Another young Kiwi is set to head overseas to race motocross in the hotbed of Europe in 2025 – Bay of Plenty’s junior world champion Levi Townley.
Yamaha Motor Europe and the MJC Yamaha Official EMX125 team this week revealed their powerhouse four-rider line-up for the 2025 European Motocross 125 (EMX125) Championship and it includes the teenage Kiwi who just last weekend won convincingly in the 12-14 years’ 125cc class at the big annual MX Fest extravaganza at Taupo.
The team will retain its talented trio of riders – Dutch sensation Dani Heitink, French rising star Mano Faure, and Belgian standout Jarne Bervoets – but now also welcome aboard Oropi’s Townley, the recently-crowned Junior Motocross 85cc World Champion and that certainly gives the EMX125 competition added focus for motocross fans from New Zealand.
Heitink had a breakout rookie season in the EMX125 class, scoring two impressive race wins and four top-five finishes.
The young Dutchman has set his sights on an even stronger performance in 2025, aiming to challenge for the championship title.
Faure burst onto the scene with a podium finish at the opening round of 2024 in Sardinia, demonstrating his potential early on.
Despite a season-ending injury in May, Faure secured five top-five finishes and two podiums and is eager to bounce back stronger in 2025 to fight for the crown.
Belgium’s Bervoets faced his share of challenges in his rookie season but still managed to score seven top-10 finishes while battling injuries. Now fully recovered, Bervoets is ready to hit the ground running and show his full potential in 2025.
Joining this talented roster is 14-year-old Townley, fresh off an incredible season on the international stage. After capturing the 85cc title at the 2024 FIM Junior Motocross World Championship in Heerde, in The Netherlands, Townley made a seamless transition to the YZ125 and capped off his season with an impressive second-place finish at the YZ bLU cRU FIM Europe Cup SuperFinale during the Monster Energy Motocross of Nations in early October.
Townley, the eldest son of KTM’s MX2 World Champion in 2004, Ben Townley, is set to relocate to France ahead of the 2025 EMX125 Championships, where he will prepare for his first European Motocross Championships campaign.
With this exciting mix of young talent, the MJC Yamaha Official EMX125 team is set for an action-packed and promising 2025 season.
Yamaha Motor Europe motocross racing specialist Thorsten Lentink said: “We’re happy to continue into 2025 with the same three riders. These young talents were relatively new to the EMX125 class in 2024, but they demonstrated impressive potential.
“Our primary goal was for them to learn, gain experience, and grow, and they achieved just that. While injuries set us back at times, their overall progress was very positive. We’re confident they’ll use what they learned in 2024 to chase top results in 2025.
“Adding Levi Townley to the team is also very exciting. His win at the Junior Motocross World Championships on his YZ85 was special. We immediately saw his natural skill and potential and wanted to give him this opportunity to take the next step in his career with our Official EMX125 team.
“We’d also like to thank Yamaha Australia/New Zealand for their support, as well as the dedication of his father, Ben Townley, and Josh Coppins in New Zealand, who have given Levi an excellent start to his career.
“We know the move to France will be a big step for Levi, but we’re confident he’s ready, and we’ll ensure he, along with Dani, Mano, and Jarne, have all the tools necessary to succeed.”
© Photo by Andy McGechan, BikesportNZ.com
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