Seely Tops Paris SX Qualifying

Roof of Africa Results

Wade Young wins Roof of Africa hard enduro

 

Sherco’s Wade Young has stormed home victorious on the final day of racing to win the 2017 Roof of Africa hard enduro.

After taking the overall lead on day two, Young made no mistakes on the third and final day of racing to once again top the leaderboard.

In doing so he claimed victory in style to card his third win in the 50-year history of the race by over 11 minutes.

Providing the closest challenge to Young entering day three, Travis Teasdale needed to make up 61 seconds to steal a march on his fellow countryman.

But with Young setting a pace too hot to handle, Teasdale ended his day fifth to claim the runner-up result and his debut podium in the Hard Enduro World Series.

Photo Credit: Tyrone Bradley

Third for Jarvis

With a 10 minute deficit to make up on the leading duo, Graham Jarvis was unable to successfully defend his Roof of Africa crown.

Ending day three for third overall, Jarvis still signed off on an incredible season with a podium result.

With wins at the Minas Riders, Red Bull Romaniacs, Sea to Sky and podiums at Erzberg and Roof of Africa and then fourth at the Megawatt, Jarvis did more than enough to claim the overall win in this year’s Red Bull Hard Enduro World Series.

Enjoying one of his best rides in the Roof of Africa to date, Yamaha’s Blake Gutzeit was fourth overall while Alfredo Gomez was fifth.

After a testing debut ride in the Roof of Africa, Mario Roman put to bed his broken chain issue from day two to place second fastest today and lift himself to eighth in the final classification.

In the Silver class it was a win for Heinrich Zellhuber beating Bradley Cox by 21 minutes. Brett Geary claimed victory in the Bronze category.

Provisional Results — 2017 Roof of Africa

1. Wade Young (Sherco) 10:41:28

2. Travis Teasdale (KTM) 10:52:34

3. Graham Jarvis (Husqvarna) 11:04:06

4. Blake Gutzeit (Yamaha) 11:06:36

5. Alfredo Gomez (KTM) 11:13:15

6. Manuel Lettenbichler (KTM) 11:19:25

7. Scott Bouverie (KTM) 11:19:35

8. Mario Roman (Sherco) 11:23:05

9. Andreas Lettenbichler (KTM) 11:30:58

10. David Cyprian (KTM) 11:57:10

Josh Strang | A Decade of Chasing the Dream Pt. 2

The Second Installment of the Series

November 15, 2017 By Austin Rohr

At the age of eighteen, Josh Strang left his native Australia and moved to the United States to pursue his dream of racing dirt bikes. Ten years later, Strang is still racing offroad in the U.S. at the highest level as a member of the Rockstar Energy/Factory Husqvarna Racing offroad team. In part two, Josh talks about his years at Suzuki, what it meant to win the 2010 GNCC Championship, and after that, moving on to new challenges as part of the Rockstar Energy/Factory Husqvarna Racing team.

GNCC Round 12 Powerline Park

Barcia Signs with Yamaha

Justin Barcia Signs with Monster Energy/Knich/Yamaha Factory Racing

November 15, 2017 By Austin Rohr

       

After it was announced a few weeks ago that Davi Millsaps had suffered injuries while testing with his new team, there was much speculation surrounding the possibility of a fill-in rider taking the spot. Following his full privateer effort at the 2017 Monster Energy Cup, Justin Barcia has been brought in to ride for the team through the first six rounds of the 2018 Monster Energy Supercross season. He will join Cooper Webb, who we spotted testing at Milestone as he recovers from a thumb injury suffered during the outdoor season. Meanwhile, it appears that Millsaps has undergone a successful surgery to his elbow and plans to make a full recovery.

The full press release is posted below…

Cypress, CA – November 15, 2017 – Monster Energy/Knich/Yamaha Factory Racing's Davi Millsaps had surgery last week due to complications with his left elbow that he fractured in early October while practicing for the Monster Energy Cup.

According to Keith McCarty, Motorsports Racing Division Manager for Yamaha Motor Corporation, U.S.A., "We initially hoped that Davi's fractured elbow wouldn't require surgery, but it's been a particularly difficult injury, so he had surgery last week in order to take care of some lingering issues. We're hopeful that the procedure will improve the timeline for his recovery."

Davi commented, "Unfortunately, I pretty much shattered my elbow when I crashed last month, and Dr. Viola in Colorado performed surgery this past Wednesday, November 8, to repair the damage. Dr. Viola said that everything went well with the procedure, and he's confident that my elbow will be 100%. I hope to be back on the bike as soon as possible.""Davi's injury still needs time to heal properly," McCarty added. "And we don't want to risk making the situation worse by having him start the season when he is not completely ready. So, Justin Barcia has been contracted to race for what we anticipate will be the first six Monster Energy Supercross rounds. Anything beyond that is still dependent on Davi's condition, and his fitness to race."Commenting on his return to Yamaha, Justin said, "First of all, I wish Davi well in his recovery. This is a great opportunity for me, and I'm really happy to be back with Yamaha again, and especially to be racing for the Yamaha Factory team. I'm proud to have my number 51 on the brand-new 2018 YZ450F, and A1 can't come soon enough for me!"Davi's teammate Cooper Webb, whose left thumb was injured during practice at the Monster Energy MXGP of the USA in Jacksonville, Florida, this past September, is now healthy and getting reacquainted with his #2 YZ450F. This week, he and the team will begin preseason conditioning and testing at the Yamaha supercross track in preparation for the opening round of the Monster Energy Supercross season on January 6 at Angel Stadium of Anaheim in Anaheim, California."I rode last week on some outdoor tracks in Southern California, and it was awesome! My thumb didn't give me any issues," Cooper said. "I've also been working hard off the bike to be in the best possible shape I can be in, and I feel really good. The new 2018 YZ450F is an amazing bike, so I know there won't be a whole lot of time required to get it fine-tuned for A1. It just comes down to me putting the laps in and getting up to race speed and conditioning. I will be ready for A1."

Big Buck Full Gas Sprint Enduro

Coastal Racing/Husqvarna’s Ryan Sipes was impressive en route to a decisive win over SRT Racing’s Steward Baylor at this weekend’s Big Buck Full Gas Sprint Enduro in Union, South Carolina. 

However, with his runner-up finish, Baylor clinched the 2017 Kenda Full Gas Sprint Enduro championship by 12 points over Beta USA’s Jordan Ashburn, capping off a competitive year between the two off-road stars. 

Photographer Shan Moore was on hand to bring us a photo essay of the event.

Coastal Racing Husqvarna’s Ryan Sipes hangs off the side of his FX350 en route to the win in the first Cross Test of the day. Sipes won all six Cross Tests on the weekend.

Steward Baylor was fast all weekend in the Enduro test, but slowly got up to speed in the Cross test.

Brett Metcalfe Signs With Honda Racing To Spear Head Australian 450 Campaign

Brett Metcalfe Signs With Honda Racing To Spear Head Australian 450 Campaign

Brett Metcalfe needs no introduction following his creditable achievements competing against some of the best riders in the world throughout his international career in America.

He is no stranger to racing on a Honda either, with some of those greatest achievements tied to the mighty CRF.

“I finished the best overall I have finished with Honda in America, in 2009 I was third in the 250 class AMA Motocross Championship and in 2010 I took 6 podium finishes on my way to 2nd overall to Ryan Dungey in the 450 class after taking 3rd overall in the East Coast SX Lites Championship.” Metcalfe said.

With consistent top 5 overall positions in both the 450 and 250 class throughout his time competing in the US, Metcalfe is now looking forward to chasing another dream down under.

“I want to win an Australian Motocross Championship in the MX1 class, it’s something I always promised myself I would try and do before I finished racing professionally.” Said Metcalfe.

That dream is looking more achievable now that Metcalfe has signed on with Honda in Australia for 2018, after already working with Honda in the US earlier this month.

“I came back to America following a trying year in Australia to prepare for next year. I had my first race on the Honda and went 1-1 in the World Vet Championships. It’s a nice way to start the relationship and I am definitely looking forward to working with the Honda Racing Team in Australia next year.” Metcalfe finished.

Honda Racing’s Brand and Motorsport Manager Glyn Griffiths is pleased to announce this first bit of news as part of a bigger 2018 racing plan.

“Since Brett’s departure from Australia in 2002, you quickly realise how much he has actually achieved. I think people forget his race winning qualifier at the MXON in 2013 against the best riders in the world and we are really excited to form this new relationship with one of the world’s most established racers.” Griffiths said.

Honda will make further announcements regarding their racing commitments for 2018 shortly.

All Things Considered...MXoN

Here’s a brief look at DC’s latest on Team USA:

Something is obviously not working for Team USA at the annual Motocross of Nations. After winning the race seven straight times from 2005 through 2011, the Americans have now lost the race the last six years in a row. And at this most recent MXoN, we weren’t even close, save for a middle-moto third-place finish (the top-250 performance in that race) by Rockstar Husqvarna’s Zach Osborne. Of course, the weather in Great Britain was a mess, Cole Seely’s rear shock failed twice, Thomas Covington tore a ligament in his knee during Saturday practice .... In the end, we came home with ninth-place finish, matching Team USA’s worst result in history.

How did this happen? Why does it continue to happen? What has caused the world’s greatest motocross racing nation to suddenly slip below the waves of mediocrity when it comes to international racing? That’s the gist of my feature “All Things Considered” in the latest print issue of Racer X Illustrated. It’s a deep-dive into all that’s not working for Team USA at the MXoN and what team manager Roger DeCoster is up against more and more: difficult scheduling, conflicting contract obligations, decimation of the ranks due to injury, and general indifference from many top riders. It’s not a laundry list of excuses for The Man and Team USA, but rather a 30,000-foot view of what’s keeping top AMA-based riders—and not just Americans—from participating in the annual Olympics of Motocross.

While Team USA has struggled the past half-dozen years, France has risen to the top of the moto hierarchy. For the last four years, the French have won this event—this past time in dominant fashion. While their three riders—Gautier Paulin, Romain Febvre, and Christophe Charlier—didn’t win a moto, let alone a class overall, they rode with a Three Musketeers concept of all for one and one for all. What they do to prepare is worth looking at for Team USA as we try to get back to where we belonged.

“I was not looking for my individual result but that of the team,” said the veteran Gautier Paulin, a member of Team France for the last nine years. “When you don't have a good team, you can look individually, but we are very strong, and the French Federation give us the power to succeed. We were acting and thinking together.”

Before this four-year winning streak started, France had only won the Motocross of Nations once, in 2001, when Team USA and several others pulled out in the wake of the September 11 terror attacks. Now they are the prohibitive favorite each year, and French riders are quick to volunteer for service. During their four-year streak, Team France has not had the same lineup twice. Says Paulin, “In France, we have so many good riders, so to be selected for the Motocross of Nations is the bonus of a good season, and with many different riders we have been winning, so this means we are strong.”

  

The weather can make you look like either a genius or a fool. The fact that the French chose an enduro rider as their third man after both Dylan Ferrandis and Benoit Paturel were injured seemed desperate at first, but as soon as the forecast took a turn for the worse, that choice appeared to be brilliant.

“I stopped motocross last year, but to have a good race like that was a lot of fun,” Charlier said after doing more than enough in MX2 to help France stay on top. “The team and staff did an excellent job. With the enduro season, I progressed in the mud. I think it is good to do a lot of things like enduro and motocross.”

Check this out: a couple of years ago, when the race was held in France, the French went so far as to have a trial-run weekend where they went through a model of what the whole Motocross of Nations at Ernee would be like, staying at the same hotel where they would be for the real MXoN and then going there and doing practice and motos according to the exact clock they would be on for the real race. It was cumbersome off-weekend from MXGP, but it was also a great team-building exercise that helped them deliver in front of their partisan fans.

The French collective seems at odds with how Team USA has approached this event in recent years, without a lot of camaraderie or even time spent together. Our guys seem to be competing in an individual race where they will simply add up the scores at the end. Part of that is due to the rigors of traveling and racing abroad, where you pit under the truck of the brand you’re on and not just under a pure “Team USA” tent. The whole weekend format also seems to have an effect on us, as it takes mental and physical adjustments to find your comfort zone on a foreign track, in a foreign land, under a foreign format, and challenged by tens of thousands of foreign fans.

  

Think about this: next year, the last round of Lucas Oil Pro Motocross will take place in Indiana in late August, there is no MXGP of the USA in early September, and the Monster Energy Cup will take place after the 2018 Motocross of Nations runs on October 6-7. Why not do like the French did a couple years ago (and, to a lesser extent, third-place Great Britain did this year at Matterley Basin) and hold a big dry run at RedBud in September where Roger takes the boys—and hopefully it’s our very best boys—to Buchanan, Michigan, for a weekend of training, talking, testing, and just getting a feel for what they will be up against in 2018? It’s not against the rules, and we have all that downtime between races. Why not take advantage and build some team spirit and be ready to take on France, Great Britain, The Netherlands, and the rest on home soil? 

That’s just one suggestion, and there are more in “All Things Considered” in the latest issue of Racer X Illustrated, on newsstands now. Pick up a copy—or better yet, SUBSCRIBE NOW—and see if you have any ideas, suggestions, or observations for turning Team USA’s fortunes around.

Team USA has never lost the Motocross of Nations when it was held in the United States—not in 1987 (Unadilla), 2007 (Budds Creek), or 2011 (Thunder Valley). Let’s do all we can to make sure it doesn’t happen in 2018.

Babinda to Glen Helen...Quite a Trip for a Moto

Far North motocross champion savours fairytale victory

Samuel Davis, Motocross, The Cairns Post

November 13, 2017

A BROKEN foot has failed to stop Babinda motocross racer Aaron Hunt from winning his age division at the World Vets Championships in Glen Helen, California.

The full-time earthmover claimed top spot in the expert class for 40-45 year olds featuring competitors from across the world.

But Hunt, who finished third at the event in 2016, said he nearly threw it all away after shattering his foot in six places in March.

“I got back on the bike three months before I headed over,” he said.

“I didn’t know what to expect but I’m probably riding the best I ever have.

“It was always going to be a great story if I could do it. It’s a bit of a fairytale now, I guess.”

Motocross racer Aaron Hunt competing at the World Vets Championships in Glen Helen, California this month. 

Hunt now trains four days a week, including pool, bicycle and gym sessions, starting as early as 4.30am before a full day’s work at the office.

“Last year, I got to see how hard other people trained and it made me realise how much work you have to put in,” he said.

“There were guys throwing their bikes on the ground after they finished. It’s a really competitive sport.”

Considered one of the most dangerous and physically demanding sports in the world, the father-of-two said the Glen Helen track was among the toughest he had traversed in his career.

“It was pretty gnarly. They were massive tracks and the hills were so much steeper than anything you’d race on in Queensland,” he said.

“You’re probably doing 90km going into the first corner and then as it gets a lot rougher, you get slower and slower.

“It was exhausting. I was riding tracks that I’d never been on and you’re racing locals who ride the tracks all the time. It’s rough as guts.”

Hunt’s wife, Jolie, said while she was proud of his win, the sport had taken a significant toll on her husband’s body.

“It really has taken so much work to get this far,” she said. “He’s broken more bones than I can count, including both his collarbones, along the way.”

Is RC Ready for WWE?

Well, this didn't disappoint! Ronnie Mac VS. Ricky Carmichael. Looks like the G.O.A.T. left all his talking on the track...