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COPPINS QUALIFIES 7TH
Qualifying seventh fastest in Bulgaria, motocross hero Josh Coppins has clambered back into the world top 10 at just his second grand prix after horrifying injury.
Setting a Saturday time 1.4 seconds short of multi world champion top qualifier Joel Smets, Honda star Coppins showed rapid improvement in just his second weekend back from spine, ankle and foot surgery.
“This track is not really suitable for an all-out fast time,” commented the 26-year-old expat Kiwi after his ride in 30-degree-plus temperatures at the Sevlievo circuit east of Sofia.
“It’s very hard and fast underneath, plus today they watered it quite heavily so it was slick and quite easy to fall.
“I didn’t push too hard, I just circulated comfortably quickly without taking any risks,” Coppins explained.
“I’m happy with seventh fastest time, that gives me a reasonable pick of the starting gate tomorrow.”
In his first world championship ride for the UK-based CAS Honda team, Coppins qualified 13th and finished 15th at the Italian Grand Prix last weekend.
It was a result far better than predicted less than four months since major, complicated medical procedures, but pundits wondered if the New Zealand-born ace could improve quickly towards the runner-up position he bagged in the world’s premier class last year.
“I still have a way to go for GP pace, my left leg is still not functioning perfectly,” observed the rider nicknamed Lizzard.
“But already today I feel a step closer and I’m concentrating on smoothing out my riding.
“I’ve been carrying a bit of flu this week and I didn’t feel 100 percent this morning but I’m fine now.”
Coppins’ fellow CAS Honda rider Yoshi Atsuta of Japan slipped to 27th fastest today, just making the field of 30 for the GP, after aggravating a knee injury of a fortnight ago on his four-stroke CRF450R.
The other two members of the squad based in the English midlands are non-starters, highly-rated Irishman Gordon Crockard with a broken finger keeping him off his CRF450R and Finn Jussi Vehvilainen out of the 650 class for a longer term with a back injury.
“We are disappointed to be at only half strength this weekend, and I’m worried that Yoshi has tweaked his knee again today,” commented team manager Neil Prince, himself a veteran rider at the top level.
“But it’s inspirational for all the team to see Josh coming back to form so quickly. He’s not right there yet but he seems to improve with every ride.”
The drama is building towards crisis point at this fifth of 12 rounds in the Motocross GP (formerly 250 class) title hunt.
Controversial Frenchman Mickael Pichon, challenged by few others than Coppins as he flew to his second straight title last year, dominated the three opening events of this season before being trounced to fourth last weekend.
Fans of the Suzuki ace predict a rapid comeback while more sceptical observers believe he will be blown from the podium by the 450 four-strokes of KTM’s Smets or his fellow Belgian Stefan Everts (Yamaha) who won in Italy to end Pichon’s 12-race unbeaten run.
If today’s qualifying ride was an indication, the verdict is on hold. Pichon was a place behind Coppins until the very last minute of the half-hour session when he jumped to a time just behind Smets and ahead of Kawasaki’s Kenneth Gundersen (Kawasaki) and Everts.
Was the famously unpredictable Pichon foxing, or is the pressure getting to him? He holds a bare 7-point lead over Smets in the championship, with six-time world champ Everts rapidly closing.
The hard-packed Bulgarian circuit is expected to favour the four-strokes, but as Coppins observes a well-ridden 250 two-stroke can run with anything in the world.
The added attention drawn to this grand prix is manna for the impoverished, formerly communist eastern European nation which invested several million dollars in track and facilities to attract the championship last year.
Round six of the championship is in Austria in a fortnight.
Qualifying times today:
1. Joel Smets, BEL, KTM 1.51.677
2. Mickael Pichon, FRA, Suzuki 1.52.073
3. Kenneth Gundersen, NOR, Kawasaki 1.52.204
4. Stefan Everts, BEL, Yamaha 1.52.556
5. Claudio Frederici, ITA, Yamaha 1.52.945
6. Brian Jorgensen, DEN, Honda 1.53.022
7. Josh Coppins, NZL, Honda 1.53.117
8. Johnny Aubert, FRA, Yamaha 1.53.330
9. Marnicq Bervoets, BEL, Yamaha 1.53.550
10. Pit Beirer, GER, KTM 1.53.557
11. Antti Pyrhonen, FIN, Yamaha 1.53.711
12. Patrick Caps, BEL, KTM 1.54.085
13. Andrew McFarlane, AUS, Kawasaki 1.54.608
14. Christophe Martin, FRA, Suzuki 1.54.618
15. Marc Ristori, SUI, Honda 1.54.732
16. James Dobb, GBR, KTM 1.54.835
17. Chris Burnham, GBR, Honda 1.54.840
18. Lauris Freibergs, LAT, Honda 1.54.879
19. Antoine Meo, FRA, Kawasaki 1.55.097
20. Marko Kovalainen, FIN, Kawasaki 1.55.120
Motocross GP World Championship standings after four of 12 rounds:
1 Mickael Pichon (France) Suzuki 93 points; 2 Joel Smets (Belgium) KTM 86; 3 Stefan Everts (Belgium) Yamaha 75; 4 Kenneth Gundersen (Norway) Kawasaki 51; 5 Claudio Federici (Italy) Yamaha 49; 6 Brian Jorgensen (Denmark) Honda 47; 7 Gordon Crockard (Ireland) CAS Honda 40; 8 Andrew McFarlane (Australia) Kawasaki 39; 9 Yoshitaka Atsuta (Japan) CAS Honda 38; 10 Kevin Strijbos (Belgium) Suzuki 37. 25 Josh Coppins (New Zealand) CAS Honda 15.
Ian Miles
Josh’s Manager
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