This will be interesting: Shanghai GP to feature a Chinese manufacturer for the first time

Even though the MXGP title has already been decided, things remain exciting. If the Chinese manufacturer JHL were to enter a local rider who trailed by four laps in the race, it would, at best, be worthy of a comment with a cynical undertone. Last weekend, the Turkish GASGAS rider Yigit Ali Selek picked up 10 World Championship points straight away, simply because there were only 16 riders in the field. But the situation in Shanghai this coming weekend is different. The Chinese team JHL Factory Racing will indeed be fielding a local rider too – his name is Yuzhang Li. He also took part last year and scored one World Championship point in the second race, finishing four laps down. This year, however, Brian Hsu will also be racing on the Chinese JHL bike, and that changes the dynamic.

Brian Hsu on the JHL LX350R

Hsu is a rider who is familiar with the level of competition in a World Championship round. At the German Grand Prix, he lined up in the MXGP on a Honda, but unfortunately crashed in the qualifying race shortly after the start and was forced to withdraw due to injury. In this year’s WSX (FIM Supercross World Championship), he is competing in the SX2 class on a Stark electric bike and finished eighth in Calgary in early August with a 5-3-16 result.

China is gaining momentum

JHL stands for Junchi Motorcycle Company; it is a manufacturer based in Chongqing that produces road motorcycles and sports bikes for motocross and enduro. As things stand, Hsu is set to ride the 350cc JHL in the MXGP this coming weekend. In the MX2 class, JHL plans to field the Chinese rider Yuzhang Li.

More Chinese models to follow

Next year, the manufacturer Kove also plans to officially enter the MXGP with a factory team. ZF Moto also appears to be planning World Championship entries. So, with JHL, we are now set to see a Chinese debut. Will it be a flop? No one can predict that. But one thing is clear: the Chinese are ambitious and obviously highly motivated, and the Chinese economy is growing.

MXGP entries for the MXGP of China

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MX2 entries for the MXGP of China