US EXHAUST MANUFACTURER TO DESIGN & PRODUCE A SERIES OF PERFORMANCE PRODUCTS EXCLUSIVELY FOR HUSQVARNA MOTORCYCLES
Husqvarna Motorcycles are pleased to announce an exciting new partnership with FMF Racing – an agreement that will see the renowned American exhaust manufacturer develop and produce a new line-up of performance exhausts for Husqvarna Motorcycles’ next generation of offroad machines.
An established partner of the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing teams across the globe, FMF is synonymous with dirt bike racing success. Established in 1973, the California-based company remains true to their goal to develop high-quality aftermarket exhaust systems that help dirt bike enthusiasts get the most out of every riding experience.
Sharing Husqvarna Motorcycles’ vision for pioneering development, FMF Racing remain at the forefront of technological evolution in their respective sector. Using top-level offroad competition as the means to further develop their products, the USA based company are the ideal partner to design premium products for Husqvarna Motorcycles’ 2019 enduro and motocross models.
Starting from model year 2019, all exhaust systems exclusively developed for Husqvarna Motorcycles by FMF Racing will be found in the updated Husqvarna Motorcycles Accessories catalogues and will be available at authorised Husqvarna Motorcycles dealers. For all details, please refer to your national Husqvarna Motorcycles subsidiary or importer.
Thomas Friedrich – Head of Product Management Technical Accessories, Husqvarna Motorcycles:“We are very pleased to inaugurate this new working relationship with FMF Racing. Sharing the same principles for continuous innovation and development, we are confident Husqvarna riders will be able to take advantage of the best and most technologically advanced aftermarket exhaust applications available in the market. Establishing a very close collaboration with our R&D Department, FMF Racing engineers are able to develop products that specifically meet our demands for quality and performance. For us it is important that our collaboration with FMF engineers starts at the very beginning of the development of our machines. As a result the products will be much more than simple add-ons, but exhausts developed from scratch to meet the exact needs we set for our customers. Featuring a wide range of applications for our 2-stroke and 4-stroke machines, the new range of FMF Racing aftermarket exhaust systems will be available in our updated for 2019 Husqvarna Motorcycles Accessories.”
Don Emler Jr. – FMF Marketing & Brand Director:“We are excited to see our highly successful collaboration with Husqvarna Motorcycles reach new heights with the establishment of this exclusive partnership. The Flying Machine Factory (FMF) has been continuously pushing the boundaries of development and competition ever since our establishment in 1973. 45 years later we are confident this partnership with Husqvarna Motorcycles will further strengthen our brand worldwide. Looking forward to continuing our close collaboration with Husqvarna Motorcycles’ engineers, our common goal remains to offer riders and customers championship winning power and performance through each one of our applications.”
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ROCKSTAR ENERGY HUSQVARNA FACTORY RACING’S PHIL NICOLETTI FINISHES EIGHTH AT TENNESSEE NATIONAL
MOSIMAN, HARRISON, AND BAILEY FINISH 13TH, 14TH, AND 16TH IN 250 CLASS
The Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing team made its way to Blountville, Tenn. on Saturday for the fifth round of the AMA Pro Motocross Championship. Phil Nicoletti had a great day with an eighth overall in the 450 class, while teammates Michael Mosiman, Mitchell Harrison, and Jordan Bailey finished 13th, 14th, and 16th overall in the 250 class.
Phil Nicoletti got a top-10 start in the first 450 moto and quickly moved into the top-five. He held his ground then went back to sixth around the halfway mark then rode strong until going down with around 10 minutes remaining. He remounted quickly and was back on the move in eighth. He charged ahead and made one more pass to finish seventh. He got a great start in the second moto and was on the move in the top-10. He was seventh in lap two and was riding strong but got shuffled back to ninth where he finished. The 7-9 finish gave him eighth overall on the day.
“My second race was a lot better than my first,” said Nicoletti. “I had a lot of tip overs. I was trying to push it and lost my cool in the second moto. It’s ok. I’m going in the right direction and I’m looking forward to getting in the sand next weekend."
Michael Mosiman was mid-pack at the start of the first 250 moto and rode a consistent race to finish 14th. He got a decent start in the second moto and came out of the first lap in 12th. He charged into the top-10 around the halfway mark and, despite going down, continued to push and held strong to finish 10th. He went 14-10 for 13th overall.
“Muddy Creek was a pretty good race,” said Mosiman. “My starts improved and my aggression improved. I got a good start in the first moto but then got pushed wide. I got a better start in the second moto and was running a good pace. I went down after Cantrell and lost two spots, but I had some good passes so I was happy about that. All-in-all there were a lot of positives, and I’m looking forward to Southwick."
Mitchell Harrison was mid-pack at the start of the first 250 moto and stayed steady to finish 15th. He got a decent start in the second moto and was riding strong in 15th. He put in a great ride and charged through the pack to finish 11th. The 15-11 finish gave him 14th overall on the day.
“I’ve been getting great starts all week,” said Harrison. “I was looking to get better starts today. I had to come through the pack. I feel strong again, though, so I think next week will be good. I love the sand so I’m looking forward to doing better."
Jordan Bailey started in the back of the pack in the first 250 moto and charged through the field to finish 16th. He got a similar start in the second moto and worked hard to charge ahead. He had a solid ride and finished 14th. The 16-14 finish gave him 16th overall.
“Muddy Creek is an awesome track,” said Bailey. “I didn’t get a great start in the first moto but I made some passes. I had to work my way up again in the second moto. It’s a step in the right direction, but I need to get a little more aggressive. I’m looking forward to Southwick."
Next Race: June 30 - Southwick National - Southwick, MA
Tennessee National Results
250 Class 1. Shane McElrath (3,2) 2. Dylan Ferrandis (11,1) 3. Chase Sexton (8,4) 4. Alex Martin (12,3) 5. Jordon Smith (7,6) 6. Joey Savatgy (6,7) 7. Aaron Plessinger (9,5) 8. Austin Forkner (5,9) 9. Jeremy Martin (1,40) 10. Justin Cooper (2,28) ... 13. Michael Mosiman - Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing (14,10) 14. Mitchell Harrison - Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing (15,11) 16. Jordan Bailey - Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing (16,14)
450 Class 1. Eli Tomac (1,3) 2. Justin Barcia (2,2) 3. Marvin Musquin (5,1) 4. Ken Roczen (3,4) 5. Blake Baggett (4,5) 6. Weston Peick (6,6) 7. Justin Hill (8,7) 8. Phil Nicoletti - Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing (7,9) 9. Benny Bloss (9,8) 10. Kyle Cunningham (11,10)
250 Class Rider Point Standings 1. Aaron Plessinger - 199 points 2. Jeremy Martin - 176 points 3. Alex Martin - 170 points 4. Justin Cooper - 158 points 5. Austin Forkner - 143 points 6. Shane McElrath - 133 points 7. Jordon Smith - 133 points 8. RJ Hampshire - 120 points 9. Chase Sexton - 118 points 10. Joey Savatgy - 112 points 11. Zach Osborne - Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing - 105 points 12. Michael Mosiman - Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing - 76 points 17. Jordan Bailey - Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing - 45 points 20. Mitchell Harrison - Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing - 30 points
450 Class Rider Point Standings 1. Eli Tomac - 242 points 2. Marvin Musquin - 210 points 3. Justin Barcia - 184 points 4. Ken Roczen - 169 points 5. Blake Baggett - 164 points 6. Weston Peick - 148 points 7. Benny Bloss - 126 points 8. Phil Nicoletti - Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing - 118 points 9. Cody Cooper - 80 points 10. Jason Anderson - Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing - 73 points
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Troy Lee Designs/Red Bull/KTM’s Shane McElrath Earns First-Career 250MX Overall Win in Tennessee
Round 5 - AMA Pro Motocross Championship - June 23, 2018
BLOUNTVILLE, Tenn. – Round 5 of the AMA Pro Motocross Championship took place on Saturday in Blountville, Tennessee for a hot, humid and rough day of racing at the Muddy Creek National. Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Marvin Musquin bounced back from a tough start to claim the Moto 2 victory and third overall in the 450MX class.
Troy Lee Designs/Red Bull/KTM’s Shane McElrath proved that consistency is key in rough conditions as he claimed a solid pair of podium finishes on the way to earning his first-career 250MX overall win in front of a hometown crowd in the southeast.
450MX
Musquin began the day on a positive note, qualifying second overall in the 450MX division. In Moto 1, he got a good jump off the line aboard his KTM 450 SX-F FACTORY EDITION but he clipped the rear wheel of another rider a few turns into the race and went down in the corner. Musquin remounted and began his charge from just outside the top 20 on the opening lap to ultimately finish fifth in the moto.
In Moto 2, Musquin got off to a clean third place start, where he sat just behind the lead battle on the opening lap. He quickly put himself into second place on lap two and from there he pressured the leader, Justin Barcia, out front. Musquin made an impressive pass to take over the lead on lap three and he never looked back, claiming his second moto win of the season. With a combined moto score of 5-1, Musquin earned third overall for the day.
Musquin: “It was a big bummer to go down in the first lap of Moto 1. I clipped someone’s rear wheel and couldn’t avoid it and crashed – it’s frustrating. I’ve been feeling really good, training really hard and working really hard with the team and it’s been paying off. I fight hard in the second moto and I knew that all I needed to do is get a good start, fight for it and not go down, so that’s what I did and I was able to control the race until the end. [It’s] one more moto win, still not what I want but that’s all I had today. I’m really happy, it’s not too bad for the championship even if we lose some points, it’s still a podium and we keep on working hard.”
KTM-supported Rocky Mountain ATV/MC – WPS – KTM’s Blake Baggett maintained a solid pair of finishes to earn fifth overall in the 450MX class, while his teammate, Benny Bloss, rode to another top-ten finish with ninth overall for the day.
250MX
In Moto 1, it was Troy Lee Designs/Red Bull/KTM’s Alex Martin who shot off the line for the early lead. He continued to battle for the lead until the midway point when a crash took him out of contention and he battled his way up to finish 12th. Meanwhile, McElrath had worked his way into a podium position and rode strong to maintain a third-place finish in the first moto.
In Moto 2, McElrath started just inside the top-ten and worked his way into a top-five position just after the halfway point. He held strong in the final moments of the race to take over second on the final lap, giving him a consistent 3-2 moto score en route to his first-career overall in the 250MX class.
McElrath: “I don’t know what to say, that was my best ride ever. It was nice to start out with a podium this morning and keep it going. We’ve been working so hard to get the bike dialed in and it’s crazy the difference it makes when everything is working well.”
Unfortunately for Martin, the race didn’t end as well as it began. He shot off the line in Moto 2 to capture the holeshot aboard his KTM 250 SX-F and he maintained the lead for the first 16 laps of the race. However, Martin experienced a crash just after the two-lap card came out and despite a quick remount, he ultimately lost two positions to finish third in Moto 2 and fourth overall for the day with 12-3 finishes. His teammate, Jordon Smith, rounded out the top-five overall with 7-6 moto scores.
Next Race:Southwick National, Southwick, Mass. – June 30, 2018
Hometown Rider McElrath Breaks Through for First Career 250 Class Win
BLOUNTVILLE, Tenn. (June 23, 2018) - The Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing, made its lone visit to the motocross hotbed of the southeast on Saturday for the fifth round of the 2018 season - the 5th Annual Tennessee National from Muddy Creek Raceway. In the 450 Class, Monster Energy Kawasaki's Eli Tomac remained unbeaten when it comes to overall victories, putting forth an impressive come-from-behind effort in the final moto to secure his fifth straight win. In the 250 Class, hometown rider Shane McElrath broke through for the first overall victory of his career aboard his Troy Lee Designs/Red Bull/KTM, following one of the wildest races in recent memory.
Tomac captured his fifth straight overall win and added to his championship point lead.
- Rich Shepherd
The first 450 Class moto of the day began with Tomac leading the field into the first corner, but as he pushed wide it allowed Team Honda HRC's Ken Roczen to slip underneath and steal the Motosport.com Holeshot. Autotrader/Yoshimura/Suzuki Factory Racing's Weston Peick slotted into third, with Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing's Phil Nicoletti and Monster Energy/Yamaha Factory Racing's Justin Barcia right behind. As they jockeyed for position, Tomac's primary challenger Marvin Musquin inadvertently got hit and his Team Red Bull KTM Factory Racing machine fell over. He got back on the bike quickly and resumed deep in the field, completing the opening lap in 20th. Up front, Barcia stormed his way by Peick into third.
Roczen's early pace in the lead put some initial distance between he and Tomac, but he slowed a bit, which brought the Kawasaki rider right onto his rear fender in search of alternate lines that would allow him to make a pass. Roczen successfully fended off the pressure for several laps, which ultimately allowed a hard-charging Barcia to close in from third. Tomac successfully made his way by Roczen with just under 20 minutes remaining in the moto and quickly distanced himself from the Honda rider. That then put Roczen into the clutches of Barcia, who went to work on the German and successfully took over second just a short time later.
Tomac continued to build on his lead, which eventually stabilized to just under 10 seconds. He easily rode to his eighth moto win in nine tries, crossing the line 7.9 seconds ahead of Barcia. Roczen maintained his hold on third, with RMATV/MC-WPS-KTM's Blake Baggett fourth and Musquin fighting his way back all the way to fifth.
Barcia earned his best result of the season in second.
- Rich Shepherd
The final moto of the afternoon saw Roczen sweep the Motosport.com Holeshots and extend his holeshot streak to three motos, while Barcia jumped into second and Musquin into third. Tomac got his worst start of the season and was mired back well outside the top 10, eventually completing the opening lap in 14th. Out front, Barcia seized the opportunity to challenge Roczen for the lead and successfully took the top spot from the German, who was forced to deal with Musquin, determined to rebound from a frustrating first moto.
The Frenchman wasted little time in getting by Roczen and then set his sights on Barcia out front. The Yamaha rider kept Musquin at bay for a couple laps, but the KTM rider was relentless and moved out front just over eight minutes into the moto. Once he had a clear track, Musquin was able to easily gap Barcia. Throughout the battle up front Tomac was climbing his way back into contention. He broke into the top 10 after just a couple laps and continued to storm past riders until he moved into the top five. At this point the overall win was within reach for the Kawasaki rider. He gained more points by passing Peick for fourth, and then erased a multi-second deficit on Roczen to not only break onto the podium, but also move atop the overall classification.
Even with the win in hand, Tomac still kept pushing. He stalked Barcia for several laps and gained more and more ground by running laps nearly two seconds quicker than his rival, but Barcia responded and forced Tomac to settle into third. Out front, Musquin maintained an insurmountable margin over the field and effectively rebounded from his misfortune in Moto 1 to earn his second win in the past three motos. Barcia followed in second, 3.5 seconds behind Musquin, while Tomac cruised home for third.
Musquin's second moto win carried him to third overall.
- Rich Shepherd
Tomac's 3-1 results gave him a one-point advantage over Barcia (2-2) in the overall classification, while Musquin's moto win gave him third overall (5-1).
It was the 14th win of Tomac's career.
"I pushed to see if I could catch Justin [Barcia, at the end of Moto 2], but he was going fast enough that I didn't need to force the issue. We knew we had the overall so there wasn't a need to risk it," said Tomac. "It was good to get another win and keep this momentum rolling. I knew Musquin, Barcia, and Roczen all got good starts and were up front, so my goal was to make enough passes to get the win, and that's what we did."
Tomac added to his lead in the 450 Class standings, which now sits at 32 points over Musquin. Barcia is third, 58 points out of the lead.
McElrath broke through for the first win of his career in the 250 Class.
- Rich Shepherd
The opening 250 Class moto saw point leader and Monster Energy/Yamalube/Star/Yamaha rider Aaron Plessinger do what he had to do and capture his first Motosport.com Holeshot of the season ahead of the Martin brothers, Troy Lee Designs/Red Bull/KTM's Alex and GEICO Honda's Jeremy. However, Plessinger gave up control of the lead when he tucked his front end and went down, handing the top spot to Alex while Jeremy followed in second. Plessinger got up and returned to action quickly, restarting just outside the top 10.
Alex was able to open a multiple bike length lead on his brother, with the leading siblings eventually separating themselves from Justin Cooper in third place aboard his Monster Energy/Yamalube/Star/Yamaha. Cooper then came under pressure from McElrath and GEICO Honda's RJ Hampshire. With a little more than 20 minutes left in the moto, Jeremy Martin capitalized on a mistake by Alex, who came up short on a jump, to dive on the inside and steal away the lead. Just a few laps later Alex made another mistake and crashed out of second, eventually reentering just outside the top 10.
Without the pressure from his brother, Jeremy enjoyed a comfortable margin out front over Cooper and McElrath, who settled into second and third, respectively. He maintained the advantage through to the finish, taking his second moto win of the season 5.9 seconds ahead of Cooper, while McElrath enjoyed his best moto result of the summer in third. Hampshire was fourth, while Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki's Austin Forkner rounded out the top five. Plessinger soldiered home in ninth, while Alex Martin followed in 12th.
Ferrandis earned an overall podium result in just his second start this season.
- Jeff Kardas
When the gate dropped on the second moto it was Alex Martin who emerged with his third Motosport.com Holeshot of the season, followed closely by his teammate Sean Cantrell and Monster Energy/Yamalube/Star/Yamaha's Dylan Ferrandis. The Frenchman went on the attack quickly and took second away from Cantrell, who then got passed by his Troy Lee Designs teammate Jordon Smith for third. Not long after that Plessinger moved into fourth. While this battled unfolded up front, first moto winner Jeremy Martin and runner-up Justin Cooper came together in the air and crashed, which forced Martin to record a DNF while Cooper continued deep in the field.
With a clear track ahead of him Alex Martin was able to control the pace, but Ferrandis successfully kept him within reach and mirrored his lap times. At times Ferrandis applied heavy pressure, but Martin withstood the challenge and held onto the lead, successfully putting some distance between them in the middle portion of the moto. Behind them a slew of activity unfolded, first with Smith making a charge, only to fade and lose multiple positions. That allowed GEICO Honda's Chase Sexton to take over third, with Plessinger maintaining his hold on fourth. The rider to watch over the second half of the moto was McElrath, who battled his way forward from a ninth-place start to move into the top five, pass Plessinger for fourth, and then Sexton for third. Those moves were enough to put McElrath in control of his own destiny for the overall win.
After fending off another heavy challenge from Ferrandis, Martin effectively gave up his hopes of a moto win by crashing out of the lead right after he crossed the line to take the two-laps-to-go board. He remounted quickly in second, but had McElrath charging right behind. Ferrandis kept it on two wheels to become the fifth moto winner of the season, while McElrath made an aggressive last-lap pass on Martin to take second, 2.3 seconds back of the Frenchman. Martin followed with a frustrating third, a finish that took him off the overall podium.
Sexton captured the first podium result of his career.
- Rich Shepherd
McElrath's consistent 3-2 finishes carried him to the overall win, while Ferrandis' triumphant effort in Moto 2 vaulted him to the runner-up spot (11-1). Sexton earned the first overall podium result of his career in third (8-4).
McElrath became the 82nd different winner in 250 Class history.
"It's crazy. We've been persistent, [and have] been pushing and pushing. I don't know what to say," exclaimed McElrath. "It was my best ride ever. It's crazy what a difference it makes when you're feeling good, and I was feeling good. I didn't get a great start [in Moto 2], but I was able to make some passes, which isn't like me. I knew I had to get Sexton [for the overall] so I just kept pushing and I was able to get him. Then I just continued to push and caught more guys. I was having so much fun."
Plessinger ended up seventh overall (9-5), but given the adversity faced by his fellow contenders he maintained his hold of the point lead and actually added three points to that advantage. He sits 23 points ahead of Jeremy Martin, who ended up ninth overall (1-40) but didn't lose a spot in the standings, while Alex Martin, who finished fourth (12-3), remains third.
Plessinger maintained his hold of the point lead despite finishing seventh.
- Rich Shepherd
The 2018 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship will continued next weekend, on Saturday, June 30, with its annual visit to the sands of Southwick, Massachusetts, as legendary The Wick 338 welcomes the world's best riders to New England. First motos of the Southwick National can be seen live on MAVTV at 10 a.m. PT / 1 p.m. ET. Second motos will air via tape delay on NBC Sports Network at 5:00 p.m. PT / 8:00 p.m. ET. Additionally, all of the action can be seen as it unfolds online via the "Pro Motocross Pass" on the NBC Sports Gold app.
Results
Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship Tennessee National Muddy Creek Raceway - Blountville, Tennessee June 23, 2018
450 Class Overall Results (Moto Finish)
Eli Tomac, Cortez, Colo., Kawasaki (1-3)
Justin Barcia, Monroe, N.Y., Yamaha (2-2)
Marvin Musquin, France, KTM (5-1)
Ken Roczen, Germany, Honda (3-4)
Blake Baggett, Grand Terrace, Calif., KTM (4-5)
Weston Peick, Wildomar, Calif., Suzuki (6-6)
Justin Hill, Yoncalla, Ore., Suzuki (8-7)
Phil Nicoletti, Cohocton, N.Y., Husqvarna (7-9)
Benny Bloss, Oak Grove, Mo., KTM (9-8)
Kyle Cunningham, Alvord, Texas, Suzuki (11-10)
450 Class Championship Standings
Eli Tomac, Cortez, Colo., Kawasaki - 242
Marvin Musquin, France, KTM - 210
Justin Barcia, Monroe, N.Y., Yamaha - 184
Ken Roczen, Germany, Honda - 169
Blake Baggett, Grand Terrace, Calif., KTM - 164
Weston Peick, Wildomar, Calif., Suzuki - 148
Benny Bloss, Oak Grove, Mo., KTM - 126
Phil Nicoletti, Cohocton, N.Y., Husqvarna - 118
Cody Cooper, New Zealand, Honda - 80
Jason Anderson, Edgewood, N.M., Husqvarna - 73
250 Class Overall Results (Moto Finish)
Shane McElrath, Canton, N.C., KTM (3-2)
Dylan Ferrandis, France, Yamaha (11-1)
Chase Sexton, La Moille, Ill., Honda (8-4)
Alex Martin, Millville, Minn., KTM (12-3)
Jordon Smith, Belmont, N.C., KTM (7-6)
Joey Savatgy, Thomasville, Ga., Kawasaki (6-7)
Aaron Plessinger, Hamilton, Ohio, Yamaha (9-5)
Austin Forkner, Richards, Mo., Kawasaki (5-9)
Jeremy Martin, Millville, Minn., Honda (1-40)
Justin Cooper, Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y., Yamaha (2-28)
250 Class Championship Standings
Aaron Plessinger, Hamilton, Ohio, Yamaha - 199
Jeremy Martin, Millville, Minn., Honda - 176
Alex Martin, Millville, Minn., KTM - 170
Justin Cooper, Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y., Yamaha - 158
Austin Forkner, Richards, Mo., Kawasaki - 143
Shane McElrath, Canton, N.C., KTM - 133
Jordon Smith, Belmont, N.C., KTM - 133
RJ Hampshire, Hudson, Fla., Honda - 120
Chase Sexton, La Moille, Ill., Honda - 118
Joey Savatgy, Thomasville, Ga., Kawasaki - 112
For information about the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship, please visit ProMotocross.com and be sure to follow all of the Pro Motocross social media channels for exclusive content and additional information on the latest news:
Lucas Oil Pro Motocross ChampionshipThe Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing, features the world's fastest outdoor motocross racers, racing aboard the best bikes each factory offers, on the roughest, toughest tracks in the world. The 12-rounds series begins at Hangtown in May and ends at Indiana's Ironman Raceway in August. It includes stops at the premier motocross racing facilities in America, with events in California, Colorado, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Michigan, Massachusetts, Maryland, Minnesota, Washington, New York and Indiana. The pro riders race on Saturday afternoon, with competition divided into two classes: one for 250cc machines, and one for 450cc machines. The Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship is managed by MX Sports Pro Racing, the industry leader in off-road power sports event production. The series is televised on NBC, NBCSN and MAVTV and streamed live on NBC Sports GoldSeries partners include Lucas Oil (series title sponsor), Red Bull, WPS, Fly Racing, GEICO Motorcycle, MotoSport.com, Garmin, 100%, KTM, FMF, Deltran Battery Tender, Pirelli, Suzuki, Husqvarna, Pivot Works, Vertex, Alpinestars, KMC Wheels, MotionPro, VP Racing Fuels, Acerbis and Racer X. More information can be found at www.ProMotocross.com.
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Team Suzuki Germany’s Jett Lawrence celebrated his first race victory and his first podium at the Italian round of the European EMX250 Championship at the weekend aboard his RM-Z250.
The sand track in Ottobiano, 50 kilometers south of Mailand, saw challenging conditions and a tough track layout along with heat of over 30° Celsius.
Lawrence got a good start in the first race which was already held on Saturday. But he had issues with his style of riding. “Right after the start I held position 10th,” the Australian explained. “My speed was good and I could quickly improve to fifth, but then I started to cramp and I didn’t find good lines any more so I fell back to 10th position.”
In the evening, the 14-year-old discussed the race together with his dad Darren and tried to have another mental setting for the second race on Sunday. “We talked very long,” said Darren. “I made him clear that it doesn’t depend on his fitness. Jett is trained very well. We talked about he should keep smooth and have fun.”
The family discussion showed great effect the next day. Said Jett: “The start was okay. I was in top-10 in the first corner, could find good lines and then I grabbed the lead on the third lap. In front I had a clear view and there was no rider in front of me that could spray me with dirt. I focused myself, delivered a few fast laps and was able to create a little gap.”
He delivered lap-times that were not much slower than the ones in the MX2 World Championship class and brought home his first ever win in EMX250. In the overall results of both races, the teenager took third, putting him on the podium for the first time.
Added Lawrence: “That’s a huge success for us. Secretly we planned to maybe reach the podium at the end of the season. That it worked out that early and even with a win is simply awesome! I want to thank my family, my team and everybody that supports me!”
Larissa Papenmeier (Team Twenty Suspension Suzuki) delivered a good performance with two fourth positions in the Women’s World Championship (WMX). But the German had problems with her style of riding and was not very happy about that result. She said: “My speed was good but I have been too hesitant when I had to lap other riders. This made me lose valuable points. This made me fall back to fourth position in the world championship rankings, but there are two more races to go and I will fight for every point!”
The next race of European Motocross Championship EMX250 will take place on August 4-5th at Lommel in Belgium. The next round of Women’s World Championship is held on September 15-16th in Assen, Netherlands. EMX250, Italy, Race 1: 1. Walsh, Dylan (NZL, HUS), 16 laps 2. Boisrame, Mathys (FRA, HON), +0:01.662 3. Van De Moosdijk, Roan (NED, YAM), +0:02.250 4. Horgmo, Kevin (NOR, KTM), +0:03.290 5. Renaux, Maxime (FRA, YAM), +0:07.182 6. Barr, Martin (GBR, HUS), +0:07.507 7. Sabulis, Karlis (LAT, YAM), +0:19.055 8. Strubhart Moreau, Brian (FRA, KAW), +0:22.737 9. Pocock, Mel (GBR, HUS), +0:25.141 10. Lawrence, Jett (AUS, SUZ), +0:25.426
1. Van De Moosdjk, Roan (NED, YAM), 40 Points 2. Walsh, Dylan (NZL, HUS), 39 3. Lawrence, Jett (AUS, SUZ), 36 Was this post helpful? Add yours to our service or subscribe to our feed above.
Justin Hill #46 – RM-Z450 - 4-6 for 5th Weston Peick #34 – RM-Z450 - 9-4 for 6th Enzo Lopes #816 – RM-Z250 - 20-39 for 25th
The Autotrader/ Yoshimura/ Suzuki Factory Racing Team made its first stop on the east coast swing of the 2018 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship at the weekend and a monumental day for the team, as Justin Hill made his 450 National debut on the all-new Suzuki RM-Z450 with two outstanding moto performances in scoring fifth overall.
Team-mate Weston Peick didn’t let a first turn crash in the opening moto deter him from climbing once again into the top 10 and was on another level in the second moto, earning a season-best fourth place moto finish for sixth overall. In the 250 class, rookie Enzo Lopes had the speed and stamina to log a career-best, but bad luck held him back from reaching his goal.
Last week it was announced that Team Manager Jeremy Albrecht made the decision to promote Hill to the 450 class in the absence of the injured Justin Bogle. It was a brilliant move. Hill, who will move up to the 450 class on a full-time basis in 2019, looked like a natural fit on the Suzuki RM-Z450. The Yoncalla, Oregon native qualified sixth-fastest in combined qualifying, and rocketed out of the gate in the opening moto, riding his #46 RM-Z450 up to fourth place by the flag. Hill backed-up that performance by charging from 11th to sixth in the second moto for fifth overall. He will again campaign the RM-Z450 this coming weekend at the Muddy Creek National in Tennessee.
Peick travelled to North Carolina a week before the High Point National in order to acclimatise to the hot and humid conditions. The move proved fruitful for the Southern California native, who dug deep in the opening moto to climb from 35th place to ninth by the flag after getting caught up in a first-turn crash. Peick had much better fortune in the second moto, crossing the first turn in seventh. “The Viking” passed several riders on the way to a fourth place moto finish. In doing so, he scored his best moto finish of the National series so far and finished sixth overall. Peick sits a mere 12 points out of fifth place in the standings.
Brazilian Enzo Lopes made great strides during the week break, setting personal bests with his RM-Z250 at the JGRMX test track and dialing-in his starts. Unfortunately, Lopes’ effort at High Point was thwarted by bad luck. He went down several times, the last proving costly. Lopes suffered a fractured collarbone in the second moto and will need to take time off to heal.
Justin Hill [450 Class, 4-6 for 5th Place]:
“High Point was gnarly. You could not go around a single section without your teeth rattling out of your head. It was not my style of track. It was less about technique and more about powering through everything. I feel like Muddy Creek will be more my style. Historically, I haven’t done well at High Point, so I am happy to get out of there with a top-five finish. I had a brake issue in the second moto, so I wasn’t able to catch up to fifth place, but I was running a decent pace. My first 450 National taught me that I have to make things happen right away. I didn’t get the holeshot in either moto, but I tried to make good moves and work toward the front.”
Weston Peick [450 Class, 9-4 for 6th Place]:
“High Point was up and down. Practice was pretty technical and the track was muddy. We went into the first moto with a couple of changes to the bike, and then I was involved in a first-turn pile-up. I had to come from about last to ninth place. For moto two we made a few more adjustments, and that made a big difference. I also got off to a better start and was able to work from up front. I’m looking forward to next weekend.”
Enzo Lopes [250 Class, 20-39 for 25th Place]:
“It was the craziest track I’ve ever ridden in my entire life. The ruts were deep and didn’t seem to end. I had a good start and was running third, but I got tight and went back to 11th. I had a crash, and then I crashed again and got my leg stuck under my bike. I had a decent start in the second moto, but I fell while going down one of the hills and had to stop. It turns out that I broke my collarbone, which is a heartbreak. I’ll give it some time to heal and be back as quickly as possible.”
Jeremy Albrecht [Team Manager]:
“It was and up and down day. The 450 riders did well at High Point, but our 250 rider had a bad crash that will keep him out for a while. Enzo had a great start in the first moto and saw the pace of the front-runners, but he hasn’t been in that position yet and rode tight. Lopes had a good start in the second moto and was passing riders, but had a big get-off and fractured his collarbone. It will not require surgery, but he needs time to heal. I’ll have a better idea next week for when he will return to racing.
“In the 450 class, Justin Hill had a really good first moto. He was charging forward and making good moves. I’m excited to see what Hill can do this weekend at Muddy Creek. As for Weston Peick, he rode extremely well in coming from a long way back in the first moto to ninth. In the second moto Weston rode the best I’ve ever seen him in the ruts. Both guys were pretty impressive.”
The 2018 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship will continue this coming weekend for the fifth round of the series. Held less than four hours away from the JGRMX race shop, the Muddy Creek National in Blountville, Tennessee is the closest National for the team. Was this post helpful? Add yours to our service or subscribe to our feed above.
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