charlotte-circuit

A few problems with the MXGP riders and events. News today from the press conferences and walking around the paddock. Suzuki factory rider Arminas Jasikonis is stuck in customs and might struggle to get to the event tomorrow.

Also the Grand Prix of Maggiora is having trouble, due to the local government, or one of the local governments closing the circuit due to the promoters of the track building on a greenie area. If that GP doesn’t go ahead, it will be moved to another circuit in Italy, with the same promoters running the event. It would possibly be run in Mantova.

“You know Maggiora is a serious problem.” Luongo said. “The organizer went to court, to make some construction on the green area, they have the papers from the local council, but there is an opposition to that local council, who have said that it was in a green area. So the track has been closed. Everyone is scared when talking about the greenies. We already have a plan B, and if Maggiora can’t run it, then the same promoter will run at Mantova or another venue. If they clear up the paper, they will come back to Maggiora. We have until the end of March to clear up the problem.”

The Grand Prix of United States at Charlotte is also under fire, with a replacement already found, and yes, in USA. This news will be more official in a few weeks. Tomorrow we have more on this subject with an exclusive interview with Giuseppe Luongo, where he talks about the USGP situation at Charlotte, and also other MXGP news.

“It is possible (Charlotte doesn’t go ahead),” Luongo said. “Now its two months talking to them, and it can be that they step back. The cost of the event in a big structure is expensive, and even with a good spectator turnout, which it was and we expect more this year, still it isn’t enough for what we need for an event like this. I am sure we have another option and I am sure it will be a Grand Prix in USA. There is a small chance with Charlotte, but the other possibility we are dealing with now.”

The Grand Prix of Qatar is also on its final year of the current contract, and both parties Youthstream and the people at Qatar are working towards either extending of making this year the final one. A replacement in the middle east seems a sure bet, with two countries interested, but more tomorrow in the Luongo interview.

“It is a great Grand Prix,” Luongo said. “And for this moment we don’t have a grand prix for the future. For sure I hope it goes on, but until now we don’t have any contract signed. But for sure we will have a Grand Prix organized in the middle east, because there are other organizers who want to do the event.”

As Tim Gajser mentioned in our exclusive interview he has come down with the flu. He has a temperature and he doesn’t feel really bad, so hopes a good night sleep will help the situation. Of course Jeffrey Herlings also talks about his injury in our exclusive interview with the MX2 champion.

Both Herlings and Gajser won the Qatar GP last year and went on to win the MXGP and MX2 titles.

Tomorrow more news from Qatar.

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