David Knight has won the Genoa Indoor Enduro. The KTM factory rider showed all his indoor skills, and added to his win in the 2003 Barcelona Indoor victory.

Main event
1. David Knight (KTM-GBR)
2. Paul Edmonson (Honda-GBR)
3. Alessandro Botturi (KTM-ITA)
4. Ivan Cervantes (KTM-SPA)
5. Mika Ahola (Husqvarna-FIN)
6. Simone Albergoni (Honda-ITA)
7. Alessio Paoli (TM-ITA)
8. Maurizio Micheluz (Yamaha-ITA)
9. Petri Pohjamo (TM-FIN)
10. Arnau Vilanova (Honda-SPA)

Gundersen on the comeback trail as KTM MX1 team begins to stir

MX1 KTM rider Kenneth Gundersen is hoping to swing his leg over the 450SX four-stroke factory machine sometime in the next six weeks after a slow recovery from the serious knee injury and cartilage problem he incurred mid-way through the 2004 FIM Motocross World Championship.
The 23 year old has endured several operations and a six month absence from the sport but is presently training in Italy and is just a short spell away from a two-wheeled return.

���My physical condition is getting better and better,��� he remarked this week. ���It has been a very hard time for me. I had to wait two months for the
cartilage to grow, have an operation and then another three and a half months on crutches before I could start any kind of serious rehabilitation.
Now I feel like the sun is shining!��� ���I am really happy that KTM have been so supportive. It was a bad situation for me but also a poor return for them. I am assessing the situation a week at a time but I think I can be back on the bike in a month. The doctors have recommended this time period as minimum,��� he continued. Gundersen���s problems with the joint on his right leg began after a late race crash at Teutschenthal in Germany. He could only attempt two further Grand Prix before limping away from the season prior to the Swedish round. The knee was a mess of torn cartilage and necessitated protracted treatment as well as a complete hiatus from all physical activity. ���They took out, developed and then replaced the broken pieces of my cartilage. I have full confidence in the Swedish specialist who performed the surgery and he has helped other athletes all over the world,��� added the fitness-obsessed Norwegian. ���At the moment I���m not too sure about the first GP, it might be too soon. I have to be really careful that I don���t destroy all the hard work I have put in. I will go down to the factory in a week or two and we will talk about the pre-season.���

���Kenneth visited the doctor before the end of the year and he was very surprised at the progress of his recovery,��� commented Team Manager Toby
Gustafson. ���He has full movement in the knee and can train without any problems; he even took part in a cross-country ski event in Norway the other week. He has to be careful about when he can start riding the bike. We don���t want him to come back too early and face another lay-off. Cartilage needs time to stiffen. You can build up the muscles around the joint but there is a natural process that can���t be ignored. I doubt whether he will be riding before the start of March and we have no confirmed plans for his racing schedule yet. We will of course aim to have Kenneth ready for the first GP in April but we���ll have to see how things work out.���

New MX1 recruit and 2004 MX2 World Champion Ben Townley returned to Europe after holidays in his native New Zealand and several days riding in the United States this week and is regaining full fitness from the shoulder injury he sustained in December. The 20 year old will travel to Italy in a few days for more training. His first race appearance of ���05 will be at the Valance pre-season International in France on February 20th.

The third member of the MX1 crew, Steve Ramon, who finished 4th in his premier-class World Championship debut last year, is currently preparing in southern Spain until the end of January. Ramon will once again fully commit to the Belgian Championships this season and has pleased team bosses with his levels of fitness during a recent test held at the University of Brussels. Ramon will line-up at the traditional ���curtain-opening��� International at Mantova (Italy) on February 13th.

After a frustrating outing at round 1 of the THQ AMA Supercross series in Anaheim, Team Moto XXX/Honda figured there was only one direction to go in the results. And with Kyle Lewis��� propensity for great starts, it seemed to be a reasonable line of thinking. As it turned out, Phoenix brought some similar frustrations, but the final results were better.

Daytime qualifying went well for both Kyle Lewis and Justin Buckelew. Though competition for the 20 positions in the 250cc main event was fierce, Lewis transferred out of his semi, while Buckelew was forced to ride the LCQ. All appeared to be well, as he was running second, but the race was red-flagged due to an injury on the track. On the restart, Buckelew moved out front again and seemed to be a lock to qualify, but was taken out by another rider. Still, both Justin and the team felt confident about his speed and expect improvement in the coming rounds.

Despite having a less than stellar gate pick, Lewis decided to go for it when the main event started. His CRF450 responded well, propelling him toward the front of the pack as it headed into the first turn. Unfortunately, poor decision making on behalf of other riders continued to plague the team, and Lewis was taken out for the second time in as many weeks. Getting underway in last place, ���Lucky��� went to work and improved to 14th by the end of the race. Even though he expects better, Kyle was encouraged to be able to come through the pack and still improve on his Anaheim results by four positions.

On a side note, the AMA began sound testing in Phoenix. Though enforcement did not begin immediately, Moto XXX Performance and Akrapovic Exhaust put together a package that is not only notorious for getting holeshots, but passed the sound test on its first attempt. Thanks to the technology brought to the table by Akrapovic and the exceptional tuning abilities of Team Manager Allan Brown, the Moto XXX Hondas are producing plenty of horsepower at acceptable sound levels. There aren���t many teams that can make such claims, but Moto XXX has chosen to take a proactive approach to the noise issues facing the sport of motocross.

David Fr?�tign?� (Yamaha WR450F - Yamaha MF Gauloises Ipone) put in another
great performance yesterday. Fr?�tign?� was the fastest after 246 km (CP2),
but in the end it was Australian Andy Caldecott who won the stage 2′06 ahead
of the Yamaha Moto France rider. David retains his fifth overall, 7 minutes
ahead of Caldecott (KTM).

With the entry in Mali riders had to face a different type of terrain,
changing the desert for the scenery of black Africa. Riders left early in
the morning, all wearing a mourning-band, for a liaison of 205 km to reach
the start of the special. Andy Caldecott and Chris Blair were the two
fastest riders at CP1 ahead of Fr?�tign?�. Overall leader Cyril Despres (KTM)
lost 6′35″ after a light crash damaging his exhaust. The second part of the
day saw a more technical course. Fr?�tign?� perfectly displayed his riding
skills, but his WR450F was outgunned in sheer speed by Caldecott’s 660cc
bike on a fast section near the end of the stage. Despres finished seventh
in the end, the Frenchman now has lead of 16′06″ over Coma. Dutch Yamaha
rider Bas Verhoeven (WR450F)finished 18th and is 16th in overall standings,
third in the Production two class.

“Wednesday was really a tough day with the cancellation of the stage,”
commented Fr?�tign?�. “Everbody was pondering about the events of Tuesday and
it’s not very good. Actually it would have been better not to cancel the
special of Bamako to give our minds some rest. Yesterday’s stage was
beautiful, very technical and I enjoyed riding it. But even just riding
again did not come easy. I really had to concentrate during the race not to
think about Fabrizio, but luckily it worked well for me and I finished
second. Just a shame that there was so much dust. The 14th stage will be
very similar and I’m really looking forward to it.”

Tomorrow the competitors tackle the last big special of the 2005 Dakar - 630
km from Kayes to Cambacounda.

The rainy, muddy and generally miserable conditions of the first round of the THQ AMA Supercross series have been well documented. Like many teams and riders on the circuit, Moto XXX was relieved to escape with a few points and without any injuries. Even though the quagmire made it difficult for the team���s true potential to show, a few of the things that happened gave them reason to feel good about the rest of the series.

As always, the ageless Kyle Lewis led the way on his booming Honda CRF450. Mud or not, everybody knows ���Lucky��� can start and that���s exactly what he did, grabbing the holeshot in the evening���s first 250cc heat race and leading the early stages. His fourth place finish there earned him a spot in the main event. Though he didn���t get the jump he wanted in the final race of the night, Kyle pushed his bike toward the front as the pack neared the first turn. He had to check up, however, when a rider in front of him faltered. Unfortunately, the rider behind him didn���t and #23 was taken to the ground, or muck as it were, in the first turn. Handicapped from the start, Lewis soldiered on to finish 18th in the abbreviated main event.

Despite a somewhat disappointing finish, Lewis was pleased with his bike���s performance. He found out that even in sloppy conditions, the package put together by Team Manager Allan Brown and Akrapovic Exhaust Systems produces just as much usable horsepower as any bike in the field.

Making his American debut for Moto XXX was #73, Justin Buckelew. Round 1 was his first opportunity to ride the 2-stroke Honda CR250R in competition. He had very limited time aboard the bike before the race, but looked comfortable nevertheless. In the end, ���Bucky��� was a casualty of the conditions, just missing the main event. As a native of the southwest, Justin looks forward to round 2 in Phoenix where the covered Bank One Ballpark guarantees better conditions.

Another team member making its first appearance at Anaheim was the new transporter. West Coast Customs got a portion of the graphics in place for the first round and plans to have the exterior completely ���pimped��� by round 2. The part that was finished received an overwhelming level of support from fans, all of whom said they would be back to see the finished product.

American Honda, Akrapovic, O’neal, Honda Genuine Parts, Sidi, Tag Metals, West Coast Customs, Polisport Plastic, Pro Honda Oils & Chemicals, Pro-X, Utopia Optics, N-Style, Lucky 13, Ready Filter, VP Fuels, Braking, Motion Pro, Hinson, Metaltek, Ogio, Dunlop, Fat Wreck Chords, RK Chain, Excel Wheels, Vortex, ARC, Ti Lube, Carbon Fiber Works, SDG Seats, Engine Ice, PPG, Asterisk, Lockhart Phillips, V-Force.

ust as they did in August, supermoto racers from across the Midwest arrived in record numbers to compete at Springfield’s excellent Mid State Kart Club race course. They found a freshened track, with a bigger, faster motocross style jump, and an extended dirt section with a newly added dirt turn. The soft earth of the new segment created some chaos in the morning’s first practice by adhering to riders’ cold tires. At one point, course marshals in a subsequent corner were inundated with crashes, frantically waving yellow flags, righting bikes, and attending to riders. Despite the pandemonium, there was little damage, and no serious injuries. By the second practice session, the dirt section had been “seasoned”, and the riders were much more aware of what the course and their tires would and wouldn’t allow.

The day’s racing action began with the 450 class. GNC rising star Rob “Bugs” Pearson, riding an Innovative Technologies Honda CRF450, leapt to an early lead from the pole position, and held it for the duration of the contest. Behind Bugs, a four-way battle for second place raged for ten nail-biting laps. Wisconsin motocrosser Robert Loire led the brawl for a lap before being passed by Iowan Danny Stookesberry on his RJ Performance Yamaha YZ450F. Loire, young pro flat tracker Clayton Riggle, and AMA flat track Horizon award contender Aaron King ran in a tight knot on Stooksberry’s rear tire. The deadlock broke when Riggle bobbled and King put his KTM 450 into fourth place on lap six. King, who suffered some abrasions and a gash to his right hand over the course of the morning practice sessions, continued his attack, passing Loire on lap seven, and Stookesberry on lap nine to finish second. Stookesberry held off Loire and Riggle to earn third place.

The Open Class final was a much more orderly affair, with Bugs Pearson leading from start to finish, followed by Cole Walsdorf, the 2004 Superbikers2 Open Premier series runner-up. Cole put in an excellent performance on the Promotorsports/Walsdorf Roofing/CHM Exhaust KTM. Aaron King, who started from the back row after crashing in the heat race, quickly knifed his way up to third place, picking off three riders on the first lap, and two more on the second. Pearson, Walsdorf and King finished the remaining 13 laps in that order.

In the Sport Moto class, Terry Vestal put on a sliding clinic, pitching his stock wheeled KTM 525 into the asphalt corners with crwod pleasing dirt track style. Vestal, with backing from Redline Cycle and Petrie Motorsports, dominated the main, leading every lap to the finish. Rounding up the podium were Fred Thomas of Bloomington, and Chicago’s Charles Spreitzer. All three riders are enjoying their first year of supermoto racing.

The event’s most recognized rider, Rich King, long time Grand National Flat Track star, made his supermoto racing debut in Gateway Supermoto’s Vet Open class aboard a King Racing KTM. King lapped the entire field in the twenty lap main, save for second place finisher and event organizer Chris Caplinger on his KTM. Caplinger, who has competed in several rounds of the AMA Supermoto Unlimited series, finished ahead of former road racer and current pro supermotard Perry Prichard. Prichard completed the podium on his KTM.

The headlining event, the Open Money race, drew thirteen starters and paid out over $500 to the top six finishers. From the green flag, Rich King took the lead, with Bugs Pearson hot on his heels. In the third lap, Bugs made a desperate first corner pass, but couldn’t get slowed in time to make the turn into the dirt section. With his rear wheel a foot in the air, Bugs overshot the tight right hander, coming to a stalling halt at the hay bales. The entire field passed him before he got his Honda lit again. Lap after lap, Bugs tore back through the field to claim third place. With his only real challenger down almost a full lap, Rich King sailed to victory. Cole Walsdorf put in a solid ride, staying in second place after Pearson’s mistake. Rich’s son Aaron was the only other rider to stay on the lead lap, finishing fourth.

Gateway Supermoto plans to bring supermoto racing to Springfield Illinois numerous times in 2005. Additional information about supermoto racing can be found at their web site, http://www.gatewaysupermoto.com/

Results

OPEN MONEY: 1. Rich King (KTM);2. Cole Walsdorf (KTM);3. Rob Pearson (Hon);4. Aaron King (KTM);5. Clayton Riggle (VOR);6. Danny Stookesberry (Yam);7. David Duprey (Hon);8. Perry Prichard (KTM);9. Michael Johnson (Yam);10. Chris Young (Hon);11. Terry Vestal (Yam);12. Kevin Kilkenny (Hus);13. David Kilkenny (KTM)

OPEN CLASS:1. Rob Pearson (Hon);2. Cole Walsdorf (KTM);3. Aaron King (KTM);4. David Duprey (Hon);5. Jon Goodwin (Hon);6. Andy Goodwin (Hon);7. Kevin Kilkenny (Hus);8. David Kilkenny (KTM)

450 CLASS:1. Rob Pearson (Hon);2. Aaron King (KTM);3. Danny Stookesberry (Yam);4. Robert Loire (KTM);5. Mike Harlow (Hon);6. Wes Orloff (Yam);7. Ron Stanley (Yam);8. Doug Scronce (Hon);9. Clayton Riggle (Vor)

VET OPEN:1. Rich King (KTM);2. Chris Caplinger (KTM);3. Perry Prichard (KTM);4. Doug Scronce (Hon);5. Ron Stanley (Yam);6. Walter Bass (KTM);7. Terry Vestal (KTM);8. Charles Spreitzer (Hon);9. Sam Leiske (KTM);10. Allen Hansen (Hon);11. Wes Orloff (Yam)

SPORT MOTO:1. Terry Vestal (KTM);2. Fred Thomas (Hon);3. Charles Spreitzer (Hon);4. Gene Showalter (Hon);5. Dan Johnson (Suz);6. Jerry Holm (Hon);7. Michael Johnson (Hon);8. Chris Young (Hon);9. Jim Foster (Suz)

250 CLASS:1. Adam Hickmann (Yam);2. Michael Johnson (Hon);3. Christopher Hansen (Hon);4. Chris Young (Hon);5. Mike Heiden (Yam);6. Andrew Johnson (Hon);7. Andrea Walsdorf (Hon)

MINI CLASS:1. Michael Johnson (Hon);2. Nicholas Hansen (Hon);3. Andrew Johnson (Hon);4. Aaron Rentschler (Yam);5. Charlie Buffum (Hon);6. Chris Quillman (Yam);7. Mark Stiles (Yam);8. Aaron Stein (Yam);9. Brian McLaughlin (Yam);10. Mitchel Stein (Hon)

MICRO MINI CLASS:1. Slade Pruitt (Hon);2. Alexander Stein (Hon);3. Kathleen McLaughlin (Hon);4. Mitchel Stein (Hon)