Throwdown No.109 – Flying High

What’s this “Throwdown”? It’s a digital home for rumour, fact and innuendo, delivered on a weekly basis. Covering a broad spectrum of the off-road world’s news, the Throwdown will touch on everything from racing to trailriding; from industry tidbits to issues facing the sport. It’s about delivering you timely information all in one place so you don’t have to scour the internet looking for it.

The German Motocross of Nations team of Max Nagl, Ken Roczen and Marcus Schiffer dominated in the sand of Lommel, but Team USA fans are claiming the event was designed for the American’s to fail. You know what, we agree! Sand is tricky business at the best of times and unless you’re regularly training on the course, you’re at a distinct disadvantage up against the Europeans, who have their bikes dialled to suit those conditions. The Australian team of Lawson Bopping, Luke Styke and Todd Waters did incredibly well, all things considered, and took 10th in the Nation Standings.

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Transmoto‘s European correspondent, Geoff Meyer, has had no choice but to sit on the fence and watch, as Team USA swept the last seven MXoN events. In an emotionally charged piece, Meyer compares the standard of FIM and AMA talent in this week’s MXGP Insider.

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The Australian Supercross season is almost upon us, with the opening round at Dubbo kicking off on October 13. We gave Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Troy Carroll a call to discuss his team’s preparation coming into the series. “All our riders are fit and healthy which is a first for the year,” said Carroll. “We went down to Jay (Marmont’s) place to do a few days testing and he’s really happy with the bike and feels like he has it dialled in to win. Billy (Mackenzie) is living in Byron Bay at the moment and he has a SX track out of Lismore. When we went out testing with him we could really see he has picked up his speed. And Kade (Mosig) spent most of his time up in Queensland right near the race shop, and again he’s really stepped it up. We’re really confident going into the supercross, certainly a lot more than the motocross season.”

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Speaking of the Monster Energy Kawasaki team, they’ve really upped the ante coming into the SX championship and have helped build two custom tracks for team members, Marmont and Mackenzie. Carroll tells us, “Jay got a supercross track built about three-quarters of the way through the motocross season. To be honest it’s the best supercross track I’ve seen in this country. He’s been pounding out lap after lap, week in week out and you can just tell he’s in form at the moment.” He then went on to discuss their position for the 2013 season. “Our first concern is to get Jay back on the bike again for next year. We’ve had conversations with him and he’s really keen to ride with us again next year. We’re a bit uncertain of the second rider for the 450 at the moment, so we’re yet to make a decision, but are considering a cut back to a two rider team. It all depends on our budget; we need to make sure we’re giving 100% support to the riders we’ve got.”

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Since TwoTwo Motorsports’ Chad Reed recently announced that he’ll make his return to racing at the 2012 Monster Energy Cup, October 20, word on the street is that he could be racing the final three rounds of the Australian Supercross Championship. It would be the perfect opportunity for Reed to hone his skills, before jumping straight back into the AMA series. Who’d be excited to see CR22 racing back home?

Oh, and it’s good to see he’s not too stressed about training at the moment. He’s too busy racing Go Karts with Travis Pastrana and hanging out at the NASCAR track with his son, Tate.

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There’s talk of complications beginning to arise with the Phillip Island round of the Australian Supercross Championship. Obviously, there’s going to be a lot going on (with the MotoGP on too) and there may be issues with machinery squeezing in and out of places. Hopefully there are no issues which can’t be sorted, as we’re all keen for the second round! We weren’t able to get a hold of the event organisers for a comment, although we will keep you informed.

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DPH Motorsports has confirmed that Cheyne Boyd will be switching back to the premier class for the upcoming Australian Supercross Championships, after spending the 2012 MX Nats series aboard a smaller 250. Boyd has already spent years in the 450 class, racing against the best of the best, so we can expect a smooth transition. He put together a clip at his backyard SX track under lights this week with Bret Trigg Visual, which we can expect to see early next week.

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Also, there’s news afoot that Dan Reardon might not quite be fully retired just yet. Industry sources have told Transmoto that representatives for the former Australian MX and SX champion have been on the phone, looking for funding for Reardon’s possible privateer campaign in the upcoming Supercross Championship. It’s even rumoured that any deal struck may even extend into season 2013, and could be aboard a Honda. We’ve been unable to get a hold of Reardon for a comment at this stage, but we’ll keep you posted.

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The Coolum Pines Motocross track in Qld is playing host to the Honda Australian Junior Motocross Championship, with over 400 junior riders competing in the week-long event. There’s eight days of racing, from the 50cc auto class right up to the 200-250cc 15-years. In the premier 200-250cc class, it’s Queensland’s Joel Dinsdale leading the charge with a 1-1-1 result in all his heats. Another Queenslander to shine is Todd Wilson in the 85cc 12-U14-years, who also dominated his heats, going 1-1-1. Current 65cc World Champion, Caleb Grothues from WA, swept the 85cc 9-U12 field. Racing will continue today, with the finals taking place this weekend.

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It was a long six days for the Australian Senior Trophy team at the ISDE, but the results speak for themselves. Glenn Kearney, Daniel Milner, Chris Hollis, Matt Phillips, Josh Strang and Toby Price walked away with the silver medal – Australia’s best ever result! But it wasn’t without its casualties for Team Australia. Motorex KTM Off-Road’s Chris Hollis broke his collarbone in the final day’s motocross event, while his teammate Toby Price has done his ribs. Plus, Husqvarna’s Glenn Kearney really did a number on his knee earlier in the competition. With the Australian 4-Day Enduro only three weeks away it’ll be a surprise if any of them are competing, but knowing Pricey he’s sure to give it a go anyway. The Junior Trophy team of Ben Burrell, Luka Bussa, Mitcham Harper and Lachlan Stanford also finished with a good result, taking fourth place behind France, Great Britain and USA. And the Women’s Trophy Team of Jess Gardiner, Tanya Hearn and Tayla Jones took third place behind France and Germany. Well done on the tremendous effort from all our riders.

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Hollis broke his collarbone, Price damaged his ribs and Kearney tore his knee apart, but I guess we can be thankful that they weren’t all in this guys shoes, eh?

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For some of our ISDE riders, the party continued, as they joined in Octoberfest celebrations. Here’s a shot of Jess Gardiner blending in with the local culture. Guten morgen, fraulein!

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Active8 Yamaha Yamalube’s Josh Green nearly ran out of fuel on the trip home from the Australasia Safari – one of the many hazards of driving late at night in the middle of Australia. Greeny tells us he made excellent time on the trip, going from Perth to Newcastle in two days!

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Speaking of the Safari, the organisers really stepped it up this year with a number of regular moto and auto competitors saying it was one of the best running’s of the event ever. With a new course this year, it’s always a risk that the roadbook contains inaccuracies, but we’ve heard it was spot on. Kudos to the event organisers.

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Honda’s Jake Smith won the Safari and South African rider, Brett Cummings, took the free ticket to Dakar. Transmoto correspondent, Peter Whitaker, sums up the Safari nicely.

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The CPW/KTM team started the Safari with six riders and ended with two! The rookie, first time Safari competitor Ryan Ingram, was able to score himself the third Outright position. And, his bike was the only one that actually made it onto the podium with its original piston still intact. Well done, mate!

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We’ve also been told to expect to see an Aussie riding for the Speedbrain Husky Rally team next week in Morroco, and then as a waterboy at Dakar. Who, though? We’ll know shortly.

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Aussie enduro stalwart, Mark Peacock, has never been a button-down corporate type, but what’s with his recent wild-man-of-Borneo hobo look? The seven-time Aussie ISDE rider has long campaigned to raise money for cancer research, and it appears he’s at it again with his Wild Men of Enduro Appeal. No, it’s not a nude calendar; Peacock has kept scissors and razors at bay since way back in January, but plans to turn himself into a cue-ball this Friday at the NSW Enduro presentation night at the Wyong Rugby Leagues club at Kanwal – all in a ballsy bid to help raise funds for the Cancer Council. “The kids run a mile every time they see this wild man appear over breakfast, but I’ve managed to pull a woman with the look, so it’s not all bad,” Peacock told Transmoto in his trademark dry drawl and snigger. “But it’s all coming off this Friday night!” To donate and help Mark raise funds for the Cancer Council, go to http://nsw.cancercouncilfundraising.org.au/nswenduro.

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The International Motorcycle, Scooter and Bicycle Expo, or Intermot as it’s more commonly known, in Germany was held this week and a number of 2013 models were unveiled. Among these include BMW’s 2013 R 1200 GS model, Honda’s 2013 CRF450 Dakar Rally and KTM’s all-new 1190 Adventure. We’ll have more information for you soon, but we’ve discovered the big change to BMW’s flagship adventure model is its all-new liquid-cooled boxer engine (previously air-cooled).

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Round 12 of the GNCC series will once again go pink for breast cancer, to help raise awareness and money for local breast cancer care and research. Over 10,000 spectators are expected at the hotly contested championship round. Currently leading the charge in the XC1 class is Yamaha’s Paul Whibley, but he’s only 13 points ahead of FMF KTM’s Kailub Russell. With only three rounds to go, all eyes will be on these two heading into the weekend’s event.

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The Watagans little brother, the Bulahdelah Trail Bike Rally, takes place October 14 and, much like the Watagans Rally, has a long and short loop, free camping and breakfast and lunch provided. Prepaid entry is $90, or $100 on the day. For an entry form head to the website.

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Metal Mulisha’s Rob Adelberg was due to compete in the final round of the Red Bull Sydney X-Fighters this weekend, but a foot injury sustained this week has forced him out of competition. Double Backflip King, Cam Sinclair, has stepped up to the plate and will compete in Adelberg’s place.

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Speaking of X-Fighters, rumour has it Australia’s Jackson Strong has a spectacular run planned that’ll blow you away. Everyone’s quiet on the details but we’re guessing it’ll be a combination run of his gold-medal winning tricks – the Front Flip and The Jack.

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Australia’s only female pro FMX rider, Emma McFerran, has recovered from her terrible crash at the Australian Superbike FMX Demo fourth months ago, which saw her new Kawasaki split in two and left her with a broken wrist. Her Kawasaki deal went sour, but thankfully the Carlton Dry Honda team stepped in and is providing support for the talented rider. McFerran is now set to appear in FMX shows at select Australian Supercross rounds and we’ve heard she’s taken her riding to the next level since she started training at Jackson Strong’s Lockhart compound.

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Round 4 of the Australian Underground FMX Championship took place at Mudgee, NSW, over the weekend and former series winner, Joe Sheppard, took victory in poor conditions. Bad weather meant a tough round for all, all except for Sheppard who took advantage of the adverse wind to seal the win. The boys from Russell Brothers Films were on hand to capture the action, and we’ve heard they had an octocopter in the air to capture some very unique angles. The video is due to be released at the end of the week.

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A heavy equipment specialist company, Terex, has become the official naming rights sponsor of the 2013 Australian Supercross Championship.

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Registration is now open for the three BMW GS Demo Days in NSW, Qld and Vic over the next three months. Riders will have the chance to test ride the R1200GS, R1200GS Adventure, F800GS, F700GS, G650GS and G650GS Sertao. Demo days are at Wisemans Ferry NSW on October 23, Maleny Qld on November 15 and Toolangi Vic on November 27. Bookings cost $39 with all riders receiving a BMW Motorrad GS shirt and refreshments. For more information, head to http://gsexperience.maschine.com.au.

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Following the success of the Belgian GP this year, Youthstream has announced it’ll appear on the calendar again next year. They’ve also inked a deal to hold the 2015 MXoN event back in the the USA, at Glen Helen.

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Speaking of Youthstream, they’ll be adding the Honda 150 European Championship to the GP calendar next year. Targeted at 11 to 14-year-olds, the series is a one-make series with all riders required to ride a race-ready Honda CRF150R, provided by Honda. Honda staff will do all transport, maintenance, organisation and provide a riding coach to entrants. It’s an interesting concept…

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Didn’t get to watch the Motocross of Nations? SPEED TV Australia will be airing a highlights wrap of the action-packed 2012 MXoN tonight, 9:00pm AEST.

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