Just days after celebrating a podium finish under the Turkish sun, the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing MX2 duo returned to the Afyonkarahisar track for the ninth round of the 2021 FIM Motocross World Championship. The race, the final part of the Turkish double header, was welcomed by Jed Beaton and Kay de Wolf, who were keen to build on positive results from Sunday.
Jed Beaton showed podium potential once again and was impressive early on in the first moto, as he chased a position inside of the top three. A handful of untimely crashes cost him dearly, however, as he could only salvage a twelfth. Although that hindered his result in the overall classification, he rebounded very well in the second moto and reached the chequered flag in third after charging up from outside of the top five. A third in that moto left him in fifth in the overall classification. Beaton is still sat in fourth in the championship standings.
Kay de Wolf was again impressive, more so than the results would indicate. De Wolf was tenth in the middle of the first moto, but he started to advance as soon as the going got tough and clawed his way into seventh. A better start in moto two helped his case – he pushed the top three right out of the gate – until a small fall pushed him back onto the cusp of the top ten. Not to be deterred, he hit the finish line in eighth and secured ninth in the overall classification. De Wolf is still eighth in the championship standings.
Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing MX2 will take advantage of a weekend off now, before heading south for the tenth round of the 2021 FIM Motocross World Championship. The event is going to be run at Riola Sardo, a sandy track in Sardinia, next weekend.
Jed Beaton: “I got off to a pretty decent start in the first moto and made some quick moves. I got a bit of arm pump, then I got put down by another rider. I already had a bit of arm pump – it was not the best. I was riding around and crashed again, after the pit lane, so it was a shocking race. I feel like I got a bit of a redemption in the second one though. It just would have been nice to start with the guys out front, because I saw that the gap stayed the same once I got into third.”
Kay de Wolf: “I was eighth in time practice, so did not have the best gate pick in both motos. I had a good start in the first moto, but messed up a little bit in the first turn and went too wide. I had some difficult first laps – I managed to get P7 though. I had a really good start in the second moto, but made a little mistake and had to pick myself up. I got an eighth in that second moto and ninth overall. A positive day again.”
