Moto News Weekly Wrap
January 2, 2021

What’s New:

• Inaugural e-FMX World Champion crowned
• Brayton to lead all new Muc-Off Honda Racing Team in AMA SX
• Jonny Walker teams up with Beta Motorcycles in 2021
• Ricky Brabec & Honda to defend Dakar crown in 2021
• Monster Energy Yamaha Rally Team set for Dakar campaign
• Shakedown tests complete for KTM Dakar crew
• New rules aimed at boosting Dakar safety
• Dakar Rally 2021 schedule
• Dakar Motorcycle Entry List 2021
• 2021 Racing Calendars

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Inaugural e-FMX World Champion crowned

The Grand Final of the inaugural e-FMX World Championship produced the best gameplay to date with two new champions and the introduction of a brand new Night of the Jumps Best Trick level in TiMX : This is Motocross.

The Grand Final episode featured a three-way battle between the favourite for the series, Nitro World Games winner from Australia, Pat Bowden, who was up against the Spanish FMX Champion and TikTok MX star, Pedro Moreno and the young gun from the Czech Republic, Matej Cesak.

Pedro Moreno put together one of the best runs of the series in the final. After two weeks training since the Semi Finals, Pedro decided to utilise more variety in his run including the McMetz to Cliffhanger combo which was actually performed IRL by Dany Torres from Spain. Unfortunately variety alone wasn’t enough to advance further and Pedro finished the season in third position.

After 11 months out of action due to injury, Pat Bowden returned to his YZ250 only a week ago since his crash in January. However, after his first ride, Pat’s doctor scheduled him in for surgery immediately to remove the Lunate bone in the wrist and replace it with a prosthetic replacement! This all happened two-days before the final run of the game. Somehow, Pat managed to put together an incredibly good run inside TiMX, and the judges voted him to be in second position overall.

With the smoothest of runs, showing incredible variety, dexterity and difficulty in tricks both in real life and inside the game mechanics, Matej Cesak was crowned the first ever e-FMX World Champion by proving every week to be one of the best riders. Perhaps as the youngest in the final he had an advantage on the mobile game, but Matej’s win could not be disputed with such a smooth run and some tricks looking very similar to his style in real life!

For the win, Matej takes home $500 for winning the overall series from TiMX and Aussie Adrenaline, but also receiving an invite to compete at a real-world FMX competition at Night of the Jumps in 2021 and also 250,000 Gold Coins of in-game currency.

The first ever FMX eSport series became even more interesting in the final round, with a brand new discipline coming online only four days before the final with an all new FMX Best Trick competition mode inside the Night of the Jumps textured level.

With an invite open to all 16 players who had competed throughout the series and a couple of new riders, the Best Trick competition was on another level with a Roll-in set up to give the rider enough speed before the huge Moon Booter, the largest ramp built into the game, with riders able to try almost any trick imaginable!

There was so much variety from Josh Sheehan’s 720 to Taka Higashino’s Double Backflip California Roll 360 to Maikel Melero’s Quadruple Backflip with a Bike Flip (technically creating the only Quin Flip in the entire series!). However the win came down to the riders who showed variety, degree of difficulty and also innovation.

Tied for third place, was Matej Cesak and Pat Bowden. Matej with his Quadruple Backflip 360 California Roll and Pat with his Triple Backflip 360 with a Bike Flip.
The runner-up for Best Trick was the Russian FMX Champion and Crowd Favourite, Nick Ivankov with his very innovative Backflip to Inside Roll (body varial) to Front Flip.

The winner for the first ever e-FMX World Championship Best Trick competition was the Spanish FMX Champion, Pedro Moreno. Pulling a Quadruple Backflip including a 360 in the middle and holding the Cliffhanger on the final backflip rotation, Pedro showed an incredible use of game mechanics to produce the trick while stating that he “needs more fingers and hands to perform bigger tricks!”

Not only is the special Night of the Jumps track in the game for this competition series, it is also available for all players who have downloaded the game on iOS or Android platforms with the Gold VIP Membership. The NOTJ Track which was designed from the Berlin World Championship course looks almost identical to the real world and is available in the Early Access area for VIP Members with the option to become available as one of the divisions in the open game.

The e-FMX World Championship series could not have happened without the support of FC Moto. Aussie Adrenaline produced an incredible mobile game, and Night of the Jumps partnered with AA to create this all new eSport series in 2020 and into the future with all new projects.

You can check out or download the app at – https://www.nightofthejumps.com/esport (link)

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Brayton to lead all new Muc-Off Honda Racing Team in AMA SX

Konsky Motorsport Group have announce Muc-Off as their new title sponsor for 2021. Muc-Off Honda, run by Australian Yarrive Konsky, will be competing in the premier division of the US world championship – the Monster Energy AMA Supercross as well as select European rounds during 2021.

Heading up the team is four times Australian SX champion and Daytona Supercross Winner veteran Justin Brayton, who will compete in the 450SX class on the new 2021 CRF 450R.

Brayton is considered to be the most consistent rider in the prolific series, finishing inside the top ten 12 times during the 2020 season. 2021 marks Brayton’s 18th year as a professional motocross/supercross racer. In 2018 he achieved a career best where he won the main event in Daytona onboard a CRF 450R and in 2012 he had his best overall championship finish – fourth.

Justin Brayton

“It’s super exciting to be working closely with Yarrive again for 2021, especially with him bringing an exciting new brand to the table. His passion and enthusiasm for this sport has been a positive influence on me. We have seen a lot of success in Australia, so I hope to relive this in the U.S supercross this year. I have been riding the new 2021 CRF 450R and I am feeling comfortable on it, testing has been great so now I just need to put it all together and focus on a strong and consistent season.”

Mitchell Oldenburg will also be returning to the team in 2021 where he will be riding the CRF 250 alongside new teammate Mitchell Harrison. Harrison returns to the American Supercross Championship after a brief stint racing in the FIM World Motocross championship in the MX2 class.

Mitchell Oldenburg

“This is my third season with Yarrive and Honda and I feeling more ready than ever to go racing. Riding the same bike for a third season is an advantage as I am feeling so comfortable with the bike and I feel at home with the team. With Muc-Off as the new title sponsor, it has given me the motivation to show the world what I have got!”

Mitchell Harrison

“When I got the call up to race for Muc-Off Honda, I was excited as I have only good things about their program. I went out to test the bike and immediately asked for the contract as it just felt right. The team is competitive and because of both Muc-Off and Honda coming in to support the team for 2021, I am committed to getting top results.”

The Supercross season gets underway at the NRG Stadium in Houston Texas on the 16th January 2021. This will be the first of three races in Houston.

Yarrive Konsky – Team Owner

“I am really pleased that we can finally shout about our plans for 2021. It has been 4 months in the making, with a final push at the 11th hour to get to this point, but now we are here, I am keen to start seeing results. Working with Muc-Off as our new title sponsor for next year has been really refreshing. Their ethos and work ethic has been instrumental in getting us here and I am looking forward to seeing this relationship develop.”

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Jonny Walker teams up with Beta Motorcycles in 2021

Jonny Walker has signed with Beta in a Factory supported team to challenge for top honours in both the Super Enduro World Championship and the new FIM Extreme Championship in 2021, marking his first appearance on the Beta and along with existing support from worldwide brands Redbull, Leatt, GoPro, POD.

Jonny Walker

“It is really exciting for me to undertake this new adventure, seeing the success that BETA has had in World Enduro championship over the years made my decision easy. Being able to carry on with my existing loyal sponsors is amazing and a credit to their vision and direction. I am really looking forward to working with new brands and helping them grow.”

Fabrizio Dini Factory Beta Team Manager

“Beta are extremely happy to support Jonny, he is for sure a very professional and strong world class rider. We are excited to work with him as we know that he is serious and professional about his business and the great results that will surely follow. Beta are also very happy that we are starting work as soon as possible and look forward to a good and successful season working together.”

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Ricky Brabec to defend Dakar crown in 2021

For the first time since the official Honda team returned to the Dakar Rally in 2013 after a 23-year absence, one of the team bikes will compete the event with the number one emblazoned on its fairings. The Monster Energy Honda Team will be seeking to replicate the feat achieved by Ricky Brabec last year, as they face a new goal and a new challenge.

The Monster Energy Honda Team is already in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, sitting out the final hours of lockdown in the hotel, after the final COVID-19 testing, ahead of the day of scrutineering. The team is all set to do battle in the 2021 Dakar Rally in a bid to hold on to the title clinched last year by American Ricky Brabec.

Recent months have seen the team undergo very thorough pre-race preparations in order to arrive at the world’s toughest race in the best possible conditions.

Ricky Brabec

“We’ve finished the scrutineering and we are now looking forward to the prologue tomorrow. The whole team is ready. I’m ready as well. We will try and do our best to defend the number one. It’s not going to be easy. The target on our back is pretty big. But we are here and we can’t really say much right now. The race hasn’t even started. We’ll get back to you guys in a couple of days and let you know how things are going. That’s the goal – to defend the number one.”

Ricky Brabec, José Ignacio Cornejo, Kevin Benavides and Joan Barreda are the four factory riders lining up for the Monster Energy Honda Team, all having managed to finish the most recent edition of the Dakar. The squad arrives at the Dakar in top physical shape, hoping to relive the sensation of lifting the Dakar winner’s bronze Touareg prize.

José Ignacio Cornejo

“I’m happy to be here to start another Dakar Rally, my sixth and fourth with HRC. I’m pleased, the team is solid and highly-motivated, eager to get out and have a good race. Tomorrow, we have the prologue and it will be important to make a solid start, with good pace and without making mistakes. It will be a good chance to get a feel for things ahead of stage one on Sunday. We will give it everything we can, as always.”

Gilles Lalay won the Dakar back in 1989 and no other Honda rider has since adorned the plaque until 2021. The American rider’s CRF450 Rally now proudly sports the winner’s decals. Ricky Brabec will be accompanied by three other top-class riders: Chilean José Ignacio Cornejo, fourth last year, who has proven to be a valuable asset, adapting well to the Saudi Arabian terrain.

Alongside will be Argentinean rider Kevin Benavides (#47), runner-up in 2018. He will be another rider aspiring to claim the overall victory and arrives on top form this year after a win at the Andalucia Rally. No introduction is necessary for Joan Barreda (#88). By now a Dakar rider of legendary status, having participated eleven times and the current competing rider with the highest number of stage wins under his belt – 24.

Kevin Benavides

“Everything is ready. The wait is over and I am very motivated to start this new Dakar Rally. I have trained a lot and I was able to win in the only race – the Andalucia Rally – that I competed in, which has made me far more motivated to arrive here in good shape. I am eager to start this Dakar, so let’s get the action underway!”

Joan Barreda

“Today we did the administrative and technical verifications and the truth is that everything went quite quickly because we had practically everything ready to go. Normally everything is slower and more laborious. Now we only need to start tomorrow at noon with the prologue where we can give it some throttle, which is what we all want.”

The 2021 Dakar Rally begins on January 3 in Jeddah and is set to finish in the same Saudi Arabian city on the 15th of the same month after a total 7,649-kilometre trek, to include some 4,767 kilometres against the clock.

Ruben Faria – General Manager

“The bikes have been checked, the documents, too. Everything is done and we are ready to start the prologue tomorrow that will determine the starting order on the first day. It won’t be a very long special, but there will be some navigation and we hope it won’t be too complicated. It will be difficult for the riders as starting the Dakar is always an emotion-filled event. The idea is that they can do the best possible prologue. The goal is to reach January 15 on top sport and with all the bikes in the top ten, with some good feelings. There are many very good riders. Ours guys are good too and they are also in great shape. I’m confident the team to be able to produce a good result.”

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Monster Energy Yamaha Rally Team set for Dakar campaign

In 2021, for the first time in history the Monster Energy Yamaha Rally Team will enter the Dakar Rally with five riders. Forming a formidable line-up of experienced, determined racers, all eyes will be on Adrien Van Beveren, Franco Caimi, Andrew Short, Ross Branch and Jamie McCanney as all five take on one of the world’s toughest off-road rally races in the new year.

With the opening stage of the 2021 Dakar Rally set to kick off, all members of the team are fully prepared for the upcoming challenge. Well aware of the demanding days that lay ahead, each rider heads to the start line with high hopes and with the experience needed to secure a strong result in the desert.

Leading the team is the experienced Frenchman Adrien Van Beveren. Fully focused on his dream of winning the Dakar Rally, after spending the early part of 2020 recovering from surgery, he more recently spent much of the autumn and early winter in Dubai, re-acquainting himself with the same desert conditions he will face this January. Currently feeling strong and riding as well as he’s ever done following a positive outing at the Hail Rally, Van Beveren is set to take on the Dakar Rally in arguably his best ever form.

Adrien Van Beveren

“Since my crash at Dakar in 2020 it took two surgeries before I could work on my full recovery. I had six months off the bike, but I now feel really good. I’m not deterred by my crash last year and I still dream of winning the Dakar. This has been my motivation to work hard and prepare myself for 2021. My training has gone really well and I have been in Dubai riding in the dunes for a while now, so I feel like I am back to my best. I managed to race the Hail Rally recently, which was a positive part of my training. With the race taking place on the same terrain as the Dakar it also included tricky navigation, so it was perfect for me to race there. My bike is good and I feel good, so I am really confident now and I can’t wait to go racing again.”

Franco Caimi was a consistent threat for top five stage results throughout the 2020 Dakar Rally, with the 32-year-old ultimately placing eighth overall to match his career-best result from the 2017 edition. Since then, Franco returned home to his native Argentina and following a brief recovery period and time to reflect, he switched his attention to the 2021 edition. Now, with months of focused training under his belt, Caimi is confident in establishing himself as a title contender.

Franco Caimi

“I’ve been at home training in Argentina and my preparations have been going really well. I feel great on the bike and physically and mentally I’m ready to go racing. I’m confident for a good result in 2021. For sure I will be pushing for the win which would be amazing for me and the team and it’s what I have been working for. I’ve studied the schedule and the stages, and the new route looks really good with a lot of mixed terrain, so I’m positive for a good result at the Dakar.”

Since joining the Monster Energy Yamaha Rally Team in March 2020, Andrew Short has spent much of the year riding in the Nevada desert, becoming fully acquainted with his Yamaha WR450F Rally machine. Following months of training, he made his racing debut with the team at the Andalucia Rally in Spain where a positive result saw Short confidently adjust to his new team surroundings and further develop his bike set-up. Looking ahead, Andrew has drawn upon his experiences from previous Dakars to form a solid race strategy heading into the 2021 event as he looks forward to taking on the Dakar rally challenge.

Andrew Short

“It’s been a strange year with only one race since the last Dakar, so it’s not been normal that’s for sure. I raced the Andalucia Rally which was only a small race, but it was important as it was the first one for me on the Yamaha. It was good for me to ride the bike in a race environment but also work with the whole team and spend time with the whole crew. I’ve been training a lot in the Nevada desert, continuing to learn the bike and lately I’ve been working on getting back into the racing mindset. The Dakar is a race like no other and for 2021 I’ll be taking it day by day. You learn a lot every year and for me it will be important to know when to push and when not to. I can’t wait to start racing and hopefully by the end of 13 days in the desert we can come away with a solid result.”

Much like his teammates Franco and Andrew, Ross Branch has spent much of 2020 training, clocking up countless miles on his Yamaha WR450F Rally in his Botswana homeland. Working on further improving his roadbook skills, and now armed with the full support of the Monster Energy Yamaha Rally Team, Ross is excited to race at the 43rd edition of the Dakar. With Branch looking to harness his raw speed to ensure consistently high stage results, the 34-year-old is aiming for a top 10 overall result.

Ross Branch

“My training and preparation for Dakar has gone amazingly well and I’m really excited for January 3 to get things started. I’ve spent a lot of time at home in Botswana on my Yamaha and focussed on my roadbook training. I’m really happy with everything and it’s not long until we can go racing. It’s a strong field for 2021 and I think there’s 20 riders that could win. I’ll be focussing on minimising mistakes and being consistent on every stage. I’m really thankful for the team giving me this opportunity to give the Dakar my best shot and I hope to repay them with a solid result inside the top 10.”

The team’s youngest rider is 26 years old Jamie McCanney, who is well prepared for what will be his second Dakar Rally. Still very new to the discipline, the Manxman made his Dakar debut a little over a year ago, making positive steps as the event progressed. Towards the end of the two-week race, Jamie enjoyed some rapid progress, delivering his best on stage 11 with sixth overall – a result that helped push him up the leaderboard to 15th in the final classification. With valuable experience earned, and with more time spent working on the set-up of his Yamaha WR450F Rally, McCanney is confident of improving upon his debut result.

Jamie McCanney

“I’m really looking forward to the Dakar Rally. It’s a shame that we only got to race once since the last Dakar and I’ve not been able to ride sand dunes like I’ll experience in January. I’ve been preparing myself in different ways though, working hard on my roadbook skills especially. I’ve been doing as much as I can, riding a lot and I’m really happy with my bike. Throughout the year the team has been working hard and we’re much better prepared than last time, so I’m happy with where we are at ahead of racing again. My expectations are to take it day by day, step by step, but ultimately I want to enjoy my riding and improve upon my 15th place finish last year.”

The 2021 Dakar Rally gets underway in the port city of Jeddah on January 3 and will cover more than 7500km before finishing in the same location on January 15.

Alexandre Kowalski – Yamaha Europe Off-Road Racing Manager

“For sure 2020 has been a challenging year but we are really looking forward to the Dakar Rally. It’s an exciting time for the team as it will be the first time in history that five official Yamaha riders will race in this event. With Adrien, Franco, Jamie, Ross, and Andrew, we have a very strong team. We were fortunate to race the Andalucia Rally in October with all riders present and that was really good practice and preparation for us. The team spirit is really strong and they have all been training hard. Because of travel restrictions they have had to make their final preparations alone, but they are all hard workers and know what they need to do. The bike for 2021 has a few minor changes, so in their final preparations the riders can fully-focus on their riding and roadbook training. For Dakar, there are new regulations, with the new safety air bag and especially with the number of rear tyres that each rider can use. Each rider can only use six in total so there is some race management that the riders need to think about and prepare for. There is a strong line-up of riders and our team is ready for the challenge. We’re excited to start racing.”

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Shakedown tests complete for KTM Dakar crew

Held in the Middle East for the second consecutive year, and celebrating its 43rd edition, this year’s Dakar Rally looks set to challenge all competitors from day one. Following the short 11km Prologue, riders will face 12 demanding stages, totaling 7,646km, taking them through some of the toughest terrain Saudi Arabia has to offer.

Delivering a completely new route for 2021, the event organizers have been working hard to create a race that further tests all competitors’ navigational skills. Average speeds across the 4,767km of timed specials will also be reduced, with the stages expected to comprise of slower, more technically demanding terrain. In the interest of safety, new regulations have also been brought in for this year’s race, including restrictions on tires, an audible warning system that will notify riders of dangers ahead while racing, as well as airbag jackets also becoming compulsory.

The three Red Bull KTM Factory Racing riders already enjoy a huge amount of rally experience – all three are former Dakar winners – together with knowledge of racing the Dakar in the Middle East. Toby Price, Matthias Walkner and Sam Sunderland are fit and fully motivated to take on the upcoming race and have their sights set on securing strong results.

KTM Factory Racing’s Daniel Sanders has only contested one cross-country rally in his career and comes into the 2021 Dakar as a relative rookie. Nevertheless, the team’s junior rider has shown great maturity and speed on the run up to the race and will be aiming to complete the event with a solid finish.

Jordi Viladoms – KTM Rally Team Manager

“Things are going well here in Jeddah, it has been a tough journey for the whole team to get here with the various restrictions and tests in place, but we’re 100% ready for the race now. The Shakedown was extremely positive, and although the terrain wasn’t quite what we expect to face in the rally itself, all riders were immediately up to speed and felt comfortable on their bikes. We now just have to complete the final administrative and technical checks and then we can finally go racing!”

Following the short Prologue on Saturday, January 2, the 2021 Dakar Rally starts with the 623km stage one on Sunday, January 3 from Jeddah in Saudi Arabia. In total, the event consists of 12 full stages, covering a distance of 7,646km, with the finish also taking place in Jeddah, on January 15.

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New rules aimed at boosting Dakar safety

It is a question as old as motorbike racing itself: how can one go faster than the competition without being too reckless? Even the Dakar has to come up with an answer to this dilemma for the world of motor sports, as bikers seek to squeeze every last ounce of speed from their machines while organisers place the safety of the competitors at the heart of their concerns.

Bikers, manufacturers, organisers, federations and other stakeholders came together in Lisbon in autumn to bridge the gap between these ambitions. “It has become obvious that motorbikes go too fast nowadays”, stresses David Castera, the director of the Dakar. “Today’s 450 cc single-cylinders are just as fast as the 800 cc twin-cylinders of the late 1980s, and they accelerate even faster to boot. There are two main approaches to boosting safety. Active safety is about improving the equipment used, for example, by requiring the use of airbags, whereas passive safety can be increased by capping the speed of the bikers and similar rules.

“Too many bikers want to ride as if it were a motocross race, but a rally raid is completely different. The focus is on endurance and stamina. This is why top bikers will not be allowed to use more than six rear tyres throughout the two weeks of racing. “Going full gas on stony terrain will no longer be an option for anyone who wants to win this race”, insists David Castera. “They will have to take care of their gear to make it to the finish.”

Race official Jordi Pérez was in charge of marking the batch of six tyres for each of the competitors subject to the new rule. “36 bikers are affected, explains the Spaniard, who is serving as a technical scrutineering official. “The tyres all have to be the same model and are branded with a red-hot iron. We also put a special sticker on them and paint them with a stroke of coloured reactive marker.” As abrasive as it is, even the Saudi sand should be unable to erase these markings.

2021 Dakar Schedule

2021 Dakar Motorcycle Entry List

2021 Racing schedule

2021 Provisional MXGP Calendar

2021 Yamaha AORC presented by MXStore calendar

2021 Australian Pro MX calendar

2021 Speedway GP Calendar

2021 FIM Hard Enduro World Championship (Provisional)

2021 Australian Senior Speedway Solo calendar

2021 Australian Speedway events

2021 FIM Cross-Country Rallies calendar

2021 AMA Supercross calendar

2021 GNCC

2021 New Zealand Motocross Championship

FIM Bajas World Cup 2021 (Provisional)

2021 Provisional Australian Supercross dates

• 25 September – Further information TBA
• 9 October – Further information TBA
• 16 October – Further information TBA
• 23 October – Further information TBA
• 30 October – Further information TBA
• 6 November – Further information TBA
• 20 November – Further information TBA
• 27 November – Further information TBA

2021 Australian Four Day Enduro (A4DE)
May 19-22 – Harvey, WA

2021 Enduro Australian Three Day Vintage Enduro (A3VE)
7-9 May – Blackwood, VIC

2021 Finke Desert Race
11-14 June – Northern Territory

2021 Hattah Desert Race
3-4 July – Hattah, Victoria

2021 Motocross Australian Classic Motocross Championship
9-11 July – Nowra, NSW

2021 Motocross Australian Post Classic Motocross
16-18 July – Nowra, NSW

2021 International Six Day Enduro (ISDE)
30 August – 4 September – Italy

U.S. AMA West ISDE Qualifier Series

• March 20-21: Red Mountain, Calif., Desert MC and Prospectors MC, AMA District 37 Sprint Enduro
• April 17-18: Campwood, Ariz., Arizona Trail Riders, AMA AMRA
• May 22-23: Craig, Colo., Enduro Colorado, AMA RMEC

U.S. AMA East ISDE Qualifier Series

• May 1-2: Battle Creek Mich., BCMC, AMA Michigan Sprint Enduro
• May 7-8: Plantersville, Ala., Southern Enduro Riders Association
• May 29-30: Glen Daniel, W. Va., AMA Full Gas Sprint Enduro