#RedBull KTM Factory Racing’s Pauls Jonass on Sunday achieved one of his career goals when the young factory rider finished overall second in the MX2 GP of Latvia in front of an ecstatic home crowd. Jonass stepped up to the challenge and picked up a 2-2 result for his overall second on a weekend where his teammate Jeffrey Herlings is still recovering from a finger injury from a crash in the previous round in Sweden.
Meanwhile in MXGP defending champion Antonio Cairoli, who is riding hampered with a yet-to-heal hand injury from a crash at Maggiora in Italy, delivered a remarkably tough ride in his two motos. Cairoli delivered a 4-4 result to finish overall fifth in the class and stays at second in the point standings. His ride on the Kegums track was an example of his skill, riding craft and courage.
MX2 Action
Heavy rain overnight left the track in Kegums very wet, but as the day went on it dried out, especially in each of the second motos of the two senior classes.
Jonass was inspired in front of his enthusiastic fans and delivered two impressive starts that set him on track for his impressive overall result. He was well supported by his young Red Bull KTM Factory teammate Davy Pootjes (NL), who recently moved up from the EMX250 competition and will contest the rest of the MX2 season. Pootjes picked up a 3-11 result for sixth overall, his career best in the senior class.
Jonass said his day had been “really special”: “I can’t describe how happy I am. To be second in Thailand and Argentina, then to be second at my home GP, that’s completely different. It was almost like a victory for me with all the fans and my family and friends so I was happy to make them proud. It was my manager’s and my goal to have a Latvian on the podium here but no-one expected it would happen so fast.”
Pootjes too was happy with his result: “I had a good start in the first moto. I almost took the holeshot and I finished third. In the second moto I was riding in third then I had a crash and still finished eleventh, so I’m pretty happy with the overall result.”
MXGP Action
Cairoli had a very difficult day on Saturday and said he was experiencing so much pain in his injured hand, he did at times doubt that he would be able to ride on Sunday. He said later that pain-killing injections helped him through the two motos on Sunday, even though he had not been able to ride in the qualification. “The start is very important here and I knew I would be able to get a good start even from the outside gate positions. I was second at the start in the first race and finished fourth. I tried to see this in a different way because my contender for the title was in the back of the field. It was a positive race because we got some points, and for sure we didn’t expect this yesterday. The track was bumpier in the second moto and my start wasn’t quite as good as in the first. I was nine or ten at the start but I had a super first lap and I was already third at the end of it. Then I just tried to hold on and challenge Coldenhoff for second. This cost me a lot of energy but it was positive to finish the second race also in fourth place and I am pretty happy about that.”
It was however a disappointing day for Cairoli’s teammate Tommy Searle, who has also been plagued with injury and bad luck in the current season. Searle had a DNF in the first moto and finished in thirteenth in the second race. “This is a difficult time for me. I can ride well then somehow on Sunday it doesn’t happen for me. The first race was unfortunate because another rider crashed into me at the start and then I crashed and I had to come into the pits. Then I had another big crash in the first lap of the second moto so it was a difficult weekend for me.”
New Generation Junior Champions
Kegums also hosted the final of the EMX in 65 and 85 cc, which is contested in four different zones. The young riders raced once on Saturday and one on Sunday held in very difficult and wet conditions after overnight rain. KTM rider Scott Smudder (NL) was the 65cc EMX Champion after a very tough race on Sunday where he managed to keep two wheels on the track to win the title. He had a 2-4 race result. The EMX 85cc Champion was also a Dutch KTM rider, Ravio Dankers, and his 2-1 result secured him the title.
Riders next compete in Loket, Czech Republic on July 26.
MXGP Results
Note: All figures in parenthesis represent individual moto results
1, Glenn Coldenhoff, NED, Suzuki, (1 - 2)
2, Gautier Paulin, FRA, Honda, (3 - 3)
3, Romain Febvre, FRA, Yamaha, (8 – 1)
4, Kevin Strijbos, BEL, Suzuki, (2 - 6)
5, Antonio Cairoli, ITA, KTM, (4 – 4)
6, Steven Frossard, FRA, Kawasaki, (6 -
7, Jeremy van Horebeek, BEL, Yamaha, (5 – 9)
8, Evgeny Bobryshev, RUS, Honda, (11 - 5)
9, Filip Bengtsson, SWE, Honda, (9 - 11)
10, Dean Ferris, AUS, Husqvarna, (10 - 12)
Other KTM
11, Shaun Simpson, GBR, KTM, (16 - 7)
13, Jose Butron, ESP, KTM, (7 - 17)
16, Tommy Searle, GBR, KTM, (DNF - 13)
MXGP Standings
1, Febvre, 457
2, Cairoli, 416
3, Paulin, 391
4, Maximilian Nagl, GER, Husqvarna, 360
5, Bobryshev, 345
6, Clement Desalle, BEL, Suzuki, 291
7, Simpson, 276
8, Van Horebeek, 260
9, Coldenhoff, 243
10, Todd Waters, AUS, Husqvarna, 24
Other KTM
15, Ken de Dycker, BEL, KTM, 155
16, Butron, 130
22, Searle, 57
MXGP Manufacturers Standings
1, Suzuki, 474
2, Husqvarna, 467
3, KTM, 467
MX2 Results
1, Max Anstie, GBR, Kawasaki, (1 - 1)
2, Pauls Jonass, LAT, KTM, (2 – 2)
3, Harri Kullas, FIN, Husqvarna, (5 - 3)
4, Jeremy Seewer, SUI, Suzuki, (4 – 5)
5, Tim Gajser, SLO, Honda, (7 – 4)
6, Davy Pootjes, NED, KTM, (3 – 11)
7, Jordi Tixier, FRA, Kawasaki, (6 -
8, Brian Bogers, NED, KTM, (10 - 6)
9, Ben Watson, GBR, KTM, (8 – 14)
10, Thomas Covington, USA, Kawasaki, (14 – 9)
Other KTM
13, Roberts Justs, LAT, KTM, (9 – 16)
18, Ivo Monticelli, ITA, KTM, (16 – 18)
20, Henry Jacobi, GER, KTM, (18 - 19)
DNS, Jeffrey Herlings, NED, KTM
MX2 Standings
1. Herlings, 423
2, Gajser, 377
3, Guillod, 352
4, Jonass, 351
5, Seewer, 345
6, Tixier, 334
7, Anstie, 312
8, Julien Lieber, BEL, Yamaha, 278
9, Aleksandr Tonkov, RUS, Husqvarna, 256
10, Dylan Ferrandis, FRA, Kawasaki, 205
Other KTM
11, Bogers, 205
15, Justs, 162
18, Monticelli, 111
20, Watson, 84
21, Pootjes, 59
22, Jacobi, 56
MX2 Manufacturers Classification
1, KTM, 531
2, Kawasaki, 492
3, Yamaha, 413
EMX Championship at Kegums, Latvia
EMX65 Results
1, Scott Smulders, NED, KTM, (2 - 4) (EMX65 Champion)
2, Kay Karssemakers, NED, KTM, (1 - 6)
3, Martin Venhoda, CZE, KTM, (8 – 1)
4, Matvey Vopilov, RUS, KTM, (5 - 3)
5, Liam Everts, BEL, KTM, (4 - 7)
EMX85 Results
1, Ravio Dankers, NED, KTM, (2 - 1) (EMX85 Champion)
2, Bastian Boegh Damm, DEN, Kawasaki, (4 - 4)
3, Brian van der Klij, NED, Kawasaki, (5 - 5)
4, Brian Strubhart Moreau, FRA, Kawasaki, (16 - 2)
5, Arvid Luning, SWE, KTM, (6 - 9)
EMX250 Results of Round 7
1, Damon Graulus, BEL, Yamaha, (1 – 4)
2, Brian Hsu, GER, Suzuki, (8 - 1)
3, Thomas Kjer Olsen, DEN, KTM, (4 – 3)
4, Nick Kouwenberg, NED, Honda, (3 - 5)
5, Lars van Berkel, NED, Kawasaki, (9 - 2)
8, Adam Sterry, GBR, KTM, (2 - 27)
10, Ken Bengtsson, SWE, KTM, (7 - 17)
EMX250 Standings after Round 7
1, Kouwenberg, 255
2, Graulus, 240
3, Sterry, 222
4, Maxime Desprey, FRA, Kawasaki, 217
5, Hsu, 169
EMX250 Manufacturers Standings after Round 7
1, Kawasaki, 290
2, KTM, 282
3, Yamaha, 281