5 Minutes With...Tommy Searle and James Dobb January 25, 2008
It was pretty humorous, really. I had set out to interview 2007 Vice-World
Motocross Champion Tommy Searle and his friend and business manager
James Dobb in the pit area of Angel Stadium. The problem was, though,
that the place, between roaring rock music, DJs, revving motorcycles and
thousands of fans holding thousands of conversations, was just way too
crowded and noisy to knock out any sort of interview. That’s when the good
folks at Alpinestars offered up one of their Sprinter vans for us to sit within
and talk.
So there we were: This writer in the driver’s seat, 18-year-old Tommy
Searle in the passenger seat, and 2001 125cc World Champion James Dobb
sitting on a stack of boot boxes between us: Three hard-going travelers
telling war stories without even moving. It looked goofy enough that more
than one person stopped in their tracks to look trough the windshield and
wonder what in the hell we were doing.
But the upside of it all was that it made for a great conversation and both
Dobb and his understudy were both eager to talk about their racing
careers; just like Dobb, who came to America to race in the early 1990s
before going back to become a world champion, Searle was about to mirror
the same journey. In California to ride, train and watch some supercross
before heading back to Europe to take on Antonio Cairoli for the MX2 World
Championship, the duo were having a fine time of it. And that’s where we’ll
begin: An American and two Englishmen sitting in a stationary truck placed
smack in the middle of the main thoroughfare of the Anaheim SX pit area.
[Ed. note: It was announced yesterday by KTM USA that Tommy Searle
just signed a contract with them to compete in America in 2009-2010.]
read the interviews on racerxill.com - pic from motomagazine.co.uk
Tommy Searle RacerX Interview -ozzy go-
Billy MacKenzie MXLarge Interview -ozzy go-
In his first season in the MX1 class Scottish rider Billy Mackenzie
scored a GP win and at times looked very strong. We caught up
with the new CAS Honda signing while he was getting ready to go
out training. Like all good factory riders Mackenzie will come into
the 2008 season ready to race. interview on mxlarge.com
pic from vitalmx.com
Josh Coppins MXLarge Interview -ozzy go-
Rinaldi Yamaha rider Josh Coppins is busy working away in the
warmth of his homeland of New Zealand. Refreshed from some
beach time and time with the family Coppins is now starting his
serious training in preperation for his challenge to Steve Ramon
and that number one plate. We caught up with Josh on a sunny
day in the middle of summer. Relaxed on his deck chair he was
about to go riding with his best mate Scotty Columb. interview on
mxlarge.com - pic from fullnoise.com.au
Steve Ramon RacerX Interview -ozzy go-
Monday Conversation: Steve Ramon December 03, 2007
Three GPs into the MX1 world championships, Belgian Steve Ramon was
suffering from bad luck and his title hopes were fading as fast as Josh
Coppins was pulling away. Ramon never gave up and got it together, only
to hurt his wrist and struggle to make the podium at the end. Coppins'
fate was a bit worse, and he had to pull out, giving Ramon a chance to
finish on top for his first MX1 world championship.
Ramon is a regular at the MXoN each year as a key member of Team
Belgium. We spoke with him about his year as he was waiting to go in to
the FIM Off Road Awards in Monaco at the Monte Carlo Bay Hotel.
interview on racerxill.com
Stefan Everts – The Biography -ozzy go- motocrossmx1.com
Stefan Everts is a born world champion. He has dominated the
world stage of motocross for much of the last fifteen years.
Talented, driven to perfection, faced with adversity, Everts has
seen and experienced it all. It is therefore no surprise that his
story had to be told. Compiled by Jürgen Schrooten and
Christophe Vandegoor after years of interviews and background
research, his biography was published and reprinted multiple
times by Houtekiet in 2006 in his native language to much
success.
And today, it is Stefan Everts' pleasure to present the English
translation of his biography to the world. Translated by Stefan
Paetow, this new English edition includes not only his life up to his
tenth world championship win at the iconic Citadelle of Namur in
2006, but it offers you, the English reader, an insight into the final
three Grand Prix of the year and Everts' last race, the 2006
Motocross of Nations at Matterley Basin, England.
Spread over 276 pages, learn everything about Stefan Everts,
from his father's career onwards, through his childhood and his
start in the world of motocross, to his first world championship,
his career-threatening injuries and then his golden years in the
new millennium. more on motocrossmx1.com
Steve Ramon RacerX Interview -ozzy go-
Between the Motos: Steve Ramon September 05, 2007
Steve Ramon is our new World MX1 champion. Being
the first World MX1 champion after Stefan Everts is not
an easy job, and many people question the place of
Ramon on the championship ladder. At the end of the day
though he has the number one plate; he is the rider that
everyone wished they had beaten; and he is the rider who
scored more points than anyone else. The 27-year-old
Belgian is not a big talker, he isn't handy with the press,
and at times is very shy.
It’s been a year of change with Everts gone, and at the
start of the season it was Josh Coppins who led the way,
winning more than the others and taking a big points-lead.
Then it all went wrong, and Ramon became the leader.
We sat down with new World MX1 champion Steve
Ramon and asked him about his championship season.
click on ozzy go to the interview on racerxill.com
Dutch MX GP King 2007 – Valkenswaard/Lierop
Dutch MX GP King 2007 Vromans/Van Der Ven Trophy
1. Kevin Strijbos (Belgium/Suzuki) 83pts/1 win
2. Marc De Reuver (Netherlands/Yamaha) 80pts/1 win
3. Steve Ramon (Belgium/Suzuki) 79pts
4. Ken De Dycker (Belgium/Honda) 70pts
5. Max Nagl (Germany/KTM) 51pts
6. Manuel Priem (Belgium/TM) 49pts
7. Josh Coppins (New Zealand/Yamaha) 47pts/1 win
8. Billy Mackenzie (Great Britain/Kawasaki) 44pts
9. James Noble (Great Britain/Honda) 43pts
10. Jonathan Barragan (Spain/KTM) 41pts/1 win
11. Mike Brown (USA/Honda) 36pts
12. Marvin Van Daele (Belgium/Honda) 32pts
13. Tanel Leok (Estonia/ Kawasaki) 31pts
14. Aigar Leok (Estonia/Yamaha) 28pts
15. Kornel Nemeth (Hungary/Suzuki) 20pts
MX Grand Prix of Netherlands at Lierop -ozzy go- mxlarge.com
MX1 Dutch Grand Prix
1. Kevin Strijbos (Belgium/Suzuki) 1-2
2. Marc De Reuver (Netherlands/Yamaha) 3-1
3. Steve Ramon (Belgium/Suzuki) 2-3
4. Ken De Dycker (Belgium/Honda) 4-4
5. Billy Mackenzie (Great Britain/Kawasaki) 5-5
6. Manuel Priem (Belgium/TM) 6-6
7. Max Nagl (Germany/KTM) 7-9
8. Marvin Van Daele (Belgium/Honda) 11-8
9. Aigar Leok (Estonia/Yamaha) 12-11
10. James Noble (Great Britain/Honda) 10-13
MX2 Dutch Grand Prix
1. Tony Cairoli (Italy/Yamaha) 1-1
2. Gareth Swanepoel (South Africa/Kawasaki) 2-4
3. Tommy Searle (Great Britain/KTM) 4-7
MX1 World Championship Final Standings
1. Steve Ramon (Belgium/Suzuki) 508pts
2. Kevin Strijbos (Belgium/Suzuki) 475pts
3. Josh Coppins (New Zealand/Yamaha) 452pts
MX2 World Championship Final Standings
1. Tony Cairoli (Italy/Yamaha) 660pts
2. Tommy Searle (Great Britain/KTM) 510pts
MX GP #15 Lierop Saturday: Leok, Cairoli and Swanepoel -ozzy go- realmx.com
Lierop MX1 Qualifying
1. Tanel Leok (Estonia/Kawasaki) 2:00.537
2. Kevin Strijbos (Belgim/Suzuki) 2:00.694
3. Steve Ramon (Belgium/Suzuki) 2:00.778
4. Marc De Reuver (Netherlands/Yamaha) 2:00.988
5. Manuel Priem (Belgium/TM) 2:01.209
6. David Philippaerts (Italy/KTM) 2:01.642
7. Ken De Dycker (Belgium/Honda) 2:02.346
8. Billy Mackenzie (Great Britain/Kawasaki) 2:02.688
Lierop MX2 Qualifying Race 1
1. Antonio Cairoli (Italy/Yamaha)
2. Rui Goncalves (Portugal/KTM)
3. Matti Seistola (Finland/Honda)
Lierop MX2 Qualifying Race 2
1. Gareth Swanepoel (South Africa/Kawasaki)
2. Erik Eggens (Netherlands/Suzuki)
3. Tommy Searle (Great Britain/KTM)
Lierop Womens World Cup Qualifying
1. Katherine Prumm (New Zealand/Kawasaki) 2:27.711
2. Marie Romlin (Sweden) 3. Natalie Kane (Ireland)
Tanel Leok poles while Steve Ramon looks forward to tomorrow's Title chase -ozzy go-
LIEROP, 1 September 2007- The FIM Motocross World
Championship riders took their first steps on the
sandy De Herselse Bossen today on a dry surface.
Tanel Leok conquered another pole in the MX1 class, improving
on the difficult qualifying of last year, when the Estonian finished
only seventh fastest. Current leader Steve Ramon was third
fastest.
Antonio Cairoli marked his comeback to MX2 with a stunning
qualifying heat victory –the thirteenth of the season- in the first
qualifying heat, while Gareth Swanepoel won a hard fought
second heat, battling with second placed Erik Eggens.
Katherine Prumm posted a brilliant lap to secure the pole, ahead
of Marie Romlin, while series leader Livia Lancelot was fifth
fastest.
click on ozzy go to the full story on motocrossmx1.com
Joshua Coppins cancels his entry for the last MXGP -ozzy go- fullnoise.com.au
Joshua Coppins has decided to pull out of the final round of the
2007 MX1 world championship. The recovery of the shoulder
injury he sustained at the 11th round of the championship at
Loket (Czech Republic) held on the 29th of July has not
progressed sufficiently to enable him to try and clinch back the 14
points gap on Steve Ramon. While Coppins tried with some
success to minimize the damage to his title changes at the hard
packed circuit in Donington last weekend, the prospect of the
physically demanding deep sand track of Lierop offers no hope
for him to close the point’s deficit.
Joshua’s brave attempt to race at Donington earned him just
seven points, the result of a 14th position finish in the first moto.
He retired from the second moto early on because excessive pain
prevented him from continuing. The pain remained during this
week despite trying another special treatment. A CT scan of the
shoulder revealed that the race at Donington did not aggravate
the injury, but that the healing of the bone had not progressed
any further. The only advice the doctor could give was to take
rest and wait until the bone has healed completely.
Admitting defeat is not really in Josh’s character and is even more
difficult to accept as he can be regarded as the moral winner of
this year’s championship, being the rider with the most GP wins,
despite missing three events. Before Loket Josh led the
championship supremely with 107 points and looked on his way to
win his first world title very comfortably. Yet injury is part of
motocross racing, a fact that Coppins is willing to accept;
"Obviously I’m very disappointed, more than that, it is difficult to
explain in words how I feel right now. I have been putting so much
effort into the pre-season... click on ozzy go to the full story
2007 Grand Prix of Great Britain -ozzy go- Vital MX Photo Gallery
With one World Motocross title already decided (Antonio Cairoli
clinching the MX2 crown), another to be settled next weekend in
The Netherlands (between Josh Coppins and Steve Ramon), as
well as the Motocross of Nations fast approaching, you're up to
date with what's happening in Europe, right? If not, these galleries
(see the links above) shot by Jeffrey Beerdsen will get you up to
speed on the happenings across the pond.
Coppins concedes to injury
New Zealand motorcross star Josh Coppins has revealed he's
fighting a losing battle to win his first MX1 championship.
The Motueka rider returned from a month off with a shoulder
injury for the penultimate round in England last weekend but not
only lost his championship lead but aggravated his problems.
Coppins now says he's 99 percent certain to miss the final round
in the Netherlands this weekend.
The Belgium-based rider admits he's gutted saying he was clearly
the best rider in the series until being struck down with injury.
The twice runner up in the Motor Cross World Championships
hasn't bothered to do even done the maths to see where he might
finish overall if he doesn't start this weekend. tvnz.co.nz
Dave Thorpe MxLarge Interview -ozzy go-
Dave Thorpe is a name that belongs with the all time greats of
the sport. A three time World 500cc champion Thorpe raced in
what many say was the golden era of 500cc racing. His rivals
were names like Eric Gebores, Graham Noyce, Georges Jobe,
Hakan Carlqvist and Andre Malherbe. Twice this month we have
been lucky enough to see Thorpe race. Once at the Grand Prix
of Namur and last weekend at the Grand Prix of Great Britain.
Both venues meant a lot to Thorpe. Namur where he won nearly
20 years ago and his home GP in England. On the Saturday in
Namur Thorpe clocked lap times that would have put him close to
qualification in the MX1 class, all this despite not doing any racing
leading up to Namur.
In England he raced a circuit that was very much a Supercross
styled circuit. With a large crowd in attendance it was really like
going back in time. Air horns bellowed into the sky as the former
King of British Motocross crossed the line for victory in the Senior
World championship.
We caught up with the legend and asked him about his weekend
in England. click on ozzy go to the interview on mxlarge.com
