Published on 9 October 2016

Video: Gajser frustrated after SMX crashes

Tim Gajser started tonight’s Supermotocross Riders’ and Manufacturers’ Cup on fire, racing for the first time on the new 2017 Honda CRF450RW.

The Slovenian led the way in the Superpole shootout to finish fastest, and stormed to the first motocross race victory for the new 2017 machine, with fastest lap for good measure.

Race two also started strongly, but then two crashes dampened the rest of his night – whilst the first crash was harmless, the second crash which happened three laps from the end put him down hard on the shoulder he injured whilst practicing before the Nations.

Losing a lap, he steeled himself to still cross the line to take 19th, but whilst he came back for more in the third and final race, the lingering injury hampered his style. Although he started strongly, as the race rode on he slipped from second to an eventual fifth.

His results however, alongside those of teammates Gautier Paulin and Evgeny Bobryshev, gave Team Honda second overall in the Manufacturers’ Cup in this inaugural stadium race.

Tim Gajser: “I definitely showed I had pace to run out front today, and to take the first race win and on the new bike was great. To take the pole and the holeshot was amazing, and the new 2017 CRF feels so good to ride and is so fast. I did my best for the team and to finish second with Team Honda is a good result. But I had the pace to win overall today, so I’m disappointed with the crashes. The first one wasn’t so bad and I was able to get going again in fourth, but the second one when I went down was so painful. I landed on the same shoulder I injured in practice before the Nations, and I could barely lift the bike back up at first. But I’m still pleased that we could finish second thanks also to Gautier and Bobby. It was really nice to race indoors in Europe and a really good experience because this is the first time we do this.”

Giacomo Gariboldi – “Tim showed clearly that he has great speed and is very fast with the new bike – at the start of the evening he had taken pole, the holeshot in race one and the victory, and also the holeshot in race two so it was looking very good. Unfortunately he had the crashes in race two which then upset his challenge for the Riders’ Cup, but still Team Honda could take second in the Manufacturers’ Cup which is a great result so congratulations also to Bobby and Gautier for this result.”

You can see Tim’s first crash in moto two here: