We have Aussies scattered across the world, making us proud in their two wheeled disciplines. Ed has us covered with his monthly Aussies Racing Abroad International race news for Aussies...
With our awesome Aussies showcasing their skills overseas both on-track and off-road, this column focuses on how they’re faring battling it out with the best in their chosen classes. Aussies racing from MotoGP to AMA Motocross and King of the Baggers.
On-Track
Jack Miller – MotoGP
The Sachsenring saw Red Bull KTM Factory Racing star Jack Miller enjoy an improved outing on his way to 13th. Beginning his weekend with 16th in qualifying before banking 11th in the Sprint, this was a solid effort especially considering his struggles with bike setup. Come race day, and Miller made some steps in the right direction with his race package even though he endured some tyre issues, with him eventually crossing the line in 13th.
“Not the most ideal day. We managed to solve the front-end issues I had yesterday, but we suffered from the get-go with the rear tyre and couldn’t get it to hook up in a few corners. No matter what I did I couldn’t really get it to go through the first sector nicely. The others had just a bit more speed and a bit more lean angle. We got what we could out of it. We’ll keep plugging away. Saturday was a good day, today so-so. I’m happy to have the front feeling back with the bike. We are a work in progress and we have 11 races to go,” he explained.
“Not the most ideal day. We managed to solve the front-end issues I had yesterday, but we suffered from the get-go with the rear tyre”…
Next up for Miller, who notably made a surprise recent appearance in the Australian ProMX (motocross) series, is the British Grand Prix at Silverstone, where he’ll be eager to put his best foot forward to earn a desirable result.
Senna Agius – Moto2
Senna Agius posted his best performance of the season in Germany, as the gifted Australian grabbed 11th place in Moto2. Showing his immense speed to claim fourth in qualifying, he carried this momentum into the race, where he kept pace with the frontrunners for a large chunk of the bout. Disappointingly, tyre degradation issues cost him, thus meaning he couldn’t match it at the top, as he went on to bag 11th.
“Today’s outcome of the race has been bittersweet. For the first 10 to 15 laps, I could understand the feeling and see the guys up in front. I could see them struggling and I was adapting my riding. I thought I was saving the tyre and today was my day.
“For the first 10 to 15 laps, I could understand the feeling and see the guys up in front.”
“Then we encountered a super-sudden drop, and I locked the front into Turn 8 and ran wide. I lost a few positions, and it was a bit devastating. Maybe I didn’t use it enough throughout the sessions. Anyway, I’m leaving Germany happy and proud. I gave it my all and I felt like a frontrunner,” he reflected.
Jacob Roulstone – Moto3
Jacob Roulstone had a Sachsenring to forget, as the Red Bull GasGas Tech3 endured a rough day at the office. Having blasted off the line to rapidly surge into the top 10 while putting in some wicked lap times, an unfortunate incident with Angel Piqueras dropped him back. Regrouping from 19th, he set about mounting a charge back through the field. A crash frustratingly ended his outing, though, on a day where he had the pace, but not the luck.
“I am very, very disappointed with today’s race. I felt so comfortable on the bike, I had finally figured out everything through the first sector, which I was happy about. We had a good pace, we were good with the tyres, but sadly I had this incident, somehow I saved it, but then it was over for us and I crashed while trying to get back into rhythm. It is not the result I wanted, but it was good to gain experience with the leading group,” he lamented.
Joel Kelso – Moto3
While Joel Kelso mixed the ups with the downs in Germany, there was still some upside to be extracted from his German GP. Although he felt confident and made some good strides with the bike, he just couldn’t piece it all together. Nonetheless, an eleventh was still a solid outcome from a round where he wasn’t completely feeling it.
“This has been a very complicated weekend for me. We haven’t found a way to get the full potential out of the bike and although I felt good about riding, the times weren’t working out. The positive thing is that today in the race we managed to improve and thanks to this I was able to stay with the leading group. In the end, the result is not what I want, but I am left with the progress we have made and the effort of my entire team to improve the bike. There is light at the end of the tunnel and after the summer break we are sure to be as competitive as we were at the beginning of the season,” Kelso commented.
Ready to come out swinging after a break back home in Australia, it’ll be intriguing what the second half of the campaign brings for Kelso.
Remy Gardner – World Superbike and MotoGP
It’s been a massive month of action for Remy Gardner, for not only has he fulfilled his usual WorldSBK commitments, but he also secured a fill-in ride in MotoGP. To start with his MotoGP exertions, and he put in a decent ride in Germany under the factory Monster Energy Yamaha awning to claim 20th, executing his role of acquiring valuable information, giving his feedback and finishing the race successfully.
Meanwhile, in WorldSBK Gardner powered to 10-13-12 finishes at Donington Park, as he toiled for grip and to stay clear of drama on the track. The next stop on the calendar at Most saw Gardner produce an accomplished showing. Starting his weekend off on the right foot by clinching fifth in both race one and in the Superpole race, this was a real confidence boost ahead of race two.
There was plenty to admire about this hit-out as well, for he was well in contention for the podium places and fought hard at the pointy end of the field to ultimately bank fourth.
To be disappointed with fourth place is a good sign, it means we have much more potential to extract.
“Honestly, I’m a little bit disappointed, but let’s take this as a positive thing. To be disappointed with fourth place is a good sign, it means we have much more potential to extract. In Race 2, we were also lucky in not being involved in the Turn 1 crash. Then, I was able to build a good race, with a strong pace until the end. Unfortunately, I couldn’t close the gap to the final podium place. I felt there was the potential, but we’ve got to be satisfied with the weekend overall,” recalled the #87, who sits seventh in the standings.
Next up for Gardner is another MotoGP test, this time at Silverstone, in place of Cal Crutchlow.
Oli Bayliss – World Supersport
Finding some consistency and comfort on the bike, Oli Bayliss translated his speed into results at Donington to claim eighth and ninth in the two races. The #32 then backed that up with a solid yet unspectacular 12th and 15th in Most. Trying things on the bike to ensure he could handle the trying conditions, things weren’t all plain sailing, but he still left feeling reasonably content with the knowledge gained.
“Difficult weekend. We made steps forward on Saturday as we went back to a setup that was more similar to the one we had earlier on in the season, and in the second half of race one I was able to ride at a good pace, although I had a hard time overtaking in the first part. On Sunday morning I was feeling comfortable with lower temperatures, but during the race, with hotter conditions, I lacked a bit of grip in the second half of the race and ended up losing a lot of ground – as well as some positions. Still, we have gathered some useful data ahead of Portimao,” he asserted.
Tom Edwards – World Supersport
Although fortune hasn’t been on his side for the last two rounds, much encouragement could still be gained from Tom Edwards’ riding. Even though he was taken out in race one at Donington and had incidents in both races in the Czech Republic, Edwards showed his class by bagging an 11th (1st in the European Challenge class) in the first race at Donington and a ninth in qualifying at Most (1st in the European Challenge).
“Just not my weekend in Most. There were glimpses of what could have been, but unfortunately nothing came. A big goal for the team and I this weekend was to improve our qualifying strategy and grid position so I’m happy to say we achieved that. That’s something we will keep improving on too and try to string it all together. One weekend doesn’t define our season, we just have to learn from it and improve. Now to rest my mind and my body between now and Portimao and come back stronger. Really looking forward to having some fun with the fans at WDW next weekend,” he insisted.
All eyes will now turn to the next round in Portugal in his quest to achieve some better results and avoid any misfortune.
Jason O’Halloran – British Superbike
Jason O’Halloran navigated a wet and wild Snetterton admirably, handling the conditions well to record a best finish of fourth to go with an eighth and a ninth. Round six of BSB then headed to Brands Hatch, and this one marked another chance for the Aussie and his Completely Motorbikes Kawasaki.
In the warm and demanding weather, ninth was the best he could muster in the opening race. After an 11th in the second stanza, he followed that up with eighth in the third hit-out to round a weekend that didn’t go as he’d planned. With Thruxton on the horizon, the “O’Show” will relish the prospect of racing here, for he remarkably won all three races at this venue last year.
Troy Herfoss – King of the Baggers
Troy Herfoss continues to hold his own Stateside in the King of the Baggers aboard his Indian. While Laguna Seca was by no means a perfect event, he salvaged some crucial points in the remaining races after a crash in race one meant he had to settle for 11th. Despite giving up the points lead, registering a fourth and a third saw him limit the damage, as he now finds himself 14 points back on Kyle Wyman in the standings. Moreover, a pair of fifths in the Super Hooligan class further underlined what a superb, multifaceted rider he is.
Off-Road
Jett Lawrence – Pro Motocross
Jett Lawrence suffered a torn UCL in his thumb at the beginning of the month, which has ruled him out for the rest of the AMA Pro Motocross season. Injuring himself in training at his family’s private facility in Florida and undergoing surgery not long after, the hope is he’ll return for the SMX Playoffs in September and be primed for Australia’s assault at the Motocross of Nations in October, where he and teammates Hunter Lawrence and Kyle Webster will be gunning to win this prestigious race for the first in their nation’s history.
“It’s obviously a bummer, but it’s part of our sport,” Lawrence said. “It was honestly a pretty small crash, but it is what it is. I’ve been pretty lucky with injuries in my career so far, so I guess it’s just my turn. I was happy with the progress we’ve made in the championship since my setback at Hangtown, and I was excited to try and keep my championship. That obviously won’t happen now, but I have a good team around me and will focus on getting healthy again and coming back at 100 percent. I look forward to cheering on Hunter and doing whatever I can to help him the rest of the series.”
Hunter Lawrence – Pro Motocross
Consistent, getting great starts and showing he has what it takes to battle with the many elite operators in the stacked 450 class, it’s been extremely impressive to see Hunter Lawrence shining in his debut 450 term outdoors. Banking overalls of 3-2-4 in July while riding with precision and intelligence, there’s been much to like about how he’s kept leader Chase Sexton honest in the absence of his brother through injury. As the championship entered its break, it was interesting to hear the #96 state he’ll get some blood tests done due to him physically doing it tough in the recent races.
Kyle Webster – Pro Motocross
Making the trip over to chance his arm at two AMA Pro Motocross rounds in the premier 450 category, Kyle Webster certainly opened some eyes courtesy of his excellent showings. Getting the ball rolling in the brutal sands of Southwick, the Aussie ace impressed with his seventh in the second moto, as he adjusted to the phenomenal level exceptionally. Not content with this, RedBud was just as striking for Webster, for he flexed his muscles once more by securing 10th in the first moto after charging through the field and leading laps in the second one before ultimately clinching ninth to secure eighth overall. The ProMX MX1 points leader has also been named on Team Australia for the MXoN, where he’ll join forces with the Lawrence brothers, which serves as an extra testament to what terrific form he’s in.
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