Coldenhoff, Valin & Keith rule the 2025 Hawkstone International MX – Race Report & Results

Back on Sunday, February 9th, the start of the 2025 motocross season got underway in Shropshire, where the Salop Motor Club hosted their annual Hawkstone International MX event, which again had kindly been sponsored by Ashbrook and powered by Syntol Lubricants.

Race Report and Images by Dave Rich

Entries for this year’s event were very good and included many GP riders as well as many up-and-coming stars, especially in the EMX class, which was to prove very popular with the many spectators who were in attendance.

In the EMX125 class, it was a blistering start for the JK Yamaha of Jamie Keith in the opening race ahead of Charlie Richmond, who had set the fastest time in qualifying with Hayden Statt on his Mr Dig Groundworks Yamaha tucked in third. Keith was soon on the gas at the front and was to start to pull away at the front on the opening lap. He continued to ease away and had a clear advantage by the end of four laps. Richmond was still in second, but Statt had made a mistake on lap five and had dropped back to fourth but Statt was to come on strong in the latter stages and was giving his all on the last lap and managed to get past Belgium rider Seth Priem on the Gas Gas to finish in third behind Richmond, but there was only one winner and that was Keith who took the win by some seventeen seconds.

READ MORE: BRITISH MOTOCROSS NEWS

In the second moto again, it was Keith who was quickest out of the gate and into the first corner ahead of Priem and Richmond, but there were a few fallers on the opening lap, with one of them being Statt, who was well down in 32nd place. Keith again was on a mission at the front and was soon into a rhythm; Richmond had made a mistake on the second lap, and up into third was Bulgarian Ventsislav Toshev on the Fantic, who was being pursued by the Team Matt Gardiner Mx Gas Gas of Freddie Gardiner who was to have a real tussle mid-race. Priem went down two laps from the end, and Toshev moved up into second with Gardiner still breathing all over him, determined to find a way pass, which he did on the last lap and was to take second ahead of Toshev with Keith again a comfortable winner by twenty-three seconds.

The last race unfortunately had to be stopped after a couple of laps due to an accident, but in the re-run it was Richmond who had the best start in this one and had a clear track in front of him but soon to be hot on his heels was Keith who was all over Richmond like a rash and towards the end of the second lap Keith emerged back in to view leading and again started to pull away and from that point went on to make it a hat-trick of wins, Richmond took second with Drew Stock after a mid-race battle with Statt coming home in third. Keith took a convincing overall with Richmond second and third overall was Stock, fourth overall went to Statt, and fifth was Toshev.

In the MX2 Class, expectations were high leading up to the event as 2024 World MX2 Champion Dutchman Kay De Wolf had entered but unfortunately, he was forced to withdraw from the event after picking up an ankle injury practising leading up to the event. Nevertheless, there was still a lot of other talent in attendance, like the 2024 EMX250 Champion, Frenchman Mathis Valin, who was having his first ride at this event and also with his new Kawasaki Racing Team.

Valin had set the fast time in qualifying, just pipping the JM Racing Honda of Spaniard David Braceras with Welshman Joel Rizzi on the Dirtstore Triumph Racing qualifying third quickest. As they lined up for the opening race, news was out that one of the up-and-coming British stars, Josh Vail, who this season would be on a Phoenix Tools Fantic, was missing after a crash in qualifying where he dislocated his shoulder. The gate dropped for the opening race, and it was the Kawasaki machine of Valin with the best start who, by the end of the opening lap, already pulled a three-second lead over British rider Ben Mustoe on the ASA United Gas Gas with Braceras right on the heels of Mustoe who he managed to get passed on the second lap with Mustoe also being passed a lap later by Dutchman Bradley Mesters on the Kosak Racing Ktm. Valin was in a world of his own at the front and seemed to be liking the track as he was lapping some two seconds quicker than the rest of the field and took the chequered flag some forty-three seconds ahead of Braceras with Mesters third with Mustoe coming home in fourth.

In the second moto, there was no stopping Valin, who again led from the off, this time ahead of Mesters, with Braceras tucked in third. Valin was soon in cruise mode and showed what his intentions are this season in the World MX2 Championship and was a comfortable winner of race two with Braceras after getting the better of Mester’s mid-race taking second with British star Billy Askew on the Dirtstore Triumph coming home in fourth behind Mesters. Valin was a clear winner overall, with Braceras taking second overall, Mesters third overall and fourth overall and top Brit was Mustoe.  Calum Mitchell on the Worx Total Triumph finished an excellent fifth overall, with Dirt Store Triumph Racing’s Billy Askew in sixth.

The MXGP class was stacked with talent, which included Glenn Coldenhoff, Romain Febvre, Maxime Renaux, Pauls Jonass, Calvin Vlaanderen, Jago Geerts and many others like British riders Josh Gilbert who was back from injury and this year riding on a Lexa Mx Honda and Welshman Adam Sterry who was also on a new team for 2025 in the shape of Chambers Racing KTM and also an Irishman who had drove back from competing in Aberdeen the night before Martin Barr on the Apico Factory Honda plus many others.

Making his return to racing after picking up an injury last season and being out for seven months was Latvian Pauls Jonass who this year was in a new team in the shape of the Kawasaki Racing Team. The day started well for Jonass as he had set the fastest time in qualifying. Still, when the gate dropped for the opening moto it was the Dutchman Glenn Coldenhoff who led the proceedings from Frenchman Romain Febvre with fellow Frenchman who was having his first ride at this event Maxime Renaux on his Monster Energy Yamaha tucked in third. Hoff was looking good at the front, but staying with him all the way was Febvre who was ready to pounce on any mistake if the opportunity arose, but the Hoff kept Febvre at bay to take the chequered flag by four seconds with Renaux taking third.

The second moto saw a Yamaha leading the way, and it was Renaux with Coldenhoff there in second just ahead of Febvre, who was all over Coldenhoff for the first couple of laps. Renaux was giving his all at the front and he needed to as the race went on as with just five minutes remaining Coldenhoff was closing on him and at one stage was beside him on a righthander, but Renaux held his nerve and kept Coldenhoff behind him to take the chequered flag with Coldenhoff a close second and Febvre came through to take third. Coldenhoff took the overall from Renaux with Febvre third overall.

In the Super Final, the MX2 riders started five seconds ahead of the MXGP riders. Leading the way after the opening lap was MX2 rider Mathis Valin followed by fellow MX2 riders David Braceras and Bradley Mesters, but already up into fourth was Coldenhoff, who was to move up into third on the second lap after passing Mesters and literally was soon breathing all over Braceras a lap later who he passed and was now up into second and was giving chase to catch Valin, but Valin was to keep Coldenhoff behind him for several laps until on lap seven when the Hoff took over at the front passing Valin on a lefthander and from there started to pull away a bit, but the battle was now going on behind Valin as both Jonass and Febvre who were having their own battle both closed up on Valin but Valin held on to take an excellent second behind Coldenhoff with Jonass holding off teammate Febvre taking third.

Results

Super Final

MXGP – Overall

MX2 – Overall

EMX125 – Overall