A first Holeshot for Fantic and Top 5 overall for Glenn Coldenhoff at the MXGP of Germany

 

Round 8 in Teutschenthal opened another triple header in the 2024 FIM Motocross World Championship. Once again, heavy rain in the week leading up to the MXGP of Germany and changeable weather conditions throughout the weekend added to the challenge. The Fantic Factory Racing MXGP riders managed them well to secure top 7 finishes with Glenn Coldenhoff grabbing a first holeshot aboard the Fantic XXF 450. 

Fantic Factory Racing MXGP

Glenn Coldenhoff powered his Fantic XXF 450 to the holeshot in moto 1 and led the way for the first few corners. The Flying Dutchman had to relinquish the lead to World Champion Jorge Prado in the course of the opening lap but was able to hold on to a podium position for the first half of the race. In the latter stages, he lost a couple more spots, eventually crossing the finish line in sixth. Despite a difficult gate pick after a crash in Saturday’s qualifying race, Brian Bogers managed to position himself in the top 10 from the get-go, finishing in eight place.

Another good start in the second moto saw Glenn Coldenhoff just outside the top 5. His solid performance allowed him to take advantage of another rider’s mistake and move into fifth place. “The Hoff” held the position until the finish for fifth overall, his best result of the season so far. His Fantic Factory Racing MXGP teammate Brian Bogers was running in 8th in race 2 but a tip-over dropped him down the order. Brian managed to come back to P11, securing seventh overall.

Glenn Coldenhoff: “The weekend started well but I didn’t feel so good in Saturday’s qualifying race and I struggled quite a bit because of the rain. Sunday was better, I was able to take the holeshot in the first moto and stay with the front guys but I made a few mistakes and other riders overtook me. I could have taken another holeshot in the second moto but there was a contact and that affected my performance. Next week we will be at one of my favourite tracks where I won at in the past so I am really looking forward to the upcoming GP in Latvia.”

Brian Bogers: “There were a lot of ups and downs this weekend. The speed was good but I had a lot of problems in the qualifying race when I crashed and struggled all moto long. That made it hard for Sunday’s races as my starting position was tough but I managed it well in both motos. Unfortunately, I crashed in the second heat but I am pretty happy with my riding despite not yet being in perfect physical conditions.”

Fantic Factory Racing MX2

A season-best ninth place in the qualifying race on Saturday gave Kay Karssemakers a good gate pick for Sunday’s races and the young Dutchman took full advantage of it, placing himself in P6 in the opening laps of race 1. He dropped a few spots later on but managed to hold on to a solid eleventh. After a mid-pack start, David Braceras made up ground but crashed while running in P12 and had to be content with 16th.

The second moto saw another strong start by Karssemakers. A solid rhythm and his impressive determination allowed him to bring home another eleventh place after battling with his teammate inside the top 10 for some laps. Braceras had worked his way up until 9th spot but made a few mistakes and crossed the finish line in 12th. In the overall classification of the day, Karssemakers was eleventh with Braceras in P13.

Kay Karssemakers: “It was a good weekend. The rhythm I had in the qualifying was very solid and allowed me to pick a good gate for Sunday, I was happy with ninth place. Sunday’s first moto was great with a good start and race pace but then I lost some ground and could not quite keep up the rhythm I had at the beginning. 11th place was still good. In the second moto my race pace was solid as well but dropped a little bit and I finished 11th once again. I am happy with the improvements I made and I am looking forward to the next race.”

After his bad luck in the previous two rounds of the European Championship in Portugal and France, Fantic Factory Racing’s EMX250 rider Alexis Fueri was back in the top 10 in Germany. The Frenchman started off well with an eight place in time practice but struggled to find the right flow on a tricky track in race 1, eventually finishing in P12. A strong start to the second moto saw him in P5 for the first few laps, he lost a bit of ground in the latter stages but a solid eight place allowed him to secure tenth overall.