Kawasaki Racing Team MX2’s Mathis Valin sat out the Portuguese round the FIM World MX2 Motocross Championship at Agueda as a precaution after a spectacular crash during Qualifying, but Venum Bud Racing Kawasaki’s Francisco Garcia continued his victory march in the European EMX250 Championship with his third consecutive perfect 1-1 scoreline.
Medical examinations on Saturday had already confirmed that Valin has suffered no physical injuries in a massive crash, but the French teenager and KRT management made the mutual decision to withdraw from the GP rather than risk any potential complications. A decision over his participation in next weekend’s South African GP will be made after further medical checks tomorrow.
Mathis Valin: “I’m just glad I’m OK and happy to be on two feet; it was a big one and I’m lucky it wasn’t worse. It was my own mistake, but my neck’s a bit stiff so I’m wearing a neck brace as a precaution. I’m going for further medical examinations tomorrow and hope to be in South Africa next weekend.”
DRT Kawasaki’s Kay Karssemakers bounced back from a frustating first moto in which he was penalised two positions on an obscure technicality after taking the chequered flag eleventh. He rebounded admirably in race two, maintaining his lap times throughout the thirty-five minute race, to finish eighth, headed only by factory riders. His efforts secured his seventh top-ten GP overall finish of the season to consolidate tenth in the series standings.
Kay Karssemakers: “Another consistent weekend, and we are getting ever closer to the factory riders. We changed the suspension settings after Saturday and I didn’t have the best feeling in the first race, but we went back to our usual settings for race two and it went really well. I was happy Francisco Garcia: with my riding and now I’m looking forward to South Africa.”
Venum Bud Racing Kawasaki’s Francisco Garcia completed his third consecutive perfect weekend in the European EMX250 Motocross Championship to extend his advantage in the points standings to one-hundred-and-four points with just four rounds remaining. Kawasaki now leads the Manufacturers’ Championship by seventy-one points.
Sunday morning’s second moto was almost a carbon copy of the Saturday race; Garcia again rode a tight line through turn one to be second up the hill and within a few corners he rode around the early leader and was already nearly three seconds clear at the end of the opening lap. Riding immaculately he continued to extend his lead to the finish, eventually taking the chequered flag nearly fourteen seconds clear of second.
“For sure my family and the Spanish fans who have crossed the frontier to be here enjoyed that just as much as I did and their presence gave me even more motivation. I had a great feeling all weekend and could play with the track. We have worked a lot on the starts and they are coming now, and I work every day with my trainer on my fitness too; this is only the beginning. I am already focused on my future, but first we take in a guest appearance in the US National at Southwick next weekend.”
Bud teammate Jake Cannon had to battle hard from his mid-gate start pick but was again tenth within two laps. The Australian teenager found good lines to make significant passes, taking over his eventual fifth with a sweeping move at the end of the waves on the penultimate lap. More significantly he was ahead of each of his rivals for second in the points chase at the chequered flag and now holds a seventeen point advantage over third.
Jake Cannon: “It was a weekend of two very different races. The first moto was difficult because the levers were loose after a knock early in the race so it was difficult to push. I was determined to rebound in race two and did that with P5; I got an awesome start but got pushed wide at the first turn and had to come through the pack. But I’m still second in the points and we keep going. It was a cool track.”
The EMX250 series now takes a break until August but both Bud Racing Kawasaki riders will keep their racing heads focused with a guest appearance in the American outdoor championship next weekend.
