Andrea Bonacorsi 8th in race two at stunning Uddevalla

Top Ten for Simone Mancini in EMX250 at Swedish Gran Prix 

Set within a granite quarry, the Uddevalla track hosted today the 28th Swedish Grand Prix in its long history. The race, held in perfect weather conditions and summer temperatures, took place in its stunning backdrop, as always, with a record attendance this year.

Andrea Bonacorsi, competing in his second Grand Prix since his return to racing and ninth in Saturday's qualifying heat, got off to a good start in the first heat but suffered a crash on the second lap, which dropped him to the back of the group, from which he managed to climb back up to 20th place. Having gotten off to a good start in the second heat, the Red Bull Ducati Factory MXGP Team rider rode a hard-fought race, posting excellent lap times. With his Desmo450 MX, Bona managed to first break into the top 10, then gained two more positions, before an accident stopped the race with two laps to go. The Italian finished 8th, his best result of the year. Calvin Vlaanderen had an unlucky race, finishing 15th on Saturday due to a crash and 11th at the end of the first race. The Dutchman got off to a decent start in race two, but was hit by a rival, which triggered a group crash, that forced him to retire.

Andrea Bonacorsi: “It was a good Grand Prix, with a positive Saturday, which saw me qualifying 9th. Unfortunately in race one a crash on the second lap cost me positions, and on a less than selective track, recovering was almost impossible. In race two we made some changes, and thanks to the work of the entire team, I managed to make some passes and finish 8th. It's a shame for the red flag, which stopped my comeback.”

Calvin Vlaanderen: “It was a tough weekend, and it wasn't what I was hoping for. Unfortunately, the crash at the start of the second moto completely compromised our result. Now we're focused on coming back and finishing the season strong.”

The Swedish Grand Prix also hosted the tenth round of the EMX250; Simone Mancini, aboard his Desmo250 MX, qualified with the fastest time in his group on Saturday. The Beddini Racing Ducati Factory MX2 Team rider secured ninth place overall, thanks to a 10th and 11th place finish in the heats. With two rounds remaining, this result puts him just seven points shy of the top ten in the championship.

Simone Mancini: “It was a solid weekend. I took the pole position in my group and I'm happy with my speed in practice. I started from the back of the pack in both motos, which didn't help me, but now we're looking ahead to the remaining races on the calendar and focusing on those.”

Source: Ducati Corse