Crans-Montana [Switzerland], September 21 : With 233 points after two rounds of INDE Racing, Indian representatives at the FIM E-Xplorer World Cup, are primed for a podium finish in the Grand Final in Crans-Montana, Switzerland. Ahead of them on the table are Bonnell Racing with 236 points and Honda Racing Company with 253 points.
INDE Racing, on Saturday and Sunday, can accumulate points through both races for a final push to stand on the podium in Switzerland.
"We are now in the business end of the World Cup. In these two races in the next two days, we can solidify our position on the points table and secure the first World Championship Title for a team from India. We are just a few steps away from making this vision a reality and I believe our riders will give their all to make it happen," Abhishek Kankanala, owner of INDE Racing expressed his hopes for a podium finish.
Sandra Gomez from Spain and Spenser Wilton from Canada are INDE Racing's riders, hoping to score maximum points in Switzerland to better their standing at the end of the Grand Final. Sandra finished second in the second round in Oslo and brought her total up to 135 points, the most by any female rider in the competition. Meanwhile, Spenser was injured before the second round and Norway's Runar Sudmann filled in his shoes to make it 98 points for the male rider.
Reflecting on the challenges so far Spenser said, "Missing the second round in Oslo due to my broken ankle made things tougher. We had to find a replacement rider to join in the middle of the season which is never an easy task. But the good part is we are in a podium spot and we are not too far off from the guys in first and second."
"It is a tight track and it will be filled with quite a few riders. It's going to be a tough battle with the start being key. We will make sure the bike is tested and ready today so that we get some good starts in the race and hopefully get as many good finishes as we can," he added.
The Swiss Alps will witness INDE Racing's riders navigate a technical and demanding course. The track for the Grand Final is a mix of supercross and enduroCross, with sequences of dirt jumps, including logs and scree, on an 850-meter-long circuit.
Sandra shared her thoughts on the track saying, "Every race is a challenge but this track is not my favourite type of track with a lot of jumps, a lot more supercross than I would like. But I don't shy away from challenges. My plan is to learn from my competitors, see how they tackle the corners and catch it very fast. The last race, at a motocross track, wasn't my favourite as well but I finished second so I believe I can adapt quickly to the track and give my team the best chance of finishing third or higher."