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MXGP World Championship

Day One: MXGP of Bulgaria

Analysis and comments from Sevlievo.

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Qualifying has finished at the Grand Prix of Bulgaria, the seventeenth round of the FIM Motocross World Championship. It has been a busy day, thanks in part to the various support classes, but there is one thing that stands out from the ten sessions that were run: Jeffrey Herlings can still amaze pundits.

The beginning of the qualifying heat was uneventful. Jeffrey Herlings leapt out to the early lead, despite the fact that he did not take the holeshot award, as he has done on countless occasions this season. Tim Gajser kept it close and even set some faster lap times at points. It was fairly static and then something changed. Herlings decided to go faster all of a sudden, then he went quicker again and again. If those who chased him had a glimmer of hope that they could challenge him, he took that and stomped all over it. Oh, then he went and stomped on it again.

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Jeffrey Herlings was simply incredible on day one in Bulgaria. That is all.

KTM Images/Ray Archer

It was incredible. There is no other way to describe it. Jeffrey Herlings set the fastest lap time of the race on seven separate occasions, as he just refused to settle. It is obvious what naysayers will respond with, as there will be claims that situations like this have cost him dearly in the past. The thing is that he did not even look like he was riding on the edge or anything. It is difficult to remember a single mistake that he actually made out there. Although this seems like a post that it all about appreciating Jeffrey Herlings, it just has to be done today. The ride was that impressive. The table below covers the way in which his lap times progressed throughout the race.

Lap 5

1:53.074

Lap 6

1:52.874

Lap 7

1:52.086

Lap 8

1:52.704

Lap 9

1:52.308

Lap 10

1:51.157

Lap 11

1:51.797

Lap 12

1:49.585

I felt good on track,” Jeffrey Herlings said in a post-race statement. “Obviously, they watered it pretty much and I do not think they watered it right. They have not held a GP here in a while, so they have not been used to it. When the sun is baking the track gets really hard and slick, so when they put water on it is like ice skating. Some spots they did not water and some spots they watered too much. Hopefully tomorrow they have it organised a bit better. I really like this track. It may not be the best motocross track in the world, I am not too convinced about that, but I have really enjoyed my time being here. I am definitely looking forward to tomorrow. Hopefully get two good starts and then we will work from there.”

A final comparison is needed before moving onto some of the other things that occurred on Bulgarian soil today. The table below features the sector times that Jeffrey Herlings recorded on his fastest lap time, in comparison to what Tim Gajser did on his lap. Gajser was the second-fastest rider in the premier class. It is worth noting, however, that Herlings set faster lap times than the one that Gajser did on six of the twelve laps. Herlings effectively had the six fastest laps in the qualification heat! Everyone knows about that now though. It is quite clear how amazing he was today.

Jeffrey Herlings

Tim Gajser

Sector 1

0:34.160

0:34.790

Sector 2

0:19.588

0:20.643

Sector 3

0:33.479

0:34.815

Sector 4

0:22.358

0:22.584

Lap Time

1:49.585

1:52.832

There was another point that stood out in the premier-class heat. Antonio Cairoli took fifth, in what was a fairly quiet showing, and if that is a sign of things to come then Jeffrey Herlings may have a realistic shot at wrapping this thing up in Turkey. The gap may be fifty-eight points currently, but it is certainly worth keeping an eye. If Cairoli acquires a brace of fifths in the motos tomorrow, then Herlings sweeps the motos, the gap would go up to seventy-six entering the Grand Prix of Turkey. Herlings would need to gain another twenty-four points next weekend to get it done two rounds early. It is going to be tough, but it is certainly not impossible.

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Antonio Cairoli stated that his knee made it very difficult for him today.

KTM Images/Ray Archer

Max Anstie deserves props for what was yet another strong ride from behind. It took him a while to get around Jeremy Seewer, after he passed both Gautier Paulin and Shaun Simpson, but once he did he broke free with relative ease. Things are really turning around for the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing pilot and he is actually on quite the roll currently. What about another British guy, Tommy Searle, who was buried way down the order? Searle crashed on lap one and then faced a mountainous task. The fact that he maintained a solid pace until the end, which is something that he struggled with last week, was rather encouraging though.

There have been a lot of comments about the track conditions this weekend. There is a picture from eight years ago in the press room and some riders are in awe of the amount of lines that there were on that day. It is difficult to pass out there, which was quite clear when in the two qualifying races, hence why it was a little surprising to see Thomas Covington run Jorge Prado down and take the lead. Then again, Covington has done that to Prado on many occasions that year. It was an impressive ride and one that will set him up well to take his first Grand Prix win of the season tomorrow. There is no doubt that he is long overdue.

It was a little more difficult to pass out there than I thought. I just could not really find a place,” Thomas Covington said in the post-race press conference. “I was just putting a little pressure on him and hoping that he would make a small mistake, so that I could get around him. I am just looking forward to the races tomorrow. Hopefully I have a good start again. I would really like to beat Jorge out of the gate. It is not so easy, but it is a big goal for me tomorrow. I would like to get two holeshots and then after that things are much easier.”

Words: Lewis Phillips | Lead Image: Husqvarna/J.P Acevedo

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Check out some of the freshest fits, helmets and more from the MXGP of Patagonia – Argentina. Lead Image: Nestaan Husqvarna – Full Spectrum.

Photo credits: Red Bull KTM – Ray Archer / Nestaan Husqvarna – Full Spectrum / Yamaha MXGP – Full Spectrum + Eva Szabadfi / JM Honda / Kawasaki MXGP / Fantic MXGP / Yamaha MX2 – Full Spectrum / HRC MXGP / GasGas – Juan Pablo Acevedo


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MXGP World Championship

Video: MXGP Pre-Season Training with Jeffrey Herlings

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Lead Image: Ray Archer/KTM

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MXGP World Championship

Stark Speaks! Stark believes MXGP should reconsider electric bike inclusion.

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Following numerous questions, comments, and opinions, Stark Future would like to offer its take on the recent Press Conference held at VILLA LA ANGOSTURA (Argentina) on 8th March 2024, during the first MXGP event of the season.

Stark Future, a prominent innovator in motocross, firmly opposes MXGP/ Infront’s proposal to introduce a separate Electric Support Class alongside MXGP events. While recognizing the goal of driving technological advancements, Stark Future believes that segregation is not the solution. Instead, seeing integration as an opportunity for all sides to thrive. By embracing new technologies at the highest level of racing, Stark Future envisions making racing more captivating for fans while fostering the strongest technological improvements across the board.

With a commitment to pushing the boundaries of motocross performance and innovation, Stark Future firmly believes in true competition and integration, where the fastest machines go head-to-head, driving innovation and pushing the sport to new heights. The vision of Stark Future is to build the fastest motocross bike in the world and demonstrate that Electric is not a compromise but a formidable contender.

“As CEO and Founder of Stark Future, I firmly believe that segregating electric bikes into a separate class undermines the essence of true competition in motocross. Our mission is to break barriers and showcase the potential of electric technology on equal footing with internal combustion engines, Motocross thrives on innovation and pushing boundaries, and segregation only hinders our collective progress towards a more inclusive and dynamic sport. World Trials have done a great job on including Electric with combustion and have shown that when the platform is competitive it has it´s place amongst combustion counterparts”

Stark Future understands The creation of a separate class for electric bikes, as proposed by MXGP, compromises the essence of competition and risks stifling progress. Instead of fostering innovation, this approach fragments the championship and dilutes the level of competition. Stark Future advocates for the integration of electric bikes into the existing MXGP grid framework, which would promote innovation and benefit the broader motocross community while offering better viewing figures for MXGP programs.

Stark Future recognizes the importance of innovation in the future of motocross. Integrating electric bikes into MXGP would revitalize innovation within the sport and address challenges such as noise pollution, maintenance costs, and accessibility.

In conclusion, Stark Future urges MXGP/ Infront to reconsider the proposal for a separate Electric Support Class and explore avenues to seamlessly integrate Electric bikes into MXGP and MX2 grids. Stark Future is ready to embrace this challenge, and invites industry stakeholders to join in promoting innovation and ensuring that motocross continues to thrive for generations to come.

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