One of the perks of racing alongside MXGP is the effort that goes into delivering the racers with a world class circuit race after race. Round three of the European Championships EMX300 and EMX250 witnessed this first hand in Matterley Basin this weekend, when despite the constant lashings of rain the location had received over the past three days and the mud they had to race yesterday, they woke up this morning to glorious sunshine and a circuit which had obviously undergone a ton of overnight prep in order to supply prime racing conditions for their second races which took place earlier today.
Proving to be the most versatile this weekend, yet another immensely talented Belgian Creymert Racing’s Brent Van Doninck took his first EMX250 victory of the year while TM Racing Team’s Samuele Bernardini narrowly won the EMX300 over the crowd favourite GL12 Racing’s Lewis Gregory.
EMX250
Track compound was close to perfect for race two offering a pleasant change to the slushy surface of yesterday. When the gates dropped it was drama for yesterday’s race one winner Hitachi Construction Machinery UK KTM’s Ben Watson who got caught up with Martin Racing Technology Team’s Michele Cervellin on turn one and went down hard. Meanwhile, Bud Racing Kawasaki’s Sullivan Jaulin took a massive holeshot leading a trio of HSF Logistics Motorsport Team riders, Brian Bogers, Frederik Van Der Vlist and Ceriel Klein Kromhof.
While the white and blue dressed KTM’s of the HSF Logistics Motorsport Team hogged the top five for the first few laps it wasn’t long before they were broken up by a couple of orange ones belonging to Creymert Racing’s Brent Van Doninck and local kid Wilvo Forkrent KTM’s Adam Sterry.
Van Doninck who had proved he was a force to be reckoned with in race one yesterday coming home in second, was hastily slicing his way through the pack. Around mid-way the Belgian Van Doninck was all over Dutch Van Der Vlist, who was riding a wide bike in third. A few laps on, the Belgian had worn Van Der Vlist out, taking over third in an impressive pass down the hill and checking out within a matter of seconds.
Meanwhile Jaulin was setting a blistering pace out front, riding flawless to lead every lap for the win. Bogers, who had also been riding super smooth in second, eventually came under attack from a determined Van Doninck. With Van Doninck making the pass with only a few laps to go, Bogers eased off and rode it home for third.
Wilvo Forkrent KTM’s Adam Sterry flew the flag for the United Kingdom putting in an impressive performance to take fourth and an outstanding third overall for his home EMX250 round. Meanwhile, the EMX250’s round one winner Bud Racing Kawasaki’s Jorge Zaragoza recovered from an early race mistake to push his way back to fifth and second overall.
With Bud Racing Kawasaki’s Sullivan Jaulin taking a win today but only a twentieth yesterday, the Frenchman had no shot at the podium. Likewise for HSF Logistics Motorsports Brian Bogers who crossed the line in third this morning, but only fourteenth yesterday. With that said, the most consistent and versatile rider here at round three of the European EMX250 Championship was Creymert Racing’s Brent Van Doninck who took two second’s this weekend for the overall victory and his first of the season.
Keeping the thousands of British fans, who came out today to witness the awesome racing that went on happy British rider CNC doors KTM’s Steven Clarke holds on to the EMX250 red plate twenty-one points clear of Spaniard Jorge Zaragoza in second.
EMX250 Race 1: 1. Ben Watson (GBR, KTM), 30:03.403; 2. Brent Van doninck (BEL, KTM), +0:16.735; 3. Jorge Zaragoza (ESP, Kawasaki), +0:39.640; 4. Steven Clarke (GBR, KTM), +0:45.017; 5. Ceriel Klein Kromhof (NED, KTM), +0:46.088; 6. Adam Sterry (GBR, KTM), +1:00.391; 7. Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, Honda), +1:05.322; 8. Henry Jacobi (GER, KTM), +1:08.000; 9. Nicolas Dercourt (FRA, Yamaha), +1:17.565; 10. Michele Cervellin (ITA, Honda), +1:18.281.
EMX250 Race 2: 1. Sullivan Jaulin (FRA, Kawasaki), 30:26.348; 2. Brent Van doninck (BEL, KTM), +0:10.166; 3. Brian Bogers (NED, KTM), +0:14.951; 4. Adam Sterry (GBR, KTM), +0:20.510; 5. Jorge Zaragoza (ESP, Kawasaki), +0:31.774; 6. Steven Clarke (GBR, KTM), +0:36.210; 7. Frederik van der Vlist (NED, KTM), +0:38.568; 8. Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, Honda), +0:39.835; 9. Ceriel Klein Kromhof (NED, KTM), +0:41.658; 10. Henry Jacobi (GER, KTM), +0:42.816
EMX250 Overall: 1. Brent Van doninck (BEL, KTM), 44 points; 2. Jorge Zaragoza (ESP, KAW), 36 p.; 3. Adam Sterry (GBR, KTM), 33 p.; 4. Steven Clarke (GBR, KTM), 33 p.; 5. Ceriel Klein Kromhof (NED, KTM), 28 p.; 6. Brian Bogers (NED, KTM), 27 p.; 7. Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, HON), 27 p.; 8. Sullivan Jaulin (FRA, KAW), 26 p.; 9. Ben Watson (GBR, KTM), 25 p.; 10. Henry Jacobi (GER, KTM), 24 p.
EMX250 Championship Standings: 1. Steven Clarke (GBR, KTM), 116 points; 2. Jorge Zaragoza (ESP, KAW), 95 p.; 3. Brent Van doninck (BEL, KTM), 90 p.; 4. Ben Watson (GBR, KTM), 88 p.; 5. Adam Sterry (GBR, KTM), 80 p.; 6. Brian Bogers (NED, KTM), 78 p.; 7. Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, HON), 75 p.; 8. Sullivan Jaulin (FRA, KAW), 73 p.; 9. Michele Cervellin (ITA, HON), 66 p.; 10. Henry Jacobi (GER, KTM), 61 p.
EMX300
The British fans went crazy for the sweet sound of tinny two-strokes this weekend as the European EMX300 produced some of their best racing this season. Yesterday for race one, GL12 Racing’s Lewis Gregory diced the lead with the red plate holder Samuele Bernardini to take his second EMX300 race victory of the season. Bernardini held on for second and Marco Maddii rounded out the top three.
Today for race two, Team Maddii Racing’s Marco Maddii locked the throttle on his KTM 300SX wide open to take the holeshot ahead of the local legend Lewis Gregory and TM Racing Teams Samuele Bernardini. While Maddii was riding fast and led the majority of lap one, he couldn’t match the pace of Gregory and Bernardini as they flew past and took on a race of their own.
Already within the first couple of laps, the EMX300 red plate holder Samuele Bernardini made a statement, blowing past Gregory to take the lead. With Gregory switching roles from hare to hound, hound he did remaining close enough to breathe in that sweet smell of two-stroke smoke wafting from the TM300 exhaust of Bernardini.
After a race of watching Gregory stalk his prey, the moment arrived with two laps to go and he pounced. Upon taking the lead the crowd went mental with the sound of horns drowning out the ‘tinging’ sound of the two-strokes which were pinned around the fast and tacky Matterley Basin. Half a lap later the resounding sound of horns spiked again as the local Gregory got squirley after the finish and lost the lead. With one lap to go the race was fierce, and although he ground at Bernardini right to the finish, a second race win would not be as the Brit was forced to grit his teeth and settle for second and second overall for the day.
Bernardini took his third race win of the season and second overall victory to hold on to the red plate for yet another round. Marco Maddii rode two solid races unchallenged for a pair of thirds and third overall while two Brits in the form of Hitachi Construction Machinery UK KTM’s Josh Spinks and Jamie Law rounded out the top five.
EMX300 Race 1: 1. Lewis Gregory (GBR, Yamaha), 30:57.718; 2. Samuele Bernardini (ITA, TM), +0:02.943; 3. Marco Maddii (ITA, KTM), +0:27.124; 4. Josh Spinks (GBR, KTM), +1:17.423; 5. Damon Strydom (GBR, Husqvarna), +1:22.352; 6. Jamie Law (GBR, KTM), +1:32.732; 7. Toms Macuks (LAT, KTM), -1 lap(s); 8. Stephane Watel (FRA, KTM), -1 lap(s); 9. Txomin Arana (ESP, Yamaha), -1 lap(s); 10. Michele Cencioni (ITA, KTM), -1 lap(s).
EMX300 Race 2: 1. Samuele Bernardini (ITA, TM), 30:54.889; 2. Lewis Gregory (GBR, Yamaha), +0:00.941; 3. Marco Maddii (ITA, KTM), +0:39.858; 4. Jamie Law (GBR, KTM), +0:57.446; 5. Josh Spinks (GBR, KTM), +0:58.340; 6. Luke Burton (GBR, Suzuki), +2:04.804; 7. Damon Strydom (GBR, Husqvarna), -1 lap(s); 8. Stephane Watel (FRA, KTM), -1 lap(s); 9. Michele Cencioni (ITA, KTM), -1 lap(s); 10. Txomin Arana (ESP, Yamaha), -1 lap(s)
EMX300 Overall: 1. Samuele Bernardini (ITA, TM), 47 points; 2. Lewis Gregory (GBR, YAM), 47 p.; 3. Marco Maddii (ITA, KTM), 40 p.; 4. Josh Spinks (GBR, KTM), 34 p.; 5. Jamie Law (GBR, KTM), 33 p.; 6. Damon Strydom (GBR, HUS), 30 p.; 7. Stephane Watel (FRA, KTM), 26 p.; 8. Luke Burton (GBR, SUZ), 23 p.; 9. Michele Cencioni (ITA, KTM), 23 p.; 10. Txomin Arana (ESP, YAM), 23 p.
EMX300 Championship Standings: 1. Samuele Bernardini (ITA, TM), 135 points; 2. Marco Maddii (ITA, KTM), 125 p.; 3. Lewis Gregory (GBR, YAM), 119 p.; 4. Toms Macuks (LAT, KTM), 94 p.; 5. Stephane Watel (FRA, KTM), 80 p.; 6. Michele Cencioni (ITA, KTM), 74 p.; 7. Txomin Arana (ESP, YAM), 74 p.; 8. Bence Szvoboda (HUN, KTM), 61 p.; 9. Jean Loup Lepan (FRA, YAM), 60 p.; 10. Martin Vanleeuw (BEL, YAM), 47 p.