No Merc'y from Phil
By TMX Archives on 2nd Oct 08
AFTER finishing in second place overall in Ohlenberg, Germany and winning in Wingles, France, Phil Mercer completed the IMBA MX2 European Champ-ionship in style with another super overall success at Amriswil, Switzerland, on Sunday.
Phil's victory confirmed his final bronze medal position and left him just 44 points behind champion, Dutchman Martijn Romviel. Bearing in mind that each round carries a potential total of 180 points, Phil was left wondering just what could have been, had the opening round in Italy not been cancelled due to wet weather and he had not endured a nightmare in Holland which immediately left him some 108 points off the pace.
Whilst Mercer took the Amriswil win, Matt Porter produced yet another impressive IMBA performance for fifth place overall. Simon Lane, despite riding with a shoulder injury, finished in 15th place, while his brother, James, finished 26th after suffering a massive moto two crash.
The meeting certainly started well though for James Lane, along with Porter and Mercer, all holding strong top six positions in moto one. Quickly passing his teamates, Mercer stylishly moved through to take over the lead after four laps and there he remained all the way to the chequered flag, despite a rather worrying late engine problem.
After holding on to victory ahead of Belgian Randy Schouten, Ronnie van Rooji, Andre Adrian, home favourite Andy Baumgartner, Porter and James Lane, Mercer then discovered that his engine problems were terminal and that he would have to switch to his spare machine for the remainder of the event. In the opening moto, the remaining Brit on duty, Simon Lane, still struggling with his shoulder injury sustained at Norley, was to finish 21st.
Despite being aboard his number two machine, Mercer made a strong start in moto two as he chased Adrian, van Rooji and James Lane. Three laps in and Lane suffered a very heavy downhill crash, sustaining a back injury in the process and radically re-arranging the cosmetics of his Honda's rear end. With the unfortunate Lane out, Mercer was again taking control at the business end of the proceedings by passing both Adrian and van Rooji for another great win.
The ultra-consistent Porter, as always, was in the thick of the action, recording a strong fifth at the flag, whilst Si Lane was 18th. Having his worst gate of the day, Mercer held eighth in the early stages of the final IMBA moto of the season.
Showing his liking for the Swiss circuit however, Phil gradually worked his way back up to second before giving chase to leader van Rooji. With the race reaching its closing stages, Phil was rapidly reeling in the flying Dutchman, only to then have his late attack dashed on the final lap after being baulked by slowing backmarkers. So, at the flag it was van Rooji the winner with Mercer a close second, whilst Porter finished the season in sixth and Si Lane a brave 15th.
After his big moto two off, James Lane showed great character to start the final clash, only to be forced into retirement due to the obvious pain he was suffering. But it's well done to Phil Mercer, Matt Porter, Lee Payne, Simon and James Lane for producing another great season in Europe, representing their country with an abundance of skill, passion and true British grit and determination.
IMBA EUROPEAN MX2 MOTOCROSS CHAMPIONSHIP
Final Round – Amriswil, Switzerland
MOTO ONE: 1 Phil Mercer (GB), 2 Randy Schouten (Belgium), 3 Ronnie van Rooji (Holland), 4 Andre Adrian (Germany), 5 Andy Baumgartner (Switzerland), 6 Matt Porter (GB), 7 James Lane (GB), 8 Martijn Romviel (Holland) 9 Pascal Meyer (Switzerland), 10 Tiziano Peverieri (Italy),... 21 Simon Lane (GB).
MOTO TWO: 1 Mercer, 2 Adrian, 3 Romviel, 4 van Rooji, 5 Porter, 6 Ricky Nijs (Holland), 7 Menno Verleng (Holland), 8 Baumgartner, 9 Josef Mnuk (Czech Republic), 10 Grazianno Peverieri (Italy),...18 S Lane,... 34 J Lane.
MOTO THREE: 1 van Rooji, 2 Mercer, 3 Schouten, 4 Adrian, 5 Kenny Beekmans (Holland), 6 Porter, 7 T Peverieri, 8 Romviel, 9 G Peverieri, 10 Mnuk,... 15 S Lane.
OVERALL ON DAY: 1 Mercer 174 points, 2 van Rooji 157, 3 Adrian 148, 4 Schouten 135, 5 Porter 131, 6 Romviel 128,... 15 S Lane 67,... 26 J Lane 48.
FINAL CHAMPIONSHIP POSITIONS: 1 Romviel 898 points, 2 Adrian 869, 3 Mercer 854, 4 van Rooji, 825 5 Porter 647, 6 Lee Payne 617,...