USGP MX2: American Osborne on Glen Helen

Motocross Results

The 2010 Yamaha YZ250F gained its first FIM MX-GP MX2 world championship podium result when Bike it Cosworth Yamaha’s Zach Osborne raced to be runner-up overall at the Grand Prix of USA at Glen Helen and the sixth round of fifteen.

The American appeased his home fans with the second rostrum finish of his career and the first since his triumph in Turkey last year.

In front of 16,000 spectators the 20 year old – who has been drawing closer to the top three each passing GP after recovering from a wrist injury that ruined his 2009 term – glided around the steep hills and across the fast bumps and many jumps of the Glen Helen course to mark 4th and 2nd positions.

The MX2 competitors had precious little time to get to grips with a long and demanding track after strong winds forced the free practice sessions to be cancelled on Saturday.

Sunday saw the gusts appear only infrequently but the scorching sunshine remained for easily the hottest and sweatiest event of the year so far.

Osborne started averagely in the first moto but pushed his way past Shaun Simpson to arrive to 4th.

He again had to relegate the Scot after a better launch in Moto2 but faced a hefty distance to leader Marvin Musquin.

The race was red-flagged with 12 minutes remaining when the wind blew a bridge onto the course.

Yamaha Monster Energy MX Team’s Gautier Paulin was fairly luckless.

The Frenchman was delayed by an incident involving Jeffrey Herlings and Ken Roczen on the second corner and finished 11th.

He then suffered a crash at the start of Moto2 and ploughed a route back to 9th before the race was curtailed. In only his second GP after returning from a broken leg Paulin was 10th in the final ranking.

Yamaha Monster Energy Gariboldi’s Harri Kullas was 15th overall but hoped for better. The teenager Finn could have troubled the top five in the first race after an excellent start but some mechanical trouble ended his participation.

In the second moto he was inside the top ten when the bridge that collapsed onto the track actually trapped the unfortunate teenager! Unhurt but bemused, Kullas still classified 10th. Yamaha Monster Energy Ricci MX Team’s Alessandro Lupino took points in both motos for 16th overall.

Osborne is now 6th in the world championship and 7 points away from the top five. Kullas is 11th while Paulin has pulled up to 16th despite missing four rounds. St Jean D’Angely will entertain the Grand Prix of France and the seventh race of the 2010 schedule next weekend.

Zach Osborne (Bike it Cosworth Yamaha) says: "To be on the podium here is such a good feeling. I did not spend so much time in California before this GP so I really could have used that extra practice time on Saturday but it worked out OK. I am on the right track and now able to run with these guys. It is hard to race with Marvin when you are behind someone like Shaun who is hard to pass. When Marvin has a ten second lead by the second lap then making up that distance is so difficult. I could see the fans going mental around the track and that was special to experience."

Gautier Paulin (Yamaha Monster Energy MX Team says: "Today was not easy. I had a bad start in the first heat and Herlings crashed on the first uphill and I was right behind him. I lost many positions and the track is very fast so it was not easy to catch-up. My speed is still not there. I got up to eleventh but was riding quite nervously and a bit uptight. I had a great start in the second moto but had a crash on some slippery ground hitting a downhill section as I lost the front. I worked my way back to ninth before they stopped the race. I have been feeling a bit sick today and I think this was a bad weekend for me. I have to hope for more from my home GP."

Harri Kullas (Yamaha Monster Energy Gariboldi says: "In the first race I had a really good start. I was in fourth and then up to second around the next corner but after two laps we had a problem with the bike and that was it. Just bad luck and nothing we could do. We changed engines and I did the best I could in the second moto. I made some positions around the second turn. My riding was going good and I was being smart until the bridge came down on my head! I was lucky not to hurt and somehow still finished tenth! The Glen Helen track had a bit of everything and I enjoyed it."

2010 GP of USA 30/05/2010
Race 1 – 16 Laps
Pos.    Rider    Manu.    Nat.    Total Time
1    Marvin Musquin    KTM    FRA    40’13.981
2    Steven Frossard    Kawasaki    FRA    0’03.707
3    Ken Roczen    Suzuki    GER    0’09.005
4    Zach Osborne    Yamaha    USA    0’39.125
5    Jeremy Van Horebeek    Kawasaki    BEL    0’40.533
6    Travis Baker    Yamaha    USA    0’44.492
7    Arnaud Tonus    Suzuki    CHE    0’50.547
8    Jeffrey Herlings    KTM    NED    0’55.585
9    Shaun Simpson    KTM    GBR    1’04.309
10    Jake Nicholls    KTM    GBR    1’20.608
11    Gautier Paulin    Yamaha    FRA    1’29.765
12    Valentin Teillet    KTM    FRA    1’39.971
13    Joel Roelants    KTM    BEL    1’45.381
14    Dennis Verbruggen    KTM    BEL    2’03.077
15    Matiss Karro    Suzuki    LVA    2’08.417
16    Alessandro Lupino    Yamaha    ITA    2’21.489
17    Max Anstie    Yamaha    GBR    2’27.874
20    Vince Friese    Yamaha    USA    -1Laps

Race 2 – 16 Laps
Pos.    Rider    Manu.    Nat.    Total Time
1    Marvin Musquin    KTM    FRA    23’53.935
2    Zach Osborne    Yamaha    USA    0’12.420
3    Shaun Simpson    KTM    GBR    0’16.677
4    Steven Frossard    Kawasaki    FRA    0’18.739
5    Ken Roczen    Suzuki    GER    0’34.302
6    Dennis Verbruggen    KTM    BEL    0’35.856
7    Jake Nicholls    KTM    GBR    0’36.968
8    Jeremy Van Horebeek    Kawasaki    BEL    0’38.909
9    Gautier Paulin    Yamaha    FRA    0’46.465
10    Harri Kullas    Yamaha    FIN    0’53.474
11    Arnaud Tonus    Suzuki    CHE    0’58.789
12    Matiss Karro    Suzuki    LVA    1’05.502
13    Joel Roelants    KTM    BEL    1’11.281
14    Vince Friese    Yamaha    USA    1’14.798
15    Alessandro Lupino    Yamaha    ITA    1’20.868
16    Max Anstie    Yamaha    GBR    1’25.473

RIDER STANDINGS    30/05/2010
Pos.    Rider    Manu.    Nat.    Points
1.    Marvin Musquin    KTM    FRA    268
2.    Ken Roczen    Suzuki    GER    228
3.    Steven Frossard    Kawasaki    FRA    205
4.    Jeffrey Herlings    KTM    NED    197
5.    Shaun Simpson    KTM    GBR    170
6.    Zach Osborne    Yamaha    USA    163
7.    Jeremy Van Horebeek    Kawasaki    BEL    157
8.    Arnaud Tonus    Suzuki    CHE    154
9.    Joel Roelants    KTM    BEL    134
10.    Jake Nicholls    KTM    GBR    129
11.    Harri Kullas    Yamaha    FIN    120
12.    Dennis Verbruggen    KTM    BEL    101
13.    Christophe Charlier    Yamaha    FRA    81
14.    Alessandro Lupino    Yamaha    ITA    81
15.    Matiss Karro    Suzuki    LVA    68
16.    Gautier Paulin    Yamaha    FRA    51
20.    Mel Pocock    Yamaha    GBR    29
22.    Loic Larrieu    Yamaha    FRA    16
24.    Travis Baker    Yamaha    USA    15
31.    Ceriel Klein Kromhof    Yamaha    NED    9
32.    Max Anstie    Yamaha    GBR    9
33.    Vince Friese    Yamaha    USA    8
36.    Rudi Moroni    Yamaha    ITA    5
39.    Glenn Coldenhoff    Yamaha    NED    2
41.    Ed Allingham    Yamaha    GBR    2

MANUFACTURER STANDINGS    30/05/2010
Pos.    Manufacturer    Points
1.    KTM    295
2.    Suzuki    235
3.    Kawasaki    211
4.    Yamaha    201
5.    Honda    57
6.    TM    10