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Contributed by: Ian Miles.
World motocross ace Josh Coppins has arrived in Sweden to defend his honour and his place in the world 250 championship, at this weekend’s grand prix at Udevalla.
Second in the chase for the title coming to this weekend’s eighth of 12 rounds, Coppins has had to fight off the distractions of a doping charge after he took the wrong kind of hay fever tablet before a previous round.
“There was a preliminary court hearing this week, which I had to join by telephone hook-up,” said the 25-year-old expat New Zealander.
“There’s no decision … I now have a full court hearing next month.[August 5] “It’s pretty gruelling stuff when you’re trying to mount a championship campaign,” he commented.
“But I’m determined not to let this side-track me, the best thing I can do is go out and get points in the races.”
If Coppins can put off-track issues to one side, he is predicted to shake the prestige 250 class this weekend at the natural rock quarry of Glimminge Motorstadion 100km north of Gothenberg.
“It’s a tough track but there’s plenty of natural terrain and it suits the hard-working riders,” said Coppins, known as one of the hardest trainers in the business.
“This is an opportunity for me to show I don’t need any kind of drugs to perform.
“I’ve had a huge amount of support from many people in motocross who know I would never knowingly be involved in anything like this … now I have the chance to show one or two other riders who have been quick to spread rumours.
“Come the race on Sunday morning I have something to prove,” he said.
Coppins on his Honda has been the only rider to keep the pressure on runaway points leader and reigning world champion Mickael Pichon this year.
The Frenchman, Coppins’ former Suzuki teammate, now has 163 points to Coppins’ 136.
Coppins’ fellow expat Ben Townley rides the 125 Grand Prix Sunday afternoon local time.
The 17-year-old is right in the hunt for the small class title as he lines up his KTM in sixth place overall.
Townley has 97 points while the leader has only 125 in a championship where every one of the remaining five grands prix offers 25 points for victory.
With the championship taking a month break after Sweden, both Coppins and Townley will race a USA National at Unadilla in a mid-July.
[Good news is that it is now reported that Josh WILL be riding for the Vismara Honda team at Uddevalla and has not been stood down by Vismara, as reported earlier. You can send your support to Josh :HERE:]
