Ray Archer images
GAIN THE
UPPER HAND THE MOST POWERFUL TRACK WEAPON
When the gate drops for the premier battle, the new KTM 450 SX-F is more than ready to stand up and face its rivals. Packed with the latest technology and refined to be even lighter, faster and more balanced, this 63 hp (46 kW) dirt-ripper has all the credentials to come out on top in any championship fight. Step up your game now!
Photo: R. Schedl
Please make no attempt to imitate the illustrated riding scenes, always wear protective clothing, and observe the applicable provisions of the road traffic regulations! The illustrated vehicles may vary in selected details from the production models and some illustrations feature optional equipment available at additional cost.
www.kiska.com
Distributed in the uk by
Perfection in 2018 Interview MXlarge Images Ray Archer
Red Bull KTM Factory rider Jeffrey Herlings is edging closer to his fourth world motocross championship and his goal of 101 Grand Prix victories. The Dutchman has been on fire of late, and as we mentioned in our report yesterday, he picked up his 80th GP victory and extended his MXGP championship points lead over defending champion Antonio Cairoli. With the Italian being injured, and possibly missing the rest of the season, the Dutchman could be crowned world champion next weekend in Bulgaria, as he is now 190 points ahead of Clement Desalle, who holds down third place in the series points, with four rounds remaining.
We caught up with Herlings and asked him about his weekend, his strict training program, and of course his decision which class he will race at the Monster Energy Motocross of Nations, something that hasn’t been decided yet. Motocross Illustrated: Pretty good weekend? Herlings: Yes, a pretty good weekend. Bad luck yesterday in qualification, I was fastest in both times practices, and in the race, I was second and went to go around the outside of Tim, and gave extra gas and save his spot, and we went elbow and elbow and I tipped over. This track is hard to pass, and I got up to sixth, which was important. The first moto I got around Clement early and did my own race. Same thing in the second moto, but Clement was riding well and I got into second and I tried to pass Clement, but then Romain came close and I needed to make the move and managed to win the moto and get 50 points. My nearest rival didn’t have a great GP. He crashed, and I hope he is 100% okay. I can’t wait for Bulgaria next weekend. Motocross Illustrated: 80th GP victory so far, but what is the goal for the rest of the season? Herlings: 21 GP wins to go (to pass Stefan Everts). Its been pretty impressive, we are 16 rounds in and I have won 13, and two times second, just off the podium once, and that was because I wasn’t there. Ottobiano is one of my favourite tracks, so I would have liked to have raced there. I don’t care if I win the championship by one point or 100. I have been living like a monk this year, but the quicker I win it the better. Motocross Illustrated: Jeffrey, another 1-1 result and a perfect weekend. Can you keep reeling these off and get it done for Assen
you think? Herlings: First of all, I shouldn’t get injured, that is the main thing, and second, I should keep this amount amount of points, or I could even lose seven or eight, but I don’t want to think about it too much, because a lot of things can still happen. Anything can happen, and we just want to keep going and see where it takes us. Motocross Illustrated: In the press conference you mentioned you train like a monster and you want to get 101 GP wins, to pass Stefan Everts total. How long can you keep up this regime of training that you do. Will you eventually have to tone it down to be able to continue at this level? Herlings: It is tough, to do this life. Work you butt off every day, two or three times a day, with all the pressure and the expectations, to try and live with the results what people expect. You know, I have been doing it from a young age, but nothing like I am doing now. I have been to Aldon (Baker) and I see what they do, and I do it similar to them, but maybe even more, so I am hard on myself, and I am hard in life, but it would be hard to do this for another 10 years. Motocross Illustrated: And no matter what happens in 2018, you start all over again in 2019. What about the competition, you think the can lift their game to compete with you? Maybe they need to work harder? Or, if you maintain your level, the level you are riding at the moment, are you not too worried about them? Herlings: You always ride the level you need to ride. If other guys lift their level, then I try and do the same. I am convinced that the level will go up, because if you look at the last 20 years, the level has always improved and for sure
the last few years in MXGP. So I know next year will be even tougher than this year. Its gotten more professional, so to keep winning I need to sacrifice a lot and work hard. I have a great team behind me and the bike is perfect. KTM is like a family with me and all the years of partnership has helped me a lot, so give it up to the Red Bull KTM Factory team. Motocross Illustrated: Motocross of Nations, you have been selected, but it isn’t known yet what class you will race. When will that be decided? Herlings: I am riding the 450 but haven’t decided which class. Obviously, it is me, Calvin and Glenn and Calvin will ride MX2 and either Glenn or I will race MXGP or the Open class, but we haven’t decided yet. I don’t mind which class I race, but its up to the Federation. Motocross Illustrated: You had raced the open class in the past. Herlings: Yes, because I am pretty fit, and it gives Glenn a longer time to recover from the MXGP moto. Normally the class is similar, maybe MXGP is tougher, but I don’t know which class Tomac and Roczen are riding, maybe the MXGP class. Motocross Illustrated: Obviously the hype is about you and Tomac and against Roczen. You got to be excited about that as a racer, right? Herlings: Definitely, I am looking forward to it and our main thing is to win this championship and then look at the des Nations. Of course Tomac wants to win his championship and I want to win mine and this is just a one-off race. Its important, but I won’t lose any sleep if I get beaten there. Our priority is to win the world championship.
FLIPPIN’ FAST… SO HANG ON!
DEP 4 STROKE PIPES HIGH TENSILE 1.2 GAUGE MILD STEEL PIPES TOUGH PIPES FOR A TOUGH JOB!
2 & 4 Stroke pipes from DEP MANUFACTURER:
DEP PIPES +44 (0)1622 765353 WWW.DEPPIPES.COM //
Team Rider: Jamie Squibb // Photo: Ian Roxburgh
UK DISTRIBUTOR:
CI SPORT +44 (0)1372 378000 WWW.CISPORT.CO.UK
4 STR OKE www.deppipes.com
Performance Enhancing Products
Fighting On Interview MXlLarge Images Ray Archer
Last weekend’s knee injury to Antonio Cairoli has clearly change the picture of the 2018 MXGP championship. Sure Jeffrey Herlings looks like he will be crowned world champion within the next month, so long as he keeps it on two wheels and doesn’t suffer a major injury. I mean he has already lost two world championships from injury, and its crazy to think at 23 years old, he could easily have ended this season with his sixth world motocross championship, and around 85 GP wins. Antonio Cairoli and Stefan Everts at 23 years old had probably one or two world titles and maybe 20 GP wins at that age.
Still, maybe or should have are questions marks that always remain just that. The story is, he has 80 GP wins, and is closing in on his fourth world title. With a 58-point lead over Cairoli and 190 points over third placed man Desalle, an ACL injury by Cairoli would more than likely rule him out of at least the next two GPs, and with Herlings more than likely to get 100 points from those races, the championship could be wrapped up as early as next weekend in Sevlievo, Bulgaria. Remember Darian Sanayei hurting his ACL in a round of the British Motocross championship, missing one round of the MX2 championship in Italy, then hoping to race in England, only to realize it still wasn’t possible. The American of course eventually called off his season and had an operation. Cairoli mentioned last weekend that he hopes it is just a stretched ligament, and not a torn ligament, and for sure he hoped it wouldn’t be his ACL. Once the swelling started, it’s hard to know how the scan will be today, and if he even has mobility to ride in Bulgaria, handing Herlings a possible 50 points, and making the lead 108 with three rounds to go in Turkey, Holland and Italy. Cairoli battled on last weekend, as he does every time the chips are down, and he showed champion heart, but knowing that Herlings is probably going to continue his steamrolling of the MXGP class, and knowing he isn’t 100% fit and will struggle to make podiums, let alone wins, his 10th world championship is looking unlikely, at least this year. Does the Sicilian legend continue on from his possible top five position with an injury, or does he throw in the white towel, and concede to the better man? That we will find out this week, once the scans are done, and the Italian can rest and see how his knee recovers. What must be said, this season might be the changing of the guard, we might be setting ourselves up for a new era, and as Cairoli rides off into the sunset, saying his last goodbyes to his adoring fans, the new brash and confident Herlings takes over the World. MXGP is in good hands, and what the next ten years brings might just be as entertaining as the last 10, lead by Cairoli, as he himself chased records and championships. He might have fallen short of Stefan Everts this year, but you can be sure, Antonio Cairoli might be close to the end, but he sure isn’t done just yet.
Moving Forward into 2019 Interview MXlarge Images Ray Archer/Monster
Young Australian Hunter Lawrence has had a season he will want to forget in a hurry. Sitting down in 10th place in the MX2 championship points wasn’t his goal when his season started with a podium in round one in Argentina. The Honda rider scored 2-6 results and despite not feeling well, it was a nice beginning. Things quickly went pear shaped though as he started having trouble with his health, then picked up some injuries. So down at one point the Aussie travelled to America to recover and get in some testing with his team for the 2019 season, the Geico Honda factory team.
Now slowly getting back to his best form, Lawrence scored his second-best result of the season in Switzerland last weekend, with a 5-3 score, and finally he was back on the podium. Between Argentina and Switzerland he had failed to score a top three finish, and that beautiful step on the podium was a distance memory. We caught up with his last weekend and asked about his future, which will include racing for Team Australia at the MXoN and racing in USA in 2019. Motocross Illustrated: Good return to something like your best form in Switzerland? Lawrence: Yea it was a good weekend right from the start when I set the fastest lap in free practice. I also led the qualification race for a few laps which was cool and nice to be out front again. Then in the first moto, I didn’t get a great start, coming around the second turn in about 12th position, but I worked my way through to fifth, however by that time the front guys were gone, and I couldn’t catch them. The second moto had a bit of a better start and like the first race I went to work right away and made as many passes as I could. I found myself behind Vlaanderen for a good amount of the moto, but eventually made a pass on him to get third. This was good enough to land myself on the podium which I’m really happy about. A five-three isn’t too bad, especially as this is probably the first race that I’m feeling close to 100%. It’s good to be back! Motocross Illustrated: Saturday was also a nice start to the weekend. Does it feel like you are getting back to where you want to be? Lawrence: Yes, most definitely. Saturday was good. I have been working hard for the last month, since I have been back to 100% and no injuries. We have been bum up, head down and giving it our all. I just needed some good starts on the Sunday. I am feeling somewhat closer to how I came into the series, which is good and where I believe I should be. I mean a privateer bike up against the factory bikes, and its no secret we are underpowered, and we have nothing factory on our bikes. Motocross Illustrated: In terms of the rest of the season. There are only a few rounds left and you started strong in Argentina, I guess it would be nice to finish with a podium? Lawrence: It feels like last year was the last time I was on the podium. For sure it would be great to finish off strong and get some good results and finish my career in Europe, for now with some good results.
Motocross Illustrated: Team Australia was selected last week, and you are on the team. Are you looking forward to that event? Lawrence: Yes, its going to be phenomenal at RedBud. Redbud, USA it will be crazy. I went to the National there this year and its on the level of a French GP, the crowd goes wild. Mitch Evans, I raced my whole junior career, and Kurt Gibbs, who did awesome last year. Gibbsy has had injuries, but he did awesome at Matterley Basin last year, really good on the Saturday, I can’t remember what he got in the qualifier, but he did really good for his first time overseas and first Nations. Sunday, he finished fourth in a moto and had some bad luck in the other one, so I think he did awesome. Mitch it will be his second Nations, he was at Maggiora, but he was sick there and now on the 450 he is the only guy keeping Ferris honest, and its cool to see the new generation coming up for the team for the nations. Motocross Illustrated: From memory, you won a moto at the French GP, before the Nations and then you won the MX2 class, had a great battle with Zach and it was like the standout to get you on the World stage. You must have great memories from that race? Lawrence: Yes, for sure. To beat Osborne. He beat me on the Saturday and on the Sunday, I beat him, and I came out on top and a highlight. He is such a good guy and its cool to see his story. A great way to end the season. End of last year was good and we started feeling better on the bike, and then we had good bike time. Its like anything, the KTM guys have been on those bikes for a long time, same as the Husky boys. That is what I am looking for next year, to be on the Honda again. The past five years I have been on five different bikes. You just get used to one bike, and then you start all over again. Motocross Illustrated: Obviously, you first rider with Geico, is the Motocross of Nations. Its going to be tough with one race and then four months of testing, but how about that challenge? Lawrence: I am super pumped. The guys I did testing with, within two days I felt comfortable on their bike and they dialed it in real fast and it was all hands-on deck. I am not worried about adjusting, same bike just faster. Motocross Illustrated: Motocross you have done your whole life, but what about the supercross, not just racing, but the whole project, surviving it and showing your worth outdoors? Lawrence: I like supercross, obviously I haven’t done it since racing in Australia, and I like it. I think its awesome and one of the gnarliest sports, less room for error compared to motocross, but it won’t be easy, but I am looking forward to it and I think it will be fun.
Distributed in the UK by
EXTREME RACING ACTION
ANYTIME, ANYWHERE!
WATCH
Saturday & Sunday
LIVE
Available on multiple devices
BUY NOW! Follow MXGP :