It will be an exciting weekend for the Spanish crowd this coming Saturday and Sunday as a large spectator turnout is expected with many local hero’s racing.

Sure, World MXGP champion, Jorge Prado might not be defending his championship, but names like Ruben Fernandez, Guillem Farres, David Braceras, Oriol Oliver, Gomez Bodega, Ander Valentin, Samuel Nilsson and Mayrata Osinalde will all be doing their best for the local fans.

There will also be a number of Spanish riders in the EMX250 and EMX125 classes a number, who have a shot at scoring big points or even getting onto the podium.

In Argentina Triumph factory rider Guillem Farres delivered a solid ride in race one. Starting in the top five ensured he stayed out of trouble through the early laps, and he then maintained a strong pace to the finish. Running fifth for much of the moto, he dropped back to sixth when McLellan passed him in the closing stages.

The Spaniard couldn’t quite replicate his race one start in moto two and ran 12th for the whole race before moving into 11th with a couple of laps remaining. Farres placed seventh overall for a solid debut ride with the team and he now looks forward to his home GP in two weeks’ time where he’ll arrive placed 10th in the early season standings.

“The weekend didn’t start so good in the qualifying race but in today’s races I rode quite well. We had a lot of rain this morning but in the end the track turned out quite good. In race one I was sixth so I was happy with that but I had a bad start in race two and that made it a tough race. Before the next race I’ll be working on my starts and as it’s my home GP, I’m really looking forward to it.”

The rider who will probably get the most applause this weekend in Cozar, is HRC factory rider, Ruben Fernandez. In round one in Argentina, Fernandez struggled to get out of the gate, getting caught up with a rider in the second turn in the second race and only being able to remount in dead last. The Spaniard did well to charge through to 13th place on a track that wasn’t easy to pass on, salvaging 10th overall after a solid ninth in the first moto. He’ll be hoping to put on a better showing at his home GP in Cozar, Spain this weekend.

“Not the day I was hoping for really,” Fernandez said of Argentina. “I tried to come through and score as many points as possible in that second moto. I was right at the back of the field, and I think 30th after the first lap so to get to 13th is a good result, even if I wanted more before we came here. I know there is more to come and I will continue to fight to get nearer to those podium spots. Next up is Cozar, which is another Spanish-speaking round, so I’m happy to see all my fans there and hopefully get some better results.”

David Braceras of the JM Racing Honda team showed his potential during the first round of the MX2 World Championship in Cordoba, Argentina. Braceras finished an impressive fourth place in the first moto.

After needing some time to get used to the track on Saturday, Braceras started off well in the qualification heat. In the early stages, he was running in the top ten until he had a small crash, which pushed him back outside the top twenty. Braceras gave it his all for the remainder of the heat and managed to finish in seventeenth place.

On Sunday morning, it rained in Cordoba, and the track turned into a wet, muddy surface. It was crucial to get a good start, which Braceras did in the first moto. He was up front and rode a consistent race, earning a strong fourth place finish! In the second moto, he also got a good start but unfortunately crashed, which left him to battle back from last place.

Giving it his all, he managed to gain several positions and finished in seventeenth place. In the overall standings for the day, Braceras finished in twelfth place. The World Championship will continue in two weeks in Cozar, Spain, and hopefully, Brent van Doninck will also be back in action.

So, for all those Spanish fans, who will turn up this coming weekend, make sure to wave your national flag and scream for the riders mentioned above, because all of them will be proud to race for you and their country.

Ray Archer image