Tough Eastern trip

Russia one week ago was not really a good GP for the Bud Racing Kawasaki riders, and this weekend in Latvia they got better results, especially Mitchell Harrison who had one of his best weekend since he arrives in Europe.

Two long trips at the program, and two very different locations with a very fast track in Russia and a sandy layout much more technical in Latvia. In Russia Mitchell (18/19) didn’t really got the results he deserves, but in the second moto he shows that he’s on a good way as he started in the top five, fight with the top guys of the class during several laps and then start to do a couple of mistakes and lost many positions. More and more comfortable on the Bud Kawasaki KXF, he proves this weekend that he’s closer and closer to the top ten; he got really bad starts in each moto, but fought hard to come back in the good points. Twenty third and twenty fourth at the start of both races, he came back twice twelfth! Eleventh of the GP he now expect to finish close to top 5 for the following races. For Brian Moreau both weekends were disappointing as he just scores 3 points in Russia (19/20) and 4 in Latvia (23/17). Brian is the youngest rider in the class, but these results don’t show at all what he’s able to do; Brian is struggling at the moment, crashing too many times – his fault or not – and he needs to have one decent weekend to reverse the situation. We expect much more from him starting in Germany next week-end.

The European 250 was also at the schedule of both GPs; suffering from food poisoning in Russia Jimmy Clochet did his best in Russia (10/10) but Latvia was even more difficult for him who has no experience of sand racing. He didn’t score any point in Kegums (30/28) and he’s now seventh in the standings before Germany this weekend.

Mitchell Harrison: “I got in Latvia my best result since Portugal, and it was a really good day. We made some little changes to the bike and I felt more comfortable, but I didn’t got good starts this weekend and I had to make my way through the pack. In the first moto I came back from twenty-third to twelfth and in the second moto from twenty-fourth to finish twelfth again. I charged hard and I feel really good with the bike now; I can’t wait for Germany. The track was great here; it’s a little like some tracks we have back home in Michigan and I felt very comfortable.”

Brian Moreau: “Two difficult weekend for me, the only positive point is my speed and my lap times. I made too many mistakes, and crashed too many times; some are my fault, some come from other riders and finally I always ride tense… Each weekend I gave everything but at the moment it’s pretty disappointing as I can’t get good results but we’ll continue to work and prepare Germany where I expect better results.”

Jimmy Clochet: “I was sick in Russia as I had food poisoning and couldn’t eat anything during four days, but I managed to get some important points. One week later in Kegums I was still affected by the poisoning, and as I don’t have any sand experience it was a very bad weekend for me. I’ve a few days to recover and prepare Germany.”

A positive weekend before the French MXGP

After a long and unusual break so early in the season the World Championship is again on the road with three rounds in a row, and team Bud Racing Kawasaki moves from Lombardia to Agueda for the sixth round of the season.

For the first time since the GP season start people were smiling and happy Sunday evening under the Bud Racing awning, as both Mitchell Harrison and Brian Moreau delivered solid motos just a few days before the MXGP of France. Even if the nice layout was too much watered before the MX2 races, Mitchell and Brian bring back home their best results so far with a tenth overall for the American and a twelfth for the young Frenchie.

Second in the free practice and seventh in the timed practice session, Brian qualified seventh for the GP while Mitchell got a top twenty gate with an eighteenth position in the qualifying race. The track was slippery before the start of each race and Brian was one of the victim as he crashes during the opening lap of race one; he did a strong ride to comeback from twenty-one to eleventh, and with another good start in the second moto everything was possible…until the fifth corner when another rider hit him. Again on the ground Brian did another strong race, coming back from twenty fifth to fifteenth. Twelfth of the GP he got the best result of his young GP career, a great reward after his injury in Argentina.

The Portuguese GP saw Mitchell Harrison return to the top ten after a difficult GP in Italy. The American was inevitably pushed wide at turn one each time from gate eighteen, but put in two strong rides to advance from twenty-fourth to thirteenth in race one and from seventeenth to eleventh in race two to earn tenth overall.

Weather was perfect in Portugal, but not as good in Pernes les Fontaines for the French championship. The track was not too wet on Saturday for the hopeful class, and with an overall win Quentin Prugnières is back to the leadership of the series even if he missed one round. Rain and mud were part of the program on Sunday, and after a decent qualifying session with an eighth position Jimmy Clochet struggled in the first race as he crashed and could only finish seventeenth after a pit stop. He remains fifth in the MX1 Elite series, and will be back next weekend on his 250 for the EMX in St Jean d’Angely.

Brian Moreau: “It was a positive weekend, the speed was there and also the riding, the first good weekend of the season! I just did one mistake when I crashed on a slippery section in the first race, but I did a strong come back to finish eleven, close to the ninth position. I was sixth or seventh after a few corners in moto two when another rider hit me, and again I had to comeback from behind. It was a tough weekend but I never give up and fight all weekend long, that’s encouraging before the French GP where many fans will be there to support me.”

Mitchell Harrison: “This track was nice and it wasn’t a bad weekend, still terrible starts which keep me far behind the top ten; I came back from nineteenth or something like that to thirteenth in the first race, and again had to come back from mid pack in race two. I must continue to work hard on the start, and qualify better to have a better gate pick for the races.”

The GP season really start now for Bud Racing Kawasaki

For Team Bud Racing Kawasaki the season really start this weekend in Italy, as they line up for the first time this season three bikes for Brian Moreau, Mitchell Harrison and Jimmy Clochet in the fourth GP of the season. It was a come back for Brian after his crash in Argentina, a first race in Europe for Mitchell and both had a great Saturday.

Winner one week ago in the opening round of the French MX1 National, Jimmy Clochet was fully ready for the second round of the EMX250, even if he switched bike from one weekend to another. Brian got the ‘green light’ from his doctor just one week ago and just spend a few hours on his bike before traveling to Arco alongside American Mitchell Harrison who arrived in Hossegor last Tuesday to replace Brian Hsu. Mitchell scores a GP podium three years ago in the US when he was 18 years old, but he never visited any European track before this weekend.
Qualified mid pack for the EMX250 Jimmy Clochet got a great start in the first race, but when another rider hit his front wheel in the second turn he crashed and lost his fourth position! He was very lucky as none of the thirty riders coming behind hurt him, but he regained the track in last position and came back twentieth to score one point. The second race was not better for him, as he failed to add some points after several crashes on a rough track.

Using both practice sessions to learn the track and adapt the bike to his style, Mitchell Harrison got a great start in the qualifying race and scored an excellent fifth position even if he just rode the Bud Kawasaki twice before flying to Italy. He didn’t got such good starts on Sunday, but scores some points in the first moto on a track where passing was a real challenge. Tenth of the qualifying race Brian Moreau crashed twice during the first race but also scores his first points of the season; fourth at the start of the second race, he retires early after a crash in a corner.

After this first step, Brian and Mitchell have now five weeks to prepare the next round of the World Championship scheduled in Mantova (again in Italy!); both will have time to train and work with the team as they will join Jimmy Clochet for the next rounds of the French Elite (Romagne this weekend and Bitch in three weeks’ time).

Mitchell Harrison joins Team Bud Racing

Welcome to our new rider Mitchell Harrison who will do his first MX2 season race this week-end in Italy, together with the come back of his team mate Brian Moreau.
Happy to have you in the team