Although Mario Lucas is currently the man to beat in his domestic 125cc series he’s still looking for the right formula to replicate that kind of form on the EMX125 stage. The likable Spaniard immediately made the podium at the opening round of the series in Valkenswaard but the going has been tough ever since. On Saturday, Lucas rode a decent qualifying session in which he set the ninth time. In the first moto, Mario had to settle for a 22nd place after a bad start. The next day Lucas was clearly more at ease. Despite a fall, he finished 13th and recorded regular lap times.

New Zealand’s James Scott also found it hard to get the right rhythm in Teutschenthal. The 16-year old lad from Oparau missed direct qualification by about half a second. However Scott snuck into the motos via a solid fourth in the Last Chance Qualifier. The first moto was a difficult one for James who had to settle for 21st, finishing just outside the last points-scoring positition. The former 85cc New-Zealand champ had a decent getaway in the final moto, he went on to claim 16th before he crashed. His second push to the front came to an abrupt halt when Scott went down on the rollers.

Wannes van de Voorde wasn’t able to qualify in time training. After a bad start in the LCQ, ‘Wanny’ could not turn the tide anymore and came home a disappointing 25th. On Monday the Belgian 125cc champion rode the 4th round of the Belgian motocross championship on the revamped Axel track. Van de Voorde finished fourth overall in the 250 Nationals class. At the halfway point in the series Mario Lucas remains the best placed F4E Racing rider. He is currently twelfth, nine points away from the top 10.

This weekend James Scott and Wannes van de Voorde will line up at the Flemish championship international race in Kester-Gooik.

Mario Lucas: “Time practice was nothing special but the resulat was not too bad. I had a very bad start in the first moto and everything was off! The speed wasn’t there and I didn’t gel with the track. Things went much better on Sunday. I started around 20th, I was 13th after two laps. Unfortunately I crashed but managed to recover to P13 again. Saturday was a day to forget quickly but in terms of speed the second moto was pretty good. This weekend I will race the penultimate round of the Spanish championship where I am currently leading. “

James Scott: “I had to get through the LCQ in order to qualify. After a reasonable start I was able to grab the last qualifying spot. I have to admit that I started to get nervous after that! Because of my terrible gate pick there was no way I could go for the holeshot so held back and cut hard across. It paid off and I gained some positions but I never got the right flow. The second moto was a lot better. In terms of speed it was okay but I went down twice. These are certainly not the results I want but I know that I have to work on my hot laps to qualify better.”

Wannes van De Voorde: “Germany did not live up to the expectations for me. As is often the case at the EMX races I tend to choke under the pressure and I’m nowhere near my best level. I try to do everything I can but it’s not an easy situation. In Axel I had to compete against the bigger bikes on a very rough track. After a very bad start in the first moto I was able to come back and was 10th overall. My start was slightly better in the second moto. After a few laps I was already eleventh but due to a mistake I lost some positions, still I ended up eleventh overall and fourth in the National 250 group.”

All results of the Belgian motocross championship in Axel can be found here.

Words: Tom Jacobs

Pic: Niek Fotografie