World Motocross Championship 2008

World MX - Round Ten - Alkamar, Nelspruit (South Africa) RATTRAY AND SEARLE BUILD ON MX2 CHAMPIONSHIP LEAD WHILE CAIROLI FACES BAD LUCK The Alkmaar Raceway at Nelspruit proved to be a great venue for the popular South African Motocross GP sponsored by Leatt Brace. Under hot weather conditions, Jonathan Barragan took his second consecutive MX1 GP win after battling it out with KTM fellow rider Max Nagl, second overall. Defending Champion Ramon completed the podium right ahead of series leader David Philippaerts. In the MX2 class Tommy Searle came back to victory from local star Tyla Rattray and Nicolas Aubin. On the other hand reigning Champion Antonio Cairoli injured his left knee and took no points, dropping down to third in the Championship with a 59 point gap from leader Rattray. MX1 Despite taking two storming starts and leading the first part of each Grand Prix moto, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Max Nagl was second on today’s podium behind AXO KTM Silver Action’s Jonathan Barragan. The latter secured his second consecutive win and third of 2008 by winning the final moto. After winning the opening moto, Teka Suzuki WMX1’s Steve Ramon ended third on the podium just one point ahead of series leader David Philippaerts of Yamaha Monster Motocross. GPKR’s Sebastien Pourcel rounded off the top five from Josh Coppins as both were caught up in a first corner accident during heat one. MX1 RACE 1 Nagl led the group into turn one and set the pace until lap 17, when Ramon took over the lead to win eventually. Nagl had some troubles in the final laps, dropping down to fourth as both Philippaerts and Barragan moved past him. Philippaerts took second from Barragan, with the Italian ending close to Ramon when the flag was waved. De Dycker rounded off the top five from Tanel Leok and Mackenzie, who made Philippaerts’ life difficult in a tough fight for third. Pourcel and Coppins were eighth and ninth after a first corner crash. MX1 RACE 2 Nagl took another holeshot and led until ten minutes to go. Barragan made a final move on the German to take the victory and the overall, while Nagl faced Pourcel’s attacks. The latter came so close to Nagl in a corner that he made a mistake to avoid a crash; Pourcel then lost ground and brought the bike home in third. Coppins was a solid fourth ahead of Mackenzie and Philippaerts, who did not find an open door to pass the Brit. De Dycker and Ramon completed the top eight. MX2 Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Tommy Searle took his third GP win of 2008 snatching the home success from team mate Tyla Rattray. The two won one moto each, with the South African taking the final moto but missing the overall result due to a first moto crash. Ricci Racing Yamaha’s Nicolas Aubin took his first season podium from French countryman Steven Frossard of CLS. KTM UK’s Shaun Simpson rounded off the top five. Reigning MX2 Champion Antonio Cairoli tangled up with another rider in the first heat, damaging his left knee and dropping out of both motos after a brave try to race. MX2 RACE 1 Aubin started strong to lead the first half of the heat from a hungry Searle. In the remaining ten laps Searle took the first place and opened up a gap from Aubin, who finished second. Rattray recovered to third after a crash and finished ahead of Simpson and Frossard. Cairoli put together just four laps before retiring. MX2 RACE 2 Rattray made up for moto one and took a start to flag win of the final heat in front of Searle. The latter tried to catch Rattray unsuccessfully, ending second from Frossard who secured the top three by moving past Simpson. The Brit ended fourth from Aubin. After a great start, Cairoli tried to race with Rattray but at the end of the third lap he pulled out of the race. IN THE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS STANDINGS Ramon took one point off his gap from Philippaerts as the duo are still second and first in the Championship respectively. Barragan moved up to fifth in the Championship with Pourcel dropping to sixth. Rattray is still leading the MX2 Championship with Searle second. Cairoli dropped back to third and he currently has a 59 point gap from the South African. Simpson and Aubin round off the top five.

MX1 Race 1 1, Steve Ramon, Suzuki, BEL, 40'20.469 2, David Philippaerts, Yamaha, ITA, 0'2.441 3, Jonathan Barragan, KTM, ESP, 0'5.874 4, Maximilian Nagl, KTM, GER, 0'9.979 5, Ken De Dycker, Suzuki, BEL, 0'18.428 6, Tanel Leok, Kawasaki, EST, 0'19.584 7, Billy MacKenzie, Honda, GBR, 0'21.389 8, Sébastien Pourcel, Kawasaki, FRA, 0'51.965 9, Joshua Coppins, Yamaha, NZL, 0'57.055 10, Manuel Priem, Kawasaki, BEL, 0'57.055 11, Julien Bill, Honda, CHE, 1'13.389 12, Marcus Schiffer, KTM, GER, 1'44.019 13, Steve Boniface, Honda, FRA, 1'52.455 14, James Noble, KTM, GBR, 1'55.312 15, Carlos Campano, Yamaha, ESP, 2'15.088 16, Tom Church, Kawasaki, GBR, -1 Laps 17, R Van Der Westhuizen, Suzuki, RSA, -1 Laps 18, Anthony Raynard, Yamaha, RSA, -2 Laps 19, Brandon Wheeler, Suzuki, RSA, -2 Laps 20, K Bowen, KTM, RSA, -2 Laps	MX1 Race 2 1, Jonathan Barragan, KTM, ESP, 40'35.152 2, Maximilian Nagl, KTM, GER, 0'3.151 3, Sébastien Pourcel, Kawasaki, FRA, 0'6.255 4, Joshua Coppins, Yamaha, NZL, 0'7.594 5, Billy MacKenzie, Honda, GBR, 0'12.794 6, David Philippaerts, Yamaha, ITA, 0'18.663 7, Ken De Dycker, Suzuki, BEL, 0'35.635 8, Steve Ramon, Suzuki, BEL, 0'36.797 9, Manuel Priem, Kawasaki, BEL, 1'18.244 10, Clement Desalle, Suzuki, BEL, 1'23.337 11, Tanel Leok, Kawasaki, EST, 1'28.326 12, Marcus Schiffer, KTM, GER, 1'37.322 13, Steve Boniface, Honda, FRA, 1'42.692 14, James Noble, KTM, GBR, -1 Laps 15, Tom Church, Kawasaki, GBR, -1 Laps 16, Carlos Campano, Yamaha, ESP, -1 Laps 17, r Van Der Westhuizen, Suzuki, RSA, -1 Laps 18, Brandon Wheeler, Suzuki, RSA, -2 Laps 19, J De Bruin, Yamaha, RSA, -2 Laps 20, Anthony Raynard, Yamaha, RSA, -2 Laps
MX2 Race 1 1, Tommy Searle, KTM, GBR, 41'4.235 2, Nicolas Aubin, Yamaha, FRA, 0'11.221 3, Tyla Rattray, KTM, RSA, 0'22.991 4, Shaun Simpson, KTM, GBR, 0'30.016 5, Steven Frossard, Kawasaki, FRA, 0'35.741 6, Xavier Boog, Suzuki, FRA, 1'12.541 7, Marvin Musquin, Honda, FRA, 1'17.182 8, Davide Guarneri, Yamaha, ITA, 1'21.285 9, Jeremy Van Horebeek, KTM, BEL, 1'22.814 10, Stephen Sword, Kawasaki, GBR, 1'27.042 11, Rui Goncalves, KTM, POR, 1'29.102 12, Pascal Leuret, Suzuki, FRA, 1'47.438 13, Manuel Monni, Yamaha, ITA, 1'57.773 14, Gregory Aranda, Kawasaki, FRA, 2'1.662 15, Alessandro Lupino, Yamaha, ITA, 2'19.984 16, Jake Nicholls, Suzuki, GBR, -1 Laps 17, Jeremy Tarroux, KTM, FRA, -1 Laps 18, Deny Philippaerts, Yamaha, ITA, -1 Laps 19, Michael Kok, KTM, RSA, -1 Laps 20, Elliott Banks-Browne, Suzuki, GBR, -2 Laps	MX2 Race 2 1, Tyla Rattray, KTM, RSA, 41'4.739 2, Tommy Searle, KTM, GBR, 0'4.871 3, Steven Frossard, Kawasaki, FRA, 0'32.461 4, Shaun Simpson, KTM, GBR, 0'37.751 5, Nicolas Aubin, Yamaha, FRA, 0'43.469 6, Jeremy Van Horebeek, KTM, BEL, 0'53.101 7, Xavier Boog, Suzuki, FRA, 1'3.031 8, Marvin Musquin, Honda, FRA, 1'5.999 9, Anthony Boissière, KTM, FRA, 1'7.014 10, Pascal Leuret, Suzuki, FRA, 1'8.334 11, Jake Nicholls, Suzuki, GBR, 1'13.750 12, Jeremy Tarroux, KTM, FRA, 1'14.422 13, Stephen Sword, Kawasaki, GBR, 1'22.643 14, Manuel Monni, Yamaha, ITA, 1'26.306 15, Davide Guarneri, Yamaha, ITA, 1'48.709 16, Alessandro Lupino, Yamaha, ITA, 1'52.516 17, Rui Goncalves, KTM, POR, 2'16.563 18, Michael Kok, KTM, RSA, -1 Laps 19, Deny Philippaerts, Yamaha, ITA, -1 Laps 20, Ross Branch, Kawasaki, RSA, -1 Laps
MX1 World Motocross Championship Standings 1, David Philippaerts, Yamaha, ITA, 339 2, Steve Ramon, Suzuki, BEL, 328 3, Joshua Coppins, Yamaha, NZL, 316 4, Ken De Dycker, Suzuki, BEL, 296 5, Jonathan Barragan, KTM, ESP, 284 6, Sébastien Pourcel, Kawasaki, FRA, 274 7, Maximilian Nagl, KTM, GER, 253 8, Billy MacKenzie, Honda, GBR, 235 9, Tanel Leok, Kawasaki, EST, 234 10, Marc De Reuver, Honda, NED, 178 11, Clement Desalle, Suzuki, BEL, 173 12, Manuel Priem, Kawasaki, BEL, 160 13, Julien Bill, Honda, CHE, 141 14, Kornel Nemeth, KTM, HUN, 115 15, Mike Brown, Honda, USA, 107 16, Aigar Leok, Yamaha, EST, 97 17, Marcus Schiffer, KTM, GER, 95 18, James Noble, KTM, GBR, 93 19, Tom Church, Kawasaki, GBR, 66 20, Steve Boniface, Honda, FRA, 63	MX2 World Motocross Championship Standings 1, Tyla Rattray, KTM, RSA, 416 2, Tommy Searle, KTM, GBR, 395 3, Antonio Cairoli, Yamaha, ITA, 357 4, Shaun Simpson, KTM, GBR, 287 5, Nicolas Aubin, Yamaha, FRA, 243 6, Rui Goncalves, KTM, POR, 241 7, Xavier Boog, Suzuki, FRA, 211 8, Jeremy Van Horebeek, KTM, BEL, 197 9, Steven Frossard, Kawasaki, FRA, 196 10, Manuel Monni, Yamaha, ITA, 187 11, Marvin Musquin, Honda, FRA, 173 12, Stephen Sword, Kawasaki, GBR, 170 13, Anthony Boissière, KTM, FRA, 158 14, Jeremy Tarroux, KTM, FRA, 140 15, Davide Guarneri, Yamaha, ITA, 133 16, Gregory Aranda, Kawasaki, FRA, 101 17, Joel Roelants, KTM, BEL, 99 18, Gautier Paulin, Kawasaki, FRA, 95 19, Carl Nunn, Suzuki, GBR, 73 20, Wyatt Avis, Honda, RSA, 56

- Yamaha Report - Philippaerts fourth at sun-struck South Africa Low winter sunshine bathed 20,000 spectators at the scenic Nelspruit circuit for the Grand Prix of South Africa and Yamaha Monster Motocross Team's David Philippaerts finished 4th overall and saw just one point chipped away from his lead at the top of the series; the gap now at eleven. Josh Coppins was 6th on the YZ450FM and remains third in the standings. The tenth round of fifteen in the 2008 FIM MX1-GP World Championship visited the southern hemisphere for the first time since 2006 (after three consecutive events were held at the Sun City resort) and represented the sole non-European outing of this year's calendar. The Nelspruit circuit was immaculately prepared for its inauguration as a world championship venue. The narrow and twisty layout involved many sharp turns and technical additions (such as dividers and plenty of jumps) while the dark red dirt varied between soft and rough to hard and slippery. The biggest obstacle for the riders to face was the sunshine with the light dipping low in the afternoon, throwing many shadows on the track and hiding the ruts and jump take-offs. The glare was also problematic over the jumps. Philippaerts, now more or less recovered from his rib injury, benefitted from two decent starts around the top five. In the first moto he rode well to push through from fourth to close on leader Steve Ramon in the final laps, finally sealing 2nd spot. For Moto2 he was circulating in the top six and for some time alongside his team-mate. With the sunshine and the many backmarkers adding an element of danger to the race, the 24 year old overtook a struggling Ramon (who would drop to 8th) and make sure of 6th; missing out on his seventh trophy of the year by just one point. Coppins, who recently extended his association with Yamaha and will enter a third season in 2009, was again a victim of misfortune on the first corner (after two problematic races last time out in Sweden). A tangle with Sebastien Pourcel left the Kiwi almost last and he had to pick his lines carefully to recover to 9th. A more cautious and improved launch in Moto1 saw the 31 year old blast from the lower depths of the top ten to charge Pourcel all the way to the flag for 3rd place, finally taking 4th. It was an excellent performance in which he was one of the few proactive riders making positions in difficult conditions; the fastest lap testimony to his speed. Nelspruit represented only the second time this season that the Yamaha Monster Motocross Team has not scaled the rostrum. Philippaerts holds an advantage of 11 points over Ramon and 23 over Coppins. Ken De Dycker is 43 further back in fourth. After ten events Yamaha still control the manufacturer's ranking by 16 points. The final third of the series will begin in two weeks time with the first of back-to-back races. Round eleven takes place at the sandy Lommel circuit for the Grand Prix of Belgium before the trip to Loket in the Czech Republic. David Philippaerts, Yamaha Monster Motocross Team, 4th: "I missed the podium by one point but the positives from this weekend were the good race in the first moto and that my physical condition is getting better after a few small injuries. I was a bit tired early in the second moto and with the sun going down it was hard to find the lines. After about twenty minutes I felt a bit better and pushed to pass Mackenzie but there were so many lapped riders that it was very difficult. I did not want to crash and I had already passed Ramon. I think I will be strong for Lommel. All the GPs will be important for the championship now and I will be looking for good positions and to finish ahead of Ramon as much as possible." Josh Coppins, Yamaha Monster Motocross Team, 6th: "For three motos in a row I have had to start from pretty much last. I knew I had the speed but I lost so many points just from incidents in those three heats. In that second moto today I decided to start a little more cautious, take my turn and then ride my own race. I came out in the top ten but then could start the hunt and move forward; this is not really the way I want to go racing, holeshots would be preferable! It was a tough track but the same for everyone. There were parts that I liked and others that I didn't. I am pleased with that second moto though; if I can improve my starts then I feel that I can push my way back in there for the title." Mino Raspanti, Racing Manager: "It was not an easy Grand Prix by any means but we are happy that David had better starts and was inside the top six in each moto. He took too long to pass Mackenzie in the first race and had to use a lot of energy to overtake. His speed was good and if he could have moved forward quicker then he might have been able to win as he was very close to Ramon. He rode well in the second moto also but was a bit more tired. The result was good for the championship though because he did not make a mistake. Josh had a crash right at the start again and had to come through so it was difficult for him. The second moto was better and although he did not want to take any risks at the start he soon found his speed and actually made the fastest lap of the race. He was physically strong and this showed. We were working out of the crates this weekend but we were well organised and prepared, and overall we can feel content with how things have gone." Aubin takes first podium as Cairoli suffers Yamaha Ricci Racing's Nico Aubin scored his first top three finish of the 2008 FIM MX2-GP World Championship under typically deep blue skies for the Grand Prix of South Africa - the tenth round of fifteen in the FIM series - at the Nelspruit circuit, more than 300km north-east of Johannesburg. The Frenchman took 3rd position on the same day that reigning number one Antonio Cairoli sustained an injury to his left knee and failed to score points in a GP for the first time since the British Grand Prix in 2004; a run of 65 events. The general reaction to the winding turns and many jumps of the new world championship circuit was extremely positive even if the dirt was a little unpredictable, varying between soft and rutted in places and hard and slick in others. Cairoli immediately gelled with the second of three new tracks on the 2008 schedule and collected his eighth consecutive Lovemytime qualification award for winning the second heat race and going to the gate in second position on Sunday. Sadly number '222' lasted no more than a few laps of the first moto as a near-crash around the fourth corner saw the Sicilian catch and turn his left leg, instantly injuring his knee. He tried to complete a few more circulations but then pulled into the pits with overwhelming pain. During the break between races he underwent an examination and treatment and was encouraged by the fact that there was little swelling. He attempted the second moto and started in second position but too small mistakes aggravated the joint further and he was again forced to withdraw. Cairoli now plans to have a scan and possible surgery on a suspected broken meniscus this week. The procedure should not be complicated and there is a chance he could be back on his motorcycle for the Grand Prix of Belgium in a fortnight. Aubin ensured that a YZ250F kept a place on the podium, and his first silverware of the season came largely thanks to his excellent start and second position in Moto1; the finish represented his second best result of the year having previously taken a race win in Italy. Aubin had actually been leading the sprint but was powerless to match pole-sitter Tommy Searle's speed. In the second race he started in the top five and spent a lonely moto avoiding backmarkers and trying to close to the back of Shaun Simpson in 4th. Aubin is the fourth Yamaha rider this season to scale a Grand Prix rostrum. Ricci Racing team-mate Davide Guarneri continues to admirably fight the odds despite a weakened right knee (missing a ligament) and the Italian scored 8th and 15th positions for 11th overall. He hit his limb on the ground twice in the second moto which caused him to slow and miss out on a double top ten finish. 3C Racing's Manuel Monni was 13th overall and rests 10th in the world championship while team-mate Deny Philippaerts - younger brother of David - scored points for the second time this season. Cairoli's championship plight now faces a test against the odds. The double world number one is third and 59 points away (more than two moto victories) from leader Tyla Rattray with five Grand Prix remaining. Aubin cut a few points to Simpson and fourth place in the ranking with 44 points the difference. The eleventh round of the championship will take place through the sand of Lommel for the Grand Prix of Belgium in two weeks time. The hillside Loket circuit in the Czech Republic will host the thirteenth race seven days later. Tony Cairoli, Yamaha Red Bull De Carli, DNF: "I am really disappointed. I liked the track yesterday and had some decent speed. I didn't have a good start in the first moto and tried to pass some riders in the beginning but it was not easy because the track was slippery from the watering. Tyla and Tommy were ahead so I knew I had to gain ground fast. I went to pass Guarneri but he came wide and cut my line. The bike went sideways down the hill and I put out my foot and felt something pull in my knee. I had so much pain that I had to stop. My doctor made a really good job in the break so I tried to start the second moto and came out of the gate in second place. The knee was not inflamed and not too painful but I was not used to the track and I got one set of bumps wrong and felt the knee react. Tommy passed me and I was starting to catch him when I over-jumped and then had shots of pain, which ended my race. The plan now is to have some surgery this week and I really hope I can come back for Lommel. The doctor thinks the ligaments are OK, just maybe stretched a little bit but the meniscus might be broken. With the operation we have planned he said I might be able to ride after one week. The championship looks difficult now and Tommy and Tyla have worked hard to be going for the title. I want to win when I come back and I hope it will be as soon as possible." Nico Aubin, Yamaha Ricci Racing, 3rd: "I am happy but it is a shame I had to wait ten Grand Prix for my first podium. I have had a few problems getting myself up to speed but I had two weeks to get my head together before this Grand Prix and felt better on the bike. The track is very good and I enjoyed the ground and the jumps. I made a great start in the first moto and tried to push, however Tyla and Tommy are very fast at the moment and I have not had too much time leading a race and could not hold the pace until the end. The results were not bad today and a big improvement on the last GPs. I hope this will be a new beginning for me, we go to Lommel next and I like the sand. I would like a top five there before we go to Loket. I want to finish the season well for my confidence and for the team." Davide Guarneri, Yamaha Ricci Racing, 11th: "I am a little annoyed because I was faster on Saturday but could not take the positions today; overall it was a hard GP for me physically. I started well in the first moto but the track was so difficult for me. There were many ruts in the corners and it was tough for my knee. I tried to push but stayed in sixth for most of the race. Towards the end I felt tired because I cannot stand up on the bike for too long. I started OK in the second moto and was going for tenth when I hit my leg quite hard twice on the ground and had to slow down because of pain. I don't know what really happened with Antonio. On the fourth corner there were many riders together. I went for the inside line but it brought me out on the outside, I did not see him and touched his bike." - KTM Report - Red Bull KTM's Searle and Rattray a great 1-2 in South African MX2 GP In what is now effectively a two-man KTM race for the MX2 world championship title, Tommy Searle came out on top in the GP at Nelspruit, South Africa while local hero Tyla Rattray placed second. The two KTM riders performed well and Tyla was treated to a great show fo support from local South African fans. Great team result Tommy put in a superb and victorious first race but Tyla crashed and had to attack from the back for his third place. The second race then became the full focus of Red Bull KTM Factory Team's local boy and he made few mistakes. The banners read "Go Go Rattray" and he did. Like Searle in race one, Rattray immediately took control of the race right from the start and amassed enough of a lead to be able to cruise home in the final lap, waving to the crowd. He crossed the line, punching the air with his fist to the joyous cheers of his South African compatriots and a sea of national flags. Searle rides two superb races Searle rode two great races and garnered praise from team boss Stefan Everts who said he "was very consistent and showed character". "I had a pretty good feeling this weekend," the British teenager said. "I'm very satisfied with the results of the GP today. I had a good start in the first race but I took the first corner too wide. Even so I managed to win by 11 seconds. I didn't have such a good start in the second heat and I didn't really get the same rhythm as in the first but the result was important for the championship. It's a nice track, full of jumps and I enjoyed it." Rattray retains red number plate While Tyla was denied the overall victory by just a couple of points, he does retain the coveted red number plate as the championship leader, some compensation for standing on the second step on the podium. "It was not so bad today," Tyla said. I had quite a good start in the first heat but I made a mistake and crashed. I could have done better in that one. But then I took the holeshot in the second and I led throughout the race." Tyla also paid tribute to his fans and the support they gave him. Goncalves disappointed in day's performance Rui Goncalves, the third factory rider in the Red Bull KTM team was luckless in South Africa. He said he felt sorry that he had put in a disappointing performance. "I cannot find an excuse for my bad day and that I wasn't able to do better today. I will go to Lommel and do everything to give my best." Goncalves, who has been suffering from flu, finished in 14th place. Title race now between two KTM heroes Searle and Rattray went into the GP as two of three riders vying for the title and came out in the knowledge that it was probably going to be decided between the two Red Bull KTM team members. Arch rival Antonio Cairoli, the 2007 title holder had to retire from both races after a knee injury and it now remains to be seen if he will be able to start in the next GP in Belgium's Lommel. Everts extended his sympathy to Cairoli and wishes him a good recovery and a return to racing. "Its tough but we know from our own experience that these tings happen in racing," he said. KTM MX1 double with Barragan and Nagl in South African GP KTM rider Jonathan Barragan of Team Silver Action and Red Bull KTM factory rider Max Nagl rounded off a near perfect day for KTM at Nelstpruit South Africa snatching the top two overall places in the MX1 GP The two riders onboard the KTM machines duplicated the MX2 GP results making the trip to the Southern Hemisphere well worthwhile for the Austrian manufacturer. KTMs triumph in South African races Barragan of Spain scored a 3-1 result while Nagl netted 4-2. The German factory rider led the first race until the last 10 minutes when he was overtaken by Steve Ramon and several other riders and had to settle for fourth. Determined to make good his promise to be on the podium he led again in the second race before he was challenged for the lead in the final stages by fellow KTM rider Barragan. For the Spaniard it was his second victory after Sweden in the last round. GP victory a birthday present for Barragan "I'm very happy with the overall victory," Barragan said. "The track was fast and there were good lines. I already had a good feeling yesterday and I knew I had a good speed. The track was easy to ride and I hope to be able to continue this good success that I have had in Sweden and here when we race in Lommel." The Spaniard celebrated his birthday on Saturday and said the victory was the best present he could give himself. Nagl on podium "We did a pretty good job today," Nagl said after the race. "I got the holeshot in both heats but it was a bit dusty in the second heat and the visibility was bad when the sun started to go down. No we will now train in sand to get ready for the races in Lommel." "Max was in good form the whole weekend," said KTM team boss Stefan Everts. "We already saw on Saturday that he was very fast. He was a bit nervous in the first heat but this is still a learning year for him. He got the holeshot in the second heat but in the end, Jonathan was pushing really hard." Nelspruit, in the north east corner of South Africa offered a soft, but not sandy surface and a track that offered a whole range of challenges for the riders set in the picturesque Crocodile River Valley, a venue and atmosphere very different to the next GP in Lommel, Belgium. - HRC Report - 2008 FIM MX1/MX2 World Motocross Championship Grand Prix of South Africa, Nelspruit Round 10 of 15 – July 20, 2008 Attendance: 20,000 (weekend figure) Weather: Saturday – Strong sunshine 24 degrees Celsius Sunday – Strong sunshine 23 degrees Celsius Billy MacKenzie top Honda rider at South Africa MX1 GP CAS Honda’s Billy MacKenzie finished seventh overall at the Grand Prix of South Africa in Nelspruit with a hard fought for 7-5 scorecard that ensured the Scotsman moved up one position in the MX1 World Motocross Championship standings. Meanwhile Billy’s CAS teammate Steve Boniface finished 12th overall and Honda Martin’s lone rider on the day Julien Bill battled to 17th. Prior to the Grand Prix there was bad news for the Honda Martin squad as just one day before they were due to fly to South Africa Dutchman Marc De Reuver – already a grand Prix winner in 2008 and currently top-10 in the series standings – broke a bone in his foot during a practice session. “Marc was unfortunately injured the day before we were due to leave for Africa in a practice session at Lommel,” explained Honda Martin team manager Lorenzo Resta. “He lost his footing on the footpeg and crashed really hard. There is something broken in his foot and I think it will be three or four weeks before he is able to race again. The good news is that he is not in plaster and so he’s able to train and keep his fitness up.” With the Nelspruit circuit being a new track on the GP schedule nobody knew quite what to expect before race weekend. The 1.6km circuit proved to be a popular one as the tight layout and many jumps made for some excellent action. The stone-free surface initially appeared to be quite loose and loamy but the surface soon packed down to offer an ideal racing surface. However, the low winter sun did make visibility quite difficult in a number of places as the ruts and bumps were hidden by dark shadows which made racing around the circuit quite dangerous as the riders hit some of the obstacles ‘blind’. The light was particularly bad for the MX1 qualifying session which saw Billy MacKenzie hold pole early in the timed period before finally finishing 10th. French CAS teammate Steve Boniface – riding only his third GP for the British team - ended the session 12th with Honda Martin’s Julien Bill just 0.385 seconds slower in 13th place. Despite not having the best pick at the start gate MacKenzie powered his factory CRF450 to perfection off the line in moto one and ran a strong third during the early portion of the race. Unable to keep contact with the leaders due to some self-confessed poor line selection, MacKenzie lost several places mid-race before coming back strong at the finish to narrowly miss snatching sixth place from Tanel Leok. Martin Honda rider Julien Bill ran seventh in the early going but after becoming embroiled in a tough top-10 battle Julien suffered with some arm pump and was forced to slow his pace rather than crash on the tough technical circuit. Despite being unhappy with his speed, Julien was able to finish 11th – a credible result considering the depth of talent in the MX1 class. Boniface also gated well and initially ran fourth in the early laps behind MacKenzie. But as the race progressed Steve slipped back through the pack as a sickness-induced lack of energy meant he was unable to run his normal pace. Finally finishing 13th Steve had to be content with his ride in the tough conditions. Moto two would prove to be even tougher for the MX1 riders as the sun sank even lower in the African winter sky making visibility difficult once more. This time MacKenzie was unfortunate not to take the holeshot as he pushed hard around the outside of turn one to sit third as the jostling pack settled. Pushing hard to stay with the leaders, Billy made a mistake and lost a bit of time mid-race and came under pressure from Sebastien Pourcel and Josh Coppins. Pourcel made a hard pass on Billy on lap 12 which broke his concentration also allowing Coppins space to get passed him. Regrouping his thoughts for the final part of the race, Billy used his superior fitness and on-track speed to reel in the riders in front of him but unfortunately was unable to pass them before the end of the moto. Finishing fifth in race two Billy had to be content with seventh overall on the day. Boniface got another great start in moto two but once more suffered with low energy levels and slipped back through the pack to 13th place in the race and 12th overall. Martin Honda’s Bill was most definitely unfortunate in race two after contact with another rider on lap one damaged his machine’s silencer which eventually broke off completely on lap seven but not before it had damaged the factory Honda’s brake line. Not noticing the brake line was leaking fluid, the Martin team speedily replaced the aftermarket silencer in the pits and sent the Swiss rider back out onto the track to score some points but Julien quickly found his rear brake wasn’t working and wisely retired rather than risk injury on the technical circuit. MacKenzie’s race results in Nelspruit ensure the Scotsman improves by one place in the series standings to eighth – ahead of Tanel Leok – while Bill and Boniface consolidate their rankings despite their much more difficult day. Despite his absence De Reuver still sits 10th in the series standings although it’s likely he’ll slip a couple of places before he returns from injury. The next round of the FIM MX1/MX2 World Championship will be the Grand Prix of Belgium at Lommel on August 3. Billy MacKenzie – CAS Honda “In the first race I got out of the gate well and I was in third behind Ramon and Nagl then they started to pull away a little bit and I kind of lost the tow and started fighting with the people behind me. I was taking some bad lines and on one particular off-camber I was going around the outside and losing so much time but I was kind of scared to change lines because I’d used it from the first lap and I wasn’t sure what the line on the inside was like. “That messed me up for the next four corners and I’d end up having to concentrate more on the riders behind me. I ended up losing a few places and then I got tight and had a little bit of arm pump but I was able to come back strong at the end of the race and put a bit of a charge on and caught back up to Leok at the end to finish seventh. I wasn’t happy with it because I made too many mistakes and I wasn’t thinking – I wasn’t riding smart enough. “I almost got the holeshot in moto two – I kept it on right around the outside but I didn’t quite get it. Again, I sat third for a while but this time I kept with then and pushed hard the whole time. I thought we’d maybe broke fourth but then Sebastien caught me and gave me a little payback for all the times I’ve put him down. That kind of broke my rhythm and I lost a bit of time in the middle of the race but after that I was strong right to the end of the race and I caught both Coppins and Pourcel back but I was unable to pass them before the finish. “I’m quite happy, every week now since my shoulder injury I’ve improved and this week I was strong in both motos to run 7-5. Hopefully next time I can improve on that and also have at least one win before the end of the season.” Steve Boniface – CAS Honda “The track was really good – probably the best one there’s been so far this year – and I was enjoying riding it but the problem today was that I’ve been kind of sick all week long with a bad stomach and today was the worst of it. I got a good start in both motos but I felt really weak and I did everything I could but it wasn’t so good – I finally finished 13th in both races. “I’m really happy here with the CAS team and everything is going really well - the bike is really good, the team are very easy to work with and now I just need to put in some good consistent results and move forward from there.” Julien Bill – Martin Honda “The track here was awesome and the dirt was really well prepared and it was a lot of fun to ride with all the big jumps – it’s a really nice track. The only problem was with the light both in qualifying and the second moto today. The sun was so low in the sky it made seeing some of the ruts really difficult but of course it’s the same for everyone. “In the first race I got a really good start but then early in the race I got really bad arm pump and I was struggling a little bit with my speed. After that I managed to finish 11th and that isn’t awesome but I still scored good points and that’s important for the championship. “My start was pretty decent in the second moto too but I think somebody hit me pretty hard from behind on the first lap and that broke my silencer. It was hanging off for a few laps and then it eventually broke altogether and so I had to pull in the pit to change it. The team changed it quickly and I went out again to try and score more points but what we hadn’t realised is that when the silencer had been hitting the swinging arm and it had damaged the brake line so the fluid came out and my rear brake didn’t work properly and I had to pull off the track.”