Noel Zanocz of the JM Racing Honda team finished second in the fifth round of the EMX250 Championship in Agueda, Portugal.
Zanocz started the weekend strong by setting the fourth-fastest time in qualifying. He felt comfortable on the track and was looking forward to the first moto.
Just before the start of the first moto, heavy rain began to fall. Zanocz got off the line around tenth place, but due to the mud, he had to remove his goggles already during the opening lap. Despite this, he managed to work his way forward throughout the race and finished in a solid fourth place.
In the second moto, Zanocz had a much better start and grabbed the holeshot. He held the lead through the first half lap but was soon overtaken.
While trying to find his rhythm, he suffered a big crash on the finish jump, which dropped him to fifth. He fought back to third and launched an attack on the rider in second place. In the heat of the battle, the two made contact, causing Zanocz to crash again. From fourth, he pushed forward once more and managed to reclaim the lead. Unfortunately, in the tough conditions, he crashed again, dropped to third, and ultimately crossed the finish line in second place.
With 4-2 results in the motos, Zanocz secured second overall for the day. In the EMX250 Championship standings, he now holds second place, trailing the leader by 12 points.
David Braceras had a tough qualifying race on Saturday, suffering several crashes, which left him with a poor gate pick for Sunday’s motos. Despite this, Braceras put in a solid ride in the first moto and finished tenth. In the second moto, he was again riding around tenth place until a crash cost him significant time. After the fall, he couldn’t regain his rhythm and finished in 18th place.
Braceras ended the day 16th overall and now sits 14th in the championship standings.
Brent van Doninck made his return to the MXGP World Championship in Portugal. He completed both motos, finishing 20th and 16th, respectively. From here, Brent can continue building toward his previous form.
Next weekend, JM Racing Honda will head to Lugo, Spain, for the next Grand Prix.
Fotocredits – Fullspectrum Media
