Billy Bolt won round two of the 2022 FIM SuperEnduro World Championship, held in Hungary, to extend his championship lead. The Husqvarna Factory Racing rider qualified fastest before claiming SuperPole and two race wins from three on his FE 350. Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Colton Haaker enjoyed a solid night in Budapest, ultimately finishing a close fourth overall.
The night started off perfectly for Bolt, with the British racer continuing his unbeatable run of form to comfortably qualify fastest and take the SuperPole honours by over one second, earning himself three valuable championship points in the process. After a measured start in race one, Billy deftly picked his way through the course to take the lead with around three minutes to go. A small error while navigating a log section was just enough for him to lose his position, and with time running out it ultimately lead to Bolt settling for second.
Eager to make amends in race two, Billy made light work of the reverse-grid start to move into third place after only three corners. After calmly moving into second, Billy’s pass into first place was hampered when a competitor got caught up in his rear wheel. Despite losing a little time, the 24-year-old was able to quickly regain the lead and hold it to the chequered flag where he claimed his first race win of the night.
Prestige race three was all Bolt! After a strong start, the championship leader soon moved up to take the lead and from there he never looked back. Increasing his advantage lap-by-lap, Billy put on a masterful display of riding to take the victory by over 10 seconds. The result increases Bolt’s lead in the championship standings to an impressive 35 points with three rounds left to race.
Travelling across to Europe to contest SuperEnduro round two, Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Colton Haaker enjoyed a strong performance on the tight and technical Hungarian track to secure a strong fourth overall.
Haaker opened the evening in style, placing second to teammate Bolt on the SuperPole hot lap. Fighting his way through the mayhem of races one and two, Colton placed fourth in both to put himself in a good position going into the third heat. Keen to finish the night on a high, Colton claimed the holeshot in race three and after being passed by his teammate was able to hold on to second, ultimately finishing as runner-up. Completing the evening on 45 points, the three-time world champion narrowly missed out on the event podium by just one point. After two rounds, Colton lies second overall in the prestige class standings.
Billy Bolt: “It was a super difficult night, but I’m pleased to come away with another win and extend my lead in the championship. The track was really tight, and with not much traction it was easy to get arm pump and then make mistakes. Qualifying and SuperPole went well, but then in race one I struggled to find my rhythm and got caught up a few times. Race two went much better, and then race three was near enough perfect – I was able to manage my pace once I got to the front and held on to take the win and the overall.”
Colton Haaker: “It’s really good to be here in Budapest racing SuperEnduro. I haven’t been able to get in much riding since the last event, but I’m happy with how I rode today going 4-4-2 on a tough track like this. It took me a little while to relax and get up to speed, but I gave it my all and had fun out there. From not being certain if I’d get here to race, to missing out on the podium by just one point, it’s been a good weekend and I’m looking forward to the next one.”
Results – SuperEnduro, Rnd2 Hungary
Overall Event Classification
- Billy Bolt (Husqvarna) 60 pts; 2. Taddy Blazusiak (GASGAS) 50 pts; 3. Jonny Walker (Beta) 46 pts; 4. Colton Haaker (Husqvarna) 45 pts…
Prestige Race 1
- Taddy Blazusiak (GASGAS) 10 laps, 6:56.233; 2. Billy Bolt (Husqvarna) 7:03.984; 3. Jonny Walker (Beta) 7:05.532; 4. Colton Haaker (Husqvarna) 7:38.243…
Prestige Race 2
- Billy Bolt (Husqvarna) 10 laps, 6:48.249; 2. Taddy Blazusiak (GASGAS) 6:51.995; 3. Jonny Walker (Beta) 6:52.130; 4. Colton Haaker (Husqvarna) 7:28.168…
Prestige Race 3
- Billy Bolt (Husqvarna) 10 laps, 6:48.474; 2. Colton Haaker (Husqvarna) 6:58.673; 3. Jonny Walker (Beta) 7:04.079; 4. Taddy Blazusiak (GASGAS) 7:04.456…
Championship Standings (After Round 2 of 5)
- Billy Bolt (Husqvarna) 123 pts; 2. Colton Haaker (Husqvarna) 88 pts; 3. Taddy Blazusiak (GASGAS) 87 pts; 4. Jonny Walker (Beta) 87 pts…