It was weekend of differing fortunes for GL12 Racing KTM riders Mike Kras and James Dunn at Redsand in Spain.
The Dutchman, lying joint second in the EMX300 points after the opening round at Valkenswaard, topped qualifying by over one-and-a-half seconds before ripping to the win in both races to convert an eight-point deficit into a four-point championship lead.
By contrast, Dunn – who dropped down into EMX250 to take on the four-strokes on his two-stroke – had a much tougher time in Spain.
After a solid performance in qualification, an engine failure as he waited for the gate to drop on the opener meant he was forced to ride his spare the following day when he picked up a handful of points with a 15th-placed finish.
Bob Buchanan – Team Principal
“Spain has been good to us. It gave us our first win in 2014 with Lewis Gregory, Brad Anderson won there in 2016 and Mike delivered for us this weekend.
“He was strong from the off – pole and 1-1 tells you all you need to know – and he also gave us our first red series leader’s plate.
“Jimmy D was unlucky. After a good quali a component failure on the line robbed him of a fair crack at the weekend but we saw enough to know we’re on the pace so no stress, just frustration.”
Mike Kras – 1-1
“My weekend was a great one. When I saw the track I knew that I could do good – I liked the jumps and the more technical wave sections. In practice I put in a decent lap and was one-and-a-half seconds faster than second so I didn’t have to put in more laps and could save my energy.
“First race I lost balance on the start and went through the first turn in sixth but after two fast laps I was battling for the lead and then began to pull away.
“The second race was even better. I took the lead in the third turn and from there stayed consistent for a 1-1 and the red plate for Russia!”
James Dunn – DNS-15
“It’s been a disappointing weekend. We knew it was going to be a big challenge but in qualifying I felt pretty good with a time that put me 11th in my group with 21st pick for the races.
“I was very confident of getting a good start on the 250 two-stroke but, devastatingly, we had a freak engine failure causing it to blow up just as the five-second board went up so I didn’t start which was a bitter pill to swallow.
“I went out on my practice bike for race two on Sunday and salvaged some points but I feel I didn’t get the full potential out of myself and I’m hungry to do better at the next round.”