In Heinola, a small Finnish town about 140 km from Helsinki, the third round of the 2023 FIM EnduroGP World Championship season was held over the weekend of 26, 27 and 28 May.
The Finnish GP was characterised by very unusual weather, with low temperatures and frequent rain showers and clearing, which accompanied the riders already on Friday evening during the Super Test. The race included a particularly hard and treacherous course, consisting of three special tests to be run three times per day, for a total of 51 km and nine tests per race day.
The Motoclub Heinolan Moottorikerho designed a race course for the occasion that included, in order: a very slow and technical Cross Test, 3 km long, located within a forest and characterised by sandy terrain, followed by an Enduro Test of 6. 8 km also inside a forest, with slippery and muddy terrain alternating with parts with stones and roots, and in closing an Extreme Test located partially inside the motocross track and partially on the same track as the Friday evening Super Test.
The two Beta Factory riders were the stars of the race weekend. In the Enduro GP class Brad Freeman dominated the opening day, while Steve Holcombe took the second step of the podium. On the following day Brad made a strong start, recording two best overall times in the first four special tests. On the second pass of the Enduro Test Freeman, riding his Beta RR 300 2T made a mistake and Steve Holcombe, recording the fastest overall time in the Enduro Test, jumped to the lead of the EnduroGP class. The final Special Tests were exciting, and at the end of a long day’s racing Brad Freeman was able to make a comeback and finish in second position, overtaking his team-mate by less than a second.
In the E2 Class Steve Holcombe collected two first placings consolidating his provisional first position in the Championship; Brad Freeman also gave the Beta team a double, his third since the start of the season, and currently occupies first position in the E3 Class with full points.
After the Finnish GP, valid as the third round of the 2023 season, the next appointment is expected in less than five days in Skovde, Sweden, where the fourth round of the season will be staged from 1st to 3rd June 2023.
BRAD FREEMAN
Saturday was a very good first day of racing, with a first place in the EnduroGP and a first place in the E3 class, but on Sunday I made a big mistake in the second enduro test and lost about twenty seconds. In the last stages I was able to make up several seconds but was unable to win. In the E3 class I took my sixth win of the day.
STEVE HOLCOMBE
A very good race weekend, in the E2 class I gained a few points from my direct competitor and the final score is two first places. In the EnduroGP on Saturday it went well finishing second, but on Sunday I couldn’t get a good time on the last stage and the final score is a third place.
