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From – Ian Miles:
COPPINS COOL IN USA:
A cautious start to the year\'s racing for motocross star Josh Coppins.
The 25-year-old New Zealander, runner-up world 250 champion, ventured as far as the semi-finals in the opening round of the American supercross champs.
In a night of heavy falls on a tough track at Anaheim stadium in Los Angeles, Coppins took a couple of minor tumbles from his Honda CR250R but was unhurt.
\"I wasn\'t going to push it any harder,\" said the number one Honda rider of the European-based world championship.
\"I\'m out here simply as training for the world champs starting in three months, not to win everything.\"
\"Of course I always want to do well whatever race I\'m in, but it\'s also important to be sensible in my first ride back from the winter layoff,\" said the rider they call the Lizzard. \"Tonight there were guys going down all over the place, some pretty heavy falls.The American riders have a lot resting on this championship.\"
In a night of upsets in front of a capacity 45,000 crowd, Australian Chad Reed shut down reigning champion Ricky Carmichael (USA) in the 250 main event, while Travis Preston triumphed over favourite Bubba Stewart.
Coppins will contest the first four weekends of the US championship before heading to Europe to prepare for his world title bid from March to September.
