Elzinga ninth at tough first stop of Indonesian doubleheader

Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MX2 Team rider Rick Elzinga delivered consistent race results to finish ninth overall at the MXGP of West Nusa Tenggara, despite not feeling 100%. Team newcomer Karlis Reisulis adapted well to his new bike, class and extremely wet weather to finish 14th overall at the 11th round of the 2024 campaign.

The start of the FIM Motocross World Championship in Europe has brought new challenges for the Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MX2 team. The high temperatures, time zone and type of race track required runners to quickly adapt to the very different racing environment they faced in Lombok.

For Elzinga, it was a tough day of racing. Not quite able to start the first race, the number 44 charged hard from the start and moved up to ninth within a few laps. By mid-race, the talented Dutchman was relegated to 11th, but after regrouping over the laps, he fought hard to move up to ninth and held his position until the finish.

In the second race, a crash at the start of the race left Elzinga with a lot of work to do on this very wet circuit. Despite slippery conditions and somewhat tight driving, the 21-year-old began to gain the upper hand on the drivers lap after lap. On the 12th lap of 16, he passed his new teammate Reisulis to move up into 12th position, then he progressed to 11th place with three laps to go. By maintaining his 11th place, Elzinga secured ninth overall for the day, and he remains seventh in the MX2 championship standings.

Reisulis also achieved consistent results during his first visit to the Lombok circuit. Showing exceptional speed in his first GP for the team, the young Latvian battled into the top 10 in the first race and was rewarded with a 13th place finish. In the second race, Reisulis went from a mid-pack start to an 11th place finish before losing two places in the final laps. With two 13th places, Reisulis secured 14th place overall.

The Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MX2 Team returns to Lombok next weekend for the second of two rounds in Indonesia, an event that marks the 12th round of the 2024 FIM Motocross World Championship.

Rick Elzinga
9th MXGP of the MXGP of West Nusa Tenggara, 22 points
7th place in the MX2 championship, 322 points
“It was a tough day today. I felt like I was riding well, but I wasn’t fast enough. Getting back into the pack in both races was difficult and I crashed early in the second race which made things even more difficult. I rode a little tight and not like I know I can do, so it was a tough weekend overall and I was fighting against myself on the bike. The bike was good, but I feel like I’m doing something wrong, so I need to sort this out before next weekend. »

Karlis Reisulis
14th MXGP of MXGP of West Nusa Tenggara, 16 points
Ranking of the 29th MX2 Championship, 19 points
“It’s not the best day, but my speed was good to fight for the top 10. I need to work on my endurance now, because these MX2 races are five minutes longer than the EMX250 races, so I will have to increase my training going forward. My bike was great and the team really helped me get used to it, but it was my mistakes and my riding that kept me from getting better results. ‘have the opportunity to race in MX2 on a factory bike and I can’t wait to race again next weekend.