Luckless weekend for Tanel Leok and Billy Mackenzie in Valkenswaard as 2007 World Championship opens for KRT... The Grand Prix of Benelux, the first round of the 2007 MX1 World Championship, taking place at the Eurocircuit in Valkenswaard watched by 25,000 people has been frustrating for the Kawasaki Racing Team at their home event. Tanel Leok and Billy Mackenzie secured only 11th and 14th positions respectively overall in a largely misfortunate meeting.
The Eurocircuit had been reversed and a repositioned start gate had been installed on the other side of the mainly flat facility. The sandy course became rougher throughout practice on Saturday but was difficult in the varying degrees of grip it provided with the fine dark terrain deeper in some sections compared to others.
Saturday saw sunshine and decent temperatures grace the practice and qualification programme in which Leok captured 6th spot in the gate and Mackenzie lined up in 12th.
The first moto started badly for the Estonian who went down in the first corner and spent the remainder of the following eighteen laps regaining ground and positions to work his way up to 11th. Mackenzie stayed up and was mid-pack exiting the opening curve. He bustled his way to 5th and then spent the majority of the race in 6th position. Affected by some arm-pump he was prey to the chasing hoards in the final moments and disappointingly slipped back two further positions on the last lap for 9th.
The 22 year old was faster, more confident and relaxed in the second moto. He lapped in the mid-top ten and was preparing to overtake Ken de Dycker for 6th when he lost control in the soft elongated whoops section. The Scot was lapped trying to restart and then completed the remaining ten minutes outside the top twenty with damaged handlebars. Leok made a mediocre start then his second race worsened when he ran wide and caught green mesh fencing in his rear wheel. The 21 year old was cruelly denied a race finish any higher than 14th when a mechanical problem caused him to stop on the last lap.
“There is not much to say, it was a bad GP for me,” he said. “I clipped someone’s rear wheel in the first moto and crashed. I then ran off the track later so it did not get any better. In the second race I caught some of the green fencing in my rear wheel and did not have any rear brakes. It was difficult then, and the bike stopped right near the end.”
“It could have gone better,” remarked Mackenzie. “I was a bit nervous coming into the race, probably like most people, so I wanted a solid pair of top ten results to start the season. I wanted some points because in the last few years I have left the first race with at least a DNF. I was cruising in the first moto and reaching the top six but I lost some momentum towards the end and was caught by a few riders. I started protecting my lines instead of riding them and was then worried about crashing. I got ninth which wasn’t too bad but I was annoyed with losing two places on the last lap.”
“I went for it in the next race,” he continued. “I started well and could see a line of riders to pass at one stage. I saw De Dycker was starting to fade and it broke the group a little bit because the pace slowed. Priem then came out of nowhere and overtook me and I wasn’t having that. We both reeled in De Dycker but as I went to pass him in the whoops by doubling the last two bumps the front end caught some soft stuff and pitched me over the bars. It took a long time to restart and then the steering was all bent. The result wasn’t good obviously, but my speed was alright. It was not easy against the Belgians at this track but I will be going all out at Spain and Portugal.”
Both riders now retain the same ranking in the early championship standings.
The second round of the 2007 series takes place in two weeks time at the Bellpuig circuit in Catalonia for the Grand Prix of Spain. Mackenzie is in action on Easter Sunday with the third race of the Maxxis British Championship at the Lyng circuit in Norfolk, England.
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