Mathis Valin winner on the beach at the Touquet

As every year the Touquet Enduropale was succesful with more than 2700 riders, and team Bud Racing Kawasaki was involved in the race with Mathis Valin who raced the junior class. As did in the past Dylan Ferrandis and Quentin Prugnières, Mathis won the event for his first race in the 250 class.

Main event in the calendar of the French Sand series, the Enduropale was the first race of Mathis on a 250 and the result confirmed that he feels comfortable on the 250 Kawasaki. Despite a bad position behind the starting gate due to his #188, Mathis was sixth after the opening lap and gained a few positions during the first laps. He closed the gap with the leaders lap after lap, and came second after the ninth of twenty-one laps; three laps later he took the lead and made a gap to cross the finish line with a thirty-eight seconds advantage.

Mathis Valin: “I was far on the grid with my number 188, completely outside and I wanted to start quickly to follow the leaders, but in the first part of the race I had some trouble to pass some amateur riders. It took me a few laps to find my marks on the track, I was not very comfortable in the waves. When I was told that I reduced the gap with the leaders after a few laps I felt more relax; I came back second, we made a quick refueling – congrats to the mechanics – and once leading I made a little gap on Knuiman. I stayed calm despite a little crash during the race, and I had fun here. It’s great to start the season on a victory!

Stéphane Dasse: “We are happy with this victory, and super happy for Mathis. This winter we discovered a simple boy, easy to get along with, hard worker, everyone appreciates his attitude and the relationship within the team, whether it is the mechanics or his teammate Benjamin Garib, is very good. We took him training in the United States, in Spain, in Sardinia, we try to provide everything so that our riders can train in good conditions because they both deserve it. Le Touquet is an important race for us and for Kawasaki, so we are delighted with this great start of the season.

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.

Quentin Prugnières win at Hossegor

Team Bud Racing Kawasaki was racing at home this weekend, as the beach of Hossegor is just a few kilometres from the team head quarter. As every year the beach met hundreds of riders involved in a round of the French Beach race series, and Quentin Prugnieres didn’t miss the opportunity to win the Junior race and to put the team colours on top of the box.

Back a few days earlier from Florida, where he got several podium results at the Mini O’s in Gatorback, Quentin joined the team in Hossegor to race the ‘Ronde des Sables’. Another experience for him after racing many Motocross and a few Supercross events this season, and this year again he dominated the Junior race. Starting from the second row behind the gate, as he’s not a regular contender in the series, Quentin didn’t take unnecessary risks at the start of the ninety minutes’ race. After three laps he took the lead of the race, and did a perfect demonstration even if he lost some time with a little problem of vent hose dislocated. Playing with his bike, doing some wheelies in the sand, he crosses the finish line nearly two minutes ahead of his main rival for his last race this season. No more starts for him this year, but he will now continue to train with the Team to prepare next season.

Quentin Prugnières: “Everything went perfect, I took my time to get the lead after starting from the second row and then I managed the race. I lost a few seconds due to a fuel hose, but apart this I had a lot of fun on this beautiful beach. It’s nice to race so different events, MX, SX and here a beach race on such a nice place. I enjoy my youth!

Quentin Prugnières second at the “Coupe des As”

First 450cc race and first podium for Quentin Prugnières at the “Coupe des AS”

Last Sunday was held the famous festival of the off-road French bike in this September. Total success for the traditional Kenny Festival which relaunched the “Coupe des As” bringing together the best French riders of each category and displaying a quality line-up.

Faithful among the most faithful, the 9MM Bud Racing Kawasaki team was of course part of it and did not want to miss this event in the small town of Reygade ( close to Brive ) more than 2500 bikes, quad and SSV riders of which the recent 5th of the 250cc European championship Quentin 319 Prugnières who ignited the public with his maximum attack !

At the end of Saturday’s practice, the rider from Reunion island “scored ” a cautious 7th position on his KAWASAKI 450 KX ( first race with the big guys )… Sunday 11.15 PM, start of the first race under a radiant sun, a large audience and impatient to see the French elite on the track… He was not disappointed, Quentin will make the show in spite of himself going up from the back of the race and come to fail in the wheel of the first to a meritorious second place regaling the public of his incisive riding. 16H PM, second moto but this time Quentin signs a magnificent holeshot and takes with authority the lead of the race which he will keep for a few laps then will give up under the assaults of the GP pilot Stephen RUBINI. A second position that he will keep until the chequered flag managing with control his advance on the 3rd.

Mission accomplished for the young rider of the 9MM Bud Racing Kawasaki Team ( remember that he is only 17 years old ). A performance unanimously appreciated and greeted with enthusiasm by the sponsors and guests present and who honoured us with their visit: BS BATTERY / HEROCK / SOBEM SCAME / DISTRI CASH.

The final word for Quentin : “A positive weekend for an important race but with nothing at stake. I had to have fun without taking unnecessary risks. This was the case. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the organisation who did a great job on and off the track. A big thank also to my mechanics who once again did the job perfectly. Next event for me is the European Motocross of Nations next month. I’ll be back to training in the next few days on my usual 250 KX !”

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Win at Le Touquet Beach Race, the biggest Sand race in the world !

Already involved in two previous rounds of the French beach races at Magescq and Hossegor, and twice winner, Quentin Prugnières adds another success this weekend as he won the Junior class at the biggest sand Race of the season, the Enduropale du Touquet. With three wins under his belt, Quentin is now focus on the 250 European Championship.

Magescq and Hossegor had no secrets for Quentin Prugnières, as both locations are close to the workshop of team 9MM Energy BUD Racing Kawasaki. But he had a lot to discover at Le Touquet, which is a unique race since now 46 years with about 2500 riders involved and 300.000 spectators !

After Magescq and Hossegor, Quentin add his name to a prestigious list of winners, such as Dylan Ferrandis or Maxime Renaux who were respectively crowned US champion and MX2 World Champion last year.

Three races and three wins, a perfect score for Quentin who is now focus on the European Championship. “It was cool to race these events, and it was great to reach our goal as I won them! The Enduropale was another good one; I was third at the start, but came at the lead before the end of the first lap. Apart two crashes everything went well; in fact I couldn’t read my pit board so I was confused and crash. I was upset to loose time, try to push harder and crash again,” explain Quentin who finally reach his goal in this mass event. “There was much more riders than at the other races, and some of them were not really careful; in the last part of the race I couldn’t avoid one of them who change his line at the last moment. Anyway it was a good preparation for the European championship, where I will try to apply what we did in training.

The 250 European Championship will start next weekend in Mantova (Italy), first one of ten rounds.

Photos credit : CFS (X.Leporcher) / Scott (MX July) / Gold’M Productions