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Photo - Ben at Gaildorf:
This report is from Ben Townley`s PR man, Glen Dempsey.
Visit Ben @ his website: BentownleyMX.com:
It features his latest news, pictures, profile etc. and while you're there, leave a message for the young Kiwi in his `Guestbook'.
Mixed fortunes have forced New Zealand’s MX prodigy, Ben Townley to wait until the penultimate round of the MX2 GP series in Ireland to be crowned world champion. Townley boasts a ninety six point lead and now needs four points over his closet rival, friend and team-mate, Tyla Rattray to clinch his and New Zealand’s first ever MX2 championship in Bally Kelly on the 11th of September.
Townley took his pole position and placed himself in a strategic inside position for race one. The gate dropped and BT was able to hug a tight line in the first corner and came out in fifth position. Two corners later there was dismay in the KTM pits as Towley did not exit Gaildof’s valley section of the circuit. Townley had gone down while trying to pass young French rider, Anthony Boissiére. It took a while for Townley to remount and start his bike but the Kiwi had not given up just yet. He was determined to ride back into the points so he gave chase to the pack with more than one minute deficit over the last placed rider. BT had caught up to 26th position with ten minutes to go however he made a small mistake again and went down. The Kiwi retired from the race without gaining any valuable championship points.
“I was in about fifth when Boissiére and I collided. I went for the inside line and so did he. It took me way too long to get going again but I kept pushing to see if I could get back into the points. Close to the end I ran into a lapper and went down again. I’m pretty disappointed with myself but that’s not going to stop me for the next race,” vowed Townley.
Clouds burst as BT chose the inside starting position as he had done in the first race and as the pack charged the first corner, KTM man and machine had to fight their way through the rain and mud of the first few turns. BT came out fourth and was trailing the leader and team-mate, de Reuver by over ten seconds. The short downpour cleared as the Kiwi star was making his move on Italian team-mates Cairoli and Federici. With a quarter of the race gone, BT was up into second and he had his sights set on de Reuver. He started to reel the Dutchman in lap by lap and ten minutes before the end Townley made his move. He passed de Reuver over an unpredictable triple jump – the same place he had made his move on de Reuver the day before in their qualify race. With no challenge coming from his KTM colleague, Townley rocketed to his seventeenth moto win of the year.
“I’m actually disappointed in myself. I came here to ride two strong races and the first heat ruined my chances of that. I got my rhythm going in the second heat when the track dried out a little and I was pretty happy that I could catch Marc and take the win. I had some good lines going. I guess I’ll have to wait another two weeks before I can wrap up the title” sighed Townley.
2004 MX2 Point standings
1. Townley Ben, NZL, KTM, 522
2. Rattray Tyla , RSA, KTM, 426
3. Sword Stephen, GBR, Kawasaki, 382
4. Cairoli Anonio, ITA, Yamaha, 371
5. Maschio Michaël, FRA, Kawasaki, 343
6. Chiodi Alessio, ITA, Yamaha, 340
7. McFarlane A, AUS, Yamaha, 329
8. Nunn Carl, GBR, Honda, 253
9. Caps Patrick, BEL, Yamaha, 248
10. Federici Claudio, ITA, Yamaha, 243
