For Nestaan Husqvarna factory team manager, Rasmus Jorgensen, the most successful season as a team manager was also one of the toughest. Having two riders leading the MX2 championship points and in at times heated battle, making sure the team remains bonded together and with the same goal wasn’t always easy.

Fortunately, it was possible, and the team finished first and second in a complete domination of the season. Winning 17 of the 20 rounds and both riders, Kay De Wolf and Lucas Coenen being in a class of their own when it came to the final season points standings.

With a great crew and everyone remaining focused on one goal, the team were able to deliver Husqvarna their first World motocross championship since Alessio Chiodi won the 125cc championship way back in 1999, some 25 years ago. Of course, it was Dutchman, Kay De Wolf who won the 2024 MX2 championship and in his own right.

We caught up with Jorgensen last week and below is what he told us about his job and the season with his two riders, not to mention how enjoyable it was to celebrate victory, after many years of chasing the goal of having his team being in the position they are now.

MXLarge: Rasmus, thanks for doing this. You always seem busy with organizing things and even now as the season is over, but what keeps you busy at this time of the year?

Jorgensen: Well, it is a different tempo of course, but it never stops, the work never stops. Once the season finishes, everything needs to be organized again, all the stuff you don’t really have time for in the season. We need to get everything done for next year, whether that is sponsors changing, suppliers changing, whatever that might be. Also planning photo shoots, planning the calendar, also the crew, is anyone quitting, do we need to find new people. Sometimes I feel like it shouldn’t be this busy, but it always is.

MXLarge: I assume you try and get as much done now, so you can also have a break with your family at some point?

Jorgensen: Yes, and I think it is easier to put pen to paper as soon as the season is over and sit down with the team and do that in a nice tempo and not rush anything, like we might have to do in the season. Then, at a point in November, when we are lacking stuff to do, it is also easier to take some time off. We also try and send our guys on holidays, but always keep two people in the workshop, so if something is needed to be done, there is somebody who can do it. At least now, we get to have proper weekends and be home at 5pm and that is already nice.

MXlarge: There was all the talk of Husqvarna stopping, we read it on many websites (not MXLarge), there would be cutbacks, then all of a sudden, I think it might have been Lommel, you guys were continuing with Husqvarna. Can you give me some details about those rumours, what was true and what was false?

Jorgensen: Obviously, we were just trying to do our thing, and we knew there were some changes coming, within the company, call it restructuring, or whatever. Honestly though, rumours travel really fast and become something, they might not be. I was honestly, upset with some of the media channels during the year, because we were trying to keep our riders on a good level and you really don’t want our riders to see things like Husqvarna is quitting, or whatever, because that can create some friction in the team, also with mechanics, maybe freaking out and wondering if they need to look for another job, right in the middle of the season, when we are fighting for a World championship. For me, it was really frustrating, because of these rumours, and from our side, there was nothing really crazy going on. We always had the full support from the factory, and we were going to continue down the same road, promoting this amazing brand, something we have done for the last five years.

MXlarge: Obviously, it is a factory backed team, but you have an owner, Kay Hennekens. How good is it to have somebody with his passion for motocross being such a major part of the team’s success?

Jorgensen: I think you see in most of the factory teams, there is a principle of owner, and I can only speak from my case, and Kay (Hennekens) is absolutely amazing. He has a huge passion for the sport. He calls it sometimes his hobby, but for him, it is really important that the team is functioning well, and he can come here whenever he wants and there is an office place where he can work with his companies, and he can overview everything. He enjoys it, when he can see the team is running in a good way and getting the results on the weekend, it is even more enjoyable. For me, he is also a mentor, a great, great businessman and I have learnt so much from Kay (Hennekens) over the last years, how to manage a team and situations and people. We speak multiple times a day. You have the factory in Austria, which is a huge part of our program and then we have Kay, who is taking care of a lot of the stuff here as well.

MXLarge: The team has had years where injuries play a major part and that is the sport unfortunately, even situations like with Thomas (Olsen) where you get the lowest of lowest moments in the sport, yet winning like the team did this year, I can imagine the pressure was higher than ever, even though the team was dominating on many occasions. Is that true?

Jorgensen: I would say we have seen both sides of the sport. The crazy thing is, I don’t see we have done too much different this year, to other years. From the moment we started here, we were top professional, we had a plan and a vision, and we have stuck to that mentality. Obviously, when we are not getting results and also when riders are getting injured, you are slamming your head against the wall. Why is it going like this, why is it not happening for us, we ask these questions in those times. In those moments, you need to keep going and keep believing in the program. We have made changes internally and added some key people, but the mentality never changed. That is what is brutal about this sport, you can have the best riders, the best structure and the best people behind the riders, but you still are not winning. This year, everything came together and that was a great reward for everyone.

MXlarge: You won 17 of the 20 GPs, Kay and Lucas two sensational talents. I don’t know if they are Herlings type talent level, but maybe they are. To have that in a team, where you have two guys that have such amazing techniques and riding so well and so desperate to win, I cannot even imagine how difficult that was to juggle?

Jorgensen: Yes, not easy, for sure, not easy. It is a dream scenario and a luxury problem to have, but when a vision becomes reality, it is a great, great satisfaction. When Lucas and Sasha were available a couple of years ago, when Diga folded, I was pushing really hard for Lucas, because of what I had seen in the EMX classes. To make that happen, was already great. I have had Kay, since he was 14 years old and building up to this point. To have these two riders, it brings a lot of pressure and also political things to the team, that you have to manage. The sport has a lot of emotion and when you have two guys fighting for the title and in the same team and swapping wins every weekend, it can be difficult to manage that situation. On the track, you want to riders to play if fair and race clean. We knew both riders were on a good level in the winter, and I actually sat them both down and told them to race clean and this was even on the Friday in Argentina and then we had the qualification race, which was probably the closest race between them of the year. I was like, oh, what a year we are going into. After that, I cannot say there was any bad blood between them. It was really clean all the way and that I am really proud of. It didn’t matter who was winning whether it was Kay or Lucas, we won as a team and that was really important to keep the moral in the team high. Everybody was involved, but there was a lot of stress, but we managed it well.

MXLarge: We have spoken in the past about having Ruben (de Wolf’s trainer), but I don’t think I ever asked if that was your idea, or the idea of Kay (De Wolf), or somebody else? Obviously, an amazing decision, because Ruben just seems to have magic hands with his riders.

Jorgensen: When we heard he was stopping with Jeffrey, I knew at that time, we needed someone for Kay (De Wolf). I couldn’t do it all and my times was limited. I had to be team manager, but I couldn’t go every single day to the track with Kay, or every single day cycling or ever day to the gym. I would lose the effect on one side, you know. For Kay to make the next step, we needed one guy in his corner, 24/7 and Ruben seemed the perfect fit for that. He had a lot of experience, with different kinds of riders. I think Ruben and I working together was always on the cards, because even when I was working with Thomas Olsen, we went many times to France together, with Ruben. I spoke to Kay (De Wolf) about it, and I can have ideas, but he needs to be onboard as well. It was a big change for Ruben, as he has been with Jeffrey and KTM for 13 years. Looking back, it was a very important move for us as a team.

MXLarge: You had yourself had your ups and down in the sport, both for your own career and for your riders. To win the championship for Husqvarna, the first in 35 years, what was that like for your personal and how was the celebrations of that win?

Jorgensen: It was first a huge relief I would say. Obviously, I was really, really happy and that moment it happened with Kay in Spain, it was a great story and everything, but for me, personally, it was more a relief. On a personal level when I lost the opportunity to become a World champion (Jorgensen suffered a career ending injury after a successful EMX career), or all the goals I had in my career, it was a difficult time and I switched and trying to set those goals with somebody else (his riders), first with Thomas (Olsen), we came up short a few times, with vice World champion and whatnot. It was just building up, the personal goal for myself and then it couldn’t happen, and I wanted to achieve that with young riders and work with them and achieve that. To finally do it, it was crazy, and it was such a huge moment for me, but more so, for the team. All the people here, working so hard the last five years.

MXlarge: I read the interview with Ruben on gatedrop and Ruben felt that Kay would prefer to stay racing MX2 and defend his championship and he also felt (despite Kay being in America now), he will more than likely, stay in Europe in the future and not actually go to America. What is your opinion on that, what do you think he will do in the future?

Jorgensen: I think, sure, I have an opinion, but it comes down to what Kay wants. Many young kids, for sure, talented kids, with the skill set that Kay has, you want to feel out the supercross. It is a huge part of the sport, even though it is a different sport, sort of, it is a huge part of the industry. Everybody is excited for watching supercross when it starts in January. He has asked for years now; can he do what he is doing now in America. I was always telling him to concentrate on the World championship, because him trying supercross brings our team not much, just risks. He asked again when he was leading the championship and we made a deal with him, if he stops talking about that and gets the job done, then we will also support you and give it to you as a reward. What he decides to do with it, in the more distant future, I think only he can decide. I cannot sit him down and say he has to stay here in three years. We have a lot of history, and we should continue writing a story together, if he stays in Europe, but let’s talk about one year at a time and see.

MXLarge: I think it is clear, Kay will defend his MX2 championship? Not sure what you can say about 2025, with the second riders with Kay. I don’t want to mention the rider, but there are rumours it is a top Belgian rider, but can you tell me anything?

Jorgensen: Yes, I think our second rider will be announced in the near future and Kay is still, in the process of taking it all in and getting a title and there are plenty of opportunities to move to MXGP, if he wants to and I would support him in that move. Personally, I don’t think he wants to, I think he wants to defend his title next year, that will also be announced soon, but right now is has been busy after the season and now he is in America, and he is taking it all in, you know. I would support him in whatever he wants to do, ultimately, he is the one who needs to go out on track and do it and I don’t think there is a right or wrong decision on this. You only know once you do it. It is not easy to go and defend your title and it is definitely not easy to move up to MXGP. This sport isn’t easy and whatever you do, it isn’t going to be easy. You cannot say, I am now World champion, I am going to be on the same level next year. You need to reset, and you start all over again.

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