News and stories about powersports racing this week.
Rispoli Wins Mission King Of The Baggers Opener At Daytona
Seemingly everyone had some sort of issue to deal with in the opening round of the Mission King Of The Baggers series at Daytona International Speedway, but Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson’s James Rispoli dealt with his better than the rest to take his first career victory in the class.
Rispoli was running second and giving chase to early leader Kyle Wyman when he made the save of his life and somehow stayed on board his Road Glide despite a seemingly endless and viscous tank slapper on the high banks. Once he got that under control, he was keeping the pressure on Wyman when the H-D Screamin’ Eagle Road Glide expired with five laps to go. From there it was a battle to the finish with Rispoli and his teammate Hayden Gillim joined by the second factory Harley of Travis Wyman. The two Vance & Hines riders then got a scare when Travis Wyman’s Road Glide suffered a mechanical failure on the banking. The fear of oil on the banking brought out the red flag and Rispoli had his first win in the bag with Gillim second.
Defending Mission King Of The Baggers Champion Tyler O’Hara finished third on his Indian Motorcycle/Progressive/Mission Foods Indian Challenger despite having to start from the back row when the team failed to get him and his teammate Jeremy McWilliams out of pit lane in time for the sighting lap.
The first of the Team Saddlemen Harley was ridden to fourth place by Cory West, who finished 13.1 seconds off the lead and well clear of McWilliams, who was just 1.4 seconds ahead of Baggers rookie and former Superbike racer Jake Lewis.
In addition to the two factory Harleys, Bobby Fong was another knocked out of the race with mechanical problems on his Sac Mile/SDI Racing/Roland Sands/Indian Challenger.
REV’IT! Twins Cup – All Rodio
MotoAmerica races at Daytona International Speedway are normally decided by less than a second. Rodio Racing – Powered By Robem Racing’s Gus Rodio decided to flip that as he rode to his first career victory in the REV’IT! Twins Cup class by an unheard of 8.538 seconds.
Rodio was initially embroiled in a battle at the front with four others, though that was broken up when Dominic Doyle crashed and took Ben Gloddy with him. It also hindered Jackson Blackmon’s progress as he had to take evasive action to avoid the carnage. That left Rodio to battle with defending REV’IT! Twins Cup Champion Blake Davis.
Trackday Winner/Blackmon Racing’s Blackmon, in his first race back after a long rehabilitation of a badly broken ankle, didn’t give up and he was rewarded with an eventual second place after he caught and passed the reeling Davis, who would end up fourth. Blackmon was hounded to the finish line by Cycle Tech’s Hayden Schultz, but he barely beat Schultz to the line by just .060 of a second.
Fifth place went to Ed Sullivan, the Giaccmoto Yamaha Racing rider whose real job is crew chief for Mathew Scholtz’s Westby Racing Yamaha YZF-R1 Superbike.
Mission Super Hooligan National Championship
If getting Daytona’d isn’t a verb, it ought to be. The definition would be: Daytona’d (verb) to lead the entire race only to be beaten by a fraction of a second on the draft run from the final chicane at to the finish line on the tri-oval of Daytona International Speedway.
Many have suffered the fate of being Daytona’d and on Friday it was Bobby Fong’s turn. Fong and his Roland Sands Design/Indian Motorcycle-backed FTR1200 led 99.9 percent of the six-lap Mission Super Hooligan National Championship race at the Speedway, but it was the .1 percent that hurt as Tyler O’Hara beat him to the line by .064 of a second on his Indian Motorcycle/Progressive/Mission Foods-sponsored FTR1200.
O’Hara’s teammate Jeremy McWilliams completed the podium in third, the Northern Irelander 1.2 seconds behind O’Hara and .144 of a second ahead of Cory West and the Team Saddlemen Harley-Davidson Pan America.
Fong’s teammate Kyle Ohnsorg finished a lonely fifth.
Notes…
Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati NYC’s Josh Herrin will start Saturday’s Daytona 200, sponsored in part by Pirelli and Bridgestone, from pole position after leading the 15-minute Time Attack final qualifying session with his 1:48.741. He will be joined on the front row by Celtic/Tytlers Cycle/TSE Racing’s PJ Jacobsen and Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Tyler Scott.
In addition to a solid effort that led to a front-row starting position, Scott and his Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki were victors in the second annual MotoAmerica Pit Stop Challenge that was held at the end of on-track action on Friday.
Quotes
Tyler O’Hara – Super Hooligan National Championship, Winner
“It was a good race. Bobby (Fong) had really good pace all weekend. That was the first time we got to ride together, and he had a really clean, open track. I was in the back learning and made a few mistakes myself and he gapped me. I was able to reel him back in, and then the lapper there through the chicane definitely played a big role. I don’t know if I was going to be able to draft pass him on the finish. He basically broke the draft. It was a good race. Just to sweep the podium, Indian Motorcycle, that’s huge for any motorcycle… all of our sponsors, Progressive have come on board this year, and Mission Foods. Everybody. Parts Unlimited. To win at Daytona is special. Just coming here it’s an amazing feeling. Just really enjoying it. Having fun and really just continuing to develop these motorcycles. It’s a lot of fun.”
Gus Rodio – REV’IT! Twins Cup, Winner
“I didn’t really know what to expect coming here. There as a lot of unknowns, of course. It’s the first race of the year, my first race in the class since last year at Daytona. I’ve been training with Brandon (Paasch). He’s like my big brother. It’s really cool to have somebody like that that I can just go out and stay at the house, spin laps, and really learn something from him. I’m always chasing him. So, I’m really happy. I can’t ask for anything more. My Rodio racing Aprilia feels incredible. I’ve never really felt a bike that I just clicked with, and I just feel like I’m one with this motorcycle right now. Obviously, that makes me happy so I’m having fun while I’m riding. I can put together clean laps and just stay consistent by myself and just stay focused throughout the race.”
Mission King Of The Baggers – James Rispoli, Winner
“I saw my life flash twice and then it just kept going. I was like, ‘maybe I’ll get out of it.’ It just kept going all the way up the banking. I don’t know, man. I summoned all the energy from my ancestors to keep that one going straight. But at the end of the day, to be honest, it was a really fun race. Once we saw Tyler (O’Hara) and Jeremy (McWilliams) not on there (the grid), the game plan is always to race hard but a little different because the Harleys react the same way. So, me and Hayden (Gillim) were just clicking off laps, passing each other in good spots. I think we figured out where he was strong, where I was strong, and we just made it work. To be honest, it’s a shame to see both factory Harleys go out, but I kind of feel like we were tracking them down a little bit in some areas. Maybe he was just blowing up. I don’t know. I feel like me and Hayden did a phenomenal job of just working together. You got to do that here at Daytona. Then me and Hayden started making quite a bit of mistakes out there, running wide and stuff. I was just hoping nobody else would catch up. I saw some people coming. Travis (Wyman) got in there with us, and he had a little bit of a moment. Thankfully, he’s super solid and got right off the line. But I’m just stoked. Vance & Hines have worked their butts off this off-season. We go out in FP1 and if we’re slow a mile an hour, it’s all forgotten, and it can’t be. These guys work so hard. We’re in the fight. Yeah, we might not have the mile an hour, but we lasted, and we got one and two. It’s the first King Of The Baggers (round). I’m super proud of my team and my teammate. We’ll just keep going. Terry (Vance) – just get the red numbers out because we’re looking at the red plate, baby.”
Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson’s James Rispoli (43) leads teammate Hayden Gillim (79) with Tyler O’Hara (1) giving chase in the Mission King Of The Baggers race at Daytona International Speedway on Friday. Photo By Brian J. Nelson
Gus Rodio (96) ran away and hid in the REV’IT! Twins Cup race at Daytona. Photo By Brian J. Nelson
Bobby Fong (5) leads eventual winner Tyler O’Hara (1) in the Super Hooligan National Championship race on Friday. Photo By Brian J. Nelson
Mission King Of The Baggers winner James Rispoli is flanked in Victory Lane by teammate Hayden Gillim (left) and Tyler O’Hara (right). Photo By Brian J. Nelson
Daniels Victorious in Dramatic DAYTONA Short Track I
Dallas Daniels (No. 32 Estenson Racing Yamaha MT-07 DT) secured a nail-biting victory at the DAYTONA Short Track I presented by Daytona Dodge to open the 2023 Progressive American Flat Track season in dramatic fashion.
A hectic opening several laps around the Flat Track at Daytona International Speedway featured the four riders on four different makes who lined the front row for the Mission SuperTwins presented by S&S Cycle Main Event. Johnny Lewis (No. 10 Moto Anatomy X Powered by Royal Enfield 650) raised more than a few eyebrows when he grabbed the early lead aboard the Royal Enfield while established Mission SuperTwins superstars Daniels, Brandon Robinson (No. 44 Mission Roof Systems Indian FTR750), and Briar Bauman (No. 3 Parts Plus/Jacob Companies KTM 890 Duke) jockeyed for position just behind.
After some back-and-forth, Robinson managed to work his way into the lead and then threatened to make an early escape. By the time Daniels and Bauman dispatched Lewis, the Mission Roof Systems rider had nearly a second in hand.
Daniels put his head down at that point, stretching out an advantage over Bauman while eating away at Robinson’s. By half distance the two linked up at the front just as they made their way into lapped traffic for the first time.
The Estenson Racing pilot began to actively search for a way into the lead with just over two minutes on the clock, nudging the front wheel of his Yamaha MT-07 DT up the inside of Robinson’s Indian FTR750 a few times before finally finding the gap he had been looking for.
Once through, Daniels, Robinson, and Bauman appeared safe to open their 2023 campaigns a respective 1-2-3 as time expired. However, the Main Event delivered a final twist in the form of a waving red flag that came after Lewis’ crashed from fifth following a clash with another rider.
Not only was Lewis’ hard-earned top five gone, but so seemingly was Bauman’s remarkable podium run in his debut aboard the all-new Rick Ware Racing KTM 890 Duke, his brake pedal disconnected during the Main Event melee.
However, even with Bauman’s technical issues and the potential for chaos the top three were forced to negotiate, the trio locked down their positions as they powered away from the staggered start and held on to the checkered flag.
The victorious Daniels said, “I tell you what – there’s nothing that makes you more nervous than that right there, leading the laps going away and a red flag comes out with two to go. My dad was talking to me (before the restart), saying “You’re good, you’re good.” And then he stopped talking, and I was like, “No, no, no, keep talking, I’m getting nervous!
“These two guys on the podium with me – I grew up watching these guys win here. These guys are my heroes. And now I want to beat them. It’s an honor to win here.”
Even if the podium went unaltered in the wake of the late stoppage, there was plenty of reshuffling as a result of the restart. Defending Mission SuperTwins king Jared Mees (No. 1 Indian Motorcycle/Rogers Racing/SDI Racing FTR750) was the biggest beneficiary, slashing up to a fourth-place finish after previously being mired as deep as 12th in the pack.
He was followed home by Daniels’ teammate, JD Beach (No. 95 Estenson Racing Yamaha MT-07 DT), who took fifth despite not faring much better than Mees to that point.
Four-time DAYTONA ST winner Sammy Halbert (No. 69 Martin Trucking/Castrol Yamaha MT-07) took sixth, followed by Dan Bromley (No. 62 Memphis Shades/Corbin/Vinson Construction Yamaha MT-07) and the remounted Lewis.
Davis Fisher (No. 67 Rackley Racing/Bob Lanphere’s BMC Racing Indian FTR750) – who had been fourth at the time of the red flag – ended up ninth, while Ben Lowe (No. 25 Rackley Racing/Mission Foods Indian FTR750) completed the top ten.
Parts Unlimited AFT Singles presented by KICKER
Reigning Parts Unlimited AFT Singles presented by KICKER champion Kody Kopp (No. 1 Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 450 SX-F) got his title defense off to what was effectively a perfect start.
The fact that Kopp entered the season as the primary target of every other rider in the field seemingly did nothing but enhance the dominant streak he flashed so often a year ago. Despite contending with a slick track that demanded focus and invited mistakes, the factory KTM ace topped practice and qualifying, won his Heat and the Al Lamb’s Dallas Honda Challenge, and then ultimately reigned supreme in the season’s opening Main Event.
Kopp blasted off to the holeshot and basically put it out of reach a few short corners later. He systematically worked his lead up to around four seconds before cruising his way to an eventual 3.370-second margin of victory.
Afterward, Kopp claimed the day didn’t come quite as easily as it appeared outwardly. He said, “The #1 plate definitely is a little heavy I think. There were some nerves and some Outlaw races this offseason where I was doubting myself if we were still good on a Short Track. But this is some way to start a season for sure. We pretty much had a clean sweep of the day.”
Dalton Gauthier (No. 79 D&D Racing/Certified KTM 450 SX-F) held down second throughout, perfectly positioned to take advantage of a mistake that never came. Still, his runner-up effort sent a strong message that he’s still very much a threat despite returning to an independent effort in ‘23.
Trevor Brunner (No. 21 Estenson Racing Yamaha YZ450F) rounded out the podium, coming out on top of a race-long fight after making an early strike on Trent Lowe (No. 48 American Honda/Mission Foods CRF450R), the rider signed to fill Gauthier’s former seat at Turner Honda.
Aussie sensation Tom Drane (No. 59 Estenson Racing Yamaha YZ450F) made it two Estenson Yamahas in the top five with a nice start to his full-time Progressive AFT in fifth.
Kopp’s teammate and expected title challenger Max Whale (No. 18 Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 450 SX-F) didn’t enjoy nearly as smooth an evening as his stablemate. Whale crashed in his Heat and the LCQ, but still just managed to advance into the Main, where he battled his way up to eighth in the end.
Next Up:
The ‘23 Progressive AFT season picks right back up with the second half of the DAYTONA Short Track doubleheader opener on Friday at the Flat Track at Daytona International Speedway. Gates will open for fans at 3:00 p.m. ET (12:00 p.m. PT) with Opening Ceremonies scheduled to begin at 7:00 p.m. ET (4:00 p.m. PT) ahead of the evening’s program. Visit https://www.tixr.com/promoters/americanflattrack to secure your DAYTONA Short Track II tickets today.
For those that can’t catch the live action from Daytona International Speedway, FansChoice.tv is the live streaming home of Progressive AFT. Sign up now and catch every second of on-track action starting with Practice & Qualifying and ending with the Victory Podium at the end of the night at https://www.fanschoice.tv.
FOX Sports coverage, featuring in-depth features and thrilling onboard cameras, will premiere on FS1 from the DAYTONA Short Track I on March 18 at 10:30 a.m. ET (7:30 a.m. PT) and DAYTONA Short Track II on March 19 at 12:30 p.m. ET (9:30 a.m. PT).
For more information on Progressive AFT visit https://www.americanflattrack.com.
Herrin Wins 81st Running Of The Daytona 200
Thirteen years ago, a young Josh Herrin won the Daytona 200. Unfortunately, back then it was the pole sitter who was awarded the Rolex and Herrin didn’t start the race from pole. Thus, no Rolex. When it changed to the race winner getting the Rolex, Herrin started getting poles but not wins. Today he got it right, winning the 81st running of the Daytona 200, sponsored in part by Pirelli and Bridgestone, and earning his second 200 victory. And this time he got his Rolex.
The 13 years between wins for Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati NYC’s Herrin is the longest gap between Daytona wins in the history of the race. The previous longest timespan between wins was seven years for Eddie Lawson, who won the race in 1986 and not again until 1993.
Herrin was at or near the front of the lead pack for the duration of the 200 and with nine laps to go it looked like a two-rider shootout between Herrin and his Ducati Panigale V2 and the Suzuki GSX-R750 of Mission M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Richie Escalante. Those two had seemingly broken the spirit of the rest and there was a gap back to third-placed Josh Hayes and the Squid Hunter Racing Yamaha YZF-R6.
A lap later, however, and Escalante was on the ground in turn one and out of the race after the pair came together. That left Herrin alone at the front, but with five laps to go the red flag came out on the 52nd lap when Teagg Hobbs and Jason Waters crashed together in the International Horseshoe.
The Daytona 200 rulebook states: “For the Daytona 200, the number of laps of the second race will be the number of laps required to complete the original race distance of fifty-seven (57) laps but shall not be less than ten (10) laps.” Thus, the race would end up being 62 laps and 217.62 miles.
Herrin, meanwhile, had been penalized six spots on the grid of the restart because of his altercation with Escalante.
The 10-lap sprint after the restart featured a horde of seven riders at the front, but it was Herrin at the pointy end when it mattered as he won the drafting war to beat Hayes by .070 of a second. Attack Performance Yamaha’s Cameron Petersen was third, .140 behind, for a complete turnaround of how his day had gone with a clutch issue thwarting his progress in the early stages of the race. The clutch problem translated to Petersen being forced to pit three times, but he didn’t give up and it paid dividends at the completion of the 10-lap sprint.
Fourth place went to Disrupt Racing’s Hayden Gillim, who would later protest the results believing that Petersen didn’t actually finish third. His protest was denied. Gillim had fought back after crashing with 20 laps to go and remounting.
Celtic/Tytlers Cycle/TSE Racing’s PJ Jacobsen finished fifth and just .439 of a second behind Herrin. Jacobsen also got new life thanks to the restart after crashing and remounting on the 31st lap.
Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Hobbs was sixth after his team rebuilt his crashed bike. Disrupt Racing’s Geoff May, TOBC Racing’s Danny Eslick, TSE/Truelove Brothers Racing’s Matt Truelove and Farrell Performance’s Jason Farrell rounded out the top 10.
Two-time and defending Daytona 200 winner Brandon Paasch was 12th after being penalized 15 seconds at the end of the race for a pit lane speed violation. Biothermal/Blake Davis Racing’s Blake Davis suffered a similar fate and was dropped to 11th in the final standings. Both riders raced at the front of the pack in the restarted portion of the race, but their penalties were applied at the completion of the race, per the rulebook.
Herrin’s victory on the Ducati Panigale V2 was the Italian marque’s second win in the 200 with Jason DiSalvo winning on a Team Latus Ducati 848 EVO.
Daytona 200 Quotes
Josh Herrin – Winner
“We were on I think after the final pitstop, and I had been seeing just different spots that I could overtake if I needed to,” Herrin explained of his run-in with Richie Escalante. “His bike was a missile, especially the first banking. I had to get a really good run out to get him into the chicane because he was really good coming out of the chicane. So, in my head I’m thinking, ‘All right, I’m going to struggle to do it if he puts in a good lap.’ That was one of the spots where I thought would be a possibility and it would kind of throw him off of his rhythm. With the last however many laps to go, I just saw an opening and wanted to try it. As far as I was concerned, I was there and had the line. I felt the contact and looked back. I didn’t see him, but I wasn’t positive if he had gone down or not. So, I kept putting my head down. When I came around the next time, I saw him out there flipping me off. So, I figured that something had happened.”
“I was freaking out,” Herrin said when asked about the race being red flagged and restarted. “My neck was destroyed just from sitting on the banking for that long. We didn’t put a pad, which we should have. I didn’t think about it. After 57 laps, your neck just sitting there holding it up the whole time, I was wrecked. When they added five laps I was panicking because at that point I knew it was going to be a sprint to the finish, and I didn’t think I had the legs to get the win. They told me Cam (Petersen) was a lap down. They told me Brandon (Paasch) had a 20-second penalty. I thought that I had lapped Blake Davis at one point, but it must have been somebody else. I was just super confused. I didn’t know if I needed to try to beat Cam or if I needed to try to beat Brandon. I didn’t know what was going on. I just had a lap where I said, “You know what? It doesn’t matter. I need to just try to win, no matter who’s there.” Because if for some reason the guys in the pit were wrong, then I’d be screwed.”
Josh Hayes – Second Place
“Honestly, I had some pace in the infield and in the second and third sectors I was just hanging on,” Hayes said. “I needed them to be able to do it. Two or three laps there, and maybe consecutive, I think I got two where they would get somebody on the entrance to the chicane, and I couldn’t get in the position to do it. So, I’d have to follow a few people through and then I was just kind of hung out there on my own. It was a gap of what you can see in the tri-oval. They were going into one and I was still coming into the tri-oval. I pushed as hard as I could for a while, and I could see I was kind of maintaining. I did the pit stop and came back out and I was kind of in the same position. I might have lost a second to them, but I was relatively in the same position. I fought, and fought, and fought. I finally got what the gap was behind me. I kind of settled in and then I saw Richie (Escalante) on the ground and saw P2. I said, ‘Well, I’m just going to kind of bring her home clean right now.’ Actually, it kind of worked in my favor because I took it pretty easy on the tire at that point, which ended up giving me some tire at the end.”
Cameron Petersen – Third Place
“Something happened with the clutch from lap one,” Petersen said of his early race woes. “The rear chatter when doing downshifts was just incredible. I couldn’t get on the brakes. I couldn’t tip it into the corners. I was really struggling through the infield. The lead group got a little bit of a gap on me and that was pretty much it. We were forced to do three pit stops this race, which kind of put us a lap down. Lucky enough, my tires were pretty fresh. I think the lap the red flag came out, I was able to un-lap myself. So again, I got super lucky. But I don’t really know. Going into those last 10 laps, I had no idea where I was. Nobody told me anything. So, I just put my head down and tried to ride as fast as I could. Once again, I just got beat to the line.”
Josh Herrin (1) leads Danny Eslick (69), PJ Jacobsen (66) and the rest of the pack on the opening lap of the Daytona 200 on Saturday at Daytona International Speedway. Photo by Brian J. Nelson
Josh Herrin (1) crosses the finish line ahead of Josh Hayes (4), Brandon Paasch (96) and Cameron Petersen (45) at the end of the Daytona 200. Paasch was penalized 15 seconds for a pit-lane infraction and was dropped to 12th in the final results. Photo by Brian J. Nelson
Josh Herrin celebrates his second Daytona 200 win in Victory Lane, flanked by Josh Hayes (left) and Cameron Petersen (right). Photo by Brian J. Nelson
Saturday photos available HERE
Results:
Complete practice, qualifying and race results are available HERE.
Ken Roczen Takes Dramatic and Emotional Win at Indy Supercross
Progressive Insurance ECSTAR Suzuki’s Ken Roczen earned a thrilling victory in front of the 62,728 screaming fans who packed Lucas Oil Stadium for Round 9 of the 2023 Monster Energy AMA Supercross season.
Lucas Oil Stadium lit up during opening ceremonies but the real fireworks took place during the closing minutes of the night’s 450SX Class Main Event. Photo Credit: Feld Motor Sports, Inc.
Troy Lee Designs Red Bull GASGAS Factory Racing’s Justin Barcia took second place after intensely pressuring for the lead in the final laps of the race. Red Bull KTM’s Cooper Webb finished third on an especially challenging track filled with deep, soft ruts. Webb’s finish gives him the season’s points lead and the red plate, by a single point, for both the Supercross season as well as toward the inaugural 31-round SuperMotocross World Championship series. In Round 5 of Eastern Regional 250SX Class racing, Team Honda HRC’s Hunter Lawrence earned his fourth win of the season.
Ken Roczen grabbed his fourth win inside Lucas Oil Stadium. He kept his cool, and the lead, under intense pressure on one of the season’s most challenging tracks. Photo Credit: Feld Motor Sports, Inc.
When the gate dropped for the 450SX Class Main Event Ken Roczen crossed the Holeshot stripe first and immediately jumped into the lead. After one lap was in the books Roczen led Cooper Webb, Team Honda HRC’s Chase Sexton, Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Adam Cianciarulo, Team Tedder Monster Energy Mountain Motorsport’s Justin Hill, Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Jason Anderson, and Justin Barcia. After a slow start, points leader Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Eli Tomac had moved up to eleventh place.
Sexton went to work on Webb for second as the top four riders slowly pulled away from the rest of the field. Less than two minutes into the 20-minute plus one lap race Sexton moved past Webb and set his sights on Roczen. The lead was down to less than one second when Sexton caught a rut on a jump and crashed. The incident gave Roczen a little breathing room on Webb. Sexton remounted back in twelfth place.
Seven minutes into the Main Event Barcia applied heavy pressure on Webb for second place. Barcia took the spot after the two racers came together exiting the whoops. Neither rider went down, and Webb stayed tight on Barcia while the two tried to reel in Roczen, who was over three seconds ahead.
As the race clock reached three minutes remaining Barcia had the lead down to just one and a half seconds and the volume of the Indianapolis crowd was intense. Barcia got right on the rear fender of the Suzuki, dropping the gap to .7 seconds as the two racers took the white flag. Roczen held his composure through the final lap, earning his first win of the season. The victory makes Roczen a four-time winner in Indy, the winningest active racer at the venue. It was Roczen’s first win since 2022, and Suzuki’s first win since 2016 – which incidentally was earned by Roczen. Barcia took a close and hard-fought second place, his best result of the season. Webb crossed the checkered flag in third, earning enough points to take the red plate and the points lead heading into Round 10 next weekend in Detroit.
Hunter Lawrence almost made the win look easy on one of the toughest, and most-rutted tracks of the season. Photo Credit: Feld Motor Sports, Inc.
When the gate dropped for the Eastern Regional 250SX Class Hunter Lawrence took the lead with a Holeshot over Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Jordon Smith, Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki’s Chris Blose, Progressive Insurance ECSTAR Suzuki’s Marshal Weltin, and Muc-Off FXR ClubMX Yamaha’s Jeremy Martin. Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Nate Thrasher moved up to fourth early in the opening lap and reached third position before the lap was over. On lap two Thrasher put his Yamaha into second place and the crowd was primed to see an intense battle. The two riders collided the weekend before and Thrasher held some extra motivation to catch and pass the Honda rider.
Martin was the rider on the move early; after losing several spots on the opening laps he charged into fourth place just before race’s midpoint. He was the fastest rider on the track on that lap but was still about eight seconds back from the third place spot held by Smith. With just under seven minutes left on the race clock Lawrence had a scary moment when he came together with a lapped rider. Hunter’s right hand came off the handlebar but he stayed up and seemed to be no worse for the wear. As the clock wined down Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Haiden Deegan crashed in the whoops, giving up his fifth place spot.
When the flames lit at the finish Lawrence pulled in his fourth win of the season and stretched his points lead to 22. Thrasher earned second place points without ever getting into striking distance of the lead. Thrasher’s teammate Smith took third place and Martin crossed the line in fourth.
This week the series takes a short hop north to Detroit, Michigan for Round 10 at Ford Field on Saturday, March 18th. The domed stadium is sure to provide more great racing as the athletes pass the midpoint of the 17-round Monster Energy AMA Supercross season. Each Supercross round also pays points toward the brand-new SuperMotocross World Championship which pits the top Supercross and Motocross racers against one another for two Playoff races and one Final in September. The 450 Class winner will take home a cool one million dollars and go down in the history books as the first champion of the SuperMotocross League. The 250 Class racers will battle for the 250 Class title, with a $500,000 championship payout to the winner of that division and an equal spot in the sport’s history books.
The action from Indianapolis and previous rounds is already available in video highlights at SupercrossLIVE.com. The site also provides story features, race results, racer power rankings, as well as ticket sales to upcoming events. Every Supercross and SuperMotocross event is streamed live on Peacock, with select rounds broadcast on NBC, USA Network, and CNBC. For details and more please go to SupercrossLIVE.com.
450SX Class podium (racers left to right) Justin Barcia, Ken Roczen, and Cooper Webb.
Photo Credit: Feld Motor Sports, Inc.
450SX Class Results
- Ken Roczen, Mattstedt, Ger., Suzuki
- Justin Barcia, Greenville, Fla., GASGAS
- Cooper Webb, Newport, N.C., KTM
- Aaron Plessinger, Hamilton, Ohio, KTM
- Jason Anderson, Rio Rancho, N.Mex., Kawasaki
- Adam Cianciarulo, New Smyrna Beach, Fla., Kawasaki
- Christian Craig, Clermont, Fla., Husqvarna
- Eli Tomac, Cortez, Colo., Yamaha
- Justin Hill, Yoncalla, Ore., KTM
- Chase Sexton, Clermont, Fla., Honda
450SX Class Championship Standings
- Cooper Webb, Newport, N.C., KTM (202)
- Eli Tomac, Cortez, Colo., Yamaha (201)
- Chase Sexton, Clermont, Fla., Honda (189)
- Jason Anderson, Rio Rancho, N.Mex., Kawasaki (166)
- Ken Roczen, Mattstedt, Ger., Suzuki (164)
- Justin Barcia, Greenville, Fla., GASGAS (155)
- Aaron Plessinger, Hamilton, Ohio, KTM (154)
- Christian Craig, Clermont, Fla., Husqvarna (119)
- Dean Wilson, Menifee, Calif., Honda (93)
- Adam Cianciarulo, New Smyrna Beach, Fla., Kawasaki (92)
250SX Class podium (racers left to right) Nate Thrasher, Hunter Lawrence, and Jordon Smith.
Photo Credit: Feld Motor Sports, Inc.
Eastern Regional 250SX Class Results
- Hunter Lawrence, Landsborough, Aus., Honda
- Nate Thrasher, Livingston, Tenn., Yamaha
- Jordon Smith, Ochlocknee, Ga., Yamaha
- Jeremy Martin, Rochester, Minn., Yamaha
- Max Anstie, Newbury, Eng., Honda
- Chris Blose, Phoenix, Ariz., Kawasaki
- Haiden Deegan, Tallahassee, Fla., Yamaha
- Tom Vialle, Avignon, France, KTM
- Cullin Park, Clermont, Fla., Honda
- Coty Schock, Dover, Del., Honda
Eastern Regional 250SX Class Championship Standings
- Hunter Lawrence, Landsborough, Aus., Honda (125)
- Max Anstie, Newbury, Eng., Honda (103)
- Nate Thrasher, Livingston, Tenn., Yamaha (93)
- Jordon Smith, Ochlocknee, Ga., Yamaha (92)
- Haiden Deegan, Tallahassee, Fla., Yamaha (90)
- Jeremy Martin, Rochester, Minn., Yamaha (90)
- Chris Blose, Phoenix, Ariz., Kawasaki (70)
- Tom Vialle, Avignon, France, KTM (68)
- Chance Hymas, Pocatello, Idaho, Honda (60)
- Coty Schock, Dover, Del., Honda (57)
RED BULL KTM’S KODY KOPP SWEEPS DAYTONA AFT SINGLES DOUBLEHEADER
Reigning AFT Singles Champion Kody Kopp made a perfect start to his American Flat Track title defense in Daytona this week, winning both rounds of the 2023 Daytona Short Track doubleheader, as Red Bull KTM Factory Racing teammate Max Whale delivered 8-5 finishes to open his campaign.
Thursday saw the season open in style with Daytona Short Track 1 at the famed Daytona International Speedway Short Track course, where 18-year-old Kopp was near unstoppable in qualifying quickest, before going on to take victory in his Heat race, the Dash-for-Cash and season-opening, 22-lap Main Event by an eventual margin of 3.370 seconds.
A rain delay saw Friday’s proceedings rescheduled for Saturday evening and Kopp picked up exactly where he left off two days prior onboard his 2023 KTM 450 SX-F. The Daytona Short Track 2 was again dominated by Kopp, qualifying in P1 and repeating with controlled wins in the Heat, Dash-for-Cash, and Main Event of round two. This time around he took the checkers by a commanding 5.439 seconds.
Kody Kopp: “Round one was near perfect for us and that’s one way to start the season, for sure! We swept both rounds, Daytona Short Track 1 and 2, for a perfect 50 points. A huge thanks to my Red Bull KTM team, they’ve been working hard this off-season and so have I – it shows that hard work pays off. This is just the start of what will be a great season, so we’re really excited with the results this weekend!”
Australian standout Whale displayed a front-running pace throughout the Daytona Short Track rounds despite enduring his share of challenges across both nights of competition, going on to earn a strong haul of points with eighth position on night one and fifth on Saturday.
Thursday saw 21-year-old Whale affected by unfortunate crashes in both his Heat race and the LCQ, although he was still able to qualify in the final transfer position and that placed him toward the rear of the field at the beginning of the Main Event. From there he put on a spirited charge forward, climbing inside the top 10 for a hard-fought eighth place at the opening round of the 2023 season.
The rescheduled second round went smoother for Whale, going on to record third position in his Heat race and, after constantly pushing forward in the 22-lap Main Event, he claimed a top-five result of P5 on Saturday evening to conclude the week. He’s now sixth in the point-standings following Daytona.
Max Whale: “Thursday was a roller-coaster! Top-five during qualifying and then I went down in both the Heat and LCQ, but thankfully managed to take the final transfer into the Main and we pushed to eighth from there. Round two still wasn’t what I wanted, but I fought really hard and had a lot better pace today. We had podium speed and ended up fifth in the Main, so it was better and I want to give it up to my Red Bull KTM team because they put in a huge effort and I want to reward them a little more for that, but onwards and upwards from here. We’ll come back better at the next one.”
Next Race: Senoia Short Track – Senoia, Georgia – March 25, 2023
Round 1 & 2 Results – Daytona Short Track Doubleheader
AFT Singles Main Event (Round 1)
1. Kody Kopp, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing
2. Dalton Gauthier, KTM
3. Trevor Brunner, Yamaha
OTHER KTM
8. Max Whale, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing
9. Logan Eisenhard, KTM
12. Justin Jones, KTM
14. Hunter Bauer, KTM
17. Travis Petton IV, KTM
19. Clarke Morian V, KTM
AFT Singles Main Event (Round 2)
1. Kody Kopp, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing
2. Dalton Gauthier, KTM
3. Chase Saathoff, Honda
OTHER KTM
5. Max Whale, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing
6. Justin Jones, KTM
10. Logan Eisenhard, KTM
15. Travis Petton IV, KTM
16. Hunter Bauer, KTM
17. Clarke Morian V, KTM
18. Tanner Dean, KTM
2023 AFT Singles Point Standings
1. Kody Kopp, 50 points
2. Dalton Gauthier, 42
3. Trent Lowe, 32
OTHER KTM
6. Max Whale, 27
10. Justin Jones, 22
11. Logan Eisenhard, 21
13. Hunter Bauer, 10
16. Travis Petton IV, 8
19. Clarke Morian V, 4
20. Tanner Dean, 2
INDIANAPOLIS PODIUM SEES RED BULL KTM’S COOPER WEBB TAKE 450SX CHAMPIONSHIP LEAD
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Cooper Webb mastered one of the most technically challenging tracks of the season to leap into the lead of the 2023 AMA Supercross Championship points, as he and his team-mate, Aaron Plessinger, finished third and fourth respectively at Indianapolis. In the 250SX Eastern Regional Main Event, Tom Vialle fought hard to a P8 result.
After posting the sixth-fastest qualifying time, Webb and his 2023 KTM 450 SX-F FACTORY EDITION charged to the front of his 450SX Heat race early on. The ever-motivated 27-year-old led the first two laps, but dropped two positions in the nine-lap outing, before a small error on the final lap saw him finish fourth.
In the Main Event, two-time 450SX champion Webb powered his Red Bull KTM into the top three through the first turn and wasted no time moving into P2. A minor mishap in the tough, deeply-rutted whoops saw him drop a position, but he hung onto the rear wheel of the rider in front of him and finished with an important third-place result, claiming the championship points lead in the process.
Cooper Webb: “To come away from Indy with the red plate is a great accomplishment. It’s still tight, but it was a great night for the points battle. Looking at my actual race, I’m a bit disappointed, as even though I was in the mix, we didn’t execute to race for the win. It’s a long season and tonight was about finding that balance between risk and reward because the track was so brutal. I lost a bit of pace at the end, but we’ll take this result and move on to the next round with the red plate.”
After registering the ninth-fastest qualifying time, Plessinger and his 2023 KTM 450 SX-F FACTORY EDITION put in a strong Heat race. He found himself inside the top three off the start, but kept the pressure on, passing for position toward the end of the Heat to finish with a confidence-inspiring runner-up result.
Despite a mid-pack start to the Main Event, Plessinger was one of the biggest movers in the field as he adapted to the technical, constantly evolving track. Plessinger’s relentless riding saw him move from eighth to fourth throughout the final encounter, finishing with another positive haul of points as the season hits the halfway mark. He’s currently seventh in the points chase.
Aaron Plessinger: “I love coming to Indianapolis and it was a fun day, all-in-all. I felt good in my Heat and was able to make the pass for second in the whoops, which had me feeling confident going into the Main Event. I got off to a mediocre start in the Main, but I tried to ride smart and pushed my way to fourth, where I stayed for the rest of the race. After last weekend’s disappointing ninth result, I wanted to get back up there this weekend and get that momentum back, and I felt like I did that tonight. On to the next one!”
250SX East tonight saw Vialle post the seventh-fastest qualifying time, then launched his 2023 KTM 250 SX-F to the front of the field in his Heat race. The two-time MX2 World Champion was in second position on the opening lap, however, gave up two positions in the opening laps to finish a comfortable fourth.
It was a frustrating Main Event for Vialle, who found himself fighting in the middle of the pack for most of the race. The French rookie gradually worked his way from outside the top 10 up to seventh, before a mistake as a result of the deteriorating track conditions saw him drop to ninth. Refusing to give up, the 22-year-old clawed himself back into an eighth-place finish as the checkered flag flew.
Tom Vialle: “An eighth-place result isn’t my best result and I could’ve done better, but I had a bad start in the Main Event. I felt like I had a good rhythm and pace over the first few laps as I passed a few guys up to seventh, but then I had a small crash where I lost a lot of time. I’ve never ridden Supercross on dirt like that, and I’m learning a lot about racing different tracks and dirt this year. I need to improve and get more experience, but that will only come with more races. I feel like my speed is there, but I need to put it all together – I feel like it’s only a matter of time before I get a podium result.”
Next Race: March 18 – Detroit, Michigan
Results 450SX Class – Indianapolis
1. Ken Roczen (GER), Suzuki, 27 laps
2. Justin Barcia (USA), GASGAS, +0.739
3. Cooper Webb (USA), KTM, +8.852
4. Aaron Plessinger (USA), KTM, +19.436
OTHER KTM
9. Justin Hill (USA), KTM
11. Josh Hill (USA), KTM
16. Kevin Moranz (USA), KTM
Standings 450SX Class 2023 after 9 of 17 rounds
1. Cooper Webb, 202 points
2. Eli Tomac, 201
3. Chase Sexton, 189
OTHER KTM
7. Aaron Plessinger, 154
11. Justin Hill, 87
17. Josh Hill, 54
20. Kevin Moranz, 33
29. Marvin Musquin, 11
Results 250SX East Class – Indianapolis
1. Hunter Lawrence (AUS), Honda, 21 laps
2. Nate Thrasher (USA), Yamaha, +7.970
3. Jordon Smith (USA), Yamaha, +15.288
OTHER KTM
8. Tom Vialle (FRA), KTM
Standings 250SX East Class 2023 after 5 of 9 rounds
1. Hunter Lawrence, 125 points
2. Max Anstie, 103
3. Nate Thrasher, 93
OTHER KTM
8. Tom Vialle, 68
HERLINGS AND ADAMO OPEN 2023 MXGP WITH PODIUM SILVERWARE IN ARGENTINA
The Grand Prix of Argentina launched the 2023 FIM MXGP Motocross World Championship with a packed attendance at the Neuquen circuit close to the small town of Villa la Angostura in Patagonia. Red Bull KTM Factory Racing came away from the first round of nineteen with Jeffrey Herlings as MXGP runner-up and Andrea Adamo earning his ‘spurs’ for the team with the same standing in MX2.
- A busy but cloudy and damp Neuquen hosts MXGP for the seventh time
- Herlings scores 2nd position in his first Grand Prix race since 2021 and with the KTM 450 SX-F
- Andrea Adamo uses the KTM 250 SX-F to enter the top three in his first MX2 GP for the team
- Liam Everts makes his Red Bull KTM debut in 9th
South America was the scene of the first chapter of MXGP for the third time and a wonderfully atmospheric Argentine Grand Prix produced a fast, rough and demanding course for the first motos (and the new qualification heat format including world championship points for those ranked 1st-10th on Saturday).
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing entered the fray as reigning world champions in the MX2 class but with two new recruits in the forms of Andrea Adamo and Liam Everts on the title-winning KTM 250 SX-F. They also welcomed back stalwart Jeffrey Herlings in the MXGP category; the 28-year-old was making his first appearance with the KTM 450 SX-F since winning the 2021 title in Italy.
Herlings felt his way back to Grand Prix speed in calm and impressive fashion. A steady 4th in the first moto was improved by a better start and a run to 2nd place in the second race. The overall classification put the Dutchman on the second step of the podium behind Ruben Fernandez.
In MX2 Adamo was also fast and consistent. Two top three results allowed the Italian to tally 40 points and he was the second-best rider on the day. Liam Everts rued a second lap crash from 5th place in the second moto but the Belgian rode back to 13th to at least make sure of 9th overall.
Round two of MXGP means a drift back to Europe in two weeks time and into the sand of Riola Sardo for the Grand Prix of Sardegna.
Jeffrey Herlings, 4th and 2nd for 2nd overall in MXGP: “I got better throughout the weekend. I haven’t raced these guys for sixteen months and that amount of time means you should not underestimate the class. I have done hundreds and thousands of laps in training but you cannot replicate the intensity of racing here. Every session was getting a little easier and I don’t think it is bad to 2nd. If I had this option beforehand then I would have taken it. I just want to keep on building up my race rhythm now.”
Andrea Adamo, 3rd and 3rd for 2nd overall in MX2: “I’m really happy with this result. I changed my life quite a lot when I signed for the team: I moved to Belgium, starting training with Joel [Smets] and could work with Tony [Cairoli] as Team Manager. It is a perfect combination with lots of good guidance and advice. I didn’t have any goals this weekend apart from doing my best. We’ll keep working from here.”
Tony Cairoli, Team Manager: “A good weekend of performances and results. Jeffrey made the podium and we know he is capable of this and more but it was good for him to get back so soon. Andrea did great and Liam was also riding well with his small injury and was unlucky to have contact with another rider in the second moto. Overall, a decent weekend and we are looking forward to getting home. Re-grouping and going again in Riola.”
JORGE PRADO GETS ON THE GAS TO CLINCH RED PLATE AT MXGP OF PATAGONIA-ARGENTINA
Red Bull GASGAS Factory Racing jumped across the Atlantic Ocean for the 2023 FIM Motocross World Championship season opener, the Grand Prix of Patagonia-Argentina, where the riders got on the gas and secured fantastic results in front of a capacity crowd.
- Jorge Prado stands on the MXGP podium in third overall.
- Prado leads MXGP series standings entering round two.
- Mattia Guadagnini confirms potential on the MC 450F.
The Spanish-speaking fans would have left Villa La Angostura with massive smiles – Jorge Prado gave the passionate crowd exactly what they wanted. Prado won the qualification heat on Saturday and ten points were added to his tally, so he had a red plate bolted to his MC 450F for the second day of on-track action.
Prado was absolutely dominant in the first moto on Sunday, as he got on the gas to take the holeshot. ’61’ recorded the fastest lap of the race and eventually won with an advantage of more than four seconds. The second moto was much more eventful, as he was placed in the thick of the on-track battles for the duration and eventually walked away with a sixth. 1-6 scores put him in third on the day, but he still leads the championship standings by two points.
Jorge Prado: “I think that I need to be happy, after winning the qualification heat yesterday and the first moto today. The second moto was not perfect, but I am very happy about my riding. I am happy! I am really happy that the next race is in sand because I feel great on my MC 450F in those conditions too. Hopefully we can extend our gap in the championship.“
Mattia Guadagnini completed a GASGAS sweep of the top two positions in the first qualification heat of the new season, as he reached the finish in second place. Sunday was harder for the Italian though; he crashed on lap one of the first moto and had to climb from outside of the top twenty to tenth at the checkered flag. The second moto was not quite as chaotic, as he finished eighth to cap off a rather consistent weekend. 10-8 scores left him in eighth in the overall classification, but he runs seventh in the championship standings.
Simon Langenfelder had a successful outing in South America, as he was much more competitive than his results may indicate. ‘516’ fell in turn one of the first moto and moved from dead last to eighth at the checkered flag in what was an incredible showing. A mediocre start left him with more work to do in the second moto, but he progressed through the race and eventually secured fifth place. 8-5 scores put him seventh in the overall classification and fourth in the championship standings, when combined with his third place in the qualification heat.
Mattia Guadagnini: “Finishing second in the qualification race was really good! I did not have the best start in the first moto, but I was around sixth and then I made a mistake. I had to fight back from almost last place, but I made good passes and finished tenth. My lap times were good! I had a better start in the second moto, but I was not riding at my best. I am pretty happy with the first weekend of the season.“
Simon Langenfelder: “I had a good Saturday – I felt so good on my MC 250F. I had an incident right at the start of moto one, unfortunately, and it was quite a big crash! I rode very good in the first race. I felt quite tired in the second race, because I pushed so hard in moto one. It can only get better from here.“
There’s a very small break in the Grand Prix calendar now, to allow the riders and teams to travel back from South America. The second round, the Grand Prix of Sardegna, will be run on March 25/26.
Download high-res images of our racers in action at the Grand Prix of Patagonia-Argentina here.
Results – 2023 FIM Motocross World Championship, Round One
MXGP – Overall
1. Ruben Fernandez (Honda) 41pts
2. Jeffrey Herlings (KTM) 40pts
3. Jorge Prado (GASGAS) 40pts
8. Mattia Guadagnini (GASGAS) 24pts
MXGP – Moto One
1. Jorge Prado (GASGAS)
2. Romain Febvre (Kawasaki)
3. Maxime Renaux (Yamaha)
10. Mattia Guadagnini (GASGAS)
MXGP – Moto Two
1. Ruben Fernandez (Honda)
2. Jeffrey Herlings (KTM)
3. Jeremy Seewer (Yamaha)
6. Jorge Prado (GASGAS)
8. Mattia Guadagnini (GASGAS)
MXGP – Standings
1. Jorge Prado (GASGAS) 50pts
2. Ruben Fernandez (Honda) 48pts
3. Romain Febvre (Kawasaki) 44pts
7. Mattia Guadagnini (GASGAS) 33pts
MX2 – Overall
1. Jago Geerts (Yamaha) 50pts
2. Andrea Adamo (KTM) 40pts
3. Thibault Benistant (Yamaha) 35pts
7. Simon Langenfelder (GASGAS) 29pts
MX2 – Moto One
1. Jago Geerts (Yamaha)
2. Thibault Benistant (Yamaha)
3. Andrea Adamo (KTM)
8. Simon Langenfelder (GASGAS)
MX2 – Moto Two
1. Jago Geerts (Yamaha)
2. Kevin Horgmo (Kawasaki)
3. Andrea Adamo (KTM)
5. Simon Langenfelder (GASGAS)
MX2 – Standings
1. Jago Geerts (Yamaha) 60pts
2. Andrea Adamo (KTM) 49pts
3. Thibault Benistant (Yamaha) 41pts
4. Simon Langenfelder (GASGAS) 37pts
JUSTIN BARCIA CHALLENGES FOR THE WIN IN INDIANAPOLIS
As the AMA Supercross season moves past the midway point, the action heated up on the 450 side of the Troy Lee Designs/Red Bull/GASGAS Factory Racing Team roster, with Justin Barcia challenging for the win on an extremely rough and rutted course.
- The Troy Lee Designs/Red Bull/GASGAS Factory Racing Team brought the heat to Lucas Oil Stadium
- Justin Barcia came from behind to finish second while closing quickly on the leader
- Michael Mosiman opted out of the weekend’s action
450SX
From the first laps at press day to the checkered flag at the end of the main event, it was obvious that the ruts and soft conditions of the Indy course would prove particularly challenging. But following a solid qualifying effort and an impressive heat race win, there was no doubt that Justin Barcia was looking extremely competitive aboard his MC 450F Factory Edition. In the Main Event, Justin started in the top five and quickly worked his way up to second place. As the laps counted down, he was closing on the leader, but ran out of time, finishing less than a second behind. The runner-up finish moves his back to sixth overall in the series standings.
Justin Barcia:“Great practice, P4, which was awesome. In the heat race I charged hard and got the win which was even more awesome. In the main event I didn’t get a great start, but I charged through the pack and came up to second. It was just some great riding, and the crew did a great job today…the bike was on point. A podium was awesome, and we are looking forward to Detroit.”
250SX East
Michael Mosiman was still feeling the effects of his crash last week in Daytona and opted out of this week’s action. There currently isn’t a timetable for his return to competition.
Next Event (Round 10): March 18, 2023 – Ford Field in Detroit, Mich.
Results – 2023 AMA Supercross Championship, Round Nine
250SX East – Main Event Results
1. Hunter Lawrence (Honda) 21 laps; 2. Nate Thrasher (Yamaha) +07.970; 3. Jordon Smith (Yamaha) +15.288
450SX – Main Event Results
1. Ken Roczen (Suzuki) 27 laps; 2. Justin Barcia (GASGAS) +00.739; 3. Cooper Webb (KTM) +08.852 … 17. Justin Starling (GASGAS)
Championship Standings – After Nine Rounds
250SX East
1. Hunter Lawrence (Honda) 125 points; 2. Max Anstie (Honda) 103; 3. Nate Thrasher (Yamaha) 93 points … 11. Michael Mosiman (GASGAS) 51
450SX
1. Cooper Webb (KTM) 202 points; 2. Eli Tomac 201; 3. Chase Sexton (Honda) 189 … 6. Justin Barcia (GASGAS) 155; 21. Justin Starling (GASGAS) 31
NESTAAN HUSQVARNA FACTORY RACING TRIO SHOW PROMISE AT OPENING ROUND OF 2023 MXGP
Following months of anticipation and excitement, the Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing trio travelled down to South America to open their account in the 2023 FIM Motocross World Championship. Lucas Coenen, Kay de Wolf and Roan van de Moosdijk showed plenty of pace on the superb Villa La Angostura layout. Thousands of fans lined the fences to witness the action.
It was a strong start to the 2023 FIM Motocross World Championship for Roan van de Moosdijk, who squashed any negative memories from his previous showing at the Grand Prix of Patagonia-Argentina. Moosdijk shadowed the leaders for so much of moto one, before recording a superb fourth place, and then backed that up with a seventh in the last MX2 encounter. 4-7 scores left him in sixth overall, just three points shy of a podium finish, and he occupies the same position in the championship standings.
Kay de Wolf showed so much promise at the Grand Prix of Patagonia-Argentina, as he dominated the timed sessions on Saturday morning. Unfortunately, a collection of small errors hindered his haul of points. ’74’ finished sixth in the first stint, as those mistakes halted his bid for the victory, and then overcame two crashes in moto two to salvage a tenth. Eighth was his ranking in the overall classification – he occupies the same spot in the championship standings.
Lucas Coenen used the power within his FC 250 to pull the holeshot in moto one, but his time at the front was short lived. ’96’ collided with another star exiting the first corner and was forced to withdraw from the moto, so he turned his attention to moto two. Coenen rebounded in fine fashion and put twelve points on the board via a ninth in moto two, which was good enough for fourteenth overall.
Roan van de Moosdijk: “Today was a consistent start to the championship! It was a solid way to start the new season and I know that I have the speed to run with the riders on the podium, so I am looking forward to making more progress at the next couple of rounds.“
Kay de Wolf: “The riding was not bad, but I did not feel great on this track. We cannot have results like a tenth. We can call it a bad day, but I want to make sure that I stay in the top six on my bad days. I showed speed sometimes, but I am looking forward to round two now. We will see what we can do in the sand.”
Lucas Coenen: “I struggled to hit my marks on such a fast track on Saturday. I felt really good in the warm up on Sunday, but I had a big start crash in the first moto and was banged up. I did not finish the race. I did not make such a good start in the second moto, but I got back to ninth. I will build from here.”
The lengthy journey home awaits the FC 250 riders now. Attention will turn to round two of the 2023 FIM Motocross World Championship, the Grand Prix of Sardegna, which will be run on March 25/26.
Download high-res images from the Grand Prix of Patagonia-Argentina here.
Results – 2023 FIM Motocross World Championship, Round One
MX2 – Overall
1. Jago Geerts (Yamaha) 50pts; 2. Andrea Adamo (KTM) 40pts; 3. Thibault Benistant (Yamaha) 35pts… 6. Roan van de Moosdijk (Husqvarna) 32pts; 8. Kay de Wolf (Husqvarna) 26pts; 14. Lucas Coenen (Husqvarna) 12pts
MX2 – Moto One
1. Jago Geerts (Yamaha) 34:08.704; 2. Thibault Benistant (Yamaha) 34:24.481; 3. Andrea Adamo (KTM) 34:31.407… 4. Roan van de Moosdijk (Husqvarna) 34:35.151; 6. Kay de Wolf (Husqvarna) 34:48.136
MX2 – Moto Two
1. Jago Geerts (Yamaha) 34:43.337; 2. Kevin Horgmo (Kawasaki) 34:51.609; 3. Andrea Adamo (KTM) 34:59.345… 7. Roan van de Moosdijk (Husqvarna) 35:26.191; 9. Lucas Coenen (Husqvarna) 35:33.350; 10. Kay de Wolf (Husqvarna) 35:36.863
MX2 – Championship Standings
1. Jago Geerts (Yamaha) 60pts; 2. Andrea Adamo (KTM) 49pts; 3. Thibault Benistant (Yamaha) 41pts… 6. Roan van de Moosdijk (Husqvarna) 36pts; 8. Kay de Wolf (Husqvarna) 31pts; 14. Lucas Coenen (Husqvarna) 15pts
CHRISTIAN CRAIG GRINDS OUT A SEVENTH-PLACE FINISH AT TOUGH INDY SX
Conditions for this week’s action in Indianapolis were among the toughest seen this season, with a rut-filled soft terrain challenge awaiting the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing Team.
450MX
Christian Craig has been consistent throughout the AMA Supercross season aboard his FC 450 Rockstar Edition, and that trend continued in Indianapolis. Following a seventh in qualifying, and a fifth in his heat race, he was set for the main event. Starting just inside the top ten, he advanced to seventh on a track that others struggled with.
“Indy started out pretty good,“ Craig said.“The track was gnarly all day…super-rutted. I felt like I rode pretty good throughout the whole day and made some little changes here and there. I was able to ride consistently and make the least mistakes possible. I got a bad start in the main and just picked my way through. I got up to eighth and made a pass toward the end and almost got sixth. I felt like I made improvements on my bike and myself and things are clicking. So, we’ll keep pushing forward for next week.
250 MX
Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing Team’s 250 East rookie, Talon Hawkins, continues to build his knowledge base, and found an easier path to the main event this week on his FC250, qualifying directly from his heat race. In the Main Event, he climbed as high as 11th at the midway point, before slipping back to 15th at the checkers.
“It was pretty good,” Hawkins said. “There’s a lot to take away from these. I’m learning so much at these Supercross races. I know I say that every time, but there’s good to take from every single race that I’ve done so far. It’s just a matter of putting it all together. I’m looking forward to hopefully doing that in Detroit. I’ve got some work to do, and we’re going to get back on that training program right on Monday. Keep grinding away, and try to make something happen this next weekend.”
Next Event (Round 10): March 18, 2023 – Ford Field in Detroit, Mich.
Round Nine Results: Indianapolis
250MX Results
1. Hunter Lawrence (Honda)
2. Nate Thrasher (Yamaha)
3. Jordon Smith (Yamaha)
…
15. Talon Hawkins – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing
22. Hardy Munoz (Husqvarna)
450SX Results
1. Ken Roczen (Suzuki)
2. Justin Barcia (GASGAS)
3. Cooper Webb (KTM)
…
7. Christian Craig – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing
250SX Rider Point Standings
1. Hunter Lawrence – 125 points
2. Max Anstie – 103 points
3. Nate Thrasher – 93 points
…
15. Talon Hawkins – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing – 39 points
16. Hardy Munoz – 32 points
450MX Rider Point Standings
1. Cooper Webb – 202 points
2. Eli Tomac – 201 points
3. Chase Sexton – 189 points
…
8. Christian Craig – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing – 119 points
Tomac Finishes Eighth at Indianapolis Supercross
Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Eli Tomac crossed the line eighth last night at the Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana. Despite the challenging conditions, the reigning champ scored valuable points in the hotly-contested Monster Energy AMA Supercross 450SX Championship.
Indianapolis Supercross is known for its soft dirt and rutted conditions, and this year was no exception. Tomac had a solid qualifying in fifth and then took a fourth-place finish in his heat race, giving him a less-than-ideal gate pick for the main event. He found himself back in 11th after the first lap but put his head down and fought his way back to seventh in the tricky conditions. Unfortunately, he was shuffled to eighth in the final laps but brought it home to salvage some points and stay within one point of the championship lead.
The Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing team heads to Detroit, Michigan, for Round 10 of the Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship and the SuperMotocross World Championship series at the Ford Field on March 18.
Eli Tomac
Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing
“It was a tough one today. The track was pretty gnarly, and we just struggled to find our comfort zone all day. We did our best to salvage some points. We’ll put this one behind us and come back next weekend in Detroit.”
Jeremy Coker
Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing 450 Team Manager
“Today was just an off day for us from the start. The track was extremely challenging, and Eli was not comfortable throughout the whole day. We worked hard to help and fell short. We will regroup and rebound just like we have all year.”
MX2 Grand Prix of Patagonia Argentina
Golden Geerts Goes Unbeaten at MX2 Season Opener with Benistant Taking Third & Elzinga Fifth
The Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MX2 team enjoyed an impeccable start to the season at the opening round of the FIM Motocross World Championship in Villa La Angostura, Argentina. Jago Geerts went unbeaten all weekend to start his 2023 MX2 title charge with maximum points and was joined on the podium by Thibault Benistant, who went 2-8 for third overall. Rick Elzinga also made an incredible MX2 season debut going 7-4 for fifth overall.
Using Pole Position to his advantage, Geerts powered his YZ250FM to a flying start in the opening race but was nudged back to second position by Benistant on lap-2.
After making a carefully calculated pass for the lead, Benistant’s hard work came unstuck when he collided with a slower rider that was one lap down. For Benistant, the incident was unlucky, but for Geerts, it was a gift. The ‘93’ took the lead and went on to win the opening race of the season.
Benistant bounced back from the lap-8 crash and treated the thousands of Argentine fans to a thrilling display of raw speed and talent as he whittled down the 4-second lead Geerts enjoyed. The ‘198’ got close enough to fight for the win but ultimately crashed out of the battle with half of a lap remaining. Fortunately, he still finished second.
As for the rookie, Elzinga, the young Dutchman impressed with his come-back through the pack after losing all traction on the metal starting mesh. Consequently, the ‘44’ was one of the last riders off the gate but still fought back to an impressive seventh-place finish.
In the second and final race of the Grand Prix, Geerts picked up right where he left off at the front of the field. The 22-year-old Belgian got off to another rip-roaring start and impressed with a dominant race win – extending his career win tally to 34.
In contrast to the opening race, Elzinga got off to a fantastic start and ran the pace of the front runners for the entire 30-minute and two-lap race duration. The young Dutchman went bar-to-bar with Andrea Adamo and Kevin Horgmo for second position but ended up fourth with much less experience in the category. Still, a phenomenal performance from the reigning EMX250 Champion in his MX2 season debut!
At the same time, Benistant had to fight back from a mediocre start and had another heavy fall. The ‘198’ managed to make a tough remount and salvaged eighth position, enough to join Geerts on the podium.
After an inch-perfect Grand Prix win, Geerts leaves Argentina as the MX2 Championship leader with a perfect score of 60 points. Benistant leaves in third position after finishing third in the Grand Prix.
Elzinga started his debut season with a career best top-five finish in the Grand Prix Classification but sits seventh in the Championship Classification after adding Qualifying Race points.
The next round of the FIM Motocross World Championship will take place in Riola-Sardo, Sardinia, on the 25 – 26 March.
Jago Geerts
MX2 Grand Prix of Patagonia-Argentina winner, 50-points
“It feels really good to win the three motos this weekend. I didn’t expect it at all. I just felt really good on the track and just rode solid all weekend. Three good starts, and consistently good laps, there is not much to say. It was awesome, and I’m happy to start my season like this.”
Thibault Benistant
3rd MX2 Grand Prix of Patagonia-Argentina, 35-points
“It’s already a good start to the season considering I was not even on the gate at round one over the past two years, so it was nice to line up this weekend better prepared. I am happy with the result, there are some things to work on, but we will keep pushing and keep training to be consistently up front.”
Rick Elzinga
5th MX2 Grand Prix of Patagonia-Argentina, 32-points
“I would say I had a good MX2 debut. It’s nice. I think it’s a strong base for my MX2 career. I still have to get used to racing at this level a little bit, but I think if I keep starting up front, this will be the best way to learn. My riding overall, was really good and I scored a personal best result, so this is something I am proud of.”
Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP Focuses on Positives after Challenging Season Opener
The Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP team showed good speed at the opening round of the FIM Motocross World Championship in Villa La Angostura, Argentina, despite the overall result not reflecting the team’s true potential. Maxime Renaux leaves Argentina fifth in the MXGP Championship Standings, while Glenn Coldenhoff and Jeremy Seewer are ninth and 10th, respectively.
With its dark and grainy volcanic soil, the Patagonia Race Track proved tricky to navigate. The hidden square-edged bumps and hard-to-read surface caught out many of the world’s best riders.
Renaux opened his 2023 MXGP campaign with consistently fast lap times and a solid display of awe-inspiring fighting spirit as he bounced back from a spectacular crash to finish third in Race One.
At the same time, Coldenhoff started and finished seventh, while Seewer’s hopes of a good result were spoiled by an unavoidable crash with two other riders on the opening lap that caused some damage to his front brake disc. The Swiss rider pulled into pit-lane hoping it could be repaired, but it was to no avail. Left with no option but to withdraw or continue, he impressively raced with a buckled disc from last position to 17th.
In the second and final race of the day, Coldenhoff powered his YZ450FM to an impressive holeshot but felt uncomfortable on the tricky circuit and was quickly shuffled back to eighth. Renaux moved up into fourth before suffering another heavy knock, which proved hard to recover from. Seewer, however, was back! The ‘91’ showed an incredible return to form as he put in a mind-blowing ride from outside of the top ten to a third-place finish.
Renaux braved the remainder of the race to finish ninth, while Coldenhoff was fortunate to finish 14th after a gnarly crash on lap-13.
After a day of mixed emotions, Renaux and Seewer finished the Grand Prix of Patagonia-Argentina sixth and seventh in the classification, while Coldenhoff rounded out the top 10.
But, with the addition of the points scored in the Qualifying Race yesterday, Renaux will head to Round Two of the FIM Motocross World Championship fifth in the Championship Standings. At the same time, Coldenhoff and Seewer will arrive ninth and 10th, respectively.
The next round will take place in Riola-Sardo, Sardinia, on the 25 – 26 March.
Maxime Renaux
5th MXGP Championship Standings, 40-points
“This weekend didn’t go exactly to plan, but looking at the positives, the speed is there, and we have something to build on. I like this track, but it can be quite tricky at times. I had a couple of big crashes. In the first race I still managed to fight back to third, but in the second race, the impact was a little bit bigger, and I only finished ninth. We obviously want more, so I am already looking forward to getting back behind the gate in Riola.”
Glenn Coldenhoff
9th MXGP Championship Standings, 25-points
“This weekend started off good. Saturday I was running a good pace with good lap times, also in the Qualifying Race even though I was perhaps a little bit too stiff. The first moto was okay, I was behind Pauls Jonass all of the race, but didn’t find that little bit extra to make a pass, but the speed was okay. In the second moto, I took the holeshot, but was passed pretty much straight away. At the halfway point, I started finding my rhythm again, but then had a big crash. I had a headache from that but finished 14th. It definitely wasn’t the way I wanted to start the season, but we will build from here.
Jeremy Seewer
10th MXGP Championship Standings, 24-points
“The frustrating thing to start about this weekend is, none of what happened in the Qualifying Race and in Race One today was in my hands. This is a tough pill to swallow. You only need to look at the second moto to see where I belong. I didn’t do anything special to finish inside the top-three, I just rode my race. I think if the Qualifying Race ended differently, I would have been able to get better starts and potentially fight for the win. Anyway, the result is not the end of the world, there are still a lot of points on the table, so it’s fine.”
Rockstar Energy Husqvarna and Craig DeLong Push to The General GNCC Victory
A career-first victory in the XC1 Open Pro class was earned by Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing rider Craig DeLong at The General GNCC in Washington, Georgia, where he navigated the toughest of muddy conditions at round three of the 2023 Grand National Cross Country (GNCC) season. Teammate Trevor Bollinger completed the weekend with a 10th-place result.
Former XC2 Pro champion DeLong came of age on Sunday in the premier class aboard his FX 350 with a measured effort that saw him finish the race in a total time of 2:54:05.296, almost a full minute clear of the chasing pack despite some late challenges on the final lap.
After claiming an important holeshot and then battling for position at the front of the field in the opening stages, DeLong critically led when it counted and, eventually, it paid off when he began to stretch an advantage toward the race’s end. Following back-to-back podiums, he’s now third in the standings, just nine points outside of the lead.
“Man, what a day!” reflected DeLong. “I didn’t really want to lead, I knew it was going to be muddy, but I got a good start and I was like ‘I guess I have to lead now’. So, it was good. Stew [Baylor] got around me and I sort of followed him and he was splashing all the puddles out for me. We freight-trained for the first hour or so of the race and I didn’t lead a lot of it early on. I just stayed steady and upright, then with two laps to go I had the lead and put in a little push. I didn’t sprint too hard, the team kept telling me the gap was getting bigger and bigger doing what I was doing, then on the last lap they were telling me I had a minute advantage, so I kind of just rode it home. I had a couple of little crashes on the last lap, but I was able to bring it in and it was awesome! After last weekend, that was big for me to be on the podium. I’m happy to get it done and stay in this fight, so let’s keep it rolling.”
The General GNCC saw DeLong’s Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing teammate Bollinger ride to 10th position also in the XC1 Open Pro division. After climbing multiple positions up the order on the final lap for P10, he’s currently ranked 12th in the championship.
“This weekend was a challenging one for everybody and we finished 10th in really difficult conditions,” said Bollinger. “You just have to keep pushing when the track is like that, try to minimize mistakes, and make it to the end of the race. I’m looking forward to the next round now and seeing what we can produce there.”
Defending XC1 Open Pro class champion Jordan Ashburn was seventh on Sunday, the Husqvarna Motorcycles-backed rider currently sitting directly behind DeLong, fourth in the point standings.
Next Round (4): Union, South Carolina – April 2, 2023
The General GNCC Results
XC1 Open Pro Class
1. Craig DeLong – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing
2. Josh Strang (KAW)
3. Steward Baylor Jr. (KTM)
…
7. Jordan Ashburn (HQV)
10. Trevor Bollinger – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing
Overall Championship Standings
1. Steward Baylor Jr, 76 points
2. Ben Kelley, 73 points
3. Craig DeLong – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 67 points
4. Jordan Ashburn, 43 points
…
12. Trevor Bollinger – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 4 points
Kyle Wyman and Factory Harley-Davidson Dominate MotoAmerica King of the Baggers Race 2 at Daytona Speedway
Harley-Davidson® Screamin’ Eagle® factory rider Kyle Wyman scored a dominating win and topped an all-Harley-Davidson podium in the MotoAmerica Mission King of the Baggers race on Saturday at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fla.
Wyman led the entire eight-lap race on the team’s race-prepared Harley-Davidson® Road Glide® Limited motorcycle, crossing the finish line 8.03 seconds ahead of Vance & Hines/Mission Harley-Davidson teammates James Rispoli and Hayden Gillim. Team Saddlemen teammates Cory West and Jake Lewis finished fourth and fifth to complete a top five sweep of the race for Harley-Davidson Road Glide motorcycles.
“I’m so excited that we got our Harley-Davidson Road Glide motorcycle working so well today,” said Wyman. “This is my first win at Daytona since 2019, and this is such a special place, so a victory here is always special. We had a tough day yesterday, but the entire team just dug in and we had smooth sailing today. You can think of so many scenarios that could happen going into this weekend, but you could not predict either one of these days. It’s a nice way to end the weekend at Daytona. I’m ready to take this momentum to Atlanta.”
On Thursday, Kyle Wyman topped King of the Baggers qualifying with a record-breaking best lap of 1:51.98 on the 3.510-mile Daytona road course. On Friday, Kyle looked strong in winning the King of the Baggers Challenge three-lap dash-for-cash race by 1.96 seconds. The Friday King of the Baggers race was a disappointment for the team, as both Kyle Wyman and his brother and teammate, Travis Wyman, retired with mechanical problems while leading the race respectively. Rispoli won that race on his Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson Road Glide, beating his teammate Gillim to the line by 0.089 seconds. Factory Indian racer Tyler O’Hara finished third. Team Saddlemen racer Cory West Finished fourth on his Harley-Davidson Road Glide.
On Saturday, Kyle Wyman signaled that he was riding the bike to beat after demolishing his qualifying time with a new lap record 1:50.56 time in the warm-up session, going almost two seconds quicker around the course than anyone. In Saturday’s race, Wyman had a fast lap of 1:50.86 and was never challenged. Unfortunately, his teammate Travis Wyman was knocked out of the race early with a mechanical issue.
![230313 Kyle Wyman and Factory Harley-Davidson[1]](https://motorsportsnewswire.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/230313-Kyle-Wyman-and-Factory-Harley-Davidson1.jpg)
After two of 14 rounds in the 2023 MotoAmerica Mission King of the Baggers series, Vance & Hines racer Rispoli leads the championship with 45 points, followed his teammate Gillim with 36 points. Team Saddlemen Harley-Davidson rider Cory West sits third with 26 points, and Harley-Davidson factory rider Kyle Wyman is in fourth place with 25 points. Team Saddlemen’s Jake Lewis is tied for fifth with Factory Indian racer Tyler O’Hara with 21 points.
The Mission King of the Baggers series features race-prepared American V-Twin touring motorcycles. Harley-Davidson® Factory Team Road Glide® motorcycles are powered by modified Screamin’ Eagle® Milwaukee-Eight® 131 Performance Crate Engines. The team bikes also feature upgraded suspension components, including Screamin’ Eagle/Öhlins Remote Reservoir Rear Shocks, plus competition exhaust, race tires and lightweight bodywork.
The Harley-Davidson® Screamin’ Eagle® factory team returns to action April 21-23 in the MotoAmerica Superbike Series at Road Atlanta in Braselton, GA.
MotoAmerica King of the Baggers Race Results – Daytona Race 1
- James Rispoli (H-D) Vance & Hines Racing
- Hayden Gillim (H-D) Vance & Hines Racing
- Tyler O’Hara (Ind) Progressive/Mission Foods
- Cory West (H-D) Team Saddlemen
- Jeremy McWilliams (Ind) Progressive/Mission Foods
- Jake Lewis (H-D) Team Saddlemen
- Hawk Mazzotta (Ind) Lloyds Garage
- Kyle Ohnsorg (Ind) Roland Sands Design
- Max Flinders (Ind) M3/Revolution Performance
- Frankie Garcia (H-D) Team Saddlemen
MotoAmerica King of the Baggers Race Results – Daytona Race 2
- Kyle Wyman (H-D) Screamin’ Eagle Harley-Davidson
- James Rispoli (H-D) Vance & Hines Racing
- Hayden Gillim (H-D) Vance & Hines Racing
- Cory West (H-D) Team Saddlemen
- Jake Lewis (H-D) Team Saddlemen
- Hawk Mazzotta (Ind) Lloyds Garage
- Kyle Ohnsorg (Ind) Roland Sands Design
- Jeremy McWilliams (Ind) Progressive/Mission Foods
- Max Flinders (Ind) M3/Revolution Performance
- Danny Eslick (H-D) Nowaskey Extreme Performance
Harley-Davidson invites you to kick off the 2023 MotoAmerica King of the Baggers season with some adrenaline pumping action. Check out, ‘Push the Limit,’ a film that shares the story of defending 2021 champion Kyle Wyman, teammate Travis Wyman and the Harley-Davidson Screamin’ Eagle race team’s 2022 championship pursuit. Watch it now on Harley-Davidson’s YouTube channel.
Harley-Davidson stands for the timeless pursuit of adventure and freedom for the soul. Go to H-D.com to learn more about the complete line of 2023 Harley-Davidson Grand American Touring, Sport, Adventure Touring, Cruiser and Trike motorcycles, Harley-Davidson Certified™ pre-owned motorcycles, Harley-Davidson Genuine Motor Parts & Accessories, Harley-Davidson MotorClothes and gear, and Harley-Davidson Financial Services.
Fabulous Fernandez wins opening round of the 2023 MXGP World Championship
With a stunning second moto victory, Ruben Fernandez took the overall win at the MXGP of Patagonia-Argentina, sparking scenes of delight as he crossed the line in what was his debut ride for Team HRC.
The Villa La Angostura track is well-known as being one of the best venues on the world championship calendar and with a massive Spanish-speaking fanbase in attendance, Fernandez had plenty of support throughout this opening weekend of the season.
Starting with the Saturday practice sessions, the #70 showed he was right up there with the top guys, always challenging the top five and putting himself in a strong position when they lined up for the qualification race, which this year will count for points in the championship standings, but not the GP overall. First place receives 10 points, second place nine and then that continues all the way down to 10th place gaining one point, so with a solid fourth place, he gained seven points and set himself up nicely for the Sunday motos.
In race one, a great start meant he swept into the lead around the first corner, much to the delight of the Argentinian supporters. Keeping a good pace, he led for five laps before the second-placed rider made an impressive pass. Still, he kept with him and was riding well and looking good for a podium spot before a small mistake dropped him down to fifth near the end.
Knowing that he’d have to ride well to even get himself onto the podium, the Honda CRF450R once again showed its power as Fernandez took the lead after the first turn. This time, there he had no intention of relinquishing that lead and instead he went about his moto with 30 minutes of flawless riding. It was a very impressive performance and one that fully deserved to give him his first ever MXGP race win, and his first ever GP overall. It was a proud moment for the Spaniard, and one that he will never forget, and he now heads to Sardinia in a couple of weeks’ time looking to continue his good form in the deep sand of Riola Sardo on March 25-26.
Ruben Fernandez 70
It is unbelievable to have won this race and overall. When they told me I had won the GP, it was crazy, especially after the crash in race one when I was in second. It has been a long journey to get here, and I couldn’t be happier with how things have gone. It has been great working with all of Team HRC and it feels like a family already and to get all their support throughout means a lot to me. Winning the GP is a special feeling and I am really just so happy.
Marcus Pereira de Freitas
HRC General Manager – MXGP
What a start to Ruben’s time with Team HRC! He has worked so hard over the winter to be in this position so he deserves a lot of credit, and then to put it together here is amazing. He certainly didn’t make it easy after race one, but he came out and rode flawlessly in race two, taking the victory and the overall. It was just such an impressive performance, and a great way to start his year and a great moment for the whole team who all work so hard to make moments like this possible.
Fernandez and Geerts crowned on the first outing of the season
VILLA LA ANGOSTURA (Argentina) 12 March 2023 – The first round of the FIM Motocross World Championship went in a flash and witnessed an incredible fight for the podium in both MXGP and MX2 categories. In the end it was Team HRC’s Ruben Fernandez and Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing MX2 Team’s Jago Geerts who clinched the win in the MXGP of Patagonia – Argentina to start their season in the best possible way.
The 7th edition of the Argentinian GP in Villa La Angostura held all its promises as it offered a thrilling show during the whole weekend, on a demanding track and in front of ecstatic fans coming in large numbers to cheer the best riders in the world.
Following this successful day, Sunday began with a press conference that officially opened the racing day and was attended by several official representatives to welcome the public and the MXGP to Villa La Angostura such as the Governor of Neuquen Omar Gutierrez, ViceGovernor with leave of absence Marcos Koopman, Sandro Baidilla the Minister of Tourism, Alejandra Piedecasas, Minister of Sports, Fabio Stefani, Mayor of Villa La Angostura and David Eli, CEO of +Eventos. Present at the opening press conference were also Infront Moto Racing CEO, David Luongo and FIM/CMS Director Antonio Alia Portela.
In MXGP, the Latin and Spanish world were gifted with some exciting racing with Ruben Fernandez and RedBull GasGas Factory Racing’s Jorge Prado who together led every lap of the two races and only saw the consistency of returning RedBull KTM Factory Racing’s Jeffrey Herlings to interfere in the overall podium. The final podium was completed by Jeffrey Herlings in second and Jorge Prado third who is the first red plate holder of the 2023 season.
Meanwhile, in MX2 Geerts dominated with topping not only race 1 and 2 but also the RAM Qualifying Races to add a complete hat-trick to his season’s opening. Geerts was joined by RedBull KTM Factory Racing’s Andrea Adamo and Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing MX2 Team’s Thibault Benistant, second and third respectively.
In the opening MXGP race of the MXGP of Patagonia-Argentina, it was Jorge Prado who grabbed the Fox Holeshot starting the season as he finished the last but it was Ruben Fernandez who rapidly took the lead and kept it over 5 laps until Prado managed to make a move to take back the lead.
Kawasaki Racing Team’s Romain Febvre made a good start to find himself fourth and quickly overtook Standing Construct Honda MXGP’s Pauls Jonass who saw his fourth position being threatened by Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing MXGP Team’s Maxime Renaux on lap 5. Renaux would see his hard work and the third place going wasted when he lost the control of his back and went down to only get back racing on 7th position. He would get on a heroic charge to come back to third on lap 16 overtaking along the way his teammate Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing MXGP Team’s Glenn Coldenhoff, Jonass as well as Fernandez and Herlings. The Frenchman would keep his third place until the end.
Febvre would go on to make it second on the lap 13 due to Fernandez falling down and kept his ground until the end. Fernandez would settle for fifth after a scare on lap 14.
Herlings rode a consistent race and grew in confidence to safely get to fourth having started at the seventh place.
Talking about consistency, JM Honda Racing’s Brent Van Doninck started eight and kept his position all way through and not being overtaken by SM Action Racing Team Yuasa Battery’s Alberto Forato who had a similar race behind him in ninth.
Race two saw Coldenhoff take the FOX Holeshot although the Dutchman quickly moved down to seventh. Them followed the start of a dominant display from Fernandez who took the lead in the first lap to never give it up. While it was his first race win of his career on top of being checked out by Herlings in second position for the large majority of the race, the young Spaniard never lost his cool, and had a comfortable 8 seconds lead for the second part of the race.
The comeback of Herlings was one that everyone was waiting for, and “the bullet” did not disappointed. We saw Herlings growing in confidence throughout the weekend and particularly in this Race 2 where he came off the gate drop on very fast to find himself third on the first lap and quickly made the move on Jonass, who displayed a strong weekend too, to get to second. He never put Fernandez in too much pressure but Herlings was exactly where he wanted to be as he showed a calm, experienced and fast racing.
Finishing in third, Seewer made one of the most heroic races after an average start for his standards leaving him tenth after the first lap. But the Swiss was quick to show his qualities as he made an assault on Standing Construct Honda MXGP’s Brian Bogers and his teammate Coldenhoff on lap 5 on a big jump to move to seventh. Seewer was then on a mission as he clocked the best lap and overtook Guadagnini, Prado and Jonass in the space of 3 laps. He would keep this advantage until then end.
Displaying a strong performance during this weekend, Jonass regularly in the top ten, ended race 2 in a promising fourth place.
Finishing fifth was Febvre who was able to maintain his racing level after the first race and showing some classy move such as the overtake on Prado on lap 17. While Prado was maybe not as incisive as he was in race 1, he settled for the sixth place and this gave him a place on the overall podium.
In the end, with his win on race 2 Fernandez won the MXGP of Patagonia-Argentina and his first GP of his career in front of Jeffrey Herlings and Jorge Prado. The next round in Sardinia will see however Prado with the red plate as he won 10 points in the RAM Qualifying Race ending at the end of this weekend with 50 points. Fernandez fresh GP winner is second in the Championship with 48 points and Romain Febvre third with 44 points.
Ruben Fernandez: “You know first I was a bit nervous in the first race but it got better throughout the race 2. I’m happy with my ride on this track. I can’t believe that I got the overall GP especially after the mistake in the first race but it would not have happened without all the people around me, the Team, my family and everyone supporting me! “
Jeffrey Herlings: “My goal was to be around the fifth position, so to get second here was great and it is a step in the right direction. I felt much more comfortable in the second race and it was a good weekend. It feels really good after my first race”
Jorge Prado: “It was a good weekend; I didn’t feel at my best in the second race although I had a decent start. But the positive is that it is my first red plate in MXGP and I am super happy about it and hopefully I can continue like this for the rest of the season”
MXGP – Grand Prix Race 1 – Top 10 Classification: 1. Jorge Prado (ESP, GASGAS), 34:24.711; 2. Romain Febvre (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:04.320; 3. Maxime Renaux (FRA, Yamaha), +0:06.803; 4. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), +0:08.753; 5. Ruben Fernandez (ESP, Honda), +0:10.511; 6. Pauls Jonass (LAT, Honda), +0:15.396; 7. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, Yamaha), +0:17.925; 8. Brent Van doninck (BEL, Honda), +0:32.878; 9. Alberto Forato (ITA, KTM), +0:34.810; 10. Mattia Guadagnini (ITA, GASGAS), +0:37.044
MXGP – Grand Prix Race 2 – Top 10 Classification: 1. Ruben Fernandez (ESP, Honda), 34:43.013; 2. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), +0:07.320; 3. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, Yamaha), +0:09.699; 4. Pauls Jonass (LAT, Honda), +0:22.775; 5. Romain Febvre (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:28.978; 6. Jorge Prado (ESP, GASGAS), +0:30.167; 7. Brian Bogers (NED, Honda), +0:31.994; 8. Mattia Guadagnini (ITA, GASGAS), +0:33.420; 9. Maxime Renaux (FRA, Yamaha), +0:43.957; 10. Calvin Vlaanderen (NED, Yamaha), +0:45.954
MXGP – GP Top 10 Classification: 1. Ruben Fernandez (ESP, HON), 41 points; 2. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 40 p.; 3. Jorge Prado (ESP, GAS), 40 p.; 4. Romain Febvre (FRA, KAW), 38 p.; 5. Pauls Jonass (LAT, HON), 33 p.; 6. Maxime Renaux (FRA, YAM), 32 p.; 7. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, YAM), 24 p.; 8. Mattia Guadagnini (ITA, GAS), 24 p.; 9. Calvin Vlaanderen (NED, YAM), 21 p.; 10. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, YAM), 21 p.
MXGP – World Championship Top 10 Classification: 1. Jorge Prado (ESP, GAS), 50 points; 2. Ruben Fernandez (ESP, HON), 48 p.; 3. Romain Febvre (FRA, KAW), 44 p.; 4. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 41 p.; 5. Maxime Renaux (FRA, YAM), 40 p.; 6. Pauls Jonass (LAT, HON), 36 p.; 7. Mattia Guadagnini (ITA, GAS), 33 p.; 8. Calvin Vlaanderen (NED, YAM), 26 p.; 9. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, YAM), 25 p.; 10. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, YAM), 24 p.
MXGP – Manufacturers Classification: 1. GASGAS, 50 points; 2. Honda, 48 p.; 3. Yamaha, 48 p.; 4. Kawasaki, 44 p.; 5. KTM, 41 p.; 6. Beta, 15 p.
Main Photo: Ruben Fernandez
Bottom Photos: 1. Jeffrey Herlings, 2. Jorge Prado
In MX2 Race One, the Fox Holeshot went to Nestaan Husqvarna’s Lucas Coenen before he crashed and had to stop racing. Jago Geerts had an ideal start as he quickly moved into the lead in front of his teammate Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing MX2 team’s Thibault Benistant. The two riders would go on to fight for the top spot throughout the whole race with the Frenchman eventually getting his way passed Geerts on lap 3. Eventually Benistant would go down with De Wolf not able to avoid him and going down too, which gave Geerts the lead that would not give up until the finish jump.
Nestaan Husqvarna’s Kay de Wolf was also in the mix behind the two and put pressure on Benistant, then Geerts. It all went to halt for the Dutchman when he caught his front wheel in the ground on as turn on lap 9 and went down to find himself in sixth position.
Andrea Adamo displayed some strong racing during race one, going from fifth to fourth during an intense give and take with De Wolf between lap 9 and 11. The Italian rider kept on attacking and made a move on De Wolf’s Teammate, Nestaan Husqvarna’s Roan Van De Moosdijk for the third spot.
Van de Moosdijk never went out of the top four during race and oscillated between third and fourth to settle in the end in fourth. RedBull KTM Factory Racing’s Liam Everts showed great promise as he never got overtaken during the whole race. His confident racing showed as he climbed up the table passing Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing MX2 Team’s Rick Elzinga and De Wolf.
RedBull GasGas Factory Racing’s Simon Laegenfelder was in a ride with ups and downs with being caught in a crash at the start and had to start his assault from the twenty first place on lap one. The German showed that we can count on him to bounce back as he made an impressive come back to eight in the end.
In race two, F&H MX2 Kawasaki Racing Team’s Kevin Horgmo took the Fox Holeshot after an excellent start although it was Geerts who quickly took the lead. Geerts, full of confidence quickly increased the gap to 7 seconds while Horgmo showed his speed by setting the fastest lap. The two riders would keep their advantage over the rest to finish first and second.
Adamo and De Wolf saw their path crossed. The good start from the dutchman in fourth position after two laps ended with a crash that left him hanging in seventeenth place on lap 6 while Adamo, who had a decent start and turning lap 1 in eight would see himself climbing the table with some classy moves such as the one charging on the inside of Laengenfelder on lap 6.
This ended a thrilling three-way battle for the fifth place between Adamo, Haarup and Laengenfelder.
MX2 Rookie Rick Elzinga also showed some great racings that saw him start strongly to keep his place in the top four. A great battle with Adamo saw him lose his advantage finishing fourth.
Haarup on his side made a good showing by climb his way up from the eleventh place to the sixth place.
Adamo eventually would finish Race 2 in third giving a second position on the GP standings. Rounding up the Top 3 is Thibault Benistant who finished race 2 in 8th which would anyway give him 45 points for the third step of the GP podium.
Jago Geert:” Three good starts and three wins this weekend, I couldn’t be happier with this first Grand Prix. I will get some more training in the next two weeks to come back ready in Sardinia”
Andrea Adamo: “I came to do my best without expecting too much, but to finish second in the podium makes me very happy. I am now looking forward to work toward the next Grand Prix and get good results there too”
Thibault Benistant: “I am happy to here and starting the season as I could not do that the last 2 seasons. I am now healthy and ready to go for the season thanks to the work with my team. I feel very good on this new bike too and I am sure we can also keep improving it for the next Grand Prix”
MX2 – Grand Prix Race 1 – Top 10 Classification: 1. Jago Geerts (BEL, Yamaha), 34:08.704; 2. Thibault Benistant (FRA, Yamaha), +0:14.777; 3. Andrea Adamo (ITA, KTM), +0:22.703; 4. Roan Van De Moosdijk (NED, Husqvarna), +0:26.447; 5. Liam Everts (BEL, KTM), +0:31.789; 6. Kay de Wolf (NED, Husqvarna), +0:39.432; 7. Rick Elzinga (NED, Yamaha), +0:42.165; 8. Simon Laengenfelder (GER, GASGAS), +0:45.014; 9. Kevin Horgmo (NOR, Kawasaki), +0:50.463; 10. Jan Pancar (SLO, KTM), +1:16.353
MX2 – Grand Prix Race 2 – Top 10 Classification: 1. Jago Geerts (BEL, Yamaha), 34:43.337; 2. Kevin Horgmo (NOR, Kawasaki), +0:08.272; 3. Andrea Adamo (ITA, KTM), +0:16.008; 4. Rick Elzinga (NED, Yamaha), +0:18.203; 5. Simon Laengenfelder (GER, GASGAS), +0:22.837; 6. Mikkel Haarup (DEN, Kawasaki), +0:25.733; 7. Roan Van De Moosdijk (NED, Husqvarna), +0:42.854; 8. Thibault Benistant (FRA, Yamaha), +0:49.247; 9. Lucas Coenen (BEL, Husqvarna), +0:50.013; 10. Kay de Wolf (NED, Husqvarna), +0:53.526
MX2 – GP Top 10 Classification: 1. Jago Geerts (BEL, YAM), 50 points; 2. Andrea Adamo (ITA, KTM), 40 p.; 3. Thibault Benistant (FRA, YAM), 35 p.; 4. Kevin Horgmo (NOR, KAW), 34 p.; 5. Rick Elzinga (NED, YAM), 32 p.; 6. Roan Van De Moosdijk (NED, HUS), 32 p.; 7. Simon Laengenfelder (GER, GAS), 29 p.; 8. Kay de Wolf (NED, HUS), 26 p.; 9. Liam Everts (BEL, KTM), 24 p.; 10. Jan Pancar (SLO, KTM), 20 p.;
MX2 – World Championship Top 10 Classification: 1. Jago Geerts (BEL, YAM), 60 points; 2. Andrea Adamo (ITA, KTM), 49 p.; 3. Thibault Benistant (FRA, YAM), 41 p.; 4. Simon Laengenfelder (GER, GAS), 37 p.; 5. Kevin Horgmo (NOR, KAW), 36 p.; 6. Roan Van De Moosdijk (NED, HUS), 36 p.; 7. Rick Elzinga (NED, YAM), 33 p.; 8. Kay de Wolf (NED, HUS), 31 p.; 9. Liam Everts (BEL, KTM), 31 p.; 10. Jan Pancar (SLO, KTM), 20 p.
MX2 – Manufacturers Classification: 1. Yamaha, 60 points; 2. KTM, 49 p.; 3. Husqvarna, 37 p.; 4. GASGAS, 37 p.; 5. Kawasaki, 36 p.; 6. Honda, 17 p.; 7. Fantic, 12 p.
Main photo: Jago Geerts
Bottom Photos: 1. Andrea Adamo, 2. Thibault Benistant
All the photos from the MXGP of Patagonia-Argentina will be available HERE.
You can find the complete results HERE.
MXGP OF PATAGONIA-ARGENTINA QUICK FACTS:
Circuit length: 1670m
Type of ground: Dark Soil
Temperature: 16° C
Weather conditions: cloudy with some rain
Weekend Crowd Attendance: 42,500
ROMAIN FEBVRE THIRD IN THE MXGP POINTS CHASE
Romain Febvre of Kawasaki Racing Team MXGP started the 2023 FIM World MXGP Motocross Championship campaign as third-highest points-scorer after the series opener at Villa La Angostura in Argentina.
The Frenchman made a strong start in race one to round the opening turn in the top three and concentrated on maintaining this status through the hectic early laps as over-exuberant rivals banged bars around him. By mid-moto he had broken clear of the chasers and settled into a good rhythm to dramatically close down the duo ahead of him; the pressure was rewarded ten minutes from the end of the moto as the rider in second place was forced into a mistake to hand the Kawasaki leader a secure second, less than five seconds down on the leader. Boxed-in at the first turn in race two Romain rode strong opening laps to soon advance to seventh and kept pushing to the end, a dramatic outside pass three laps from the end clinching fifth place. In a tight decider he narrowly missed the race-day podium, but his strong ride in Qualifying, where additional series points are awarded this year, ensured that he heads to round two third on points, just six shy of the series leader.
Romain Febvre: “Of course it’s a little frustrating to miss the podium on the day by two points, but honestly I wasn’t expecting such a good result so soon after three weeks off the bike following my arm surgery. My first start was good and I stayed calm as the track was slippery with the rain; a no-risk second was a good start to the season. In the second race my start was not so good and in the first few laps you can lose a lot of time passing riders as nobody want to give way at the start of the race; fifth is a decent result, but for sure with a better start the podium would have been possible. Anyway I’m happy to show I have the speed and to race both motos with a good rhythm … and with the new points rule I’m third in the championship. Now we fly home; we have some more testing planned before Sardinia.”
Teammate Mitch Evans and KRT management decided after morning warm-up that it was better for the Australian to sit out racing rather than risk delaying further his complete recovery from an early-season thumb injury.
Antti Pyrhönen (KRT team manager): “Romain did an extremely good job and delivered exactly the start to the series which we were hoping for with consistent riding and results to fly back to Europe third in the points. We knew that it would be difficult for Mitch even before we came here but we gave it a try; his performance in timed training was reasonable with twelfth-fastest time but the pain from his thumb injury was just too much for the intensity of racing on a rough track so we decided not to risk it more this weekend.”
The competitiveness of the standard Kawasaki range was emphasized in Argentina as KX450-mounted Joaquin Poli was the leading South American wild card in both motos and his brother Agustin joined him in the points in race two.
A SECOND FOR KEVIN HORGMO IN ARGENTINA
F&H Kawasaki Racing Team’s Kevin Horgmo stormed to a second-moto runner-up placing in the opening round of the FIM World MX2 Motocross Championship at Villa La Angostura in Argentina.
The first moto started in most unfortunate fashion for F&H teammates Horgmo and David Braceras as, after excellent starts, they each found themselves delayed by a crash immediately ahead of them entering turn two. Within a lap they had each burst back into the top-twenty and continued to push their way up the standings. By half-distance the Norwegian had broken into the top-ten but the gaps between the leaderboard riders had already been established and he had to be satisfied with ninth at the chequered flag while his Spanish teammate finished twelfth. A superb start in race two saw Horgmo nail the holeshot award and, although he had to surrender the lead at turn two, he established himself immediately in the front-three breakaway and made second his own on lap four to claim a clear runner-up finish in the moto, missing the overall GP podium by just a single point despite the misfortune he suffered in race one. The new ruling which also awards points in Qualifying sees the Norwegian head to round two fifth in the series standings. Teammate Braceras also started top-ten but two slips pushed the Spaniard out of the points; his first-moto scoreline sees him seventeenth in the points after the first round of his GP rookie season.
Kevin Horgmo: “I had a great start, third into the first corner, in race one. I was right behind Coenen and Längenfelder when they collided and I had nowhere to go. I was stuck behind them and got hit from behind; my entire rear brake system was ripped off but I set off after a long delay to score as many points as possible. Making passes was OK and by the time I made it to the top-ten the gaps were hard to make up but I had a good feeling with my riding and that gave me confidence for race two. I took the holeshot and crossed the line second after a consistent moto; overall it was a positive day.”
Circumstances beyond his control restricted Big Van World MTX Kawasaki’s Mikkel Haarup to the role of spectator in race one but the Dane bounced back in race two as he charged from outside the top-ten to claim sixth place at the finish with a series of strong moves as he became more-and-more acquainted with the track. He heads to round two on Sardinia in two weeks’ time determined to advance from his current thirteenth place in the series points.
Mikkel Haarup: “It was a tough weekend, but we got the bike ready just in time for the second moto and I had to start from the outside. I think I handled the situation professionally and took home some points, but it was tough after not being able to ride the track since yesterday morning. It wasn’t what we wanted, but I think my speed in the circumstances show that we are ready to fight for the title.”
Confirmation of the outstanding performance of the KX250 came as Tomas Moyano took his Green machine to fifteenth in race one and seventeenth in moto two for the best performance in each moto by a South American wild card entry.
The Specialized General: Motorcycle Race Report
| WASHINGTON, Ga. (March 13, 2023) – Following a dry and sunny day of ATV racing on Saturday, round 3 of the 2023 Grand National Cross Country Racing Series presented by Specialized, an AMA National Championship, (GNCC Racing) continued on Sunday with motorcycle racing as heavy rainfall infiltrated the grounds of Aonia Pass MX Park in Washington, Georgia.As the XC1 Open Pro class took off the line it was Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Craig DeLong grabbing the $250 All Balls Racing XC1 Holeshot Award and the lead position. DeLong would continue to battle at the front of the field, and he would eventually begin to place a bit of a gap on the rest of the XC1 racers. After earning podium finishes at the first two rounds, Delong would earn his first-ever career overall GNCC win. |
 Craig DeLong (Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing) earned his first-ever overall GNCC win in the Georgia mud. Photo: Ken Hill |
| Babbitts Online/Monster Energy/Kawasaki Team Green’s Josh Strang would battle at the front of the field but would fall back to sixth on the second lap of the race. As he continued to push, he would make his way back up to third by the time the white flag was waving. Strang would move into the second place position on the last lap of the race and earn his first podium finish of the season in the tough conditions, where he seems to excel as he claimed a podium finish at the 2021 Ironman GNCC.Battling back-and-forth for the duration of the race was Rocky Mountain/Tely Energy/KTM Racing’s Steward Baylor. As his race bike almost didn’t make it to the line Baylor was prepared to battle on a 2-stroke KTM machine that was under in his pit area. However, just as the 10 seconds call was about to be made Baylor’s mechanic made it to the line with his race ready bike. Baylor would come through sixth on lap one but would battle through to take over second and then third as the race continued on. Baylor would find himself in fourth as the white flag waved but would soon move into the third place position as he made his way to the checkered flag. Baylor now holds a three point lead in the National Championship standings.FMF/KTM Factory Racing’s Ben Kelley knew when the rain continued to fall that it was going to be a survival race. As Kelley entered the woods fourth on the opening lap he would continue to push, but he would go down in the mud which put him back to seventh at the halfway point. Kelley would continue to push throughout the remaining laps and would work his way up to fourth as the checkered flag flew. Kelley sits just three points behind Baylor in the points standings. |
 Josh Strang (Babbitts Online/Monster Energy/Kawasaki Team Green) battled through the conditions to earn second overall. Photo: Ken Hill |
| Kelley’s teammate, FMF/KTM Factory Racing’s Jonathan Girroir put in a good ride finishing fifth overall on the day. As he came around on lap one timing and scoring had him back in the tenth place position. Girroir would push through the gnarly conditions, making his way up to fifth with two laps to go. He held his position and made good line choices throughout the last lap, putting him just five seconds behind his teammate.Coming through to take eighth in the XC1 class was Babbitts Online/Monster Energy/Kawasaki Team Green’s Grant Baylor, who battled back from an eighth place start to the day. Magna1 Motorsports/Husqvarna’s Jordan Ashburn would start his day at the front of the pack as he ran third for the first couple of laps. However, Ashburn would fall back to seventh as the checkered flag came out.Coastal GASGAS Factory Racing’s Thad Duvall battled back-and-forth as he had to make his way through field after falling back to eleventh at one point. Duvall continued to put his head down and push through the muddy course earning eighth in the XC1 class. GASGAS/FXR/Scott Goggle’s Layne Michael battled back to earn ninth in the XC1 class as Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Trevor Bollinger rounded out the top 10 in XC1. AmPro Yamaha’s Ricky Russell would have a stellar start to the day as he ran up front for majority of the race. However, on the last lap he would suffer a mechanical issue and be unable to make it to the checkered. |
 Angus Riordan (FMF/RPM KTM) earned his first-ever XC2 250 Pro class win. Photo: Ken Hill |
| In the XC2 250 Pro class it was FMF/RPM KTM Racing’s Angus Riordan making his way into the lead as the white flag flew indicated one more lap to go. Riordan would start his day back in sixth and steadily work his way up through the pack. Riordan would put his head down and push, creating over a two-minute gap over the rest of the XC2 field. Liqui Moly Factory Beta Racing’s Evan Smith was off to a good start as he grabbed the $250 Steel City Men’s Clinic XC2 Holeshot Award. Smith would continue to run at the front of the pack for the first couple of laps, but he would continue to push throughout the duration of the race. Smith would come through to make a last lap pass and place second on the day in the XC2 class. Phoenix Racing Honda’s Cody Barnes would battle his way up to third in the XC2 class, earning his first podium finish of the season. |
 Jason Lipscomb (Liqui Moly Factory Beta Racing) earned theFMF XC3 125 Pro-Am class win. Photo: Ken Hill |
| In the FMF XC3 125 Pro-Am class it was Liqui Moly Factory Beta Racing’s Jason Lipscomb jumping off the line to earn the $100 Lojak Cycle Sales XC3 Holeshot Award. As the race continued on Lipscomb would continue to lead the way for the duration of the race. When he came through to the checkered flag, he would have a 16 minute gap on the rest of the XC3 field. Hall’s Cycles/Enduro Engineering/Moose Racing’s Jhak Walker would make his way into second as the white flag flew, and he would continue to battle for the last lap holding onto that number two position. FXR/X Brand Goggles/6D Helmets’ Dakoda Devore would come through to earn third in the class after a sixth place start to his day.Earning the Top Amateur Honors was 250 A’s Michael Delosa who came through in the 19th overall position and first in his class. Will Sievenpiper claimed the second Top Amateur spot as he came through 22nd overall and second in the 250 A class through the muddy conditions. Gavin Simon rounded out the Top Amateur podium with a 24th overall finishing position and third in 250 A. As the morning race got underway, the rain continued to fall making the already muddy conditions, muddier, but that didn’t stop the WXC class from having some major battles throughout the course. As the green flag flew it was Trail Jesters KTM Racing’s Korie Steede grabbing the $100 Trail Jesters WXC Holeshot Award, but it would be Over and Out/GASGAS/RG Factory Racing’s Rachel Gutish emerging from the woods first as the racers made their way through timing and scoring. Gutish would lead the first two laps of the race, but AmPro Yamaha’s Rachael Archer was inching closer and closer to Gutish as the laps worse on. |
 Rachael Archer (AmPro Yamaha) came through to earn her firstWXC class win of the season. Photo: Ken Hill |
| On the last lap of the race Archer would make her way around Gutish, and she would continue to push on towards the finish line. When the duo came to the finish line it was an all-out race to the finish as the ruts had accumulated so much water you really could not tell how deep any of them were. Archer would make her way up to the finish line first, but she would get sideways and tip over with Gutish making her way almost over top of her to earn second on the day. Steede would continue to battle through to take third back from KTM/FXR/Enduro Engineering’s Shelby Turner and make her way to the checkered flag to round out the top three in the WXC class.The overall win in the morning would go to Connor Potts of the Sportsman A class from Blairsville, Georgia. Sky Metcalfe from Canada would finish fifth overall, Kiefer Galiano of the 150 Schoolboy B class would finish eighth overall and Austin Franklin in the Warrior class would round out the top 10 overall in the morning race. Coming through in the tough muddy conditions to earn the youth overall win was YXC1 Super Mini Sr. racer, James Jenkins. As the race got underway Jenkins would find himself back in the third and then as far back as fourth at one point. However, Jenkins would put his head down and push towards the front. YXC2 Super Mini Jr. racer, Michael Meyer would push and earn second overall in the youth finish and first in his class, with Canyon Richards earning third overall and second in the YXC1 class. |
 James Jenkins earned the Youth Overall and YXC1 Super Mini Sr. class winthrough the rain and mud. Photo: Ken Hill |
| Austin Tsakanikas rounded out the YXC1 class in third as Caleb Wood and Brayden Baisley rounded out the YXC2 top three finishers. Ryder Sigety would battle through the conditions to take home the 85 Big Wheel (11-15) win. Travis Lentz came through to earn another 85 (12-13) class win this season as he now has three wins under his belt in the class. Gavin Abboud took his second-straight win in the 85 (7-11) class in Georgia.Beau Garetson took home his second win in the 65 (10-11) class this past weekend, and Maverick Boyer earned his first win in the 65 (9) class. Tripp Lewis made it three-in-a-row as he earned the 65 (7-9) class win. Addison Harris continued her win streak as she brought home the Girls Super Mini (12-16) class win. Zoey Hawkinberry earned her first win of the season in the Girls 85 (7-13) class, while Paisley Harris also grabbed her first win of the year as well in the Girls 65 (7-11) class. Cale Dejarnett from North Carolina would earn the Trail Rider (7-15) class win in the wet Georgia clay. |
 Anthony Dibasilio was awarded the AMSOIL Moto Hero in Georgia. Photo: Ken Hill |
| The AMSOIL Moto Hero at The Specialized General was awarded to Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Team Manager, Anthony Dibasilio. He joined the Army right out of high school and was a Sergeant at the 127th MD Company. Anthony was deployed during Operation Enduring Freedom and was in Israel for six months at the start of the war in 2003. He served in Operation Iraqi Freedom, and was in Iraq from April 2004 until 2005. Anthony was awarded a commemorative American Flag courtesy of Columbia Flag and Sign Co. He also received a $250 AMSOIL Shopping Spree and a set of GBC Kanati Truck tires as well as 100% Goggles. The next round of GNCC Racing will take place back in Union, South Carolina with the Dunlop Tires Tiger Run on April 1-2, 2023. This will also host the second round of the Specialized Turbo eMTB GNCC National Championship on Saturday at 5 pm. For more information on the event, and to buy tickets online click HERE.Catch GNCC Pro ATV and Motorcycle Racing free via RacerTV.com all season long. Pro ATV Racing starts Saturday’s at 2pm ET, with the exception of Big Buck, Snowshoe and Ironman events where they will start at 1pm ET. GNCC Pro Motorcycle Racing will begin at 1pm ET on Sunday’s. Later in the year GNCC Racing will premiere on MAVTV with event highlight episodes.For more information on the GNCC series, visit the official website at www.gnccracing.com or call (304) 284-0084. Join the conversation on the series Facebook page, follow us on Twitter and Instagram, and be sure to always hashtag #GNCC.Facebook: @gnccracingInstagram: @gncc_racingTwitter: @gnccracingYouTube: @racertv |
 Craig DeLong (center), Josh Strang (right) and Steward Baylor (left) rounded out the top three overall at The Specialized General GNCC. Photo: Ken Hill |
| The Specialized General Results and Points Standings Washington, Georgia Round 3 of 12 Sunday, March 12, 2023XC1 Pro Event Results:Craig DeLong (HQV)Josh Strang (KAW)Steward Baylor Jr. (KTM)Ben Kelley (KTM)Jonathan Girroir (KTM)Grant Baylor (KAW)Jordan Ashburn (HQV)Thad Duvall (GAS)Layne Michael (GAS)Trevor Bollinger (HQV)*Overall National Championship Standings:Steward Baylor (76)Ben Kelley (73)Craig DeLong (67)Jordan Ashburn (43)Grant Baylor (42)Ricky Russell (39)Josh Strang (38)Ryder Lafferty (36)Angus Riordan (35)Lyndon Snodgrass (33)*Indicates that the Overall National Championship Standings will determine the 2023 National Champion.XC2 250 Pro Event Results:Angus Riordan (KTM)Evan Smith (BET)Cody Barnes (HON)Ruy Barbosa (HON)Michael Witkowski (HON)Lyndon Snodgrass (KAW)Ryder Lafferty (GAS)Mason Semmens (KTM)Liam Draper (YAM)Philippe Chaine (KTM)XC2 250 Pro Series Standings:Ryder Lafferty (74)Angus Riordan (67)Lyndon Snodgrass (61)Liam Draper (52)Ruy Barbosa (51)Cody Barnes (49)Evan Smith (47)Mason Semmens (41)Michael Witkowski (34)Jonathan Johnson (34)To get the latest GNCC Racing clothing and merchandise visit https://www.mototees.com. |
Herrera Debuts All-New Suzuki Hayabusa with a Win at NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle Season Opener in Gainesville
Gaige Herrera got the Vance & Hines/Mission Suzuki team’s 2023 season off to a perfect start by riding his brand-new Gen III Suzuki Hayabusa Pro Stock Motorcycle into the winner’s circle in their debut appearances at the season-opening Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals in Gainesville, Florida, on Sunday.
Herrera, a La Mirada, California, native who now hails from Brownsburg, Indiana, joined the Vance & Hines/Mission Suzuki team last November and made his first runs on the recently homologated 2023 Suzuki Hayabusa during pre-season testing a few weeks ago. He immediately impressed, turning heads throughout the class, and foreshadowing the combination’s winning potential by posting fast and consistent speeds on the new bike.
Potential became reality in Herrera’s stellar debut, starting with a first career number one qualifying performance in only his fifth Pro Stock Motorcycle class start, a 6.685-second/203.49 mph run on Saturday that set the Gainesville track’s top speed Pro Stock Motorcycle record and was the sixth fastest top speed in class history.
Proving his form in testing and qualifying was no fluke, Herrera stormed through the Pro Stock Motorcycle field on Sunday, beginning with a victory over Ron Tornow. He easily advanced into the second round with a 6.704-second/201.52 mph run, the low elapsed time of the round, against Tornow’s 7.161-second/191.51 mph pass.
Gaige Herrera (79) ends the weekend with a victory at the opening round in Gainesville.
Round two saw an early matchup between Vance & Hines/Mission Suzuki teammates. In the season’s first battle of Gen III Hayabusas, Eddie Krawiec’s 6.814-second/199.94 pass was no match for Herrera’s 6.708-second/201.73 mph blast, as the rookie again went low-ET of the round to continue his strong run through the field.
That win set up a semi-final matchup against Suzuki racers Jianna Evaristo, who upset defending champion Matt Smith in round two. Herrera advanced to his first career final round appearance with a 6.742-second/200.89 mph run against Evaristo’s losing 6.883-second/193.21 mph pass.
Herrera capped the perfect weekend by taking his first career Pro Stock Motorcycle win over Angie Smith, rocketing into the winner’s circle with a 6.706-second/202.15 mph blast that easily surpassed her 6.845-second/181.84 mph run.
“It was a surreal weekend. The new Gen III Suzuki Hayabusa is a dream to ride. There were a lot of firsts for me. My first number one qualifier, a personal best 6.68-second elapsed time, and my first win,” Herrera said. “I never thought this would be possible. I’ve got to thank the whole Vance & Hines/Mission Suzuki team and Andrew Hines for seeing the potential in me. It’s amazing being on a team of this level that loves to drag race as much as I do and wants to win as badly as I do. This is a special weekend and I hope there’s more to come.”
On the Vance & Hines/Mission Suzuki team’s other Gen III Hayabusa, Krawiec began his 16th season in pursuit of his 50th career win and fifth class championship with a 6.803-second/200.98 mph qualifying run that placed him into the ninth starting position. In round one, he knocked off longtime rival Hector Arana Jr. with a 6.763-second/200.20 mph run, his quickest of the weekend, to easily defeat Arana (6.858 seconds/198.17 mph). But the veteran rider ran into a buzzsaw in the second round in the form of his own Vance & Hines/Mission Suzuki teammate, ending his race early.
Going head-to-head with his teammate in round 2, Eddie Krawiec (7)
came up shy to move on to the next round.
“We struggled a little bit getting my motorcycle down the track this weekend. We had some trouble during qualifying and found out after the fourth round that it had a cracked wheelie bar,” Krawiec said. “We fixed that and went out and ran a 6.76 in the first round. It was good to see that. It was one of the best elapsed times of the weekend, but the wheelie bar problem caused us to get a little off-center with the overall setup. I know the bike is fixed now, so we’ll move on from here, get the proper tune-up and chassis setup back in it, and hopefully see its full potential at the next race in Charlotte.”
For Vance & Hines/Mission Suzuki crew chief Andrew Hines, the win was confirmation of his decision to hire Herrera and of the entire team’s hard work during the off-season.
“I saw something in Gaige last year during the US Nationals. I was sitting at home with COVID watching the race on my couch for the first time in 30 years. His was the first bike I saw go down the track that weekend. I saw something special in him and he proved it today,” Hines said. “With all the work our shop put in over the winter to develop the new Gen III Hayabusa bodywork and new Vance & Hines billet four-cylinder engine cases, plus to debut a new rider, I feel like we earned this one through preparation. The way Suzuki designed the Gen III Hayabusa, this new bodywork lends itself to aerodynamic stability. We reset the fastest top speed a Suzuki has ever run, without a tailwind. This weekend couldn’t have gone much better. It’s a phenomenal feeling and a testament to how hard this team desires to be at the top.”
With the win, Herrera leaves Gainesville in first place in the Pro Stock Motorcycle standings with 128 points. Krawiec sits tied for sixth place with 52 points.
The Vance & Hines/Mission Suzuki team will be back in action April 28-30 at the Circle K NHRA Four-Wide Nationals at zMax Dragway in Concord, NC.
For the latest Suzuki team news, race reports, and information visit SuzukiCycles.com/Racing/Drag-Racing.
Hunter Lawrence Wins Again at Indianapolis Supercross
Continuing his dominance of the 2023 AMA Supercross 250SX East Region series, Hunter Lawrence rode his Team Honda HRC CRF250R to yet another win in his first visit to the motorsports-crazy city of Indianapolis, whose soft soil invariably makes for a treacherous, rut-filled track. Through just five rounds, the Australian has already matched his four-win tally from 2022, with more than half of the races still to be run. Meanwhile, the 450SX division cleared its midway point, with Chase Sexton riding well all day. He topped qualifying and his heat race aboard his CRF450RWE before a hard crash in the main event limited him to a 10th-place result.
The 250SX East main event saw Lawrence nail the holeshot and open up a comfortable gap, enjoying a largely drama-free performance (apart from a close encounter with a lapped rider). In the end, Lawrence won by nearly eight seconds, stretching his points lead to nearly a full race.
Sexton exited turn 1 of the 450SX main in second place and was shuffled back to fourth before ending the first lap in third. He passed Cooper Webb through the whoops on lap 3 and set his sights on the leading Ken Roczen, only to suffer a nasty, rut-induced crash four laps later. Sexton shrugged off a sour ankle to remount in 12th, but crash damage to the bike limited progress. In the end, he finished 10th, but the results of his title rivals meant that he only lost three points in the championship hunt.
NOTES
After fielding a four-rider effort at the first four East Region rounds, Team Honda HRC was down to two riders in Indianapolis. Chance Hymas is following the squad’s original plan to sit out the latter part of AMA Supercross to prepare for AMA Pro Motocross, whereas Colt Nichols continued to recover from a crash at Daytona.
On Friday morning, Chase Sexton and Hunter Lawrence visited the Brownsburg office of Honda Performance Development, where they were able to see Wayne Taylor Racing driver Ricky Taylor in an advanced driving simulator, testing car settings for the upcoming IMSA Le Mans Prototype race at Sebring. From there, the supercross duo headed to the impressive Zionsville headquarters of the Honda-powered Rahal Letterman Lanigan team, where driver Chistian Lundgaard showed them the incredible new facility and his IndyCar. A segment on the visit was included in the Saturday-night race broadcast. Sexton then headed back to the stadium for press day, where he tried out the track and took part in a number of media interviews.
On Saturday morning, Sexton and Lawrence were visited in the Team Honda HRC pits by Marcus Ericsson of the Honda-powered Chip Ganassi Racing team. The Swedish driver, who had won the IndyCar opener the previous weekend and also attended the Anaheim 2 round, was interviewed by NBC for the race broadcast.
Although Ericsson had to leave early to attend a charity event, Rahal Letterman Lanigan racing team drivers Christian Lundgaard and Jack Harvey were both on hand for the night program, which they watched from a suite. Lundgaard was interviewed on the big screen.
Local dealership Tom Woods Powersports had a booth in the Team Honda HRC pits, kicking off Honda’s new dealer-activation program. Representatives from the dealer displayed a CRF450RWE and a CRF450R 50th Anniversary Edition, and they engaged with new and existing customers.
Matt Davis of Team Honda HRC sponsor Throttle Jockey was a guest of the team at Indianapolis. Throttle Jockey’s headquarters are about an hour south, in Kokomo.
Also attending the Indianapolis round were 150 guests from Honda’s Marysville, Ohio, R&D facility. The associates and their families made the three-hour drive to take in the racing.
Indianapolis is something of a home race for Sexton, who is a native of La Moille, Illinois–about a four-hour drive northwest of the stadium.
Though Indianapolis is an indoor race, the pits are outside, which can present challenges due to chilly weather. Team Honda HRC had full walls and windows on their canopies, and the bikes wore warmers on the tires and fork legs to prevent performance from being affected by the temperatures.
To deal with the infamous Indianapolis track conditions, Sexton was one of several 450 riders running a narrower, 110 Dunlop rear tire, which has less of a tendency to climb out of the ruts.
Once again, Team Honda HRC riders topped daytime qualifying in both classes, with Sexton best in 450SX and Lawrence quickest in 250SX East.
The second 250SX East heat race saw Lawrence sitting in fourth off the start and moving up to third on lap 1 before securing the lead on lap 4. Following a red flag, Lawrence held the lead off the staggered restart and kept it to the finish. Fire Power Honda’s Max Anstie was third, TiLube Honda’s Henry Miller was sixth, and Phoenix Racing Honda’s Coty Schock was seventh. Meanwhile, the first heat race saw Phoenix’s Cullin Park and Jace Owen finish fourth and fifth, with Valley Ford’s Jeremy Hand and TiLube’s Michael Hicks sixth and seventh. The Moto Academy’s AJ Catanzaro was ninth. Advancing through the last-chance qualifier were Phoenix’s Caden Braswell and Red Research Group’s Luke Neese. Half of the riders in the 250SX East main event–11 of 22–were CRF250R-mounted.
Sexton started fourth in the second 450SX heat and finished lap 1 in second, then overtook Eli Tomac and pulled away to win by four-and-a-half seconds. Fire Power Honda’s Dean Wilson was seventh.
Lawrence posted the fastest lap time in the 250SX East main event.
Lawrence took part in the post-race press conference and media scrums.
Lawrence now holds a commanding 23-point title-chase lead in 250SX East, with second place occupied by fellow Red Rider Max Anstie, of the Fire Power Honda squad. Despite suffering his worst result of the season, Sexton still sits third in 450SX points, just 13 behind leader Cooper Webb.
Lawrence’s win this weekend was the ninth of his career, and it put him on the list of Red Rider Indianapolis support-class winners that includes Doug Henry, Michael Brandes, Davi Millsaps, Trey Canard, Jeremy Martin and Jett Lawrence. Between them, the Lawrence brothers have won seven of the nine 250SX rounds held thus far.
Lawrence dedicated his win to Brayden Erbacher, a young Australian motocrosser who recently lost his life due to injuries sustained in a crash in the Australian ProMX MX2 series.
Next weekend will find Team Honda HRC racing in Detroit.
Chase Sexton 23
“The day started off great for me. We had figured some things out in testing earlier in the week, and I felt like I was riding well, even with the gnarly ruts. I topped qualifying and won my heat race, and I was feeling good in the main event. Unfortunately, I hit a rut that sent me to the ground, and the bike was bent up to where it was tough trying to make up time after that. It’s a bummer, but I know I have the speed and I’m still in the championship hunt. There’s no quit in me, and I’m going to keep swinging. I look forward to Detroit.”
Hunter Lawrence 96
“The track was pretty wild. It’s my first race here at Indy, so it was a big eye-opener. I just kind of let it all come to me this morning in the first couple sessions, trying to figure out when and how the track was going to break down. The way things went is unreal! We work so hard for these races, so it’s great when it pays off.”
Lars Lindstrom
Team Manager
“It was another bittersweet day for us. We’ve had a lot of these, and it never gets any easier trying to celebrate a win and then having another one slip away–especially when our competitors were having off nights. On the positive side, we didn’t lose as many points as we could have, and luckily, Chase wasn’t hurt too badly, and he’ll be able to race next weekend. Most of the day went great, qualifying first in both classes and winning both of our heat races. It was also really cool having the IndyCar guys here; we have a great relationship with HPD and our IndyCar teams, and we can learn from them and share information.”
Josh Herrin and Ducati win the Daytona 200 on Dunlops
Josh Herrin and Ducati win the Daytona 200 on the tires of their choice- Dunlop!
This year’s Daytona 200 marked the 81st anniversary of the event notorious for unparalleled racing action, and due to the prodigious array of talent, the 2023 race was no exception. The Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati NYC backed rider, Josh Herrin, took pole and the crown on his Dunlop-supported Ducati Panigale V2.
0.07 seconds behind Herrin was fellow Dunlop racer and four-time AMA Pro Superbike Champion, Josh Hayes on his Squid Hunter Racing Yamaha YZF-R6.
Thanks to the MotoAmerica efforts, the Daytona 200 was re-invigorated this year, and key competitors of Dunlop such as Pirelli, Michelin, and Bridgestone all showed up with their best efforts to battle for a race win in one of the most demanding and prestigious events held annually. But with the brands competitiveness and dedication towards winning, it should not come as a surprise that Dunlop ended up triumphant. While we respect and support control tire programs, we look forward to the challenge of standing toe-to-toe to expose the true superiority of the Dunlop brand. In the end, Dunlop showed that no one can match our tech and performance.
The immeasurable passion to win is a pronounced value at Dunlop, but without the dedication towards technological innovation and top-tier testing, the brand would not be where it is today. We are fortunate enough to be the exclusive tire provider of the MotoAmerica Championship, and through our experience, we have gained invaluable racing expertise and engineering capabilities used to design, develop, and produce championship-worthy tires. The ability to provide this unmatched quality stems from the fact that we are the only tire manufacturer with design, development, testing, racing, and manufacturing located in the United States. We pride ourselves over this home-grown performance because Dunlop tires are designed by engineers in Buffalo, tested by experts in Huntsville, and built by dedicated workers right here in the United States of America.
AMSOIL Returns to Loretta Lynn’s Ranch as Official Oil, Presenting Sponsor of Monster Energy AMA Amateur National Motocross Championship
MX Sports has announced that AMSOIL INC., a Wisconsin-based company that specializes in formulating top-tier synthetic lubricants, will make its anticipated return to Loretta Lynn’s Ranch as the “Official Oil” of the Monster Energy AMA Amateur National Motocross Championship. This multi-year partnership will also see AMSOIL serve as the presenting sponsor of the world’s single-largest motocross event, beginning with its 42nd running this July 31st through August 5th in Hurricane Mills, Tennessee.
The AMSOIL legacy at Loretta Lynn’s spans decades, with more than 30 years of high-level support that has included title sponsorship of both the event and the Factory Honda amateur racing program. Most recently, AMSOIL served as the official presenting sponsor of the AMA Amateur National Motocross Championship and will now make its return as an exclusive partner for the oil and lubricants segment.
“AMSOIL has a long tradition of supporting grassroots racing and we’re excited to continue supporting the future of motocross by becoming a presenting partner of the AMA Amateur National Motocross Championship,” said AMSOIL Sr. Vice President, Dealer Sales & Marketing Dan Peterson.
The innovative, high-performance products from AMSOIL will be showcased throughout the duration of the event thanks to the support of one of the company’s local dealers. To commemorate the company’s return to the Ranch, a series of giveaways will be offered, which will allow racers and their families to experience the brand’s commitment to making the best synthetic lubricants in the market.
“With one of the most decorated legacies of any sponsor in the history of the AMA Amateur National Motocross Championship, we could not be happier to welcome AMSOIL back to Loretta Lynn’s Ranch,” said MX Sports Event Director Tim Cotter. “Their commitment to amateur motocross and grassroots racing as a whole has been instrumental in making this event the legendary spectacle that it is and we’re eager to begin writing the next chapter of their involvement in the years to come.”
The 2023 Monster Energy AMA Amateur National Motocross Championship, presented by AMSOIL, will commence from Loretta Lynn’s Ranch in Hurricane Mills, Tennessee, from Monday, July 31, through Saturday, August 5, with six days of action featuring the finest amateur motocross talent on the planet, across 36 classes of competition.
For more information on the Monster Energy AMA Amateur National Motocross Championship, presented by AMSOIL, visit the series official website at www.MXSports.com or call (304) 284-0101. Join the conversation on the event’s social media channels, along with receiving the most up-to-date news and exclusive content.
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