Cairoli & Ferris Top Qualifying
MXGP Belgium
www.motocrossmx1.com BASTOGNE (Belgium), 17 August 2013 –
The Belgian Grand Prix started today in Bastogne with the MX1 and MX2 qualifying races, as well as with the EMX125 and EMX150 qualifying heats. Today the sun was shining, but tomorrow it might be raining and the track conditions might be completely different. However, both Antonio Cairoli and Dean Ferris, winners of today’s qualifying races, have admitted that if it rains, it would be even better for them.
Jeffrey Herlings might not take part in tomorrow’s races because he dislocated his left shoulder during the qualifying race when he was trying to overtake Dean Ferris. The doctor’s have advised him not to race even if it seems that nothing is broken, but we will have to wait until tomorrow to see what the 2013 FIM MX2 World Champions decides.
Qualifying heats for round six of the FIM EMX125 Championship and round two of the FIM EMX150 Championship also took place today at the Grand Prix of Belgium in Bastogne.
Taking the EMX125 Semi Final ‘Group A’ win was Wilvo Nestaan JM Racing KTM’s Pauls Jonass who put in a familiar performance and led every lap to take his sixth pole position of the year. Keeping the Latvian Jonass honest was Rockstar Energy Suzuki Europe’s Brian Hsu who finished in second twenty five seconds clear of American Jarek Balkovic in third. Meanwhile Semi-Final ‘Group B’ saw South African Calvin Vlaanderen pass Swedish Anton Lundgren mid-race to take his second qualifying heat win of the season. Rounding out the top three, thirty seconds back was KTM Sarholz Racing Team’s Henry Jacobi.
EMX150 qualifying race saw the top three positions go to three riders who are all on their EMX150 debut. After the early leader, round one winner Lewis Mitchell crashed and did not finish, Brit Albie Wilkie took over the lead and went on to win ahead of local boy Nolan Cordens and French rider Enzo Tiriani.
MX1
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Antonio Cairoli clinched the fastest lap time in the pre-qualifying practice and he managed to take the holeshot of the qualifying race and dominated it until the chequered flag. The Italian is determined to win both races tomorrow to try to win the 2013 FIM MX1 World Title this weekend.
However, Rockstar Energy Suzuki World’s Clement Desalle will give his best to stop the Italian to win the Title in Belgium and in fact Desalle proved to be very competitive today. Desalle was third in the pre-qualifying practice and at the qualifying race he started behind Cairoli and he made a consistent moto in second. By the middle of the qualifying race Desalle was closing the gap with Cairoli, but in the end the home rider decided to ride safe and keep some energies for tomorrow.
The third position of the MX1 qualifying race was for Honda World Motocross’ Evgeny Bobryshev, who rode a strong heat behind Desalle. The Russian explained that he feels much better on his Honda machine after the changes they made during the week, so Bobryshev is very confident that tomorrow can be fighting for the top three positions as he did in Loket.
Home rider Jeremy Van Horebeek also made a strong performance today, and after starting around the seventh position he managed to finish fourth. The Kawasaki Racing Team rider did very well last year in Bastogne, so he might be able to obtain his maiden MX1 podium tomorrow in front of his crowd.
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Ken De Dycker did not have a good start today and he struggled to find the good rhythm. The Belgian finished fifth, but he believes he can fight for a podium finish tomorrow.
Gautier Paulin rode safe during the whole qualifying heat and he obtained a strong sixth position after his comeback from the concussion he had in Lausitzring. Sebastién Pourcel, who is riding for ICE1Racing this weekend and the Grand Prix to come, finished seventh in the qualifying race after making a really good start in fourth.
David Philippaerts ended eighth and Kevin Strijbos and Matiss Karro completed the top ten of the MX1 qualifying race. Tommy Searle was third after the start, but he crashed in the first lap and he dropped down to the fifteenth place. In the end the British rider crossed the finish line in the twelfth position.
MX1 Qualifying Race top ten: 1. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 25:01.074; 2. Clement Desalle (BEL, Suzuki), +0:03.815; 3. Evgeny Bobryshev (RUS, Honda), +0:05.738; 4. Jeremy van Horebeek (BEL, Kawasaki), +0:16.551; 5. Ken de Dycker (BEL, KTM), +0:23.897; 6. Gautier Paulin (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:26.912; 7. Sebastien Pourcel (FRA, KTM), +0:30.803; 8. David Philippaerts (ITA, Honda), +0:31.419; 9. Kevin Strijbos (BEL, Suzuki), +0:32.126; 10. Matiss Karro (LAT, KTM), +0:35.866;
Click here to obtain the complete results
Photos of the whole Grand Prix are available here
MX2
Monster Energy Yamaha’s Dean Ferris obtained the second pole position of the season after winning today’s qualifying race from the likes of José Butrón and Dylan Ferrandis. The Australian rider started second behind Butrón and after four laps he managed to overtake the Spanish rider and led the race until the chequered flag. Jeffrey Herlings is very likely to miss the races tomorrow after he dislocated his left shoulder, so Ferris will give it all to fight for the overall victory tomorrow.
KTM Silver Action’s José Butrón took the holeshot of the qualifying race and he led the first four laps. However, the Spanish rider could not stop Ferris to overtake him and he crossed the finish line second. Butrón is very confident for tomorrow’s races, so he might also be fighting for what it would be his first Grand Prix victory.
Rockstar Bud Racing Kawasaki’s Dylan Ferrandis did a very strong qualifying race today and he hopes to perform well tomorrow and be on the podium again, as he did during his home Grand Prix in Ernée some months ago. The French young rider was third after the start but Herlings overtook him in the first lap and he rode fourth until Herlings crashed. Ferrandis moved up to third again and he succeeded to keep the position until the end of the race.
Monster Energy Yamaha’s Christophe Charlier did not have a good start, but he managed to recover some positions and he moved from seventh to his final fourth place. The French rider knows that he needs to do very well tomorrow if he wants to keep on fighting for the third position in the championship, so he will do his best to have a good start and fight for the overall victory.
Wilvo Nestaan JM Racing KTM’s Romain Febvre showed really good speed today and after a poor start he was able to move up to the fifth place. The French rider is looking forward to racing once again among the top three best MX2 riders as he did in the beginning of the season, so if he will do his best tomorrow to achieve his main goal.
Russian Aleksandr Tonkov finished sixth in the qualifying race, followed by Jake Nicholls, Jordi Tixier and Alessandro Lupino. Maxim Desprey completed the top ten.
Jeremy Seewer did an excellent start, but unfortunately he crashed at the end of the first lap when he was riding third and he was forced to retire.
MX2 Qualifying Race top ten: 1. Dean Ferris (AUS, Yamaha), 25:21.673; 2. Jose Butron (ESP, KTM), +0:01.899; 3. Dylan Ferrandis (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:03.704; 4. Christophe Charlier (FRA, Yamaha), +0:05.490; 5. Romain Febvre (FRA, KTM), +0:19.896; 6. Aleksandr Tonkov (RUS, Honda), +0:22.227; 7. Jake Nicholls (GBR, KTM), +0:23.556; 8. Jordi Tixier (FRA, KTM), +0:25.484; 9. Alessandro Lupino (ITA, Kawasaki), +0:28.656; 10. Maxime Desprey (FRA, Yamaha), +0:31.446;
Click here to obtain the complete results
Photos of the whole Grand Prix are available here
MXGP BELGIUM – QUICK FACTS
Circuit length: 1550m
Type of ground: intermediate ground