Elzinga ninth in tough first leg of Indonesian doubles

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

The start of the FIM European Motocross World Championship brought new challenges for the Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MX2 Team. The high temperatures, the time zone and the type of race track meant that the riders had 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 in just a few laps. Halfway through the race, the talented Dutchman was relegated to 11th, but after regrouping throughout the laps, he fought hard to climb back to ninth and held his position until the finish.

In Race Two, an early crash left Elzinga with a lot of work to do on the very wet circuit. Despite slippery conditions and somewhat tight driving, the 21-year-old began to take out the drivers lap by lap. On lap 12 of 16, he passed his new teammate Reisulis to move up to 12th, then moved up to 11th with three laps to go. Retaining his 11th place, Elzinga ranks ninth overall for the day and 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 taking place in Indonesia, an event which marks the 12th round of the 2024 FIM Motocross World Championship.

Click here for all the results from the MXGP of West Nusa Tenggara.

Rick Elzinga

9th MXGP of the West Nusa Tenggara MXGP, 22 points

7th ranking 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 in West Nusa Tenggara MXGP, 16 points

29th MX2 Championship standings, 19 points

“It wasn’t the best day, but I had good speed to fight for the top 10. Now I have to work on my endurance, because these MX2 races are five minutes longer than the EMX250 races, so I will having to intensify my training in the future. My bike was great, and the team really helped me master it, but it was my mistakes and my riding that kept me from getting better results. I’m really grateful to have had the opportunity to race MX2 on a factory bike and I can’t wait to race again next weekend. »