The Dirt Store Triumph Racing celebrated a historic weekend at our first MXGP race of the season, achieving the TF 450-X’s first-ever FIM World Motocross Championship points in the qualifying race, followed by a standout performance on Sunday to beat a long list of factory riders.
MXGP Class: Watson Captures TF 450-X’s First-Ever World Championship Points
In the deep and demanding Spanish sand, Ben Watson returned to World Championship competition with a real impression, reminding the world of his true capabilities amongst the world’s best and showcasing the level of the TF 450-X.
In Saturday’s qualifying race, Watson achieved the machine’s first-ever points in the FIM Motocross World Championship with an incredible ninth place, foreshadowing his strong form heading into Sunday’s races. Race 1 saw Watson use his experience to hustle his way through the first corner just inside the top 15, before putting the hammer down as each lap passed, making his way through a list of factory riders to finish in eighth place, with the lead group within sight as he crossed the chequered flag.
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A crash off the start in Race 2 meant Watson was unable to compete for a top-ten overall finish, but he still put in a charge for the entirety of the moto, fighting from dead last to 16th place and logging valuable laps to continue developing the TF 450-X in the most demanding conditions. Despite the challenges in race two, Watson secured 13th overall on the day, just two points shy of eighth position.
EMX250: Askew Displays His Level Against Europe’s Best
Billy Askew showcased his true position against Europe’s fastest riders at the opening EMX250 round in Spain. Qualifying second in his group, Billy headed into Race 1 full of confidence, delivering exactly what we know he is capable of on the big stage. After a strong start just inside the top five, he began to log consistent laps and worked his way into second for over half of the race before crossing the chequered flag in third place.
An unavoidable crash early in Race 2 forced a retirement; however, Billy displayed extreme maturity in his riding all weekend. The steps forward were evident, and this has only injected even more confidence and hunger heading into future EMX rounds.
Weekend Summary:
Our debut in the MXGP class with Ben is a sign of promising things to come on the world stage. To achieve Triumph’s first-ever World Championship points in the MXGP class is an honour, and a testament to the hard work the team has put in this off-season to raise the level and be in the mix. Billy has made a massive step forward to become a real contender in EMX250; his raw speed proves exactly where he will be in the upcoming rounds.
Words by Dirt Store Triumph – Images courtesy of MXJuly / Cult Moto
