Team #Suzuki Press Office – September 17.
The hills and long layout of the revered Glen Helen circuit in San Bernardino, California will host the Monster Energy U.S.GP this weekend and will bring the 2015 FIM Motocross World Championship to an end.
The Rockstar Energy Suzuki Europe crew are currently training close to the venue after travelling from Leon, Mexico earlier this week and both Glen Coldenhoff (MXGP) and Jeremy Seewer (MX2) have respective goals in concluding their seasons at the last round of 18 on Sunday.
Coldenhoff, set for his second-to-last ride on the factory-supported RM-Z450 (he will represent his country at the Motocross of Nations next week in France) can confirm eighth place in the MXGP standings and even move up to seventh if he can outpoint the returning Antonio Cairoli by 24. With eighth place regardless (Todd Waters is 49 points adrift with a maximum of 50 left to win) the Dutchman will still have enjoyed a solid first season in the premier class and on the 450cc motorcycle after moving up from MX2 at the end of 2014. He claimed the Grand Prix of Latvia for his first win in the division and was also declared ADAC MX Masters German Champion.
“I’m eighth in the championship at the moment and I think I am going to achieve my goals that I made at the start of the season,” he said. “It has been tough sometimes and I’ve also been a bit lucky but that is part of the job. If you see my results from the beginning up until now then I have been improving a lot.”
MXGP moves back to Glen Helen after two editions in 2010 and 2011 and the course is familiar to many riders and fans as a motocross mecca in southern California. The event should see a stronger entry list with some participation from AMA racers expected.
“I see the Americans have been testing there already so for sure they are going to be strong but I will still be looking for top-five finishes again,” Coldenhoff continues. “I don't think we will ride before the GP. We have plans for physical work with Jeremy and Brian [Hsu] and Joel [Smets] will be there for us. We are going to enjoy the week and I think Mexico was already some good training.”
Team-mate Seewer is hoping to bounce back from a difficult weekend in the wet mud of Leon and is looking to confirm fifth place in the MX2 championship to achieve his personal objectives for 2015. In his second term in Grand Prix the Swiss has already walked the podium and will now engage in a small ‘battle of Switzerland’ with countryman Valentin Guillod for fourth in the MX2 table. The pair are divided by just eight points, although Seewer maintains that fifth would be an acceptable aim and an improvement on his seventh position from a rookie campaign in 2014.
“My top five goal is still there. I just need to hope for some more luck for my results!” he claimed after scoring 10th in Mexico. “I visited Glen Helen in 2011 while we were on a holiday in the USA. I rode there a lot and had a lot of fun. I enjoyed the track and was also pretty fast at times. I think it is going to be fun and interesting with the U.S. guys. Normally my speed and starts are there to do the job; I need more luck than Mexico.”
Seewer is again joined by Brian Hsu on the RM-Z250 with the young German expecting to be in good shape after an upper leg muscle injury caused him to sit out the second moto in Leon. The former Junior World Champion will make just his third GP appearance and has yet to reach two chequered flags despite showing encouraging top-10 speed. His former EMX250 European Championship team-mate (the 2015 Euro series culminated at Assen at the beginning of the month) Bas Vaessen is also inline to make his Grand Prix debut this weekend.
MXGP World Championship Standings (after 17 of 18 rounds): 1. Romain Febvre (FRA, YAM), 688 points; 2. Gautier Paulin (FRA, HON), 566 p.; 3. Evgeny Bobryshev (RUS, HON), 539 p.; 4. Shaun Simpson (GBR, KTM), 481 p.; 5. Maximilian Nagl (GER, HUS), 442 p.; 6. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, YAM), 426 p.; 7. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 416 p.; 8. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, Rockstar Energy Suzuki), 393 p.; 9. Todd Waters (AUS, HUS), 344 p.; 10. Clement Desalle (BEL, Rockstar Energy Suzuki), 331 p.; 11. Kevin Strijbos (BEL, Rockstar Energy Suzuki), 287 p.
MX2 World Championship Standings (after 17 of 18 rounds): 1. Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 556 points; 2. Pauls Jonass (LAT, KTM), 538 p.; 3. Max Anstie (GBR, KAW), 506 p.; 4. Valentin Guillod (SUI, YAM), 475 p.; 5. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, Rockstar Energy Suzuki), 467 p.; 6. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 423 p.; 7. Julien Lieber (BEL, YAM), 418 p.; 8. Jordi Tixier (FRA, KAW), 393 p.; 9. Benoit Paturel (FRA, YAM), 356 p.; 10. Petar Petrov (BUL, KAW), 304 p.
