The next press launch is from Infront Moto Racing:
AFYON (Türkiye) – The FIM Motocross World Championship begins the ultimate trio of occasions of the collection, because the MXGP of Türkiye welcomes spherical 17 to the Afyon Motor Sports activities Heart within the mountainous countryside to the west of the nation, roughly 450km to the south-east of the capital, Istanbul.
This would be the eighth MXGP occasion to be held within the Republic of Türkiye, with the primary being held in 2009 at Hezarfen, within the district of Istanbul, received by Antonio Cairoli in MXGP and Zach Osborne in MX2. Since then, MXGP got here again to the nation in 2018 to Afyonkarahisar and has run right here yearly other than 2020, returning to run two occasions in 2021.
The MXGP class has solely seen two winners at Afyon in these six GPs. Jeffrey Herlings received all 4 Grands Prix for Crimson Bull KTM Manufacturing unit Racing from 2018 to 2021 however hasn’t raced right here since. The final two GPs in Türkiye have each been received by Tim Gajser for Crew HRC, who involves this occasion after extending his Championship factors lead with a double race win on the MXGP of Switzerland.
Within the MX2 division, factors chief Kay de Wolf from Nestaan Husqvarna Manufacturing unit Racing significantly helped his trigger with total victory in Frauenfeld, when a dire day for Lucas Coenen left him with a 61-point hole to chase all the way down to his teammate. If the hole stays over 60 after the next spherical in China, De Wolf can be Champion a spherical early. Neither rider has seen the rostrum in Türkiye, nevertheless, because the GP was received final season by Liam Everts for Crimson Bull KTM Manufacturing unit Racing, after race wins for Simon Laengenfelder and Kevin Horgmo. Laengenfelder sits third within the 2024 collection for Crimson Bull GASGAS Manufacturing unit Racing however lies 104 factors behind.
There can be a world title determined in Türkiye nevertheless, because the FIM Ladies’s Motocross World Championship involves a conclusion with the year-long battle between De Baets Yamaha star Lotte Van Drunen and Daniela Guillen on the RFME Spain Nationwide Crew GASGAS. They go to Afyon simply 17 factors aside, that means that if Lotte wins Saturday’s race, then she’s going to clinch the title if Daniela is fifth or worse. It’s subsequently extremely prone to go to the final day! Lynn Valk is 44 factors off the chief, so she has an out of doors mathematical likelihood of the title for Schmicker Racing KTM. Courtney Duncan is unable to defend her title for F & H Racing Crew however will really feel good at a circuit the place she has received 4 of the 5 WMX occasions ever held.
This weekend sees the penultimate spherical of the EMX250 Championship combat between factors chief Mathis Valin for Bud Racing Kawasaki and Valerio Lata for Beddini GASGAS Manufacturing unit Juniors. The hole is just 11 factors between them, and Cas Valk of the Gabriel SS24 KTM is just one other eight additional again. This one ought to go proper to the wire!
Tim Gajser’s domination of the MXGP of Switzerland introduced by iXS leaves him in a really robust place within the three-way battle for World Championship honours, however it’s nonetheless removed from over. Reigning MXGP World Champion Jorge Prado now has an 18-point deficit to make up to be able to take a second straight title for Crimson Bull GASGAS Manufacturing unit Racing, and his most up-to-date success right here was in MX2, again in 2019. Herlings is one other 24 factors behind and admitting that he “wants some luck” to assert his sixth world title, sitting 42 behind Gajser.
The Dutchman has received six particular person races at Afyon in comparison with the Slovenian’s three, whereas Romain Febvre has taken two race wins and two total podiums for his present Kawasaki Racing Crew. Maxime Renaux of the Monster Power Yamaha Manufacturing unit MXGP staff is the one different MXGP race winner right here, taking one in 2022 so as to add to his race wins in MX2 from every of the earlier two seasons, though he’s but to win total right here, ending third in 2023. Kevin Horgmo of Crew Ship to Cycle Honda Motoblouz SR has bought nice recollections from final season, as he received the second race in MX2, his solely race victory at GP degree thus far.
A lot of the high ten Championship positions will not be too carefully fought, as Jeremy Seewer at present lies in fourth place for Kawasaki Racing Crew, 37 forward of Calvin Vlaanderen, who can be combating to return, for Monster Power Yamaha Manufacturing unit MXGP, from a knee damage which stored him out of the Swiss spherical. Febvre is just 23 behind Vlaanderen in sixth, and 13 forward of Fantic Manufacturing unit Racing’s Glenn Coldenhoff.
Vlaanderen’s teammate Jago Geerts continues his restoration from damage and returns to a monitor the place he was third in MX2 final season.
It’s doable for a little bit of historical past to be made in Türkiye, as Gajser’s Swiss win put him on 49 profession GP victories, one wanting the previous all-time report of Belgian legend Joel Robert, who’s at present fifth within the all-time GP win listing.
Who will come out on high within the battle of titans in Türkiye, the primary of the ultimate trilogy of races to determine the World MXGP Championship?!
The MXGP of Switzerland introduced by iXS proved to be an important one for Kay de Wolf, who secured his seventh GP win of the season, and noticed his teammate Lucas Coenen lose large floor with seventh total. This makes the hole between them 61 factors, greater than a most rating over a GP weekend. In reality, if De Wolf scores a most in Türkiye, and Coenen fails to attain utterly, then the World Championship will go to the Dutchman right here, if he additionally beneficial properties 16 extra factors on Laengenfelder!
There’s little to say about both man’s report on the Afyon Motor Sports activities Heart, as Kay didn’t race right here final yr, and Lucas scored simply 9 factors throughout all three races! The 2024 pink plate holder did simply miss the rostrum in 2022, and was high ten throughout all 4 races in 2021. Neither rider raced right here throughout their EMX careers.
In distinction, Simon Laengenfelder took the primary race victory in Türkiye final season, however a sixth in race two denied him an opportunity of the general podium. The German nonetheless sits third within the Championship after his win in race two at Frauenfeld, and is mathematically nonetheless capable of be Champion, however it’s trying unlikely.
Crimson Bull KTM Manufacturing unit Racing teammates Liam Everts and Reigning MX2 World Champion Andrea Adamo have each been on the rostrum in latest races, though they nonetheless have Mikkel Haarup of Monster Power Triumph Racing between them within the factors standings, sitting in fifth, 11 forward of Adamo. Liam took his third profession GP win right here final season via constant 3-2 finishes, with Adamo 9-5 as he defended his Championship lead.
No one else lining up in MX2 this weekend has received a GP in Türkiye, as Tom Vialle received every of the three GPs earlier than Everts’ success. With Jorge Prado successful in 2019, it signifies that the Crimson Bull KTM staff has taken the final 5 MX2 GP winner’s trophies away from Afyonkarahisar!
The superb motion of MX2 is prone to proceed in Türkiye because the season begins to achieve its conclusion and people staff contracts begin to get signed up!
