Markus Weinbuch has overseen an eventful season for the SixtySeven Racing team, with plenty of highs and lows already packed into 2026. While Scott Smulders impressed with his speed in the opening stages of the campaign, a spleen injury has sidelined the Dutch talent for much of the year, forcing the team to rethink its plans. That led to the signing of Danish rider Nicolai Skovbjerg, who made an immediate impact by dominating on his debut at Tensfeld with a flawless 1-1-1 performance at the latest round of the ADAC Youngsters Cup.
We caught up with Weinbuch to discuss Smulders’ recovery, the process of bringing Skovbjerg into the team, ambitions for the remainder of the EMX250 and ADAC campaigns, the future of both riders, and the continued development of promising youngster Max Ernecker.
GateDrop: Scott Smulders was very strong at the start of the year. Did he surprise you with his pace during pre-season?
Weinbuch: We knew Scott was going to be fast. Unfortunately, he wasn’t always able to show his true potential last year due to several technical issues and retirements. With the new bike and the positive environment within the team, he was able to make another significant step forward over the winter and gain even more speed. So, his pace didn’t really surprise us – it confirmed the potential we always knew he had.
GateDrop: It’s obviously disappointing that he got injured. Can you give us an update on his injury? Is there a chance we’ll see him back before the end of the season?
Weinbuch: At the moment, we expect Scott might be able to race only one more event before the end of the season. Unfortunately, the injury turned out to be much more serious than initially thought. His spleen has been damaged to the point where even minor impacts currently pose a significant risk. A hard landing or even a relatively small fall could potentially cause internal bleeding. Mentally, Scott is already ready to race again, but with this type of injury, we have to be extremely careful and put his health first.
GateDrop: The team signed Nicolai Skovbjerg even though he already had a team. Was it complicated to secure him for the rest of the season?
Weinbuch: A rider change in the middle of the season is never easy. These situations involve a lot of discussions between all parties, as well as various contractual and legal matters. It was certainly a challenging process, but in the end, we were able to find a solution that worked well for everyone involved.
GateDrop: Was it stressful getting everything ready for him to race at Tensfeld?
Weinbuch: Yes, definitely. Building a complete race bike, preparing all the riding gear and organising every detail within such a short period of time is a huge challenge for the entire team. It wouldn’t have been possible without the excellent teamwork within our organisation and the support of our partners. Every single person involved did an outstanding job to make it happen.
GateDrop: Nicolai had a superb debut going 1-1-1. It couldn’t really have gone any better and his starts were also very good. You must have been delighted with his performance. What has he been like to work with?
Weinbuch: Of course, his debut could hardly have gone any better. Personally, I would have liked to see him take a holeshot as well, but I’m sure that will come soon enough. What impressed us most was how quickly he settled into the team. Working with him has been excellent from day one. His feedback is very professional, precise and constructive, which makes it easy for us to work together and continue improving.
GateDrop: What are your expectations for him for the remainder of the EMX250 and ADAC season?
Weinbuch: In the ADAC championship, our goal is very clear: if we can stay injury-free, we want to fight for the title. In the EMX250 Championship, we want to challenge for the runner-up position and consistently compete at the front. A lot of factors need to come together, of course, but we believe Nicolai has the talent and speed to achieve those goals.
GateDrop: Is it possible that he could race some MX2 World Championship rounds that do not clash with EMX250 events?
Weinbuch: At the moment, we are not having any specific discussions about that. However, it is certainly something we could imagine if it fits into the calendar and makes sense from a sporting perspective.
GateDrop: I believe Scott has signed a contract extension with the team. Can you confirm that?
Weinbuch: As always, it seems you have very good sources. Yes, we can confirm that Scott has extended his contract with the team. We are very happy about that and believe we can achieve a lot together in the future.
GateDrop: It’s obviously still early, but if things go well, would you consider keeping Nicolai for 2027? I’m sure he would love to make the step up to the MX2 World Championship. Would you consider running two MX2 GP riders in 2027?
Weinbuch: Because of the recent rider change and the amount of work that came with it, we haven’t yet had detailed discussions about the 2027 season. Right now, our full focus is on the current championships. That said, we are always open to discussions and will continue to evaluate opportunities as the season progresses. We’ll see what possibilities the future brings.
GateDrop: Max Ernecker has a lot of potential. What has he been like to work with and what do you expect from him for the rest of the season?
Weinbuch: Max is an important part of our team and we firmly believe that he has not yet reached his full potential. Working with him has been a pleasure. As a team, we don’t like to put unnecessary pressure on our riders or set rigid expectations. We believe that results come when the time is right and the development process is allowed to happen naturally. Our goal is simply to support Max as best as possible and help him continue progressing towards his full potential.
