ULSTER MX2 Champion 2009 -Richard Bird 57

2009 MX2 Champion

Risk Racing Europe

Richard Bird – Ulster MX2 Champion 2009
In true “Rocky “ fashion, Richard - against Doctors advice – raced and scored enough points to clinch the Ulster MX2 Championship this weekend.
It was pure determination and grit that enabled the young WATT KTM / GOMX / Risk Racing Supported Athlete to endure hours of pain as his physiotherapist worked on his hip and lower back – which, due to a crash last weekend suffered trauma, resulting in massive haemoglobin, considerably restricting movement.
Physical pain is nothing compared to the mental torture of working so hard towards a goal, only to watch by the sidelines the final race of the year to go by, along with any chance you had of winning the series.
The team decided that Richard would run two laps of Qualification Practice, in order to try to preserve his injured body for the actual races – he qualified 9th.
Championship leader , Stuart Edmonds gated just behind Richard and making a pass on lap two, our man stuck with him, until two laps later the Dublin based TM racer dropped his machine and struggled to restart – eventually recording 16th at the finish.
Edmonds did not have time to regroup as the race was Red Flagged, due to a serious accident, leaving an injured rider on the racing line – the race had run over the half distance (by one minute) so it was deemed “Race Result”.
With Richards 5th place finish, the tensions was at fever pitch, by now Richards’s leg and back were beginning to feel the effects of the jump filled Donamana sand circuit.
The following twenty minutes would decide the past seven months of racing, as the pack excited corner one, it was the Championship protagonists in the fray, with Edward Allingham, and Jason Garrett in close quarter.
Confidence in abundance and fresh from his success in the USA, Allingham and Jason Garrett battled for the race win, while the Championship tussle remained undecided.
As the final chequered come down to mark the end of the MX2 series, Garrett won from Allingham, with Edmonds third, Gary Gibson forth, with the 2009 Ulster MX2 Champion fifth.
A delighted, relieved Richard quoted – “On Thursday night, I had resigned myself that it was over, I could not even sit down with the pain in my back and hip. I was not that sore when racing, but when the adrenaline tap is turned off! That’s a different matter all together. Thanks to all my team and sponsors, who make it possible to go racing at this level – see you all at the Party”

Risk Racing Europe

“Welcome Back Shaun”
Risk Racing supported Athlete, Shaun Simpson returns from injury.
After four months out of the saddle, KTM Factory rider Shaun Simpson was “bursting “ to get back into “The Game”. And where better to make your return but in your “Back Yard”.
The British Championship Circus rolled into Duns, in Scotland for the penultimate round of the series, unfortunately the Northern weather was less than kind, to a point that the immaculately prepared circuit virtually fell apart during racing.
Shaun enjoyed it all the same, taking another Holeshot on his way to winning the opening race of the day, shortly after the first MX1 Moto, it was decreed “unsafe” to continue with the days proceedings.
“It was awesome to be back – and YES, we did get the Holeshot” Quipped the Young Scott.
“Roll on 2010”

Risk Racing supported Athlete, 3rd In World Grand Prix Motocross Championship 2009

Risk Racing supported Athlete, 3rd In World Grand Prix Motocross Championship 2009

Congratulations to Natalie Kane on securing the No.3 “World Ranking”, this young “hard working” lass from “down the road” has earned her place on the World stage. WELL DONE!
The final Moto of the series was a full on “Thriller”, the possibility of third place was a consideration, although riding with an injury sustained during a training session earlier in the week, Natalie’s hard fought forth place in the series was also still hanging in the balance.
The fast starting MVR-D rider, blitzed to the front of the final race of the Grand Prix calendar, with her “Adrenalin Pump” running at “Flat out”, she was able to hang with the newly crowned Champion for several laps. It was in the final quarter of the race that she was to showcase, to the World, her pure grit and determination, a quality held in abundance by the Irish Girl.
I am sure, like me, everyone that watched the final few laps of that Moto were on the edge of their seats, wobble, as she did on several occasions, Natalie brought home the bacon for MVR-D Suzuki, Ireland and every Girl Motocrosser on the British Isles.
Natalie, who has been training with the Risk Racing, “Holeshot Start Gate” has seen her reaction time and start technique improve dramatically.
“Thank you to, Steve and Risk Racing for supporting me with Risk Products, the starts are just so important, I knew if I could get out of the gate with the top Girls that I could run with them, training with the Start Gate has improved my starting technique.
Not in my dreams could I have wished for a better end to this season, third in the World – it will take a while to sink in.” quoted the diminutive Irish Racer.