The Wilvo Yamaha MXGP awning was a little busier at the Grand Prix of Great Britain, as Shaun Simpson returned to racing in front of the passionate crowd of 33,000 fans. Jeremy Seewer continued his charge towards the top five as well, of course, following a consistent run in his maiden term aboard the YZ450F.
Poor starts restricted both riders in qualifying on Saturday. Jeremy Seewer charged up to thirteenth at the chequered flag, however, so salvaged a respectable gate pick for the two motos. A good start was then acquired in the first encounter and he completed the first lap in ninth. Seewer soon found himself in a tricky situation though, as a rock left him with a nasty cut on his head and a considerable amount of blood running down his face. Even that could not stop him and he pushed on to take twelfth at the chequered flag.
Jeremy Seewer rebounded in an impressive fashion in the second moto to take eighth, a position that he has become familiar with, and secure ninth in the overall classification. The second-moto finish was also the thirteenth time that he has slotted into the top ten this season. The twenty-two points that were gained at the Grand Prix of Great Britain helped him maintain ninth in the championship, a position that he has held since round five. Nine measly points separate him from the rider in eighth in the championship as the Wilvo Yamaha MXGP squad head to France for the tenth round of the current campaign.
Shaun Simpson continued to make progress in his return, as he rebounded from a difficult first moto and edged closer to the top ten in the second encounter. Simpson was involved in a scrap for tenth the entire time and eventually crossed the line in eleventh, which gave him seventeenth overall on the day and helped him gain some ground on those ahead of him in the championship standings. The next round, the MXGP of France, will be held in just a couple of days, so he will have a chance to build on that momentum very soon.
Jeremy Seewer: “I had a bit of bad luck this weekend with the rocks. I split my face twice, once yesterday and once today. I felt like I had the speed to get up to sixth place. I could see all of those guys in front of me, but I got hit with a big rock in the face. The skin popped open and started bleeding big time, but luckily I could finish the moto in twelfth. I fought hard in the second race again, again I could see sixth place, but it is very difficult to pass out there. We are all going the same speed and it was a close battle. Overall, it was another solid weekend with a bit of bad luck. There are still positives to take away and I am looking forward to racing in France next weekend at St. Jean d’Angely. It is one of my favourite tracks.”
Shaun Simpson: “I am a bit disappointed with the first moto today, purely because I did not feel myself. I regrouped between motos, made a small change to the bike and managed to come out in the second race with a lot more confidence and looking a lot like my old self. To sum up the weekend, it was a day of two halves and I am just glad to be out safe and sound. Two real hard motos are in the bank. I looking forward to going again next weekend in France. It is really hard to come back in the middle of the season, even though I just missed two GPs. It is going to be tough to get back up to race pace, but I think I will be back inside the top ten in the next few weeks. I am really looking forward to that.”
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