Klemen Gercar: Slovenian motocross “hero” 11.06.2012: MX3 Round of Slovenia – QUICK FACTS Circuit length: 1 554 m Type of ground: hard pack

MX3 Round of Slovenia – QUICK FACTS

Circuit length: 1 554 m

Type of ground: hard pack

Temperature: 23°C

Weather conditions: rain/sunny


Today was big celebration of motocross in Slovenia. The club AMD Orehova Vas has their 55th anniversary. Moreover on their track they have World championship events of motocross from 70ties. What can be better then celebrate it by MX3 and WMX FIM Motocross World Championship?


They are trying to improve every year. This year in no exception. On very natural track they have prepared some small changes in design to make it more attractive. For the WMX FIM Motocross World Championship it is just second time here. Even if the weather is not ideal nothing can spoil good atmosphere.


Yesterday was full of rain so everybody crossed the fingers for dry weather. It came truth and plenty of the spectators enjoyed breathtaking race. Due to night storms and soft Sundays´ showers the track has to be shortened for WMX. Slovenian fans was happy, because Klemen Gercar was standing there on highest place. It was his first victory of MX3 round. Red plate have still the same owner : Matthias Walkner.


Race 1

Muddy Warm-up for MX3 have changed into the more dry terrain during race one. Finally the sun was shining. These changeable conditions of the track check up riders ´skills. Really nice performance showed Klemen Gercar from Slovenia. He has race of his own from the beginning, almost half lap in front of the second his compatriot Matevz Irt.


Klemen Gercar: “Fantastic race! I really like it like this. It was like my own race. There was Michael Staufer in front of me for a while but ten he felt down and leave me alone. Lot of my fans are everywhere and screaming and cheering. I´m very happy about the result! ”


Matvz Irt, winner of yesterdays ‘Qualifying race didn´t use advantage of pole position and start as fourth. Michael Staufer was in front of him, then he felt down and Irt can attack Walkner. He did it and ended as second. Slovenian fans cheered their “heroes” a lot. From everywhere the whistles and screams have been heart.


Matthias Walkner from Austria completed top three riders. He had lot to do with Klemen Gercar and finally he ended behind him on a third place.


Nothing can surprise skilled and experienced Antti Pyrhőnen. Mud is not problem for him but motivated trio was in front of him. His ride was very stable. He started at fifth and when Michael Staufer felt down he ended as fourth.


There were lot of Austrian riders in this race, because they were close to Slovenian track. That´s why Schmidingers´ brothers had a lot of motocross mates there. Günter was the best of them not even in Qualifying practise but also in Race one on fifth place.


Saso Kragelj from Slovenia score on muddy terrain as sixth. He had not very good start. Moreover he had problems in the second lap and this together makes him sixth.


Ukrainian riders Mykola Pasychynskiy proceed every lap. From twelfth position he became seventh. The same situation Lukas Lonka needed to solve. He made his way from 21st to nice 8th position.


Dry track would fit better to Martin Michek, but the weather is thing that no one can influence. Bad start and sticky mud makes him ninth. Ludvig Sőderberg who had second best lap time in warming- up completed top ten of Race one.



Race 2


Finally the sun was shining and the track was getting into better condition. Fortunately there was no more rain and riders could show really high speed and nice jumps.
 

Klemen Gercar: “I have changed some settings on my bike and now it´s working perfectly. I made two good starts and I can be fast also on mud. This is my first round of MX3 that I won. It was in front of my family, friends and fans. Good feeling. I would like to thank to my team, mechanics, fans, friends and family.”


Slovenian audience love their riders. Lot of them were cheering them and when Klemen Gercar was in front of everybody, they were waving and shouting. Also UFO Racing team manager was happy about his result.


Team Mibag Schmidinger World MX had second place thanks to Günter Schmidinger. Fist two position weren´t changed. All time long was Schmidinger behind Gercar on the second position and he came through finish line 21 seconds after him.


After first race it was obvious, if Matthias Walkner would make no mistake, he can defend the red plate. It came truth when he watched his third position till the end. KTM Hilinger MX Racing Team was proud of him.


At the end of the heat Antti Pyrhőnen from Finland needed to look behind, because motivated Matevz Irt was attacking him. Pyrhőnen didn´t let him do this and left the fourth place for himself.

Winner of Saturdays´ Qualifying race, Matevz Irt was trying to reach the third place on the podium. He was motivated by the spectators and by himself, but Pyrhőnen cross his plans and makes him fifth and fourth overall.


Petr Bartoš from Czech Republic appeared on seventh place. For a while he was 4th but later on he was overtaken by Pyrhőnen and Irt. Polish rider Lukasz Lonka managed it to 8th and Czech Martin Michek on 9th position.


Ludvig Sőderberg from Finland had a difficult task. After first lap of second heat he was 15th and in last three laps he turned it to 10th place.



MX3 Race 1 results: 1. Gercar, Klemen (SLO,Honda)36:14.322; 2. Irt, Matevz (SLO,Suzuki) +0:48.867; 3. Walkner, Matthias (AUT,KTM) +0:04.539; 4. Pyrhönen, Antti (FIN,Honda) +0:43.470; 5. Schmidinger, Günter (AUT, Honda) +0:12.486; 6. Kragelj, Saso (SLO, Yamaha) +0:10.173; 7. Pashchynskyi, Mykola (UKR,KTM)1 lap; 8. Lonka, Lukasz (POL, Honda) +0:15.868; 9. Michek, Martin (CZE, KTM) +0:21.112; 10. Söderberg, Ludvig (FIN,Honda)


MX3 Race 2 results: 1. Gercar, Klemen (SLO, Honda) 35:37.192; 2. Schmidinger, Günter (AUT, Honda) +0:21.324; 3. Walkner, Matthias (AUT, KTM) +0:30.369; 4. Pyrhönen, Antti (FIN,Honda) +0:45.601; 5. Irt, Matevz (SLO, Suzuki) +0:49.126; 6. Bartos, Petr (CZE, KTM) +0:51.138; 7. Staufer, Michael (AUT, KTM) +0:53.472; 8. Lonka, Lukasz (POL, Honda) +1:14.411; 9. Michek, Martin (CZE, KTM) +1:22.763; 10. Söderberg, Ludvig (FIN, Honda) +1:23.662;


MX3 overall classification: 1. Gercar, Klemen (SLO, Honda) 50p.; 2. Walkner, Matthias (AUT, KTM) 40p.; 3. Schmidinger, Günter (AUT, Honda) 38p.; 4. Irt, Matevz (SLO, Suzuki) 38p.; 5. Pyrhönen, Antti (FIN, Honda) 36p.; 6. Lonka, Lukasz (POL, Honda) 26p.; 7.Michek, Martin (CZE, KTM) 24p.; 8. Kragelj, Saso (SLO, Yamaha) 24p.; 9. Söderberg, Ludvig (FIN, Honda) 22p.; 10. Pashchynskyi, Mykola (UKR, KTM) 20p.;


MX3 championship classification: 1. Walkner, M. (AUT) 226p.; 2. Schmidinger, G. (AUT) 198p.; 3. Gercar, Klemen (SLO) 192p.; 4. Pyrhönen, A. (FIN) 179p.; 5. Michek, Martin (CZE) 169p.; 6. Irt, Matevz (SLO) 155p.; 7. Staufer, M. (AUT) 135p.; 8. Lonka, Lukasz (POL) 116p.; 9. Bartos, Petr (CZE) 105p.; 10. Söderberg, L. (FIN) 90p.;



Mr. Roman Borak, photo Youthstream