MX2 Red Bull KTM factory riders in top form ahead of Belgian
GP
Red Bull KTM factory riders Tyla Rattray, Tommy Searle and
Rui Goncalves were all in top form on the deep sand of Lommel
on Saturday, delivering impressive results ahead of Sunday's
MX2 GP of Belgium.
Tyla, owner of the red plate as championship leader won the
first qualifier with team-mate Rui Goncalves and KTM riding
Shaun Simpson mopping up the minor places.
Tyla saves energy for what yould be a tough race
"I enjoyed the track today and the race even though the
track got a bit rough in the second half of the race,"
said Rattray of South Africa. "This is deep sand and
it can be rough tomorrow so today I didn't want to push too
hard. I wanted to save some energy for tomorrow because it
is going to be a hard race."
Searle second but confident
Tommy Searle was also confident. He was second in the second
qualifying, which he had been leading before a crash knocked
him down the order to second. "This is a very nice track
and everything went well right from this morning," Tommy
said. "I was in the lead but then I lost the front wheel
and crashed and the bike stalled so in the end I wasn't able
to do any better than second." Tyla and Tommy are leading
the world championship standings and now that the other title
contender Antonio Cairoli of Italy has undergone surgery for
a knee injury, it is a two-man race for the title.
Goncalves reports good feeling ahead of Belgian GP
Rui Goncalves, the third rider in the Red Bull Factory Team
was also in good form and paid tribute to the team for their
support of him through the season. "It was good for me
today and right from this morning I had the feeling that it
was going to be a good day. Both the track and the bike are
perfect and I was able to concentrate well and put in some
good lap times. I'll try to do the same tomorrow," he
said.
KTM-supported Krestov wins Qualifying race two on
his birthday
In what was an impressive day's racing for the Austrian-made
bikes, KTM-supported rider Gert Krestov of Estonia was in
excellent form to win race two ahead of Searle. It was his
eighteenth birthday and an excellent boost to his confidence
ahead of Sunday's GP. "I came here pumped and everything
went well for me. It was the best birthday present I could
wish for," the young rider said.
Red Bull KTM Factory Team for 2009
KTM's Offroad Racing Director Pit Beirer and factory team
boss Stefan Everts held a press conference after Saturday's
activities to announce the MX2 factory team for 2009. Rui
Goncalves is being joined in the MX2 team by Britain's Shaun
Simpson, who has been riding with considerable success in
2008 for KTM UK. Tyla Rattray is moving up to the Red Bull
KTM MX1 team to join Max Nagl while Tommy Searle moves to
the USA to ride in the Nationals in his first year of a two
year contract with KTM USA. Beirer paid tribute to Tommy saying
that although the team was sorry to lose him, they respected
his wish to ride in the USA and intended to continue to supporting
him in and way possible.
MX2 Qualifying race one,
1. Tyla Rattray, South Afica, KTM
2. Rui Goncalves, Portugal, KTM
3. Shaun Simpson, Britain, KTM
4. Jeremy van Horebeek, Belgium, KTM
5. Erik Eggens, Netherlands, Suzuki
Other KTM
10. Jeremy Tarroux, France, KTM
11. Anthony Boissiere, France, KTM
Qualifying race two
1. Gert Krestov, Estonia, KTM
2. Tommy Searle, Britain, KTM
3. Joel Roelants, Belgium, KTM
4. Nicholas Aubin, France, Yamaha
5. Marvin Musquin, France, Honda
02.08.2008
Red Bull KTM's Nagl ready to tackle Lommel's deep sand
Red Bull KTM factory rider Max Nagl joined Team Silver Action's
KTM rider Jonathan Barragan in places eighth and seventh in
MX1 Time Practice at Lommel, Belgium.
Nagl and Barragan have been in excellent form and at jsut
about one second of the leader's pace on Saturday, are more
than capable of a top place in Sunday's Belgian GP.
Nagl at home in Lommel
"I like the track a lot and this is like a home GP for
me," Nagl said. The German rider now lives in Belgium
and only about 10 minutes from the famous Lommel race track.
"I was eighth but just a second off the pace of the top
rider so tomorrow I will be going for the holeshot in both
races. If I can get into a good rhythm I'm confident that
I can finish in the top five in both races tomorrow,"
he said.
KTM Factory Team for 2009
Following Saturday's qualifying, KTM gave a press conference
at Lommel to announce the factory team for 2009. KTM's Offroad
Racing Director Pit Beirer and the Red Bull KTM Factory Team
boss Stefan Everts announced to the media that Nagl will continue
to ride for the factory team in 2009. he will be joined by
Tyla Rattray, who moves up to MX1 from MX2, where he is one
of the title favourites.
MX1 Time Practice
1. Marc de Reuver, Netherlands, Honda
2. Ken de Dyker, Belgium, Suzuki
3. Sebastien Pourcel, France, Kawasaki
4. Tanel Leok, Estonia, Kawasaki
5. Steven Ramon, Belgium, Suzuki
7. Jonathan Barragan, Spain, KTM
8. Max Nagl, Germany, KTM
9. Kornel Nemeth, Hungary, KTM
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