Ryan Villopoto set the bar for tomorrow’s MXGP in Thailand. Photography courtesy MXGP.
Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Ryan Villopoto dominated the qualifying heat race in the MXGP (formerly MX1) class at the FIM Motocross World Championship round in Thailand, Saturday, March 7.
Villopoto grabbed the holeshot and never looked back. The four-time AMA Supercross Champion pulled clear of the field and finished a massive 33 seconds ahead of his nearest competitor—Rockstar Energy Suzuki’s Clement Desalle—in the 23-minute race.
Third place was Honda’s Gautier Paulin, 39 seconds behind Villopoto, and fourth place was last week’s opening round winner German Max Nagl, on the factory-backed Husqvarna. Nagl crossed the finish line 45 seconds behind Villopoto.
Rounding out the top five was KTM’s Ken de Dycker.
Defending MXGP World Champion Antonio Cairoli, on the Red Bull KTM, ended up eighth after falling in the first turn.
In MX2 action, Red Bull KTM’s Jeffrey Herlings ran off with the win, taking the checkered flag 15 seconds ahead of Latvia’s Pauls Jonass (KTM). Slovakia’s Tim Gajser (Honda) was third, followed by France’s Dylan Ferrandis (Kawasaki) and Jordi Tixier (Kawasaki).
American Thomas Covington, on the Monster Energy Kawasaki, finished 11th in MX2 qualifying.
QUALIFYING RESULTS FROM THAILAND
MXGP
MXGP Qualifying Race Top Ten: 1. Ryan Villopoto (USA, Kawasaki), 23:41.909; 2. Clement Desalle (BEL, Suzuki), +0:33.419; 3. Gautier Paulin (FRA, Honda), +0:39.764; 4. Maximilian Nagl (GER, Husqvarna), +0:45.150; 5. Ken de Dycker (BEL, KTM), +0:53.571; 6. Tyla Rattray (RSA, Kawasaki), +0:57.761; 7. David Philippaerts (ITA, Yamaha), +1:03.839; 8. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), +1:08.477; 9. Steven Frossard (FRA, KTM), +1:13.457; 10. Tommy Searle (GBR, KTM), +1:14.376
MX2 Qualifying Race Top Ten: 1. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 24:22.323; 2. Pauls Jonass (LAT, KTM), +0:15.751; 3. Tim Gajser (SLO, Honda), +0:17.694; 4. Dylan Ferrandis (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:28.623; 5. Jordi Tixier (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:31.415; 6. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, Suzuki), +0:35.128; 7. Benoit Paturel (FRA, Yamaha), +0:40.125; 8. Julien Lieber (BEL, Yamaha), +0:46.505; 9. Mel Pocock (GBR, Kawasaki), +0:56.238; 10. Brian Bogers (NED, KTM), +1:01.487
