Once again Hawkstone Park, Shropshire will stage one of the biggest Pre
Season International Motocross meetings on the 6th March. For the seventh
year running the event has gained in success and popularity and this year
will be no exception.
Huge Motocross stars will be competing from all corners of the globe, eight
times World Champion Stefan Everts will be the main man of the day as he
displays why he is the World's number one rider. The Rinaldi Yamaha rider
Belgium rider will be heading the MX1 (up to 450 cc) entry but he will face
some fierce competition.
Five times World Champion Joel Smets will make a welcome return to the
Motocross season having suffered a bad season in 2004 through injury and a
serious illness. Smets is fired up for the start of the new season and
looking forward to being back out on his Suzuki pushing himself to the
limits.
Reigning British Motocross Champion Josh Coppins will be putting his CAS
Honda through its paces, the number three in the World will be another hot
favourite to take some of the wins as the riders go head to head.
Former British Champions Gordon Crockard and Paul Cooper will be putting a
few cats amongst the pigeons. With no major events over the Winter Period
all the competitors are eager to get going and all will have a point to
prove. Motovision rider Neville Bradshaw will be making his debut appearance in the MX1 class.
The MX2 (125 2Strokes & 250 4Strokes) class is turning out to be just as
tough as the MX1 with former AMA Champion Mike Brown leading the field. The
fans are in for a real treat at Hawkstone as the much-talked about Alessi
brothers will be over from America. The 15 and 16-year-old brothers have
certainly got tongues talking with their displays of awesome riding skills.
Mike the eldest of the two brothers finished third in his second ever
Pro-AMA National last year and both are hoping for big things in their
future.
Belgium rider Cedric Melotte has also got to be one of the hot favourites,
stepping down from the MX1 class Melotte will certainly be pushing the MX2
field hard. KTM mounted Carl Nunn a Supercross Championship winner and
current MX2 British number two will surely be putting the pressure on and
looking for the win. Current British Under 21 Champion Graeme Gowland and
runner up Under 21's Lewis Gregory are also in the tough line up. Local
rider Ray Rowson who was Youth Champion in the KWS, BYMX, YSMA and the BSMA
Championships last year will be making the step up and will be fighting it
out with the 'big boys.'
One thing is for sure, this will be an exciting event and the outcome of the race winners is anyone's guess.
For more information please see www.hawkstonemx.co.uk
Hawkstone Park is situated in Shropshire, between Shrewsbury and Whitchurch off the A49. It is well sign posted from the A49 Shrewsbury - Whitchurch and A53 Shrewsbury to Market Drayton.
