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,M T C O S': , OO R S ,.W orldChampionship500cc MotoerosSSeries Round 4:Czech GP -------------- - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - (Left) Husabe rg-mounted Joel Smets moved back into the SOOcc points lead with double moto wins at the Czech GP. (A ~ve) New Zealander Shayne King put In two consistent rides and was rewar ded with second overall. By Alex Hodgkin s on LOKET, CZECH REPUBUC, MAY 21 ack-to-back wins at Loket in the Czech Republic shot Joel Smets back to the head of the standings in th e World Ch amp ionship 500cc MX Series.,It was the Husaberg star's third win in four GPs. Previous leader Trampas Parker salvaged fourth on the d a y despite mechanical misfortune in each mota to stay within six points of the pace, and KTM found a b a ck u p s tar in N ew Zea lander Shayne King who went 3-2 for second overall. Californian Mike Young was also ripping in front of 22,000 spectators on the outrageously spectacular track, which took a heavy t oll on both man and machine, to make the first GP podium of his career. '1 think it would've been very difficult to have passed Darryll (King) here if he hadn't made a mistake:' said winner Smets after the first moto. "It is so fast and potentially dangerous here. In the end I go t him when he opened the gas too early leaving a tu m , go t sideways and lost trac tion." The New Zealand er, who had led for nearly 20 minutes, was equally gracious in defeat. "Joe l (Smets) is just that bit ~ 26 faster than me at the moment," sa id King, "I think it's because he is fitter, but I'm getting there. I'm just hanging on there in the points and I'll be beating him by the end of the season." There were two Kings on the podium as Shayne King came home a close third for his bes t ever res ult on the KTM. "I said I wanted to be racing top five by the fourth round and I am," said Shane. "I got arm pump when I tried to force it in midrace, but [ was strong again at -the end. " Big brother Darryll insisted however: "I had eight seconds on Shayne with two laps to go and didn't for ce it any more than I had to." Points leader going in to the ra ce Trampas Parker had a few new wrinkles on his brow after a hectic race. Quickly through from seventh to fifth the American suddenly started riding erratically 10 minutes into the rac e. "The motor kept cutting out," said Parker. "It had to be electrical and I noticed that the kill button was loose. I kept try ing to twist the clamp to hold it but the wires kept shorting out on the bars, In the end I ripped it off and stuck it between the plastics. My whole body felt the shock. I had been real worried abou t doing all the big downhills in case it died on me, but the last 10 minutes I felt confident to go for it agai n." And go he did, leaving Peter Joha nsson reelin g in his wake and hauling back [ohan Boonen to finish fourth . ' Yeung was a dis tant seventh. "I was ,d ead -las t after colliding with someone out of th e gate, but I got on the gas:' said Young . "I spent too long be hind (Pe ter) Dirkx, and those Husqvarnas were gone." The second mot o was dramatic to say the least. Darryl! King again holeshot , but Smets was right on him and moved ahead within 10 minutes. But it was no runaway and five minutes after taking ' the lead the Belgian threw it away. "My rear wheel landed across a rut off a jump and it threw me off:' said Smets. Parker, next man along as Smets rem ounted third, soon pushed him back ' another place before he could settle. Th e two title leaders were now locked in battle for 20 minutes with the American always in front. They both moved past Shayne King who had been tem po rari ly second, and were gifted the lead when Darryll King blew ou t in a turn. "I was the only one doing the downhill do uble at the back of the track:' said Darryll. "I just didn' t make the following tum. In retr osp ect 1 s ho uld've left it. It was just as fast to ride down that one and turn tight." Things got wo rse for the Kiwi. "I got back on third, bu t the front tire we nt flat 10 mi nutes later:' said th e elder King. Una ble to tackle any of the big jumps, he was down to seventh wi th two laps I to go. "I tried to ease my way home, but the wheel collap sed: ' he said . Parker also had tro uble. "I heard the silencer was loose 15 mi nu tes befor e it fell off:' said Parker. "I don't know how it ha ppened. 1 d idn't h it anythi ng. It must've vibra ted loose." The American was no t happy with his stand-in mechanic. "My regular guy Bruno had to stay in Italy for family reasons:' said Parker. "I was ha nd signaling him (Parker's su bstitute tu ner) all the way round the track. [ think there was only one person at the whole track who didn't know I was going to stop my mechanic! He was leaning on the fe nce in the corner, a nd didn't even have his tool bag undone." By the time Parker got ba ck on the track- with a new silencer he was 14th, but in a tremendous surge reg a in ed seven places in 15 minutes. But Smets had the win and took over the poi nts lead , and Shayne King was in the series top five after getting second place in both the mota and on the day. Young h a d eventua lly co nceded , third to Delepine, "I tangled with Burnham on the first lap and turned my left' knee:' said Young. "I was happy just to finish, but I hear 1 go t third on th e d ay. Wow.1f Johansson gave up six th th a n ks. to "mec ha nicalproblems ," while Boonen, who had touched with Darryll King out of th e ga te, ro de through th e pack to fifth. rx