This is a story with two good endings. Last weekend Cornelius Tøndel was announced as a fill-in factory rider with Monster Energy Kawasaki, and the Norwegian went out and scored a season-best ninth in a moto at Southwick. Tøndel was previously a member of the ISRT Kawasaki team, and that squad just announced his spot will now be filled by Mark Fineis! It's crazy how it works sometimes. Fineis wasn't doing any racing at all this year until he decided to race the RedBud National as a privateer with some help from TiLube Honda. Mark absolutely crushed it there, finishing 13th overall in the 450 class. Impressive!

You might recall that Fineis was once a prospect with ClubMX Yamaha and ran up front in a moto at High Point a few years ago. He has talent and now he gets another shot to show it. At RedBud, Mark told us he only planned to do that one RedBud race for fun. Well, just like that he's about to race a whole lot more! 

The Bubba Pauli-owned ISRT Kawasaki team sent the following press release.

ISRT Kawasaki Signs Mark Fineis Ahead of Spring Creek National

EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. – ISRT Kawasaki is pleased to announce the signing of Mark Fineis, who will make his debut with the team this weekend at the Spring Creek National in Millville, Minnesota.

The young Indiana native joins ISRT after an impressive performance at the RedBud Pro Motocross National, where he secured 13th overall in his first-ever start in the premier 450MX class. Fineis has quickly established himself as one of the sport's most promising young riders, and ISRT is excited to provide him with the equipment and support to continue building on that momentum.

Fineis joins the team following the departure of Cornelius Tøndel, who was called up last week to the Monster Energy Kawasaki Factory Racing Team to fill in for the injured Chase Sexton. While Tøndel's move leaves a significant opening on the ISRT roster, it also reinforces the level at which the team is competing.

"Having Cornelius earn an opportunity with the factory team says a lot about what we've built at ISRT," said Team Owner Bubba Pauli. "We're here to race at the highest level, not to be a stepping stone. When one of our riders gets recognized by the factory team, it's a reflection of the caliber of people, equipment, and effort behind this program. Now we're excited to welcome Mark. What he showed at RedBud proved he belongs at this level, and we're looking forward to seeing what we can accomplish together."

ISRT believes Fineis has the speed and determination to continue turning heads as the Pro Motocross Championship heads into its final stretch. The team is focused on showcasing both Fineis' potential and ISRT's ability to compete with some of the best teams in professional motocross.

Fineis will make his ISRT Kawasaki debut this Saturday at Spring Creek MX Park in Millville, Minnesota.