With cancelled events due to bad weather delaying the start to a much anticipated 2013 motocross season, racing finally started for the new Pendrich Kawasaki team in the Scottish Highlands.
Bryan Mackenzie of Longniddry delivered the goods first time out with a dominant overall win on the Saturday and Sunday in both the 250 and 450 classes on his KX250F. The 28 year old Scot hardly put a wheel wrong all weekend and well deserved his season opening victories.
Glasgow born teammate, Ross Rutherford, added to the celebrations riding shotgun on the Sunday registering a magnificent second in the 450 race making it a one/two for the understandably jubilant team.
Southern action focused on Dylan Woodcock, Todd Kellett and Billy King who laid down a marker by winning every race they entered over the weekend ensuring they will each be a force to be reckoned with when the Nationals start.
Route77energy Honda had a difficult start to the 2013 World Championship in Qatar this past weekend. With the schedule moved up a day to run the main event on Saturday evening under lights, the team made its way to the capital Doha earlier in the week to soak up the sun and prepare for the unique evening races under lights on the weekend.
On Friday evening, the qualifying practice sessions saw Tanel Leok put in a good time earlier on the day but was unable to improve on his position in the qualifying race, ending fifteenth. For Jason Dougan, things didn’t get off to a good start after he had to return to the paddock after only eight laps into the qualifying race and he had to make do with the last spot on the grid. Team-supported rider James Cottrell qualified in twenty-fourth in the MX2 class in his fourth Grand Prix ever.
On Saturday evening, Leok built on his Saturday result; starting in the top fifteen, Leok made steady progress throughout and worked his way to thirteenth, before being passed with the two-lap board out for a fourteenth. With that result, Leok moved on into the brand-new Super Final race, which was introduced for fly-away rounds. Here Leok improved even more, ending the mixed-class race in thirteenth for a fourteenth overall.
For Dougan, progress was equally steady. In the first race, some early gains saw him touch the top fifteen before dropping back several places, but a second wind in the latter half helped him regain eighteenth place. A late pass dropped him back to nineteenth, which resulted in him having to line up for a Last Chance Race, another new addition to the fly-away rounds. In the mixed-class race, Dougan finished second and earned his place in the Super Final, in which he again had his hands full with both MX1 and MX2 rivals. After forty minutes of battle, Dougan raced across the finish line in nineteenth for a nineteenth overall.
Cottrell was on a fast and furious learning curve. In his first race, he was left out in the back of the pack at the start, but he soon made progress up the pack. After a small glitch that cost him a few positions, he resumed his move up the pack to end the race in twenty-fourth. With his finish position outside the top eighteen, Cottrell found himself in the Last Chance Race. Here he finished as the seventh MX2 rider, but with only the top two riders progressing into the Super Final, he had to sit the final race of the night out.
Commented team principal Mark Chamberlain: “It’s been a tough weekend for the team, to be honest. It was a tense time and we had a few issues, so to come out of it with points is good. But we know we have to still improve some things. I wasn’t a fan of the track for racing; too many jumps made it one-lined. I’m happy that the boys both scored points as its easy to make a mistake early in the season. I’m hoping that we can have a solid race in Thailand and keep improving the whole package.”
The team is now in Thailand for the second race of the season.
Qatar, 3 March 2013. It was a new challenge for all as the World Championship rocked up in Qatar for the first time with a new race format of one MX1 and one MX2 race, with the top twenty in each class going through to a combined super-final race. Holding the races at night under floodlights was another first for everyone.
Race 1
Neither Barragan nor Law had good starts and Barragan made his task even harder as he dropped his machine on the first lap leaving him at the back of the field. Law was finding the going tough, which wasn’t a surprise after the lack of preparation, having only been called up to replace the injured Karro the previous week. He stuck to the task and was well in contention for the first half of the gruelling race and although he started to feel the pace, he battled to the bitter end to cross the line in 22nd at the flag.
Barragan had a lot to do but was soon making passes and by half-way was up to 17th but with such a quality field, it was getting harder to catch the riders in front and he could only manage one more pass before the end, finally bringing it home in 16th.
Race 2
With Law failing to qualify for the mixed super-final it was down to Barragan to fly the flag for the team but with the MX2 guys having the first twenty picks of the gate, it was going to be difficult for the Spaniard to make the start he wanted from near the outside. So it proved, but he was on the gas and was picking through the field until he hit the deck. Just as in the first race he was having to try and claw back positions he had previously held, but with some impressive lap times he was making good progress. He clawed his way up towards the pack in front, consisting of Roelants, Leok and Simpson but just ran out of time, finally finishing in 15th, just 1.7 seconds behind Simpson for 17th overall.
- Ends -
Another successful day for J-Law
Race Report – British Championship Rd7 – Langrish, Hampshire
It was a case of deja vu for Team STR KTM for the Bank Holiday weekend (26 and 27 August) as they made their second trip down to Hampshire in as many weeks; this time to the Langrish circuit, just ten miles from the previous weekend's British GP track at Matterley Basin, for round seven of the British Championship.
With Matiss Karro still sidelined and Nez Parker going under the knife to repair his torn LCL, it was down to Jamie Law to fly the flag for Team STR KTM. On a tough track to master Law aquitted himself well with an eighth, sixth and fourth place finish in the three races for a fifth overall. He has now climbed to sixth place in the Championship standings and has his sights set on a top five spot for the season with only one event to go.
Qualifying:
The Langrish circuit is a bit of an acquired taste, with its tight, twisty, hard-pack terrain set on a steep hillside. The riders either love it or hate it. Having only ridden it once in the past and on that occasion not gaining the results he would have wished, it was always going to be a challenging day for Law. Taking ninth in qualifying confirmed this but Law was up for the fight and looking forward to the battle ahead in the upcoming races.
Race 1:
Law made a great start in race one putting himself into second place. However he struggled to find his rhythm and was soon under pressure. As the race wore on he started to suffer from the dreaded arm-pump and although he battled for every position he was only able to bring it home in eighth at the finish.
Race 2:
Law couldn’t repeat the great start he had in the first race of the day, quickly finding himself down in ninth place. After learning from his first race he was now riding a few better lines and flowing more and gradually started to pull through the field, his lap times steadily improving throughout. His improved riding eventually paid dividends and he was rewarded with a sixth place at the chequered flag.
Race 3:
Law made another great start in the third race but a couple of mistakes early on dropped him back to sixth. With a dousing of rain making the track treacherous it was a case of holding on and trying not to make any mistakes. After the second placed rider crashed out Law was promoted to fifth. During the latter stages of the race Law had his sights set on Dougan ahead of him. He gradually reeled him in and with only four corners to go he made his move and was rewarded with a fourth place as the flag dropped. This gave him a great fifth place overall and moved him up the Championship rankings into sixth.
Jamie Law said: "I got good starts today but I really struggled with the track and got arm-pump in the first race. I didn't get it after that and was able to push for the whole race in the second and third. I let myself down in the first race but it was still a good weekend and good result overall."
Team manager, Steve Turner, said: "Jamie really struggled in the first race but he's a determined guy and improved in race two and again in race three. Because of his grit and determination he was able to turn around what could have been a poor weekend into another good one."
A Tough Weekend On Home Soil For Team STR KTM
RACE REPORT - The FIM Motocross World Championship, Matterley Basin, Winchester - 18 and 19 August 2012.
After a successful weekend at the sixth round of the Maxxis British Motocross Championship at Hawkstone Park, Team STR KTM headed to Matterley Basin, Winchester for the British GP, round thirteen of the FIM Motocross World Championship.
In an eventful day, Jamie Law secured his sixth Championship point while another knee injury prevented Nez Parker building on his recent good form.
Qualifying
In sweltering heat on a fast but technical track both riders found it hard going. They fought hard with Nez Parker finishing the qualifying race in 19th and Jamie Law in 24th.
Race 1
Parker made a decent start but Law hit the start gate and was last away. With a great recovery Law came out of the first corner in mid pack with Parker a few places behind. However two corners later Law found his race completely ruined as a rider crashed in the turn resulting in a number of following riders, including Law, running into the back of each other.
Parker managed to navigate round the pile up and set about making his way through the field, finishing the first lap in 20th with his teammate trailing back in 30th. Parker made up more places and was fighting for 16th when disaster struck on the finish corner. As he wound on a bit too much power his back end stepped out and as he stuck his leg out he severely twisted his knee. It was game over for the unlucky Parker with another trip to the MRI scanner on the cards in the coming week.
Law meanwhile was really struggling with the conditions, his cause not helped by him picking up a bug during the week prior to the GP which he had not yet managed to shake off. He never gave up though and fought all the way to the chequered flag, eventually crossing the line in 22nd.
Race 2
With his teammate sidelined it was down to Law to give the team something to shout about in race two. The tough Cumbrian vowed to get into the points this time out and made a decent start just outside the top twenty. He fought his way through to 20th but lost the tow on the group in front and by mid-race was coming under pressure from a charging Marc DeReuver. Although he had to give ground to the Dutchman, Law somehow found the energy to launch another attack and amazingly started to record his fastest laps of the race. He suddenly started to claw the gap back on fellow British riders Graeme Irwin and Alex Snow in front and with just two laps left he made the pass on Irwin to get himself back into 20th. Although completely exhausted he still tried for all he was worth to catch Snow but just ran out of time, finishing just one and a half seconds behind. However he had achieved what he had set out to do, finishing inside the top twenty with one more World Championship point.
Team Manager, Steve Turner, said afterwards, "I'm absolutely devastated for Nez, I can't believe his bad luck. He was already riding with a tear in his left ACL, now it looks like he's torn his right one.
“Jamie kept it quiet that he was ill but after seeing the state he was in after the first race it was pretty obvious there was something wrong with him. I'm so impressed with his attitude and determination. I haven't a clue where he found the energy from to fight his way back into the top twenty in the second race."
Jamie Law said: " I have never felt that bad at the end of any race in my whole life. I was completely wasted. I'm pleased I got into the points in the second race but I never want to feel that bad again."
Nez Parker said: "What can I say? I'm just gutted. I just stuck my leg out and caught my knee and it just seemed to pop. I'll be going over to see Dr Claas in Belgium in the next couple of days to find out what the damage is."
Team STR KTM now head to Manor Farm, Langrish, Hampshire, on the 27th August for round seven of the Maxxis British Motocross Championship. Jamie Law, who has replaced Team STR KTM’s injured lead rider Matiss Karro has risen to seventh overall in the Championship standings after a great showing in round six at Hawkstone Park. Nez Parker also had a season best performance and lies in 11th in the standings.
Karro storms to 12th overall in 1st ever MX1 GP
After spending the week training in nearby Belgium the team made the short trip across the border into Holland for the GP of Valkenswaard.
Pre-qualifying practice ended with Karro with 19th pick of the gate for the afternoon qualifying race, with Parker in 30th.
Qualifying Race
Parker rounded the first corner in 22nd with Karro, who had been hampered on the start straight, a few places further back. Both riders moved through he field and after a few laps Parker was up to 16th with Karro looking for a way past in 17th, but after switching lines in an attempt to make the pass Karro got it all wrong, flew over the bars and parked his rear end on a post. Parker was still looking good, but made a mistake of his own, dropping him well down the field, but after initially losing his rhythm he rallied to finish in 30th.
Race1.
Karro & Parker both made good starts from their outside gate picks and came round in 16th & 17th respectively. Parker started to drop back & suddenly pulled into the pits with a clutch malfunction, his race over. Karro was battling with Leok when he missed a rut and went down. After restarting in 21st he settled into a rhythm and pushed right to the end of the race to finish strongly for a hard fought 15th.
Race2.
Not such a good start in race 2 with both riders getting held up on the second corner, leaving Parker in 25th & Karro even further back in 28th but they were soon on the move and Karro in particular on a mission. After moving through to 20th Parker hit the deck with his machine left upside down. After picking it back up again he rejoined only for his bike to seize after losing it’s oil whilst being upside down. Karro, by mid-race was up in the top 15 and was still riding brilliantly and as the race drew to a close he blew past another five competitors to finish in a remarkable 10th for 12th overall.
Nez, “what can I say, just awful. The clutch went in the first race and I crashed in the 2nd and lost the oil and seized the bike. I’m riding well but can’t keep it upright for the full race. The good thing is know I’ m quick enough to finish in the points.”
Matiss” after a disastrous Saturday I still ended up with a great result. I had a little crash in the first one but still got 15th and in the second got top ten which I’m really happy with. My winter training with Kaspers really paid off today and I felt very strong. The bike was great as well.”
Team Manager, Steve Turner “after his crash yesterday and the obvious pain Matiss was in I can’t believe how strong he was today and in the second race he just never stopped moving forward. To catch and pass factory riders like Leok & Boog is no mean feat. Absolutely superb effort from him. Nez definitely has the pace to score points but these weekends are so tough. You have to put everything together to get a result at a GP.”
Another solid performance by Nevstar - Image by Ray Chuss
Canada Heights just off the M20 in Kent is much loved by riders and spectators alike, and with bright sunshine and toasty temperatures not typical for the time of year, the track hosted the second round of the Maxxis British Motocross Championship this past weekend. Evotech Stevens Honda attended the round with one of its two MX2 riders and its sole youth rider, Joe Bamfield.
Qualifying got underway swiftly with veteran Neville Bradshaw qualifying in ninth in the MX2 super-pole, while Bamfield found himself a fraction of a second outside the top five in sixth in the MXY2 qualifying session.
The first MX2 race got off to a slow start for Bradshaw after a start outside the top ten, but he soon turned up the heat by leapfrogging into the top five three laps later, and finding himself in third another three laps after that. Keeping the leaders within his sights, he was able to reduce the distance to a mere stone’s throw at the finish line. Race two saw Bradshaw around the first corner in fifth, but a brief glitch dropped him back enough to lose touch with the leaders for several laps. He returned to the top five soon after though, leaving the pack behind and remaining close to the leaders. Unable to make further progress, he had to make do with a fourth place at the chequered flag.
The final race of the day looked to be the best yet. Bradshaw nailed the start and powered away from the competition, shadowing leader Elliott Banks-Browne. Due to an unfortunate rider accident, the race was red-flagged halfway in, giving Bradshaw second place in the race, overall on the day, and in the championship standings.
For Bamfield, things were somewhat tougher. After several red-flagged starts due to technical issues, Bamfield found himself virtually last around the first corner when the start finally was deemed to be a success, having dropped his bike. Undeterred, he made good progress, reentering the top twenty four laps later. Misfortune struck again in the form of a red flag due to a rider incident, which meant that his previous lap’s eighteenth place would be the official result. His second race was much improved with a start in thirteenth. Steady progress to eighth place followed, but Bamfield was unable to close the gap between himself and seventh place in time for the chequered flag, and he had to make do with thirteenth overall on the day.
“We had a pretty good day, actually,” commented team principal Matt Hutchins at the end. “For Neville it was exceptionally good with a second overall, which puts us in the championship hunt, so I’m very pleased with that. Joe had an unfortunate day really. In the first race he crashed in the first turn and the race was cut short due to a rider accident, so he only really had eleven or twelve minutes to make progress in. In the second race he had a reasonable start and rode through to eighth, which is a reasonable start to the season for him.”
Joe Bamfield: “Today didn’t go very well. In qualifying I ended sixth, and in the first race, I crashed on the first corner, and then struggled to get through the pack. It was so one-lined. The second race was alright, I should’ve won it but I had a bad start and made my way up to eighth.”
Neville Bradshaw: “Today was a good day. In the first race I didn’t get a good start, came from way back to third, caught the leaders and had the fastest lap times, so I knew my pace was good. In the second race also not so good out of the gate, but I went from fourteenth to fourth, and Aubin and I were having a really good ride, caught onto the back of the leaders, so again I had the speed. In the last race I had a much better start in second and had a good race to finish in second overall on the day and second in the championship. I’m really looking forward to the next round.”
Elliott Banks-Browne MX2 #44
“Qualifying was okay and I ended up sixth in Superpole. In the first race I got a good start and was running second before I made a pass for the lead. I started pulling away but I made a mistake and crashed and ended up fifth. Race two I took the holeshot and pulled out a good lead until the bike cut out. I got it going again and managed to pass the leader near the end to take my first big win of the year. The last race was more of the same – I holeshot and was just maintaining my lead when they stopped it early. I pulled some good points back in the championship so it’s been a good day.”
KARRO SCALES THE HEIGHTS TO TAKE HIS FIRST BRITISH CHAMPIONSHIP OVERALL.
The team converged on the historic Canada Heights circuit for the second round of the British Championship and with both riders liking the venue the team was looking forward to some good results.
Qualifying. Karro was fastest in the timed qualifying session with Parker in 11th and both came away from superpole in exactly the same positions.
Race1. Karro made a good start and was in 3rd behind Sword & Snow but was too eager to get to the front and took a detour over the bars to leave him down in 18th at the end of the first lap. He soon set about clawing back positions and by the end of the race he was in 8th, just behind his teammate Parker who had come from 10th on the first lap up to 7th by the finish.
Race2. Karro took a superb hole-shot on his 350, all the more impressive on the uphill start and Parker was just behind in 4th. Parker looked impressive as he battled with with former teammate Martin Barr for the entire race, just losing out to the Irishman, but still taking a great 5th place finish. Karro had Stribos on his rear wheel for the whole of the race even crashing into each other with a couple of laps to go, but the youngster held his nerve and took a brilliant win.
Race3. Karro took another hole-shot and this time had Shaun Simpson on his tail as the pair gradually pulled away from the field. Parker had made a poor start and things got decidedly worse as Jason Dougan’s out of control Honda smashed into the side of him, leaving him on the deck with the front end of his machine looking worse for wear. A flyer remounting in 33rd he started to make progress through the field, only to be wiped out by a tail-ender, leaving him to stroll home in an unfortunate and disappointing 24th, for 11th overall. Karro was being harassed by Simpson throughout the race and just past the halfway mark Karro dropped it handing the lead to the Scotsman and second to Stribos but with Sword now back in 5th, Karro just had to maintain his 3rd place to take the overall on the day, which he did, to take his first ever British Championship overall victory from Sword, with Simpson in 3rd.
Matiss Karro, ” first race wasnt happy coz i threw away a possible win by going for lead too soon before i had settled into a rhythm. The second race was perfect, led gate to flag. The third race was good, leading again but made a small mistake, but still came home 3rd which was enough to take the overall. My bike was awesome, thanks to my mechanic Ben for working so hard this week. Can’t wait for Valkenswaard next week.”
Nez Parker, ” my speed was good today and I felt good. Had two good results in the first two races but had a some bad luck in the last race, got took out twice, but that’s racing. I don’t think any of the top ten had three races without crashing. ”
Team Manager, Steve Turner, ” I’m ecstatic with the win for both Matiss & the team but feel so disappointed for Nathan, who was just plain unlucky in the 3rd race and could so easily have come away with a top 5 today. Matiss is on fire at the moment, but was way too eager in the first race and probably threw away the win, but he fought back to take 8th to give himself an outside chance of a podium. He made amends in the next two races with two hole-shots and two storming performances and with many of his main rivals suffering their own misfortunes he did enough to secure a fantastic overall win to move him into 2nd in the championship. I just need to thank mechanics Ben & Toby who put the hours in this week, with both riders on engine upgrades this week they had a lot of work on to get everything ready not only for this weekend, but also for next week’s GP.”
After spending the previous week practicing in Belgium the team met up at Mill for the 4th round of the Dutch Championship and with an array of GP stars in the field both riders knew they were in for a tough day. Qualifying. Whilst not exactly setting the world on fire in timed qualifying the boys both made it into the top fifteen with Karro in 11th & Parker in 14th.
Karro & Parker to ride 4th rd of Dutch Championship at Mill this weekend. The lads are already out in Belgium practicing and it makes sense to see how they stack up against some of the big guns in the Dutch sand.
JAR Honda Race Report Round 1 British MX Championship – Fatcats
Tough day at the office for Wayne Garrett - Image by Ray Chuss
JAR Honda broke cover this weekend at the first round of the Maxxis British
Motocross Championship at Fatcats. The Doncaster circuit was doused in
sunshine for the thousands of spectators who made the journey. The organisers
prepped one of the most difficult sandy circuits on the calendar, for all riders to try
and master over three 20-minute plus two-lap races.
JAR Honda opened the season with points on the board in the MX2 class. Michael
McCammond rode strong in all motos securing 14th in moto 2 after battling with many
GP contenders. The Larne based rider was taken out by another rider in the final
race of the day while in a top 10 position, and from dead last worked through to 25th
at the flag.
MX1 rider Wayne Garrett tip- toed back to competitive racing after an injury stricken
2011 getting race mileage under his belt, before the Irish Championship kicks off in
a few weeks time. Just last month, the 26 year old from Comber had an external
fixator on his lower leg removed. In moto 1 Garrett got hit from behind which broke
the chain drive and had to sit out the rest of the moto. In the final two races of the
day Garrett rode consistently to finish the tough sandy circuit.
Michael McCammond: 20-14-25
“I was really disappointed with my qualifying and I felt very nervous beforehand, but
when the gate dropped I found my feet. I was pretty happy with moto 2 because I
was riding with some great guys and I didn’t feel out of place. This weekend has
shown us where we stack up and we can build on that. My team and mechanic Davy
put a great CRF250R below me and I am really enjoying riding it. I can’t wait now for
the next race to build on what I have learned today.”
Wayne Garrett: DNF-25-26
“Today was very tough for me and I am disappointed with how I rode especially after
how hard I have worked to come back from injury. I knew it was going to be difficult
but the fact that I got full race distances done on one of the hardest tracks in the
world is a positive. If you had told me last month that I would line-up on the gate here
I would have been really happy. I just want to thank all the JAR Honda team for their
support and can’t wait to get back to full fitness again. I am going to work my butt off
these next few weeks to get prepared for the next race.”
Jonathan Rea: Team manager
“We always knew this was going to be a tough race for Wayne this weekend but he
can only improve from here. He was thrown in at the deep end today and he kept his
head above water. We will keep working with him and get back to where we know he
belongs. On the other side of the awning Michael and Davy are working great
together and it was great to see his achieve our goal of finishing in the top 15. I would
like to thank all our team sponsors for their continued support.
Next up we have some races at home before heading back across the Irish Sea for the next round at
Canada Heights.
Krestinov Podium at opening Maxxis British Championship
Great start for Gert at Fat Cat - Image by Ray Chuss
Fat Cats in Doncaster, host to round 1 of the Maxxis British Championship. The Track, which is deep sand and was prepared well, was always going to be a hard test.
Qualifying
MX2 qualifying got going with Bradley Pocock, the Team Rookie, very nervous. It’s been a hard road back for Bradley after 2 years of injuries and no one could blame some pre race nerves. He made some early mistakes and ended up a steady 27th.
MX1 riders Gert Krestinov and Jason Dougan started the day well. Gert put his Route77energy MVR-D Honda in 3rd while Jason was in 5th. Then the top 12 riders go into a 1 lap superpole to finalise start positions. Krestinov grabbed 2nd while his team mate sat in 3rd after the 1 lap dash.
Race 1
MX2 rider Bradley Pocock started outside of the top 20 but soon was moving forward. 16th after lap one he got into 12th by lap 7. Bradley then started to get tired and made a couple of mistakes which cost him a points scoring ride. The team were happy though as he finished the race and posted a lap time good enough for a top 10 finish.
MX1 started well for Jason Dougan who rounded the first turn inside the top 5. Dougan then got as high as 3rd place, which he held for 5 laps. Late in the race he was passed by Shaun Simpson and his team mate Gert, both proven sand riders, finishing 5th, a solid start to the day.
Gert started outside of the top 10 and had to get his head down. The Estonian who won a GP in the sand a few years ago was fired up for this event. He moved through the pack and at the end of the race, after passing his team mate, went after Shaun Simpson. He caught Simpson with 2 laps to go but ran out of time. During the race he posted the 3rd fastest lap time, showing he had the speed.
Race 2
Bradley Pocock lined up for the 2nd race finally starting to relax. He started around 20th place but by the end of lap 1 got into 16th. He then set about moving through the pack ahead, holding 9th for 5 laps he lost a place but then regained 2 spots on the last lap to finish 8th. His first top 10 at the highest level in the UK.
MX1 got underway with Gert getting his best start of the day just inside the top 10. He rode a race to be proud of, picking up places lap after lap. He got into 3rd with 5 laps to go and set after Matiss Karro. In the final lap he got up behind Karro also from the Baltic states but came up just short only a second behind.
Team mate Dougan had a bad start and was well down the pack. He made progress and got into the top 10 before the end of the race but it was obvious he was in some discomfort. Jason had tweeked his back early in the race and rode it out the best he could.
Race 3
Survival was the name of the game for young Braders in this race. He started well and again showed he has a lot of potential. Getting as high as 9th place he got 5 laps in and hit a physical wall.
Pocock gritted his teeth and held onto a point scoring ride in 20th and an impressive overall finish of 15th.
MX1 got underway with the sun low in the sky, making visibility almost impossible in places. Jason who had pain killers before the race, got off to a top 5 start. He knew his time was limited so he pushed early and held onto 6th at the finish.
Gert who was chasing an overall podium was again in top form and got through from a top 10 start. In the last few laps he passed his team mate to get into 4th in the race, but more importantly the result was good enough for 2nd overall on the day and in the Championship standings.
Bradley Pocock “I’m really pleased with my day. I have been working hard with the team and feel as though today was a good step for me. It was important to finish all of the races and that’s what I did. I was really pleased to finish in the top 10 in a race as that was one of my goals this season!”
Jason Dougan “I was disappointed after the second race but I feel positive looking at the day overall. My speed was pretty good and starts in two of the races I was happy with. I’m getting my back looked at this week as something clicked but I don’t think it’s anything to worry about.”
Gert Krestinov “Really pleased with today as I have been training hard and feel as though it has paid off today. My speed was good in all of the races and I feel confident going into the next round!”
Mark Chamberlain “I’m really happy today with all of the boys. Bradley showed some real good speed but more importantly he knew when to back off a bit. Jason I thought had a good result as it was always going to be difficult to beat riders like Gert, Strijbos and Karro on this type of track. Gert rode really well and I’m happy for him and the team. It’s a good start to the year and we have a good platform to build on from now.”
Big thanks to all of the team and our sponsors for the help!
BRILLIANT KARRO TAKES PODIUM AT 1ST RD OF BRITISH CHAMPS
The team took a trip up the M62 to Fat Cat Motoparc for the first round of the Maxxis British Championship and with the track and weather conditions perfect they had high expectations. With Harry Everts over from the KTM factory top keep his eye on proceeding there was added pressure to put in some good performances.
Qualifying
With the track being smooth and ridiculously fast during qualifying it was a case of who would hang it out most and with both riders fully aware that the conditions would be totally different when the racing kicked off they were content to put in solid but unspectacular times with Karro in 8th & Parker 9th.
Race 1
Parker hit the deck halfway up the start straight and had to start from last, but rode fantastic to get back to the top ten but two further crashes left him in 13th at the end. Karro made a great start just behind leader Stribos and the two of them pulled away from the rest of the field but with three laps remaining Karro had to come into the pits with his rear brake seized on. After quick work from his mechanic, he was back on the track again although he had to settle for a disappointing 8th.
Race 2
Karro was out to make up for his race one disappointment and was back in 2nd early on in race 2. After pressing leader Stribos for a couple of laps he made a couple of small mistakes and lost the tow but maintained his pace all the way to the finish for a deserved 2nd place, ahead of Krestinov in 3rd. Parker moved through from his first lap 11th to 7th and as he closed in on Sword in the latter stages he looked favourite to take 6th but just one small error and he had lost a place instead of gaining one which left him in 8th at the end.
Race 3
Parker hit the deck again on the first corner but as he did in the first race he manfully battled through the field to a hard fought 10th for joint 9th overall on the day. Karro made his worst start of the day in 6th but was soon up to 3rd and as he pressured De Reuver the Dutchman went down. Stribos was already gone in front which left Karro to ride another great race, taking a fantastic 2nd to put him on the podium in 3rd overall.
Matiss Karro, “I didn’t qualify as good as i would have liked but i knew i would be better in the races. The first race i was running in 2nd behind Stribos and felt good but had trouble with my bike and had to pit. I came back out in 8th and rode good, even without back brake and took some important points. 2nd race i got away pretty good and started to catch leader Stribos but made a few mistakes and dropped back a bit, but finished 2nd which was good. 3rd race i didn’t get the best of starts and had a bit of trouble pulling a gear off, but once i managed to get that sorted and could see through my goggles again i soon made it up to 2nd. Stribos was gone though by then so i had to settle for 2nd which put me on the podium in 3rd just one point behind Krestinov in 2nd.It was good start to the season, just need to keep working on my fitness. Bike was working really good and it was a good start to the season.”
Nez Parker, ” didn’t go as i planned today, too many crashes. I expected to do better on a track i really like and i think i pushed too hard coming back through in the first race and crashed two more times. My second race race was okay, i rode good to get up to 7th but dropped it and lost a place to finish 8th. The last race i went down again on the first corner and the track was really rough so i tried to ride sensible and not push too hard and i managed to get back up to 10th. I know i was fast enough to be up near the top guys. My bike was awesome and i feel the best i have at the beginning of a season so i should be okay going into the second round.”
Team Manager Steve Turner, ” Matiss rode brilliantly today and was unlucky not to take three 2nd places but a seized back brake cost him 9 points in the first one as he dropped from 2nd to 8th after coming into the pits. It could have been worse though if he hadn’t have made it back to the pits it could have been a DNF and those 13 point he salvaged could be crucial come the end of the season. I’m beginning to think Nez is a sado-masochist who likes inflicting pain on himself and his team. He was unlucky with his two starting crashes but he made too many other errors throughout the day which cost him dear. He looked awesome when he was in full flow and his times showed that he should have been battling for top six. All in all a pretty good start to the season though and we’re all looking forward to round 2 at Canada Heights.”
NOBLE FINISHES SERIES WITH ANOTHER PODIUM
The team rolled into Wakes Colne, near Colchester for the final round of the Red Bull Pro National Series with the intention of Noble securing second overall for the championship and Parker, if his hand would hold up having a go at taking third place from Carl Nunn. Garland was having a run out in the Rookies class aboard a 250f for the first time in preparation for 2011.
Red Bull Pro Nationals
Qualifying.
Parker dosed himself up with painkillers and went out for practice but after throwing in a couple of fast laps it was obvious that he wouldn’t be able to compete. Day over! Noble looked very comfortable as he posted 6th fastest on a track that he took two magnificent wins last year.
Race 1.
Noble made a great start in third behind Dougan and Banks-Brown and after a couple of laps to settle he stepped it up and closed in on Banks-Brown. Just as he looked likely to make the pass he stalled his machine and by the time he had kicked it up he was down in 9th. He was soon back on the pace and fought his way through to 6th at the finish for 5th in his class. He was not a happy chap after throwing away the chance of a win and vowed to do better in the second race.
Race 2.
Noble made another good start in third again this time behind Church and Banks-Brown but had clashed with another machine on the first corner bending his front brake disc and leaving him with no front brake for the whole race. Undeterred Noble still managed to lap at such a pace that not even his mechanic new that he had a problem. However he was just handicapped enough to prevent him from challenging for the win, instead he was left to defend his position throughout the whole race to eventually bring it home in 3rd for 2nd in MX1 giving him 3rd overall on the day and 2nd overall in the Championship.
Red Bull Rookies.
Garland acquitted himself well in this new class and looked at home on the bigger bike. With a 5th place in the first race it looked like it could be a fantastic day for the youngster but two crashes in the second race brought him down to earth with an 18th. The other three races of the weekend all followed a similar pattern with Garland gating in mid-pack before impressively forcing his way through the field for an 8th and two 7th place finishes giving him 9th overall on the day.
The team now has a week off before the last race of the season at Hawkstone Park on 3rd October.
KANE TAKES BRITISH LADIES CHAMPIONSHIP TITLE WITH 100% WIN RECORD
HM Plant Red Bull KTM’s Natalie Kane concluded her 2010 season yesterday in style with a 100% win record in the British Ladies Motocross Championship to clinch her fourth national title with total dominance at the final round at Blaxhall Woodbridge, Suffolk.
Kane, who has been battling a wrist injury for the majority of the year, confirmed that she is the fastest female motocross racer in the UK with another fine performance this weekend aboard her HM Plant Red Bull KTM 250 SX-F in the demanding, wet conditions earning maximum points once again in the British Ladies series.
19-year-old Kane overcame a technical problem in qualifying that left her just 17th on the gate for the races to dominate both of the 15-minute plus two-lap motos with a massive 40-second advantage in the first heat and 30 seconds in the second.
Kane has maintained a 100% win record to take her fourth British championship title with a 33-point advantage over second placed Stacey Fisher. Despite struggling with a lack of strength in her damaged wrist, Kane has been determined to finish the season and can be pleased she has managed to earn herself a creditable sixth place in the Women’s World Championship, as well as taking the British Championship honours.
Having achieved her aim of finishing the year, the Irish youngster can now focus on making a full recovery with surgery on the wrist she injured some months ago in a training incident. While throughout this season Natalie has seen many specialists, the broken bone in her wrist has continued to give her pain and having concluded her season she is intending to get it completely fixed before attacking the 2011 season.
Natalie Kane #44: British Ladies Champion 2010 “It was a good end to the season to win the British and to have won every race this year, even though the weather was pretty bad today. It’s been a tough year with injuries and it hasn’t quite gone to plan, so now I am going home to see another specialist about my wrist, which we think needs an operation as I have torn the ligaments off the bone that was broken. I’ve just been trying to finish off the season by taking painkillers and doing the exercises, but the team has been brilliant this year so thanks to everybody and to all the sponsors. Everyone has been so supportive and stuck by me even though I haven’t got the positions in the World Championship that I wanted to get and I haven’t done all the promotional stuff that I should have been doing because of the injury. I hope to stay where I am for next year, the KTM has been great and my aim is for results in the World Championship. I also hope to do some AMA women’s races next year, and ride in the main British Championship to help develop my confidence and speed, so there’s a lot to look forward to.”
Roger Magee: HM Plant Red Bull KTM Team Manager “Natalie has been very determined throughout this season to continue racing regardless of the difficulties she has had with her problematic wrist injury, which has meant her season has been quite up and down. She now has another British Championship win, which is a credit to her determination as well as a very positive sixth position in the World. She has adapted to the KTM well this season and I’d like to thank all of our sponsors for helping us achieve another British championship, the team’s fourth in three years. I hope Natalie can now rest as well as get the wrist completely fixed before next year, where she will be once again aiming to win the World championship.”
HM Plant Red Bull KTM UK would like to thank its sponsors: HM Plant, Hitachi, Red Bull, KTM, Trucks ‘R’ Us, Motorex, Tourism Ireland, Northern Ireland Events, Fox, Race World, Bott, Motorpoint, Pirelli, Cholwill Plant and Equipment Hire, Cycra, Venhill, FMF, Volleberg Motorsport, Renthal, One Industries, Edward J Magee, Press commercial bodyworks, Wiseco, TwinAir, EBC Brakes, Silent Sport Premium, Pro Carbon Racing, NGK, CTi, Samco Sport, GSPMX, Petersen Racing, Pulse Racing Products, Empire logo mats, High5 and Stolen Bike Co.
NOBLE MASTERS HAWKSTONE
Hawkstone Park was the venue for the 6th round of the British Masters Series. After the heavy rain on Saturday subsided the track was in near perfect condition for Sunday’s racing.
Race 1
After qualifying in 4th and 6th respectively both Noble and Parker looked like they meant business. Noble made a good start and was in 5th place as they crossed the line for the first time but after getting baulked on the start by Jamie Law, Parker was left well down the field. Noble had an uneventful race, unable to push forward due to suffering dreadful arm-pump which doesn’t normally affect him but the track was extremely rough following the earlier amateur races. Despite the discomfort the tough Yorkshireman still managed to hang on to 5th place at the end. Parker struggled with the track all day but still dug deep and gradually forced his way through to 6th place but after initially looking like he would close in on his teammate he suddenly started to struggle with the rough track and had to be content with 7th after being passed back by Jamie Lewis on the last lap.
Race 2
Both riders had good starts in race two with Noble in 4th just in front of Parker in 5th but Parker wasn’t looking comfortable and was pushed back to 8th on the second lap. Although he fought his way back up to 6th by midrace he just couldn’t consolidate the position and ended up finishing in a disappointing 8th for 7th overall. The unique Hawkstone circuit has always been an unhappy hunting ground for the youngster and this time was no exception. Noble on the other hand, free of the first race arm-pump was looking smooth and fast as he moved past Par Honda teammates Barr and Elderfield to take over 2nd spot but he was never going to catch Estonian sand specialist and former GP winner Krestinov who was disappearing into the distance at the front. Not that it mattered as Noble cruised to 2nd at the finish to claim a well deserved overall win.
The team travel down to Wiltshire this coming weekend for the 6th round of the Maxxis British Championship at the historic Farleigh Castle circuit.
Tough Weekend For Nicholls in France
The Grand Prix of Germany took place across the hard bumps and ruts of the fast layout at Teutschenthal and the eighth round of fifteen in the FIM Motocross World Championship saw an uneven performance from HM Plant Red Bull KTM UK’s Jake Nicholls as the hard-working youngster fought diligently for 12th position overall in the MX2 class.
Cloudy, breezy and occasionally chilly weather conditions did not deter a boisterous 35,000 crowd from travelling to the traditional and ‘old school’ venue close to the city of Halle. The narrow and undulating Talkessel course divides rider’s opinions but 20 year old Nicholls appreciates the winds and dips, although the course would not be kind to the Brit.
A fall during the qualification heat on Saturday led to some bumps and bruises and 15th spot in the starting gate. A reasonably quiet first moto delivered a satisfactory finish of 10th on the 250SX-F while a fall early into the second sprint forced a valiant charge back to 17th from the lower echelons of the pack for a handful of points
At the same event Natalie Kane went 6-6 in the two 20 minute and 2 lap races of round five of seven in the Women’s World Championship. The Irishwoman was still nursing a weakened right wrist but her efforts were good enough for 6th overall as the competition heads into its final straight.
Nicholls is 10th in the world and 28 points from rising further in the standings. Kane is 6th and 19 points from the top five
HM Plant Red Bull KTM UK will now face Grand Prix in Latvia and Sweden in the next two weekends before a break during July in which they will only have the sixth round of the Maxxis British Championship to negotiate.
Jake Nicholls:
“I’ve had such a frustrating weekend. Last week I thought I had made a step up with speed at Lyng and I felt great during the week and during the first couple of sessions here but in the heat race I had quite a big crash which left me a bit sore. I didn’t have such a good gate pick but I was coming forwards in the first moto with Roelants until I made a few mistakes and lost the tow. I was stuck in no-man’s land on my own but tenth was OK. In the second race I just got a corner wrong and tipped over. I don’t understand what happened and I feel like I haven’t crashed as much in my life. I think I am at that stage now where I am trying to push onto the next step and maybe going at it too hard. It is not good enough at the moment and I should be in the top ten every time. I need to get my two good results back in place and then build from there.”
Natalie Kane:
“Again it wasn’t an easy GP for me and although I have more movement in my wrist now I still cannot ride like I want to. After two GPs in a row we now have a bit of a break and I want to try and get as fit as I can before we come back to the world championship.”
Roger Magee, Team Principal:
“Natalie secured another good couple of finishes that keeps her sixth in the world championship which is good considering that she is still riding through the pain barrier and had to cut a cast off her wrist this week. Her schedule quietens down a little bit now so hopefully she can heal a bit more and get some practicing done before the next round of the Ladies British Championship. Jake maintained his 100% record of scoring points in every GP moto this year. He made a few mistakes but came back fighting as usual and now we are looking forward to Latvia.”
GSPMX sponsor British Masters Amateur MX2 class
The Wulfsport British Masters is pleased to announce that the long established Scott Leathers has teamed up with the Amateur MX1 class whilst GSP Race Products have agreed to sponsor the Amateur MX2 class for the 2010 campaign.
The Wulfsport Masters championship now has some massive sponsors lined up for each class, each supporting what Ken Winstanley, the Masters race director describes as “the be all and end all of the business” – the grass roots rider! Ken goes on to say that “since 2001, the Masters series has grown from strength to strength with the riders making it all worthwhile – It is magnificent to find sponsors with the same attitude who want to give something back”.
These two huge sponsors are giving the riders what every rider needs and wants – gear and accessories. Scott Leathers, the established kit giant is giving away a total of 7 full sets of kit, including shirt, pants, gloves and a paddock jacket as a top prize, with a second prize of shirt and pants, and a third prize of a shirt and gloves. The winners will vary from round to round to give every rider the opportunity to win these fantastic prizes! GSP Race Products, the motocross accessory giant who have attended virtually every Masters round for the past four years jumped at the chance to become a part of the Amateur MX2 class. GSP will be giving away an array of products to the riders, such as bike stands, pit boards and holeshot devices!
Jimmy Aird, Managing Director manager for Scott Leathers was clearly excited as he commented on finally managing to team up with the Masters series “being a part of one of the biggest motocross championships in Europe as well as one that caters for youth, amateur and pro riders was the only direction that we wanted to go”.
The Managing Director of GSP Race Products, Kevin Price added “I think this is a big step for GSP, and I am confident our continued work with the Wulfsport British Masters will benefit both the rider and help raise the profile of our company even further”.
Anyone wanting to look at the company’s products can see them at the Masters as they will all be on display at each round!
PROPPA.COM Honda BOOSTS 2010 challenge with new sponsor
Leading energy drink brand Boost has teamed up with Proppa.com Honda as one of the team’s main sponsors for the 2010 motocross season.
Boost, which is set to roll out its first direct to consumer campaign across the UK over the next year, has signed a 12-month deal with the team.
Simon Gray, Boost managing director, said: “We have enjoyed significant growth and increased awareness of Boost this year, and are looking forward to targeting consumers directly. Motocross represents a new area for us and our sponsorship of the Proppa.com Honda team will enable us to deliver our brand proposition of affordable energy to a new and relevant audience.”
Steve Turner, Proppa.com Honda team manager, added: “Boost is a perfect fit for the motocross industry and we are looking forward to being associated with such an exciting brand.”
The team has confirmed it has retained its links with Parcel2go and Spiked and has also agreed deals with Fly clothing, Forma boots, Smith goggles, RFX hardware, Acerbis plastics, Michelin tyres, Ipone oils, DEP pipes, CZ chains, Delta brake pads, Prox racing parts, Pro Taper bars, Xtrig triple clamps, Talon wheels, Pro Carbon accessories, Samco hoses, DT1 air filters, GET lap timing equipment, GSP stands and pitboards, The new look black graphics have been designed by Spiral GFX and the bikes are kept in sparkling condition with the help of ProClean.
HM Plant Red Bull KTM UK confirm their line-up
One of Britain’s leading off-road motorcycle racing teams, HM Plant Red Bull KTM UK, have now confirmed their line-up and infrastructure in anticipation of the 2010 campaign in which they will again target top level results within the FIM Motocross World Championship and Maxxis British series, not to mention other national commitments.
The British MX2 Champions will again count on the services of Jake Nicholls, who will turn 20 years of age by the start of the next season, after the youngster enjoyed his best ever term on the Grand Prix stage and finished runner-up to Stephen Sword on the domestic scene. Partnering him on the KTM SX-F 250cc four-stroke machines will be Graeme Irwin, a soon-to-be eighteen year old from Northern Ireland who is fresh from representing his country at the mammoth Motocross of Nations that took place last week in Italy. In addition they welcome the valuable presence of British firm HM plant to the fold.
The team will field the Watson brothers, Ben and Nathan (both high-flying in Youth circles), in the competitive British Under-21 division and for the first time will enter a participant in the rapidly growing series that is the FIM Women’s World Championship; the third edition of which occurs in 2010. HM Plant Red Bull KTM UK further cement their Irish links with the signature of Natalie Kane, the fastest female racer from the UK who took the country’s sole podium appearance with third place at the Grand Prix of Sweden in 2009. Kane ended the year third in the overall championship standings and is considered a title threat for 2010.
HM Plant Red Bull KTM UK depends on key support from a number of valued partners and sponsors, chief among those are the world-renowned Austrian energy drink and HM Plant.
“We had a good season in 2009 with a successful defence of the MX2 British Championship and also the pleasure of watching Jake mature at the GPs with a number of top ten results, setting personal best finishes and ending the year as top Brit in the world championship with 17th place,” said Team Principal Roger Magee. “Jake will be moving to Belgium to train and prepare for 2010 and we are confident he can step up a level which means we will again be looking for podium results. Graeme has been doing well in the UK and had a few international appearances in 2009. He will face a big challenge as a full-time Grand Prix rider next year but we hope he can learn and progress. I would also like to welcome Natalie to the team. This is quite a big signing for us as she is the fastest lady from the UK and Ireland and could be a real threat for the championship in ’10. Lastly I would like to thank all our sponsors and technical partners for another stellar campaign and I believe will we satisfy more goals together once the racing campaign begins again.”
