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By Ian Miles
TOWNLEY FALLS IN CZECH
Young motocross ace Ben Townley struck disaster in today's Grand Prix of the Czech Republic at Loket.
A crash on the first lap left the Kiwi-born 17-year-old out of the points, although he retains sixth spot in the world 125 championship with one round remaining.
After an indifferent start Townley was up to 12th when his KTM fell away from underneath him on the first lap. By the time the remounted he was dead last.
Townley saw out the 40 minutes on his broken bike to limp home in 22nd spot.
It's the third event in a row where Townley has been ruled out of the points by an early-race crash.
However with a tally of 125 he is virtually assured of sixth place in the title hunt, his South African teammate Tyla Rattray closing just slightly with 16th place today.
Rattray in turn was one spot behind the third member of the Big Five Vangani KTM team, Estonian Tanel Leok who is well back on championship points.
Kawasaki factory star Mickael Maschio got one hand onto the crown with a start-to-finish victory today, seeing off his close title challengers, Belgian KTM riders Patrick Caps and Steve Ramon who took fifth and second respectively in this Czech Grand Prix in the far west of the country.
Frenchman Maschio now has a 10-point gap in a battle which has always promised to got right to the wire.
Townley, winner of the Swedish Grand Prix this year, has already done his bit to sew up the constructors title for KTM.
The 125 is the only riders title undecided going to Moscow in a fortnight.
With second place in today's 500 Grand Prix, Belgian legend Stefan Everts (Yamaha) wrapped up his sixth world title . a feat achieved only once before in 50 years of GP motocross, by the great Joel Robert. Everts already has the biggest tally of GP wins, 54.
Earlier Kiwi expat Josh Coppins took second in the 250 GP to leap back into a safe runner-up position in that championship, won by defending champion Mickael Pichon.
