Canard Tops Mammoth MX

Trey Canard made the trek up the mountain and came home with overalls in Open Pro Sport and 450 Pro

Webb Renews!

Cooper Webb renews with Red Bull KTM through next year

By Dan BeaverJun 28, 2022, 10:24 PM EDT

 

After struggling to finish seventh in the 2022 Monster Energy Supercross points, Cooper Webb will return to Red Bull KTM Racing through the 2023 season, giving him an opportunity to score a third championship with the team.

Joining KTM in 2019, Webb found immediate success, winning his first 450 race in Round 3 at Anaheim that season. He followed that up with another seven wins that season, which was capped off with his first championship by 18 points over Eli Tomac.

He failed to back up his title in 2020, this time losing to Tomac by 25 points, but Webb’s second-place ranking in the points kept the momentum intact as he rolled into 2021.

Webb won his second title that year in a fiercely contested battle with Ken Roczen and he entered this season determined to win consecutive titles. Despite Roczen keeping the pressure on, Webb scored eight wins that season.

That did not happen, as Webb struggled with KTM for the first time since they joined together.

A new bike design put him on the podium just four times. None of these were victories. There was also internal conflict at the team as Webb tried to prove that he was doing all he could do on that new bike.

“It has been a hell of a journey these past four seasons,” Webb wrote on Instagram. “KTM Factory Racing believed in me when not a lot of people did. It feels a lot like 2019 again. Excited to be back with KTM for 2023.”

Since joining KTM, Webb has accumulated 19 450SX wins, tying him with Damon Bradshaw for 12th on the all-time wins’ list.

To prepare for the 2023 Supercross season, Webb decided to skip the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross season, which just completed its Round 4.

In the press release from Red Bull KTM, Webb said: “I am excited to continue my relationship with the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing team and I’m really looking forward to going after a third AMA 450 Class Supercross Championship together next season.”

Mammouth Vintage

Vintage Motocross | 2022 Mammoth Motocross | Vintage 2 Stroke Dirtbikes and Legendary Riders

MXGP of Indonesia 2022

Febvre Back On Form

Gating in tandem with the pole-setter to his inside at the start of race one at the magnificent facility on the equatorial island of Sumbawa the Frenchman was boxed-in slightly at turn one to emerge sixth. The tricky surface, an unusual mix of hard-edged ruts with a loose top soil of volcanic ash, demanded respect by anyone going off the main line in search of a passing move but by lap three the Kawasaki ace had advanced to fifth and set his sights on fourth. Pacing himself in the hot and humid conditions he maintained the pressure throughout the thirty-minute-plus-two-lap race, his final effort to pass on the very last lap being resisted as the rider ahead “closed the door“. A superb start in race two saw the Frenchman race top-three all moto with the leader in his sights to the chequered flag. The GP podium was within reach if he could have found a way around the rider in second but again a well-planned last-lap effort came up inches short. Nevertheless it was a superb effort to add fourth overall to the fifth place he secured two weeks ago on his return to action after a six-month enforced absence from racing.

Romain Febvre: “It leaves a bitter taste in my mouth to miss the podium by just two points! I had a good feeling with the bike all weekend and I really liked the track; already on Saturday I had good lap times and a good Qualifying race. Today it was the first race that spoilt my day; I started well but Tim moved towards me in the first corner so that I had to brake and I was passed on the outside. I was fifth and I had to stay there for several laps; it was difficult to follow each other closely, and to carry out an attack your opponent had to make a mistake, especially as half of the track was made up of heavy dirt. In the second race I saved my challenge for the end of the race. I pushed with two laps to go to try to overtake Prado; I drew alongside him when he made a mistake on an uphill but I couldn’t quite make the pass stick. Maybe I should have started my challenge a lap earlier. I’m disappointed to miss the podium but this weekend has confirmed that the results are pretty good since my return and everyone in the team is happy. “

KRT’s Ben Watson made several decisive moves through the early laps of race one as he moved forward to thirteenth after hitting the start-gate before surrendering one position again mid-moto to finish fourteenth. Thirteenth in race two resulted in the same result overall and he remains twelfth in the series points chase.

Ben Watson: “I felt really positive when we arrived here and saw the track. It’s really special; they did a really good job and it was worth the long journey but I just didn’t feel physically strong enough all weekend. I don’t think it was the heat but I felt heavy from the start and struggled with the intensity. I saw some form of movement in the gate at the start of the first race and hit it. There were a couple of us who moved so I don’t think I imagined it; it was just one of those things. I tried to re-group between races and rode better in race two to make a couple of passes; I just wish I could ride more aggressively at the moment. “

F&H Kawasaki Racing Team’s Jed Beaton showed good pace during the first half of race one as he advanced from eighth to sixth but the Australian ran out of energy in the heat during the final fifteen minutes to be pushed back to tenth at the chequered flag. The second moto was difficult from the word go but he persevered to finish fourteenth for twelfth overall. He remains seventeenth in the championship standings.

Jed Beaton: “The layout of the track looked really nice when we arrived even though it’s rocky underneath. I ran up front for twenty minutes in the first moto – that was really positive – but then the heat got to me so I went into the second race on the back foot as I’m still not back to 100%.“

Gajser Tops Indonesia

 

In front of a large crowd and under tough and hot conditions, four-time World Motocross Champion Tim Gajser has picked up his 41^st Grand Prix victory around the magnificent circuit on the island of Sumbawa, Indonesia. Back to his very best the HRC rider looked in a class of his own and extended his World championship points lead to 125 points. Second overall was Jorge Prado with 2-2 scores and third was Ruben Fernandez with 4-3 results.

Tim Gajser: I took the holeshot in the first one and the second one I didn't have the holeshot and I had to work for it, but I am super happy.

In the World championship points it is now Gajser 535 points, Prado 410pts, Seewer 405pts, Renaux 365pts and Coldenhoff 363pts.

Prado led the second MXGP moto from Febvre, Gajser, Fernandez, Jonass, Coldenhoff, Vlaanderen, Evans, Guadagnini, and Beaton 10^th. Seewer was 11^th and again looking like he will lose major points on Gajser. Fernandez burst past Gajser, but then the Slovenian regained that position.

Prado, Febvre and Gajser looking very fast and finally we might get a little of 2021 after what has been a bit of a Gajser domination in 2022. Gajser into second place around this really beautiful circuit. The HRC man was all over Prado for the lead on lap one.

Gajser sensational move to pass Prado as the four time World champion shows why he has a massive lead in 2022 and will soon be a five time champion. After three laps it was Gajser with a two second lead, then Prado, Febvre, Fernandez, Jonass, Evans, Coldenhoff, Guadagnini, Seewer and Vlaanderen.

Evans chasing Jonass as those two follow Fernandez, and in front of them Prado not letting Gajser get too far away. Vlaanderen went past Seewer for ninth place and behind Seewer were Beaton, Tixier, Watson, Lapucci and Ostlund.

Vlaanderen and Seewer in a nice little battle and Seewer finally getting the better of the Dutch/South African. Jonass went down and handed Evans fifth place and Coldenhoff also went past. After seven laps the lead by Gajser was four seconds ahead of Prado, in third Febvre was six seconds back and then came Fernandez, Evans, Coldenhoff, Jonass, Guadagnini, Seewer and Vlaanderen in 10^th place.

On lap 11 the lead by Gajser was 3.1 seconds, but the Slovenian seemed to just be cruising and taking not risk. Prado was second, then Febvre, Fernandez, Evans, Coldenhoff, Jonass, Guadagnini, Seewer and Vlaanderen.

Febvre putting a lot of pressure on Prado for second place as the 2021 World number two tries to get back to his very best as they battled the final laps of the second moto. Gajser wins it though from Prado and Febvre.

Romain Febvre secures podium at Rhenen

 

Just a week after his racing comeback Kawasaki Racing Team MXGP’s Romain Febvre scorched to a moto victory and second overall in the final round of the Dutch Masters in the strenuous sand of Rhenen.

After his great comeback last weekend in Germany the Frenchman was keen to gain more race practice before heading to Indonesia for the twelfth round of the FIM MXGP World Championship. The high-profile Dutch race on Saturday allowed him to spend more hours on the bike and enjoy start- and race-action against other top riders, a preparation more valuable than training alone. After posting the second-fastest lap-time in the morning Romain secured the holeshot and led the entire first moto to celebrate his first victory since his return to action. Another holeshot in race two confirmed the strength of the KX450-SR, but in this moto Romain was content to secure the overall podium with a fourth-placed finish in a tight battle with rivals who have each scored MXGP moto victories in recent weeks.

Romain: “I have always tried to ride as much as possible, and I especially wanted to go racing as it’s what I miss at the moment; the goal today was to have more hours on the bike. It was a good day; the track was demanding as it’s not really deep sand like many of the Dutch tracks and overall I am happy as we have already made good progress since last weekend. My feeling was good in the morning with the second-fastest lap-time and then I took both holeshots to confirm the strength of our bike. In the first moto I could keep the lead until the end, then in the second moto we were really close to the top-three for another good result.”

2022 KTM 300 EXC TPI

MANI LETTENBICHLER CHARGES THROUGH THE IRON GIANT ON THE 2022 KTM 300 EXC TPI ERZBERGRODEO

ErzerbergRodeo...A Sunday Trail Ride!

2022 Red Bull Erzbergerodeo Hare Scramble – Mani Lettenbichler takes a maiden victory in what proved to be the toughest Erzberg in years at round three of the 2022 Hard Enduro World Championship with Mario Roman a close second and Trystan Hart third.

2022 Erzbergrodeo Hare Scramble race in a nutshell:

• As the flag raised at 2:30pm at the bottom of the Iron Giant, Teo Kabakchiev bagged the holeshot with Billy Bolt and Mani Lettenbichler in hot pursuit. An early course marking fail caught the front row out (they looped up and down the Rocket Ride hill for no purpose) which that held row two up for around 10 minutes off the start.
• As the dust began to settle (it was nuts early on the course) Billy and Mani assumed their familiar place out front, much like we saw so often in the 2021 HEWC, with Kabakchiev and Michael Walkner in tow.
• Lettenbichler set a blistering pace out front to pull a gap and arrived at CP10, the rocky uphill slog at “Machine” leading of Walkner, Mario Roman third, Kabakchiev and Bolt.
• With an hour gone they reached a new section called Udo’s Playground (basically a trials section), and Walkner was within touching distance of Mani with Mario closing.  
• In the three-plus kilometres of the infamous Carl’s Dinner, Mario used trials-like skills to get into P2 as Walkner hit a wall. Hart also worked his way ahead of the chasing pack and settled his claim on a podium.
• Rumour had it they would be around two hours riding the course this year but the new sections, plus a long slog through Carl’s, meant the race headed deep into a third hour – the longest it has taken the winner and certainly “the toughest ever” Erzberg according to Mario Roman.
• Another new section, the Motorex Highway, proved a hard one in the trees and here, plus a savagely hard Dynamite, proved being first can be a nightmare and Mani had to make lines other followed.
• But Lettenbichler stayed strong and went onto take his first Erzberg career win, becoming the third German to win after his father and the late Chris Pfeiffer. Two races and two wins this season puts him right in the championship mix.
• Mario Roman was close and put a lot of pressure on Mani with solid rides through the hardest sections of this hard race. But the Spaniard had to settle for second, three and a half minutes behind.
• Trystan Hart also put his and Canada’s name on the HEWC map with a very respectable third place in his second attempt at Erzberg. Next year Hart is rumoured to be racing the full season, watch out boys.
• The fight for next best went the way of Billy Bolt who got the better of Alfredo Gomez in the final stages and maintains his championship points lead at least on a day when he (and the rest of us) expected more.
• Michael Walkner took P6 and became the first Austrian official finisher of the event.
• The final kilometres got the better of Wade Young’s bike after he was running in fourth. Some serious mechanical issues on the Sherco saw him struggle to limp home in seventh just ahead of the final official finisher and compatriot Matty Green in eighth and best-placed Junior World Cup finisher.
• Graham Jarvis gets ride of the day? After bike problems right off the start, Graham started the race one hour late effectively. From 500th and last, he was inside the top 50 by checkpoint 13, by Udo’s (CP18) he was top 30, after Carl’s he was top 20, the Motorex hill (CP22 of 27) was as far as Graham could manage, knocking on the door of a top 10 finish as the four-hour cut-off arrived. Sadly, after organisers deemed him to have received outside assistance, he was later disqualified.
• CP 17, Stony Party is as far as Kailub Russell, Pol Tarres and highest-placed female rider Sandra Gomez got this year.

Plessinger Still Searching

Ankle Injury Hampers Aaron Plessinger at High Point

by Slaw Dog

It’s been a tough start to the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship for Red Bull KTM’s Aaron Plessinger.

Coming off a broken arm sustained during Monster Energy Supercross, AP went 8-8-11 at the opening three rounds, but he wasn’t up front like we are used to seeing him. 

That was turning around at High Point on Saturday, though, as Plessinger was running strong and was inside the top five with just two laps to go. 

Then he slowed.

Initially it looked like AP was suffering a bike problem as he dropped through the field. He eventually finished the moto in 15th. After the race, the team confirmed at AP sustained a twisted ankle in the moto, which caused his late race drop in positions. 

“The bike was feeling good in practice and I made some changes going into Moto 1 that didn’t really benefit me,” Plessinger said. “I rode really tight in the first one and salvaged ninth. Second moto, I was feeling really good – ready to rumble – and I got a good start and was running really good laps, but I ended up twisting my ankle pretty bad with two laps to go. I’m pumped on the way I was riding all day, it’s unfortunate that that had to happen at the end but we’ll focus on RedBud and try to get up there on the podium.”

Luckily for AP, the championship is off for a week before returning at RedBud on Fourth of July weekend. 

Main image: KTM Images