Klemen Gercar scores first MX1 points
After his second place in the Ukrainian MX3 GP last week, Klemen Gercar continued his MX1 training at the scorching Lausitzring in Germany. Gercar scored a 20 respectivelyth in 19. de place, good for his three first World Championship points in MX1. It was also a memorable weekend for the youngest Honda riders. Britain's Mitchell Lewis won the first ever European 150F Championship round ahead of Michael Jørgensen (Den) and Eric Englund (Swe). The Dutch Shana Van Der Vlist finished 9thde.
With the 13th round of the FIM MX1 World Championship, the riders entered completely new paths. The Eurospeedway Lausitzring, about 50 kilometers north-east of Dresden, hosted a motocross GP for the very first time! Racing enthusiasts know the circuit of the Superbike World Championship and the IDM, but in the MX field no one knew what to expect. The treacherous tracks, fast wave sections and the alternation of hard and softer ground were completely different from the usual hard surface that German (GP) motocross tracks are known for. In addition, the riders had to deal with a common opponent in the sweltering heat - both days warmer than 32° C.
On Saturday, Klemen piloted his 24MX Honda CRF450R to a 19de place in the short qualifying race. The circuit showed some similarities to Hyvinkää two weeks ago so Gercar could build on his first MX1 experience.
In the first series on Sunday, the 22-year-old Slovenian botched his start. However, the MX3 World Championship leader did not give up. Gradually he found his confidence and set more consistent lap times. From 23rd place he rose to 20th position, gaining one World Cup point. However, Gercar had a good start in race 2! The 24MX Honda rider responded quickly at the gate and came out of the first left corner just outside the top ten. Klemen did everything he could to maintain a connection with the top ten, but had to give up ground quite quickly. He lost three places. Due to the heat and the tricky condition of the track, the second heat demanded a lot from the riders. Fortunately, Gercar escaped unscathed when he made a mistake just after the halfway mark and ended up next to the finish jump. He briefly dropped to 21st place, but eventually finished 19th.
Klemen Gercar: “The ice has been broken, my first World Cup points are a fact! The track was completely different than what I had imagined, much softer and sandier. The layout itself as the circuit was also very unusual for me. Normally I don't have much trouble with the heat... although today it was really extreme!
The same conclusion as in Finland also applies here. To be at my best I have to spend many more hours eating sand. Especially when it is as hot as today, you pay cash for a less good sand technique. Then you use way too much energy. My start in the second series was a lot better, unfortunately I could not hold my position around the top 15. I also didn't want to take any risks with a view to the MX3 world title. Still, it was a step in the right direction this weekend. I'm looking forward to being able to hit a hard track in Loket next week!”
Photos: Bavo
Your reactions