Fourth overall for Jed Beaton at MX2 season finale

Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Jed Beaton has placed fourth overall at the final round of the 2020 FIM Motocross World Championship, the MXGP of Garda Trentino. Battling to an opening moto seventh place finish, the Australian came agonisingly close to snatching victory in race two. Thomas Kjer Olsen claimed seventh overall in his final outing in the MX2 class.

Jed Beaton arrived at the MXGP of Garda Trentino looking to maintain his fourth-place ranking in the MX2 World Championship. After placing seventh in the opening moto, Beaton was quick from the start line in race two, slotting into third place on the second lap. With Jago Geerts crashing out just ahead of him, the FC 250 rider put on a charge that brought him onto the back wheel of the race leader, Ben Watson. Frustratingly, Jed was unable to find his way into the lead, crossing the finish line less than one-second away from victory. Beaton’s 7-2 results secured fourth overall.

In placing fourth in the MX2 World Championship, Beaton enjoyed a highly positive year in 2020. Showing race-winning speed throughout the season, he came agonisingly close to a maiden overall win at the penultimate round. Proving to be a capable racer on any surface, the 22-year-old claimed three overall podium finishes, along with nine moto podiums and was the first rider in the standings to score points in every race. A memorable season with many career milestones reached.

Thomas Kjer Olsen’s final MX2 Grand Prix delivered mixed results. Looking to end the season strongly, a first-turn crash in race one ruled out one last trip to the podium for the Dane. Ending moto one in 13th place, race two saw him battle hard to secure sixth at the finish for seventh overall.

The 2020 MX2 World Championship proved to be challenging for TKO. Hampered by two early-season injuries and missing one GP entirely, two overall GP wins and six overall podium results in the latter stages of the series marked a constructive end to the Dane’s MX2 career. Clinching sixth overall in the championship standings, TKO brings his MX2 career to a close as he heads to the MXGP class for 2021 with Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing.

Both of Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s MXGP class entrants, Pauls Jonass and Arminas Jasikonis, saw their seasons brought to premature ends following crashes and subsequent injuries. Former MX2 World Champion Jonass suffered from a heavy fall while training for the series restart in August, ruling him out of action until 2021. Jasikonis impressed prior to his injury in September, placing third overall at the second round, before going one better with a runner-up finish at round five. The Lithuanian also claimed his maiden MXGP moto win aboard his FC 450 in 2020.

With the 2020 FIM Motocross World Championship now complete, Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing will soon embark on an off-season of testing and preparation ahead of the 2021 campaign.

Jed Beaton: “It’s been great to end the year with a runner-up finish in the last moto of the season. I had a great start and challenged for the win, so it’s positive to end the season like this. It’s a shame about the first moto but moto two proved I can be up there with a good start. It’s been a long season. Many ups and downs but all in all it’s been a positive year for me and the team. Having completed a full season I know what it takes now and I know what I need to work on over the winter ahead of 2021. I’m actually really glad that we got a season in as at one point it looked like we weren’t going racing at all. The three GPs in a week, that was different, racing so frequently was different, but it was always a good time and it’s been a lot of work for the team as well as myself. The team has done a phenomenal job with such a tight schedule. It can’t have been easy so credit to them, they’ve done an awesome job.”

Thomas Kjer Olsen: “Today was a bit of a struggle and not quite the way I wanted to end my 250 career. This is how racing goes though sometimes, and with how the season started with two injuries, I can’t complain. Despite riding in pain for many races, I showed up, confident and just ready to battle. I moved past the tough days early in the season and then showed what I could do as the season went on. Winning two GPs was nice in my final season in the class. I can’t dwell on this year – sure it wasn’t where I wanted to be in the final standings but I’m moving to MXGP and I’m still young, so I have a lot of years of racing to go. I’m excited for the future on the 450. I’ve been part of a great team, the Nestaan MX2 team, for four years and we’ve enjoyed a lot of success together. They’ve supported me the whole time and I couldn’t have been on a better team, so I’m really thankful for that.”

Results – 2020 FIM Motocross World Championship, Round 18

MX2 – Overall
1. Ben Watson (Yamaha) 45; 2. Tom Vialle (KTM) 41; 3. Maxime Renaux (Yamaha) 40; 4. Jed Beaton (Husqvarna) 36… 7. Thomas Kjer Olsen (Husqvarna) 23; 17. Josh Gilbert (Husqvarna) 10; 24. Johannes Nermann (Husqvarna) 1

MX2 - Race 1
1. Tom Vialle (KTM) 19 laps, 34:05:231; 2. Maxime Renaux (Yamaha) 34:11:364; 3. Ben Watson (Yamaha) 34:12:349… 7. Jed Beaton (Husqvarna) 34:20:931; 13. Thomas Kjer Olsen (Husqvarna) 35:01:814; 20. Josh Gilbert (Husqvarna) 18 laps, 34:07:699; 24. Johannes Nermann (Husqvarna) 34:47:370

MX2 - Race 2
1. Ben Watson (Yamaha) 19 laps, 34:17:030; 2. Jed Beaton (Husqvarna) 34:17:918; 3. Isak Gifting (GASGAS) 34:31:996… 6. Thomas Kjer Olsen (Husqvarna) 34:42:208; 12. Josh Gilbert (Husqvarna) 35:29:293; 20. Johannes Norman (Husqvarna) 18 laps, 34:43:770

Championship Standings – After Round 18

MX2
1. Tom Vialle (KTM) 759pts; 2. Jago Geerts (Yamaha) 679; 3. Maxime Renaux (Yamaha) 581; 4. Jed Beaton (Husqvarna) 564; 6. Thomas Kjer Olsen (Husqvarna) 540… 16. Alberto Forato (Husqvarna) 156; 21. Josh Gilbert (Husqvarna) 112; 29. Mattia Guadagnini (Husqvarna) 62; 36. Gianmarco Cenerelli (Husqvarna) 21; 37. Enzo Toriani (Husqvarna) 21; 38. Johannes Nermann (Husqvarna) 17; 43. Roland Edelbacher (Husqvarna) 5; 45. Maximilian Spies (Husqvarna) 2