SANTIAGO DE CHILE (CHILE), 24 May 2009 – The Chilean Sunday was successful for Italian Husqvarna rider Alex Salvini, who clinched the victory in front of the second Pierre Alexandre Renet (Suzuki, France) and Antti Pyrhonen (Honda, Finland).
The weather was cloudy, the race track well prepared and there were about 18.000 temperamental spectators around the track. They were enjoying the event with the best MX3 World Championship riders and the freestyle show during both races.
Husqvarna took over the prevail, which Honda had at the last Chilean event. Alex Salvini won the first race, finished third in the second and won. But at the start Salvini was not the fastest. Hugo Basaula (Suzuki, Portugal) made a great start in the first race and he was leading the beginning of the race. Then he could not hold the leadership for the long time and he regressed. The Championship leader Julien Vanni finished second. With each lap he was closer to Salvini and last corner before the finish line they were only some metres apart. Pierre Alexandre Renet finished third.
Slovenian rider Matevz Irt almost took his first MX3 victory with winning the second race, but this time he was only four laps far from it. He took the very fast start and he left all the others behind. Second was Antti Pyrhonen. When it already looked that the young Slovene will become the big winner of Chile, he crashed four laps before the end of the race. Pyrhonen, who was threatened to Irt all the race, won the second race. Alex Salvini progressed to the third position and he took the overall win. Pierre Alexandre Renet finished second and Antti Pyrhonen was third. Julien Vanni (France) finished fourth and he is still the leader of the MX3 World Championship. Pablo Quintanilla (Honda) was the best Chilean rider at the home event, finished fifth the same as already last year. Quintanilla will attend also the next three MX3 events in Europe.
RESULTS
2nd Race Top 10: 1. Antti Pyrhonen, Honda (Finlan), 2. Pierre Alexandre Renet, Suzuki (France), 3. Alex Salvini, Husqvarna (Italy), 4. Julien Vanni, Honda (France), 5. Pablo Quintanilla, Honda (Chile), 6. Christophe Martin, Husqvarna (France), 7. Nicolai Marcher Hansen, Suzuki (Denmark), 8. Kasper Jensen, Honda (Denmark), 9. Hugo Basaula, Suzuki (Portugal), 10. Matevz Irt, Honda (Slovenia)
Overall Results: 1. Alex Salvini, Husqvarna (Italy), 2. Pierre Alexandre Renet, Suzuki (France), 3. Antti Pyrhonen, Honda (Finland), 4. Julien Vanni, Honda (France), 5. Pablo Quintanilla, Honda (Chile), 6. Matevz Irt, Honda (Slovenia), 7. Nicolai Marcher Hansen, Suzuki (Denmark), 8. Kasper Jensen, Honda (Denmark), 9. Hugo Basaula, Suzuki (Portugal), 10. Patrick Roos, KTM (Netherlands)