20/07/08 - NELSPRUIT – Spanish rider Jonathan Barragan upstaged the championship leaders to win the MX1 category at the Leatt-Brace South African Motocross Grand Prix at the Alkmaar circuit here today.

For Barragan, on the AXO KTM, a third in the opening moto and a win in the second were enough to give him his second Grand Prix win of the year. Second and third overall were German Max Nagl, on the Red Bull KTM, and reigning world champion Steve Ramon, of Belgium, on the Team Teka Suzuki.

The trend where no rider has been able to dominate this season continued. Ramon won the opening moto but ended up a distant eighth in the second race, while championship leader Davide Philippaerts, from Italy, picked up a second and a sixth.

In the championship standings there was a one point swing between Philippaerts and Ramon. The Italian now leads the Belgian by 11 points after going to Nelspruit with a 12 point advantage.

The opening moto provided a thrilling race with Ramon and Nagl fighting out tremendous duel. The world champion gradually ground down Nagl and only three minutes and two laps remained of the race when Ramon finally found a way past the German rider.

The rapidly tiring Nagl then came under fire from Philippaerts, on the Monster Motocross Yamaha, and Barragan. The unfortunate Nagl was also passed by both Philippaerts and Barragan and eventually had to settle for fourth place, with the top five rounded out by Ramon’s team-mate Ken de Dycker.

Nagl was again on the wrong end of a late challenge in race two. This time around he was caught by Barragan and then had to fight off Frenchman Sebastien Pourcell, on the GPKR Kawasaki, over the last three laps.

New Zealander Josh Coppins (Monster Motocross Yamaha) and Briton Billy McKenzie, on the CAS Honda, were fourth and fifth after steady rides. Philippaerts was a disappointing sixth and Ramon may have had a few words with de Dycker after being passed by his team-mate a couple of laps from the end.

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RATTRAY INCREASES WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP LEAD

July 20, 2008

Nelspruit, Saturday – It was mission accomplished for South African Tyla Rattray, on the Red Bull KTM, when he increased his MX2 category world championship lead in the Leatt-Brace South African Motocross Grand Prix at the Alkmaar circuit here today.

The overall win went to Rattray’s team-mate, Briton Tommy Searle, who won the opening moto and was second in the second race. Rattray clinched second overall with a third and a popular second moto victory, with Frenchman Nicolas Aubin thiord overall on the Ricci Racing Yamaha.

Rattray arrived in Nelspruit with a 14 point lead over reigning world champion Antonio Cairoli, of Italy, on the Red Bull De Carli Yamaha, with Searle next up a further nine points in arrears. For the unfortunate Cairoli the trip o Nelspruit was a disaster.

The Italian injured his right knee in a first race clash with countryman Davide Guarneri on the Ricci Racing Yamaha. Cairoli was forced to retire from the first race and left Alkmaar pointless after also pulling out of race two.

Rattray now leads Searle by 25 points with the Briton 38 points ahead of Cairoli. The Italian still has a 70 point lead over Simpson, but with damaged knee ligaments his season is in the balance.

“It was a good day for me but I feel for Antonio,” said Rattray. “I made a couple of mistakes in the first moto but it all fell into place in the second race.

“I got a good start and after that I just concentrated on putting together consistent laps.”

In the opening heat Rattray got off to an indifferent start. He got caught up in the pack and an early fall at turn nine saw him drop back to sixth place.

Searle was always going to catch Aubin and Rattray did well to recover. When the South African found some rythm he hauled in Shaun Simpson (KTM UK) and Frenchman Steve Frossard on the CLS Kawasaki.

Race two turned into a breeze for Rattray. He grabbed the hole shot and quickly built up a good lead over Searle who appeared to be quite happy to settle for second and the overall GP win.

Behind the two frontrunners an interesting battle developed between Frossard, Simpson and Aubin. Frossard finally pulled clear of Simpson who, in turn, put a little daylight between himself and Aubin.