Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MX2 Team’s Janis Reisulis has maintained his impressive rookie campaign in the MX2 World Championship with 10th overall in Italy. Competing at the hardpack circuit of Montevarchi for the ninth round of the season, the talented youngster delivered a consistent 8-9 result aboard his Yamaha YZ250FM. His teammate and brother, Karlis, also performed well, overcoming a Race One crash to claim 13th overall.
For the first time since 2006, the MX2 World Championship visited the hardpack, hillside circuit of Montevarchi. The classic Italian race track combined high-speed sections with slippery off-camber corners to really test the skills of every competitor.
After racing to sixth in the MX2 Qualifying Race, J. Reisulis lined up for the Grand Prix races focused on a strong start. The Latvian gated well in Race One and ran fifth for much of the race. However, he lost a few positions in the closing stages and ultimately finished eighth.
Before and during the early part of the second race there was some rainfall, which made the slippery circuit much more technical. In this one, the reigning EMX250 Champion didn’t benefit from the best of starts and completed the opening lap in sixth. As the race continued, the 18-year-old couldn’t quite find his usual flow, and he slipped downfield to ninth at the finish. Claiming 10th overall on the day sees J. Reisulis maintain seventh in the series standings as the championship nears its halfway stage.
With his season-best result at home in Latvia last time out still fresh in his mind, K. Reisulis was focused on maintaining the same form in Italy. Frustratingly, a crash on lap one in the opening race resulted in a hard charge through the field from last to 14th at the finish. Race Two was much more fruitful with the 21-year-old running as high as eighth before settling for 10th, a result that secured 13th overall. Leaving Italy, K. Reisulis remains eighth in the series standings.
Following a demanding Grand Prix, the team now heads to Portugal next weekend for the 10th round of the campaign before travelling to South Africa on July 4-5 for round 11.
Click here for all the results from the MXGP of Italy.
Janis Reisulis
10th MXGP of Italy, 25-points
7th MX2 Championship Standings, 310-points
“It was a tough day overall. On Saturday I was feeling really good, the speed was there, and I was able to make some good passes. Today was a little different. Physically I actually felt fresh, but I struggled to put everything together on the track. I could find a good flow in places, but it was difficult to combine that with the speed I needed while also avoiding mistakes. I think that was the main challenge for me this weekend. Even so, I’m not disappointed. Every weekend is a learning opportunity, and I know I’m continuing to make progress. We’ll keep working, keep improving, and I’m confident the results will come.”
Karlis Reisulis
13th MXGP of Italy, 18-points
8th MX2 Championship Standings, 244-points
“It was a slightly disappointing day overall. In the first moto, I crashed on the opening lap and then had to fight my way back from last, so the goal was simply to salvage as many points as possible. The second moto started much better. I got away more cleanly and was able to make several passes in the opening laps. As the race went on, though, I struggled a little to find a good feeling on the hardpack surface and lost a couple of positions towards the end. Even so, there were positives to take away from the day. I felt like I made improvements throughout the weekend and learned more about riding in these conditions. We’ll keep working on the hardpack tracks and focus on coming back stronger at the next round.”
Photocredits – Full Spectrum Media
