Lawrence legs it for 50!

TEUTSCHENTHAL (Germany), 08 May 2016 - The track this weekend that hosted the third round of the EMX250 European Championship has been a staple on the calendar of the FIM Motocross World Championship for years. The European championship runs along side the world’s premier motocross series, MXGP, and joined the big boys for the MXGP of Germany in Teutschenthal.

For those that don’t know the circuit here, it’s an old school style clay track that utilizes the hills here in the small German town. This weekend the track was ripped deeper than ever and saturated with water, which made for mega gnarly ruts that almost swallowed the riders whole.

In race one, Monster Energy Kawasaki Racing Team’s Hunter Lawrence, the kid that has been struggling to keep it on two wheels at the previous two rounds but still has been setting the fastest lap times, finally kept it rubber side down for his first moto win and did the same again in race two for his first European Championship victory.

When the gates dropped with a thud it was Bud Racing Monster Energy Kawasaki’s American youngster Darian Sanayei who took the holeshot ahead of the race one winner Hunter Lawrence. Karlis Sabulis was also in the hunt on the opening laps but got cross rutted and scrambled off track. He rejoined but lost a position to the red plate holder Bodo Schmidt Motorsports Thomas Kjer Olsen.

Up front, the American Sanayei and the Australian, Lawrence, were hanging it all out. Both riders ooze style and confidence and put on an excellent show for the thousands of rowdy German fans. Filip Neugebauer had charged hard to get to fourth before getting caught by the wind over the finish line jump and crashing hard.

The ruts here in Teutschenthal are renowned for snagging foot pegs. They got Lawrence a couple of times but eventually he got his lines sorted and made a move on Sanayei to take over the lead, and set the fastest lap time of the race on that same lap.

Lawrence just loved life out here and managed to take his second race win of the weekend to stand top of the box for the first time this season. Sanayei charged all the way to the flag for second ahead of Kjer Olsen and the Belgian Kevin Wouts. Sabulis found his rhythm near the end and crossed the line in fifth.

Monster Energy Kawasaki Racing Team’s Hunter Lawrence uncorked his first bottle of fizz with a perfect score while the championship leader Bodo Schmidt Motorsports Thomas Kjer Olsen posted a 2 – 3 for second place while the American Darian Sanayei riding for Bud Racing Monster Energy Kawasaki finished second place in the final moto, paired with his fifth in race one for third overall.

Kjer Olsen maintains the red plate, leading Lawrence by 12 points.

EMX250 Race 1 Top Ten: 1. Hunter Lawrence (AUS, Kawasaki), 29:13.619; 2. Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, Husqvarna), +0:15.810; 3. Anton Gole (SWE, Husqvarna), +0:22.003; 4. Filip Neugebauer (CZE, Kawasaki), +0:23.089; 5. Kevin Wouts (BEL, KTM), +0:39.379; 6. Darian Sanayei (USA, Kawasaki), +0:40.398; 7. Jorge Prado Garcia (ESP, KTM), +0:46.489; 8. Miro Sihvonen (FIN, KTM), +0:47.681; 9. Nick Kouwenberg (NED, Honda), +0:50.963; 10. Bas Vaessen (NED, Suzuki), +0:53.608

EMX250 Race 2 Top Ten: 1. Hunter Lawrence (AUS, Kawasaki), 28:52.046; 2. Darian Sanayei (USA, Kawasaki), +0:10.477; 3. Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, Husqvarna), +0:15.925; 4. Kevin Wouts (BEL, KTM), +0:40.373; 5. Karlis Sabulis (LAT, Yamaha), +0:43.495; 6. Bas Vaessen (NED, Suzuki), +0:46.432; 7. Nicolas Dercourt (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:52.827; 8. Anthony Bourdon (FRA, Husqvarna), +0:54.618; 9. Miro Sihvonen (FIN, KTM), +0:54.755; 10. Jorge Prado Garcia (ESP, KTM), +1:04.292

EMX250 Overall Top Ten: 1. Hunter Lawrence (AUS, KAW), 50 points; 2. Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, HUS), 42 p.; 3. Darian Sanayei (USA, KAW), 37 p.; 4. Kevin Wouts (BEL, KTM), 34 p.; 5. Anton Gole (SWE, HUS), 29 p.; 6. Bas Vaessen (NED, SUZ), 26 p.; 7. Miro Sihvonen (FIN, KTM), 25 p.; 8. Jorge Prado Garcia (ESP, KTM), 25 p.; 9. Nicolas Dercourt (FRA, KAW), 20 p.; 10. Nick Kouwenberg (NED, HON), 18 p.

EMX250 Championship Top Ten: 1. Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, HUS), 132 points; 2. Hunter Lawrence (AUS, KAW), 120 p.; 3. Kevin Wouts (BEL, KTM), 98 p.; 4. Darian Sanayei (USA, KAW), 95 p.; 5. Bas Vaessen (NED, SUZ), 89 p.; 6. Nick Kouwenberg (NED, HON), 72 p.; 7. Miro Sihvonen (FIN, KTM), 63 p.; 8. Even Heibye (NOR, KTM), 60 p.; 9. Anton Gole (SWE, HUS), 59 p.; 10. Nicolas Dercourt (FRA, KAW), 52 p.

EMX250 Manufacturers: 1. Husqvarna, 142 points; 2. Kawasaki, 126 p.; 3. KTM, 116 p.; 4. Suzuki, 89 p.; 5. Yamaha, 81 p.; 6. Honda, 73 p.