After a strong qualifying Team USA made of James Stewart, Ryan Villopoto and Team Ferry will pick the best gate spots for tomorrow’s 62nd edition of the Red Bull MXoN at a sunny Donington Park.
Australia (Chad Reed, Brett Metcalfe, Michael Byrne) qualified in second with France (Sebastien Pourcel, Anthony Boissiere, Nicolas Aubin) being third.
Home team Great Britain (Billy Mackenzie, Tommy Searle, Shaun Simpson) was seventh as James Stewart (MX1/USA), Ryan Villopoto (MX2/USA) and Cody Cooper (Open/New Zealand) won the qualifying heats.
QUALIFYING HEAT - MX1
Despite a couple of crashes USA’s James Stewart took a brilliant victory making it to the chequered flag with a 10 second advantage over runner up Sebastien Pourcel of France. The latter worked his way up from the bottom of the top six and secured the second place through a move on Belgium’s Ken de Dycker ending third.
MX1 World Champion David Philippaerts was fourth for Italy even though some netting tangled in his back wheel during his chase to the top three. Estonia’s Tanel Leok was fifth ahead of Germany’s Max Nagl and Great Britain’s Billy Mackenzie.
The latter set the crowd on fire after chasing Stewart from second in the early stages. Australia’s Chad Reed crashed at lap one restarting from the bottom of the group and finishing tenth.
Top five: 1. James Stewart (USA, Kawasaki), 26:05.047; ; 2. Sebastien Pourcel (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:10.184; 3. Ken de Dycker (BEL, Suzuki), +0:12.131; 4. David Philippaerts (ITA, Yamaha), +0:13.210; 5. Tanel Leok (EST, Kawasaki), +0:16.623
QUALIFYING HEAT - MX2
France’s Anthony Boissiere took a great start leading the pack into the first corners until a solid Ryan Villopoto of USA took control of the race to win eventually. Australia’s Brett Metcalfe got in Boissiere’s way for second and moved past after three laps to cruise in second for the rest of the race.
Boissiere remained in third place with MX2 World Champion Tyla Rattray of South Africa coming closer as the race was ending. Both Rattray and Great Britain’s Tommy Searle had to work their way up from the bottom of the top ten with the Brit finishing fifth. Rattray even ran off the track at the final lap but did not lose his fourth place.
Top five: 1. Ryan Villopoto (USA, Kawasaki), 24:16.201; ; 2. Brett Metcalfe (AUS, Kawasaki), +0:24.989; 3. Anthony Boissiere (FRA, KTM), +0:28.643; 4. Tyla Rattray (RSA, KTM), +0:32.061; 5. Tommy Searle (GBR, KTM), +0:40.944
QUALIFYING HEAT - OPEN
With USA’s Tim Ferry recovering after a tough start to finish an eventual ninth Cody Cooper rode a flawless moto to take victory for team New Zealand. Cooper ran away with the lead as Canada’s Dusty Klatt, Italy’s Alex Salvini and France’s Nicolas Aubin were fighting for second.
Aubin crashed, damaged the bike and dnf’d as Klatt dropped down to eighth. Salvini held on until the arrival of Australia’s Michael Byrne taking second. Puerto Rico’s Zach Osborne worked his way up to third and moved to an eventual second courtesy of a last lap move on Byrne.
Salvini was fourth ahead of Belgium’s Steve Ramon. Home rider Shaun Simpson was seventh onboard a 250cc machine.
Top five: 1. Cody Cooper (NZL, Suzuki), 24:50.028; ; 2. Zach Osborne (PUR, Yamaha), +0:01.900; 3. Michael Byrne (AUS, Suzuki), +0:02.101; 4. Alex Salvini (ITA, Suzuki), +0:09.713; 5. Steve Ramon (BEL, Suzuki), +0:11.237
The teams which did not qualify today and will take part in the B-Final tomorrow are Ireland, Brazil, Russia, Sweden, Czech Republic, Portugal, Slovenia, Slovakia, Venezuela, Lithuania, Norway, Iceland and newcomer Mongolia.
In last year’s edition of the Red Bull Motocross of Nations Brazil won the B-Final to take part in the event.
NEWS OF THE DAY: 2008 RED BULL MXoN MOVIE "BATTLE AT BRITAIN"
After producing the fantastic MXoN "Sixty Years and a Day" movie on last year’s Red Bull Motocross of Nations at Budds Creek (USA) the Adamitis Production announced today their new project of a movie about the 2008 event.
The 2008 Red Bull MXoN Movie "Battle at Britain" will contain the best and most exciting images on the event and it is due to be released on December 1st. The producer will be Mahira Amir Kahn, the cinematographers will be Jessica Young, Todd Bell, Dave Dawes and the production coordinator will be Doris Martel.
DONINGTON PARK GRAND PRIX CIRCUIT AND CASTLE DONINGTON
The Donington Park Grand Prix motocross circuit is named after one of the most famous permanent road racing complexes in the world which is hosting the track itself. Having its first Motocross GP in 2007 Donington Park came back on the 2008 calendar with the most prestigious event of the year, the Red Bull Motocross of Nations.
This year the ground will be enriched with woodchips making it softer that it was in 2007 as the changes to the layout will make the course more challenging. At last year’s GP Antonio Cairoli won at his first and only appearance in the MX1 scene while current British Team member Tommy Searle won his maiden MX2 GP.
Castle Donington is a small town in a corner of Leicestershire being 18 kilometres South East of Derby and about 200 kilometres North of London. The town is named after a Castle which was built to command the crossing points of the River Trent in the eleventh or twelfth century and is now merely a mound on the northern edge of the village.
Castle Donington is placed on the former Nottingham to Birmingham trunk road and is characterized by modern shops standing alongside dignified Georgian and Regency houses in a fascinating blend of modernity and tradition.
THE EVENT’S SCHEDULE
Sunday September 28: Warm-up B-Final at 9:00 am; Warm-up MXoN Group 1 at 9:30 am; Warm-up MXoN Group 2 at 10:00 am; B-Final at 11:00 am; MXoN Race 1 (MX1+MX2) at 1:08 pm; MXoN Race 2 (MX2+Open) at 2:38 pm; MXoN Race 3 (MX1+Open) at 4:08 pm
The Grand Prix will be broadcast live on:
EUROSPORT 2 (Pan Europe) : Race 1 at 14:00, Race 2 at 15:30 and Race 3 at 17:00 CET
VRT (Belgium): Race 1 at 14:00, Race 2 at 15:30 and Race 3 at 17:00 CET
GALAXIE SPORT (Czech Republic): Race 1 at 14:00, Race 2 at 15:30 and Race 3 at 17:00 CET
ART (Pan Middle East): Race 3 at 17:00 CET
SPORT TV (Slovenia): Race 1 at 14:00, Race 2 at 15:30 and Race 3 at 17:00 CET
RED BULL TV (Austria): Race 1 at 14:00, Race 2 at 15:30 and Race 3 at 17:00 CET
MEDIAZONE (Worldwide): Race 1 at 14:00, Race 2 at 15:30 and Race 3 at 17:00 CET
TRANS 7 (Indonesia): Race 1 at 14:00, Race 2 at 15:30 and Race 3 at 17:00 CET
SPORT TV (Portugal): Race 1 at 14:00, Race 2 at 15:30 and Race 3 at 17:00 CET
ETV (Estonia): Race 3 at 17:00 CET
The Grand Prix will be broadcast delayed on:
EUROSPORT 2 (Pan Europe): Monday September 29; Race 2 at 11:30 and Race 3 at 15:00 CET
MOTORS TV (Pan Europe): Tuesday September 30; Race 1 at 21:00, Race 2 at 21:55, Race 3 at 22:50. Wednesday October 1; Race 1 at 11:00, Race 2 at 11:55, Race 3 at 12:50. Thursday October 2; Race 1 at 14:55, Race 2 at 15:50, Race 3 at 16:40 CET
SPORT ITALIA (Italy): Sunday September 28; Race 1 at 16:30, Race 2 at 17:30, Race 3 at 18:30 CET
EUROSPORT WORLD (Pan Asia): Sunday September 28; Race 1 at 17:00, Race 2 at 18:00, Race 3 at 19:00. Monday September 29; Race 1 at 08:00 and at 21:00, Race 3 at 08:45 and at 21:45. Tuesday September 30; Race 3 at 14:00. Wednesday October 1; Race 1 at 11:00 and Race 3 at 11:45. Thursday October 2; Race 3 at 04:15. Friday October 3; Race 3 at 06:15 GMT
AMERICA ONE SPORTS (USA): Second Tuesday after the Red Bull MXoN; Race 3 at 21:00 and at 22:00 USA Eastern Time
GAORA (Japan): Race 1, Race 2, Race 3 N/A CET
SPORT 1 (Lithuania) : Race 3 N/A CET
NOTES :
-Race 1 mixes MX1 and MX2 classes
-Race 2 mixes MX2 and Open classes
-Race 3 mixes MX1 and Open classes
Information, photos and results are online at http://www.motocrossMX1.com, the official website of the FIM Motocross World Championships.
MediaZone Moto is the leading global online broadcaster of Motocross and SuperMoto events. Fans worldwide can watch the thrills from this and every race of the 2008 FIM Motocross & SuperMoto World Championships LIVE and On Demand exclusively at www.MediaZoneMoto.com.
Youthstream is the company that manages the exclusive television, marketing and promotional world wide rights of the FIM Motocross World Championship, the FIM Motocross of Nations, the FIM Women's Motocross World Championship, the FIM Veteran's Motocross World Cup, the FIM Junior Motocross World Championship, the FIM SuperMoto World Championship, the FIM SuperMoto of Nations, the FIM Snowcross World Championship, the UEM Motocross European Championship, the UEM Motocross of European Nations and the UEM SuperMoto European Championship.
- Daniele RIZZI -
