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2005 WORLD MX

2005 WORLD MX: Round 6 of 17, May 29, 2005 - Sugo, Japan

• Grand Prix of Japan
• NEW EVENT
• Crowd: 25000
• Weather: Cloudy; temp: 17ºC
• Circuit: Sugo, owned by Yamaha

SCHEDULE:

• Practices: Saturday 9.30 am
• Qualifying: Saturday 2 - 5pm
• Race: Sunday
• MX2 races 12.05 and 3.02 pm
• MX1 races 1.05 pm and 4.05 pm

2005 RACE RESULT - MX1 JAPAN

MX1 MOTO1

• 1 M. Pichon Honda FRA 40' 13.957
  2 S. Everts Yamaha BEL +3.373
  3 B. Townley KTM NZL +6.215
  “I had a reasonable start in the first race and came through pretty well. I got into Stefan’s back wheel and I guess I got into his rhythm a bit too much as I didn’t really progress and pass him. The second race was just chaos in the first lap. I lost a few positions but then slowly moved my way up. From there I had an awesome ride and was making up good time on Pichon and Everts. After I got by Pichon I was focussing on Everts and had him set up but with three laps to go my race was over!”
  4 J. Coppins Honda NZL +38.283
  “My starts were pretty good all weekend although there was quite a bit of bumping in the first turn. I didn’t feel so comfortable in the first heat and suffered from a bit of arm pump. We made some good changes to the suspension and the bike for the second race which helped me a lot. The racing was quite exciting in front of me with Townley, Pichon and Everts. I managed to close the gap but Smets was really difficult to get past. I hit his back wheel with four laps to go and that was basically my race over. I was a little bit disappointed that I couldn’t stay in the race until the end but I guess I have to work even harder if I want to be up there with them"
  5 S. Ramon KTM BEL +42.803
  6 J. Smets Suzuki BEL +44.462
  7 B. Jorgensen Yamaha DNK
  8 D. Theybers Suzuki BEL
  9 J. Noble Honda GBR
  10 K. De Dijcker Honda BEL
  11 Pyrhonen 12 Cooper 13 Leok 14 Kornel 15 Leuret

MX1 MOTO 2

• 1 S. Everts Yamaha BEL 39' 12.092
  2 J. Smets Suzuki BEL +1.621
  3 M. Pichon Honda FRA +2.500
  4 J. Coppins Honda NZL +24.096
  5 J. Noble Honda GBR +30.399
  6 T. Leok Kawasaki EST +42.049
  7 K. De Dijcker Honda BEL
  8 S. Ramon KTM BEL
  9 Y. Atsuta Suzuki JPN
  10 D. Theybers Suzuki BEL
  11 Leuret 12 Van Daele 13 Cooper 14 Kornel 15 Hucklebridge

MX2 MOTO 1

• 1 A. Cairoli Yamaha ITA 40' 14.858
  2 B. MacKenzie Yamaha GBR +6.919
  3 C. Melotte Yamaha BEL +8.212
  4 A. McFarlane Yamaha AUS +13.857
  5 S. Sword Kawasaki GBR +21.832
  6 M. Maschio Yamaha FRA +23.538
  7 A. Chiodi Yamaha ITA
  8 D. Philippaerts KTM ITA
  9 D. Guarneri Yamaha ITA
  10 M. Bonini Honda ITA

MX2 MOTO 2

• 1 B. MacKenzie Yamaha GBR 39' 35.772
  2 S. Sword Kawasaki GBR +10.779
  3 C. Melotte Yamaha BEL +15.383
  4 A. Cairoli Yamaha ITA +21.254
  5 A. Chiodi Yamaha ITA +22.973
  6 R. Goncalves Yamaha POR +24,655.000
  7 E. Eggens Honda NED
  8 A. Leok KTM EST
  9 A. McFarlane Yamaha AUS
  10 P. Caps Honda BEL

YAMAHA REPORT:

MX1 : Everts takes Sugo

• Stefan Everts has won his fourth race of the season today at the Sugo circuit for the Grand Prix of Japan, the sixth round of the 2005 FIM MX1 Motocross World Championship. The reigning number one stretched his lead in the standings by two further points over main title rival Mickael Pichon and celebrated careers success number eighty-three.
• Nearly 25,000 fans crowded the facility located 30km from the city of Sendai and owned by Yamaha, braving colder temperatures and grey skies compared to the summery conditions on Saturday. The organisation of the event was first class and the Sugo terrain was excellently prepared that permitted some exciting and creative racing. For the first MX1 moto Everts passed L&M team-mate Jorgensen in the second corner and led for half of the opening lap before engaging in a brief tussle with Mickael Pichon. The Frenchman was able to pull away at the front despite the best efforts of the World Champion and the Belgian completed a lonely ride in second spot ahead of KTM's Ben Townley. Jorgensen dropped back to eighth fighting the debilitating effects of arm-pump but rallied to pass Suzuki's Danny Theybers for seventh five laps before the flag.
• The second moto was easily the best of the season and perhaps for the last few years. Everts was part of a five rider group that circulated within a three second 'blanket' and had to fight for the lead with Pichon and Ben Townley. Fronting the jostling pack and doing his best to resist the desperate attention of Townley entering the last five laps, Everts was afforded a break when the KTM's engine expired and he stretched his advantage over Pichon and Suzuki's Joel Smets to several seconds. Coupled with his second place in race one it was enough for yet another Everts/Rinaldi overall winner's trophy.
• Jorgensen was only able to score eighteenth position after a crash entering the downhill right turn before the whoops on the first lap left him last. The Dane is trying to find his race speed in both a physical and mental sense after a series of health problems ranging from a concussion after a heavy crash in Portugal to a stomach illness and lately a kidney infection post-Teutschenthal, have taken their toll on his conditioning. In his quest for a record ninth World Championship Everts now leads the standings by eleven points from Pichon and forty-seven over Joel Smets in third. Jorgensen is eighth, eleven points from James Noble in seventh. Claudio Federici and Luigi Seguy did not travel to the race while Yamaha Uk Race Team rider Gordon Crockard is hopeful of a return to action late July.
• The riders and teams now face a quick dash back to the west as round seven takes place in just seven days time at Matchams Park and the British Grand Prix.
• Stefan Everts (L&M Yamaha Team) - Overall winner
  "In one way I was a little bit relieved that Mickael won the first moto because I was ready to see what would happen in the second race. I tried really hard to turn things around in the first heat but I couldn't catch Mickael who was riding really well and had some good lines, and I had to be satisfied with second place. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose and that was the case in the first moto. I knew what I had to do later in the afternoon and kept the pressure on Mickael from the first lap and at one point managed to pass him. I won my first title in Japan and also the last GP here in 1995 at Suzuka and now I have won here. I am so happy for Yamaha because I think this is one of the most important days of the year for them and to win it in such a spectacular way is great. The fans won't forget this Grand Prix in a hurry."
• Brian Jorgensen (L&M Yamaha Team) - Thirteenth overall
  "I tried to push really hard and take good starts but I am not able to get it together at the moment. I don't want to make excuses but perhaps after all the little injury and illness problems I have had my confidence and form is not quite right. I find it hard to change lines. It is frustrating me so much because I train so hard all winter and now I am struggling to get back my strength. In the first race made a really good start but I could not move forwards. I got arm-pump because I tried to push and ended up being too slow then panicking thinking 'What should I do?'. I had to take the race as it came. I started great in the second moto but then made that silly mistake next to the whoops defending the inside line. I need to work out something for myself quickly. The real shame is that there are not many people in the field who can take holeshots and I am confident that I can do it but at the moment I can't stay with the guys."

KTM / TOWNLEY REPORT: MX1

Townley devastated in Sugo.

• New Zealand’s MX world champ, Ben Townley, was devastated not to win the Japanese MX1 GP in Sugo today. The Kiwi phenom was impressive all weekend and was determined to challenge for what would have been his second GP victory of the season however, the twenty-year-old’s goal of winning his first ever Japanese GP was shattered after his engine gave in during the final laps of what will be remembered as one of the most exciting MX1 GP for years to come.
• Townley’s first race of the day started off quite well with the factory KTM weaving its way into the top three in the opening stages of the race. Townley closed down the leading duo of Michael Pichon and Stefan Everts and a three way battle ensued. Pichon managed to pull a slight lead, leaving Everts to fend off a charging Townley. A last minute charge had the crowd on their feet as the younger Townley had closed down Everts and was looking for a way to pass. Townley made a last minute effort in the timing whoops section but a small error gave Everts the breathing room he needed to finish just ahead in second, while BT was not conent with ending third.
• Determined not to let Everts and Pichon get the better of him in the second race, BT came charging through the pack after a first corner altercation. He experienced some resistance from veteran, Joel Smets, although the former Belgian world champ was riding on the limit and looked like he would bite the dust any second. Townley finally made his move and was on his way to catch Pichon and Everts. Roles had been reversed this time and with Pichon in second position, BT targeted the Frenchman first. After setting Pichon up, he executed a magnificent pass and was into second position and breathing down Everts’ neck. Over twenty thousand Japanese spectators were in awe of the young challenger who was now neck and neck with the eight times world champion. As Townley was set to make a move, his bike gave up all life and a devastated Townley was forced to the side of the track. All hopes of a GP victory in Japan were gone!
• “I had a reasonable start in the first race and came through pretty well. I got into Stefan’s back wheel and I guess I got into his rhythm a bit too much as I didn’t really progress and pass him. The second race was just chaos in the first lap. I lost a few positions but then slowly moved my way up. From there I had an awesome ride and was making up good time on Pichon and Everts. After I got by Pichon I was focussing on Everts and had him set up but with three laps to go my race was over!” explained Townley.
• One consolation for Townley was the excellent organisation and friendliness of the Japanese nation. Said Townley: “The atmosphere this weekend was awesome. The track was great and it just goes to show how a well prepared circuit can contribute to making exciting racing. The Japanese people are so respectful and I hope that the GP series will continue to return here every year.”

HONDA / COPPINS REPORT: MX1

Coppins misses out on Japanese podium.

• An Eager 24600 spectators turned out to watch the Japanese GP at the spectacular Sugo circuit. CAS Honda star, Josh Coppins, was disappointed with his two, fourth place finishes – the Kiwi was looking for more than consistency to impress the Japanese.
• An almost certain hole-shot in race one was short-lived when the Dane, Brian Jorgensen, pushed Coppins aside to take the lead. After regaining his composure, Coppins moved back into fourth position but had lost touch with the leading trio.
• Lizzard rode a steady, consistent race and crossed the line in fourth.
• Looking to make more of an impression, Coppins lead the pack of charging riders going into the first turn but ran a bit too wide and had to give up a hand full of positions. He quickly caught on to the fast moving train consisting of Everts, Pichon, Townley and Smets. Coppins tried all he could to make his way past a swerving Smets and in the final minutes he went into the back of the Belgian and lost all his momentum. After fellow countryman, Townley was sidelined with technical problems, Coppins crossed the finish line for yet another fourth position.
• “My starts were pretty good all weekend although there was quite a bit of bumping in the first turn. I didn’t feel so comfortable in the first heat and suffered from a bit of arm pump. We made some good changes to the suspension and the bike for the second race which helped me a lot. The racing was quite exciting in front of me with Townley, Pichon and Everts. I managed to close the gap but Smets was really difficult to get past. I hit his back wheel with four laps to go and that was basically my race over. I was a little bit disappointed that I couldn’t stay in the race until the end but I guess I have to work even harder if I want to be up there with them,” explained Coppins.

YAMAHA REPORT:

MX2 : MacKenzie tops all Yamaha podium

Yamaha UK Race Team's Billy Mackenzie has taken his first ever overall victory this afternoon at the Sugo motocross circuit for the sixth round of seventeen in the 2005 FIM Motocross World Championship; the Grand Prix of Japan.

• The fifth different victor in six MX2 GPs, the fifth consecutive for Yamaha and another all-Yamaha podium rounded off a good day for the manufacturer at their home circuit. Yamaha riders also filled seven of the top eight positions at the impressively realised flyaway round; the first visit by the World series to Japan since 1995.
• Grey skies and low temperatures greeted a total weekend crowd of almost 25,000 people at the venue reasonably close to the city of Sendai and the well-prepared and maintained terrain afforded opportunities for some entertaining racing. Similar to his disappearing act during the second moto in Spain, Mackenzie was clearly the fastest rider on the Japanese inclines, despite a heavy practice crash Saturday morning that left the Scot slightly dazed.
• Mackenzie pushed past Mickael Maschio and Antonio Cairoli on the opening lap of the first moto to stretch out a five second margin over his Italian rival. A mistake ten minutes later when he caught the left side of the Yamaha on a bank allowed the Italian to close and swiftly pass the 21 year old on the following laps. Cairoli upped his speed to establish a gap of seven seconds by the chequered flag while Mackenzie fended off the closing Cedric Melotte. Andrew McFarlane was able to keep Kawasaki's Stephen Sword at bay in fourth. Alessio Chiodi has been suffering from illness in the last week and his lack of fitness showed by taking the edge off his speed. A seventh in race one would be improved upon with a fifth in race two, giving a fifth overall, three places behind his countryman and title rival Cairoli. As he is prone to doing, 'number 3' suffered a poor start in the second moto and had to work to pass Davide Guarneri and Chiodi. By the time he was up to fourth Melotte was a healthy distance adrift in third with Mackenzie having escaped and Sword a very weak shadow in second.
• Winner of the last two Grand Prix in Namur and Teutschenthal, Andrew McFarlane was not able to stamp the same level of authority on proceedings and a second moto crash meant he was aiming for damage limitation with points, just breaking into the top ten. Mackenzie's win, from Cairoli and Melotte overall, represents the first by a British rider in over a year. It also pushes him closer to the battle for the top five in the Championship standings which is headed by Cairoli with a further seven Yamaha riders in the top ten.
• Round seven is barely a week away as the British Grand Prix at Matchams Park represents the second of three consecutive races.
• Billy Mackenzie (Bike it Yamaha Racing) - Overall winner
  "It is always a good thing to win here in Japan especially at Sugo which is owned by Yamaha. I am really happy. We had a lot of Japanese mechanics interested in the team this weekend and I am glad that I could repay that interest! I made some real quick lap-times at the start of the first moto and pulled away and had a six second lead after four or five laps. I was riding a bit tense and was struggling with my breathing. I made a mistake at the top of the circuit but pulled the clutch in and kept it running. Cairoli was right behind and put the pressure on. I had lost my rhythm and the inevitable happened, I couldn't really do anything. I knew my speed was good and I felt great on the bike so in the second race I got the holeshot. I again went for those fast laps and concentrated on stringing them together. It was an awesome race. With ten minutes to go I started to get a bit of a sweat on! I had to tell myself to brief again but I am really happy to win. The weather did not help me in Namur and Teutschenthal but now I will be looking for more victories."
• Antonio Cairoli (Team Yamaha De carli) - Second overall
  "Billy was really fast in the first part of the first moto. I stayed behind him to watch his lines but I could see that we were more or less using the same. I kept pushing until he made the mistake and I got near. I thought he might be a bit tired so it was time to take advantage and make a gap to win the race. In the second heat I lost positions in the first corner. I then used a lot of time to pass Chicco because he is very experienced and it is hard to overtake him. My goggles fogged up which did not help. I was too far from Melotte by the time I passed Chicco but this is a good result for the Championship!"
• Cédric Melotte (L&M Yamaha Team) - Third overall
  "I am still not satisfied with my starts, which are not good enough, but I am still quite happy with the GP because I was always around seventh or eighth at the start and could come back to the top three. I used a lot of energy in the first race and got tired in the second, I could not push anymore. My hand that I injured in Portugal is taking a long time to heal to 100%. The organisation here was really good and this was the best track of the season so far."
• Alessio Chiodi (Ricci Racing) - Fifth overall
  "Finally this race was not too bad as I have been sick all week. I was only able to ride a little bit after Teutschenthal and have not cycled or ran. I was poorly last weekend and with my low condition and jet-leg I was not well prepared for this GP. In the circumstances it could have been worse and I still took some points."
• Andrew McFarlane (Ricci Racing) - Sixth overall
  "I felt good in the first moto but it was not an easy track. I suffered really badly with arm pump yesterday. I was coming back well in that race and just ran out of time basically, which was a shame as I was catching Melotte. In the second moto I started OK and Mackenzie pulled away from me as he was riding really well. I then just lost the back end coming out of the whoops. It put me off my rhythm and I struggled the whole race. I am disappointed because I had Chicco and Cairoli behind me. That's the way it goes. Now I will go home and prepare to take a good result in England."