The first event of 2012 UEM Supermoto European Championship started last weekend in Pleven for the classes SM Junior, S3 and Open with a good number of participants, especially in the Junior Class (15 riders).
Saturday practices were held in bad rain conditions, following a 2 weeks non-stop rain in the region of Pleven. The all tarmac facility in Dolna Mitropolia-Pleven made it possible to organize the race. The circuit and its facilities were operational at highest possible level as usual, offering the riders and their teams a perfect playground to show their skills and competitiveness.
Both heats in SM Junior Class were won by the Turkish rider Harun Cabuk (Honda), followed by another Turkish rider Asrrin Rodi Pak (Honda). The Bulgarian riders Veselin Ivanov (Honda) and Hakan Halmi (KTM) shared in both heats the third place, finally having Halmi at the podium for the third place in the overall standings.
In S3 class, the Bulgarian rider Georgi Gochev (KTM) dominated both heats leaving no chance for Borislav Stoimenov (KTM) and Mehmet Celik (KTM) to reach him. Stoimenov finished second in the overall and Celik third.
Angel Karanyotov (Honda) from Bulgaria started his 2012 chase for the title in the OPEN class with a double win in Pleven, whereas the second and the third positions on the podium were defined in the last lap of the second heat following a massive battle between Ata Nurcan (KTM) from Turkey, Alexander Georgiev (KTM) from Bulgaria and Sakir Senkalayci (KTM) also from Turkey. At the end the podium was composed by Nurcan finishing second, Georgiev with 36 points third and Senkalayci also with 36 points remained on fourth position.
The next event is scheduled for 3rd of June, again in Pleven, Bulgaria.
