Kawasaki Racing Team MX2’s Mathis Valin ended the day fifth overall from 4-6 moto finishes in the Turkish round of the FIM World MX2 Motocross Championship at Afyonkarahisar.
The French teenager came out swinging after a frustrating Qualifying the previous day as he swept the KX250-SR second into turn one of the opening moto from his central gate before drifting wide on the exit from the corner to emerge fifth. He maintained that position for five laps before temporarily surrendering one position but he regrouped quickly and by lap twelve he was back in fifth and exerting pressure on fourth. His persistence paid off on the last lap as he built momentum through the corner before the waves and swept past majestically to finish fourth, just five seconds behind the series points-leader. An even better start in race two saw the youngster hold fourth until he was passed by the current world champion on lap six. He then rode a solid race in fifth until a mistake four laps from the end cost him one more position. He thus finished fifth overall from 4-6 motos and has consolidated his top-ten world ranking; indeed he is now just four points from ninth and eighteen from eighth headed into the two final rounds.
Mathis Valin: “I had a really good jump at the start in the first moto but I was too far outside at the gate after yesterday so I lost some positions in the first turn. But I found my flow in the race and could get faster and faster, even passing Farres for fourth on the last lap. My start was even better in race two and I had a good pace again; I had a little less energy at the end but I could manage P6 for fifth overall and I again learnt a lot battling those guys at the front; this is the way to learn fast in my rookie year.”
The hard-pack track did not favour the Dutch sand riders but Bike It Kawasaki’s Kay Karssemakers persisted through both motos, even moving forward to eleventh at one stage in race two, to claim fourteenth overall from 16-13 moto finishes.
Kay Karssemakers: “There were more positives than negatives coming out of this weekend. P11 in Qualifying on Saturday was good and I rode my best laps at the end. It was the same in both races on Sunday. I wasn’t happy with my first race; I just wasn’t riding like myself in the beginning but the last few laps were ok. The second race was a lot better; I could push and post some good lap times at the end. Now we fly to China tomorrow and I’m looking forward to a new track and a new culture.”
