Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MX2 riders Karlis Reisulis and Janis Reisulis once again delivered strong performances at their home Grand Prix in Kegums, Latvia. Karlis came close to securing a podium finish but ultimately missed out by just two points, ending the weekend fifth overall. Janis finished seventh in the overall classification.
In front of thousands of enthusiastic Latvian fans, both brothers lined up for their home race full of ambition. Sunny weather and the demanding sandy Kegums circuit created an incredible atmosphere throughout the weekend.
Karlis did not get the ideal start in the opening moto and had to work his way forward from the middle of the pack. During the race, he climbed up to sixth place and eventually finished less than two seconds behind Simon Längenfelder.
In the second moto, Karlis produced arguably his best riding of the season. The Yamaha rider emerged from the start in second place and kept the race leader under pressure for much of the race. Only in the final lap did he make a small mistake, allowing Camden McLellan to pass him. Despite that setback, Karlis crossed the finish line in third place, securing his best moto result of the season and fifth overall for the Grand Prix. Thanks to this result, he moves up to eighth place in the MX2 World Championship standings.
Janis was also highly motivated as he lined up for his first home Grand Prix as an MX2 rider. In the opening moto, he was pushed wide in the first corner, causing him to drop well down the order. He then fought his way back impressively to finish eighth.
The second moto was also challenging. Janis spent much of the race inside the top ten, but a mistake midway through the moto dropped him back to fourteenth position. With a strong charge in the closing stages, he battled back to tenth place, which was enough to secure seventh overall. The reigning EMX250 Champion therefore maintains seventh place in the MX2 World Championship standings.
After three consecutive Grand Prix weekends, the brothers now have a weekend off before the championship resumes on June 21 and 22 in Montevarchi, Italy.
Karlis Reisulis:
“Overall, it was a good day and I’m happy with the way I rode. In the second moto, I pushed really hard and perhaps wanted a little too much. I made a mistake that, looking back, probably wasn’t necessary, but that’s racing and it’s something you learn from. The positives definitely outweigh the negatives. My riding felt good all day, and I was especially pleased with my start in the second moto. The first moto wasn’t ideal because my start was poor, but I managed to make up a lot of positions and work my way through the field strongly.
In the second moto, I spent almost the entire race in second place and came very close to the podium. The atmosphere was also incredible. I could hear the fans every lap and in every corner. Their support really gave me extra motivation. Experiencing that was amazing and definitely one of the highlights of the weekend.”
Janis Reisulis:
“Although the result wasn’t as good as I had hoped, I really enjoyed this weekend. With seventh overall, it certainly wasn’t my worst result of the season, but physically I struggled during the races. I felt like my energy was running low quite early in the motos, which made it difficult to fight for positions. On a track like Kegums, every mistake also costs a lot of energy.
Even so, this was probably my favourite weekend of the season so far because of the fans. The atmosphere was incredible and made the whole weekend special. I tried to stay calm and keep my emotions under control, but I think the occasion got to me a little bit. It was a valuable learning experience and showed that there are still areas where I need to improve. We’ll take the positives with us and now focus on the next Grand Prix in Italy.”
Photocredits – Fullspectrum Media
