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MOTOREX Racing Report 2015 EN

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Racing_Report2015_EN_web

MOTOCROSS MXGP

MOTOCROSS MXGP CONSISTENT RIGHT THROUGH TO THE END OF HIS CAREER The great sportsman Tyla Rattray left the World Championship stage at the end of the season. At the season finale in Glen Helen, USA, the South African rode the last World Championship race of his glittering career. Rattray is one of the few riders to have made it on both sides of the Atlantic. He went to the USA after his MX2 World Championship title in 2008, before returning to the World Championship in 2014. Due to injuries, however, the likeable 30-year-old was never able to rediscover his previous level of performance. Although consistent enough to make the top ten on several occasions, this was not sufficient for another major achievement. “Ratters” was also on his own in the Monster Energy Kawasaki factory racing team for virtually the entire season after Ryan Villopoto’s withdrawal. Rattray TYLA © Photos: Sarah Gutierrez / Kawasaki Europe © Photos: R. Archer SHAUN SIMPSON BEST GP SEASON Shaun Simpson put in a brilliant showing to complete the best Grand Prix season of his career. The 27-year-old Scot’s impressive performance put him in fourth place in the overall MXGP ranking. Emotional highlights were his two Grand Prix wins in Belgium and the Netherlands as well as finishing second overall in the Mexican Grand Prix. These powerful showings didn’t go unnoticed by KTM either, with Simpson being given a 2016 factory bike for the final third of the season. He caused quite a stir at the British Motocross Championships, too. Starting the season as the defending champion, the Hitachi Construction Machinery REVO KTM rider entirely dominated the competition and finished with an outright win to gain his second championship title in succession. MX2 RISING STAR The rookie in the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Team, Pauls Jonass got off to an excellent start and finished a thoroughly deserved second place in the World Championship. The young Latvian demonstrated his potential in the very first Grand Prix race overseas, finishing a sensational second on the podium on two occasions. He went on to repeat this four times over the season as well as clinching his first ever world championship race victory at the Mexican Grand Prix. He also took the world championship leader’s red plate at the Belgian Grand Prix and defended it for one more weekend. With several excellent displays of talent, he kept the world championship title open until the final race in the USA but was ultimately pipped at the post. CONSTANT IMPROVEMENT During his first world championship season, Angus Heidecke of the KTM Sarholz Racing Team adapted increasingly effectively to the conditions of the Motocross World Championship and achieved impressive top 15 placings in the last few races of the season. The 25-yearold from Saxony kept improving as the season went on, also achieving an excellent fifth position overall at the ADAC MX Masters. ANGUS HEIDECKE © Photos: R. Archer © Photos: angus-heidecke.com 4

MOTOCROSS MX2 EITHER WINNING OR AWAY DUE TO INJURY © Photos: R. Archer JEFFREY HERLINGS For the second year in a row, the world championship season ended in disaster for the highly talented Dutchman. Having lost the title last year due to injury, he was to suffer a cruel fate yet again this time round. The 21-yearold kept on fighting back after his three injuries, but a severe hip injury at the Czech Grand Prix finally put paid to his efforts. In the final overall MX2 ranking he was placed 7th. But the statistics show just how dominant the two-times world championship winner was. He was out in front in virtually all areas, despite missing out on a total of eight Grand Prix events. He had the most pole positions, won the most race victories and Grand Prix podium finishes and ran by far the fastest laps. But, once again, the likeable Red Bull Factory KTM rider failed to clinch what would have been his greatest triumph – a third world championship title. POWERFUL TEAM The KTM Sarholz Racing Team entered the European Grand Prix of the Motocross World Championship with no fewer than three riders, with the team colours represented in the MXGP (Angus Heidecke), the MX2 (Henry Jacobi) and the WMX (Vanessa Danz). While Heidecke and Jacobi attracted interest with excellent showings, Vanessa Danz was hampered by injuries and did not manage to achieve her season goals. Henry Jacobi‘s first big moment was at the German Grand Prix in Teutschenthal. At his home race at the Talkessel, the former junior world champion was chasing a place in the top 10 of the Motocross World Championship for the first time in his fledgling career. It was not until last winter that he had decided to move up from the European Championship to the World Championship – and, looking back, this proved exactly the right thing to do. The 18-year-old from Thuringia adapted increasingly well, clearly demonstrating his enormous potential and achieving several top 10 placings. Jacobi MX WOMAN Four-times motocross world champion Steffi Laier took on a fresh challenge in the 2015 season, entering the IMBA (International Motor Bike Association) European Championship. Here she showcased her exceptional talent, securing her first European Championship title with an unbeaten season, winning all 15 individual races. On two occasions, the 30-year-old sought direct confrontation with her Motocross World Championship rivals and, here again, the KTM rider was able to put in an impressive showing. She caused a sensation at the British Grand Prix by making second place on the podium, while also finishing third after two races to clinch yet another podium finish on home ground at the German Grand Prix. was also chosen for the prestigious Motocross of Nations for the second time in a row, representing Germany with flying colours at the season highlight in France. In the ADAC MX Masters, he achieved an excellent tenth place in the overall ranking on an MX2 bike against international competitors who were all on highercapacity bikes. UNBEATEN EUROPEAN CHAMPION HENRY JACOBI © Photos: henry-jacobi.de STEFFI LAIER © Photo: Désirée Photography VANESSA DANZ © Photos: MxPicsSocquet 5

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