The Losail Motocross Track, which will host the first Grand Prix of the 2013 FIM Motocross World Championship on the 1st and 2nd March, hosted the first round of the Losail MX Championship last Friday. It was the first time that a motocross event was organized in an International track in Qatar and the event turned out to be a great success with the participation of 35 riders from 12 different nationalities: Qatar, Kuwait, USA, UAE, South Africa, Bahrain, Australia, Spain, Sri Lanka, Germany, France and Great Britain.
American rider Dennis Stapleton dominated the MX1 class and Abdullah Al Shatti from Kuwait was the best in MX2.
Mr Nasser Khalifa Al Attiya, QMMF President and FIM Vice President, said:
“I am very happy to start today the opening of the Losail MX track that will the scenario for the FIM MX1/MX2 World Championships on the 1st and 2nd March. We are doing this race as preparation for all the organization and to check our ability to organize the World Championship in a few weeks.
It was really tough for us to finish the track in 2 month, we have pushed very hard to have this come true. I would like to thank Talal Company and all the Losail International Circuit staff who really put all their support to build the track. It is a big moment for Qatar to have for first time an international motocross track in the middle east to host the world championship and moreover to have the race under floodlight in a night race as in MotoGP.
I also want to thank all the riders for their support to attend this opening round in the Losail MX championship and also thank the Arab Federation for supporting in the Arab MX Challenge. I hope that with the great number of participants from different countries, it will show how important is the Qatar field to promote the motocross in the region. We really look forward to seeing the GP world champion riders flying very soon in this track and enjoy all together.”