Osborne Fifth in Brazilian ‘Oven’ and Hits Same Mark in World Championship
America’s top world championship motocross racer, Zach Osborne, came through a sweltering and challenging Grand Prix of Brazil across the rough and crimson dirt of Campo Grande to earn fifth position and move into the top five of the FIM series. The Bike it Cosworth Yamaha star has taken three GP podiums in 2010 and currently fronts the highly-competitive Maxxis British Championship. With two rounds remaining in the international campaign Osborne can still finish fourth in the world.
21,500 spectators defied the ultraviolet of the Mato Grosso do Sol state sunshine and also attempted to avoid the dust plumes that caused the new circuit to retain a degree of danger in practice and qualification on Saturday. Osborne couldn’t quite gel with the jumpy course on the first day but was quickest on a heavily-watered layout Sunday morning in warm-up and felt more comfortable on his Cosworth-powered YZ250F going into the two 35 minute and 2 lap motos.
The first race saw the 20 year old scramble into fourth position and looked set for a shot at a fourth podium trophy. The Virginian couldn’t set the same pace in the second outing however and was disappointed with a small error that cost him eighth place just before the flag. Fifth overall was still a creditable result and means that Osborne now sits 6 points in front of Jeremy Van Horebeek and needs 49 to catch and demote the absent Jeffrey Herlings.
"It wasn’t the best day of the year but it wasn’t the worse. The GP was nothing to be pumped about but then also something not to be super-disappointed about!" he surmised. "I think I need to work on my second moto fitness a little bit. Not being able to train after the concussion has set me back a little. I will see what I can do to bring that up before Lierop and have a few good rides before the end of the season."
"I didn’t have a good feeling on Saturday but I was fastest Sunday morning and that helped my confidence," he specified. "I had a decent start in the first moto and just hung-it-out-there. I didn’t really get tired at all but after about seven or eight laps of the second I felt flat and was going through the motions. I made a silly mistake which cost me eighth."
"That is my seventh or eighth top five finish of the year and I have never reached this point of a season fully fit or in a stable situation so I don’t really know what to expect of my body at this point," Osborne added. "I will have some consultation with Kenneth [Gundersen, his trainer] and see what we can do to get back to top shape for the season run-in."
With a 44 point lead and just 150 points left to win Osborne could secure his first significant title next weekend at Silverstone with the penultimate round of the Maxxis British Championship. The races come thick and fast as the FIM campaign will close with successive trips to Holland and Italy.
For more information about Zach and his racing exploits check out his Blog at: http://www.osborneoracle.blogspot.com/
MX2 Moto1
1. Ken Roczen (Suz); 2. Marvin Musquin (KTM); 3. Arnaud Tonus (Suz); 4. Zach Osborne (Yam); 5. Harri Kullas (Yam); 6. Jeremy van Horebeek (Kaw); 7. Joel Roelants (KTM); 8. Christophe Charlier (Yam); 9. Michael Leib (Kaw); 10. Alessandro Lupino (Yam); 11. Steven Frossard (Kaw); 12. Adam Chatfield (Kaw); 13. Cristopher Castro (Yam); 14. Thales Vilardi (KTM); 15. Eduardo Lima (Kaw); 16. Marcal Müller (Kaw); 17. Anderson Hauptli Cidade (Yam); 18. Gustavo Amaral (Suz); 19. Swian Zanoni (Hon); 20. Humberto Martin (Kaw);
MX2 Moto2
1. Ken Roczen (Suz); 2. Marvin Musquin (KTM); 3. Jeremy van Horebeek (Kaw); 4. Gautier Paulin (Yam); 5. Steven Frossard (Kaw); 6. Arnaud Tonus (Suz); 7. Joel Roelants (KTM); 8. Christophe Charlier (Yam); 9. Zach Osborne (Yam); 10. Alessandro Lupino (Yam); 11. Harri Kullas (Yam); 12. Adam Chatfield (Kaw); 13. Swian Zanoni (Hon); 14. Cristopher Castro (Yam); 15. Humberto Martin (Kaw); 16. Anderson Hauptli Cidade (Yam); 17. Eduardo Lima (Kaw); 18. Marcal Müller (Kaw); 19. Gustavo Amaral (Suz); 20. Thales Vilardi (KTM);
MX2 Overall Result
1. Ken Roczen (Suz); 2. Marvin Musquin (KTM); 3. Jeremy van Horebeek (Kaw); 4. Arnaud Tonus (Suz); 5. Zach Osborne (Yam); 6. Joel Roelants (KTM); 7. Steven Frossard (Kaw); 8. Christophe Charlier (Yam); 9. Harri Kullas (Yam); 10. Alessandro Lupino (Yam); 11. Gautier Paulin (Yam); 12. Adam Chatfield (Kaw); 13. Cristopher Castro (Yam); 14. Michael Leib (Kaw); 15. Swian Zanoni (Hon); 16. Eduardo Lima (Kaw); 17. Anderson Hauptli Cidade (Yam); 18. Marcal Müller (Kaw); 19. Thales Vilardi (KTM); 20. Humberto Martin (Kaw);
MX2 World Championship standings after 13 of 15 rounds
1. Marvin Musquin (571); 2. Ken Roczen (499); 3. Steven Frossard (430); 4. Jeffrey Herlings (391); 5. Zach Osborne (343); 6. Jeremy van Horebeek (337); 7. Shaun Simpson (329); 8. Arnaud Tonus (328); 9. Joel Roelants (326); 10. Harri Kullas (280); 11. Gautier Paulin (253); 12. Christophe Charlier (219); 13. Jake Nicholls (198); 14. Alessandro Lupino (165); 15. Dennis Verbruggen (148); 16. Matiss Karro (120); 17. Valentin Teillet (104); 18. Nikolaj Larsen (80); 19. Khounsith Vongsana (58); 20. Michael Leib (55);