Promising Debut for All-new 2017 CRF450RW in the USA

[totalmotorcycle]

Promising Debut for All-new #2017 #CRF450RW in the #USA


Evgeny Bobryshev gave the all-new Honda CRF450RW a promising debut today at the MXGP of the Americas, held at the Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Evgeny BobryshevzoomEvgeny Bobryshev Evgeny BobryshevzoomEvgeny Bobryshev
Whilst race one proved something of an acclimatization run for the Russian, who was using the new machine for the first time in anger at an MXGP event, in race two Bobby was right in the podium fight for the duration of the race.

From the start, EB777 launched towards the front with a strong start and was quickly fighting for second position. As the race progressed, that fight became for third, but Bobby and the team were very encouraged with the promise and potential the new bike showed on its maiden outing.

Meanwhile on the number 21 machine, Gautier Paulin started the day strongly and was attacking the front of the field in the opening free and timed practice sessions, but sadly it wasn’t to be his weekend. Two bad starts left him in the melee, and his day was cut short when he caught his foot in a rut in the second race, crashed and twisted his knee.

Gautier PaulinzoomGautier Paulin
Honda Comments
Evgeny Bobryshev:
Race Result: 11th, 4th 6th overall “I really enjoyed my day today – the track was great and riding the new 2017 CRF was fantastic. In the first race I needed to understand the bike in a race condition so it took us a little time to get really used to it, but the second race was way better. I had a good start and sat in fourth place for the whole race pushing for third. The speed was the same so I couldn’t make a pass unfortunately, but we definitely had podium pace here with the new bike. I really feel comfortable on the bike and I really enjoy to ride it – I know that there are many more positive results coming.”Gautier Paulin:
Race Result: 8th, DNF 15th overall“It was a really good venue and a really good track here in Charlotte, and I enjoyed riding it a lot. They did a lot of hard work since the rain yesterday and the condition of the track today was good. Unfortunately though I had two bad starts today which made it hard. My riding was good but I’m not happy with myself about the starts. The track was really technical and had some nice flow, and I think with good starts we could have been in the mix today. In the second moto, I also twisted my ankle badly which is why I had to stop. On the inside of one corner I got my foot stuck in the mud so I lost the front end because of that, and when I crashed it twisted my ankle. The team have worked on it already tonight and it’s feeling better, but at first there was so much pain I couldn’t continue.”Roger Harvey:
HRC General Manager - MXGP“It’s really been a day of two halves today, and I must start by congratulating Tim Gajser and the whole of the Honda Gariboldi team for wrapping up the MXGP World Championship title with one round still to go. Actually, Tim sealed his second consecutive crown after the first moto, so he could relax a little in the second race and take the fight to the American riders who were fast here today. We’re very heartened by Bobby’s debut of the new 2017 bike too, as after taking the first race to adjust and bed himself into the new machine, race two saw Bobby right back to form again and running strongly at the front, fighting for the podium, so we’re very excited to continue building on this ahead of its full MXGP campaign next season.”

Gajser Rounds Out World Championship Title Weekend with Podium in USA


Tim Gajser added a podium on top of an already incredibly successful weekend at the MXGP of the Americas, which saw the 19-year-old Slovenian crowned 2016 MXGP World Championship in his rookie season on the Honda CRF450RW.

Coming into the Grand Prix with a 65-point lead, his sights were set firmly on victory, but it came earlier than he expected as he wrapped up the title in a nail-biting first race.

Needing ten points more than title rival Antonio Cairoli, Tim started well into fourth, chasing Jeremy van Horebeek for third but at the same time being attacked for fourth by both Glenn Coldenhoff and Clement Desalle. Meanwhile, Cairoli found himself down in 15th. As the Italian fought his way back to 13th, Gajser held position in fourth which was just enough. He emerged with a 75-point lead and 75 points still on the table, but his win ratio ensured he took title honors in his rookie season, going back-to-back with his MX2 crown in 2015.

It meant that the title pressure was off for race two, and Gajser came out in full attack mode. A great start saw him lead into turn one, and he gapped second-place Eli Tomac for the first five laps. Only a small mistake allowed Tomac past, but a second position meant that Gajser finished second overall, taking his 15th podium from 17 races this year.


Team Honda Gariboldi RacingzoomTeam Honda Gariboldi Racing Tim GajserzoomTim Gajser
Honda Comments
Tim Gajser:
“It feels amazing. It’s unbelievable to have won this title – I still cannot really take it all in. Last weekend in Assen we had a horrible weekend and two horrible races, and I was getting down. I had to regroup in these last few days and keep really believing in myself. We have had an amazing season, and I was saying to myself ‘we cannot finish the season like this.’ We had to finish it like we have been for most of the season – get back on track, and to win the title here and stand back on the podium again here in Charlotte is just perfect.

“I want to thank so much Honda, HRC, the team, my family, my Dad – we’ve been working so hard for this for all our lives, and now for the second year in a row we’ve achieved the best possible result – the highest possible win – the World Championship crown.

“All the fans have been incredible this year – already last year was amazing because we had so much support, but this year it’s been even bigger. We make something with the popularity of this sport in Slovenia, and I’m very proud to be that person who is helping the sport to grow. It’s an honor and a pleasure.

“Starting the season with two wins in Qatar was of course an amazing start, but it was just the beginning and the season was still very long at that point. Around the time of the Spanish GP was the point where I really thought this could happen this year. From Spain to Mantova we won seven of the eight motos, and I knew then that this was possible – I knew that if I ride like that for the rest of the season we would again be World Champions.

“I wanted this so much this year, and I’ve been training harder than ever and we’ve been working as a team harder than ever, and less than a year after our MX2 victory we’re again champions. I must thank Honda and the team so much for everything they’ve done and given me this year.

“The bike has really been fantastic. It becomes so much a part of you that you really have to click with it and have a good relationship with it. We call our bikes our babies – they’re like second girlfriends! And this year the Honda CRF has just been perfect. I couldn’t ask for better or for more.

“We believed so hard that we could do it again this year, and I feel so privileged and so fortunate to be in this situation, and after this year I feel better as a rider and better as a person. It hasn’t really sunk in yet all of this. It’s not easy to realize now, but even tomorrow morning when I wake it will already feel more real. Every dream can come true if you really believe in it and really work for it, and today another dream has come true for me.”Giacomo Gariboldi: Team Principal“To have got the title again, back-to-back with last year’s MX2 crown, and in Tim’s rookie year in MXGP, is more than we could ever have hoped for. It’s an amazing feeling, and I’m so pleased for Tim and his family, and Honda and HRC and all the team for this achievement, and it makes us all feel very proud. It’s another key piece of motocross history that we’ve been able to create today, yet I believe we are only at the start of what Tim is capable of achieving. He’s now back-to-back World Champion in MX2 and MXGP and he’s still only 19, so I am very excited for his future. But right now we are all just enjoying this moment that we’ve all worked so hard for. We have such a great team, like a family, such a great bike in the Honda CRF450RW, and everything has just worked so well this season. It’s a dream come true for us all.”

2016 FIM MXGP / MX2 World Motocross Championship
Round 01: Concord – United States

MXGP - Race 1 Result


Rank

Rider (Machine)

1 Tomac, Eli(Kawasaki)
2 Barcia, Justin(Yamaha)
3 Van Horebeek, Jeremy(Yamaha)
4 Gajser, Tim(Honda)
5 Desalle, Clement(Kawasaki)
6 Coldenhoff, Glenn(KTM)
8 Paulin, Gautier(Honda)
11 Bobryshev, Evgeny(Honda)
18 Lupino, Alessandro(Honda)
20 Yamamoto, Kei(Honda)
25 Benenaula, Andres(Honda)
26 Gustavsson, Nicklas(Honda)
28 Pauk, John(Honda)
31 Craven, Drew(Honda)
36 Starace, Michael(Honda)

MXGP - Race 2 Result


Rank

Rider (Machine)

1 Tomac, Eli(Kawasaki)
2 Gajser, Tim(Honda)
3 Coldenhoff, Glenn(KTM)
4 Bobryshev, Evgeny(Honda)
5 Van Horebeek, Jeremy(Yamaha)
6 Febvre, Romain(Yamaha)
17 Lupino, Alessandro(Honda)
18 Yamamoto, Kei(Honda)
21 Benenaula, Andres(Honda)
22 Gustavsson, Nicklas(Honda)
25 Pauk, John(Honda)
29 Craven, Drew(Honda)
30 Paulin, Gautier(Honda)
34 Starace, Michael(Honda)

MX2 - Race 1 Result


Rank

Rider (Machine)

1 Herlings, Jeffrey(KTM)
2 Webb, Cooper(Yamaha)
3 Forkner, Austin(Kawasaki)
4 Covington, Thomas(Husqvarna)
5 Vlaanderen, Calvin(KTM)
6 Anstie, Max(Husqvarna)
20 Martin, Vann(Honda)

MX2 - Race 2 Result


Rank

Rider (Machine)

1 Webb, Cooper(Yamaha)
2 Forkner, Austin(Kawasaki)
3 Herlings, Jeffrey(KTM)
4 Covington, Thomas(Husqvarna)
5 Seewer, Jeremy(Suzuki)
6 Paturel, Benoit(Yamaha)
18 Martin, Vann(Honda)