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Moto News Weekly Wrap
January 23, 2024

What’s New:

• 2024 Somersby Super TT set for February 24-25
• Major changes to FIM TrialGP regs
• Jed Beaton to replace Purvis at Altherm JCR Yamaha
• Darrin Treloar & Blake Cox win 2024 Warren Monson Memorial
• Yamaha Racing commit to massive AORC support
• 2024 Australian ProMX Championship partners & sponsors revealed
• 2024 FIM Baja World Cup calendar
• Debut MXGP of Galicia in Lugo confirmed for 2024
• 2024 Arenacross Rounds 3 & 4 Belfast Double-Header
• 2024 AMA Supercross Round Three – San Diego Rider Quotes
• 2024 FIM SuperEnduro World Championship Round Four – Romania
• 2024 Dakar Rally Recap
• 2024 Racing Calendars

2024 Somersby Super TT set for February 24-25

Entries for the first dirt track meeting of the season in New South Wales are now open – and it will be something different to fire up the riders and the fans.

The weekend of February 24 and 25 will see the Central Coast Junior Motor Cycle Club staging the 2024 Somersby Super TT meeting at their Somersby track.

There are classes for Pro 250s and Pro 450s, Over 35s and Women as well as junior classes, with the best performers in the Pro 450 class on the Saturday having an added incentive to race for.

On Sunday the club is planning a feature event that will bring together competitors from different disciplines of the sport.

The top duo from the Pro 450 class will take on duos from road racing, motocross, enduro and speedway.

Supp. Regs are out for the meeting and entries for the meeting close on February 16. For more information riders can contact Club President David Smith on 0412 506503 or Race Secretary Lyndel Butler on 0411 194315.

Major changes to FIM TrialGP regs

In a major change to FIM TrialGP regulations, from 2024 onwards riders will be allowed to stop and move backwards in sections with a clearly defined time limit.

TrialGP has changed considerably over the recent years and this forward-thinking approach is viewed as part of the natural evolution of Trial.

This new ruling brings TrialGP into line with the FIM X-Trial World Championship which evolves into a more demanding riding level for riders and gives them the opportunity to demonstrate their skills.

This change in rules will ease the conditions for Section Observers in their judgements, with the full and continued support of the FIM.

Thierry Michaud – FIM Trial Commission Director

“Global conditions have changed considerably and the FIM’s approach is different from that of the previous decade. During the previous seasons, the FIM carried out numerous expert appraisals and consultations with a view to improving these conditions and considering solutions for modernising the discipline. A majority of manufacturers and a number of riders expressed their desire for the greatest possible ‘freedom’ in expressing their enormous technical abilities in the sections with the main aim of putting on a show. To this end, the FIM has decided that its TrialGP organisations will focus primarily on visibility and the quality of the show put on. Other measures such as the acceleration of the race pace, the separation of certain classes and other decisions to come – leading to greater dynamism of the Events – will go in this direction.”

Regulations for the 2024 FIM Trial World Championship will be published in the coming days.

Jed Beaton to replace Purvis at Altherm JCR Yamaha

The Altherm JCR Yamaha team will feature Australian import Jed Beaton in the MX1 class this motocross season. Beaton rides for CDR Yamaha Monster Energy Team in Australia and will be replacing current MX1 Champion, Altherm JCR Yamaha’s Maximus Purvis, who is recovering from knee surgery.

Aged 25, Beaton will begin his stint with Altherm JCR Yamaha at the Woodville GP (January 28), and stay on for the Yamaha Motor New Zealand Motocross Championships’ first round (February 3). Then he will fly back and forth across The Ditch for the remaining rounds.

Beaton’s teammate is Oparau’s James Scott (#108), who is in his second season with Altherm JCR Yamaha and has been working hard to prepare for the MX2 championship. He started out with the team in 2022 when Brodie Connolly left to pursue his international aspirations.

PWR Yamaha rider Tommy Watts had previously switched over to the motocross team from his cross country background, but he also picked up a knee injury while training and is in recovery mode.

Altherm JCR Yamaha’s female motocross rider Amie Roberts is out too, with the same knee injury as Watts.

Purvis is well on the way to recovery and is expected to be back riding in autumn, with Watts and Roberts returning to training by late winter.

Team Manager Josh Coppins

“That is part of the sport and we need to do the best that we can in terms of our riders’ recovery. We have managed that process and we are thankful for the relationship with CDR Yamaha Monster Energy Team and Yamaha Motor Australia, as they’ve done a co-lab deal with Yamaha Motor New Zealand and Altherm JCR Yamaha, so we are able to make use of Jed as a replacement rider. We had to look internationally for cover over this current season and we are grateful that our Yamaha counterparts could help. We last had an Australian rider come over in 2020 when Kirk Gibbs rode for us and won the MX1 Championship for our Altherm JCR team.

“Jed comes from the MXGP circuit and has great credentials. He has raced in New Zealand before and knows half the tracks he’s going to be competing on. Having only just started with CDR, he is excited to get going with Yamaha. We are hoping to help progress him into the Yamaha family and improve his skills, so he is up and running for when the Australian Motocross Championship starts in mid-March. We can’t thank CDR enough for helping us out in these difficult times. Having Jed means we have a strong contender for the MX1 title this summer.

“We are looking forward to a full season with James this summer. He’s had a great lead in to the season with MX2 class wins at MX Fest and more recently at Summercross. Although it’s a slightly reduced team because we also let our junior rider Cole Davies out of his contract to head off to overseas duties, we are looking forward to strong performances over summer. Both guys are ready to go and we’ve put in a lot of effort in terms of the bikes and the team structure. Altherm JCR Yamaha has provided the best programme for these guys to do the best job they can to retain some championships.”

2024 NZMX Nationals Calendar

• 27th & 28th January 2024 – Woodville GP (Woodville)
• February 3, 2024 – Round 1 NZMX Nationals (Rotorua)
• February 25, 2024 – Round 2 NZMX Nationals (Balclutha)
• March 23, 2024 – Round 3 NZMX Nationals (Pukekohe)
• April 13, 2024 – Round 4 NZMX Nationals (Taranaki)

Darrin Treloar & Blake Cox win 2024 Warren Monson Memorial

Darrin Treloar and Blake Cox have won the 2024 Warren Monson Memorial event, heading off Brodie Cohen/Jesse Headland and Mick Headland/Brenton Kerr for the win, with Mark Plasited/Ben Pitt fourth.

Yamaha Racing commit to massive AORC support

The 2024 Australian Off-Road Championships (AORC) will again see a massive Yamaha presence, with Yamaha Motor Australia continuing its long and successful naming rights of the championship as well as supporting a host of riders and teams for the 2024 season.

Spearing Yamaha’s presence at the AORC will be the ShopYamaha off Road Team of Kyron Bacon and Wil Dennett. The two young guns of Australian enduro racing will be out to make their presence felt with Bacon contesting the E1 division (250cc) while Dennett steps up to handle the E2 duties (450cc).

Jess Gardiner and her team are back for another season and looking to keep the momentum going from a successful 2024 season that saw her and Danielle McDonald win their respective championships as well as finish on the podium in the worlds team championships (ISDE) in Argentina.

Continuing with a three-rider outfit that will now see McDonald join Gardiner in the senior women’s class after dominating the junior girls while Jeremy Carpentier will fly the flag in the E2 class on the WR450F.

A new layer of support was introduced by Yamaha for the 2023 and the success was instant. The three-rider team of Cooper Sheidow, Wil Dennett and Jett Yarnold finished the year with two AORC championships and a third place in an outstanding debut. The support given to Wil Dennett enabled him to move up to the ShopYamaha team while Sheidow and Yarnold return for another season with Yamaha bLU cRU Support.

Yamaha Junior Racing made the move into off road racing in 2023 with the two-rider line up of Marcus Nowland and Harley Hutton. Both return for 2024 with YJR support and will continue to fly the flag at AORC events.

The 2024 AORC gets under way in March and will run 12 rounds ending in September.

2024 Australian ProMX Championship partners & sponsors revealed

Iconic Australian manufacturer Penrite Oil has renewed its significant commitment to the ProMX Championship, and in 2024 will continue as naming rights partner for a fourth successive year.

Jarrod Harding – Penrite Oil

“We are proud to continue our partnership with ProMX. We believe the partnership demonstrates our ongoing commitment to the Australian motocross community and supporting the growth of the sport. Penrite has a long and proud history supporting Australian motocross, and this ongoing partnership is a further significant investment into the sport for our Australian family-owned company.”

In a massive show of ongoing support for Australia’s premier motocross series, motorcycle accessory giant AMX Superstores has also recommitted to the ProMX Championship until the end of 2025. AMX Superstores will not only remain as a ‘presented by’ partner for ProMX over the next two seasons, but the retailer will also continue to sponsor the cut-throat MX1 Superpole session – the frenetic battle for final gate positions between Australia’s best riders.

The 2024 Penrite ProMX Championship presented by AMX Superstores will begin in Wonthaggi (Vic) on Sunday, March 17. AMX Superstores currently has 31 stores across Vic, NSW, Qld, SA and the ACT, as well as a massive online presence.

Australian-owned gas strut brand EZILIFT will continue its partnership with the women’s (MXW) class in 2024. The collaboration, now extending into a third successive season, will see the EZILIFT MXW class compete at four 2024 ProMX Championship rounds.

Starting with the season opener in Wonthaggi (Vic) on March 17, the MXW riders will also contest the Murray Bridge (June 23), Toowoomba (July 21) and Queensland Moto Park (August 17-18) events, led by defending champion Charli Cannon as she looks to make it a championship three-peat after a huge off-season defection to Honda.

EZILIFT is distributed in Australia by Brandlines as part of its portfolio of automotive parts and accessories.

Mark Luksich – Brandlines Owner

“We are delighted to continue our association with the ProMX MXW class in 2024 under EZILIFT Gas Lift Supports and look forward to continuing to support the growth of women in motocross under this very successful championship.”

The ProMX also welcomes a new class sponsor in 2024 – Fox Racing. The company, a global leader in lifestyle products as well as motocross and mountain bike apparel, safety and protective gear, and will partner with the MX85 Cup in 2024.

The MX85 Cup was introduced in 2023 to serve as a Team Australia qualification process for the FIM Junior Motocross World Championship, replicating the same structure and format riders will encounter at the internatonal showpiece.

The 2024 Fox Racing MX85 Cup will be open to all riders in the 12-U16 age bracket (two-stroke 85cc Big Wheel), while those who meet the FIM age requirements (currently 12-14 years) will also be eligible for Team Australia selection in the 2024 FIM Junior Motocross World Championship.

Mitchell Caton – Fox Racing Australia

“Fox Racing Australia is thrilled to embark on an exhilarating journey as we proudly support the MX85 class in ProMX for 2024. Our commitment to supporting the next generation of motocross talent reflects our passion for pushing boundaries and fostering the growth of the sport. Get ready for an electrifying season as we gear up to fuel the dreams and ambitions of young riders in the MX85 Cup – it’s a journey of excitement, determination and pure adrenaline on the Australian motocross scene!”

2024 FIM Baja World Cup calendar

The calendar for the 2024 FIM Baja World Cup has been released, this consists of eight rounds across seven different countries over an eleven month period. The series gets under way with the Saudi Baja that runs from 8-10 February followed by two events in Spain – the Baja TT Dehesa Extremadura from 2-4 May and the Baja Aragon from 26-28 July.

Competition then switches to Central Europe with the Baja Hungary on 8-11 August before, following a summer break, returning to the Gulf States with the Baja Qatar that will be staged from 31 October to 2 November.

Round six will be the Baja TT do Oeste in Portugal from 8-10 November before the series concludes with a double date in the Middle East, starting with the Dubai International Baja on 15-17 November and then signing off with the Jordan Baja on 28-30 November.

The 2024 series will include a new Trail category, which is open to 600 cc road registered motorcycles with two or more cylinders weighing no a maximum of 165 kg and limited to a top speed of 130 km/h.

2024 FIM Baja World Cup calendar

Debut MXGP of Galicia in Lugo confirmed for 2024

Scheduled for the 11th and 12th of May, the MXGP of Galicia in Lugo will host its first-ever MXGP Grand Prix held at the spectacular Jorge Prado Municipal Circuit. The birthplace of current MXGP World Champion Jorge Prado will welcome the best riders in the world.

In addition to featuring the MXGP and MX2 classes, the event will showcase the FIM Women’s Motocross World Championship and the EMX125 presented by FMF Racing.

This event will also be the second Grand Prix in Spain in 2024 and as a result of this exciting addition, the MXGP of Spain at intu Xanadú – Arroyomolinos has been moved to the 23rd and 24th of March. The MXGP of Spain will keep the same supporting classes, the WMX and the EMX250.

2024 MXGP Calendar (Provisional)

2024 Arenacross Rounds 3 & 4 Belfast Double-Header

Crendon Tru7 Honda Racing’s Conrad Mewse scored a blisteringly fast win in the Traxxas Pro Main Event win at Belfast’s packed-out SSE Arena for Round Three of the 2024 British Arenacross Championship presented by Fix Auto UK.

In typical AX fashion, the intensely close Main Event podium was rounded out by Dylan Woodcock and Justin Bogle

This was followed up at Round Four, where FUS Marsh Geartec’s Harri Kullas scored an epic win in the Traxxas Pro Main Event, once again at Belfast’s packed-out SSE Arena. The Main Event podium rounded out by Jack Brunell, and teammate Eddie Wade finishing in third spot. Conrad Mewse sustaining a freak injury during qualifying and unable to compete.

Arenacross Standings after Round Four

2024 AMA Supercross Round Three – San Diego Rider Quotes

Even before race day got underway there had been a huge scare for Jett Lawrence. The young Australian came up short on a jump during media day, casing out hard, and was ejected from his CRF450R. He instantly grabbed at his wrist and hand, making many fear that he would not make race day due to a broken wrist or hand. It turned out that Jett was lucky to get away with some painful thumb injuries, it could have been so much worse.

For the second week running, rain had caused organisers and track maintainers plenty of problems.  They managed to scrape away most of the mud ahead of the Heat races and while the surface was far from perfect, it was certainly a lot better than riders fought through last week in San Francisco. However, as soon as the Heats got underway the track was getting chopped up badly and was getting more treacherous with every lap, before ultimately settling down again later in the night.

250 Main

RJ Hampshire took the holeshot and the early lead ahead of Levi Kitchen and Jordon Smith.  Mitch Oldenburg and Jordon Smith battled over that third place over the course of the opening lap. Jo Shimoda was down in tenth after getting sideways off the line. Nicoletti had some work to do after a fall early on lap one.

Levi Kitchen managed to reel in RJ Hampshire and challenged for the lead over the second and third laps before going down and losing a number of positions before he was back up and running again. Marchbanks inherited that second place while Nate Thrasher was promoted to third, Jordon Smith fourth and Jo Shimoda was now up to fifth.

Garrett Marchbanks was the next rider to reel in and challenge RJ Hampshire. Marchbanks took the lead as the race passed the halfway mark and Hampshire now had his hands full with Nate Thrasher.

Thrasher got the better of Hampshire and then reeled in Marchbanks through lapped traffic and mounted his challenge for the win. Thrasher successfully dispensed with Marchbanks and then proceeded to pull away. It was far from over though!

Marchbanks and Hampshire both came back at Thrasher on the final lap and it was a close affair but Hampshire went down and was relegated down to sixth place by the time he got up and running again.

Nate Thrasher the victor over Marchbanks while Jordon Smith was promoted to the podium after Hampshire’s mistake.

Jo Shimoda fourth ahead of Levi Kitchen and RJ Hampshire while Mitch Oldenburg claimed seventh ahead of Ryder DiFrancesco.  Shimoda claimed the fastest lap of the race on the penultimate lap.

With that third place Jordon Smith actually extended his championship lead, his buffer over Levi Kitchen now eight-points.

Nate Thrasher – P1

“The day started out well, but it was another tough night for me. It was pretty tough conditions out there, and we struggled a bit. I had to go through the LCQ, which we won, but unfortunately, it was another tough main event with a couple of tip-overs in the mud. We’ll keep fighting, go back to work, and come back stronger in San Diego.”

Jordon Smith – P3

“It feels incredible to get this win. I’m going to soak this in for a couple of days, for sure. I felt like I was all alone out there for a little while. I came through the second or third lap, and I couldn’t really see anyone behind me. Then the halfway flag came out, and I was like, ‘Man, I’ve got to do that again?’ It was a shortened race, but it felt longer. I was so pumped to get the win. Especially with it being a mudder, and with the situation that I feel like I’m in this year – being a title guy and needing to put myself in that position every week. So I think to be able to pull it off tonight and to make it work when I’m not the best in the mud, not as confident in the mud, was huge.”

Jo Shimoda – P4

“I thought I was riding well all day despite the back end sliding a lot in the main event. That was disappointing, but my riding was good. I nearly made the podium, which is an improvement on last weekend. The pace and the riding have been good, and I still believe I can do it. I just want a normal weekend.”

Levi Kitchen – P5

“I hate it for the team to have gone down like that because they worked so hard to get me a great bike for the conditions today,” said Kitchen. “I really was trying to take my time but also try different lines and it bit me. I know we were better than a fifth, but I’m feeling really good and can’t wait to see what we can do in dry conditions next weekend.”

RJ Hampshire – P6

“Just another mudder here in SD and another tough night,” recalled Hampshire. “I got off to an awesome start and then led a lot of laps in the Main, but threw away a podium with two corners to go. Super-frustrating, but nothing I can do about it now. Time to go home, regroup, and we need a win next week in Anaheim.”

Ryder DiFrancesco – P8

“Good weekend overall! I need to fix little mistakes that are keeping me from being upfront, but lots of positives to take away as we head into Anaheim again next weekend.”

250 Main Results

1. Nate Thrasher Yamaha YZ250F
2. Garrett Marchbanks Yamaha YZ250F +01.203
3. Jordon Smith Yamaha YZ250F +05.141
4. Jo Shimoda Honda CRF250R +05.572
5. Levi Kitchen Kawasaki KX250 +06.390
6. RJ Hampshire Husqvarna FC 250 +10.486
7. Mitchell Oldenburg Honda CRF250R +38.741
8. Ryder DiFrancesco GASGAS MC 250F +51.399
9. Hunter Yoder Kawasaki KX250 +1 lap 1:04.369
10. Anthony Bourdon Suzuki RM-Z250 +1 lap +11.599

250 West Championship Points

1. Jordon Smith 67
2. Levi Kitchen 59
3. Garrett Marchbanks 57
4. RJ Hampshire 54
5. Mitch Oldenburg 41
6. Anthony Bourdon 39
7. Jo Shimoda 36
8. Carson Mumford 36
9. Hunter Yoder 36
10. Julien Beaumer 33

450 Main

The drizzle started falling again as riders gathered at the gates in preparation for the 450 Main.

Justin Cooper and Ken Roczen got the best runs through the opening turn but it was Roczen that pulled away to an early lead. Justin Barcia moved up to second, Aaron Plessinger third, Justin Cooper fourth, and Cooper Webb fifth.

Hunter and Jett Lawrence both fared poorly off the start, down in 13th and 14th positions, the brothers 15-seconds behind leader Roczen by the end of the first lap.

Chase Sexton and Malcolm Stewart tangled and went down early on the opening lap.  Eli Tomac also an early faller and down in 20th place after three laps.

Barcia managed to get within striking distance of Roczen but couldn’t make a pass on the German.

Aaron Plessinger then came to the fore, dispensing Barcia to move up to second place before setting his sights on race leader Ken Roczen.

Ken Roczen was having to deal with lapped riders only six-minutes into the race and that allowed Plessinger to close in.

Roczen then went down and lost a lot of ground as he kicked the Suzuki back into life, by the time he was back up and running he had been demoted to seventh place, sandwiched between Jett and Hunter Lawrence.

With 12-minutes left on the shot clock Plessinger led Barcia by five-seconds. Cooper Webb a further two-seconds behind in third, but with more than eight-seconds on fourth placed Jason Anderson.

Chase Sexton was now just inside the top ten as he fought his way back from that early fall.

Ken Roczen headed into the mechanic service area to get something fixed up on the Suzuki and was way back in 18th place by the time he was back on track.

At the halfway point of the race Plessinger led Webb by six-seconds while Barcia was a further four-seconds back in third. Jason Anderson fourth and then it was four Hondas, Dylan Ferrandis fifth ahead of Jett Lawrence, Hunter Lawrence and Dean Wilson. Chase Sexton ninth, Eli Tomac tenth and Jorge Prado 11th. Tomac may have been tenth but he got lapped shortly after half-race distance.

Cooper Webb then reeled in Aaron Plessinger over the next few laps and was shaping up to make a challenge for the lead with just over five-minutes left on the shot clock, only for a small mistake to delay that challenge.

Barcia was third while Jett Lawrence was looking for a way past Jason Anderson to take fourth place but the Kawasaki man was not making it easy for the young Australian.

It took Jett a couple of his laps as he waited for a safe move on Anderson but he took that fourth place with two-minutes left on the shot clock. A podium was still a distant target though as third-placed Barcia had 13-seconds on Jett.

Up front Cooper Webb was coming back at Aaron Plessinger and setting himself up to make a late charge. However, Webb tangled with the lapped Chase Sexton, which cost Webb a lot of time and gave Plessinger five-seconds of breathing space with two laps to run.

Plessinger does it, the KTM rider kept it together to the flag to claim a great victory over Cooper Webb, despite the Yamaha man recording the fastest lap of the race.

Justin Barcia rounded out the podium, more than 20-seconds behind Plessinger, but a great result considering the GASGAS rider is still not 100 per cent after getting crook a couple of weeks ago.

Jett Lawrence came through to fourth after being dead last early on in the race. After the finish, Jett and Jason Anderson had some stern words, presumably over how Anderson had sent Jett wide a few times, cross-jumped in front of him and also brake-checked him as the young Aussie looked for a way past.

Jett instigated the conversation, which got a bit heated with both of them firing right up, Anderson grabbing Jett’s helmet at the chin-piece and pulling it hard. Anderson’s fastest lap of the race was a 58.993 while Jett’s was a 57.668.  Nevertheless, Jett later apologised to Anderson for letting his frustration get the better of him and starting the altercation. Jett also offered to pay any fine Anderson is penalised with for pulling as he did Jett’s chin-piece.

Jason Anderson was fifth, Dylan Ferrandis sixth and Hunter Lawrence seventh.

Chase Sexton a lap down in eighth ahead of Eli Tomac while Dean Wilson rounded out the top ten ahead of Jorge Prado, Ken Roczen and Adam Cianciarulo.

With that victory Aaron Plessinger moves into the championship lead ahead of team-mate Chase Sexton by a single point, and it is a Red Bull KTM 1-2 at the top of the table. That was also Plessinger’s maiden 450 Main victory.

Jett Lawrence may have missed the podium but he set the second-fastest lap of the race and is now only four-points off the championship lead.

Aaron Plessinger – P1

“Man, San Diego! It was a really good race, managed to get into the lead around the midway point, and just rode clean laps, stayed up, and got the win! On top of that, we take the red plate and points lead into the next round, which is huge for me. We had a great off-season… The team and I worked super-hard and to start the season with 4-5-1 results is my best start ever! The fans were crazy sticking it out here in the rain, so I’m stoked to be able to deliver a result to them, and ready to do it again next weekend.”

Cooper Webb – P2

“It was a pretty tough day in San Francisco. The conditions were definitely difficult. Qualifying went pretty well. I ended up in the top five and then finished second in the heat race, which was great. In the main event, I didn’t get the start we needed to get, and I rode around with the guys and just got passed. I had a little bit of goggle issues, but overall, it was a tough night in really tough conditions. It was not the result we were looking for, but we will come back swinging at San Diego and hopefully get some dry conditions to show them what we’ve got.”

Justin Barcia – 3

“San Diego was a crazy day! We only had two practices, as the weather came in, so I qualified decent, but not where I wanted to be. Although, I kept a cool head and got through the Heat Race with a solid result. Main Event, I knew it was going to be gnarly – the track broke down a lot! I got off to an okay start, found second behind Aaron [Plessinger], and then missed the triple one lap, which let Cooper [Webb] get by me. Came in with a lonely third place, but super-stoked after last week and knowing that my health is nearly back to 100 percent.”

Jett Lawrence – P4

“Coming into the day was a bit of a rough one with my hand and I was a little bummed with fourth, but what we had going today was definitely good. I feel good, and I’m excited to have a dry race again so I can show my actual speed.”

Jason Anderson – P5

“I am pretty happy with my results this weekend considering the conditions. The track was awesome during practice and I felt great, and even when it started raining for qualifying I still felt comfortable on my KX450SR. The heat race went okay, and the main event I was really pumped about my performance in the mud compared to last week. Obviously weather conditions like this aren’t ideal, but I’m happy that we are learning how to maintain a solid place in these situations. Time to get ready to go back to Anaheim.”

Hunter Lawrence – P7

“We had a good learning curve. Unfortunately, our result didn’t really reflect the riding in the main event—I feel like we rode very well. A lot of positives and an improvement on last weekend, so we just have to keep on building. Our time is coming.”

Chase Sexton – P8

“Round three was another mud race and hopefully the last one of the year! For me, it just wasn’t a great night from the get-go, I struggled in the Heat Race, and then in the Main I actually felt like I was riding pretty good, although just was a long ways back. I did the best damage control that I could do and that got me eighth place. We’ll go back to work this week and come out swinging for A2.”

Eli Tomac – P9

“We got off to a great start last night and almost had the holeshot. The conditions were so treacherous; honestly it was one of the toughest mud races I’ve raced. Some of the ruts were so deep you could completely get stuck if you took the wrong lines! I’m grateful for our crew. They had their work cut out for them the whole day and kept the bike running in top shape.”

Jorge Prado – P11

“Today was another good experience. It was again not too easy after getting a bad start in the Main Event… I think the jump out of the gate was okay, but I got a lot of wheel spin, which sent me backward and meant I was one of the last to the first corner. My opening laps weren’t great, and then I got confused with the blue flags and let the riders who I was battling with by me, which was a pity. It is what it is, I can improve with my opening lap intensity, but I’m excited for three Main Events next weekend in the Triple Crown at A2 as I would like to at least be able to make one holeshot and enjoy that format of racing!”

Adam Cianciarulo – P13

“I felt really good and comfortable during practice and very happy with the changes we made on the KX450SR from last week. Then the rain came and I began to struggle. The heat race I fell over a few times. Obviously going to the LCQ is not something I’m proud of, but I was stoked to get some more track time and figure it out before the main. I tried my best to get through the pack, and I feel like I learned a lot and am ready to move forward the rest of the season.”

Justin Cooper – P14

“I really struggled with the tough conditions all day and night. With crashes in both qualifying races, it made it even tougher on me, and I wasn’t able to find a flow. It’s the first main I’ve missed in my career, so it’s a tough pill to swallow, but we will just have to put it behind us and build off how we rode at A1.”

450 Main Results

1. Aaron Plessinger KTM 450 SX-F FE
2. Cooper Webb Yamaha YZ450F +02.188
3. Justin Barcia GASGAS MC 450F +22.099
4. Jett Lawrence Honda CRF450R +37.164
5. Jason Anderson Kawasaki KX450SR +42.230
6. Dylan Ferrandis Honda CRF450R +44.447
7. Hunter Lawrence Honda CRF450R +52.323
8. Chase Sexton KTM 450 SX-F FE +1 lap 58.409
9. Eli Tomac Yamaha YZ450F +1 lap +04.517
10. Dean Wilson Honda CRF450R +1 lap +21.237

450 Championship Points

1. Aaron Plessinger 60
2. Chase Sexton 59
3. Jett Lawrence 56
4. Jason Anderson 49
5. Cooper Webb 49
6. Dylan Ferrandis 49
7. Eli Tomac 48
8. Ken Roczen 42
9. Justin Barcia 40
10. Jorge Prado 35
11. Adam Cianciarulo 33
12. Shane McElrath 29
13. Hunter Lawrence 27
14. Dean Wilson 24

2024 FIM SuperEnduro World Championship Round Four – Romania

The Romanian GP, held in the atmospheric BTArena, is sure to be a memorable one for years to come as the tight track brought drama on almost every corner.

It has been a few seasons since a rider has been capable of defeating the mighty pairing of Billy Bolt and Jonny Walker when it comes to the Akrapovic Superpole, but on Saturday night in Cluj it was Sweden’s Eddie Karlsson with the fastest time and the top grid pick. This great result paid off as Karlsson also claimed the Airoh Holeshot prize and finished fifth overall in the GP: his best result of the year.

Prestige Race One

During the fourth lap of the race, Billy Bolt(GBR-Husqvarna) made a small mistake which jolted his already injured left leg. The Husky rider felt extreme stiffness and pain on every obstacle to follow, and he could do nothing to fight back against a charging Jonny Walker (GBR-Beta) who quickly took control and looked strong around the compact layout.

Despite his intense suffering, Bolt managed to stay in second place on the FE 350, despite numerous falls on the now infamous corner named the “Devil’s Hand”. Bolt managed to cross the finish line ahead of Manuel Lettenbichler (GER-KTM) who made a crazy comeback after falling at the start of the race.

Jonny Walker won the race and laid down the gauntlet for his rivals.

Prestige Race One Results

1. Jonny Walker (GBR), Beta, 11 laps, 7:07.645
2. Billy Bolt (GBR), Husqvarna, 11 laps, 7:21.009
3. Manuel Lettenbichler (GER), KTM, 11 laps, 7:23.827
4. Will Hoare (GBR), Rieju, 11 laps, 7:32.146
5. Dominik Olszowy (POL), Rieju, 11 laps, 7:35.262

Prestige Race Two

In the second race with its traditional reversed grid, Walker found himself on the front row due to his unfortunate crash in the Akrapovic Superpole. The Beta rider stood a good chance of another race win, but starting from the outside he found himself caught up in the messy early corners.

Mitch Brightmore (GBR-GASGAS) was the pack leader, but he was soon followed by Bolt, while Walker was sitting in third place. It was all change when Bolt was victim to another fall, dropping all the way down to fifth, while Walker managed to overtake Brightmore for first place.

All onlookers assumed that Bolt, with his injured leg and now trailing behind, would not be able to overcome this handicap. However, there is simply no keeping him down and the triple world champion patiently picked off his opponents one by one.

With his rival closing in Walker dropped his bike just one lap from the finish, and Bolt immediately swept through to take control of the race and see the chequered flag first. He won ahead of Walker while Dominik Olszowy (POL-Rieju) showed great form to take third.

Prestige Race Two Results

1. Billy Bolt (GBR), Husqvarna, 11 laps, 7:07.496
2. Jonny Walker (GBR), Beta, 11 laps, 7:10.431
3. Dominik Olszowy (POL), Rieju, 11 laps, 7:31.001
4. Mitchell Brightmore (GBR), GasGas, 11 laps, 7:48.825
5. Manuel Lettenbichler (GER), KTM, 10 laps, 7:14.947

Prestige Race Three

Before the last race, the two Englishmen were tied (37 points each), meaning it was all to play for in the finale under the lights in Cluj.

Eddie Karlsson once again rushed to an early Airoh Holeshot, while Bolt, Walker and Lettenbichler slotted in behind and became engaged in a superb battle.

With everyone wondering about the physical condition of the Husqvarna rider after such an intense night, the crowd roared when he once again conquered and shot into the lead.

Bolt went on to dominate the last race of the night to take his fourth overall victory from four rounds.  Jonny Walker forced once again bow to his compatriot.

Lettenbichler took his second podium in two races on the two-stroke 300 EXC, proving his quick adaptation to SuperEnduro.

Behind this incredible trio were Olszowy, Karlsson, Mitch Brightmore and Rieju’s new signing, Will Hoare (GBR).

Prestige Race Three Results

1. Billy Bolt (GBR), Husqvarna, 11 laps, 6:45.093
2. Jonny Walker (GBR), Beta, 11 laps, 7:06.612
3. Manuel Lettenbichler (GER), KTM, 11 laps, 7:13.515
4. Eddie Karlsson (SWE), Husqvarna, 11 laps, 7:31.751
5. Dominik Olszowy (POL), Rieju, 10 laps, 6:46.767

2024 FIM SuperEnduro World Championship
Round  Four – Romania

Thanks to his fourth consecutive overall victory in the 2024 FIM SuperEnduro World Championship, the Husqvarna Factory Racing rider now heads to round five in Budapest, Hungary on February 3rd with a 19-point lead. Will Hoare has been bumped down to 4th overall, as Lettenbichler moved ahead of him by 7 points.

Billy Bolt

“What can I say? I struggled a lot in the first race, on one lap I changed up a gear over the finish line and something really didn’t feel good in my leg. It kind of locked up. Then in the last race the injury didn’t feel too bad and I was able to hang in behind Jonny, I always try and stick behind him and wear him down. It hasn’t been easy with the pain, but I had message from one of my best friends that said ‘You don’t stop when it hurts, you stop when it’s over’ – that really helped me get through tonight. I’m really happy to extend my lead going into Hungary, but I need to do better in Superpole next time because I’m annoyed that I missed the extra points tonight.”

Jonny Walker

“The track was tight and technical tonight and after I messed up the Superpole I was determined to try and get good starts and give Billy a fight. In the first race I was in a good spot and I managed to win, I felt happy with that but I knew I’d be on the ‘wrong’ side of the gate for the reverse grid race and it wasn’t easy. Billy is a machine, and he got the better of me in the end. A difficult night for all of us physically with this layout, but I feel like I’m improving with each round.”

Manuel Lettenbichler

“I’m definitely making improvements and finding more pace at every round. The top two guys are still a little way ahead in terms of speed, but I’m happy with how I rode today. I’m really trying to get that gap down though and in fact, on the first race, I was able to hang on for quite a lot of the moto. The races are just so intense, so physically demanding, but I’m learning and hopefully I can carry the speed and what I’ve learned here in Romania on to Budapest.”

Prestige Overall Round

1. Billy Bolt (GBR), Husqvarna, 57 points
2. Jonny Walker (GBR), Beta, 54 pts
3. Manuel Lettenbichler (GER), KTM, 43 pts
4. Dominik Olszowy (POL), Rieju, 37 pts
5. Eddie Karlsson (SWE), Husqvarna, 31 pts

2024 FIM SuperEnduro World Championship Points
(After Round Four)

1. Billy Bolt (GBR), Husqvarna, 239 points
2. Jonny Walker (GBR), Beta, 220 pts
3. Manuel Lettenbichler (GER), KTM, 153 pts
4. Will Hoare (GBR), Rieju, 146 pts
5. Dominik Olszowy (POL), Rieju, 132 pts

The MotoZ FIM SuperEnduro World Championship now begins its second part of the season with the Hungarian GP next up on February 3rd in Budapest.

2024 Dakar Rally Recap

DAY 1: Prologue – January 5, 2024
Route: AlUla > AlUla – Liaison 130km and Special 27km

Fighting back from a big recent injury, Australian Daniel Sanders piloted his Red Bull GasGas Factory Racing bike to a prologue second just 12 seconds behind Spaniard Tosha Schareina with Luciano Benavides, teammate Sam Sunderland, Toby Price and Kevin Benavides all inside the top 10. Sanders, who finished fourth overall as a rookie back in 2021, declared: “It was rough with so much traffic in front. I tried to follow the roadbook and just made one mistake near the finish.”

DAY 2: Stage 1 – January 6, 2024
Route: AlUla > Al Henakiyah – Liaison 127km and Special 414km

Opening the stage for the entire Dakar convoy was the Bike class and various riders described the rock-riddled special as the toughest opening bike stage that the rally has ever seen. Defending Dakar champion Kevin Benavides kept the early leaders in sight, which was a remarkable achievement considering he’s recovering from a broken tibia sustained just a month ago.

Also keeping their heads down and getting through the stage as best they could were the Red Bull GasGas Factory Racing pair of Daniel Sanders and Sam Sunderland, who both remain within striking distance of the overall podium, while Husqvarna’s Luciano Benavides and two-time Dakar winner Toby Price will be well placed to attack tomorrow after they finished just outside the Top 10. “It was incredible how many kilometres we did over the stones, the riding was really technical, slow and in places almost impossible,” said the younger Benavides brother.

DAY 3: Stage 2 – January 7, 2024
Route: Al Henakiyah > Al Duwadimi – Liaison 192km and Special 463km

In the Bike class, Luciano Benavides showed the speed that saw him crowned the FIM World Rally-Raid Championship winner in 2023. The Argentinian rode his Husqvarna to second place on the stage to break into the top five overall, just two seconds ahead of Red Bull GasGas Factory Racing’s Daniel Sanders. The Australian leads his team-mate Sam Sunderland by less than a minute, while a further 1m 20s behind Sunderland is Red Bull KTM Factory Racing rider Toby Price.

DAY 4: Stage 3 – January 8, 2024
Route: Al Duwadimi > Al Salamiya – Liaison 295km and Special 438km

Argentine Kevin Benavides was the class act on two wheels as the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing rider finished one minute and 11 seconds ahead of American Ricky Brabec as teammate Toby Price edged a top-10 finish in ninth. Benavides now climbs above the Australian into sixth overall with Daniel Sanders eighth and Luciano Benavides ninth as Sam Sunderland suffered from mechanical problems. Defending champion Kevin, who broke a bone in his leg training just one month ago, said: “I started very focused on my navigation. It was a long stage and I worked hard all day.”

DAY 5: Stage 4 – January 9, 2024
Route: Al Salamiya > Al-Hofuf – Liaison 332km and Special 299km

Birthday boy Kevin Benavides put together an impressive performance for the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing team as he piloted his bike to third place on Tuesday, so he could blow out the candles on his 35th birthday cake placed fourth overall – 20 minutes and 39 seconds behind Chilean leader Jose Ignacio Cornejo. The Argentine said: “The stage was really fast with lots of navigation, so I was really focused on my roadbook. At the refuelling, I saw I had a big cut in my rear tyre, so that was a little bit scary. I took care of the problem and finally arrived at the finish.”

Kevin’s brother Luciano lies sixth overall, 31 minutes 11 seconds back, after he finished sixth as he looks to build on his three stage wins from last year’s race, however, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing rider Toby Price and Red Bull GasGas Factory Racing’s Daniel Sanders will be looking for a change in fortune tomorrow. Sanders, 29, said: “We struggled a lot with the navigation as well as staying on the pace. At the refuel I lost my rear fuel tank cap, so there was fuel leaking all over the back of my legs.”

DAY 6: Stage 5 – January 10, 2024
Route: Al-Hofuf > Shubaytah – Liaison 527km and Special 118km

After struggling early on during this year’s race, Australian duo Toby Price and Daniel Sanders came home third and fourth respectively to eat into Botswanan Ross Branch’s overall lead. With Argentine Luciano Benavides escaping a scary finish elsewhere, which saw his engine repeatedly cutting out, Price said: “The stage was quite tricky, there were a lot of drops in there. We got through at a decent pace. I missed a couple of the drops and that got the heart rate up a little bit.”

DAY 7: Stage 6 – January 11, 2024
Route: Shubaytah > Shubaytah – Liaison 209km and Special 626km

Bike quartet Kevin Benavides, Toby Price, Daniel Sanders and Luciano Benavides managed to stay in touch with the trio of Honda bikers ahead of them plus Ross Branch as Chilean rider Pablo Quintanilla suffered a big-time loss after running out of fuel 10km before the refuelling point.

DAY 8: Stage 6 – January 12, 2024
Route: Shubaytah > Shubaytah – Liaison 209km and Special 626km

It’s been a determined effort throughout the first week of this Dakar by two-time Bike race champion Toby Price to stay in touch with the leaders. The Red Bull KTM Factory Racing rider has reached the Rest Day with a string of three Top 5 stage results to put himself fifth overall with half of the rally still to go. Meanwhile, Price’s KTM team-mate Kevin Benavides is one place and 1m 33s behind him in the general classification. Both riders are less than half an hour behind current Bike race leader Ricky Brabec’s Honda.

DAY 9: Rest Day – January 13, 2024
Location: Riyadh – 0km

– Day 9 marks the Rest Day in the 46th edition of the Dakar Rally, with participants staying in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, following the demanding 48H Chrono stage.

DAY 10: Stage 7 – January 14, 2024
Route: Riyadh > Al Duwadimi – Liaison 390km and Special 483km

– Defending bike champion Kevin Benavides took seven minutes out of Ricky Brabec’s overall lead, moving to fifth overall and 21 minutes and 39 seconds off top spot for Red Bull KTM Factory Racing as younger brother Luciano finished second on the day behind Chilean José Ignacio Cornejo Florimo. The Argentine, 35, said: “It was a tough stage. A lot of navigation over camel grass and stoney ground. I did good work with Luciano in finding the way. We need to continue like this until the end.”

DAY 11: Stage 8 – January 15, 2024
Route: Al Duwadimi > Ha’il – Liaison 220km and Special 458km

It was another good day for the Benavides brothers on Monday as two-time bike winner Kevin set the fastest time and younger brother – by six-and-a-half years – Luciano finished second just 31 seconds behind. It didn’t elevate him in the overall standings, however Red Bull KTM Factory Racing rider Kevin is now 20m 31s back from American leader Ricky Brabec. Kevin, 35, said: “I feel good and I enjoyed my ride. The last part was fun. I did some good work and now we need to continue pushing.”

DAY 12: Stage 9 – January 16, 2024
Route: Al Duwadimi > AlUla – Liaison 222km and Special 417km

Australian Toby Price finished fourth in the bike category today and the two-time Dakar champion still remains hopeful of edging his way on to the podium despite lying 35m12s back from American leader Ricky Brabec with his fellow Hondas of Ross Branch and Adrien Van Beveren close behind. Red Bull KTM Factory Racing rider Price, 36, said: “I made one little mistake at one waypoint and lost a bit of ground. Glad to to be through it in one piece. It was really hard to see the stones in the sun.”

DAY 13: Stage 10 – January 17, 2024
Route: AlUla > AlUla – Liaison 241km and Special 371km

Australian Daniel Sanders enjoyed a good day on two wheels, finishing just 47 seconds behind American Ricky Brabec who extended his bike lead to 10m54s with Thursday’s Stage 11 back to Yanbu and Friday’s Stage 12 finale left in this 46th edition of the race. Just behind Red Bull GasGas Factory Racing rider Sanders was Argentine Luciano Benavides in sixth, his older brother Kevin Benavides in eighth and Sanders’ compatriot Toby Price rounding out the top 10 on the stage. After finishing fourth in 2021, Sanders, 29, said: “I feel like I nailed a couple of notes that some people missed and maybe that’s helped me to claw back some time. I’m happy to bounce back for once.”

DAY 14: Stage 11 – January 18, 2024
Route: AlUla > Yanbu – Liaison 107km and Special 420km

On two wheels, the Red Bull riders could not make any serious inroads into the Honda trio who were in the podium places overall at the start of the day’s action. Argentine Luciano Benavides finished fourth and Australian Toby Price fifth as Botswana’s Ross Branch took 32 seconds out of American Ricky Brabec’s overall lead with a gutsy stage victory.

Ricky Brabec – P1

“It’s a nice way to start the year with a victory. It wasn’t easy as the course was really tough and so was the competition. Ross and my own team kept me on my toes, but not just me, I think we were keeping everyone on each other’s toes. It was definitely a fight to the end for everyone. I’m really happy we’re all here and all safe and we can go home. This time was a little bit different as I feel like this one was more earned as it was a lot tougher. In 2020, we had a big gap from the get-go. Here, I think me and Ross spent three days with a couple of seconds difference. It was a tight race for all of us. I think between first and third there are eleven minutes or something, whatever Adrien got, but it’s been a tight race and ten minutes is not a big gap here on the rally. I had two good days, two opportunities to make a good push, but also stage 11 was a scare factor for me because I knew Ross was starting behind me, 18 minutes behind, and if he caught me it would be over. Stage 11 was hard but I stayed focused, got to the finishing line and didn’t lose too much time, so I’m really happy with this and I’m really happy for the team. I’m happy for all of us, we did an excellent job all of the two weeks. I think number 9 will be my lucky number from now on.”

Toby Price – P5

“For us, it’s definitely been a really tough event this year. Thankfully, it’s always a good result when you can get to the finish line in one piece at the Dakar, and here we are, happy and healthy. Looking back over the week, we were never far off the pace, just made a few too many mistakes out there and as you know that can cost some serious time at Dakar. The whole Red Bull KTM team have been incredible over the two weeks and have worked so hard. It’s a shame we’ve not been able to reward them with a podium. Big credit to the top guys as well, they got it done this year, so congratulations to them.”

Daniel Sanders – P8

“Coming in I didn’t have much preparation at all. I broke my femur really badly eight months ago and I only had December on the bike to prepare, so all I could really do was spend as much time on the bike as possible. But we were able to get the bike good and here we are at the finish line. My last surgery was only three months ago, and the bone still isn’t fully healed. I didn’t expect to be here back in November so I’m really happy to finish another Dakar. It’s certainly been a challenge this year and I’ve missed a lot of racing during the last two years, so my goal now is to stay healthy, then return bigger and better next year. I’ll be doing everything I can to make that happen.”

2024 Racing schedule

2024 FIM EnduroGP Calendar

2024 FIM Hard Enduro World Championships Provisional Calendar

2024 Monster Energy Supercross & Pro Motocross calendars

2024 FIM Speedway Grand Prix World Championship calendar

2024 FIM E-Xplorer World Cup provisional calendar

Date	Location
16-17 February	TBA, Japan*
3-4 May	TBA, Norway**
21-23 June	Vollore-Montagne, France
20-22 September	Crans-Montana, Switzerland
29-1 November/December	TBA, India*

2024 Penrite ProMX Championship Calendar

2024 Penrite ProMX Championship presented by AMX Superstores Calendar
Round	Date	Location
Round One	March 17	Wonthaggi, Vic
Round Two	April 7	Horsham, Vic
Round Three	May 5	Gillman, SA
Round Four	May 26	Maitland, NSW
Round Five	June 23	Murray Bridge, SA
Round Six	July 21	Toowoomba, Qld
Round Seven	August 11	MX Farm Queensland, Gympie, Qld
Round Eight	August 17-18	Queensland Moto Park, Coulson, Qld

 2024 Australian Speedway Championship Calendar

2024 Australian Track and Dirt Track calendar

• Australian Senior Track Championship
  • May 4-5, Mick Doohan Raceway, North Brisbane (Qld)
  • North Brisbane Junior Motorcycle Club;
• Australian Senior Dirt Track Championship
  • July 20-21, Drays Park, Gunyarra (Qld)
  • Whitsunday Dirt Riders;
• Australian Junior Track Championship
  • August 10-11, Daroobalgie Speedway, Forbes (NSW)
  • Forbes Auto Sports Club; and
• Australian Junior Dirt Track Championship
  • September 28-29, Jambaroo Park, Mildura (Vic)
  • North-West Victorian Motorcycle Club.

2024 Aussie Flat Track Nationals Calendar

• Round 1: Flat Track Layout – Appin, NSW, Saturday, July 27
• Round 2: TT Layout – Appin, NSW, Sunday July 28
• Round 3: Flat Track Layout – Brisbane, Qld, Saturday, August 31
• Round 4: TT Layout – Brisbane, Qld, Sunday, September 1
• Round 5: Flat Track Layout – Gunnedah, NSW, Saturday, November 16
• Round 6: TT Layout – Gunnedah, NSW, Sunday November 17

2024 FIM Sand Race World Cup Calendar

• 2-4 February – Enduropale du Touquet Pas-de-Calais (FRA) – FFM
• 23-25 February – Enduro del Verano (ARG) – CAMOD
• 12-13 October – Weston Beach Race (GBR) – ACU
• 1-3 November – Bibione Sand Storm (ITA) – FMI
• 22-24 November – Monte Gordo Sand Experience (POR) – FMP
• 7-8 December – Ronde des Sables (FRA) – FFM