Jeffrey Herlings wins his final MX2 Grand Prix in Glen Helen
The Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Team on Sunday wrapped up the 2016 MXGP season on a high note with Jeffrey Herlings taking a 1-1 in MX2 to draw a line under a championship winning season and his career in the class.
Jeffrey Herlings leaves MX2 with three world titles and in excess of 60 GP wins and is already on his way to his career goal of more than 100 overall wins. At Glen Helen, with its speed and daunting hills, he answered the challenge from his MX2 rivals, and the participating top US riders. The Dutch rider was 10.16 seconds ahead of the competition on his KTM 250 SX-F when he took the flag in the first race and 7.51 seconds ahead in the following moto for a clear overall victory. American racers Jeremy Martin and Mitchell Harrison took the minor podium places. Herlings had already wrapped up the title last week in Charlotte but the Glen Helen race secured second in the championship for Swiss rider Jeremy Seewer. Benoit Paturel of France was third.
Herlings: “To finish off the season with a win is pretty amazing. Now I start to ride theKTM 450 SX-F and we’ll work from there. I think we had a very successful career so far and now its time to step up to the big boys. There’s not going to be much change. You stay with the same team and keep working with the same people.” Speaking of the Glen Helen race he commented: “I think I had the strongest Americans here, except Cooper Webb. Jeremy Martin and Austin Forkner are the number two and three in my eyes. I beat those guys three times – on Saturday in the qualifying and twice in today’s motos. I also beat Cooper fair and square in the first moto in Charlotte then he beat me in the second race. I think I showed some great speed and good form, even though I was off the bike for 5-6 weeks and have only been back 3-4 weeks. I think I can say we had it under control.”
Herlings admitted it wasn’t easy to draw a line under MX2 and move up a class.
“Its tough to close a chapter in your life where you have had so much success, so many race wins, emotions and injuries. But, hey, it’s done and hopefully now that I’m half way through the career I will step it up to the big boys and get some championships going there.”
Results MX2 Glen Helen 2016
1. Jeffrey Herlings (NED), KTM (1-1)
2. Jeremy Martin (USA), Honda (2-2)
3. Mitchel Harrison (USA), Yamaha (5-5)
4. Max Anstie (GBR), Husqvarna (8-4)
5. Jeremy Seewer (SUI), Suzuki (11-3)
Final Standings MX2 2016 after 18 of 18 rounds
1. Herlings, 739 points
2. Seewer, 625
3. Benoit Paturel, 512
4. Anstie, 504
5. Jonass, 403
