Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/127744
.M'OTOCROSS '. . World Qlall!pionship 500cc ~ocross series Round 11: Dutch Grand Prix , turn. From 16th on lap one, he was quickly up to 11th but then found progress slower through the CapraniBurnham-Berk-Van Leeuwen-Johansson-Geukens freight train. New Zealander Darryll King didn't get his just rewards for a fine ride: "1 crashed on the first lap and again a few laps later when I was catching up." Ninth entering the last lap, he still had his sights on seventh, but it was not to be: "The motor finally cut out on the final downhill. Those two crashes cost me just too much fuel." The Kiwi pushed across the line for 11tho The superb track preparation had reduced the danger of clogged air filters in the opener, but the sun had dried out the track sufficiently for race two, even though there was never a real dust problem. "There's going to be an awful lot of riders not finishing," said ex-champ Martens as mechanic Graham Kent pre- (Lett) Trampas Parker landed the overall on 3-1 moto scores and now trails championship leader Joel Smets (Below) by 19 points going Into the final round. By Alex HodgkinsOn RHENEN, HOLLAND, AUG. 20 rampas Parker turned the 500cc MX Grand Prix world on its head to win the 11th round of the series on the sort of " sandy track which has so often proved his downfall - but the American still goes to the German finale trailing Joel Smets by 19 points, as the Belgian rode with his head to score just one less than his title rival on the day. "My aim was to get it down to 10 points today," admitted Pat:ker. '1 guess 1've got to hope Joel DNFs the first moto in Germany, and then we can have a . straight fight for the title like puzar and Chiodi last week." Prior to racing action, few could have dreamed that the Louisianian and his 360 KTM could hold out ge;'uine hopes of scoring more than Smets and the mighty Husaberg on the sandy power track with the biggest hills in Holland, even though he was in a determined mood from the word "go". Parker needed a good start and he got one. 'The start is hard-packed and not too long so it suited my 360. I needed that," he said, adding tongue-incheek after twice being involved collisions at ~amur, "Though it was also •important that no one was too close behind me!" No one was, and Parker edged clear of Carlo Hulsen as they headed the pack up the hilL Just one rider was left sitting on the T m 52 ground. Gert Jan Van Doorn, the dominator of an Ascension Day race at the track, dusted himself off and set off in pursuit. The hopelessness of a chase through the pack at Rhenen was proved as even he got no further than 13th in the 45-minute moto. Even before the end of the lap, Parker had seen the lead snatched away from him by Johan Boonen and the Husky, the pairing leading every lap without ever pushing too hard. For 15 minutes, Parker hung onto second before Smets, already third on lap one, made his move: "I wasn't taking any risks after starting right up there. Boonen wasn't pulling away so there was no need to panic. Once 1 was second 1 continued at a steady pace, but Johan never made .any mistakes. 1 have to look at the championship. I wasn't going to take ~ks to win the moto." With a lap to go, Smets let his compatriot go and toured in fOT a safe 17 points and a 22-point lead in the standings. Parker was third to the finish, staying right with the leading four-strokes until the threat from behind collapsed as Hulsen, without a full GP season behind him, was unable to maintain the pace for more than 30 minutes. The Dutchman stayed fourth to the finish, however, as the other really fast men had taken far to long in moving up the leaderboard on the ultra-fast track. Jacky Martens was one of the many who were slow out of the gate, and he got closed down going into the first