Sword's looking sharp
By TMX Archives on 30th Jul 08
THE dramatic, drastic valley of Foxhill echoed to the sound of top-flight motocross once again on Sunday as round six of the Maxxis British Motocross Championship pulled into the newly refurbished Wiltshire venue to evoke many memories of years past. And it was a race to match those from Foxhill's illustrious past in MX2 that caught the imagination of a healthy crowd who lined the famous valley in scorching heat as series leader Shaun Simpson and Stephen Sword raced almost side-by-side for the duration of both motos in a titanic duel for class supremacy.
At the end of the day it was Sword, urged on by a fiercely partisan crowd, who just edged out Simpson at the death for both moto wins, the second with less than half a lap left, to close back to within three points of his fellow Scot in the championship battle, while Steve Dixon's new American signing at UTag Yamaha, Zach Osborne, certainly turned heads in his first ever UK outing.
The former Yamaha of Troy teamster showed real class and style on a track the likes of which he'd never faced before and was the only rider who managed to keep the rampant leaders in sight all day as he twice finished third to end his British debut on the bottom step of the podium.
With Billy MacKenzie back in the mix after his recent injury problems, however, MX1 was a formality as the series leader re-established himself as the dominant force in British motocross with another convincing and unchallenged double win from a resurgent Brad Anderson and main championship rival James Noble as both Tom Church and newly crowned British Open champ Wayne Smith fell foul of mechanical problems.
So, the Scots were once again the winners on the day but the big winner was British motocross as whole which saw one the truly great
UK tracks brought back to life in truly impressive fashion.
THE months of hard work put into Foxhill paid dividends on Sunday morning as the track was in prime condition as the MX2 class rolled out for practice - and throughout the day - and it was clear from the word go that Sword meant business. Putting in lap after lap he looked smooth, fast and very aggressive, so it was somewhat of a surprise when it was Simpson, not he who topped the timing sheet, albeit by just 0.272 of a second with Jason Dougan and the fast-adapting Osborne the best of the rest over a second and half back.
It looked like it would be a two-man battle and as the gate dropped on the opening moto that is exactly how it panned out, and the fans got to see the head-to-head battle they have been waiting all season for.
Swordy pulled a monster holeshot on the Molson Kawasaki to lead the field on the opening lap from Simpson, Jake Nicholls on the Swift Suzuki, and Osborne, but Simpson had pushed through by the end of the second lap and the race for the lead was set.
As the pair dropped their lap times to almost two-seconds faster than even Osborne, in a safe if somewhat lonely third, could manage, Simpson repeatedly held off Sword for ten of the 15 laps, Simpson with some slightly better lines out on the hills would pull the slimest of advantages which Sword would reel in on the valley section. Sword regrouped as the race hit the final third, however, and as backmarkers came into play he finally got close enough to make his move, forcing through the take the lead.
Simpson was not done though and tried everything in his powers to find a way back past in the final five laps, but to no avail and the pair crossed the line just one second apart.
Such was their relentless pace that Osborne crossed the line third some 37-seconds adrift, although himself holding a very comfortable gap over the returning >>>
Pascal Leuret who had to fight to the death to hold of the spirited charge of his young team-mate Nicholls and Suso Suzuki's Carl Nunn who was forced to fight through from a terrible start as Elliot Banks-Brown, Martin Barr, Lewis Gregory and Alex Snow on the second KTM UK machine completed the top ten.
Race two was even more thrilling.
Sword again fired the Molson Kawasaki out of the gate and into the tight left hander first, but Simpson turned tighter, pinched him off on the exit and led into the valley with Osborne right on their tails in third, Jason Dougan, Leuret, and Martin Barr following them through.
With Osborne able to stay closer to the lead duo this time, the leading three quickly established themselves a comfortable gap on the pack in the opening laps, but this time Simpson looked to have the measure of Sword.
As they wound down the laps and turned up the wick, the championship leader held the challenger at around the one second mark until lappers came into play once again, Simpson having one big moment in particular trying to get around Alan Keet that unsettled him and allowed Sword to close right in onto his rear-wheel.
Simpson regrouped and pulled a few vital lengths again, but with two laps to go, urged on by the crowd, Sword closed right up again and going into the last lap was right on him. Simpson held it but dropping down the hill into the corner that started the valley section he tucked the front-end, tipped over and Sword streaked past for a thrilling double victory. It was shame that the race didn't make it to the very last corner, but it was amazing stuff nonetheless and crucially allowed Sword to close another three points closer in the championship hunt so that he now sits just three adrift of Simpson who was gracious in defeat as always.
Turning on the style with some amazing scrubs through the valley, Osborne had kept the leaders honest until the 20 minute mark, but was again an easy third for third overall from Leuret who dropped lucky for fourth when a charging Carl Nunn was forced out with a derailed chain after fighting through to the position in style.
Suso Suzuki team-mate Jason Dougan made up for a crash-ruined first moto with a hard won fifth from Nicholls in a scrap that went right to the flag and saw the separated by less than half a second, while Martin Barr, Nev Bradshaw, Lewis Gregory and Elliot Banks-Browne rounded out the top ten this time.
BRITISH MX2 MOTOCROSS CHAMPS
Rd 6 – Foxhill MP, nr Swindon
(Foxhill Promotions Ltd)
1 Stephen Sword (Molson Kawasaki) 25 + 25 = 50
2 Shaun Simpson (KTM UK) 22 + 22 = 44
3 Zach Osborne (Utag Yamaha) 20 + 20 = 40
4 Pascal Leuret (Swift Suzuki) 18 + 18 = 36
5 Jake Nicholls (Swift Suzuki) 16 + 15 = 31
6 Martin Barr (Utag Yamaha) 13 + 14 = 27
7 Elliott Banks-Browne (Swift Suzuki) 14 + 11 = 25
8 Jason Dougan (Suso MVRD Suzuki) 8 + 16 = 24
9 Lewis Gregory (Relentless Suzuki) 12 + 12 = 24
10 Neville Bradshaw (DB Honda) 6 + 13 = 19
11 Shane Carless (PAR Honda) 9 + 8 = 17
12 Carl Nunn (Suso MVRD Suzuki) 15 + 0 = 15
13 Mel Pocock (Utag Yamaha) 10 + 3 = 13
14 Joseph Dark (Meredith Suzuki) 7 + 5 = 12
15 Ashley Greedy (RHL Suzuki) 5 + 6 = 11
16 Alex Snow (KTM UK) 11+0=11, 17 Marcus Norlen (Suso MVRD Suzuki) 0+10=10, 18 Klemen Gercar (Utag Yamaha) 1+9=10, 19 Daniel Arnold (Pioneer Yamaha) 0+7=7, 20 Lewis King (Electraction TM) 0+4=4, 21 Alan Keet (KTM) 4+0=4, 22 Alex Butler (Corby Kawasaki) 3+0=3, 23 Graeme Irwin (Moto One Suzuki) 0+2=2, 24 Michael Phillips (NA KTM) 2+0=2, 25 James Dodd (MotoExtreme Kawasaki) 0+1=1.
RACE ONE: 1 Sword, 2 Simpson, 3 Osborne, 4 Leuret, 5 Nicholls, 6 Nunn, 7 Banks-Browne, 8 Barr, 9 Lewis Gregory, 10 Snow, 11 Pocock, 12 Carless, 13 Dougan, 14 Dark, 15 Bradshaw, 16 Greedy, 17 Keet, 18 Butler, 19 Phillips, 20 Gercar.
RACE TWO: 1 Sword, 2 Simpson, 3 Osborne, 4 Leuret, 5 Dougan, 6 Nicholls, 7 Barr, 8 Bradshaw, 9 Lewis Gregory, 10 Banks-Browne, 11 Norlen, 12 Gercar, 13 Carless, 14 Arnold, 15 Greedy, 16 Dark, 17 King, 18 Pocock, 19 Irwin, 20 Dodd.
SERIES STANDINGS after 6 (of 8) rounds: 1 Simpson 251 points, 2 Sword 248, 3 Barr 208, 4 Dougan 148, 5 Nunn 142, 6 Bradshaw 139, 7 Banks-Browne 137, 8 Norlen 112, 9 Lewis Gregory 105, 10 Leuret 103, 11 Pocock 95, 12 Snow 84, 13 Nicholls 75, 14 Whatley 74, 15 Dark 72,...
NEXT ROUND: Aug 17 – Low Gelt, Brampton, nr Carlisle (East Cumbria MCC).
BRITISH MX1 MOTOCROSS CHAMPS
Rd 6 – Foxhill MP, nr Swindon
(Foxhill Promotions Ltd)
1 Billy MacKenzie (CAS Honda) 25 + 25 = 50
2 Brad Anderson (Swift Suzuki) 18 + 22 = 40
3 James Noble (KTM UK) 14 + 20 = 34
4 Mark Jones (Kawasaki) 20 + 13 = 33
5 Bryan MacKenzie (Twisted7 Kawasaki) 15 + 16 = 31
6 Gordon Crockard (PAR Honda) 13 + 15 = 28
7 Mark Eastwood (Wiseco Honda) 10 + 14 = 24
8 Jim Murro (STR Honda) 12 + 10 = 22
9 Wayne Smith (Pioneer Yamaha) 22 + 0 = 22
10 Tom Church (Molson Kawasaki) 0 + 18 = 18
11 Luke Mellows (DBS/ Fowlers KTM) 7 + 11 = 18
12 David Willet (Yamaha) 9 + 8 = 17
13 Jordan Rose (PAR Honda) 16 + 0 = 16
14 Jamie Lewis (Kawasaki) 6 + 9 = 15
15 Jamie Smith (LPE Kawasaki) 8 + 7 = 15
16 Mark Hucklebridge (Motoxtreme Kawasaki) 0+12=12, 17 Danny Smyth (Wiseco Honda) 11+0=11, 18 John May (Meredith Suxuki) 5+4=9, 19 Tony Craig (Moto One KTM) 1+6=7, 20 Wayne Garrett (Moto One Suzuki) 4+3=7, 21 Alex Rockwell (Danger Honda) 0+5=5, 22 Carl Brogden (NA Robinson KTM) 3+0=3, 23 Seb Osbourne 0 0+2=2, 24 Patrick Gilboy (Honda) 2+0=2, 25 Brad Turner (Honda) 0+1=1.
RACE ONE: 1 Billy MacKenzie, 2 Wayne Smith, 3 Jones, 4 Anderson, 5 Rose, 6 Bryan MacKenzie, 7 Noble, 8 Crockard, 9 Murro, 10 Danny Smyth, 11 Eastwood, 12 Willet, 13 Jamie Smith, 14 Mellows, 15 Lewis, 16 May, 17 Garrett, 18 Brogden, 19 Gilboy, 20 Craig.
RACE TWO: 1 Billy MacKenzie, 2 Anderson, 3 Noble, 4 Church, 5 Bryan MacKenzie, 6 Crockard, 7 Eastwood, 8 Jones, 9 Hucklebridge, 10 Mellows, 11 Murro, 12 Lewis, 13 Willet, 14 Jamie Smith, 15 Craig, 16 Rockwell, 17 May, 18 Garrett, 19 Osbourne, 20 Turner.
SERIES STANDINGS after 6 (of 8) rounds: 1 Billy MacKenzie 250 points, 2 Noble 211, 3 Anderson 206, 4 Jones 193, 5 Wayne Smith 179, 6 Church 175, 7 Eastwood 132, 8 Bryan MacKenzie 119, 9 Hucklebridge 110, 10 Murro 94, 11 Rose 80, 12 Danny Smyth 79, 13 Gundersen 78, 14 Lewis 77, 15 Michael Phillips 71,...
NEXT ROUND: Aug 17 – Low Gelt, Brampton, nr Carlisle (East Cumbria MCC).
For full report and pictures see T+MX NEWS, Friday, Aug 1, 2008