Motocross Grand Prix of Thailand Preview
The scorching shores of Thailand play host to part two of the FIM Motocross World Championship’s season-opening double-header, as Team HRC riders Max Nagl and Evgeny Bobryshev look to build on last weekend’s strong showing in Qatar.
Located just outside the popular tourist hideout of Pattaya, on Thailand’s east coast, the sandy Si Racha circuit will undoubtedly provide a stern test for all competitors as they battle against Southeast Asia’s notorious heat and humidity.
Bobby will need no reminder of just how difficult conditions can be here. Last year’s temperatures soared into the high 30’s, while humidity levels above a staggering 50 per cent left the Russian battling heat exhaustion. A different approach this year, coupled with races that are five minutes shorter this season, nevertheless leaves him feeling confident.
Max missed last year’s race altogether through illness, so he too has adopted a different approach this time, flying back home after his success in Qatar to enjoy a few days in Europe and take advantage of the opportunity for more training.
Max Nagl 12
“Thailand is of course really hot and humid, but that’s really the only thing I know as last year I didn’t see the track because I was so sick. But I’ve watched some videos to try and get a feeling and the track looks nice. I don’t know it very well so will have to learn it fast because we don’t have so much time with only 20 minutes of practice. Going home between Qatar and Thailand means I get to ride the bike a bit more and do some more training. I’m feeling so much more confident this year – I know I don’t have the same problems as last year, and Qatar was really good for us, so it’s a much more comfortable feeling.”
Evgeny Bobryshev 777
“I like the Si Racha track – the compound of the ground is good and the track is quite fast. It’s wide open with some good jumps, which is the style I prefer. Last year I had a bit of a problem with dehydration as the temperature is so hot and it’s so humid. It makes it really difficult in the race, so you need to have a strategy to keep your energy up. This year I am doing some training before the race to get used to the temperature. Last year my problems came in the last five minutes and this season the races are 30minutes, five minutes less, so this will also help.”
Roger Harvey
"We made a really good start to the season in Qatar, so the objective is to carry that momentum into Thailand. It’s a really tough race because of the heat and humidity, so both riders have taken a different approach this year – Max missed last year’s race because of his illness and Bobby suffered in the heat. Right now Max is back home training, and Bobby is training out here in Thailand to acclimatize to the heat as much as possible in just a few days. It’s a race of energy preservation and making sure you have enough at the finish, but we can see from Qatar that the CRF450RWs are working well and performance is good so we’re in a strong position."
Location Information
219/1 เทศบาลนครแหลมฉบัง Pinthong Industrial Estate 3, Bueng, Si Racha District, Chon Buri 20230, Thailand - View in Google Maps
