Rounds two and three of the EMX2t and EMX125 Presented by FMF Racing Championships have concluded in Italy for the Round of Città di Faenza.
The second affair of three scheduled at the Monte Coralli circuit saw Fantic Racing’s Andrea Bonacorsi and Brad Anderson of Verde Substance KTM once again rise to the occasion and take back-to-back victories in the EMX125 and EMX2t classes.
In the opening EMX125 Presented by FMF Racing heat it was Scott Smulders of the No Fear Jumbo BT Racing Team who got a flying start though he didn’t hold on to the lead for long as Gerard Congost from the RFME GasGas MX Junior Team moved into first place. He was followed by Pietro Razzini and Andrea Rossi.
Meanwhile round two of the series winner, Andrea Bonacorsi was down in eighth place on the opening lap and by the first official lap of the race Rossi had made some moves to get up into first, as Razzini followed closely behind in second.
Bonacorsi was then catching up to the RFME GasGas MX Junior Team rider Guillem Farres and Congost, as he chased higher positions. And while Bonacorsi was pushing hard following a poor start, the battle at the front was really heating up between Rossi and Razzini.
The two leading riders then opened up a decent gap between themselves and third, as Bonacorsi was battling with Farres for that third-place spot in the fifth lap of the race.
With 11 minutes and 2 laps to go, Bonacorsi finally found his way into 3rd and set his sights on a possible race win. A couple of laps later and there was a change in the lead as Razzini finally slipped past Rossi, though the KTM rider was not going to let Razzini get away with it too quickly as the battle between the two got interesting.
With the first two riders locked in a close battle, Bonacorsi took full advantage of that as he caught up to Razzini and Rossi, setting the fastest lap of the race on lap 8.
It took two more laps for Bonacorsi to catch the two and pass for the lead. He then opened up a 4.378 gap on lap 13, as Meico Vettik moved up into third.
In the end it was Andrea Bonacorsi who won the opening race, followed by Pietro Razzini and Meico Vettik.
The second race saw Smulders get a good start once again, though Razzini wasn’t wasting any time as he pushed Smulders down a position within a few moments.
As the riders crossed the line for the first lap, it was Razzini who led Max Palsson of WZ Racing, Haakon Osterhagen of Creymert Racing and Bonacorsi.
Bonacorsi was sitting nicely in 4th, and was close to the leaders, so it was only a matter of time before he would start to challenge Razzini for the win. Rossi who had a strong first race was down in 32nd after crashing in the first turn of the start.
By lap 3, Bonacorsi had already moved into 3rd, Palsson made a mistake which Bonacorsi took full advantage of, moving up into 2nd with 15min and 2 laps to go.
A couple of laps later and Bonacorsi was 3 seconds from the leader as he started to get his head down and push for that second race win. Not too long after, he was alongside Razzini as he challenged the fellow Italian for the victory.
With 5 minutes and 2 laps on the clock, Bonacorsi finally made a pass for the lead, while Vettik seemed to have had an issue with his machine, as he lost a bit of ground and a few positions at the same time. He was on the verge of a podium finish though that mistake cost him vital points.
With just a few laps to go, Osterhagen made a mistake and went down dropping out of 5th place and unfortunately did not finish the race.
In the end it was Bonacorsi who won once again, as Razzini crossed the line in P2 and Palsson 3rd. In terms of the podium it was Andrea Bonacorsi who was victorious overall, with Pietro Razzini standing on the podium in second and Guillem Farres making his second podium appearance of the Italian triple-header with third overall.
Bonacorsi now leads the championship by 26 points, as Pietro Razzini and Guillem Farres move up into second and third after round three.
Andrea Bonacorsi: “It’s just amazing. I didn’t have the best start in the first race but then I won again and I got another overall. I’m just really happy and would like to thank my whole team, sponsors and family because they’re doing an amazing job. Now we have the red plate so I’m really happy. I’ve been working really hard and I knew that I could get on the podium so now I have two 1-1 and the red plate, so yeah we’ve working really hard for it and I’m happy”.
Pietro Razzini: “It’s amazing to be second overall. I took the holeshot in the second race and was fast and I’m really happy. Thanks to all and see you next time”.
Guillem Farres: “I’m really happy because the day started really rough. I had a bad position 32, so it was hard to get a good start but I was able to start good in both races. I passed some rider, finished fifth in the first one and in the second one fourth so really happy to go back-to-back podiums”.
EMX125 Presented by FMF Racing – Race 1 – Top 10 Classification: 1. Andrea Bonacorsi (ITA, Fantic), 30:28.199; 2. Pietro Razzini (ITA, Husqvarna), +0:05.151; 3. Meico Vettik (EST, KTM), +0:17.290; 4. Andrea Rossi (ITA, KTM), +0:18.416; 5. Guillem Farres (ESP, GASGAS), +0:18.880; 6. Valerio Lata (ITA, KTM), +0:26.660; 7. David Braceras (ESP, GASGAS), +0:36.323; 8. Gerard Congost (ESP, GASGAS), +0:37.550; 9. Andrea Roncoli (ITA, Husqvarna), +0:37.994; 10. Kevin Brumann (SUI, Yamaha), +0:42.221;
EMX125 Presented by FMF Racing- Race 2 – Top 10 Classification: 1. Andrea Bonacorsi (ITA, Fantic), 30:53.856; 2. Pietro Razzini (ITA, Husqvarna), +0:02.729; 3. Max Palsson (SWE, KTM), +0:12.390; 4. Guillem Farres (ESP, GASGAS), +0:28.390; 5. Scott Smulders (NED, Husqvarna), +0:35.671; 6. David Braceras (ESP, GASGAS), +0:38.354; 7. Andrea Roncoli (ITA, Husqvarna), +0:38.891; 8. Quentin Marc Prugnieres (FRA, KTM), +0:42.752; 9. Constantin Piller (GER, KTM), +0:42.865; 10. Kevin Brumann (SUI, Yamaha), +0:51.008.
EMX125 Presented by FMF Racing – Overall Top 10 Classification: 1. Andrea Bonacorsi (ITA, FAN), 50 points; 2. Pietro Razzini (ITA, HUS), 44 p.; 3. Guillem Farres (ESP, GAS), 34 p.; 4. Max Palsson (SWE, KTM), 30 p.; 5. David Braceras (ESP, GAS), 29 p.; 6. Meico Vettik (EST, KTM), 27 p.; 7. Andrea Roncoli (ITA, HUS), 26 p.; 8. Kevin Brumann (SUI, YAM), 22 p.; 9. Constantin Piller (GER, KTM), 21 p.; 10. Scott Smulders (NED, HUS), 20 p.
EMX125 Presented by FMF Racing – Championship Classification: 1. Andrea Bonacorsi (ITA, FAN), 116 points; 2. Pietro Razzini (ITA, HUS), 90 p.; 3. Guillem Farres (ESP, GAS), 88 p.; 4. Kevin Brumann (SUI, YAM), 85 p.; 5. Meico Vettik (EST, KTM), 76 p.; 6. David Braceras (ESP, GAS), 75 p.; 7. Liam Everts (BEL, KTM), 66 p.; 8. Max Palsson (SWE, KTM), 52 p.; 9. Andrea Roncoli (ITA, HUS), 52 p.; 10. Saad Soulimani (FRA, HUS), 52 p.
EMX125 Presented by FMF Racing – Manufacturers Classification: 1. KTM, 126 points; 2. Fantic, 116 p.; 3. Husqvarna, 103 p.; 4. GASGAS, 90 p.; 5. Yamaha, 85 p.
Main Photo: Andrea Bonacorsi
Bottom Photos: 1. EMX125 Presented by FMF Racing Start; 2. Pietro Razzini
In the opening EMX2t Presented by FMF Racing heat it was Eugenio Barbaglia of Husqvarna Junior Racing Maddii who took the holeshot and led the rest of the field around the first lap of the race. Meanwhile championship leader Brad Anderson from Verde Substance KTM was down in eighth place on the opening lap.
As the riders crossed the line for the first official lap of the race, already had a nice lead over Kade Tinkler-Walker who was charging for the lead as he swiftly moved into second position. Manuel Iacopi from JK Racing Yamaha was also there in third.
By the following lap, Walker was pushing hard to pass Barbaglia, as he made an attempt on the corner entering pit lane. Though he wasn’t able to make it stick and instead crashed out of second. He picked up the bike quickly and got going in fourth which was not so bad, considering he crashed with a field of guys quickly approaching.
By lap two, Anderson was up in sixth place, while Gianluca Deghi was pushing for the lead and it seemed like it was a matter of moments before he would move into first place.
By the following lap Walker was back up in third, as Anderson set the fastest lap time of the race and started to close in on the top three. Though before he knew it, third place was pretty much handed to him, as both Deghi and Iacopi went down.
After that it took no time at all for Anderson to take the lead, as Barbaglia started to come under fire from Walker, who was keen to try keep up with the championship leader. And by lap six, the Canadian was able to pass the Italian rider and move into second position.
Barbaglia then lost another couple of positions as Walker started to close in on Anderson. Eventually Barbaglia was able to find his way back into third as Walker slightly dropped the pace.
The Suzuki rider then started to come under fire from Barbaglia and Mario Tamai of MGR Motocross Team. That’s when the incredible battle for second began between the three riders. Though in the end Brad Anderson took the race win, as Walker was able to hold on to second, followed by Tamai and Federico Tuani of Husqvarna Junior Racing Maddii rounding out the top five.
The second race saw Mario Tamai take the holeshot, though also getting a better start was Anderson who quickly moved into the lead. He then led Marco Lolli and Freidig, with Tamai and Deghi just behind him, and battling for fifth place.
Deghi then moved into fourth and then carried his momentum to catch up to Lolli and push for third, while Walker squeezed past Barbaglia for 6th. Walker then went after Tamai for 5th, and it didn’t take him long to make the pass stick.
Back at the front though Anderson already had a nice 6.750 second lead over Freidig and Lolli as Walker began to close in on Deghi with just a couple of seconds separating the two for 4th.
Anderson then continued with his own race as he extended the lead to 9 seconds, while Walker made several attempts to pass Deghi, which he was able to excetue eventually.
As the race progressed, Walker seemed to have been fading, though it was later revealed that he was trying to save his Suzuki and finish the race. He then came under fire from Lolli, Deghi and Tamai who were closing in. Deghi then went through into 4th, pushing Walker down a position and Tamai did the same.
Eventually it was Brad Anderson who took the second race win, followed by Loris Freidig and Marco Lolli. In terms of the podium, Anderson took a back-to-back victory, as Walker finished second and Freidig made his second podium, with third overall.
Brad Anderson: “The track was a little different today to obviously how it was at the weekend. I didn’t get the best of starts and I was trying to push through but Freidig came off and then we both crashed together. Then I started to get my head down and started coming through well and I was just thinking about it. The second race got a better start and just thought about it, checked out and it was a good race to be fair. I really enjoy this track and it suits my riding so hopefully we do it again in the next round”
“We are here with my group of friends coming to help me out this weekend and we didn’t expect to come away with a win, but the first one gave me a boost and obviously this round too, so hopefully we will do it again at the next one” he added.
Kade Tinkler-Walker: “I was trying to bring it home and get a podium. Even in the first race, I crashed as I pushed for first and Brad passed and I tried to hang with him but Brad’s been around a long time so he knows how to ride and he’s fitter than I am, so I couldn’t hang with him and of course I didn’t win. For sure I am happy to come away with a podium, but you know a second place always burns a little bit but if you have to look at where I’m coming from then it’s ok and I’m happy with it”.
Loris Freidig: “I didn’t expect to be on the box after the first race. I had a stupid crash in the same place like Brad and just landed after the uphill jump and then I struggled a bit in the first half of the race but in the second half I felt really strong and I was looking forward to the second race. In the second race I just managed to get second after some laps and I came to hold my pace and I was really happy with second place”.
EMX2T Presented by FMF Racing – Race 1 – Top 10 Classification: 1. Brad Anderson (GBR, KTM), 31:15.156; 2. Kade Tinkler-Walker (CAN, Suzuki), +0:04.420; 3. Eugenio Barbaglia (ITA, Husqvarna), +0:05.459; 4. Mario Tamai (ITA, KTM), +0:05.809; 5. Federico Tuani (ITA, Husqvarna), +0:08.075; 6. Jonas Nedved (CZE, KTM), +0:10.382; 7. Emanuele Alberio (ITA, KTM), +0:17.561; 8. Loris Freidig (SUI, Yamaha), +0:17.670; 9. Marco Lolli (ITA, Yamaha), +0:36.591; 10. Martin Michelis (EST, KTM), +0:44.243;
EMX2T Presented by FMF Racing- Race 2 – Top 10 Classification: 1. Brad Anderson (GBR, KTM), 29:17.353; 2. Loris Freidig (SUI, Yamaha), +0:11.650; 3. Marco Lolli (ITA, Yamaha), +0:16.247; 4. Gianluca Deghi (ITA, KTM), +0:19.092; 5. Mario Tamai (ITA, KTM), +0:20.911; 6. Kade Tinkler-Walker (CAN, Suzuki), +0:24.087; 7. Eugenio Barbaglia (ITA, Husqvarna), +0:35.013; 8. Emanuele Alberio (ITA, KTM), +0:40.503; 9. Jonas Nedved (CZE, KTM), +0:51.721; 10. Martin Michelis (EST, KTM), +1:01.108;
EMX2T Presented by FMF Racing – Overall Top 10 Classification 1. Brad Anderson (GBR, KTM), 50 points; 2. Kade Tinkler-Walker (CAN, SUZ), 37 p.; 3. Loris Freidig (SUI, YAM), 35 p.; 4. Mario Tamai (ITA, KTM), 34 p.; 5. Eugenio Barbaglia (ITA, HUS), 34 p.; 6. Marco Lolli (ITA, YAM), 32 p.; 7. Emanuele Alberio (ITA, KTM), 27 p.; 8. Jonas Nedved (CZE, KTM), 27 p.; 9. Martin Michelis (EST, KTM), 22 p.; 10. Gianluca Deghi (ITA, KTM), 20 p.;
EMX2T Presented by FMF Racing – Championship Top 10 Classification: 1. Brad Anderson (GBR, KTM), 97 points; 2. Loris Freidig (SUI, YAM), 74 p.; 3. Mario Tamai (ITA, KTM), 71 p.; 4. Eugenio Barbaglia (ITA, HUS), 66 p.; 5. Marco Lolli (ITA, YAM), 60 p.; 6. Federico Tuani (ITA, HUS), 59 p.; 7. Kade Tinkler-Walker (CAN, SUZ), 53 p.; 8. Gianluca Deghi (ITA, KTM), 51 p.; 9. Emanuele Alberio (ITA, KTM), 40 p.; 10. Martin Michelis (EST, KTM), 40 p.
EMX2T Presented by FMF Racing – Manufacturers Classification: 1. KTM, 97 points; 2. Yamaha, 76 p.; 3. Husqvarna, 74 p.; 4. Suzuki, 53 p.;
Main Photo: EMX2T Presented by FMF Racing Start
Bottom Photos: 1. Brad Anderson; 2. Kade Tinkler-Walker