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-
Team Great Britain - Profiles for the 2007 Red Bull FIM Motocross of Nations -ozzy go-
The second “winningest” Motocross of Nations team after USA, Great Britain has
owned the trophy 16 times, the last of which was 1994. The team has also won
the first Motocross of Nations back in 1947. Billy Mackenzie (16), Tommy
Searle (17) and James Noble (18) will be this year’s rider.
This is the fourth consecutive Motocross of Nations for Scottish Billy Mackenzie,
who was in the Great Britain team in 2004, 2005 and 2006. The 23 year old
born in Edinburgh has just finished his first MX1 season, where he gathered a
lot of experience, winning one GP (Sugo) and clocking one pole position
(Namur). Everyone remembers the laps of last year’s event where he led
Stefan Everts and James Stewart, sending the home ground wild.
Tommy Searle ended his second Motocross World Championship season in
second place behind Cairoli, and was also capable of winning his maiden GP
(Donington). With a total of 10 podiums, Searle has shown an incredible
consistency and will be trying harder at this second participation in the
Nations, the first having been at Matterley Basin last year.
James Noble looks forward to this event, as he classes riding for his country as
his best Motocross memory. Noble’s strongest asset is consistency; he missed
the points only three times in the 30 moto’s of this year’s Motocross World
Championship, where he has worked his way up to an eventual eleventh place.
Former racer Mark Eastwood will replace Rob Herring in his first appearance
as Team Manager of Great Britain. Eastwood has plenty of experience, and
was in the podium finishing Great Britain team back in 1997.
Last year’s result and team (MX1/MX2/Open): 6th; Billy Mackenzie, Tommy
Searle, Carl Nunn. pic from transworldmotocross.com
Donington Park MX1 and MX2: Tommy Searle sizzles Donington crowd for MX success
Factory KTM rider Tommy Searle sent 28,000 fans wild at the
brand new motocross facility at Donington Park when the 18-
year-old won his first Grand Prix in the MX2 category on Sunday.
The rider from Kent has now risen to second place in the FIM
World championship with just one round remaining and cannot be
displaced.
His results of second and first in the two motos of 35 minutes and
two laps duration under cloudy but bright skies delivered his
maiden triumph and continued an impressive record of results at
his home round.
Tommy Searle is already the UK’s top off-road racer after less
than two full seasons at the highest level.
In 2005 he raced his first Grand Prix at Matchams Park, Ringwood
and surprised many by not only qualifying but also scoring points.
Twelve months ago at Matterley Basin in Winchester he notched
his first GP podium and this weekend continued the trajectory.
“It has been a perfect day and the crowd were incredible,” he
said. “I had some difficult finding my lines in the first race and
could not catch Nicolas Aubin but he rode well. In the second I
could get away and pushed hard to stay ahead of Jeremy Tarroux
and I’m so pleased to finally win a Grand Prix. “This was the
penultimate round and I was worried that I’d run out of chances.”
Spectators including Marco Melandri, Troy Corser and Niall
Mackenzie watched how the infield had been transformed into a
spectacular circuit with many challenging jumps.
The layout ran from the outside of Goddards corner almost up to
Coppice and was constructed in just over a month to entertain the
penultimate round of the world championship.
Britain’s other main hope, Billy Mackenzie, could not repeat
Tommy Searle’s example in MX1. The 23-year-old Scot, winner in
Japan this year and leader of the British series, stalled his works
Kawasaki while leading the first race. He then grabbed a neutral
coming out of the gate in the second and hit the dirt several more
times trying to come through from the rear of the pack. He was
twelfth overall. click on ozzy go to the full story on MCN
photos from londonbikers.com & kawasakiracingteam.com
Magic MX2 winning weekend for Tommy Searle in Donington -ozzy go- ktmpress.com
Tommy Searle, the 18-year-old Briton for the KTM Red Bull MX2
Racing Team made his dream come true on Sunday just a few
kilometers from his home town when he clinched his maiden GP
victory at Donington Park.
On a day when clear blue skies heralded a fine day for
competition at the famous British racing circuit, Searle, who was
second in the first moto, made sure of victory in the second for
overall top podium place. He went through the checkered flag
almost eight seconds ahead of second placed Jeremy Tarroux and
clocked his fastest lap in lap 15 of the 18-lap race.
The victory vaults Tommy into second place in the season’s
standings behind Antonio Cairoli who already took the title last
weekend in Moneyglass, Northern Ireland. With just one Grand
Prix to go in the Netherlands and several of Searle’s toughest
rivals, including his teammate Tyla Rattray, out with injuries, he
now looks certain to finish in second place at the close of the
season. “It was a perfect day for me. I was not so worried after
coming second in the first moto because I put all my efforts into
the second heat. “I was struggling today with the lines but I tried
to do my best,” Searle said. click on ozzy go to the full story
Tommy Searle and Tanel Leok shine in England -ozzy go- mxlarge.com
British hero Tommy Searle captured the pole position in the MX2
class at the Grand Prix of Great Britain. The KTM factory rider
won his qualification race after coming back from behind. With a
large crowd in attendance Searle got the British flags flying.
Nicolas Aubin won the other MX2 qualification moto. In the MX1
class it was Tanel Leok who was quickest.
Tommy Searle comments: "It would be so good to win here with
all my family and friends here. I don't feel too much pressure,
Cairoli is gone and some people expect me to win, but I just do
my own race and see what happens. I thought when I was going
around that Cairoli is gone, but then I am racing his team-mate.
It's hard to pass here, so I hope I can get a good start and not
have to pass too many. It's great to get second in the
championship, but I would prefer that Pourcel was racing and
race for the second place in the championship. I am more
confident on the bike now."
Josh Coppins comments: "Today was tough, a lot of pain, but
the shoulder is okay. I would have liked to have sat out another
week, but I can't. When I first saw doctor Claes he said I might
be okay for Ireland, but to be honest it was a long shot. He said
sit Ireland out otherwise I might hurt it. He said I can ride here in
England, it would be tough. I wanted to train in Belgium, but the
weather was too bad, so I came to England and rode here. I am
satisfied, I did little laps, it's a track I like. I would like to be top
five in both motos, whether I can do this is a pain issue. I just
want to leave here with two top fives. My shoulder would be
better for Lierop. Steve averages about 30, 31 per GP and that
is pretty how he did. Everyones says Steve is carrying an injury,
but he rode the Belgian championship last week."
Billy Mackenzie comments: "I have been staying down here with
Tommy (Searle) and James Dobb training, and we popped down
to see the track. It's exciting for me, good to have the crowd here
on the saturday. There is a lot of work for sure, you stop to sign
one autograph and end up signing 20, but it's good to have the
fans and I want to win for them. I put a lap in the beginning (of
qualification) and I went to pole, then I dropped down a little
when some riders went faster, but I was too slow in the first half
of the track. It was always going to be tough, but it was
dangerous because I knew people would go fastest. I got pole
back and with two minutes left I went..." click on ozzy go to the
full story on mxlarge.com - pictures from motocrossmx1.com
Championship quest for Coppins and Searle at first GP in the Midlands -ozzy go-
The second “unseen” track of the 15 round FIM Motocross World
Championship calendar will host this weekend the penultimate
round of the series.
Fox Racing, the industry leader, values the on-going partnership
with Youthstream for the 2007 FOX Grand Prix of Great Britain,
and will have logo presence at the event via track signage and
selected hospitality areas.
MX1 Championship leader Joshua Coppins, who has been
missing the latest two rounds and scored no points at Loket
when he injured his left shoulder, will come back at Donington
after his last minute decision of skipping Moneyglass. In the
meantime, runner up Steve Ramon has shortened the gap to
12 points.
Antonio Cairoli, who has won his second World Title at
Moneyglass, will make his maiden GP appearance in the MX1
class this weekend. Christophe Pourcel is out with a broken
sacrum, and British star Tommy Searle can secure the second
place in the Championship by scoring only six points.
The second and final round of the FIM Veterans’ Motocross
World Cup will take place this weekend with Senior class
leader Dave Thorpe looking forward to his home event, where
Charles “Chuck” Sun from America will enter his first round of
the Cup in the Senior class. In the Veteran class, Kiwi leader
Tony Cooksley hopes to clinch another double victory as he did
in Namur.
click on ozzy go to the full story on motocrossmx1.com
Second place for Tommy Searle in MX2 Grand Prix of Northern Ireland -ozzy go- ktmpress.com
It may have been a podium, but it could have been the top spot
in the MX2 Grand Prix, so British teenager Tommy Searle of the
KTM Red Bull Racing Team was more disappointed than
celebratory at Moneyglass Northern Ireland after Sunday’s races.
It was question of experience over youth when after having lead
for most of the way in the second moto and looking certain to
take the victory, Searle made one tactical error, left the door
open and the more experienced standings leader slipped through
and stole the prize. With 610 points, the Italian Cairoli is now
unbeatable for the title.
“I am a bit disappointed,” Searle said. “I did the best I could but
I made a small mistake and I didn’t realize that Cairoli was as
close to me in the final stages as he was.” Team Boss Stefan
Everts also said he had hoped for a victory for his youngest
charge. “Tommy is young and still not that experienced,” he said.
“He is so close to winning and he really did his best. I wish very
much for him that he will be able to win his first GP this season.
This would be very important for his confidence.” click on ozzy
go to the full story on ktmpress.com
Tommy Searle Bids For Home Glory -ozzy go- superbike-news.co.uk
Tommy Searle has his sights set on a Donington Park double in
the penultimate round of the World Motocross Championship on
Bank Holiday Sunday to keep him firmly on track for the runner-
up spot in the final standings.
The Red Bull KTM rider, who makes his home in Tonge, the
adjacent village to the Leicestershire circuit, has ridden bikes
since he was a five year old and as he prepares for what will be
his ‘home’ round of the 15 race MX2 series he had given the
specially crafted course the ‘thumbs up.’
He faces two races on Sunday afternoon that could be crucial to
his hopes – each race over the course with its yumps and high
leaping sections runs for 35 gruelling minutes plus two laps and
the opposition is the best, bringing the world’s elite riders, led by
the champion elect Toni Cairoli, into action.
Searle rode parts of the course, which has been built from some
50,000 tones of soil transported on to the infield section of the
Grand Prix venue, during a press pre-view event: “It’s very good,
will be a good test for everyone and should be really exciting to
ride - it looks really good, real fun. I’m excited about it already.”
click on ozzy go to the full story on superbike-news.co.uk