THOMAS KJER-OLSEN SECOND OVERALL AT GP OF ARGENTINA.
ROCKSTAR ENERGY HUSQVARNA FACTORY RACING RIDER KICKS OFF 2019 WITH A QUALIFYING RACE WIN AND TWO SOLID RUNNER-UP MX2 MOTO RESULTS.
Enjoying a positive start to the 2019 FIM Motocross World Championship, Thomas Kjer-Olsen has secured Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s best results at the season opening GP of Patagonia in Argentina, where the young Dane claimed a strong overall runner-up result in the MX2 class.
With the 2019 series starting at the picturesque Neuquen track, Kjer-Olsen showed impressive speed throughout the weekend. Kicking off the GP with an imposing victory in the MX2 Qualifying Race, he then entered the all-important final motos full of confidence and looking to produce equally impressive performances.
Battling his way forward from a seventh-place start to claim an eventual second-place result in the opening moto, Thomas then went on to collect another runner-up result during the second and final MX2 moto after moving from third into the runner-up spot on lap five. Following his strong start to the championship the FC 250 powered rider sits second in the 2019 FIM MX2 World Championship’s provisional standings.
Making his FIM MX2 World Championship debut, Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Mikkel Haarup collected his first championship point at the Argentinean GP. Suffering one too many mistakes, the young Dane collected a set of 20/22 results in the MX2 category.
In the MXGP class, Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing rider Arminas Jasikonis secured a highly positive sixth overall in his first GP aboard FC 450 machinery. Getting good starts and enjoying a consistent pace throughout each moto, the 21-year-old earned two eighth place results at the fast Nequen track.
Former MX2 World Champion Pauls Jonass marked his MXGP class debut with a strong top-10 result in the MXGP class’ overall standings. Kicking off the GP with a positive ninth place finish in the opening moto, Pauls battled his way forward following a mediocre start in moto two to cross the line in 12th position.
The Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing team will return to action at the second round of the 2019 FIM Motocross World Championship in the United Kingdom on March 22/23.
Thomas Kjer-Olsen: “I’m quite happy to start this season with a second-place overall result here in Argentina. As a racer I’m always looking for race wins, but it is really good to start the season on the podium. In the first moto I spun out of the gate and gave myself some work to do. I managed to get up to second on lap 10, so I was pleased with that. The second moto went well. I moved from third to second and spent the whole race there. It’s going to be a long year with plenty of racing to be done, so I am happy to head back to Europe second in the championship. The plan now is to get back to work. I want to make the most of this short break in the series and continue working before the next round at Matterley Basin.”
Mikkel Haarup: „It wasn’t a good start to the championship for me but I will keep working hard, hoping for some better results in the coming races. I struggled a lot to find a good pace at the track here in Argentina and I also made a lot of mistakes during the two motos. In the opening moto I didn’t get a good start but kept fighting. Halfway through the moto I had a small crash and that made things harder. In the second moto my start was better but I wasn’t able to find a good speed. Some riders passed me and I had another crash, which cost me a lot of time. This is not where I wanted to be at the season opener. The season is long and I feel there is still a lot for me to learn.”
Arminas Jasikonis: “It was a good beginning to the season for me. I’ve never been a huge fan of the track here in Argentina, but I did my best and this sixth place in the overall standings shows we are on the right track. It’s good to start this long season with this result. I’m also really happy with the way my bike worked. The team have worked hard to develop a great machine that perfectly suits my riding style. The season has just started and I feel there is still a lot of room for small but important improvements in my riding and my approach to racing. I’m now looking forward to the next GP in the UK.”
Pauls Jonass: “Considering the limited time I had on the bike during the off-season, I am really happy with my results here in Argentina. I had two decent motos, made no mistakes and learnt a lot. This was my first race in the MXGP class on the FC 450 and everything was new for me. I have to take this experience and continue working to become a better 450 rider. The races in this class are a lot more intense and also the starts are massively important for each moto. I’m happy we took the decision to come here in Argentina and I’m motivated to get back to work as soon as we return to Europe.”
Results – 2019 FIM Motocross World Championship, Round 1
MXGP – Overall
1. Antonio Cairoli (KTM) 50pts; 2. Tim Gajser (Honda) 44; 3. Jeremy Van Horebeek (Honda) 35… 6. Arminas Jasikonis (Husqvarna) 26… 10. Pauls Jonass (Husqvarna) 21
MXGP – Race 1
1. Antonio Cairoli (KTM) 19 laps, 34:41.270; 2. Tim Gajser (Honda) 34:47.523; 3. Romain Febvre (Yamaha) 34:51.108… 8. Arminas Jasikonis (Husqvarna) 35:31.022; 9. Pauls Jonass (Husqvarna) 35:31.555
MXGP – Race 2
1. Antonio Cairoli (KTM) 19 laps, 34:56.475; 2. Tim Gajser (Honda) 34:58.861; 3. Jeremy Van Horebeek (Honda) 35:34.304… 8. Arminas Jasikonis (Husqvarna) 35:55.285… 12. Pauls Jonass (Husqvarna) 36:06.679
MX2 – Overall
1. Jorge Prado (KTM) 50pts; 2. Thomas Kjer-Olsen (Husqvarna) 44; 3. Mitchell Evans (Honda) 36… 10. Davy Pootjes (Husqvarna) 22… 14. Alvin Ostlund (Husqvarna) 13; 15. Dylan Walsh (Husqvarna) 11… 23. Mikkel Haarup (Husqvarna) 1
MX2 – Race 1
1. Jorge Prado (KTM) 19 laps, 34:50.385; 2. Thomas Kjer-Olsen (Husqvarna) 35:07.062; 3. Henry Jacobi (Kawasaki) 35:13.950… 10. Davy Pootjes (Husqvarna) 35:42.442… 13. Dylan Walsh (Husqvarna) 35:57.843… 15. Alvin Ostlund (Husqvarna) 35:58.703… 20. Mikkel Haarup (Husqvarna) 36:17.797… 27. German Bratschi (Husqvarna) 17 laps, 35:34.655
MX2 – Race 2
1. Jorge Prado (KTM) 18 laps, 33:48.208; 2. Thomas Kjer-Olsen (Husqvarna) 33:53.033; 3. Mitchell Evans (Honda) 34:00.645… 10. Davy Pootjes (Husqvarna) 34:41.962… 14. Alvin Ostlund (Husqvarna) 34:51.626… 18. Dylan Walsh (Husqvarna) 35:14.440… 22. Mikkel Haarup (Husqvarna) 17 laps, 33:29.747… 26. Mateo Bearzi (Husqvarna) 16 laps, 34:27.316
Championship Standings – After Round 1
MXGP
1. Antonio Cairoli (KTM) 50pts; 2. Tim Gajser (Honda) 44; 3. Jeremy Van Horebeek (Honda) 35… 6. Arminas Jasikonis (Husqvarna) 26… 10. Pauls Jonass (Husqvarna) 21
MX2
1. Jorge Prado (KTM) 50pts; 2. Thomas Kjer-Olsen (Husqvarna) 44; 3. Mitchell Evans (Honda) 36… 10. Davy Pootjes (Husqvarna) 22… 14. Alvin Ostlund (Husqvarna) 13; 15. Dylan Walsh (Husqvarna) 11… 23. Mikkel Haarup (Husqvarna) 1
Text/Bild: Husqvarna