MX2

MONACO (Principality of Monaco) 1 October 2024 – Infront Moto Racing is thrilled to continue the Fox Holeshot competition throughout the 2024 season of the FIM Motocross World Championship. The start of a race has increasingly become a pivotal moment, and top riders dedicate more time each year to perfecting this crucial phase of the race weekend.

How does the competition work?

In every MXGP and MX2 Grand Prix, the rider who crosses the white line painted at the exit of the first corner claims the Fox Holeshot and earns one point in the special Holeshot classification. At the end of the season, the rider with the most Fox Holeshot points in both the MXGP and MX2 classes wins a fantastic prize!

This year, Jorge Prado of Red Bull GASGAS Factory Racing once again claimed the Fox Holeshot Award in MXGP, securing an incredible fourth consecutive victory in the class. His unparalleled ability to nail fast starts continues to make him the rider to beat in this aspect of the race.

In the 2024 season, Prado secured an impressive 18 Fox Holeshots out of 40 starts, accounting for 45% of the total. Following him were Jeremy Seewer, who came in second with 6 Fox Holeshots, and Tim Gajser, who placed third with 5 Fox Holeshots.

In the MX2 category, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Sacha Coenen clinched the Fox Holeshot Award for the first time in his career. Coenen demonstrated remarkable speed out of the gate, claiming 16 Fox Holeshots during the season, significantly outpacing his competitors. Simon Laengenfelder finished second with 7 Fox Holeshots, while the third spot was shared between Thibault Benistant, Kay de Wolf, Lucas Coenen, and Liam Everts, all of whom secured 3 Fox Holeshots each.

Both Prado and Coenen were presented with their Fox Holeshot Awards during the MXGP Awards ceremony, which was streamed live globally on MXGP's Facebook and YouTube channels, as well as www.MXGP-TV.com
 

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Since many years it is an annual MXGP tradition to present the winners of the FIM Motocross World Championship with a special winning ring to celebrate their world titles! This it was at the annual MXGP Awards ceremony that took place last Sunday in Cozar following the last GP of the season.

This year, Jorge Prado from Red Bull GASGAS Factory Racing Team, Kay de Wolf from Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing together with Lotte Van Drunen from the De Baets MX Team were presented with their rings during the celebratory evening.

These unique jewels are custom made to symbolise victory, each engraved with the year and the names of the Champions to further personalise the ring and make them an exclusive memory for the riders to seal the Championship victory and make them remember that special moment of their career forever.

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Next season a new team will enter the 2025 FIM Motocross World Championship; Riley Kawasaki will line up two young riders in the MX2 class with the support of Kawasaki Motor Europe and Kawasaki Benelux.

KME has always supported promising young riders in MX2, and next year the engagement will be intensified. Alongside Mathis Valin, who will race for the factory Kawasaki Racing Team, Kawasaki Motors Europe, Kawasaki Benelux and Riley Racing will support two further young prospects Kay Karssemakers and Tom Guyon, each of whom has been European championship runner-up during their young careers. To enhance the chances of success the team managed by Olaf Haazen has reached agreements with former CLS Kawasaki team manager Jean Jacques Luisetti and respected technician Harry Nolte to develop this new project and prepare for next season.

The team will operate from the Netherlands and has already attracted a number of technical partners including Pro Circuit. Dutch youngster Kay Karssemakers, European EMX250 Championship runner-up in 2023, will enter his second season in the MX2 class, while France's Tom Guyon, who scored several top-ten results during the 2022 campaign, will return to the GPs after exploring new adventures, including racing in the USA, this season.

Olaf Haazen: “I’m very excited about this new project and to have a collaboration with Kawasaki Motors Europe and Kawasaki Benelux for the upcoming two years. I am also delighted that I have signed Tom Guyon and Kay Karssemakers for the 2025 season. To ensure a strong comeback I needed to look for the right people to join my team; I found them in Jean-Jacques Luisetti and Harry Nolte. Jean-Jacques was the owner of the CLS/Monster Energy Kawasaki team which successfully contested the MX2 world championship in the past and he has a lot of experience that will help us a lot at Riley Racing. We will also work with Harry Nolte as technical manager so we have added a wealth of experience to the team. We're not coming to play around; we are coming back to win and that will always be the goal.”

Jean Jacques Luisetti: “Racing has always been in my blood, and we had a successful period with Team CLS for ten years, winning MX2 GPs with Steven Frossard, Tommy Searle, Joel Roelants, Max Anstie, Arnaud Tonus and Dylan Ferrandis and also several MXGP rounds with Christophe Pourcel. I have been involved in new projects in recent years as, together with my son, I re-launched a dealership which became the number one in sales for Kawasaki in Europe, and now I’m back in the paddock alongside Olaf. The goal is of course to be successful in the MX2 World Championship, working with a strong staff and young talented riders as we always did with Team CLS.”

Tom Guyon: “2025 will be my last season in the MX2 class, and to perform and show what I can do my goal was to sign with a professional team, to work with people who trust me and who will help me to reach my goals. I found everything in this project, and as soon as I start talking with Olaf and Jean Jacques I knew that it was the place to be. At the moment I’m still recovering from an injury, I start again training physically a few weeks ago and I will be ready to be back on a Kawasaki beginning of November; the goal will be to have a strong winter preparation, without injuries, to be ready for the first GPs.”

Kay Karssemakers: “For sure really excited to work with new people who have a long and great experience in the sport, and also to work with a new brand. This season was a learning year with some up and down, some injuries but we learn a lot and for sure all these experiences will help me to be stronger in 2025. And it’s really nice that people such as Olaf and Jean Jacques trust me and believe that I can do good in the World Championship.”

Team organization 

- Team owner and manager:  Olaf Haazen

- Advisor and assistant manager: Jean-Jacques Luisetti

- Technical manager: Harry Nolte

- Bike trainer: William Saris

Team base

Head office based in Dubai, United Arab Amirates

Workshop based in the Netherlands

COZAR (Spain) 29 September 2024 – The FIM MX2 World Motocross Championship was decided in southern Spain today at the MXGP of Castilla La Mancha as the 20th and final round of the season saw the year-long battle between Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing teammates Kay de Wolf and Lucas Coenen reach its conclusion with a day to remember for both riders!

Ultimately it was Dutch flyer De Wolf who became the new MX2 World Champion, but his day was not straightforward as Coenen did everything possible to take the title away with two commanding race wins, getting to within just 20 points at the end of 20 Grands Prix! However, with sensible riding, the red plate holder deservedly claimed the title on his 20th birthday, after a season of sustained and consistent brilliance.

Lucas Coenen’s pace in the RAM Qualifying Race on Sunday was ominous for Kay de Wolf, but a 34-point cushion looked to be enough if he held his nerve.  However, as his teammate started in the top three, the red plate holder was outside the top ten after the first corner and almost seemed to be riding too cautiously.

Thibault Benistant took his third Fox Holeshot Award of the season for Monster Energy Yamaha MX2, and led until lap three as Coenen forced his machine towards an inside line on a rutted left-hander. This left the Frenchman to deal with Simon Laengenfelder, with nothing to gain or lose for Red Bull GASGAS Factory Racing as he was already set for the series bronze medal. The German could not find a way through, and instead came under pressure from the outgoing World Champion, Andrea Adamo!

The lone Red Bull KTM Factory Racing warrior for the day had to pass Benistant’s Monster Energy Yamaha teammate Karlis Reisulis for fourth and dived past Laengenfelder on lap nine.  With a similar move along the start straight he also got past Benistant two laps later.  Laengenfelder eventually passed Thibault on lap 14 to claim third in the race. 

Meanwhile, Ferruccio Zanchi took his best finish of the year for Team HRC in fifth after a battle with F & H Racing’s Quentin Prugnieres, but the Kawasaki man dropped the bike to eventually finish tenth.  De Wolf was locked towards the edge of the top ten, fighting with the Monster Energy Triumph Racing duo Mikkel Haarup and Camden McLellan!

All three got past Reisulis, who finished in ninth, but with De Wolf needing fourth to seal the Championship even with Lucas winning, it was never on the cards as Haarup took sixth, and De Wolf only just held off McLellan to finish seventh. With Lucas winning by over 22 seconds, the gap was 23 points going into the final race!

With a complete change of strategy, De Wolf attacked the start of race two, and came out with a shock Fox Holeshot Award, only his third of the season! Again Benistant and Coenen were right at the front, with Haarup and Reisulis in tow. Laengenfelder and Adamo looked to have ruled themselves out of the podium places with dire opening laps.

De Wolf gave Coenen little resistance when the Belgian teenager made his move, but although Benistant looked close initially, the Dutch birthday boy was not in a mood to drop any further down the order. 

Oriol Oliver had started well in his home Grand Prix for WZ Racing KTM, but Zanchi passed him on lap six for sixth position. The young Italian would finish there, but only after Adamo charged through to a brilliant fourth.  Reisulis dropped back to tenth position where he would finish overall, behind Laengenfelder who had fell down to 13th at one stage in the race but recovered to ninth for fifth overall. 

Prugnieres rose through the order to claim seventh position and eighth overall, passing Oliver with five laps to go, leaving the Spaniard ninth overall. Adamo’s pass on Haarup came courtesy of a small mistake for the Dane with just three laps remaining, putting the Triumph man in sixth overall ahead of Zanchi.  Adamo’s brilliant ride left him second overall, with Benistant third, completing a decent return from injury with some podium pie!  De Wolf’s second left him fourth overall, nearly 22 seconds down on Coenen at the flag, but the more important prize was the MX2 World Championship, four years into his MX2 career and completing a seven-year run with the factory Husqvarna squad.  It is the brand’s first world title since 1999, and its first under its current Austrian ownership!

Coenen, with his tenth career GP win and ninth of the season, had closed the gap to 20 points at the end of the 20th round, but it was the man who turned 20 today that took his first World Championship, the perfect birthday present at the end of an incredible year of racing!

Kay de Wolf: “It felt pretty good. Lucas was on a good pace, so I let him go. I just controlled my own race and got this gold plate finally in my hands. Leading the whole season and finally getting this gold plate is unreal. I can't do it without this team. They've been working so hard for me. Also my friends, family, all my private sponsors, they've been amazing. Big thanks to them and we're going to enjoy this one.”

Lucas Coenen: “Of course the season was good, I got a lot of race wins, also got problems in the beginning of the season with the bike and with me. So, I mean, overall, it's been a good end of the season, let's say. We know the problems we had, so I mean, those problems are quite sorted out now so I'm looking forward to the MX of Nations and then let's see what going to come next year”

Simon Laengenfelder: “I need to say it was a tough year. I started quite okay, but I never made it to the top seven of the podium, which is a bit of a shame, but yeah, another bronze medal I think, three bronze medals are not too bad, with another with a broken collarbone and coming back directly the weekend after i would say with another with a broken collarbone and coming back directly the weekend after i would say it was not it was not the best but was also quite good. Congratulations thanks a lot.”

Main Photo: Kay de Wolf Celebrating

Top Photos: Kay de Wolf and Lucas Coenen

Bottom Photos: 1. Andrea Adamo; 2. Thibault Benistant

MX2 - Grand Prix Race 1 - Top 10 Classification:   1. Lucas Coenen (BEL, Husqvarna), 34:32.130; 2. Andrea Adamo (ITA, KTM), +0:22.731; 3. Simon Laengenfelder (GER, GASGAS), +0:26.616; 4. Thibault Benistant (FRA, Yamaha), +0:28.149; 5. Ferruccio Zanchi (ITA, Honda), +0:28.802; 6. Mikkel Haarup (DEN, Triumph), +0:30.321; 7. Kay de Wolf (NED, Husqvarna), +0:31.408; 8. Camden Mc Lellan (RSA, Triumph), +0:33.958; 9. Karlis Alberts Reisulis (LAT, Yamaha), +0:53.288; 10. Quentin Marc Prugnieres (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:54.202

MX2 - Grand Prix Race 2 – Top 10 Classification: . Lucas Coenen (BEL, Husqvarna), 34:14.738; 2. Kay de Wolf (NED, Husqvarna), +0:21.998; 3. Thibault Benistant (FRA, Yamaha), +0:23.182; 4. Andrea Adamo (ITA, KTM), +0:29.928; 5. Mikkel Haarup (DEN, Triumph), +0:30.888; 6. Ferruccio Zanchi (ITA, Honda), +0:37.448; 7. Quentin Marc Prugnieres (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:44.825; 8. Oriol Oliver (ESP, KTM), +0:46.616; 9. Simon Laengenfelder (GER, GASGAS), +0:51.297; 10. Karlis Alberts Reisulis (LAT, Yamaha), +0:54.557

MX2 Overall – Top 10 Classification: 1. Lucas Coenen (BEL, HUS), 50 points; 2. Andrea Adamo (ITA, KTM), 40 p.; 3. Thibault Benistant (FRA, YAM), 38 p.; 4. Kay de Wolf (NED, HUS), 36 p.; 5. Simon Laengenfelder (GER, GAS), 32 p.; 6. Mikkel Haarup (DEN, TRI), 31 p.; 7. Ferruccio Zanchi (ITA, HON), 31 p.; 8. Quentin Marc Prugnieres (FRA, KAW), 25 p.; 9. Oriol Oliver (ESP, KTM), 23 p.; 10. Karlis Alberts Reisulis (LAT, YAM), 23 p

MX2 - World Championship Classification: 1. Kay de Wolf (NED, HUS), 959 points; 2. Lucas Coenen (BEL, HUS), 939 p.; 3. Simon Laengenfelder (GER, GAS), 852 p.; 4. Liam Everts (BEL, KTM), 749 p.; 5. Mikkel Haarup (DEN, TRI), 694 p.; 6. Andrea Adamo (ITA, KTM), 674 p.; 7. Rick Elzinga (NED, YAM), 555 p.; 8. Sacha Coenen (BEL, KTM), 456 p.; 9. Camden Mc Lellan (RSA, TRI), 424 p.; 10. Ferruccio Zanchi (ITA, HON), 393 p

MX2 - Manufacturers Classification: 1. Husqvarna, 1105 points; 2. KTM, 942 p.; 3. GASGAS, 864 p.; 4. Triumph, 741 p.; 5. Yamaha, 702 p.; 6. Honda, 428 p.; 7. Kawasaki, 369 p.; 8. Fantic, 290 p.; 9. TM, 60 p.;

All the photos from the MXGP of Castilla La Mancha will be available HERE.

You can find the complete results HERE.

MXGP OF CASTILLA LA MANCHA QUICK FACTS:

Circuit length: 1550m

Type of ground: Hard Pack

Temperature: 27°

Weather conditions: Sunny

Crowd Attendance: 36,300

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