PIETRAMURATA (Trentino) 14 April 2024 – Taking place at the base of the Garda Mountains, the second round of the EMX250 and EMX125 Presented by FMF Racing unfolded like in Sardegna last week in hot temperatures not that usual for this time of year in Trentino. Amidst the demanding conditions and on a track that required complete focus on every inch of the hard-pack surface, riders were tasked with maintaining their own performance while contending with stiff competition.

It was an Italian swoop in front of an amazing Italian atmosphere in the EMX as Beddini GASGAS Factory Juniors’s Valerio Lata perfectly won the overall with a 1-1 while it was Fantic Factory Racing EMX125’s Simone Mancini who got his first ever overall win. 

The weekend started on Saturday for both European classes. In EMX250, Bence Pergel came out of the first corner on top but it was Valerio Lata great start that saw commanding the race right after while serious contender VRT Yamaha Racing’s Ivano Van Erp got involved in the start’s traffic disadvantaging him as he turned the opening lap in 19th position. Eventually coming back to an honourable 11th place in the end. 

Pergel got a great start and saw himself in 2nd position, a place that he was not able to keep with Gabriel SS24 KTM’s Cas Valk powering around the outside to move up to 2nd on lap 2. Meanwhile. Pergel went down the ranks as he couldn’t find the right pace to stay up the leader board and finished at a good 6th place. Maximilian Werner fromn JM Honda Racing abandoned after a crash mid-race that hindered his chances of podium while he was 6th. 

Frenchman Maxime Grau riding for WZ Racing Team showed great pace as he moved up to 3rd on lap 5. However with few laps to go, all was to a waste as Grau fell down and had to settle for 5th. RFME GASGAS MXJunior Team’s Federico Garcia was lucky to not run into his rear wheel and could go up to 3rd where he finished in the end. BUD Racing Kawasaki Mathis Valin had a hard time as he buried his front wheel on lap 5 but fought back up to 4th place in the end as he overtook Grau and Pergel along the way. 

Lata was the excellent winner of the race in the end after showing a lot of control from start to finish in what was a perfect start of his home Italian round. Valk trailed behind him and finished at an excellent 2nd place. 

Race 2 started again perfectly for Pergel with K.Reisulis behind him with Lata and Grau. The opening lap was frantic with VRT Yamaha Racing K.Reisulis pouncing on Pergel to take the lead while Lata pushed hard and also moved pass Pergel to chase the lead. 

On lap 3, Grau crashed out of 4th place again in the same spot as Saturday while Valin, Werner and Garcia fought hard for the 6th position. Garcia overtook both to go 5th as he found great lines. Valin then tipped over and moved down to 8th but managed to get back up quickly to finish 4th in then. Meanwhile Valk let his speed talk to move up to 3rd behind Lata. 

On lap 5, Lata was hot on K.Reisulis’ wheels and although the Latvian held on well for a while, Lata took the lead yet again on a this successful track for him with the home fans on their feet to cheer the young Italian.

The race then settled a bit with not much passing in the top 10 until lap 11 when K.Reisulis’s bike got to a complete stop and could not switch it back on, having him to retire despite a great race. Lata was left on his own at the lead to ride his own rhythm and celebrate in style on last jump. Perfect weekend for the red plate as he increases his lead in the championship and win in Trentino for the second year in a row. 

For Valk, K.Reisulis’ issue meant he went up to finish with an excellent 2-2 and go 2nd on the podium while Garcia also had similar trajectory as he went 3-3 for 3rd overall and his first EMX250 podium.

Valerio Lata: “What a weekend! Perfect weekend for me with the pole position yesterday and a double win! It’s amazing with all the fans here, it was so much fun here in Trentino. Now we see you in Agueda, Portugal!”

EMX250 TRENTINO – PIETRAMURATA 2024 – Results and Video!

Main Photo: Valeri Lata

Bottom Photo: 1. EMX250 Start; 2. EMX250 Podium

The first start in Race 1 saw TM moto SteelsDrJack‘s Brandon Rispoli take the lead on the first corner but that didn’t take long for another Italian rider to take over with Francesco Bellei from Dreams Racing leading the race in front this time of Fantic Factory Racing EMX125’s Francesco Mancini. 

Then some misfortunes happened on the opening lap with Rispoli making a mistake at the exit of a turn while red plate Noel Zanocz from Fantic Factory Racing EMX125 fell down and picked himself up in 37th place for a couple of laps. The Yamaha Europe EMX125 MJC rider Dani Heitink and Liam Brunau also came together and lost few positions. 

Things then settled down, but Aaron Katona managed to get the best out of Pelle Gunderson who drifted wide to move up to 4th on lap 6. Gunderson got picked up again at the same part of the track but this time by Cole McCullough riding with Maddii Fantic by Milwaukee.

Mancini, was on the chase though, and on lap 9 made a decisive pass to take the lead off Bellei. RFME GASGAS MXJunior Team’s Salvador Perez stayed solid in 3rd and bid his time to capitalise on Bellei’s fading pace to move up to 2nd.

Meanwhile, McCullough tried to pass Katona for the rest of the race but could not make it happen and finished 4th in the end with Bellei getting passed in the last laps by both riders to end up 5th.  

In Race 2, Mano Faure from Yamaha Europe EMX125 MJC was the fastest star as exited the first corner at the lead. Bellei followed closely behind in 2nd while Rispoli was 3rd too and held on in front of red plate Zanocz. Following a very good saturdya racing, McCullough got tangle at the first corner with many riders and had to retire.

Race leader Faure went down on lap 2 and couldn’t get going and struggle to switch his livery on again losing many positions. Bellei didn’t that much as he took command of the race. Zanocz made a solid pass on Rispoli to move up 2nd and chase after Bellei.

Mancini was looking strong once again as he moved up to 3rd on lap 5. Katona found himself in 6th which was enough for a podium at that time.  But

Later on had to conced this podium spot to a convincing Perez who battled him out to finish 6th and climbed on the third step of the podium. Katona settled for 7th in race 2 synonymous of 4th overall. 

Bellei’s pace was tremendous as the gap with Zanocz increase to 7 seconds mid-race. Meanwhile Faure managed to come back up to 10th. 

Bellei went all the way to win his first race to give Italian fans exactly what they came for with another Italian race win as he finished 2nd on the podium. It was the first race winner Mancini who showed his qualities over the weekend with a 1-3 to get his first overall win of his career and get the Italian flag up in Pietramurata. 

The Red Plate stays with Zanocz who did much better than in race 1 to finish 2nd and and go 6th overall.

Simone Mancini:  “I’m very very happy! It was a difficult race but the track was good. It was a good weekend for me as I won Race 1 and got third in race 2. I’m happy with this overall win and see you in Portugal! 

Main Photo: Simone Mancini

Bottom Photo: 1. EMX125 Start; 2. EMX125 Podium

EMX125 TRENTINO – PIETRAMURATA 2024 – Results and Video!

ROUND OF TRENTINO QUICK FACTS:

Circuit length: 1570m

Type of ground: Hard Pack

Temperature: 29°

Weather conditions: Sunny