Matteo Grattarola Takes Victory At TrialGP Of Italy But It’s Sweet 16 For Toni Bou

Sunday, September 18th, 2022

 

Matteo Grattarola took a little shine off Toni Bou’s 16th World Title by taking the round win. Photo: Future7Media

He didn’t win today’s battle but Toni Bou most definitely won the war with second on the first day of the final round of the 2022 Hertz FIM Trial World Championship – the TrialGP of Italy – easily good enough to secure the superstar Spaniard a 16th-straight title and 32nd World Title.

With snow shimmering on the Alps’ picturesque peaks, the temperature at Ponte di Legno was the lowest the riders have experienced all season, and overnight rain added to the severity of the natural sections set in a riverbed and on super-steep, rock-strewn wooded bankings before the final man-made hazard.

Competing on home turf, Matteo Grattarola led at the halfway stage on 19 with Adam Raga another two marks behind on observation plus an additional time penalty in second with Miquel Gelabert third on 26.

Sections seven and eight – near vertical climbs over massive rocks – provided back-to-back challenges and claimed maximums from the entire TrialGP entry on the opening lap.

Tied for fourth with fellow countryman Jaime Busto on 28 after an expensive first lap, Bou showed his class on lap two by dropping his score to 13 and demonstrating his brilliance with a one-mark ride on section eight where the rest of the field failed to make it to the end.

Grattarola, however, matched him almost mark for mark and his final total of 33 earned him a career-first TrialGP win by eight marks from Bou with Raga dropping a place to third on 45 – four ahead of Gabriel Marcelli – with Jorge Casales claiming fifth by a mark from Gelabert.

Toni Bou had a very rare second place. Photo: Future7Media

“It’s really, really important for me to get this win,” said Grattarola. “It’s next to my house so it’s perfect – I couldn’t hope for more. Today I had a really good feeling on the bike but I wasn’t expecting to get the win so I’m very happy and tomorrow I hope to do the same.”

For Toni Bou, 16 was a sweet one.

Since 2007, Bou has won every world championship in which he has participated: 32 individual titles. To these, we should also add his appearances with the Spanish national team in the Trial des Nations competition (world championship for national teams), where he currently holds another 16 titles.

“It’s always special to win a world title. When you have a good points lead, the race in which the title is at stake is always a bit strange, because you don’t want to make mistakes and it’s hard to concentrate,” Bou said. “On the first lap I made two big mistakes and that’s where the victory slipped away from me. On the second lap I was able to get into the fight for the win at a certain point, but in the end it wasn’t to be. The trial was really beautiful, in the Alps and with a dedicated Italian crowd.

“In terms of the season, consistency has been key,” Bou added, “It has been a very good year, very regular and we have always been on the podium. We fought until the end and, finally, we were able to clinch this new outdoor title. I am very grateful to the team.”

The action continues tomorrow from 09:00 with the second day of the Trial GP of Italy, the final round of the TrialGP 2022 World Championship.

Bartosz Zmarzlik Seals FIM Speedway Grand Prix World Championship Number 3 In Sweden

Posted:

Monday, September 19th, 2022

8:40 PM

Polish history-maker Bartosz Zmarzlik admits it was a family and team effort that delivered FIM Speedway Grand Prix World Championship No.3 as he secured the sport’s biggest prize with a round to spare on Saturday.

Zmarzlik zoomed to top spot in the Kaeser FIM Speedway GP of Sweden – Malilla, but he claimed the World Championship before even turning a wheel in semi-final two after nearest rival Leon Madsen suffered an engine failure in the first semi-final.

Despite the euphoria of that moment, Zmarzlik still regained his composure to win the Speedway GP ahead of Swedish home hero Fredrik Lindgren in second place, Poland’s Maciej Janowski in third, and Great Britain racer Tai Woffinden in fourth spot.

The Gorzow hero celebrated with his crew, before joining his family, team, and sponsors on the Skrotfrag Arena podium to toast his third Speedway GP world title in four seasons.

His 2022 triumph is also his sixth SGP World Championship medal in seven years since he made his full-time debut on the sport’s biggest stage in 2016, as Zmarzlik becomes Poland’s first-ever triple speedway world champion.

While Zmarzlik gets the headlines, he admits he couldn’t have written another chapter in the Speedway GP history books without his team and family, with partner Sandra, young son Antek, father Pawel senior and his brother and manager Pawel junior sharing in the podium celebrations.

He said: “They are very important for me – my family and my sponsors. From the start of my career, my whole family has been with me and in my head, I feel we are fighting together and I am not alone. That’s really good for me because I am very close with my family in life and in my job. The whole family works really hard with me.”

Zmarzlik’s victory sees him become the first Speedway GP world champion to seal the title with a round to spare since Great Britain’s Tai Woffinden won his second world title in 2015. He will now collect the trophy at the FIM Speedway GP of Poland – Torun on October 1.

Reflecting on another milestone as he continues to establish himself as one of Speedway GP’s all-time greats, Zmarzlik admitted becoming a triple champion is still sinking in.

He said: “I don’t really understand it now. I know what I have done, but I haven’t got the full feeling now. Maybe I will understand it more tomorrow morning. I am very happy because I know now that I have won the championship and I have also won the round in Malilla.

“For me, it’s such a nice night and now I can go to Torun with No.3 and it makes it so much easier for the head.”

Zmarzlik is elated with his consistency on the sport’s biggest stage after adding a third gold medal to two silvers and a bronze since he joined Speedway GP.

He said: “I am really very happy about this. I have been in Speedway GP for seven years and I have made it six medals. That’s really nice, and three times it has been gold.

“I am really proud about this because I know how much work goes into it. Sometimes you do not win everything by doing a good job on the track. The whole season I want to do a good job on and off the track and I love it.”

Next up is Zmarzlik’s quest to become a four-time world champion in 2023. “I have many dreams and I want to do this,” he said. “But that is in the future. Now I am just happy about today.”

Runner-up Lindgren has endured a torrid battle with the ongoing effects of long Covid over the past two seasons. This has left him racing on with breathing difficulties at times.

His health issues haven’t stopped him delivering world-class performances in Speedway GP and he was delighted to storm to his best result of 2022 in front of his home fans at the Skrotfrag Arena.

He is now sixth in the standings on 92 points – level with seventh-placed Maciej Janowski but leading him on countback in the race for the final automatic qualification place for the 2023 Speedway GP series. Lindgren said: “I’m over the moon. I have struggled a lot over the last couple of weeks in the GP series. I haven’t performed very well and my league form has been a bit down as well.

“I have been struggling with a lot of health issues off the track and it was very emotional for me tonight because I have been so down for some period of time now.

“To be able to come here in front of my home fans and sponsors and perform like I did today, getting back to myself and the way I know I can ride is a nice feeling. My pit crew has done some serious work behind the scenes over the last couple of weeks to try and figure out some stuff with the equipment. It paid off.”

Third-placed Janowski was pleased to bounce back from a nightmare Speedway GP in Vojens just a week ago. After scoring two points in Denmark, he leaves Malilla – his Swedish home track – in much better spirits with 16 points.

The Dackarna hero said: “Finally we got a good result, especially after Vojens. I am very proud. We changed a few things. I knew I needed to breathe more. We have spent the whole week here and have been thinking about many things – how to prepare the bikes.

“We can compare tonight’s Malilla track to how it is when I am representing Dackarna and we didn’t need to find the setup. From the beginning, my bike was working very well. We made a few changes during the meeting, but the night was good for us.”

The Speedway GP season concludes in Torun on October 1 – on the same weekend as the SGP2 FIM Speedway Under-21 world champion will be crowned in the FIM SGP2 of Poland – Torun on Friday, September 30.

KAESER FIM SWEDISH SPEEDWAY GP SCORES:
1 Bartosz Zmarzlik 20 Points
2 Fredrik Lindgren 18 Points
3 Maciej Janowski 16 Points
4 Tai Woffinden 14 Points
5 Martin Vaculik 12 Points

HUNTER LAWRENCE RIDES A CR500 2 STROKE

Caught Hunter Lawrence riding Aaron Colton's custom-built #CR500 two stroke at the Alpinestars ride day. So cool to see him shred a classic bike with modern style. Also grabbed a clip of Jett Lawrence tossing it on the Honda 450.

MXoN: Shimoda Ready To Shine For Japan At RedBud

After performing below his lofty expectations in Supercross, Jo Shimoda emphatically turned his fortunes around when he headed outdoors.

Going on to claim an impressive second in the 250 AMA Pro Motocross championship behind the masterful Jett Lawrence, Shimoda cut a revitalised and confident figure throughout the series.

Silky smooth, composed and riding with conviction, the Japanese starlet admirably didn’t register an overall finish worse than fifth on his way to securing nine overall podiums from the 12 rounds, including two wins at RedBud and Unadilla.

Coming out on top in five individual motos further underlined what a terrific campaign he enjoyed aboard his Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki. “We gave it everything each race and hopefully next year we’ll be going for that championship from the start,” he asserted upon reflecting on his strong efforts.

Gaining the belief that he could run with and battle with the rapid Lawrence brothers, who he’s good friends with, his uptick in speed was another key takeaway. With him previously taking his time to settle into the pace of races, it was great to see him hitting his straps from the outset, thus ensuring he was ideally situated to duke it out with the frontrunners.

One of only three men to claim an overall alongside the dominant Jett Lawrence and RJ Hampshire, Shimoda’s consistently excellent displays meant he was clearly the second best man outdoors.

Improving dramatically since linking up with Nick Wey earlier in the year, this has unquestionably been a crucial catalyst towards his accomplished output outdoors. Clicking into gear, in the form of his life and going from strength to strength with every race, expect him to continue on this upward curve as he matures and spends more time under Wey’s expert tutelage.

Indeed, seeing as no Japanese rider has ever won an AMA title, if he can continue on his current path, it’s possible he could be creating history sooner rather than later. But before recalibrating his focus to Supercross and blazing more trails in America, firstly he’ll be keen to excel at the Motocross of Nations for Team Japan at RedBud, a venue he won at back in July in Pro Motocross.

Fresh from winning a Japanese national just last week on a 450, this should serve as another boost for the talented 20-year-old heading into the showpiece event. “I moved to the U.S when I was in elementary school to compete at the highest level of amateur motocross. Since turning professional in America, I haven’t had a chance to go back home and battle with my old friends, so when the opportunity was brought up, I immediately said yes,” he explained.

“Similarly, it’s an honour to be selected for Team Japan and represent the Japanese people at the Motocross of Nations. I earned my first overall win at RedBud earlier this year, so I hope to continue that success and make everyone back home proud.”

Hoping to close his year on a high on the biggest stage in the sport and carrying plenty of positive momentum into the MXoN, there’s every chance he’ll put in a statement ride to duly enhance his rapidly growing reputation. And, in the process, prove why he’s one of the truly elite 250 pilots on the planet.

Edward Stratmann September 18, 2022

Matrix Fall Sale...Some Pretty Good Deals!

 

Go to www.matrixracingproducts.com

David Vuillemin has parted ways with Ferrandis

 

David Vuillemin has confirmed that he has parted ways with Dylan Ferrandis after the pair worked together for five years and they had good times together – especially in 2021 winning the AMA 450 National Motocross title.

It’s an unknown future for Vuillemin at the moment as he hasn’t decided to continue coaching but he has got offers if he decides he’s not ready for retirement.

“I’m getting a lot of messages about this and I can’t physically reply to everyone individually so it’s easier to post something. After 5 years of working with Dylan, the adventure comes to an end. Obviously wishing him the best for the future. As far as I’m concerned, this is a good time to reflect, continue coaching or retire. I have suggestions for new challenges, but first, I have to weigh the pros and cons…”, Vuillemin stated on social media. 

Is This The Year USA Re-takes the MotoCross Des Nations?

The big hope for Team USA fans this year at RedBud MX is the 1-2 punch of Eli Tomac and Chase Sexton, who pushed each other to a higher level all year, will push themselves ahead of the pack to secure the Chamberlain Trophy for the Americans. This is a well-worn pathway to victory for the U.S. squad, which would often trot out riders who battled for titles all year in a united front, especially in that magical 13-year win streak. Names like Johnson, Ward, Bailey, and Stanton would go from foes to friends and pull Team USA to victory.

It's wild to think that a Ricky Carmichael and James Stewart Team USA never materialized, as RC was injured in 2006 and Stewart was injured in 2007, their only chance to really line up for the team together. The last win for Team USA came in 2011, and looking back now, it’s the 1-2 punch of Ryan Villopoto and Ryan Dungey, at each other’s throats all season battling for titles, that made that team hard to beat.

The Ryans came to define a generation, and while you can ignite endless bench racing arguments over what history duo is the best ever, the sheer longevity of these two at the top can’t be questioned. Quality? We’ll never know what duo is best. Quantity? Well, no others can match what The Ryans did, which is combine for eight-straight Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championships and AMA 450 Motocross Championships in five out of six years. They pushed each other to a higher level by trying to beat each other, and the one time they got to form the 450 effort for Team USA, they delivered.

That year was 2011 in France. Even with The Ryans, this battle would not be won easily. Dungey and Villopoto only got thirds in each of their first two motos. Team USA’s 250 rider Blake Baggett took 17-17 moto scores on his Monster Energy/Pro Circuit Kawasaki KX250F (which isn’t good but isn’t as bad as you’d think, he was actually fourth overall in the MX2 class with those finishes).

Team USA had the back against the wall in moto three, but somehow, miraculously, Villopoto and Dungey emerged with great starts together in moto three, which shouldn’t be possible since each team gets only one decent gate pick per moto. It still wasn’t over, though, as the home team of France was determined to win and Christophe Pourcel, an old rival of both Dungey and Villopoto in his 250 days, was out for victory. Pourcel actually passed Dungey and was about to mount an attack on Villopoto, until his rear tire somehow came off the rim and ruined his moto. That kind of good luck and clutch final-moto riding seemed to bail out the Americans year after year. The 2011 triumph marked seven-straight wins for the Americans.

MX Des Nations

MXoN - The American Future

The 2022 Monster Energy Motocross of Nations return to RedBud in America and while it has been four years that we last visited, the memories of that event stay close to the heart of two of the men who were involved in the promotion of that race. Giuseppe Luongo and Davey Coombs are two of the most powerful men in motocross and their memories of 2018 and the future of the event in America hold strong. Both spoke to mxlarge soon after last years event and the opinion was this relationship would only grow in the future.

Luongo, who has been the main man at many of the sport’s biggest moments the 2018 Monster Energy Motocross of Nations created a relationship with America that he hopes lasts for many years to come.

“For me the big emotion did not come by who wins,” Luongo said. “For us what is important is to organize the greatest event.  This is the MXoN - unpredictable and full drama.  And this is why this event is unique and why we all love the MXoN. I enjoy every race, because all are full of emotion. As always, the 2018 MXoN was full of emotion on the track, also the fans created an amazing atmosphere, and, as always, the racing was unpredictable right up until the last laps of the last heat.”

As for Team USA winning in 2022, Luongo looks forward to the day the greatest winner of this event returns to the top of the MXoN podium. Already in 2022 we might get to see a Team USA victory and I don’t think anyone, including Luongo will be disappointed with that.

“America has a huge potential, it’s the biggest Motorcycle market in the world, there are thousands and thousands of amateurs, and the possibility is definitely there.  I think it’s just a question of making the right choices and a bit of fine-tuning, and for sure the American riders have a great chance to be back on top at the MXoN, people should not count them as goners as with a few minor adjustments they’ll be back.”

Davey Coombs also knows the importance of the relationship between America and the rest of the World and an event like the Monster Energy Motocross of Nations will always bring a sort of relationship that only a race like the MXoN can bring. As for the 2018 event, Coombs was happy for the event, but will no doubt look for a better performance by Team USA in 2022.

“The RedBud event was a huge success,” Coombs said. “Despite the weather and it is great to see it return to our shores. We've had a fantastic summer over here, with big crowds and great racing, as we've been able to "get back to normal" after Covid. I know there has been a lot of discussion about a return to RedBud, and that is certainly be a great choice, but there are a couple of other great tracks and facilities that would make for a great Motocross of Nations in the near future.”

No doubt, both Luongo and Coombs will be excited to see the outcome of the 2022 MXoN and will talk again about reintroducing the race in the near future. USA and Europe and the rest of the World looks forward to the AMA and FIM riders battling as often as possible, and for now, in two weeks’ time, we get to see that happen one more time.

Fly'n Brian Myerscough Interview

MXA INTERVIEW: THE STRUGGLES OF FLY’N BRIAN MYERSCOUGH

On Sep 15, 2022 Last updated Sep 15, 2022

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BY JIM KIMBALL

WHAT CONVINCED YOU TO BECOME A MOTOCROSS RACER? My family lived in Calimesa. It was a small rural town right against the foothills. We had 10 acres, and I could ride my Honda MiniTrail right to the hills. Originally, I started doing trials events, and one day they had a trials at Saddleback, and that is when I first saw Jeff Ward, who was riding a MiniTrail 50. I was in awe of Jeff. He was so naturally talented. I did trials for two years, and then one day at Dead Man’s Point I saw a motocross race and decided, “I gotta try that.”

AND, JUST LIKE THAT, YOU WERE RACING MOTOCROSS? Yes. I was maybe 11 years old. I got a Steen’s 100. It had a Hodaka engine, leading-link forks and 16-inch wheels. I raced it in the 100 Junior class. A lot of the other guys had bigger bikes, like Hodaka Super Rats. My bike was a minicycle size. I got pushed around in the first few races, and then I got a Rickman Micro-Metisse 100. It was a full-size motorcycle with a Hodaka 100 engine in it. I began winning races.

 

YOU KEPT PROGRESSING? For sure. I did well right at the beginning with winning races and progressed from there. There are pictures of me riding the 100 Rickman. I was a small guy who rode big bikes before I got into riding the minicycles full-time.

WHEN DID YOU GET ON A MINICYCLE? We had an SL-70 that we used to race locally. My dad made it happen for me. Initially, my parents said, “You will never race.” My dad wasn’t into motorcycles, but he saw how I enjoyed it and said, “I gotta help that kid.” Bill Bell at Long Beach Honda built my SL-70. He was Mike Bell’s dad. They used to have a 75 Modified class, and I rode a stock 75. The first big minicycle race I went to was the 1973 NMA World Mini Grand Prix at Indian Dunes. I rode two classes. For a 12-and-over Expert rider, there were three main classes: 0-75 stock, 0-75 Modified and then 0-110 Modified. Flying Mike Brown was the fastest guy at Indian Dunes. He was the guy to beat. The Honda XR-75 had just come out, so I rode that in the Stock class, and then the SL-70, which was modified, in the other classes. I ended up winning both those classes.

“A LOT OF THE OTHER GUYS HAD BIGGER BIKES, LIKE HODAKA SUPER RATS. MY BIKE WAS A MINICYCLE SIZE. I GOT PUSHED AROUND IN THE FIRST FEW RACES, AND THEN I GOT A RICKMAN MICRO-METISSE.”

WAS THIS BEFORE TWO-STROKE MINICYCLES? Eventually, the Yamaha YZ80 came out, which was great. I rode that after the Honda. After that World Mini Grand Prix, they had what was called the Nationals at Saddleback. By that time, I was on XR-75s for each of those three classes. I won that event in 1973, and Jeff Ward was second in all of them. Then I got hooked up with J&B Honda and started riding for them. After the YZs came into existence we started racing those. At that time, my brother still rode. My dad bought a Yamaha shop in Redlands, and I was doing well. His main business was as a housing developer who built tract homes. With the Yamaha dealership, we also developed Myerscough Machines with Ted Moorewood. The aftermarket product was coming into existence more, along with mail order.

 

YOU EVENTUALLY WON MANY MINICYCLE RACES, DIDN’T YOU? I did, on both Honda and Yamaha. They had the Grand National Championship in 1985. It was 12 races during the summertime that crossed the United States. Not everybody was going to be able to follow all the races, but Jeff Ward, Mike Brown, Jimmy Holley and myself were there. That year, I won every class in the Grand National Championship series. It was a big deal back then. During that time Jeff Ward, the other kids and I would go to Saddleback and Carlsbad to watch all the pro guys.

Go to www.motocrossactionmag.com for the rest of this very good interview

Jett Headed to 450!

Two-time 250 outdoors champion looking ahead to premier class.

With his proper 450 race debut expected to align with the start of the outdoors season in 2023, the anticipated timing of Jett Lawrence’s advancement to the premier class has been all but formally announced.

The younger Lawrence brother captured the 250SX East regional title in Monster Energy Supercross before dominating the 250MX season outdoors.

Following his Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship triumph last season, Lawrence’s ascension to the 450 ranks has seen few interruptions. However, the 19-year-old’s near future came further into focus as the Fox Raceway finale approached and the Team Australia Motocross of Nations (MXoN) line-up was revealed.

During the Fox Raceway 2 National Staging Area Pre-Race Show produced by American Motocross, Lawrence confirmed the planned start of his 450 career will follow just one more Supercross season on a 250.

“In between Washougal and Unadilla, I did,” Lawrence said, responding to a question from television analyst James Stewart about acquiring seat time on a Honda CRF450R.

“I rode the 450 a lot, then I probably did two days on the 250. And then after this weekend, all next week, we’re going to be testing more motor stuff and more suspension stuff on the 450 to get it more dialed.”

During multiple podium interviews throughout his outdoors campaign, it was clear that Lawrence was thinking ahead to competing on a 450. Additionally, he’ll contest the Open class at MXoN on a 450, with the explicit goal of getting a head start on preparing to race the bike full-time.

Even for the current standout rider in the small-bike class, the transition to the 450 hasn’t been seamless.

“It’s crazy,” Lawrence said. “My 250 suspension feels amazing — I’m so comfortable with that. I know what it does. We took the exact same setting from that and put the forks and shock onto the 450, and it was horrible. It reacted totally different; I had no idea what it was going to do.”

Beyond bike set-up, Lawrence is already thinking about adjusting his riding style to get the most out of the Honda CRF450R.

“I was still, like on a 250, leaning back,” he said. “I almost looped out a couple times.

“Once I got more of that 450 style — staying further forward, being smooth on the throttle, and not just dumping the clutch and letting it go — at the end of the week, I ended up getting a rideable setting I was pretty happy with. But we’ve still got some more things we want to test, especially with the engine, the ECU, and that stuff.”

Lawrence’s first 450 race will occur during the MXoN at Redbud on September 24–25. Fans, the industry, and his competition will watch closely, knowing his full-time debut in the premier class is hardly more than half a year out.