JEFFREY HERLINGS

Dutch teenager Jeffrey Herlings was on Stefan Everts’ (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing team boss) radar screen long before he got his first ride with the team at the close of the 2009 season when he was slipped under the the MX2 World Championship age limit. Jeffrey was then signed for the factory team in 2010 and enjoyed a spectacular first half of the season before he injured his shoulder in the Czech GP in Loket and had to sit out the remaining races.

The on-track battles between Jeffrey and teammate Ken Roczen turned out to be a highlight of the 2011 season and Jeffrey, the younger of the two teenagers, made it a two-way battle for the title right up to the second last round of the season. Roczen and Herlings were in a class of their own and finished the season 1-2 and with an impressive points lead over third placed Tommy Searle.

When Roczen moved to the US KTM factory team the way was left open for Jeffrey to fulfill the prediction from team boss Stefan Everts that he had the skill and talent to take the title. Herlings did not disappoint, even though he still faced a hard battle against Searle. A traffic accident immediately after the GP of Russia was a setback and left Herlings severely concussed and with other minor injuries but he made a good recovery and went on to score nine GP wins and 18 race victories in the 2012 season. He also underlined his outstanding skill and potential as a sand racer and few will forget his spectacular performance at Valkenswaard when he succeeded in lapping all riders up to second place in one of the motos. With Searle moving up to MX1 in 2013, the way is now clear for Herlings to defend his title.