THE GP WINNERS KEEP ON WINNING-JULY 9
With the 250 class taking a weekend off (so they can sail to Brazil for next weekend) the 125 and 500 classes took center stage. There were no surprises as the points leaders and regular winners continued on. Joel Smets steamrolled to another 500 GP win, while Grant Langston lengthened his lead in the 125 class.
125 GP OF AUSTRIA
South African Grant Langston extended his points lead even further over rivals James Dobb and Mike Brown. Langston’s 1-1 in Austria pleased his KTM bosses and opened his points lead up to 44 points over James Dobb and 64 points over Mike Brown. Brown finished second overall in Austria with a 4-2, Dobb was third (3-5), Steve Ramon fourth (7-3) and Luigi Seguy fifth (2-9).
Brown led the American contingent with a second overall while Scott Sheak was 12th and Trampas Parker 14th. Bader Manneh (29-28) finished out of the points and Jeff Dement did not race.ÿ
500 GP OF GREAT BRITAIN
On his way to breaking the record for the most GP wins in a single season, Joel Smets won again. England was Smets’ eighth win so far this year. The record for the most wins in a single class is ten wins by Harry Everts in the 1979 125 World Championships (Everts also won a 250 GP that year, but was not credited with the win because he was riding outside of his class). With five rounds to go and very little competition in sight, Smets should shatter Everts’ record.
Second in the 500 GP was Marnicq Bervoets with a 2-2, followed by Peter Johansson, Andrea Bartolini, Darryl King and Gert Jan Van Doorn. Gordon Crockard who won a 250 GP earlier this season showed up at the British 500 GP (it was a week off for the 250 riders) and finished seventh. In fact, Crockard did even better than that, he finished third in the first moto for an impressive debut in the 500 class. Unfortunately, Crockard failed to finish the second moto.
Smets has an 86 point lead over Bervoets, 115 points on Johansson and 116 point on current 500 World Champion Andrea Bartolini.
RESULTS: 125 GP OF AUSTRIA
1. Grant Langston…1-1
2. Mike Brown…4-2
3. James Dobb…3-5
4. Steve Ramon…7-3
5. Luigi Seguy…2-9
6. Stephen Sword…9-6
7. Alessandro Puzar…9-4
8. Daniele Bricca…8-11
9. Kenneth Gundersen…13-8
10. Philippe Dupasquier…5-11
RESULTS: 500 GP OF ENGLAND
(after 10 of 15 events)
1. Joel Smets…1-1
2. Marnicq Bervoets…2-2ÿ
3. Peter Johansson…5-3
4. Andrea Bartolini…4-4
5. Darryl King…6-5
6. Gert Jan Van Doorn..7-7
7. Gordon Crockard…3-31ÿ
8. Christian Burnham…11-9
9. Marcel van Drunen…9-12ÿ
10. Willie van Wessel…8-13
Click here for complete GP standings!
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