Indonesian GP: Race Report
The team finished the second round of the overseas tour in Indonesia without scoring any points, after Joel Kelso crashed on the final lap while running ninth and Eddie O’Shea finished 19th.
Both riders faced a challenging weekend at Mandalika, with crashes playing a significant role in their performances.
Starting from seventh and eighth rows of the grid, Kelso and O’Shea both made strong starts, gaining three and four positions respectively. Their progress continued through the opening laps, with Kelso moving up to 13th and O’Shea to 20th by the end of Lap 3.
Both riders continued to make up ground, with Kelso making particularly strong progress. With five laps remaining, the Australian was fighting at the front of the group battling for the top six positions.
Unfortunately, Kelso was unable to avoid Hakim Danish and crashed on the last lap. It marked a second consecutive round without points for the Australian, despite the pace he had shown during the race.
“Again, a very, very difficult weekend. Unfortunately, the crashes made things difficult, especially with the pain. Overall, tough, our pace was actually quite strong, and I think we showed that today. We were in the group fighting for P6.
Unfortunately, I was taken out on the final lap, so we couldn’t complete what would have been a good race. We’ve been working extremely hard, and the crashes have made things particularly difficult for the team. I wanted to bring home a strong result, but now the focus is on Phillip Island. ”
Meanwhile, Eddie O’Shea, who was dealing with shoulder discomfort following Saturday’s crash, crossed the finish line in 19th place.
“I suffered more than I expected today. In Friday’s Practice, I had a highside entering turn 10 and took a blow to my left shoulder. The lack of strength in my arm made it very difficult to ride as normal.
Now it’s time to head back to the UK, get myself sorted and prepare for Australia in two week’s time. ”
The team now has a week off before travelling to Phillip Island, Australia, for the next round of the season. The Australian Grand Prix will be a special occasion for the team, as it is Joel Kelso’s home Grand Prix.