are straight out of the crate! I can’t wait to get racing! Bring on the rest of 2022 and beyond!”

Some of the events that Sam & Hunter anticipate competing in 2022 are: the Grassroots Series, Wildwood in Victoria, Selected NSW and QLD events and the Queensland off-road series.

Hunter King

“I’m super excited to be part of the Rieju Australia team led by Sam Rogers. I am extremely grateful to get to ride in this team and with such a historic brand. Riding the Rieju MR 300 Pro is amazing! The bike looks stunning, feels light and has incredibly responsive power. I cannot wait to compete in some race events over the coming months.”

Altherm JCR Yamaha downscales heading towards 2023

Altherm JCR Yamaha has decided to scale back the size of its motocross team for the 2022/23 season. The reasons are two-fold and firstly revolve around the team’s focus on developing its younger riders; and secondly on ensuring it can sufficiently support all team members in New Zealand and abroad.

Altherm JCR Yamaha Team Manager Josh Coppins says increasing daily costs were a factor in the decision to downscale the number of riders, but he also wants to raise the bar higher in other areas.

Josh Coppins

“This includes our team and rider package, plus the technical aspects of our Yamaha motorcycles. We also want to put more resources into mechanic staffing, as well as coaching and leadership.”

2022/23 Altherm JCR Yamaha Team

• MX1 – Maximus Purvis (Mangakino) #44
• MX2 – Brodie Connolly (Tauranga) #88
• MX125 – Cole Davies (Auckland) #17

FIM Speedway of Nations to run over four days in Esbjerg

The draw for the FIM Speedway of Nations in Danish seaside city Esbjerg from July 27-30 has been revealed as the sport’s world team championship enters an exciting new era.

For the first time in the competition’s history, all four rounds of the FIM SON will be staged over four nights at a single venue as Semi-Finals 1 and 2, SON2 and the FIM SON Final all take place at Esbjerg’s Granly Speedway Arena.

With hosts Denmark seeded through to the FIM SON Final on July 30 automatically, 14 countries will battle it out for the remaining six spots over two nights of epic Semi-Final action on Wednesday, July 27 and Thursday, July 28.

The top three countries in each Semi-Final also book their places in the Final, which will be contested as a one-day event for the first time in the competition’s history on Saturday, July 30.

In a change for 2022, each country will be represented by their top three senior stars. Team managers are no longer required to select an under-21 rider – instead the sport’s top young guns will race in SON2 on Friday, July 29 in the revamped FIM Team Speedway Under-21 World Championship.

Hosts Denmark come up against reigning, 14-time FIM Team Speedway Under-21 world champions Poland, as well as Great Britain, Australia, Sweden, Czech Republic and Latvia.

The five-rider squads and starting line-ups for each nation will be revealed in the weeks leading up to the Esbjerg event.

World Supercross announces 250 cc SX2 format

SX Global, the company spearheading the FIM World Supercross Championship (WSX), have revealed the official FIM World Championship for the 250cc class (SX2) and an open format that provides significantly more freedom and flexibility for teams and riders.

For the first time in the history of supercross, an official FIM-sanctioned world supercross championship will be up for grabs in the SX2 class for the upcoming FIM World Supercross Championship, scheduled for this October.

To date, supercross has only offered an official FIM World Supercross Championship for 450 cc riders, a title currently held by Cooper Webb after his Championship in 2021. SX2 250 cc riders were never previously competing for official “FIM World Champion” status. That all changes with the upcoming pilot season for WSX and will continue ongoing, with official FIM World Championship titles available for both classes.

Adam Bailey – Managing Director Motorsport for SX Global

“An official FIM World Championship for 250cc riders is something that’s been a long-time coming in our sport, and with the truly global nature of our series, it just made sense to finally make it a reality for WSX as we move into this new era of global supercross competition.”

In addition to the official SX2 FIM World Championship, the entire structure of the SX2 class has been redefined to move away from the more “developmental” nature that the class has traditionally been held to in prominent supercross and motocross series. For decades, the sport’s most prominent series have mandated a system of points thresholds and age limits that restrict participation in the 250cc class.

The mandates force riders to move up to the 450cc class once a certain amount of competitive points have been earned over time. But with available seats in the 450 cc class typically being severely limited, these rules have forced many talented riders out of the sport entirely. The removal of these parameters will translate into significantly increased freedom and flexibility for teams in selecting riders, while also increasing competitive and professional opportunities for riders looking to extend their careers and maintain relevance.

The global series will also feature the richest championship prize purses in the sport’s history, with a total of $250,000 up for grabs at each round.

The FIM World Supercross Championship will annually take place in the second half of the year, including up to four events in 2022, from October through November. 2022 will serve as a “pilot” season, allowing the Championship to establish itself and build momentum going into 2023. 2023, and subsequent years, will see the FIM World Supercross Championship expand annually between June and November, with up to twelve events in 2023.

2023 and 2024 ISDE host confirmed

FIM International Six Days of Enduro (ISDE) hosts for 2023 and 2024 have been confirmed as Argentina and Spain respectively.

Next year will see the ISDE return to Argentina, this being only the second time that this historic event has visited this South American country, the inaugural visit being back in 2014 when the enduro world descended on San Juan for a memorable edition of the 6DAYS. Details regarding dates / location will be released during this year’s ISDE in France.

A year later, in 2024, the FIM International Six Days of Enduro will return to Spain for the fifth occasion, with this enduro rich country having previously hosted the event in 1970 – El Escorial, 1985 – Alp, 2000 – Granada and 2016 – Navarra. The last time the 6DAYS was held in Spain in 2016 it also marked the first edition of the FIM Enduro Vintage Trophy, which took place during the last three days of the competition at that time, with both the modern and historic event attracting a high level of entries. As is traditional full details of this event will be released during the 2023 ISDE.

Sanders replaced by Andy Wilksch for ISDE 2022

GasGas Factory rider Daniel ”Chucky” Sanders has withdrawn from Team Australia for the 2022 International Six Day Enduro Enduro (ISDE) due to the unavailability of suitable machinery for his intended class and will be replaced by fellow Victorian Andy Wilksch.

2022 Australian Men’s World Trophy Team:

• Andy Wilksch (E3) replacing Daniel Sanders
• Wil Ruprecht (E2)
• Daniel Milner (E2)
• Joshua Green (E1)

2022 Australian Women’s World Trophy Team:

• Jessica Gardiner
• Tayla Jones
• Emelie Karlsson

2022 Australian Junior World Trophy Team:

• Kyron Bacon (E1)
• Blake Hollis (E1)
• Korey McMahon (E2)

The 2022 International Six Day Enduro ISDE will be held in Puy en Velay, France from the 29th of August through 4th September 2022.

Red Bull Erzbergrodeo

It’s all systems go this week as the FIM Hard Enduro World Championship heads to Austria’s iconic Red Bull Erzbergrodeo for round three.

Put on hold during the Covid pandemic, the idyllic Austrian town of Eisenerz will once again come alive to the excitement of Hard Enduro, as thousands of competitors and race fans ready themselves for the Red Bull Erzbergrodeo.

Thursday’s MITAS Rocket Ride kicks the action into life. An infamous hill climb, competitors go head-to-head through a series of qualifiers trying to tame one of the Iron Giant’s cliff-like quarry walls.

Things turn high-speed on Friday with the first day of the Blaklader Iron Road Prologue. A test of flat-out speed and bravery, competitors tackle the quarry roads in a 13-kilometre-long time trial race from the bottom of the mountain right to the top. Some take it seriously as they bid for one of the 500 places available for Sunday’s main event, while the remainder of the 1,200 strong entry just want to have fun.

Saturday is again another day of qualification on the Blaklader Iron Road Prologue as those on the fringes of qualification give it one last shot, while others aim to better their start grid position for Sunday.

Sunday’s Red Bull Erzbergrodeo is what everyone has been waiting for. At the strike of 2.30pm riders are set loose on the iconic Red Bull Erzbergrodeo course. Waved away in groups of 50, it’s riders against the mountain. Only an elite few will cross the finish line within the four-hour allowed race time, with the majority scrambling to get as far as they can.

Currently jointly leading the FIM Hard Enduro World Championship, Graham Jarvis has won the previous two editions of Red Bull Erzbergrodeo, in 2019 and 2018. Already on the podium twice during the 2022 season, the Jarvis Racing Team rider has high hopes of making it a hat trick.

JD Beach wins Laconia Short Track

JD Beach (No. 95 Estenson Racing Yamaha MT-07 DT) scored a milestone victory as the 2022 Progressive American Flat Track season resumed with Saturday’s Progressive Laconia Short Track presented by MOMS at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon, New Hampshire.

Faced with an extraordinarily technical surface, passing was at a premium on the day, making the start all that more important. Beach earned the top pick of starting positions with his performance in the lead-up to the Mission SuperTwins presented by S&S Cycle Main Event but appeared to throw that pivotal advantage away by slipping down to third in the race’s opening corner.

However, the versatile Beach somehow slashed past both Briar Bauman (No. 3 Indian Motorcycle/Progressive Insurance FTR750) and Jared Mees (No. 1 Indian Motorcycle/Progressive Insurance FTR750) in less than a quarter mile to reassert his dominance before it could ever be questioned. He was effectively perfect from that point forward, never providing another rider with any real hope of stealing away the victory.

While Yamaha had gone nearly a half-century between oval wins prior to the Mission Red Mile I triumph of Beach’s Estenson Yamaha teammate, Dallas Daniels (No. 32 Estenson Racing Yamaha MT-07 DT), it took just two weeks to add another.

The triumph also happened to be the first oval win of Beach’s Progressive AFT career to go along with his four prior TT victories. And as a result of today’s points haul, Beach now holds the early advantage in the recently announced Progressive Triple Crown.

He said, “I felt great. Thanks to the whole team – this track has been rough. It’s been a long day, but we squeaked out a win. It feels amazing to finally win on an oval. We’ve still got a lot of races to go, but I’m looking forward to it.”

Speaking of Daniels, the rookie might have been able to give Beach a run if not for a poor start that saw he and Mees shuffled back into an early scrap for sixth. Despite the general difficulties with overtaking at the venue, Daniels systematically made his way forward, ultimately charging all the way up to second at the checkered flag.

It was a rewarding 1-2 for Estenson Yamaha who backed up their Mile excellence with an even more convincing outing at a Short Track.

After being overtaken by Daniels, Jarod Vanderkooi (No. 20 Mission Roof Systems Indian FTR750) followed the rising star up the order. With less than two minutes remaining, he made his way past the aforementioned Bauman and ‘19 Laconia ST winner Bronson Bauman (No. 37 Latus Motors Racing Harley-Davidson XG750R) to claim the final spot on the box.

Bronson ultimately finished fourth with Briar fifth after the Baumans waged a brother-vs-brother duel for the runner-up spot for more than half the contest.

Reigning champion Mees never did find his typical front-running form, ultimately coming home in sixth position. Despite suffering his worst finish of the season, Mees continues to lead the title fight. However, Daniels is now just 15 points back (122-107) while Briar and Beach remain significant factors as well with 100 and 98 points, respectively.

Davis Fisher (No. 67 Bob Lanphere’s BMC Racing Indian FTR750), Jesse Janisch (No. 33 Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson XG750R), Brandon Robinson (No. 44 Mission Roof Systems Indian FTR750), and Dan Bromley (No. 62 Vinson Construction/Viper Air Yamaha MT-07) completed the top ten.

Also notable is Sammy Halbert (No. 69 Mission Roof Systems Indian FTR750), who made his return to racing following his terrifying crash and subsequent injury at last year’s Charlotte Half-Mile. Halbert ran as high as fourth early before eventually fading back to eleventh.

SuperTwins Results – Laconia Short Track

SuperTwins Standings

Production Twins

Billy “the Kid” Ross (No. 109 Roof Systems/JRi Shocks Harley-Davidson XG750R) earned his first career Progressive AFT victory in dramatic, come-from-behind fashion in Saturday’s thrilling Mission Production Twins presented by Vance & Hines Main Event.

For just over six minutes, the race seemed all but certain to go to championship leader Jesse Janisch (No. 33 Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson XG750R), a one-time TT ace added Half-Mile and Mile victories to his résumé in recent weeks.

However, the combination of a couple small mistakes on an unforgiving track and heavy traffic saw Janisch’s hard-earned gap eaten away, allowing the 17-year-old Ross to close back to within striking distance just as they approached the final two laps. Ross proceeded to pounce when Janisch made a minor miscue with just over a lap to go and then successfully defended the position to the checkered flag.

The victory wasn’t just the first of Ross’ young career, it was his first Mission Production Twins result better than tenth and the first top-five of his pro career full stop.

“I can’t even take it all in yet,” Ross said. “I feel like it’s been coming for a couple races now, but I’m just glad it happened here. I almost settled in behind Jesse, but then he made a little bobble and I was like, ‘Okay, I’ve got to take advantage.’ It was a fun race.”

A few seconds back, the “partially-retired” Dan Bromley (No. 62 Vinson Construction/Viper Air Yamaha MT-07) showed he’s still got his chops with a strong ride to third. As a result, Bromley stands two-for-two in podiums per attempt this year following his runner-up at the season opener in Volusia.

Cory Texter (No. 1 G&G Racing/Yamaha Racing Yamaha MT-07) once again salvaged a decent result out of a less-than-perfect round. The defending class champ executed successive passes on sixth-placed Cole Zabala (No. 51 Memphis Shades/Corbin/Vinson Yamaha MT-07) and fifth-placed Johnny Lewis (No. 10 Moto Anatomy X Powered by Royal Enfield 650) to minimize the day’s damage with a fourth-place finish.

Meanwhile, it was a second consecutive tough outing for former points leader Nick Armstrong (No. 60 Competitive Racing Frames/Lessley Brothers Yamaha MT-07), who ended up 13th. As a result, Janisch has expanded his points lead from one to six (112-106) over Texter, while Armstrong now sits a distant third at 87.

Production Twins Results – Laconia Short Track

Production Twins Standings

AFT Singles

Parts Unlimited AFT Singles presented by KICKER title leader Kody Kopp (No. 12 Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 450 SX-FFE) was in a class of his own all day long at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

The prodigious Kopp was fastest in every practice and qualifying session, won his Semi and the Al Lamb’s Dallas Honda Challenge going away, and then stamped his authority through multiple starts and stops in a three-time red-flagged Main Event.

The field was gifted a pair of late Hail Marys, first when the charging Gage Smith (No. 113 BigR Racing/L&R Racing Honda CRF450R) crashed with a minute-and-a-half remaining on the clock, and then again when Michael Inderbitzin (No. 54 1st Impressions Services of Florida Honda CRF450R) had an incident shortly after the restart.

While the red flags deleted Kopp’s six-second advantage, they may have actually done him a favor by clearing out the possibility of encountering trouble in traffic in his final sprint to the flag.

The victory was Kopp’s third of ‘22. That, combined with an eighth on the part of title rival Morgen Mischler (No. 13 American Honda/Progressive Insurance CRF450R), and the DNS of the injured Max Whale (No. 18 Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 450 SX-FFE), allowed Kopp to rip his championship advantage open to 18 points over Mischler, and 41 over teammate Whale.

Despite his strong championship position, the 17-year-old Kopp remains focused on the here and now. He said, “It’s too early to think about that. We’re just playing it race-by-race. I can’t believe the opportunity this team has given me. It’s been so great for myself and my family.”

Behind Kopp, Trent Lowe (No. 48 Mission Foods/Al Lamb’s Dallas Honda CRF450R) narrowly edged rookie Chase Saathoff (No. 106 American Honda/Progressive Insurance CRF450R) for second at the stripe by 0.019 seconds.

It was an impressive performance for both riders with Lowe securing his second podium in the most recent three races. Saathoff, meanwhile, earned his first-career Progressive AFT podium in third despite having to start from the back of the field after forcing the race’s first red flag.

Trevor Brunner (No. 21 Estenson Racing Yamaha YZ450F) took fourth ahead of Mission Red Mile II winner Dalton Gauthier (No. 79 American Honda/Progressive Insurance CRF450R), who rounded out the top five.

AFT Singles Results – Laconia Short Track

AFT Singles Standings

Bou & Busto leave Spanish TrialGP opener tied

Reigning world champion Toni Bou began his title defence with a hard-fought second place as the TrialGP World Championship got underway today in l’Hospitalet de l’Infant, Tarragona. On the first lap, the Repsol Honda Trial Team rider’s performance was hampered by the heat and the hardness of the sections. By the second lap, Bou had begun to improve on the sensations, rectifying some of the errors committed on lap one to eventually climb the order to second place behind Jaime Busto.

Bou appeared to feel far more at ease on the second day of the Spanish TrialGP, something reflected in his marks. On the first lap, Toni Bou managed to finish first with just 3 penalty points, avoiding some of the more serious mistakes committed yesterday in certain areas.

On the second lap, the Repsol Honda Trial Team rider received the maximum penalty mark in section 2, leaving the battle for the win to go down to the wire against Jaime Busto, who once again rode a high-level performance today. Despite this, Bou’s consistency and skill – together with some of his rival’s errors in the latter sections – tipped the balance in favour of the Repsol Honda Trial Team’s Catalan rider.

Next stop for the TrialGP World Championship will be next weekend, from the 18-19th of June, in another double-date event in Sant Julià de Lòria (Andorra).

TrialGP World Championship Standings after Round 1 (Spain)

Rick Elzinga tops EMX250 in Germany

In the first EMX250 race which took place on Saturday, it was Hutten Metaal Yamaha Racing’s Rick Elzinga who led the way ahead of TBS Conversions Racing Team’s Camden Mc Lellan, Sahkar Racing’s Jorgen-Mathias Talviku, Sacha Coenen of Jumbo Husqvarna BT Racing Team as well as Mike Gwerder of WZ Racing Team.

Immediately, Talviku took over first place and began to push in order to open up a comfortable gap from the rest of the field.

Mc Lellan caught onto the rear wheel of Elzinga and was looking to launch an attack to take second place from the Dutchman. Though the pass that Mc Lellan to execute saw Elzinga stay firm as the two banged bars which left Mc Lellan down on the ground.

Fantic Factory Team Maddii’s Cornelius Toendel was down in ninth and manage to climb a couple of positions by the end of the race to eventually finish in seventh place.

On lap four, Elzinga was back in the lead as he got around Talviku, though the Estonian was not making it easy for Elzinga as he looked to fight back. Eventually, Talviku was also caught by S. Coenen who moved up to second.

As the race progress, Talviku dropped down to seventh and then eighth by the chequered flag as Elzinga was slowly pulling away from S. Coenen. Though Coenen crashed on lap nine and while it looked like Elzinga was going to have an easy win in the bag, his teammate Andrea Bonacorsi had other ideas.

In the latter stages of the heat, Bonacorsi set the fastest lap of the race after making his way up to third behind Team VRT KTM Veritise’s David Braceras and then passing, before pushing onto the rear wheel of Elzinga and passing him on the very last lap with only a few corners from the finish line.

Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Maxime Grau also made a late charge as he climbed his way up the order to third after a nice battle with Quentin Marc Prugnieres of 9MM Energy BUD Racing Kawasaki.

In the end, Bonacorsi was the winner ahead of Elzinga, Grau, Prugnieres and Braceras.

In the second race, it was S. Coenen who took the holeshot and led Elzinga, Grau, Haakon Osterhagen of Fantic Factory Team Maddii and Mc Lellan, while Bonacorsi crashed and was way down the order on the opening lap.

Toendel was running well in seventh in the early moments of the race before crashing down to 14th. He did manage to fight back to seventh though by the end of the race.

Back with the leaders, Grau dove down the inside of Elzinga for second. A few laps later he had to ride defensive as Elzinga was looking to take back his position and did so by the end of lap four.

Braceras then got passed by Mc Lellan for fourth place, as Bonacorsi made a few more passes further down the order which put him on the podium, provisionally at the time as this change a couple more times before the end of the race.

All while S. Coenen was looking solid in the lead and was on his way to his first race victory in EMX250. All was looking good until he crashed big and ultimately placed in 36th. This of course gifted Elzinga the lead as Grau pushed him in second place.

In the end, Elzinga won the race ahead of Grau, Mc Lellan, Braceras and Lucas Coenen of Jumbo Husqvarna BT Racing Team.

A 2-1 result gave Elzinga his fourth overall of the season, as Grau celebrated his first ever podium with a 2-3 scorecard ahead of Bonacorsi who secured his spot on the box ahead of Mc Lellan who missed out by just one point.

After six rounds Elzinga continues to lead the championship, 20-points ahead of Toendel and then Bonacorsi who is third.

Rick Elzinga

“For me, this overall was the best of the season. It was the hardest one for sure, my body was just giving up, mentally I was there, I just tried to hang on. I was a bit lucky, did my laps and that was the most important thing of the weekend. It paid off, second and first in the races, another overall, good points, so I’m happy.”

EMX250 – Overall Top 10 Classification

1. Rick Elzinga (NED, YAM), 47 points; 2. Maxime Grau (FRA, HUS), 42 p.; 3. Andrea Bonacorsi (ITA, YAM), 36 p.; 4. Camden Mc Lellan (RSA, KTM), 35 p.; 5. David Braceras (ESP, KTM), 34 p.; 6. Quentin Marc Prugnieres (FRA, KAW), 31 p.; 7. Lucas Coenen (BEL, HUS), 28 p.; 8. Cornelius Toendel (NOR, FAN), 28 p.; 9. Eddie Wade (ESP, KAW), 23 p.; 10. Haakon Osterhagen (NOR, FAN), 21 p.;

EMX250 – Championship Top 10 Classification

1. Rick Elzinga (NED, YAM), 241 points; 2. Cornelius Toendel (NOR, FAN), 221 p.; 3. Andrea Bonacorsi (ITA, YAM), 166 p.; 4. Camden Mc Lellan (RSA, KTM), 159 p.; 5. Lucas Coenen (BEL, HUS), 158 p.; 6. Haakon Osterhagen (NOR, FAN), 151 p.; 7. David Braceras (ESP, KTM), 147 p.; 8. Quentin Marc Prugnieres (FRA, KAW), 145 p.; 9. Jorgen-Matthias Talviku (EST, KTM), 113 p.; 10. Mike Gwerder (SUI, KTM), 102 p.;

Alexis Fueri takes the EMX125 win in Germany

In the opening heat of the EMX125 Presented by FMF Racing it was Ferruccio Zanchi of Yamaha Europe EMX125 MJC who got off to a flying start as he led with Fantic Factory Team Maddii’s Cas Valk behind him along with Julius Mikula, Yamaha Europe EMX125 MJC’s Ivano Van Erp and Fantic Factory Team Maddii’s Alexis Fueri.

In the opening lap, Valk dropped back to fourth and then fifth as his teammate Fueri passed him. Meanwhile further down the order, Karlis Alberts Reisulis of Yamaha Europe EMX125 MJC was making up for his poor start as he began to push inside the top five.

He quickly passed both Valk and Fueri and was in fourth, as Van Erp also got by Mikula to get himself into second position.

By the second lap, K. Reisulis was all over the rear wheel of Van Erp and by the fourth lap was ahead of the Dutchman. Then just one lap after that he also managed to fly by Zanchi and take over the lead.

Fueri then passed Mikula and then Zanchi by the 10th lap, as K. Reisulis was already more than eight seconds ahead of the rest of the riders.

Mikula needed to be careful as he had a hard-charging Valk urging him on, as he looked to make up for the slow start and maximise points.

In the closing stages, Fueri was also pushing hard as he managed to take a lot of time out of the leader and whittle the gap down to less than a second as he urged him on for the win.

In the end, K. Reisulis was able to hold on and win the race, Fueri crossed the line 0.862 seconds behind in second ahead of Zanchi, Valk and Janis Martins Reisulis.

In race two, Fueri was the leading rider out of the gate with Valk, Simone Mancini of KTM Racestore MX2, Maximilian Werner of Diga Procross KTM Racing, Zanchi and K. Reisulis just behind.

K.Reisulis then crashed on the opening lap and got going again just inside the top 20, while Fueri looked like he was settling into the lead. Van Erp crashed early on too.

Edgar Canet of RFME GasGas MX Junior Team passed Mancini to take fifth as Zanchi set the fastest lap of the race while he remained third behind Valk and Fueri. The top three were close and the battle was intense.

Further down the order, Van Erp and K. Reisulis banged bars as Van Erp moved past his teammate to get into 12th. That’s when K. Reisulis also looked like he was having issues with his bike and eventually could only salvage 10th, while Van Erp continued his assault further up the field.

In the final laps, Valk began to push his teammate as the two worked through traffic, though Fueri was able to stay mistake free and keep Valk behind him until the chequered flag. Fueri won the race, Valk was second ahead of Zanchi, Van Erp and Canet.

The top three of the second race were also the top three of the podium, as Fueri won with 47 points, while Valk and Zanchi tied on 40 points each.

Valk continues to lead the EMX125 Presented by FMF Racing Championship with a 27-point advantage over Fueri, while K. Reisulis remains third ahead of his brother J. Reisulis who is fourth in the standings.

Alexis Fueri

“I try to do my best every race and every weekend. Finally, I am back on the top, it was good for me, I am happy but I need to work for Lommel.”

EMX125 Presented by FMF Racing – Overall Top 10 Classification

1. Alexis Fueri (FRA, FAN), 47 points; 2. Cas Valk (NED, FAN), 40 p.; 3. Ferruccio Zanchi (ITA, YAM), 40 p.; 4. Karlis Alberts Reisulis (LAT, YAM), 36 p.; 5. Janis Martins Reisulis (LAT, KTM), 31 p.; 6. Antonio Gallego (ESP, GAS), 27 p.; 7. Edgar Canet (ESP, GAS), 25 p.; 8. Marc-Antoine Rossi (FRA, KTM), 25 p.; 9. Simone Mancini (ITA, KTM), 23 p.; 10. Vitezslav Marek (CZE, KTM), 20 p.;

EMX125 Presented by FMF Racing – Championship Top 10 Classification

1. Cas Valk (NED, FAN), 252 points; 2. Alexis Fueri (FRA, FAN), 225 p.; 3. Karlis Alberts Reisulis (LAT, YAM), 216 p.; 4. Janis Martins Reisulis (LAT, KTM), 179 p.; 5. Ivano Van Erp (NED, YAM), 176 p.; 6. Marc-Antoine Rossi (FRA, KTM), 146 p.; 7. Julius Mikula (CZE, KTM), 122 p.; 8. Ferruccio Zanchi (ITA, YAM), 116 p.; 9. Elias Escandell (ESP, GAS), 97 p.; 10. Mathis Valin (FRA, GAS), 89 p.;

Record entries for Junior e-Motocross Round 3 in Germany

Gaining in popularity with every passing round, the third stop of the European Junior e-Motocross Series attracted a record line-up or 35 riders from 13 countries. The strong entry delivered close racing throughout both races around the Teutschenthal circuit in Germany with the overall victory secured by young French racer Timoteï Cez. Joining Cez on the rostrum were a pair of British racers, Austin Edwards in second with Cameron Berry in third.

Racing to victory at round one of the European Junior e-Motocross Series just two weeks ago in Spain, Timoteï Cez endured a tough second round at home in France to place seventh overall. Eager to put his title aspirations back on track in Germany the youngster was flawless all weekend. Posting the fastest time in qualifying, he then stormed to victory in both races to secure his second overall win of the series.

In the opening race, Cez lead from start to finish aboard his KTM SX-E 5 while an intense battle for the remaining spots on the podium unfolded behind him. Round two overall runner-up Austin Edwards was on the move throughout the seven minute plus one lap race, advancing from fourth on lap one to make the pass for the runner-up position on the final lap. Spaniard Logan Liberal Rodas chased Edwards across finish line for third with current series leader, Berry, who crashed twice, in sixth.

Race two saw Cez once again show his competition the fast way around the hardpack circuit, claiming another impressive victory and securing maximum points. Capitalising on their strong starts, Berry, Austria’s Elias Eder, and Edwards quickly found themselves in a race-long fight for a place on the podium. It was Berry who would come out on top of the tussle to finish as runner-up, with Eder third and Edwards fourth. At the finish line, the trio were separated by just three seconds in what was a truly intense end to the second race in Germany.

At the conclusion of an exciting third round, Berry retains the European Junior e-Motocross Series lead by just a single point over Cez, while the super-consistent Edwards advances to third. Now, with only two rounds to go and 100 points still up for grabs, the series will conclude with a double header event at the MXGP of Czech Republic on July 16-17.

Timoteï Cez

“My weekend went really well here in Germany. I must thank my parents and all of my sponsors. It was just a perfect weekend for me. I had good starts in both races, which helped a lot, and I love this kind of track with it being hardpack and all the beautiful ruts. It’s great to win again and I’m excited for the final two rounds next month.”

Cameron Berry

“The first race wasn’t so good as I crashed twice but I was able to finish sixth and score some good points. Race two was much better for me by finishing second and I wasn’t too far from the leader, so I was much happier with that one. I’m in a good position with the series lead going into the final two rounds so I’m happy and excited for the trip to Loket.”

MXE – Series Top 10 Classification

1. Cameron Berry (GBR, KTM), 120 points; 2. Timoteï Cez (FRA, KTM), 119 p.; 3. Austin Edwards (GBR, KTM), 108 p.; 4. Elias Eder (AUT, KTM), 98 p.; 5. Logan Liberal Rodas (ESP, KTM), 94 p.; 6. Adan Quesada (ESP, KTM), 77 p.; 7. Riccardo Galia (ITA, GAS), 67 p.; 8. Alejandto Mellado Palomino (ESP, KTM), 60 p.; 9. Ares Gil (ESP, HUS), 59 p.; 10. Noé Methais (FRA, KTM), 52 p.;