The Grand Prix of Europe was a scorcher at the hard-pack and swirling track of Faenza in Italy but it was Monster Energy Yamaha’s Mel Pocock who was really on fire. The Brit ended up acing six wins from a possible seven in the competitive European MX2 championship (the Grand Prix feeder series and showcase for future talent) and wrapped up the title to kick off celebrations. Watched by 24,000 sunburnt fans, including Monster Energy Tech3 MotoGP starAndrea Dovizioso, the penultimate round of the FIM Motocross World Championship also saw CP377 Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki’s Christophe Pourcel in delightful form and running second in both motos for the second step of the MX1 box.

Faenza was rutty, bumpy and hard-pack. Rough and tough. Typically Italian. The rhythm section of jumps on the long straight down to the pit-lane saw riders demonstrate some fantastic technique on the 250 and 450cc bikes. Overall it was a day of fast and relentless action across a punishing and often slick terrain.

Pocock lifted his gold number plate to become the first racer from the UK to become Euro No.1 on Saturday. Fittingly he rode almost the whole race at the front despite losing the use of his rear brake after a stone smashed the cable free from the mechanism. It was the first technical glitch all year for the twenty year old but he brought the Yamaha home in fourth to pop the champagne corks. He then resumed normal service with the chequered flag Sunday morning.

“I’m speechless to be honest,” he said afterwards. “Coming down some of those fast hills the last thing I needed was not have a rear brake but I did my best and finishing fourth was enough. Coming into this season I didn’t really know the strength of the other guys in the class and set a realistic goal of a top six finish by the end of the championship but when I was fastest in the very first session in France in June I thought ‘let’s see what we can really do here’. It has been an amazing season so far and we’re not done yet. A big thanks to Nick, Steve, Ash, my family and everyone who helped put the package together.”

While Pocock can now look towards finishing the MX2 British Championship that he also currently leads at Little Silver (Exeter) on October 7th the Grand Prix itself saw Monster Energy motocross crew toasting a eighth podium finish in the premier class for Pourcel who was majestic on some of the trickiest parts of the track. Kawasaki Racing Team’s Gautier Paulin was also feisty to seal third spot in the second moto.

A major shout out to Floride Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki’s Tommy Searle who followed home Jeffrey Herlings in both MX2 motos to confirm his status as runner-up in the championship and arguably one of themost exciting rookies for the 2013 MX1 series.

Meanwhile over in the USA 2012 FIM Women’s World Champion Kiara Fontanesi defeated the best the AMA could offer and rounded-off an immense season of racing by taking her Yamaha to a double victory at Lake Elsinore in California. The Italian went 1-1 and can place a shiny new trophy next to the many she has collected on the Euro scene this year.

The Grand Prix stars, teams and circus can sit back and chill out for a weekend now before the last meeting of the year takes place at Teutschenthal in Germany and then the 66th Motocross of Nations a week later in the fearsome sand of Lommel, Belgium.

Petar Petrov has lost his race to be fit for the Grand Prix of Russia this weekend at Semigorje.

The Rockstar Energy Suzuki Europe MX2 rider tried riding yesterday (Wednesday) with an injured left shoulder and although the ailment had improved after the incident that provoked ‘movement’ in the joint in Germany almost two weeks ago, the young Bulgarian still does not have enough power to be able consider competing at round 11 of the FIM Motocross World Championship.

The team will still be present with Swiss teenager Jeremy Seewer (pictured) on the RM-Z250 set to contest the third round of seven in the European EMX2 Championship after the youngster had a reasonably decent weekend in Latvia last weekend.

Round two occurred on the rough and bumpy circuit of Kegums, and with the EMX2 motos taking place on Saturday and Sunday morning, the competitors of the GP feeder-class thankfully managed to miss the worse of the weather that saw the venue covered by torrential rain. Seewer made a mistake that saw him slip to seventh in the first moto but rode strongly to capture sixth on Sunday for the same spot in the overall classification.

Working from his mXteam91 set-up, Seewer will be hoping to lift back into second position in the standings after the event this weekend in Russia. He is currently 11 points further back in third.

The tenth round of sixteen in the FIM Motocross World Championship took place in yet more adverse weather conditions and consequently a technically difficult and draining circuit at Kegums for the Grand Prix of Latvia. In what was a testing event for the Monster Energy Yamaha team Mel Pocock’s continuing dominance of the GP feeder series, the European EMX2 contest, was clear cut and impressive.

Pocock came into the meeting with the red plate as championship leader and after a thorough outing for the first round of seven in France last month. The Brit set the fastest times in practice and then ran away with both motos to further extend his control on the championship in these early stages. His fitness and form on the YZ250F was again evident and has turned heads through the paddock. His speed would have been enough for a top ten finish in the Grand Prix MX2 class.

It was in the midst of the MX2 category that Arnaud Tonus and Zach Osborne tried to convert some promising pace around the shifting Kegums bumps, lumps and ruts into bone fide results.

Tonus initially struggled for top speed on Saturday because of arm-pump and the pain and discomfort from a rock that smashed his goggles and hit his left eye. The Swiss admitted that he never quite found the peak of his potential and an effective rhythm. Ninth position in the first moto was followed by the same rank in the second, although the performance later in the day was noteworthy after ‘7’ came back from last position having been pushed into a muddy puddle exiting the first corner.

Osborne was among the fastest of the protagonists throughout Saturday practice but a mistake on the first corner of the Qualification Heat meant he had to recover from last position to claim 16th for the gate. The handicap was obvious and a poor start and crash on the second lap of the first moto on Sunday instigated another process of recovery from which he gained three points for eighteenth spot. The American crashed out of the second affair and withdrew with a sore neck.

Monster Energy Yamaha will continue heading east this week in preparation for only the second FIM Motocross World Championship visit to Russia and the first since 2002. Semigorje faces inauguration as a Grand Prix venue for round eleven on July 22nd and Pocock will be going for his European hat-trick.

Mel Pocock:
“It couldn’t have gone better today. I took the holeshot in the first race and made a seven lead so I could control it from there. In the next one I wasn’t first at the start but moved up quickly in the opening few turns. I pulled away again and managed to sit there! I’m so glad my races were scheduled when they were! We missed the worst of the weather, which was horrendous. I’m so happy to win again and keep the red plate. Steve [Dixon, Team Manager] has put together such a good bike. My speed would put me in a good position in the MX2 GP and it’s good knowing I could be running with those guys…with a bit of luck it will be next year!”

Zach Osborne:
“I had the speed all weekend: third in the free practice, fourth in the pre-qualification and fastest in warm-up this morning. I went down on the first turn of the qualification heat on Saturday and that kinda snowballed into what happened today. The first moto was really bad. I had a poor start and then fell on the second lap and came back from last again to eighteenth. In the second one I crashed on my own. It is disappointing. In the first race it was so difficult to pass and when you get into the same rhythm and lines of the guys in front then you lose time. It was a tough track. I didn’t do very well this weekend. I have the speed and the fitness but to come away from here with only three points is frustrating.”

Arnaud Tonus:
“In the first practice session I wasn’t so good on the bike but then I had a stone in the face. I had to stop and only managed ten minutes. In the second session I tried to get a rhythm going but it didn’t really happen for me all weekend to be honest. I did my best and dealt with a lot of arm-pump. On what was a bad weekend eighth is not a terrible result but I expect more from myself. Better form will come but it is taking a bit of time after the injuries. I want to do so well out there that sometimes I get down when I cannot show the rhythm and speed I make in training. I feel great on the Yamaha and need to do my best to put it all together and make it happen in the races.”

Steve Dixon:
“The weekend started off well with Mel continuing his good form in the European Championship with two wins and another perfect run. Zach and Arnaud had mixed races. Arnaud taking a rock in the eye on Saturday hampered his whole weekend and Zach had good speed but a few too many crashes. The weather played havoc and made it all a bit of a lottery. I was pleased with how they were riding but we didn’t have much luck in terms of how the races panned out. Only seventeen riders finished the second race and in that sense I have to say ‘well done’ to the mechanics for getting the bikes ready throughout the weekend without any problems in this weather. We’ll look forward to Russia now and to some top results for where the guys deserve to be.”

Rockstar Energy Suzuki Europe was dealt a blow today when Petar Petrov was advised to miss the Grand Prix of Latvia and the 10th round of the FIM Motocross World Championship this weekend.

The Bulgarian was attacking the German sand of Tensfeld in practice for the latest fixture in the ADAC MX Masters last Saturday when he felt movement in his left shoulder and painfully had to withdraw from the meeting. The limb was not dislocated but some ligament damage had taken place and upon scans by renowned Belgian specialist Dr Claes, the number ’152′ was warned against competing in Kegums.

It is hard news for the factory-backed MX2 Grand Prix team who had already lost the tenacity of Harri Kullas for the rest of the season after surgery on his left knee last week. Petrov will spend seven days resting and assessing the strength of the joint before attempting to practice next Wednesday under the watchful eye of the squad and with strapping and support from Ortema. After the run a decision will be made if Petrov can look towards the Grand Prix of Russia the weekend after the trip to Latvia.

Rockstar Energy Suzuki Europe was however encouraged to learn that electric Swiss teenager Jeremy Seewer – who scored impressive points on his Grand Prix debut in Belgium last month – will be able to join the awning. Seewer (pictured) has the full backing of his mXteam 91 set-up and will commit to his original plan of the European EMX2 series (the feeder competition to Grand Prix of which there are six meetings remaining and Seewer is currently a lofty second in the standings) but will house his RM-Z250 with the GP crew.

The 17 year old has been swiftly scaling the steps to international recognition. The Suzuki stalwart took third position in the 2011 European EMX125cc contest and currently leads the Youngster Cup of the high profile ADAC MX Masters Championship. Seewer caught the attention of many by steering the RM-Z250 for his country at St Jean D’Angely in France for the 2011 Motocross of Nations.

“We are talking about a special talent here and one that has been with the Suzuki family for a long time,” commented Rockstar Energy Suzuki Europe Team Manager Thomas Ramsbacher. “Although we would have preferred to have Jeremy’s company in better circumstances, he represents the philosophy of our team and project; and that’s taking some of the most promising and exciting talent Europe has to offer and helping them reach the top. We have already shown this with several riders and we are all very keen to see the possibilities of Jorge Zaragoza and Brian Hsu in the coming months. Jeremy, with his mXteam 91 framework, now becomes part of the goal and we couldn’t be happier to welcome him.”