The Matterley Basin circuit was host to much more than just the MXGP and MX2 World Championship racing this weekend as the FIM Europe Motocross Championship joined in the action. Team Maddii Racing Husqvarna’s Alberto Forato and Verde Substance KTM’s Brad Anderson came in force to start their respective championship seasons as both winners and points leaders.
The well know class of EMX250 is a breeding ground for potential MX2 and later MXGP stars as proven by many former graduates but this weekend at the grassy and green hills of Matterley Basin an all new category joined in alongside. The all new EMX2T presented by FMF Racing sang for the first time this year and ever over the past 2 days.
EMX250 Race 1 on Saturday started off with Maddii Racing Husqvarna’s Raf Meuwissen in the lead with BUD Racing Kawasaki’s Jimmy Clochet, SMDCORSE Yamaha EMX250’s Ruben Fernandez, Honda RedMoto Assomotor’s Pierre Goupillon, and Creymert Racing’s Kevin Horgmo all right in the mix.
Fernandez took the look from Meuwissen quickly, but Maddii Racing Husqvarna’s Alberto Forato was on the move and by the end of the first official lap had taken the lead from Fernandez.
Honda RedMoto Assomotor’s Stephen Rubini battled with Horgmo before Horgmo crashed out when the pair collided on the landing of the uphill triple. Goupillon also fell but by his own doing which gave Rubini 3rd position as he also passed Clochet on the same lap. At the front Forato checked out while Fernandez settled for second ahead of Rubini, Clochet, Goupillon, and F&H Racing’s Roan Van de Moosdijk.
Today’s race 2 saw another impressive start by Forato this time ahead of a regrouped Kevin Horgmo. Pierre Goupillon was again at the front of the pack running third with Ghidinelli Racing Team’s Guiseppe Tropepe fighting Van de Moosdijk over 4th.
Tropepe dropped back two positions the first few laps to both the Kawasaki of Van de Moosdijk and the Honda of Rubini. Second place finisher from race 1, Fernandez was 35th on the first lap and had to work his way up throughout the remaining 11 laps.
Van de Moosdijk made a pass on Goupillon just past the halfway point for third which he would settle for behind Horgmo and the dominant 1-1 performance of Forato. The overall winner was clearly Forato who led every lap on the way to a perfect weekend while Rubini took second with 3-5 finishes and Van de Moosdijk finished 3rd with 6-3 scores.
Alberto Forato, “For me it was a good weekend, I lead from the first lap of every race, so I was able to focus on myself and I want to do this every weekend. It is a different bike and a different team this year but now I am really comfortable with everyone, the bike, the mechanics, and everything so it is good for me.”
EMX250 Race 1 Top Ten: 1. Alberto Forato (ITA, Husqvarna), 32:04.381; 2. Ruben Fernandez (ESP, Yamaha), +0:07.871; 3. Stephen Rubini (FRA, Honda), +0:13.441; 4. Jimmy Clochet (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:17.624; 5. Pierre Goupillon (FRA, Honda), +0:20.202; 6. Roan Van De Moosdijk (NED, Kawasaki), +0:24.296; 7. Rene Hofer (AUT, KTM), +0:25.668; 8. Karlis Sabulis (LAT, KTM), +0:29.951; 9. Josh Gilbert (GBR, Honda), +0:31.131; 10. Caleb Grothues (AUS, Yamaha), +0:53.522.
EMX250 Race 2 Top Ten: 1. Alberto Forato (ITA, Husqvarna), 32:24.557; 2. Kevin Horgmo (NOR, KTM), +0:09.886; 3. Roan Van De Moosdijk (NED, Kawasaki), +0:22.042; 4. Pierre Goupillon (FRA, Honda), +0:23.370; 5. Stephen Rubini (FRA, Honda), +0:26.631; 6. Giuseppe Tropepe (ITA, Yamaha), +1:01.793; 7. Rene Hofer (AUT, KTM), +1:06.422; 8. Michael Ivanov (BUL, KTM), +1:10.730; 9. Jimmy Clochet (FRA, Kawasaki), +1:13.653; 10. Josh Gilbert (GBR, Honda), +1:17.062.
EMX250 Overall Top Ten: 1. Alberto Forato (ITA, HUS), 50 points; 2. Stephen Rubini (FRA, HON), 36 p.; 3. Roan Van De Moosdijk (NED, KAW), 35 p.; 4. Pierre Goupillon (FRA, HON), 34 p.; 5. Jimmy Clochet (FRA, KAW), 30 p.; 6. Ruben Fernandez (ESP, YAM), 29 p.; 7. Rene Hofer (AUT, KTM), 28 p.; 8. Josh Gilbert (GBR, HON), 23 p.; 9. Kevin Horgmo (NOR, KTM), 22 p.; 10. Michael Ivanov (BUL, KTM), 22 p.
EMX250 ChampionshipTop Ten: 1. Alberto Forato (ITA, HUS), 50 points; 2. Stephen Rubini (FRA, HON), 36 p.; 3. Roan Van De Moosdijk (NED, KAW), 35 p.; 4. Pierre Goupillon (FRA, HON), 34 p.; 5. Jimmy Clochet (FRA, KAW), 30 p.; 6. Ruben Fernandez (ESP, YAM), 29 p.; 7. Rene Hofer (AUT, KTM), 28 p.; 8. Josh Gilbert (GBR, HON), 23 p.; 9. Kevin Horgmo (NOR, KTM), 22 p.; 10. Michael Ivanov (BUL, KTM), 22 p.
EMX250 Manufacturers: 1. Husqvarna, 50 points; 2. Kawasaki, 38 p.; 3. Honda, 38 p.; 4. Yamaha, 37 p.; 5. KTM, 36 p.
The EMX2T presented by FMF Racing is the newest category of EMX racing and with this weekend being the first round of the championship a long list of riders entered for their chance to become the first winner.
The first race however was a battle of the motocross veterans and former EMX300 rivals Mike Kras riding for Team Ecomaxx Fuels and Brad Anderson from Verde Substance KTM. Kras had the lead from the start with fellow Ecomaxx Fuels teammate Youri Van T Ende separating him from Anderson.
On the second lap Anderson made the pass and began his pursuit of Kras. Vaclav Kovar from the Czech Republic was the next to get by Van T Ende and only one lap later Anderson made a move on Kras to take over the lead.
Anderson’s fellow countryman Todd Kellet used the home crowd to move from 8th to 4th in only 4 laps. Including a pass on seasoned 2 stroke rider Andero Lusbo on his A1M Husqvarna. Kellet’s charge stopped at 4th however as he finished 10 second back of Kovar while Anderson took the race win by nearly 12 seconds over Kras.
Race 2 was led by Britain’s Brad Todd with Anderson in second for the first 4 laps. Kras on the hand was 8th after the first lap but suffered a mechanical failure on lap 2 which is the second year in a row his fight against Anderson has gone up in smoke at Matterley.
Following Anderson’s pass for the lead on the 5th lap Kovar took second away from Todd who was then chased by Andrea Gorini from San Marino. At the finish it was Anderson taking the race 2 win, first ever EMX2T Presented by FMF Racing overall, and the first championship red plate. Kovar’s 3-2 put the Czech rider on the second spot of the podium while Gorini stood on the 3rd step!
EMX2T Presented by FMF Racing Race 1 Top Ten: 1. Brad Anderson (GBR, KTM), 32:30.711; 2. Mike Kras (NED, KTM), +0:11.823; 3. Vaclav Kovar (CZE, Gas Gas), +0:18.398; 4. Todd Kellett (GBR, Yamaha), +0:28.185; 5. Andero Lusbo (EST, Husqvarna), +0:29.117; 6. Andrea Gorini (SMR, Yamaha), +0:41.229; 7. Jamie Law (GBR, KTM), +0:48.410; 8. Emanuele Alberio (ITA, Husqvarna), +0:51.244; 9. Marco Lolli (ITA, Yamaha), +0:53.367; 10. Andrea Vendruscolo (ITA, Yamaha), +0:54.018.
EMX2T Presented by FMF Racing Race 2 Top Ten: 1. Brad Anderson (GBR, KTM), 31:53.709; 2. Vaclav Kovar (CZE, Gas Gas), +0:13.016; 3. Brad Todd (GBR, Yamaha), +0:23.472; 4. Andrea Gorini (SMR, Yamaha), +0:31.933; 5. Ben Putnam (GBR, Yamaha), +0:39.101; 6. Todd Kellett (GBR, Yamaha), +0:41.262; 7. Andero Lusbo (EST, Husqvarna), +0:42.289; 8. Matt Burrows (GBR, Husqvarna), +0:53.431; 9. Marco Lolli (ITA, Yamaha), +0:57.771; 10. Youri van t Ende (NED, KTM), +0:59.480.
EMX2T Presented by FMF Racing Overall Top Ten: 1. Brad Anderson (GBR, KTM), 50 points; 2. Vaclav Kovar (CZE, GAS), 42 p.; 3. Andrea Gorini (SMR, YAM), 33 p.; 4. Todd Kellett (GBR, YAM), 33 p.; 5. Andero Lusbo (EST, HUS), 30 p.; 6. Ben Putnam (GBR, YAM), 26 p.; 7. Marco Lolli (ITA, YAM), 24 p.; 8. Mike Kras (NED, KTM), 22 p.; 9. Matt Burrows (GBR, HUS), 21 p.; 10. Emanuele Alberio (ITA, HUS), 21 p
EMX2T Presented by FMF RacingChampionshipTop Ten: 1. Brad Anderson (GBR, KTM), 50 points; 2. Vaclav Kovar (CZE, GAS), 42 p.; 3. Andrea Gorini (SMR, YAM), 33 p.; 4. Todd Kellett (GBR, YAM), 33 p.; 5. Andero Lusbo (EST, HUS), 30 p.; 6. Ben Putnam (GBR, YAM), 26 p.; 7. Marco Lolli (ITA, YAM), 24 p.; 8. Mike Kras (NED, KTM), 22 p.; 9. Matt Burrows (GBR, HUS), 21 p.; 10. Emanuele Alberio (ITA, HUS), 21 p.
EMX2T Presented by FMF Racing Manufacturers: 1. KTM, 50 points; 2. Gas Gas, 42 p.; 3. Yamaha, 38 p.; 4. Husqvarna, 30 p
