KEMEA Yamaha Official MX2 Race Report, GP9 Ernéé, France
The French GP guarantees a beautiful circuit and a fantastic atmosphere in the crowd every year. The French fans celebrate the GP weekend exuberantly and shout their national riders to a higher level. And they also did that this weekend with Benoit in Ernéé. Paturel was just a breath away from his first GP victory with a third place and a historic series victory, but still leaves Ernée with a great feeling.
On Saturday the KEMEA drivers showed their potential during qualifying. All three finished within the top 6, which is an exceptional achievement. Despite a small crash, Benoit crossed the line in second. Brent followed in fourth place and Alvin rounded out the top 6.
On Sunday, Benoit positioned himself on the inside of the first corner for the start and that turned out to be a good move. After a good start, Paturel quickly returned from sixth to third place. He eventually finished in the wake of the leaders. Alvin and Brent were also initially in the top 10. However, Brent had to give up halfway due to technical problems. Alvin also had to retire in the final stages with engine problems when he was in eleventh place.
In the final series, Paturel caused a small earthquake in and around Ernéé by being the fastest out of the starting blocks. With his first holeshot, the Frenchman immediately gained confidence and found a good rhythm. Despite constant pressure from Jonass, Paturel led from start to finish and won the race. He received a standing ovation from the thousands of fans afterwards. In the final standings he was second on the podium and was only two points away from victory. Benoit remains fifth in the World Championship standings, but is coming closer to the others.
Alvin was in a battle for tenth place when he collided with another rider and lost several places. He eventually arrived fifteenth and finished 19th in the final standings. Brent also had bad luck again when he lost his clutch after a few laps and did not finish the race.
Benoit Paturel: “I'm so happy with the series win! In the first heat I quickly reached third place, but I lacked a little extra to attack the leaders. The second series was truly phenomenal. First the hole shot and then the entire race in front with the thousands of fans cheering me on. This shows that the hard work pays off in the end and I would like to thank my trainer, mechanic and everyone who supports me! I would like to dedicate this victory to my mother.”
Alvin Ostlund: “It went very well on Saturday and I was happy with sixth place. I went around well and felt comfortable. It was very unfortunate that I had to leave the first heat with technical problems... I also had no luck in the second heat when I crashed with a car behind me. I am happy with my riding but the results are not coming. However, the feeling is good and I am already looking forward to the next match in Russia.”
Brent Vandoninck: “Luck isn't on my side these days it seems... With a double DNF, this is another weekend to quickly forget. However, I felt good on the track… Saturday went really smoothly. In the first series there were engine problems. In the second series I was back in the top 10 after a poor start when I fell without a clutch. However, riding without a clutch on this circuit is very difficult... The message is to keep working hard and I hope to be able to ride with the same feeling as on Saturday in Russia.”
Photos @shotbybavo
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