SNOWCROSS WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP QUALIFYING IN KAYSERI-ERCIYES
KAYSERI-ERCIYES (Turkiye) 10 March 2024 – With a picturesque landscape embellished with freshly fallen snow, the inaugural round of the Snowcross World Championship in Kayseri-Erciyes began with a blend of thrilling qualifying heats. Despite the chill in the air with temperatures hovering around -3 degrees Celsius, the sun broke through the clouds to light up the snow-laden track.
The day kicked off with two qualifying heats for both Group 1 and Group 2, followed by a last chance race. From each group, the top six riders earned their ticket to Sunday’s main event while the remaining competitors were relegated to the last chance race.
Out of this final opportunity, only four riders secured a coveted spot in Sunday’s racing lineup.
Qualifying Heat 1 – Group 1
The opening heat of Group 1 saw an electrifying start as the American rider Kirchmeyer stormed ahead, claiming the holeshot. However, the ever-tenacious Norwegian Reiten was hot on his heels, engaging in a gripping battle, pushing bar-to-bar until the end. Kirchmeyer managed to hold his advantage until the end with Reiten behind in second and Lunden third.
Qualifying Heat 2 – Group 1
In the second qualifying heat, a red flag momentarily halted the second race as Lunden jumped out of the gate too early, necessitating a restart. Riders replicated the first Qualifying heat with Kirchmeyer winning in front of Reiten. mirroring the intensity of Heat 1. Behind in third was Italian rider Amadei in front of Lunden
Qualifying Heat 1 – Group 2
In the first qualifying heat of group 2, Bacher seized the lead right from the get-go, getting the holeshot and commanding the race. However in the penultimate round, the Austrian rider could not contain the relentless Johansson and lost position. The Swede didn’t look back and emerged victorious in front of Bacher and Kristoffer third.
Qualifying Heat 2 – Group 2
The heat intensified as the 179 Johansson started into the lead, securing the holeshot. The Swedish athlete was a head above the rest and won by a god margin. On the other side, fortunes quickly shifted for Bacher, initially poised for a top 3 finish, as encountered a mishap, crashing out and losing an entire lap in the process, illustrating the unpredictable nature of snowcross racing. It was Kristoffer who managed to finish second while his countryman Hakon closed the top 3.
Last Chance Race
The last race of the day was going to determine the last rider to qualify with an 8 minute + 1 Lap sprint. In the end it was Rissanen who comfortably won the race. The last three spots were filled by Gaspardi Jr and the women racers Rosell and Collier who will participate in the final main event.
Now every head will turn to the Sunday racing of this opening round of the FIM Snowcross World Championship in Kayseri-Erciyes, Turkiye.
You can follow the LIVE timing throughout the event HERE: https://speedhive.mylaps.com/LiveTiming/8036541DB010D8F5-2147483670
For further information about the 2024 FIM Snowcross World Championship, stay tuned to both WorldSnowcross.com and MXGP’s social media channels including the official SNX Instagram page at @snowcross_official
TIMETABLE (Local Timing UTC +3)
SUNDAY: 11:45 World Championship Warm-up, 14:50 World Championship Final 1, 15:25 World Championship Final 2.
