MX2

Before the start of the year, Adam Sterry had signed a three-year official Kawasaki deal but, with the MX2 team leaving the paddock, the 21 year old from Sealand in Wales, UK was without a ride. Speaking to teams about his future led to talks with the F&H Kawasaki team who are pleased to secure his services for the next two seasons giving Sterry the opportunity to remain on a green machine. The team are also pleased to announce they will receive support from Kawasaki throughout the course of the forthcoming season.

Unfortunately for the talented British rider it was a tough year as a torn ACL meant he missed much of the season. Before the injury he showed good speed and was knocking on the door of top ten results.  His best finish was during the second race in Indonesia when he came home in sixth and he will be hoping for more results like that to build on over the course of the next two seasons.

Sterry joins Ruben Fernandez under the team’s awning for the 2018 MX2 World Championship campaign but the team will announce a third rider in due course.

Adam Sterry: “I am very happy and excited to join F&H Kawasaki for the next two years. I am thankful for this opportunity after being injured most of this year but we will be back stronger than ever. I can't wait to start riding and testing with the team. I learnt a lot about the Kawasaki KX250-F this year and I'll be taking that into next year to help us achieve the results we work very hard for."

Harrie van Hout (Kawasaki Europe): "I’m really happy and looking forward to start working with Adam. That we could keep him inside our Kawasaki family is great news and we to have some successful years plus a lot of fun!"

Copyright: Kawasaki Racing

2017 season is just finished, but it is already time to think about the next one.
Team Silver Action is already working, and last Tuesday it went onto Ottobiano track with the three riders that next season will defend the Team's colours.
Here they are, in alphabetical order, the three boys that next season will race for the Team: Gianluca Facchetti, Stephen Rubini and Mahi Villanueva Sanchez.
For Stephan Rubini is a return. In facts, the French has raced with Team Silver Action in the past season, conquering the 2^nd place in the 125cc European Championship. He passed to Kawasaki at the beginning of 2017, and he participated to the MX2 World Championship. Rubini will race in 250cc category too next year.
Gianluca Facchetti is the youngest of the group but he's the most titled one, as at the end of July he won the 125cc Junior World Championship, during the Estonia JWC. He then raced in the EMX125 European Championship where he finished 3^rd with only 7 points of gap from the second place. The “TARGET” for 2018's season, for him, will be continuing his growth while participating to the EMX250 European Championship, which is for sure the most contended tournament of the entire Motocross' world.

Mahi Villanueva Sanchez will race in the EMX250 European Championship too, as he did this season. He was born in the Canary Islands on the 8^th of December 1997, but his base is in Italy, in Verola Nuova, since 2014. During those years he won the 2014 Regional Lombardia Championship and in 2015 he finished 10^th in the MX2 Italian Championship for the Under 21 category. Last year he did not actually race because of an injury.

Amandine Verstappen is confirmed for the Women’s Motocross World Championship. She finished 6^th this year, but she was only 10 points behind the 5^th place, and she went on the podium in the occasion of Czech Republic 's round, when she finished 2^nd.

Other than the three new riders that we already mentioned, Team Silver Action is still defining some details with the riders that were with the Team during this year. We are talking about Nicola Bertuzzi, Davide Cislaghi and Yuri Quarti, who should continue their participation to the EMX250 European Championship, and Andrea Bonacorsi and Matteo Russi who will be respectively at the start of EMX125 European Championship (Bonacorsi) and EMX85 (Russi).

Team Silver Action will also take part to the next “Internazionali d'Italia” and to the MX2, 125cc and 85cc Italian Championships.

If you race or ride dirt bikes who wouldn’t jump at the opportunity to ride with the greatest of all-time Ricky Carmichael at the practice track where he put in all those laps that helped prepare him to win 15 championships. Tim Gajser 2016 MXGP world champion made the journey to Florida to ride with his childhood hero on the legendary practice track The Goat Farm. Could this be the beginning of Tim’s American dream.

At the season-concluding event, the Monster Energy FIM Motocross of Nations Presented by Fiat Professional, Broc Glover, Dunlop’s Senior Manager of Off-Road, was awarded the prestigious MXGP Lifetime Career Award in recognition of his contributions to motocross racing over the last 40 years.

Among many racing accomplishments including being inducted to the AMA Hall of Fame and a Supercross Lifetime Achievement Award for amassing 50 AMA Motocross and Supercross wins prior to retiring in the late 1980s, Glover won six AMA National Motocross Championships, a record that stood for 20 years. The MXGP Lifetime Career Award recognizes Glover’s many U.S. and international accomplishments on and off the track, and for setting an example for the next generation of racers the world over. Glover currently spearheads Dunlop’s U.S. off-road racing program, and has been instrumental in its growth for the past 16 years. 

President of Youthstream Giuseppe Luongo stated: “Every year during the MXGP Awards Youthstream presents Lifetime Career Award to a person who has made a great contribution in making our sport more well-known, and we are proud to give this Award to Broc Glover for the 2017 edition because with his exceptional riding career and with his honorable attitude he’s a perfect ambassador for Motocross worldwide and an example for youth”

About Dunlop Motorcycle Tires

Dunlop is the largest supplier of original equipment and replacement motorcycle tires in the U.S.A. and the only manufacturer of motorcycle tires in North America. For more information, visit www.dunlopmotorcycletires.com. 

After a one year break from motocross, the Standing Construct Racing team are proud to be able to announce that from 2018 they will come back to the MX scene as the STANDING CONSTRUCT KTM team, a KTM Factory supported team.

The team will participate in the MXGP World Championship with two riders. The announcement regarding the riders will be made in due course.

Tim Mathys (Standing Construct) stated: “During the past year, I experienced that I needed the mx world to keep me motivated to give it 100% in my construction activities. Looking at it from a distance I also realised the great publicity value the MXGP World Championship has these days. The Promotor, Youthstream has helped make the sport more and more professional which gives companies like Standing Construct the chance to use some great publicity tools like live TV coverage etc…The combination of both: the publicity value and the motivation I get out of mx to keep going in Standing Construct helped me make the decision to come back. I am very happy about the chance and the support KTM is giving us so we can offer our riders the best competitive bike to compete at the highest level”.

One hundred and sixty-fifth issue of this re-designed bi-weekly motorcycle sport magazine, tackling the latest races and issues in MXGP, MotoGP, AMA Motocross/Supercross and World Superbike as well as general motorcycling and accessories with the best blogs and photographs. In OTOR 165: Matterley Memories: MXoN; images and thoughts from the 71^st Motocross of Nations and a wet one in England. France ruled for the fourth time but the 2017 international season had a worthy send-off. A Racer’s Brain; an engaging chat with former Grand Prix star Jeremy McWilliams on the enduring juice of riding and racing and the energy to still be so active for KTM and co. The Graduate; Max Anstie signed off a quietly impressive first term in MXGP with a sensational performance at the MXoN. We talked with the Brit on the journey. MotoGP: JL getting close; Neil Morrison sits down with Cristian Gabarrini to talk the evolution of Jorge Lorenzo and Ducati in MotoGP and how Casey Stoner compares and still contribs. 

Read it HERE

After 20 years of racing, including 12 season at the highest level, Livia Lancelot embark on a new challenge in the upcoming weeks.

Doing most of her career with Kawasaki, Livia claimed numerous successes on a lime green bike, and she will keep working as part of Team Green until the end of French Beach Race series. 
But for such an active woman this project is not enough and Livia reached another dream as she will become the manager of a team involved in the MX2 World Championship. 

“For a few years I have been riding with my own Team 114, and my dream has always been to enter the MX2 World Championship. Of course it would have been really great to do this with my current partners, but the involvement in the MX2 class is different than WMX so there is no possibility to continue with all of them and especially Kawasaki. 

We had a long and successful story together since 2007, and I really want to thank Kawasaki Europe, Kawasaki France, Steve Guttridge and Fred Bassaler for their support during all these seasons and I think that we can be proud of what we achieved together,” she explained.

Not ready yet to spend time far from the tracks, Livia finally reached an agreement with another brand to continue her activities with team 114. 

“Everyone in the industry knew that my project was to remain team owner/manager in the future, now another manufacturer is interested in that project and has decided to work with me. My new team will be involved next season with two riders, Hunter Lawrence and Bas Vaessen, who will enter the MX2 World Championship. It’s a kind of challenge to enter the MX2 World Championship with a new manufacturer, but they are really motivated and I will give 110% on this project, as I did when I was a racer” she concludes.

Copyright: Photo: Kawasaki Racing

MONACO (Principality of Monaco), 11 October 2017 - The MXGP of La Comunitat Valenciana, which will take place on the 24 and 25 of March 2018 at RedSand in Castellón, was officially presented yesterday at the Antarctic area at the Oceanographic in Valencia. The event will mark the return of MXGP to Spain after the last race in Talavera de la Reina in 2016.

The presentation to more than 80 people including media, special guests, and riders, was hosted by Daniele Rizzi, Youthstream Director, Juanjo Gimeno, General Manager of RedSand, Luis Martínez, Sports board member of Castellón, Vicent Marzá, Minister of Education, Culture and Sport of la Generalitat Valenciana, Francesc Colomer, José Miquel Moya, General Director of Sports in la Generalitat Valenciana, and José Luis Berenguer, President of the Motorcycling Federation in Valencia.

Youthstream and RedSand have signed a 5-year agreement and in 2018 the MXGP of La Comunitat Valenciana will also host a round of EMX250 and a round of EMX125. During the event several activities will be organized in conjunction, such as concerts linked to the well-known music festival at Benicasim.

Several important Spanish riders such as Iker Larrañaga (MX2), David Braceras (85cc), Mario Roman (Enduro Extreme), Kiran Marabet (Enduro) also attended the presentation as they didn’t want to miss the historic announcement for motocross in Spain.

Youthstream Director Daniele Rizzi said: “We would like to thank everybody that made this agreement possible, but a special mention goes to Juanjo Gimeno, who has been very keen on having an MXGP at RedSand for several years. We must say that RedSand has grown a lot in the last few years and it has achieved international recognition as many MXGP and MX2 teams use their facilities during the offseason.”

RedSand General Manager Juanjo Gimeno stated: “Our project is very ambitious and we want to become a referent in Spain at a national and international level, as the events that are already celebrated in Valencia such as the Volvo Ocean’s Race or the MotoGP race. Tourism is the engine of la Comunitat Valenciana and our goal is to link it with sport and make them both grow together. Having a 5-year agreement with Youthstream gives us a stability which will help us to become a referent in Europe."

Copyright: Photos: Juan Pablo Acevedo

LINKS

Youthstream

FIM

FIM Europe

RedSand

Australian Hunter Lawrence is a young man in a hurry. Having produced a handful of inspiring results in this year’s MX2 world championship, the 18-year-old then shocked the world by winning the MX2 overall at this year’s Monster Energy Motocross of Nations Presented by Fiat Professional.

Riding with nothing to lose the Aussie beat home AMA 250 Motocross Champion Zach Osborne, and proved that he will be a major threat in the 2018 MX2 title race. Looking back, Lawrence knew he would have good results around the Matterley Basin circuit.

“Just from free practice on Saturday,” Lawrence said. “It just felt good. I mean such an amazing layout and the track flows everywhere. And half the GP’s have been in the mud this year. I am just happy to be going into holidays and not injured”

Lawrence though won’t sit back in the sun relaxing, he wants to become the first Australian motocross rider to win a world motocross championship.

It’s only human to achieve something and want the next thing. Try next year to be a main title contender, that is what we are working on now. Of course, it would have been cool to get an overall win (this year), but it didn’t happen. Its character building and what is worth having doesn’t come easy, so it’s just keeping working, and chipping away and it’s there for sure.

As for his lack of consistency this year, the Australian teenager feels his lack of experience cost him at times, but knows that this year’s series has given him enough good and bad moments to assure he is ready in 2018 to battle the likes of Pauls Jonass and Jorge Prado for a championship.

“Last year I did five rounds and got injured and I came from 12-minute races in junior motocross in Australia, so a big learning curve. It is frustrating, because I know I can run with them, but we knew it wouldn’t be easy this year and we wanted to be top ten consistently and I think we are coming with that, top ten since Valkenswaard.”

Now a little holiday, and then back to work, as he prepares to try and do something a little more special than his MXoN overall win in the MX2 class. This time, he wants to be number one in the world, and continues what is truly an exciting time for the Australian rider.

Copyright: Photo: Ray Archer

Team France continued their domination of the Monster Energy FIM Motocross of Nations Presented by Fiat Professional, and as always it was Romain Febvre and Gautier Paulin who held strong for the team, but also World Enduro rider Christophe Charlier surprised everyone.

“I had two solid races and two good starts, “Febvre said. “The new bike is just amazing. We had been working for a few weeks but it already felt better. In the first race I was battling with Jeffrey and when he crashed I had to take off my goggles because I couldn’t see so well. With the lapped riders it was really difficult so I took a safe second. In the second race I felt I couldn’t continue again like this so stopped quickly for goggles but anyway we are so happy to have won for the fourth time. People had doubts about Christophe on social media but he won both the ISDE and the Nations and that’s quite amazing.”

For Paulin it was his fourth victory, joining Jeff Smith from Team Great Britain in the 1960s and Jeff Ward from the Team USA dream teams of the 1980s and 90s as the only riders to have won it four years running.

 “Winning the Nations is a crazy feeling that never gets old, “Paulin said. “This is such a special event with fans and spectators travelling from all parts of the word to see us race. I really want to thank my teammates Christophe Charlier and Romain Febvre. They did a great job and the overall win belongs to all three of us. The atmosphere this year has been amazing. As for me, it feels great to be able to get a fourth consecutive win with the team. I did my best to secure two good results in the final races, and I made it happen. I loved every moment of this year’s Motocross of Nations.”

As for Charlier, his results really made sure that the French would walk away with the Chamberlain Trophy.

 “I’m over the moon with this victory, “Charlier said. “Especially for me focusing all my efforts this season into the EnduroGP World Championship, it’s been a crazy experience coming back to the pinnacle of motocross competition. The Nations is always a huge event and this season it seemed that it was even more spectacular. As for me, I spent the last couple of weeks training on the FC 250 machine and it all worked out pretty well here in the UK. I got 14th in the first race and then managed to improve to sixth in race two. It’s been a crazy journey and it feels amazing to have now won the ISDE and the Nations during the same season.”

Now it will be onto USA in 2018 and the Redbud Motocross of Nations. Can the French win it again?