Supercross Fuel For Thought - Adam Cianciarulo

AUS-X Open in the balance as government discussions ramp up

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International event hinges on ability to welcome overseas athletes.

Image: Foremost Media.

The AUS-X Open Melbourne will only proceed in 2021 if it can safely invite international athletes into the country, with promoters engaging in further discussions with Tourism Victoria to seek out quarantine options and travel exemptions for overseas arrivals.

The prestigious event, which was brought to Melbourne’s Marvel Stadium for the first time in 2019, has continually attracted the biggest names in the sport from around the world, however the inability to do so could see it cancelled for the second year running as it navigates the Covid-19 pandemic.

With the event still in limbo, AUS-X Open co-founder Adam Bailey is hopeful it can reach an agreement with the Victorian government and proceed with the planning of the international supercross.

“We’re trying to work through it with Tourism Victoria at the moment in regards to the quarantining component,” Bailey explained MotoOnline.com.au. “That’s what we’re trying to work through to [see] what that would look like and whether we can bring in international athletes – that’s what it really hinges on.

“There will still be a five-round Australian Supercross Championship no matter what – but the AUS-X Open will really come down to the ability to bring in international athletes – visitation is what it really comes down to.

“We’re going to try work through our options to make that happen and we’re going through that process as we speak. That’s the goal, but if we can’t, we’ll move to an alternate Australian Supercross Championship round.”

It was revealed earlier this week that the 2021 Australian Supercross Championship will be formally announced next month, with confirmation of a five-round series that will feature free-to-air TV, a new promoter group, and a naming rights partner.

Hangtown 2021 delayed, worth the wait

Bill Sullivan

May 20, 2021

In the past, this particular week would be when one would see an abundance of impressive race haulers and colorful race jerseys around Folsom and El Dorado Hills, as the annual Hangtown Motocross event would fill local establishments and hotels with patrons.

COVID-19 officially cancelled this famed event in 2020. So what about 2021? Fans will have to wait just a little bit longer for the green flag to wave on this local event that is paydirt to the area economy and its delay to September will be worth the wait of 113 days from today.

While it is usually one of the early events on the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship, this year’s race organizers, together with the American Motocross Association, formed the 2021 schedule around the reopening of various regions as they look to leave COVID-19 in the dust. In doing so, the annual Hangtown Motocross Classic moves to Sept. 11 this year and will be the serious championship finale, crowning the 2021 titlists in a season that begins to travel the states at the end of this month.

Tickets are now available for the event set to take place at Prairie City State Vehicular Recreation Area, an event that equates to paydirt when it comes to tourism for the communities of Folsom, Rancho Cordova and El Dorado Hills.

“As the start of the 2021 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship nears, each event organizer is diligently working to ensure they’ll have the opportunity to welcome the return of our passionate fans this summer,” said Davey Coombs, president of MX Sports Pro Racing. “We’re excited to see nearly half of the scheduled events open up ticket sales and we’re optimistic that more will soon follow. On behalf of everyone involved with making this year’s championship a success, we sincerely appreciate the patience and support of our fans as the work to provide a memorable summer of American motocross continues.”

This signature event attracts the top motocross racers from around the world, bringing national and international attention to the area as a destination for what is the longest-running outdoor motocross event in the United States.

“The annual Hangtown Motocross event is a proud Folsom tradition,” says Joe Gagliardi, CEO and president of the Greater Folsom Partnership. “The competitors and fans add to our economic vitality as they eat and shop in our Folsom businesses and support our lodging partners. Hangtown’s well-known brand offers Folsom national visibility.”

Traditionally, more than 25,000 spectators attend this annual event. They will witness more than 1,000 riders take to the dirt from the amateur level to the pros. The event is also televised nationally.

The Hangtown Motocross brings more than just big names and crowds to the Folsom area each year. Along with its vast attendance, it brings millions of dollars into the local economy. The annual event has been ranked one of Folsom’s top 10 tourism revenue generators for many years now.

Normally, many pack hotels in Folsom and Rancho Cordova on this particular week in May, that revenue will come in September this year. Prairie City will again become a small city of tents and recreational vehicles. Regardless of where they lodge, spectators and teams will be eager to eat and shop in the 95630 at a time when restrictions, masks and other such challenges should be in the history book.

The Hangtown Motocross is managed by the Dirt Diggers North Motorcycle Club and has organized the competition at Prairie City since 1979. The race was originally held near Placerville, then in the small town of Plymouth, which it outgrew very quickly.

The club spends more than $200,000 annually to stage the competition. More than 2,000 tons of sand is brought in to enhance the track each year, costing $20,000 alone. The club recruits sponsorships for the event each year, a necessary component to keep the affair running, considering that insurance alone is now in the neighborhood of $20,000.

With the expanded seating last year and hospitality sections for spectators, the modified course provides great vantage points to watch all of the action. It will also bring the race closer to the huge spectator base that is drawn to Hangtown year after year.

One aspect that many are unaware of is that profits from the Hangtown Motocross are used to benefit local charities. Throughout the years, the club has assisted various charities, including the Firefighters Burn Institute. Other local charities, such as the Friends of Folsom, provide volunteer support and vendor booths during the event that help their bank accounts annually. Members of the Friends of Folsom are already hard at work planning for the September event. Outside of the charities, additional profits go back into enhancing the facility for future events.

To the competitor, the Hangtown Motocross is one of the most coveted trophies on the Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship Series. While it's not happening this week, come September, this community will be the place where a coveted champion is crowned for the first time in series history.

To purchase tickets and for full race information about the Hangtown Motocross Classic, go to hangtownmx.com.

RIP Scott Sheak

Road 2 Recovery

  

We are deeply saddened to report the passing of Scott Sheak, the former professional motocross racer from Germantown, New York. Sheak suffered multiple spinal and internal injuries a little more than two weeks ago in a heavy crash while training at Walden Motocross in New York. Sheak was first taken to MidHudson Medical Center, then moved to Westchester Medical Center in Valhalla, where doctors and nurses worked to stabilize him. Unfortunately, the massive injuries and subsequent pneumonia and staph infections proved to be too much, and he passed away earlier this afternoon. He was 47 years old.

Born in 1974, Scott Sheak grew up racing motocross, and he became one of the most promising young riders in the sport by the early 1990s. That’s when he graduated from the amateur ranks with Kawasaki Team Green, winning multiple championship titles at major events all over the country. Sheak then began a long and steady climb up the professional ladder that saw him go from privateer status to teams like Boyesen Yamaha and a full-factory ride with Team Honda in 1997. That was the year Sheak achieved a childhood dream when he won an AMA 125 Pro Motocross National in Mt. Morris, Pennsylvania. He would finish the ’97 season ranked third in the final 125cc AMA National Championship standings, behind only Ricky Carmichael and Kevin Windham.

In the years to follow, Sheak would spend time riding for various teams, including FMF Honda and Pro Circuit Kawasaki. He also found himself on the FIM 125cc World Championship tour, traveling all over Europe to compete. Wherever Sheak went, his humble and gracious nature—not to mention ever-present smile—made him as popular with fans as he was with his teammates. Unfortunately, an assortment of injuries hampered his results, and by the mid-2000s Sheak was done with professional racing. He turned his attention to working with younger riders, and he thoroughly enjoyed helping them achieve their own goals in motorcycle racing by being a tireless and dedicated teacher.

Recently, returned to his amateur racing roots as a veteran rider. He was preparing to qualify for the AMA Amateur National Motocross Championship at Loretta Lynn’s Ranch in Tennessee when he suffered his tragic accident in New York.

Scott Sheak is survived by his beloved wife, Amy, whom he’d known since high school, and stepchildren Ryan and Brooke’lyn. Amy said today that she takes solace knowing that Scott was doing exactly what he loved doing throughout his entire life—he was riding his motorcycle.

The Road 2 Recovery Foundation has been working closely with the Sheak family to help them navigate this unforeseen tragedy and have set up a fund to help them offset the immense costs of his hospitalization and care; they will continue accepting donations in his memory, with all funds going to support his family. Please donate here on Scott's R2R Fund page- https://road2recovery.com/cause-view/scott-sheak/

On behalf of the entire motocross community, we offer our sincere condolences to Scott Sheak’s family, his friends, and all the countless people he touched along the way. When details of a memorial service are finalized we will share them here and on @racerxonline

Written by: Davey Coombs @racerxonline

 

Sometimes Simple Stories Say It Best!

BRAD STAMAN: Look back at a simpler life

 

Brad Staman is the editor of the Star-Herald

I celebrated a birthday recently. The day was uneventful, my publisher sang “Happy Birthday” to me, twice (once over the intercom). My wife had a special dinner and the Basset Hounds, Bentley and Sammy, took me on a birthday walk.

As I grow older, I find myself looking more and more like my dad, which is not a bad thing. It also has me looking back at my life and the changes I’ve seen over the years.

Brad Staman is the editor of the Star-Herald. He can be reached at 632-9056 or by email at bstaman@starherald.com.

On the day I was born, my dad told me he was working in the field south of our house and my grandma came out and waved a tea towel to let him know it was time to head to the hospital. The day after I was I born, he said, it snowed.

Growing up, I spent hours playing football in the field next to our house. I won more Super Bowls than Tom Brady ever will.

No video games. Instead, there was that thing called imagination.

If it wasn’t football, it was championship basketball games that would go until the sun dropped below the horizon and mom would be calling me into the house. My first court had a dirt floor. When dad laid cement in front of the garage, installed a light and moved the hoop to the garage door, it was like moving into Madison Square Garden. The games would go on and on, break for dinner, and often times resume until mom would call me in for bed.

I also had a race course around the garage. My race car was my bicycle. The bicycle also was my motorcycle for my brother, Bryan and I, liked to play Evel Knievel and jump over the Snake River. We would build a ramp, throw down some wood and the jump was built. Our younger, brother, Kevin, who was four years younger than Bryan and I, was often left out of this game. He was “too young.”

I will never forget the day he decided to build his own ramp, jump on his bicycle and take on the imaginary river. Bryan and I were in the house with mom, dad was in the field working. Next thing we heard was a younger brother crying. His older brothers hadn’t told him or shown him the proper way to build the ramp, so he had grabbed a round barrel, put the wood against one side of the barrel, climbed on his bike and the rest was history that resulted in two older brothers getting a major lecture about being “good” big brothers. Interestingly enough, Kevin turned into the real daredevil of the three of us.

As I grew older, the bicycle became a real motorcycle, after years of begging my mother into allowing me to get one. The one rule, stay off the road. So I built a motocross track in the pasture above the house and the hours of football and basketball games turned into hours upon hours of motocross races on the tiny track.

It was a simpler time, or at least as I’m looking back it seems that way. We had three television stations, one was PBS. You trusted the newspaper and had no idea if Walter Cronkite was Republican or Democrat.

Growing up I was blessed and privileged to have great parents who taught me right from wrong, to stand up for your beliefs, treat others with respect even if they are different from yours and never forget where you came from.

There was no social media and the internet was non-existent. Boys were boys and girls were girls. You respected those you disagreed with and you worked hard to get ahead. And at least in my country upbringing, you judged people on their character, not their skin color.

Looking back, I must say I miss that simpler time. It was a time of hope, promise and possibilities. I know you might disagree with me, but we need to embrace more of those simple things.

If you weren’t privileged to have great parents and an excellent upbringing, I’m sorry, but this blessed belated birthday boy is thankful for the life he has lived.

Muc-Off Honda Racing enthusiastic about the future

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Muc-Off Honda press release:

The final round of the FIM Supercross Championship concluded over the weekend and Muc-Off Honda Racing was proud to finish inside the top ten in both coasts.

Mitchell Harrison gave it everything he had in the final round but came up short following a series of crashes.

“I qualified well but made a mistake in the heat race and in the last chance qualifier. It was a disappointing way to finish a season full of many positives,” said Harrison.

Harrison finished the championship in 10th overall, with three top 6 finishes. Now that Supercross has wrapped up, he looks to the AMA Motocross season.

“I achieved my best overall result this year in a single round and my confidence soared as I improved each week. I am not sure what the summer holds for me but I hope we can race some outdoors, the bike and team are awesome and I have enjoyed this season.” Harrison concluded.

Mitchell Oldenburg reflected on the eventful season, after he jumped from the 250 to the 450 when the team needed him to step up.

“The team gave their all, my results on the 250 were good and we were looking at a possible top-five overall but sadly I got injured and we finished the season out in 9th overall. I can’t thank the team enough for giving me the opportunity to race the 450 too, my 13th is a career highlight,” said Oldenburg.

The team’s sole 450 rider, Justin Brayton, isn’t finished racing this year and looks forward to resuming racing as soon as he is 100%.

“The team went above and beyond this year! Getting injured really dampened things but that is racing. I have an event coming up where I will be riding and possibly racing and I hope to race overseas. This injury really set me back, I need my hands to ride and breaking them both has been challenging.” Brayton said.

Team owner Yarrive Konsky admits this season presented every challenge possible, however, he is optimistic and enthusiastic about the team’s future.

“This is my 18th year with Honda and this year really challenged me in America but it hasn’t deterred my passion or commitment to racing at the highest level. American Honda has been a blessing, their support and commitment to racing was the reason we were able to compete in the first place and Muc-Off, Western Power Sports, Pirelli, and our other partners ensured we had the resources to pull it all together. This year, everything came together late but moving forward we aim to be better prepared.” Konsky finished.

The team is considering racing selected rounds of the AMA Motocross Championship and Justin Brayton will participate in selected events in America as he prepares for his return to international racing, pending travel restrictions imposed due to the coronavirus.

Cairoli One of The Greats!

One of the greatest riders of the modern era of the FIM Motocross World Championship enters his 12th season with the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing team in 2021.

From 13 years in the MXGP class, Tony Cairoli has only dropped out of the top three in a final championship standing on two occasions — 2015 (seventh) and 2019 (10th), both primarily caused by injury.

In ’21, armed again with the KTM 450 SX-F he will be chasing his 10th FIM title and will hopefully extend his total of 92 Grand Prix wins — the second-highest amount in the history of the sport.

Tony, you had minor knee surgery at the end of 2020 and started riding at the end of February. How is your fitness?

The knee is okay, and I started training with the bike by taking it very easy. I was giving priority to physical work in the first part of the recovery – not so much on the bike – and also because there was some instability about the start date for the season. So, there was no need to rush. But, I’m okay, I’m feeling good.

So, the big question for 2021: when will you decide if this is the last year of racing for you?

It’s a matter of results, of course, and how competitive I am — this is clearly my goal at the moment. I want to see if I can still improve but I know the level of performance is unlikely to go up. A lot depends on my condition and the knee. That’s why I don’t know where I am [with speed and feeling] because I still cannot really push because of this injury following me around. Last year was very difficult for me but I think if my knee can be in a bit better shape for 2021 then I should be able to fight for the championship. This is my goal and then the next season depends on how I feel.

You were a mentor to Jorge Prado when he came to the team and now Mattia Guadagnini is the junior rider. How has it been working with him and knowing Italy now have a big prospect?

Of course Mattia has quite a bit of pressure at the moment. He has come from the European Championship directly into MX2 and with the potential to be a top-three guy, he has a lot of expectation. It won’t be easy for him. I have been in his shoes before, but it has been going well for him and he has been working a lot. I think the first races will tricky but once he gets the flow I think the results will come.

You haven’t had much riding time yet but is there anything you wanted to fix or address on your KTM 450 SX-F for this season?

No, so far we have tested a few things but because I don’t have a lot of bike time we are not pushing 100 per cent with technical parts. For me, it is important to feel better with the knee and then test something when I am at a decent level.

What about rivals for 2021?

I think we’ll see the same sort of names going for the championship as we did in the last couple of years but for race wins, I think there is a bigger group and even new people like [Thomas Kjer] Olsen and [Ben] Watson are among them. I think it is time for Jorge [Prado] to show his skills in going for the title and then you have Tim [Gajser], Jeffrey [Herlings] and myself. [Jeremy] Seewer will be very competitive, [Glenn] Coldenhoff also. There are many guys that can go for the championship and even more for the single race win.

Your skill at building a championship is unmatched for the last 15 years at least but do you feel like you still have the raw speed for multiple race victories?

I think it depends on the knee again. Last year I started the season and I wasn’t ready with my shoulder and when that was better the knee got worse! So, in 2020 I could not really ride like my best. If I’m in good shape I know I can still go for wins, even if the championship is my main goal and what I’m working towards.

Eli and Kawaski

Eli Tomac's current contract at Monster Energy Kawasaki was always going to run out at the end of 2021. Race day talks with people close to the situation made it seem like he was set to sign a two-year extension and would stay on the green machine through the close of his hall of fame career. But on Tuesday, Steve Matthes of PulpMX broke the news that Eli Tomac will move from Kawasaki to Yamaha in 2022, a development that shakes up the pit area. From what we've learned in recent days, it's a done deal but won't be publicly announced until much later in the year. UPDATE: Kawasaki has announced that the team and Tomac have mutually agreed to part ways at the conclusion of the 2021 race season.

A Word With Jeffery Herlings

A Red Bull KTM Factory Racing rider since his Grand Prix debut in 2010, Jeffrey Herlings has been one of the team’s best and most emphatic racers with four FIM Motocross World Championships and 90 victories to his name; the third-highest total in history.

After his near-perfect third season in MXGP with the KTM 450 SX-F in 2018 – in which he claimed 17 from 19 GPs and finished as runner-up in the other two – the Dutchman suffered two years of injury frustration. Now, at the age of 26, #84 is again looking to establish his superiority at the peak of MXGP.

Jeffrey, are you finally healthy? No more metalwork in the body or difficulties for fitness?

“I don’t have any material left in my body anymore, luckily! My foot is definitely better than it was but it’s not fully healed or as good as my other one. It bothers me a little but not when I’m riding. I sometimes have pain afterwards, that’s all. Physically I am not super-conditioned but, at this time, I don’t want to be anyway because we are still not 100% sure when racing will start again due to the pandemic. Hopefully, we are set for mid-June but it is mentally and physically tough to know when you might or might not start. Right now, I’m just riding three-to-four times a week and every day do one – or maybe a maximum of two – training sessions to stay in shape and keep the bodyweight under control. When we’re absolutely sure of the first race then we’ll go hardcore again.”

You have an insatiable appetite for victory but after the injury problems of 2019 and 2020 is part of your motivation just to reach the end of a season?

“Obviously the last couple of years I didn’t succeed in completing most of the races, so that has to be a big goal for me. I have to be [present] everywhere and I don’t know if that means I’ll be close to the front each time, as has been proven in the past, but if I can try to be consistent every time I’m in the gate then I’ll hopefully be around the podium spots at the end of the year.”

The Dutch GP is supposed to take place in Oss, Holland. What’s your opinion?

“Before we talk about that I think it’s a shame we’re not going to Valkenswaard anymore. It was a tradition on the calendar. I raced there since 2010, I won there nine times and was on the podium 10 times, so it has a place in my heart. Oss is a nice track. It’s close to my house! It’s not a typical ‘Dutch’ track in that it’s not super-sandy but it’s a cool place and good for the fans with a nice overview for watching.”

Who will cause a surprise among your rivals for 2021?

“I think it will be the same group of main riders, it’s just a different year. I think Jorge Prado has joined the party now but basically the same guys like Tim Gajser, Romain Febvre, Tony [Cairoli].”

You could get a bit closer to the all-time win record of 101 this year. Will that be another small objective?

“Definitely. If I have a season like 2018 then I’ll pass it this time! That was a dream season. It’s certainly a goal to reach that 101. I’m on 90 now and I’m 26 years old so I think it’s realistic. I’ll have to go for it.”

You are the best sand rider in the world: is it possible to get even better in the terrain?

“No matter how old you are, you keep on learning and you find little ways to improve – but – I don’t think I can get better in the sand. 26 is not old but also not young and I can’t see myself increasing my level. I’m either at my peak now or I passed it! In 2018 I was not at my best level but I was super-good in the sand and pretty-much won everything. So, I don’t know if it’s possible to be better …but if I can stay at the same level then I’m already happy.”

Eli Moving On!

Foothill Ranch, California - Monster Energy Kawasaki and Eli Tomac will not renew their rider agreement following the conclusion of the upcoming AMA Pro Motocross Championship following six successful seasons together and mutually deciding not to pursue a contract extension. As they look ahead to the upcoming Pro Motocross season, the team and Tomac are both committed to earning their fourth championship in the last five years with preparations starting this week.

"We are extremely proud of the success that Eli and the Monster Energy Kawasaki team achieved over the last six years,” said Kawasaki Senior Manager, Racing, Dan Fahie. “We have built a great relationship with Eli and his family and we are proud that Kawasaki played a strong role in Tomac’s racing legacy."

The Monster Energy Kawasaki team and Tomac have enjoyed tremendous success during their six-year campaign with the Colorado-born rider earning four AMA championships on the Kawasaki KX™450. During his six years with the team Tomac lined up on the starting gate 165 times and earned 60 wins while only missing one scheduled main event. The 60 wins is the most by any rider during that time frame.

Monster Energy Kawasaki is primed to continue its AMA racing success in 2022 with a two-rider program that includes Adam Cianciarulo who propelled himself through the amateur ranks with Kawasaki Team Green. Cianciarulo earned the 2019 250cc AMA Pro Motocross championship and finished second in the 2020 450cc AMA Pro Motocross standings as a rookie and will be aiming for the top of the podium this summer.