MX3 – ALEX SALVINI AT THE CHILEAN TOP

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.

Next event for the FIM MX3 World Championship together with the EMX2 European Championship will be in Holice, Czech Republic.

RIDER’S COMMENTS

1st ALEX SALVINI (Italy): »Chile is like a second home for me. Two years ago I won Six days of enduro event with Italian team, today I won the MX3 World Championship event. Now I have two really great memories of Chile and I am very happy to be here. I would like thank to the team, the team manager Andrea Bartolini and of course to Husqvarna Chile, who gave us the important support for this race. We arrived in Chile only on Thursday and yesterday I was still tired because of the time difference. The race track was hard at some parts but in general I liked it.«

2nd PIERRE ALEXANDRE RENET (France): »This was my first time in Chile and I am glad to have a successful weekend. We came with the team already on Thuesday, to adapt on the time difference and to make the sightseeing of Santiago. Yesterday I was not really satisfied with the Qualifying Practice. Today I finished second, I was riding for the win but I was too tired to take the first position. In the Championship I am fighting for the leading position and together with Julien Vanni and Alex Salvini we are very close at the moment. I think the key to the top is to finish all races best as possible. Here in Chile I was riding my bike but with the support of Suzuki Chile, so I would like thank to everybody for the good support.«

3rd ANTTI PYRHONEN (Finland): »I liked the race track Laguna Caren, it was not actually very different of our tracks in Finland. I am impressed about the atmosphere and today’s event. It was amazing to compete here. I am happy to win the second race and to finished on the podium, this was my goal before the race. After the event in Portugal I went home to rest a bit and to prepare myself for the overseas event, I am satisfied I made the top result.«

RESULTS

1st Race Top 10: 1. Alex Salvini, Husqvarna (Italy), 2. Julien Vanni, Honda (France), 3. Pierre Alexandre Renet, Suzuki (France), 4. Matevz Irt, Honda (Slovenia), 5. Antti Pyrhonen, Honda (Finland), 6. Pablo Quintanilla, Honda (Chile), 7. Patrick Roos, KTM (Netherlands), 8. Nicolai Marcher Hansen, Suzuki (Denmark), 9. Kasper Jensen, Honda (Denmark), 10. Hugo Basaula, Suzuki (Portugal)

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)

Championship Standings: 1. Julien Vanni, Honda (France), 2. Pierre Alexandre Renet, Suzuki (France), 3. Alex Salvini, Husqvarna (Italy), 4. Antti Pyrhonen, Honda (Finland), 5. Christophe Martin, Husqvarna (France), 6. Matevz Irt, Honda (Slovenia), 7. Nicolai Marcher Hansen, Suzuki (Denmark), 8. Patrick Roos, KTM (Netherlands), 9. Martin Zerava, Honda (Czech Republic), 10. Kasper Jensen, Honda (Denmark)