FIM Junior World Championship all geared up for action in Romania.
The prestigious 2023 FIM Junior Motocross World Championship is taking place this weekend on the 8-9 July at the TCS Racing Park which is located 35 kilometres form the Romanian capital Bucharest.
The TCS Racing Park is regarded as one of the best motocross tracks in Eastern Europe and is all set up to welcome all the teams and riders. In 2004, the track previously hosted the FIM Motocross World Championship MX3 and European Motocross Championship (85cc). The winner of the 85cc race was Marvin Musquin, who battled with Alessandro Lupino.
This weekend, the young 125cc, 85cc and 65cc riders will not only compete for their individual glory but also for their country. At the end of the weekend, a Nation will be crowned, which will be determined by taking the best three results of its riders, the best result in the 65cc, the best results in the 85cc class and the best results in the 125cc class.
Youngsters from all over the world are gathering in Bucharest for the biggest junior motocross event of the season with more than 37 different countries represented, including those making the log trip from USA, Australia, Uganda and South Africa.
This year the 125cc category is full of talent and especially with the two riders that tops the Championship of the 2023 EMX125 Presented by FMF Racing. MJC Yamaha Official EMX125’s Janis Martin Reisulis and 737 Performers GASGAS’s Mathis Valin will be the favourites for the title as they have dominated 100% of the rounds so far this season in their categories with three victory each. The 3rd in the EMX125 Presented by FMF Racing is Fantic Factory Team Maddii’s Maximilian Werner who will be also one to watch this weekend after showing consistent good performances this season.
There will also be the 2022 85cc World Champion WZ Racing Team’s Gyan Doensen that is acclimating himself to the 125cc class. Sturm STC Racing Team’s Mads Fredsoe arrives in Romania on the back of his first 125cc podium in Germany which will give him a confidence boost for this racing weekend. Other names to watch will be those coming from overseas such as the trio from the USA, Klark Robbins, Austin Schafer and Will Canaguier along with Australians riders Jake Cannon and Ky Woods and Jeronimo Damelines from Colombia.
In the 85cc class, one of the contenders will be the Belgian Jarne Bervoets who already finished 3rd last year in the same class. He managed to win the European Champion Central Zone this year and comes to the FIM Junior Motocross World Championship this year for the win. Two young Austrians will be ones to keep an eye on with Ricardo Bauer and Moritz Ernecker who finished 2nd and 3rd respectively in 65cc last year. Since then both youngsters moved up to 85cc and will want to reiterate another strong performance. It is a similar trajectory for the Estonian Martens Raud who finished just outside the podium last year in 65cc and is now in 85cc to get his hand on a trophy.
It will be interesting to see the performances of the riders coming from outside Europe with the likes of Carson Wood ad Jonathan Getz from the USA, Blake Frost ad Christian Berrigto-Smith from South Africa, Tabula Bwanjalaga from Uganda and Australians Lachlan Allen and Jack Nunn.
In the 65cc, everything looks quite open with many riders coming from Europe such as the young Dutch Kenzo Jaspers who showed some good speed this season like the Slovak Maxim Zimmerman. There will also be many interesting riders from the USA, Africa, Latin America and Australia which will make for an exciting weekend of racings. The competition will be tough and rivalry will run high in what will be a thrilling moment of motocross.
Later today, an Opening Ceremony will officially launch the event with the official riders’ presentations of each nation, who will also compete for the overall standings of their country.
The MXGP-TV crew will be onsite this weekend in Romania to cover the junior event, with a special feature being aired on www.MXGP-TV.com in the following days after the event. You will also find plenty of video content from the event on MXGP’s YouTube channel.
Text/Bild: Infront