Latest signing to the Hitachi KTM UK team, Todd Kellett, showed his worth by taking the overall MX2 result at Round 6 of the Maxxis British Motocross championship with 4-1 finishes at the Suffolk circuit of Blaxhall. The sandy Blaxhall circuit, run by the hard-working Woodbridge club in Suffolk, always produces some great racing and even more impressive than Kellett’s win in the second moto was the fact that he had only signed for the team less than a week before the event.
It was also a good day for his fellow Hitachi teammates also on the mighty KTM 250 SX-F, with race one winner, Josiah Natzke, finishing third overall while Ben Watson just missed out on the podium but still managed to increase his championship lead by a point over Martin Barr.
MX2 Moto 1
Josiah got the holeshot at the start of the first MX2 race with Todd in fifteenth while Ben, who was riding his second bike and not happy with its setup, was struggling down in eighteenth place.
For the rest of the race, Josiah seemed to be able to open up a bigger and bigger lead and looked smooth and confident. Ben took his time moving up through the pack of rival riders and by the halfway point he was in sixth with Todd just three places behind him but on the same pace.
With three laps to go Ben made a little mistake that allowed Todd and Barr to pass him. Josiah crossed the finish line almost ten seconds clear of Mel Pocock and Lewis Tombs with Todd fourth and Ben seventh place.
MX2 Moto 2
It was Brad Todd for the holeshot at the start of the second race from Josh Spinks, Liam Knight and Jay Hague with Kellett in sixth and both Watson and Natzke suffered bad starts, down in the twentieth and twenty-ninth respectively.
By the halfway stage, Kellett found a way past Brad Todd for the lead while Watson was already up to eighth place with Natzke three places further back. As the race came to a close Ben was in second and closing fast on his team mate, but Todd just managed to hold onto the win by under a second as the pair crossed the finish line almost together. Josiah seemed to hit the wall halfway through the race and finished ninth which was enough for third overall and some very useful championship points.
Todd Kellet races to victory
OVERALL
The overall results for the day was Todd Kellett first from Pocock and Josiah, but in the championship Ben now has a 42-point lead over Barr, with Todd moving into third place thirty-two points behind Barr. With two rounds left to go there are loads more points up for grabs and the MX2 championship only going to get more interesting.
Todd Kellett #98 – MX2 overall winner.
“I am over the moon about today as I have only had three days on the bike before today. I am please for the team as well as there has been a lot of effort behind the scenes put into making this all happen. I had to push hard in the first race coming from mid field but in the second I was feeling it. There are a lot of positives to take away from this meeting and still a lot of things to learn. I will be smiling all the way of the five-hour drive home!”
Josiah Natzke #33 – MX2 third overall
“In the first race I just got a great start and got my head down and went for it and I seemed to win it easy but in the second I got a good jump on the gate but the hit neutral and really messed up that race. I was coming through OK but just run out of puff at about the half distance. But I was still third overall and going away with something which can’t be bad.”
Ben Watson #919 – MX2 fourth overall and championship leader.
“It’s not been the best of days for me but most of it was out of my hands as we had problems with two bikes today and I had to go out in the last race with an almost standard bike and still came home in second. But we must go away with the positives and although the day should have been a lot better we have increased the championship lead by one point”
The team’s next outing will be July 23 in Loket for the Czech Republic MXGP.
