Marcus Schiffer kicked off the German ADAC MX Masters Motocross series with victory in the opening round at Fürstlich Drehna in Brandenburg at the weekend.
In the first moto, the Silent Sport RM-Z450 Suzuki rider took the lead in the early stages, but crashed and had to fight through the field to finish fourth. But in the second moto, the 24 year old put in a perfect performance to take his first win against a world-class field of GP riders.
Marcus Schiffer:
"I worked hard over the winter to be able to start the MX Masters season in perfect shape. In the first moto I took the lead quickly, but a small mistake threw me back. Fighting through the field cost me a lot of strength, which I missed a little bit in the second moto. But finally I was right there when Xavier Boog made a small mistake, I did everything within my power; and brought the win home. This was a good start to the season and a performance to build on."
Both Rockstar Energy Suzuki Europe Team's MX2 World Championship riders Petar Petrov and Harri Kullas had strong races: In the first moto, Petrov was thrown back due to a crash, but the Bulgarian was able to fight through the field and finish seventh. And in the second moto, the 17-year-old raced to fourth place overall.
Petar Petrov:
"Overall this wasn't a bad start to the Masters season. The crash in the first moto was annoying but my speed was good and I saw I was able to fight for the race win. I'm looking forward to the next Masters race."
Kullas didn't find a perfect rhythm during the weekend on his RM-Z250, but finished eighth overall.
Harri Kullas:
"I'm not really able to say why I didn't find my form during the race. I had problems with arm cramps and to top it all I got a stomach ache at Saturday night, but I'm confident and looking forward to the first World MX2 Championship race at Valkenswaard next weekend."
Beuersfoon Rockstar Suzuki's Mike Kras completed the strong Suzuki prelude with sixth place in the Masters class and seventh position went to Team AC MoTeC - MG Sport by STC's Nicolai Hansen, putting five Suzuki riders in the top eight at the event.
In the Youngster Cup, Suzuki MX Team 91 team rider Jeremy Seewer took third overall and was happy with his performance.
Jeremy Seewer:
"The small mistake in the second moto was annoying. I lost my front wheel in a corner and crashed. Although it was good enough for the podium - and this makes me very confident for the Championship - the next races are on hard-packed tracks which should suit me better."
