Ouverture des championnats de France

En attendant le retour prochain de Brian Moreau qui récupère de sa blessure au poignet, Jimmy Clochet représentait le team Bud Racing Kawasaki lors de l’ouverture du championnat Elite à Castelnau de Lévis. Pour sa seconde sortie en 450 Jimmy se classe sixième de cette épreuve, avant de prendre part ce weekend a l’ouverture du championnat d’Europe 250 en Grande Bretagne.
Quentin Prugnières gagne chez les espoirs !

Avec des averses intermittentes et de fraiches bourrasques de vent, il fallait être très vigilant dimanche pour ne pas faire d’erreurs sur le tracé de Castelnau. Pour sa seconde apparition en course sur la 450 KXF Bud Racing, Jimmy qui a fêté ses 20 ans cet hiver bénéficiait d’une bonne place de la grille mais il n’en aura pas tiré profit au premier départ. Complètement enfermé en queue de peloton il va s’appliquer à remonter méthodiquement, franchissant la ligne d’arrivée à une bonne septième place. Bien mieux parti en seconde manche ou le holeshot lui échappait de peu il fera une solide course exempte d’erreurs pour se classer sixième.

Les jeunes crossmen Français en décousaient eux aussi à Castelnau, et chez les espoirs c’est Quentin Prugnières qui allait faire briller les couleurs Bud Racing en s’imposant. Absent des circuits l’an passé suite à des problèmes de santé, Quentin qui fetera ses 14 and en mai prochain, remporte la première manche, avant de rater son départ dans la seconde ; revenu jusqu’en seconde position, il remporte cette première épreuve et portera donc la plaque rouge de leader dans un mois à Romagne (Bretagne).

Jimmy Clochet : « J’avais un peu de pression avant cette épreuve, mais de la bonne pression et l’envie de bien défendre les couleurs Bud Racing pour cette première épreuve de l’Elite. Le MX Inter de Sommières s’était bien passé la semaine dernière, mais Castelnau de Lévis est une piste particulière en 450 surtout avec la météo de dimanche. J’ai complètement raté mon départ en patinant sur la grille, je remonte de la 29ème à la 7ème place dans une catégorie très relevée avec quelques pilotes de GP. J’ai quasiment fait le holeshot en seconde manche, j’ai pu contrer des garçons comme Tixier ou Coldenhoff pendant quelques minutes pour finir sixième de cette manche, un résultat pleinement satisfaisant pour une première sortie en Elite MX1. »

Quentin Prugnières : « Je suis assez content du weekend, mais j’aurais bien sûr préféré gagner les deux manches. En seconde manche j’ai tout perdu en ratant mon départ, j’ai mis du temps à remonter sur une piste sèche et compliquée mais j’ai pu réduire mon retard sur le leader de 15 à 3 secondes. J’ai beaucoup travaillé cet hiver avec Steven Frossard qui est aujourd’hui mon entraineur, le courant est rapidement passé entre nous. »

GP debut postponed for Brian Moreau

Brian Moreau didn’t really start his first World Championship campaign as expected, as the representative of team Bud Racing Kawasaki and youngest rider of the MXGP circuit got injured during the timed practice session in Argentina. But there’s at least one positive point to bring back from this long trip: Brian could show that he has the speed to battle with the top guys of the category.

Organized this year again in Villa La Angostura, the opening round of the World Championship was too brief for Brian and the staff of the Bud Racing Team, as Brian Hsu injured didn’t do the trip. Discovering this track designed on a slippery land of volcanic origin during the free practice session, Brian put his Kawasaki in eighth position during the timed practice session in what was only his second GP after France last season. Back on the track at the end of the session Brian was testing another line in a corner when his front wheel slides; in the crash his wrist hit the ground, and the medical exams reveal a small crack which forced him to skip the race. Back in France earlier this week to have a dedicate treatment and continue to work on his physical condition, he should be back on his bike within three weeks.

The Team is also announcing the venue of a new rider Lorenzo LOCURCIO coming from Venezuela to race the MX2 GP’s in replacement of Brian HSU who sustained a small back injury few days before heading to Argentina. Lorenzo is actually racing in the USA and will head to France next week to prepare his first GP race in UK Matterley Basin. Welcome Lorenzo !

Stéphane Dassé: “We are of course disappointed after this weekend, as Brian show that he had all the tools to get good results in the World Championship. Hopefully the injury is not too serious and Brian will be back soon on the tracks, the team to be in three weeks time for the next round of the World Championship in Great Britain.”

Final positive test for Brian Moreau and Bud Racing Kawasaki

Team Bud Racing Kawasaki was involved this weekend in its second pre season event of the season, just one-week prior the opening round of the World Championship in Argentina and once more Brian Moreau was one of the fastest MX2 rider on track.

After Mantova two weeks ago, Lacapelle International was the next stop for the team who unfortunately could only line up Brian Moreau as Brian Hsu suffers a lower back injury while practicing earlier last week.

For his second race of the season Brian Moreau showed again tremendous speed all day to lap within half a second of pole during MX2 qualification. Coming from the sixth to the fourth position in the opening MX2 race, Brian was fighting for a podium result but lost his chances and three positions during the second part of the race. He got a great start in race 2 and pressurised the eventual double winner during the early laps, finally losing his rhythm after several attacks on Watson, fourth strongest MX2 rider last season in the World Championship. The teenager set the second fastest time in this race, but his relative inexperience of world racing came into play during the later stages of each race as he tensed up and slowed to finish sixth. But Brian can fly confidently to the opening GP secure in the knowledge that he has the speed to succeed.

Brian Moreau: “It was a decent day and a good training before the first GP, even if I know that I still have some extra work to do. My speed was good and I was fighting with Watson in the second race but physically I’m not ready yet to keep that speed for the entire race; I posted the second fastest lap time, but later in the race I got stomach cramps. Overall I’m happy with the result as this track is not an easy one; in the Super Final it was difficult against the 450 as they shower us with stones.”