Marvellous Mallory!
By TMX Archives on 4th Jun 08
THE many thousands of British GP fans who lined every inch of trackside at Mallory Park on Sunday witnessed the most exhilarating racing of the current GP season as Jonathan Barragan made up for the last lap slip last month in Bulgaria to record his second GP victory in eight days after claiming the MX3 win in Spain the previous weekend, while Toni Cairoli came to the lion's den, saw and conquered to take home the red plate again in MX2.Tommy Searle was the only Brit to make the podium, in third overall behind Cairoli and team-mate Tyla Rattray in MX2, but Shaun Simpson gamely ran with the factory boys for 15 minutes of race one on his way to a fighting fourth and Stephen Sword overcame appalling starts and a first race fall for fifth. Billy MacKenzie ended the day sixth in MX1 after running top three early in both motos, James Noble got his best result of the year with 10th and there were scores too for Wayne Smith, Jordan Rose, Brad Anderson, Carl Nunn, Nev Bradshaw and Elliott Banks-Browne.
All in all, it was great weekend for the World championship chases and a great weekend for British motocross too as probably the biggest crowd in a good number of years streamed into the Leicestershire venue to create a fantastic atmosphere and hopefully build the basis for a more permanent home for the British GP.
THE anticipation for a show-stopper in the crowd was high after Cairoli and Searle had won the qualifiers on Saturday, but it was Tyla Rattray who first shot into the lead in race one, followed by Searle and Simpson as Cairoli made a mess of the start: ‘‘I got a really bad jump and it was only thanks to a good first turn, turning tight, that I came away with seventh and could quickly move to fourth. But those KTMs were going fast and I
couldn't catch them in the early laps.''
With Rattray always ahead, Searle and Simpson went head-to-head to the delight of the home crowd, the Scot giving as good as he got for 15 minutes before fate interfered and he went down briefly: ‘‘We were crossing lines looking for passes and Tommy broke down a berm I was just about to use. It was just one of those freak things.'' But it was enough to demote Shaun to fourth and out of the podium race.
Searle was ensuring that Rattray could never relax but then, at 25 minutes, Cairoli started to turn the screw and closed in on the leading KTMs, rapidly, dropping times into the 1-57s, and Searle came under pressure.
The Italian clawed his way onto the back wheel of the Brit and, despite the fervent urging of the crowd, the pass did look inevitable, but when it did finally come it was a controversial one as the pair touched and the contact sent Searle to the dirt.
‘‘We touched and I went down. I am not happy about it,'' Searle said later, but it was enough to reduce the battle for the win to two riders in the final five laps as Cairoli ruthlessly hunted down Rattray.
‘‘I knew he was there, put my head down and protected all the inside lines,'' explain-ed Rattray, but it was a duel to savour for the fervent trackside fans, both riders on the limit and separated by a matter of yards as the flag flew for the South African.
Sword ended the race an advancing and impressive sixth after casting it away the first time he grabbed that position on lap four, but French, Italians and South Africans dominated the placings apart from Britain's ‘Big Three'.
Best-placed in the mid-pack freight train for almost the entire race was Elliot Banks-Browne in 16th, but he stalled the factory Swift Suzuki at the close and trailed in 19th.
After an impressive qualifying ride on Saturday, Nev Bradshaw was the only other Brit finisher, just out of the points in 22nd, while Nunn, Suso Suzuki team-mate Jason Dougan and Martin Barr all went out early, Dougan after a heavy fall that required a medical check-over was a no-show for moto two.
Race two was hard work for Rattray as Cairoli controlled the race from the word go: ‘‘I got a good jump again, but I made a mess of turn one. Then someone fell off in front of me further round the lap and I had >>
to come through from 14th.''
Cairoli had holeshot, but Searle was in his wake and for 15 minutes there was nothing the Italian could do to shake-off the teenage Brit who sat two seconds back: ‘‘Then he put in two good laps, I had two bad ones and he got a gap.'' The race was run and Cairoli comfortably ran out winner and achieved his stated aim of retrieving the red plate.
Rattray's attempt to hang onto it had finally disappeared six laps from the end as he chased an inspired Steven Frossard for third: ‘‘I was on Frossard for third after fighting through the pack, but then I made a mistake and fell over.''
Simpson had seemed safe in fourth for more than half the race but suddenly his lap times increased and he went backwards: ‘‘Don't ask me. I just lost my rhythm and could do no more than survive.''
Also demoting Shaun was his fellow Scot, Sword, after another slow start, but the Molson Kawasaki leader was furious with his day's work: ‘‘I wanted the podium today.
I had two strong rides, but I missed the jump at the gate in both motos. Starts like that are just not acceptable!''
Carl Nunn bounced back from his opening moto mechanical to claim a steady if somewhat uneventful 15th to at least get some points up on the board at home, while Bradshaw fought gamely all race to net an impressive two points for 19th.
Banks-Browne's second race did not last long, Manuel Monni taking him down at turn two, before the Brit went down again four laps later and had to pull out as the pain in his left hand did not diminish, while Barr too went out mid-race for a second time.
MX1
A freight train had been expected in MX1 after a second and a half separated the next 13 behind the inevitably sovereign Seb Pourcel in qualification, but nothing could be further from the truth.
Barragan and MacKenzie shot to the front in race one, but there was carnage in their wake.
Pourcel, Marc De Reuver, Ken De Dycker and David Philippaerts all landed in a heap at the bottle-neck at turn two and the Dutchman was in no doubt as to the sinner: ‘‘Philippaerts may be able to get away with that with Coppins, but it's the last time he does that to me. We had all gated well and he just never shut-off and wiped us all out. He's going to get a zero soon and I don't care if I get one too!''
Pourcel's race was run within those 100 yards with a damaged water pump, De Reuver recovered to ninth, and incredibly De Dycker and Philippaerts were to battle for the win in an incredible moto!
First to depart the leading group was sadly home boy MacKenzie when the rear-wheel stepped out. Remounting immediately behind eventual winner De Dycker, Billy struggled to advance, the hand guards fouling the clutch lever, and he finished 10th.
Barragan, Steve Ramon and Max Nagl seemed content to circulate 1-2-3 but all the time Philippaerts and De Dycker were taking a second or more per lap out of them and when first Nagl throttled back – ‘‘My blood values are very low and I haven't been able to train for three weeks.'' – and then Barragan – ‘‘We had the wrong suspension set-up and it was getting dangerous to push too hard'' – followed suit, Ramon seemed to have been gifted the race on a plate.
Then enter Philippaerts stage left. Jumping everything in sight, the series leader was on the champion's rear-wheel with two laps to go, De Dycker in his wheel-tracks, but a slip cost him the win: ‘‘It was a stupid mistake. The rear-wheel stepped out and I went over the bars. I bruised a rib too.'' He finished fifth.
For full report and pictures see T+MX NEWS, Friday, June 6, 2008
WORLD MX2 MOTOCROSS CHAMPS
Rd 6 – Mallory Park, Leicestershire, BRITAIN
1 Antonio Cairoli (I - Red Bull Yamaha) 22 + 25 = 47
2 Tyla Rattray (ZA - Red Bull KTM) 25 + 18 = 43
3 Tommy SEARLE (GB - Red Bull KTM) 20 + 22 = 42
4 Shaun SIMPSON (GB - KTM UK) 18 + 14 = 32
5 Stephen SWORD (GB - Molson Kawasaki) 15 + 16 = 31
6 Anthony Boissiere (F - HDI KTM) 16 + 12 = 28
7 Steven Frossard (F - CLS Kawasaki) 6 + 20 = 26
8 Manuel Monni (I - 3C Yamaha) 14 + 8 = 22
9 Xavier Boog (F - Inotec Suzuki) 5 + 15 = 20
10 Marvin Musquin (F - NGS Honda) 8 + 11 = 19
11 Rui Goncalves (P - Red Bull KTM) 11+5=16, 12 Joel Roelants (B - Champ KTM) 4+10=14, 13 Jeremy Tarroux (F - Silver Action KTM) 0+13=13, 14 Gregory Aranda (F - CLS Kawasaki) 9+4=13, 15 Matteo Bonini (I - Red Bull Yamaha) 13+0=13, 16 Nicolas Aubin (F - Ricci Yamaha) 12+0=12, 17 Wyatt Avis (ZA - LS Honda) 10+1=11, 18 Gautier Paulin (F - Molson Kawasaki) 0+9=9, 19 Julien Vanni (F - HDI KTM) 0+7=7, 20 Shannon Terreblanche (ZA - Beursfoon Suzuki) 7+0=7, 21 Carl NUNN (GB - Suso Suzuki) 0+6=6, 22 Gert Krestinov (EW - Favor KTM) 0+3=3, 23 Alessandro Lupino (I - Red Bull Yamaha) 3+0=3, 24 Neville BRADSHAW (GB - Honda) 0+2=2, 25 Elliott BANKS-BROWNE (GB - Swift Suzuki) 2+0=2, 26 Dennis Verbruggen (B - Shineray Yamaha) 1+0=1.
RACE ONE: 1 Rattray, 2 Cairoli, 3 SEARLE, 4 SIMPSON, 5 Boissiere, 6 SWORD, 7 Monni, 8 Bonini, 9 Aubin, 10 Goncalves, 11 Avis, 12 Aranda, 13 Marvin Musquin, 14 Terreblanche, 15 Frossard, 16 Boog , 17 Roelants, 18 Lupino, 19 BANKS-BROWNE, 20 Verbruggen.
RACE TWO: 1 Cairoli, 2 SEARLE, 3 Frossard, 4 Rattray, 5 SWORD, 6 Boog , 7 SIMPSON, 8 Tarroux, 9 Boissiere, 10 Marvin Musquin, 11 Roelants, 12 Paulin, 13 Monni, 14 Vanni, 15 NUNN, 16 Goncalves, 17 Aranda, 18 Krestinov, 19 BRADSHAW, 20 Avis.
SERIES STANDINGS after 6 (of 15) rounds: 1 Cairoli 243 points, 2 Rattray 242, 3 SEARLE 233, 4 Aubin 158, 5 SIMPSON 156, 6 Goncalves 148, 7 SWORD 144, 8 Monni 119, 9 Boog 119, 10 Van Horebeek 109, 11 Guarneri 97, 12 Paulin 95, 13 Boissiere 91, 14 Frossard 76, 15 Marvin Musquin 74, 16 Roelants 68, 17 Tarroux 59, 18 Aranda 56, 19 NUNN 54, 20 Eggens 51,... 25 DOUGAN 20,... 27 BANKS-BROWNE 17,... 39 BRADSHAW 2,...
NEXT ROUND: Jun 15 – St Jean d'Angely, FRANCE.
WORLD MX1 MOTOCROSS CHAMPS
Rd 6 – Mallory Park, Leicestershire, BRITAIN
1 Jonathan Barragan (E - Silver Action KTM) 20 + 25 = 45
2 Ken De Dycker (B - Teka Suzuki) 25 + 15 = 40
3 David Philippaerts (I - Monster Yamaha) 16 + 20 = 36
4 Steve Ramon (B - Teka Suzuki) 22 + 14 = 36
5 Tanel Leok (EW - Kawasaki Europe) 15 + 16 = 31
6 Billy MacKENZIE (GB - Monster Honda) 11 + 18 = 29
7 Sebastien Pourcel (F - GPKR Kawasaki) 0 + 22 = 22
8 Marc De Reuver (NL - Martin Honda) 12 + 10 = 22
9 Clement Desalle (B - Inotec Suzuki) 14 + 8 = 22
10 James NOBLE (GB - KTM UK) 8 + 11 = 19
11 Josh Coppins (NZ - Monster Yamaha) 10+9=19, 12 Aigar Leok (EW - Van Beers Yamaha) 13+6=19, 13 Maximilian Nagl (D - Red Bull KTM) 18+0=18, 14 Mike Brown (US - Monster Honda) 5+12=17, 15 Manuel Priem (B - Kawasaki Europe) 9+7=16, 16 Julien Bill (CH - Martin Honda) 0+13=13, 17 Marcus Schiffer (D - Sarholz KTM) 7+5=12, 18 Pierre Alexandre Renet (F - Teka Suzuki) 4+4=8, 19 Kornel Nemeth (H - Sarholz KTM) 6+0=6, 20 Wayne SMITH (GB - Pioneer Yamaha) 3+2=5, 21 Jordan ROSE (GB - STR Honda) 0+3=3, 22 Brad ANDERSON (GB - Swift Suzuki) 2+0=2, 23 Alessio Chiodi (I - TM Racing) 0+1=1, 24 Cedric Melotte (B - Team Aprilia) 1+0=1.
RACE ONE: 1 De Dycker, 2 Ramon, 3 Barragan, 4 Nagl, 5 Philippaerts, 6 Tanel Leok, 7 Desalle, 8 Aigar Leok, 9 De Reuver, 10 MacKENZIE, 11 Coppins, 12 Priem, 13 NOBLE, 14 Schiffer, 15 Nemeth, 16 Brown, 17 Renet, 18 SMITH, 19 ANDERSON, 20 Melotte.
RACE TWO: 1 Barragan, 2 Pourcel, 3 Philippaerts, 4 MacKENZIE, 5 Tanel Leok, 6 De Dycker, 7 Ramon, 8 Bill, 9 Brown, 10 NOBLE, 11 De Reuver, 12 Coppins, 13 Desalle, 14 Priem, 15 Aigar Leok, 16 Schiffer, 17 Renet, 18 ROSE, 19 SMITH, 20 Chiodi.
SERIES STANDINGS after 6 (of 15) rounds: 1 Philippaerts 223 points, 2 Ramon 195, 3 De Dycker 175, 4 Coppins 168, 5 MacKENZIE 159, 6 Pourcel 151, 7 Barragan 150, 8 De Reuver 138, 9 Nagl 132, 10 Tanel Leok 129, 11 Desalle 95, 12 Brown 87, 13 Priem 83, 14 Nemeth 80, 15 Schiffer 71, 16 Aigar Leok 60, 17 Bill 51, 18 NOBLE 48, 19 Strijbos 36, 20 CHURCH 31,... 27 ANDERSON 10,... 33 ROSE 3,...
NEXT ROUND: Jun 15 – St Jean d'Angely, FRANCE.
WORLD VETERAN MOTOCROSS CUP
Rd 2 – Mallory Park, Leicestershire, BRITAIN
1 Peter Iven (B - Kawasaki) 25 + 25 = 50
2 Dave THORPE (GB - Honda) 22 + 22 = 44
3 Jan Blancquaert (B - Kawasaki) 18 + 20 = 38
4 Toine Van Dijk (NL - Suzuki) 13 + 18 = 31
5 Terry HOUSE (GB - Suzuki) 14 + 16 = 30
6 Thierry Godfroid (B - Kawasaki) 15 + 15 = 30
7 Regis Simon (F - Honda) 16 + 14 = 30
8 Chris Jacobs (B - Suzuki) 9 + 13 = 22
9 Scott EASTWOOD (GB - Honda) 12 + 10 = 22
10 Janis Mironovs (LAT - KTM) 11 + 9 = 20
11 Greg HANSON (GB - CCM) 20+0=20, 12 Chuck Sun (US - Honda) 7+12=19, 13 Peter Bergsma (NL - KTM) 8+11=19, 14 Arunas Ramanauskas (LIT - Honda) 10+6=16, 15 Philippe Bartoll-Loiselet (F - Yamaha) 3+8=11, 16 Saulius Stankus (LIT - Yamaha) 6+4=10, 17 Petr Dokoupil (CZ - Yamaha) 0+7=7, 18 Tony Cooksley (NZ - Yamaha) 2+5=7, 19 Gerard Ravenet (F - Yamaha) 5+0=5, 20 Koos Dijkstra (NL - Honda) 4+0=4, 21 Jyri Makarov (EW - Honda) 0+3=3, 22 Maris Feldmanis (LAT - Kawasaki) 0+2=2, 23 Louis Verbraeken (B - Suzuki) 0+1=1, 24 Mark SILVESTER (GB - Yamaha) 1+0=1.
RACE ONE: 1 Iven, 2 THORPE, 3 HANSON, 4 Blancquaert, 5 Simon, 6 Godfroid, 7 HOUSE, 8 Van Dijk, 9 EASTWOOD, 10 Mironovs, 11 Ramanauskas, 12 Jacobs, 13 Bergsma, 14 Sun, 15 Stankus, 16 Ravenet, 17 Dijkstra, 18 Bartoll-Loiselet, 19 Cooksley, 20 SILVESTER.
RACE TWO: 1 Iven, 2 THORPE, 3 Blancquaert, 4 Van Dijk, 5 HOUSE, 6 Godfroid, 7 Simon, 8 Jacobs, 9 Sun, 10 Bergsma, 11 EASTWOOD, 12 Mironovs, 13 Bartoll-Loiselet, 14 Dokoupil, 15 Ramanauskas, 16 Cooksley, 17 Stankus, 18 Makarov, 19 Feldmanis, 20 Verbraeken.
SERIES STANDINGS after 2 (of 3) rounds: 1 Iven 82 points, 2 THORPE 68, 3 Van Dijk 67, 4 Godfroid 63, 5 EASTWOOD 57, 6 Blancquaert 56, 7 Jacobs 52, 8 HANSON 51, 9 Simon 41, 10 Mironovs 36, 11 HOUSE 30, 12 Makarov 29, 13 Sun 28, 14 Ducis 26, 15 Bergsma 23, 16 Bartoll-Loiselet 22, 17 Dijkstra 20, 18 Dokoupil 19, 19 Casas 17, 20 Verherstraeten 17,... 28 SILVESTER 4,...
FINAL ROUND: Aug 3 – Lommel, BELGIUM.