Miguel Oliveira, the greatest name in the history of national motorcycling, accepted the challenge to try, for the first time, the All-Terrain, racing in the 24 Hours of TT Vila de Fronteira, at the wheel of an SSV, aka, buggy.
At the end of the three hours of competition, with the 16th place guaranteed, from a total of 44 participating teams, it was assumed, in exclusive declarations to the Car Ledger , surrendered to the modality. Promising even and if the opportunity arises, “to return next year, even to do, not three, but 24 hours!”.
Pilot of the official Red Bull KTM team in the Moto2 World Championship, Oliveira appeared in Fronteira with his own team, “Miguel Oliveira Fan Club Racing Team”. This formation, however, resulted “from an invitation from a friend”, who decided to share his Can-Am Maverick X3 XRS in the SSVT1 category with the Portuguese motorcyclist.
“It was a very positive experience, I had a lot of fun, my colleagues helped me a lot in adapting to the car, and the result ended up being revealed”, commented, at the end, Miguel Oliveira. Recalling that “we had problems right on the first corner, due to a touch on another driver, which made us lose two minutes”, which was followed by another delay, “in the second round, when we were forced to enter the pits one lap before the time, due to the broken front transmission and at a time when we were only with rear wheel drive”.
After overcoming the technical problem, “we ended up having difficulties in making up for lost time, and when I got on the track, I also had to go out again with a lap to go, to refuel. So there were three stops, the last of which was unnecessary. Still, it is an experience to be repeated, without a doubt”.
Miguel Oliveira: “For me, next year, it ran the 24 hours”
Clearly surrendered to the experience, the Portuguese motorcyclist guarantees that, “next year, I don't know in which category, but I'll try to be present again. In fact, I didn't even mind racing with the SSV again and doing the 24 hours; or it could even be the two tests together! … But, finally, let's see how it goes, since, this year, my participation resulted from an invitation from Pedro Ferreira, everything was very fast, from one week to the next, very high. Still, it is clearly for repeat!”.
In the Moto2 World Championship, the certainty that, next season, “will be another season of hard work, with the aim of reaching the top”.