Yankie doddle at Nations
By TMX Archives on 27th Sep 07
THE Americans did a demolition job on the visitors last weekend as they won their 18th Motocross des Nations on home turf at Budds Creek before a massive 75,000 crowd.
Ricky Carmichael won his final motocross race, but the ultimatehero, and the only rider ever to have won both motos on an MX2 machine,was Ryan Villopoto. Tim Ferry completed the anhialation by completing a1-2 behind Carmichael in race three.
The host of Brits who had flown over for the first Nations in theStates for 20 years could be proud of our boys. Fifth overall may notseem exceptional at first sight but the Brits had their back to thewall from free practice after James Noble had fallen and dislocated hisshoulder.
In absolute agony, despite painkillers, the Yorkshireman bravelywent to the line in both motos to avoid a 50 point penalty score andeven took to the track again in the closing minutes of the final mototo gain the four extra points which lifted the boys two places in therankings.
Star of the UK team, indeed star of the GP contingent, was TommySearle. Taken out of second to Villopoto by Chad Reed in race one,Tommy returned less than an hour later for a third to clinch second inclass.
And after struggling with arm pump in the opener, Billy MacKenziestormed back from a second turn pile-up to secure a vital eighth.
The Irish also exceeded all expectations with a hard-fought 13th.Martin Barr was a revelation with a ninth in race two, and WayneGarrett and Tommy Merton kept out of the final third of the field allday.
MOTOCROSS of NATIONS Budds Creek, Marylands, USA
TEAM POSITIONS: 1 USA 8 points (Ricky Carmichael, Ryan Villopoto& Tim Ferry), 2 FRANCE 34 (Sebastien Pourcel, Pierre A Renet &Nicolas Aubin), 3 BELGIUM 35, 4 Italy 57, 5 Great Britain 63, 6 Spain68, 7 Japan 77, 8 Switzerland 84, 9 Germany 89, 10 Canada 90, 11Estonia 91, 12 Republic of South Africa 93, 13 Ireland 109, 14 Sweden122, 15 Latvia 125, 16 Brazil 131, 17 Czech Republic 132, 18 Chile 161,19 Portugal 68, 20 Australia 79, 2 France 34, 3 Belgium 35, 4 Italy 57,5 Great Britain 63, 6 Spain 68, 7 Japan 77, 8 Switzerland 84, 9 Germany89, 10 Canada 90, 11 Estonia 91, 12 Republic of South Africa 93, 13Ireland 109, 14 Sweden 122, 15 Latvia 125, 16 Brazil 131, 17 CzechRepublic 132, 18 Chile 161, 19 Portugal 68, 20 Australia 79.
RACE ONE (MX1/ MX2): 1 Ryan Villopoto (US - Kawasaki), 2 Chad Reed(AUS - Yamaha), 3 Ricky Carmichael (US - Suzuki), 4 Sebastien Pourcel(F - Kawasaki), 5 Jonathan Barragan (E - KTM), 6 David Philippaerts (I- KTM), 7 Tanel Leok (EST - Kawasaki), 8 Steve Ramon (B - Suzuki), 9Tommy SEARLE (GB - KTM), 10 Nicolas Aubin (F - Yamaha), 11 BillyMacKENZIE (GB - Kawasaki), 12 Julien Bill (CH - Honda), 13 GarethSwanepoel (ZA - Kawasaki), 14 Carlos Campano (E - Yamaha), 15 RuiGoncalves (P - KTM), 16 Colton Facciotti (CAN - Yamaha), 17 JeanSebastien Roy (CAN - Yamaha), 18 Paulo Goncalves (P - Honda), 19Andreas Hultman (S - Honda), 20 Martin BARR (IRL - Yamaha),... 33 TommyMERTON (IRL - Honda),...
RACE TWO (MX2/ Open): 1 Villopoto (US), 2 Ken De Dycker (B - Honda),3 SEARLE (GB - KTM), 4 Tim Ferry (US - Kawasaki), 5 Pierre A Renet (F -Honda), 6 Aubin (F), 7 Campano (E), 8 Yoshitaka Atsuta (J - Honda), 9BARR (IRL), 10 Jeremy Van Horebeek (B - KTM), 11 Marcus Schiffer (D -KTM), 12 Facciotti (CAN), 13 Rui Goncalves (P), 14 Antonio Cairoli (I -Yamaha), 15 Davide Guarneri (I - Yamaha), 16 Kazumasa Masuda (J -Honda), 17 Lauris Freibergs (LAT - Yamaha), 18 Antonio BalbiJunior (BRA - Honda), 19 Wyatt Avis (ZA - KTM), 20 Arnaud Tonus (CH -KTM),... 38 James NOBLE (GB - Honda).
RACE THREE (MX1/ Open): 1 Carmichael (US), 2 Ferry (US), 3 GrantLangston (ZA - Yamaha), 4 Ramon (B), 5 T Leok (EST), 6 Philippaerts(I), 7 Atsuta (J), 8 MacKENZIE (GB), 9 S Pourcel (F), 10 Bill (CH), 11de Dycker (B), 12 Michael Byrne (AUS - Suzuki), 13 Maximilian Nagl (D -KTM), 14 Renet (F), 15 Roy (CAN), 16 Guarneri (I), 17 Schiffer (D), 18Alvaro Lozano (E - KTM), 19 Hultman (S), 20 Freibergs (LAT),... 27Wayne GARRETT (IRL - KTM), 28 MERTON (IRL),... 32 NOBLE (GB),...
Full report and Pictures in T+MX issue September 28, 2007.