Team SR75-MOLSON produce a solid weekend in Liverpool with Frenchman Cyrille Coulon moving to third in the Garmin Arenacross Championship point standings.
Both pilots performed well throughout the afternoon’s races, showing their speed, class and determination in the superb – anything can happen – Garmin Arenacross environment.
The team have experienced the ferocity of trying to make the Main this year with Carl Nunn unfortunately being wiped out in two-out-of-three rounds while in a qualifying position. The speed of the French flyer is there every time he takes to the track on the RMZ450. Coulon’s consistent performance in his heat races showed control and an amazing ability to make passes in the tight confines of Arenacross.
Nunny had the same level of determination this weekend and with a more manageable start layout his amazing ability to get out of the gate showed all day. In his first heat Carl ran in second place behind Neville Bradshaw with ease and was beginning to put the pressure on for the lead before taking a big rock to the face.
He tried to clear his vision and lost his rhythm allowing Aussie Daniel McCoy through. Carl fought back but again took another shot. Ending the heat in sixth was not perfect after pushing for the lead but top six is the aim.
Cyrille’s first heat saw him pushed wide in the first turn but he used his head and skill to carve through the pack once again to a solid fourth place. He took a pounding on the way through and the thumb injury sustained in Heat One from flying debris would have an effect through the programme.
In Arenacross each pilot takes part in two heats and for the second the team-mates were paired up again – once more Carl made another great start. The team-mates ran laps together in the top five before Cyrille was able to make a clean move for fourth with Carl running a solid fifth.
The Head-to-Head races have seen some epic moves from all the pros with most guys respecting the level they are racing at. Contact is inevitable at times but the great pros get their work done in their passing with little or no contact. This was evident in the Coulon vs Izoird battle with a healthy respect and great skill in the passing.
The Head-to-Head final saw another class move from Coulon to cleanly take the lead from Banks-Browne but he didn’t make it out of turn two. Second place in the Head-to-Head and solid championship points is acceptable but Coulon’s speed and class perhaps deserved the win but that’s epic nature of Garmin Arenacross.
The quality of the field is so high this year that making the Main is difficult for any team and Team SR75-MOLSON were pleased to have both their pilots rocking up for the Main. And it was another wild one with Carl getting a great start and running with the mid-pack group – within sight of the podium positions. Cyrille again had to battle from dead last. Both pilots battled hard and Carl’s solid laps and focus in his first Main of the year showed his experience and status as a great racer. Despite being cleaned out by an out of control Loic Rombeau Carl got up on his feet and was able to limp his beaten body and bike over the line in eighth place.
There’s not a lot of time in the short Arenacross races to pull yourself up from last but when you have several smashed fingers and are riding with one dead arm it’s almost an impossible ask to move up the field. However, Coulon impressively worked to move up to an eventual seventh place at the chequers.
Coulon’s solid performances and determination to fight from the back in all four Mains has really paid off with a move to third overall in the championship with three rounds left to try and bridge the gap to McCoy and Izoird.
“Today was tough as I have been pushing for the Main Events but the fine line between getting in or just missing out is a difficult one to cross when you think your luck is gone,” says Carl Nunn.
“I came here to make solid laps and that is what I needed to do. The more racing I do the stronger and sharper I feel while out there with the ‘young guns’. It felt great to battle at the front in my heats and I now know I have the speed to run with everyone here.
“The [top] riders who didn’t make it to the main show just how close we all are. Hero to zero is how it can roll here at Garmin Arenacross. I know the team is giving it 100 percent and they always do, my KTM350 is perfect and I had fun out there. Thanks to everyone involved it was great to get in there and ‘goo it ba’…”
“I worked hard today to move in the championship and I want to win this race,” said Cyrille Coulon. “I make things difficult for myself but I make a good fight for this Garmin Arenacross Championship.
“I like the race and this tour very much and I like to make a show for the public and race hard. Everybody is working hard and I say thank you to the team and our sponsors for making this experience”
Team Principle, Geoff Walker added: “Many thanks again to all our team partners and growing number of supporters who are enjoying what we do here at the SR75-MOLSON Team. Your help and support is very much appreciated.”
