Throwdown No.181 – 21/03/14

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At Detroit’s Monster Energy AMA Supercross round, Yoshimura Suzuki’s James Stewart captured his third win of the season, and elevated himself up to third Overall in the 450SX Class championship standings. The win also placed him in equal second with Ricky Carmichael on the all-time AMA SX win list, with a remarkable 48 victories. Check out the rad footage below that GoPro released on JS7’s victory, and click here to check out a sweet behind-the-scenes clip from Bubba’s big-rig at Detroit. Still leading the charge is Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Ryan Villopoto, 30 points clear of Red Bull KTM’s Ryan Dungey. Stewart is 19 points back from that.

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Five 250SX Class Eastern Regional rounds have now taken place, and Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki rider, 17-year-old Adam Cianciarulo, has won three of ’em. His teammates, Martin Davalos and Blake Baggett, have won one apiece. Team Manager, Mitch Payton, must be that stoked right now – yeah, Dean Wilson and Justin Hill did win rounds on the West Coast earlier in the year – but his squad is killing it right now! Our money’s on Cianciarulo to take home this year’s title, on his debut season. He’s a freak.

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Speaking of Wilson, check out this rad video the Dirt Shark crew dropped yesterday. They recently lurked out to Chad Reed’s private MX/SX heaven in Florida, also known as #Compound22, and made a kick-ass SX video featuring Wilson and Josh Grant. You’ve gotta love the shit-talking at the beginning and end between Reed and Wilson.

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Australia’s factory Kawasaki effort, the team that consists of Jake Moss and Adam Monea for season 2014 (managed by Troy Carroll), has secured two title sponsors, in National Pump Services and Monster Energy – despite talk that Monster wouldn’t be returning this year. “It’s extremely exciting to have National Pump Services join Monster Energy Kawasaki in 2014,” commented Carroll. “For National Pump to step up and support the team like they have in 2014 is a huge plus and we are very grateful. We’re very appreciative of the continued support from Monster Energy and all of our other sponsors as well. With such a strong team support structure in place combined with how well Jake and Adam are currently riding, we couldn’t ask for a better start to the racing season.” The National Pump Monster Energy Kawasaki team released this sweet clip to introduce the all-new outfit this week. Be sure to check it out.

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This is a real bummer… KTM Motocross Racing Team’s Ford Dale won’t be able to contest the opening rounds of the 2014 Monster Energy MX Nationals. The 2012 Australian MX2 champ, had a pretty nasty crash up in Queensland this week that left him with facial damage and a broken arm. Heal up, mate.

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Another rider that was sent to hospital this week was GYTR Yamaha star, Joel Dinsdale. The 17-year-old was involved in a car crash at the start of this week, and was left in a serious, but stable condition. We’ve been hearing positive reports, and we’ve got our fingers crossed for him. For the initial report, click here.

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There’s a strange deal with the race tracks being used in this year’s Monster Energy AMA Supercross series. The course builders have gotten so good at the process of storing and maintaining dirt, that the tracks have changed quite a bit. Cities once known for soft, rutted soil now feature dry, hard surfaces, and the riders aren’t exactly pumped on it. Read more on the situation in this week’s USA Insider, penned by Jason Weigandt.

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We’ve witnessed two awesome rounds of racing in Qatar and Thailand, and already we’re being forced to take two weekends off before the third round of the 2014 FIM Motocross World Championship takes place in Brazil. One weekend has passed and we’ve got one weekend to go. Get your motocross fix in this week’s MXGP Insider, mashed together on the keyboard of David Bulmer, from somewhere we’d rather be.

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Kiwi riders, Cody Cooper and Kayne Lamont, will look to wrap up the 2014 New Zealand Motocross Nationals in their respective MX1 and MX2 classes this weekend at Taupo. Honda-mounted Cooper sits 37 points clear of CDR Yamaha’s Billy Mackenzie, and two-stroke 250cc Husqvarna-mounted Lamont leads Hamish Dobbyn (KTM) by 38 points. These riders, along with Kirk Gibbs and Jay Wilson, will be the ones to keep a close eye on when the 2014 Monster Energy MX Nationals kick off at Broadford, Victoria on March 30. They’ve had an awesome off-season.

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The 2014 Yamaha Australian Off-Road Championship (AORC) kicks off at Bulahdelah, NSW this weekend. Who’s going to come out on top, you ask? That’s a tough one to answer this year. CDR Yamaha Off Road Racing’s Daniel Milner (the 2013 champ, who won aboard a YZ250F) will be contesting the E2 class on a YZ450F this year, and you’d be a fool to count him out on winning again this year. His teammate, Chris Hollis, will also be one to watch in the E2 class aboard a WR450F. He just claimed the Outright 2014 Australian Enduro-X Nationals title, and has been looking strong since making the switch from KTM to Yamaha. Then there’s the powerhouse, Toby Price. Sadly, Toby’s 2013 season was derailed when he crashed in the US, and it’s been a long road to recovery. After taking out the prestigious Transmoto 12-Hour Outright title over the weekend, his stocks have definitely gone up. Mix in the talents of Josh Green, Jarrod Bewley and Geoff Braico, and we’ve got a serious ball game on our hands.

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Let’s not forget about Privateer MX rider, Beau Ralston, who will be making the transition to the Aussie off-road paddock this year. We’re waiting for the official press release to land in our mail box, but we’re confident that you’ll be able to find Ralston under Active8 Yamaha’s big-rig at Bulahdelah this weekend. Word on the street is that Stefan Granquist will be pitted under there, too. That’s four riders AJ Roberts will be managing this year (Green, Tom McCormack, Ralston and Granquist). Stay tuned for an official announcement.

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Don’t forget that there’s an all-new 19 Years & Under class being introduced to this year’s AORC. It’s going be an awesome step for young off-road riders to take, before mixing it up with the experienced Pro riders. And you know what’s even more awesome about it. Transmoto has secured naming rights for the class! The Transmoto 19 Years & Under class is going to be rad.

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Reigning Women’s Outright ISDE champ (and member of the winning Aussie team from the Sardinian ISDE late last year), Jess Gardiner, has been a busy girl in recent weeks. And ahead of jetting out to Europe on Monday to begin her preparations for the 2014 Enduro World Championship with Team Azzalin Sherco, things aren’t letting up. In amongst Jess’ full-time work obligations as a dump truck driver, she’s taken time out to join Transmoto for our Mid-Capacity Enduro Bike Shootout, plus done a photo shoot with women’s fitness mag, Oxygen. She plans to squeeze in a celebration for her 21st birthday (which is today) with family and friends. Today also sees her shooting in a studio with Fourohfour Films – the talented crew who brought us the ground-breaking RIDE video late last year. Jess then heads north to this weekend’s opening round of the 2014 Yamaha Australian Off-Road Championship (AORC) – three hours north of Sydney, at Bulahdelah – where she’ll be met by a camera crew from Channel 9’s Today show. “They’re getting me to wear a GoPro for a lap or two at Bulahdelah and pre-recording a story that I believe will be run next week,” Jess told Transmoto. Wish her all the best for this year’s EWC. If effort and preparedness put in is any indication of success, she’s got a great season ahead of her.

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Jarrod Bewley and his wife Victoria have announced that they’ll be starting up an all-new riding off-road riding school this year, called Bewley’s Dirt Bike Development. The school will cater for riders of all ages and experience levels, and different ranges of camps will be on offer. There’ll be a brand new motocross track to use on the private property, as well as enduro and off-road style tracks. Limited accommodation packages will be available, along with space for camping. They’re currently taking expressions of interest, so be sure put your name down on the list. Email jarrodbewleyracing@hotmail.com or introduce yourself to the multiple AORC and A4DE champ at Bulahdelah this weekend. Stay tuned for a How-To: Standing Up feature with Bewley in the next issue of Transmoto Dirt Bike Magazine.

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Australian rider, Rocky Mountain ATV/MC’s Josh Strang, finished in fourth Overall at the Maxxis General Grand National Cross Country (GNNC) round over the weekend, grabbing his second XC1 Holeshot for the season. Factory FMF/KTM’s Kailub Russell won the second round of the season, but it’s Charlie Mullins that leads the way in the championship standings. Round 3 is set to take place at Steele Creek on March 30.

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The season opener of the 2014 Red Bull X-Fighters World Tour electrified Mexico City, with an epic freestyle motocross battle that set up the rivalries for a season that will span four continents. New Zealand’s Levi Sherwood won five years after his first victory again in front of 38,000 fanatic fans, with Josh Sheehan of Australia in second place and Dany Torres of Spain claiming third. Click here for the highlights. Round 2 will take place in Japan on May 25.

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In 2012, South Australian FMX rider, Andy ‘Maddog’ Hensel, was left a paraplegic after crashing his dirt bike. Two years on, he became the first paraplegic person to ever attempt a Backflip to dirt this week. Check out the inspiring footage below. Proof that you can do anything you set your mind to.

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Today’s a sad one for the Australian FMX community. It’s been one year since the passing of Tyrone Gilks. We hope you’re riding in peace up there, #777.

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Click here to find out what’s inside Transmoto Dirt Bike Magazine’s 2014 April Issue (#42), and be sure to grab yourself a print or digital edition.

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This past weekend saw over 400 keen dirt bike riders descend upon Batemans Bay, NSW for the fourth annual Transmoto 12-Hour, powered by InsureMyRide. And not a single one of them walked away disappointed – although many are probably still attending to bumps and bruises suffered, and cleaning dust off their bodies and belongings. Luke Tomlinson was the winner of this year’s Ironman category – he completed a staggering 27 laps to take home the crown, and a 9ct gold sprocket handcrafted by Bunda. The Mixed Team Of Four category was won by the Bellends, a team that consisted of Jarrad Duffy, Josh Reeks, Luke Eastwood and Kristy McAndrew, while the Men’s Team Of Four division was claimed by the KTM Enduro Team, comprised of Toby Price, Brad ‘Wonka’ Williscroft, David Gilmore and Scott Lees. Price, who was featured on the front of this year’s event T-Shirt (the artwork was the first-ever cover of Transmoto Dirt Bike Magazine), won the Outright title. But as you may know, the Transmoto 12-Hour’s not about winning. It’s about riding against the clock, riding against your mates, and just riding. Stay tuned for loads of 12-Hour goodness to come, including detailed class results, image galleries and video highlights. An overview of the results from the event can be found here.

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Williams Event Management (WEM) has announced that Pirelli Tyres, distributed by Link International in Australia, has jumped back on board as the official tyre sponsor of the 2014 Monster Energy MX Nationals. Once more, Pirelli will be offering a contingency program for the Under 19s (MXD) Class in 2014. The program is aimed at helping your Privateers keep their bikes in race-ready condition, and relieve some of the expenses associated with going racing. It’s a nice way to invest back into the sport.

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The Motul Pirelli Baylisstic Scramble set to take place this weekend at MOTO EXPO Brisbane, presented by InsureMyRide, will boast the most successful line-up of motorcycle racers to ever compete in a single event in Queensland. The Baylisstic Scramble Teams dirt track racing event will run on the RNA Showground’s main arena between 6.00 and 8.00 PM. The event is included in Saturday’s general entry ticket and is open to all ages. The 20-rider line-up includes some of Australia’s motorcycle racing royalty, such as three-time World Superbike Champion Troy Bayliss, three-time Speedway World Champion Jason Crump, World Supersport Champion and MotoGP racer Chris Vermeulen, motocross legend Stephen Gall, former WSBK and Moto GP racer Gary McCoy, World Supersport Champion Karl Muggeridge, multiple dirt track Champion Paul Caslick and multiple Australian Superbike Champion, Jamie Stauffer. And the best rider of ’em all? Transmoto’s Mark “Browndawg” Brown, who owns and operates Browns Grafix. Browndawg will be racing his prized KX250F – a project bike he worked on with Transmoto in 2012. Best of luck, mate. Pictured below is Bayliss on a KTM and Crump on a speedway bike, and Brownie helping set-up the event.

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