A positive Saturday showing at the Sachsenring turned to disappointment for the VisionTrack Moto3 squad as crashes curtailed its race day progress.
Despite ever increasing temperatures at the German track, Scott Ogden claimed direct entry into Q2 with the fourth fastest time in FP3 before continuing to shine with a top ten start for Sunday’s 27-lap battle. Teammate Josh Whatley also showed promise at an unfamiliar circuit, running just a second adrift of the outright pace before a Q1 crash called time early on the second day.
Both riders continued to impress as Sunday’s action fired up with Ogden running on the back of the leading group, in tenth, before the Doncaster teenager’s race came to a dramatic conclusion with a fifth-gear highside on lap five. Miraculously, after landing flat on his back at over 100mph, Ogden came away from the crash with no serious injuries and already eagerly anticipating the last round before the summer break, at Assen this coming weekend.
"It's a tough pill to swallow to not be able to finish the race after a such a positive weekend leading up to it,” Ogden admitted from Germany. “I'll be back at it again in Assen next week which is one of my favourite tracks.”
Whatley enjoyed his own progression in the German GP as he circulated in 22nd at the halfway stage before he was forced to withdraw following the injuries sustained in his qualifying crash.
"It's a difficult end to what looked like a promising weekend,” Whatley explained. “I was feeling quite beat up after the crash in QP and retired as I couldn’t hold on to the bike as I was in quite a bit of pain. Thanks to the team for giving me an awesome bike all weekend and for still believing in me!"
“Although the results weren’t what we had hoped for leading up to the race I’m still very pleased with the progress of both boys and the team,” Team Manager, Taylor Mackenzie summed up supportively. “We’ve solidified our position as a team that is regularly fighting inside the points now in this championship and I know it won’t be long until we have top five results under our belt.”
