Van doninck secures season-best seventh at MXGP of Czech Republic
Racing as Fantic's sole MXGP entry, Brent Van doninck took a season-best seventh in race 1 and 11th overall at the MXGP of Czech Republic.
- 7th
- 11th
- 12th
- 16th
What Happened
Brent Van doninck was the sole Fantic Factory Racing MXGP rider at round 13 of the FIM Motocross World Championship in Loket, Czech Republic, as teammate Alberto Forato continues his recovery from scapula surgery. The 30-year-old Belgian set the stage with a solid 12th place in Saturday's qualifying race, then flew the flag for the Italian brand on race day aboard his Fantic XXF 450. He made the most of his opportunity in a highly competitive MXGP field.
In race 1, Van doninck shot into the top five from the start and held fifth for much of the race. Despite losing a couple of positions in the closing stages, he crossed the line in a season-best seventh place. The result confirmed his improving form ahead of the home GP.
Race 2 started just as well, with Van doninck again fighting for the top five before a costly crash in the second corner. Another rider went down right in front of him, and he hit the bike and fell. Forced to come through from the back, he charged to 16th, narrowly missing a top-10 overall finish with 11th place. Momentum is now building ahead of the team's home GP in the sands of Lommel, Belgium.
“Race 1 was really good, and I had two great starts, but in race 2 another rider crashed right in front of me. I hit his bike and went down. It is a shame because I really believe a top-10 overall finish was within reach today. There was nothing I could do to avoid it, though, so we will take the positives into next weekend. I am really looking forward to my home GP. A lot of fans and friends will ”
Previously from Fantic Motor S.p.A.
Fantic Factory Racing has been competing without its regular MXGP rider Alberto Forato, who fractured his shoulder blade in a crash at Foxhills, according to earlier MotorClaw coverage. For the team's home GP in Lommel, Fantic signed Estonian Jörgen-Matthias Talviku as a fill-in rider and ran a one-off Belgian livery. Van doninck finished 14th overall in that race, with Talviku 20th on debut.
- Fantic runs Belgian one-off livery at home MXGP; Van doninck 14th, Talviku debuts
- Fantic Motor Welcomes Jörgen-Matthias Talviku as Fill-In Rider for MXGP of Flanders
- Thorius secures third EMX125 podium; Forato out with broken shoulder blade
Background drawn from MotorClaw's earlier coverage of Fantic Motor S.p.A.'s official releases.
Why this matters
With teammate Alberto Forato out after scapula surgery, Van doninck carried Fantic's flag alone in Loket and showed improving form. The result builds momentum for the team's home GP in the sands of Lommel, Belgium, where fans and friends of the Belgian rider will be watching.
Terms in This Story
- MXGP
- The premier class of the FIM Motocross World Championship, raced on 450cc motorcycles.
- FIM
- The international governing body for motorcycle racing, known as the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme.
- GP
- Short for Grand Prix, a round of a world championship series.
Summarised from the linked release; details can be imperfect — always verify against the original source.