YVES DEMARIA CLINCHES 650 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP AT SWISS GRAND PRIX IN ROGGENBURG

The FIM’s MX3 Championship for bikes up to 650cc is the orphan series of the World Championships. It holds its races in different countries than the combined 250F/450 GPs and it does it for less money, prestige and press coverage. It is the back waters of Grand Prix racing, but, under the restrictive nature of MX1/MX2 racing, it is the only series that is open to young and old riders looking for a place to race.

Although the displacement limit is way up there in MX3, KTM’s riders chose a 531cc engine that puts out a claimed 65 horsepower. The bore and stroke are 100mm x 69mm. It uses a four-speed transmission, 52mm WP forks, Akrapovic titanium pipe and Dunlop tires (typically 773 for the sand).

Under a sunny sky, the final race of the 650cc (MX3) World Championship in Roggenburg, Switzerland, was important to Yves Demaria and Sven Breugelmans. the two KTM riders, both former 650 World Champions, had dueled all season for the title, both suffering injuries and setbacks, but both racing right up to the final round.

Yves Demaria was victorious in the title chase when his 3-5 was good enough to hold off the points that Breuglemans earned with a better 2-2.

Neither title contender won in Switzerland, as local hero Marc Ristori had a superb day, winning both motos and securing fourth place in the World Championship standings in front of his home crowd.

Yves Demaria can spend the rest of his Sunday’s reading the paper now that the Championship is locked. (photo by R. Verhagen)

Sven Breugelmans was second in Switzerland and second in the season’s overall classification second place in the MX3 World Championship standings. He was second also in the overall classification of the Grand Prix: the Belgian grasped two second place finishes in the last two motos of the season. Even if Sven had won both motos, he still would have ended up seven points behind Demaria in the final tally.

Sven Breugelmans’ only chance at the MX3 title would have been for Demaria to have trouble in Switzerland. No such luck for Sven. (photo by R. Verhagen)


Czech Martin Zerava was third,Yves Demaria fourth and Saso Kragelj fifth. Christian Beggi, who finished the MX3 Championship with the third place, was seventh in the first moto and did not finish the second one because of a crash.

American Bader Manneh was 11th in Roggenburg and 15th in the Championship (even though he didn’t race every GP and only finished 15 out of 30 motos).

Former Grand Prix star Jacky Martens is the team manager of the powerful KTM MX3 team. (photo by R. Verhagen)

RESULTS: 650 (MX3) GRAND PRIX OF SWITZERLAND
1. Marc Ristori…1-1
2. Sven Breugelmans…2-2
3. Martin Zerava…4-3
4. Yves Demaria…3-5
5. Saso Kragelj…6-7
6. Vincent Collet…11-4
7. Michael Stauffer…8-8
8. Enrico Oddenino…12-6
9. David Cadek…10-9
10. Stefano Dami…15-10
11.Bader Manneh…13-12

FINAL 650 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS
(After 14 of 14 events)
1. Yves Demaria………..560
2. Sven Breugelmans…547
3. Christian Beggi……….474
4. Marc Ristori……………455
5. Enrico Oddenino…….380
6. Martin Zerava…………295
7. Saso Kragelj…………..284
8. Jan Zaremba………….269
9. David Cadek………….248
10. Vincent Collet……..220