Loket was the destination for the Wilvo Yamaha MXGP squad this past weekend. The daunting Czech circuit has been on the FIM Motocross World Championship calendar for countless years now, so most knew what to expect as they rolled into the facility for the first time on Friday. A temperamental weather forecast kept everyone on their toes though.
Jeremy Seewer was a victim of that in qualifying on Saturday, as a handful of mistakes restricted him to twenty-fourth and left him in a tricky position for the motos on Sunday. A good start is imperative at this particular track and he failed to grab one of those in the first premier-class encounter on Sunday, because of his poor position on the starting line. Thirteenth was the position that he occupied at the end of lap one, so he worked forwards to even get to that position, but he then made some impressive progress across the moto and acquired tenth by the time that the chequered flag was waved.
Another strong charge in the second and final encounter helped his cause in the championship standings, as he managed to cross the finish line in eighth. Eighth is, of course, a position that he is all too familiar with, as he has ended up in that spot in ten motos thus far this year. Eighth was where he finished in the overall classification and is also the position that he currently occupies in the championship standings. There are six rounds left in the current campaign, but he has a seven-point advantage over the rider behind him in the points.
Consistent is the best way to describe the weekend that Shaun Simpson had in his return to racing. Simpson was thirteenth in the qualifying heat and then occupied the same position in the opening moto on Sunday. The way that he performed was more impressive than that finish may seem though, as he made progress and pounced on some competitors late in the race. A fourteenth in the second moto left him thirteenth overall on the day. Simpson now runs sixteenth in the championship, despite the fact that he missed four rounds with an injury earlier this year.
The FIM Motocross World Championship will resume at a venue close to the Wilvo Yamaha MXGP base, Lommel, in two weeks. The power-sapping sand will offer both Jeremy Seewer and Shaun Simpson a chance to shine.
Jeremy Seewer: “In the first moto I had a really bad start and came back to tenth position. It was damage control, but it was okay. In the second moto I had a good start actually, but I went outside. I got through the pack to eighth. It was really good to end the weekend like that after I struggled yesterday.”
Shaun Simpson: “To be honest, I am really happy with how this weekend went. I totally exceeded all expectations, because I have actually only been on the bike twice in the last couple of months. I feel really strong mentally and I am determined to make some things happen; I feel like I owe it to myself and everyone around me to get the show back on the road. There is still six to go and I feel like this weekend has provided me with the building block I need and a solid boost of confidence that has motivated me to train hard going into the next rounds. Lommel is coming up and I know I can do well there; I am really motivated to get stuck in and make things happen over the next six rounds.”
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