THROWDOWN NO.250 – 14/08/15

Wow, how good was the racing last weekend at the New York state’s iconic Unadilla Raceway for the AMA Outdoor Nationals? With crashes and bad luck hampering the fast-qualifying Christophe Pourcel and Ken Roczen, Ryan Dungey ran away with a dominant 1-1 in the 450MX class (and with a 79-point lead over Justin Barcia, Dungey can wrap up the title this weekend at Utah – the 11^th round of the 12-round Pro Motocross Championship). But in the 250MX class, it was on for young and old at Unadilla. After leading both motos for more than 20 minutes, PC Kawasaki’s Joel Savatgy went 2-2 to take his first ever Overall win. Most of the interest, however, focused on the showdown between the two main title contenders, Yamaha’s Jeremy Martin and KTM’s Marvin Musquin, who are now separated by just 2 points as the series heads into its final two rounds. If you missed any of the action, check out our highlights video.

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Unadilla also saw the make-up of Team USA announced for the upcoming MX of Nations in France. Interestingly, after a record-breaking six consecutive appearances for the stars and stripes, Ryan Dungey has opted to sit out the MXoN this year – in spite of the fact he will be racing the MXGP in the USA the weekend prior. His departure leaves Justin Barcia to fly the flag in the MX1/MXGP class. Bam Bam will be joined by Star Yamaha teammates and bitter rivals, Jeremy Martin and Cooper Webb, who’ll ride the MX2 and MX3 classes, respectively. For more of an insight into the all-Yamaha team section and the politics of the MXoN’s funding, check out this week’s USA Insider.

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So, what do American fans think of Dungey’s MXoN withdrawal? According to Transmoto’s sources in the USA, not a lot. In fact, one source went so far as to say, “Around here, skipping Team USA is in line with treason! That said, RD didn’t ride well the last three MXoNs, so I think the fans are okay with trying someone else. It’s like that old trick you’d work on your mom: if she wanted you to do chores you didn’t want to do, just do a shit job and she’ll stop asking.”

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^ Transmoto’s Andy Wigan was on hand at Unadilla over the weekend with Ben Dillaway to capture all the action. Click here to eyeball all the hot shots from the iconic track.

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Australia’s MXoN team was also announced this week. With Chad Reed making himself unavailable, MXGP contenders Dean Ferris and Todd Waters will be joined by Jay Wilson, who currently leads the MX2 class standings at the nationals by just 3 points over reigning national MX2 champ (and 2014 MXoN starter for Australia), Serco Yamaha’s Luke Clout.

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Did you see Episode 4 of Red Bull’s epic video series MX Nation that we posted earlier in the week? If you missed it, check it out here.

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It was a relatively quiet week in World Motocross with attention focused on Lommel’s MXGP winner, Shaun Simpson, who headed across the pond to take on the might of America in their backyard of Unadilla. Despite minimal time on the US-spec bike, he fared pretty well with a fourth Overall on the tricky, rut-filled circuit.  This week’s MXGP Insider has more on the story.

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Back home, the MX Nationals’ penultimate round gets underway next weekend at Toowoomba’s Echo Valley, before the series’ traditional finale the following weekend at the brutal Coolum Pines track. We’re hearing rumours that Michael Byrne will be back in Australia and racing a CDR Yamaha at Coolum, after which he’s hanging around for a few days to stage his “MX Masterclass” riding tuition.

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Speaking of Toowoomba’s infamous Echo Valley Raceway, the 40^th anniversary of the “Mountain Man Motocross” has been announced for November 7-8. For details, check the event’s Facebook page.

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With prize money not paid on a round-by-round basis at the MX Nats for several years now, we’d almost forgotten about the concept. But organisers for the upcoming Australian Supercross Championship have announced that they’ll be dishing out a whopping $120,000 in prize money across the six-round series. The ASX kicks off at Bathurst Showgrounds on October 10 – right next to Mount Panorama, where the Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000 motor race will take place that same weekend.

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The two-time Australian women’s motocross champion Maddy Brown featured in our how-to video this week, focusing on the technique required to properly attack a step-up. She takes you through line choice, body positioning, throttle control and much more.

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Well, Toby Price may have already wrapped up his fifth Outright AORC crown, but there’s still a whole lot to play for at this weekend’s final two rounds of the series in Monkerai, NSW – the epic venue that hosted last year’s A4DE. Behind Price, just 34 points separates second through sixth in the Outright standings. In the E2 class, there’s 17 points between the top four riders (Beau Ralston, Lachy Stanford, Tye Simmonds and Chris Hollis). And in the Transmoto 19&Under class, Tom Mason and Lyndon Snodgrass come into the final weekend equal on points. Word on the street is that Toby Price might swap his 500EXC for a 300EXC two-stroke at Monkerai, just to annoy his talented young teammate Daniel Sanders, who currently sits second to Price in the E3 class and a very credible third in the Outright standings.

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Have you got your ticket for the 2015 Sunny Corner Trail Bike Ride? It’s set to be epic with the 80km loops open all weekend. It’s taking place on September 12-13 and tickets are selling fast. Click here for more info about the event and how to purchase a ticket. Note: If your a subscriber to Transmoto magazine, you would have received an email today giving you a extra discount, but be quick there are only a few entries available.

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American off-road great, Rodney Smith, was inducted into the AMA Hall of Fame this week. The former MXer went on to become a five-time GNCC winner, and has played a key role in the GNCC success of Australia’s Glenn Kearney and Josh Strang in the past decade, too.

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Do you want to be part of a tough off-road race that oozes atmosphere? Take a look at WA’s Gascoyne Dash here. WA’s Kickstarters Gascoyne Dash is famous for its varied terrain, hometown hospitality and fantastic atmosphere. And if you get in before August 31, entry only costs $500.

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Many of you will know that former MotoGP great, Daryl Beattie, is a super-keen adventure rider these days – so much so that he’s started his own adventure tour operation, Daryl Beattie Adventures. In June, Beattie was joined by V8 legends Craig Lowndes, Jack Perkins and Larry Perkins for a Simpson Desert trip, before joining up with the Finke Desert Race in Alice Springs, and they had a camera crew along to film the ride. Next Sunday, August 23, “Daryl Beattie Adventures – The Simpson Desert” will premiere on ONE at 3pm.

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In the Motonomad blog post:Trans-Siberian rail to China, the team is down to two (Adam Riemann and his fellow companion Hein Schwartz) after Scott Britnell exited the project and flew back to Australia from Ulaanbaatar. Luckily the moto element of the journey is now over, but a 30-hour ride in an old Russian train on the Trans-Siberian railway to Beijing still lies ahead of the pair.

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Daniel Milner was eager to defend his Round 3 win at the Full Gas Sprint Enduro Series in the USA, but unfortunately Miller was hospitalised with severe stomach pains and unable to race. Check out the highlights video from the event here.

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The Watagan Trail Bike Rally is set to go off with a bang this weekend for the 12th year running. Stay tuned for some images of the 2015 event in the coming week.

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Have you caught up on all the action from the Transmoto 6-Hour? If not, the best way to do it is to sit back and enjoy the official Transmoto 6-Hour highlights video shot from the hills, gullies, riders and air.

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Everyone will have seen (or at least heard of) Robbie Maddison’s Pipe Dream by now. But how many of you knew that the stunt was initially planned to take place not in tropical Tahiti, but on the wave that occasionally breaks under San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge? True story.

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The ‘Freestyle Kings’ have been tearing it up at the Ekka over the past week. Josh Hannah, Brodie Markham, Jake Smith and Pat Bowden have been throwing it down in front of thousands of screaming fans in Brisbane. There is only three days left to go, so if you’re local, make sure you get down to the Brisbane Showgrounds and check it out.

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As we announced late week, the Australian importers for Sherco, Mojo Motorcycles, have taken on the official distribution in Australia of Italy’s SWM motorcycles. This week, the first images and details have emerged about the 2016 models (which we’ll expand on next week). In SWM’s off-road line-up, the RS300R, RS500R and RS650R are based on the Husqvarna’s (Italian-made) 2010 TE310, 2010 TE510 and 2012 TE630, respectively. All three SMWs are fitted with a GET CDI, while the 300 and 500 also get a dual-muffler exhaust system and KYB suspension componentry.

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At last week’s international media launch for the 2016-model Husqvarnas, there was mounting speculation that the Austrian manufacturer will soon unveil a 701cc adventure model (an off-road sibling to the recently released 701cc Supermoto). We hear it’ll use a variant on KTM’s 690 Enduro powerplant, but come with top-shelf WP suspension, Dakar-spec bodywork, and a modular fuel tank system that allows you to add or subtract capacity to both the main tanks and rear ‘saddlebag’ tanks. Now there’s a way that Husky can differentiate themselves from KTM! Stay tuned.

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Even if you keep half an eye on social media, chances are you came across a flurry of posts from KTM dealers recently, all looking like they were really enjoying themselves at KTM’s annual dealer conference in Fiji. And how about KTM Newcastle, who swept the floor with the gongs this year?! For the record, they won #1 EXC Dealer, #1 SX Dealer, #1 Powerparts Dealer, #1 NSW Dealer, #1 National dealer. Congrats to Jeff McLeary, Shane Place and their dedicated team.

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Congratulations to Craig Mckay the winner of this week’s instagram competition, presented by Oakley. Craig is taking home a new set of Oakley O2 MX Goggles.

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To celebrate its 60th anniversary, Yamaha Australia has organised a travelling roadshow truck that has set out across the nation to tell Yamaha’s six-decade story of innovation. It kicked off at Chris Watson Motorcycles in Cessnock last weekend (where a host of Yamaha legends were on hand to greet the crowd and sign a limited-edition poster). Check out Yamaha’s site for more info about the travelling roadshow’s itinerary.

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If you want to swing a leg over a 2016-model KTM and even test all the models back-to-back, then KTM’s “Dirt Days” is just the ticket. The brand’s demo program is taking pace across five states during September and October. All you have to do is pre-register at a participating KTM dealer and lay down $50. If you go ahead and purchase a new Kato within 60 days, you’ll get five-fold that $50 back (ie, $250) as an incentive. For more info, visit www.ktm.com.au

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Multiple AORC Women’s class champ, Jess Gardiner, has just signed on with the new bust fast-growing glove company, Novik.

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Husqvarna Australia has announced fresh titles for some existing staffers this week. Jon Hafey has taken on the lofty role of Brand Manager, and Brendan Drage is the brand’s new Marketing Manager. Congratulations, boys.

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Motorcycling Australia, announced this week that it has a new President and Chair, Tania Lawrence. Tania is the first Western Australian elected to the position of President and the first woman to ever take on the role. With the sport’s administrative body undergoing a lot of structural changes in 2015, Tania’s roles will no doubt bring with them some hefty challenges. It’ll be interesting track the changes to the organisation’s focus and culture as the Whole of Sport Review’s recommendations are implemented.

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Meanwhile, Motorcycling South Australia’s Chris McArdle has tendered his resignation.

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Got $14K (that’s $USD!) you’d like to drop on a customised set of Showa A-Kit suspension? Contact Craig Dixon at Mountain Race Shop (mountainraceshop@yahoo.com.au) and he’ll sort you out.

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Transmoto Dirt Bike Magazine‘s 2015 July-August issue (#51) is on sale now. Click here to find out what’s inside and be sure to grab a print copy from your local newsagents or a digital version via the Zinio App.

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