Motorsports News

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

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

A strong performance for Husqvarna Motorcycles in front of passionate French fans at Le Mans as Ayumu Sasaki rides to 2nd place at round seven of the 2022 MotoGP™ series.

The Le Mans Bugatti circuit is one of the most distinctive layouts on the MotoGP world championship trail at 4.2km and with fourteen varied turns that make tough demands of the riders for braking and acceleration but also test their bravery for corner entry and slipstreaming. These qualities were of particular importance for the Moto3 Grand Prix at a dry but cloudy seventh round of twenty-one this year.

Sterilgarda Max Racing approached the weekend with Ayumu Sasaki in fiercely competitive form and hunting his third podium result of the season. The team were able to count on their full line-up for the first time since the opening round in Qatar. John McPhee had recovered sufficiently from the back injury he’d sustained in training to be able to wheel out the FR 250 GP from the pitbox.

Le Mans witnessed busy attendances throughout Friday and Saturday when the sunshine beamed down onto the venue in northeast France. Sasaki was the best qualifier after Saturday’s Q2 and occupied 12th place on the grid. McPhee, getting back in the flow of Moto3, was on the sixth row in 15th.

Sunday saw the climate shift to clouds and a light shower in the first laps caused a considerable shift for the grip and feeling on the French asphalt. The Moto3 class was the first to lay down rubber trails and the 22-laps was soon halted due to rain in the first two circulations. Sasaki was one of several fallers at Turn 14 but the red flag allowed the Japanese to restart after some great work by the team to get the FR 250 GP repaired in less than 15 minutes.

Husqvarna Motorcycles reached the halfway marker of the 2021 MotoGP™ series with their second trophy as Romano Fenati classified 3rd around the historic curves of the TT Circuit Assen.

Round nine of the world championship took place at the oldest Grand Prix venue on the calendar and the technical layout of the TT Circuit Assen made a welcome return to MotoGP for the first time since 2019. The course had been newly resurfaced for a prime level of grip even if the unstable weather climate saw showers create dry and damp sessions in the build-up to race day.

As usual Romano Fenati was among the front-runners in Free Practice on Friday and Saturday, clocking the 5th fastest time on his FR 250 GP after the first combined sessions. Adrian Fernandez was learning the intricacies of Assen for the first time in Grand Prix but was also close to the pace-setters within the highly competitive category.

The Italian and the Spaniard filled 2nd and 21st positions on the start grid for the 22-lap race on Sunday morning. Due to an infringement on Friday both Fenati and Fernandez had to complete a double Long Lap penalty during the chase that got underway under bright skies. The situation meant Fenati had to cleverly negotiate the opening laps and install himself among the leaders. His corner speed was devastatingly effective and despite having to register the extra distance he kept in the hunt for podium places.

When the chequered flag fell Fenati was able to reach 3rd place – just two tenths of a second from victory - and secure 16 points for his world championship total that keeps him inside the top four of the standings. The former Grand Prix winner is 30 points from Sergio Garcia in 2nd position. Fernandez crashed out at Assen.

After four events in the last five weeks MotoGP now enters a summer break and a pause that extends well over a month due to the cancellation of the Grand Prix of Finland. The paddock joins up again at the picturesque and fast Red Bull Ring circuit for the Styrian and Austrian rounds on back-to-back weekends at the beginning of August.

Romano Fenati: “It’s amazing to make a podium here at this circuit, and an amazing race. After two Long Laps my feeling was still so strong with the bike. Lap by lap I was making ground. At the end of the race I was on the limit with the rear trye but I’m really happy. We were competitive all weekend and it was a joy to ride the bike.”

Max Biaggi, Team Principal: “A great performance from Romano who started leading the group from the first corner. The long lap penalties were a disadvantage but he could still come back to the front and was pushing like a lion. I saw him really motivated. It was very impressive and we could be in contention for the win. A crash for Adrian, which was too bad, but overall a good GP for the team.”

Results – 2021 Moto3 World Championship, Round 9

1. Dennis Foggia (Honda) 37:35.287, 2. Sergio Garcia (GASGAS) +0.078, 3. Romano Fenati (Husqvarna) +0.207, DNF. Adrian Fernandez (Husqvarna)

World Championship standings

1. Pedro Acosta (KTM) 158pts; 2. Sergio Garcia (GASGAS) 110pts; 3. Dennis Foggia (Honda) 86pts; 4. Romano Fenati (Husqvarna) 80 pts; 24. Adrian Fernandez (Husqvarna) 10 pts.

2021 Moto3 began with Romano Fenati making an effective recovery performance for Husqvarna Motorcycles as he took his FR 250 GP to 11th position at a windy Losail International Circuit for the Barwa Grand Prix of Qatar and the first of nineteen fixtures.

18 action-packed Moto3 laps of the flat, fast and dusty Losail International Circuit ensured that the new MotoGP season was launched in captivating fashion in Qatar today. Husqvarna Motorcycles was in the heart of the dispute for the first points of the campaign with the Sterilgarda Max Racing Team fielding Romano Fenati and rookie Adrian Fernandez on the fetching white FR 250 GPs machinery.

During practice and qualification both the Italian and the Spaniard showed impressive competitiveness; Fenati missed out on a qualification lap attempt that would have placed the #55 high on the starting grid for Sunday’s by just one second. The former GP winner just couldn’t get across the line fast enough on Saturday evening to make the time count.

Starting the race from 18th – and Fernandez in 22nd on his full-time world championship debut – the riders headed into windy and difficult conditions. The breeze not only affected the handling of all the Moto3 motorcycles but also blew sandy and dust across the track surface. Fenati latched onto the busy front-running cluster in the first minutes of the race but was adjudged to have jumped the start and was penalised with a double long lap penalty. Despite having to claw back from the time deficit twice, Fenati fought his way back into touch with the leaders on the final lap and bustled his way to 11th.

Fernandez completed an encouraging Grand Prix amidst the group that Fenati spent most of the race trying to catch. He also had to make a long lap penalty for exceeding track limits which cost valuable time. The youngster finally crossed the finish line just outside of the points in 17th.

The Sterilgarda Max Racing Team will have only a matter of days before they can attempt Losail once more: the Tissot Grand Prix of Doha takes place next Sunday.

Romano Fenati: “I’m happy with the speed of the bike: the FR 250 GP was incredible. I was not happy about the long lap penalty because, for me, I did not make the jump start. We have to check. Next weekend I think we will be very fast and we will try to work on this direction.”

Adrian Fernandez: “The start of the race was difficult but my feeling on the bike was really good. The conditions were tough and I couldn’t understand why the track felt so slippery sometimes. It was hard to get on the gas by the end. We improved from the test and step-by-step we will get closer to the first group.”

Max Biaggi, Team Principal: “The first race of the year was not where we hoped to start in terms of positions but in racing anything can happen. For Adrian Moto3 was a new experience. He is very young and we have just started to work with him and to get the best out of him. He has shown a good attitude and potential. With Romano we paid for that mistake during the quali but that cost us a better position in the race. Other than that, he made a very good comeback and was able to finish in the points which made us happy. Without the penalty it could have been much better but now we’ll work hard to make improvements, cut down the mistakes and hope for more in race two here.”  

Results – 2021 Moto3 FIM World Championship, Round 1

1. Jaume Masia (KTM) 38:29.620, 2. Pedro Acosta (KTM) +0.042, 3. Darryn Binder (Honda) +0.094, 11. Romano Fenati (Husqvarna) +2.316, 17. Adrian Fernandez (Husqvarna) +22.187

World Championship standings

1. Jaume Masia (KTM) 25pts; 2. Pedro Acosta (KTM) 20pts; 3. Darryn Binder (Honda) 16pts; 11. Romano Fenati (Husqvarna) 5 pts; 17. Alonso Lopez (Husqvarna) 0 pts.

Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Thomas Kjer Olsen has secured his maiden 450cc race win with victory at round two of the Internazionali d’Italia series in Alghero, Sardinia. Following an impressive runner-up finish in the day’s opening MX1 moto, Kjer Olsen then charged to a stunning victory in the mixed capacity Supercampione race, claiming his first international win on FC 450 machinery.

Overlooking the Mediterranean Sea, the sandy hillside venue provided TKO with further races to sharpen his skills while competing on another rough and technical circuit ahead of the MXGP World Championship start in May.

Enjoying a great start in the day’s MX1 moto, a confident Kjer Olsen quickly made a number of passes to move into fourth place during the opening lap. As the race unfolded, the Dane charged past Alessandro Lupino on lap five to secure third before moving into second just a few laps later. While giving chase to the race leader, Thomas momentarily stalled his FC 450 machine and then opted to settle for a safe, yet well-earned, runner-up finish.

With the track at its roughest, TKO was undoubtedly at his best in the Supercampione moto. Ending lap one in sixth place, the 23-year-old then picked off his rivals as he worked on reeling in the race leader, Romain Febvre. With Kjer Olsen displaying incredible speed around the Alghero circuit, he was soon onto the back wheel of Febvre and made the crucial pass for the lead on lap 13. Maintaining his strong pace for the rest of the moto he claimed an impressive first-ever 450cc race win.

Following a hugely positive time in Sardinia, Kjer Olsen will now return to his Belgian base and make his final preparations ahead of the 2021 MXGP World Championship.

Thomas Kjer Olsen: “It feels amazing but also a little unexpected to have won the Supercampione race today. After the first race I knew my speed was good, I just made a few mistakes and for the second moto I knew I had to clean those up. My start in the second race wasn’t the best but I felt great on the bike. We have such a good set up with the bike that it allows me to ride freely and with a lot of confidence. I was able to push to the end and enjoyed leading laps and taking the win. We learned a lot today. These races are important to test settings in a racing environment and to learn how my competitors race too, so this trip to Sardinia has been really productive. We now head back to Belgium and look ahead to the MXGP season.”

Results – 2021 Internazionali d’Italia, Round 2

MX1
1. Glenn Coldenhoff (Yamaha) 18 laps, 28:24:167; 2. Thomas Kjer Olsen (Husqvarna) 28:32:063; 3. Ben Watson (Yamaha) 28:41:184

Supercampione
1. Thomas Kjer Olsen (Husqvarna) 18 laps, 28:39:336; 2. Romain Febvre (Kawasaki) 28:40:717; 3. Glenn Coldenhoff (Yamaha) 28:55:904

Osborne earns first-career 450SX win; Anderson and Wilson round out the podium