Buildbase CCM Racing endure a frustrating home Grand Prix
The British leg of the 2009 FIM Motocross World Championship proved to be a frustrating affair for the Buildbase CCM Racing team with both Tom Church and Phoenix Tools CCM Racing rider Jason Dougan enduring bouts of bad luck. A sun baked Mallory Park played host to the British Grand Prix, this being the second year in a row that the tarmac facility in Leicestershire has held this honour.
With thousands of flag waving fans lining the newly designed track, both Dougan and Church were looking to produce performances to delight the home audience.
It was twenty-two year old Dougan who out sprinted his more experienced team mate during Saturday afternoon’s qualifying race, with Jason finishing in a promising fourteenth place to give himself a decent gate pick for Sunday’s two main races. Church had began Saturday’s qualifying process the stronger of the two, but had to settle for sixteenth spot in the twenty-minute plus two lap showdown ahead of Sunday’s points counting motos.
Although the hard packed circuit had been heavily watered ready for Sunday’s programme the soaring temperatures and uninterrupted sunshine soon dried out the surface once again leaving conditions slick and slippery for the charging brigade of the World’s best motocross riders in both main classes. Despite the difficult challenge the track posed, Church and Dougan both acquitted themselves well, only to be robbed of better overall placings as each suffered a DNF in opposing races.
“It’s been a pretty disappointing day all round, what makes it even worse is that it has been in front of so many home fans who were right behind us and really wanted us to be up there and amongst it. I didn’t get the best of starts in the first race, but I slowly made my way forward despite it being quite difficult to pass, and was looking like I might have made it into the top fifteen before I punctured two laps from the end.” Church explained.
Tom continued. “The atmosphere has been great all day, so I was really hoping I could put things right in the second moto. Again after an average start I pulled my way through into a potential top fifteen finish only to crash in the whoops with just two laps to go.
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