MXGP #111 November 2022

Dear MXGP Friends,

As we are entering the break for winter time, Infront Moto Racing staff is already preparing the next season and its opening Grand Prix in Argentina

The usual off-season started last week with EICMA, the International Motorcycle and Accessories Exhibition, in Milan, where most of the motorsport industry was represented in the Fiera Milano compound We were present as well to meet all our partners and to celebrate the great season we just ended Besides, Infront Moto Racing

INFRONT MOTO RACING STAFF IS ALREADY PREPARING THE NEXT SEASON AND ITS OPENING GRAND PRIX IN ARGENTINA

was also present at the 2022 edition of Sportel, the annual Sport Media and Broadcasting convention, in Monaco We were present to meet existing partners as well as discuss TV rights

for the upcoming season of the FIM Motocross World Championship

Then, the FIM Awards will conclude the year to honor all the World Champions, and we will use this opportunity once again to organize our annual seminar with all the 2023 MXGP season organizers to debrief on our past experiences and to prepare the best season possible

I would like to thank all our partners, the FIM, the organizers, the riders, teams, manufacturers, the media, TV and press and the photographers

I wish you a great off-season!

David Luongo

CEO of Infront Moto Racing

COOLSHOTS

COOLSHOTS

COOLSHOTS

2023 season awaits you

season you !

RACINGCATCHUP

NO PAIN NO GAIN!

tVan de Ven’s journey to her maid en world title was not an easy one, in fact, the Dutch rider finished as runner-up a total of five times, four of which were consecutive times in 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021 For the last several seasons, Van de Ven was among the title favorites and despite falling short numerous times, her resilience and perse verance is the perfect example of good things that come to those who wait – no matter how hard the losses may be

At the age of seven, Van de Ven was gifted her very first bike which was an old 65cc She first began riding for fun before entering the Dutch Championship a few years later

“My first race was a local race

IN 2022, NANCY VAN DE VEN MADE HER DREAM OF BEING A WOMEN’S MOTOCROSS WORLD CHAMPION COME TRUE AND WITH IT MADE HISTORY AS THE FIRST WMX CHAMPION FROM THE NETHERLANDS!

on my home track with a 50cc 4-stroke Honda, the day before I remember that I couldn’t sleep at all and I kept watching the same movie all night long but at the end, I finished on the podium, and I enjoyed the race a lot At the time I was doing it more for fun because I wasn’t’ training at all; I think I used my bike like one or two times per month,” remembered Van de Ven

Van de Ven’s passion for motocross came from her brother who was a rider in the Dutch Championship and even competed in a few MXGP events… “Since I was a kid I was always involved in motocross and in the beginning, I started for fun,” Nancy explained “I used to fol low my brother Rinus at the races of the Dutch Championship and then in the FIM Motocross World Championship because he used to be also a GP rider, so I travelled together with my family around Europe We can say that I grew up in the paddock more or less

Rinus had a really serious crash in 2010, he broke his back in different points, many ribs and a leg; after that, we couldn’t know if he was going to able to race again and of course he stopped riding As I al ways enjoyed riding a lot since the beginning, the focus of my family moved on me and we started to take the thing more seriously ”

When asked about her career highlights, Van de Ven recalled the time she won the 85cc Small Wheel Dutch Championship title in 2011 against the boys: “Winning the Dutch Championship in front of the boys was something really special for me and for the girls in motocross in general; at the time Motocross was not so popular as it is now for women, and it was a great result I think that win was inspiring and I hope I gave a little push to other girls to step into motocross ”

Then in 2012 she made her debut in the Women’s Motocross World Championship but her first victo ry came in 2013 in Valkenswaard,

at her home round in the Neth erlands, and from that moment in the WMX she was able to add plenty more wins and podiums to her impressive portfolio

2013 was Van de Ven’s first full season in WMX where she finished in 5th and did the same in 2014 In 2015 she finished third in the standings behind Kiara Fontan esi and Livia Lancelot and by the following year she was runner-up to Livia Lancelot and lost the title by 24 points That year was the first time she finished the season as Vice-Champion

In 2017, Van de Ven ended up fourth, but the title fight that time around was incredibly close, as the first four ladies were only sepa rated by just two points, but in the end it was Fontanesi who came out on top! Nancy arrived at the last round of the Championship in Villars Sous Ecot as Championship leader but the season finale did not go as expected and Nancy finished the Championship fourth tied in points with Courtney Duncan

In 2018, Van de Ven was once again within reach of the medal,

but fell short by just eight points She arrived at the last round of the season in Imola as the closest competitor of Fontanesi She won the first race but was second in race two and ended up second in the standings, too

In 2019 the margin was bigger, and Duncan was the champ that time around while Nancy again finished the season as Vice-Champion Though in 2020, Van de Ven ended up tied on points with Duncan for the title, but since Duncan had more race victo ries, which was the deciding factor if it comes to a tie, the title went to her Van de Ven entered Trentino with the red plate and only 10 points separated Van de Ven, Duncan, Papenmeier and Fontanesi

The full round was plenty of drama for Nancy, who at the time lined up for Ghidinelli Racing Team, starting from the opening heat when she crashed to gether with Duncan and Fontanesi, the second race was a complete turnaround as Nancy took the holeshot and led every single lap, but it was not enough to win the Championship

Van de Ven admitted that losing that time around was a tough pill to swallow saying “The crash in the first race and mistakes in the beginning of the year made it really hard for me and what I can say, what’s worse than getting sec ond in the championship with the same points I think the end of that season has been one of the most difficult mo ments of my career; I’ve been fighting with Courtney for the whole season and losing the title at the last race is some thing really difficult to accept”

In 2021, Duncan won again and Van de Ven again got the silver medal but this was not going to back down easily This time the second position was pretty unexpected as Nancy arrived at the last event in Trentino with a lot of points from the second, but she felt confi dent and put pressure on herself after a very difficult 2021 season Result was the third step of the podium at the last round of the season and a second place in the Championship

Despites the ups and downs of her racing career Van de Ven kept a strong mindset and tried to stay calm every time in and out of the track, from the

gate-drop until the final chequered flag

By far nothing could compare to the year the Dutch had in 2022

At the first round in Lombardia Van de Ven went 2-1 to win ahead of Valk, but at the second round in Portugal Valk was able to have her way, while Van de Ven was forced to settle for second At the third round, in Riola Sardo, Van de Ven finished second again, as her closest rival Valk struggled and lost the red plate as a result which landed in the hands of Van de Ven! In Spain, Van de Ven finished third and with the pressure of securing the title for the very first time in her career, the Dutch rider failed to finish inside the top three, though it did not matter as the gold plaque and medal were finally in her hands at the last round in Turkiye! It was not an easy weekend but she managed eventually to be World Cham pion: “Honestly, it’s incredible! It has been a long journey I finished second five times and every time it has been hard and harder to pick myself up and start to train again for another season ” explained Van de Ven “Before taking our flight to Turkyie we had something that we can call “Fami ly Moment” - I spoke with my dad, my mom and my brother and I told them that if I wasn’t going to win the title in Turkiye, I would have retired at the end of the season; through the years has been really really difficult and especially in the last few I really struggled a lot in finding the motivation to start another season after finishing second for so many times Finally, I managed to take the win and I feel so proud and happy about that after so bad luck and injuries It still does not feel real!!”

For 2023, Van de Ven will return to de fend her WMX title with the same team Ceres 71 Racing and we are sure that the title battle between her, Courtney Duncan and Lynn Valk will be excit ing and the title battle will end up, as a tradition now, at the last race of the Championship

Congratulations Nancy on your very first Women’s Motocross World Championship title!

remember some of the best moments of the 2022

featuring some close battles and awesome victories In this first episode, we’ll see the beginning of the dualism in MX2 that lasted all season long between Tom Vialle and Jago Geerts!

MONSTERGIRLS

MONSTERGIRLS

TEAM OFTHEMONTH

Photo: KTM

TITLE THE NEW ERA OF THE VRT KTM FACTORY JUNIORS

IN THE MIDDLE OF ALL THE TEAMS OF THE FIM MOTOCROSS WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP, THERE ARE MANY KTM SQUADS AS THE AUSTRIAN BRAND IS QUITE POPULAR IN THE PADDOCK; BUT FOR ALL OF THEM, THERE IS A STATUS THAT IS DIFFICULT TO ACHIEVE, AND NOT SO MANY ARE ABLE TO GET: BEING A KTM SUPPORTED TEAM.

During this off-season we had the chance to take a closer look at the VRT KTM Veritise, now called VRT KTM Factory Juniors Team; that means the French based team from now on is officially supported by KTM AG with the goal to revitalise the junior talent development scheme in the sport for the 2023 and 2024 seasons in the FIM Europe Motocross Championship classes The team will be integrated in the KTM AG Motocross Racing Structure

The relationship between KTM and VRT has a long story that started back in 2018 when the team stepped inside the competitive EMX125 class with Tom Guyon; that rookie

year for the team was a big success with a 5th position in the EMX125 Championship and the win in the French Championship The duo VRT-Guyon was extremely cohesive also in 2019 with a 2nd place in the EMX125 Championship and then a 2nd in the FIM Junior Motocross World Championship in Pietramurata, just behind the title winner Mattia Guadagnini

MXGP Magazine had the chance to catch up with some people from the team about its history and its current setup, starting with Mickael Vrignon, Team Owner and Team Manager: “I was riding motocross when I was young in the local championship of my region but when I decided to find my construction company “Vrignon Construction” I had

to give up because I had no time to follow the two things I was kind of heartbroken to put motocross on one side, so when I had the chance, and my company started to be solid, I decided to create Team VRT and then at the same time I met Tom Guyon, a young talented rider of my area From this moment we started a new journey together and for me, the new position not as a rider but as a Team Manager was a big challenge; much more responsibility and many things to follow up but it is a position that now I love” says Mickael Vrignon “I was positively surprised because when we started to ask for some sponsorship, as the team was getting bigger and bigger, all the people that used to support me as a rider started to support the team, and with their help even in our first years in the races we managed to achieve incredible results and show everybody

The he continued: We’re glad to make this change and be the VRT KTM Factory Juniors Team for at least the next two seasons It was important for us to continue our relationship with KTM but this is another level and we’re proud to be the ones that could give riders that last push and potentially make the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing team in the future ”

As said the history of Team VRT is linked together with Tom Guyon; they run separately in 2021 and they came back together for the 2022 season competing the challenging FIM Motocross World Championship MX2 class where Guyon finished 15th overall, with a 4th overall at the MXGP of Charente Maritime in Saint Jean d’Angely which was also his best personal result and a FOX Holeshot plate during that weekend! Achieving such a great result and doing so on home soil in front of

the potential of the team and the rider”

many French fans has been the ‘cherry on the cake’ for Guyon and Team VRT

“I’ve been riding for the team for many years now and I know every single member of it; in those years I felt home This season in the MX2 class was something new and it was really hard sometimes for me because there are many good riders, but with the support of my team, we finally managed to get a great result at end the season,” said Tom Guyon former VRT KTM Veritise rider “Also training with Pierre Alexandre has been great and I’ve learned a lot in this season and for sure it will be useful for my future career”

The 2022 season saw also a big news for the Team VRT as Pierre Alexandre Renet, former Champion in the FIM Motocross World Championship MX3 class, two-time Enduro Champion, Dakar Rally rider, and also Dakar Team Manager, stepped into the VRT squad with the role of coordinator and trainer of the riders

Having somebody so experienced and with such a solid background is not something that you see every day in small teams so we couldn’t miss the chance to ask Pierre Alexandre (Pela for friends) some questions to better understand how all the workflow is organized inside the team and how the new deal with KTM AG will change the setting within the team

MXGP Mag: Hi Pela, first of all, tell us more about the position you had in 2022 season and what you do with the riders.

Pela: “We can say that my job inside the team is various and not ordinary First of all I’m the point of reference for the riders as I check their training, the riding, and everything concerning what they do on the bike; of course we try to train all together but when I’m not with them I give them

a schedule to follow, and they keep me updated during the day and this is my main job When we have the occasion I bring the riders also to my area, Normandy (North-West of France) and we train together in different ways in order to reinforce our partnership Then when Mickael is not at races because he’s busy with his company, I also have to coordinate the team and check that everything works properly; he trusts me, and I know the big responsibility I have”

MXGP Mag: looks like you are busy with your riders all the time; how challenging is it to work with them?

Pela: “To be honest it’s really challenging but it gives me a lot of satisfaction and it’s a big push to improve even myself Working with them sometimes is difficult because you need to be really strict and friendly at the same time in order to make them follow and trust you When you find the perfect balance to deal with them, it is a really big success because they listen to what you say to them, and you can see the results coming, last but not least I always learn something from them ”

MXGP Mag: From the outside maybe people don’t have an idea of how much work there is behind the scenes to make everything work properly during a GP. Do you want to tell us more?

Pela: “You are correct The work done behind the scenes is really huge especially for us as we are a small team competing in challenging classes like the MX2 and the EMX250 Hours of preparation with the riders and all the team members in order to not to have any problems during the racing weekend like that everybody is focused only in his task and we don’t miss anything ”

MXGP Mag: The big news is that from now on the team VRT will receive direct support from KTM, tell us more.

Pela: “I think this is a prize for all the great work we did in those years with young riders and how we helped them to grow up; now even more than before we’ll put all our effort to prepare the riders to be ready for the big jump From the outside it’s not easy to see but there is a big gap between the 125cc 2-stroke bikes and the 250cc 4-stroke bikes and this part of the rider’s career is crucial as many of them get lost in this transition; so together with KTM AG we’ll follow the riders and prepare them for their future in the

MX2 and MXGP classes of the FIM Motocross World Championship ” MXGP Mag: How is the deal with KTM? What will change for the team?

Pela: “For us it will be a big step because we’ll get more support for the bikes, communication and many other facilities that we used to do by ourselves, so from now on our life will be easier during the races in order to be more focused on our riders I know KTM AG for a long time as I already worked together with them and I’m sure we’ll achieve great results with this new partnership ”

The goals for the team VRT KTM Factory Juniors are set; becoming a factorysupported team is the dream of every team and doing that with a brand like KTM is even greater The structures and policies KTM have to help riders and team to reach their sporting goals are a pride for KTM who will play a big role in the growth of the emerging riders

Now the French squad will become even more of a point of reference in the European classes The riders haven’t been announced yet, but they will line up two riders in EMX250 in 2023 and 2024, but we are sure we will hear a lot about them closer to the upcoming 2023 season

SPECIALFEATURE

FEATURE

GET TO KNOW THE EMX CHAMPIONS OF 2022

OVER THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS THE EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIPS HAVE BEEN A GREAT SUCCESS WITH AN INCREASING NUMBER OF ENTRIES IN EVERY EUROPEAN CLASS. MANY OF THE CURRENT MXGP AND MX2 RIDERS IN FACT FOLLOWED THE PYRAMID SCHEME STARTING FROM THE EMX TO ACHIEVE THE BIGGEST STAGES OF THE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS MAKING THE LEVEL OF THE COMPETITION HIGHER AND HIGHER EVERY YEAR.

The EMX classes are running at all the European rounds of the MXGP with the chance for the riders to race the same tracks and have the same coverage of the World Championship

While the EMX65, EMX85, EMX125 and EMX250 categories feature young riders who have the hope to race the World Championship one day, the EMX2T and EMXOpen welcome even bigger boys keen on being European Champions in front of the likes of a world-level crowd

2022 EMX250 European Champion: Rick Elzinga

Riders profile

Name: Ric Elzinga

Date of Birth: 11/01/2001

Nationality: Dutch

Place of birth: Hengelo

Racing Number: 44

Team: Hutten Metaal Yamaha Racing

Best Results: EMX250 European Champion

The EMX250 title this season went to Rick Elzinga who impressed many by his performance and as a result will compete in the MX2 World Championship next year as part of the Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing MX2 Team!

Elzinga, born in Hengelo, Netherlands first started riding at around three or four years old, with a “60cc, really old school bike that my father god from a friend” he recalled, “then after some months of riding with this bike we realized that I was enjoying it a lot and I switched to a regular 50cc bike” he added

After growing up watching his father compete in Speedway and winning the Dutch Championship twice, before switching to Enduro, a young Elzinga followed his father to the races and grew up around racing “as you know motocross is really popular in the Netherlands,

so I had also many friends practicing motocross so when I started, it was like a big family” Elzinga explained

The young Dutchman wasted no time to follow in his father’s footsteps and entered his first races, where he was quite successful His first victory came in the competitive 65cc small wheel class and more victories followed before he was crowned the Dutch Champion in 125cc in 2015 Though of course of his biggest achievements to date is winning the EMX250 Championship in 2022

Elzinga had a solid season, dominating the first two rounds, as well as picking up his first 1-1 in Portugal The following round the Dutchman failed to make a podium appearance but at the round of Sardegna came back to finish second, though this was when his struggle with illness became apparent Elzinga powered through at the next rounds to win in France and Germany, before finishing second in Lommel and missing on the podium in Sweden, Finland and Charente Maritime – though this was not important because points wise he was well ahead of the field and was able to wrap up the title!

Elzinga finished with 365 points, 32 points ahead of Lucas Coenen, while Cornelius Toendel, who was Elzinga’s closest rival for the title up to the last races, made some big mistakes that cost him valuable points

“At the beginning of the season, I had big expectations because this winter I worked really well, I changed a lot my technique with my trainer, Herjan Brake, in order to improve my weaknesses and I push my limit further The EMX250 is a tough class with many good riders coming every year so winning it makes me even more proud” explained Elzinga

Now the Dutchman will set his sights on the next chapter of his career as he will join the Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing MX2 Team for the 2023 season!

2022 EMX125 Presented by FMF Racing Champion: Cas Valk

Riders profile

Name: Cas Valk

Date of Birth: 28/06/2005

Nationality: Dutch

Place of birth: Hellendoorn

Racing Number: 172

Team: Fantic Factory Team Maddi

Best Results: EMX125 Presented by FMF Racing Champion

After some close battles and some intense racing, Fantic Factory Team Maddii’s Cas Valk was able to secure the EMX125 Presented by FMF Racing title at the final round in Finland Though the gold plate did not come easy for the Dutchman, who for the most part of the season, battled with his teammate Alexis Fueri and then the Reisulis brothers, Karlis Alberts and Janis Martins who were a forced to be reckoned with

Valk started his 2022 campaign with an overall victory in Matterley Basin, followed by a third placed at the round of Trentino before bouncing back with a win in Latvia The Dutchman then struggled in Spain as he failed to finish inside the top three for the first time this season, but again, in true Champion character, bounced back to win the French round the following weekend

Germany saw Fueri top the podium as he edged closer to Valk in terms of the championship points, but then with both riders struggling in the deep sand of Lommel, this allowed Janis-Martins Reisulis and Karlis Alberts Reisulis to close in after the pair finished first and third on the box

During the final two rounds of the series, Valk did not manage to win, as Ivano Van Erp dominated both races, but it did not matter as Valk was Champion nonetheless! He eventually received the gold plate and medal after finishing the year on 363

points, 49 points ahead of K Reisulis and J Reisulis

For Valk it was his first time winning a European title and will no doubt be the last as he looks to move up to the EMX250 class next season

But where did it all start? Well, Valk first started race at the age of eight After watching his older sister, Lynn Valk, this year’s runner-up in the Women’s Motocross World Championship, he entered some local races and then after a year switched to the 65cc and started doing some professional races in the Dutch Championship

“The one that inspired me more is my sister because she was already riding motocross and basically, I started with her, then of course when I was a kid I was a big fan of Ken Roczen” Valk recalled

When asked about his career highlights so far, Valk was quick to recall his first EMX125 Presented by FMF Racing podium in 2021 followed by his victory in 2022!

“For sure my first podium in the EMX125 Presented by FMF Racing was last year in 2021 in Mantova and it was a really good moment Another incredible moment it was this season’s first race in Matterley Basin when I won and took the overall and the red plate because I wasn’t expecting that and last but not least the last race of the Championship in Finland when I won the Championship” he explained

“It’s strange and still unbelievable for me I still didn’t realize that properly because at the beginning of the season I wasn’t expecting that, my goal was to do Top 3 but, in the end, we won, and I realized one of the dreams I had since I was a kid” Valk added

For 2023, Valk will enter the EMX250 class, where he will aim for podium positions and take it as a learning process on his way to a future in racing the FIM Motocross World Championship!

2022 EMX Open Champion: José Butron

Rider profile

Name: José Butron

Date of Birth: 01/27/1991

Nationality: Spanish

Place of birth: Cadiz

Racing Number: 17

Team: JD Gunnex KTM Racing Team

Best Results: 2022 EMX Open European Champion, 3rd position FIM Motocross World Championship MX2 2013

When it comes to racing, this year’s EMX Open Champion José Butron knows a thing or two about racing at the highest level Having made his debut in the FIM Motocross World Championship in Faenza 2008 in MX2, Butron enjoyed an impressive career racing at the highest level for 13 years, right up until 2021

During his time as a Grand Prix rider, Butron was known for his incredible starts but when it comes to results, 2013 was no doubt his most successful season This was when Butron competed in the MX2 category which saw him finish on the podium 7 times, 8 overall in his career – though unfortunately that GP victory never came

After hanging up his boots as a GP racer at the end of 2021, Butron made the decision to enter the EMX Open class and set his goals on taking the title – which he ultimately did of course!

Butron’s passion for bikes, enduro and motocross in particular, came from his father and uncle “I grew up with dirt bikes since I was a kid I had a track close to my parents house and when I was a kid, I used to spend all my day riding there and this is how I become a rider” he explained Butron started riding at the age of five and never looked back

After making his debut in the FIM Motocross World Championship,

Butron was one of the most successful Spaniards at the time In his time as a GP rider he made 8 podium appearances and represented Team Spain 7 times at the Monster Energy FIM Motocross of Nations!

In 2013, Butron finished third in the MX2 World Championship with the Silver Action Team which he says is still his career highlight In 2022, Butron added another career highlight by winning the EMX Open title

Butron started this season with a second in Great Britain behind Michael Sandner, before struggling in Trentino The Spaniard then made a comeback in Latvia to win the round and then finished second in Maggiora and Finland before winning in Turkiye where he wrapped up the title

“Being competitive is always a big emotion and doing that and winning this title is something special for me, for the team and for all of the people behind me in all of the difficult years”

Next season, Butron is set to return and compete in the EMX Open Championship once again where he will aim to defend his title!

The

Previously, Macuks has competed in the EMX Open class which was introduced in 2020 The Latvian showed some good results that year, starting off the series with 1st overall at the round of Latvia, followed by podium finishes at the round of Kegums, Trentino, again a victory in Pietramurata and a second at the final round Garda Trentino to end the year second in the championship behind the 2020 Champion Karel Kutsar

For 2021 we did not see Macuks in the European scene, though he returned in 2022 to compete in the EMX2t Championship round in Czech Republic

Like most riders, Macuks first started riding at the age of three, when his father bought him his first minicross

“To be honest, at the beginning I wasn’t enjoying so much riding because I was really scared of the noise of the bike but then with the help and support of my mother, I started to enjoy it” admitted Macuks

Watching his father riding the bigger bikes, a young Macuks got inspired to follow his father’s footsteps and dream of one day becoming a professional rider Not long after, he entered his first race, and the rest was history

“[my first race] was a race in my area and I still remember that I wasn’t focused at all because I was watching a nice butterfly on the start…at the time I was still a kid ;-)” he recalled

Winning the title this year in the EMX2t class was a dream come true for Macuks who had always dreamed of winning a European Championship

“It’s still unbelievable, it was my biggest goal, and achieving this result made me feel like a “complete” rider; I’d been following this title for so long then finally I did it” Macuks explained

2022 EMX85 European Champion: Vitezslav Marek

Rider Profile:

Name: Vitezslav Marek

Date of Birth: 18/4/2008

Nationality: Czech Republic

Place of Birth (City): Pardubice

Racing Number: 479

Best Results:

2022 EMX85 Champion

2021 EMX85 Champion 2019 EMX65 Champion

2019 65cc Junior World Cup Winner

This year’s EMX85 European Championship finals in Loket, Czech Republic, saw home hero Vitezslav Marek secure his third European title to become the 2022 winner in the EMX85 category This is not the first major title that Marek has won, as he was also the EMX65 winner in 2019 as well as crowned Junior World Cup Winner in the same category, followed by the EMX85 title last year in Riola Sardo

Born in Pardubice, Czech Republic, Marek started riding when he was just four years old, taking part in his first race the same year Recalling his first time behind the gate, Marek said “I was very nervous, but I won”

Marek’s first taste of victory came in the 50cc class when he was crowned Czech Champion Then in 2017, Marek took part in his first EMX races, though was forced out mid-way through the championship due to injury

2018 was a good year for him as he was sixth at the EMX finals in Loket followed by a race victory at the Junior Motocross World Championship in Australia

But in 2019 was when Marek would have his best season to date The young rider from Czech Republic impressed at the Junior Motocross World Championship in Pietramurata where he went 2-1 to secure the world cup A couple of weeks later he followed that up with two race victories in the EMX65 category at the European finals that took place on his home soil

in Loket He then also secured the national title in Czech Republic

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic we saw no junior races in 2020, but the popular events returned in 2021 First was the Junior Motocross World Championship in Megalopolis, Greece Marek went on to win the opening race but got unlucky in race two and finished third He was tied on points with Mattia Barbieri who went on to claim the title that time around due to his race victory in the second heat

A few weeks later it was time for the European Finals in Sardinia Marek took a race victory and a second which gave him 47 points overall and it was enough to secure the EMX85 title

In 2022, Marek made the move up to the EMX125 Presented by FMF Racing class, where he finished 11th in the standings, though when the EMX65 and EMX85 finals were announced in Loket, Czech Republic, he could not miss an opportunity to take part in the EMX85 class at his home

track in front of thousands of supporters!

Marek went 2-1 as he battled closely with Dutchman Gyan Doensen, but the race victory in the second heat was the deciding factor for the rider from Czech Republic who secured his third European title

2022 EMX65 Winner Ricardo Bauer

Riders profile

Name: Ricardo Bauer

Date of Birth: 15/10/2010

Nationality: Austrian

Place of birth: Wiener Neustadt

Racing Number: 198

Team: KTM MX Team Schönberg Lachtal

Best Results: 2022 EMX65 Winner

Ricardo Bauer was impressive at this year’s EMX65 finals in Loket,

Czech Republic, that saw the young Austrian go 1-1 in the races to secure the EMX65 crown in style!

11-year-old Bauer first started riding at the age of 6, after being inspired by his father to try motocross Just two years later, the Austrian entered his first race which was the Czech Championship, and the rest was history

While Bauer may be young, he has already some impressive career highlights, having won the Enduro Junior Championship in 2018 in the 50cc category and then in 2019 he also won in the 65cc class Of course, this season, he added two more notable results, by winning the EMX65 Championship finals in Loket as well as finishing second in the FIM Junior Motocross World Championship in Finland in the 65cc class

Next season, Bauer will make the move up to 85cc classes and chase more victories and titles!

Congratulations to ALL our EMX Starts and Good Luck for your next season!

SECTIONNAME HALLOFFAME

TITLE

MIKE “BROWNIE” BROWN

MIKE BROWN IS ONE OF THE AMERICAN RIDERS WHO WON GP’S IN HIS CAREER, BUT HE WAS ALSO AN EXAMPLE FOR MOST OF HIS COUNTRYMEN AS HE DIDN’T HESITATE TO CROSS SEVERAL TIMES THE ATLANTIC DURING HIS CAREER. HE STARTED RACING IN THE US, WENT TO EUROPE FOR ONE SEASON, WENT BACK TO US, WENT BACK AGAIN RACING GP’S, WENT ANOTHER TIME TO US WHERE HE WON HIS MAJOR TITLE, AND HE FINALLY ENDED HIS MOTOCROSS CAREER IN EUROPE!

Born on 1st May 1972, Mike Brown had to wait his thirteenth birthday to get his first bike His father was racing local events, but his mother didn’t want her son to have a bike and even more to race! Step by step he improved his ability and he was already nineteen when he got some interesting results in the 125cc Supercross series, and got a deal with team Pro Circuit to race the 1992 series Unfortunately, the results were not as good as expected by Mitch Payton, and he was back as a privateer for the following season Working during the off season for a motorcycle dealer to earn some money and pay his expenses, Mike had the opportunity to start working his physical conditions with some friends riding VTT He got stronger physically and he got some good results in the outdoors, so he joined team Honda of Troy in 1995 and won

and Motocross races in the 125cc class

He was forced to move to the 250cc class in 1997 as he scored too many points in the 125cc, and Mike had the opportunity to sign with Yamaha Rinaldi to compete the 250cc World Championship alongside Tallon Vohland Missing the first rounds due to an injury, he scored several top five results and discovered another world Back to US in 1998 he had an offer to go back racing GP’s in 1999 and became one of the main protagonist of the 125cc class For the first time he had a taste of a GP podium at Cingoli, then won his first moto at Mill to finish the season in third position With more experience, he was even stronger in 2000; he won eight motos and three GP’s, he just missed some consistency to fight for the title He was once again third of the championship and British champion when he went back with more experience to US where he joined the Kawasaki Pro Circuit team

“It was good for me to go racing in Europe, I learned a lot I really had to adjust how to ride a 125cc, because those guys rode totally different over there with their cornering speed I did well, won three GPs and had 10 podiums in those two years and all I learned in Europe helped me go back to the US in 2001 ”

His come back in US was a good move for him, as he dominated the 125cc Motocross series in 2001; Supercross vice champion in 2002 and 2003, Mike went back another time – the third one – in Europe as he joined team Cas Honda to compete the MX1 series in 2007 Racing the MX2 class in Great Britain he won the championship for the second time in his career, but struggled in the MX1 class until mid season, when he won one moto at Sugo (Japan); seventh of the series, he was back in 2008 but his campaign was over when he got injured at mid season Mike flew back home to have a ‘normal life’ with his wife and his two children, and he would never go back racing in Europe but opened another successful chapter of his career as he entered and won the off-road series and competed at the X Games where he won several gold medals! Still riding a bike at 50 years old, he works at the Baker Factory where he can give good advice to the young riders

1991: 5th in the 125 US Supercross Championship East Coast (Honda)

1992: 7th in the 125 US Supercross Championship East Coast (Honda)

1993: 7th in the 125 US Supercross Championship East Coast (Honda)

1994: 4th in the 125 US Supercross Championship East Coast (Honda)

1995: 2nd in the 125 US Supercross Championship East Coast (Honda)

1997: 11th in the 250 World Championship (Yamaha)

1998: 5th in the 125 US Motocross Championship (Yamaha)

1999: 3rd in the 125 World Championship (Honda)

2000: 3rd in the 125 World Championship (Honda). Win 3 125 British Champion

2001: 1st in the 125 US Motocross Championship (Kawasaki)

2002: 2nd in the 125 US Supercross Championship East Coast (Kawasaki)

2003: 2nd in the 125 US Supercross Championship East Coast (Kawasaki)

2004: 3rd in the 125 US Motocross Championship (Yamaha)

2005: 5th in the 125 US Motocross Championship (Yamaha)

2007: 7th in the MX1 World Championship (Honda) 125 British Champion

2009: Winner of the World Off Road Championship Series (WORCS)

2011: Endurocross Silver medal at the X Games

2012: Endurocross Gold Medal at the X Games

2013: Endurocross Gold Medal at the X Games

2015: Endurocross Gold Medal at the X Games

Text and Photos: Pascal Haudiquert

PADDOCKTALKS

SPECIALFEATURE

TEN TIME FIM MOTOCROSS WORLD CHAMPION STEFAN EVERTS REALLY NEEDS NO INTRODUCTION, ESPECIALLY SINCE HE IS CONSIDERED AS THE BEST RIDER TO EVER THROW A LEG OVER A DIRT BIKE IN THE MOTOCROSS WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP. THE MOST WORLD TITLES AND MOST GP WINS STILL BELONG TO THE BELGIAN LEGEND, BUT WHEN HE WON HIS THIRD WORLD TITLE IN 1996, EVERTS BECAME THE FIRST RIDER TO ACHIEVE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP SUCCESS WITH THREE DIFFERENT BRANDS, AND IT’S STEFAN’S 1996 HONDA RC250 THAT WE WILL FEATURE IN THIS ISSUE OF MXGP MAGAZINE.

Stefan Everts’ claimed his first world championship in 1991 in the 125cc class but had to wait until 1995 to win his second title, where he edged out fellow Belgian, Marnicq Bervoets for his first 250cc crown, racing for the JHK Kawasaki Racing Team But, whilst things may have looked nice and rosy on the outside, there were a few rumblings of dissatisfaction going on beneath the surface, resulting in a change of direction for the following 1996 season, as Stefan recalls:

‘Towards the end of ’95, I wasn’t really happy with the proposal from Jan de Groot and Kawasaki, and at the same time I was in contact with (new agent / manager) Dave Grant On that side we both saw big things for the future; I had always dreamed to be on a factory Honda, and he helped to make that dream come true for me to be on a HRC bike But, it had to go through Colin Reed’s RWJ Honda Team, (which was based in England), who I think had already been with HRC for a couple of years ’

First impressions go a long way and it was important that Everts’ first ride went according to plan So, what does he

STEFAN EVERTS 1996 HONDA RC250

remember his first experience on the RC250?

‘It felt immediately like it was a bike I’d been riding for the last ten years One of the first things I changed was the seat, because I had always been riding with a higher seat along with the same handlebar bend that Eric Geboers always used, but for ’96 I changed both of those two things ’

‘With the seat, I went to the standard seat height which made a huge difference to my position on the bike But, nevertheless, the bike was so good; really good, from the beginning The suspension felt like it was a sofa (an expression used to determine how comfortable it made him feel), and the performance and the power of the engine was nice, was smooth It was just awesome ’

For most kids growing up racing in the 1980’s and early nineties, racing for HRC was considered as a massive achievement in itself; it meant you were the best of the best, and after hearing the recollections of past riders who were part of that elite set-up, it was hard not to be impressed and somewhat jealous at the same time Riders such as Jean-Michel Bayle and Trampas Parker’s minds were blown when they showed up for their first tests with HRC; the testing programme was extensive, as almost every part - factory, not stock - needed to be tested Stefan Everts was going to be a very busy rider during the offseason:

‘Not really! In my Suzuki days we had those kinds of tests, where we had a hundred million things to try, but not with the Honda For us, it was really basic The bike was

there but there were not many options to test! We did the first test in Spain at a track called Navas, but, after that test, I was already pretty happy straight away ’

One of the things that had evolved since his first year in the 250cc class in 1992, was his engine set-up, and whilst some will look at the constant of switching from one brand of motorcycle to another as disloyal, it does have it benefits, as Everts found for himself:

‘I remember when I went from the Suzuki to the Kawa’ it was a big change in the direction that I wanted to go, and that meant having a bike that was not so aggressive

‘When I went to the Kawa’ this was already a lot better, and then jumping to the Honda it was really smooth underneath but it had such a nice top power all the way through It was just perfect; so, from that side there was not much to do

from testing and there were no other requests (from my side)

The bike itself was as full as a HRC bike that was available at the time The frame and swingarm were standard, but it was all of the hard parts where the real gains were made The cylinder and cylinder head, piston, crank, conrod and 5-speed gear box were all produced by HRC, along with the exhaust pipe and silencer The carburettor was 38mm Keihin Magnesium crank and clutch cases were also HRC The swingarm and linkage were standard, although if needed, different linkage options were available to test if needed The factory KYB (Kayaba) forks were married to factory triple clamps which had special sized titanium bolts to keep things nice and tight, and as we have already discovered, Everts changed his seat height and handlebar bend which offered him an improved ergonomic feeling in the cockpit The brakes were standard Nissin

The season couldn’t have started any better, with Everts taking four wins from four starts in Spain and Holland, although his Dutch GP win was possibly the most impressive of those two victories It was also something that almost cost him his season:

‘I raced in Valkenswaard when I had a fever; I went so deep and won both moto’s but felt so bad when I drove home Everyone was like ‘yeah, he’s not even sick,’ especially on the side of (Marnicq) Bervoets and Suzuki They didn’t believe that I was sick, but then I got the hammer from that I even had to miss the British Championship the next week to recover from my illness ’

The after effects continued through to Germany (Round

3) and Poland (Round 4) where he went 2-10 and 10-DNF respectively The fever had finished him off By round five some two weeks later, Everts was on the mend but had to play second fiddle (2-2) to his main rival, Bervoets, who went 1-1 to claim his fourth GP win in a row The cancellation of Argentina allowed more recovery time, but when the action resumed in Sweden and Finland, Everts was facing a new dilemma, and this time it was mechanical:

‘My bike wasn’t running that good since Mantova I didn’t have any top power I always suspected my mechanic was doing things on the bike that he shouldn’t do without permission from our HRC race mechanic Something had changed, and we continued struggling In Finland, I pulled out because I felt some engine vibration I thought the bike was going to break

‘The comment I got a few weeks later was that there was nothing wrong with the bike, but I didn’t think they were being honest with me

‘At Foxhill (England) we had a Japanese technician with us and suddenly the bike was running tip-top! It was just like it was at the beginning of the year, and from there on I just took off, I was back ’

Stefan’s 1-1 in England kicked his campaign back in to life; he dominated Brazil at the following round and was beginning to narrow the gap to Bervoets The remaining rounds were critical, and none more so than San Marino, the next race on the calendar A freak thunderstorm had swept through the region on Sunday morning, and the FIM were almost forced to cancel the GP, and had Everts and Bader Manneh not ridden a lap on their spare bikes to show that the track was rideable, then

the event may well have been cancelled Everts went 4-3 to Bervoets’ 0-6; his mood enhanced, as he lapped his rival in the first race

The next GP in France provided more drama, and as Everts went 1-1 for his sixth win in eight starts, Bervoets jumped out of the track and was deemed to have received outside assistance in order to get back within the confines of the circuit, and when the GP was done, Bervoets lead had been cut from 71 points after Finland (GP8) to just a single point, with two rounds remaining Next stop, Belgium

There had been another twist along the way as well After winning in England, Everts bike failed a fuel test, and his points had been deducted His case was taken to the courts, who eventually overruled the original decision, hence how we arrived in Belgium with two home riders separated by one point:

‘Going into Kester, Belgium, I knew we were close, which

made it exciting I won the first moto but Marnicq crashed on the first turn, and he had to come through the pack (to 12th) And the second moto the opposite happened; I crashed in the first turn and he had the holeshot I don’t who won the race’

Marnicq won, but Everts came back to 4th, and left for the final round with an 11 point lead

In Switzerland, Everts went 1-3 to Bervoets 2-2 and crossed the line as a three-time world champion, and the first rider to win for three different brands, but the most impressive thing was coming back from a 71 point deficit with six rounds to go:

‘I said to myself, listen! I have a very, very, very small chance of still winning this championship, and that small chance I’m gonna take! I’m not gonna put that small chance in the bin I’m gonna go for that! From then, I flicked the switch in my head and I said ‘I have to go out and win! That’s all I have to do, and see how it ends!’

Winning the title though came with mixed emotions Of course, he was pleased to have won, but also in that moment, the title race was still not over:

‘It was different than (when I won) the others, because that fuel thing was sad; it was decided that I get my points back but I think Suzuki was still trying to appeal that decision, so it was like, today I am world champion but maybe in a few weeks I’m not anymore; so, it was a bit of a strange situation ’

Stefan Everts won 12 races and claimed 5 GP wins during the 1996 campaign to become the fifth rider to win a 250cc title for Honda, which was also the twenty-first for the Japanese brand

2nd on three occasions and 3rd overall twice, and won 17 races along the way He also took ten 2nd places and four 3rd place finishes

Photos: Pascal Haudiquert

QUESTIONS

TOTHEEDITOR

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I live near Ernée and I would like to know how to buy tickets online for my family?

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Hello MXGP, I want to know where I can see the pictures of the public taken at the MXGP of Germany, I was there ;-) thanks in advance Simon❞

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In 2023 the Monster Energy FIM You just have to go on the MXGP Store website by clicking on this link and you will find everything! https:// www.mxgp-store.com/shop/ maglietta-mxgp-bianca-2/ Thanks

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