Young Irish motocross talent, Max Jones, made a major breakthrough at the weekend as he travelled to Slovakia to contest the EMX65 semi-final – and came away with history made.
With a spot in the prestigious EMX65 finals in Loket, Czech Republic up for grabs, the pressure was on. But Jones delivered a fantastic performance to become the first-ever rider from Ireland – North or South – to qualify for the finals at the famous GP circuit.
After finishing ninth in the qualifying race on Saturday, Jones set himself up nicely for Sunday’s two races. Feeling confident on the fast and hard pack track, he rode consistently throughout race day, finishing 15th in race one and 19th in race two to secure 16th overall. Most importantly, it was enough to book his place at Loket.
“I really wanted to qualify for the finals so I felt quite a bit of pressure going into the weekend,” Jones admitted. “I knew it was going to be tough to get into the top 20 point scoring positions.”
Reflecting on the Slovakian track, Jones was impressed:
“The track was mega. It was fast and flowy with a big tabletop which I knew I had to hit to be in the mix for a qualifying spot. The races were tough in the heat and everybody was so quick. You really couldn’t afford to make any mistakes as you would lose position very quickly.”
Jones gave it everything across both motos, and his hard work paid off.
“I worked so hard in both races and I’m proud of myself for qualifying for Loket. I didn’t expect to get this far when we started racing the EMX events! I’m really looking forward to the finals and I can’t believe I will be sharing the paddock with GP riders”.
With his place secured, the Jones family now turn their attention to Loket – taking place on July 24th and 25th – where Max will race on one of the sport’s biggest stages alongside the stars of MXGP and the best riders on the planet. However, before that event, Jones will also line up at the Junior World Championships in Romagne, France so it’s set to be an exciting month for the Jones family!
