Many didn’t know what to expect coming into the first ever AquaX World Championship in Key West, FL. this past weekend. RIVA Racing’s Brian Baldwin and his ’17 Yamaha GP1800 WaveRunner squared up against RIVA Racing teammates Nicolas Rius and Eric Francis. Francis had carried the first race on Saturday, with Baldwin managing third during the day’s only heat.
That didn’t stop the North Carolina native, as on Sunday Baldwin sped ahead of Rius and Francis; Francis grabbed second place during Sunday’s first moto and Rius followed his second place finish on Saturday with a third place finish, despite having dislocated his shoulder during the race. The final moto on Sunday would mean everything and the stakes were high.
Just 10 points separated the Top 3 has they headed into the final race of the 2017 AquaX season. Almost immediately, Francis was downed with a mechanical failure before the race even started, and with Rius nursing an injured shoulder, it suddenly looked like Baldwin’s race. Baldwin nabbed the holeshot and Rius – even with a dislocated shoulder – gave chase for several laps.
Unfortunately, the pain grew too much and Rius dropped out, giving Baldwin his second race win for the day and the top spot of the first AquaX world title. Rebounding from a mechanical issue in race two, Erminio Iantosca pushed hard to reel in Baldwin, but fared with a second place finish. European racer Thomas Favolini came in in third on the final moto.
Complete coverage from the weekend’s racing will be published later tonight on The Watercraft Journal with a comprehensive recap and photo gallery.
