Jeffrey Herlings-Ricky Carmichael MXoN Award Youngest Rider winner

At the young age of 15 years and three weeks Team Netherlands member Jeffrey Herlings ended the Red Bull FIM Motocross of Nations with the victory of the Ricky Carmichael Motocross of Nations Award Youngest rider.

Courtesy of his very young age, Herlings did establish a new record since the prize was created in 2007 -Carmichael’s last MXoN participation- and won by 16 year old’s Tonus (Switzerland, 2007) and Kullas (Finland, 2008).

Other 15 year old Roczen of Germany missed out on this year’s award as he was born five months before Herlings.

After winning both the FIM Motocross World Championship Junior 85cc and the UEM Motocross European Championship 85cc in 2008 onboard a Suzuki, KTM and Herlings joined forces as the youngster was set to debut in the EMX2 European series in 2009.

Herling’s season went extremely well and ended with a runner up spot in the Championship. Herlings challenged eventual Champion Charlier to win a total of eight moto’s, though he was not experienced enough and finished with a 72 point gap from the French rival.

Being selected to represent the Netherlands at the Red Bull FIM Motocross of Nations, Herlings lined up in the MX2 class. He finished seventh in the MX2 qualifying heat but completed only six laps in race one due to a crash. In heat two instead he was 20th as the Dutch Team (including Kras and Brakke) ended in 19th place. In the individual MX2 standings Herlings was 14th.

In 2010 Herlings will debut in the FIM Motocross World Championship MX2 inside the factory KTM team.