Searle stops in both races as technical problems wreak havoc…
Tommy Searle suffered wretched luck in his challenge for the world title as misfortune beyond the control of either the rider or the Floride Monster Energy Kawasaki Pro Circuit team forced him out of both motos within a couple of laps. In the first moto a rock damaged an oil pipe as he moved up to challenge for the lead while in the second race a defective tyre caused early retirement as he again looked set for a major points haul. The double helping of bad luck was a savage blow after Tommy had moved ever closer to the pace in recent GPs. He now trails the series leader by 41 points but with six GPs remaining can still turn this around and both rider and team will continue to battle for glory.
“I started third in the first race and was confident of another victory as I moved up on the leaders but I soon realised I wasn’t going to see the chequered flag,” says Tommy. “I could see the oil coming out and it seized on the third lap because of the damage from a rock. I was determined to fight back in race two but bad luck stopped me even sooner as the rear tyre came off the rim. I am absolutely devastated but there are still six more GPs and I will not give up chasing the title – it could be the turn of my rivals to have bad luck next weekend.”
