Molson Kawasaki were able to end the 2007 Maxxis British Championship with two of their riders in the top five of the overall MX2 standings as Gareth Swanepoel confirmed third position and Tom Church fourth with their results at Pontrilas for the final round of the series.
A hard and fast course on the Welsh border awaited the MX2 class in the last of eight domestic meetings this season. Under clear sunny skies American Mike Brown narrowly won the title by finishing in third position, while Swanepoel and Church were fifth and seventh respectively on the day.
South African Swanepoel started badly in the first moto that had been restarted after a gate malfunction. He gained positions from the lower top ten but was hit out from a potential top five slot by Carl Nunn and had to accept ninth. Smoother and easier with his riding in the second outing he scored third place for his ninth top three finish of the year (from sixteen). His efforts also ensured that Kawasaki claimed the manufacturer’s title with the KX 250F.
“Obviously it did not go as well as I was hoping,” he reflected. “In the first race I did not get the best of starts and was in about fifth but I could not get into my rhythm. I pushed and pushed and struggled to get past Nunn and then he cleaned me out on the next corner. I was not too happy with that but I suppose it is part of racing and he said it was a mistake from his part. In the second race I had a better start and got up to fourth and then third. I tried really hard to close the gap to the leaders but it was not enough; I was much happier with that second race though. I had ridden a lot of sand to get ready for the last GP of the year and with this being a hard and fast track I was that well prepared although it will bode us in good stead for the Nations next week.”
“I’m third but obviously you want to be champion,” he added. “I came into this race as hard as I could, but basically the title had already gone. Anyway to be fifth in the world and third in the British championship is OK and I am happy with that; it is a good platform to build from for next year.”
Church was a little frustrated with his overall result of seventh and two bad starts that saw him in the thick of the action. He crossed the finish line with sixth in Moto1 and was part of a great four rider scrap for sixth in the second sprint before taking eighth.
“Before the red flag for the first race I had a good start and was up there so it was a bit disappointing to have to stop, especially as I then made a bad start the second time! A couple of guys passed me in the beginning, which should not have happened but I then began to work my way through. I got to sixth and was really close to fourth; it seems that I am always close! It was the same in the second race. I was trying to pass Martin Barr in the last couple of laps and before that I had taken too long to overtake Gonclaves. Nunny got me on the last lap and I ended up eighth which was a real disappointment. I wanted to be on the podium today, I had the speed but my starts weren’t there.”
“I finished fourth and that is one place away from where I wanted to be, as I was aiming for third. On the positive side I have finished a full season and have a lot to think about for next year. I can go into the winter period with no injuries and come out swinging for 2008.”
Under 21 British Champion Ray Rowson finished eleventh on the day and also took the same standing in the final standings. The teenager did not get the best of starts and was eleventh in both races.
Swanepoel will now head to Budds Creek near Washington DC in the United States to represent South Africa at the 61st Motocross of Nations and the big traditional end of season curtain-closer.
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