Russian rider Evgeny Bobryshev took overall victory at the weekend’s weather-hit fifth round of the Maxxis British Motocross Championships at Duns in Scotland.
Riding his Lombard Express with Par Homes Suzuki RM-Z450, Bobryshev posted the second fastest qualifying time when the track was in prime condition, but with the rain becoming heavier and heavier, the circuit was less than ideal by the time 450 moto one came around.
Bobryshev used a smart line keeping it tight around the first corner to emerge in third place. Knowing that staying out of the mud and the carnage was vital to success in this race, he put the hammer down early to make passes on Kristian Whatley and Ivo Montecelli to assume the race lead before the first lap was over.
Bobryshev tackled the tough conditions with precision and poise to build a comfortable lead over his competition. The rain continued to fall throughout the moto but that didn’t stop the top four riders from charging hard, pulling a big gap over the rest of the field.
As the race came to a close, the gap between Bobryshev and his nearest rival, Montecelli, was reduced somewhat but he was able to command the race until the chequered flag to take his second moto win of the 2018 season. In this victory the Russian was able to the reduce the points gap to the series leader Jake Nicholls.
Nicholls ended the day in fourth overall, but he still has a 12-point advantage in the standings on his CRF450R.
Throughout the afternoon, the rain became much heavier and a thick fog rolled in over the hills. The sensible decision was made to cancel the second moto for the MX1 class, meaning that with his race one win Bobryshev walked away with his first overall victory of the season.
“‘We had a crazy day at Duns. The rain was pretty much non-stop from 10am,” said Bobryshev.
“Free practice and qualifying was still good though; the track was still very nice and rideable. I was able to post the second fastest time and I was happy with that after just getting to grips with the track.
“But for the first moto everything changed. The track was just full of water after the non-stop heavy rain. I pulled a good start and by the end of the first lap I was in first place. I just really concentrated on the track and I found some good lines, so I pulled away from the field. It was really quite a simple race for me, I was upfront leading by myself, I didn’t battle with anybody. The guys did catch me up a little bit towards the end, but I still managed to finish first. I was really happy with that as it’s been a while now since a won a moto at the British championship.
“For the second race we were all dressed up and ready to go. But no one really wanted to go out as the track was looking really bad. Eventually they decided to cancel the final moto as the visibility was too little and the track was getting a bit dangerous. I think that was a good decision, it would’ve been a lotto out there. We could’ve gained points, but we could’ve lost a lot of points also. In a few weeks we have Hawkstone Park. That’s a really nice track and I’m looking forward to that event.”
Photo courtesy Toofast Media Group
Find BikesportNZ.com on FACEBOOK here
MX1 overall on the day
- Evgeny Bobryshev 25pts
- Ivo Monticelli 22pts
- Brad Anderson 20pts
- Jake Nicholls 18pts
- Ryan Houghton 16pts
- Tommy Searle 15pts
- Kristian Whatley 14pts
- Elliott Banks-Browne 13pts
- Daniel Thornhill 12pts
- Carlton Husband 11pts
MX1 Championship after Round 5/8
- Jake Nicholls (Honda) 194 Points
- Evgeny Bobryshev (Suzuki) 182 Points
- Graeme Irwin (KTM) 147 Points
MX2 overall on the day
- Mel Pocock (Husqvarna)
- Martin Barr (Husqvarna)
- Josh Spinks (KTM)
MX2 Championship after Round 5/8
- Conrad Mewse (KTM) 217 Points
- Joshua Gilbert (Honda) 193 Points
- Mel Pocock (Husqvarna) 180 Points