Motul ACU British Motocross Championship: Round 5, Monster Mountain MX
MX1 Class
Charlie Putnam continued his steady progress towards the top 10, with two consistent rides inside the top 15. P15 in race one and P14 in race two. Each round he is closing the gap, and the consistency is exactly what you want to see building at this stage of the season.
Jess (JHMX)
Syd Putnam also had a strong weekend, scoring points in both motos with P20 in race one and a P16 in race two, his best result of the season so far. Real signs of progress for the SC Sporthomes rider.
Jess (JHMX)
MX2 Class
Charlie Heyman is beginning to look like a rider who simply cannot be stopped. Round five of the MXGB at Monster Mountain produced another 1-1 result for the SC Sporthomes Husqvarna rider. Brilliant starts, at the sharp end within the first corner, and from there he controlled both motos with a calm confidence that is becoming his trademark.
"I kinda just do the same job every week, and I'm here to win. That's what I aim to do." Monster Mountain had received a heavy watering in the morning and the track was tricky early on. Charlie made a tyre switch from a paddle to a mud compound between motos and felt the conditions improving as the day went on. "If the water stays in the ground, it's gonna be mega for the next one." His championship lead now sits at 55 points and it is hard to find a gap in this performance at the moment.
Jess (JHMX)
Jamie Keith had a strong showing. He was running in the mix for much of race one, going head to head with Heyman and finishing P2, his best MX2 result so far. A backmarker disrupted his flow at a key moment and cost him some time, but he was measured about it afterwards. "You can't really complain at second, can you?" Race two brought a P5 and he left the weekend P4 overall. What is becoming clear is that Jamie is settling into MX2 with more confidence each round. "I've changed quite a lot on my bike just to suit it to me a little bit more, and I think that's showing." At 17 years old, getting comfortable racing against grown men is exactly the kind of experience that builds careers.
Sotirios Fotakis (SJ) continued his own progress in the class, finishing P23 in race one and P22 in race two. Still pushing to break into the points, but the direction of travel is positive and there is plenty to build on.
Jess (JHMX)
125 Class
A solid weekend for our riders in the 125 class. Joel Winstanley Dawson had a weekend that got better as it went on. Race one was a difficult afternoon from the gate, a poor start left him chasing and he came through to P6. He used that experience well and came out a different rider in race two, crossing the line in P2 for a P3 overall finish. For his first year in the class, that kind of response to adversity is exactly what builds a career. "I'm actually really happy with that. For my first year, I'm really happy. Riding really well."
Chad Prince put in a strong charge through the field in race one, coming from last to finish P23. He followed that up with an even better race two, crossing the line in a solid P19.
Jess (JHMX)
Arthur Moore had a solid race one, coming home in P4 and showing real pace through the moto. Race two was tougher and he crossed the line in P11, but there were plenty of positives to build on heading into the next round.
Norman KTM Factory Rookies: EMX125, Lacapelle-Marival, France & Kegums, Latvia
It has been a remarkable fortnight for the Norman KTM Factory Rookies, with double podiums at consecutive EMX125 rounds and an increasingly firm grip on the top two championship positions.
Two weekends ago in Lacapelle-Marival, France, it was Ricardo Bauer who stepped into the spotlight. Moritz Ernecker took race one in dominant fashion, with Bauer close behind in P2. Race two saw the positions reversed. Bauer powered through for the moto win while Ernecker crossed in P4. That 2-1 scorecard gave Bauer the overall victory, his first ever EMX125 win. A proper milestone for the young Austrian and a result that has been building all season.
Then last weekend in Kegums, Latvia, it was Ernecker's turn. Both riders came flying out of qualifying. Ernecker topping Group A, Bauer the fastest in his group by a considerable margin and that pace carried straight into the races.
Race one belonged to Bauer. He grabbed the holeshot and led from start to finish, with Ernecker crossing the line just 0.7 seconds behind for P2. An incredibly close result that had the team in a strong position heading into the second moto.
Race two was Ernecker's masterclass. He took the holeshot and rode a flawless race from start to finish, never threatened and never under pressure. A convincing moto win that handed him the overall victory for the weekend. Bauer had a tougher second moto, working from around P10 up through the field before a small mistake dropped him back. He fought his way to P9 to secure P3 overall. A composed recovery that shows exactly the kind of race craft that keeps riders in championship contention.
Two consecutive weekends. Two overall victories, one each. Double podiums at both rounds. The Norman KTM Factory Rookies now extend their advantage over the rider in third in the standings, with Ernecker leading the championship and Bauer his closest challenger. The next round heads to Águeda, Portugal on June 27-28, and on current form there is no reason to expect anything other than more of the same.
Spanish Motocross Championship
Alongside the European action, our Spanish riders were in action at the Spanish Motocross Nationals and it was another strong weekend across the board.
Daniela Guillén remains in a class of her own in the women's category, adding another victory to what is becoming a commanding season. In the MX2 class, Adrià Monné continues to hold the championship leader's plate. An impressive position to be in, and one that held even after Tiburcio doubled up on race wins over the weekend. That kind of resilience in the standings is the mark of a consistent campaign. In the MX125 class, Pau Caudet and Jordi Alba were both in the mix through what was described as a hotly contested round, with Oleguer Riba taking the double and tightening his own championship lead. In MX1, Rubén Fernández was the dominant force of the round, taking a convincing double victory and topping the overall.
SHR Motorsports by Hartje: German MXGP, Teutschenthal
Our partners at SHR Motorsports by Hartje made the trip to the iconic Teutschenthal valley for the German round of the Motocross World Championship, backed by an enthusiastic home crowd and one of the calendar's most atmospheric venues.
Swedish rider Albin Gerhardsson competed as a wildcard in the MXGP class, improving through qualifying to start the weekend in P36 overall. Race one was a solid P28 despite being drawn to a difficult outside grid position on one of the trickiest first corners on the calendar. Race two was shaping up well before a technical issue, a clutch lever working loose, brought his afternoon to an early end. Frustrating, but with clear progression to build on.
The moment of the weekend for SHR came from 17-year-old Bibi Finnja Bestmann, who achieved something she had been pushing for across her first few World Championship appearances. Qualifying directly for the races at her home Grand Prix. A P40 in qualifying earned her spot in both races, a personal milestone that had narrowly slipped away at this same venue twelve months ago when she was listed only as a reserve. She went on to put in two solid race performances, gaining valuable experience at the highest level. The entire team was rightly proud of her. These are the moments that build World Championship riders.
A lot of ground covered across three weekends. Charlie Heyman is putting together a championship-winning season. Ricardo Bauer has his first EMX win in the book, and Ernecker followed it up with an overall victory in Latvia the very next weekend. Daniela Guillén continues to be unstoppable in Spain. And at Teutschenthal, a 17-year-old qualified for her home GP for the very first time. More racing ahead!
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WE ARE UNBEATEN IN EMX & WMX, MORITZ ERNECKER, RICARDO BAUER, DANIELA GUILLEN WIN EVERYTHING!