In a few days time the gates will drop for the first round of the Honda 150 European Championship 2015 season at Pietramurata in Italy. For many of the riders, this will be the first time that they will experience the MXGP paddock.
Following on from the final selection at the Albaida training camp last month, a full 30-strong grid will compete for the prize of a Honda supported EMX250 ride in 2016. A limited number of wildcard places will also be available throughout the season for outstanding local riders not competing in the full season.
As a support championship to the MXGP World Championship, the 11-14 year old riders get the chance to compete in twelve motos at six grand prix tracks alongside their stars, experience the MXGP paddock and get to grips with the four-stroke CRF150R. This year also sees the introduction of the Fox Instinct trophy, provided by Fox Head Europe, which will be awarded to the overall winner of each round.
The rider development programme that started at the training camp will continue throughout the season with experts in nutrition, fitness and sports psychology available for advice and guidance throughout the year. Series coach, and British motocross champion, Gordon Crockard will also be on hand to advise on riding improvement and racing mentality.
‰ÛÏAfter seeing all the kids riding at the training camp, I'm really exited to go to the first round and see who will be at the front." Davy Dousselaere ‰ÛÒ Honda Europe off-road manager said. "This year we have quite a lot of candidates who are able the fill in the top spots: new really young talents that are fast, but also some from last year who have stepped it up over the winter.
"I think it will be a good experience for the kids to start the Honda 150 European Championship season in Italy this year, on this beautiful, demanding track in Arco which, every year, always has a lot of fans behind the fence.‰Û
