MIKKEL HAARUP INTERVIEW: “IT HAS BEEN CHALLENGING AS I EXPECTED, BUT NOTHING THAT I WON’T BE ABLE TO OVERCOME.”

If you’ve been paying attention to the 2025 AMA Motocross series, you’ve likely noticed rider number 107 on a factory Triumph. Mikkel Haarup, the 23-year-old from Denmark, has been posting impressive results—especially for someone riding these tracks for the first time! Although Haarup had been racing in the World MX2 (250) Championships for a couple of years, it was in 2025 when he really put things together, becoming a consistent podium and top-five finisher. Impressed by his riding, Triumph Europe wanted to retain him for the 2025 MX2 season, but due to the MX2 age rule, the 23-year-old couldn’t stay in the class. Also, Triumph did not have their new 450 ready in time to race the 2025 MXGP series. Initially, Triumph designated Mikkel to help develop the new 450; however, when injuries hit the AMA Triumph team in America, Haarup was asked to join the AMA team for 250 Motocross. To date, Haarup’s best result has been a seventh overall at Hangtown. His most recent finish at High Point was twelfth, with 19-7 moto scores. We had the chance to learn more about Mikkel Haarup, who is currently eleventh in points—just ten out of seventh!

 

BY JIM KIMBALL

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MIKKEL, HOW HAVE YOU FOUND AMA OUTDOORS SO FAR? Overall, think it has been good.  It has been challenging as I expected, but nothing that I won’t be able to overcome.  The first weekend I struggled a lot with set-up.  I struggled a lot with the intensity the first 10-15 minutes, and we went back, and I changed a few things on my set-up on the bike to try to just get me comfortable.  Theoretically, I feel like I might have gone a step back overall on the bike, but it was just to get me comfortable, so I softened things up a little bit – especially with the way the tracks were these first few rounds being more hardpacked and hard bumps. I thought it would be a good idea, so at Hangtown, round two, I felt way more comfortable already. Once I got out on the track in the first time practice, I knew this was going to be way better already. But I still struggled a little bit with intensity and pace but overall, my riding was better, and I started to feel comfortable in between the riders. Thunder Valley was also an improvement from the first round but still a lot of work to do for sure.

Mikkel Haarup on the line at the High Point National. Photo from Mikkel’s Instagram.

HOW DIFFERENT IS YOUR BIKE HERE THAN YOUR BIKE WAS LAST YEAR IN THE MX2 CHAMPIONSHIP? It is very different, with having different regulations over here. Here, you can’t have any changes to the frame, at least not any major changes. I could mention so many things, frames, sub-frame, the way the engine is running is completely different in Europe, with a different ECU system, different electronics, and even a different exhaust.  Everything on the bike, pretty much apart from the plastic is slightly different.  I have tried to make my bike here similar. I have changed the set-up to adapt a little bit to the American tracks as they are way more high-speed.  I have just had to take a different approach.  It is not like the bike is any harder to set up really.  It is just very different because I never started on a stock bike when I was starting with Triumph Racing, in Europe. I went straight for the factory bike with a different frame and all these things.  I did have a bunch of options I could try but I sort of stuck with what we had.  Over here, it has been more of starting from a stock base and working from there. The frame here must be pretty much stock, numerous things must be stock, so different approach but in the end, similar set-up, just adapted a little bit to the American way.

TALK ABOUT LAST YEAR RACING FOR TIUMPH IN THE MX2 CLASS. I had a couple of podiums.  Someone sent me the stats from last year, and apart from one weekend where we had a couple of issues, I finished inside the top five, like 99% of the races. I just never got a race win or an overall. I finished second, third, fourth, and fifth so many times. My average finish was fifth, it has been consistent.  Overall, it was a good year, and it was my first year with Triumph last year I was very thankful for the work we managed to do together – and the reason why we continued.  

Coming from an MXGP background Mikkel had to move up to the 450 class but the Triumph 450 was still in production so he moved to the US to race. Photo from Mikkel’s Instagram.

YOU LIKELY WOULD HAVE STAYED WITH TRIUMPH IN MX2, HAD YOU NOT ENCOUNTERED THAT AGE RULE, RIGHT? Yes, there was no doubt about it. Could I have stayed a year or two more in the MX2, we would have been able to build. In the last five or six years in my 250 career, I moved a lot around between manufacturers which has given me a whole lot of experience. So, I know where I want to go and how I want to work but obviously, I aged out, and the Triumph 450 was not ready to race this year in Europe outdoors. Therefore, we had to freestyle a little bit and change the contracts up a little bit, and that is why eventually I got the opportunity to come here.  At first, I was just going to do test and do development for the 450, but I got the 250 call because of some injuries within the team. I said, “Why not get some races under the belt and experience American racing?” I am happy that I did.

CAN YOU CLARIFY YOUR 2026 MOTOCROSS PLANS? I HAVE THE IMPRESSION THAT YOU’RE GOING TO RETURN TO EUROPE NEXT YEAR AND RACE THE TRIUMPH 450 IN MXGP. Yes, that is the contract that I signed. We did a two-year deal. The first year was test and development and the second year was full MXGP with factory Triumph. Obviously, the first year changed a little bit. I knew it was a possibility that I might have to come over here and race which I did. But as of now, the plan is still the same to go back to Europe and race the MXGP series for next year.  

Mikkel currently sits in eleventh in points and is the top Triumph rider so far this motocross season. Photo from Mikkel’s Instagram.

YOU ARE DOING REALLY WELL FOR NEVER RACING OVER HERE.  IS THERE SOME THOUGHT THAT IF YOU KEEP IMPROVING HERE, THAT YOU MAY STAY IN AMERICA? Well, I am very excited to get on the 450, there is no doubt about it.  I have looked forward to it for a couple of years now. So, it would take a lot for me to change that.  Regardless of my results over here, obviously, my goal is to try to improve and get into the top five and hopefully even a podium or win. But there is a long way to go and a lot of improvements to be made. I must say, I enjoy the racing outdoors over here. I love the tracks, and I like the way people approach the outdoor races with the one-day format you have gotten used to the tracks of course. If I were to stay for next year, I would probably find it a little easier knowing the tracks already. But it is a long way to go and as of now, the plans are still the same.

ONE LAST QUESTION, YOU MAY GET ENOUGH POINTS TO RACE THE SMX SERIES.  IS THAT SOMETHING YOU ARE LOOKING AT OR CONSIDERING? No, not now. I have not even considered it.  We have not spoken about it with the team. But the possibility is there. I have done a couple of days in Supercross but as of now, no.  I am just focusing on the outdoors. Now, that is not the plan.