Feb 17, 2016(Kamloops, British Columbia) The Monster Energy
Alpinestars Kawasaki team is excited to announce they’ll be contesting
the 2016 CMRC Canadian Motocross series under a new team name, with an
all-new lineup, consisting of Mike Alessi and Vince Friese competing in
the MX1 class and Jacob Hayes racing for the MX2 championship.
Team owner, Jason Hughes, is excited about the team he’s fielding in
2016: “I think this is the best lineup we’ve been able to put together
in the eight years we’ve been competing. We’ve got proven MX1 race
winners in Mike Alessi and Vince Friese, and Jacob Hayes did a
tremendous job for us this past winter in the Monster Energy Canadian
Arenacross Tour so we’re excited to see what he can do in the outdoors.
We’re also excited to announce that after being our boot partner since
our team’s inception, Alpinestars has come on board to be our new gear
sponsor and we couldn’t be more thrilled.”
Competing in MX1 on the all-new 2016 Kawasaki KX450F are Mike Alessi
and Vince Friese. California native, Alessi, is a multi-time AMA
National Motocross winner, a multi-time CMRC Canadian National Motocross
winner and a runner-up finisher in both the 250 and 450 AMA National
Motocross Championships and the 2014 CMRC Canadian National Motocross
Championship.
Missouri native, Friese, is a podium finisher in AMA 250 Supercross
and finished third overall in the 2014 AMA Supercross 250 East
Championship. He finished second overall in the 2014 CMRC Canadian
Motocross MX2 Championship, and in his only appearance in the MX1 class,
last season at Calgary, took the overall win.
Competing on the 2016 Kawasaki KX250F in the MX2 class is North
Carolina’s Jacob Hayes. One of the top Arenacross riders in the world,
Hayes competed for the team in the inaugural Monster Energy Canadian
National Arenacross tour, winning the Championship. He also finished
second overall in the 2015 AMA Arenacross Championship and currently
leads the points in the 2016 title chase. With his strong indoor skills,
he’s looking forward to lining up outdoors for the team to showcase his
outdoor abilities.
The team will also be supporting local Kamloops native, Josh Allen,
in the MX1 class. Allen will be contesting all ten rounds in search of a
Top Ten overall placing in the series.
The 2016 CMRC Canadian Motocross series consists of ten rounds,
starting on June 5 in the hometown of the Monster Energy Thor Kawasaki
team – Kamloops, British Columbia. For more information on the Canadian
National Motocross series, visit www.cmrcracing.com
The team has to give a big thanks to all their sponsors that are making their 2016 Canadian motocross season possible:
Monster Energy, Alpinestars, Kawasaki, Parts Canada, Pro Circuit,
Renthal, HJC Helmets, Lime Nine, Galfer Performance Braking Systems,
Boyesen, Acerbis, Dunlop, D.I.D, VP Fuels, Hot Cams, CP Carrillo, Ride
Engineering, Trail Tech, Samco Hoses, C4MX, XTrig Racing Technology,
Hinson Clutch Components, Mechanix Wear, Motorex, Matrix Concepts,
Sunstar, All Balls Racing, Cometic Gasket, Motion Pro, Stompgrip,
Cylinder Works, Dubya, Graeme Brough Suspension, DT1 Filters, American
Kargo, Supertech Valves, Pro Pegs, Okanagan Office Systems
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Total performance lubricant manufacturer,Bel-Ray,
announces its support of Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s
2016 off-road team, competing in the Grand National Cross Country series
(GNCC), AMA National Enduro Series and the 2016 EnduroCross.
Josh Strang will ride in his second season with Husqvarna in both the
GNCC and AMA National Enduro Series. In 2015, Strang finished the GNCC
series with third place overall. Fellow Bel-Ray supported rider Andrew
Delong will compete alongside Strang riding on an FC 350 this season.
Jacob Argubright is set to compete in the AMA National Hare and
Hound, as well as the AMA National Western Hare Scramble. Mike Brown and
Colton Haaker will face off this August in the highly anticipated 2016
EnduroCross.
As a technical and presenting partner of the Rockstar Energy
Husqvarna Factory Racing off-road team, Bel-Ray will provide
high-performance lubricants and service products for each rider to
protect their machines and provide maximum power during each race.
“We look forward to seeing this incredible group of riders take to
the dirt throughout 2016,” said Bel-Ray Vice President of Marketing,
Debby Neubauer. “The Husqvarna team is amazing to watch, the racers show
perseverance on the track and truly exemplify Bel-Ray’s values of top
performance.”
For more information on Bel-Ray’s involvement in powersports or Bel-Ray’s full line of powersports products, please visit www.belray.com or call (732) 938-2421.
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Team Suzuki
World MXGP’s Kevin Strijbos negotiated a blustery and wet Grand Prix of
Europe in the dark sand of Valkenswaard to grab seventh position overall
and his best ranking of the fledging 2016 FIM MXGP Motocross World
Championship.
Round three of 18 in the series landed in Europe
for the first time, and over Easter weekend, before again heading
overseas and to Argentina and Mexico in April.
The Eurocircuit
welcomed a 23,000 crowd but the public and paddock had to cope with
harsh winter weather with strong winds and heavy showers that soaked the
terrain prior to the GP motos.
The Belgian had been close to
his first Pole Position of the season on Sunday and led the majority of
the Qualification Heat until a small crash and the effects of arm-pump
dropped him back to seventh. Undeterred by the near-miss, he displayed
the same determination during the first moto today. Although he lost a
lot of time and many positions on the first lap due to a small problem
with his goggles, Strijbos started an impressive trawl back through the
field and hit almost every mark on a swampy and slow layout that
rewarded technical precision. Setting decent lap-times and being concise
with his passes, he won two places on the last two circulations to
finish sixth.
In the second moto #‘22’ was hampered by a poor
start and couldn't quite get the same rhythm on a terrain that was drier
and faster. He trailed Evgeny Bobryshev for most of the 30-minute and
two-lap distance and was suitably aggressive in the closing stages to
overtake the Russian as well as Glenn Coldenhoff to earn fifth place.
Both moto scores and the final ranking represented his best of 2016 so
far.
Valkenswaard was a difficult weekend for Ben Townley. The
former World Champion came to Holland and made the short trip across the
border from the team’s workshop in Lommel suffering the after-effects
of a virus that left him drained and lethargic. The New Zealander could
barely throw a leg over his bike on Sunday and persevered to a
creditable 14th in the first moto. After consulting the team during the
short break, ‘BT’ attempted the second race but pulled off the track at
mid-distance without the strength to continue.
“We have been
testing a lot these last weeks and we made some improvements on the bike
and we could see the progress already yesterday,” said General Manager
Stefan Everts. “Kevin complained about arm-pump yesterday but made a
fantastic first moto today. He had a bit of bad luck with his tear-offs
but what he showed afterwards was really good. He again proved that he
is a very talented kid and can really ride a bike when he wants to. He
struggled more in the second moto and unfortunately we just missed the
podium. I was quite confident after yesterday so it is a disappointment
for me that we missed out. For Ben I am happy that he got out of here in
one piece. He was so sick all week and I didn't think he could race.
What he did in that first moto with 14th place, I’m really happy, and
also pleased that he was smart and pulled-out of that second moto if he
didn't have the feeling. His health is more important and it was just
bad luck to be so sick. Everyone worked so hard so I want to thank them
for that.”
Strijbos and Townley now hold eighth and 12th
respectively in the MXGP points table with the first three appointments
of the 2016 season scratched-off the slate.
Team Suzuki World
MXGP has a rapid turnaround now for race machinery and to again prepare
freight for the Grands Prix of Argentina and Mexico and another two-race
stint abroad. The popular Neuquen facility near Bariloche will host the
second Argentine round this century on April 10th.
Kevin Strijbos:
“I
was happy with my riding. In the first moto I had a decent start but I
had a problem with my tear-off because it cracked and I had to ride
almost half a lap slowly before I could clear it and see properly. I was
way-back and came from outside of the top-20 to sixth, which I was
quite happy about. The track was really difficult with all the rain and
that was good for me because I like those slow, technical kind of
tracks. I didn't have any arm-pump because you had to be precise on the
bike and couldn't gas it. I was feeling good for the second moto but my
start was bad – I was happier with the first race performance! In the
second I was stuck behind Bobby [Evgeny Bobryshev] and couldn't catch
him on the straight. Overall it was a decent weekend and a lot better
than Qatar and Thailand. We will try to work some more for Argentina. We
have changed a lot but there is still room for improvement. Everybody
has worked hard and I want to thank the team for listening to us, and
for all their effort. I think we can be positive – perhaps we should
have had the podium – but I feel quite happy.”
Ben Townley:
“Just
to give my best today was the plan. The illness side had gone but
energy side from being in bed for four days was on the empty mark. The
little I had in the tank I used up today. It was a shame but I have
never experienced anything like it. I couldn't feel my muscles and was
just absolutely ruined; I feel like I have run two marathons today!
Overall it was bad timing; this thing struck me on Tuesday and I was
still in bed on Saturday morning. I know I will get over this in the
next few days and will have to think about Argentina.”
MXGP Moto1:
1. Tim Gajser (SLO, Honda), 34:41.033; 2. Maximilian Nagl (GER,
Husqvarna), +0:05.431; 3. Romain Febvre (FRA, Yamaha), +0:33.443; 4.
Evgeny Bobryshev (RUS, Honda), +0:46.976; 5. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL,
Yamaha), +0:51.297; 6. Kevin Strijbos (BEL, Suzuki World MXGP), +0:52.205;
7. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), +0:52.378; 8. Tommy Searle (GBR,
Kawasaki), +1:00.386; 9. Clement Desalle (BEL, Kawasaki), +1:10.664; 10.
Shaun Simpson (GBR, KTM), +1:14.769; 11. Tanel Leok (EST, KTM),
+1:18.409; 12. Valentin Guillod (SUI, Yamaha), +1:20.067; 13. Glenn
Coldenhoff (NED, KTM), +1:26.354; 14. Ben Townley (NZL, Suzuki World MXGP), +2:26.311.
MXGP Moto2: 1.
Romain Febvre (FRA, Yamaha), 34:55.696; 2. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM),
+0:05.156; 3. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, Yamaha), +0:12.437; 4.
Maximilian Nagl (GER, Husqvarna), +0:14.500; 5. Kevin Strijbos (BEL, Suzuki World MXGP), +0:17.253;
6. Evgeny Bobryshev (RUS, Honda), +0:25.165; 7. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED,
KTM), +0:27.558; 8. Tim Gajser (SLO, Honda), +0:39.187; 9. Shaun Simpson
(GBR, KTM), +0:53.250; 10. Christophe Charlier (FRA, Husqvarna),
+1:10.348. 31. Ben Townley (NZL, Suzuki World MXGP), -11 lap(s).
MXGP Overall result:
1. Romain Febvre (FRA, YAM), 45 points; 2. Maximilian Nagl (GER, HUS),
40 p.; 3. Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 38 p.; 4. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM),
36 p.; 5. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, YAM), 36 p.; 6. Evgeny Bobryshev
(RUS, HON), 33 p.; 7. Kevin Strijbos (BEL, Suzuki World MXGP), 31 p.;
8. Shaun Simpson (GBR, KTM), 23 p.; 9. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, KTM), 22
p.; 10. Tanel Leok (EST, KTM), 19 p.; 11. Tommy Searle (GBR, KAW), 16
p.; 12. Harri Kullas (EST, KTM), 14 p.; 13. Valentin Guillod (SUI, YAM),
14 p.; 14. Clement Desalle (BEL, KAW), 14 p.; 15. Christophe Charlier
(FRA, HUS), 11 p.; 16. Gert Krestinov (EST, HON), 8 p.; 17. David
Philippaerts (ITA, YAM), 7 p.; 18. Ben Townley (NZL, Suzuki World MXGP), 7 p.
MXGP World Championship Standings
(after 3 of 18 rounds): 1. Romain Febvre (FRA, YAM), 137 points; 2. Tim
Gajser (SLO, HON), 124 p.; 3. Evgeny Bobryshev (RUS, HON), 107 p.; 4.
Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, YAM), 104 p.; 5. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM),
100 p.; 6. Maximilian Nagl (GER, HUS), 84 p.; 7. Shaun Simpson (GBR,
KTM), 80 p.; 8. Kevin Strijbos (BEL, Suzuki World MXGP), 79 p.; 9. Tommy Searle (GBR, KAW), 63 p.; 10. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, KTM), 55 p.; 11. Valentin Guillod (SUI, YAM), 51 p.; 12. Ben Townley (NZL, Suzuki World MXGP), 49. Was this post helpful? Add yours to our service or subscribe to our feed above.
Positive return to form for Max Nagl at first European GP of 2016
Max Nagl – MXGP 2016 Round 3, The Netherlands
Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Max Nagl has showed
impressive form at round three of the 2016 FIM World Motocross
Championship, delivering two committed performances to place second
overall at the GP of Europe.
Returning to the type of form that saw him lead the 2016 MXGP
series during the first half of last season, Nagl kicked off a highly
positive round three at Valkenswaard with a convincing win in Sunday’s
qualifying race.
Capitalizing on a great start in the opening MXGP moto the German
found himself fighting for a place inside the top three. Showing
impressive speed and consistency despite treacherous track conditions
Nagl passed reigning MXGP champion Romain Febvre soon after the halfway
point of the race, going on to earn a well-deserved second in race one.
Max Nagl – MXGP 2016 Round 3, The Netherlands
Failing to get the jump off the start in the second moto, Nagl
found himself battling in 15th position early on lap one of race two.
Giving his all knowing that an overall podium result was on the cards he
steadily worked his way forward to eventually place fourth. Wrapping up
the GP of Europe with second overall in the MXGP class the Rockstar
Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing rider ended round three of the 2016
series more than pleased with the improvements in his racing.
Christophe Charlier – MXGP 2016 Round 3, The Netherlands
Making further steps forward Nagl’s MXGP teammate Christophe
Charlier also enjoyed improved form. Powering his FC 450 to two strong
starts the Frenchman fought for a place inside the top 10. With a
mistake in moto one forcing him to settle for 25th at the finish,
Charlier came back stronger to place 10th in moto two.
Max Anstie – MXGP 2016 Round 3, The Netherlands
For Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s MX2 rider Max Anstie
the GP of Europe proved to be a challenging one. Looking to fight for a
spot on the MX2 podium Anstie was left with a mountain to climb after a
heavy crash in his qualifying race robbed him of a much-needed strong
qualifying result. Pushing hard to overcome a bad start Anstie raced to
an eventual 19th position in race one. Fighting from the back of the
pack he went on to place 22nd in moto two.
Thomas Covington – MXGP 2016 Round 3, The Netherlands
With a practice crash a week before Valkenswaard leaving Thomas
Covington with an injured ankle, the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory
Racing MX2 rider did all he could to collect valuable championship
points. Unable to show his true potential, Covington suffered a bad
start in MX2’s opening moto going on to race his FC 250 to 24th
position. Frustratingly, things weren’t any better in race two where
Thomas tangled with another rider, crashing and breaking his radiator.
Yentel Martens – EMX 2016 Round 1, The Netherlands
With the European Motocross Championship kicking off at
Valkenswaard, Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing team riders
Conrad Mewse and Yentel Martens both made winning starts to their 2016
campaigns. Racing his FC 250 to two moto victories Conrad Mewse topped
the podium in EMX250. His teammate Yentel Martens secured 2/1 results to
earn the GP victory in EMX300.
Conrad Mewse – EMX 2016 Round 1, The Netherlands
The Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing team will take a trip
to Argentina to contest round four of the FIM Motocross World
Championship on April 08/09.
Max Nagl: “We had a really positive weekend
and we managed to step it up to the next level. My riding was good on
both days despite the rain making the track slippery and difficult. In
the first heat I was fighting for third place for a long time but
managed to make some passes and end up second. Then in the second heat I
had a bad start putting myself in 15th position. I don’t know what
happened. I really wanted to be on the overall podium, for myself and
for the team, so I kept pushing hard until the end of that second race.
I’m really happy I ended on the podium. If I could get another good
start in moto two, I’m sure I could have fought for the overall win. We
take all the positive things and move on. I’m feeling good on the bike
and the track in the following round in Argentina is one of my
favourites.”
Christophe Charlier: “We’ve done a lot of work
with the team since Thailand and it paid off. I also had the chance to
do some races in the sand in preparation for this GP and it helped a
lot. Sand is not my strongest point but I fought really hard today and I
think the results prove we’ve made some steps in the right direction. I
had a big crash in the first moto, which didn’t allow me to fight for a
place inside the top 15. Then in the second moto I got a good start and
rode to 10th at the finish. Another positive to take away from this
round is that I managed to improve on my starts. I was inside the top 12
after the start in both motos. I’m really looking forward to the
following rounds and the hard-packed tracks so I can show what I’m
capable of.”
Max Anstie: “Obviously things didn’t go to
plan for us in Valkenswaard but we’ll just try to put the pieces of the
puzzle together to get back stronger in the following round. It’s a
shame I didn’t put myself in a good qualifying position by crashing
right after the start of the qualifying heat. It was a big crash and I
was lucky to escape with no serious injuries. Starting from the back and
having the rain coming down in the first race didn’t help. I made a few
little mistakes in the second moto too ending up outside the top 20. It
wasn’t such a great day but we’ll go back to the drawing board and get
going again. We’re doing everything we can, we’re working as hard as we
can and that’s all we can do really. Hopefully luck will be on our side
in Argentina.”
Thomas Covington: “I hurt my ankle last week
so I wasn’t sure if I was going to race or not. It happened last Friday
while we were testing with the team at a local track and I ended up
injuring my Tibia as well as tearing one of the ligaments. The doctor
said I could race if I could handle the pain, so we decided to go for it
to get some points. In the first moto I just got a bad start. Then in
the second moto I was feeling a bit better but got together with another
rider and broke the radiator on my bike. The doctors said it’ll take
four to six weeks for the ankle to be completely healed. Hopefully, it
won’t be so painful for Argentina and I can ride like I know I can.”
Results – FIM Motocross World Championship, Round 3
Last lap misfortune cost both Tommy Searle of Monster Energy
DRT Kawasaki and Clement Desalle of the Monster Energy Kawasaki Racing
Team a top ten finish in the FIM MXGP of Europe at Valkenswaard.
Credits: Stanley Leroux / Pascal Haudiquert
After a promising return to Kawasaki in the opening rounds of the FIM
World MXGP Motocross Championship in Asia Searle was optimistic of
further advances as the series returned to Europe for the first time
this year at the appropriately named Eurocircuit of Valkenswaard, close
to the Dutch-Belgian frontier, for the European GP. The Englishman
underlined his return to front-runner action as he posted the third
fastest time during the timed practice session and used his
well-deserved gate position to storm through the opening turns in fourth
position with his eye on the riders ahead of him.
Unfortunately a
chasing rider got out of control and was launched into Searle’s back,
forcing the DRT teamster to rejoin the race at the rear of the field
before charging back through to fifteenth at the finish. The starting
arena at the Eurocircuit heavily favours the fastest qualifiers and
Searle was twice forced to battle from midfield starts, advancing to
eighth in the first moto and holding down ninth in race two until
running out of fuel within sight of the chequered flag as the exertions
of passing many rivals took its toll. A clearcut eighth position sadly
became eleventh in the overall result on the day, but Tommy remains
ninth in the series standings.
Desalle, who had braved the pain barrier to score valuable points in
the Asian GPs, has still not returned to full race fitness as his recent
arm injuries are still preventing him from following his usual full
training regime. With characteristic gritty determination the Belgian
qualified ninth and persevered through the longer opening GP moto, run
in difficult conditions after a cloudburst, to again cross the line
ninth. Another tough performance in race two saw Clement holding down
eleventh position on the final lap until a rock damaged his drive chain
and forced him to retire. He was thus credited with nineteenth in the
moto, and fourteenth in the GP rather than the top ten overall finish he
was looking at prior to the incident.
Tommy Searle: “I had good speed all weekend and was third in the
timed practice session; I knew that it would be important for the start.
I had a good start in the qualifying race and was in fourth position
when someone hit me from behind and I had to start again from last to
finish fifteenth. It made the whole weekend difficult as I had to come
from behind in both races with a bad gate, but I’m happy with my riding
and my speed, happy where I am. I’m just very disappointed not to finish
the second race, as I ran out of fuel on the last lap.”
Clement Desalle: “I had two good weeks of physical training and
just a few hours of training on the bike before coming here, but
unfortunately I was not in the best shape as I got a cold this week. I
had a good feeling on the bike, and gave my best in both races; I know
that I could do much better if I was in good shape, but I still don’t
have enough power in my arm and can’t work miracles. I don’t know if I’m
just plain unlucky or what after this problem on the last lap of the
second race. I just hope that everything will come together as soon as
possible so we can get some podiums again in a near future.”
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Livia Lancelot took her Team 114 Kawasaki to yet another
podium in the second round of the FIM Women World Motocross Championship
in the southern Netherlands to remain second in the series standings. Credits: Stanley Leroux / Pascal Haudiquert
After a disappointing start to the weekend as she finished fourth in
the timed qualification session Livia had to advance out of the pack
until she was battling for a podium result, eventually finishing third
after a hard-fought battle. More focused on day two for the deciding
moto she remained calm, profiting from the mistake of two rivals to
finish a determined runner-up. The combined results of the two motos at
the sandy Valkenswaard circuit gave her second overall in the GP of
Europe and help Livia to retain second place in the world series
standings, just seven points behind the series leader with five rounds
remaining.
Livia Lancelot: “I was very unhappy after the first race on
Sunday, as I made too many mistakes; I was not focused enough on myself
and was looking too much at the other riders. I didn’t follow my usual
strategy; for sure I got a podium result but normally it would have been
a second and not a third position. Today was much better, I had a
better jump from the gate and was fourth in the first few corners; I
rode my own race, didn’t look at the other girls and finally two of them
made mistakes. When I was second I remained focused on myself and to
get another podium is good for the championship; I didn’t lose too many
points to Duncan and for sure this year it will be important to be
consistent as we are four girls racing for the title. I’m older than the
others and have more racing experience so I will try to be clever all
the way to the final GP and of course I will continue to work hard as my
rivals are fast on all the tracks.”
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VALKENSWAARD
(The Netherlands), 28 March 2016 – Racing in the sand is a test on its
own and with the addition of extreme weather conditions such a gusting
winds, and heavy down pours of rain, a race which already demands a lot
in terms of mental and physical strength is taken to the extreme. These
factors made for some of the best racing in the world here at the third
round of the FIM Motocross World Championship with the ruthless circuit of Valkenswaard
proving to be a challenge that was capable of breaking both bikes and
hearts while establishing legends such as the grand prix winners Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing’s Romain Febvre and Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Jeffrey Herlings. The
first ever Grand Prix to take place in Valkenswaard was back in 1991.
Back then the track used to be way softer and wavier, everything you
would expect from a ‘sand’ circuit. Nowadays, the historic track has
packed down which makes for massive braking bumps and sharp acceleration
bumps while still maintaining wave section like corners. Horrendous
down pours of rain throughout the weekend saturated the sand, which
softened it up slightly but nevertheless the terrain remained brutal.
The defending MXGP world champion Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing’s Romain Febvre proved exactly why he is the holder of the crown when he won the MXGP of Europe with an epic race win in the final race of the day where he caught and passed the eight time FIM Motocross World Champion Antonio Cairoli.
“I couldn’t find my rhythm in the first race” Febvre explained, “I
crashed and I couldn’t find my lines. I was really disappointed and
angry so before the second race I was hungry, I wanted to win.”
Despite a few errors in the first race, Febvre went 3 – 1 for the
grand prix overall and now leads the MXGP championship by thirteen
points over Honda Gariboldi’s rookie bombshell Tim Gajser.
After a slow start to the season Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Max Nagl
went back to the drawing board during the two-week break. He did his
homework and turned it in this weekend where he passed with flying
colors. The German took his first Qualifying Race win of the season
yesterday, which was a good sign he had turned his ship around, and
turned it into a second place finish here at the MXGP of Europe, to
stand on the podium for the first time since May last year. Honda Gariboldi’s Tim Gajser was nothing short of
impressive this weekend. In race one, he had everyone wide eyed as he
gave the cream of MXGP a riding lesson around a track he hasn’t had a
lot of success at, while his undoing was in Race Two where he had the
grand prix victory in the palm of his hand for more than half of the
race but appeared to be at war with his bike which he confirmed in the
post race interview. “I had a problem with my bike in the last race
where it kept stopping, I stalled it twice but it actually wasn’t my
fault. I haven’t been back to the paddock to know what the problem is
yet, but anyway I am happy to be back on the podium, especially in the
sand because it’s not actually my favorite dirt.”
Has the pendulum swung? There was a real race within a race in the final moto of the day as Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Antonio Cairoli went head-to-head with the defending champ Febvre in an epic must-see
battle, and on the final lap it was the champ who conquered and took
the race win. In the first race, the Italian rode a steady race for
seventh which paired with his second in the final moto left him in
fourth overall.
Most Belgian and Dutch riders are sand savvy; after all, they grow up racing the stuff. Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing’s Jeremy Van Horebeek was
on the pace at times but like everyone else, made a few mistakes out on
the pitiless circuit of Valkenswaard which dropped him off the podium
and down to fifth.
As for the native Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Glenn Coldenhoff,
he ground out his laps today while carrying a few niggling injuries
which he picked up at the MXGP of Thailand when he throw it away big
time in the waves. MXGP Race 1 Top Ten: 1. Tim Gajser (SLO, Honda),
34:41.033; 2. Maximilian Nagl (GER, Husqvarna), +0:05.431; 3. Romain
Febvre (FRA, Yamaha), +0:33.443; 4. Evgeny Bobryshev (RUS, Honda),
+0:46.976; 5. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, Yamaha), +0:51.297; 6. Kevin
Strijbos (BEL, Suzuki), +0:52.205; 7. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM),
+0:52.378; 8. Tommy Searle (GBR, Kawasaki), +1:00.386; 9. Clement
Desalle (BEL, Kawasaki), +1:10.664; 10. Shaun Simpson (GBR, KTM),
+1:14.769. MXGP Race 2 Top Ten: 1. Romain Febvre (FRA, Yamaha),
34:55.696; 2. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), +0:05.156; 3. Jeremy Van
Horebeek (BEL, Yamaha), +0:12.437; 4. Maximilian Nagl (GER, Husqvarna),
+0:14.500; 5. Kevin Strijbos (BEL, Suzuki), +0:17.253; 6. Evgeny
Bobryshev (RUS, Honda), +0:25.165; 7. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, KTM),
+0:27.558; 8. Tim Gajser (SLO, Honda), +0:39.187; 9. Shaun Simpson (GBR,
KTM), +0:53.250; 10. Christophe Charlier (FRA, Husqvarna), +1:10.348. MXGP Overall Top Ten: 1. Romain Febvre (FRA, YAM),
45 points; 2. Maximilian Nagl (GER, HUS), 40 p.; 3. Tim Gajser (SLO,
HON), 38 p.; 4. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 36 p.; 5. Jeremy Van
Horebeek (BEL, YAM), 36 p.; 6. Evgeny Bobryshev (RUS, HON), 33 p.; 7.
Kevin Strijbos (BEL, SUZ), 31 p.; 8. Shaun Simpson (GBR, KTM), 23 p.; 9.
Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, KTM), 22 p.; 10. Tanel Leok (EST, KTM), 19 p. MXGP Championship Top Ten: 1. Romain Febvre (FRA,
YAM), 137 points; 2. Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 124 p.; 3. Evgeny Bobryshev
(RUS, HON), 107 p.; 4. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, YAM), 104 p.; 5.
Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 100 p.; 6. Maximilian Nagl (GER, HUS), 84
p.; 7. Shaun Simpson (GBR, KTM), 80 p.; 8. Kevin Strijbos (BEL, SUZ), 79
p.; 9. Tommy Searle (GBR, KAW), 63 p.; 10. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, KTM),
55 p. MXGP Manufacturer: 1. Yamaha, 137 points; 2. Honda, 126 p.; 3. KTM, 107 p.; 4. Husqvarna, 95 p.; 5. Suzuki, 91 p.; 6. Kawasaki, 63 p
There
is nothing like winning in front of your home crowd. Ask any rider and
they will tell you it is one of the most hair-raising feelings in the
world. Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Jeffrey Herlings
took his first ever grand prix victory here in 2010 at the tender age of
15 years old. Since then, Herlings has won every grand prix here in
Valkenswaard, a track he has cut so many laps on it may as well be in
his backyard. Today, at the MXGP of Europe, The Bullet hit yet another career milestone as he used his one of a kind sand riding finesse to claim his 50th
grand prix victory in front of his nation. The Flying Dutchman went on
to say, “to win 50 grand prix is something special, its’ like your first
then 10, then 50, then 100.”
Finishing second to Herlings in the sand is almost as good as a win for the riders in MX2. With that in mind, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Pauls Jonass
had a brilliant day in the office as he charged hard and banked two
consistent second place finishes for a convincing second overall. “I
felt confident this weekend, I struggled a bit with suspension settings
yesterday and in the first race too, but we changed some things and it
was much better.” Team Suzuki World MX2’s Jeremy Seewer is by no means
a sand specialist but after landing on the podium, it’s safe to say the
Swiss rider is working hard. As the saying goes ‘you only get out what
you put in’ and today Seewer was able to reap the rewards of hard work.
The Suzuki star was super pumped during the press conference, “I have
been on the podium a few times now but for me this one is an emotional
one. To do it in the sand as a Swiss rider was something really
important to me especially after last year I was not so good here and
even in years before I couldn’t even qualify in the sand in the European
Championship on an 85cc. I have worked really hard and it’s starting to
be alright now.” Kemea Yamaha Official MX Team’s Brent Van doninck
was absolutely hauling yesterday but was forced out of the race with a
mechanical failure. Because the Belgian did not finish the Qualifying
Race he had last pick of the start gate, which meant he was already at a
disadvantage. Despite the work-out, Van Doninck rode like a machine
today and barged his way from the back of the pack for a jaw dropping 5 –
4 finish for fourth overall.
Meanwhile Van doninck’s Kemea Yamaha Official’s teammate Benoit Paturel turned some solid laps for fifth overall while the kid representing the Dutch youth, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Davy Pootjes
killed it in race one with his impressive sixth place finish but
crashed in the second race which meant he would only wrap up his home
grand prix in tenth. MX2 Race 1 Top Ten: 1. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM),
35:12.127; 2. Pauls Jonass (LAT, KTM), +0:50.896; 3. Petar Petrov (BUL,
Kawasaki), +1:07.168; 4. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, Suzuki), +1:23.048; 5.
Brent Van doninck (BEL, Yamaha), +1:26.054; 6. Davy Pootjes (NED, KTM),
+1:35.470; 7. Benoit Paturel (FRA, Yamaha), +1:46.678; 8. Ben Watson
(GBR, Husqvarna), +2:07.789; 9. Alvin Östlund (SWE, Yamaha), +2:10.450;
10. Aleksandr Tonkov (RUS, Yamaha), -1 lap(s) MX2 Race 2 Top Ten: 1. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM),
35:17.872; 2. Pauls Jonass (LAT, KTM), +1:19.911; 3. Jeremy Seewer (SUI,
Suzuki), +1:25.404; 4. Brent Van doninck (BEL, Yamaha), +1:29.679; 5.
Calvin Vlaanderen (NED, KTM), +1:31.724; 6. Benoit Paturel (FRA,
Yamaha), +1:35.487; 7. Michele Cervellin (ITA, Honda), +1:54.833; 8.
Samuele Bernardini (ITA, TM), +1:59.315; 9. Vsevolod Brylyakov (RUS,
Kawasaki), +2:03.230; 10. Alvin Östlund (SWE, Yamaha), +2:12.493. MX2 Overall Top Ten: 1. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM),
50 points; 2. Pauls Jonass (LAT, KTM), 44 p.; 3. Jeremy Seewer (SUI,
SUZ), 38 p.; 4. Brent Van doninck (BEL, YAM), 34 p.; 5. Benoit Paturel
(FRA, YAM), 29 p.; 6. Alvin Östlund (SWE, YAM), 23 p.; 7. Michele
Cervellin (ITA, HON), 21 p.; 8. Vsevolod Brylyakov (RUS, KAW), 21 p.; 9.
Aleksandr Tonkov (RUS, YAM), 21 p.; 10. Davy Pootjes (NED, KTM), 21 p. MX2 Championship Top Ten: 1. Jeffrey Herlings (NED,
KTM), 150 points; 2. Pauls Jonass (LAT, KTM), 112 p.; 3. Jeremy Seewer
(SUI, SUZ), 112 p.; 4. Aleksandr Tonkov (RUS, YAM), 91 p.; 5. Brent Van
doninck (BEL, YAM), 78 p.; 6. Petar Petrov (BUL, KAW), 76 p.; 7. Benoit
Paturel (FRA, YAM), 75 p.; 8. Samuele Bernardini (ITA, TM), 60 p.; 9.
Alvin Östlund (SWE, YAM), 60 p.; 10. Vsevolod Brylyakov (RUS, KAW), 59 p MX2 Manufacturer: 1. KTM, 150 points; 2. Suzuki, 112
p.; 3. Yamaha, 108 p.; 4. Kawasaki, 103 p.; 5. Husqvarna, 74 p.; 6. TM,
60 p.; 7. Honda, 57 p.
Click here to obtain the complete results All the photos of the MXGP of Europe will be available here
MXGP EUROPE – QUICK FACTS
Circuit length: 1550m
Type of ground: sand
Temperature: 12°C
Weather conditions: changeable
Crowd Attendance: 23,000
MXGP was available across the board in high definition and is also globally available to view live and in HD on MXGP-TV.com. Click here for the complete list of countries and cooperating MXGP broadcasting networks.
NEXT ROUND
The next round of the 2016 FIM Motocross World Championship will take place on April 10th in Neuquen for the MXGP of Patagonia Argentina.
Rain
and winds swept the Eurocircuit facility at Valkenswaard for the Grand
Prix of Europe on Easter Monday and Team Suzuki World MX2’s Jeremy
Seewer took his works RM-Z250 to third position overall after two tricky
races for what was the third round of 18 in the 2016 FIM Motocross
World Championship.
The first European stop on the schedule saw a
wintery climate hit the venue, south of Eindhoven, with strong gusts of
wind playing havoc with team set-ups and bouts of heavy rain sending
part of the 23,000 attendance (weekend figure) scurrying for cover. The
sandy terrain was rough in parts and deceptively slippery in others and
did not provide an abundance of racing lines until a further deluge of
rain midway through Monday helped carve the surface further.
Rolling
into the start gate with the 13th pick of slots after recovering from
an early crash in Sunday’s qualification heat race, Seewer got away
strongly and fought into a top-five position, whereupon he quickly
established fourth place. Struggling to close the gap to Petar Petrov in
third, Seewer rode a relatively lonely outing until wading into
backmarkers where he needed to exercise some careful judgement. At the
flag the Swiss sealed fourth.
Sunshine greeted the launch of the
second moto as the strong winds continued to change the day. On drier
sand, he couldn't quite make the same rapid getaway and had to work on
fronting the second group behind the breakaway pair of Jeffrey Herlings
and Pauls Jonass. An entertaining tussle between Alex Tonkov, Benoit
Paturel, Calvin Valaanderen and #‘91’ held the spectators’ attention and
Seewer was right in the mix. With five laps to go, the 21 year old
found superior speed and drew clear to confirm his third top-three race
result of the season and third from the last four motos. His 38-point
total was enough for his second podium appearance in a row and a
particularly satisfying achievement considering his rate of improvement
in the sand.
“After a difficult first moto Jeremy rode
fantastically in the second and he made the podium; I’m really happy for
him and this is thanks to all the hard work he has put in,” said
General Manager Stefan Everts. “He scored a podium at one of the
toughest races of the year. It’s really great and for the whole MX2
crew. It is now two out of three and he is a consistent rider so let’s
continue in this way.”
Seewer entered the Grand Prix of Europe
defending second position in the championship standings and after the
positive events of Valkenswaard now has 112 points and holds joint
second with Jonass.
Team-mate Brian Hsu has started to ride
again after recovering from the left wrist he broke in November but is
still some weeks away from a racing return.
Valkenswaard was the
scene of the first round of 10 in the EMX250 European Championship and
Bas Vaessen had a mixed weekend. The promising Dutch youngster was
holding a top-three position in the first race on Sunday before two
mistakes dropped him to 14th. In a rain-hit second outing on Monday
morning, Vaessen was again strong in front of appreciative home public
and scored a decent fourth; equalling his personal best in just his
second EMX term.
Seewer will be the lone RM-Z250 runner at the
next two racing fixtures for Team Suzuki World MX2 as the Grands Prix of
Argentina and Mexico mean a lengthy trip west and the crew in the next
two weeks.
Jeremy Seewer:
“I’m really,
really happy. If I think back to here a few years ago in the sand then I
was lapped twice! I remember having a European 85cc race here and not
even qualifying. So it was hard to come here, but I have done a lot of
hard work in the sand and it paid off; I felt really good. I had to come
from quite far out in the gate but pushed through and got on the
podium. I have had a few podiums now but I think this is the most
emotional one.”
MX2 Moto1: 1. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 35:12.127; 2. Pauls Jonass (LAT, KTM), +0:50.896; 3. Petar Petrov (BUL, Kawasaki), +1:07.168; 4. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, Suzuki World MX2), +1:23.048;
5. Brent Van doninck (BEL, Yamaha), +1:26.054; 6. Davy Pootjes (NED,
KTM), +1:35.470; 7. Benoit Paturel (FRA, Yamaha), +1:46.678; 8. Ben
Watson (GBR, Husqvarna), +2:07.789; 9. Alvin Östlund (SWE, Yamaha),
+2:10.450; 10. Aleksandr Tonkov (RUS, Yamaha), -1 lap(s).
Murrieta, CA
- KTM North America and ETS Racing are proud to announce the release of
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Team BTO Sport-KTM-WPS to ensure victory on the track and is now for
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their KTMs.
Two unleaded octane levels are available for both 4-stroke and
2-stroke applications. The 97- and 100-octane fuels meet AMA standards
and contain no ethanol, MTBE or benzene. Special additives increase
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MC2 Suzuki
Racing’s Todd Waters raced to third position in the New Zealand
Motocross Championship following Sunday’s final round at Taupo.
Waters,
who was in a strong position to clinch the title, struggled with
fogged-up goggles in the opening of three races and then had to charge
from the back in the final race after crashing in the first turn, but
clinched third position on the day.
The MC2 Suzuki Racing Team
was the only team to finish with two riders inside the top five in the
MX1 class as Waters’ team-mate Brad Groombridge claimed fifth overall.
Waters will now switch his attention to the Australian Motocross
Championship that kicks-off at in Victoria on April 3rd while
Groombridge will take part in the New Zealand Cross-country and Enduro
championships.
Said Groombridge: “I was pretty consistent
throughout the motocross series and really enjoyed my time with Todd
(Waters). We shared quite a few laughs. I'm really looking forward to
the other championships now.”
The 2016 New Zealand Motocross
Championship was clinched for the fourth consecutive year by Cody Cooper
with a 2-1-2 scorecard at Taupo.
Credits: Stanley Leroux / Pascal Haudiquert
Credits: Stanley Leroux / Pascal Haudiquert
VALKENSWAARD
(The Netherlands), 28 March 2016 – Racing in the sand is a test on its
own and with the addition of extreme weather conditions such a gusting
winds, and heavy down pours of rain, a race which already demands a lot
in terms of mental and physical strength is taken to the extreme. These
factors made for some of the best racing in the world here at the third
round of the FIM Motocross World Championship with the ruthless circuit of Valkenswaard
proving to be a challenge that was capable of breaking both bikes and
hearts while establishing legends such as the grand prix winners Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing’s Romain Febvre and Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Jeffrey Herlings.
The
first ever Grand Prix to take place in Valkenswaard was back in 1991.
Back then the track used to be way softer and wavier, everything you
would expect from a ‘sand’ circuit. Nowadays, the historic track has
packed down which makes for massive braking bumps and sharp acceleration
bumps while still maintaining wave section like corners. Horrendous
down pours of rain throughout the weekend saturated the sand, which
softened it up slightly but nevertheless the terrain remained brutal.
There
is nothing like winning in front of your home crowd. Ask any rider and
they will tell you it is one of the most hair-raising feelings in the
world. Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Jeffrey Herlings
took his first ever grand prix victory here in 2010 at the tender age of
15 years old. Since then, Herlings has won every grand prix here in
Valkenswaard, a track he has cut so many laps on it may as well be in
his backyard. Today, at the MXGP of Europe, The Bullet hit yet another career milestone as he used his one of a kind sand riding finesse to claim his 50th
grand prix victory in front of his nation. The Flying Dutchman went on
to say, “to win 50 grand prix is something special, its’ like your first
then 10, then 50, then 100.”
VALKENSWAARD
(The Netherlands), 28 March 2016 – Racing in the sand is a test on its
own and with the addition of extreme weather conditions such a gusting
winds, and heavy down pours of rain, a race which already demands a lot
in terms of mental and physical strength is taken to the extreme. These
factors made for some of the best racing in the world here at the third
round of the FIM Motocross World Championship with the ruthless circuit of Valkenswaard
proving to be a challenge that was capable of breaking both bikes and
hearts while establishing legends such as the grand prix winners Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing’s Romain Febvre and Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Jeffrey Herlings.
The
first ever Grand Prix to take place in Valkenswaard was back in 1991.
Back then the track used to be way softer and wavier, everything you
would expect from a ‘sand’ circuit. Nowadays, the historic track has
packed down which makes for massive braking bumps and sharp acceleration
bumps while still maintaining wave section like corners. Horrendous
down pours of rain throughout the weekend saturated the sand, which
softened it up slightly but nevertheless the terrain remained brutal.
There
is nothing like winning in front of your home crowd. Ask any rider and
they will tell you it is one of the most hair-raising feelings in the
world. Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Jeffrey Herlings
took his first ever grand prix victory here in 2010 at the tender age of
15 years old. Since then, Herlings has won every grand prix here in
Valkenswaard, a track he has cut so many laps on it may as well be in
his backyard. Today, at the MXGP of Europe, The Bullet hit yet another career milestone as he used his one of a kind sand riding finesse to claim his 50th
grand prix victory in front of his nation. The Flying Dutchman went on
to say, “to win 50 grand prix is something special, its’ like your first
then 10, then 50, then 100.”
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