The podium winners of the X1 Losail MX Championship pose for a picture. Qatar Motor and Motorcycle Federation (QMMF) President Nasser bin Khalifa Al Attiyah (right) is also seen. Yesterday’s event was the first round of the Losail MX Championship and also marked the first time Qatar held a motocross event. A total of 35 riders from 12 different nationalities took part in yesterday’s proceedings. There were two categories, MX1 and MX2.
DOHA: American rider Dennis Stapleton and Kuwait’s Abdullah Al Shatti won both of their races in the first round of the Losail MX Championship yesterday at the Losai Motocross Track.
For first time ever in Qatar, a motocross event was organised in an international track with the participation of 35 riders from 12 different nationalites: Qatar, Kuwait, USA, UAE, South Africa, Bahrain, Australia, Spain, Sri Lanka, Germany, France and Great Britain in the two different categories, MX1 and MX2.
In the first race of the day, Stapleton didn’t give any chance to the other riders and crossed the line with a gap of 1.15.157.
Stapleton got the lead from the first corner and rode very comfortable until the end.
In second place was Le Roy Botha from South Africa and the Kuwaiti rider Moath Al Ansari ended in third place.
The three riders are competing in the MX1 category.
In the MX2 category, the first rider to cross the line was Al Shatti.
Hassan Ahmed from Bahrain and Barak Al Jasmi from Kuwait were second and third respectively.
Immediately after the podium for race one for the Losail MX Championship, took place the podium ceremony for the MX Arab Challenge with the best Arab riders clasified.
In MX1 in the Arab Challenge, the top positions were for Al Ansari, Abou Shaibah and Mohammed Al Balooshi respectively.
In the second race of the day, the overall winner was again the American rider Stapleton.
This time, the Kuwaiti rider Al Ansari finished in second place and Abou Shaibah also from Kuwait ended in third place during the race.
After yesterday’s proceedings, Stapleton said: “‘I managed to get the first postion after lap two, as in the first lap I was very cautions as the track was slippery because of the water. Then I managed to get the lead of the race, ring calm down, easy race and keep an eye.”
He added: “Definetely this is an international track, it is the biggest track in the Middle East I have rode. QMMF has done a great job. For the internatioanal GP in March I don’t know if I will ride as I am training the Kuwaiti team, so we’ll see.”
In the MX2 category, the scenario was the same as the first race and Al Shatti, Ahmed and Al Jasmi were in the top three positions in their category.
Yesterday’s results means that Stapleton is leading the MX2 standings with 50 points, Al Ansari is second with 42 points and Abou Shaibath is in third place with 38 points.
In the MX2, Al Shatti with 50 points is leading his category and Ahmed is second with 44 points.
The FIM MX1 / MX2 World championship will be organisednext month.
Speaking of yesterday’s events, Qatar Motor and Motorcycle Federation (QMMF) President Nasser bin Khalifa Al Attiyah, said: “I am very happy to start today the opening of the Losail MX track that will the scenario for the FIM MX1/MX2 world champioship on the first and second March. We are doing this race as preparations for all the organisation and to check our ability to organize the World Championship in a few weeks.”
He added: “It was a really tought for us to finish the track in two months, we have pushed very hard to have this come true. I would like to thank Talal company and all the Losail International Circuit staff who really put all their support to built the track.”
“It is a big moment for Qatar to have for first time an international motocross track in the Middle East to host the world championship and moreover to have the race under floodlight in a night race as in MotoGP,” he explained yesterday.
THE PENINSULA
