Second start of season for Bud Racing

After a first season opening early in January in the US West Coast SX Series, team Bud Racing Monster Energy Kawasaki took a second start this weekend, involved both in the US East Coast Series and in the French Elite championship.

After a few International races (Valence, Lacapelle Marival) to prepare the season, it was time this weekend to enter the French Elite series, including now the Junior (125cc) and Hopefull (85cc) classes. It’s Sommières in Southern France who met this opening round; it was a very good day for Nicolas Dercourt, a good one for Brian Moreau Strubhart and an average one for defending champion Xavier Boog.

Racing for the first time since his knee injury last summer, Nicolas Dercourt confirmed his strong winter training, as he was always one of the fastest MX2 riders. Fifth in his timed practice session, he got two great starts with his Bud KX250F and took the lead of each race after just a few laps. He did a perfect race in the opening moto, winning it 8 seconds ahead of his rivals with the fastest lap time; in the second heat a couple of mistakes relegates him in third, only three seconds behind the winner. He is tied in the points with the leader of the series.

Fastest rider in the MX1 class during the practice session, Xavier Boog will not be as successful as his teammate at the start. Twice in the pack, he lost everything in the opening lap of the first race when another rider hit and him and damaged his bike. Sixth after a few corners in the second heat, he came back third but already played his joker in the series with a tenth overall.

Fifth in the Junior qualifying race, Brian Moreau Strubhart was fifth during the first race when he crashed and lost a couple of positions; finally tenth of the race, he then scored a strong third position in the next heat to leave Sommières fifth in the standings. Next round of the French Series is in two weeks time in St Thibery, again in Southern France.

Flying to the US only last Monday, Cedric Soubeyras had just a few days to prepare the most famous race of the US calendar: Daytona! Ninth overall in the timed practice session, only two seconds from the pole position, Cédric qualified straight for the main event with a seventh position in his heat race. He then scored a twelfth position in the main event, not so far from the top ten and he will be for sure stronger next week in Toronto!

Nicolas Dercourt: “It’s good to start the season with such a good result, as I’m second in the series tied with the leader for my first race since six months. I got a good start in the first race, and won my first ever Elite race; in the second race I was again leading the pack, but I did a few mistakes and score a third position. Happy to start like this, and a big thanks to the staff and the partners of team Bud.”

Xavier Boog: “The weekend started pretty well with the fastest lap time in the MX1 class, but I missed a good start in race one and another rider hit my bike and damaged my chain guide so I had to stop. In the second moto I start again in the pack and came back third, so the results are not what I expected. We’ll continue to train before St Thibery, especially to get good starts.”