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MX2, Mantova, LOMBARDIA (ITA), 6 März 2022

Kevin Horgmo fifth in Italy

F&H Kawasaki Racing Team’s Kevin Horgmo bounced back from a fall to snatch a dramatic fifth in the second round of the FIM World MX2 Motocross Championship at Mantova in northern Italy.

The Norwegian gated superbly in the first GP moto to eventually take the chequered flag sixth after a titanic struggle throughout the entire thirty-minute-plus-two-lap race with a continual exchange of positions, his final lunge for fifth coming up just inches short. Initially ninth in race two after his line was closed down entering turn one the enthusiastic youngster quickly advanced to seventh with a series of dramatic moves before a single error on the tortuous track cost seven seconds and six positions. He regrouped quickly to push back forward to eighth, the combined score from the two motos earning fifth overall on the day and seventh, just ten points shy of fourth, in the series standings.
 
Kevin Horgmo: “I made a really good start in the first race but I rode a little too careful through the first few laps and that cost me a few places. I felt I had the speed to be top three; I just need to concentrate on those early laps. I was on my way up the field in race two until I made mistake and crashed but I fought back to clinch fifth overall. It was easy to make mistakes today; there were a lot of square-edged bumps and they caught out a lot of us at some time of the day. But I’m really happy with how we are progressing; I feel really comfortable on my Kawasaki and we have a good set-up on the suspension from Technical Touch; I just need to avoid making those mistakes. I’m really looking forward to Argentina; I’ve never been overseas before so it will be a new experience for me.“
 
Big Van World MTX Kawasaki’s Mikkel Haarup also gated well in both motos. In the first race he was involved in yet another intense top-ten battle to take the chequered flag eighth before an even more dramatic second moto. Anticipating the drop of the gate perfectly the Dane shot ahead of his gate neighbours and appeared assured of the holeshot award until his front wheel dug into an unseen soft patch at the graded first turn. Miraculously saving the situation he rescued a top-six start and even moved forward to fifth for a while before surrendering a couple of places mid-moto to take the chequered flag seventh, thus earning the same position in the overall classification on the day. He is now equal on points in the championship standings with fellow Kawasaki rider Horgmo as the series heads to round three in Argentina on March 19/20.
 
Mikkel Haarup:  “Overall it was a decent weekend but there are a few things I need to work on. I was gaining on speed throughout the weekend but I need to improve my sprint laps in practice to earn a better gate-pick. I want to be in the top five and I’m so close; I know I have more. “
 
Quentin Marc Prugnières again showed tremendous speed on his 9MM Energy Drink BUD Racing Kawasaki in the second moto of the FIM European EMX250 Championship. After his charge from nearly last to eighth in the first race on Saturday afternoon the French teenager was soon making significant strides from a much better start in eighth in Sunday morning’s second moto, advancing to a challenging fifth within a couple of laps before two errors pushed him downfield to nineteenth. Unperturbed by the setbacks he recovered dramatically, lapping as fast as the leaders to finish eleventh in the moto and securing ninth overall over the weekend.