Bulgaria back on MXGP calendar
By Team TMX on 29th Mar 18
Bulgaria returns to the MXGP schedule for the first time in four years on August 25/26.
A replacement for the Swedish GP, cancelled in January, was always on the cards as Youthstream seeks to get as much mileage as possible out of the extraordinary Cairoli/Herlings confrontation it was simply a matter of finding somebody to stump up the fee and then a practical date.
Despite small crowds, seldom even reaching a thousand, Sevlievo was a regular on the calendar for more than a decade as the Bulgarian tourism agency covered the costs. However, internal pressures saw the withdrawal of support for an event which was regularly visited by either the head of government or the king.
Opposition has now clearly waned and negotiations have been ongoing for several weeks. A provisional agreement was reached before Valkenswaard but no contract could be signed until a suitable date could be found.
A direct replacement for Sweden on August 11/12 would have been a logistical nightmare for both YS and the teams involving a return trip to Switzerland before the series heads for Turkey the first weekend of September.
Such was the covert nature of negotiations that not even FIM officials knew of moves to run on August 25/26. Indeed, FIM MX chairman Tony Skillington, race director Ingo Partsch and his deputy Jiri Sitina, permanent technical steward Andy Summers and senior FIM MX doctor David McManus were all programmed to attend the World Junior in Australia that weekend.
Reason has prevailed and at the end of last week Bulgaria was confirmed for August 25/26 with the short hop to Turkey one week later.
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