Sunday, September 1, 2024 at 4:40PM Idaho Vet MX will be hosting an Adventure bike ride before our Motocross race. The ride starts at 10:30-11:00 on Thursday September 12th, we are going to stage at OMC. For more information contact Wyatt Foss @ 208-859-2204 or Rob Johnson @ 208-870-5851.
Sunday, September 1, 2024 at 10:53AM 
Manuel Lettenbichler won the 2024 Red Bull TKO in what turned out to be a closely fought battle.
After an intense day of racing across three action-packed knockout-style races, Manuel Lettenbichler has been crowned Red Bull TKO champion at round five of the FIM Hard Enduro World Championship in Tennessee, USA.
Lettenbichler topped the timesheets in the third and final race ahead of Trystan Hart in second and Wade Young in third to extend his overall championship lead to nine points.
Kicking off the action on Sunday morning, Knockout Race #1 saw riders take on the long course at the Trials Training Center in Sequatchie for the first time, with the top 30 finishers advancing to Knockout Race #2. Making his intentions clear from the off, Mani Lettenbichler claimed victory in the opening race and secured his spot in Knockout Race #2. However, Sherco Factory Racing’s Teodor Kabakchiev didn’t make it easy for the reigning world champion and fought for the win the entire race, ultimately finishing just four hundredths of a second behind Lettenbichler. In third was 2022 Red Bull TKO winner Trystan Hart, who used his experience to his advantage.
Narrowed down to the 30 fastest riders, Knockout Race #2 saw competitors set off onto the long course for the second time on Sunday in five groups of five or six, with the top four in each advancing to the third and final knockout race. It was Bulgaria’s Teodor Kabakchiev who topped the timesheets both overall and in his group, with Ryder LeBlond in second. Despite going fastest in his group, Mani Lettenbichler was forced to settle for third overall in Knockout Race #2, safe in the knowledge that the third and final race was the most important.
Canadian Trystan Hart couldn’t overcome Lettenbichler despite his best efforts after close to 50 minutes of gruelling hard enduro racing.
The final knockout race provided no shortage of exciting competition, with the fastest 20 riders tackling the pro short course in a 35-minute-plus-one-lap final race. With the 2024 Red Bull TKO crown on the line, Trystan Hart led from the start with every intention to add another TKO victory to his collection. Teammate Lettenbichler had other ideas though, claiming the lead on lap two and maintaining it until a costly mistake on a Hillclimb with just two laps to go allowed the Canadian to overtake him. The pair battled wheel-to-wheel until Mani regained the top spot on the final lap and managed to pull a five-second lead on his teammate to claim the victory in Tennessee.
“I had a great battle with Trystan today, he was riding unbelievably well!” Lettenbichler said. “I was struggling a little bit as I was sick last week, so at some points I found it hard to get the speed up and stay at the super-high intensity needed for this race. It wasn’t easy, especially as I’m not used to this kind of heat, but we made it. I used my head to pick some fast lines which saved me some energy, and I made some good overtakes. I’m stoked to take the win here for the second time.”
Trystan Hart was satisfied with second but admitted to being a little off the pace.
“The race win was my goal today, but Mani is such a great rider that to beat him, you have to be on point all the time,” Hart said. “I was just a little bit off the pace today and I struggled with arm pump near the start of the day which didn’t help. In the last race, everything was almost perfect. I got the holeshot, and passed Mani multiple times but unfortunately, I was the last one of the two of us to make a mistake on the hill which just allowed him to get past. I’ll be back for more next year to get my fourth TKO win!”
Third overall was Wade Young, who finished just over a minute behind the leading duo. As the second-fastest HEWC rider, the South African claimed 17 valuable championship points.
“This race was so fun, super intense as always but I paced myself and found a good rhythm,” Young said. “I made a few mistakes in the beginning but as soon as I got going and started catching people, it really motivated me. It’s my second podium here and I always enjoy coming. A huge thanks to GASGAS USA for the support out here!”
Finishing fourth overall in Knockout Race #3, Teodor Kabakchiev rounded out the HEWC podium in third. In what has been a standout performance over the entire weekend, British youngster Ashton Brightmore put in an excellent ride to claim fifth overall.
Making it four wins from five starts in 2024 after being forced to miss round three due to injury, Lettenbichler extends his championship lead to nine points over second-placed Wade Young. The battle for third place is equally as exciting, with just two points separating Mario Roman and Teodor Kabakchiev who lie in third and fourth, respectively. With two rounds left to contest, it is still all to play for in the 2024 FIM Hard Enduro World Championship.
The 2024 FIM Hard Enduro World Championship continues with round six in Turkey for Sea to Sky on October 10-12.
Sunday, September 1, 2024 at 10:45AM
Cooper Webb is IN for SuperMotocross Playoffs
by Troy DogAugust 29, 2024, 9:01 am
We’re gearing up for our annual Vurbmoto Classic at NXT LVL 101 in South Carolina on September 13-15. It’s our biggest race of the year. If you don’t believe us, just ask riders like Jo Shimoda, Haiden Deegan, Adam Cianciarulo, Justin Barcia, Justin Cooper, Cooper Webb, among others what this race meant to their careers. They will tell you that it completely changed the trajectory of their careers. We took them to the top baby! Now we will take you to the top. Sign up for your classes today and see if you can become King or Queen of the Classic.
It’s been an interesting summer for Cooper Webb, who had to recover from a torn UCL in his thumb. Then he attempted to race Unadilla, finishing eighth in the first moto, then crashing and pulling off in the second moto.
That crash sprained his thumb and we haven’t seen Webb at the races since.
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The good news is that last night Webb posted on Instagram that he’s ready for the first round of the SuperMotocross Playoffs.
He’s not going to let his injury get in the way of all that money!
Webb will enter his hometown race at zMax Dragway at Charlotte Motor Speedway with 12 points as a tenth seed.
We expect to see more announcements like this in the next week. A few of the big players have yet to officially announce that they are racing the playoffs.
Saturday, August 31, 2024 at 2:33PM Motocross legend Antonio Cairoli takes us on an exclusive tour of the all-new Ducati DESMO 450 MX! In this video, Tony explores every detail of Ducati’s new motocross bike —from its aggressive design and advanced technology to its factory Showa suspension and powerful Desmodromic system. Known for his dominance in the FIM Motocross World Championship with nine titles to his credit, TC222 is no stranger to high-performance bikes, so it’s interesting to hear his take on what sets the DESMO 450 MX apart from the rest and what makes it so special.
Saturday, August 31, 2024 at 2:29PM TM motorsports director Beirer to call for shorter US season
Suggests organizers 'need to reduce the program' in America.
Image: Ray Archer.
Influential KTM motorsports director Pit Beirer will call for a shorter season of racing in the United States, certain that the 31 rounds currently within the entire SuperMotocross World Championship (SMX) schedule is too many.
Beirer – himself a seven-time grand prix winner – has expressed his opinion on the amount of races currently being held in America between AMA Supercross, Pro Motocross and the SMX Finals series.
Supercross continues to maintain its 17-round schedule between January-May, before Pro Motocross now stands at 11 rounds (formerly 12) and spans into August. The newly-introduced SMX playoffs take centerstage in September over the course of three rounds including the final, which Beirer firmly believes is overly extensive.
“I would like to mention, one thing, a personal thing as an ex-rider and working with teams and riders, I think we ask too many races of our riders in the USA,” Beirer explained during a special Chase Sexton media debrief session hosted by KTM. “I know not everybody shares this opinion with me, but just think logical.
“Sometimes riders get injured and I’ve found riders getting injured, for them, I saw them even kind of relieved because that was the only time that they could really enjoy four, three weeks without having any pressure and rushing to the next race. For me, it’s unbelievable what Chase does, going through the whole Supercross season, and the motocross season, and now going to SMX.
“I love it, I am a motocross fan, I want to see them on the track every week, but in the long term I will push from our side as a factory to all of the organizers and promoters that we need to reduce the program a little bit, because we are asking too much.
“Thank you Chase for going week in, week out, but I think also to have a long career with riders and not being burned out too early, that schedule is crazy. I’m sure it’s not the most popular thing what I say here now, but to protect riders in the long term and the health of the riders, I am 100 percent sure it’s too many races for the boys.”
Sexton responded: “At least someone said it – I’m glad you said it Pit, because I think a lot of riders agree with you [laughs].”
Beirer – now a prominent figure in the MotoGP paddock – has been instrumental over the past two decades in KTM’s on-track success, including the appointment of Roger DeCoster alongside current Red Bull KTM team manager Ian Harrison in 2010, which ultimately led to turning the Austrian brand’s fortunes around at the highest levels of US competition.
Saturday, August 31, 2024 at 2:25PM The team around Team Manager Mat Rebeaud, Diego Clément and Fabian Tellenbach is optimistic that the Swiss team, which has set itself the goal of finishing in the top 5, can reach the podium. A very ambitious goal but not impossible. Driven by emotions and passion, the riders and the entire team are working hard behind the scenes on their preparations to show themselves in the best possible light.
Switzerland will be represented by a strong and experienced trio of riders:
- Jeremy Seewer: No. 16 MXGP
- Arnaud Tonus: No. 17 MX2
- Valentin Guillod: No. 18 MXOpen
This combination put the team in sixth place last year, tied on points with the fifth-placed team. We can already say that our team will be by far the most experienced at the starting gate. It will be the 11th participation for Arnaud Tonus, the 12th for Jeremy Seewer and the 13th for Valentin Guillod.
A special highlight for the Swiss fans in England will be the Swiss House. This meeting point has been organized for our Swiss fan community. Exclusive packages will be on offer, including tickets, food and fan merchandise. This offers a great opportunity to support the Swiss riders on site and to experience unforgettable moments together.
Saturday, August 31, 2024 at 2:20PM
Our man in the US, and good friend for 30 years, Eric Johnson caught up with Eli Tomac and allowed us to run this very cool interview. As always, EJ knows what to ask and when to ask it. An AMA media legend and an AMA racing legend chat and you can read it below.
The Flying T Ranch, way up in the 6,182ft heights of Cortez, Colo., was founded by World Cup mountain bike racer John Tomac and wife Kathy in 1993. The ranch and its associated winery have also served as home base for the sensational Eli Tomac. A four-time AMA Pro Racing 450cc class champion, as well as a two-time Monster Energy Supercross Series champ, Eli has held station in Cortez throughout his entire 15-year professional racing career.
“So, next time you’re sipping a glass of red wine or watching motocross highlights, remember that Cortez, Colorado, gave us both the Flying T Ranch’s vineyard and the thunderous roar of Eli Tomac’s bike,” states a website promoting Cortez and the Flying T Ranch
As Eli himself says: “We did it our way and it worked out.”
After scoring a podium finish at the last weekend’s Ironman National in Indiana, Tomac, who had made his way back from a Bennett’s fracture of his thumb, is back in Cortez and contemplating the radical highs and lows of his chosen sport.
“It is not an easy thing and it’s something that you have to learn to overcome as a racer,” explained Tomac of having to fight his way back from yet another untimely injury. “In our sport, the highs and lows can mean injury, it can mean just struggling to be healthy for a period of time. It can even mean trying to find the right setting and feeling comfortable on the bike. And then at the end of the day, it all comes down to results, too. But there are so many variables with all of that.
“However, that’s what makes racing so cool. Racing is may the best man win, you know? It’s green flag to checkered flag. If you perform and you go win, you’re the best guy for that time and moment. That’s what’s so cool. It’s not being a judged event — the winner is the first one to cross the finish line.”
His father John a legendary bicycle racer and member of the United States Bicycling Hall of Fame, Eli Tomac spoke about the athleticism involved in becoming a world class supercross and motocross racer.
“Yes, the sport is extremely athletic and that’s what makes our sport very unique,” pointed out 31 year-old Tomac. “It’s such a skill and rider involved sport. The rider part of it all is heavily more weighted. Also, and in general, the rider is also over the equipment. All of the equipment is really good and really important, but in our sport specifically, the rider is a huge percentage of the performance equation and performance outcome.
“And athleticism also plays a major part in it all. There are so many variables with our sport. It’s always a fine line between being built like a gymnast who has been built up in the gym. Also, you have to have really good cardio, so it’s such a balance. I feel like all of that kind of changes over time, too. Some people are more towards the cardio-side of things, and the others are more gym-oriented. You definitely have to have a mix. I feel lie you can get, maybe, 90 percent there with an everything program, but that last 10 percent you need is critical to tune yourself.”
Two rounds into his recent return to racing after the Bennett’s fracture, Tomac was pleased with his speed and endurance which added up to a podium visit at the Ironman.
“Well, that was my goal coming back from this latest thumb injury,” offered Tomac of his podium result in Indiana. “My goal was to get on the podium. I was able to do that in Indiana and that was really cool. Really, it’s good for getting a jump start on the SMX events that are coming up and then even leading into next year. It is all going to be really helpful and even just for the general information we were able to gather for the next motocross season, too. Having more time on the motorcycle leading into 2025 will really help me because I was also hurt last year. Overall, I’m happy with the comeback so far.
“Yeah, I’m feeling pretty good,” furthered Tomac. “At Budds Creek I would say that I was a little off on speed in moto one and then I really struggled in moto two. At the Ironman in Indiana I really turned it around. My fastest lap times were really close to the leader. I was also able to perform better in moto two there and that’s what I really missed out on the week before. Yes, I still need more building and I need a little more strength in my thumb to get back to 100-percent, to be quite honest. I’m happy with the direction things are going. I’m going to get stronger, in my opinion. Yeah, all is well.”
Tomac firmly believes that nothing beats intensity of racing to get a racer performing at 100 percent.
“Yes, you can try so many things at home and test yourself on the clock and race against the clock as much as you can, but there is nothing like racing no matter what. You learn so much in that environment and at the end of the day you have to just go race and see whare you’re at and see where your motorcycle is at and see where you are at against the field.”
Tomac is now looking to the SuperMotocross World Championship set to launch on Sept. 7 at zMAX Dragway in Charlotte.
“My mindset is now that I’ve got the podium in Indiana, my next goal is obviously to be battling for a win and I want to do that in the SMX series,” said Tomac. “We’ve just got a lot on the line and it is slightly new. I didn’t race it last year, so I feel like we are going to have to make some small changes to the motorcycle from our normal supercross settings. Overall, though, I’m ready for a new challenge and I’m excited to get to test there.”
Will he have a shot at a win in the three-round SMX series?
“I totally think so,” answered Tomac. “If I get off the line and get a good start, I think I’m totally in the mix for battling for a win. Like I said, overall, I feel like I’m getting stronger every weekend and my thumb is getting better, so I’m not going to have any excuses left by that time. I’m just looking forward to going out there and racing these SMX races.”
Hybrid circuits incorporating high-speed straight sections with flowing wide corners coupled in with Supercross-themed technical jump sections make Tomac enthused with the SMX MX/SX format.
“It fits with my style,” he said. “I didn’t race it last year, but overall and looking at it, the 20-minute races and having two of them with a little mixture of high speed, works for me. I feel like I am better at high-speed tracks. This SMX series works. It’s a high speed supercross environment. Honestly, I think it’s going to fit my style really well.”
As another variable involved in Tomac’s return to competition, he will contest the approaching four-round 2024 World Supercross Championship for the Yamaha-backed Craig Dack Racing organization.
“WSX and all of this is all part of a building process,” explained Tomac. “There are multiple reasons why I’m racing the WSX. The number one reason is that I’m getting back on the line and I’m getting back in the groove. There is nothing like replicating the race environment. That’s goal number one and reason number one. Number two is that it is going to be really cool for me to travel around the world. I’m going to see Australia, Canada and Abu Dhabi. I’m going to go check out the world. I know I only get so many opportunities to do things like this and I think it’s fitting for the amount of racing that I’ve done this year. In my opinion, this is all going to work out well for everyone involved.”
Fan enthusiasm for Tomac’s return to racing also inspires the Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing pilot.
“It is great to see the fans,” offered Tomac. “There is nothing better than seeing the No. 3 shirts in the autograph lines and just seeing fans at the track. I feel like the longer you can stay in the sport, the more people get to know you and you get a good connection with them. I’m excited to race another year. I anticipate it being my last full season and final season of professional racing. Yeah, I’m just looking forward to going out and having a good time.”
As recently announced in the global motocross media, Eli Tomac will return to Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing for 2025 and line up for the SMX World Championship.
“It’s been a great match,” said Tomac, who will enter his fourth year with Yamaha in 2025. “Yes, the supercross endings have been unfortunate the last two years. I guess that’s racing. Overall, it has been a great fit and we’re going to keep getting better. We’re going to keep improving. We’re signed-up together for another year, so it’s a good for all of us.”
At the sport for 15 years now, all along the way, Tomac has made it a point to try and set a super-positive example of what he believes a world class racer should be.
“In my opinion, that’s a huge deal, how you present yourself,” said Tomac. “You just want to be a good role model for the kids and give them inspiration to be the next 450 champion and being in the mix there at the top. Yeah, leaving a good example is a big deal and I try to do my best for that.”
Pointing out that 2025 is basically certain to be his final year as a championship-contending racer, when he looks back over his shoulder at it all, Tomac is very pleased with the racing body of work that he has created.
“I’m really happy on how long I’ve made it,” said Tomac, who contested his very first AMA Pro Racing event back in 2010. “To be honest, I didn’t see myself doing it past 30 years old. It’s almost the number just doesn’t matter. You’ve got to do wat you love doing. I’ve always told myself that if I’m competitive, then I was going to keep going. My longevity has outlasted what I envisioned in the beginning. It’s a little bit scarry how fast 15 years goes by, but overall it has been a fantastic journey.”
At 31 years of age with an entire year of racing set before him, Tomac is fully aware that he’ll soon call time on his professional career. And in doing so, he knows the rush and pomp and circumstance of racing will leave his life. Still, he’s fine with all of that.
“I think it’s going to be a hard thing to replace. I think that is one thing you have got to be grateful for,” he said. “Getting that satisfaction of being able to compete and do something at the highest level that you always dreamed of is awesome and you’ve got to be grateful for the moments that you’re on the line.”
Saturday, August 31, 2024 at 2:11PM The Repsol Honda rider seals his eighteenth outdoor title. Gabriel Marcelli takes third place in the French town.
The Repsol Honda Team had a winning conclusion to the penultimate round of the season, as Toni Bou was crowned TrialGP champion once again. He earned his ninth victory of the season to confirm the title. Teammate Gabriel Marcelli earned third position in the race, his seventh podium of the season.
Bou took the lead on the first lap after collecting 7 penalty points, one of them for time, on Zones 1 and 10. For the second run, the Repsol Honda Team rider was able to improve in places where he had made mistakes and finally, with an advantage of 8 points, took his ninth triumph of the season.
With this victory, the Montesa Cota 4RT rider won the TrialGP World Championship for the eighteenth time. In total, Bou has a total of 35 titles, including 17 in X-Trial and 18 in the outdoor discipline. He has 152 race victories and 208 podiums in TrialGP.
Marcelli also had a good performance in Cahors. On the first lap, the Repsol Honda Team rider was fighting for the podium positions, placing inside the Top 3 with 18 points. On the second lap he competed for second place alongside Jaime Busto and Adam Raga, finally claiming third for his first rostrum at the French town.
Thanks to this result, Marcelli retains second place in the overall standings, 7 points clear of Jaime Busto. The runner-up position will be decided on the last weekend of the season.
The final round of the TrialGP World Championship season will be held from September 13-15th, with a double header in Ripoll.
Wednesday, August 28, 2024 at 4:19PM Not sure if this is just rumor or actually correct.
