Since January 1, 2021, the French team has been associated on a multi-year contract with a new player in the energy drink industry with international ambitions.

9 MM ENERGY DRINK is a brand that has had the audacity to market both a content with unique and refreshing flavors but also and above all an extraordinary and particularly innovative design ( https://9mmenergydrink.com/ ) that displays a strong personality easily recognizable and identifiable from whereever you are.
Rarely has a brand slogan been so close to a motocross team: “Reach your target”.

A new start for new ambitions but also a change in continuity for Stéphane Dassé, the team manager, who has increased his ambitions with a strike force expanded to 5 riders: The new recruit Hakon 427 FREDRIKSEN is none other than the 3rd in the 2020 250cc European Championship. The latter has taken up residence in the South West from his native Norway. His teammate in the category is well known to young fans as it is the double French champion Quentin 319 PRUGNIERES who is moving up in the category (for the third consecutive year) and will discover the formidable all new KAWASAKI KX 250. Amandine 274 VERSTAPPEN, Women French Champion in 2020, will ride the green bike one more year and will also be entered in the World Championship. To these three “Two fifty” riders are added two young Belgian prodigies, the twins Lucas 93 and Sacha 19 COENEN (also reigning French champion for the latter, in the 85cc category) who have high hopes under their new colors now in the 125cc category. All five will be coached by the experienced Thierry VAN DEN BOSCH the trainer of the team, in World, European and French championships.

Steve CLAVETTE, President of 9 MM ENERGY DRINK :
“The entire 9MM ENERGY DRINK team is proud to be associated with the renowned Bud Racing team. This agreement represents more than a simple sponsorship, it is the beginning of an adventure together where we want to combine our values, our passions and our ambitions and promote the surpassing of oneself. Bud Racing is known for training and helping young riders reach their target and this is exactly in line with our brand philosophy. We can’t all be world champions, but we can all be better day after day. It is with this enthusiasm that we will proudly work together. Just like Bud Racing, 9MM is a story that started with a dream and has grown with a lot of perseverance and passion. Now we want to continue to innovate and achieve great things together. Because yes, in 2021, 9MM will innovate the world of energy drinks! On your marks, get set, Reach you Target!

Stéphane DASSE, Team manager 9MM ENERGY DRINK BUD RACING KAWASAKI :
“On behalf of the entire team, I would like to express the pride and enthusiasm of being associated with 9MM ENERGY DRINK. Even before tasting the product, we were already conquered by the logo and especially the fantastic design including this ingenious cap. Thanks to their precious involvement and a multi-year contract, we will do everything possible to “reach our target” both in competition and distribution where BUD RACING will also be involved alongside its new partner. For the anecdote and coincidence, it’s funny to note that our Bud Racing Army video was already in the spotlight just a few weeks before our first contact. Finally, I would like to welcome 9MM ENERGY DRINK with whom I hope we will share many victories and podiums with another major partner: KAWASAKI, one of the most loyal partners of the BUD RACING team since 2007 “.

BUD Racing Kawasaki’s Lorenzo Locurcio ended the season seventh in the EMX250 Motocross Championship, while Quentin Prugnières ended eighth in the EMX125 after the final rounds at Lommel in Belgium.

The Venezuelan, who joined the team and the series during the summer and had thus missed the opening round in March, quickly settled into his new environment and strung together a number of impressive performances, highlighted by three moto podiums plus a third place overall at the sixth round of the series in Italy. Despite no previous experience of the tortuous deep sand he faced for the final two rounds at Lommel he displayed admirable resolve to post top-fifteen finishes in each of the four motos (12/15 and 14/10), showing improvement each time to secure tenth place in the last race of the series and a seventh in the final championship classification

Quentin Prugnières ended the season with his best result, always scoring his best race during the second moto! Eleventh overall (14/8) at the first Lommel, Quentin was stronger during the final round of the series with a seventh overall (14/4) and a great second moto in the deep Belgium sands. For his first season in the 125 class, Quentin secures an eighth position overall, best “Rookie” of the class.

In the EMX250 Pierre Goupillon was eventually classified twenty-first in the final series standings after a season interrupted by injuries. The Frenchman sat out the three final races after suffering a dislocation of the knee for the second time in a fortnight at the penultimate round on Saturday; he faces an operation in November.

Lorenzo Locurcio: “I had a big crash on Tuesday during the qualifying session and hurt my ankle; after that it was a struggle. I had a lot of pain all day but my tenth place in the second race secured my seventh place in the series. My thanks to BUD Racing and Kawasaki for giving me the opportunity to race the series.”

Quentin Prugnières: “It’s great to end the season with a good result, finally! It was a tough event, the most difficult races for me as the track was rough but finally I had some fun for my first time here at Lommel. I am just disappointed as I didn’t get any podium this season in the EMX 125 after my French 125 title.”

Lorenzo Locurcio claimed several race podiums at Mantova, and enjoyed his first podium celebration last Tuesday when he finishes third overall during the sixth round of the EMX250 Championship.

Three rounds of the EMX250 were at the program within one week in Mantova, and Lorenzo shows again tremendous tenacity in all races to score his best season results on the brand new 2021 Kawasaki KX 250. Seventh at Mantova 1, he did his best performance at Mantova 2; third in his timed practice group, he had his best gate pick since arriving in Europe and put in two scintillating rides through the pack after he was hampered at the first turn each time by other riders falling in his path. In both races he was one of the fastest rider on track, and came back fifth and third to secure that position in the overall classification. The third and last round was not as good but once more Lorenzo never give up to score another race podium and to advance in seventh in the series despite missing the first round in the Netherlands.

Team mate Pierre Goupillon was not as successful as he was involved in several crashes and could only finish two races in the top six position at Mantova 2 and 3. Pierre struggles with some race incident and crashes, suffers from an old meniscus injury and finally moves back home with a painful shoulder, however he will be ready to fight at Spanish MXGP next week-end.

In the Women World Championship Amandine Verstappen missed the first GP as she was at the opening round of the French championship; just two days after winning this race she claimed a seventh position at Mantova with a fifth and a ninth in the motos. She’s also leading the French women series.

EMX125 was also at the program last Sunday, and Quentin Prugnières at 15 years old scores top ten results with a ninth and a tenth to advance tenth in the standings. Poor starts reduces hois chances to fight for the podium but the speed and fighting spirit is here and he will go for more during the next races.

Lorenzo Locurcio: “I felt great on Tuesday with my best qualifying and two strong motos. Both races I had people crashing in front of me on the start and me hitting them so I had to come a long way through the pack. The track was good; it was really rough with lots of square edges so I could play a lot of the techniques I’ve been practising and it paid off. I never gave up and was racing all the way to the chequered flag each moto to make those late passes which gave me this first podium; it really gave me the chills seeing my Venezuelan flag up there! My thanks to BUD Racing and Kawasaki for giving me the opportunity to race the series. “

Pierre Goupillon: “At Mantova 2 I struggled with a damaged meniscus; it’s not a fresh injury, but a piece of bone moved and even if it was very painful I found a good rhythm all race long to finish sixth despite the pain with the knee. Then at Mantova 3 I had a good speed to come back sixth in the first moto, but the second heat was not that good; I was involved in a big pile up in the second corner and crash. I came back to seventeenth but in the waves section I hit a neutral and had a big crash; nothing is broken but my shoulder was so painful that I had to retire.”

Amandine Verstappen: “I raced and won a French championship round in Fublaines on Sunday and we came straight from there to Mantova for this race so there was not so much time to rest; I was pretty tired as Fublaines was a muddy race but I was happy to be back at the GPs! My first race was good with a fifth, but my second start was bad; I was outside the top twenty and it’s very difficult to pass here. I spent most of the race fighting with Papenmeier; I posted good lap times but I need to work on my starts as there’s still one round remaining in both the French and the world championships.”

Lorenzo Locurcio at Mantova: 9/5/5/3/14/3
Pierre Goupillon at Mantova: 19/13/16/6/6/DNF
Quentin Prugnières at Mantova: 8/9
Amandine Verstappen at Mantova: 5/9