|
KTM Racing
 MX1 - Barragan tops podium at MX1 GP in Mallory Park
Victory was safe in the hands of KTM rider Jonathan Barragan in the MX1 Grand Prix of Britain on Sunday after he was third and first in the two individual motos.
The Spanish rider from the KTM supported Team Silver Action was in brilliant form on the man made track at Mallory Park, the first time the MX World Championships had competed on the varied and technically challenging circuit.
Confident and comfortable
Barragan, who kept his skills sharpened by winning an MX3 GP as a guest rider for the JM Racing team last weekend, looked confident and comfortable on the British circuit where sand had been mixed with the natural soil on the corners. "I had some problems with the shock in the first heat but we changed the settings for the second and it went much better for me. I am very happy to my have my first GP win for 2008 but I am a bit sorry that it has not come sooner than this," Barragan said. The Spanish rider said liked the jumps on the British circuit but there were a lot of bumps. "Riders here have to be really fit," he said.
Action packed finish
The track became deeply rutted and increasingly difficult to master as the day wore on and Barragan had an anxious moment in the final run in to the chequered flag in race two. He got caught up in the ruts and slipped off the bike but displayed a cool head and lightning reactions, was back on the bike in a flash without relinquishing any of his lead.
Valiant fourth in race on for Nagl
Red Bull KTM factory rider Max Nagl of Germany was not so lucky. After a valiant fourth place in the opening MX1 moto, Nagl came unstuck in the heat of the battle in the opening minutes of race two and a stone hit him on the nose. Dizzy and with the wound bleeding badly, he wasn't able to continue. Doctors suspected that he may have broken his nose and he will check on Monday with his own doctor in Belgium. Nagl was however quite positive about his riding in the first heat. "I liked the circuit here. It's a real English track with deep lines and I was up with the front-runners all the way in the first race." James Noble of Team KTM UK was tenth in front of his home crowd.
MX2 - Rattray and Searle second and third at MX2 GP of Britain
Red Bull KTM's Tyla Rattray snatched the first moto but got caught up in crashes in the second on a roughed up circuit at Mallory Park finishing overall second behind Italy's Antonio Cairoli in the GP of Britain.
Factory team-mate Tommy Searle was third and second in the two motos for overall third place in front of his home crowd while fellow Briton and KTM rider Shaun Simpson finished fourth. With Anthony Boissiere of the KTM supported HDI France team in sixth place, riders of the Austrian manufacturer took four of the first sixth places. The third Red Bull KTM rider, Rui Goncalves of Portugal had a luckless day and finished eleventh.
Tyla charges through pack in second race
Rattray made a huge effort to hunt down the leaders after dropping right back in the order in the early part of the second moto. He made an impressive charge from the back of the field, continually gaining ground on the front group. Although the gap between fourth and third was too great for him to breach, he did well to salvage his fourth place for 18 valuable championship points. The KTM factory rider from South Africa, while promising to come back strong in the next event, was clearly disappointed to have to relinquish the coveted red number plate as championship leader to rival Cairoli by a single point.
Committed to regaining red plate
"I plan to get the red plate back in the next GP," said a determined Rattray. "Today I got the holeshot in the first race and I managed to stay out in front all the way. It's hard to pass on this circuit and you have to be very concentrated to get good lines." Rattray did just that after being involved in two crashes in the first part of race two.
Searle hoped for more at Mallory Park
Tommy Searle was less than satisfied with his day in front of his home crowd, particularly when his chances of getting the lead in race one were spoilt by a close encounter with arch rival Cairoli. "My riding was OK but not brilliant today," he said. "I didn't have very good starts and I made a few mistakes. At the end of the second race there was just too much of a gap for me to be able to close it." Tommy now trails Cairoli by 10 points in what has developed into a three rider competition (Cairoli, Rattray and Searle) for the title.
Bad day for Rui Goncalves
Red Bull KTM's Rui Goncalves admitted his day had not been a good one. "I had problems with the lines in the first race and my riding as not good. I tried to relax more in the second but it just seemed to get worse. Then I had a crash and hit my knee and my head and blacked out for a moment." Goncalves will also get a medical check on Monday.
First time at Mallory Park Circuit
The man-made circuit at Mallory Park, some 50 km from the city of Birmingham, is constructed on the interior of an existing and well known road racing facility. It was the first time riders in the MX world championship have raced here on this technical and demanding circuit. The surface is medium soft and sand has been added to the corners.
YAMAHA RACING
MX2 - Second victory in a row for Cairoli
MX2-GP World Champion Antonio Cairoli entertained the vast crowd of 41,000 people at Mallory Park and the British Grand Prix by guiding his nimble Yamaha Red Bull De Carli YZ250F to a second victory in a row and his third of the season. The sixth round of fifteen in the 2008 FIM MX2-GP series took place under grey skies and among the rough and tricky terrain of the brand new venue but the Sicilian was able to shine brightly to regain the red number plate as world championship leader.
Mallory Park is steeped in road racing and motorsport history and can now add GP motocross among its chronicles. The course boasted some of the biggest jumps seen so far this year, although the new dirt cut up quickly the resulting deep ruts and single line in many places meant that overtaking was not easy.
Cairoli began the weekend in fine fashion with his fourth consecutive pole position and a comprehensive triumph in his qualification sprint. An average start, caused when he mistimed the gate, meant that he circulated in fourth and then third position for long periods of Moto1. Eventually he was able to increase his pace to catch Tommy Searle and a block-pass saw him rise into second even though Searle did not read the move and fell to the floor. Cairoli raised the temperature of the race in the closing stages as he drew to the back of Rattray and looked poised to strike for the lead until he was baulked by a backmarker on the last lap.
Building on his second position and judging the gate drop better for Moto2 the defending number one went to lead through the first few corners and then never looked back. Searle attempted to follow the Yamaha Red Bull De Carli representative but Cairoli remained mostly undisturbed to collect his fifth win from twelve motos. He also took possession of the red plate and helped give Yamaha an 8 point lead in the manufacturer’s standings.
Second highest YZ250F rider on the day was 3C’s Manuel Monni, who scored 8th place overall for his second best finish of 2008 thus far. The Italian rode to 7th position in Moto1 which was his finest effort since the rain-hit Spanish GP, where he made the podium for the first time. In the second race he was involved in a multi-rider crash at the start and also fell again in the formative stages. He nevertheless came back to a respectable 13th.
Nico Aubin had a hard weekend and never really found an effective speed or rhythm around the circuit. The Frenchman tried to push and gave maximum effort but his pace was not enough for the top five. A crash saw him lose a mid-top ten position but he recovered for 8th. A mechanical problem curtailed his involvement in Moto2.
Cairoli’s team-mate, Matteo Bonini, had a decent first race with 8th place; his best finish of the season to-date. Sadly he was caught in the same incident as Monni at the commencement of Moto2 and a damaged front brake meant that he tried but ultimately could not make the points. The Italian was 15th overall.
Utag Yamaha.com’s Martin Barr was back in action after recovering from a broken collarbone but lacked race fitness and was not inside the points.
Yamaha Ricci Racing’s Davide Guarneri received some positive news last week. The Italian was initially feared to be out for a sizeable part of the season with broken ligaments in his right knee. Further examinations revealed that he has actually strained two ligaments and could even be on the entry list for the Grand Prix of France in two weeks time.
Cairoli is leading the championship by one point from Rattray. Aubin is fourth but 75 points from the top three.
St Jean d‘Angely, near the west coast of France, is the venue for round six in a fortnight.
Antonio Cairoli, Yamaha Red Bull De Carli, 1st:
“It was a good weekend for me, I just had a bit of trouble at the start and this is something I will work on. I was lucky in the first moto because I found a hole in the pack in the first corner and then could get back to fourth from seventh place. When Shaun crashed I pushed hard to pass Tommy and then again to catch Tyla, but he rode really well and I had a problem with a lapped rider. I saw the door was open when I overtook Tommy. He did not slow when I went through, we touched and he went down. For sure it was not my intention to hit him. The second race was really good and I take confidence from a good start like that. We are very close together in the championship now and it will be a hard season ahead but I am enjoying it.”
Nico Aubin, Yamaha Ricci Racing, 16th:
“I felt better than I did yesterday and my bike worked really well but for some reason I could not get going in the motos. I had two good starts but I was too slow at the beginning of the first heat and I crashed down to 12th before finding a way back to 8th. It was not good but the best I could do. In the second race I felt I had better speed and better lines but when I started to push I had a little problem with the bike and the exhaust. It was a mistake and I am disappointed but these things happen. I have pushed a lot with the training and now I feel tired so I think I will make a blood test in Belgium this week because the team is working hard but I can’t give them the result.”
Matteo Bonini, Yamaha Red Bull De Carli, 15th:
“I made a bad start in the first moto but afterwards my rhythm was very good and to finish eighth was a decent result. In the second race I crashed at the start and lost a lot of time to recover and restart the bike. The front brake was broken so it was difficult to ride fast, so I just aimed for some points and could not make it. I am disappointed because I was quick on this track but I feel my level is improving each GP.”
Manuel Monni, 3CRacing, 8th:
“I’m quite satisfied with the result and I liked the track today. In the second moto I had my line cut at the start by Rattray and crashed and also stopped when there were many riders in a group stationary in front of me. I pushed back to 13th. The first moto was pretty good, I made some decent points.”
MX1 - Philippaerts keeps red plate with 3rd in UK
41,000 spectators, the largest attendance to see the FIM MX1-GP World Championship so far this season, followed Yamaha Monster Motocross Team’s David Philippaerts take his fifth consecutive podium with third position on his YZ450FM. A busy and demanding Mallory Park hosted the British Grand Prix under grey skies for the sixth round of fifteen in the 2008 campaign.
The brand new track provided riders with an unseen challenge and while the layout generally got a ‘thumbs up’ from the majority of the MX1 field, the new dirt was soft (from days of rain beforehand) and very rough; making overtaking a hard task. The course, built alongside – and using vast sections - of the historic road racing facility that used to entertain such luminaries such as Giacomo Agostini, Mike Hailwood and Barry Sheene, was inaugurated with some fantastic scenes.
Philippaerts was at the heart of the action in an eventful outing for the team. The Italian, and world championship leader, crashed on the third corner of the first lap of Moto1 after being hit by another rider, an incident similar to his accident at the start of the Italian Grand Prix last month. Despite a damaged silencer Philippaerts embarked on an incredible comeback, again akin to his situation and flight in Mantova. The 24 year old raced from 19th place to reach 2nd position behind title rival Steve Ramon. The Belgian’s team-mate Ken De Dycker was also close in third. With the trio running close together in the final laps and the crowd sensing a grandstand finish, Philippaerts lost traction on a damp part of the circuit deep into the penultimate circulation and again hit the floor. He recovered to take 5th position as De Dycker won metres from the flag.
In the next race the Tuscan, who started from 14th in the gate, his lowest position this season after failing to find a fast lap on Saturday, completed the first lap without incident and although he was nursing a painful rib from his last excursion he passed several riders, one of whom was a fading Ramon, to move into 2nd position. Crashes by Marc de Reuver and Julien Bill assisted his cause and although Jonathan Barragan ran away with the race to gain his maiden overall victory, Philippaerts was able to secure 3rd (a fresh Seb Pourcel took 2nd after failing to complete a single lap of Moto1) and the same overall ranking.
Josh Coppins, who tried some different front forks and adopted some suspension settings taken from tests in the UK during the week, qualified in 10th position and was handicapped with crashes on the first laps of both motos. The Kiwi started badly and was clipped on the first corner of race one and then went down twice more as he tried to come back from the rear. He eventually worked hard to manage 11th. In Moto2 he was held up by a fallen Lauris Freibergs on turn two and went down again. A result of 12th was the best he could manage on an even rougher track for 11th overall.
Yamaha Van Beers Racing’s Aigar Leok was just behind Coppins with 12th place. The Estonian took his YZ450F to 8th spot, equalling his season’s best so far, in Moto1 and then was 15th later in the afternoon.
Philippaerts increased his advantage in the MX1-GP world championship standings by one point and he now fronts the pack by 28. Coppins is now fourth and 55 from his team-mate. Yamaha head the manufacturer’s table by 4 points.
The Yamaha Monster Motocross Team will now have another free week before travelling to St Jean d’Angely for the Grand Prix of France and round six on June 15th. Both riders will be using the break for further tests in Italy.
David Philippaerts, Yamaha Monster Motocross Team, 3rd:
“My goal in the winter was to finish each GP in the top five and I’m happy because since Valkenswaard and round one I have been on the podium each time. I was 14th in Timed Practice but Saturday was a different day to Sunday! In the warm-up I changed the bike a little bit and it was great for the races. It was a little bit like Mantova for me! I crashed in the first corners and then pushed so hard to come back. The crash was stupid and ruined any chance of a top three, maybe even the win but I was pleased with the top five after being so far back. I just hit some water with my back wheel after the jump and it put me off the bike. I was happy with my riding though. The track was more difficult for me on Saturday than today and I could see from my pit-board that my times were fast.
I had some pain from my ribcage in the second race and took things a little easier. I got faster with each lap although I only passed two riders, Mackenzie and Ramon. I really like the next track in France, it was where I took my first Grand Prix win and I hope we continue with the good results.”
Josh Coppins, Yamaha Monster Motocross Team, 11th:
“A day of bad luck. I had a bad jump in the first moto and then someone on a Kawasaki went a bit wide and pushed me out. I was about 15th and then crashed. I started from last and then hit a false neutral; going down again. I worked my way back to 11th. In the second race I got away OK but then Freibergs had crashed just over the little jump of the second corner. I was already committed and jumped straight into the back of him. I had to stop to take off the fork-guard because it was in the front wheel and I did not want to go over the big triple like that. I went from last to 14th. Overall there was not much I can do; it was a terrible day and I am disappointed. Realistically I need to qualify better to get a better start but I was unlucky. I just need to keep working.”
Massimo Raspanti, Racing Manager:
“It was a hectic day! David made a good race in the first moto, he was almost last but he was faster than the others and rode well. In the final two laps he pushed to pass Ramon and win but he changed his line and crashed. He was not quicker than Pourcel in the second moto but the result was good for the championship. Josh was unlucky and it took him some time to get going after the crashes. The results were not good but there was not much more he could do.”
Team Suzuki
TEKA SUZUKI PODIUMS AT MALLORY MX1
Team Teka Suzuki WMX1 riders Ken De Dycker and Steve Ramon dominated the opening moto of the British Motocross Grand Prix at Mallory Park to finish first and second on their factory RM-Z450s.
Backing their opening display of dominance up with solid rides in moto two the pair of Belgian racers were able to finish second and fourth overall with De Dycker being the podium visitor.
The Mallory Park circuit was in prime condition for today's races and when the gate dropped for moto one of the sixth round of the FIM World Motocross Championship, both Ramon and De Dycker were away in the top six. But the great start did De Dycker no good as he got tangled in a turn two pile up with Marc De Reuver and David Philippaerts and started dead last while Ramon ran a steady third.
 While De Dycker rampaged through the field from, Ramon moved forward and dogged early leader Jon Barragan at the front and finally moved into the lead on lap 11 - a position he'd hold until the very last lap.
Amazingly De Dycker not only caught his team-mate but made an outside move on the very last lap of the race while Ramon guarded the inside line to steal the win from the defending MX1 World Champion making it a Suzuki 1-2 in front of 41,000 excited race fans.
De Dycker didn't get such a good start in moto two and once more had to fight through the pack after getting tangled with Clement Desalle, who crashed in front of the moto one winner on lap two. Ramon meanwhile was fourth and on a mission to the front of the pack, moving to second when Julien Bill crashed out of the runner-up spot on lap six.
After holding that position for six laps Ramon started to slow as muscle cramps made it difficult for the champ to push the pace on the difficult and now very rough Mallory Park circuit. Dropping to sixth at the 30-minute mark, Ramon would again lose a place to his team-mate De Dycker in the closing stages of the race to finally finish seventh.
Although De Dycker's progress through the pack was nowhere near as impressive as in moto one, his sixth place in moto two was enough to place the Belgian star second overall on the day and improve his championship position to third - 20 points behind Ramon who stays second in the series.
"I'm really happy to finish second overall," said De Dycker. "It feels really good. Everything went well for me this weekend and it's made all the hard work myself and the team have been putting in to get back to the front of the pack worthwhile.
"I got a good start in moto one but De Reuver and Philippaerts came together right in front of me and I couldn't avoid De Reuver's bike and I crashed with them. I got going with Philippaerts and we both made good progress through the pack. We were second and third and closing down on Ramon and then he crashed and I was able to catch Ramon on the last lap. I knew there was one corner where I'd be able to pass him and I lined him up and passed him around the outside.
"I didn't get such a good start in moto two and I found it difficult to find good lines to pass people early on. Desalle crashed in front of me and I got tangled with him so I lost some time there too. I wasn't riding as well in the second moto - I think I was a little tense because I wanted to do good again - but I was able to come through to sixth."
Ramon was very unfortunate not to join his team-mate on the podium as although he tied on points with Philippaerts - who took the third and final podium position - he lost out on the better-second-moto tie-breaker rule. Disappointed not to pull back Philippaerts' points lead, Ramon realises that he did the best he could on the day under the circumstances and has to be satisfied with that.
"I should have taken points back on Philippaerts today but it was just not possible," said Ramon. "In moto one I started second but in the third turn Billy MacKenzie made a move and blocked me a little bit so I was third in the early laps but riding was going good for me, the track was rough and I was able to use some good lines to get to the front of the pack.
"Ken caught me on the last lap and I had to defend myself and take the inside lines but Ken was able to go wide and carry more speed to pass me. It was a no win situation because I know that if I'd gone wide he'd have passed me on the inside. It's always frustrating when someone passes you on the last lap but I was still satisfied with second place.
"In the second race I started well and I was running a good pace behind Barragan but after 15 minutes I was getting tired and I started getting cramps all through my body and it was just not possible to ride at 100 per cent. It was frustrating to have those riders pass me but it's also important not to push too hard and crash so I know I did the right thing."
The team's riders results on the day also helped Suzuki close within four points of the series' leader in the Manufacturer's World Championship with nine rounds remaining. There's now a one-week gap in the MX1 series schedule and the next round of the World Championship will be held at Saint Jean D'Angely in France on June 15.
HONDA RACING INFORMATION
Crowd: 41,234 (weekend figure)
Saturday – Sunny spells 18 deg C
Sunday – Overcast 15 deg C
MacKenzie takes sixth overall for CAS Honda at home GP and fifth in the championship points standings
Billy MacKenzie was Honda’s strongest performer at the Grand Prix of Great Britain held at Mallory Park as he steered his CAS Honda CRF450 to a sixth place overall with a 10-4 scorecard while Martin Honda’s Marc De Reuver battled back from crashes in both motos to finish eighth in a three way tie for the seventh spot.
Conditions on the day were perfect at the Mallory Park circuit which was purpose built from scratch for the sixth round of the World Motocross Championship and had a varied selection of turns, twists and jumps. As well as being extremely technical the circuit really roughed up and really tested the motocross world’s elite.
 In Saturday’s qualifying sessions it was De Reuver and Julien Bill who qualified the best of the Honda riders with Marc setting the second best time and Julien fifth, less than one second behind the pole setter Sebastian Pourcel. Although MacKenzie was back in 13th his time was still only 1.679 seconds from the leader proving just how close the competition is in MX1. Billy’s team-mate Mike Brown ended the session 17th on his CRF450 easily qualifying for Sunday’s points paying races.
Race one saw MacKenzie, Bill and De Reuver all start inside the top five with Brown not far behind. But a second turn pile-up involving De Reuver, Belgian Ken De Dycker and series leader David Philippaerts left the Dutchman with plenty to do as he had to restart at the back of the pack. MacKenzie meanwhile had worked his way into second place behind Jonathan Barragan but Billy’s dreams of winning in front of his home crowd evaporated when he crashed on lap three which left Bill as Honda’s leading rider in fourth place.
A hard charging De Reuver caught MacKenzie mid-race and the pair pushed forward through the pack to ninth and 10th place finishes. Bill, who was riding well on the technical circuit, hit trouble on lap 13 when a trapped rock underneath the brake pedal stopped his rear brake system from working and he finally finished outside the points in 21st position after pitting to fix the problem. Brown meanwhile slipped back down the standings from 11th to 16th as the chequered flag flew after suffering with a little bit of arm pump.
De Reuver, Bill and MacKenzie got great starts again in moto two with De Reuver leading the race for five laps before making a mistake on an uphill double jump that saw the Dutchman leave the circuit and get tangled in the track side netting fence. Slipping back to 13th place it took Marc the remainder of the 35-minute plus two lap moto to pull back to 11th at the flag.
It was Barragan who made the most of De Reuver’s costly error as he inherited the lead but Marc’s Martin Honda team-mate Bill benefited also. The Swiss star took over and looked settled in second position until he cross-rutted in a sweeping right hand corner and crashed. Remounting seventh, Julien would lose another place before the finish as a charging De Dycker took advantage of the Martin Honda rider as he got back into his rhythm.
 MacKenzie meanwhile was the fastest man on the track as he found some good lines as he battled for third place with MX1 series leader David Philippaerts and Tanel Leok who also found good form on the Mallory Park circuit. Finally finishing fourth and sixth overall, Billy was happy with his home GP especially because he gained a lot of points on the fourth placed rider in the championship – Josh Coppins.
After making changes to suspension settings between races Mike Brown had one of his best rides of the year to finish ninth – one place behind Bill – after running strong throughout the entire moto.
In the championship standings MacKenzie is still the highest Honda rider in fifth, De Reuver is eighth, Brown improves his ranking to 12th and Bill sits in 17th place after six rounds.
The FIM Motocross World Championship will now take a one-week break before continuing with the Grand Prix of France on June 15 at Saint Jean D’Angely
Roger Harvey – Honda Off-Road co-ordinator
“The track today was a great track but very difficult and it was very easy to make mistakes, unfortunately it was Honda riders who were making those mistakes. In race one MacKenzie was running up at the front but he made the smallest mistake, lost the front end and ended up 10th, which was very unfortunate. De Reuver was even more unfortunate because he went into turn two and got taken out by Philippaerts along with Pourcel and De Dycker – it was quite a big crash. He did well to get up and get going because the bike was quite bent up and he ended up ninth, which was a good ride. Mike struggled again and Julien Bill was going well but making mistakes.
“In race two De Reuver was off the hook, he was gone and it looked like he was going to win the race but he landed on the green net fencing and got tangled up in it. Someone came along to help him but being aware of the outside assistance rules he had to push the guy away and sort the problem himself. He lost so much time and then had to come back through the pack – it was disappointing for Marc and also for Honda. The upside of that was that it left Julien Bill right up there but he got cross-rutted and got kicked right over the handlebars. He ended up eighth, which was good considering. MacKenzie looked good in moto two – very comfortable on the bike – and was much stronger while Brownie ended up ninth and De Reuver 11th.
“In general it was a disappointing day but we have shown that we’re capable of winning races with MacKenzie, Bill – on the right circuit – and of course De Reuver who had the speed on a track which really didn’t suit him. The bikes are also running well and neither team are having to make many changes to the bikes from week to week – just small suspension clicker and jetting changes.”
Billy MacKenzie – CAS Honda
“The weekend has been a bit up and down for me. I got an awesome start in the first race and I was riding easy in second place behind Barragan and instead of riding hard like normal I decided to take it easy and bide my time and see where the race would take me but it felt like I was starting to ride so slowly that I thought ‘forget this’ and I decided to go for it and ended up crashing – I just popped my front end over a rut and toppled over. It took me a while to get going and after that I got a bit of arm pump and ended up going down again. I ended up 10th and it was just a horrible race for me.
“Before the second race I had a good look at the track and found some good lines. I made the most of what I’d seen and was able to ride hard all race. The bike was working well and I was able to use the good lines to pass people and I was right up with the top guys. The second race definitely brightened my weekend and fourth place was okay, I knew I was riding well, the bike was working perfectly and my fitness was good enough to let me ride hard all race too.”
Mike Brown – CAS Honda
“In the first race I didn’t get a very good start but I came through the pack well and was up to 10th in no time. I got behind Aigar Leok but I just couldn’t find a way around him and then I got arm pump and I just struggled with it for the whole race - it wasn’t a good race for me and I ended up 16th at the end.
“The second race was good though, I got a decent start and just rode much better. We softened off the suspension between the races and it was a lot better – much easier on the arms. I think the team and I made the mistake of going too stiff with the suspension but softer seems like it might be the way forward. We need to keep on testing with the suspension and get it dialled in. From here I expect to improve by at least a few places in the next few races.”
Marc De Reuver – Martin Honda
“I got a fantastic start in third place and was on the inside entering the second corner alongside David Philippaerts but we banged going into the corner and I crashed, he crashed on top of me, De Dycker and Pourcel got involved in the crash too. I had to start dead last and I had to come through the pack to ninth, which was quite okay from last position.
“In the second heat I took the holeshot and I was riding very well – in fact I thought I would win the race. But I made a mistake and jumped off the track and landed in the green fence and I crashed. It took me a long time to get going and even though I was riding well and came through the pack well the result was not so good in the end – I was 11th.
“I’ve lost one place in the championship and I’m not happy with my day – I know I rode well and the bike is working really well but I’m not happy.
“The bike is awesome. I weigh 85 kilos, which is much more than some riders but today I still took one third place start and one holeshot – the motor is very strong. The suspension is also good and it worked very well today even though the track was so rough and difficult.”
Julien Bill – Martin Honda
“I got a great start in the first moto but I was struggling with lines and I couldn’t find a good rhythm. Then I got a rock stuck underneath my rear brake pedal and I had no rear brake and had to do one slow lap before I could pit to get it fixed. I was able to continue but I’d lost so much time the best I could get back to was 21st place, which meant I scored no points.
“In the second moto again I got a very good start and I was riding well behind Barragan, I was feeling good, I was using good lines and I was under no pressure from the riders behind but I made a stupid mistake in the sand section and crashed over the handlebars. I got up quickly and restarted the bike but the handlebars were bent and that made it difficult to ride for the rest of the race. I still managed to run a good pace and I finish eighth which is good.
“My confidence is increasing all the time and I can see now that I have the speed of the front runners and I want to fight in the top five now every weekend.
“The bike is awesome. I’m really happy with the bike and it is perfect for me, it has great suspension and the engine is nice. It’s certainly the best bike I’ve ever ridden and we’ve had to do very little testing as the package was so good straight away.”
Molson Kawasaki Racing
Top five for Sword at home GP!
 Molson Kawasaki’s Stephen Sword battled hard at his home GP at Mallory Park to finish fifth overall on the factory Kawasaki KX250F-SR The British Grand Prix is always a highlight in the World Championship season and the 2008 edition held at a brand-new venue for GP motocross – Mallory Park – once again proved that the sport is thriving in the UK as 41,000 race-hungry fans packed themselves into the road race facility to see the world’s best motocross racers do battle.
Confirming his place as one of the World’s elite was Molson Kawasaki’s Scotsman Stephen Sword who battled like a demon in both motos at Mallory to finish fifth overall on the factory Kawasaki KX250F-SR.
Fighting through the pack in both motos after making things difficult for himself by not getting the best of starts, Stephen was helped along by a very vocal crowd who showed their support for the multi time British champion.
.“I fluffed the start of the first race as they waited longer than normal to drop the gate and I was a bit too eager. I went around the inside of the first turn and picked up some places there and I think I was somewhere inside the top-10,” said Stephen. “I fought through to seventh and then in the sand section I tucked the front end under and went over the handlebars. The engine was still running but I still lost a lot of places. I had to come through again but I had some good lines and I’d figured out some good passing places and I got back to sixth so that was like damage limitation.
“I did the same thing at the start in race two and was somewhere inside the top-10 and from there I just battled through. Tyla Rattray and I were having a pretty good scrap coming through the pack and we both worked our way past Aubin, Simpson and Tarroux into the top five.
“It felt good to battle with Rattray even though I didn’t feel at my best – and it was a good bounce back from Mantova. I took a lot of points out of Goncalves and Aubin today and so I’m quite satisfied even though I know that if I’d have got better starts I could have been on the podium.”
 Sword’s team-mate Gautier Paulin was hampered by a bad crash where he collided with a fellow competitor in moto one and then struggled to get to grips with the Mallory circuit second time out. Even though he felt far from his best the European champion scored good points in moto two to consolidate his 12th place in the series standings.
“In the first race I was inside the top-10 but I came together with Seistola on a jump and we landed together and we crashed quite hard,” explained Gautier. “My brake lever was twisted so I came into the pit lane to get it sorted and then continued with the race. I was riding quite good with some good lines and good lap times but the result was just not there – I didn’t score any points.
“In race two I had a decent start but I couldn’t find a good rhythm in the race. I was pushing hard but made many mistakes. In some corners I was very good and some corners I was not so good. It’s difficult for me to work out what happened today and I must spend the next two weeks training hard and practising on the bike so it doesn’t happen again.”
The Molson Kawasaki team’s MX1 satellite rider Tom Church had a home GP to forget as two separate cases of rock-induced bike damage caused the 26-year-old to DNF both races after TC had his best qualifying session of the year so far. Proving that if it weren’t for bad luck Tom would have no luck at all he now looks forward to the next round of the World Championship where he’ll be looking to add more points to his season’s total.
“It’s just been another one of those days,” said Tom. “I only managed five laps today which is a bit annoying as I actually got good starts in both races! I’m not going to dwell on it too much, what’s happened has happened and I can’t change that. I’ll work extra hard between now and the next round in France and I’ll try to turn my luck around there.”
The Molson team’s next outing will be at the next round of the FIM World Motocross Championship – round seven – takes place on June 15 at Saint Jean D’Angely in France where Gautier Paulin will enjoy the support of his home crowd.
Kawasaki Racing Team MX1
Birthday bonanza for Leok!
 Kawasaki Racing Team’s birthday boy Tanel Leok and his KRT team-mate Manuel Priem battle it out at round six of the FIM MX1 World Championship at Mallory Park in Great Britain Celebrating his 23rd birthday in style the Estonian Express, Tanel Leok, posted his best results of the year so far at the sixth round of the FIM MX1 World Championship held at Mallory Park in Great Britain.
Getting much better starts than earlier in the season Tanel was able to translate a sixth place start in moto one to a sixth place finish after nursing his rock-damaged KX450F-SR home.
“The first race was going well – I was riding well and pushing hard,” explained Tanel. “Then a rock hit and damaged the exhaust pipe on my bike. My engine started to overheat a little and I lost a lot of power and it felt like it might cut out in the air, which was quite scary. Under the circumstances I was happy that I could finish sixth.”
Although Tanel’s second race start was not as good as his first he soon moved through the pack and became involved in a battle for third place with MX1 series leader David Philippaerts and Billy MacKenzie. Fighting right to the end Tanel was unlucky not to finish higher than fifth.
“The second race was much better, the track was good and I knew that my riding was good. I finished fifth but second place was right there. With three or four laps to go I made a little mistake but I was able to catch the pack of riders back up and I almost passed Billy MacKenzie on the last lap but the race was too short.
“I’m getting more healthy with the shoulder now and I’m able to ride the bike a lot more in between races and the more time I spend on the bike the more comfortable I feel and things are getting better and better now. From here I want to finish in the top five every week – to do that I need good starts, to push hard at the beginning of the race and to stay out of trouble.”
Staying out of trouble was something Tanel’s team-mate Manuel Priem was unable to do as he was hit hard in turn one of moto one and picked up a lower back injury that affected his performance throughout the day. 12th in moto one and 14th in moto two were not the results Manuel was looking for but they weren’t bad considering.
“In the first race I started in around 15th place but in the first turn somebody ran into my back with their handlebars and it just felt so sore,” said Manuel. “I tried to make the best of it and I finished 12th – my riding was not so good but a lot of other guys were making mistakes and I was able to catch and pass them.
“I took a painkiller before the second race and I was feeling a little bit strange – almost numb. I started sixth but was riding nowhere near as good as in the first race and I slipped back through the pack to 14th. Today wasn’t the best day for me and now I’ll concentrate on the next round of the series.”
Grand Prix Kawasaki Racing
Mixed fortunes in England for Sébastien Pourcel
After collecting three podiums in a row Sébastien Pourcel only finished one heat in Great Britain and holds sixth place in the standings two weeks prior his home GP in France. The World Championship came to a new venue for the sixth round of the series as Mallory Park’s road race facilities welcomed the riders to a brand new track. Sébastien Pourcel was once more one of the riders who learned the new layout quickly as he posted the best lap time in all the practice sessions on Saturday! The Frenchman claimed his fourth pole position of the season and picked up the inside position on the grid for both races.
The first moto was extremely brief for the GPKR rider who was third at the start. Philippaerts jumped over Sébastien in the second turn and hit his right hand - the bike was damaged too with a broken water pump and a damaged throttle cable so Seb was forced to retire.
The second start was better and Seb was seventh on the opening lap just behind Philippaerts. He needed several laps to learn the changed track he hadn’t ridden since the warm-up but when he found his lines he started to push. He passed most of his rivals but was too far behind Barragan to push for the heat win.
 The Spaniard was the sixth different winner since the beginning of the season. Qualifying in 27th position Alexandre Rouis retired with technical problems in the first race and then crossed the finish line in 23rd position in moto two.
Taking part in the second round of the Veteran’s World Championship Belgian rider Thierry Godfroid took both holeshots and finished sixth twice in his first appearance on a 450. Thierry is now fourth in the standings - only five points behind the second place rider - before the final round in Belgium.
Sébastien Pourcel: “I had a good start in the first race, I was third when I came to the second corner but just before this corner I stalled the engine on a bump and lost a few seconds. Unfortunately Philippaerts jumped on my hand and damaged my bike so for the fourth time this season I didn’t score any points and that’s not good at all.
“I was fourth at the second start but I didn’t find a good rhythm and several riders passed me during the opening lap. I looked at their lines as the track was completely different compared to the warm up and in the second part of the race I passed most of them even if I was not as fast as I would have liked. I finished second behind Barragan, that’s not what I was expecting here and I just hope that the French GP will be better for me. I will go there without any pressure, and will take this GP like any other and just do my best.”
Alexandre Rouis: “On Saturday I missed the second free practice session as I had pain to my hip and went to the medical centre for a strapping. During the qualifying period I had less pain and posted a good lap. On Sunday I retired from the first race and then finished the second heat 23rd. It’s coming better every weekend, for the first time in my life I will enter the French GP in two weeks time and I expect to Thierry Godfroid: “I was a little bit scared here as I broke my leg in England last year and when I left home everyone asked me to take care. I didn’t practice so much with the 450 before I came here and the track was not the best with such big jumps. I twice took the holeshot but I had pumped arms after four laps in each race. I’m close to the podium and I will be back on a 250 for the Belgian round as I have more fun on the smaller bike.”
Roger Pourcel: “The first race was brief as Sebastien didn’t do any laps, I was worried about his hand but he had no pain during the second moto. His second start was good but he had to learn the track, after several laps he was able to push and finished second. What a pity that there was this incident in the first race as we need to score points at every race! Alex is slowly improving each weekend, he finished the second one and that’s the only way to make progression in the GPs.”
Patrick Géladé: “Once more Sébastien was excellent on Saturday. It’s a shame that Philippaerts ruined the weekend with this action at the first start, for sure it was another podium result for us without this incident. Seb did his best in the second race, he just needed time to learn the track and then proved how strong he is at the moment. For the first time in his career Thierry Godfroid took a 450 for a round of the Veteran’s Cup – he struggled a little bit on this track but he reached his goal with a sixth position in each race.”
Josh Coppins
Mallory Park GP a struggle for Coppins
 As the FIM Motocross world championship completes the 6th round of the 15 round series, Josh Coppins of the Factory Yamaha Monster team has lost ground in the MX1 title hunt after a luckless Mallory Park GP in the UK.
The Kiwi suffered first lap crashes in two motos which inevitably saw him have to fight his way from stone last in both races. Coppins had a further setback in moto 1 as he was recovering from his first spill he hit the dirt again after pushing hard through the pack. Once he settled into a race rhythm he managed to claw his way back to 11th spot on an extremely fast but technical Mallory Park circuit.
Trying to focus on a better start in moto 2 the first turn became a free for all with riders bumping elbows. Coppins lost some ground and then ran into a stalled rider and went down. After getting back on the track he had to stop again to remove a damaged fork guard before he could give chase to the pack. With the track conditions deteriorating, Coppins had a mammoth task to first catch the pack and then work his way as far up the field in the allotted 35 minutes. By the time the chequered flag was waved he had worked his way back to 12th.
“I’m happier with my riding and with my speed however I’m disappointed with my starts and how the races went. In the second moto I tried to work on getting a better start which I did but I got pushed wide in the first turn and then hit a stalled rider. It was mentally tough to have to come from behind again but I did the best I could and made as many points as possible. I’m a little happier with my riding now than with the past races but disappointed because the result doesn’t show it. I’m going to Italy at the end of the week to work with team so we can improve on some speed and some other settings and then I’m looking forward to going to France for GP7,” commented Coppins.
The spectacular circuit of St Jean d’Angely will welcome the next round of the MX GP series on the 14-15 of June.
TANEL LEOK
LEOK CELEBRATES BIRTHDAY WITH BEST GP FINISH OF 2008
Tanel Leok is not the diary-keeping kind, but if he were, his pre-entry for Sunday 1 June might have read something like this: "Note to self - have a good race day as birthday present." Yes, it's true - on this day 23 years ago the Estonian Express had his first holeshot as he came tearing into this world, ready to race from the first minute.
After a couple of weeks' worth of R&R in his native Estonia, Tanel flew off to England for the 6th GP of 2008 with batteries fully charged. The fact that it was his birthday made the even somewhat special, but there are no free rides in world championship motocross racing, so he would still have to put in a hard day's labour if he harboured any dreams of a strong result.
For 2008, the GP was moved to Mallory Park, a venue with a rich racing history. The track builders had prepared a challenging circuit for the GP, offering every conceivable motocross obstacle for the world's elite to traverse. Tanel got stuck into the weekend's work with a solid qualifying performance, and secured the fourth gate for himself for Sunday's activities.
A better-than-usual start in race 1 gave the Estonian Express a nice platform to work from. He slotted into sixth spot at the start, and even there were a few chops and changes, he pretty much held steady in this position for the duration of the race. The track was getting rougher by the minute, and it was clear that the afternoon would become a test of endurance. Tanel was up to the task, and crossed the line in sixth position.
Even though he got a slightly worse drop in race two, Tanel quickly bullied his way back into sixth spot. The birthday boy got the attention of the television broadcast director, and his factory Kawasaki got an ample showing as he involved himself in a fierce struggle with Sebastian Pourcel, David Philippaerts and Billy Mackenzie. The third - to sixth - placed riders could be covered by the proverbial postage stamp, and this express freight train homed in on second-placed Steve Ramon as well. Any one of this group could get the upper hand, but Tanel missed out on his chance as a deep rut snagged him, halting his momentum. He did however manage to get past world champion Ramon, and came home in fifth spot.
Two solid race results netted a fifth overall finish for the Estonian, his best GP finish so far this season. He remains in 10th spot in the world standings, but he has edged closer in the points to the riders ahead of him, whilst pulling clear from 11th somewhat. Looking forward to the next GP in France in two weeks' time, Tanel is dead set on moving up the world championship ladder again.
CAS Honda
CAS boys fight for their fans at their home GP
This was the biggest event of the year so far for the CAS race team, our home GP at the newly built track at Mallory Park. A crowd of around 40,000 were reported to be at this event and conditions were perfect.
 Billy MacKenzie and Mike Brown with hopes high rode out for qualification on Saturday afternoon. This proved to be slightly disappointing with Billy qualifying in 13th and Mike in 17th, however as we all know it is race day that counts!
As the gate dropped for the first race Billy got a cracking start inside the top 6, but Mike was further back. A second corner crash wiped out a couple of riders temporarily, and by the end of lap 1 Billy had got himself into 2nd position, with Barragan leading. All was good until the third lap when Billy got crossed up in a rut and hit the deck, while he was remounting the leading pack passed and he found himself down in 11th place with much work to do. Mike was now right behind him in 12th. With the top competitors running very similar lap times it was difficult for Billy to make any progress and he finally passed the finishing flag in 10th spot. Mike finished in 16th.
Billy got yet another great start in Race 2 sitting comfortably for the first few laps in 5th place, Mike started mid pack and fought his way to 10th. The home crowd pushed both riders on all race, and helped Billy through to 4th where he passed the chequered flag after a fantastic ride. Mike completed the race in 9th, an improvement on his first race.
Overall on the day Billy was 6th and had also closed the gap on Josh Coppins in the Championship to date.
Billy MacKenzie said, “The first race was not great for me, I was more than comfortable behind Barragan but maybe I was a little too relaxed and crashed. It took me a while to get going and then I had to push so hard after that I went down again. The second race was much better, I had studied the track and was well prepared, the bike was perfect and the fans really made a difference.”
A slightly disappointed Mike Brown said, “My start in the first race was not so good but I managed to pass quite a few riders. I couldn’t find a way past Aigar Leok and started to suffer with arm pump. The second race I got a decent start and rode a much better race, we made some alterations on the suspension and I think it made a difference.”
Team Manager Neil Prince was lifted by the performance of both riders in their second race and is positive that results can improve. Billy was the strongest Honda rider in MX1 at this event which is great.
ARB Tuning Kawasaki
Mixed Grand Prix weekend for ARB Tuning Kawasaki
ARB Tuning Kawasaki joined the masses at the Grand Prix of Great Britain at Mallory Park this weekend, but not on the spectator side of the fence. Indeed, Jamie Lewis and Mark Jones were selected to join the ranks of selected British riders at the starting line. The facility at the Mallory Park road-race circuit was created from scratch in just under five months, and while rain threatened time and again over the weekend, the gods smiled on the event organisers, participants and spectators.
Mark, a Grand Prix veteran himself, soon readjusted to the Grand Prix schedule, and in his first free practice session ended just outside the top twenty, and then twenty-fifth in the second. Jamie, having tried his hand at a British Grand Prix once before in the MX2 class, tried to get used to the new track on a 450cc bike, ending both free practice sessions in thirty-sixth. Later in the afternoon, in the timed practice session, Mark pulled out all the stops to qualify in the top twenty. Jamie did not qualify, his times remaining consistent throughout the afternoon and earning him a thirty-sixth place.
Unfortunately for the team, Mark's day ended five laps into the first race. While in twentieth, Mark dislocated his knee. Although the knee immediately slipped back into place, the injury forced Mark to return to the pit lane and end the day with ice on his knee.
Team owner Mark Bishop was disappointed by the race day, although he was very satisfied with the Saturday results.
"Mark did well in qualifying, Jamie was just out but it was good experience for him," said Bishop. "But unfortunately in race one his knee popped out, so that was the end of our weekend. So, disappointing really."
ARB Tuning Kawasaki will next race at Culham in a fortnight's time for the fourth round of the British Motocross Masters Series, after which the team decamps to Desertmartin in Northern Ireland for the fifth round of the Maxxis British Motocross Championship.
Shannon Terreblanche
TERREBLANCHE GAINS TWO WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP SPOTS
Straight after the conclusion of the Italian GP, Shannon Terreblanche headed back to Belgium in express mode to have his banged up knee checked out. Surgeon to the (motocross) stars, Doctor Toon Claes, gave the workings a thorough once over and gave the South African a mixed bag of news. There was indeed some knee damage, but it was limited to the meniscus, and the dreaded ligament damage was nowhere in evidence.
So for the two week period that he had leading up to the British GP in Mallory Park, Shannon was alternating between his roles as Hopalong Cassidy, iron man in training and GP motocross racer in recovery. He managed to get in a few rides during the training period, and then it was off to British shores to pit his skills against the world's best in the historic home of motocross.
Sports injuries are strange things. More than the physical impediment, they often create nagging doubts in the back of the head, which can be an even worse drawback. Still, Shannon concentrated on happy thoughts as he approached the qualifying hurdles on Saturday. After a fine performance during free practice, the plot escaped Shannon somewhat during the timed practice session, and he did not secure a good gate for the qualifying race. Matters went from bad to worse at the start of the qualifying race when a number of bikes headed for the same piece of real estate at the same time, and Shannon was upended. Now Shannon has produced a number of heroic comebacks from bad starts this year, but this time the deficit was just too great, and after more problems on the track, he retired to the pits to focus on the last chance practice session.
The last chance practice session is a nerve-wracking affair. Only the six fastest riders in this all-or -nothing training session make it onto the GP grid. Shannon posted an early fast lap and actually headed the board for a while, but as a few other riders posted fast laps, he dropped down the list, but his qualification was never in doubt. As the clock ran out, he had secured his qualifying position with the fourth fastest time. To give an indication of how competitive things are at this level, there was less than a second separating the first - to sixth -placed riders, in a lap time just on two minutes. Fellow South Africans Tyla Rattray, Wyatt Avis and Neville Bradshaw also qualified, which resulted in a more than adequate representation for the Rainbow Nation on the start line of the GP.
Shannon got a sensational start in the first race on Sunday, and slotted in to fifth position. He held his own in this elevated company for a good few laps, adding great dollops of experience to his armoury. As the race progressed, some of the heavyweights came knocking, and he dropped some positions. The track was now getting towards the ridiculous side of rough, and a lunar dweller would look on with great envy on this rough surface. The teenager did what was important and kept the plot upright, and as compatriot Tyla Rattray rode to a sensational and exciting race win, Shannon held onto fourteenth position for another solid world championship points haul.
Another good start held much promise in race two. Matters would turn out less fortunate for the young rider on this occasion, however. The track was now carved up beyond belief and one of the kicker bumps was laying in wait to snag the Beursfoon Suzuki rider. The bike hit the bump and the rear end kicked up. With the pack tightly bunched, chances were good that the following riders would hit Shannon's Suzuki, and so it was. A number of riders, including fellow South African Tyla Rattray, ploughed into him, and by the time he could regroup he was stone, but stone last with significant distance to cover before he could even get in touch with those ahead of him. He laboured on, but it was an almost impossible task to get into the points. Although he managed to get back up to 24th position, it was not enough to add to his tally in the world standing.
On a day of mixed fortunes, Shannon still managed to gain two positions in the world standings, moving up to 24th position. He will attend a sponsor event for Suzuki next weekend, and the weekend thereafter it is off to St Jean D'Angely for the French GP.
Xavier Boog
STRONG FINISH FOR BOOG IN BRITISH GP
Xavier Boog had a tough weekend at the GP of England, but nevertheless managed to maintain his world championship standing in the MX 2 Class. The scene of activities on the weekend was Mallory Park, one of England's most historic race venues.
 A solid pre-qualifying practice ensured the ever-improving Frenchman of the fourth gate pick in his qualifying race, after he set some qualifying laps that sizzled the hairs on the necks of top contenders Tyla Rattray and Antonio Cairoli.
A fluffed start dropped him down to 8th spot in the qualifying race, but he made quickly turned the screws on Italian Matteo Bonini ahead of him, and worked his way past. Next on the to-pass list was compatriot Jeremy Tarroux, the runner-up in last year's British GP, and again Xavier was up to the task. The rest of the field was too far spread out now, and he rounded out his qualifying race in 6th position.
An overcast and cool day made for near perfect racing conditions on Sunday, and the fans arrived by the thousands. Xavier's first race got off to an inauspicious start, and he was buried deep in the pack during the early laps. The rough track presented a teeth-shuddering challenge, and passing was not easy. Xavier had his eyes fixed on his top 10 world championship standing, however, and kept plugging away. After a hard race, he finished in 15th position, a result that does not truly reflect his gigantic efforts during the race.
Another less than perfect start may have had Xavier mutter a few choice French words inside his Fox helmet, if he were that way inclined. This time he found himself in 17th position at the end of the first lap. The track was now rough as a bad word, and every centimetre seemed like heavy going. Xavier has proven in the past though that rough conditions favour him, and he produced an inspired ride.
By the sixth lap, he was already in a top 10 position, and it was ever forward. A few laps from the end, he finally squeaked by Shaun Simpson, who was on equally good form during the weekend, and rode home in sixth position.
Despite a troublesome first race, The Inotec Ortema Suzuki rider finished 9th overall for the day. In the world standing, he moved past Jeremy Van Horebeek, and is on equal points with 8th -placed Manuel Monni.
Xavier's next GP outing will be on home soil. The GP of France will be held at the spectacular circuit of St Jean D' Angely on 15 June 2008.
Pierre-Alexandre Renet
RENET NEARS TOP 20 IN WORLD STANDING
A model of dependability, Pierre-Alexandre Renet was the sole Teka Suzuki Bodo-Schmidt world championship motocross racing team at the GP of Enlgand held at Mallory Park. The lanky Frenchman was left to defend team honours on his own, as Marvin Van Daele is still sidelined with a viral infection.
Renet has displayed increasing confidence and speed since recovering form a serious pre-season injury, and he has been steadily building up his world championship season. The jump-filled track presented a stiff challenge, but Renet through the qualifying session with the 23rd fastest qualifying time.
With overcast and cool conditions on Sunday, the riders of the MX1 class rolled out for their first race. “Pela” got a mid-pack start, and slotted just into the top 20. He maintained a steady rhythm on the difficult track, and finished the first race in 17th position.
Renet's second race was run as a virtual carbon copy of the first.. Another solid start and consistent ride netted him 17th again. The two points-scoring results were good enough to bag him 18th overall for the day.
The solid, if unspectacular performance hoisted Renet to 21st in the world standings, just a few points adrift of Tom Church in 20th spot. He will look to improve on his standing again when he heads for home shores for the next GP on June 15th.
Wyatt Avis
Wyatt Avis scores best result of the season in GP of Great Britain
LS Motorsport Honda rider Wyatt Avis scored his best result of the season at round six of the World Championship Series in Mallory Park, Great Britain last weekend. Wyatt took a good start in the first moto and rode in seventh position for a long time. Due arm pump he finally finished in eleventh position in the first moto. In the second moto he came home in 20th position after two crashes.
First moto: After a bullet start, Wyatt got into race 1 in 8th position. He held steady in eighth, and even moved up to seventh spot at one stage. Some arm-pump problems forced him to slack off, and he dropped down to 11th spot by the end of the race.
Second moto: Another good start got Wyatt going in 12th spot in race two. An errant stone wedged in his rear brake system on lap 3 however, causing him to crash. He restarted from the back of the pack, an charged forward. He closed in on a group of riders fighting for 12th position. Unfortunately for Wyatt, he crashed whilst attempting to overtake Carl Nunn, and this dropped him out of the points again. He did not have time to recover any positions, and finished in 20th position.
Wyatt finished seventeenth overall in Great Britain. After six rounds the South African sits in 22nd position in the World Championship Standings.
CCM Racing
Home Grand Prix proves a tough test for CCM
 CCM racing endured a tough weekend at their home Grand Prix held at Mallory Park, with the Bolton based team suffering two set backs at an event that had promised so much. Having already lost regular riders Oliver Sandiford-Smith and Richie Worrall to injuries during the early part of this season, the recent recruitment of Kristian Whatley looked to have brought better fortunes to the squad. Following his initial outing for the team, Whatley appeared to have every chance of qualifying for the two main MX2 races.
However disaster was about to strike the British manufacturer for the third time this season. During Saturday’s initial practice session Kristian landed heavily on the down slope of the monster triple jump, which saw the riders leap several metres above the many thousands of British fans who had turned out to see CCM take on the World runners. Whilst Whatley did not crash, the resulting impact was enough for him to break his wrist and to bring a very premature and disappointing end to Kristian’s CCM GP debut.
With Whatley being taken care of at the local hospital, CCM’s lone surviving rider in the form of Greg Hanson was left with the hefty responsible of carrying the British team to glory as he looked to pick up from his outstanding performance at the opening round of the Veteran class. Third place in the initial free practice session eventually translated to a respectable fifth spot for Hanson in Saturday afternoon’s all-important timed qualifying period.
Sunday dawned with even more pressure for Hanson, with a packed crowd eager for some home success, this was clearly expressed by the many Union Jack flags that lined the newly built circuit. Greg did not disappoint and made a great start in the first moto to hold fifth position at the end of lap one, and remain very much in contention with the front runners. A lap later and Hanson had moved into fourth and was now hunting down the top three.
A sustained and determined effort by the ex-national champion brought its reward as Hanson claimed third place with just three laps to go. Not content with a podium finish Greg then went after Thorpe, and came so close to snatching second spot away from the ex multi World champion, but eventually had to settle for third spot.
Race two was a similar story with Greg making a top six start, before beginning to cut his way through the field. Again it was Hanson who was the fans’ favourite as he leapt highest over the triple that had been his team-mate’s downfall. However in an ironic twist of fate it would be the same section of track that was to bring Greg’s charge to a dramatic stop. Another heavy landing took its toll as Greg’s rear tyre was ripped from the rim causing both him and the bike to be catapulted into the air. Although the resulting impact wrecked the factory CCM, Hanson was left shaken and bitterly disappointed, but thankfully uninjured.
KTM Racing - Qualifying
MX2 - Searle tops 2nd qualifier and confident ahead of MX2 British GP
Red Bull KTM's Tommy Searle reveled in the conditions and qualified top of his heat for his home MX2 GP leading in a string of KTMs at Mallory Park, UK.
Team-mate Tyla Rattray was second behind title holder Antonio Cairoli in the first Qualifying Race, while the team's third factory rider, Rui Goncalves was fifth.
Searle, Shaun Simpson (KTM UK) and Jeremy van Horebeek (KTM-supported GP Juniors Team Champ) were one-two and three and together with Rattray and Goncalves are ready to carve up the results in the British GP.
What the Red Bull KTM riders said after qualifying:
Tommy Searle: "I had a good start and won the holeshot. I put in some good laps and was in front all the way. I had a good time and it was an easy race for me. The track is fine and I need to have a good start tomorrow. I'm very optimistic for the race."
Tyla Rattray: "Today was not so bad. I had a good start and I was out in front but Cairoli got past me and there's only one good line on this track and it was difficult to retake the lead. The track has some rough parts, some rocks and some sand but it looks like the weather will be quite OK and I am hoping for a good race tomorrow."
Rui Goncalves: "I'm not that satisfied with my own performance today. I had a pretty good start and was in second place but I got overtaken in the third lap. The second half of the race was not so good for me. I couldn't find the better line so I wasn't so fast. I know for tomorrow I will have to work on those lines and try to put in a good race."
MX1 - Barragan and Nagl 6th & 7th in MX1 time practice at Mallory Park
KTM riders Jonathan Barragan and Max Nagl put in solid performances on the man-made Mallory Park circuit for the Time Practice ahead of the GP of Britain.
It is the first time that the British GP has been held at this venue.
Nagl, the factory rider for the Red Bull KTM team was satisfied with his result, although not 100% fit at the present time and is hoping for a good result. Barragan, this year racing for the KTM supported team Team Silver Action. He comes to the race fresh from a guest ride and victory in the MX3 GP of Spain last weekend.
"I like the track and the conditions are good. I hope to get the holeshot and finish with a good result," Nagl, from Germany, said on the eve of the event.
Team Suzuki - Qualifying
RAMON 3RD IN MALLORY MX1 QUALIFYING
Team Teka Suzuki WMX1's Steve Ramon has set the third fastest time on his factory RM-Z450 during qualification for the British Grand Prix at Mallory Park.
Setting a time just 0.381 seconds behind pole-sitter Sebastien Pourcel, the reigning MX1 World Champion acquitted himself well on the technical circuit and never looked to be pushing the limit.
Rain leading up to the British round of the FIM MX1 Motocross World Championship left the freshly built, jump-filled circuit in perfect condition as the soft clay-based soil rutted up to offer an abundance of lines.
 Ramon set his fastest lap in the early part of the session and felt pleased with his performance in the timed session and confident of a good result in tomorrow's points paying races.
"The track is fun to ride and has a lot of nice jumps. It's pretty rough out there with plenty of deep ruts, which means that there are lots of lines to choose from and I like that," he said. "Riding went well for me all day - both the free practices were good for me and I felt good on the bike and it feels great so it was important for me to set a good time in the qualifying session.
"I was able to put in a good lap early in the session but Pourcel and De Reuver came past me but only by a very small amount. I'm happy with third because I pushed but I didn't take any risks to put in my fast lap and that makes me feel confident for tomorrow. Now I need to get two good starts and get a good result, a win, or at least a podium!"
Ramon's team-mate Ken De Dycker also looked very confident on the technical Mallory Park circuit as he threw his factory Suzuki around during the timed qualifying session. Finally finishing eighth after several rival riders bettered his time on the last lap, De Dycker's fastest lap was only 1.27 seconds slower than the pole setter which gives him great confidence going into tomorrow's races.
"I hope to be back on the podium this week," he said. "I wasn't able to set a great time today because I never seemed to get a clear lap in the qualifying session. This is a very nice track and very technical with a lot of jumps and ruts - it's a good motocross track. I always enjoy racing in England and I have many fans here so I want to do well for them and obviously for the team who have been working very hard for me this season."
The weather forecast for tomorrow's races is for sunny intervals with the temperature expected to be around 18 degrees Celsius.
|
