15. July 2024
Race Report

Challenges in Tensfeld

After a short summer break, the action returned to the deep sand of Tensfeld for the fifth round of the ADAC MX Masters. A number of world championship riders also did the honours, most of all Jeffrey “The Bullet” Herlings. The tough, 1530-metre-long sand track took everything from many riders and pushed some to their limits.

Saturday – Qualifying and first race

Saturday got off to a promising start for Petr Polak, who finished 15th in qualifying group A and went straight into the races. Mike Bolink, on the other hand, had problems on the still fast track and only just missed out on a direct entry into the qualifying heats. In the Last Chance Qualifier Race (LCQ), Bolink showed good speed and secured his starting position in the qualifying heats with 5th place.

The first race was on the programme in the afternoon. Polak got off to a fabulous start and was in 9th place after the first lap. Despite making a few mistakes, he remained in a respectable 12th place until the middle of the race, before unfortunately crashing hard and having to retire. Bolink, meanwhile, fought his way up from the back of the field to 23rd place.

Sunday – warm-up and second races

On Sunday after the warm-up, the team decided that Petr Polak would sit out the two upcoming races due to his heavy crash the previous day and undergo medical checks. For Mike Bolink, who once again had to start from the back of the field due to his less than ideal starting position, the second race was difficult. He was able to work his way up to 26th place.

Third Heatrace

Bolink was again unlucky in the third race. A heavy crash at the back of the track forced him to end the race prematurely. So a challenging race weekend ended for both riders Polak and Bolink with mixed feelings and hopes for a better next round of the ADAC MX Masters. Whether Petr Polak will be able to line up at his home Grand Prix in Loket remains to be seen, as does Mike Bolink’s participation, which depends on their respective recoveries.

Despite the setbacks, the tension remains high and the riders will certainly be motivated to attack again at the next round and improve their positions.