Round 6 of the world motocross champs in Portugal was gnarly and the final Supercross round of 2013 ended with a little German kid fulfilling his dream.

Ken Roczen: “I am so happy for this championship. It is the biggest championship I have ever won. I am so thankful for everyone on my team that has stood behind me this whole season and believed in me from the beginning. I finally got a great start and was able to get out front,” stated Roczen. “It felt great to see that number one plate on my bike while I was racing. It feels so great to get this win and my championship in the same night. This is really unforgettable.”

Dean Ferris: “This actually feels better than the first podium in Qatar because I was really sick there and couldn’t really soak up what it meant. This one is a bit more special. I’ve been coming back from injury and battling forward for the past six weeks and I’m pretty much fully fit now. I was in a tough battle throughout that whole second moto and that is probably the fittest I have ever felt in a Grand Prix. I actually messed up my start in the first moto and somehow ‘made it happen’ through the first two turns to end up second behind Jeffrey. I had broken away from third and had a few seconds over them when I had a silly tip-off in the turn before the step-up. It took me a while to get the bike up because the clutch lever was stuck in the ground. I was trying to keep it running. After that I couldn’t really get forward any more because there were about seven riders all going the same speed. I was pretty tough on myself afterwards because I had thrown away a lot of points and could have been a comfortable second but moto two was much better. The start helped and I tried to push hard to break away but must have made a big mistake somewhere because Tixier got very close for around fifteen to twenty minutes and it was very cat-and-mouse. Near the end he started being a bit defensive because Coldhenhoff was right with him and that gave me a bit of a gap. I was chasing my lap-times and watching the pit-board but I didn’t even know I was on the podium until I finished so it was a nice surprise with a 6-2.”

Marvin Musquin: “I gave it everything I had in the East 250SX main, and just came up a bike length short of the win. I was very tired in the shoot-out race after fighting so hard in the main so I wasn’t able to battle with my teammate for the win. I am happy that I was still able to get on the podium and I am very happy for Ken and his championship.”

Gautier Paulin: “It’s been a great result today and I’m really happy with my second MX1 victory and being able to battle with Cairoli. I feel I still have some room to improve and we are continuing to work hard with the team who are supporting me in every way possible. I want to continue with these results and be fighting for the victory at every GP.”

Max Nagl #12: 7th overall “In the first heat I had a really good start. I had a battle with van Horebeek and some other riders, which I could pass, and I finished fourth so I was really happy with that race. I was a bit tired, but not destroyed and I had a good recovery between the races. In the second moto I started quite well, but Tommy was on the right of me on the gate and his start was just a little better than mine. He wheelied, and we got stuck with my handlebar and his elbow, so I had to shut the throttle, otherwise we would have had a big crash. I braked early and turned inside, but I was only 14th, so there was a lot of work to do. In the first few laps I was really aggressive, and I’ve never passed so many riders in such a short time. I was pumped with that and with my riding, especially as they were fast riders I was getting by. I was following Philippaerts for some laps and he was pushing really hard. He made a mistake, so I passed him, but I was really tired. I had to just survive to the end, as there was too much of a gap to catch anyone, but from behind they were still pushing. The track was really gnarly with so many bumps, and it was incredibly difficult. From Bulgaria I’m pleased we could make an improvement; we changed my training programme to improve the speed and explosive aggression, which has worked. We need to continue in this way and do some long motos for the physical condition, but we are going in a good direction. We had some new engine parts this weekend from the factory and a new Termignoni exhaust, which has given us some more torque and made the bike even better, so everything is going in a good direction.”

Evgeny Bobryshev # 777: DNS “I was trying to ride yesterday and today, but I had a big crash in qualifying. I tried again in warm-up this morning, with the hope I would be okay, but there was quite a lot of pain. The track was so rough with deep lines, and it was a big risk for me to continue. We decided to stop, as I don’t want to make the injury worse and continue racing week-by-week with injury. For me it’s more important to come back stronger and be able to fight at the front, rather than riding at 30% just trying to get one point while risking making things worse. Brazil is an important race for Honda, and the goal is to go there. I’m going to be working as hard as I can to be able to come back strong for that race.”

Benoit Paturel: “I never felt comfortable on the track, even if I did the fourth fastest time in my group. I had a bad start in the qualifying race, but I tried to push hard but I only could finish eighth, which put me in the middle of the grid. I had to start between position 15 and 20, but I could not find my rhythm and stay in touch with the guys in front of me. As at the Italian GP or the MX of European Nations, I think I wanted to do too much and this blocked my mind, I have to work on this mental aspect. The championship level is as high as expected, but I think I’m able to ride at the same pace as the leaders. ”

David Herbreteau: “It was a tough weekend, in a very competitive championship. In the qualifying race I crashed twice, I was stuck a long time under my bike and this caused a bad starting position. On Sunday my start was not too bad, but I got stuck behind a crash at the first corner. Then during the race I had a very good rhythm and I was happy with my pace. Starting so far behind it was hard to do better than fifteenth.”

Rui Goncalves: “This weekend was not an easy one. My expectations were different than the outcome and of course I am disappointed that I wasn’t able to give a better result for my home crowd, I try get better from race to race and since we started so good, I’m sure that we will be back on track again, even though the result wasn’t what I would have wanted this weekend. I am very fortunate to have my team fighting with me. We discuss the race together and find solutions together and the feeling is very good – we push towards the same direction. My first start was good and I was even able to gain a few places during the first round. When half of the moto was done, I started to loose my rhythm due to arm pump, so I simply sat back a little bit and didn’t flight so hard against it this time. Naturally I lost a few places, but I wanted to see if it was easier to get back to the rhythm by controlling the problem in stead of trying to ignore it. And considering all it seemed to work and I was able to finish ninth.”

Tommy Searle: “We struggled a little bit to find the right bike settings this weekend, but we got there in the end and I was setting the best lap times for most of the second race. In the first moto I took a stone on the middle finger of my left hand; the ligament was broken so the race was tough but I managed to finish sixth. I was wondering if it would be OK for the second race, but the pain subsided after a couple of laps and I was able to charge to fourth place. The track here is always demanding, but it was much more difficult in the tight corners with a 450 than with a 250, particularly with my hand injury.”

Jeremy Van Horebeek: “I have mixed feelings about today, as I could have got better results, even if it was my best GP so far. I got two very good starts; in the first race I had some troubles with my arms, I’m not used to racing near the front this year but I finished fifth and was happy with this result. We made some changes to the front brake between the races as I had the feeling that something was not adjusted to perfection but in the end it was worse and I had no front brake after twenty-four minutes. But I showed everyone this weekend that I’m more and more comfortable on the 450, and I’m sure that I will get soon some top results.”

Santtu Tiainen: “I was quite happy about my riding on Saturday but I just got a bit unlucky today. In the second corner I sort of got stuck with Matiss Karro and twisted my knee. It was really, really painful! Still I managed to finish the race almost normally. We iced the knee in between the races and I received a painkilling injection. However the doctor adviced against starting in the second moto, franky it would have been stupid as well. I will get some more examinations done tomorrow, hopefully the damage will be okay.”

Christophe Charlier: “In the first race my start wasn’t good and I paid for this because it was hard to overtake away from the main line, which was the fastest. In the second moto I was away better and I was fifth and on my own for most of the time. I’m one point away from the podium; so close again. I’m getting impatient now and I want a trophy. The track was difficult today; very bumpy and extremely hard to overtake. Anyway another top five and I’ll keep looking at the overall picture of the championship positions.”

Nikolaj Larsen: “Already during free practice yesterday I went down and landed pretty hard. I tried to race but the pain was unbearable. Luckily the scan showed no broken bones, so probably It’s just a serious compression. I won the first round of the Danish championship two weeks ago and my speed was quite good in Germany last week so I was really looking forward to this GP. I’m really bummed about the situation but this is just part of racing.”

Dylan Ferrandis: “ I had a good feeling with this track right from the first practice session, and I qualified in fifth place. My start in the first race was great; I raced top six all race to finish fifth, even though I had some discomfort from pumped-up forearms as it’s the first the this season that I have been racing at the front of the pack. My second start was not as good but I made a lot of good passes on the first lap and had just passed Charlier before he jumped on my bike and my chain was broken with the impact. It’s frustrating, but I feel that I’m improving and I will soon be battling for podium results.”

Max Anstie: “Everything went well yesterday and I put in good times and we were third in both timed sessions; even when I went down in the qualification heat I was able to get up and move my way through. In both races I just felt like I was struggling. We didn’t get out of the gate and I don’t know why because we have been working so much on the start – it is all I have been doing during the week. On the track I felt like I was coming through OK but having to push very hard to pass. I made a few mistakes and went down in the second moto when I clipped some guy in the air. I was in the wrong place at the wrong time for a few moments today and it set me back. A shame; it could have been a much better weekend.”

Jeremy Seewer: “I’m happy with third in the first race but for sure the win would have been nicer. We have seven races to go so it was a solid way to start. I know I can do better and my goal is the title; top three overall for sure. I have to look towards Ernee and the Grand Prix of France now. The track was completely different today; yesterday it was dry and hard and because of the watering, it was deep and with many ruts. I didn’t struggle but there was just one good line in the morning and it was difficult to pass another rider.”

Brian Hsu: “My physical condition was good today but I had a stomach ache from the middle of the moto. I just kept going and tried to get as far as I could. I didn’t like the single moto final so much: It means just one chance. There is no second moto or second opportunity. Anyway, I’m enjoying the RM125 because there is plenty of power. With the 85 I was pushing the bike! I like the 125; it’s great for learning.”

Alessandro Lupino: “I felt good on the bike this weekend and had a good feeling with the track but I was unlucky and didn’t get the results I deserved. In the qualifying race I finished tenth even though I crashed on the last lap, but my start in the first race was not so good. However I fought back to seventh but then I missed a rut and crashed hard; it was tough to continue, as I was seeing stars for a few seconds. I went to the medical centre between the races and the examination showed that there is something wrong in my lung; maybe I have some water inside and I will go for further consultation this week. I was not feeling 100% for the second moto, but nevertheless I finished seventh.”

Jason Clermont: “I only tested the bike a few hours before coming here, and it was great to come back to the GPs on a good bike. I had good lap times in the races, but I need to improve my starts, to be faster in the corners and be more aggressive during the first few laps to get better results. I came from a long way back in both races to score points each time, and this was a demanding track to race for my return to the GPs.”

Ryan Dungey: “I just want to thank the Red Bull KTM Factory Team for their continued support this season. We were able to finish third overall in the championship, which is still something to be proud of. We will now focus on our next goal which is to defend our 450 Motocross Championship.”

Jimmy Decotis: “I’ve worked hard with the team since Bulgaria, but again this weekend I had difficulty with the track. I had the worst place on the grid and crashed during the opening lap of race one, then in race two I started last and finished twenty-first; for sure it’s not what I and the team are expecting but we’ll continue to work until we get there.”

Jeffrey Herlings: “This weekend I did my best and I worked hard on my starts. I took the three holeshots and was leading in every lap. The speed was unbelievable. I was as fast as the MX1 guys so I couldn’t ask for more.”

Jordi Tixier: “I struggled at some places on the track so I was not so happy with my riding. I missed the podium by one point but I didn’t get hurt when I crashed, I made some good points for the championship and I’m ready for the next GP in Brazil.”

Tony Cairoli: “Paulin was trying to attack all the time but I was still able to win. It’s a shame it wasn’t enough to win the GP but it was still good for the points and the championship.”

Clement Desalle: “What can I say? In the first moto I had good speed but I struggled the whole heat. I wasn’t relaxed and couldn’t find my rhythm. It was not so good, but also not so bad to finish third. In the next moto I was fourth at the start but it was the same thing: I was stuck behind Paulin and found it really difficult to pass. I couldn’t find a way, and Cairoli was just ahead. In the last two laps I said to myself ‘it’s now or never’. I did a good lap-time and got really close to Paulin but had a big crash in the braking bumps and now I have pain everywhere. I picked up the bike and could finish the race but my neck and back is painful. I was in the medical centre and they said I was OK but if tomorrow it is worse then I will go for a scan on Tuesday. I just went into that jump a bit faster than previous laps and the bumps kicked me over the top. I can’t remember if the bike hit me or not. It was a hard track but I liked it. I’m disappointed because I felt like I could win the GP. The two guys were just in front of me. Anyway, I did my best and I can only hope for some more fortune in the next races.”

Kevin Strijbos: “A bad weekend overall and I couldn’t get going with the track. Yesterday I had arm-pump and had it again after the first lap of the first moto. I just rode around for the 40 minutes and couldn’t pass riders that I normally would do in one corner. I was so angry after that race. We tried a new shock for the second moto and it was better and I had less arm-pump but couldn’t find any aggression. I really don’t know why. A bad GP: I expected a lot coming here because I’ve had some decent results in the past. I know the track gets rough and I can be good on it, but today was not my day.”

Ken DeDycker: “Now I need to be better for the next race but I have a good bike and I am not scared of any track. I know if I get a good start I can run with Tony and all the other guys.”

Tanel Leok (#40): “In the first race I felt good and was riding good in ninth but then I stalled the bike and couldn’t get it starting again. When I got it going, I was seventeenth and could only fight back to thirteenth. In the second race I couldn’t find a rhythm and I wasn’t happy with myself. One moment I was seventh and suddenly eleventh where I stayed following Simpson around.”

Jason Dougan (#85): “I came together with someone on the third turn and bent the bike up in the first race, continued but decided to stop as the bike was losing power. I didn’t have a great start in the second race and rode average for seventeenth; I’m still not 100% and have a lot of work to do.”

Arminas Jasikonis (#77): “The weekend wasn’t so good. In free practise I was seventeenth, but that was bad because I couldn’t get used to the track. The qualifying race was going not so good as well either. With two laps to go I was passing another rider, I crashed with him and broke my hand. I hope to be back on the bike as soon as I can.”

Images by Ray Archer, KTM, Kawasaki, Suzuki, CDS, Sarah Gutierrez, Monster Energy, Yamaha and Honda

The sun was certainly shining in Portugal and that means one thing – Monster Girls in abundance.

What a final round in Vegas – Ken Roczen adds to his trophy cabinet with the West 250sx title and Marvin Musquin finishes runner up in the East Coast series.

Here’s our gallery from the Sam Boyd Stadium.

Images Olaf Thode

Jeffrey Herlings unsurprisingly completely dominated MX2 at the sixth round of the world championship this afternoon at scorching Agueda but there was a small upset in MX1 as Kawasaki’s man on form Gautier Paulin defeated Tony Cairoli for his second straight GP win with a superb and self-assured 1-2 finish to the Sicilian’s 3-1.

Paulin appears to have really found a new level in recent weeks and went to war with Cairoli in the opener. The Italian led initially but Paulin reeled him in and made a pass around the halfway mark and controlled the race from there on out in some style. Cairoli put in his usual late charge as the two-lap board went out but the championship leader made a rare mistake on the last lap and suffered a heavy over the bars fall on a step-down that he was lucky to get up from. His front brake was ripped off and as Paulin streaked home for the win, Tony limped home for third behind Clement Desalle.

Cairoli led from gate to flag second time out, sitting a second or two ahead of Paulin the whole way, but the big Frenchman rode cool and collected all moto despite race long pressure from Clement Desalle and was guaranteed the win when Desalle went over the bars in a big way two laps from home. He remounted shaken and dropped to fifth behind Ken De Dycker and a charging Tommy Searle but was still good enough for third overall behind Paulin and Cairoli.

Searle was the man on the move late in the second moto, showing impressive fitness and great line choice and his advancing fourth, less than half a second behind De Dycker, secured him a strong fifth overall for the weekend as an off-song Max Nagl, fast-starting Jeremy Van Horebeek, David Philippaerts, Kevin Strijbos and home race hero Rui Goncalves rounded out the top ten.

MX2 was dominated by Herlings even more badly than at previous GPs. The KTM kid is really hitting his stride and so far ahead of the competition is he that his focus is to beat the 450 lap times, not his MX2 rivals. He won by just over a minute and quarter in the opening heat and a minute and ten in the second in what was a simply sensational display of other worldy skill.

Behind Herlings however the racing was the best it’s been all year in MX2, as a gaggle of riders fought line astern in both motos over the final podium spots.

It was Monster Yamaha’s Aussie import Dean Ferris who prevailed for second overall courtesy of a 6-2 that could easily have been 2-2 had he not fallen in the opening moto. His incredibly impressive second moto ride landed him his second podium of 2013 and best ever GP performance, just edging out the ever-improving Jose Butron, third overall for the second consecutive GP.

It could so easily have been Jake Nicholls celebrating another podium finish after he scorched to a superb second in the opening mot but mechanical problems whilst in a prime position in moto two forced him to slow drastically for the second half of the race and drop all the way back to 18th, robbing him of what looked like a nailed-on podium.

There were strong rides from other Brits too, notably Mel Pocock, a strong seventh in MX2 after two hard rides through the pack, and Jordan Booker in the EMX250 opening round, who rode strong and smart in a crash and DNF-filled race to finishing an impressive sixth.

Results

MX1
1 21 Paulin, Gautier FRA MCM Kawasaki 25 22 47
2 222 Cairoli, Antonio ITA FMI KTM 20 25 45
3 25 Desalle, Clement BEL FMB Suzuki 22 16 38
4 9 de Dycker, Ken BEL FMB KTM 14 20 34
5 100 Searle, Tommy GBR ACU Kawasaki 15 18 33
6 12 Nagl, Maximilian GER DMSB Honda 18 14 32
7 89 van Horebeek, Jeremy BEL FMB Kawasaki 16 15 31
8 19 Philippaerts, David ITA FMI Honda 13 13 26
9 22 Strijbos, Kevin BEL FMB Suzuki 11 12 23
10 999 Goncalves, Rui POR FMP KTM 12 10 22

MX2
1 84 Herlings, Jeffrey NED KNMV KTM 25 25 50
2 111 Ferris, Dean AUS MA Yamaha 15 22 37
3 17 Butron, Jose ESP RFME KTM 20 15 35
4 911 Tixier, Jordi FRA FFM KTM 14 20 34
5 23 Charlier, Christophe FRA FFM Yamaha 18 16 34
6 259 Coldenhoff, Glenn NED KNMV KTM 8 18 26
7 119 Pocock, Mel GBR ACU Yamaha 13 12 25
8 45 Nicholls, Jake GBR ACU KTM 22 3 25
9 59 Tonkov, Alexander RUS MFR Honda 9 13 22
10 14 Anstie, Max GBR AMA Suzuki 12 10 22

EMX250
1 92 Guillod, Valentin SUI FMS KTM 25 25
2 171 Graulus, Damon BEL FMB KTM 22 22
3 91 Seewer, Jeremy SUI FMS Suzuki 20 20
4 63 Klein Kromhof, Ceriel NED KNMV KTM 18 18
5 28 De Waal, Micha-Boy NED KNMV KTM 16 16
6 114 Booker, Jordan GBR ACU Kawasaki 15 15
7 142 Paturel, Benoit FRA FFM Husqvarna 14 14
8 243 Gajser, Tim SLO AMZS KTM 13 13
9 751 Jamet, Benoit FRA FFM Kawasaki 12 12
10 100 Klingsheim, Magne NOR NMF Yamaha 11 11

EMX125
1 141 Jonass, Pauls LAT LAMSF KTM 25 25
2 29 Jacobi, Henry GER DMSB KTM 22 22
3 411 Dercourt, Nicolas FRA FFM Yamaha 20 20
4 151 Tinkler, Kade CAN FMI Suzuki 18 18
5 10 Vlaanderen, Calvin NED KNMV KTM 16 16
6 997 Righi, Riccardo ITA FMI KTM 15 15
7 118 Van Mechelen, Joel NED KNMV KTM 14 14
8 131 Sileika, Tomasso LAT LAMSF KTM 13 13
9 188 Van Der Vlist, Frederik NED KNMV KTM 12 12
10 666 Facchetti, Emanuele ITA FMI KTM 11 11

Three-time Portuguese GP winner Clement Desalle and MX2 king Jeffrey Herlings dominated qualifying at a sun-baked Agueda this afternoon but there was mixed luck for the British contingent in all classes.

MX1 boasts a slightly improved grid of 26 this weekend (5 now that Evgeny Bobryshev’s attempted return to action after a broken leg proved unsuccessful) and Desalle made short work of holeshotting Gautier Paulin when he found his rhythm a few laps into the MX1 heat and controlled proceedings with a confident swagger at his favourite track. He took a solid win by six-seconds over Paulin and KTM’s duo Ken De Dycker and Tony Cairoli - the six-time champ pulling back through after a small first lap fall after coming together with Desalle on the opening lap.

Tommy Searle rode to a steady seventh to set him up with a solid gate position for the main races but there was no luck whatsoever for TM’s Shaun Simpson, who was involved in an opening lap collision that forced him out of the race before it even began.

MX2 was all about Jeffrey Herlings again. Setting he fastest lap times of anyone all day, KTM’s championship leader cleared off to the tune of 38-seconds over team-mate Jordi Tixier and Christophe Charlier. Behind the lead trio only one Brit figured in the top-10, Suzuki’s Max Anstie, who finished an advancing sixth but only after a tussle for position with Jake Nicholls early in the moto saw Nicholls hit the deck and forced to ride back through the field to 11th.

Elliott Banks-Browne fought arm pump as he struggled to 17th and Mel Pocock crashed out of the a top-five spot early on and rode a lonely race to 19th, but they made the cut at least unlike EBB’s KTM UK team-mate James Dunn who again fell foul of the 108% rule and will watch from the side lines tomorrow.

There were some superb qualifying performances from the Brit boys in the packed-out EMX championships though. Nathan Watson rode to a fantastic third in the A group of EMX2, followed home in fifth by the extremely impressive Lewis Trickett, whilst Jordan Booker, Ryan Houghton and Adam Sterry all comfortably made the cut in the tough B group with good top-10 rides and Nicholas Adams and Michael Eccles both scored top-10 in EMX125.

Tomorrow is set to be a scorcher and hopefully MX1 will be too. Only a miracle will stop Herlings winning by a country mile.

Results

MX1
1. Clement Desalle
2. Gautier Paulin
3. Ken De Dycker
4. Antonio Cairoli
5. Tanel Leok
6. Max Nagl
7. Tommy Searle
8. Jeremy van Horebeek
9. Joel Roelants
10. David Philippaerts

MX2
1. Jeffrey Herlings
2. Jordi Tixier
3. Christophe Charlier
4. Glen Coldenhoff
5. Dylan Ferrandis
6. Max Anstie
7. Jose Butron
8. Alexander Tonkov
9. Dean Ferris
10. Alessandro Lupino

Hot on the heels of his super RBPN win, MBO Sport Yamaha rider Kristian Whatley was again successful at the weekend as he topped the Pro MX1 charts during round two of the AMCA Wulfsport British Masters, staged at the iconic Foxhill circuit in Wiltshire.

On the gas right from the off and after posting the fastest qualification time,Kristian then blasted to a brace of very strong moto wins.Over in Pro MX2,the very rapid Graeme Irwin and Neville Bradshaw shared the victories.However with Irwin also suffering a moto two DNF,it was Bradshaw who took home the overall spoils.On another weekend of top class Masters action,Bradley Wheeler(Pirelli MX2) and Harry Kimber(Putoline Mini-Masters SW85cc) were the only other riders to join Whatley on a maximum points score.Incredibly Wheeler after eight completed races in the Masters series is yet to suffer defeat,what a record.

Back to the those Battery Energy Drink supported Pro clashes though,and what a treat the opening MX1 contest served up!!.Doubling up,it was Putoline Honda star Neville Bradshaw who led the charge with Brad Anderson, Whatley,Josh Waterman,Luke Hawkins and Jamie Law in tow.Two laps in and Ando had hit the front but his joy was to be very short lived!!.Entering a Foxhill rut and with now Whatley and early leader Bradshaw right on his rear fender,the chain flicked off his Kawasaki’s rear sprocket.With Whatley sharing that same rut and forced into evasive action it thus allowed a surprised Bradshaw back into pole position!!.Whilst Brad frantically hooked his chain back on,dropping right back to 22nd in the process,at the front and within a further lap Whatley was moving smartly past Bradshaw and into the lead!!.From here onwards,Whatley controlled all the way to the chequered flag and take the win from Bradshaw as Graeme Irwin took a super 3rd after initially gating 10th and then earlier being forced to fight off the very determined duo of Waterman and Hawkins.In a class encounter,Ross Rutherford,Gert Krestinov,Law, Ashley Wilde and Scott Elderfield were all right in the mix throughout.

Although Matt Moffat grabbed the Pro MX1 moto two holeshot,that man Whatley was quickly in control and there he remained to earn himself another winners cheque.Right from the off,a very determined Anderson gave chase, being just over six seconds down at the flag as Bradshaw got home in 3rd,Irwin 4th and Hawkins after starting 10th taking a fine 5th.The ride of this moto though came from Krestinov who blasted from 16th on lap one and thus earn a storming 6th ahead of Law,Moffat,Waterman and Elderfield.After his double victory in the Masters R1 at Preston back in March,young Nathan Watson finished 11th in moto two following an opening race DNF.

Not enjoying the best of Foxhill fortunes,Watson was also forced out of the opening Pro MX2 contest on lap two when holding 4th spot behind Graeme Irwin,Bryan Mackenzie and Nev Bradshaw.With Watson out,the impressive Lewis Toombs moved up the leaderboard.At the front though there was no stopping the very rapid Heads and All Threads Suzuki pilot Irwin who blasted to a big victory,nine seconds ahead of a titanic,full throttle tussle for 2nd in which Bradshaw just edged out Mackenzie.Completing the top ten in moto one were Toombs,Lewis Tricket,Adam Sterry,Robert Davidson,Matt Moffat,Dan Thornhill and Jamie Skuse.

Bradshaw was certainly very quick out of the blocks in Pro MX2 moto two as he led the charge with Irwin,Watson, Mackenzie,Sterry and Thornhill giving chase whilst AMCA Championship rider Ryan Morris was right in the mix and holding a super 8th.Three laps in and Irwin slipped back to 4th as Mackenzie moved up to slot into 2nd with Watson 3rd.That leaderboard was to then change yet again as Irwin’s Suzuki ground to a halt,thus signalling the end of his participation.Up front with Bradshaw in total control and cruising, all eyes were now focussed on the battle for 2nd as Mackenzie and Watson locked horns.Lap seven,and Watson scorched past the Scotsman but could he now catch the runaway leader Bradshaw??.Well,the young HM Plant KTM UK rider gave it a real go,dramatically closing the gap to finish just two seconds down at the flag.As Mackenzie took 3rd,Toombs had another super ride to bag 4th and with it the final podium spot.Also impressive was young Sterry in 5th as Moffat took 6th,Luke Norris 7th and Lewis Gregory,campaigning a 125cc two-stroke Yamaha 8th.After his fine start,Morris was also in the frame with 9th whilst a notable non-scorer in this race was Thornhill who disappeared from proceedings on lap five when holding 8th.

After taking a great 7th overall in the Pro MX2 class, young Robert Davidson also competed in the GSP Race Products Youth MX2 class.In this contest although Robert did take the overall win, he also had to share the moto wins with Liam Knight who matched his score for score. Taking a 3rd overall was Curtis Blamey ahead of round one victor Jamie Ellis, Loukas Maggio and Chase Neale.

Despite having recently switched from Suzuki to KTM machinery,Tyron Cleaver got the combined Putoline Mini-Masters contest at Foxhill off to a flyer by taking victory in moto one.In the BW85cc class,eventual overall winner Joe Jeffries was first past the post in moto two before Jay Hague took control for maximum points on Sunday.As Cleaver went on to claim the second step on the podium,Hague had to settle for 3rd following a disastrous 26th place finish during moto one.In the Putoline SW85cc clashes,Harry Kimber was the star performer with a perfect maximum points haul as Ben Burridge and Archie Osmaston were the next best.

Another doubling up rider, Daniel Hutchinson, took the top slot in the Muk Junkie Amateur MX1 contest although unlike round one at Preston, he did not totally dominate. On day one at Foxhills, Joe Jones was the double moto victor before sitting out Sunday’s racing to concentrate on his Pro MX1 duties. So with Jones absent and although Hutchinson then scored both wins, there was still to be plenty of great MX1 action with Chad Yarranton, Alexander Hussey, Luke Meredith and Jake Alsop right in the mix. On the podium it was Yarranton and Hussey stand alongside Hutchinson.

Having recently switched to KTM machinery, Dan Thornhill tried out his new mount by competing in the www. Goggle-shop.com Amateur MX2 contest on day one, duly bagging both moto victories. However Dan then switched his attention to the Pro MX2 competition for the Sunday program so it was George Clarke and Adam Wells who now stepped forward to blast to the moto victories. In the overall standings, Wells with a very solid 2/2/3/1 card took the top step on the box ahead of the equally consistent Richard Cannings who was struggling with a collarbone injury and Clarke. Zac Stealey, two-stroke TM ace Charles Statt and Jack Drogan completed the top six.

What a contest the Pirelli MX1 class proved to be, including an incredible finish to moto three!!. After working his way up from 5th, eventual overall winner Shaun Scrivens looked set for another victory until crashing on landing from the final uphill jump thus allowing both Anthony Miller and Chris Povey through. Throughout the weekend, Povey on his 250cc two-stroke Suzuki had proved to be a serious contender, chasing Scrivens all the way. Whilst Scrivens were made to work very hard, what can you say about Pirelli MX2 winner Bradley Wheeler who was again simply superb!!. Winning all four clashes in style and romping to victory, Wheeler left Aidan Wigger to claim 2nd and Steve Turvey 3rd.

Full Results HERE

Report and Images by Mike Wood

Cool shots from last weekends AMCA events from around the country. This week’s image comes from round 2 of the AMCA championship from Frocester, Sidecar craziness from Sproxton and race action from the Macclesfield MXC event at Warmingham Lane.

Images by Mike Wood, Mark Stead and Andy Johnson.

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Images by Honda, KTM, Suzuki and Monster Energy Energy

The stylish Frenchman fronted every practice and qualification session, took pole position rode out the first moto like he was going through the motions and then scooped a studious second place behind the world champion to complete a decent weekend of work. The Grand Prix of Bulgaria was firmly owned by Gautier Paulin for the third time in his career and for the second year on the trot as the fast and daunting hills of the Sevlievo circuit was once again a playground for the factory Kawasaki star.

The second MXGP in a week brought the circus to Eastern Europe and the Sevlievo spread was not to everyone’s liking; simple but full-gas, wide but tight for passing. Bulgaria wasn’t easy by any stretch of the imagination although Paulin had other plans. In the first chase of 35 minutes and 2 laps there was nobody to touch him. ‘21’ was a green and black blur.

Second time around Paulin had to contend with the authority of Tony Cairoli but after tracking the Italian’s back wheel he played a safe game, knowing second place would be enough for the top step overall.

“I’ve won motos and GPs but never the double! I made some good starts today,” GP21 said. “Tony passed me and showed me a really good line! It was really cool to ride with him and for me it was a lot of fun. I tried to come back but it was really difficult. It was nice to win the GP and to fight with Tony. I’m in good shape and will try to achieve my goal and get back on top of the box more.”

Tommy Searle was another pacey Kawasaki racer in Bulgaria but a second moto crash ruined any chance of another solid top five finish and the feisty Brit classified sixth.

Joyous scenes were played out at the end of the MX2 contest as Alessandro Lupino sprayed champagne for the first time in a Grand Prix. The youngster came onto the world stage as a timid teenager in 2007 (straight from an Italian minicross title) and now with Kawasaki Pro Circuit equipment was able to run to eighth and third positions to forge a career landmark. Many paddock personnel were pumped for one of the nicest and most sincere members of the GP fraternity who was strong and confident at Sevlievo despite carrying an injury and two broken ribs from a crash at his home round last week.

“If I needed two broken ribs to be on the podium then I would have broken them much earlier!” he joked. “I have improved a lot over the last year with my fitness and speed and although Jeffrey [Herlings] is the fastest in MX2 there are six or seven guys going for the podium so it is pretty tough. I’m so happy with this.”

Props to Monster Energy Yamaha’s Christophe Charlier for producing one of the most dazzling performances of the day. The flamboyant Corsican hit the gate at the start of the second MX2 race and was dead-last around the first turn. ‘CC’ worked the whole race to pass 30-odd riders and reach fifth position by the flag.

As the FIM Motocross World Championship cranks down a notch for two weeks Paulin will be happy to look at his second position in the MX1 standings and know there is more to come. Round six will see the Grand Prix off-road heroes gather at the forest setting of Agueda in Portugal on May 5th.