More Teams and Riders competing on Dunlop in 2017 FIM Motocross World Championships
Race action in the FIM Motocross World Championship (MXGP) season starts in Qatar in less than two weeks. More teams and riders than ever will be competing for wins and podiums on Dunlop tyres this year. 23 MXGP, MX2 and WMX riders will be looking to wear Dunlop caps on their respective podiums with five teams in the top category, seven in MX2 and one in the women’s WMX class. The 23 contenders are racing with Kawasaki, Yamaha, KTM, Husqvana and Honda machines.
Who:
- Monster Energy Kawasaki Racing Team (KRT) remains Dunlop’s partner squad with Clement Desalle and Jordi Tixier at KRT looking to continue Dunlop’s run of wins from the end of the 2016 season. The pair have already taken their first double podium of the year with a 1-2 at La Capelle-Marival’s French pre-MXGP season event.
- Wilvo Yamaha, another factory supported team, has chosen to compete on Dunlop tyres, with former Dunlop-winner Shaun Simpson and Arnaud Tonus, who is returning to MXGP competition after competing in the USA.
- 14 riders will race on Dunlop’s MX range in the MX2 class across three factory supported and four privateer teams. The Kemea Yamaha Yamalube squad includes Dunlop’s highest MX2 finisher in 2016, Benoit Paturel who clinched third. The Frenchman claimed the MX2 win at La Capelle-Marival. Another MXGP warm-up event winner was Michele Cervellin who won the MX2 class at the Italian race in Ottobiano on his Honda HRC machine.
- Bidding to regain her FIM Women’s Motocross World title is Kiara Fontanesi who is looking to claim her fifth title after a difficult 2016. Kiara has returned to racing a Yamaha bike and will race in the first round of the WMX Championship in Indonesia, round two of MXGP.
The full Dunlop list of riders can be found here: Dunlop Rider List.
Eddy Seel, former Supermoto champion continues to oversee Dunlop’s FIM World Championship operation and advises the teams and riders on tyre choice.
What:
The core range of tyres will be based on the following three specifications:
Geomax MX11 – the sand tyre that has aided several MXGP and MXoN wins.
Geomax MX3S – will be used at the majority of rounds and is renowned for its versatility covering soft-to-intermediate terrain.
Geomax MX52 – excels in intermediate-to-hard terrain conditions
The tyres feature the same technology that has made them favourites among professional and amateur racers alike, and are all proven World Championship race winners on a range of bikes, including Honda, Kawasaki, Yamaha and KTM.
Where:
The first round at Losail is a soft track with Eddy Seel recommending the MX3S tyres for front and rear. The full season listing of tracks and recommended tyre choices for 2017 are here: Dunlop Tyre Recommendations.
There are two completely new tracks on the calendar for 2017. Round two in Indonesia in March will be held on a specially created track in a forest and the MXGP of Russia will be held in June at Orlyonok near the Black Sea in June for the first time. The MX3S tyres are anticipated to be the most suited to the expected terrain for both events.
How and When:
The MXGP of Qatar takes place on Saturday 25th February with racing beginning at 13.00 hrs CET.
For the full calendar and details on buying tickets go to www.mxgp.com.
For TV broadcasting by country click here.
For online viewing go to www.mxgp-tv.com.