Henk Knuiman handhaaft zich in de top twintig in de Dakar Rally

Henk Knuiman uit het HSF Logistics Henstek Rally Team is in de negende etappe van Antafagasta naar Iquique op een vijfentwintigste plaats binnen gekomen. Het was een lange dag voor de rijder uit Wijchen want de etappe bestond uit slechts negen kilometer verbindingsroute gevolgd door een special van 556 kilometer.

Henk heeft zijn eigen tempo gereden want aanzetten gaat gewoonweg niet in verband met zijn geblesseerde arm. Henk heeft zich dan ook als doel gesteld om de finish te halen en te blijven rijden. Daarnaast probeert hij de schade zoveel mogelijk te beperken door constant te blijven rijden.

In de negende etappe moesten de rijders een rivier oversteken. Henk zag de rijder voor hem koppie ondergaan en wist dus dat hij op zijn hoede moest zijn. Henk liep met de motor aan de hand door de rivier maar omdat er veel stroming stond viel dit niet mee. Toch slaagde Knuiman erin om zonder problemen aan de overkant aan te komen.

De laatste dertig kilometer van de etappe bestonden uit duinen. Hier heeft Henk goed genavigeerd en werd uiteindelijk als vijfentwintigste geklasseerd. In het klassement staat Henk na negen etappes op een twintigste plaats.

De tiende etappe loopt van Iquique naar Arica en is 694 kilometer lang. De special is in deze etappe 377 kilometer lang.

ProX Racing Parts and JE Pistons official technical partner of CLS Kawasaki teams 2012

ProX Racing Parts and JE Pistons, both owned by Performance Motorsports Inc. (PMi) are proud to announce their partnership with Team CLS Monster Energy Kawasaki Pro Circuit teams for the 2012 World Championship Motocross racing season.

2012 CLS Teams

ProX Racing parts and JE Pistons will be official technical sponsors for all teams that operate under the umbrella of Team CLS Monster Energy Kawasaki Pro Circuit. For 2012 the team consists of French racers Christophe and Sebastien Pourcel in the MX1 class riding for Team CP377 and English rider Tommy Searle and Belgian Joel Roelants in the MX2 class riding for Team Floride. The riders are all considered to be favorites for world championship victories during the 2012 season. French racer Maxime Desprey will complete for the team in the EMX2 class riding for team NGS Junior.

Both ProX and JE Pistons brands offer high quality performance engine components. ProX is well known of their wide product program of technical replacement parts for Motocross, ATV and Personal Watercraft applications. JE Pistons is famous of their high performance forged racing pistons used in AMA Supercross, NASCAR, etc.

Tommy Searle GP MX2

The long relation with Harry Nolte, technical manager of all the teams and PMI Europe B.V. has lead to the agreement with CLS. Harry has worked with our brands for many World champions in the past. The trust in the quality parts of ProX Racing Parts and JE Pistons has CLS Kawasaki’s team manager Jean-Jacques Luisetti made decided to choose for those PMI brands.

“PMI Europe B.V. has worked closely with Harry Nolte in the last decennia. As we know each other very well, Harry introduced us with CLS. They are looking for highquality productsand especially for a high performance piston that meet the requirements of the demanded riders like Christophe Pourcel and Tommy Searl. ProX Racing Parts and JE Pistons are very excited about this partnership. As atop teamin the Motocross Grand PriX we expect to have a lot of exposure with our brand names globally.” Said Marketing manager Mattijs te Riele.

Learn more about the products on www.pro-x.com and www.jepistons.com

Henk Knuiman spaart zijn arm op lange verbindingsroute naar Copiapo

Vanwege sneeuwval werd de zesde etappe van de Dakar Rally afgelast. Deze etappe liep van Fiambala naar Copiapo. Wel moest Henk Knuiman uit het HSF Logistics Henstek Rally Team een verbindingsroute afleggen van 660 kilometer om in het volgende bivak aan te komen. In de route bereikten de rijders op het Andes gebergte een hoogte van 4721 meter. Henk had op aanraden van Erik Verhoef een aantal zuurstofflesjes meegenomen. In de voorgaande jaren was hij namelijk misselijk geworden op deze hoogte maar hier had hij dit jaar helemaal geen last van. Dat het een lange dag was blijkt wel uit het feit dat de rijder uit Wijchen om 08:15 uur van start ging en pas om 16:45 uur aan kwam in het bivak.

Toen Henk in het bivak aan kwam, was de assistentietruck nog niet op plaats van bestemming. Henk heeft toen de tent van RTL verslaggever Allard Kalff geleend zodat hij toch even een uurtje kon slapen. Henk heeft tijdens deze dag zijn arm goed kunnen sparen en hoopt dan ook dat zijn arm tijdens de zevende etappe van Copiapo naar Copiapo een stuk beter aan zal voelen. De etappe is 573 kilometer lang met een special van 419 kilometer.

Henk heeft voor deze etappe aan de organisatie gevraagd of hij een betere startplaats kan krijgen. De elite rijders kunnen dit aanvragen wanneer ze zeg maar een keer een slechte dag hebben gehad zodat ze dan verder naar voren kunnen starten. Of dit is goed gekeurd, is op het moment dat we Henk aan de telefoon hadden nog niet bekend.

Henk Knuiman begint zich beter te voelen in de Dakar Rally

Henk Knuiman uit het HSF Logistics Henstek Rally Team begint zich weer beter te voelen in de Dakar Rally. De rijder uit Wijchen kende een goede dag maar verdwaalde helaas even waardoor er tijd verloren ging. Knuiman bleef hier rustig onder en stuurde zijn goed geprepareerde KTM machine naar een achtentwintigste plaats waarmee hij in het klassement verschillende plaatsen winst wist te boeken.

Tijdens de vijfde etappe, die liep van Chilecito naar Fiambala, voelde Knuiman zich alweer beter dan op woensdag en was op zijn KTM goed onderweg. Het begin van de etappe was in los zand en dit verliep aardig goed voor de rijder uit Wijchen. Helaas verdwaalde Henk rondom CP1 waardoor hij even moest zoeken. Hierdoor ging er tijd verloren en tot overmaat van ramp wist een Quad-rijder hem hierdoor te passeren. Het traject van CP1 naar CP2 werd verreden over bergpaden. Omdat de Quad-rijder vlak voor Henk reed, had hij veel last van het stof. Henk kon niets anders doen dan de Quad-rijder volgen en kwam uiteindelijk als achtentwintigste over de finish.

Ook met zijn arm begint het langzamerhand beter te gaan. De wond is zo goed als dicht en dit geeft Henk een goed gevoel. In het klassement heeft Henk weer een aantal plaatsen goed gemaakt en is opgeklommen naar een vijfentwintigste plaats.

Op vrijdag staat de rijder uit Wijchen een zware dag te wachten. Er staat een verbindingsroute van 300 kilometer op het programma, gevolgd door een special van 250 kilometer. Ook gaan de rijders tijdens deze etappe de bergpas over!

Henk Knuiman zet door in voor hem zware vierde etappe van de Dakar Rally

Henk Knuiman uit het HSF Logistics Henstek Rally Team heeft tijdens de vierde etappe van de Dakar Rally, die liep van San Juan naar Chilecito, een zware dag gekend. Zijn val tijdens de tweede dag speelt hem nog steeds veel parten. Henk liep tijdens deze valpartij niet alleen een diepe wond op net onder zijn elleboog maar blesseerde hierbij ook zijn rechter hand. Dit is de hand waarmee de rijder uit Wijchen het gas bedient en omdat zijn hand regelmatig een tintelend/slapend gevoel heeft, is het moeilijk om het tempo continu hoog te houden. Henk probeert om zijn hand zo ontspannen mogelijk te houden maar dit valt natuurlijk niet altijd mee.

Daarnaast kampt Knuiman de laatste twee dagen met diarree, wat hem energie kost. Tijdens de vierde etappe kreeg hij in de slotfase van de 326 kilometer lange special last van vermoeidheid waardoor hij het gas iets terug moest draaien. Omdat Henk wel gelijk de juiste route kon vinden in de af en toe natte omstandigheden hield hij wederom de schade beperkt.

Uiteindelijk kwam Henk op een vierendertigste plaats over de finish. Na vier etappes bezet hij de negenentwintigste plaats. Ondanks het moeilijke begin van de Dakar Rally is Knuiman gedreven genoeg om vol te blijven houden en hoopt dat de pijn in zijn hand en zijn diarree snel verdwenen zijn. De vijfde etappe loopt van Chilecito naar fiambala en heeft een afstand van 416 kilometer. De special test wordt beslist over 265 kilometer.

Henk Knuiman rijdt constante derde etappe in Dakar Rally

Henk Knuiman uit het HSF Logistics Henstek Rally Team heeft tijdens de derde etappe van de Dakar Rally voorzichtig aan gedaan in verband met de grote wond die hij net onder zijn elleboog heeft. Knuiman kwam gisteren in de etappe van Santa Rosa naar San Rafael ongelukkig ten val en liep hierbij een flinke wond op net onder zijn elleboog. Toen hij in het bivak aan kwam, werden er drie hechtingen in zijn arm gezet waardoor hij vandaag toch van start kon gaan.

ProX Racing Parts

De etappe liep vandaag van San Rafael naar San Juan en was 561 kilometer lang. De special had een lengte van 270 kilometer. Henk begon voorzichtig aan de dag omdat hij toch nog last heeft van zijn elleboog. Ook heeft hij op dit moment weinig kracht in zijn arm waardoor hij niet helemaal voluit kon rijden. Ondanks dit zette de rijder uit Wijchen goed door en probeerde er het meest haalbare uit te halen. Dit lukte goed want hij wist op een achtentwintigste plaats over de finish te komen. In het klassement is Knuiman opgeklommen naar een vijfentwintigste plaats.

Morgen loopt de etappe van San Juan naar Chilecito en is 750 kilometer lang. De special test gaat over 326 kilometer

Team FMF Makita Suzuki’s Josh Strang Rallies After Crash At Powerline GNCC

ST. CLAIRSVILLE, OH (October 10, 2011) – FMF Makita Suzuki’s Josh Strang bounced back from a spectacular crash in the Powerline GNCC in St. Clairsville, OH, and rallied with a solid fifth-place finish. Strang put in a heroic ride on his FMF Makita Suzuki RM-Z450 in the latest round of the Grand National Cross Country Series on Sunday, and remains in the runner-up position in the overall points chase.

The start of the race saw Strang get an impressive launch on his FMF Makita Suzuki, and he was in third place as the frontrunners entered the woods for the first time. Just a few miles into the three-hour event, however, the course cut through one of Powerline Park’s notorious mud holes and Strang chose a line that unfortunately directed him into a tree and off a frighteningly steep ledge.

Josh Strang

“I got a good start on the FMF Makita Suzuki RM-Z450 and was up there with the leaders,” said Strang. “But when we came to the mud hole, there were two different lines and I took one and just clipped a tree and went off line and ended up going off a five-foot embankment.”
Strang lost valuable time getting back into the race, but he managed to settle into a pace that eventually carried him up into a three-way battle for third. Unfortunately, another mud hole took its toll and Strang wound up in fifth at the race’s end.
“It was just a disappointing day,” admitted Strang. “But these things happen in racing. At this point, I just want to have a clean race and get a win on the FMF Makita Suzuki RM-Z450 – I just want to get back down to business and start winning again.”
With three races remaining on the schedule, defending series champion Strang still has a legitimate shot at the title. Thirty points are up for grabs at the next race, and Strang is determined that those points will be his.
“The Ironman is a good race,” said Strang about the next event. “I like that track and it suits the FMF Makita Suzuki RM-Z450, so I usually do well there. I’m looking forward to it and hopefully getting the win.”

The 2011 FMF Makita Suzuki team’s next event is Sunday, October 23rd, in Crawfordsville, IN, for the Ironman GNCC.

ProX rider Nicholls ends 2011 MX2 championship in excellent 11th

Jake Nicholls was buoyed to complete the 2011 MX2 FIM Motocross World Championship in eleventh position, representing an improvement of two places over his 2010 ranking and achieved despite missing the first four rounds of the series with a broken ankle. The HM Plant Red Bull KTM UK rider battled incredibly hot and tricky conditions across the hardpack hillside of Fermo for the Grand Prix of Italy – the last race of fifteen – to grab ninth overall.

Jake Nicholls, KTM UK

The 21 year old started well in the first moto and was set for a sixth place finish until Nico Aubin crept up and relegated the 250SX-F rider in the final stages. In the following 35 minute and 2 lap outing, run in front of a decent crowd packed around the steep slopes, Nicholls recovered from an early race slip and saw-out the closing sprint of the season with eleventh spot.

Team-mate in the MX2 division, Jordan Booker, drew the curtain on his rookie Grand Prix campaign by taking a point with twentieth in the second moto. The teenager had been plagued by mechanical gremlins in the preceding sessions and failed to make the finish in the first race.  A similar situation befell Tom Church as the GP veteran signed off his career in Italy. A crash and damaged bike pushed him to the role of bystander in the opening MX1 affair. Determined to bank some points in the last international outing of 2011, ‘TC’ guided the 350 SX-F to fifteenth place.

In other news Nathan Watson today claimed the BYMX School Boy championship at Milton Park to add to the further spoils enjoyed by theteam in their national youth programme such as Ben Watson taking the Red Bull Pro National 85cc crown.

HM Plant Red Bull KTM UK now fulfil the rest of their racing commitments for 2011 closer to home with the last round of the Red Bull Pro Nationals and the Maxxis British Championship finale at Hawkstone Park with the British Supercross series still to come.

For more information visit the team’s website at: www.ktmukmx.com Photo courtesy of Ray Archer

Jake Nicholls:

“A pretty good day really. We had a bit of trouble with the bike on Saturday just because of the heat but eventually I got a reallygood rhythm going. In the first race I was stuck behind Roelants who was struggling a bit and I just got sucked into the rhythm he was doing. It wasn’t a bad race but I knew I could do a lot better. In the second one I had a pretty average start and nearly went down in the corner. I was tenth entering the fourth lap when I hit a turn in neutral and lost the front. The heat got me and I lost my rhythm. It was an uphill battle from there.

I’m really happy with eleventh in the championship, which is two positions better than last year and after missing four rounds. I hit the ground running when I came back and that was all to do with the hard work I did when I was injured. I was able to pick up at the speed and form I left off from last year and that’s what I aim to do for next season after a good winter of training ahead.”

Decent day for Nicholls at home Grand Prix

HM Plant Red Bull KTM UK packed up after their home Grand Prix at Matterley Basin in Winchester reasonably content after Jake Nicholls finished sixth overall in the MX2 division on his 250SX-F. The thirteenth round of fifteen in the FIM Motocross World Championship revisited the spectacular site in southern England for the first time since 2006 and a 26,500 crowd across both days flanked the bowl setting under bright skies.

Jake Nicholls at GP Motocross of Great Brittain

Nicholls was one of the many riders in the GP paddock to enjoy the soft, tacky mud, big jumps and open course that was widely proclaimed as one of the best tracks seen on the 2011 calendar this season.

The 21 one year old set about finding his speed on the English terrain but struggled slightly optimising the suspension set-up on his motorcycle to deal with the churning soil. A pair of less than ideal starts for the two forty minute races hardly helped his cause but Nicholls battled away, encouraged by the enthusiastic public. In the first moto he fought through to eighth and went two slots better at the second time of asking with a decentsixth and his second highest result of the year. Nicholls is now just ten points from deposing Christophe Charlier from eleventh in the world championship standings.

Team-mate Jordan Booker gated well but wasn’t at his best at Matterley and missed out on the points after a small technical problem in the first moto and several crashes in the second. In MX1 Tom Church was savouring a final home grand prix after long career. Aboard his 350SX-F theBath-resident grabbed a couple of points for seventeenth in the first race but upon running slightly wide on the first corner at the beginning of the second moto caught green fencing in his rear wheel and had to DNF after an attempt to continue.

HM Plant Red Bull KTM UK now have more duties on UK soil with the Hawkstone round of the Red Bull Pro nationals which will be followed by the Grands Prix of Europe (Gaildorf, Germany) and Italy (Fermo) on successive weeks. Tom Church will head to the USA in the coming days for the sandy Southwick AMA National. For more information visit the team’s website at: www.ktmukmx.com Photo courtesy of Ray Archer

Jake Nicholls:

“My starts were terrible today. I have been practicing them but I think we just need to find a bit more power out of the first part of the gate. I had factory bikes either side of me and I just seemed to lose out on that first little bit. It was a decent weekend, even if it did take me alittle while to get into the track and the suspension setting was slightly ‘out’ for here. 8-6 is a solid weekend if not one of the best. I really enjoyed the track. It was tough but technical and the whole home GP experience was really good.”

Jordan Booker:

“A bad day. It was nothing to do with pressure of the home GP; I just didn’t ride so well. I have been struggling with my starts but they were OK today and I couldn’t make the most of them. I was up to nineteenth when the bike stopped but I was able to restart and but lost almost a minute. In the second race I made too many mistakes and went down a couple of timeslike an idiot. I’ve got to try and pick the good bits out of it.”

Tom Church:

“It didn’t go well but I gave it my best shot. In the first moto I got right up there although I wasn’t riding my best in the second half. In the next one I thought I’d be able to grab a load of points but touched the green fence, like so many people before me, and it was a shame. I enjoyed the weekend and seeing all the people. A new adventure next week and I’m really looking forward to Southwick.”

Roger Magee, Team Principal:

“We had another strong day with Jake in the MX2 class and – again – if he had had better starts today then we would have seen something really special but we will take sixth overall. It was a good result at his home GP. Jordan had another difficult couple of races and a slight technical problem but got going again. Tom was set for some points in both motos but taking that green mesh around the rear wheel meant a DNF in race two. Anyway, we wish him all the best next week in Southwick where he will compete in his first AMA National and we want to thank KTM for their support over there.”

Nicholls equals career-best at Czech GP

Nicholls shines to match career-best moto finish in Czech mud

HM Plant Red Bull KTM UK enjoyed a decent spread ofresults in various classes last weekend. The Grand Prix of Czech Republic on the ‘old school’ quick, fast and tight circuit of Loket saw Jake Nicholls equal a career-best moto finish and take eighth position overall in the MX2 class in front of 21,000 spectators (weekend figure). At the same venue Ryan Houghton placed tenth in the penultimate outing for the European 125cc two-stroke series. Meanwhile in France at Lacapelle Marival Natalie Kane was third on the 250SX-F to celebrate her first podium for the team in the FIM Women’s World Championship. Back home at Desertmartin in Northern Ireland Nathan Watson claimed fourth position in the latest outing of the BYMX national competition.

Jake Nicholls, HM Plant Red Bull KTM UK

At the forefront of the team’s activities was another confident display from Nicholls. Wet and windy weather on race-day morning meant the Loket surface was softer and rougher than in previous years but the age-old problem remained of making positions in the event of a bad start. The 21 year old didn’t have to worry about this at the launch of the first sprint of 35 minutes and 2 laps as he gated brilliantly to slot into third and held his ground with the leaders and as part of a five rider scrap for the last slot in the top three for long periods. Finally Nicholls was able to complete the race with fifth and match a career-best, achieved on one other occasion in 2010.

The second race was a little more dramatic as he became tangled in a first corner accident and then ran off the track in the opening phases. He faced a long trek ahead but showed bravery and skill to rise through from a position outside of the top twenty to reach eleventh for eighth overall. Jake is twelfth in the world championship standings and closed significantly on Christophe Charlier today. He lies just 14 points behind the Frenchman.

Jordan Booker missed out on the scoreboard by posting 26^th and 24^th positions but – just one week after his initiation to the Lommel sand in Belgium – was able to digest another dose of grand prix speed on one of the more unusual circuits within the FIM schedule.

In the MX1 class Tom Church was another who struggled to deal with the slipperiness of the terrain and was hamstrung by his starts. He nevertheless picked up points with 20^th and 19^th places in the motos on the 350SX-F.

In France Natalie Kane made her first GP appearance of the season (after recovering from injury) and acquitted herself in fine style by walking the box thanks to finishes of fourth and third.

HM Plant Red Bull KTM UK will tackle the seventh round of eight in the Maxxis British Championship next weekend at the Scottish circuit of Duns before moving south to Winchester for the British Grand Prix at Matterley Basin. For more information visit the team’s website at: www.ktmukmx.com Photo courtesy of Ray Archer

Jake Nicholls:

“It was a lottery really with this kind of track but I had a good start in the first one and rode my heart out when I got to third. I pushed and did what I could. I didn’t look back or worry who was around me and established my own pace. There was a lot of fighting and elbows going on but it was good! Last year I had the worse weekend ever here and left with an ankle injury, so that was on my mind a little bit but to equal my best result yet was a good feeling. I was confident for the second moto and started well again but when I tipped in for the first corner Tommy Searle just ploughed into me and knocked me over. I was angry, but what can you do? It messed up my GP. I put my head down and actually ran off the track on the fourth lap. I went right through the fence and how I got away with that I’ll never know. To get eleventh was unbelievable. I didn’t look at the pit-board and just went as hard and aggressively as I could. I think I showed a lot of people this weekend what I can do.”

Tom Church:

“Not a good day today. I just struggled and didn’t like the track. I’ve never been a big fan of Loket but it was about me today. I need to do some more work and this was the first little setback so far. I was just so far behind in the first laps…it was then hard to pull it back. It was good to finish another two forty minute motos and now we’ll just keep working to get ready for the British Grand Prix where I hope to be more ‘on it’ there.”

Roger Magee, Team Principal:

“We had quite a bit going on this weekend! Jake showed a good pace both days as well as the self-belief that he has what it takes to be in the top five of this competitive class. He did well to come back in the second moto on what was a track not easy for passing. Jordan struggled at Loket for his first visit but this was again good experience for him while Tom had mediocre starts and is still acclimatising to the 350. We will be hoping for a good show from him at Duns next week. We’re thrilled for Natalie in her first race since March and it shows that her hard work has paid off. Nathan and Ryan both had decent days in their respective classes and now we will be hoping for more of the same in Scotland and Matterley Basin in the coming weeks.”