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COPPINS SECOND IN BRITAIN:
The Lizzard is back.
Honda motocross ace Josh Coppins today soared to second place overall at a British Championship event at the Isle of Wight, easily his best result since returning from serious injury.
The expat Kiwi, 26, took two second placings and one fifth on the fast, dusty circuit to pre-announce a return to the top end of grand prix competition.
Coppins, world runner-up last year, has ridden just two world champ events for 15th and 17th since he resumed riding 10 weeks ago after breaking his back, both feet and an ankle at the start of the year.
But today’s result, in a field studded with GP riders plus locals anxious to prove a point, announces a serious comeback just as next weekend’s Swedish Grand Prix opens the second half of the world championship season.
“I’ve still got a fair way to go to get back to full race speed,” commented the modest professional racer. “My fitness is not where I need it and I need to carry more speed on the bike.
“But I’m happy with today, happy to be back on the podium and I’m feeling better about my riding.
“I don’t expect to be able to press for grand prix victory again just yet, but I’m getting there: my aim is to be back on top before the end of this year,” Coppins added.
The sixth round of the British Championship, the first ever held on the island off England’s southern coast, was a major triumph for Coppins’ Midlands-based CAS Honda team.
Coppins took pole position with fastest time in morning qualifying on his two-stroke CR250R, and Irish squad member Gordon Crockard ran away with all three afternoon races on his four-stroke CRF450R.
The glamour finale event saw a CAS Honda 1-2-3 with Japan’s Yoshi Atsuta forging onto the podium on his CRF450R.
“It’s a great result for our team and for the owner Harry Ainsworth who has had to put up with some terrible misfortune this year,” explained Coppins.
“Gordon missed half of the first six GPs and Yoshi has had injuries as well; I came back late and very slow and our fourth team rider, Jussi Vehvilainen, has been out with a back injury since I returned.
“This is the best British track I’ve ridden and the organisers have put in a lot of work to build it from scratch in the past few months,” commented New Zealand’s top motorcycle racer.
“I’m pleased CAS Honda, which is now England’s premier team, got the result today.
Ian Miles
Josh’s Manager
