Grand Prix of USA closes awesome 2016 season for Pirelli in the FIM Motocross World Championship

Antonio Cairoli and Tim Gajser get podium in MXGP while Jeffrey Herlings dominates MX2

In front of a large audience the Californian track of Glen Helen hosted the last round of the FIM Motocross World Championship; the Grand Prix of USA. The American track presented a hard-base terrain with a loose and sandy top layer across a demanding and spectacular layout. For all Pirelli riders - in both MXGP and MX2 categories - the tyre choice came down to SCORPION™ MX32™ Mid Soft, front and rear; a tyre that on this occasion has proved its excellent performance by facilitating yet another victory for Jeffrey Herlings in MX2 and podiums positions for Antonio Cairoli and Tim Gajser in MXGP.

Cairoli was a superb runner-up in MXGP. The Italian finally competing without any physical problem that has often slowed him down during this championship term and the former winner showed his skills in two lively heats. Freshly crowned World Champion Tim Gajser finished the race on the same points as Max Nagl but was awarded with third place thanks to his superior ranking in the second moto. Jeffrey Herlings dominated both races in MX2 leaving his opponents to fight for the second place. Max Anstie took fourth overall and led Jeremy Seewer in fifth. The Swiss ended the championship as runner-up behind the unbeatable Herlings. 2016 was a perfect season for Pirelli with an annihilating fifteen wins out of eighteen in MXGP and seventeen out of eighteen in MX2, placing four riders in the top five of both classes and ending ‘16 with both world titles (MXGP and MX2), bringing the total number of World Championships won by Pirelli in motocross to a massive 66. The curtain fell on the season but there is still racing to be done. In two weeks a host of selected riders will be involved in the last act of this exciting 2016 term: the Motocross of Nations. Thirty years after the historic 1986 edition the 70 year old meeting be back at the Italian track of "Mottaccio del Balmone" in Maggiora. Race results: MXGP race 1   1.  TOMAC Eli (USA)   2.  CAIROLI Antonio (ITA)   3.  NAGL Max (GER)   4.  GAJSER Tim (SLO)   5.  VAN HOREBEEK Jeremy (BEL) MXGP race 2   1.  TOMAC Eli (USA)   2.  CAIROLI Antonio (ITA)   3.  GAJSER Tim (SLO)   4.  NAGL Max (GER)   5.  PAULIN Gautier (FRA) MX2 race 1   1.  HERLINGS Jeffrey (NED)   2.  MARTIN Jeremy (USA)   3.  FORKNER Austin (USA)   4.  COVINGTON Thomas (USA)   5.  HARRISON Mitchell (USA) MX2 race 2   1.  HERLINGS Jeffrey (NED)   2.  MARTIN Jeremy (USA)   3.  SEEWER Jeremy (SUI)   4.  ANSTIE Max (GBR)   5.  HARRISON Mitchell (USA) GP Overall: MXGP   1.  TOMAC Eli (USA)   2.  CAIROLI Antonio (ITA)   3.  GAJSER Tim (SLO)   4.  NAGL Max (GER)   5.  PAULIN Gautier (FRA) MX2   1.  HERLINGS Jeffrey (NED)   2.  MARTIN Jeremy (USA)   3.  HARRISON Mitchell (USA)   4.  ANSTIE Max (GBR)   5.  SEEWER Jeremy (SUI) Championship overall: MXGP   1.  GAJSER Tim (SLO) p.731   2.  CAIROLI Antonio (ITA) p.647   3.  NAGL Maximilian (GER) p.603   4.  FEBVRE Romain (FRA) p.564   5.  BOBRYSHEV Evgeny (RUS) p.545   6.  VAN HOREBEEK Jeremy (BEL) p.536 MX2   1.  HERLINGS Jeffrey (NED) p.739   2.  SEEWER Jeremy (SUI) p.625   3.  PATUREL Benoit (FRA) p.512   4.  ANSTIE Max (GBR) p.504   5.  JONASS Pauls (LAT) p.403   6.  BOGERS Brian (NED) p.398