P116
CN
III MOTO MEMOS
BY DAVID BULMER
S
illy season in the MXGPs
is generally a pretty com-
posed and orderly affair.
While there are lots of rumors
and talk during the races, once
the action on the track is over,
things are usually sorted out
with little fuss and not too many
surprises. However that certainly
isn't the case with the newly
created Wilvo Yamaha MXGP
team, formed out of the ashes
of Steve Turner's Wilvo Virus
Performance KTM team, which
closed up shop at the end of the
2016 campaign.
One spot was a pretty obvi-
ous choice with Shaun Simp-
son moving back to Yamaha, a
brand he had so much success
with a few years ago, including
the shock MX1 victory at 2013
MXGP of Lierop as pretty much
a privateer. Many people at the
time thought that Yamaha should
have stepped up and supported
him the following year, but
instead he made the switch to
KTM where he has also enjoyed
a lot of success. Having gotten
married in October, he hasn't
spent too much time back on his
new steed, but he already said
in interviews that he feels like
he'll be comfortable on a familiar
machine and in a team environ-
ment run by well-respected
Louis Vosters.
Originally Simpson's partner
THE OTHER SILLY SEASON
Will a clerical
error keep hot
Russian prospect
Aleksandr
Tonkov from
racing—and for a
long time?
