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Sport

Dover’s GASGAS Aspar Team Moto2 rider Jake Dixon finally wins first Grand Prix with victory at Assen

By: KentOnline reporter multimediadesk@thekmgroup.co.uk

Published: 14:32, 26 June 2023

Updated: 14:33, 26 June 2023

Dover racer Jake Dixon is a Moto2 winner at last after an emotional victory at the Dutch Grand Prix.

Despite success in the junior categories, Dixon’s switch to the MotoGP feeder series full-time in 2019 had yet to pay dividends with a trip to the top step of the podium eluding him. However that all changed on Sunday as the Kalex Inde GASGAS Aspar Team rider beat Japan’s Ai Ogura to the chequered flag at Assen by 1.334sec with Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Ajo) in third.

The race was not for the faint-hearted, Dixon taking the lead with 10 laps to go only to make a mistake two laps later and drop to third. With Ogura now ahead and Acosta second it was the Spaniard’s turn to get it wrong, and when he almost took a trip to the gravel trap at the Gert Timmer chicane - and received a penalty - Dixon edged past.

With two laps remaining Dixon caught and pushed his way by Ogura and he stayed ahead with his rival unable to keep pace.

A tearful Dixon struggled for words after the race. Speaking to BT Sport, he said: “I’m speechless. I’ve got no emotion, I don’t know what’s going on.

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“Anybody that's out there from the UK that feels that it’s (a victory) never going to come, literally never, ever, ever stop believing.

“I was just biding my time like the team said. Took my time, bit by bit, caught them back, got into the lead and then made a false neutral and made it really hard work for myself.

“I never thought it (the chance to win) was going to come back. But determination wins.”

Dixon is third in the championship, 44 points off leader Tony Arbolino, and his win couldn’t have come at a much better time with the British Grand Prix at Silverstone next up after the summer break on August 6.

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