Uddevalla Sweden – 3th July – 2011 World Championship

Nicholls frustrated by misfortune in Sweden

Jake Nicholls was hampered by a few technical gremlins at a slick Uddevalla for the Grand Prix of Sweden and although the HM Plant Red Bull KTM UK rider was in the hunt for a top five position in the first moto of the MX2 class he ultimately ended up leaving round eight of fifteen in the FIM Motocross World Championship cursing his luck.

The British Motocross of Nations representative held a decent fifth place in the MX2 Qualification Heat on Saturday but struggled a little with the performance of his motorcycle and crossed the finish line down in tenth; still an acceptable slot in the gate for the Grand Prix motos.

A decent jump out of the gate on a damp Sunday morning saw Nicholls retaining a position on the fringes of the top five but not whollycomfortable with the demands of the hard-pack and slippery surface. The 21 year old eventually passed the flag in eighth place. A more complicated first turn in the second moto needed a pushy approach in the opening laps but Nicholls was sitting in eleventh with options to rise several more places when a water pump problem ended his race after four circulations.

Jordan Booker was also ignored by lady luck. A grasp of at least three points for seventeenth in the first moto was lost with a crash that relegated him out of the top twenty. The teenager had to retire in thesecond sprint after physical exertions needed across the Swedish bumps had torn a chunk of skin from his right hand.

While the team were buoyed by the news that former British Supercross Champion Tom Church will be steering the 350SX-F of the injured Graeme Irwin for the rest of the season and is expected to make hisGrand Prix debut at Lommel in Belgium at the end of the month, the crew nowface two long weeks of travelling with events in Germany and Latvia.

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

Photo courtesy of Ray Archer

Jake Nicholls:

“The weekend started well but I was struggling with the set-up on the bike. We made some changes but it was hard to tell if they really worked in warm-up because the track was the wettest it had been. Anyway I started well and rode pretty good but I was fighting the bike a lot and I wished I could have sorted out the set-up because I had the right position on the track. Eighth place was not too bad considering what has happened so far this year for me. In the second one I had a bad first turn as I was boxed in from both sides. I started picking my way through and got into eleventh. I had a group in front of me and was ready to pass but then the bike stopped and I had to push it off. Very frustrating but nothing we could do. Overall I wasencouraged by the way I was riding.”

Jordan Booker:

“A hard day. I crashed while I was seventeenth and looking for some points and then tried to fight back but couldn’t get in the top twenty. I did my best in the second race but I ripped a huge slice of skin from my hand and I could barely hold the bars.”

Roger Magee, Team Principal:

“An unlucky weekend for us. Jake showed he has the speed to run in the top six so I hope very soon that will be something we will see regularly. The technical problem in the second moto is something that can happen in motocross and we will just have to move onward. Jordan seemed set for points but it wasn’t to be and he had to stop in the second race as his hands were stripped of skin. We have to regroup for next week and hope for more points on the board in Germany.”

Results

MX2 Moto1

1. Ken Roczen (GER, KTM), 39:05.334; 2. Gautier Paulin (FRA, Yamaha), +0:18.185; 3. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), +0:33.350; 4. Max Anstie (GBR, Kawasaki), +0:37.154; 5. Jeremy van Horebeek (BEL, KTM), +0:38.089; 6. Arnaud Tonus (SUI, Yamaha), +0:41.379; 7. Christophe Charlier (FRA, Yamaha), +0:57.471; 8. Jake Nicholls (GBR, HM Plant Red Bull KTM UK), +1:01.627; 9. Nicolas Aubin (FRA, KTM), +1:06.012; 10. Valentin Teillet (FRA, Suzuki), +1:11.161; 22. Jordan Booker (GBR, HM Plant Red Bull KTM UK), -1 lap(s)

MX2 Moto2

1. Ken Roczen (GER, KTM), 39:16.537; 2. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), +0:17.880; 3. Gautier Paulin (FRA, Yamaha), +0:24.482; 4. Tommy Searle (GBR, Kawasaki), +0:36.334; 5. Max Anstie (GBR, Kawasaki), +0:56.228; 6. Nicolas Aubin (FRA,KTM), +1:00.831; 7. Christophe Charlier (FRA, Yamaha), +1:06.041; 8. Arnaud Tonus (SUI, Yamaha), +1:08.304; 9. Jeremy van Horebeek (BEL, KTM), +1:17.605; 10.Zachary Osborne (USA, Yamaha), +1:22.093; 34. Jake Nicholls (GBR, HMPlant Red Bull KTM UK), -17 lap(s)

MX2 Overall result

1. Ken Roczen (GER, KTM), 50 points; 2. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 42 p.; 3.Gautier Paulin (FRA, Yamaha), 42 p.; 4. Max Anstie (GBR, Kawasaki), 34 p.; 5. Christophe Charlier (FRA, Yamaha), 28 p.; 6. Arnaud Tonus (SUI, Yamaha), 28 p.; 7. Jeremy van Horebeek (BEL, KTM), 28 p.; 8. Nicolas Aubin (FRA, KTM), 27 p.; 9. Zachary Osborne (USA, Yamaha), 21 p.; 10. Valentin Teillet (FRA, Suzuki), 20 p.; 15. Jake Nicholls (GBR, HM Plant Red Bull KTM UK), 13 p

MX2 World Championship standings after 8 of 15 rounds

1. Ken Roczen (GER, KTM), 351 points; 2. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 337 p.; 3. Tommy Searle (GBR, Kawasaki), 286 p.; 4. Gautier Paulin (FRA, Yamaha), 276 p.; 5. Zachary Osborne (USA, Yamaha), 234 p.; 6. Arnaud Tonus (SUI, Yamaha), 225 p.; 7. Max Anstie (GBR, Kawasaki), 201 p.; 8. Harri Kullas (FIN, Yamaha), 179 p.; 9. Nicolas Aubin (FRA, KTM), 178 p.; 10. Joel Roelants (BEL, KTM), 166 p.; 16.Jake Nicholls (GBR, HM Plant Red Bull KTM UK), 66 p

Event Photo Gallery