Sport

Rattray has world title in his sights

9 September

Factory Red Bull KTM racer and leader of the FIM MX2 World Championship, Tyla Rattray, is on the brink of taking the world title after registering his fourth Grand Prix victory of the season with a double moto triumph at a wet and blustery Lierop Circuit in The Netherlands in the penultimate round of the 15-race series.

The South African is now in a prime position to better his 2004 runner-up finish after beating teammate and sole rival for the crown Tommy Searle for the second week in succession.

Just seven days after winning the Grand Prix of Ireland, Rattray was back in his favoured setting of a sandy track, and his excellent physical condition and sky-high confidence were evident as he continued his superb run of podium appearances; in 14 events he has appeared on the podium 12 times.

Rattray also leapt to the top of the Lovemytime qualification award when he secured his ninth heat victory on Saturday.

Straightforward

His races were fairly straightforward after he had disposed of the threat of fellow KTM riders Rui Goncalves and Gert Krestinov for the lead in both motos.

Searle ran him very close to the line in Moto1, but he enjoyed a gap of more than 13 seconds by the finish of the second outing.

"The track was getting really rough through the first moto, but I had some really good lap-times. I knew Tommy would push me all the way to the end in that one," he reflected.

Second moto

"Krestinov came past us in the second moto, but he was riding pretty crazy on the roughest line and I knew he would not be able to do that for more than a few laps, so I kept with him.

"I knew that the second race would be all about my physical condition and with my trainer Russell White we have done some great work this year."

With a gap of 33 points over Searle and just 50 left to win, Rattray is now only seven days away from confirming his first ever World Championship title victory, with the fifteenth and final round of the series due to take place at the Faenza circuit in Italy.

MX2 Moto1

1. Tyla Rattray (KTM); 2. Tommy Searle (KTM); 3. Rui Goncalves (KTM); 4. Nicolas Aubin (Yam); 5. Joel Roelants (KTM); 6. Shaun Simpson (KTM); 7. Xavier Boog (Suz); 8. Jeremy Van Horebeek (KTM); 9. Matiss Karro (Suz); 10. Gareth Swanepoel (Kaw); 11. Evgeny Bobryshev (Yam); 12. Gert Krestinov (KTM); 13. Manuel Monni (Yam); 14. Matti Seistola (Hon); 15. Stephen Sword (Kaw); 16. Steven Frossard (Kaw); 17. Davide Guarneri (Yam); 18. Anthony Boissiere (KTM); 19. Harri Kullas (KTM); 20. Jan Van Hastenburg (Hon)

MX2 Moto2

1. Tyla Rattray (KTM); 2. Tommy Searle (KTM); 3. Nicolas Aubin (Yam); 4. Rui Goncalves (KTM); 5. Gert Krestinov (KTM); 6. Shaun Simpson (KTM); 7. Evgeny Bobryshev (Yam); 8. Matiss Karro (Suz); 9. Gareth Swanepoel (Kaw); 10. Jeremy Van Horebeek (KTM); 11. Davide Guarneri (Yam); 12. Matti Seistola (Hon); 13. Stephen Sword (Kaw); 14. Rob Van Vijfeijken (Yam); 15. Manuel Monni (Yam); 16. Matteo Bonini (Yam); 17. Rinus Van de Ven (KTM); 18. Carl Nunn (Suz); 19. Jan Van Hastenburg (Hon); 20. Harri Kullas (KTM)

MX2 Overall Result

1. Tyla Rattray (KTM); 2. Tommy Searle (KTM); 3. Nicolas Aubin (Yam); 4. Rui Goncalves (KTM); 5. Shaun Simpson (KTM); 6. Gert Krestinov (KTM); 7. Matiss Karro (Suz); 8. Evgeny Bobryshev (Yam); 9. Jeremy Van Horebeek (KTM); 10. Gareth Swanepoel (Kaw); 11. Matti Seistola (Hon); 12. Joel Roelants (KTM); 13. Davide Guarneri (Yam); 14. Stephen Sword (Kaw); 15. Manuel Monni (Yam); 16. Xavier Boog (Suz); 17. Rob Van Vijfeijken (Yam); 18. Matteo Bonini (Yam); 19. Steven Frossard (Kaw); 20. Rinus Van de Ven (KTM)

MX2 World Championship standings

(After 14 of 15 rounds)

1. Tyla Rattray (596); 2. Tommy Searle (563); 3. Nicolas Aubin (381); 4. Shaun Simpson (367); 5. Rui Goncalves (365); 6. Antonio Cairoli (357); 7. Steven Frossard (289); 8. Xavier Boog (283); 9. Jeremy Van Horebeek (277); 10. Manuel Monni (259); 11. Stephen Sword (257); 12. Anthony Boissiere (243); 13. Davide Guarneri (181); 14. Joel Roelants (181); 15. Marvin Musquin (180); 16. Jeremy Tarroux (161); 17. Gert Krestinov (117); 18. Carl Nunn (102); 19. Greg Aranda (101); 20. Gautier Paulin (95)

SAinfo reporter



	South African motocross ace Tyla Rattray in action (Photo: Tyla 'Ratters' Rattray)

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