• Robert Deane joins Volvo Car UK as Commercial Operations Director
• Deane’s intensive automotive sector expertise will help the corporate’s direct-to-consumer (D2C) gross sales technique, strengthening its shopper and retailer relationships
Volvo Car UK is happy to announce the appointment of Robert Deane as its new Commercial Operations Director.
Deane joins the corporate with intensive expertise in senior positions within the automotive sector. Most just lately he was Commercial Director – International Markets on the electrical bike firm LiveWire and Director of Sales Planning and Network Development for the EMEA areas at Harley-Davidson. His expertise additionally covers time throughout Jaguar Land Rover, Volkswagen Group UK and PSA Peugeot Citroën, based mostly each within the UK and in China.
He took up his new function on 4 March, succeeding Nicole Melillo Shaw, who was appointed Managing Director of Volvo Car UK in November 2023.
Speaking about his new function, Deane stated: “We are in a fast-changing business landscape where we need to be able to do more than simply offer great products and meet consumer expectations. As well as making the consumer experience as smooth, straightforward and reassuring as possible, we have to strengthen and maintain mutually rewarding relationships with retailers as we develop our D2C sales strategy – this is something I am very passionate about. I’m delighted to be joining at this exciting time and am looking forward to this new chapter with Volvo.”
Welcoming Deane to the corporate, Nicole Melillo Shaw stated: “I am delighted with Robert’s appointment. His experience in leading the transition to a direct-to-consumer model, coupled with his longevity within the automotive sector, will help us to enhance our consumer journey and retailer relationships. These will ultimately drive further growth for our brand.”
Team USA has claimed the World Trophy for the third time in history at the 97th ISDE. Taylor Robert has been a consistent performer for the team in all three occasions. This time he was joined by Dante Oliveira, Johnny Girroir and Cole Martinez. In addition, the U.S. Women’s Trophy team also secured victory, marking their fourth win. The U.S. Junior World team moved up to second place on the final day due to the misfortune of the Swedish team in the final moto. Additionally, XC Gear emerged as the top Club team, resulting in the most successful year ever for the combined U.S. teams.
WORLD TROPHY TEAM (WT) Heading into Day 6 with a comfortable lead at the top of the WT leaderboard, Team USA only needed consistent finishes to secure their first ISDE crown since 2019. Dante Oliveira, from FMF KTM Factory Racing, took the lead and maintained it, winning the final moto for the day and securing second place in the individual E2 Class standings. This also placed him third overall for the week.
Dante Oliveira won the final moto for the U.S.
Before retiring ahead of the 2023 edition, ISDE legend Taylor Robert delivered a standout performance, achieving multiple top-three overall times across the Six Days and finishing in third position in the E2 Class, contributing significantly to Team USA’s success.
Johnny Girroir overcame a head cold midway through the event to secure a strong set of finishes in Argentina, finishing fourth on Day 6 and sealing fourth place in the E2 Class, and fifth overall, with his 350 XC-F. Along with the efforts of Cole Martinez (Honda), the United States team secured victory at the iconic event for its 97th edition through remarkable consistency.
Dante Oliveira: “The Six Days is over! I got the win in the final moto here and the team absolutely killed it! So stoked to do this with the crew after all the work we’ve put in, and now we’re the 2023 ISDE Champions, baby! Let’s go!”
Taylor Robert: “Finished on top here in Argentina – that’s the way to do it. It’s an incredible feeling to wrap up this year’s ISDE Championship, it’s such a famed, tough, and grueling event, and taking the win here is a storybook ending to my career. Thank you to everyone who has made it possible.”
Johnny Girroir: “This has been one hell of a week. Lots of ups and downs, but as a team, we totally killed it. This is so awesome, representing the United States, getting the win, this feels great.”
JUNIOR WORLD TROPHY TEAM (JWT) A dramatic final moto saw Team USA’s Junior World Trophy Team make a final push towards the top spot, starting the day in third place. A spirited performance by eventual winner Mateo Oliveira, who claimed a dominant win in the JWT category on that day, combined with second place by Kai Aiello (Husqvarna Motorcycles) and KTM-supported Grant Davis finishing in sixth place, propelled the Team into a hard-fought second position at the conclusion of this year’s ISDE.
Mateo Oliveira: “Today was so crazy, I have no words to describe it! I went down off the start and really had to charge my way back through the field, and then found out that the JWT Team moved up to second position after today also. I’m just so stoked that all of our teams are on the podium, and I was able to secure an ISDE final moto win – it’s been a long time coming for me, so to cap it off with Dante getting the WT win and Taylor going out on top is just amazing. I’m speechless!”
Brandy Richards won her final moto despite injury.
WOMEN’S WORLD TROPHY TEAM (WWT) In a dominant performance for the Women’s World Trophy Team in San Juan, KTM-supported Brandy Richards once again led the way by capturing the Day 6 victory, finishing first only once across the completed Six Days. Korie Steede secured a strong ride to finish in fourth place, with Rachel Gutish (GASGAS) in sixth place, resulting in a successful outing for Team USA and crowning them ISDE champions for the first time since 2021.
Brandy Richards: “This week was quite the week! It’s a massive effort to keep everything together, making sure we’re well-rested and that the bikes are ready to perform the following day. Coming into the final moto, I wanted to do well and I’m happy with how I finished, and I’m just so proud of the women on our team, so excited that we all finished and got the job done.”
Korie Steede: “This feels so special! Our team really killed it this week, putting in really fast, consistent times on tracks that were hugely demanding and super technical. It hasn’t been easy for us at all, and I’m just so proud of everyone, and proud to be champions this year.”
World Trophy Classification (After Day 6 of 6) 1. USA, 16:31:10.03 2. France, +17:03.71 3. Great Britain, +18:23.74 4. Chile, +55:05.56 5. Venezuela, +2:31:26.31
Junior World Trophy Classification (After Day 6 of 6) 1. France, 12:55:52.59 2. USA, +5:20.92 3. Sweden, +26:09.74 4. Argentina, +45:10:60 5. Czech Republic, +1:04:37.26
Women’s World Trophy Classification (After Day 6 of 6) 1. USA, 14:43:34:90 2. Australia, +6:47:43.12 3. Latin America, +7:36:11.70 4. France, +11:52.13.89 5. Argentina, +15:15:59.72
The U.S. Trophy Team, consisting of Taylor Robert, Johnny Girroir, Dante Oliveira, and Cole Martinez, is leading the 97th ISDE in Argentina after day one. All four team members achieved respectable times in the six special tests. Dante Oliveira is leading the team and currently in third place overall, behind Spain’s Josep Garcia and Italy’s Andrea Verona. Cole Martinez is in fourth place overall, Taylor Robert is in fifth, and Johnny Girroir is in eighth. Despite facing mechanical issues, both Spain and Italy are still well in contention. The USA’s Junior World team, featuring Mateo Oliveira, Kai Aiello, and Grant Davis, is currently in fourth place. Mateo Oliveira had two falls in the special tests but is still in an excellent position, ranking 21st overall. In the Women’s Trophy class, Australia is leading the U.S. by less than 3 seconds. Brandy Richards from the USA is currently the top individual, winning five out of the six tests.
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America’s club teams have also performed exceptionally well after day 1. Six out of the top seven club riders are from the U.S., with Josh Toth leading them all. The next four positions are occupied by Preston Campbell, Axel Pearson, Austin Serpa, and Thorn Devlin. Jaden Dahners is in seventh place. As a result, four out of the top five club teams are from the U.S., with XC Gear leading the way, featuring Toth, Serpa, and Ryan Surratt.
1. TEAM UNITED STATES 3: 09′ 18. 25 ROBERT Taylor GIRROIR Johnny OLIVEIRA Dante MARTINEZ Cole
2. TEAM GREAT BRITAIN -1′ 55. 20 MCCANNEY Jamie ETCHELLS Jed WATSON Nathan SNOW Alex
3. TEAM FRANCE -2′ 42. 94 ESPINASSE Theophile LE QUERE Leo LARRIEU Loic ROUSSALY Julien
5. TEAM ITALY -7′ 05. 15 VERONA Andrea CRISTINO Kevin LESIARDO Morgan BERNARDINI Samuele
Brandy Richards is leading the Women’s World Trophy Team standings.
Brandy Richards:“It was great. It kind of shaped up how I thought it would with the silt, the rocks, all of the tests – I love the tests, they are really fun. They are not super, super rough now, but tomorrow might be a different story. The transfers were rough, we didn’t really have anywhere to take a break, so it’s a little hard on the body, and I know some women were kind of struggling. All round a good day, I feel great on the bike, just real comfortable in the tests, and am happy so far.”
Johnny Girroir:“It was good, had some good tests and some bad tests, plus some bad luck. I had three decent tests and am looking forward to tomorrow. It was warm today, for sure. The dust was horrible out on the tests, other than one test, but I am looking forward to trying to climb my way back up there tomorrow. I don’t think the results showed how I was riding, so looking forward to the rest of the week.”
Dante Oliveira leads the American Trophy team after day 1.
Dante Oliveira:“The tests are good, but the transfers, they are brutal. It’s very demanding, you can’t sit down, they are just so rocky and can catch you at any moment. Other than that, it was a good day, had some fun on the tests, the bike is good, my body is good and ready for day two.”
Taylor Robert says he will retire after this ISDE. He is currently in fifth place overall.
Taylor Robert:“First day was definitely hot, my feet are burning up right now. I think we did really good, all four of our guys were in the top 10. Had one issue, I think it was test five, where a guy broke his bike and he pulled right out in front of Johnny, so he lost a little bit there. Other than that, I think everybody rode pretty solid. We weren’t the fastest guys out there, but I think that we were the most consistent. I felt pretty good, I was a little bit tight at the beginning of the day. Day one and two, the tests are definitely not my favorite tests, but we just want to get through them safely, then really fire it up for days three, four, and five.”
Josep Garcia of Spain was the top individual on Day 1.
JUNIOR TROPHY STANDINGS
TEAM SWEDEN 2: 24′ 29. 25 NORRBIN Albin SEMB Axel AHLIN Max
TEAM FRANCE -2′ 49. 11 GIRAUDON Thibaut ALIX Antoine JOYON Leo
TEAM UNITED STATES -3′ 05. 86 OLIVEIRA Mateo AIELLO Kai DAVIS Grant
TEAM GREAT BRITAIN -8′ 28. 36 CHATER Charlie INGHAM Max EDMONDSON Harry
OVERALL INDIVIDUALS
GARCIA Josep “45′ 47. 63
VERONA Andrea”46′ 00. 59
OLIVEIRA Dante “47′ 00. 47
MARTINEZ Cole “47′ 14. 86“
ROBERT Taylor “47′ 18. 156 10
MCCANNEY Jamie “47′ 31. 34
WATSON Nathan “47′ 31. 51
GIRROIR Johnny “47′ 42. 20
ETCHELLS Jed “47′ 42. 67
ESPINASSE Theophile “47′ 46. 5
OLIVEIRA Mateo “48′ 27. 32
AIELLO Kai “49′ 20.56
DAVIS Grant “49′ 47. 29
WWTT STANDINGS
1. TEAM AUSTRALIA 2: 44′ 46. 51 GARDINER Jessica JONES Tayla MCDONALD Danielle 2. TEAM UNITED STATES -2. 57 RICHARDS Brandy STEEDE Korie GUTISH Rachel 3. TEAM FRANCE -12′ 11. 68 MARTEL Justine CHAPLOT Elodie BRISEBARD Mauricette 4. TEAM FIM LA -34′ 10. 63 NEVES Barbara GONZALES Tania RODRIGUEZ Valeria 5. TEAM ARGENTINA -2: 18′ 41. 97 SCAGLIONI Carla JEREZ Julieta BRETILLOT Melina
The Red Bull KTM Off-Road team has announced that Taylor Robert will retire after the upcoming ISDE in Argentina. The following press release explains:
American offroad icon Taylor Robert will retire from his professional career after representing the United States at the International Six Days Enduro (ISDE) in Argentina. Taylor Robert, a member of the FMF KTM Factory Racing team, is recognized as one of the most accomplished riders in the sport. Throughout his career, he has achieved numerous titles and victories, including ISDE World Trophy Team Champion, ISDE individual Overall and Class winner, three-time World Off Road Championship Series (WORCS) Pro Class/Overall Champion, and 2019 WORCS Sprint Hero Champion.
Robert has also received accolades such as an X-Games Enduro-X Gold Medal, WORCS Pro 2 Championship, and an EnduroGP World Championship round victory. After joining KTM a decade ago, he became an integral part of the factory team and has primarily focused on his ISDE endeavors. Despite facing injuries later in his career, Robert has remained dedicated and determined.
ISDE podium, 2019
Taylor Robert expressed his gratitude towards his fans and sponsors for their support throughout his career. He began his journey as a young racer in Arizona and has since become the most successful WORCS rider with three titles, in addition to his ISDE Championships and X-Games Gold Medal. Robert achieved success across various disciplines and has thoroughly enjoyed his time competing worldwide, with the support of KTM and Red Bull.
FMF KTM Factory Racing Team Manager, Tim Weigand, acknowledged Taylor Robert’s accomplishments and expressed confidence in his future endeavors. The team thanked Robert for his dedication and success over the ten years he spent with KTM.
Antti Kallonen, Director of Offroad Racing, also highlighted Taylor Robert’s remarkable career and the impact he has had on the sport. Kallonen praised Robert’s dedication, precision, and commitment, which have influenced other racers and contributed to their improvement. Kallonen emphasized that Robert’s versatility as a racer is evident in his impressive resume, and he hopes that future generations will follow in his footsteps.
KTM North America and the FMF KTM Factory Racing organization expressed their gratitude and congratulated Taylor Robert on his exceptional career achievements. They look forward to a strong final week of competition at the ISDE as part of the U.S. World Trophy Team.
Robert Maddox, also known as Rocketman, builds pulsejet engines and installs them in motorcycles and go-karts. In a thrilling video, he and a friend take two of these incredible machines for a high-speed ride across a dry lake bed.
Both vehicles are truly impressive. The blue machine resembles a motorcycle with four wheels, featuring a large exhaust chimney at the back. Meanwhile, the red kart is equipped with three stacked pulsejets, giving it a cartoonish appearance.
Motor1.com reached out to Maddox for more information about these builds. The blue vehicle is powered by a 250-pound-thrust pulsejet engine called Maddoxjets, which runs on gasoline. It has a reed valve that allows air into the combustion chamber but closes off during the explosion. According to Maddox, starting the valved engine requires a significant amount of air, and using a leaf blower is easier than compressed air.
The red kart, on the other hand, uses a valve-less design with no moving parts. It generates a total of 150 pounds of thrust from the three pipes. According to Maddox, if he made a single engine with the same thrust, it would be too large to fit on a kart.
This vehicle uses liquid propane to start and then runs on diesel. Maddox mentioned that he has developed his own fuel injection for the kart and believes it should be patented. He uses both diesel and propane because diesel provides more power, runs cooler, and is easier to refuel, allowing him to run for a longer time without having to fill the propane tank.
The video above demonstrates how Maddox constructs his pulsejet engines as he assembles a larger one for the red kart. He uses a waterjet cutter to create the components, rolls them into tubes, and welds everything together.
If you’re interested in the science behind pulsejets, you can check out a senior project by students from California Polytechnic State University. They designed a pulsejet with a dual intake and a single exhaust.
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