2008 FIM MX1 / MX2 World Motocross Championship Round 01
 Grand
Prix of Benelux - VALKENSWAARD, Netherlands
Billy McKenzie CAS Honda CRF450R takes fourth at
Valkenswaard
Billy MacKenzie's CAS Honda MX1 grand prix debut saw the
Scotsman - who will celebrate his 24th birthday tomorrow -
just miss out on a podium position as he finished in fourth
place overall at the opening race of the MX1 season after
two grueling 35 minute plus two lap motos at the Valkenswaard
circuit situated 10 kilometers from the Dutch city of Eindhoven.
MacKenzie started his weekend as he meant to go on as he
posted fourth place in Saturday's qualifying session - a session
dominated by local Dutch and Belgian riders who excel in the
deep sand conditions found at the Valkenswaard circuit.
Gating well on the factory CRF450R Honda MacKenzie ran second
in the early part of the first moto until a few small rider
errors and an unlucky encounter with a lapped rider saw him
slip to 10th place. Keen to make amends in moto two, MacKenzie
forced the CAS Honda through the battling pack and into second
place on the opening lap which is where he stayed for the
remainder of the race finishing behind the Belgian rider Ken
De Dycker who took a double victory on the day.
Team-mate Mike Brown had a tougher time of it in Valkenswaard
eventually finishing 11th overall after posting a 15-13 scorecard
in the deep sandy conditions he considers to be amongst his
least favorite.
After setting second position in timed qualifying Martin
Honda's flying Dutchman Marc De Reuver struggled to get off
the line in moto one and found himself having to battle through
the pack from just outside the top-10. Reaching seventh De
Reuver who, by his own admission, was riding a little tight
slipped off in a tricky left hand corner and lost several
places as a result. After battling back to eighth in moto
one De Reuver was fired up for a better result in the second
race but bad luck struck and a freak chain breakage on the
second straight ended his race somewhat early.
Martin Honda's Swiss rider Julien Bill struggled in the sandy
conditions ending the day pointless but he battled hard throughout
both races and progressed immensely during the day.
The world championship now pauses for one free weekend before
continuing at Bellpuig for the Grand Prix of Spain on April
20.
Roger Harvey - Honda Off-Road coordinator
"Qualifying went well for the riders and that was a very
encouraging start to the weekend. Marc De Reuver was a little
bit nervous in the first race but he was under a tremendous
amount of pressure with this being his home grand prix and
he rode reasonably well considering. I'm very disappointed
with the second race though when his chain broke.”
"We already knew that Julien Bill doesn't like sand
and he never rides in it so he did well to just keep plugging
along all day and he kept going to the finish in both races
which was okay."
"Billy MacKenzie made some silly mistakes in the first
race and was lucky not to get nailed by Ramon when he crashed
on the finish line jump. In the second race he was excellent
even though he made some small errors that lost him time.
I'm quite happy that he's joint fourth overall in the world
championship and he's got something to build on in Spain and
Portugal.”
"Mike Brown plugged away and scored points in both motos
- a good consistent start to the series for him."
Billy MacKenzie - CAS Honda
"Qualifying was good and there were four or five of us
all on the same second and the of other riders are considered
to be sand specialists so I was pumped with that. I knew fourth
place was good and so I was pretty confident going into the
races.”
"I rode a bit tight in the first race but was running
well in second. I was riding tight and the guys were catching
me because I was riding tensely and so I got a bit nervous
and made a few small mistakes and ended up down in fifth.
"I caught up to Chiodi who I was lapping and he held
me up for a about half a lap so I got a little impatient and
tried to pass him in a silly place and crashed. The throttle
tube got pushed down the handlebars and when I restarted the
bike the throttle was sticking wide open so I had to sort
that out before I could carry on. I got arm pump after that
and ended up 10th, which I wasn't so happy about but I knew
my second races are always better. "
"I didn't get a great start but moved up into second
place by the end of the lap seven though I lost the front
end and crashed. I could see Ken De Dycker ahead of me so
I pushed hard and was able to put in very consistent lap times
all through the race. At the end I was only eight seconds
behind Ken, which I'm pumped with considering it's a sand
race. To get fourth place at Valkenswaard is pretty good for
a British rider."
Mike Brown - CAS Honda
"Considering the conditions it went pretty well - I usually
struggle in stuff like this a little bit. It was only the
first race and there are still a lot of races to go, it went
about as well as the first race last year except this time
I didn't get any arm pump so that's a good sign. Overall it
went alright but of course I'm not happy unless I win but
I did the best I could and that's all anyone can ask for."
Marc De Reuver - Martin Honda
"Everything was going so well on Saturday and I was so
relaxed and almost took pole position and finished second
after only doing three laps. This morning in warm-up I was
fastest and I felt ready for the races.”
"At the start of the first race I was sleeping a little
bit at the start gate and I was very nervous in the early
part of the race which meant I was riding very tight. My arms
were very pumped up so I had to ease my pace because I thought
I might have a big crash if I did not back off.”
"I was more relaxed for the second race but after two
straights the chain broke and that was it! I thought I had
hit a false neutral but I clicked up and still no drive I
looked down and saw no chain, man I was gutted, the last time
I broke a chain was when I was riding in the 60cc class, its
such a freak thing to happen. That's motocross though and
now I have to look forward to Spain because today was not
my day."
Julien Bill - Martin Honda
"I didn't have such a good lap time in Saturday's qualifying
time and I was only 16th but I knew that with a good start
I could get a good result. Unfortunately I didn't get such
a good start in the first moto and then I crashed on the second
lap and twisted my handlebar. I couldn't ride as I wanted
to and I didn't finish in the points.”
"In moto two I started right on the outside and I got
a great start but I had a problem with my tear-offs - I couldn't
pull them - and I was struggling to see the ruts so well.
I was actually riding better than in the first race but still
not fast enough. I crashed a couple of times and finished
out of the points again. Next time will be much better, I'm
a better hardpack rider and I'll be up with the front guys
in Spain for sure."
World Superbike and World Supersport 2008
Round 01, Grand Prix of Benelux - VALKENSWAARD, Netherlands
MX1 Race 1
1 de Dycker, Ken (Suzuki)
2 Nagl, Maximilian (KTM)
3 Ramon, Steve (Suzuki)
4 Philippaerts, David (Yamaha)
5 Priem, Manuel (Kawasaki)
6 Coppins, Joshua (Yamaha)
7 Strijbos, Kevin (Kawasaki)
8 de Reuver, Marc (Honda)
9 Nemeth, Kornel (KTM)
10 Mackenzie, Billy (Honda)
11 Leok, Tanel (Kawasaki)
12 Leok, Aigar (Yamaha)
13 Verhoeven, Bas (Kawasaki)
14 van Daele, Marvin (Suzuki)
15 Brown, Mike (Honda)
MX1 Race 2
1 de Dycker, Ken (Suzuki)
2 Mackenzie, Billy (Honda)
3 Barragan, Jonathan (KTM)
4 Ramon, Steve (Suzuki)
5 Nagl, Maximilian (KTM)
6 Philippaerts, David (Yamaha)
7 Coppins, Joshua (Yamaha)
8 Priem, Manuel (Kawasaki)
9 Nemeth, Kornel (KTM)
10 Leok, Aigar (Yamaha)
11 Desalle, Clement (Suzuki)
12 Schiffer, Marcus (KTM)
13 Brown, Mike (Honda)
14 Strijbos, Kevin (Kawasaki)
15 Church, Tom (Kawasaki)
MX2 Race 1
1 Rattray, Tyla (KTM)
2 Cairoli, Antonio (Yamaha)
3 Searle, Tommy (KTM)
4 Eggens, Erik (Suzuki)
5 Simpson, Shaun (KTM)
6 Goncalves, Rui (KTM)
7 van Horebeek, Jeremy (KTM)
8 Boog, Xavier (Suzuki)
9 Aubin, Nicolas (Yamaha)
10 Roelants, Joel (KTM)
11 Tarroux, Jeremy (KTM)
12 Boissiere, Anthony (KTM)
13 Krestinov, Gert (KTM)
14 van de Ven, Rinus (KTM)
15 Guarneri, Davide (Yamaha)
MX2 Race 2
1 Rattray, Tyla (KTM)
2 Cairoli, Antonio (Yamaha)
3 Eggens, Erik (Suzuki)
4 Goncalves, Rui (KTM)
5 Searle, Tommy (KTM)
6 Aubin, Nicolas (Yamaha)
7 Sword, Stephen (Kawasaki)
8 Boog, Xavier (Suzuki)
9 Simpson, Shaun (KTM)
10 Roelants, Joel (KTM)
11 Guarneri, Davide (Yamaha)
12 Monni, Manuel (Yamaha)
13 Kras, Mike (Suzuki)
14 van Horebeek, Jeremy (KTM)
15 Paulin, Gautier (Kawasaki)
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