Find below the FIM Trial des Nations – Entry List -Sokolov (CZE), 23 September
Brayton and Wilson Light the Candles at the Season Opener of the Australian Supercross Championship
Defending Champion Justin Brayton has kicked off his 2018 campaign in commanding fashion, taking the opening round of the Australian Supercross Championship at Jimboomba Stadium. Brayton qualified fastest and lapped up to 8th position eventually taking the SX1 top spot by 5 seconds over the second place.
Brayton edged out team mate Brett Metcalfe who made a successful return to Supercross in Australia finishing 2nd and making it a Penrite Oil Honda Racing 1-2 for the season opener. Metcalfe had an early lead but stalled forcing him to lose positions before fighting back.
KTM Racing Australia’s premier class rider Luke Clout had a massive come from behind ride to finish on the podium after going down in the first turn of the main event.
Dan Reardon finished 4th in his first outing with the newly put together team, one which he is confident can get the job done when it comes to the pointy end of the season.
In his highly anticipated return to racing Jace Owen steered his Complete Parts Kawasaki KX 450F to a solid start to the season rounding out the top 5, showing he has the pace to take it to the big names in his maiden trip to Australia.
After qualifying in second, current Australian Motocross Champion Dean Ferris had a big spill in a triple triple section of his heat race which saw him go over the bars and stretchered off by Race Safe. We are yet to know if he has sustained any championship wrecking injuries but is undergoing scans. Further news on Ferris to follow.
Jay Wilson and his Yamaha Yamalube Racing YZ250F stormed to the front of a stacked SX2 main event attaining the lead early in the race and finishing ahead of Americans Bradley Taft and Joshua Osby.
21 year old Taft sprayed the champagne in his first race in Australia just 4 secs off the pace of Wilson but showed serious pace being the only 250 rider to go under the 50 second a lap mark in the main event.
DPH Husqvarna rider Hayden Melross charged to fourth in his first race back on Australian soil, holding off Serco Yamaha’s Jacob Hayes who was 18th coming out of the first turn.
A full house at Jimboomba Stadium solidifies fans presumptions of a must watch season ahead with round two of the Australian Supercross Championship kicking off on October 6th at Coolum.
SX1 Main Event
1. Justin BRAYTON
2. Brett METCALFE
3. Luke CLOUT
4. Daniel REARDON
5. Jace OWEN
6. Dylan LONG
7. Jesse DOBSON
8. Nicholas SUTHERLAND
9. Jesse MADDEN
10. Robbie MARSHALL
11. Joel WIGHTMAN
12. Connor TIERNEY
13. Jamie HARVEY
14. Zak SMALL
15. Joshua KILVINGTON
16. Timothy MACARTHUR
17. James ALEN
SX2 Main Event
1. Jay WILSON
2. Bradley TAFT
3. Joshua OSBY
4. Hayden MELLROSS
5. Jacob HAYES
6. Dakota ALIX
7. Wilson TODD
8. Richard EVANS
9. Dylan WILLS
10. Jackson RICHARDSON
11. Ricky LATIMER
12. Tomas RAVENHORST
13. Kyle WEBSTER
14. Hugh MCKAY
15. Bailey MALKIEWICZ
16. Rhys BUDD
17. Cooper POZNIAK
18. Gradie FEATHERSTONE
19. Aaron TANTI
DNF. Kaleb BARHAM
Images Credit: Foremost Media
Team Australia Announced for the 2018 FIM Oceania Trial Championship
Motorcycling Australia (MA) is pleased to announce the riders selected to represent Team Australia for the 2018 FIM Oceania Trial Championship. Competition will run from October 20 – 22 in conjunction with the New Zealand Trial Championship in Christchurch, New Zealand. Hosted by The Pioneer Motorcycle Club, this will be the first time in 30 years that an International Motorcycle Trial has been held in Christchurch.
First off the ranks for Team Australia is Solo Class competitor Kevin Zarczynski. Zarczynski sat down with MA to discuss this exciting opportunity for Australia to display their skills on an international scale.
“This year is a fantastic opportunity to go to New Zealand and compete on foreign soil for a change.
“It’s a chance to start a foundation for some competition between these two countries. We’ve had some fantastic support from the industry to do this. It’s a good thing to have and we’re hoping to make this a successful trip.” Zarczynski highlighted.
Coming in for the charge after Zarczynski will be our Women’s Class rider, Sarah Chivers, and our Junior class representative, Tom Woodhouse.
Reflecting on his team members, Zarczynski notes that; “These riders should be world championship representatives in the next five years and their best attributes will shine through as they are going to take this opportunity, grow from it and become one of our elite riders on an open level.”
Zarczynski and his team are ready to bring the fight to the 2017 defending champions as they prepare to travel across the Tasman Sea. Stay tuned to see whether they can bring the title back home to Australia!
King Michael Reigns at Gunnedah
Michael Kirkness has reigned supreme at the 2018 Australian Senior Dirt Track Championship meeting staged at the Balcary Park Raceway at Gunnedah last weekend.
The Pro Open, MX Open and Pro 450 classes were all won by Kirkness despite the presence of tough opposition headed by many former champions and ranging from young stars through to campaigners just as experienced as him.
Across the five championship classes decided by finals, the heat races did not always give much of a hint as to the outcome in the finals.
The PRO OPEN final looked to be in the hands of Kayden Downing (2,3,5 in his heats) before Kirkness (1,4,1) pounced on the final lap with top qualifier Ryan Douglas (2,2,1) completing the rostrum ahead of Luke Gough (1,4,2), the impressive American Gage McAllister (3,1,2) and Paul Caslick (6,3,4).
The final of the MX OPEN was more straight forward with an all-the-way win for Kirkness (3,7,1) ahead of top qualifier Marty McNamara (2,1,1) and Douglass (1,2,2), with McAllister (3,3,2), Gough (1,3, won repechage) and Downing (5,4,3) next.
In the PRO 450 final top qualifier Kirkness (2,1,1) firstly had a tough battle to get by McAllister (4,1,1) before he then again grabbed Downing (3,3,2) on the final lap while Mackenzie Childs (1,4,1) also passed McAllister, with McNamara (2,3,4) and Caslick (1,1,3) next home.
The PRO 250 class did get enough numbers to constitute championship status and it came down to a last round decider with Mackenzie Childs (1,3,2,1,1) outpointing Tom Herrick (2,2,1,2,3) with Michael Booth (3,4,3,3,2) stopping a clean-sweep by youngsters to take third ahead of Kye Andrews (NS,1,4,4,5), Daniel Wicks (5,7,7,6,6) and Bailey Davis (4,NS,6,5,4).
Briony Hendrickson continued her domination of the WOMENS class winning all five rounds to claim another title, this time joined on the rostrum by Amy King (2,2,2,3,2) and Brooke Goulding (3,4,3,2,3) ahead of Keegan Pickering (4,3,4,4,4), Dale Austin (5,5,5,5,5) and Elly Bullen (7,7,7,7,6).
The DIRT TRACK SIDECAR class resulted in victory for heat topscorers Darren Fien / Shaun Fien(2,1,1) ahead of Ben Raffin / Wade Robertson (1,4,1) and former champions David Grainger / Trevor Gaze(1,3,2), Darryl Woodhead / Shaun Fuller (2,2,3), Jack Weston / Matt Doyle (3,3,2) and Greg Parsonage / Tim Green (3,4,4,won repechage).
Both Hendrickson and the Fiens completed a double having also won their respective classes at last month’s Australian Track Championship.
Unbeaten top qualifier Matthew Griffiths took out the final of the ATV Open class, ahead of Robert Booth (1,1,2), Ross Rizzo (3,2,1), Jeff McKee (2,3,3), Ian Haggie (2,2,2) and Ben Cartwright (4,4,3, won repechage)
Support classes produced wins for David Grainger / Trevor Gaze in the Greg Banks Memorial for Dirt Track Sidecars, Mackenzie Childs in the Under 19s,Michael Booth in the Over 35s, Jake Whittaker in the Novice and Jeff McKee in the ATV Pro.
Keep updated with everything at the MA website, Facebook and Instagram.
Editorial by Peter Baker
Images supplied bySheree Griffin
ATV Nationals to Descend Upon the Collie Motorcycle Club
In less than 22 days Australia’s fastest ATV racers will Descend upon the Collie Motorcycle Club at Stockton Park to compete in another epic battle to see who will be crowned the 2018 ATV National Champion in their respective class.
On October 5th-7th Quad Riders Western Australia (QRWA) along with Collie Motorcycle Club will host the 2018 Australian ATV Nationals. The annual event this year will see a number of riders travel outside their comfort zone and State to compete in classes ranging from 50cc demo -250cc in the junior classes and Clubman through to Pros, Vets 35+ and Womens in Seniors. The event will cater for all skill levels and most cc capacity of sport/race quads.
This year the 1.6km sand track of Stockton Park will see reigning Open class champion Luke Gaisford take on long time rival and former Australian Champion Chris Bosnakis, while the list of talent doesnt stop there, The VanVliet brothers will be set to try and make amends for the heart ache that plagued them in Murray Bridge in 2017. Not to mention the recently returned from the U.S Cody Lincon and then the locals who have been mixing it up in the WA state series, Mortimer, Croonen, Ovens etc. the pro class racing will not dissapoint.
Current Womens ATV champion Jemma Merrylees will be looking to hold onto her title as the fastest women on four wheels, with rumours rife about the return of some very fast ladies this year, Merrylees will be looking shut the competition down and stand on top of that podium yet again.
The 250cc class will be one to watch, with what is set to be one of the biggest 250 classes seen on WA soil since 2007 it could be anyones show once the gate drops. With Jae Dowsett looking to shake his Nationals Hoodoo this year and finally stand on the top step, the likes of Burton, Mcquade, Lough, Hollins all have other ideas. This will be some fast paced action packed racing.
The action starts on Friday October 5th with sign on/ Scrutineering and riders signing session, followed on Saturday with Practice/Qualifying and racing and the action will conclude on Sunday with the final races and Presentations at the Collie Workmans Club on Sunday Evening.
With entries open until Friday 21st September, Be sure to get your entry in to be a part of the biggest ATV event on the 2018 calendar.
Click Below for Entries
https://www.facebook.com/events/1762685523844926/?ti=icl
Ferris Tries a New Strategy for Supercross
Three Australian Motocross Championships in a row proves that losing is not a concept Dean Ferris readily accepts, and he’s hoping a new strategy will pay dividends as the 2018 Australian Supercross Championships roar into action at Jimboomba on Saturday.
This year the Yamaha pilot has chosen to opt out of MXoN (Motocross of Nations) representation, to focus 100% on preparing for the specific demands of the Supercross Championship. Because although the bikes and riders may look interchangeable between the two disciplines, the reality is sharply different.
“It’s always been difficult leading up to round one each year before the MXoN,” said Ferris. “I always felt like I wasn’t giving 100% to both goals, even though in the past I’ve been riding seven days a week to be sharp for both disciplines. Their demands are so far apart it’s like it’s a different sport,” continues the 28-year-old.
“I’ve got to prepare my body differently, it’s a far different bike setup, my whole everyday preparation is different. It’s hard on the team too, and I’m thankful for the help they’ve given me over the past couple of years. People wouldn’t realise this, but CDR were sending a bike overseas for me every year, on top of the full MX practice bike, SX practice bike, SX race bike and spare race bike they were running. So, for a 6-week period each year they were keeping five, fully built, fully-specced bikes for me. That’s hard on the team as well as on me.”
Wearing the Aussie colours means as much to Ferris as it does to the next Aussie sportsman or sportswoman, so opting out of the MXoN wasn’t easy.
“A small part of me really wanted to go, but I know it was right to choose one or the other this year. I’m contracted to SX and I make my salary doing it, so this year I chose that direction.”
Ferris considers this is the most comfortable he’s felt in the lead-up to a supercross pre-season, allowing him to focus on the goal at hand.
“This year the goal is to close the gap to the U.S. guys who’ve given us an arse-whooping every year. “Justin Brayton and Dan Reardon are the main threats for the championship, having been on the podium the last two years running, but a few guys will step up. I don’t focus too much on other guys, but we’ll monitor the threats as they emerge.”
The five-round Aussie championship begins with the twin daytime rounds at Jimboomba and Coolum, then moves to Geelong, Port Adelaide and concludes at the AUS-X Open spectacular in Sydney, which features American World Supercross Champion Jason Anderson and compatriot Justin Barcia, as well as legendary Aussie rider Chad Reed.
Current SX1 number one, American Justin Brayton has won the premier class for the last two years straight, while Ferris has finished third and second in 2016 and 2017, respectively.
Naturally, we couldn’t let Australia’s dominant rider of the last three years go without asking for the latest news on his plans to ride in the US in 2019.
“I’ll be happy to tell it all when there’s something to tell,” he said. “There is nothing finalised yet, but I’ve got an agent on the ground over there working for me, and we’ll be leaving next year some time. That’s all there is to tell right now.”
Australian Supercross Championship rounds 2018:
- Jimboomba, September 15
- Coolum, October 6
- Geelong, October 13
- Port Adelaide, October 20
- Sydney, November 10
For more information and to buy your tickets click here
Editorial by John Pinnell
Photos supplied by MX Nationals