Five riders power into the penultimate round of the World Motocross Championship at Donington Park on August Bank Holiday Sunday knowing that they can secure the crown with a strong performance in the British Motocross Grand Prix.
Kiwi Josh Coppins should have won his race against time to be fit to defend his slender lead in the premier MX1 category – the Yamaha rider has been nursing a shoulder injury and his absence from the previous two rounds has enable the pack to play catch-up on him.
Coppins knows all too well that he has to be back at this all new event to the Leicestershire circuit to head off the growing threat to his supremacy.
Leading the charge is the Belgian rider Steve Ramon who has narrowed to within a dozen points, but, in a hotly competitive series, his team-mate Kevin Strijbos, a winner last Sunday in Northern Ireland, has closed in, together with Sebastien Pourcel and David Philippaerts.
The course on the infield section of the parkland circuit has been specially crafted, using some 50,000 tons of soil, to provide an fast, high leaping and exciting challenge for the elite riders as they go for gold – they will have two 35 minutes plus two lap races to decide the points, and the pressure is on now in the scramble for the title.
Pushing the title contenders all of the way will be top British riders including Billy Mackenzie and James Noble, while in the MX2 category, which also has two races, each of 35 minutes plus two laps duration, Tommy Searle is gunning for double top to secure the overall runner-up position at the expense of former champion Chris Pourcel.
There are just five points between the Frenchman and Searle, aboard the Red Bull KTM, who ran the newly crowned champion Antonio Cairoli close in the Northern Ireland round. He had to settle for second best, but Searle, who bases himself in Tonge, a couple of miles from Donington, is determined to turn the tables on the high flying Sicillian in his home round.
Searle has checked out the course and reckons it will be both demanding and thrilling to ride and he heads up a home challenge that also includes the highly talented Carl Nunn riding the Bike-it Yamaha, Thomas Church aboard the Molson Kawasaki and Shaun Simpson on he Wulfsport Kawasaki.
The home challengers will all be hoping for the added boost of fan power as they take to the Donington course, as Searle explained: “You can’t put the value of the home fans in numbers, and I guess it depends on how you cope with it, but it does help. You can see them hanging over the fence, waving the flags and cheering you on.”
Adding to the race action are races promising a nostalgic blast from the past with riders competing in the FIM Veterans World Cup.
It is the first time the British Motocross Grand Prix has been held in the Midlands confirming Donington Park as the top motorsport venue in Great Britain. Practice will be held on Saturday August 25 with a full day of Championship racing on Sunday August 26.
Tickets are on sale – to book visit www.donington-park.co.uk or call the hot-line on 08700 429 669.
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