Moto Wrap | Whale podiums at Castle Rock TT | WSX | Enduro | MX | SGP

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Waters joins ISDE Team Australia

Motorcycling Australia (MA) have revealed a a change to the MX Store Team Australia squad for the 2022 International Six Day Enduro (ISDE) to be held in France. Previously nominated team member Wil Ruprecht has been forced to withdraw from the 2022 squad.

Joining Team Australia is motocross veteran but newly minted Enduro hero Todd Waters who is enjoying a stand-out full-year racing in the Australia Off-Road Championship (AORC), where he currently sits second in the highly competitive E2 class.

The 2022 International Six Days Enduro will begin on Monday, 29 August and ends on Saturday, 3 September and will be held in Puy en Velay, France.

2022 Australian Men’s World Trophy Team:

• Andy Wilksch (E3)
• Todd Waters (E2)
• Daniel Milner (E1)
• Joshua Green (E1)

2022 Australian Women’s World Trophy Team:

• Jessica Gardiner
• Ebony Nielsen
• Emelie Karlsson

2022 Australian Junior World Trophy Team:

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

 

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Wilson Todd wins MX2 Championship, then takes pole and stars in MX1!

Entering the seventh round of the 2022 Australian Pro MX Championship with a commanding lead in the MX2 class, HRC Australia’s Wilson Todd did more than enough to clinch the title in the first moto on Sunday in what was a historic moment for all involved.

Proving just how capable he is aboard the ‘red’ machinery, Todd also competed in the MX1 class and claimed pole position in his maiden outing on the CRF450R. His races did not quite go to plan, as he felt the effects of racing and qualifying for both classes.

Wilson finished fifth overall in his first MX1 outing and is looking forward to Coolum this weekend.

Wilson Todd

“I am so happy to win the MX2 title. The Honda was flawless all year and it was nice to win the championship with a round to spare. We made the late decision to race moto one in the MX2 class. The original plan was that I was only going to race in the MX1 class. It was my decision and I paid the price; I was definitely feeling beaten up by the end of the day. I will race in the MX1 class only this weekend and will make sure that I rest this week to be better prepared for the challenge on my CRF450R.”

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2022 Atacama Bajas cancelled

The FIM, the Chilean Motorcycling Federation and the local organiser regret to announce that the Atacama Baja 1 & 2 scheduled on 27 August to 30 August and 31 to 01 September have been cancelled.

This is despite the best efforts of all concerned but is due to the current travel and economic situation, which has led to the relevant difficulties encountered in attracting an adequate number of participants.

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Honda NILS Racing joins WSX line-up

Italian team, Honda NILS has been announced as the 10th and final team competing in the 2022 FIM World Supercross Championship. The team will announce its four riders in the coming weeks as it prepares for the Global WSX Championship kicking off on Saturday, October 8th in Cardiff, Wales at Principality Stadium.

Livia Lancelot – Honda NILS Racing Team Manager

“We are excited to get to work and believe we will make a strong showing during the pilot FIM World Supercross Championship season. Our ‘offseason’ is only a few weeks, so we are quickly working to get riders and crew members under contract, and bikes ready to race, all while tackling the logistics a global series requires. It’s a great challenge, and we are ready to face it.”

Adam Bailey

“Having a trailblazer like Livia Lancelot who has contributed so much to the sport both on and off the race track, serving as Team Manager adds another layer of excitement and intrigue around this team and our series. We are incredibly excited to have Honda NILS join us on our journey. Our pilot season boasts strong teams from the US, France and Australia, fielding incredible riders from across the globe.”

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Mateusz Cierniak storms to SGP2 victory in Great Britain

Polish racer Mateusz Cierniak stormed to victory in the FIM SGP2 of Great Britain at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium as he took pole position in the race for FIM Speedway Under-21 World Championship gold.

The Lublin star rounded off Cardiff’s 20th-anniversary Speedway GP weekend by topping the scorechart on 12 race points after five heats, winning his opening four races, before looping his bike at the start line in his final heat.

Despite that, Cierniak’s four race wins were enough to see him win the round on countback after the FIM Jury elected to halt racing after 20 heats due to concerns over track conditions.

Cierniak still claims the maximum 20 championship points, meaning he has now won back-to-back rounds after also taking victory in the FIM SGP2 of Czech Republic on May 27.

He topped the Cardiff podium on countback ahead of Danish racer Kevin Juhl Pedersen, who also scored 12 race points. His fellow countryman Benjamin Basso was third after registering 11 race points – tying with Jan Kvech, but beating the Czech star to the last podium spot on countback.

Cierniak heads into the title-deciding FIM SGP2 of Poland in Torun on September 30 with a massive 12-point lead at the top of the standings on 40 overall. This means a semi-final appearance in his home round would be enough to secure the FIM Speedway Under-21 World Championship – the first of the SGP2 era under new global promoter Discovery Sports Events.

Mateusz Cierniak

“Maybe I will make it a hat-trick. We will see. There is a long way to go before Torun. Now I have a Polish Championship round tomorrow in Krosno, so I must prepare for it and also the play-offs in the Polish league. Today was very hard. The track was very hard, so everyone had to have full focus on everything we were doing on the track. I was happy with the end result. The result is good for me and I would like to say thank you to everyone.”

Runner-up Juhl Pedersen crashed out of the opening SGP2 round in Prague, suffering a head injury. So he was pleased to show his skills on Cardiff’s grand stage and earn a huge 18 points to move up to fourth place on 22.

Basso enjoyed a rough end to his night when Kvech brought him down in heat 20 – their last race of the night. The Czech was holding second place, which would have been enough to give him victory on the night ahead of Cierniak with 13 race points. His exclusion, followed by Basso’s win in the re-run, saw the Dane pip him to third spot.

Next up on the FIM Speedway calendar is a blockbuster double-header, featuring the FIM Speedway GP of Poland – Wroclaw on August 27, with SGP3, the FIM Speedway Youth World Championship taking place 24 hours earlier on August 26 at the legendary Olympic Stadium.

SGP2 CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS

1. Mateusz Cierniak 40
2. Jan Kvech 28
3. Benjamin Basso 25
4. Kevin Juhl Pedersen 22
5. Petr Chlupac 20
6. Wiktor Lampart 19
7. Francis Gusts 18
8. Jakub Miskowiak 18
9. Jonas Knudsen 14
10. Timi Salonen 12
11. Gustav Grahn 12
12. Tom Brennan 12
13. Leon Flint 10
14. Norick Blodorn 9
15. Casper Henriksson 8
16. Mateusz Swidnicki 8
17. Jason Edwards 6
18. Drew Kemp 5
19. Celina Liebmann 3
20. Daniel Klima 2
21. Bruno Belan 1.

FIM SGP2 OF GREAT BRITAIN SCORES

1. Mateusz Cierniak 20
2. Kevin Juhl Pedersen 18
3. Benjamin Basso 16
4. Jan Kvech 14
5. Tom Brennan 12
6. Wiktor Lampart 11
7. Leon Flint 10
8. Norick Blodorn 9
9. Jakub Miskowiak 8
10. Gustav Grahn 7
11. Jason Edwards 6
12. Drew Kemp 5
13. Petr Chlupac 4
14. Jonas Knudsen 3
15. Casper Henriksson 2
16. Mateusz Swidnicki 1
17. Daniel Klima 0

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2022 FIM Speedway GP of Great Britain

Dan Bewley blew the roof off the iconic Principality Stadium when he stormed to his first-ever SGP win ahead of Speedway GP World Championship leader Bartosz Zmarzlik and his fellow Polish star Patryk Dudek, with Leon Madsen taking fourth place at the FIM Speedway GP of Great Britain overnight.

The Cumbrian ace, competing in his first Speedway GP season, made a lightning start in the biggest race of his life to top the podium in Cardiff’s 20th-anniversary SGP event.

He did it in front of a galaxy of Speedway GP stars as previous Cardiff winners including former world champions Tony Rickardsson, Greg Hancock, Jason Crump and Chris Holder watched on from trackside, along with Britain’s 2007 FIM British Speedway GP winner Chris Harris.

Dan Bewley

“It was pretty crazy. It was only the last lap of the final where I really noticed the crowd. I could hear them for the last couple of laps and it was pretty cool. You have to remain focused and not let the bike get ahead of you on these tracks. I was just thinking ‘we’re here, we’re here – don’t throw it away.’ It all worked out well. I stayed cool and this gives me a taste of what it’s like to win. It only makes me want to have more wins now.”

FIM Speedway GP of Great Britain – Cardiff Scores

1. Dan Bewley 20
2. Bartosz Zmarzlik 18
3. Patryk Dudek 16
4. Leon Madsen 14
5. Jack Holder 12
6. Fredrik Lindgren 11
7. Mikkel Michelsen 10
8. Jason Doyle 9
9. Max Fricke 8
10. Maciej Janowski 7
11. Andzejs Lebedevs 6
12. Robert Lambert 5
13. Tai Woffinden 4
14. Pawel Przedpelski 3
15. Anders Thomsen 2
16. Tom Brennan 1
17. Leon Flint 0
18. Adam Ellis 0

FIM Speedway GP World Championship Points Standings

1. Bartosz Zmarzlik 96
2. Leon Madsen 74
3. Patryk Dudek 65
4. Dan Bewley 64
5. Fredrik Lindgren 62
6. Maciej Janowski 60
7. Tai Woffinden 54
8. Martin Vaculik 53
9. Jason Doyle 53
10. Mikkel Michelsen 52
11. Robert Lambert 52
12. Anders Thomsen 51
13. Jack Holder 44
14. Max Fricke 41
15. Pawel Przedpelski 22
16. Matej Zagar 11
17. Kai Huckenbeck 7
18. Andzejs Lebedevs 6
19. Maksym Drabik 4
20. Szymon Wozniak 3
21. Jan Kvech 1
22. Tom Brennan 1

Next up is the Betard FIM Speedway GP of Poland – Wroclaw on Saturday, August 27, with the first-ever SGP3 event – the revamped FIM Speedway Youth World Championship for the sport’s 250cc under-16 riders on Friday, August 26.

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JD Beach wins Castle Rock TT 2022

Images by Tim Lester

JD Beach (No. 95 Estenson Racing Yamaha MT-07 DT) furthered his claim as one of the greatest TT riders in Progressive American Flat Track history, scoring a blowout win before a packed house in Saturday night’s Parts Unlimited Castle Rock TT.

The start was always destined to be critical at a track where overtaking opportunities were at a premium, but no one could have predicted just how impactful it would prove to be. Dallas Daniels (No. 32 Estenson Racing Yamaha MT-07 DT), who started alongside Beach on the front row after the Yamaha teammates won their respective Semis, threw his hand in the air when his machine lost power just seconds into the Main Event.

With nowhere to go, TT legend Henry Wiles (No. 17 Willy Built/Lyndy Roofing Co. Kawasaki Ninja 650) smashed into the back of Daniels’ machine, kicking off a chain reaction that also collected Robert Pearson (No. 27 Rackley Racing/John Franklin Indian FTR750), Dan Stanley (No. 222 Rackley Racing/Wells Tuned Indian FTR750), and Ben Lowe (No. 25 Rackley Racing/Mission Foods Indian FTR750).

While Daniels would go on to make an impressive charge to a fourth-place finish from his back-row restart grid position, the incident effectively removed him from contention for the win after he previously looked to be Beach’s biggest concern.

With Daniels busy slashing his way up through the pack, Beach rocketed away off the start and piled it on, stacking up more than a second on the field less than two short laps into the race.

Reigning Mission SuperTwins champ Jared Mees (No. 1 Indian Motorcycle/Progressive Insurance FTR750) beat teammate/rival Briar Bauman (No. 3 Indian Motorcycle/Progressive Insurance FTR750) in the sprint to Turn 1. Whether a result of a calculated decision or a forced hand, Mees spent the Main focused behind him rather than in front. The strategy paid off, though, as he managed to keep Bauman corralled behind him for full race distance to stretch his scant championship advantage out just a little bit further (209-203).

Beach, who now boasts six wins in the series’ most recent seven TTs, stands just three points behind Daniels for third (188-185). More importantly, both Estenson Racing aces are now within single-race striking distance of the championship lead with three consecutive Miles looming on the horizon.

JD Beach

“I was just pushing, pushing, pushing the whole time. I didn’t look back. I didn’t know how close they were. For me, it was just about hitting my marks every single lap. Thanks to all the fans. It was a great night for me and my team, but we’ve still got a lot of races to go, and we’re starting to close the points gap just a little bit. We’ll keep working.”

Jarod Vanderkooi (No. 20 Mission Roof Systems Indian FTR750) edged three-time Castle Rock TT winner Sammy Halbert (No. 69 Mission Roof Systems Indian FTR750) for fifth, while another local star, Davis Fisher (No. 67 Bob Lanphere’s BMC Racing Indian FTR750), finished another further position back in seventh.

Bronson Bauman (No. 37 Latus Motors Racing Harley-Davidson XG750R), Jesse Janisch (No. 33 Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson XG750R), and Ben Lowe (No. 25 Rackley Racing/Mission Foods Indian FTR750) completed the top ten.

Super Twins Results – Castle Rock TT 2022

Super Twins Standings

Mission Production Twins presented by Vance & Hines

Jesse Janisch (No. 33 Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson XG750R) extended his Mission Production Twins presented by Vance & Hines championship advantage over Cory Texter (No. 1 G&G Racing/Yamaha Racing Yamaha MT-07) thanks to a clutch, come-from-behind victory.

A back-and-forth battle between the two played out over the course of the entire event. Throughout practice and qualifying, TT superstar Janisch looked to have the measure of the entire field once again. But a huge crash out of the lead in his Semi (and further difficulties getting his machine restarted after the fall) forced Janisch to open the Main from the back row.

That put Texter on pole after he won his Semi. However, he had his own issues to deal with, as the defending champion was competing despite feeling under the weather at the physically demanding course.

The next reversal of fortune occurred off the line, when Texter dropped from first to fourth while Janisch leapt up from ninth to fifth. Janisch quickly pounced on his title rival when Texter made a small bobble and then set off after the battle for the lead.

Holeshot winner Kayl Kolkman (No. 98 B&L Plumbing/Rod Lake Racing Yamaha MT-07) threatened to steal the win in what’s slated to be his only Progressive AFT race of the season, but a mistake approaching the jump allowed Johnny Lewis (No. 10 Moto Anatomy X Powered by Royal Enfield 650) to drive by into the lead. Janisch forced his way past Kolkman moments later as well, not wanting to provide Lewis any opportunity to make an escape at the front.

The Vance & Hines pilot then threw a number of unconventional lines at the Royal Enfield runner in hopes of finding a way through, a cat-and-mouse game that allowed Texter and Kolkman to close back in on the leaders as the clock ticked down to :00.

But with just two laps left to determine the winner, the red flags flew as a result of a crash on the part of Michael Hill (No. 47 Pacific Auto Trim/Jim Speer Yamaha MT-07).

Despite starting behind Lewis in a staggered restart formation, Janisch powered into first and then successfully defended the position to grab his fifth win of the season.

Lewis finished second, followed by Texter, who briefly dropped to fifth at the restart before fighting back to the podium in one of his best salvage jobs in a season packed with them.

Talented privateer Kolkman took fourth while the versatile Andy DeBrino (No. 162 See Motor Coffee Co. KTM 790 Duke) rounded out the top five.

Janisch now leads Texter by 14 points (239-225) as the ever-evolving title fight approaches its final stages.

Production Twins Results – Castle Rock TT 2022

Production Twins Standings

Parts Unlimited AFT Singles presented by KICKER

Dalton Gauthier (No. 79 American Honda/Progressive Insurance CRF450R) survived an intense, thrice red-flagged Main Event to score his second win of the Parts Unlimited AFT Singles presented by KICKER season.

Title leader Kody Kopp (No. 12 Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 450 SX-FFE) struggled off the line at the start and again in the subsequent restart, and then lost another position after coming together with third-placed Brandon Kitchen (No. 80 Vance & Hines/Husqvarna Motorcycles FC450).

Despite the rocky start(s), Kopp finally settled in and set about executing a charge to the front. First, he dove up the inside of teammate Max Whale (No. 18 Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 450 SX-FFE). He then took full advantage of a tactical error on the part of Trevor Brunner (No. 21 Estenson Racing Yamaha YZ450F), who opened the door for Kopp while looking for a line around the outside of race leader Gauthier.

But then – just as Kopp started to apply a heavy dose of pressure on Gauthier – a second red flag was shown following a Andrew Luker (No. 11 Rackley Racing/Keeran Racing Yamaha YZ450F) crash.

Kopp was frustratingly beaten off the line by Brunner for a third time and had a big job in front of him with time running out if he hoped to win in front of his home state fans. That harsh reality may have contributed to the race’s next dramatic turn; Kopp crashed from third with Spanish champion Ferran Cardús (No. 377 Roof Systems of Dallas/Bullet Strong Racing Honda CRF450R) catapulting over top of the fallen factory KTM, bringing out a third red flag.

That forced the championship leader to the back of the field while setting up a critical final start-line duel between Gauthier and Brunner. The Honda ace took the race’s final holeshot, setting him up perfectly to defend the position over his Yamaha-mounted adversary to the flag.

Whale fended off a late challenge from rookie Chase Saathoff (No. 106 American Honda/Progressive Insurance CRF450R) to complete the podium, while Chad Cose (No. 49 1st Impressions Race Team/Voodoo Ranger Honda CRF450R) edged Kitchen for fifth.

Max Whale

“It was an awesome track, a lot of fun, but it was really hard to pass on and hard to race on because it was super tight and one-lined. I ended the night with P3, which was awesome from where we started. I felt off the in the first session, not like myself, but I got better every session out there. Sitting second row going into the Main Event, I just rode smart and made a few passes and then a few incidents happened that helped me get up a spot or two and I ended up P3. I can’t thank my whole team enough!”

Kopp suffered his worst result of the year, finishing down in tenth. It was far from a total disaster, however, as he extended his point lead slightly in the process, finishing two positions ahead of second-ranked Morgen Mischler (No. 13 American Honda/Progressive Insurance CRF450R). He now leads by a healthy 46 points (243-197) with just five rounds remaining. Gauthier is third at 185.

AFT Singles Results – Castle Rock TT 2022

AFT Singles Standings

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2022 ProMX Round 8 Race Schedule

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EMX in Finland Report

Finland made a memorable comeback to the World and European Championship racing calendar this weekend, with title celebrations from Fantic Factory Team Maddii’s Cas Valk who after the first race was crowned the EMX125 Presented by FMF Racing Champion.

Yamaha Europe EMX125 MJC’s Ivano Van Erp was the overall winner of the class, after a perfect 1-1 scorecard, which was also repeated by Lucas Coenen of Jumbo Husqvarna BT Racing in the EMX250 class, while in EMX Open the overall winner was Estonian Gert Krestinov.

EMX125

In the opening EMX125 Presented by FMF Racing class, it was Yamaha Europe EMX125 MJC’s Ivano Van Erp who got himself quickly into the lead ahead of Maximilian Werner of Diga Procross KTM Racing Team. While Fantic Factory Team Maddii’s Cas Valk started in seventh.

Karlis Alberts Reisulis of Yamaha Europe EMX125 MJC started down in around eighth, while his brother Janis Martins Reisulis was 12th. K. Reisulis had a very strong lap and quickly found himself in third before getting around Werner to move into second by the second lap.

Alm dropped to seventh as Valk climbed his way into fourth and was looking to take third from Werner. He managed to do that just a couple of laps later.

Meanwhile, Van Erp was already more than seven seconds ahead of K. Reisulis who also had a steady seven second gap to Valk in third. J. Reisulis was also making good progress as he took away fourth from Werner on the sixth lap.

Werner crashed and finished the race 27th.

In the end, Van Erp took the victory ahead of K. Reisulis and Valk, with Valk celebrating his title victory as he crossed the line! At the beginning of the race, Alexis Fueri of Fantic Factory Team Maddii was his closest rival in terms of the championship but only finished 9th.

In race two it was Werner with the holeshot ahead of Van Erp, Hindersson and Maximilian Ernecker of F4E GasGas Racing Team. Lotte Van Drunen started in fifth ahead of Valk who was seventh.

K. Reisulis started in 13th while his brother J. Reisulis was 15th on the opening lap.

By lap two, Van Erp was in the lead, as K. Reisulis worked his way into fourth after a couple of very strong laps! Valk was in second at the time, as Werner dropped a position.

Further down the order, Julius Mikula got by Ernecker for fifth, while moments later the Austrian dropped to seventh after being passed by J. Reisulis, who was looking to pick up vital championship points!

Fueri then crashed out of ninth, which handed more points to the Reisulis’ brothers who were closing in on him in the championship standings.

Van Erp though was no match for anyone this weekend as he secured his first double race win victory ahead of Valk, K. Reisulis, Mikula and Werner.

A 1-1 result put Van Erp on the top step ahead of Valk and K. Reisulis. Though it was Valk who was awarded the gold plate and medal and was officially declared the 2021 EMX125 Presented by FMF Racing Champion! K. Reisulis finished second in the standings with 314 points, just 13 points ahead of his younger brother J. Reisulis.

Cas Valk

“I pushed hard all season, tried to avoid any big mistakes. I took good points in every race. For sure I was pushing hard in that final race to get the win but came up a little short. But overall, I am super happy and big thanks to my team for all of this, I wouldn’t have been able to do it! I will enjoy this moment.”

Ivano Van Erp

“Yes for sure I am happy because it’s my last race in European EMX125, it’s really nice to win this, It’s also my last race with Kenny this year, it’s really nice.. I want to thank all the Yamaha crew for this season… It’s really emotional thank you!”

EMX125 Presented by FMF Racing – Overall Top 10 Classification

1. Ivano Van Erp (NED, YAM), 50 points; 2. Cas Valk (NED, FAN), 42 p.; 3. Karlis Alberts Reisulis (LAT, YAM), 42 p.; 4. Janis Martins Reisulis (LAT, KTM), 32 p.; 5. Julius Mikula (CZE, KTM), 28 p.; 6. Kasimir Hindersson (FIN, KTM), 28 p.; 7. Edgar Canet (ESP, GAS), 26 p.; 8. Laban Alm (SWE, HUS), 24 p.; 9. Alexis Fueri (FRA, FAN), 21 p.; 10. Roberts Lusis (LAT, KTM), 18 p.;

EMX125 Presented by FMF Racing – Championship Top 10 Classification

1. Cas Valk (NED, FAN), 363 points; 2. Karlis Alberts Reisulis (LAT, YAM), 314 p.; 3. Janis Martins Reisulis (LAT, KTM), 301 p.; 4. Alexis Fueri (FRA, FAN), 294 p.; 5. Ivano Van Erp (NED, YAM), 291 p.; 6. Julius Mikula (CZE, KTM), 212 p.; 7. Ferruccio Zanchi (ITA, YAM), 164 p.; 8. Marc-Antoine Rossi (FRA, KTM), 155 p.; 9. Adrien Petit (FRA, YAM), 124 p.; 10. Francisco Garcia (ESP, GAS), 123 p.;

EMX250

In the first EMX250 race, Fantic Factory Team Maddii’s Haakon Osterhagen continued to assert himself as a holeshot king in the category after getting off to another strong start, leading the likes of Lucas Coenen of Jumbo Husqvarna BT Racing and Mike Gwerder of WZ Racing Team. Gwerder then tagged L. Coenen on the opening lap which saw him crash out of third.

9MM Energy BUD Racing Kawasaki’s Quentin-Marc Prugnieres was one of the riders who got unlucky at the start and crashed. The Frenchman got going eventually and finished the race in 26th.

By the end of the opening lap, series leader Rick Elzinga of Hutten Metaal Yamaha Racing was already third, while L. Coenen took the lead from Osterhagen. The Belgian then clocked the fastest lap of the race to extend his lead.

On lap two, L. Coenen lost the lead as he dropped back to fourth, which meant that Osterhagen was back in first place. Elzinga was promoted to second as TBS Conversion’s Camden McLellan was right there in third, looking to get around the Yamaha rider.

L. Coenen was pushing hard and was keen on making up for his earlier mistake as he got onto the rear wheels of McLellan and Elzinga. He managed to pass Elzinga during lap six, while it took him a few more laps to get around McLellan, but he did eventually on lap 11 as he went straight into the lead. Osterhagen dropped to third.

L. Coenen won the race ahead of McLellan, Osterhagen, Elzinga and Fantic Factory Team Maddii’s Cornelius Toendel.

In race two, the holeshot went to L. Coenen who was keen on getting out in front early on ahead of Hutten Metaal Yamaha Racing’s Andrea Bonacorsi, Team VRT KTM Veritise’s David Braceras, Gwerder, Osterhagen and Toendel, while Elzinga started in 10th.

Elzinga found himself quickly in sixth, while Tondel began to push Braceras for third and eventually managed to take away the position from the Spaniard.

Osterhagen climbed into fourth but was coming under pressure from Prugnieres who was keen on taking away the position from the Norwegian. By lap seven he was able to do just that.

As the race went on, Osterhagen then got caught by McLellan who was trying everything to get around the Fantic rider for fourth. After several attempts he managed to make the pass stick four laps from the end.

L. Coenen was fully in control from start to finish and ended up winning the race an impressive 21.885 seconds ahead of Bonacorsi and Toendel.

There was no doubt about who the winner was as Coenen stood on the top step proudly after winning both races ahead of McLellan who secured his second podium finish on the bounce and Bonacorsi who was third.

With one round to go, Elzinga will take the championship fight to France in one week, with Toendel 40 points behind and Coenen in third a further 20 points behind and still has a chance to go for the silver medal!

Lucas Coenen

“It was a perfect weekend. First place in both races. The track was rough in the second race, but I kept my rhythm, made a big gap and controlled my race. Whereas first race was more difficult because I made a small crash, but I came back to win. Two wins, we will see what happens in St Jean.”

EMX250 – Overall Top 10 Classification

1. Lucas Coenen (BEL, HUS), 50 points; 2. Camden Mc Lellan (RSA, KTM), 40 p.; 3. Andrea Bonacorsi (ITA, YAM), 37 p.; 4. Cornelius Toendel (NOR, FAN), 36 p.; 5. Haakon Osterhagen (NOR, FAN), 36 p.; 6. Rick Elzinga (NED, YAM), 32 p.; 7. Meico Vettik (EST, KTM), 22 p.; 8. Scotty Verhaeghe (FRA, KTM), 21 p.; 9. Maximilian Spies (GER, KTM), 20 p.; 10. David Braceras (ESP, KTM), 17 p.;

EMX250 – Championship Top 10 Classification

1. Rick Elzinga (NED, YAM), 343 points; 2. Cornelius Toendel (NOR, FAN), 303 p.; 3. Lucas Coenen (BEL, HUS), 283 p.; 4. Camden Mc Lellan (RSA, KTM), 264 p.; 5. Andrea Bonacorsi (ITA, YAM), 244 p.; 6. Haakon Osterhagen (NOR, FAN), 241 p.; 7. Quentin Marc Prugnieres (FRA, KAW), 220 p.; 8. David Braceras (ESP, KTM), 184 p.; 9. Maximilian Spies (GER, KTM), 166 p.; 10. Meico Vettik (EST, KTM), 130 p.;

EMX Open

In the first EMX Open of the weekend, the holeshot went to the championship leader Jose Butron of JD Gunnex KTM Racing who got comfortable in first position from the get-go. Second was Michael Ivanov ahead of Pekka Nissinen, Domantas Jazdauskas and Tomas Kohut of Osicka MX Team.

Michael Sandner of Raths Motorsports started in around sixth place and was looking to close the gap down to Kohut but a small mistake saw him drop back to ninth. Gert Krestinov was 10th at that point and was keen to move up the order.

Jazdauskas was second by the second lap but ended up crashing and did not carry on with the rest of the heat.

Butron opened up a steady 10-second gap fairly quickly as Krestinov made progress after getting around Sander and then Juuso Matikainen for fifth. The Estonian then got around John Adamson a few laps later and then Kohut to eventually make his way up to second position by the eighth lap.

By that point, Butron was too far in front for Krestinov to be able to do anything about it and in the end, the Spaniard won the race and extended his championship lead while Krestinov was second ahead of Matikainen, Kohut and Andero Lusbo who worked his way into fifth on the final lap after Erki Kahro dropped two positions.

In race two, it was home hero Matikainen with the holeshot ahead of Krestinov, Butron and Sandner. Kohut started in around sixth place.

Matikainen was looking solid in the lead ahead of Krestinov, with Butron keeping an eye on both in third. Krestinov was able to close the gap after setting the fastest lap of the race. The Estonian was eventually able to get the job done in lap three to take control of the race.

At the same time, Butron was passed by Kohut as Sandner crashed out of sixth. The Spaniard had another mistake a couple of laps later that saw him crash but he managed to get going quickly and stay ahead of John Adamson who was applying the pressure.

In the final few laps, Kohut put in the work to get by Matikainen to second place from the Finnish rider and also solidify his spot on the podium! Krestinov won the race ahead of Kohut, Matikainen, Butron and Adamson.

A 2-1 result gave Krestinov his first overall win in the EMX Open class ahead of Butron who was forced to settle for second ahead of Kohut who joined the pair in third.

The next round of the EMX Open class will take place in Turkey where the title will be decided. Butron heads into the final round of the series with a 26-point lead over Kohut.

Gert Krestinov

“The weekend was really good. It’s a short trip for us to come over. I like the sand tracks which makes it easier. First race, I had a bad start and came through to second. Second race, I got a good start, made a pass and took the lead and made a gap. Thanks to everyone that helped me to get here.”

EMXOpen – Overall Top 10 Classification

1. Gert Krestinov (EST, HON), 47 points; 2. Jose Butron (ESP, KTM), 43 p.; 3. Tomas Kohut (SVK, KTM), 40 p.; 4. Juuso Matikainen (FIN, HUS), 40 p.; 5. Andero Lusbo (EST, HUS), 31 p.; 6. John Adamson (GBR, GAS), 28 p.; 7. Emil Silander (FIN, GAS), 27 p.; 8. Michael Sandner (AUT, KTM), 27 p.; 9. Pekka Nissinen (FIN, GAS), 22 p.; 10. Twan Van Essen (NED, HON), 20 p.;

EMXOpen – Championship Top 10 Classification

1. Jose Butron (ESP, KTM), 193 points; 2. Tomas Kohut (SVK, KTM), 167 p.; 3. Michael Sandner (AUT, KTM), 156 p.; 4. Michael Ivanov (BUL, HUS), 115 p.; 5. Simone Croci (ITA, HUS), 110 p.; 6. Giuseppe Tropepe (ITA, HUS), 104 p.; 7. Simon Jost (SVK, KTM), 103 p.; 8. Gert Krestinov (EST, HON), 76 p.; 9. Stefano Pezzuto (ITA, KTM), 64 p.; 10. Raf Meuwissen (NED, KTM), 60 p.;

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2022 FIM Motocross World Championship Round 16 – MXGP of Finland

See the full report here:
Tim Gajser clinches MXGP title two-rounds early in Finland

It was a momentous Grand Prix for Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing in Finland, who for the first time in its history celebrated a 1-2-3 in the premier class as Glenn Coldenhoff, Jeremy Seewer and Maxime Renaux dominated the podium.

Finland also saw title celebrations as Team HRC’s Tim Gajser was crowned the 2022 MXGP FIM Motocross World Champion, joining many greats as a now five-time World Champion after securing his fourth championship in the premier MXGP class.

In MX2 KTM’s Tom Vialle won the round, closing in on Yamaha’s Jago Geerts, who currently leads the standings.

Of the Aussies, F&H Kawasaki Racing Team’s Jed Beaton had a difficult race to nineteenth from his outside gate-pick in race one but displayed his fighting spirit in race two as he pushed relentlessly forward from an initial eighteenth to secure fourteenth at the finish for sixteenth overall on the day. He is now eighteenth in the series standings.

Unfortunately, Mitch Evans wasn’t able to put his practice and qualification speed into either of the two motos, as first lap crashes in each race ruined his chances of challenging for a podium.

The Australian had proved in every other session that he was a contender on this gruelling Hyvinkaa surface, but luck wasn’t on his side and instead has to prepare himself for the final two rounds of the season where he’ll be once again aiming to be up there at the front of the field.

Mitch Evans – P18

“Today was definitely not my day. I felt good coming into the motos but things just didn’t work out for me. A crash on the first lap in race one ruined any chance of a good result there, as I was almost last by the time I remounted. I charged through to 14th but it definitely wasn’t what I was after. Then a similar story in race two. Obviously, I’m really disappointed with how it went but I’m still fit, and motivated to get things right in the final two rounds of the season.”

2022 MXGP of Finland Video Highlights

Tim Gajser – 2022 MXGP Champion

“It’s unbelievable! I am speechless. To win one world title is already a lot, but to win five with the HRC crew… We are an amazing team! Of course, we were struggling a little bit towards the end, I was a bit nervous but I’m glad it’s over! I want to say a huge thanks to all my crew, everybody around me, my girlfriend, Filippo, everyone at home watching, thank you very much guys, I am super happy!”

Glenn Coldenhoff – P1

“It was a good weekend. I have waited way too long for this. I have always believed in myself, and I know I am capable of being here and doing this. I am just really happy. This is my first win with the Yamaha as well, and it’s really nice to pay them back with this victory. They have put in big effort to help me get here, and in the last few weeks it has really paid off. Now, I am celebrating with my teammates! Does it get any better?”

Jeremy Seewer – P2

“I am in good form at the moment, everything is clicking, even today on this track, which was not my favourite. I’ve had three GP wins now, but because this was not my type of track, I achieved my goal of two solid moto’s with no big mistakes to finish on the podium with my teammates. Two GP’s to go, the season is not finish. I know I am in good form and there is still some good racing ahead at some really nice tracks, so I look forward to it.”

Maxime Renaux – P3

“It was a really nice day for Yamaha. We made history today, with it being the first time we had three Yamaha riders on the podium in the MXGP class. Today, the result with two third-place finishes is really good, but I still want to go for more. I believe I can still fight for the championship podium. Glenn just took over third, so there will be some interesting races coming up and we will all fight hard for it.”

Brian Bogers – P4

“I am very happy with that first moto. It was just amazing and my FC 450 worked incredibly well. I felt so good on the track! I wanted to replicate that ride in the second moto, but I made a couple of errors. I pushed too hard at the beginning of the race and then made some mistakes. I wanted to be on the podium, of course, but I am happy with our progress.”

Romain Febvre – P7

“Of course I’m not satisfied with my races today, even if I got twice a good start both times. In the first race I made a small mistake when I was leading and Bogers passed me; then I tried to pass him back but I made another mistake and crashed. I was still second when I got back on the bike but as Gajser was coming close I pushed too hard and made another mistake. This crash was stupid; if I had taken my time instead of pushing maybe I could even have take the victory as I had a good speed. I finished fifth but I had used up a lot of energy with two crashes. My second start was again a good one and I tried to pass Coldenhoff for the lead but he closed the door after a jump and I had nowhere to go so I crashed. I was then around twelfth and came back to eighth but it was not easy riding in the pack. I have the speed and I got good starts; we’ll try to finally get the podium we deserve in France next weekend.”

Jorge Prado – P11

“Saturday was good. I have been struggling with a sickness lately, so I am trying to salvage whatever I can. I am having so much fun on my MC 450F and my speed in time practice shows how strong that I can be. I am hoping to get better before the next round, because I want to give my team the results that they deserve.”

Pauls Jonass – P12

“I was quite lucky, after crashing hard in the qualifying race yesterday. I was left with a bad gate pick today, because of that, and had to fight from the back each time. I was trying to get in a rhythm today and I was happy to finish with a solid ride in the second moto. There are some good tracks ahead, so we will not stop pushing.”

Mattia Guadagnini – P15

“I just could not get good starts today, because of where I ended up in the qualifying race yesterday. It has not been the best day. I am happy with what I salvaged though and know that there is a lot more to come. We are better than this! We will get back to work this week and focus on being closer to the front next weekend.”

MXGP Overall Result

MXGP Championship Standings

MX2

Tom Vialle – P1

“The weekend didn’t start as planned but my position was not too bad for the gate. In the first moto I tried to follow Jago but made a few small mistakes. I felt great on the track though and even better in the second moto and when Jago crashed I went for it. I ran off course at one point but then Roan crashed and I was back in front. Kay pushed me hard to the end and I knew the points for the championship would be important. I wanted to win, and it was great to do it in the sand, especially after a tricky weekend in Lommel. This was a big win for me. I will give everything I can again in France next week.”

Kay de Wolf – P2

“I ran out of time in that second moto. It was a difficult race; I really gave it my all and I just missed out in the end. I am happy with my riding and my feeling on my FC 250 though. I am looking forward to France next weekend. I just cannot thank the team enough – they are working so hard for us and I really appreciate it.”

Jago Geerts – P3

“Race two was quite difficult. I made a mistake and crashed on lap one and got stuck under my bike, but I was riding well once I got going again. I came back through the pack strong and felt good on the bike until I came together with another rider. At that moment, I knew it was over. I am still happy with the way I am riding at the moment and my performance. Now, I’m looking forward to France next week, it’s one of my favourite tracks, so I’m looking forward to getting back behind the gate.”

Roan van de Moosdijk – P4

“I had a good gate pick today. My start was not too bad in the first moto and I made some good passes early on. I struggled in the middle of the moto, because I need to get used to the intensity. Where do I even begin with the second moto? I took the lead and just did my own thing. I led for more than half the moto, but hit an edge in a corner and crashed. I am angry with myself. This is a big improvement though.”

Kevin Horgmo – P6

“It’s never easy starting from the outside heading into a 180 degree first turn; I got a great jump each time, but I just started too wide. I had two difficult races but I passed many riders. The first moto got better and better as the race wore on; I made a nice pass on Everts and got close to Bénistant at the last corner but couldn’t quite make the pass. The second race was the same at the end when I got stuck behind Längenfelder, but I stayed healthy and two sixths from that gate position were good points for the championship.”

Thibault Benistant – P7

“This weekend was really tough. I had quite a bit of pain, but I still gave my best. I didn’t have good starts, so I just had to do my best with what strength I had to return to fifth and eighth. This was a hard weekend, but I will keep fighting.”

Simon Langenfelder – P8

“I was just riding in sixth in the first moto and looking to make progress, but I had a hard crash. I jumped up and salvaged a ninth. I did not have the best jump out of the gate in the second moto, but I was riding a lot better. I was feeling good on my MC 250F and did not make many mistakes. I think that we got the best out of a difficult day.”

Mikkel Haarup – P9

“It was a tough day but I gave everything I have. In the first moto I had a solid ride and battled into fourth but on the last lap there was a lapped rider in the way for half-a-lap and, when I went to go outside him, he went wider and took me out. I don’t think he saw me; that’s racing. I came back to seventh from a crash at the start of the second moto with good speed all around the track but Geerts took me out quite hard; at that point I had used all my energy and had to settle for eleventh. It was a tough day, but I’ll be ready to go again in France next weekend.”

MX2 Overall Result

MX2 Championship Standings

 

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