Sweltering heat adds to the challenge on opening day at Glen Helen
The temperature soared to 34 degrees Celsius in the desert of San Bernardino today as qualifying got underway for the MXGP of the USA.
As the gate dropped, Gautier Paulin got off to a strong start, slotting into sixth position, whilst a bit of bar-banging off the line saw Evgeny Bobryshev into 11th. As the race progressed, and the riders and bikes tired under the Californian sun, it was Paulin who wash pushing forward, taking the fight to Arnaud Tonus and Kevin Strijbos for fourth.
In the closing stages of the race the pack, which had now formed into a six-rider tussle for fifth, encountered lapped traffic and split this way and that to find the fastest way past. Unfortunately in the excitement Gautier was forced off line and lost enough rhythm to put him to the back of the battle, and the Frenchman crossed the line in tenth.
Meanwhile, Evgeny Bobryshev was also making progress until a small issue meant that he had to stop the bike with four laps to go. He will start tomorrow’s race from the outside gate, but will be aided by Glen Helen’s iconic banked, and very fast, turn one, in making positions from the start.
Gautier Paulin 21
“Today I didn't feel so good on the bike in the first two practice sessions so we made some changes for the qualifying race and the team did a great job. The water on the track in the race made it tough as parts were very slippery, but I had a much better rhythm and was pushing to catch fourth. Unfortunately at the end it was very busy with traffic and I made a mistake on the downhill, which means you pay for it all the way back up the next hill too so I lost a few places. We will still do some work for tomorrow, but the start gate is good enough and we didn’t have bad pace today.”
Evgeny Bobryshev 777
“At the start of the race it was quite tough today and I wasn’t feeling so comfortable – they watered the track a lot and by our race it was too wet in places. Then we had a problem that meant I had to stop the bike so I will start tomorrow’s races from the outside gate, but it’s not as bad here as at other races because of the first corner here – it’s banked and long so it’s possible to carry a lot of speed around the outside and make a lot of positions right from the beginning.”
Roger Harvey
“The results don’t reflect what I think we should have seen today, as Gautier was running well by mid-race and was on for a top-six finish, and Bobby would also have broken into the top ten. The team are looking into what caused Bobby to stop the bike, and with a bit of work we’re looking at a better day tomorrow.”
Results Session
| Pos. | Rider | Num | Nation | Team | Constructor | Time/Gap |
|---|
Location Information
Glen Helen Raceway, Verdemont Ranch Road, San Bernardino, CA, United States, North America - View in Google Maps
