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Moto News Weekly Wrap
April 29, 2025

What’s New:

• RIP Joel Evans
• Haarup confirmed with AMA MX 2025 with Triumph
• Maxime Renaux cleared to race after Swiss GP crash
• Steve Holcombe undergoes successful ACL surgery
• Injured Justin Barcia out for rest of SX season
• Aussie 2025 Trial des Nations team revealed
• Team Australia locked in for 2025 ISDE in Italy
• ProTouchGlobal to promote Hard Enduro World Championship
• Team Reports from Australian ProMX Round Three at Gillman
• Ruben Chadwick dominates Australian Hard Enduro opener
• Toni Bou wraps up X-Trial season with Tallinn victory
• 2025 AMA SX Round 15 – Pittsburgh Rider Quotes
• 2025 American Flat Track Ventura Short Track Report
• 2025 Racing Calendars

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RIP Joel Evans

Honda Racing Australia has honoured the memory of privateer hero Joel Evans, who tragically passed away following an accident on track at round three of the Australian MX Championship over the weekend.

Yarrive Konsky – Director of Honda Racing Australia Factory Team

“Joel’s spirit reminded me so much of my own. He lived for the dream, every dollar earned, every sacrifice made was simply to make it to the next race. Fancy clothes, new cars, luxury holidays, none of that mattered to him. What mattered was putting fuel in the tank, getting to the next track, and chasing his potential.

“I’ll never forget the conversation we shared in 2021. There we were, me at 46, him at just 24 or 25, there with his selfless partner Michaela, just talking about he was chasing his dreams. Joel and I, both there for the same reason: not for a pay cheque, but for the love of racing, the need to grow, to push ourselves – the spirt of competition, we both raced that day. That day, neither of us earned a thing, but we both left richer in spirit. I am sure it was a state race in South Australia but that didn’t matter, we were racing our dirt bikes.

“Joel embodied what it truly means to be a motocross warrior, a dream chaser in its purest form. His passion, his resilience, and his heart are what made him so special and why he’ll be remembered forever.”

Joel lived and breathed motocross. A decade ago, he lay in hospital with a broken back, his future uncertain. Through incredible strength and resilience, he fought back through multiple surgeries and, against all odds, returned to the sport he loved.

Motocross was in Joel’s blood. Introduced to racing on a 50cc, he grew up in a family deeply connected to the sport — his sisters raced, and his brother-in-law is one of our treasured champions. For Joel, motocross was more than just competition; it was a way of life, a shared family passion.

Joel chased his dream with everything he had. He travelled the country, racing, training, sharing his journey openly through his social channels. He competed successfully both here and overseas, often sacrificing comfort and stability to pursue his passion — but if you had asked him, he would have said he sacrificed nothing.

Motorcycling Australia also shared a statement:

Motorcycling Australia and the ProMX Management Team are deeply saddened by the passing of MX1 rider Joel Evans, who succumbed to injuries sustained in a single bike accident during race two of the ProMX Championship at Gillman in South Australia on Sunday, April 27. We share the grief and sadness of Joel’s family on a life that was tragically cut short at just 30 years old. He was a partner, sibling, uncle, friend, son and expecting his first child with fiancé, Michaela. Our thoughts are with Joel’s family and friends, as well as the wider motocross and motorcycling community. Motorcycling Australia is continuing to work with the relevant authorities as the investigation into the incident continues.

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Haarup confirmed with AMA MX 2025 with Triumph

Triumph Factory Racing has revealed that Mikkel Haarup has joined its US race team for the upcoming 2025 AMA Pro Motocross Championship and will race the TF 250-X in the 250 Class. Thanks to his development role with Triumph, Haarup has been based at the team’s state-of-the-art training facility in Georgia, USA for a number of months.

The Danish racer is now busy preparing for his first assault on the AMA series while familiarising himself with the US-spec TF 250-X machine. The 23-year-old will utilise the time in the championship to stay race sharp, before returning to his testing role.

The 11-round Pro Motocross series kicks off on May 24 at Pala Raceway in California before concluding on August 23 at Budds Creek, Maryland.

Mikkel Haarup

“First of all, I’m super excited for this opportunity. It’s always been a dream of mine to race in the US, and to be able to do it with a team that I trust and on a bike that I love to ride is just perfect. Of course, it means I am stepping away from my development role for now, but it continues in safe hands with Clement Desalle and Ivan Tedesco continuing the work. My expectations for the season are hard to say. It’s a new racing format for me and there are different rules with the bikes, but overall, the initial goal is to improve round by round. From there, the goals may change after a few races. Round one is not far away now and I can’t wait to get started.”

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Maxime Renaux cleared to race after Swiss GP crash

Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP’s Maxime Renaux has sustained no fractures following a heavy fall in the closing stages of MXGP Race 2 at the MXGP of Switzerland. Renaux showed impressive speed throughout the weekend, particularly in Race 1 where he executed a remarkable charge from outside the top-10 to secure fifth. With three laps remaining in Race 2, however, while battling for second place and a potential podium finish, the Frenchman went over the handlebars on a small tabletop and did not finish.

Following thorough examination at the onsite medical facility, FIM doctors confirmed Renaux sustained acute contusion to the gluteal region and left hip joint. Comprehensive diagnostic assessment has ruled out fractures or structural damage at this time.

Maxime Renaux – Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP rider

“I’m lucky to escape this big crash with no major injury. It’s not an easy period for me right now, and we need to monitor my recovery over the next few days to make a plan for the upcoming races. Hopefully these two weeks will bring good healing and I’ll be able to line up in Portugal. But I’ll take my time and not rush the process, as my body needs rest now.”

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Steve Holcombe undergoes successful ACL surgery

Honda Racing RedMoto Enduro Team’s Steve Holcombe has started the long road to recovery, following successful surgery to repair the torn ACL he sustained at the opening round of the FIM EnduroGP World Championship.

Forced to withdraw from the second day of competition in Portugal, Steve returned home to Italy before travelling to Turin to consult with renowned orthopedic and trauma surgeon Dr. Francesco Caranzano. There, they fully assessed the injury to his left knee and determined a treatment plan.

Steve Holcombe

“The operation last week went very well, Dr Francesco Caranzano was happy with what he found inside my knee and with the work he was able to carry out. My ACL was reconstructed using a piece from my hamstring, both meniscuses were tightened, and an extra ligament called an extra-articular lateral tenodesis (LET) was added to support the knee even further. The expected recovery time is beyond six months, that’s until Dr Francesco is confident the ACL will have properly healed. This is the first time in my career that I’ve had an injury of this magnitude, which has forced me out of an entire season. But I’m keeping positive. There’s a lot of work to do in getting myself back to full fitness and getting the full strength and mobility back into my knee, but I’m looking ahead, working towards my next race, my next training session, and the next season. I’m going to enjoy the time now where I can focus on the details of my rehab and make sure I come back better than I left. Also, as soon as I’m mobile, I’ll have some time to start work on my collection of old Hondas, which need some restoration. The first on my to-do list is a 2003 CR250, followed by a 1995 CR250 and some lovely 1988 CR125s!”

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Injured Justin Barcia out for rest of SX season

Rockstar Energy GASGAS Factory Racing rider Justin Barcia will sit out the final three rounds of the 2025 AMA Supercross Championship as a result of a knee injury sustained in East Rutherford. Barcia was in podium contention at MetLife Stadium until crashing in the Main Event’s latter stages, with scans revealing he reaggravated a previous injury that will require a period on the sidelines to undergo therapy and rehab.

Justin Barcia

“I’m extremely disappointed. Things were finally starting to click – I was feeling comfortable and had just a few laps to go in the Main Event at MetLife Stadium when I had a weird little crash that seemed to come out of nowhere. I had done the same thing every lap, but it just snuck up on me and these things happen sometimes. Unfortunately, I banged up my knee and aggravated an old injury, so I’ll need to take a couple of weeks off for therapy. The goal is to come back strong for the start of the motocross season. I’m definitely bummed. I was finally finding my flow and putting it all together, and then that mistake happened. I’m really going to miss my crew, the whole team, and all the fans, but I can’t wait to get back on the bike.”

Despite his injury, he is aiming to contest the upcoming Pro Motocross Championship, commencing on May 24 in Pala, California.

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Aussie 2025 Trial des Nations team revealed

Team Australia’s men’s and women’s squads have been selected for the 2025 Trial des Nations (TdN) at Tolmezzo in Italy on September 20-21, with teenage debutante Alisha Harry and returning veteran Colin Zarczynski the fresh inclusions.

Harry, from South Australia, will make her TdN debut for Team Australia alongside reigning national champion Jenna Lupo in the women’s category, while Zarczynski (NSW) will be competing in the famous event for the first time since 2015.

Zarczynski will be joined by TdN stalwarts Chris Bayles (TAS) and Connor Hogan (SA) in the men’s International Trophy division, which Team Australia won in 2017 and has finished on the podium on six other occasions. Zarczynski, 45, is a five-time Australian champion, and finished third in the 2024 event behind first-time winner Hogan and Kyle Middleton.

Harry, 17, is an emerging star, finishing seventh in the all-gender 2024 Australian Youth title and only recently coming home strong to claim the runner-up spot in the season-opening round of the South Australian Trial3 series. She’s also competing in the 2025 version of the famed Scottish Six Days Trial – alongside Hogan – from May 5-10 as she continues to test herself in a variety of conditions.

Alisha is the daughter of former TdN representative Adrian Harry, who finished third in the 2007 International Trophy in his final appearance for Team Australia. Team Australia will again be managed by Phil Whittle, in what will be his 13th year at the helm.

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Team Australia locked in for 2025 ISDE in Italy

Team Australia has put its opposition on notice for the 99th edition of the famed International Six Days Enduro (ISDE) in Italy this August, with formidable line-ups to contest the World Trophy, Junior World Trophy and Women’s World Trophy.

In the World Trophy, Jonte Reynders (Tas, KTM) and Josh Strang (NSW, Beta) have retained their places, and will be joined by Daniel Milner (Vic, KTM) and Andy Wilksch (Vic, Beta) in the four-rider combination. Milner, the current outright leader in the 2025 Australian Enduro Championship, and Wilksch last competed for Australia at the 2022 ISDE in France, while Milner and Strang were members of the 2018-winning World Trophy team.

The Junior World Trophy, open to riders up to 23 years, will see Team Australia represented by Kyron Bacon (Tas, Kawasaki), Gus Riordan (Vic, KTM) and Korey McMahon (NSW, KTM). Riordan and McMahon were Junior World Trophy riders at the 2024 ISDE in Spain, while the talented Bacon – now competing in the EnduroGP World Championship – will move across to fortify the 2025 campaign. Riordan was Australia’s leading rider at the 2024 ISDE, and remains based in America competing in the Grand National Cross Country Series alongside Strang, Danielle McDonald (NSW, Yamaha) and Tayla Jones (NSW, Honda).

McDonald and Jones will again compete in the Women’s World Trophy alongside Jess Gardiner (NSW, Yamaha), with the trio coming off brilliant second places at the last two ISDEs. Jones and Gardiner were recently inducted into the Australian Motorsport Hall of Fame with Jemma Wilson after winning six consecutive Women’s World Trophies from 2013 to 2018.

2025 TEAM AUSTRALIA ISDE RIDERS

World Trophy

• Daniel Milner: E2 class, KTM
• Jonty Reynders: E2, KTM
• Josh Strang: E3, Beta
• Andy Wilksch: E2, Beta

Junior World Trophy

• Gus Riordan: E1, KTM
• Kyron Bacon: E2, Kawasaki
• Korey McMahon: E3, KTM

Women’s World Trophy

• Jess Gardiner: E1, Yamaha
• Danielle McDonald E1, Yamaha
• Tayla Jones E1, Honda

The 2025 ISDE will be held in Bergamo from August 24-29, in the event’s second visit to the scenic and challenging terrain of the Lombardy region since 2021. Team Australia’s quest for ISDE glory will again receive backing from online retailer MXstore.

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ProTouchGlobal to promote Hard Enduro World Championship

The Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM) have announce that ProTouchGlobal GmbH is officially the new promoter of the FIM Hard Enduro World Championship (HEWC) from 2025 onwards.

Robbie Hunter – Managing Director of ProTouchGlobal

“We’re honored to take the reins of such a prestigious and adrenaline-charged championship. The FIM Hard Enduro World Championship Events are not just your average races—it’s a battle between rider, machine, and nature to the extreme. Our mission is to elevate the sport while preserving its raw, untamed essence.”

With this new role, ProTouchGlobal will oversee all promotional aspects of the championship, including event coordination, global broadcast rights, commercial partnerships, and fan engagement initiatives.

2025 Hard Enduro World Championship calendar

• 10-11 May – Valleys Hard Enduro (UK)
• 12-14 June – Silver Kings (USA)
• 22-26 July – Red Bull Romaniacs (Romania) (* in negotiation)
• 6-7 September – Abestone (Italy) (* in negotiation)
• 20-21 September – Hixpania (Spain)
• 9-11 October – Sea to Sky (Turkey)
• 24-25 October – Getzen Rodeo (Germany)
• 20-22 November – Roof of Africa (Lesotho)

Further updates regarding the 2025 season and new sponsorship partners and other news will be announced in the coming weeks.

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Team Reports from Australian ProMX Round Three at Gillman

Monster Energy Yamalube Yamaha

Ryder Kingsford turned up to round three of the Penrite ProMX at Gillman, ready to show he is a major player in this year’s MX2 championship.
After a positive start to the championship with a second at round one and a controversial round win that is currently under appeal at round two, Kingsford was determined to nail down a round victory by logging two good motos and without the off-track drama.

Conditions were perfect with a well-presented track and temperatures in the low 20’s. That was the backdrop as things got underway on Sunday and after qualifying in sixth place and admitting, “I rode like an idiot,” Kingsford took to the start line of moto one fired up and ready to go.

He charged to the lead on exit of the first turn, with championship rival Brodie Connolly hot on his wheels. Connolly then turned up the heat and found a way passed Kingsford on the opening lap. For the next 20 minutes less than two seconds separated the pair as they streaked away from the rest of the pack.

Connolly would break away a little, then Kingsford would wind him back in. Lapped traffic then becomes part of the equation as they navigated their way through the rear of the field and with a lap to go, it was an all-out sprint to the finish. Connolly managed to piece together a solid lap and finish 1.7 seconds ahead of Kingsford, but knew a challenge had been thrown his way.

A few hours later and the MX2 locked themselves into the start shoot and ready to do it all again. And again, Kingsford leapt from the blocks, this time teammate, Jayce Cosford was in his shadow as the opening lap unfolded.

Connolly was just inside the top ten on the opening lap and desperate to move forward. Kingsford got to work and started to move away from the pack and by the time Connolly found his way to second place, the Monster Energy Yamalube Yamaha rider was already 18 seconds up the track.

But the story doesn’t end there, with the race just passed halfway and seemingly well under control, Kingsford falls heavily. He quickly remounted and gets going, losing around 10 seconds but even more is eaten away as he gets back into his rhythm. By now, Connolly has narrowed it down to four seconds, then some lapped traffic saw that gap get even tighter.

But the pressure valve was released when Connolly made a mistake and collided with a lapped rider allowing Kingsford to race off for the race and round victory.

Ryder Kingsford

“I’m a bit dirty on myself for that crash in the middle of the race,” Kingsford said. “I wasn’t trying to push too hard, I knew I had a good gap, but I just had some rear brake on a bit late as I hit one of those braking bumps along that straight and it spat me over the bars. I made that race harder than it needed to be. But pumped to get the win and keep fighting in the championship. Gillman hasn’t always been great for me, so to get a win here means a lot, but even just to ride well and be as competitive as I was gives me some confidence. Thanks to the team as the bike was awesome all day and the plan is to keep this momentum going now all the way until the end of the year.”

Jayce Cosford put together his best round of the year so far and continues his upward trend in riding and results. After a crashed filled opening round, then a solid round two at Appin, Cosford charged to a fourth place for the round at Gillman with 6-3 results.

He again showed his sprint speed is improving, this time qualifying in P4 and a renewed focus or putting a full day together with no mistakes.

Moto one saw Cosford in the midst of a fight for third in the early laps but as the race wore on, Cosford went into salvage mode as his arms tighten. With a huge gap back to the rider in seventh, Cosford baked down the intensity to allow his arms to relax and he held a strong sixth place all the way to the finish.

The second race saw another good start and in the exhaust fumes of his teammate in a team 1-2. Cosford held onto second place until lap seven when Connolly was able to force his way past, but he stayed in the fight, saw off attacks from Byron Dennis and Noah Ferguson to cross the finish line in third, marking his best race and round result of the season so far.

Jayce Cosford

“Each round I have been able to get a bit better and today was another step forward. I got arm pump in race one which was frustrating as I wanted to stay in the fight longer, but I just couldn’t hang on so instead of going down, I backed it down a bit a played it safe. I felt better in race two and was more relaxed on the bike. Ryder had a good pace going out front, so I tried to hook in behind him and let him tow me away from the rest of the field. I was able to keep my pace all the way to the end of the moto and finish it strong. The next step is to get a round podium and keep moving closer to the front of the field.”

Monster Energy WBR Yamaha Team

It was a day of frustrations for the Monster Energy WBR Yamaha Team at round three of the ProMX championship at Gillman, in South Australia.
The weekend promised plenty with the MX3 championship leader, Ky Woods, in good form after two impressive rounds to start the year. Koby Hantis is improving by the week on his return from injury and Madi Simpson out to redeem herself from a disappointing opening round of the Women’s championship.

Woods started the day in good form and took P1 in qualifying after posting the fastest lap on the challenging Gillman circuit. Woods selected his gate and got himself ready to race when his bike leapt forward and over the start gate. He quickly got back behind the gate and readied himself again, but the same thing happened.

Again, he repositioned his bike, get his start button locked down and this time without any issues, he charged towards the first turn once the gates dropped. He slotted into the top four, made quick work of the riders in the front and soon found his way into the race lead. He was able to put some real estate between himself and the rider behind when he started to slow.

Suddenly the intensity in his riding was gone and while still circulating at a brisk pace, it wasn’t the all-out speed he showed in the opening laps. He lost the lead but the gap back to third was more than enough and he was able to secure second place as he crossed the finish line.

But his plight wasn’t over, race officials issued a penalty for outside assistance when his bike leapt over the start gate and as a result he was removed from the race result. The team quickly lodged a protest but that was rejected, and he was awarded no points from the opening moto.

Unsure of the issue, the team swapped motors for race two and he was back on the start and trying to salvage any points he could. His start was inside the top five and he slowly but surely moved his way forward. He was into fourth, then third, then second and with a couple of laps to go, Woods had the race leader in sight.

He put in a final lap charge but came up just short and finished the day in ninth place with DQ-2 results.

Ky Woods

“This wasn’t the day I had hoped for. I felt good in qualifying because I haven’t done a lot of laps around here, was happy that I adjusted quickly, and the bike was working well. But on the start line I didn’t know what was happening as it kept jumping forward but the start was ok and the bike was good for a while before I started hearing some strange noises, so I just tried to nurse it home as best I could but then I heard there was an issue with my mechanic being on the grid after the two minute board went up and I had my points taken from me from that race. The team protested it while the rest of the guys sorted my bike out and I just had to focus on the next race. It took me a few laps to get going, but felt I got better as the race went on and was happy to finish the race in second as at least get some points for the weekend. I have dropped to second in the championship and now 22 points from the lead, but we still have five rounds to go and 10 races so plenty of racing to come before they hand out championships.”

Koby Hantis was able to get another couple of weeks riding and training under his belt between rounds two and three and the improvement was evident in his speed and fitness.

Hantis finished with 12-7 results and still not where he wants to be, but knowing things are headed in the right direction. The opening moto 12th was a result of a first turn crash that left him stone last and well behind the pack as he remounted his bike and rejoined the race. He was big effort to climb that far back through the pack in 20 minutes.

Race two was a little less dramatic but a mid-pack start certainly didn’t help his cause.

Koby Hantis

“We have another month until round four, so I hope to be a lot closer to the front by the time we get to Traralgon,” Hantis said. “It’s been harder than expected to come back from my shoulder injury but think it’s coming good now and it won’t be much longer until I’m back to full speed and fitness. Thanks to the WBR Yamaha team for their patience and my plan is to reward them with some race wins in the back half of the season.”

Madi Simpson had an up and down day at Gillman, finishing with a strong fourth place in race one, then having to charge from the rear of the field in race two to claim 10th, giving her eighth for the round.

Simpson started moto one well and was in third position and within sight of second for most for the moto. It wasn’t until the final two laps when she lost a spot and finished fourth. The second race saw her hit the deck in the first turn and took some time to get to her feet and get moving.

She then did her best to pass as many riders as she could before race end.

“Today was just ok. I have a goal each round to be on the podium and haven’t go there yet, so I need to keep working and make sure I get it done for the final two rounds. I rode pretty well in race one but the first turn crash in race two meant I had no chance of getting podium for the round, so I need to make that up at our next WMX round.”

MX1 Round Points

MX1 Championship Points – Top 20

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Ruben Chadwick dominates Australian Hard Enduro Opener

Ruben Chadwick kicked off the 2025 Australian Hard Enduro Championship with an impressive victory at the gruelling Kosciuszko Killer, conquering round one aboard his Beta RR 300 Race. Battling some of harshest conditions the event has seen, Chadwick pushed through to take the top spot over a demanding two-day format.

Saturday saw Wade Ibrahim take the overall, a minute clear of Jon Gatt, while Ruben Chadwick rounded out the podium, ahead of Anthony Solar and Brandan Buckman.

Chadwick turned that around on Sunday taking victory for the day as the only rider to complete four laps, ahead of Ibrahim and Solar, while Houston Walters and Brandan Buckman rounded out the top five.

Chadwick left round one on 710-points to Ibrahim’s 700, with Solar just leading Gatt on 620-points to 615.

Ruben Chadwick

“Conditions were super dry – which is the opposite of what I have at home at the moment – so it took a while to adjust,” Chadwick said after the race. “It was brutal bull dust with sharp shaley rock. I struggled on Saturday’s race with a bad start and had to push to make passes, which was tough with not being able to see in the dust. I managed to make it up to third by the end of the fifty-minute race. Sunday felt more comfortable, I swapped positions for the lead a few times throughout the race. It was a brutal five hours in the dust, but I’m stoked to come away with the win”.

The Silver class round win went to Aiden Rodrigues topping both days, Fyn Gunn and Lachlan Angelini rounding out the podium.

Alex Dunlea took the Bronze overall, also sweeping both Saturday and Sunday, Adam Ciuraszkiewicz and Luca Vigliante second and third.

Toby Jennion took out the Junior overall field of 10 riders, missing the Saturday win, but topping Sunday to relegate Maison Bloom to second, Coby Harris just 10-points off Bloom in third.

Yasmin Hijazi topped the Women’s class, winning both days from Natalie Samson and Bianca Harris, who took second and third respectively, mirroring their results on each day.

The next round of the Australian Hard Enduro Championship, the Murrumba Madness will take place in Esk, QLD on June 14-15, with Chadwick now asserting himself as the man to beat.

Gold Race One Results

Gold Race Two Results

Gold Overall Results

Silver Overall Results

Bronze Overall Results

Junior Overall Results

Women’s Bronze Results

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Toni Bou wraps up X-Trial season with Tallinn victory

Repsol Honda HRC rider Toni Bou ended the 2025 X-Trial World Championship season with a great result in Tallinn. The champion, arrived looking to return to winning ways in Estonia after finishing fourth there last year, and he achieved another victory. Teammate Gabriel Marcelli targeted his first victory, and although he was in contention, he ultimately took third place.

In the first round, Bou showed that, despite having already secured the title, he wanted to close the 2025 season on a high note. With a near-perfect lap, accruing only four penalty points, he went directly into the final alongside Jaime Busto and Marcelli. For the Super Pole that would decide the starting order of the final round, the rider from Piera set an unbeatable time, completing the three laps in 38 seconds and ensuring he would take on the sections last.

In the final round, the Montesa Cota 4RT rider claimed another victory with a determined showing. He thus ended the campaign with a total of six wins indoors in 2025.

Marcelli’s first lap saw him get off to a strong start, stringing together two consecutive zeros. Although some errors gave him 15 penalty points, he qualified directly for the final, closing out the Top 3. In the Super Pole, he made two errors that added an extra 10 seconds to his tally, meaning he would start second for the final zones.

On the final lap, the Repsol Honda HRC rider once again demonstrated his outstanding talent and, after a fierce battle with Jack Peace, Busto and Bou, he secured third place. With this result, Marcelli completes the Top 3 in the X-Trial World Championship standings, repeating his result from last season.

Toni Bou – P1

“I’m very happy to get a win in Estonia. Last year I couldn’t qualify for the final, so I was really eager to get this great result. We had a very solid race, and now we have to enjoy it. Overall, this season was really positive. We’ve achieved six wins, and our worst finish was second, in addition to taking the title, so we can’t ask for more. The team have done an incredible job, as always, and I want to thank them for that.”

Gabriel Marcelli – P3

“I’m not happy today, because I didn’t ride very well in the first round. It’s true that I improved in the final, and I’ll take that away from the weekend. The most positive thing is that we repeated the result in the final. That wasn’t the goal, because we were looking for a better result, so we’ll correct the mistakes to do our best next season. I want to thank the entire team for their great work this year.”

2025 X-Trial Standings

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2025 AMA SX Round 15 – Pittsburgh Rider Quotes

Images by KardyPhoto

See the full results here:
Blow by blow reports from AMA SX Round 15 – Pittsburgh

250 Main Report

The penultimate round of the 250 East Championship was staged in Pittsburgh on the last Saturday in March, and it was tight at the top before proceedings got underway. Hammaker led Hampshire by three-points, and Tom Vialle was only four-points further adrift in third. When they left Pittsburgh, though, there was a new championship leader…

Nate Thrasher scored the holeshot ahead of Tom Vialle, meanwhile Hammaker was stuck way down in the pack, the championship leader 15th at the end of the opening lap and with plenty of work to do.

Thrasher made the most of the early clear air to stretch away from Vialle. Max Vohland was third as they started lap three, ahead of Hampshire and Hymas.

Hammaker was up to seventh by the five-minute mark, as Thrasher continued to lead Vialle, Vohland and Hampshire.

Thrasher continued to lead at the halfway mark, his buffer over Vialle more than two-seconds, and Vialle had three-seconds on third-placed Hampshire.

Hampshire then got tripped up by a lapper with just over two-minutes left on the clock, which saw him lose that third place to Vohland, while Hammaker was now right on his tail in fifth.

Tom Vialle took the lead for the first time with just over a minute left on the clock, demoting Thrasher to second place. The Yamaha man tried to come back at the European but the KTM rider had enough left in the tank and went on to take his first victory of the season, and with it the championship lead.

Thrasher took second place well clear of Vohland.

RJ Hampshire claimed 18-points for his fourth place finish, taking the chequered flag ahead of Seth Hammaker, Chance Hymas and Cullin Park.

Vialle will take a one-point lead over Hammaker into the 250 East-West Showdown season finale in Salt Lake City on May 10. RJ Hampshire is only two-points further adrift, thus we have three riders covered by only three-points heading into the final.

Next week, May 3, in Denver, 250 West competitors will battle out their penultimate round ahead of the showdown.

Tom Vialle – P1

“This race win was very important, I feel like I had to win [tonight] to have a chance at the championship in Salt Lake. I had a rough start to the day with a pretty big crash in practice, but overall, I got pretty lucky there. I felt great in the Main Event, the bike felt really good too, and after the start I knew that I had to make it happen tonight and thats what we did.”

RJ Hampshire – P4

“I felt great today with qualifying P1 and then winning my Heat Race,” commented Hampshire. “I had a good Main Event going, put myself in a good position, and then made a small mistake with a few laps to go that really cost me. We’re leaving here three points down heading into the finale with a shot at winning this thing, so we’ll put our head down for two weeks and be ready to win in Salt Lake.”

Seth Hammaker – P5

“The day went pretty well here in Pittsburgh,” said Hammaker. “I ended up P2 in qualifying and felt really good on the bike and really comfortable with the track. In the heat race, I got the holeshot, led every lap, and felt strong the whole way through. Heading into the main event, I spun really bad off the grate at the start and put myself in a tough spot right away. The first few laps got a little sketchy, but I focused on climbing my way forward and was able to work up to a fifth-place finish. Now we’re only one point out heading into Salt Lake, and I’m taking everything I’ve got into that final round. Super excited and ready for the battle ahead.”

Chance Hymas – P6

“It was round 15 here in Pittsburgh, and overall, it was a decent night for me. We did a lot of testing and took some big swings with the bike setup. I ended up sixth in the main, so it’s something to build on going into the final East round. The team and I are working hard to put all the pieces together, and I’m looking forward to finishing strong in Salt Lake City and heading into outdoors.”

Austin Forkner – P15

“I had a good heat race. My starts were great last night, but not ideal tonight and that held me back. I started back in the pack in the Main Event. Another rider checked up in front of me in the whoops – I jumped right to avoid them but landed on a tuff block. I rode well after I got back up. I mean, my pace was good all day! I was taken out by someone else later in the race too, but it is what it is. I could have just phoned it in, but I actually rode well. The results just do not show that!”

250 Main Results

250 East Championship Points

450 Main Report

Cooper Webb landed in Pittsburgh with a handy nine-point lead but Chase Sexton had been on a roll of late, the KTM man had steadily been eating into Webb’s buffer after claiming two victories on the trot. Could Webb stem the tide…?

Webb certainly started out on the right foot, the championship leader claiming the holeshot ahead of Aaron Plessinger and Chase Sexton. Chase was soon past his team-mate and up to second place, his ears pinned back to try and prevent Webb escaping. Ken Roczen then put a brilliant move on Justin Cooper for fourth place and the Suzuki man was looking dangerous as he reeled Plessinger in with ease.

Five-minutes in, Sexton was right on Webb’s tail.  Cooper had managed to get past Roczen and that pair had pushed Plessinger back to fifth.

Just before the halfway mark, Sexton muddled his rhythm and momentarily ran off the circuit. In the process, Sexton lost around two-seconds which gave Webb plenty of breathing space.

However, Sexton regrouped and chased down Webb once again, the KTM man right on the championship leaders tail once again with five-minutes left on the clock.  Sexton lost a little time trying to lap Dean Wilson, and that was all the advantage Webb needed to take it home all the way to the chequered flag.

Webb taking the win over Sexton by 1.5-seconds, that pair more than 20-seconds clear of third placed Justin Cooper.

Aaron Plessinger fourth ahead of Malcolm Stewart and Ken Roczen. Stewart putting a hard block pass on Roczen on the final lap to steal fifth place from the German.

With two rounds remaining Webb now enjoys a 12-point buffer over Sexton. Ken Roczen a further 42-points in arrears but looking safe to take out third overall for the season.

 

Chase Sexton – P2

“It was a tough track tonight, I knew the start was going to be key, and Cooper [Webb] got off to a good one. From there I really needed to be mindful of how hard I pushed as it was easy to lose the rear-end in these conditions. I felt like I rode well, just couldn’t get close enough to make a pass, but I didn’t want to override the track – finding that limit was tough. It’s disappointing to lose this race tonight, but it was a dogfight and I gave it everything I had.”

Aaron Plessinger – P4

“Pittsburgh was a fun city and a very cool venue! It was a weird day for me. I felt really good in practice and then got off to an awesome start in the Heat Race. P2 in that one, which was pretty good, but it was a strange Main Event after getting off to an awesome start. On the first lap, I cased the big triple, and I think that threw me off a bit, took me a bit to get going. Around the halfway mark I came alive and managed to come back to fourth, so it’s a cool feeling to not give up on myself and rebound mid-race – we’ll take the speed into Denver and try to end this Supercross season with two more podiums!”

Malcolm Stewart – P5

“Pittsburgh was very, very cool,” reflected Stewart. “We had a good race track tonight and I ended up P5, which was really good. I felt like I rode well and made the best out of what was a chaotic start to the race for me. I’m looking forward to Denver as it has always treated me well, and Salt Lake is also one of my favorites. It’s an emotional time for me now too, with the ‘Stewart 27’ documentary coming out tomorrow, so I’m really excited for everyone to see what myself and everybody involved have been working on!”

Ken Roczen – P6

“It was really cool coming here to Pittsburgh. The stadium was super packed, and the fans were going crazy,” said Roczen. “We’ve just been trying our best on the weekends. The last two weeks have been really tough and I’m definitely not at my best right now. I need some time to heal and get back to peak performance, so right now it’s been a bit rough. I’m really trying to go in the beginning, and the whoops were super tough tonight. I almost ended myself in those and decided to start jumping them. It wasn’t necessarily the fastest, but I was trying to hang in there. We were riding in third and fourth for quite some time, and I just made a couple of mistakes throughout the race. Another rider and I got together in the end, too. Right now, we’re just maintaining. It’s unfortunate that the results are not there, but we have a couple to go, and we just want to stay on two wheels and do our best to stay in the game.”

Dean Wilson – P10

“Overall, tonight was definitely an improvement for me. The result was one spot worse than last week, but I was in a good position for most of the race. There was a rhythm section right after the start that gave me trouble all night, and that’s where I kept getting passed. It was frustrating because once I cleaned it up in the last 10 laps, I was right in the mix. The ball was in sight, and I fought hard the whole way. It was a step forward all around, but I’m not fully satisfied yet. My goal is to break into the top seven, so we’ll keep fighting for it.”

Colt Nichols – P12

“I actually was in the fight at the first part of the race,” stated Nichols. “I came out of the gate much better in the main event and rode well for the first bit of the main. I got a little bit tight, made some mistakes, and went a little bit backwards but overall, it was a better night in a lot of ways for the main event. I finished P-12 so there’s still a lot of work to do, a lot of things to improve, but I’m taking the positives from tonight and going into Denver excited for the last two rounds.”

Kyle Chisholm – P16

“We had a bunch of rain overnight, so we had a shortened day again. It’s kind of the theme here up in the Northeast with these races,” said Chisholm. “It turned out to be a pretty dry racetrack. I just never really felt as good as I wanted to out there today. It wasn’t my best stuff. I wish I was a little bit better, I’m trying to do my best, but it just wasn’t my best… I want to be up close to the top 10 and I’ve got two more rounds to do it. We’ll go back to work this week and try to finish out these last two strong.”

450 Main Results

450 Championship Points

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2025 American Flat Track Ventura Short Track Report

Images by Tim Lester

AFT Singles – Ventura Short Track

Making his professional debut at the Ventura Short Track, Kage Tadman came in with the admirable goal of simply making the Main Event. Remarkably, the 17-year-old Californian managed to accomplish that goal by setting the pace in qualifying, winning his heat, taking top honours in AFT Singles 1st Impressions Challenge, and then dominating the Main Event.

Chase Saathoff carried the momentum of his first-career Short Track win into Ventura Raceway, and did everything in his power to prevent Tadman from pulling off the stunner.

The RWR ace combated Tadman’s wide and wild line with a more controlled and conservative inside tour of the beach-side circuit. That strategy allowed Saathoff to make the occasional inroad, but Tadman’s sheer pace ultimately proved too much as the rookie pulled to a near one-second margin of victory to open his career with a perfect 100% winning percentage.

Kage Tadman

“It all starts in practice. I felt really good in practice. I knew there were a few things we needed to work on to get a little bit quicker. After practice, qualifying rolled around and we did super well there, and then heats, dash, and especially the Main… this is a dream night. I would never have thought this could have happened in my rookie debut.”

Tarren Santero made it two Californians on the podium in third. Santero, who was in need of a strong result after getting his ‘25 campaign off to a slower-than-anticipated start, worked his way past and then shook free of points-leader Tom Drane (No. 59 Estenson Racing Yamaha YZ450F) to grab his second career AFT Singles top three.

And thus the Australian’s record-setting podium streak came to an end at nine with his fourth-place finish. However, it was good enough to maintain his place atop the championship order, albeit by a slim two-point margin over rival Saathoff (68-66).

Trevor Brunner completed the top five after battling with the hungry Jared Lowe and Aidan RoosEvans. Justin Anselmi, Evan Renshaw, and Reece Pottorf completed the top ten.

Earlier in the evening, Madicela Rodriguez held off  a charging Emma Gottsch to secure her first-career Royal Enfield Build. Train. Race. Main Event victory. Taia Little grabbed the final spot on the podium.

AFT Singles Results

AFT Singles Standings – Top 20

AFT SuperTwins – Ventura Short Track

It took the Harley-Davidson XG750R more than eight Progressive American Flat Track seasons, to at last earn its maiden Mission AFT SuperTwins victory. It took just one more race to get its second.

Both wins came courtesy of two-time Grand National Champion Briar Bauman, who was again in spectacular form at Ventura Raceway en route to a second consecutive victory.

While Bauman ended the night in glory, the spotlight panned back and forth throughout the day. Dallas Daniels held the upper hand for the bulk of the event with his stiffest challenge arguably coming from Suzuki-mounted Dan Bromley, who actually came out on top of the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge.

Meanwhile, the likes of Max Whale (No. 18 Moto Anatomy X Powered by Royal Enfield 650), Logan McGrane, and James Ott jockeyed for podium positions in the early going of the Main after Daniels took the holeshot, but the genuine shape of the race would quickly be made evident.

Despite demonstrating largely pedestrian speed in the lead-up to the Main, once there Bauman pounced on Daniels in the opening handful of laps. While the Estenson Racing star attempted to work out a way in which to counter, he also had to contend with the charging Jarod VanDerKooi, who powered his way into third where he set his sights past Daniels and on Bauman.

A red flag provided both Daniels and VanDerKooi with a second chance at corralling Bauman, but neither were able to take advantage. Little changed after the restart, and the checkered flag eventually saw Bauman sail by with a 0.881-second margin of victory, while Daniels came out on top of a seesawing fight with VanDerKooi for second.

Brandon Robinson found his way into contention as he so often does to claim fourth, while Bromley closed out a standout day with a top-five Main Event showing.

Whale was also rewarded with a strong sixth, while Davis Fisher, Ott, Trent Lowe and McGrane rounded out the top ten.

Bauman’s back-to-back victories not only put him level with Daniels in terms of wins on the season, it also catapulted him past the preseason title rival favourite in the early-season championship chase (84-81).

Briar Bauman

“I’m just proud of everyone on this Rick Ware Racing team. We’re just digging on this thing. I don’t know if it’s a renaissance or a fairy tale, but we’re just doing our thing. I’m still so green on the bike – and when I show up and qualify ninth or tenth or whatever it was – it’s tough to think (that we’re the championship favourite). We’re still putting one foot in front of the other, and Dallas has an incredible motorcycle and he’s an incredible racer. He’s got an insane team, and right now I think he’s going to win this championship. He’s heir to the throne, but I have worn the crown a few times, and I’m going to do my job and try to get it back.”

AFT SuperTwins Results

AFT SuperTwins Standings – Top 20

Next Up:

The dirt track motorcycle racing series closes out its back-to-back West Coast swing with next week’s visit to Chico, California, for the Silver Dollar Short Track at Silver Dollar Speedway on Saturday, May 3.

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