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Buildbase CCM Racing endure a frustrating home Grand Prix |
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Monday, 01 June 2009 |
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The British leg of the 2009 FIM Motocross World Championship proved to
be a frustrating affair for the Buildbase CCM Racing team with both Tom
Church and Phoenix Tools CCM Racing rider Jason Dougan enduring bouts
of bad luck.
A
sun baked Mallory Park played host to the British Grand Prix, this
being the second year in a row that the tarmac facility in
Leicestershire has held this honour.
With thousands of flag waving fans lining the newly designed track,
both Dougan and Church were looking to produce performances to delight
the home audience.
It
was twenty-two year old Dougan who out sprinted his more experienced
team mate during Saturday afternoon’s qualifying race, with Jason
finishing in a promising fourteenth place to give himself a decent gate
pick for Sunday’s two main races. Church had began Saturday’s
qualifying process the stronger of the two, but had to settle for
sixteenth spot in the twenty-minute plus two lap showdown ahead of
Sunday’s points counting motos.
Although the hard packed circuit
had been heavily watered ready for Sunday’s programme the soaring
temperatures and uninterrupted sunshine soon dried out the surface once
again leaving conditions slick and slippery for the charging brigade of
the World’s best motocross riders in both main classes. Despite the
difficult challenge the track posed, Church and Dougan both acquitted
themselves well, only to be robbed of better overall placings as each
suffered a DNF in opposing races.
“It’s been a pretty
disappointing day all round, what makes it even worse is that it has
been in front of so many home fans who were right behind us and really
wanted us to be up there and amongst it. I didn’t get the best of
starts in the first race, but I slowly made my way forward despite it
being quite difficult to pass, and was looking like I might have made
it into the top fifteen before I punctured two laps from the end.”
Church explained.
Tom continued. “The atmosphere has been great
all day, so I was really hoping I could put things right in the second
moto. Again after an average start I pulled my way through into a
potential top fifteen finish only to crash in the whoops with just two
laps to go.”
Dougan gave his view of the day. “If I am honest I
have not liked the track all weekend, it had too many stones and it was
almost impossible to find places to pass. The first race went OK, I
gated around fifteenth and managed to maintain that position come the
finish after battling my way forward and then slipping back towards the
end. In the second moto I hit someone on the first turn and damaged my
rear brake, whilst it was not working well I managed to still make up
some positions before it totally went, which then meant I was forced to
pull in. Overall it’s not been the best of days, especially as it was
our home GP when you hope to make the most of the advantage that the
supporters give you.”
MX1 Moto1: 1: Philippaerts 2: Desalle 3: Barragan 4: Nagl 5: Coppins…15: Dougan… DNF: Church
MX1 Moto2: 1: Nagl 2: Philippaerts 3: Desalle 4: Coppins 5: MacKenzie… 21: Church… DNF: Dougan
MX1 Overall Result: 1: Philippaerts 47 2: Nagl 43 3: Desalle 42… 19: Dougan… 25: Church
MX1 Championship to date: 1: Cairoli 255 2: Philippaerts 221 3:Barragan 215 4: Coppins 209 5: 4: De Dycker 208… 21: Church 32 23: Dougan 29
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