F&H Kawasaki Racing Team’s Kevin Horgmo finished fourth in the Swedish round of the FIM World MX2 Motocross Championship at Uddevalla.

For the Scandinavian rider the Swedish round was effectively his „home“ GP as many fans made the relatively short journey south from Norway to support their national hero. The Kawasaki rider responded admirably. He secured the holeshot – his third of the season – in race one before being pushed back to third during the first two laps by the two leading riders in the series. He quickly regained his composure to resist all further challengers before a nerve-wracking final three laps as a side-plate worked loose and hampered movement of his right leg. Another lightening start in race two saw him run top-three again on the opening lap; position changes were frequent on the leaderboard for several laps but the Kawasaki settled into a solid fourth mid-moto before a single error cost him a position. Settling back into his rhythm through the final four laps he charged back into the wheeltracks of the riders immediately ahead of him to finish in sight of third. Fourth on the day, he has strengthened his grip on that position in the series rankings with three GPs remaining to the end of the season.

Kevin Horgmo: “It took me some time to find my rhythm in practice yesterday but I turned it around in Qualifying so I had a good feeling coming into today and got the holeshot in race one. I tried to follow Vialle and Geerts when they came past but they were just a little too fast for me and I ended up third. Still, that was a good race for me. I stood a little more to the inside on the gate for race two and got squeezed going into the first corner. I also rode a little tense during the first few laps and then had a small crash so I ended up fifth. It would have been nice to be the podium in front of my family and friends but it was not to be. Perhaps I can make it for them next week. I saw a lot of familiar faces this weekend and I want to thank them all for their support; some Norwegian fans told me on Saturday they were enjoying it so much they had already booked tickets for Finland. “

F&H Kawasaki Racing Team’s Jed Beaton was moving forward from midfield starts in each moto until incidents cost him dearly and he had to be content with nineteenth and eighteenth placings at the chequered flag. The Australian remains seventeenth in the points standings.

F&H Kawasaki Racing Team’s Kevin Horgmo raced to a magnificent second-moto third place as the FIM World MX2 Motocross Championship faced the rugged deep Belgian sand of Lommel in stifling heat.

The enthusiastic young Norwegian had asked too much of the clutch as he held seventh in the first moto in the claustrophobic climatic conditions and unrelenting bottomless sand of the most demanding track in the world, but an interval pep-talk with experienced F&H team coach Marc de Reuver set the scene perfectly for the magnificent race two showing. He quickly moved into the top-six after leaving turn one eighth and paced himself perfectly through the exhausting thirty-five minute race. By mid-moto he was involved in an intense three-way tussle for fourth, a position he made his own with four laps remaining to set off after the front-three. Lapping several seconds per lap faster than the riders ahead of him he stormed into third halfway round the penultimate lap and almost caught second at the chequered flag. He remains fourth in the series points standings with four GPs remaining.

Kevin Horgmo: “It was nice to finish the day so strong. I lost quite a lot of time in the early laps of race one as I searched for my rhythm; once I got going I was catching up again but unfortunately I had to pull out so that made me even more determined to bounce back in race two. I took it quite easy through the first few laps but once I found the rhythm I felt strong and fresh. I could ride my lines, kept it going to the end and got up to third. Now I hope to finish the season strong; the next GP in Sweden is almost a home GP for me, just two-and-a-half hours from where my parents live, and I’m sure there will be a lot of Norwegian fans there to support me.“

F&H Kawasaki Racing Team’s Jed Beaton was classified sixteenth overall to retain his seventeenth series ranking. A mistake on lap four of the first race cost the Australian ten seconds and five positions but he regrouped quickly to confirm that he is gradually regaining his fitness, posting solid lap times to the close to pull back tht lost ground and take the chequered flag seventeenth. He held a smooth eleventh place for six laps of race two until the track and climatic conditions started to take its toll and he eventually crossed the finishing-line fifteenth.

F&H Kawasaki Racing Team’s Kevin Horgmo consolidated fourth place in the FIM World MX2 Motocross Championship standings after narrowly missing the podium at Loket in the Czech Republic.

The Norwegian momentarily lost drive in soft dirt halfway down the start straight in race one but clever line-choice on the inside of turn one and the outside of turn two already pulled him back into the top-six and another decisive move on the opening lap saw him advance to fifth as he joined the front-four in out-distancing the field. He maintained the pressure on the riders ahead and that pressure paid off on the penultimate lap as he forced the rider ahead into a mistake to take a comfortable fourth at the finish. A clean run through the opening turns saw Horgmo quickly into fifth in race two and he made a further smart pass on the opening lap to advance to fourth. He had third in his sights for most of the race but a loss of momentum three laps from the end saw him surrender one position in the moto to take the chequered flag fifth. This did not affect his overall placing and fourth on the day further consolidated the same position in the championship points chase going into the final third of the series.

Kevin Horgmo: “Neither start worked out as I would have wished but we managed to get up there with some good work through the first few turns. The first race was really solid in fourth and I was fourth again almost all of the second moto but I was starting to make mistakes near the end after two tough races. But overall it was a big advance from the difficulties we had yesterday and the podium was close. I just need to work for that; two holeshots next weekend in Lommel would be nice. “

F&H Kawasaki Racing Team’s Jed Beaton looked strong in the first ten minutes of the opening moto as he moved forward decisively from outside the points-scoring positions to sixteenth before broken spokes, the result of contact with another bike, in the front wheel forced him out of the race. Determined to erase the disappointment he made several spectacular passes to advance from tenth to seventh within two laps and maintained that position, within sight of the top-six, for half the moto before succumbing to chasers in the closing stages to finish tenth. He remains seventeenth in the championship standings.

Jed Beaton: “The first race was just a problem when the wheel was broken; I’d been making passes and was battling for fifteenth-sixteenth so the feeling was already good and the second moto was the best I’ve had for some time. I know I can do it; I just needed that one race for the confidence. It could have been even better if the race fitness had been there but it’s been a tough year coming back from the injury and the last three laps I was pretty done from the heat. But it’s a step in the right direction and I’m looking forward to keeping it up. Lommel’s always tough but it’s the same for everyone, I’ve done a lot of riding in the sand and I’m starting to come back to fitness. “

F&H Kawasaki Racing Team’s Kevin Horgmo defied no-fault collisions in both motos of the twelfth-round of the FIM World MX2 Motocross Championship at Samota-Sumbawa in Indonesia to claim sixth overall.

The Norwegian was not the only rider to be caught out by the unpredictable surface of loose volcanic ash on top of sharp-edged ruts during the early laps of race one as a couple of “moments” saw him pushed back from fourth to sixth but he soon regrouped strongly. He was significantly faster than the riders around him as he advanced back up the leaderboard until a collision as he went for an outside-pass on the rider in third cost fifteen seconds and saw him relegated once more to seventh. Relentlessly reeling the leaderboard riders back in he was back to fifth within four laps but the front-four had escaped and he sensibly saved energy for race two through the final laps in the hot and humid conditions. A fifth-placed start was soon negated in race two as he was shunted from behind in a sharp turn. Rejoining the race last, and with the front brake lever damaged in the incident, the Scandinavian showed his resilience as he pushed despite the handicap to salvage seventh place by the close. His determination earnt sixth overall on the day and confirms his fourth place in the series points standings.


Kevin Horgmo: “The first two or three corners off the start were really difficult and slippery for everyone; there were people all over the place but my riding was good and I was back to fourth until I crashed with another rider. Without that for sure I could have been third. At the start of the second race I made a small mistake in the waves and couldn’t double into the following turn so I decided to cut into the inside; the rider behind me didn’t realise, jumped into my rear wheel and we crashed. The front brake lever snapped off in the crash, so I had to ride the entire race with no brake. Now we have the long trip home but I hope my recovery will go fast and I can get some good bike training ready for Loket. “

Jed Beaton showed good pace during the first half of race one as he advanced from eighth to sixth but the Australian ran out of energy in the heat during the final fifteen minutes to be pushed back to tenth at the chequered flag. The second moto was difficult from the word go but he persevered to finish fourteenth for twelfth overall. He remains seventeenth in the championship standings.

Jed Beaton: “The layout of the track looked really nice when we arrived even though it’s rocky underneath. I ran up front for twenty minutes in the first moto – that was really positive – but then the heat got to me so I went into the second race on the back foot as I’m still not back to 100%. “

F&H Kawasaki Racing Team’s Kevin Horgmo had never previously raced at the Intu Xanadu facility on the outskirts of Madrid but quickly showed his liking for the heavily-rutted track. Already extremely impressive during Qualifying as he earns fourth choice of start-gate the Norwegian muscled his way quickly from a fifth-placed start to move third on the second lap of the first GP moto and made a further dramatic pass one lap later for second. He soon moved clear of all chasers and appeared secure in that position but a momentary loss of concentration on lap eight of eighteen saw him slide out in a turn, the twelve-second delay dropping him momentarily to fifth; he quickly surged back to fourth but was not quite able to regain his top-three ranking at the finish. A GP podium looked possible after another top-six start in race two but a collision on the opening lap left him last and two falls after he was on the verge of breaking back into the top-ten restricted him to thirteenth at the finish. Ninth overall on the day, he has retained his fifth-placed world ranking and has extended his advantage over the chasers.

Kevin Horgmo: “I had a good start in the first race and was riding in second for a long time; it cost me a couple of places when I lost the front end but I was riding well so I was happy was that and felt good going into moto two. I was keen to move quickly from sixth but I collided with another rider near the end of the first lap and had to restart at the back. I crashed twice more; I didn’t have the flow after that and just tried to collect as many points as possible. I’m looking forward to Ernée next weekend. I have good memories as I won the 125 class last time I raced there in 2017. “

Jed Beaton, F&H’s rider in the MXGP class, showed good speed on his return to racing after an injury lay-off but was unfortunate in both moto. The Australian finished fourteenth in the first moto after a first-lap mid-pack collision had caused him to ride through the pack; in race two he held a strong fourteenth position until an incident mid-race cost him three positions.

Jed Beaton of the F&H Kawasaki Racing Team will sit out this weekend’s Latvian round of the FIM World MXGP Motocross Championship to accelerate recovery from a shoulder injury sustained last month.

The Australian damaged his left shoulder in a crash during the second round of the series at Mantova in Italy after a stunning entry to the premier world series with sixth place at the opening round; he has displayed grit and determination despite discomfort and lack of strength in the shoulder through the intervening rounds of the series to maintain a top-twelve world ranking but, with no significant improvement in sight whilst he continues to burden the shoulder, rider and team have taken the mutual decision to sit out this weekend’s GP at Kegums, also further rounds of the series if necessary, to ensure a full recovery before Jed resumes racing in the rightful place close to the head of the pack. A decision on a resumption of a full training programme and a return to racing will be taken in collaboration with the best medical advice.

Nathalie Fase (F&H team manager): “Unfortunately Jed has still too much trouble with his shoulder after the crash in Mantova on the sixth of March. Soon we will receive the results of the hospital check-up from last week and can take it from there. We want to rule out any complications, not take unnecessary risks and wait until everything is clear before Jed starts riding again; the aim is to come back strong as soon as possible. “

 

Jed Beaton: “It’s frustrating that I’m sitting out this weekend but the team and myself have made the mutual decision to get things checked further and come back when we can achieve the results we are looking for; it’s obviously a tough pill to swallow but I’m looking forward to coming back as strong as at the opening GP when I do return! “

Round five of the world championship was held at the legendary track of Pietramurata.

Kevin Horgmo got a good jump out of the inside gate in race one but was closed down entering the first turn to charge down the pit-straight to turn two twelfth. He had already advanced into the top ten by the end of the lap but a collision halfway round the next lap demoted him to twenty-ninth. Undeterred by the momentary setback the Norwegian stormed back into the points-scoring positions by half-distance and continued to push, making his final pass for twelfth on the very last lap. Another difficult start in race two saw him eleventh on the opening lap but he immediately set to work on hauling in the riders ahead to advance to eighth after a quarter-of-an-hour; he was fifth at twenty-five minutes and closed down the gap to the leaders in the final ten minutes to finish just three seconds away from third place. He remains seventh in the series points standings.

Kevin Horgmo: “It’s just a little unfortunate that I crashed with another guy on the second lap of the first race and had to come back from twenty-ninth to twelfth. It’s always been difficult to pass here so that was quite an achievement. I got another bad start in the second race but I came through from outside the top-ten to fifth. I felt my riding was really good; I just need to improve my starts. “

Jed Beaton once again showed his track craft to advance to seventh on the opening lap of race one with clever line-choice and he maintained that position with top-six lap times for half the race before the on-going effects of the shoulder injury he sustained at round two of the series forced him to slacken his pace to finish fifteenth. The second moto followed a similar pattern to finish fourteenth; he remains tenth in the championship standings.

Jed Beaton: “It’s the same as last week; I’m still struggling with the shoulder. I don’t have any pain but there’s just no strength after a bit of riding. When I’m racing the first ten-fifteen minutes I’m up the front battling, but then it drops off. It’s a little difficult for me to accept at the moment but it is how it is; now we have two weeks to try to get it sorted as best we can before the next GP.

Overall Grand Prix MX2 Arco di Trento:
1 Tom Vialle 50 Pnt
2 Kay de Wolf 37 Pnt
3 Mikkel Haarup 37 Pnt
4 Thibault Benistant 36 Pnt
5 Mattia Guadagnini 32 Pnt
6 Kevin Horgmo 25 Pnt

World Championship Standings MX2:
1 Tom Vialle 208 Pnt
2 Jago Geerts 194 Pnt
3 Mikkel Haarup 169 Pnt
4 Simon Laengenfelder 154 Put
5 Kay de Wolf 150 Pnt
7 Kevin Horgmo 136 Pnt

Overall MXGP Arco di Trento:
1 Tim Gajser 50 Pnt
2 Maxime Renaux 40 Pnt
3 Jorge Prado 38 Pnt
4 Jeremy Seewer 36 Pnt
5 Glenn Coldenhoff 32 Pnt
15 Jed Beaton 13 Pnt

World Championship Standings MXGP:
1 Tim Gajser 236 Pnt
2 Jorge Prado 203 Pnt
3 Maxime Renaux 184 Pnt
4 Jeremy Seewer 160 Pnt
5 Glenn Coldemhoff 141 Pnt
10 Jed Beaton 82 Pnt