2024 MXoN MXGP Qualifying races
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00:00Down on the gate here the five-second ball turns the drop in start keep your eye on the guy in red and yellow
00:05I'm from the right-hand side as we look down left for him. He gets a good clean getaway Hurling's in there as well
00:10but Befra in there
00:12And the Australian hunter all the favorites all the favorites are right there as a guy said down the inside
00:19But it's Prado who leads guys the second hunter Lawrence airing third
00:22And then pepper in for Ferrato fifth alongside him Jeffrey Hurling's what a start to the race. We've got here
00:28Where is Jeffrey Hurling's? I'm sorry. Where is Kenny Roxon? And where is Jeremy Siva? We'll get them up
00:33As soon as we can I was really curious to see yeah, that's not so bad
00:38I was curious to see how Hunter Lawrence would fare here. They've been so perfect on the Starks
00:42He and his brother Hunter, but this is a it's different surface behind the gate
00:45It's a different environment against different motorcycles still near the front
00:49Which is that's encouraging to see if you're a fan of any of the pro motocross racers
00:53I'll be at whichever country you're from
00:5619 for Spain Tim Geiser for the Slovenians number 25
01:00He's in second hunter Lawrence number four is in third as Hurling's nips up the inside of Ferrato is he moves into fifth place?
01:08Through the waves bottom end of the circuit. You may have noticed one or two circuit changes since the last time we were here
01:14And Hurling's tips over Hurling's out of fear a simple error
01:17That's just going to show how quickly the circuit is drying out. Maybe caught some loose rocks
01:22I think he may have been a neutral there when he went to drive and push forward
01:25He expected the motorcycle to go and it didn't so let's watch here
01:28Does he get on the gas there and then like saying nothing did he catch the edge of the rug?
01:33Maybe just the front pushes as well there
01:36Yeah, that's unfortunate for him now. He first lap. He's gonna go back to you know 35th place
01:41That's that's a really tough one for the Netherlands again
01:44It's only qualifying but you want to be as close to that inside as you can going into Sunday Kenny rocks in here
01:49He's in sixth place
01:50He had the last game big 36 all the way to the outside in what is a long straight into 180 left-hand turn
01:56He came up
01:57He jumped long there as he came in the land
01:59But the number 10 already all over the back of the number 7 Ferrato as he is in sixth place
02:05But it's Prado Geyser Hunter Lawrence of Australia
02:08Toronto Italy rocks in Belgium with Van Donnick or go up Norway and the Swede gifting with the Austrian Stouffer
02:14Just there Hurling's an expensive mistake fifth down to 11
02:18This is this is what Kenny does. He is so
02:22Proficient on the first lap and it's something about the way his body works
02:26He is able to be his best self on the opening lap. He doesn't need a warm-up
02:28He doesn't need to see the racetrack. He can immediately go his best laps right away
02:32And that's why you're seeing cutting through the field
02:34So if a rider you had to choose to get a bad gate pick and a bad start that needed to move forward quickly
02:38I don't know that there's a better one. They can rock listen to the atmosphere is Roxon on the charge full chat
02:44He found his way quickly past Verato. He's now up in the fifth place
02:48And he's got his eyes set on Roman Fevra number one just ahead of him for France
02:56Hurling still in 11th place
02:57He's got Pettis the Canadian behind him Tomac in 13th place then Fred
03:01So see we're 15 the Kiwi Harwood in 17th place
03:05Remember one point for a win two for second three for third and so on and so on if you're a cabaret euro
03:10For South Africa, you are in 36th place as a South African team. You're hoping to drop that score
03:17And hope that the other two riders do their their bit if you like
03:21Yeah
03:22And even if you're not running well here even for Jeffrey Hurling's Tomac's a little bit further back that he'd like to be you still
03:27Need to make sure you make the most of this because you don't know what's going to happen in those other two qualifiers
03:32Mechanical a first turn crash you may have to use this score, even though you don't like it in the moment
03:36Here's Roxon. He's just set the fastest time in sector one with a 30.2
03:42Seconds time Geiser fastest in sector 2 Prado fastest in sector 3 as he maintains about 1 and 3 quarter seconds over Tim
03:49Geiser
03:49but
03:50What a start want to see a replay of the start as soon as we can actually so we can focus on that outside gate
03:54And see how Kenny Roxon got the jump on see where was able to get across the Slovakian of Thomas Coe who in the Greek?
04:02panagiotis kuzis
04:03As he challenged for our top 10 gate pick in the end or a top 10 entry exit. Sorry
04:10Yeah, I'd also like to see what kind of what happened to Tomac there his starts have been pretty good as of late
04:14But historically that they've been a struggle point for him and clearly didn't come out where he wanted to but I just don't know
04:19If was it the jump the problem that he did he make a mistake in the first corner?
04:22How did that all play out?
04:27So Hurling's up into 10th, he's found his way past Marcel Stauffer Tomac is 12th
04:32Petis 13 Fred so see what Harman Searle the great Britain 17th Emma Weckman Peter Pollock and Lorenzo
04:37Locosio of Venezuela in the 20th position
04:42Remember 19 teams go direct to the motocross nation's main event on Sunday
04:47The 20th team down to 36 go through the B final where only one team will qualify
04:53We'll worry about all that in our final race today the open category, but Jorge Prado
04:59Showing why is a two-time world champion at the moment great starts great technique and pulling away two seconds clear of the five-time champ
05:06Tim Geiser, yeah, it's just business as usual
05:08I see that line there. Yeah, and this was doing that in the free practice. That's just
05:14Understanding how the track works keeping your eyes open right being having an open mind to what the racetrack is going to give you but
05:19We're gonna Prado. I think this is probably the loosest. He's raced in a couple months, right? There's no pressure
05:24Yes, he wants to represent Spain in the best way he can but the world championship is now sewn up
05:28He can ride through it freely, which we talked about a little bit with him yesterday
05:32And yeah, I'm sure he wants to go out and win this qualifier race today, but he's loose, right?
05:36He doesn't have that world championship pressure on his shoulders
05:40Teams that are on the edge at the moment. Let's remember who are going to the B final
05:48Guys such as coming a little bit loose as he came in and then there
05:50The 19 teams going through but 20 heading to the B final as it stands right now
05:55Venezuela because they are in 20th place
05:57We've got Slovakia, Ireland in the B final and 22nd with Mike Barr
06:00So he needs to put his finger out as well, Portugal, Estonia, Latvia
06:04And the rest
06:06But and right then teams like 33rd, 4th, 5th and 6th who are currently non-classified Poland, Lithuania
06:13Israel, Iceland, Sweden, Germany, Austria, and the Netherlands
06:17Poland, Lithuania, Israel, Iceland, sorry, and Republic of South Africa
06:24So pressure on some of those teams for their remaining two riders in the next two races
06:30Yeah again, you may not like the score you have right now
06:32But you need to make the most of it
06:34the last thing you want to do is just kind of take it easy because you don't think you need the score and then you
06:38End up. That was a nice line as Geyser approached that
06:42Turn so turn three sorry turn four across those waves into the right-hander as he came up through there
06:48He had the option just to turn in tight
06:50But no he landed into a braking bump and hopped
06:52Over the turn and went to the outside on the exit before the liquid molygym. That was nice. That was
06:57kind of
07:00Intuitive yeah, it's so easy on a racetrack like this just to kind of fall into the main line
07:04There's so many ruts to choose from
07:07But if you can really approach the racetrack with a new set of eyes and think about it a little bit differently as it starts
07:12To take shape you can find some lines that other people aren't using we've seen both Jorge Prado and Tim Geyser both do that
07:18Now look how wide Lawrence goes through there compared to it's probably an extra 10 meters
07:21Yeah that he's adding on to the racetrack that he wouldn't need to and doesn't it's probably half a second
07:26You know, maybe three quarters of a second on the on the timer, but the extra energy and it's it's wasted energy
07:32He doesn't need to go out there, but I would also say he probably doesn't know the lines there
07:35Yeah, although Jeff was using it in the free practice earlier on and you think you know brother the brother teammate the teammate
07:40Oh, there's a sweet little line. You can transfer across the the ridge there if you like
07:45Coming up short this obviously decided not to commit as Hurling's all over the back of the Belgian Brent van Donick
07:50So this is gonna be for seventh place after his mistake on the opening lap that threw him out of fifth place down to 11
07:57And you can see how he's trying to muscle his way past the Belgian
08:01You know hunters also a rider where if he doesn't feel comfortable doing a certain
08:05Combination or a line you see Jeffrey Hurling's making the past there
08:08He simply won't do it and we've talked about them with that with him over there over the years
08:12And he just looks at it analytically and says the risk isn't worth the reward of the line
08:17So I'm just gonna stick with what I know so that could be the same as well
08:19When you look at how hard the the jump faces are the uphill triple before the finish and then you go left on drone cam
08:25Showed how light how pale the the texture was the color of the dirt
08:29That's already going down to the rock dry
08:32Kind of slick surface that if you're not careful can catch you out then you go a couple of corners later
08:38You've got chocolate cake great lines sticky traction all the way through even as you drop downhill here
08:44But let's just follow Hurling's here a moment because a lap ago Tim Geiser coming up on this part of the racetrack
08:49He was over on the left where
08:52Pronto is and hopped over the rut here. It's a Hurling's does something different as well
08:58Several ways yes this track together for sure and for a rider, you know, like you I Tomac
09:04Never ridden this racetrack before it Hunter Lawrence is only raced here two or three times
09:08They have to figure all these things out right and watching film. I was over at the team USA hospitality
09:12Or they were watching film trying to study the racetrack as it was developing throughout the day
09:16That's gonna be so important because riders like Roman Fever a four-year product if guys are multi-time world champions
09:22They have hundreds of race laps on this facility
09:25They already kind of understand the way the tracks going to form up where the good lines will be late in the day
09:30And actually as well if you talk to the team side if you're an American you're sad at home and you're thinking
09:36The bigger picture is
09:38it's
09:39Tomorrow is the big day. All you need to do today is get two solid results as low as possible to give yourself
09:45A good gate pick. What's the gate pick anywhere inside the top ten will do
09:50Certainly anywhere sort of top five top seven would be slightly better and you know, Eli Cooper Webb and AP Aaron Plessinger
09:58They know the drill, you know, they don't need to you know, blow a gasket in the qualifying race here
10:04Just let the race come to you. We've still got ten minutes plus two to go
10:08We may keep that score from Tomac
10:10It may get dropped because of better results from his two teammates later on and when it comes to it
10:15And just getting that race out of the system, you know
10:17Any arm pump or whatever else seeing how the track races compared to how it rode in the free practice again different circuit conditions
10:24So dealing with that adapting with that possibly thinking about tomorrow how you set the bike up?
10:28Yeah
10:29and I think also getting the start if you I Tomac or whoever it may be Cooper Webb Aaron Plessinger for any of the riders that
10:35Are not familiar with from whatever country the Canadians
10:37Getting a started running with the riders who are very familiar will help you a lot because they can drag you around the racetrack and
10:43You can absorb their pace along the way trying to find your own pace on a track
10:47You're not very familiar with at race pace. It's very difficult thing
10:51So I don't see if this isn't a track where you're gonna see you I Tomac
10:54Make a heroic ride for the back all the way up to take the win
10:57He's gonna have to start with him if he wants any chance of beating them. How good a ride is this from Albie Ferrato?
11:02He's there number seven for Italy. He is currently in seventh place
11:06Sorry in sixth place as Hurlings gets ready to launch past him downhill
11:10But doesn't give him the room to maneuver at the bottom of the hill there as they go left up into the city roller
11:17But Hurlings does muscle his way down the inside and steps down finds his way past the Italian moves up in the sixth place
11:23That's gonna be six points for the Netherlands seven now for the Italians
11:26Yeah
11:27And you just wonder if Jeffrey Hurlings is ever gonna quite figure out the starts the way he'd like to if he has one weakness
11:33You know, there's been some injuries in his game, but the starts have been such a liability over the years
11:38He's been so fantastic
11:40But you imagine what could have been if he was able to start with the likes of Prado every single time
11:44So Prado leads he's almost four seconds clear of Tim Geiser
11:48So it's Spain leading Slovenia Hunter Lawrence six seconds further back for the green and gold of Australia
11:53Fever and France are defending champions about another three seconds further back and just goes to what I'm saying, you know, Fever in fourth
12:00He's happy with that Lawrence is happy with that fourth place. I would imagine I would assume
12:04Roxon in fifth certainly happy when you consider his gate pick gate 36 to come out in around the top ten
12:11Hurlings the Netherlands in six points Ferrato seven Italy
12:15Seven points Tomac now up to eight has found his way past Van Donneck Orgmo great ride for him
12:20He was off injured off sick last weekend with fever. So good to see the Norwegian there in 10th
12:26We've got Gifting, Stauffer, Siwa, Pettis, Harwood, Searle up to 16th
12:32And of course you're still there in 20th place
12:34But dancing around just on the pegs riding for fun using new lines as well. Hey Prado
12:40Just doing what he's done pretty much all year
12:42Yeah, and he's using lines that if you drew it up on a perfectly smooth racetrack wouldn't make a lot of sense
12:47But that's not what this is those good lines that are inside that the shortest distances in places are completely blown out too difficult
12:54Too deep so you've really got to think about the track in a different way and you see that being played out
13:00These guys are making the track look easy and it is so far from an easy racetrack
13:06Jet Lawrence coming up in the open race the third race of the day. How blessed are we to have two of the
13:13Let's just take a look at this. First of all, this is Hurling's. This is dropping down on the start
13:18So after the finish into the right hander
13:22Foot there
13:25So you I told Mac have a fall there and free practice earlier, but how
13:30Sort of blessed are we to have probably two of the most gifted
13:34Stylish riders that have maybe graced the planet so far with Prado and Jet Lawrence
13:39We'll have Lawrence coming up later on Jet of course in the open race, but both very very similar tall
13:46Skinny, you know use that frame to their effect both dancing around on the foot pegs as
13:51Tomac closes in on Ferrato. This is for seventh place on the right side of your screen
13:57But they are just a different class, aren't they and Tomac Randy outside?
14:02Ferrato has a quick look and says oh, it's Tomac as that Tomac
14:06Leaps up into seventh place
14:09Yeah
14:10And I think one of the most important things for you know
14:12Young riders to watch here whether it's Prado or Jet Lawrence is their body positioning is almost always perfect
14:17You will rarely see a time where they are out of position
14:20Hurlings and Tomac heading uphill the 52 and the 22. This is for sixth position
14:26So the rebel KTM rider normally in the Monster Energy Yamaha rider as Hurlings takes a nervous look back season 22
14:33Couple of race wins between the two here
14:37100 yeah or more 200 more for Hurlings alone
14:42Right Tomac just looks like he's getting warmed up now as we reach the
14:47Final five minutes plus two don't need a bigger carrot than the orange KTM with a 52 on it, doesn't he?
14:51Yeah, and I think outside of the finishing position
14:54This is confidence building for Tomac to be able to chase Jeffrey down if he's able to make the pass and that's really I think
14:59What he needs right it this is all a new environment for these riders and they're trying to figure out the pace
15:05They know they're a little bit slower coming out of free practice. So anything they can do to kind of figure out
15:10Hey, I can do this. I can pass these guys and catch them the starts are going to be so important
15:15But again, I think this is a really important pass for Tomac, even if the scoreboard doesn't show it
15:19yeah, remember the debate the bench racing that we had from the
15:23Keyboard warriors last year or so. Yeah
15:32Guess what keyboard warriors
15:34Riders by the name of Hurlings and Tomac wheel-to-wheel right now in the ramp qualifying race here at Matalee Basin
15:41So you'd be the judge and you may never see this battle happen again ever after this weekend. We don't know right things happen
15:48It's Eli Tomac's in the twilight years of his career. He's committed to one more full season
15:52But these are the moments that one day we'll look back on it. So remember that battle on Saturday between Hurlings and Tomac. Yeah
15:59Kind of watching history unfold
16:01So Prado now four point three seconds clear of Tim Geiser
16:05So Spain continues to lead the way from Slovenia
16:07Australia third with Hunter Lawrence France for with Roman Fairford Germany fifth with Kenny Roxon
16:13Jeffrey Hurling's six for the Netherlands, but the American Eli Tomac
16:17He was around about 17th 18th place wasn't he on the opening lap. So he's done well to chip through
16:25As you would expect of course, yeah, and you know for Eli Tomac poor starts unfortunately for him
16:31I've kind of been part of his repertoire
16:33Very comfortable moving through the pack
16:41Exactly right for Tomac it has been better on the Omaha
16:44I will say his starts have improved but they're still intermittent and even Jeffrey he's gotten whole shots as well
16:48It's just the inconsistency side of it
16:51But I think they're comfortable coming through the pack where you look at a guy like Prado who could send the other riders
16:56They're rarely ever in the back, right?
16:58So that's it's a completely foreign territory for them to be coming through the pack
17:02It's been there for Eli Tomac took a middle rut as Prado over on the right-hand side as he continues to lead
17:08By almost five seconds, but this battle here. No such luxuries for Jeffrey Hurling says he's being
17:15Been short there for Eli Tomac as Matt says he's preparing to get beast mode it
17:19Yeah, and they're just to give you an idea Prado as we're watching double screens. Here's 29 seconds ahead of Tomac
17:25Shows you what a good start and also incredible pace will do
17:29Gifting his move up in tonight. He's found his way past
17:32Borgmo so the Swedes and the Norwegians that little
17:36Northern European Scandinavian thing going on there. See where's up to 11 now stout for 12 pettis of Canada Harwood of New Zealand
17:43That's good for them. And
17:45Just dropping down the order hasn't had a lot of racing recently all of a sudden Kenny Roxon is falling into the clutches of Jeffrey
17:51Hurling's where's Tomac?
17:53How far back is he now about two seconds there?
17:55He is coming into view now
17:56So all of a sudden like the impetus was Tomac on the Hurling's Hurling's now
18:01Realizing that his old stable mate at rebel KTM back in 2011 is right there in his line of sight the number 10, of course
18:08Kenny Roxon who won here in MX to
18:12In that season that was a nice improvisation there from Jeffrey Hurling's came up short wheelied his way through those ruts
18:17That's how quickly these riders have to think isn't it on the spur of the moment on the flight?
18:21Yeah, and you see the response from Jeffrey there. He looked back and that felt worrisome in the moment, but he didn't worry
18:27He just like okay. I need to pick up the pace here, which is now dragged him up to the rear of Roxon and for Tomac
18:31He's probably came in. Where are you going?
18:32I got I thought we were gonna we're gonna settle this between us to and actually I'm based on what you said
18:37You know where it's kind of like the good confidence boosting ride that Tomac needs like closing in on Jeffrey
18:42He can find his way past bingo, you know, and all of a sudden it's having that opposite effect at the moment potentially but
18:48You know
18:50Roxon is getting caught now by Jeffrey Hurling. So
18:53It's a little bit of a yo-yo effect, right?
18:55I think it impressed Hurling's to up the urgency as well
18:59So, I mean I still look at this as it's just a ramp qualifying race, you know riders
19:04I think they maybe save a little bit back unless you're right at the back
19:08You know you go down in the first turn and you're pushing pushing and you continue to push the whole race and you get to
19:13Seventh, that's a different scenario. These guys they're in well-placed
19:18Positions at the moment, you know thinking about tomorrow the game sure
19:21We don't have to go sort of balls out if you like all in and I think it's just it's managing risk
19:25It's pushed within your limits, you know, if you can move up move up, but don't take big risk to do it
19:30but if you look at the
19:33Best lap of the race was a 159.7. He has the fastest lap
19:37159.7 as he closes in on rocks
19:40So it almost into the rear wheel there of the German as they hit the GoPro waves and tripling in there
19:45Look and then double double
19:47Roxanne I'll just squeeze here, but then he just runs wide Hurling's
19:51It's gonna get alongside and he finds his way past the number 10 and the Hurling's all of a sudden up in the fifth place
19:56That was a sneaky inside there. I haven't seen really anybody use that all day Prado
20:00It kind of going on for that inside the outside line. But again, it's the same concept
20:04Can you find lines that really haven't been used throughout the day because they're still gonna be fresh
20:08What was the lap time last time when you think of we've talked a moment ago about?
20:12Geoffrey and Tomac Hurling's lap time last time was a 202.4
20:20So whether it's a couple of mistakes
20:22He just makes a mistake there in the background got on the gas the front when the back came around on Tomac
20:27So I'm just wondering whether it's just minimizing those those little mistakes
20:31Yeah, and once you know you see it again harping on the start again
20:35Everybody's lapping around the same Prado 203 guys are 204 hunter 203
20:40Tomac 204 rocks in 204 Hurling's 203. Everybody's doing the same. Hey, yeah
20:45Yeah, 30 25 minutes in the key is those guys were able to do 159 early on where Tomac and those guys were 202 203
20:52So that's the difference. That's where you build up a 20-second lead by the halfway mark is in those early laps when you have a clear track
20:59It's impressive
21:02Yeah, this is honestly this is what I expect if he's able to ride the way he did in Spain with all the all of
21:09That pressure. I would expect him to be able to ride freely and do much better, right?
21:14And he even said like I brought my best stuff like I brought my best stuff in our team presentation
21:19He's like I was riding pretty well to make I agree with that
21:21But still you have to hold a little bit something back
21:24You can't throw the championship away when you go into Sunday with a nine-point lead
21:28This is this is him riding at his best
21:30He's not afraid to kind of let it hang out a little bit and he's just managing the race
21:34He's not pushing here, but by any means so it's all systems go for Jorge Prado going into Sunday
21:40Jeffrey haven't quite shaken the
21:43Threat of the number 10 of Roxanne behind him
21:46He was about a half a second behind at one moment
21:48But you see he's just putting some a little bit of distance between him now, but not that much two to go
21:53We're gonna get the one lap board next time around for Jorge Prado
21:57And Tomek was 206 that last stop so either a mistake or I would say more likely
22:02Is this okay? I'm in a good position two laps to go
22:04I'm not gonna throw away a finish here
22:06But I think he kind of proved like if when I need to push I can get down to that
22:11203 202 lap time and and make it interesting for Sunday
22:15Over the monstrosity finish line then into the final lap for the Spaniard Jorge Prado
22:19Doing what he's been doing all season long get a whole shot and
22:24Pretty much that's into his own tune
22:26He's six seconds clear now or thereabouts five point six over Tim Geiser again
22:30Geiser possibly just backing it off because he knows he's got about six seconds between him and Hunter Lawrence
22:35And then we've got Fevre Hurlings Hurlings again eight and a half seconds behind Fevre
22:40Doesn't need to do anything to push to close down that gap one position one point
22:44that's already a good solid start for
22:48Anybody inside the top ten there, which is now see what ahead of him is gifting Ferrato. It's an eighth time max seven
22:55I think you'd be too worried about that unless
22:58When does he ever struggle with?
23:00Things like that because you know sometimes comments first race of the weekend
23:05He gets an arm pump situation going on. Is that something that affects someone like Tomac or web or even a peak?
23:10Yeah, I think the track being so ruddy will have an effect
23:13Yeah, it was a positive sign to be 20 minutes in and Tomac still pushing
23:17I don't think he was affected by that. But yes, anytime you're uncomfortable on a new racetrack arm pump
23:22It's not certainly possible. There's Hunter make it a big mistake
23:25We've only seen literally one mistake like that from Hunter and it was at Redbud earlier this season
23:29So especially the last lap, that's that's interesting and you wonder if was his mind drifting was he daydreaming about something else?
23:34It's very easy. You're by yourself to make a mistake
23:38Yeah, the front hops out and he goes down actually quite hard. It wasn't his best friend there at the end
23:43So that's Hunter out of third and I honestly think that's just a loss in concentration
23:49Yeah, that race is basically finished but not completely finished which he just he just figured that out
23:55So down into the bottom of the valley for the final time Jorge Prado five and a half seconds clear of Tim geyser
24:02As he comes in to land over the ram jump look at how rusty it is through there and those ruts
24:07Yes, they're soft. But as the day goes on the Sun stays out the wind picks up
24:11They only get harder and they've not had to put any water on the racetrack as well
24:14So they are only gonna get harder rather than staying pliable, but Jorge Prado, he'll hit the monster as you finish line
24:20he'll throw a nice big whip as he hits the line and
24:24Takes the win for Spain and a bit of a rodeo cowboy right there as well. Well earned. That's master class right there
24:33Five point six seconds the gap between him and Tim geyser as the rest of the riders come through
24:38Fever gets promoted and
24:40You talk about the overall scheme of things team France coming in as the defending champions with the same team
24:46France getting a boost of a point there
24:50Just putting it out there. Well, and those are the