BRITISH 250 MOTOCROSS GRAND PRIX: ROCZEN PERFECT AGAIN; JEFFREY HERLINGS FALTERS; EVERYONE ELSE MATHEMATICALLY ELIMINATED

On Aug 22, 2011

With only two GPs left, Ken Roczen has a 47 point lead over Jeffrey Herlings. Photo: Ray Archer

With apparent ease Red Bull Teka KTM rider Ken Roczen took another overall double in the sunshine at matterly Basin, England, to edge ever closer to the 250 world title as his nearest challenger and teammate Jeffrey Herlings could only muster third.

It was home rider Tommy Searle on the Monster Energy CLS Pro Circuit Kawasaki who was the closest overall to the speed of Roczen and a fighting third in race one ahead of Gautier Paulin gave the home crowd something to cheer about and hope for a closer fight with Roczen in moto two. But their hopes were dashed as the young German took his second holeshot of the day and simply rode away from the rest of the field. Searle gave chase behind a revitalised Jeffrey Herlings, but neither had the pace of the number 94 rider. Joel Roelants was looking good for his first podium of the season after a second place in the first moto, but bike problems struck in race two and his retirement gifted the last place on the box to Herlings.

BRITISH GRAND PRIX: 250 RESULTS
1. Ken Roczen…1-1
2. Tommy Searle…2-2
3. Gautier Paulin…4-4
4. Jeffrey Herlings…7-3
5. Arnaud Tonus…9-5
6. Jake Nicholls…8-6
7. Christophe Charlier…11-7
8. Max Anstie…10-8
9. Jordi Tixier…12-9
10. Joel Roelants…3-28
11. Harri Kullas…13-10
12. Valentin Teillet…5-29
13. Nicolas Aubin…14-13
14. Jeremy van Horebeek…6-31
15. Pascal Rauchenecker…17-12
Other notables: 16. Jose Butron (34-11); 17. Filip Bengtsson (19-15); Petar Petrov (18-16); 20. Elliott Banks-Browne (15-35).

Jeremy van Horebeek missed races early in thre seaosn with injuries, but has crept into the top 15 in 250 points. Photo: Ray Archer

250 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS STANDINGS
(After 13 of 15 events)
1. Ken Roczen…590
2. Jeffrey Herlings…547
3. Tommy Searle…479
4. Gautier Paulin…425
5. Arnaud Tonus…353
6. Max Anstie…342
7. Zach Osborne…295
8. Harri Kullas…287
9. Nicolas Aubin…242
10. Joel Roelants…226
11. Christophe Charlier…203
12. Jake Nicholls…193
13. Jordi Tixier…171
14. Jeremy van Horebeek…133
15. Jose Butron…128

450 CLASS:

A red flag and a restarted second moto were key in an overall victory for current championship leader Antonio Cairoli as uncharacteristic poor starts in both motos saw him struggling mid pack before eventually nailing his pace to take the win in a restarted moto two.

Indeed, the overall victory nearly went to Christophe Pourcel on the Monster Energy CLS Kawasaki KX450F after he shot ahead of Stephen Frossard and Cairoli in race one to take a typically relaxed win, but it was race two that set the tone for the overall results. The second moto was led by hometown hero Shaun Simpson on the LS Honda before Yamaha’s Steven Frossard took over (repalcement Monster Energy Yamaha rider Carlos Campano was in third ahead of Davide Guaneri after Pourcel had crashed out on lap one). A huge crash for British rider Billy Mackenzie and TM rider Tanel Leok brought out the red flag just under half distance to set the riders up for a full distance restart. Mackenzie and Leok were reportedly okay, but were taken to the hospital for a check up

On the restart. Cairoli got the holeshot, and once Frossard passed Pourcel for second the day was all but done for the top three. Cairoli only has to score points in the next round in Gaildorf in two weeks to clinch the 2011 450 world Championship.

Antonio Cairoli was helped on his way to the 2011 450 World Championship when Clement Desalle, Evgeny Bobryshev, David Philippaerts, Ken DeDycker and Steve Ramon got hurt. Then, this week Christophe Pourcel stepped up and pushed the last remaining cotnder, Steven Frossard, back to one place. Photo: Ray Archer

BRITISH GRAND PRIX: 450 RESULTS
1. Antonio Cairoli…3-1
2. Christophe Pourcel…1-3
3. Steven Frossard…2-2
4. Max Nagl…5-5
5. Brad Anderson…9-7
6. Jonathan Barragan…9-4
7. Anthony Boissiere…10-9
8. Davide Guarneri…8-11
9. Rui Goncalves…6-14
10. Carlos Campano…15-6
11. Kevin Strijbos…13-8
12. Gregory Aranda…12-12
13. Tanel Leok…4-DNF
14. Shaun Simpson…16-10
15. Billy Mackenzie…7-DNF
Other notables: 16. Xavier Boog (11-DNF); 18. Manuel Monni (19-15); 21. Gert Krestinov (20-18); 22. Tom Church (17-24); 23. Martin Barr (18-25).

When Evgeny Bobryshev missed the British GP with an injury, Max Nagl (2) moved into fourth in the 450 points. Photo: Ray Archer

450 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS STANDINGS
(After 13 of 15 events)
1. Antonio Cairoli…554
2. Steven Frossard…472
3. Clement Desalle…461
4. Max Nagl…410
5. Evgeny Bobryshev…387
6. Rui Goncalves…371
7. David Philippaerts…308
8. Jonathan Barragan…279
9. Xavier Boog…272
10. Ken de Dycker…268
11. Tanel Leok…247
11. Steve Ramon…229
13. Kevin Strijbos…225
14. Shaun Simpson…186
15. Anthony Boissiere…177