Stewart heads formidable Yamaha SX Team

Less than three weeks remain to the start of the seventeen-round 2011 Monster Energy AMA-Supercross and FIM Supercross World Championship in Los Angeles and Yamaha can look to perhaps their strongest ever line-up in the immensely popular off-road discipline.

2009 Supercross Champion, Answer's James Stewart recently inked a two-year contract with stay with his LandM Racing team and bid for a second title on the YZ450F after his efforts in 2010 were curtailed by a broken wrist. The supremely talented 25 year old from Florida will be one of the main riders in contention as the paddock gathers at the site of the traditional season-opening venue, the Angel Stadium, on the Californian coast. Yamaha have won the first race of the year for the past three editions thanks to Chad Reed, Josh Grant and Stewart respectively. Stewart gains a new team-mate in the form of Kyle Regal, another American who significantly increased his stock with stand-out performances in the 2010 AMA Motocross championship.

The YZ450F has a fleet of potential race winners armed for the contest that will travel the breadth of the USA, coast-to-coast for almost seventeen weeks in succession and even take a deviation to Toronto. Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) will use the skills of former Main Event victor Davi Millsaps and 2009 King of Bercy Justin Brayton (who was one of Yamaha’s top ranked riders within the Indoor arenas in 2010). Valli Motorsports count on the experience of Nick Wey and the youthful speed of rookie Austin Stroupe. Motoconcepts Yamaha, with former Yamaha supercross great David Vuillemin at the helm, field 2010 Bercy runner-up Kyle Chisholm and Tommy Hahn. Yamaha will also be prevalent in the AMA SX Lites (West and East Coast divisions) with the YZ250F in the hands of numerous starlets such as Ryan Sipes and Kyle Cunningham.

"We are very excited to have all of our teams returning to fight for the 2011 Racing series and look forward to coming out of the gate at the opener with a strong start to the season" said Racing Division Manager of Yamaha Motor Corporation USA, Keith McCarty. "They did a great job representing the Yamaha brand last year and with contingency and parts available in the pits I’m looking forward to an even better finish in 2011 for all our Yamaha racers."

Yamaha will be gunning for their twelfth title in the premier SX class since the creation of the championship as an AMA sanctioned series in 1974 (when they were the inaugural champions thanks to Dutchman Pierre Karsmakers) and their third in the last four years.

First pictures of Chad Reed in Shift Kit!

Earlier this year Chad Reed left Pro circuit Kawasaki to try and find another team. In the end no one could offer him what he wanted, so he did the next best thing and set up his own team! We've just seen the first pictures of Chad on his Honda, wearing his customer Shift Kit and Fox helmets.

FMX Tricks of the year!

These are our three favourite tricks of 2010, watch and enjoy!

1 - Jackson Strong at the Crusty Demons Australian tour


2 - Pastrana doing another double backflip for the fun of it!

3 - Robbie Maddison and his Body Varial, or "Volt"!

Video from the guys at No Fear

Super cool video on Supercross from the guys at No Fear on Supercross!

Testing with Eugene Laverty!

FreestyleXtreme rider Eugene Laverty looks set to be a contender for next years World Superbike Championship. Just in case there was ever any doubt, Eugene Laverty clearly showed that he will be a force to be reckoned with in the 2011 World Superbike Championship after coming away from a three-day test at Phillip Island as the quickest of the four riders taking part, including World Champion Max Biaggi.

Laverty, the runner-up in the 2010 World Supersport Championship, ended up lapping at a best of 1:31.5, .6 of a second quicker than Biaggi, on the final day in what was his third outing on the Yamaha R1 Superbike. For comparison's sake, Leon Haslam earned pole position in the 2010 season opener at Phillip Island with a 1:31.229 in Superpole, then set the fastest race lap of the weekend in race one - a 1:32.193

"I'm pretty pleased with the test - it's a nice way to go into the winter break," Laverty said in a team release. "In the three days we got a lot of laps done; the second day especially was big breakthrough. So far we've had two one-day tests so the second day here was where we really made the bike mine. The race times on the 2011 machine weren't so far away from 2010 bike so we're developing in the right direction. The new Ohlins front fork is definitely an improvement. I'm still learning this bike so we are fine tuning it as we go."

Laverty and his teammate Marco Melandri spent the three days going through various combinations on both the 2010 and 2011-spec R1s, including the new Ohlins fork.

Having come from MotoGP and riding production-based motorcycles for the first time in his career, Melandri is still getting used to the difference between the stiffer GP bikes and the "softer" superbike. Still, despite a crash on day two, Melandri ended up with a best lap of 1:32.4.

"It was a good test in the end; the three days were very intensive," Melandri said in the release. "It was quite challenging at first working on the 2011 machine, but during the second day we started to find a way and then third day we found a big improvement and found a good pace for the race. The rain meant we couldn't find a good lap time with a soft tire, but for me that wasn't what was important here. The difference between a MotoGP bike and a superbike on this track are huge, the bike moves a lot more so the faster corners are very different but step by step it's getting better and better. The feeling is very good; I'm very happy. The track is a difficult track so we have done well and I think we can be very strong for the first race here next year."

Motorcycle Live

The last week or so saw Europe's largest Motorbike show take place at the NEC in Birmingham. Here are a few of the highlight videos so you get a better idea of what went on!

Fox HC 180 Gear Reviewed!

Over here at FSX, we love the Fox MX Kit. The quality of the gear is second to none, and the huge ranges and colours adds to that. Don't take our word for it though, check out this review from one of the American MX magazine!

Pastrana beats Vettel at the Race of Champions!

The annual Race of Champions event took place in Dusseldorf, Germany this past weekend, with an absolute stellar cast of drivers- legends from past and present, all racing in the same standard vehicles, and really putting these drivers into a situation of equal footing. There were drivers from many different types of driving classes, including rally, F1, drifting, Moto GP, FMX, Indy Car, Nascar to name but a few. As always, Alpinestars was there.

Our man, Red Bull's Pastrana did what he does best, shock everyone! In his first race he was up against the reigning Formula 1 world Champion, and guess what happened? Yeap, Pastrana nailed him! In VW race cars, Pastrana went out, and beat im fair and square, this is why we all love him!

Here’s what the media said: There wasn't a German to be found in the finals of Sunday's Race of Champions, and it was a surprising young driver that knocked off three-time event champion Sebastien Loeb. Filipe Albuquerque, whose career highlight is a pair of third-place season finishes in A1GP, captured the individual crown of the two-day all-star event in just his first try. The 25-year-old Portugese driver won a best-of-three shootout with the veteran Loeb at Esprit Arena in Dusseldorf, Germany. The German team of Formula 1 champion Sebastian Vettel and seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher were knocked out earlier than expected. Vettel eliminated Schumacher in the quarterfinals; Albuquerque bounced Vettel in the semifinals. Schumacher didn't mind losing when he did. "We are a team, and he got the better of me," he said. "I prefer to be beaten by him ... a friend." Schumacher and Vettel teamed to win Saturday night's Nations Cup, the team portion of the annual event. The Americans fared worse in the individual portion of the event than they did the team portion. Carl Edwards and Travis Pastrana went 0-for-3 in Sunday's individual races; Tanner Foust, who was competing for the All-Star team rather than the U.S. team, won only one race Sunday and that came at Edwards' expense. "It was still fun," said Edwards, who hit oil on the track in his best run Sunday. "All three of the Americans are in plain clothes too early." As a team, Edwards and Pastrana failed to emerge from their group round Saturday. "Anything can happen, that's the neat thing about this event," said Edwards, who last year beat Schumacher in a head-to-head race. "You can come here and do well as Travis did (in 2005, finishing second despite a broken leg). When that happens, it's really fun." Vettel and Schumacher were the stars of the home crowd, but the event also featured Alain Prost, Tom Kristensen and IndyCar rookie Bertrand Baguette, who reached the quarterfinals individually. Baguette was one of the best drivers over the weekend, winning five races. The Race of Champions, which began in 1988, features 16 drivers who have won championships at some level. Nine different types of cars were used in this event, and they were randomly slotted into the rounds to keep the drivers on their toes and challenged.

LAVERTY ROLLS UP FOR SWAN YAMAHA TO COMPLETE WINNING COMBINATION

Shaun Muir Racing (SMR) has confirmed today (Wednesday) their completed line up for the 2011 MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship as Michael Laverty joins Tommy Hill as the team target a maiden BSB title.


Laverty moves to the team after finishing fourth in this year’s BSB championship standings and the former British Supersport champion is now determined to make an impact on the Yamaha in a bid to secure a maiden title in the Superbike class. Swan, manufacturer of the UK's number one best selling filter and rolling papers, remains as title sponsor for a second season.


Laverty said: “I am really excited about the season ahead and joining the Swan Yamaha team alongside Tommy and I know we can definitely push each other all the way for the championship. I have had a good year and now I believe that I can take another step forward and fight for the 2011 BSB title with the support that the team have in place for next season. I am also in a unique situation where my brother Eugene is riding for the factory Yamaha team in the World Superbike Championship so the aim is for us both to end the year with success for them in our respective championships. We have already been planning ahead and the team are working on a strong testing programme to begin at the start of next year, which will be the foundations we need to be ready for the opening round at Brands Hatch. I am really looking forward to the Easter weekend now and I think winter will go a lot faster knowing that I am going to be riding for one of the strongest teams in the BSB paddock.”


Team Manager Shaun Muir said: “It is an exiting time for the whole team and the prospect of Michael joining Tommy in the Swan Yamaha garage next season shows that we intend to come back even stronger next year. We truly believe that we have signed two of the brightest prospects in BSB who will both be ready to come out fighting for the championship. The combination of their desire to win, which has been evident from both riders this season, and the switch to Yamaha machinery should make for a winning combination at Swan Yamaha.”


Swan Marketing Manager Mark Alldred concluded: “We are thrilled to confirm the full team line up for the 2011 BSB season and welcome Michael to the team. We feel it is a great rider pairing at Swan Yamaha having signed the two leading British riders from this year’s championship for 2011.”

Jimmie Johnson Wins Nascar Sprint Cup Championship!

If you're reading this, chances are you're a regular on our blog. Before you click back because you're thinking "Why oh why am i reading a Nascar story?" remember one small detail; Pastrana is off to Nascar! So that's why we are suddenly interested, and having watched the last race, it's pretty darn good!

It was the closest finish to the NASCAR Sprint Cup championship for years, but in the end the winner was the same one the series has had every year since 2006 - Jimmie Johnson once again reigned supreme. In the series' 62 seasons, Johnson is the only driver to win five consecutive titles and only the third driver in its history to win five or more in their career - Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt each won seven. Johnson won his fifth championship in his ninth full-time season, while Petty's fifth came in his 16th season and Earnhardt in his 13th. In his Sprint Cup career to date, Johnson has never finished outside the top five at the end of the year. Despite the return of pit stop problems for the #48, Johnson was able to run comfortably toward the front of the field for much of the race at Homestead. Once again he demonstrated his ability to be Mr Consistency through the final ten-race Chase sequence, ending the season with nine consecutive top ten finishes - the secret of his enduring success.

Kevin Harvick also had a strong race and finished just behind Johnson in third place, but came into the race too far behind on points to have a realistic chance of the title as long as Johnson was still running strongly. Neither Johnson nor Harvick had the raw speed to challenge a dominant Carl Edwards for the race win itself, however, and Edwards finishes the season with back-to-back victories, his 18th Sprint Cup career win as well as clinching fourth place in the championship. Denny Hamlin had gone into the series finale ahead on points, but his race was disastrously compromised on lap 24 when contact with Greg Biffle sent him spinning through the infield, which resulted in front-end damage to the nose and spitter of the #11. While the pit crew were able to patch up the damage over a succession of pit stops through the afternoon, his handling was affected and he was never a serious threat to Johnson on the track. A deflating tyre added to his woes, and later a missed pit call and going a lap down in the closing stages left him struggling even to hold on to second place in the championship against Harvick. Harvick's biggest scare of the afternoon came on lap 243 when he made contact with the previous day's Nationwide race winner, Kyle Busch. Busch was put into the wall and the #18 caught fire, with Kyle having to be pulled clear by NASCAR track staff.

Ken Block at Rally GB

Eighteen minutes and four seconds stood between the Monster World Rally Team and earning points this morning after a broken axle forced Ken Block and Alex Gelsomino to retire from Day 2 of Rally Great Britain. And with only four stages on the final day of the rally, the team’s chance of regaining their points position was zilch. But this didn’t stop Block from going out to set his best times of the rally, anyway. “Sitting so far back in the pack, our plan for Sunday was to just drive to finish,” says Block. “There was no possibility of a comeback so we just went out and had fun, knowing all too well this would be our last race in the Ford Focus WRC car.” This fun translated into two 7th fastest stage times for Block and Gelsomino on the Margam Park stage, beating out WRC veterans Henning Solberg and Matthew Wilson on the first running of the stage.


Then on the afternoon running, Block found another 7 seconds over the eight kilometer stage, putting them only 1.6 seconds per kilometer off Daniel Sordo, the stage winner. This pace earned the two 4 positions, jumping up to 21st overall, in only four relatively short stages. “As bummed as I may be about the broken axle on Saturday, I am super stoked that I was able to set a 7th fastest time on what will likely be the last stage I ever race this Focus on. This rally was a tough one, but looking forward to coming back to in next year more prepared.” With Rally Great Britain concluding the 2010 World Rally Championship season, the Monster World Rally Team will be taking the month of December off from rallying. It has been a great year of development and learning, competing in seven events and taking away valuable lessons for next year from every test and race. Rally GB also marks the end of an era with the exit of the Ford Focus RS WRC, which has been a truly amazing rally car.

Watch - Team Canada at the Des Nations!

Super cool video from behind the scenes at the MXoN that took place a couple of months ago!

Block crashes before Rally GB start!

Monster driver Ken Block has suffered a ‘significant’ testing accident ahead of this week’s Rally GB. The team has confirmed that Block will not start this week’s final WRC round of the year in his usual Ford Focus RS WRC following the shunt, with M-Sport being forced to prepare a spare Focus for the American. Both Block and his co-driver Alex Gelsomino were unharmed in the accident, but a source said: “It was a pretty big crash. The roll cage was damaged, which meant it would be really tight to get the car turned around and ready for the start in Cardiff in a couple of days. As it is, the M-Sport boys are going to be flat-out getting the spare car ready.” The accident happened yesterday morning in near-freezing conditions at the Greystoke test stage. Today, Block has joined the rest of the Rally GB competitors on the recce in Wales.

Here’s an interesting little article:

Ford team principal Malcolm Wilson says the World Rally Championship can learn lessons from the way Ken Block’s Monster team promotes itself. Wilson has been working with the American in his first season at the highest level and he says he’s been impressed with Block’s commitment on and off the stages. “I definitely think there are lessons to be learned from Ken and the way he and Monster approach everything,” said Wilson. “Look at the promotion, it’s just incredible. In France, there were thousands of people in the service park and the ones we had standing in front of our service area were all shouting for Ken, it was amazing. “How many hits has he had for his latest Gymkhana video? It’s around 15 million or something like that, that’s incredible. He’s not known as a rally driver, he’s a gymkhana driver – but look at the good it’s doing for the WRC.” Wilson added that he could see similar value in what Block’s energy drink WRC rival Kimi Raikkonen was doing for the sport. “Some people have said they can’t see the value in what Kimi is doing,” said Wilson. “Well, for me, he’s brought great value in the WRC. Having him in the sport has raised the profile, created a stir and a story this season. Okay, he’s still learning, but there’s a heck of a lot more to come from him – and he’s still Kimi Raikkonen.”

Dirt Bike Show!

The biggest Motocross Show in Europe took place last weekend in Stonleigh, Great Britain. The event sees some of the top manufaturers from the off road world show off there latest machinery, as well as all the latest 2011 Kit. As well as the main show, the FSX Sponsored Bolddog FMX Team performed a superb stunt show, here are a few of the pictures!

KTM Factory Riders make an indelible impression on Day 1 of the ISDE

KTM Enduro factory riders were collectively sharp on Day One of the 85th Edition of the ISDE, the oldest offroad event on the FIM racing calendar, when it got underway in Morelia, Mexico on Monday.,

Faced with nine special tests on the opening day, it was the French riders who turned guts into glory, especially Johnny Aubert on his KTM who dominated the Enduro 2 class to finish a minute ahead of his nearest rival. The French are the trophy holders and are chasing another victory and with Antoine Meo and Christophe Nambotin joining Aubert in the national lineup, they are clearly the early favorites. The team's aggregate times gave them a 2.5 minute advantage over second placed Italy (with KTM riders and Aubert's factory teammates Simone Albergoni and Thomas Oldrati on what was a hot and dusty first day. Finland, with KTM's Eero Remes came in third and the USA with KTM riders Kurt Caselli and Mike Brown was fourth on a day that was only the beginning of this marathon endeavor for both man and machine, In the Junior Trophy Team category it was Spain who seized the early advantage, helped in their efforts by KTM's Lorenzo Santolino and Mario Roman, bo th of whom have excelled in competition during the 2010 season. Sweden also finished strongly in this category. France was third, Finland fourth and USA was fifth. The combined efforts of Aubert, Remes and Caselli also placed KTM in the top slot after day one for the Manufacturer's Trophy.
KTM Results Service
Day One 85th Edition of ISDE Morelia, Mexico

E1
1, Eero Remes, Finland, KTM
2, Antoine Meo, France, Husqvarna
3, Alex Salvini, Italy, Husqvarna
4, Jari Mattila, Finland, Honda
5, Victor Guerrero, Spain, Yamaha

Image courtesy of Edmunds J. KTM Images

Brayton and Hansen Battle it out in the Aussie SX!

Since Motocross has all but stopped over here in Europe and across the pond in the states, we thought it was time to start getting involved in the Australian Supercross Championships! this years series sees a couple of the top US boys competing in the championships, and so far it has been a cracking start to the season!

American Justin Brayton has taken three rounds to rise to the top, but a thrilling Survival format at Launceston’s third round of the series in Tasmania saw the Yamaha rider take victory in his final Monster Energy Super X appearance of the season. Brayton dominated the night with a heat race victory followed by an exceptional 1-1-4-1 result in the four-moto format, contested over seven laps each. The final race marked a winner takes all affair, with Brayton and countryman Josh Hansen going toe-to-toe throughout, Brayton getting the win ahead of Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki’s series leader.

“This is what I came here to do, I’m pumped to get the win, but kind of disappointed I have to go home tomorrow,” the current AMA Supercross number five said. “Super X has been great, it’s a great series with great fans. I am excited to go out on top, but it’s a little bittersweet because I would like to stay and race the whole series. I have had such a good time here in Australia and I really hope I can come back and compete here again next year. I really want to thank the team at Super X for bringing me out here and for putting on such good events as well as Craig Dack and his team for making me feel right at home.”

Hansen still leads the series by nine points over Brayton, however it’s CDR Rockstar Energy Yamaha’s Jay Marmont in third - 24 points behind Hansen - who will take chase on Hansen as Brayton returns to the U.S. on Sunday. “I’m not happy - I want to win,” Hansen said. “I really appreciate Monster putting everything together for me, Troy Carroll for helping me out and everybody else involved in this. It’s great to be here.

“I had fun racing tonight. The format was definitely different to what I am used to but I felt good racing and was happy with how I rode. I have been sick all week so I am glad I was able to pull it out of the bag and do well.”

Third place overall in Launceston was Cougar Honda Racing’s Kevin Windham, engaged in a battle with Marmont for the final podium position, but eventually claiming the spot to make it an all-American podium for the second weekend in a row.

“That was a tough race for me and I found the format really tricky,” Windham said. “I was really tired at the end and trying to catch my breath to get out there and race. It would have been great to get another win, but I have really enjoyed my time here in Australia. Big thanks to Cougar Honda for all the help they have given me.”

Rounding out the top five was Rockstar Motul Suzuki’s Jake Moss, who was in exceptional form all night as the top Aussie, however a first turn crash and another mid-race in the final moto ended any chances of a podium for him. Sixth was Dan Reardon, the Cougar Bourbon Honda Racing rider aggressive all night, but being pipped for the final moto transfer position by Marmont to finish his night. The top 10 was completed by Tye Simmonds (JDR Motorex KTM), Todd Waters (Cougar Bourbon Honda Racing), Mike Alessi (JDR Motorex KTM) and Craig Anderson (Berry Sweet Strawberries Honda).

Block Finishes Rally Spain in the points!

Fifty-seven and half miles of twisty tarmac stage roads stood between the Monster World Rally Team and their first championship points at the start of Day 3. But with a certain Frenchman looking furiously to regain positions he lost yesterday, Ken Block and Alex Gelsomino had no choice but to bump the speed up, while still assuring a clean finish to defend their first ever championship points. “When we set out this morning, we were sitting in 10th overall, but we knew with Ogier only a few spots behind, our points-scoring position wasn’t going to be secure unless we stepped up our pace from day 2,” says Block. “Luckily, yesterday’s tarmac miles left us with a bit more confidence and with that came enough speed to defend our position.” Despite still having very few sealed-surface miles under his belt, Block put down some impressive times today over the four final stages. The Monster team took three 9th fastest and one 8th fastest stage finishes, but even more stunning was Block’s ability to stay only 1.5 seconds per kilometer off of Sebastian Ogier who admitted he was hunting for the Monster World Rally Team’s placing, even jokingly referring to Block as the “rabbit.” Block and Gelsomino’s 9th overall finish at Rally de Espana earned the Monster World Rally Team its first ever championship points. While Leg 2 was tough day and cost the team over 4 minutes, which without would have resulted in a 7th overall finish, the results here in Spain were welcomed after a trying first season. “It’s been a tough year for the whole team, so we are all extremely stoked on our finish here in Spain,” says Block. “Considering our issues on day two, I am very happy to be leaving here with our first two championship points, even if they came a few rallies late.”

See Ken doing his thing here: http://www.monsterworldrallyteam.com/blogs/wrc-spain-fans-catch-block-hooning-film-here-are-top-5-videos

Thanks to the guys over at Alpinestars for the story!

Despres wins the Rally of Morocco

KTM factory rider Cyril Despres has emerged the conqueror of the Rally of Morocco while Marc Coma finished third overall despite time penalties of 36 minutes to register a huge success for what was the first real test for the new KTM 450 Rally Replica, the bike that the KTM factory riders will take to the Dakar 2011.


Despres went out as leader on the final day with a mass start and where riders completed 4 x 40 km loops with plenty of overtaking possibilities on off track, large expanses of sand and some dunes. He successfully held off his two main rivals Coma and Portuguese Yamaha rider Helder Rodrigues to snatch the overall lead. Coma too rode monumental race to finish third after a total of 36 minutes in time penalties.

How they did it: Stage One
The two KTM factory riders opened their bid in Stage One making short work of the mountainous, winding and rocky tracks and the dunes. They hit the front and that is where they stayed. At the end of the first day, which he described as "a beautiful warm-up", it was a triumph for Despres, racing his first rally in six months after taking a break from the action for the arrival of his new daughter.

Coma, fresh from victory in the Pharaons Rally in Egypt where he sealed the 2010 World Championship Rally title, was also positive about his first outing on the 450 saying: "The first stage of the rally has been quite challenging, but the feeling with the new bike has been very good. There are some adjustments to improve, and get used to riding in a different way - a more attacking style rather that just using the power."

Stage Two:
Organizers had introduced some special navigational challenges for the 2010 edition where competitors had to locate certain points on the course with a margin of error of 400 meters. It was this that cost Coma a 30 minute penalty on Stage Two when after he finished ahead of Despres for another 1-2 KTM stage victory, he was handed down a late time penalty by the jury that knocked him down to fourth overall, giving Cyril the clear edge on the overall lead.

Cyril Despres also commented that the navigation of this year's edition was proving tricky. "At around kilometer 100 on the first loop, at a modification to the road book, I went a little too far to the right before cutting left again for about two km to get back on the correct piste. Then a km from the end of the first loop I got properly stuck in some soft sand and Marc went by."

The rally is designed in a loop format this year and the two KTM riders turned up the heat on the second loop of day two. "We were a whole 10 minutes faster than the first time around! But despite attacking hard over soft sand the bike once again ran faultlessly - a very encouraging second day," Despres commented.

Stage Three
Wednesday vaulted Coma back into the limelight with another stage victory and he was able to put the disappointment behind him on a day where Despres experienced some difficulties, even if he was able to hang on to the overall lead.
"I lost the track 100 m out of the start," Cyril said. He said there was also a problem with visibility because of rain. "I decided to follow Helder Rodrigues. After the heat of the first day, the dunes yesterday, we had mud today. Great testing grounds for our new KTM 450," he said.

Stage Four
Thursday was another triumph for Marc Coma who won the stage and charged on to move up to third in the overalls after carving valuable time off his deficit to trail by just seven minutes. Meanwhile a navigational error at the beginning of the second loop cost Despres valuable time and left him back at sixth in the Stage Four results, even if he did still have a narrow hold on the overall rankings.

Stage Five
Despres, well known for his huge mental strength as well as his riding skills grasped the challenge at the start of the penultimate stage on Friday and went out to increase his overall lead to almost 10 minutes on second placed Helder Rodrigues. He also managed to put more than 15 minutes between himself and Coma, which put him in good shape for the final charge on Saturday.

Despres after Friday's ride: "I wasn't too happy with myself for letting my guard drop yesterday and so started this morning determined to make amends. I left the line in sixth place, but behind five riders who were attacking hard. At about kilometer 40 I came across Olivier Pain who was having trouble with his bike, so that was one rider whose dust I didn't have to worry about. Then at the refueling point I saw that I had taken back about 1 minute 30 seconds and that allowed me to back off a little. By the end of the special I had managed to pull back a small but significant amount of time on Rodrigues and Coma.

Perfect performance by KTM riders and the new 450 Rally Replica
The six days of desert riding was the perfect launch pad for the new KTM 450 Rally Replica and the team reported not a single mechanical issue with the new machine in the hands of the two best rally riders in the world. The results were a triumph for riders, machine and the entire team involved in its development.

Final results after six stages:
1, Cyril Despres, Andorra, KTM
2, Helder Rodrigues, Portugal, Yamaha
3, Marc Coma, Spain, KTM

Osiris Visit

Osiris make some awesome shoes, and really have a lot of time for FMX, here is a look at a couple of products in the range.

So, first off we stayed true to our FMX roots and tried out the Jeremy Lusk shoe…just before Jeremy Lusk's untimely passing, Jeremy was given his own signature Rider Revolt colorway. Jeremy chose the model, materials, colors, and logos. Proceeds from Jeremy's shoe will go directly to the Lusk family and the LLF!

We loved this shoe, it was really comfortable and looked great. Lots of street cred here and you are helping support our sport and show you give a darn about our fallen riders and brothers!


Next up we tried out the Shuriken Mid and although we loved the look and the padded feel, we didn't get along with the ankle height shoe…some of the staff loved them, some of us didn't…it's a personal thing and shouldn't stop you from checking them out because they are badazz!

Also included in the box were a few T-shirts….I mean what can you say about a T? Actually, we got a lot of comments on the Osiris T's…especially the Comica in black, it seemed to be a crowd favorite!!

Osiris Rider Jarryd McNeil Whips it in Las Vegas!

Jarryd McNeil whipped the competition in Las Vegas, NV at the Dew Tour FMX Best Whip Contest held at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino. McNeil competed against a field of 6 riders, including Jeremy "Twitch"
Stenberg, Myles Richmond, Lance Courey, and his Osiris teammates, Ronnie Faisst and Destin Cantrell. The competition was fierce, but they didn't have enough to take down Jarryd's insanely flat and inverted "turndown whips."
Jarryd was awarded the victory by a panel of judges including FMX icon, Carey Hart. Faisst and Destin were also throwing huge crowd pleasing whips.

Congratulations to the entire Osiris FMX Team for a successful 2010 Dew Tour. The Osiris FMX Team had a winner in both of the two Dew Tour stops featuring FMX, with Taka winning the Salt Lake City FMX, and Jarryd McNeil finishing first in Las Vegas Best Whip.

Weston Beach Race!

Edmunds, J - KTM Images

The Weston Beach race is the closest Motocross event to the FreestyleXtreme International Logistical and Sales Headquarters (Or in simple terms, our warehouse!) so a load of us decided to wander over, and the what an awesome event it was!


KTM Enduro factory rider David Knight won the Weston Beach Race 2010, the
recently crowned World E3 Enduro Champion won the event for a fourth time.



Once again for the third day running Weston Super Mare was graced with perfect sunny weather conditions for the 28th RHL Weston Beach Race. Sunday's action was started with the 85cc race; in front of a packed crowd the youngsters hit the sand to tackle the tiresome course. Young Todd Kellett led for the majority of the race put a mechanical problem forced him to pull out with only 20 minutes to go handing the lead to Ben Watson.



Ben managed to take the overall honours over the hour and a half race, his fourth win in the junior class at the Beach Race to date, he commented "It was a really good race I tried to ride as smooth as I possibly could without causing myself any problems. It was a bit of a problem because I had no front or back brake so I had to try and ride as steady as possible so not to cause any more damage. I'm really pleased to have taken the overall win as there were a few problems afterwards but they got it sorted out in the end which is great."



It was David Knight once again in the adult solo class that stole the show completely as he took a stunning fourth solo win on his factory KTM in the adult race lapping everyone on the field apart from second place finisher Jamie Lewis, he secured the win by 7:22:57 and completed 22 laps from top British Motocross star Jamie Lewis riding the Nigel Arnold PAR Homes Honda with PAR Homes youngster Luke Hawkins in third place.



Just under 500 solo riders took to the track at 1pm after being led down to the beach by RHL promoter Gareth Hockey. They were let loose onto the track just after 1pm and had three hours to tackle the four and a half mile course. David Knight as always meant business and shot out the gate early on and was eager to pull a lead in the opening stages. He was tackled by youngster Scott Elderfield who briefly took the lead for some of the opening lap. This was short lived when the man machine Knighter used the full power of his factory KTM down the straight on the second lap and pulled a 30 second lead on lap two from Jamie Lewis with Elderfield in third.



At the one hour stage David Knight had stretched his lead to 2 mins and 15 seconds from motocross racers Jamie Lewis, Shane Carless, Tom Church and Luke Hawkins. At the eight lap stage it was the Manxman Knighter still leading the pack from CCM Tom Church after Jamie Lewis stopped for fuel after lap seven.



At the half way stage, an hour and a half in it was still David Knight from Tom Church, Jamie Lewis, Shane Carless, Luke Hawkins, Danny McCanney, Aaron Poolman, Jamie McCanney, Rick De Feu and Joe Jones.



CCM rider Tom Church suffered a bike problem in the closing stages of the race having been in second position for the majority of the race. Church who was five minutes down on Knight went out at 2 hours and 36 minutes handing second place to Jamie Lewis. Knight at this stage had a 6.12.92 lead over Lewis and had lapped the majority of the field at least once.



The burley giant Knight further stretched his lead in the closing stages and dominated the field proving why he was a worthy World Champion and totally showed his form at the Beach Race wowing the massive crowd who had turned out on the day to watch the riders battling it out over the fierce course.



The final top ten consisted of three Manxmen with Knighter taking the win but also brothers Danny and Jamie McCanney taking a fantastic fifth and sixth place overall. The final top ten was David Knight, Jamie Lewis, Luke Hawkins, Aaron Poolman, Danny McCanney, Jamie McCanney, Rick De Feu, Joe Jones, Tom Healey and Nigel Kibble.



Top road racer on the day was Chris Walker in 11th place and Ty Kellett who made a stunning return after his crash last year finished in 38th place on his 125.



Jack Twentyman won the over 40's class, he said "It's my 48th Birthday today and the organisers gave me number 48 as my riding number, it was obviously lucky but a great birthday present which I'll no doubt be feeling for the next week! I would like to extend my thanks to Gareth Hockey and his team for coming back and running it again as it wouldn't be the same without it."



Josh Coppins suffered bike problems early on in the race in the opening lap, he said "I'm gutted as I really wanted to go back to New Zealand with a complete Weston under my belt, this was my third time and my second DNF and the race I did finish was cut short. The bike was suffering a misfire after the first lap, we managed to clear the problem but only briefly and I managed three more laps after that before I had to retire."



It was Luke Hawkins who was super impressive; the 16-year-old has never competed in the Beach Race before and finished in a fantastic third place. He said "I can't believe I finished on the podium the first time here I wasn't expecting that at all. I'd set myself a realistic target of top ten so to get on the box is unreal. I thought I would struggle with the time but I only really started to get tired in the final few laps. The track is unreal and I tried not to do anything stupid and just get my head down and get on with it. I really enjoyed the whole thing and pleased I got such a good result for all the people that have helped me this year, it's a good way to end the season."



Second placed man was Welshman Jamie Lewis, an emotional Jamie said "I'm a bit gutted not to have been able to push Knighter a little harder but he is an exceptional rider and rode very well today. I had a really good race, the track was mega and I managed to get a good start. I had gear box problems and I got stuck in fourth gear for the final few laps so I had to try and nurse her home without doing any more damage. It was a hard race and I hope I'm getting nearer and nearer to that win that I so desperately want."



32-year-old winner David Knight was over the moon with his fourth solo win saying "I can honestly say that's the first Beach Race I've had without any major bike problems. My KTM run so smooth it was just mega, I couldn't have asked for more from them. The smallest thing I had, was a dragging clutch for a bit but that seemed to sort itself out. It was mega fun out there, the weather was awesome and the track was great. I would like to thank Gareth Hockey and all involved for the work that they have put into this over the past year after the problems that they had last year, it can't have been easy but it was fantastic this year and pleased for him and his team. Hopefully I'll be back again next year to have another shot at it!"



RHL Promoter of the 2010 Weston Beach Race commented "This year was a big test for us and how we run the Beach Race. We couldn't have asked for better and I would just like to extend a huge thank you to all the people who have supported RHL over the past year, the riders, fans, marshals and everyone who has helped make this happen this year. I hope it has put a few things to rest and that everyone enjoyed themselves and had a good weekend and will come back in 2011. Thanks again."

Knight wins Enduro World Title!

KTM’s David Knight triumphs in E3 to become world champion in Turkey
KTM rider David “The Knighter“ Knight on Sunday rejoined the ranks of the world’s elite after competing in the first ever rounds of the Maxxis Enduro World Championship held in Turkey when he sealed the Enduro 3 World Title with still two rounds to go to complete the season.
The title was yet another triumph for the Austrian market leader in offroad motorcycles on a day when French KTM factory rider Marvin Musquin successfully defended his 2009 MX2 world championship title in Lierop (Netherlands) just two weeks after teammate Tony Cairoli won the MX1 title on KTM’s revolutionary new 350 SX-F bike in Brazil.

David, born on the Isle of Man and infused from an early age with the spirit and passion for motorcycle racing, adds the latest title to a string of honors that also includes Enduro outdoor world titles in 2005 and 2006. David returned to the fold of the Austrian manufacturer at the beginning of the current season to join the KTM Farioli Team and a factory-supported rider and is already under contract to ride Orange in 2011 and 2012 as a full factory rider.

Knight, a large, powerfully built rider at home on the bigger bikes has been the season’s outstanding constant rider in the powerful E3 class. In the 14 races up till when he took the title he was never once off the podium. He won eight times; was second four times and was twice in third place, illustrating that he is not only in peak form but also that he is capable of mastering any and all terrains.

In May this year David also claimed the first ever British Enduro Sprint Championship, wrapping it up in style with yet another double victory in Saints Well, Mid Wales in May. The 32-year-old is at the top of his game when it comes to competing against the world elite in riding skills, agility and tactics. As well as his seven other national titles, David is a double World Enduro Champion (2005/6), GNCC champions XC 2007/8, GBXC champion 2008, AMA Endurocross champion 2007, has twice won the Erzberg Extreme and the U.S. Red Bull Last Man Standing and was overall ISDE winner in 2005, to mention only a selection of his trophy collection.

David previously raced Orange in the World Championships and also in the USA and his return to the factory team underlines the KTM company philosophy of always being “Ready to Race” with the best and brightest in the world’s top competitions. No decision has yet been taken about which of the three Enduro World Championship disciplines David will compete in 2011.

Andrew Short add to the KTM 2011 USA Assault!

KTM are going all out for 2011, they are running a full factory team for both the Supercross and Outdoor Nationals, in an attempt to capture the American market. They have had huge success in Europe in the last year, having taken the MX1, MX2 and MX3 titles, and are now loking to do the same in the USA. Signing Roger DeCoster to the squad has allready given them a huge boost, lets see what they can do in 2011!

Andrew, big news today with you signing with KTM for next year. Congrats and can you tell your fans about it?

Yeah, it came together really fast and it’s kind of crazy right now but I’m excited about it, excited to work with Roger DeCoster over there. It seems like KTM is putting in a big effort over here in America and I’m excited to be a part of it.

Obviously being one of the top guys out on the market, you had a few offers out there. What gave the edge to KTM in regards to where you want to ride next year?

There was one other place that I wanted to go really bad but with KTM, their future and the direction they’re going, I thought long and hard about it and went orange. It’s just that they are so successful everywhere else in the world and they want to win now here in America. They work really hard over here in order to be the best and that’s somewhere I want to be. For my future and my family, it was the best move and to be working with Roger DeCoster is something that I think will help me immensely. I’ve been fortunate to have interest from other teams and it comes down to business.

That’s hard for me a bit because I love riding motorcycles and I love hanging out with the people involved. For me, the business side is hard for me because I have all the emotion involved. Business isn’t my best attribute (laughs) and for me, the money is important but I’d rather take less and be where I’m happy and have good bikes. That’s better than pounding your head against the wall somewhere where you’re not happy but you’re getting paid really well. I’m excited for my future and I’ll be learning a lot from some smart people. At this point in my career, I need to step it up to the next level and this gives me the best opportunity.

So Roger DeCoster’s signing with KTM has already had a good effect in that he was a big part in your decision making right?

Yeah for sure. And Pit (Beirer) from Europe had a lot to do with it. It seems that Austria (where KTM is based at) is really hungry to win and will be doing anything they can to get to the top. People like that, that are really motivated, successful and driven, those are people that are going to help me pick it up. I’ve been one of the top guys, really consistent and up there for a long time but I need to win now. I need to win a race and then hopefully a championship real soon. So that’s what I’m doing with this signing, I’m lining everything up with that and I can’t wait to make some improvements.

I know that Roger is going to be really busy and I’m pumped to be working with him but also, it’s the people that he’s aligning himself with over here that will be great also. And the guys in Austria that are supporting him, they are all awesome. The company is motivated and involved, everyone’s excited and for me, that’s an ideal situation.

So the question is, 350 or 450?

That’s the cool thing about KTM, they have two great bikes to choose from. I haven’t ridden either one but from me looking at the situation from the outside, I think the 350 will be really good for supercross. I think the lightweight and powerband will work out great. I know you don’t use all the power of a 450 indoors anyways, so I think that that bike is exciting for supercross. Outdoors I know (Antonio) Cairoli kills it on the 350 and Max Nagl rides a 450 and makes it work for him so we’ll try both bikes and race whichever one fits my style and helps me go the fastest.

Everything else going to stay the same for you?

I’m going to be wearing Fly gear next year for sure and I want to stay with all my other sponsors as well. We’re in talks to make it happen and I think it will. I will definitely be in Fly though and I couldn’t be happier about that. Those guys are awesome, they are great people and I want to continue with them for the rest of my career. I’m big on people, I want to be with good people and stay with them for the rest of my career. We’ll sort it out in the next little while.

It’s a new beginning for you at KTM but you’ve ridden Honda for six years so it’s a little sad to leave those guys right?

Yeah, definitely. I had a good run with those guys and I’m thankful that I had a chance to ride for Team Honda in my career. Everyone there is awesome and they are like family to me and I’ll never forget that. Especially MXDN, that was a great day for me, one of the highlights of my life and I was on a Honda. It was a good way to go out with them. The people that were behind it, it was a good six years. I learned a lot from them and I don’t want to take it for granted at all, everything that they gave me, I feel blessed.

Now it’s exciting for me to have this change, work with good people and I think they can get me to another level. I’m excited for the days to come.

Filming for the Nitro Circus 3D movie!

In case you didn't know, the Nitro Circus crew are making a 3D movie! We've managed to get hold of some image whilst they are shooting over in the USA, It looks awesome and we can't wait to see it!

Torres wins in Rome, Adams wins the tour!

We've just got back from a super weekend at the X Fighters in Rome, where Danny Torres won, Adam Jones took second with Nate Adams in third, meaning Nate won the tour for the second year in a row!

At the grand finale of the Red Bull X-Fighters World Tour 2010 in Rome’s Stadio Flaminio (ITA) it was Spanish rider Dany Torres who sailed to victory in front of a capacity 20,000 crowd, defeating Adam Jones (USA) in a thrilling final. In the overall standings Nate Adams (USA) managed to secure back-to-back titles in the world’s most respected freestyle motocross tour with a strong third place finish in the Eternal City.

“I love Italy!” screamed an ecstatic Torres into the microphone after impressing both judges and crowd alike with his huge bag of tricks in the final round. His opponent, Adam Jones, was forced to admit that the Spaniard had deserved the win in Rome: “Dany didn’t make a single mistake. I messed up in the final round. He deserved the victory here tonight.”

In a city which has witnessed more than its fair share of legendary gladiatorial battles, the duel for the overall World Tour title could barely have been closer going into the final stop of the season. At the end it was America’s Nate Adams who emerged victorious by the smallest of margins – just 5 points – from the head-to-head showdown with Andrè Villa (NOR). The victory means that Adams successfully defend his title, while Villa, who finished on the podium at the first four of the six stops in 2010, was left to rue chances missed in the season.

The Red Bull X-Fighters World Tour 2010 took the 12 best freestyle motocross gladiators on the planet to spectacular locations across three continents, where they were fired on live by a total of 169,000 fans. With some of the kickers catapulting the athletes up to 15 metres high and 30 metres through the air, the riders competing in the huge bullfighting arena in Mexico City (MEX), in front of the Great Sphinx of Giza (EGY), on Moscow’s (RUS) Red Square, in Madrid’s (ESP) bullfighting ring, in front of the Battersea Power Station in London (GBR) and at the season finale in Rome’s Stadio Flaminio (ITA) completed an total of 770 jumps – including 524 flips – and flew almost 17,000 metres in the process.

Final Standings, Red Bull X-Fighters World Tour 2010: 1. Nate Adams (USA/370 points), 2. Andrè Villa (NOR/365 points), 3. Dany Torres (ESP/310 points), 4. Levi Sherwood (NZL/290 points), 5. Adam Jones (USA/290 points), 6. Robbie Maddison (AUS), 7. Mat Rebeaud (SUI), 8. Eigo Sato (JPN)

Red Bull X-Fighters World Final Rome 2010: 1. Dany Torres (ESP), 2. Adam Jones (USA), 3. Nate Adams (USA), 4. Andrè Villa (NOR), 5. Mat Rebeaud (SUI), 6. Rémi Bizouard (FRA)

Final round of the X Fighters World Tour!

With just two days to go until the grand finale of the Red Bull X-Fighters World Tour 2010 in Rome (ITA) on 2 October, Italian rider Vito Campobasso took on the responsibility of testing the kickers and landing hills in the Eternal City’s Stadio Flaminio on Thursday using a traditional Vespa. The Italian rider will be part of the show during Saturday night’s main event, which will see the overall winner of the international freestyle motocross tour crowned.

Meanwhile the Vatican’s legendary Swiss Guard granted one of the top freestyle motocross athletes on the planet, Switzerland’s Mat Rebeaud, an exclusive glimpse behind the walls of the world’s smallest country on Thursday. With just two days to go until the grand finale of the Red Bull X-Fighters World Tour in Rome’s Stadio Flaminio (ITA), Rebeaud had the privilege of firing up his two-stoke machine on historic ground.

After five of six stops, Norway’s Andrè Villa leads the overall standings, just five points ahead of Nate Adams (USA). The Red Bull X-Fighters World Tour 2010 has seen the twelve best FMX athletes in the world ride in front of hundreds of thousands of fans in bullfighting rings in Mexico City (MEX) and Madrid (ESP), in front of the famous Great Sphinx of Giza in Egypt, on Moscow’s legendary Red Square and in Battersea Power Station in the heart of London (GBR). The season finale in Rome on Saturday night will be held in front of a capacity crowd of 15,000. The Stadio Flaminio was sold out weeks before the event.

DC All in FMX Show Pictures!

Last weekend saw us fly over to the capital of Surf in Europe, Hossegor. The event was all hosted by DC, and comprised of a day at a local Kart track with Ken Block, a pro Surfing contest and an FMX Show with Nate Adams and Adam Jones. The event was absolutely awesome, and it was super cool to see all the guys, thank's very much to all the guys over at DC, and here is a load of pictures to marvel at!

DC All in FMX Show

Over the weekend we were fortunate enough to attend the DC All In FMX show, we've got loads of pictures and a full story to come tomorrow, but for a quick taster, here is a clip of the event!

Team USA Win the Red Bull Motocoss of Nations!

Another thrilling Red Bull FIM Motocross of Nations took place in Thunder Valley over the weekend, and Team USA obtained an eventual win at their home track. 32,000 fans headed to the track for an awesome weekends racing, which saw Team USA win, Belgium second, and Germany took third.

Going into the final race, team USA was in second position behind Germany, but a superb performance from Ryan Dungey and Andrew Short brought USA their 21st victory, their sixth in a row. Steve Ramon, Clement Desalle and Jeremy Van Horebeek rode well, but it wasn't enough to take the overall victory. Team Germany, who were leading the Nations point standings after race two, had a bitter sweet ending completing the podium in the Thunder Valley track.

Team GB has a solid weekend, but the team will be a bit gutted to have missed out on the podium, by just one point when the chequered flag fell. Jake, Brad and Dean were outstanding and kept pushing in all the Motos.

Ryan Dungey's quote of the meeting "It was an amazing weekend, lot of effort by everyone… we worked with each other and we never quit."

A big well done to all the guys involved, maybe for the 2011 event (which will be held in France) we will see the plucky brits on the podium!

Image Courtesy of Youthstream

MXON: Thunder in the Valley!

This weekend marks the 64th running of the FIM International Motocross of Nations. Taking place in the United States of America, it's all happening at the Thunder Valley Motocross Park in Lakewood, Colorado. It's without doubt the biggest Motocross event of the year, and will see the top two riders in the world against each other for the first time. World MX1 Motocross Champion Tony Cairoli of Team Italy and American Supercross & Outdoor Nationals Champion Ryan Dungey of Team USA, will give battle to the rest of the 32 Nations entering the event.

Last time the event was in the USA it was in 2007 when Team USA took an incredible home win at Budds Creek, Maryland. Team USA is actually on a winning streak since their 2005 victory in Ernee, France, but among the 32 teams entered in the event there are several ones looking to beat the most successful team at the Motocross of Nations. Second last year, France is the first on the list of those wanting to beat USA, followed by third placed in 2009 Belgium, Germany, Great Britain, Italy and several more all to battle amongst each other this weekend.

2009 saw Great Britain take 5th place, which they will undoubtedly be looking to improve on this year, and with a bit of luck the riders, Jake Nichols, Dean Wilson and Brad Anderson will be shooting for the podium.

We're all really looking forward to the event, and if you're in the UK, It's on Motors TV on Sunday Evening at 8PM!

Taka Higashino wins FMX Dew Tour in Salt Lake City!

Famous Stars and Straps' Taka Higashino won the first Dew Tour contest of his career after leading throughout the evening in Salt Lake City.

FMX returned to the Dew Tour, having been absent for several years. The format was simple, a head to head with the highest score progressing to the next round. The event attracted some of the biggest names in the sport, with Jeremy "Twitch" Stenberg, Mike Mason and Adam Jones all competing.

The first of the semi's was a battle between Ronnie Faisst and Mike Mason. with Mason taking progressing thanks to lazy boy backflip and backflip heel clicker. The second of the semi's saw Twitch and Taka against one another. Taka took the win, with some crazy extensions and even treating the fans to a few extra tricks after time had expired.

In the finals, Mason rode well, and strung together a Superman flip and another backflip heel clicker for solid run and a score of 86.50.

Taka who had been on form all night was having none of it and could not be denied, and the Japanese rider took the overal win, after nailing a double grab indy, stripper flip and double grab backflip and posting an score of 89.00.

See More Skate Videos and BMX Videos at AlliSports.com

Taka Higashino wins the Red Bull Xray!

The Red Bull X Ray event is an annual FMX contest in Austrlia. It's been growing for the past couple of years, and this year it was the biggest it's ever been, with Osiris rider Taka Higashino taking the overall win!

Osiris rider Taka Higashino headed to Australia to meet up with Cam Sinclair and Robbie Maddison for one of the best FMX events of the year, the Red Bull XRAY presented by Maddison himself! Over 15,000 screaming fans lined up at the Razorback Ranch to see these riders go head to head in freestyle and speed and style.

Hometown hero and event creator, Maddison, qualified first in the FMX portion of the event and it looked as though we'd see a repeat of last year's run to the top, but Maddison had some stiff competition from Taka!

In the end, it came down to a battle between Taka and Maddison as they went head-to-head in the final. Taka went huge and took the win in freestyle and second place in Speed and Style.

FSX Rider Eugen LAverty Signs for Yamaha in the WSB!

We are all really pleased for one of our riders, Eugene Laverty.

He's been signed for the World Superbikes, riding for Yamaha, Awesome news and a big well done!

Yamaha has signed a contract with current World Supersport title contender Eugene Laverty to join the Yamaha Sterilgarda World Superbike Team on the YZF-R1 alongside MotoGP rider Marco Melandri for the 2011 season. 24 yr old Laverty from Northern Ireland is a proven winner, having finished runner-up in the 2009 World Supersport Championship taking four victories aboard his Parkalgar Honda. He is currently just 12 points behind the lead in the current standings with two further rounds to go having taken seven race wins and five pole position starts so far this season.

Laverty is no stranger to Yamaha, taking time out from the 250cc MotoGP Championship to enjoy two wild card World Supersport rides in 2008 in place of injured rider Fabien Foret. The young rider adapted quickly, scoring an impressive podium finish with third in his second outing at Vallelunga.

“It’s great to have a contract signed at this stage while still fighting for the title in the Supersport class. I desperately want to win this year before moving on,” said FSX's Eugene Laverty. “When I rode the Yamaha YZF-R6 in World Supersport in 2008 I was having a tough time in 250s, it was a much needed break at the time and now they’ve given me another huge opportunity within superbike. I owe Parkalgar Honda a lot of thanks for two great seasons in the World Supersport Championship as they provided me with a superb package allowing me to show the world what I’m capable of. I feel that I’m now ready to step up to the World Superbike Championship. Ben Spies winning the championship in 2009 for Sterilgarda Yamaha and Cal Crutchlow now stepping up and winning races shows the bike and team are more than capable so the rest is up to me. I think with the team support and a good testing schedule we can start the 2011 championship ready to be competitive from the first race and be on the podium as early as possible. Having a teammate like Marco Melandri is great, he has a wealth of experience to learn from so I’m going to enjoy riding with him.”

“We’ve been very impressed with Eugene in the World Supersport Championship,” said Yamaha Motor Europe Racing Manager Laurens Klein Koerkamp. “He is a very talented racer who has shown great dedication to training, is focussed on victory and we know he’s a great person to work with. We have proved with Cal Crutchlow that we have the facility to bring young riders through from World Supersport, continue to nurture and develop them in World Superbike and provide them with further opportunities in MotoGP if the situation is right. We look forward to working with Eugene and believe he has the talent to continue through with Yamaha into the future.”

Motocross of Nations Preview

September is never a good point in the Motocross calender, it means we're getting near the end of the season, and we've got a long cold winter ahead! The biggest highlight is the Motocross of Nations, which this year will take place in the US of A. There are several teams in with a shot of the overall title in 2010, so let's take a quick look at the contenders. First things first, we need to look at the big shock. Current World Champion Toni Cairoli is not riding for Italy, and neither is the guy who finish in third place David Philippaerts, due to "sponsorship disagreements". That's a pretty big shot in the foot for the Italians, and pretty much puts them out of the running for the title!

Another country which has always featured strongly in the past is the Austrlians, however this year they don't have as much expectation on there shoulders. With Shift Racing's Chad Reed out due to illness, which also ruined his Outdoor Nationals chances, Bret Metcalfe is leading the team (Not that that is bad, he looked pretty on it when he was beating Dungey in the nationals!) but the other two guys, Dean Ferris, and Jay Marmont, don't quite have the experience.

The overall title this year is as open as it has ever been, with no team standing out. As ever Belgium look very strong, with Steve Ramon, Jeremy van Horebeek, and Clément Desalle, the team should be a solid top three bet, and with a bit of luck may even be in it for the win. Another team which are always at the top are the USA. They have entered AMA Supercross and Outdoor National Champion Ryan Dungey, as well as Trey Canard, and Andrew Short. A notable absence from the team is James Stewart, who injured himself in a crash with Chad Reed at the Supercross earlier in the year, and has still not recovered to 100% race fitness. They will be pushing for the win on home soil. The French are also fielding a strong team with Lites champion Christophe Pourcel, MX2 World Champion Marvin Musquin, and Xavier Boog, they should be near the top.

With an outside chance are the Brits, a podium would be a great result, for the team which includes Dean Wilson, Jake Nicholls and 2009 British Motocross Champion Brad Anderson.

The event takes place over in the States on the 25th and 26th of September, for more information check out the official site.

Photo Credit http://www.tvmx.net

Thor Rider Lenoir Crowned European Champion

Thor Rider Steven Lenoir was crowned European (EMX2) champion at the weekend. A crash in the first moto on Sunday did not seem to deter the youngster as he cruised to 6th position which was enough to secure the title over championship contender Andrea Cervellin from Italy.

With the title in the bag Lenoir put in a convincing performance to claim 3rd place in the second moto and stood proudly on the podium as he received the golden number 1 plate.


Steven Lenoir: “The finish of the season is great for me. Yesterday I took the pole and today I became European Champion. I knew that a top ten result was enough in the first heat to take the title so I was not too nervous when I crashed. Thank you to Vamo Racing team for everything that they have done for me this year. This winter I am ready to work hard for next season”

Stiggey is revealed!

So, it's all over the news that the Stig has finally been revaled.
Could it be Michael Schumacher as shown on Top Gear earlier this year, or was that merely a very big publicity stunt? In all fairness, I don’t think 'ol Mike would have the time in-between F1 racing and all that…

Fellow Bristolian (FreestyleXtreme is based in Bristol, It isn't famous for much but finally we have a claim to fame!) Ben Collins has been revealed as the stig after a high court ruling decided against the BBC's case, which marks the end of an era to an extent! Here are a few picture highlights from his illustrious career, which is almost certain to have now come to an end!







Thanks go to the guys at Alpinestars for the pictures!