Lupino and Decotis about the GP in Portugal

Alessandro Lupino: “I felt good on the bike this weekend and had a good feeling with the track but I was unlucky and didn't get the results I deserved. In the qualifying race I finished tenth even though I crashed on the last lap, but my start in the first race was not so good. However I fought back to seventh but then I missed a rut and crashed hard; it was tough to continue, as I was seeing star ......

read more >

Alessandro Lupino: “I felt good on the bike this weekend and had a good feeling with the track but I was unlucky and didn't get the results I deserved. In the qualifying race I finished tenth even though I crashed on the last lap, but my start in the first race was not so good. However I fought back to seventh but then I missed a rut and crashed hard; it was tough to continue, as I was seeing stars for a few seconds. I went to the medical centre between the races and the examination showed that there is something wrong in my lung; maybe I have some water inside and I will go for further consultation this week. I was not feeling 100% for the second moto, but nevertheless I finished seventh.”

Jimmy Decotis, the American member of Team CLS Kawasaki Monster Energy Pro Circuit, continues to encounter difficulty adapting to European racing conditions and remains pointless in the series.

Jimmy Decotis: “I’ve worked hard with the team since Bulgaria, but again this weekend I had difficulty with the track. I had the worst place on the grid and crashed during the opening lap of race one, then in race two I started last and finished twenty-first; for sure it’s not what I and the team are expecting but we’ll continue to work until we get there.”

Tommy Searle continues to impress in his rookie season of MX1

Tommy Searle of Team CLS MX1 Kawasaki Monster Energy Pro Circuit continues to impress in his rookie season of MX1 GP racing; the Englishman defied the pain from a finger injury sustained in the early stages of the first race when his hand was struck by a rock to complete the day fifth overall following a stunning ride from outside the top ten to fourth place in race two after a series of laps whic ......

read more >

Tommy Searle of Team CLS MX1 Kawasaki Monster Energy Pro Circuit continues to impress in his rookie season of MX1 GP racing; the Englishman defied the pain from a finger injury sustained in the early stages of the first race when his hand was struck by a rock to complete the day fifth overall following a stunning ride from outside the top ten to fourth place in race two after a series of laps which were faster than anyone else in the race. The result also strengthened his top six ranking in the series.

Tommy Searle: “We struggled a little bit to find the right bike settings this weekend, but we got there in the end and I was setting the best lap times for most of the second race. In the first moto I took a stone on the middle finger of my left hand; the ligament was broken so the race was tough but I managed to finish sixth. I was wondering if it would be OK for the second race, but the pain subsided after a couple of laps and I was able to charge to fourth place. The track here is always demanding, but it was much more difficult in the tight corners with a 450 than with a 250, particularly with my hand injury.”

Davalos Shines with Podium Effort, While Rattray Grabs Top 10 Result in Western Regional 250SX Class Action in Salt Lake City

The second-to-last race of the 2013 Monster Energy AMA Supercross season provided a stellar night of action from Salt Lake City’s Rice-Eccles Stadium. Near-perfect weather provided balmy temperatures and a well-groomed, yet highly technical track for the riders. In the end, the Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki duo of Martin Davalos and Tyla Rattray left Utah with top-10 results.

Davalos ......

read more >

The second-to-last race of the 2013 Monster Energy AMA Supercross season provided a stellar night of action from Salt Lake City’s Rice-Eccles Stadium. Near-perfect weather provided balmy temperatures and a well-groomed, yet highly technical track for the riders. In the end, the Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki duo of Martin Davalos and Tyla Rattray left Utah with top-10 results.

Davalos Claws His Way to the Podium
Davalos was once again on his game in Salt Lake City, setting the tone for a good day after pacing the opening practice session and posting the second-fastest time of the afternoon. In his heat race, Davalos grabbed a good start and checked out on the field to win his second consecutive heat race and prime gate pick for the main event.

Following a tough start that left him outside the top 10 initially, Davalos had his work cut out for him in the 15-lap main event. He moved into seventh by the conclusion of the opening lap and began his upward climb until securing third place on Lap four. Once in podium position Davalos pressured Cole Seely for second in the final laps, but he could not make the pass and settled for his third trip to the podium this season.

“I didn’t make it easy on myself, but I’m happy to come out with a podium finish,” said Davalos. “It wasn’t easy gaining ground or making passes, but I knew I had to keep digging to get where I wanted to be.”

Davalos moved into fifth in the championship thanks to his inspired performance. He faces a 10-point deficit to fourth heading into the final race of the season.

Rattray Fights Hard for a Spot in the Top 10
Rattray faced an uphill battle in the early going in Salt Lake City, posting the 11th-quickest lap time in practice. However, he rebounded to finish third in his heat race and generate some momentum heading into the main event.

Like his teammate, Rattray had his work cut out for him following a start outside the top 10 in the main event, crossing the line in 12th at the conclusion of the opening lap. After moving into 11th, Rattray maintained the position for most of the race, but made a charge over the final five laps to break into the top 10 and finish eighth.

“It wasn’t the night we were hoping for, especially after last week’s success in Seattle,” said Rattray. “Although eighth place isn’t where we want to be, I’m happy with how I was able to move forward.”

Rattray was able to gain some ground in the championship with the top-10 result, moving from ninth into a three-way tie for eighth. He sits just nine points out of seventh heading into the season finale.

Ending on a High Note
The final race of the season next weekend in Las Vegas signifies the final opportunity of the season for Davalos and Rattray to end the year on a high note. The final main event will be 15 laps of intense competition as both Western Regional Championship competitors seek to land on the podium and potentially leave Sin City with a big win.

Looking Ahead >> Las Vegas
In addition to hosting the final race of the Western Regional Championship, the Las Vegas finale also means its time for the annual East/West Shootout for the 250SX Class. Fellow Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki rider Tyler Bowers will join Davalos and Rattray representing the Eastern Regional Championship, which will also host its final race of the 2013 season. Sam Boyd Stadium will be the site of the dramatic conclusion of Monster Energy Supercross on Saturday, May 4.

RESULTS >>
Round 7: Las Vegas Supercross – 250SX West
1. Jason Anderson
2. Cole Seely
3. Martin Davalos
...
8. Tyla Rattray
...
Blake Baggett DNR

CHAMPIONSHIP POINT STANDINGS >>
1. Ken Roczen – 163 points
2. Eli Tomac – 158 points
3. Cole Seely – 135 points
…
5. Martin Davalos – 114 points
8. Tyla Rattray – 87 points
28. Blake Baggett – 7 points

First podium for CLS Kawasaki's Alessandro Lupino!

Alessandro Lupino recorded the first GP podium finish of his career as he took his CLS Kawasaki to third overall in the Bulgarian round of the FIM World MX2 Motocross Championship.

The Italian newcomer to Team CLS Kawasaki Monster Energy Pro Circuit finally shrugged off the misfortune which has followed him through the early rounds of the series to clinch the first GP podium finish of his c ......

read more >

Alessandro Lupino recorded the first GP podium finish of his career as he took his CLS Kawasaki to third overall in the Bulgarian round of the FIM World MX2 Motocross Championship.

The Italian newcomer to Team CLS Kawasaki Monster Energy Pro Circuit finally shrugged off the misfortune which has followed him through the early rounds of the series to clinch the first GP podium finish of his career with two impressive displays at the fast hillside track on the outskirts of Sevlievo. Holding down eleventh place after the initial sort-out leaving the tricky first turn the 22 year old defied two broken ribs, a relic of last week's GP in his homeland, fought hard to advance three places on a surface made slippery by slight drizzle to finish eighth before stepping into the limelight in race two to advance in determined fashion from an initial fifth to finish third, defying all attempts to dislodge him from the placing which clinched third overall on the day. The result also lifted Lupino three places in the standings to eighth.

CLS Kawasaki newcomer Jimmy Decotis proved the power of the Kawasaki KX250F as he snatched the holeshot award in the opening moto, but the American is still adapting to GP racing conditions and a second lap error left him trailing before he was forced to withdraw from the race after an awkward landing. Bravely going to the start despite a painful knee injury, he battled to the finish but has yet to open his points scoring account.

Alessandro Lupino: “It’s so nice to be on the podium, the first one in my career! I didn’t know that I was on the podium, and didn’t expect that as I finished only eighth in the first race. I have a great feeling with the team and my bike, but in the previous GPs I couldn’t show that and it was difficult to accept it. I had some better starts today, in the top ten in race one and top five in race two and that makes things much easier, but I must still work to improve my starts even more. I had to take some pills for the pain as I broke two ribs last week; it was painful during the first ten minutes but then it was OK.”

Jimmy Decotis: “I got a good start in the first moto, but I crashed in the first lap and then it was tough. The second moto was no better and it’s very frustrating. The team are doing everything they can so it's all down to me; I don’t know yet what I’m doing wrong but I will keep on working and working. We now have one weekend off from racing and I will work together with the team to improve my results; that’s what it's all about.”

Tommy Searle @ MX GP in Bulgaria

Searle, a strong third in the qualifying race, once again showed that he is a threat in his rookie MX1 GP season as he charged to fifth in the opening race; he seemed poised to repeat the performance in race two but a troublesome rival forced him off the track early in the race and the Englishman had to charge back from 15th place to eventually finish eighth.

Tommy Searle:“ The first moto w ......

read more >

Searle, a strong third in the qualifying race, once again showed that he is a threat in his rookie MX1 GP season as he charged to fifth in the opening race; he seemed poised to repeat the performance in race two but a troublesome rival forced him off the track early in the race and the Englishman had to charge back from 15th place to eventually finish eighth.

Tommy Searle:“ The first moto was OK, nothing special to say and fifth was not so bad. My starts were not so good as last week and we need to work on that point. My second start was pretty average and then I had a crash earl in the race; I went down after a mistake and then it was hard to comeback from fifteenth to eighth; it was just a difficult weekend, I rode well at times but not consistently and I must keep working on that.”

Successful surgery for Arnaud Tonus

CLS MX2 Monster Energy Kawasaki Pro Circuit team leader Arnaud Tonus underwent surgery last Wednesday and will return to racing later in the summer after a period of rehabilitation.

A crash earlier this season during a training session aggravated his shoulder injury and Arnaud was forced to miss all the pre-season races. He made his first appearance of 2013 at the first GP of the season in ......

read more >

CLS MX2 Monster Energy Kawasaki Pro Circuit team leader Arnaud Tonus underwent surgery last Wednesday and will return to racing later in the summer after a period of rehabilitation.

A crash earlier this season during a training session aggravated his shoulder injury and Arnaud was forced to miss all the pre-season races. He made his first appearance of 2013 at the first GP of the season in Qatar, but after the practice sessions he took the decision to postpone his come back to racing as his right leg, broken during the 2012 Motocross of Nations, was too painful. Following several medical examinations and consultations, Arnaud finally underwent surgery to his shoulder this week in Switzerland. “We took this decision together with Team CLS and Kawasaki Europe management, and I want to thank them for their attitude as they never put any pressure on me”, said Arnaud when he came back home after surgery. “It’s a well-known shoulder specialist who did it, and he told me later that he was happy with the result; he also said that I couldn’t avoid this surgery as one ligament of my shoulder was weak. He fixed them, but it was not necessary to do any grafting.” Arnaud will soon enter a long period of rehab: “I feel lucky as I have very nice and talented people working with me at the hospital La Tour in Geneva, alongside other sportsmen and under control of specialised doctors who are used to working with sportsmen. I don’t know how long it will take me to get back to my best level, but I will not return to racing until I will be ready. The team and I made this choice as we want to be fully ready for 2014, which will be my last season in the MX2 class; we knew that even when my leg is OK we would have to go for shoulder surgery sooner or later. And by doing it now, it gives us time to consolidate the recovery of my leg.”

Lupino and Decotis remain positive

MX2, Arco de Trento, Italy, 14 April 2013

Alessandro Lupino of Team CLS Kawasaki Monster Energy Pro Circuit was optimistic of a major score on home soil but misfortune eventually restricted him to tenth overall from 16-7 moto finishes. The innocent victim of a first turn incident, he had to pit to repair damage to the radiator in race one before charging back through the pack, while he grit ......

read more >

MX2, Arco de Trento, Italy, 14 April 2013

Alessandro Lupino of Team CLS Kawasaki Monster Energy Pro Circuit was optimistic of a major score on home soil but misfortune eventually restricted him to tenth overall from 16-7 moto finishes. The innocent victim of a first turn incident, he had to pit to repair damage to the radiator in race one before charging back through the pack, while he gritted his teeth throughout race two as rib injuries from the incident hampered him for the remainder of the day. After racing doctors confirmed that the fourth rib was broken.

CLS newcomer Jimmy Decotis had a traumatic introduction to GP racing. The American was shunted on the opening lap of the first race and withdrew midway through race two after two crashes caused by forearm cramps as he tried to acclimatise to a different time zone and a track vastly different to those he had previously raced.

Alessandro Lupino: “I knew from the first practice session that my speed was OK here, and with a good start I could easily have achieved a top five result. The first heat was not so bad but the start corner was slippery for the first moto and Ferris took me with him in a crash; I broke one radiator and needed to make a pit stop to check the bike, and then I came back in the race with a painful rib when I rejoined the race and fought back to sixteenth. The second start was better but I was not aggressive enough during the early laps; the rib was very painful and I finished seventh but that is not what I want from my home GP. I had a medical examination after the race and the doctors told me that the 4th rib is broken, so let’s hope that I can race next weekend.”

Jimmy Decotis: “I knew that it wouldn’t be easy, coming here last week and racing for the first time on a European track. I had a good start in the first moto but crashed in the first lap when someone ran into me from behind. It was a tough race after that. In the second race I was in the top fifteen but got cramps and struggled, I hate to retire but that could be dangerous on this track. I know that the Bulgarian track will be different, and we’ll have one more week to work and prepare it with the team.”

Tommy Searle had his best GP of the year

MX1, Arco de Trento, Italy, 14 April 2013

Tommy Searle had his best GP of the year to consolidate his top six series ranking in this, his rookie MX1 GP season. The CLS Kawasaki Monster Energy Pro Circuit teamster got two tremendous starts to round the first turn in second place each time and he too would have been a candidate for the podium but for an unfortunate incident at the second corn ......

read more >

MX1, Arco de Trento, Italy, 14 April 2013

Tommy Searle had his best GP of the year to consolidate his top six series ranking in this, his rookie MX1 GP season. The CLS Kawasaki Monster Energy Pro Circuit teamster got two tremendous starts to round the first turn in second place each time and he too would have been a candidate for the podium but for an unfortunate incident at the second corner of race two. Having finished fifth in the opener, he was hit from behind and found himself in last position before an inspired comeback as he charged back through the pack to sixth.

Tommy Searle: “I’m pleased with my weekend; we continue to improve our results and I’m happy about that. We’ve found some good settings on the bike and I got two great starts today. I was second for a long time in race one but then I got a little tight and fell back to fifth. I had another good start in race two, but at the second turn Desalle hit me and we crashed; I don’t know why he tried to go so fast in this corner, that was his fault. Then I came back to sixth; it was probably my best race so far on a 450, so I think that soon I will be able to achieve my first podium. The track was really difficult, so stony and slippery, but there were some nice jumps and a good atmosphere with the Italian fans.”

James Dunn Interview

It has been a baptism of first for young James Dunn in the first couple of GPs. But he is a fast learner and in Holland he got the first GP point of his career!

Pretty calm and relaxed, Dunn’s outlook reflects his smooth riding style. He isn’t going to fluster easily and is realistic about what it is going to take to progress.

Dunn is focused and determined to achieve his goals and ......

read more >

It has been a baptism of first for young James Dunn in the first couple of GPs. But he is a fast learner and in Holland he got the first GP point of his career!

Pretty calm and relaxed, Dunn’s outlook reflects his smooth riding style. He isn’t going to fluster easily and is realistic about what it is going to take to progress.

Dunn is focused and determined to achieve his goals and getting that point will only boost his confidence further.

We had a brief chat with one of Britain’s brightest prospect about the GPs and how his performance in Holland might help his British Championship results.

You got your first GP point today!

Yea it’s good. The first race was going really well then I crashed or something and dropped back a bit but I got that one point in the second race so I am really happy with that. Hopefully I can just keep on progressing and hopefully it will get better and better and I can get more points.

Just to get a point this year was sort of my goal so to do that at the third round I am pretty happy.

Going from 125 European championship the MX2 World Championship, that’s quite a jump. Were the first two rounds a bit of a shock or where you expecting it to be the way they were.

I knew it would be a big jump, I had originally planned to do the European 250s but this opportunity came along and I thought I would take it. It has been very tough but I knew it would be difficult so I have set myself a goal of getting a top twenty by the end of the year but I have done it at the third round so it’s really good. I’ve just got to keep on working hard.

It was a bit of a mini British Championship out there this weekend and you beat some of the leading contenders.

Yea normally Lenior and Irwin would beat me in the British but to beat them is a big boost for the British Championship. I just need to keep my momentum going into next weekend and hopefully have some good results there.

Your style is pretty smooth. Do you think that helps you in the longer motos in the World Championship?

Yea when I have been doing the longer motos practicing it has been ok. The thing I have been dealing with is arm pump, the racing is so intense out there. You have to be so fit to do those 40 minute races it’s crazy. I try to stay as smooth as I can during the end of the race but I’m just trying to get rid of this arm pump and I think that will help a lot.

Just going back to the 125 European Championship when you won the second moto at the British GP – that must have been an awesome feeling.

That was amazing. So far it is is the highlight of my racing career and hopefully I can have another good weekend there in the world championship this year.

Does that inspire you to get there in MX2?

Yea, the crowd were definitely behind me 100%. It was crazy how much they were cheering me on. I think it gives you motivation and drive to do it again in MX2. It is going to be difficult obviously but to get in the top twenty this year would be brilliant really.

Article and photo by Jonathan McCready

CLS MX2 Kawasaki Monster Energy Pro Circuit sign Jimmy Decostis

Team CLS MX2 Kawasaki Monster Energy Pro Circuit has signed 21 year old New Englander Jimmy Decostis for the remainder of the 2013 FIM World MX2 Motocross Championship series.

It was with great relief that CLS team owner Jean-Jacques Luisetti was able to announce his new signing after a devastating start to the 2013 MX2 GP season for the team which has been so successful in recent years tog ......

read more >

Team CLS MX2 Kawasaki Monster Energy Pro Circuit has signed 21 year old New Englander Jimmy Decostis for the remainder of the 2013 FIM World MX2 Motocross Championship series.

It was with great relief that CLS team owner Jean-Jacques Luisetti was able to announce his new signing after a devastating start to the 2013 MX2 GP season for the team which has been so successful in recent years together with Kawasaki, Pro Circuit and Monster Energy:

"We had been so confident of further success this year and the injuries to Arnaud Tonus have been a terrible blow to both the rider and the team after our winter of preparation. At the moment we simply cannot say how long it will be before Arnaud receives the green light to race again; he has been back for further examination and the medical advice is that he should rest for 15 days before he even tries to ride again and he may not race until he feels no pain whatsoever.

"It is impossible to predict a date for Arnaud's return to racing so we had to respect our commitment to all of our sponsors; they have a right to expect results and CLS has a long record of delivering success. In fact it was Mitch Payton of Pro Circuit and Mitch Covington of Monster Energy who put us in contact with James Decostis; I have only spoken to James on the phone so far, but I was immediately very impressed by his seriousness and professional attitude which confirmed the belief shown in him by Pro Circuit and Monster Energy.

James will fly to Europe as soon as possible and we will immediately begin testing and training together; he will be at the start in Italy next week racing #613 and we confidently expect him to put the KX250F back on the podium.

"Our contract with James is for the remainder of the 2013 GP season and, when Arnaud is ready to return to racing, we will enter three riders in the series together with Alessandro Lupino. If all goes to expectations, James will also have the opportunity to stay with CLS in 2014."

Decostis (21) from Peabody/Massachusetts has been a leading privateer on the US motocross and supercross circuit for a couple of years and has recently recorded three top ten finishes against the factory riders in the AMA Monster Energy Supercross series.

Kawasaki Motors Europe Race Planning Manager, Steve Guttridge, welcomed the signing:

“This is a typically pro-active move by Team CLS Kawasaki Monster Energy Pro Circuit and reflects the global nature of their influence. Jimmy Decotis is widely recognised as a bright young talent; his involvement is sure to be a great addition to the team.”