Two incredibly intense Superbike races featuring former New Zealand road-race champion Gareth Jones near the front was the highlight of round two of the IDM International German Superbike Championships at Zolder at the weekend.

As most of the IDM paddock tested at the circuit one week before the round, the pace from the first free practice session was hot with only tenths separating the front runners. However, the weather on Saturday and Sunday was to be the real test.

The two, 40-minute qualifying sessions on Saturday looked ominous and the rain was closing in. Australian Jones – New Zealand Battle of the Streets winner in 2008 and the New Zealand 600cc supersport champion in 2009 – opted to get out on the circuit immediately as the green light signalled the opening of pit lane.

It was a good decision as only two flying laps into the session the rain struck the track and ended any possibility of faster lap times.

Jones posted a time on his second lap good enough to place him third on the grid, less than 0.2 from pole position. A time that remained throughout the day due to the rain effected track. Jones’ first front-row start aboard the Yamaha YZF-R1.

Race day was also a mixed bag with the first race to be run under full wet conditions. Jones had never ridden the Yamaha in the wet before but quickly adapted to the machine, leading the first lap and remaining in a podium position for the entire race before stretching out a gap on 3rd place chasing the leader to the line.

Jones finished his third ever race on the Yamaha in second place, 2.3 seconds from the top step, building on an already confident feeling with the Yamaha and taking 20 valuable championship points.

Race two was looking like it was also going to be wet but the clouds cleared allowing enough sun to shine through to dry the track; even though the start was delayed for a considerable time as some patches of light drizzle made things complicated. Nevertheless, the Superbike field took to the grid shod with dry tyres.

Jones leapt from the start slotting into second place at turn 1 and immediately began to challenge for the lead of the race. The race pace was fast from the outset and Jones again kept his Yamaha in a podium place for the entire race, all the while swapping places within the top 3 positions.

By mid race Jones and the leader, German Markus Reiterberger, bridged a gap back to third and fought out the remainder of the race for the win. Jones tried to pass the defensive leader at every possible chance but eventually finished the race with another strong second position and taking away the most points from the weekend and moving into third in the Championship, only one point from second position, cementing Jones’ feeling on the bike and with the Monster Energy Yamaha team.

“I really enjoyed the racing this weekend and had a lot of fun,” said Jones afterwards.

“We had two really strong results in both wet and dry conditions which have allowed us to take away a lot of point. My team have worked really hard as always and given me a bike that I can race at the front and have a lot of confidence with. I am really looking forward to Oschersleben next month and continuing on what we have built on this round.

The Yamaha team with be on track at Oschersleben for round three on June 14-16.

Photo courtesy JW-Sportfoto.de

Shocking conditions did little to slow Tauranga’s Reece Burgess as he raced to victory at round two of the Dirt Guide Cross-Country series near Tokoroa on Saturday.

With a lot of rain falling on Friday, the course was always going to be a slippery one.

The junior race was run on a near prefect track with the skies opening up just near the end of their 90-minute race.

Jake Wightman wrapped up his second win of the series on his KTM125EXC  with Oparau’s James Scott not far behind on his Kawasaki KX85.

In the minis race, Hunter Scott cleaned up again win the race by over a full lap from Joshua Hilton, with Will Yeoman rounding out the top three.

With half an hour’s solid rain before the start of the senior race and showing no sign of letting up, the senior race track was always going to be a challenge.

Two major track changes were required at the start of lap two but, unfortunately, the three leading riders missed the first change and had to do a really bad piece of the course again. To their credit, KTM rider Burgess, Nathan Sharland and Callan May never gave up.

After the race, event organiser Sean Clarke had to allocate them a time for their second lap, so the best way to do this was to give them an average time of their other four laps.

Burgess went on to win the overall with Taupo’s Greg De Lautour (pictured above) taking second and Taranaki mud specialist Tony Parker finishing third overall.

The intermediate grade riders were up against right from the start as the experts did their best to destroy the track in front of them. Kian Scherer from Putururu, riding a 2007 Honda CR250 two-stroke, cleaned up with “Big Boy” Craig Cameron coming home in second and Steve Price third.

“The course was a real challenge, so anyone who finished a couple of laps should be proud of themselves,” said Clarke.

The next round is shaping up to be a very good final, with a number of the classes still up for grabs.

© Photo by Andy McGechan, www.BikesportNZ.com

Raglan’s Jason Dickey wrapped up another successful season aboard his Kawasaki KX250F at the weekend, finishing runner-up in the senior grade at the fourth and final round of the 2013 New Zealand Cross-country Championships.

It was also enough for him to finish the championship in the No.2 position, a couple of steps up from the No.5 spot he achieved in his first senior campaign last season, and he warns there’s plenty more still to come as he continues to gather momentum.

The dairy farm manager is just 18 years old and is still gaining experience at the top level but, even so, he managed to keep 27-year-old defending champion Adrian Smith, of Mokau, on his toes throughout the series.

Dickey won the championship opener near Te Anau in February and then finished fifth overall at round two in Taranaki in March.

He suffered a disastrous third round near Mosgiel last month and that effectively ruined his tilt at the title. Dickey moved up from last place at Mosgiel to be right on the tail of leader Smith, until he drowned his bike in a deep river.

However, a fighting finish on steep farmland near Norsewood on Saturday at least gave him some consolation for his hard work and sent a warning signal to Smith that he’ll again have a fight on his hands next season.

Smith led Saturday’s series finale from start to finish while Dickey had his work cut out as he battled through the traffic.

“I had so much arm-pump,” Dickey explained. “I just had to be satisfied to sit behind (fellow Raglan racer) Matthew Quirke (KTM) and bide my time. I knew I had to beat (Te Awamutu’s) Mark Penny (Suzuki) if I was to finish the series in runner-up position, so that was my main concern.

“I was going nowhere for a while but then, when the pain of the arm-pump eased, I pushed hard and started picking off riders and worked my way through to second.”

Penny suffered two flat tyres and still fought through to finish the day fourth overall at Norsewood, but that wasn’t enough to keep Dickey at bay, the Kawasaki hero sealing the overall No.2 placing and also winning the under-300cc four-stroke class title, ahead of Patetonga’s Simon Lansdaal (Husqvarna) and Cambridge’s Andrew Charleston (Honda).

“I completely shredded the tyres. It was pretty rocky out there, with lots of sharp edges on the stones on the steep uphill sections and I now have some dents on the rims too but it was worth it to get the result.

“The Kawasaki was great and I had no bike problems at all.”

Dickey was national junior cross-country champion in 2011, before moving to the senior ranks and finishing fifth in 2012. With the overall runner-up result to his credit this season – plus the class win – Dickey looks on target to again be in contention for the No.1 plate in the near future.

© Words and photos by Andy McGechan, www.BikesportNZ.com

Team Motul Pirelli Suzuki’s Matt Moss claimed his first overall MX1 class victory of the 2013 Australian Motocross Championship at Broadford State Motorcycle Sport Complex in Victoria on Sunday.

The multi-time MX2 champion inched closer to the championship lead after four of 10 rounds, claiming his second Super Pole in succession before winning the opening moto in a hard-fought performance.

Moto two saw Moss slice his way to second in an inspired ride aboard the RM-Z450, clinching the round victory with 73 points. This now boosts Moss to within 27 points of the championship lead – still held by KTM’s Todd Waters – and he’s excited to keep the ball rolling at this point.

“My day started off good and we were able to comfortably qualify first in Super Pole,” said Moss.

“That really boosted my confidence, the bike was working great; and I felt good on the track. I didn’t get a good start in moto one, I crashed myself, but was able to chase down the leader and win.

“We made some changes in between motos that I was confident would work and I’ve never felt so good. It was one of those motos that was effortless. Unfortunately (Yamaha’s) Billy Mackenzie was too far ahead to chase down by the time I got into second, but all in all it was good and I really need to thank my team at Motul Pirelli Suzuki.”

Kiwi team mate Cody Cooper had a mixed round on the second of the Motul Pirelli Suzuki RM-Z450s, finishing 14th in moto one before recovering to ninth in the second. It wasn’t a true indication of Cooper’s speed however, qualifying third in the morning’s Super Pole proceedings.

He finished 10th overall for the weekend and sits fifth in the championship standings.

“My starts were pretty good, but yeah it was one-lined out there and I didn’t really ride how I should,” said Cooper. “I almost holeshot the last race, but I was getting really bad arm pump so I couldn’t hold on – it was difficult to get in a flow. Today was difficult in both motos, it’s been hard, but I can’t complain and we’ll try to improve for the next round.”

Meanwhile, fellow Kiwis Kayne Lamont (KTM) and Rhys Carter (Suzuki) were also in the points in the MX2 class, Lamont finishing the day sixth and Carter seventh.

Lamont is now sixth overall in the championship standings and Carter is ranked 10th after four rounds.

New Zealand’s Hamish Harwood is now top of the MX Development (Under-19) class after the weekend.

The rider from Takaka finished the day second overall, behind Yamaha’s Joel Dinsdale, but he is now solidly on top of the championship standings, 19 points clear of Kawasaki ace Jesse Dobson.

Fellow Kiwi Logan Blackburn (Yamaha), of Te Puke, was 10th overall at Broadford and he is now ninth in the championship standings.

Round five of the 10-round series Monster Energy MX Nationals Championship will be held at Conondale on June 2.

MX1 overall, round four at Broadford:

1. Matt Moss – 72 Points

2. Billy MacKenzie – 67 Points

3. Kirk Gibbs – 57 Points

4. Jake Moss – 56 Points

5. Todd Waters – 55 Points

6. Adam Monea – 52 Points

7. Tye Simmonds – 49 Points

8. Lawson Bopping – 49 Points

9. Daniel McCoy – 42 Points

10. Cody Cooper – 42 Points

11. Jay Marmont – 39 Points

12. Sam Martin – 39 Points

13. Cody Mackie – 36 Points

14. James Booth-Elliott – 34 Points

15. Daniel Banks – 30 Points

16. Kieran Tisdale – 29 Points

17. Mitch Norris – 28 Points

18. Luke Donnelley – 25 Points

19. Jason McCarthy – 22 Points

20. Kyle Anderson – 21 Points

21. Jacob Wright – 21 Points

22. Ben Pearce – 11 Points

MX1 Championship after round 4

1. Todd Waters – 299 Points

2. Matt Moss – 242 Points

3. Billy Mackenzie – 226 Points

4. Lawson Bopping – 217 Points

5. Cody Cooper – 202 Points

6. Tye Simmonds – 189 Points

7. Adam Monea – 185 Points

8. Kirk Gibbs – 183 Points

9. Jake Moss – 177 Points

10. Daniel McCoy – 154 Points

11. Jay Marmont – 151 Points

12. Jacob Wright – 134 Points

13. Ford Dale – 133 Points

14. Sam Martin – 131 Points

15. James Booth-Elliott – 125 Points

MX2 overall, round four at Broadford:

1. Luke Styke – 67 Points

2. Josh Cachia – 67 Points

3. Luke Clout – 55 Points

4. Brock Winston – 54 Points

5. Ryan Marmont – 54 Points

6. Kayne Lamont – 49 Points

7. Rhys Carter – 48 Points

8. Dylan Peterson – 45 Points

9. Kieran Sheele – 44 Points

10. Katsuya Takeshi – 43 Points

11. Geran Stapleton – 39 Points

12. John Prutti – 35 Points

13. Dylan Long – 34 Points

14. Wade Hunter – 30 Points

15. Daniel Macintee – 30 Points

16. Kale Makeham – 29 Points

17. Luke Wilson – 25 Points

18. Joel Green – 24 Points

19. Matt Ryan – 23 Points

20. Jeddith Cornthwaite – 23 Points

21. Twisty Cachia – 21 Points

22. Zac Newsome – 20 Points

23. Steven Bowen – 23 Points

24. Geordie McGrath – 18 Points

MX2 Championship after round 4:

1. Luke Styke – 269 Points

2. Luke Clout – 239 Points

3. Brock Winston – 214 Points

4. Josh Cachia – 212 Points

5. Kale Makeham – 199 Points

6. Kayne Lamont – 183 Points

7. Geran Stapleton – 171 Points

8. Katsuya Takeshi – 164 Points

9. Matt Ryan – 160 Points

10. Rhys Carter – 159 Points

11. Ryan Marmont – 152 Points

12. Dylan Long – 143 Points

13. Twisty Cachia – 125 Points

14. Wade Hunter – 123 Points

15. John Prutti – 83 Points

MXD Championship overall, round four at Broadford:

1. Joel Dinsdale – 70 Points

2. Hamish Harwood – 64 Points

3. Jesse Dobson – 56 Points

4. Corey James – 53 Points

5. Tomas Ravenhorst – 50 Points

6. Nick Scott – 49 Points

7. Joel Wightman – 47 Points

8. Joel Evans – 43 Points

9. Dakota Court- 43 Points

10. Logan Blackburn – 40 Points

11. Jay Wilson – 39 Points

12. Jack Simpson – 30 Points

13. Daniel Price – 29 Points

14. Jake Donaher – 28 Points

15. Jacob Williiams – 27 Points

16. Meghan Rutledge – 26 Points

17. Bailey Caton – 24 Points

18. Hamish McGrath – 24 Points

19. Elija Weise – 22 Points

20. Sam Davie – 21 Points

21. Todd Jarrett – 20 Points

22. Mitchell Nichols – 20 Points

23. James Alen – 20 Points

24. Nathan Denny – 19 Points

25. Izak Mule – 17 Points

MXD Championship after round 4:

1. Hamish Harwood – 184 Points

2. Jesse Dobson – 165 Points

3. Jack Simpson – 152 Points

4. Joel Dinsdale – 159 Points

5. Nick Scott – 152 Points

6. Corey James – 135 Points

7. Jay Wilson – 130 Points

8. Joel Wightman – 130 Points

9. Logan Blackburn – 128 Points

10. Tomas Ravenhorst – 114 Points

11. Dakota Court – 101 Points

More than 45,000 fans cheered for the MXGP riders at the Grand Prix of Brazil at Beto Carrero at the weekend.

In the end there was just a little bit of drizzle at the start of the first race of MX1, so the track conditions were perfect.

Italian Antonio Cairoli won the Super Final, as well as the MX1 Grand Prix and he dedicated his 58th GP victory to his friend Marco Simoncelli who died in 2011. Belgian Clement Desalle was third in the Super Final and second overall in the Grand Prix, whereas his team-mate Kevin Strijbos obtained the third overall position thanks to his second place in the Super Final.

Dutch rider Jeffrey Herlings won the first race but he was the second best MX2 rider in the Super Final behind Jose Butrón. Herlings won the Grand Prix, Butrón was second and Jordi Tixier completed the MX2 top three.

MX1 Race 1:

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Antonio Cairoli obtained the GET Athena holeshot award, as he was the first one to reach the first corner in the MX1 race 1. The Italian succeeded in pulling away in the first laps and he dominated the heat until the chequered flag. At the end of the race Cairoli admitted that he had enjoyed a lot racing the Beto Carrero track, as it was very technical and it suits very much his riding style.

Honda World Motocross’ Max Nagl managed to move from his initial fifth position to the second final place. The German rider won yesterday’s qualifying race and he was very satisfied today for having been able to overtake several riders and finish in a well deserved second place in the first moto.

Rockstar Energy Suzuki World’s Clement Desalle did not have such a good start in the first race and when he was overtaken by Nagl in the first laps of the heat the Belgian could not pass him back. Desalle admitted that by the end of the race he tried to attack the German but he struggled to find the good lines and he had to settle down with the third place.

Kawasaki Racing Team’s Gautier Paulin did not have a good start in the first race and he was down in the eleventh position in the first corners of the race. However, the French rider gave it all and he crossed the finish line in the fourth place.

His team-mate Jeremy Van Horebeek also had a solid first race; the Belgian rider was eighth at the start, but he managed to overtake Kevin Strijbos, Ken De Dycker and David Philippaerts and he finished fifth.

Kevin Strijbos did not have a good start and could not find a good rhythm, so in the end he ended sixth. Instead, David Philippaerts had an excellent start and rode second during the first four laps of the race. The Italian lost a couple of positions with Nagl and Desalle, and while he was riding a very consistent race in the fourth position, he had a problem with the tear off and he was only able to finish seventh of the race.

Tommy Searle had a really good start in third, but he made a mistake and dropped down to the ninth place. In the end the British rider finished eighth and Ken De Dycker and Joel Roelants completed the top ten.

Davide Guarneri had to enter the last chance in order to be qualified for the SuperFinal because he was forced to pull out from Race 1 after having a big crash in the beginning of the race.

MX2 Race 1:

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Jeffrey Herlings struggled once again with his start in the first race, but he did an incredible recovery and he made the crowd go crazy lap after lap. The Dutch was 12th at the start and even if most of the riders said that it was very difficult to pass, Herlings managed to win the first race with almost twelve seconds difference with the second.

Standing Construct KTM’s Glenn Coldenhoff started second behind Alexander Tonkov, who had taken the Get Athena Holeshot, but the Dutch rider overtook the Russian after the first three laps and Coldenhoff took the lead of the race. Coldenhoff was feeling really good, but he could not keep his compatriot Herlings at the back, so Coldenhoff had to settle down with the second position.

Wilvo Nestaan JM Racing KTM’s Jake Nicholls had a very consistent first race and he managed to finish third. The British rider started third and in lap four he overtook Tonkov and moved up to second. However, Herlings was coming really fast from behind and Nicholls dropped one position.

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Jordi Tixier could not have a good start in the first race and he was sixth in the first lap. During the first laps the French rider struggled to find a good rhythm, but by the middle of the race Tixier was able to overtake Dylan Ferrandis, Alexander Tonkov and Mel Pocock, so the French rider ended fourth.

Monster Energy Yamaha’s Mel Pocock obtained his best result of the season by finishing fifth in the first race. The British rider had a really good start and he was fourth in the first laps, but Herlings overtook him and he dropped down to fifth. The British rider managed to pass Tonkov by the middle of the heat but Pocock was overtaken by Tixier in the last minutes of the race and he had to settle down with the fifth position.

Jose Butrón did not have a very good start in the first race and he struggled to find a good rhythm. After racing eighth most of the heat, the Spanish rider started feeling better and he overtook a couple of riders and he crossed the finish line sixth.

Australian Dean Ferris finished seventh, Dylan Ferrandis was eighth and Alexander Tonkov and Alessandro Lupino completed the top 10.

Super Final:

The Grand Prix of Brazil hosted the last Super Final of 2013 and it was slightly different from the ones in Qatar and Thailand. The MX1 and MX2 riders lined up for the Super Final in their respective championship standings up to the tenth gate pick, i.e. Cairoli, Herlings, Paulin, Tixier and so on. However, Herlings decided not to be next to Cairoli and he chose the first gate from the inside.

ICE1Racing’s Rui Gonçalves took the holeshot of the Super Final, but after the first few corners Rockstar Energy Suzuki’s Kevin Strijbos overtook him and the Belgian led the race until there were three laps to go. Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Antonio Cairoli had a good start but he almost crashed in the opening lap so he went down in fourth; the Italian tried to overtake the front riders as soon as possible, but when he was second Strijbos had already opened a big gap and Cairoli started getting some arm pump. In the end Strijbos got a little bit tired so Cairoli could close the gap and with three laps to go the Italian took the lead.

Rockstar Energy Suzuki’s Clement Desalle admitted that he did not feel really comfortable today, but he managed to ride a consistent moto in third. Kawasaki Racing Team’s Gautier Paulin was fifth in the first lap of the Super Final, but after four laps he managed to overtake Ken De Dycker and he kept the fourth position until the chequered flag, position that gave him the overall fourth place of the Grand Prix of Brazil.

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Ken De Dycker struggled in the first race but he managed to have a good start in the Super Final and he rode a consistent race in fifth. However, the Belgian rider was only seventh overall in the Grand Prix. Honda World Motocross’ Max Nagl was sixth in the Super Final, so he obtained his best result of the season by finishing fourth overall in the Grand Prix.

Rui Gonçalves could not keep his initial second position and crossed the finish line seventh, followed by Jeremy Van Horebeek and Tommy Searle. Jose Butrón was tenth and he was the best MX2 rider in the Super Final. Jeffrey Herlings finished thirteenth and Jordi Tixier fifteenth.

RESULTS from the GP of Brazil:

MX1 Race 1 top 10:

1. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 39:15.493; 2. Maximilian Nagl (GER, Honda), +0:03.017; 3. Clement Desalle (BEL, Suzuki), +0:04.748; 4. Gautier Paulin (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:24.442; 5. Jeremy van Horebeek (BEL, Kawasaki), +0:30.333; 6. Kevin Strijbos (BEL, Suzuki), +0:36.445; 7. David Philippaerts (ITA, Honda), +0:46.472; 8. Tommy Searle (GBR, Kawasaki), +0:49.004; 9. Ken de Dycker (BEL, KTM), +0:50.898; 10. Joel Roelants (BEL, Yamaha), +0:53.195.

Super Final top 10:

1. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 40:49.230; 2. Kevin Strijbos (BEL, Suzuki), +0:02.830; 3. Clement Desalle (BEL, Suzuki), +0:25.606; 4. Gautier Paulin (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:31.078; 5. Ken de Dycker (BEL, KTM), +0:41.121; 6. Maximilian Nagl (GER, Honda), +0:44.766; 7. Rui Goncalves (POR, KTM), +0:45.861; 8. Jeremy van Horebeek (BEL, Kawasaki), +0:50.619; 9. Tommy Searle (GBR, Kawasaki), +1:03.885; 10. Jose Butron (ESP, KTM), +1:09.255.

MX1 Overall top 10:

1. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 50 points; 2. Clement Desalle (BEL, Suzuki), 40 p.; 3. Kevin Strijbos (BEL, Suzuki), 37 p.; 4. Maximilian Nagl (GER, Honda), 37 p.; 5. Gautier Paulin (FRA, Kawasaki), 36 p.; 6. Jeremy van Horebeek (BEL, Kawasaki), 29 p.; 7. Ken de Dycker (BEL, KTM), 28 p.; 8. Tommy Searle (GBR, Kawasaki), 25 p.; 9. Joel Roelants (BEL, Yamaha), 20 p.; 10. Shaun Simpson (GBR, TM), 19 p.

MX1 Championship top 10:

1. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 330 points; 2. Gautier Paulin (FRA, Kawasaki), 278 p.; 3. Clement Desalle (BEL, Suzuki), 267 p.; 4. Ken de Dycker (BEL, KTM), 245 p.; 5. Kevin Strijbos (BEL, Suzuki), 220 p.; 6. Tommy Searle (GBR, Kawasaki), 205 p.; 7. Maximilian Nagl (GER, Honda), 169 p.; 8. Rui Goncalves (POR, KTM), 148 p.; 9. Jeremy van Horebeek (BEL, Kawasaki), 138 p.; 10. David Philippaerts (ITA, Honda), 130 p.

MX2 Race 1 top 10:

1. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 40:08.386; 2. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, KTM), +0:11.680; 3. Jake Nicholls (GBR, KTM), +0:16.551; 4. Jordi Tixier (FRA, KTM), +0:23.711; 5. Mel Pocock (GBR, Yamaha), +0:30.415; 6. Jose Butron (ESP, KTM), +0:32.337; 7. Dean Ferris (AUS, Yamaha), +0:37.039; 8. Dylan Ferrandis (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:42.374; 9. Alexander Tonkov (RUS, Honda), +0:44.771; 10. Alessandro Lupino (ITA, Kawasaki), +0:47.844.

MX2 Overall top 10:

1. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 47 points; 2. Jose Butron (ESP, KTM), 40 p.; 3. Jordi Tixier (FRA, KTM), 38 p.; 4. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, KTM), 31 p.; 5. Dean Ferris (AUS, Yamaha), 30 p.; 6. Christophe Charlier (FRA, Yamaha), 27 p.; 7. Mel Pocock (GBR, Yamaha), 26 p.; 8. Alessandro Lupino (ITA, Kawasaki), 25 p.; 9. Alexander Tonkov (RUS, Honda), 25 p.; 10. Dylan Ferrandis (FRA, Kawasaki), 25 p.

MX2 Championship top 10:

1. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 347 points; 2. Jordi Tixier (FRA, KTM), 257 p.; 3. Jose Butron (ESP, KTM), 218 p.; 4. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, KTM), 214 p.; 5. Christophe Charlier (FRA, Yamaha), 198 p.; 6. Dean Ferris (AUS, Yamaha), 182 p.; 7. Max Anstie (GBR, Suzuki), 172 p.; 8. Jake Nicholls (GBR, KTM), 150 p.; 9. Alessandro Lupino (ITA, Kawasaki), 148 p.; 10. Mel Pocock (GBR, Yamaha), 138 p.

New Zealand’s Courtney Duncan took the opening round of the Women’s Motocross Triple Crown by storm in the United States at the weekend.

The Yamaha ace from Otago swept both motos of the day in her WMX debut at the weekend’s 45th running of the Red Bull Hangtown Motocross Classic, the opening round of the US motocross nationals in Sacramento, California.

Duncan beat Honda’s Sayaka Kaneshiro, who finished second overall with a (2-3) score, and Texas native Taylor Higgins rounded out the overall podium.

Six-time WMX champion Jessica Patterson finished second in moto two but bad luck in the first moto gave her 10th overall for the day.

“Today I achieved a dream I’ve had since day one,” said Duncan. “To win my first ever Pro National in my debut is the best feeling in the world. Don’t wake me up.”

With a record event attendance of nearly 25,000 fans, the Hangtown Motocross Classic proved to be one for the history books.

After missing an entire season in 2012 due to injury, Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Ryan Villopoto made a valiant return, sweeping both 450 class motos atop one of the most stacked fields in the series’ recent history.

Yoshimura Suzuki’s James Stewart, who missed most of the second half of the 2012 season, made a comeback of his own by grabbing the holeshot in moto one, garnering one point toward the overall championship holeshot bonus of $25,000 in the 450 Class.

However, keeping the lead wasn’t an easy task as three other former 450 class champions and several returning contenders chased the 2008 champ early on.

Villopoto took over the lead on the opening lap with Stewart and defending champion Ryan Dungey close behind. The trio diced it out in the first half of moto one but it was ultimately Villopoto who locked in the moto win, with Dungey in second and Stewart in third.

Honda’s Trey Canard returned to the Hangtown Motocross Classic for the first time since his 250 class championship-winning season in 2010. Canard made a statement early on as he jumped in behind the lead battle and even closed in on Stewart near the end of moto one.

Just behind was the epic battle for fifth place between Canard’s team-mate Barcia, KTM’s Andrew Short, Honda’s Malcolm Stewart, Mike Alessi (Suzuki) and 450 class rookie Dean Wilson (Kawasaki).

Malcolm Stewart, Alessi and Wilson experienced issues that dropped all three in the running order, while Canard and Barcia prevailed, rounding out the top five, with Short sixth.

James Stewart began moto two in similar fashion to the first, grabbing the holeshot once again and taking over the points lead in the season-long chase for the end-of-the-year cash prize. From there, Stewart engaged in a battle for the lead with Dungey, while Villopoto followed close behind.

Near the halfway mark, Villopoto made his move to the front, leaving Dungey and Stewart to fight for the second place position. Dungey bested Stewart for the second place spot in moto two, giving the Minnesota native second overall for the day with a pair of second place finishes.

Stewart, the 2012 Hangtown winner, scored (3-3) for third place overall. Villopoto went on to secure the first overall win of the 2013 season with a score of (1-1).

“Hangtown has always been a rough place for me so for the bike to feel like it did today was amazing,” Villopoto said. “I’m obviously happy with that and happy with how I rode. I feel like we’re in a really good place and it’s only going to get better from here.”

The 250 Class was set to be a showcase with a full line-up of returning contenders, including defending 250 class champion Blake Baggett.

Fresh off a wrist injury, the Kawasaki rider had no reservations about getting to the front early on as he grabbed the Motorcycle-Superstore holeshot in moto one.

However, the Red Bull KTM duo of Marvin Musquin and Ken Roczen quickly gained control of the lead. Musquin led three laps before his team-mate commanded the lead for the remainder of Moto 1.

Honda’s Eli Tomac began the first moto just outside of the top five but made his way into podium contention early on. Tomac first set his sights on Musquin and then made his way around Baggett to eventually secure second place in moto one.

Baggett finished third, while Musquin took fourth and Yamaha’s Cooper Webb rounded out the top five in his Pro class debut.

In moto two, Honda’s Zach Bell grabbed the holeshot, but it was once again Roczen who jumped out front on the opening lap. Roczen set the pace early on and Baggett remained close in tow throughout the first half of the race.

Roczen eventually put a gap on the defending champion in the final laps of moto two, going on to secure his first career victory in the 250 class.

“Coming here, I didn’t really know what to expect because I sort of took some time to have fun during the week off [between supercross and motocross],” Roczen said. “It’s important to me to keep things fun but next week it’s time to put in some work and make my performance even better.”

Baggett’s score of (3-2) was enough to give him second overall for the day, while Tomac went (2-3) for third overall. Musquin captured a pair of fourth places to claim fourth overall, while Honda’s Zach Osborne rounded out the top five overall with a (9-5) score.

The WMX Triple Crown returns to the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship June 8 for the GEICO Hangtown National in Mt. Morris, Pa. Round two of the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship heads to Lakewood, Colo. for the Rockwell Watches Thunder Valley National next weekend, May 25.

Hangtown 450 Moto Results:

1. Ryan Villopoto, Poulsbo, Wash., Kawasaki (1-1)

2. Ryan Dungey, Belle Plaine, Minn., KTM (2-2)

3. James Stewart, Haines City, Fla., Suzuki (3-3)

4. Trey Canard, Oklahoma City, Okla., Honda (4-4)

5. Justin Barcia, Monroe, N.Y., Honda (5-5)

6. Ryan Sipes, Elizabethtown, Ky., Suzuki (8-7)

7. Andrew Short, Colorado Springs, Colo., KTM (6-10)

8. Mike Alessi, Victorville, Calif., Suzuki (12-6)

9. Tyla Rattray, Durban, South Africa, Kawasaki (9-9)

10. Weston Peick, Wildomar, Calif., Suzuki (13-8)

450 Class Championship Standings

1. Ryan Villopoto, Seattle, Wash., Kawasaki, 50

2. Ryan Dungey, Belle Plaine, Minn., KTM,44

3. James Stewart, Haines City, Fla., Suzuki,40

4. Trey Canard, Oklahoma City, Okla., Honda,36

5. Justin Barcia, Pinetta, Fla., Honda, 32

6. Ryan Sipes, Elizabethtown, Ky., Suzuki, 27

7. Andrew Short, Smithville, Texas, KTM, 26

8. Mike Alessi, Victorville, Calif., Suzuki, 24

9. Tyla Rattray, Wildomar, Calif., Kawasaki, 24

10. Weston Peick, Wildomar, Calif., Suzuki, 21

Hangtown 250 Moto Results:

1. Ken Roczen, Apolda, Germany, KTM (1-1)

2. Blake Baggett, Grand Terrace, Calif., Kawasaki (3-2)

3. Eli Tomac, Cortez, Colo., Honda (2-3)

4. Marvin Musquin, La Reole, France, KTM (4-4)

5. Zach Osborne, Abingdon, Va., Honda (9-5)

6. Kyle Cunningham, Aledo, Texas, Yamaha (8-7)

7. Jason Anderson, Edgewood, N.M., Suzuki (12-6)

8. Jeremy Martin, Millville, Minn., Yamaha (7-13)

9. Joseph Savatgy, Cairo, Ga. KTM (10-11)

10. Justin Hill, Yoncalla, Ore., Kawasaki (13-9)

250 Class Championship Standings:

1. Ken Roczen, Apolda, Germany, KTM, 50

2. Eli Tomac, Cortez, Colo., Honda, 42

3. Blake Baggett, Grand Terrace, Calif., Kawasaki, 42

4. Marvin Musquin, Corona, Calif., KTM, 36

5. Zach Osborne, Abingdon, Va., Honda, 28

6. Kyle Cunningham, Aledo, Texas, Yamaha, 27

7. Jason Anderson, Edgewood, N.M., Suzuki, 24

8. Jeremy Martin, Millville, Minn., Yamaha, 22

9. Joseph Savatgy, Cairo, Ga. KTM, 21

10. Justin Hill, Yoncalla, Ore., Kawasaki, 20

Hangtown WMX Moto Results:

1. Courtney Duncan, New Zealand, Yamaha (1-1)

2. Sayaka Kaneshiro, Japan, Honda (2-3)

3. Taylor Higgins, Mesquite, Texas, Honda (4-4)

4. Mackenzie Tricker, Australia, Yamaha (3-6)

5. Jacqueline Strong, Sedona, Ariz., KTM (6-5)

6. Alexah Pearson, Sacramento, Calif., KTM (5-8)

7. Mariana Balbi, Brazil, Kawasaki (7-7)

8. Sara Pettersson, Sweden, KTM (8-9)

9. Hailey Larson, Mill Valley, Calif., Honda (9-10)

10. Jessica Patterson, Tallahassee, Fla., Yamaha (30-2)

WMX Triple Crown Points:

1. Courtney Duncan, New Zealand, Yamaha 50

2. Sayaka Kaneshiro, Japan, Honda 42

3. Taylor Higgins, Mesquite, Texas, Honda 36

4. Mackenzie Tricker, Australia, Yamaha 35

5. Jacqueline Strong, Sedona, Ariz., KTM 31

6. Alexah Pearson, Sacramento, Calif., KTM 29

7. Mariana Balbi, Brazil, Kawasaki 28

8. Sara Pettersson, Sweden, KTM 25

9. Hailey Larson, Mill Valley, Calif., Honda 23

10. Jessica Patterson, Tallahassee, Fla., Yamaha 22

The 27-year-old Smith dominated the national cross-country motorcycling scene again this season, stamping his authority by wrapping up his 2013 campaign with a go-to-whoa victory at the weekend’s final round that simply stunned his opponents.

The Blackwood BikesportNZ.com Yamaha ace didn’t even have to show up at the fourth and final round of the New Zealand Cross-country Championships in Central Hawke’s Bay on Saturday, and there are probably a few people who wish he hadn’t.

Smith had successfully defended his 2012 crown when he wrapped up the 2013 senior title overall at the previous round of the series near Cheviot last month and so his appearance at the steep farmland race track at Ashley Clinton – about halfway between Norsewood and Waipukurau – on Saturday was really just a training exercise for him as he is also focussed on defending his national enduro crown, with that competition still in progress.

It could be said that Smith turned his “training session” on Saturday into a “coaching clinic” as he showed everybody how to race a dirt bike across the country, leading from start to finish and ending the gruelling three-hour marathon more than half a lap ahead of the eventual runner-up on the day and the series runner-up, Raglan’s Jason Dickey.

Smith was so far in front that, when he arrived in the timing zone with several minutes still left on the three-hour clock, he was waved away to complete another circuit of the demanding course. In the end, Smith was the only rider to complete 11 laps, with Kawasaki ace Dickey arriving at the zone after the three hours had expired.

“I wanted to win and win well today … just to make a point,” said the 27-year-old Smith, who ended his campaign with a 2-1-1-1 score-line for the series.

“The laps were short and that made it hard work. Because it was short, the track cut up quite rough, but it also meant I was soon familiar with the corners, jumps and blind bits and was able to remember most of the course. That meant I was able to ride aggressively … just like everyone else … and that was pretty tiring.”

Woodville’s Ben Exeter (KTM) finished third overall on Saturday, more than a minute behind Dickey, with Te Awamutu’s Mark Penny (Suzuki) finishing fourth, despite twice suffering from flat tyres.

Fifth was Maruia’s Ethan Bruce, although the young South Island Yamaha rider also fell victim to a flat tyre, suffered on just the second of his 10 laps.

Sixth and seventh overall on Saturday were Dannevirke’s Charles Alabaster (Husqvarna) and Cambridge’s Andrew Charleston (Honda) respectively, while eighth overall was Palmerston North’s three-time former national cross-country champion Adam Reeves (Yamaha).

Meanwhile, Stratford’s Karl Roberts (ninth overall on Saturday) took his Yamaha YZ450F to lead a Yamaha 1-2-3 in the 35-44 years’ veterans’ class this season, with Wellington’s Hugh Lintott and Dannevirke’s Brendan Kendall filling the podium.

Raglan’s Malcolm Given (KTM, 34th overall on Saturday) won the over-45 years’ veteran’s class title, making it a KTM 1-2-3 in the class as he finished the series ahead of Cambridge’s Greg McWhannell and Johnsonville’s James Oliver.

Huntly’s Rachel Parker (KTM) won the women’s grade for 2013, finishing the series ahead of Te Awamutu’s Jessica Dunn (Suzuki) and Taihape’s Sarah Elwin (Yamaha).

Waipukurau’s Ben Fryer won the 90-minute junior race, staged earlier in the day.

Fryer (Yamaha YZ125) had spent time in recent weeks training with Smith at his Mokau property and that experience obviously gave him an edge on Saturday, although Eketahuna’s Charlie Richardson (KTM) won the junior series overall, ahead of Pukekohe’s Isaac Clark (Honda), with Fryer settling for a national ranking of No.3 for 2013.

© Words and photo by Andy McGechan, www.BikesportNZ.com

Leading results from the fourth and final round of the KTM New Zealand Cross-country Championships in Central Hawke’s Bay on Saturday:

Final round results:

Senior (3-hour) race:

1. Adrian Smith (Mokau, 11 laps); 2. Jason Dickey (Raglan, 10 laps); 3. Ben Exeter (Woodville); 4. Mark Penny (Te Awamutu); 5. Ethan Bruce (Maruia).

Junior (90-minute) race:

1. Ben Fryer (Waipukurau, 8 laps); 2. Charlie Richardson (Eketahuna); 3. Isaac Clarke (Pukekohe, 7 laps); 4. Ethan Breuer (Marton); 5. Josh Pilet (Marton).

Series results:

Senior overall: 1. Adrian Smith; 2. Jason Dickey; 3. Mark Penny; 4. Ethan Bruce; 5. Adam Reeves.

Class 1 (2-Stroke Over-200cc): 1 Adrian Smith (Mokau, Yamaha); 2. Ethan Bruce (Maruia, Yamaha); 3. Graeme Goodwright (Raglan, KTM).

Class 2 (2-Stroke under-200cc): 1. Sam Greenslade (Waitemata, Husqvarna); 2. Anthony Parker (Huntly, KTM); 3. Aaron Jones (Mokau, Yamaha).

Class 3 (4-Stroke over-300cc): 1. Mark Penny (Te Awamutu, Suzuki); 2. Ben Exeter (Woodville, KTM); 3. Adam Reeves (Palmerston North, Yamaha).

Class 4 (4-Stroke under-300cc): 1. Jason Dickey (Raglan, Kawasaki); 2. Simon Lansdaal (Patetonga, Husqvarna); 3. Andrew Charleston (Cambridge, Honda).

Class 5 (Veterans’ 35-44 years): 1. Karl Roberts (Stratford, Yamaha); 2. Hugh Lintott (Wellington, Yamaha); 3. Brendan Kendall (Dannevirke, Yamaha).

Class 6 (Veterans’ 45+ years): 1. Malcolm Given (Raglan, KTM); 2. Greg McWhannell (Cambridge, KTM); 3. James Oliver (Johnsonville, KTM).

Class 7 (Ladies): 1. Rachel Parker (Huntly, KTM); 2. Jessica Dunn (Te Awamutu, Suzuki); 3. Sarah Elwin (Taihape, Yamaha).

Junior overall: 1. Charlie Richardson; 2. Isaac Clark; 3. Ben Fryer; 4. James Galpin; 5. Taylor Rae.

Class 1&3 (Junior combined 2-stroke under-200cc/4-stroke under-300cc): 1. Jack Dalton (Marlborough, KTM); 2. Jackson Walker (Nelson, Suzuki); 3. Paul Bickley (Riverton, Honda).

Class 2 (Junior 2-stroke 0-200cc): 1. Charlie Richardson (Eketahuna, KTM); 2. Ben Fryer (Waipukurau, Yamaha); 3. Isaac Clark (Pukekohe, Honda).

Class 4 (Junior 4-stroke 0-300cc): 1. Ethan Breuer (Marton, Honda); 2. Taylor Rae (Cambridge, Honda); 3. Todd Keown (Invercargill, Honda).

So what does Lotus Formula 1 Driver Kimi Raikkonen, aka ‘The Iceman’, do in spare time?

Nope, certainly not hanging out with friends or reading a book (that would probably put him to sleep) – it’s not as exciting as driving a Formula Car around a circuit.

So what does he do during the layoffs in between race days? He goes hopping and skipping on loose soil astride a motocross bike.

Everyone would be well aware of his WRC skills driving for the Citroen Junior Rally team after he switched from tarmac to dirt trails. Few would be aware that he had setup his own motocross team under the ICE 1 Racing name, which is now headed by Finnish enduro rider Kari Tiainen and the team competes at the Motocross World Championships. So on a general note, Kimi’s affection for the dirt track is a known fact.

The advantage of owning a motocross team is heartily compensated by the 33-year-old Finnish driver. He could just grab a team motorcycle and go marking his own trails.

“I have always wanted to ride motocross more than anything. It was my dream when I was a kid. The thought of owning a team has grown along the years,” says the Iceman.

From Formula 1 racing to World Rally Championship and back to Formula 1 with occasional bursts of motocross madness in between, we could probably wish to walk up to him and ask if he’d switch to two wheels from four. But we’d rather keep our queries restricted to ourselves. Certainly don’t want to again hear him saying “Just leave me alone, I know what I’m doing”.

© Words and photo by Deepak Dongre

On a daily basis, the BikesportNZ.com web site provides exclusive, fresh and original content, while the company also saturates the mainstream print media with motorcycling news.

Unlike so many other sites, we don’t just half-wittedly cut and paste other people’s words and pictures from PR items, brainlessly re-broadcasting the same content that is displayed everywhere else.

But, as well as posting a huge chunk of home-grown material on this site, every single week, BikesportNZ.com breaks through the invisible barrier to give the motorcycling community – be it fans of motocross, supercross, enduro, cross-country racing, trials riding or superbikes – wicked widespread coverage in the nation’s mainstream media.

We manage to push motorcycle sport into the mass media forefront, often ahead of the “traditional” Kiwi sports such as rugby, cricket and netball.

And it’s something we could do for you, your race team and for your company too … contact our crew by emailing admin@bikesportnz.com

Dozens of newspapers publish our stories each week and here is just a small sampling of some of our recent work to feature in the mainstream media …

The Yamaha ace simply ran away with the OMA title last year, making it five OMA wins in consecutive years, and while this year’s title defence has been fraught with problems – not least of all his recent hand injury – the tough-as-nails Kiwi hero continues to race among the leaders.

He finished a strong runner-up at round three of the OMA competition in Indiana at the weekend, keeping himself of track for the 2013 title.

The weekend’s racing saw a return to a venue the series had used a few years ago near Bedford, in Indiana. The pits and grass track section were saturated but the course itself was near perfect.

“I grabbed a good start and just edged out Nick Fahringer for the holeshot honours,” said Whibley (Yamaha YZ450F).

“Leading the way into the woods we were sent up a pretty challenging hill. It was not un-climbable, but at the top was a rock that was super slick. If you lost any momentum lower on the hill, there was no gaining it back and making it across the rock became tough.

“The rest of the loop was pretty fun with some faster sections and a lot of off-camber single track. The track was a little short though with only seven miles and lap times at around 12 minutes.

“I led the first half of the race and as I approached the fuel stop had  opened a lead over everyone except Kailub Russell who was firmly latched to my rear wheel. (My wife) Katherine and Bret from Carb Sport handled the pit stop, although I lost the lead as Kailub elected to not stop that lap. I now had to regain contact with Kailub to have a shot at regaining the lead when he stopped for gas.

“Luck wasn’t on my side, as problems on the hill climb cost me some time. The lost time allowed Kailub to come in and out of the pits the next lap with a safe lead. I continued to push and tried to regain some time but another mistake on the rock on the hill cost more time on the last lap.

“I was a safe distance in front of third but was disappointed to make the two mistakes that cost me a shot at the win. A real battle was going on for the final podium spot between Jordan Ashburn and Russell Bobbitt. On one of the last corners Russell snuck up the inside of Jordan to cement his position in third.”

Whibley is supported by Monster Energy, Sargent Yamaha in Masterton, MotoSR suspension, BikesportNZ.com, Graphic MX Creation and Yamaha Motor New Zealand.

Leading results from OMA series round three in Indiana:

1. Kailub Russell

2. Paul Whibley

3. Russell Bobbitt

© Words and photo by Andy McGechan, www.BikesportNZ.com