Rattray and Searle take minor podium places in Mantova
 Red
Bull KTM factory rider Tyla Rattray of South Africa overcame
flu to race to second podium place in the Grand Prix of Italy
on the sandy Mantova circuit on Sunday while teammate Tommy
Searle was third.
Despite a formidable finish by title holder Antonio Cairoli
of Italy in the second MX2 race of the day, Tyla was able
to amass 42 championship points to keep ownership of the coveted
red number plate as the championship leader. After five rounds,
Rattray now has 199 points, a mere three point lead on his
arch rival, while Tommy Searle, his Red Bull KTM factory teammate
is close behind with 191 points. Searle finished third in
Mantova.
Tyla keeps leader's Red Number Plate
"I'm very happy to still have the red number plate,"
Tyla said after the race. "Today I started to feel better
after having had the flu this week and my results were quite
ok. The track was very bumpy from the rain and we had to work
on the bike's settings." Tyla was third in heat one and
said that was because he was behind Cairoli when the Italian
crashed and he lost time because of the incident. "I
got a good start in the second heat but I took the first corner
a bit too wide and I got overtaken." With rain falling
and the track getting cut up, Rattray said he didn't want
to push too hard in the second heat and take any unnecessary
risks. He finished behind Cairoli but in front of teammate
Searle in heat two, a result he said was "fine for me".
Searle hampered with arm pain in heat one
Tommy Searle was hampered with arm pain in the first heat
and was quite satisfied with his fourth place. "I made
some mistakes and just tried to stay on the bike," he
said. "I did try to catch Tyla and Cairoli in the second
heat but I wasn't able to manage it. Also the track was ruined
after all the rain at the weekend." Tommy will now return
to the UK for some concentrated training ahead of his home
GP in two week's time.
Shaun Simpson of KTM UK finished fifth, KTM rider Jeremy van
Horebeek of Belgium and GP Juniors Team Champ, finished seventh,
one place ahead of the third Red Bull KTM factory rider, Rui
Goncalves of Portugal.
Rui Goncalves satisfied with rhythm
Rui Goncalves, who celebrated his birthday on Saturday at
the track-side Red Bull Energy Station, said that even though
he finished in overall eighth position he was happy with his
riding and rhythm on the Mantova circuit. "I crashed
twice in the second heat and I had to go into the pit lane
and try to straighten my handlebars so I lost quite a lot
of time," he said. "Overall I am quite satisfied.
I am still working well with Stefan Everts (Red Bull KTM Team
manager) and my mechanics."
GP Results
1. Antonio Cairoli, Italy, Yamaha
2. Tyla Rattray, South Africa, KTM
3. Tommy Searle, Britain, KTM
4. Nicolas Aubin, France, Yamaha
5. Shaun Simpson, Britain, KTM
Other KTM
7. Jeremy van Horebeek, Belgium, KTM
8. Rui Goncalves, Portugal, KTM
14. Anthony Boissiere, France, KTM
17. Jeremy Tarroux, France, KTM
Standings
1. Tyla Rattray, South Africa, KTM, 199 points
2. Antonio Cairoli, Italy, Yamaha, 196
3. Tommy Searle, Britain, KTM, 191
4. Nicolas Aubin, France, Yamaha, 146
5. Rui Goncalves, Portugal, KTM 132
Other KTM
6. Shaun Simpson, Britain, KTM, 124
8. Jeremy van Horebeek, Belgium, KTM, 109
13. Anthony Boissiere, France, KTM, 63
15. Joel Roelants, Belgium, KTM, 54
19. Jeremy Tarroux, France, KTM, 46
Nagl wins second MX1 heat at Italian GP
Red Bull KTM factory rider Max Nagl of Germany was on top
form in the second race of the MX1 Grand Prix of Italy in
Mantova on Sunday to be first past the checkered flag ahead
of David Philippaerts and Marc de Reuver.
On a day where rain attacked the track in the second half
of the MX1 competition, Nagl put in one of his most impressive
performances for the current season for overall fifth place
on the day. It was a significant improvement on his twelfth
ranking in the first race and the first time since joining
the MX1 class that he had lead the rest of the field home.
Double holeshot for Nagl in Mantova
"I got the holeshot in the first heat but I was a bit
late in the break so I got passed in the first corner. Then
I was tucked in behind Ramon and I couldn't see the line and
I crashed. Then I had to work my way back from the back of
the pack and I couldn't manage better than twelfth,"
Nagl said. He again took the holeshot in the second heat and
although he was passed by Josh Coppins in the early stage
be managed to retake the lead, got out in front and stayed
there. Clearly satisfied with his ride in the second heat,
Nagl said that the track had got very rough and cut up due
to the rain that fell, particularly at the start of the second
MX2 race.
KTM team boss Stefan Everts has declared 2008 a learning and
experience season for Nagl, who is riding for the Red Bull
KTM factory team for the first time in 2008.
Overall GP Results
1. Marc de Reuver, Netherlands, Honda
2. Sebastien Pourcel, France, Kawasaki
3. David Philippaerts, Italy, Yamaha
4. Ken de Dyker, Belgium, Suzuki
5. Max Nagl, Germany, KTM
Other KTM
10. Marcus Schiffer, Germany, KTM
13. Kornel Nemeth, Hungary, KTM
16. Jonathan Barragan, Spain, KTM
Standings
1. David Philippaerts, Italy, Yamaha, 187 points
2. Steve Ramon, Belgium, 159
3. Josh Coppins, New Zealand, Yamaha, 149
4. Ken de Dyker, Belgium, Suzuki, 135
5. Billy Mackenzie, Britain, Honda, 130
Other KTM
8. Max Nagl, Germany, KTM, 114
9. Jonathan Barragan, Spain, KTM, 105
11. Kornel Nemeth, Hungary, KTM, 74
15. Marcus Schiffer, Germany, KTM, 59
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