Juha Salminen, BMW Motorrad Motorsport's former seven-time World Enduro Champion, has secured his best performances so far this season with a double Enduro 2 class result at the WEC GP of Mexico, held in Valle de Bravo.
Competing as the team's one and only rider at the series' only non-European event, Juha, who had also placed as runner-up on both days at the GP of Finland, was notably more competitive than at any other WEC event so far this year and placed just 32 seconds behind eventual class winner Johnny Aubert on day one.
Recording the fastest time in the Enduro 2 class around the Friday night Super Test Juha headed into the first full day of competition confident of challenging for the E2 class win. Going on to win the opening extreme test Juha held the E2 class lead at the end of the first lap but frustratingly crashed on the second motocross test, losing around 20 seconds. Riding well throughout the rest of the day Juha finished just over half-a-minute behind Johnny Aubert and in a well-deserved second position.
Although not quite able to win any of the second day's special tests Juha again enjoyed good form finishing just a few seconds behind Aubert on each of the enduro and extreme special tests. Placing comfortably ahead of third placed rider Cristobal Guerrero from Spain Juha ended the day extremely pleased with his increased competitiveness.
Juha Salminen - Enduro 2 class: "Although second isn't where I or anyone in the team wants to be finishing I can't be disappointed with the fact that I've been more competitive than at any other world championship race so far this year. It's been a really good weekend. We've made some big improvements to my bike before the race and they worked really well during the race. We still have some work to do but things are coming together well. I crashed on the motocross test on the first day, which cost me some time, but generally I didn't have any problems at all on either day. It's been a very positive weekend and with more time to test ahead of the next WEC race I hope we can be even more competitive."
Wolfgang Fischer - Team Manager: "It's been a very positive weekend for Juha and the team. Throughout both days Juha was more competitive than at previous WEC races, and for the first time he lead the E2 class for a complete lap - the first lap on day one. There is still some more work to do before Juha can battle for the class win throughout the day but things have taken a very positive forward step. Disappointingly Juha crashed on the first day, which didn't help his performance. Without the crash he would have been really close to Johnny Aubert at the end of the day. On average Juha was losing half of one second per minute on the motocross test to Aubert. With more testing and training time we are hopeful that Juha can find the few extra seconds that he needs to fight for victory."
2009 World Enduro Championship Grand Prix of Mexico
Day 1 - Enduro 2
1. Johnny Aubert (KTM) 1.17:25.96; 2. Juha Salminen (BMW Motorrad Motorsport) 1.17:58.68; 3. Rodrig Thain (TM) 1.18:29.14; 4. Bartosz Oblucki (Husqvarna) 1.18:59.46; 5. Alessandro Belometti (KTM) 1.19:42.20; 6. Cristobal Guerrero (Yamaha) 1.20:12.93; 7. Homero Diaz (KTM) 1.20:24.94; 8. Joakim Ljunggren (Husaberg) 1.21:01.49: 9. Valtteri Salonen (Husaberg) 1.21:34.29; 10. Chris Birch (KTM) 1.22:08.77; 11. Erwin Plekkenpol (Honda) 1.25:33.43; 12. Anuar Ruiz (Kawasaki) 1.27:01.25; 13. Patrick Garrahan (KTM) 1.27:11.60; 14. Jaime Garcia (KTM) 1.28:30.58; 15. Alejandro Sanchez (BMW) 1.29:05.49; 16. Jose Vanzzini (KTM) 1.30:22.46; 17. Javier Araya (BMW) 1.31:05.29; 18. Klaus Caballeros (KTM) 1.31:32.70; 19. Jeff O'Leary (KTM) 1.33:16.82; 20. Patrick Reyes (KTM) 1.36:33.19
2009 World Enduro Championship Grand Prix of Mexico
Day 2 - Enduro 2
1.Johnny Aubert (KTM) 1.21:29.11; 2. Juha Salminen (BMW Motorrad Motorsport) 1.22:12.33; 3. Cristobal Guerrero (Yamaha) 1.22:58.05; 4. Rodrig Thain (TM) 1.23:16.51; 5. Joakim Ljunggren (Husaberg) 1.23:28.48; 6. Valtteri Salonen (Husaberg) 1.24:01.26; 7. Alessandro Belometti (KTM) 1.24:03.83; 8. Bartosz Oblucki (Husqvarna) 1.25:18.84; 9. Homero Diaz (KTM) 1.25:37.59; 10. Chris Birch (KTM) 1.28:40.71; 11. Erwin Plekkenpol (Honda) 1.28:57.29; 12. Mike Hartman (Husaberg) 1.29:33.87; 13. Patrick Garrahan (KTM) 1.31:17.57; 14. Jaime Garcia (KTM) 1.32:48.20; 15. Juan Reyes (KTM) 1.33:34.41; 16. Anuar Ruiz (Kawasaki) 1.34:22.58; 17. Jose Vanzzini (KTM) 1.35:15.89; 18. Javier Araya (BMW) 1.36:34.43; 19. Cusi Sanchez (BMW) 1.36:58.61; 20. Patrick Reyes (KTM) 1.38:23.88
Standings Enduro 2 (12 of 16 rds.)
1. Jonny Aubert (FRA), 300 pts
2. Juha Salminen (FIN), BMW Motorrad Motorsport, 225
3. Bartosz Oblucki (POL), 219
4. Joakim Ljunggren (SWE), 205
5. Rodrig Thain (FRA), 180
6. Cristobal Guerrero (ESP), 171
7. Alessandro Belometti (ITA), 150
8. Simo Kirssi (FIN), 131
9. Valtteri Salonen (FIN), 122
10. Fabrizio Dini (ITA), 91
Competing as the team's one and only rider at the series' only non-European event, Juha, who had also placed as runner-up on both days at the GP of Finland, was notably more competitive than at any other WEC event so far this year and placed just 32 seconds behind eventual class winner Johnny Aubert on day one.
Recording the fastest time in the Enduro 2 class around the Friday night Super Test Juha headed into the first full day of competition confident of challenging for the E2 class win. Going on to win the opening extreme test Juha held the E2 class lead at the end of the first lap but frustratingly crashed on the second motocross test, losing around 20 seconds. Riding well throughout the rest of the day Juha finished just over half-a-minute behind Johnny Aubert and in a well-deserved second position.
Although not quite able to win any of the second day's special tests Juha again enjoyed good form finishing just a few seconds behind Aubert on each of the enduro and extreme special tests. Placing comfortably ahead of third placed rider Cristobal Guerrero from Spain Juha ended the day extremely pleased with his increased competitiveness.
Juha Salminen - Enduro 2 class: "Although second isn't where I or anyone in the team wants to be finishing I can't be disappointed with the fact that I've been more competitive than at any other world championship race so far this year. It's been a really good weekend. We've made some big improvements to my bike before the race and they worked really well during the race. We still have some work to do but things are coming together well. I crashed on the motocross test on the first day, which cost me some time, but generally I didn't have any problems at all on either day. It's been a very positive weekend and with more time to test ahead of the next WEC race I hope we can be even more competitive."
Wolfgang Fischer - Team Manager: "It's been a very positive weekend for Juha and the team. Throughout both days Juha was more competitive than at previous WEC races, and for the first time he lead the E2 class for a complete lap - the first lap on day one. There is still some more work to do before Juha can battle for the class win throughout the day but things have taken a very positive forward step. Disappointingly Juha crashed on the first day, which didn't help his performance. Without the crash he would have been really close to Johnny Aubert at the end of the day. On average Juha was losing half of one second per minute on the motocross test to Aubert. With more testing and training time we are hopeful that Juha can find the few extra seconds that he needs to fight for victory."
2009 World Enduro Championship Grand Prix of Mexico
Day 1 - Enduro 2
1. Johnny Aubert (KTM) 1.17:25.96; 2. Juha Salminen (BMW Motorrad Motorsport) 1.17:58.68; 3. Rodrig Thain (TM) 1.18:29.14; 4. Bartosz Oblucki (Husqvarna) 1.18:59.46; 5. Alessandro Belometti (KTM) 1.19:42.20; 6. Cristobal Guerrero (Yamaha) 1.20:12.93; 7. Homero Diaz (KTM) 1.20:24.94; 8. Joakim Ljunggren (Husaberg) 1.21:01.49: 9. Valtteri Salonen (Husaberg) 1.21:34.29; 10. Chris Birch (KTM) 1.22:08.77; 11. Erwin Plekkenpol (Honda) 1.25:33.43; 12. Anuar Ruiz (Kawasaki) 1.27:01.25; 13. Patrick Garrahan (KTM) 1.27:11.60; 14. Jaime Garcia (KTM) 1.28:30.58; 15. Alejandro Sanchez (BMW) 1.29:05.49; 16. Jose Vanzzini (KTM) 1.30:22.46; 17. Javier Araya (BMW) 1.31:05.29; 18. Klaus Caballeros (KTM) 1.31:32.70; 19. Jeff O'Leary (KTM) 1.33:16.82; 20. Patrick Reyes (KTM) 1.36:33.19
2009 World Enduro Championship Grand Prix of Mexico
Day 2 - Enduro 2
1.Johnny Aubert (KTM) 1.21:29.11; 2. Juha Salminen (BMW Motorrad Motorsport) 1.22:12.33; 3. Cristobal Guerrero (Yamaha) 1.22:58.05; 4. Rodrig Thain (TM) 1.23:16.51; 5. Joakim Ljunggren (Husaberg) 1.23:28.48; 6. Valtteri Salonen (Husaberg) 1.24:01.26; 7. Alessandro Belometti (KTM) 1.24:03.83; 8. Bartosz Oblucki (Husqvarna) 1.25:18.84; 9. Homero Diaz (KTM) 1.25:37.59; 10. Chris Birch (KTM) 1.28:40.71; 11. Erwin Plekkenpol (Honda) 1.28:57.29; 12. Mike Hartman (Husaberg) 1.29:33.87; 13. Patrick Garrahan (KTM) 1.31:17.57; 14. Jaime Garcia (KTM) 1.32:48.20; 15. Juan Reyes (KTM) 1.33:34.41; 16. Anuar Ruiz (Kawasaki) 1.34:22.58; 17. Jose Vanzzini (KTM) 1.35:15.89; 18. Javier Araya (BMW) 1.36:34.43; 19. Cusi Sanchez (BMW) 1.36:58.61; 20. Patrick Reyes (KTM) 1.38:23.88
Standings Enduro 2 (12 of 16 rds.)
1. Jonny Aubert (FRA), 300 pts
2. Juha Salminen (FIN), BMW Motorrad Motorsport, 225
3. Bartosz Oblucki (POL), 219
4. Joakim Ljunggren (SWE), 205
5. Rodrig Thain (FRA), 180
6. Cristobal Guerrero (ESP), 171
7. Alessandro Belometti (ITA), 150
8. Simo Kirssi (FIN), 131
9. Valtteri Salonen (FIN), 122
10. Fabrizio Dini (ITA), 91
