|
enduro
news |
|
|
Motocross |
|
 ACU BRITISH MMX
MOTOCROSS CHAMPIONSHIPS
The fifth round of the ACU British MMX Motocross Championship headed north of the border to make it the first adult British Championship to be contested on Scottish soil for well over 10 years. The Glenrothes Youth club supplied a superbly presented circuit, along with the help of Johnny Douglas Hamilton, to host the British Open, PAR Under 21 and Quad Championship classes. OPEN CLASS The Open class was first out on circuit on the stroke of 10:00 and it was LPE Kawasaki rider and championship leader Kristian Whatley who set the pace with a 1:43.918 lap on his fifth attempt. Only slightly off his pace was MVR-D Suzuki rider Carl Nunn just 0.092 seconds behind. Championship contender Brad Anderson on the PAR Honda was a further 0.2 seconds adrift. Whatley's LPE team mate Elliot Banks-Browne was fourth with Team KTM UK's Alex Snow in fifth. Race one saw Anderson lead the pack away closely chased by Banks-Browne and Whatley with Snow and Nunn not far behind. On lap four it became apparent that Anderson was in trouble with a noisy sounding exhaust and he pitted on lap seven, rejoining the race down in seventh place. Banks-Browne took over the lead for two laps until Nunn, who was surging through the pack, made the move for the front spot. At midway it was Nunn leading Banks Browne from Whatley and Snow, with a second stop seeing Anderson down in 16th. Lap nine and the gremlins were to hit Nunn when his silencer blew apart, he had to have it repaired in the work area having been shown the noise board by the officials. This left Banks-Browne to go on to take his first race win of the series with Whatley consolidating his series lead in second and Buildbase CCM rider Ray Rowson pulling through to take third. Anderson eventually came home in 11th with Nunn back in 16th. It was Anderson who again lead the field in race two and despite some early pressure from both Rowson and Nunn, went on to take a gate to flag win by a comfortable 20 seconds. Banks-Browns joined the battle as Rowson began to fade having just returned from injury. Second spot was being traded between both Nunn and Banks-Browne until Whatley recovered from a sixth place start to get as high as third only to lose out on the last lap and drop back to fifth. Nunn who had slipped back to fourth with two laps to go somehow managed to regain second on the last lap to finish ahead of Banks-Browne, a hard charging Gordon Crockard on another PAR Honda and Whatley. Overall first and second on the day went to the LPE Kawasaki team with Banks-Brown and Whatley with Anderson in third. There is now everything to play for at the last round in September with nine points separating Whatley and Anderson with Nunn just a further 17 adrift. PAR HOMES UNDER 21 CLASS PAR Homes Honda mounted Scott Elderfield set the pace in the PAR Homes sponsored Under 21 Championship and surprisingly it was as the circuit roughed up that the fastest times were set. A Slim 0.468 seconds was the size of the margin over second placed qualifier Graeme Irwin on the Team KTM UK machine. Pro Seal KTM’s Alan Keet was the only other rider within a second of the fastest time. Race one saw Elderfield in dominant form winning the race by a margin of 23 seconds having never been headed. The battle for second was between Irwin and Motone KTM mounted Shane Carless who hadn’t finished outside the top three in the last six races of the championship. The battle raged until Irwin suddenly went missing on lap 12 coming round in tenth place. Twisted 7 Hondas Scandinavian signing Richard Sandberg was now up to third and showing a good pace. The top three stayed the same until the flag with Isle of Man rider Alex Rockwell on the Road and Track Yamaha in fourth and Matthew Moffat in fifth. Irwin was to cross the line back in eighth place. Carless headed the field in the second moto with Elderfield and Moffat in his wake. Elderfield made the dive for the front on lap three and again went on to a convincing victory. The early pace of the front two had taken them away from the field that were battling it out for third spot behind. Moffat began to fade with the side panel hanging from the Kawasaki, and it was Irwin defending the position from Sandberg. With the track getting rougher, Sandberg was trying every line to put the pass on Irwin which eventually came on lap 10. That was the order they took the flag, with Moffat making a late charge to regain fifth spot. Elderfield headed the rostrum with a double win ahead of Carless and Sandberg. This is another Championship far from over with one round remaining, Elderfield has a slender six point lead over Carless with Irwin at their heels just a further 13 points back. QUAD CLASS Paul WInrow on the Winrow Racing Honda came to Scotland heading the Championship but was struggling to get a good qualifying lap under his belt and finishing with the twelfth fastest time. Paul Holmes on the Team KTM UK machine, fresh from another overall victory in Europe, set a difficult target early on finishing an astonishing 2.4 seconds ahead on closest rival John Mitchell on the ATV World Yamaha. Young Stefan Murphy on the SMR Honda posted an excellent two minute lap for third place. Holmes gated first in race one and was building a comfortable lead when he suddenly pitted on lap four. He rejoined the race back in 27th spot only to retire two laps later. Mitchell took over at the front with proppa.com Honda mounted Jason Macbeth in second and Winrow in third. Winrow passed Macbeth for second on lap six but could make no real impression on race leader Mitchell who took the win by seven seconds. Macbeth held on to third with local rider Leon Beda, riding with a heavily strapped injured hand, to taking fourth ahead of Murphy.
First and second on the day gave Mitchell the overall win from Macbeth with Winrow scraping in for the final podium position. Scoring no points in race one has damaged Holmes title challenge but with two rounds, four races, remaining the 38 point differential is not beyond his grasp. Macbeth is also not out of the fight just eight points behind Holmes. NEXT ROUND The next and penultimate round for the Quad Championship will be at Blaxhall Pits, hosted by the Woodbridge club on August 16th. All three Championships will culminate at the riverside venue at Culham, near Abingdon in Oxfordshire on Sunday September 20th where NORA MX will play host following the final round of the Quad Youth and Qualifying Championships on the Saturday.
Twenty-two
year old Jason Dougan made his first visit to the podium this season, with
an excellent third place overall at round three of the 2009 Maxxis ACU
British Motocross Championship. Phoenix Tools teamster Dougan displayed
the kind of form that has eluded him thus far this year, with two solid
fourth spots over two tough motos at the undulating Brampton circuit,
which is set high on a Cumbrian hillside close to the city of Carlisle. Unfortunately
it was not such a successful day for Buildbase CCM Racing rider Tom Church
who suffered an unusual mechanical breakdown in race one, and a crash on
the first turn in the second moto. Twenty-seven year old Church battled
back bravely after his early setback during his second outing to take
ninth position come the flag. Despite enduring a day packed with bad luck
Tom still holds sixth place in the overall standings with five rounds
remaining. A
delighted Dougan enthused. “Its been a great day overall and one that
has given me some much needed confidence. In the first race I did not make
the best of starts and rounded the first turn just inside the top ten. I
really made good progress through the field and was soon up into second
place behind Anderson. However as the race wore on I got some arm pump and
had to let Swanepoel by, and then Noble got by me too right at the end of
the race.” “I
thought I had blown it in race two as I hit the gate, which meant I was
last going up the start straight. Thankfully
there was a pile-up on the first turn, which I managed to avoid and which
allowed me to make up a few places almost immediately.
From there on I steadily made progress until I got into fourth
place where I finished the race. Hopefully I can take this kind of speed
and confidence to the GP in Portugal next weekend, where two top fifteen
finishes is what I will be looking for at least.” Dougan ended.
KTM factory rider Jonathan Barragan of Team Silver Action topped the KTM MX1 line-up this weekend with two solid finishes in the two motos for the MX1 GP of Turkey on a brand new circuit near Istanbul. Barragan was seventh in the first moto on the hard pack surface of the brand new track some 40 minutes from Istanbul and in view of the sea, then improved to finish sixth in the second moto. "I didn't get such a good start in the first heat and I didn't find good lines," the Spaniard commented after the GP. "But it was better for me in the second heat. I had much better lines and I was up in fourth place in the second half of the race. Then I had a small crash and finished up in sixth place, which wasn't so bad considering the crash." Jonathan will now return to Spain to prepare for the next GP in Valkenswaard in the Netherlands where riders will tackle a sandy course after three hard pack tracks in the first three rounds. Max Nagl of the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing team had a tough weekend with some health problems. Max has been taking pain killing injections for a hand injury but he suffered some stomach problems on Sunday, which were much worse during the second moto. "I was not so bad in the first moto. I had a good start, I was in third place then I dropped back to sixth and managed to stay there. But I started to feel really bad between the two motos and it was tough to hold on and finish the second heat." Nagl finished in thirteenth place for overall ninth and now returns to Belgium where he has time to rest up and prepare for the next GP on April 25-26 in Valkenswaard. Results 1. Antonio Cairoli, Italy, Yamaha, 50 points 2. Steve Ramon, Belgium, Suzuki, 42 3. David Philippaerts, Italy, Yamaha, 40 4. Ken de Dycker, Belgium, Suzuki, 34 5. Kevin Strijbos, Belgium, Honda, 34 Other KTM 6. Jonathan Barragan, Spain, KTM, 29 9. Max Nagl, Germany, KTM, 23 Standings after Round 3 1. Antonio Cairoli, Italy, Yamaha, 98 points 2. Ken de Dycker, Belgium, Suzuki, 94 3. David Philippaerts, Italy, Yamaha, 88 4. Josh Coppins, New Zealand, 85 5. Jonathan Barragan, Spain, KTM, 83 Other KTM 8. Max Nagl, Germany, KTM, 73
Stephen Sword (Red Bull KTM UK) and Marcus Schiffer (KTM Sarholz, Germany) emerged as the top KTM riders on Sunday riding on a new circuit for the MX2 GP in Istanbul with Sword finishing in sixth place and Schiffer in tenth. Injury problems cast a shadow over the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Team this weekend with Shaun Simpson courageously riding through the pain of ligament damage to his shoulder. Simpson finished third in Saturday's qualifying and was up with the front runners in both motos in the first half of the races on Sunday, but he slipped back in the pack as the pain of his injury sapped his strength as the races progressed. The tough Scot still managed to make 15 championship points leaving him seventh in the championship standings after three of 15 rounds. Painful ride for injured Simpson "I noticed this morning that my shoulder was quite sore. I took a painkiller for the race but I've been using my right arm such a lot to compensate for my injured shoulder that it really sapped my upper body strength," Shaun said. "It was easy to make a good start and be out in the front for the early part of the races but when I had to fight through the pack it was very tough. I am happy now that we have a break of two weeks before the next race so I'll try to get my shoulder injury sorted and I'll do some training on sand ready for Valkenswaard. I like riding on the sand and I am really looking forward to it after three hard pack tracks." Shaun's teammate Rui Goncalves of Portugal managed to salvage seven championship points in the second moto after a DNF in race one. Results 1. Zach Osborne, USA, Yamaha, 45 points 2. Gautier Paulin, France, Kawasaki, 39 3. Marvin Musquin, France, Honda, 38 4. Khounsith Vongsana, France, Honda, 31 5. Manuel Monni, Italy, Yamaha, 30 Other KTM 6. Stephen Sword, Britain, KTM, 28 10. Marcus Schiffer, Germany, KTM, 18 13. Shaun Simpson, Britain, KTM, 15 15. Valentin Teillet, France, KTM, 14 16. Jake Nicholas, Britain, KTM, 11 19. Rui Goncalves, Portugal, KTM, 7 22. Arnaud Tonus, Switzerland, KTM, 5 Standings after Round 3 1. Gautier Paulin, France, Kawasaki, 108 points 2. Marvin Musquin, France, Honda, 103 3. Davide Guameri, Italy, Yamaha, 78 4. Xavier Boog, France, 73 5. Zach Osborne, USA, Yamaha, 68 Other KTM 7. Shaun Simpson, Britain, KTM, 52 10. Marcus Schiffer, Germany, KTM, 42 11. Valentin Teillet, France, KTM, 37 13. Stephen Sword, Britain, KTM, 32 14. Rui Goncalves, Portugal, KTM, 31 15. Joel Roelants, Belgium, 30 17. Arnaud Tonus, Switzerland, KTM, 30 19. Jeremy van Horebeek, Belgium, KTM, 22 20. Jake Nicholas, Britain, KTM, 22
For the third weekend in a row Shaun Simpson endured a tough weekend of Grand Prix racing, with the twenty one year old fighting a shoulder injury sustained during a training accidents just a few days earlier. The Red Bull KTM factory rider arrived at the inaugural Grand Prix of Turkey not even knowing if it was going to be possible for him to ride, let alone race. The newly created circuit set on a windy peninsula just outside the famous city of Istanbul was a flat affair, featuring the usual array of man made jumps and some soft ground in places. Despite his left shoulder being heavily strapped Simpson soon looked at home on the technical track and even managed to top the timings during the initial free practice session, before slipping to eleventh at the end of the opening period. The remainder of Saturday's programme was a mixed bag for Shaun as he really struggled in pre-qualifying, which was his next outing. This left him down in twenty-sixth spot and with a terrible gate position for the qualifying race. Typically Simpson made one of his lightning starts to round the first corner in the top six before working his way to an incredible third position come the flag, to give him a great gate pick for Sunday's two main races. Sunday was not to prove the best of day's for the young Scot, with the morning warm up session revealing just how much damage the previous day's riding had done to the injured joint. Another top six start in the opening moto gave Shaun hope, but before long Simpson was slipping down the order as he simply tried to hang on. A mid race stall put pay to any chance of a top ten finish, with Simpson crossing the line in a distant sixteenth place. A even better start in race two and no further incidents saw Shaun slip back at a slightly slower rate on this occasion, only to lose tenth spot on the final corner of the last lap. A dejected Simpson commented. "It has been a case of damage limitation, two top tens would have been good, but in the end I have had to settle for less. The shoulder was real painful this morning, every little bump was jarring it. I tried my best, but I just could not get flowing." "The positive is that my starts are good, so with no race next weekend, hopefully my shoulder will be fully recovered before the next GP. I really like Valkenswaard, so I will be looking for some much better results." Shaun ended. FIM Motocross World Championship - Round 3 - Istanbul, Turkey MX2 Moto One: 1: Paulin, 2: Vongsana 3: Osborne…16: Simpson MX2 Moto Two: 1: Osborne 2: Musquin 3: Frossard…11: Simpson MX2 Overall: 1: Osborne 45 2: Paulin 39 3: Musquin 38…13: Simpson 15 Championship to date: 1: Paulin 108, 2: Musquin 103, 3: Guarneri 78, 4: Boog 73, 5: Osborne 68, 6: Frossard 53, 7: Shaun Simpson 52 Full details of Shaun's 2009 schedule and all the latest news about the KTM teamster can be found on his official website at www.shaunsimpsom.com
The Buildbase CCM Racing squad arrived in Turkey for the third round of the 2009 FIM Motocross World Championship, with the Phoenix Tool teamster Jason Dougan as their lone rider. The loss of Tom Church due to a mystery virus, was hardly the ideal start to a weekend, which saw the all British team play its part in a piece of off road history as Turkey hosted its first ever motocross Grand Prix. The tight and twisty circuit just twenty kilometres outside of the city of Istanbul provided a unique setting, with the venue being surrounded on three sides by water. The purpose made track had only just been completed in time for this weekend's race, with the soft ground having been simply too wet in the lead up to the event to allow work on the circuit to be undertaken any earlier. Away from the damp and rutted sections a mixture of slow speed turns linked the many and often spectacular jumps that produced a lap time around the two minute mark in the MX1 class. Dougan approached the first free practice session with a more relaxed attitude, after having felt that he had been putting himself under too much pressure to produce a hot lap in more recent weeks. After eleven laps to familiarise himself around the Turkish track, Jason ended the forty minute period just inside the top twenty, although a little off the leaders' pace. Pre-qualifying gave the riders a second chance to put in some more time on the new circuit. Dougan really looked to have found his way around the now heavily rutted surface and produced a time some three seconds faster than his earlier showing. This translated into a reasonable gate pick for Saturday's qualifying race, which in turn would decide the order on to the line for Sunday's two main motos. Dougan survived an action packed first turn to run in the middle of the field throughout the twenty minute plus two lap race, and to cross the line in nineteenth spot. The fierce wind that had blown across the peninsula during the whole of Saturday's programme had left the track dry and hard, and with work needed prior to Sunday's schedule. It was very much a similar story on Sunday for Jason, with a slow start in the opening moto meaning that he had to force his way up the order to achieve twentieth place come the flag, after thirty five minutes plus two laps of furious action. Dougan made a better dash to the first turn on the second time of asking to propel himself straight into the top fifteen. Despite the tough conditions the twenty two year old managed to keep himself in contention for a top fifteen finish, until a mechanical problem on lap nine cruelly robbed him of this opportunity. Jason was forced to retire immediately and was rewarded with nothing for his brave efforts on this occasion. Very disappointed, Dougan stated. "Overall it has been a much better weekend, although the results do not show it. I had to battle hard in the first race, and thought it was all finally coming together in the second moto, until it all came to an early end." MX1 Moto1: 1: Cairoli 2: Ramon 3: Stijbos 4: Philippaerts 5: De Dycker…20: Dougan MX1 Moto2: 1: Cairoli 2: Philippaerts 3: Ramon 4: De Dycker 5: Leok… DNF: Dougan MX1 Overall Result: 1: Cairoli 50 2: Ramon 42 3: Philippaerts 40…24: Dougan MX1 Championship to date: 1: Cairoli 98 2: De Dycker 94 3: Philippaerts 88 4: Coppins 85 5: Barragan 83… 20: Church 15…22: Dougan 12
KTM factory rider Jonathan Barragan of Team Silver Action on Sunday underlined that he is in top form going into the MX1 world championship season when he wrapped up a 4-1 result in the two motos for overall second in the GP of Bulgaria. The Spanish rider looked particularly impressive in the second moto when he rode a fine tactical race. He settled in and consolidated his third position then made his move in the final laps to snatch impressive line honors and improve on his fourth place in the first moto. The overall result was a strong confidence booster for Barragan as he tackled the hard pack surface of the Sevlievo circuit, which featured an impressive range of descents. Organizers watered the track overnight and Jonathan said this helped him to take some very good lines. "It was quite good in the first heat but I made one mistake and I lost time when the bike stopped. I had very good lines in the second race and I was also fast. I managed to get into third place by the middle of the race and then could go for the victory in the final stages," the Spanish rider said. Two holeshots for Nagl Max Nagl of the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Team also underlined he is getting down to business finishing fifth overall, a result that barely reflected his impressive charge on the track. Nagl is still nursing a hand injury from several weeks ago and this was what eventually held him back on the hard and challenging surface. He put in two of his now trademark superb starts in both motos and he scored a third place in the first moto, promising to keep applying the pressure in the second heat. Nagl then led for the first 25 minutes of heat two, much of it with an impressive lead and lap times. He then held onto third place through to lap 17 when he started to feel pain from his hand injury and was forced to come off the gas, eventually finishing in fifth place. "Today I had two holeshots. After my good start in the first heat I managed to hold onto third place through the rest of the race. Then again I started well in the second heat and I managed to stay in front for the first 25 minutes of the race. But then I started to feel pain in my hand and I had to slow down," Nagl said. "Of course I was a bit disappointed but I will stay off the bike next week and I'll have a cast on my hand to try to sort out the problem before we race again next weekend." Both Barragan and Nagl are up with the leaders at fourth and fifth in the standings. Only 10 points separate the first five riders, an indication that the competition will be hard fought and very tight.
A complete reversal of weather conditions
greeted the Buildbase CCM Racing team at Sevlievo in Bulgaria for the
second round of the 2009 FIM MX1 Motocross World Championship. Riders Tom
Church and Jason Dougan enjoyed glorious sunshine and decent temperate - a
contrast to the mud-bath they encountered in Italy for the series opener
last week - but sadly the results did not match the good vibe around the
paddock as the duo could only record twenty-fourth and twenty-sixth
positions respectively. GP Results 1. Josh Coppins, New Zealand, Yamaha, 22-22-44 2. Jonathan Barragan, Spain, KTM, 18-25—43 3. Ken de Dyker, Belgium, Suzuki, 25-13—38 4. David Philippaerts, Italy, Yamaha, 16-20—36 5. Max Nagl, Germany, KTM, 20-16—36 Championship standings 1. Ken de Dyker, Belgium, Suzuki, 60 2. Josh Coppins, New Zealand, Yamaha, 59 3. Tanel Leok, Estonia, Yamaha, 55 4. Jonathan Barragan, Spain, KTM, 54 5. Max Nagl, Germany, KTM, 50
Shaun Simpson of the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Team emerged as the best KTM rider in overall sixth in the MX2 GP of Bulgaria on Sunday. He was joined in the top ten by Joel Roelants (KTM Factory Junior Racing) and Arnaud Tonus (HDI KTM France). Shaun Simpson of the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Team emerged as the best KTM rider in overall sixth in the MX2 GP of Bulgaria on Sunday. He was joined in the top ten by Joel Roelants (KTM Factory Junior Racing) and Arnaud Tonus (HDI KTM France) who were eighth and tenth. Simpson's factory teammate Rui Goncalves finished the day in overall eleventh in the second GP of the season after mixed fortunes and some technical problems during both motos. The first GP, at Faenza last weekend was also complicated for all the riders because of heavy rain that turned the clay surface of the Italian circuit into a real quagmire. Simpson now looking forward to Istanbul The Scottish rider, who advanced in 2009 from being a KTM supported rider to join the factory team already remarked on Saturday that he had trouble finding his rhythm on the hard pack surface on the Sevlievo circuit ended the day with an 8-7 result for the two motos and is now looking forward to racing on the new circuit in Istanbul next weekend. "It could have been a better weekend for us. The French guys were very hot this weekend but we know what we have to do to overcome that," Shaun said. "I really prefer a track that is more technical than what it was here. It was better for me this morning because they had watered the track last night but by this afternoon it had started to dry out. But we will now put that behind us and I look forward to racing on the new circuit in Istanbul." Tough weekend for Rui Goncalves also admitted it had been a tough weekend but he too said he felt positive about next weekend. "I wasn't so good out of the gate in the first heat today then I had a little technical problem that made it difficult to defend my position," the Portuguese rider said. "I was second at the start of race two but I struggled with the same problem about half way through. There are a lot of descents on this track so I was riding right on the limit a lot of the time. Next week it will be different. This is a new circuit for all of us and we will be going for a good result." Simpson sixth through Bulgarian glare Red Bull KTM factory rider Shaun Simpson took sixth place overall at a bright, sunny and warm Sevlievo circuit for the second round of fifteen in the 2009 FIM MX2 Motocross World Championship. The British Champion registered eighth and seventh positions over the two motos of the Grand Prix of Bulgaria that was run in contrasting conditions compared to the rain and mud found in Italy last week. Whilst the track was far more race worthy than had been the case last Sunday, in truth Shaun was never at home on the faster circuit. Fifteenth position in free practice, Simpson only managed to slightly improve during the next session, which still saw him down in twelfth spot come the end of pre-qualifying practice. A slightly better showing despite a mid race fall saw Simpson scored eighth spot in the qualification heat for the same gate pick entering the thirty-five minute and two lap motos. Despite two bright starts, the second of which saw him lead for several laps, Simpson was powerless to the speed of several of his French peers. The Scot aimed for a maximum point haul after struggling to establish an effective rhythm across the Bulgarian bumps and ruts. "It has been a tough weekend," stated Simpson said. "The track was quite to my liking, but the speed wasn't quite there and the French guys were a street-ahead. I made a good start in that second moto and had some nice lap-times, but it didn't 'click' for me and overall I just didn't find a rhythm in either race. I will work on that this week to be strong in Turkey." The twenty-one year old Scottish rider is currently sixth in the series standings and is thirty-two points from the top slot. The third round of the world championship takes place next weekend at the new Istanbul circuit, thirty kilometres outside of the capital for the first ever Grand Prix of Turkey. GP Results 1. Marvin Musquin, France, Honda 2. Gautier Paulin, France, Kawasaki 3. Xavier Boog, France Suzuki 4. Nicolas Aubin France, Yamaha 5. Davide Guameri, Italy, Yamaha Other KTM 6. Shaun Simpson, Britain, KTM 8. Arnaud Tonus, Switzerland, KTM 9. Rui Goncalves, Portugal, KTM 11. Marcus Schiffer, Germany, KTM 12. Joel Roelants, Belgium, KTM 15. Valentin Teillet, France, KTM Championship standings after 2 of 15 GPs 1. Gautier Paulin, France, Kawasaki, 69 2. Marvin Musquin, France, Honda, 65 3. Davide Guameri, Italy, Yamaha, 50 4. Nicolas Aubin France, Yamaha, 47 5. Xavier Boog, France Suzuki, 45 Other KTM 6. Shaun Simpson, Britain, KTM, 37 8. Joel Roelants, Belgium, KTM, 30 10. Arnaud Tonus, Switzerland, KTM, 25 11. Rui Goncalves, Portugal, KTM, 24 12. Marcus Schiffer, Germany, KTM, 24 14. Valentin Teillet, France, KTM, 23 15. Jeremy van Horebeek, Belgium, 22
Steffi Laier of Germany launched her bid for supremacy in the second edition of the women's MX world championship in Bulgaria on Sunday with a 1-2 result for second overall and shared championship points. It is Steffi's first season as a fully fledged factory rider with the Red Bull Factory Racing Team and follows on from her second overall in the first edition of the WMX championships in 2008 as a KTM-supported rider. Despite her podium place, Laier was disappointed to have to concede victory to arch rival Livia Lancelot, the reigning champion. Like Lancelot she wrapped up the weekend with one victory and one second place in the two motos, thus setting the tone for what will be a hard fought battle in the 2009 season. Women this year race seven GPs, one more than the 2008 calendar. Laier was prevented from competing in the first GP at the Sevlievo circuit last year because of a shoulder injury but she then had an impressive run of victories, illustrating she is clearly one of the top women riders in the world. She started impressively in the first moto on Saturday on the hard packed Bulgarian circuit in a race that was made more difficult because it was run at 6:00 p.m. when the sun was low, affecting the riders' visibility. She nevertheless rode a masterly tactical race, consolidating her second place until she was ready to make a move on the race leader in the final stages. The second moto, run on Sunday morning proved more of a trial as the German rider had to battle with arm pump in the opening stages. "It happened in the first two to three laps and that made me a bit nervous," she said of the arm pump problem. "Then things started to go better for me after the fourth lap but by then it was too late to make up the distance between me and Livia." The women next take to the track on May 10 at the Agueda circuit in Portugal and between now and then Steffi says she will work on her speed in her opening laps." Women's results, round 1 of 7 1. Livia Lancelot, France, Kawasaki, 22-25—47 2. Steffi Laier, Germany, KTM 25-22—47 3. Ashley Fiolek, USA, Honda, 20-20—40 4. Erin Mann, Sweden, KTM, 16-18—34 5. Maria Franke, Germany,Kawasaki, 18-13—31 Championship standings 1. Livia Lancelot, France, Kawasaki, 47 2. Steffi Laier, Germany, KTM 47 3. Ashley Fiolek, USA, Honda, 40 4. Erin Mann, Sweden, KTM, 34 5. Maria Franke, Germany, Kawasaki, 31
Gautier Paulin showed patience to take his first win in the FIM MX2 Motocross World Championship as heavy rain caused major problems at the opening race of the season in Italy. The Kawasaki rider battled through the muddy conditions at Faenza to take the race victory ahead of Jeremy van Horebeek (KTM) and Marvin Musquin (Honda). Jeremy Tarroux (Suzuki) had led the early stages of the race before he encountered problems and dropped back to eventually finish 18th. Title favourite Shaun Simpson (KTM) had crashed when second on lap one but recovered from a lowly position and a pit stop to finish in 11th place. With the second race cancelled because of the bad track conditions, Paulin was declared the winner of the GP as well as the opening race of the season.He said: "For me it was good to win this race, but it is just the first grand prix and many good riders were stuck. "I leave the GP with the red plate, but I am ready for the other races and the rest of the series."
Tanel Leok earned Yamaha the first grand prix win of the 2009 FIM MX1 Motocross World Championship season as he coped best with the difficult race conditions at Faenza. The Estonian had been 11th on the first lap as Steve Ramon (Suzuki) took control of the early stages. Marc de Reuver (Honda) took over the lead from Ramon before crashing on the sixth lap and Leok, who also fell twice, showed great strength to secure the race win and also the GP victory when the second race had to be cancelled. Ken de Dycker (Suzuki) recovered from 27th on lap one to finish second and Clement Desalle (Honda) was third in the final result. The Yamaha of defending champion David Philippaerts came home in ninth in the Italian's home GP.
British Champion and FIM Motocross MX2 World Championship favourite Shaun Simpson endured a tough opening Grand Prix at Faenza in Italy. The Red Bull KTM factory rider took eleventh position in swampy and difficult conditions at the first round of fifteen in the 2009 campaign. Saturday's programme of free practice, pre-qualifying and qualifying race had taken place in dry weather, with the organisers even forced to water the track during the day. However persistent rain from late on Saturday afternoon and throughout the night continued and worsened as Sunday's main races got underway. With riders barely able to crest some of the steep uphill sections, many crashing and even retiring in their efforts through the thirty-five minute plus two lap duration, the twenty-one year old Scot recovered from an early fall and a small technical problem to rally from the rear of the pack and secure some valuable points. This was after all looked lost, and a DNF loomed heavily, however Shaun was in no mood to surrender and once again put his winter enduro training to good use as he came from dead last to challenge for a top ten position. Following the open moto in each class, such was the severity of the ruined terrain in Italy -courtesy of almost ten hours of rain - that the FIM cancelled the second moto. "I think the positive thing from today is that I made the best out of a bad job. I pretty much made a mess of it and got too excited," Simpson confessed. "I was like three or four laps down by the time I recovered the bike and got going again. In these conditions you just have to keep riding and hope for the best. I kept pushing every lap and made no mistakes. I slowly picked my way up the order and at least managed some points. I think the World championship will 'start' again next week; a few guys got more points than they should have here."
Buildbase CCM Racing came through some of the hardest race conditions possible for the first Grand Prix of the 2009 FIM MX1 Motocross World Championship to record some excellent point-scoring finishes at a sodden Faenza in central Italy. Whilst many other more established teams found the challenge too tough, the relative rookies of the Grand Prix scene acquitted themselves superbly on all fronts. Both Tom Church and Jason Dougan - Phoenix Tools CCM Racing obtained finishes within the top eleven and against the World's best in just one thirty-five minute plus two laps moto as rainfall ravaged the small, tight and hilly Italian circuit. The FIM chose to cancel the second race as many riders were struggling in the clumpy, boggy mud where the steep uphills were rendered almost impassable. In a durable test for both rider and machine the British duo acquitted themselves incredibly well. Church was particularly strong and ended up just one position away from a career-best with eighth spot. Dougan was equally impressive, notching up eleventh place in a commendable debut in the premier MX1 category. The CMX 450 proved more than capable of the demands it faced and the team can feel rightly proud of their debut as a full-time member of the Grand Prix paddock. Church commented. "It was a really good result and I managed to get a good start, which helped. I had a couple of incidents on the hills, but could get up there most times. When I did stop and go down I thought that I must recover the bike up as quickly as possible. After what seemed like a never ending fight, I came out of it with eighth and I was chuffed with that.." Dougan said: "That was hard work, the track was terrible. I didn't get a good start and was one of the last riders around the first corner, but I just plugged away and concentrated on staying-on the bike. I avoided trouble and worked my way up to tenth and just lost one place on the last lap. I am glad in a way that they cancelled the second moto, but another part of me thinks it would have been nice to try and get the same result or better." Buildbase CCM will be in action again next weekend with the second round of the World championship set to take place at the award-winning Sevlievo circuit for the Grand Prix of Bulgaria. 2009 FIM Motocross World Championship - Round 1 - Faenza, Italy MX1 Moto One and Overall: 1: Leok 2: De Dycker 3: Desalle 4: Leok (A) 5: Cairoli…8: Church…11: Dougan Championship to date: 1: Leok 25 2: De Dycker 22 3: Desalle 20 4: Leok (A) 18 5: Cairoli 16… 8: Church 13…11: Dougan 10 2009 FIM MX1/MX2 Motocross World Championship
Motocross of Nations Donington Park, England Shaun Simpson KTM UK played his proud part in almost putting Team Great Britain on the podium at the Motocross of Nations held at Donington Park, England. The twenty year old from Fife, who was making his debut at this World famous event, battled hard during his two races in an attempt to delight the many thousands of home fans who had turned out to support the trio of British racers. Despite the best efforts of Simpson, Tommy Searle KTM and Billy MacKenzie Honda, Team Great Britain cruelly missed out on the final rostrum place by a single point. After three mixed motos of action, Belgium would finally push them off the podium, even though Shaun recorded the best of his results in the last moto of the day that put the MX1 and open class riders out on track together. Whilst picked to fill the open class place, Simpson remained on his familiar two-fifty four stroke machine. Early morning rain had made the revised East Midlands circuit greasy for the initial sessions, but the moisture did help in creating several different line around the dirt track that sits on the infield of its more famous tarmac brother. Seventh in Saturday¹s qualifying race gave Simpson a good gate pick for Sunday¹s two main motos, which ultimately would decide what is now billed as the most important motocross meeting of the season. Shaun was quick off the line in the MX2 / open class encounter, but was soon to hit the deck as he slid off at the first turn. His bike was undamaged, but Simpson had badly sprained his thumb and lost his goggles thanks to a broken strap during the incident. With the roar of the home crowd behind him the newly crowned MX2 champion, Shaun begun his heroic charge from twenty-eighth position on the first lap to a brave fifteenth come the flag. With his injured thumb heavily strapped Shaun went to the line for his second outing with Team Great Britain holding joint second with the Italians, who both trailed the mighty Americans who would be the eventual winners. Simpson didn¹t make the best of starts this time out, but fought hard to maintain his position just outside the top ten against the MX1 machines. All looked good for the British boys to take third place overall, until Shaun¹s team mate MacKenzie crashed on the last lap, leaving them just a point shy of a podium place. Simpson spoke about his historic day. ³To lose third place at such a late stage seems cruel, but that is racing, and like everything else this weekend we will experience the disappointment as a team rather than as individuals. All three of us have given our all, and with a bit more luck we could have been stood on the podium at our home nations, which would have been a dream debut for me.² Shaun continued. ³The crowd have been fantastic today, and being on the track riding for your country makes you feel really proud. The whole thing has been a great experience, and one that I hope I will have the opportunity to do again in the future.² Results: 1: USA 26 2: France 31 3: Belgium 41 4: Great Britain 42 5: Italy 45 Race 2 MX2 + Open: Simpson 15th Race 3 MX1 + Open: Simpson 13th Photo by the kind permission of rayarcher.com American Motorcyclist Association congratulates Team USA on Motocross of Nations championship PICKERINGTON, Ohio--The American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) congratulates the racers and crew of Team USA who once again claimed the coveted Chamberlain Trophy at the 2008 Red Bull FIM Motocross of Nations (MXoN), held Sept. 27-28, in Donington Park, Great Britain. This was Team USA's fourth consecutive championship at the annual event and 19th overall, which leads the all-time win list. "The Motocross of Nations has crowned the world's best motocross racers for 62 years, and more than any other, Team USA has stood on top of the box," said AMA President and CEO Rob Dingman. "Thanks to the immense talent of our riders, and the hard work and dedication of our crew, America has been able to add our name once more to the Chamberlain Trophy." This year, Team USA fielded a trio of Kawasaki riders, James Stewart, Ryan Villopoto and Tim Ferry. Each was a standout in his respective class. In individual performances, which are combined to determine team standings, Villopoto and Ferry won their classes. Villopoto won the MX2 class, which features mostly 250cc four-stroke machinery, and Ferry won the Open class. In the MX1 class, which features 450cc bikes, Stewart won the first moto easily, but a crash in the second pushed him outside the top five in overall standings. For the second year in a row, runner-up in team standings went to France, which was led by overall winner Sebastien Pourcel. Third in team results went to Belgium. "As one of the longest-running motorcycle competitions in the world, the MXoN is a great honor to win, and the AMA is proud that Team USA continues its strong performance in this annual event," Dingman said. "Still, we're already looking forward to next year's competition in Franciacorta, Italy, where Team USA will have an opportunity to do it again."
KTM rider Sven Breugelmans of the JMRacing Team may not have gained any points in the second of two motos at the final GP of the season in Germany but he still had enough points to seal the title. Breugelmans actually settled the title in the opening moto on what was one of the longest tracks on the season with few opportunities to overtake. Then in the inspection lap of the second moto his bike experienced some technical difficulties and he was unable to start. "The engine of my bike stopped, I do not know why. I couldn't go on to start the race. I was lucky that it happened before the second race when I was already the champion." It is Breugelmans second career MX3 title. The Belgian rider was modest in victory admitting he had not had a trouble-free season. "This season I made lot of mistakes but at the end I was riding well. I managed to get some top results and now I won the championship so it is perfect." With Breugelmans results plus the title in the EMX his KTM JMRacing Team was the most successful of the season. It was Breugelmans JMRacing's KTM team-mate Alvaro Lozano who emerged more successful on the final race day of the season. He finished second in both motos for 44 points and second overall behind Christophe Martin and was fifth in the championship. A solid result on the last day was good for Lozano who had a mid season setback with injury. "I am very happy that I got the podium also in the last event. The race track was difficult, hard and fast and it was difficult to pass the riders in front of me. " KTM's European champion Valentin Teillet goes out on a high in Germany Already confirmed as the season leader, KTM rider Valentin Teillet of France gave the JM Racing team more reason to celebrate with yet another clean sweep of the final two motos. Teillet showed that even though he was in Jauer with the gold number plate he was ready to show the spectators how he had won it. The 18-year old was confident and competent and he did not disappoint his followers in the event that wrapped up his first season in EMX2. "It wasn't easy for me at the beginning because I didn't know what to expect. I worked hard during the winter but I wasn't sure how well I had prepared because I didn't know the other riders. But at the first event I could see I was going in the right direction and I was satisfied with my preparations. I'm very glad I had the opportunity to be in the Jacky Martens Team. It was my first experience to work with the team and also the first time that I had my own mechanic." He said he had gained a lot of useful experience during the season. "I had the best team in the EMX2 European Championship. Our Team Manager Jacky Martens has really had a lot of experience and he shared it with us." Race 1 1 8 Christophe Martin Husqvarna 2 5 Alvaro Lozano KTM 3 180 Thomas Allier Husqvarna 4 55 Cristian Beggi Honda 5 20 Patrick Caps Kawasaki 7 2 Sven Breugelmans KTM Race 2 1 8 Christophe Martin Husqvarna 2 5 Alvaro Lozano KTM 3 55 Cristian Beggi Honda 4 213 Antti Pyrhonen Suzuki 5 6 Martin Zerava Honda 7 2 Sven Breugelmans KTM Final Standings 1 2 Sven Breugelmans KTM 541 2 55 Cristian Beggi Honda 532 3 8 Christophe Martin Husqvarna 524 4 180 Thomas Allier Husqvarna 374 5 5 Alvaro Lozano KTM 352
Tyla Rattray on Sunday became the worthy MX2 World Champion, confirming the title with a second place in the first moto at Faenza the last GP of the season. Stefan Pierer, CEO of KTM Sportsmotorcycle AG was at the finish line to congratulate the freshly crowned world champion from South Africa saying: "We believed in Tyla and he finally did it. He's a great guy!" Rattray has come close to taking the title before but has been dogged by injuries, including one that took him out of contention in the final stages of the season that required major knee construction surgery. Everts delighted Red Bull KTM Team boss Stefan Everts, himself a multi-world champion, was also delighted. "It is a different emotion than winning yourself. I am very happy for the whole team. It was a tough fight but we had a strong team and this is going to give Tyla a lot of confidence going into MX next season." Everts said he was making it his goal for the team to go for both the MX1 and MX2 titles in 2009. Best day, Tyla says "I was a bit stressed in the first moto but I was more relaxed I the second," the new world champion said. "I did have some problems with the suspension in the second race and I didn't want to push too much but at the same time Tommy was very fast today. For me this is the best day and a dream come true." He promised to be back strong and competitive for his first year riding for Red Bull KTM in MX1 in 2009. Searle says 2008 a learning year Double win fTommy also confirmed his second place in the championship, giving him a real boost looking ahead to his next season racing for KTM in the USA then went on to double his luck to take the final GP with a maximum of 50 points. "I did my best today and although there was a big gap I never gave up hope of winning the title. I have learnt a lot in the last year. My best GP was in France but the second half of the season was quite difficult. I made a few mistakes but that is part of learning and I will take that experience with me when I go to race in the States." Clean sweep in last GP for KTM The final GP in Italy was a superb finale for the entire KTM team. Not only 1-2 in the overall championship but also 1-2-3 in the GP itself. Searle rode a near perfect second race. Rattray, still high on adrenalin from sealing the title in race one cruised to fourth for second overall and young Joel Roelants of the KTM-supported GP Juniors Team Champ finished third after leading the final race for the first half. The young Belgian rider was delighted with his first podium and said he was happy to have the chance to prove he could ride on surfaces other than the sandy tracks he is used to in Belgium. Fifth overall for Goncalves at close of season The third rider in the KTM trio, Rui Goncalves picked up points in the second but not the first race and closed out his season in fifth place overall behind Shaun Simpson of KTM UK, who will be his teammate at Red Bull KTM MX2 next season. He will now undergo knee surgery for ligament damage that he sustained in South Africa." I will try to have a good preparation for next season because I want to be strong and go for the title," he said. "This would be the best way to pay the team back for having confidence in me." To round off a weekend packed with success, the Austrian manufacturer also took the MX2 manufacturer's trophy. Result GP of Faenza 1. Tommy Searle, Britain, KTM (25-25—50) 2. Tyla Rattray, South Africa, KTM (22-18—40) 3. Joel Roelants, Belgium, KTM (13-22—35) 4. Zach Osborne, USA, Yamaha (14-20—34) 5. Stephen Sword, Britain, Kawasaki (18-16—34) Other KTM 6. Shaun Simpson, Britain, KTM (15-12—27) 9. Jeremy van Horebeek, Belgium, KTM (16-6—22) 11. Anthony Boissiere, France, KTM (20-0—20) 14. Rui Goncalves, Portugal, KTM (0-15—15) 17. Jeremy Tarroux, France, KTM (0-8—8) Final standings for 2008 season 1. Tyla Rattray, South Africa, KTM, 636 points WORLD CHAMPION 2. Tommy Searle, Britain, KTM, 613 3. Nicolas Aubern, France, Yamaha, 406 4. Shaun Simpson, Britain, KTM, 394 5. Rui Goncalves, Portugal, KTM 380 Other KTM 8. Jeremy van Horebeek, Belgium, KTM, 299 12. Anthony Boissiere, France, KTM, 263 13. Joel Roelants, Belgium, KTM, 216 16. Jeremy Tarroux, France, KTM, 169 17. Gert Krestinov, Estonia, KTM, 118 Manufacturer's title 1. KTM 716 points (from 30 individual races = 20 wins; 9 seconds; 1 fourth 2. Yamaha, 631 3. Kawasaki, 464 4. Suzuki, 371 5. Honda, 277 Red Bull KTM's Max Nagl snatches final GP with two perfect motos Max Nagl of the MX1 Red Bull KTM factory team wrapped up a perfect weekend for the Austrian manufacturer by riding superbly from gate to flag in both races at Faenza, Italy. KTM factory rider Jonathan Barragan of Team Silver Action was third. Nagl, riding in his rookie year for the Austrian manufacturer took off out of the gates like a rocket in both race one and two. The German quickly assumed the lead and pulled away from the rest of the pack for two comfortable victories. He finished race one almost 32 seconds ahead of the field and followed that up by crossing the line almost six seconds ahead of the opposition. Hard training pays off for Nagl "I trained so much for this weekend," he said. "Stefan (Everts, team manager and multi world champion) gave me some advice on the lines. I have won one race during the season but I can't believe today I won both for my first GP win. I will be back next year and I will be fighting for a top three position in the title." Nagl's first time on the top of the podium It was a fitting finale for the season for the young rider who had suffered with health problems mid season with mystery virus that sapped him of his strength. It was the first time Nagl had topped the podium in MX1 in his first year with the team. Next year he will be joined in the Red Bull KTM MX1 team by Tyla Rattray, who on Sunday sealed the MX2 world championship. Together with Barragan who stays on the KTM factory bike for Team Silver Action, they will make a dominant trio in the 2009 competition. Although he made the podium in Sunday's final GP Jonathan Barragan was still a little disappointed with his season saying he had hoped to finish higher up the order than fourth place. Nagl finished the season in sixth place with 444 championship points and Barragan was overall fourth with 455 points. KTM was third in the Manufacturer's MX1 title just 12 points shy of the winning team. Results GP Fiorenza Max Nagl, Germany, KTM 25-25--50 Ken de Dyker, Belgium, Suzuki, 22-16—38 Jonathan Barragan, Spain, KTM 18-18-36 Steve Ramon, Spain, Suzuki, 10-22-32 David Philippaerts, Italy, Yamaha, 20-12—32 Final season standings 1. David Philippaerts, Italy, 509 points World Champion 2. Steve Ramon, Belgium Suzuki, 495 3. Ken de Dyker, Belgium, Suzuki, 490 4. Jonathan Barragan, Spain, KTM 455 5. Josh Coppins, New Zealand, Yamaha 446 6. Max Nagl, Germany, 444 |
There
were no gremlins for Holmes in race two and he left the rest of the field
eating his roost as he disappeared in to the distance and a comfortable
victory. Winrow was holding an early second place but having jarred his
wrist in race one was soon fading back through the field eventually
finishing seventh and picking up valuable championship points. Once again
Mitchell and Macbeth were doing battle with Mitchell eventually taking
second with Macbeth third and Carl Bunce on the Anderson Suzuki and Murphy
following them home.
Barragan
the top MX1 KTM rider in Istanbul
Sword
and Schiffer top KTM rider list in MX2 GP in Istanbul
Simpson
endures a tough Turkish GP
No
Turkish delight for Buildbase CCM Racing
Second
place in Bulgaria for Jonathan Barragan
Hard day for Buildbase CCM Racing in
Bulgaria
Simpson
top KTM MX2 factory rider in Bulgaria 
Second
place for KTM's Steffi Laier in opening GP
First
win for Paulin
Leok
splashes to win
Simpson
battles to eleventh through severe Italian mud
Solid
results for Buildbase CCM Racing in Italy
Breugelmans
clinches MX3 World Championship title in Germany
Red
Bull KTM's Tyla Rattray is MX2 World Champion