KAY DE WOLF MAKES MOTOCROSS OF NATIONS DEBUT

Even torrential rain could not dampen spirits at RedBud, the circuit that played host to the 2022 Motocross of Nations. Thousands of fans flocked to the historic venue to witness the seventy-fifth edition of the event – riders battled it out to put their country on the top of the podium in a format that is similar to the Olympics. Kay de Wolf (The Netherlands) and Dean Wilson (Great Britain) represented Husqvarna Factory Racing.

Competing in the MX2 division for The Netherlands, Kay de Wolf piloted his FC 250 against the bigger bikes in motos one and two. It's the MX2 rider who makes such a difference at this prestigious event and de Wolf acquitted himself well. Completing the first lap of moto one just outside of the top ten, he made quick progress and got behind the leading MX2 stars. Tenth was the spot that he eventually secured in the moto – he was the third MX2 rider across the line.

The result that Kay de Wolf took in moto one ended up being one of the best rankings for The Netherlands; he made quite the contribution in his first MXoN. The second stint was not quite as kind to him though, as he had a couple of crashes in the rainy conditions and eventually crossed the line in eighteenth. 9-18 scores put him sixth in the MX2 overall classification and, as a team, The Netherlands took seventh. Competing at the Motocross of Nations for the first time was a nice way for de Wolf to complete his season.

Dean Wilson represented Team Great Britain for the sixth time in his career and logged some strong results in the MXGP category. Getting caught up in the melee on lap one of the first moto, Wilson made impressive progress on his FC 450 and charged from the back of the pack to sixteenth. The second moto was similar – he ended lap one in twenty-third and progressed to twentieth by the time that the chequered flag waved. Wilson was ranked in tenth place in the MXGP overall classification. Team Great Britain occupied the same position in the team standings.

Kay de Wolf: "It was a tough weekend, to be honest. I had to throw my goggles early in the first moto, so I tried to avoid the roost. I survived and got tenth, which was quite good. I was around twelfth in the second moto and hit someone’s rear wheel, which just sent me off the track. It took a while to get up and then I was riding well, but a rider crashed after pit lane and slammed me off the bike."

Dean Wilson: "It was definitely a challenging weekend. I am definitely stronger in dry conditions compared to what we had today. I had some really bad starts; I felt like I was battling all day. It was just challenging. I am really happy that I did it though, because there is nothing quite like the Motocross of Nations."

Results – 2022 Motocross of Nations

Moto One (MXGP and MX2)

1. Eli Tomac (Yamaha) 35:23.672; 2. Jago Geerts (Yamaha) 35:26.915; 3. Maxime Renaux (Yamaha) 36:22.658… 10. Kay de Wolf (Husqvarna) 37:20.112; 16. Dean Wilson (Husqvarna) 35:55.345

Moto Two (MX2 and Open)

1. Jett Lawrence (Honda) 36:19.920; 2. Chase Sexton (Honda) 36:34.160; 3. Mattia Guadagnini (GASGAS) 36:40.158… 18. Kay de Wolf (Husqvarna) 36:27.827

Moto Three (MXGP and Open)

1. Maxime Renaux (Yamaha) 35:30.165; 2. Jett Lawrence (Honda) 35:34.765; 3. Chase Sexton (Honda) 35:38.468… 20. Dean Wilson (Husqvarna) 35:52.073

Nations Classification

1. Team USA 16pts; 2. Team France 23pts; 3. Team Australia 26pts… 7. Team The Netherlands 62pts; 10. Team Great Britain 98pts