Monday, September 2, 2024 at 4:03PM And a reminder that the pre-entry deadline is Sept 6… but you can also register at the track after practice on Sept 13 and before the race on Sept 14. Look forward to seeing everyone at OMC race track in Boise! @internationalvetmx @socalvetmx @oregonoldtimers @sierraoldtimers @lasvegasoldtimersmx @omc_raceway
Monday, September 2, 2024 at 3:58PM With just over a month to go until the highly anticipated Monster Energy Motocross of Nations (MXON) returns to Matterley Basin on the 5th and 6th of October, Team Manager Mark Chamberlain, in collaboration with the ACU Motocross Commission, is proud to reveal the three riders selected to represent Great Britain: Tommy Searle (MXGP), Max Anstie (MX2), and Conrad Mewse (MX Open).
Leading the charge for Team GB in the MXGP class is the experienced Tommy Searle. Returning to the MXON after his last appearance at Red Bud in 2022, this year’s event marks Searle’s 13th time representing his country. Searle, who first competed in the MXON at Matterley Basin in 2006, currently holds second place in the Dirt Store ACU British Motocross Championship (MX2 class). For this event, he’ll be stepping up to the 450cc class, riding his Dirt Store Kawasaki.
Reflecting on his selection, Searle shared, “I’m really looking forward to representing Team GB. I’m going all in now for the next few weeks to do my very best. With Max and Conrad on the team, we have a great lineup. To be doing what I imagine will be my final MXON in the UK is something dreams are made of. I’ll put in the graft now to get the results that can make the nation proud.”
Joining Searle in the team is the reigning British MX1 Champion and three-time British MX2 Champion, Conrad Mewse, who will compete in the MX Open class aboard his Crendon Fasttrack Tru7 Honda Racing 450 machine.
Mewse has been in top form this season, currently locked in a close battle with five-time World Champion Jeffrey Herlings, sitting just 15 points behind in the British Championship standings. “It’s an honour to represent Team GB at our home MXON,” Mewse said. “With the experience that Max and Tommy bring, I feel confident and ready. I want to extend a massive thanks to Mark Chamberlain for the selection, and I’m committed to giving my all for our nation.”
Rounding out the team is Max Anstie, who will take on the MX2 class riding his Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing 250. Anstie returns to Matterley Basin, the scene of his historic 1-1 victory at the 2017 MXON.
Since joining the Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing team, Anstie has consistently delivered top-10 finishes in the AMA Nationals, including impressive top-5 results at Spring Creek and Unadilla. “I’m excited to be coming home for Matterley MXON on my Star Yamaha,” Anstie stated. “We have a strong team, and I’m looking forward to an amazing event. Last time we were here for MXON, it was a dream weekend, so let’s go make it another great one! I appreciate the team and Mark working together to make this happen.”
With three strong riders, Team Manager Mark Chamberlain commented, “Lots of work has gone into getting the best Team that we can for our home Nations, it was important to put every effort into securing Max on what is a great bike and Team in Star Racing Yamaha.
Then you add Conrad who has had another great season racing Herlings at the British Championship and it has elevated his level, so excited to see him on his Crendon Fasttrack Tru7 Honda Racing. Tommy Searle, what can you say? 6 weeks ago, I asked if he could help with the Team to prepare leading up to the race!
Tommy has come into form at the right time, and I believe is the man for the job. He is happy in the Dirt Store Kawasaki Team and it’s showing. All 3 riders have stood on the podium for Team GB over the last few years and have had great results at Matterley individually. Let’s get behind them as I’m sure they will give everything for the home fans!”
Monday, September 2, 2024 at 3:55PM Section: Competition Post: Alex Gobert
Will consider spending a full season or two in Europe during his career.
Image: Octopi Media.
Already an AMA Supercross and Pro Motocross champion, Red Bull KTM’s Chase Sexton has expressed interest in spending a ‘bucket list’ season or two in the MXGP World Championship during the later stages of his career.
Sexton, still only 24, this year delivered KTM its first 450MX crown since Ryan Dungey a decade ago and is quickly establishing himself as one of the most accomplished racers of his generation in America.
While the obvious goal for him is to clinch a second 450SX title to place alongside his championship trophy won with Team Honda HRC in 2023, Sexton’s motocross capabilities have elevated dramatically since stepping up to the premier class five seasons ago – this year winning seven rounds on his way to a maiden outdoor title.
Discussions took place about Sexton potentially contesting this year’s MXGP of Castilla la Mancha, the Spanish-based final round to be held in Cozar the week prior to Matterley Basin’s 2024 Motocross of Nations (MXoN) where Sexton will represent Team USA alongside KTM teammate Aaron Plessinger and Honda’s Chance Hymas.
While that won’t eventuate following the SuperMotocross World Championship (SMX) Finals, he isn’t ruling out a potential full-time transfer in the future – a move that would see him become the highest profile American since Ryan Villopoto in 2015 to attempt grand prix racing.
“There was talks about possibly racing the last GP, but it’s a long season, and it’s just a lot of racing,” Sexton revealed. “If it was this weekend and we just came off outdoors, maybe it’s a little bit different story, but coming off SMX I’ll be racing supercross – hopping back on outdoors and going straight in [MXGP] probably wouldn’t work.
“Who knows, maybe if Pit [Beirer] and Ian [Harrison] would allow me to go and race in MXGP one day, that would be awesome. In the future, I actually wouldn’t mind racing a full year of MXGP or two years. That’s kind of on my bucket list, so we’ll see what the bosses say.”
KTM motorsports director Beirer was on the call with Sexton as part of a post-season media debrief to generate further international interest in his 2024 Pro Motocross crown, directly responding to the Illinois native’s long-term desire to race grands prix.
“We need you in the US for a little while, my friend,” he said. “It’s no problem, but I think you have some targets in the US. Of course, we are maybe the best partner if you want to swap between Europe and America – that’s all possible. Let’s focus for now on the next Supercross title.”
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.
