MXGP INSIDER #26: SIMPSON’S USA DEBUT

Transmoto’s weekly web-exclusive column, the MXGP Insider, penned by David Bulmer, presented by KTM Australia. 

A relatively quiet week in the MXGP world as most of the attention was focused on the results of Lommel winner Shaun Simpson as he headed across the pond to take on the might of America in their backyard of Unadilla. Of course predictions varied between winning (not serious) and top 10 if he’s lucky (also not so serious), but the smart money was somewhere between placing 5-8. In the end, he went 4-8 for 4^th overall in what was surely much better than he hoped for. In fact I know it was better than he hoped for because I spoke to him in Belgium and he hoped for a top six and generally just to have fun.

Thankfully he seemed like he had fun (judging from his Instagram account) in a move that might well tempt a few other riders from both sides of the pond to think about an off-weekend switch. Mike Alessi has already raced both championships this year and was widely applauded for doing so, and Shaun has got a lot more popular on both sides of the Atlantic because of not only the fact that he did it, but also the way he went about doing it. I did notice a couple of digs at the MXGPs from him, notably the track preparation but that doesn’t really surprise me as it’s been a long-running topic of discussion amongst the world championship riders. It was also funny how he noticed that the mechanics were allowed to do the start gate prep in America, and overall it seemed like a great PR exercise for both series’.

Also at Unadilla, was the big announcement of the American Motocross of Nations team that will be Justin Barcia, Jeremy Martin and Cooper Webb. Now personally, I think it is the best team that they could have picked and one that stands a thoroughly good chance of winning the Chamberlain Trophy back. Ernée isn’t a particularly tricky track although it will pretty hard-pack and tight to pass on but if you get out front half the job is done. In Barcia and Martin you have two guys who have experienced defeat before and one guy (Webb) who, for want of a better phrase, doesn’t give a shit about reputation. They will be fired up and playing the underdog role should suit them massively. All the pressure is on France and with Gautier Paulin, Marvin Musquin and Romain Febvre they surely start as massive favourites. Interesting they’ve put Febvre in the Open class and Paulin as the MX1 rider, which means it’ll be Febvre going back to back, rather than the Honda rider. It won’t be the first time a team has put their supposed stronger rider in that Open slot as America in 2011 with Ryan Villopoto, and Belgium in 2013 with Clement Desalle have done it before and won the overall.  I also see that the Aussie team has been announced and while I don’t know too much about Jay Wilson, I’m sure Todd Waters and Dean Ferris are definitely good enough to finish just behind Great Britain. Much like in the cricket.