Newsletter

The official race report service of Kawasaki Racing Team.

Veltins Arena, GERMANY, 8 Octobre 2016

Kawasaki third in SMX manufacturers’ cup

The Kawasaki team of Jordi Tixier, Tommy Searle and Vsevolod Brylyakov finished a magnificent third in the inaugural Monster Energy SMX Riders' and Manufacturers' Cup at the Veltins Arena in Germany.

After losing the services of Clement Desalle because of his injury at the US GP last month Kawasaki was not amongst the pre-race favourites for success but each of the green riders displayed great spirit in this new venture, a team event in which riders rode not only for personal honour but also for the manufacturers in a similar fashion to the famous event for national teams. Added interest came from the fact that the race was run in a stadium but with obstacles and track layout more reminiscent of an outdoor event than the American Supercross racing usually associated with racing in the confines of a soccer stadium.
 
Jordi Tixier of the Monster Energy Kawasaki Racing Team showed impressive form throughout the event. A crash early in the first moto cost him several places, but he responded soundly to recover to eighth place at the chequered flag and followed up with a strong ride from eighth place on lap one to finish fourth in race two. He rounded off a fine evening by battling near the front throughout the third moto to again finish fourth; after combining the scores of the three races Jordi was classified fifth best individual overall.
 
Tommy Searle of Monster Energy DRT Kawasaki held a strong sixth place, even advancing to fifth at one stage, for most of the opening race but the Englishman had been sick all week and found himself pushed back to ninth at the chequered flag as the sickness drained his body. A solid ride in race two saw him advance from an early eleventh place to finish eighth, and he once again gave his all in the final moto for eleventh place after an incident on lap two had pushed him back temporarily to eighteenth. He was reward for his efforts with eighth best individual performance.
 
DRT teammate Vsevolod Brylyakov had the task of contesting the MX2 class on a KX250 on the powerhouse track which heavily favoured the 450s. The Russian was involved in a three rider pile-up at the start of the opening race but he persevered all evening to provide the seventh score which clinched third overall in the manufacturers' classification for Kawasaki.
 
Filip Neugebauer, the Czech rider who races in Germany for the Pfeil Kawasaki team, also performed admirably in his role as team joker and he raced to an impressive fourteenth in the final moto after taking eighteenth place in each of the first two races.
 
Jordi Tixier: “I had a lot of fun today; it was a good day and it’s great to be back on the podium. It was teamwork; maybe nobody expected to see us on the podium but here we are as everyone did a good job. In the first moto I had a little crash and finish eighth. The second was really good even if my rhythm was not good enough during the first few laps and the last one was even better. I got a very good start, it's been a long time since I raced at the front. I started training on Supercross tracks two weeks ago and it helped me tonight; I gave everything I could and it’s great to put Kawasaki on the box.”
 
Tommy Searle: “I didn’t know what to expect, and overall it was an enjoying day. I’m really happy to finish the season on the podium with my teammates; it’s nice to end the season on a high. Jordi was really good in the third race and that helped us to reach the podium. I came here a little bit sick, and I struggled to breathe in the stadium but I did my best. It was a nice event, congratulations to the team staff and special thanks to Steve Guttridge for his words of wisdom.”
 
Vsevolod Brylyakov: “It wasn’t easy to race on this track with a 250 against the 450s, but it was a good experience to race an indoor and I learnt a lot today. It didn’t go so well with a big crash at the start of the first race, but the second moto was much better and helped the team to be on the podium. For sure I’m happy, even if this weekend didn’t go as expected. The guys did a great job; it’s amazing and I’m really happy to finish the season like this on the podium.”
 
Filip Neugebauer: “The first two races were tough for me, as I had troubles with my clutch in the first race and then in the second one I bent my shift level after three laps and had to ride in second gear all race. Finally, I was able to show what I can do in the last race, and finished fourteenth which is good for me. I'm happy for this opportunity to represent Kawasaki in such a major event.”
 
Steve Guttridge, Kawasaki Motors Europe Racing Manager: “It was an awesome day; the team really worked well together. As I said this morning during the first press conference, maybe we were really the underdogs but finally we finished the season on the podium. It was fantastic to finish the season on a high note; all the riders rode well and it’s a good motivation for everyone to prepare for next season.”