Billy Bolt, the triple world SuperEnduro champion, has just won his 6th MotoZ FIM SuperEnduro World Championship Grand Prix of the season in Sofia. He dominated the race without worrying about the competition. Jonny WALKER, sick and weakened, managed to extend the suspense for an additional round. Everything will be decided in Newcastle next weekend.
Words and Images by MotoZ FIM SuperEnduro World Championship
Victim of a severe food poisoning, Jonny WALKER (GBR-Beta) bravely managed to complete the Bulgarian GP. The threat of seeing BOLT crowned one race before the final motivated the British rider to participate. Drained of all energy, WALKER nevertheless managed to finish the GP in 4th place, allowing him to extend the showdown. This fine example of courage deserved to be rewarded. Billy BOLT left no room for doubt, winning all three finals. In the first heat, he finished ahead of Manuel LETTENBICHLER (GER-KTM) and an impressive Eddie KARLSSON (SWE-Husqvarna). In the following one, BOLT once again led the official KTM rider and the Polish rider Dominik OLSZOWY (Rieju). BOLT concluded by winning the final race, a 100% British affair, with Will HOARE (Rieju) and confirming the talent of Mitch BRIGHTMORE (GASGAS).
In the championship standings, the red plate of the 24MX leader seems destined for the triple world champion. He leads WALKER by 59 points, and if BOLT wins the first moto in Newcastle, he will add a 4th star to his record. Behind the English riders, LETTENBICHLER seems to be heading towards the Bronze medal, although HOARE could still challenge for this position. The fight for the top 5 will be tight between BRIGHTMORE and OLSZOWY, currently tied with 191 points each.
The 17-year-old British rider is on the verge of succeeding his older brother Mitch in claiming the world title in the Junior category. The GASGAS rider clinched his 4th victory of the season against his main rival, the Israeli Suff SELLA (KTM). BRIGHTMORE achieved his first hat-trick by winning all three Bulgarian finals! This evening dealt a real blow to SELLA’s morale, who is now 26 points behind the English rider. Ashton arrives in a position of strength and can count on the support of local fans to help him secure the title he has desired since last season. For the third place in the overall standings, Milan SCHMUESER (GER-Sherco) has rekindled his campaign after achieving his best result of the year by finishing second in Sofia.
In a week, we will know the two world champions of the 2024 MotoZ FIM SuperEnduro World Championship! See you in Newcastle next Saturday.
Provisional standings:
Prestige: 1. Billy BOLT 364 pts; 2. Jonny WALKER 305 pts; 3. Manuel LETTENBICHLER 240 pts; 4. Will HOARE 208 pts; 5. Mitch BRIGHTMORE 191 pts
Junior: 1. Ashton BRIGHTMORE 332 pts; 2. Suff SELLA 306 pts; 3. Roland LISZKA 231 pts; 4. Marc FERNANDEZ SERRA 217 pts; etc…
