Makita Suzuki Signs Mike Alessi

BREA, Calif., (July 30, 2007) – American Suzuki Motor Corp. (ASMC) announced today that Team Makita Suzuki Racing has signed former amateur champion Mike Alessi to race the all-new Makita Suzuki RM-Z450 in the AMA Supercross and AMA Motocross series beginning in 2008.
“I could not be more excited about the opportunity to become part of the American Suzuki racing family for the 2008/2009 seasons,” said Alessi. “The results that Suzuki's racing teams have earned in the past several years, in all forms of racing in the U.S., speak for themselves. To have the opportunity to work with professionals like Roger DeCoster, Ray Tetherton and the entire team is something I'm really looking forward to.
“I will miss working with the wonderful people I've come to know at KTM during the past few years. As a company, KTM has provided me with a lot of support and has been instrumental in the progress of my professional career. I hope that everyone at KTM is as proud of the results I've been able to earn as I am.”
The 19-year-old started racing minibikes when he was 3 years old and won dozens of regional championships. After capturing his 11th title at the prestigious AMA Loretta Lynn’s Amateur Motocross Championship, he turned Pro at age 16 and went on to podium in his second-ever AMA Motocross at Steel City in 2004. A factory ride followed shortly thereafter and, since then, Alessi has more than proven his mettle in both AMA Supercross and AMA Motocross. The Southern Californian is currently fifth overall in AMA Toyota Motocross, thanks to two podium finishes so far this season. In 2006, Alessi finished second overall in AMA Motocross Lites with a win and seven podiums, and fourth overall in AMA Supercross Lites with two podiums and two top-five finishes.
“We are very excited to have Mike join Team Makita Suzuki,” said Team Makita Suzuki Manager Roger DeCoster. “While Mike has been the subject of a bit of controversy in the past, we feel he has reached a turning point in his career and will put forth the effort necessary to succeed. He is a highly motivated young man and his recent accomplishments in the 2007 AMA Motocross series have shown that he has the skill and determination to get the results we are all looking for.”
Currently, Alessi lives in Victorville, California with his family and his brother, Jeff, who also races AMA Motocross and Supercross. When he’s not busy riding and training, he spends what downtime he has with his girlfriend, Danielle, and their dog, Holeshot.
“The signing of Mike Alessi completes our current team roster for 2008,” added DeCoster. “Team Makita Suzuki will consist of Ryan Dungey and Nico Izzi competing aboard the 2008 Makita Suzuki RM-Z250 in the SX and MX Lites classes. In the SX and MX classes, David Vuillemin and Mike will ride the all-new, fuel-injected 2008 RM-Z450. We are looking forward to next season with great expectations for our new riders and our brand-new bike.”
For more information on Team Makita Suzuki Racing, log onto www.teamsuzuki.com.

Coppins Out for Namur

Coppins Out for Namur
by Bryan Stealey
After suffering a mechanical failure in the first moto and crashing in the second moto at this past weekend's Czech Republic GP, Josh Coppins watched his massive points lead in the MX1 class drop to 77. Now he's learned that his shoulder blade is broken and he'll be out for at least three weeks, which means no Namur this weekend. If Belgium's Steve Ramon, who's currently second in the point standings, should go 1-1 in Coppins' absence, the New Zealander's lead will drop to 27. He hopes to be ready for Ireland in three weeks.

Ferry & Townley winners

Round 8 of the 12 round AMA Toyota Motocross Championship was at Washougal, Washington this morning for. Ben Townley, before a crowd of 26,342, out dueled his Monster Energy/ Pro Circuit/ Kawasaki team-mate Ryan Villopoto to claim his third consecutive win of the season with a 2-1 moto finish. After wining the first moto, Villopoto was in position for the overall win before a terrible start in Moto 2 placed him at the back of the pack whilst Townley sprinted to the lead.

Villopoto (1-3) turned in an inspired ride but could never catch Townley and wound up finishing 2nd overall. Suzuki's Ryan Dungey finished 3rd with a 3-2 moto finish. Townley claimed his fourth AMA Motocross Lites overall victory of the season now leads Villopoto by two points, 357 to 355, in the AMA Motocross Lites standings.

In the Motocross Class Kawasaki's Timmy Ferry, picked up his first win in six years. Ferry used two 2nd finishes and some fortunate happenings in the close of the second moto to capture his first overall victory since a 2001 win at Glen Helen. With Yamaha's Grant Langston, safely out front in Moto 2, Ferry's Kawasaki teammate James Stewart was in position to capture the overall win before a late-race crash ended his day and handed the win to Ferry.

Langston, who finished 4th in the first moto, wound up finishing 2nd overall whilst Honda's Andrew Short, was 3rd with a 3-4 moto finish. Stewart was carted off the track by the medical crew with an apparent injured knee. His status was unknown at the time of this release.
"I was doing the math (on who was going to win the overall) as we were getting close to the end but still didn't realise that I had won when we came off the track," said Ferry, who now trails Stewart by just seven points in the AMA Motocross class standings. "(The point's race) is definitely something to think about now. I've never been in this position before but I'm confident and looking forward to the final four races of the season."

The AMA Toyota Motocross Championship Presented by FMF will break for one week before heading to Millville, Minn., for the Honda Spring Creek Pro National Presented by Unbound Energy and Scott USA, on August 11-12.

Motocross (Moto Finish)
Timmy Ferry, Largo, Fla., Kawasaki, 2-2 Grant Langston, Clermont, Fla., Yamaha, 4-1 Andrew Short, Smithville, Texas, Honda, 3-4 Kevin Windham, Centreville, Miss., Honda, 6-3 Mike Alessi, Victorville, Calif., KTM, 5-7 David Vuillemin, Murrieta, Calif., Honda, 8-6 Ivan Tedesco, Montgomery, Texas, Suzuki, 10-5 James Stewart, Haines City, Fla., Kawasaki, 1-35 Kyle Lewis, Henderson, Nev., Honda, 11-8 Troy Adams, Homosassa, Fla., Suzuki, 12-9

Motocross Class Point Standings
James Stewart, Haines City, Fla., Kawasaki, 290 Timmy Ferry, Largo, Fla., Kawasaki, 283 Andrew Short, Smithville, Texas, Honda, 275 Grant Langston, Clermont, Fla., Yamaha, 256 Mike Alessi, Victorville, Calif., KTM, 254 Ricky Carmichael, Tallahassee, Fla., Suzuki, 241 Kevin Windham, Centreville, Miss., Honda, 238 David Vuillemin, Murrieta, Calif., Honda, 192 Davi Millsaps, Cairo, Ga., Honda, 186 Michael Byrne, Newnan, Ga., Suzuki, 148 Gavin Gracyk, Blissfield, Ohio, Honda, 129

Motocross Lites (Moto Finish)
Ben Townley, Tallahassee, Fla., Kawasaki, 2-1 Ryan Villopoto, Poulsbo, Wash., Kawasaki, 1-3 Ryan Dungey, Belle Plaine, Minn., Suzuki, 3-2 Josh Grant, Riverside, Calif., Honda, 6-4 Brett Metcalfe, Murrieta, Calif., Kawasaki, 5-5 Martin Davalos, Cairo, Ga., KTM, 7-6 Broc Tickle, Cary, N.C., Yamaha, 8-11 Jake Weimer, Rupert, Idaho, Honda, 13-8 Broc Hepler, Kittanning, Pa., Yamaha, 4-35 Joaquim Rodrigues, Temecula, Calif., KTM, 15-10

Motocross Lites Point Standings
Ben Townley, Tallahassee, Fla., Kawasaki, 357 Ryan Villopoto, Poulsbo, Wash., Kawasaki, 355 Josh Grant, Riverside, Calif., Honda, 286 Jason Lawrence, Murrieta, Ga., Yamaha, 258 Ryan Dungey, Belle Plaine, Minn., Suzuki, 254 Jake Weimer, Rupert, Idaho, Honda, 162 Thomas Hahn, Decatur, Texas, Honda, 141 Andrew McFarlane, Newport Beach, Calif., Suzuki, 132 Josh Hill, Yoncalla, Ore., Yamaha, 128 Broc Tickle, Cary, N.C., Yamaha, 127

Bubba To Ride In Ireland

Ryan Villaport in talks to ride as well.
It was confirmed today that Kawasaki rider Bubba Stewart is in talks to appear at the FIM World Championship Motocross Grand Prix of Northern Ireland. The NI GP, which takes place on a brand new circuit at Moneyglass Demesne near Toomebridge on 18th and 19th August 2007 would be the ideal warm up for Bubba ahead of the Motocross of Nations at Budd’s Creek. Roger Magee of Team Wulfsport Kawasaki said, ‘We have approached Bubba through Kawasaki Europeand are hopeful that he will ride at Moneyglass in August. We’ve put a strong offer to him and he’s considering his options. The calendar suits but should Stewart not be available we’re already in talks with Ryan Villopoto as another option.’ Jasper Perry, Acting Chief Executive of the Northern Ireland Events Company said, "We recently made good inroads into getting the widely acknowledged Greatest Of All Time Ricky Carmichael to ride at the Northern Ireland GP but unfortunately Ricky has decided not to compete at any rounds of the World Circuit this year. We want to do everything possible to make this event as good as it can be, particularly with planning in place for the Motocross of Nations coming to this track in 2008. Stewart or Villopoto would add an extra dimension to our event so we’re doing all we can to make it happen." Moneyglass Demesne totals over 350 acres of prime land perfectly suited to staging the greatest motocross race on earth whilst the track for the 13th round of the FIM Motocross World Championship totals 1690 metres and promises to be a fast and exciting venue for the world’s best motocross riders, while the natural amphitheatre offers a wide range of safe and comfortable viewing points for spectators. Local interest will follow Ballyclare’s Martin Barr and Newtownards rider Gordon Crockard who will both be competing in the flagship MX1 race.7 Ticket prices for the Motocross Grand Prix of Northern Ireland make the Moneyglass round the cheapest GP in the UK, undercutting Donington’s British GP with a cost of £30 for a weekend pass (Saturday and Sunday) or £20 for a day pass while under 14s are permitted free entry when accompanied by an adult. Camping is priced at £40 for a weekend pitch for a motor home or £10 per person for tents. All tickets are available in advance by visiting www.nievents.co.uk or at the venue on the day. The Motocross Grand Prix of Northern Ireland is supported by The Northern Ireland Events Company, Antrim Borough Council, P and O Irish Sea, and the Motorcycle Union of Ireland (M.C.U.I.)

COPPINS AND CAIROLI OUT FOR REVENGE

Coppins and Cairoli Out For Revenge in Loket

FUNCHAL, 25 July 2007- Loket, Czech Republic, will welcome the FIM Motocross World Championship back to action after a breathtaking Grand Prix at Faenza.
The double victory of the Pourcel brothers, Sebastien and Christophe, was something unique in Motocross history, but series leaders Joshua Coppins and Antonio Cairoli will seek revenge at round eleven on the Loketske Serpentiny.

MX1
Sebastien Pourcel of GPKR clinched a flawless GP victory in Faenza, the maiden MX1 win of his career; the Frenchman rode smart in both heats and finally moved up to third in the Championship standings.
Sebastien Pourcel could not believe to have won the latest Grand Prix at FaenzaYamaha Motocross’ Joshua Coppins finished second overall in Italy, but the hard working Kiwi rode for the podium, to make up for a disappointing Swedish Grand Prix, when he rode ill. Coppins will try to come back to victory in Loket, as he has been the only one winning more than one Grand Prix this season.
David Philippaerts of KTM Red Bull, who will race for Yamaha Rinaldi for the next two years, was actually expecting much more in the latest round, but his performance was hampered by a slight shoulder injury. The German GP winner will be back stronger this weekend to fight for his Championship classification, where he is now sandwiched between Pourcel and his team mate Jonathan Barragan.
After three podiums in a row, Steve Ramon of Suzuki took a break in Faenza but that cost him several points. The current runner up sees Coppins run away with the lead, being now 107 points adrift of the Kiwi, but clinching his maiden MX1 GP win before the end of the season would be Ramon’s consolation.
His team mate Kevin Strijbos has already won twice in the category, once in Portugal this year –having been the first to beat Coppins in 2007- and once here in Loket, back in 2005. Strijbos has been suffering too much with his knee this season; he has dropped down to eighth in the standings, but he seems ready to climb back up.
Mike Brown of CAS Honda rode to a solid podium in Faenza, and looks forward to clinching another top three finish in Loket.
The hard pack base of the Loketske Serpentiny may be the ground Aprilia Off Road’s Cedric Melotte needs to repeat the astonishing start performance of the first moto at Faenza; unfortunately the Belgian did not finish the heat and sat out of the second one because he had been sick for the entire weekend.

MX2
Christophe Pourcel of GPKR took his revenge on rival Antonio Cairoli by beating him on home soil at Faenza, as Cairoli did with the Frenchman at St. Jean.
Yamaha De Carli’s Antonio Cairoli will be highly motivated to finish in front of the Frenchman again in Loket, where he missed the podium last year but won the event in 2005.
Cairoli and Pourcel are the only riders to have clinched a GP victory this year, while KTM Red Bull’s Tyla Rattray has stayed consistent and has grasped his seventh season podium at Faenza. The South African is now third in the standings, but looks forward to chipping away at the gap from Pourcel and improve on his position.
Tyla Rattray and KTM announced a new one year deal in Faenza; the South African will stay in the MX2 classHis team mate Tommy Searle has to make up for a disappointing latest round, where he finished out of the top five, whereas KTM fellow rider Rui Goncalves of AXO Silver Action finally entered the top five after a long absence –his last top five overall finish was in Lierop 2006.
Both will be riding hard in Loket, and so will Pascal Leuret of Martin Honda; Leuret, the only rider to podium with Honda in MX2, has been incredibly consistent this season, and never missed the points in each of the 20 moto’s that he has raced so far.
Just back from the ninth round of the European MX2 series in Sverepec, Slovakia, winner Deny Philippaerts, Gautier Paulin and Marvin Musquin will join the World Championship again, and regular MX2 contender Sean Hamblin will be back.

LOKETSKE SERPENTINY AND LOKET
Loketske Serpentiny is a twisty intermediate ground track; the surface actually has a hard base, and one of the most exciting parts of the circuit is the spectacular double downhill jump, which takes no prisoners. A very enthusiastic Czech crowd turns out every year to enjoy the only Motocross World Championship meeting at the demanding Serpentiny, where the weather should be cloudy this weekend.
Loket, hosting the main Motocross track in the country, is 140 kilometres east of Prague; the town is rich in history, and this makes it one of the most fascinating spots in Czech Republic. Loket was founded in 1240, and during the Luxembourg era it used to be the temporary seat of the members of the royal family, being visited several times by King Jan Luxembourg. The old Castle is currently the most attractive place in town.

THE EVENT’S SCHEDULE
Saturday July 28: MX2 Free Practice at 10:00 am; MX1 Free Practice 1 at 11:00 am; MX2 Pre-Qualifying Practice at 12:00 am; MX1 Free Practice 2 at 2:00 pm; MX2 Qualifying Race 1 at 3:00 pm; MX2 Qualifying Race 2 at 3:45 pm; MX1 Time Practice at 4:30 pm; MX2 Last Chance Qualifying Practice at 5:15 pm (local time).
Sunday July 29: MX2 Warm-up at 9:00 am; MX1 Warm-up at 9:30 am; MX2 Grand Prix Race 1 at 12:08 am; MX1 Grand Prix Race 1 at 1:08 pm; MX2 Grand Prix Race 2 at 3:03 pm; MX1 Grand Prix Race 2 at 4:03 pm (local time).Information and results on http://www.motocrossmx1.com/, the official website of the FIM Motocross World Championships

JOSH COPPINS Interview

Josh Coppins
With just five rounds remaining in the 2007 World MX1 series Rinaldi Yamaha rider Josh Coppins still controls the World MX1 championship. The New Zealander has shown great speed and determination this year. At times he hasn't had the speed to win the GP, although he has not really needed to win all the time as he is the most consistent of the MX1 riders, and no doubt that plays in his mind. If he wins the World championship this year, we might just be saying goodbye to him in 2008. It's been a long career in europe and he looks forward to relaxing in the comfort of his wonderful country.

Q: Let’s say you win a world title or two, will you continue racing for the Rinaldi team?

Coppins: I am pretty sure I will stop in two years. I enjoy it in Europe, but every top rider has ten top years, and I know I can give 100% for the next two years. After that I don't know, I will have to look at the situation after the two years. I think if I didn't win a world title in the next two years, that would be a good enough reason to keep going. I have spent 15 years in Europe and that is a big part of my life, but I want to go back home to New Zealand. It's hard to say that is all I will do, but that is what I am thinking.

Q: What about racing in Australia, does that interest you?

Coppins: I mean, I might do the Australian championship. I also want to have two great years with Rinaldi. I have always wanted to race for the Rinaldi team, I remember when I first came to Europe watching Andrea Bartolini on the black Yamahas and then the white Chesterfield bikes, they were also pretty cool. I have actually negotiated twice with Rinaldi, but the time was not right. I figured with Stefan leaving it was really a good time to do it. I still feel like the best part of my career is to come.

Q: What is your scheduel for the rest season. Will we see you racing at Belgian or British championships? Josh Coppins: I am just taking one race at the time and the moment. I won’t do any Belgian championship, or British championships or anything like that. It’s a long season, we go for six months and I don’t want to be in a bad condition from racing too much. My condition was probably 80% (at the start of the season). I needed a little more fitness, I was feeling a little tired at the end of the motos. In Spain I felt okay, but in places like Mantova I struggle a little. I am using a lot of energy because I am not riding that well (in the earlier races and in Faenza last weekend). It will come good if I just keep doing what I am doing, keep working on the bike.

Q: How did you feel in Faenza? At first it looked like you were struggling and after Sweden I thought maybe you were feeling the pressure of the championship, was that so?
Coppins: All weekend my times were not the fastest, but they were consistent laps. The track was really wet in qualification and I knew I had to wait for the lines to dry up and then put the foot down. I felt okay, I probably didn't look that great early in the opening moto because I was getting held up, it was frustrating, I couldn't get around them, I couldn't get past, so I had to wait to make a pass. I very really good at the end of the opening moto. The disadvantage was that I went really deep into the first one, and I missed out on the overall.

Q: Losing points to Ramon in Sweden, did that worry you at all?

Coppins: It's not that important (the points situation). I had nearly 90 points on Ramon and he pulled points back on me in Sweden, but that was the first time he pulled points on me, then I got a bunch of points back in Italy. I had a bad day in Sweden and I knew I would get those points back quickly. I wasn't concerned (about losing more points), we did some work on the bike and I felt confident coming into Italy.

Q: What do you need to do to get back o nthe top of the podium?
Coppins: I need to improve my hot laps (Saturday qualification), try and get a better qualification spot, but at the same time I know my condition is good an I know I can do seven or eight laps on a fast speed and the others can only do one lap. I want to win some more GPs. When you race today with somebody like Sebastien it's good, because you want to win and your pushing for that.

Author: Geoff Meyer

Photo: Massimo Zanzani

ANTONIO CAIROLI Interview

Antonio Cairoli
After 10 rounds of this years World MX2 championship and two Grands Prix held in Italy it is obvious that Antonio Cairoli is taking the sport to another level in his home country. Last weekend in Faenza Cairoli couldn't beat his main rival Christophe Pourcel, although he still leads the MX2 championship and looks likely to take the championship won by Pourcel last year. We sat down with the 2005 World MX2 champion and asked him about some important parts of his season so far.
Q: Your legend in Italy continues to grow. Do you feel more famous in Italy?
Antonio Cairoli: In Italy is it very good for me. I am one of the most famous sportsman. Many, many people talk to me, they never had motocross before, and now they have motocross in the newspapers. I can't get extra sponsors, but Yamaha are really helping me, and of course industry sponsors are also doing well with me. I am so happy about this. Motocross is a good sport for action. I am friends with some of the MotoGP riders and I watch that sometimes. I don't like Formula One that much, I dont like Football and those guys make too much money for what they do. They make too much money and don't play hard enough.
Q: What else has helped you reach the level you are now on?
Antonio Cairoli: This winter I didn't have any injuries or anything like that. In my head I feel very strong and I know I can win this year. Because I made small mistakes last year and I lost three motos, so I had three nil points. I feel good, I didn't care if everyone was talking about Pourcel last year, I know that he didn't win the championship, I lost it. I was quicker than him most of the time, but I lost too many points because if stupid mistakes.
Q: You seem to really have a big advantage over defending World MX2 champion Christophe Pourcel at the moment. Were you surprised that he didn't have the speed to race with you in Mantova?
Antonio Cairoli: I don't think about Pourcel, I just think about winning all the races and not losing points like I did last year. Second race I looked back and saw him, I waited for him to come to me, because in the first few laps he is always really fast. I was expecting him to catch me, but I then saw that he couldn't catch me.
Q: The Italian public really made it a nice weekend. So many people and so many calling your name. The fans were crazy for you, it's like you are a rock star in Italy.
Antonio Cairoli: The Italian fans are really good. I could hear them all the way around the circuit. They helped me get even more motivated. For me riding in front of the people, and knowing that most of them wanted me to win, that is a special feeling for a rider. Motocross seems to be getting more popular in Italy, and I hope that will make my work nicer, I really enjoy having the people willing me on.
Q: How did you feel after your win in Spain? I mean it was in Spain in 2006 that you really lost your championship.
Cairoli: I was happy because I showed to the other riders that I can come back after a bad start, I couldn't do that before. I am not getting good starts because I was practising on the sand tracks.
Q: What about that first moto, you really made a lot of ground on Pourcel in just one lap, where did that speed come from?
Cairoli: I could see him and I wanted to push harder. I waited at the beginning of the race, but my condition is so good. I didn't have an injury in the off season, so my condition is great. The track was one lined, and very difficult, I got tired from the first moto an I passed Christophe, so he passed me back. The second heat there were more lines and I could ride better and I enjoyed it more.
Q: Are you quicker than Pourcel in all out speed?
Cairoli: I was faster than him (Pourcel) last year, but I made too many mistakes. I won more heats than him last year and still lost the championship, I dont want to do that again. This year I will be more consistent. I passed him easily many times this year. In Valkenswaard I passed him and won the race and in Spain I passed him and made 12 seconds on him. Maybe he has to think a little. This year I am a little stronger than last year. I know I am stronger than him, but I am just thinking about the championship, I am not thinking about Christophe or anyone else. Author: Geoff Meyer

Photo: Massimo Zanzani

RACERX Interview - James Stewart

James Stewart just had the toughest outdoor national win probably of his entire career, and it wasn’t because of Ricky Carmichael. Stewart was riding hurt after getting carried off the track just one week ago at Unadilla. The first moto took such a toll on him he would have just skipped it, but that would have handed the series lead to Tim Ferry, and Big James Stewart reminded James what champions do. So he got back out there and took a beating, which he won anyway.
This Monday Conversation happened a bit differently. When James had some time to rest, he agreed to go over the day and catch up on things. His voice was tired, he had trouble relaxing back in a chair, and he could hardly move his neck. He’s a wreck, but he still just won a national.

Racer X:James lets start with how are you feeling? You sure look tired.

James Stewart: I’m not necessarily tired, but I’m just like hurting right now. My body is killing me; my neck and my back and my arms. It was really tough on me. The altitude is tough already and it’s tough on endurance. I just couldn’t stand up anymore. My neck and all was so painful, every time I would hit some bumps I would grit my teeth. If you were here at the race you would see how tough this track was.

I did see you coming into some turns letting off really early on a downhill while leading; is that what you mean?I was just really struggling on downhills, and especially on hard g-outs in the corners. Also any time the bike would come up towards me and I would have to hold myself up. I just had my neck in tension the whole time. In the first moto it just locked up on me. I couldn’t do anything. My hands went numb and I was just trying to ride it out. In the second moto it was a little better until a little past halfway and it started doing the same thing. I was like, 'I am up here now, I better see how long I can run.'

Wasn’t there a point in that first moto when you went from first to fourth that you said “Shoot, I just don’t want to be here right now?”I don’t like getting passed but I knew the circumstances, what it was. It wasn’t like getting passed on a 100 percent day. If I felt like I was 100 percent and those guys would have passed me, I would be a lot more bummed than I am now. I am just happy to finish both motos. Honestly, I still can’t believe I won the overall. The way I was coming in, and being carried out on a stretcher last weekend, I can’t believe it.

So your injury then is a general whiplash-type injury, neck stiff and all that?Yeah, it's like a bad whiplash, nothing else. My hip was a little sore. Anyone that has been in an accident and slammed their neck like that knows what it's like.

What is going to happen next week?Just a lot more therapy. I am actually excited about going to Washougal. The last two weekends have been way too tough. I just want to get back to the way I was riding at RedBud when I was racing Ricky, and get ready to race him at Millville.

You said in the press conference that your dad talked you into going out for the second moto.Yeah, I wasn’t going to go. I was in that much pain that I didn’t want to go. He just said, “You have to look at the championship. Chad did it in supercross. You did it in supercross. Any true champion always has adversity. You have to push yourself through it.” He was just telling me that. If he wasn’t here, I am pretty sure I wouldn’t have gone. I believe in my speed and endurance enough that I can still win this championship without this weekend, even though I would be down a few points. But, this definitely helps out. I gained a few points on Timmy today and kept the same points on Andrew.

About this track thing, backing up to the supercross banquet you mentioned you think the nationals should have smoother tracks. We have seen some debate. I really wanted to help where, like this race, we had a lot of guys battling. I just want it to be fun. That is what I meant on that. In the last few races, I have sat back and just enjoyed the races, and stepped off the program a bit.

Do you mean like skipping Saturdays?Yeah, well there is a lot of stuff going on with Saturdays. For me, it is nice to be home an extra day, but when I go to the races and things happen like they did at Southwick, it really bums me out and it makes me wonder why – why am I going out there on Saturdays? For the fans. Then I have a guy hanging over the fence flipping me off, how does that make me feel - when I don’t have to be there? So I decided to just come in on Sundays. That is just a few fans around the country and stuff, but the other reason, I felt if I had that extra day off, it would be more motivating going into the weekend, instead of doing all those motos, flying on Friday, practice on Saturday, race on Sunday, fly home on Monday. I think it helped me. I don’t think I lost anything on it.

Thanks for the time and rest up!

Thanks, Steve.

Ben Townley Wins Lakewood Scorcher

Moving to the high altitude ‘Thunder Valley’ circuit in Lakewood Colorado, the 7th round of the AMA Toyota Motocross Lites championships has seen New Zealander, Ben Townley, take his fourth overall victory of the season.

Sweltering weather conditions would play an important part as the Motocross Lites riders rolled onto the starting line to battle for moto 1. Townley grabbed a reasonable start and was immediately hounded by fellow Monster Energy/ Pro Circuit/ Kawasaki team-mate, Ryan Villopoto, before making an early mistake on lap two. BT went down at the back section of the circuit and had to rejoin the race out of the top ten as he fought his way back into a podium spot by closing down a 20 second gap to 11 seconds on Villopoto.

Certain not to make the same mistake again, Townley chased Villopoto right from the word go with Villopoto succumbing to the pressure on lap two. Townley took the opportunity handed to him by clocking the fastest time of the race as he controlled the lead with an astounding pace. While riders were dropping off the pace in the scorching heat, the Kiwi’s superior fitness carried him to a 17 second victory over Villopoto as he cruised to the finish line.

“I went off the track on the second lap of the first moto and hit a “Monster” hay bale. I didn’t get the start I wanted to and had to make sure that I was up front in the second moto racing with Ryan. I got out the gate better in the second moto and was right on Ryan and it was all set up for a thrilling race - I was looking forward to it. Unfortunately he went down and I was able to take the win. It’s really close out there and when we make little mistakes it costs us big time so I am happy to get the overall and leave here tied on points - it’s going to be fight all the way to the end. Ryan is a great competitor, we race hard but we race fair. The whole Monster Energy/ Pro Circuit/ Kawasaki team treats us as equal and it’s just great to be a part of such an awesome team and championship fight. I’m looking forward to the rest of the series. I also want to say a big thanks to my whole family who are here this weekend. My mum and dad along with my grand parents and aunty. This is the first time they have seen me win an outdoor which was pretty cool.” smiled the Townley.

The points chase is still even with seven races of the twelve round series gone. BT will head to Washougal, WA next weekend where a battle with team Villopoto will be immanent.

Motocross Lites: Ben Townley, Tallahassee, Fla., Kawasaki, 2-1Ryan Villopoto, Poulsbo, Wash., Kawasaki, 1-2Josh Grant, Riverside, Calif., Honda, 3-4Jason Lawrence, Murrieta, Ga., Yamaha, 7-3Brett Metcalfe, Murrieta, Calif., Kawasaki, 5-5Martin Davalos, Cairo, Ga., KTM, 6-6Chris Gosselaar, Victorville, Calif., Kawasaki, 10-7Andrew McFarlane, Newport Beach, Calif., Suzuki, 9-8Thomas Hahn, Decatur, Texas, Honda, 8-9Broc Hepler, Kittanning, Pa., Yamaha, 11-12

Motocross Lites championship standings: 310Ben Townley, Tallahassee, Fla., Kawasaki, 310Ryan Villopoto, Poulsbo, Wash., Kawasaki,Josh Grant, Riverside, Calif., Honda, 253Jason Lawrence, Murrieta, Ga., Yamaha, 246Ryan Dungey, Belle Plaine, Minn., Suzuki, 212Jake Weimer, Rupert, Idaho, Honda, 141Thomas Hahn, Decatur, Texas, Honda, 129Andrew McFarlane, Newport Beach, Calif., Suzuki, 128Josh Hill, Yoncalla, Ore., Yamaha, 121Kyle Chisholm, Seminole, Fla., Kawasaki, 111

Stewart Wins in a Tiebreaker at Lakewood

Kawasaki’s James Stewart, of Haines City, Fla., picked up his first win in a tiebreaker at the Toyota Trucks Pro Motocross Nationals Presented by Division 7, round seven of the AMA Toyota Motocross Championship Presented by FMF. Kawasaki’s Ben Townley, of Tallahassee, Fla., won his second-consecutive overall and fourth of the season in AMA Motocross Lites. Stewart finished the day in a rare three-way tie with KTM’s Mike Alessi and Honda’s Andrew Short, but based on official AMA rules, he was awarded the overall victory based on his better finish in the second moto. Stewart won the hearts of many in the crowd when he returned to race the second moto after riding through obvious pain while finishing fourth in the first AMA Motocross moto. A high-speed crash last week at Unadilla left Stewart’s status for racing at Lakewood in doubt. But the reigning AMA Supercross champ gutted out a second place finish in the final moto to earn the victory, the fourth AMA Motocross win of his career.

“I was sitting back in the motor home when my dad (James Stewart Sr.) said I had more heart than this,” said Stewart, who took over the points lead from Suzuki’s Ricky Carmichael, who has begun the early stages of his retirement. “I got up and started looking at the big picture. I want to win the championship. I’ve rode hurt before, but if it wasn’t for dad, I would not have rode the second moto.”

Alessi, of Victorville, Calif., earned second place overall with a 3-3 moto finish, while Colorado Springs, Colo., native Andrew Short finished third with a 2-4

Motocross (Moto Finish) James Stewart, Haines City, Fla., Kawasaki, 4-2Mike Alessi, Victorville, Calif., KTM, 3-3Andrew Short, Smithville, Texas, Honda, 2-4Davi Millsaps, Cairo, Ga., Honda, 1-8Timmy Ferry, Largo, Fla., Kawasaki, 11-1 David Vuillemin, Murrieta, Calif., Honda, 8-5 Josh Summey, Stanley, N.C., Honda, 7-7Gavin Gracyk, Blissfield, Ohio, Honda, 6-10 Kevin Windham, Centreville, Miss., Honda, 5-11 Grant Langston, Clermont, Fla., Yamaha, 10-9

Motocross Class Point Standings James Stewart, Haines City, Fla., Kawasaki, 265 Ricky Carmichael, Tallahassee, Fla., Suzuki, 241Timmy Ferry, Largo, Fla., Kawasaki, 239Andrew Short, Smithville, Texas, Honda, 237Mike Alessi, Victorville, Calif., KTM, 224Grant Langston, Clermont, Fla., Yamaha, 213Kevin Windham, Centreville, Miss., Honda, 203Davi Millsaps, Cairo, Ga., Honda, 172David Vuillemin, Murrieta, Calif., Honda, 164Gavin Gracyk, Blissfield, Ohio, Honda, 129

Christophe Pourcel wins R5 French championship Ernee

Christophe and Sébastien Pourcel got the first and second place in the fifth round of the MX1 French Elite championship in Ernée, home of several GP’s in the last decade. Christophe won the three heats, while Seb finished one time third and twice runner up behind his brother. Fifth of the event Gregory Aranda completed the great performance of team GPKR, as Seb is now leading the series before the last round in Lacapelle Marival (August 12th).

Despite some heavy rain in the night, the track was in perfect conditions for the races and the riders enjoyed the GP layout, especially the MX1 riders. Fastest in the qualifying session on Saturday Christophe grabed the holeshot in the first race, followed by Sébastien who took the lead in the opening lap. Unfortunately he crashed and let his brother and Pichon finishing first and second, while Greg ended in fifth position. Seb got the holeshot of the second heat and offered to the crowd a nice battle with his brother, as both successively lead the pack. Finally Chris won by three seconds, and Aranda got another fifth place. In the superfinal race (including the best MX1 and MX2 riders) Seb grabbed again the holeshot, followed by Emery and Chris who came second and then attacked his brother in the fourth circulation. Chris took the lead and went to his third consecutive win, while Seb got the second spot and Greg the sixth one. It was this first event win for Christophe on a 450, while Sébastien scored four points more than Pichon and overtook the leadership of the series before the final round in three weeks.

Christophe Pourcel: ‘It was good weekend, I got great start in each race and we had a nice battle with my brother in the second heat. It was funny, and this track is much better with a 450 than a 250 with so many uphills. Today I was faster than Seb and I won, he is for me a rival as Pichon or Renet are. Two weeks ago in Belgium he beat me and I also lost important points in the series, as I crashed when I tried to pass him. He will have to give his best and beat me in Lacapelle if he wants to get the title’

Sébastien Pourcel: ‘I’m now leading the series but I’m not happy with my results, I wasn’t riding well today. For sure that’s better to have some points more than Pichon before the final round, but it could have been better. In the first heat I crashed twice and lost the lead, then in the second we played with my brother to offer a good show for the crowd but he didn’t want to let me pass in the last laps. In the third race I got the holeshot and then let Chris in front, I had some troubles in the waves section and I wanted to see his lines. Then I lost some engine power and secured my second position; at the end of the race my mechanic discovered that my pipe was damaged’

Gregory Aranda : ‘I’m pretty happy with my results today, I really enjoyed racing with the 450. This week I went training twice but we had some problems so I didn’t practice as much as expected, but here in Ernée it was perfect. I was fourth in qualification, got three start in the top five and finished the races in the top sixth. In the first two heats I lost my goggles soon as I had troubles when I took off the tear off, and in the last part of the superfinale I felt tired. It was great to race in Ernée with the 450, it’s my second race with this bike after Nismes and I think that I will move to this class next season as this bike suits better than the 250 to my riding style’

Roger Pourcel: ‘This weekend we made a test with Livia, she came with us and tried to qualify for the French MX2 Elite series. She missed the qualification by less than two seconds, it was a good experience even if we didn’t had enough time to work on lap times before this race as she was twice injured so far. Gregory did three good races, he had good jumps of the grid and is easy with the 450. It was pleasant to see him riding well all day long. Two weeks ago in Nismes Seb was fastest than Chris, and this weekend he wanted his revendge. He got the three wins, there was no ‘present’ between them and that’s racing, I can’t do more for one of them! Anyway Seb is now leading the series, he will go the final round with a small advantage and we’ll see’

Championship standings : 1.Sébastien Pourcel (Kawasaki GPKR), 283; 2.Pichon (KTM), 280 pts ; 3.Renet (Honda), 215 ; 4.Coulon (Honda), 175; 5.Vanni (Honda), 172....11.Christophe Pourcel (Kawasaki GPKR), 75...15.Gregory Aranda (Kawasaki GPKR), 47

MOTOCROSS & SUPERMOTO ACADEMIES

Responding to the massive development of the sports of Motocross and SuperMoto, that Youthstream manages at World Championship level, two new Academies for upcoming talents will be founded in Bellpuig, Spain, and Sevlievo, Bulgaria. Yesterday at the FIM SuperMoto Grand Prix of Bulgaria, the agreement was reached in a meeting; the participants were: Dr. Wolfgang Srb, FIM/CMS President; Giuseppe Luongo, Youthstream President; Vincenzo Mazzi, UEM President; Wolfgang Glas, UEM Vice-President; Bogdan Nikolov, BMF President; Yordan Stoykov, Major of Sevlievo; Yovko Yovkov, Deputy of the Bulgaria Parliament; Josep Pont Sans, Deputy of the Catalan Parliament and President of Circuit de Motocròs de Catalunya; Ramon Jounou Baldrich, Major of Bellpuig; Ramon Marquez Saez, Director of Circuit de Motocròs de Catalunya; Jordi Roquer Dorca, Marketing Director of Circuit de Motocròs de Catalunya; Alessandro Sambuco, Academy Expert.


Both Academies will be permanent structures, and the program will include accommodation, training and schooling.

The Academies, which will be the first centres of this kind in the World, will be open not only to riders, but also to team members (mechanics), with the goal of shaping up new highly motivated and professional squads.

The initiative is supported by Youthstream and UEM-Union Européenne de Motocyclisme, with the help of the Bulgarian Motorcycle Federation and the town of Sevlievo for Sevlievo, and the help of the Catalan Government and the town of Bellpuig for Bellpuig.

The members of the Academies will be able to improve their skills with all the necessary support, and will be able to attend school at the same time. Thanks to this initiative, the riders will be able to practice all year long under the guide of highly professional trainers.

The Academies will work on many different aspects, such as diet, physical training, psychology, riding and bike technique, and more

KTM SUPERCROSS/MOTOCROSS WITH TEAM MDK 2008

Temecula, CA – KTM North America, Inc announces a cooperative factory team expansion effort for 2008 in partnership with MDK Racing, LLC.
The new MDK KTM Factory Team will include riders Nick Wey and Martin Davalos. Steve Lamson, two-time AMA Motocross champion and current Team Manager for the MDK Motosports Team will serve as Team Manager for the MDK KTM Team.
The MDK KTM Factory Team compliments the existing MDK KTM Lites Team announced in early May. KTM’s Director of Racing Kurt Nicoll stated, “KTM is eager to take this next step with MDK to expand our Factory Team effort. We admire the hard work and past results of the MDK crew and look forward to building and maintaining a solid relationship together that will benefit both companies.”
Nick Wey, 2006 Privateer of the Year, has once again earned himself a factory ride aboard the new KTM 450 SX-F machine. Wey hails from Dewitt, MI and has raced for the MDK Team since 2005. “I’m excited to be involved with a team that is as dedicated to racing as I am. I have a great working relationship with MDK and I am excited to improve our efforts by merging with a factory team.”
Martin Davalos, a KTM factory rider since 2006, comes from Ecuador and began racing in the states during his amateur days. Davalos is looking forward to transitioning to the new MDK KTM Factory Team competing aboard the 250 SX-F in the Supercross and Motocross Lites classes in 2008.
The new MDK KTM Factory Team in combination with the MDK KTM Lites Team is evidence of KTM’s commitment to pursuing Supercross and Motocross titles and to further secure KTM’s presence in the Supercross and Motocross sport.
Look for more on the MDK KTM Factory Team as it develops in the weeks ahead.

X GAMES 13 Motocross

By name and discipline, Moto X Racing is brand new to the X Games. But make no mistake, the sport it represents is as old as dirt biking itself.
Picture, if you can, motorcycles racing head-to-head 'round a dirt track replete with hairpins, double-jumps and triples, and all within the confines of an arena (in this case, the Home Depot Center). Seems pretty familiar, right?
"It'll be very, very similar to supercross; almost identical. But with fewer guys in each heat, fewer laps in each race and a shorter track, it'll be really, really good for TV," says Ricky Carmichael, a five-time premier-class supercross champion.
The debut of Moto X Racing, in August, in L.A., expands the X Games' motorcycle-sports lineup from four events to five. It also raises the stakes in the freestyle vs. race game, adding a racing event to the mix, with SuperMoto and Step Up being well established as primetime pillars of freestyle motocross and SuperMoto representing racing (on hybrid bikes and mixed dirt/asphalt tracks
It is curious that motocross is the latest addition, considering sub-disciplines like SuperMoto and Step Up are its mere spawns, or so some might argue. Nevertheless, it's a nod to the roots of all things combining two-wheels, engines and dirt—a fact not lost on Carmichael and his brethren. So brace yourself: An already high-octane event is about to be injected with more horsepower and even more star power.
The planet's elite supercross racers, including Chad Reed, James Stewart, Ivan Tedesco, Carmichael and only 12 others will be ready to do battle. "It'd be a great feather in my cap," Carmichael says, referring to the first X Games gold medal of the motocross kind. "But, we've got the best guys in the world coming, the parity is gonna be there and obviously everyone wants to win gold.

"So as much fun as it'll be at X Games for the first time, as much limelight as there might be, shoot, everyone just wants to win. That's what this sport is all about."

As an "open-class" event, racers will be free to choose their steed of choice. For Carmichael, that means his normal ride (a 450). "It's cool that you can suit up on whatever you want, but I figure most guys will stick with what they usually race," he says.
The competition format breaks down this way:
The 16 riders will be divided into four-man heats for Round 1. These qualifying races, running between four and six laps, will send each winner (or four in total) straight to the six-man final. The remaining two slots in the final will be filled with the winners of two, six-man "Last Chance Qualifier" heats, set for four to six laps. Then, a 10 to 12 lap final will determine the champion.
By comparison, supercross events typically feature racing in heats of 20, in addition to longer tracks and more laps per race. Twenty-man supercross finals are filled with the top nine finishers from two qualifying races, plus the top two from a last chance qualifier.
"The limited number of laps, and limited number of guys per heat, is going to help concentrate the racing, and the track will be really fair," says Carmichael, who was consulted by X Games officials for his "two cents" on the formula for Moto X Racing. "It may also make it harder on some of us who like it more technical, but the burden is on all of us to make the best of it."
Tim Reed, the X Games' Director of Sports and Competition, says motocross as a discipline has "always been on the radar" for an X Games event. "But just in February I learned that some top supercross guys were expressing interest in coming to X Games," he says. "So, of course, we got to thinking about how we could do it."
The result? "Something that's a little quicker, a little more digestible than supercross, where there's so many guys on the track that it can be confusing," says Reed. "For most of our disciplines, summer and winter, we have the freestyle and the racing elements of those sports. So it's great to get this into the X Games fold. It just fits well. And obviously it's gonna be great to showcase some of these guys who are pretty big stars in their world."
Fox Racing
Training Wheels Not Included: James Stewart blasts out.
Just how Moto X Racing will stack up on the unofficial action-sports carnage index, well, that remains to be seen. Carmichael, for one, has already given it some thought.
"I'm sure the chances of someone wrecking are pretty good. But for myself, personally, I'm not gonna put myself in danger. Sure, a gold medal'd be great, but I'm not trading it for my health.
"But hey, some guys, they don't give a shit. They'll do whatever it takes to get their name out there. And, sure, you'll have guys crash, but they ain't gonna risk their life, you know. I'm sure most guys will ride with sense if they want to be there at the end on that last lap."
Other invited racers include Ryan Dungey, Tim Ferry, Grant Langston, Andrew Short, Ben Townley, Ryan Villopoto, David Vuillemin, and Kevin Windham.

RYAN DUNGEY BOUNCED BACK

In the Motocross Lites class, Team Makita Suzuki Racing’s Ryan Dungey returned to racing with a bang, also picking up his best AMA MX Lites result of the season, thanks to two second-place moto finishes for a second-place overall result. This is even more impressive when you consider that Dungey sat out the last round of AMA Motocross after sustaining a concussion when he crashed in practice.
The 17-year-old rider bounced back at Unadilla and rode his Makita Suzuki RM-Z250 to his third podium of the season.

Ryan Dungey:
“I took a week off, got my head checked out and the MRIs came back good. I got back to riding my Makita Suzuki RM-Z250 and I was a little nervous coming into this race after bumping my head. But I knew I had the speed, and I felt 100 percent coming into the race too. Coming into this race like that gave me a little bump, and I knew I had to put in good lap times, get a good gate pick and get a good start. I just tried to keep pushing and focus on what was ahead of me and ride a good race. I’ve been training really hard, and the work is paying off. I’m just happy with the ride I had, this is the best result I’ve had in the Outdoors.”

TOWNLEY & VILLOPOTO SKIP X GAMES

Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki riders Ryan Villopoto and Ben Townley will not compete in 2007 X Games in Los Angeles in order to keep their focus on the AMA Motocross Lites Championship series.


Villopoto and Townley are currently deadlocked atop the point standings with just six rounds remaining.

“Although we would really like to go the X Games, our main focus since the start of the year was to win AMA Championships,” said Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki Team Manager Mitch Payton.

Payton, who has directed his successful racing program to a record 21 AMA Supercross and Motocross titles said, “The points are tied and so many things can happen as we head down the stretch. We won both supercross titles and now we want to close out the season with the motocross championship.”

The two riders are tied at 263 points apiece as they prepare to close out the season racing six out of the next eight weekends, beginning with this weekend’s event in Lakewood, Colo.
“It’s almost like it’s a six race series now that we’re tied in points,” said Townley. “I think this battle will probably be decided in the final moto at the final race.”

FONZIE & BAILEY Stem Cell Fundraiser

Ernesto Fonseca and David Bailey to Host Stem Cell Research Fundraiser
EVENT: Motocross racing icons David Bailey and Ernesto Fonseca will host a fundraiser to support the research efforts of Hans Keirstead, co-director of the Sue and Bill Gross Stem Cell Research Center and associate professor in the Reeve-Irvine Research Center at UC Irvine. Keirstead will present his research in hopes of raising money for pre-clinical safety studies of human stem cell therapies to treat spinal cord injuries, spinal muscular atrophy and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Bailey and Fonseca suffered spinal cord injuries as professional motocross racers for Team Honda.
DATE: Tuesday, July 24, 2007
TIME: 6:30 p.m.
LOCATION: Oakley USA Corporate Headquarters, 1 Icon, Foothill Ranch, Calif.
BACKGROUND: David Bailey was a leading motocross and Supercross racer in the 1980s, winning 30 national races during his eight-year career. In 1987, he crashed during practice and crushed his spinal cord, leaving him paralyzed from the waist down. Bailey has since become an expert motocross television commentator.
Ernesto Fonseca injured his spine in March 2006 while practicing on a California track for the Daytona Supercross. The injury left Fonseca without feeling from his chest down. Born in Costa Rica, Fonesca was named the American Motorcyclist Association Rookie of the Year in 1999, and he was the first to win AMA 125 Supercross titles on both coasts.
Hans Keirstead is a pioneer in the use of human embryonic stem cells in the study of spinal cord injuries. Keirstead’s laboratory was the first in the world to develop a method to restrict human embryonic stem cells so they generate large amounts of only one cell type in high purity. That type of cell, an oligodendrocyte, insulates connections in the spinal cord, allowing for the conduction of electricity. The treatment has improved mobility in rats with spinal cord injuries, and it now is in development for clinical trials.

MXlarge interview - David Philippaerts

KTM factory rider David Philippaerts was a big favorite last weekend in Faenza, Italy. The Italian rider produced good results often this year, although a crash the week before Faenza meant that the Italian rider couldn't perform to the level he had hoped. The likeable Italian signed recently with Yamaha and in a surprise move he will be the man Rinaldi looks at to take over from Josh Coppins (who will retire at the end of 2008). We did a short interview with Philippaerts.

Q: David, you seemed to be struggling in Italy, what was the problem?
Philippaerts: My condition was not perfect. The week for the GP of Faenza in the Germany championship I had a big crash in the jump, I hurt my shoulder. This weekend was not possible to train and I tried in the warm-up, but there was pain. Normally I would not have raced, but because it was Italy I wanted to race. On Sunday my doctor gave me an injection. The first heat was okay, but in the second moto I had a little pain.

Q: What about the second heat?
Philippaerts: The second heat I started well and I was first and I pushed for my best speed, but when Coppins passed me on the downhill I hit a bump and my shoulder again had pain. I tried to finish the heat, but it was tough.

Q: The Italian team was picked for the Motocross of Nations. Any chance of you racing in Glen Helen for the last National of the season. Are you looking forward to racing in America?
Philippaerts: I am looking forward to the Motocross of Nations. We go early to train and test the bike with the Federation. I can't do the Glen Helen round of the Nationals, we have a KTM festival that same weekend and I have to attend that.

Q: You have moved to Yamaha now, but what about working with Stefan Everts. That must have helped your career. And also, your next GP win, when will it come?
Philippaerts: Working with Stefan it's been good, for KTM it is also good. I like to work with him. I like Loket, also Namur is good for me, it's not so fast and I like that. I like Namur for a win.

Everts stays KTM

KTM's Offroad Sports Director Pit Beirer announced at a press conference in Faenza Italy at the weekend that ten-times world motocross world champion Stefan Everts has signed as MX team boss for two more years. Everts joined the company at the beginning of the season to manage the MX factory riders and to instill in them some of his own rich experience gained in international racing. He originally signed for one year but will now continue his work for an additional two years.
"It was a very good year in 2007, especially with my relationship with Pit (Beirer)," Everts said at the press conference, "I only wanted to stay for one year but I have had a good time and now I have some great plans for working with the team during the next two years."

Maxxis ACU British Motocross Championship 2007 about to hit your TV screens
As with all the rounds of the 2007 Maxxis ACU British Motocross Championship, the latest encounter at Skelder Bank, near Whitby produced yet another action packed day. MX2 championship leader Tommy Searle – KTM UK saw his healthy advantage slip away and left North Yorkshire down in third place in the overall standings. The cameras capture the full drama of the battle between Ken De Dycker – CAS Honda and Brad Anderson – Pioneer Yamaha in the MX1 class, including some interesting block passing.
Watch and enjoy in the comfort of your warm and dry home. Each programme is one hour long and has been produced by Greenlight Television in association with the ACU.

Round 6 Whitby – Wednesday 18th July – 9.30pm – Sky Sports 3 – 1st Broadcast Round 6 Whitby – Thursday 19th July – 2am – Sky Sports 2 – Repeat Round 6 Whitby – Thursday 19th July – 6am – Sky Sports 1 – Repeat Round 6 Whitby – Thursday 19th July – 11am – Sky Sports 2 – Repeat Round 6 Whitby – Thursday 19th July – 1.30pm – Sky Sports 2 – Repeat

Brampton readies itself for the championship charge In just under a month’s time, the 2007 Maxxis ACU Motocross Championship will once again head north, but this time to Cumbria for round seven of the series at the excellent Brampton circuit. Event organisers, West Devon Club have already been hard at work making subtle changes to the track to ensure that its meets the standards that Europe’s leading domestic off road championship demands.
A reworked first corner should allow a safe passage for the charging pack to set up what will no doubt be another great day of British motocross action. Advance tickets are available along with full event information at the official series website www.mxgb.co.uk.

MXlarge interview - Tyla Rattray

MXlarge interview - Tyla Rattray
As mentioned on the weekend South Africa’s leading Motocross World Championship racer Tyla Rattray will stay with his factory Red Bull KTM team for another season and attempt the 2008 MX2 series as a works rider for the renowned Austrian firm for the fifth year in succession. After contemplating numerous offers for his services both in Europe and across the Atlantic, the 21 year old from Durban and an eleven time Grand Prix winner announced at a press conference during the Grand Prix Citta di Faenza in Italy this weekend his intention to remain with the potent KTM set-up.
Rattray will again have 18 year old Briton Tommy Searle as his team-mate and will steer the SX250F four-stroke in the 15 round ’08 campaign.

Q: How long did it take you to reach a decision about your future?
TR: It took me quite a while because I had some good offers from other teams to move up to MX1 and also some others to stay in MX2 but in the end I am happy at KTM. All the guys there work hard and when you are happy somewhere you don’t really need to change.

Q: There were many rumours that you would step-up to the 450cc machines in MX1…
TR: I feel that we have a good package this year even if it has been very hard to beat Antonio Cairoli. I am still young and have more years yet in Grand Prix racing. I felt that I did not need to rush into MX1 and I am still finding the 250 exciting and a pleasure to ride.

Q: Do you feel that the option of moving to America and attempting Supercross is diminishing each year you get older?
TR: Yeah, probably, but when I go to America I want to go with ‘something’. A World Championship does a lot of talking and makes negotiating easier. There are goals I want to achieve here and for sure they will help me onto the next stage in my career.

Q: Cairoli will stay in MX2 for 2008, does that not faze you?
TR: Antonio has had a great season but I definitely think he is beatable. Cairoli is good at the moment but is not like a ‘Carmichael’ or ‘Stewart’. I think he is a good reference in order to get even better for next year and adds that little bit of extra motivation to try even harder. The KTM is a very good bike and I really enjoy riding it. We are already thinking about a few changes and upgrades for 2008 and I am hoping for a good season.

TOWNLEY & VILLOPOTO

The championship battle couldn’t be tighter in AMA Motocross Lites.

Ben Townley’s victory last week tied the Lites championship. Townley and Monster Energy/Pro Circuit Kawasaki teammate Ryan Villopoto each have 263 points, 48 points clear of third-ranked Josh Grant. Townley has a slight edge on race wins with three victories so far to Villopoto’s two, but it’s the defending champ who has been a tad more consistent this year and is tied in spite of having a rock damage his radiator last weekend, ending his first moto in a DNF.

“We are six races into this and here we are tied up, so it is like a six race championship,” Townley said. “Ryan having the DNF was a huge help for me in the points race. I have got to go back and keep working. I didn’t take any time off the last two weeks. I am just tying to work on little things and I want to win this championship. We are so close and I will need every point I can get.”

Earlier in the season, both Townley and Villopoto were quoted as saying that their championship battle would likely go to the final race. With the series tied at the halfway point, that prediction is looking more and more accurate.

James Stewart Update
The question of the week is this: How is James Stewart after his Unadilla crash knocked him out of Sunday's race? James was taken directly to the hospital after his crash for a CAT scan, and the results came back all clear. According to a source with Monster Energy Kawasaki, James is going for another CAT scan this afternoon to get a second opinion and make sure it's all good. As for this weekend's race at Thunder Valley in Lakewood, CO, James is still a question mark

Ben Townley and Kevin Windham have won the Outdoor National in Unadilla yesterday. Both riders took the overall with a win and a third position in the motos. In the Lites class it was Ryan Dungey who finished in second in front of Jason Lawrence. Ryan Villopoto had a mechanical problem in the first moto and had to retire. The Kawasaki rider came back strong in the second moto and won the race. Townley has taken over the championship lead in the Lites class. In the motocross class Kevin Windham took the overall in front of Tim Ferry and Andrew Short. James Stewart crashed hard in practice and went to the hospital with neck and back pain. The Kawasaki rider didn't came out in both motos. Ricky Carmichael is still leading the championship in front of Stewart and Ferry.


First moto Motocross:1 Kevin Windham2 Mike Alessi3 Grant Langston4 Ivan Tedesco5 Tim Ferry6 Andrew Short7 Davi Milssaps8 Michael Byrne9 Gavin L. Gracyk10 David Vuillemin11 Josh Summey12 John Dowd13 Ryan Mills14 Ryan Clark15 Jason Thomas16 Shaun Skinner17 Kyle Lewis18 Antonio Balbi19 Adam Chatfield20 Christopher Whitcraft

Second moto Motocross:1 Tim Ferry2 Andrew Short3 Kevin Windham4 Davi Millsaps5 Ivan Tedesco6 Mike Alessi7 David Vuillemin8 Gavin L Gracyk9 Josh Summey10 Grant Langston11 Jason Thomas12 John Dowd13 Antonio Balbi14 Ryan Clark15 Justin Sipes16 Christopher Whitcraft17 Doug Dehaan18 Chad Charbonneau19 Adam Chatfield20 Vernon McKiddie

Overall Motocross:1 Kevin Windham 452 Tim Ferry 413 Andrew Short 374 Mike Alessi 375 Ivan Tedesco 34 First

moto Lites :1 Ben Townley2 Ryan Dungey3 Broc Hepler4 Jason Lawrence5 Josh Hill6 Josh Grant7 Jake Weimer8 Chris Gosselaar9 Andrew McFarlene10 Martin Davalos11 Robert Kiniri12 Branden Jesseman13 Matthew Goerke14 Ryan Sipes15 Robert Marshall16 Kyle Chrisholm17 Steve Boniface18 Joaquim Rodrigues19 Daniel Sani20 Kelly Smith

Second moto Lites:1 Ryan Villopoto2 Ryan Dungey3 Ben Townley4 Jason Lawrence5 Josh Grant6 Steve Boniface7 Andrew McFarlene8 Matthew Goerke9 Robert Kiniry10 Kyle Chrisholm11 Broc Tickle12 Joaquim Rodrigues13 Matthew Lemoine14 Jake Weimer15 Broc Hepler16 Branden Jesseman17 Robert Marshall18 Ryan Sipes19 Daniel Sani20 Kelly Smith

Overall Lites:1 Ben Townley 452 Ryan Dungey 443 Jason Lawrence 364 Josh Grant 315 Andrew McFarlene 26

Simpson broken wrist

#34 Simpson

Team Wulfsport Kawasaki’s Shaun Simpson was hit by a fresh injury blow at a sweltering Grand Prix of Faenza in Italy last Sunday. The 18 year old Scot was suffering mechanical problems when he crashed and broke the corner off his right radius and could possibly miss the rest of the season that culminates mid September.
The tenth round of fifteen in the FIM Motocross World Championship took place in near forty-degree temperatures and on a fast and hard-pack terrain 15km east of Imola. 29,000 fans braved the heat and burning sun to see the GP series circulate Italian soil for the second time this season.
The weekend did not start well for the Irish squad. Simpson tasted dirt and was then barged off his motorcycle again during the qualification heat and by the time he restarted the teenager was far behind the pack. He held the fastest lap-time for a long stretch of the Last Chance session but eventually secured his place in the Grand Prix with third spot and 27th entry in the gate for Sunday. Temperatures hit an even higher peak on raceday as the crowd clambered for pieces of shade and the waft of sun-cream was prevalent.
Simpson started brightly in the first race but the heat and pace took their toll on several motorcycles and the Kawasaki toiled on sections. Simpson faded back from seventh place to run outside the top ten when he crashed starting the steep descent from the highest part of the circuit. The impact broke his right wrist and he heads back to his base in Belgium for an examination Monday morning.
“My starting position was not great but I managed to get good drive out of the gate and come across on a few guys,” he recollects. “I made it to the top of the hill in the top ten. They had watered the track in some places that made it quite slippery but I felt OK and was riding alright until the bike started playing up again. We think it is getting too got somehow and is bogging. I lost some positions and then came out of a corner and hit a jump. There was a slight kicker on the take-off but nothing too serious. The back end rose and as I got on the gas to correct it the engine bogged and the bike flipped. I did a complete turn in the air and must have put my hands down and over-extended my wrist when I hit the floor. I have snapped a little bit off the radius and will see what needs to be done tomorrow in Belgium. We are quite near the end of the season though and if I need to rest I’m not sure if I will have time to come back in good enough condition to race.”

DV12 goes yellow 2008

Suzuki put to rest the rumors that David Vuillemin was going to return to the factory ranks with Makita Suzuki today; it's confirmed that he is going yellow in 2008. In their press release they mentioned that Ivan Tedesco was leaving. maybe a move to red in on the cards for hot-sauce. Ben Townley is all so rumored to go red in 2008???

Maxxis British Championship Motocross
March 11
Canada Heights, Kent
March 25
Landrake, West Devon
April 8
Lyng, Norfolk
June 3
Manor Farm, Langrish
June 23
Desertmartin, Northern Ireland
July 8
Skelder Bank, Whitby
August 12
Brampton, West Devon
September 15
Howton Court, Pontrilas.

Barr qualified fastest in the MX2 class in Desertmartin and then took second position in the opening moto, but was taken down on the second corner of race two.

Gordon Crockard - PAR Honda played his part in entertaining his home fans in MX1 with a third and second place over the two races. Poor qualification by Crockard did not help his starts, with the Ulsterman having to come through the pack on both occasions to earn his runners up spot overall. Whilst De Dycker dominated the second moto from the front, Crockard was by far the quickest rider on the track with lap times two seconds faster than his Honda counterpart.

philippaerts 2 year deal with yamaha

The Yamaha Motocross Team has agreed with the Italian star rider David Philippaerts to ride their factory YZ450FM in the MX1 world championship for 2008 and 2009. Next year David will race alongside present MX1 world championship leader Joshua Coppins to defend the Yamaha Motocross Team’s leading position in the premier motocross class, mixing Coppins’ vast MX1 GP winning experience with Philippaerts’ youthful aggression and future promise.
Yamaha are still discussing with current Yamaha Motocross Team rider Marc de Reuver about the continuation of their relationship. Before his rise to GP stardom Philippaerts was racing with Yamaha machinery and the guidance of 1999 Yamaha MX500 world champion Andrea Bartolini,

SEARLE & RATTRAY MX2GP 2008

KTM had a press conference to announce that both Tyla Rattray and Tommy Searle would remain in europe for 2008. This means that Christophe Pourcel is the only rider we will lose to the AMA series.

Tyla Rattray comments
I will stay in the MX2 class next year and I still think I have a chance to win an MX2 title and KTM want to win the title also. I will change some things for next year and I am very happy.

Tommy Searle comments
It took a long time for my negotiations. Talking with James (Dobb) and Stefan (Everts) and Pit (Beirer) and hopefully we can keep improving and this can be a good one. I am really happy with my decision now and we can look forward to a better 2008 season.

Pit Beirer comments
Thanks for giving us your time. We can make it short, I am happy in this moment that we can announce more about our future. Two very good things for european motocross. First Tyla will stay with us, he signed a new one year contracts and also we can keep Tommy with us in europe. They both had requests from America, I was worried we might lose them, but thanks to Stefan we convinced them that they can stay with us in europe. We can also announce that Stefan will stay for the next two years with KTM. We talked about that in the season and he took the challenge and pushed the team to another level. I want to thanks Stefan for being with us and it's an honor that Stefan stays with us.

Stefan Everts comments
I was very happy to have a good year with Pit, we have always had a good relationship. It was a year to find out how I can manage and I started off to acheive my goals for this year. I am ready now for another two years and I am happy in this position. We really want to challenge for the MX1 World title and be back in the challenge to stay in MX2 contention. I think that Tommy stays in europe is great for the sport here. We have had a tough season, but there are races left to beat that tough blue kid, but we have races still.

EVERTS 72 CHARITY AUCTION

Stefan Everts Charity eBay Auction

From 21th of July until the 10th of August, there will be a big auction of Stefan Everts clothes, which he had during his career.
Stefan will spend all the money from the auction to the Foundation “Aid to children reached by cancer”
You will find boots, shirts, t-shirts, pants…… (new KTM clothes, mx Nations 06 clothes, new boots with his name…).
The 11th of august will be a big charity race called “EVERTS and Friends” in Neeroeteren where the best mx riders will race for the Fondation.
http://www.evertsandfriends.lu/

Italy MX GP

Pourcel Family Duo Reigns in Faenza

FAENZA, 15 July 2007 - An extremely well organized and crowd packed Monte Coralli circuit -with 29000 weekend spectators - hosted its first Motocross Grand Prix today since 1993.
It was a great comeback, with four extremely battled moto’s that ended with a Pourcel one-two; Sebastien won the MX1 GP for the first time in his career, as Christophe clinched the overall win in the MX2 class.
All riders struggled with a demanding heat, showing their strength and preparation once again.
MX1
An unbelievable Sebastien Pourcel of GPKR dominated the Italian Grand Prix by clinching two consecutive victories. The Frenchman rode smart and pulled away with the lead after two decent starts, beating Yamaha Motocross’ Josh Coppins, who finished second on the podium. Mike Brown of CAS Honda completed the podium ahead of Billy Mackenzie and poleman Jonathan Barragan.

Sebastien Pourcel dominated this Grand PrixMX1 GRAND PRIX RACE 1
After taking the holeshot, Mike Brown tried to pull away with the lead but a very smart Sebastien Pourcel was following him from very close, waiting for an open door to pass.
Once he got the chance, Pourcel squeezed himself and his machine to arrive first to the chequered flag; after a bad start Josh Coppins had to recover from the bottom of the top fifteen. The solid Kiwi rode an incredible heat to finish second, less than four seconds behind the winner.
Ken de Dycker battled with team mate Brown until he reached the second place, but was finally passed by Coppins and settled for an important third place.
Brown brought the bike home in fourth after having lead the early laps, and Jonathan Barragan rounded off the top five.
Cedric Melotte of Aprilia Off Road had a storming start to the heat, riding in third place for a couple of laps, but finally retired. He was not 100%, as he has been ill for the last couple of days. He did not take part in moto two.
MX1 GRAND PRIX RACE 2
A super David Philippaerts took a great start and lead the pack into the first turn; Sebastien Pourcel started once again in second place and followed the Italian until he was ready to pass. Once he moved up to first, Pourcel ran away with the lead to secure his first place; Coppins was actually coming up fast after a decent start, but could not close the gap by the time he moved up to second.
Philippaerts was running after Pourcel when he landed and hurt his already injured shoulder -from a race of last weekend. Coppins moved past him, but the Italian eventually dropped down to fifteenth.
Billy Mackenzie finished third behind Coppins, after having fought with a very motivated Mike Brown. The American brought the bike home with another fourth place, ahead of Jonathan Barragan.
De Dycker ended a difficult final moto with a tenth place.

Coppins fought for a second place rewardMX2
The battle between GPKR’s Christophe Pourcel and Yamaha De Carli’s Antonio Cairoli ended with the Frenchman’s revenge, with Pourcel beating the Italian on home soil. Cairoli scored as many points as Pourcel with a first and a second place, but finished second on the podium ahead of a solid Tyla Rattray of KTM Red Bull Racing. The South African sand specialist struggled on the hard pack Italian track, but was ahead of both Pascal Leuret and Rui Goncalves.

The podium of the MX2 classMX2 GRAND PRIX RACE 1
Tony Cairoli started like a freight train, but did not get rid of Christophe Pourcel; the Frenchman moved to the lead right away, and tried to ran away from rival Cairoli.
Cairoli did not follow and looked like settling for the runner up spot, but the Championship leader came back up to close a gap of about four seconds.
Cairoli made it to first at half race distance, and rode alone to the chequered flag while Pourcel settled down in second place.
Tyla Rattray was once again consistent and recovered from the bottom of the top ten to the third place; Tyla was put massive pressure by Nicolas Aubin, who never lost the contact with the South African.
Rattray left no open doors and made no mistakes, giving Aubin no chance to pass and leaving him behind in fourth. Pascal Leuret rounded off the top five ahead of a surprising Marvin Musquin; the European Championship contender had a great start and lapped in third for the first seven laps.

Tony Cairoli won one heat, as much as GP winner PourcelMX2 GRAND PRIX RACE 2
For the final heat, Pourcel put himself together and headed the pack into the first turn; on the other hand Cairoli had a difficult start, and was forced to recover positions while his rival pulled away with an impressive pace.
Once Cairoli made it to second by passing Rattray, he tried to close the ten second gap from the defending Champion, but the mission was impossible.
Cairoli settled down for second behind winner Pourcel, as Rattray soldiered on in third until he reached the chequered flag.
Pascal Leuret fought for the whole heat to secure his fourth place ahead of Tommy Searle; the British was on a mission, as he had to make up for the first moto, where he crashed and finished eleventh.
Another rider coming from the European Championship, Gautier Paulin, started the final heat really well; he completed three circulations in third place, but finally dropped down to thirteenth. His physical condition was not 100%, as he tangled up with another rider and crashed in the opening moto.

The battle was tough but Christophe Pourcel won itIN THE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS STANDINGS
Joshua Coppins has now 107 points more than runner up Steve Ramon, who had a difficult weekend in Italy. Sebastien Pourcel stormed from sixth to third after today’s haul of 50 points, as David Philippaerts dropped down to fourth. Jonathan Barragan rounds off the top five.
There is still the same gap of 102 points between series leader Tony Cairoli and runner up Christophe Pourcel, as both conquered the same amount of points today. Rattray reinforced his third position ahead of Searle and Leuret. Stephen Sword marked his GP’s comeback by clinching his first four Championship points.