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MXGP Switzerland

The Grand Prix of Switzerland brought an end to a frantic three-race-three-week schedule for Monster Energy Dixon Racing Team Kawasaki and Tommy Searle was able to gun his KX450F to a season highest classification of sixth position overall across the rutty Frauenfeld-Gachnang circuit for what was the fifteenth round of eighteen in the swiftly dwindling 2016 season.

MXGP rolled across the Swiss border for the first time since 2001 and a capacity 45,000 crowd enjoyed excellent summer conditions at the venue north of Zurich. The re-introduction of Grand Prix to the country found an eager audience and a new facility constructed around the industrial setting of Frauenfeld where a largely flat area space was flanked by grandstands and spectator banking. The ‘supercross effect’ gave the meeting a vibrant atmosphere and the track itself was a rough, rutted, bumpy prospect littered with jumps.

On Saturday the soil was still damp and churned after a stormy build-up to the grand prix. By Sunday the skies were clear blue and the ground hardening up significantly. Searle scored 8th position in the Qualification Heat and was set for the two motos on Sunday.

In the first race the 26 year old found his way to seventh place in a solid ride and started brightly in the second moto to keep pace with Evgeny Bobryshev and earn an impressive sixth; Tommy was just three points from a top four ranking for the day.

Searle now has 254 points in the MXGP Championship standings and sits in twelfth position; trailing Shaun Simpson by 23 and chased by Gautier Paulin with 225. Grands Prix visits Assen (Holland), Charlotte and Glen Helen (USA) to end the season in the coming weeks starting with the trip to the Netherlands on 28th of August. Round seven of eight in the Maxxis British Championship takes place at Preston Docks on the 21st.