Ramon and Coppins sign up for the birthday bash!
By TMX Archives on 30th Jan 08
SUNDAY, March 2, will see the Hawkstone International come of age, as Salop Motor Club delivers what will be the tenth edition of the now well-established season opening event.
And the birthday bash looks sets to be one of the best ever, with 2007 MX1 World champion Steve Ramon (Suzuki) confirming his entry alongside arch rivals Josh Coppins (Yamaha) and his new team-mate Ken De Dycker.
Whilst these three riders, plus 2007 MX1 British Champion Billy MacKenzie (Honda) and Coppins' new Yamaha team-mate David Phillipaerts will be high amongst the bookmakers' favourites, they will have severe opposition in the form of factory Kawasaki's Tanel Leok and Manuel Priem plus the Martin Honda pairing of Marc De Reuver and Julien Bill to mention just a few other top names who will be on hand.
With Coppins losing out to Ramon in last year's title race, after the likable Kiwi crashed and injured himself whilst holding a healthy lead in the championship standings, both riders will have a point to prove as they clash for the first time on UK soil in 2008. Former British MX1 champion Ken De Dycker will revisit his second home, wanting to show that his winter move to the Suzuki squad has been the right one, and the tall Belgian will look to use his sand experience to take an early season win.
KTM's rising star Max Nagl returns to the steep and unforgiving Shropshire circuit for only the second time after having made a very impressive debut here twelve months ago. Other KTM runners in the form of Sven Breugelmans and Yentel Martens mean that the Orange brigade will be well represented when the international circus rolls into the famous venue just North of Shrewsbury in a little over a month's time.
Local boy Ray Rowson will be counting on plenty of home support as he is joined by his PAR Honda team-mates Jordan Rose in the MX1 class and Ashley Greedy plus Shane Carless in the smaller MX2 division. Other runners in the MX2 category worthy of a mention, in addition to the strong pack of British contenders, are Joel Roelants (KTM) who was World Junior champion back in 2006 and Yamaha's Dennis Verbruggen who picked up the same title a year earlier.
Behind the scenes, Salop Motor Club's loyal band of workers are grafting hard to ensure that all other elements of the meeting match up to the star studded cast that will be descending upon the track. Revisions and reworking of the circuit over the winter months mean that the riders will face a familiar challenge, but with some new twists, to keep the racing as close as possible.
Already you can tell it's going to be another Hawkstone Park day to be remembered, and one to add to the many chapters that have been written previously about this fantastic venue, which very much remains the true home of British motocross.
Please call 0161-7052280 or visit www.hawkstonemx.co.uk for ticket prices, race times and other general information.
Limited trade space and sponsorship opportunities remain available. Interested parties should call 0161-7636660 immediately to be part of this massive occasion.