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Australian Supercross

MotoOnline.com.au broke the news featuring the 2011 calendar for the Monster Energy Super X, Australasian Supercross Championship, amongst other details.

We found out earlier this month that Campbelltown was in the running for a round and the Macarthur Chronicle confirmed that yesterday, so it was obvious to us that the release of the full calendar was simply waiting to be unveiled.

Anyhow, now we know and so does the rest of the world, so lets move onto the facts. It’s been slashed from seven rounds to five, ticket prices will be reduced, and live television is no more (it will be on a week later instead).

What we also know is that the series re-enters Victoria with a round in Melbourne, and that the series is taking on more of a regional tour, albeit with two rounds at full size National Rugby League (NRL) stadiums for good measure.

Another important factor for interest as far as the media goes is that this year it won’t clash with the Australian round of the MotoGP World Championship at Phillip Island, instead taking place a week later.

You have to give credit to Global Action Sports for sticking around and adjusting the series accordingly after it was clear that Super X in Australia was in big trouble at the end of last season.

We’ve seen South Australia, Western Australia and now New Zealand, Tasmania and the ACT axed from the schedule in recent years, but that doesn’t mean the series won’t be heading back to those areas in the future (more on that later!).

How about whispers that GAS won’t be bringing over any Americans, or that they simply won’t want to be a part of what will be a scaled down series compared to previous years? Don’t count on it, because we already have confirmation that there are negotiations going on right now with the U.S. riders (more on that later, too!).

All in all you can read into the news all you like, but as an enthusiast and working media at the events, we here at MotoOnline.com.au are well and truly backing this year’s series to be one of the best yet – it may just prove the fact that sometimes bigger isn’t always better!

Australian Motocross

Moving onto the Wodonga round of the Rockstar Energy Drink MX Nationals, which takes place this weekend on the border of Victoria and New South Wales, we’ll continue our industry-leading coverage once again.

As a reminder, we’ll have the Pit Pass images and Pre Show film on Saturday afternoon (internet pending, of course!), Track Access images on Sunday afternoon, and then the ever-popular Post Race shows first thing Monday morning.

On top of that we’ll be live on Twitter all day long, and of course will have results and a post-race report as quick as we can get it completed on Sunday evening. This weekend we’ll also be posting moto results as they happen straight onto the website!

Don’t forget either, we are running an MX Nationals Fantasy League series, with each and every round winner receiving a custom Ringmaster Images number one plate. Plus, our good friends at THQ Australia have given us some copies of MX vs. ATV Alive to give away at each and every round of the nationals in the Fantasy League. Click here to enter today.

There are two guys carrying momentum into this weekend – Jay Marmont in the Pro Open class and Jay Wilson in the Under 19s. Marmont is coming off three straight wins (Manjimup 15,000; Queensland titles and Coonabarabran national), while Wilson has made it two national wins in a row for Coastal KTM in the 19s.

Now, that’s not to say that both of these guys will win on Sunday, because you cannot guarantee that anybody will dominate this season across four motos in each of the three categories. Besides, it’s about time that Open class red plate holder Dean Ferris finally got an overall win for Monster Kawasaki, isn’t it?

In the Pro Lites I’m expecting the battle of the season between the Moss brothers, Matt and Jake, especially after their epic final moto battle at Coonabarabran. American Phil Nicoletti will be confident after his round six win though, and Kirk Gibbs needs to boost himself back into title contention for Serco Yoshimura Yamaha.

When I think back to last year at Wodonga, I think of that icy cool weather that we experienced on the morning of the event. I also think of Cody Cooper’s breakthrough win for Suzuki, so don’t count him out come race day.

One rider that we’ll welcome back for the round is Victorian Rossi Beaton, who is entered for the Open class and currently leads the state titles down there, plus we’ll see Jamie Law in action on a Herb Watson Racing KTM. British standout Law was also on hand at the Toowoomba round, finishing 13th overall.

Finally, this week Williams Event Management uploaded a story onto their new MX Nationals website, announcing that the Vets will be back at Coolum once again this year. A major revision for 2011 is that there will be a 30-39 years class, as well as a 40+ years class. Last season, the limit was 35 years of age. There are more than a few very capable Pro Open riders over 30 this season…

By the way, Marmont and his CDR Rockstar Yamaha teammate Josh Coppins will be making a guest appearance at the huge Whitehouse Motorcycles Accessories (Albury Store) sale this Friday night at 6.00pm until 7.00pm. Check it out at 523 Young St, Albury.

American Motocross

The Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship will enter its second half this weekend at RedBud, and it’s still legendary Aussie Chad Reed who leads the way for TwoTwo Motorsports aboard a factory Honda.

Reed has been exceptional this year, fending off increasing pressure put on him by the two Ryans – Dungey and Villopoto – so he has six rounds left to prove he is the best outdoors in 2011. It won’t be easy, but he just needs to keep momentum on his side (there’s that M word again!).

There is a lot at stake when it comes to this title, not to mention the fact that there are three manufacturers in the mix with a trio of very talented riders vying for the title.

The thing is, Reed has motivation on his side from a lot of angles. He has ridden for both Suzuki and Kawasaki in recent years, and his memory would not have quickly faded. He wants this title bad.

Don’t forget that Kawasaki switched from Pro Circuit to FMF at the start of this year, and has since switched to some custom style exhausts since FMF launched its own energy drink that could become a rival in the marketplace for Monster Energy.

Reed uses PC, Kawasaki uses their own exhausts, and Suzuki uses Yoshimura, of course. Add to that the fact that RV wears Thor, which is a subsidiary of Parts Unlimited – the very company that abandoned Reed from what we understand at the end of last year after a very close and lengthy relationship.

All of those factors are playing a big part in Reed’s motivation this year, and you could pretty much say that his form outdoors this season is better than when he did actually win the championship in 2009.

Villopoto has the confidence of his supercross title and Dungey is the defending champion, already showing better form outdoors than what he did during his supercross title defence.

Bring on the final rounds!

As for the Aussies, Brett Metcalfe was improved last weekend at Thunder Valley even if his results didn’t prove it, and he’s finally gaining comfort as Dungey’s teammate on the factory Suzuki. He’s not as strong as what he was last year on the Honda, but hopefully he can string some good results together and build on his settings for 2012.

Australian rookie Tye Simmonds’ luckless run continued last week as he was forced out of the third event this year with an illness, once again meaning JDR/J-Star/KTM didn’t have a bike on the track in either class since PJ Larsen is still recovering from injury. You have to feel for them, but perhaps if it continues to happen they’ll search for a replacement – or even slot one of their other Aussies in for a weekend or two!

Australian Off Road

The KTM Hattah Desert Race is on this weekend in Victoria, unfortunately clashing with the Wodonga round of the MX Nationals, but poised to be a big event as usual nonetheless.

Motorex KTM Off Road Racing’s Toby Price has to be the favourite after his teammate Ben Grabham has been ruled out with a nasty wrist injury, and the orange brigade actually filled positions one through to four last year.

Speaking of Grabbo, we’ll have a film uploaded with him tomorrow and you’ll be stunned at his efforts during the Finke Desert Race – winning despite suffering multiple injuries in a high-speed fall on the opening day. Keep an eye out for that film.

It’s a busy time of the year for the off-road fraternity, heading directly up to Mackay in Queensland for the Yamaha Australian Four Day Enduro – the event that was postponed over Easter due to weather. We’ll have more on that event next week.

That’s all for this week, thank you guys as always for stopping by!

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