Duns, Scotland – 2nd May 2010 – British Championship

Jake Nicholls endured a challenging day as the sole flag flier for the HM Plant Red Bull KTM UK team yesterday, as his two top three finishes were overshadowed by a DNF in the second moto and he concluded the day in sixth overall for round three of the British MX2 Championship in Duns, Scotland.

Following the early qualifying session in which Nicholls finished third, the KTM-pilot improved a place in the superpole one flying lap stint to secure a second-position gate pick ahead of the day’s racing.

In the opening moto Nicholls settled into fourth place early on, after getting a fairly steady start off the gate. The 20-year-old rode consistently hard aboard his KTM 250 SX-F throughout and made a pass on Mel Pocock in the final stages of the 20-minute plus two-lap moto to cross the finish line in third position.

In race two Nicholls got a good start into third place around the hard-pack Scottish track, which was certainly faster and a lot less rough than previously. The KTM pilot made a pass on Elliot Banks-Browne in the second lap, and was looking strong as he set arch-rival and race leader Zach Osbourne in his sights. However, Nicholls suffered an unfortunate technical issue on lap seven, and was forced to retire from the race.

A disappointed Nicholls got a good start to the final moto of the day and settled into second position where he remained for the entire race while riding smoothly and consistently. The HM Plant Red Bull KTM-pilot finished in sixth place overall and is lying second in the championship with 159 points.

Teammate Natalie Kane was absent today as she suffered a crash while practicing at home in Ireland last week and is currently receiving treatment for a broken bone in her wrist. The 18-year-old KTM-pilot is hoping that lazer therapy this week will improve her chances of racing next weekend at the second round of the Women’s World Championship in Portugal.

Graeme Irwin, who recently underwent surgery to repair his damaged left shoulder, is healing well and has resumed his off-track training regime. The 18-year-old Ulsterman is hoping to be back on the bike soon, and is targeting a return to action at the Lyng British Championship round in June, although he is aiming to be at full fitness before he re-starts his race season.

Jake Nicholls #45: 6th Overall
“Qualifying went well in the morning; I felt comfortable and managed to get a couple good laps in for second. We made a couple slight changes to the bike before the first race. Race one was a mission, as I was fourth out of the start and I just couldn’t pass anywhere. The track was so hard to make passes, as there were a of lines but only one safe and consistent line, so I tried very hard and in the end got into third with a couple minutes to go, although the front two had pulled away by that time. In the second race I got a good start and got into second. I was riding a bit tight to start with, but began to feel my rhythm and felt better with each lap, although we had a problem with the bike. I was really upset about it but that’s racing I guess. In the third race I didn’t get a good start, but was aggressive into the first corner and came out second. Osbourne got away from me and I didn’t really get into the race until 5 minutes from the end, when I started riding good and catching him, but it was too late. It wasn’t a good day for me but it wasn’t bad on my part either. I’ll carry on doing what I’m doing; working hard and enjoying myself.”

Roger Magee: HM Plant Red Bull KTM UK Team Manager
“Duns was a day of mixed fortunes for us. In race one Jake didn’t get such a good start but came back through to third. In the second race he was settled in second, but he suffered a technical issue and unfortunately was forced to retire. We’re still investigating the cause of the problem, and we changed machines for the final race. Jake finished second, and secured some good points but his first DNF of the year cost us a top three overall score and Zach Osbourne was very good today. Jake might be feeling a bit frustrated, but there’s still 15 races to go, so we need to put this behind us and concentrate on the next round in Lyng. With our other two riders; Natalie had a practice crash last week and is being treated for a broken bone in her wrist. It’s not yet clear whether she will be able to ride this coming weekend in Portugal, while Graeme is healing well and has resumed training, which is positive. I hope he can be back for Lyng, but it’s important that shoulder is healed properly before he races again.”

HM Plant Red Bull KTM UK would like to thank its sponsors: HM Plant, Hitachi, Red Bull, KTM, Trucks ‘R’ Us, Motorex, Tourism Ireland, Northern Ireland Events, Fox, Race World, Bott, Motorpoint, Pirelli, Cholwill Plant and Equipment Hire, Cycra, Venhill, FMF, Volleberg Motorsport, Renthal, One Industries, Edward J Magee, Press commercial bodyworks, Wiseco, TwinAir, EBC Brakes, Silent Sport Premium, Pro Carbon Racing, NGK, CTi, Samco Sport, GSPMX, Petersen Racing, Pulse Racing Products, Empire logo mats, High5 and Stolen Bike Co.

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