A sixth for Amandine Verstappen in Turkey

Amandine Verstappen got a sixth position during the second race of the Women World Championship in four days at Afyonkarahisar in Turkey. She is currently sixth in the standings, with two more races to go.

Amandine Verstappen once again impressed on the 9MM Energy Drink BUD Racing Kawasaki. Seventh in Qualification, she quickly secured sixth place in the opening moto, took over fifth after eleven minutes and, with solid lap times throughout the moto, was closing rapidly on the girl ahead through the final laps to finish just two seconds shy of fourth. In a repeat of her first start on Saturday the Belgian overshot the first turn in race two and was down in eleventh place at the end of lap one but she continued to push to reach eighth by half-distance, taking over seventh four laps from the end to secure sixth overall on the day and advance to the same ranking in the series points chase.

Now Amandine will race three back to back rounds of the French Championship, and will defend her leadership as she remains unbeaten.

Amandine Verstappen: “I’m pretty happy with my lap times and races but the results were not as good as on Saturday due to my starts. The lap times were really close during the timed practice period and I was in the same second as the fourth-best time with seventh. My first start was average but I came back to fifth, really close to van de Ven and Papenmeier. What can we say about my second start? The start is so important now that when you finish the opening lap in eleventh position you can’t fight for a podium. I found some good lines; most of the girls took the inside lines in the corners and I had to go outside to make some passes and come back to seventh. Now we have to return home quickly as next weekend we have the French Championship at St Jean d’Angely.”

Best season result for Amandine

Amandine Verstappen got her best result of the season this weekend at Afyonkarahisar, where the Women World Championship was back in action for a double GP. Fourth overall, she will have on Tuesday another opportunity to get a top result.

Fifth in Qualification, Amandine Verstappen stormed out of the start gate in race one on the 9MM Energy Drink BUD Racing Kawasaki but overshot the first turn to emerge fourth. She quickly regrouped to take over third on the second lap and, despite persistent pressure, defended that position defiantly throughout the remainder of the race for her best result of the season to date. The Belgian again showed commitment in race two as she quickly converted an eighth-placed start into fifth by the end of the opening lap and next time round was fourth, a position she held until two laps from the close when she was pushed back to fifth. She narrowly missed the podium as fourth overall and remains seventh in the series points standings.

Amandine Verstappen: “It was a good day for me. The track was really well-prepared and I already had a good feeling in the practice session; I was happy to have a good gate-pick with fifth-fastest time. I never take a gate next to my main rivals but I was a little bit too far from the inside and in the first corner the inside line was harder and faster than the outside. In the first race I had good start and battled all race-long to finish third which was my best of the season. In the second moto I was fourth for a long time, then I made a small mistake and lost one position but fourth overall is my best result so far. I have been training differently for the last month and today we saw the result; today was good mentally to give me confidence for the remainder of the series! ”

The WMX competitors now have three days to regroup before the second race of the Turkish double-header at the same facility on Tuesday.

Another win & double podium for the Coenen brothers

Lucas and Sacha Coenen once again hoisted the colours of the 9MM Energy Drink BUD Racing Kawasaki team on the highest steps of the podium at the French Junior Championship in Romagne, where Lucas won ahead of Sacha. More complicated day in the sands of Lommel for Amandine, Quentin and Hakon.

Change of leader in the French Juniors, and after this fourth round of the series in Brittany it is now Lucas who hold the red plate as leader of the Championship! In Romagne the twin brothers had no real opponents, each one posting the best time in their qualifying group before fighting for victory in both races. Sacha got the holeshot in both motos and was the first leader of the races, but twice he will be trapped when he comes back on the lappers, which will allow Lucas to take the lead in each race to get a double win. Lucas (1/1) climbs on the top step of the podium ahead of Sacha (2/2) and is now five points ahead of his brother before the Magescq round on August 28 and 29.

The sands of Lommel hosted the Women’s World Championship and the European 250. Tenth in qualifying practice, Amandine Verstappen will never manage to ride as she knows how to do on this surface; for a long time sixth in the first round before losing two places by arriving on the lappers – definitely! – she will be classified ninth in the second round and is seventh in the championship, fourteen points from the podium before the next double GP which will be organised at the beginning of September in Turkey. For Hakon Fredriksen, who got a podium here last year, the 2021 vintage will not be remembered; fifth fastest time in his group, our Norwegian had a big crash soon after the start of the first race; he will courageously try to restart in the second heat, but will give up after a few laps. Despite bad starts including a crash at the second one, Quentin Prugnières will never give up to do two good races coming back from the twenty-first to eleventh in the first moto, and then from thirty-eighth to eighteenth in the second one. Thirteenth of the day, he continues to learn for his first year in the 250 class at only 16 years old, he will race again this weekend as the European Championship 250 continues in Latvia.

Lucas: “I had a bit of trouble getting into practice, but then it went well and in qualifying I had a good result with the pole of my group. In the first moto I start in second and stay there until my brother has a problem with a lapper; I passed him on the outside and I won. My second start was not great, but I was quickly second behind Sacha, whom I overtook when he again had a problem with a lapper, happy with the day. ”

Sacha: “The track was really well prepared and in the qualifying session I was able to set good times with pole position. In the first moto I grabbed the holeshot and lead the race during fifteen minutes until a lapper blocks me, Lucas overtakes me at that time and I could not catch him. Second moto and another holeshot, and once again a lapper makes me fall! Lucas wins, I finished second twice and it’s still a good weekend. ”

Amandine: “I raced almost all of the first moto in sixth position, but a couple of laps before the end the marshal didn’t put out the blue flag and I lost two positions. The second moto was more difficult as I had used a lot of energy in the first one; physically it was tough today. Now we have several weeks before the next GP in Turkey; we went there two years ago and the track suits me.”

The Coenen brothers leads the French Junior

Team 9MM Energy Drink BUD Racing Kawasaki was on different tracks this weekend, with the third round of the French Elite at Castelnau de Levis and the first round of the Women World Championship in Czech Republic. Once again our colours shine on a podium with Lucas and Sacha Coenen.

Women first, with Amandine Verstappen who already won all the rounds of the French championship this year – in fact she never lost a moto in France since 2019 – before traveling with her father to Loket. Back on this typical track she posted good laps in qualifying and improved her results in the races with a fourth and a sixth; fifth overall, only three points from the podium, she will race her home GP next week at Lommel.

At Castelnau de Levis Lucas and Sacha Coenen had good timed practice periods, with a pole for Sacha in group A and a second position for Lucas in group B. Lucas grabbed the holeshot and lead the first moto until a lapper crash in front of him! Nowhere to go, and Sacha was the new leader while his brother recovers in third position on the finish line; after the race the first three riders got penalised, and lost five positions. That didn’t affect too much our riders, who dominate the second moto; Lucas won the race seven seconds ahead of his brother, and twenty-five ahead the third rider of this moto. Classified second (Lucas) and third (Sacha) overall, they are leading the series with just one point between Sacha (he keeps the red plate) and Lucas before the next round this weekend at Romagne.

In the MX2 class it was a ‘discovery day’ for Hakon Fredriksen, who race for the first time on the hard pack of Castelnau de Levis. Eighth in his qualifying group our Norwegian had a strong opening moto as he came back from tenth to fifth, just losing a few positions during the last laps to cross the finish line in eighth. His second race will be stronger, coming back from seventeenth to sixth for sixth overall. It was a tougher day for Quentin Prugnières who hit his knee in a practice crash, in both races he was able to find his way for a top ten after the start, but after one lap he was dead last in the first race as he stalled his engine in a corner; back in thirteenth place, he retires early in race two due to technical problem.
Next weekend our 125 riders will be at Romagne for the fourth round of the French Junior, while Amandine and our 250 riders will be at the Belgium MXGP at Lommel.

Amandine Verstappen: “I couldn’t find a clear lap during Qualifying so I was only eighth behind the gate but I’m always better in a race than in a timed practice session. My first start was good and I was fighting for the third position for most of the race, but the track had changed since the practice session and at one point my feeling with the suspensions wasn’t so good. We worked on the settings for the second race but my start was not as good as the first one and for two or three laps I wasn’t riding as I usually can but I finished sixth for fifth overall. The positions are tight in the standings, and I feel that we are now six to eight girls who are capable of scoring podium results. This week I’ll go riding with the team on sandy tracks; I know Lommel and I’m confident for this round. »

Sacha Coenen: “The free practice wasn’t so good, but I did a good lap in the timed practice session. I was second at the start of the first race, but I did a few mistakes and was third after the opening lap; then I came back second, and when my brother crash I got the lead and won the race. The track was better for me in race two; I was 5th or 6th in the first corner, and came second during the first lap; I couldn’t close the gap with Lucas, but got another podium result.”

Lucas Coenen: “Practice sessions were not so good for me, but I manage to finish second in the timed practice session. I got the holeshot in the first race and was leading the moto until a lapper crashed in front of me, I crash also and finish the race third. I got another good start in the second race, was second in the first corner and came first after a few seconds; it was a good race, I didn’t do any mistake and it was good to win this race, a good weekend for me.”

The Coenen brothers dominate the French Junior at Elite championship

The French Elite Championship was back in action this weekend at Rauville la Place, where Sacha and Lucas Coenen were racing the 125cc junior class, once more the fastest riders as they finish first and second for team 9MM Energy Drink BUD Racing Kawasaki.

Coming to Normandy leading the series after their performance at Ernée, Lucas and Sacha Coenen dominate once more their rivals; they won all the motos so far, and share the wins again!
Fastest rider in his qualifying group, Sacha didn’t got the holeshot in the first moto but after a few corners he was leading and no one was able to put some pressure on him. He was the fastest on track and won the race twenty-two seconds ahead of his closest rival! Again leader of the second moto, Sacha made a mistake just before a jump and offers the leadership to Lucas, who had a tough opening moto as he had to come back from a bad start in third position. With this second win this season Lucas finish second overall, losing the red plate for two points; Sacha will have the red plate next weekend at Castelnau de Levis for round #3 of the series.

Haakon Fredriksen and Quentin Prugnières didn’t had such a good weekend as their young teammates, in the Dutch sands at Oss for the second round of the EMX250 championship. Qualified in third (Haakon) and seventh (Quentin) position of their group, both riders were unfortunate at the start of the first race as they were involved in a collective crash. Losing so much time to restart they came back twelfth (Haakon) and twenty-one (Quentin), expecting a better result in race two. It was a short one for Quentin who was forced to retire after one lap; outside the top ten at the start Haakon came back strongly in fith position and was chasing some rivals when he crashed pretty hard in the waves section. No injury, but enough pain to retire as the bike hit him on the ground.

Sacha: “I had a good weekend in Rauville, since the first practice session I had a good feeling with the bike and the track, which was well prepared. I was the fastest rider in my qualifying group, then at the first start I wheelie and was only third in the first corner, but then took the lead in the third one. I had fun during the entire race, with a good rhythm. In the second heat I had a better start in second position, came first in the second corner and made a little gap with my brother; then I did a few mistakes and crashed, and managed to do my best among the lappers. One win and one second position, it was a good weekend.”

Lucas: “As I couldn’t train as usual due to my wrist injury contracted in UK, I rode tight in the practice sessions and couldn’t find a clear lap to do better than fifth of my group in the timed practice period. My first start was average, mid pack, and I struggle with pain in my arms so I could come back only third behind Cazal. My second start was much better as I was second after a few corners; I had a good feeling, stay a few seconds behind Sacha, and when he crashes I got the lead and won the race. It was a good day for us and for the team.”