Inside Dirt - Issue 27

SUPERCROSS ROUND 1 RECAP pg. 16

2019 THOR MX GEAR REVIEW pg. 94

WORLD MX JUNIORS RECAP pg. 68

AORC RD8/9 KINGSTON REPORT pg. 120

JAY WILSON COMEBACK KING PAGE 28

BAMBAM IN SYDNEY FOR AUS-X OPEN! PAGE 50

ISSUE 27

25.09.2018

JUSTIN BRAYTON Penrite Honda rider Justin Brayton throws his CRF450R sideways for the huge Jimboomba crowd as he takes the first main event win for the year.

Photo: Deluxe Media

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IN THIS ISSUE MOTOCROSS 10

What’s Trending

16

Jimboomba Round 1 Recap

28

Jay Wilson: Comeback Story

40

Motocross By Numbers

50

Insight: Adam Bailey

68

World Juniors Recap

FEATURES 94

2019 Thor MX Review

OFF-ROAD 120 AORC - Round 8/9 Recap

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ID ISSUE #27

WHAT’S TRENDING Check in with the latest news in both motocross and supercross.

Page 10

AUSTRALIAN SUPERCROSS RD 1 Brayton & Wilson conquer Round 1 of the Australian Supercross Championship in Jimboomba, QLD last weekend.

Page 16

JAY WILSON: COMEBACK STORY We speak with Jay Wilson, after coming off a dominant victory at Jimboomba SX. Page 66

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2019 THOR MX GEAR REVIEW Joe Stevens gives us his impressions on the Pulse & Prime Pro gear from the Thor 2019 range.

Page 94

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AORC ROUND 8/9 RECAP We run you through all the action from the E3, E2 & E1 classes from Kingston AORC Round 8/9.

Page 120

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WINNING TECHNOLOGY Born from 68 World MX Championships.

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JAY WILSON Coming off a win in the heat race, Yamalube rider Jay Wilson was nothing shy of dominant in the SX2 Final. Taking his maiden victory for the 2018 Supercross Championship.

Photo: Deluxe Media

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what’s

TRENDING

JEFFREY HERLINGS CLINCHES MXGP WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP AT ASSEN Red Bull KTM’s Jeffrey Herlings clinched his first-career MXGP title this morning at round 19 of the FIM Motocross World Championship at Assen.

Source: racerxonline.com

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CATCHING UP: DAN REARDON MotoOnine.com.au tracked down Dan Reardon to delve into the finer details of the unique team set-up for the Australian Supercross Championship.

Source: http://motoonline.com.au

TOP 10: RIDERS TO WATCH IN AUS SUPERCROSS Contenders to keep an eye on in the 2018 Australian Supercross Championship.

Source: motoonline.com

ADAM CIANCIARULO | BACK IN ACTION First ride back since surgery after racing the entire 2018 Monster Energy Supercross season with a torn ACL/Meniscus, which he sustained at Indianapolis in 2017 Source: motocross.transworld.net

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LUKE CLOUT PODIUMS FOR KTM AT AUSTRALIAN SUPERCROSS OPENER Despite a crash in the first turn of the main event, Luke Clout has finished on the podium at the opening round of the Australian Supercross Championship in Jimboomba, QLD Source: dirtaction.com.au

JETT LAWRENCE CLAIMS MAIDEN EMX250 CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND WIN AT ASSEN Australian Jett Lawrence was impressive overnight in Assen with the Team Suzuki Germany rider claiming his first European Championships EMX250 overall win.

Source: fullnoise.com.au

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I N S I D E

SUPERCROSS

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Photo: Deluxe Media

ROUND 1 JIMBOOMBA BRAYTON AND WILSON LIGHT THE CANDLES Defending Champion Justin Brayton has kicked off his 2018 campaign in commanding fashion, taking the opening round of the Australian Supercross Championship at Jimboomba Stadium. Brayton qualified fastest and lapped up to 8th position eventually taking the SX1 top spot by 5 seconds over the second place.

Brayton edged out team mate Brett Metcalfe who made a successful return to Supercross in Australia finishing 2nd and making it a Penrite Oil Honda Racing 1-2 for the season opener. Metcalfe had an early lead but stalled forcing him to lose positions before fighting back.

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Penrite Honda pilot starts of the season strong claiming the first final victory for the year.

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Photo: Deluxe Media

Justin Brayton

KTM Racing Australia’s premier class rider Luke Clout had a massive come from behind ride to finish on the podium after going down in the first turn of the main event.

Dan Reardon finished 4th in his first outing with the newly put together team, one which he is confident can get the job done when it comes to the pointy end of the season.

Photo: Deluxe Media

In his highly anticipated return to racing Jace Owen steered his Complete Parts Kawasaki KX 450F to a solid start to the season rounding out the top 5, showing he has the pace to take it to the big names in his maiden trip to Australia.

After qualifying in second, current Australian Motocross Champion Dean Ferris had a big spill in a triple triple section of his heat race which saw him go over the bars and stretchered off by Race Safe. We are yet to know if he has sustained any championship wrecking injuries but is undergoing scans. Further news on Ferris to follow.

WATCH SX1 HERE

ď ‹

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Jay Wilson and his Yamaha Yamalube Racing YZ250F stormed to the front of a stacked SX2 main event attaining the lead early in the race and finishing ahead of Americans Bradley Taft and Joshua Osby.

21 year old Taft sprayed the champagne in his first race in Australia just 4 secs off the pace of Wilson but showed serious pace being the only 250 rider to go under the 50 second a lap mark in the main event.

Photo: Deluxe Media

DPH Husqvarna rider Hayden Melross charged to fourth in his first race back on Australian soil, holding off Serco Yamaha’s Jacob Hayes who was 18th coming out of the first turn.

A full house at Jimboomba Stadium solidifies fans presumptions of a must watch season ahead with round two of the Australian Supercross Championship kicking off on October 6th at Coolum.

WATCH SX2 HERE

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ď ‹

Photo: Deluxe Media

Jay Wilson Yamalube Yamaha Racing team rider takes his maiden SX2 Victory for 2018, giving him the red plate heading in to Round 2 in Coolum.

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Photo: Deluxe Media

SX1 RESULTS POS.

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RIDER NAME

TOTAL POINTS

MANUFACTURER

1

Justin BRAYTON

25

Honda

2

Brett METCALFE

22

Honda

3

Luke CLOUT

20

KTM

4

Daniel REARDON

18

Yamaha

5

Jace OWEN

16

Kawasaki

6

Dylan LONG

15

Yamaha

7

Jesse DOBSON

14

Suzuki

8

Nicholas SUTHERLAND

13

Honda

9

Jesse MADDEN

12

Suzuki

10

Robbie MARSHALL

11

Honda

11

Joel WIGHTMAN

10

Honda

12

Connor TIERNEY

9

Yamaha

13

Jamie HARVEY

8

Suzuki

14

Zak SMALL

7

Husqvarna

15

Joshua KILVINGTON

6

KTM

Photo: Deluxe Media

SX2 RESULTS POS.

RIDER NAME

TOTAL POINTS

MANUFACTURER

1

Jay WILSON

25

Yamaha

2

Bradley TAFT

22

Honda

3

Joshua OSBY

20

KTM

4

Hayden MELLROSS

18

Yamaha

5

Jacob HAYES

16

Yamaha

6

Dakota ALIX

15

KTM

7

Wilson TODD

14

Yamaha

8

Richard EVANS

13

Yamaha

9

Dylan WILLS

12

Husqvarna

10

Jackson RICHARDSON

11

Honda

11

Ricky LATIMER

10

Yamaha

12

Tomas RAVENHORST

9

KTM

13

Kyle WEBSTER

8

Honda

14

Hugh MCKAY

7

Yamaha

15

Bailey MALKIEWICZ

6

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Photo: Deluxe Media

JAY WILSON #6

FAILURE IS NOT THE END, IT’S THE START OF YOUR COMEBACK STORY...

You know what’s cool? Being only 24 years old and having a World Championship as well as six Australian and New Zealand Motocross and Supercross titles to your name.

You know what else is cool? Winning your first Australian MX2 Championship as a fully fledged privateer and beating every one of the factory teams in the process.

You know what we think is cool? Having the balls to head overseas to chase your dreams even when all of the odds are stacked against you, including a heavily pregnant fiancé on the other side of the world.

And lastly you know what’s really DAMN EFFING cool? Making arguably one of the biggest comebacks of the year by taking the first round win of the SX2 Championship at Jimboomba, after barely featuring on the radar as the threat to this year’s title.

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Photo: Deluxe Media

Love him or hate him, Jay Wilson is clearly not going anywhere, and while some team managers, probably fans, and even his competition at times have written him off as a ‘has been’ or an ‘outdated rider’ at Round 1 of the Supercross at Jimboomba, Wilson proved that he’s back for real.

season, with most expecting the American imports to dominate the Aussie field, but not only did Wilson beat the USA boys and everyone else at Jimboomba, he dominated in a way most would only describe as inspirational.

Only 12 months ago, Wilson was 23 years old, experiencing his first six There have been all sorts of hype months as a father, and desperately around the depth of talent in trying to piece back together his the SX2 category this Supercross life and his career which took a

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Photo: Deluxe Media

Photo: Deluxe Media

difficult turn after a disappointing season with Honda, followed by a failed attempt at racing the MXGP circuit. Ready to give up, Wilson dug deep last season and still managed to finish third in the SX2 Championship, despite working full time and supporting his family. Fast forward a year, and now the Yamaha rider is proving his best years of racing are still ahead of him.

Many probably recognise Wilson as a bit of a veteran - a guy who’s been on the circuit for a while, but something that a lot of people won’t remember is that this kid from Glen Innes turned pro when he was just 16, and has raced every single damn season since, making him one of, if not the most consistent riders on the Australian circuit.

Wilson doesn’t give up, he doesn’t accept hand outs, he works hard, helps pack up, digs deep when it counts, and appreciates the people around him, making sure they know what they mean to him in the process.

Wilson is not your average MX/SX superstar – he’s not precious or social media addicted (surprisingly). But what he is, is passionate, hard working, a father and husband, he’s got youth well and truly on his side, and with a never-say-die attitude he’s here for the long haul. The perfect combination for winning championships.

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Photo: Deluxe Media

Finishing the last three races that he’s competed in on the podium, whether it be Motocross or Supercross, Wilson is riding the confidence wave, and the last time he did this in 2015, quite frankly, he cleaned up.

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So whether you’re a Wilson fan or not, do yourselves a favour and read this and then watch the Jimboomba SX2 main event on YouTube.

If that doesn’t inspire you to dig deep and never give up, then go back and watch it again and we guarantee it will. There isn’t a lot of fairy-tale stories quite like this one, and for Wilson,

this is just the beginning.

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35 Photo: Deluxe Media

DEAN FERRIS #1

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MOTOCROSS

BY NUMBERS #1 | DEAN FERRIS

16 RACE WINS

ROUND 1 - NEWRY, VIC MOTO 1: 1ST | MOTO 2: 1ST | OVERALL: 1ST

ROUND 2 - APPIN, NSW MOTO 1: 1ST | MOTO 2: 1ST | OVERALL: 1ST

ROUND 3 - WONTHAGGI, VIC MOTO 1: 1ST | MOTO 2: 1ST | OVERALL: 1ST

ROUND 4 - WONTHAGGI, VIC

20 PODIUMS

MOTO 1: 1ST | MOTO 2: 1ST | OVERALL: 1ST

ROUND 5 - MURRAY BRIDGE, SA MOTO 1: 1ST | MOTO 2: 2ND | OVERALL: 1ST

ROUND 6 - CONONDALE, QLD MOTO 1: 1ST | MOTO 2: 1ST | OVERALL: 1ST

ROUND 7 - RANCH MX, NSW

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ROUND OVERALLS

MOTO 1: 1ST | MOTO 2: 2ND | OVERALL: 1ST

ROUND 8 - RANCH MX, NSW MOTO 1: 2ND | MOTO 2: 2ND | OVERALL: 1ST

ROUND 9 - GLADSTONE, QLD MOTO 1: 1ST | MOTO 2: 1ST | OVERALL: 1ST

ROUND 10 - COOLUM, QLD MOTO 1: 1ST | MOTO 2: 1ST | OVERALL: 1ST

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MOTOCROSS

BY NUMBERS #2 | WILSON TODD

8

RACE WINS

ROUND 1 - NEWRY, VIC MOTO 1: 9TH | MOTO 2: 3RD | OVERALL: 6TH

ROUND 2 - APPIN, NSW MOTO 1: 6TH | MOTO 2: 2ND | OVERALL: 3RD

ROUND 3 - WONTHAGGI, VIC MOTO 1: 7TH | MOTO 2: 1ST | OVERALL: 3RD

ROUND 4 - WONTHAGGI, VIC

13 PODIUMS

MOTO 1: 1ST | MOTO 2: 1ST | OVERALL: 1ST

ROUND 5 - MURRAY BRIDGE, SA MOTO 1: 2ND | MOTO 2: 3RD | OVERALL: 1ST

ROUND 6 - CONONDALE, QLD MOTO 1: 1ST | MOTO 2: 1ST | OVERALL: 1ST

ROUND 7 - RANCH MX, NSW

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ROUND OVERALLS

MOTO 1: 1ST | MOTO 2: 5TH | OVERALL: 3RD

ROUND 8 - RANCH MX, NSW MOTO 1: 1ST | MOTO 2: 2nd | OVERALL: 2ND

ROUND 9 - GLADSTONE, QLD MOTO 1: 6TH | MOTO 2: 1ST | OVERALL: 3RD

ROUND 10 - COOLUM, QLD MOTO 1: 6TH | MOTO 2: 4TH | OVERALL: 4TH

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MOTOCROSS

BY NUMBERS #47 | BAILEY MALKIEWICZ

8

RACE WINS

ROUND 1 - NEWRY, VIC MOTO 1: 7TH | MOTO 2: 1ST | OVERALL: 4TH

ROUND 2 - APPIN, NSW MOTO 1: 7TH | MOTO 2: 3RD | OVERALL: 5TH

ROUND 3 - WONTHAGGI, VIC MOTO 1: 1ST | MOTO 2: 2ND | OVERALL: 2ND

ROUND 4 - WONTHAGGI, VIC

12 PODIUMS

MOTO 1: 1ST | MOTO 2: 2ND | OVERALL: 2ND

ROUND 5 - MURRAY BRIDGE, SA MOTO 1: 5TH | MOTO 2: 13TH | OVERALL: 8TH

ROUND 6 - CONONDALE, QLD MOTO 1: 18TH | MOTO 2: 6TH | OVERALL: 12TH

ROUND 7 - RANCH MX, NSW

2

ROUND OVERALLS

MOTO 1: 1ST | MOTO 2: 1ST | OVERALL: 1ST

ROUND 8 - RANCH MX, NSW MOTO 1: 8TH | MOTO 2: 1ST | OVERALL: 4TH

ROUND 9 - GLADSTONE, QLD MOTO 1: 1ST | MOTO 2: 1ST | OVERALL: 1ST

ROUND 10 - COOLUM, QLD MOTO 1: 2ND | MOTO 2: 6TH | OVERALL: 4TH

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I N S I G H T.

ADAM BAILEY - A M E M A N A G E M E NT

For this issue of Inside Dirt, we sit down with the man behind AME Management. Adam Bailey, and business parter Ryan Sanderson are the directors behind the company that bring us the world renowned Aus-X Open and the all new SX Open international supercross events. We talk future plans, his drive behind AME and Australian supercross, and the international flavours we expect to see in 2018.

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“

WE HAVE A SUPER COMMITTED TEAM HERE AT AME. WE’VE DEFINITELY TAKEN A LOT ON THIS YEAR, BUT ITS ALL GOING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.

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1

YOUR NEW COMPANY “AUS SX HOLDINGS” HOLDS THE COMMERCIAL RIGHTS TO BOTH THE AUSTRALIAN SUPERCROSS CHAMPIONSHIPS AND THE FIM OCEANIA SX CHAMPIONSHIP. FIRSTLY WHAT DOES THAT MEAN FOR THE AUSTRALIAN SERIES AND SECONDLY THE NEW SERIES? Basically it means that in addition to the all-new FIM Oceania Supercross Championship and AUS-X Open / S-X Open events that we have created and promote, that we now also oversee and technically are the ‘promoter’ of the whole Australian Supercross ‘Championship’. However we then engage with individual Promoters such as SB Promotions and Troy Bayliss Events, for them to promote their own individual events and these events are entirely their responsibility.

I think the best way to look at it, is like the Supercars Championship, where Supercars themselves are the promoter of Bathurst and some other events, whilst the Adelaide 500 is promoted by the South Australian Motorsport Board (SA Government). They work together to ensure a cohesive championship and make each individual event and championship as big and successful as it can possibly be. We see our role as really helping steer the direction of Supercross and to assist the other promoters where possible to ensure successful events.

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ADAM WHAT IS THAT DRIVES YOU AND WHERE DOES THE SX PASSION COME FROM? First and foremost all of us here are fans of the sport. I watched Supercross as a youngster inside Rod Laver Arena and dreamed of racing on that stage one day, which I did get to for a number of years. I wasn’t great at it, but I’ve met so many amazing people and learned every aspect of how it it works, across 15 odd years. Almost all of my closest friends, I met through motocross/supercross which is something I’m extremely grateful for. It’s hard not to be passionate about something that has given you so much. Most importantly though I have always believed in it from an ‘entertainment’ perspective and remember the excitement I felt as a youngster. This really was affirmed however in the early stages of my partnership with Sando (Ryan Sanderson), who came from working at V8 Supercars. We went to the Bercy Supercross in 2013 and instantly he was hooked and believed in it also. The same went for Tony Cochrane (AUS SX Holdings Chairman and Founder of V8 Supercars). These guys have so much experience in the biggest motorsport championship in Australia (Tony created it!). The fact that they believe in Supercross, is proof to me, that we’re on the right track and that this thing really can be a mainstream sport in Australia. That just fuels our passion to make it a success further.

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OVER THE PAST 3 YEARS, WE HAVE SEEN GREAT SUCCESS WITH AUS-X OPEN. HOW IMPORTANT HAS THE INTERNATIONAL RIDER LINEUP BEEN TO PUTTING SX BACK IN THE SPOTLIGHT? Absolutely vital. The reality of a highly competitive entertainment market in Australia is that to commit to going to events, we (aussies) want to see the best, no matter what the sport is. Any sporting series in Australia that relies on domestic competitors only, will find it hard. Take A League for example. Soccer is the most popular sport in the world, but a Melbourne Victory game may push for 20,000 fans at AAMI park. Bring out Real Madrid to play Melbourne Victory however and we’ll pack the MCG with 80,000 people?! As consumers, we have high expectations, so for us to attract a sell out crowd and encourage the visibility for our sport and it’s domestic stars, we have to have the international athletes. Obviously this also puts our series and competitors in the international spotlight.

Imagine how many fans and followers of Supercross globally tune in to watch the Australian Supercross rounds to see how Justin Brayton went, or will tune in to the AUS-X Open to see if Anderson can beat Reed, RV and Barcia. These guys have millions of followers and our domestic riders can really piggy back off of this. Imagine Luke Clout were able to win a race against those guys in Sydney and what that will do for his global profile?! It’s possible! The international fans need a reference point in those international riders to see how good our guys really are.

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4

HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE ON YOUR SX OPEN TEAM ?

Within AME alone, there’s currently 11 people working on Supercross in some capacity for us at any one time, however we have many others that contribute daily. Kevin and the WEM team play a vital role, our media partner in New Zealand has a huge amount of input and then there’s the track crew, operations team, TV production crew, pyrotechnics, sound etc. This list really goes on, but I will say that what the guys and girls in our office achieve on a daily basis, despite being such a small team is amazing. They deserve so much of the credit for making these events possible and go above and beyond every single day, because they love it and believe in it so much.

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THE NEW ZEALAND EVENT IS LOOKING TO BE HUGE, ARE YOU NERVOUS ABOUT GOING OUTDOORS IN NZ ?

I’m not as nervous as Sando is. He’s been watching the radar since the day we announced! haha. Ultimately, Mt Smart Stadium is the very best venue for Supercross in New Zealand. It is a 25,000 + capacity concert venue on a rugby field. There is no better option there, so it’s a risk we have to take and we’ll have contingencies in place to cover/ recover the track in case of rain. Obviously we’re big believers in indoor, which is why we’ve been so adamant about Qudos Bank Arena - but we also have plans to make the most of the outdoor stadium and it will be an incredible night. We’re going to do our absolutely best to sell it out or go close to it, which will make for an absolutely amazing atmosphere.

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THE LAST 3 YEARS THE OPENING CEREMONY IN SYDNEY HAS BEEN AMAZING. HOW DO YOU TRANSLATE THAT OUTDOOR IN NZ? You’ll have to be there to find out! Being outdoors, we are reinventing our approach completely. As I said before, with a packed stadium, the atmosphere will be electric!

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WITH SYDNEY YOU HAVE A VERY SMALL AREA, WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS FOR THE NZ EVENT? IS IT GOING TO BE A FULL SIZE US STYLE TRACK? It will be yes. We have 6,000 tonne of dirt being brought in and plans for full scale track, that promotes close racing. Personally I’m not sure the US tracks have it dialled at the moment as they seem to be hurting the world’s best guys week in week out and rarely is the racing as close as what it used to be. We’re working on a track that provides the best platform to show what these guys can do and entertain our fans. We’re absolutely pumped to see how it turns out!

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THIS YEAR YOU HAVE A BAG FULL OF US IMPORTS, IS IT A DREAM COME TRUE HAVE ALL TO THESE LEGENDS RIDE AT YOUR EVENT? It’s a bit surreal to be honest. I’ve known Chad for a long time and obviously we’re used to having him come to Australia. But to have the current World Champ Jason Anderson, a 4-time World Champ in Ryan Villopoto, Justin Barcia, Brayton etc on the track at the same time, is going to be ridiculous. It’s a real credit to our team and the fans who have made these guys feel welcome every time they come out. It has really meant that our event is the one that all international riders want to come to. Our fans are so great and they love coming to Sydney. This plays a huge role as their year is just so flat out. If they didn’t enjoy the experience we wouldn’t be able to attract a guy like Anderson to come out, particularly as the World Champ. It’s such an exciting opportunity for fans to witness what is going to go down this year.

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JUSTIN BARCIA IN SYDNEY. IT’S A SMALL TIGHT TRACK, SHOULD WE EXPECT TO SEE SOME OLD SCHOOL BAMBAM? Exactly. This is going to make it even more interesting isn’t it?! I can say there’s no love lost between him and Reed in particular, so I predict there may be some fireworks… haha

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THIS YEAR WE HAVE SEEN AUSSIE TEAMS BRING OVER IMPORTS. IN SX 1 THERE ARE 2 AND IN SX2 THERE ARE 4 .WHATS YOUR THOUGHT ON THIS? As I said above I think it’s great for the entertainment element, but also to attract eyeballs on our domestic riders. I hope that means the aussies step up and prove they deserve those seats! How awesome was it seeing Jay Wilson win in Jimboomba against the americans brought in to beat him?! It can be done, we just need our aussie guys to believe it themselves and they will lift as a result.

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FINALLY CHAD REED, WILL HE BE BACK IN AUSTRALIA ON SUZUKI? Your guess is as good as ours at this stage, but stay tuned!

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Photo: Deluxe Media

OPEN THE FLOOD GATES The Queensland crowd piles in to the pits at Round 1 for the pit party. This is where the fans get to meet their favourite riders and teams.

FLIP YOUR PHONE HORIZONTAL TO VIEW THE FULL IMAGE

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TIME TO TAKE

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The 2018 FIM world junior Motocross championships took place to Horsham in Western Victoria over the weekend of August 25th and 26th.

By now most of you (unless you have been living under a rock in some sort of castaway island away from social media) will have seen, read or heard the overwhelming success of the event and the massive achievements

by Bailey Malkiewicz and Braden Plath to win world championships in their respective 125cc and 65cc classes.

Before we get started I just want to say hats off and congratulations to the Horsham club and everyone involved in bringing this event in collaboration with the FIM and MXGP to Australia. Between junior nationals 2017 and now the worlds in 2018 I was very impressed with every aspect of the track, how the event was promoted and run.

In this article I want to take a more in depth look at this event behind the scenes from the build-up all year to the event itself on race day.

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EVENT ANTICIPATION For the casual reader browsing this magazine or even those riders in the senior ranks, let me paint the picture for you that this event coming to Australia was a very BIG deal!! I believe the announcement was made the week of the 2017 Australian junior nationals (also taking place at Horsham) and since then the junior motocross scene nationwide has been buzzing with the anticipation that the world’s best junior racers would be coming down under to take on our home grown Aussie talent on our own soil.

I am in the trenches more than most with junior racing due to being at so many race events with the riders I coach and all I heard about for months on end was families excited to see if their rider would be eligible for selection to represent their country in August. Eventually MA released their squads (14 riders in each class of 65cc, 85cc b/w and 125cc) who would be attending a training/selection camp at Horsham in July. This camp trimmed the squads down to seven riders per class and although initially there were some disappointed riders not making the cut, eventually it was of little consequence as many international teams did not field full squads, meaning just about all of our Aussie squad riders got a place on the gate to represent their country as wildcards. Seeing the pride, big chests and smiling faces of all the Australian team riders and their families walking around in uniform on race day really hit home to me what this event was all about and race results aside, what a cool experience for these kids to say they represented their country as a Motocross racer.

For some, this may well be the biggest event of their careers and these memories will last a lifetime.

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“Mattia Guadagnini was a true contender for Italy. Showing raw speed and race craft, the #101 rider was one to watch ”

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FIM, MXGP & THE INTERNATIONAL FLAVOUR Upon arrival at the track you could tell things were a little different from your standard junior race event in Australia. From the FIM officials, bike scrutineering and fuel rules, flagger and staff uniforms, track signage, MXGP style pit lane, foreign accents over the sound system commentating, the very exotic race bikes from Europe with trick parts, the list really does go on. I had wondered how much this event would be run in collaboration with MXGP and it was clear to see everyone had gone to massive efforts to ensure this event really was a junior version of the MXGP and MX of Nations.

For the euro kids it was business as usual and other than being on the other side of the world, for the elite juniors who follow the MXGP support classes, being in another country racing is nothing new for them or their families. You could spot these young riders right away both in the pits and on the track. They had done this routine of fly in fly out racing many times and their ability to be fast and comfortable on bikes that were not their own and a new track was very impressive.

Along with these elite youngsters competing for a world title, there was also representatives from countries as far away as Japan and India, adding to the international vibe of the event. Finally, KTM and YAMAHA Australia had committed their factory semi rigs to the event for support to the worlds factory supported riders. Seeing the CDR Yamaha truck pitting YZ125’s had a slightly different vibe from dean Ferris at the MX Nationals, but again hats off to all of the Australian factory teams and their staff for being at Horsham for the best part of a week to support the event and the riders from all over the world. The entire industry in Aus really got behind this event and it was awesome to see everyone come together in varying roles.

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STAR POWER There were two generations of stars at the junior world championships.

For my generation (30 plus) standing alongside Stefan Everts in the mechanics area (Stefan’s son Liam everts came very close to an 85cc world title – more on that later) along with Ben Townley to name a few, certainly added huge credibility to the event. Having arguably the greatest rider of all MXGP history on hand had the pits buzzing and fans were grabbing photos and chats with Everts all weekend long.

Now, let’s call it the Instagram generation, that is the kids up to the late teens racing the event or spectating with their families, it was all about team USA and more importantly Ryder Difrancesco. I thought the allure of the USA may have gone away slightly from when I was a kid and the only access we had to Jeremy Mcgrath was in the magazines or the one supercross a year you could see him in your own country, simply due to the accessibility the kids today have to social media and a 24-7 access to the future stars of the sport. But it actually worked the other way, all the kids racing and spectating and even the families knew of Defrancesco who has already been marked as a future heir to the AMA throne and soon to be great of the sport long before he turns pro. His autograph and selfie line rivalled that of any top pro I’ve ever seen. It turns out team USA still turn’s heads even in this social media generation. Defrancesco took it all in his stride, you could tell this was not his first rodeo in the spotlight and his public speaking and ability to deal with fans whilst concentrating on racing was an example to all our Australian future stars of how the side of the sport away from the track needs to work in order to secure sponsorship and a career in the future.

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“Thibault Benistant from France navigating his way through the technical ruts at the Horsham circuit”

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THE RACING Split over two days the junior world championships followed a traditional MXGP format of two timed free practice and one timed qualifying sessions on Saturday (no qualifying races for the juniors though) and one warm up plus two races on Sunday. In something of a European specialty, the one hot lap it takes to grab a good gate pick has long been a strong point of the MXGP scene and this certainly crossed over to the juniors.

It was visible the elite juniors from Europe had again done this many times before and although many Aussie riders were not dramatically off the pace, the timing and execution of the hot laps of those landing on pole was flawless. Exceptions to the rule? Well, Caden Braswell from the USA who landed pole in 85cc and Bailey Malkiewicz from Australia who snagged second place in the final lap of qualifying from just inside the top ten of the 125 class really got the pits talking about what was to come on Sunday. The other notables from Saturday to me was just how close all of the riders were in their respective classes in regards to times. As an example, from 10th to 26th position in 85cc qualifying, riders were only split by 2.9 seconds. It really go’s to show at the elite level of any racing how much those tenths of a second really matter on the track.

Race day on Sunday featured a significantly wetter track for warm up and the well-known Horsham ruts were back for racing! Many riders commented how much better the track was on Sunday and it did separate the field a little more in terms of track position and speed. Featuring significantly longer races than we field here domestically, total time on track for 65’s was close to twenty minutes, 85’s twenty five minutes and the 125’s were running race distances of almost 30 minutes. That in itself was a massive learning curve for any riders from around the world who had not raced this format before.

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As for the racing itself? Well, I could write a whole magazines worth of content on the events that unfolded in each race. A few standout performances for me was the epic battle of Bailey Malkiewicz of Australia vs. Mattia Guadagnni of Italy. Mattia is a feature rider in the Euro mx scene and regular podium contender at the MX125 MXGP support class events.

Taking pole position on Saturday in the 125 class and holeshot in moto 1, he was surprised to be caught early by Malkiewicz. The two came together at the end of the pits base line rhythm section and Malkiewicz came off second in the moto, but still in contention for the overall. Moto 2 was the showdown of Australia vs. the world that everyone had come to see and it was the stuff folk tales are made of! Reminiscing to the days of Andrew Mcfarlane being cheered around the hills of Broadford in the early 2000’s, the Australian crowd grew louder every lap as Malkiewicz battled Guadagnni and then capitalised on a mistake from the Italian to take the lead and not look back, winning the moto and the world championship crown!

In the 65 class it was a tale of consistency that lead to another Australian world champion as 5-2 moto finishes and a last lap pass into second on the final moto gave Braden Plath his first junior world championship!

Unfortunately I was working with a few 85cc class riders on the day so I did not see too much of the 65cc class action unfold, but in similar fashion to Malkiewicz winning, the Australian crowd went nuts for Plath as he claimed a world title for his country!

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Other stand outs on Sunday were Liam Everts. I watched Stefan growing up and it was clear to see that Liam is simply a more refined version of his father at a younger age. With the Everts bloodline how could you expect anything else? After winning moto 1 of the 85cc class, Liam’s bike unfortunately expired on the parade lap for moto 2 and with it went his world title hopes. American Caden Braswell who won the 2018 Loretta Lynn’s AMA amateur national title stepped up to win moto 2 after a third in moto 1 to take the world title. Braswell was fast and cool under pressure, a name I expect to hear more of in years to come from the USA. To summarise the 2018 FIM world junior Motocross championships experience is something that will stay with all of the riders and their families for many years to come. Team Australia did themselves proud with amazing performances against the world’s best and the Australian moto undustry got the opportunity to broadcast our up and coming talent to the rest of the world.

Words by Joe Stevens

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GEAR REVIEW Thanks to the guys at GAS Imports I received a box of the 2019 THOR Prime Pro and Pulse gear sets and over the last few weeks I’ve been spinning laps at the track to get a feel for what the 2019 THOR ranges have to offer the consumer.

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PRIME PRO This is THOR’s “Athletic fit” range for 2019 and as most of you reading this who are enthusiasts of riding gear will know, the compression style ranges are becoming more and more popular especially amongst the younger generation.

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JERSEY P R I M E

P R O

Now I’ll admit, coming into testing this gear set I was a little sceptical how much I would like it as I am a bigger sized rider (6ft tall and 95kg to be exact) and although I don’t consider myself over weight by any means, I have a stocky build that in the past has left me feeling and looking something like the incredible hulk trying to squeeze into a Motocross jersey whilst wearing a competing gear brands version of athletic cut gear.

Granted this was a few years ago and the technology has come a long way with the compression style gear ranges. However, I am glad to say that as soon as I popped the tag and put on the prime pro jersey I was super impressed with how well the jersey fitted, hugging my body in all the right spots and giving my arms and shoulders enough room to move freely. Once out on track, the jersey features really became apparent.

Ventilation was a noticeable strong point for me as the main day I put in laps was a nice spring day at about twenty degrees and the ventilated mesh panels under the arms and on the back along with the fabrics of the jersey itself provided a nice cool feeling once my body got up to race temperature. Unlike some ventilated gear sets this is not to the extremes (THOR does offer a “air” version for extreme summer days racing) and I could happily wear this jersey on a winters day. The four way free flex sleeves are another strong point giving my forearms and shoulders a complimenting compression that formed as part of my body’s natural movements when on the bike, pulling through the bars or raising my elbows in a turn almost felt a little easier (maybe that’s a placebo from the great fit of the Prime pro range but either way it worked for me). True to size I’m a XL in most gear sets I’ve worn in recent years and the XL Prime Pro jersey fitted perfectly.

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PANTS P R I M E

P R O

The Prime pro pant is mainly comprised of spandex and polyester and once on, it really does feel like you are not wearing anything at all. THOR claims a “pre curved chassis design that assumes active rider position” for the pant and I would have to agree that along the same lines as the jersey, I felt this gear helped my bodies movement on the bike become more fluid. The first feature I loved about the pant was the fact it had no liner and therefore nothing for your knee braces to get hinged or caught on (that’s a big win for riders running knee braces). On the category of knee braces the Prime Pro pants knee area is very spacious and hugs your braces snug but does not restrict movement at all and the leather both on the interior and exterior of the knee area is extremely durable whilst staying light weight. The pants fitting system is a ratchet style front clip.

As we have all experienced I was waiting for the dreaded “blow out” (when the waist lock pops on a pant mid moto and you spend the next few laps with your butt exposed) however, even seat bouncing hard on my 450 didn’t stop the pants fitting and locking systems holding strong and not once did they slip down or move to an uncomfortable position. Additionally to this the Prime Pro pant also comes with built in compression style shorts for you to wear underneath. These shorts even have little clips that secure back onto the waist of the pants once the pants are on to minimize the slippage and blow out risk. For you riders who like to wear your fashionable $80 boxers to moto in (something I’ll never understand) don’t panic, the compression shorts are removable.

I tried the pants with and without the inner compression shorts and I felt they were a nice addition when I rode with them, but not a hindrance to comfort if I removed them and ran my traditional compression leggings. Ventilation again complimented my body’s race temperature and as I stated with the jersey, the pants did their job keeping my body cool but I feel they could be worn through winter, the ventilation was a nice addition to the moto but I did not notice it before I was heating up during my ride.

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SUMMARY P R I M E

P R O

To summarise the Prime Pro range has really changed my opinion of “athletic cut” or “compression” style riding gear. To be fair I have not worn this style of gear for a few seasons now, however the Prime Pro range go’s above and beyond for my expectations in regards to fitment, function and comfort on track.

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PULSE The PULSE range is more of a traditional fit and function gear set from the THOR range but carries some of the great assets over from the Prime Pro range, delivering at a more affordable price point and more durable gear set life span.

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JERSEY P U L S E

The Pulse jersey does exactly what it is supposed to do and provides great fitment for a versatile range of rider’s shapes and sizes. True to size, the XL fitted great and gave me plenty of room to manoeuvre on the bike with my arms and torso. The four way stretch panel on the cuffs and collar share a similar feel to the Prime Pro range in regards to fitment and support without the “compression� style feeling and the jersey really does its job well of being a regular fitting jersey that gives you plenty of support. The jersey is light weight but heavier set than the Prime Pro range so for those riders who like to feel like they have something on and prefer a little more of an old school feel this is the jersey for you. With Moisture wicking fabric technology and built in ventilation patches the trait of the THOR 2019 Pulse and Prime Pro ranges both share is a great ability to keep the riders body temperature dry and cool, but not have this ventilation become a negative in regards to feeling cold when the body is not up to race temp on the opening laps. I could happily run this jersey in winter without concerns of being cold and in summer without the worry of overheating.

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PANTS P U L S E

The Pulse pant features the same ratchet style fitting closure system as the Prime Pro with the addition of two Velcro straps on the side hips area of the body that transfers the load across the entire waist of the pant when on bike. The addition of these Velcro straps adds a nice snug feel to the pant when on the bike and the fitment systems held up to a particularly muddy first day out wearing them where the grip of the butt area of the pants did not give out to the wet seat and mud on the surface area of both the seat and the pants. Again those riders who prefer a more traditional feel for their riding pants will love the Velcro straps on the waist line and also the breathable athletic mesh liner that adds durability and form to the pants without restriction or a snagging feel on your pads / braces. Thor’s trademarked Rapid-Flex knee technology in the pulse pant was a huge standout for me giving my knee braces plenty of room for support and manoeuvrability within the pant whilst contouring to my legs natural movement on the bike without causing any restrictions. Durable leather lines the exterior of the knee area to stand up to knee brace hinges very well.

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SUMMARY P U L S E

To summarise the PULSE gear range from THOR hits all its marks for what surprises me to say is their “entry level� price point gear set that provides great value and durability without compromising comfort and function on the bike. This gear set to me comes in on par with many manufacturers top level gear sets at a far lower price point and that is a huge benefit for riders and families kitting out their riders for the season.

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THE VERDICT? 2 0 1 9

T H O R

M X

R A N G E

For a rider or family looking to kit out for the season the THOR Prime pro and Pulse gear ranges have the ability for you to not need to like elsewhere. The Prime Pro covers race day and the younger generations need to look the part on Instagram, whilst the PULSE range covers anyone looking for a highly functional and durable gear set whilst still looking the part. With a great range of gloves to accompany these gear ranges, THOR has all bases covered.

For more info on the 2019 THOR range contact your local THOR dealership or GAS imports.

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AORC ROUND 8 & 9

DUAL VICTORIES FOR KTM’S MILNER AT KINGSTON KTM Enduro Racing Team’s Daniel Milner has earned two commanding victories in the E3 category at rounds eight and nine of the Australian Off-Road Championship (AORC) in Kingston SE, South Australia.

Round eight saw Milner emerge with the fastest outright time of 58m44.297s, granting him over a three-minute advantage to his nearest E3 rival, while teammate Lyndon Snodgrass pushed through to record the fifth fastest time in the outright results, crediting him a respectable third in the E2 division.

Victorian Milner was once again unstoppable on his KTM 500 EXC-F in Sunday’s ninth round, navigating his way to a fourminute plus triumph to extend his E3 winning streak to nine while lodging the fastest outright time of 54m29.417s in the process.

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It was a repeat result for Snodgrass in Sunday’s edition as he crossed the line third in E2, although his outright pace saw significant improvements, allowing him to climb to fourth in the outright results.

The KTM Enduro Racing Team now heads to Omeo in Victoria for the final stop of the AORC on 6-7 October, marking rounds 10 and 11.

Glenn Kearney – KTM Enduro Racing Team manager: “It was an excellent weekend. The club put on an excellent event and they had three separate special tests that were all technical and typical enduro conditions. I’m hugely impressed with Daniel, he won both days convincingly in E3 and earned the outright on both days too. Lyndon had a solid weekend as well with a pair of thirds in E2, so that was a really strong result there.”

Daniel Milner – KTM 500 EXC-F: “It was a very good weekend – I started off a bit rusty yesterday, but I got in the groove pretty quickly. As the track got rougher, I got better and became more comfortable. It’s been a season that’s stretched out, but it’s definitely been good to win every race so far in the E3 class as well as grabbing outright wins. We just have to carry the momentum and finish off strongly at Omeo.”

Lyndon Snodgrass – KTM 450 EXC-F: “It was a challenging weekend, that’s for sure. I struggled a little on Saturday and was feeling a bit tight, but I gained a better feeling and finished it out in third. Today was better – I was fourth outright and third again in the E2 class. I’m pretty excited to get to the last round now – I enjoyed Omeo last year, so I’m looking forward to it!”

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ROUND 8 RESULTS E3 1. Daniel Milner (KTM) 2. Lachlan Stanford (Husqvarna) 3. Broc Grabham (Gas Gas) 4. Andrew Wilksch (Sherco) 5. Jesse Lawton (Husqvarna) E2 1.Daniel Sanders (Husqvarna) 2.Wil Ruprecht (Yamaha) 3.Lyndon Snodgrass (KTM) 4.Joshua Green (Yamaha) 5.Beau Ralston (Yamaha)

ROUND 9 RESULTS E3 1.Daniel Milner (KTM) 2.Lachlan Stanford (Husqvarna) 3.Thomas Mason (KTM) 4.Broc Grabham (Gas Gas) 5.Andrew Wilksch (Sherco) E2 1.Daniel Sanders (Husqvarna) 2.Joshua Green (Yamaha) 3.Lyndon Snodgrass (KTM) 4.Wil Ruprecht (Yamaha) 5.Stefan Granquist (Yamaha)

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