JED BEATON EARNS MX2 PODIUM RESULT IN TURKEY.
ROCKSTAR ENERGY HUSQVARNA FACTORY RACING’S MX2 ACE CLAIMS THIRD OVERALL IN AFYONKARAHISAR.
Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Jed Beaton has returned to form with a strong third place overall result at the MXGP of Turkey, round eight of the 2021 MX2 World Championship. Top-three starts, incredible pace, and consistent 3-3 results ensured Jed’s second podium visit so far this season. Beaton’s teammate, Kay de Wolf, also enjoyed a highly rewarding seventh overall result in Turkey to continue with his impressive rookie campaign in the MX2 division. In the MXGP class, Thomas Kjer Olsen placed 14th with Arminas Jasikonis 20th.
Round eight of the FIM Motocross World Championship took Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing to Turkey for the first of two back-to-back rounds at the Afyonkarahisar circuit. The relatively flat and hardpack venue was prepared to perfection with many sizable jumps creating spectacular racing action in both classes.
Kicking off the second half of the MX2 World Championship on a highly positive note, Jed Beaton enjoyed a great jump off the start in race one, with the Australian briefly moving into second place before dropping back just one spot to third. The FC 250 racer was then engaged in a race-long battle for the runner-up position with Mattia Guadagnini, frustratingly unable to find a way past the Italian. Nevertheless, an opening moto third was a strong start to the GP for Beaton.
Following the gate drop for race two, Jed once again started up front, very nearly taking the holeshot before slotting into second place. The 23-year-old would then lose a position to Tom Vialle on lap five, before battling throughout the remaining laps of the race with Guadagnini for the final spot on the podium. This time, Jed came out on top to secure third in the moto and with it claimed third overall. With his strong result, Beaton now advances to fourth in the series standings.
Kay de Wolf’s positive rookie season in MX2 continues with the youngster earning a strong seventh overall at round eight of the series. In race one, the Dutchman’s FC 250 powered him to the front of the field before he went on claim a well-deserved seventh-place finish, despite twisting his ankle halfway through the moto.
For moto two, de Wolf dug deep for a ninth-place finish, earning himself a pair of solid race results and securing seventh-overall on the day. Kay maintains his eighth-place ranking in the MX2 World Championship.
Competing in the MXGP class, Thomas Kjer Olsen claimed a strong 10th-place finish in the opening moto, before racing to a 15th in race two. The Dane displayed impressive speed in both motos and ultimately placed 14th overall in the highly competitive field.
For Arminas Jasikonis, a crash in race one ruled the Lithuanian out of scoring points. However in moto two AJ secured 17th.
Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing return to FIM Motocross World Championship action on Wednesday, September 8 for the second of two rounds to be held at the Afyonkarahisar circuit in Turkey.
Jed Beaton: “It feels really good to be back on the podium. It had been a bit of an up and down year heading into the break so to get this podium and put together two strong races, it’s the perfect start to the second half of the season. I had to really dig deep in that second moto, withstanding pressure for pretty much the whole race, so that one felt really good. The team has been amazing as always and this result sets us up really well for Wednesday. My bike was awesome, my starts were perfect and now we can just focus on the motos in a few days’ time and get back up on the box again.”
Kay de Wolf:“I’m really happy with today. Seventh overall is another solid result for me and despite making a few mistakes, I felt like I was riding really well and with a good flow. I actually twisted my ankle in race one so that was pretty painful, but we strapped it up for moto two and it was ok once the adrenaline took over. It was a pretty fun track today and I’m looking forward to Wednesday.”
Thomas Kjer Olsen:“Today was pretty good. My first race was decent, and I felt relaxed and smooth on the bike so to finish 10th was a good start to the day and I felt like I could do better in race two. I had a good race going but lacked a little energy that I needed to make a push forward. Maybe the heat got to me a little, but it was frustrating, nevertheless. I was able to maintain my position though, so that was good. But knowing how I felt in race one, it was difficult to not have that same feeling in the second moto.”
Arminas Jasikonis: “Not a great day overall for me. I felt good on my bike, it just didn’t translate into the results that I should be getting. Two crashes in race one meant that I raced alone for most of it but despite being outside the points, it’s important to finish every moto. The second race didn’t quite go to plan. I lost too many positions early on and then had to battle back after finding my flow about halfway through, but by then it was too late to be up there with the front guys.”
Results – 2021 FIM Motocross World Championship, Round 8
MXGP – Overall
1. Jeffrey Herlings (KTM) 47pts; 2. Jorge Prado (KTM) 42; 3. Tim Gajser (Honda) 40… 14. Thomas Kjer Olsen (Husqvarna) 17; 20. Arminas Jasikonis (Husqvarna) 4
MXGP – Race 1
1. Jeffrey Herlings (KTM) 34:42:407, 19 laps; 2. Jorge Prado (KTM) 34:47:941; 3. Pauls Jonass (GASGAS) 34:48:643… 10. Thomas Kjer Olsen (Husqvarna) 35:39:423; 22. Arminas Jasikonis (Husqvarna) 36:31:067
MXGP – Race 2
1. Tim Gajser (Honda) 34:39:849, 19 laps; 2. Jeffrey Herlings (KTM) 34:44:503; 3. Jorge Prado (KTM) 34:48:673… 15. Thomas Kjer Olsen (Husqvarna) 35:47:939; 17. Arminas Jasikonis (Husqvarna) 35:51:962
MX2 – Overall
1. Tom Vialle (KTM) 47pts; 2. Maxime Renaux (Yamaha) 43; 3. Jed Beaton (Husqvarna) 40… 7. Kay de Wolf (Husqvarna) 26
MX2 – Race 1
1. Tom Vialle (KTM) 34:00:016, 18 laps; 2. Mattia Guadagnini (KTM) 34:06:004; 3. Jed Beaton (Husqvarna) 34:07:375… 7. Kay de Wolf (Husqvarna) 34:34:190
MX2 – Race 2
1. Maxime Renaux (Yamaha) 35:20:827, 19 laps; 2. Tom Vialle (KTM) 35:22:465; 3. Jed Beaton (Husqvarna) 35:32:266… 8. Kay de Wolf (Husqvarna) 36:17:591
Championship Standings – After Round 8
MXGP
1. Tim Gajser (Honda) 310pts; 2. Jorge Prado (KTM) 297; 3. Romain Febvre (Kawasaki) 293… 12. Thomas Kjer Olsen (Husqvarna) 118; 21. Arminas Jasikonis (Husqvarna) 52
MX2
1. Maxime Renaux (Yamaha) 314pts; 2. Mattia Guadagnini (KTM) 277; 3. Jago Geerts (Yamaha) 262; 4. Jed Beaton (Husqvarna) 237; 8. Kay de Wolf (Husqvarna) 210
Text/Bild: Husqvarna