Looking for revenge after he missed the podium in France, MX1 series leader David Philippaerts of Yamaha Monster Motocross enters Germany with a watchful eye on runner-up Steve Ramon.
The defending MX1 Champion of Teka Suzuki WMX1 is only six points adrift and Yamaha Monster Motocross’ Joshua Coppins is also on his way to the top after St. Jean’s podium.
The winner of the latest round in France, Sebastien Pourcel sits fourth in the standings ahead of former series leader Ken de Dycker, with just one single point separating the two.
KTM factory riders Jonathan Barragan and Max Nagl, the latter being the home favorite, round off the top seven ahead of an unfit Billy Mackenzie, who cracked his right shoulder blade at St. Jean.
At this German GP the CAS Honda team will line up also Frenchman Steve Boniface.
Leapfrogging Rattray and Cairoli in the points standings after France’s double win, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Tommy Searle is now leading the MX2 Championship for the first time in his career.
Surely the Brit will face the attacks of runner-up and teammate Tyla Rattray and Yamaha Red Bull De Carli’s Tony Cairoli, who won both heats in Teutschenthal in 2007, they year of his second MX2 World title.
Fourth-placed in the Championship Nicolas Aubin of Ricci Racing Yamaha will see the comeback of teammate Davide Guarneri, who injured his right knee at Mantova and is out since then.
KTM UK’s Shaun Simpson rounds off the top five ahead of KTM fellow rider Rui Goncalves and Stephen Sword. The latter will sit out of Germany due to St. Jean’s right shoulder injury.
Frenchmen Xavier Boog and Anthony Boissiere are looking forward to Germany as both raced a solid home GP – Boissiere eventually took the first podium for Goldentyre.
On the other hand, countryman Gautier Paulin is also out for Teutschenthal, as he suffers from a cracked left collarbone from the latest round.
Suzuki Swift Motocross will see the comeback to racing of factory rider Pascal Leuret, who has raced only Valkenswaard so far, while teammate Elliot Banks Browne will miss round eight, as he is still very sore after his crash at the French GP.
The Talkessel race track in Teutschenthal is one of the most important courses in the country; this hard-pack circuit underwent a few changes last year, with the ground becoming slightly softer, as sand was added to the hard base. The twisty layout features many undulations which make it very spectacular from a racing point of view. Last year some showers affected the race Sunday, when Philippaerts and Cairoli won the MX1 and MX2 Grands Prix, respectively.
Teutschenthal is a small town located in the heart of Germany, actually in the State of Saxony-Anhalt which hosts part of the river Elbe’s course, the low mountains of Harz and the fertile Magdeburger plain. Germany’s capital Berlin is only about 120 miles South, as the closest main city is Leipzig, less than an hour drive away.