An extremely hot Monte Coralli track in Faenza will host the finale to the World MX1 and MX2 Championships this weekend.
As David Philippaerts is leading the MX1 standings, runner up Steve Ramon and team mate Ken de Dycker prepare their attack to the Italian on his home soil.
In the MX2 class the title is an affair in between KTM team mates Tyla Rattray and Tommy Searle with the former having a 33 point advantage over Searle.
MX1
Yamaha Monster Motocross’ David Philippaerts is pumped for this thrilling finale as he just increased his advantage over runner up Steve Ramon at the latest meeting in Lierop.
Defending Champion Ramon of Teka Suzuki WMX1 and team mate Ken de Dycker are still around the Italian and will try to post a final attack during the last GP weekend of the 2008 season.
The battle for the fourth place in the Championship is even more interested as only the trio made of Philippaerts, Ramon and De Dycker can fight for the Title.
Current fourth place holder Jonathan Barragan of AXO KTM Silver Action is chased by Joshua Coppins, Max Nagl and Sebastien Pourcel, winner last year at Faenza.
After an astonishing win at home in Lierop sand specialist Marc de Reuver will go for a new challenge this weekend as he is now 10th in the MX1 Championship.
MX2
Leading the MX2 Championship since Germany Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Tyla Rattray looks strong ahead of this final round.
Team mate and runner up Tommy Searle is still a hard challenger; even though he is 33 points behind the South African he will try all to take his maiden Title.
Ricci Racing Yamaha’s Nicolas Aubin is holding the third spot in the Championship since Lierop as the Frenchman needs to hold it tight at Faenza.
KTM fellow riders Shaun Simpson and Rui Goncalves are just a handful of points behind Aubin and both aim to move past in order to complete an all KTM top four.
Injured Tony Cairoli is currently sixth in the Championship and even though he cannot race he will be at Faenza to greet his home crowd.
MONTE CORALLI AND FAENZA
The Monte Coralli at Faenza is spread on a hill area of seven hectares. The course itself is 1550 metre long approximately as the minimum width has been extended to eight and a half metres.
The ground has been enriched with sand and woodchips while the visibility from the spectators’ areas has been improved by reshaping the track which still features its classic downhill and uphill sections. In the final part of the race track a wave section has been added.
Faenza hosted its first World Championship event in 1979 (500cc class) and this SIDI Grand Prix of Città di Faenza will be the ninth World Championship round to be held.
The only Italians winning at home in Faenza have been Corrado Maddii (125cc/1985) and Cristian Beggi (MX3/2006). 2007 established a milestone in the history of Motocross as Faenza saw the Pourcel brothers taking the GP victory in the MX1 (Sebastien) and MX2 (Christophe) classes both onboard Kawasaki machinery.
The whole region of Emilia Romagna enjoys a solid motorsports tradition and Faenza is one of its most beautiful cities hosting one of the Italy’s main motocross tracks. Faenza is in between Forlì and Imola, another city well known for its road racing facility.
Bologna and sea resort Cervia are just 50 km away from Faenza and its splendid porcelain –in Italian "ceramiche" - arts and crafts, which have developed since the Renaissance period. In the city of Faenza there are currently 60 porcelain arts and crafts manufacturers as most of their traditional shops are part of the beautiful city centre scenery.
THE EVENT’S SCHEDULE
Saturday September 13: KTM Trophy Free Practice 1 at 09:05 am; MX2 Free Practice at 10:00 am; MX1 Free Practice 1 at 11:00 am; MX2 Pre-Qualifying Practice at 12:00 am; KTM Trophy Free Practice 2 at 01:35 pm; MX1 Free Practice 2 at 02:00 pm; MX2 Qualifying Race 1 at 03:00 pm; MX2 Qualifying Race 2 at 03:45 pm; MX1 Time Practice at 04:30 pm; MX2 Last Chance Qualifying Practice at 05:15 pm; KTM Trophy Time Practice at 05:55 pm (local time).
Sunday September 14: KTM Trophy Warm Up at 09:00 am; MX2 Warm-up at 9:30 am; MX1 Warm-up at 10:00 am; KTM Trophy Race 1 at 11:10 am; MX2 Grand Prix Race 1 at 12:10 am; MX1 Grand Prix Race 1 at 01:10 pm; KTM Trophy Race 2 at 02:10 pm; MX2 Grand Prix Race 2 at 03:03 pm; MX1 Grand Prix Race 2 at 04:03 pm (local time).
The Grand Prix will be broadcast live on:
EUROSPORT 2 (Pan Europe) : MX1 Race 1 at 13:00 CET
MOTORS TV (Pan Europe): MX2 Race 2 at 15:00 CET
SPORT ITALIA (Italy): MX2 Race 1 at 12:00 CET
VRT (Belgium): MX1 Race 1 at 13:00 and Race 2 at 16:00 CET
GALAXIE SPORT (Czech Republic): MX2 Race 1 at 12:00 and Race 2 at 15:00 CET
ART (Pan Middle East): MX1 Race 2 at 16:00 CET
SPORT TV (Slovenia): MX2 Race 1 at 12:00 and Race 2 at 15:00 CET
EUROSPORT WORLD (PAN ASIA): MX1 Race 1 at 11:00 GMT
RED BULL TV (Austria): MX2 Race 1 at 12:00 and Race 2 at 15:00; MX1 Race 1 at 13:00 and Race 2 at 16:00 CET
MEDIAZONE (Worldwide): MX2 Race 1 at 12:00 and Race 2 at 15:00; MX1 Race 1 at 13:00 and Race 2 at 16:00 CET
TRANS 7 (Indonesia): MX2 Race 1 at 12:00 and Race 2 at 15:00; MX1 Race 1 at 13:00 and Race 2 at 16:00 CET
SPORT TV (Portugal): MX2 Race 1 at 12:00 and Race 2 at 15:00 CET
The Grand Prix will be broadcast delayed on:
EUROSPORT 2 (Pan Europe): Sunday September 14; MX1 Race 2 at 20:45. Monday September 15; MX2 Class at 17:00 CET
MOTORS TV (Pan Europe): Sunday September 14; MX2 Race 1 at 14:00 and at 22:30; MX2 Race 2 at 23:30. Monday September 15; MX 2 Race 1 at 05:00 and Race 2 at 05:50. Tuesday September 16; MX1 Race 1 at 21:00 and Race 2 at 21:55. Wednesday September 17; MX2 Race 1 at 01:00 and Race 2 at 01:50; MX2 Race 1 at 14:00 and Race 2 at 15:50; MX1 Race 1 at 14:55 and Race 2 at 16:40 CET
SPORT ITALIA (Italy): Sunday September 14; MX2 Race 2 at 16:30, MX1 Race 1 at 21:00 and Race 2 at 22:00 CET
EUROSPORT WORLD (Pan Asia): Sunday September 14; MX1 Race 1 at 23:30. Monday September 15; MX1 Race 2 at 00:15 and at 06:15, Race 1 at 05:30; MX2 Class at 18:00. Tuesday September 16; MX2 Class at 00:00 and at 04:45; MX1 Race 2 at 04:00. Wednesday September 17; MX2 Class at 19:00 GMT
AMERICA ONE SPORTS (USA): Second Tuesday after the GP; MX2 Race 2 at 21:00; MX1 Race 2 at 22:00 USA Eastern Time
GAORA (Japan): MX2 Race 1 and Race 2; MX1 Race 1 and Race 2 N/A CET
Information, photos and results are online at http://www.motocrossMX1.com, the official website of the FIM Motocross World Championships.
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- Daniele RIZZI -
