The sun is shining here at the iconic Crossdromo “Il Ciclamino” circuit for round five of the FIM Motocross World Championship. Alongside the weather, the MXGP of Trentino is one of the most scenic Motocross races in the sport! With Brits competing in the MXGP, EMX250 and EMX125 class, let’s take a look at how they got on at the first day here in Trentino.
Words by Edward Heather – Feature Image courtesy of Dirt Store Racing
The MXGP class had 49 entries this weekend, meaning the Timed Practice sessions were split into two groups: OAT (Officially Approved Teams) and wildcard. MRT Racing Team’s Ben Watson placed 14th in the OAT group. Chambers Racing’s Adam Sterry finished 8th in the wildcard Timed Practice, followed by the Lexa MX duo of Josh Gilbert and John Adamson. Gilbert finished 15th, while Adamson squeezed into the races by securing 19th.
In the qualification race, Watson got off to a decent start and was 10th in the early stages. The #919 continued to charge forward, moving into 8th place by the halfway mark, where he would ultimately finish, meaning he scored 2 championship points for his efforts.
Adam Sterry also got off to a steady start inside the top 15 before moving into 13th early on. He held his position in the top 15 until the 15-minute mark but was eventually shuffled back to 17th. A strong ride from Sterry in a stacked MXGP field.
The Lexa MX team had a steady showing in the qualifying race. Both Gilbert and Adamson started outside the top 20 and struggled to find track position on the tricky, narrow circuit. In the latter stages of the race, Gilbert moved up to 26th, with Adamson improving to 28th, where they would both finish. As mentioned earlier, the MXGP class is stacked with extremely talented riders, and with better starts, the pair could certainly contend for points—something they both have their eyes set on.
In the EMX125 class, 70 riders attempted to qualify for the races this weekend. Northern Irishman Cole McCullough set the pace early by qualifying 3rd in Group A, evidently carrying the momentum from his maiden podium in Sardegna just one week ago. Hayden Statt qualified 16th, alongside fellow Brit Drew Stock, who qualified 17th. A solid start to the day for the pair as they secured their positions in the races for the weekend.
McCullough carried his speed into EMX125 Moto 1, fighting through the pack early on to move into third. He capitalized when the first- and second-placed riders collided, allowing the Dream Team Fantic rider to take the lead in the closing stages of the race and clinch his first-ever victory in the class. What a ride for the #555 who is prime position to land himself on the podium for the second consecutive week.
Hayden Statt got off to an amazing start in Moto 1, making his way into 5th position in the early stages of the race. Although he was shuffled back to finish 17th, Statt continues to show that he has all the ingredients to become a front-runner in the class—impressive, considering it’s only his first season aboard a 125.
Drew Stock got off to a poor start and finished the first Moto in 31st. The Trentino circuit isn’t forgiving when it comes to bad starts, with passing opportunities limited—but it’s still impressive to see #418 running alongside the fastest 125 riders in Europe. Hopefully, Stock can get out of the gate well in the final Moto 2 to make his life a little easier.
The EMX250 class also had a long list of entries—76, to be exact! Dixon Racing’s Bobby Bruce, fresh off his first professional overall victory at Hawkstone, carried that momentum into qualifying. The #79 put his Kawasaki 2nd in Group A, putting him in good stead heading into the motos this weekend. Chambers Racing’s Ollie Colmer also secured his spot with a 15th-place finish in Group A. Dirt Store Triumph’s Billy Askew qualified 13th in Group B, while James Barker narrowly missed out—failing to qualify by just 0.100 of a second.
Billy Askew got off to a great start in EMX250 Moto 1, taking the lead on the opening lap. The youngster led the early stages of the race before being passed, but showed great maturity holding on to 2nd place until the final lap, when he was overtaken and dropped to 3rd—where he would ultimately finish. An impressive ride from Askew, who has undoubtedly shown he has the ability to mix it with the fastest 250cc riders in Europe.
Bobby Bruce had a huge crash in the first turn and faced a mountain to climb for the rest of the moto. The Dixon Racing rider persisted throughout, posting the second-fastest lap of the race and clawing his way back to 21st. Although it was an unfortunate start for Bruce, the ground he made up was extremely impressive—and it shouldn’t go unnoticed how well the #79 rode.
Chambers Racing’s Ollie Colmer got off to a decent start and worked his way up to 13th before crashing. He was making solid progress through the pack until two further crashes pushed the #456 back, eventually finishing 26th. The result certainly doesn’t reflect how well the Brit was riding throughout the race.
It’s all to play for tomorrow, with the MXGP motos and the final EMX125 and EMX250 races on the horizon. Be sure to keep an eye out for the Brits as they fly the flag high here in Trentino.
