PRESS RELEASE

A refreshing result
A good 5th place for the Yamaha Maco Racing Team
Doha, June 10 2012. Greg and his two co-riders, Gregg Black and Jason Pridmore, were in Doha (QAT) this weekend for the second race of the World Endurance Championship: the 8 Hours of Doha. They emerge from the burning sands of Qatar with a good 5th place.
The first day was dedicated to the running-in of the bike. It was a perfect occasion for Greg and his co-riders to get back in touch with this fast and demanding track, which had never been their favourite in the past. "The heat was dreadful" During the 3 hours of the free training session the next day, it became very quickly crystal clear that the tires would play a critical role in the race because of the extreme temperatures which reached up to 50. Both the people and the machines were to be put under considerable pressure. Luckily the qualifying sessions took place on Friday evening, allowing for the general conditions to be closer to those to which the riders are usually accustomed to. In this context, the Yamaha Maco Racing Team qualified 11th on the starting grid. An almost trouble-less race Saturday, the races start was given at 5 pm (local time), and it was Greg who was awarded this honourable, yet tricky, task. He was in 10th position when oil on the track caught him by surprise and led him to go straight into the sandpit. This luckily only cost the team a minute on the track and two in the stands. The rest of the race continued flawlessly, allowing the team to successfully reach the finish line at 1 am in place 5th in the EWC category. This therefore allows the team to get find their way back into the World Championship rankings after their misadventure at the Bol dOr. Greg was quite happy about the race: The heat was dreadful, especially during the first 30 minutes after the start you have to be very careful not to stay hydrated. During my 1st relay, I slipped on oil and so I lost some time there, but other than that, the race went smoothly. To finish 5th here, considering we never were at ease on this track, is very positive. It is actually my best result here. Next round: June 17th in Rijeka (CRO).