A flight into Basel on the Swiss/French border and one rental car later, we were at the Vesoul track. I recall racing here almost fifty years ago, but I cannot honestly remember the circuit layout at that time. This is a wide, open space on top of a hill, with a small amount of woodland on one side. The vast area is well laid out, with permanent buildings, having been long established hosting many top-flight events over the years. As early as eleven on Thursday morning, team Prunier were on-site setting up their camp. This was going to be a crucial weekend for them, and playing to the home advantage would be a key factor in their strategy. Whilst Nicolas Musset has won the world title three times as passenger, there has never been a French world champion driver, just as there has never been a British one. That is why this year’s chase is shaping up to be such a dramatic run-in.
Heavy Wednesday overnight rain had soaked the track, with more due Thursday afternoon, and over the next twenty-four hours. Thereafter, the weekend was set to be dry and warm. Friday morning and the day was indeed dry, with several teams having rolled in overnight. A huge delight for me was bumping into Hugo de Vries, a big, jovial Dutchman whom I last saw forty-two years ago during the 1983 season. He and I locked horns often that year, and we spent a good few minutes reliving those times.
Team Wilkinson was in place, with Joe Millard looking as bright as ever, piercing eyes full of intent and commitment. Koen Hermans and Ben van den Bogaart enjoy a seventeen-point safety margin totally dependent on consistency going into the final four races. This is as close as the red plate holders have been at this point in the season to securing Koen’s first title.
Two weeks from now we will be in Rudersberg eying up the final two races, and what happens here in Vesoul will determine the flavour of that final weekend. Finally, in fourth place, a further eighteen points behind the Prunier brothers are the Latvian Lielbardis siblings, much-recovered from their shaky early-season form.
Jobs today include an interview with Christian Goux, Monsieur Le President of the Moto-Club, and we are all keen to hear what he has to say about its history and achievements over several decades.
With the title race on such a knife-edge, we will obviously grab the key players ahead of the action. The EMX Quadcross title chase enjoys its final round here this weekend, so there is a very full programme to see and hear. It’s all eyes on qualifying tomorrow and the four big races on Sunday. So, if you can’t be here in person, make sure you catch the live action as it happens on the live stream courtesy of FIM-MOTO.TV.
Also, look out for all other information and late news as it becomes available on www.fimsidecarcross.com along with all our social media outlets.
From Barry Nutley
