Pardubice
Mads Masterclass
Another balmy summer's evening in the Czech Republic and another trip to my local track.
Prior to the meeting the line up looked quite interesting. A smattering of known names for example Jan Kvech, Mads Hansen, Hellstrom-Bangs, Cierniak, Levishyn; with one or two names that were new to me for example Kaibushev, Kolodinskis, Hyyrylainen.
Heat 1
Mads Hansen made his intentions clear with a fine leap from gate 4 and powerful first turn to get around the fast starting Edwards (red). With the 16 year old Hellstrom-Bangs 3rd and Levishyn fourth after the first lap. Levishyn didn't look his speedy self but still managed to battle through on the inside of Hellstrom-Bangs at the end of lap 2 (his usual inside burst on turn 3 moving Hellstrom-Bangs aside). Young Edwards whilst not looking like catching Hansen looked very comfortable in second with no mistakes.
Heat 2
It didn't take the meeting long to throw up a surprise packet. Step forward Aleksandr Kaibushev. Kvech made the jump from the inside trap however, Kaibushev had also started well and had ridden a good second turn to gather momentum down the back-straight. So much so, that he looked to be carrying enough speed to round Kvech. The young Czech probably saw that coming and made it impossible for the Russian to get by with the latter tasting the back straight safety fence, losing control and falling back to third behind Pole Cierniak. However, the speedy Russian showed his intentions for the evening and was quickly under the Pole to re-take second. Whilst all this was playing out Popa (Romanian) was tailed off in fourth.
Heat 3
Chlupac looked to have made the drop on Pacalaj but the young Slovakian wriggled his way through the first turn to emerge in the lead and despite the Czech's efforts he couldn't find a way by. Kolodinskis (Latvian) a relatively close third with De Vries (Netherlands) fourth.
Heat 4
Curzytek made the gate and was untroubled with Ethan Spiller, Hyyrylainen and Fazekas following him home.
Heat 5
Edwards again with a good gate (from blue) and again it took a big effort from Kvech to round him on the second turn to hit the front. Kvech quite untroubled thereafter, likewise Edwards in second place with Curzytek leading De Vries home for the minor position.
Heat 6
It was Chlupac from Spiller coming out of turn 2 with the slow starting Levishyn ahead of Popa. The young Ukrainian isn't afraid to battle and in his true style he drove under Spiller on lap 2 turn 3, a favourite move of Levishyn.
Heat 7
Cierniak from gate 3 hit the front with Pacalaj looking comfortable and attempting to make a challenge from second place. Then almost from nowhere Hellstrom-Bangs takes a wide line around the last bend and uses it to drive alongside the Slovakian as they approach the chequered flag. Rather bizzarely the second place was initially given to the Slovakian (on the scoreboard) but later it transpired the Swede had taken it. This turned out to be crucial for the Swede.
Heat 8
A good gate and first bend from Kaibushev takes him ahead of Hansen. The Dane looked very fast in his first heat and is again in this one. He lines up a burst of speed and drives under the Russian on lap one turn 3. The Russian moves out a little but is able to retain first position. The Dane isn't to be denied though and looking fast rounds the Russian on bend 2 lap 2. Kolodinskis gets a good view of this battle from third and Hyyrylainen fourth.
Standings at this stage
Hansen 6
Kvech 6
Chlupac 5
Edwards 4
Cierniak 4
Kaibushev 4
Pacalaj 4
Curzytek 4
Levishyn 3
Spiller 3
Hellstrom-Bangs 2
Kolodinskis 2
Hyyrylainen 1
Popa 0
De Vries 0
Fazekas 0
Heat 9
Another fine gate from Edwards and he leads home Pacalaj, Hyyrylainen and Popa
Heat 10
A belter of a race.
Kolodinskis rockets from the gate leading from Kvech, Levishyn and Fazekas down the back-straight. Before Kvech can make a concerted effort to attack the Latvian, the cheeky Levishyn wriggles his way under Kvech on turn 3 with his favoured inside move, only for Kvech to calmly return the same move coming out of turn 4. Kolodinskis quietly goes about his business at the front. Lap 2 is almost a carbon copy of lap 1. Kvech looking to line up a move on the Latvian only for Levishyn once again to ignore the script with a cheeky inside pass, on the third bend, of the Czech and again Kvech is back under him coming out of turn 4. Lap 3 sees Kvech get a bit more distance out of Levishyn and close on Kolodinskis and now that he didn't have the Ukrainian nipping inside him he lines up a fine inside line coming out of turn 4 to take the lead. The 10,000 crowd stand and applaud the efforts of all riders. No they didn't the 100 or so crowd gave a slight smattering of applause.
Heat 11
Kaibushev with a very clean start from the inside gate takes a very deserved win from Hellstrom-Bangs, Spiller and De Vries.
Heat 12
A Hans Madsen special.
Cierniak makes the leap followed by Curzytek with Madsen third and Chlupac fourth. However, like a hot Danish knife through Polish butter Madsen drives under Curzytek turn 3 lap 1 and around Cierniak turn 2 lap 2 to hit the front in fine style.
Heat 13
Another ding dong battle. Kolodinskis makes another sharp start from Cierniak, Edwards (for once not sharp from the tapes) and Spiller. Cierniak has been watching previous heats and makes a turn 3 move under the Latvian and takes the lead only for Kolodinskis to drive hard around turn 1/2 of the second lap and line up his own inside move turn 3 and thereafter rides a fast smooth line to win.
Heat 14
Kaibushev with another fine gate and ride for the win but there is a scrap behind with Levishyn finishing ahead of Pacalaj and Curzytek.
Heat 15
A bit of an upset. Chlupac gates and despite his efforts Kvech can't make his fourth turn inside move stick. He almost makes it at the end of each lap but can't quite get through. Hellstrom-Bangs gets a good view from third and Hyyrylainen fourth.
Heat 16
Hansen makes light work of this one from De Vries, Fazekas and Popa.
Standings at this stage
Hansen 12
Kvech 11
Kaibushev 10
Edwards 8
Cierniak 8
Chlupac 8
Pacalaj 7
Kolodinskis 7
Levishyn 6
Hellstrom-Bangs 5
Curzytek 5
Spiller 4
De Vries 2
Hyyrylainen 2
Fazekas 1
Popa 0
Heat 17
Another gate from Kaibushev with Chlupac second from Edwards and Fazekas.
Heat 18
Cierniak gates and goes. Levishyn has a shocker of a gate and is behind Hyyrylainen and De Vries. It wouldn't be a Levisyhn race without a turn 3 pass and sure enough at the end of lap one he charges under De Vries and sets out after Hyyrylainen. The Finn holds off a lap 2 third bend charge in fine style but finally relents on the next bend with the Ukrainian passing down the inside on turn 1/2. These 2 points would have (as it turns out) taken him into a run off for qualification but an engine failure robs him of that chance. It wasn't his night.
Heat 19
Boom. Hellstrom-Bangs leaps from gate 1 to take a super win from Curzytek, Kolodinskis and Popa.
Heat 20
Hansen makes it look easy against Kvech, Pacalaj and Spiller.
Heat 21
Run Off for 7,8 and 9
Hellstrom-Bang makes another fine gate a wins comfortably but Pacalaj and Kolodinskis pass and re-pass throughout before the Slovakian takes the final automatic qualification place.
Heat 22
Kaibushev gates and Kvech tries for a lap or two but then wheelies for the remaining two laps.
Final Standings
Hansen 15
Kaibushev 13
Kvech 13
Cierniak 11
Chlupac 10
Edwards 9
Hellstrom-Bangs 8
Pacalaj 8
Kolodinskis 8
Curzytek 7
Levishyn 6
Spiller 4
Hyyrylanien 4
De Vries 3
Fazekas 1
Popa 0
Another really enjoyable meeting with Mads Hansen the class of the field. The real surprise packet (to me) was Aleksandr Kaibushev with Kvech putting in a solid performance.
Philip Hellstrom-Bangs looked under-powered or had a poor set up early in the meeting but he finished very strongly.
Jason Edwards gated well in his first three races but found it more difficult when he didn't.
Mateusz Cierniak was solid if not spectacular.
Marko Levishyn looked slow but still put in his usual effort with an unlucky engine failure robbing him of a better result.
Kolodinskis also looked lively but ultimately a poor ride in his 5th heat put paid to his chances of automatic qualification.
Heat 13
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4KamlPhwGj0&feature=youtu.be
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