Cycle News Staff | November 7, 2023
The World Supercross Championship (WSX) resumed its schedule with round two at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi UAE, November 4. Logistic conflicts halted two previously scheduled rounds, but the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix went off as planned. After three main events for the SX2 and WSX riders, Max Anstie and Joey Savatgy stood atop their respective podiums.
Joey Savatgy came away with the World Supercross win and championship lead in Abu Dhabi.
Vince Friese was the talking point of the night in the WSX class. The MotoConcepts Honda rider technically took the win in race one after crashing into Dean Wilson and putting the number-15 (Wilson) on the ground. Friese continued to lead over Roczen, who also fell (on his own), and crossed the finish line first.
Joey Savatgy and Cedric Souberas finished second and third, respectively. Friese was later docked two positions for “dangerous racing,” which gave the advantage to Savatgy.
Wilson rebounded in race two to take the win. The 11-lap race kept the top two close as he kept Friese at bay, finishing less than a second behind. Friese’s block passes and brake checks weren’t well-received by Wilson, as he scolded the tactics on the podium. Roczen rounded out the podium with Savatgy in fourth.
Race three saw the current series champ, Roczen, finally take a win after struggling early in the night. He showed his usual speed and led from start to finish on the two-deep start grid. Savatgy and Wilson took second and third, respectively.
Savatgy’s 1-4-2 finishes gave him the night’s overall win and the series points lead. After their on-track fiascos, Wilson and Friese shared the podium in second and third.
“Once again, I wasn’t the best or fastest,” Savatgy said. “But going into the night, I had one goal, and it was to get three good starts and keep out of the chaos. As far as the rough racing and stuff, I expected it…the track was tight…there’s not a lot you could do about it.”
The WSX racers were greeted with a tight racetrack.
The SX2 division saw Max Anstie claim the win with 3-1-1 scores. The British rider excelled on the tight layout, and good starts rewarded him with wins in the second and third races. The Honda rider leads the points going into the final round.
“I knew I just had to execute each start,” Anstie said. “Hit my marks, my whoops, do my thing. Get through the first couple of corners clean; there was carnage if you weren’t out in front.”
Honda Nils rider Chris Blose started the night with a win in race one and backed that up with a pair of thirds. His 1-3-3 results earned him second overall. With Maxime Desprey going 2-9-2 for third.
Defending SX2 champion Shane McElrath finished a tough night with a pair of eighths along with an 11th. He dropped to ninth overall on the night and second in the series championship.CN
WSX
- Joey Savatgy (Kaw) 1-4-2
- Dean Wilson (Hon) 6-1-3
- Vince Friese (Hon) 3-2-8
- Ken Roczen (Suz) 14-3-1
- Cedric Soubeyras (Kaw) 2-6-5
SX2
- Max Anstie (Hon) 3-1-1
- Chris Blose (Hon) 1-3-3
- Maxime Desprey (Yam) 2-9-2
- Cole Thompson (Yam) 6-2-10
- Luke Neese (Yam) 9-5-6
Update November 7, 2023:
Following the 2023 WSX Abu Dhabi Grand Prix at Etihad Arena, Abu Dhabi, UAE, WSX hereby confirms Race Direction issued three (3) penalties to riders at the 2023 WSX Abu Dhabi GP as per the post-event penalty report.
The below penalties were issued by Race Direction, which is made up of the FIM Delegate, FIM Race Director and Clerk of the Course:
Penalty 1
Rider #3, Vince Friese: Two (2) position penalty for dangerous riding in WSX Race 1.
Penalty 2
Rider #49, Mitchell Oldenburg: Disqualified after entering the mechanics area backwards in WSX Race 3.
Penalty 3
Rider #3, Vince Friese: Two (2) position penalty for leaving the track and gaining an advantage in WSX Race 3.
WSX’s Race Direction will continue to retain full diligence on rider conduct, including ensuring all riders ride in a safe and responsible manner at the upcoming 2023 WSX Boost Mobile Australian Grand Prix.
“As we grow this new FIM World Supercross Championship, racing and the integrity, must be paramount, as is rider safety,” said SX Global/WSX’s CEO Adam Bailey. “As the promoters of the championship, we want to see hard racing that provides an incredible spectacle for fans and spectators; however, we rely on the FIM and their officials, to implement and enforce the rules to ensure both integrity and safety are always maintained.”
