The team shone, securing a double podium finish.

Jake Cannon secured the first victory of his career following a remarkable weekend. In the first race, he staged a spectacular comeback from outside the top 15, capped off by a decisive pass in the final turn to claim second place. He built on that performance in the second race by finishing second again, allowing him to take the overall race win. Thanks to this result, he now sits in third place in the championship, just a few points behind the second.

For his part, Francisco Garcia made a name for himself right from the first race, claiming a commanding victory. The second race proved more challenging: after experiencing a mechanical issue on the starting grid, he was forced to start nearly 45 seconds behind the rest of the field, from 40th position. Nevertheless, he staged an impressive comeback to finish in 12th place, securing third place in the overall standings.

In addition, Francisco Garcia retains the red leader’s jersey, underscoring the team’s strength and consistency at the highest level of European competition.

The team is now looking ahead to the next round of the French Championship, which will take place in Romagné.

Check out the weekend vlog here:

The Bud Racing Team continues to set the pace at the start of the 2026 season.

This Sunday, April 6th, the iconic Saint-Jean-d’Angély track (France), a true benchmark in international motocross, hosted the second round of the French Elite Championship. In a highly competitive field, Bud Racing riders once again stepped up… in style.

In the MX2 (250cc) class, Francisco Garcia (#29) and Jake Cannon (#3) secured another impressive 1-2 finish.
After setting the second fastest time in qualifying, Francisco Garcia bounced back perfectly by winning both motos, taking the overall victory. Right behind him, Jake Cannon confirmed his consistency and strength with two second-place finishes, capping off a strong weekend for the team.

In front of a large crowd and under perfect weather conditions, both riders delivered solid and committed performances, perfectly reflecting the team’s current momentum.

Another standout result came from Tim Lopes, Bud Racing support rider competing in the Espoirs category, who leaves Saint-Jean-d’Angély with the red plate as the French Championship leader.

This weekend also marks a historic milestone for Team Bud Racing. For the first time since its creation in 2007, the team is leading both championships it is competing in — in France and across Europe. An achievement further highlighted by an impressive streak of four consecutive 1-2 finishes.

While the season is still long and anything can happen, these results clearly underline the team’s ambitions and potential for 2026.

Next stop is already set for next weekend, with the European Championship heading to the sandy track of Riola Sardo, Sardinia.
No time to rest — Bud Racing riders are already back on the gas.

Photo credit : Valex

Garcia dominates at home
Hailing from a region just two hours away from the Grand Prix, Francisco Garcia delivered a flawless performance throughout the weekend in front of a raucous crowd. The Spanish rider dominated the field, setting the fastest time in qualifying before winning both races in commanding fashion.

In the first race, Francisco Garcia got off to a strong start, quickly took the lead, and was never challenged, controlling the race like a true champion. In the second race, despite a more difficult start, he used his speed and racing intelligence to gradually catch up to his rivals and secure another victory.

This perfect weekend (1-1) allowed him to leave with the red leader’s plate, confirming a momentum already seen last season, where he consistently won and made a strong impression right from the start of the championship.

Cannon confirms its growth
For his part, Jake Cannon also made a strong impression with his best performance yet in the EMX250 class, confirming the progress he’s made over the offseason.

In the first race, the Australian showed excellent speed and made several passes to secure a solid second-place finish. In the second race, after crashing in the pack, he restarted around 12th position. Faster than his competitors, he mounted an impressive charge up to fifth place.

Thanks to his consistency and fighting spirit, Jake Cannon secured second place in the overall standings for the event, as well as in the championship after this first round.
An ideal start to the season

With this one-two finish, the Venum Bud Racing Kawasaki team has made a strong statement right from the start and established itself as a force to be reckoned with in the EMX250 field. This overall result confirms the potential of both riders in the title race this season.

See you next weekend for the second round of the EMX250 European Championship in Switzerland, but before that, check out the Inside vlog from the weekend here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wi1pQJnJqt0

Jake Cannon: “I’m happy to show that I have the potential to compete at the front this season. It was an incredible weekend for the team, and I feel ready to deliver this for them as often as possible.”

Francisco Garcia: “It was probably the best race of my life; winning everything in front of my home crowd will be unforgettable. The season is off to a great start, and I’m going to give it my all to keep it going.”

After each securing pole position in their respective groups during the morning’s timed practice sessions, Fran Carbonero Garcia delivered a perfect weekend. With two perfectly controlled races, he won twice and left Castelnau-de-Lévis as the championship leader, confirming his excellent form right from the first round.

Alongside him, Jake Cannon also put in a remarkable performance. Thanks to two solid second-place finishes, he completed the MX2 double and demonstrated valuable consistency for the rest of the season.

Competing in the 85cc class, Tim Lopes also shone. Taking pole position with a lead of almost two seconds, he set the fastest time in the first race but, despite two crashes, finished fourth. He bounced back perfectly by winning the second race and securing second place overall.

This collective success rewards the hard work of the entire team and is an ideal start to the title race, both physically and mentally.

All eyes are now on the next event: the opening round of the EMX250 European Championship, which will take place in Spain in three weeks’ time, with the aim of continuing this positive momentum.

Jake Cannon : “I am very happy with today. Riding is going in the right direction. I still need to work on a few things but the speed is good and that’s only the first race”

Francisco Garcia : “Perfect day today going 1-1. I enjoyed a lot and I see that my speed is very good. I was already ready to fight for French and European championship but now I am more motivated than never.”

Tim Lopes : “A second place overall this weekend, of course I wanted to win as I was the fastest on track but I learnt a lot and I am ready for the rest of the championship.”

This weekend saw the 50th edition of the Enduropale du Touquet-Pas-de-Calais, the world’s biggest sand motorcycle race and the final round of the FIM World Sand Racing Championship. The event brought together nearly 2,800 international riders and more than 700,000 spectators.
This legendary event also marked the start of the sporting season for Team Venum Bud Racing Kawasaki, with the first race of the 2026 season.

Outstanding performance in the Espoirs category: Tim Lopes dominates

Bud Academy’s young rider Tim Lopes delivered an impressive performance in the Espoirs race. Starting in the top 15, Tim quickly set his pace and took the lead in the pack on the second lap. He was never challenged, crossing the finish line with a comfortable lead of more than 3 minutes over his pursuers. A superb first victory in his first race of 2026.

Spectacular comeback and podium finish for Jake Cannon in the Junior category

The first Australian rider to compete in this sand race, Jake Cannon was completely new to the discipline when he took part in the legendary Le Touquet event in the Junior category for the first time. For this grand debut, the day was full of twists and turns. After crashing in the first corner, Jake restarted in 140th place before embarking on a spectacular comeback. Thanks to his determination and speed, he managed to climb up to 3rd place overall, securing a remarkable podium finish for his very first experience on the sand of Le Touquet.

The Venum Bud Racing Kawasaki Team is now back to training, with Jake Cannon and Francisco Garcia set to compete in the International Race of Sommières on February 22 before tackling the French Elite Championship on March 1st in Castelnau-de-Lévis and the EMX250 European Championship in Almonte, Spain, on March 21 & 22.

Check out the Enduropale du Touquet INSIDE vlog here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kmneZpYYdrQ

Stephane Dassé: “Le Touquet is always an important race because it brings together hundreds of thousands of enthusiasts. Every year, we try to recruit talented young riders who are capable of winning. I am proud of our riders, who gave it their all. Now we are refocusing on our main objectives: the French and European motocross championships.”

Tim Lopes: “I’m happy to have gotten my revenge after finishing third last year. I managed my race well, and that allowed me to win. I’m leaving for Spain tomorrow to train. I’m going to do everything I can to make my last season in 85cc a success.”

Jake Cannon: “I didn’t know what to expect when I came here. In Australia, we don’t have sand, and I never thought I’d be able to ride a race like this before coming to Europe. I’m disappointed that I crashed because I would have liked to fight for the win, but I had a lot of fun and I’m happy with my performance. I hope to come back and ride this race again one day.”

Paris remain the unmissable event for Supercross fans over the years, and this year’s SX, the main one in Europe, once again drew a packed house. The team was represented in all three categories: SX1, SX2, and Junior.

In the SX2 class our two Australians livened up the races, with Luke Clout taking a brilliant victory on Saturday night. After finding his rhythm in the first moto, which he finished in second place, Luke went on to win the other two races of the evening. Sunday started perfectly with another victory, but a crash at the second start cost him the lead in the category. With a fourth win in the final race of the weekend, Luke secured the silver medal.

Meanwhile, Jake Cannon improved throughout the weekend; after some excellent starts, he narrowly missed the top five following a DNF in Sunday’s second moto.

In the SX1 class Mitchell Harrison was back in the team for the weekend; in a very competitive field, he performed well, finishing seventh.

Less success for young Tim Lopes, who competed in the junior class; third fastest in qualifying, he was battling for a podium finish on Saturday before fracturing his collarbone in a crash.

This weekend the team was also on action in Vancouver (Canada) for the second round of the World Championship. In SX2 Kyle Peters and Cole Thompson finished fifth and sixth respectively, while in SX1, Justin Hill finished eleventh.

Stéphane Dasse: « It was a great weekend that started off perfectly with Friday night’s party to celebrate our 30th anniversary with lots of friends and partners. And it continued on Saturday with Luke’s SX2 victory! We’re a little disappointed because Luke missed out the Prince of Paris title due to a crash at the start of one race, but it was still a great weekend. Both Luke and Jake, who was competing in this race for the first time, gave us a great show, not to mention young Tim Lopes, who was also showing promise until his crash. We had more partners at the team than ever before, it was great to welcome all these people who support us. Meanwhile, there was another Supercross in Vancouver; in the 250 class, things went well with a fifth and a sixth place finish, results close to our goals. It was more difficult in the 450 class, with Matt Moss injured and Josh Hill not performing as expected. See you in two weeks in Australia for the third round of the World Supercross Championship.”

Results Paris:
Luke Clout : Second in SX2 (Saturday 2/1/1 and Sunday 1/13/1)
Jake Cannon : Sixth in SX2 (Saturday 7/6/4 and Sunday 5/15/5)
Mitchell Harrison : Seventh in SX1 (Saturday 6/12/5 and Sunday 7/7/7)

The Spanish teenager, nominated last week to represent his country for the first time at next month’s Motocross of Nations, ended the season with a perfect double win! On Saturday he emerged fourth at the first turn and was quickly on the move. Clearly the fastest man on-track he swept into the lead on the second lap to win by six seconds, with the fastest lap of the race. Bubbling with confidence after his overwhelming victory in the first moto the Spanish teenager again rode a tight line through turn one to emerge second and was content to shadow the leader for twenty minutes before sweeping past under the eyes of the Bud Racing pit crew on lap ten of fourteen to complete his perfect weekend with a conclusive victory, his eighth moto success and third overall win of the season. His personal consistency and the reliable quality performance of the Bud Racing Kawasaki KX250 were underlined by the fact that he collected eight podiums through the thirteen-round series to earn the FIM series bronze medal.

Francisco Garcia: “That first race was a great moto for me; I made some really good passes early on and rode timed training laps to pull a gap. At the start of the second race Reisulis was pushing hard and I didn’t want to eat his roost so I was content to sit back from his rear wheel and then come back to take the lead after twenty minutes. I feel on top of the world to finish my first complete EMX season with a 1-1. I have been really happy with my last few races and my family was here this weekend to celebrate with me. Now we fly back to France and I will ride a 450 in preparation for the Motocross of Nations. It was always my dream to ride for my country and I will work 200% for the next few weeks to be ready to give my absolute best !”

Bud teammate Jake Cannon also ended the season well, even if on Saturday he missed a better result as he was fourth before being unceremoniously hit from behind by an over-enthusiastic chaser. Rejoining the race eleventh he needed a couple of laps to settle before charging again to cross the finishing line seventh. He had another strong ride through the pack to finish fourth in the second moto and over the weekend. In that second moto Jake was pushed wide at turn one to emerge ninth but quickly gained two positions and after a few laps he was able to make decisive passes to advance to fifth on lap eight and two laps later swept into fourth. His efforts confirmed eighth in his first FIM series in Europe.

Jake Cannon: “I was happy with my riding this weekend; just that incident yesterday spoilt my chances of the podium. I got stuck behind some other riders for too long during the first few laps of the second moto and that cost me the chance of top-three in the moto. Anyway, I learnt a lot from this season and I will come in stronger next season from the experience. I start supercross practice this week and fly back home to Australia on October 1 for the supercross season.”

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.”

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.”

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.”