Perfect conditions for MXGP of Americas

FIM MX World Champs 2016

maddix park mx

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Racing:

The American public have seen something special tonight as Eli Tomac took a solid 1-1 victory at the first of what will be many USGP’s at the Charlotte Motor Speedway. With a large crowd in attendance the organization of the event have already penned a long term deal, as the sport in America gets a much needed shot in the arm.

While the memories of a handful of MXoN losses might not completely repair the damage the MXGP riders have put on the AMA riders, this USGP has brought some pride back to the American riders, as both Tomac and Cooper Webb showed how good the American riders are at home.

Eli Tomac: “Just tried to keep it on two wheels in that second moto. Earlier I said the night might be better, but it was tough. It was hard to read the dirt and then Tim had a good lead and then he slipped over and I got the lead, but he kept me honest the whole race, it seemed like the gap was the same I had a lot of fun today and this is something I look forward to more in the future. It’s been a tough, long season, but this was a lot of fun. The first moto wasn’t the perfect race. But it was a fun race. I started laying down the laps and then tipped over and kept it together. I am looking forward to the night race, because that sun was brutal. Vision was tough, a lot of ruts and bigger than I thought it would get.”

Tim Gajser: The first moto was tough, I was thinking about the championship. I was fighting with the bike, but after the first heat we were champion and the pressure was off. I took a good start in the second moto and tried to pull away and made a gap and I made a mistake and then I made a good speed and stayed in second place.”

Jeremy Van Horebeek: Its been awhile (a podium), and I am here alone, my partners are not here. You need to take a good start and we have practiced that a lot, so thanks to the team for that.”

Webb-face

American 250cc motocross champion Cooper Webb finishes his 250 career with a brilliant overall victory in the USGP today at Charlotte. Webb scored 2-1 results and came back from a terrible start in the second moto to pass both Jeffrey Herlings and Austin Forkner in the dying stages. Second overall was Jeffrey Herlings with 1-3 and Austin Forkner third with 3-2 results.

Cooper Webb: “I had a terrible start, was way back, and made passes, I was going to settle for third, but the crowd pulled for me and I couldn’t settle. I gave it everything, my last 250 race and I had a terrible start and just kept coming.”

Jeffrey Herlings: “First moto I was faster and second moto he was faster and he is at his home GP, but no excuses, he was fast, I lost the fight but won the war today.”

Austin Forkner: “I rode as hard as I could as long as I could but Cooper was just too fast today and I made some mistakes and he passed me, then I didn’t want to give it to Jeffrey too easy and he passed me, but I passed him back.”

The opening lap of the opening moto was impressive as Adam Cianciarulo and Forkner led in to the opening corner. The large crowd were on their feet, but then soon after Cianciarulo went down hard, and pulled out of the race. Soon after Max Anstie also went down in third place and dropped back in the pack.

Forkner was riding brilliantly and looked comfortable until mid-race when Webb and Herlings started closing on him.

The crowd got just what they wanted when both Webb and Herlings passed Forkner (who slipped over) and raced side by side in the huge sweeping first corner. Herlings got the upper hand and slowly pulled away, before making much better lap times and pulled away to a four second lead after 17 laps.

With Jeremy Seewer back in ninth place Herlings cruised the last couple of laps to score his third MX2 world championship. After crossing the finish line the KTM crew were all over Herlings as they celebrated his victory. Herlings was beside himself after missing out on the title the last two years with injury.

“I just don’t know man, it was hyped up with me against the Americans, but at least I won and I won in style. Second moto will be important, but I don’t care, after all the injuries I finally got it. Thanks to everyone who helped me out. With the heat it was tough. I was nervous, and I have jetlag, but I want to thank KTM for this.”

The second MX2 moto and this time Forkner took the lead and looked like he was going to go away with it, then as the race closed down Cooper Webb and Herlings started pulling him in. Webb had come from 19th place on lap one to move into third, and then suddenly both Webb and Herlings started pulling up on Forkner and just like the first mot other young leader was about to start to feel the pressure.

Webb moved into the lead with three laps to go and both the American riders had dropped Herlings, who was in third place.

Herlings chased Forkner in the last two laps, passing the tenacious American, however Forkner repassed Herlings and finished second.

MX2 – Grand Prix Race 1 

1 1 84 Herlings, Jeffrey NED KTM 35:14.964
2 2 17 Webb, Cooper USA YAM 35:19.453
3 3 214 Forkner, Austin USA KAW 35:44.182
4 4 64 Covington, Thomas USA HUS 36:06.201
5 5 10 Vlaanderen, Calvin NED KTM 36:16.239
6 6 99 Anstie, Max GBR HUS 36:18.708
7 7 457 Sanayei, Darian USA KAW 36:23.587
8 8 189 Bogers, Brian NED KTM 36:26.359
9 9 289 Harrison, Mitchell USA YAM 36:27.267
10 10 91 Seewer, Jeremy SUI SUZ 36:28.502

MX2 – Grand Prix Race 2 

1 17 Webb, Cooper USA AMA Yamaha 35:23.073
2 214 Forkner, Austin USA AMA Kawasaki 35:26.949
3 84 Herlings, Jeffrey NED KNMV KTM 35:28.497
4 64 Covington, Thomas USA AMA Husqvarna 36:13.943
5 91 Seewer, Jeremy SUI FMS Suzuki 36:17.129
6 6 Paturel, Benoit FRA FFM Yamaha 36:18.212
7 289 Harrison, Mitchell USA AMA Yamaha 36:18.712
8 10 Vlaanderen, Calvin NED KNMV KTM 36:31.044
9 321 Bernardini, Samuele ITA FMI TM 36:41.308
10 99 Anstie, Max GBR ACU Husqvarna 36:45.617

MX2 – GP Classification

1 17 Webb, Cooper USA AMA YAM 22 25 47
2 84 Herlings, Jeffrey NED KNMV KTM 25 20 45
3 214 Forkner, Austin USA AMA KAW 20 22 42
4 64 Covington, Thomas USA AMA HUS 18 18 36
5 10 Vlaanderen, Calvin NED KNMV KTM 16 13 29
6 91 Seewer, Jeremy SUI FMS SUZ 11 16 27
7 289 Harrison, Mitchell USA AMA YAM 12 14 26
8 99 Anstie, Max GBR ACU HUS 15 11 26
9 6 Paturel, Benoit FRA FFM YAM 10 15 25
10 189 Bogers, Brian NED KNMV KTM 13 10 23

MX2 – World Championship Classification

1 84 Herlings, J. NED KTM 689
2 91 Seewer, Jeremy SUI SUZ 595
3 6 Paturel, B. FRA YAM 485
4 99 Anstie, Max GBR HUS 473
5 41 Jonass, Pauls LAT KTM 403
6 4 Ferrandis, D. FRA KAW 378
7 189 Bogers, Brian NED KTM 372
8 321 Bernardini, S. ITA TM 358
9 152 Petrov, Petar BUL KAW 351
10 59 Tonkov, A. RUS YAM 320

Pre Race Reports:

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CHARLOTTE (United States of America), 03 September 2016 – We’ve woken up this morning to the bluest of blue skies and glorious sunshine out here at The Dirt Track, Charlotte Motor Speedway, where the penultimate round of the FIM Motocross World Championship will get underway this afternoon.

The track is in perfect condition thanks to the track crew who have worked throughout the night to have it ripped and ready for today’s program where some of the biggest names in motocross such as Tim Gajser, Eli Tomac, Antonio Cairoli, Justin Barcia, Romain Febvre, Cooper Webb, Jeffrey Herlings, Adam Cianciarulo andAustin Forkner, just to name a few, will face off against each other on the spectacular man-made track here in Charlotte.

Herlings quickest MX2 1st timed practice

herlings berm

In what makes for a really exciting MX2 class this evening, Red Bull KTM Factory rider Jeffrey Herlings has clocked the quickest lap time of the MX2 class for the first practice session, just ahead of a bunch of American riders. Herlings was more than a second quicker than AMA 250 champion, Cooper Webb, who also looked quick, as did Austin Forkner and Adam Cianciarulo.

MX2 – Free Practice 1

1 84 Herlings, Jeffrey NED KTM 1:44.940
2 17 Webb, Cooper USA YAM 1:46.216
3 214 Forkner, Austin USA KAW 1:46.655
4 44 Cianciarulo, Adam USA KAW 1:47.150
5 64 Covington, Thomas USA HUS 1:48.084
6 61 Prado Garcia, Jorge ESP KTM 1:48.503
7 91 Seewer, Jeremy SUI SUZ 1:48.521
8 10 Vlaanderen, Calvin NED KTM 1:48.642
9 128 Monticelli, Ivo ITA KTM 1:48.762
10 6 Paturel, Benoit FRA YAM 1:48.831

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Austin Forkner clocked a 1.45.539 to be the quickest rider in the second practice session for the MX2 riders. David Bulmer image

Live results – MX2 – Time Practice 2 

1 214 Forkner, Austin USA KAW 1:45.539
2 44 Cianciarulo, Adam USA KAW 1:45.546
3 84 Herlings, Jeffrey NED KTM 1:45.803
4 17 Webb, Cooper USA YAM 1:47.255
5 10 Vlaanderen, Calvin NED KTM 1:47.638
6 91 Seewer, Jeremy SUI SUZ 1:47.824
7 64 Covington, Thomas USA HUS 1:47.957
8 128 Monticelli, Ivo ITA KTM 1:48.333
9 289 Harrison, Mitchell USA YAM 1:48.526
10 99 Anstie, Max GBR HUS 1:48.633

MXGP

Tomac quickest

Tomac Bulmer
American rider Eli Tomac has clocked the quickest lap of the day with a 1:44.820, which was just slightly quicker than Jeffrey Herlings time of 1:44.940in this mornings MX2 times practice.

For the MXGP moto’s tonight, Tomac will start on pole and his fellow countryman Austin Forkner will start on pole in the MX2 moto after clocking a 1.45.539 in the timed qualification this afternoon. David Bulmer image

Live results – MXGP 

1 3 Tomac, Eli USA KAW 1:44.820
2 243 Gajser, Tim SLO HON 1:45.783
3 259 Coldenhoff, Glenn NED KTM 1:46.063
4 92 Guillod, Valentin SUI YAM 1:46.084
5 89 Van Horebeek, Jeremy BEL YAM 1:46.115
6 911 Tixier, Jordi FRA KAW 1:46.449
7 21 Paulin, Gautier FRA HON 1:46.581
8 100 Searle, Tommy GBR KAW 1:46.633
9 777 Bobryshev, Evgeny RUS HON 1:46.644
10 22 Strijbos, Kevin BEL SUZ 1:46.863

Jeremy Van Horebeek of the Monster Energy Yamaha was the quickest MXGP rider in the morning practice. Ten riders were within a second of eachother, including American Eli Tomac who was fourth fastest.

MXGP – Free Practice 

1 89 Van Horebeek, Jeremy BEL FMB Yamaha 1:46.384
2 22 Strijbos, Kevin BEL FMB Suzuki 1:46.477
3 243 Gajser, Tim SLO AMZS Honda 1:46.517
4 3 Tomac, Eli USA AMA Kawasaki 1:46.634
5 259 Coldenhoff, Glenn NED KNMV KTM 1:47.041
6 777 Bobryshev, Evgeny RUS MUL Honda 1:47.266
7 222 Cairoli, Antonio ITA FMI KTM 1:47.304
8 100 Searle, Tommy GBR ACU Kawasaki 1:47.338
9 461 Febvre, Romain FRA FFM Yamaha 1:47.371
10 17 Butron, Jose ESP RFME KTM 1:47.466
11 51 Barcia, Justin USA AMA Yamaha 1:47.497

 
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