First overall win of the season for Jordi Tixier. Max Nagl is second, ahead of Tom Koch. Title race between Nagl and Koch remains exciting.
12,000 fans witnessed thrilling races with tough but fair battles in summery temperatures at the ADAC MX Masters event in Holzgerlingen. Jordi Tixier (F/KMP Honda Racing powered by Krettek) won two of the three races to take overall victory, ahead of Max Nagl (D/KMP Honda Racing powered by Krettek) and Tom Koch (D/Kosak Racing Team). In the championship, Nagl slightly extended his lead over Koch.
The opening race on Saturday saw class newcomer Noah Ludwig (D/KTM Sarholz Racing Team) shoot out of the start gate to take the Red Bull Holeshot. He was able to maintain that lead for six laps, until Tixier, who was sixth fastest in practice, battled his way to the front of the field. Nagl had briefly taken the lead beforehand, but Ludwig countered after a mistake from the championship leader. Importantly, however, Nagl slotted back into third place ahead of his fiercest rival in the title race, Koch. After the halfway point of the race, Nagl and Koch overtook Ludwig. That left the weekend’s top riders, who shared all the podium places among themselves, out in front. Right from the start, the two leading riders in the championship had spent almost the entire race tracking and stalking each other. Tixier managed his lead at the front, while Koch launched another assault on Nagl on the final lap. However, the KMP Honda Racing powered by Krettek rider called on all his experience to counter Koch’s attack. Adam Sterry (GB/KTM Sarholz Racing Team) fell back to fifth place in the first third of the race, having been second after the opening lap. Meanwhile, Maximilian Spies (D/Kosak Racing Team) fought back to finish sixth.
On Sunday, Ludwig celebrated his birthday with another two Red Bull Holeshots. In race two on Sunday lunchtime, however, he conceded the lead to Koch and Tixier after the opening lap. Three laps later, Nagl also passed him to take third place. A few laps later, Nagl pulled off a successful overtaking manoeuvre on Koch, but his bike then stalled briefly, due to a clod of earth that blocked his brake pedal. Nagl stayed in touch with Koch, but was no longer any danger to him. Ludwig was then overtaken by Spies, Sterry and Jakub Teresak (CZ/Enduro Koch Racing) in the second half of the race, and found himself down in seventh place. Tixier claimed his second win of the weekend in commanding fashion. Koch, Nagl, Spies and Sterry completed the top five.
In race three, Ludwig’s lead lasted three laps, before Nagl, Tixier and Koch passed him on the same lap and set a rapid pace at the front of the field. Nagl managed to open a small gap ahead of Tixier and Koch. On lap six, Spies, coming through from the midfield, overtook Ludwig to take fourth place, bringing Sterry and Tim Koch (D/VisuAlz Productions) with him. However, Spies hit the deck two laps later and rejoined the race in sixth place, ahead of Ludwig. With four laps remaining, Tom Koch leapfrogged ahead of Tixier into second place, but Nagl ultimately took the chequered flag with a six-second lead over Tom Koch, Tixier, Sterry and Tim Koch.
In the event standings, Tixier claimed his first overall victory of the season, ahead of Nagl, Tom Koch, Sterry and Spies. Nagl increased his lead at the top of the table by three points to 13, with only the season finale to come. Tixier lies third in the championship, followed by Sterry and Spies.
“It was an outstanding weekend for me. I had an issue with the front brake on Saturday, but still managed to win. Everything went well in race two. In the third race, I did not feel so good and Max and Tom set a very high pace. That is my first overall win of the season. The team was first and second today, it can hardly get any better than that,” said a beaming Tixier at the presentation ceremony.
“What an awesome weekend! In the first two races, I had a few problems with the technology, which nobody could do anything about. That happens sometimes in motor racing. Everything was okay in race three, and I was able to set my own pace. You can fight hard and fair with Tom, which is great fun. I am looking forward to the finale in Dreetz,” said Nagl.
All the races from both days of the event can be watched in a full replay or as individual races via the free ADAC MX Masters playlist on the ADAC Motorsport YouTube channel. All the weekend’s results can be found online at adac.de/mx-masters.
