Tomac wins in USA

The fifth round of the 2017 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing, hosted the fifth annual Tennessee National in the picturesque valleys of Muddy Creek Raceway, which marks the championship’s only stop in the Southeast. Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Eli Tomac ended an unexpected hiatus from the overall podium to capture his second 450 Class victory of the season, his first since the season opener at Hangtown. In the 250 Class, Yamalube/Star Racing Yamaha’s Aaron Plessinger emerged with his first victory of the season, and the second of his young career.

Tomac put his Kawasaki back atop the overall podium for the second time in 2017.
Photo: MX Sports Pro Racing / Jeff Kardas

As the opening 450 Class moto roared into the first turn, it was AutoTrader/Monster Energy/Suzuki/JGRMX’s Justin Barcia who led the 40-rider field to capture the Motosport.com Holeshot, followed by Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing rider Jason Anderson and RCH/Yoshimura Suzuki Factory Racing’s Justin Bogle. There was no shortage of action on the opening lap as Barcia and Anderson battled each other aggressively, passing each other several times for the lead. When the field stormed past the finish for the first time it was Anderson, Barcia, Bogle, AutoTrader/Monster Energy/Suzuki/JGRMX rider Weston Peick and Team Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Trey Canard, who made his first start of the 2017 season, completing the top five.

While Anderson set a fast pace at the front of the field the battle for second and third began to intensify as Bogle, Peick, and RCH/Yoshimura Suzuki Factory Racing’s Broc Tickle went bar-to-bar. Tomac circulated the opening lap just inside of the top-10, but was a man on a mission as he carved his way towards the front. Tomac quickly found himself sniffing a podium position, moving onto the rear fender of Bogle and eventually blasting his way past the Suzuki rider for third on Lap 5. Tomac continued to drop the hammer as he lowered his lap times and set his sights on Barcia for second.

Anderson was riding flawlessly in the lead and used his best ride of the season to build a large cushion on his nearest competitor. On Lap 7, Tomac closed in on Barcia and wasted no time as he motored by to overtake the early race leader for second. RMATV/MC/WPS/KTM’s Blake Baggett, who entered the day holding the red plate as the points leader for the first time in his career, got off to a slow start. However, in typical “El Cupacabra” fashion, he gained momentum with each lap of the moto. Baggett would set up Barcia and hold his KTM wide open to sweep around the outside for second on Lap 11. A small tip over cost Baggett time on Lap 15, but he remounted without losing any positions.

As the checkered flag waved it was Anderson who slowed late and cruised to his second moto win of the season, just 4.5 seconds ahead of Tomac in second. Baggett rode well to come from behind and round out the podium in third. Team Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Marvin Musquin, who entered the race second in points, was buried mid-pack on the opening lap and charged to seventh at the finish.

Anderson just missed out on his first career 450 Class win.
Photo: MX Sports Pro Racing / Jeff Kardas

Bogle powered his Suzuki down the start straight to take the Motosport.com Holeshot in Moto 2, followed by Canard, Tomac, Peick and Anderson, while Baggett found himself on the ground at the tail end of the field in 38^th. A crash by Bogle on the opening lap cost the early race leader several positions and allowed Tomac to inherit the number one spot. By the completion of the opening lap, Tomac held a commanding lead over Canard and Anderson.

Just as Anderson looked to have full control of third, he made a bobble that allowed both Bogle and Peick to slip back around on Lap 2. Anderson was quick to regain his composure and mounted another charge, passing Bogle to move back into third on Lap 3. Just a few corners later, Anderson would muscle his way into second with an incredible pass on Canard. On Lap 5, Bogle hounded Canard and eventually made the pass stick towards the end of the lap for third.

Tomac refused to slow down at the front of the field, continuing to add to his already impressive lead and pull away from his competitors. While Bogle pushed hard in hopes of capturing his second podium finish of the season, fellow Suzuki rider Peick caught fire and was pushing for a way around. Peick made the pass stick for third on Lap 9. Meanwhile, Baggett was putting in an inspiring come-from-behind ride that saw him storm into the top 10, then the top five, and to the shock of the field, onto Peick’s rear fender for the final podium spot. Baggett bounced his way past Peick down one of the tracks rough straightaways to overtake him for third.

When the checkered flag waved, Tomac’s dominant performance allowed him to win by more than 30-seconds for his fourth moto win of the season, and let his competitors know that he’s back in top form. Anderson held on to the runner-up spot, while Baggett came from the back of the field to finish third and salvage invaluable points in the championship.

Baggett showed his trademark grit en route to third overall to retain the points lead.
Photo: MX Sports Pro Racing / Jeff Kardas

The 2-1 effort for Tomac was enough to clinch his second victory of the season and seventh of his 450 Class career. Anderson (1-2) ended the afternoon tied with Tomac atop the standings, but missed out on his first career 450 Class victory via the second-moto tiebreaker. Baggett (3-3) completed the overall podium in third.

“It’s been a long time coming, and it feels really good to get another win today,” said Tomac.” I had a few off weeks, some struggles, but some days are good and some days are not so good. I went home and tried to fix the bad things and come back better improved into this weekend. I’m looking forward to the rest of the season as I feel some of my best tracks are coming up.”

Baggett continues to lead the 450 Class standings, but is now just four points ahead of Tomac, who moved into in second.

“It was another tough weekend battling through the field to be up here on the podium,” said Baggett. “Ideally a holeshot or two would have made our day a lot easier today. The first moto went okay, but these guys [Eli Tomac and Jason Anderson] just out rode me and that’s the bottom line. I got hung up with Cooper [Webb] in the first turn of Moto 2 and just had to put my head down and charge through the pack the entire race in order to salvage some points and get on the podium.”

Anderson’s second place finish moved him to third in the standings, 19-points out of the championship lead. A DNF for Musquin in the final moto resulted in a 14^th-place finish (7-34) and caused the Frenchman to drop from second to fourth in the standings, just one week removed from leading the championship.

Musquin endured through his worst outing of the 2017 season to finish 14th.
Photo: MX Sports Pro Racing / Jeff Kardas

The first 250 Class moto saw Plessinger lead the incredibly talented field around the opening corner to grab the Motosport.com Holeshot, with the Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki duo of Adam Cianciarulo and Austin Forkner in tow. As the trio sprinted at the head of the field, Forkner had a scary moment that saw him pull off a brilliant save as he got sideways off of a jump in an attempt to pass Cianciarulo. At the completion of the first lap, it was Plessinger, Cianciarulo, Forkner, Troy Lee Designs/Red Bull/KTM’s Alex Martin and GIECO Honda’s RJ Hampshire in the top five.

Plessinger and Cianciarulo set a blistering pace out front, matching each other’s lap times as they clicked off lap-after-lap, and began to distance themselves from the field. Forkner, who began to lose time on the race leaders, ran a strong, consistent pace as he maintained control of third. Martin and Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Zach Osborne, the championship leader, clawed their way through the field and began to set their sights on Forkner for third.

As the 30-minute-plus-two-lap moto began to wind down, Plessinger refused to give an inch as he navigated the tricky conditions and started to put distance between himself and Cianciarulo. Behind them, the battle for the final podium position started to heat up, with Martin hot on the heels of Forkner, while Osborne managed to close in on both riders form fourth.

Plessinger remained unchallenged during the final laps of the race to win his first moto of the season, 4.9 seconds ahead of Cianciarulo. The final podium spot went to Forkner, who fended off the hard-charging Martin and Osborne. GEICO Honda’s Jeremy Martin, who entered the race second in points after earning his first win of the season last weekend, suffered from a first-turn crash and was able to battle his way back to 13^th at the finish.

Plessinger emerged with his second career win.
Photo: MX Sports Pro Racing / Jeff Kardas

In Moto 2, Plessinger used his razor-sharp reaction time to get the jump on his competition yet again and emerged with his second Motosport.com Holeshot of the day, narrowly edging out Forkner and Troy Lee Designs/Red Bull/KTM’s Sean Cantrell. The first moto winner instantly attacked the rough and rutted race track, leading the opening lap as Forkner, Osborne, Alex Martin and Cantrell were in hot pursuit. Just after crossing the finish line for Lap 1, Cantrell suffered a crash over one of the jumps that would put an end to his day and force him to retire from the race.

As Plessinger was looking to repeat his first moto performance out front, Osborne was determined to challenge for the win at his home race that was littered with friends and family throughout the facility. Osborne blitzed his way around Forkner on Lap 1 to move into the runner-up position. Once into second, he immediately put his head down and started to chip away at the deficit to race leader Plessinger.

Plessinger and Osborne shadowed each other’s every move, with Osborne finding the quicker lines and searching for a way around. On Lap 6, Plessinger made a couple mistakes that dramatically slowed his momentum and altered his line, ultimately allowing Osborne to get around and take over as the new race leader. Just like in Moto 1, the final podium position was up for grabs and created an all out war as Forkner rode his heart out to hold off Alex Martin.  With the race nearing the 30-minute mark and fitness beginning to play a key factor, Forkner was under heavy pressure from the KTM rider.

Osborne held on to a 4.1 second lead and took the checkered flag for his fourth moto win of the season. Plessinger’s strong start helped him finish the moto in the runner-up position, while Forkner managed to maintain his hold of third despite the heavy pressure from Martin.

Osborne added to his points lead with a strong runner-up effort.
Photo: MX Sports Pro Racing / Jeff Kardas

Plessinger’s (1-2) moto scores were good enough to give him the overall win on the day. Osborne (4-1) used a strong second moto performance to finish second overall, his best result at his home race, while Forkner (3-3) netted two consistent moto finishes for third overall.

The win was Plessinger’s first of the season and ended a 16-race gap since his last victory at the season finale as a rookie in 2015. It was also the first overall win of the season for the Yamalube/Star Racing Yamaha team, who has won four consecutive races at Muddy Creek.

“It was an awesome first moto and such a good feeling to finally grab another win,” said Plessinger. “I grabbed the holeshot and just opened a little gap and rode my own race for the win. The second moto went pretty good as well, but Zach [Osborne] was riding awesome and ended up getting around me. I just kind of brought it home for second and did what I needed to take the overall. I haven’t won a outdoor race besides Indiana and it feels good to get the monkey off my back with another win.”

Osborne retained possession of the red plate as championship leader for another week by extending his lead to 31-points over Alex Martin, who finished fifth (4-4), in the standings. Jeremy Martin’s ninth place finish (13-6) dropped him from second to third in the standings, and he now trails his brother Alex by just five points.

“I ran out of tear-offs in Moto 1 and it made it difficult trying to pass my way to the front,” said Osborne. “Fortunately, I was able to get a better start in the second moto and take the lead pretty early in the race. This four-race stretch that we’re in, I knew that the tracks suit me well, so my plan was to try and score as many points as possible for the championship.”

Forkner rounded out the 250 Class podium in third.
Photo: MX Sports Pro Racing / Jeff Kardas

The 2017 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship will reach the halfway point of the season next Saturday, July 1, for the sixth round from RedBud MX in Buchanan, Michigan. First motos of the Rockford Fosgate RedBud National can be seen live on MAVTV at 10 a.m. PT / 1 p.m. ET, while the second motos will air Sunday, July 2, on NBCSN, at 12:00 p.m. PT / 3:00 p.m. ET.

450 Class Overall Results (Moto Finish)

1. Eli Tomac, Cortez, Colo., Kawasaki (2-1)
2. Jason Anderson, Edgewood, N.M., Husqvarna (1-2)
3. Blake Baggett, Grand Terrace, Calif., KTM (3-3)
4. Weston Peick, Menifee, Calif., Suzuki (4-4)
5. Dean Wilson, Glasgow, Scotland, Husqvarna (9-7)
6. Justin Barcia, Monroe, N.Y., Suzuki (5-10)
7. Justin Bogle, Cushing, Okla., Suzuki (12-5)
8. Martin Davalos, Quito, Ecuador, Husqvarna (11-6)
9. Cooper Webb, Newport, N.C., Yamaha (9-9)
10. Broc Tickle, Holly, Mich., Suzuki (6-12)

450 Class Championship Standings

1. Blake Baggett, Grand Terrace, Calif., KTM – 195
2. Eli Tomac, Cortez, Colo., Kawasaki – 191
3. Jason Anderson, Edgewood, N.M., Husqvarna – 176
4. Marvin Musquin, La Reole, France, KTM – 161
5. Broc Tickle, Holly, Mich., Suzuki – 139
6. Justin Bogle, Cushing, Okla., Suzuki – 137
7. Dean Wilson, Glasgow, Scotland, Husqvarna – 137
8. Weston Peick, Menifee, Calif., Suzuki – 112
9. Cooper Webb, Newport, N.C., Yamaha – 112
10. Josh Grant, Riverside, Calif., Kawasaki – 106

Cairoli Unbelievable in Italy

The legend, Antonio Cairoli of the Red Bull KTM Factory team has gone 1-1 in his home Grand Prix, to win his 81^st GP of his career, but maybe one of his most impressive. The Sicilian went head to head with sand specialist Jeffrey Herlings and came out on top on both occasions.

Herlings went 2-2 for second overall, and Max Anstie was third overall with 5-3. Herlings has pushed so hard that he was physically sick after the moto, he couldn’t stand on the podium or make comments after the race.

Without a moto win from the French and Russian GP’s, the eight time world motocross champion closed many people’s mouths, and showed that maybe we are seeing the best Antonio Cairoli ever.

The 31 year old Cairoli also extended his series points lead over Clement Desalle and Gautier Paulin, as Herlings caught those two in the points race. Cairoli has 67 points over Desalle and 70 pts over Paulin. Herlings is 96 points back.

Antonio Cairoli: Yes, I was feeling great you know. I could push when Jeffrey came back. I am very happy. Thanks to everybody. We know that Jeffrey is a good sand rider we all know this, he was very fast, but the races are 35 and two laps and I am happy with this and the team made an awesome bike this year. I love the crowd here and also the KTM group. We made it again.

Max Anstie: It was awesome (to make the podium). A hot day today and the first race I hit the gate, and came back, then the second one Jeffrey passed me and I was like, wow he is riding fast, but I was able to do ok.

MXGP moto one

Cairoli won a great opening MXGP moto. The Italian legend held of the big challenge from his younger KTM team-mate Jeffrey Herlings to win. In a cat and mouse race, the two never really battled hard, but kept eachother very close, one getting the upper hand, then the other, before Cairoli showed his experience to win by a handful of seconds.

“Yes, I am very happy, it’s tough, but I have good training and I could manage. Jeffrey was faster in parts of the track, for sure after the long straight. I saw him coming and I responded when he tried to pass me. I want to win the second one.”

Cairoli led the opening MXGP moto, but Herlings has also made a good start around sixth place. First Cairoli, Paulin, Gajser, and Herlings after a few corners. This is going to be good.

Bobryshev goes down and Herlings blasts past Paulin. The Dutchman is flying and going after Cairoli.

After one lap its Cairoli, Herlings, Paulin, Gajser, Desalle, Coldenhoff, Tonus, Nagl, Butron, Jasikonis in 10^th.

The two Red Bull KTM factory riders have gapped the field and are gone. Herlings closing in, but the Italian won’t be giving up quickly. Cairoli then moves a little away from Herlings in a quick lap. Cat and mouse at the moment.

Herlings clearly made up ground on Cairoli as the two put on a show for the large Italian crowd. After four laps its Cairoli, Herlings, Paulin, Coldenhoff, Gajser, Desalle, Tonus, Febvre, Nagl and Butron in 10^th.

On lap five Herlings into Cairoli and looking to pass the red plate owner. A lap later and Cairoli turns up the pace and moves away again. If you ask me, Herlings is waiting, but we all know Cairoli, he can turn it up any time he likes.

After eight laps Cairoli and Herlings are now 17 seconds ahead of third placed man Paulin, followed by Gajser, Coldenhoff, Desalle, Febvre, Nagl, Anstie, and Tixier 10^th.

Cairoli extended his lead on lap 12 to three and a half seconds, and the top ten was Cairoli, Herlings, Paulin, Gajser, Febvre, Coldenhoff, Desalle, Nagl, Anstie and Tixier. Gajser all over Paulin for third place, the defending world MXGP champion finding some extra speed.

Herlings suddenly finds some extra speed and closed in on Cairoli. Herlings all over Cairoli and the lead should change any time soon. Herlings might have been playing with the Italian.

Febvre also on the charge as he pulls up to Paulin. Herlings goes for a pass and Cairoli blocks him, but there is no stopping the Dutchman. Suddenly, Cairoli pulls a big lead, was the Italian actually playing with the Dutchman?

Cairoli wins it, brilliant ride by the Italian.

MXGP moto two

In the second MXGP moto, Jasikonis led from Cairoli, Anstie and Herlings, then came Nagl, Desalle, Bobryshev, Tixier, Febvre, Leok in 10^th.

Herlings into third place as he passed Anstie. Jasikonis on fire in first place as Cairoli losses ground on him, and had a small lead over Herlings.

Cairoli suddenly pulled up on the leader, and Herlings was also closing in. Cairoli all over Jasikonis and make the pass on lap two. Cairoli looks very fast, but the quickest lap was Herlings in third place.

Herlings straight away onto Jasikonis, but Cairoli is pushing hard to get a big lead. Herlings passed Jasikonis and went after Cairoli.

Herlings clocking the quickest lap times, as he closes in on the leader. Right on the back wheel of Carioli now.

Cairoli and Herlings again get away from the field as these two legends put on a show for the big crowd.

Herlings went to pass Cairoli and the Italian block passed Herlings. Jasikonis is suddenly onto the two leaders. Nice ride by the Suzuki rider.

Herlings back on Cairoli, I can’t see a block pass working again. The 22 year old vs the 31 year old.

Cairoli makes a mistake and Herlings takes the lead. Cairoli looking a little ragged, but Herlings makes a mistake. Jasikonis also in the battle. Cairoli looking for a way past, but Herlings blocks the pass.

Herlings getting away a little as he looks to try and take control of the moto and the Grand Prix.

After six laps its Herlings, Cairoli, Jasikonis, Anstie, Desalle, Nagl, Bobryshev, COldenhoff, Tonus, and Febvre 10^th. Paulin back in 11^th place, Gajser 14^th. Both riders looking tired as the circle the tough sand track.

Nine laps and Herlings lead is more than two seconds, followed by Cairoli, Jasikonis, Anstie, Desalle, Nagl, Bobryshev, Febvre, Tixier and Tonus.

Cairoli back onto Herlings as the fans go crazy. Herlings looks spent. Herlings blocking Cairoli, but the Italian looks stronger. Again Herlings stops the change by Cairoli.

Cairoli takes the leads as he takes the lead and probably the Grand Prix win. Within a few laps Cairoli had extended the lead to 24 seconds, really impressive by the king of MXGP.

After 16 laps it was Cairoli, Herlings, Anstie, Jasikonis, Nagl, Desalle, Febvre, Tonus, Lupino, and Paulin in 10^th. Herlings looking tired as Anstie was closing in on him, just seven seconds back in third.

Cairoli wins it, from Herlings and Anstie.

MXGP – Championship Classification

1 222 Cairoli, A. ITA KTM 431
2 21 Paulin, G. FRA HUS 364
3 25 Desalle, C. BEL KAW 361
4 84 Herlings, J. NED KTM 335
5 243 Gajser, Tim SLO HON 282
6 461 Febvre, Romain FRA YAM 275
7 89 Van Horebeek, J. BEL YAM 261
8 12 Nagl, M. GER HUS 255
9 777 Bobryshev, E. RUS HON 245
10 4 Tonus, Arnaud SUI YAM 227
11 259 Coldenhoff, G. NED KTM 223
12 99 Anstie, Max GBR HUS 216
13 27 Jasikonis, A. LTU SUZ 187
14 24 Simpson, Shaun GBR YAM 123
15 7 Leok, Tanel EST HUS 123
16 17 Butron, Jose ESP KTM 104
17 77 Lupino, A. ITA HON 94

EnduroGP Hungary 2017 - Highlights Day 1

Qualifying Highlights MXGP of Lombardia 2017

MXGP Ottobiano, Italy

Yamaha head to Italy

There is a lot of excitement surrounding the eleventh round of the FIM Motocross World Championship which will take place this weekend – June 24th and 25th – at a venue that is new to the MXGP calendar, Ottobiano, Italy. Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing’s Romain Febvre is gearing up with hopes of landing on the podium for the first time this season while his teammate, Jeremy Van Horebeek, will be watching from afar, unable to compete due to a broken index finger. The Wilvo Yamaha Official MXGP squad will be out in full force with the highly anticipated return of their ‘sand-master’ Shaun Simpson, while Arnaud Tonus looks to carry in that same momentum that landed him on pole in Russia.

‘You’re only as good as your last race’ is a phrase that is often thrown around the motocross paddock, and for Romain Febvre, that was a near win. With a 12 second lead and only two laps to go in the final race at the MXGP of Russia 10 days ago, Febvre had it all but won. Unfortunately, the Frenchman connected with a rider that was one lap down and crashed, handing the lead to the eventual Grand Prix winner Clement Desalle. He finished second in that particular race and after a crash in the extremely muddy conditions in Race 1, where he managed to salvage eleventh, he finished sixth overall.

Despite the overall result, Febvre set the fastest lap-time in the most recent race of the season by more than 2,4 seconds. That is a whopping margin. He has proven his potential and it’s something he hopes to deliver on this weekend.

Wilvo Yamaha Official MXGP’s Arnaud Tonus was also running a fever-pitch pace in Russia where he won his maiden Qualifying Race. The Swiss rider definitely favors a hard and slick surface – which is in complete contrast to the loam of Ottobiano – although he has already demonstrated his ability to run the pace in the sand this year. He set the fastest lap in Timed Training at the MXGP of Europe in Valkenswaard, The Netherlands, one of the trickiest sand tracks on the calendar, back in April.

As a proven grand prix winner, with one GP win this year – at round two in Indonesia – Shaun Simpson will make his return after a six-week hiatus. The Scotsman had the third metacarpal in his right hand plated after he broke it at the seventh round of the FIM Motocross World Championship in Latvia. He has since missed three rounds yet remains fourteenth in the championship chase.

Ottobiano is a tight and compact sand circuit located 45km South West of the Italian Capital, Milan. It has never hosted a round of the FIM Motocross World Championship before but is a popular testing venue for most of the Official Approved Teams and riders. This weekend it will make its MXGP and MX2 debut and in addition it will also be hosting the fourth and sixth rounds of the EMX125 and EMX250 championships.

Romain Febvre: “After Russia I started riding again in the sand, but because of the heat I am not spending so much time on the bike. I like the track in Ottobiano and I have heard they have put more sand on it, so it should be really sandy. I think it will be really hot so I think it will be important to conserve as much energy as possible to stay fit for the racing on Sunday. It should be good.”

Jeremy Van Horebeek: “It’s a bummer to not be racing in Ottobiano, I really like that track, I have always felt like I am really fast there. It’s going to be difficult for me not to be on the line, but I am more focused on my training now and coming back stronger than before. I will see the doctor on Friday and hopefully have the plaster taken off my hand. They will tape my two fingers together and it shouldn’t be too long after that that I can be back on the bike. I will make a decision based on the strength and pain in my hand next week whether I return in Portugal or Loket.”

Arnaud Tonus: “I felt really good in Russia, that was a track that suits me really well. I hope to do the same this weekend even though it’s in the sand. It will be really hot as well, so it’s important to stay smooth and drink a lot of water.”

Shaun Simpson: “I know this is the most over-rated thing to say but I just want to go there and ride, and then see where I am at. The hand has been pretty good, only after I ride it gets a bit stiff the next day, so I have been riding one day on, one day off and the second day it’s back to normal. I’m feeling good on the bike, I was expecting to feel rusty, but like most motocross riders, it only takes a few days off of the bike before you start stressing out and thinking “I’ve got to get back on the bike.” As soon as I got back on it, I felt really comfortable. It sounds a bit strange, but I would say we left Latvia with quite a good feeling, mainly because we went into Latvia after doing a lot testing on the bike and it was working so good. I guess that gave me the mental boost I needed for when I got back on the bike, that I knew straight away that the bike was good and where it needs to be. I felt at home right away. I wasn’t right up to speed and hitting all of my marks right away, but for the most part, I felt really good and closer to 100% than I expected. I’m looking forward to getting back on the line and mixing it up this weekend.”

Yamaha release Roman Borak image

2017 Full Gas Sprint Enduro Series // Round 04 Highlights

Jordan Ashburn used consistency and speed to grab his first major victory as a pro at the Crow Canyon Full Gas Sprint Enduro – round four of the Kenda Full Gas Sprint Enduro Series presented by PRI Powersports Insurance in Uhrichsville, Ohio

Racing the Back Alleys of Portugal with Jonny Walker

Jonny Walker takes on the grueling course of the Extreme XL Lagares, in Portugal. Not one to back down to a challenge, follow Jonny as he tackles the rugged course along the sea wall and then taking to the narrow streets of Porto's old city.

Rodney Smith promoted to head up Beta USA race department.

 

Photo Credit: Adam Booth

Beta USA's Rodney Smith has been promoted to head up the Beta USA race department. 

The AMA Hall of Famer and five-time GNCC champion has been working for Beta for the last 12 months as a rider coach and now will take over as the race team manager. 

Beta USA's President Tim Pilg comments, “It has been a huge benefit to our team ever since Rodney came aboard full time last season. His approach to racing matches our goals for the team so it made perfect sense to have him take over the team manager position.”

Smith is looking forward to developing the team and more, “I'm very excited to have this opportunity to run the Beta USA race team! I've been working & coaching the riders this year and now Beta has asked me to manage the team. 

“I'm very excited to bring my experience I've learned over the years as a racer and champion as well as being inducted in the AMA hall of fame! I've had the chance to see & learn from my past managers including Mike Webb and now I'm looking forward to being able run my own team & to further give our racers the knowledge & experience to win some more championships for my riders, Beta, & myself.”

MX Legends Pedal Across America!

Four icons in motocross are currently in the middle of what could possibly be the most grueling race of their lives, the Race Across America. Cyclists will work their way across the United States, including the mountain ranges, deserts, and rivers that lay between Southern California’s Oceanside Pier starting point and the finish line in Annapolis, Maryland. The “Legends of the Road” team is comprised of Doug Henry, David Bailey, Micky Dymond, and Jeff Ward, with each rider putting in shifts in the non-stop event. Just before the team took off late last week, the Road2Recovery crew shot a quick video
Read more at http://motocross.transworld.net/videos/legends-of-the-road-race-across-america/#YQw1qWGXiPfcbkWK.99

MXGP Changing Since Returning To Europe

A new chapter will begin at the Grand Prix of Lombardia, as the 2017 FIM Motocross World Championship will leap into the second half. The first ten rounds have truly vanished in the blink of an eye. That fact prompted us to reflect on what has transpired and uncover a collection of intriguing statistics from the season thus far.

– A lot changed when the FIM Motocross World Championship returned to Europe, but just how different have things been since the Grand Prix of Trentino? The points from the last seven rounds have been put into the table below and, just as one would expect, it changes the ranking that Jeffrey Herlings occupies quite drastically.

1st	Antonio Cairoli	245
2nd	Jeffrey Herlings	232
3rd	Gautier Paulin	221
4th	Clement Desalle	215
5th	Romain Febvre	153

– The struggles that Jeffrey Herlings encountered at the first four rounds were well-documented. Those results have dragged his stats down somewhat, as his average finish across nineteen motos has been a seventh. Antonio Cairoli, in comparison, has an average finish of third, which would explain the impressive advantage that he is currently sat on in the standings.

– How does that average finish that Antonio Cairoli has compare to what he has achieved in previous seasons? ‘222’ had an average of fourth through ten rounds last year, which is actually quite impressive considering how poor his term was. When he last won the title – three years ago – his average was a second. What has been his worst average through ten rounds in a title-winning season? A sixth in 2012. A dismal day in Sweden was the reason for that.

– Antonio Cairoli has won five motos thus far, which is exactly the same amount that he won across all eighteen rounds last year. That number is quite far from the personal record that he set five years ago though; he won thirteen of the first twenty motos. It is quite obvious why he had a lead of ninety points after ten rounds that season. Gautier Paulin and Clement Desalle trailed him in the standings that year too!

Consistency combined with speed makes Cairoli tough to beat (KTM Images/Ray Archer)

– A victory at the Grand Prix of Germany, following a second and a first, was the eightieth triumph that Antonio Cairoli has had in his career. How many of those wins have occurred with those exact moto scores? Sixteen of them. The last time that it happened, before that German outing, was at the Grand Prix of Bulgaria in 2014. There was a gap of one thousand, one hundred and twenty-eight days between the two.

– Just how competitive has the premier division been this season? Ten riders have led multiple laps at one point or another. Antonio Cairoli, Tim Gajser, Gautier Paulin, Clement Desalle, Jeffrey Herlings, Shaun Simpson, Glenn Coldenhoff, Max Nagl, Romain Febvre and Arminas Jasikonis have all had a turn at the head of the field. All five manufacturers are represented within that group.

– Eight of the ten riders listed there have completed every round of the 2017 FIM Motocross World Championship. Tim Gajser, who has not raced two of the ten rounds that have been run, has actually led more laps than anyone else though. Gajser led a total of one hundred and five laps across motos in Qatar, Argentina, Mexico and Italy.

Tim Gajser still has some impressive statistics to fall back on (Honda Racing Corporation/Bavo Swijgers)

– Evgeny Bobryshev missed Teutschenthal and Ernee with a broken collarbone, so his total obviously suffered. ‘777’ was wildly inconsistent earlier in his career and simply could not complete a season without getting injured. That has changed in recent years, however, and the German Grand Prix was the first time that he was not on the starting line in nine hundred and eighty-one days!

– Inconsistency has been rife in MXGP, as just twelve riders have actually attended every round! Just five of those riders (Antonio Cairoli, Clement Desalle, Gautier Paulin, Jeffrey Herlings and Romain Febvre) have scored points in each moto.

– Clement Desalle is not known as a great starter, but he has been brilliant out of the gate thus far. Fourth has been his average-starting position across the nineteen motos that have been run. On the other hand, Antonio Cairoli and Gautier Paulin have been sixth on average. Jeffrey Herlings has been eighth and only in the top five at the end of lap one in seven of the races.

Clement Desalle has silenced naysayers through ten rounds (Monster Energy Media/Ray Archer)

– Kawasaki currently sit fifth in the manufacturer standings, even though they have claimed two Grand Prix wins with Clement Desalle. The fact that, for the most part, they have had to rely solely on ‘25’ has hurt their overall ranking. The last time that they were inside of the top three after ten rounds was three seasons ago; they four hundred and two points. They currently have three hundred and thirty-four.

– The two events that Clement Desalle won in succession earlier this year were actually quite the personal achievement, as he had only managed to win consecutive rounds once before that. That occurred at the Grand Prix of Czech Republic and Grand Prix of Belgium towards the end of the 2013 season. Desalle has now won twenty-two events in total.

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