The first drops of the gate for the 2026 FIM World Motocross Championships took place today at the new Bariloche MX Race Track, starting the race action for the YPF MXGP of Argentina in front of packed hillsides of eager Motocross fans!
Words and Feature Image by Infront Moto Racing
The new circuit, as with previous venues in this South American country, has been well received by riders and fans, as the fast straights and corners developed through the day to leave a rugged circuit for the Qualifying Races, and it offered plenty of thrills and spills for the local crowds and those watching on MXGP-TV!
It may be a new season, but the name at the top of both Free Practice and Time Practice in MX2 was very familiar. Sacha Coenen got to the top early in both sessions, and was never beaten from there. Reigning World Champion Simon Längenfelder was seven-tenths of a second back in both sessions for Red Bull KTM Factory Racing, while Camden McLellan was a tiny fraction behind to take the third gate pick for the Triumph Factory Racing Team.
For his first gate drop in Grand Prix racing, Janis Reisulis charged into the lead for Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MX2, making it two straight Qualifying Race holeshots for both the team and the Reisulis family, as his brother Karlis took that honour at last year’s final round in Australia!
Farres was chomping at his heels while Valin battled with Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing lone wolf Liam Everts for third, until Coenen blasted round the outside of both of them through the third corner to force himself into the top three!
The teenage charger was far from finished with his advance, as he made another blinding outside pass on Farres at the top of the biggest uphill section of track. The rookie out front suddenly had Sacha on the attack behind him, but where was the reigning Champion?
Längenfelder had tangled with the Dixon Racing Kawasaki of Kay Karssemakers in the first corner, and had to stop to change a mangled front wheel before he could complete a lap! A second crash at the top of the biggest downhill two laps later put him even further back, and although he had no chance of making the points from there, he would still make his mark on the race…
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Noel Zanocz was making an impressive MX2 debut for Venrooy KTM Racing, passing Everts through the waves for fourth on lap one, but he took the brunt of a rude welcome to the class by McLellan as the South African moved him aside to take sixth. The Hungarian would slip to 14th at the flag.
It took until halfway round the second lap for Coenen to get past Janis Reisulis for the lead, and the reigning EMX250 Champion tried to cling to his heels. Farres and Valin got past him on successive laps to drop the Latvian to fourth by lap six, then Everts and McLellan eased past on lap nine. It still gave him a fine debut with sixth place ahead of Honda HRC Petronas pilot Valerio Lata.
Julius Mikula enjoyed the second-best Qualifying Race result of his career with eighth for Osička KTM Racing, while Cas Valk scored points on his debut for CRD Motosport TM Moto with ninth. Karlis Reisulis put the second Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MX2 bike in the points with tenth place after passing Zanocz at half-distance.
Valin tried to catch Farres late on as Everts and McLellan were also charging behind him, but the Spaniard, who finished third three times in Qualifying Races last season, scored his best career Saturday result with a fine second spot ahead of those three in that order.
Coenen eased off the gas in the closing lap but still won by nearly five seconds, but there was a late sting in the tale as he lapped Längenfelder, only for the German to unlap himself a few minutes later, showing that despite his early misfortune, the reigning Champion might just have something for the young Belgian in Sunday’s races, despite having just the 22nd choice of gate position!
Sacha will wear the red plate for just the second time in his short career, while the Champion already has a ten-point gap to catch up. The others will be out for more as well in what should be an intriguing contest!
The YPF MXGP of Argentina has only just got started, and the hillsides should see even bigger crowds turn up for the show! Blockbusting Bariloche is ready to deliver a day of brilliant Motocross racing!
Sacha Coenen: “I’m quite happy. I won, but yeah, there’s always things to do better. I was not riding at my best, but you know, I’m quite happy to have the win here and to start on pole position for tomorrow. We feel confident.”
Results
FIMMWC_MX2_QR_RaceClassification-4101_1_7_323_1_6DAE1C0F53CAB28F077161B0092BFD16TIMETABLE (Local Timing UTC-3)
SUNDAY: 10:25 MX2 Warm-up, 10:45 MXGP Warm-up, 12:15 MX2 Race 1, 13:15 MXGP Race 1, 15:10 MX2 Race 2, 16:10 MXGP Race 2.
