Mugged!
By TMX Archives on 17th Mar 03
Brit stars take a beating as de Reuver, Ramon and Everts come out fighting at pre-season international AS YOU approach Hawkstone Park there are signs directing you to the nearby historical follies. Well, stuff them - the Hawkstone Park MX circuit has a history of its own. It's a history of super-tough conditions, classic bar-bangin' races, famous names and that even more famous hill. For the fifth running of the Salop club's pre-season international motocross, nothing has changed. The track is tougher than ever - Saturday's storms make that a certainty - and with an entry of riders from 15 nations, including four present and past world champs, the hill's in line for some serious hammer. The 125 qualifying sees Marc de Reuver fire a warning shot at the competition. He's almost four seconds faster than his nearest rival Erik Eggens who has two-and-a-half seconds on fastest Brit Wayne Smith. Kenneth Gundersen heads the Open class session on the Motorex Kawasaki ahead of Joel Smets and reigning 250 world champ Mickael Pichon. The first 125 race gets away bang on time and Steve Ramon grabs the holeshot ahead of his Champ team-mates de Reuver and Eggens. British Under 21 champ Ben Saunders is first Brit in fourth ahead of Jeff Perrett who's running a fantastic fifth in the early going. But de Reuver doesn't stay in Ramon's roost for long and makes a move to the front on lap two while Eggens is still stalking the pair of them. Stephen Sword's on a charge through the pack after an awful start - but he only makes it as high as fifth before a small crash dumps him down field again. Albion KTM's Tom Church is up to fourth ahead of Saunders and the battling pair of Smith and Sword. De Reuver holds his advantage to the line ahead of Ramon, Eggens and Church. Swordy finally gets the upper hand on Smith and Saunders and rolls past the chequered flag in fifth. KTM prove their dominance of the 125 class by filling the first seven places ahead of the TAS Suzuki of Adam Lyons. With the opening 125 bout done and dusted, the 7,000-strong crowd focus their attention on the Open class and the first real chance to see which way the Motocross GP series might go. All the contenders for the world crown are here with the exception of CAS's Josh Coppins who's still recovering from two broken ankles. As the gate drops and the riders charge into the famous Hawkstone tunnel it's CAS Honda's Jussi Vehvilainen who powers into the early lead with Pichon, Gundersen, Stefan Everts and Marnicq Bervoets all chewing on the 490cc CRF's roost. Smets is buried mid-pack and Gordon Crockard is even further back and having a terrible time in the traffic. As the race settles down, wild-riding Jussi is still holding a slight lead over Pichon and Gundersen with Everts and his Rinaldi Yamaha team-mate Bervoets in tow. Paul Cooper's in fifth but he's slowly being reeled in by a sand-covered Smets who's absolutely flying. Pichon sets the fastest lap of the race on lap four, Gundersen tries to match the pace but can't and finds himself on the floor and out of the race. Despite Mickael being a little faster than the ever erratic Vehvilainen, he just can't find a way past until the pressure gets too much for the Finn. "It was my first full speed race for me," explains Jussi. "I got the holeshot and Pichon was pushing me really hard. I think I got a little bit nervous so I got some big-time arm-pump." It's now Pichon's turn to be pressured by Everts and the Belgian is all over him until he finds a small gap and squeezes his Yam into the lead. Pichon doesn't seem to have any fight in him and lets Everts romp home for the win while Jussi's arms are still solid and he's got no answer to Smets when he makes a move up the inside in the long corner after the whoop section. Goggleless Smets is certainly the man on a mission and catches up to Pichon but, blinded by flying sand, can't make a pass before the race ends. Vehvilainen ends up fourth followed by Bervoets and Cooper comes in sixth ahead of Pit Beirer, Crockard and plucky privateer Brad Anderson. Race two for the 125s is another KTM benefit and it's de Reuver who leads the way before bailing on lap two, handing the lead to Ramon. Eggens chases the runaway leader as de Reuver roosts his way back through the field. Sword, Smith and Church are running third through fifth until de Reuver fires past them all and then swoops on Eggens. Swordy crashes - dropping back to sixth - and that's how it stays. Ramon wins the race and the 125 class overall, obviously enjoying the conditions. "It was the first time I've ridden here but it was sandy and I like sand. The first moto was good - I holeshot but then Marc passed me but he was riding very strong today. In the second moto I won but Marc crashed so I was a little bit lucky." De Reuver ends up second ahead of Eggens, Church, Smith and Sword. TC is delighted to be top Brit on the day. "It's been spot on," he says. "A real strong day for me. I got good starts and wanted to beat Stephen and Wayne today and that happened so I've got no complaints." Gundersen leads the second Open class race from the gate ahead of CAS Honda duo Jussi Vehvilainen and Yoshi Atsuta. Anderson's also up there with the leaders ahead of Everts, Bervoets and Pichon. On lap three Gundersen ejects himself from his Kawasaki, the lead and also the race. Jussi needs no second invitation and takes over with a clear track ahead. Everts and Bervoets waste no time in disposing of Atsuta and after passing and repassing each other for a few laps they begin the hard task of reeling in the flying Finn. Stefan makes a move for the lead on lap five and there's nothing Vehvilainen can do to stop him. "I've been working my ass off for the last four years," explains Stefan. "This year I have a really good set-up with the bike and the new 450F is incredibly good." Pichon pulls out and Beirer, who's been quietly plugging away all race, makes it into third ahead of Javier Garcia Vico, Atsuta and Cooper. With the two classes settled it's time to throw the best 16 125 class pilots and the top 20 Open class riders along with four promoter's choices into the Superfinal. Our very own Jeffro is horrified to learn he's a promoter's choice after cunningly finishing 17th overall in the 125 class in a bid to save his aching old bones another Hawkstone thrashing - unlucky ginger! To try and even out the power difference between the 125 and Open bikes, the smaller class are given a five-second headstart for the final. Swordy bolts out to an early lead at the head of a wave of orange machines led by Eggens, de Reuver and Ramon while the Open class men - headed by Atsuta and Bervoets - give chase. Up front, de Reuver and Eggens dispose of Swordy's challenge and as the Open class bikes get closer to the front it's Vehvilainen who's getting his Honda 490F among the screaming 125s. Bervoets is up there with him but de Reuver stretches his lead after setting the fastest lap of the race on lap three. That's faster than everyone - Open bikes included - and to think some of the 250 riders were complaining about being under-powered compared to the bigger four-strokes! Jussi grabs second from a tiring Eggens at half-distance before the Dutchman calls it a day. Crockard's going better this time out and seems to have found a rhythm around the tough, rutted Hawkstone circuit. "I'm happy with my speed and I'm happy with my fitness," he says later. "But I've had problems with my set-up because I've not been able to do any sand testing. We were in Belgium for a week and the ground was completely frozen." Despite his problems, by mid-race he's fifth and he overhauls Ramon's KTM and Bervoets' Yamaha before the finish to grab a well-deserved third. Everts has a steady, uneventful ride ahead of Coops who puts in a solid, consistent day on his way to three sixth-placed finishes. Man of the day has to be de Reuver. "I didn't expect to win the superfinal so I'm happy. I've had a good pre-season but I don't want to get too confident when it comes to the GPs - I just want to stay cool and do my best." Words by Sutty