MXGP

MONACO (Principality of Monaco) 19 September 2022 – Infront Moto Racing is delighted to announce that Twin Air will continue as MXGP’s official partner for an additional 3 years!

Twin Air is one of MXGP’s longstanding partners as the two began working together in 2004 and has since enjoyed plenty of podium and championship success, after all the brand is the Choice of Champions!

The brand is the leading air filter brand in the industry that spearheaded the air filter technology and care that we know and love today. The first Twin Air filter was developed in 1972 and this year the Dutch brand celebrates its 50^th anniversary.

At every Grand Prix, Twin Air provides a racing service to their support riders. They have a solution for every weather condition and track type to maximise performance of both rider and bike!

Infront Moto Racing is excited to continue working together with Twin Air and look forward to many more successful years.

For more information visit the new Twin Air website www.twinair.com

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MONACO (Principality of Monaco) 16 September 2022 – Infront Moto Racing is delighted to announce that SEG will become the new organiser of two MXGPs held in Indonesia for the next five years.

The new agreement guarantees two MXGP events in Indonesia every season which is an exciting opportunity for MXGP fans in Indonesia to enjoy the FIM Motocross World Championship on home soil and get a chance to meet their racing heroes.

SEG was already involved in the organisation of this year’s MXGP of Indonesia in Samota-Sumbawa which was a huge success thanks to the incredible track that was specifically built for the event, and greatly enjoyed by the riders as well as the support from the local government and community together with the passionate Motocross fans who came to watch the races.

The targeted destinations for the future Indonesian rounds include the Island of Lombok and the Island of Sumbawa which are two locations very passionate about motorsports!

Infront Moto Racing is delighted to start the cooperation with SEG and look forward to many successful years working together and growing the popularity of motocross in Indonesia.

Infront Moto Racing CEO, David Luongo: “IMR is delighted about this announcement. The last MXGP of Indonesia in Sumbawa has been a fantastic success. The MXGP family has been welcomed in a very unique way with a memorable parade crossing the city and dozens of thousands of Indonesian fans coming to enjoy the racing weekend. The track, surrounded by the sea of Sumbawa, was very spectacular and we are all very excited to come back for the next 5 years for two Grand Prix with the addition of Lombok, next to the MotoGP facilities. I would like to thank SEG and its CEO Muhammad Ihsan Zulkieflimansyah for their strong commitments, the Indonesian authorities, the region of West Nusa Tenggara and IMI for all their support to bring the MXGP to Indonesia and to contribute to its constant growth”.

The controlled condition of the pandemic has certainly strengthened hopes for recovery of the regional economy, especially continuing the various major agendas of developing the priority tourism sector in West Nusa Tenggara. Local event management organisation that is run by youngsters' creative community is becoming the spearhead on reviving culture and tourism. SEG, which is owned and developed by young spirits, has become the official promoter of 2 MXGP series for the next 5 years in Lombok and Sumbawa.

CEO of Samota Enduro Gemilang (SEG), Muhammad Ihsan Zulkieflimansyah: “We all are vary thrilled to have the opportunity to hold the MXGP 2022 in Indonesia, especially in Sumbawa. To bring the MXGP event to Indonesia has been one of our proudest moments. The public enthusiasm is really impressive, as the audience is not only from local, but also from foreign countries and International MXGP enthusiasts. We are really excited for the next MXGP events, as we have been given the trust by Infront to hold the upcoming 2 series of MXGP that will be held in Sumbawa and Lombok. As MXGP in Samota-Sumbawa recently received MXGP Best Media Opportunity, it’s such a big honour for us to receive this award.

We really appreciate the chance and trust that is given to us by the MXGP family. With the success of the event, we are thanking all the partners such as the government, local sectors, and community who support the event. SEG and team will provide the best effort on executing and organising the upcoming events of MXGP Sumbawa and Lombok in 2023”.

About SEG: SEG is an event-execution based company in West Nusa Tenggara. SEG has been appointed as the Official Promoter in Indonesia to execute 2 Series MXGP in Lombok and Sumbawa for the next 5 years.

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MONACO (Principality of Monaco) 15 September 2022 – Infront Moto Racing is delighted to be partnering up with Saudi Sport Company (SSC) that will see the FIM Motocross World Championship including the Monster Energy FIM Motocross of Nations televised in the Middle East for the next two years.

SSC is a Saudi sports network that is also an exclusive owner of the rights of TV broadcast of the Saudi Professional League, King’s Cup and Saudi Super Cup and will now become an official broadcast partner for MXGP. This is an exciting step for the FIM Motocross World Championship and motocross as a sport in general, as it gains better worldwide coverage and growth in areas such as the Middle East.

SSC is currently partnered up with the NFL, Formula 1 and Formula E, the Dakar Rally, the Extreme E series and more. “Defining a new world of sports in Saudi Arabia, dedicated to inspiring the nation towards elevated standards of Health and Longevity” is the goal of the company that strives to introduce new and exciting sports in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Infront Moto Racing is delighted with this partnership and looks forward to the next two years with SSC as it continues to reach better coverage of the FIM Motocross World Championship and motocross as a whole. 

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Pirelli Conclude the 2022 FIM Motocross World Championship season scoring the record number of 79 titles with Tim Gajser, Tom Vialle and Nancy Van de Ven.

The 18th and final round of the FIM Motocross World Championship that took place in Afyonkarahisar has been the best way to conclude the 2022 season for Pirelli in the FIM Motocross World Championship with three titles won in the main classes: MXGP, MX2 and WMX. In the MXGP class Tim Gajser, Slovenian rider of Team HRC, got the title already in Finland while Jeremy Seewer (Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing MXGP) and Jorge Prado (RedBull GasGas Factory Racing) completed the top 3 championship standing all made by Pirelli’s riders. Tim Gajser also won the BitCi MXGP of Turkiye in front of Jeremy Seewer to end the season in the best way possible.

In the hard pack track of Afyon’s Motor Sports Center the riders had the chance to make the most of the SCORPION™ MX32™ Mid Soft front with the SCORPION™ MX32™ Mid Soft rear; those are the tyres, that together with the SCORPION™ Soft rear, has been the most used from Pirelli’s riders and have been the key to achieve those incredible results.

The 2022 MX2 season has been spectacular and the last round in Turkiye saw the triumph of Tom Vialle (RedBull KTM Factory Racing) at the last race of the season that saw him with the title against Jago Geerts (Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing MX2) by only 4 points after a really tight championship. Like in the MXGP class also in MX2 the Championship Top 3 is all made by Pirelli’s riders with Tom Vialle, Jago Geerts and the young German Simon Längenfelder (RedBull GasGas Factory Racing) that impressed everybody during this 2022 season with many good results.

The 2022 has been an incredible year for Pirelli and once again at the last round of the series in Afyonkarahisar the Dutch Nancy Van De Ven (Ceres71 Yamaha Racing) managed to get the WMX World Championship title after a fight with Lynn Valk (JK Yamaha Racing) that went on until the last race of the season. During the BitCi MXGP of Turkiye we also saw the conclusion of the EMX Open Championship where the Spaniard José Butron won the series completing the EMX125 Presented by FMF Racing and the EMX250 titles won also by Pirelli with the two Dutchmen Cas Valk and Rick Elzinga.

Last but not least are the Junior World Championships titles won by Pirelli in August on Vantaa’s track in Finland with Ivano Van Erp winning the 125cc class and Gyan Doensen winning the 85cc class.

MOANCO (Principality of Monaco) 7 September 2022 – Infront Moto Racing have been delighted to continue the Fox Holeshot competition during the 2022 season of the FIM Motocross World Championship.

Over the years, as the sport, machinery and athlete levels have risen, we have also witnessed the rise of the importance of getting a good start. Every GP the starts are crucial and getting out in front is a way to have the best chance of success. 

How does the competition work?

Every Grand Prix race, during both MXGP and MX2 races, the rider who crosses the white line painted on the ground at the exit of the first corner secures the Fox Holeshot and receives one point. At the end of the season, the two riders, one per category, with the most Fox Holeshot points will win the mega prize!

This year, the Fox Holeshot Award crown in MXGP went to Jorge Prado of Red Bull GasGas Factory Racing, who for the second year in a row (in MXGP) has proven that he is the rider to beat when it comes to getting out of the gate. Throughout 2022, Prado collected 16 Fox Holeshot plates, while Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing’s Jeremy Seewer had five and Team HRC’s Tim Gajser ended up third with four Fox Holeshot’s this season.

While in MX2, the Fox Holeshot Award goes to Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Tom Vialle for the third consecutive time. Vialle racked up a total of 10 Fox Holeshots in 2022, with his closest rivals being Red Bull GasGas Factory Racing’s Simon Längenfelder who had eight black plates to his name and Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing’s Jago Geerts who had seven.  

Both Vialle and Prado, received their FOX Holeshot cheques during the annual MXGP Awards which was streamed LIVE to audiences worldwide on MXGP’s Facebook and YouTube channels, as well as www.MXGP-TV.com

MXGP Fox Holeshot Classifications

MX2 Fox Holeshot Classifications

Watch the Fox Holeshot Films from the BitCi MXGP of Turkiye below.

Honda Racing Corporation (HRC) announced that it has renewed its contract with Tim Gajser (25 years old, Slovenia), who currently competes in the FIM Motocross World Championship premier MXGP class (450cc class) for Team HRC, Honda’s factory team, and newly signed a contract with Rubén Fernández (23 years old, Spain). Both riders are signed on for multiple years starting in 2023.

After winning the Motocross World Championship title in the MX2 class (250cc) in 2015, Tim Gajser moved to the premier MXGP class the following year and won the championship along with the Rookie of the Year title. Although he did not win the title for the following two years, Gajser won back-to-back championships in 2019 and 2020, and by claiming his fourth MXGP title this year, has won a total of five titles in the Motocross world championship.

Rubén Fernández was third overall in the European Motocross Championship EMX250 class. Although he moved to MX2 in 2018, he moved back to EMX250 the following year. After moving full-time to MX2 in 2020, he finished ninth that year. In 2021, Fernández joined the MX2 team Honda 114 Motorsports, but from Round 17 moved to the premier MXGP class. This year, Fernández continued his full-time career in the MXGP class, ending up eighth in the championship, with two third-place finishes.

Tim Gajser: It was an easy decision to continue this amazing relationship with Team HRC. It is like a second-family to me and there is no other place where I feel it is such a nice environment. I always say “Happy Rider, Fast Rider” and working with everyone in Team HRC, from all the technicians in Japan, to my practice mechanic, to my physio, it is all so enjoyable and I always look forward to going racing. I have won five World Championships with Honda so I am extremely comfortable on-board the CRF450R and they always do such a great job with developing and improving the machine, so I know I’ll be riding a bike capable of winning title number six in 2023. A huge thank you to all my supporters around the world, and I look forward to meeting you at Team HRC next year.

Ruben Fernandez: It is a dream come true to be riding for Team HRC in the MXGP class. The team is the best in the paddock and having ridden the Honda for the past couple of years, I am very familiar with the bike, but now I’m very excited to get to ride the full factory machine next year. I am also excited to work alongside Tim, as I know I can learn a lot from a rider who is five-times champion of the world. I’d like to thank everyone who has supported me throughout my career, who got me to this point and I can’t wait to show everyone what I am capable of. I now have the winter to prepare myself, and make sure I’m ready for the first gate-drop in 2023.

Koji Watanabe, HRC President: We are all very happy to have Tim signing again with Honda. He is an important figure for our company, and the perfect ambassador on and off the track. His achievement of winning five world titles is incredible and we hope that he can achieve even more goals riding on Hondas in the future. It is also exciting to have a new young rider Ruben Fernandez joining the team. He has done well the past couple of years and this is the perfect time for him to make the switch to Team HRC. He has already had success on Honda, and now we hope we can build upon that in the coming years. I wish both riders the best of luck.

Photo Copyright: Bavo Swijgers

MONACO (Principality of Monaco) 06 September 2022 – Infront Moto Racing and the FIM-Europe wish to announce a rule change that will become effective in the EMX250 Championship from the 2023 season and onwards.

Over the last several years, the pyramid scheme has seen great success with increasing number of entries in the European classes. Many of the current top stars in MXGP and MX2 have gone through the EMX ranks to become the front runners in the FIM Motocross World Championship which is exactly what the pyramid scheme aims to achieve, in order to have the best riders in the world competing on the biggest stage of motocross racing.

The change in the EMX250 will be the age rule which looks to follow the natural evolution of the riding experience in the European Championship. Going forward, the maximum age for riders contesting in the EMX250 Championship will be 21.

Additionally, the EMX250 Championship will now see a total of 10 rounds per year, while the EMX125 series will be disputed between 9 rounds. The EMX2t Championship will consist of one race, as will the EMX Open creating a finale style event.

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The MXGP Trophy was introduced in 2020, that saw the beginning of a new tradition in the FIM Motocross World Championship, paying homage to all the past, present, and future world champions of the premier MXGP class.

Team HRC’s Tim Gajser was in fact the first rider to ever received the coveted cup when he picked up his fourth world title in 2020. Last year, the trophy changed hands and went to Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Jeffrey Herlings who won a historic title chase against Gajser and Kawasaki Racing Team MXGP’s Romain Febvre as the championship went down to the last race.

After the heartbreak of losing the title last season, Gajser was more motivated than ever to take back the crown and the trophy in 2022 and he did just that with impressive stats that included 14 race wins, 10 Grand Prix victories, 13 podiums and 185 laps led.

The newly crowned world champion was presented with the impressive art-piece by Infront Moto Racing CEO David Luongo at the podium, following the final race of the season in Afyonkarahisar, Turkiye.

About the trophy: The MXGP trophy is made up of two main materials, aluminium and carbon fibre base is formed by 6 pieces of anodized aluminium in three different shades: red at the bottom, and black and grey in the middle alongside the MXGP logo. In the grey parts we can find some filigrees inspired by motocross such as the starting gates of the tracks, the teeth on the bike sprockets, and more distinctive elements. The top of the trophy is formed by 16 twisted carbon fibre blades shaped into a cup to resemble the championship logo. The 20 stainless steel plaques wrapping the trophy are engraved with all the world champions’ names from 1957 until now in the main class.

The size and weight of the trophy represent the toughness of the competition, and its uneven sharp angles are meant to capture the skilled performance of the riders and the thrill and speed of the races.

The trophy was designed by the Barcelona-based Garcia Rojals Studio, that holds a long-time global reputation for designing outstanding racing trophies, including the MotoGP World Championship Trophy and the World SBK Trophy.

From left to right: Infront Moto Racing CEO David Luongo, Tim Gajser, FIM/CMS Director Antonio Alia Portela, FIM President Jorge Viegas

MONACO (Principality of Monaco) 6 September 2022 – For the second year in a row, MXGP and Athena joined forces to continue the Best Rider of the Year Sponsored by Athena competition!

Throughout the year fans have had the opportunity to vote for the ‘Best Rider of the Year Sponsored by Athena’ in the MXGP category, with the votes tallied at every Grand Prix. A rider of the GP was chosen during each event in 2022 and the rider who received the most points by the end of the season was declared the winner and got to walk away with the ultimate prize and be presented with the special award for ‘Best Rider of the Year Sponsored by Athena’!

Every Grand Prix a dedicated post was shared on MXGP’s official Instagram page under which fans were able to comment who their favourite rider of the weekend was. The comments were then counted and the rider with the most votes was chosen as the best rider of that GP. 

At the season finale in Turkiye, Team HRC’s Tim Gajser was voted the Best Rider at the Bitci MXGP of Turkiye after receiving 45.9% of the votes compared to iXS Hostettler MXGP’s Valentin Guillod and Red Bull GasGas Factory Racing’s Jorge Prado who each received 29.4% of the votes!

This season, Gajser headed the competition from the very beginning and by the end of the championship collected 12 points ahead of Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing’s Jeremy Seewer who tallied up 3 points ahead of Jorge Prado, Gebben Van Venrooy Yamaha Racing’s Calvin Vlaanderen and Standing Construct Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Brian Bogers who all had one point each.

Gajser was presented with the cheque for winning the competition at the annual MXGP Awards.

Tim Gajser: “It’s really cool for Athena and MXGP to set up a contest like this and I’m really happy to win it! Of course, this would not be possible without all of the fans that have voted for me every GP you know, so really, I must thank them for the support and for this award!”

2022 Best Rider of the Year, Sponsored by Athena Standings:

Photo: Infront Moto Racing CEO David Luongo, Tim Gajser, FIM President Jorge Viegas

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As is tradition in MXGP, the 2022 FIM Motocross World Champions, Tim Gajser of Team HRC and Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Tom Vialle were presented with rings to celebrate their world titles in MXGP and MX2. Additionally Ceres 71 Racing’s Nancy Van de Ven also received her WMX Champion Ring for the very first time.

The 2022 World Champions received their unique jewellery during the annual MXGP Awards on Sunday evening, following the last races of the BitCi MXGP of Turkiye which saw the crowning of the final champions of the season and concluded this year’s championship.

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Bottom photos 1. from left to right: Infront Moto Racing CEO David Luongo, Tom Vialle, Tim Gajser, FIM President Jorge Viegas, 2.Nancy Van de Ven

These one-off silver jewels are custom made to symbolise victory, each engraved with the year and the names of the Champions to further personalise the ring. The rings are designed and produced by the Italian company PR Model which is headed by Mr. Telemaco Cane, a huge fan of motocross himself.

The ring presentation is the final step to seal the championships and conclude another successful season of the FIM Motocross World Championship.