Well, the 2023 season is well and truly underway; a true baptism by fire as the ASA United GasGas team kickstarted this year’s campaign with a revitalised team, at what may now be considered the most challenging circuit on the British and MX Nationals calendar.
Report and Images courtesy of ASA United GasGas
With the dust (and sand) now settled after the first round, we can properly dive into the ins and outs of the event, starting with our very own Italian stallion, Ivo Monticelli:
“The weekend I started okay, I was 2nd in qualifying. First moto wasn’t the best, I got a decent jump but couldn’t quite hook up in the sand; I was around fifth to the first turn and managed to make a few passes in the first lap to move into 2nd. I stayed there for most of the moto, but with a few laps to go I stalled the bike and lost a little bit of time. Tommy [Searle] was able to pass me and [Conrad] Mewse. I managed to pass Searle for 3rd. It was a shame because I got really bad arm pump in the first moto and couldn’t ride how I’d wanted to.
I was fine before the second moto; I knew my arm pump wouldn’t be as much of a problem in the second race. Unfortunately, I had a crash at the start and my elbow was in the wheel of another rider which led to my shoulder being dislocated. I had to wait 2-3 hours for them to put it back in at the hospital. I’m feeling better today but Thursday I will have a check-up with my doctor in Belgium and see how things are looking.
I’m still very motivated, I don’t give up and I’m hoping to be back riding as soon as possible.
I just want to thank the team and all the sponsors for the support.”
– Ivo Monticelli, ASA UNITED GASGAS MC450f
Unfortunately, the team’s adversities did not end with Ivo in the 450 class; John’s day started strong with a good jump in the first moto, running at the sharp end of the pack on demanding terrain alongside the nation’s fastest until an early crash pulled him from contention and set the tone for the remainder of the day.
“Shocker of a weekend at the first round. Collected in the first race after a small mistake and landed on in the second race. There’s plenty more racing this year and I’m hungry for more. Unfortunate weekend and ready to go again.”
– John Adamson, ASA UNITED GASGAS MC450f
In MX2 Bobby Bruce impressed with two strong performances and two convincing holeshots. The second moto saw Bobby stretch an early and substantial lead, spearheading the pack for a large portion of the race before an unrelenting Isak Gifting found his way through the pack to assume the lead and take the race win.
Despite narrowly missing out on the race win, we are incredibly pleased with Bobby’s speed and endurance at round one. His race craft has demonstrated maturity beyond his years and undeniably, he deserved to be on the box at Oakhanger.
“Overall, a good weekend for me at Oakhanger. Finished up P.2 on the day and managed to pull two really good starts. Unfortunately, I just missed out on the win in the second moto but I’m excited to keep building on this throughout the season!”
– Bobby Bruce, ASA UNITED GASGAS MC250f
Finally, our young talent making his professional MX2 debut onboard his ASA United GASGAS MC250f, Ben Mustoe. Ben certainly impressed as he exceeded expectations in race one, circulating inside the top ten for much of the moto before finally finishing 11th. An exceptional display and an insight into the potential of the #163. Unfortunately, race two didn’t quite go to plan for young Ben, but we refuse to let the result taint race one’s exemplary performance in his rookie year. Well done, Ben!
In summary, the season opener was most definitely a rollercoaster ride for the team. We have plenty of positives to take away and some valuable lessons to learn from moving forward. We will continue to keep you all updated on Ivo and want to once again congratulate Bobby on a phenomenal podium performance.
