SEEWER & SUZUKI RACE TO DUTCH MX2 PODIUM

Courtesy of  Team Suzuki Press Office

Team Suzuki Press Office – March 28.

Rain and winds swept the Eurocircuit facility at Valkenswaard for the Grand Prix of Europe on Easter Monday and Team Suzuki World MX2’s Jeremy Seewer took his works RM-Z250 to third position overall after two tricky races for what was the third round of 18 in the 2016 FIM Motocross World Championship.

The first European stop on the schedule saw a wintery climate hit the venue, south of Eindhoven, with strong gusts of wind playing havoc with team set-ups and bouts of heavy rain sending part of the 23,000 attendance (weekend figure) scurrying for cover. The sandy terrain was rough in parts and deceptively slippery in others and did not provide an abundance of racing lines until a further deluge of rain midway through Monday helped carve the surface further.

Rolling into the start gate with the 13th pick of slots after recovering from an early crash in Sunday’s qualification heat race, Seewer got away strongly and fought into a top-five position, whereupon he quickly established fourth place. Struggling to close the gap to Petar Petrov in third, Seewer rode a relatively lonely outing until wading into backmarkers where he needed to exercise some careful judgement. At the flag the Swiss sealed fourth.

Sunshine greeted the launch of the second moto as the strong winds continued to change the day. On drier sand, he couldn't quite make the same rapid getaway and had to work on fronting the second group behind the breakaway pair of Jeffrey Herlings and Pauls Jonass. An entertaining tussle between Alex Tonkov, Benoit Paturel, Calvin Valaanderen and #‘91’ held the spectators’ attention and Seewer was right in the mix. With five laps to go, the 21 year old found superior speed and drew clear to confirm his third top-three race result of the season and third from the last four motos. His 38-point total was enough for his second podium appearance in a row and a particularly satisfying achievement considering his rate of improvement in the sand.

“After a difficult first moto Jeremy rode fantastically in the second and he made the podium; I’m really happy for him and this is thanks to all the hard work he has put in,” said General Manager Stefan Everts. “He scored a podium at one of the toughest races of the year. It’s really great and for the whole MX2 crew. It is now two out of three and he is a consistent rider so let’s continue in this way.”

Seewer entered the Grand Prix of Europe defending second position in the championship standings and after the positive events of Valkenswaard now has 112 points and holds joint second with Jonass.

Team-mate Brian Hsu has started to ride again after recovering from the left wrist he broke in November but is still some weeks away from a racing return.

Valkenswaard was the scene of the first round of 10 in the EMX250 European Championship and Bas Vaessen had a mixed weekend. The promising Dutch youngster was holding a top-three position in the first race on Sunday before two mistakes dropped him to 14th. In a rain-hit second outing on Monday morning, Vaessen was again strong in front of appreciative home public and scored a decent fourth; equalling his personal best in just his second EMX term.

Seewer will be the lone RM-Z250 runner at the next two racing fixtures for Team Suzuki World MX2 as the Grands Prix of Argentina and Mexico mean a lengthy trip west and the crew in the next two weeks.

Jeremy Seewer:

“I’m really, really happy. If I think back to here a few years ago in the sand then I was lapped twice! I remember having a European 85cc race here and not even qualifying. So it was hard to come here, but I have done a lot of hard work in the sand and it paid off; I felt really good. I had to come from quite far out in the gate but pushed through and got on the podium. I have had a few podiums now but I think this is the most emotional one.”

MX2 Moto1: 1. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 35:12.127; 2. Pauls Jonass (LAT, KTM), +0:50.896; 3. Petar Petrov (BUL, Kawasaki), +1:07.168; 4. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, Suzuki World MX2), +1:23.048; 5. Brent Van doninck (BEL, Yamaha), +1:26.054; 6. Davy Pootjes (NED, KTM), +1:35.470; 7. Benoit Paturel (FRA, Yamaha), +1:46.678; 8. Ben Watson (GBR, Husqvarna), +2:07.789; 9. Alvin Östlund (SWE, Yamaha), +2:10.450; 10. Aleksandr Tonkov (RUS, Yamaha), -1 lap(s).

MX2 Moto2: 1. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 35:17.872; 2. Pauls Jonass (LAT, KTM), +1:19.911; 3. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, Suzuki World MX2), +1:25.404; 4. Brent Van doninck (BEL, Yamaha), +1:29.679; 5. Calvin Vlaanderen (NED, KTM), +1:31.724; 6. Benoit Paturel (FRA, Yamaha), +1:35.487; 7. Michele Cervellin (ITA, Honda), +1:54.833; 8. Samuele Bernardini (ITA, TM), +1:59.315; 9. Vsevolod Brylyakov (RUS, Kawasaki), +2:03.230; 10. Alvin Östlund (SWE, Yamaha), +2:12.493.

MX2 Overall result: 1. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 50 points; 2. Pauls Jonass (LAT, KTM), 44 p.; 3. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, Suzuki World MX2), 38 p.; 4. Brent Van doninck (BEL, YAM), 34 p.; 5. Benoit Paturel (FRA, YAM), 29 p.; 6. Alvin Östlund (SWE, YAM), 23 p.; 7. Michele Cervellin (ITA, HON), 21 p.; 8. Vsevolod Brylyakov (RUS, KAW), 21 p.; 9. Aleksandr Tonkov (RUS, YAM), 21 p.; 10. Davy Pootjes (NED, KTM), 21 p.

MX2 World Championship Standings (after 3 of 18 rounds): 1. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 150 points; 2. Pauls Jonass (LAT, KTM), 112 p.; 3. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, Suzuki World MX2), 112 p.; 4. Aleksandr Tonkov (RUS, YAM), 91 p.; 5. Brent Van doninck (BEL, YAM), 78 p.; 6. Petar Petrov (BUL, KAW), 76 p.; 7. Benoit Paturel (FRA, YAM), 75 p.; 8. Samuele Bernardini (ITA, TM), 60 p.; 9. Alvin Östlund (SWE, YAM), 60 p.; 10. Vsevolod Brylyakov (RUS, KAW), 59 p.

Valkenswaard MX2 Image Gallery: CLICK HERE FOR PHOTOS 


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