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YAMAHA RACING
Fantastic Coppins win sees Yamaha 1-2 in MX1-GP series
Yamaha Monster Motocross Team's Josh Coppins emphatically aced his first victory of the 2008 MX1-GP World Championship with a double moto sweep at a sun-drenched and packed Talkessel circuit in Teutschenthal for the Grand Prix of Germany. The eighth round of fifteen in the series saw the Kiwi take his first spoils since Bulgaria 2007 and his first double since Mantova 14 months ago; rising to second position in the standings as a consequence. David Philippaerts was fourth and keeps the championship lead, meaning both YZ450FM riders are now 'one and two' and Yamaha head the manufacturer's table by 19 points.
The old Talkessel layout provided its usual mix of elevation changes and cambered turns. The majority of the soil of the fast course had been ripped and prepared and grew rougher in places but the grey hard-pack dirt remained slippery and stony in others. 34,000 spectators enjoyed some excellent weather.
Philippaerts and Coppins were both on the pace throughout practice. The championship leader even posting the quickest time in the second Free session. For Timed Practice the two YZ450FMs were constantly among the leading group with Coppins eventually sealing fourth place and Philippaerts in seventh, just over half a second away from the pole position time.
Coppins started well in both motos and ran in the top three in the formative stages both times. The 31 year old pursued Billy Mackenzie as the Scot broke free twice but the leader tired with after recently recovering from a shoulder injury. Coppins, who finished as runner-up at the previous round in France, bided his time to seize control in Moto1 and Moto2 and comfortably maintained his advantage once ahead. Local favourite Max Nagl was close to within two seconds in the second sprint but the former world championship runner-up was peerless; a new exhaust pipe proving a useful assistance on the speedy curves.
Philippaerts had a complicated set of races. The first moto saw an average start that meant he had to work hard to overtake riders in the bottom half of the top ten. Thanks to the mistakes of several others and his improving lap-times he arrived to third place and was pressurising Steve Ramon for second in the last two circulations. A slow start once again in Moto2 was a small handicap but the Italian also had another problem in that a damaged rib from his fall in France two weeks ago worsened and left him struggling for breath. Sixth position meant that he just missed the top three but scaled the podium for the sixth time this season to collect his red-plate. A crash and 18th place finish by Steve Ramon was also positive for the title chase.
Yamaha Van Beers' Aigar Leok scored his best result of the year with 7th position overall courtesy of 9th and 8th slots in the races.
UTag Yamaha.com's Kenneth Gundersen has begun cycling and light training after recovering from an operation on the knee injury sustained in practice for the opening round in April. The Norwegian could possibly return to action before the end of the season.
With Philippaerts leading the championship by 4 points from Coppins, and Ramon 16 points behind in third, the series now moves to Uddevalla for the Grand Prix of Sweden and round nine next week.
Josh Coppins, Yamaha Monster Motocross Team, 1st:
"There is a lot of emotion for me with this win and I am very happy today. I would like to thank all the people who have supported me. The results were not what we all expected and there have been some hard times. We knuckled down to work and I knew the results would come; I promised them to the team in fact. My last double was at Mantova in 2007 but to be honest even my last victory feels like a long time ago. It is nice to get that feeling back again and it makes the training tomorrow a lot easier. The championship now looks a lot different. I think only two races ago I was 54 points behind.
"The important step I made was in my training and approach; working closely with my mechanic, doing the right training at the right tracks. About today, they watered the track a lot and it was really slippery, even dangerous in fact. Billy Mackenzie went into the lead but I knew he did not have the condition after his injury to run that pace the whole time. Sebastien was there also but I thought I could deal with him. My main concern was Max, because he had not done the first moto and it was pretty hot out there; the crowd were obviously with him also. I was thinking about my own race and things went well. We had a new pipe this weekend with a bit more power, which I was happy about."
David Philippaerts, Yamaha Monster Motocross Team, 4th:
"The track was difficult, certainly for passing, and it was also very hot so I am quite pleased with the result. I started the first moto too slowly but got a lot better and was riding well. I pushed hard to get Ramon but it was too tricky to overtake. I had a similar start in the second moto but after two or three laps I had a lot of pain in my rib. I think it might be a fracture or something from the crash in France. I had some discomfort before this GP but I think I made it worse in the race and need to see if I can get some treatment. Pourcel was a little too fast and I settled for the points because I knew I could not increase my speed. Josh is now up to second in the championship and feeling 100%. He will be very competitive now but we still have a lot of races and points to go. It is great for Yamaha and the team that we are both up there. I really like the bike and for sure it is one of the best out there because it is so easy to ride it fast. Yamaha have helped me so much and I feel very happy where I am right now."
Mino Raspanti, Racing Manager:
"A great win for Josh this weekend and of course to be first and second in the championship is fantastic for the team, we don't mind which order for either Josh or David but we are happy to be there! Josh continued his improvement from France and I am really happy for him because he has continued to work really hard. David struggled in the beginning to pass other riders because it was not easy but then he made the best lap-time and to finish third was very good. In the second moto he had another start that was not the best and he felt a little tired and had some pain in his rib. The result was not bad and he still leads the championship. We tried a new pipe this weekend to give more power and the response from the riders was positive."
Cairoli runner-up at German Grand Prix
 With a moto victory and second position in front of 34,000 spectators and under hot sunshine at Teutschenthal, Antonio Cairoli took the same points as the winner of the MX2-GP Grand Prix of Germany but walked away from round eight of fifteen in the world championship as runner-up due to the second moto ranking.
The fast and hard Talkessel circuit benefited from bright conditions and warm temperatures as the biggest crowd for more than ten years at the venue close to the city of Halle filled the grassy banks.
Cairoli earned his sixth pole position of the season on Saturday after chasing and then easing past Rui Goncalves for victory in the first qualification heat. The Red Bull De Carli rider looked back to his dominant best in the first GP moto as he hunted down early leader Goncalves and proceeded to establish a comfortable distance over Tyla Rattray; it was his sixth chequered flag of the year.
The Sicilian entered the gate for the second outing hoping to repeat his double moto victory of 2007 but a mediocre start and some curious lethargy in the first three laps meant that Rattray had long-gone at the front of the field by the time the 22 year old arrived to second place. The South African clinched his second success of 2008 while Cairoli gained some precious points on his other title rival Tommy Searle who finished fifth overall.
Still third in the championship standings the world champion is now just 16 points from Rattray at the peak of the table and 5 behind Searle.
One week after winning the Italian MX2 Championship Manuel Monni posted good results of 8th and 10th to finish 9th overall and was the second best YZ250F pilot on the day. Yamaha Van Beers' Evgeny Bobryshev was 15th overall, and with 11 points registered his second highest haul of the season so far.
Yamaha Ricci Racing's Nico Aubin had a forgettable weekend. The Frenchman had to qualify through the Last Chance session on Saturday after two crashes in the Heat race. Down in 26th position he could not find a good rhythm across the dry and hard German mud and was only able to score points in one moto, finishing 20th overall. He has now slipped to sixth in the championship and is 21 points from his former standing of fourth.
Team-mate Davide Guarneri made his Grand Prix comeback after falling and injuring his right knee in practice for the Italian Grand Prix in May. The winner of the Spanish round was lacking confidence on the turns and took only two points in the first moto.
Matteo Bonini tried to compete after coming through qualification yesterday but had too much pain in the left hand he injured in France. Although an x-ray confirmed that there was no break, the Italian could not properly hold the bike and pulled out of the first moto. He will now go for a scan to check for possible ligament damage.
Round ten takes place next weekend at the Uddevalla circuit for the Grand Prix of Sweden.
Antonio Cairoli, Yamaha Red Bull De Carli, 2nd:
"After three or four laps in the first moto I got the lead and found a good rhythm. I made a gap over Tyla and the rest was quite easy. In the second moto my start was not the best and after a mistake on the first lap and taking too long to pass Shaun and Steven I had lost too much time to Tyla; he was uncatchable. Tommy is a very fast rider and a good one but Tyla has more experience and I think he is the bigger threat for the title; he makes less mistakes. I lost a lot of points in France so it was important to take a good result here. It will be hard to get the red-plate back because the three of us are so close each week but we still have plenty of races to go."
Nico Aubin, Yamaha Ricci Racing, 20th:
"Today is a real low point for me. I lost fourth place in the championship and a lot of ground. I wish I could explain why. The weekend began badly with two stupid mistakes in the qualifying heat and I was then right on the outside of the gate. I tried as hard as I could to find a good level of speed but it would not come. It has been a terrible GP and I hope I can ride better in Sweden."
Davide Guarneri, Yamaha Ricci Racing, 22nd:
"I knew it would be hard this weekend. I crashed in the qualification heat which made things even more difficult. To be honest I struggled in the right-hand corners because I don't have the confidence with my knee, even if I have been building up the muscles around the joint. I want to try again in Sweden and then make a decision about the rest of the season. If I can do well with my condition then I will continue, if not then maybe surgery is the best option."
Josh Coppins
Coppins triumphs with double victory in German MX GP
Yamaha Monster racer, Josh Coppins, has taken a stellar victory at the 8th round of the FIM Motocross championship in Teutschenthal, Germany. The New Zealander powered his factory YZ450FM to two impressive race wins and has closed to within 4 points of the MX1 championship lead at the halfway mark.
With 34.000 spectators turning out at the ‘Talkessel’ circuit under perfect weather conditions, Coppins lined up 3rd on the starting line for the first moto. The Kiwi exploded out the gate and seemed to have the holeshot but German, Maxi Nagl, unexpectedly came around the outside of Coppins which allowed Billy MacKenzie to take the lead on lap 1. Coppins quickly moved past Nagl and then put MacKenzie under pressure for the lead. The Scotsman made a mistake a few laps later with Coppins capitalising and taking control of the race. He rode consistently to the checkered flag to gain his first moto win of the season.
The second moto would see fitness play a big role for the riders as the track conditions had deteriorated, making the circuit rough and demanding. Coppins once again had a great jump out the gate but lost out in the second turn to MacKenzie and Pourcel. The Frenchman would go missing on lap 3 and Coppins soon moved past MacKenzie to gain the lead. He rode a faultless race to take a double victory and his first GP overall of the season.
“I just want to thank all the people who have supported me. Obviously the results at the start of the season were not what I expected or what the team expected but we knuckled down and worked even harder and knew that the results would come. The step for me never came in the races but in my training, working with my mechanic, riding on the right tracks and working on the bike. Even though the result in Mallory Park was not good on paper, I felt there that my riding was improving and that with the hard work we were putting in that it would bring us to the top step of the podium.” commented a delighted Coppins.
The double victory has rocketed Coppins to second in the championship, a mere four points behind fellow Yamaha Monster team-mate, David Philippaerts. The 9th of 15 rounds will take Coppins to the picturesque circuit of Uddevalla in Sweden next week.
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KTM Racing
Tyla Rattray the Red Bull KTM hero of MX2 at Teutschenthal, Germany
Red Bull KTM's South African rider Tyla Rattray came, saw and conquered the rough track at Teutschenthal, Germany on Sunday with a 2-1 result for overall victory.
 Rattray's second race left no-one in doubt that he is hot property and determined to go to his home GP in South Africa as the holder of the red number plate as the championship leader.
Top racing
Rattray came in second in the first race behind title holder and arch rival Antonio Cairoli but was supreme in the second, amassing a lead of some 30 seconds in the closing stages, enough to coast home and enjoy the adoration of the crowd on the way back to the chequered flag.
"I went out hard and I feel so good on the bike that I just feel I can hit the level I want at any time," he said. I had two good starts and I had some good lines. I put in some good laps and it would be great to take the red plate back to South Africa. I love to race and I love to win." Rattray must first compete in Sweden, a circuit he says he enjoys and then he heads south for the races in his own country.
Two holeshots for Goncalves
Team-mate Rui Goncalves also showed renewed confidence for two holeshots and a 6-4 result and overall fourth place. Goncalves shot out of the start gates in race two and led for the opening laps and only after riders had settled into the race was he overcome by Rattray and eventually had to settle for fourth place, still a confidence building result for the rider in his first year in the factory team. "I had two good starts and two holeshots. I was fast in the first laps of race two but then things got tight and Tyla passed me. Still it was a great weekend for me and I am very happy," Rui said after the race.
Hard weekend for Searle
It was not the day for the other Red Bull KTM factory rider, Tommy Searle of Britain. But he did managed to scrape the points together to finish overall fifth, despite a nasty crash with just five minutes to go in race two that threw him over the handlebars and knocked him from third to ninth position. Searle brushed it off as a "silly mistake" but said it had been a hard weekend. "I had a bad start in the first race but I was riding well. Then it was better in the second race until I had that crash. It was hard because the track was very rough and I was having some trouble with my shock absorber. Still I'm looking forward to the next race in Sweden. It's where I had my first win and I like the track there." For his day's work, Tommy did pick up 32 additional championship points and is still second in the standings behind Rattray. Goncalves is consolidating and is now fifth.
Max Nagl unlucky in Germany at home MX1 GP
Red Bull KTM rider Max Nagl got off to a great start in the MX1 GP of Germany in Teutschenthal on Sunday but technical difficulties denied him the chance of a probable podium
The German factory rider took a confident holeshot in the first moto and was having no problems sticking with the front riders when technical difficulties foiled his chances of raking in points.
He was back and in good form in the second moto and was again up with the front runners. "I was in front of Josh (Coppins) and it looked like I might make the podium but then I started to get tired and in the end finished fourth," Nagl said, The track, which had been softened with sand took a beating during the weekend due to the heavy program of races and by the time the second MX1 moto was run, at the end of the day, it was clear that riders were struggling on the badly cut up surface.
Nagl is now concentrating on the next race in Sweden where he hopes to do well. "I have been there once before and although there have been some changes since then, I like the track," he said.
Jonathan Barragan of the KTM-supported Team Silver Action had a luckless day and got caught up in one of a number of spills in the second moto and failed to finish, salvaging only seven points for his efforts in the first race.
Laier wins again in Women's MX2 World Championship Round Four
KTM-supported rider Steffi Laier was a real crowd pleaser in her home race in Teutschenthal, Germany, rocketing to a 3-1 result in the two races of Round Four of the women's MX2 World Championship.
The first race was closely fought with just two second between first and third place, but she was outstanding in race two, finishing 18 seconds ahead of second placed Maria Franke, also of Germany.
Third from four round victories
It was Laier's third outright victory from four rounds and some compensation for having missed the opening round in Bulgaria. She is now second in the championship with one round to go and has closed the gap to leader Livia Lancelot to just 20 points.
Bid for title
Laier still has to stay ahead of countrywoman Franke, who is on equal points but with another fifty points up for grabs in the final round and having showed she is in peak form, she can definitely make a bid for the title.
Kawasaki Racing Team MX1
First GP podium of 2008 for Tanel Leok
 Kawasaki Racing Team’s Tanel Leok takes his first GP podium of 2008 at Teutschenthal in Germany while team-mate Manuel Priem secures eighth overall with another solid ride The German Grand Prix is always something of an epic race as the fast but technical Teutschenthal circuit always offers up some of the best racing in the championship season. The 2008 edition was no different and with the Teutschenthal circuit rougher than ever and the summer sun raising temperatures to around 26 degrees Celsius this event was a brutal scorcher that sorted the men from the boys. Looking leaner, faster and fitter each and every weekend Tanel Leok’s first podium of the year has been coming for some time now and the German Grand Prix proved to be the race where the Estonian Express stepped back on to the podium.
After battling hard for a fifth place finish in moto one Tanel came out fighting even harder in race two to take third position in the race and third overall – Kawasaki Racing Team’s first GP podium of the year.
“My start wasn’t so good in the first race but I was able to fight up to fifth,” said Tanel. “I got stuck behind Julien Bill and made some mistakes trying to pass him and I slid back to seventh but I caught up to Bill again then I took a really big rock to my side and that was very painful. I kept pushing and pushing but I couldn’t find a way through – I felt like I was so much faster and I thought I could catch the front guys but it wasn’t to be.
“I got a little bit better start in moto two and I had a good first lap even though it was difficult with all the water they had put down. I took some small risks and they worked out well and I was soon in fourth place. It was a hot day today and the track was tough so good physical fitness was important. I was able to get by Nagl and then I caught De Dycker with two laps to go. I made a big mistake and I let him get away a little bit so I thought it’s better to settle for third and to get some good points.
“I’m really happy with the way the season’s going now – I’m finally back to full fitness and I’ve been able to test more and improve the bike so it’s even better. There are some good tracks coming up for me so I think things are going to get better and I’ll be able to climb the championship even further than I have today.”
Much like his KRT team-mate Manuel Priem looks like a reformed man too. Now riding much more aggressively than ever before after training hard with the KRT team Manuel’s able to translate mid-pack starts into top-10 finishes.
Moto one sees the likeable ultra-fit Belgian rider start 15th and fight to eighth while moto two results in a ninth place finish after coming through from a shocking 28th place start. Eighth overall on the day Manuel took massive strides towards improving his championship position.
“I started around 15th in moto one and I was riding well,” said Manuel. “I’ve been feeling like I’ve raised my game a little recently and I’m much more focussed and much more aggressive on the bike. I made my way up to eighth even though it’s not easy to pass here and so I was very happy with that.
“In race two I got a very bad start but because they’d watered it so much a lot of guys crashed on the first lap and I was able to come through quite well. I was 14th at the end of lap one after being 28th in turn one. I rode hard all race and got up to ninth at the finish which again I’m happy with.
“I got eighth overall and I really feel like I’m headed in the right direction. I’m very happy with the bike also as well as the team. I’m now up to 11th in the championship and I’ll be looking for top-10 in each moto now so I can progress further up the championship standings.”
Grand Prix Kawasaki Racing
Livia Lancelot leads again!
 Livia Lancelot regained the red plate in the Women’s World Championship finishing second overall in Teutschenthal while Sébastien Pourcel took fifth place in the MX1 class and is fifth in the
standings.
Round eight of 15 in the MX1 series the German Grand Prix has been one of the hottest so far and most of the riders struggled with the hardpack layout. Second in the qualifying session on Saturday Sébastien didn’t really take advantage of his good position and was fifth after one lap in race one. Running third behind Mackenzie and Coppins, Sébastien hit neutral during the sixth lap and was hit by another rider. Remounting 12th he needed six laps to come back to seventh too far behind the other riders to improve his result.
His second start was better as Seb was second behind Mackenzie during the opening lap but two laps later he crashed when Mackenzie made a strange and very aggressive move on him. Starting again in 17th he then rode a strong and consistent race to capture fifth place in the race and in the Grand Prix.
Alexandre Rouis didn’t enter the qualifying period as he injured his foot during the second free practice session.
Fastest girl in qualification Livia Lancelot didn’t take either holeshot but in both races she did move to the front quickly. Kawasaki German rider Maria Franke put some pressure on her during the first heat but Livia kept the race under control to collect her second success of the series so far.
The second race was more difficult for Livia who only kept the lead for two laps. She lost the lead on the third lap and later the second place as Franke passed her at mid-race. But Livy scored the same points as Laier and finished the GP in second position to get back the red plate before the final round in the Netherlands.
Sébastien Pourcel: “My result here is not what I was expecting - seventh and fifth is not really a great performance. I was fast but I made some mistakes like in the first race when I hit neutral. The marshal didn’t put the flag out and Boniface who was right behind hit me so I lost more time.
“I was second behind Mackenzie in the second race but when I passed him he made a stupid move on me and I crashed. Then I had to come back from 17th place with a damaged clutch lever. I finished fifth with the fastest lap of the race.
“I’m upset because in France I didn’t make any mistakes during the entire weekend and here I made several. For sure we have to work on the suspension because on this kind of track I have to work hard to control the bike. There have been seven different winners since the beginning of the season and I’m the only guy who has won two GPs but that’s not enough for me. I must be more consistent and that will be my goal for Sweden and South Africa.”
Livia Lancelot: “I didn’t beat Laier who won her third GP in a row here but it was a good event for me as we scored equal points. We came here after two weeks of intensive training with Luc my mechanic and Roger. We worked on my concentration and here I didn’t make any mistakes. I was faster during the qualifying practice and the warm-up, I got the pole but missed my first start. I took the lead and then managed the gap with Maria Franke to win my second heat of the season.
“I was leading the second race when I felt tired and decided to secure a good result rather than take risks. It’s the first time this year that we have had such high temperatures so maybe that’s why. I’m leading the championship now by 20 points and I know that the next and last round in Lierop will be tough but I’ll work hard to prepare for it.”
Roger Pourcel: “First of all I’m very happy with the performance of Livia this weekend. She didn’t lose any points over her rivals and took back the red plate and leads the series by 20 points before the final round in the Netherlands. We have two months to prepare for this race and we will work hard with her as we did between France and Germany. She never lost her concentration during the weekend, didn’t make any mistakes and during the second race she didn’t take any risks when she felt tired.
“Sébastien made several mistakes, he was fast but didn’t take enough time to pass early in the races. He could have finished second in the opening moto but crashed and later made another mistake when he tried to pass Mackenzie during the second heat. He came back from 17th to fifth place with the fastest lap of the race too.
“For sure he’s the fastest rider at the moment but he needs to be more patient. We lost five points to Philippaerts today but that’s not too much, the goal is to win every GP.”
HONDA RACING INFORMATION
Crowd: 34,000 (weekend figure)
Saturday – Sunny with patchy cloud 24 deg C
Sunday – Bright sunshine 26 deg C
Julien Bill sixth overall at Teutschenthal
Julien Bill’s streak of good form continued at the eighth round of the FIM MX1 World Motocross Championship at Teutschenthal in Germany as the Swiss rider steered his Honda Martin CRF450 to sixth place overall with an impressive 5-7 scorecard to finish as Honda’s highest placed rider on the day.
The well-prepared Teutschenthal track offered a very fast, partly tacky, partly hardpack surface with plenty of bumps and ruts to test the MX1 riders. Working against the strong sunshine and a drying wind the organising club worked extra hard to keep the dust at a minimum. The track’s rough and rutted surface would do CAS Honda’s Billy MacKenzie no good at all as the Scotsman was racing in Germany just two weeks after cracking his left shoulder blade at the French GP.
But in Saturday’s qualifying session it was MacKenzie who was the fastest of the Honda riders despite feeling a huge amount of pain. The Scotsman finished the session in third place after posting a super quick lap in the middle of the session that was just 0.152 seconds slower than Ken De Dycker who ended the timed period in pole position. Julien Bill finished the session in fifth, Marc De Reuver was eighth while stand-in CAS rider Steve Boniface took 13th position.
When the gate dropped for moto one on Sunday it was MacKenzie who headed the pack alongside local hero Max Nagl who took the lead briefly before the Scotsman charged past. Boniface was fourth at the end of lap one with Bill seventh and De Reuver fighting through from 14th. When the motor on Nagl’s KTM let go at the end of lap two, Boniface moved into third where he stayed until he crashed into Sebastien Pourcel’s fallen bike on a badly marshalled blind section of track hurting his foot. Unable to continue Steve was forced to return to the pits along with De Reuver who suffered technical problems.
Mackenzie lost the lead on lap six when he was passed by Josh Coppins and that’s when he started to feel the pain from his shoulder, which slowed his pace and he slipped back to 15th at the finish. Bill meanwhile had moved into fourth where he was running a very strong pace. After battling hard with Ken De Dycker and Tanel Leok for the remainder of the moto Julien eventually finished fifth – his best result of the year so far.
Using the power of the factory CRF450 to perfection MacKenzie jumped out of the start and into the lead of moto two where he stayed for four laps until making a small error and crashing on to his already injured shoulder. Remounting in fourth place the Scotsman toughed it out for the rest of the race but lost several places before the end and finally finished in 10th place for 13th overall on the day.
Bill fought bravely again also and after starting fifth the Swiss rider scrapped it out with series leader Philippaerts and Estonian Aigar Leok to finish seventh at the flag. Julien finished the day level on points with Sebastien Pourcel but lost out on fifth overall due to the better second moto tiebreaker rule. Boniface and De Reuver were both forced to retire once more and scored zero points on the day.
In the championship standings MacKenzie and De Reuver are now ninth and 10th while Bill elevates himself to 14th place with seven rounds remaining.
The next round of the FIM MX1 Motocross World Championship – round nine – will be held at the excellent Uddevalla circuit in Sweden on July 6.
Roger Harvey – Honda Off-Road co-ordinator
“Julien Bill had an excellent day, he had good starts and strong rides in both races. It was good to see him fighting the way he did and it was pleasing to see him do so well today.
“I’ve got to take my hat off to Billy MacKenzie today. He took a lot of pain and you could see that after about 20 minutes it started to bite him real hard. It was great to see him leading today for the first few laps in each race and it proved that he’s still got the speed to win – when he’s back to full fitness.
“Steve Boniface had a good first ride with the CAS team with it being his first time on the bike. He was very unfortunate to come together with Pourcel in the first race and hurt his foot and did a fair bit of damage to the bike. They got it all back together for moto two but unfortunately he crashed and damaged the throttle tube.
“Marc De Reuver unfortunately had an electrical problem and he wasn’t able to finish. In the second race the team prepped his second bike, which he raced on. He didn’t feel comfortable and I understand he pulled out. You’re not going to end up where you want to end up in a world championship if you start doing that.
“I’ve got to mention Marvin Musquin again – what a hero. I think he suffered a bit in race one and he looked like he tired a bit but in race two he did amazing to come in in fifth place. It was an unbelievable ride because he just kept on pushing and pushing. I went to see him after the race to congratulate him and when he took his helmet off it just looked like he’d been for a walk around on a warm day – he was hardly sweating at all. Congratulations to him and the NGS team and also the Martin team who have been helping them with the engines.”
Julien Bill – Martin Honda
“I’m really happy. Today was really hot and it was hard physically to keep the same speed until the end. I had two great starts – the bike is just so fast out of the gate – and I was racing with the best guys today and I was almost running their speed. I had a good overall result and that’s good for the team, the championship and of course my confidence. At every race now I’m getting nearer to the podium but it’s still not happened for me yet. I’m working hard for it though and it can’t be very far away. The CRF450 is working perfectly for me and the team are doing an awesome job too.”
Marc De Reuver – Martin Honda
“I was riding well in the first race and I was ready to attack Philippaerts and Leok then I came over a jump and the bike stopped and that was it. In the second heat I went out on my spare bike, I got an okay start and then two riders collided before turn two and one of them hit me and then I hit somebody else – it was a big crash. My handlebars were bent and my bike had been upside-down for a while so it took some time to start it again. After that I just didn’t have a good feeling with the bike and I didn’t feel confident riding – it’s been a disastrous weekend for me.”
Billy MacKenzie – CAS Honda
“The bike has been working awesome all weekend and the power is just so good and that gave me a lot of confidence on the starts. In race one I got a great start and I was alongside Nagl then I made a good pass on him around the outside. With my shoulder being the way it is I thought being out front is the best place for me because I’d be able to pick my lines well and concentrate on my breathing. Things were going well until about the 20-minute mark and then the freeze spray began to wear off and so my shoulder was more painful and I started to pump up. From there it was just a horrible race for me, I couldn’t turn properly, I couldn’t turn the throttle, I couldn’t pull the clutch, I was in a lot of pain and I had arm pump – I just brought the bike home for 15th place which wasn’t bad considering I couldn’t even ride in the week.
“In the second race I got another awesome start and I made a pass for the lead in the second corner. I was on it and I felt good, the track had just been watered so I was picking my lines and I was riding well, nice and relaxed. I lost my front end in a corner that had been watered and I landed pretty hard on my shoulder. After that my handlebars were covered in mud and I got a little bit tense and I got a little bit of arm pump. I dropped off the pace a bit and finished 10th. Everyone in the team seems quite happy with that considering my injury so it’s not been too bad.”
Steve Boniface – CAS Honda
“The weekend was very bad for me. Yesterday I was riding well but in the timed qualification session the times were very tight and even though I was only one and a half seconds behind the fastest guy I ended up 13th.
“Today I got a good start in the first moto and I was running fourth and then Pourcel crashed in a rut in front of me and the marshal was a little slow in getting the flag out, I didn’t see him and by the time I did I was already wide open and even though I tried my hardest to go around him I hit him pretty hard. I hit my foot on his footpeg or something and I hurt my foot – it was too painful for me to continue that race.
“In the second moto I had a little fall in a corner and I broke the end of the throttle tube. After that the throttle was sticking a little bit and I had another big crash near the mechanic’s area and the bike was all tweaked up after that and that was it. Overall it was a bad weekend for me but I enjoyed riding the CAS Honda – it’s a really good bike.”
Team Suzuki
TEKA SUZUKI MEN PODIUM IN GERMAN MX1
Hot weather and a rough, technical track at Teutschenthal in Germany made for an exciting weekend of racing action for the Team Teka Suzuki WMX1 squad at the eighth round of the FIM MX1 World Motocross Championship.
Despite the difficult conditions that both team riders always relish, Ken De Dycker ended the day in second place overall on his factory RM-Z450 with a hard-fought-for 4-2 scorecard. Battling back through the pack from poor starts in both races he was one of the few riders able to move forward through the pack on the narrow Teutschenthal circuit.
"I didn't get the best starts this weekend but I rode well in both races," said De Dycker. "The heat made things tough today and the track was rough also but that made it fun to ride for me. I finished second overall today which is good for the championship as only Josh Coppins scored more points than me so I'm really happy.
"The team and I are always working and I think we're getting better every weekend. I was happy with my riding, I think I'm the only rider today who could come through the pack and then stay there. I didn't want to push too hard today because it was very easy to make a mistake on this track and also it was hot which made things very tough."
Reigning MX1 World Champion Steve Ramon was also in fine form at today's Grand Prix but didn't get the end result he perhaps deserved. Battling through the pack from eighth to second in moto one, Ramon was only beaten by an on-form Josh Coppins who'd enjoyed a much better start. Closing to within four points of the championship leader David Philippaerts, Ramon was more than ready to take control of the series in moto two.
However things didn't quite turn out as Ramon planned. After gating fifth, Ramon slipped off on a foolishly freshly watered jump face and crashed midway around lap one. Several riders hit the fallen factory Suzuki damaging it badly enough to ensure Steve had to make a trip to the pits to get the damage quickly fixed.
Unable to straighten the bike sufficiently for Ramon to ride it at full race speed, the champ was forced to return to the track in an attempt to score some points. Starting over one minute behind his closest competitor, Steve rode like the champion he is, battered bike and all, to finish 18th and score three precious championship points.
"The first race was okay," he said. "I got a bad start but the track was slippery and I was able to pass some riders in the beginning, I had a good pace going and I could see Josh just ahead of me but I was happy with second and I'd already pushed hard early in the race and I was getting a little bit tired.
"In the second moto I got a much better start in around fifth place I think but on the first lap I crashed on one of the jumps. It was wet and slippery and I took the wrong rut and went sideways over the jump and I crashed. It wasn't really a big crash but some riders were coming behind me and they jumped on my bike and it was completely damaged. I had to stop in the pits to try and straighten it out.
"From that point my riding was not so good because everything was bent. I tried to take as many points as possible but they just weren't enough. It's always important to score points and those three points at the end of the year might just make al the difference. Today hasn't been good for the championship but there are still plenty of rounds to go so I'll just keep on working hard like always and see where I end."
The MX1 World Championship series continues next weekend - July 6 - with the Grand Prix of Sweden held at the excellent Uddevalla circuit.
Molson Kawasaki Racing
More MX1 points for Church in German GP
Molson Kawasaki’s Tom Church battles hard for valuable MX1 championship points at the German
Grand Prix in Teutschenthal.
With MX2 team riders Stephen Sword, Gautier Paulin and Gareth Swanepoel all currently recovering from injury it’s up to the Molson team’s MX1 satellite rider Tom Church to fly the Molson Kawasaki flag high and proud in Teutschenthal, Germany at the eighth round of the FIM Motocross World Championship.
 With times so tight between the full pack in Saturday’s qualifying session Tom had to be content with 25th pick of the gate for Sunday’s points paying races. But despite having to start so far to the outside on the vastly unfair start gate Tom was able to prove just how potent the KX450F’s motor is by gating in the top half of the pack ahead of factory equipment in both motos.
Involved in a cut-throat battle for valuable top-15 points in moto one, Tom looked set to score well until he crashed back to 20th on the 11th lap of 18. Unable to make up much of the time he lost, TC finished the moto in the last of the points scoring positions despite riding hard right until the finish.
Looking to make amends in moto two the 26-year-old was involved in a turn two crash that left him at the back of the pack. Fighting through to 18th by two-thirds race distance, Church lost one position to reigning MX1 World Champion Steve Ramon late in the race as he tired from his extreme efforts in the summer heat.
Scoring three points on the day TC retains 19th place in the MX1 championship with seven rounds remaining.
“I got a good start in the first race and was running strong inside the top-15 chasing the guy in front of me when I high sided into the face of a jump,” explained Tom. “It was a big crash and the bike was pretty bent but I managed to get up and finish 20th.
“In moto two I got a pretty good jump out of the gate and got a great drive up the start straight too. I got pinched off a little bit in turn one and then going into turn two somebody hit De Reuver who was to my inside and he just nailed me. I was going pretty fast and he just t-boned me straight off the track. I got up and I managed to fight back through the pack to 18th but then Ramon got me late in the race when I was a little tired from pushing so hard early on.
“It’s a shame things didn’t go my way today because I know I was riding well and my bike was performing well too. I need to carry this form into Sweden and score two top-15 finishes.”
The Molson team’s next outing is at the Swedish Grand Prix at Uddevalla next weekend – July 6. It’s expected that Scotsman Stephen Sword who dislocated the AC joint in his shoulder at the French GP will rejoin his Molson team-mate Tom Church in Sweden and return to MX2 championship action on his factory Kawasaki KX250F-SR.
Shannon Terreblanche
BROKEN FEMUR SPELLS END OF SEASON FOR TERREBLANCHE
Shannon Terreblanche's 2008 motocross season came to a grinding halt at Teutschenthal in Germany as he was airlifted from the German GP with a broken femur.
The South African dutifully rolled up to the start line for qualifying on Saturday afternoon, flanked for the first time in team livery by replacement rider and good friend Matiss Karro. Now being the senior rider in the team, Shannon had a self-imposed heavier load in his shoulders to ensure that the Beursfoon Suzuki squad had representation during Sunday's GP. The teenager had a fairly lacklustre start in his qualifying race, but with an ease born of his growing confidence, he glided though the pack, and within one lap, was just one position shy of a qualifying spot, in thirteenth position.
Shannon rode like a seasoned veteran on a track where only a year ago he missed qualifying by some margin, and significantly, once world championship leader Tommy Searle barrelled past, the South African was able to latch on and keep his ground vis-a-vis the Englishman. He loitered with intent at the back door of Frenchman Gregory Aranda, and before the race was through, he had overtaken the highly-rated Frenchman with a beautiful manoeuvre. By now, several other riders had also fallen victim to his attacks, and Terreblanche homed in on a group of riders holding down 6th - 8th position in the race. He got close enough to Belgian Joel Roelants to read the serial number on his bike's engine, but time ran out, and he crossed the line in 9th position, to cap an inspiring ride with a strong qualifying performance.
Unfortunately, this is as far as good news went for the weekend. The warm-up lap before the first race perhaps gave an indication of the shape of things to come, as the bike spluttered and nearly stalled. Some hasty work before the race rectified a problem with water contamination, and Shannon could turn his focus back on the race. A mid pack start held him outside the points scoring zone, but during the first lap already he bullied his way into scoring territory. Before the lap was through, however, fate, who would deal him some dark cards on the day, bared her teeth for the first time. Matti Seistola ahead of him failed to clear a jump, and Shannon could not avoid landing on the Finnish rider, sending them both sprawling.
Shannon restarted his race far, far adrift of the pack, and he initiated the charge of the light (yellow) brigade. He Latched onto world championship front runner Nicholas Aubin, and matched the Frenchman blow for blow. He moved as high as 23rd position again, near the points zone, but was being hampered by a boot flapping in the breeze, since his bootstraps were ripped open in the crash. The impediment was bad enough to cause him to crash again, and he rode the race out in 25th position.
Hard is it as may be to believe, the first race still represented the good news of the day. A slightly better launch and forceful first lap brought him well into the points in the first lap of the second race, but three quarters of the way through the lap, the dreaded moment happened. Shannon crashed near the pits area, and another rider crashed on top of him. He immediately knew that something had gone seriously wrong, and as the medical personnel worked to evacuate him, the worst fears were confirmed by an initial diagnosis by the trackside doctor. He had broken his upper leg, an injury that requires a long convalescence.
Shannon was airlifted to the designated hospital, and he managed a brave smile as he waved to his supporters, dozy from the pain killing drip that he had received. He was operated on during Sunday night to pin the leg. At the moment his prognosis for a recovery period is not clear yet, and more about this will become clear during the following week.
One reason to smile on an otherwise bleak day, was the fact that compatriot Tyla Rattray rode to a majestic victory in the race to reclaim the top spot in the world championship rankings. Rattray conveyed his best wishes to his younger compatriot, and will undoubtedly carry him in his mind as he continues his quest for the world title.
TANEL LEOK
LEOK FINISHES THIRD IN GERMAN GP
"With half the race gone, there is half the race still to go." So goes one of the most memorable quotes of the master of the malapropism, the hero of the hyperbole, motorsports commentator Murray Walker. It may state the obvious, but Mr Walker's quote perfectly describes the 2008 motocross world championship season as it rolled into the second heat of events at Teutschenthal, Germany. The season had reached its exact mid-way point.
Tanel Leok came in to the race holding the the tenth ranking in the world series. He was by now completely injury free, fully fit and armed with his trademark determination and a point to prove. The Estonian had a knowing look in his eye after the qualifying session, as if he knew that a good result was in the offing. Never the boastful kind, Tanel merely stated matter-of-factly that a good result was due, especially since it was nearly time to renegotiate contracts for the 2009 season.
A good, although not yet perfect start, got Tanel into proceedings in 9th position in lap 1. A lap later, he had turned the 9 over and moved into 6th position. A closely fought battle ensued between the riders placed in second to seventh positions, as they charged around the spectacular valley-bound track. Tanel went into the clinch with a number of riders, but the fiercest and most prolonged battle was fought out with Julien Bill. Tanel tried all that he might, but could just not find a way past the Swiss rider, who is also enjoying a return to form.
The Estonian Express mimicked his number board with his start in the second race, and descended into the valley in 8th position. He was somewhat disappointed with himself at not being able to make more passes in the first race, however hard he tried, and this time he turned up the aggression kettle a notch or two. This yielded dividends, and he soon started moving through the field. World championship leader David Philippaerts and Julien Bill, who held him at bay during the first race, were no match this time around, and his march forward continued.
With a few laps to go, his pit crew signalled that he needed to gain one more spot to get onto the overall podium. Local favourite man Nagl was next on the list, and with a beautiful swoop right in front of the biased but fair home commentator, he blew past Nagl to move in to second spot. With a few laps to go, he got the armoury out to launch an attack on second-placed Ken De Dijcker, but a mistake cost him some seconds and forced him to remove his goggles. A second place finish was not to be, but with his third place finish, the Estonian has done enough to book a podium spot for the first time in the 2008 season.
Tanel was smiling broadly after the race. " I was not really happy with the first race, " he admitted. "I struggled to pass people and could not ride at my real speed. The second race was much better, and overall I'm happy."
The podium results has helped Tanel to leapfrog 3 spots up the world championship ladder to seventh. The next GP is at Uddevalla, Sweden, a track that has treated him well in the past, so he will be looking forward to build on the good form that has manifested itself in the last few weeks.
CAS HONDA RACING
BILLY MAC BATTLES IN GERMANY
CAS riders Billy MacKenzie and Steve Boniface showed great speed and determination at Teutschenthal for the 8th round of the World Championship.
 Qualifying was successful for both riders with Billy in 3rd position and Steve in 13th, this would give both riders a decent gate for the following days racing. Billy had not been on a bike since cracking his shoulder in France so he needed to take it easy this weekend.
Race 1:
Both Billy and Steve got out of the gate really well, before the end of lap 1 Billy had take the lead and Steve was in 4th behind Nagl and Coppins. Billy held the lead for 5 laps before Coppins passed. MacKenzie fought back the pain of his shoulder keeping the bike upright and riding with his head, although he dropped back through the pack to 15th eventually, this had been a good steady race. Steve crashed into Pourcel, who was down on the floor, this damaged his bike forcing him to retire, which was a big disappointment for him on his first outing for the CAS Team
Race 2:
Billy got another cracking start leading for the first 4 laps. Steve’s start was mid pack but crashed on the second lap damaging the throttle and forcing him to retire again. Meanwhile Billy was riding a good steady race and finally passed the finishing flag in a well deserved 10th spot.
CAS rider Billy MacKenzie stated, “with my current injury I was pumped to qualify in 3rd on Saturday but knew I would have to be sensible on Sunday. Both starts were great and I could only ride to what my shoulder would allow, I’m pretty pleased with my recovery and now really looking forward to Sweden.”
At his first GP for the CAS Team Steve Boniface said, “I am very pleased with the setup of the bike, but very disappointed to have damaged the bike in both races forcing me to retire.”
At then end of the weekend Team Manager Neil Prince said, “Billy rode the best he could this weekend, he just needs a little more recovery time for his shoulder, his second race was better. He will have complete rest this week. Steve was going really well, in the first race he was running 4th but ran into Pourcel when he went down, this ripped off his front brake caliper and damaged the rear sprocket. In the second race unfortunately he crashed damaging the throttle and had to pull in, however both races he was up there with the guys and this was a promising start.”
Bodo Schmidt Teka Suzuki Racing Team
The Bodo Schmidt- run Teka Suzuki racing team made headed Eastwards last weekend for it's home GP at the spectacular natural terrain track of Teutschenthal. Going into the weekend, the team had high hopes of producing a good result in front of local sponsors and – supporters, but bad luck dogged the team all weekend and, largely due to factors beyond its control, the team returned home disappointed.
The team's flagship rider, Pierre-Alexandre Renet, unfortunately left the proceedings early on when he crashed during the Saturday morning's free practice session, and he was carted off to hospital with a suspected broken thumb. This left the entire load of expectation on the shoulders of the team's MX2 class representative, Balarussian Evgeny Tyletski.
Spurred on by the knowledge that his father had made the long and tiring trip to watch him, Tyletski was motivated to perform well. During his qualifying race, he always hovered in or near a qualifying position, and when a rider in front of him made a mistake, he pounced and moved into 12th position, the final qualifying spot. All that remained to to, was to hold onto the position for the remaining 3 laps, but this is easier said than done, for Angelo Pellegrini was turning on the screws, and Tyletski had a job on his hands to keep the Italian at bay. He handled the pressure with aplomb, however, and crossed the line in 12th position, gifting his team a qualifying spot for their home GP.
The team were hopeful that their youngest representative would add to the collective points tally during Sunday's race. Tyletski recovered well from a bad start in the first race, and gamely tried to get into the points. He advanced from 27th to 22nd position, just two short of the points, but unfortunately this is where his progress halted.
The second race delivered a healthy dose of bad luck for the teenager. He was involved in the crash that unfortunately resulted in a serious injury for his friend and fellow Suzuki rider Shannon Terreblanche, and his quest for points was effectively run. He finished the race in 25th position, and the team could reflect back on his qualifying performance as the only light poins in an otherwise bleak weekend.
Renet, who returned on Sunday to watch the racing sporting a bright yellow cast, will go for a check up this week on his broken thumb, but the prognosis is that he will be out of the running for at least six weeks, which has effectively knocked out the team's sole remaining pillar in the MX1 class. Needless to say, the team management and staff were somewhat downhearted after the race, and the strategy for the near future will be determined at a team meeting during the week.
MATTIS KARRO
KARRO CRASHES OUT OF QUALIFYING AT GERMAN GP
Filled to the brim with excitement because of the chance he received to ride for the Beursfoon Suzuki team, Matiss Karro spent a few days familiarising himself with the Suzukis, and then travelled to the venue of the German Grand Prix, Teutschenthal near Halle. The track was unfamiliar to him, but this fact has never fazed the Latvian teenager, and he was keen to prove his mettle to his new supporters.
Although the track was all new to him, Matiss posted a reasonable lap time during the pre-qualifying practice session, and booked his spot in the second qualifying race. The sixteen year old spurred his new mount on to 16th position at the start of his race, and from there the battle started. He quickly got into the thick of things, and raised a chuckle when he made a cheeky pass on experienced campaigner Dennis Verbruggen. The Belgian soon repassed him, but the battle continued, and Matiss was edging closer to a qualifying spot.
On the fourth lap, he was hovering in 13th and just shy of a qualifying position, when his charge ended abruptly. Portuguese rider Joaquin Rodrigues crashed on the finish jump, and with the warning flags somewhat tardy in coming out, Matiss plowed into the stricken rider and went down himself. It took him a seeming eternity to restart the bike, and by now all chances of direct qualification had evaporated. It was an unfortunate turn of events, for the youngster was placed well at that stage, and during the course of the race a number of riders still met with setbacks, which means that, but for the incident, qualifying was a distinct possibility.
Be that as it may, Matiss had to report for the last chance qualifying practice session in the late afternoon. A number of top riders, such as Tommy Searle, Davide Guarneri and Nicholas Aubin had also met with misfortune in their qualifying heats, and therefore the battle for the top 6 spots in the last chance session would be tough. Matiss showed his steely resolve and posted near on the most laps during the session, but in the end he missed the qualifying mark by just over a second.
As if the disappointment of the qualifying day was not enough, Matiss had to look on in concern as his team-mate and good friend Shannon Terreblanche was airlifted to hospital with a serious leg injury. The news that filtered in later was fortunately better, and Terreblanche can look forward to a full and hopefully speedy recovery.
Matiss will continue his quest to break into the GP ranks at the GP of Sweden in Uddevalla next weekend.
XAVIER BOOG
BOOG UP TO SEVENTH IN WORLD SERIES
It cannot be denied that Xavier Boog has found his footing well on German tracks. Based, as he is, in a German team, he has had ample time to sample German tracks in his "domestic" racing championship series, and he even holds onto a strong third position in the German Masters championship series despite competing against competitors on much more powerful bikes. Despite his strong links to Germany, however, the Alsatian euphemistically lists the home of the German GP, Teutschenthal, as "not his favourite track".
Like the track or not, however, Xavier had a job to do at the 8th GP of the world series, and he set to his task with gutso. As always, the first course on the menu was to clear the qualification hurdle, and this he did with consummate ease, advancing from eighth position at the start to fourth at the flag in the qualifying race.
A less fortunate start in the first race on Sunday left the #121 Inotec Ortema Suzuki in second to last position. Xavier was determined not to leave any points lying around, though, and started his charge. By lap 8, he had moved into the points on a track that made passing difficult. He had enormous distance to catch up, but kept plugging away, and finally finished the race in a hard-fought 12th position.
A start at round about 20th spot in the second race again gave the Frenchman some work to do, but, as can be expected, he figuratively rolled up his sleeves and got stuck in. He claimed some prize scalps, including Tommy Searle, Manuel Monni and Gregory Aranda, and his efforts were rewarded with an eighth-place finish.
Despite all that counted against him on the weekend, Xavier managed to creep into the top 10 in the overall result. More importantly, his world ranking has improved to seventh. The team travels to Uddevalla in Sweden next for the ninth round of the world series.
Wyatt Avis
A top ten position for Wyatt Avis in Germany
Wyatt Avis enjoyed mix fortunes at the GP of Germany in Teutschenthal last weekend, with a top 10 result and a visit to the medical centre in the two heats respectively.
After qualifying well, Wyatt started his first race in around 12th position. He fought for every position and rode one of his strongest races this year to fight his way into the top 10. He managed to move up to ninth before the race was done, and added a heap of points to his world championship tally.
Another good start gave Wyatt the opportunity to move into the top 10 again in the second heat. Unfortunately, the front wheel of his LS Motors Honda got caught up in a rut after a big landing and Wyatt hit the ground hard with his head. He was knocked out for a while, but a check up at the medical centre fortunately brought to light that there were no serious injuries.
Wyatt finished in thirteenth position overall at the Grand Prix of Germany. After eight rounds he sits in 21st position in the World Championship Standings. Next weekend round nine of the series will be held in Uddevalla, Sweden.
Team Suzuki - Qualifying
DE DYCKER FASTEST AT GERMAN MX1
 The timed qualifying session for the eighth round of the FIM World Motocross Championship held at Teutschenthal in Germany saw team Teka Suzuki WMX1 rider Ken De Dycker take pole for tomorrow's points-paying races.
The twisty Teutschenthal circuit was in prime condition for the qualification session and it just got faster and faster as the period progressed. De Dycker waited until the very last lap to put in his fastest time after sitting at the sidelines for the first 10 minutes. Crossing the line with a time of 2:05:014 De Dycker leapfrogged Frenchman Sebastien Pourcel to take his second pole position of the year.
"They watered the track so much that it wasn't worth going out at the start of the session," said Ken. "We had seen all day that the lap times were getting better in the last few laps so I waited until the track dried for a while and then went for it. I had a couple of laps where I made a few mistakes or got caught up with slower riders and then the last lap was just better. I didn't make any mistakes and I tried some different lines - I think they made all the difference.
"Getting pole means I can start from the inside and from there even if I don't get the best start I can stay tight and make some places up as they drift wide in the first corner. I hope I can do well tomorrow. I want to be on the podium and I want to make up some points in the championship."
Reigning MX1 World Champion Steve Ramon ended the session ninth, just over one second slower than his team-mate. Fifth until the last lap of the session, four riders including De Dycker went even faster while Steve's last chance of a fast lap was ruined by a crashed rider blocking his lines.
"I was fifth until the last lap and I wanted to try one more but Barragan crashed in front of me and I lost that lap," said Ramon. "Four riders went faster than me and I ended up ninth but that's not so bad because the times are all quite close. The track is not so easy and I found it difficult to ride smooth today, it's fast and I didn't really like it. It's a different day tomorrow, I'll do the best I can and hopefully I can come out on top."
The weather forecast for tomorrow's races is for strong sunshine with the temperature expected to be around 26 degrees Celsius.
KTM Racing - Qualifying
Red Bull KTM fields a formidable trio for MX2 GP in Teutschenthal, Germany
Red Bull KTM's South African rider Tyla Rattray goes into Sunday's MX2 GP in Germany determined to regain the red number plate as championship leader, even if he does have to take it away from factory team-mate Tommy Searle.
The two riders are both top title contenders in the class and while Tyla won his qualifying race on Saturday, Tommy had two crashes and had to contest the Last Chance Qualifying, which he won with ease. Meanwhile the third factory team member Rui Goncalves of Portugal had a confidence boosting second place in his qualifier after title holder Antonio Cairoli of Italy.
Tyla Rattray: "This was a very good day for me. I got the holeshot and was first in my qualifier. The track is a bit different from last year. It's a bit rougher and that suits me. I like it and I am feeling very fit so I expect to do really well tomorrow. I want to get back the red number plate."
Tommy Searle: "I got the holeshot but then I crashed. I managed to get back in the race and then I crashed again and had to go to the last chance qualifier. I won that so in the end it was ok for me. This is not really my favourite circuit but its ok and I will be going for it tomorrow."
Rui Goncalves: "This was the best day for me so far this season. I had a good start and I led the race for the first four laps. This gives me a lot of confidence for tomorrow and I like this track. It's definitely one that suits me!"
Red Bull KTM's Max Nagl goes into Teutschenthal MX1 GP confident
Max Nagl of the Red Bull KTM Factory team was just 1.1 seconds off the pace in Saturday's Time Training ahead of the MX1 GP in Germany's Teutschenthal and although he finished in tenth place is confident for Sunday's race.
"The timing was quite ok and the tenth spot on the start gate is also a good option here in Teutschenthal so I am pretty confident for the race. I will be going for the holeshot and I will be trying my best to get on the podium," the German rider said after Saturday's activity.
Nagl will have the support of his home crowd and likes the circuit, which has had some sand added to the hard base. "It's rougher," he said. "It suits me and I like it."
The Talkessel race track in Teutschenthal, situated just an hour's drive away from Leipzig is one of the most important racing circuits in Germany. Good weather and conditions are expected for Sunday's race.
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