An adverse weather forecast turned the penultimate round of the 2024 FIM Motocross World Championship into an intense one-day event. Fantic Factory Racing MXGP’s Glenn Coldenhoff rose to the occasion, securing a strong sixth overall in the premier class, while Kay Karssemakers narrowly missed the top 10 in MX2.
While the MXGP of China was initially scheduled for Sunday and Monday, an impending typhoon forced organisers to compress the GP schedule into a one-day format. Qualifying races were cancelled, leaving a single practice session to determine pole position and gate picks. Fantic Factory Racing MXGP’s Glenn Coldenhoff and Brian Bogers placed ninth and tenth, respectively, in time practice, with less than 1.4 seconds separating the top 10 riders – a testament to the competitive nature of the premier class.
Fast out of the gate on his Fantic XXF 450, “The Hoff” sneaked into the top 5 in the opening lap of the first race. Finding his pace, the experienced Dutchman then settled into seventh for most of the moto. A late charge allowed him to capitalize on a rival’s mistake before picking up another place to cross the finish line in fifth, making it another strong outing for both him and the Fantic Factory Racing MXGP team. His start to the second moto was tougher, with a first-lap crash pushing Coldenhoff down the order. He fought back, making consistent progress to cross the finish line in eight, securing a commendable sixth overall on the day.
Brian Bogers showed improved pace and feeling on the Shanghai International Off-Road Circuit, but some unfortunate issues held him back in the races. He finished 14th in race 1 and was running inside the top 10 for most of the second moto, before having to retire with four laps remaining. Despite this, Bogers still collected points for a 15th-place finish, giving him 15th overall as well.
Coldenhoff and Bogers sit now sixth and tenth in the MXGP championship standings, heading into the final round of the 2024 FIM Motocross World Championship in Cózar, Spain, in two weeks’ time.
Glenn Coldenhoff: “Physically, I didn’t feel great today. I woke up at 2:30 in the night and couldn’t get back to sleep. Then I had a crash in the morning and just couldn’t find that extra bit I needed. At least my start was good in the first moto. I kept my pace; I didn’t do anything special, but I managed to finish fifth. I wasn’t far off fourth in the end, so that was positive. My start wasn’t as good in race 2, and on the first lap, another rider crashed in front of me and I couldn’t avoid him. I remounted almost last but came back to eight. I gave everything, I tried to gain one more spot for fifth overall, but came up just short. A 5-8 result for 6th overall is not what we are aiming for but we move forward and look ahead. Hopefully we can finish inside the top 5 or even the top 3 at the final round in Spain.”
Brian Bogers: “Actually, I felt better compared to the last few weekends, and my feeling on the bike was pretty good, but it turned out to be a tough day. In the first moto, I had to stop to change my goggles, which cost me too much time, especially with the lap times being so close on this track. In race 2, I was battling around eighth, but we ran into some issues. The team is already working on it, so hopefully, we can finish the season on a high note.”
Hot and humid conditions, combined with a last-minute change to the weekend format, made for a challenging MXGP of China. David Braceras showed promise in qualifying, securing tenth place, while Kay Karssemakers struggled to put together a fast lap, finishing 14th in time practice.
In race 1, Braceras got off to a strong start inside the top 10. He stayed consistent and avoided mistakes to cross the line in 11th. Karssemakers had a more difficult opening lap but worked hard to recover positions, ultimately finishing 14th.
Both Fantic XXF 250 riders were fast out of the gate in the second moto, with Braceras running seventh and Karssemakers eighth. Braceras was gaining momentum and held his position for nearly 15 minutes before an unfortunate crash forced him to retire from the race. Luckily, he escaped any injury. Karssemakers put in a good performance and finished tenth, displaying a solid race pace throughout. He ended the day in eleventh overall, narrowly missing a top-10 finish.
Kay Karssemakers: “We had a one-day format here in China. The track was flat and very fast during the practice session, and I couldn’t put together a strong lap time. My riding improved in race 1, where I finished 13th. I had a better start in race 2 and ran in the top 8 for most of the race. I dropped a couple of positions in the final three laps but still managed to come home in tenth, which was a solid result. Now, we are looking forward to the final race of the season in two weeks’ time.”
David Braceras: “The format of this GP was unique, and it was really tough to do everything in one day without time to rest. My feeling was really good today. I was tenth in time practice and finished eleventh in the first moto after battling in the top 10 throughout. In race 2, I made some quick passes to move up to P7 and held the position for almost 15 minutes. Unfortunately, I caught a stone, went off track, and my bike got stuck under a panel. I hit my leg a bit, and the bike was damaged, so I couldn’t continue. I am a bit disappointed because a top-10 finish was within reach, but it is what it is. We will keep working hard to finish the season strong at my home GP in Spain.”
Photocredits – Fantic Factory Racing
