Marcel Stauffer wins the ADAC MX Youngster Cup on a two-stroke. Scott Smulders is ADAC MX Junior Cup 125 champion. Viteszlav Marek triumphs in the ADAC MX Junior Cup 85.
Reutlingen. The ADAC MX Youngster Cup, ADAC MX Junior Cup 125 and ADAC MX Junior Cup 85 classes treated the 5,600 fans in Reutlingen to a thrilling season finale. In the ADAC MX Youngster Cup, Marcel Stauffer (AUT) knocked the championship leader coming into the event, Maximilian Spies (GER), off top spot and was crowned champion in this class. Scott Smulders (NED) controlled his lead in the championship and is the new ADAC MX Junior Cup 125 champion. In the ADAC MX Junior Cup 85, leader Viteszlav Marek (CZE) held his nerve and wrapped up the title.
ADAC MX Youngster Cup
Going into the finale in Reutlingen, just five points separated Championship leader Maximilian Spies of the Maddii Racing Fantic Factory team from Marcel Stauffer on the Sturm STC Racing Team’s KTM. Stauffer drew level on points in Saturday’s opening race, courtesy of a third place behind winner Andrea Bonacorsi (ITA) on the Hutten Metaal Yamaha and Oriol Oliver (ESP) from the WZ Racing Team, while Spies had to settle for seventh after a poor start. Stauffer then took a narrow victory on Sunday, finishing ahead of Bonacorsi and Mike Gwerder (SUI) on a two-stroke KTM run by the WZ Racing Team. This took him ahead of Spies, who came home sixth. And so the title race came down to the third and final race of the weekend. Stauffer took the lead on lap three, while Spies found himself seventh after the opening laps. Stauffer benefitted from a technical issue for Bonacorsi to move to the front of the field, ahead of Gwerder and Liam Everts (BEL) on the Liamski KTM. However, the standings were turned on their head at the start of lap five, when Stauffer suffered a self-induced crash at the finish jump. The next time the riders crossed the finish line, Everts led the race, ahead of Gwerder, Oliver and Spies, with Stauffer struggling in ninth place. While Everts consistently pulled clear, Stauffer managed to climb into eighth and saw Spies drop back a position towards the end of the race when he was passed by Maxime Grau (FRA) of the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Team. Everts won both the race and the event classification ahead of Gwerder and Oliver. However, the new champion of the ADAC MX Youngster cup is Marcel Stauffer. Spies ended the season in second place, Everts climbed to third at the season finale.
“I knew before the weekend that I had a good chance, as I have done extremely well on hard ground this year. My two-stroke KTM was excellent. After the crash in race three, I soon regained my composure and knew that Spies was not that far ahead of me and that eighth place would be good enough to win the title. I am now very happy to be the new ADAC MX Youngster Cup champion,” said a delighted Stauffer.
ADAC MX Junior Cup 125
Scott Smulders (NED) from the No Fear Jumbo BT Racing Team travelled to Reutlingen with a comfortable 29-point lead over Kosak Racing team-mates Constantin Piller (GER) and Maximilian Werner (GER). Given his first big opportunity to win the title, the Dutchman was, by his own admission, nervous and consequently rode strategically. The three race wins went to his compatriot Cas Valk (NED), who was followed over the line on each occasion by fellow Husqvarna rider Kay Karssemakers (NED). Two third places and a fifth were enough for Bence Pergel (HUN) from the HTS KTM Team to take the final podium position in the event classification. Smulders managed his lead with two unspectacular eighth places in the first two races and fifth in the final race, comfortably wrapping up the title in the ADAC MX Junior Cup 125. The battle to finish runner-up was rather more exciting, as Piller and Werner came into the race weekend level on points. Piller showed a little more fight, finishing sixth in race one, just ahead of Werner who had actually made the better start. In race two, Piller overtook Werner in the penultimate corner to take third place. Fourth place in the final race sealed second place in the championship, ahead of Werner.
“I am very happy, as this is my first real championship. With five three-race events, you have to ride well consistently compared to the other titles like the world junior championship, which only takes place on one weekend. I laid the foundation for the title at the first two events, at which I won every race. I was a little unfortunate in Drehna and made a few mistakes myself. I wanted to avoid that in Reutlingen, even if I do enjoy riding on hard ground. I was nervous, so I didn’t take any major risks,” commented champion Smulders.
ADAC MX Junior Cup 85
In the ADAC MX Junior Cup 85, just two points separated Viteszlav Marek (CZE) from the Becker Racing Team, who had led the championship after the season-opener, and his closest rival Noel Zanocz (HUN) from KTM Sarholz Racing. However, Marek took an early lead in both races and controlled them from the front. In Saturday’s opening race, he was forced to work for his win after colliding with a lapped car with two laps remaining, after which his front wheel would no longer rotate freely. Despite this, he still managed to hold on to first place, ahead of the rapidly approaching Zanocz. The Hungarian had previously overtaken Markuss Ozolins (LAT) from the Kosak Racing Team to climb into second place. In race two, Marek controlled the race after the Red Bull Holeshot and crossed the line first, just ahead of Ozolins and Zanocz. The same three drivers ended up in exactly that order in the event classification. The title in the ADAC MX Junior Cup 85 went to Viteszlav Marek, ahead of Noel Zanocz and Gyan Doensen (NED).
“The races here were very tough. The last race was very tight at the start, but I was quickly able to move to the front and open a little gap. I was not able to relax, however, as Ozolins and Zanocz applied a lot of pressure. I am delighted to have won the championship,” said Marek.
All the races from both days of the event can be watched free of charge in a repeat of the full livestream or as individual races via the ADAC MX Masters Reutlingen playlist. The highlights from Reutlingen will be broadcast this Saturday in the 26-minute ADAC MX Masters Magazine on ServusTV Motorsport, Magenta TV and at YouTube.com/ADAC. All of the weekend’s results can be found online at adac.de/mx-masters.