The Italian Grand Prix was a huge success for Team HTS KTM. Kornel Nemeth (#108) scored world championship points in MXGP, and Bence Szvoboda (#221) stood on the podium of the EMX300 class. No Hungarian team has ever managed such feats before.
Team HTS KTM had its debut on the European Championships this year. The Sopron-based team had already showed itself at the Bulgarian and Spanish rounds with rider Bence Szvoboda in EMX300, but the big break came last weekend in Maggoria, where Bence was joined by Kornel Nemeth, the most successful Hungarian MX rider of all times, who was a regular contender in the World Championships until 2008. The almost veteran-aged Nemeth did not disappoint, after his long absence from the field he immediately managed to ride into the point scoring places on the very demanding Maggoria track, and with this has managed to score points in six different World Championship categories – a feat achieved also by Stefan Everts. After his 125, 250, MX3, MotocrossGP and 450-class points, Kornel is now a point scorer in MXGP as well.
Nemeth’s performance was a mystery before the Italian Grand Prix, we could not know if the pace of the 31 year old Hungarian champion would be enough on the very fast world stage. In 2012 he had undergone a major surgery with spinal hernia, which almost paralyzed him. After his recovery he was riding mostly in endurocross and superenduro events, which, of course, demands far different preparations from the contenders than motocross. But this winter Nemeth was determined in his preparations to get back on the motocross stage, in which he was helped a lot by HTS KTM team owner Lajos Horvath. Kornel’s Maggiora-results speak for themselves: 8 world championship points and an overall 18th place are his tally from Italy. With a stock bike and as a privateer, these are more than respectable results after six years of absence.
“I enjoyed the weekend a lot, it was great to ride in such a prestigious field again. Since my spinal surgery I was really taking care of my back, I had to avoid the really rough rugged places and so had to choose the longer line sometimes, which has cost me time every lap. I was riding real loosely and calm, and so it came as a bit of a surprise for me that my pace was good for the middle of the field as it was. Unfortunately my 100 kilo weight is always a setback at the starts, so I had to catch up from the back of the field again. If I would have managed to get a better start, I could have scored even more points for my team. I am very grateful for Team HTS KTM and my sponsors for allowing me to get back on the World Championship stage!” – said Nemeth after the race.
Bence Szvoboda also went all out in the EMX300 class: the seven-time Hungarian champion showed by far his best form in Maggiora. Although Samuele Bernardini was unbeatable, the 22 year old racer was in a big fight with Marco Maddii for second place. Szvoboda did all he could to catch up with the Italian but could not make the pass stick, so he had to settle for a third place in the overall standings – the first European Championship podium for Team HTS KTM!
“I had lot of rugged races recently, I must say. Unfortunately my season did not start as I had anticipated. After a few heavy crashes in the Spanish Grand Prix I had to skip the British round, so I will have to go without an overall podium at the end of the year, but nevertheless, I am really happy for my third place at the Italian round. I felt like I had this result in me all along from the beginning of the season, but now I was able to prove it. I would be more than happy if I could win a race for my team this season, as they had put so much work and effort into this year’s championships.” – said Szvoboda after the checkered flag.
Lajos Horvath (Team Manager/Owner):
“I founded the team in 2011 with the aim to support talented Hungarian motocross riders who otherwise would not have had the opportunity to show themselves on the world stage, like Bence Szvoboda. It is a real honor for us that Kornel Nemeth also has taken up our offer to join the team and so helps with his results in the prestigious European competitions. I am more than proud of our boys, they have proven that Hungarians have a place on the world and European stages. I hope that the successes of Maggiora are just the beginning, and that we will be able to achieve even greater results in the future. It felt great to have a taste of this atmosphere.”