MX2 World Champion Antonio Cairoli climbed the top step of the podium for the first time this season at a hot Grand Prix of South Africa. The De Carli Yamaha rider completed an excellent tenth round of the FIM World Championship for the manufacturer and only the second time this term that Yamaha have owned both classes on the same day.
The Sun City circuit was again a gleaming picture of good organisation and attention to detail. In its third and final year of hosting the South African round the venue even counted on an improved terrain, perhaps the biggest weak point of past editions. Softer dirt from the dark clay texture meant less dust and more grip.
Cairoli was masterful in qualification and enacted a text-book performance by leading from gate to flag in the second heat, earned second pick of slot on the start line for the two 35 minute and 2 lap motos. The first race saw the World Champion circulating in a lonely third after a dodgy start meant that he lost the back of David Philippaerts and Tyla Rattray disputing the win. He pushed through to third despite having trouble with a bent plastic radiator guard catching the bars of the 250F because of an off-track excursion. The top three finish was a decent platform from which to try for the overall and he defeated local favourite Rattray by winning the second moto in style for his sixth race trophy from the twenty held so far.
Kenneth Gundersen was visiting South Africa for the first time having missed the last two years due to injury. The first moto saw the Norwegian clatter a haybale that had been dragged into his path and he fell heavily onto his left hand. The Ricci Racing rider needed medical attention at the side of the track and will now head back to Italy tomorrow night for an examination on a possible broken bone in his wrist.
Alessio Chiodi showed signs that he is coming back to the decent speed he showed before a fast practice crash in Japan left the former World Champion with an injured knee. The Italian is still missing race fitness however and ended the day twelfth overall after a set of average starts.
Davide Guarneri slipped off his 250 in the first qualification heat race yesterday and injured his right knee. The Italian was a reduced force but scored ninth overall with moto finishes of ninth and 12th.
Antonio Cairoli, Team Yamaha De Carli:"For sure I am very happy about this win because for many GPs I have been close to victory but one mistake has cost me dear. I managed to take one moto in the past but then finished too far back in the other. It is the first time I have won in South Africa. I had some trouble with the radiator guard in the first moto after I jumped off the track; it was difficult to balance and I lost a lot of time. It was a fast race so I thought about the points. I really liked the track because the mud was softer this year and there were many jumps."
Alessio Chiodi, Yamaha Team Ricci:"The knee is a little bit better but my physical condition is not so good because I have not been able to train properly recently. I hope things will get better, it is coming back slowly."
Race classification MX2:Round: 10 - 2006 GP of Sun City, South Africa
Circuit: Sun City
Date: 16 July 2006
Crowd: 25300
Temp: 31ºC
Weather: Hot
Race 1: 20 Laps1 D. Philippaerts KTM ITA 39' 58.600
2 T. Rattray KTM RSA +1.252
3 A. Cairoli Yamaha ITA +27.332
4 G. Swanepoel Kawasaki RSA +32.669
5 C. Nunn KTM GBR +34.481
6 T. Searle Kawasaki GBR +38.529
7 D. Guarneri Yamaha ITA +42.451
8 S. Pourcel Kawasaki FRA +45.990
9 A. Chiodi Yamaha ITA +46.376
10 C. Pourcel Kawasaki FRA +47.003
11 M. Monni KTM ITA +59.201
12 R. Goncalves KTM POR +1' 11.559
13 T. Church Kawasaki GBR +1' 39.682
14 J. Dougan Honda GBR +2' 1.111
15 M. Kok Suzuki RSA +2' 4.076
16 B. MacKenzie Yamaha GBR +1 lap(s)
17 K. Fitzgerald Yamaha RSA +1 lap(s)
18 N. Naude Yamaha RSA +1 lap(s)
19 F. Fourie KTM RSA +1 lap(s)
20 F. Ford Yamaha RSA +1 lap(s)
Race 2: 20 Laps: 1 A. Cairoli Yamaha ITA 40' 44.327
2 T. Rattray KTM RSA +4.810
3 C. Nunn KTM GBR +6.250
4 C. Pourcel Kawasaki FRA +21.592
5 M. Monni KTM ITA +23.473
6 R. Goncalves KTM POR +26.331
7 S. Pourcel Kawasaki FRA +29.590
8 T. Searle Kawasaki GBR +30.146
9 D. Guarneri Yamaha ITA +38.294
10 G. Swanepoel Kawasaki RSA +52.685
11 B. MacKenzie Yamaha GBR +1' 2.303
12 A. Chiodi Yamaha ITA +1' 29.588
13 T. Church Kawasaki GBR +1' 47.242
14 J. Dougan Honda GBR +1 lap(s)
15 N. Naude Yamaha RSA +1 lap(s)
16 R. Branch Kawasaki RSA +1 lap(s)
17 J. Kruger KTM RSA +1 lap(s)
18 J. de Bruin Yamaha RSA +1 lap(s)
19 F. Fourie KTM RSA +1 lap(s)
20 K. Fitzgerald Yamaha RSA +2 lap(s)
Championship standings MX2: 1 Christophe Pourcel Kawasaki FRA 379
2 Antonio Cairoli Yamaha ITA 347
3 David Philippaerts KTM ITA 329
4 Tyla Rattray KTM RSA 305
5 Marc De Reuver KTM NED 284
6 Carl Nunn KTM GBR 241
7 Billy MacKenzie Yamaha GBR 228
8 Tommy Searle Kawasaki GBR 224
9 Gareth Swanepoel Kawasaki RSA 210
10 Sébastien Pourcel Kawasaki FRA 207
11 Kenneth Gundersen Yamaha NOR 194
12 Rui Goncalves KTM POR 193
13 Alessio Chiodi Yamaha ITA 185
14 Davide Guarneri Yamaha ITA 153
15 Manuel Monni KTM ITA 125
16 Luigi Seguy Yamaha FRA 94
17 Anthony Boissière Yamaha FRA 87
18 Aigar Leok Yamaha EST 73
19 Matti Seistola Honda FIN 69
20 Pierre-Alexandre Renet Honda FRA 56
Manufacturers standings MX2:1 KTM 459
2 Yamaha 433
3 Kawasaki 403
4 Honda 153
5 Suzuki 22
Related Linkswww.yamaha-racing.com
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