High Point MX

Established 1976
Welcome to the Information Center for High Point Raceway – one of the premier motocross racing facilities on the national circuit! High Point is proud to host rounds of the Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship, AMA Grand National Cross Country (GNCC) Racing, ATV Motocross National Championship and an AMA Loretta Lynn Qualifier.

Since 1976, High Point Raceway, nestled in the scenic mountains of southwestern Pennsylvania near Mt. Morris, has challenged the world's fastest motocross athletes. Generations have enjoyed the thrill that only pro motocross fans can lay claim to.

Its unique amphitheater setting offers premiere viewing from every aspect of the race course, making it a fan favorite among hardy moto fans and racers. High Point hosts an extensive schedule of Amateur Motocross racing from spring to fall. Join us for an exciting day of racing in the great outdoors!

Red Bull Erzberg Rodeo 2022

It’s race week in Austria and the 2022 Red Bull Erzbergrodeo is finally go. Lettenbichler was on another planet on his comeback ride in Serbia last time out, Billy is injured (again), Hart is across from the USA, could it be time for a Sherco winner or can Graham do it yet again?

It seems hard to believe that we were last at the Erzbergrodeo in 2019. That lifetime ago saw Graham Jarvis take his fifth win at Erzberg in what was then the WESS championship which has since been replaced by the FIM Hard Enduro World Championship.

In the intervening years the old Iron Giant Mountain in Eisenerz hasn’t been resting, the quarry has been busy and changed shape in places meaning some of the familiar sections of the course will not be the same this week – notably the infamous Green Hill which riders will enter from flat ground, higher up and no longer from under a bridge, making it easier. That’s “easier”, not easy.

One of the most notorious sections, Carl’s Dinner, the loooong stretch of brutally hard rocks which the riders pass through then U-turn back for another go, hasn’t changed. We’ve seen the race won and lost here in the past as energy management becomes crucial by that part of the race. Riders who’ve conserved energy and a rear tyre, make easy pickings while others hit a wall.

Bolt, Jarvis, Kabakchiev, Roman, Young, Gomez, Lettenbichler, Hart, Walkner, possibly Blazusiak and even David Knight – pick a winner from that lot – face a number of changes to the course and rules including no more outside assistance, anywhere, and no refuelling.

It all starts with the Iron Road Prologue where the 1500 riders get two attempts, one on Friday and one on Saturday. The last rider to win the prologue was a certain Josep Garcia (warning, this is nuts):

500 people qualify from the prologue and start positions are determined in time order with rows of 50 starting the main Hare Scramble from down in the very depths of the quarry.

The weather can often play a role and the Styrian mountains have dished out some brutal wet weather in the past. While it looks set to be fine for the weekend, and hopefully for the riders that means they don’t have to start in a lake this year, there is a chance of thunderstorms on Sunday…

Three-times Erzberg winner Jonny Walker will not be riding this year, after undergoing multiple fixes on his body ahead of this HEWC season, but he will be part of the commentary team broadcasting for the main Hare Scramble race which you can watch live on Enduro21, Sunday 19 June via Red Bull TV. Stay tuned.

US-based track builder Dream Traxx in for WSX series

Section: Competition Post: Alex Gobert

Safety and competition paramount in new-look world championship.

Dream Traxx has been announced to be overseeing the World Supercross Championship (WSX) tracks entering the 2022 season in a partnership with SX Global.

Led by Dream Traxx founder and lead designer Jason Baker, WSX track layouts will be developed specifically for the international series.

“The safety of our riders is paramount and track design and track conditions are arguably the most critical area where safety is concerned – no-one understands that better than Jason Baker and his team at Dream Traxx,” said Adam Bailey, general manager – motorsport at SX Global.

“Our intention is to use our collective experience to make adjustments that enhance the racing experience for our riders, increasing their sense of freedom and confidence on the track to ultimately bring a higher level of excitement for the fans at each and every championship round.”

Dream Traxx has designed tracks for some of motocross and supercross’ most unique and innovative events, including X-Games, Red Bull X-Fighters, Red Bull Imagination, Red Bull Straight Rhythm and the Australian Supercross series. Dream Traxx also designs and manages North American test tracks for leading manufacturers including Honda, KTM, Husqvarna and GasGas.

“It’s exciting to be a part of SX Global’s mission to spread the power of supercross to fans around the world and to play a role in what will ultimately help elevate the global popularity of this sport and its incredible athletes,” said Baker.

“We’re extremely motivated by the opportunity to address aspects of track design that can improve safety for riders, while increasing excitement for fans, and ultimately, establish new standards for the sport.”

Despite a schedule yet to be released, SX Global has maintained that there will be up to four rounds – expected to be three in total – in the 2022 pilot season beginning this October, with plans to expand annually for as many as 12 rounds by next season’s opener in June.

Riders Join World SX

World SX - Riders Named

 

MotoConcepts Racing Honda is excited to announce its acquisition of a team license for the FIM World Supercross Championship (WSX) and its lineup of riders for the newly formed series.

MCR's determination to contend for wins is reflected in the four-rider lineup: Justin Brayton and Vince Friese, competing aboard Honda CRF450R motorcycles in the SX1 division, and Mitchell Oldenburg and Cole Seely taking on the SX2 division with Honda CRF250R motorcycles when the season begins later this year.

MCR believes the model presented by SX Global, which supports new business opportunities, handles logistics for the tour, and includes the distribution of $50 million to competing teams over the next five years, will boost the profile of Supercross and its stars to a worldwide audience.

"I'm excited for the new opportunity the World Supercross series provides," said Mike Genova, owner of MotoConcepts. "We're going in strong with our rider lineup and know that each one of them is a title contender in their class."

“WSX is an important and exciting opportunity for MCR in many ways! We now have a world platform to operate from and, as one of the ten charter teams, are a leading group that is capable of winning races and championships. This project is nothing short of a dream come true for me, team owner Mike Genova, and our entire crew,” said Tony Alessi, Team Manager of MCR. “Preparation will begin with our annual team summit during the second week of July in Priest Lake, Idaho, and we will then move to Southern California for a six-week summer boot camp.

Justin Brayton is excited to begin a new chapter of his career in familiar surroundings. Although the accomplished racer and father of three has stepped back from full-time competition in the AMA SX series, the opportunity to compete on a world stage prompted his participation. Brayton's experience at the highest level of the sport, domestically and internationally, will be put to the test in his pursuit of the SX1 title. "I'm very excited to be joining MCR for WSX. I think this is a great opportunity for teams and riders to race Supercross around the world at a high level," said Brayton. "I've been traveling the globe in the fall months racing SX-only for years now, so it's something I'm familiar with and am looking forward to!"

Vince Friese has spent much of his career with MCR and contributed significantly to the group's success, including his participation in an innovative split program that yielded 250 Class podiums and 450 Class top-ten finishes in 2022. An excellent starter who is determined to get the best result possible, Friese should flourish and be a front-runner in the SX1 division. "I'm really excited for the opportunity to compete in this new series. Everything about the WSX seems to point toward it being the future of racing at the highest level, and to be there for the first season on what I believe is the best team in the series is a dream come true," stated Friese. "I plan to take full advantage of this opportunity to show that I can compete with the best on the world stage!"

Mitchell Oldenburg's move to MCR was a worthwhile decision for all involved, as the rider's on-track talent, constant improvement, and willingness to work with the team towards a common goal in 2022 proved they reach their full potential together. With Oldenburg's experience in the small-bore class and the team's proven equipment, the goal is for race wins and the SX2 championship. "I'm looking forward to continuing my partnership with MotoConcepts in this new venture of WSX," Oldenburg explained. "It's an amazing opportunity to be able to travel the world and do what I love as part of a group that is committed to success."

The possibility of racing WSX aboard a powerful motorcycle was enough to coax Cole Seely out of retirement, and the skilled rider will join MCR as part of the exciting expansion. A former factory racer with multiple Main Event wins to his record, Seely is expected to be a force in the SX2 class and is hopeful to end the season with the number one plate. "I'm stoked to come back to racing with a switch-up in the normal routine and travel the world. I never lost my competitive side, and it was good to get back to the basics the last few years and find the fun in riding again. I still love to go fast on my dirt bike," Seely shared. "Mike and Tony have given me a great opportunity to do this right, on the best equipment I could ask for, and I'm very thankful for that. I'm also looking forward to running number 200, as it was picked out by Troy Lee the first year that I raced for him!"

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

Italian Vacation!

GasGas Germany MXGP

Tomac Flying W

Tony Talks Racing

Cairoli on altitude, bike set-up at Colorado and going home after High Point?

Antonio Cairoli talks about his day at Colorado and dealing with the altitude with Steve Matthes, but it looks like Cairoli will have his last race this weekend at High Point because he bizarrely isn’t actually getting paid to race the Nationals and is just getting prize money from the US Nationals alongside his ambassador role work for KTM!

Tony wants to make a deal with KTM to stay racing the Nationals beyond round four this weekend but, despite being top KTM in the last two rounds, it looks like TC will be going home after High Point this weekend, the nine-time world champ said: “This is going to be the last race for the moment, we will see after that what we can do. I would love to stay but I don’t want to just race for fun, sometimes you need some other rewards.”

Cairoli, after not having much prep and only getting the go-ahead to race the Nationals a month before at nearly 37 years old, is already on the top five AMA pace if not quite yet for 30 minutes, but if he had more prep and been able to race the full series he could he even have been an outside contender for the title or at least podium contender from the off? KTM have made some strange last-minute decisions around Cairoli this year especially with the lack of results around the other full-time 450 guys. Let’s see how it unfolds from here…

Thunder Valley 250 Action

Return to the top for Gajser at MXGP of Germany

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Section: Competition Post: Troy Guenther

Benistant breaks through with maiden MX2 overall.

It was a return to the top for Team HRC’s Tim Gajser at the 11th round of the 2022 MXGP World Championship, the red plate-holder extending his advantage, as Monster Energy Yamaha MX2’s Thibault Benistant broke through to claim a maiden overall victory in the class.

Gajser grabbed the holeshot in race one and didn’t look back, ultimately taking a 5.8 second victory over Pauls Jonass (Standing Construct Husqvarna Factory Racing) as Jeremy Seewer (Monster Energy Yamaha MXGP) was third. Romain Febvre (Kawasaki Racing Team) made an impressive comeback after missing the opening 11 rounds this year due to injury to finish fourth. 

In race two, Seewer secured the holeshot for the first time this season and went on to take the moto victory, with Gajser’s second enough to grab him the overall ahead of the number 91. Jorge Prado (Red Bull GasGas Factory Racing) was third in the second bout which elevated him to third overall for the round.

Notably, Maxime Renaux did not contest Sunday’s races after fracturing multiple vertebrae in Saturday’s qualifying races, and Febvre capped off his return fifth overall with a P7 in race two.

Gajser has a 99-point lead in the championship ahead of Seewer, with Prado third as Renaux’s absence dropped him to fourth, 120 points from the red plate.

Image: Supplied.

Thibault Benistant broke through to secure his first MX2 overall with a 3-1 scorecard at Teutschenthal, as disaster struck Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Tom Vialle in the second moto.

Vialle won the opening race ahead of title-rival Jago Geerts (Monster Energy Yamaha MX2) and Benistant, and grabbed the holeshot in race two before a technical issue forced him to retire from the race.

Benistant went on to win the second bout, ahead of Geerts who landed P2 overall, and Mikkel Haarup (F&H Kawasaki) who was third in the second race, and third overall at round 11.

Following the MXGP of Germany, Geerts regained control of the red plate to lead Vialle by eight points, with Simon Laegenfelder (Red Bull GasGas Factory Racing third, a further 99 back heading into the 12th round of the season at Indonesia on 26 June.