MXGP

CHARLOTTE (United States of America), 02 September 2016 – Unfortunately the tail end of Hurricane Hermine that hit the Florida state last night has drifted across and caught Charlotte where the penultimate round of the FIM Motocross World Championship was supposed to burst into life tonight. Due to the rain that has fallen and is scheduled to fall throughout the day today, the event management have made the decision to postpone today’s action, until 1:30pm tomorrow, Saturday 3^rd September.

The spectacular man-made track here at The Dirt Track, Charlotte Motor Speedway, has been sealed and covered with plastic in order to protect the dirt. Rain has been forecasted all day today, but will stop later this evening. The water will be drained off the track as soon as possible and early tomorrow morning MXGP’s track crew will head out onto the circuit and start turning the dirt over so that the dry soil is on top. The track is expected to be in perfect condition and the weather forecaster is looking bright and sunny, we can all look forward to a brilliant day of action packed motocross.

Due to the change in timetable, there will be no qualifying races tomorrow, only Free Practice and Timed Practice, and then straight into the main events. The Timed Practice sessions will be LIVE on www.mxgp-tv.com.

Also don’t miss the Studio Show with special guests Cooper Webb, Jorge Prado Garcia and Darian Sanayei, LIVE and FREE to view TODAY, Friday 02 September, at 4:45pm local time on www.mxgp-tv.com.

You can view the new time schedule here below:

Saturday: MX2 Free Practice 13:30; MXGP Free Practice 14:05; MX2 Time Practice 14:40; MXGP Time Practice 15:25, MX2 Race 1 17:15; MXGP Race 1 18:15; MX2 Race 2 20:10; MXGP Race 2 21:10.

LINKS

Youthstream

FIM

Monster Energy MXGP of Americas

CHARLOTTE (United States), 2 September 2016 - Yamaha Motor Europe N.V. is pleased to announce the addition of Justin Barcia to its rider line-up for the 2016 Monster Energy Supermotocross Riders' Cup, on October 8. The 25-year-old American will race alongside Romain Febvre, Benoit Paturel and Brent Van doninck inside the VELTINS-Arena in Gelsenkirchen, Germany, further strengthening Yamaha's participation in the event.

As a two-time AMA 250SX Supercross Champion and winner of the 2012 Monster Energy Cup Barcia will be looking to make the most of his vast experience of stadium racing at the first edition of the Monster Energy SMX Rider's Cup.

Fresh off a hard-fought fourth place finish in the 2016 AMA Motocross Championship, the Autotrader Monster Energy Yamaha Team rider will be a strong asset to Yamaha's squad in Germany.

Along with 2015 FIM MXGP World Champion Romain Febvre, 22-year-old Benoit Paturel and 20-year-old Brent Van doninck Yamaha's exciting quartet of riders will form a young and highly-promising team that will go head-to-head against the elite of international motocross and supercross racing.

Set to take place on October 8, 2016 inside the VELTINS-Arena in Gelsenkirchen, Germany, the inaugural edition of the Monster Energy SMX Riders' Cup will see the best riders in the world compete for brand supremacy in a stadium style motocross race.

Justin Barcia – Monster Energy Yamaha Team: "It's an honour to be selected to represent Yamaha at the first Monster Energy SMX Riders' Cup. I'm pumped to return to Europe and I'm really looking forward to racing next to my Yamaha teammates Febvre, Paturel and Van doninck. The race has a totally new format, which makes things even more exciting for us. Many of the world's best motocross and supercross riders will be there, so competition will be fierce. I'll do all I can to get Yamaha to the top."

You don't want to miss Monster Energy SMX Riders’ Cup! Click HERE to purchase your ticket in advance! 

Also, as a special offer, anyone who buys a ticket to the Monster Energy SMX Riders’ Cup will receive FREE admission to one of the worlds most popular motorcycle exhibitions ‘INTERMOT’ which will be taking place less than one hour away, in Cologne, Germany

LINKS

Youthstream

FIM

Monster Energy SMX Riders’ Cup

The gates dropped at the sixteenth round of the 2016 FIM Motocross World Championship at Assen, The Netherlands where two Dutchman were the fastest in front of their home crowd. Red Bull KTM Factory Racing's Glenn Coldenhoff set the fastest lap time for the weekend in MXGP while Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Jeffrey Herlings set the fastest time over the weekend in MX2.

If you don’t know about this competition, the way it works is; he who sets the fastest lap time in each MXGP or MX2 over the weekend at each round of MXGP this year will be awarded 1 point towards the TAG Heuer sponsored ‘fastest lap’ competition. At the end of the season, the rider who has the most points will be awarded an elegant gift of prestige, a TAG Heuer watch.

If you scroll down on the main page at MXGP.com you will see the TAG HEUER Fastest Lap results grid, which is situated directly underneath the FOX Holeshot results grid.

What an incredible track and venue here at the Dirt Track, a sector of the world famous Charlotte Motor Speedway, in Charlotte, North Carolina, where the penultimate round of the FIM Motocross World Championship will get underway tomorrow evening.

As an indication that the event is ripe and ready for action, Charlotte Motor Speedway’s Lenny Batycki invited the reigning AMA Motocross and Supercross Lites Champion, and North Carolina native, Cooper Webb to the start gates where the media could capture him participating in the first gate drop. Youthstream Director, Mr. David Luongo and FIM/CMS Director Tony Skillington were also in attendance.

Mr. Batycki mentioned that the event has already generated a lot of interest with the pre-race day ticket sales indicating that a new fan base has been reached with more than ten different nations taking interest in the event that will pin the best of America and the best of Europe against each other. “70% of the tickets already sold are to fans that have never been here at the Charlotte Motor Speedway,” he said.

After the gates fell for the first time, Webb returned to the start line where he was bombarded by the press eager to get a few words with the star regarding the track, the competition, and his participation in the Monster Energy FIM Motocross of Nations, among other things.

Following on, the cream of MXGP and MX2, such as Clement Desalle, Jeremy Van Horebeek, Glenn Coldenhoff, Shaun Simpson, Benoit Paturel, Brent Van Doninck, Jordi Tixier, Kevin Strijbos, Jake Nicholls, Arminas Jasikonis, Jeremy Seewer, Bas Vaessen, Jose Butron, Samuele Bernardini, Alvin Ostlund and Ivo Monticelli, went out to the Stewart Haas Racing headquarters where the man in charge of Stewart Haas Racing Sponsor Services, Mr. Eric Maycroft, took the boys on a tour where they were able to see inside the work shop.

Mr. Maycroft showed them the gym and explained how the mechanics need to keep fit in order to work on Nascar’s as it requires a lot more strength than most people realized. Some of the riders gave the ‘mechanic life’ a whirl, and agreed that some of the things the mechanics are required to do are strenuous. The tour at the factory ended with a stop at the gift shop before they going out to the Charlotte Motor Speedway oval where they were given the opportunity to be a passenger.

‘Where racing lives’ is the slogan out here at the Charlotte Motor Speedway, and we couldn’t agree more. We can’t think of a more fitting place to host the seventeenth round of the FIM Motocross World Championship. It’s going to be fantastic.

MONACO (Principality of Monaco) 1 September - Honda will maintain the search for the talent of tomorrow in 2017 with the announcement that the Honda 150 European Championship will continue next year.

The championship, which runs as a support series to MXGP, offers a complete development package for 11-14 year olds, nurturing them in the areas of riding style, bike setup, mentality, nutrition and fitness, as well as providing them with the ideal career springboard and familiarising them with racing on the World Championship stage.

The winner will take a step up in the Honda Racing Family with a Honda-supported ride in the European 250 championship in 2018.

As members of the Honda Racing Family in the World Motocross paddock, the aspiring youth riders will have invaluable access to workshops hosted by partners, sponsors and some of Honda’s MXGP stars.

Now entering its fifth year of running, the 2017 Honda 150 European Championship calendar will be announced by Youthstream and the FIM Europe in the coming weeks.

Registrations for the 2017 season of the Honda 150 European Championship will open soon. For more information visit www.honda150championship.com.

LINKS

Youthstream

FIM Europe

Honda 150 European Championship

Author: Honda 150 European Championship

MONACO (Principality of Monaco) 31 August 2016 - Prof. Marjan Olfers, one of the key contributers to FIM Europe Working Group on 'Minimum Age for International Motorsport' has been invited by FIM Europe 1st Deputy President Martin de Graaff to attend the FIM Motocross World Championship in Assen, The Netherlands. Marjan Olfers is Professor of Sports and Law at the Free University in Amsterdam and is recognised as one of the world ́s leading experts in this important scientific field.

The above mentioned working group consists of representatives from European Federations, being experts in medical science, training and coaching. Prof. Fabio Pigozzi, Rector of the University of Rome “Foro Italico” delivered also an important part to the results of the working group.  

FIM Europe is organizing a successful Motocross Championship in the classes 65cc, 85cc and 125cc, as of the age of 8 years. The working group has not identified binding European legislation that would ban riders of this age from competing.

Prof. Olfers has presented the survey to Youthstream President Giuseppe Luongo, whose company is the promoter of the World and the European Motocross Championship.

LINKS

Youthstream

FIM Europe

Photo: From left, Dr Wolfgang Srb, FIM Europe President, Prof. Marjan Olfers, Mr Giuseppe Luongo, Youthstream President, and Mr Martin de Graaff, FIM Europe 1st Deputy President.

CHARLOTTE (United States of America), 31 August 2016 - If you love the Motocross of Nations because it’s almost the only chance you can see the best of America racing the best in the world, then you’re not going to want to miss the penultimate round of the FIM Motocross World Championship, the Monster Energy MXGP of Americas, which will take place at The Dirt Track, at Charlotte Motor Speedway, this Friday, and Saturday night!

Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Eli Tomac, Autotrade Monster Energy Yamaha JGR Racing’s Justin Barcia, Monster Energy 360 Fly Chapparal Yamaha’s Chad Reed, Yamalube Star Racing Yamaha’s Cooper Webb, Monster Energy Kawasaki’s trio of Adam Cianciarulo, Joey Savatgy, and Austin Forkner are bound to be super spoilers at this round where Honda Gariboldi’s Tim Gajser and Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Jeffrey Herlings are hoping to wrap up the titles so they can race with clear minds next weekend at Glen Helen Raceway.

The coolest thing about having a race on a one-off man-made track in Charlotte is that it’s an equalizer. The Americans don’t know the circuit and nor do the Europeans, so it will come down to who can adapt the quickest. The track is surrounded by grand stands that guarantee amazing views of the track, which will be sick for the fans that come out and offer their full-throated support for the fastest riders in the world.

If everything goes to plan, Honda Gariboldi’s Tim Gajser should clinch the MXGP title this weekend, which will make him the first rider to take back-to-back titles in different classes since Greg Albertyn when he won the 125cc title in ’92 and the 250cc title in ’93. Gajser didn’t just push the boundaries this year; he leapt right over them and left them in the dust. The Slovenian is nothing short of incredible and it’s going to be exciting to see how his raw speed stacks up against the stars of America this weekend.

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Antonio Cairoli tends to like these new venues, and has recently been on the pace. Last year he came back from injury and tried to race Glen Helen where he randomly set the fastest lap times in the races, but pulled out because ‘he wasn’t fit enough’, in his words. This time round, he’s fit, and he’s fast, he will be a podium threat.

There’s a good chance that Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing’s Romain Febvre is already thinking about 2017, when he can have another shot at the title. The same can be said for fellow Frenchman Team HRC’s Gautier Paulin, who spent the winter out here in the United States training with the most famous trainer in the industry, Aldon Baker. While both Frenchies are frustrated with how their year has panned out, they are hard-core racers and will be in it to win it here at The Dirt Track.

Monster Energy Kawasaki Racing Team’s Clement Desalle finally watered his grass after a two-year drought when he topped the box at the MXGP of The Netherlands last weekend. Desalle has been through the wringer this year with injury and at the same time, he has been trying to adapt to a new bike. He mentioned in the press conference last weekend that it has taken longer than he expected to feel comfortable on the bike, but they’ve finally found a set-up that works for him. We’ll give him a ‘watch this space’ label for this round.

Arguably one of the most anticipated riders to race MXGP this weekend is Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Eli Tomac who has never raced a round of the FIM Motocross World Championship before, although he has raced the Monster Energy FIM Motocross of Nations in 2013 and 2014.

It’s always exciting to see Autotrade Monster Energy Yamaha JGR Racing’s Justin Barcia on the entry list and the same can be said for Monster Energy 360 Fly Chapparal Yamaha’s Chad Reed who will be back to try his hand at MXGP, except this time it will be on American soil.

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Dean Wilson is likely going to be out to prove a point this weekend since he was not picked to represent Team Great Britain at the Monster Energy FIM Motocross of Nations. So that could make for an interesting race between he and his fellow Brits Wilvo Virus Performance KTM’s Shaun Simpson and Monster Energy DRT Kawasaki’s Tommy Searle.

MXGP Championship Top Ten: 1. Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 653 points; 2. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 588 p.; 3. Maximilian Nagl (GER, HUS), 542 p.; 4. Romain Febvre (FRA, YAM), 522 p.; 5. Evgeny Bobryshev (RUS, HON), 494 p.; 6. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, YAM), 477 p.; 7. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, KTM), 347 p.; 8. Clement Desalle (BEL, KAW), 342 p.; 9. Valentin Guillod (SUI, YAM), 326 p.; 10. Shaun Simpson (GBR, KTM), 307 p.

“Those guys are going to be fast,” Jeffrey Herlings said about the American’s entering MX2 this weekend, “I just want to get the championship, that’s the most important thing, but of course I want to win as well,” he took a deep breath, “I don’t know, we will see how it goes, I just want the title, that’s the main thing.” Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Jeffrey Herlings’ has one thing on his mind, and he won’t be able to relax until that title is in hand. It can’t come soon enough for the Flying Dutchman who has been to hell and back over the last two years.

Out to beat ‘The Bullet’ will be Yamalube Star Racing Yamaha’s Cooper Webb and Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki’s duo of Adam Ciancarulo and Joey Savatgy. Webb is a familiar face, he’s been over to Europe a couple of times, while Ciancarulo and Savatgy will be racing the FIM Motocross World Championship for the first time.

There is a new wave of young talent coming through. In Europe the hottest prospect following his epic MX2 debut last weekend is Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Jorge Prado, while stateside, it would appear it’s Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Austin Forkner. Both of these kids know how to rip and are in the process of setting the world on fire. Also making his MX2 debut this weekend will be Bud Racing Monster Energy Kawasaki’s American EMX250 vice champion Darian Sanayei who will be on the Studio Show on Friday night with fellow American Cooper Webb, and Spanish talent Jorge Prado.

Team Suzuki World MX2’s Jeremy Seewer had a weekend to forget in The Netherlands, so there’s no doubt he can’t wait to get on the line and put that weekend to bed.

Back to home soil for Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Thomas Covington, the new hero on the block after he won race one in Herlings’ back yard last weekend. Covington tends to ride better at the fly-aways, so it’s easy to count on him for an impressive ride this weekend, while his teammate Max Anstie will also be looking to make shapes this weekend.

MX2 Championship Top Ten: 1. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 644 points; 2. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, SUZ), 568 p.; 3. Benoit Paturel (FRA, YAM), 460 p.; 4. Max Anstie (GBR, HUS), 447 p.; 5. Pauls Jonass (LAT, KTM), 403 p.; 6. Dylan Ferrandis (FRA, KAW), 378 p.; 7. Petar Petrov (BUL, KAW), 351 p.; 8. Brian Bogers (NED, KTM), 349 p.; 9. Samuele Bernardini (ITA, TM), 341 p.; 10. Aleksandr Tonkov (RUS, YAM), 320 p.

All the photos of the Monster Energy MXGP of Americas will be available HERE

TIMETABLE

Friday: MX2 Free Practice 15:45; MXGP Free Practice 16:15; MX2 Time Practice 17:45; MXGP Time Practice 18:30; MX2 Qualifying Race 20:40; MXGP Qualifying Race 21:20.

Saturday: MX2 Warm up 15:00; MXGP Warm up 15:20; MX2 Race 1 17:15; MXGP Race 1 18:15; MX2 Race 2 20:10; MXGP Race 2 21:10.

LINKS

Youthstream

FIM

Monster Energy MXGP of Americas

The Fox Holeshot award runs across the entire MXGP season. The way it works is 1 point is awarded for each race holeshot. He who has the most points in MXGP at the end of the season will win the grand prize of €10,000 while he with the most points in MX2 will win the grand prize of €5,000.

At the MXGP of The Netherlands which was held in Assen on August 28th Red Bull KTM Factory Racing duo Antonio Cairoli and Glenn Coldenhoff took the FOX holeshots in Race 1 and Race 2 respectively.

Meanwhile in MX2 Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Jorge Prado took both FOX holeshots on his MX2 debut.

Watch the MXGP of the Netherlands ‘Fox Holeshot’ films here below.           

MXGP of The Netherlands FOX Holeshot MXGP Film

MXGP of The Netherlands FOX Holeshot MX2 Film

The YZ125Cup is the heart of Yamaha Racing's bLU cRU program, focused on growing Yamaha's young and talented riders and integrating them into the top motocross classes in the Yamaha family.

Six of the top YZ125Cup riders from around Europe made their way to the Netherlands at the end of August to watch the final European round of the 2016 FIM Motocross World Championship in Assen. The six bLU cRU members received VIP passes to tour the race paddock and have the chance to meet with YZ125Cup Masterclass Instructor David Philippaerts, and enjoy lunch and dinner with Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP Team riders Jeremy Van Horebeek and Romain Febvre, Wilvo Standing Construct Yamaha Racing Official MX2 rider Alvin Östlund and Kemea Yamaha Racing Official MX2 Team riders Benoit Paturel, Brent Van Doninck and Maxime Renaux.

The YZ125Cup is nearly upon us, and the SuperFinale at the VELTINS-Arena on October 8th is only a few weeks away. Already across Europe the top young talents from the bLU cRU are finishing their national championships and preparing to join the top 46 YZ125 riders in Germany for their chance at a professional contract in 2017.

Meanwhile many national championships have already closed, and a full update of the YZ125Cup qualifiers is coming soon. Four countries are still racing, and soon the selected riders from Italy, Norway, Sweden and Finland will know if they are among those going to the VELTINS-Arena.

Sweden's long summer days make for perfect motocross weekends. Young YZ125Cup rider Tim Edberg made his bid to join the starting line-up at the VELTINS-Arena with a third overall on the tough sandtrack at Finspång in the Swedish Championship.

Quick starts and excellent acceleration in the opening laps put Edberg among the top three in Finspång, but a mid-moto highside threw the unlucky Swedish teenager from his line and dropped him back to nearly 20th. Hard work, steady focus and a reliable YZ125 brought him back to finish eighth in the first race, and a solid fourth in the second put him fourth overall and third in Sweden's YZ125Cup with one race to go.

Italy and Finland are also still competing, with races through September set to clinch their spots at the YZ125Cup SuperFinale. Ten nations have already completed their championships.

Spain will send Gervasio Cañas, Hugo Arriazu and Enric Vendrell to Germany. Arriazu finished on the second step of the podium four times, and was overtaken in the final moto of the series by Vendrell who stepped up from a string of thirds.

Belgium's tough National Championship has produced three candidates for the YZ125Cup, including Matthew Lefevre, Ryan Bonnewijn and Thibault Maroit. Nearby France produced YZ125Cup winner Calvin Fonvieille, and will send three more: Alexis Colignon, Anthony Calistri and Jeremy Hauquier.

In Germany the YZ125Cup ran in conjunction with the 125 National Championship, and series winner Ben Gosepath will come to the VELTINS-Arena together with Theo Praun. From Switzerland the three bLU cRU members who will compete in the SuperFinale are Flavio Wolf, Jan Müller and Janik Vogel.

Dutch teenager Jeroen Bussink won the YZ125Cup in the Netherlands, with Max Schwarte taking the second spot for the SuperFinale. In the United Kingdom it's Tom Grimshaw, Bill Moynes and Jordan Hearn set to come to Germany in October.

Andrei Poponut is the only bLU cRU representative from Bulgaria, with Skordas Stylianos and Dimitrios Touratzidis the two winners from the YZ125Cup held in Greece. Portugal will send Bruno Charrua after his top performance in the YZ125Cup.

The YZ125Cup is a pan-European championship for teenagers from 12-16 years of age. Riders must race the 2016 season on a Yamaha YZ125 in one of 15 selected FIM-approved national championships. 

The top scoring riders registered for the European YZ125 Cup in each national championship will be invited to the 2016 SuperFinale on October 8th at the VELTINS-Arena, Gelsenkirchen  Germany, for a chance to compete in front of a huge crowd.

The top six SuperFinale riders, joined by two wildcards, will then win a multi-day Master Class with DP19 Yamaha Official MX Team Manager, MXGP Rider and 2008 MX1 World Champion, David Philippaerts. 

Experienced motocross professionals who mentor the YZ125Cup riders during the Master Class will observe and select one talented new Yamaha rider to receive a full professional contract and YZ125 bike for the 2017 EMX125 season.