Making it four overall victories in a row, Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Billy Bolt has won the fourth round of the 2024 FIM SuperEnduro World Championship in Cluj, Romania. Battling through a knee injury sustained at the previous round in Germany, the FE 350 rider fought hard to claim two wins from three starts and with it, extend his championship lead to 19 points.
Prestige Overall
1. Billy Bolt (Husqvarna) 57pts
2. Jonny Walker (Beta) 54pts
3. Manuel Lettenbichler (KTM) 43pts
4. Dominik Olszowy (Rieju) 37pts
5. Eddie Karlsson (Husqvarna) 31pts
Although unable to ride his bike since round three due to injury, Bolt wasted no time in settling back into his fast rhythm by topping the afternoon timed practice in Cluj. Proving a much-needed confidence boost, Bolt now felt optimistic about the night ahead on what would ultimately be a technical course to master.
Disappointed with placing fourth in the SuperPole hot lap, Billy Bolt lined up for race one on his FE 350 aiming to put himself back at the sharp end of the results sheet. Knowing the tight and complicated course would prove difficult to navigate under racing conditions, he tried to pace himself during the opening laps. Avoiding trouble where best he could, he ended race one in second position.
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Taking to the start line for race two, Bolt was determined to get his first victory of the night on the scoreboard. From row two he made short work of the early traffic and quickly slotted into fourth position on lap one. Battling through, he fought his way into second and set his sights on race leader Jonny Walker. With the duo going wheel-to-wheel, Billy Bolt put an incredible overtake on Walker as they began the final lap. Holding firm, he rode clear to a well-deserved race win.
With the overall victory in Romania up for grabs heading into the third and final race, Bolt was focused on delivering the goods on his FE 350. A strong opening lap saw him slot into fourth position. Capitalising on mistakes from the riders in front of him as they ended lap two, Bolt dived into second position. On the following lap he disposed of early pace setter Eddie Karlsson to take over the race lead. Despite slippery track conditions, Billy Bolt kept his advantage intact during the final four minutes of racing to claim the win and with it, the overall victory at round four.
Championship Standings (After Round 4)
1. Billy Bolt (Husqvarna) 239pts
2. Jonny Walker (Beta) 220pts
3. Manuel Lettenbichler (KTM) 153pts
4. Will Hoare (Rieju) 146pts
5. Dominik Olszowy (Rieju) 132pts
Billy Bolt: “It was a night where momentum sort of came to me as the racing progressed. After a tricky start with SuperPole and race one, winning race two built the confidence back up. I felt better about my riding and really went for it in the final race to take the overall. I was disappointed with how SuperPole went. I made a mistake, but I have to accept these things happen sometimes. Overall I’m massively pleased with the outcome here tonight. Despite my injury, we’ve won again and strengthened the championship lead further.” (source: husqvarna)
STORY: Billy Bolt Secures Fifth Consecutive SuperEnduro Victory In Hungary (February 2024)
STORY: Super-Enduro: Billy Bolt Goes Two From Two In Poland (December 2023)
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