Looking ahead to the first GPs and Valkenswaard!
The GP season for the MX1 and MX2 classes will start much earlier than in previous years at the beginning of next month. And it's an unusual start too. The first and second Grand Prix will not be held in Europe, but in Qatar and Thailand. It is the first time for both Asian countries to organize a GP. This is not the first time that the event has taken place in Asia, as Japan has already been on the World Cup calendar several times.
Start Grand Prix under artificial light
The first GP, on Saturday March 2 in Qatar, will be a memorable race. Not only is it the first cross-GP in Qatar, it will also be... the first evening match. Just like the Qatar GP road race, this will also be a race under artificial light. Temperatures are so high during the day in the oil state that it is not pleasant to drive. The track is completely new and will be constructed within the existing road racing circuit. The teams can therefore use all facilities on the circuit located near the capital Doha. The circuit itself is said to be extremely hard, as was expected/feared, so no desert sand!
New competition format
A week later, on Sunday March 10, the race will take place in Si Racha, Thailand, a town 120 km southeast of the capital Bangkok. This competition has a small Dutch touch, because former GP rider Jan Postema is closely involved in the organization. He has been coming to Thailand since the late 1980s to organize training and assist at international competitions.
Both competitions will be held under a new format. The two classes MX1 and MX2 first ride their first round. The second round will be held as a so-called Super Final, with twenty riders from the MX1 and twenty from the MX2. Although they compete together in the track, separate results are drawn up for each class. This new formula applies to the four overseas GPs this year (in addition to Qatar and Thailand, these are Mexico and Brazil), but will almost certainly be applied to all GPs next year. In order to properly recognize the riders, each starting number is only assigned once, so that no MX1 and MX2 riders ever have the same starting number.
After Qatar and Thailand it is quiet for a while as far as the GPs are concerned. The third Grand Prix will be held at the Valkenswaard Eurocircuit during the Easter weekend (March 31 and April 1). As in previous years, two more classes will be at the start in 2013 in addition to the regular classes MX1 and MX2. This year they are the MX3 and the ladies. That means two days with plenty of action. The big question is of course: is it possible? Jeffrey herlings win twice again? Due to the early start of the GPs, there are few opportunities for riders to compete prior to the GPs. There have only been a few matches in Italy. The international cross in the British Hawkstone Park had to be canceled due to rain and snow.
Between the GPs of Qatar and Thailand and that of Valkenswaard, the Dutch riders can compete twice in their own country in competitions counting for the ONK, the Open Dutch Championship (March 17 Halle, March 23 Oldebroek). And then everyone has to be in top form for Valkenswaard. We will be there!
Photos: CDS/Yamaha Racing
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