Source: Supplied.

Jeffrey Herlings rounded out a strong premier class rookie season by claiming top honours in the Open class at Matterley Basin’s 2017 Motocross of Nations (MXoN) event in Great Britain.

As part of The Netherlands’ MXoN squad, the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing rider logged a 1-2 moto finish in his two motos during Sunday’s racing program on his way to the class win and second overall for the second year running.

“We did really good last year and had a bit of luck to finish second but I think we deserved it this time,” Herlings said. “I’m proud of my teammates and the organisation to make this happen.”

After barely missing out on a 1-1 finish in the slippery conditions, the 23-year-old remains positive as he plans to carry added confidence from Matterley Basin and a strong MXGP World Championship runner-up finish into the 2018 season.

“I just missed the start in the second moto and had so much mud on my helmet and dirt in my goggle,” he explained. “Romain [Febvre] went in for goggles and I wasn’t sure, so I kept going and I caught Max [Anstie] but there was only one dry line and it was very tough to pass.

“I feel a bit disappointed because I worked hard and wanted to go 1-1 but I couldn’t. The second part of the season was good for me, I was one of the fastest and it gives me a lot of confidence going into next year.”

The former multi-time MX2 World Championship winner stood second on the overall MXoN podium alongside teammates Glenn Coldenhoff and Brian Bogers who logged 7-11 and 12-9 finishes respectively.

Herlings’ stellar rookie season in the premier category included multiple victories in the MXGP World Championship and an impressive 1-1 victory on debut at the final round of the 2017 Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship in Indiana.