World Enduro Finland Results

Courtesy of KTM

Johnny Aubert of the KTM Enduro Factory Team was again in a class of his own in Round 4 of the E2 World Championships in Riihimaki, Finland to pick up 50 more championship points and retain his perfect scorecard for the eight races held so far.

Already on Saturday Aubert gave a display that was hard to contest, winning in front of Juha Salminen of Finland and Bartoz Oblucki of Poland after a race where team boss Fabio Farioli said he was “incredibly fast and very relaxed”. Aubert was particularly at home in the sand of the Finnish course, an advantage that he put to good use in the corners and jumps on the long cross test. “Johnny was relaxed and very fast as usual and he is really in a class of his own so there’s not really any competition for him,” said KTM team boss Fabio Farioli at the close of Sunday's competition. Aubert now has a dominating 56-point lead in the standings.

Aubert’s teammate Alessandro Belometti was not so fortunate. He crashed in the Friday night super test, the new event that attracts a large crowd of spectators and makes Enduro sport much more accessible to the public. Belometti sustained a deep cut in his finger and the race doctors did not allow him to start on Saturday. Farioli said he was hopeful that the Italian would be fit enough to rejoin the world championship in the next round in Slovakia next weekend. He said he expected the KTM riders to do well in the next rounds in Slovakia but was hoping for no rain. “It is a grassy surface so if it rains it will be slippery,” he said.

KTM’s Ivan Cervantes was once again the dominant racer in the E3 class of Round 4 of the World Championship in Finland’s Riihimaki at the weekend, leaving the venue with a double victory and 50 more championship points.

The Spanish rider from the KTM Enduro Factory Team has won every race of the season so far, except one in Sardinia, Italy, where he placed third. He has a commanding 34-point lead in the standings with half the season still in hand.

Factory teammate Samuli Aro also enjoyed riding for his home crowd, picking up two podium places – second on Saturday and third on Sunday to place him fourth in the standings so far in what is a close contest for second place. Three riders are within three points of each other, battling it out for second and third in the standings. “Cervantes was pushing even more today and maybe Aro was a bit tired from yesterday,” said KTM team boss Fabio Farioli. “This was a good result for us and Ivan is well ahead in the standings.”

Already on Saturday, the KTM factory teammates Cervantes and Aro fought it out for the final glory in race one of this round of the championships, which was finally decided in the Spaniard’s favour during the last test of the day on the sandy, stony and bumpy circuit in southern Finland. Ivan took the test by just 44 hundredths of a second.

Riders now travel to Puchov in Slovakia for the next round of the world championship next weekend 

2009 World Enduro Championship
Grand Prix of Finland – Day 1

Enduro 2 class
1. Johnny Aubert (KTM) 1.04:59.09;
2. Juha Salminen (BMW Motorrad Motorsport) 1:06.25.45
3. Bartosz Oblucki (Husqvarna) 1.07:21.33
4. Matti Seistola (Husqvarna) 1.08:02.86
5. Simo Kirssi (BMW Motorrad Motorsport) 1.08:09.34
6. Joakim Ljunggren (Husaberg) 1.08:11.89
7. Rodrig Than (TM) 1.08:33.94
8. Fabrizio Dini (Beta) 1.08:35.52
9. Hans Vogels (Yamaha) 1.08:50.35
10. Nicolas Deparrois (Gas Gas) 1.08:56.71

Enduro 3 class
1. Ivan Cervantes (KTM) 1.05:52.47
2. Samuli Aro (KTM) 1.05:52.91
3. Sebastien Guillaume (Husqvarna) 1.05:57.28
4. Christophe Nambotin (Gas Gas) 1.06:17.83
5. Fabio Mossini (Honda) 1.07:29.69
6. Marko Tarkkala (BMW Motorrad Motorsport) 1.07:36.51
7. Marcus Kehr (KTM) 1.08:32.21
8. Bjorne Carlsson (Husaberg) 1.10:05.25
9. Gordon Clarke (TM) 1.15:39.52
10. Antti Lehtonen (KTM) 1.21:02.04

2009 World Enduro Championship
Grand Prix of Finland – Day 2

Enduro 2 class
1. Johnny Aubert (KTM) 1.05:01.59
2. Juha Salminen (BMW Motorrad Motorsport) 1.06:21.58
3. Bartosz Oblucki (Husqvarna) 1.06:42.50
4. Valtteri Salonen (Husaberg) 1.06:53.84
5. Joakim Ljunggren (Husaberg) 1.07:10.90
6. Simo Kirssi (BMWMotorrad Motorsport) 1.07:50.18
7. Rodrig Thain (TM) 1.09:05.70
8. Mike Hartmann (Husaberg) 1.09:15.05
9. Fabrizio Dini (Beta) 1.09:40.58
10. Nicolas Deparrois (Gas Gas) 1.09:47.92

Enduro 3 Class
1. Ivan Cervantes (KTM) 1.05:44.30
2. Christophe Nambotin (Gas Gas) 1:05.53.40
3. Samuli Aro (KTM) 1.06:32.48
4. Fabio Mossini (Honda) 1.07:54.55
5. Marcus Kehr (HTM) 1.08.08.10
6. Marko Tarkkala (BMW Motorrad Motorsport) 1.08:08.94
7. Sebastien Guillaume (Husqvarna) 1.08:50.98
8. Gordon Clarke (TM) 1.16:42.77
9. Antti Lehtonon (KTM) 1.18:24.08

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Courtesy of BMW

BMW Motorrad Motorsport team’s seven-time World Enduro Champion Juha Salminen has delivered BMW’s best ever WEC performances to date scoring two hard fought Enduro 2 class runner-up results at the GP of Finland, staged in Riihimaki. Previously claiming his first double podium performances of the ‘09 WEC season at the GP of Sardinia, Juha’s return to home soil saw him place behind E2 championship leader Johnny Aubert on both days. With the Finnish event marking the mid-way point of the ‘09 series Juha is now placed third in the Enduro 2 world championship standings, just one point behind current runner-up Bartosz Oblucki from Poland.

Confident of strong results at his home round of the championship Salminen started the event as he intended to continue and placed a close second in class on the Friday night Super Test. Placing as runner-up on the first timed motocross and enduro tests on Saturday Juha then topped the extreme test at the end of the first lap. Continuing to ride well throughout the day Juha finished second in class in five of the six final special tests, winning the closing extreme test.

Day two was a similar story for Salminen. Despite heavy overnight rain making conditions extremely challenging for all competitors the determined Finn again finished second having made few mistakes. Runner-up in class on five of the second day’s nine special tests Juha’s two impressive results helped him move from sixth to third in the Enduro 2 championship standings.

BMW’s second Enduro 2 class rider Simo Kirssi also enjoyed competing at home in Finland. Making his debut ‘home’ ride having never competed in a WEC event in Finland before, Kirssi claimed two solid results placing fifth on day one and sixth on day two. Avoiding mistakes on the rough and demanding special tests as best he could the Cross Country specialist placed just six seconds behind fourth placed rider Matti Seistola on day one, and then in a comfortable sixth on day two.

Kirssi now holds seventh in the E2 championship standings.

In the Enduro 3 class the BMW Motorrad Motorsport team experienced mixed fortunes at the GP of Finland. Manxman David Knight failed to finish the opening day’s competition and opted not to start day two. Marko Tarkkala faired better placing sixth on both days. The third member of the team to be competing in his home GP, Tarkkala performed without serious mistakes on both days. Tarkkala presently holds seventh in the Enduro 3 class series standings.

Round five of the ‘09 World Enduro Championship takes place in Puchov, Slovakia, June 20/21.
Juha Salminen – Enduro 2 class: “I’m pleased with my performances this weekend. I finished third on both days at the GP of Sardinia and second on both days here in Finland so my results are moving in the right direction. I couldn’t have pushed any harder - I gave everything I could. I didn’t crash on either day, didn’t make any mistakes, and everything went well. I really enjoyed the tests. They all had a good mix of high and low speed sections, as well as some really technical parts. Next weekend in Slovakia the conditions will be very different so it will be a good test for myself and the team.”

Simo Kirssi – Enduro 2 class: “I’ve really enjoyed my first ever WEC race in Finland. It was pretty difficult in the special tests but it’s been good. My bike worked really well throughout the event and I was pushing as hard as I could so I’m pleased to have finished fifth and sixth. I hoped that the second day would be better than the first, but I made a few mistakes. I guess that without my mistakes I could have finished fifth as I did on day one, but I’m still pretty pleased with my results. I took some good championship points, which is the important thing.”

Marko Tarkkala – Enduro 3 class: “It’s been really good to have a world championship race at home in Finland again. The special tests were really nice and despite the bad weather on day two it was really enjoyable. I was a little disappointed with my result on day one. There were times when I felt good, and some times when I couldn’t find a good rhythm, but generally I didn’t make too many mistakes, which I was pleased with. The second day was similar to the first. I made some small mistakes but generally things went ok.”

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Courtesy of Husaberg

Oreol Mena, the Husaberg Factory Team’s entry in the EJ category of the Enduro World Championship continued to shine at Rounds 7 and 8 of the World Championship snatching two more victories in the sandy and rocky terrain in Finland.

Mena is now is just three points shy of a perfect score card having won all but one race so far this season, in which he was second. The young Spaniard again emerged the front runner in Saturday’s race and at the half way mark of the season has established himself as the title favourite. Although Mena said he did not much like the stony, sand and bumpy terrain a nd even though by his own admission he did not register a good result in Friday’s Super Test, he was still happy with his victory on the opening day. Taking the opportunity to once again climb to the top of the podium, the young Spaniard got the confidence boost and adrenalin rush he needed to go out and repeat the performance on Sunday. The result was another perfect weekend for the Husaberg factory rider.

E2
In the E2 Class, Sweden’s Joakim Ljunggren started his weekend with a flourish by winning the now popular Super Test on Friday to gain a start advantage on Saturday. “I had a very good feeing on Friday and it was great to win because it was my birthday, but somehow I didn’t feel so good on Saturday. I had a sore throat and I made some mistakes and had a crash in the first part of the race. It got better as the day went on and I could push more. The tests are really fast and this is not like any typical Swedish course,” Ljunggren said.

Meanwhile Ljunggren’s teammate Valtteri Salonen overcame the disappointment of a DNF on Saturday to come home in fourth place ahead of Ljunggren on Sunday to give his points tally in the season’s standings the boost it needed. “I had some clutch problems on Saturday and couldn’t finish so it was very good to go out and have a better day today,” Salonen said after Sunday’s race. “The track wore out a lot as the weekend went on and the ground was quite soft,” he said. “It was nice to have so many of my friends and supporters here this weekend and now I am looking forward to the races next week in Slovakia. It’s pretty similar to here and it’s going to be nice.”

Ljunggren was also positive after Sunday’s race saying: “Today was better for me than yesterday. I didn’t make any big mistakes and I didn’t lose too many points. I dropped down to fourth place but it’s really tight for the minor places.” While KTM’s Johnny Aubert has a solid grip on the first place in E2 only five points separate the next three riders.

E3
In E3 Husaberg factory rider Bjorne Carlsson also had a mixed weekend with an eighth place finish on Saturday and DNF on Sunday. But the Swedish rider still remained upbeat and positive for the next rounds. “This was a difficult weekend. I was struggling with myself yesterday and I just couldn’t seem to find my rhythm or my speed,” Bjorne said. “Then today I had a big crash in the second special. I hit a tree pretty hard and I couldn’t get my breath for a few moments. I think I may have broken a rib.” Bjorne will have the injury checked out but was reasonably confident he will still be able to ride in the next races next weekend in Slovakia.