Saving the best for last the final rounds of the European Championship’s EMX125, EMX150, EMX250 and EMX300 took place in the harsh sand of Lommel publishing a story of panic revs and side swappers as the boys went down to the wire for their overall rankings.
At the end of the day, four champions have been crowned in the form of Rockstar Energy Suzuki Europe’s Brian Hsu, Albie Wilkie, CNC Doors KTM’s Steven Clarke and TM Racing Team’s Samuele Bernardini while four different riders won the round.
In the EMX125, Mafi Yamaha MX Team’s Alvin Östlund dominated the EMX125 with two race wins as did Jere Haavisto in the EMX150.
As for the EMX250 class, HSF Logistic Motorsport Team’s Brian Bogers went 2 – 3 for his second overall win of the season while Belgian Mike Van Der Straeten carved through his home soil to take the overall victory in the EMX300 with a 3 – 1 finish.
EMX125
Who knew Swede’s were so fast in the sand? As of now, everyone knows after the dominating performance of Mafi Yamaha MX Team’s Alvin Östlund who rode impressively in the sandy chop of Lommel this weekend to go 1-1 for his first two moto victories of the year as well as his first ever EMX125 round victory.
Although it was Östlund who took the cake this weekend, you can’t take anything away from the challenge in race two. Diga Racing’s young Latvian star on the rise Tomass Sileika took the holeshot and led the opening laps of the race, while an abundance of riders tailed him.
With the entire top eight literally riding wheel to wheel around what is possibly the toughest circuit imaginable for a 125cc bike, the sand masters eventually emerged.
While early race leader Sileika battled to keep his KTM 125 rubber side down, Dutchman Bas Vaessen stepped in to give the race one winner and new race two leader Östlund some grief. After keeping Östlund on his toes for the first twenty minutes, Vaessen made a mistake out the back of the circuit and dropped back to fourth allowing SV Racing MX Team Russia’s Ivan Baranov and red plate holder Rockstar Energy Suzuki Europe’s Brian Hsu, who were in the thick of a battle of their own, to push forward and take over the second and third positions.
As Hsu continued to hound Baranov, Kemea Yamaha Racing’s Cyril Genot had closed in on Vaessen for fourth. Vaessen who appeared to be drained after his tremendous early race effort for the lead started making error after error that allowed the young Belgian Genot to go through.
After a close call through the rhythm section with one lap to go, Vaessen lost yet another position to KTM Junior Academy Finland’s Miro Shivonen, who put in an extraordinary ride from outside the top twenty to come home in fifth.
With the combined results of race one (Saturday) and race two (Sunday), Alvin Östlund was the clear round winner ahead of the newly crowned champion Brian Hsu and Dutch Bas Vaessen. Cyril Genot managed to seal the deal on fourth overall with Miro Shivonen rounding out the top five.
As for the championship, Hsu was crowned champion ahead of Sunday’s victor Östlund while Red Bull KTM Racing’s injured rider Davy Pootjes still managed to take away third overall despite sitting out two of the rounds this season.
EMX125 Race 1: 1. Alvin Östlund (SWE, Yamaha), 29:20.025; 2. Bas Vaessen (NED, KTM), +0:08.868; 3. Brian Hsu (GER, Suzuki), +0:12.299; 4. Cyril Genot (BEL, Yamaha), +0:26.843; 5. Max Engelen (NED, KTM), +0:30.959; 6. Miro Sihvonen (FIN, KTM), +0:34.045; 7. Hardi Roosiorg (EST, KTM), +0:51.447; 8. Nathan Renkens (BEL, KTM), +0:52.881; 9. David Herbreteau (FRA, Yamaha), +0:54.392; 10. Maxime Renaux (FRA, Yamaha), +0:56.089.
EMX125 Race 1
EMX125 Race 2
EMX125 Race 2: 1. Alvin Östlund (SWE, Yamaha), 30:29.995; 2. Ivan Baranov (RUS, KTM), +0:13.319; 3. Brian Hsu (GER, Suzuki), +0:17.816; 4. Cyril Genot (BEL, Yamaha), +0:23.168; 5. Miro Sihvonen (FIN, KTM), +0:25.491; 6. Bas Vaessen (NED, KTM), +0:31.715; 7. Max Engelen (NED, KTM), +0:44.580; 8. William Andersson (SWE, KTM), +0:54.285; 9. Nicholas Adams (RSA, KTM), +0:59.404; 10. Hardi Roosiorg (EST, KTM), +1:10.769.
EMX125 Overall: 1. Alvin Östlund (SWE, YAM), 50 points; 2. Brian Hsu (GER, SUZ), 40 p.; 3. Bas Vaessen (NED, KTM), 37 p.; 4. Cyril Genot (BEL, YAM), 36 p.; 5. Miro Sihvonen (FIN, KTM), 31 p.; 6. Max Engelen (NED, KTM), 30 p.; 7. Hardi Roosiorg (EST, KTM), 25 p.; 8. Ivan Baranov (RUS, KTM), 22 p.; 9. Nathan Renkens (BEL, KTM), 21 p.; 10. William Andersson (SWE, KTM), 20 p.
EMX125 Championship Standings: 1. Brian Hsu (GER, SUZ), 268 points; 2. Alvin Östlund (SWE, YAM), 252 p.; 3. Davy Pootjes (NED, KTM), 216 p.; 4. David Herbreteau (FRA, YAM), 181 p.; 5. Tomass Sileika (LAT, KTM), 177 p.; 6. Joakin Furbetta (ITA, KTM), 168 p.; 7. Dan Houzet (FRA, KTM), 123 p.; 8. Max Engelen (NED, KTM), 115 p.; 9. Michael Ivanov (BUL, KTM), 102 p.; 10. Cyril Genot (BEL, YAM), 97 p.
EMX250
With eight different race winners and five different round winners this season, the seventh and final round here in the savage sand of Lommel delivered what was the most intense and dramatic yet exhilarating end to what was easily the best ever season of European Championship EMX250 racing.
With the championship being more or less narrowed down to two riders heading into the final race of the championship, the red plate holder CNC Doors KTM’s Steven Clarke and HSF Logistics Motorsport Team’s Brian Bogers carried the weight of the world on their shoulders.
When the gate fell for the last time this season, the guy trailing the championship leader Clarke by 11 points coming in, Brian Bogers, stole the holeshot immediately sending both the crowd and pit-lane into turmoil.
While most eyes were on the positions of Bogers and Clarke, it was Kemea Yamaha Racing’s Nick Kouwenberg actually stole the show on Sunday, launching past Bogers in the rhythm section on the opening lap and sailing smoothly to his second race win of the season.
Meanwhile Bogers hung out on his own in second just focusing on clicking off his own laps while behind him an out right ruckus had unfurled.
Hitachi Construction Machinery UK KTM’s Ben Watson, Creymert Racing’s Brent Van Doninck, Wilvo Forkrent KTM’s Adam Sterry, and HSF Logistics Motorsport Team’s Ceriel Klein Kromhof were the guys that set the tone as they relentlessly brawled for third. While they tossed the positions amongst themselves Van Doninck was the first to crack, binning it on the backside of the circuit.
Approaching the mid-mark, Klein Kromhof had just taken over third before being left in a cloud of blue dust which had puffed from his own engine, meanwhile Van Doninck was making a historic charge back toward the front of the pack, to eventually emerge in third.
While Watson begun to fade, his fellow Brit held on strong in fourth despite a late race charge from race one winner KTM Bodo Schmidt Motorsports Calvin Vlaanderen who was on mission after not getting off to the greatest of starts.
Coming home in a hard fought sixth CNC Doors KTM’s Steven Clarke lost 11 points on Bogers meaning they would tie for the championship overall. With the tie breaker coming down to race wins over round wins, Clarke known to many of his friends and fans a ‘Clarkie’ or ‘Scuba Steve’ was crowned the 2014 EMX250 Champion.
While Bogers was forced to settle for second overall in the championship, he was able to relish in the overall victory for the round with Saturday’s victor Calvin Vlaanderen mounting the second step. Adam Sterry wrapped up the final round of the season with third for third overall in the championship while race two winner Nick Kouwenberg finished up the weekend in fourth with Brent Van Doninck rounding out the top five.
EMX250 Race 1
EMX250 Race 2
EMX250 Race 1: 1. Calvin Vlaanderen (NED, KTM), 29:09.525; 2. Adam Sterry (GBR, KTM), +0:00.095; 3. Brian Bogers (NED, KTM), +0:05.235; 4. Brent Van doninck (BEL, KTM), +0:16.593; 5. Steven Clarke (GBR, KTM), +0:23.150; 6. Frederik van der Vlist (NED, KTM), +0:24.873; 7. Nick Kouwenberg (NED, Yamaha), +0:26.869; 8. Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, Honda), +0:31.465; 9. Arminas Jasikonis (LTU, KTM), +0:33.256; 10. Ceriel Klein Kromhof (NED, KTM), +0:36.394
EMX250 Race 2: 1. Nick Kouwenberg (NED, Yamaha), 29:52.330; 2. Brian Bogers (NED, KTM), +0:09.119; 3. Brent Van doninck (BEL, KTM), +0:14.811; 4. Adam Sterry (GBR, KTM), +0:20.527; 5. Calvin Vlaanderen (NED, KTM), +0:29.598; 6. Steven Clarke (GBR, KTM), +0:36.860; 7. Ben Watson (GBR, KTM), +0:40.696; 8. Ken Bengtson (SWE, KTM), +0:44.143; 9. Arminas Jasikonis (LTU, KTM), +0:46.752; 10. Yentel Martens (BEL, Kawasaki), +0:48.449.
EMX250 Overall: 1. Brian Bogers (NED, KTM), 42 points; 2. Calvin Vlaanderen (NED, KTM), 41 p.; 3. Adam Sterry (GBR, KTM), 40 p.; 4. Nick Kouwenberg (NED, YAM), 39 p.; 5. Brent Van doninck (BEL, KTM), 38 p.; 6. Steven Clarke (GBR, KTM), 31 p.; 7. Arminas Jasikonis (LTU, KTM), 24 p.; 8. Frederik van der Vlist (NED, KTM), 24 p.; 9. Ken Bengtson (SWE, KTM), 22 p.; 10. Ben Watson (GBR, KTM), 21 p.
EMX250 Championship Standings: 1. Steven Clarke (GBR, KTM), 237 points; 2. Brian Bogers (NED, KTM), 237 p.; 3. Adam Sterry (GBR, KTM), 214 p.; 4. Brent Van doninck (BEL, KTM), 208 p.; 5. Ben Watson (GBR, KTM), 197 p.; 6. Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, HON), 169 p.; 7. Sullivan Jaulin (FRA, KAW), 161 p.; 8. Calvin Vlaanderen (NED, KTM), 161 p.; 9. Michele Cervellin (ITA, HON), 150 p.; 10. Ceriel Klein Kromhof (NED, KTM), 131 p.
EMX300
We’ve reached the seventh and final round of the European Championship EMX300 series and the sound of 26 300cc two-strokes ripping around a track still sounds as mint as it did at the first round of the championship back in April this year.
When the gates dropped for the final race of the season, the newly crowned EMX300 champion TM Racing Team’s Samuele Bernardini carried that same momentum he’s been carrying all championship long around turn one with yet another holeshot.
Although it appeared the Italian would check out as he set the fastest lap of the race on lap one putting a three second cushion on Saturday’s fastest rider GL12 Racing’s Lewis Gregory, he threw it away with a high side on lap two which dropped him back to tenth. Gregory exhibiting that same aggression and intensity he showed in race one Saturday afternoon was quick to capitalise on Bernardini’s mistake.
While Gregory managed to put a slight buffer on the rest of the pack which temporarily teased him with a grasp on the overall round victory, one of the early season championship favorites Wilvo Forkrent KTM’s Kenny Van Dueren had caused an uproar from the ecstatic Belgian crowd as he came under attack from fellow Belgian’s Mike Van Der Straeten and Sven Scheynen.
Van Der Straeten, clearly no stranger to the terrain here in Lommel as he was the winner of the ‘Rookie Cup’ back in 2009, started clicking off a series of consistently fast laps and was soon pressuring Gregory for the lead. With a quarter of the race to go, Van Der Straeten dropped the hammer and made the pass into first forcing Gregory to ploy a response.
Gregory, who was hungrier than ever for the overall victory, started pushing a little harder as he tried to find an answer to the incursion of Van Der Straeten.
One lap later, Gregory hit a kicker over the finish line and cartwheeled it allowing Van Der Straeten to jet away for his first ever European Championship race and overall victory. With Gregory fortunate enough to re-mount and finish without loosing a position, Van Dueren crossed the line in an unchallenged third.
Meanwhile the third of the Belgians inside the top four Sven Scheynen took fourth with young Brit Matthew Moffat rounding out the top five.
As for the early race leader, Bernardini, he would have been happy to have got the job done Saturday as Sunday saw him face plant a couple of times. Despite spending a bit of time with his head buried in the sand, the 2014 EMX300 Champion still soldiered on for sixth in race two and third overall for the weekend.
Mike Van Der Straeten supplied the Belgian crowd with their first playing of their national anthem as he topped the box, while GL12 Racing’s Lewis Gregory was a bit guttered to stand on the second step after holding the round victory in the palm of his hands 15 minutes prior to the podium ceremony. TM Racing Team’s Samuele Bernardini rounded out the top three.
Now with all seven rounds of the European Championship EMX300 in the bag, TM Racing Team’s Samuele Bernardini was the clear champion while fellow Italian Team Maddii Racing’s Marco Maddii put together a consistent season for second ahead of GL12 Racing’s Lewis Gregory.
EMX300 Race 1
EMX300 Race 2
EMX300 Race 1: 1. Samuele Bernardini (ITA, TM), 29:42.692; 2. Lewis Gregory (GBR, Yamaha), +0:04.071; 3. Mike Vanderstraeten (BEL, Suzuki), +0:14.468; 4. Kenny Vandueren (BEL, KTM), +0:28.584; 5. Marco Maddii (ITA, KTM), +0:57.898; 6. Sven Scheynen (BEL, Yamaha), +1:01.268; 7. Kevin Davidsson (SWE, KTM), +1:05.156; 8. Joey Smet (BEL, KTM), +1:21.213; 9. Ton van Grinsven (NED, TM), +1:35.867; 10. Rasmus Lykke (DEN, KTM), +1:44.090.
EMX300 Race 2: 1. Mike Vanderstraeten (BEL, Suzuki), 29:07.750; 2. Lewis Gregory (GBR, Yamaha), +0:29.793; 3. Kenny Vandueren (BEL, KTM), +0:42.534; 4. Sven Scheynen (BEL, Yamaha), +0:58.253; 5. Matthew Moffat (GBR, KTM), +1:14.361; 6. Samuele Bernardini (ITA, TM), +1:21.102; 7. Marco Maddii (ITA, KTM), +1:53.361; 8. Stephane Watel (FRA, KTM), +1:59.513; 9. Ton van Grinsven (NED, TM), -1 lap(s); 10. Joey Smet (BEL, KTM), -1 lap(s).
EMX300 Overall: 1. Mike Vanderstraeten (BEL, SUZ), 45 points; 2. Lewis Gregory (GBR, YAM), 44 p.; 3. Samuele Bernardini (ITA, TM), 40 p.; 4. Kenny Vandueren (BEL, KTM), 38 p.; 5. Sven Scheynen (BEL, YAM), 33 p.; 6. Marco Maddii (ITA, KTM), 30 p.; 7. Ton van Grinsven (NED, TM), 24 p.; 8. Joey Smet (BEL, KTM), 24 p.; 9. Stephane Watel (FRA, KTM), 22 p.; 10. Ronny van Hove (BEL, KTM), 18 p.
EMX300 Championship Standings: 1. Samuele Bernardini (ITA, TM), 325 points; 2. Marco Maddii (ITA, KTM), 281 p.; 3. Lewis Gregory (GBR, YAM), 276 p.; 4. Kenny Vandueren (BEL, KTM), 176 p.; 5. Stephane Watel (FRA, KTM), 173 p.; 6. Michele Cencioni (ITA, KTM), 158 p.; 7. Txomin Arana (ESP, YAM), 143 p.; 8. Bence Szvoboda (HUN, KTM), 106 p.; 9. Jean Loup Lepan (FRA, YAM), 101 p.; 10. Toms Macuks (LAT, KTM), 94 p.
EMX150
As for the Honda European Championship EMX150, Jere Haavisto put in a impressive performance to wrap up his season with a double race victory for his second round win of the season, but lost out on the championship title by a narrow two points on Albie Wilkie who was crowned champion in Lommel on Saturday.
EMX150 Race 1
EMX150 Race 2
EMX150 Race 1: 1. Jere Haavisto (FIN, Honda), 26:37.759; 2. Rick Elzinga (NED, Honda), +0:10.076; 3. Albie Wilkie (GBR, Honda), +0:10.358; 4. Shana van der Vlist (NED, Honda), +0:22.899; 5. Keegan Hickson Mahony (RSA, Honda), +0:58.259; 6. Matias Murto (FIN, Honda), +1:01.245; 7. Damian Bergevoet (NED, Honda), +1:25.199; 8. Albin Larsen (SWE, Honda), +1:26.694; 9. Filip Olsson (SWE, Honda), +1:30.170; 10. Tatu Junnola (FIN, Honda), +1:49.148.
EMX150 Race 2: 1. Jere Haavisto (FIN, Honda), 25:43.208; 2. Albie Wilkie (GBR, Honda), +0:22.185; 3. Rick Elzinga (NED, Honda), +0:24.741; 4. Shana van der Vlist (NED, Honda), +1:02.096; 5. Damian Bergevoet (NED, Honda), +1:04.948; 6. Tatu Junnola (FIN, Honda), +1:05.482; 7. Brian Van Der Klij (NED, Honda), +1:16.965; 8. Albin Larsen (SWE, Honda), +1:23.366; 9. Hans Priidel (EST, Honda), +1:26.919; 10. Quentin Delbrassinne (BEL, Honda), +1:31.176.
EMX150 Overall: 1. Jere Haavisto (FIN, HON), 50 points; 2. Albie Wilkie (GBR, HON), 42 p.; 3. Rick Elzinga (NED, HON), 42 p.; 4. Shana van der Vlist (NED, HON), 36 p.; 5. Damian Bergevoet (NED, HON), 30 p.; 6. Tatu Junnola (FIN, HON), 26 p.; 7. Albin Larsen (SWE, HON), 26 p.; 8. Keegan Hickson Mahony (RSA, HON), 25 p.; 9. Brian Van Der Klij (NED, HON), 23 p.; 10. Quentin Delbrassinne (BEL, HON), 21 p.
EMX150 Championship Standings: 1. Albie Wilkie (GBR, HON), 222 points; 2. Jere Haavisto (FIN, HON), 220 p.; 3. Albin Larsen (SWE, HON), 158 p.; 4. Matias Murto (FIN, HON), 135 p.; 5. Tatu Junnola (FIN, HON), 135 p.; 6. Quentin Delbrassinne (BEL, HON), 122 p.; 7. Damian Bergevoet (NED, HON), 120 p.; 8. Brian Van Der Klij (NED, HON), 113 p.; 9. Rick Elzinga (NED, HON), 89 p.; 10. Max Erlandsson (SWE, HON), 88 p.
