The inaugural evening in Bulgaria brought the thrills and spills that fans of the MotoZ FIM SuperEnduro World Championship are accustomed to, with several riders shining bright and Jonny WALKER (GBR-Beta) hailed as one of the great heroes of the evening. The English rider suffered through the entire evening with food poisoning and his participation was in doubt until just before the first gate drop. Determined not to see the title slip away, WALKER gathered the little strength he had left to race the penultimate GP of the season. The Beta rider was impressive, managing to finish each of the races despite his immense physical disadvantage. He achieved fourth in the first and second races and fifth in the final fight of the night, therefore finishing fourth overall in the GP, tied on points with Will HOARE (GBR-Rieju).
WALKER is now 59 points behind Billy BOLT (GBR-Husqvarna) - if the reigning champion takes victory in the first race next weekend, he would be crowned without even needing to contest the remaining two races.
BOLT On Another Planet
It was another impeccable evening for BOLT as he smashed the fastest time in the Akrapovic Superpole, rushed to the Airoh Holeshot Award, and won all three races with relative ease. The factory Husqvarna rider left the Bulgarian crowd in no doubt of his skill, talent and showmanship. Winning the first race by almost eight seconds ahead of Manuel LETTENBICHLER (GER-KTM), and the second race ahead of the German by almost ten seconds. In the final battle of the night BOLT did not let up his effort, taking another controlled victory in front of Will HOARE and Mitch BRIGHTMORE (GBR-GASGAS). A hattrick for BOLT which made onlookers forget the injury problems he has suffered in recent weeks. King Billy is only a week away from another crown…
The rest of the evening was quite lively for the podium contenders, Manuel LETTENBICHLER finished second overall in the Bulgarian GP after having perfectly played his role as an outsider, replacing Jonny WALKER at the front. The German rode very well during all three races but the last one was a little more hectic for the factory KTM rider who took the chequered flag in fourth place. His third place in the championship standings now seems almost certain, but Will HOARE is going to give everything to dislodge him during the British GP. The Rieju rider made his return to the overall podium in Bulgaria with third – a first success for the Spanish manufacturer. HOARE must close a gap of 32 points if he wants to overtake LETTENBICHLER overall. The fight for the Top 5 was also very lively, Eddie KARLSSON (SWE-Husqvarna) rode with a damaged engine all evening and finally had to give up before the last race when he could have aimed for a good third place. Mitch BRIGHTMORE (GBR-GASGAS) also came very close to his first podium in Prestige. The 2023 Junior World Champion is one of the most impressive riders of the 2024 season.
Ashton Makes the BRIGHTMORE Name Shine
The young British prodigy Ashton BRIGHTMORE (GBR-GASGAS) won his fourth GP of the season in the Junior category. With this latest success, the standout rider of the season is heading towards the class title and could succeed his big brother Mitch, last year’s Junior World Champion. The BRIGHTMORE siblings are clearly ready to write their names large in the annals of the sport. Ashton scored his first hattrick of the season by winning all three races in Sofia. Despite his best efforts, Suff SELLA (ISR-KTM) was unable to curb the enthusiasm and skill of his young opponent. The Israeli KTM rider was forced to make comebacks three times during the races, which he managed well, but BRIGHTMORE was always one step ahead. A big crash in the final race of the night left SELLA bruised and feeling defeated despite the fact he still achieved third overall. The Brit will arrive in Newcastle with a 26-point advantage, but nothing is certain until the final flag. Milan SCHMUESER (GER-Sherco) took his best result of the season by finishing second in the Bulgarian GP, a good return from injury for the German. As in the Prestige class, a Junior king will be crowned in just one week’s time, and the UK are on course for two home grown champions!
After a brilliant night in Bulgaria which proved the country’s passion for the sport, we only have one week until the conclusion of a season which has been a success in every way. The grand finale of the 2024 MotoZ FIM SuperEnduro World Championship will be held in the Utilita Arena in BOLT’s hometown of Newcastle next Saturday the 2nd of March.
Billy Bolt : “The track tonight was slick and slippery but it was really enjoyable to ride so the Bulgarian organisation have done a brilliant job. I’ve come out of it with another three wins and a solid advantage. Tonight was tough for Jonny, and we all know what it’s like to suffer through bad times so I feel for him. It hasn’t sunk in for me yet that Newcastle is just next weekend, we’re a tightknit community and I know the atmosphere is going to be unreal, see you all there!”
Ashton Brightmore:
“I’m really happy to come away from Bulgaria with three wins and the overall, I tried to stay mistake free but it wasn’t easy on this track. In the last race I felt the pressure from Suff, but I was staying calm, and then suddenly he wasn’t there anymore and I came past him on the next lap. I didn’t really know what had happened to him. Anyway, I’m really looking forward to next week in Newcastle, counting the days now!”
