Motorsports News

Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Kay de Wolf claimed the MX2 Gold Plate and helped Team Netherlands secure a third-place podium at the 2024 Motocross of Nations, while Lucas Coenen’s strong performance was cut short by a crash.

Collin Veijer steered his Husqvarna to 2nd place at an overcast Motegi to end the sixteenth round of 2024 MotoGP™ with his eighth podium classification of the season.

Kay de Wolf has secured the 2024 MX2 championship on his 20th birthday ahead of Lucas Coenen in second place, capping off an outstanding season with seven Grand Prix wins and total Red Plate dominance.

MotoGP™ rounded the hot climes of Mandalika in Lombok as Tatsuki Suzuki guided his FR 250 GP to 7th place after another Moto3 spectacle & Darryn Binder captured a Moto2 top five result.

Husqvarna Factory Racing rider is focused on final hard enduro rounds

Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing endured one of its toughest rounds of the 2024 SuperMotocross World Championship (SMX) at tonight's final round in Las Vegas, where both Christian Craig and Malcolm Stewart were struck by misfortune in the 450SMX division. Both qualified inside the top 10 with Stewart seventh and Craig 10th on combined times riding their Husqvarna FC 450 Rockstar Edition machinery, setting up what looked to be a promising night ahead on the hybrid race track located at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
A crash with another rider saw Stewart ease it home to 19th in Moto 1, but he wasn't able to line up for the final race of the season, demoting him to 17th in the final 450SMX standings as a result of the triple points on offer in the Las Vegas SMX Final.
It was a similar story for Craig, finishing 17th in the first race, before having to pull out of Moto 2 and also spelling the end of his season early. That meant he had to settle for 20th in the post-season rankings, also impacted by the points structure at the finale.
"Tonight was a tough way end the season, but we have to focus on all the positives that we have achieved this year,"   commented Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing Team Manager, Nathan Ramsey.   "It wasn’t our night in Las Vegas, so we will focus on regrouping during the off-season and come out swinging in 2025. I’m happy and honored to be a part of an amazing crew, we are all looking forward to next year, and will strive towards reaching greater heights as a team."
Rockstar Energy Husqvarna also had Landon Gibson on track this weekend in the 250 World All-Stars category, qualifying a solid fifth position and then racing forward to P7 in the Main Event.
Results 450SMX Class – SMX Final
1. Jett Lawrence (AUS), Honda
2. Hunter Lawrence (AUS), Honda
3. Eli Tomac (USA), Yamaha
4. Aaron Plessinger (USA), KTM
8. Justin Barcia (USA), GASGAS
22. Christian Craig (USA), Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing
23. Malcolm Stewart (USA), Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing
24. Chase Sexton (USA), KTM

Standings 450SMX Class 2024 after 3 of 3 rounds
1. Jett Lawrence, 156 points
2. Hunter Lawrence, 156
3. Eli Tomac, 129
4. Aaron Plessinger, 116
7. Chase Sexton, 89
9. Justin Barcia, 75
17. Malcolm Stewart, 48
20. Christian Craig, 34

The Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli fired into motion once more for MotoGP in 2024 and Collin Veijer took his FR 250 GP to 3rd position under the Italian sunshine.

It wasn't Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing's day at Texas Motor Speedway in Playoff 2 of the SuperMotocross World Championship (SMX), but the countdown is on for the Las Vegas SMX Final next weekend, where the team hopes to finish season 2024 on a strong note. 450SMX saw Malcolm Stewart ride his Husqvarna FC 450 Rockstar Edition to P9 in qualifying and then he was 11th in Moto 1 after recovering from a bad start. Improved track position in the early stages of the second moto was short-lived when he was caught up in an incident, going on to claw his way back to 17th. That placed him 13th overall in Fort Worth and he's now ninth in the standings.
"Fort Worth was definitely a warm one!"   Stewart said.   "We tried everything we could to be up there with the guys this weekend. First one, I had a bad start and that was on me, so by the time you recover it's tough. In the second moto, it was a really good start, but I locked handlebars with another rider – just a racing incident. I need to take what I learned with that start and try to apply it in Vegas. With triple points on the line, there's a lot to be made up yet. We'll dig deep and try to get this bike up there toward the front! We'll have a really great week and end this thing on a good note."
Texas was also up-and-down for teammate Christian Craig, racing forward to 10th in the first race, but he was caught up in early drama at the start of Moto 2, and then went down in the latter stages. That meant he had to settle for 18th at the finish, which resulted in 14th overall. Craig sits 12th in points, well within reach of the top 10 with the SMX Final to pay triple points next Saturday evening.
"Today was challenging, for sure,"   Craig explained.   "The track was super-basic, but the dirt made it tough. Qualifying was decent and then the first moto was alright as well, but in the second moto, I got caught up in the second turn, so had to come from behind. I made some passes, but then went down pretty hard, and my elbow did not feel good after that. I did what I could from there, so it was frustrating – we'll see what we can do next week."
A sixth-place score in 250SMX Moto 1 marked a solid start for RJ Hampshire at Texas Motor Speedway, before he was able to challenge inside the top three during the second outing. Unfortunately, the Husqvarna FC 250 Rockstar Edition rider crashed out soon afterward, ending his weekend prematurely. After being credited 15th overall, Hampshire is now ranked 13th in the championship.
"It was a tough weekend,"   Hampshire commented.   "First moto, I felt pretty good, and it was decent. Second moto, I was running third, but slid off the face of the triple and went too far right into the tuff blocks. It was disappointing to end the weekend like that obviously, but my pace was good again today and that is a positive to take out of Texas." Next Race:  September 21 – Las Vegas, Nevada (SMX Final)

Results 450SMX Class – SMX Playoff 2
1. Hunter Lawrence (AUS), Honda
2. Chase Sexton (USA), KTM
3. Jett Lawrence (AUS), Honda
7. Aaron Plessinger (USA), KTM
12. Justin Barcia (USA), GASGAS
13. Malcolm Stewart (USA), Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing
14. Christian Craig (USA), Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing

Standings 450SMX Class 2024 after 2 of 3 rounds
1. Hunter Lawrence, 90 points
2. Chase Sexton, 89
3. Jett Lawrence, 81
5. Aaron Plessinger, 62
9. Malcolm Stewart, 48
12. Christian Craig, 34
14. Justin Barcia, 33

Results 250SMX Class – SMX Playoff 2
1. Haiden Deegan (USA), Yamaha
2. Tom Vialle (FRA), KTM
3. Jo Shimoda (JPN), Honda
5. Julien Beaumer (USA), KTM
7. Pierce Brown (USA), GASGAS
13. Ryder DiFrancesco (USA), GASGAS
15. RJ Hampshire (USA), Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing

Standings 250SMX Class 2024 after 2 of 3 rounds
1. Haiden Deegan, 100 points
2. Tom Vialle, 81
3. Levi Kitchen, 78
5. Julien Beaumer, 69
7. Pierce Brown, 56
12. Ryder DiFrancesco, 39
13. RJ Hampshire, 36
26. Casey Cochran, Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 4

Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing is guaranteed to take both first and second in the 2024 MX2 championship following Lucas Coenen and Kay de Wolf’s 1-2 finish in Shanghai, while Mattia Guadagnini finished inside the top-10 at the MXGP of China.

Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing's RJ Hampshire set the pace in 250SMX qualifying at Playoff 1 in the 2024 SuperMotocross World Championship (SMX), on a day where results didn't match the potential of all three active team riders when the final checkered flag flew. Hampshire was exceptional on Saturday morning at Charlotte's zMAX Dragway in qualifying his Husqvarna FC 250 Rockstar Edition fastest on combined times. This year's AMA Supercross 250SX West Champion was then racing toward the front of the pack in Moto 1, until a crash cost him any chance of a podium finish, and he remounted for P10. Moto 2 saw RJ claim eighth, which placed him ninth overall and he now sits P10 in the series.
"Today started off really good, qualifying fastest,"   Hampshire recalled.   "In the first moto I made my way into second, but caught a rut in the rhythm, which shot me left, into the tuff blocks and the barrier. That kind of messed my day up, but we fought through it for 10-8 finishes and ninth overall. We'll keep getting better this week and try to land on the box in Dallas."
Charlotte marked Malcolm Stewart's first-ever SuperMotocross start on the unique hybrid track layouts, going on to earn seventh overall. The Husqvarna FC 450 Rockstar Edition rider qualified in seventh and then registered 8-7 scores for seventh overall, which also positions him P7 in the 450SMX standings to commence the post-season.
"Charlotte was fun and this was my first time racing SuperMotocross,"   Stewart commented .  "First moto we were P8 and then second moto seventh, so that placed us seventh overall and it was a great start for us. I'm learning the bike in this format and we'll take what we learned into Texas and keep building. Huge shoutout to the whole Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing crew – we've been pushing hard all season and I look forward to the next couple of weekends."
Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing 450SMX teammate Christian Craig also lined up in the SMX playoffs for the first time at the North Carolina venue. A crash and further trouble in the opening encounter meant he finished in 20th, before managing to rebound in Moto 2 with a ninth-place score, and that put him 14th overall.
"The day started off pretty good,"   Craig said.   "Qualifying was decent and I was riding not bad. First moto, quarter of a lap in, I went down and got hit in the back of the head pretty hard, so had to make my way back up, but got a tuff block cover stuff in my back brake pedal and I had to stop to get that out. I regrouped for the second main, got a decent start, and was in the mix for a little bit to end up ninth. It wasn't my best ride, but all in all, we'll regroup and get ready for Texas next week."
On return from injury in Charlotte for the 250SMX post-season, Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing's Casey Cochran unfortunately crashed in the opening qualifying session this morning and was unable to continue for the remainder of Playoff 1. Next Race:  September 14 – Fort Worth, Texas (SMX Playoff 2)

Results 450SMX Class – SMX Playoff 1
1. Jett Lawrence (AUS), Honda
2. Eli Tomac (USA), Yamaha
3. Chase Sexton (USA), KTM
7. Malcolm Stewart (USA), Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing
8. Aaron Plessinger (USA), KTM
14. Christian Craig (USA), Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing

Standings 450SMX Class 2024 after 1 of 3 rounds
1. Chase Sexton, 45 points
2. Jett Lawrence, 41
3. Hunter Lawrence, 40
6. Aaron Plessinger, 32
7. Malcolm Stewart, 30
12. Christian Craig, 18
17. Justin Barcia, 13

Results 250SMX Class – SMX Playoff 1
1. Haiden Deegan (USA), Yamaha
2. Julien Beaumer (USA), KTM
3. Levi Kitchen (USA), Kawasaki
5. Tom Vialle (FRA), KTM
9. RJ Hampshire (USA), Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing
12. Pierce Brown (USA), GASGAS
14. Ryder DiFrancesco (USA), GASGAS

Standings 250SMX Class 2024 after 1 of 3 rounds
1. Haiden Deegan, 50 points
2. Levi Kitchen, 42
3. Tom Vialle, 37
5. Julien Beaumer, 35
7. Pierce Brown, 26
10. RJ Hampshire, 22
12. Ryder DiFrancesco, 21
20. Casey Cochran, Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 4

Lucas Coenen storms to a flawless 1-1 victory at the MXGP of Türkiye, while team-mate Kay de Wolf adds to Husqvarna’s podium dominance, with just two rounds remaining in the 2024 season.

MotoGP™ moved to the first of back-to-back Grands Prix at the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli and Collin Veijer raced to 5th position as Tatsuki Suzuki was also strong for P8.

Round twelve of 2024 MotoGP landed on the epic plains of central eastern Spain for the Aragon Grand Prix. Collin Veijer raced to P2 with his Husqvarna FR 250 GP in Moto3. The twists and speed of MotorLand Aragon delivered a new surface and a sun drenched twelfth outing for the world championship in 2024, as well as being the third of four dates on mainland Spain this year. MotoGP had not visited Aragon since 2022 so this was a fresh Grand Prix experience for Husqvarna IntactGP star Collin Veijer who was hunting his sixth podium result of the campaign. The weekend permitted Tatsuki Suzuki with another chance to tweak his race set-up. After events in the UK and Austria, MotoGP weathered the heat in MotorLand, three hours south and west of Barcelona, and relished the mix of 16 corners, cambers and high-speed sections of the circuit that was welcoming the series for the fifteenth time. As well as more trophies, IntactGP were also hoping to boost Veijer’s world championship points haul, with the Dutchman P4 in the standings. On Friday Collin vied for the top of the time sheets and ended up in 4th while Suzuki made sure of 16th. Saturday’s schedule involved the pursuit of Pole Position through Q2 (after a damp track in the morning had dried by the afternoon) and Veijer finalised the session with the 9th slot on the grid. Tatsuki lined up ten spots further back for the 17 laps on Sunday. Race day morning presented a conundrum: rain. With precious little time in the wet the Husqvarna duo knew there would be a lottery element to the race even if the sunshine did start to dry the tarmac by the time grid formed. Veijer was cautious in the opening phases but soon latched onto the fight for 2nd. The 19-year-old set the fastest lap in the first half of the distance to rise to P2 and then set-off in pursuit of David Alonso. He swept into P1 but then his medium tyre choice started to bite, and he could not prevent Jose Antonio Rueda coming past. Collin guided the FR 250 GP to a solid and comfortable runner-up slot in the last two laps for his sixth trophy of 2024; allowing him to assume 2nd place also in the championship, 75 points behind Alonso. Suzuki made ground to circulate on the edge of the top ten. The experienced Japanese then guided his motorcycle home to confirm two points for 14th. Twelve Grands Prix in the books and MotoGP packed up swiftly for the journey across the continent and to the east coast of Italy. The Gran Premio Red Bull di San Marino e della Riviera di Rimini will push round thirteen into action at the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli. Collin Veijer, 2nd: “Very happy because I had a difficult weekend and struggled a lot with the condition of the track. I started calm and tried to see what was possible, I saw David was pulling a gap and I knew if I hit the clean line I would be on the same pace. I caught and passed him but I was on the medium trye and tried to managed it. Anyway, after a difficult weekend we’re on the podium again so I’m happy.” Tatsuki Suzuki, 14th: “A tough race and in the beginning I was quite competitive. I managed the first lap quite well. From the middle until the end I tried to manage my tyre and my pace but I could not catch the second group. A shame, and not the result I wanted but we have another race to try next week.”   Moto2 involved 19 laps of damp action on Sunday and with Darryn Binder and Senna Agius in the search of more premium points. Binder, in particular, had found a good flow on Friday and was roaming the outskirts of the top ten. Both Darryn and Senna were just over a second away from P1 after Practice and then could not fight their way through Q1, ending-up 20th and 24th on the grid respectively.   After the exhilaration of Moto3, Moto2 then tried to lay rubber on the slick Spanish surface and Darryn was a competitive force in the top ten as he chased title contender Ai Ogura and headed Austrian GP winner Celestino Vietti. A well-earned 9th was his reward. Senna passed the flag in 16th and just missed the points. Darryn Binder, 9th : “Definitely not an easy race, the track conditions were really difficult and my start position didn’t help. I had a good getaway though and really good pace. I was making my way up the field but for two laps in a row I made the same mistake and got a bit off line, which cost me a bit of time but I’m happy with my speed and how the race went. I could have been a bit further up the road but this is my third top ten in a row and I feel things are coming together. I just need to work on my qualifying.” Senna Agius, 16th: “Difficult for us this weekend. It started really well but then we were unable to adapt to the track conditions to perform. I’m disappointed in myself. I couldn’t find my rhythm and I made too many mistakes. We want more and deserve more. I feel a bit flat, so time to reset and look to Misano.   Results Moto3 Aragon Grand Prix   1. Jose Antonio Rueda (ESP) KTM 34:51.635, 2. Collin Veijer (NED) Husqvarna +1.985 , 3. Luca Lunetta (ITA) Honda +3.556, 4. David Alonso (COL) CFMOTO +4.942, 8. Xabi Zurutuza (ESP) KTM +17.029, 9. Daniel Holgado (ESP) GASGAS +17.165, 14. Tatsuki Suzuki (JPN) Husqvarna +23.532 , 15. Joel Esteban (ESP) CFMOTO +23.594, 21. Jacob Roulstone (AUS) GASGAS +51.593   World Championship standings Moto3   1. David Alonso (COL) CFMOTO, 237 points, 2. Collin Veijer (NED) Husqvarna, 162 , 3. Ivan Ortola (ESP) KTM, 157, 4. Daniel Holgado (ESP) GASGAS, 156, 6. Jose Antonio Rueda (ESP), KTM, 99, 14. Tatsuki Suzuki (JPN) Husqvarna, 50 , 15. Jacob Roulstone (AUS) GASGAS, 46, 16. Joel Esteban (ESP) CFMOTO, 42, 21. Xabi Zurutuza (ESP) KTM, 11   Results Moto2 Aragon Grand Prix   1. Jake Dixon (GBR) CFMOTO 35:54.402, 2. Tony Arbolino (ITA) +1.779, 3. Deniz Öncü (TUR) +5.479, 9. Darryn Binder (RSA) Husqvarna +19.757 , 10. Celestino Vietti (ITA) +21.301, 16. Senna Agius (AUS) Husqvarna +30.080 , DNF. Izan Guevara (ESP) CFMOTO   World Championship standings Moto2   1. Sergio Garcia (ESP), 162 points, 2. Ai Ogura (JPN), 150, 3. Alonso Lopez (ESP), 133, 5. Jake Dixon (GBR) CFMOTO, 119, 7. Celestino Vietti (ITA) KTM, 102, 15. Senna Agius (AUS) Husqvarna, 33 , 16. Darryn Binder (RSA) Husqvarna, 32, 17. Deniz Öncü (TUR) KTM, 27, 19. Izan Guevara (ESP) CFMOTO, 25

Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing's RJ Hampshire finished a rewarding third overall in today's final round of the AMA Pro Motocross Championship, standing on the 250MX podium in only his second outdoor appearance of the 2024 season. The series also ended in a picture of consistency for 450MX duo Christian Craig and Malcolm Stewart. After clinching the 250SX West title in May, Hampshire was injured on the eve of the Pro Motocross season, but managed to return last time out at Budds Creek. The Husqvarna FC 250 Rockstar Edition pilot started strongly at the finale by finishing fourth in Moto 1, and then charged to third in the final race of the series to place him P3 overall.
"It was awesome to be back at the races again,"   Hampshire said.   "We were here for the gate drops and to get some intensity back, and somehow pulled off a podium. I felt pretty good on the bike, definitely still not even close to 100 percent, but it was nice to grind it out and suffer a bit today. I'm happy to be rewarded with a podium and look forward to Charlotte here in a couple of weeks."
It's been an impressive year of rebuilding for both Craig and Stewart in 450MX onboard their Husqvarna FC 450 Rockstar Edition machinery, with Craig getting the upper hand at Ironman via 10-7 scores for eighth overall – his eighth top 10 result of the series – and also finishing P8 in points.
"Last round of the outdoors, I was pumped to make it through the whole season and with just one DNF,"   Craig recalled.   "We scored points in every moto we finished though and built throughout the season. I struggled a little bit today with the track, just couldn't get comfortable, and had a couple of big crashes in practice, but in the races I did what I could. The second moto was better and we ended up eighth overall, so riding is good, and I'm excited for my first time in SMX now. We'll keep trying to put in the good results."
While the final round saw Stewart go 7-11 for 10th overall, impressively only finishing outside of the top 10 overall once all season, he can celebrate earning sixth in the 450MX championship on return to the outdoors. Like Craig alongside him, Stewart has been gaining momentum after missing a lot of racing through injury, and will carry increased confidence into the SuperMotocross World Championship (SMX) playoffs.
"Ironman, we had a good first moto and the fans were awesome, which I'm always really thankful for,"   Stewart commented.   "I'm more so happy with finishing the whole season of Supercross and Pro Motocross without any injuries or missing any races. We have to think of all the positives and, no matter how you look at it, gate drops are the best thing you can get. In the second moto today I had a bad start, had to ride hard, and then kind of faded a little bit, and was cramping up, but it was a really good season for us overall. I'll enjoy this next weekend off and then head into SMX excited for what's to come!"

Ironman Raceway also hosted the Scouting Moto Combine event on Friday prior to this weekend's final National of the 2024 season, where Rockstar Energy Husqvarna amateur Landon Gibson rode his Husqvarna FC 250 to 5-7 moto results for fourth overall. Next Race:  September 7 – Concord, North Carolina (SMX Playoff 1)

Results 450MX Class – Ironman National
1. Chase Sexton (USA), KTM
2. Aaron Plessinger (USA), KTM
3. Eli Tomac (USA), Yamaha
8. Christian Craig (USA), Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing
10. Malcolm Stewart (USA), Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing

Standings 450MX Class 2024 after 11 of 11 rounds
1. Chase Sexton, 504 points
2. Hunter Lawrence, 462
3. Aaron Plessinger, 403
6. Malcolm Stewart, 297
8. Christian Craig, 244
14. Justin Barcia, 148

Results 250MX Class – Ironman National
1. Tom Vialle (FRA), KTM
2. Chance Hymas (USA), Honda
3. RJ Hampshire (USA), Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing
7. Ryder DiFrancesco (USA), GASGAS
14. Julien Beaumer (USA), KTM
17. Pierce Brown (USA), GASGAS

Standings 250MX Class 2024 after 11 of 11 rounds
1. Haiden Deegan, 481 points
2. Tom Vialle, 412
3. Levi Kitchen, 405
8. Pierce Brown, 269
10. Ryder DiFrancesco, 250
11. Julien Beaumer, 221
13. Casey Cochran, Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 164
22. RJ Hampshire, 65

Kay de Wolf pushed through the pain from a high-speed crash in qualifying to secure a crucial MX2 victory. Lucas Coenen, and Mattia Guadagnini (in MXGP), faced a tough weekend at Frauenfeld to finish 7th and 12th respectively.

Lucas Coenen narrows the championship gap with victory at Arnhem, as Kay de Wolf finishes P2. Guadagnini shines in MXGP with a strong sand performance.

Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing riders Malcolm Stewart and Christian Craig continue to gain strength in the 2024 AMA Pro Motocross Championship, finishing fourth and sixth overall in the 450MX Class at today's Budds Creek National. This weekend also saw the welcome return to competition of RJ Hampshire in 250MX.

Collin Veijer keeps his eyes fixed on a 2024 Moto3 world championship medal with his eighth top five classification of the season after a riveting Grand Prix at the Red Bull Ring.

RJ Hampshire will make his anticipated return to competition in Round 10 of the 2024 AMA Pro Motocross Championship, the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing rider set to make his first outdoor appearance of the season at the Budds Creek National.

Husqvarna's historic legacy shone brightly at the 2024 MXGP of Sweden, where Lucas Coenen dominated both MX2 motos, securing his fourth 1-1 victory of the season.

Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing pair Christian Craig and Malcolm Stewart claimed P8 and P9 overall as the AMA Pro Motocross Championship got back underway at Unadilla this weekend, competing with a distinctive Heritage livery at Round 9 of the 2024 season.

Husqvarna Motorcycles reaches the podium once more in 2024 as the MotoGP™ season reignites around the fast and prestigious curves of Silverstone.

Kay de Wolf secured the overall win and extended his championship lead, while Lucas Coenen faced a tough weekend to finish seventh. Mattia Guadagnini overcame injuries to finish 13th in MXGP.

Husqvarna Factory Racing is delighted to announce the extension of its successful partnership with Nestaan-MX. The new multi-year contract will see Nestaan-MX continue as "Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing" in the FIM Motocross World Championship, ensuring an exciting future for both organisations.

Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing rider Malcolm Stewart finished seventh and Christian Craig ninth overall in Washougal's eighth round of the 2024 AMA Pro Motocross Championship, continuing their consistent top-10 form in the 450MX division during the Military Appreciation weekend of the series.

After a short refresh break, the Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Team touched down for racing on European soil again, following their total domination of the fly-away races in Indonesia two weeks ago. The picturesque and formidable Loket circuit beckoned, boasting its fearsome layout of steep climbs, and winding rock-laden turns.

Teenage rookie Casey Cochran has claimed a spectacular first-career podium finish at the Spring Creek National, leading the majority of 250MX Moto 2 this afternoon on his way to a P2 finish, which resulted in third position overall in a breakout ride at Round 7 of the 2024 AMA Pro Motocross Championship.

The Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing was on blistering form for the MXGP of Lombok, with Lucas Coenen securing a perfect 1-1 victory, and Kay de Wolf maintaining his championship lead despite finishing P5. Mattia Guadagnini secured a top-ten overall finish, moving up in the championship standings.

All three Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing riders took season-best finishes at the RedBud National, marking Round 6 of the 2024 AMA Pro Motocross Championship. Malcolm Stewart charged to sixth and Christian Craig 10th in 450MX, while newcomer Casey Cochran raced to the highest finish of his 250MX career in P7.

Tatsuki Suzuki and the FR 250 GP showed race-leading speed at the curving Sachsenring for round nine of 2024 MotoGP™ by scoring 9th position in Saxony.

Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing newcomer Casey Cochran delivered his best 250MX moto finishes of the 2024 AMA Pro Motocross Championship season on his way to 10th overall at Southwick, as teammates Malcolm Stewart and Christian Craig also featured inside the top 10 across Saturday's pair of 450MX motos.

Round eight of 2024 MotoGP™ took place at the revered TT Assen circuit and Husqvarna Motorcycles and Collin Veijer almost added to the folklore, missing out on P1 by 0.012 of a second.

Kay de Wolf dominated a hot and challenging opening weekend in Indonesia, claiming a perfect 1-1 score in MX2, with Lucas Coenen finishing P3. Mattia Guadagnini battled the conditions and delivered a solid P7.

Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing rider Malcolm Stewart went 9-9 for ninth overall at today's High Point National, marking Round 4 of the 2024 AMA Pro Motocross Championship. Rutted, technical conditions were on the agenda, but it was consistency that was once again the story of Stewart's day.

The iconic Maggiora track, which has hosted GP action since 1966 in northwest Italy, provided the perfect venue for the Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Team to reach the halfway point of the season. The team has so far claimed six overall wins and 11 individual race wins in MX2 alone.

Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing teammates Malcolm Stewart and Christian Craig have further established themselves among the top 10 of 450MX in the 2024 AMA Pro Motocross Championship, with Stewart a picture of consistency for P8 and Craig gaining strength on his way to 10th at Thunder Valley, Colorado.

Top-Five Finishes Podium Glory and Championship points Highlight Round Nine at Kegums.

Stage one crash rules Husqvarna Factory Racing star out of home race

Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing has been able to draw from the positives following an encouraging Hangtown National that saw all three riders – Casey Cochran, Malcolm Stewart, and Christian Craig – finish inside the top 10. For 250MX rookie Cochran, he started the day in convincing fashion by qualifying quickest overall in class.

Husqvarna Motorcycles maintain its status as a central Moto3 protagonist as Collin Veijer guides his FR 250 GP to 2nd place at a warm and busy Autodromo del Mugello for round seven of ’24 MotoGP™.

Lucas Coenen secured his third consecutive MX2 win, with Kay de Wolf finishing a close second. In MXGP, Mattia Guadagnini raced to a Fox Holeshot award on Saturday and a top ten overall finish on Sunday.

Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing rider Malcolm Stewart's return to the AMA Pro Motocross Championship resulted in an encouraging top 10 result overall at the Fox Raceway National, as teammates Christian Craig and Casey Cochran formed foundations to build upon in the 2024 season.

Round six of 2024 MotoGP™ took place at the sun-kissed Circuit de Barcelona-Cataluyna and Dutch star Collin Veijer and his FR 250 GP were protagonists in the Moto3 class once more. The IntactGP team also reached a personal best with 5th in Moto2™.

Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing rider RJ Hampshire has unfortunately been sidelined ahead of Round 1 of the 2024 AMA Pro Motocross Championship in Pala, California, after injuring his wrist during media day on Thursday afternoon. The 28-year-old, fresh from capturing the 250SX West Championship in AMA Supercross two weeks ago, underwent immediate surgery yesterday evening, but it remains unclear when he will be fit to return to the 11-round outdoor series.
Nathan Ramsey, Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing Team Manager:   "The highs and the lows of this sport are sometimes tough to swallow, but unfortunately with RJ taking a spill on press day here at Pala, he has injured his wrist. It's a setback, but we can all get through this – I know that RJ and the crew will stay positive. RJ's tough and he's mentally strong, so he'll be back as soon as possible."
Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing looks forward to welcoming RJ back once he is back to 100 percent health. The team will field Malcolm Stewart and Christian Craig in 450MX, as well as rookie Casey Cochran in 250MX, at this Saturday's season-opening Fox Raceway National.

Husqvarna Factory Racing ace gears up for five-stage home race in Argentina

The 2024 AMA Pro Motocross Championship beckons for the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing Team, fresh from RJ Hampshire's title-winning achievements in the 250SX West division of AMA Supercross and with the motivation to maintain that momentum into the great outdoors. Round 1 will take place in Pala, California, this Saturday.

Husqvarna Motorcycles and Rockstar Energy are excited to introduce Season 3 of the immensely popular Grit and Grind: A Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing Series, documenting the team's remarkable journey throughout all 17 rounds of the 2024 AMA Supercross Championship.

The Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing Team shone at the 2024 MXGP of France, with Lucas Coenen taking the overall MX2 win, and Kay de Wolf securing second place to maintain his championship lead. Mattia Guadagnini earned valuable points in MXGP, finishing 14th to move up in the world standings.

Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing's RJ Hampshire is the new AMA Supercross 250SX West Champion after clinching the 2024 title at tonight's final round of the season in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Collin Veijer continues his bright 2024 Grand Prix campaign by tussling for the win and taking 3rd position at the French Grand Prix and round five of the world championship.

The 2024 MXGP of Galicia in northwest Spain provided perfect sunny conditions for the Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing Team to shine. Lucas Coenen clinched a thrilling victory in the MX2 category, while Mattia Guadagnini secured valuable points with a P10 finish in the MXGP class.

Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing's RJ Hampshire finished third at the penultimate round of the 2024 AMA Supercross Championship in Denver, positioning him tied on points with a single round remaining in the 250SX West title race.

Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing raced through a challenging weekend at the MXGP of Portugal; highlighted by Mattia Guadagnini's return and solid performances from Kay de Wolf and Lucas Coenen.

Husqvarna Motorcycles earned the first ‘P1’ and 25 points of the season at warm Circuit de Jerez-Angel Nieto and round four of 2024 MotoGP™ today.

An eighth-place finish marked another step forward for Malcolm Stewart and Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing in Philadelphia for Round 15 of the 2024 AMA Supercross Championship, continuing to gain momentum in the final stages of the season. Stewart has been improving from week to week onboard his Husqvarna Motorcycles FC 450 Rockstar Edition, qualifying in ninth position – within a second of the fastest lap-time following Qualifying 2 – and then racing to fifth in Heat 2. The Main Event saw him fight hard to P8 for a fourth-straight top-10 score and he's still ranked 11th in the standings.
"Philly was definitely new for everybody, very challenging dirt, but I enjoyed it,"   said Stewart.   "The fans were awesome this weekend and we actually did alright. The Main Event was okay, because I made some mistakes, but pulled it back around and we ended up P8. It's not the result we want exactly, but I rode good and that's all that we can ask for at the end of the day. There are some things we could clean up, so I look forward to the next races and the whole Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing crew have done a phenomenal job – we'll keep giving it everything we've got."
Teenage teammate Casey Cochran made his third professional AMA Supercross start in 250SX East, once again displaying his speed for ninth overall in Qualifying and then claiming seventh in his Heat race. Equipped with the Husqvarna Motorcycles FC 250 Rockstar Edition, he had an early mishap in the Main Event, before going on to claim five points in 17th position.
"It was another day of learning for me overall,"   Cochran reflected.   "It wasn't the best day for me, but we'll push on and move forward. I'm taking it all in with each race, so we'll use this to keep being able to learn and apply it for next year."
Next Race:  May 4 – Denver, Colorado

Results 450SX Class – Philadelphia
1. Jett Lawrence (AUS), Honda
2. Chase Sexton (USA), KTM
3. Jason Anderson (USA), Kawasaki
6. Justin Barcia (USA), GASGAS
8. Malcolm Stewart (USA), Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing

Standings 450SX Class 2024 after 15 of 17 rounds
1. Jett Lawrence, 311 points
2. Cooper Webb, 299
3. Eli Tomac, 270
4. Chase Sexton, 268
7. Aaron Plessinger, 198
9. Justin Barcia, 182
11. Malcolm Stewart, 169

Results 250SX East Class – Philadelphia
1. Max Anstie (GBR), Honda
2. Tom Vialle (FRA), KTM
3. Haiden Deegan (USA), Yamaha
14. Pierce Brown (USA), GASGAS
17. Casey Cochran (USA), Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing

Standings 250SX East Class 2024 after 8 of 9 rounds
1. Tom Vialle, 158 points
2. Haiden Deegan, 143
3. Pierce Brown, 124
22. Casey Cochran, 19

A third victory of the 2024 AMA Supercross Championship saw Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing rider RJ Hampshire take over the 250SX West points lead in Nashville's 250SX East/West Showdown tonight, setting him up to contend for the western regional title into its closing stages. Hampshire was at his very best onboard the Husqvarna Motorcycles FC 250 Rockstar Edition inside Nissan Stadium, qualifying quickest in class and then going on to win his Heat race. From there he managed to deliver a commanding Main Event win after leading the entire race, which sees him reclaim the red plate with a two-point advantage and just two rounds remaining in the 250SX West series. "First off, I'm so proud of this team,"  said Hampshire.  "I had that feeling from the beginning – Practice went awesome with P1, then in the Heat race I came from the back to win that, followed by a holeshot in the Main Event to lead every lap for the win! That's the first time that's ever happened in my career and it came at a really good time to do it. Tonight I executed the start in that Main Event, and felt like that was what I really needed. I had the speed, so it was just giving myself a chance, and it was an awesome race from there. I had a couple of moments in the beginning, then settled in and it's a big weight off my shoulders. I knew I could close the points lead tonight, but didn't expect to get the red plate back – I'm so happy for my whole team and all of our supporters! This Nashville crowd is awesome, I love this state, and it's pretty cool to come away with the win here tonight."
Alongside Hampshire in the Showdown was 250SX East newcomer Casey Cochran, the teenager impressing early on today by clocking the sixth-quickest time in Qualifying and finishing fourth in his Heat race. The Main Event was tougher on his way to an eventual P15 result, but it was another positive step in these initial stages of his professional career.
"First Showdown of my career, so a new experience and I'm just learning, building each weekend, so I'm stoked to come back again next weekend,"   Cochran commented.   "Overall, a pretty good day in Qualifying and the Heat race again... gotta clean up a few mistakes, but I'm happy with my riding and want to continue in this direction."
Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing 450SX entry Malcolm Stewart also displayed promise in his first visit to Nashville, powering his Husqvarna Motorcycles FC 450 Rockstar Edition to ninth on the time-sheets in Qualifying and then surging to P4 in Heat 2. The Main Event saw him earn his ninth top 10 finish of the year in P9, despite an early fall, and is motivated to keep climbing the order in the upcoming final races of the season.
"Nashville, I honestly felt like overall I was riding alright,"   Stewart reflected.   "It was definitely a pretty crazy, notchy track, and we made a few mistakes. I didn't get off to a good start, wasn't sure when I was, and then went down after the finish line, but was able to salvage a ninth. We're trying, doing everything we can to get back up there where we should be, but it's a matter of time, so we're just going to take the momentum that we have and fight all the way to the end because we're not giving up."
Next Race:  April 27 – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Results 450SX Class – Nashville
1. Jett Lawrence (AUS), Honda
2. Eli Tomac (USA), Yamaha
3. Cooper Webb (USA), Yamaha
5. Justin Barcia (USA), GASGAS
9. Malcolm Stewart (USA), Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing
DNF. Chase Sexton (USA), KTM

Standings 450SX Class 2024 after 14 of 17 rounds
1. Jett Lawrence, 286 points
2. Cooper Webb, 281
3. Eli Tomac, 253
4. Chase Sexton, 246
7. Aaron Plessinger, 198
9. Justin Barcia, 166
11. Malcolm Stewart, 155

Results 250SX East/West Showdown Class – Nashville
1. RJ Hampshire (USA), Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing
2. Jo Shimoda (JPN), Honda
3. Tom Vialle (FRA), KTM
9. Julien Beaumer (USA), KTM
11. Pierce Brown (USA), GASGAS
15. Casey Cochran (USA), Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing
19. Ryder DiFrancesco (USA), GASGAS

Standings 250SX East Class 2024 after 7 of 9 rounds
1. Tom Vialle, 136 points
2. Haiden Deegan, 123
3. Cameron McAdoo, 120
4. Pierce Brown, 116
24. Casey Cochran, 14

Standings 250SX West Class 2024 after 8 of 10 rounds
1. RJ Hampshire, 166 points
2. Levi Kitchen, 164
3. Jordon Smith, 148
6. Julien Beaumer, 106
12. Ryder DiFrancesco, 68

Vital Points for de Wolf as Coenen fights back at the MXGP of Trentino

Round three of 2024 MotoGP™ rounded the complex Circuit of the Americas in Texas and Husqvarna Motorcycles’ Tatsuki Suzuki scored 6th in Moto3™.

A 10th-place finish was the outcome for Malcolm Stewart in the 450SX Main Event at Foxborough, marking Round 13 of the 2024 AMA Supercross Championship. Tonight also marked the anticipated debut in 250SX East for Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing's Casey Cochran. Stewart has been gaining strength throughout the series since his return to competition on the Husqvarna Motorcycles FC 450 Rockstar Edition this year, recording his eighth top-10 result and continuing to take the positives out of each weekend completed. He was P9 in qualifying today and surged to fifth in his Heat, before racing hard in the Main Event for 10th, which sees him ranked 11th in the championship with four rounds left on the schedule.
"Foxborough was decent, even though of course the result isn't where we wanted it to be,"   Stewart commented.   "The track was definitely pretty gnarly. I went down in the Main Event in the final couple of laps, but at the end of the day, we've just gotta keep digging and keep moving forward. I rode hard, made some passes, and there are some positives to take – we'll get them next weekend! I've never raced in Nashville, so I'm excited for that one."
Foxborough saw the professional AMA Supercross debut of Cochran onboard his Husqvarna Motorcycles FC 250 Rockstar Edition in the eastern region of 250SX, the 17-year-old impressing from the outset by qualifying in third position on combined times. He then raced to P5 in Heat 2 of the night program, before clawing his way back from an early crash to 15th in a hard-fought first Main Event appearance.
"First pro Supercross race at Foxborough, it was tough,"   recalled Cochran.   "I mean, I had a pretty good day until the Main Event, went down on the first lap, and was basically dead last... I started to click a few laps together, but it's a whole new experience out there with these guys. Unfortunately, I had a second crash as well, then just did what I could from there. We get another go at it next weekend, so I learned a lot, and we'll take what we have and continue from here."
Following his breakout podium result in St. Louis, Rockstar Energy Husqvarna amateur newcomer Landon Gibson was back in action as part of the Supercross Futures category, but was unable to start the Main Event after sustaining a broken collarbone during the afternoon's practice session.

Next Race:  April 20 – Nashville, Tennessee

Results 450SX Class – Foxborough 1. Cooper Webb (USA), Yamaha 2. Chase Sexton (USA), KTM 3. Ken Roczen (GER), Suzuki 10. Malcolm Stewart (USA), Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing 11. Justin Barcia (USA), GASGAS

Standings 450SX Class 2024 after 13 of 17 rounds 1. Jett Lawrence, 261 points 2. Cooper Webb, 261 3. Chase Sexton, 246 7. Aaron Plessinger, 198 9. Justin Barcia, 149 11. Malcolm Stewart, 142

Results 250SX East Class – Foxborough 1. Haiden Deegan (USA), Yamaha 2. Cameron McAdoo (USA), Kawasaki 3. Tom Vialle (FRA), KTM 4. Pierce Brown (USA), GASGAS 15. Casey Cochran (USA), Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing

Standings 250SX East Class 2024 after 6 of 9 rounds 1. Cameron McAdoo, 120 points 2. Tom Vialle, 116 3. Haiden Deegan, 107 4. Pierce Brown, 105 29. Casey Cochran, 7

As the temperatures soared in Sardegna, so too did the results for the The Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing Team, with Kay de Wolf delivering an incredible overall third Grand Prix victory in a row, and Lucas Coenen winning Sunday’s opening moto.

Join the Husqvarna Factory Racing star for a feature-length look at his hard-fought and triumphant 2024 SuperEnduro campaign

A fourth-place result saw Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing rider RJ Hampshire only marginally finish outside of the 250SX West podium in St. Louis' final Triple Crown round of the 2024 AMA Supercross Championship, as Malcolm Stewart equaled his best finish of the year with seventh overall in 450SX. The afternoon saw Hampshire qualify on top of the timesheets, setting the tone for what would be another competitive night on his Husqvarna Motorcycles FC 250 Rockstar Edition. He recovered from an average start in the opening encounter for fourth and then repeated that result in Race 2, before P2 in Race 3 saw him credited fourth overall to retain second in the championship, just 15 points outside of the red plates.
"My riding was pretty good all day, but not my starts,"   Hampshire commented.   "4-4-2 is not going to get it done, so we will have a couple of weeks off and focus on the three rounds left [in the western region]. Get out of the gate better and I feel like I could have won tonight, but I didn't execute when it was time to go, and we will be better at Nashville."
Stewart, meanwhile, continued his fight in the 450SX division equipped with the Husqvarna Motorcycles FC 450 Rockstar Edition, qualifying ninth and then registering 7-9 finishes across the first two races of the evening. An eighth-place score in the final encounter resulted in him claiming seventh overall, in line with his best finish of the 2024 season to date.
"St. Louis was okay for me,"   said Stewart.   "We struggled a little bit on the starts, just trying to get up there to run with those guys. I'm going to enjoy this upcoming weekend off, clear my head in the outdoors, and come back swinging for the last five rounds. I know we keep saying it, but we're here in the fight and ain't ever gonna give up."
Round 12 of the season also saw the Supercross Futures back on track, where Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing newcomer Landon Gibson impressed on his way to second position on the podium, as Casey Cochran took the checkered flag in seventh place.
"It was such a great experience,"   Gibson reflected.   "I was tense the first two laps, but after that I got into a groove and I feel like I deserve this, so I'm really happy with the result and to finish on the podium."
Next Event (Round 13):  April 13, 2024 – Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts

450SX – St. Louis Results
1. Eli Tomac (Yamaha)
2. Cooper Webb (Yamaha)
3. Hunter Lawrence (Honda)
4. Aaron Plessinger (KTM)
5. Chase Sexton (KTM)
6. Justin Barcia (GASGAS)
7. Malcolm Stewart – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing

450SX Rider Point Standings after Round 12
1. Jett Lawrence (Honda) – 244 points
2. Cooper Webb (Yamaha) – 236 points
3. Chase Sexton (KTM) – 224 points
6. Aaron Plessinger (KTM) – 198 points
9. Justin Barcia (GASGAS) – 138 points
11. Malcolm Stewart – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 130 points

250SX West – St. Louis Results
1. Levi Kitchen (Kawasaki)
2. Jo Shimoda (Honda)
3. Jordon Smith (Yamaha)
4. RJ Hampshire – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing
7. Julien Beaumer (KTM)
8. Ryder DiFrancesco (GASGAS)

250SX West Rider Point Standings after Round 7
1. Levi Kitchen (Kawasaki) – 156 points
2. RJ Hampshire – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing – 141 points
3. Jordon Smith (Yamaha) – 130 points
6. Julien Beaumer (KTM) – 93 points
13. Ryder DiFrancesco (GASGAS) – 65 points

Decent points and pace for LIQUI MOLY Husqvarna IntactGP at the second round of 2024 MotoGP™ as Collin Veijer logs his second top six result of the season with the FR 250 GP.

A solid second-place finish signaled a convincing return to action for Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing's RJ Hampshire as the 250SX West division resumed in Seattle, marking Round 11 of the 2024 AMA Supercross Championship. In what was the sixth race of the western regional series, Hampshire rode his Husqvarna Motorcycles FC 250 Rockstar Edition to P6 in qualifying and built momentum from there. He improved to second in his Heat and then repeated that result in the Main Event despite a difficult start, continuing to challenge for the title in its middle stages and only sitting eight points outside of the red plate. "I was second in the Heat race and then I settled down for the Main Event, but I'm not sure what happened off the start – I must have spun or something and those first couple of laps were hectic,"   recalled Hampshire.   "I made some good passes, but this track was brutal tonight, and we're happy to be on the podium in the end. We said we wanted to be solid tonight and that's all we had, so we will take second and look forward to St. Louis."
Tonight was also a promising one for Malcolm Stewart at Lumen Field in the 450SX category, taking an encouraging fourth-place result in Heat 2 equipped with his Husqvarna Motorcycles FC 450 Rockstar Edition. After featuring inside the top 10 early on, Stewart eventually claimed 11th position and is determined to keep gaining form in the final stages of the season.
"Seattle was definitely muddy in practice, but the track actually turned out okay for the night show,"   Stewart commented.   "I was P4 in the Heat, which was okay, and then in the Main Event we were running okay again to begin with, but I got a little tight and the track started going away. When you start riding the track like that you start making a lot of mistakes, so we ended up 11th and that's not the result we were looking for, but we'll live to fight another day."
Next Event (Round 12):  March 30, 2024 – The Dome at America's Center in St. Louis, Missouri

450SX – Seattle Results
1. Cooper Webb (Yamaha)
2. Chase Sexton (KTM)
3. Jett Lawrence (Honda)
4. Aaron Plessinger (KTM)
9. Justin Barcia (GASGAS)
11. Malcolm Stewart – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing

450SX Rider Point Standings after Round 11
1. Jett Lawrence (Honda) – 230 points
2. Cooper Webb (Yamaha) – 214 points
3. Chase Sexton (KTM) - 207 points
6. Aaron Plessinger (KTM) – 162 points
9. Justin Barcia (GASGAS) – 122 points
11. Malcolm Stewart – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 115 points

250SX West – Seattle Results
1. Levi Kitchen (Kawasaki)
2. RJ Hampshire – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing
3. Jo Shimoda (Honda)
7. Julien Beaumer (KTM)
13. Ryder DiFrancesco (GASGAS)

250SX West Rider Point Standings
1. Levi Kitchen (Kawasaki) – 131 points
2. RJ Hampshire – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing – 123 points
3. Jordon Smith (Yamaha) – 110 points
7. Julien Beaumer (KTM) – 78 points
14. Ryder DiFrancesco (GASGAS) – 51 points

An encouraging run of consistent finishes saw Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing's Malcolm Stewart claim eighth place overall in Indianapolis at the second Triple Crown round of the year. Stewart continues to build momentum in the 2024 AMA Supercross Championship after missing the majority of last season through injury, racing to 9-8-8 results across the three 450SX races onboard his Husqvarna Motorcycles FC 450 Rockstar Edition in Indy.
In navigating some of the most technical track conditions of the year, Stewart managed to keep charging throughout the night and improved with each gate drop, which now has him positioned 11th in the championship standings following Round 10 of 17. He's also excited to head to Seattle next weekend, where he's had strong results in the past during his professional career.
"Indy was tough for everybody with the track conditions, but we went 9-8-8 to end up ninth overall,"   said Stewart.   "It was not too bad, I felt like we got better as the mains went on – the intensity is always so high at these Triple Crown races. Obviously, it could have been a better night or a worse night, and we're leaving here healthy again, ready to keep pushing ahead. It will be good to get to Seattle, I always ride well there, and I'm really looking forward to that one."
Next Saturday night in Seattle will also see the return of the 250SX West category, where Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing's RJ Hampshire is currently positioned third in the standings on his Husqvarna Motorcycles FC 250 Rockstar Edition, only five points outside of the lead.
Next Event (Round 11):  March 23, 2024 – Lumen Field in Seattle, Washington

450SX – Indianapolis Results
1. Jett Lawrence (Honda)
2. Ken Roczen (Suzuki)
3. Chase Sexton (KTM)
…
9. Malcolm Stewart – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing

450SX Rider Point Standings after Round 10
1. Jett Lawrence (Honda) – 210 points
2. Cooper Webb (Yamaha) – 189 points
3. Chase Sexton (KTM) - 185 points
...
11. Malcolm Stewart – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 104 points

Kay de Wolf Raises the bar for the 2024 MX2 Season - Taking a Win and the Red Plate at the Season Opener.

Promising speed and performances by the LIQUI MOLY Husqvarna IntactGP team at the Lusail International Circuit and the first episodes of Moto3™ and Moto2™ competition this season.

Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing's Malcolm Stewart pushed on for a well-earned 10th-place finish at Birmingham's ninth round of the 2024 AMA Supercross Championship, continuing to gain strength as 450SX reached its halfway point tonight. Supercross made a welcome debut at Protective Stadium in Alabama and Stewart was in the mix from the outset on his Husqvarna Motorcycles FC 450 Rockstar Edition, qualifying in sixth as the track conditions began to dry and improve.
Stewart then impressed on his way to third in his Heat race once the night program commenced, before an early crash in the Main Event while running inside the top 10 saw him bumped toward the rear of the pack. From there he put on a charge, climbing all the way back to 10th position and taking confidence from his effort in technical conditions.
"Birmingham actually treated me well, we had a good round in its own weird way,"   Stewart reflected.   "The track was a little muddy in practice and qualifying, but I ended up P6 this afternoon and then the Heat was really good, so ended up third in that one. The Main Event wasn't terrible and it wasn't a bad start inside the top 10. I tried to make a pass on one of the outsides of the turns though and went down, it was just one of those things – I just lost the front.
"I got back up, rode strong and we ended up P10, so overall everything has been going well. It's heading the way that we want it to go on the motorcycle, but we're just having a few issues with the racing side of it and making these little mistakes. Onto Indy now and we're looking forward to that, I think the Triple Crown will be good for us! I'm stoked as a team, we live and learn, and everybody's trying their best including myself, so it is just a matter of time until we are where we want to be." Next Event (Round 10):  March 16, 2024 – Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana

450SX – Birmingham Results
1. Jett Lawrence (Honda)
2. Cooper Webb (Yamaha)
3. Ken Roczen (Suzuki)
…
10. Malcolm Stewart – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing

450SX Rider Point Standings after Round 9
1. Jett Lawrence (Honda) – 185 points
2. Cooper Webb (Yamaha) – 172 points
3. Chase Sexton (KTM) - 165 points
...
11. Malcolm Stewart – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 91 points
18. Christian Craig – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 39 points

Testing is complete and the LIQUI MOLY Husqvarna IntactGP team are now set-up and ready inside the paddock of the Lusail International Circuit anticipating the beginning of 2024 MotoGP™. Husqvarna Motorcycles enters the 21-round campaign with sights narrowed on the Moto3 crown and significant evolution for only its second term in the Moto2 category.

Husqvarna Factory Racing star to miss first half of 2024 Hard Enduro season

A season-best seventh position continued Malcolm Stewart's mid-season uplift at Daytona's eighth round of the 2024 AMA Supercross Championship, the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing rider taking his third top-10 result in a row. Stewart has been gaining race fitness and comfort as the 450SX season approaches its middle stages, powering his Husqvarna Motorcycles FC 450 Rockstar Edition to fourth place in the Heat Race. The Main Event was just as promising, overcoming grueling track conditions to claim P7 and make further inroads on the front-runners after missing much of last season through injury.
"Being the closest race to a hometown weekend for me, Daytona treated me okay,"   Stewart said .  "The Heat wasn't too bad, vision was kind of tough being where I was, but we made some passes and ended up fourth in that one. Main Event, the track went away really fast and it was a typical, really hard Daytona. At the end of the day, we ended up P7 – it could have been better, could have been worse. My headspace is okay, we're going to look forward to Alabama, get back to regular Supercross, and get back up front."
Rockstar Energy Husqvarna's Casey Cochran impressed in his first 250SX Futures appearance of the season, qualifying on top of the charts this afternoon to take first gate pick for the Main Event. He recovered from a bad start to make his way to third position, opening his campaign with a podium result on the Husqvarna Motorcycles FC 250.
"I felt pretty solid all day, really comfortable, and was super-excited for the Main Event,"   Cochran said.   "It was a tough start for me, I was buried pretty far back and was struggling to get into a flow out there. It was one of those nights where you couldn't really get into the rhythm you wanted to – the track was like a minefield getting around – so I'm happy to still get a podium finish."
The weekend also marked the first showing for new recruit Landon Gibson in the 250SX Futures, the talented young rider on debut gaining immense experience on his way to 11th place. He ran as high as sixth at around halfway, only for a mistake to drop him down the order and to eventually take the checkered flag just outside the top 10.
"It was definitely a learning curve,"   reflected Gibson.   "I was far inside on the gate and got swarmed off the start in the Main Event, then later on, after the whoops I went down pretty hard. That was that and I know what I need to work on from here – I'm looking forward to lining up again now."
Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing 450SX regular Christian Craig is scheduled to undergo surgery next week on his ongoing elbow injury, which will extend his time on the sidelines. We look forward to welcoming him back to racing once he is healed and healthy to line up again.
Next Event (Round 9):  March 9, 2024 – Protective Stadium in Birmingham, Alabama
Round 8 Results: Daytona
450SX – Daytona Results 1. Jett Lawrence (Honda) 2. Eli Tomac (Yamaha) 3. Chase Sexton (KTM) … 7. Malcolm Stewart – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing
250SX Futures – Daytona Results 1. Drew Adams (Kawasaki) 2. Cole Davies (GASGAS) 3. Casey Cochran – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna … 11. Landon Gibson – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna
450SX Rider Point Standings 1. Jett Lawrence (Honda) – 160 points 2. Cooper Webb (Yamaha) – 150 points 3. Chase Sexton (KTM) - 147 points ... 12. Malcolm Stewart – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 79 points 17. Christian Craig – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 39 points
250SX Futures Rider Point Standings 1. Cole Davies (GASGAS) – 47 points 2. Drew Adams (Kawasaki) – 41 points 3. Parker Ross (Honda) – 36 points … 8. Casey Cochran – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna - 20 points 18. Landon Gibson – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna - 11 points

Husqvarna Factory Racing enduro start secures fourth world indoor title in a row with victory in United Kingdom

Spanish rookie undergoes surgery on broken femur following training crash in Florida

Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing pair Malcolm Stewart and Guillem Farres both managed ninth-place results at Arlington's seventh round of the 2024 AMA Supercross Championship, with both displaying front-running pace throughout the program. While Christian Craig was unfortunately ruled out of the Millitary Appreciation Round with a re-aggravated elbow injury following press day at AT&T Stadium, it was Stewart who flew the flag solo in the 450SX division on his Husqvarna Motorcycles FC 450 Rockstar Edition.

Stewart was seventh on the charts at the conclusion of qualifying and then battled for the victory in Heat 2 on his way to second position. A troubled Main Event saw him go down early and recover to ninth, marking his third top 10 of the season in an inspired performance. Importantly, his confidence is on the rise in the mid-stages of the season.

"Arlington always treats me okay and all day I felt really good on the bike,"   explained Stewart.   "I was gelling with everything and it was good to lead in the Heat. I enjoy being on the East Coast, we've all been putting in the work, and it's beginning to click. In the Main Event, we made some passes really quickly but came together with another rider and went down. I got back up and felt like it was one of the best rides I've had all year long. I know the results aren't what everyone wants to see on paper, but we've been moving in the right direction and it's just a matter of time before we're heading for the box or a win."

The resumption of 250SX East was a welcome one for Farres as he continued to gain Supercross experience during his rookie campaign, qualifying in an encouraging sixth position and then claiming fourth in his Heat. The Main Event saw him ride to ninth place, banking his second top 10 result in a row onboard the Husqvarna Motorcycles FC 250 Rockstar Edition.

"My day started pretty good, felt good in practice, and then in qualifying I was sixth,"   Farres said.   "The Heat was positive with fourth and then I felt good coming into the Main Event. The start was decent, around top-five, and then I made a mistake and got passed by a couple of riders. I ended up ninth and felt better towards the end, so overall I am happy because we made a big step from Detroit in the past few weeks."

Next Event (Round 8):  March 2, 2024 – Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida

Round 7 Results:  Arlington

450SX – Arlington Results
1. Cooper Webb (Yamaha)
2. Eli Tomac (Yamaha)
3. Aaron Plessinger (KTM)
…
9. Malcolm Stewart – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing

250SX East – Arlington Results
1. Haiden Deegan (Yamaha)
2. Cameron McAdoo (Kawasaki)
3. Tom Vialle (KTM)
…
9. Guillem Farres – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing

450SX Rider Point Standings
1. Jett Lawrence (Honda) – 135 points
2. Cooper Webb (Yamaha) – 132 points
3. Aaron Plessinger (KTM) - 128 points
...
12. Malcolm Stewart – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 64 points
16. Christian Craig – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 39 points

250SX East Rider Point Standings
1. Max Anstie (Honda) – 38 points
2. Pierce Brown (GASGAS) – 34 points
3. Daxton Bennick (Yamaha) – 32 points
…
9. Guillem Farres – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing - 27 points

Husqvarna Factory Racing star edges closer to fourth consecutive indoor world title with a clean sweep of wins at penultimate round in Sofia

Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing team rider and MXGP talent Mattia Guadagnini will not participate in the opening round of the 2024 FIM Motocross World Championship in Patagonia-Argentina, due to injuries sustained in a crash during pre-season training in the South of France. Guadagnini was promptly transferred to the nearest local hospital for check ups, where he was diagnosed with a fractured shoulder blade, and soft tissue injuries to his lower arm. The latter required minor surgery, which was successfully carried out this morning. The medical team has conducted comprehensive functionality tests, revealing no damage to nerves or tendons, with positive forecasts for a full recovery of the arm. However, the timeline for this recovery remains undetermined at this stage. Guadagnini is expected to be discharged from the hospital within 48 hours, with plans to return to Belgium for further assessments and a second opinion on his injuries to establish a clearer recovery timeframe. As a result, participation in the MXGP of Patagonia-Argentina has been ruled out, with further examinations required to provide an indication of when he might return to racing.
Rasmus Jorgensen, Team Manager of Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing, stated: "This is a setback for Mattia and the team, but we are relieved that his injuries are not as severe as initially feared. Our focus now is on his recovery and ensuring he receives the best possible care. We appreciate the concern and support from the MXGP community and will provide updates as we learn more about Mattia's condition and expected return to racing."
Further information regarding Guadagnini's recovery progress and expected return to competition will be shared in due course. The team wishes Mattia a swift and full recovery and looks forward to his return to the MXGP circuit.

Register today to secure a place on the start line for the 2024 edition of the pioneering e-motorsport series

Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s RJ Hampshire has returned to the top step of the 250SX West Class podium at Round 6 of the 2024 AMA Supercross Championship in Glendale, Arizona, on a night where 450SX teammates Malcolm Stewart and Christian Craig both raced to season-best results. Hampshire resumed his quest for the western regional championship by posting the third-fastest qualifying time onboard his Husqvarna Motorcycles FC 250 Rockstar Edition, which he would follow up with P3 in his Heat Race.
A top-three start in the Main Event saw the number 24 exercise patience as the battle unfolded at the front, with a decisive move for the lead allowing Hampshire to move into clean air, as he extended his winning margin to over two seconds as the checkered flag flew. He's now within five points of the red plates entering a six-week break in the 250SX West schedule.
“Glendale was awesome,”   recalled Hampshire.   “The ending was especially awesome, but I felt really good at the beginning of the day, and then had a big case in the first timed qualifying. I was in a lot of pain from that, although I knew I needed to pull it together for the Main, and that was when I rode my best. I made a couple of quick passes, then saw I had a bit of a gap after the others made mistakes, and just managed it from there. Really stoked and am looking forward to some time off before Seattle.”
450SX contender Stewart was ranked P6 in qualifying inside the sizable State Farm Stadium, before racing to a convincing second-place finish in his Heat Race, and taking his Husqvarna Motorcycles FC 450 Rockstar Edition into the Main Event.
Starting outside the top 10, Stewart charged all race long as he progressively made his way up the leaderboard, putting in a spirited ride that would last the entire Main Event to land him eighth place for the night and his best finish of the season so far.
“Glendale went fairly well for me,”  said Stewart.   “Qualifying was decent with P6, then we finished with P2 in the Heat Race, which felt really good to be up there. Main Event, not a great start, so I just had to pick my way through the field and got all the way back up to P8. My riding was great, although you need to get the start in this class, so we’ll work on those heading into Arlington.” Craig, meanwhile, found comfort early in Arizona as he qualified in ninth position, which he converted into a P7 score in his Heat Race. In posting a calculated ride on a highly-technical circuit, Craig would seal P12 in the Main Event, which was also his best result of the year. “Glendale started off well, I felt comfortable right away with the layout and big rhythm sections,”   Craig commented.   “I struggled a little with arm strength today for some reason, which was frustrating, so this week off comes at a good time. Feeling more comfortable, had more fun, so I feel the improvements are coming over the break.”
Next Event (Round 7):  February 24, 2024 – AT&T Stadium, Arlington Texas.

Round 6 Results: Glendale

250SX West – Glendale Results 1. RJ Hampshire – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing 2. Levi Kitchen (Kawasaki) 3. Jo Shimoda (Honda)

450SX – Glendale Results 1. Ken Roczen (Suzuki) 2. Jason Anderson (Kawasaki) 3. Jett Lawrence (Honda) … 8. Malcolm Stewart – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing 12. Christian Craig – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing

250SX West Rider Point Standings 1. Levi Kitchen (Kawasaki) – 106 points 2. Jordon Smith (Yamaha) – 102 points 3. RJ Hampshire – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing – 101 points

450SX Rider Point Standings 1. Jett Lawrence (Honda) – 117 points 2. Chase Sexton (KTM) – 111 points 3. Aaron Plessinger (KTM) – 108 points ... 12. Malcolm Stewart – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing – 51 points 15. Christian Craig – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing – 39 points

Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing experienced a mixed day at Round 5 of the 2024 AMA Supercross Championship in Detroit, with 450SX contenders Malcolm Stewart and Christian Craig racing to P11 and P13 results, while 250SX East Class rookie Guillem Farres claimed a solid eighth place finish on debut. Stewart opened race day by registering the ninth-fastest qualifying time aboard his Husqvarna Motorcycles FC 450 Rockstar Edition, adjusting to the softer, rutty conditions that the East Coast dirt served, before powering his way to fifth place in his Heat Race.
A top 10 start saw Stewart battling forward in the premier class Main Event, before an untimely fall while making further passes ultimately cost him a stronger result. Tumbling down the running order, the fan favorite would eventually climb into 11th position by race's end. “Detroit, I was P1 in Free Practice, which meant I felt pretty good all day,”   recalled Stewart.   “Ninth overall in qualifying, then fifth in the Heat, and felt really good at that point. I tried to get by [Jason] Anderson in the whoops after a good start, and then just dropped it at the end of the set there. It really sucks to crash like that, but I fought hard for 11th – the riding has been improving, so we’ll keep fighting.”
450SX teammate Craig started the day with consistency, posting a time good enough for P13 in qualifying, before improving to seventh place in his Heat Race. In struggling for track position on the technical track surface, he would salvage a 13th place finish to complete his day inside Ford Field.
As the Eastern Region made its anticipated first showing of the year, Guillem Farres made his Supercross debut, with the talented Spaniard piecing together a confidence-inspiring day across the variety of sessions. Ninth place in 250SX East qualifying, followed by P7 in his Heat Race set the rookie up well entering the Main Event, where he went on to finish in eighth position on the Husqvarna Motorcycles FC 250 Rockstar Edition.
“Detroit was pretty good, especially for my first Supercross ever!”   Farres commented.   “Luckily, I got the track pretty dialed on press day, which was helpful. I felt good in my qualifiers today and then was super nervous heading into the Heat Race, but got a decent start and finished seventh. Then, in the Main there was a massive pile-up that I was lucky to avoid... I was running sixth until the last lap before a small tip-over, so I am a little mad about the fall, but happy with my first Supercross.”
Next Event (Round 6):  February 10, 2024 – State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona
Round 5 Results: Detroit
250SX East – Detroit Results 1. Austin Forkner (Kawasaki) 2. Max Anstie (Honda) 3. Daxton Bennick (Yamaha) … 8. Guillem Farres – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing
450SX – Detroit Results 1. Jett Lawrence (Honda) 2. Chase Sexton (KTM) 3. Ken Roczen (Suzuki) … 11. Malcolm Stewart – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing 13. Christian Craig – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing
250SX East Rider Point Standings 1. Austin Forkner (Kawasaki) – 25 points 2. Max Anstie (Honda) – 22 points 3. Daxton Bennick (Yamaha) – 20 points … 8. Guillem Farres – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing - 13 points
450SX Rider Point Standings 1. Chase Sexton (KTM) – 98 points 2. Jett Lawrence (Honda) – 97 points 3. Aaron Plessinger (KTM) - 96 points ... 14. Malcolm Stewart – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 37 points 17. Christian Craig – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 29 points

Husqvarna Factory Racing star delivers a masterclass inside the MVM Dome in Budapest to claim the overall win at round five

With just over a month to go until the start of the 2024 FIM Motocross World Championship season, the Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing Team has unveiled their rider lineup; boasting an exciting mix of raw talent and experience.

Guadagnini, de Wolf, and Coenen prepare for 2024 MXGP and MX2 campaigns

Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing rider RJ Hampshire rebounded to a well-deserved second-place finish in the 250SX West Class at Round 4 of AMA Supercross action in Anaheim, California, on a night where 450SX contenders Malcolm Stewart and Christian Craig finished the Triple Crown event with P10 and P14 results, respectively. Hampshire charged to pole position onboard his Husqvarna Motorcycles FC 250 Rockstar Edition in the Anaheim 2 round, before carrying that momentum into the opening Race of the Triple Crown format, in which he would go on to register a P2 result.
Race 2 saw Hampshire jump out of the gates to a strong start as he sat inside the top three, biding his time in P2 before making a decisive pass for the race lead. Managing the race comfortably at the front, he would collect a popular Race 2 win.
A small mishap in Race 3 saw Hampshire briefly on the ground, however, the number 24 would recover for seventh position, which was enough for second overall on the night and he is currently third in the 250SX West standings.
“It was a solid night at A2 and I was fast all day,”   recalled Hampshire.   “We topped all three practices, and the first two Races were awesome – I had so much fun battling with Levi [Kitchen], we put on a good show, which was sick. Third Race, not a great start, and then just a bit of a mishap. Still made up a lot of points, cut the deficit in half, so I’m stoked on that.”
Stewart would start his Anaheim 2 race day by sealing the fourth-fastest qualifying time in 450SX overall, which the Floridian would follow up with a strong start in Race 1. An unfortunate fall while battling inside the top 10 would result in 11th place for the Husqvarna Motorcycles FC 450 Rockstar Edition pilot.
Races 2 and 3 saw the number 27 improve his position on each occasion despite being hampered by mid-field starts, collecting P10 and P9 results across the remaining races, which meant a 10th-place finish on the night and his best of the season upon return from injury.
“A2 for me, there are positives to take,”   said Stewart .  "I was P1 in the first qualifier and then was affected by some tough starts in the Races for the Triple Crown. Went down in Race 1 with Hunter [Lawrence], came back to 11th. Then the others, just struggled with starts again, but I’m getting back into the swing of things – I haven't raced for a long time, so this one really felt like A1 to me. We’re heading in the right direction and it’s going to come, so we’ll keep on trucking into Detroit.”
450SX challenger Craig collected the 15th-fastest qualifying time, before going down on the opening lap in Race 1 and recovering to P17. A 12th place in Race 2, coupled with 13th in the third Race earned him 14th overall for the weekend. “My day started decently and qualifying went okay,”   Craig commented .  “It was nice to be on a dry track after the last couple of weeks, but yeah, I went down in the second corner in Race 1 and was way, way back. Inched up, did what I could, then in the second one I think I got 12th. Race 3, not enough intensity at the start, got passed a bunch, and then had to try to make those passes back. It has been a frustrating start to the season, but we’ll keep trying.”
Next Event (Round 5):  February 3, 2024 – Ford Field in Detroit, Mich.
Round 4 Results: Anaheim 2
250SX West – Triple Crown Results 1. Levi Kitchen (Kawasaki) 2. RJ Hampshire – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing 3. Nate Thrasher (Yamaha)
450SX – Triple Crown Results 1. Cooper Webb (Yamaha) 2. Eli Tomac (Yamaha) 3. Aaron Plessinger (KTM) … 10. Malcolm Stewart – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing 14. Christian Craig – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing
250SX West Rider Point Standings 1. Jordon Smith (Yamaha) – 84 points 2. Levi Kitchen (Kawasaki) – 84 points 3. RJ Hampshire – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing – 76 points
450SX Rider Point Standings 1. Aaron Plessinger (KTM) – 80 points 2. Chase Sexton (KTM) – 76 points 3. Cooper Webb (Yamaha) - 74 points ... 15. Malcolm Stewart – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 26 points 17. Christian Craig – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 20 points

Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing endured a challenging night of racing at Round 3 of the 2024 AMA Supercross Championship in San Diego, California, with RJ Hampshire taking a sixth-place result in the 250SX West division, while Malcolm Stewart and Christian Craig encountered their share of adversity in 450SX. Hampshire opened the day by posting the third-fastest qualifying time, before rocketing out of the gates onboard his Husqvarna Motorcycles FC 250 Rockstar Edition in the Heat Race. Despite a troubled affair, he eventually claimed P6 to transfer into the Main Event. In mixed conditions with rain beginning to fall once again, Hampshire launched to the holeshot in the 250SX West Main Event, extending his lead to a two-second margin throughout the opening stages of the race. An all-out battle ensued for first place throughout the entirety of the race, with a late race mishap demoting him to sixth place. “Just another mudder here in SD and another tough night,”   recalled Hampshire .  “I got off to an awesome start and then led a lot of laps in the Main, but threw away a podium with two corners to go. Super-frustrating, but nothing I can do about it now. Time to go home, regroup, and we need a win next week in Anaheim.” Tenth place for Stewart in 450SX qualifying translated into a strong Heat Race ride, as the number 27 charged the entire duration of the race and fell short of the victory by a small margin, claiming second place. An opening lap fall for Stewart made for a tough premier class Main Event, with a race impacted by errors resulting in a 19th-place score. “San Diego was another mud race,”   said Stewart .  “We qualified 10th in the dry, then got off to a great start in the Heat Race and finished with second, which pulled me out of a bit of a slump I felt I was in. Then in the Main Event, I spun off the gate – no big deal – and then I came together with another rider and went down in the first lane, which pretty much summed my race up. The bars were tweaked, so I visited the mechanic's area, but again my speed was super-good. We're off to a Triple Crown next weekend and my starts have been good, so I’m confident of a good night of racing in Anaheim to turn things around.” 450SX challenger Craig posted the 11th-fastest qualifying time, before improving to a fifth-place finish in his Heat Race and a direct transfer into the Main Event for the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing rider. Jumping out of the gates to a good start, Craig ran inside the top 10 before cross-rutting in the muddy terrain, which resulted in him coming together with another ride. A visit to the mechanics area meant that the Californian was buried deep in the field and was credited with P20. “The day started pretty good with qualifying in P11,”   Craig commented.   “I was riding good and felt really strong, but then the rain came down, unfortunately. Got off to a sweet start to the Heat and was running up front for a while, then made a couple of mistakes in the mud, which shifted me back to fifth. I got another good start in the Main, but just cross-rutted in the mud and another rider completely landed on me from behind. It's racing, unfortunately, it took me a while to get going, took a trip to the pits, put my head down and did what I could. Another bad result, but we’ll put our heads down for A2.” Next Event (Round 4):  January 27, 2024 – Angel Stadium in Anaheim, Calif. Round 3 Results:  San Diego 250SX West – Main Event 1. Nate Thrasher (Yamaha)  2. Garrett Marchbanks (Yamaha) 3. Jordon Smith (Yamaha) … 6. RJ Hampshire – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing 450SX – Main Event 1. Aaron Plessinger (KTM) 2. Cooper Webb (Yamaha) 3. Justin Barcia (GASGAS) … 19. Malcolm Stewart – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing 20. Christian Craig – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing 250SX West Rider Point Standings 1. Jordon Smith (Yamaha) – 67 points 2. Levi Kitchen (Kawasaki) – 59 points  3. Garrett Marchbanks (Yamaha) – 57 points … 4. RJ Hampshire – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing – 54 points 450SX Rider Point Standings 1. Aaron Plessinger (KTM) – 60 points 2. Chase Sexton (KTM) – 59 points 3. Jett Lawrence (Honda) - 56 points
...
17. Malcolm Stewart – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 14 points 18. Christian Craig – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 12 points

Husqvarna Factory Racing ace puts in a spirited ride to take the overall win at round four and extend his SuperEnduro championship lead

Husqvarna Factory Racing rider delivers commendable performance over demanding two-week event to secure top-10 result

Excellent performance on penultimate day of racing maintains Husqvarna Factory Racing rider's seventh place overall

Argentinian rally star retains seventh in the overall standings with two days left to race

Strong performance sees Husqvarna Factory Racing rider move up to seventh in the overall standings

Husqvarna Factory Racing rider brings his FR 450 Rally home to complete tough day as runner-up

It was a challenging evening for Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing at the second round of the 2024 AMA Supercross Championship in San Francisco, California, with RJ Hampshire salvaging a ninth-place finish in the 250SX West division, as Christian Craig and Malcolm Stewart battled hard against the elements in 450SX. Entering with the points lead, Hampshire continued his impressive form in the San Francisco mud by topping the qualifying timesheets amidst the chaotic conditions. A consistent ride on his Husqvarna FC 250 Rockstar Edition resulted in a second-place finish for his Heat Race. As the conditions worsened for the Main Event, Hampshire got off to a mid-field start, which created an eventful race of being caught up with other downed riders. Despite those challenges, Hampshire salvaged a P9 result and a solid bag of points toward the championship. “Man, that was just a really, really, long and tough day for us,”   recalled Hampshire .  “Start was decent, got up to fourth, I think… but stuff happens with this type of racing with a guy cross-rutting and falling into me. I was in a really bad spot to go down in, hard to get back going, but managed what I could and knew I needed to get some points, so now headed to San Diego and hoping it’ll be a lot better than this weekend.” 450SX racer Craig posted the 15th-fastest qualifying time, before improving to a seventh-place finish in his Heat Race and a direct transfer into the Main Event for the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing pilot. A high-speed fall on the start straight meant that Craig would be playing catch-up for the remainder of the race, which the Californian would do, and claw his way back to a 14th-place finish as the checkered flag flew. “The day started off as a mud race and that’s obviously chaos,”   Craig commented.   “Qualified decent, then went to the Heat Race just wanting to make it through to the Main, which we did. In the Main I went down 100 feet off the start, was lying in the mud with some others for a while, but just charged from the back and did what we could do. I'm excited for some dry conditions next weekend.” For teammate Stewart, he navigated the challenging conditions onboard his Husqvarna FC 450 Rockstar Edition to the ninth-quickest 450SX qualifying time, before crossing the finish line in sixth place for his Heat Race. A difficult night of racing, combined with a trip to the mechanic's area, saw the number 27 credited 22nd. “SF was a muddy one for us,”   said Stewart .  “Went down off the start, then the vision was blind for a bit, pulled a tear-off and I was in the tuff blocks. It got stuck in around the shifter, and someone had to go get a razor blade to cut it, so that’s how I got back on the track! Didn’t do very well, it was survival mode, and in these conditions, it’s hard to predict where you’ll end up. I'm disappointed as the team and I made great progress through the week, but we're looking forward to San Diego where I got my first Heat Race win last year.” Next Event (Round 3):  January 20, 2024 – Snapdragon Stadium in San Diego, Calif. Round 2 Results:  San Francisco 250SX West – Main Event 1. Jordon Smith (Yamaha) 2. Levi Kitchen (Kawasaki)  3. Garrett Marchbanks (Yamaha) … 9. RJ Hampshire – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing 450SX – Main Event 1. Chase Sexton (KTM) 2. Eli Tomac (Yamaha) 3. Ken Roczen (Suzuki) … 14. Christian Craig – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing 22. Malcolm Stewart – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing 250SX West Rider Point Standings 1. Jordon Smith (Yamaha) – 47 points 3. Levi Kitchen (Kawasaki) – 42 points  3. RJ Hampshire – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing – 38 points 450SX Rider Point Standings 1. Chase Sexton (KTM) – 45 points 2. Jett Lawrence (Honda) 38 points 3. Eli Tomac (Yamaha) 35 points … 17. Malcolm Stewart – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing – 11 points 18. Christian Craig – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing – 10 points

Week two at the Dakar begins with another excellent result for the Husqvarna Factory Racing star

Argentinian lies eighth overall on his Husqvarna Factory Racing machine after demanding first week of racing

Husqvarna Factory Racing rider delivers excellent performance on demanding two-day special

Husqvarna Factory Racing rider reaches penultimate rest point in fifth place after physically demanding sixth day in Saudi Arabia

Husqvarna Factory Racing rider posts ninth-fastest time on fast and demanding special

Husqvarna Factory Racing rider continues strong run of form to lie sixth overall

Husqvarna Factory Racing ace now lies in provisional ninth place overall

Husqvarna Factory Racing star delivers strong performance on second stage in Saudi Arabia

Luciano Benavides places 15th after a demanding opening stage in the Saudi Arabian Desert

Husqvarna Factory Racing ace claims the top step of the podium for the third time in the 2024 SuperEnduro series with a winning ride in Riesa

Victory for Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s RJ Hampshire in the 2024 AMA Supercross Championship season-opener at Anaheim 1 marked an exceptional start to his season in 250SX West, as 450SX teammates Malcolm Stewart and Christian Craig each experienced their share of adversity at the opening round. Hampshire was fast as soon as bikes were on-track at Angel Stadium, with the title contender rocketing his Husqvarna FC 250 Rockstar Edition to second position during the afternoon’s qualifying sessions.
That momentum continued for Hampshire into his Heat Race, where he pieced together a ride that very nearly earned him the win, before crossing the line in second place and setting the stage for a strong Main Event.
Launching out of the gates for a top three-start, Hampshire exercised patience in the opening laps and allowing the race to unfold, before making his way into the lead and taking control from there, eventually capturing the victory and taking hold of the series leader's red plate heading into Round 2.
“A1 was awesome for me and it was a dream of mine to win Anaheim 1 and leave with the red plate,”   commented Hampshire.   “Super-happy with the day, felt awesome on my Husqvarna and am thankful for the whole team, they’ve been crushing it for me and it shows tonight. I took what the night gave me and it gave me a win, so I'm happy with where we are at, there's a lot of good things going right now, and we’ll stay level-headed heading into San Fran next week.”
Stewart made his welcome return to competition at Anaheim 1 after spending the majority of last year on the sidelines due to injury, with the number 27 looking fit and ready to attack 2024. He opened proceedings by posting the 10th-fastest qualifying time, before charging to an impressive third position in his Heat Race.
An unfortunate fall on the opening lap of the Main Event for Stewart after being collected in a pile-up made for a difficult outing, as the Husqvarna FC 450 Rockstar Edition pilot was tasked with a come-from-behind ride as he remounted toward the rear of the field. He showed immense heart and fought until the final lap, where he recovered to an inspired 11th-place finish.
“I got the first one out the way and it’s been a whole year since I’ve raced,”   noted Stewart.   “We ended up 11th after going down on the first lap, got back up and then went down again. But honestly, I’m just glad to be back racing, I rode good in the Main Event, but the results weren’t there. We have something to build off now, the team’s been working really hard and we had a great off-season. The results don’t show that, but I have 16 rounds left to show what we can do. I started like this in 2022 and came back for third in the championship, so tonight was just unfortunate, but these races happen, and now we’ll start stacking up top fives and podiums to get right back up in the mix.”
Premier class teammate Craig entered this season after a grueling off-season in Florida by recording a time that landed him P14 in qualifying, converting that into a seventh-place finish in the first Heat Race of the night, which would transfer him directly into the Main Event. Unfortunately, it would not go as planned for Craig, who withdrew during the early stages and was credited with 20th position.
Next Event (Round 2):  January 13, 2024 – Oracle Park in San Francisco, Calif.
Round 1 Results:  Anaheim
250SX West – Main Event 1. RJ Hampshire – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing 2. Jordon Smith (Yamaha) 3. Levi Kitchen (Kawasaki)
450SX – Main Event 1. Jett Lawrence (Honda) 2. Jason Anderson (Kawasaki) 3. Chase Sexton (KTM) … 11. Malcolm Stewart – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing 20. Christian Craig – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing
250SX West Rider Point Standings 1. RJ Hampshire  – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing  – 25 points 2. Jordon Smith (Yamaha) – 22 points 3. Levi Kitchen (Kawasaki) – 20 points
450SX Rider Point Standings 1. Jett Lawrence (Honda) – 25 points 2. Jason Anderson (Kawasaki) 22 points 3. Chase Sexton (KTM) 20 points … 11. Malcolm Stewart  – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing  – 11 points 20. Christian Craig – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing – 2 points

Reigning FIM Rally-Raid World Champion Luciano Benavides set to take on 46th edition of world’s toughest rally-raid.

Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Billy Bolt extends his championship lead with two race wins and a runner-up finish at SuperEnduro round two

An expanded five-rider Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing Team will take centerstage when the 2024 SuperMotocross World Championship (SMX) season commences with the AMA Supercross Championship season-opener at Anaheim on Saturday, January 6, led by 450SX duo Malcolm Stewart and Christian Craig, alongside 250SX contenders RJ Hampshire, Guillem Farres and Casey Cochran. The Nathan Ramsey-managed official Husqvarna Motorcycles U.S. team will be equipped with the Husqvarna FC 450 Rockstar Edition and the Husqvarna FC 250 Rockstar Edition, forming a strong foundation for all five riders to build upon as the gates drop on what is a highly anticipated new season. In addition to the on-track action, Rockstar Energy Drink has renewed its commitment as title sponsor of the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing Team in a multi-year commitment, which will span the entire 31-race SMX series. The team will contest 17 rounds of AMA Supercross, 11 rounds in the AMA Pro Motocross Championship, and a three-round, post-season SMX Finals series. “We’re incredibly excited to extend our partnership with Husqvarna Motorcycles. Over the past 10 years, the relationship with the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing Team has been more than just a sponsorship and we’re looking forward to continuing to grow together , said  Jennifer Kalban , Senior Motorsports Marketing Manager, PepsiCo North America.  “The team is as strong as it’s ever been and the 2024 season should be an exciting one.” Each step of that journey will be documented in Season 3 of the Grit and Grind docuseries, which will continue to be broadcast on the Husqvarna Motorcycles YouTube channel in 2024. A collaboration between Rockstar Energy and Husqvarna Motorcycles, it will once again provide an all-access insight into the season of Stewart, Craig, Hampshire, Farres, and Cochran. Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing Team Manager, Nathan Ramsey, is confident that all five riders will be competitive across next year's SMX series, determined to iron out any kinks that have proven costly in the past and to ensure that all riders can consistently deliver strong results in 2024. "2024 is looking good for us, the guys are having a really good off-season, and we are working hard to be ready for the season,"  explained Ramsey.  "I think that ultimately, we ’ re going to come out swinging and avoid the major ups and downs and ride it out as steady as possible and put our Rockstar Energy Husqvarna team riders up front. We have looked a lot at things that have cost us or possibly pushed us out of championship hopes in the past, and I think we have highlighted a few of those areas and we are all – the team, the crew, the riders, everyone – committed to correcting those areas and hopefully it works and pays off, because if they are corrected, I think we ’ re in the hunt, for sure." Making a welcome return to Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing will be Stewart, the 31-year-old who was unfortunately sidelined in the early stages of last season and is in line to pick up where he left off almost 12 months ago. The fan favorite finished a career-high third in the 450SX standings in 2022, now excited to get back behind the gates in a bid to rebuild his form in a competitive environment. "The focus for 2024 is honestly just to get back out there and get my feet wet again,"   said Stewart.   "2023 was a pretty short-lived year for me, it was kind of more for me to get back going and to finish what I started last year. I was looking really good, A1 was going very well, we had one little incident and we won a heat race, so we had some big flashes, but it just ended too quickly. This is part of racing and things happen, but I have had a really good recovery so far, and training has been going well this off-season with a good group of guys that I ’ m surrounded with. Everyone has been positive through the whole recovery and I ’ m glad I locked myself in for another two more years! I really want to win next year and I ’ m looking forward to getting back into the bunch with the team for the upcoming season.” Entering his second year with Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, Craig was also affected by injury in 2023 but was able to return and represent Team USA at the FIM Motocross of Nations (MXoN) in September. At 32, Craig has the desire to establish himself toward the front of the premier class and has been enjoying the pre-season to date. "I ’ m feeling pretty good entering another year with the team, so I ’ m more comfortable, learning everyone around me, and obviously learning the bike more with more seat time,"  commented Craig.  "I'm coming off a pretty serious injury, so just trying to build back up from that and we ’ re kind of in the middle of boot camp right now. I am excited for the new year, I need to put in some results, so am very focused and driven for this one. This past season was a big learning year for me, so this time I know what to expect with the training program, riding program, and what the team brings – I need to step up and try to be upfront as much as possible." As one of the most experienced riders in the 250 Class, RJ Hampshire has his sights firmly set on achieving title success in the new year. He was runner-up in 250SX West last year and raced to third position in the inaugural 250SMX standings, now motivated to capture a first-career championship with Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing. "My goal is to definitely try and get a championship,"   Hampshire stated.   "We ’ ve been close the last two years in a row, so I'll just come into the season, take it race-by-race, and build from where were last year. The team has worked really hard to make the bike as good as possible, and there are a lot of improvements already. We were in a good spot last season, so if we can be a bit better this year, I definitely think we can get it done. Supercross was massive for me because I had seven podiums in seven years and then last year I had eight in total, so that was a really big step in my career. The next step is to get the red plate, so that is the goal going into the season. The team has been awesome, there is nowhere else I would rather be, and I just renewed my deal for two more years – it just goes to show how much I believe in this team and how much I believe in myself, because we ’ ve grown a lot together. They believe in me a lot to go out there and perform also, and I definitely think that this year will be another big step in our relationship." For Farres, the chance to join Rockstar Energy Husqvarna sees him preparing for his maiden 250SX campaign, in which the 20-year-old Spanish revelation is looking to develop important Supercross experience during the upcoming season, before turning his attention outdoors.
"The transition to the Husqvarna FC 250 and the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna team has been really good,"  Farres said.  "This is my first time ever here in Clermont, Florida, training and first time in California. So far, so good. Everyone has been really welcoming on the team, I ’ ve been having a good time, and I ’ m excited for the 2024 season. It ’ s going to be my rookie season in Supercross, so I am going to focus on staying healthy, being at every round, and improving every day with every lap. I ’ ve never raced in a stadium before, so I ’ m sure it's going to be something new and I ’ m going to be a little nervous, but hopefully it gets better after the first round." Exciting teenage prospect Cochran has graduated to the professional ranks with Rockstar Energy Husqvarna full-time for 2024, the 17-year-old looking to build upon the Supercross Futures AMA National Championship that he won in 2023, while learning his craft as a professional in the sport. "It's my first official pro season, so I'm looking forward to getting out there with the big guys and mixing it up, getting good results,"  Cochran commented.  "Nothing too extravagant so far, but my goal is to get used to the whole program. It ’ s a super-cool opportunity because we have worked our whole lives for this deal, this contract, to be on a factory team, so I am super-excited to be here and have a great team around me and ready to get to work. I have always personally liked Supercross better than outdoors, so I am excited to race indoors. I raced Futures last year and that was a good experience, so the more indoors, the better!"

Ayumu Sasaki has confirmed 2nd position in the 2023 Moto3 World Championship after ranking 1st at the Gran Premio de la Comunitat Valenciana and the MotoGP season closer.

Husqvarna Factory Racing ace kicks off the indoor enduro season in style securing three wins from three starts at round one

Top six for Husqvarna Motorcycles at the Lusail International Circuit and round 19 of 20 in MotoGP means the world championship is decided but Ayumu Sasaki has a great chance of P2 in 2023.

Coenen signs lengthy extension to race aboard the FC 250

Reigning world champion is aiming for fourth consecutive indoor enduro title

2023 MotoGP™ entered a final run with round eighteen of twenty at the Sepang International Circuit and Collin Veijer lifted his very first winners’ trophy with Ayumu Sasaki finishing 2nd.

Husqvarna Factory Racing hard enduro ace races to second at GetzenRodeo to finish out the year second overall

Collin Veijer rode his FR 250 GP to 3rd position at a hot Buriram and Ayumu Sasaki suffers a blameless DNF as MotoGP™ ends a hectic triple-header and round 17 of 20.

Renewed agreement will see the prestigious exhaust manufacturer supply the team with its performance-enhancing products through 2025

Husqvarna Motorcycles were protagonists for victory in a wet and windy Australia for round sixteen of 2023 MotoGP™ as Ayumu Sasaki guided his FR 250 GP to 2nd position and Collin Veijer finished 4th.

Mattia Guadagnini leads the FC 450 push in motocross grands prix

Husqvarna Factory Racing rider clinches first ever world title with runner-up result at the Rallye du Maroc

FR 450 rally racer now lies third overall at the close of the penultimate stage

Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing has welcomed Guillem Farres for the 2024 SuperMotocross World Championship (SMX) season, joining RJ Hampshire and rookie Casey Cochran within the three-rider 250 Class program. The 20-year-old Spaniard will be onboard the FC 250 leading into next year, committed to the AMA Supercross Championship, in addition to the AMA Pro Motocross Championship and SMX Finals Series.
Farres first arrived in U.S. competition during the late stages of the 2022 outdoor season, immediately displaying front-running potential with a series of top-10 results. He continued that trend in the opening part of the 2023 series and scored a top-five moto finish at the beginning of Pro Motocross, however, was unfortunately injured in round three and didn’t return to action.
An opportunity to join Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing is an exciting one for Farres, set to make his 250SX debut in 2024, before continuing to build upon his promise in 250MX, while training as part of the Baker’s Factory program in Florida.
“I am really happy to be joining the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing Team for this upcoming season,”   Farres said.   “I am also super-excited to start this new chapter of my career after a tough year due to injuries. Now, I am fully healed and ready to get on the new bike. I can’t wait to get started at the Baker’s Factory – it is an honor to be part of such a legendary program with Aldon [Baker] and all the guys.”
Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing Team Manager, Nathan Ramsey, said that Farres has been on the team’s radar since his first appearance in AMA Pro Motocross and is confident that his capabilities will translate into strong results as experience continues to grow.
“Guillem caught our eye in 2022 when he came to the US for a couple of races,”   explained Ramsey.   “Then when he started the 2023 MX series, he once again showed signs of great speed and potential. He has a great attitude and work ethic, which I believe will lead to great things in the future. The sky is the limit for Guillem and we are happy to welcome him to the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing team.”

Argentinian star moves up to fourth overall in the standings as rally passes its halfway point

Husqvarna Factory Racing ace finishes third overall at penultimate round of the FIM Hard Enduro World Championship in Spain

Husqvarna Factory Racing rider lies fifth overall with three days of racing to go

Collin Veijer throttled the potential of his FR 250 GP to 4th place in a hot pursuit of the Moto3 podium at round fifteen of 2023 MotoGP™ in Lombok as Ayumu Sasaki classified 18th.

Husqvarna Factory Racing rider places fourth on long stage one in Morocco

Husqvarna Factory Racing rider enters the final round of the year as FIM World Rally-Raid Championship leader

Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing will take Casey Cochran into the professional ranks full-time in 2024, scheduled to contest the SuperMotocross World Championship (SMX) onboard the FC 250. Cochran, 17, has enjoyed an outstanding final year in amateur competition, in which he clinched the Schoolboy 2 (12-17) B/C class title in the 2023 AMA Amateur National Motocross Championship at Loretta Lynn's, as well as the Supercross Futures AMA National Championship in Salt Lake City and the Moto Combine overall at RedBud.
The teenage Virginia native gained immense experience in his first pro-level appearances across the final two rounds of this year's AMA Pro Motocross Championship at Budds Creek and the Ironman National, which will also help in setting him up for a full-time transition next year with Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing.
"I've really enjoyed this past year working with Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing and getting to know everyone, so I’m super-excited to extend what we have going on and progress into the pro ranks with such a good team behind me,"   Cochran commented.   "Couldn’t be more stoked for the future!"
Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing Team Manager, Nathan Ramsey, welcomed Cochran to the factory program and is excited to see him progress throughout the 2024 AMA Supercross Championship and Pro Motocross Championship, leading into the SMX Finals series.
"Casey put together an amazing final year as our elite Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing amateur athlete and he absolutely hit all the marks that we put together for him to earn his first pro contract,"   explained Ramsey.
"I am both happy and proud to have Casey join our pro team. He's a very hard worker and is full of potential for a great future with the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing Team. Now, I am looking forward to spending some time with him during the off-season as he builds into 2024."

Motegi was a happy hunting ground for Husqvarna Motorcycles as Ayumu Sasaki kept his 2023 world title plight on course with 2nd position in Japan

A positive ‘debut’ on Indian asphalt as Ayumu Sasaki races to 3rd place at the first ever MotoGP visit to the Buddh International Circuit.

It was a pressure-packed final round of the SuperMotocross Playoffs at the historic Los Angeles Coliseum, and thanks to a third-place finish, RJ Hampshire jumped up two spots in the final SMX 250 class standings to take the bronze and lead the way for the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing Team. 250   SuperMotocross RJ Hampshire was eighth early in the first moto on his FC250, but quickly went to work and started to pick off riders ahead of him. He moved into third with seven laps to go, into second with five to go, and was challenging for the lead on the last lap…but had to settle for second. In moto two, he was eighth off the gate, and could only work his way to sixth before the finish. His 2-8 score netted him a third overall for the night and for the series overall. His next stop? The Motocross of Nations as the 250 rider for Team USA. “The last round was pretty solid. I felt good all day and had good qualifying (2nd). The first moto start was good, and I gave myself a chance to win it there at the end. I charged hard and felt really good on the bike. In the second moto, I didn't get a great start and was just flat. I couldn't really get going. But I'm stoked to end it on the podium for the race and the SMX Playoff overall,”  said  Hampshire .  “I'm really looking forward to the Motocross of Nations in France in a couple of weeks. I'll go back home, recover a bit, do a couple of days of riding, and head over there and represent the USA. I can't wait.” Jalek Swoll showed what a mix of FC250 power and great start skills can do as he grabbed the holeshot in the first moto. While the championship battles raged around him, he slipped to sixth at the finish. In the second moto, a bit too much aggression with the throttle resulted in a mid-pack start, though he did recover quite a few spots to finish eighth for the moto, and also eighth overall for the season. “Honestly, this being the last round is a bit frustrating because I feel like I'm starting to find the groove and know what I can do. My starts were on point today, reaction-wise, and just getting off the gate with the bike. I ran third for a while in the first moto and finished sixth. In the second one, I felt I rode a lot better, but didn't have the start to match. I just lit the rear tire up a bit on the super-dry stuff and it kind of messed me up. I just got a really bad start and came from the back,”  said  Swoll .  “I have some things to work on for sure, but I'm a lot closer than I've been. I feel good but need a little bit of intensity. But all in all, it was decent. I was in the mix a little bit and left healthy...anytime you leave the track healthy you can put a smile on your face.” Talon Hawkins showed improvement through the three SMX rounds, and an 11-9 score for the day only shows part of the story. He advanced forward four positions in the first moto and ran in the top five for the first few laps of the second moto. He just missed out on a top ten overall, and was 14th overall for the series. “I was stoked to end it on a good note. I got my first top ten out of the three races. I'm looking forward to a little time off and then getting back on the bike,”  said  Hawkins .  “I'm so thankful for the whole Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Team for giving me the shot this year. I turned pro early, but I made the most of it and did the best I could all year long. I've learned a lot this year, and have a lot of good memories. Thank you guys.” SuperMotocross Playoffs: Los Angeles Coliseum 250 SuperMotocross Results 1. Haiden Deegan (Yamaha), 5-2
2. Jo Shimoda (Kawasaki), 4-4
3. RJ Hampshire – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 2-6
…
8. Jalek Swoll – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 6-8
11. Talon Hawkins – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 11-9 450 SuperMotocross Results 1. Jett Lawrence (Honda), 1-1
2. Ken Roczen (Suzuki), 2-2
3. Cooper Webb (Yamaha), 5-3 250 SuperMotocross Rider Final Point Standings
1. Haiden Deegan – 157 points
2. Jo Shimoda – 152 points
3. RJ Hampshire – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 122 points
…
10. Jalek Swoll – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 88 points
14. Talon Hawkins – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 58 points 450 SuperMotocross Rider Final Point Standings
1. Jett Lawrence – 163 points
2. Ken Roczen – 146 points
3. Chase Sexton – 120 points

Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing at full strength at round eighteen

After a rough start to the SuperMotocross playoffs in Charlotte, the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing Team came to Chicagoland with renewed focus and hunger for results. The long, flowing track provided ample opportunity to show the true speed of their FC250s, with high speeds, and nearly two-minute lap times. 250 SuperMotocross RJ Hampshire’s day got off to a great start as he grabbed the top spot in qualifying among the 250 competitors. When the gate dropped for the first 250 moto, he was in the sixth spot as they crossed the stripe. He moved to fourth spot for three laps before settling into fifth for the rest of the moto. He currently sits in fifth overall in the playoff standings, with one round to go. “This was much improved from last weekend. Last weekend was such a struggle I was just looking for any type of positive from this weekend, and I came out and was P1 in practice...I believe that's one of my first poles of the season, and then just two solid motos. I didn't get great starts, but I didn't get terrible starts, so fourth overall on the day.,”  said  Hampshire .  “I'm not stoked on it, but it's a huge improvement so we'll take that into L.A. next weekend where it's a more Supercross track. Hopefully, my back heals from this track today, and then I'll be ready to go next weekend.” Jalek Swoll was eighth out of the gate in moto one, and was ninth for a good portion of the race before moving to seventh at the checkers. In moto two, a poor start had him near the back of the 22-rider field, but he rebounded to 11th before a late-race crash dropped him to 13th at the finish. “Moto one was okay, but I would've liked to get more comfortable earlier on. That was P7. In the second moto, it was not a good start and I wasn't riding too well and had a big crash at the end, so it wasn't the best day but I still feel good and feel like I can run up there. I just need that start,”  said Swoll . “All in all, I'm not broken up, so we'll be good and continue to fight in L.A.” Getting to the end of his rookie season, Talon Hawkins is still learning the ins and outs of the pro scene. But in a new playoff format where even veterans struggle to make the right setup choices, the playoffs have been a challenge. His 15-15 moto scores resulted in a 16th overall. “It was a rough one, but there are positives to take away from it. It's been hard to get the bike set up for these types of races. This is a brand-new thing this year, so I think everyone is struggling with bike setup. I think we're getting there, we just need a few things,”  said  Hawkins .  “I'm looking forward to next weekend, and I want to thank the team for believing in me for these last couple rounds.” Next Event (SuperMotocross Round 3): September 23, 2023 – Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, Calif. SuperMotocross Playoffs: Chicagoland Speedway 250 SuperMotocross Results 1. Hunter Lawrence (Honda), 1-1
2. Jo Shimoda (Kawasaki), 2-2
3. Haiden Deegan (Yamaha), 3-3
…
4. RJ Hampshire – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 5-4
10. Jalek Swoll – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 7-13
16. Talon Hawkins – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 15-15 450 SuperMotocross Results 1. Jett Lawrence (Honda), 1-2
2. Ken Roczen (Suzuki), 3-1
3. Chase Sexton (Honda), 2-3 250 SuperMotocross Rider Point Standings
1. Hunter Lawrence – 89 points
2. Jo Shimoda – 86 points
3. Haiden Deegan – 82 points
…
5. RJ Hampshire – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 62 points
12. Jalek Swoll – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 46 points
16. Talon Hawkins – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 25 points 450 SuperMotocross Rider Point Standings
1. Chase Sexton – 90 points
2. Jett Lawrence – 88 points
3. Ken Roczen – 80 points

Round twelve of 2023 MotoGP™ sees another positive outing for the FR 250 GP as Collin Veijer finishes 5th and Ayumu Sasaki, 7th, closes to within 4 points to the top of the standings.

Ayumu Sasaki delivered his eighth top-four result of 2023 after another riveting Moto3™ contest at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya and narrowed the margin to P1 in the standings.

Husqvarna Factory Racing star places as top FIM World Rally-Raid Championship rider, securing the lead in the series standings

Husqvarna Factory Racing star claims his first stage win of his home event and narrows the gap to the overall leader

Delivering another consistent ride in Argentina, the Husqvarna Factory Racing rider further solidifies his second place in the standings

Husqvarna Factory Racing star gets home race off to a strong start on his FR 450 Rally

Husqvarna Factory Racing ace continues strong run of form at FIM World Rally-Raid Championship round four

Husqvarna Factory Racing enduro ace places second at FIM Hard Enduro World Championship round four in Canada

The Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing Team finished up their 2023 Pro Motocross campaign at Ironman Raceway, with Jalek Swoll leading the charge, as RJ Hampshire opted to sit out another round ahead of the upcoming SuperMotocross playoffs. 250 MX After starting inside the top 15 of moto one on his FC250, Jalek Swoll fought his way to an 11th-place finish. Jalek got off to a much better start in moto two, and battled to a fifth-place score, giving him seventh overall for the day, and cementing a ninth-overall tally for the season. He also goes into the SuperMotocross season in the 11th overall spot in the 250 class standings.
“It could have been a lot better with a start in the first moto, but it was an okay day. I feel like I kind of struggled with the flow of the track all day. It came around a bit in moto two, and I'm happy with it. P5, so not bad. It’s something to end the season on and carry into SMX.,”  said  Swoll .  “I feel like I need to get my starts dialed in and I can't keep messing up the first motos. We'll come out swinging for SMX and try to end the year on a good note.” Talon Hawkins matched his best-ever moto finish in moto one, finishing in tenth. But a crash early in moto two made for a long slog to a 19th-place score. But he did finish in 12th overall for the series in his rookie campaign. “Wow. I definitely like to make it hard on myself in the second moto. But I got a top ten in the first one, and I was riding well all day. I had my best overall qualifying of the year, so that's a positive to take away. I also matched my best moto finish, I just needed to put it together for the second one. Unfortunately, I had a crash on the second lap and pretty much came from dead last up to 19th,”  said  Hawkins . “This is a tough game, but I'm ready to get back on the track in the next couple of weeks for SuperMotocross.” The second Pro Motocross National was a tough one for Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing Team newcomer Casey Cochran, but he’ll use to experience to learn and build toward future events. “It was a rough weekend as far as the racing. I had too many crashes, but we'll bounce back and learn from the situations that we put ourselves in,”  said  Cochran . Next Event (SuperMotocross Round 1): September 9, 2023 – zMax Dragway in Concord, N.C. Round 11 Results: Ironman 250 MX Results 1. Jo Shimoda (Kawasaki), 1-1
2. Haiden Deegan (Yamaha), 2-3
3. Tom Vialle (KTM), 3-4
…
7. Jalek Swoll – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing , 11-5
16. Talon Hawkins – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing , 10-19
19. Jorgen Talviku (Husqvarna) , 19-16
37. Casey Cochran – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing,  28-39
39. Peyton Jackson (Husqvarna) , 38-34
450 MX Results 1. Jett Lawrence (Honda), 1-1
2. Chase Sexton (Honda), 2-2
3. Aaron Plessinger (KTM), 5-3
…
27. Justin Rodbell (Husqvarna) , 20-28
29. John Adamson (Husqvarna) , 26-23
37. Scott Meshey (Husqvarna) , 32-40
250 MX Rider Point Standings
1. Hunter Lawrence – 419 points
2. Justin Cooper – 399 points
3. Jo Shimoda – 393 points
…
8. RJ Hampshire – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing , 288 points
9. Jalek Swoll – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing , 221 points
12. Talon Hawkins – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing , 129 points
29. Jorgen Talviku (Husqvarna) -  26 points
47. Casey Cochran - Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing , 2 points
49. Kai Aiello   (Husqvarna) - 2 points
450 MX Rider Point Standings
1. Jett Lawrence – 550 points
2. Dylan Ferrandis – 399 points
3. Aaron Plessinger – 386 points
…
29. Anton Gole  - 29 points
54. Luke Renzland  - 4 points
55. John Adamson  - 4 points
59. Tanel Leok - 3 points
63. Scott Meshey  - 3 points
64. Justin Rodbell  - 3 points

Husqvarna factory racing rider focused on success at five-stage event in Argentina

Husqvarna Motorcycles is firmly in play for the 2023 Moto3 world title after Ayumu Sasaki took his FR 250 GP to a sixth podium in a row at a sunny Red Bull Ring. MotoGP™ exchanged the flat, flowing and exposed scope of Silverstone in the UK for the wonderfully scenic mountain wind of the Red Bull Ring for the CryptoDATA Motorrad Grand Prix von Österreich to bring the 2023 Grand Prix campaign to t

The Budds Creek round of the Pro Motocross series had some highs and lows in store for the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing Team. After a tough crash as Unadilla, RJ Hampshire was forced to miss round ten. But it also provided Casey Cochrane his first opportunity in Pro Motocross, and for Jalek Swoll, he scored his best moto finish of the season. 250 MX
Jalek Swoll was in seventh and in the midst of a great three-way battle midway through the first 250 moto aboard his FC250, but a rare red flag for a downed rider caused a full restart. When the gate dropped again, Jalek took full advantage of it by grabbing the lead and showing everyone the way for five laps. While two of the championship contenders managed to slip by, he was still left with his best moto score of the season so far, a third-place finish. Jalek also moved back into ninth overall in the season standings. “I'd say this was a positive for me. I got back on the box, but I couldn't secure it for the overall. I had a tough second moto and not the best start. I was buried, but I fought as hard as I could and got to 12th. I felt like I could have been on the box for the overall today,”  said  Swoll .  “We're taking this confidence and the momentum to the last round and getting excited for the playoffs.” For Talon Hawkins, 17-21 moto scores led to a 20th overall for the day on his first-ever crack at Budds Creek. “This was a rough one. It was the first time ever here, and it's a gnarly track. I didn't really gel with it all day. We got better and better, and I put a lot of solid laps together and had the speed, I just dug a hole for myself on the starts and then had too many lulls,”  said Hawkins . “I know what to work on. We'll be back next weekend.”
Casey Cochrane has had excellent results in the 250SX Futures races throughout 2023 but had some tough going in his first crack at the Pro Motocross series. He shadowed Hawkins in the results with a 19-23 day, and 22nd overall.
“Budds Creek was all right. It was a learning experience for sure. There are definitely things to go back and work on so that I can come out next weekend and show up where I believe I should be,”  said  Cochrane .  “I ran pretty good in the second moto, but I just hit a wall. That's what we need to work on and we'll be better next weekend.” Next Event (Round 11): August 26, 2023 - Ironman Raceway in Crawfordsville, Ind.
Round Ten Results: Budds Creek 250 MX Results 1. Hunter Lawrence (Honda), 2-1
2. Justin Cooper (Yamaha), 1-2
3. Jo Shimoda (Kawasaki), 7-3 … 6. Jalek Swoll - Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing , 3-12 19. Jorgen Talviku (Husqvarna) , 24-17
20. Talon Hawkins - Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing , 17-21
22. Casey Cochrane - Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing , 19-23 450 MX Results
1. Jett Lawrence (Honda), 1-1
2. Aaron Plessinger (KTM), 4-3
3. Jason Anderson (Kawasaki), 2-5
…
15. Anton Gole (Husqvarna) , 15-15
27. Charlie Putnam (Husqvarna) , 29-29
30. Luke Renzland (Husqvarna) , 23-38
32. Scott Meshey (Husqvarna) , 33-32 250 MX Rider Point Standings
1. Hunter Lawrence - 391 points
2. Justin Cooper - 369 points
3. Jo Shimoda - 343 points
…
6. RJ Hampshire - Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing -  288 points
9. Jalek Swoll - Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing  - 195 points
12. Talon Hawkins - Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing  - 116 points
31. Jorgen Talviku (Husqvarna)  - 19 points
47. Casey Cochrane - Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing  - 2 points
48. Kai Aiello   (Husqvarna) -  2 points 450 MX Rider Point Standings
1. Jett Lawrence - 500 points
2. Dylan Ferrandis - 379 points
3. Aaron Plessinger - 350 points
…
27. Anton Gole  - 29 points
51. Luke Renzland  - 4 points
52. John Adamson  - 4 points
56. Tanel Leok  - 3 points
59. Scott Meshey  - 3 points

Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing is pleased to welcome amateur standout Casey Cochran to its 250MX lineup for the final two rounds of the 2023 AMA Pro Motocross Championship. Making his debut pro appearance this Saturday at the Budds Creek National, Cochran will race the Ironman MX finale before switching gears back to the SMX World All-Stars (amateur race) at the Los Angeles Coliseum.

"Casey has had an unbelievable season so far this year,"   commented Nathan Ramsey, Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing Team Manager.   "He has checked all the boxes and I feel like it’s time for him to get his feet wet in the professional ranks – what better way to do it than at a Pro Motocross event."

The highly-rated 17-year-old is fresh from a title-winning performance in the 2023 AMA Amateur National Motocross Championship at Loretta Lynn's earlier this month, where he claimed victory in the Schoolboy 2 (12-17) B/C class and also won the opening 250 B moto equipped with the FC 250.

"I've had a pretty good year on the 250, so I'm stoked to get the opportunity to line up against the best in the business at the last two rounds of Pro Motocross,"   Cochran said,  who will also contest the final round at Ironman Raceway on August 26.

Cochran joined Rockstar Energy Husqvarna's amateur program ahead of this season and clinched the Supercross Futures AMA National Championship with a Main Event win at Salt Lake City's final round in May. He also won the Moto Combine overall at RedBud in July and his first step into the professional ranks comes as a welcome opportunity following what has been an outstanding year to-date.

Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing rider RJ Hampshire will sit out this weekend's penultimate round of the 2023 AMA Pro Motocross Championship at Budds Creek while he continues to recover from his second moto crash at Unadilla. The 27-year-old went down heavily at the beginning of Moto 2 last Saturday afternoon and was unable to remount and complete the race.
As a result, the decision has been made for Hampshire to remain on the sidelines for Budds Creek this weekend, with the 10th round of the season scheduled for August 19. A decision will be made next week on whether he will be fit to return for Ironman Raceway's final round of the outdoor season.
Hampshire currently sits sixth in the 250MX standings onboard his FC 250 Rockstar Edition, only two points outside of the top five, and is also positioned third in the combined SuperMotocross World Championship (SMX) 250 Class points.

Unadilla always provides its share of thrills, with big elevation changes and huge jumps, as well as extremely long ruts. Fortunately, the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing Team is always up for a challenge. 250 MX RJ Hampshire made one of the charges through the pack that he’s well-known for on his FC250 in moto one, jumping from 14th at the end of the first lap to sixth at the finish. Unfortunately, a crash by RJ shortly after the start of moto two brought out the red flag, and he was unable to continue. He’ll be evaluated this week regarding participation in upcoming races. Jalek Swoll was the top scorer for the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing Team at Unadilla, with a 6-14 score in the two motos, and a seventh overall for the day. “Starts were okay. Moto one was okay. I came in with a sixth and felt like I had some more in the tank to ride a little better and get a little further up,”  said  Swoll .  “In moto two I came together with another rider. I don't feel like it was my fault and I felt like there was nowhere to go and was stuck in his bike for what felt like forever. From dead last I don't know what I came back to...maybe 12th or 13th. It sucks. It feels like a lot of work is being put in but it doesn't show. It's all good. We'll use the fire and try to come out firing at the next two rounds.” For the third member of the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna squad, Talon Hawkins, felt a bit unfulfilled with his 19th overall and a 17-15 day.
“The final placement may not show it, but I feel like I rode great today and rode a lot better than I have been. I had a mishap in the first moto,”  said  Hawkins .  “I came with a clear head into the second moto and ripped a good start. I was in the top five, but unfortunately, my teammate went down and it got red-flagged. My second start after that was not up to par so I had to play catch-up the whole second race. But I ended with a 17th in the first and a 15th in the second for somehow 19th overall. But it's okay. There's a lot to improve on, but I've been improving every week. I'm ready to get to the Baker's Factory to keep grinding.” Next Event (Round 10): August 19, 2023 – Budds Creek Motocross Park in Mechanicsville, Md. Round Nine Results: Unadilla MX 250 MX Results 1. Hunter Lawrence (Honda), 2-2
2. Levi Kitchen (Yamaha), 1-4
3. Justin Cooper (Yamaha), 5-1 … 7. Jalek Swoll – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 6-14 13. RJ Hampshire – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 7-38 19. Talon Hawkins – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 17-15
26. Jorgen Talviku (Husqvarna), 23-21
34. Cody Williams (Husqvarna), 34-30 450 MX Results 1. Jett Lawrence (Honda), 1-1
2. Chase Sexton (Honda), 3-2
3. Dylan Ferrandis (Yamaha), 2-3
…
22. Anton Gole (Husqvarna), 16-21
23. Tanel Leok (Husqvarna), 22-18
25. Luke Renzland (Husqvarna), 21-22
31. John Adamson (Husqvarna), 27-31
32. Justin Rodbell (Husqvarna), 31-30
41. Scott Meshey (Husqvarna), 36-DNS 250 MX Rider Point Standings
1. Hunter Lawrence – 344 points
2. Justin Cooper – 322 points
3. Jo Shimoda – 309 points
…
6. RJ Hampshire – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 288 points
10. Jalek Swoll – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 166 points
11. Talon Hawkins – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 112 points
30. Jorgen Talviku -  15 points
46. Kai Aiello  - 2 points 450 MX Rider Point Standings
1. Jett Lawrence – 450 points
2. Dylan Ferrandis – 347 points
3. Aaron Plessinger – 312 points
…
35. Anton Gole  - 17 points
51. Luke Renzland  - 4 points
52. John Adamson  - 4 points
56. Tanel Leok - 3 points
59. Scott Meshey  - 3 points

Ayumu Sasaki classified as runner-up around the long, fast and technical layout of the historic Silverstone circuit as 2023 MotoGP™ resumed with the British Grand Prix and round nine of twenty.

Husqvarna Factory Racing Hard Enduro ace charges through round three of FIM Hard Enduro World Championship

De Wolf set to miss the upcoming Grand Prix of Finland

2-2 scorecard puts Lucas Coenen in second at Grand Prix of Flanders

The trio of Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing Team riders lined up to do battle in the beautiful forested hills above the Columbia River for round eight of the Pro Motocross season, with RJ Hampshire leading the way. 250 MX RJ Hampshire got to show off his relentless pursuit skills in both motos at Washougal as he moved forward in each race. In the first moto, he was in eighth place aboard his FC250 after the drop of the gate, and one by one, he picked off the riders in front of him on the way to an eventual fourth-place finish.

Early in moto two RJ was challenging for the fourth position, but he went down before the whoops and lost several spots. Though he had a huge time deficit to the riders in front of him, he put his head down and charged back to a strong fifth at the finish.

“In the first moto, I felt I rode well; I just didn't get a great start. In the second moto, I had a better start and was going for a pass, but the line wasn't there and I lost my front end,”  said  Hampshire .  “I got a fourth and that's getting old right now. I'm definitely going to use this break to kind of recover a bit and give it the best we've got here for the last three rounds.” Talon Hawkins has shown improved speed all season on his FC 250 and has spent more frequent time inside the top ten. He finished the day with an 11-14 score, and knows more to be gained. “We've got a lot to work on, but I'm excited I matched my best overall finish with an 11th. It's something to build off of. I got good starts, and there's a lot to take away that's good. But in the second moto, I was smoked. I need more,”  said  Hawkins .  “But we're going to work on that and I'm ready to get back to these next races. I'm ready for this two-week break. I've been building all year, getting better at every race, so let's keep it rolling.” The final member of the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing Team, Jalek Swoll, finished in 13th overall with a 10-18 score in his motos. “Today was frustrating. I feel good and feel like I can ride good, but I'm still dealing with whatever happened at Millville and unfortunately, I can't shake it right now,”  said  Swoll .  “I'm looking forward to these two weeks off and getting myself back in fine form. I'll come back with a chip on my shoulder. I feel like I was gaining momentum, but I'll be back and keep chipping away and figure it out.” Next Event (Round 9): August 12, 2023 – Unadilla MX in New Berlin, N.Y. Round Eight Results: Washougal 250 MX Results 1. Haiden Deegan (Yamaha), 1-1
2. Justin Cooper (Yamaha), 3-2
3. Hunter Lawrence (Honda), 2-4 … 4. RJ Hampshire – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 4-5 11. Talon Hawkins – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 11-14 13. Jalek Swoll – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 10-18 450 MX Results 1. Jett Lawrence (Honda), 1-1
2. Chase Sexton (Honda), 2-2
3. Jason Anderson (Kawasaki), 4-4
… 20. Anton Gole (Husqvarna) , 20-19
24. Harmish Harwood (Husqvarna) , 24-22
30. Gared Steinke (Husqvarna) , 37-24
37. Scott Meshey (Husqvarna) , 36-32
38. Brandon Ray (Husqvarna) , 39-34 250 MX Rider Point Standings
1. Hunter Lawrence – 300 points
2. Haiden Deegan – 297 points
3. Justin Cooper – 281 points
…
4. RJ Hampshire – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 274 points
10. Jalek Swoll – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 144 points
12. Talon Hawkins – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 102 points
29. Jorgen Talviku -  15 points
43. Kai Aiello  - 2 points 450 MX Rider Point Standings
1. Jett Lawrence – 400 points
2. Dylan Ferrandis – 305 points
3. Aaron Plessinger – 280 points
…
37. Anton Gole  - 12 points
47. Luke Renzland  - 4 points
48. John Adamson  - 3 points
54. Scott Meshey  - 3 points

Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing star to miss rounds in Belgium and Finland

This week’s Pro Motocross stop at Spring Creek MX in Millville, Minnesota, is a rider favorite, offering up everything from sand to hardpack, and an excellent challenge for the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing Team trio of RJ Hampshire, Jalek Swoll, and Talon Hawkins. 250 MX
As usual, it was exciting to spot where RJ Hampshire was as he launches out of the gate, and then watch him go to work slicing through the pack. When he completed the first lap of moto one at Spring Creek, he was in sixth place. By the finish, he’d carved his way to third on his FC250, working past some very tough 250-class competition. In moto two, the story was much the same for RJ, except that he was 12th, and came back to finish in sixth spot despite a crash. He picked up a fourth overall score for the weekend and currently sits in third overall in the 250 title chase. “It was just another grind of a weekend. I feel like my riding has been really good. The first moto was decent, pretty solid. In the second moto, I got hung up on the start. I ended up going down about halfway. I got another fourth overall, but I just need to try and turn it around a bit in these second motos,”  said  Hampshire .  “We have one more race, and then a bit of a break that I'm looking forward to. I'll try to get some points back next weekend, then a break coming up.” For Jalek Swoll, the day at Spring Creek ended with an eighth and a 14th in the two motos, after a bit of a biomechanical issue. That gave him a tenth overall for the day. “Today was a 'whatever' day for me. I felt good on the bike, so that was good. I didn't get the best start in moto one, but my riding was decent. I feel like if I'd had a better start, I would have had a much better day. In moto two I had a weird incident and did something kind of funky to my arm...which gave me a weird feeling. So that was survival,”  said Swoll . “For now, the plan is to get some normalcy back. Kind of figure out what's going on, and what happened, and try to be more under control and ready to go for next time if this happens. All-in-all, I survived the day.” For the third member of the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing Team, Talon Hawkins, he spent the first third of the first moto inside the top ten hanging with some of the fastest 250-class competitors before sliding back to 15th. In moto two he finished 12th, good enough for a 13th overall finish.
“Today was another step in the right direction. It was cool to be coming back here to this race… it's a good track. It's tough, though, very tiring and taxing on the body. I ended up with a 13th overall. I'm happy with my second moto performance. I just need to improve on the first moto,”  said  Hawkins .  “I'm looking forward to getting back to work. We're heading back home to Cali, my hometown, and put some more work in.” Next Event (Round Eight): July 22, 2023 – Washougal MX Park in Washougal, Wash. Round Seven Results: Spring Creek
250 MX Results 1. Hunter Lawrence (Honda), 1-2
2. Justin Cooper (Yamaha), 4-1 3. Jo Shimoda (Kawasaki), 2-3 … 4. RJ Hampshire – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 3-6 10. Jalek Swoll – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 8-14 13. Talon Hawkins – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 15-12 20. Jorgen Talviku (GASGAS)  18-40 450 MX Results
1. Jett Lawrence (Honda), 1-1
2. Chase Sexton (Honda), 2-2
3. Dylan Ferrandis (Yamaha), 5-3
… 18. Anton Gole (Husqvarna) , 17-17
22. John Adamson (Husqvarna) , 22-19
31. Charlie Putnam (Husqvarna) , 31-27
32. Scott Meshey (Husqvarna) , 21-29
250 MX Rider Point Standings
1. Hunter Lawrence – 260 points
2. Haiden Deegan – 247 points
3. RJ Hampshire - Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 240 points
…
10. Jalek Swoll - Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 130 points
13. Talon Hawkins - Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 85 points
29. Jorgen Talviku -  15 points
43. Kai Aiello  - 2 points 450 MX Rider Point Standings
1. Jett Lawrence – 350 points
2. Dylan Ferrandis – 269 points
3. Aaron Plessinger – 246 points
…
38. Anton Gole  - 9 point
44. Luke Renzland  - 4 points
45. John Adamson  - 3 points
50. Scott Meshey  - 3 points

Everything about Southwick is tough, with the sand, heat and humidity…and the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing Team, who were ready to take on the roughest track on the AMA Pro Motocross series. 250 MX It was Jalek Swoll who led the charge for the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing Team at the start of moto one, as he rounded the first turn in second spot on his FC250. He was closely pursued by RJ Hampshire in seventh, and Talon Hawkins was lurking just outside the top ten in 11th place. As usual, Hampshire was clawing his way forward from his starting position, moving up to third at the finish. In moto two, he once was near the front, working his way from just outside the top five to fourth at the finish, and was closing on the overall winner as they raced to the checkers. His moto scores were good for fourth overall. He maintains his third overall spot in the championship standings, but has moved back to within 15 points of the lead over the last two races. “Overall, it was just a really solid weekend. Nothing special, but I made up a lot of points. I had two decent starts and salvaged what I could. It was 3-4 on the day and I'll just keep plugging away. We're at the halfway mark and I'm still in the championship hunt.,” said Hampshire. “I'll go back, recover, and Millville is another fun one for me. I'm just looking to get these starts figured out to give me a little bit more of a shot at these wins.” After an excellent start in moto one, Jalek Swoll suffered a couple of crashes that dropped him to 11th, but he rebounded on moto two with a seventh-place finish, and a ninth-place overall score. He has also steadily climbed in the 250 championship standings, moving from 21st at Fox Raceway and cracking the top ten at Southwick by moving into ninth overall. “Qualifying was good for me, and it was nice to finally find some speed in practice and carry it into the motos. In the first moto I had a good start and was riding okay but I went down early and that was kind of tough. I had two falls in that one and it put me pretty deep and I only got back to 11th. In moto two I had a good start, in the middle of the top ten, and it was okay...nothing crazy. I started to feel better at the end but just a little too late. I had sixth right in front of me but I ran out of time,” said Swoll. “I'm looking forward to next weekend and build off the momentum that I got today, despite the crashes.” Talon Hawkins cracked the top ten barrier in moto one, and backed it up with a 14th in moto two to score an 11th overall, the best of his pro career. He sit just outside the top ten overall in 11th spot. “We got a top ten, and that's been a goal of mine ever since coming into this. I have a lot to improve and a lot to work on, but it's definitely something good to take away from today. I came into today without the highest level of confidence, but I turned it around and put a smile on my face,” said Hawkins. “I'm glad I was able to almost break the top ten overall...I got 11th, my best finish so far. We're looking to keep on improving every race.” Next Event (Round 7): July 15, 2023 – Spring Creek Motocross in Millville, Minn. Round Six Results: Southwick 250 MX Results 1. Tom Vialle (KTM), 1-3 2. Justin Cooper (Yamaha), 2-2 3. Jo Shimoda (Kawasaki), 6-1 … 4. RJ Hampshire – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 3-4 9. Jalek Swoll – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 11-7 11. Talon Hawkins – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 10-14 14. Jorgen Talviku (Husqvarna), 14-16 34. Travis Mecking (Husqvarna) 31-32   450 MX Results 1. Jett Lawrence (Honda), 1-1 2. Chase Sexton (Honda), 2-2 3. Dylan Ferrandis (Yamaha), 3-3 … 19. Luke Renzland (Husqvarna), 18-20 22. John Adamson (Husqvarna), 19-24 24. Anton Gole (Husqvarna), 20-DNS 36. Scott Meshey (Husqvarna), 37-35   250 MX Rider Point Standings 1. Haiden Deegan - 218 points 2. Hunter Lawrence - 213 points 3. RJ Hampshire - Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 203 points … 10. Jalek Swoll - Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 110 points 14. Talon Hawkins - Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 70 points 30. Jorgen Talviku - 12 points 41. Kai Aiello - 2 points   450 MX Rider Point Standings 1. Jett Lawrence – 300 points 2. Dylan Ferrandis – 233 points 3. Aaron Plessinger – 210 points … 40. Luke Renzland - 4 points 45. Scott Meshey - 3 points 47. John Adamson - 2 points 48. Anton Gole - 1 point

Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing trio get solid points in Lombok.

Nestaan-MX to continue as Husqvarna Factory Racing's official MXGP squad.

American racer parts company with Husqvarna Factory Racing with immediate effect

Coenen makes big statement aboard FC 250 with perfect scorecard.

Husqvarna Motorcycles continues to move up the Moto3 world championship as Ayumu Sasaki scored 2nd position in the Netherlands for round eight of 2023 MotoGP™ and Collin Veijer aced a top ten result at his first home GP.

Round seven of 2023 MotoGP™ captivated a capacity crowd in Germany as Husqvarna Motorcycles takes more Moto3™ plaudits around the Sachsenring.

Husqvarna Factory Racing hard enduro star takes second overall at round two of the FIM Hard Enduro World Championship

Ayumu Sasaki fulfilled another starring role in a fantastically close Moto3 Gran Premio d’Italia Oakley at Mugello by taking his FR 250 GP to 3rd position for round six of 2023 MotoGP™.

The Thunder Valley course always challenges riders on the Pro Motocross series, with the high Colorado elevation and rolling hills of the Eastern Rocky Mountains. Then there are tough ruts, and an uphill start, all of which make a great challenge for the trio of riders competing for the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing Team on their FC250s. 250 MX RJ Hampshire got taken down as the pack got to the top of the start hill in moto one, but per usual, he was quickly back on his bike and charging. Scored as 19th at the end of lap one, he put in a moto-long charge back to the front and finished in the eighth spot. Though he got a somewhat better start in moto two, the story was nearly the same, as he battled all moto long to get back inside the top ten, with an eventual seventh-place finish, and a ninth overall for the day.
RJ Hampshire:  "It was a really frustrating day. I feel awesome on my bike, I just need to get out of the gate. It's so frustrating having to charge like that and have a couple of crashes and still have a shot there at the end. I'm heading back to Florida, and we'll be able to practice some starts this week. I'll figure some things out and we should be better at High Point." Jalek Swoll’s day featured more time inside the top ten during each moto, but an eventual tenth at the checkers of each race, resulting in a tenth overall.
Jalek Swoll:  "It was kind of a tough day. I lacked a little bit but we'll have a good week and come back at Mount Morris. I've got a few things to focus on and try and be better with next weekend. I don't feel like speed wise I'm very far off. I've just got to get a little better endurance and a little of that sprint pace in the beginning and we'll be good. Other than results not looking so good I feel like I'm on the right progression."
Talon Hawkins showed improved speed and consistency in Lakewood, finishing 14th in each moto. That also netted him his best overall finish to date (motocross or Supercross), with a 13th.
Talon Hawkins:  "Colorado definitely was an insane one and not what I expected. This place is super-deep and has a lot of deep ruts. It was cool to get my feet wet and ride some ruts again. I ended up with my best finish of the year. I'm pretty happy about that. There's a lot of good to take away from it. I just need to be better next week and throughout this season. I ended up with a 14-14 for 13th overall. I'm ready to move on and get a little better every weekend."
Next Event (Round 4): June 17, 2023 – High Point Raceway in Mount Morris, Penn.
Round Three Results: Thunder Valley
250 MX Results 1. Hunter Lawrence (Honda) 2-1
2. Justin Cooper (Yamaha) 1-4
3. Levi Kitchen (Yamaha) 5-2 … 9. RJ Hampshire – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 8-7 10. Jalek Swoll – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 10-10 13. Talon Hawkins – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 14-14   450 MX Results 1. Jett Lawrence (Honda) 1-1
2. Aaron Plessinger (KTM) 4-2
3. Cooper Webb (KTM) 2-5
250 MX Rider Point Standings
1. Hunter Lawrence – 137 points
2. Justin Cooper – 121 points
3. Haiden Deegan – 110 points
…
5. RJ Hampshire – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 94 points
13. Jalek Swoll – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 45 points
16. Talon Hawkins – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 25 points
450 MX Rider Point Standings
1. Jett Lawrence – 150 points
2. Dylan Ferrandis – 116 points
3. Cooper Webb – 112 points
…
33. Scott Meshey – 2 points

Kay de Wolf storms to 1-1 scores in Latvia and claims red plate on FC 250.

Round two of the Pro Motocross series turned up the heat on the riders as they headed for their annual visit to the rolling foothills of California’s Eastern Sierra Nevada at Hangtown. 250 MX
RJ Hampshire led the way for the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing Team, with his best qualifying effort of the season (2nd), and a pair of fifth-place moto finishes. He made the best of a pair of tough starts, and put together huge charges from near midpack in each moto aboard his FC250 to eventual 5-5 finishes for fifth overall. RJ Hampshire:  “I felt really good on the bike, I just had two terrible starts that kept us off the box. My riding was really good all day, from qualifying through both motos I felt awesome. But you can't do much when you start outside the top 15. It was probably the hardest 5-5 I've ever had in my life. We'll go back home to Florida after this weekend and we'll look forward to getting some better starts in Colorado and being where we should be.” Jalek Swoll continues to build speed and confidence after returning to racing following off-season injuries and carded a ninth and eleventh in his two motos that weren’t really indicative of where he raced most of the day. After finishing ninth in moto one, he ran third for much of the second moto before a pair of costly mistakes dropped him just outside of the top ten. But a top ten overall was his best result of the season and added optimism for the races ahead. Jalek Swoll:  “I'd say it was a step in the right direction. I wish I could have gotten a good start in the first moto and learned more of that pace, but I had a mid-pack start and got ninth. It's something to build off. In the second moto, I felt pretty good in the beginning. I got a really good start and ran third about half the moto. I had a pretty close call where I went off the track and lost a few positions. After that it was survival. But I hung around fifth for a while and had a tip-over and it put me back to tenth and that's where I finished. It sucks to fall and have a little mishap off the track, but it's good to see some light at the end of the tunnel and some progression. All is well and we'll keep the building blocks going.” Talon Hawkins is still learning the ropes of the Pro Motocross series but saved his best result for the tough and hot second moto, where he finished 15th.
Talon Hawkins:  “It was pretty good. There's definitely a lot to work on. I need to be doing more motos and the cardio needs to be a little better, so I'm ready to get back out to the Baker's Factory this week and work on that. There's a lot to work on, but it was a step in the right direction. I did better than last weekend, and that's all I can ask for is to do better every weekend. I'm looking forward to this next weekend out in Colorado with the high elevation. We'll be ready to go.”
Next Event (Round 3):  June 10, 2023 – Thunder Valley Motocross in Lakewood, Colo.
Round X Results: Hangtown
250 MX Results 1. Hunter Lawrence (Honda), 3-1
2. Justin Cooper (Yamaha), 2-2
3. Haiden Deegan (Yamaha), 1-4
… 5. RJ Hampshire – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing , 5-5 9. Jalek Swoll – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing , 9-11 18. Talon Hawkins – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing , 21-15
29. Kai Aiello (Husqvarna) 31-26
39. Jaret Finch (Husqvarna)40-34
40. Brantley Schnell (Husqvarna) 38-37 450 MX Results 1. Jett Lawrence (Honda), 1-1
2. Dylan Ferrandis (Yamaha), 2-3
3. Cooper Webb (KTM), 4-22
… 23. Scott Meshey (Husqvarna)  40-19 250 MX Rider Point Standings
1. Hunter Lawrence – 90 points
2. Haiden Deegan – 80 points
3. Justin Cooper – 78 points
… 5. RJ Hampshire – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing , 67 points
14. Jalek Swoll – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing,  23 points
19. Talon Hawkins – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing,  11 points 450 MX Rider Point Standings
1. Jett Lawrence – 100 points
2. Dylan Ferrandis – 82 points
3. Cooper Webb – 74 points

With both 450 riders on the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing Team still on the mend, it was an all-250cc effort for the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing Team as the series headed to Pala, California, for round one of the AMA Pro Motocross series. Fortunately, it was a three-rider effort, as Jalek Swoll returned to action after sitting out the Supercross season due to injury. 250 MX
When the gate dropped for the first moto, Jalek Swoll and RJ Hampshire quickly showed off their starting prowess, as well as the power of their Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing TeamFC250s, as they rounded the first turn in the top two spots. After running in second position for the first two laps, Hampshire took over the lead, which he held to the finish for the win.

Unfortunately, in moto two a pair of crashes early in the race had him at the very tail end of the field. But never being one to give up, RJ charged all the way to 11th, which combined with his win in the first moto win, gave him third overall on the day.

"For the first round of the outdoors, I was so excited to come here and race,” said  Hampshire . “It started off with a great start in the first moto. I've never felt like that out front where things felt that easy and I didn't really have to get out of my comfort zone. Coming into the second moto I was going to try and do the same thing and it's on me. I botched that start and was still kind of decent, but the second turn was mayhem and I ended up going down. I made up a bunch of passes right away, and then someone else got a little whiskey throttle and I clipped their rear tire going up the steep hill in the back. Then I had my work cut out for me. I was in last by quite a bit. I knew I had to put my head down and I was charging hard. I didn't know if I had a shot at the podium. I had another little crash near the end, but I'm pretty stoked on the whole day. I'm really happy with the bike, where we're at, our mentality. It's going to be a good year and I'm so damn proud of this team.” After his first moto holeshot, Jalek Swoll had a crash that force him out of moto one, but despite he was able to return to score his first points of the season with a 20th-place finish in moto two.
“This was my first race back in pretty much a year, and it just felt good to get gate drops,” said Swoll . “Watching from the couch was not fun. Just being out here, 100 percent or not was the goal. The starts were pretty good. I was stoked about that and other than the first moto fall I feel today could have been really good. We'll get healed up, come back a little bit stronger, get some good motos under my belt, and start clicking off some goals this year. My confidence is still there. I feel like I can compete at the top level, so we'll take the starts and the little bit of momentum that was caught today to Hangtown.”
For rookie Talon Hawkins, this was his first crack at a Pro Motocross National, and he finished the day with a 20-17 score, and 19th overall.
“Round one was pretty good, and there's a lot of good to take from it,” said Hawkins . “I needed a better start in that first moto. I got the better start in the second moto, I just didn't ride the way I know how. We're going to work on that this next week and hopefully make something happen next weekend. I'm excited, and this was a good race for me to build off of as we head into the next rounds.“
Next Event (Round 2) : June 3, 2023 – Prairie City SVRA in Rancho Cordova, Calif. Round 1 Results: Fox Raceway 250 MX Results 1. Hunter Lawrence (Honda), 3-1
2. Haiden Deegan (Yamaha), 6-2
3. RJ Hampshire – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 1-11  
… 20. Talon Hawkins – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 20-17 21. Jalek Swoll – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 40-20   450 MX Results 1. Jett Lawrence (Honda), 1-1
2. Chase Sexton (Honda), 2-2
3. Dylan Ferrandis (Yamaha), 3-3
… 35. Scott Meshey (Husqvarna) 28-37

250 MX Rider Point Standings
1. Hunter Lawrence – 45 points
2. Haiden Deegan – 37 points
3. RJ Hampshire – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing – 35 points … 20. Talon Hawkins – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 5 points 21. Jalek Swoll – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 1 point      450 MX Rider Point Standings
1. Jett Lawrence – 50 points
2. Chase Sexton – 44 points
3. Dylan Ferrandis – 40 points

Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Hard Enduro ace endures tough championship opener in Serbia with 10th place finish

MotoGP™ journeyed to France for round five of twenty and Husqvarna Motorcycles watched Ayumu Sasaki finish runner-up with his FR 250 GP around a sunny and busy Le Mans.

Husqvarna Factory Racing rider fit and focused on success at seven-round series

Kay de Wolf posts 4-4 scores at the MXGP of Spain.

The last time we saw RJ Hampshire in action, he was coated in mud from head to toe after a last-ditch effort to make a final corner pass in New Jersey. Heading into the penultimate round of the 2023 AMA Supercross season in Denver, RJ and the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing Team were looking for the win that had been oh-so-close but had proven elusive thus far. 250 SX
When the gate dropped for the main event, RJ Hampshire got a great start on his FC250 and was in the top three. He quickly moved into second place and began reeling in the leader. Near the midway point, he made a move for the lead and was there briefly before running out of room on the edge of the track. Once returning to the racing surface he was several seconds behind the lead, but was the fastest rider on the track. His never say die attitude paid off, and with a pair of laps left in the main, he moved back into the lead for good, scoring his first win of the season. “It was an awesome day. I'm super-stoked for the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing Team, and to knock one of these wins off before the season is over was huge. We've built a lot of momentum; man; I don't take these for granted. I know how much work goes into this from the team side and myself, this motorcycle, and all our supporters. It's just really nice to give them a win... a little payback for all they do for us,”  said Hampshire . “I wasn't that fast in qualifying and didn't win my heat race. But I just had that feeling today that I would get it done. I had that big mistake about midway through the main event, but I really put a charge on there at the end and at least gave myself an opportunity to have a shot at the win. Sure enough, we pulled it off.” 450 SX It’s been more evident than ever during the last couple of weeks that part of the challenge of the AMA Supercross season is making it to the end unscathed.  The 450 side of the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing Team is working hard to be back on track with their FC 450 Rockstar Editions as soon as possible. Next Event (Round 17):  May 13, 2023 – Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City, Utah Round 16 Results: Denver
250 SX West Results
1. RJ Hampshire – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing
2. Levi Kitchen (Yamaha)
3. Jett Lawrence (Honda)   250 SX West Rider Point Standings 1. Jett Lawrence – 197 points
2. RJ Hampshire – 163 points
3. Enzo Lopes – 137 points 450 SX Rider Point Standings 1. Chase Sexton – 346 points
2. Eli Tomac – 339 points
3. Cooper Webb – 304 points
…
11. Christian Craig – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 150 points
29. RJ Hampshire – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 15 points
31. Malcolm Stewart – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 15 points

Kay de Wolf and Roan van de Moosdijk claim trophies in Portugal.

MotoGP™ landed back in Europe for the fourth date of the twenty round 2023 campaign and Ayumu Sasaki was one of the stars of a gripping Moto3 affair at Jerez in southern Spain as the Japanese captured 4th position, less than half a second from victory.

FR 450 Rally rider claims hard-fought podium result at five-stage event in Mexico

FR 450 Rally racer provisionally lies third overall as event passes halfway stage

Luciano Benavides completes stage two as eighth fastest as Skyler Howes crashes out

Skyler Howes places sixth while Luciano Benavides finishes eighth on demanding day one in Mexico

Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing post solid points at round four.

A pulsating Red Bull Grand Prix of the Americas was the stage for Ayumu Sasaki and Husqvarna Motorcycles to again star in the Moto3 category but the Japanese did not reach the flag in Texas.

Kay de Wolf and Roan van de Moosdijk fantastic at Frauenfeld.

Husqvarna Factory Racing rider delivers two solid performances on his FE 350 to finish well inside the top eight on both days of competition in Italy

Husqvarna Motorcycles again fills the role of protagonist in the opening stages of 2023 MotoGP™ by challenging for top points and places in both Moto3 and Moto2 at a busy and wet Gran Premio Michelin de la Republica Argentina.

Newly crowned SuperEnduro Champion to take on GP of Italy this weekend

1-2 scores elevate Kay de Wolf to second in the championship.

Points and presence in both Moto3™ and Moto2™ categories for the first time for Husqvarna Motorcycles as the MotoGP™ World Championship launches in the Algarve sunshine.

The Grande Premio de Portugal at the Algarve International Circuit hosts the first of 21 rounds in the 2023 MotoGP World Championship this weekend. Husqvarna Motorcycles is set for participation in both Moto3™ and Moto2™ classes for the very first time thanks to the LIQUI MOLY Husqvarna Intact GP team.

New 2023 indoor enduro victory edit now live

Husqvarna Factory Racing ace takes his third consecutive indoor title with dominant showing in Gliwice, Poland

FC 250 trio exit the Grand Prix of Patagonia-Argentina with solid points.

Kay de Wolf wins in The Netherlands, Lucas Coenen wins in France.

Husqvarna Factory Racing rider delivers strong final stage to secure runner-up result

Husqvarna Factory Racing enduro ace secures decisive victory in 2023 SuperEnduro title hunt

Argentinian takes second stage win of the 2023 event to move up to second overall

Second consecutive top-three stage result for the American rider as event passes halfway point

Skyler Howes places third, less than two minutes behind his teammate

Skyler Howes opens the stage to place sixth with Luciano Benavides two places behind in eighth

Skyler Howes and Luciano Benavides head to the ADDC one month on from a highly successful Dakar

Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing continue to progress ahead of 2023 MXGP.

Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing log race laps ahead of 2023 MXGP.

Husqvarna Factory Racing star extends FIM SuperEnduro points lead with stunning show in Hungary

Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing set to chase MX2 title with three-man team.

Husqvarna Motorcycles and Rekluse set to launch into new racing season.

Husqvarna Factory Racing FR 450 Rally rider places third at world’s toughest rally-raid

Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Skyler Howes completes penultimate stage in seventh and lies third overall with one stage left to race

Skyler Howes brings his FR 450 Rally home in an excellent sixth position with Luciano Benavides opening the special to place 12th

Husqvarna Factory Racing rider takes his third stage victory of the event as teammate Skyler Howes regains the race lead

Husqvarna Factory Racing riders Benavides and Howes complete dune-filled special in 13th and 17th respectively

Husqvarna Factory Racing rider claims his second stage win of the event as Skyler Howes continues to lead the overall

Brisk spark plugs to support Husqvarna Factory Racing in MXGP and Enduro.

Husqvarna Factory Racing enjoy rest day today before resuming racing tomorrow with stage nine

Tough day while opening the stage sees Howes and Benavides minimise mistakes to now lie second and 11th in the provisional overall standings

Husqvarna Factory Racing star hangs tough for dramatic and hard-fought victory in Riesa

Making the trek to Angel Stadium is an annual tradition for the AMA Supercross Championship, but this year added a new layer of intrigue, as it was also the kickoff of the new SuperMotocross era, where the Supercross and Pro Motocross seasons link together for the first time. RJ Hampshire topped the results for the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing Team, where tough track conditions brought on by an unusual string of rainy days in Southern California made it extremely challenging for all the riders. 250SX Part of the mystery of any season-opener is to see how all the riders stack up, and the night started off in the best way possible for RJ Hampshire, with a win in his heat race packed with talented title contenders. When the gate dropped for the 250SX Main Event, Hampshire started off in the fourth position, but methodically moved forward. With less than two minutes left to go, he moved into the second spot and finished slightly over five seconds behind the top spot. "Man, we had an awesome day,"  Hampshire said.  "From start to finish we were solid. I felt like my riding was really good. My starts were decent, and it was a solid start to the season with a P2. We'll take it and lead into Oakland. Hopefully, we can do it again." 450SX Malcolm Stewart experienced a little bit of everything during the 450SX Main Event. Nearing the halfway point, he took advantage of a bobble by last season’s champion and took over the lead for several laps. Later, contact with another rider forced him off the track. In the closing stages of the main, he had a crash that dropped him to the back of the pack. But even with the tough finish, he was left with a positive impression at the start of the season. "The day started out pretty slow. I didn't really ride that well in practice and the track was pretty tough, but I got to a point where I was like, 'You know what? I just need to turn this dayaround,' because I felt like I work too hard to get to this point,"  Stewart said.  "I  got a decent start in the main event, and just did the best I could. I started riding, clicking off laps, making some good passes, and smart choices. I was leading the main for a while, which was amazing. I don't think I've done that in my whole entire career. Just having all that pressure and dealing with it, if anything brings confidence to me because I know where I belong. I'm very proud of myself. Unfortunately, we did have a crash with three laps to go. It was a big crash for sure. I'm glad that I'm healthy and walked away from it, so we live to fight another day and I'm more proud of myself because of how my day was going and me turning it around and going like that, and doing what I'm supposed to do just brings more confidence for me. I'm looking forward to Oakland."
For the newest member of the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna team, Christian Craig, it was a tough way to start the season, finishing 13th on the night in the 450 class.
"A1's done and it was a rough day for me,"  Craig said.  "I started off good in practice and then had a pretty big crash in the whoops and from there on out it was a struggle. I rode tight and not like myself. I’m pretty frustrated with the night, but we're healthy, we're moving on, and only up from here. I've just got to work on starting up front and putting myself in a good position to battle more next week."
Next Event (Round 2):  1/14/23 – RingCentral Coliseum Round 1 Results: Anaheim, California 250SX West – Main Event 1. Jett Lawrence (Honda)
2. RJ Hampshire - Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing
3. Cameron Mcadoo (Kawasaki) 450SX – Main Event 1. Eli Tomac (Yamaha)
2. Cooper Webb (KTM)
3. Chase Sexton (Honda)
…  
13. Christian Craig  - Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing
22. Malcolm Stewart  - Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing 450SX Championship Standings – After Round 1 1. Eli Tomac (Yamaha) 26 pts
2. Cooper Webb (KTM) 23 pts
3. Chase Sexton (Honda) 21 pts
… 
13.  Christian Craig  - Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 10 pts
22.  Malcolm Stewart  - Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 1 pts 250SX West  Championship Standings – After Round 1 1. Jett Lawrence (Honda) 26 pts
2. RJ Hampshire -  Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing,  23 pts
3. Cameron Mcadoo (Kawasaki) 21 pts

FR 450 Rally rider leads home a Husqvarna Factory Racing one-two as Skyler Howes finishes as runner-up and increases his lead at the top of the event standings

Husqvarna Factory Racing rider completes tough fifth day in fifth place to move to the top of the provisional rally standings

Strong performance sees Husqvarna Factory Racing rider move up to second overall in the provisional rally standings

Challenging third day in Saudi Arabia sees both Husqvarna Factory Racing riders finish inside the top 10

Husqvarna Factory Racing riders deliver strong performances on physical second day in Saudi Arabia

Skyler Howes and Luciano Benavides place eighth and 15th respectively on tough opening day in Saudi Arabia

Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Skyler Howes and Luciano Benavides are excited to get their 2023 Dakar Rally campaigns underway. Following their stellar 2022 season, both FR 450 Rally riders are motivated and confident ahead of the start of the opening round of the 2023 FIM World Rally-Raid Championship, held in Saudi Arabia. Coming into the 2023 Dakar Rally, Skyler Howes has shown incredible pace over the past 12 months, including a win at the tough Rallye du Maroc – Howes’ first world championship victory. The speed and results are due in part to the hard work put in by the whole team in developing the latest 2023 model FR 450 Rally.

Feeling fit and better prepared than ever to take on the gruelling 8,500 kilometres of the 2023 Dakar, the American is fully focused on delivering his best ever performance at the iconic event. With 14 full stages to cover and over 4,700 kilometres raced against the clock, Howes feels the long nature of the rally, as well as the increased value placed on accurate navigation, should suit his skills and style.

Having also enjoyed a stand-out 2022 season in which he claimed podium results in Morocco and Andalucia, Luciano Benavides is on top form and hungry for success at the Dakar. The 2022 event didn’t go as planned for the Argentinian as he suffered from the same first day navigational issue that caught out many of the front runners. However, quickly regrouping and fighting back up the order gave Benavides the confidence he needed to attack the remainder of the season.

Finding the changes and development made to the FR 450 Rally perfectly suited to his riding style, Luciano feels comfortable to push hard over all varied terrain while also being able to focus on his navigation – something that could prove key over the course the long, upcoming race. With added rule changes that reward riders who open stages coming into effect in 2023, strategy and the ability to read the terrain, and the road book, will be more important than ever.

The 2023 Dakar Rally starts with a short 11-kilometre prologue on December 31 to decide the start order for stage one. The event then covers 14 full days of racing with riders covering a total distance of 8,549 kilometres, 4,706 of which will be timed special stages raced against the clock. The rally comes to a close on Sunday, January 15 in Dammam.

Skyler Howes:   “I’m really looking forward to beginning the 2023 Dakar Rally adventure that awaits us. I’m super excited to get started actually, this year I feel a lot more relaxed than at previous Dakars, and that is great for my confidence. Of course, there is still a lot of riding and racing that faces us over the next two weeks or so, and it’s definitely going to be a tough Dakar. But it’s these longer, more challenging events that seem to suit my riding and my mindset. There are going to be a lot of changes this year with new the rules and that means different strategies, but I think it’s good. It’s always tricky when they bring in these rule changes, but we’re all in the same boat here and we’ll have to figure it out as best we can. At the end of the day, all I can do is my best, and that’s what I plan to do – have a cool, fun time racing my Husqvarna through Saudi Arabia.”

Luciano Benavides:   “We’re almost ready for the start of the race now. I have prepared more than ever for the 2023 race, and I’m in a really good place to give the event my absolute best. It’s going to be a really long race this year – the longest for around eight years – it means it’s going to be a really tough Dakar, especially the second week through the dunes of the Empty Quarter. Mentally and physically I’m feeling good, and my pace has been really competitive over the course of 2022. I truly feel I have a good shot at securing a top result, I just need to remain focused each day and not make any mistakes as I think they will have a huge impact this year.”

Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Billy Bolt got his FIM SuperEnduro World Championship title defence off to a perfect start with victory at round one in Poland. In what was his first return to racing following a five-month injury, Bolt won all three Prestige races in Krakow, along with topping the SuperPole hot lap, to make it a clean sweep at the season opener. Dominating the SuperPole hot lap by nearly one and a half seconds, Billy earned himself the first gate pick for the opening Prestige race of the night. Despite it marking his first competitive outing in over five months, the FE 350 mounted rider was quick to show everyone that he’d lost none of his race craft. Taking control of the lead, the Husqvarna rider checked out to secure the first race win of the night in Krakow.

With the grid order reversed for the second Prestige race, Billy opted for a steady start from row two before carefully cutting his way through the field with rapid precision. Working safe, clean overtakes, he quickly moved to the front of the field. Once past leader Taddy Blazusiak, he upped his pace during the midway point to pull clear of his rivals for an eventual 30-second margin of victory.

As the gate dropped on the third and final Prestige race in Krakow, Billy set his sights on making it a clean sweep of wins at round one and he didn’t disappoint. Although getting a little boxed in during the first few corners of lap one, the Brit remained calm and composed as he moved up to second. After a couple of laps battling with early leader Jonny Walker, Bolt soon put his Husqvarna out front and wasn’t headed.

Claiming three wins from three starts at round one in Poland, the defending world champion has bounced back from injury in perfect style to establish himself as the rider to beat in the new SuperEnduro season.

The FIM SuperEnduro World Championship continues with round two’s GP of Germany on January 7, 2023.

Billy Bolt:   “I’m so pleased to be back racing, but to make my comeback with a clean sweep of wins and taking SuperPole is the dream start to the championship I had hoped for. It’s felt like a long and tough five months off the bike, but I’m chuffed to be back on the bike and racing hard again. It’s what I love to do. Although tonight went to plan, I feel like I’ve some work to do to get back to my very best. We’ve a couple of weeks until round two in Germany, so I’ll keep working hard to be even stronger there.”

Results: FIM SuperEnduro World Championship, Round 1

Prestige Overall
1. Billy Bolt (Husqvarna) 63pts;  2. Jonny Walker (Beta) 51pts; 3. Cody Webb (Sherco) 43pts; 4. Taddy Blazusiak (GASGAS) 43pts; 5. Cooper Abbott (Sherco) 31pts…

Prestige Race 1
1. Billy Bolt (Husqvarna) 10 laps, 7:41.953;  2. Jonny Walker (Beta) 10 laps, 7:58.900; 3. Cody Webb (Sherco) 10 laps, 8:14.278…

Prestige Race 2
1. Billy Bolt (Husqvarna) 10 laps, 7:25.807;  2. Jonny Walker (Beta) 10 laps, 7:55.102; 3. Taddy Blazusiak (GASGAS) 10 laps, 8:05.578…

Prestige Race 3
1. Billy Bolt (Husqvarna) 10 laps, 7:19.638;  2. Jonny Walker (Beta) 10 laps, 7:41.718; 3. Cody Webb (Sherco) 10 laps, 7:49.157…

Championship Standings (After round 1)
1. Billy Bolt (Husqvarna) 63pts;  2. Jonny Walker (Beta) 51pts; 3. Cody Webb (Sherco) 43pts; 4. Taddy Blazusiak (GASGAS) 43pts; 5. Cooper Abbott (Sherco) 31pts…

Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Skyler Howes and Luciano Benavides are in the final stages of their preparations ahead of January’s Dakar Rally. With both riders enjoying a stand-out 2022 season, the FR 450 Rally mounted teammates will be looking to carry their excellent form into the 14-stage rally, which starts in less than one month’s time. The 2023 event promises to be one of the toughest ever with long, timed specials and several new-for-2023 rule changes that will test the riders, and the team, to the maximum. The 2022 season didn’t start in the best way for either Benavides or Howes, with both riders enduring disappointing Dakars for different reasons. While Luciano spent the rally fighting back from a tough first day where he fell foul of some unpredictable navigation, Skyler crashed out of the event on day five. Both riders returned to action at round two of the FIM World Rally-Raid Championship however, the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge, and claimed top-10 results after putting in strong performances while racing through the UAE desert.

After a long summer break where the duo raced in several local events as well as spending weeks with the team developing and testing their FR 450 Rally machines, they resumed their world championship campaigns at round three in Morocco. It was during this second half of the season that all the hard work paid off, as Howes went on to claim his first ever world championship victory with a win at the Rallye du Maroc, leading Benavides home for a Husqvarna Factory Racing one-two. Then at the Andalucia Rally in Spain, Luciano secured a second consecutive world championship podium result with an excellent ride to third place.

More than happy with the feel and performance of their machines, and both in top form physically, both Howes and Benavides now look ahead to the first round of the 2023 FIM World Rally-Raid Championship, namely the Dakar Rally, which starts on December 31st in Saudi Arabia. The 14-stage event promises to throw up several new challenges to all competitors in terms of long timed specials and even more technically demanding navigation. With just weeks to go before the event starts, Husqvarna Factory Racing are definitely up for the challenge.

Skyler Howes:   “I’m super excited for Dakar 2023. The rule changes we’ll have, the longer format, and the tough navigation they are promising, that all suits me and my style well. It’s going to be tough, that’s for sure, but I’m ready to give it everything I have. It’s all in the past now, but I guess things started out pretty rough for me this season – having to withdraw from the Dakar on stage five was obviously a big blow and it took a long time to recover. I went into Abu Dhabi way less than 100% but was able to finish the event. After that things started to turn around – I took the win at the Silver State 300 and the Vegas to Reno races, which was great. But then the victory at the Rallye du Maroc was on another level. It was my first world championship win, and something I had dreamed about my whole career. Those results, along with all the testing I’ve done with the team and the development to the bike, man I’m going into the 2023 Dakar full of confidence. My own personal training has been going really well, too. We still have another team test to go in December, and then more work in the gym, but I’m really excited for Dakar 2023.”

Luciano Benavides:   “The 2022 season has been the best year of my career so far. I finished fourth in the world championship and had two consecutive podiums in Morocco and Andalucia. That, as well as a stage win in Abu Dhabi while also opening three stages there has really raised my confidence. My Dakar back in January was good, too. Although the first day was tough, I was able to fight back from that time lost to secure a good finish. In terms of performance, I think I did a really good year and want to take that into the 2023 Dakar. Right now, I’m in the best form I’ve ever been in both mentally and physically. And my feeling on the bike is great, due to all the testing and development the team has done this year. Just a few weeks to go now and we’re in for the big one. I can’t wait to get started.”

Norbert Stadlbauer – Rally Team Manager:   “The Husqvarna Factory Racing team have gone from strength to strength this season, both in terms of their outright speed in the world championship and in other national events where they have secured wins and podium results. The form that both Luciano and Skyler are in right now comes down to a lot of hard work and dedication, and I truly believe that the team will be right up there at the sharp end of the results when the 2023 Dakar comes to a close.”

Robert Jonas – Head of Motorsports Offroad:   “We are really pleased with the progress of the Husqvarna Factory Racing team this year. In the latter half of the season, Skyler and Luciano have shown time and time again that they are to be counted with the world’s best. With another year of experience and strong results behind them, I have every faith that the team can look forward to delivering strong results at the upcoming Dakar Rally and throughout the 2023 FIM World Rally-Raid season.”

Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing is proud to introduce its four-rider SuperMotocross World Championship roster entering the new season, consisting of newly signed Christian Craig and the returning Malcolm Stewart aboard the 2023 Husqvarna FC 450 Rockstar Edition, as well as RJ Hampshire and Jalek Swoll equipped with the Husqvarna FC 250. Officially launched on Tuesday at RD Field, where the team’s practice facility is based in Murrieta, Calif., all four Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing team riders are eager for the gates to drop on the 2023 AMA Supercross season in Anaheim on January 7. From there, inclusive of Pro Motocross beginning in May, the newly introduced series will feature 31 events combined.
As the current 250SX Western Regional Champion, 31-year-old Craig will transition to the 450SX division full-time in the upcoming season with momentum on his side. He has swiftly adapted to the FC 450 Rockstar Edition upon training with Aldon Baker at the Baker’s Factory and carries high hopes into both supercross and motocross.
Malcolm Stewart, meanwhile, is set to continue his upward trajectory in what will be his second year with Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing. After finishing a career-high third in the 450SX standings this past season, complete with three podiums to his credit, expectations for the entire SuperMotocross World Championship are high for the 30-year-old rider.
Christian Craig:  “This is year one on the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing team and it's been good so far this pre-season. I moved the whole family to Clermont and started fresh with Aldon. We went straight into bootcamp, and it's been good so far. I’m just learning the bike, learning the program and just trying to build each day and get better. I’m getting more familiar with the bike every day and just keep grinding. Other than that, just doing the laps and getting ready for A1, trying to be as ready as possible.”
Malcolm Stewart:  “I feel great going into the 2023 season with the team. I had a really good year last year for supercross and I felt like we were just getting the ball rolling. I just feel like, for me, it's all about being consistent, as I've always said. I’ve got better goals for myself and I think I got some personal stuff that I know I needed to do done. Being with the team again for another year on this bike, I feel like it's going to be a really good year, so I'm excited. I got a new teammate, Christian Craig, and I feel like he's going hold me accountable just like everybody else that's out there, so I can't wait to see how we do and I think it's going to be a great year for the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing team.”
It will be RJ Hampshire and Jalek Swoll who lead the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing 250 class program into the SuperMotocross World Championship series, both continuing with the team and with the goal of competing for victory in the new year aboard their 2023 Husqvarna FC 250 race bikes.
As for RJ Hampshire, this year also marks his fourth with Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing and it is shaping up to be his best yet. The 26-year-old finished runner-up in the 250SX Eastern Regional Championship with a breakout Main Event win, followed by finishing fifth in 250MX, where he also managed to stand on top of the podium. Now, he is firmly targeting to contend for championships.
At 22 years of age, Jalek Swoll enters his fourth term with the team in the professional ranks and is looking to put his experience into practice throughout both indoors and the outdoors. In 2022, he displayed top-five form in supercross and has hopes of building on those results in the 250SX and 250MX series.
RJ Hampshire:  “We've had a really solid off-season so far since the beginning of December and I feel like we're about ready to go. We made a lot of progress with the bike and my comfort, so looking back on last year, I know we're in a good spot. Getting second in the championship was huge and I definitely feel like we can make a big jump forward. These guys have been working really hard ever since last year and we're in a really good spot, so I’m excited to go racing with the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing team.”
Jalek Swoll : “I’m really looking forward to this upcoming season with the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing team. We've gotten a lot more time on the bike and have had some really good days back in Florida training with Aldon and I’m feeling good about this season. I’m eager to get back into racing with the whole team and look forward to the fun of that whole deal. I’m excited for us riders to come out swinging hard and try to re-brand ourselves this year.”
Nathan Ramsey , Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing Team Manager:  “I’m very excited about the 2023 season. We’ve got a new addition to the team with Christian Craig, and three hard-working riders returning this year with Malcolm, RJ and Jalek back with us. Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing is looking good, and the guys have been putting in a lot of work at the Baker’s Factory during the off-season. We’re excited to have Josh Hansen on-board doing some testing with the bikes. We’re feeling confident coming into the year and looking forward to getting it started.”

In the swift wake of its most successful season as part of the Moto3™ world championship series, Husqvarna Motorcycles has unveiled the colours for 2023 and the scale of the project to enter two Grand Prix categories next year. The LIQUI MOLY Husqvarna Intact GP team welcomed guests, staff and riders to their base in Memmingen, Germany last week and threw away the covers from the FR 250 GP technology that will contest the Moto3 class (in the hands of racers Ayumu Sasaki and Collin Veijer) and the machinery that will front Husqvarna Motorcycles’ debut in the Moto2™ division (Darryn Binder and Lukas Tulovic on board). The brand has doubled down on their presence in the MotoGP series for 2023, encouraged by the results and progress of the Moto3 wing this year; notably the three wins in the Netherlands, Austria and Malaysia by Sasaki and John McPhee and a total of ten GP podium appearances. The meeting at Sepang, Malaysia, in particular, was a highlight thanks to the 1-2 classification by the Briton and the Japanese. Sasaki showed world championship form in the second half of the 2022 campaign and was one of the star draws during the gathering in Germany. Together with fresh team management the riders presented the new-look race bikes for the first time and the shade of Husqvarna Motorcycles white, blue and yellow that will be seen in winter testing and throughout the 21 dates of the 2023 calendar. Ayumu Sasaki : "2022 has been a lot of ups and downs for me, I had some injuries at the beginning of the year but luckily in the second part of the season, we had some fantastic races: we achieved nine podiums, and two wins and it turned out to be the best season in my career so far. Next year I am aiming to be within the top 3, if possible to fight for the championship, and I will do everything I can to achieve that." Collin Veijer: "I had an incredible season, especially at the start of the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup as I got my first podiums in the first couple of races. In FIM JuniorGP, I sustained an injury in the first race but in the summer break, we trained a lot and tried to fix everything which resulted in two victories in the category and three wins in the Rookies. I am super happy with 2022 and can't wait to start this new adventure. I hope to learn a lot from Ayumu next year but I need to make my own experiences and learn to improve myself from them." Darryn Binder : "It was a great opportunity to go straight to MotoGP in 2022 but I am very happy to be coming to Moto2 for the very first time. It will be another new adventure for me and I am hoping to make the most of it. I am really happy to join this team as there have been talks before and so it's great to finally come together. I am super-excited to get the 2023 season started and I hope that I can put all the experience I've gained in MotoGP this year into Moto2 and make the most of it and hope to secure some good results. When I first tested the Moto2 bike, it felt really good. I felt comfortable really quickly and after three days I already started to build up a good feeling. Step-by-step I understood what the Moto2 bikes needs and it's cool not to worry about too much electronics because you can just go out, ride and work on the setup. focus on your riding and improve with every exit. The testing was really positive which is why I can't wait to get the season started.” Lukas Tulovic : "I love the new colours of the bikes and I am sure we will stand out from the crowd. In the European Championship we were already at world championship level on some tracks and based on the riders who have entered Moto2 in 2022, I think you can also expect us to be in the top third of the pack. Of course we have to make steps and improve over the season but my goal is the top 10."

Ayumu Sasaki takes his FR 250 GP to 5th at the MotoGP™ finale in Spain to finish 2022 with 4th place in the Moto3 world championship standings. The Gran Premio Motul de la Comunitat Valenciana represented the 25th time that MotoGP has descended into the circular ‘speedbowl’ setting of the Ricardo Tormo Circuit, a short distance west of the city of Valencia. World championship riders and teams were competing in front of a largely Spanish audience (but a full attendance) for the fourth time this term but Valencia has long been a customary venue to bring the racing season to a close and counted on sunshine and warm temperatures for the twentieth and final fixture of 2022. The Sterilgarda Max Racing Team approached the last GP of their three-year tenure in ‘white and blue’ with Ayumu Sasaki chasing a top three championship ranking and John McPhee motivated for his final outing in the Moto3 division after his thrilling victory two weeks ago in Malaysia. Qualification went smoothly for the crew around the 4km layout with 14 corners and many of those tight and narrow: Sasaki ranked 5th to sit on the second row of the grid while McPhee was only fractions of a second away in 10th for a slot on the fourth line. Moto3 opened the race card at Valencia with 23 laps and the promise of a very close group vying for the right to the final chequered flag of 2022. Sasaki and McPhee slotted into the fourteen-rider third gaggle with hopes of 4th position. The Japanese had to constantly attack and defend but rode decently once more to obtain 5th; behind Dennis Foggia by four tenths of a second to accept a top four championship berth. McPhee had a busy run trying to elbow his way into the top ten and the Scot made it to the line in 11th for five points. In the wake of twenty Grands Prix with the expected highs (victories in the Netherlands, Austria and Malaysia and a total of ten podium appearances) and lows (injuries to both riders) Husqvarna Motorcycles was able to see both of its racers place 4th and 11th in the standings and the Sterilgarda Max Racing Team toast 3rd in the Teams’ contest. After the winter period, that will combine both private and official IRTA tests, Husqvarna Motorcycles will reappear in Moto3 and Moto2™ competition for the season-opening Grand Prix of Portugal in Portimao on March 26th 2023. Ayumu Sasaki : “It was a very good season and I want to thank all my team and the sponsors. It’s been my best championship so far. We went through some difficulties with injuries and we had some bad luck as well but the second part of the season was incredible with nine podiums and two wins. I struggled here but improved all weekend and finished P5. We collected a lot of data and learning this season for next year and I will have the same crew and same people and we will only have one target. We will start in our best way.” John McPhee : “An emotional race for me; my last in Moto3. It was nice to be fast and consistent all weekend. I felt competitive which is the best way to complete my final GP. A big thanks to the team and to everyone that supported me and stuck with me in the hard moments. I pushed 100% as always. I look forward to the next chapter of my career.”   Results – 2022 Moto3 World Championship, Final round   1. Izan Guevara (GASGAS) 38:10.406, 2. Deniz Öncü (KTM) +0.062, 3. Sergio Garcia (GASGAS) +6.557, 5. Ayumu Sasaki (Husqvarna) +14.574, 11. John McPhee (Husqvarna) +15.533   Final Moto3 world championship standings   1. Izan Guevara (GASGAS) 319pts, 2. Sergio Garcia (GASGAS) 257, 3. Dennis Foggia (Honda) 246, 4. Ayumu Sasaki (Husqvarna) 238, 11. John McPhee (Husqvarna) 102

Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing are excited to announce that Lucas Coenen has joined the squad ahead of the 2023 FIM Motocross World Championship. Coenen, who hails from Belgium, is set to compete in the MX2 class aboard the proven FC 250. Coenen is one of the brightest talents to emerge from Europe in some time. Racing in the EMX250 class at fifteen years of age, he won seven of the final eight motos and secured second in the final classification. It was an impressive term aboard his FC 250 and such potential will be nurtured under the Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing awning. With Lucas Coenen added to their line-up, Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing will run a rather exciting trio in the 2023 FIM Motocross World Championship. Kay de Wolf and Roan van de Moosdijk will enter the new term, which begins with the Grand Prix of Patagonia-Argentina on March 12, with title aspirations. Lucas Coenen:  "I am really excited to join Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing for the 2023 season! To start my MX2 career with a brand as prestigious as Husqvarna is an honour and I cannot wait to see what I can do on my FC 250." Rasmus Jorgensen (Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing Team Manager):  "Adding Lucas Coenen to Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing is exciting for all of us; he was so impressive in the EMX250 class earlier this year and already on a Husqvarna. I'm very proud of the Husqvarna brand, and it makes a lot of sense to continue writing this story together! 2023 is shaping up to be a great year for the team. Kay and Roan are extremely motivated to put the unlucky 2022 season behind them and have set their sights on 2023. We are counting down to round one!"

Luciano Benavides has finished the 2022 Andalucia Rally in third place overall. A strong ride on the short, final stage of the Spanish event saw the Husqvarna Factory Racing rider secure his second consecutive event podium, claiming fourth overall in the final 2022 FIM World Rally-Raid Championship standings.

Despite being short at just over 100 kilometres, the timed special on stage four of the Andalucia Rally delivered challenging terrain and navigation to all competitors for their final charge to the finish line. Due to his third-place result from Saturday’s stage three, Luciano Benavides entered the special with two riders ahead of him. With a three-minute deficit to the provisional leader of the rally coming into the final day, Benavides knew it would be tough to make up the time required, but nevertheless gave his all over the opening half of the stage.

With the times extremely close between the top three, a small mistake by Luciano later in the special cost him several valuable seconds, and with a sizeable advantage to the fourth-placed competitor, Benavides decided to ease his pace slightly over the final kilometres to ensure a safe podium finish. Bringing his FR 450 Rally home just one and a half minutes behind the stage winner, the young Argentinian secured third place in the event, and with it, his second consecutive world championship podium.

Following a tough start to the season, where he placed 13th at the Dakar Rally, Luciano delivered superb performances over the three subsequent rounds to ensure his top-four result in the championship rankings. A stage win at the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge was followed by a podium in Morocco and third place in Spain. On top form, Benavides now looks forward to the Dakar Rally next January. Joining his teammate in Saudi Arabia, Skyler Howes will also be aiming to carry the speed that took him to victory at the Rallye du Maroc into the first round of the 2023 season.

Luciano Benavides:   “I’m happy to complete the last day of the rally – it was another crazy stage of hard navigation and really tough tracks. It was shorter than the previous days, but it was still quite challenging due to the tricky navigation and less visible pistes. There were also many, many rocks and stones, so it was hard to find a good rhythm. I made a little mistake near the end, but I knew if I stayed at a solid pace, my third place would be safe, so I eased off a little in the final kilometres to bring it home safely. To get back-to-back podiums from here and Morocco and to be able to share the podium with my brother feels great, and the result has moved me up to fourth in the world championship, so I’m really pleased with that, too. It’s important to finish the season strong, with good speed and no injuries, so the plan now is to carry this form to Dakar.”

2022 Andalucia Rally – Stage 4 Provisional Classification

1. Adrien Van Beveren (Honda) 1:22:53
2. Kevin Benavides (KTM) 1:23:09
3. Luciano Benavides (Husqvarna) 1:24:24
4. Tosha Schareina (KTM) 1:24:36
5. Lorenzo Santolino (Sherco) 1:24:53
6. Ricky Brabec (Honda) 1:25:00

2022 Andalucia Rally – Provisional Overall Classification (after stage 4)

1. Adrien Van Beveren (Honda) 9:58:48
2. Kevin Benavides (KTM) 10:02:02 +3:14
3. Luciano Benavides (Husqvarna) 10:05:25
4. Lorenzo Santolino (Sherco) 10:11:43
5. Sam Sunderland (GASGAS) 10:14:10
6. Tosha Schareina (KTM) 10:17:22

Victory for John McPhee and 2nd place for Ayumu Sasaki as MotoGP™ rushes through the stifling humidity of the Sepang International Circuit. The nineteenth and second-to-last Grand Prix of the 2022 MotoGP world championship campaign brought the eastern global stint of the series to an end as Malaysia and the Sepang International Circuit made a popular and overdue return to the schedule. The Moto3 teams and riders had to reacquaint themselves with the oppressive heat of the site close to Kuala Lumpur and the ever-present threat of heavy rain spells. Comprehensive set-up work to deal with the two long straights and diversity of the 15 corners was also in order as the Sepang offered contrasting flow and demands compared to Phillip Island in Australia the previous weekend. The Sterilgarda Max Racing team watched Ayumu Sasaki get down to business as the Japanese again worked with the FR 250 GP to lodge his name and number near the top of the time sheets throughout Free Practice as the Moto3 field avoided the worst of the showery climate on Friday. Sasaki ended-up with 7th place on the start grid after Q2 on Saturday while John McPhee dealt with a few issues to labour to the eighth row. Moto3 was run through 17 gripping laps at midday on Sunday. The onus on slipstreaming and keeping a slot in the leading group through consistency and tyre preservation were vital skills. Sasaki started conservatively, especially considering rain in the morning has left the track damp in places. He soon found another gear to shift from the edge of the top ten into contention for the lead with six laps to go. McPhee was able to regain ground to slot in the second gaggle. The experience Scot then rode hard to break free and join the leaders, staring at a very small gap to 7th position. Riccardo Rossi’s crash then allowed him to merge with the group. The final Moto3 push was chaotic and unpredictable as always but McPhee’s sensational inside line to gain four places with two corners to go was the difference. He held onto P1 despite a last-gasp attack from his teammate into Turn 15 and sealed his fourth career victory and the first in Husqvarna Motorcycles colours by four hundredths of a second. The result marked the third triumph for the team this season. Sasaki’s 2nd place was his ninth podium of 2022. With 227 points Sasaki still has a chance of reaching 2nd place in the world championship standings as the Gran Premio Motul de la Comunitat Valenciana will represent the last chance and final sprint of the term in two weeks. The Circuito Ricardo Tormo in Spain will offer a maximum of 25 points and the opportunity for the Japanese to add to his tally. McPhee had risen to 16th prior to the outing in Malaysia and is now 10th. The Husqvarna Motorcycles squad have classified 3rd in the Teams’ contest for 2022. John McPhee : “I’m proud of myself, I dug so deep. It has been such a tough season and weekend here. It was a tough day yesterday but now I’m so happy for the guys who have been supporting me. One last win in Moto3 but we still have another chance in Valencia.” Ayumu Sasaki : “Today I gave everything. I heard that Dietrich [Mateschitz] had passed away and I just wanted to give this race to him. I pushed for all I could and will always give my wings for the championship! At least it was John who beat me today! I know it hasn’t been the easiest season for him. I tried to pass at the end but was a bit too hot into the last corner. I’m happy anyway!”   Results – 2022 Moto3 World Championship, Round 19   1. John McPhee (Husqvarna) 38:04.589, 2. Ayumu Sasaki (Husqvarna) +0.048 , 3. Sergio Garcia (GASGAS) +0.146   Moto3 world championship standings   1. Izan Guevara (GASGAS) 294pts, 2. Sergio Garcia (GASGAS) 241, 3. Dennis Foggia (Honda) 233, 4. Ayumu Sasaki (Husqvarna) 227, 10. John McPhee (Husqvarna) 97

Luciano Benavides has put in a solid ride on the long stage three of the Andalucia Rally to place third overall. Despite a crash in the second half of the timed special, the Husqvarna Factory Racing rider was able to complete the day inside the top three, finishing just over three minutes down on the winner.   Luciano Benavides has put in a solid ride on the long stage three of the Andalucia Rally to place third overall. Despite a crash in the second half of the timed special, the Husqvarna Factory Racing rider was able to complete the day inside the top three, finishing just over three minutes down on the winner.

The longest stage of the event started well for Benavides. After a short delay due to the weather, the FR 450 Rally rider was the third competitor to enter the 284-kilometre timed special and immediately delivered a pace that secured his position inside the top three. Feeling comfortable, despite the unpredictable and slippery tracks that made up the first half of the stage, Luciano reached the refuelling point as third fastest.

Setting off again and looking to improve his position, a small crash resulted in the young Argentinian losing several minutes to his rivals. Thankfully, despite being in some discomfort, Benavides was able to safely complete the stage in an excellent third place.

With one day of the event left to contest, Luciano lies third overall, just over five minutes down on the provisional leader. Sunday’s 400-kilometre stage includes a short 100-kilometre timed special, where Benavides will be aiming to give his all in the hope of securing himself a podium finish.

Luciano Benavides:   “It was a really, really long day again – more than three hours on the bike and tough, slippery tracks where you are sliding around all the time. Navigation was quite easy, but you had to take extra care about all the notes in your road book. It wasn’t so easy to get completely lost, but it was possible to miss a turn or another track, and that could cost you quite a few seconds each time. Honestly, in the first half of the stage I thought I was doing well. Times were tight but I was holding on to about third place, around 30 seconds down. Then, after the refuelling, I had a crash which cost me a few minutes. I was in a little pain but carried on ok. Towards the end, my brother caught me, so it was cool to finish the stage going full gas on the sand with him. I’m happy with my pace on the whole and looking forward to the finish tomorrow.”

2022 Andalucia Rally – Stage 3 Provisional Classification

1. Kevin Benavides (KTM) 3:46:32
2. Adrien Van Beveren (Honda) 3:48:22
3. Luciano Benavides (Husqvarna) 3:49:35
4. Lorenzo Santolino (Sherco) 3:51:12
5. Ricky Brabec (Honda) 3:50:30
6. Sebastian Buhler (Hero) 3:52:26

2022 Andalucia Rally – Provisional Overall Classification (after stage 3)

1. Adrien Van Beveren (Honda) 8:33:55
2. Kevin Benavides (KTM) 8:36:53
3. Luciano Benavides (Husqvarna) 8:39:01
4. Lorenzo Santolino (Sherco) 8:44:50
5. Sam Sunderland (GASGAS) 8:45:27
6. Ross Branch (Hero) 8:50:09

Luciano Benavides has placed third fastest on the opening stage of the 2022 Andalucia Rally. Excelling over the demanding Spanish tracks and terrain, the Argentinian completed the gruelling 315-kilometre timed special in just short of four hours, three and a half minutes behind the leader. Showing impressive speed over yesterday’s short but fast prologue stage, a small mistake in the closing kilometres cost Benavides several seconds, resulting in the FR 450 Rally rider clocking in sixth fastest. With the prologue deciding the start positions for today’s stage one, Benavides was the seventh rider to enter the timed special, where he immediately set about chasing down his rivals ahead.

Maintaining a strong pace over the broken tracks and riverbeds seen in the early part of the special, Luciano soon caught a pair of riders ahead of him. Initially finding it difficult to make a safe pass due to the dust, Benavides eventually got ahead and was able to push onwards, towards the refuelling stop.

As the stage continued, Luciano fought his way past several other riders as he steadily climbed the leaderboard. By the 200-kilometre mark, the 26-year-old was less than two minutes down on the stage leader. Unfortunately, a small mistake in the closing kilometres cost the Husqvarna rider some time, but he was still able to secure a solid third-place result for the day, and now looks forward to a strong start position into Friday’s 568-kilometre stage two.

Luciano Benavides:   “That was a crazy stage one of the Andalucia Rally. It was really slippery out there today, with many tracks and pistes, so you really had to take notice of your notes and navigation. I caught the two guys ahead of me early on, so that meant riding in their dust for quite a while before I could get past them. I put in a good section up to the refuelling, and then after that I caught another two riders, who I was able to get past quite quickly. Later on, I did make a small mistake where I was unsure about the timings after the neutralisation, and that cost me some time. We ended up riding in a group to the finish, so that was good fun. I’m really happy with my riding today and the way the bike handled this tough terrain. Thanks to my team for their hard work and we’ll go again tomorrow.”

2022 Andalucia Rally – Stage 1 Provisional Classification

1. Adrien Van Beveren (Honda) 3:39:25
2. Sam Sunderland (GASGAS) 3:42:39
3. Luciano Benavides (Husqvarna) 3:42:54
4. Kevin Benavides (KTM) 3:44:29
5. Tosha Schareina (KTM) 3:46:30
6. Lorenzo Santolino (Sherco) 3:46:42

2022 Andalucia Rally – Provisional Overall Classification (after stage 1)

1. Adrien Van Beveren (Honda) 4:45:33
2. Sam Sunderland (GASGAS) 4:48:07
3. Luciano Benavides (Husqvarna) 4:49:26
4. Kevin Benavides (KTM) 4:50:21
5. Tosha Schareina (KTM) 4:52:46
6. Lorenzo Santolino (Sherco) 4:53:38

Husqvarna Motorcycles is set to become a protagonist in yet another sphere of MotoGP™ next year after forging a union with the resourceful and competitive Moto2 team Intact GP to form ‘LIQUI MOLY Husqvarna Intact GP’. The name of the squad will cover racing wings in both the intermediate category and in Moto3, where Husqvarna Motorcycles has been winning Grands Prix each season since their reintroduction to world championship action in 2020. LIQUI MOLY Husqvarna Intact GP Moto3 will be managed by overseer of the current GP crew, Peter Öttl, and will retain the services of Ayumu Sasaki, together with the promise of young Dutchman Collin Veijer. Sasaki, 22 years old, has had a stellar 2022 campaign on the FR 250 GP so far, claiming events in the Netherlands and Austria and with an additional six podium finishes. The Japanese is pushing for the top three in the Moto3 championship standings. Veijer, 17, has won three races in the ’22 Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup and is still in contention for the title. The Dutch youngster will be a Grand Prix rookie in 2023. The experience and expertise of Team Manager Jürgen Lingg will be a big asset for Husqvarna Motorcycles’ first thrust into Moto2 and the standardised formula of the final ‘stepping stone’ to the MotoGP class. The new look outfit will be able to count on the pace and character of Darryn Binder as well as Lukas Tulovic. Binder, just 24, has won in Moto3 and is on the verge of completing a decent first term in MotoGP after an unexpected vault between the divisions at the end of 2021. The South African is renowned for his determination and dedication and although he will again be a debutant when it comes to Moto2 he will be able to harness copious lessons from his eight-year career to-date. Tulovic is the newly crowned Moto2 European champion for the LIQUI MOLY Intact GP Junior Team   and has made Moto2 GP appearances, the 22-year-old German has also turned his head to recent MotoE competition and is regarded as ‘one to watch’ by the team. 2023 will mark a milestone for Husqvarna Motorcycles thanks to this wider structure and increased awareness at the peak of motorcycle sport. Peter Öttl, LIQUI MOLY Husqvarna Intact GP Moto3 Team Manager: “For three seasons we have been able to carry the Husqvarna Motorcycles name highly in Moto3 and it is very satisfying to continue the story together with Jürgen and a bigger programme now in Moto2. Ayumu stays with us and after some excellent results in 2022 we hope we can go for even more in 2023. Collin, on the other hand, is a rider with a lot of potential and we trust that he will carry on learning and building his career. I want to thank Husqvarna Motorcycles for the trust and the confidence. We will work hard to keep the Husqvarna name at the front of Moto3.”   Jürgen Lingg, LIQUI MOLY Husqvarna Intact GP Moto2 Team Manager: "We are very grateful to Husqvarna Motorcycles for the trust they have placed in us. This merger is a new and an exciting step for our team, ushering in a new era. We have a new brand, new riders and a new direction. In 2023 the bikes will change colour and we are all motivated and convinced that this change will take us forward." Jens Hainbach, Head of Sports Management Road Racing:: “Finally we have been able to grow the white and blue from Moto3 to Moto2 and I cannot be happier with our new partners to take Husqvarna Motorcycles into the next era. 2022 has been a breakthrough in Moto3 and it’s fantastic that we will continue on a solid foundation with Peter’s expertise. Jürgen knows Moto2 better than most and, overall, we believe our mix of riders for the brand combine a lot of potential and youth. It’s a strong group package and I want to thank everyone involved for bringing this all together.”

Signing off on a terrific 2022 EnduroGP World Championship campaign, Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Mikael Persson has ended his fight for the Enduro3 World Championship title as runner-up. With the outcome of the championship going down to the wire at the seventh and final round in Germany, Persson arrived in Zschopau eager to claim a debut world crown.

Although not getting off to the best start on Saturday, the Swede soon settled into his rhythm on his TE 300. Fighting hard, he ended the day as runner-up to rival Brad Freeman. The result meant both riders were level on points at the top of the class, meaning all was to play for on the final day of the championship

Feeling motivated and knowing that he’d need to deliver he very best, Persson threw all he had at the final day title fight. Putting in arguably one of his best performances of the season at a time when it mattered most, Mikael fought hard for victory. Midway through the day, Persson lay fourth in the overall EnduroGP classification and was charging hard. Frustratingly, he just couldn’t quite bridge the gap to title rival Freeman and despite maintaining the pressure throughout the final lap, the Husqvarna Factory Racing rider ultimately finished the day second.

The strong result ensured Persson ended the 2022 Enduro3 World Championship as runner-up. In what’s been a stellar year for the quiet Swede, Mikael has claimed two race wins and secured no fewer than 11 podium results aboard his TE 300 in the hotly contested Enduro3 category. Additionally, he also won the Enduro3 class of the FIM International Six Days Enduro in September.

Mikael Persson:   “Of course it’s frustrating knowing that I wasn’t quite able to win the E3 title, but I gave it absolutely everything I had today. On day one, I started off a bit slower than I hoped I would. Maybe the championship pressure was in the back of my mind. I came strong in the afternoon and ended the day with more confidence. Tied on points for the championship coming into the today meant there was nothing to lose and everything to go for, so I gave it my all. I think I rode my best and I know I gave it my best. Unfortunately, I came up short, which is tough. But to only just lose out against a rider like Brad (Freeman) is something I can be proud of. It’s been a great year. Bringing the title fight right down to the wire shows just how strong we were.”

Results: Rnd7, GP of Germany

EnduroGP - Day 1
1. Josep Garcia (KTM) 1:05:59.24; 2. Brad Freeman (Beta) 1:06:43.15; 3. Steve Holcombe (Beta) 1:06:56.65; 4. Wil Ruprecht (TM Racing) 1:07:14.91; 5. Andrea Verona (GASGAS) 1:07:18.40…  8. Mikael Persson (Husqvarna) 1:09:09.76…

EnduroGP - Day 2
1. Josep Garcia (KTM) 1:03:46.07; 2. Brad Freeman (Beta) 1:04:01.88; 3. Andrea Verona (GASGAS) 1:04:29.55; 4. Nathan Watson (Honda) 1:04:29.94;  5. Mikael Persson (Husqvarna) 1:04:41.73…

Enduro3 - Day 1
1. Brad Freeman (Beta) 1:06:43.15;  2. Mikael Persson (Husqvarna) 1:09:09.76;  3. Daniel McCanney (Sherco) 1:09:38.87…

Enduro3 - Day 2
1. Brad Freeman (Beta) 1:04:01.88;  2. Mikael Persson (Husqvarna) 1:04:41.73;  3. Daniel McCanney (Sherco) 1:06:14.92…

Final Championship Standings EnduroGP
1. Andrea Verona (GASGAS) 219pts; 2. Josep Garcia (KTM) 195pts; 3. Wil Ruprecht (TM) 180pts; 4. Nathan Watson (Honda) 170pts; 5. Steve Holcombe (Beta) 127pts…  8. Mikael Persson (Husqvarna) 87pts…

Enduro3
1. Brad Freeman (Beta) 229pts;  2. Mikael Persson (Husqvarna) 226pts;  3. Matteo Pavoni (TM) 178pts…

MotoGP™ headed south in the latest swing of the transcontinental stage of the 2022 season and with the quick, sweeping and majestic Phillip Island circuit, close to the city of Melbourne staging the first Australian Grand Prix since 2019. Short, narrow but also technical and spectacular; Phillip Island is an eagerly anticipated oddity on the world championship schedule thanks to the demands of the layout that emphasises corner speed, slipstreaming and very few hard braking points. The Sterilgarda Max Racing team came into the event with Ayumu Sasaki having taken five podium finishes in the last seven events with his FR 250 GP motorcycle. The Grand Prix got underway in positive style as Sasaki topped FP2 and then FP3 by a lengthy three quarters of a second and looked in flying form for qualification. The Japanese continued his lap-record breaking pace (having shattered the eight-year distinction) to seal his second Pole Position of the season. John McPhee was down on the sixth row in 16th. Moto3 was played out across 23-laps on a sunny but breezy Sunday morning. Sasaki was part of a gripping dice with three riders in the lead group. The show saw numerous position changes for the win. The tussle went all the way to the chequered flag with only half a second dividing the quartet at the line and Sasaki was 4th, pipped to yet another trophy by a tenth of a second. McPhee rode to 6th. The experienced Scot was just seven hundredths of a second away from heading the second group and the classification marked the second-best of the season. Two rounds and a maximum of 50 points remain in the 2022 Moto3 contest. Sasaki is still 4th and 16 points from the top three. Sterilgarda Max Racing hold 3rd in the teams championship while McPhee is 16th and can still reach the top ten in the races remaining. The penultimate Grand Prix of the season will be staged by the Sepang International Circuit for the Petronas Grand Prix of Malaysia next weekend. The frequent MotoGP testing venue is a short distance south from Kuala Lumpur and is typically a busy and popular stop on the world championship trail. Ayumu Sasaki : “It was a crazily difficult race! It was a bit damp in the beginning so we kept it steady but then the front guys started to push and I could go as well. It was a good pace and we made a small group. It was an incredible fight and unfortunately I ended up 4th when the podium was so close. It was tricky because the positions changed every lap but I gave my best. I’m satisfied with the weekend; we were strong and fast.” John McPhee : “I think 6th was a positive step in the right direction and I was able to enjoy riding the bike again. It had been a tough weekend and one of the hardest of the year in terms of finding my feeling here. I wasn’t making too much progress until qualification and then had a lot of moments in the race…but I was determined to push until my absolute maximum for a good result here. I gave it everything so I hope we can be in much better shape from FP1 in Malaysia.”   Results – 2022 Moto3 World Championship, Round 18 1. Izan Guevara (GASGAS) 37:38.762, 2. Deniz Öncü (KTM) +0.345, 3. Sergio Garcia (GASGAS) +0.460, 4. Ayumu Sasaki (Husqvarna) +0.560 , 6. John McPhee (Husqvarna) +7.496   Moto3 world championship standings 1. Izan Guevara (GASGAS) 290pts, 2. Sergio Garcia (GASGAS) 225, 3. Dennis Foggia (Honda) 223, 4. Ayumu Sasaki (Husqvarna) 207, 16. John McPhee (Husqvarna) 72

Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Skyler Howes has stormed to second place on the fifth and final stage of the 2022 Rallye du Maroc to secure his first ever FIM World Rally-Raid Championship win. The American completed five incredible days of rally racing in the Moroccan desert to ultimately finish just over seven minutes ahead of second-placed Luciano Benavides.

Right from the start of this year’s Rallye du Maroc, both Skyler Howes and Luciano Benavides were able to deliver solid stage results day after day as they fought for the overall honours in Morocco. A one-two finish on day three saw the FR 450 Rally-mounted racers rise to the top of the event standings, and despite losing a little time while opening stage four, the pair reclaimed the top two positions on Thursday’s stage five with an excellent display of speed and navigation over the 290-kilometre timed special.

As the sixth rider into today’s stage, Skyler knew he would have an excellent opportunity to chase down and catch the riders ahead and in turn make up the valuable minutes he needed to finish on the podium. Remaining focussed, despite the added pressure, Howes delivered an impressive ride on the route back to Agadir, making the absolute minimum of errors to place second on the stage, just six seconds behind the leader. The result was enough to top the final rally timesheets by seven minutes and 13 seconds and secure a memorable overall victory in Morocco.

Howes’ victory marks the 30-year-old’s first world championship race win, an impressive achievement that comes down to not only the commitment put in by himself and the team over the year developing the FR 450 Rally, but also Skyler’s focus and work ethic. Now, with his confidence high, the likeable American will shift his attention to the Sonora Rally in Mexico later this month.

Finishing stage five in third, a mere nine seconds behind teammate Howes, Luciano Benavides cemented himself into second place in the overall results. Including Benavides’ impressive stage win on day three, the young Argentinian displayed immense skill and pace over the course of the five-day event to claim a well-deserved podium. Feeling hugely comfortable on his FR 450 Rally following a summer of training and testing with the team, Luciano’s confidence and pace is now at an all-time high. Benavides now looks forward to carrying his momentum through to the final round of the season, and on to the Dakar Rally, beginning late December.

Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Luciano Benavides will return to FIM World Rally-Raid Championship action at the final round of the season, the Andalucia Rally in Spain, from October 18-23. Skyler Howes will be absent from Spain while he competes at the Sonora Rally in Mexico.

Skyler Howes:   “We’re at the finish of the Morocco Rally and I finished first, which is super cool! The final stage was quite technical actually, it wasn’t a walk in the park. The navigation was tricky, and I did a couple of circles out there which slowed me down a little bit. I was still able to finish second on the stage, which was enough to win the overall, and I have to admit it’s the coolest thing of my whole life! Honestly, I’m over the moon. It’s a dream come true to take the win here in Morocco, and the plan is to carry this momentum on to the Dakar Rally.”

Luciano Benavides:   “We’ve finished stage five, the last day of the rally. I really wanted to go for the stage win today but made a small mistake that ended up costing me some time. Nevertheless, I finished third on the stage, really close to the winner and second overall, which is amazing. I can’t describe this moment – I have worked so hard since last year to be in this position right now, and to have such a good feeling on the bike. It’s not only me, but the whole team have also done an incredible job on the bike and have worked so hard here in Morocco. This result is a big thank you to them. I can’t wait for Andalucia now, the next round, and of course the Dakar in January.”

2022 Rallye du Maroc – Stage 5 Provisional Classification

1. Adrien Van Beveren (Honda) 1:37:30
2. Skyler Howes (Husqvarna) 1:37:36
3. Luciano Benavides (Husqvarna) 1:37:47
4. Pablo Quintanilla (Honda) 1:39:00
5. Ignacio Cornejo (Honda) 1:40:05
6. Ross Branch (Hero) 1:41:14

2022 Rallye du Maroc – Provisional Overall Classification (after final stage)

1. Skyler Howes (Husqvarna) 16:30:29
2. Luciano Benavides (Husqvarna) 16:37:42
3. Ricky Brabec (Honda) 16:41:17
4. Adrien Van Beveren (Honda) 16:42:36
5. Sam Sunderland (GASGAS) 16:45:20
6. Kevin Benavides (KTM) 16:50:40

Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Skyler Howes and Luciano Benavides have safely completed stage four of the Rallye du Maroc in sixth and eighth places respectively. Following his stage win on day three, Benavides did an incredible job of opening the first 300 kilometres of today’s 350-kilometre stage, losing the absolute minimum of time to the chasing pack.

With the two Husqvarna Factory Racing riders setting off first and second into today’s special – the longest of the event at an exhausting 346 kilometres – the FR 450 Rally riders planned to work together to share the navigation and opening duties from the front.

Pushing right from the start with the goal of catching his teammate, Skyler Howes was able to stick to a strong pace and was lying fifth on time one-third of the way through the stage. However, with teammate Benavides almost matching him for speed and navigating well over the fast terrain of the special, Howes didn’t catch the Argentinian until after kilometre 300.

Taking the lead for the final 50 kilometres, Skyler reached the finish line having secured a sixth-place result, eight and a half minutes down on the eventual stage winner. Despite losing time, Howes still lies second in the standings and will enjoy an advantageous start position for Thursday’s final stage of the event.

Completing the special just under four minutes down on his teammate, Benavides was nevertheless pleased with his performance throughout the gruelling stage. Navigating almost the whole timed special on his own from the front, without making any major errors, demonstrates the quality and form of the young Argentinian. Luciano now lies fourth overall, and will also be aiming to deliver a solid ride on the Rallye du Maroc’s final stage to put himself in contention for an overall podium position.

Stage five of the Rallye du Maroc, the final day of the event, leads riders north again from Tan-Tan back to Agadir. Totalling 379 kilometres, the stage includes a timed special of 290 kilometres.

Skyler Howes:   “Today was tough, because when you set out near the front, you’re almost always guaranteed to lose a bit of time. But with Luciano and myself starting first and second, we had this game plan to ride together and share the opening of the stage. The problem was Luciano’s pace from the front was so fast it took me most of the stage to catch up to him. I was able to lead the final 50 kilometres or so and that helped, I think. It’s frustrating to lose the overall lead in the rally, but we have a good starting position for tomorrow, so I’ll give it everything I have and hopefully come out with a good result.”

Luciano Benavides:   “Today was a really nice day for me in this rally. I didn’t think I would open so much, I think I led for the first 300 kilometres, so I did a pretty good job I’d say. I felt really good and was able to focus on my navigation while keeping up a good speed and I didn’t think about the others behind. The stage was really fast in some sections, but I think those sort of tracks suit me and my style. Also, the navigation was quite tricky, but I was able to get through without making any big mistakes. Overall, the race so far has been really positive for the team, it has shown we have the pace and are well in the fight for the podium. I’ll try my best tomorrow on the final stage and see where we end up.”

2022 Rallye du Maroc – Stage 4 Provisional Classification

1. Ricky Brabec (Honda) 3:21:35
2. Sam Sunderland (GASGAS) 3:25:51
3. Kevin Benavides (KTM) 3:27:46
4. Ross Branch (Hero) 3:29:04
5. Adrien Van Beveren (Honda) 3:29:21
6. Skyler Howes (Husqvarna) 3:30:02
…
8. Luciano Benavides (Husqvarna) 3:33:47

2022 Rallye du Maroc – Provisional Overall Classification (after stage 4)

1. Ricky Brabec (Honda) 14:51:42
2. Skyler Howes (Husqvarna) 14:52:53
3. Sam Sunderland (GASGAS) 14:58:31
4. Luciano Benavides (Husqvarna) 14:59:55
5. Adrien Van Beveren (Honda) 15:05:06
6. Kevin Benavides (KTM) 15:07:11

Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Luciano Benavides has won stage three of the 2022 Rallye du Maroc – the third round of the FIM World Rally-Raid Championship. Bringing his FR 450 Rally home just 25 seconds ahead of teammate Skyler Howes, Benavides moves up to second in the provisional overall standings, one place behind Howes who maintains his lead at the top.

Stage three of the Rallye du Maroc was a hugely positive one for the Husqvarna Factory Racing team. Completing the 299-kilometre timed special in just over three hours, Luciano Benavides secured his second career world championship stage victory with an excellent ride through some of the toughest terrain seen at the event so far.

Taking advantage of his ninth-place start position, Benavides was second on time to the checkpoint at kilometre 30, just one second down on the early leader. Continuing to push, the Argentinian soon moved into the lead, slowly increasing his advantage over teammate Howes to the finish. Moving up to second overall, Luciano will now open Wednesday’s stage four – a difficult challenge, but one the young racer is ready to embrace.

Almost matching Benavides for pace throughout the stage, Skyler Howes put in an excellent ride from his fourth-place start position to lose the minimum of time, despite catching the leaders and opening several kilometres of the special. The result extended Howes’ lead at the top of the rankings to over three minutes. The American star will now set off behind his teammate tomorrow with the hope of catching him and then working together to ensure another strong result for the team.

Stage four of the Rallye du Maroc leads riders north again from Laayoune to Tan-Tan. Totalling 665 kilometres, the stage represents the longest of the event and includes a demanding timed special of 346 kilometres.

Luciano Benavides:   “I’m really happy to take the stage win here in Morocco. It’s great for my confidence and it comes down to all the hard work the whole team put in earlier this year. The day went well for me – I navigated well and was able to keep a good pace. It’s great to finish first and second with my teammate Skyler and we are sitting at the top of the overall, too. We still have two more days left to race, so I’ll stay focused and can hopefully do a good job of opening tomorrow.”

Skyler Howes:   “Another hard day here in Morocco. Me and Luciano went one-two on the stage, which is super, super cool for us and cool for Husqvarna. It was quite tricky at first because the dunes were so soft and then the back sides of them were broken, which means it’s straight down to the desert floor. Not only is it difficult to navigate and choose a good line, but it’s really easy to get stuck and lose time. Thankfully it looks like everyone had the same issues, so it wasn’t too much of a problem. Later on the route opened up into much faster tracks, but with the wind and weather here, it has made finding the tracks really tough. After catching up to the leading group I just kept my head down to finish the stage safely. Second place on the stage and I’m still leading the rally, so things are good and I’m looking forward to tomorrow.”

2022 Rallye du Maroc – Stage 3 Provisional Classification

1. Luciano Benavides (Husqvarna) 3:09:42
2. Skyler Howes (Husqvarna) 3:10:07
3. Ross Branch (Hero) 3:12:20
4. Sam Sunderland (GASGAS) 3:12:45
5. Ricky Brabec (Honda) 3:13:01
6. Toby Price (KTM) 3:13:12

2022 Rallye du Maroc – Provisional Overall Classification (after stage 3)

1. Skyler Howes (Husqvarna) 11:22:51
2. Luciano Benavides (Husqvarna) 11:26:08
3. Toby Price (KTM) 11:27:36
4. Ross Branch (Hero) 11:29:37
5. Ricky Brabec (Honda) 11:30:07
6. Sam Sunderland (GASGAS) 11:32:40

Skyler Howes has placed fourth on today’s second stage of the 2022 Rallye du Maroc. Finishing just over three minutes behind the day’s winner, Howes’ result moves him into the provisional lead of the third round of the 2022 FIM World Rally-Raid Championship. Luciano Benavides also impressed on today’s 435-kilometre stage, completing the timed special in ninth, just over nine minutes down.

With today’s stage leading riders south from Tan-Tan to Laayoune, organisers delivered a long, 315-kilometre timed special that included some very demanding navigation, as well as the familiar mixture of terrain seen at the Moroccan event.

Early on in the day, Skyler Howes made the best use of his start position to make up time and catch the riders ahead. With the timed special consisting of a number of varied terrains with very tricky navigation, and with times across the top-10 riders proving to be very close, even just a small mistake could prove costly. Skyler moved into the stage lead on time at around kilometre 87 and maintained that position for much of the day. Falling foul of a particularly difficult to find waypoint, Skyler, and the group he was riding with, ended up losing several minutes to the chasing pack. However, with many riders suffering the same fate, Howes was able to regroup to finish his stage in a strong fourth place.

With his teammate taking over the rally lead, Luciano Benavides also showed excellent pace on today’s stage. After being caught by Skyler around one third of the way into the special, Benavides was able to match the pace of those around him and indeed opened a good section of the route. Completing the day in ninth place, nine minutes and 13 seconds behind the stage winner, Luciano now lies in third place overall, three minutes and forty-two seconds behind his teammate and provisional rally leader, Howes.

Tuesday's stage three of the Rallye du Maroc, a looped stage based around the city of Laayoune, totals 322 kilometres with a timed special of 299 kilometres.

Skyler Howes:   “I’m pleased with how I rode today – the bike is excellent and I’m happy with my navigation the whole way through the stage. The organisers really challenged us all today with some difficult to find waypoints and I think it was a tough day for everyone on the whole. There were some tracks with a waypoint at the end that were especially hard to find. The wind had hidden the tracks so much that it was really tricky to know if you were in the right place. After that we hit the dunes and that was also a real challenge. They were super soft, but there had been some rain too that made them extra difficult to ride. We were in a group of four when we got there and each of us took it in turns to open. With all the challenges, I’m happy to complete the stage with a good result, so now we’ll see what tomorrow brings.”

Luciano Benavides:   “Day two is in the books. A really good day, but a tough one for sure. I started off second and caught Ross (Branch) after a little while and ended up opening the faster pistes myself. After the refuelling we were in a group of four, including Skyler, and all of us led out a little. At one point one of the waypoints didn’t validate for me, so I had to turn around to get it. I was able to push and catch up with the others soon after in the dunes. Having the chance to open and still make up good time is really important for my confidence, so I’m looking forward to tomorrow now and hopefully I can keep this momentum.”

2022 Rallye du Maroc – Stage 2 Provisional Classification

1. Adrien Van Beveren (Honda) 3:18:44
2. Kevin Benavides (KTM) 3:21:38
3. Ricky Brabec (Honda) 3:21:45
4. Skyler Howes (Husqvarna) 3:21:56
5. Ignacio Cornejo (Honda) 3:23:57
6. Toby Price (KTM) 3:24:49
...
9. Luciano Benavides (Husqvarna) 3:27:57

2022 Rallye du Maroc – Provisional Overall Classification (after stage 2)

1. Skyler Howes (Husqvarna) 8:12:44
2. Toby Price (KTM) 8:14:24
3. Luciano Benavides (Husqvarna) 8:16:26
4. Adrien Van Beveren (Honda) 8:16:43
5. Ricky Brabec (Honda) 8:17:06
6. Ross Branch (Hero) 8:17:17

Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Luciano Benavides has made an excellent start to his 2022 Rallye du Maroc campaign, posting the second-fastest time on the 557-kilometre first stage. Completing the special just over two minutes behind his teammate, Skyler Howes also impressed across the technically demanding terrain to finish in fourth place.

Covering ground fast, right from the start line and then to chase down the riders ahead, Benavides was quickest to the first checkpoint at kilometre 40. With times tight among the top five, Luciano dropped down to fourth around the midway point of the special, but was able to maintain his safe, solid pace to the finish where he ultimately placed second.

Skyler Howes' journey through the stage differed slightly to that of his teammate. The American star set off one place ahead Benavides but slowly built his pace as he progressed through the special. Choosing to focus on his navigation early on paid off for Skyler and with the terrain becoming more predictable in the latter stages of the day, the FR 450 Rally rider was able to push and make up time on those ahead. Securing a strong fourth-place result, just over three minutes down on the eventual stage winner, means that Howes has three riders to chase down on tomorrow’s day two.

Stage two of the Rallye du Maroc, from Tan-Tan to Laayoune, totals 435 kilometres with a timed special of 315 kilometres.

Luciano Benavides:   “It was a really good first stage for me. I started off well, focussing on my navigation and the terrain and found I soon started to catch some of the riders in front. It was a really technical stage with many rocks and stone on the pistes, so it was tricky to keep an eye on your road book while having to look ahead and judge the terrain all the time. I think I did a good job and was able to stay consistent for the whole stage. Towards the end we were able to ride across the beach for around 20 kilometres, which was good fun. I’m really happy with my result from today, but tomorrow will be a different challenge starting near the front. I’ll give my best as always.”

Skyler Howes:   “Stage one went quite well for me. I had a few tracks to follow, which made the job a little easier, but it was still quite tricky, and navigation was definitely key today. The terrain really suited me, so I felt right at home on the bike. I made a couple of smaller mistakes, and then one really big one that ended up costing me a few minutes, so it has been a bit of an up and down day, but I’m here, safe at the finish and ready to go again tomorrow.”

2022 Rallye du Maroc – Stage 1 Provisional Classification

1. Ross Branch (Hero) 3:44:56
2. Luciano Benavides (Husqvarna) 3:46:05
3. Toby Price (KTM) 3:47:27
4. Skyler Howes (Husqvarna) 3:48:16
5. Sam Sunderland (GASGAS) 3:49:29
6. Ricky Brabec (Honda) 3:50:33

2022 Rallye du Maroc – Provisional Overall Classification (after stage 1)

1. Ross Branch (Hero) 4:46:24
2. Luciano Benavides (Husqvarna) 4:48:29
3. Toby Price (KTM) 4:49:35
4. Skyler Howes (Husqvarna) 4:50:48
5. Sam Sunderland (GASGAS) 4:55:05
6. Ricky Brabec (Honda) 4:55:21

The third Grand Prix in a row in 2022 and in the middle of a hectic flyaway stint of the current MotoGP calendar pulled the teams and riders to another busy venue that has been devoid of world championship action for the last two years. Husqvarna Motorcycles and the Sterilgarda Max Racing Team landed in Bangkok and then transferred to Buriram – the home of the modern and flowing Chang International Circuit – for the OR Thailand Grand Prix. The paddock was met by high temperatures, humidity and rainy skies and the unstable climate continued into Free Practice on Friday where the Moto3 sessions were the only periods affected by the damp. The wet tarmac was not enough to deter Ayumu Sasaki, who was still riding on a high after a podium finish at his home event in Motegi the previous weekend. The Japanese took his FR 250 GP to the top spot on combined times and was primed for Q2 on Saturday. Ayumu eventually came through qualification – run in overdue dry weather – with 3rd place and a berth on the front row of the grid. John McPhee set the 8th swiftest lap-time to fill a slot on the third row. On Sunday morning the 22-lap race began under a grey ceiling but the Buriram area containing the 4.6km course was mercifully dry. Sasaki was into contention from the beginning and although he had little for the pace of eventual winner Dennis Foggia, he was able to deter Riccardo Rossi and seal 2nd position on the final corner. The result meant a eighth podium of the season for the team and the third in a row after trophies in Spain and Japan. McPhee crashed in the formative stages through the left-handed Turn 5. The Scot remounted but was forced out of the running. Sasaki is still 4th in the world championship standings and is just 15 points from the top three. McPhee is 17^th and 14 points away from the top fifteen as the experienced Brit counts the cost of his training injury and the small chunk of the season spent on the sidelines. The team are 3rd from 15 in the teams’ league. MotoGP can finally breathe for a week before another double-header approaches with Grands Prix in Australia (Phillip Island) and Malaysia (Sepang International Circuit) to close activities for October and then bring the series back to Europe. Ayumu Sasaki : “Today I did my best. I felt comfortable in the race but towards the end the tyre dropped and I was losing out to Dennis on the straight. The last few laps were hard but I’m happy to take 2nd place. We’re climbing up the championship which is good and hopefully we can be even a bit better in the last races.” John McPhee : “I felt strong and good on the bike and I could attack pretty well but the crash was my mistake and it’s disappointing to end the race like that. It’s only the second time I’ve crashed this season but I’ll have to take it on the chin and just move onto the next one.”   Results – 2022 Moto3 World Championship, Round 17   1. Dennis Foggia (Honda) 37:52.331, 2. Ayumu Sasaki (Husqvarna) +1.524, 3. Riccardo Rossi (Honda) +2.804, DNF. John McPhee (Husqvarna)   Moto3 world championship standings   1. Izan Guevara (GASGAS) 265pts, 2. Dennis Foggia (Honda) 216, 3. Sergio Garcia (GASGAS) 209, 4. Ayumu Sasaki (Husqvarna) 194, 17. John McPhee (Husqvarna) 62  

Returning to FIM World Rally-Raid Championship action after a break of around seven months, Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Luciano Benavides and Skyler Howes have made strong starts to their 2022 Rallye du Maroc campaigns, recording top-four times on today’s opening timed prologue.

Marking round three of the world championship, this year’s Rallye du Maroc is set to challenge riders with five full stages of mixed-terrain racing near the west coast of Morocco. Today’s short prologue results decide the start order for Sunday’s stage one, where riders will leave the host city of Agadir and head south to Tan-Tan.

With the RallyGP class starting in reverse order to their race numbers, it was Luciano Benavides – bike #77 – that took to the 8.97-kilometre prologue stage first. Making light work of the sandy tracks that made up the special, Benavides was able to maintain a fast but safe pace throughout the stage. Completing the prologue in third, Luciano will benefit from a choice of start positions for Sunday’s stage.

Also enjoying good speed on the fast, sandy prologue, Skyler Howes placed one position behind his teammate and as fourth-fastest on his FR 450 Rally. Despite a couple of small mistakes while pushing hard on the nine-kilometre timed section, the American star arrived safely at the finish, happy with his riding, and eager to make a strong start to the rally proper, tomorrow on stage one.

Totalling over 2,200 kilometres, and with over 1,500 kilometres of timed special stages, the 2022 Rallye du Maroc promises to provide a sizeable challenge to all riders on their return to world championship competition.

With the opening prologue completed, competitors will now face five days of intense rally action as they leave Agadir and head south down the Moroccan coast. Stage four of the event, the longest at 665 kilometres, will see riders leave Laayoune and head back further inland, through the mountains, to the finish at Agadir. Sunday’s stage one from Agadir to Tan-Tan totals 557 kilometres with a timed special of 316 kilometres.

Luciano Benavides:   “It’s great to be back racing in the world championship. It’s been a busy summer with training, testing and then racing Atacama, but this is where it matters now – Morocco, Andalucia, and then preparing for the Dakar. Today’s prologue was really short at just under nine kilometres and there were a lot of lines in the sand from the previous classes, so I didn’t have to check my road book too much. I’m pleased with third, it means I can choose my start position for tomorrow and hopefully take advantage of that to get a really good start. I’m really happy with my first impressions of the rally – my bike is working well, I feel good, and I can’t wait to get started tomorrow on the ‘real’ race.”

Skyler Howes:   “The prologue today went well. It was super fun and more like a motocross sand track through the trees than a rally stage. It wasn’t perfect, I made some small bobbles out there and a couple of small mistakes, but other than that I’m happy with how it all went. It feels great to be back racing the world championship again and I’m feeling really fired-up now – I can’t wait for tomorrow to get this show on the road!”

2022 Rallye du Maroc – Stage 1A provisional Classification

1. Ross Branch (Hero) 1:01:28
2. Toby Price (KTM) 1:02:08
3. Luciano Benavides (Husqvarna) 1:02:24
4. Skyler Howes (Husqvarna) 1:02:32
5. Adrien Van Beveren (Honda) 1:02:48
6. Pablo Quintanilla (Honda) 1:03:52

Husqvarna Factory Racing riders race at the 2022 Motocross of Nations.

A first trip to Japan for MotoGP in three years ends with Husqvarna Motorcycles on the rostrum at Motegi in 3rd place. MotoGP travelled swiftly east across the time zones from Spain to Japan for round sixteen of twenty in 2022. For the Sterilgarda Max Racing Team the second consecutive weekend of action took place on a vastly different ‘platform’, with the Mobility Resort Motegi circuit flat, fast and with tough demands on braking and hard acceleration. The team were optimistic of more podium prizes, particularly with Ayumu Sasaki feeling the warmth of home support for the first time since 2019. The 21-year-old had finished runner-up in Aragon last week and carried the hopes and gaze of the Japanese public who braved wet and humid conditions at Motegi on Friday and Saturday. Both Ayumu and teammate John McPhee used their FR 250 GP motorcycles to slot into the top five of the opening (and extended) Free Practice session and were separated from provisional Pole Position by just three tenths of a second. After a wet set of FP periods and the Q2 run on Saturday, the pair gained 4th and 12th on the grid and were set for the 20-lap distance. Sunday dawned warm, sunny and with bright blue skies. Sasaki and McPhee both started inside the top ten and the former was at the front of the pack with Izan Guevara for company from the outset. The battle for the lead was formed by a quartet with Sasaki often setting the pace. By the final stages of the race Ayumu was feeling the effects of rear tyre wear and was not able to threaten Guevara or Dennis Foggia. He became the first Japanese on a home podium for almost fifteen years in 3rd spot. It was Sasaki’s seventh rostrum appearance of the season. McPhee was in the second gaggle and eventually crossed the finish line in 7th for 9 points. After rising to 4th place in the championship table in the wake of the Grand Prix at MotorLand Aragon, Sasaki banked 16 points in Japan and keeps the same slot; 17 points from the top three. McPhee is 17th. Sterilgarda Max Racing Team are 4th in the teams’ contest. MotoGP ploughs ahead with its continent-hopping trajectory. The third Grand Prix in a row will take the championship to the hot climes of Buriram and the Chang International Circuit for the OR Thailand Grand Prix. Ayumu Sasaki : “Yeah, I’m happy to finish on the podium but I expected a bit more, especially as I was leading quite a lot of laps. Near the end I started to feel the rear tyre drop and then it was difficult to fight. Anyway, the podium is good and we have to try and improve for Thailand. I’m happy I could give this third place to all the Japanese fans here.” John McPhee : “Today I was able to fight well in the race; this has been a weak point for me so far this season because I’ve had the speed but not been able to battle. We ticked this box today but I think I was against the three hardest brakers in the category. I did what I could and I’m happy with how I am riding. This was a step in the right direction.”   Results – 2022 Moto3 World Championship, Round 16   1. Izan Guevara (GASGAS) 39:26.526, 2. Dennis Foggia (Honda) +0.593, 3. Ayumu Sasaki (Husqvarna) +1.741, 7. John McPhee (Husqvarna) +9.815   Moto3 world championship standings   1. Izan Guevara (GASGAS) 254pts, 2. Sergio Garcia (GASGAS) 209, 3. Dennis Foggia (Honda) 191. 4. Ayumu Sasaki (Husqvarna) 174, 18. John McPhee (Husqvarna) 62

Husqvarna Motorcycles emerge from the fifteenth MotoGP fixture of the year with a strong podium result at MotorLand. After a busy week in San Marino, 2022 MotoGP moved west across Europe and to the modern and scenic MotorLand Aragon circuit for the penultimate European date on the current calendar. Two weeks earlier than usual – and benefitting from warmer late summer weather – the ‘Gran Premio Animoca Brands de Aragón’ saw Moto3 hustle around the 5.1km layout that involves a wide mix of fast, slow, open, tight and technical corners. Determined to bounce back from his DNF in Italy, Ayumu Sasaki was in a competitive mood from the outset in Spain and narrowly missed out on Pole Position in Q2 on Saturday. John McPhee was also up to speed quickly and qualified in 5th place, in the middle of the second row of the grid with his FR 250 GP machine. Sunday morning was overcast in Aragon and cooler compared to the two previous days but Sasaki was hot to bounce from the lights and into the small lead group of three with Izan Guevara and Daniel Holgado for company. McPhee was part of the second posse and challenging for the top five. Sasaki stalked Guevara as the pair dropped Holgado in the final stages of the chase but the Spaniard remained error-free and the Japanese was not able to strike. The gap was less than a second at the chequered flag and Sasaki laid his hands on a sixth trophy of the season as runner-up. McPhee ran wide at almost mid-race distance into Turn 1 and lost almost ten places but stretched the throttle cable to get back into the thick of the second group. He was able to finish fractions of a second ahead of Xavi Artigas in the charge to the line and salvaged a top ten ranking. Sasaki is eying the top three of the world championship. He continues to hold 4th position but is only 13 points away from Dennis Foggia. McPhee gained 6 points and is 18th in the Riders’ list. Ayumu can now look forward to his first home event in three years. The Motul Grand Prix of Japan will occur at the Mobility Resort Motegi circuit in just seven days time. Ayumu Sasaki : “Today I gave my best. Izan was just a bit faster. I was following him and trying to save tyres but he was quicker in the last three laps. So I stayed calm and took 2nd, which I though was better after a disappoint last race. A good result, I’m happy to be on the podium again and now we go to Japan: I cannot wait for my home Grand Prix.” John McPhee : “I felt really strong but we had a couple of issues. The first three were a bit too strong but I felt I could have been better in the second group. I jumped out of gear and lost positions but recovered. I couldn’t quite be there on the last lap. I had speed and I could overtake so I’ll take the positives from today into Motegi.”   Results – 2022 Moto3 World Championship, Round 15   1. Izan Guevara (GASGAS) 37:29.944, 2. Ayumu Sasaki (Husqvarna) +0.957, 3. Daniel Holgado (KTM) +6.536 , 10. John McPhee (Husqvarna) +17.071   Moto3 world championship standings   1. Izan Guevara (GASGAS) 229pts, 2. Sergio Garcia (GASGAS) 196, 3. Dennis Foggia (Honda) 171. 4. Ayumu Sasaki (Husqvarna) 158, 18. John McPhee (Husqvarna) 53

The fourteenth appointment for 2022 MotoGP™ rounded the flat curves of the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli and John McPhee rode to the top ten in San Marino. The Italian seaside resort of Misano Adriatico welcome MotoGP for the second date of the 2022 schedule on the mainland and for the 28th Grand Prix at the site. The event, officially titled ‘Gran Premio Gryfyn di San Marino e della Riviera di Rimini’, saw fans flock to the flat, fast and familiar Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli. Misano holds good memories for the Sterilgarda Max Racing Team. The squad celebrated victory in 2020, which was the first Grand Prix win for Husqvarna Motorcycles in the Moto3 division. The crew were also leading a damp race in 2021. Ayumu Sasaki arrived in San Marino on the wave of decent form thanks to triumphs in two of the previous three meetings. The Japanese, along with teammate John McPhee on the FR 250 GP motorcycles, were consistently around the top positions of the Free Practice sessions and were only unsettled by a light bout of rain on Saturday that created a mixed damp/dry track surface and made Q2 a tricky prospect. McPhee ended up with 8th place and a spot in the centre of the third row of the start grid while Sasaki had to accept the 17th best lap-time. Moto3 opened a dry and sunny Sunday with a 23-lap distance. The lead group was quickly formed by eleven riders but Sasaki’s efforts were clipped almost immediately when he was hit entering Turn 4. The Japanese was thankfully unhurt but he was out of the running. The onus was left on McPhee. The Scot was mired in the thick of the second pack and secured 9th – for the second race in a row - and was just over 11 seconds away from the winner. He was in a melee with seven riders split by just one second at the flag. Sasaki is still closely implicated in the battle for the championship top three. He holds 6th position and is just 31 points from Dennis Foggia. McPhee continues to make progress in the rankings and is 17th. In a fortnight’s time MotoGP will again get fast. The Gran Premio Animoca Brands de Aragón will take the series back to Spain and to the swirling MotorLand Aragon circuit for round fifteen. John McPhee : “A little underwhelmed by the result because it doesn’t represent all the hard work we are doing throughout the weekend. I’m still riding in a little bit of a different way to what I know and how I can ride. I can manage the race and we can be fast and on certain points of the track I am so strong. On other parts the guys can pass me too easily and this is what we need to improve. Anyway, we have very good speed, and I really want to thank all the guys in the team. We will achieve the results we deserve very soon.” Ayumu Sasaki : “Very disappointing today. In Warm-up we were P1 and we had great pace but I was hit on the first lap. That was it. These things can happen in racing. There was nothing I could do. We just have to look ahead and we have six more GPs to go. It’s been up and down this season but we just have to accept today and look for better luck in Aragon.”   Results – 2022 Moto3 World Championship, Round 14   1. Dennis Foggia (Honda) 39:21.864, 2. Jaume Masia (KTM) +0.289, 3. Izan Guevara (GASGAS) +0.334 , 9. John McPhee (Husqvarna) +11.383, DNF. Ayumu Sasaki (Husqvarna)   Moto3 world championship standings   1. Izan Guevara (GASGAS) 193pts, 2. Sergio Garcia (GASGAS) 204, 3. Dennis Foggia (Honda) 169. 6. Ayumu Sasaki (Husqvarna) 138, 17. John McPhee (Husqvarna) 47

Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Mikael Persson has won the Enduro3 class at the 2022 FIM International Six Days Enduro. Riding his TE 300 at the historic event, the Swede topped his class on each day of competition in France before placing a solid fourth on the final motocross race.

Following his breakthrough ride at the 2021 ISDE, where he placed third overall, Persson came into this year’s 96th edition with the goal of emulating that success and to carry the same speed that has taken him to the lead of the Enduro3 World Championship.

A strong start on day one saw Persson complete the opening five tests in third overall, opening up a near 20-second advantage at the top of the Enduro3 category. With day two following the same route, Mikael was able to maintain his strong pace across the increasingly rough terrain to complete the day inside the top five overall, further extending his advantage in E3.

Top-six overall results on days three and four helped to increase Mikael’s advantage in the E3 class as he carried a 30-second lead into the final day of special tests. Once again giving his maximum effort on the fresh tests of day five, and despite rain falling at times, the Husqvarna Factory Racing rider was able to maintain his position at the top of his class.

With just Saturday’s motocross test separating him from the top step of the Enduro3 podium, Persson delivered a solid but safe ride on the final day to finish the event off on a high and secure his class win.

Mikael Persson:   “I’m pretty happy with my performance over the week. Obviously, it feels great to take the win in E3, and I think I had good consistent speed in all the tests, in the different types of terrain. I know there is a little work to do to get on terms with the guys right at the front – a couple of seconds here and there can mean a bit of a gap at the end of six days. For me, I know I tried my best throughout the whole race. The top 10 in the results is near enough the same as in EnduroGP, so I’m where I should be you could say, but I know I made a couple of mistakes that cost me some time. On day five especially, I really pushed as hard as I could, and it meant I went into the final motocross test nearly one minute ahead of the others in my class. As we know anything can happen on the way to that final chequered flag, so I stayed safe and got a solid finish. It felt great to be riding for the Swedish World Trophy team again this year. Everyone gave their best and we came away with sixth place in the end, not far behind the USA. My focus now switches back to the world championship and the final round where I hope to fight for the E3 title.”

Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Austin Walton finished fifth in the Junior World Trophy class, while another Husqvarna rider of note was Jamie McCanney who finished ninth overall as he helped Team Great Britain to victory in the World Trophy competition.

Results – FIM International Six Days Enduro 2022

Enduro 3
1. Mikael Persson (Husqvarna) 3:12:34.13
2. Jaume Betriu (KTM) 3:13:19.88
3. Leo Le Quere (Sherco) 3:13:58.12
4. Max Ahlin (Beta) 3:16:25.13
5. Marc Sans (Husqvarna) 3:16:52.57
6. Andrew Wilksch (Husqvarna) 3:19:05.01...

World Trophy Team
1. Team Great Britain – 12:49:54.60
Steve Holcombe (Beta), Nathan Watson (Honda), Jed Etchells (Fantic), Jamie McCanney (Husqvarna)
2. Team Italy – 12:54:40.30
Andrea Verona (GASGAS), Thomas Oldrati (Honda), Alex Salvini (Husqvarna), Samuele Bernadini (Honda)
3. Team Spain – 12:54:40.83
Marc Sans (Husqvarna), Jaume Betriu (KTM), Josep Garcia (KTM), Bernat Cortes (GASGAS)
6. Team Sweden - 13:09:18.17
Mikael Persson (Husqvarna), Albin Elowson (Husqvarna), Joakim Grelsson (KTM), Oskar Ljungstrom (Honda)

Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Luciano Benavides has successfully crossed the finish line at the 2022 Atacama Rally to complete the five-day event in second overall. Forming part of what was a small but competitive line-up, Luciano was in contention for overall victory from day one and would end the rally on a high by claiming the final stage win to secure his runner-up finish.

Using the event as part of his preparation for the upcoming rounds of the FIM World Rally-Raid Championship, Luciano was eager to put recent developments to his FR 450 to the test in a real racing environment. With the Atacama Rally comprising five stages and taking riders across 1258 kilometres of technical terrain, the race proved to be the perfect testing ground.

From day one, Luciano was in the fight for the lead before losing a little time on the penultimate stage. Undeterred, the Argentine regrouped to take a commanding victory on the final special of the event to advance from fourth to second in the standings. Finishing as runner-up and exactly two minutes from overall victory underlined what was an encouraging result for Luciano at the Atacama Rally. Skyler Howes was absent from competing at the Atacama Rally but will return to action with Luciano at the Rallye du Maroc on October 1-6, the penultimate round of the 2022 FIM World Rally-Raid Championship.

Luciano Benavides:   “I’m really happy with my performance this week and it was great to end with a stage win and finish second overall. I really pushed for the win but with everyone being so close it was difficult to make up time. With the team we tested a lot prior to this race and what we have worked on has made a huge difference. The bike was perfect all week so the hard work has paid off. This race has been great for preparation ahead of the next world championship rounds and I’m feeling really confident ahead of the Rallye du Maroc next month.”

2022 Atacama Rally – Provisional Overall Classification

1. Pablo Quintanilla (Honda) 17:35:35
2. Luciano Benavides (Husqvarna) 17:37:35
3. Kevin Benavides (KTM) 17:40:02 
4. Ignacio Cornejo (Honda) 17:42:00
5. Daniel Nosiglia (KTM) 19:20:39

Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s RJ Hampshire put on a strong showing in Crawfordsville, Indiana, delivering 2-4 moto results to finish fourth overall in 250MX at the penultimate round of the 2022 AMA Pro Motocross Championship. Hampshire entered Ironman full of enthusiasm after claiming his first 250MX victory of the year at the prior round. With a solid qualifying result in eighth, he was positioned well for Moto 1 and he powered his FC 250 into podium contention right out of the gate. A battle ensued to maintain third and he swapped positions several times before reclaiming the spot mid-race. It wasn’t long before he climbed into second, where he finished with a strong runner-up performance. With a top-10 start in Moto 2, Hampshire battled alongside his teammate, Swoll, for the first couple laps before making the jump to sixth near the halfway point. Determined to break into the top-five, Hampshire continued to press on as he powered his way into fourth with a few laps to go, finishing just outside the podium with fourth in the moto and fourth overall for the weekend. “Another solid weekend,” Hampshire said. “We were good all day and had good speed. Once I got my flow in both motos, I felt like I clicked off really good laps and was fast, battling at the front. I’m stoked to be back in this thing. We were not there for a while, and it's so draining whenever you show up and you're not at the level you know you can be at. I’m stoked on the things that we have going on and hope to be better next weekend.” In Moto 1, Swoll got off to a strong start just outside of the top-10. However, bad luck struck within a few laps when he had a tip-over, dropping him back to 19th. Motivated to regain as many positions as he could, he went to work navigating the loamy midwest soil and chasing down his competition. He was able to climb to 13th by mid-race and with a few laps to go, he made a final push to ultimately finish 11th. In the second moto, Swoll sat 10th after the first lap and he settled into ninth for a majority of the race. Making a late-race pass for eighth, he held steady in the final moments to secure eighth in the moto and eighth overall with combined scores of 11-8 in Indiana. “I got a decent start in the first moto,” Swoll said. “We were running up there, and I had to tip over. I was pretty deep [in the field], and came back to 11th. Moto 2 was an okay start but I lost pace a little bit. I'm just going to put all my focus into that last round and try to give somebody something to look forward to for the next year.” Coming off a successful week at the AMA Amateur National Motocross Championship at Loretta Lynn's, Talon Hawkins made his second Pro Motocross appearance, collecting 21-29 moto finishes. Even though a crash on the last lap of the second moto set him back a bit, the young rider was able to remount and finish the race. “It started off a little rough but I was able to turn it around,” Hawkins said. “It was my second Pro National and I'm just looking to keep improving every time. Obviously, I had a pretty bad get-off in my second moto on the last lap - another rider came into me and I ended up front-flipping. We're going to get back out there and get back to training this week.” Still trying to find their rhythm after returning late in the season from injury, 450MX teammates Malcolm Stewart and Dean Wilson showed signs of improvement at Round 11, each capturing their best moto finishes of the year in Moto 2. Stewart, the ninth-place qualifier, came into the first moto with high hopes as he blasted off the line and into a top-10 battle. Shuffling between 10th and 11th throughout the race, he eventually settled into a comfortable 11th. With an unwavering performance in the second moto, Stewart maintained eighth wire-to-wire, notching his best moto-finish this season and eighth overall at the Ironman National. “I think the day was overall better for me,” Stewart said. “Qualifying was much, much better. Getting these races under my belt, it’s starting to kind of come back to me. I feel like we're going in the right direction. Our team made a few adjustments for that second moto, and we ended up eighth. I'm really happy just the way that I performed, but the results aren't quite there.” A tough start had Wilson sitting 18th on the opening lap of Moto 1 but he quickly made passes to reach 14th within a few laps. Around the middle of the race, he picked up another position and crossed the line in 13th. In Moto 2, a start inside of the top-10 would propel Wilson’s performance as he sat in seventh by the end of the first lap. Unfortunately, near the middle of the race, Wilson found himself off the track while battling with his teammate and he lost a few positions before he could re-enter. Focused on improving his result, he rallied back up to ninth later in the race to score his best moto-finish of the season. With 13-9 finishes, Wilson secured 10th overall. “Another weekend of improvements,” Wilson said. “First moto, I had a really bad start. I got up to 13th and had a decent pace at the end. I pushed hard and that gave me good confidence. I got a decent start in the second moto and I was hanging in there for a bit. Malcolm and I had a good battle. He got around me and I kind of ran his pace until I came around the corner and the berm went off the track. I lost a few positions but I got back on, made a good couple charges and ended up ninth. The goal is to be top-10 in both motos.” Next Event (Round 12): September 3 – Fox Raceway II National – Pala, California Round 11 Results: Ironman National 250MX Results 1. Hunter Lawrence (HON) 1-3 2. Jo Shimoda (KAW) 5-1 3. Hunter Lawrence (HON) 3-2 4. RJ Hampshire – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 2-4 … 8. Jalek Swoll – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 11-8 27. Talon Hawkins – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 21-29   450MX Results 1. Chase Sexton (HON) 2-1 2. Eli Tomac (KAW) 1-2 3. Aaron Plessinger (KTM) 3-3 … 8. Malcolm Stewart – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 11-8 10. Dean Wilson – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 13-9   250MX Rider Point Standings 1. Jett Lawrence – 478 points 2. Jo Shimoda – 437 points 3. Hunter Lawrence – 430 points … 5. RJ Hampshire – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 314 points 12. Stilez Robertson – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 169 points 15. Jalek Swoll  – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 131 points 39. Talon Hawkins – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 7 points   450MX Rider Point Standings 1. Eli Tomac – 496 points 2. Chase Sexton – 495 points 3. Jason Anderson – 402 points … 18. Malcolm Stewart – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 55 points 22. Dean Wilson – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 43 points

Mikael Persson is all-set to take on the 96th edition of the FIM International Six Days Enduro (ISDE), held in France. With shakedown complete and all special tests walked, the three-time Swedish Enduro Champion is looking forward to riding for his national World Trophy team while also aiming to repeat the individual podium success he achieved at the 2021 event.

Representing Husqvarna Motorcycles on its return to EnduroGP competition in 2022, Mikael Persson has impressed over the course of the season, claiming nine Enduro3-class podiums from 12 days of racing, including a double win at the GP of Italy. The 27-year-old currently leads the E3 standings going into the final round in Germany in just over six weeks’ time.

Winner of the Enduro Youth Cup in 2015, Persson then spent several years contesting his national championship where he enjoyed considerable success, claiming the Swedish title in 2018, 2019, and 2021. However, it was his performance at the 2021 ISDE that secured his return to the world championship paddock.

Riding as a privateer in the 2021 ISDE, Persson immediately felt comfortable on the hard Italian dirt and began to turn heads, delivering multiple top-six results as well as going fastest on day three. Completing the tough event in third overall, he also placed a highly creditable runner-up in the hotly contested Enduro1 category.

Now, with full factory backing behind him and riding his proven TE 300, Mikael hopes to equal his podium success of last year and help push his Swedish national team into contention for the top places in the coveted World Trophy competition.

The 2022 FIM International Six Days Enduro takes place in Le Puy-en-Velay, France, from August 29 – September 3. The historic event comprises five full days of special test racing in the hills and mountains of south-central France before the final motocross test on Saturday. In total, riders will cover more than 1,300km over six tough days before reaching the finish.

Mikael Persson:   “I’m really looking forward to racing the ISDE, it’s definitely going to be tough to repeat the results from last year, but I’m fully focused on doing so. It’s been a pretty hectic season so far for me, from joining the factory team and getting to know the bike to fighting for the Enduro3 title. I’ve been really pleased with my performance to be honest – I’ve just been taking things step-by-step, and the speed has been there. Recently I’ve been able to get back home for a small break which has helped a little ahead of the Six Days. My plan is to push as hard as I can and hopefully win the E3 category. On scratch, even a top-five would be a dream come true for me – there are so many riders who will be fighting for the podium, I definitely think it’s going to be a tough one this year. I feel that Sweden has a good Trophy team this year and if everything goes well for sure we can fight for the podium.”

Well-rested and focussed on success, Luciano Benavides will soon return to competitive action at the 2022 Atacama Rally. In strong form last time out at round two of the FIM Rally-Raid World Championship, the Husqvarna Factory Racing rider hopes to secure a strong result at the Chilean event before heading back to Europe for more testing ahead of the Rally du Maroc on October 1.

Showing good pace at both the Dakar Rally in January and the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge in March, Benavides is arguably in the best form of his career. By securing a stage win in Abu Dhabi, and successfully overcoming the challenge of opening three of the five stages, the Argentinian racer proved he is able to mix impressive speed with accurate navigation – key skills in the hunt for rally success.

Now, despite the Atacama Rally not featuring in the FIM Rally-Raid World Championship for this year, Luciano still plans to deliver a strong result at the event and build on his speed and confidence ahead of the final two rounds of the championship in October. The race in Chile is ideal for both training and set-up purposes due to the barren nature of the Atacama Desert, which provides the perfect testing ground for the updated FR 450 Rally.

Starting Sunday, August 28, and based around the Chilean city of Iquique, the 2022 Atacama Rally comprises five full days of racing, covering over 1,700 kilometres, set out in looped stages all starting and finishing at a single bivouac. Known as one of the driest deserts on the planet, the Atacama will provide plenty of challenges for Luciano due to its mixture of barren tracks and steep, sandy dunes.

Luciano Benavides:   “I’m really excited to do the Atacama Rally. I think it’s a really good one for training because we’ve only done the Dakar and Abu Dhabi so far this year, so it will be good to do some racing before heading to Morocco in just over a month’s time. Although I’ve been able to do a lot of training, both at home in Argentina and with the team, it’s always different when you are in an actual race situation. It will feel good to be back in the desert racing again, but I also want to keep working on my navigation as well. Although I will definitely try my best to fight for the win, the main focus will be to train for the next two races of the world championship and for the Dakar next January. Since the last race in Abu Dhabi, we’ve done some good testing with the team, so I’m really happy with the bike and looking forward to seeing how it performs in Chile. While we have had a break from racing, I’ve been able to work on my fitness and strength, and build my weight a little, too. Starting with the Rallye du Maroc in October, we then have the Andalucia Rally soon afterwards, which is then followed by the Dakar – it’s a lot of tough races in quite a short time, so it really takes it out of you physically. It’s going to be a tough end to the year with a lot of races and training, but I’m really looking forward to it and can’t wait to get started.”

The hills of St. Jean d'Angely were alive earlier today, as thousands of fans packed into the historic track to see the penultimate round of the 2022 FIM Motocross World Championship take place in humid conditions. Tackling the event with momentum after a positive outing in Finland one week ago, the Standing Construct Husqvarna Factory Racing and Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing riders put some solid points on the board.
Continuing to make progress, following a turbulent campaign, Pauls Jonass added a solid number of points to his total at the Grand Prix of Charente Maritime. Involved in the most furious battles in moto one, Jonass charged until the very end to take eleventh. Three measly seconds separated him from the guy ahead. The second moto was an extremely positive exercise, as '41' raced to a comfortable sixth place and was not too far from the top five. It was a step forward and one that helped him take eighth in the overall classification.   Brian Bogers raced to 13-14 scores on the fast-paced layout. Glued to his teammate's rear wheel for much of the opening moto, he struggled to make moves on the slick surface and eventually settled for thirteenth place. A mediocre start left him facing an even tougher challenge in moto two; he was forced to move from eighteenth to fourteenth at the chequered flag. Thirteenth was his final ranking in the overall classification. The Grand Prix of Charente Maritime was a luckless affair for the Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing squad, but there were bright spots. Roan van de Moosdijk impressed in the second MX2 moto, in particular, as he raced to fourth quite comfortably and showed off his pace aboard the FC 250. Unfortunately, a fall in moto one meant that he could only recover to thirteenth. 13-4 scores put him ninth in the overall classification. Much like his teammate, Kay de Wolf was halted by a crash in moto one and could only salvage a fourteenth. The second moto was a much better stint for '74' though; he made positive progress whilst others struggled and reached the chequered flag in eighth. 14-8 scores left de Wolf eleventh in the overall classification. A lot of valuable information was gathered on the unique surface and that will serve him well in the future.  There is a small break in the schedule now, but the Husqvarna Factory Racing riders will be knuckling down to ensure that they end the Grand Prix term with a bang. The grand finale, the Grand Prix of Turkey, is set to be run on September 04.  Pauls Jonass:  "The second race was a big step forward for me. I have been working really hard with the team to get closer to the front, so to follow the top five for a lot of the race felt really nice. There is only one round to go, but I am still pushing hard to get good results. I was really comfortable in Turkey last year." Brian Bogers:  "Saturday was not too good for me, for some reason, but I made some steps forward today. My starts let me down, but I was still happy with my riding at different points. It was obviously not the best weekend, compared to what we have been doing recently, but we learnt a lot. I am looking forward to ending on a high in Turkey." Roan van de Moosdijk:  "The first moto was not too good. I was running fifth or sixth and felt good, but I crashed in a turn. I struggled to get back into a rhythm after that. I did everything that I could to get ready for the second moto. I took fourth early on in that one and stayed there for the whole moto. I was happy to end the weekend on a good note!" Kay de Wolf:  "I was really struggling in the first moto and just could not find a rhythm. It did not click for me, but the second moto was better. I did not have the best start, yet I came from tenth to eighth on a track that most guys struggled to pass on. It was a tough weekend. We made the best out of it and will take what we have learnt into next year."
Results – 2022 FIM Motocross World Championship, Round Seventeen MXGP – Overall 1. Tim Gajser (Honda) 47pts; 2. Jeremy Seewer (Yamaha) 45pts; 3. Jorge Prado (GASGAS) 40pts…  8. Pauls Jonass (Husqvarna) 25pts; 13. Brian Bogers (Husqvarna) 15pts MXGP – Moto One 1. Jeremy Seewer (Yamaha) 35:29.204; 2. Tim Gajser (Honda) 35:30.187; 3. Romain Febvre (Kawasaki) 36:00.074…  11. Pauls Jonass (Husqvarna) 36:46.188; 13. Brian Bogers (Husqvarna) 36:48.484 MXGP – Moto Two 1. Tim Gajser (Honda) 35:33.882; 2. Jorge Prado (GASGAS) 35:34.835; 3. Jeremy Seewer (Yamaha) 35:35.873…  6. Pauls Jonass (Husqvarna) 36:01.506; 14. Brian Bogers (Husqvarna) 36:48.230 MXGP – Standings 1. Tim Gajser (Honda) 721pts; 2. Jeremy Seewer (Yamaha) 615pts; 3. Jorge Prado (GASGAS) 557pts…  6. Brian Bogers (Husqvarna) 406pts; 9. Pauls Jonass (Husqvarna) 350pts MX2 – Overall 1. Tom Vialle (KTM) 47pts; 2. Thibault Benistant (Yamaha) 47pts; 3. Jago Geerts (Yamaha) 34pts…  9. Roan van de Moosdijk (Husqvarna) 26pts; 11. Kay de Wolf (Husqvarna) 20pts MX2 – Moto One 1. Thibault Benistant (Yamaha) 34:13.423; 2. Tom Vialle (KTM) 34:15.283; 3. Jago Geerts (Yamaha) 34:18.204…  13. Roan van de Moosdijk (Husqvarna) 35:50.830; 14. Kay de Wolf (Husqvarna) 35:55.605 MX2 – Moto Two 1. Tom Vialle (KTM) 34:10.603; 2. Thibault Benistant (Yamaha) 34:16.039; 3. Tom Guyon (KTM)…  4. Roan van de Moosdijk (Husqvarna) 34:21.912; 8. Kay de Wolf (Husqvarna) 35:09.593 MX2 – Standings 1. Jago Geerts (Yamaha) 710pts; 2. Tom Vialle (KTM) 708pts; 3. Simon Langenfelder (GASGAS) 564pts…  7. Kay de Wolf (Husqvarna) 410pts; 14. Roan van de Moosdijk (Husqvarna) 176pts

Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s RJ Hampshire has secured his first 250MX victory of the season at the Budds Creek National, delivering an outstanding performance with 1-2 moto scores at the 10th round of the 2022 AMA Pro Motocross in Mechanicsville, Maryland
After battling through the ups and downs of a long outdoor season, Hampshire was more than determined to put his FC 250 into the center of the podium late in the year. He set himself up for success in Moto 1 with a second-place start, pressuring the race leader early on before making his move out front halfway through. With a big charge late in the race, Hampshire posted a dominant five-second victory at the end of 17 laps. He put himself into another good position off the start of Moto 2, working his way from fifth to second later in the race. He maintained a solid pace to finish runner-up in the moto, which was good enough to seal the overall win in the 250MX class. “This is so special!” Hampshire said. “We were fast from the beginning and we just took a gamble there and stuck with this paddle tire all day and that really helped. We got two good starts, rode well and got our first overall this season. I’m stoked for myself and for this whole team, we’ve been through a lot already just this outdoor season, so I’m just stoked to be able to give the team our first overall of the season. Let’s keep this going, I’m not just settled in here, I want more!” Jalek Swoll put forth a season-best performance at Budds Creek, despite having to come back from a pair of crashes in the first moto. After re-mounting back in 28th on the opening lap, Swoll climbed through the pack up to 13th before suffering another big crash that ultimately pushed him back to 23rd. He bounced back with a top-three start in Moto 2, battling between third and fourth for most of the race. He got passed by the defending champion with a few laps to go and he capped off the day on a positive note with a best finish of fifth in the moto. “All-in-all, it was a good day for me,” Swoll said. “I got off to a good start around P3/4 and got tangled up with Justin Cooper early in the first one, so I came from pretty much dead last to around 13th. But I had no tear-offs and couldn’t see and ended up having a really big one on the straightaway. I re-grouped and got a good start in Moto 2, ran the pace for a while, but I was a little hurt at the end. I finished fifth – the best finish of the year for me – so I’m going to take the positives, try to heal up and better that score next week.” It was the second race back from injury for 450MX teammates Malcolm Stewart and Dean Wilson, who each have their sights set on making progression with only four motos left in the series. Stewart scored a top-10 overall finish in the class, putting in consistent 12-10 moto scores throughout the day. “I think the day was good,” Stewart said. “Overall, I got ninth, but I think that was a lot better start than it was for Unadilla. The whole team is working hard, so I’m just glad to get some gate drops – I think just getting that race-mode back in me is definitely helping a lot. Let’s just keep digging, we’ve got two rounds to go and we’re getting close to that top-10 so let’s just keep moving.” Wilson also scored some points in both motos, finishing the day 15th overall with 18-11 results in the class. “It was a challenging day for me,” Wilson said. “Unfortunately, I got collected in a pileup off the start in the first moto and came from last to 18th. I didn’t ride great but it was good to come through the pack and learn different lines. In the second moto, I got a better start and made some pretty good passes at the beginning. Mookie and I had our own battle the whole moto – he got around me and I tried to get around him again but just couldn’t make it happen. It was good for me, just building my speed and fitness.” Next Event (Round 11): August 27 – Ironman National – Crawfordsville, Indiana Round 10 Results: Budds Creek National 250MX Results 1. RJ Hampshire – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 1-2 2. Jo Shimoda (KAW) 3-1 3. Jett Lawrence (HON) 2-3 … 11. Jalek Swoll  – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 23-5   450MX Results 1. Jason Anderson (KAW) 2-2 2. Eli Tomac (KAW) 1-5 3. Ken Roczen (HON) 3-3 … 9. Malcolm Stewart – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 12-10 15. Dean Wilson – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 18-11   250MX Rider Point Standings 1. Jett Lawrence – 433 points 2. Jo Shimoda – 396 points 3. Hunter Lawrence – 390 points … 5. RJ Hampshire – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 274 points 12. Stilez Robertson – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 169 points 16. Jalek Swoll  – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 108 points   450MX Rider Point Standings 1. Eli Tomac – 449 points 2. Chase Sexton – 448 points 3. Jason Anderson – 369 points

MotoGP™ flies around the Red Bull Ring for the thirteenth round of twenty in 2022 and Husqvarna Motorcycles capture a second Moto3™ win of the season 23 intense and hard-fought laps in Austria marked another gripping episode of the 2022 Moto3 Grand Prix term and both the Sterilgarda Max Racing Team and Husqvarna Motorcycles were once more key protagonists in what has been a satisfying and competitive campaign so far for the partnership. The Red Bull Ring provided a swift but demanding layout of 11 corners at almost 4.5km in length but the new chicane – marked Turns 2a and 2b – was a fresh challenge for the eighth Grand Prix to run at the site since its remodelling and reopening.  The section was installed to slow the speed through the long uphill section before the distinctive Turn 3 but became a prime overtaking zone and a tactical spot for the typically large Moto3 pack dispute. 2022 Grand Prix winner Ayumu Sasaki had taken his FR 250 GP motorcycle to 2nd place on the grid after a dry qualification session on Saturday but the Japanese’s crash and contact with another rider from the British round two weeks previously meant he had to serve a double Long Lap penalty during the race. Sasaki initially led but then lost ground for both sanctions and had to battle back into contention from a low as 24th. Ayumu posted repeated fastest laps to cut though the field. He reached the front again and then his last circulation was quicker than his qualification effort to ensure a second triumph and fifth podium of the year as well as his eighth top six classification. Meanwhile teammate John McPhee started the Grand Prix from the sixth row and managed his pace, tyres and slot. He was on the tip of the second group as Moto3 dispersed in the final stages and took 9th. In the Moto3 world championship standings, Sasaki’s 25 points from Austria helped him regain 4th place in the table; 6 points from further promotion and 55 from the leader. McPhee, who is still trying to surge up the list after missing Grands Prix due to a training injury earlier in the year, is 17th. The Sterilgarda Max Racing Team will be eying their chances of closing on the top three of the Teams’ contest when MotoGP next reforms for the Gran Premio Gryfyn di San Marino e della Riviera di Rimini in Italy in two weeks when the Misano World Circuit – Marco Simoncelli entertains the fourteenth stop of the current calendar. Ayumu Sasaki : “I never gave up! In Silverstone I made a mistake, it was my fault and it meant another hard moment of a tough season with the penalty but I’m overcoming the obstacles. I came here knowing I had the penalty and I had to be better than anyone else. I had a good attitude to the job all weekend and had incredible pace. The race was dry fortunately and I didn’t do any mistakes. My last lap was amazing. Thanks to everyone. I hope we can catch the front guys in the championship in the coming GPs.” John McPhee : “My pace was decent. I had good rhythm as soon as I could break the group but I struggled to overtake and was pretty vulnerable going into the corners. I had to line-up the exits. I finally got my head down but missed a few more laps to make the front group. I dug-deep today and pushed 100% but missed a bit. We have work to do but I’m sure the results will come.”   Results – 2022 Moto3 World Championship, Round 13   1. Ayumu Sasaki (Husqvarna) 39:03.516, 2. Tatsuki Suzuki (Honda) +0.064, 3. David Muñoz (KTM) +0.292 , 9. John McPhee (Husqvarna) +7.474   Moto3 world championship standings   1. Sergio Garcia (GASGAS) 193pts, 2. Izan Guevara (GASGAS) 188, 3. Dennis Foggia (Honda) 144. 4. Ayumu Sasaki (Husqvarna) 138, 17. John McPhee (Husqvarna) 40

Skyler Howes has won the prestigious Vegas to Reno desert race held in Nevada, USA. Riding his Husqvarna Factory Racing FR 450 Rally in the event, Howes fought back from a difficult qualifying session to take the win on what was an especially tough 2022 edition of the race.

Starting just outside of Las Vegas and covering nearly 500 miles on its way to the finish near Reno, the event is famous for being America’s longest and fastest single-day offroad race. With rain and flooding in the area causing the organisers to alter much of this year’s route, riders faced an extra-technical, but shortened race due to detours around some of the worst hit sections of the traditional course.

To add extra interest to this year’s race, organisers included the Open Pro class in Thursday’s time trial qualification. However, the added challenge didn’t work out well for Howes as a crash on the short three-mile loop resulted in the Husqvarna rider starting as the very last pro competitor in Friday’s main race.

Using both his skill and judgement to battle his way through the dust raised by the racers ahead of him, Howes steadily made progress through the course of the event. With his pit crew delivering a faultless and fast service throughout the day, Skyler was able to keep his head down and focus on the task, and riders ahead.

Fighting his way through to a strong position, Howes found himself in cleaner air in the final 100 miles of the race and was able to push to make up time on his rivals. Ultimately delivering an impressively consistent and near mistake-free ride from start to finish, the FR 450 Rally rider was able to take the win – his second career victory at the event – by just over four minutes from second-placed, FX 450-mounted Dalton Shirey.

Skyler Howes:   “I’m super-stoked to get the win! Especially as a solo rider versus the other teams. The organisers did an incredible job of managing the difficult conditions – so many of the dry lake beds were full of water and a lot of the rest of the course was destroyed by flooding. Qualifying wasn’t so good, I had a little tip off that cost me a little time, and on such a short course it meant I set off last of all the pro class on the main race. The dust out there was incredible, thankfully riding the rally bike, I was able to carry on for longer without stopping for fuel and so that helped to make up time on the guys ahead. I just rode my own race and ticked off the miles. With a bit more clear air towards the end, I was able to make up those last few minutes I needed. Dalton crossed the line first, but on corrected time, I managed to take the win by about four minutes. It’s back to training and testing now – we’re working on the roadbook a lot and I want to be at my absolute best in time for Morocco. It's still a little way off, but I’m feeling good and can’t wait to get back to some world championship racing now.”

Skyler Howes and the Husqvarna Factory Racing team will next be in action at round three of the FIM Rally-Raid World Championship, the Rallye du Maroc, held October 1-6 in Morocco.

Results – 2022 Vegas to Reno

1. Skyler Howes (Husqvarna) 6:33:30.442
2. Dalton Shirey (Husqvarna) 6:37:34.732
3. Joseph Wasson/Zane Roberts (Beta) 6:38:42.025
4. Jeremy Newton/Tuffy Pearson (KTM) 6:49:05.772
5. Hayden Hintz/Trevor Hunter (KTM) 6:58:44.161
6. Russell Tonjum (Honda) 7:08:48.370

With a memorable Grand Prix of Sweden in the rear-view mirror, the Husqvarna Factory Racing riders leapt across to Finland for round sixteen of the 2022 FIM Motocross World Championship. Hyvinkää, a track that has not appeared on the calendar in eight seasons, played host to even more Husqvarna success, as Brian Bogers ripped to a moto victory in MXGP and Kay de Wolf claimed another podium finish in MX2.

It was yet another memorable Grand Prix for Bogers, who looked at one with his FC 450 on such a tricky surface. Starting moto one in third place, thanks to the power within his steed, it took him absolutely no time at all to move into the lead and he did not look back from that moment on. Lapping a second faster than his competition on a consistent basis, he eventually won the moto by nine seconds. Unfortunately, a couple of mistakes restricted him to sixth in the second moto and caused him to miss the overall podium by a single point. Such a strong showing helped him climb to sixth in the standings. Pauls Jonass endured a tricky day at Hyvinkää, as a hard fall in qualifying left him in some discomfort. Jonass put his head down on race day, despite a bad gate pick, and charged from the back of the pack to thirteenth at the chequered flag. Eight valuable points were claimed via the ranking. The second stint was a much stronger showing for Jonass, thanks in part to a better start, as he battled in the lower half of the top ten and crossed the finish line in tenth place. 13-10 scores put him in twelfth overall on the day. Putting his FC 250 on the MX2 podium in a rather convincing fashion, Kay de Wolf raced to impressive 3-2 scores in Finland. The first moto was a spectacular affair – he enjoyed a race-long battle with his teammate before taking control of third place. '74' was on the verge of claiming the Grand Prix victory in the last stint, as he battled for the victory until the very last corner before ultimately settling for second place in the moto and overall classification. It was a superb display that resulted in him taking his fourth podium of the term. De Wolf has progressed to seventh in the championship standings now. Roan van de Moosdijk continued to make impressive progress in just his third race back from injury. Podium pace was on show once again, as he held third for eight laps of moto one before giving way to his teammate. Still, '39' held on for his second fourth-place finish in succession and established some momentum before the second moto. Such pace was put to good use at the end of the day – he charged into the early lead and was en route to the moto win until a small fall caused him to drop to third. Unfortunately, the mistake cost him a spot on the overall podium too. 4-3 scores left him in fourth overall.
The final triple header of the year continues this coming weekend. The penultimate stop of the 2022 FIM Motocross World Championship, the Grand Prix of Charente Maritime, will be held at the historic circuit of St. Jean d'Angely on August 21. Brian Bogers:  "I am very happy with that first moto. It was just amazing and my FC 450 worked incredibly well. I felt so good on the track! I wanted to replicate that ride in the second moto, but I made a couple of errors. I pushed too hard at the beginning of the race and then made some mistakes. I wanted to be on the podium, of course, but I am happy with our progress." Pauls Jonass:  "I was quite lucky, after crashing hard in the qualifying race yesterday. I was left with a bad gate pick today, because of that, and had to fight from the back each time. I was trying to get in a rhythm today and I was happy to finish with a solid ride in the second moto. There are some good tracks ahead, so we will not stop pushing." Kay de Wolf:  "I ran out of time in that second moto. It was a difficult race; I really gave it my all and I just missed out in the end. I am happy with my riding and my feeling on my FC 250 though. I am looking forward to France next weekend. I just cannot thank the team enough – they are working so hard for us and I really appreciate it." Roan van de Moosdijk:  "I had a good gate pick today. My start was not too bad in the first moto and I made some good passes early on. I struggled in the middle of the moto, because I need to get used to the intensity. Where do I even begin with the second moto? I took the lead and just did my own thing. I led for more than half the moto, but hit an edge in a corner and crashed. I am angry with myself. This is a big improvement though." Results – 2022 FIM Motocross World Championship, Round Sixteen MXGP – Overall 1. Glenn Coldenhoff (Yamaha) 47pts; 2. Jeremy Seewer (Yamaha) 40pts; 3. Maxime Renaux (Yamaha) 40pts…  4. Brian Bogers (Husqvarna) 40pts; 12. Pauls Jonass (Husqvarna) 19pts MXGP – Moto One 1. Brian Bogers (Husqvarna) 35:42.121 ; 2. Glenn Coldenhoff (Yamaha) 35:51.744; 3. Maxime Renaux (Yamaha) 35:55.171…  13. Pauls Jonass (Husqvarna) 36:50.753 MXGP – Moto Two 1. Glenn Coldenhoff (Yamaha) 33:56.062; 2. Jeremy Seewer (Yamaha) 34:01.196; 3. Maxime Renaux (Yamaha) 34:08.951… 6. Brian Bogers (Husqvarna) 34:29.046; 10. Pauls Jonass (Husqvarna) 34:49.120 MXGP – Standings 1. Tim Gajser (Honda) 674pts; 2. Jeremy Seewer (Yamaha) 570pts; 3. Glenn Coldenhoff (Yamaha) 525pts…  6. Brian Bogers (Husqvarna) 391pts; 9. Pauls Jonass (Husqvarna) 325pts MX2 – Overall 1. Tom Vialle (KTM) 47pts;  2. Kay de Wolf (Husqvarna) 42pts ; 3. Jago Geerts (Yamaha) 39pts…  4. Roan van de Moosdijk (Husqvarna) 39pts MX2 – Moto One 1. Jago Geerts (Yamaha) 35:36.173; 2. Tom Vialle (KTM) 35:50.156;  3. Kay de Wolf (Husqvarna) 35:55.434… 4. Roan van de Moosdijk (Husqvarna) 36:02.491 MX2 – Moto Two 1. Tom Vialle (KTM) 33:57.862;  2. Kay de Wolf (Husqvarna) 33:59.175; 3. Roan van de Moosdijk (Husqvarna) 34:15.406 MX2 – Standings 1. Jago Geerts (Yamaha) 676pts; 2. Tom Vialle (KTM) 661pts; 3. Simon Langenfelder (GASGAS) 535pts…  7. Kay de Wolf (Husqvarna) 390pts; 15. Roan van de Moosdijk (Husqvarna) 150pts

It was a steep return to the AMA Pro Motocross Championship for the entire Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing Team, who lined up with a nearly-complete four-rider roster for the first time in New Berlin, New York. For the team’s 250MX riders, the Unadilla National served as the first race back after a two-week break from racing, while 450MX riders Malcolm Stewart and Dean Wilson each made their 2022 outdoor debut at Round 9. Once again showcasing his determination in the roughest of track conditions, RJ Hampshire was the team’s top finisher with 3-8 moto finishes and a top-five overall in the 250MX cl
After qualifying fourth, Hampshire grabbed a top-10 spot out of the gate in Moto 1. He sat in ninth for the first five laps before climbing his way up to fifth over the next few laps. Nearing the end of the race, he picked up two more positions to finish third, scoring his first podium since Round 1. In the second moto, Hampshire found himself buried in 13th after experiencing an issue on the opening lap. He gained a few spots up to 10th through the first half of racing but lapped traffic proved to be a challenge heading into the second half of the moto. Determined to excel, Hampshire continued to battle through the field, ultimately landing his FC 250 into an eighth-place finish. “We had positives today,” Hampshire said. “I was fast in qualifying, which I haven't been. First moto, I felt like I got into a really good flow early and was clicking good laps off and landed back on the podium for the first time since Round 1. Second moto, I got a decent start and then just split out right after the finish. Someone went into the line I was going for and I tried to get out of it and just swapped the front. It was a bummer but we'll definitely take the positives out of today.”
Jalek Swoll got off to a good start in Moto 1, positioning himself just outside of the top-10. Unfortunately, he struggled to stay upright throughout the race. After falling back to 16th on the second lap, Swoll made a strong push to climb into ninth but he lost a few spots to eventually finish in 12th. In Moto 2, Swoll charged to an eighth-place position on the first lap. He tried to maintain the spot, but a few mistakes dropped him back to ninth. Holding steady in ninth until just after the halfway mark, Swoll eventually slipped to 11th. Battling lapped traffic late in the race, he wasn’t able to make any moves and he ultimately finished 11th in the moto and 11th overall for the day. “My starts were good, I just kept finding myself on the ground,” Swoll said. “I was trying to push but every time I fell, it was just a huge gap – so I was kind of just in no man's land. I feel like my riding was okay, I just have to get those starts again and just be a little bit better and we'll be fine.” Lining up for his first AMA Pro Motocross race in eight years, team rider Malcolm Stewart also made his return to racing in New York after missing the first eight rounds due to injury. With a start just outside the top-10, Stewart ran in the 12th-place position early on, bouncing between 13th and 14th for the remainder of the race. Easing his way into the long motos, Stewart ultimately finished 14th. In Moto 2, he grabbed a 14th-place start and immediately went to work in chasing down his teammate, Wison, ahead. Hovering around the top-15 battle, Stewart dropped a couple spots later in the race, settling for 16th at the line. “First outdoor race back in eight years and I think it was a good day just being back,” Stewart said. “Of course, the results didn’t show it, but just having that race back there again was really good for me. I'm happy to be back, but we have some work to do. I'm really looking forward to Budd's Creek because that's obviously one of my favorite tracks. I learned a lot, and you can't replicate racing, so this is just a good race just to come back to – to get through it.” After several months off of competition due to injury, Dean Wilson was happy to make his debut alongside his teammate. However, with a less-than-ideal gate pick in Moto 1, Wilson struggled to get a good position off the start. Sitting around 23rd on lap one, he began picking off riders to get just inside the top-20 nearing the end of the race, earning his first point of the season with a 19th-place finish. In Moto 2, Wilson chased the top-10 battle with teammate Stewart on his heels, locking in 13th for the remainder of the moto. “On paper, it wasn't very good but it was a long time off,” Wilson said. “I think it was five months off total, so it's great to be back. I really struggled with the track, it was so choppy and I feel like I'm not quite in shape where I should be yet. I got arm-pump really bad in the first moto so I told myself to just get through it and the second race was a little bit better. I think I'm going to get better every moto, it's just tough coming back, especially when all these guys have been racing and they're in the flow. By the end of the summer, hopefully I’ll be where I should be.” Next Event (Round 10): August 20 – Budds Creek National – Mechanicsville, Maryland Round 9 Results: Unadilla National 250MX Results 1. Jo Shimoda (KAW) 1-3 2. Justin Cooper (YAM) 5-1 3. Hunter Lawrence (HON) 2-5 … 5. RJ Hampshire – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 3-8 11. Jalek Swoll  – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 12-11   450MX Results 1. Chase Sexton (HON) 1-1 2. Eli Tomac (KAW) 2-2 3. Jason Anderson (KAW) 3-3 … 15. Malcolm Stewart – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 14-16 16. Dean Wilson – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 19-13   250MX Rider Point Standings 1. Jett Lawrence – 391 points 2. Hunter Lawrence – 365 points 3. Jo Shimoda – 351 points … 5. RJ Hampshire – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 227 points 10. Stilez Robertson – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 169 points 16. Jalek Swoll  – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 92 points   450MX Rider Point Standings 1. Chase Sexton – 409 points 2. Eli Tomac – 408 points 3. Jason Anderson – 325 points … 30. Malcolm Stewart – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 12 points 33. Dean Wilson – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 10 points

The penultimate round of the FIM Enduro3 World Championship proved a pivotal one for Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Mikael Persson with the Swede retaking control of the points lead on his TE 300. Delivering a super consistent weekend of racing at the GP of Hungary, Persson finished second both days in Zalaegerszeg.

After slipping to second in this year’s championship fight at round four, Persson has crucially gained momentum at the right time, putting himself back in the driving seat with just one round to go. Entering this weekend’s GP of Hungary 11 points behind rival Brad Freeman, Persson ended it three points in front thanks to a pair of hard-fought runner-up finishes.

With conditions in stark contrast to last weekend’s muddy GP of Slovakia, Persson took a little bit of time to get going on Saturday morning. A crash on the first enduro test hampered his rhythm. But once settled in he fought his way back to second in class, finishing just six seconds shy of victory.

Again up the sharp end of the results on Sunday, Mikael got off to a flying start by winning the opening two special tests. But with times proving super tight, the fight for victory was close. A couple of mistake in the latter half of the day hurt his chances of winning and he had to settle for second place.

The FIM EnduroGP World Championship concludes with the seventh and final round in Germany on October 14-16 where Persson will be looking to clinch the Enduro3 title. Before then, Mikael will compete in the FIM International Six Days Enduro in France on August 29 - September 3, where he aims to better his individual overall result of third from 2021 with Team Sweden.

Mikael Persson:   “It’s been a solid weekend with good results in Enduro3 for the championship fight. I had a few mistakes throughout each day, but overall I felt strong and consistent. Conditions were tricky in the dust and completely different from last weekend in Slovakia. I had a crash in the first enduro test on Saturday which took a little bit of time to get going from, so that might have cost me a chance of winning there. There’s a bit of a gap now until the final round in Germany in October, so I’ll try to manage that as best I can and give it my best shot there to be world champion.”

Results: Round 6, GP of Hungary

Day 1 - Enduro3
1. Jaume Betriu (KTM) 1:02:40.79;
2. Mikael Persson (Husqvarna) 1:02:47.14;
3. Matteo Pavoni (TM) 1:02:48.16;
4. Marc Sans (Husqvarna) 1:02:50.28;
5. Daniel McCanney (Sherco) 1:02:54.59…

Day 2 - Enduro3
1. Marc Sans (Husqvarna) 1:01:15.80;
2. Mikael Persson (Husqvarna) 1:02:28.83;
3. Leo Le Quere (Sherco) 1:01:17.34;
4. Jaume Betriu (KTM) 1:01:35.78;
5. Brad Freeman (Beta) 1:02:05.87…

Enduro3 Championship Standings (After round 6)
1. Mikael Persson (Husqvarna) 192pts;
2. Brad Freeman (Beta) 189pts;
3. Matteo Pavoni (TM) 167pts;
4. Marc Sans (Husqvarna) 141pts;
5. Daniel McCanney (Sherco) 125pts…

The Sterilgarda Max Racing Team pushed out their FR 250 GP Husqvarna race machinery at Silverstone in the UK having conquered the previous round at Assen in the Netherlands and refreshed after the summer break. Silverstone, quick, long, flat and with a mix of flowing and elongated corners, benefitted from surprisingly good and stable British climate for the twelfth fixture of an intense Grand Prix season. Ayumu Sasaki was buoyant to get back into action after his success the previous month but his eagerness was matched by teammate John McPhee who carried sizeable hopes for his home Grand Prix. The pair were among the fastest during Free Practice and carried the momentum into Q2 where they were able to take 8th and 9th positions on the start grid for the 17-lap race Sunday morning. The FR 250 GP motorcycles were in the heart of a terrific, intense and large squabble for the podium that numbered up to 21 riders. The race was hectic with Sasaki and McPhee swapping positions within the top ten repeatedly and with nobody able to breakaway or create an advantage. With three laps to go Sasaki lost control going into Village corner and crashed. McPhee reached as high as third but in the dash to the finish line – when less than one second separated the first eight racers – he was bumped to 7th spot; equalling the Scot’s second-best result of the season.   Sasaki still maintains his total of 113 points and has slipped to 6th in the standings. He trails 1st place in the Moto3 championship table by 69 points. McPhee has pushed up to 16th. The Sterilgarda Max Racing Team are 4th in the Team’s rankings. More speed awaits Husqvarna Motorcycles at the Red Bull Ring in two weeks. The CryptoDATA Motorrad Grand Prix von Österreich takes the world championship to Spielberg in the depths of Austria. John McPhee : “The bike was working great but we geared it for a slightly faster race and for a higher speed compared to the pace we found. We were all tightly bunched and it was a bit frustrating. I felt really good but Moto3 is like that! I tried to make it to 3rd on the last lap but someone rode into the side of me and I lost some places. We had a sniff of the podium but it wasn’t to be. The positives are that we had the speed and on a track where the slipstream wasn’t so crucial I think we might have been able to pull away.”   Results – 2022 Moto3 World Championship, Round 12   1. Dennis Foggia (Honda) +37:30.120, 2. Jaume Masia (KTM) +0.252, 3. Deniz Öncü (KTM) +0.297 , 7. John McPhee (Husqvarna) +0.932, DNF. Ayumu Sasaki (Husqvarna)   Moto3 world championship standings   1. Sergio Garcia (GASGAS) 182pts, 2. Izan Guevara (GASGAS) 179, 3. Dennis Foggia (Honda) 140. 6. Ayumu Sasaki (Husqvarna) 113, 16. John McPhee (Husqvarna) 33

The fifth stop of the FIM Enduro World Championship saw Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Mikael Persson shine in the wet and slippery conditions to take home a strong second-place result each day in Enduro3. Pushing hard in the mud, the Swede also took his TE 300 to two top-eight results in EnduroGP, equalling his best finishes of the season to date.

Back to business after a four-week break between round four in Portugal and five in Gelnica, Slovakia, the weather couldn’t have been any more contrasting for this weekend’s EnduroGP racing. Heat and dust were replaced by lingering rain and mud, while a 15-minute-long enduro test would also shake things up.

Rain on Saturday ensured the special tests were hard to predict early on. After a cautious start, Mikael began to get a feel for the conditions and upped his pace as his confidence grew. Fastest in the final extreme test, the Swede ended his day second in Enduro3, while also matching his season’s best result of seventh overall in EnduroGP.

Eager for more on Sunday, Persson was quick to adapt to the early morning rain and mud. Fastest on the opening cross test, he took the Enduro3 race lead by five seconds. Mistakes on the following enduro test worked against him and he slipped back to second. Chipping away, he clocked the fastest Enduro3 time on the final extreme test to close out the day with another Enduro3 runner-up result.

The FIM EnduroGP World Championship now heads to Hungary for round six on August 5-7.

Mikael Persson:   “It’s been a solid weekend finishing second both days in Enduro3. I’m not super happy with the result because I would like to be closer to Brad for the victory, but it’s been a good weekend. Saturday went well. I improved as the conditions dried, and I was able to finish seventh in the overall too. I was hoping for a little more on Sunday, but I lost some time in the morning and had to fight back. Overall it’s been a good challenging weekend and with the GP of Hungary next weekend I hope to get another strong result there.”

Results: Round 5 - GP of Slovakia

Day 1

Enduro3
1. Brad Freeman (Beta) 1:05:00.63;
2. Mikael Persson (Husqvarna) 1:05:44.26;
3. Matteo Pavoni (TM) 1:05:53.49…

Day 2

Enduro3
1. Brad Freeman (Beta) 1:05:44.38;
2. Mikael Persson (Husqvarna) 1:06:29.46;
3. Matteo Pavoni (TM) 1:06:54.98…

Enduro3 Championship Standings (After round 5)
1. Brad Freeman (Beta) 169pts;
2. Mikael Persson (Husqvarna) 158pts;
3. Matteo Pavoni (TM) 142pts…