KAY DE WOLF CLAIMS RUNNER-UP FINISH AT MXGP ROUND SIX.
DUTCH SENSATION STORMS TO A DEBUT MOTO WIN ON HIS WAY TO ANOTHER OVERALL PODIUM RESULT.
Competing in just his sixth MX2 Grand Prix, Kay de Wolf has raced to an incredible overall runner-up finish at MXGP round six in Belgium. The young Dutchman opened the day with a strong third in moto one, before claiming the holeshot second time out and storming away from the chasing pack to take his maiden MX2 class race win. Kay’s teammate, Jed Beaton, also impressed, with a solid fifth overall on his FC 250. Competing in the MXGP class, Arminas Jasikonis earned his best result of the season, securing sixth place in moto two, while Thomas Kjer Olsen’s day was highlighted by placing eighth in race one.
The sixth round of the FIM Motocross World Championship visited Belgium, with all the action unfolding at the infamous sand circuit of Lommel. With the track featuring a soft racing surface that becomes incredibly rough, it is one of the most physically demanding stops on the MXGP calendar.
One rider continuing to make huge strides in the MX2 class with his speed and consistency is Kay de Wolf, who was undoubtedly in the form of his career today in Lommel. After qualifying fastest, the 16-year-old began the opening race of the day well inside the top 10 and quickly began to work his way forwards, moving into third on lap nine. From there, Kay maintained his outstanding pace to claim a highly impressive third-place result.
Race two saw Kay deliver the ride of his life. Claiming the moto two holeshot, the FC 250 racer then successfully held off multiple challenges for the lead from Jago Geerts to lead every lap and ultimately secure his very first MX2 race victory. The duo maintained such a strong pace at the front that de Wolf crossed the finish line almost one minute ahead of current series leader Maxime Renaux in third. With a career-best day now complete, the youngster advances up the championship leaderboard to eighth.
Coming into round six of the MX2 World Championship, Jed Beaton was in great form following podium appearances and solid results in recent weeks. In Belgium, the Australian’s strong speed continued with an eighth-place finish in race one despite a small crash around the halfway stage of the moto.
In race two, Beaton started eighth and moved into fifth as the moto reached half distance. The 23-year-old then engaged in a battle for position with Conrad Mewse, ultimately coming out on top to claim fifth in the moto and secure his third consecutive top-five overall finish.
Competing in the MXGP class, Arminas Jasikonis bounced back from 19th in race one to claim his best result of the season with an impressive sixth-place finish in moto two. The Lithuanian continues to return to his GP-winning speed and now moves up to 18th in the series standings.
For Thomas Kjer Olsen, his day began with a solid eighth-place finish in race one. A crash early on in moto two left the Dane way down the field and following a race-long charge, he recovered to claim 18th, for 13th overall.
Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing will next be in action at round seven of the FIM Motocross World Championship on August 8 for the MXGP of Latvia.
Kay de Wolf:“What can I say, it’s been another amazing day. Winning that second race gave me such an amazing feeling that words can’t describe it. Taking the holeshot and leading every lap – it was just a dream race. I really love the sand, and this track, and today has been really positive for me. This season is going way better than expected and I’m really excited for another GP on the sand next weekend in Latvia.”
Jed Beaton:“Today was a little bit of a bad day, but if I can take fifth overall on a bad day then it’s not so bad. I was fortunate in race one to miss a big crash just after the start but then while sixth I crashed on my own and fell way down the field. I got back to eighth which was ok though. My start in race two wasn’t so good and by the time I got into fifth the leaders were gone. It was unfortunate but fifth was good and solid points overall so all things considered, I’m happy with today.”
Arminas Jasikonis:“I’m really happy with the second race today. To be battling with the top guys again shows that all the hard work has been worth it. I’m leaving the track happy and I’m taking a lot of positives from today. Obviously the first race was a little bit of a disaster with two crashes and needing to go through the goggle lane, but overall, the second moto made up for that and now it’s on to Latvia and another chance to push for the top spots.”
Thomas Kjer Olsen:“My riding today was really good and probably the best I’ve felt all year, especially in race one. I showed what I can do and with a good start I can be up there. I just need to put myself in better positions every race. In the second one someone fell right in front of me and I had nowhere to go. I then crashed another time so that was a difficult one but I finished the moto and scored a few more points. I’m looking forward to Latvia next weekend. It’s one of my favourite tracks so I’ll be working on my starts this week and aim to be up front in both races there.”
Results – 2021 FIM Motocross World Championship, Round 6
MXGP – Overall
1. Romain Febvre (Kawasaki) 47pts; 2. Jeffrey Herlings (KTM) 41; 3. Pauls Jonass (GASGAS) 40… 12. Arminas Jasikonis (Husqvarna) 17; 13. Thomas Kjer Olsen (Husqvarna) 16
MXGP – Race 1
1. Jeffrey Herlings (KTM) 34:37:691, 15 laps; 2. Romain Febvre (Kawasaki) 35:05:840; 3. Antonio Cairoli (KTM) 35:14:109… 8. Thomas Kjer Olsen (Husqvarna) 35:38:607; 19. Arminas Jasikonis (Husqvarna) 37:00:047
MXGP – Race 2
1. Romain Febvre (Kawasaki) 35:47:024, 15 laps; 2. Pauls Jonass (GASGAS) 35:51:363; 3. Jorge Prado (KTM) 35:56:772… 6. Arminas Jasikonis (Husqvarna) 36:21:929; 18. Thomas Kjer Olsen (Husqvarna) 37:44:430
MX2 – Overall
1. Jago Geerts (Yamaha) 47pts; 2. Kay de Wolf (Husqvarna) 45; 3. Maxime Renaux (Yamaha) 42… 5. Jed Beaton (Husqvarna) 29
MX2 – Race 1
1. Jago Geerts (Yamaha) 36:38:821, 16 laps; 2. Maxime Renaux (Yamaha) 36:49:350; 3. Kay de Wolf (Husqvarna) 36:59:100… 8. Jed Beaton (Husqvarna) 37:33:808
MX2 – Race 2
1. Kay de Wolf (Husqvarna) 34:43:435, 15 laps; 2. Jago Geerts (Yamaha) 34:46:179; 3. Maxime Renaux (Yamaha) 35:43:199… 5. Jed Beaton (Husqvarna) 36:08:080
Championship Standings – After Round 6
MXGP
1. Tim Gajser (Honda) 226pts; 2. Romain Febvre (Kawasaki) 221; 3. Antonio Cairoli (KTM) 217… 13. Thomas Kjer Olsen (Husqvarna) 88; 18. Arminas Jasikonis (Husqvarna) 48
MX2
1. Maxime Renaux (Yamaha) 221pts; 2. Mattia Guadagnini (KTM) 195; 3. Ruben Fernandez (Honda) 194… 7. Jed Beaton (Husqvarna) 171; 8. Kay de Wolf (Husqvarna) 159
Text/Bild: Husqvarna