News & Events

An unexpectedly warm, sunny spring day dawned over the immaculately prepared circuit. Qualifying for the MX2 class began over what would be a very fast but less testing track. Luke qualified in 16th place although many of the competitors were split by a 10th of a second. It would be all to play for….
As the thousands of spectators gathered it was eyes down as the 15 second board turned and the race was away. Luke was held up by a crash on the first corner and completed the lap in 34th position. His fluid style around this familiar circuit saw him gain positions with comparative ease and by mid race was in the top 20. He took 17th place from an unsuspecting rider who retaliated with a clean ‘wipe out’ on the very next corner. With his steering twisted he had no alternative but to retire from proceedings, extremely annoyed and very disappointed.
In race 2 Luke had a much better start and was in 12th place at the end of lap 1. He looked comfortable and solid in the increasingly testing conditions. With 3 laps to go he was in 7th place, battling for 6th when disaster struck with an engine failure. Once again Luke’s race was over, he was distraught.
The final moto and Luke gained a mid pack start, finishing the lap in 24th place. The track was now exceptionally demanding allowing the riders no rest. He again utilised his acquaintance with the circuit progressing up the leader board. The latter half of the race saw the track littered with bikes and riders as engines seized or exhaustion prevailed. Luke managed to capitalise on his rivals and finished in a well deserved 13th place.
It must be said both Mike and Luke received numerous comments today on the turnout, Luke’s eye catching race kit coordinating with his awesome looking machine.

Next round of the championship 1st April Canada Heights….
Come on down..!!

The Motocross Grand Prix will be organized from 2013 until 2020 (excluding 2016 – the year of the MXoN in Maggiora), and the MXoN will be held in 2016 and 2021. The historical track of Maggiora will be used with all the necessary modernization; all the new infrastructure and accommodation necessary will be built to welcome the riders, teams, media, VIP, industries and fans following the actual and future standards of the FIM Motocross World Championship.

‘For us it’s dream come true,’ Mr. Giuseppe Luongo, President of Youthstream Group, said. ‘Special thanks go out to Mr. Stefano Avandero and Paolo Schneider for their belief in the potential of Maggiora and their partnership with Youthstream. I have a special attachment to Maggiora because aside from organizing many major events there, such as GPs and the Masters of Motocross, I was the organizer of the well-known MXoN in 1986 in Maggiora, which was won by the American Dream Team; this event is still considered the greatest MX event in history. At that time I was the organizer and promoter of the event together with the local club and FMI at only 26 years old.’

Mr. Luongo continued by saying: ‘The circuit of Maggiora together with Glen Helen (USA) are the best Motocross circuits in the World, they are really ‘the typical’ Motocross circuits and I am sure that with all the modern improvements we will bring, it will be something exceptional. The project of Mr. Avandero and Mr. Schneider is superb because it’s not only based on creating the greatest venue for Motocross in Europe but also creating a venue to welcome other big entertainment shows, and at the same time to bring back the media’s and public’s interest to this region and revenue to the community. With this achievement we have really found the best compromise for Motocross which is a traditional circuit and all the modern facilities, I hope this can be the example for many other circuits in the future.’

‘The Motocross of Nations in 2016 will celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Motocross of Nations in Maggiora in 1986, and we hope that fans from all over the world will come for this unique moment,’ Mr. Luongo added.

Before finishing, Mr. Luongo wanted to clarify a point, ‘This project will not close the door to other GPs in Italy because we know Italy is a strong sporting country and if there are other organizers in the future interested in a second Grand Prix of Italy, we will for sure take this in serious consideration. ‘Naturally Maggiora and the other eventual GP in Italy will always be organized with the support of the Italian Motorcycle Federation (FMI), which we thank for all that they do for our sport.’

Dr. Wolfgang Srb, FIM CMS Director, stated, ‘the history of the FIM Motocross of Nations is very rich and colorful. There have been exciting races, great battles and unforgettable moments. But one edition of the most important Motocross event of the world stands above all the others: the legendary race of 1986 in Maggiora. The American dream team, composed of David Bailey, Ricky Johnson and Johnny O’Mara, is remembered for one of the greatest performances the sport of Motocross has ever seen. The moment when Johnny O’Mara on the 125cc bike passed the ruling 500cc World Champion David Thorpe will stay forever in the memory and in the heart of every fan in the world.’

‘The return of the FIM Motocross World Championship and the FIM Motocross of Nations to Maggiora is one of the best news I have ever heard. The venue is as magic as unique and will attract fans from all over the world. Big thanks and congratulations to all who made this dream come true!’ Dr. Srb concluded.

Paolo Schneider explained: ‘this agreement is something we are really happy and really proud to achieve; since I was a little kid, I used to go to Maggiora and saw there all the major events of the 90′s; the atmosphere was unique every time and especially the track was in my opinion the best in the world. Not long ago I was talking to my best friend Stefano and said “could you imagine the possibility to bring back to this place the best kind of races in the world? Let’ s try it!”’

‘As soon as we talked to Mr. Giuseppe Luongo, Mr. Wolfgang Srb, Mr. Daniele Rizzi, Mr. Nikos Gounaris and all the other members of Youthstream, we found them really nice and kind people with a great and genuine passion for Motocross,’ Mr. Schneider added. ‘They immediately said that our project was a great one and from there they really put the best effort to make this deal done. These past months we made a great amount of work but it is still not finished; from now we have more than one year to put together this ambitious project and for sure we’ll make our best to create something unforgettable.’

If we imagine combining all the great History Maggiora already has with his old track with new facilities, structures and services, the result should be exceptional. To conclude we are very thankful to Giuseppe and Youthstream for giving us the possibility to organize in Maggiora great events such as FIM Motocross Grand Prix and FIM Motocross of Nation. It will be a pleasure to work tightly together. A special thank goes also to the Major of Maggiora, Giuseppe Fasola, and all the local administration that have been very supportive and determined to concretize this project together,’ Mr. Schneider concluded.

Stefano Avandero stated: ‘Less than one year ago, coming back from a typical riding day, Paolo and myself were dreaming about the possibility to see again some races on the glorious track of Maggiora. Just the idea to bring back the FIM Motocross World Championship and the FIM Motocross of Nations is something really difficult to describe in words, specially the 30th anniversary of the 1986 MXoN in 2016.’

Mr. Avandero added: ‘our biggest goal for this project is to replicate and recreate those special moments and those unique feelings that the Motocross of Maggiora has always delivered through all its history. The entire project is based on the idea of creating a new environmental friendly space with a variety of services, in order to accommodate also others events. Working together with Youthstream is a dream and a great opportunity, we are sure that with a specific readjustment of the existing site, always respecting nature, we will create an area perfect to welcome others outdoor events during the rest of the year and a even more spectacular track of the original one, mixing some of the old school features with new modern obstacles.’

Mr. Giuseppe Fasola, Major of Maggiora, said: ‘I’m really exited about this agreement between Youthstream and Schava. For us it is a great opportunity in many ways; we’ll have the opportunity to brig back the name of Maggiora to the highest level in the motorsports industry and at the same time to completely readjust a neglected area that will be available for the citizens and for us for many different uses. This project will bring a lot of induced consumption and working places for our surroundings, which is nowadays something important to consider. The definition of the approval for the entire project is designated; in the next moths we’ll take care of all those little missing aspects.’

HM Plant Red Bull KTM UK concluded the 2011 British Motocross championship with a double podium as Tom Church and Jake Nicholls took third overall in each of the MX1 and MX2 classes for the final round of the series at Hawkstone Park yesterday.

In the MX1 class Church entered his final British Championship weekend determined to end on a high note. After qualifying his KTM 350 SX-F in third position, the 29-year-old racer gated into third in the first race. Kristian Whatley managed to get by on lap two of the 20-minute plus two lap moto, and Church concluded the race in the final spot of a four-way train from the front at the chequered flag.
In the second race Church got another good start and was in second by the end of lap one. In a three-way battle for the lead with Brad Anderson and Martin Barr, Anderson went down and Church was looking comfortable in second position. However, a charging Anderson caught the KTM pilot with four laps to go and Church was forced to settle for a still strong third position.

In the final moto of the day Church holeshotted the race and put his all in as he stretched a lead over the chasing pack. It was looking like a perfect win for the KTM-ace, when in the last three laps Anderson reeled him in and he was forced to settle for a respectable second place, which confirmed a podium finish for his final British MX1 championship outing before his retirement next year.

In the MX2 class, after qualifying second, Nicholls didn’t get the best of starts into eighth by the end of lap one, while teammate Jordan Booker also had a disastrous first lap after crashing in the second turn. Nicholls managed to fight his way back to fifth place, while Booker went down again at the top of the notorious Hawkstone hill and was unable to complete the race.

In race two Nicholls, who is recovering from illness, got a good start and lead from the first lap. The 20-year-old racer put on a hard fight with Arnaud Tonus, who eventually got the better of him, in an exciting battle throughout the race to finish in second place. Booker gated into eighth place and settled into a steady rhythm to finish in ninth position.

In the final race of the day Nicholls gated in third and set about chasing Tonus while Booker also got a good start into sixth position. Nicholls had some issues mid-race and was forced to settle for second place again and third overall, while Booker had a race-long battle with Kayne Lamont, which he succeeded in to take sixth place and a strong ninth position overall.

Tom Church #4: MX1 3rd Overall
“It’s been a good day, but also a tough day because the track rode really fast and everyone was pushing so hard. I managed to get on the podium at the end of it and it’s good to end on a high note. In the last race I really wanted to win it and I tried so hard, but I just didn’t have enough in the tank, although I’ve really enjoyed today. The team has been great. I was really lucky to get this ride, unfortunately with Graeme being injured, but it all worked out and they’ve done a really good job and my mechanic has worked really hard. We’ve still got a few more races left with the supercross though, which I’m looking forward to. I’d like to say thanks to the team and I’m glad we’ve had some good results. It would have been nice to get a win and I’ve loved riding the 350 SX-F, but I’m looking forward to the beach race next weekend at Weston then the British supercross series before I finish.”

Jake Nicholls #45: MX2 3rd Overall
“I got ill this week, as I’ve been carrying a bit of a chesty type bug with a sore throat, so I didn’t ride from Tuesday and I was a bit tight coming into today. In the first race I got a bit of arm pump and didn’t feel good at all, as I struggled to get my breathing and rhythm right. In the second one I managed to give Arnaud a bit of a fight and ended up second. Then in the third race Arnaud got out front and I tried to chase him, but he got away a bit. When I tried to push I struggled to breathe and then halfway in I had a bit of a bike problem. I lost a lot of time so I aimed to keep Bryan (Mackenzie) behind me, although I really wanted to push Arnaud to the finish. It’s been a really good three years and I’d like to thank Roger and his family, as well as my mechanic Wayne, as everyone has been really good to me. Thanks also to Fox and Shift as well as everyone in the team, the sponsors and so on, as it’s been good. Finally special thanks must also go to HM Plant, Red Bull and KTM UK for their sponsorship over the past number of years. It’s a shame I have to move on but I’m looking forward to my new challenge.”

Jordan Booker #114: MX2 9th Overall
“Qualifying was good, in fact the best it’s been all year, as I was seventh after superpole. In the first race I got to a bit of a bad start off the gate, and collided with Jake, but I came out about top 10. I then washed out in the second turn and was dead last. I put in the lap of my life and got from last to 15th in one lap and then at the top of Hawkstone hill I cleaned out a hay bale and went straight over the bars. Someone clipped the back of my head when I was down, so it was quite eventful! I have been feeling a little bit dazed since that. In the second race I had an eighth place start and dropped back one for ninth, but I wasn’t feeling great. I had a good sleep before the last one and came out guns blazing. I gated in seventh and got to sixth. I had a really good battle with Kayne Lamont. We were bar bashing and probably passed each other 10 times and I held onto sixth. I’d like to say thanks to all of the HM Plant Red Bull KTM UK team, as well as all the sponsors for everything this year. I’d also like to say a big thanks to Mark Stokoe for hooking me up with everything I’ve needed for this year too. I can’t thank everyone enough, a huge thanks to Roger Magee for giving me the opportunity to ride for him, as it’s been the best year of my life racing at the Grand Prix events. I’d also like to thank Tom Church for all his help both on and off the bike all year, even before he joined the team and I wish him all the best for the future.”

Roger Magee: HM Plant Red Bull KTM UK Team Manager
“It’s been a bitter sweet sort of day at the last round of the British Championship today. Jake was able to put it on the podium for his last ride with the team this year and I want to take this opportunity to thank him for the last three years, as it’s been good. We’ve enjoyed his progress since he came to us in 2009 and we wish him all the best for next year, even though we’ll be competing against him. Jordan finished the season well with a really stonking sixth place in the last race. He’s shown the potential that he has and hopefully he can continue that progress next year. With Tom it’s been his last British Championship race, which has been pretty emotional for everybody. To get the holeshot and lead the race in the last one he gave it his all and I’d like to thank him for his input since he joined the team earlier in the year. I’d like to wish him all the best in the supercross series, and I’m sure his life will change a lot in January when he becomes a father.”

For a full set of results please copy and paste the following link: http://www.mylaps.com/results/showevent.jsp?id=723284

HM Plant Red Bull KTM UK are pleased to confirm that they have agreed terms with Kevin Strijbos to compete in the 2012 MX1 World Motocross Championships on board the successful 350SX-F machine. As a measure of confidence in the team and rider, full factory support with engines and WP suspension will be provided for Kevin’s maiden season for the Austrian marque. Strijbos will also compete in British Championship events as well as selected races in his native Belgium.

The arrival of the Belgian in the British team marks an important new phase for the crew with the 26 year old former Grand Prix winner having finished as runner-up in the FIM MX1 World Championship in 2006 and 2007. “I’m really excited to ride on the SX350F with the factory engines and suspension in 2012,” said Strijbos who finished fourth at the final round of the 2011 season in Italy. “I know that I can do really well in the GPs next year as my results at the end of 2011 have shown. I have just had a minor knee operation and will commence my training again in six weeks time. I am really disappointed in not being able to come to Hawkstone Park today [for the final round of the British Championship], but my doctor has advised against travelling for the next few weeks”.

Team HM Plant Red Bull KTM UK owner Roger Magee commented: “I am really pleased to have agreed terms with Kevin for the 2012 motocross season. His ability and professionalism has impressed me for many years and I feel that the team can look forward to more visits to the podium next year with the key additionalfactory support that is necessary to compete at this level in World Motocross. To have a former GP winner in the team has been a great boost to all of thepersonnel – especially as Kevin won the last MXGP to be held in Northern Ireland at Moneyglass in 2007! My thanks also to Kevin’s manager Koen Monu for the professional manner in which our negotiations were conducted.”

Managing Director of KTM UK Shaun Sisterson: “We at KTM UK are extremely pleased to have a rider of Kevin Strijbos’ ability in the team for 2012. The factory support that he will receive from KTM will hopefully assist him to win at the highest level on the 350SX-F. There were a number of riders in contention for the MX1 offer of factory support but we felt that Kevin was the most suitable to fulfill our aspirations.”

HM Plant Red Bull KTM UK will confirm the remaining MX1 and MX2 riders in the team for 2012 during the coming weeks.

So the final round of the championship. Luke trailed the leader, John, by a mere 3 points having produced a strong performance in the latter half of the season to reduce the deficit from 47 points making his title hopes tantalising achievable.

The track looked velvety smooth and unspoilt before the 44 colourful pilots began to carve away the dirt creating lines and burms during practice and qualification. Luke began as he had intended producing an astonishing qualifying lap almost 2½ seconds clear of the field.
He had thoroughly prepared his mind thinking only of 3 wins to be sure of victory.
As the 15 second board turned it was eyes down and the race was underway. An awesome start saw Luke lead the way around the first bend and he was gone. Confident and focused he consistently produced fast laps and took the win by over 12 seconds ahead of his rival. Now the points in the championship were equal.
It was the second race that attracted the attention of the growing crowd. Luke once again was away in first but this time John was chasing hard, determined not to let his title continue to slip away. By half race distance John was on Luke’s case and made the pass. Round the next corner Luke passed him back and so the sequence continued with both of them only focused on each other using all their experience and every tactic to maintain their advantage. The last lap and John was in front, but not for long. Luke had a better line up the hill and regained the lead but John went wide and fast on the downhill and took it back. Out of sight they went side by side. The crowd waited anxiously for them to reappear. All eyes focused on the brow of the hill and Luke was slightly in front and he took the chequered flag. What a battle and what a result. It was congratulations to Luke. A short lived celebration as we learnt Luke had been given a 1 minute penalty for allegedly overtaking on a yellow flag on the last lap. This dropped him to 2nd place and his head dropped too, feeling unfairly penalised.
Friends, fans and total strangers who congratulated him on an epic victory now helped to rally round to pick him up, give him back the determination and spirit needed to go out for a third time and repeat his performance.
The last race of the day was billed by the commentators as THE race of the championship. The winner would be crowned Red Bull Champion. The crowd line the track eager to witness another spectacle and they were not to be disappointed, a treat lay in store for them.
Luke sat motionless focused on the gate. It dropped and once again he was first to leave and at the front of the pack. Not far behind tracked his rival determined to stay close. By lap 3 there was nothing in it, then John made a mistake and Luke had a 4 second advantage. Luke knew he could take no rest. John was on a mission and could see his target ahead. With 2 laps remaining John sneaked past and took the lead. Luke tried to stay with him but John appeared to edge in front. The race was not over Luke was not going to let go of his dream; he took an almighty leap down the hill and was back pressurising for the lead. They were jumping, turning, racing side by side. The pressure was immense, their ability stretched to the limit, trying desperately to out think each other. The spectators had their favourite and both were encouraged with shouts and waves as they passed by.
One lap to go and Luke was hounding his rival. It was John who made the costly error as he took a glance behind him and crashed in the whoops at the bottom of the hill. Luke completed the lap and took the chequered flag to an overwhelming applause from the crowd. Justice was done. A second title to Luke ‘Red Bull Pro National Two Stroke Champion 2011’
Congratulations from all the team. A truly amazing day. Well done you deserved it.

Rider comments- “This was the championship myself and the team wanted this season. The team were fully supportive of me even after the disappointing outcome of the second moto. I never gave up and I was rewarded with the title. I thank the people who believed in me this season, without them none of this would have been possible!”