Max Nagl takes victory in excellent racing conditions in the ADAC MX Masters finale on Saturday. Jordi Tixier finishes second to extend his lead in the championship. Andrea Bonacorsi triumphs in the ADAC MX Youngster Cup, in which Marcel Stauffer and Maximilian Spies are now tied at the top of the table. Cas Valk causes a shock with his race victory in the ADAC MX Junior Cup 125, while Viteszlav Marek wins to slightly extend his lead in the ADAC MX Junior Cup 85.
The opening races of the final round of this season’s ADAC MX Masters took place in front of roughly 2,000 people in Reutlingen. The event is staged by ADAC Württemberg e.V. and organised in cooperation with local clubs 1. RMC Reutlingen e.V., MSC “Eiserne Hand” Aichwald e.V. and MSC Gaildorf. LS2 Best Qualifier Jordi Tixier (FRA) from the KTM Sarholz Racing Team took the Red Bull Holeshot and initially found himself at the front of the ADAC MX Masters field. However, Max Nagl (GER) was not hanging around on the Krettek Haas Racing Team’s Husqvarna and promptly took the lead on lap two. Despite three broken ribs, Nagl then consistently pulled clear of the field before taking victory with a lead of almost 20 seconds. Tixier rode a controlled race to take second place, knowing full well that his closest rivals in the championship – Tom Koch (GER) and Cyril Genot (BEL) – were behind him. Local favourite Elias Stapel (GER) thrilled the crowd on the Finkmoto Holzgerlingen KTM. He had already impressed with the second-fastest qualifying time in his group, and was running third at the halfway point of the race. He eventually came home seventh. Mike Stender (GER) from the SHR Motorsports team finished third on the Yamaha – his best result of the season. Koch crossed the finish line behind Jérémy Delincé (BEL) of the KMP Honda Racing Team in fifth place, having suffered a self-inflicted crash. Cyril Genot ended the race in tenth place, where he had started it.
“After a good start, I calmly assessed the track conditions, as it was really slippery in some places. Having taken the lead, I kept applying pressure, as I want to be as fit and fast as possible for the Motocross of Nations. It is a shame that I am no longer in contention for the title, but I would still like to win as many races as possible. I have done a really good job of that so far. My DNF in Dreetz and the rib injury was just unlucky,” said Nagl after the victory.
ADAC MX Youngster Cup
Red Bull Holeshot winner Mike Gwerder (SUI, WZ Racing Team) did not lead for long before Maxime Grau (FRA) from the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Team replaced him at the head of the field. Grau initially opened a small lead, but found himself under pressure from Andrea Bonacorsi (ITA) on the Hutten Metaal Yamaha towards the end of the race. Grau crashed on a jump with three laps remaining – through nobody’s fault but his own – leaving the path free for Bonacorsi to take victory. Oriol Oliver (ESP) from the WZ Racing Team finished runner-up, ahead of Marcel Stauffer (AUT), who did not get off to a great start on the Sturm STC Racing Team’s KTM. Championship leader Maximilian Spies (GER) from the Maddii Racing Fantic Factory team found himself down in 17th place after the opening lap, but consistently fought his way back through the field to finish seventh. That puts Spies and Stauffer level on points at the top of the table ahead of the final two races of the season on Sunday.
ADAC MX Junior Cup 125
In the ADAC MX Junior Cup 125, Cas Valk (NED) passed fellow Husqvarna rider Kay Karssemakers (NED) on lap one to take the lead, before going on to take a commanding victory. The two Dutchmen were followed home in second place by Bence Pergel (HUN) on the HTS KTM, ahead of Julius Mikula (CZE). While the race was something of a procession at the front, there was a lot of jostling for position further down the field. Maximilian Werner (GER) on the Kosak Racing KTM was the best-placed German in sixth at the start of the race, but was then overtaken by his team-mates Valentin Kees (GER) and Constantin Piller (GER) over the course of the race. The trio finished fifth, sixth and seventh, ahead of championship leader Scott Smulders (NED), who found himself in the last third of the field after the start. Smulders continues to top the table, ahead of Piller and Werner.
ADAC MX Junior Cup 85
In the ADAC MX Junior Cup 85, the Red Bull Holeshot went to Jannes Vos (NED) of the Vos Racing Team. However, championship leader Viteszlav Marek (CZE) from the Becker Racing Team soon replaced him at the head of the field. Marek, in turn, was overtaken by Markuss Ozolins (LAT) on the Kosak Racing KTM before the opening lap had been completed. Marek countered on the next lap and opened a slight lead. Noel Zanocz (HUN) from the KTM Sarholz Racing Team gradually worked his way through the field from sixth place and inherited third place when Aaron Kowatsch (GER) crashed. Halfway into the race, Zanocz passed Ozolins and closed in on Marek. As the rain started to fall, Marek was able to open up a lead again, until he suffered brake issues after a collision with a lapped bike with two laps remaining. Zanocz set off in hot pursuit of his rival in the title race, but Marek held on for the win. In doing so, he slightly extended his lead in the championship to five points ahead of the deciding final race on Sunday.