MX2

It seems amazing that it was 10 years ago that Lommel rejoined the MXGP championship calendar after many years on the sidelines. After years or places like Namur, Kester, Neeroeteren, Genk and Zolder holding the Belgian GP, the deepest sand track in the world returned in 2008.

Lommel was of course a regular stop for the GP riders in the 1980s and 90s and its return in 2008 brought a lot of smiles to not only the Grand Prix public, but also the riders, who see this circuit as one of the toughest in the World.

That first year back and it was Spanish rider Jonathan Barragan that won in what was then the MX1 class. It was also the year Russian rider Gert Krestinov shock the MX2 big names to win his first and only Grand Prix.

Since 2008, Lommel has been a major part of the Grand Prix calendar. Local rider Ken De Dycker won in 2009, and in the MX2 class it was a very young Frenchman by the name of Marvin Musquin. A year later and one of the true kings of Lommel, Antonio Cairoli got his first taste of victory at the Lommel circuit, winning in the MX1 class, while Ken Roczen beat Jeffrey Herlings for the MX2 overall. One of the few times Herlings has lost in the deep sand of Lommel.

Cairoli again won in the MX1 class in 2011, and this time Herlings turned the tables on Roczen to win the MX2 class from the German youngster. A year later Lommel wouldn’t be on the GP schedule, as he held the Monster Energy FIM Motocross of Nations, and of course it was Cairoli and Herlings who dominated the races, Cairoli going 1-1 and Herlings going 1-2. Germany of course won the team overall, a victory that would see the European teams continue to dominate the event until this day.

Lommel would miss 2013 as Bastogne would hold the Belgian GP, and Clement Desalle would take that victory in MX1 and Australian Dean Ferris in the MX2 class. Fortunately Lommel returned in 2014 and that man Cairoli again dominated what was now known as the MXGP class, with Max Anstie winning the MX2 class as Jeffrey Herlings was out injured.

Shaun Simpson pulled off one of his rides of his life with a victory in Lommel in 2015, and Anstie made it a British double with his win in the MX2 class (again Herlings out injured). If the win by Simpson was unexpected in 2015, then 2016 was a real shocker, as veteran Kevin Strijbos got his first GP win in many years, and in MX2 Anstie made it three on the trot as Herlings was again missing with injury.

2017 and it was a sign of the times as Herlings won in the MXGP class, and also showing that the future will bring, Jorge Prado won in the MX2 class.

Now we move into 2018, and sadly this year the event will be without the man who got Lommel back on the calendar, Eric Geboers, who passed away recently. There will be a sad feeling inside the GP paddock this weekend, but without a doubt, Eric would have wanted to show to go on, and he will be watching over the event, just to make sure everything goes to plan.

American Darian Sanayei, a member of the Kawasaki Europe family since he arrived to compete in Europe, will continue his association with the Bike It Dixon Racing Team next season in the FIM MX2 World Championship.

Coming to Europe two years ago after a successful amateur career with Kawasaki in the USA, the twenty-one-year-old immediately found success in the European championship when he finished runner-up in the 2016 series. Moving up to the MX2 class with the Dixon Racing Team last year, he faced a learning season on many new tracks but confirmed his great potential earlier this season when he scored his first-ever GP podiums in Argentina and Spain. Missing his first ever overall podium in Spain by just a single point Darian had high expectations for the remainder of the season but a crash in practice at the opening round of the British championship series in which he damaged knee ligaments forced him to sit out several GPs. After attempting a return to action at the British GP it was clear that he needed to undergo surgery and, while recovering in his native USA, Darian has extended his contract with Kawasaki Europe and the DRT squad of Steve Dixon.

Darian Sanayei: “I’m really happy to be racing with DRT again next year. It feels good to continue our relationship and put our best efforts forward to accomplish an MX2 World Championship! My recovery with my knee is going really good and we are right on track. I should be able to start training on the bike around November/ December time, and that should be enough time to put in the work necessary for a good base to have a great season! I want to thank the entire team and the Kawasaki family for everything they are doing for me so we can achieve excellent results together.”

Steve Dixon (DRT team owner): "I'm delighted Darian has taken his third year option to stay with the Bike It DRT Kawasaki team. Darian, Kawasaki Europe, the team and the sponsors have unfinished business in the quest for world championship honours. Darian showed great speed before his ACL injury and it made perfect sense to sit down with Kawasaki and Darian to discuss the future and part of that plan was to take the best steps to fix the knee in readiness for a good campaign in 2019, I have to thank Kawasaki Europe for being instrumental in the long term plan. Darian has been a long-term loyal member of Team Green in the USA and then followed the Kawasaki path in Europe, first with Bud Racing in EMX2 and then with us since 2017; that loyalty goes a long way in these situations and I am looking forward to seeing Darian back on the Bike It DRT Kawasaki next season."

The FIM Motocross World Championship is ready to be back in Lommel, Belgium for the Fiat Professional MXGP of Belgium, round 15 of the series. Please find here below the timetbale as well as the entry list of MXGP and MX2 classes and in addition the entries from the European Championships EMX125 Presented by FMF Racing and EMX250.

TIMETABLE

MXGP Entry List

MX2 Entry List

EMX250 Entry List

EMX125 Presented by FMF Racing Entry List

MONACO (Principality of Monaco) 31 July 2018 - Youthstream is happy to announce the entry lists for the 2018 FIM Junior Motocross World Championship in Horsham, Australia. The event will take place the 25th and 26th of August in Australia’s Victoria region.

The event will bring together riders from 23 different countries who not only race for their flag but also for themselves and to be crowned Junior World Champion and 65cc World Cup Winner. Three classes will take part in the racing with 65cc, 85cc, and 125cc.

Starting gates will be filled with big names such as America’s Max Miller, Ryder Difrancesco, and Aiden Tijero along with European top guns such as Holland’s Raivo Dankers, and Belgium’s Liam Everts plus the newly crowned EMX85 Champion from South Africa, Camden Mc Lellan.

In addition to the competitive racing a competition titled the 2018 RIDE GREEN CUP will challenge the teams and riders to show their commitment to the environment also via social media. From correctly disposing of motor oil to promoting a sustainable approach to racing the teams will be judged at the end of the weekend. By clicking HERE you will be able to download the 2018 Ride Green Cup Info Document!

Full Entry Lists for all three classes can be found below:

65cc Entry List

85cc Entry List

125cc Entry List

LINKS

Youthstream

FIM

FIM Junior MX World Championship

Red Bull KTM Factory rider Jeffrey Herlings is the ultimate professional. Great with his sponsors, the media and his fans it is little surprise that his fan base is growing fast. A winner worldwide, on any track and under any conditions. Most people believe the Flying Dutchman to be the best rider in the World at the moment, and it is hard to argue that point.

Something that has really given Herlings a lot of pleasure is racing in countries like Indonesia, Argentina and USA, and in the next couple of months he might head to America to race for his country, Holland, in the Monster Energy FIM Motocross of Nations.

His fan base in Indonesia is rather surprising, and even while on holidays in Bali after the second Indonesian GP, I was asked a few times, by locals, what my opinion was of Jeffrey Herlings. So well-known is the three-time motocross world champion. It is also something that hasn’t gotten lost to the Dutch rider.

“I think it is really good (how well MXGP is known in Asia),” Herlings said. “ Youthstream and the Luongo family are running it. Youthstream are doing a really good job with the championship and it is always growing. Obviously, it is a big calendar with 20 races and it’s hard for some teams to make all the rounds, but if you look how big the sport has gotten since Giuseppe and Youthstream, it’s just amazing. If you look at the World scene, how it’s developed, it’s simply been growing every year and getting bigger and bigger, but if you look at the main thing, it’s making the sport awesome and they are doing a really good job.”

Herlings also knows that his current team, the Red Bull KTM Factory team are working just as hard as Youthstream to continue to improve the sport and break barriers Worldwide.

“I think KTM is really strong, look at MXGP and MX2 here. I have a contract until the end of 2020, and they have an option on me for 2021. The rumors that I’m negotiating with other manufacturers are not true. I am super happy with KTM and have been there for 10 years and they are like family, guys like Pit I mean. I can tell you for sure the next three years I am with them, and it would be hard to leave them.”

So now Herlings will head to Lommel, Belgium, a place a lot closer to home than Indonesia, and his fan base of course a lot bigger. What Herlings will continue to remember though is the sport is growing fast and his effort are also helping improve its growth.