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By: Ian Miles:
COPPINS & TOWNLEY QUALIFY IN BELGIUM
New Zealand motocross star Josh Coppins has cruised to an easy fifth qualifying spot for tomorrow’s 250 Grand Prix of Belgium at Genk.
Meanwhile youngster Ben Townley set the fourth fastest time in the tooth-and-nail 125 class.
Coppins, 25, showed no sign of nerves before his career-threatening court case on a doping charge on Monday, as he ran with the lap times of the quickest today.
Fastest in practice in the morning, the Kiwi expat kept his factory Honda out of trouble on a demanding circuit made muddy by rain after hot weather earlier in the week.
“It’s difficult riding in these conditions,” commented the veteran of eight years at the world championships. “For a top qualifying slot you need that one extra-quick lap, but that can be risky when it’s slippery like this. “I figure it’s better to be around the lap time and make sure I’m in top shape for tomorrow.”
Soaring to second in the glamour quarter-litre class after eight of the year’s 12 rounds, the much-admired New Zealander has been hit by a heavyweight drug charge after taking a lightweight hay fever tablet.
Coppins and his lawyer leave Belgium straight after the race tomorrow to drive to Switzerland for the court hearing on Monday morning.
“I’ve been trying hard to put the doping thing out of my mind and just concentrate on my riding,” said the embattled ace this week. “The irony is that I’m riding better than ever in my life right now, I feel totally at one with the bike and the results have reflected it.”
Runaway points leader and defending champion Michael Pichon (France) was second quickest in today’s qualifier behind Coppins’ teammate Pit Beirer of Germany.
Backed by Honda of Europe, Coppins has consistently outgunned the hard-charging Beirer in GP races this season and with 158 points has pulled 17 ahead of the German.
That will change tomorrow and could be altered again if Coppins is penalised by the motorcycle racing courts.
Townley was delighted with a lap time in the leading half of his session for the top ten in the championship.
“I’ve been working on my fast-lap times but I always seem to end up ninth or tenth,” said the fast-improving 17-year-old from Taupo. “In some ways that’s OK because it can lull the other guys and on Sunday I go out and get on the podium in the GP. “But I think they’re awake to me now, so I’m very happy to be right up the leaderboard.”
Townley, who performed well at the Genk circuit last year, is being watched closely this time out after his stunning victory in the most recent grand prix in Sweden last month.
With five riders wedged together on points as the championship enters its final third, season sensation Townley is fast making up ground and remains an outside chance to take the title in just his second year.
Riding a factory-supplied KTM 125 for the Big Five Vangani team, based near the circuit in eastern Belgium, Townley is just 21 points off the lead on 122.
The top two in the championship finished below Townley on times today. Leader Mickael Maschio, recently crowned French 125 national champ, was seventh quickest while 33-year-old veteran and two-time world champion Alex Puzar managed no better than ninth after being concussed in a heavy crash at home in Italy last weekend.
The trio equal on third in the title hunt set times faster in this Saturday session than Townley who is bouncing back from a minor knee problem.
After a summer break, the championship is resuming at this tight, technical circuit 90km east of Brussels right near the Netherlands border.
Next the racers head to Germany and the Czech Republic before the final round in Russia in September.
Coppins rides the 250 grand prix at 11am Sunday local time and Townley’s 125 grand prix is four hours later.
[Daryll Atkins on the 2003 MJ Church Kawasaki occupies the last qualifying grid position, 30th place]
