Tenth round of the MX2 World Championship in South Africa
Whatever are the locations and the tracks, Steven Frossard is now used to race in front of the pack. The long trip to South Africa didn’t changed anything to this successful period, and for the third time in a row he got a top result with a fourth place in the tenth round of the series.
The World Championship made his comeback in South Africa, and after several editions in Sun City the event moved to a new track in Nelspruit, not far from the famous Kruger Park. This new track was well appreciated by the riders, who had fun on this nice layout and appreciate the nice weather with a temperature of 24° during the day.
Saturday Steven had a good qualifying session, as he led his race during a few laps and finished second behind Antonio Cairoli. It was more difficult for Steven who had troubles with his bike and qualified later with the fastest lap in the last chance session. Starting the first race in second position, Steven lost two ranks when he crashed and then one more when Rattray, the leader of the World Championship passed him at mid race.
Twenty one in the opening lap, Gregory came back fourteenth despite technical troubles with his bike. Steven had another good start in the following heat; losing two ranks in the opening laps, he recovered and passed Simpson in the eighth circulation to finish the race in third position, his second heat podium this year after England. Fourth of the Grand Prix, he is now ninth in the standings while Gregory, who retired with technical problems is now sixteenth.
Steven Frossard: ‘The weekend started well with a fourth lap time in the pre qualifying session. I had a good position on the grid and got the holeshot in my qualifying race, I led Cairoli during several laps and then did some mistakes and lost time with the lappers. I finished second but I was unhappy with my race, I did too many mistakes may be because I felt tired after the trip.
Sunday I got great start in both races for the first time this season, I lost time in the first part of the races but I finished twice in the top five. I lost two ranks during the first heat when I crashed and finished fifth, then in the second Simpson passed me early but I passed him back to secure a third position. It was my first trip overseas and it was nice, now I will go to Belgium on Wednesday to prepare the next round in Lommel’
Gregory Aranda: ‘During the entire week-end I had troubles with the bike, except in the first free practice session. My engine was not powerful, and in the qualifying race the ignition failed and I had to go to the last chance session. In the races the troubles were back, I could save some points in the first race but in the second it was worst and I retired’
Jean Jacques Luisetti: ‘Once more Steven confirmed that he can race in front of the pack, I hope that we will announce great news for 2009 this week. He got another heat podium, his second this season and missed the GP podium for two points. He was using a new engine developed by Jerome Sahli SR Motorsport and battled with the factory riders, that’s also great for us.
Greg had more troubles with the ignition and later the engine, we couldn’t solve this problem for the second heat. In the European series Loic posted the fastest lap in qualification and later in the warm-up, but he missed his first start and finished sixth. He got the holeshot in the next race but the rider who was second hurt him hard, he felt and was last. He came back twelve, and lost the second place in the standings; he will rest during four weeks and then will try to get this second place in the series’
Thierry Chizat Suzzoni: ‘Steven is now always racing in the leading pack of the World Championship, and confirmed the potential that we discovered two years ago. The GP podium was not far! Gregory was unlucky with technical troubles, while far from South Africa Loic Larrieu confirmed his speed in the European series. Crashes cost him good results in Slovak republic, but we stay confident for the last part of the championship’
- Pascal Haudiquert -
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