MotoGP Race Reports: Fabio Quartararo Crowned World Champion At Misano

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October 26, 2021

Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) was back on top in the Gran Premio Nolan del Made in Italy e dell’Emilia Romagna, backing up his stunner at COTA with victory at a clockwise circuit for the first time this season.

Marquez was followed home by teammate Pol Espargaro in the first Repsol Honda 1-2 since 2017 and the number 44’s first podium with Honda, with Enea Bastianini (Avintia Esponsorama) putting in another beast of a ride to complete the rostrum on home turf – after a last lap lunge on a newly-crowned World Champion, no less.

Meanwhile, Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) escaped in the lead as he went all-in, searing around Misano in his bid to stop Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) taking the crown. But it was a push too far and Pecco slid out, rider ok but title hopes over as Quartararo’s 52 point advantage guaranteed him the crown – backed up by a fourth place in the race too.

Bagnaia didn’t get the best start but retained the holeshot as teammate Jack Miller declined to engage in any friendly fire from second, with Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) therefore briefly passing the Australian but Miller hitting back soon after to tag back onto the tail of his teammate. For Quartararo, the start wasn’t the best either as the Frenchman went from 15th to 17th, but he was soon back up three places to one ahead of where he started.

After only a couple of laps, there was a breakaway trio of Pecco, Miller and Marc Marquez, and some drama elsewhere: former reigning Champion Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar) jumped the start and was given the requisite Double Long Lap, but then the number 36 was out anyway, coming together with Danilo Petrucci (Tech3 KTM Factory Racing). No further action was taken, although it was investigated.

The Bagnaia-Miller-Marquez train had almost a couple of seconds in hand by then, but Miller was starting to come under some serious pressure from Marquez. And then, even more drama – Miller crashed out. Rider ok but leaving his teammate in the lead and Marquez on the charge behind him – with Pol Espargaro in third with company from Oliveira, Franco Morbidelli (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) and Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini).

By 20 to go, Bagnaia and Marquez were nearly three seconds clear, Pol Espargaro vs Oliveira was the fight for third and Quartararo was still down in 10th, behind Jorge Martin (Pramac Racing) and Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar). Soon after though the Suzuki and the Yamaha managed to pass the Pramac machine, the tension still hanging in the air as Pecco led Marquez and Quartararo made his moves.

On Lap 13, Martin crashed at Turn 1 and Quartararo was then embroiled in a five-rider battle – with fifth to ninth split by less than a second. But the Frenchman, keeping calm, picked his way past teammate Franco Morbidelli and then front-row starter Luca Marini (Sky VR46 Avintia) to climb to P7 on Lap 15, although Pecco continuing to hold the relentless Marc Marquez at bay.

With 10 to go, Quartararo sliced his way past Rins for P6, with Aleix Espargaro then next on El Diablo’s radar. And sure enough, with nine to go, Quartararo was ahead of the Aprilia RS-GP and now in fifth. Barring a disaster from Oliveira, that was as good as it was going to get for Quartararo, with the KTM star eight seconds up the road. Or so we thought….

Meanwhile, 17 seconds ahead of Quartararo, Bagnaia was holding up his end of the bargain. All Pecco could do on home soil was win, but he had an eight-time World Champion hanging onto his coattails. Looking incredibly strong, the Italian was starting to pull clear though… before Lap 23 of the Emilia-Romagna GP became the title-deciding lap of 2021. At Turn 15, where Miller crashed earlier in the race, Bagnaia suddenly slid out. Giving it all he had but just dancing over the limit with pace Marquez would later describe as ‘unreal’, it was over. Straight back up on his feet, Pecco knew. Ducati knew. Yamaha knew. Quartararo knew: a new MotoGP™ World Champion was about to be crowned.

Pecco’s crash, closely followed by an Oliveira crash right after, left Marc Marquez P1, Pol Espargaro P2 and Quartararo, the new World Champion, holding a sensational third place from P15 on the grid. But Bastianini had other ideas, the Beast on an electric charge in the latter stages. He wasn’t going to allow Quartararo to have an easy cruise home to the podium, and he was homing in.

Up ahead, the chequered flag came out and Marc Marquez won his second race in a row, his third of the season, and first on a clockwise track in 2021… much more difficult turf. Pol Espargaro came home second to hand Repsol Honda a fantastic 1-2, their first since 2017, and returned to the rostrum for the first time in 2021 and first time with the Japanese marque.

Meanwhile Bastianini, with a move at Turn 14, got the better of Quartararo on the last lap, cementing another stunning rostrum to take the lead in the Rookie of the Year fight. And then came the the 2021 MotoGP™ World Champion: Fabio Quartararo. Jubilation erupted for the Frenchman and Yamaha after a phenomenal season.

Johann Zarco (Pramac Racing) crossed the line in fifth to beat sixth place Rins by 1.2s, with Aleix Espargaro taking P7. P8 went the way of Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) who claims his best result in Aprilia colours, and Marini secured his goal with a second top 10 of the season in P9 in his special Grazie Vale colour scheme.

Speaking of, Valentino Rossi (Petronas Yamaha SRT) crossed the line in 10th in his final MotoGP™ race on Italian soil: a fitting send-off to the nine-time World Champion in front of his adoring fans after a tougher start to the race, and now two races remain in Portugal and Valencia to enjoy The Doctor doing what he loves best – racing motorcycles.

Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) had an eventful day. The South African crashed on the sighting lap, started from the back of the grid and ended up finishing P11 after another impressive charge. Michele Pirro (Ducati Lenovo Team), Andrea Dovizioso (Petronas Yamaha SRT), Morbidelli and Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu) – the latter despite a crash – were the final points scorers at Misano.

An emotional victory for the Frenchman, as he takes home the championship with two rounds to spare.

And so the sun sets on the premier class Championship fight and a dramatic day in Emilia-Romagna. An emotional one too, as Quartararo won, Rossi bid farewell to his home crowd and Bagnaia was forced to cede. But the Ducati man came out in pitlane to congratulate Quartararo, as did Miller, and will surely be a force to be reckoned with in next year’s battle too… Now we head back to Portugal for the Algarve GP, and the title fight may be over but the racing will remain as exciting as ever.

Marc Marquez: “For me this is the most important win of the year. Winning at a right-handed circuit, with the corners where I struggled a lot this year, I’m still struggling a bit but it’s progress and evolution, something special. It’s something that will give me a lot of confidence for these last two races but especially in winter time, to be calmer and more patient. With time everything is going a good way and that’s the most important.”

MotoGP™ podium (Full Results Here)

1 Marc Marquez – Repsol Honda Team – Honda – 41’52.830
2 Pol Espargaro – Repsol Honda Team – Honda – +4.859
3 Enea Bastianini* – Avintia Esponsorama – Ducati – +12.013

Moto2
Sam Lowes (Elf Marc VDS) got his elbows out and put his foot down at the Gran Premio Nolan del Made in Italy e dell’Emilia Romagna, getting back on the top step in style at Misano. Teammate Augusto Fernandez made it an Elf Marc VDS Racing Team 1-2 despite a Long Lap penalty from qualifying, with the Spaniard just pipping compatriot Aron Canet after some late technical gremlins made life harder for the Aspar Team rider.

One moment stole the headlines, however, as Raul Fernandez (Red Bull KTM Ajo) suffered a huge crash out of the lead – rider ok – and on a day when teammate and Championship leader Remy Gardner was suffering some of his own dramas, a way back off the podium fight. But the Australian stayed calm, dug in, overcame a Long Lap given for some contact with Somkiat Chantra (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia) and crossed the line in seventh – doubling his advantage to 18 points ahead of the Algarve GP.

Polesitter Lowes grabbed the holeshot, with Canet making a good start to earn P2 ahead of Augusto Fernandez, with Raul Fernandez and Gardner P7 and P12 respectively at the end of the first lap. But by Lap 3, Raul Fernandez had made his way up to P4, with Gardner still scrapping away in the lower ends of the top 10.

A late lunge from Canet on then-race leader Jorge Navarro (+EGO Speed Up) at the tight Turn 14 right-hander allowed Lowes to retake the lead, while also gifting Raul Fernandez P3. The latter was then up to second on Lap 6, and with Gardner P8, as things stood Raul Fernandez was set to take the Championship lead…

Gardner then dived up the inside of Chantra at Turn 14 on his mission to make a comeback, but contact was made and the Thai rider crashed, adding a Long Lap Penalty to Gardner’s Sunday mountain to climb. Meanwhile, Raul Fernandez was swarming Lowes’ rear wheel for the lead… By Lap 11, Lowes, Raul Fernandez and Canet were 1.3s clear of now fourth-placed Navarro, and then Augusto Fernandez passed Gardner too, back down to P8. Raul Fernandez then took the lead and the news of the Long Lap came for the Aussie in quick succession, with things seemingly going from bad to worse.

The everything changed. Heading down into Turn 8, Raul Fernandez was suddenly cartwheeling through the gravel, bike obliterated and out of the race, but rider ok. Another huge and unforeseen twist that left Gardner, despite the tougher race of it, suddenly holding a lot more cards. Still, he lost another position to Marco Bezzecchi (Sky Racing Team VR46), and the race was on to try and maximise the open goal…

Back up at the front, it was now Lowes vs Canet for victory. The Brit ran wide at Turn 8 to allow the Spaniard through into the lead, and another moment for the number 22 then allowed Canet to get up to an advantage of over half a second with five to go. A lap late though and Lowes was back in P1, elbows out to make his way through but clean aggression returning him to the lead.

Augusto Fernandez was also up to third after his Long Lap Penalty, the Spaniard passing a brightly coloured Celestino Vietti (Sky Racing Team VR46) as the rookie impressed on home turf, but just unable to stay with the podium fight. As was Gardner, but the Australian did gain a position back as Bezzecchi slid out late on, putting the Championship leader back into seventh – enough to double his advantage, which seemed an unlikely feat until his teammate’s crash.

Up front though, the Lowes show rolled on and the Brit crossed the line over a second clear for an impressive return to the top step. Augusto Fernandez produced a stunning comeback ride to pick off Canet on the run to the line – handing MarcVDS their first 1-2 since 2017. Canet was disappointed with P3 as technical gremlins halted his final push, but it’s a fourth podium of the season for the Spaniard.

Rookie Vietti rode brilliantly on home soil to bag his best result of the season, and fifth place went the way of Navarro. Manzi had a quiet but impressive ride to P6 at his home track, and the Italian finished nine seconds up the road from Championship leader Gardner. It was a tough afternoon at the office for Gardner, but after Raul Fernandez’ crash, the Aussie extends his lead in the title race to 18 points with just two races to go.

Sporting a special Gresini livery, Fabio Di Giannantonio (Federal Oil Gresini Moto2) claimed P8 ahead of rookie Ai Ogura (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia) and 10th place Marcos Ramirez (American Racing). Reigning Moto3™ World Champion Albert Arenas (Aspar Team Moto2) was 0.6s away from a top 10 result in P11, Bo Bendsneyder (Pertamina Mandalika SAG Team) takes home a P12 as Jake Dixon (Petronas Sprinta Racing) rescues some points after his Long Lap Penalty. Tom Lüthi (Pertamina Mandalika SAG Team) and Marcel Schrötter (Liqui Moly Intact GP) picked up P14 and P15 at Misano.

Moto2™ podium (Full Results Here)

1 Sam Lowes – Elf Marc VDS Racing Team – Kalex – 40’25.180
2 Augusto Fernandez – Elf Marc VDS Racing Team – Kalex – +1.233
3 Aron Canet – Aspar Team Moto2 – Boscocuro – +1.400

Moto3
The heat was on for Dennis Foggia (Leopard Racing) in the Gran Premio Nolan del Made in Italy e dell’Emilia Romagna, with the Italian starting 14th on the grid as he aimed to stop key rival Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Ajo) taking the title from fifth. But the Italian seared through after a tougher start to home in on the front group and then take the lead, thereafter pitching it to perfection to hold off an impressive race from Jaume Masia (Red Bull KTM Ajo).

The fight for third went down to the wire, but Acosta did some damage limitation as he got back on the podium for the first time since the Styrian GP, keeping a healthy 21 points of advantage heading to the Algarve. In addition, the 2-3 wrapped up the Teams’ title for Red Bull KTM Ajo.

Niccolo Antonelli (Avintia VR46 Academy) took the holeshot from pole, the veteran getting the perfect launch as Izan Guevara (Gaviota GASGAS Aspar Team) shot up into second and Stefano Nepa (BOE Owlride) dispatched teammate Riccardo Rossi. Filip Salač (CarXpert PrüstelGP) lost out a little to drop from the top three, but by the end of the lap the bigger surprise was Foggia losing a few positions too.

As the race settled a little, Antonelli had Masia for company, with Salač back into third ahead of Nepa, Acosta and Guevara. Xavier Artigas (Leopard Racing) , Darryn Binder (Petronas Sprinta Racing) and Ayumu Sasaki (Red Bull KTM Tech3) completed the first breakaway group, with Foggia in the second group around a second and a half off the front freight train.

But Foggia was on a charge. What had been 1.7 seconds back to the second group was soon eight tenths, and only Andrea Migno (Rivacold Snipers Team) was able to go with him. By 15 to go the number 7 had arrived on the scene, immediately slicing past Salač and setting his sights on Artigas, his teammate. He got through on him too, but with 12 to go Acosta hit the lead. Could this be the break?

Ultimately not, and after a strange moment that saw Antonelli swamped between turns 7 and 8, Foggia was suddenly right in the mix at the front. By 9 to go, the Italian was in the race lead and Acosta back in fifth, with a gap to the front four as well. The front four became three with 6 to go as Guevara crashed, but the trio of Foggia, Masia and Binder had breathing space and experience on their side as Acosta duelled Nepa for fourth behind.

With three to go, the fight for the win was a duel. Foggia led, with Masia absolutely glued to the back of his teammate’s Championship rival. The gap back to Binder had shot out to 1.8 seconds, but the South African also had the same in hand over Nepa, who was back ahead of Acosta.

On the last lap, Foggia remained in the driving seat but Masia was stalking. The Red Bull KTM Ajo machine was as close as ever, but just behind them it was even closer. Binder had seriously faded, and both Acosta and Nepa sliced past the South African to add another twist to the standings. For Foggia though, nerves of steel prevailed. The Italian stayed pitch perfect on the final lap to take another win: just this season his second at Misano, third on home turf and fifth overall, keeping the Championship fight alive.

As Foggia crossed the line and Masia too, the fight to join them on the podium was still hot. But Acosta stayed cool and ahead of both Nepa and Binder, doing some impressive damage limitation despite not quite securing the crown. The gap is now 21 points ahead of the Algarve GP…

Binder took fourth and a solid result as only he and Foggia repped Honda in the top eight, with Nepa taking fifth and his best Grand Prix result so far. Antonelli took sixth and some solid points but couldn’t come back from his earlier moment, with compatriot Romano Fenati (Sterilgarda Max Racing Team) just behind him. Fenati taking P7 doesn’t sound like the normal heights of the Italian’s season, but considering a tough Saturday and a mountain to climb, the veteran clawed back an incredible distance on race day.

Sasaki took good points in eight, ahead of a good P9 for rookie Artigas. Salač completed the top ten, ahead of Ryusei Yamanaka (CarXpert PrüstelGP) in some space. Next up was Guevara despite the earlier crash for the Austin winner, the rookie taking P12, with Adrian Fernandez (Sterilgarda Max Racing Team), Jeremy Alcoba (Indonesian Racing Gresini Moto3) and Andi Izdihar (Honda Team Asia) completing the points.

And so it rolls on. Next up we return to the Autodromo Internacional do Algarve, where last time Foggia vs Acosta was already staging a show. Now the two will be fighting over the title, and it’s 21 points in the Spaniard’s favour – but the Italian far from throwing in the towel. Tune in for that in just under two weeks!

Moto3™ podium (Full Results Here)

1 Dennis Foggia – Leopard Racing – Honda – 39’33.170
2 Jaume Masia – Red Bull KTM Ajo – KTM – +0.292
3 Pedro Acosta – Red Bull KTM Ajo – KTM – +4.686

Ride Days Back At SMSP! Dates announced

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October 26, 2021

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SMSP Ride Days are a great opportunity to find out what you and your machine can do, unrestricted speeds through 18 turns on a full sized GP circuit. The organisers have released their calendar for the rest of their 2021 Ride Days, spots are filling up fast so be sure to book now!

Ride Days are a great chance to test your skills on a closed and safe course!

After many Ride Days were cancelled due to the NSW COVID-19 lockdowns, the organisers say they are happy to announce that they’re back! You’ll have to get in quick though as the remains dates for 2021 are filling up quickly. See the dates below.

During the lockdown, the organisers have been working flat out on some upgrades to make your experience at each and every SMSP Ride Day better! Part of this is going paperless for their Registration & Safety Briefings. When you book for your next SMSP Ride Day, you’ll now get an email confirmation which has a link to your Registration Form & Safety Briefing. These forms can now be completed online prior to the event, speeding up the process of getting you on track.

Luke Clout Crowned 2021 ProMX MX1 Champion

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October 26, 2021

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CDR Yamaha Monster Energy Team, Luke Clout, has been crowned the winner of the 2021 Pro MX Championship after Motorcycling Australia declared the series complete with the current COVID restrictions preventing further rounds.

Clout, on board his YZ450F in the premier MX1 division overcome some major hurdles at the opening round of the championship before barnstorming his way through the next two rounds, winning four motos in succession and finishing second in the other, to snatch the points lead at the end of the third round.

Unfortunately in the days after round three at Maitland, Covid gripped the eastern seaboard of Australia and riders based in New South Wales and Victoria were thrown into lock down, unable to move from their house for the next three months. The on-going Covid situation is the reason for the declaration of the Pro MX Championship after three rounds.

Clout takes the championship by three points over Reegan Duffy with Todd Waters in third.

“It’s strange to think that I have won a championship while sitting on the couch, but I guess everything about 2020 and 2021 has been strange,” Clout begins. “It’s not the way I want or would like to win it as I am a racer and I just want to be out on the track challenging myself against the other riders, but I truly believe that I had put in the work, the CDR Yamaha team provided me with the best bike, and this championship was going to be mine.”

“This is my first MX1 championship of my career and regardless of the shortened championship, I’m proud of it. As a team we had to overcome challenges from round one. We had to rebound quickly to get back in the championship at Canberra, so everyone combined to get the job done by the end of round three we were back in front. Thank you to everyone on the CDR Yamaha Monster Energy Team and all of our great sponsors and partners. It’s easy to see why the team has such continued success and I can’t thank them enough for the work they put in.”

The dominance shown by Clout in the shortened series showed he rightly deserves the Pro MX crown. He also took out the prestigious Manjimup 15000 event in WA to go with his Pro MX victory. The improvement in his riding since returning to CDR Yamaha has impressed team owner, Craig Dack, who enjoys another national championship with his team.

“Luke raced with us in 2019 before heading to the US for the 2020 season, but I can see he has returned a more dedicated and determined athlete. He now has more focus and takes his role in racing seriously and as a result, this championship victory wasn’t a surprise to me. Coming off a moto DNF at round one to get back the championship lead two rounds later was an amazing achievement and a real test of his mental strength to fight when his back was against the wall.”

“He put the work in, surrounded himself with the right people and executed his role brilliantly. He deserved the 2021 Pro MX Championship because he earned it with hard work and dedication,” Dack said.

Teammate Hayden Mellross was in fifth place at the end of the third round after a consistent opening to the championship and well within striking distance of the lead group when the championship ended. Only 19 points separated the top five riders in the MX1 class. With Mellross looming large in the rear-view mirror of the four riders in front of him.

Only 19 points separates the top five riders in the MX1 class, if the championship continued it could’ve been any one of those top five.

“Coming off a couple of major injuries the last 18 months, I was just beginning to find my feet with speed and fitness before the season was shut down. It’s a disappointing way to finish the year as I felt that I was on the upswing and had plenty more in the tank for the remaining rounds, but it was beyond anyone’s control and we just have to move on,” Mellross ends.

Racing Tips: How To Overtake

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October 26, 2021

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In my opinion, overtaking starts first and foremost with confidence. You need to have confidence in your bike setup and how it will react when you grab the brakes a little later to try and stop it in a shorter distance.

Overtaking isn’t just all about getting on the brakes late, Andrew Pitt shows us how he gets that perfect overtake down.

You really need to have a good front end feeling and good confidence and feel in the front tyre. This will come only from testing your limits on the braking markers in practice and seeing how late you can actually brake without running off the track. This also will give you a good idea of how your front reacts when you grab the brakes a little harder and a little later. For example if the front dives too hard and fast it will pick the rear up meaning you will have to release the brakes a little to get the rear contact back or the rear will go sideways and try to overtake the front.

Check out our other rider training articles here…

If you have ridden around on your own all the way through practice and maybe cutting fast laps all the time it can be easy to find yourself in trouble in the race when you suddenly have to take a different line into a corner and brake in a different way when you need to overtake. This is why I always tried to run a few hard laps with someone fast and make sure I had made a few passes on the brakes during practice just so I knew how the bike would be and if we were set up properly to race.

Trying out a few different lines in practice can help when you’re forced to take a different line when going for an overtake.

In early 2005 when I was on the new R1 with the Yamaha Italia World Superbike and we were trying to find our base setup and get the right slipper clutch setting overtaking wasn’t really an option. I could get fast laps done in qualifying but I just didn’t have the confidence or feel from the front end to lunge up the inside of someone and confidently know I would pull it off and come out the other side of the corner.

I think for the first three or four rounds of the championship that year I didn’t make any passes on the brakes/front end on any of the faster guys I was racing with. Whereas later in the year and particularly the next year 2006 I could pass anyone on the brakes.

Engine braking plays a huge part in getting the dive right. With the right setup, you should be able to get a linear stop.

When you have that confidence and you are trying to get past someone who also has their bike working well and is braking really late it will take a bit more planning. Sometimes an overtaking move can take a combination of any number of corners to pass someone or even numerous laps to set someone up finally for a decisive pass. If you have identified a corner where you think you can make a pass it may require the perfect exit from a corner five turns before and gathering momentum through every section just to get up alongside someone so that you can get past them.

Even then you both might grab the brakes, at the same time, both on the limit, each rider easing the brakes on and off to stay ahead all the way to the apex when the guy on the outside has to give way because you have taken his line. Then if you have pulled it off try and pull a gap straight away because most people will try to come straight back past.

“Sometimes an overtaking move can take a combination of any number of corners to pass someone or even numerous laps to set someone up finally for a decisive pass.”

If someone had a little more pace than me but I could hang onto them and even pass them but not get away I would continually pass and re-pass to upset their rhythm and hopefully after lots of that I would have a little more tyre left at the end when things got tougher.

Another type of pass is a sort of momentum pass that starts with a good exit out of a turn and gathering that momentum through a series of faster turns and as you are flicking from one side to another under power running it up the inside. I liked to try a pass on the change of direction into the hayshed at Phillip Island.

On lower powered bikes, keeping momentum is everything. Don’t waste it all on one attempt at overtaking, build up to the right moment to strike.

This started though on the exit of Honda and then gaining a little more and getting a little closer on the run into Siberia and picking up the throttle at worst the same time as the rider in front getting your face right into their exhausts up through the left kink and over the bump and while they are keeping it left for the run through the Hayshed you are almost grazing their ducktail with your left shoulder and going straight to the apex and up the inside. The only trick there is making sure you are not out on the grass on the exit and approaching Lukey Heights on the green stuff.

Of course the other way to overtake is on the straight but the real key to that is having horsepower. It can be done with an amazing exit out of say Turn 12 at Phillip Island and catching a slipstream all the way down the straight and popping out as you start to run downhill after the bridge into Turn one.

People will also try the desperate moves that they have no idea if they can pull them off but have a go anyway which sometimes you just have to do. Anyway, if you are racing motorbikes or anything for that matter overtaking is always going to be part of it and the more often you do it the easier it is but you can be sure of one thing there is always going to be someone you want to overtake.

Executing a good passing manoeuvre takes skill and experience… Words: Andrew Pitt.

2021 Australian Senior And Junior Dirt Track Championships Cancelled

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October 26, 2021

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Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and border restrictions the North Brisbane Junior Motorcycle Club, in consultation with Motorcycling Australia have made the difficult decision to cancel the running of the 2021 Australian Senior Dirt Track and Australian Junior Dirt Track Championships.

Due to on-going boarder closures and changing COVID-19 lockdown rules, the championships have been canceled for 2021.

Both Championships, which were to be held at Mick Doohan Raceway, Banyo, Queensland had been rescheduled earlier this year due to COVID-19, but with the ongoing border restrictions and no clarity provided by State Governments around the timing for the opening of state borders, the tough decision to cancel both Championship events has been made. The championships will hopefully be back in 2022, when lockdowns are lifted and riders can travel inter-state once again.

“Both Championships, which were to be held at Mick Doohan Raceway, Queensland had been rescheduled earlier this year due to COVID-19.” However, they have both been canceled.

Motorcycling Australia say they support the decision of the North Brisbane Junior MCC as with State border restrictions it makes it impossible for interstate riders and teams, officials and fans to attend the Championships. We hope to see the racing back on track again!

New Products: HJC RPHA Carbon Range

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October 26, 2021

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HJC have just released their new range of helmets, designed with all of their most advanced technology. The HJC RPHA Carbon Range comes in a Premium Modular, Premium Sports Touring and a Premium Sports helmet, so theres something to suit most styles!

The 90s is HJC’s most compact modular helmet yet, packed with plenty of features to keep you comfortable and safe.

The reinvented RPHA 90S Carbon is the most compact modular helmet, resembling a full-face helmet through weight and appearance, yet functioning as a modular helmet.

Intake and exhaust vents keep your head cool.

HJC say the carbon outer shell is extremely light weight and is a compact shell construction. The helmet also features a premium Integrated Matrix / P.I.M. Plus: Reinforcement materials, including Carbon and Carbon-Glass Hybrid fabric, provide enhanced Shock-Resistant performance, more comfort, and lightness of helmet (6 layers)

A flip down sun visor will keep the sun out of your eyes at the flick of a switch, making changing conditions a breeze.

The Maximised air vent with easy slide operation has been partnered with tailored EPS air channel design provides cool air through the interior of the helmet. Along with this is a multicool interior with advanced anti-bacteria fabric provides enhanced moisture wicking and quicker drying function than previous generations.

Click here to find out more info on the HJC RPHA 90s Modular, available now from your local motorcycle dealership or online for an RRP of $999.90 in a solid colour or $1049.90 in a Carbon Graphic outer design.

The HJC RPHA 11 comes equiped with a smoked visor and plenty of other comfort features!

The HJC RPHA 11 is the Premium Sports helmet of the range. Much like the 90s, the 11 features a Carbon Fibre outer shell which is extremely light weight and aerodynamic design for outstanding air flow ventilation and extreme performance.

A rear defuser adds aerodynamic properties.

The 11 also features the P.I.M and has a Max airflow top vent six-stage variable airflow is adjusted by glove-friendly dials on each intake vent with an “Advanced Channeling Ventilation System” which gives a full front-to-back airflow, flushing heat and humidity out of the interior. Other features include built in communication speaker pockets, an extra Dark Smoke visor, the Multicool interior with anti-bateria fabric and a eye and sun glasses friendly EPS design.

You can pick up a HJC RPHA 11 in store now for an RRP of $899.90 in sizes XS up to 2XL.

Click here to find out more info on the HJC RPHA 11, available now from your local motorcycle dealership or online for an RRP of $899.90.

The HJC RPHA 70 is a helmet made for touring, it puts all the best properties of the range into a comfortable helmet.

The final helmet in the line-up is the HJC RPHA 70. Marketed as the Premium Sports Touring helmet, it has a lot of the same features as the 11 but with a less aggressive and more street appealing style.

A double rear vent helps expel hot air from the helmet.

Using the RPHA Carbon shell, its a tough helmet designed to keep you safe out on the road. Your head will stay cool with their dual-purposed top vent which has an intake and exhaust which operate simultaneously for maximum air circulation.

You can pick up the HJC RPHA 70 for an RRP of $899.90 in sizes XS to 2XL as well.

An Integrated Sunshield will help keep the sun out of your eyes, the anti-fog coated smoke tinted sunshield deploys quickly and easily by bottom positioned new operation system.

Click here to find out more info on the HJC RPHA 70, available now from your local motorcycle dealership or online for an RRP of $899.90.

Kyle Webster Crowned 2021 ProMX MX2 Champion

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October 26, 2021

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Honda Factory Racing’s Kyle Webster has been crowned the Pirelli MX2 class Champion in the Penrite ProMX Championship presented by AMX Superstores (ProMX), after a dominant display of riding that saw Webster finish off the #1 position in only one race throughout the season.

Behind Webster, the Yamaha duo of Serco Yamaha’s Jesse Dobson would finish 2nd overall in the Championship with Yamalube Yamaha’s Rhys Budd in 3rd.

In a career year for the young rider based in Victoria, Webster displayed incredible speed and fitness that put him on another level over his competition for the majority of the time the Pirelli MX2 class spent on track in 2021. Being able to secure a coveted spot under the team truck in MX1 for 2022 was also a major achievement for Webster, as he is now confirmed to graduate into THOR MX1 under the Factory Honda Racing effort.

“It’s been a lot of hard work to get to this point. I relocated to Victoria to be closer to the team, my coach and physical trainer. We really capitalised on the down time last year to fix my body and some old injuries I had to get back on track. We worked on all the small stuff that added up to big gains this year” commented Webster at the Press Conference.

It was a fairy tale ending for Kyle Webster after the past two seasons have been cut short due to COVID-19.

In a feel good story, Serco Yamaha’s Jesse Dobson would claim his career best 2nd in the Pirelli MX2 Championship, after the last few years as a privateer and an injury at the start of the 2021 season, Dobson showed incredible strength and determination to fight back onto the podium.

“It was my goal to be on the podium even after the injury I had before round 2. Our bike is so strong and I love the team environment at Serco Yamaha,I have good people around me now and it has played a big part in my results this year” said Jesse Dobson.

Yamaha were strong all year, with two of their riders, Rhys Budd and Jesse Dobson, finishing in the top three.

Rhys Budd would also take a massive step forward in his career, capitalising on a recent manufacturer switch to start the season on the Yamalube Yamaha team. Landing on the Championship podium was a massive step forward for the young rider from NSW.

“Consistency was a big goal of mine coming into this season with so many great riders in the MX2 class. We achieved that consistency and although I would have liked more individual podiums throughout the season, I’m thrilled to land on the Championship podium. It wouldn’t have been possible without the whole Yamalube Yamaha team and all our partners and my personal sponsors, thank you” commented Budd.

“Consistency was a big goal of mine coming into this season with so many great riders in the MX2 class…” Said Rhys Budd.

Stay tuned for ProMX highlight clips from the end of season press conference on their website in the coming days.

Energica to conclude era as single MotoE manufacturer

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PB

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October 26, 2021

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"Following the provisional calendar announcement, which sees the championship travel to seven different countries, the provisional Entry List for the 2022 FIM Enel MotoE World Cup has been announced."

Dorna Sports have recently announced the departure of Energica Motor Company as the single manufacturer for the FIM Enel MotoE World Cup, with 2022 confirmed as the marque’s final season.

Energica has been the sole supplier to MotoE™ since the Cup’s inception in 2019, with 2022 now set to mark the last chapter of a four-year journey full of evolution, excitement and adrenaline. Energica has been a key part of making MotoE™ a must-watch showcase for both electric mobility and close competition, with the Cup racing at some of the world’s most iconic circuits.

The Energica Ego Corsa has proved to be fast, extremely reliable and well-appreciated by the riders who have taken part in the Cup, and will doubtless continue to impress next season before the collaboration between Energica and MotoE™ then concludes. The work done both at the track and at company headquarters has seen constant innovation and new solutions drive MotoE™ to the incredible level it is at now, with Energica showing an ability to react quickly to challenges and different technical requests in record time.

MotoE has proved to be an extremely exciting series, with Energica being the driving force behind it.

The joint effort between all parties has been key developing a competition that will now move into a new era built on a foundation all involved can take immense pride in having constructed together. Dorna Sports said they would like to thank Energica for their immeasurable contribution to the FIM Enel MotoE™ World Cup and wishes the company the best of success in their future endeavours after 2022.

“We are extremely happy at Energica to have provided our invaluable contribution to make MotoE the success it is today. We’re confident that our initiative and efforts have generated plenty of interest from the big OEMs to follow the path we started a decade ago. Being pioneers of electric mobility on two wheels, we have opened up the way to a whole new strata of sustainable and exciting motorcycle racing and – as we have always done – we now aim at testing ourselves with new challenges. This is why we are looking forward to the next big thing to come! We would like to thank Dorna Sports for the great opportunity to showcase our technology and we are looking forward to wrapping up our journey together in style.” Said Livia Cevolini, CEO of Energica Motor Company.

Fans are looking forward to seeing where the series progresses to after the 2022 season.

“The first three seasons of the FIM Enel MotoE World Cup have delivered an incredible show despite all the unforeseen external challenges that have been thrown at us. It wasn’t an easy task to undertake and one very new in many aspects, but we did it and this was thanks to a joint effort between all parties involved. From the very beginning, Energica has brought its know-how to the track in a way we couldn’t be happier with, delivering a package that has proved to be extremely competitive, showing impressive maximum speed (exceeding 260km/h in Barcelona in 2021), and lap-times that on some occasion were in line with other classes – despite the much shorter history of electric motorcycles.” Said Nicolas Goubert, Executive Director of the FIM Enel MotoE™ World Cup.

“Maybe even more impressive than the on-track performance was the bike reliability, as none of the 18 riders ever encountered any mechanical failure during any of the races we enjoyed in the three seasons. Their ability to respond quickly and effectively to our requests and the ones coming from the riders and teams are proof of all the expertise and passion they brought to the series. All sides are committed to continuing giving their maximum effort into 2022, for what will be another spectacular year of racing. I would really like to thank Energica for the quality of their innovative products and their engagement in the MotoE series.”

New Product: O’Neal Split Chest Protector LITE

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PB

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October 26, 2021

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O’Neal have just released their latest chest protector, the Split Chest Protector LITE lives up to its name with a light weight yet highly protective construction to keep you comfortable and safe while out on the dirt, available through Cassons!

Cassons have got the latest stock of O’Neal chest protectors including the new Split Chest Protector Lite!

O’Neal say they believe in optimal protection, high comfort and innovation – and their brand-new SPLIT Chest Protector is no different. As the name suggests, the LITE version relies on lightweight parts, offering EN14021 protection with maximum comfort and great freedom-of-movement.

The injected plastic parts ensures that the chest protector stays at an absolute minimum weight while the bio-foam padding offers high levels of comfort. Multiple size adjustments on shoulder pads and waist closure ensure it’s a perfect fit for almost all riders.

Protection and comfort are further ensured with the neck brace compatible design, front/ back part for multiple combination options thats been designed for optimum ventilation and slim design to be worn under or over the jersey!

Pick up your new O’Neal Split Chest Protect Lite for $189.95 through your local motorcycle supply store with the part number ON0459100 or contact Cassons directly regarding availability. If you only want the front protection plate then a strap kit can be purchased as well for $19.95 (ON0459900).

GYTR YJR Team Sees a Triple Triumph In Tasmania

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PB

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October 26, 2021

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The GYTR Yamaha Junior Racing Team took home three state championships after the final round of the Tasmanian Motocross Championships took place two weeks ago. Another great weekend for the YJR as they continue to impress with amazing results across the board.

Jay Jennings took home the double number 1’s for GYTR YJR with victory in the 9-11 years 85cc and the 10-12 years 65cc while Angus Pearce owned the 13-15 years Lites division.

The fifth and final round took place at the St Helens circuit and perfect winter weather greeted the riders. With Jennings and Pearce both holding a comfortable lead in the championship points chase, a smart and safe weekend was all that was needed to secure more state championships for the GYTR- YJR team.

Pearce wasn’t about just mailing the last round in and entered the weekend determined to stamp his authority in the 13-15 years Lites class. He dominated proceedings on his YZ250F and took the perfect three race wins from three starts to snare the round and the championship victory by 72 points.

Despite some injuries during the year, Pearce has had a great season and excited to finish it off on a positive note.

Jay Jennings was in a similar position in both of his classes, holding a safe margin over his rivals as the final round started. Jennings put together another rock-solid day with consistency across all his motos to finish with 2-1-2 results on his YZ65 to take second for the round and 2-2-2 results on his YZ85 for another second place.

“The boys did a great job on the weekend, as they have done all year, and it was a rewarding day to see both riders standing on top of the podium at the end of the championship,” explains Team Manager, Brody Jennings. “Every round the riders put in and their consistency has been a high point this season. Thanks to Yamaha and all the sponsors in GYTR Yamaha Junior Racing and we look forward to more success in the future.”

The Western Australian team also wanted in on the podium action as they contested the second last round of their state championship at the always challenging Wanneroo circuit, just north of Perth.

Jake Rumens was in no mood for messing around and took victory in the 12-15 years 85cc class on the back of his 1-1-2 results. The big points haul on the day now sees him on top of the championship table by six points and it’s all on the line at the final round. Rumens also backed that up with a solid day on his YZ125 finishing in fifth. He sits fourth in the 13-15 years 125cc class with one round remaining.

Deegan Fort had a tough day in the sand pit but still cleft with good results in the 10-12years 65cc and the 9-11 years 85cc divisions. Fort finished with 2-2-2 results on his 65 to take second for the round, while he managed 4-7-5 finishes for fifth on the 85. He now sits second and third in each category.

“Deegan Fort had a tough day in the sand pit but still cleft with good results in the 10-12 65cc and the 9-11 85cc divisions.”

“Wanneroo has deep sand and very difficult to master but both riders applied themselves well and the day turned out to be a good one for the team,” says Peter Strickland.

“Jake had a strong day and won the round but more importantly, took over the championship lead with the final round at his home track in Bunbury. Deegan had a good day on his 65 but found things a little tougher on his 85 but is well placed on both bikes in terms of the overall championship. We have one to go and I’m sure the riders and families will give it all they have to finish the season out on a high note.”

MotoGP Race Reports: Fabio Quartararo Crowned World Champion At Misano

Ride Days Back At SMSP! Dates announced

Luke Clout Crowned 2021 ProMX MX1 Champion

Racing Tips: How To Overtake

2021 Australian Senior And Junior Dirt Track Championships Cancelled

New Products: HJC RPHA Carbon Range

Kyle Webster Crowned 2021 ProMX MX2 Champion

Energica to conclude era as single MotoE manufacturer

New Product: O’Neal Split Chest Protector LITE

GYTR YJR Team Sees a Triple Triumph In Tasmania

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