Kay De Wolf - Leading the Pack

Posted on April 11, 2024

At 19 years of age, Kay De Wolf is showing everything we all hoped for, and this sensationally talented Dutchman is very much the man of the MX2 class, and he is showing no signs of slowing down. From the volcanic dirt of Argentina to the hard pack of Spain and the deep, deep sand of Sardinia the Nestaan Husqvarna factory rider has just been riding like a season’s veteran.

Considering in 2023 he started the season with 8-2-3-5-2-4-5-1, maybe we shouldn’t be so surprised, but for De Wolf, it was the mid-season results that let him down and of course injuries. Any top-level motocross rider fights with bodily damage and of course, that is one of the elements they have to overcome.

However, the fact he has finished with 2-2-1-1-1-2-1-2-1, well, that is more than being consistent, that is being special. Since arriving in the MX2 class, De Wolf has finished 7-6-6-6-3 in championship battle and while that is impressive, this current form makes his previous results look pretty average in comparison.

Not since the golden MX2 era of Red Bull KTM factory Jeffrey Herlings, has a ride started with such a stunning run of top two finishes and moto wins, not even the ever impressive Jorge Prado. Of course, Herlings started a number of seasons with multiple moto wins and GP victories. So, the last time we saw this type of start was back in 2016 with Herlings.

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Last weekend in Sardinia, the tall redhead gave us all a look once again at his beautiful sand skills and while watching him carve his way through the most difficult sand circuit in the World, we also got a look at his confidence under pressure.

“I was feeling good,” De Wolf told the media after the weekend. “Also, yesterday I had a good pace. Lucas was also good, and we had a good battle until the end, we both did a good job. I think the team would be very proud of us. For sure consistency is key and I just try and put it on the box every weekend and that is the goal. Also, next weekend, just put it on the box for score points for the championship. In the first race, I didn't really find a good flow—and credit to Lucas, he was pretty fast when he passed me. Big shout-out to him. In the second moto, I backed off a little bit because I knew Lucas was behind me and we could fight until the flag. He made a little mistake towards the end, which made my life easier—but I’m super happy with the results this weekend. Three in a row—it’s honestly amazing. Hopefully, we can keep this momentum going into the next weekend. We just keep aiming for the podiums—that's the main goal. I can't thank the team enough for their hard work, and now I’m looking forward to the next one!” 

In Spain two weeks early, it was hard pack that got his attention and while he might not have been able to show us the same technique as in the deep sand of Riola, it was still something really special to watch.

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“I worked really hard for the result this weekend - especially in the second moto. Qualifying went really great on Saturday with a dominant win, but the pace has been really fast on Sunday.  I got shuffled back to around sixth I think at the start of the first moto, but just tried to stay calm and work my way back to the front. It felt amazing to get back-to-back wins after Argentina! Then at the start of the second moto I had to let Andrea by; he was on really good form. In the last few laps, I wanted to push and catch him - but I was making way too many mistakes. The track was not allowing me to be as fast as I wanted! It was tough but we made it happen anyway! I can’t thank the team enough - I worked really hard for these results, so it’s a pleasure to be able to secure the championship points in return!”

And that opening round performance in Argentina, with huge pressure, as all the MX2 riders had, he didn’t flinch and just rode consistent laps with very few mistakes. That has been the biggest change probably from 2023, is the lack of error from the Husqvarna man.

“It’s really nice to have the red plate on my bike at this stage of the season - even though it maybe doesn't mean much, with so many races to go with 19 rounds, but I’m really happy with that. I was struggling in the beginning of the weekend, but I kept improving - which is something that we focused on during winter training, doing long motos and then going for a sprint in the end. Overall, it was a positive weekend, and all the hard work paid off. Winning a GP is amazing of course and now I’m looking forward to heading to Spain now and battling for more wins.”

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Now onto Trentino for round four of the 2024 MX2 championship. A circuit where his form has been a 5th in 2023, 2nd in 2022, 6-11-7 in the 2021 triple header. Results good enough to give him even more confidence entering round four of what until now has just been a little more than impressive. Like leading a pack of wolves, De Wolf is very much the strongest and clearly a leader that might be followed all season long.

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