MX Diary: Tommy gunning for Maxxis glory
By Team TMX on 17th Aug 16
Tommy Searle (Monster Energy DRT Kawasaki) heads into the penultimate round of the Maxxis British Motocross Championship on Sunday (August 21) with a 16-point lead over defending MX1 champion Shaun Simpson (Wilvo Virus KTM).
Round seven of the series, at the tough and technical Preston Docks circuit, should in theory suit Simpson who's one of the world's top sand riders but the title is Searle's to lose after the Scot's below-par showing at Blaxhall last time out.
With a three-point gap between a race victory and second, Searle can afford to follow his rival home in the series' remaining four motos and still make sure of the title.
However, this is motocross and we all know things aren't that simple. For starters, Searle has had one mechanical DNF in the championship this year – plus more problems in the GPs – and a repeat failure would turn the championship on its head.
Then there's the not-so-little matter of Jake Nicholls (Hitachi REVO Husqvarna) who's sitting in third place in the championship a further 10 points adrift.
Nicholls has won one overall this season and separated the two leaders on a number of occasions and could easily spoil someone's party on Sunday.
With the Pirelli Masters and Michelin MX Nationals titles sewn-up, Graeme Irwin (Buildbase Honda) has the speed to threaten the top three but he'll be racing with a broken left thumb.
Brad Anderson (Verde Racing KTM), Tanel Leok ((MVR-D Husqvarna), Gert Krestinov (Phoenix Tools Honda) and 2015 MX2 champion Steven Lenoir (Dyer & Butler KTM) should all figure near the front.
Elliott Banks-Browne (Geartec Yamaha) is out after a big crash at the MX Nationals but it's not all doom and gloom for Rob Hooper's team as Ash
Wilde will make his comeback from the shoulder injury he sustained in April.
It's even closer in MX2 where Apico Husqvarna team-mates Steven Clarke and Bryan MacKenzie sit first and second separated by just four points with Adam Sterry (Wilvo Virus KTM) seven points adrift of the leader.
MacKenzie has clawed back points at the last three rounds but it's Sterry – who missed the series opener through injury – who's made up the most ground, winning the last three overalls in a row.
A big crash at Lommel at the end of last month left Sterry requiring a skin graft so a question mark hangs over his fitness or even if he'll race.
Martin Barr (Buildbase Honda) sits fourth in the table 27 points behind Clarke and is a candidate for the overall and Mel Pocock (Hitachi REVO Husqvarna) will be looking to get on the podium as his comeback from a 2015 injury continues to gather momentum.
In the MXY2 class James Carpenter (Phoenix Tools Honda) leads Michael Ellis (P&H KTM) by 38 points with Henry Williams (RFX KTM) an additional seven points behind.
Practice starts at 9am with the first race at 11.55am.
Postcode for the venue is PR2 2HW.
