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Nicholls frustrated in pursuit of world championship positions


05 September 2011
 
Jake Nicholls was denied the chance to move up to eleventh in the FIM Motocross World Championship MX2 standings despite missing the first four rounds of the fourteen held so far this season when he was forced to pull out of the second race at a difficult Gaildorf circuit (Germany) for the Grand Prix of Europe. The penultimate meeting of the series was run in muggy conditions and in front of a 22,000 crowd at the venue that has a long motocross history and last entertained a GP in 2005.

The HM Plant Red Bull KTM UK representative recovered from a bad start to gun the potent 250SX-F to a solid ninth position in thefirst moto across the compact layout and rutty and hard-pack terrain that was tricky for overtaking. It was an impressive performance and pushed the 21 year old up past Christophe Charlier in the points table. Sadly the promotion would be short-lived after an accident when Nicholls’ left elbow was struck by the flipping rear wheel of another rider would give the Englishman a dead arm and cause his retirement (only the second from twenty motos) during the early phases of the second race.

Nicholls would end the Grand Prix with fourteenth position overall and now stares at a seven point gap again to Charlier; a realistic target with the final round of the calendar occurring in Italy next week. Team-mate Jordan Booker had a tough time handling the Gaildorf mud and missed the points in both motos; taking 23rd and 22nd.

In only his fourth Grand Prix appearance for the team and on the 350SX-F Tom Church grabbed a point with twentieth place in the first MX1 moto. It was the least the veteran could expect after recovering from a poor start and winning nine positions in a moto-long trek. Church was set for his best finish of the season with 15th in the second race until a freak occurrence with his fuel cap becoming dislodged covered the rider in fuel and affected his motorcycle, causing him to lose places in the final two laps.

HM Plant Red Bull KTM UK will head down the eastern coast of Italy in the coming days and arrive at the hilltop venue of Fermo for the fifteenth and final round of the FIM Motocross World Championship. The Grand Prix of Italy will bring the series to a close for the second year in a row.

For more information visit the team’s website at: www.ktmukmx.com Photo courtesy of Ray Archer

Jake Nicholls:

“The weekend started off fairly average but I slowly built up confidence with the bike and the track throughout Saturday. The qualification heat was ruined by a collision on the first jump after the start but I picked myself up and charged through to 15th even though the bike was pretty out of shape. In the first race I had a perfect jump off the start but just got out-powered down the straight. From mid-pack I worked my way to ninth. For the second race, I had another dodgy start and then on the second lap a rider crashed next to me and his bike flipped upside down and his back wheel hit my elbow. I’ve got metal work in the joint and straight away I lost feeling in my hand; I was scared from this point because I hadn't hurt my elbow like this since I broke it, but thankfully it was only the nerves that had gone into shock. Now I just have some bruisingaround the elbow. I’m very disappointed with the weekend. I feel that I could have achieved a lot more at this track.”