17.09.2018
Maximum effort with small reward for Irwin and Mewse in the Dutch sandbox
After missing out on two rounds of the world championship through injury, Hitachi ASA KTM UK returned to the action in Assen and made quite an entry for the penultimate round on the calendar. The transformed Dutch TT course showcased the kind of sands and bumps that Conrad Mewse thrives in and this was reflected in a solid weekend’s work that saw him climb in the MX2 championship standings. In the premier class, Graeme Irwin had a harder comeback but fought hard to progress as sessions went by.
MX2
Having trained hard throughout his world stage absence, Mewse hit the ground running in Assen, instantly feeling comfortable on the Dutch track. And one cannot argue against that with first position in Warm Up, second in Free Practice and third in Qualifying but the first moto presented the first challenge for Mewse. After a long wait at the gate, the number 426 got caught out at the start and dropped back to 15th position. Four laps later, he cracked the top ten once again but attacking any further was difficult, as gaps had already stretched ahead of him. Nonetheless, Mewse was in fine company for the final five minutes, trading blows with reigning world champion and fellow KTM rider Pauls Jonass, before taking the chequered flag in ninth place.
Despite the great starting position, moto two threw even more of a curveball in the way of the KTM rider, with the fierce battle in a tightly packed midfield seeing him pushed back to 21st position by lap two. Mewse was left with everything to do and steadily clawed back positions every lap until he got to 17th, when the fight with Henry Jacobi briefly halted his progress. Once the battle with the German was won, the number #426 racer cruised to the finish line in 16th place, adding a handful of points to his tally and climbing one position in the world championship classification.
Conrad Mewse #426 said: “A bit of a struggle for me this weekend. We had great speed and had a good day Saturday, but Sunday didn’t go my way with bad starts and some technical issues. I’m really disappointed with my results after what was looking to be a great weekend. I fully plan on making amends this coming Sunday at Foxhill in the British championship.”
MXGP
Graeme Irwin had a slower warm-up to competition and had to attack from a less than ideal start gate after qualifying 20th on the travelling sands of Assen. A complicated start to the first moto saw the British rider lose a handful of places in the first couple of turns but the #55 rider picked up four places by lap two and fought through the rest of the race to cross the finish line where he started, in 20th position and grabbing the final point on offer.
The second moto was marginally kinder on the #55 racer, who hit turn one in 15th position but dropped another three places in the ensuing melee. The time spent away from the action was stating to tell as Irwin appeared to lose some steam halfway through proceedings but was up to the task when attacks started coming from behind. The Hitachi ASA rider kept his focus and defended 17th position to add a couple more points to his championship tally, although the prolonged absence cost him two places in the standings.
Graeme Irwin #55: “To be honest, I was hoping for much better from this weekend because my fitness is back on and my speed is good in the sand. I showed pace that should have brought us home a couple of top twelves at least, but for whatever reason I ended up giving it my all for a top 20 in the first and went marginally better in the second. It’s been a trying year and I’m determined to finish strong.”
There were plenty of reasons to celebrate for KTM, the home crowd cheering Jeffrey Herlings as he sealed the deal on the MXGP world championship in race one and turned race two into a parade lap through the field. Meanwhile, Jorge Prado put one hand on the MX2 trophy after taking home both race wins and an advantage of 46 points in the title fight.
The team returns to action this coming weekend for Round 7 of 8 of the Maxxis British Motocross Championship where Graeme Irwin is still in the fight for MX1 glory and Conrad Mewse leads the table in MX2. On the world stage, the last chance to put on a show, consolidate championship positions and find a way to the podium will come in two weeks’ time at the season finale in Imola, Italy.
Photos by Ray Archer
MXGP WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP RESULTS – ROUND 19 of 20
MX2 Race 1
1. Jorge Prado KTM
2. Thomas Kjer Olsen HUSQVARNA
3. Thomas Covington HUSQVARNA
9. Conrad Mewse KTM
MX2 Race 2
1. Jorge Prado KTM
2. Calvin Vlaanderen HONDA
3. Thomas Covington HUSQVARNA
16. Conrad Mewse KTM
MX2 Overall
1. Jorge Prado (50 points) KTM
2. Thomas Covington (40 points) HUSQVARNA
3. Thomas Kjer Olsen (40 points) HUSQVARNA
11. Conrad Mewse (17 points) KTM
MX2 World Championship Standings
1. Jorge Prado (823 points) KTM
2. Pauls Jonass (777 points) KTM
3. Thomas Kjer Olsen (633 points) HUSQVARNA
12. Conrad Mewse (217 points) KTM
MXGP Race 1
1. Jeffrey Herlings KTM
2. Antonio Cairoli KTM
3. Max Anstie HUSQVARNA
20. Graeme Irwin KTM
MXGP Race 2
1. Jeffrey Herlings KTM
2. Antonio Cairoli KTM
3. Glenn Coldenhoff KTM
17. Graeme Irwin KTM
MXGP Overall
1. Jeffrey Herlings (50 points) KTM
2. Antonio Cairoli (44 points) KTM
3. Max Anstie (38 points) HUSQVARNA
19. Graeme Irwin (5 points) KTM
MXGP World Championship Standings
1. Jeffrey Herlings (883 points) KTM
2. Antonio Cairoli (782 points) KTM
3. Clement Desalle (645 points) KAWASAKI
26. Graeme Irwin (46 points) KTM