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Moto News Weekly Wrap
March 12, 2024

What’s New:

• Crash hampers Wil Ruprecht at Italian Enduro opener
• Husqvarna Junior Racing Team confirm three-rider line-up for 2024
• Historic podium for Triumph at MXGP opener
• 2024 Specialized General GNCC Report
• 2024 AORC Rounds 1 & 2 Roma Recap
• Billy Bolt recovering well following surgery
• Jago Geerts injured
• 2023 FIM MXGP Round One – MXGP of Patagonia-Argentina – Rider Quotes
• 2024 AMA Supercross Round Nine Alabama – Rider Quotes
• 2024 American Flat Track Daytona I & II
• 2024 Racing Calendars

Crash hampers Wil Ruprecht’s headway at Italian Enduro opener

The opening round of the Italian Enduro Championship took place over the weekend in Cavaglià, located a few kilometres from Lake Viverone in the province of Biella.

The event was organised by the Azeglio Moto Club, which had to modify the route because of the weather conditions, shortening the route and moving most of the connections to asphalt roads. Despite all their efforts, the torrential rains forced them to cancel the race that was scheduled for Sunday.

Aussie Wil Ruprecht finished 14th in the “Foreign” category after a big fall in a special where he lost a minute.

Wil Ruprecht

“The first round started well for me. I found my rhythm and I felt good, I was able to adapt to the conditions. I wanted to increase the pace in the second lap, everything was going well, and my speed was good, until a fall made me lose a lot of time. During the last three laps, I found the consistency and speed I was looking for. Unfortunately, it rained on the second day, and we couldn’t race, but I supported the decision, because it was the safest and most reasonable for the riders and teams.”

New Zealand’s Hamish Macdonald posted the fourth-fastest time on his 300 SE 2T and the third-best time in the “Foreign” category.

Hamish Macdonald

“This was my first race on the 300 2-stroke. I took my bearings during the first lap, and I increased the pace in the second. This strategy paid off, since it allowed me to achieve very good times on the second lap specials. I was able to improve my results throughout the times and win a special stage in the third round! The course was very difficult, and I am satisfied with the results. It was a good test and a nice way to get acquainted with the new bike.”

The Italian Championship reconvenes on the weekend of April 28 at Caltanissetta, in Sicily.

Husqvarna Junior Racing Team confirm three-rider line-up for 2024

The Husqvarna Junior Racing Team has confirmed a three-rider line-up for 2024, with Jack Deveson and Ethan Wolfe returning to the squad alongside newcomer Peter Wolfe.

Both Jack Deveson and Peter Wolfe will be aboard the Husqvarna Motorcycles TC 125 and FC 250 models as they contest the 13-U15 years 125cc and 250cc categories in their respective state titles, Australian Junior Motocross Championship (AJMX) and the MX3 class in the Australian ProMX Championship.

A string of injuries for Deveson last year halted progress for the young New South Welshman, before finishing the year off on a positive note with convincing results throughout the Australian Supercross Championship (AUSX). He’s entering his third year with the Husqvarna Junior Racing Team.

For Peter Wolfe, a solid showing at last year’s AJMX event at Acacia Hills, where he finished P2 overall in the highly-competitive 85cc 12-U14 years division, caught the attention of many as he solidified himself as a young rider to watch in the future.

The younger of the Wolfe brothers, Ethan enters his second term with the Husqvarna Junior Racing Team, and will once again race the Husqvarna Motorcycles TC 65 and TC 85. With a strong showing at AJMX last year, where he finished P3 in the 65cc 10-U12 years and fourth in the 85cc 9-U12 years classes, he will look to use that experience to contest for titles this season.

Tam Paul – KTM Group Australia National Brand Manager

“We welcome Peter Wolfe to our team this year, as a loyal, high-achieving Husky young gun he is a perfect fit for the national team. Peter will be riding the TC 125 and FC 250 across the country along with his younger brother and returning team rider Ethan Wolfe on the TC 85. Ethan had a fantastic 2023 with both national and state podiums, so he is looking to cement himself as one of the top 85SW riders in the country this year. Jack Deveson, hailing from country NSW, is also returning for the team in 2024 and will enter his final year of junior racing on the TC 125 and FC 250. Jack had a few injuries last year, but is certainly building and getting back to the brilliance he displayed throughout 2022 whilst challenging Heath Fisher for top national honours. Heath, a long-term Husky junior is concentrating his racing efforts in the USA for 2024 – we wish him well and I am sure he will do Australia proud! We have some exciting new partnerships for 2024 on the Husky team and welcome TDUB, Maxxis and M2R to the program, and of course our long-term sponsors Motorex and SKDA are backing us all the way.”

Historic podium for Triumph at MXGP opener

Monster Energy Triumph Racing’s MX2 racer Mikkel Haarup wrote history with a stunning third overall at the MXGP of Patagonia-Argentina, following up his first-moto fifth with a close runner-up finish in race two to secure his for Triumph’s first overall podium result in the MX2 World Championship.

Mikkel Haarup

“It’s been a really amazing start to the season! A podium is perfect and a great way to start the year for myself and Monster Energy Triumph Racing. My qualifying race was not so good, but I knew that I had the speed to run in the top three today. All through the off-season we have been building and building, and what we’ve achieved today is the result of a lot of hard work by everyone involved. I felt comfortable on the bike all weekend – and that was really important on a tricky track like this. Today we’ve shown what this bike is capable of and overall, I’m really happy with my performance.”

Vincent Bereni – Monster Energy Triumph Racing Team Manager

“A great start for the team and also Triumph. It has been a long road to get here and clearly, hard work pays off. Everyone on the team, the riders, the mechanics, everyone has worked so hard to get here and what Mikkel has achieved today is incredible. We knew we would be competitive but, until you race, you never really know. But now we do. Camden also rode really well, and now the team is excited to head home to Europe, and we all look forward to Spain in two weeks’ time.”

GNCC The General – Georgia

Day two of The Specialized General, the third round of the 2024 Progressive Grand National Cross Country (GNCC) Series, saw sunny and mild conditions as GNCC history was made in Georgia.

As the afternoon Pro race got underway, it was Ricky Russell charging to the first turn to earn himself the $250 Steel City Medical Center holeshot award in Georgia.

The XC1 Open Pro battle was on as the physical race leaders seemed to change each lap with Kawasaki’s Steward Baylor leading on lap one, and then FMF KTM Factory Racing’s Johnny Girroir would hold the lead on lap two only to find Russell leading the way on lap three. Girroir would make the pass back around Russell on lap four and continue to hold the physical lead for the remaining two laps of the race, earning his third-straight win in the XC1 Open Pro class.

However, as the XC2 250 Pro class starts a row behind the XC1 Open Pro class, there are time adjustments and with that time adjustment the race saw Team Enduro Engineering’s Josh Toth leading the way for the majority of the race. Toth was also physically up to second overall at one point in the race but would eventually come through third overall physically and remain in the number one spot with the adjusted time. Toth would make GNCC history in Georgia as he became the first overall winner from the XC2 250 Pro class.

Coastal GASGAS Factory Racing’s Jordan Ashburn battled back after finishing just off the podium at the first two races of the season. Ashburn continued to push throughout the day, finding himself back in fourth again at one point. Ashburn remained in second for the last couple of laps and would hold onto that finishing position in the XC1 class while earning third overall on the day.

Steward Baylor battled back after holding the early lead and then falling back to fifth on the third lap of the race. Baylor battled back to round out the top three XC1 finishers while earning fourth overall on the day. Baylor continues to hold the number two spot in the points standings after three races.

AmPro Yamaha’s Ricky Russell would come through to earn fourth in XC1 and fifth overall on the day after grabbing the holeshot and battling at the front of the pack for the first half of the race. Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Craig DeLong is slowly building his momentum back up as he had a consistent day of running inside the top five. DeLong would come through to earn fifth in XC1, and sixth overall on the day.

FMF KTM Factory Racing’s Dante Oliveira made his way back to the East Coast this weekend for another round of GNCC Racing where he came back from an eleventh place start to finish sixth in the XC1 class, 12th overall on the day. Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Trevor Bollinger would also start near the back of the pack as he came through in 10th on the opening lap. Bollinger would make his way back up to seventh in class and 13th overall at round three.

After a bad start, Babbitt’s Online/Monster Energy/Kawasaki Team Green’s Grant Baylor made his way up to eighth in the XC1 class. He would finish 14th overall on the day.

JS Sherco Racing’s Josh Strang finished 16th overall in the Georgia clay and ninth in the XC1 class. Phoenix Racing Honda’s Mike Witkowski rounded out the top 10 in the XC1 class, coming through 17th overall on the day.

XC1 Pro Event Results

1. Jonathan Girroir (KTM)
2. Jordan Ashburn (GAS)
3. Steward Baylor (KAW)
4. Ricky Russell (YAM)
5. Craig DeLong (HQV)
6. Dante Oliveira (KTM)
7. Trevor Bollinger (HQV)
8. Grant Baylor (KAW)
9. Josh Strang (SHR)
10. Michael Witkowski (HON)

Overall National Championship Standings

1. Jonathan Girroir (85)
2. Steward Baylor (64)
3. Jordan Ashburn (54)
4. Grant Davis (50)
5. Angus Riordan (42)
6. Joshua Toth (36)
7. Evan Smith (30)
8. Ricky Russell (29)
9. Trevor Bollinger (29)
10. Grant Baylor (28)

XC2 250 Pro

As Toth made history earning the overall win from the XC2 line it would be FMF KTM Factory Racing Lander’s Grant Davis coming through to earn second in the XC2 class, while also working his way up to eighth overall on the day.

AmPro Yamaha’s Liam Draper, defending XC2 Champion, would come back to finish ninth overall on the day and round out the XC2 250 Pro class podium at The Specialized General GNCC.

XC2 250 Pro Event Results

1. Josh Toth (HON)
2. Grant Davis (KTM)
3. Liam Draper (YAM)
4. Angus Riordan (KTM)
5. Brody Johnson (HON)
6. Cody Barnes (HON)
7. Jason Lipscomb (BET)
8. Toby Cleveland (HQV)
9. Jesse Ansley (KAW)
10. Ruy Barbosa (HON)

XC2 250 Pro Series Standings

1. Angus Riordan (76)
2. Grant Davis (73)
3. Joshua Toth (59)
4. Liam Draper (52)
5. Jesse Ansley (43)
6. Ruy Barbosa (37)
7. Brody Johnson (36)
8. Cody Barnes (34)
9. Toby Cleveland (34)
10. Tyler Palmer (34)

FMF XC3 125 Pro-Am

In the FMF XC3 125 Pro-Am class, Liqui Moly Factory Beta Racing’s Jhak Walker came around to earn his second-straight class win of the season. Walker grabbed the early lead and didn’t look back, finishing nine minutes ahead of his competition.

Destructo Racing/Dixie Fuel/Total Control Suspension’s Dustin Simpson would have a good start to the day as he grabbed the $100 Lojak Cycle Sales FMF XC3 holeshot award. Simpson would continue to push, making his way into second on lap two, and holding that position until the checkered flag flew. Husqvarna/Sidi/Fly Racing/Scott Goggle’s Zachary Davidson would battle back and find himself rounding out the podium in the FMF XC3 class in Georgia.

Specialized General Top Amateur honors went to Team Green Kawasaki’s Nicholas DeFeo as he came through to finish an impressive seventh overall on the day, while earning his second-straight 250 A class win. Team Green Kawasaki’s Joseph Cunningham would be second on the Top Amateur podium as he came through 23rd overall and earned second in the 250 A class. AmPro Yamaha’s Nathanial “Bubz” Tasha rounded out the Top Amateur podium with a third in 250 A and a 26th overall finishing position.

When the WXC racers took off, Rocky Mountain Red Bear Kawasaki’s Rachael Archer got the jump off the line. However, Shelby Turner was on a mission and soon made her way into the lead position.

Turner would continue to push each lap, trying to separate herself from the rest of her competitors. As the laps clicked off, Turner found herself headed to the checkered flag to earn her first-ever WXC class win.

Rachael Archer and Korie Steede would battle for the first lap of the race, but Archer would be able to make the pass stick on lap two and would come through to earn second in WXC, as Steede came through to round out the podium with a third in the class.

The fourth round of the 2024 Progressive GNCC Racing Series will take place on March 23 and 24 in Society Hill, South Carolina with the FMF Camp Coker Bullet GNCC at Moree’s Sportsman’s Preserve.

2024 AORC Rounds 1 & 2 Roma Recap
Round 1

For the full report, results and standings see:
Recapping the AORC season opener from Roma

The rural town of Roma in outback Queensland, six hours from Brisbane, came alive with the excitement of the nation’s top enduro talent on March 9-10 as it hosted the inaugural two rounds of the 2024 Yamaha Australian Off-Road Championship presented by MXstore (AORC).

With an impressive turnout of almost 250 entries, including over 30 women, Roma served as the launching point for the 18th season of the AORC.

The Roma rounds were run in time-trial style over short 12-15 minute sprint loops, resembling a variety of special tests that included everything from creek beds to bulldust to rocky sections.

After a trying couple of seasons in Europe, Daniel Milner is back to assert his dominance on home soil once again in Australia’s premier off-road motorcycling competition.

Milner is on a 450 EXC-F with KTM backing for 2024 under his own DM31 Racing Team banner. His mission got off to a successful start in Roma.  The Victorian dominated the opening day of competition outright and also scored E2 class honours by over a minute ahead of Jonte Reynders on a Sherco 300 SEF.

With 2023 AORC Champion Josh Green now retired, Kyron Bacon spearheads the Yamaha charge in 2024. Bacon emerged victorious in E1 on day one astride a Yamaha WR250F and finished second outright as AORC season ’24 kicked off with round one.

KTM 500 EXC-F mounted Riley McGillivray took E3 honours ahead of Stefan Granquist (Husqvarna) and Fraser Higlett (Beta) on Saturday.

Jess Gardiner topped the Women’s category, while Jett Arnold handed Yamaha more success in EJ as AORC season 2024 got underway.

Round One Senior Top 20

Round Two – Sunday

On Sunday, Daniel Milner again took top honours, but this time around was run a little closer by Bacon.

Teenager Danielle McDonald secured her first-ever EW victory, outpacing experienced JGR Ballards team-mate Jess Gardiner in a Yamaha 1-2. 

Round 2 Senior Top 20

Billy Bolt recovering well following surgery

Billy Bolt is recovering well following surgery to repair the injury he sustained to his left knee at round three of the 2024 FIM SuperEnduro World Championship in Germany. The Husqvarna Factory Racing star will be sidelined for several months to fully recover but hopes to be back in action in time for the second half of the FIM Hard Enduro World Championship.

Landing awkwardly off a jump in practice at round three of the SuperEnduro series, it was immediately clear that Bolt had injured his left knee. However, in typical Billy style, the FE 350 rider went on to not only win that round, but dominate the remainder of the championship, ultimately securing seven wins from seven starts.

After claiming the SuperEnduro crown earlier this month at his home round in Newcastle, UK, Bolt went under the knife last week to reconstruct his ACL, repair his meniscus and post lateral corner, and ensure that two identified fractures in his tibia had healed. Thankfully, the surgery went well and Billy has already started his recovery process.

Despite requiring several months of rehabilitation, the newly crowned SuperEnduro World Champion plans to return to competition in time for the second half of the upcoming FIM Hard Enduro World Championship.

Billy Bolt

“It feels good to be out of surgery and the doctors are really pleased with how it all went. They were able to successfully repair all the damage to my knee and were happy to report the two fractures in my lower leg have already healed up nicely. Unfortunately, as we were already aware, there’s quite a long healing process, and I don’t want to take any risks. This will mean I miss the first few rounds of Hard Enduro. But all being well, I hope to be back racing for the second half of the season. Huge thanks to the team who patched me up, and of course the fans for their support and messages.”

Jago Geerts injured

Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP’s Jago Geerts was ruled out of the opening round of the FIM Motocross World Championship in Villa la Angostura, Argentina over the weekend, after sustaining an arm injury in the Qualifying Race.

After falling at turn one, Geerts fell again after hitting a sharp kicker that consequently threw him over the handlebars on lap two. The talented rookie, who set the seventh fastest lap in Timed Practice, suffered severe pain in his left arm and went straight to the Bariloche Hospital for closer assessment. There, it was confirmed that his left clavicle and elbow were fractured.

Geerts travelled home to Belgium, where he will consult with a specialist to determine the best course of action for his recovery.

2023 FIM MXGP Round One – MXGP of Patagonia-Argentina Rider Quotes

MXGP Race One

Running a white background on his number plate for the first time since the very beginning of last year, Jorge Prado put his number 1 machine into the lead immediately with a trademark FOX Holeshot in race one, and even though the Monster Energy Yamaha of Maxime Renaux sneaked past into turn two, with Kawasaki Racing Team’s Romain Febvre following him through, the Champion was having none of it and by the end of the first section of big jumps he was back in control!

RAM Qualifying Race winner Tim Gajser had an eventful first few laps for Team HRC, and battled with the Standing Construct Honda of Pauls Jonass, who was right on the pace all weekend. After passing the Latvian, Tim suddenly slid sideways in a corner and lost the position, before tipping over in the very next corner and dropping from fifth to 13th!

The sole representative for Red Bull KTM Factory Racing in MXGP, Jeffrey Herlings, didn’t enjoy the boost in position for long as he fell at the exact same spot as Gajser a few laps later.

He would recover to finish eighth at the flag. Nearly halfway through, Febvre made a move to demote his countryman Renaux from second, but couldn’t make any dent into Prado’s lead.

Gajser battled back to fifth, nearly catching Renaux on the last lap, with Jonass third behind Febvre and the winner Prado.

MXGP Race Two

Race two saw Maxime Renaux claim the FOX Holeshot award but he would never lead again after running wide, allowing Gajser to move to the front, and as with the RAM Qualifying Race the Slovenian was able to establish an early gap that he would never relinquish.

All the action happened behind him as Jonass started in 2nd, but that uphill right-hand hairpin caused more trouble as Prado railed around the Latvian into 2nd on lap one, just as Renaux tried to move inside them and fell doing so! The Frenchman had to fight back, eventually to 6th.

Febvre moved past Jonass on the second lap, putting himself into the top three for good and not just in the race, but in the overall reckoning as well. At half-distance, there was an all-Dutch freight train as a slow-starting Herlings caught Fantic Racing’s Glenn Coldenhoff and Monster Energy Yamaha MXGP new boy Calvin Vlaanderen. The Bullet managed to shoot them both but had to give way to Renaux’s late charge and finish in 7th.

Kawasaki Racing Team’s own debutant, Jeremy Seewer, took a solid fifth to go with his race one seventh, and the all-World Champion top four of Gajser, Prado, Febvre, and Jonass stayed in that order to the flag, although the Spaniard tangled with a lapped rider to raise his heart rate somewhat in the closing laps!

MXGP Overall

Jorge Prado claimed his 39th overall Grand Prix victory, equalling the great Eric Geboers for seventh in the all-time GP winner’s list and returning him to the top of the MXGP standings with 54-points.

Febvre’s second overall ahead of Gajser left him level with the Slovenian in the championship, both just three-points behind the leader as they head to his home territory in Spain!

Pauls Jonass is next closes on 46-points in fourth.

Jorge Prado – P1

“I am super happy how everything is going right now. Honestly this weekend has gone so well – I feel good about the bike, and we made some key improvements from last year. I feel like a better rider now than I ever have before – and I’m super happy to leave Argentina with the red plate and the win. Starting the season on the right foot is fantastic. I want to say a huge thankyou to all my team at RedBull GASGAS Factory Racing, as well as everyone beyond me – my trainer, my family – everyone that is putting work into this! Let’s keep rolling and gain more results like this!”

Romain Febvre – P2

“I’m happy to start the season like this; I didn’t have any specific expectation coming here. I tried to close the gap to Jorge five laps from the end of the second moto but the track was getting really rough by then and I nearly went over the bars; a lot of guys got hurt this weekend and experience told me “it’s enough”. I didn’t win a moto but I was fast both days; this is the first time I’ve been on the podium here and I have ended the weekend just three points from the red plate. It’s important to stay consistent all year and not make any mistakes. I’ve been trying a few new things the last few weeks and I think I have found the best way to work; now we fly back to Europe and I’ll continue to work on my physical condition for Spain.”

Tim Gajser – P3

“I am very happy with my riding today and to win two of the three races over the weekend is a good way to start the season. I probably rushed a bit too much in the first race and made that mistake but it was good to be able to make some passes and get back up to fifth. Then in race two, I got a much better start and was able to control the race and that is a nice feeling on what is quite a difficult track. Now we have Spain coming up and I hope to go for the win there as well.”

Maxime Renaux – P5

“It’s been a really tough weekend here in Argentina. I was not 100% but as always, I pushed as hard as I could. It was a pity to have a small crash early on in race two, but I finished strong, and I know I can be better. With everything considered, I’m happy with my weekend and I’m glad to finish round one with good points.”

Jeremy Seewer – P6

“This weekend was better than any other on the 450 since we’ve been coming here so that alone is a really positive start to the season. I started quite slowly yesterday but the second moto today was good. I was good out of the gate but I got squeezed a little at the first turn or I might even have taken the holeshot. I came here looking for my rhythm, nothing crazy, and the first three were gone, but I was right there on speed for top four. I still have plenty to learn on the new bike but I made no mistakes, no crashes, just steady so I’m happy to go home with this result and look forward to the tracks in Europe where we set up the bike. We have a lot more to show with this bike!”

Jeffrey Herlings – P8

“It is what it is today. Not too bad but we also gave away some points. We qualified 6th and had an 8th and 7th today. Not where we want to be but hopefully we’ll be better in Spain because I won there last year and also in 2021. I think the track will suit me more, better than this one, which was quite sketchy. It’s nice to watch here but tricky for racing.”

Calvin Vlaanderen – P9

“I’m not overly happy with my weekend as I struggled a little bit with arm pump yesterday and in race one today. I’m just missing some race time, really, and a bit of speed, but that will come in time. Things improved as the weekend went on and I’m really happy with my bike and its set-up. There are plenty of positives to take away from this weekend, so I’m focusing on those as we move on to round two.”

Ruben Fernandez – DNS

“I’m really disappointed to miss this round, but it was the right decision as I wasn’t really healthy enough to ride at the level I want to. I could have probably tried but I wanted to be smart and the season is long so the plan is to be ready for Spain in a couple of weeks, which is a home GP for me and one I always look forward to.”

MXGP Round Overall

MXGP Championship Points – Top 20

MX2 Race One

Lucas Coenen had said after Saturday’s RAM Qualifying Race win that he didn’t want to think about his first red plate too much, and as he moved past Red Bull GASGAS Factory Racing rookie Marc-Antoine Rossi and his Fox Holeshot winning brother Sacha Coenen, it didn’t look like the #96 was riding tight. However, just after fending off a retaliation from Rossi, he tucked the front wheel and fell awkwardly in a right-hand sweeper. Nursing a thumb injury, he rode slowly into the pits and retired from the first race altogether.

This left Rossi in the lead and loving the fact that although it looks like a sandy surface, away from the berms it is very much like a hard-pack circuit to race on. De Wolf still looked at home and despite running off-track briefly, he picked up a position as Sacha Coenen fell in turn one after four laps.

Sacha’s Red Bull KTM Factory Racing teammate, Andrea Adamo, had started badly and could only work his way up to 8th at the end, behind his rookie compatriot Ferruccio Zanchi of Team HRC. Sacha Coenen recovered well to finish 6th.

Mikkel Haarup had put his crash-infested RAM Qualifying Race behind him to claim 5th for Monster Energy Triumph Racing in their first full-length GP race! In the last third of the race, Rossi fell on the final corner of the 11th lap to lose the lead to Monster Energy Yamaha MX2 team leader Thibault Benistant.

Rossi’s teammate at Red Bull GASGAS Factory Racing, Simon Laengenfelder also nipped past, then carved inside the Frenchman to win the first race for the sixth straight GP in MX2! Rossi tried to pass Benistant on the final lap, but fell as he span sideways and clipped the chasing De Wolf! Amazingly, the Dutchman dived up the inside of Benistant to claim second on the very last corner of the race!

MX2 Race Two

In race two, Mikkel Haarup stuck a major feather in the cap of his new bike as he gunned the Triumph into the lead to take the Fox Holeshot Award! He kept the lead for four laps as Laengenfelder caught up to him and nearly wiped out his back wheel!

The German’s mistake allowed Lucas Coenen, fighting through the pain barrier, into second place, and then the Belgian launched his Husqvarna past Haarup’s Triumph to take the lead.

Lucas’ all-action style cost him dearly though as he run off the track and lost those two places again, just after Laengenfelder had finally got around Haarup. Amazingly, the Belgian was back into the lead on lap eleven with a brilliant outside-to-inside move around the long and choppy second corner! The German faded, and for the fifth straight GP could not convert his first race win into an overall GP victory, finishing fourth in the race for second overall.

Adamo would this time get up to fifth, to take that position in the overall Grand Prix, ahead of Zanchi, Rossi, Sacha Coenen, and Haarup’s teammate Camden McLellan. Rick Elzinga rounded out the top ten overall for Monster Energy Yamaha MX2.

De Wolf was once more on the charge, pulling a stunning move on Haarup who did not give up easily! This made it a Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing 1-2, but Lucas Coenen dropped the bike in the same corner that he lost the lead on earlier in the race, and again dropped to third just two corners from the chequered flag. This gave Kay De Wolf the race win, his second career GP win, and the Championship lead to take back to Europe.

MX2 Overall

Kay de Wolf topped the round overall on 47-points, Laegenfelder runner-up on 43, and Haarup third on 38-points. Benistant and Adamo rounding out the top five.

The overall standings meanwhile have de Wolf leading on 56 points, to Laegenfelder on 50, Benistant third on 40-points.

Kay de Wolf – P1

“It’s really nice to have the red plate on my bike at this stage of the season – even though it maybe doesn’t mean much, with so many races to go with 19 rounds, but I’m really happy with that. I was struggling in the beginning of the weekend, but I kept improving – which is something that we focused on during winter training; doing long motos and then going for a sprint in the end. Overall it was a positive weekend, and all the hard work paid off. Winning a GP is amazing of course and now I’m looking forward to heading to Spain now and battling for more wins.”

Simon Laengenfelder – P2

“I was feeling great all weekend. At a track like this – and a venue like this – with all the beautiful nature surrounding the venue; it’s a great place to come. I really enjoyed riding here this weekend! The first race was a bit better than the second I would say. I just took my time to work through the pack and get the win. In the second moto it was a little more tricky. After the halfway point of the race, the track got a bit sketchy. We made solid preparations over the winter – and I think they are paying off now. Riding motocross is the best thing there is, so I’m just enjoying it!”

Mikkel Haarup – P3

“I guess we are a new manufacturer, so to start off with the podium is perfect. I think we couldn’t ask for much more especially with the qualifying race I had yesterday. It made a little bit more difficult today for sure, but we knew we had the speed to be in the top three so. I was happy to be able to show it and also for the team to be able to showcase their bike here in the in the first round. The bike is quite easy for me to set up. I felt comfortable when I tried it the first time and I had an injury last year so I didn’t spend a whole lot of time on the bike in the second-half of the season, but when I stepped on the bike in October, we put in a lot of work, a lot of hours. Because I was definitely off pace. But as the month went by, we started picking up pace and by the preseason races we felt like we could really compete. I’m very pleased and happy with the with the way that it went and the way that I’m feeling on the bike as well.”

Thibault Benistant – P4

“All weekend I haven’t felt 100% and today was a little frustrating. My first race went well, but between races I didn’t feel good at all. Then I had a bad start to race two and it took me a while to get going and find a good rhythm. But, finishing in the top five is a good result for a bad day, so now it’s onto round two.”

Andrea Adamo – P5

“So-so weekend. We showed some pretty good speed on Saturday but things were not really on-point today. We need to work on a few areas but this is only the first Grand Prix of twenty. We have to keep building and aim for improvement every race. We want to fight for podiums and wins so the goal is to be closer to that in Spain.”

Ferruccio Zanchi – P6

“It was a good start for me with Team HRC, and I’m very happy to be leaving with sixth overall. Even though my starts weren’t the best, I made a lot of passes throughout the weekend which really builds my confidence and it was good to be consistent across the three motos. I am already looking forward to Spain in a couple of weeks, where hopefully I will continue with this kind of riding.”

Marc-Antoine Rossi – P7

“I have just finished my first MX2 World Championship race here in Argentina, which was also the first overseas race of my career, and what an experience! Starting from Saturday, I placed 1st in free practice, 3rd in time practice, and 6th in qualifying. On race day in Moto one, I started at the front, leading the race for almost 20 minutes. A small mistake cost me a top 3 finish, and I ended up 4th. Moto2 was challenging; I started in the top 10 and made a comeback, but at one point, I felt tired and didn’t push any further, finishing 12th for a 6th overall. Not a bad start at all. Thanks to the entire Red Bull GasGas Factory Racing team for supporting me from day one. Time to head back and train in Spain!”

Sacha Coenen – P8

“The weekend was quite OK. Not the best but my speed was OK and my feeling also. We just need to put all the things together at once for the right result. My starts were good and that was very positive. We’ll keep fighting for what we know we can achieve.”

Rick Elzinga – P10

“I’m happy to complete round one, especially after only three weeks on the bike before this race. I feel like my level of riding was pretty good and each time out on track I felt better and better. I had really good starts all weekend, which is important, and my pace kept improving as well. I’m happy with my consistency and I’m looking forward to building on this result.”

Lucas Coenen – P11

“So the weekend didn’t go as planned, that’s for sure. On Saturday, I was P2 in free practice and then secured pole in the timed practice. Overall, I had good speed. In the first moto, the start was good – I was in P3 and managed to take the lead. But before even half a lap had passed, in the blink of an eye, the front washed away in a corner. I felt like I hurt my wrist really badly – and although I tried to continue, the pain was really bad. I pulled out of the race and worked with the physio to get it fixed. I told myself that if I wanted to be a title contender, I needed to do the second moto regardless of the pain. Unfortunately, three corners before the end, the bike slid away from me again. With the speed I had, I could have been P1, but I will put this behind me and focus on the rest of the season.”

Jack Chambers – P12

“Most important is that I’m healthy. This was a tough track, particularly as I’ve been riding a lot of deep sand tracks with ruts to turn on in Florida; nothing like this. I need to work on the starts; I was coming from the back in both motos. I feel my fitness is way better than last year but I haven’t raced since the Nations last October; I was just missing the race craft and felt a bit of nerves. But we have a good base moving forward. We fly to Madrid tomorrow; I’ll be ready for that one so I’ll be looking for redemption in Spain.”

Andrea Bonacorsi – P14

“This is my first time racing here in Argentina and it’s quite a fast and tricky track. But it was a good learning experience, and this year is all about learning for me. I’m not overly happy with my performance but we’ll keep working and focus on the upcoming races.”

Bobby Bruce – P19

“It was tough but we enjoyed it. This was my first race since June last year. The weekend started off good with P10 in practice and I was up there in Qualifying but I had a crash first lap and lost the rear brake. In the first race today I was running sixteenth but crashed, and and I was P13 for a long time in the second moto but I just couldn’t hold on to it. But we leave here healthy and I’m looking forward to Madrid.”

MX2 Round Overall

MX2 Championship Standings

2024 AMA Supercross Round Nine – Alabama Rider Quotes

See the full report and results here:
Blow by blow reports from 250-450 AMA SX Alabama Mains

450 Main

Plenty of rain in the lead up to the ninth round of the Monster Energy AMA Championship in Birmingham, Alabama, had seen the normal media day cancelled as the track was a quagmire.

Much work had been done since then to try and give riders a track fit to race on with whoop sections removed and a lot of the track redesigned due to the conditions.  Almost two inches of rain fell overnight but by the time riders fronted up on the gates the track, while still gnarly, was in much better condition that most expected.

Hunter Lawrence was out injured for this round.

Chase Sexton won the opening Heat from Jason Anderson and Malcolm Stewart. Eli Tomac won Heat Two ahead of Jett Lawrence, Ken Roczen and Cooper Webb. Aaron Tanti contested the LCQ where he finished third to earn his spot in the Main.

Jett Lawrence took the inside line at turn one to take the early lead from an aggressive-looking Cooper Webb.  The Yamaha man then got tripped up by the 30-second girl crossing the circuit on the opening lap, which made him alter his line slightly.

That misfortune for Webb perhaps allowed Jett a little breathing space. Justin Cooper third early on, Chase Sexton fourth, Adam Cianciarulo fifth and Ken Roczen sixth.  Eli Tomac tenth.

Chase Sexton looked to be pushing hard but the track was tight and proving hard to make safe passes on, forcing the defending champ to bide his time in his quest to take third place from Justin Cooper.

With five-minutes down, Jett Lawrence led Webb by just under two-seconds. Cooper was a further two-seconds behind in third, just ahead of Chase Sexton and Ken Roczen. Aaron Plessinger sixth, Justin Barcia and Eli Tomac was now up eighth.

Two laps later Ken Roczen swooped past Sexton in a great move and had found his flow, the Suzuki man was now lapping faster than the race leader. Soon the German was nipping at the heels of Justin Cooper. Sexton seemed to have lost his flow and it now looked as though fifth might be his likely result.

During the middle of the race all the leaders were threading the needle through lapped traffic, and the gaps ebbed and flowed as a result.

With just over eight minutes left on the clock, Ken Roczen took third place from Cooper. Sexton seemed to have found his feet once again and closed in to start challenging Cooper for fourth.

Once Roczen had some clear air, he pulled away from Justin Cooper and immediately started closing on Webb.  Lawrence led Webb by four-seconds with seven-minutes left on the clock, and Webb had a similar gap over Roczen.

Roczen, though, couldn’t muster enough pace to reel in Cooper Webb. The Yamaha man stayed strong and fast, refusing to allow Jett Lawrence to pull away any further over the closing laps, keeping the pressure on.

As they started the final lap, Jett led Cooper Webb by just over three-seconds. Roczen was a further ten-seconds behind.

Jett took the chequered flag after leading every lap of the race, his fourth win of the season.

Cooper Webb’s strong second place sees him only give away a couple of points to Jett, the gap now 13-points.

Chase Sexton ultimately took fourth place ahead of Justin Cooper and Jason Anderson.

Eli Tomac steadily worked his way through to fifth but then lost two positions in the final laps, slipping to seventh by the flag.

Aaron Tanti was running 15th for much of the Main bit before falling late in the race. The Aussie was 19th on the results sheet on his return from injury.

Jett Lawrence – P1

“I would say this was almost harder than last weekend at Daytona. Here, the rhythm sections were so tricky, and I was trying my best not to make any mistakes and knowing when to back out, where ‘old Jett’ would’ve tried to keep going for it and maybe lost more time. The track sort of had a limit, where if you pushed too much it could bite you. It was good to learn, and I felt like my focus was very good through the whole race. Cooper [Webb] was right there and didn’t give up the whole time, which helped me to stay focused.”

Chase Sexton – P4

“Today was better, even if the result obviously didn’t really show it. I feel like my speed and also spark was back today – not where I want it to be, but it’s getting better. Heat race win, it took me nine races to get one of those this season, which was good for us tonight, and then in the Main Event, I made a few mistakes and really just lost the race from there. We’ll go back to work this week and try to come out swinging for the Triple Crown in Indy.”

Jason Anderson – P6

“I didn’t have the best qualifying time but getting second in the heat race got us back on track for the main event. In the main I didn’t get the best start, so I had to charge through the pack and eventually made my way up to sixth which I was stoked about. Sixth place is not where we need to be but I’ve already shown where we can be, so it’s time to keep putting in work on my KX450SR and make it happen.”

Aaron Plessinger – P8

“Alabama was going good, the qualifiers were decent, and then in the Heat race we pushed through for fifth. We made a little bit of a change and went out for the Main Event, but I just rode inconsistent. I was making little mistakes and just wasn’t fully in the moment, so ended up eighth. Overall, it was a solid day, we’re coming out unscathed and onto the next one! We’ll do some homework this week and figure out how to get back up on the podium.”

Justin Barcia – P9

“Overall, it was a good night, and we had a lot of positives to take away. We went in a different direction with set-up this week and it has given me the comfort I’ve been looking for, so ready to get back home and put in more work to keep progressing.”

Malcolm Stewart – P10

“Birmingham actually treated me well, we had a good round in its own weird way,” Stewart reflected. “The track was a little muddy in practice and qualifying, but I ended up P6 this afternoon and then the Heat was really good, so ended up third in that one. The Main Event wasn’t terrible and it wasn’t a bad start inside the top 10. I tried to make a pass on one of the outsides of the turns though and went down, it was just one of those things – I just lost the front. I got back up, rode strong and we ended up P10, so overall everything has been going well. It’s heading the way that we want it to go on the motorcycle, but we’re just having a few issues with the racing side of it and making these little mistakes. Onto Indy now and we’re looking forward to that, I think the Triple Crown will be good for us! I’m stoked as a team, we live and learn, and everybody’s trying their best including myself, so it is just a matter of time until we are where we want to be.”

Adam Cianciarulo – P12

“The track workers did an awesome job of keeping the track dry considering the conditions, but limited track time was difficult to gauge the conditions. I am happy with my performance this weekend, I’m still fighting my hand injury a little bit but it gets better every round. I jumped on the red cross flag which was on me, apparently I was overly focused on my riding and unfortunately made that mistake that cost me points. I also had some really good starts on my KX450SR, now I just have to work on staying there. Let’s go Indy!”

450 Main Results

450 Championship Points

250 Main

Haiden Deegan bounced back from a fall in the opening Heat, where he clashed with Seth Hammaker early on the run to turn one. The tangle ended with both of their bikes locked together in the wall. The pair were stuck there for what seemed like forever, and as a result, they both had to head through the LCQ. They finished 1-2 in the LCQ to earn their spots in the Main.

Jeremy Martin and Tom Vialle negotiated the first turn side-by-side, but Vialle was soon through to the early lead and immediately started to pull away.

Haiden Deegan got caught up in a group at the opening turn and took to the outside of the circuit before rejoining the track in 15th place. The way Deegan got on the gas so hard while not on the circuit raised some eyebrows.

Championship points leader Max Anstie was also outside the top ten early on.

Cam McAdoo got the better of Martin for second place a couple of laps in.  Jalek Swoll and then Seth Hammaker demoted Martin further back to fifth by lap four.

At the halfway mark of the race, Vialle led McAdoo by five-seconds.  Max Anstie was up to ninth and Haiden Deegan tenth at this halfway juncture.

A few minutes later Anstie rolled to a stop with a mechanical failure on the FirePower Honda CRF250F. No points in Alabama for the Brit, a tough blow after starting the night fastest in qualifying.

Vialle continued to pull away and went on to take his second win in succession. With that victory the 23-year-old Frenchman moved into the championship lead by a single point over second place finisher Cameron McAdoo.

Seth Hammaker rounded out the podium ahead of Pierce Brown and Jeremy Martin.

A mistake by Swoll five-minutes from the end had cost him a couple of positions, the Triumph rider slipping to seventh. Late in the race, Swoll slammed into Chance Hymas, some payback for an earlier slight in the Heat.  Hymas was left on the deck and lost a number of positions, slipping to tenth by the time he crossed the line.

Haiden Deegan was one of the benefactors of that Swoll-Hymas impact. By the chequered flag, he had moved up to seventh, taking good points on what had been a testing night for the youngster. A final turn slam from way back into Coty Schock to take that seventh place was quite distasteful.  Deegan was ultimately penalised two positions for the earlier off-track excursion but escaped any penalty for the brutal pass on Schock. Deegan was demoted to ninth place.

Tom Vialle – P1

“I felt great all day and had a good Heat race to win one of those for the first time. In the Main Event, I didn’t have the best start, but I got into P1 and did some good laps early, trying to stay consistent the whole moto. The last four or five laps were great, I loved the track, and it turns out it was pretty good after the weather we had this week. Another win is amazing for me and I’m really happy to have the red plate – I haven’t won two races in a row since back in the GPs, so it is a nice feeling. Now we will focus on the next race in Indy.”

Cameron McAdoo – P2

“I cannot complain about today. I was really consistent on my KX250, and ran my race trying to make as few mistakes as possible. Obviously the incident in the heat race was not ideal, but I recovered quickly and still managed a second place finish. In the main I had a good start and ran a safe and quick pace, and towards the end I saw Seth coming up on me and we finished nose and tail with each other. The back-to-back double podium weekend is so cool, and the Alabama fans are awesome. I’m super happy for Seth too and his recovery from his heat race. Let’s keep this going into Indy!”

Seth Hammaker – P3

“The day started out really well, having the fastest Q1 time and then almost having the overall fastest time. The heat race crash was a bummer deal, and I handled it the best way I could. Once I knew we had to go to the LCQ the team and I decided it was best to pull off and get the bike ready since it had quite a bit of damage. Once we won the LCQ and headed to the main I knew I had my work cut out for me to make it to the front with a bad gate pick, but the start went pretty well and I just rode my race and made it to the podium. I’m really happy with my comeback and keeping my head straight after all that happened. I’m pumped to get another double podium for my Monster Energy®/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki team.”

Pierce Brown – P4

“I’m happy, but not satisfied. We’re still in it in the points, but it wasn’t the Main Event that I wanted. I made a couple of mistakes, which cost me a podium, but that was on me – we need better starts. Like I said though, we’re in it in the points and I’m stoked with that heading into Indy next weekend! I just need to keep knocking on the door, doing what I’m doing and we’ll get it eventually. Overall, we’re trending in the right direction!”

Chance Hymas – P10

“Today was definitely a step in the right direction. My starts were good, and my heat race was good. In the main event, I had an awesome start and ran a little wide in the first turn. I got into a little cat-and-mouse battle with J-Mart [Jeremy Martin] and unfortunately got together with some other guys. Honestly, right now I’m just trying to build and take away positives from the weekend. All in all, it was pretty good, and we’ll come back for Indy.”

250 Main Results

250 East Championship Points

2024 American Flat Track Daytona I & II

Double AFT Singles champion Kody Kopp kicked off the new season in perfect fashion claiming the Daytona I win just days after joining the Rick Ware Racing outfit. The same couldn’t be said for Tom Drane who was taken out by another rider on the final lap.

While Kopp claimed the chequered flag running alone in the end, it wasn’t quite as simple as that sounds. Despite grabbing the holeshot, Kopp was actually overhauled by former class champ Dalton Gauthier before completing the first lap.

Gauthier then pulled some space at the front while Kopp had his hands full with projected title rivals Tom Drane and Chase Saathoff. But Kopp found his groove at mid-distance, putting in a charge that allowed him to reclaim the lead and power forward to secure the victory by 1.502 seconds over Gauthier.

Kody Kopp

“We just kept our heads on straight the whole offseason,” said Kopp. “I love this track, and I love Daytona. Huge shout out to Rick Ware for coming on the program a little over a week ago. We pulled it together, and we got a win tonight. Wally Brown built one heck of a KTM 450 – arguably even better than the factory bikes I might say.”

Meanwhile, the final spot on the box went to neither Drane – who crashed on the last lap and was ultimately credited in 15th – nor Saathoff. Rather, it was Trent Lowe who finished third by battling his way back through the pack after being pushed wide and well down the order in the early stages of the Main.

Saathoff finished fourth another 0.309 seconds back with Justin Jones rounding out the top five.

Tyler Raggio, James Ott, Travis Petton IV, Jared Lowe, and Logan Eisenhard finished sixth through tenth, respectively.

AFT Singles Main Result – Daytona I

Daytona II – AFT Singles

Tom Drane rebounded from his Thursday disappointment to claim a dominating win in Friday’s AFT Singles rematch.

The young Australian ripped out to the holeshot in the restart that followed an early red flag and immediately stretched out a second-plus advantage at the front.

Meanwhile, triple Daytona ST winner and double defending class champion Kody Kopp moved up from third into second after working past impressive sophomore Logan Eisenhard with five of the race’s scheduled six minutes still on the clock.

With clear air in front of him and plenty of time to work with, Kopp’s attempts to close the gap saw him make minor inroads on Drane’s advantage for a spell. But despite the determined effort, the Yamaha ace’s speed and consistency ultimately won out to the tune of a 1.951-second margin of victory at the checkered flag.

Tom Drane

“Daytona Short Track Day 1 started out great. Taking the win in my heat and getting pole for the main event. Unfortunately, I was taken out by another rider on the last lap. Leaving me frustrated. Went in to Day 2 refocused and was able to bring home the win in not only the heat race and the dash but also the Main event for my team. Putting the Estenson racing monster Energy Yamaha on the podium for my first ever Short track win felt amazing.”

Eisenhard kept his head down in search of a maiden Progressive AFT podium and very nearly pulled it off. However, he was swallowed up and then pushed aside in rapid succession by a pair of the category’s established stars, Dalton Gauthier and Chase Saathoff with just 30 seconds still on the clock.

Gauthier then fended off Saathoff to secure his second podium of the young ’24 season. Despite losing out on his podium bid, Eisenhard did hold on to finish inside the top five even with Justin Jones, Aiden RoosEvans, and James Ott running just behind in close formation.

Heralded rookie Evan Renshaw finished ninth, one spot in front of his charging Turner Honda teammate, Trent Lowe, whose early-race crash prompted the aforementioned red flag.

AFT Singles Main Result – Daytona II

AFT Singles Standings – Top 20

Mission SuperTwins – Daytona I

The opening Mission SuperTwins victory of the 2024 Progressive American Flat Track season went to Dallas Daniels in the Royal Enfield Short Track at DAYTONA I that contained far more drama than Daniels’ final 3.769-second margin of victory would seem to indicate.

For much of the night – including the opening half of the Main Event – the fans that packed the Daytona International Speedway Flat Track grandstands thought they just might just witness Sammy Halbert give the iconic Harley-Davidson XR750 its 503rd Grand National Championship race win more than five decades after its first.

In fact, Halbert topped a session in both practice and qualifying, won his heat race, and then proved victorious in the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge aboard the venerable machine. He followed that up by grabbing the holeshot in the Main Event and then stretching open more than a second’s worth of padding at the front.

That advantage was further aided by the stiff fight Brandon Price provided all comers while running second despite the likes of Daniels, Brandon Robinson, and Briar Bauman all seeking a way through.

Daniels finally managed to make a pass that stuck a little over six minutes remaining on the clock and immediately went about eating up the gap to Halbert. However, what promised to be a thrilling dogfight for victory was spoiled when Halbert’s machine began to smoke heavily with half of the race still remaining.

The Estenson Racing Yamaha ace dove through to steal away first. Moments later, the black flag was (first) shown to Halbert, who continued to push for several laps before finally heeding the instruction.

Halbert’s misfortune saw Price move back up into second with Bauman third, while Daniels weaved his way through traffic out front en route to victory.

Dallas Daniels

“This track was so technical. It was nothing like last year where you could just kinda go in and get it on. What a ride for the team. We kind of struggled all day, and I was just chipping away. I started catching up to Sammy, and he started to blow up and coolant was getting in my face. (Once in front), I started looking back a lot. For some reason I got nervous, but the last five laps, I really buckled down and those were my fastest laps of the race. After Springfield, we left a little bitter. It didn’t feel good. That whole offseason we worked hard. To get three in a row at Daytona feels good. That Main Event, I had so much fun plugging away. I would prefer to get the holeshot and be out front but being able to come through and dig my way to the front felt good.”

Price held on for a most welcome runner-up finish in his all-new team’s maiden outing, while Robinson moved through on a fading Bauman to earn the final spot on the podium.

In fact, Bauman’s tumble down the order wouldn’t end there, as he was also displaced by Davis Fisher, nine-time Grand National Champion Jared Mees, and Jarod Vanderkooi before finishing seventh in the end.

Cameron Smith picked up eighth, one spot ahead of Dan Bromley, who took ninth in the new Honda-powered effort’s debut. Mission SuperTwins rookie Trevor Brunner completed the top ten.

SuperTwins Main Result – Daytona I

Daytona II – Mission SuperTwins

Brandon Robinson successfully defended his adopted home turf at Daytona II, having to overcome potential Progressive American Flat Track, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing, history in order to do so, forced to chase down an in-form Sammy Halbert to get the win.

Halbert actually led the opening six-and-a-half minutes of the Main Event after earlier winning his heat race and the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge a full 53 years, 10 months, and five days after Mert Lawwill took the iconic Harley-Davidson XR750 to its maiden win at the Cumberland Half-Mile.

Following an extended pursuit, the Mission Roof Systems pilot finally dove up the inside of Dodge Bros.-backed Halbert, who then was thrown out of his saddle after encountering a bump while off his usual line. Undeterred, Halbert nearly clawed his way back within striking distance before at last conceding the race to Robinson in its final minute.

The victory was the fourth of Robinson’s career at the DAYTONA Short Track, moving him equal with Friday adversary Halbert for most all-time at the event. Afterward, Robinson, who originally hails from Pennsylvania but now resides just fifteen minutes from the World Center of Racing, unsurprisingly professed his affection for the track.

Brandon Robinson

“This feels amazing. It feels like forever since I’ve won a race. Going winless last year really (made me angry) to be honest. I came to the Main with a chip on my shoulder. I love this place. I love Daytona. Something about this dirt – it’s the greatest dirt in the world as far as I’m concerned… This is a dream ending to the week.”

Dallas Daniels, himself the winner of the three prior premier-class showdowns at the venue, battled with Robinson and hunted Halbert over the Main’s opening half before falling into the clutches of the resurgent Briar Bauman.

The two then traded third multiple times – a melee complete with crisscrossing lines and squared-up counters – before Daniels laid claim on the spot for good. He finished a little more than a second ahead of Bauman with reigning Grand National Champion Jared Mees not far behind in fifth.

Sixth went to Davis Fisher a short distance ahead of Jarod Vanderkooi in seventh. Premier-class rookies Trevor Brunner and Max Whale finished eighth and tenth, respectively, with Thursday runner-up Brandon Price sandwiched in between.

Max Whale

“Daytona ST was a blast so cool to race in the big boys class, not the best results but was a huge learning curve. Night 1 had a mechanical and night 2 ended up 10th. Look forward to learning and improving on the new bike! Can’t wait for the next one in 2 weeks time at Senoia, GA. Huge thank you goes out to my whole team and awesome sponsors for all their support.”

SuperTwins Main Result – Daytona II

SuperTwins Standings – Top 20

2024 Racing schedule

2024 FIM EnduroGP Calendar

2024 MXGP Calendar (Provisional)

2024 FIM Hard Enduro World Championships Provisional Calendar

2024 Monster Energy Supercross & Pro Motocross calendars

2024 FIM Speedway Grand Prix World Championship calendar