Lorenzo Locurcio had his best ride of the season in Loket with a fantastic first moto 12th backed up by a 17th in race two for 14th overall. The former AMA rider and current JD Gunnex KTM racer competed in EMX last year as a way of getting his feet wet but for 2021 he has jumped into the biggest pool of all, MXGP!
And, while the start of the season hasn’t always been easy, Locurcio has remained steadfast in his pursuit of success, scoring some points here and there as he adapts to the different cultures, countries, and the variety of tracks in MXGP alongside the adjustment of racing in such a competitive premier class!
We caught up with the Venezuelan to talk about his brilliant ride in Loket and to get his thoughts on his MXGP season five rounds in: “Loket was good for me,” Lorenzo exclusively told Gatedrop.com. “Obviously the beginning of the season started very up and down but I knew this coming in. Last weekend in Oss I had a good first moto coming through the pack to grab 19th, the second race I got a better start and was running 16th and then I just had a freak accident and crashed out so I couldn’t finish.
“I actually didn’t know if I was going to race Loket because my ankle got pretty beat up from that crash so coming in I didn’t ride all week. I tested my ankle on Friday and felt good enough to race but I been riding very good during the week and putting the work in, so I knew my physical condition was good and my riding the same – I just had to duplicate it on the race weekends! I also did some testing Friday with Enrico Tomasin with my engine and made good progress, so I was confident and also it was my team’s home GP, so I wanted to perform since they took a chance on me for this year. Coming from EMX, it is very hard to find someone who’s willing to risk it and sign me for MXGP class.”
On his first impressions of racing in the premier class of world motocross championship, Locurcio assessed: “MXGP is gnarly! It is a big step from EMX but is similar to America, guys are fast but I’d say the big difference is how fast the whole class is from 8th to 20th – the difference is very small and similar in lap-times. The tracks are more natural so we get choppy and bumpy tracks and I didn’t get to try the two day event, so I’m aware tracks are not as rough as in years past.
“But I know I’m part of them, I just had to believe it. I’ve done it in the USA and I know I can battle and race with the best in Europe also. This is my first year also racing a lot of the tracks, so it takes me a little longer to figure out the tracks. I’ve struggled with it but I just put my head down and charge till the last lap!”
Article: Jonathan McCready
Images: JD Gunnex KTM Instagram
Podcast! Jonathan McCready and Andy McKinstry discuss last weekend’s Loket MXGP, including Gasjer’s big crash, Prado’s win and if Herlings will ride in Lommel plus Guadagnini’s impressive MX2 win! Then we move onto Washougal and Sexton’s win first win of the year plus team USA MXoN talk! Listen on iTunes here.
MXGP from the beginning
MX2 34 minutes 20 seconds in
AMA 56 minutes 2 seconds in
