Dream start for Jago Geerts and Ben Watson!
Kemea Yamaha started the MX2 World Championship with a bang. All three drivers settled into the top 10 in the opening race in Argentina. Ben Watson shone with a 4th place (4+4 in heats), his best result ever. Vsevolod Brylyakov finished 6th (9+9) and youngster Jago Geerts completed the Kemea party with a 9th place (12+10).
“Three Kemea drivers in the top 10, no one expected that. That makes it twice as beautiful,” the team owner beamed Hans Corvers. “These are results that we must now continue to build on.”
Ben Watson made an immediate impression on Saturday with a third place in the qualifying race, his best result ever. Geerts and Brylyakov (who crashed, fortunately without serious damage) did not get further than thirteenth and seventeenth place. Watson, who broke his foot in Neuquen two years ago, clearly felt good about himself this time on the fast, but unforgiving track in Patagonia. The 20-year-old Briton took off like a rocket in the first series: after the first corner he was in third position. Ben then dropped back to fifth place, but was able to move up one spot halfway through the series. His best result in a series ever. Brylyakov came away in fifteenth place, then steadily climbed the ranks and joined a group that was fighting for places five to ten. Seva cut his teeth on Cervellin and finished ninth. Geerts only got into the right rhythm at the end of the series, allowing him to move up to twelfth place. Watson showed in the second series that his fourth place earlier in the day was no fluke. He shot away in fifth, but then fell back a few places. The Briton did not panic, continued to look for the right lines and successively defeated Geerts, Covington, Pootjes and Lawrence to finish fourth again. Good for fourth place in the final standings, another best result ever. Brylyakov experienced the same scenario as in the first series: fourteenth after one lap and then advancing to ninth place. Geerts faltered at the starting gate, but took a fantastic first corner that promptly put him in fifth place. The 17-year-old Balenian then held out for a long time in seventh place, but a crash at the end of the series dropped him to tenth place.
Ben Watson: “Best qualifying race ever, best series result ever and best GP result ever. What a weekend! What a wonderful feeling. Of course I surprised myself a bit with that fourth place. I especially want to thank everyone at Kemea Yamaha. Everything is perfectly arranged. I have never been so well prepared for a World Cup. That gives a lot of confidence. Not only in myself, but also in everything and everyone around me. On the one hand, it's a bit of a shame that I missed the podium by one point. On the other hand, I can't be disappointed or angry. This result gives me a huge boost, this is a big step in my career.”
Jago Geerts: “Immediately in the top 10, I'm quite happy with that. It took a while before I got the right lines and rhythm in the first series. This allowed me to move up a few spots at the end. I then took that good feeling with me to the second series. I didn't have a good start at the 'bench', but I made up for a lot in the first corner. I was in seventh position for a long time, but at the end I made a small mistake that caused me to fall and lose some spots. The speed is there, that is positive. I'm already looking forward to the GP in Valkenswaard in two weeks.”
Marniq Bervoets, team manager:
“The World Cup couldn't have started better for us. Honestly, I didn't expect this. Don't forget that we started this World Cup with a completely new team. The boys pleasantly surprised me. Proof that we made good choices in the winter. Watson was outstanding all weekend. When Ben has confidence, he is capable of a lot. Geerts has also shown beautiful things. His second series in particular was very strong. Too bad about that one fall, otherwise he would have finished seventh. Brylaykov rode his first Grand Prix in ten months. Our Russian delivered second solid series. And very important: he is making progress week after week.”
Photos: shotbyBavo
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