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Honda motocross ace Josh Coppins has grabbed ninth place in today’s Grand Prix of Namur in Belgium.
The placing on the most demanding circuit of the world championship signifies a big comeback for the expat Kiwi who was badly injured at the start of this year.
Runner-up in the world’s glamour championship last year, Coppins has now clambered back into the top 20 for 2003 despite missing half the races after surgery to his spine, feet and an ankle.
“Today was another step in my climb back to full strength and speed and I feel I came through it well,” commented the 26-year-old star of the CAS Honda team.
“To come to this tough track is a big challenge for anyone and I saw it as a good test of my recovery.
“I’m pleased with a top ten place but more importantly I feel now I’m riding as well as I was when I came to Honda a year and a half ago.
“There’s still progress to be made to catch up with the front guys, but I’m well on the way now.”
Coppins’ placing on the CR250R two-stroke could easily have been higher on the 2.477km circuit around the steep slopes of a Roman citadel at the edge of this Ardennes forest town near the French border.
“Namur is one of those circuits where you finish in the place you start,” he explained. “It’s all down to how you get off the line and round the first couple of corners.
“There’s just very little place to pass around here and today’s race proved that again, the top standings are almost the same from the end of lap one to the finish of the race.
Coppins, who qualified fifth fastest yesterday, described this eighth grand prix of the season as his best weekend of the year so far.
“There are four GPs to go and I’m looking to get back among the leaders,” added New Zealand’s top motorcycle racer.
The grand prix marked a turning point in the season as two-time 250 class champion Mickael Pichon of France lost the lead for the first time.
Six times world champion Stefan Everts, dubbed the winningest motocrosser of all time, squeaked two points ahead with victory in today’s race to back up his domination of the support 125 class event.
Pichon was trounced into third in the GP, Everts hounded all the way by fellow Belgian, four times world champ Joel Smets who is now just five points adrift of Pichon overall despite not winning a race all year.
It proved a tough day for Coppins’ CAS Honda team from England.
Irishman Gordon Crockard dropped out of the event after catch fencing became tangled in his rear wheel and threw him into a tree while Japanese rider Yoshi Atsuta, on his first visit to the daunting circuit, cruised to a quiet 18th place.
Championship points after eight of 12 rounds:
1 Stefan Everts (Belgium) Yamaha 175; 2 Mickael Pichon (France) Suzuki 173 points; 3 Joel Smets (Belgium) KTM 168; 4 Brian Jorgensen (Denmark) Honda 112, 5 Claudio Federici (Italy) Yamaha 95; 6 Andrew McFarlane (Australia) Kawasaki 94; 7 Kenneth Gundersen (Norway) Kawasaki 93; 8 Yoshitaka Atsuta (Japan) CAS Honda 80; 9 Gordon Crockard (Ireland) CAS Honda 78; 10 Marnicq Bervoets (Belgium) Yamaha 78. 18 Josh Coppins (New Zealand) CAS Honda 33.
Ian Miles
Josh’s Manager
