Published on 19 July 2015

Dankers wins 85cc World Championship!

Junior 85cc Race One

It was a dramatic start to the day for the Junior 85’s. Right from the first gate drop it was evident these boys were going to lay it all on the line.

Italy’s Mattia Capuzzo took the early advantage with his claim of the Fox Holeshot ahead of France’sThibault Benistan who wasted no time in taking the lead. On the opening lap, yesterday’s top qualifier Bud Racing Kawasaki Monster Energy’s Brian Moreau was all over Benistan but a slip up on lap two saw him drop back to third.

The decision to attack or defend was a hard one to make for the top three, Benistan, HSF Logistic Motorsports Raivo Dankers and Moreau as they all took turns leading the race. Eventually, Moreau got his lines sorted and in one fell swoop went from third to first.

Initially Moreau dropped the hammer and checked out, but ended up throwing away his hard earned advantage with a late race high side. Dankers then inherited the lead and gapped everyone for the first race win.

Stabilo Kawasaki MX Team’s Basitan Boegh Damm put in an impressive charge for second ahead of Austria’s Rene Hoffer. Moreau salvaged fourth despite snapping his rear fender when he crashed out of the lead while Benistan rounded out the top five.

Junior 85cc Race Two

The heat and humidity didn’t seem to phase the super talented youngsters competing for the Junior 85cc crown as they fought all the way to the finish for world championship glory. Stabilo Kawasaki MX Team’s Brian Van Der Klij took the final Fox Holeshot and led the opening lap before being dropped back by Czech Republic’s Petr Polak who was riding at a blindingly quick pace.

Polak layed in an early charge while race one winner Raivo Dankers closed the gap on his fellow countryman Van Der Klij. In a battle for second and for the pride of The Netherlands, Dankers and Van Der Klij went head to head for a lap before Dankers made the pass stick in an outright uphill drag.

A few laps later, both Netherlanders were dropped back as the top qualifier Brian Moreau clocked a bunch of fast laps and blitzed pass them with ease. With four minutes plus two laps to go, Moreau opened fire on the race leader Polak and ran away for what turned out to be an easy race win. Polak, who was only tenth in race one, rode impressive for second ahead of Dankers and Boegh Damm while Holland’s Rick Elzinger was gifted fifth after the holeshotter, Van der Klij, stacked it with two laps to go.

Junior 85cc Overall

After a scorching hot day in the office HSF Logistics Motorsport Team’s Raivo Dankers added the 2015 FIM Junior 85cc World Championship gold plate to his dazzling resume, which already consists of two European Championship titles. The top qualifier Bud Racing Kawasaki Monster Energy’s Brian Moreaustood on the second step of the podium while Stabilo Kawasaki MX Team’s Bastian Boegh Damm rounded out the top three.

85cc Junior Race 1 Top Ten: 1. Raivo Dankers (NED, KTM), 25:26.208; 2. Bastian Boegh Damm (DEN, Kawasaki), +0:09.628; 3. Rene Hofer (AUT, KTM), +0:10.838; 4. Brian Strubhart Moreau (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:13.168; 5. Thibault Benistant (FRA, Husqvarna), +0:25.737; 6. Raf Meuwissen (NED, Honda), +0:27.345; 7. John Bova (AUS, KTM), +0:29.814; 8. Rick Elzinga (NED, KTM), +0:34.935; 9. Emilio Scuteri (ITA, KTM), +0:38.184; 10. Christopher Mills (GBR, KTM), +0:43.744.

85cc Junior Race 2 Top Ten: 1. Brian Strubhart Moreau (FRA, Kawasaki), 24:55.758; 2. Petr Polak (CZE, KTM), +0:06.113; 3. Raivo Dankers (NED, KTM), +0:09.265; 4. Bastian Boegh Damm (DEN, Kawasaki), +0:21.731; 5. Rick Elzinga (NED, KTM), +0:25.675; 6. Marcel Stauffer (AUT, KTM), +0:36.847; 7. Rhys Budd (AUS, KTM), +0:41.111; 8. Christopher Mills (GBR, KTM), +0:42.633; 9. Raffaele Giuzio (ITA, Honda), +0:43.177; 10. Pierre Cantournet (FRA, Husqvarna), +0:43.929.

85cc Junior Overall Top Ten: 1. Raivo Dankers (NED, KTM), 45 points; 2. Brian Strubhart Moreau (FRA, KAW), 43 p.; 3. Bastian Boegh Damm (DEN, KAW), 40 p.; 4. Petr Polak (CZE, KTM), 32 p.; 5. Rick Elzinga (NED, KTM), 29 p.; 6. Rene Hofer (AUT, KTM), 28 p.; 7. Christopher Mills (GBR, KTM), 24 p.; 8. Rhys Budd (AUS, KTM), 23 p.; 9. Marcel Stauffer (AUT, KTM), 22 p.; 10. Emilio Scuteri (ITA, KTM), 21 p.