For most of his career, Sampo Rainio from Finland has been a privateer but for the 2024 season that is about to change as he has secured a ride with Young Motion powered by Resa to ride selected rounds of the MX2 World Championship. It’s a step up for the young Finn as he’s rode a selected EMX events but not too many MX2 GP’s.
We caught up with Rainio to discuss his opportunity for the 2024 season.
GateDrop: You’ve secured a deal with the Young Motion powered by Resa for the 2024 season, just how did the deal all come around with the team?
Rainio: It all started when the team contacted me at the end of the season. They were looking for riders to race GP’s in 2024. We started to have a conversation, and it improved quickly from there. They offered me a deal to race multiple MX2 GP’s and Dutch Masters. I have been racing selected EMX250 rounds in the past years, so the step up to GP’s sounded like a good opportunity for me.
GateDrop: It’s not easy to secure a team and a lot of talented riders are often privateers. Do you think having a team behind you will help you?
Rainio: Yes, it’s not always easy to secure a deal these days. I have also been a privateer for most of my career, which can also be really difficult sometimes. I’m sure that having a supportive team behind me will help me to achieve my goals. The team has lots of knowledge and experience from the past years, so I’m excited to learn and improve all season long.
GateDrop: You’ve plenty of EMX experience but not so much MX2, you must be looking forward to stepping up and racing plenty of MX2 GP’s in 2024?
Rainio: First of all, it’s almost like a dream come true to have this opportunity to race GP’s. It has always been my goal since I started riding. I have been riding selected rounds of EMX250 for the past two years, and this year I was able to show some okay speed also in the MX2 class at my home GP in Finland. Scoring points in both moto’s at my debut GP was a step in the right direction. It also gave me advice on what we need to improve. The EMX level is really high right now, but the pace and intensity in the GP’s are even higher, so that’s the main thing we need to work on. Overall, I’m really excited to take on the challenge.
GateDrop: How many MX2 GP’s are you planning to race in 2024?
Rainio: I’m going to race selected European GP’s in 2024. Right now, it seems like we’ll do eight European GP’s with the team. We’ll also race Dutch Masters together.
GateDrop: What are your goals for the 2024 season?
Rainio: It’s hard to say what I expect as I don’t have huge experience racing in the MX2 class. I think that for me, the most important thing is to improve race by race and see where we end up. I’ll try to learn a lot and have fun all season long.
Interview: Andy McKinstry
