The Romanian GP, held in the atmospheric BTArena, is sure to be a memorable one for years to come as the tight track brought drama on almost every corner. It has been a few seasons since a rider has been capable of defeating the mighty pairing of Billy BOLT and Jonny WALKER when it comes to the AKRAPOVIC Superpole, but tonight in Cluj it was Sweden’s Eddie KARLSSON with the fastest time and the top grid pick. This great result paid off as KARLSSON also claimed the Airoh Holeshot prize and finished fifth overall in the GP: his best result of the year.
Billy BOLT – Stronger Than the Pain
During the fourth lap of the race, Billy BOLT (GBR-Husqvarna) made a small mistake which jolted his already injured left leg. The Husky rider felt extreme stiffness and pain on every obstacle to follow, and he could do nothing to fight back against a charging Jonny WALKER (GBR-Beta) who quickly took control and looked strong around the compact layout. Despite his intense suffering, BOLT managed to stay in second place despite numerous falls on the now infamous corner named the “Devil’s Hand”. BOLT managed to cross the finish line ahead of Manuel LETTENBICHLER (GER-KTM) who made a crazy comeback after falling at the start of the race. Jonny WALKER won the race and laid down the gauntlet for his rivals.
In the second race with its traditional reversed grid, WALKER found himself on the front row due to his unfortunate crash in the Akrapovic Superpole. The Beta rider stood a good chance of another race win, but starting from the outside he found himself caught up in the messy early corners. Mitch BRIGHTMORE (GBR-GASGAS) was the pack leader, but he was soon followed by BOLT, while WALKER was sitting in third place. It was all change when BOLT was victim to another fall, and dropped all the way down to fifth, while WALKER managed to overtake BRIGHTMORE for first place. All onlookers assumed that BOLT, with his painful leg and now trailing behind, would not be able to overcome this handicap. However, there is simply no keeping him down and the triple world champion patiently picked off his opponents one by one. With his rival closing in WALKER dropped his bike just one lap from the finish, and BOLT immediately swept through to take control of the race and see the chequered flag first. He won ahead of WALKER while Dominik OLSZOWY (POL-Rieju) showed great form to take third.
Before the last race, the two Englishmen were tied (37 points each), meaning it was all to play for in the finale under the lights in Cluj. Eddie KARLSSON once again rushed to an early Airoh Holeshot, while BOLT, WALKER and LETTENBICHLER slotted in behind and became engaged in a superb battle. With everyone wondering about the physical condition of the Husqvarna rider after such an intense night, the crowd roared when he once again conquered and shot into the lead. In fact, he dominated the last race of the night to take his fourth overall victory from four rounds. Jonny WALKER was forced to once again bow to his compatriot. LETTENBICHLER took his second podium in two races, proving his quick adaptation to SuperEnduro. Behind this incredible trio were OLSZOWY, KARLSSON, Mitch BRIGHTMORE and Rieju’s new signing, Will HOARE (GBR).
Meanwhile, in the championship standings, Billy BOLT consolidates his lead over WALKER. He now sits 19 points ahead of the Beta rider. Will HOARE has been bumped down to 4th overall, as LETTENBICHLER moves ahead of him by 7 points.
Ashton BRIGHTMORE Flawless in Junior
Ashton BRIGHTMORE, the 17-year-old Brit, once again put in a spectacular performance during the fourth GP of the season in the Junior category. The GASGAS rider has skills beyond his years, even on such a difficult track, and he took victory in the first race while Marc FERNANDEZ SERRA (ESP-KTM) snatched second ahead of his team-mate, Suff SELLA (ISR-KTM). Race 2 was another masterclass from BRIGHTMORE, while SELLA managed second, and Raul GUIMERA (ESP-Sherco) completed the top three. In the last race, the Israeli rider was out to prove that he had a win in him, something he achieved with confidence ahead of BRIGHTMORE and FERNANDEZ. Despite the strength and determination of Suff SELLA (ISR-KTM) on the night, it was simply not enough to prevent his friend and rival, BRIGHTMORE from taking the overall spoils and regain the title lead in the process. Marc FERNANDEZ SERRA (ESP-KTM) completed the final podium.
In the Junior class standings, BRIGHTMORE (215 points) is ahead of SELLA (212 points) by three points. The fight promises to be as intense as ever as we head into the next round in Hungary. Roland LISZKA (HUN-KTM), despite a lackluster GP, remains third overall with 158 points.
European Cup: LEON Close to the Crown
Spain’s Xavi LEON SOLE won his third event of the European SuperEnduro Cup in as many rounds contested. By winning the two races in Romania, the GASGAS rider gained a real psychological and mathematical advantage over his opponents. Emerging American Dustin MCCARTHY (USA-Beta) and the Poland’s Maciej WIECKOWSKI (GASGAS) completed the evening’s final podium. It was a Grand Prix to forget for Alessandro AZZALINI (ITA-GASGAS) only 6th. In the European Cup standings LEON SOLE is in the lead with 112 points, 31 ahead of WIECKOWSKI, AZZALINI is third, one point behind the Pole.
The Romanian Grand Prix was a standout of the season with a passionate, knowledgeable and excitable fans cheering on the stars of the sport as they took on one of the hardest tracks so far. The MotoZ FIM SuperEnduro World Championship now begins its second part of the season with the Hungarian GP on February 3rd in Budapest.
What They Said:
Billy Bolt: “What can I say? I struggled a lot in the first race, on one lap I changed up a gear over the finish line and something really didn’t feel good in my leg. It kind of locked up. Then in the last race the injury didn’t feel too bad and I was able to hang in behind Jonny, I always try and stick behind him and wear him down. It hasn’t been easy with the pain, but I had message from one of my best friends that said ‘You don’t stop when it hurts, you stop when it’s over’ - that really helped me get through tonight. I’m really happy to extend my lead going into Hungary, but I need to do better in Superpole next time because I’m annoyed that I missed the extra points tonight.”
Jonny Walker:
“The track was tight and technical tonight and after I messed up the Superpole I was determined to try and get good starts and give Billy a fight. In the first race I was in a good spot and I managed to win, I felt happy with that but I knew I’d be on the ‘wrong’ side of the gate for the reverse grid race and it wasn’t easy. Billy is a machine, and he got the better of me in the end. A difficult night for all of us physically with this layout, but I feel like I’m improving with each round.”
Ashton Brightmore:
“The championship is crazy; every round we’re changing it up and switching positions which makes it interesting. Every round I want to get on the bike and try to win, I think it would be pretty boring if it was just someone leading the whole way, but we have good battles and it’s not clear who will win. I’m hungry for it and so is Suff, I’m loving it! I tried to get good starts tonight, stay on the footpegs and stay mistake free. I’m really happy with my riding and the fact I got the red plate.”
