Russian MXGP Histroy

The Russians - Their History

While it is multiple Motocross World Champion Guennady Moisseev of Russia, who is best remembered by the motocross historians, it was Victor Arbekov who made history for his country by winning the very first 250 motocross world championship in 1965 for his homeland.

Interest in the sport in Russia was big throughout the 1970s, with thousands and thousands of fans attending the Grand Prix rounds and a handful of very good Russian riders competing.

Not surprisingly, the 250 class, of which the Russian riders mainly competed, held 18 Grand Prix from 1962 until 1985, and while Torsten Hallman picked up wins in 62, 67 and 68, it was often a home rider who would steal victory in those early years. Four Russian riders won at home in the 250 class, Viktor Arbekov in 1966, Vladimir Kavinovin 1969, Anatoly Ovchinikov in 1976, Guennady Moisseev in 1977 and Kavinov again in 1980.

Ove Lundell won the first 500cc GP in Russia in 1963, and names like Jeff Smith, Paul Friedrichs, and Roger De Coster had multiple success there. Smith won in 1964 and 1967, Friedrichs in 1966 and 1970 and De Coster in 1972 and 1975.

Only one 125cc Grand Prix was ever held in Russia, and that was in 1983, with Italian legend, Michele Rinaldiwinning at the Leningrad circuit.

With three Motocross World Championships, and 14 Grand Prix victories, Guennady Moisseev is without question the greatest rider to come out of Russia. When you think of current KTM heroes such as Antonio Cairoli, and Jeffrey Herlings, then you can imagine that Moisseev fits right in with those two legends.

Moisseev won the 1974, 1977 and 1978 World 250cc championship riding for KTM, and in 1976, he narrowly lost the 250-world championship by one point to Finnish legend, and three times world motocross champion, Heikki Mikkola.

In 1978, Moisseev was a member of the winning Russian team in the Motocross des Nations. Moisseev won a race for the last time in 1979 when friction developed between the Russian Motorcycling Federation and the KTM factory.

Moisseev, like many Russian sports stars of his era, was enlisted in the Russian Army, rising to the ranks of Major during his racing career. His extreme fitness combined with team tactics made him a fearsome competitor. After retiring from competition, Moisseev became a motocross coach. In 1977, Moisseev was awarded the Order of the Red Banner of Labour and, in 1978 he was given the honorary title of “Honoured Master of Sports.” In December 2000, he was elected president of the Russian Motorcycle Federation.

Russia also won the Motocross of Nations on two occasions, the first time in Kishinev, Russia in 1968 and again in 1978.

Russian riders disappeared from the motocross world championships for many years, and in recent times riders likeEvgeny Bobryshev, Alexandr Tonkov and Vsevolod Brylyakov are having some success. Of course, Bobryshev finished third in the world in 2015, the best result for a Russian rider in decades.

Russian GP winners

Guennady Moisseev 14

Victor Arbekov 10

Vladimir Kavinov 8

Anatoly Ovchinnikov 2

Igor Grigoriev 1

Pavel Rulev 1

Eugenij Rybalchenko 1

Evgeny Bobryshev 1

MX/SX Legend Bob Hannah Joins Tag Metals As Technical Advisor

MX/SX Legend Bob Hannah Joins Tag Metals As Technical Advisor 

 

Bob Hannah & Ryan Villopoto (Tag Metals Brand Ambassador)

Tag Metals relaunched earlier this month as part of the Group 6 USA, LLC family of brands and we are pleased to announce that 7 - Time Champ Bob “Hurricane” Hannah has joined the Tag Metals product development team as a technical advisor. 

After retiring from professional SX/MX racing Bob continued to race airplanes for several years, now as a pilot and competitive bicycle rider Bob’s attention to detail and his technical knowledge makes Bob the prefect addition to our product team. 

Eddie Cole, Group 6 USA CEO said.....”Bob has worked with us on previous brands, first as a factory racer and as a technical advisor. Bob has been instrumental in helping us with Tag and we are really fortunate to have Bob involved with us”. 

Bob commented......”well to be honest, l can’t seem to get rid of these guys, so, I’m involved in another project! Actually, we put together a great product line and the team has several new products already planned for phase 2”.

See the complete Tag Metals line of factory replica Handlebars, Grips, Chain, Sprockets & Accessories at; www.tagmetalsracing.com

About Tag Metals .....Tag Metals was born with a passion for performance and innovative. The new Tag Metals offers a complete range of hi performance racing off road motorcycle handlebars, grips, sprockets, chains and accessories. Now part of the Group 6 USA family of brands that now includes Matrix Concepts, Atlas Braces USA, Royal MTB Apparel, 7 MTB Protection & Tag Metals; Based in Valencia, California. Group 6 USA, LLC products are used and developed by the top MX/Off-Road/Cycling race teams in the world. 

For more Tag Metals information please contact us at info@group6usa.com or telephone 661 253 1592. Visit us at: www.tagmetalsracing.com 

In Canada contact: Matrix Concepts Canada at 604 542 5661

Jeffery Herlings Taking Control?

Discussion: Jeffrey Herlings

Monday, 16th April 2018 · 6 min read

Jeffrey Herlings has really taken control of the premier division in recent weeks, thanks to some small changes that have eliminated his weaknesses. Starts, pit-board messages, battling with Antonio Cairoli, a positive act and much more are all discussed in this chat from the Grand Prix of Portugal. This interview was originally posted as a post-race podcast.

MX Vice: Perfect day, really. I don't know what more we can say. It did not really seem like you put a foot wrong all weekend.

Jeffrey Herlings: No, it has been actually really good. It feels like we got our starts more dialled in. Got second twice and the pole also first moto. So, that was really decent and the riding. I felt great on the bike. I felt great on the track. It was a picture perfect weekend almost. Same in Arco di Trento. Let’s keep going like this, I would say.

Jeffrey Herlings currently leads the MXGP standings by sixteen points (KTM Images/Ray Archer)

I know you said yesterday that you struggled with line choice to begin with, just figuring it out on the first couple of laps. Was that harder today; leading from the front, not being able to watch anyone else and see what others were doing?

I felt like the second moto was good regarding my line choice, but the first moto I was struggling. After the moto I checked. My team made some videos and I checked like, dude, you are using bad lines my man! Bad lines. So then I felt like I was not riding good, but it was still enough to win. The first moto I could really control, because Tony [Cairoli] had to come from tenth place or something.

I knew Tim [Gajser] and [Gautier] Paulin were behind, but I knew they were a little bit less of a risk than Tony. I could just basically do my own thing. Coming back to your question, I think the Saturday I was having a tough time, same first moto because there were so many line options because of the track being so spongy, but the second moto I was good.

Speaking of that first race, watching your team, it kind of looked like they were worried that you were going to settle too much. Every lap they were kind of telling you to pick up the pace. I noticed that on the start in the second race they put on the board that you needed an eight-second gap immediately. Was that just their way of motivating you and making sure that you kept the intensity high?

Yeah. I felt like the track was capable of doing that second moto. The first moto the dirt was spongier and more wet, so second moto I felt like I was going to be able to really attack the track. I felt good. They always want me to put a little gap so in case if I go down or whatsoever. I went down the second moto after four or five laps and I at least had a small gap to afford a crash [and make sure] that I can still go out first. Just so I am a little safer.

Was that what happened in the second race then, on like lap three just after the finish? You lost like five seconds or whatever? Was that a crash?

Yeah. From the dirt what came up, there were some stones in-between. I just landed and there was just one stone in the line, then my front wheel went over the line. It was two lines together and I opened, whiskey throttle. I was like "yup, yard saled it."

Herlings only had one holeshot across the entire season a year ago (KTM Images/Ray Archer)

I know obviously starts are a big thing now. You led every lap in the first moto and then pretty much in the second race as well. From your perspective, is winning a race like that more rewarding or can you get more from starting fifth and working your way forward. You kind of earn it a little more, maybe?

No, I like it way more this way. Just give me a good start and preferably a holeshot and let me do it this way. I like it way better.

Speaking of starts, I spoke to Dirk last week and he kind of filled us in on the light and what’s going on with that. Is that the only part you got? It seems kind of simple that it just took a light to fix your starts.

Yeah, obviously I was not capable of getting the same RPM what was actually needed to pull a good start. When I was alone I could do it, but when there is like twenty-nine bikes next to me, for example, I could not hear my own bike. Then I was either too high or too low with the RPMs. Now the team made a great job and just put on some lights, so I can see that I am in the right RPM zone and since then it got better.

Do you even feel more confident just sat on the gate? Are you sat there now knowing that you can holeshot whenever?

Yeah, basically I just have to drop the clutch. I get the right RPMs, lean to the front and drop the clutch. They got it made pretty easy to me for now, but it is not that easy. To get the good start is one thing, but you have to keep doing it over and over and that is not going to be easy. The rest will also improve.

A familiar sight for a lot of the competitors in the MXGP class (KTM Images/Ray Archer)

Obviously, Tony kind of changed his strategy in the second race and went next to you on the line. Did you think anything of that? It kind of reminded me of the old Ferrandis days a little bit, trying to get next to you and squeeze you out into the first turn?

Yeah – that is what he did. He went over the gate and actually had a better jump. I almost dropped over just before the gate dropped, because it took longer than I expected it to be, so I was hesitating. Then I got out of balance and then I almost tipped over, so I was in the right RPM but was just out of balance and he just got his handlebar in front of me. He cut me off a bit, but I probably would have done the same.

I wanted to talk to you about this last week, but obviously you had a flight to catch. I heard about something you did with another rider in time practice? Someone was down under their bike and you stopped, got their bike off them or whatever. You obviously have a lot of haters, so I feel like people would probably like to hear that story.

Yeah, because people don’t know I have got a good heart! Some rider was down and people just kept getting past him, but I was just on a slow lap. I was not on the heater so I was just like, come on. The guy’s under his exhaust, under his bike, and I was like somebody has got to help him. The flag marshal was just looking at him. I was like, all right. I'll do it!

Finally, a little break now. I ask you this all the time. Anything you need to fix? Anything you want to do? Is it just perfect for the moment?

For the moment it is pretty perfect. I still want to keep working on my starts, but I think regarding fitness and speed I’m on a good level. Can we improve? Yeah, we can always improve, but also bike-wise I feel great on the bike. The team did a great job over the winter with testing and whatever. They keep coming with good things and improvements. I’m very happy. The only thing I can do is just keep going and doing what I’m doing right now.

Interview: Lewis Phillips | Lead Image: KTM Images/Ray Archer

2018 Red Fox National Enduro

Steward Baylor extended his lead in the Kenda AMA National Enduro Series championship standings by taking a solid win in extremely challenging conditions at this weekend’s FMF Red Fox National Enduro near Lynnville, Indiana.

2018 Glen Helen IOTMX

Race 2 of the 2018 International Old Timers MX at Glen Helen

Fortunately the trip down from Northern CA to Glen Helen was mostly a North to South trip and I had a tail wind most of the way, the wind was bad. With a total vehicle length of 38 feet when I went West to East I was a sail in the wind.

I arrived Friday morning and the wind was still blowing from the North with big time gusts, which meant lot’s of blowing dust. Riding practice was sketchy you didn’t dare get off the ground. I did once and it blew me sideways and I automatically put my foot down and promptly tweaked my ankle and knee. They changed the configuration of the track a little bit and added some more sand sections, which were challenging. Overall I liked the track layout and I think most everyone else did as well.

Saturday morning was a different story; the winds were calm the day sunny and the racing was good. I was able to extent my personal win streak to 24 motos. (A sham less plug on my part) But not without problems my trusty Husky started giving me grief again. It started stalling again (Read part 3 on my Husky) I thought I had finally found the cure, evidently not. The idle was turned up a bit I thought but that turned out to be a lot and that began to mess with the TPS setting and the bike felt like it had an air leak. In this configuration it started pushing me into corners and scaring the shit out of me. I lowered the idle and that cured that but it still stalled a couple of times, back to the drawing board, again.

After the races a lot of people filed into the large hall for bench racing, tacos, raffles and the suppercross races.

Sunday morning was a little overcast and a slight breeze, perfect for racing. There are always dozens and dozens of stories that happen at any race and this one was no different.

Mike a friend of mine bought a 2018.5 KTM 450 Factory Replica (Formerly known as a Dungey Replica) moved up in age class and promptly got his ass kicked by another rider who had recently done the same. To be fair the two of them were way ahead of the third place rider. But had I not reminded him he would have once again forgotten to turn in his transponder. The last time he did this he earned the famous Eric McKenna “Fish Award” which he still has by the way from the last time he forgot. Another friend had his first race in thirty four months and was so wound up the whole weekend it was hard to be around him. It’s kind of disgusting to be around someone who has that much energy.

Another friend Kerry showed up with leaky air forks on his KTM made trips to LA to see if he could get them fixed all to no avail, but was saved by Craig who just happened to have a spare bike with him that had a set of the trick KTM Cone Valve forks which he loaned to Kerry and saved his weekend. Kerry and I seldom find ourselves on the same gate anymore since we are in different classes, but we did this weekend. In the second moto on Saturday and because he tipped over he found himself behind me. I was leading my class and behind the guy leading Kerry’s class. Kerry was desperate to get around me and go after the leader. (Kerry was also trying to keep his own winning streak alive) As he tells it, he just knew I would roll over and wilt under his pressure. Numerous times he was so close to me (And his bike was so quiet) I didn’t see him or hear him I finally made a little bobble a couple of turns from the checkered flag and he got by. He finished 2^nd and that was the end of his winning streak. (I wonder if he realizes I had something to do with that. If he reads this maybe I won’t be able to park next to him next weekend.)

Well as they say all good things must come to an end and for me my 24 moto win streak came to an end. I ruled the day on Saturday but bad starts a couple of stalls and difficulty getting around some riders did me in. And on top of that my competitor got the hole shot for our gate both motos on Sunday and rode well deserving the wins.

I also had one crash in the second moto on Sunday which further hampered my progress, a crash of my own doing. (Which most are?) My friend Art and I were on the same gate but in different classes. He suffered with bad starts all weekend so we found ourselves together in both motos on Sunday trying to get around a rider who got better starts then we did but was so squirrely he scared both of us when we were trying to pass him. In the second moto after we both got around him I decided to bonzi past Art on one of the famous Glen Helen down hills. I got by him but had a little too much front brake for the 90 degree right hand turn at the bottom, Art said he was thinking he’s not going to make and I didn’t have to think about anything and hit the ground and my head pretty hard. In that second I thought Art would say something to me as he went by but he said he was too busy trying to avoid running over me. That rung my bell and took me a couple of laps get my senses back.

All in all it was a great weekend for most everyone. It’s a short week because this weekend is the 3^rd race of the season at Fernley, NV.

Doug 21J

Top 5 Motorcycle Parts and Mods for Off-Road Racing

2018 Merzouga Rally

Honda riders dominate early stages of 2018 Merzouga Rally

 

Benavides wins the second stage from Quintanilla, Barreda leads overall after two stages of the 2018 Merzouga Rally. 

Argentinean Kevin Benevides was the fastest rider in the Merzouga Rally at the end of stage two. After winning the prologue, Benevides had an error-free second stage to move into second place overall, behind team-mate Joan Barreda. 

“I felt very good today, I went out to attack." Said Benevides after the stage. "I saw the riders in front and over the final kilometres of dunes I wanted to attack but something made me think about not forcing and not risking to finish the stage safe.”

The short 175.3km timed special of stage two of the Merzouga Rally saw riders head into the desert east of the small town of Merzouga. The route was made up of two loops, separated by a 15-minute neutralisation. Comprising a mixture of dunes and faster tracks, the stage still required careful navigation in order to post a good time. 

Rally World Champion third overall

Pablo Quintanilla also enjoyed a mistake-free timed special to come home in second. Reaching the leading riders after the halfway mark, the reigning Cross-Country Rallies World Champion sits third overall. 

 

 

“We had a very early start this morning and in the first dunes it was difficult to see if another rider was in front.” Said Quintanilla.  

“Around the 120km mark I caught the leading group of riders and continued to open the tracks for the remainder of the special stage. I made no mistakes and felt fast from start to finish. My navigation was also on point and this is crucial in such conditions.”

Price recovers from day one errors

Toby Price kept his head down after the early start and concentrated, keen to not repeat the navigation errors he made on Monday’s stage one. At the finish, Price posted the third fastest time, just over three-minutes down on the leader.

 

Photo Credit: Marcin Kin

“It was a good day today, especially after having such a tough day yesterday.” Said the former Dakar winner, Price. 

“I just nailed each section and tried not to make the same mistakes as yesterday. After making a mistake like yesterday, you lose confidence in your road book, so today was all about building that confidence up again and getting a solid result.”

Tomorrow, rally stage three, sees the start of the marathon stage – two days riding without overnight assistance – which will feature a 63-kilometre liaison and a 239.21-kilometre special stage against the clock. Riders will spend the night camped at the foot of the dunes and will receive no mechanical assistance.

2018 Merzouga Rally – Stage 2 Classification 

1. Kevin Benavides (Honda) 02:41:54 
2. Pablo Quintanilla (Husqvarna) 02:44:10 
3. Toby Price (KTM) 02:45:35 
4. Franco Caimi (Yamaha) 02:49:36 
5. Ignacio Cornejo (Honda) 02:50:04 
6. Joan Barreda (Honda) 02:50:11

2018 Red Fox National Enduro

Steward Baylor takes a solid win in extremely challenging conditions at the Red Fox National Enduro near Lynnville, Indiana – round three of the 2018 AMA National Enduro series. 

Baylor managed to stay out of trouble to claim the overall victory by a 28-second margin over FMF KTM Factory rider Josh Toth, Thad Duvall fought through to third after starting way down the order. 

SCOTT VISION SERIES – EPISODE 7 – Justin Barcia

Justin Barcia is no stranger to the whirlwind of change and obstacles being a professional motocross athlete can bring. After experiencing both highs and lows as a factory rider, Bam Bam taps into his amateur roots for a rejuvenation in both his racing and lifestyle.

Cairoli - The Fighter

Bruised and battered from last weekend’s Grand Prix of Portugal, nine-time world motocross champion Antonio Cairoli will be seething. He knows that this 2018 GP season might be his toughest to date. He knows that speed wise the young lion Jeffrey Herlings might have his number, but if there is one thing about Antonio Cairoli, it is that he is a fighter, and the word, give up, or quit, isn’t in his vocabulary.

Time and time again 222 has turned up, and given his all, fought against the odds of injury in 2015 and 2016, and returned in 2017 as a different rider. Better than that young kid who won his first world motocross championship in 2005, back when he was just 19 years old, better than the rider who dominated the world in 2012, winning his sixth world championship and dominated the Americans and Herlings at Lommel with 1-1 results, and in my opinion the 2018 version of AC is better than the 2017 version.

If you ask Antonio Cairoli, he can still get better, can still find some extra speed and can 100% be a 10 times world motocross champion, and I for one, don’t doubt his desire and destination in the motocross history books.

While we all marvel at the performances of Jeffrey Herlings in 2018, and for that matter also at the end of 2017, it might be reminded, that defending MXGP champion Antonio Cairoli is still, very much in the mix. The Sicilian legend is just 16 points behind Herlings in the championship points, and as we have all seen in the past, Cairoli knows how to win world championships, even when it seems his chances are slim.

He has handled the likes of Clement Desalle and Gautier Paulin in the past, two riders who have been at the very top of our sport for more than a decade. Paulin a multiple MXoN moto winner, and Desalle with a stack of GP victories to his name.

While it might seem that Herlings is presently the man to beat, you can be sure Cairoli is working harder than ever to find a way to match the Dutchman. If you look at how far Cairoli is beating everyone, apart from Herlings, then it is clear he has already picked up his pace from 2017, a season he himself admitted was Antonio Cairoli at his very best.

I have written the Italian off before, and for sure I won’t be doing that again, despite being a massive Jeffrey Herlings fan.

I still remember 2011, and the year it looked like finally, Desalle had found the momentum to uncrown Cairoli. The Belgian started the season with victory in Bulgaria, going 2-1 and Cairoli struggled. Round after round Desalle reeled off GP wins, in America going 1-1, and Portugal also 1-1, but Cairoli wasn’t going away, and after that round in Portugal, Cairoli fought back, winning in Spain, and closing the points lead of Desalle to a single point.

Cairoli would score GP wins in Latvia (1-1), Belgium (1-1), before Desalle would win in Czech Republic (2-1), but with the weight of the world on his shoulder and the points race starting to favour the Italian, Desalle excited the race and season with an injury.

A round later in England, Cairoli would win again, with a 3-1 GP victory, and then a round later in Gaildorf, Germany, he was crowned world motocross champion for the fifth time in his career, and equal the tally of motocross legends, Roger De Coster, Georges Jobe, Joel Smets and Eric Geboers.

Great champions usually find that extra bit of speed, that extra bit of motivation, and that extra bit of dedication to once again rise from the ashes of defeat. Antonio Cairoli, a rider many feel is the greatest Grand Prix rider of all time, shouldn’t be written off, and you do so at your own peril.

2018 is going to be tough, tougher than ever, but if you had to bet your house on Antonio Cairoli coming through, then it isn't a bad bet to make.

Ray Archer images