Horsham to host FIM World Junior Motocross Championship in 2018

Motorcycling Australia (MA) has announced that the Horsham Motorcycle Club has won the right to host the FIM World Junior Motocross Championships (WJMX) in 2018.

The 2018 FIM World Junior Motocross Championship will be held over three days, with practice taking place on Friday, qualifying taking place on Saturday, and racing to occur on Sunday.

Countries from around the world select their best young up-and-coming riders to compete in individual classes and team events. The specific dates in 2018 are still yet to be finalised.

Horsham Motorcycle Club President Kenny Watts said hosting the event was a huge coup for the club and that it was looking forward to showcasing itself on the world stage.

“It’s the biggest junior motocross event that will ever be held in Australia, and we’re extremely excited to host it,” Watts said.

“It was a bit of a spur-of-the-moment call that I made at the 2013 Australian Junior Motocross Championship presentation night, in which I suggested it (the FIM World Junior Motocross Championships) was something we should put in for.

“The club decided to contact Motorcycling Australia and we got the ball rolling from there.”

Watts said the club was expecting hundreds of riders from across the globe to compete across the three classes (65cc, 85cc and 125cc), and would do everything possible to ensure it will be well prepared to host the world-class event.

“Horsham is already an established club with fairly impressive infrastructure, so a lot of the things we will require for the event are already in place,” Watts said.

“Since 2012 when we built this track, we’ve run 14 Australian national titles. We’ve done numerous rounds of the MX Nationals, we’ve run two Australian Women’s Motocross Championships there, plus sidecars and quad bikes; we just love running big events.

“We’ll do the right thing and we’ll go overseas and check out how other clubs are doing it in the meantime. We’ll be looking to emulate the good things and improve on the things that we think need to be improved on.”

MA CEO Dale Gilson said hosting an event such as the FIM World Junior Motocross Championship would be a massive boost to motorcycling in Australia.

“This is a magnificent result for the Horsham Motorcycling Club to be given the chance to host the FIM World Junior Motocross Championship, and I congratulate everyone involved with the process,” Gilson said.

“Landing an international event of this magnitude is not only fantastic for the Horsham community and for Victoria, but also for motorcycling in Australia overall.

“MA is always committed to showcasing events like the FIM World Junior Motocross Championship in Australia, and we will work together with the club and Motorcycling Victoria to deliver a truly wonderful event.”

Courtesy of Mcnews

26-yearold Jason O’Halloran this week has received a call-up to the Moto2 ranks to replace the injured Mike Di Meglio in the Jir Team.

Now in this third season in the British Superbike Championship ranks with Samsung Honda, after first enjoying a stint with SMT Honda, the Wollongong rider has now been on the European stage for a number of years with a best result of British Superstock 1000 Championship runner-up last year.

Jason won the Australian Supersport Championship with Honda in 2007 and scored a highly creditable fourth place in the 2008 Australian Superbike Championship however his early move to the UK was hampered by a significant wrist injury that frustrated the early part of his career in Europe. This year he has been contesting the British Supersport Championship and scored fifth and third place finishes at Cadwell Park last weekend.

This weekend marks round 12 of the MotoGP World Championship at Silverstone, a track Jason has much experience at and thus is a good fit to slot straight into Moto2.

Jason O’Halloran – I’m really looking forward to the weekend. I race in the British Supersport championship with Samsung Honda so the Moto2 championship is a series I look up to and follow closely.

“It will be an honour and a privilege to be part of it. Silverstone is a circuit I know well and have had some good results there in the past.

“To be part of both the British Grand Prix experience and race with a very experienced team like JiR is going to be very special for me.

“It will be hard to predict any results just yet, as I’ve never even sat on a Moto2 machine, let alone ridden one, but I think coming from Supersport is probably easier than coming from the Superbike class. Either way, I’m coming to Silverstone this weekend off the back of two good results in British Supersport so my confidence is high and I’m looking forward to working with the team and learning the bike session by session.”

Jir Team Boss Gianluca Montiron – “With the hope of a speedy recovery of our main rider we decided to be present at the next races to honour the commitments with those who gave us their confidence and sponsorship.

“The healing time for the kind of injury that Mike has suffered requires patience and we are aware that he should return only when he will be at his 100% condition.

“Thanks to the friendliness of Team Samsung Honda UK, we will have Jason, a rider who knows the track well and the special English weather! We are all aware of how difficult a debut in a category which is hard-fought like Moto2 will be, furthermore this will be the first time for Jason riding a prototype machine, but we will provide all our know-how to ensure that he’ll enjoy himself and take this occasion as an opportunity to see up close the best riders of the world.”

Di Meglio suffered a compound fracture of the sacral bone and is out of action for at least 30 days and is undergoing treatment in France. His best result on the Jir machine was a seventh place in France, he has also finished outside the top 20 on a number of occasions this season, including in his last two competitive outings before his crash at Brno.

On Saturday Scott Redding defended his lead in the Moto2 World Championship with a hard fought second place in Assen, while on Sunday he picked up his first points in the Belgian National Supermoto Championship.

After a race long duel with Pol Espargaro in the Moto2 Dutch TT at Assen, Redding parked his Kalex Moto2 bike and immediately headed south to Belgium, to compete in the inaugural Supermoto de Spa Francorchamps event.

The event, which was held in aid of a children’s cancer charity, pitched Redding against the regulars of the Belgian and Dutch Supermoto Championships, as well as other guest riders such as reigning Superstock Endurance World Champion, Grégory Fastré.

Bright sunshine, perfect track conditions and a big crowd, many fortified with copious amounts of Belgium’s finest beer, greeted Redding as he headed out for the 20-minute qualifying session, to the accompaniment of someone’s ’80s mix tape blasting out over the circuit PA.

“That was fun,” declared Redding, after the session. “It’s the first time I’ve ridden the Supermoto bike on a dirt section, which was interesting. Riding the dirt, and the big jump, was okay, but it was a bit sketchy coming off the dirt and back onto the tarmac. It was hard for me, as I ride with the knee down and need to take some lean angle but overall I was happy with the first session, which I finished in P9. Not bad when you see how fast some of these guys are!”

After the session Redding joined a group photo with all the competing riders and was presented with a race shirt by Marc Fraikin, multiple Belgian and Dutch Supermoto Champion who also races with the number 45.

It was Fraikin who took the win in the opening prestige class race, in which Redding collected three championship points and qualified for the second race aboard his Kawasaki KX450F. In the second outing, which was won by Jaimie van Sikkelerus, the Marc VDS rider improved again, picking up four more points and qualifying for the Superfinale.

The physical demands of a full race programme at Assen and then a qualifying session and two races at Spa, meant that Redding opted out of contesting the Superfinale, which was won by Kevin Novelli Vieillevoye.

“The racing was fun but also hard work, especially the dirt section. Riding the dirt on slicks and then hitting the asphalt sideways with dirt on the tyres was interesting, but mega fun! After racing in Assen yesterday and then doing two races and a qualifying session here at Spa today, I’m looking forward to a lie in tomorrow, as well as some rest ahead of the next Moto2 race at the Sachsenring. It’s been a great day here at Spa; everyone I’ve met has been fantastic and, hopefully, we’ve raised a fair bit of money for the children’s charity as well.”

“I’d like to say a big thank you to Joël Delsupexhe, the guys at AS Moto and the event organisers for the invitation and also for looking after me so well. Thanks also to Marc Fraikin for the shirt, it’s good to see there’s a fast rider behind the number 45 in Supermoto too! Finally I want to say get well soon to the Marc VDS Parts Coordinator, Patrick Kramer, who was going well in his race, until he had a bit of a moment on the jump and dislocated his shoulder,” concluded Redding.

Redding will stay on in Belgium for training, before heading to the Sachsenring next week for round eight of the FIM Moto2 World Championship, the final round before the traditional summer break.

Courtesy of Mcnews

The latest version of Suzuki’s iconic sportsbike – the legendary Hayabusa – has swooped in on the Australian market.

Shocking the motorcycling world upon its inception in 1999 and named after the Japanese bird of prey capable of speeds in excess of 300 km/h, the latest Suzuki Hayabusa is sure to turn heads with an all-new Yellow/Black livery option.

The 2013 Suzuki Hayabusa is the first Suzuki sportsbike to feature an Antilock Brake System (ABS), complementing the Hayabusa’s excellent handling and adding another chapter in the ongoing evolution of this legendary sportsbike.

In addition, the 2013 Hayabusa is now equipped with radial mount Brembo monobloc front brake calipers, promising tactile feedback to the rider and increased initial bite to tame the Hayabusa’s incredible power.

This iconic hyper-sports bike also features the advanced Suzuki Drive Mode Selector (S-DMS) giving the rider a choice of three available engine maps to suit rider preferences and riding conditions.

Designed for maximum performance, the new 2013 Suzuki Hayabusa represents the pinnacle of sportsbike engineering, performance and styling.

The 2013 Suzuki Hayabusa is now available in three all new aggressive and sporty styled colour schemes – Glass Sparkle Black/Metallic Grey, Pearl Glacier White/Metallic Grey and Marble Daytona Yellow/Glass Sparkle Black and despite an array of technical and safety refinements has kept the same retail price as last year’s model at $19,290*.

Customers should visit participating Suzuki dealers, who can be found via the Dealer Locator on www.suzuki.com.au, for more information.

Courtesy of Mcnews

MIchael Dunlop will be awarded the Joey Dunlop TT Championship Trophy thanks to his four incredible wins so far at the 2013 Isle of Man TT Races fuelled by Monster Energy. With wins in the Dainese Superbike, both Monster Energy Supersport races and the Royal London 360 Superstock race, the 24 year old Dunlop has an unassailable lead in the 2013 TT Championshiop. The Ballymoney man has achieved all this before the blue riband race, the PokerStars Senior TT, which is due to take place on Friday 7th June.

The Joey Dunlop Trophy is awarded to the overall champion, based on a World Championship points system, across the Solo classes, excluding the SES TT Zero and Bikesocial.co.uk Lightweight races. Having already accumulated the maximum possible 100 points after only four of the five races, Michael Dunlop will receive the trophy and £10,000 prize money. However, second and third positions are still to be decided and with a wide range of other riders sharing the podium with Dunlop, a number of the leading riders are still in the running to finish runner-up.

John McGuinness tops the chasing pack with a total of 61 points after achieving his 40th podium position in Wednesday’s Monster Energy Supersport Race 2. His grand total of podiums equals that of the TT wins record-holder and McGuinness’ hero, Joey Dunlop. Bruce Anstey is only 2 points behind the Morecambe rider in the Championship points with 59 points after top ten finishes in all four races to date including two podiums. William Dunlop, James Hillier, Cameron Donald and Dean Harrison also still have a mathematical chance of finishing second.

The Privateers Championship on the other hand is still very much up for grabs. Steve Mercer is the current leader with 50 points but is closely followed in the table by Lee Johnston with 49 points and Dan Kneen and Ben Wylie, who are both on 44 points. Dan Cooper, Robert Wilson, Rob Barber and Davy Morgan all still have a chance of finishing top in the battle to be top privateer.

Courtesy of Mcnews
8:53 am est

The 2013 Isle of Man TT was a resounding success for Honda, with all contested races – seven of the nine solo and sidecar races – won by Honda-powered machinery.

TT race week began in spectacular style with the first of the Sidecar races. Quadruple World Champion Tim Reeves took his first TT victory alongside passenger Dan Sayle, aboard their Honda-based machine.

Attention then turned to Sunday’s highly anticipated Superbike race, which ended in an all-Honda podium. Honda TT Legends’ Michael Dunlop stormed to victory to bring home his first TT win for Honda, 30 years after his uncle Joey Dunlop achieved the same feat. Team-mate John McGuinness took third place behind Wilson Craig Honda’s Cameron Donald and in doing so set a new outright lap record of 131.67mph.

The following day saw Michael Dunlop securing his second win of the week in the Supersport race, with the MD Racing Honda CBR600RR. He then went on to take his second victory of the day in the Superstock race, setting a stunning new lap record of 131.220mph, only 3.5 seconds off the outright Superbike lap record on a superstock CBR1000RR Fireblade.

In the second Supersport race, Michael Dunlop put in another blistering performance with his MD Racing Honda to secure the win and set another new lap record of 128.667mph.

Bruce Anstey and John McGuinness – both riding for HM Plant Honda by Padgett’s Motorcycles – placed second and third respectively to complete another all-Honda podium.

The second Sidecar race on the same day saw former World Champions Ben and Tom Birchall leading from start to finish aboard their Honda-powered machinery to take their first TT victory.

All eyes then turned to the final battle of the Isle of Man TT, the one everyone wants to win – the Senior TT.

With four wins already in the bag, Michael Dunlop was aiming for five out of five, while John McGuinness was on the hunt for his first TT victory of 2013. It was McGuinness who triumphed after an epic battle with Honda TT Legends team-mate Dunlop and in doing so took his 20th TT win and 41st podium. Kiwi Bruce Anstey completing yet another Honda 1-2-3 on his Padgetts machine.

Honda’s overall tally of TT wins now stands at an impressive 170.

Neil Tuxworth, Manager – Honda Racing; “The Isle of Man TT is and always will be a very special event for Honda. It’s where we began racing back in 1959 and it is always high on our racing agenda.

“We are extremely pleased to have achieved such strong results in 2013 with our supported teams and to have taken both Superbike races with the Honda TT Legends team.

“Every race, in which a Honda-powered machine started, was won by a Honda-powered machine and we have very much proved that both the CBR600RR and CBR1000RR Fireblade are still the bikes to beat on the roads.”

Courtesy of Mcnews
10:58 am est

Luca Gardner and his team Briefing Competició finished round three of the CMV on the third step of the podium last weekend at Circuit Calafat. After combining results from two races held today, Luca was able to continue his run of podium finishes in the first three races of the season.

Luca and the team worked hard on Saturday to test a lot of different set ups and riding styles, and by the end of the day he had reduced his previous best time at Calafat by two seconds.

Sunday was a busy day with qualifying in the morning, followed by two races. He qualified third and made a blazing start in race one to take the lead into the first corner. He wasn’t able to hold onto the lead for long however, and ended up sitting in 3rd, with a comfortable lead from 4th.

Unfortunately he made a little mistake when the front of the bike slid from underneath him and he ran off the track but managed to keep it upright. He joined the circuit again in fourth, and that’s where he finished race.

“I was really upset with myself when I ran off the track. I knew it would be difficult to catch first place, but felt I could fight a bit with second, and at least finish in third, but it was good experience, and hopefully I’ll learn from the mistake,” said Luca.

He was determined to improve his result in race two, and once again got a good start with the first three going into the first corner together, and Luca coming out on top to lead for the first halflap. Luca fought hard to stay in position but was overtaken and reduced to fourth before a red flag accident stopped the race on lap three. The race was restarted and again Luca got an incredible break from the line to lead the first lap of the race. Once again he was caught on the second lap and relegated to third. Fighting hard to pull away from fourth throughout the race he finally took the chequered flag in third place, and set his fastest time of the weekend.

“I was really proud of how Luca handled this weekend. We did a lot of testing on Saturday and he just kept improving his times and working hard to get the bike right. Sunday was a big day with qualifying and two races and I think he did really well to finish on the podium again. This is his first full season of road racing, and the experience and confidence he’s building each race is really important,” said his father Wayne Gardner.

“I’d like to say congratulations to Gerard Riu Male who came first in both races, and Ryan Van de Lagemaat who was second in both races. They did a really good job and I look forward to racing them again,” Said Luca.

Courtesy of Mcnews
9:46 am est

The Maxima Racing Oils Conondale Classic is arguably the biggest VMX race meeting on the calendar and once again the Queensland Vintage Motocross Club will host the annual event over the weekend of the 3rd and 4th of August with motocross machinery from the 1950s through to the Pre 1990 era eligible for the racing.

Some of the biggest names from yesteryear will be on hand to race in the Pro-Class races including Stephen Gall, James Deakin, David Armstrong, Geoff Ballard, Darryl Willoughby and Trevor Williams while there will be a strong New Zealand contingent on hand led by 1996 World 500cc Motocross Champion Shayne King who will be joined by Kiwi legends Mark Whyte and Tony Cooksley among others.

There will be a full program of race events for riders of all ages in the Pre 70, Pre 75, Pre 78, Evolution, Twin Shock, Four Stroke, Pre 85, Pre 90, Ladies and Sidecar classes as well as the new Shannon’s Insurance VMX Non-Competitive Ride Sessions for the riders who don’t want to race their pride and joy but want to be part of this great event.

There will be VMX and Trade Displays, Camping, Hot Showers and Catering available as well as Entertainment for the campers on Saturday night so to be part of Australia’s biggest VMX race event go to www.qvmx.com.au.

Courtesy of Mcnews
11:41 am est