Nürburgring. The unpredictable weather in the Eifel region once again caused difficulties for the BMW M Motorsport teams during the DTM race weekend at the Nürburgring (GER). Particularly on Sunday, the BMW M4 GT3 couldn’t fully exploit its speed due to the wrong tire strategy by the Schubert Motorsport and Project 1 teams in extremely challenging weather conditions. Sheldon van der Linde (RSA), Marco Wittmann, and René Rast (both GER) opted for slick tires as the track seemed to be drying out, only for the rain to return a few laps later and drop them down the rankings. Wittmann and van der Linde managed to score some points on Saturday.
On Sunday, the BMW M Motorsport teams took a risk when they believed the track was drying up at the start of the race. Van der Linde and Rast chose to use slick tires, and Wittmann followed suit after the first warm-up lap. Meanwhile, the rest of the field started with wet-weather tires. Initially, the three BMW M works drivers fell behind on the damp surface, but as conditions improved, they were able to make progress.
If the weather had remained stable until the pit-stop window opened 20 minutes into the race, the tire gamble might have paid off. However, a rain shower about 15 minutes into the race foiled their strategy. The BMW trio lost so much time in the laps leading up to the regular pit stop that a points finish became unattainable. Wittmann finished 16th, with van der Linde and Rast in 17th and 19th positions, respectively. On his debut DTM weekend, Sandro Holzem (GER) was the highest-placed BMW driver in 15th position, earning his first DTM point. The second Project 1 driver had started on wet-weather tires. This unfortunate weather luck was particularly disappointing for van der Linde and Wittmann, who had qualified in second and fifth place, respectively.
On Saturday’s race, both Wittmann and van der Linde reached the top ten, finishing sixth and seventh. Despite struggling in qualifying, both drivers performed well in the chase. Wittmann climbed from tenth on the grid to sixth, while van der Linde made an even stronger comeback after starting 15th and at times had the fastest car on the track. Rast finished 20th, just ahead of Holzem.
Reactions to the DTM weekend at the Nürburgring:
Marco Wittmann (#11 BMW M4 GT3, Project 1): “Overall, we made decent progress this weekend and earned good points on Saturday as the highest-placed BMW. After qualifying on Sunday, things looked very promising. Unfortunately, the team and I made the wrong strategy decision at the start of the race. We thought the dry conditions would last longer, so we switched to slick tires after the warm-up lap. It helped me be the fastest car in the early laps, but when the rain returned, our strategy fell apart. It’s very disappointing, but sometimes these things happen.”
Sheldon van der Linde (#1 BMW M4 GT3, Schubert Motorsport): “Naturally, I’m disappointed that we made the wrong tire choice on Sunday, especially after starting the day well with second place in qualifying. Unfortunately, our strategy mistake cost us a lot of points. On Saturday, I had a positive comeback from 15th on the grid to finish seventh, showing that we had good pace.”
René Rast (#33 BMW M4 GT3, Schubert Motorsport): “This time, it hardly seemed worth traveling to the Nürburgring. It was a weekend to forget. We made the wrong tire strategy in both races, robbing us of any chance of scoring points. On Saturday, it started raining, so we switched to wet-weather tires. Just as I seemed to be improving, the rain stopped. On Sunday, it was the complete opposite. It’s disappointing, but sometimes you have those kinds of weekends.”
Racers at Loretta Lynn’s Ranch faced another day of weather delays on Friday morning, resulting in a condensed schedule for the fourth day of action at the 2023 Monster Energy AMA Amateur National Motocross Championship. Racing eventually started in the late morning, leading to a busy afternoon schedule and pushing back the championship-deciding motos to Saturday.
Moto 2: 250 Pro Sport In Moto 2 of the 250 Pro Sport, Mark Fineis of the GASGAS Amateur Team seized the lead after capturing the STACYC Holeshot. Fineis briefly lost the lead to Evan Ferry of GASGAS but regained it when Ferry crashed. Fineis held onto the lead, followed by Cody Williams on a KTM and Brad West on a Yamaha. Julien Beaumer, the Moto 1 winner, had a deep start on his KTM Orange Brigade ride.
Fineis increased his lead on the clear track in slick conditions. West moved up to third after Williams dropped out of podium contention. Gavin Towers of NSA Yamaha Amateur Factory Team pressured West for the third spot. Towers eventually took over second place from West, but Fineis maintained a comfortable lead of over 10 seconds. Daxton Bennick of Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing made an impressive charge from a 15th-place start to take the third spot. Beaumer had a crash and got stuck under his KTM but managed to return to the track, far out of contention.
Fineis finished the race in first place, solidifying his position in the overall classification going into the final moto. Bennick finished second, while Towers held onto third.
250 Pro Sport Moto 2 Results
Mark Finies, Westfield, Ind., GASGAS
Daxton Bennick, Morganton, N.C., Yamaha
Gavin Towers, Venetia, Pa., Yamaha
Trevin Nelson, Stokesdale, N.C., Yamaha
Parker Ross, Herald, Calif., Honda
Mark Fineis captured the Moto 2 win in 250 Pro Sport. Photo Courtesy: MX Sports / Align Media
Moto 2: Schoolboy 2 (12/17) B/C Krystian Janik of Monster Energy Kawasaki Team Green, who won a moto in the 250 B class, took the early lead in the second moto of Schoolboy 2 with the STACYC Holeshot. The Moto 1 winner, Casey Cochran of Rockstar Energy Husqvarna, and Logan Best of NSA Yamaha Amateur Factory Team experienced misfortune at the start.
Janik established an early lead while his Team Green teammates Drew Adams and Enzo Temmerman chased after him. Adams made a mistake and lost a few spots, allowing Temmerman to move into second. Meanwhile, Jordan Renfrow on a KTM and Landin Pepperd on a GASGAS battled for third place.
Temmerman put pressure on Janik but made some mistakes towards the end of the moto, allowing Janik to secure another win. Temmerman finished second, while Pepperd overtook Casey Benard Jr. on a GASGAS for third place.
Janik now leads the overall classification with one moto left, followed by Temmerman and Cochran.
Schoolboy 2 (12-17) B/C Moto 2 Results
Krystian Janik, Oak Lawn, Ill., Kawasaki
Enzo Temmerman, Visalia, Calif. Kawasaki
Landin Pepperd, Wasilla, Ala., GASGAS
Drew Adams, Chattanooga, Tenn., Kawasaki
Casey Cochran, Clermont, Fla., Husqvarna
Krystian Janik took another moto win, this time in Schoolboy 2. Photo Courtesy: MX Sports / Align Media
Moto 2: 450 B Limited Leum Oehlhof of NSA Yamaha Amateur Factory Team and Jeremy Fappani of KTM Orange Brigade continued their battles in the second moto of 450 B Limited. However, a difference in starts gave Oehlhof a significant advantage as Fappani found himself outside the top 10 at the start.
Oehlhof positioned himself near the front of the field and progressively worked his way up, passing Alvin Hillan on a Honda for third place, Reece Clason on a KTM for second place, and eventually early leader Tommy Callow on a KTM for the lead.
Oehlhof took the lead with his fastest lap and quickly built a substantial lead of over 10 seconds. While Oehlhof dominated the race, multiple riders battled for the third-place position. Evan Stewart on a Husqvarna secured third place and pressured Callow for second.
Oehlhof won the moto comfortably, while Fappani struggled and never challenged in the race. Back in the front, Oehlhof took the win, followed by Stewart in second and Callow in third. Fappani finished eighth.
Oehlhof now has control over his destiny for the final moto, while Fappani is tied with Jadon Cooper on a Yamaha for second place, several points behind.
450 B Limited Moto 2 Results
Leum Oehlhof, Oak Hills, Calif., Yamaha
Evan Stewart, Canada, Husqvarna
Tommy Callow, Dade City, Fla., KTM
Jadon Cooper, Baytown, Texas, Yamaha
Reece Wheaton, Irvine, Pa., Kawasaki
Moto 2: Supermini 2 (13-16) Deacon Denno, riding a KTM, carried his momentum from the previous day’s victory into Moto 2 of Supermini 2. The race started with Canyon Richards on a KTM taking the lead and Logan Mortberg on a KTM close behind. Denno and Landen Gordon, the Moto 1 winner on a Monster Energy Kawasaki Team Green machine, followed closely.
Denno made a move to overtake Mortberg for second place and put pressure on Richards for the lead. He eventually took control of the race on the second lap. Gordon also made his move to take third place and battled with Mortberg for the position.
Denno and Richards pulled away from the field, with Denno comfortably in the lead. Richards had misfortune towards the end of the race and couldn’t finish, allowing Gordon to secure second place on the final lap.
Denno won the moto with a lead of over 20 seconds, followed by Gordon in second and Seth Dennis of KTM Orange Brigade in third after starting in eighth place.
Supermini 2 (13-16) Moto 2 Results
Deacon Denno, Malakoff, Texas, Husqvarna
Landen Gordon, Murrieta, Calif., Kawasaki
Seth Dennis, Groveland, Fla., KTM
Cole Timboe, Calimesa, Calif., KTM
Logan Mortberg, Pierson, Fla., KTM
Moto 2: 85cc (10-12) Limited Nolan Ford on a KTM took the early lead in the second moto of 85cc Limited after grabbing the STACYC Holeshot, with Darren Pine on a GASGAS close behind. Pine quickly passed Ford to take the lead.
Pine extended his lead to over 20 seconds as Ford held onto second place. Braxtyn Mes on a Husqvarna moved up to third and attempted to catch up to Ford.
Pine was never challenged and secured the Moto 2 win after being disqualified in Moto 1. Ford managed to maintain his second-place position, while Mes finished third.
Pine’s consistent 2-2 finishes put him in a good position to win the championship going into the final moto.
85cc (10-12) Limited Moto 2 Results
Darren Pine, Montgomery, Texas, GASGAS
Nolan Ford, Fairfield, Calif., KTM
Braxtyn Mes, Temecula, Calif., Husqvarna
Wyatt Duff, Lexington, Ky., KTM
Chase Dashiell, Fairfax Station, Va., KTM
Moto 2: 65cc (10-11) Easton Graves of Rocky Mountain ATV/MC – Rides Unlimited KTM maintained his dominance in the 65cc division in Moto 2. Graves took the lead with the STACYC Holeshot and quickly established a lead of nearly eight seconds by the end of the first lap.
Graves continued to increase his lead, running away from the rest of the field. Jackson Vick of JK Powersports KTM held onto second place comfortably, with no challengers in sight.
Graves won the moto decisively, establishing a 1-1 record and maintaining control of the championship going into the final moto. Vick finished strong in second place, while Eidan Steinbrecher of GASGAS secured the third and final spot on the podium.
65cc (10-11) Moto 2 Results
Easton Graves, Walker, La., KTM
Jackson Vick, Highland Village, Texas, KTM
Eidan Steinbrecher, Fair Oaks, Calif., GASGAS
Chase Brennan, Winchester, Calif., KTM
Dylan Graham, Canyon Lake, Calif., Husqvarna
Racing from Loretta Lynn’s Ranch will conclude on Saturday. Photo Courtesy: MX Sports / Align Media
2023 AMA Amateur National Motocross Championship Friday Winners
When riding a motorcycle on the street, especially during hot summer weather, it can be tempting to forgo some essential gear. Fortunately, many motorcycle gear and equipment manufacturers create urban gear that keeps you cool and comfortable without compromising on protective features.
Ixon, a French gear and equipment specialist, has recently released the Hopper riding sneakers. These sneakers are made entirely of breathable and lightweight textile fabric, making them almost indistinguishable from casual sneakers. However, they also feature reinforcements that make them durable enough for daily rides. The upper portion is made of a durable and abrasion-resistant Cordura fabric, which incorporates Ripstop technology and neoprene inserts for comfort and elasticity.
In addition to their abrasion-resistant exterior, the Hopper sneakers also have heavy-duty reinforcements in key areas such as the toe, heel, and malleolus. The interior features a mesh lining, foam-formed collar, and an elastic instep and lace-up closure for a secure and comfortable fit. These features make the Ixon Hopper certified as personal protective equipment (PPE) according to the EN 13634:2017 standard.
The Ixon Hopper combines functionality with style. Its casual design makes it suitable for both on and off the motorcycle. While it provides ample comfort and protection for urban rides and short trips, it is recommended to wear more heavy-duty gear for longer rides outside the city. Overall, the Hopper is a solid choice for daily riders in search of lightweight motorcycle-approved sneakers.
As for pricing and availability, the Ixon Hopper is available in Tactical Green and all-black color schemes. It can be purchased in sizes ranging from 39 to 47, with a retail price of 149.99 Euros (approximately $164 USD). Pricing and availability may vary by region, so it is recommended to contact your local gear retailer for confirmation. For more information, you can visit Ixon’s official website linked below.
The Land Rover Defender is undergoing hot weather testing at Germany’s Nurburgring, despite being an off-road vehicle. This is because every new vehicle must undergo rigorous testing before production. The Defender SVX prototype is expected to be more powerful and performance-oriented than any previous Defender model.
The vehicle is heavily camouflaged, with clues suggesting changes to the front bumper and air openings. The extended wheel arches and four round exhaust pipes hint at a V8 engine.
The Mini Aceman, an upcoming electric vehicle, is progressing with its development and undergoing hot weather tests in Europe. Our photographers captured images of a prototype of the electric car, which featured a new type of camouflage instead of the previous yellow-over-black disguise. Additionally, the Aceman showcased a fresh design for its wheels, featuring a five-twin-spoke layout.
At first glance, the Mini Aceman may resemble a larger Mini model, possibly the size of the Countryman. While this is partly true, there are reports suggesting that the British manufacturer will reposition the new Countryman as a slightly larger crossover that shares its platform with the BMW X1. This strategic move will create more space between the Mini hatchback and the Countryman, positioning the Aceman as the middle child within the Mini family.
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