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HM Plant Red Bull KTM UK are pleased to confirm that they have agreed terms with Kevin Strijbos to compete in the 2012 MX1 World Motocross Championships on board the successful 350SX-F machine. As a measure of confidence in the team and rider, full factory support with engines and WP suspension will be provided for Kevin’s maiden season for the Austrian marque. Strijbos will also compete in British Championship events as well as selected races in his native Belgium.

The arrival of the Belgian in the British team marks an important new phase for the crew with the 26 year old former Grand Prix winner having finished as runner-up in the FIM MX1 World Championship in 2006 and 2007. “I’m really excited to ride on the SX350F with the factory engines and suspension in 2012,” said Strijbos who finished fourth at the final round of the 2011 season in Italy. “I know that I can do really well in the GPs next year as my results at the end of 2011 have shown. I have just had a minor knee operation and will commence my training again in six weeks time. I am really disappointed in not being able to come to Hawkstone Park today [for the final round of the British Championship], but my doctor has advised against travelling for the next few weeks”.

Team HM Plant Red Bull KTM UK owner Roger Magee commented: “I am really pleased to have agreed terms with Kevin for the 2012 motocross season. His ability and professionalism has impressed me for many years and I feel that the team can look forward to more visits to the podium next year with the key additionalfactory support that is necessary to compete at this level in World Motocross. To have a former GP winner in the team has been a great boost to all of thepersonnel – especially as Kevin won the last MXGP to be held in Northern Ireland at Moneyglass in 2007! My thanks also to Kevin’s manager Koen Monu for the professional manner in which our negotiations were conducted.”

Managing Director of KTM UK Shaun Sisterson: “We at KTM UK are extremely pleased to have a rider of Kevin Strijbos’ ability in the team for 2012. The factory support that he will receive from KTM will hopefully assist him to win at the highest level on the 350SX-F. There were a number of riders in contention for the MX1 offer of factory support but we felt that Kevin was the most suitable to fulfill our aspirations.”

HM Plant Red Bull KTM UK will confirm the remaining MX1 and MX2 riders in the team for 2012 during the coming weeks.

Following his incident in France a few weeks ago which left him with horrific neck injuries, Irwin will be sidelined from competition until the end of the year while he makes the expected full recovery from four broken vertebrae in his neck. It has now been confirmed that experienced Church, who up until this season has been a Grand Prix regular and has raced both in the MX2 and MX1 class, will take up the reins for the HM Plant Red Bull KTM team.

29-year-old Church is excited to be given the opportunity and will bring with him his many years of experience to help develop the bike for the future. Church will also defend the British Supercross title that he won in 2010 aboard KTM machinery.

In the last few weeks Church has been riding the bike and has adjusted it to his preferences, but his initial impression is already very good. The experienced racer will continue to learn about the characteristics of the bike in the next week while recovering from a small ankle injury in the lead up to his KTM debut his local track at the Foxhill round of the British Championship in a few weeks time.

Tom Church: “I’m really pleased to be joining the team. We’ve tried to do something for a few years, and it just fits for me to fill the spot for the team with Graeme unfortunately getting injured; although that’s not really how any rider wants to gain a ride. There was some confusion about an announcement regarding my future and I want to make it clear I don’t have any plans to retire right now and I’m fully committed to racing the rest of the season with KTM in both the British and World Championship. I would have been back competing in Ireland for the British last weekend but I twisted my ankle while testing. My initial impression of the bike is good and I really like the 350; we’re working on the set-up but after a day I had everything feeling really good with some settings for my style of riding. Within a few days I felt I could have had a go at racing the British, I just had a little setback twisting my ankle landing hard off a jump. I’m looking forward to working on the development side of things with the team and this is just a great opportunity. I will also be racing the whole British Supercross Championship too and I’m really excited about that as well as defending the championship win from last year.”

Roger Magee: HM Plant Red Bull KTM Team Manager “HM Plant Red Bull KTM is very pleased to announce the replacement for Graeme Irwin for the rest of the year, and although it’s not in the best circumstances, we’d like to welcome Tom Church into the team as our MX1 rider for both British and World Championships. We’re starting off at Foxhill which is basically his local track and hopefully he can get plenty of ride time in the next few weeks to be really prepared for it. Tom is a seasoned professional and there’s a lot he can bring to the team. Not only will he do the British and World series,’ but he hopes to retain his British Supercross championship title with our bike in the winter. Even in the last few days Tom has been working to get the balance of the bike to suit him and with Graeme sidelined we look forward to Tom’s experience to help us to continue the development of the 350. We know is a very competitive bike and is good out of the gate as Graeme proved at Lyng, so hopefully we can have a good tail end to the season with Tom.”

HM Plant Red Bull KTM UK would like to thank its sponsors: HM Plant, Hitachi Construction Equipment, Red Bull, KTM, Trucks ‘R’ Us, Motorex, Bott, Prox, Cholwill Plant and Equipment Hire, Venhill, FMF, Volleberg Motorsport, Renthal, Edward J Magee, Press commercial bodyworks, Wiseco, TwinAir, EBC Brakes, Silent Sport Premium, Pro Carbon Racing, NGK, Donjoy, Samco Sport, GSPMX, Petersen Racing, Pulse Racing Products, Empire logo mats, High5 and Stolen Bike Co.

The Irishman did not require surgery and is expected to make a full recovery from the damaged C1, C2, C4 and C5 bones sustained in a high-speed fall at the St Jean D’Angely circuit, north of Bordeaux. Irwin was transferred to the Hospital La Pitie-Salpetriere in Paris and the specialist unit thererenowned for their previous work with Formula One drivers.

“Graeme will use a rigid brace for a period of time, probably for two-to-three months and begin the rehab process but we are thankful he is reasonably OK in the circumstances,” said Team Principal Roger Magee. “We would like to extend our sincere thanks to all the doctors and nursing staff who have helped Graeme over the last few days. We were also fortunate to have Dr Iain Dobie – a surgeon at Musgrave Park Hospital, Belfast and a fellow motocrosser – as a guest of the team in France. Iain was very influential with the French medical team at the circuit and local hospital. He was also able to convey the medical assessment to Graeme and other members of our team in a very clear and concise manner. We would also like to acknowledge the assistance of the MRA & MCUI officials in recent days to ensure that Graeme received the best treatment possible and for arranging his repatriation to Northern Ireland.”

HM Plant Red Bull KTM UK are tackling the Grand Prix of Portugal this weekend at the Agueda circuit.

Dry and rough conditions didn’t halt Nicholls’ charge to 7th overall after the tough three moto system of a 20, 25 and 30minute sprints which was always going to be a great test for the youngster in what was very much a ‘warm-up’ for his maiden Grand Prix outing of the season this coming weekend. The event at St Jean D’Angely will be the fifth round of fifteen in the FIM Motocross World Championship and will see the British team at full strength for the first time in 2011.

JAKE NICHOLLS:

“Today was a solid way to come back to racing for me. I was very nervous beforehand but just got on with the job in hand. In the first race I made a pretty good start and pushed hard early on, I got some pressure from Joel Roelants near the end but gritted my teeth despite tightening up a bit and held to the finish for 8th. The second race I got quite a poor start but pushed through early on into 10th where I found myself in a bit of a hole with no one around me to chase so I treated it as practise and finished the race well. Race 3 was always going to be tough for me as it was the longest of the day at 30 minutes plus 1 lap but I surprised myself with my race fitness and rode my best moto of the day to 7th and claimed 7th overall. It was satisfying to have something in return for all the hard work I have put in since being injured. I am living in Belgium now with Ben Townley and I’m working hard to achieve the goals I set myself at the beginning of the season.”

HM Plant Red Bull KTM duo Graeme Irwin and Jordan Booker enjoyed a strong outing at yesterday’s Hawkstone Park International race with both riders scoring eighth overall in each of their respective classes, while Jake Nicholls has been ruled out of competition for some time due to an ankle injury sustained in training last week.

In the MX1 class against a super strong field of GP regulars, Irwin enjoyed a good showing as he dialed in his KTM 350 SX-F around the notorious sandy Hawkstone circuit. The 19-year-old Ulsterman put in a strong time to earn sixth on the gate for today’s races.

In the first moto Irwin stormed off the start into fourth position and maintained a good pace throughout the 25-minute plus two-lap race. The KTM-pilot, who has only recently returned to the racetrack since double shoulder surgery, dug deep aboard his MX1 machine to finish in a very credible sixth place.

In the second race Irwin got another good start and was lying seventh by the end of the first lap. The MX1 rookie slipped off on lap three, but remounted quickly and got his head down to work his way back from twelfth place to finish in ninth position and eighth overall by the chequered flag.

In the MX2 class Booker was the team’s sole flag flier with Nicholls out with a broken ankle sustained in training last week. The 18-year-old racer put in a strong qualifying performance and was in sixth place for much of the timed session before being baulked down to twelfth in the final few moments.

In the first moto Booker got a good start into ninth place. The KTM-pilot made a pass on Lewis Tombs in the opening stages and settled into eighth place where he remained until the race was red flagged due to a faller five laps in and the results were declared.

In the second moto Booker gated into tenth place, where he remained until half race distance when he again passed Tombs to settle into ninth aboard his KTM 250 SX-F. Booker enjoyed a consistent race to cross the finish line in ninth and earn himself a very credible eighth overall against some world-class riders.

The final race of the day involved the top finishing riders of each MX1 and MX2 class for a special Superfinal. Booker gated into eighth place with Irwin not enjoying such a strong start into 15th. Irwin had a lucky escape from an unfortunate crash early on, and Booker was then ruled out with a minor machine problem, despite putting on a good showing for the HM Plant Red Bull KTM team.

The team is now looking forward to heading to Canada Heights for the second round of the British Championship, although it has been confirmed that despite all of his pre-season hard work, a frustrated Nicholls will be ruled out of racing for some time. The 20-year-old re-broke his ankle, an injury sustained last October, and has undergone surgery to have it pinned with an expected recovery time of six to eight weeks. The HM Plant Red Bull KTM team wishes Jake a speedy recovery and hopes he will return to the racetrack in May.

Graeme Irwin: #555: 8th overall “Hawkstone is probably one of my worst tracks, but practice and qualifying went well. Every time I went to put in a good lap I went quicker and ended up the session sixth behind Steve Ramon. In the first race I got a good start and just tried to hang in there. I made no mistakes, but I’m still not 100% fit. I just need more time on the bike, as this is only my second race since being injured and my first at this level in the MX1 class. The second race I got a good start into eight then had a small crash on the third lap, but then got back through to ninth, which I was happy enough with. In the last Superfinal race I just went out to get more bike time really, but I made a silly mistake and had quite a big crash. Thankfully I came out unhurt and I’m looking forward to Canada Heights next weekend where I hope I can build more speed, so by the time we get to the Grand Prix races I’ll be fully fit and making a good steady progress throughout the year.”

 Jordan Booker #114:  MX2 8th overall “Qualifying didn’t go too great really, as I put a fast lap in quite early on when the track was smooth because I expected the track to get slower. I was around sixth until about five minutes to go and thought I was guaranteed a good result for the gate, but I ended up dropping down to twelfth. I tried putting a few laps in at the end but didn’t get any higher, although I wasn’t too worried as the start is really fair here. In the first race I got a pretty good start; I think I was one of the only people who didn’t build the start up with sand. I hadn’t realised, but thankfully I got off the concrete pretty good and got into around fourth or fifth. I held on, the first lap was a bit all over the place and I dropped back to eighth, but I managed to have a good ride and finished eighth. In the second race I packed the sand up on the gate but had a worse start than in the first race and came out around 10th but I managed to get ninth. In the Superfinal the first few laps were a mad rush with 450’s coming up from behind and lots of passing, but I got into a good position. Then I had a little problem with the bike so I had to pull in, but it’s been a good day and I’m looking forward to improving more at Canada Heights.”

Roger Magee: HM Plant Red Bull KTM Team Manager “Graeme and Jordan performed very well on the difficult Hawkstone track today, which isn’t really a favourite for either of them. We secured four top ten results in each of their two MX1 and MX2 races. Graeme had a really good sixth in his first race, which shows he really has the pace to run with these guys, he just needs some more bike time on the KTM 350 SX-F. Jordan had some good times in qualifying and he had some strong races that shows the progress he is making, and I hope we can continue in this direction. We’ll be working hard week by week to keep the improvements with both riders. With Jake it was just one of those unfortunate things that happens in motocross. He’s been fortunate in the last couple of years, as he’s managed to stay injury free, but to have two broken ankles in the last few months has certainly not been good. In pre-season training we’ve really been looking forward to a strong showing in the Maxxis British Championship series and at Grand Prix level, but it’s just not going to be this year. All we can do is wish Jake all the best for a speedy recovery and I’m sure he’ll be doing as much as he can with his trainer to be back on the bike soon. I hope we can welcome him back to return to racing in around May time.” All the results from yesterday’s races can be found here: http://www.mylaps.com/results/showevent.jsp?id=633839

HM Plant Red Bull KTM UK would like to thank its sponsors:  HM Plant, Hitachi Construction Equipment, Red Bull,  KTM, Trucks ‘R’ Us, Motorex, Bott, Prox, Cholwill Plant and Equipment Hire, Venhill, FMF, Volleberg Motorsport, Renthal, Edward J Magee, Press commercial bodyworks, Wiseco, TwinAir, EBC Brakes, Silent Sport Premium, Pro Carbon Racing, NGK, Donjoy, Samco Sport, GSPMX, Petersen Racing, Pulse Racing Products, Empire logo mats, High5 and Stolen Bike Co.

HM Plant Red Bull KTM’s Natalie Kane concluded her 2010 season yesterday in style with a 100% win record in the British Ladies Motocross Championship to clinch her fourth national title with total dominance at the final round at Blaxhall Woodbridge, Suffolk.

Kane, who has been battling a wrist injury for the majority of the year, confirmed that she is the fastest female motocross racer in the UK with another fine performance this weekend aboard her HM Plant Red Bull KTM 250 SX-F in the demanding, wet conditions earning maximum points once again in the British Ladies series.
19-year-old Kane overcame a technical problem in qualifying that left her just 17th on the gate for the races to dominate both of the 15-minute plus two-lap motos with a massive 40-second advantage in the first heat and 30 seconds in the second.

Kane has maintained a 100% win record to take her fourth British championship title with a 33-point advantage over second placed Stacey Fisher. Despite struggling with a lack of strength in her damaged wrist, Kane has been determined to finish the season and can be pleased she has managed to earn herself a creditable sixth place in the Women’s World Championship, as well as taking the British Championship honours.

Having achieved her aim of finishing the year, the Irish youngster can now focus on making a full recovery with surgery on the wrist she injured some months ago in a training incident. While throughout this season Natalie has seen many specialists, the broken bone in her wrist has continued to give her pain and having concluded her season she is intending to get it completely fixed before attacking the 2011 season.

Natalie Kane #44: British Ladies Champion 2010 “It was a good end to the season to win the British and to have won every race this year, even though the weather was pretty bad today. It’s been a tough year with injuries and it hasn’t quite gone to plan, so now I am going home to see another specialist about my wrist, which we think needs an operation as I have torn the ligaments off the bone that was broken. I’ve just been trying to finish off the season by taking painkillers and doing the exercises, but the team has been brilliant this year so thanks to everybody and to all the sponsors. Everyone has been so supportive and stuck by me even though I haven’t got the positions in the World Championship that I wanted to get and I haven’t done all the promotional stuff that I should have been doing because of the injury. I hope to stay where I am for next year, the KTM has been great and my aim is for results in the World Championship. I also hope to do some AMA women’s races next year, and ride in the main British Championship to help develop my confidence and speed, so there’s a lot to look forward to.”

Roger Magee: HM Plant Red Bull KTM Team Manager “Natalie has been very determined throughout this season to continue racing regardless of the difficulties she has had with her problematic wrist injury, which has meant her season has been quite up and down. She now has another British Championship win, which is a credit to her determination as well as a very positive sixth position in the World. She has adapted to the KTM well this season and I’d like to thank all of our sponsors for helping us achieve another British championship, the team’s fourth in three years. I hope Natalie can now rest as well as get the wrist completely fixed before next year, where she will be once again aiming to win the World championship.” 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.

HM Plant Red Bull KTM UK concluded the 2011 British Motocross championship with a double podium as Tom Church and Jake Nicholls took third overall in each of the MX1 and MX2 classes for the final round of the series at Hawkstone Park yesterday. In the MX1 class Church entered his final British Championship weekend determined to end on a high note. After qualifying his KTM 350 SX-F in third position, the 29-year-old racer gated into third in the first race. Kristian Whatley managed to get by on lap two of the 20-minute plus two lap moto, and Church concluded the race in the final spot of a four-way train from the front at the chequered flag.

In the second race Church got another good start and was in second by the end of lap one. In a three-way battle for the lead with Brad Anderson and Martin Barr, Anderson went down and Church was looking comfortable in second position. However, a charging Anderson caught the KTM pilot with four laps to go and Church was forced to settle for a still strong third position.

In the final moto of the day Church holeshotted the race and put his all in as he stretched a lead over the chasing pack. It was looking like a perfect win for the KTM-ace, when in the last three laps Anderson reeled him in and he was forced to settle for a respectable second place, which confirmed a podium finish for his final British MX1 championship outing before his retirement next year.

In the MX2 class, after qualifying second, Nicholls didn’t get the best of starts into eighth by the end of lap one, while teammate Jordan Booker also had a disastrous first lap after crashing in the second turn. Nicholls managed to fight his way back to fifth place, while Booker went down again at the top of the notorious Hawkstone hill and was unable to complete the race.

In race two Nicholls, who is recovering from illness, got a good start and lead from the first lap. The 20-year-old racer put on a hard fight with Arnaud Tonus, who eventually got the better of him, in an exciting battle throughout the race to finish in second place. Booker gated into eighth place and settled into a steady rhythm to finish in ninth position.

In the final race of the day Nicholls gated in third and set about chasing Tonus while Booker also got a good start into sixth position. Nicholls had some issues mid-race and was forced to settle for second place again and third overall, while Booker had a race-long battle with Kayne Lamont, which he succeeded in to take sixth place and a strong ninth position overall.

Tom Church #4: MX1 3rd Overall “It’s been a good day, but also a tough day because the track rode really fast and everyone was pushing so hard. I managed to get on the podium at the end of it and it’s good to end on a high note. In the last race I really wanted to win it and I tried so hard, but I just didn’t have enough in the tank, although I’ve really enjoyed today. The team has been great. I was really lucky to get this ride, unfortunately with Graeme being injured, but it all worked out and they’ve done a really good job and my mechanic has worked really hard. We’ve still got a few more races left with the supercross though, which I’m looking forward to. I’d like to say thanks to the team and I’m glad we’ve had some good results. It would have been nice to get a win and I’ve loved riding the 350 SX-F, but I’m looking forward to the beach race next weekend at Weston then the British supercross series before I finish.”

Jake Nicholls #45: MX2 3rd Overall “I got ill this week, as I’ve been carrying a bit of a chesty type bug with a sore throat, so I didn’t ride from Tuesday and I was a bit tight coming into today. In the first race I got a bit of arm pump and didn’t feel good at all, as I struggled to get my breathing and rhythm right. In the second one I managed to give Arnaud a bit of a fight and ended up second. Then in the third race Arnaud got out front and I tried to chase him, but he got away a bit. When I tried to push I struggled to breathe and then halfway in I had a bit of a bike problem. I lost a lot of time so I aimed to keep Bryan (Mackenzie) behind me, although I really wanted to push Arnaud to the finish. It’s been a really good three years and I’d like to thank Roger and his family, as well as my mechanic Wayne, as everyone has been really good to me. Thanks also to Fox and Shift as well as everyone in the team, the sponsors and so on, as it’s been good. Finally special thanks must also go to HM Plant, Red Bull and KTM UK for their sponsorship over the past number of years. It’s a shame I have to move on but I’m looking forward to my new challenge.”

Jordan Booker #114: MX2 9th Overall “Qualifying was good, in fact the best it’s been all year, as I was seventh after superpole. In the first race I got to a bit of a bad start off the gate, and collided with Jake, but I came out about top 10. I then washed out in the second turn and was dead last. I put in the lap of my life and got from last to 15th in one lap and then at the top of Hawkstone hill I cleaned out a hay bale and went straight over the bars. Someone clipped the back of my head when I was down, so it was quite eventful! I have been feeling a little bit dazed since that. In the second race I had an eighth place start and dropped back one for ninth, but I wasn’t feeling great. I had a good sleep before the last one and came out guns blazing. I gated in seventh and got to sixth. I had a really good battle with Kayne Lamont. We were bar bashing and probably passed each other 10 times and I held onto sixth. I’d like to say thanks to all of the HM Plant Red Bull KTM UK team, as well as all the sponsors for everything this year. I’d also like to say a big thanks to Mark Stokoe for hooking me up with everything I’ve needed for this year too. I can’t thank everyone enough, a huge thanks to Roger Magee for giving me the opportunity to ride for him, as it’s been the best year of my life racing at the Grand Prix events. I’d also like to thank Tom Church for all his help both on and off the bike all year, even before he joined the team and I wish him all the best for the future.”

Roger Magee: HM Plant Red Bull KTM UK Team Manager “It’s been a bitter sweet sort of day at the last round of the British Championship today. Jake was able to put it on the podium for his last ride with the team this year and I want to take this opportunity to thank him for the last three years, as it’s been good. We’ve enjoyed his progress since he came to us in 2009 and we wish him all the best for next year, even though we’ll be competing against him. Jordan finished the season well with a really stonking sixth place in the last race. He’s shown the potential that he has and hopefully he can continue that progress next year. With Tom it’s been his last British Championship race, which has been pretty emotional for everybody. To get the holeshot and lead the race in the last one he gave it his all and I’d like to thank him for his input since he joined the team earlier in the year. I’d like to wish him all the best in the supercross series, and I’m sure his life will change a lot in January when he becomes a father.”

Event Photo Gallery

Jake Nicholls was buoyed to complete the 2011 MX2 FIM Motocross World Championship in eleventh position, representing an improvement of two places over his 2010 ranking and achieved despite missing the first four rounds of the series with a broken ankle. The HM Plant Red Bull KTM UK rider battled incredibly hot and tricky conditions across the hardpack hillside of Fermo for the Grand Prix of Italy – the last race of fifteen – to grab ninth overall.

The 21 year old started well in the first moto and was set for a sixth place finish until Nico Aubin crept up and relegated the 250SX-F rider in the final stages. In the following 35 minute and 2 lap outing, run in front of a decent crowd packed around the steep slopes, Nicholls recovered from an early race slip and saw-out the closing sprint of the season with eleventh spot.

Team-mate in the MX2 division, Jordan Booker, drew the curtain on his rookie Grand Prix campaign by taking a point with twentieth in the second moto. The teenager had been plagued by mechanical gremlins in the preceding sessions and failed to make the finish in the first race.

A similar situation befell Tom Church as the GP veteran signed off his career in Italy. A crash and damaged bike pushed him to the role of bystander in the opening MX1 affair. Determined to bank some points in the last international outing of 2011, ‘TC’ guided the 350 SX-F to fifteenth place.

In other news Nathan Watson today claimed the BYMX School Boy championship at Milton Park to add to the further spoils enjoyed by theteam in their national youth programme such as Ben Watson taking the Red Bull Pro National 85cc crown.

HM Plant Red Bull KTM UK now fulfil the rest of their racing commitments for 2011 closer to home with the last round of the Red Bull Pro Nationals and the Maxxis British Championship finale at Hawkstone Park with the British Supercross series still to come.

Photo courtesy of Ray Archer

For more information visit the team’s website at: www.ktmukmx.com

Jake Nicholls: “A pretty good day really. We had a bit of trouble with the bike on Saturday just because of the heat but eventually I got a reallygood rhythm going. In the first race I was stuck behind Roelants who was struggling a bit and I just got sucked into the rhythm he was doing. It wasn’t a bad race but I knew I could do a lot better. In the second one I had a pretty average start and nearly went down in the corner. I was tenth entering the fourth lap when I hit a turn in neutral and lost the front. The heat got me and I lost my rhythm. It was an uphill battle from there. I’m really happy with eleventh in the championship, which is two positions better than last year and after missing four rounds. I hit the ground running when I came back and that was all to do with the hard work I did when I was injured. I was able to pick up at the speed and form I left off from last year and that’s what I aim to do for next season after a good winter of training ahead.”

Jordan Booker: “That was pretty much the worse weekend ever. I didn’t finish pre-qualifying, the qualifying race or the first moto. I think I hadonly done about ten laps on the track all weekend coming into that second race! I didn’t really know where I was going! We got things sorted for the last one and topped it off with a twentieth for a point and it was about making the most of it really. It has been a big learning year for me and has definitely had its ups and downs. I knew it was going to be tough but my goal was to keep working from round to round and try to improve. You can only get confidence and experience from being with the fast guys and hopefully next year and in seasons to come I can progress up to the top fifteen and eventually arrive to whereJake is.”

Tom Church: “Not the best way to bow out but I didn’t like the track, too many jumps, maybe I am just too ‘old school’! I had an awful start in the first race and then crashed which bent up the bike. In the second I was able to get it together and managed a fifteenth for some points at least. It’s been a rollercoaster, I have to say but I’ve always tried to do my best and enjoy it.”

Roger Magee, Team Principal: “Difficult conditions today for the guys both on the track and the technical side with the heat making demands on the equipment.Jake again had another strong weekend and showed what a capable racer and top ten regular he now is. Eleventh in the championship is a good achievement after his early season injury and a testament to his work ethic. It was a testingweekend for Jordan but he never gave up and takes home a point when it musthave seemed like everything was going against him. I want to thank Tom Church for coming in at the last minute and doing a solid job for us in MX1 and enjoying what might be his last Grands Prix. Congratulations to Nathan Watson for his title today and we’ll look forward to our last races in the UK in the coming weeks.”

Photo Gallery

Jake Nicholls was denied the chance to move up to eleventh in the FIM Motocross World Championship MX2 standings despite missing the first four rounds of the fourteen held so far this season when he was forced to pull out of the second race at a difficult Gaildorf circuit (Germany) for the Grand Prix of Europe. The penultimate meeting of the series was run in muggy conditions and in front of a 22,000 crowd at the venue that has a long motocross history and last entertained a GP in 2005.

The HM Plant Red Bull KTM UK representative recovered from a bad start to gun the potent 250SX-F to a solid ninth position in thefirst moto across the compact layout and rutty and hard-pack terrain that was tricky for overtaking. It was an impressive performance and pushed the 21 year old up past Christophe Charlier in the points table. Sadly the promotion would be short-lived after an accident when Nicholls’ left elbow was struck by the flipping rear wheel of another rider would give the Englishman a dead arm and cause his retirement (only the second from twenty motos) during the early phases of the second race.

Nicholls would end the Grand Prix with fourteenth position overall and now stares at a seven point gap again to Charlier; a realistic target with the final round of the calendar occurring in Italy next week. Team-mate Jordan Booker had a tough time handling the Gaildorf mud and missed the points in both motos; taking 23rd and 22nd.

In only his fourth Grand Prix appearance for the team and on the 350SX-F Tom Church grabbed a point with twentieth place in the first MX1 moto. It was the least the veteran could expect after recovering from a poor start and winning nine positions in a moto-long trek. Church was set for his best finish of the season with 15th in the second race until a freak occurrence with his fuel cap becoming dislodged covered the rider in fuel and affected his motorcycle, causing him to lose places in the final two laps.

HM Plant Red Bull KTM UK will head down the eastern coast of Italy in the coming days and arrive at the hilltop venue of Fermo for the fifteenth and final round of the FIM Motocross World Championship. The Grand Prix of Italy will bring the series to a close for the second year in a row.

For more information visit the team’s website at: www.ktmukmx.com Photo courtesy of Ray Archer

Jake Nicholls:

“The weekend started off fairly average but I slowly built up confidence with the bike and the track throughout Saturday. The qualification heat was ruined by a collision on the first jump after the start but I picked myself up and charged through to 15th even though the bike was pretty out of shape. In the first race I had a perfect jump off the start but just got out-powered down the straight. From mid-pack I worked my way to ninth. For the second race, I had another dodgy start and then on the second lap a rider crashed next to me and his bike flipped upside down and his back wheel hit my elbow. I’ve got metal work in the joint and straight away I lost feeling in my hand; I was scared from this point because I hadn’t hurt my elbow like this since I broke it, but thankfully it was only the nerves that had gone into shock. Now I just have some bruisingaround the elbow. I’m very disappointed with the weekend. I feel that I could have achieved a lot more at this track.”

Tom Church:

“It was OK today. I rode terribly for the first five minutes of the first race. I got hit all over the place and the track was really awkward. Once I settled down then I pulled back from 29th to 20th and knew what I had to do for the second. I got the start Ineeded and got into the top fifteen and pushed hard. With two laps to go I was set for fifteenth but the fuel cap popped off. I put it back on but I think the bike was running out of fuel because it kept bogging and I didn’t want to jump the step-ups. I was out of the points by that stage. It was a shame because I had an easy fifteenth.”

Roger Magee, Team Principal:

“It was a weekend of mixed fortunes. It started on the Saturday with Jake almost having a big crash that put him last but he recovered to sixteenth, which still wasn’t a great gate pick for the motos. He battled well in the first one to come through to ninth but unfortunately he had an incident in the second race where someone’s rear wheel smashed his elbow. It is unlucky because he had moved up to eleventh in the championship after the first race but is now back to twelfth. He missed the first third of the season because of injury but otherwise has been strong. Jordan Booker was in and out of the points and this was his first time at Gaildorf so he’ll learn from it. It was a similar situation for Tom Church in MX1. He took one point in the first race and was set for a good finish in the second until we had a smalltechnical problem with the fuel cap. He just slipped out of the points on the last lap and I felt sorry for him because he has put so much in since he has joined the team. He is a good enough professional to move on and we’ll look ahead to Fermo next week.”

Results

MX2 Moto1

1. Ken Roczen (GER, KTM), 40:44.246; 2. Tommy Searle (GBR, Kawasaki), +0:08.406; 3. Arnaud Tonus (SUI, Yamaha), +0:13.049; 4. Gautier Paulin (FRA, Yamaha), +0:23.816; 5. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), +0:42.918; 6. Nicolas Aubin (FRA, KTM), +1:00.372; 7. Michael Leib (USA, Husqvarna), +1:18.185; 8. Joel Roelants (BEL, KTM), +1:19.485; 9. Jake Nicholls (GBR, HM Plant Red Bull KTM UK), +1:21.598; 10. Max Anstie (GBR, Kawasaki), +1:24.541; 23. Jordan Booker (GBR, HM Plant Red Bull KTM UK), -2 lap(s);

MX2 Moto2

1. Tommy Searle (GBR, Kawasaki), 39:50.968;  2. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), +0:06.609; 3. Ken Roczen (GER, KTM),+0:11.837; 4. Arnaud Tonus (SUI, Yamaha), +0:14.615; 5. Max Anstie (GBR, Kawasaki), +0:21.711; 6. Gautier Paulin (FRA, Yamaha), +0:42.374; 7. Joel Roelants (BEL, KTM), +0:47.970; 8. Alessandro Lupino (ITA, Husqvarna), +1:16.055; 9.Nicolas Aubin (FRA, KTM), +1:26.252; 10. Jordi Tixier (FRA, KTM), +1:29.542; 22. Jordan Booker (GBR, HM Plant Red Bull KTM UK), -1 lap(s);

MX2 Overall result

1. Tommy Searle (GBR, Kawasaki), 47 points; 2. Ken Roczen (GER, KTM), 45 p.; 3. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 38 p.; 4. Arnaud Tonus (SUI, Yamaha), 38 p.; 5. Gautier Paulin (FRA, Yamaha), 33 p.; 6. Max Anstie (GBR, Kawasaki), 27 p.; 7. Joel Roelants (BEL, KTM), 27 p.; 8. Nicolas Aubin (FRA, KTM), 27 p.; 9. Alessandro Lupino (ITA, Husqvarna), 23 p.; 10. Antonio Jose Butron Oliva (ESP, KTM), 19 p.; 14. Jake Nicholls (GBR, HM Plant Red Bull KTM UK), 12 p.; 26. Jordan Booker (GBR, HM Plant Red Bull KTM UK), 0 p.;

MX2 World Championship standings after 14 of 15 rounds

1. Ken Roczen (GER, KTM), 635 points; 2. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 585 p.; 3. Tommy Searle (GBR, Kawasaki), 526 p.; 4. Gautier Paulin (FRA, Yamaha), 458 p.; 5. Arnaud Tonus (SUI, Yamaha), 391 p.; 6. Max Anstie (GBR, Kawasaki), 369 p.; 7. Zachary Osborne (USA, Yamaha), 295 p.; 8. Harri Kullas (FIN, Yamaha), 287 p.; 9. Nicolas Aubin (FRA, KTM), 269 p.; 10. Joel Roelants (BEL, KTM), 253 p.; 11.Christophe Charlier (FRA, Yamaha), 212 p.; 12. Jake Nicholls (GBR, HM Plant Red Bull KTM UK), 205 p.;

MX1 Moto1

1. Evgeny Bobryshev (RUS, Honda), 40:06.778; 2. Xavier Boog (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:00.354; 3. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), +0:09.171; 4. Maximilian Nagl (GER, KTM), +0:12.185; 5. Kevin Strijbos (BEL, Suzuki), +0:16.518; 6. Rui Goncalves (POR, Honda), +0:33.809; 7. Davide Guarneri (ITA, Kawasaki), +0:40.387; 8. Gregory Aranda (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:41.969; 9. Tanel Leok (EST, TM), +0:45.443; 10. Anthony Boissiere (FRA, Yamaha), +0:47.522; 20. Tom Church (GBR, HM Plant Red Bull KTM UK), -1 lap(s);

MX1 Moto2

1. Christophe Pourcel (FRA, Kawasaki), 39:34.517; 2. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), +0:43.529; 3. Anthony Boissiere (FRA, Yamaha), +0:46.324; 4. Rui Goncalves (POR, Honda), +0:52.126; 5. Kevin Strijbos (BEL, Suzuki), +0:55.870; 6. Xavier Boog (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:57.195; 7. Shaun Simpson (GBR, Honda), +1:05.920; 8. Evgeny Bobryshev (RUS, Honda), +1:09.531; 9. Gregory Aranda (FRA, Kawasaki), +1:10.368; 10. Maximilian Nagl (GER, KTM), +1:20.780;

MX1 Overall result

1. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 42 points; 2. Evgeny Bobryshev (RUS, Honda), 38 p.; 3. Xavier Boog (FRA, Kawasaki), 37 p.; 4. Rui Goncalves (POR, Honda), 33 p.; 5. Kevin Strijbos (BEL, Suzuki), 32 p.; 6. Anthony Boissiere (FRA, Yamaha), 31 p.; 7. Maximilian Nagl (GER, KTM), 29 p.; 8. Christophe Pourcel (FRA, Kawasaki), 25 p.; 9. Gregory Aranda (FRA, Kawasaki), 25 p.; 10. Shaun Simpson (GBR, Honda), 24 p.; 25. Tom Church (GBR, HM Plant Red Bull KTM UK), 1 p.;