Repsol Honda Team rider Toni Bou was once again victorious in Motegi, in a far easier trial than the previous day, maintaining a score equal to the other top riders. Takahisa Fujinami today posted fifth and Jaime Busto was sixth, level on points.
Another victory for Toni Bou in Japan as the champion continues the full house of victories in the 2017 season. The Repsol Honda Team ace commanded a trial that proved to be a walk in the park compared to yesterday’s rain-soaked affair. The skies had cleared and the mud had dried by the time the competitors went through. As a consequence however, the difference between adversaries was drastically reduced. A series of errors tightened the fight for the championship leadership, which was not decided until the final fifteen sections of the course. This marks the sixteenth win for Bou in Motegi and allows the rider to stretch his advantage in the overall world championship standings to fifteen points over Adam Raga.
Japanese Repsol Honda Team team-mate Takahisa Fujinami once again went in search of the podium, although a minor error was enough to stop the rider repeating the success of yesterday. Fujigas posted fifth on the day.
Jaime Busto pushed hard in the second lap after a less-than-brilliant first time round. Lap two brought a five in section three before the young Basque produced a string of good results to take him level on points with team-mate Takahisa Fujinami. In spite of the draw the rider had to settle for sixth place as he had done yesterday.
Next date for the World Trial Championship takes place on the 17th (qualifying) and 18th (race) June in Sant Julià de Lòria, Andorra. The weekend before Bou and Busto will be in action in the Spanish championship in Arnedillo.
Toni Bou
It couldn’t have been better this weekend. Despite suffering a lot today because the trial was extremely easy, there was a lot of pressure not to make mistakes that would have complicated the final result. But I was able to achieve it with a zero in the last zone and win the race. I'm happy to have been able to put up with the pressure and I want to thank the team for a great job this weekend. We will see how the next events go, but we have made a good start to the World Championship.
Takahisa Fujinami
It was a shame because I thought I would have been able to repeat the podium of yesterday. I have had a slight problem with the chain in one of the easy zones and I think it was fatal, because I missed out on a final prize. Fifth is not bad, but I thought that I would have been closer to Toni as it was so closely fought today… it has left a bad flavour in my mouth. But, on the whole, I'm happy with how it went this weekend, to be back in competition in Japan and the whole public that has encouraged me non-stop from section one through to section fifteen. Many thanks to all the fans.
Jaime Busto
Even though the result is the same as yesterday’s sixth place, I think I've done a little better. In the first round they gave a very harsh ‘five’ and I made a lot of mistakes in the final sections, which were quite easy. On the second lap I fell in section three and from then on I finished the trial almost without penalty marks. A pity because I wasn’t able to make amends for the disastrous first round.
Private: Miquel Cirera
Today was a different race than yesterday: much drier, more simple and so everything was much more equal and mistakes were costly and could mean a rider easily missed out on a podium place. Toni worked hard to win. It must be recognized that Adam Raga had a great trial, worthy of the great rival that he is. Fujinami fought hard, like Jaime, but they were left without a prize. They have done some extraordinary things, especially Jaime, but they made mistakes and in the world championship and that comes with an expensive price. We will continue working and I have to acknowledge the great work that the team has done in this trial which although we are not "at home", we nevertheless did everything well. We will continue fighting. See you all back in Europe.
Results TrialGP of Japan, Day2
Pos. | Rider | Num | Nation | L1 | L2 | L3 | T3 | Team | Constructor | Points |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Bou Toni | 1 | SPA | 8 | 14 | Repsol Honda Team | Montesa | 22 | ||
2 | Raga Adam | 67 | SPA | 14 | 9 | 1 | TRRS Factory Team | TRRS | 24 | |
3 | Cabestany Albert | 37 | SPA | 16 | 14 | Sherco Factory Team | Sherco | 30 | ||
4 | Fajardo Jeroni | 47 | SPA | 25 | 8 | Vertigo Factory Team | Vertigo | 33 | ||
5 | Fujinami Takahisa | 3 | JPN | 20 | 15 | Repsol Honda Team | Montesa | 35 | ||
6 | Busto Jaime | 69 | SPA | 26 | 9 | Repsol Honda Team | Montesa | 35 | ||
7 | Dabill James | 7 | GBR | 21 | 15 | Gas Gas Factory Team | Gas Gas | 36 | ||
8 | Kadlec Franz | 11 | GER | 29 | 25 | Gas Gas Factory Team | Gas Gas | 54 | ||
9 | Price Jack | 34 | GBR | 27 | 28 | Gas Gas Factory Team | Gas Gas | 55 | ||
10 | Kuroyama Kenichi | 98 | JPN | 21 | 37 | Yamaha Racing | Yamaha | 58 | ||
11 | Gelabert Miquel | 10 | SPA | 39 | 24 | Sherco Factory Team | Sherco | 63 | ||
12 | Bincaz Benoit | 16 | FRA | 45 | 23 | Scorpa Factory | Scorpa | 68 | ||
13 | Ferrer Alexandre | 13 | FRA | 41 | 27 | Sherco Factory Team | Sherco | 68 | ||
14 | Karlsson Eddie | 12 | SWE | 2 | 26 | RG Team | Montesa | 68 | ||
15 | Grattarola Matteo | 9 | ITA | 49 | 20 | Gas Gas FG Italia | Gas Gas | 69 | ||
16 | Casales Jorge | 33 | SPA | 42 | 30 | 1 | Beta Factory Racing | Beta | 73 | |
17 | Noguera Oriol | 15 | SPA | 39 | 34 | MRW Gas Gas Trial Team | Gas Gas | 73 | ||
18 | Nozaki Fumitaka | 99 | JPN | 42 | 36 | Sherco Factory Team | Sherco | 78 | ||
19 | Gubian Loris | 14 | FRA | 39 | 39 | Beta | Beta | 78 | ||
20 | Ogawa Tomoyuki | 97 | JPN | 47 | 33 | Honda Team Mitani | Honda | 80 | ||
21 | Farre Arnau | 19 | SPA | 51 | 38 | RFME Spea | Gas Gas | 89 |
Location Information
Race format | 12 sections x 2 laps |
Twin Ring Motegi, Haga District, Tochigi Prefecture, Japan - View in Google Maps
Records
Podium 2024 -day2- | Toni Bou - Adam Raga - Gabriel Marcelli |
Podium 2024 -day1- | Toni Bou - Gabriel Marcelli - Adam Raga |
Podium 2023 -day2- | Jaime Busto - Toni Bou - Adam Raga |
Podium 2023 -day1- | Toni Bou - Jaime Busto - Adam Raga |
Podium 2019 -day2- | Toni Bou - Adam Raga - Takahisa Fujinami |
Podium 2019 -day1- | Toni Bou - Adam Raga - Takahisa Fujinami |
Podium 2018 -day2- | Jaime Busto - Toni Bou - Adam Raga |
Podium 2018 -day1- | Jeroni Fajardo - Adam Raga - Takahisa Fujinami |
Podium 2017 -day2- | Toni Bou - Adam Raga - Albert Cabestany |
Podium 2017 -day1- | Toni Bou - James Dabill - Takahisa Fujinami |
Podium 2016 -day2- | Toni Bou - Adam Raga - Takahisa Fujinami |
Podium 2016 -day1- | Adam Raga - Toni Bou - Takahisa Fujinami |
Podium 2015 -day2- | Toni Bou - Takahisa Fujinami - Jeroni Fajardo |
Podium 2015 -day1- | Toni Bou - Jeroni Fajardo - Adam Raga |
Podium 2014 -day2- | Adam Raga - Toni Bou - Albert Cabestany |
Podium 2014 -day1- | Adam Raga - Toni Bou - Takahisa Fujinami |