Lawrence third overall after Valkenswaard MX2

Pauls Jonass takes MX2 Round 2 win

Hunter Lawrence sixth at Valkenswaard

Jed Beaton 8th in Race 1 – 9th in standings overall

Pauls Jonass has shown everyone exactly why he’s defending MX2 World Champion, and while admitting that he wasn’t riding or feeling his best, he nevertheless took double race wins at Valkenswaard. Aussie Hunter Lawrence also maintained his position as third overall in the standings after Round 2, with two sixth places to his name.

Race 1 started with the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing bikes of Pauls Jonass and Jorge Prado at the front with a Fox Holeshot from Jonass. Behind the KTM’s was another Austrian made bike, the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing #19 of Thomas Kjer Olsen.

Having a breakthrough performance was Kemea Yamaha Official MX Team’s Jago Geerts. Geerts who race the EMX250 championship last season ran 4th early in the race.

The local MX2 rider from the LRT KTM team, Davy Pootjes was followed by Honda 114 Motorsport’s Hunter Lawrence. Later when Lawrence tried to pass Pootjes on the outside he instead had the door closed and clipped the back of the KTM sending him to the dirt. Pootjes later dropped to 8th while Lawrence got back up to 6th just behind Hitachi KTM UK’s Conrad Mewse. Meanwhile Jonass took the win followed by Prado, Olsen, and Geerts.

Race 2 started just as did race one with a FOX Holeshot from Jonass just ahead of Prado and a Husqvarna. However this time the Husqvarna in 3rd belonged to the STC Racing Husqvarna rider Henri Jacobi. Jacobi ran in third for 8 laps before crashing and then pulling of the track.

Assuming third was again Olsen as Jorge Prado was doing everything he could to catch his teammate Jonass. Prado would gain time on Jonass one lap and the Jonass would reply with his own gains the next.

In 4th and 5th was Conrad Mewse and Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Thomas Covington. Covington who won Saturday’s qualifying race finished 7th in race 1.

At the finish Jonass crossed the line only 0.38 seconds ahead of Prado while Olsen was another 37 seconds back in third.

Pauls Jonass

“It’s nice to start defending the title with 1-1 in the two first GPs and I so happy with the results so far. Today wasn’t so easy because I was a bit sick after Argentina. I was a bit stiff and not so aggressive as usual. Anyway, we have one week now to get ready for Spain. I hope it is warmer there because here was so cold! I was happy to see a lot of Latvian flags out there!”

Jorge Prado

“The first GP was not the best so I’m happy I could get on the podium here; especially last year when I messed it up. I’m really glad to take second place and to be fighting for first place both times with Pauls. In Argentina I could not really feel my strength and all my work in the winter but today I felt better than ever and was very consistent. Pauls is riding really well and the other guys are far behind so this means we are riding good. I’m happy. Now for the home GP.”

Thomas Kjer Olsen

“It was a good weekend despite tough conditions. Weather conditions were extreme for all and the low temperatures during the whole weekend didn’t help at all. To be honest I struggled to get a good pace in the soft sand and wasn’t feeling great going into Sunday’s racing. Ending up with a pair of third place results in these conditions is super positive. I want to pick up my pace now going into Red Sand in Spain. I am confident with the progress made so far and I think we can keep improving in every moto and every GP.”

Hunter Lawrence

“It was a so-so weekend really, from my perspective. We got sixth from the qualification race but in the first moto I didn’t get a good start after being too aggressive with the clutch. I was around 16th to begin with but I was making passes and moving through the pack. Then I had a coming-together with another rider and dropped back down again. I pushed through to get sixth in the end and although I was disappointed to have only come sixth, I was happy with my riding and that I got close to the money points. In the second moto I got a really good jump out the gate, but I just couldn’t make it stick around the first bend. I just couldn’t get into my groove though and was struggling most of the moto. I gave it everything I had but I didn’t have anything for the guys up front this weekend. Next week is another round though and I’ll be giving it my all once again.”

MX2 Race 1 Top Ten

1. Pauls Jonass (LAT, KTM), 35:38.265
2. Jorge Prado (ESP, KTM), +0:09.342
3. Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, Husqvarna), +0:16.508
4. Jago Geerts (BEL, Yamaha), +0:22.579
5. Conrad Mewse (GBR, KTM), +0:25.932
6. Hunter Lawrence (AUS, Honda), +0:42.179
7. Thomas Covington (USA, Husqvarna), +0:49.290
8. Jed Beaton (AUS, Kawasaki), +0:53.611
9. Davy Pootjes (NED, KTM), +0:58.452
10. Ben Watson (GBR, Yamaha), +1:00.167

MX2 Race 2 Top Ten

1. Pauls Jonass (LAT, KTM), 35:35.397
2. Jorge Prado (ESP, KTM), +0:00.381
3. Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, Husqvarna), +0:37.477
4. Conrad Mewse (GBR, KTM), +0:39.263
5. Thomas Covington (USA, Husqvarna), +0:46.360
6. Hunter Lawrence (AUS, Honda), +0:47.057
7. Ben Watson (GBR, Yamaha), +0:51.600
8. Adam Sterry (GBR, Kawasaki), +1:05.208
9. Davy Pootjes (NED, KTM), +1:08.867
10. Darian Sanayei (USA, Kawasaki), +1:10.665

MX2 Overall Top Ten

1. Pauls Jonass (LAT, KTM), 50 points
2. Jorge Prado (ESP, KTM), 44
3. Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, HUS), 40
4. Conrad Mewse (GBR, KTM), 34
5. Thomas Covington (USA, HUS), 30
6. Hunter Lawrence (AUS, HON), 30
7. Jago Geerts (BEL, YAM), 26
8. Ben Watson (GBR, YAM), 25
9. Davy Pootjes (NED, KTM), 24
10. Adam Sterry (GBR, KAW), 18

MX2 Championship Top Ten

1. Pauls Jonass (LAT, KTM), 100 points
2. Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, HUS), 82
3. Hunter Lawrence (AUS, HON), 67
4. Jorge Prado (ESP, KTM), 63
5. Ben Watson (GBR, YAM), 61
6. Conrad Mewse (GBR, KTM), 51
7. Jago Geerts (BEL, YAM), 46
8. Thomas Covington (USA, HUS), 44
9. Jed Beaton (AUS, KAW), 44
10. Vsevolod Brylyakov (RUS, YAM), 42