Second round of the French Elite Championship Moto win and podium for Quentin!

The second round of the French Elite Championship was a good opportunity for Quentin Prugnières and his team Bud Racing Kawasaki to celebrate his first win this season, after an incredible final lap. Winner of the second moto and second of the event, Quentin is ready for the opening round of the 250 European Championship.

Difficult race conditions at Castelnau de Levis, as the track was muddy and very slippery after heavy rain in the night. The start was of course more important than ever, and in the first heat both riders got a great start as they were in the top five after a few corners. Not really used to race in these conditions, Benjamin Garib unfortunately crashed during the first lap and dislocated his shoulder while Quentin battled for a podium result during the entire race. Third on the finish line, Quentin got the holeshot in the second race and dominated his rivals until the last lap, when the series leader tries to take the win; the last meters of racing were really intense as both collided in the last straight line, but Quentin kept a little advantage and finally won it! Second of the event, he is now runner up in the standings.

In the MX1 class Anthony Bourdon posted the fastest lap time in the practice session, but his starts were not as good as his young teammates and in both races he came back in eight position. He is currently seventh in the standings before the third round scheduled in two weeks’ time at Romagne in Britany.

Quentin Prugnières: “In the second moto I had to fight until the end to get this race win, as I lost time behind lappers in the second part of the race. I fight until the very late corner and straight line to win my second moto in the French Elite. In the first race I had an early crash, but there’s a lot of positive points to remember for this weekend and now focus on Riola Sardo and the first round of the EMX250.”

Anthony Bourdon: « The timed practice session was OK with the pole position, I enjoyed the track conditions in the morning. Then the races were not that good, as I start twice mid pack but we’ll continue to work to ba able to fight for top five results in the next rounds”

Opening round of the French Elite Championship, race podium for Quentin and a Top 6 for Benjamin

Team Bud Racing Kawasaki officially launched its 2023 season this weekend, with the first round of the French Elite Championship which kicks off at Lacapelle Marival on a renovated track.

On Sunday morning the practice sessions were a great opportunity for the riders to discover the new layout; Quentin Prugnières and Benjamin Garib scored a fifth and a sixth position in their qualifying group, while Anthony Bourdon ends the single MX1 session in ninth. In the first MX2 race Quentin had a decent start, while Benjamin had to recover from a seventeenth position after one lap; he came back ninth, while Quentin was forced to retire when he was fifth with five laps to go. The second heat was much better for both riders as Quentin scores a third position and Benjamin a sixth which put him sixth in the standings, three positions ahead of Quentin before the next round in two weeks’ time at Castelnau de Levis.

For his first race of the season on the 450 Kawasaki, Anthony Bourdon delivers two consistent motos; twice eighth, he is currently ninth in the standings.

Quentin Prugnières: “My first start was average, then I lost time to pass one rider and just after I did it I was forced to retire. My second start was better as I was fourth, it took me a few laps to take a good rhythm and move in third position. I couldn’t j-keep the same rhythm in the last laps, my speed is good but I know that there’s still some work to do before the first round of the European championship in three week’s time in Sardinia.”

Benjamin Garib: “It was exciting to do my first French race, I didn’t get a really good first moto as I crashed but the second one was much better with a good start and a sixth place. I felt more comfortable, the track was super rough but I like it and had fun. I will have a lot of new tracks to discover but I love that, and I will do my best. »

Anthony Bourdon: “First race this season for me and it was a good one, I still need to work on some points but there’s a lot of positive with good starts and two top ten in the races. We have a long season in front of us, and I will do my best to be even better in the next races and come closer to the front positions.”

KAWASAKI BUD RACING POWERED BY BS BATTERY FOR 2023 MXGP & SX SEASON

‘Off-road has always been at the heart of our products development. The unpredictable grounds allow us to test the durability of our products in extreme conditions. Receiving technical feedbacks from KAWASAKI BUD RACING’s Engineers and riders after MXGP races are precious for our R&D Department always concerned by weight and vibrations optimization.’ says Romain MENDUNI, R&D Manager at BS BATTERY!

BS BATTERY lithium range is 70% lighter than the conventional batteries, a good asset for all the demanding riders who look after performance! The Smart Chargers have also been designed to answer all needs, from the smallest battery to the largest capacity: lithium or acid, from 2Ah to 80Ah, 6 or 12V, 100% automatic… BS BATTERY team is always focus on making rider’s life easier.

“Since 2022, we are approved by KAWASAKI Factory as Original Equipment Supplier, continuing our partnership with KAWASAKI BUD RACING make more and more sense every year.” add Benjamin SEBBAN, General Manager from BS BATTERY.

Off-road races are very demanding: the track become trickier every minute and the bikes can be quickly damaged.

“The physical conditions of our riders and their riding skills are essential to maintain a good performance along the way. That’s why we are always trying to improve the riding comfort of our pilots and facilitate their movements. Collaborating with BS BATTERY has been key for us. We reduced a lot the weight of our bikes thanks to their Lithium BSLi-02 Battery, rider’s agility is much more optimized.” says Pere IBANEZ, Technical Manager from KAWASAKI BUD RACING.

Created in 2007, KAWASAKI BUD RACING has always been invested successfully in several championships every year. With the support of BS BATTERY, no less than three championships are on 2023 program, which will be officially launched on March 5th with the opening round of the French Elite championship.

Three riders will defend BUD RACING colors in the French championship: Quentin Prugnières (17 years old), Benjamin Garib (18 years old) will line up in the MX2 class while Anthony Bourdon (24 years old) will compete in MX1. Next 15 and 16th April, KAWASAKI BUD RACING will enter at the opening of European Motocross Championship – class 250cc commonly referred to EMX250 and will take place at Pietramurata circuit, in Italy!

About the World Supercross Championship, KAWASAKI BUD RACING will also race in both classes – SX450 & SX250, including 2 riders per class. KAWASAKI BUD RACING team’s final composition will officially release in a few weeks. The FIM World Supercross Championship will host the British Grand Prix at in Birmingham, Great Britain on Saturday July 1st.

THREE CHAMPIONSHIPS FOR BUD RACING KAWASAKI IN 2023

Created in 2007, Team Bud Racing Kawasaki has always been invested successfully in several championships every year. With the support of its partners, no less than three championships are on our 2023 program, which will be officially launched on March 5th with the opening round of the French Elite championship.

After winning its twentieth title last year, Team Bud Racing Kawasaki is back racing with riders involved in no less than three championships: the French Elite, the 250 European Motocross and the World Supercross without forgetting some prestigious events such as the Paris Supercross or beach races. A strong program for the team supported since its beginning by Kawasaki, and which revealed in the past young talents such as Marvin Musquin, Dylan Ferrandis or Brian Moreau to name a few. Three riders will defend our colors in the French championship: Quentin Prugnières (17 years old) who is doing his fifth season with us and Benjamin Garib (18 years old) will line up in the MX2 class while Anthony Bourdon (24 years old) will compete in MX1. In the European 250 Championship we will line up Quentin and Benjamin, a young Chilean rider who start racing in the United States where he was spotted by Stéphane Dassé. All three riders have joined Thierry Van Den Bosch, our coach since several years, to go back training and working their fitness since last month.

Stéphane Dassé: “Competition has always been in our heart, and even if times are a bit tough we are still motivated to compete in all these championships. We will race the European 250 again this year, although the increase number of races and travel complicates the deal, now we’ve eleven rounds in the EMX and it’s getting complicated for the teams to combine with national championships ! Quentin is contesting his last season in this championship and after some good performances last year he is expected to fight for victory. He must do one more step to win, be a little faster in qualifying to have good positions behind the grid and make good starts. This championship is always very strong, I know that physically he is ready, it’s up to him to play! As for Benjamin, he will discover a new world, new tracks, he has good potential and we hope to see him closer to the top 5 through the season. Regarding the World Supercross, it’s a very big potential and interesting championship, we already signed Cédric Soubeyras who is the best in Europe actually and we are finalizing our contacts with his three teammates, which will be revealed soon.”

Team Bud Racing heading to “Le Touquet”

An unmissable event in France, the Enduropale du Touquet not only puts an end to the French championship in Les Sables this Saturday February 4 and Sunday February 5, 2023 but also serves as an opening for the 1st Cup of the FIM Sand Racing World Championship. This means that the event is particularly awaited. The Bud Racing team is taking up the challenge with clearly announced ambitions. Quentin Prugnières and Anthony Bourdon are ready to monopolize the outposts.

On the strength of his victory in the Juniors only a few weeks ago on Hossegor beach, but above all the title holder in this category reserved for pilots under 18, Quentin Prugnières arrives like the great favorite of the race. The young Reunionese is preparing to compete in a new season in the 250cc MX European Championship and intends to take advantage of his excellent physical condition at the moment to shine again this year in the sands of Touquet. On the handlebars of his 250 KX Bud Racing, his intentions are clear. “This Touquet is once again a good preparation race for me for the coming season. Like last year, the goal is to put on the gas and win.”
First official release

Freshly arrived in the Bud Racing team, Anthony Bourdon will be just as keen to wear his new colors high. The native of Agen likes to ride in the sand, a texture that suits him well. With an 8th place obtained last year at Le Touquet in the queen category, Anthony is fully capable of once again placing his 450 KX Bud Racing at the top of the table and who knows, creating a surprise. “I can’t wait to put my wheels on the beaches of Le Touquet for my first outing with the Kawasaki Bud racing. The whole team did a great job on the bike. I only had January to prepare but I feel really comfortable on the Kawa and I think we can do something good while having fun”.

Other Kawasaki France riders supported by the Bud Racing team, Pierrick Paget is back on the legendary event, he who scored 4 consecutive podiums between 2006 and 2009. He will be accompanied by Lucien Cupif alias “La Boiserie” encouraged by more than 1 million subscribers on its social networks. Wearing bibs 101 and 500 respectively, the two acolytes intend to surpass themselves and give the best of themselves. We can trust them. See you Saturday from 2 p.m. for the Motorcycle race, broadcast live on the TV channels France 3, AutoMoto la Chaine and L’Équipe. The Juniors race takes place on Sunday from 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.