BY THE time

Published: 17th February 2007

Author: Sean Lawless

this issue of DBR hits the shelves the Starcross at Mantova will have already taken place, Valance will be a week away and the biggie that we’re all really, really interested in – yup, the Hawkstone International MX – will be just a fortnight down the line. It’s fair to say that the close season is now official closed and that the open season is officially open!

The 2007 MX season is going to be fascinating and has been blown wide open by one man – and he’s not even going to be racing! Stefan Everts – the 10-time world champ, the most complete GP rider in the history of MX – retired last season and it’s pretty fair to say that he’s left a vacuum. Kick-ass Kiwi Josh Coppins was the only man to beat Everts last season –

despite missing most of the year through injury – so he’s starting favourite in many pit pundits’ eyes. But is it as open and shut as that? For so long Stefan has been the playground bully and certainly in 2006 Josh was the only rider to step up and take a swing at him – but was the man from NZ really the second hardest? I reckon the MX1 paddock is full of riders who while maybe not fancying their chances in a scrap with Everts would be more than willing to have a pop at Josh. Like I said, it’s going to be fascinating...

The 2007 MX season is also going to be a big, big one for DBR’s three superstar MX columnists with the terrible trio all facing a new challenge of one kind or another. After enduring a personal racing hell that over a handful of seasons saw him slip from GP winner and genuine world title contender to one of the guys just making up the numbers, Gordon Crockard made giant strides in re-establishing himself as someone to be feared. Now armed with a PAR Homes Honda and fighting fit the Irishman must fancy his chances of getting back on a world championship podium.

While Gordy’s star was rising again in 2006, last season was a nightmare for Stephen Sword. A world class MX2 rider and GP winner, Swordy traded up to a factory Kawasaki 450F and was adapting quickly when he suffered a horror crash in Germany that wrecked his right ankle and foot. Still not back in the saddle, the Scot will be looking to re-establish himself in ’07 as Britain’s fastest MX2 pilot but he knows it ain’t going to be easy.

Finally we’ve got the reformed enfant terrible of British MX, Mr Billiam MacKenzie. Billy’s moved back up to the MX1 class and has inherited the Kawasaki factory thumper vacated by long-time rival Swordy. Winner of the Japanese MX2 GP for the past two seasons, how Billy will gel with the green 450F remains to be seen (a broken collarbone certainly hasn’t helped his pre-season prep) but in a division where the #1 plate is up for grabs he could scare some of the more established riders to death...

Now whether or not we get to see Gordy, Swordy and Billy Mac in action in a home GP is another matter. Up until recently, with all sorts of controversy surrounding the ’06 venue at Matterley Basin, I would say the chances weren’t all that good. However, the news that the British GP has now moved to Donington Park (as I hinted at a couple of months ago) on August 26 has got to be a cause for optimism! A British GP at an established venue with great road links that’s used to catering for huge crowds – what’s there not to be optimistic about? Fingers crossed they don’t screw up the track...

PS The recent cold snap has taught me two valuable lessons – MX gloves don’t keep your fingers warm and Deep Heat doesn’t keep your toes toasty!