CANELINHA (BRAZIL), 13 September 2009 – Four years after the first ever attempt of a woman rider to race a Grand Prix, Brazilian Mariana Balbi did race the Honda Grand Prix of Brazil in the MX1 class marking the first ever female appearance in a Grand Prix heat.
Before Balbi’s achievement Stefy Bau, currently the Youthstream WMX Manager, was the first ever woman to try and race a Grand Prix. Bau’s attempt dates back to 2005 when the Italian tried to race her home event in Castiglione del Lago. Honda mounted Bau was 20th in the Last Chance Qualifying Practice –the last chance to take part to the Grand Prix after the two Qualifying Heats- and was forced to sit out of the event which she had entered in the MX2 class.
 |
| Balbi and Bau |
At Budds Creek in 2007 Puerto Rico’s Tarah Gieger became the first female rider to race the Red Bull FIM Motocross of Nations but the Yamaha star never tried to race a Grand Prix.
This year Brazilian Mariana Balbi instead made it at her first attempt during the Honda Grand Prix of Brazil in Canelinha. Honda mounted Balbi qualified 28th and went through the two heats to take 24th and 20th. Eventually Balbi was 24th overall in the MX1 class to become the first ever female rider to qualify and race a Grand Prix in the FIM Motocross World Championship.
The series of female achievements in the FIM Motocross World Championship includes also the two FIM Women’s Motocross World Titles clinched by Livia Lancelot (2008) and Stephanie Laier (2009).
More photos available at www.motocrossmx1.com/galleryinfo.aspx
MARIANA BALBI-BIOGRAPHY
Name and surname Mariana Balbi
Nationality Brazilian
Place of birth Belo Horizonte
Date of birth (d/m/y) 23/10/1985
First GP raced 2009, GP of Brazil, Canelinha, MX1
LINKS
Freecaster.tv is the prime source of LIVE and On-Demand coverage for action sports on the Internet. Watch the 2009 FIM MX1/MX2/MX3 and Women’s World Championships, the 2009 SuperMoto World Championship and the 2009 FIM Snowcross World Championship races exclusively, LIVE and free on www.freecaster.tv.
Youthstream is the company that manages the exclusive television, marketing and promotional world wide rights of the FIM Motocross World Championship, the FIM Motocross of Nations, the FIM Women's Motocross World Championship, the FIM Veteran's Motocross World Cup, the FIM Junior Motocross World Championship, the FIM SuperMoto World Championship, the FIM SuperMoto of Nations, the FIM Snowcross World Championship, the UEM Motocross European Championship, the UEM Motocross of European Nations and the UEM SuperMoto European Championship.
9/14/2009 2:17pm
0 comments
To post, please join, log in or connect to Vital using your Facebook profile Login with Facebook.