The second round of the Arctic Sport MX Masters series, held in Tihemetsa, presented riders with the first truly hot race day of the season. Temperatures climbed close to 30°C, and the sandy track made conditions especially demanding. Throughout the day, the circuit developed deep ruts and holes, creating a serious physical challenge for the competitors.

In the MX Open class, the main battle of the day was between Estonian Championship leader Jörgen-Matthias Talviku (Yamaha, Pärnu Motoclub) and Finnish rider Jere Haavisto (KTM).

Lithuanian rider Eimantas Cepulis grabbed the holeshot in the opening race, but Kaarel Tilk (Husqvarna, Sõmerpalu MK) soon moved into the lead. After Tilk made a mistake, the fight for first place was taken over by Markuss Kokinš (GasGas, Latvia) and Jere Haavisto, while Talviku, who had started from fourth position, steadily worked his way forward. Haavisto lost the lead due to arm pump, and Talviku continued his charge, taking over the lead with two laps remaining and securing the victory ahead of Kokinš and Haavisto.

The second moto delivered the anticipated Talviku–Haavisto duel. Both riders maintained a high pace from the start and spent several laps running almost wheel-to-wheel. Near the end of the second lap, Talviku found an opportunity to pass and moved into the lead.

From there, the Estonian Championship leader controlled the race confidently and gradually increased his advantage. Haavisto held onto second place, but in the closing stages, Gert Krestinov (Honda, Motoextreme) closed in rapidly. At the finish, however, Krestinov remained a few seconds behind the Finn.

“The track was challenging and deceptive, and the competition was good,” Talviku summarized after the race.

According to Talviku, the Tihemetsa round served as an excellent training day, and these hard-packed sandy tracks suit him particularly well.

With two race wins, Talviku secured the overall victory with a perfect 50 points. Haavisto finished second with 42 points, while Kokinš completed the podium in third with 40 points.

In the Estonian Championship standings, Talviku remains the clear leader with 122 points after two rounds.

Paat Retains the Red Plate in MX2

In the MX2 class, Finnish rider Saku Mansikkamäki (KTM, Silve Racing) emerged as the star of the day. He won qualifying and took the holeshot in both motos. However, in the first race he was unable to hold the lead for long, as Estonian Championship leader Richard Paat (KTM, KTL Racing Club) moved into first by the beginning of the second lap.

“The start wasn’t ideal, although third place isn’t a bad position to begin from. I made a couple of bigger mistakes on the opening lap. On the second lap, I was able to capitalize on a mistake by Mansikkamäki and take the lead,” said Paat.

Paat controlled the race from there and claimed the win ahead of Mansikkamäki and fellow Finn Simo Koskinen (Kawasaki, Mägi Racing).

The second moto told a different story. While Paat applied pressure early on, Mansikkamäki rode much cleaner than in the first race and controlled the race all the way to the finish.

“In the second race, I simply didn’t make as many mistakes,” Mansikkamäki explained.

The Silve Racing rider admitted that arm pump became an issue during the day, but overall he was satisfied with his performance. According to Mansikkamäki, the Tihemetsa track was different from what he had expected.

“I thought Tihemetsa would be much sandier, but the track crew did a great job with watering, and the race track was actually quite hard-packed. The last time I raced here was in the 65cc class,” he said.

Reflecting on his season so far, the Finn remained cautiously optimistic.

“Some things have gone well, but there have also been plenty of lessons. I hope a weekend where everything comes together perfectly is just around the corner.”

Paat admitted that mistakes in the second moto ultimately cost him the overall victory.

“I wasn’t riding particularly well technically, and that’s what allowed the pass. Before the race I wasn’t feeling great either—I could have slept half the day. This was one of the toughest tracks in the Estonian Championship series: technical, and in my opinion, I’ve never seen it develop so many ruts and holes here before. I did what I could. Overall, it was a good day,” said Paat.

Mansikkamäki and Paat both finished the event with 47 points, but Mansikkamäki’s victory in the second moto gave him the overall win. Defending MX2 champion Onni Jaakonsaari (KTM) took third overall with fourth- and third-place finishes. Fellow Finn Simo Koskinen finished fourth on the same points total (38).

Despite losing the round win, Paat retained the championship lead with 105 points after two rounds.

Lucas Leok Dominates MX125

Lucas Leok (Husqvarna, Sõmerpalu MK) continued his winning streak in the MX125 class, showing strong pace throughout the day and claiming another overall victory in Tihemetsa.

In the first moto, Leok got an excellent start and was second overall out of the combined MX2/MX125 starting field. Leading the MX125 class, he ran around fifth place overall while comfortably controlling his category. Aston Allas (Yamaha, RedMoto Racing) held second place and Enri Lustus (Husqvarna, Sõmerpalu MK) third, but Bruno Mägi (KTM, AMB Racing Team) managed to pass Lustus late in the race and finish second.

Leok did not get quite as good a start in the second moto, but he still quickly established himself as the class leader and steadily increased the gap over his rivals. By the finish, he held a comfortable advantage over Finnish rider Aleksi Pirinen and Marten Raud (Husqvarna, Viljandi Motoclub).

“Racing together with the MX2 class is excellent training. They are faster on the climbs and straights, so you have to defend your position and focus on your own race. We really had to push hard together,” Leok said after the event.

With two race victories, Leok collected the maximum number of points and secured the overall win. Bruno Mägi finished second overall, while Aleksi Pirinen completed the podium in third.

After two rounds, Lucas Leok remains the leader of the Estonian Championship and continues to hold the MX125 red plate with a perfect points tally.

Other Class Winners

In the highly competitive 65cc class, which featured 41 participants, Martin-Markus Ansi claimed the overall victory with fourth and first-place finishes.

The 85cc class was won by Gregor Lootus (KTM, Motoextreme), who improved his focus in the second race and made fewer mistakes, securing the overall win with fourth and first-place results, ahead of Robin Robert Mooses and Martins Cirulis.

In the Women’s class, Martha Koort (GasGas, AMB Racing Team) enjoyed a perfect day by winning both motos.

Detailed results can be found here:
https://speedhive.mylaps.com/events/3566619

Photos by Karli Saul:
https://photos.app.goo.gl/KcBSDjsW4wxR5pH26