Hakon Fredriksen & Sacha Coenen claimed fifth overall for 9MM Energy Drink BUD Racing Kawasaki in the opening round of the FIM European EMX250 & EMX125 Championship at Matterley Basin in England.

Just three months after breaking both wrists in a training crash the Norwegian showed tremendous spirit to display podium pace all day. He had only been able to ride three times since his injuries before arriving in England but immediately posted second fastest time during his morning Qualifying group and used his speed through the waves section during the opening moto to advance from his initial sixth position to third within five laps. He surrendered one position late in the race as his lack of bike-time took its toll to finish fourth but had damaged the silencer in a clash with a rival and was subsequently classified ninth after the post-race noise-test. Undaunted by the disappointment he rebounded to advance forcefully to second place on the opening lap of race two but dropped two positions during the next ten minutes to again take the chequered flag fourth and claim fifth overall on the day.

Class rookie Quentin Prugnières, who recently turned sixteen years of age, showed that he can learn quickly in the highly-competitive EMX250 series as he advanced with determination from seventeenth on the opening lap of moto two to secure his eventual thirteenth place by lap eight of twelve. The youngster had been eliminated early in the opening moto when holding sixteenth position.
In the 125 class Sacha Coenen posted the second fastest lap in the timed practice period, and was a podium contender after the first race, as he scores a third position after a strong race. His second start wasn’t that good, and after four laps he was back in sixth position when the race was red flagged due to an accident. As the race director definitively stopped the race, Sacha is fifth overall with a third and a eight position. Unfortunately, Lucas had to retire early in the first heat as he had a painful wrist after a race incident with another rider; he will not start the second moto, but will be back next week in Italy for the second round of the EMX125.

Hakon Fredriksen: “The day started off good with Qualifying; I was finding some good lines and got two pretty good starts. I was struggling a little with my arms after three months off the bike but my speed was good. I have only been with the team in France for one week to test the bike and start riding again so two fourth-placed finishes is pretty good as I am two to three months behind the other guys in my preparation. It’s tough but I have been working hard and we now have three weeks to the next round in Oss. And that race is in sand which is my strength so I look forward with optimism to the rest of the series. “

Quentin Prugnières: “My starts were good in both motos but there was a lot of confusion through the opening corners of race one and in the second moto I had to brake already before the first turn when other riders cut my line. I was around twentieth after a few corners but I had some good battles during the entire race; we were always fighting so it was difficult to chose the best lines and take a good rhythm but I was able to come back to thirteenth in my first experience in the EMX250. I want to keep the positive points from the day; last year I didn’t qualify here in the EMX125 but today I was in the top ten of my qualifying group and had the speed to score points.”

New race of the Spanish Elite Championship, the perfect track of Calatayud (Aragon / Spain) also welcomed on this sunny Sunday, April 18th a selection of European riders who came to enrich the line-up, among which the 9MM Bud Racing Kawasaki riders doing their first preparation race for 2021.

Honor to the young riders…

The last recruits of the team, the Coenen brothers Sacha 19 and Lucas 93 have perfectly held their rank for their beginning in the 125cc succeeding together a great performance. A very good start for this season which looks promising. 2nd and 5th of the overall classification, both have shown good dispositions technical, physical, and especially mental after a difficult qualifying session. The debriefing and analysis by the brothers : Sacha is talking :
“I had a bit of a difficult start to my weekend, falling twice in the qualifying round. Despite a DNF and the worst place on the grid ( 39th ! ), I was 3rd on the first lap of the first moto. I crashed while overtaking my brother. I came back close to the race leader and I finished second. I started better in the second moto, during the whole race i was close to the leader but I dropped a little bit to finish 3rd, inevitably a little disappointed. »

Lucas 93 Coenen :
” I didn’t do good lap times, but I finished 7th in the qualifying round after a good “remontada” ( 27th after a crash at the beginning of the race). On Sunday, in the first moto, I made the holeshot before being passed. I tried to overtake the first rider but I crashed with him. Nevertheless, I ended the race in the 4th place. During the second moto, the start and the pace were worse than in the first race, I lost the grip and I crashed again. I finished 5th at the overall, I could have done better but it’s for me for the resumption after my long break due to an injury “.

More complicated for our 250cc rider…

Less success furthermore for the new 250 rider Quentin 319 PRUGNIERES in MX2, in difficulty with his starts. Like his young teammates, the qualifying session will not meet the expectations of the Team ( 15th ) as well as the races below the potential despite an improvement in the second race : 13th overall of the weekend.

The final interview by Quentin : “After a disappointing start on Saturday, I have been able to progress during the weekend despite my bad starts. Like my teammates, I have fallen in both races and I know how much I have to work and perform, increase my pace this week-end because I lacked a little physicality, especially in the second race. »

To close the 125 / MX2 chapter, our three riders are agree on one point : their KAWASAKI is performing well and the training put in place by the coach Thierry VAN DEN BOSCH is efficient. Thanks also to their families for their unconditional support. To note the presence of some guests partners ( St Gobain / Norton Spain ) came to honor us with their presence. Special thanks also to all our precious sponsors, 9MM Energy Drink and Kawasaki in first.

Finally, our woman rider Amandine 274 VERSTAPPEN was also there, engaged in MX2 with the boys. Victim of a crash and a shock on the head, she had to give up during the practices and will not take part in the races. The scanner performed at the hospital will not reveal any abnormality. However, she will have to be quiet this week.

Next race in 2 weeks in Madrid ! (Talavera de la reina).

QUENTIN PRUGNIERES

1° Hello Quentin, can you tell us a little bit about your background at BUD RACING?
Hello everyone, yes of course! I’m 15 years old and I’m from Reunion Island. I joined BUD RACING for the 2019 season… I won the French “Espoirs” Championship, the European vice champion title and finished 4th in the World Championship. Last year I ride in 125 and I won again the title of French Champion (8th in Europe). This year, 3rd change of category in a row with the discovery of the 4 strokes and the 250 category!

2° So you have been French champion in 2 different categories and you are the only rider of the team to have tested (and appreciated!) 2 different tires ?
I have a long experience of this brand because I ride with these tires since 2016, I was still far from thinking joining the BUD RACING team that year! At the time, I had already tested for MICHELIN. I know the Starcross 5 product inside out, from 85 to 250, which is the best for me.

3° So you once again took part in the development of MICHELIN tires. What was the benefit for you?
I enjoy testing, it’s very interesting to talk to the technicians and that’s beneficial for me, the team and of course MICHELIN. From my point of view, the main strength of Starcross 5 is its versatility. These tires have a wide range of use on all surfaces. Finally, it’s also a safety feature that I feel confident with, even when they’re under stress and heavy use.

4° EICMA in 2019 was also a new experience, can you tell us about it?
In 2019, I was invited by MICHELIN to the Milan tradeshow and it was a great experience for me because I’d never been to such an important show before. I was also able to talk to prestigious MICHELIN ambassador drivers like Graham JARVIS, multiple enduro champion, and I even shared autograph sessions with him on their stand. I’m very happy to have had this experience with MICHELIN.

5° The final word?
Of course, I would like to thank MICHELIN. It’s very appreciable to be able to count on such an investment, just like during these tests. I would also like to thank my team and my coach for the confidence they have shown in me.

PIERO TARAMASSO

1° Hello Piero, for those of you who don’t know your very rich career at the highest level of the World competition, can you introduce yourself?
Hello everyone, I’ve been working for the MICHELIN group for more than 30 years. I started out in Italy as a quality technician, then moved on to become a test rider in France and the US. In 2001, I joined the Motorsport department through Formula 1 where I stayed for 6 years. Then came the motorcycle period with Moto GP, Superbike, endurance and then I took over the off road department. Since 2012, I have been in charge of the MICHELIN two-wheel world racing activity, which includes enduro, Moto GP, cross-country, electric motorcycle, trial and rally-raid disciplines.

2° After this itinerary marked out with very nice references and experiences, you are today in Saint d’Angély, the scene of the motocross GPs for many years. Did you know this site and have you had the opportunity in your busy career to work in the motocross environment?
I know the motocross since 2011, I even came to attend 2 Grand Prix here in Saint Jean d’Angély. It’s a unique circuit, fantastic for the fans because it offers almost total visibility and the atmosphere is always excellent.

3° The BUD RACING team is entering its third year of collaboration with MICHELIN, but apart from product testing and development, the team is also working with a company to enhance product benefits since the Starcross 5 tire sold by BUD RACING is the same tire used by the drivers. Is this an asset for MICHELIN?
Our tires are tested by top-level riders in extreme conditions and on all types of surfaces and different temperatures. The feedback from BUD RACING is very valuable to us, because once the product is validated internally, it is then marketed to the end customer, who will then have access to tires developed by top riders. Finally, it is very valuable to be able to count on BUD RACING as a specialist dealer with real expertise. The collaboration is therefore total and covers the entire chain, from development to the general public.

4° You were yesterday at the circuit of Navarrenx. Another track and soil texture, what are the lessons learned from this first day of work with the BUD RACING team?
It is a very different circuit from Saint d’Angély because it is narrower, stony and has a different soil texture. It was a complementary and enriching experience. The service is complete for us! In addition and in a broader way, the expertise of BUD RACING is very useful to us for the return of their riders to test both prototypes, production tires but also the “Bib Mousse”.

5° What are MICHELIN’s core values that can be transposed to the world of racing today?
MICHELIN is a long-established company that is particularly attached to respect for its employees, partners and customers. Group spirit and cohesion are also deeply rooted in our company, to which we must add loyalty. Loyalty that can also be found with our teams and riders, always with the same passion and desire to build over the long term, as is the case here with BUD RACING. Finally, we are also concerned about respecting the environment in many ways because we develop “green” products that respect the planet. In this sense, we have zero-emission factories and we work on mixtures coming from organic and natural culture. This is the direction we are going in today.

6° Finally, you have honored us with your presence, will we see the return of Piero TARAMASSO this on a motocross event when the sanitary conditions will allow us?
Yes of course! Motocross fascinates me, as soon as possible I will be sincerely delighted to return here. The Moto GP absorbs a lot of my time but I intend to free myself as soon as I have the opportunity!

Interview by Fabrice DUFRESNE / Off Course