The opening round of the 2007 Maxxis British Championship saw Kawasaki own the top two steps of the podium in the MX2 class as Molson Kawasaki’s Gareth Swanepoel clinched his first ever overall win and Team Wulfsport’s Shaun Simpson raced to a debut moto victory to earn a runner-up berth in the final classification. The inaugural event in this year’s eight round British campaign took place at a sunny Canada Heights in Kent. The track had been re-modelled and reversed, providing the riders with a novel test at the venue traditionally associated with raising the curtain on the domestic racing calendar.
Scotland’s Shaun Simpson had an excellent outing for Team Wulfsport by romping clear with the initial MX2 moto. Steering the KX250F for the first time in anger, Simpson pulled away from his peers including off-song reigning Champion Carl Nunn, works KTM representative Tommy Searle and fellow Molson Kawasaki riders to seal his debut triumph by an emphatic 15 seconds, collecting the fastest lap on the way.
Gareth Swanepoel was pursued into second spot by Martin Barr in a decent ride by the South African after making an average start. Tom Church and Ray Rowson were also a little sluggish off the line but Church would pull through to fourth while teenager Rowson held a top ten slot but a last lap error dropped him to thirteenth.
The second sprint was a costly one from the outset. A collision on the first corner saw Simpson caught in the rear wheel of Church’s machine while Rowson was also affected by the melee. Swanepoel was able to settle into a groove holding third place but a long way behind America’s Mike Brown. His 2-3 finishes were good enough for the overall.
Simpson meanwhile had untangled himself and set about passing more than 30 riders to reach a commendable fifth and deservedly celebrate his first ever rostrum appearance.
The pile-up had a negative outcome for Church who was forced to retire after his radiator hose had become ruptured (leaving him with 8th overall). Rowson furrowed a path through the pack only to slip off again on the final circulation to accept seventeenth, and the same standing overall.
‘I’m happy with that,’ 22 year old Swanepoel remarked. ‘My riding in the first race was better but it was good to get that overall win at last. My aim now is to keep on working hard and aim for a podium at every round. If I can keep consistent then there will be a chance of the title.’
‘The day went really well from the word ‘go’, said Simpson. ‘I was riding smooth and felt comfortable on the track. It was very rutted but tacky with a lot of grip. It did not suit a lot of riders but it was perfect for me and I enjoyed being able to pick and choose where to pass people.’
‘I got the lead after two laps of the first race and then settled in, pulling away by more than a second a lap,’ he revealed. ‘It was mega to be leading, so to go on and win was pretty special; I was disappointed that there was no podium ceremony after that! The second moto was a bit of a disaster. I caught my foot in the rear wheel of Tom Church’s bike on the first corner and then came off again after hitting a fallen rider who had crashed on the landing of a jump. I thought that I would make the best of it, and charged on. I got up to 5th by passing two other riders on the last lap so I was really happy.’
‘I came into the weekend thinking that a top five result would be good, but to leave with second place, the same spot in the Championship and just one point off the lead was incredible,’ he added. ‘I had never been on the podium at the British Championship before and the champagne, photos and interviews were all great. It left me quite speechless actually and I still can’t quite believe it now.’
‘It is a good day for the team and we are especially pleased for Shaun,’ commented Team Wulfsport Principal Roger Magee. ‘He was very fast and after a good start in the first moto he just kept on pulling out more seconds from the rest of the riders. He was unlucky in the second race but his lap-times were the same as winner Searle and he had to come through traffic. This result just proves that the whole package we have for this year – going with Kawasaki and moving our training base to Belgium – has already brought some improvements and we are looking forward to what else our riders can do this season.’
‘Of course we are delighted with Gareth’s win even if there was some bad luck for Tom and Ray,’ said Molson Kawasaki Team Manager Lisa Church. ‘We could not have asked for more than to come away from the first round leading the series and it was a timely victory for Gareth on the eve of the World Championship.’
Former multi-British Champion Stephen Sword was in attendance at Canada Heights but is still some way off active duty. The 27 year old will not be ready for the opening Grand Prix of the 2007 World Championship in the Netherlands on April 1st. The Scot, who has been fighting the clock in his recovery from an infection to the leg he broke last year, is now expected to be back in the saddle by the end of the month and the team are optimistic of a return to the world stage for the Italian round of the FIM series if not sooner. ‘The Benelux Grand Prix will come around too soon for Stephen unfortunately,’ said Church. ‘We hope he will be riding before the end of the month but it all depends on how quick he recovers and then how he feels on the bike; he definitely won’t be ready for Valkenswaard.’
Molson Kawasaki will now have a free weekend before the second round of the Maxxis series in Cornwall on March 25th. One week later the World Championship begins at the Valkenswaard circuit.
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