If the Coenen brothers do race the third round of the 2026 AMA Nationals, at the Thunder Valley circuit, they won’t be the first Belgian double act to race a National there.

Suzuki Grand Prix racers Clement Desalle and Kevin Strijbos finished sixth and ninth overall at Thunder Valley in 2013. Desalle went 5-7 and the thin Colorado air sapped the strength of both Belgians in their second motos. Strijbos went 10-8 for ninth overall.

Clement Desalle: “I’m quite satisfied with this race; I got a good qualifying time and a reasonable start in the first moto. I was trying to get hold of the first guys to follow this rhythm but made a small mistake which allowed Canard to pass. I worked to pass him back since I felt I was faster than him, but it wasn’t so easy to get by him. In the second moto my start was not as good as the first moto, but I didn’t have the strength to push forward. I think all the traveling to and from Brazil might have taken its toll there. The format takes some getting used to – with just two-timed practice runs and everything put into one day – but I don’t think it’s bad; in the end it’s the same for everyone!”

Kevin Strijbos: “It’s a great experience! I didn’t know what to expect but after the qualifying sessions I felt comfortable on the track and felt my speed was good in opposition to the others. I am a little bummed about falling in the start of Moto 1, managed to come back to 10th which in the end was good, but also took a lot of energy. So, for the second race I felt after a few laps that I had to settle for a slightly lower pace to get through the race, which in the end wasn’t bad either with an 8th position. It’s good working with the guys from Rockstar Racing – we’re learning in both ways here! “

450 Results

1. Ryan Villopoto 1 - 1

2. Ryan Dungey 2 - 2

3. Justin Barcia 3 - 4

4. Trey Canard 4 - 5

5. Mike Alessi 6 - 6

6. Clement Desalle 5 - 7

7. James Stewart 15 - 3

8. Tyla Rattray 7 - 10

9. Kevin Strijbos 10 - 8

10. Dean Wilson 11 - 9

Side Note: Desalle also raced Unadilla in 2010 finishing with 2-2 for second overall, beating James Stewart in moto one for the second spot. He also raced Washougal in 2009. Desalle adapted quickly to the unique, hard-packed terrain of Washougal MX Park, setting the third-fastest practice time behind Chad Reed and Andrew Short. In the first 450cc moto, Desalle shocked the field by riding his Honda CRF450R to a stellar third-place finish. His second moto did not go as planned due to a mechanical issue or crash, causing him to drop out of the running.