A severe thunderstorm crossed the "Airtime Area" one third into Sunday afternoon´s pro race, turning the perfectly prepared track into a mud pool within minutes. Kirssi had ruled the proceedings before the rain as he dominated the early going. The downpour didn´t make a difference in the race order at first, until Kirssi took a bad line and crashed. Fellow countryman Samuli Aro used the opportunity to capture the lead.
Kirssi battled back and looked set to repossess the lead just when his engine died upon riding through a waterhole. This happened only 50 meters from the finish line.
At the very same moment the officials decided to red-flag the race due to safety concerns. Kirssi managed to push his bike past the checkered flag, while Chris Gundermann demoted him to third place.
The new champion was satisfied with the outcome, though. He had shown once again who´s the series principal. At least unless something unusual happens - like a freak of nature. Regardless, his team had all reason to celebrate what is Kirssi´s third German title and his second aboard the powerful BMW G 450 X.
"That was pure drama. It almost felt like the end of the world," Kirssi said with a wink. "Yet this is an outdoor sport, so you have to accept the forces of nature. I was able to reel in Samuli after my crash, but had no idea that the race was about to be red-flagged anyway. I attempted a pass about 50 meters from the finish line, which turned out to be a bad maneuver. The bike fatally stopped. So I had to push it over the finish line."
