Gajser wins Turkey MXGP qualifying race
Words and images courtesy MXGP
The 2024 MXGP World Motocross Championships started its 18th round today at the Afyon Motor Sports Center, with blistering heat baking the surface, but just easing off for the RAM Qualifying Races at the MXGP of Türkiye.
The big three in MXGP were at it again with some thrilling racing at the sharp end, but ultimately it was Tim Gajser who took the win to slightly extend his World Championship lead for Team HRC. In doing so, he also clinched the six-month RAM Driving Experience with his eighth Saturday win of the season, meaning he cannot be caught in that chase with just two rounds remaining!
The MX2 class was once more an unpredictable spectacle with practice times being very close, but finally the verdict went to Liam Everts, who took a fine victory for Red Bull KTM Factory Racing, although it was close at the flag to leave tomorrow’s races wide open between any riders who start up front!
Four-time Afyon winner Jeffrey Herlings was fastest in Free Practice for Red Bull KTM Factory Racing, but Gajser narrowly took the first gate pick from the Dutchman in Time Practice, with reigning Champion Jorge Prado third for Red Bull GASGAS Factory Racing.
Out of the gate, Prado looked strong, but he swerved towards the outside of the first corner and left Gajser to take the holeshot. However, with one of his best starts of the season, Herlings carved to the inside of the Slovenian to lead heading into turn two!
Prado had to battle with Romain Febvre to get the better of the Kawasaki Racing Team rider for third, but Gajser was giving Herlings all he could handle in the battle for the lead! The circuit was fast and rough, and it caught out Gajser on the exit of a left-hander as he briefly ran off-track in his pursuit of Herlings and just held off Prado to keep second!
Meanwhile, Febvre’s teammate Jeremy Seewer was battling with Team HRC’s Ruben Fernandez and Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP man Maxime Renaux for fifth position. That fight was eventually won by the Spaniard with a pass on lap nine of twelve. Seewer just fended off Renaux for sixth, while Italians Mattia Guadagnini for Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing and Andrea Bonacorsi for Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP claimed points for eighth and ninth. The final point for tenth was taken by Jan Pancar, who had impressed with the fourth best lap in Time Practice for the TEM JP253 KTM Racing Team.
At the front, Gajser finally edged inside Herlings on lap seven, unnerving “The Bullet” who ran off the track as the pass was being made! He was able to recover, but a lap later Prado also found his way through to take second place and set about the leader with some of his fastest laps of the race! Herlings had to fight off Febvre to keep the top three position, which he kept by just 0.817 of a second at the finish!
Gajser managed to lift his pace to keep Prado behind him, and the winning margin was just over five seconds by the end, extending the points gap to 19 over Prado and 44 over Herlings going into tomorrow’s MXGP of Türkiye!
Gajser said: “I had a lot of fun. The track was starting to get sketchy, you know. Not a lot of traction. So I had to be a bit more aggressive with the passing, because I saw that I was faster than Jeffrey (Herlings) in front of me, and the guys behind me starting to catch me. But then I made a pass, and I think Jorge (prado) was coming with me, but anyway, towards the end I just created some little gap and could control the race. Really happy and hopefully we can do the same tomorrow.”
MXGP – RAM Qualifying Race – Classification:
1. Tim Gajser (SLO, Honda), 24:54.298; 2. Jorge Prado (ESP, GASGAS), +0:05.431; 3. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), +0:07.933; 4. Romain Febvre (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:08.750; 5. Ruben Fernandez (ESP, Honda), +0:24.779; 6. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, Kawasaki), +0:25.408; 7. Maxime Renaux (FRA, Yamaha), +0:35.921; 8. Mattia Guadagnini (ITA, Husqvarna), +0:38.486; 9. Andrea Bonacorsi (ITA, Yamaha), +0:39.965; 10. Jan Pancar (SLO, KTM), +0:41.564
MXGP – World Championship Classification:
1 1. Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 870 points; 2. Jorge Prado (ESP, GAS), 851 p.; 3. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 826 p.; 4. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, KAW), 592 p.; 5. Calvin Vlaanderen (NED, YAM), 550 p.; 6. Romain Febvre (FRA, KAW), 534 p.; 7. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, FAN), 514 p.; 8. Kevin Horgmo (NOR, HON), 386 p.; 9. Valentin Guillod (SUI, HON), 329 p.; 10. Brian Bogers (NED, FAN), 295 p Main Photo: Jorge Prado