IT’S CHAMPION TIME!
MXGP MAG
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MXGP Mag #132 2024
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GIRLS
DEAR MXGP FANS, WE JUST WITNESSED A FANTASTIC END OF SEASON WITH AN EPIC MONTH!
On the MXGP and MX2 World Championship, the month of September was an amazing final sprint for the titles. After Turkiye, the MXGP went back to Shanghai after five years of waiting. We had a challenging weekend due to the Bebinka Typhoon touching the region during the same days of the Grand Prix, but thanks to the collaboration with the authorities and all the stakeholders, we managed to run the Grand Prix on one day and we could deliver a great event.
The finale of the Championship would land in Cózar, a new venue in Spain, and during that weekend we had not less than four titles still to be decided. In MXGP, Tim Gajser and Jorge Prado were just separated by seven points and in MX2, Husqvarna Nestaan teammates Kay De Wolf and Lucas Coenen could still be able to claim the title. In front of a huge number of Spanish fans, Prado was able to win his second World Title in MXGP, back-to-back, and in MX2, Kay De Wolf was crowned for the very first time World Champion!
In the European championships 125cc and 250cc, here again both titles were still on the game. The Hungarian Noel Zanocz became European Champion at the very last race of the season, while the French talent Mathis Valin was crowned EMX250 Champion.
A week later, Matterley Basin hosted the most awaited Monster Energy Motocross of Nations. I believe it is fair to say that this year’s edition was the most intense and exciting MXoN of the last decades, even the best. The amount of World Champions and top guns were just amazing. The intensity of the three races on Sunday will stay in the memory of everyone. This is all what the MXoN is about. The ultimate event of the year, all the best riders in the world together for the biggest pleasure of the motocross lovers.
Jett and Hunter Lawrence together with Kyle Webster in MX2 offered their very first title to Australia. Team USA finished in a very honorable second position and The Netherlands completed the podium. Everybody will remember this final race of the day and the ultimate battle between Jett Lawrence and Tim Gajser. The Slovenian won the race on the very last corner. This is Motocross and this kind of weekend is bringing our sport to new highs.
During the MXoN we announced some great news for the future. The biggest one was for sure the comeback of the Monster Energy FIM Motocross of Nations to USA on the track of Ironman on the 3rd/4th/5th of October 2025. The collaboration between the MX
Sports and Infront Moto Racing to organize great events in USA continues to strengthen. After Ironman, the Monster Energy Motocross of Nations will go back to France in 2026, at the World-Renowned track of Ernee. We also confirmed the date of the return of the MXGP to Australia on the 20th/21 of September 2025.
The 2025 provisional calendar was revealed last week. The MXGP will propose a fantastic season with twenty Grand Prix and the Monster Energy FIM Motocross of Nations. Argentina will continue the tradition of opening the championship, but with a new venue located in Cordoba, a region of hardcore motorsport fans. The 2025 season will be a very strong year of organization for France as they will host two Grand Prix, the Junior World Championship and the Motocross of European Nations.
On the media side, we just launched the early bird package subscription of MXGP-TV.com for the 2025 season and we have good news. From next year, we will add the live broadcast of the Time Practice for the MX2 and MXGP category to allow our fans to get even more images of the weekend. MXGP-TV continue to be the ultimate media to follow MXGP Worldwide, from any devices you have and at any time you want.
To conclude I would like to congratulate all our 2024 champions who gave an amazing show to all our fans.
I would alos like to thank all our 21 organizers that have put all their energy to give the MXGP stakeholders the best conditions possible to work during the weekend and to the spectators to have great experience onsite, all our OAT and private teams, their mechanics, the medias attending the events, the FIM for the great collaboration and all the fans that came from all around the World to our 2024 Grand Prix.
David Luongo CEO of Infront Moto Racing
COOL SHOTS
COOL SHOTS
COOL SHOTS
REACHING A CRESCENDO
THE 2024 MXGP WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS HAVE SEEN BRILLIANT RIVALRIES IN BOTH CLASSES AS THREE MULTI-CHAMPIONS HAVE DISPUTED THE MXGP CLASS TITLE, WHILE TWO BLAZING YOUNG TEAMMATES HAVE TUSSLED OVER THE MX2 CROWN.
The end of the MXGP season saw the mighty three-way tussle for MXGP supremacy between Jorge Prado, Tim Gajser, and Jeffrey Herlings get reduced to just Prado and Gajser, as the multiple World Champions brought things to a head in the final three rounds. After The Bullet’s domination of his home round at Arnhem, both the Spaniard and the Slovenian were eager to point out, almost to each other more than the cameras, that the last four rounds on hard pack soil would suit them very nicely thank you.
ADVANTAGE
Gajser looked to have taken a decisive advantage with a dominant double win in Switzerland, leaving him with a 22-point lead over Prado as they headed to the eastern double-header of Turkiye & China. Not since Prado’s four-win run to start the season had a rider won back-to-back races, but the odds looked good that Gajser would back up his Swiss win after such a dominant display.
It was the Turkish round at Afyonkarahisar that put paid to the realistic title challenge of Herlings. After coming home third in the RAM Qualifying Race behind the leading two, the Dutchman made a less than ideal start to the opening GP race on Sunday, and as he tried to push on towards the front, suffered a bizarre crash that burned his right arm, limiting his comeback to a lowly tenth position. Even after a solid third in the second race, a 53-point deficit to Gajser left him admitting that his chances of the crown were slim-to-none.
A previous two-time GP winner at Afyon, Gajser had taken his eighth RAM Qualifying Race win of the season to clinch the sixmonth RAM Qualifying driving experience for the most Saturday wins on the year, but his Sunday was not to be as straightforward. The first race had seen a Fox Holeshot for
Kawasaki Racing Team’s Jeremy Seewer, and although that was nothing new, what was different this time was that he managed to hold onto the lead right to the chequered flag, to register what would be his only victory of any kind on the green machines.
He owed this success in part to the stubbornness of Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP man Maxime Renaux, who had impressed on his return from injury in Switzerland and held off a frustrated Prado for what would be his best finish of the year in second place. For his own part, the Spaniard crossed the line visibly raging, hurling his goggles to the floor and gesturing to his team. It came to light that his belt buckle had become undone during the race, possible dislodged by roost from the back wheel of Renaux’s Yamaha, and that his tear-offs had failed as a stone also broke the tab off, leaving him unable to clear his vision in the Frenchman’s wake. To salvage third ahead of Gajser was therefore a great result, and the reigning Champ was suitably fired up for race two!
One more trademark Fox Holeshot later, and Prado was in command of the second outing. With Gajser and Herlings in tow in a stalemate situation, the result secured the overall win for the Red Bull GASGAS rider, his first for a month, and narrowed the gap to Gajser, who was second overall ahead of Seewer, to 14 points.
TEAMMATES
In MX2, the battling Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing teammates Kay de Wolf and Lucas Coenen continued their scrap into Turkiye, but it was Liam Everts who became the only rider to break the Husqvarna deadlock with victory in the RAM Qualifying Race.
However, Lucas Coenen was right on his fellow Belgian’s tail as they crossed the line and was in no mood to trifle with anyone on his way to a dominant win in race one. By
contrast De Wolf, who had suffered being on the receiving end of a brutal last lap move by Simon Laengenfelder on Saturday, had to recover from being tangled up with a crashing Mikkel Haarup on the opening lap, and did well to get back to fourth.
The season-long red plate holder got away better in race two, taking advantage of Coenen being held up by a determined Quentin Prugnieres, before the French F&H Racing rookie fell in his efforts to hold back Everts! His dismount was stylish, ending up on his feet in time to look the KTM man in the eye as he looked back to check if he was clear!
Coenen put in a stunning charge to catch De Wolf heading into the final lap, and with amazing speed he made his move in the
HE HAD PLAYED IT PERFECTLY ALL SEASON LONG, AND AFTER SEVEN YEARS OF FACTORY SUPPORT FROM HUSQVARNA, HE HAD BROUGHT THEM A WORLD CROWN.
split-lane section to wrestle the win from the Dutchman!
After a disastrous Swiss round, this was the perfect tonic for Coenen as he closed to within 44 points of his teammate with two rounds to go. Laengenfelder, as he did so often in 2024, finished the day third overall.
SHANGHAI
The Oriental Beauty Valley MXGP of China saw the first trip to Shanghai for the series since 2019, at which point both titles had already been decided. 2024 was a different story, and even more so as the race schedule was entirely squashed into Sunday morning, to be
completed by 2pm, due to the imminent arrival of a Typhoon that would have ripped through the temporary structures around the circuit!
Earlier in the season, Herlings had suffered a mechanical DNF which robbed him of a potential win in Portugal. At Maggiora, Prado had been involved in a multi-rider pile-up which knocked him out of the race at the venue where he had been crowned Champion a year before.
At Shanghai, it was Gajser’s turn to suffer that single race of pure misfortune that can often strike a Championship challenger just at the wrong time! Wrapped up in a second-corner clash with Glenn Coldenhoff, which also saw
Kevin Horgmo have to ride over his stricken Honda, the Slovenian had to start from the back of the pack. He fired back through several riders, but while trying to pass Andrea Bonacorsi, he made a mistake that saw both men hit the ground! Gajser was still in with a chance of a top five finish, but on landing from a jump he realised that things weren’t right. His right footpeg, vital in controlling the machine of course, was hanging low and unable to bear any weight. Tim was able to circulate slowly to collect four points for 17th position, but with Prado second to surprise race winner Romain Febvre, the ball was suddenly firmly in the Spaniard’s court, starting race two with a four-point Championship lead!
GRUELLING
It was time for another Fox Holeshot for the new series leader, and Prado delivered yet again, although Gajser was soon on his tail after passing a fast-starting Valentin Guillod. In the stifling heat, Prado dug as deep as he had to all year, fighting a stomach problem that was draining his energy just as much as the gruelling conditions were. Keeping his rival at bay to extend his points lead to seven heading to the final round, it was a heroic performance to claim his 48th career GP win and reclaim the red plate to take to his home country two weeks later!
Febvre and Herlings climbed the podium with Prado as he struggled to get through the anthems, but it was now down to the two red riders at the final round in Spain.
Once more, Lucas Coenen was unstoppable in MX2, and once again he had to pass De Wolf to prove his pace. The Dutchman dug in, however, despite feeling less than perfect in the conditions of Shanghai. Sharing the points for 2nd and 3rd in the two races with Simon Laengenfelder, they were able to climb the podium and lose just eight to the day on the Belgian.
The Red Bull GASGAS Factory Racing rider was officially out of the title chase and secure in third, but with no GP wins for the entire year it continued the frustration for the German. This also meant that the title would go to Husqvarna, the first for 25 years and the first since the brand was brought into Austrian ownership. Whilst many thought that De Wolf might clinch the title in China, the gap was down to 36 heading to Cozar. Surely it was enough for the man who would turn 20 on the final GP Sunday of the season?
home in Lugo, the fans were all there for him at the new circuit for the MXGP of Castilla La Mancha, approximately 200km south of Madrid.
Taking three scintillating holeshots across the two days, the RAM Qualifying Race and the first GP race were vintage Jorge Prado, untouchable at the front even with Tim Gajser breathing down his neck in the early laps of Sunday’s first race. The Spaniard simply leads a Motocross race better than any of his contemporaries and most that have come before him.
In race two, the perfect script looked to go a little off page, as Prado was being pressurised by his old sparring partner Herlings, intent on claiming the last GP race victory to add to the British Championship he had won the weekend before.
After receiving a three-position penalty in the first race, after he was judged to have gained two positions while running off the track, the Dutchman was hungry to make amends, and for the first time all weekend Prado made a mistake and ran off-circuit himself!
Backing the throttle right off, he dropped to fourth behind Febvre and Gajser and keeping it on the island from there proved to be all he
needed to do. Herlings indeed did take the race win, and third in the GP overall, while Gajser had to make with second, both on the day and in the Championship, the latter by just ten points. It was tough to see anyone lose the title at the end of such a thrilling season, but ultimately, in stark contrast to his consistent, two-GP-winning 2023 title, Prado stood head and shoulders above his rivals in most of the important numbers for 2024. 11 GP wins compared to the 4 of both Gajser and Herlings, and 17 race wins against the 7 of Gajser and 13 of Herlings. The Slovenian did master the Saturday scoring with 8 RAM Qualifying wins over 6 for Prado, but the Spaniard was certainly the dominant force in the big points-scoring races, all year long.
Prado’s future remains uncertain, with announcements to come soon, but for sure Gajser and Herlings will be back, with Lucas Coenen and possibly Kay de Wolf both moving up with Mikkel Haarup. Kawasaki Racing Team took fourth and fifth with Seewer and Febvre, but will bring Pauls Jonass in to join the Frenchman, as Seewer heads for the new and exciting Ducati Factory MX team.
2024 was an absolute classic for MXGP, and as always we await the new season to come with great memories of what has just occurred!
MONSTER GIRLS
MONSTER GIRLS
TEAM OF THE MONTH
THE BOYSHISTORY
The 77th edition of the Monster Energy FIM Motocross of Nations returned to Matterley Basin, Great Britain, in what was billed as the go to event of the year, and what a treat it was. Fans and industry insiders alike were treated to one of the best races of all time as the world’s best went head-to-head for a shot at The Peter Chamberlain Trophy.
#Spolier alert – Team Australia came away with the win, adding their name to a shortlist of just ten nations who have previously lifted the trophy, and here’s how they did it!
The first ever Motocross of Nations was held at the Circuit Duinrell, Wassenaar, just north of Den Haag in The Netherlands on 26 July 1947, an event which was won by the Great Britain trio of Bill Nicholson, Bob Ray and Fred Rist, and during the first twenty-one editions, the Brits were the team to beat, racking up a staggering FIFTEEN wins, and TWENTY podiums; the other five podiums were all 2nd position, by the way. The only time team GB failed to deliver was at the ninth edition at Randers, Denmark in 1955, when they were ‘Non Classified.’ Back then, the event was a timed event, and so clearly, on that occasion the team ran into some issues.
After failing to attend the event in the USSR in 1968, one year after their last victory, Team GB’s win streak dried up, and they would not win again until 1994, some twenty-seven years later. Heading into the 2024 edition, it had been thirty years since a British team last stood atop of the Nations podium.
That dry spell is something which Australia can attest to. The green and gold’s first visit to a Motocross des Nations, as it was previously known, was back in 1984, forty years ago, making it far as the B-Final. The following year, the team placed twentieth with Glen Bell, Jeff Leisk and Trevor Williams. By 1986 in Maggiora, the Aussies elevated themselves to 7th with Bell, Craig Dack and David Armstrong, and in 1988, when the
Nations was held at Villars-sous-Ecot, France, the trio of Bell, Dack and Leisk missed the podium by a single point, and by now the world was on notice that Australia were a forced to be reckoned with.
However, it would be more than twenty-years before we got to see the green and gold on a Nations podium for the first time, a milestone which was achieved by Chad Reed, Matt Moss and Brett Metcalfe at Saint Jean d’Angély in 2011. The next podium was right around the corner, right? If only, and it wouldn’t be until 2022 at Red Bud, USA, when the Aussies climbed the podium steps again. Mitch Evans and two brothers known as Lawrence ended the day third overall, and a year later at Ernee, 2023, Hunter and Jett would go one better with Dean Ferris joining them on the podium in second position.
2024
As the race weekend drew ever closer, the chatter from the ‘bench racers’ was filled with all the usual stuff: Who ya got? What’s ya podium? Prado or Jett? It was endless. We also saw teams in disarray as last-minute injuries took their toll. The USA had to replace its MX2 rider Chance Hymas with Cooper Webb, and just over a week out from the event, was forced to replace Chase Sexton with
Eli Tomac, leaving Aaron Plessinger as the only remaining original team member.
Belgium was also forced to make changes as injuries to Liam Everts and Sacha Coenen saw Brent Van doninck and Jago Geerts brought on as substitutes. And podium finishers from last year, Team Italy, were forced to bring in reserve rider Alby Forato after Mattia Guadagnini crashed at the final GP in Spain.
SHOWTIME
As a country, Great Britain had previously hosted the MXoN no fewer than ten times, making the 2024 event the eleventh time, and the third at Matterley. As a fan, ‘The Basin’ offers up some of the best, all-round viewing and for a rider, it’s a circuit they all love to race on, due to its flowing nature.
Friday burst into life with the usual pre-event press conference, followed by the infamous ballot and the riders and teams press conference. At 16:30 the fans got to see the riders for the first time as they were paraded around the Start arena on the RAM pick up trucks. This was also broadcast live on our mxgp-tv platform with Paul Malin and Jason Thomas in the studio, and Lisa Leyland in the trenches, asking questions to randomly selected to riders
With the pleasantries out of the way, next up was Saturday and the RAM Qualifying Races, commencing with MXGP, MX2 and Open. The top two riders from MXGP in 2024 took the first two positions in the same order as they finished in the overall standings, and behind Jorge Prado and Tim Gajser was Romain Febvre, who capitalised on a mistake from Hunter Lawrence, who fell from third. Herlings placed behind the Australian ahead of Ken
Roczen, Eli Tomac, Alby Forato, Isak Gifting and Jeremy Seewer. Talk about a stacked field, and that was just the MXGP Class!
THE BASIN’ OFFERS UP SOME OF THE BEST, ALL-ROUND VIEWING AND FOR A RIDER, IT’S A CIRCUIT THEY ALL LOVE TO RACE ON, DUE TO ITS FLOWING NATURE.
In MX2 Tom Vialle took care of business to pick up a point for the French, although he was hard pushed late in the race by Belgium’s Lucas Coenen, who was keen to impress. Simon Laengenfelder
took for Germany, as British export Max Anstie claimed fourth ahead of Kay De Wolf.
After the first two RAM Qualifying Races, France led the way from Germany, Spain, The Netherlands and The USA.
The final race of the day involved the Open class riders, and it was a win for Jett Lawrence who led home Ruben Fernandez, Maxime Renaux, Conrad Mewse and Andrea Bonacorsi. With the highest score dropped, the top placed qualifiers were Spain, followed by France, Australia, Great Britain and Germany. The USA placed ninth.
TO ‘B’ OR NOT TO ‘B’ …
The Sunday B-Final saw some of the regular’s lining up for the ‘pressure cooker’ race, and initially
it looked as if the Kiwi’s would sail through, with Josiah Natske leading the way with his teammate Brodie Connolly backing him up in fifth. With constant drizzle impeding visibility, we saw a multitude of riders call in to the ‘goggle lane’ for freshies, including Natzke, who by now had slipped to third, handing the lead to Isak Gifting. Anyway, long story short, Natzke’s pit stop took longer than it should, whilst Connolly struggled with a leg injury picked up in the RAM race, leaving the experienced Hamish Harwood to fly the flag. At the flag though, Harwood’s third was not enough to get the Kiwi’s over the line. Instead, it was Karlis Reisulis (MX2) who brought home the race win for Latvia, and with his teammate Mairis Pumpurs taking ninth, it was enough to edge out the Swede’s by two points.
IT WAS A REAL FASCINATING CONTEST BETWEEN TWO RIDERS AT THE VERY TOP OF THEIR GAME.
LET THE GAMES BEGIN …
Race 1: MXGP + MX2
Jorge Prado may have taken the Fox Holeshot (who else) but was unable to contain Tim Gajser’s advances, and the Slovenian swept past before the end of the opening lap. From there, Gajser controlled the race as Eli Tomac found his way into third. The American though was put under pressure from Febvre, but in the end, the Frenchman had to be content with third. Prado and Herlings rounded out the top five, with Kay De Wolf the best MX2 rider. Lucas Coenen had been the best but was just a little too eager to beat the 450’s on his 250cc, and in the end, paid the price.
Hunter Lawrence recovered from a poor start to climb back to eighth, and after Race One, it was The Netherlands who led by eight points from the USA and Australia, with both teams tied for second overall.
In Race two, it was the turn of the MX2 + Open riders, and it was another masterful display from Jett Lawrence who controlled the race to win comfortably. Ruben Fernandez was on fire for Spain and just like in the RAM race, the ‘21’ followed the Aussie ‘6’ home in second. Simon Laengenfelder was the best MX2 rider in third, mostly due to the fact that he not only rode smart, but he also stayed out of trouble; unlike Kay De Wolf, who passed the German twice, but costly errors parked him back in fifth. Still, the MX2 World Champ rode two solid races to take the individual class win, and when Glenn Coldenhoff fell on the final lap to nineteenth, all of a sudden it was just too tight to call. The
Netherlands now led by just a single point, over the Americans with Australia four points further back.
THE BIG ONE
The final race of the day and what a way to end the day as well. The big hitters from MXGP and Open were fired up, and none more so than Captain America, Tomac, who swept to possibly his finest Fox Holeshot in a long time. Jorge Prado took the lead briefly, but by lap four, the Spaniard was down to third as Tomac and Gajser moved ahead.
Meanwhile, Jett Lawrence battled from outside the top ten in the opening few corners to sixth by the end of the opening lap, and after passing Ken Roczen for fifth, the Aussie found himself directly behind his older brother. Prado’s time at the sharp
end then began to wane, and by half distance the ‘19’ had retreated to sixth.
As the race entered its second phase, Gajser, sensing a threat from Jett Lawrence, surged past Tomac to take the lead, and just two laps later, it was the younger Lawrence who advanced past the American. From there, everyone else around Gajser and J-Law settled into their positions, but the lead duo only had their eyes on the prize.
Put the flag out now, and Australia win anyway, but Gajser nor Lawrence cared about that! The intensity and skill level on such a technical circuit was on full display, for the whole world to see, and when the Australian upped his tempo, Gajser matched it, immediately. And when Lawrence passed Gajser,
the Slovenian fought back, immediately. It was a real fascinating contest between two riders at the very top of their game.
Of course, they saved the best until last, didn’t they?
On the penultimate lap, Gajser had lost a bit of ground, and if he was to win the final race of the day, knew he needed to pick the pace back up. And he did. Suddenly with half a lap to go, the Slovenian was back in the wheel tracks of the Aussie, and as they approached the final climb, it was Lawrence who blinked first, and a mistake cost him vital drive. Gajser pounced on that mistake, and had already decided his next move, and what a move it was. Both audacious and brave at the same time.
Lawrence thought he had it covered, but Gajser landed off the final triple, and went ‘full send’ to the inside, catching his opponent off guard. Gajser now led going into the final corner, and when he crossed the line, he’d just gone 1-1 to win the MXGP class. The gap between Gajser and Lawrence was just 0.459s.
THE LAST LAUGH
Whilst we had just witnessed the best of race of the day, and quite possibly one of the best races in decades, it was the Australians who had the last laugh, and when Hunter crossed the line in fourth, it was enough for Team Australia to be crowned World Champions for the first time in their forty-year history
Jett and Hunter Lawrence with Kyle Webster and Team Manager Michael Byrne graced the top step of the podium and soaked in the atmosphere for all it was worth. The years of trying, of coming so near, suddenly seemed a distant memory. For Webster to be a part of this trio and to come away with a gold medal in his second appearance for the team, and with arguably two of the best riders in the world right now, was a real pinch moment. His performances throughout the weekend were commendable, on a track that was beyond tricky, amongst competition which was considered the very best in the world.
For the brothers Lawrence, they now have the full set of MXoN medals and all from consecutive years: Bronze in 2022, Silver in 2023 and now Gold in 2024.
On track, it’s a small team of just three riders, but the reality is so much different to that. Mechanics, wives, girlfriends, members of Motorcycling Australia who have been there the entire time. American Honda Racing, who shipped all three race bikes from the US to the UK in order for the boys to go and compete. Honda Australia and everybody behind the scenes in that effort cannot go unnoticed either. Gary Benn, a long-time team manager, was also present at Matterley. He can finally stop coming to these races now, as mission has been accomplished. But he probably won’t! And that’s what makes all of this so fantastic. Former riders including Jeff Leisk, who organised an Aussie Fan tour to the event, for all of those involved, the long trip to England was worth it, but the wait for that first victory was worth its weight in Green and Gold. And that long flight back home to Down Under has never been sweeter.
Congratulations Team Australia on entering the historic pages of winners in the Motocross of Nations, where we now have eleven winners of this prestigious event.
JORGE
PRADO GARCIA
2023 MXGP WORLD CHAMPION
ANDREA ADAMO
2023 MX2 WORLD CHAMPION
“WE SELL WHAT WE RACE, WE RACE WHAT WE SELL”
MEeT LILI: THE HEART OF BUD RACING KAWASAKI!
Lili Dasse Team Coordinator
I’M LILI, AND IT’S NICE TO MEET YOU THROUGH THE PAGES OF MXGP MAG. SOME OF YOU MAY ALREADY KNOW ME AND FOR THOSE WHO DON’T, I AM A YOUNG WOMAN WHO HAS BEEN PASSIONATE ABOUT MOTOCROSS SINCE I WAS A LITTLE GIRL, AND I’VE BEEN COMING TO THE PADDOCKS FOR ALMOST AS LONG AS I CAN REMEMBER.
great riders, we’re a bunch of friends who go to summer camp every weekend, and on top of that we’ve got incredible results. The 2024 season will of course remain a landmark for me, especially with the amazing and incredible EMX250 European Championship won by our rider Mathis Valin!
My father created his Bud Racing company in 1995 from scratch and passed on his passion to me. Although I’m not a motocross rider, I knew I’d have to work in motorcycling, and I hoped it would be with Bud. At the moment I have several roles; during the week I work on the commercial side, particularly with foreigners, and at the weekends, I work as team coordinator at Bud Racing deciding who goes where and who does what. Besides, I’m also taking care of the communication of the team. I wear many hats, and I love my job. As far as the team is concerned, I’m present at all the races, the French motocross & Supercross championship, WSX and of course EMX250.
Apart from my work itself, what I love is working for a family team. Whether it’s the riders, the mechanics or the staff, we’re one big family. We see each other all the time outside the races and share special moments. So, when the results come in, the atmosphere is even better. Our two race mechanics have now been with us for six and four years, for example, so I think the understanding between us is really special and it’s our strength. I’m enjoying every moment of it as we’ve got
As for me, I know where to draw the line between the professional and the personal. We may be friends, but we know how to be very serious when we need to be. The riders usually call me their adoptive “mom” or their big sister.
This doesn’t mean that I do everything for them; the team and I try to teach them the basics, that everything doesn’t fall from the sky, that you also have to be able to manage on your own. We try to help them with their career choices when they’re young, but above all to open their minds to the rest of the world, to the different disciplines and that even if it’s just a rider on the bike, it’s ultimately a team effort.
So you may see me as coordinator, organizer, team manager, race director, maybe I’ll be working with some of you someday or maybe I’ll take you on video for my vlogs… but if there’s one thing that is guaranteed, it is that you’ll be seeing me for many years to come in the MXGP paddock, and always with a big smile on my face.
THE 2024 MXGP AWARDS CONCLUDE A THRILLING SEASON IN SPAIN
THE 2024 MXGP AWARDS BROUGHT THE FIM MOTOCROSS WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP SEASON TO AN EXCITING CLOSE AT THE FINAL ROUND IN CÓZAR, SPAIN. FOLLOWING THE LAST LAP OF THE MXGP OF CASTILLA LA MANCHA, CHAMPIONS WERE OFFICIALLY CROWNED, AND THE SEASON WRAPPED UP WITH A CELEBRATORY AWARDS CEREMONY HELD AT THE VIP GOLD SKYBOX HOSPITALITY.
The global motocross community joined the event via MXGP-TV, YouTube, and Facebook to honour this year’s top achievers in the sport.
The event, hosted by MXGP-TV’s Paul Malin and Lisa Leyland, opened with a congratulatory message from Infront Moto Racing’s CEO, David Luongo. Reflecting on the season, Luongo praised the incredible efforts of riders, organisers, manufacturers and fans. He expressed pride in the success of this 20-round global championship and eagerly looked forward to the Motocross of Nations and another thrilling season ahead.
FIM/CMS Director Antonio Alia Portela continued with a tribute to all involved in the year’s events, expressing gratitude for their dedication in overcoming a challenging season and acknowledging the hard work of event organisers who made each Grand Prix unforgettable.
The 2024 MXGP Awards celebrated exceptional talent and achievements across motocross, recognising both rising stars and world champions. Sacha Coenen received the prestigious “Jan De Groot” Award for his outstanding performance, while young talents such as Roko Ivandic, Sleny Goyer and Noel Zanocz were acknowledged for their European
Championship wins. Marcel Stauffer claimed the EMX2T European Championship title, while Jakub Teresak won the EMX Open European Championship. A special spotlight was on the FIM Junior World Champions, where Noel Zanocz secured the 125cc Junior World title alongside his EMX125 win, Kash Van Hamond was crowned the 65cc Junior World Cup winner, and Levi Townley took the 85cc Junior World Champion title.
Outstanding performances in the FOX Holeshot and Acerbis Best Lap competitions were also celebrated.
The FOX Holeshot competition, an exciting season highlight, reflects the vital importance of race starts, with Jorge Prado of Red Bull GASGAS Factory Racing leading in the MXGP category. His rapid starts earned him 18 Fox Holeshots out of 40 (45%), marking his fourth consecutive win in the competition. Prado was followed by Jeremy Seewer with six Holeshots and Tim Gajser with five. In MX2, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Sacha Coenen claimed the Fox Holeshot Award for the first time with 16 Holeshots, followed by Simon Laengenfelder with seven, and Thibault Benistant, Kay de Wolf, Lucas Coenen and Liam Everts tied with three Holeshots each.
The Acerbis Best Lap competition added to the season’s thrilling moments by recognising the fastest riders in MXGP and MX2. Jorge Prado dominated the MXGP category with 14 Best Laps, an impressive 70% of the season’s fastest times, followed by Jeffrey Herlings with four and Tim Gajser with two Best Laps. In MX2, Lucas Coenen led with eight Best Laps, while Simon Laengenfelder and Andrea Adamo each secured three, and Sacha Coenen followed with two Best Laps.
Additionally, Tim Gajser took home the RAM Driving Experience Award, winning an impressive eight RAM Qualifying races to claim pole position each time, followed closely by Jorge Prado with six Qualifying wins.
The Awards also celebrated Lotte Van Drunen as the 2024 WMX Champion, marking a historic season as the youngest winner in the Women’s Motocross World Championship.
The evening drew to a close with the crowning of FIM Motocross World Champions Jorge Prado in MXGP and Kay de Wolf in MX2. Prado, receiving his replica MXGP Trophy, closed out the season with pride as one of the sport’s most exciting seasons drew to a close.
What really was the ultimate prize for Lotte Van Drunen, Jorge Prado and Kay de Wolf was to receive their exclusive World Champion Rings, marking the culmination of an incredible season. In true MXGP tradition, the FIM Motocross World Championship winners are each presented with a specially crafted ring to celebrate their titles—a tradition that has become a cherished part and ideal close of the annual MXGP Awards ceremony.
Here you have the summary of the 2024 Champions and awards given during the MXGP Awards:
2024 MXGP AWARD WINNERS
MXGP World Champion: Jorge Prado
MX2 World Champion: Kay de Wolf
WMX Champion : Lotte Van Drunen
MXGP Manufacturer World Champion : Honda
MXGP Winning Team: Red Bull GASGAS Factory Racing
MX2 Manufacturer World Champio n: Husqvarna
MX2 Winning Team: Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing
WMX Manufacturer World Champion: Yamaha
WMX Winning Team : De Baets Yamaha MXTeam
“Jan De Groot” Award: Sacha Coenen
Junior e-Motocross Series Winner: Lucas Bos
65cc Junior World Cup Winner: Kash Van Hamond
85cc Junior World Champion: Noel Zanocz
125cc Junior World Champion: Levi Townley
EMX65 European Champion: Roko Ivandic
EMX85 European Champion: Sleny Goyer
EMX125 European Champion: Noel Zanocz
EMX250 European Champion: Mathis Valin
EMX2T European Champion: Marcel Stauffer
EMX Open European Champion : Jakub Teresak
ORGANIZER AWARDS
Best Media Opportunity: MXGP of China
Best Promotion: MXGP of Galicia
Best Fan Engagement: MXGP of Turkiye
Best Organizer: MXGP of The Netherlands
PERFORMANCE AWARDS
FOX Holeshot Award MXGP & MX2: Jorge Prado & Sacha Coenen
ACERBIS Best Lap Competition: Jorge Prado & Lucas Coenen
MXGP RAM Qualifying Race Award: Tim Gajser
As the curtain closes on 2024, the MXGP community eagerly anticipates the thrills of 2025. The passion, resilience and camaraderie demonstrated throughout this season have made the 2024 FIM Motocross World Championship one of the sport’s most memorable.
PAUL MALIN 1994 YAMAHA
YZ125
CAN YOU BELIEVE IT’S BEEN THIRTY YEARS SINCE TEAM GREAT BRITAIN LAST WON THE MONSTER ENERGY FIM MOTOCROSS OF NATIONS? IN FACT, IT WAS SO LONG AGO, THAT BACK THEN, IT WAS REFERRED TO AS THE MOTOCROSS DES NATIONS! ANYWAY, ON SEPTEMBER 11TH 1994, HISTORY WAS MADE WHEN THE BRITISH TRIO OF KURT NICOLL (500CC), ROB HERRING (250CC) AND PAUL MALIN (125CC) ENDED THE AMERICAN WIN STREAK WHICH HAD STRETCHED BACK TO 1981. FURTHERMORE, IT WAS GB’S FIRST VICTORY IN TWENTY-SEVEN YEARS. TO MARK THE OCCASION, THE BIKE THAT WE WILL FEATURE IN THIS ISSUE OF MXGP MAGAZINE IS PAUL MALIN’S YAMAHA YZ125, WHICH HE RODE TO THE 125CC CLASS VICTORY IN SWITZERLAND, THIRTY YEARS AGO.
The Motocross of Nations is widely considered as the biggest motocross event on the planet, an event where the top three riders from thirty-six nations go head-to-head on the same track, on the same weekend, in the hope of lifting the Peter Chamberlain Trophy in front of their wild, enthusiastic fans. Prior to 1994, Team Great Britain had won the event a staggering FIFTEEN times during a twenty-one year period (1947-1967). But then, something crazy happened! From 1968 to 1993, not only were there no wins, GB had only taken a further ten podiums, the last of which just two years earlier in Australia in 1992.
Heading into Roggenburg, Switzerland, for the 48th edition of the MXdN, it’s worth noting that there were a few backstories which would play out in a way which may, or may not have had a bearing on the overall result.
First up, defending champions, Team USA selected Mike Larocco to race in the 500cc class, with Mike Kiedrowski (250cc) and Jeff Emig (125cc). However, Kiedrowski came into the event nursing an ankle injury. As for the 125cc choice, the AMA elected to overlook the newly crowned FIM 125cc World Champion, Bob Moore in favour of the AMA 125cc outdoor champion, Emig. Nothing wrong with that, except many believed that the Swiss hillside circuit was more of a perfect fit for Moore, who’d lived and raced in Europe for nine years.
Team Belgium also had issues with their selection, opting to run Jacky Martens in favour of Stefan Everts, in what supposedly had something to do with one of the team’s sponsors preferring one rider over the other. Apart from that, the word on the street was that the American team was still the team to beat, as they looked to make it fourteen consecutive victories.
On paper, heading into MXdN ’94, Team Great Britain was the most successful nation with fifteen victories, followed by the USA (13) and Belgium (9), and this was probably the biggest backstory of all. In 1994, Kurt Nicoll was racing in the 250cc world championship along with Rob Herring and Paul Malin, and for the first time, the British federation (ACU) decided to bring in the recently retired three-time world champion, David Thorpe as the Team Manager, who thought the best way to select the team was by inviting a shortlist of riders to a series of ‘try-out’ days, in order for him to get a closer look at how they all operated.
At that time, GB had several riders competing in all three world championship classes, and as a result, Thorpe invited all those riders to take part in these ride days. The real spanner in the works though came from Steve Dixon, who was also Malin’s mechanic, who hinted that Paul was available for 125cc selection as well as a possible 250cc candidate, something which Malin himself was initially unaware of, as he points out:
‘Around the time of the selection process, I don’t even think I was being considered for the Nations as my results were below average and very inconsistent, and from my side, both Kurt and Rob were the first two choices, at least for the 250cc place. I hadn’t ridden a 125cc in more than a year, and even though I started out racing in the 500cc class, I’d not ridden one since 1991; and anyway, Yamaha no longer produced a 500cc, so for me the Nations looked pretty unlikely that year. When I heard of Steve’s suggestion, I was naturally surprised, as it was something that I hadn’t considered.’
At that time, Yamaha UK ran riders in both the 125cc and 250cc world championship, so Dixon felt he had a 125cc which he thought was competitive, and at the first try-out day, this was proven to be the case.
Another surprise on that day was that Nicoll showed up on a 500cc Honda, along with Mervyn Anstie, who was racing in the 500cc world championship, and had won a muddy, grand-prix in Slovakia earlier that year. Paul picks up the story from here:
‘At the end of the try-out day, it was clear from our lap times that I was quicker than the 125cc GP regulars who were also present that day, but I also saw how competitive Kurt was on the 500cc Honda, a bike he’d never ridden. From there, Dixon entered me into a couple of national races where I could familiarise myself with racing the 125cc, mainly to ‘put it out there’ to show that if selected, I was at least competitive. At the first of those races, we sensed one or two riders were not happy at the thought of being overlooked by a rider who wasn’t racing in the 125cc World championship, but by the end of that race day, the results spoke volumes, and when I was eventually selected, things were a little more settled, let’s say.’
ROGGENBURG 1994
When it was announced that Jeff Emig was the favoured rider for Team USA, the Michele Rinaldi team which Bob Moore raced for, offered up a couple of their engines, with one going to Sweden’s Peter Johansson, and one to Malin. Neither rider would get to try them until Free Practice on the Saturday of the event.
When quizzed about this, Malin’s response was: ‘The week before the Nations, we were racing the final 250cc GP in Germany, and after the GP, we moved to a base about twenty minutes from Roggenburg, where we would stay for the week. The plan was to ride on Wednesday at Villarssous-Ecot with my Yamaha UK teammate’s 125cc,
but as soon as we arrived, the heavens opened and we didn’t even turn a wheel.’
‘I think it was about a month since I’d last ridden the bike, so I wasn’t too happy about heading to the Nations having not ridden during the week, but I was confident that within a few laps, that feeling of being on the 125cc would soon come back. During the first practice session, I already felt pretty good on the bike, but when I took my spare bike, the one with the Rinaldi/Bob Moore engine, it was an immediate game-changer. When I returned to the work area (there was no Pit Lane back then) I told Steve that I wanted to race with that engine, but actually, we came close to it not happening at all!’
The bike that Paul had arrived with was a production-based 125cc, with American tuning
company Pro-Circuit supplying the engine, pipe and silencer. However, after hearing Paul’s thoughts on how good the Bob Moore engine was, Dixon went to Rinaldi and said, ‘Paul really likes the engine, but we have a contract with Pro-Circuit, so we’d like to run your engine but with our pipe and silencer …!’ Of course, that was never going to be an option, and the response which came back was, ‘you either take it as it is, or not at all!’
The plot thickens: The British importer of ProCircuit, Colin Harrison, was present at the race, and decided to turn a blind eye to the situation, saying ‘if it’s that much better, then go ahead and use it. We will deal with the situation afterwards.’ So, that’s what happened!
The story around the 1994 Rinaldi Yamaha programme was something which came together pretty late. Moore had returned to the USA at the end of the ’93 season with nothing really secured for ’94, but after a quick telephone call with Michele Rinaldi, things pretty quickly got back on track. Initially, Michele was in the process of developing a kit bike for Yamaha for the 125cc market, and when Moore returned to Europe, that development was accelerated pretty quickly, especially with the partnership with FMF, who supplied the exhaust system. So, understandably, you could see the potential dilemma between two rival tuning companies, both of which were based in Southern California.
The cylinder and head were modified in-house by Iler ‘Aldo’ Aldini and the CDI unit was ‘special’ with electronic mapping – something in its infancy
at that time. The cam shaft was also modified, and the gearbox came with five gears, unlike production, which came with six. The bike also ran a Mikuni 38mm carburettor and carbon reeds from Carbono Racing. Moore’s ’94 race bike also ran bigger radiators and a longer swingarms, although Malin ran standard rads and swingarm. Paul’s set up also included conventional ÖHLINS forks and ÖHLINS kit rear shock, which was married to the production chassis, and included standard swingarm and modified linkage. The triple clamp was also from ÖHLINS, with Renthal handlebars the ‘bar of choice.
So, what was it like to ride? Malin offers his opinion:
‘The hit off the bottom was instant, but the real strength with this bike was its overall spread of power. It just seemed to pull to the moon and beyond, which on a track like Roggenburg was much needed. I already felt the Dixon bike was quick, and looking at the times of the other 125 guys in the class, I felt we were competitive, but within half-a-lap of riding Bob’s engine, I felt the difference immediately. It felt like a factory 125cc, which is essentially what it was. With how the power came in, I was able to carry so much more speed through the turns that by the time I’d hit the straights or the hills, the thing just came into its own. In fact, I don’t know if it ever tapped out; the power band was so long.’
For the races, Team GB drew Gate 1 from the ballot – back then the ballot was for the main races, not the qualifying races, and unlike today where first pick enables you to choose your gate, back then you had to go to gate one, which was pre-determined as being the inside gate. The team decided to put the smaller bike in gate one, on the inside and the one with the biggest disadvantage. The only good thing
was that the second rider would go to gate twentyone, in the middle.
In the first race (125 + 500), Kurt Nicoll took 3rd behind Yves Demaria (FRA) and Mike Larocco (USA) whilst Malin came from 35th to 6th (1st 125cc rider). In Race 2 (125 + 250), Rob Herring placed 2nd behind Marnicq Bervoets (BEL) as Malin took 5th from another poor start (1st 125). By now the Brits were in contention for a potential victory, and when Nicoll crossed the line 2nd in the final race (250 + 500) it was enough for Great Britain to be crowned world champions for the first time in 27 years, securing their sixteenth victory at the Nations.
With the 2024 Monster Energy FIM Motocross of Nations now in the books, which was won by Australia for the first time, that feeling of being on top of a Nations podium is something more than memorable, as Malin remembers:
‘Being part of the ’94 winning team felt amazing. The three of us, along with David Thorpe and the rest of the team, had tried many times to achieve this goal, but never quite made it happen. But, in ’94, everything came together. Was it because there was no Bob Moore or Stefan Everts? Was it because I had the use of Bob’s engine? Who knows? Either way, what we achieved as a team on that day in September will never be forgotten. We ended a thirteen-year American win streak and secured a first GB win for twenty-seven years. The view from the podium was insane, and something none of us had experienced until that day. It truly was a magical moment for all of us.’
As we close the door on 2024, that victory in Switzerland thirty-years ago still remains the last MXoN victory for Team Great Britain.
Photos: Pascal Haudiquert
Motocross of Nations with team USA, winning MOTORCYCLES. RIDING A PEEWEE DURING
Third in the West Coast Supercross championship, that year he also dominated the 125cc outdoor and was selected to race for the first time the Motocross of Nations at Matterley Basin. Winner of the MX2 class, he joined James Stewart and Ivan Tedesco on the first step of the podium to celebrate the 17th win of team USA!
His second season as a Pro rider was even better, as he won both SX and MX titles in US, and dominated again the MX2 class at the Motocross of Nations organized at Budds Creek, USA, where he scored a double win, best performer of the US winning team!
His last season in the MX2 class would be again a winning one, with a third consecutive title in the outdoor series and a second position in Supercross on the East Coast. Back in UK for the Motocross of Nations, he again won the MX2 class to celebrate his third consecutive win with team USA. Moving to the 450cc class in 2009 he won his first ever Supercross in the main class at Seattle and then dominated the 2010 championship with seven wins until he broke his leg at St Louis! This forced break gave him time to recover and to prepare his winning assault on the 2011 season, as he won both the 450cc Supercross and the Motocross titles! Last but not least, in September he crossed the Atlantic to race the Motocross of Nations at St Jean d’Angely, France, and he won the Open class to add a fourth win with team USA!
A FEW MONTHS
IN THE AMATEURS RANKS TO BECOME A PRO RIDER WHEN
Winning four more titles – three in Supercross and one in Motocross – between 2012 and 2014, Ryan decided then to race the MXGP World Championship in 2015, always with Kawasaki. He was the first US Champion to take such a decision, and at the opening round of the season in Losail, he entered his first ever Grand Prix and scored top ten results. One week later at Nakhonchaisri he added one line to his prestigious list of achievements by winning the MXGP of Thailand! Fourth at the following round in Argentina, he unfortunately got injured two weeks later at Arco di Trento and was forced to end his season prematurely. A few months later he officially announced his
20TH IN THE 125 US MOTOCROSS CHAMPIONSHIP (KAWASAKI)
2006 US LITES MOTOCROSS CHAMPION (KAWASAKI)
3RD IN THE LITES US SUPERCROSS CHAMPIONSHIP WEST COAST MEMBER OF THE US TEAM WINNER OF THE MX OF NATIONS (UK)
2007 US LITES MOTOCROSS CHAMPION (KAWASAKI)
US LITES SUPERCROSS CHAMPION WEST COAST MEMBER OF THE US TEAM WINNER OF THE MX OF NATIONS (USA)
2008 US LITES MOTOCROSS CHAMPION (KAWASAKI)
2ND IN THE LITES US SUPERCROSS CHAMPIONSHIP EAST COAST MEMBER OF THE US TEAM WINNER OF THE MX OF NATIONS (UK)
2009 7TH IN THE 450 US SUPERCROSS CHAMPIONSHIP (KAWASAKI)
2010 4TH IN THE 450 US SUPERCROSS CHAMPIONSHIP (KAWASAKI)
2011 US 450 MOTOCROSS CHAMPION (KAWASAKI) US 450 SUPERCROSS CHAMPION (KAWASAKI) MEMBER OF THE US TEAM WINNER OF THE MX OF NATIONS (FRANCE)
2012 US 450 SUPERCROSS CHAMPION (KAWASAKI)
2013 US 450 SUPERCROSS CHAMPION (KAWASAKI) US 450 MOTOCROSS CHAMPION (KAWASAKI)
2014 US 450 SUPERCROSS CHAMPION (KAWASAKI)
2015 20TH IN THE MXGP WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP (KAWASAKI). WIN ONE GP
1 Kay de Wolf is World Champion after an intense fight with Lucas Coenen!
2 Jorge Prado succeeds to put his n°1 again at the top on the very last race! He is now a 4-time World Champion!
3 Riley Racing, back in the paddock! With Tom Guyon and Kay Karssemakers managed by Jen-Jacques Luisetti in MX2!
4 The 2025 MXGP of Argentina will be held in Cordoba for the season opener!
5 The ultimate round in Cózar brought intense drama. Valin and Zanocz are EMX125 Presented by FMF Racing and EMX250 Champions!
6 In Romania at the TCS Racing Park, Italy and Spain celebrated their 2024 MXoEN and WMXoEN triumphs respectively!
7 In Shanghai, Liam Everts broke his C5 vertebra during Race 1 in China. Liam is going well and starts his recovery for the winter.
8 Tim Gajser Received the 2024 RAM Awards, thanks to his 8 RAM Qualifying Race wins! Gajser won the exciting 6-month RAM Experience!
9 The full Monster Energy FIM MXoN Ballot that started it all for the all the teams in Matterley Basin.
