Over the weekend at the MXGP of France, American Thomas Covington announced he will leave the FIM Motocross World Championship after the season and return to race in the U.S. in 2019 under Bobby Hewitt’s Rockstar Energy Husqvarna team.
“It was a tough decision for me and everyone knows how much I love the GPs and all the people here but with the way it worked out [then] it was in everybody’s best interests to go back next season,” he said. “Racing the GPs made me a more well-rounded rider in many situations. I’m really glad I decided to come when I was 17-18. It has been an awesome experience and I would not take it back for anything and I think I am better prepared now for supercross compared to when I just came out of the amateurs.”
After graduating from the amateur ranks in 2013, Covington didn’t have many offers Stateside and elected to move to Europe in 2014 and race the FIM Motocross World Championship with Kawasaki. In his four and a half seasons on the circuit, Covington has claimed three Grands Prix wins—two in Mexico and one in France—and took a best championship finish of fourth in 2017.
Covington, currently riding for Rockstar Husqvarna, has been dealing with a knee injury sustained at the MXGP of Portugal in April, but put in his best result of the season in France, finishing second overall. Currently eighth in MX2 points, Covington said his main goal now is race wins.
“I want to get as many wins as possible now. It has motivated me to really go for it. As soon as the last race is over I’ll head back to start training for supercross.”
