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The 2024 FIM Junior Motocross World Champions and World Cup Winner were crowned at the conclusion of racing on the Circuit Kamperweg Heerde in the heart of the Netherlands.

Bay of Plenty trio, brothers Levi Townley and Jaggar Townley, from Tauranga, and Cambridge’s Nico Verhoeven certainly helped put New Zealand on the map at this annual event.

Levi Townley finished 1-3 in his two races to win the 85cc class title, while Nico Verhoeven finished 1-4 in his two 65cc class outings, good for overall world championship runner-up, while Jaggar Townley finished 22-33 in his two 85cc class races, worth 36th overall.

While it is interesting to note Levi Townley’s 85cc class success is New Zealand’s first junior motocross world title, it is also worth recognising that even such a small country as New Zealand has produced an incredible seven senior motocross world championship winners in the past (with 12 world titles between them) – Taranaki’s Shayne King (500cc world title, on a KTM in 1996); Taupo’s Ben Townley (MX2/250cc world title, on a KTM in 2004); Pukekohe’s Katherine Prumm (women’s world titles, on a Kawasaki in 2006 and again in 2007); Bombay’s Tony Cooksley (Veterans’ Motocross World Cup Champion, on a Yamaha in 2007); Hamilton’s Darryll King (Veterans’ Motocross World Cup Champion, on a Yamaha in 2012); Hawera’s Daryl Hurley (over-40 years’ veterans’ motocross world champion, at Glen Helen, in the USA, on a Husqvarna in 2016 and then again on a Suzuki in 2018) and Otago’s Courtney Duncan (women’s world championship titles, on a Kawasaki in 2019, 2020, 2021 and again in 2023).

Meanwhile, Fantic Factory Racing EMX125 rider Noel Zanocz continued his fantastic year with the 2024 World Junior 125cc title in his pocket after a stunning display of riding in the sand in The Netherlands.

The Hungarian also leads the EMX125 Championship at the time of writing.

Kiwi rider Levi Townley (pictured above) justified the long journey with a stunning overall win to add another FIM Gold Medal to the family collection as his former MX2 world championship-winning father Ben Townley watched on proudly.

Finally, the home crowd cheered the success of young charger Kash van Hamond, who used his skills in the sand to claim the 65cc World Cup.

It was also joy for the local supporters in the Nations standings, as Team Netherlands claimed the overall team victory, going one better than last season, ahead of Team France in second and Team Great Britain in third.

The 125cc class was a hot one, with the top 10 of this year’s EMX125 Championships Present alongside top racers from all the other continents, but it was Sweden’s Sandor Sols who claimed the first race holeshot on his GASGAS ahead of local ace Dean Gregoire.

However, it was Fantic Factory Racing EMX125 pilot Simone Mancini who dispelled the rumours that young Italians can’t ride sand by taking the lead on the opening circulation.

Jayson van Drunen, son of 1990s star Marcel van Drunen, although no relation to WMX star Lotte, was battling with another Dutchman, Gyan Doensen, in the top five, but Zanocz was on a mission and charged through to take second by the end of lap three.

With a clear track to chase his team-mate, he set the fastest time of the whole race on lap four, and dived past Mancini for the lead on lap six.

Behind them, Sols dropped back with a bike issue to finish 14th, but Spaniard Francisco Garcia put in a solid ride on his GASGAS to take third on lap six, then chased down Mancini to break-up the Fantic 1-2 with a pass on the very last lap of the race.

Finn Kasimir Hindersson, one of the fastest qualifiers, also fought through to finish fourth, with current EMX125 Championship challenger Doensen ending his topsy-turvy race in fifth.

Zanocz cruised to a 14-second victory to leave everyone else scratching their heads.

That super Swede Sols grabbed the holeshot again in race two, but would once more finish in 14th.

Mancini grabbed the lead on lap two this time, but Zanocz was outside the top 15 and giving his opponents some hope.

Gregoire and Van Drunen were again giving their home fans something to cheer for, but it was Doensen who climbed to 2nd at the end of lap five.

Incredibly, by half-distance it was that Hungarian menace Zanocz who had powered up to second place past his series rival, and set after Mancini.

With Doensen staying solid in third ahead of Garcia, who also fought through from behind at the start, it meant that Zanocz was in the driving seat for the overall, but he still put everything into catching his teammate, with a small mistake just interrupting his rhythm enough to give it to the Italian.

Local ace Dani Heitink claimed fifth ahead of Hindersson, but it was Zanocz who claimed the World Junior Championship with his 1-2 scoreline ahead of Mancini’s 3-1.

Garcia completed the podium ahead of Doensen and Hindersson, with Brit Jamie Keith taking a good sixth overall with consistent 6-8 finishes.

85cc CLASS

The 85cc class had taken the 40 starters from 108 entrants on Saturday, so it was always going to be a full and frantic circuit for the buzzing machines.

In race one, Austrian GASGAS pilot Moritz Ernecker took the holeshot and held the early lead from Levi Townley and French flyer Sleny Goyer, before Finland’s Viktor Leppälä moved into contention on his KTM.

On lap five, Ernecker threw away the lead, remounting in 16th and recovering to finish an eventual 8th.

This gave the elder of the two Townley brothers, 14-year-old Levi, a lead which he would not relinquish, as Goyer moved up to claim second with three laps to go, leaving Leppälä to hold off a charge from Estonian Lucas Leok.

The USA’s Wyatt Duff claimed fifth ahead of another Estonian, Aston Allas, who put a last lap pass on France’s Kenzo Ferez.

Race two saw a clean holeshot for Leok, and he simply would not be caught as he made an early gap and claimed a solid 12-second victory by the flag.

The battle raged behind him as the Dane Casey Karstrom put his Yamaha into second initially, before local ace Dex van den Broek completed his charge from outside the top five to claim second in the race, but Levi Townley battled past Brit Finley Pickering, Austrian Ricardo Bauer, and finally Karstrom to take third place, enough to keep Leok back in the points and claim the first ever Junior Motocross World Championship for New Zealand.

Van den Broek claimed third overall ahead of Goyer and Leppälä, with American Braxtyn Mes taking sixth overall by virtue of a stunning charge right from the back in race two.

65cc CLASS

It was another New Zealander, Nico Verhoeven, who has also been racing in the AMA recently, who claimed the first race holeshot in the 65cc class, and was never overtaken to win by nearly 10 seconds.

Kash Van Hamond fought from outside the top five to claim second in the race, ahead of Estonian Theo Kolts and a stunning charge from Great Britain’s Cohen Jagielski. Belgium’s Xen Temmerman took fifth ahead of fast-starting Frenchman Timoteï Cez.

Verhoeven again took the holeshot in race two, but Van Hamond had charged from outside the top 10 to claim second by lap three, then dived past the New Zealander to take the lead.

Despite his efforts to fight for the World Cup overall victory, Verhoeven lost positions to Germany’s Luca Nierychlo, who claimed second ahead of Kolts.

Verhoeven had to settle for fourth, enough only for second overall behind popular local ace Van Hamond.

Verhoeven’s AMA rival Jaydin Smart came through from an awful start to claim fifth, with his countryman Joseph Vicari claiming sixth in race two.

Overall though, it was Van Hamond who claimed the first 65cc title for a Dutch rider since Ivano van Erp in 2017, with Verhoeven and Kolts second and third.

Nierychlo took fourth overall from Vicari, with Jagielski recovering from a second race crash to finish 12th, good enough for sixth overall.

RESULTS AND STANDINGS:

125cc Junior World Championship – Race 1 – Top 10 Classification: 1. Noel Zanocz (HUN, Fantic), 29:49.124; 2. Francisco Garcia (ESP, GASGAS), +0:14.004; 3. Simone Mancini (ITA, Fantic), +0:14.516; 4. Kasimir Hindersson (FIN, KTM), +0:33.012; 5. Gyan Doensen (NED, KTM), +0:34.741; 6. Jamie Keith (GBR, Yamaha), +0:38.474; 7. Dean Gregoire (NED, KTM), +0:40.923; 8. Maximilian Ernecker (AUT, GASGAS), +0:51.157; 9. Jekabs Kubulins (LAT, Yamaha), +0:51.577; 10. Jayson van Drunen (NED, Yamaha), +0:54.839.

125cc Junior World Championship – Race 2 – Top 10 Classification: 1. Simone Mancini (ITA, Fantic), 29:49.507; 2. Noel Zanocz (HUN, Fantic), +0:08.647; 3. Gyan Doensen (NED, KTM), +0:16.849; 4. Francisco Garcia (ESP, GASGAS), +0:27.803; 5. Dani Heitink (NED, Yamaha), +0:29.623; 6. Kasimir Hindersson (FIN, KTM), +0:46.737; 7. Tomass Saicans (LAT, GASGAS), +0:47.220; 8. Jamie Keith (GBR, Yamaha), +1:03.043; 9. Nicolò Alvisi (ITA, KTM), +1:06.450; 10. Cole McCullough (IRL, Fantic), +1:07.219.

125cc Junior World Championship Top 10 Overall Classifications: 1. Noel Zanocz (HUN, FAN), 47 points; 2. Simone Mancini (ITA, FAN), 45 p.; 3. Francisco Garcia (ESP, GAS), 40 p.; 4. Gyan Doensen (NED, KTM), 36 p.; 5. Kasimir Hindersson (FIN, KTM), 33 p.; 6. Jamie Keith (GBR, YAM), 28 p.; 7. Dani Heitink (NED, YAM), 25 p.; 8. Nicolò Alvisi (ITA, KTM), 22 p.; 9. Jekabs Kubulins (LAT, YAM), 22 p.; 10. Dean Gregoire (NED, KTM), 22 p.

85cc FIM Junior World Championship – Race 1 – Top 10 Classification: 1. Levi Townley (NZL, Yamaha), 26:33.529; 2. Sleny Goyer (FRA, GASGAS), +0:04.450; 3. Viktor Leppälä (FIN, KTM), +0:09.557; 4. Lucas Leok (EST, Husqvarna), +0:13.339; 5. Wyatt Duff (USA, KTM), +0:44.444; 6. Aston Allas (EST, Husqvarna), +0:54.249; 7. Kenzo Ferez (FRA, KTM), +0:58.719; 8. Moritz Ernecker (AUT, GASGAS), +1:00.647; 9. Braxtyn Mes (USA, Husqvarna), +1:02.126; 10. Dex van den Broek (NED, KTM), +1:04.576.

85cc FIM Junior World Championship – Race 2 – Top 10 Classification: 1. Lucas Leok (EST, Husqvarna), 24:38.696; 2. Dex van den Broek (NED, KTM), +0:12.125; 3. Levi Townley (NZL, Yamaha), +0:17.549; 4. Casey Karstrom (DEN, KTM), +0:23.599; 5. Ricardo Bauer (AUT, KTM), +0:26.601; 6. Braxtyn Mes (USA, Husqvarna), +0:27.429; 7. Moritz Ernecker (AUT, GASGAS), +0:40.555; 8. Finley Pickering (GBR, Husqvarna), +0:42.134; 9. Aston Allas (EST, Husqvarna), +0:42.645; 10. Viktor Leppälä (FIN, KTM), +0:43.433.

85cc Junior World Championship Top 10 Overall Classification: 1. Levi Townley (NZL, YAM), 45 points; 2. Lucas Leok (EST, HUS), 43 p.; 3. Dex van den Broek (NED, KTM), 33 p.; 4. Sleny Goyer (FRA, GAS), 32 p.; 5. Viktor Leppälä (FIN, KTM), 31 p.; 6. Braxtyn Mes (USA, HUS), 27 p.; 7. Moritz Ernecker (AUT, GAS), 27 p.; 8. Aston Allas (EST, HUS), 27 p.; 9. Casey Karstrom (DEN, KTM), 26 p.; 10. Ricardo Bauer (AUT, KTM), 23 p.

65cc Junior World Cup – Race 1 – Top 10 Classification: 1. Nico Verhoeven (NZL, KTM), 17:26.044; 2. Kash Van Hamond (NED, GASGAS), +0:09.721; 3. Theo Kolts (EST, GASGAS), +0:27.978; 4. Cohen Jagielski (GBR, GASGAS), +0:28.925; 5. Xen Temmerman (BEL, GASGAS), +0:41.681; 6. Timoteï Cez (FRA, GASGAS), +0:43.354; 7. Luca Nierychlo (GER, Husqvarna), +0:43.831; 8. Willads Gordon (DEN, Yamaha), +0:45.015; 9. Joseph Vicari (USA, KTM), +0:50.595; 10. Roko Ivandic (CRO, KTM), +0:53.419.

65cc Junior World Cup – Race 2 – Top 10 Classification: 1. Kash Van Hamond (NED, GASGAS), 17:21.897; 2. Luca Nierychlo (GER, Husqvarna), +0:01.304; 3. Theo Kolts (EST, GASGAS), +0:33.625; 4. Nico Verhoeven (NZL, KTM), +0:37.325; 5. Jaydin Smart (USA, Yamaha), +0:40.392; 6. Joseph Vicari (USA, KTM), +0:44.138; 7. Austin Keller (USA, KTM), +1:00.291; 8. Mason Ezergailis (AUS, KTM), +1:05.286; 9. Mike Pijnen (NED, KTM), +1:10.993; 10. Scott van den Boomen (NED, KTM), +1:14.090.

65cc Junior World Cup Top 10 Overall Classifications: 1. Kash Van Hamond (NED, GAS), 47 points; 2. Nico Verhoeven (NZL, KTM), 43 p.; 3. Theo Kolts (EST, GAS), 40 p.; 4. Luca Nierychlo (GER, HUS), 36 p.; 5. Joseph Vicari (USA, KTM), 27 p.; 6. Cohen Jagielski (GBR, GAS), 27 p.; 7. Timoteï Cez (FRA, GAS), 25 p.; 8. Mason Ezergailis (AUS, KTM), 23 p.; 9. Jaydin Smart (USA, YAM), 22 p.; 10. Austin Keller (USA, KTM), 22 p.

NATIONS CLASSIFICATIONS:

The home team (The Netherlands), with two overall podium finishers and a fourth place, were easily the overall winners in the team Championship, and France just edged out Team Great Britain for second overall, with Estonia fourth and a fighting USA in fifth.

Like last year, Team Italy was declared the winner of the Ride Green Cup for demonstrating once again their commitment to environmental protection.

In the end, it was a fantastic event at the Dutch woodland circuit that many will take some amazing racing memories away from.

2024 Junior World Championship Nations Top 5 Classifications: 1. Netherlands 8p.; 2. France 24p.; 3. Great Britain 25p.; 4. Estonia 29p.; 5. USA 31p.

© Photos by Andy McGechan, BikesportNZ.com

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