Warm-up
An iffy weather forecast gave way for brilliant conditions as home-rider Roman Gwiazda took the top spot in front of the excitable crowd, over Harry Walker and Tarald Hellebust. The gap between the top three riders was only +0.091, and certainly pointed towards the GP races being a closely fought affair. Qualifying victor, Zack Decker, would post the sixth quickest time whilst red-plate holder Patrick Turrini only completed two laps.
Race 1
Gates down and as was the case in the qualifying race yesterday, Zack Decker made the best start to claim the holeshot. Mclernon and Turrini slotted into second and third positions. Both riders have had success at Gdansk in the past and would certainly be looking to rekindle that success by taking the fight to Decker. Kevin Saar and Manfred Zienecker were on the cusp of the top seven positions and would have work to do over the following 25 minutes.
Unfortunately, Harry Walker would retire from the race after completing only two laps, and that would be a big blow for the Brit in terms of the world championship standings. The man who took overall victory here 12 months ago would be forced to watch from the sidelines knowing that he would not be taking any points in race one.
Decker’s gameplan was evidently the same as yesterday – get to the front and break the opposition. He gently opened his leading margin throughout the race, and it would hover around 3.5 seconds over Turrini, who muscled his way past the 919 Yamaha of Mclernon. Mclernon would fall into the clutches of hard-chargers Saar and Zienecker and did a brilliant job of defending the final podium position until a slight mistake saw him on the outside line, unable to defend from the Estonian and German. He kept tabs on them but would not be able to take opportunity of reclaiming those positions and would eventually race home to a secure fifth place.
Turrini was matching the pace of Decker, but the American was just out of reach which left Turrini unable to make a challenge. In the post-race interview, Turrini mentioned that a good start could make the difference in race 2.
Karl Robin Rillo held a great sixth position through the race, but would retire just inside the latter stages, resulting in no points on the board for the Estonian.
Further down the order, Sylvain Petit was having a storming ride! 14th at the end of lap one, he soon picked off his opponents and was harassing both Matteo Stiller and Dafydd Davies for seventh place as the race headed towards its final minutes. He fought through on both riders and would not relinquish those 14 points – a great ride from the Frenchman. Davies defended superbly from Stiller, but Stiller spotted a chink in the armour. One move later, and he was up to eighth place ahead of the Welshman.
Out came the chequered flag and Zack Decker took the full 25 points with a superb ride, leading from gate-drop to flag, ahead of Turrini by three seconds. Saar held firm to settle the podium and limit the damage inflicted in the world championship.
Results
1. Zack Decker
2. Patrick Turrini
3. Kevin Saar
4. Manfred Zienecker
5. Mark Mclernon
Race 2
For the first time this weekend, it would not be Decker to take the holeshot but, instead, it was Walker who made the best launch from the gate. He led briefly, until Turrini swooped through to take charge. Decker, in fifth position, would have some work to do before he could challenge Turrini for the lead. Kevin Saar didn’t have a great start and again, would have to work his way through the field to have any chance of claiming the major points.
Decker was soon on the rear axle of Turrini and, not before too long, made his move on the Italian. It seemed that Turrini would try to latch onto the rear of the 123 Yamaha, but fortune would not be on his side as his Yamaha cut out and had to be wheeled back into the pit area. This issue would cost the series leader five laps, and any opportunity of claiming points in this second race. This would be the first time he finished outside the top three in a race since the opening race in Vesoul, last year.
Manfred Zienecker was showcasing his speed once more and, once he was in second position, he set about solidifying and confirming himself in place, pulling out an insurmountable advantage over Walker.
Inside the top-five was Mclernon, who was looking good for a solid weekend at a track he loves, but the tables would turn as he dropped down the timing screen. Misfortune would also strike for Karlis Neija and Jiri Brhel, who became tangled together and took some time to free their machines from one another. Kacper Mieszkowski would become victim to incident too, as he parted company with his machine which promptly restricted him from getting immediately onto his feet. He would recover to claim 20th position and take the final point on offer.
Jordi Niclas Gieler fought past Walker to take the final rostrum position, but Saar was coming on strong. He came by Walker and slipped through to take the position away from Gieler who, again, was to experience bad luck as his machine stopped on the final lap, outside the mechanics area. He would eventually be credited with 18th place.
Nothing could stop Zack Decker, as the 22-year-old made history as the first American to take an overall victory in the Quadcross World Championship as he went 1-1 for a perfect weekend in Poland. Zienecker and Saar would complete the race 2 podium, as well as the overall results.
Results
1. Zack Decker
2. Manfred Zienecker
3. Kevin Saar
4. Harry Walker
5. Sylvain Petit
Overall Results
1. Zack Decker – 50
2. Manfred Zienecker – 40
3. Kevin Saar – 40
4. Sylvain Petit – 30
5. Matteo Stiller – 28
Championship Standings
1. Patrick Turrini – 251
2. Kevin Saar – 222
3. Harry Walker – 197
4. Manfred Zienecker – 173
5. Mark Mclernon – 165
Five out of nine down, and it would’ve seemed that everything was under control in the Quadcross championship. That could not be further from the truth, as evident by the events of this weekend, showing that a slight wobble in just a single race could swing the pendulum of momentum one way, or another. Thankfully, we only have one week to wait before the next instalment of the world championship as we head over the Karksi Nuia, Estonia, for the sixth round.
One thing that is certain is that you will not want to miss any of the live action on www.fim-moto.tv, and keeping up to date on all of the latest news on www.fimquadcross.com.
By Bradley Hix
