Matterley A Huge Success

Motocross boss says this year's Matterley Estate event was a ‘turning point’

TENS of thousands of spectators gathered near Winchester over the weekend for an annual motocross event.

More than 35,000 people were counted at the award-winning Matterley Estate circuit, which hosted the MXGP and MX2 World Championships across two days.

Event promoter Steve Dixon said: “It went very well. The crowd and the riders all loved it and it’s so rewarding to see so many people show up.”

Mr Dixon said the he believed the success of the event this year was highly significant.

“We’ve been running for ten years now but this year’s event is a turning point for us. I’m from Winchester and having a successful track nearby is like a dream come true.”

He added: “For a while we have been considered a nuisance - associated with Boomtown because of the venue. But I think people now see we value the South Downs National Park.”

Historically, Great Britain dominated the early years of motocross, before the competition became more fierce.

With the rise of the sport in North America from the 1970s, the USA embarked on a famous winning streak, lasting 13 years from 1981 to 1993.

Winchester City Council was asked about the number of noise complaints but had not responded at the time of going to press.

The MX event comes as landowner Peveril Bruce is applying for a significant change to the planning status of events on his land.

Until now the MX and Boomtown events have had temporary approvals. But now Mr Bruce has applied for permanent planning permission and the application is being considered by the South Downs National Park planning authority.

Mr Bruce argues that after 20 years of hosting events on his land he has shown that the site is suitable.

However many local people object to a permanent permission saying democratic control will be lost. They cite traffic congestion, noise pollution and light pollution of the night skies.

They say that although the Boomtown event only lasts a long weekend the setting up and dismantling of the site take many weeks.

Many people have emailed the planning authority to express their support with the majority coming from outside the locality.

Yamaha head to Valkenswaard

 March 27, 2019

 

The podium champagne Gautier Paulin sprayed at the second round of the FIM Motocross World Championship has barely had time to dry as the Monster Energy Wilvo Yamaha MXGP and Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP teams head to Valkenswaard, The Netherlands, for the third stop on the MXGP calendar.

Situated between Eindhoven and the Belgian boarder, Valkenswaard marks MXGP's first sand race this season. The venue has staged 32 rounds of the FIM Motocross World Championship since its first in 1974; therefore it is one of the most familiar tracks on the 2019 rostrum.

Valkenswaard was the track at which Monster Energy Wilvo Yamaha MXGP's Gautier Paulin won his last Grand Prix. That victory was back in 2017 and was one of his most memorable with the Frenchman proving his sand-riding prowess with a 1-2 finish for the overall win.

Currently third in the 2019 MXGP Championship Standings and fresh off of the podium at the British Grand Prix three days ago, Paulin is driven to keep improving as he continues to test and fine-tune certain aspects of his incredible YZ450F machine.

Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP's Jeremy Seewer has been making solid progress. The 24 year-old surprised himself with top-five finish in the final race at the MXGP of Great Britain last weekend. As a result, he moved up to seventh position in the MXGP Championship classification, which gave him more motivation for this weekend where he hopes to inch towards a top-five overall finish.

Two frantic rounds spoiled by unlucky crashes has left Monster Energy Wilvo Yamaha MXGP's Arnaud Tonus eager to finish both races strong. The 27-year-old has proven he is capable of running the pace of the front-runners after posting quick laptimes at the previous two rounds.  Ironically, the last time he lined up at Valkenswaard was back in 2017 and on that day he topped the charts in Timed Practice beating even the most famed sand riders.

Valkenswaard is renowned for its popularity and hugely animated crowds, which are bolstered by the influx of passionate Belgian motocross fans who cross the border. Monster Energy Kemea Yamaha MX2 will be lining up for the third round of the MX2 World Championship with Ben Watson and Jago Geerts, and as a Belgian based team with two riders who excel in the sand, the team is confident that both riders can improve their current fifth and ninth place rankings. 

Joining the MXGP and MX2 World Championships this weekend, the opening rounds of the FIM WMX World Championship and the EMX125 Championship will also take place. Bearing the torch for MXFonta Yamaha WMX this weekend, as the defending World Champion Kiara Fontanesi focuses on improving her physical condition, Larissa Papenmeier will make her YZ250F debut.

MJC Yamaha EMX125 will enter the EMX125 Championship with three young riders, Florian Miot, Luca Diserens and last years YZ125 bLU cRU Cup winner, Magnus Smith. All three riders will line up on GYTR kitted YZ125 machines.

Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP's Romain Febvre will not be racing, although he will be in attendance, and he will star on MXGP's live Studio Show on Saturday 30that 10:20am (CET). It is free to view on www.mxgp-tv.com.

Gautier Paulin: "Valkenswaard is sand, so it is really high speed and rutted with a lot of big bumps. I really like the track and I have some good memories from racing there. This weekend, we have a blank page so I look forward to going there to test everything we have been working on for the last few weeks. We have been working hard to make everything better for Valkenswaard, so I hope we have improved our set-up and we have a strong weekend."

Jeremy Seewer: "Honestly, Valkenswaard in the past has been the GP that I never looked forward to. I feel like I have struggled there a lot, but I have also had two podiums there in MX2 and last year I posted some good results after my concussion in Argentina the round before. I have had some good results there even if it is not my favourite track, so I am looking forward to it anyway especially as I return to my normal condition physically."

Arnaud Tonus: "I feel a little bit second hand going into this weekend after the crash in moto two last weekend. This week I am doing everything I can to recover so that I can post some decent results, and that's all I can do at the moment."

Dutch GP gives good motivation for Team HRC

March 27, 2019

For the third round of the 2019 MXGP world championships, Team HRC head to the Valkenswaard circuit on the Netherlands / Belgium border, in what will be a good opportunity to show everyone their sand skills after two tracks that offered vastly different terrain.

Tim Gajser’s confidence is extremely high, coming off the back of his second moto victory in England last weekend, which was a culmination of his speed every time he went on the Matterley Basin track. The Slovenian rider was the fastest rider in almost every session and his performance on the Honda CRF450RW gave everyone a boost heading into this weekend at Valkenswaard. While sand hasn’t always been kind to Gajser, his work over the winter has seen solid improvements and now is chance for him to show those improvements against this competitive MXGP class.

For Brian Bogers and Calvin Vlaanderen, the MXGP of the Netherlands is the only chance for them to ride in front of their home crowd before the Assen Motocross of Nations in September, so they are both very eager to put on a good showing.

Calvin had a second place in the second race in England so he is hoping to put in a repeat performance this weekend on this dark sand surface that is located just a few minutes from his home. For Brian, the sand is a welcome switch, after growing up riding on this kind of terrain since he was a child. He’ll be looking to get his 2019 campaign going in a positive direction after a tough opening couple of rounds and this provides a great opportunity to do so.

After last year’s freezing temperatures, the weather is looking to be quite good for the weekend, which should lead to a good spectacle for riders and fans alike. This weekend sees the first rounds of the Women’s and the EMX125 championship, but the Team HRC riders get on-track at 11:30 local time (MX2) and 12:00 (MXGP) on Saturday 30th March, with the racing starting at 12:15 on Sunday 31st March.

Tim Gajser 243
It was great to that second moto win at the British GP last weekend, on what was such a special day for me. It was a shame I couldn’t get the overall, but I am very happy to be able to prove I have the speed to win races. Over the winter we have worked very hard to improve my feeling in the sand and this race is the first chance to see what impact that has made. I am confident that I can do much better and am really excited to just get back to racing again.

Brian Bogers 189
The Great Britain GP didn’t go so well so I definitely want to make improvements at my home GP at Valkenswaard. I hope that the Dutch crowd will be behind me to give me some extra energy so I can push even harder and get the results I know that I am capable of. I think if I can try and enjoy the experience, I can get two good results.

Calvin Vlaanderen 10
Getting that second place in Matterley Basin really gave me some good motivation for this week, to really work hard for this home GP. It was great to get the result, but now I want to do even better and that starts here at Valkenswaard, which is just a couple of minutes from where I live. This round is also the first sand round of the year and it is a chance for me to see how well my winter training went. I really think we made good strides with the bike setup and how I feel on the bike so I’m excited to see if I can put that into practice.

Marcus Pereira de Freitas
HRC General Manager – MXGP
After two rounds at tracks where it was quite nice dirt, we now go to Valkenswaard where it is sandy, providing another challenge for our riders and our team. However everyone is excited to show that all the work we did over the winter is paying off and I’m confident that we will see this in the results. Tim is riding really well right now and he is having fun on the bike and that is important, while for Brian and Calvin, this is their home GP so they both really want to do well in front of their home crowd. I am very much looking forward to this weekend.

TM Racing hitting the ground running in 2019

Podiums and red plates – EnduroGP team (and two-stroke) focus on TM Racing’s solid start to the 2019 season.  

World Championship podiums for Danny McCanney, a championship leaders red plate for Loic Larrieu and “one of the most incredible races of my career” for Verona. Add into the mix the leader of the new Open World Cup senior class, David Knight is also on TM 300 two-stroke and it has been a strong start to 2019 for this small, Italian manufacturer. 

In reality Steve Holcombe looks to be flying his Beta to a different planet right now above the rest of the world of enduro. But next best and certainly in good numbers have been the TM Racing riders. We’ve seen it in national championships – most notably the Italian Championship which is attracting many of the big GP teams and riders in 2019 – as well as the opening round of the Enduro World Championship last weekend in Germany. 

Viewpoint: Gautier Paulin

Gautier Paulin on a successful event

Gautier Paulin has claimed many times that he has gelled perfectly with Monster Energy Wilvo Yamaha MXGP and, based on how he has performed at rounds one and two, fans have no choice but to believe him. Paulin landed on the podium at the Grand Prix of Great Britain and then reflected on his first trip to the box in his new colours in this exclusive MX Vice interview. This interview was originally posted a podcast elsewhere on the site.

MX Vice: You have said many times you feel good on the Yamaha. You look good on the Yamaha. Now it's coming together, because you have got your first podium with the team. All positive things.

Gautier Paulin: Yeah, we are positive. We are only at the second round and we did a podium, so for sure it's positive. It was a strong ride. Second and third today. First moto without the mistake I could have pushed to maybe do something better. It was good. We improved a lot. Like I said in the interview before Argentina we had to pack the crate and put the bike in.

Now after the race we have been working hard, so it paid off. The second start was much better. We will continue working hard on our weak points, myself to get to the speed where I want to be and also with the bike. The team is strong behind me and we are pushing. 

When you said in Argentina that there was that one thing that you needed to work on, that was something to do with the starts then?

Yeah, there are many things we need to work on actually. The bike since December it's a Monster Energy Wilvo Yamaha, so we need to work on maybe a little detail that makes me happy riding the dirtbike. The starts are one of the things we need to improve. Of course, we always need to be better in every single parameter. 

In the first moto you didn't close in on Tony [Cairoli] and run him down to take the win, but you did keep the gap at five seconds for ten laps in a row. That obviously proves you were riding at exactly the same speed as him, which is still a really positive thing. That proves if you get alongside him out of the gate and start with him, then great things are going to happen.

I did close the gap. I did close the gap when Antonio got the lead and [Tim] Gajser crashed. Then I closed the gap and I made a mistake on the off-camber, which gives Antonio his comfort zone of five seconds. He did two good laps in a row, so when he is on that situation he is the strongest. I know Antonio. We'll keep working to be better. 

Any difference for you between motos one and two? Obviously, moto one you kept Tony close. Moto two you drifted back a little bit more. Track conditions? Bike set-up? Anything that kind of played into that? 

I had a much better start actually in the second moto, so this was really good. Then the sun was really low. The track was really hard. I didn't put myself in a good spot with good lines and stuff. I make a bit too much of stop and go in those deep ruts and that cost me that gap. Once you are alone, then of course pushing to be ten seconds closer wouldn't put me in a better position.

I build up. Need to enjoy this weekend with this podium. We'll keep working on my weak points, but it was good. There is plenty of stuff to improve, but the second moto definitely a bit more tight track. Was a little bit more dusty. Sun was low. To push on the spots that you don't control one hundred percent and that wasn't the best. The track of Matterley was really good, I have to say.

Finally, going to Valkenswaard and a track that's been pretty good for you in the past next week. How are you feeling in the sand on the Yamaha? are you excited?

You will see. No one has seen already in the sand with the Yamaha, so nothing comes for free. We'll keep on the same line. 

Interview: Lewis Phillips | Lead Image: ConwayMX

Hot Gossip...MXGP Down Under

Australia to host a round of the Motocross World Championship in 2020?

 

Kirk Gibbs at the tough Cosy Creek Circuit circuit at Manjimup.

Hot word around the paddock at the MXGP of Great Britain was that Australia may once again host a round of the Motocross World Championship in 2020 in Perth, WA.

Prominant and long time West Australian promoter Willie Thomson attended the round and reportaly mentioned to the crowd that that a round will be held early in the season, possibly March.

While anyhing is a long way from official it would be safe to say that the famous Cosy Creek Circuit circuit at Manjimup would be the obvious venue.

Manjimup has long been the venue for the historic Manjimup 1500 and also hosted the Motocross of Nations in 1992 that saw the American team take victory.

Australia last hosted a round of the World Championship, known as the World 500cc Motocross Grand Prix, back on March 19 2000 at Broadford in Victoria.

Local riders selected for the event, which was the opening round, included Chad Reed, Craig Anderson, Daryl Hurley, Michael Byrne, and the late Andrew McFarlane.

There have also been rumblings about Horsham hosting a round after the success of the World Junior Championshoip last August.

Stay tuned.

2019 Alligator National Enduro NEPG round 2 Highlights

Highlights from the sweet course at round two of the AMA National Enduro Series in Ormond Beach, Florida the 68th Alligator Enduro. Stew Baylor wins from Russell Bobbitt and Evan Smith.

Cairoli wins in England

 

Antonio Cairoli scored another GP victory, the 87^th of his career with a consistent 1-2 performance. The Italian showed smarts to take his time in the opening moto when Tim Gajser pushed hard and fell, and then sat back and watched the HRC rider win the second moto, but his GP victory was more than enough the give the Italian a big smile.

Second overall was Gajser with 3-1 and third Gautier Paulin with 2-3 scores.

Cairoli takes the holeshot, but Gajser quickly into the lead and Paulin into third place, followed by Jasikonis, Seewer, Jonass, Tixier, Simpson, Coldenhoff, Van Horebeek in 10^th. Ferris down in the first corner and out of the race.

Gajser in control again, just like he was in the opening moto, but the circuit is rough and there are plenty of slippery sections. Gajser looking smooth as silk and after three laps the lead was five second, then came Cairoli, Paulin, Jasikonis, Seewer, Jonass, Van Horebeek, Simpson, Tonus and Tixier.

Cairoli clocking off quick lap times, but Gajser responded with the fastest lap of the race on lap five. After five laps it was Gajser, Cairoli, Paulin, Jasikonis, Seewer, Van Horebeek, Jonass, Tonus, Tixier, and Simpson 10^th.

Gajser and Cairoli on another level compared to the rest as they pull well away from everyone else. After eight laps Gajser led with six seconds over Cairoli, then Paulin 27 seconds back, followed by Jasikonis, Seewer, Van Horebeek, Jonass, Desalle, Coldenhoff, Simpson.

Cairoli on the gas as he picks up the pace and started closing in on Gajser with three laps to go. After 11 laps the lead was four and a half seconds. Gajser clocked the quickest first second of the track and Cairoli the fastest in the last section. Two laps to go and less than three seconds in it.

Gajser wins the moto after Cairoli pulled right up on him, and third placed Paulin some 54 minutes back.

Arnaud Tonus (SUI, Yamaha), -6 lap(s); 33. Ander Valentin (ESP, Husqvarna), -10 lap(s); 34. Matiss Karro (LAT, Husqvarna), -14 lap(s); 35. Dean Ferris (AUS, Yamaha), -15 lap(s);

MXGP - GP Classification

1. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 47 points; 2. Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 45 p.; 3. Gautier Paulin (FRA, YAM), 42 p.; 4. Clement Desalle (BEL, KAW), 32 p.; 5. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, HON), 31 p.; 6. Arminas Jasikonis (LTU, HUS), 30 p.; 7. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, YAM), 29 p.; 8. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, KTM), 22 p.; 9. Max Anstie (GBR, KTM), 21 p.; 10. Shaun Simpson (GBR, KTM), 17 p.; Guryev (RUS, HUS), 0 p.; 33. Jake Millward (GBR, HUS), 0 p.; 34. Ander Valentin (ESP, HUS), 0 p.; 35. Matiss Karro (LAT, HUS), 0 p.;

MXGP - World Championship Classification

1. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 97 points; 2. Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 89 p.; 3. Gautier Paulin (FRA, YAM), 74 p.; 4. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, HON), 66 p.; 5. Clement Desalle (BEL, KAW), 65 p.; 6. Arminas Jasikonis (LTU, HUS), 56 p.; 7. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, YAM), 50 p.; 8. Max Anstie (GBR, KTM), 39 p.; 9. Shaun Simpson (GBR, KTM), 39 p.; 10. Tommy Searle (GBR, KAW), 38 p.;

Ray Archer image

Marv Wins But Loses

Explaining Marvin Musquin's Penalty

By Jason Weigandt

 

Red Bull KTM's Marvin Musquin won the Seattle Supercross last night, his second-consecutive victory in Monster Energy AMA Supercross, but the entire race was shrouded with doubt after the #25 rider was seen jumping through a section lined with red cross (no jumping) flags.

The flags were out due to an huge crash that claimed both Chad Reed and Justin Brayton. Neither rider returned to the race, and Reed is suspected to have arm and rib injuries. Brayton was talking of knee pain and possibly a torn MCL ligament. We will update the status of these two as more information comes available.

As for Musquin, he led the race early and went on to capture the win. But would he be penalized and be stripped of the victory? No. As the official championship  rulebook explains, the penalty is now points, not positions.

Under section 4.16 of the rulebook, it states that a rider must do all of the obstacles individually (i.e. no double, triple, step on/off, etc.) when a red cross or red flashing light is shown. It goes on to say that if Race Direction determines that there was a blatant violation of the rule, the penalty will be as follows (emphasis ours): 

A. During practice and qualifying, the loss of the fastest lap time during that session.

B. During Heat or LCQ races, the loss of number of positions gained, plus two additional positions in the final results for that race.

C. During a main event race, if no positions were gained, the penalty will be the points and purse equal to two positions in the final results for that race plus two additional points.

D. During a main event race, if any positions are gained, the loss of number of positions gained plus the points and purse equal to two additional positions in the final results for that race, plus two additional points.

E. During a sighting or cool-down lap, a fine as determined by Race Direction.

F. If at any time Race Direction determines that it was not a blatant violation of the rule, a warning or fine may be issued.

So, in the case of Musquin, no positions were gained, so rule 9C was applied: He was stripped of points and purse equal to two positions (this case first to third) and an additional two points. That resulted in a seven-point penalty in the championship for Musquin.

Some fans may remember Ryan Dungey being stripped of a win for jumping through a red cross section in 2016, but the rulebook changed prior to the 2017 season. This new rule was actually enforced in the exact same manner at last year's Indianapolis Supercross, when Jeremy Martin won the race, but was found to have doubled a triple, and was thus still awarded the race win but was stripped of seven championship points.

Here's a link to the Martin story from last year, which also contains additional information on the rule from the AMA Supercross Manager Mike Pelletier. 

Musquin remains second in the series and 14 points down to his teammate Cooper Webb. He was 14 points down coming into Seattle.

E Bikes Are Coming...It's Only A Matter Of Time

The Big Red is taking an e-step.

Electric motorcycles are blossoming on the market like Spring flowers. While a lot of the most appealing models are offered by small-volume companies and startups, some of the industry’s biggest players are finally joining in. For instance, KTM introduced the Freeride EX-C dirt bike while Yamaha went the trials way with the TY-E. Others like Ducati and Kawasaki are supposedly working on emission-free models of their own. A new player has now officially (kind of) entered the e-game: Honda is going electric.

TThe terms “electric” and “Honda” sharing a sentence isn’t exactly news-worthy. The manufacturer has already dabbled in the technology on the automotive industry. On the motorcycle front, however, we’ve seen a few ideas from the company including its self-standing motorcycle as well as a partnership with Panasonic for the development of swappable e-scooter batteries. However, a proper, almost production-ready bike hadn’t exactly been part of the plan.

It now is. In fact, the Japanese giant surprised everyone by introducing an electric dirt bike prototype at the Tokyo Motorcycle Show, the CR Electric. The frame of the motocross is similar to a standard CR-F 250, that is an aluminum twin-spar structure with a prominent beam framing the engine. Even the block itself is deceptively similar to a petrol mill if not inspected up close—unlike other designs that enclose the battery and electric motor into a box.

Of course, as a prototype, there is very little information available such as battery size, power, range, weight, etc. There’s no need to have a keen eye to notice the massive “Showa” decorating the inverted fork at the front. Braking power (at least part of it) is likely provided by Nissin, if the fluid reservoir is any indications.

As a prototype, what’s interesting is the fact that Honda is choosing for the dirt path rather than the paved one to put its electric technology to the test—the same path a number of other companies have also chosen. The Honda representatives in Tokyo commented that “Motocross (off road) is the toughest test for electric bikes. Honda will develop the E-sports bike also.” An electric road Honda on the way? We’re looking forward to seeing that.