Bud Racing Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Darian Sanayei finished runner-up in the European EMX250 Motocross Championship after a double victory in the final round at Frauenfeld in Switzerland, while Kim Savaste jumped to sixth in the series with a second overall in this last round of the 125 European Championship. At the same time in France Xavier Boog won the SX at St Thibery, penultimate round of the French SX outdoor series.

The American rider showed an immediate liking for the new track on the outskirts of the town in northern Switzerland as he posted fastest time in qualification and he confirmed this form on both races, leading the first moto from start to finish to win by twenty three seconds and taking the lead on lap two of the second race to again win by more than twenty seconds. It was a fitting farewell to Darian’s career in the European Championship; he will now contest the final two MX2 GPs of the season in the USA in September and become a full-time MX2 GP rider in 2017.

The last round of the 125 European Championship was also a good one for Kim Savaste who qualified in fourteenth place on a muddy track on Saturday morning. The track conditions were much better later, but Kim didn’t got a good start in the first heat; ninth after the opening lap, he didn’t do any mistake to get a strong fourth position. He did even better on Sunday, scoring a second place behind the 2016 champ. Second overall, he shows how fast he is also on hard tracks and will now move on the 250 Kawasaki to prepare next season.

Teammate Brian Moreau was fast on this track, and posted the fourth fastest time in the qualifying period; his first start was not the best but he came back from twelve to seven in two laps during the first heat. He was pushing really hard, maybe be too much and he crashed in the third and fourth laps to finish outside the top twenty. Despite another early crash in the second heat, he scored a tenth position and finished ninth in the series.

The penultimate round of the French SX Tour, in St Thibery, was a good one for Xavier Boog who got his second win in the series after Estillac. Winner of his heat race Xavier got the lead in the main event during the first lap and pulled away, to get a strong win. He is now second in the standings before the last Outdoor race this weekend in La Tremblade, only five points behind series leader.

Darian Sanayei: “It was a pretty good weekend for me, even I was afraid to have a muddy race when it rained on Thursday and Friday night. The track was really muddy for the qualifying practice early on Saturday, but I was able to post the fastest lap time. I got the holeshot in the first moto and won the race by twenty three seconds; in the second one I missed the holeshot but moved to second straight away and then took the lead after two laps to gain another moto win. It’s a good way to end the season; my goal this season was to get a top three and I finished the series in second position. Now I will go back to America, and will prepare for the two US GP where I will race for Monster Energy Bud Racing Kawasaki.”

Xavier Boog: “It’s so good to win again! I was only third in the timed practice session, but as I never did a perfect lap I was confident, as I knew I could do better. I got the holeshot in my heat race and I made a gap, but Soubeyras was coming back strongly; I won the heat, but just a few meters ahead of him. Then in the main event my start was not so good, I was four or five in the first corner but I was ‘on fire’ and before the end of the first lap I took the lead and pushed to make a gap; then I controlled the race, nobody really bother me and it was a great feeling to win.”

Kim Savaste: “In the first race my start was not so good, I had a good jump of the gate but then I couldn’t’ shift for third of four. I had some good lines on the track and made a couple of passes to come back four. On Sunday my start was much better, and it’s good to end the season with another podium. Everyone knows that I’m used to race on sand tracks, this weekend I prove that I can ride good also on hard pack. I got some more confidence, my riding is much better; with the 125 here it was really difficult with deep ruts, now it’s time to move to the 250.”

It was another busy weekend for team Monster Energy Bud Racing Kawasaki, involved in Italy with the European series and in France with the opening round of the SX Tour. On both side of the Alps, the Bud riders offered some wins to the team.

Since the French round of the EMX250 championship Darian Sanayei is stronger and stronger, and once more in Mantova he got a good second position in the qualifying session and later dominates the first race. The American teenager enjoyed a terrific duel with his series rival before eventually coming out on top in Saturday evening’s opening moto, and he appeared to be headed for a double victory until he had an engine problem and crashed at the end of the second moto on Sunday morning, which was a devastating end to what should have been an awesome week-end. He remains a clear second in the series standings with two rounds still to race.

In the Euro 125 the team got his best result of the season with both riders in the top five of the event! Leader of the first race during most of the period on Saturday, Kim Savaste finally got his best ever result in the class with a second position. On Sunday he didn’t rode so relax, and crashed several times; eleventh of the race, he finished fifth of the event tight in the points with team mate Brian Moreau. On the rough track and under very hot temperatures (over 30°C all weekend long) Brian scored his best performance of the season with two consistent races; even if he is the youngest rider in the series, Brian didn’t do any mistakes to collect two fifth positions and a fourth overall. He is now ninth in the standings, followed by Kim.

The youngest team representatives were in Italy, and their experimented teammates were in South west of France for the opening round of the famous SX Tour championship. After a test during the week, Maxime Desprey was coming back racing alongside Xavier Boog. The Alsacian was the fastest riders in Estillac, and dominates the event; second in the timed practice session, Xavier won his heat race and the main event! Maxime didn’t got similar results as it was his first race since four months, but he got a good fifth in his heat race and a thirteenth position in the main event. The SX riders will be this weekend in Maricourt for a new SX series, while Brian will start training SX at Team private track during the EMX series break.

Darian Sanayei: “I did pretty well in practice, even if we didn’t made the best decision concerning the tyre choice but my speed was good and I got a second position. In the first moto I took the holeshot; I was riding good but I made some mistakes and Olsen just get around me about ten minutes in. I followed him, saw his lines, knew the track better and made a pass on him after twenty minutes to win the race, which was pretty cool. In the second race I got another holeshot and was riding good again; Vaessen was second, Olsen was pretty far back and I was getting better and better but unfortunately I had some troubles with the bike, fell and had to retire.”

Brian Moreau: “ It was great weekend for me, especially on a sandy track who is not my best usually! I got good starts and rode carefully in both races, as I never got two good results at a race this season. It’s a great feeling to be twice in the top five, I still need to work physically to be able to race for a podium result and that’s what we are doing with the team.”

Kim Savaste: “It was a good weekend for me as I got my first second place during the first race; I was leading until 3 laps to go but the weather was very hot and I felt tired during the last laps, but I was happy with my riding. Second race I think I had some little pressure for the podium, I got another good start but felt twice during the race when I try to make some passes. This weekend I was happy with my riding, for sure I’m Finn so when it’s sandy it’s easier for me.”

Xavier Boog: “Practice was good as I got the second position but very close from the poleman, with a couple of fast laps. I won pretty easily my heat race and again in the main event I started in third; in the second lap I took the lead and posted a couple of fast laps to make a gap, and then to control my rivals until the finish line.”

Maxime Desprey: “I was back on a bike end of May on Motocross tracks, and last week I just try to ride on the team’s Supercross track and finally decided to race in Estillac. I had a good feeling on the bike but knew that I will not have the rhythm during fifteen laps, and still struggle in the whoops missing some confidence. I got a fifth in the semi final but then I got a bad start in the main, crashed and had some troubles to keep the rhythm and finally had some arm pumped. I finished thirteenth, happy to be back racing, and I know that I still need to train and ride to be strong physically.”

American Darian Sanayei claimed his second consecutive podium in the third round of the FIM European EMX250 Motocross Championship at Teutschenthal. The Bud Racing Monster Energy Kawasaki rider got a third overall in Germany with a sixth and a second position, while Nicolas Dercourt got a top ten result.

Darian Sanayei discovered a new track in Germany, and had to learn it quickly to get this third overall and his second consecutive podium. The young American had finished second in his qualifying group, ahead of the series leader, despite suffering with a headache but a poor start in the first moto forced him to charge through the pack for an eventual sixth placed finish. With their practice session early in the morning and the first heat late in the evening, the European riders discovered a new track when they came behind the gate! The track was well renovated during the night, and on Sunday morning he led the second moto for six laps before surrendering the lead to Hunter Lawrence; Darian kept all other challengers at bay. The 6-2 moto results earnt Darian third overall for the weekend and he is now fourth in the championship standings.

Teammate Nicolas Dercourt got a ninth overall; he qualified with a fourth position in his group, and finished fifteenth of the first heat with some vision troubles as he got dust in his goggles. On Sunday he had a better feeling with the track and scored a seventh position, which gave him a ninth overall; he is now tenth in the standings with seven more races at the calendar.

Cédric Soubeyras entered his last Supercross event in Las Vegas, home of the final round of the series. Eight in the practice session, the Bud supported rider had then to qualify for the main event mixing both East and West Coast riders; ninth, he got a eighteenth position on the gate and came back fourteenth at the chequered flag. With three top ten results during the campaign, he finished the series in twelfth position.

Darian Sanayei: “Coming here I didn’t feel so good; I had a headache and I was not sure I would have enough energy. In the first moto I was pretty far back at the first corner and I wasn’t riding really good but I got a sixth place finish. I knew that today would be better; I got a holeshot, which was good, and I pushed during the first part of the moto; I was leading for six laps and then Hunter passed me but with a sixth and a second place I got another podium result. It’s great to get two podiums in a row; again I scored a sixth position in the first race so now I need to improve my first motos to achieve a better position on the podium.”

Nicolas Dercourt: “Not exactly what I was expecting, but the results are better than in Latvia. I qualified in fourth in my group, and was confident; at the start of the first race I was twelfth, but another rider sent a stone in my goggles and I had vision troubles, with mud and dust in the goggles, I finished fifteenth. The second start was similar, during the first laps I lost some positions but then passed enough riders to score a seventh position. There’s still some points I need to improve, but it’s coming better.”