The second day of the Grand Prix of Japan Trial produced results somewhat unexpected, but after this first round of the World Championship, Gas Gas riders Adam Raga and Jorge Casals, occupy the third position in their respective categories.
Adam Raga and Jorge Casales, the two riders of the Gas Gas team, left Motegi circuit in Japan with a good feeling with respect to their level of performance, although this was not reflected in the final standings. However, both riders are in a good position to fight for the title in the main categories of this World Championship. The controversial application of the non-stop regulation, which all riders are against, is one of the factors that have influenced the result, in part because the judge's discretion may determine a higher zone penalty for the rider, so that a small error results in a maximum score.
So, on this second day of the Grand Prix of Japan, Adam Raga was in a good position at the front of the race in the sixth zone when he was punished with the maximum penalty on a very controversial decision. In the second lap, Adam made a mistake that weighed heavily on his final score. In the third and final lap, with more grip in the zones than on the preceding day, he confirmed his fourth place in the standings of the day. The British rider Michael Brown improved his position from the opening day of the World Championship and finished in seventh place.
Bad day for Casales
In the Junior category, the Gas Gas School of Champions rider, Jorge Casales also suffered a fateful day, finishing in eighth position which does not do justice to his level of riding. However, thanks to yesterday's Japan result, the young Galician currently occupies third place in the provisional championship standings, in which he can discard his two worst results.
The next round of the World Championship will be held in Sequatchie, Tennessee, in the United States, on the 25th and 26th of May. Before this, the Gas Gas factory team will debut the new Gas Gas Factory Replica at the third round of the Spanish Trial Championship to be held on the 12th of May, in the town of manchega de Sigüenza.
Adam Raga "Today did not go too well. In the first round I went first and in zone 6 I have a five, and with that I do not agree. With fourth place, obviously I'm not happy, because I think I've ridden well all weekend. The team has worked very well and the bike too, no problems whatsoever. I think the feelings are good despite the result, and you have to keep pushing forward, I'm already thinking about the next race”."
Jorge Casales "I have to digest as much as possible, a very tough race for me. The principle of the race was very poor, with many points. I've been able to fix that in the second lap, with just three points, but the final lap has not been good either. A bad result, but I trust that the following races go better. I do not like the regulations. It is disappointing to see the greatest riders being defeated, as Toni Bou or Adam Raga in this case. I do not see anything logical, this is not right ".