The Wilvo Yamaha MXGP squad tackled the Grand Prix of Russia, round six of the FIM Motocross World Championship, over the last couple of days. Jeremy Seewer and Shaun Simpson rode onto the slick surface that makes up Orlyonok, whilst Arnaud Tonus continues to recover from the shoulder injury that he sustained in February.
Jeremy Seewer has impressed pundits with his raw bursts of speed this season and the Russian fixture was no different. After securing a superb sixth in qualifying on Monday, which tied his career best in the premier division, he entered the motos with confidence. A solid start helped his charge in the first encounter, as he ended the opening lap just outside of the top ten and soon engaged in an entertaining tussle with some former winners. Good progress was made across the twenty-lap race, especially considering the fast nature of the track, and he eventually claimed ninth at the chequered flag.
The final moto of the Russian Grand Prix, which took place in front of an enthusiastic crowd, was even better for Jeremy Seewer. The MXGP rookie started just outside of the top five and secured seventh early on. Although a small mistake cost him some positions at the midway point in the moto, he regrouped quickly and took eighth before the end. The consistent scorecard that he recorded left him in eighth in the overall classification as well. Ninth is the position that he occupies in the series standings after round six of twenty.
Shaun Simpson was eager to put his YZ450F inside of the top ten at the Russian race, much like Jeremy Seewer, but a crash in qualifying left him battered and bruised. No broken bones were sustained and he attempted to ride in warm up on Tuesday morning. However, he eventually decided to withdraw from round six and focus on regrouping ahead of the MXGP of Latvia. The FIM Motocross World Championship will head to that event in a little less than two weeks for round seven.
Jeremy Seewer: “First of all I had a lot of fun on my bike and that has to be the most important thing. Another solid weekend again. I felt really good. I only made one mistake this weekend, and that was a little crash, but otherwise it was pretty good. My speed is there and my fitness is really good. I could be happier of course, because I am working hard to get inside the top five, but the ultimate goal is to be inside the top ten at every GP and I am. It does not matter; sand, hard-pack, mud, rain, sun, whatever, I am there at every GP. I just need to keep working, because things are getting better and the good times are coming. I can feel it!”
Shaun Simpson: “I didn’t feel comfortable pushing the edge on this track, but the first few laps of the qualifying race were pretty solid. I made a mistake and got cross-rutted between two tabletops and went through the advertising boards and down a three-metre drop. I really hurt my back and right hip. After than I hobbled to the medical center, had some checks and everything was cleared although I could hardly walk last night. I felt better this morning and tried to ride but that was not possible. I feel quite good now. I think three or four days of good treatment and I should be back on the bike and looking forward to Latvia.”
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