Teuschenthal, Germany – 10th July – 2011 World Championship
Nicholls takes best result in 2011 in Germany as Booker notches first point
HM Plant Red Bull KTM UK felt reasonably chipper leaving the busy and bustling circuit of Talkessel in Teutschenthal and the Grand Prix of Germany for the ninth round of fifteen in the FIM Motocross World Championship. 40,000 spectators for the biggest and best attended race of the series so far this season saw Jake Nicholls haunt the realms of the mid-top ten before finishing seventh overall for his highest classification in 2011 to-date and Jordan Booker finally snared a GP point in his maiden term.
Hot sunshine helped dry a soft German course and the long and deep ruts helped slow the fast hard-pack layout, even if the new modifications to the rippling and shallow slopes did not assist in creating many more overtaking opportunities. Talkessel has seen Grand Prix action since the 1970s and an announcement that the venue will host the 2013 Motocross of Nations was timely considering the huge audience that poured through the gates.
Nicholls made two positive starts in the 35 minute and 2 lap motos and this was half the battle. At one stage (the opening phases of the second race) the Briton was vying for space in the top five and although he was forced to surrender seventh to Nico Aubin after holding the slot for almost all of Moto1 was able to gather more confidence and edge to his race fitness after missing the first quarter of the season due to injury.
Jordan Booker had recovered from the hand injury that forced his withdrawal in Sweden last week. The youngster was again on the fringes of the top twenty and the point-scoring zone in the first moto but actually made the breakthrough and secured his first digit in the second race with twentieth position.
Nicholls has moved up from sixteenth to fourteenth in the MX2 standings with the tenth round of the FIM Motocross World Championship taking place next weekend at the Kegums circuit for the Grand Prix of Latvia.
For more information visit the team’s website at: www.ktmukmx.com
Photo courtesy of Ray Archer
Photo courtesy of Ray Archer
Jake Nicholls:
“It went well and I’d been up there pretty much all weekend. I was eighth in free practice and twelfth in pre-qualifying and I was really happy as those sessions are never usually my strong point. In the qualification heat I rode well and took ninth which was pretty important for a track like this where the start can mean so much. Today the first race start was pretty good and I rode a smart first lap. I was on my own in seventh for quite a while and riding alone has been one of my weak points so I was pleased with how I dealt with that. Aubin got me at the end but he was going like a train. In the second one I made a safe first turn and then rode like a lunatic on the first lap to reach fourth or fifth. I went as hard as possible and pushed all the way. I gave it everything. I had pressure all race and didn’t look back too much. This is a good step in the right direction and hopefully we can carry it on in Latvia in the sand.
Jordan Booker:
“The weekend didn’t start well and I felt like I was letting the bike rule me instead of the other way around! I thought about it last night in bed and turned it around today. I felt better in warm-up and in the first race I predicted the gate and made a good start. I dropped a few positions and was down in 26th but then worked my way back up to be strong at the end. In the next race I think I gated just outside the top twenty and in the first ten minutes I absolutely gunned it. I got myself up to eighteen and had pressure there for a long while. Two riders got by me but I got my first point. It feels like I’ve got a big monkey off my back now. A bit more experience and fitness and I hope to work up to the top fifteen.
Roger Magee, Team Principal:
“It was a consistently good weekend for us and Jake is getting into positions now that we know he is capable of. The speed is there and I’m optimistic of a good second half of the season. It was good to see Jordan grab his first GP point and I hope this will ‘open a door’ for him now and give some confidence. The team will roll on to Latvia and then come back to the UK for the British Championship at Foxhill where Tom Church will join us for his debut on the 350SX-F.”
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