Ben Townley Returns down under?
Rumors are swirling around the Aussie scene right now that former World Champ Ben Townley will be racing the Australian MX Nationals in 2012. The talk around the pits is that BT will sign with the Carlton Dry Thor Honda racing squad in what is a quite a coup for the team. It will be the first time that Townley has raced in Australia since 2001 when he rode in the 125cc class of the World championships. Again, we stress this is just a rumor, but don't be surprised if an official announcement is made soon.
Marmont vs Simmonds in Australia
Its the final round in Australia and as you might expect, everything is coming down to these final races. I say races because for this finale, the overall points will be decided by a three race main event. The races will be held back to back so there is no rest and no coming back from a bike problems or injury. In the Lites class, Matt Moss has a 22 point lead over Luke Styke so he's a pretty safe bet to take home the glory, but in the Open class, Jay Marmont leads Tye Simmonds by five, and Daniel McCoy by eight points so it's definitely all to play for.
Reed and Barcia fly in for European SX Finale
Not only is it the final round in Australia, it's also the final round of the European SX series, to be held in Genoa, Italy. Cedric Soubeyras has already sealed the SX1 class championship but that doesn't mean there's nothing to play for. He'll be joined by Justin Barcia and Chad Reed as they both attend what is being promoted as Superbowl 2011. In the SX2 class, Samuele Bernardini holds an eight point lead over Tommaso de Pietri so he's definitely the favorite for that class, while in the youth class, Brian Hsu will be crowned champion after Kade Walker suffered a bad crash in the previous round in Milan. Thankfully Walker is OK, but he's decided to sit out the final round, despite being within range of Hsu.
Mini O's: Let's Go Racing!
For all you amateur fanatics out there be sure and keep logged on next week, as we will be brining you updates throughout the week from the famed Thor Winter National Olympics. From the supercross racing early in the week to the outdoor racing starting on Thursday, consider Motosport your place to find all the amateur info you can get your hands on. The pro class heading into the race is extremely talented this year, and with names like Martin, Nelson, Bell, Savatgy, Summers, Hayes and more all vying for titles, the racing is guaranteed to be next to none.
Kyle Chisholm Inks with Jeff Ward Racing
Throughout his pro career Jeff Ward stayed loyal to Kawasaki and was one of the most celebrated athletes of his time After 56 career wins, 7 national titles, and representing USA 7 times in the Motocross Des Nations, Ward is now returning to professional motocross from an administrative standpoint. This time he is a part owner of the formerly called L&M team that had James Stewart last year. This year they plan to race Kawasaki's to no surprise and while they made headlines a few weeks ago by signing Josh Grant, they're back in the news once again with the signing of the King of Bercy, Kyle Chisholm. Many envisioned Chisholm would be picked up a lot sooner, particularly by the JGR Yamaha team considering his close relationship with James Stewart, but when JGR decided to resign Millsaps, Chisholm was approached by Ward and soon after inked his deal for 2012. Chisholm was a long time Team Green Kawasaki rider as an amateur, and should mesh well with the bike. Grant may be the teams "A" rider heading into 2012, but don't be surprised if Chisholm takes that roll over before the season expires. He's got a ton of potential.
