Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MX2 Team’s Janis Reisulis has finished as runner-up at the MXGP of Portugal to claim a career-first overall podium result in the MX2 class. Racing at round 10 of the MX2 World Championship in Portugal, the Latvian capitalised on two excellent starts in both races to place second in Race One and fourth in Race Two. At the same time, Karlis Reisulis fought hard to finish eighth overall.
One week on from the hardpack of Italy, the Agueda circuit in Portugal offered similar conditions with a softer racing surface opening up plenty of lines and passing opportunities. However, heavy watering before both MX2 races made conditions incredibly slippery and put an extra emphasis on the need to start up front.
In the opening race, J. Reisulis executed the start he needed to challenge for the podium and rounded the first turn in fourth. Through the first couple of laps, the reigning EMX250 Champion – who won in Agueda last year with a perfect 1-1 result – worked his way into second behind Guillem Farres. With a relatively clear track ahead of him, the Yamaha YZ250FM rider kept Farres in sight to cross the finish line just under five seconds adrift of victory to capture a career-best race result in MX2.
- Reisulis executed an even better start in Race Two to run second until the midway stage. As the laps wound down, he slipped to third, then fourth, as the race neared its conclusion. Nevertheless, placing fourth was more than enough to secure his place on the overall podium for the first time in his young career. The solid points haul in Portugal moves the MX2 class rookie up to sixth in the championship standings.
Across the two races, K. Reisulis delivered improving results with 10th in the opener and a hard-fought seventh in Race Two. Securing eighth overall ensures the 20-year-old maintains eighth place in the standings as the series passes the halfway point.
Following a history-making Grand Prix, the team now heads to the MXGP of South Africa for round 11 next weekend.
Click here for all the results from the MXGP of Portugal.
Janis Reisulis
2nd MXGP of Portugal, 40-points
6th MX2 Championship Standings, 355-points
“It was a really good day and I’m incredibly happy with my result. To claim my first Grand Prix podium in the MX2 class is a really special moment. I really enjoyed riding today. The pace was good, I felt comfortable on the bike, and being able to battle with the front-runners throughout the races gave me a lot of confidence. A huge thank you to the whole team, all of our sponsors, and everyone who has supported me. This is an important milestone, and now the goal is to keep working hard and build on this result.”
Karlis Reisulis
8th MXGP of Portugal, 25-points
8th MX2 Championship Standings, 273-points
“It was a difficult start to the day because I just didn’t feel like myself. It wasn’t a bike issue, I simply wasn’t feeling good, and that affected my riding in the first moto. I was off the pace and couldn’t really find my rhythm. The second moto was much better. Even though I didn’t get the best start, I felt my pace had improved and I was much more comfortable on the track. I also managed to avoid arm pump, which was a big positive. Together with our suspension technician, we made some good changes to the bike, so a big thanks to him for helping me feel more confident. Overall, I’m happy with the way the weekend ended. The track was really enjoyable to ride, we found some positive improvements, and now we can build on that heading into the next round.”
Photocredits – Full Spectrum Media
