MXGP

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 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

MONACO (Principality of Monaco) 17 November 2022 – Infront Moto Racing is pleased to share the November issue of the MXGP Magazine!

The 111^th issue of our monthly magazine is now available! The November’s cover features the 2022 WMX Champion Nancy Van De Ven as the rider of the month.

The magazine will also include two special features, first introducing and getting to know more about the 2022 EMX Champions, as well as an article on team VRT which will receive KTM’s factory support in 2023.

In this month’s Hall of Fame we will discover more about Mike Brown while the Vintage Bike section will introduce Stefan Everts’ 1996 Honda 250.

You can find all of this and more in the 111^th issue of MXGP Mag, which you can download for FREE on the Apple Store or Google Play. Read it HERE

Users who have already downloaded other issues on their iOS device can automatically download the new issue by opening the News Stand and clicking on the cover of the MXGP Mag. Whereas those readers using an Android device will be able to download the magazine for free thanks to this app: http://bit.ly/IssuuOnAndroid.

LINKS

Infront Moto Racing

FIM

MXGP Mag 111

When the 2023 MXGP calendar has been released last month and it was seen that the Motorsportpark Gelderland Midden circuit would be holding the Dutch round of the MXGP championship many people in The Netherlands got very excited.

This beautiful facility tucked inside the magnificent Hoge Veluwe nature park in Holland is everything a Grand Prix should be, from a good sand track, easy access and close to the very popular city of Arnhem. With this relatively new circuit, which is more than two kilometres from any housing, and in the middle of a forest, built right next to a freeway for easy entry and exit, the Motorsportpark Gelderland Midden might find itself as a regular stop for the Motocross World Championhsip.

Dik Wikselaar is the man behind the circuit and somebody with a lot of passion for the sport. As a former sponsor of Jeffrey Herlings, Wikselaar has been busy for some time now to get a Grand Prix running at his exciting new facility. Herlings, who, like many other Grand Prix riders has ridden the track on a number of times knows it will be a very good round of the 2023 Championship.

“Yes, “Herlings said. “12 years ago, when I was on the 85 and I won the World title, the European title, the Dutch and the German championships I was in Dik’s team. I know him for 17 years and he is a very reliable person. I think this is the best possible scenario for a Dutch Grand Prix. There is no facility in Holland that has this type of accommodation. A big parking, good infrastructure, and a lot of room for spectators. It is like in the middle point of Holland and with the woods and nature around it is really good for Holland. Close to the German border, or Belgium and even France, so it’s a great place to have a Grand Prix.”

Herlings, who dominated the Dutch GP when it was held at the Valkenswaard circuit doesn’t see the new facility as a replica of the euro circuit, but he does see it as a really interesting stop for the Grand Prix calendar and obviously loves the fact this circuit is a rather similar sand to that of Valkenswaard.

“It is a nice track. I wouldn’t say the same as Valkenswaard, it is a little sandier, because my feeling is Valkenswaard gets harder and harder and maybe because we had the race early in the season, when is still winter, the ground got sometimes a bit frozen. It is difficult to judge; They will change for sure track track for a Grand Prix and but I think it is a good track. It is always great to get some new tracks in the GP calendar”.

When somebody told me there was a motocross track in the middle of the Hoge Veluwe (a nature park in Holland), I couldn’t believe it. Then I saw the photos of the track and was blown away how beautiful it was. How do you get such a great spot! Wikselaar has been involved in many relationships in his time in the sport and has built a good communication with the right people to make this Grand Prix very special, from the local government to wealthy sponsors.

“If you develop enough relationships with people and deliver things to them, then you'll get something back,” Wikselaar said. “We did a swap; we gave the local government two circuits (large pieces of land), and we got this piece of land in return. We gave them 15 hectares and we got 10 hectares back and then we made a new circuit. When I came here it was all wild, but now it is beautiful, close to the highway and not near houses. We have a really good relationship with the local government (Province Gelderland) and also Arnhem, and also with people who are at the top of organizing things. That is important to have good relationships with these people, but that is important in life, not only in motocross.”

Arno van den Brink who is the organizer of the Dutch Masters of Motocross is also closely involved with the Arnhem circuit and as a passionate person inside the paddock in Holland, he knows that this is going to be a very special Grand Prix.

“This is a new circuit,” VD Brink said. “It is growing quickly, and it’s a fantastic facility. It is one of the best clubs in Holland and we wanted to do a Dutch Masters, but that wasn’t possible. This club has people who want to help, but still don’t have the knowhow to run a Grand Prix. We have a group who have all the experience and, working all together with Infront Moto Racing and the local club, I’m pretty sure that we’ll have a great outcome.”

So now, as we await the season to start, you just know many of the leading Grand Prix riders will be using this facility as their pre-season preparation, and come the 20^th of August, the place will be packed with excited Dutch fans looking for their local riders to take the victory

Photo copyrights: Geoff Meyer

After winning the 125cc FIM Motocross World Championship in 1992 Greg Albertyn wasted no time in moving up to the 250cc category which was not very much deemed as the premier class, and the South African pretty much hit the ground running, when all was said and done, "Albee" took the series by storm clinching the title with a round remaining, and it's Greg 1993 Honda CR250 that will feature in this issue of the Magazine.

During the course of the campaign, Albee raced to eleven podiums, winning six Grand Prix. He placed 2nd on three occasions and 3rdoverall twice, and won 17 races along the way. He also took ten 2nd places and four 3rd place finishes; at the end of the capaign Greg was able to get the title in Finland with still one round remaining.

Read more on the feature from the issue 110 HERE

What’s new this week? The Paris Supercross will be held this weekend on November the 12^th and 13^that the Paris La Défense Arena. The best Supercross riders and international stars will gather for this amazing show and the whole weekend will be LIVE on MXGP-TV!

Big names such as Cooper WEBB, Eli TOMAC, Marvin MUSQUIN, Ken ROCZEN and much more will line up this Saturday and Sunday. This is the off season event you don’t want to miss!

The Supercross MXGP-TV pass is already online and available for purchase worldwide; it includes 4 hours per day LIVE and OnDemand starting from Saturday at 7 pm local time while Sunday’s LIVE show will start at 3 pm local time.

The SX weekend pass gives you access to the opening ceremony, SX1, SX2, FMX Session and the Honda/KTM Show. Additionally MXGP-TV voice Paul Malin will comment the event LIVE in English from Paris for all fans home.

What you need to do is to REGISTER on MXGP-TV.com and purchase your SX MXGP-TV pass. Click HERE and be sure you get your Video Access for the weekend.

Pass is valid for VOD until next Tuesday 15th November.

While fans from France and French speaking countries can watch the event exclusively on Automoto La Chaine this weekend. 

MONACO (Principality of Monaco) 4 November 2022 – Infront Moto Racing is delighted to share that tickets for the 2023 edition of the Monster Energy FIM MXoN taking place at the legendary Ernée circuit, France, are now on sale.

The Raymond Demy circuit hosted several GPs through the years including a successful 2022 event and two unforgettable Monster Energy FIM MXoN, in 2005 and 2015.

The last edition of the Monster Energy FIM Motocross of Nations in Ernée was in 2015 where Team France won in front of thousands of passionate spectators. On October the 21^st and 22^nd 2023 all eyes will be again on Team France, who will go to Ernèe to repeat the 2015 affair and have back the Chamberlain Trophy. Plus the best worldwide riders will gather together for the MXoN glory. The spectacle will be unique!

A special early bird offer is now available until January 31^st, featuring a special discount on all general admission tickets, which allow to witness the most thrilling and prestigious race of the year in an action packed weekend.

Don’t want to miss the best off-road event of the season. Tickets are available for purchase HERE

LINKS

Infront Moto Racing

FIM

Monster Energy FIM MXoN Ernée

While the Grand Prix scene has had many top American riders coming to race the FIM Motocross World Championship like Ryan Villopoto, Broc Glover, Danny Laporte, Bobby Moore etc. but was Brad Lackey who made the biggest jump. As a former AMA 500cc champion Lackey made the move when it was much more difficult than now and was able to become the first American to win a World Title.

It was after long lonely nights sleeping in the CZ factory in the Czech Republic, back in a time when not many Eastern Europeans spoke English and for a young teenager from California, times were tough. Bobby was struggling to fit into the European culture and the white sandy beaches of Los Angeles were now a distant memory, he spent many nights unhappy, but with a strong mind he manage to reach his goals.

“You have to understand,” Lackey said. “When I came out, I lived in Czech Republic, in the CZ Factory housing, and with 50-year-old guys when I was just 17 years old. They didn’t speak one word of English and there was no McDonalds, gas stations, etc. , trust me time were really different. Every day I would just ride my bike and try and forget about it, I worked at the factory in the morning and then would ride in the afternoons. I got to leave to go to those 250cc Grand Prix’s, so I went to Poland, East Germany, Czechoslovakia, beautiful countries. I was just concentrating on learning my trade.”

Life on the road meant many nights sleeping alongside the freeway, driving from one country to another in his small car and pulling a trailer. Getting used to this new culture also meant learning the road rules of each country. American music was something that got him through the cold winters and language difficulties.

“I had a small cassette player and I had one tape and it was California Dreaming by the Mamas and the Papas, and I can tell you I wore out some batteries listening to that song. I was a typical Californian kid; that never heard about autobahn and didn’t even know what that was. So, I would be driving along in the middle of the night with my car and trailer and myself and Gaston’s bikes in the back. I would pass a big truck and then look in the mirrors and see some guy flashing his lights like miles behind. I would think what is wrong with that guy, then I would pull over to the side and a Porsche would go by at 200 miles an hour.”

Of course, the reason Lackey wanted to head to Europe in the first place was back in the late 1960s when Grand Prix riders travelled to America to race against the local riders. It was at this moment that Lackey knew where he wanted to spend his career it was at the Motocross GP.

“The first time De Coster, Hallman and Robert came to America, like in 1967, we thought we were fast guys, but they showed us that we weren’t really that fast. I mean back then those guys had factory bikes and we just had scrambler bikes, like BSA’s and stuff like that. Watching those guys ride and seeing how fast they were I figured I was only going to learn if I went to Europe. I came to Europe to get to a different level in riding skills; I  got a little lucky and went to the CZ factory and did some testing and racing and after that they offered me a Grand Prix bike, and I could ride half the 250cc series in 1971, so I came over for that.”

Now long retired, Lackey can look back at a time when Europe was very different and his achievement to become a World Champion was a lot tougher than it is now. Winning the 1982 World 500cc championship placed him in Grand Prix folk-law and he will forever be loved by thousands and thousands of motocross fans around the World.

Photo copyrights: Geoff Meyer

Hear from newly signed Ruben Fernandez as he talks about his career in motocross and how he got in the position to sign for one of the best teams in the MXGP World Championship – Team HRC.

—–
Quick Bio
Date of Birth: 21^st February 1999
Place of birth: Vigo, Galicia, Spain
Where are you based: On the border of Spain and Portugal, mainly in Portugal now as there are more tracks there for me to practice and I think this is better for my training.
—–

How did you first get into motocross?
"I got into motocross because of my father. It is a family thing as my dad used to be a racer, he was good in his time, one of the best in Spain and he used to race in Portugal and even in Argentina. In that period it wasn’t so usual to go out of your country to race, but he was on a good level so he was able to do that. My brothers and I used to watch him at the races and one day we got to ride a bike and we loved it so my dad got us our own bikes. We started all together, my two older brothers and I. At the regional championship, there were four of us racing, my dad, my brothers, and I, so they were fun times."

What is your favourite motocross track to ride on?
"I would say Agueda in Portugal, Matterley Basin in England and Kegums in Latvia are my top three. I think that Agueda is my favorite though because it is a track that is close to my home and so a lot of fans come over, and I like the layout and the surface and I love Portugal as a country and their people, so I love going there."

Were there any other careers or sports, that you wanted to do?
"Not really. I used to try many other sports growing up, basketball and football, stuff like that. I even played for my local football team and had a lot of fun but since I was a kid and started riding, I always liked and wanted to head in the motocross direction. However, outside of sports, there was a career I liked and that was to be a firefighter as a job. That used to get me interested."

The 2015 125 Junior World Championship in Spain was your ‘breakout’ ride, in your home country, what do you remember from that event?
"It was a really good event. I probably only did four races in the European 125 championship so I was new at this level of racing, as I’d only ever ridden in Spain really. I came out with the pole position in qualifying, so that was a big thing for me. I got to have my first TV interview with Lisa Leyland, and I remember it being a funny moment. I didn’t really speak English so well back then, so we had to prepare the interview before it started but in the end it was too short so Lisa wanted to make it longer but I didn’t understand what she was asking me and I probably said things that weren’t related to the question at all. It was a funny moment for me."

Then in the races I had some good battles fighting for the lead, finishing third in race one and then fourth overall. But as I said, it was all new to me, racing that sort of event so it was a good and something I look back on with proud memories. And I believe it gave me confidence that I belonged at that level.

You’ve had to work hard for your chance, moving between EMX250 and MX2 a couple of times, how difficult was that period and did you ever have doubts?
"Obviously, I had doubts because I was going up and down and I had some difficult times where I didn’t know what was going to happen with my future. Things weren’t going well after my split with F&H, my first big team which I am incredibly grateful for. But I didn’t know what was going to happen with my future. Thankfully I got another chance in the European championship again. It was a step back, but I looked at it as a chance to comeback stronger. However, I never got a chance to really ride a competitive bike, so I never got a chance to show my true potential and it was a struggle both physically and mentally. I never gave up though, I always pushed myself, I tried to give everything I had to overcome that disadvantage. It was difficult for sure, but I always believed in myself."

Your first podium in MX2 was in Russia 2021, how did that feel?
"It felt amazing! As I said before, I had to go through some difficult times, but I made the change to Honda that year and it was the first time I felt good with the bike and was competitive enough to make podiums so I arrived in the first round of the championship after a good winter. To jump straight into the podium was amazing for me, and a great way to start a new season."

You then held the red-plate for round three in Italy, did that place extra pressure? Or was it a great experience?
"It was a great experience more than anything else. I never thought about having the red plate, and to be able to hold one was a great feeling. I wished I could have kept it for longer but in Italy, I had a crash in the first lap so that took away so many points that weekend. However, it was great having it and after some difficult years, to have my first ever podium and then to have the red plate it was all a positive feeling for me. I really didn’t see it as adding any extra pressure because I was enjoying it so much."

Like a lot of young riders, you had speed, but you also had mistakes, was it difficult to find that balance of going fast but not too fast?
"I believe I created this style of riding, this aggressive style because I felt I was trying overcome the disadvantage of my bike, so I had to give a little bit extra of myself to fight with the other guys who had better equipment. I had to give more, and that is a little bit risky, so if you’re on that limit, crashes happen. Now though, I’ve learned to be smarter, to ride more in control and I just feel more comfortable on the Honda CRF450R. That allows me to relax a bit more and although I had some mistakes at the beginning of the season, I rode better and better as the season went on. Experience really helps you and helps you make less mistakes."

Although your MXGP career began really well, at the end of 2021, how tough was it to make that step-up, from MX2 to MXGP?
"It was really tough, because it was straight from one weekend on a CRF250R to the next weekend on a CRF450R, so I didn’t have any preparation and I didn’t have the time to really get any settings setup properly. Nothing was really setup for how I wanted, so it was really difficult but somehow the CRF450R matched really well with my style of riding and I knew the bike was good enough. However, because I was so under-prepared, I got a lot of arm-pump but it was a lot of fun and I’m glad I got the opportunity to do it and just show people what I was capable of on the bigger bikes."

How good did was it to climb up onto your first MXGP podium in Latvia this year?
"It really felt amazing, even in the second moto I got passed one meter before the finish line but because I knew I was on the podium, I was really happy. Afterward, it bothered me, but at that moment, it was so special that I didn’t mind. As a kid, I never really thought about arriving on the podium in the premier class of the World Championship so I had to make it happen, to believe it, and even then, it was difficult to believe it. I was very nervous in that second moto because I knew it was possible and that’s perhaps why I lost that position right at the end, but overall, it was an amazing feeling."

You were on a really good run of form in the middle of the season, including a second podium in Indonesia, but then you had a crash in Czech, how frustrating was that? And how difficult has it been to overcome?
"I was in great form, coming from the podium in Indonesia, and just feeling so good. I was fastest in the free practice session and I’d just set the fastest lap in timed practice, but I felt I could go even faster and maybe that is a characteristic I need to control a bit and just calm myself in those moments but I was just riding so well and then a small mistake had big consequences. After that, it was difficult, I wanted to get back on the bike as quickly as possible, but I had to visit the hospital for various things and it just wasn’t easy. It was difficult to overcome and I wanted to finish the season but I knew that I needed to have a break too."

It looked like you were back to yourself at the MXON. How excited are you for Team Spain in the future as it looks like you have a really good shot at podiums or even winning?
"For the Nations, which was my first ever Nations, I had a bit of time to recover because the MXGP races were so close together and I just didn’t have time to prepare properly, but for the Nations, there was a little bit of a gap and I just felt a lot better heading there. Even though it went well, I still feel like it could have gone better and I know there was more to come, but it was good for Spain and I feel we have a bright future ahead and will be capable of the podium and have some really good results in the future."

Signing for Team HRC must have been a dream come true, how exciting is it, knowing you’re with the best team in the paddock?
"Of course, it is a dream come true and it’s a great reward for all the hard work and all the difficulties that I’ve had to go through in my career before, so I’m excited to get going. I’m having a bit of a break now, but I can’t wait to put in the work and really make sure that I come into 2023 in as best a condition as possible."

The close relationship between 114 and HRC means that you already know a lot of the people you’ll be working alongside in 2023, does that make things easier for you? Taking the pressure off a bit?
"It definitely does. I know almost everyone on the team and have a good relationship with them all already. I believe it makes a big difference to have a good relationship and already being in 114 we got to work close to Team HRC and I had a feeling with everyone there, it will be much easier in the coming seasons. I am Spanish, and a lot of the team are Italian, which means we have a similar culture so that makes things easier too and makes me comfortable."

You’ve now ridden the Team HRC CRF450R, how happy are you with it?
"I’m really happy about the bike and the improvements that have been made. I’m excited to get to work and just have fun riding the bike full-time, after this break, because I know that it’ll get even better as we put in more and more work."

What are the goals for 2023, both in terms of race results and overall championship?
"I achieved all the goals I had for 2022 so now I need to step up a little bit. I had two podiums this year so I want to make sure I am fighting more often for podiums and of course I am going to be looking to get my first win and my aim is to shoot for the top three in the championship. Now I need to put in the work to try and make that happen and we will see how things turn out".

Photo copyrigths: Honda HRC

THE 2022 FIM MOTOCROSS SEASON IS OFFICIALLY OVER FOR ANOTHER YEAR AND WHAT BETTER WAY TO CELEBRATE IT THAN WITH THE BIGGEST RACE OF THE YEAR; THE MONSTER ENERGY FIM MOTOCROSS OF NATIONS. WHILST ‘MXON 74’ WAS MEMORABLE AS THE ONE WHERE ITALY WON ON HOME SOIL AT MANTOVA, THE 75TH EDITION WILL BE REMEMBERED AS THE ONE WHERE LIFE WAS FINALLY BACK TO HOW IT WAS PRE-COVID, AND WITH THE EVENT HEADING BACK TO AMERICA FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE 2018, ALL EYES WERE ON THE HOME TEAM AS THEY LOOKED TO LIFT THE CHAMBERLAIN TROPHY FOR THE FIRST TIME IN MORE THAN A DECADE.

When the curtain came down on the FIM Motocross World Championship season in Turkiye at the beginning of September, all gossip and attention immediately turned to the Monster Energy FIM Motocross of Nations which was now just three weeks away. Not since 2019 had the keyboard warriors and paddock chatter been so loud ahead of the biggest race on the motocross calendar, and no matter where you went, it seemed as if everybody had booked their ticket long in advance in order to witness this fantastic spectacle.

Read more on the feature from the issue 110 HERE

MONACO (Principality of Monaco) 28 October 2022 –The 2022 Edition of Sportel, the annual Sport Media and Broadcasting convention, just concluded in Monaco. Infront Moto Racing was present to meet existing partners as well as discuss TV rights for the upcoming season of the FIM Motocross World Championship.

Infront Moto Racing renewed partnerships with current major broadcasters such as Eurosport for the next 3 years, same for Motorvision that had the pleasure to extend for further three years in order to air the “Behind the Gate” magazine and some selected MXGP events LIVE.

Once again Sportel was the occasion to extend the partnership with Automoto La Chaine to broadcast MXGP in France for the next three years, in Spain TVG renewed for the next two years while TV3, who experienced a first Live Coverage of the WMX in 2022, is willing to do more WMX LIVE Coverage in 2023.

Long time Belgian TV Partner Telenet met Infront Moto Racing and it was the perfect occasion to share their positive words on the MXGP series coverage and to consider a further renewal. Same for MTV Finland which has been partnering with MXGP in the last two years showing the MXGP Race 2 LIVE plus the full MXGP of Finland. The deal, which is still on until the end of 2023, might be renewed for 2024 including for other 4 years of coverage.

MXGP is growing interest every year with current major broadcasters confirming and increasing the successful cooperation with Infront Moto Racing such as Teledeporte in Spain and CBS SN in USA and RAI Sports in Italy.

In addition to meetings with the TV broadcasters, Infront Moto Racing’s technical partners including Cleeng, MXGP-TV payment service provider and TMG, Antipiracy provider and Eurovision, SNG provider and coordination, were also present at Sportel. TMG celebrated the 20^th anniversary which was the perfect occasion to also discuss future improvement of the MXGP services.

TV Department Director Charlotte Menard was in attendance and had the chance to meet several potential digital and technical services providers who could cooperate for MXGP future steps.

As a result the convention was very positive with important discussion and potential further negotiation in place which will improve even more the coverage and visibility of MXGP worldwide.

LINKS

Infront Moto Racing

FIM

Sportel