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MMX BRITISH MOTOCROSS CHAMPIONSHIP

Paul Holmes Takes KTM 505SX ATV to British Podium at Mildenhall

"It’s been fantastic to take a podium for KTM and the Team on our first major race meeting, proving that the 505 SX is Ready To Race" -Paul Holmes
United Kingdome (4/10/2009) - Team KTM UK quad rider Paul Holmes took a fantastic British Quad Championship podium at the weekend, Paul and team-mate James Hellewell making the 2009 ACU British MMX Quad Championship debut for the KTM 505 SX at Mildenhall Race Circuit on Sunday the 5th of April.

A purpose built sand based circuit, which got progressively rougher as the day wore on, the tight and twisty Suffolk venue provided some exciting racing action for the many spectators who had gathered to watch the elite of British Quad Racing.

The race meeting was not without it’s share of difficulties for both riders. Keen to get the 2009 domestic season of to a good start, Paul put the excellent power and handling of the 505 SX to good use, setting a blistering lap to post 2nd fastest in timed qualification. A great start saw Paul slot in to 5th around the first corner before moving up to 4th by the end of the first circuit. Embroiled in a four-way battle for 3rd until two-thirds distance with the circuit extremely one lined and yielding few passing opportunities, a slight mistake and stalling his bike dropping Paul back to 6th, Paul quickly regaining his composure and able to make it back to 5th at the chequered flag.

Though the bike was stuck on 3rd gear, Paul was able to salvage a 3rd place
Taking a fantastic holeshot for the start of the final race, Paul showed the rest of the field a clean pair of heels and began to pull away from the ensuing pack. Quickly finding his rhythm, Paul had opened up a comfortable lead with almost half distance run when his gear lever fell off, Paul stuck in 3rd gear with twelve minutes plus two laps to go. Riding as fast as the conditions would let him, Paul put in a valiant effort to hold on to the lead for the remainder of the race, but at an obvious disadvantage had to settle for 2nd at the chequered flag, Paul taking 3rd step on the podium and a fantastic debut for the Team KTM UK 505 SX.

Making his debut appearance at this level, James opening race was to prove frustrating and not without incidents for which he was blameless. Starting from the second row after struggling to get a clear track for his flying lap, a downed rider in front saw James stuck in an eight bike jam on the opening lap before getting under way and beginning to move through the field, only to be clipped from behind and knocked of his bike three laps later, the resulting tumble damaging the steering stem and forcing James to retire.

"This is a really tough class to compete in and it is my first year at this level, but I feel confident" -James Hellewell
The second moto was again to prove frustrating for James. A slightly better start saw James 25th at the end of the opening lap and gradually moving in to the points with a third of the race run, but making a few mistakes in the latter stages while trying to pass in deeply rutted areas and getting stuck, James dropped back to cross the finish line just outside the points.

Paul Holmes
“ It’s been a really good start to the season for myself and Team KTM UK. The 505 SX is an awesome bike and handled flawlessly in the rough conditions, and the way it rocketed of the line to let me holeshot the last race was amazing. I’d liked to have won the last race as I’d pulled away from everyone, but when the gear lever fell of I had to ride around in 3rd for almost half the race. It’s no fault of the KTM that it happened, but it’s a true testament to how good the bike really is that I was able to hold on to the lead for so long at such a disadvantage. The bike is really quick and I have no doubt the results will keep coming as we progress throughout the year. It’s been fantastic to take a podium for KTM and the Team on our first major race meeting, proving that the 505 SX is Ready To Race, and I look forward to the next round at Duns on the 19th of April.”

James Hellewell and Paul Holmes are representing Team KTM in the UK
James Hellewell
“ It’s certainly not been the best of days and not the way that I would have liked my debut appearance to go, but overall I’m still happy with my performance. The results don’t really give a fair indication of how I’ve ridden today and just how good the bike is, as my lap times during both races were good enough to put me well inside the top twenty. The first race I was really unlucky to get tangled up twice in the early stages, the last one leaving the steering stem bent and unable to continue, and in the second race I made a few errors which cost me a lot of time. This is a really tough class to compete in and it is my first year at this level, but I feel confident that as I gain experience riding with these guys throughout the year, and become more accustomed to the KTM 505 SX, I will improve my results.”

Results  
Race One  
1st John Mitchell
2nd Joe Maessen
3rd Jason Macbeth
4th Paul Winrow
5th Paul Holmes - KTM 505SX
Race Two  
1st John Mitchell
2nd Paul Holmes - KTM 505SX
3rd Joe Maessen
4th Paul Winrow
5th Jason Macbeth
27th James Hellwewll - KTM 505SX

MMX BRITISH MOTOCROSS CHAMPIONSHIP
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