OPPDAL (NORWAY), 7 March 2009 - Two time Snowcross World Champion Peter Ericson (Sweden) won the second event for the FIM Snowcross World Championship in Oppdal, Norway.

 

Niko Korsumaeki (Finland) was second and took the Championship lead while Petter Narsa (Sweden) finished third. Previous leader and defending Champion Emil Oehman had a technical problem and dropped down to eight.

 

After Italy riders have been continuing the Snowcross World Championship in Norway, at the 600 metres height above the sea level. In Oppdal there is a lot of snow everywhere around, so the local organizer Snohetta MK Oppdal held the great event in the sunny day. Although the temperatures were not too low, the cold wind gave the feeling of the real Scandinavian winter time.

 

The event was full of turnabouts. As we could see already at the first event, this season will be really interesting till the end. Emil Oehman (Sweden), who came to Norway as the Championship leader won the Qualifying Race of the first group. Adam Renheim (Sweden) won the second Qualifying Race.

 

In the first race Swedish rider Peter Ericson was the fastest at the start. He was leading through the whole race. More exciting was the fight for the second and third position, specially for the home Norwegian spectators. Their local rider Jostein Biti (Norway) started on the second position, but finished fourth. Niko Korsumaeki (Finland) and Dan Lang (Sweden) finished second and third, as Ericson was too fast at the leading position. Emil Oehman did not finish the first race. He had problems already at the very beginning. He did not take a very good start. Then the problems with his bike started and he could not continue the race.

 

In the second race young Swedish rider Petter Narsa showed that the good result from the first event was not really a big surprise. In his first year in the World Championship he already became an important part of the big competition. At the start he was the fastest of all the riders. Oehman was just behind him and in the second lap he was already the new leader. When the young Narsa could not continue the strong tempo of Oehman, Ericson came to the second position. Till the end Ericson was the only rider who came close to Oehman, but he could not pass him. He finished second. Other riders were far behind the first two. Narsa was third at the end.

 

Peter Ericson (Lynx) was the winner of the event. He was very happy that he won after he had many problems in the last season and he did not defend his World Title from season 2007. Niko Korsumaeki (Lynx) got his second podium and he is the new Championship leader. He is leading in front of Ericson for two points. For Korsumaeki this is the last season in the World Championship and he would like to finish his career with the World Champion Title. Now he is on the best way to realize his dreams. Petter Narsa finished on the podium on the third position. This was the first podium for the young rider, who was better of his friend and teacher Emil Oehman. Narsa said: “I am glad to finish on the podium in front of Oehman but I know he is still much better than me.” In the Championship Classification he is on the fourth position, while Oehman is third with nine points arrears to the first position.

 

The final event for the FIM Snowcross World Championship will be at the end of March in Sweden.

 

RIDER’S COMMENTS:

1^st – PETER ERICSON (Sweden): “The conditions today were completely different as a week before in Italy.  The race track was good, very wide and it was easier to find a good line. After some jumps there were softer parts. So we had to change settings of the suspension. The result shows us that we did a perfect work.  The first race today was easier, I was leading from the beginning. The second race was more difficult and I am glad I finished second. Sometimes it is difficult to make exact plans for the preparations, but my preparations for the season were going on well. Next weekend I will compete in the Swedish Championship. Then I will focus for the last event for the World Championship.”

2^nd – NIKO KORSUMAEKI (Finland): “I am satisfied with the result and with my racing. I am satisfied also with my preparations for the season. I took two podiums in two events. Today I took also the Championship lead. After the Italian event I did not have a time for some more practice because it was a long way to come to Norway. The race track was good prepared. In Italy the race track was very fast, here the race track was more technical. I hope for a good result at the last event in Sweden and maybe I will become the new World Champion. It would be perfect.”

3^rd – PETTER NARSA (Sweden): “I am very happy with today’s result, it is my first podium at the World Championship’s event. We had good conditions, the race track was good prepared. In the first race I did not make a good start. In the second race I started as the first but then Emil Oehman overtook me. I am small rider, the snowmobile is big and heavy, so I am very tired after the race, specially in my hands. Before the season we had been testing a lot with the team. I think my bike is perfect.”

 

LINKS

Youthstream

FIM

Snohetta MK Oppdal

 

 

Information, photos and results are online at www.worldsnowcross.com, the official website of the FIM Snowcross World Championship.

 

Freecaster.tv is the prime source of LIVE and On-Demand coverage for action sports on the Internet. Watch the 2009 FIM MX1/MX2/MX3 and Women’s World Championships, the 2009 SuperMoto World Championship and the 2009 FIM Snowcross World Championship races exclusively, LIVE and free on www.freecaster.tv.

 

Youthstream is the company that manages the exclusive television, marketing and promotional world wide rights of the FIM Motocross World Championship, the FIM Motocross of Nations, the FIM Women's Motocross World Championship, the FIM Veteran's Motocross World Cup, the FIM Junior Motocross World Championship, the FIM SuperMoto World Championship, the FIM SuperMoto of Nations, the FIM Snowcross World Championship, the UEM Motocross European Championship, the UEM Motocross of European Nations and the UEM SuperMoto European Championship.

 

www.worldsnowcross.com

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