The De Baets MX Team lined up with its full roster last Sunday during the Dutch MX Nationals at the De Witte Ruysheuvel circuit in Oss. With riders Lotte van Drunen, Cole McCullough, Dex Kooiker, Torre van Mechgelen and Vencislav Toshev, the team was represented in both the 250 and 125 classes.

In the 250 class, Cole McCullough had a solid race day. The Northern Irish rider set the eighth-fastest time in his practice group and started the moto around ninth place. During the race he briefly lost a few positions and dropped outside the top ten, but with a strong finish he managed to work his way back forward and ultimately crossed the line in ninth place.

Teammate Vencislav Toshev recorded the tenth-fastest time in his practice group. After the start of the moto he had to fight back from outside the top fifteen, but with a strong charge through the field he impressively worked his way up to tenth place.

For Lotte van Drunen the day began with the ninth-fastest time in practice. After the start of the moto she came through outside the top thirty, after which she began a strong comeback ride. The two-time WMX World Champion eventually crossed the finish line in 21st position.

Unfortunately, the second NK250 moto was stopped early with a red flag after Ivano van Erp was involved in a serious accident.

In the 125 class, Dex Kooiker immediately showed his speed by setting the fastest time in his practice group. In the first moto, Kooiker rode a strong race and held second place for a long time until the closing stages. Unfortunately, he came into contact with a lapped rider and had to settle for third place. In the second moto he did line up at the start, but due to the aftermath of the crash in the first moto he experienced too many issues and decided to return to the paddock early.

Torre van Mechgelen recorded the fourth-fastest time in his practice group. In the first moto he had to come through from the middle of the pack but worked his way forward well to finish in ninth place. In the second moto he started around 23rd position, after which he again produced a strong comeback ride and eventually crossed the finish line in fourteenth place.

Next weekend all members of the De Baets MX Team will compete at the MXGP of Spain. Lotte van Drunen will race in the MX2 class, while Dex Kooiker and Torre van Mechgelen will compete in the EMX125 class, and Cole McCullough and Vencislav Toshev will represent the team in the EMX250 class.

Photo credits – Anne Poland