Team Venum Bud Racing Kawasaki’s Francisco Garcia clinched his fourth consecutive podium in the penultimate round of the European EMX250 Motocross Championship at Arnhem in The Netherlands to confirm his medal placing in the series.

Narrowly edged out of pole by less than a fifth of a second in Timed Practice Francisco did most of the race in second position behind the series leader, but after twenty minutes he remounted his attack as fitness played a role during the closing stages of the half-hour race. Lapping three seconds a lap faster than anybody else he dived decisively inside for the lead two-and-a-half laps from the finish and swept relentlessly clear to win easing up by three seconds. It was his fifth victory from the last seven motos! Competitors faced heavy wet sand for their second race of the weekend and Francisco was content to stay out of the roost in third through the early laps before switching into attack mode on lap seven to sweep into second. But on lap eleven he lost twelve seconds a single slip as the front wheel washed out leaving a turn. The incident demoted Garcia to fourth in the moto but second overall was still secure. The Bud Kawasaki teamstar is now confirmed to end the season as a medalist.

Francisco Garcia: “I had a good start in the first race and was pushing for the lead early; I made a small mistake and crashed after a few laps but I stayed calm and came back strong for the win. The track is really technical but I like that and I could play with the track; I know I have the fitness and I had the speed to push at the end. It was like a different track for the second moto; I prefer a bumpy track but it was much flatter after they had graded and watered overnight. I fell one time when I made a mistake and lost the front; I managed to come back a little but my rhythm was not as good as yesterday and I had to settle for second overall.”

Bud teammate Jake Cannon had only sixteenth choice of gate after missing a time at the first attempt but rode a smart first turn in the moto to emerge tenth. After a long successful battle for ninth the super-fit Australian teenager went into attack mode during the second half of the moto, making two passes in a single lap for seventh on lap ten before closing the gap to pass for sixth two laps later. He kept pushing to almost snatch fifth at the chequered flag. Eleventh through the early laps of race two, he made a pass to advance to tenth and stayed tenth until three corners from the finish when he was forced out of the race by a damaged radiator. He remains ninth in the series standings but is just three points from eighth and has every possibility to advance higher at the final round of the series in two weeks’ time.

Jake Cannon: “I didn’t get a good jump out of the gate but I went inside at turn one to come out top-ten and just kept chugging along, ticking off the laps during the first half of the race. The track was really choppy and my legs are feeling it now but I was fast and strong at the end; I caught and passed several guys but I need more intensity at the beginning.”

Stéphane Dassé (Bud Kawasaki team owner): « It was again a good weekend for us with yet another podium for Francisco. Yesterday he dominated the first race and for sure it would have been perfect if he had won this round but anyway we are very happy with him; he is consistent and never gives up! It’s his fourth podium in a row; sometimes he wants too much and we need to calm him down, but we are really happy with both riders.”

Team Venum Bud Racing Kawasaki’s Francisco Garcia claim his sixth podium of the European EMX250 Motocross Championship campaign at Uddevalla in Sweden and consolidate third in the series standings.

The Spanish youngster had shown his ability to learn quickly when he posted second-fastest time in his group on his first visit to the Scandinavian track. In the first moto of the weekend he wasted no time in hitting the front as he exploded into action with a decisive inside pass for the lead at turn three. It was his fourth victory in the last five motos of the series ! His start on Sunday was not that good and he was seventeenth at the first timing split. He quickly moved into the top-ten halfway round the first full lap, then advance to fourth and pushed to the end with a decisive pass for third on the final lap securing second overall over the weekend with the same points-haul as the winner. With just two rounds of the series remaining, he is now assured of at least the bronze medal.

Francisco Garcia: “I am so happy with my form at the moment; I have won four of the last five motos and I am now looking to continue like this to the end of the season with more moto podiums. My speed was again good and I am strong in the sand so I am confident heading to Arnhem next weekend.”

Bud teammate Jake Cannon also posted top-three in his Qualifying group. The Australian emerged just outside the top-ten from turn one in the first moto but faced a tough race after slipping off on lap two; he advanced to tenth after twenty minutes and eventually took the chequered flag ninth. On Sunday he got the good start he needed as he powered out on turn one fifth but he surrendered three places halfway round the first lap as he was thrown off the side of the track after a big jump and needed time to settle back into his rhythm. Decisive moves during the second half of the race saw the him regain fifth in moto on the final lap to also claim fifth overall on the weekend. He is now tied for eighth in the series standings.

Jake Cannon: “I felt good on the bike and was enjoying the track but the first moto just didn’t go my way. I rode strong to get back to ninth after crashing on the second lap but I need to get better starts and minimize the errors. I’m frustrated with my first lap in the second moto as I jumped off the side of the track after a good start. After ten minutes I started riding like myself again and came back to fifth for fifth overall; I just have to put it all together for a full moto, I know I have the speed to be at the front.”

Team Venum Bud Racing Kawasaki’s Francisco Garcia dug deep to secure his fifth podium of the year in the European EMX250 Motocross Championship with a win in race one and a stunning ride through the field in race two at the Litti-KymiRing in Finland.

After posting the fourth-fastest time in Qualifying Francisco was unbeatable in the first race on Saturday. He moved into the top-three within the first half-lap, advanced into second on lap two and swept into the lead next time round to immediately open up a five-second lead by the end of lap three and later took the chequered flag nearly seventeen seconds ahead of his rivals. On Sunday he had a dramatic opening lap in the second moto as he crashed soon after the start and was then delayed again further round the lap as he stopped in a deep rut. Undeterred by the setbacks he rebounded with ferocious spirit to haul back into a points-scoring position by lap four and, lapping even faster than the leaders through the second half of the moto, he made an exhilarating pass for tenth on the penultimate lap to amazingly secure the overall podium. His efforts have further consolidated his third place in the series points-standings as he extended his advantage over fourth to sixty-eight points with three rounds remaining.

Jake Cannon held a solid eighth for several laps in the first race before exploding into action during the second half of the moto as he felt ever more at home on the loose-surfaced track to sweep into his final fourth three laps from the end of the race. On Sunday he took another good start to run eighth on the opening lap before going over the bars entering pit straight when soft sand grabbed his front wheel. A long delay saw him lose nearly a complete lap before he could rejoin the race but he rebounded magnificently to move into twentieth for the final point of the weekend four laps from the finish. The effort secured tenth overall over the weekend and he is now eleventh in the series standings, just six points from the top-ten.

Francisco Garcia: “That first race was a really solid moto; I found a good flow and was really happy with my feeling for the track. We practiced a lot in sand this week and it paid off.. The track was fast but with a lot of small bumps and I could soon make passes for the lead. Second race was not an easy one but the speed was there. I crashed on the first lap and stalled the engine, then I stopped again in a rut further round the lap, but I pushed hard after that to come from last to tenth. It was not my best result but I gave my maximum and earnt another podium.”

Jake Cannon: “I made a good start in the first moto but my first few laps have been terrible recently and I got shuffled back quickly to eighth before I settled. The track was very choppy and there’s no break anywhere, and it was surprisingly hot too. But I never gave up and finished strong for a solid fourth. Sunday was another story with that crash who cost me so much time, it was another experience.”

Team Venum Bud Racing Kawasaki’s Francisco Garcia and Jake Cannon shared the podium in the British round of the European EMX250 Motocross Championship at Matterley Basin. Francisco got a double win, while Jake enjoyed a third overall.

In the first race on Saturday Francisco, second-fastest in Timed Practice, held a tight line at turn one to emerge third and was soon on the move, cutting decisively under his rival for second in the final turn of lap two. He closed the four second gap to the leader to launch past with a massive leap over the uphill triple which saw him carry the speed around the outside of the following turn. He then put his head down to establish a solid six-second lead before rolling back the throttle slightly on the final lap to win comfortably by three seconds. Again taking a tight line through turn one on Sunday Francisco emerged fourth before quickly easing past his teammate for third and then launching into second before the completion of the opening lap. As the race approached half-distance the Spaniard upped his tempo and, with a succession of fast laps, hauled back the leader before diving inside at the end of the home straight three laps from the finish for his second win of the weekend. It was his second overall victory of the season, and his first with a perfect 1-1 scoreline; he remains third in the series points-standings but made massive gains on each rider ahead of him and is now forty-four points clear of fourth.

Francisco Garcia: “What a perfect weekend. I already felt at home with the track in practice yesterday and then a win in the first moto. The track was a little different today with more ruts but I was always in control. I rode a little too calmly at the beginning of the races but I can always push hard at the end; I did that again today to take the win. I have a really good feeling with my bike at the moment and we have such a good atmosphere in the team. It’s great to take the overall with a double win; I don’t have a realistic shot at the title after dropping some points earlier in the season, so I came here looking for race wins … and I took my first two-moto sweep in EMX this weekend.”

Jake had used his sixth choice of gate to good effect as he followed his teammate out of turn one in fourth for his best start since the opening round of the series. Settling quickly into a podium race-pace in company with the series points-leader he ran down the riders ahead to make two identical passes on consecutive laps at half-distance to establish a Bud Kawasaki 1-2. Growing in confidence by the lap he defied the red plate holder until the penultimate lap and continued to race his more experienced rival to the chequered flag for a deserved third-place finish. On Sunday he made an even better start than on Saturday to hold down third the first time past the pits; he surrendered two positions quickly as the race settled. At half distance he made a decisive pass for fourth and immediately sprinted clear on a clear track to bring home the fourth place in moto which secured him third overall over the weekend. It was the Australian teenager’s career-first EMX podium since arriving in Europe at the start of the season, and his thirty-eight point haul sees him leap to thirteenth in the series standings, just twenty-four points shy of seventh.

Jake Cannon: “I’m over the moon; finally on the podium ! I had a consistent weekend and have finally been able to show everyone what I am capable of. It started well with P4 in Free Practice, then sixth in Timed Practice to give me a good gate-pick for the races. That is what has been missing; it’s been my anchor. I got twice a good start, I had a really nice battle with Reisulis on Saturday, then on Sunday I was riding tight on the first lap and made a few small mistakes to lose a couple of positions. The track was really wet and slippery so you had you hit your marks. Now I hope I can keep it going to finish the year strong. It’s been a special moment as my family are here this weekend all the way from Australia.”

Stéphane Dassé (Venum Bud Racing Kawasaki team owner): “What a weekend for the team, with a double win for Francisco and the first podium for Jake in the European championship. They truly gave me a nice birthday present this weekend ! Francisco already had some podiums this season, and we saw that Jake’s results in the French championship were improving recently so we are happy to see him where he deserves to be. Both riders are young and we are very happy with them; they work well together, they train hard with Thierry Van Den Bosch, and they bring a great and positive atmosphere in the team so we can say that we made a good choice when we signed them.”