GOWLAND TAKES FTR MOTO2 MACHINE TO SECOND PLACE AT VALENCIA FTR MOTO continued the evolution of its Moto2 World Championship machine as Graeme Gowland put in a sensational performance to finish in second place on the M209 prototype in Sunday’s final round of the CEV Buckler Spanish Championship at Valencia. Gowland, fourth in round six on his debut last Sunday at Jerez, once more proved the potential of the FTR machine as he improved his lap time aboard the M209 throughout the weekend and set his fastest lap of the weekend with six laps to go in the 19-lap race. “Every time I get on the machine we make huge steps forward,” said Gowland, riding under the Joe Darcey Team banner. “We know exactly which areas of the machine need to be addressed and even though we’re racing against superbikes I think podium finishes are possible. “We made some changes to the set-up in the warm-up on Sunday morning which were better again and we had a good race setting so the options for improvement keep coming, the potential is clear. Considering the machine only ran for the first time six weeks ago and some of the other Moto2 machines have been running since January I think the future for the FTR machine is really exciting.” Gowland finished 12th overall in the Extreme class race on Sunday with the Moto2 race winner, Daniel Rivas, finishing 11th. Ten Moto2 machines contested the final round and Gowland was catching eventual class winner Rivas by 0.6s a lap in the closing stages. “We’re very close now to beating the best Moto2 laps around Valencia and with the many improvements FTR has planned for the M210 machine everything looks really, really positive for the weeks ahead with the prototype,” added Gowland. FTR Moto director Steve Bones commented: “The commitment and performance from Graeme Gowland and the Joe Darcey Team over the past few weeks has been fantastic. An incredible focus on proving the potential of our Moto2 machine has been firmly achieved but Graeme’s performance here at Valencia could not have been better, it was everything one could have hoped for from a talented and clearly determined and motivated young racer.”