KALLIO WINS IN JAPAN, CLOSES ON CHAMPIONSHIP LEAD
18 September 2005 - KTM-Sportmotorcycles AG

Flying Finn Mika Kallio was declared the winner of a crash-shortened Japanese Grand Prix at Motegi today.

Kallio was leading the race on his Red Bull KTM when it was red-flagged following a violent collision involving Swiss rider Thomas Luthi and young Spaniard Sergio Gadea.

This is Kallio’s third victory of the season and he is now just three points behind championship leader Luthi, with five races remaining. Luthi has 164 points to Kallio’s 161.

Both of Kallio’s Red Bull KTM teammates, Julian Simon and Gabor Talmacsi, crashed and failed to finish the race.

As Kallio led the field out of the final corner and onto the front straight at the end of lap 16 Luthi high-sided his Honda with both the rider and bike stranded on the track.

As the chasing pack weaved to avoid a collision Gadea, unsighted in seventh position, bounced off Luthi’s leg and slammed into his bike at full speed.

Miraculously neither rider was seriously injured although Luthi suffered a dislocated right shoulder. But both bikes were destroyed, with pieces of carbon fibre and debris spread across the starting grid area.

Race officials declared the race with positions decided on the last completed lap, 15, with Kallio winning ahead of Luthi and Faubel.

Simon crashed on the first lap while Talmacsi, who was always in the lead group of five riders, high-sided on lap 13 after leading briefly on lap ten.

Kallio made a fast start from the second row and raced hard with Luthi, Talmacsi and Mattia Pasini and led eight of the 15 laps, including the five completed laps before the red flag.

MIKA KALLIO #36 - First - Championship : 2nd/ 161 points

“I made a good start from he second row and when i got to the lead on lap three I tried to pull a gap but it was not possible, Luthi, gabor and the others stayed with me. There was some overtaking and then final Luthi and I made a small gap. But I was leading when he crashed and then I saw the red flag. The championship is now very interesting, just three points the difference , and I hope I can maintain the pace until the end of the season.”

GABOR TALMACSI #14 - DNF - Championship : 3rd/ 120 points

”Incredible, this is not my normal performance. Perhaps I was a little nervous because some other riders were passing me on the straights with top speed and I had to work hard to go back in front. I lost some positions when I made mistake with the gearshift and then just as pasini passed me I opened the throttle in the corner and I was down. Now the championship is very difficult for me.”

JULIAN SIMON #60 - DNF - Championship: 7th/ 97 points

“I had just overtaken Hector Faubel on the first lap when I had a big rear-end slide and crashed, not a good day for me. I’m OK, just a little bruising in my lower back.”

www.ktm.at

More News
  For September 2005
  From KTM-Sportmotorcycles AG
  For 125
  Biker247.com Home Page