Philippaerts fourth at sun-struck South Africa

Low winter sunshine bathed 20,000 spectators at the scenic Nelspruit circuit for the Grand Prix of South Africa and Yamaha Monster Motocross Team's David Philippaerts finished 4th overall and saw just one point chipped away from his lead at the top of the series; the gap now at eleven. Josh Coppins was 6th on the YZ450FM and remains third in the standings. The tenth round of fifteen in the 2008 FIM MX1-GP World Championship visited the southern hemisphere for the first time since 2006 (after three consecutive events were held at the Sun City resort) and represented the sole non-European outing of this year's calendar. The Nelspruit circuit was immaculately prepared for its inauguration as a world championship venue. The narrow and twisty layout involved many sharp turns and technical additions (such as dividers and plenty of jumps) while the dark red dirt varied between soft and rough to hard and slippery. The biggest obstacle for the riders to face was the sunshine with the light dipping low in the afternoon, throwing many shadows on the track and hiding the ruts and jump take-offs. The glare was also problematic over the jumps. Philippaerts, now more or less recovered from his rib injury, benefitted from two decent starts around the top five. In the first moto he rode well to push through from fourth to close on leader Steve Ramon in the final laps, finally sealing 2nd spot. For Moto2 he was circulating in the top six and for some time alongside his team-mate. With the sunshine and the many backmarkers adding an element of danger to the race, the 24 year old overtook a struggling Ramon (who would drop to 8th) and make sure of 6th; missing out on his seventh trophy of the year by just one point. Coppins, who recently extended his association with Yamaha and will enter a third season in 2009, was again a victim of misfortune on the first corner (after two problematic races last time out in Sweden). A tangle with Sebastien Pourcel left the Kiwi almost last and he had to pick his lines carefully to recover to 9th. A more cautious and improved launch in Moto1 saw the 31 year old blast from the lower depths of the top ten to charge Pourcel all the way to the flag for 3rd place, finally taking 4th. It was an excellent performance in which he was one of the few proactive riders making positions in difficult conditions; the fastest lap testimony to his speed. Nelspruit represented only the second time this season that the Yamaha Monster Motocross Team has not scaled the rostrum. Philippaerts holds an advantage of 11 points over Ramon and 23 over Coppins. Ken De Dycker is 43 further back in fourth. After ten events Yamaha still control the manufacturer's ranking by 16 points. The final third of the series will begin in two weeks time with the first of back-to-back races. Round eleven takes place at the sandy Lommel circuit for the Grand Prix of Belgium before the trip to Loket in the Czech Republic. David Philippaerts, Yamaha Monster Motocross Team, 4th: "I missed the podium by one point but the positives from this weekend were the good race in the first moto and that my physical condition is getting better after a few small injuries. I was a bit tired early in the second moto and with the sun going down it was hard to find the lines. After about twenty minutes I felt a bit better and pushed to pass Mackenzie but there were so many lapped riders that it was very difficult. I did not want to crash and I had already passed Ramon. I think I will be strong for Lommel. All the GPs will be important for the championship now and I will be looking for good positions and to finish ahead of Ramon as much as possible." Josh Coppins, Yamaha Monster Motocross Team, 6th: "For three motos in a row I have had to start from pretty much last. I knew I had the speed but I lost so many points just from incidents in those three heats. In that second moto today I decided to start a little more cautious, take my turn and then ride my own race. I came out in the top ten but then could start the hunt and move forward; this is not really the way I want to go racing, holeshots would be preferable! It was a tough track but the same for everyone. There were parts that I liked and others that I didn't. I am pleased with that second moto though; if I can improve my starts then I feel that I can push my way back in there for the title." Mino Raspanti, Racing Manager: "It was not an easy Grand Prix by any means but we are happy that David had better starts and was inside the top six in each moto. He took too long to pass Mackenzie in the first race and had to use a lot of energy to overtake. His speed was good and if he could have moved forward quicker then he might have been able to win as he was very close to Ramon. He rode well in the second moto also but was a bit more tired. The result was good for the championship though because he did not make a mistake. Josh had a crash right at the start again and had to come through so it was difficult for him. The second moto was better and although he did not want to take any risks at the start he soon found his speed and actually made the fastest lap of the race. He was physically strong and this showed. We were working out of the crates this weekend but we were well organised and prepared, and overall we can feel content with how things have gone." Race 1 - 20 Laps Pos., Rider, Manu., Nat., Total Time 1, Steve Ramon, Suzuki, BEL, 40'20.469 2, David Philippaerts, Yamaha, ITA, 0'2.441 3, Jonathan Barragan, KTM, ESP, 0'5.874 4, Maximilian Nagl, KTM, GER, 0'9.979 5, Ken De Dycker, Suzuki, BEL, 0'18.428 6, Tanel Leok, Kawasaki, EST, 0'19.584 7, Billy MacKenzie, Honda, GBR, 0'21.389 8, Sébastien Pourcel, Kawasaki, FRA, 0'51.965 9, Joshua Coppins, Yamaha, NZL, 0'57.055 10, Manuel Priem, Kawasaki, BEL, 0'57.055 11, Julien Bill, Honda, CHE, 1'13.389 12, Marcus Schiffer, KTM, GER, 1'44.019 13, Steve Boniface, Honda, FRA, 1'52.455 14, James Noble, KTM, GBR, 1'55.312 15, Carlos Campano, Yamaha, ESP, 2'15.088 16, Tom Church, Kawasaki, GBR, -1 Laps 17, R Van Der Westhuizen, Suzuki, RSA, -1 Laps 18, Anthony Raynard, Yamaha, RSA, -2 Laps 19, Brandon Wheeler, Suzuki, RSA, -2 Laps 20, K Bowen, KTM, RSA, -2 Laps Race 2 - 20 Laps Pos., Rider, Manu., Nat., Total Time 1, Jonathan Barragan, KTM, ESP, 40'35.152 2, Maximilian Nagl, KTM, GER, 0'3.151 3, Sébastien Pourcel, Kawasaki, FRA, 0'6.255 4, Joshua Coppins, Yamaha, NZL, 0'7.594 5, Billy MacKenzie, Honda, GBR, 0'12.794 6, David Philippaerts, Yamaha, ITA, 0'18.663 7, Ken De Dycker, Suzuki, BEL, 0'35.635 8, Steve Ramon, Suzuki, BEL, 0'36.797 9, Manuel Priem, Kawasaki, BEL, 1'18.244 10, Clement Desalle, Suzuki, BEL, 1'23.337 11, Tanel Leok, Kawasaki, EST, 1'28.326 12, Marcus Schiffer, KTM, GER, 1'37.322 13, Steve Boniface, Honda, FRA, 1'42.692 14, James Noble, KTM, GBR, -1 Laps 15, Tom Church, Kawasaki, GBR, -1 Laps 16, Carlos Campano, Yamaha, ESP, -1 Laps 17, r Van Der Westhuizen, Suzuki, RSA, -1 Laps 18, Brandon Wheeler, Suzuki, RSA, -2 Laps 19, J De Bruin, Yamaha, RSA, -2 Laps 20, Anthony Raynard, Yamaha, RSA, -2 Laps Rider Standings 20/07/2008 Pos., Rider, Manu., Nat., Points 1, David Philippaerts, Yamaha, ITA, 339 2, Steve Ramon, Suzuki, BEL, 328 3, Joshua Coppins, Yamaha, NZL, 316 4, Ken De Dycker, Suzuki, BEL, 296 5, Jonathan Barragan, KTM, ESP, 284 6, Sébastien Pourcel, Kawasaki, FRA, 274 7, Maximilian Nagl, KTM, GER, 253 8, Billy MacKenzie, Honda, GBR, 235 9, Tanel Leok, Kawasaki, EST, 234 10, Marc De Reuver, Honda, NED, 178 11, Clement Desalle, Suzuki, BEL, 173 12, Manuel Priem, Kawasaki, BEL, 160 13, Julien Bill, Honda, CHE, 141 14, Kornel Nemeth, KTM, HUN, 115 15, Mike Brown, Honda, USA, 107 16, Aigar Leok, Yamaha, EST, 97 17, Marcus Schiffer, KTM, GER, 95 18, James Noble, KTM, GBR, 93 19, Tom Church, Kawasaki, GBR, 66 20, Steve Boniface, Honda, FRA, 63 21, Carlos Campano, Yamaha, ESP, 42 Manufacturer Standings 20/07/2008 Pos., Manufacturer, Points 1, Yamaha, 395 2, Suzuki, 379 3, KTM, 364 4, Kawasaki, 350 5, Honda, 314 6, TM, 31 7, Aprilia, 5 ---------- RACE REPORT - 20/07/2008 Aubin takes first podium as Cairoli suffers Yamaha Ricci Racing's Nico Aubin scored his first top three finish of the 2008 FIM MX2-GP World Championship under typically deep blue skies for the Grand Prix of South Africa - the tenth round of fifteen in the FIM series - at the Nelspruit circuit, more than 300km north-east of Johannesburg. The Frenchman took 3rd position on the same day that reigning number one Antonio Cairoli sustained an injury to his left knee and failed to score points in a GP for the first time since the British Grand Prix in 2004; a run of 65 events. The general reaction to the winding turns and many jumps of the new world championship circuit was extremely positive even if the dirt was a little unpredictable, varying between soft and rutted in places and hard and slick in others. Cairoli immediately gelled with the second of three new tracks on the 2008 schedule and collected his eighth consecutive Lovemytime qualification award for winning the second heat race and going to the gate in second position on Sunday. Sadly number '222' lasted no more than a few laps of the first moto as a near-crash around the fourth corner saw the Sicilian catch and turn his left leg, instantly injuring his knee. He tried to complete a few more circulations but then pulled into the pits with overwhelming pain. During the break between races he underwent an examination and treatment and was encouraged by the fact that there was little swelling. He attempted the second moto and started in second position but too small mistakes aggravated the joint further and he was again forced to withdraw. Cairoli now plans to have a scan and possible surgery on a suspected broken meniscus this week. The procedure should not be complicated and there is a chance he could be back on his motorcycle for the Grand Prix of Belgium in a fortnight. Aubin ensured that a YZ250F kept a place on the podium, and his first silverware of the season came largely thanks to his excellent start and second position in Moto1; the finish represented his second best result of the year having previously taken a race win in Italy. Aubin had actually been leading the sprint but was powerless to match pole-sitter Tommy Searle's speed. In the second race he started in the top five and spent a lonely moto avoiding backmarkers and trying to close to the back of Shaun Simpson in 4th. Aubin is the fourth Yamaha rider this season to scale a Grand Prix rostrum. Ricci Racing team-mate Davide Guarneri continues to admirably fight the odds despite a weakened right knee (missing a ligament) and the Italian scored 8th and 15th positions for 11th overall. He hit his limb on the ground twice in the second moto which caused him to slow and miss out on a double top ten finish. 3C Racing's Manuel Monni was 13th overall and rests 10th in the world championship while team-mate Deny Philippaerts - younger brother of David - scored points for the second time this season. Cairoli's championship plight now faces a test against the odds. The double world number one is third and 59 points away (more than two moto victories) from leader Tyla Rattray with five Grand Prix remaining. Aubin cut a few points to Simpson and fourth place in the ranking with 44 points the difference. The eleventh round of the championship will take place through the sand of Lommel for the Grand Prix of Belgium in two weeks time. The hillside Loket circuit in the Czech Republic will host the thirteenth race seven days later. Tony Cairoli, Yamaha Red Bull De Carli, DNF: "I am really disappointed. I liked the track yesterday and had some decent speed. I didn't have a good start in the first moto and tried to pass some riders in the beginning but it was not easy because the track was slippery from the watering. Tyla and Tommy were ahead so I knew I had to gain ground fast. I went to pass Guarneri but he came wide and cut my line. The bike went sideways down the hill and I put out my foot and felt something pull in my knee. I had so much pain that I had to stop. My doctor made a really good job in the break so I tried to start the second moto and came out of the gate in second place. The knee was not inflamed and not too painful but I was not used to the track and I got one set of bumps wrong and felt the knee react. Tommy passed me and I was starting to catch him when I over-jumped and then had shots of pain, which ended my race. The plan now is to have some surgery this week and I really hope I can come back for Lommel. The doctor thinks the ligaments are OK, just maybe stretched a little bit but the meniscus might be broken. With the operation we have planned he said I might be able to ride after one week. The championship looks difficult now and Tommy and Tyla have worked hard to be going for the title. I want to win when I come back and I hope it will be as soon as possible." Nico Aubin, Yamaha Ricci Racing, 3rd: "I am happy but it is a shame I had to wait ten Grand Prix for my first podium. I have had a few problems getting myself up to speed but I had two weeks to get my head together before this Grand Prix and felt better on the bike. The track is very good and I enjoyed the ground and the jumps. I made a great start in the first moto and tried to push, however Tyla and Tommy are very fast at the moment and I have not had too much time leading a race and could not hold the pace until the end. The results were not bad today and a big improvement on the last GPs. I hope this will be a new beginning for me, we go to Lommel next and I like the sand. I would like a top five there before we go to Loket. I want to finish the season well for my confidence and for the team." Davide Guarneri, Yamaha Ricci Racing, 11th: "I am a little annoyed because I was faster on Saturday but could not take the positions today; overall it was a hard GP for me physically. I started well in the first moto but the track was so difficult for me. There were many ruts in the corners and it was tough for my knee. I tried to push but stayed in sixth for most of the race. Towards the end I felt tired because I cannot stand up on the bike for too long. I started OK in the second moto and was going for tenth when I hit my leg quite hard twice on the ground and had to slow down because of pain. I don't know what really happened with Antonio. On the fourth corner there were many riders together. I went for the inside line but it brought me out on the outside, I did not see him and touched his bike." Race 1 - 20 Laps Pos., Rider, Manu., Nat., Total Time 1, Tommy Searle, KTM, GBR, 41'4.235 2, Nicolas Aubin, Yamaha, FRA, 0'11.221 3, Tyla Rattray, KTM, RSA, 0'22.991 4, Shaun Simpson, KTM, GBR, 0'30.016 5, Steven Frossard, Kawasaki, FRA, 0'35.741 6, Xavier Boog, Suzuki, FRA, 1'12.541 7, Marvin Musquin, Honda, FRA, 1'17.182 8, Davide Guarneri, Yamaha, ITA, 1'21.285 9, Jeremy Van Horebeek, KTM, BEL, 1'22.814 10, Stephen Sword, Kawasaki, GBR, 1'27.042 11, Rui Goncalves, KTM, POR, 1'29.102 12, Pascal Leuret, Suzuki, FRA, 1'47.438 13, Manuel Monni, Yamaha, ITA, 1'57.773 14, Gregory Aranda, Kawasaki, FRA, 2'1.662 15, Alessandro Lupino, Yamaha, ITA, 2'19.984 16, Jake Nicholls, Suzuki, GBR, -1 Laps 17, Jeremy Tarroux, KTM, FRA, -1 Laps 18, Deny Philippaerts, Yamaha, ITA, -1 Laps 19, Michael Kok, KTM, RSA, -1 Laps 20, Elliott Banks-Browne, Suzuki, GBR, -2 Laps Race 2 - 20 Laps Pos., Rider, Manu., Nat., Total Time 1, Tyla Rattray, KTM, RSA, 41'4.739 2, Tommy Searle, KTM, GBR, 0'4.871 3, Steven Frossard, Kawasaki, FRA, 0'32.461 4, Shaun Simpson, KTM, GBR, 0'37.751 5, Nicolas Aubin, Yamaha, FRA, 0'43.469 6, Jeremy Van Horebeek, KTM, BEL, 0'53.101 7, Xavier Boog, Suzuki, FRA, 1'3.031 8, Marvin Musquin, Honda, FRA, 1'5.999 9, Anthony Boissière, KTM, FRA, 1'7.014 10, Pascal Leuret, Suzuki, FRA, 1'8.334 11, Jake Nicholls, Suzuki, GBR, 1'13.750 12, Jeremy Tarroux, KTM, FRA, 1'14.422 13, Stephen Sword, Kawasaki, GBR, 1'22.643 14, Manuel Monni, Yamaha, ITA, 1'26.306 15, Davide Guarneri, Yamaha, ITA, 1'48.709 16, Alessandro Lupino, Yamaha, ITA, 1'52.516 17, Rui Goncalves, KTM, POR, 2'16.563 18, Michael Kok, KTM, RSA, -1 Laps 19, Deny Philippaerts, Yamaha, ITA, -1 Laps 20, Ross Branch, Kawasaki, RSA, -1 Laps Rider Standings 20/07/2008 Pos., Rider, Manu., Nat., Points 1, Tyla Rattray, KTM, RSA, 416 2, Tommy Searle, KTM, GBR, 395 3, Antonio Cairoli, Yamaha, ITA, 357 4, Shaun Simpson, KTM, GBR, 287 5, Nicolas Aubin, Yamaha, FRA, 243 6, Rui Goncalves, KTM, POR, 241 7, Xavier Boog, Suzuki, FRA, 211 8, Jeremy Van Horebeek, KTM, BEL, 197 9, Steven Frossard, Kawasaki, FRA, 196 10, Manuel Monni, Yamaha, ITA, 187 11, Marvin Musquin, Honda, FRA, 173 12, Stephen Sword, Kawasaki, GBR, 170 13, Anthony Boissière, KTM, FRA, 158 14, Jeremy Tarroux, KTM, FRA, 140 15, Davide Guarneri, Yamaha, ITA, 133 16, Gregory Aranda, Kawasaki, FRA, 101 17, Joel Roelants, KTM, BEL, 99 18, Gautier Paulin, Kawasaki, FRA, 95 19, Carl Nunn, Suzuki, GBR, 73 20, Wyatt Avis, Honda, RSA, 56 22, Evgeny Bobryshev, Yamaha, RUS, 42 27, Alessandro Lupino, Yamaha, ITA, 30 28, Matteo Bonini, Yamaha, ITA, 25 41, Deny Philippaerts, Yamaha, ITA, 7 Manufacturer Standings 20/07/2008 Pos., Manufacturer, Points 1, KTM, 469 2, Yamaha, 451 3, Kawasaki, 316 4, Suzuki, 259 5, Honda, 194