World's best come to Hawkstone
By TMX Archives on 16th Jan 08
SUNDAY, March 2, will see the world famous Hawkstone Park celebrate its tenth running of the now well-established season-opening International meeting. The testing sandy circuit, with its steep and infamous hill, will once again welcome some of the world's best riders from both the MX1 and MX2categories to do battle in their new chosen colours. Salop Motor Club's international bash will signal the start of the season proper with many of the riders using the opportunity to make their debut on new mounts in front of what is expected to be one of the largest off-road audiences to gather anywhere in the UK during 2008.
The 2007 MX1 British champion Billy MacKenzie heads the cast of home runners, with the ex-factory Kawasaki teamster having shifted to the UK based CAS Honda squad over the winter break. The young Scot will have a point to prove to his new team boss Harry Ainsworth and his rivals, after a poor showing at the same meeting twelve months ago. Billy will be joined by his experienced American team-mate Mike Brown, who clinched the British MX2 title last year, and Yoshi Atsuta who is flying in from Japan to make a special one off appearance.
Whilst MacKenzie may carry the hope of the nation in terms of MX1 glory, vice World champion Tommy Searle has the duty of leading the home charge in the MX2 class.
The KTM youngster produced two consistent results at Hawkstone last March to take fourth overall in conditions that perhaps did not best suit the highly technical rider. Once again, Searle will have his older team-mate Tyla Rattray to gauge himself against, with the South African born rider having dominated both MX2 motos at the sandy track back in 2007.
Adding weight to the occasion, Salop Motor Club has already recruited an equally strong supporting cast to ensure that the racing will be both fast and furious throughout the day. Pascal Leuret, Brad Anderson, Elliot Banks-Browne and Jake Nicolls will form a four-pronged attack for the highly professional Suzuki Swift team, whilst Molson Kawasaki will be well represented by Stephen Sword, Gareth Swanepoel and Tom Church.
The foreign pretenders looking for their first taste of Hawkstone success will include the 22-year-old Portuguese sensation Rui Goncalves on his factory KTM and Jeremy Van Horebeek from Belgium, who is tipped for the top by many in the paddock. The 18-year-old from the same homeland as Stefan Everts and Joel Smets, will not have missed the fact of just how important a step it is to win at this historic circuit, and will arrive with the added incentive of attempting to follow in the tyre marks of these two Hawkstone legends.
Negotiations are ongoing to secure as many other big names as possible, with New Zealand's Josh Coppins and 2007 World MX1 champion Steve Ramon being at the top of Salop's waned list. Details of further signings will be released over the coming weeks.
A large trade village will provide you with bargains galore and will add the final ingredient in what promises to be one of the biggest days in British motocross during 2008. Miss it and miss out.
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.