With the MX1 and MX2 world titles sewn up like KTM kippers in Faenza two weeks ago the focus switches to the battle for places this weekend at the Teutschenthal circuit.
MXGP 2012 comes to a close in Germany and our main man on the October cover of DBR Jake Nicholls has plenty to play for in the Germainian dirt. He holds a slim 409 championship points over the hounding Jordi Tixier on 401 going into the weekend. Come on Jake, cement the #4 on that plate!
The Gautier Paulin/Christophe Pourcel battle in MX1 is another one to watch as the French duo do battle for third overall in the championship on 502 and 496 points respectively. We don’t want to see orders from Kawasaki or the French President on this one – although we’re sure Francois Hollande will be glued to the timing screens come Saturday’s qualy race.
Plenty of riders will be doing their final motos aboard current machines and in current teams of course – Max Nagl bringing his long run in the Factory KTM birth to a close is perhaps the most notable. After getting the heave-ho for being deemed too good a team-mate for Cairoli in 2013 what does that says about de Dycker? We’re not sure, or maybe we are sure and it’s not so good for big Kendo!
Look out for all the Brits, not least our other star columnist Bryan Mackenzie who’s again alongside Jamie Law on the STR KTMs in MX1. Fellow Scot Shaun Simpson will have to be on it as he’s sure to be under pressure from Evgeny Bobryshev (a moto winner at Teutschenthal in 2011) for a final top ten birth.
We know by now that Tommy Searle has nailed second in the MX2 championship and is likely already mentally switching over to the 450 machine he’ll ride at the MX of Nations at the end of the month, as well as MX1 in 2013. Likely though he’ll want to give it his all one more time on the two-fiddy.
Mighty Max Anstie has put in a steely effort all 2012 on what you could well argue wasn’t the best bike in MX2. A good result could see him leap frog the injured Joel Roelants for sixth place in the table – the news this week that he’s signed for Rockstar Suzuki to race the MX2 world championship in 2013 will be weight off his shoulders.
