In the MX2 class Tyla Rattray won the first qualifying moto from Stephen Sword. Rui Goncalves won the second moto from Nicolas Aubin after Tommy Searle crashed.

It was a solid opening day to the Czech GP for Billy Mackenzie of CAS Honda with the Brit taking his second career pole after his maiden one from Namur 2007.

Mackenzie left former team mate Kawasaki Racing’s Tanel Leok behind in second with a 0.412 second gap as GPKR’s Sebastien Pourcel completed the top three.

The Frenchman was sitting on pole with 20 minutes to go but a final charge from Mackenzie unveiled to be fatal for Pourcel, who still leads the Lovemytime standings with four poles.

Yamaha Monster Motocross’ Joshua Coppins moved up to third with eight minutes to go but he eventually ended fourth after Pourcel moved past.

The last time the Kiwi ended fourth quickest he took his first season’s victory at the German GP in Teutschenthal. Current series leader Steve Ramon of Teka Suzuki WMX1 took fifth from Suzuki fellow rider Clement Desalle, who topped the time sheets in the early minutes.

David Philippaerts was 11th ahead of a surprising Gregory Aranda while the winner of the latest three GP’s Jonathan Barragan was 14th.

Top five: 1. Billy Mackenzie (GBR, Honda), 1:47.227; 2. Tanel Leok (EST, Kawasaki), +0:00.412; 3. Sebastien Pourcel (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:00.530; 4. Joshua Coppins (NZL, Yamaha), +0:00.758; 5. Steve Ramon (BEL, Suzuki), +0:00.869

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s team mates Tyla Rattray and Rui Goncalves took victory in the two qualifying moto’s today. Rattray eventually beat a strong Stephen Sword of Molson Kawasaki as the Brit led the first nine laps to finish second from Kawasaki fellow rider Steven Frossard of CLS.

In the second heat Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Tommy Searle crashed when he was leading; he finished fifth as Goncalves won from Ricci Racing Yamaha’s Nicolas Aubin.

Shaun Simpson made a mistake in the final laps of the first heat to end eighth. MX2 QUALIFYING RACE 1 Swordy took the holeshot and tried to escape from his challengers from the second turn.

Rattray was the only one to keep up with the Brit and he eventually moved past towards the end of the moto. Rattray won from Sword as another KTM/Kawasaki battle for third was going on between Frossard and Simpson.

Frossard ended third while Simpson made a mistake dropping down to eighth. Seistola and Boissiere rounded off the top five ahead of Nunn and American Osbourne.

Top five: 1. Tyla Rattray (RSA, KTM), 24:52.449; ; 2. Stephen Sword (GBR, Kawasaki), +0:01.745; 3. Steven Frossard (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:13.501; 4. Matti Seistola (FIN, Honda), +0:18.652; 5. Anthony Boissiere (FRA, KTM), +0:19.304

MX2 QUALIFYING RACE 2 Goncalves started strong to pull away from Searle and Aubin; Searle caught up with him and moved past at lap seven. Three laps later Searle went down and handed Goncalves the first place.

The Portuguese won from Yamaha fellow riders Aubin and Monni. Van Horebeek played defence from Searle as he brought the fourth place home from the Brit.

Belgian GP winner Krestinov was 11th. Top five: 1. Rui Goncalves (POR, KTM), 24:38.520; ; 2. Nicolas Aubin (FRA, Yamaha), +0:07.944; 3. Manuel Monni (ITA, Yamaha), +0:11.548; 4. Jeremy van Horebeek (BEL, KTM), +0:13.023; 5. Tommy Searle (GBR, KTM), +0:14.641

LOKETSKE SERPENTINY AND LOKET

The race track in Loket is called the “serpentine” and it is one of the most twisty in the FIM Motocross World Championship calendar. The characteristic elevation changes provide a good variety of racing situations while the intermediate ground has a hard base making it totally different from the previous Belgian venue, Lommel.

Last year’s winners were Kevin Strijbos –at his last year with the works Suzuki team- and Nicolas Aubin as the weather conditions were wet.