The ADAC MX Masters series continued this weekend with the third round of the season in Bitche, France. Schmicker Silve Racing Team rider Jere Haavisto secured both the team’s and his own first-ever podium finish in an ADAC MX Masters event by finishing third overall.
Haavisto started the weekend strongly on Saturday by charging through the field to finish third in the opening race. The KTM rider did not get the best start and had to work his way up from well outside the top ten. In Sunday’s second moto, the rider from Ylöjärvi grabbed the holeshot and led the race for five laps before championship leader Max Nagl and Roan Van De Moosdijk passed him. Just like in the opening moto, Haavisto crossed the finish line in third place.
In the final race, Haavisto made slight contact with another rider on the start straight and once again had to fight his way through the pack, eventually finishing fifth.
“It was a really good weekend and everything went well right from the first day. We made some small changes to the clutch setup for today and the starts were immediately better, even though the final moto start wasn’t perfect either. I had to work hard to get onto the podium, but I’m incredibly happy to finally achieve it. In the last moto I rode a bit more safely because I knew the result would be enough for the podium. I probably should have pushed a little harder to pass the riders ahead, but now the monkey is finally off my back,” Haavisto said happily after claiming his first ADAC MX Masters podium finish.
After three rounds, Haavisto now sits fourth in the MX Masters championship standings, just one point behind third-placed Tom Koch.
Stenberg Improving Step by Step
In the Youngster Cup, Nico Stenberg also achieved the best result of his career by finishing sixth overall for the weekend. Stenberg set the fastest qualifying time in his group on Saturday and finished the motos in 8th, 9th, and 4th positions.
“Overall it was a positive weekend. I was fastest in my qualifying group straight away, but in the first moto my riding wasn’t great and I chose some poor lines. In the second moto I got a good start but crashed on the opening lap and still managed to finish ninth. In the third moto I was third after the start but quickly moved into the lead. A couple of riders got past me later in the race and I finished fourth. Step by step we’re moving forward,” a satisfied Stenberg explained.
Saku Mansikkamäki’s weekend did not end as positively as his teammates’. The rider from Vantaa showed strong pace on Saturday, just as expected after the previous rounds. Mansikkamäki once again grabbed the holeshot in the opening moto and led the race early on. Unfortunately, his race ended on the second lap after a heavy crash forced him to retire and ultimately sit out Sunday’s races as well.
“My weekend ended on Saturday, but the day had been going really well before the moto. I was fastest in free practice and third in my qualifying group. I took the holeshot and was leading the race, but I made a small mistake at the beginning of the second lap. I tried to make up for it by jumping one section a bit further. When I landed, the front wheel went into the first rut and the rear wheel into the fourth rut, and I went down pretty hard with the bike. My neck and back were hurting. I tried to ride in warm-up today, but I just couldn’t do it. Now I’ll get checked over and then continue training,” Mansikkamäki explained.
In the Youngster Cup standings, Stenberg moves up to ninth overall, while Mansikkamäki drops outside the top ten after this weekend.
