The MXGP World Motocross Championship riders tackled the Selaparang circuit in reverse direction today for the RAM Qualifying Races, although the oppressive heat and humidity remained to continually test the athletes to their limits as they pushed for points and gate selection positions.
In MXGP it was a second straight RAM Qualifying Race win for Red Bull KTM Factory Racing star Jeffrey Herlings, who made a strong move on Team HRC’s Tim Gajser towards the end of the race, with Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP man Calvin Vlaanderen finishing a fine third.
MX2 also saw the same winner as last week with Lucas Coenen recovering from a small crash to take the win for Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing, who enjoyed another 1-2 finish for the season with Kay de Wolf finishing in second place! Simon Laengenfelder once more took third for Red Bull GASGAS Factory Racing.
“The Bullet” has shown a lot of speed in the two Indonesian rounds so far, showing no problems with the heat of the region despite not racing here since 2018. He topped the timesheets in both Free and Time Practice, with Tim Gajser and Fantic Factory Racing’s lone warrior Glenn Coldenhoff achieving the third fastest time.
Gajser got the jump on Herlings out of the gate, however, and leaned on his rival enough to grab the holeshot, but the Dutchman was with him, ahead of Vlaanderen and his sparring partner from last week, Jeremy Seewer, who held fourth from Coldenhoff and last week’s GP winner Jorge Prado.
The Red Bull GASGAS Factory Racing rider did not look to be in top form, starting in sixth place and taking his time to move forward, passing Coldenhoff over the finish line jump at the end of the first full lap, then taking until lap seven to make a switchback pass on Seewer for fourth position, which was where he would finish the race.
Vlaanderen did well to fend off the attentions of the reigning World Champion, and got within attacking distance of Herlings for second place, although that seemed to light the fire under the GP win record holder, who suddenly began closing the gap to Gajser! The KTM dived up the inside of the Honda, making contact but not initially getting through, before Herlings pulled a stunning move on the final corner before the finish line, taking the lead as the “two laps to go” board came out!
The race finished in that order, as Vlaanderen rejoiced in another top three finish to go with his first overall podium of the season last weekend.
Prado’s fourth place finish means that he drops two more points in the Championship to Gajser, who is now 24 points ahead, with Herlings now 33 behind the Spaniard in third.
Gajser is also still leading the 6 month’s RAM Driving Experience with five win so far!
Jeffrey Herlings: “Obviously last week I suffered from the heat in the second race. This time I thought let’s not start flat out but saving energy towards the end of the race. I feel very good physically. It wasn’t really nice how I had to pass Tim (Gajser), as I kind of touched him and I feel bad because I’m not this kind of rider but I had to overtake him like this! Now I look forward for tomorrow and I hope to be up here again!”
MXGP – RAM Qualifying Race – Classification: 1. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 24:22.283; 2. Tim Gajser (SLO, Honda), +0:01.386; 3. Calvin Vlaanderen (NED, Yamaha), +0:04.034; 4. Jorge Prado (ESP, GASGAS), +0:06.485; 5. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, Kawasaki), +0:07.767; 6. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, Fantic), +0:28.754; 7. Mattia Guadagnini (ITA, Husqvarna), +0:32.400; 8. Valentin Guillod (SUI, Honda), +0:39.991; 9. Andrea Bonacorsi (ITA, Yamaha), +0:43.104; 10. Isak Gifting (SWE, Yamaha), +0:43.908
MXGP – World Championship Classification: 1. Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 564 points; 2. Jorge Prado (ESP, GAS), 540 p.; 3. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 507 p.; 4. Calvin Vlaanderen (NED, YAM), 389 p.; 5. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, KAW), 380 p.; 6. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, FAN), 332 p.; 7. Romain Febvre (FRA, KAW), 327 p.; 8. Pauls Jonass (LAT, HON), 274 p.; 9. Kevin Horgmo (NOR, HON), 238 p.; 10. Valentin Guillod (SUI, HON), 227 p
Simon Laengenfelder was fastest in Free Practice, but it was those twin brothers at the top again Time Practice, with Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Sacha Coenen claiming first gate pick ahead of Lucas.
The shorter and marginally younger of the twins, Sacha, fired into the lead from the gate, with Laengenfelder initially second, although the Nestaan Husqvarna riders got past the German in rapid succession, Lucas Coenen ahead of De Wolf as it would be until the end of the race.
Sacha’s teammate Andrea Adamo had passed Laengenfelder for fourth on the first lap, but got the new wall jump before the Pit Lane badly wrong, doing well to stay on but allowing the GASGAS back past, as well as Team HRC’s Ferruccio Zanchi. That proved to be a vital blow to his race as the younger Italian then dropped the bike two corners later, and the reigning Champion could not avoid his fallen machine! Adamo got back up to tenth at the close for the final point, while Zanchi came home in 15th.
Lucas Coenen hauled in his brother, and made a pass around the outside as Sacha unintentionally paused in a rut. It wasn’t over though, as on the following lap, Lucas pushed the front wheel too hard in a corner and dropped back into second! Then it was Sacha’s turn to have the ground give way from beneath him, suffering more of a delay as he ran off the edge of a steep berm and argued with an advertisement hoarding in the process!
This put Lucas back in the lead, with De Wolf making a late charge to pass Laengenfelder and therefore inherit second when Sacha left the track. The German ended up in third and the young Belgian recovered to claim fourth. Mikkel Haarup took fifth for Monster Energy Triumph Racing, ahead of Liam Everts who also left the track early on, taking sixth for Red Bull KTM Factory Racing.
Lucas Coenen therefore took one point away from his teammate’s series lead, which is now on 64 points. Lucas looks in determined mood to hack that down, but anything could happen here tomorrow!
Lucas Coenen: “It was a tough one today! The start wasn’t that bad as only my brother (Sacha Coenen) got a jump on me and then I went on the inside and went 2nd. I just did my race but then lost the front in a corner and tipped over. The track is sketchy and I like it this way. Tomorrow we’ll have two race and will try our best!”
MX2 – RAM Qualifying Race – Classification: 1. Lucas Coenen (BEL, Husqvarna), 24:15.060; 2. Kay de Wolf (NED, Husqvarna), +0:04.688; 3. Simon Laengenfelder (GER, GASGAS), +0:09.780; 4. Sacha Coenen (BEL, KTM), +0:13.874; 5. Mikkel Haarup (DEN, Triumph), +0:23.028; 6. Liam Everts (BEL, KTM), +0:24.989; 7. Rick Elzinga (NED, Yamaha), +0:37.138; 8. Oriol Oliver (ESP, KTM), +0:37.833; 9. Karlis Alberts Reisulis (LAT, Yamaha), +0:46.960; 10. Andrea Adamo (ITA, KTM), +0:48.652
MX2 – World Championship Classification: 1. Kay de Wolf (NED, HUS), 541 points; 2. Lucas Coenen (BEL, HUS), 477 p.; 3. Simon Laengenfelder (GER, GAS), 471 p.; 4. Liam Everts (BEL, KTM), 437 p.; 5. Andrea Adamo (ITA, KTM), 418 p.; 6. Mikkel Haarup (DEN, TRI), 361 p.; 7. Rick Elzinga (NED, YAM), 326 p.; 8. Sacha Coenen (BEL, KTM), 319 p.; 9. Thibault Benistant (FRA, YAM), 226 p.; 10. Quentin Marc Prugnieres (FRA, KAW), 217 p
MXGP OF LOMBOK QUICK FACTS:
Circuit length: 1640m
Type of ground: Semi Volcanic
Temperature: 32°
Weather conditions: Sunny
WEEKEND TIMETABLE (LOCAL TIME GMT+8)
SUNDAY: 10:25 MX2 Warm-up, 10:45 MXGP Warm-up, 12:15 MX2 Race 1, 13:15 MXGP Race 1, 15:10 MX2 Race 2, 16:10 MXGP Race 2.
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Or visit the official MXGP website mxgp.com
©Words/Images are from official press release posted courtesy of www.mxgp.com
