Van Erp Collects EMX250 Podium Silverware with Third
De Baets Yamaha Supported MX team’s Lotte van Drunen has finished as runner-up at round one of the 2024 FIM Women’s Motocross World Championship in Spain. Placing second in both races, the young Dutch sensation showed immense skill, speed, and stamina throughout the weekend as she made her WMX debut on Yamaha’s cutting edge GYTR kitted YZ250F.
After setting the fastest time in qualifying by over a second, van Drunen carried that speed into race one. Starting from fifth, van Drunen moved forwards and into second on lap seven of 11 where she remained for the remainder of the race.
Lining up for race two knowing that overall victory would be hers if she won the race, the 16-year-old set a blistering pace and led the way until four laps to go. Digging deep on the final lap, van Drunen crossed the line under half a second from the win in second and would be rewarded with second overall. A strong and encouraging start to the season for 401 in her first race aboard her GYTR kitted YZ250F.
Starting the 2024 EMX250 campaign on the overall podium, VRT Yamaha Official EMX250’s Ivano van Erp charged hard for an impressive third overall at the season-opener in Spain. Close behind in fourth was Janis Reisulis in his EMX250 debut, while Karlis Reisulis was classified eighth.
The first race of season saw all three VRT Yamaha Official EMX250 team riders going bar-to-bar at the front of the field around turn one. K. Reisulis would then lead the way well into the second half of the race before being demoted to second. Applying pressure on the new race leader for the remaining laps, the Latvian would complete race one with a strong runner-up result.
Behind K. Reisulis, his teammates, van Erp and J.Reisulis, would engage in their own battles for the top spots around the deeply rutted and technical into Xanadu-Arroyomolinos circuit for the duration of the race. With van Erp holding strong for fifth and J.Reisulis claiming sixth, it was a positive start to 2024 for Yamaha and the new VRT Yamaha Official EMX250 team.
The circuit was heavily watered prior to race two, which added to the technical difficulty of the race track. Charging to the holeshot was van Erp, who led briefly before a small crash demoted him downfield. Regrouping and working his way forward, the Dutch youngster improved upon his race one result to place third in race two, and secure third overall for his second ever podium result in EMX250.
After spinning on the start gate and losing drive, J.Reisulis would soon begin a race-long charge through the field in race two. Completing lap one in eighth, the younger of the two Reisulis brothers would ultimately place fourth for fourth overall in his EMX250 debut.
Eager to end his weekend with another strong race result, K. Reisulis started race two upfront. The 47 held second until the final lap when a rare technical issue ruled him out of the running.
The WMX season continues on April 7 alongside the MXGP of Sardinia in Riola-Sardo, with the second round of the EMX250 Championship taking place in three weeks’ time at the MXGP of Trentino in Pietramurata, Italy.
Click here for the WMX and EMX250 results from the MXGP of Spain.
