Prado happy with his first race of the year in Spain
Jorge Prado of the Red Bull GASGAS Factory Racing squad gave his loyal Spanish fans plenty to scream about earlier today – he competed in his first race of the year on home soil. This was quite literally home soil too! The track that hosted the round of the Spanish national series is located in Prado’s hometown, Lugo, and actually named after the GASGAS star. Countless fans travelled to the spectacular venue, in order to witness history.
The fans got exactly what they wanted in the first moto; Prado used the power within his MC 450F to rip a clear holeshot and sprinted away from the field in the laps that followed. There was just no catching ’61’ – he was an unstoppable force and eventually won with an advantage of over a minute! It was a brilliant way to open another term in GASGAS colors.
The second stint was not quite as straightforward for the Spanish star. Although he took yet another holeshot, once again showcasing how capable his MC 450F is, he struggled with the backmarkers whilst in an intense fight for the lead. Prado had to settle for second in both the moto and overall classification, but was tied on points with the rider in first at the end of the weekend.
Jorge Prado: “It was great to be able to race in my hometown for the very first time. It was quite emotional. The atmosphere was incredible and more than five thousand fans came to watch! I was P1 in the first moto. I had a good start and had a lead of one minute by the end. The second moto was more of a battle! [Ruben] Fernandez started just behind me. We were fighting for a couple of laps and then he pulled away. I was struggling with the backmarkers a lot. I made another push at the end and got close, but I could not make that final pass. It was a good weekend. I feel like we are at a good point right now. I am happy.“
The 2023 FIM Motocross World Championship will fire into life in just two weeks – the superb track in Patagonia-Argentina awaits! Jorge Prado is going to put the finishing touches on his pre-season preparation in the coming days, before making the long trip to South America with his teammates.
Words: Press Release
Image: J.P. Acevedo
