BT101 injury update

[Teava]

Team CLS Monster Energy Kawasaki Pro Circuit - Ben Townley has been injured last Sunday, while practicing at a private training facility in his native New Zealand. The 2004 MX2 World Champion was unfortunate, as he broke his jaw in this crash and underwent surgery yesterday. His jaw has been successfully repaired and Ben will have to rest for a couple of weeks before coming back in Europe to enter his new challenge after racing successfully in the USA.

“I was completing my last 30 minutes moto for the day when I got cross rutted on one of the jumps and went down hard, hitting my jaw on the crossbar of the handlebars. On the positive side it was a clean break and doctors have gone in through the inside of my cheek and put a plate in. It’s going to be a bit awkward for the next few days but I’ve been through so much in the last few years I’m sure I’ll get over this one pretty quickly” said Townley who will be back in Europe a few weeks before the opening round of the FIM MX1 World championship in Sevlievo (Bulgaria) on April 10th.

[oldguy]

man he's having shit luck, get well soon, Go BT101

[morg_nz]

that boy has no luck ay! at least the jaw doesnt affect your riding!

[trailblazer]

if there is bad luck to be had you can almost guarantee ben has had it lately. :shit:

[denill]

So is BT riding this weekend? :blink:

[scott411]

no, he was never riding the NZ Champs, i think he was planning to be in Europe by now,

not sure if he will make the 1st Gp or not

[paturoa]

Whats the goss?

The first round is only two weeks away...

[scott411]

dont think hes going to make round 1,

good interview here about it,

http://www.vurbmoto.com/blogs/2101/catching-ben-townley/

[paturoa]

There was no mention of the concussion in the earlier press, just the broken jaw and getting the plate put in to fix it quick.

So if the vets are still not letting him ride then must have been quite some brain bang cos that was weeks ago.

[denill]

Anyone know if BT will make Bulgaria this weekend?

[denill]

Googling came up with:

http://www.motorstv.com/bike/off-road/fim-world-motocross/07032011/mx-gp-of-bulgaria-entry-announced

[scott411]

pretty sure he will not be racing this weekend

[takitimu]

pretty sure he will not be racing this weekend

At least he's over the jaw break, any ideas on how the training has been going ?.

[Teava]

Ben Townley will be making his racing return at round three of the Maxxis British Motocross Championship at Lyng.

Townley who missed the opening round of the World Championship in Bulgaria last weekend, due to not feeling ready to compete following a pre-season head injury will be looking for a strong result at the Norfolk Circuit.

The 2004 MX2 World Champion, aboard his CLS Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki 450 is making his return to racing in Europe after spending the last five years racing in the USA. After missing the opening round of the World Championship Townley will have a lot of work to do to mount a challenge on the 2011 MX1 World title.

This weekend's racing at the sandy Lyng circuit will be a strong challenge for the likeable Kiwi as he prepares for the second round of the World Championship at Valkenswaard. With current points leader Shaun Simpson not competing at round three, Townley will have the likes of Jason Dougan, 2009 MX1 British Champion Brad Anderson, Kristian Whatley, along with the Buildbase CCM duo of Tom Church and Stephen Sword and former GP winner of Lommel Gert Krestinov to battle with for the overall win.

[denill]

Townley all smiles as he gets back into race mode

Date: 18 April 2010

In a last minute decision and only two weeks after being back on the bike following a broken jaw and 3 month lay off, Ben Townley opted to race the British championship at Lyng over the weekend. The former MX2 World champ and Supercross Lites East coast champ was all smiles as the British public got to see BT101 for the first time since representing Team NZ at the MXON in Matterly Basin in 2006.

“I am so excited but at the same time a little nervous to be racing again.” admitted the CLS Pro Circuit Kawasaki racer. “I was all smiles underneath my helmet and so happy to be out there because it’s been such a long time and my return to Europe has been delayed so I was really excited to get things started.”

A 7th in moto 1 after a bad start was a reasonable start for the Kiwi but then in moto 2 he showed flashes of BT brilliance as he challenged Stephen Sword for the lead until a broken header pipe forced BT to come into the pits. “Every time I go out on the track I improve so I was fairly happy with my speed, especially in the second race I felt like my old self out there but I think that the biggest thing at the moment is still putting everything together – I’m still building up on my corner speed and attacking the track and that’s all coming back to me. I’ve only been on the bike a couple of weeks - I know it was only a British championship and I’ve got to get to the world championship now but the speed of the top guys in the UK has always been very high. I believe they go really well on British soil and they have a lot of intensity. The British championship is strong and it’s very professional over there.”

With his first race nerves out of the way, Townley is taking his comeback at his own pace and is more excited to be back in Europe and to be back behind the start gate than anything.

“At this stage I don’t think it’s worth putting in expectations on Valkenswaard next weekend. I want to keep improving on the bike, keep on improving on my riding and then take the race as it comes. I need to get through Saturday and then survive on Sunday. I can’t wait…..”

[takitimu]

Glad to hear he had a clean race, though seriously gutted I didn't know about it, it would have been awesome to go watch.

[scott411]

“At this stage I don’t think it’s worth putting in expectations on Valkenswaard next weekend. I want to keep improving on the bike, keep on improving on my riding and then take the race as it comes. I need to get through Saturday and then survive on Sunday. I can’t wait…..”


that sounds like he is racing Valkenswaard, awesome,
remember last year he just wanted to get though Hangtown as well, and ended up leading for a while and getting top 5 overall,

can not wait to get to see him race live this year

[denill]

that sounds like he is racing Valkenswaard, awesome, remember last year he just wanted to get though Hangtown as well, and ended up leading for a while and getting top 5 overall,
can not wait to get to see him race live this year

What round are you going to be at Scott? We are sheduled to be at Loket, August 7, woohoo...... :yes: :yes:

Then Brno, the following weekend.

[scott411]

at this stage i will be at loket and leirop, i am moving to london for a while leaving june, starting with a contiki in june,

[takitimu]

at this stage i will be at loket and leirop, i am moving to london for a while leaving june, starting with a contiki in june,

Should be a good trip, I never picked up there was an MX1 this weekend until I read your post work is insane, but I'm madly trying to work out if I can get to the race this weekend, owe you a beer Scott !!.

[denill]

at this stage i will be at loket and leirop, i am moving to london for a while leaving june, starting with a contiki in june,

Hey Scott, is there an FIM round at Leirop?

[scott411]

i thought there was, but it is at Lommell, week before Loket

APR 10 Sevlievo
APR 25 Valkenswaard
MAY15 Glen Helen
MAY22 Indaiatuba
JUN 5 Saint Jean d'Angely
JUN 12 Agueda
JUN 19 La Baneza
JUL 3 Uddevalla
JUL 10 Teutschenthal
JUL 17 Kegums
JUL 31 Lommel
AUG 7 Loket
AUG 21 Matterley Basin, Winchester
SEP 4 Gaildorf
SEP 11 Fermo

September 11 MX Des Nations

[denill]

Did BT DNS the Dutch round?

http://www.motocrossmx1.com/reslists.aspx

[denill]

Did BT DNS the Dutch round?

http://www.motocrossmx1.com/reslists.aspx

Bay of Plenty’s Townley (CLS Kawasaki) qualified 16th then finished 19th in the first MX1 moto of the weekend but scored no points in the next race, the Kiwi just satisfied to at least be back in the mix at world championship level after his pre-season preparation was cut short when he fractured his jaw in January.

http://www.bikesportnz.com/2011/04/cairoli-moves-up/#more-7487

[scott411]

19 race 1, looks like a DNS is race 2

[denill]

19 race 1, looks like a DNS is race 2

Yeah, can't see 101 on the Race 2 lap chart.

http://www.motocrossmx1.com/reslists.aspx

[scott411]

Yeah, can't see 101 on the Race 2 lap chart.

http://www.motocrossmx1.com/reslists.aspx

that link only goes to the last page i looked at, i have had that problem before with the site,

he was way off the pace in race one, and got lapped, i bet he did not like that, he has a bit of time before the next round at glen helen USA, so hopefully he can be more in contention by then

[Shorty_925]

Watched the first MX 2 & MX 1 races live, the track looked brutal in parts, was suprised how many jumps were in the track, more than I remember for that track. Would like ot see how cut-up the track was for MX 1 race 2!

From : http://www.mcnews.com.au/MotorcycleRacing2011/MX/Rnd2/Reports.htm

'On his first appearance in the Championship, Ben Townley took only part in the first race and he finished 19th. The New Zealander was very tired after the first moto and he decided not to race and keep some energies for the third Grand Prix of the season.'

[takitimu]

From Racerx

"Full props to Honda’s Rui Goncalves, a former winner at Valkenswaard, for a strong top five finish on the factory CRF while other riders such as Clement Desalle (wary of his 2010 crash in the sand), Steve Ramon (physical problems), Jonathan Barragan (lacked rhythm and confidence) and Ben Townley (completely exhausted after the first moto at his first GP appearance since 2005, and at the site of his first career podium as a meek 17 year old in 2002) faced their own travails."

Given how long he's been back on a bike, I'd say BT has serious guts to have got a single moto finished in that sand, Glen Helen will be one helluva race.

[denill]

Date: 26 April 2011

Townley happy to be back at the GP’s

Ben Townley couldn’t have picked a more demanding track than the ‘Euro Circuit’ to make his return to Grand Prix Motocross racing. Much to the delight of his dedicated fans, the New Zealander was all smiles as round 2 of the FIM World championship kicked off in unusually hot conditions over Easter weekend.

Although Townley’s return was earlier than expected, the CLS Pro Circuit Kawasaki team had realistic expectations for the Kiwi however, a grueling and demanding Valkenswaard track took its toll on even the fittest riders and Townley’s lack of bike and race time was eminent.

“I really didn’t expect to be here in Valkenswaard but after racing the British championship last week the team and I discussed our options and we decided that we had to start at some point and this has been a good yard stick. The track was much rougher than anyone expected and with the change in weather and hot temperatures, it really created extreme conditions for my first GP back. It’s tough to race for 19th position knowing that I should be up front but its where I need to start and I’ve got to build from here, ” explained an optimistic Townley.

Townley opted to sit out the second moto, a decision supported by his team. “I definitely need more time to prepare and really appreciate the understanding and support that the team has given me. It’s also great to be back in Europe and seeing all my fans and friends has given me extra motivation to pick myself up off the ground. I’m realistic in my goals and there is so much more work to do but I look forward to the challenge and will do my best to get back to where I should be.”

With a two week gap in the GP calendar, Townley is looking to build on his race fitness before heading to California for round 3 of the 15 rounds series at the Glen Helen raceway on the 14-15 May.

[scott411]

From Racerx

"Full props to Honda’s Rui Goncalves, a former winner at Valkenswaard, for a strong top five finish on the factory CRF while other riders such as Clement Desalle (wary of his 2010 crash in the sand), Steve Ramon (physical problems), Jonathan Barragan (lacked rhythm and confidence) and Ben Townley (completely exhausted after the first moto at his first GP appearance since 2005, and at the site of his first career podium as a meek 17 year old in 2002) faced their own travails."

Given how long he's been back on a bike, I'd say BT has serious guts to have got a single moto finished in that sand, Glen Helen will be one helluva race.

Racer X screwed up, he raced the USGP last year ;)

for all the train spotters out there

[takitimu]

Racer X screwed up, he raced the USGP last year ;)

for all the train spotters out there

Well spotted :), they should have said his first European GP appearance.

[denill]

Racer X screwed up, he raced the USGP last year ;)

for all the train spotters out there

What's the mail address for the chocolate fish? :facepalm:

[denill]

Date: 28 April 2011

Townley to miss USA and Brazilian GP.

Returning to GP Motocross and being far from 100% ready, has been a tough pill to swallow for Team CLS Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki’s, Ben Townley. The determined New Zealander battled in the demanding sand of Valkenswaard over the Easter weekend and it was this result that has forced Townley and his team to re-assess his comeback strategy.

“I expected my riding and results to be on a better level but it was a lot tougher than I anticipated and I need some more time to build up my body physically. I’m not the type of guy who can accept riding round in 19th position,” admitted the Kiwi. “I want to win, my sponsors want me to win, the team wants to win, my fans want to see me up front and that’s why we have decided to sit out Glen Helen (USA) and Indaiatuba (Brazil) and focus on building my stamina, race speed and overall bike setup. It’s a tough decision to make, but the people who know me, know that I want to succeed and this is the quickest way that we can be fighting for race wins.”

Team owner and manager Jean Jacques Luisetti supports the decision and sees the benefit of Townley returning in Saint Jean d’Angely. “It was not a decision which made us happy because it was great to see our 3 riders together in Valkenswaard. However, our goal is to win GP’s with Ben. The long trips and heavy travel schedule for the next two GP’s and the jetlag were the main reasons to miss USA and Brazil. Ben will continue his training and our goal is to be on the podium in France. This is a gift we have asked him because our team is French! We are sure that he will have a competitive level for our home GP."

[takitimu]

http://www.racerxonline.com/2011/04/28/5-minutes-with-ben-townley-

It's from Mxlarge.com, here's probably the key question/answer, I wish him so much luck this season eh, he really deserves to get some good wins by the last 1/4 of the championship.

MXlarge: What is the main problem? Is your condition just not good, or you’re mentally not focused?
No, it’s my condition. When I had the injury when I broke my jaw and had the concussion I was advised by some really good doctors to take eight weeks off the bike and the first six weeks just nothing at all. Take all the strain off my head to give it a mental rest. I wasn’t able to do any training at all and that has obviously taken its toll. That amount of time sitting on the couch I have lost a lot of physical strength and fitness.

[denill]

Have you read this?

Date: 8 May 2011.

Townley challenges for podium in Wuustwezel.

In his first race appearance on Belgian soil since 2005, CLS Monster Pro Circuit Kawasaki racer, Ben Townley, has taken on the sand specialists of Steve Ramon and Ken Dedijker at the ‘Molenbergen’ held in Wuustwezel this weekend.

Soaring temperatures challenged a strong field of riders who turned out for the international event, and it was Townley who had the partisan crowd cheering as he challenged Ramon for a well deserved second place finish in moto 1 behind Ramon.

A hole-shot in moto saw Townley take an early lead which he held for ten minutes. He chased Dedijker and closed the Belgian giant down on the final laps as the two crossed the line a second apart.

The 3rd and final moto almost saw another Townley hole-shot however he battled to keep the front end low and lost the advantage going into the first turn. A small mistake on lap 3 forced Townley to have to restart his bike losing valuable positions. Taking longer than normal to get going he rejoined and fought back to 6th position to claim 3rd overall for the day.

“Overall, it was a really good day” explained the Kiwi. “I’ve felt some good improvements since Valkenswaard which was only a few weeks ago. I feel much better on the bike although there is still a long way to go with my condition but I can see big improvements and that’s what the team and I are working towards. I had two decent motos that I was really happy with.”

Overall results:

1 RAMON Steve 70

2 DE DYCKER Ken 63

3 TOWNLEY Ben 60

4 BOISSIERE Anthony 56

5 VAN DAELE Marvin 49

[FlangMasterJ]

Awesome news!

So those guys do three motos at each round?? That's nuts!

[denill]

Date: 6 June 2011

Townley shows fighting spirit in French MX GP.

Ben Townley’s delayed return to GP racing saw an impressive turnout of over 30.000 motocross mad spectators line the St Jean d’Angely GP hillside circuit for round 5 of the 15 round FIM Motocross World championship in France.

The CLS Pro Circuit Kawasaki team were excited to have Townley completing the three man team once again and the resilient Kiwi more than delivered on their expectations at their home GP. Townley improved every time he went out on the KX450F and with his confidence growing he rolled onto the line for moto 1 of the talent packed MX1 class. Grabbing a good start he was jus outside the top 5 and running a consistent pace, with a gaggle of riders hot his heels. Townley defended his position well and only lost two spots to finish 8th,just behind Max Nagl and Russian youngster Evgeny Bobryshev.

An even better start in Moto 2 saw Townley challenging for the hole-shot but he was pushed wide to the steep bank exiting the first turn. ‘BT 101’ turned in some impressive lap times and fended off challenges from Cairoli and then in the latter stages from Max Nagl. Going into the final lap Townley occupied 5th spot but then collided with Nagl as the two riders crossed lines and went down. Townley retired unscathed.

“The team found better settings this weekend and my riding improved every time I went on the track. It was a building exercise and it’s just disappointing that I missed one vital lap, the last one of the weekend. The result was a lot better than what you see on paper, and I’m pretty happy with the progress. Starting the last lap of the second race, Nagl passed me at the finish line. I kept my line but he crossed it and we collided which was unfortunate. I still have a long way to go concerning my physical shape, so I was pleased to achieve what I did this weekend and know that more is still possible.”

A heavy schedule awaits Townley as he heads to Portugal(Agueda) and Spain (La Baneza) which will complete the 3 back to back GP’s over the next two weeks.

Image: CDS

Race results:

MX1 Race 1

1 Frossard, Steven FRA Yamaha

2 Cairoli, Antonio ITA KTM

3 Philippaerts, David ITA Yamaha

4 Boog, Xavier FRA Kawasaki

5 de Dycker, Ken BEL Honda

6 Bobryshev, Evgeny RUS Honda

7 Nagl, Maximilian GER KTM

8 Townley, Benjamin NZL Kawasaki

9 Strijbos, Kevin BEL Suzuki

10 Leok, Tanel EST TM



MX1 Race 2

1 Desalle, Clement BEL Suzuki

2 Frossard, Steven FRA Yamaha

3 Cairoli, Antonio ITA KTM

4 Goncalves, Rui POR Honda

5 Bobryshev, Evgeny RUS Honda

6 Barragan, Jonathan ESP Kawasaki

7 Boog, Xavier FRA Kawasaki

8 de Dycker, Ken BEL Honda

9 Nagl, Maximilian GER KTM

10 Leok, Tanel EST TM

22 Townley, Ben NZ Kawasaki



MX1 GP Overall:

1 Frossard, Steven FRA Yamaha 47

2 Cairoli, Antonio ITA KTM 42

3 Desalle, Clement BEL Suzuki 35

4 Boog, Xavier FRA Kawasaki 32

5 Bobryshev, Evgeny RUS Honda 31

6 de Dycker, Ken BEL Honda 29

7 Nagl, Maximilian GER KTM 26

8 Goncalves, Rui POR Honda 25

9 Philippaerts, David ITA Yamaha 23

10 Leok, Tanel EST TM 22

16 Townley, Benjamin NZL Kawasaki 13



MX1 World championship standings:



1 Desalle, C. BEL 199

2 Cairoli, A. ITA 193

3 Frossard, S. FRA 179

4 Nagl, M. GER 179

5 Philippaerts, D. ITA 161

6 Bobryshev, E. RUS 141

7 Goncalves, Rui POR 133

8 Barragan, J. ESP 115

9 Strijbos, K. BEL 114

10 Boog, Xavier FRA 109

11 Ramon, Steve BEL 103

23 Townley, B. NZL 15

[kezzafish]

awesome stuff. cheers D

here's a link to a few rounds: http://thepiratebay.org/search/fim%202011/0/99/0

[Teava]

Cheers man, just watched the highlight real, track was rough man. Well done BT101

[FlangMasterJ]

Where did this Frossard character come from? Never heard of him before.

[arj127]

Where did this Frossard character come from? Never heard of him before.

He was in the 250's for a few years now. Seems to have found that extra bit of speed

[denill]

Date: 12 June 2011

Immediate release:

CLS Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki racer, Ben Townley will not start the Portuguese GP today in Agueda at round 6 of the FIM Motocross World championship. The likable New Zealander has been battling to find his form both physically and mentally after a series of injuries delayed his come-back to GP motocross earlier this year.

“This is a tough decision to make but I’ve accepted that I’m not in a position to race at a competitive level, both physically and mentally. I’m so thankful to the team for understanding my situation and for supporting me in every way possible. Having been through the difficult times that I have been in over the last few months it is clear to me that I need to be 100% prepared both on the physical side and on the mental side. At this stage I am not, and I don’t want to put myself at risk until I can race without having any doubts. “ commented BT.

Team Manager Jean Jacques Luisetti is supportive of his MX1 representative: “ I understand the position that Ben is in. We don’t want him to take any risks whatsoever and we know that he has the capacity to be a top GP rider, and I think everyone has seen in St Jean what he is capable of. Next week we will discuss how we will continue the rest of the racing season.”

Townley will return to his base in Belgium where he will take time to assess his 2011 MX GP racing plans together with the team.

[Danger]

Looks like Ben's best days are well behind him. Wonder if he has made any plans for beyond racing? Could be something to think about.

[CHOPPA]

Looks like Ben's best days are well behind him. Wonder if he has made any plans for beyond racing? Could be something to think about.

He will be back

[Ktmboy]

Well we don't seem to have much luck with the MX boys as its bloody hard just to secure a ride for them overseas, probably due to the expense.
If Bens days were over in MX (which I don't think are) then he would do bloody well as a Cross Country racer.
BT is probably fairly well set up for life and maybe could consider something like the GNCC circuit, not the same $$ but still highly competitive with a lesser chance of injury.

[Rupe]

Well we don't seem to have much luck with the MX boys as its bloody hard just to secure a ride for them overseas, probably due to the expense.
If Bens days were over in MX (which I don't think are) then he would do bloody well as a Cross Country racer.
BT is probably fairly well set up for life and maybe could consider something like the GNCC circuit, not the same $$ but still highly competitive with a lesser chance of injury.

Think thats just negative old danger!

He definatly looked like he was gaining speed in the states, had a great show of speed at the mxon. Look at reed at the moment, he nearly quit racing last year. Plenty of time for BT to put a good couple of seasons together.

[takitimu]

He will be back

I also don't believe Ben will give up & his speed last year I thought was amazing, he's got a few good years left in him I reckon.

To have achieved what he has in the last 6 weeks blows me away to be honest, total respect to Ben eh, he's one tough sob.

[denill]

I also don't believe Ben will give up & his speed last year I thought was amazing, he's got a few good years left in him I reckon.

To have achieved what he has in the last 6 weeks blows me away to be honest, total respect to Ben eh, he's one tough sob.

Agree with all of the above. Fate (sometimes called luck) is a big factor in this sport. and for BT to get back up there he needs to find his rhythm and be quick enough without crashing. Not easy.....................

[takitimu]

Agree with all of the above. Fate (sometimes called luck) is a big factor in this sport. and for BT to get back up there he needs to find his rhythm and be quick enough without crashing. Not easy.....................

Unfortunately ( maybe fortunately ) it's a little more than luck, bt didn't need to try for the jump at the sx, it looked to me he just got mad with alessi and was hunting him down, he was catching dungey at southwick, but had to push just that tiny bit to hard ( he was just the same at steel city vs rv ).

My take is he wants to win so bad he makes mistakes, but his desire to win is what makes him so fast, nasty catch 22, but I think if he can sort his head out he'll make his mark again, he's just not that old yet, but he is definitely that good.

[denill]

How old is he? (Too lazy to search, lol.)

[Crasherfromwayback]

Looks like Ben's best days are well behind him. Wonder if he has made any plans for beyond racing? Could be something to think about.

Don't think so. Form is temporary, class is permanent.

[denill]

How old is he? (Too lazy to search, lol.)

Born: 9 December 1984.

[telliman]

its all over,whilst he may race again he;ll never challenge for a title again, it seems everytime he crashes it causes a major injury, his body must be wrecked or well on the way,think over the years i reckon youd be hardpressed to find a rider who has spent as much time on the sideline! the young guys are getting faster also,
in saying that maybe he should do a reed or a bubba and just race sx, the outdoors seam to bite him in the arse every year.

[Jay GTI]

its all over,whilst he may race again he;ll never challenge for a title again, it seems everytime he crashes it causes a major injury, his body must be wrecked or well on the way,think over the years i reckon youd be hardpressed to find a rider who has spent as much time on the sideline! the young guys are getting faster also,
in saying that maybe he should do a reed or a bubba and just race sx, the outdoors seam to bite him in the arse every year.

I don't know if he'll never challenge for a title again, human resolve can be an incredible thing and sheer determination may give him one more chance. However at his age and with his injuries, it will be a huge battle to get back the level of physical endurance required to be a podium placer enough times to win a championship. I've seen what happens to athletes in physical, high impact sports when they start getting old, they are often wreaked beyond repair (shot joints, muscle, ligament and cartlege damage) and no amount of training brings back the form they once had. Sadly in MX, old can be 26.

Technically he definitely has the speed, physically probably not.

[takitimu]

interview with mxlarge

http://www.mxlarge.com/interview/5191-ben-townley-interview-disappointment-and-despair

[denill]

interview with mxlarge

http://www.mxlarge.com/interview/5191-ben-townley-interview-disappointment-and-despair


Mmmm. Good read. Maybe we'd best not write the guy off yet!

[takitimu]

Mmmm. Good read. Maybe we'd best not write the guy off yet!

If he could adapt his race strategy to more Chad Reed & less Bubba Stewart absolutely I think he can.

[denill]

Date: 15 June 2011

Townley temporarily stops MX GP racing to rebuild confidence.

Following his decision to not compete in the Portuguese GP last weekend, CLS Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki rider, Ben Townley has taken a further decision to return to his home in New Zealand to work on his physical and mental fitness to ultimately return to GP racing.

“I want to let everyone know what is happening right now and the situation that I am facing. This past winter while preparing for this season I had two crashes that resulted in serious injuries. I was able to recover from them and return to my training and riding after a long recovery from the second one in late January. I was excited to start racing again. Let me be clear to everyone that I was realistic after so many weeks on the couch that my results would be average at best, but I was willing to accept that to start building myself up to the rider I believe I am. Since I started racing, I have had some struggles mentally. The crashes have affected me to a point where I cannot safely race at this level yet. I have made a decision that I need more time to build my confidence back up and work on rebuilding my racing. I have had amazing support from my team, Jean Jacques and Gael Luisetti, the team owners have been extremely understanding of the situation I am in and I am very grateful for that. Harry Nolte has been a huge part of my career and has believed in me a lot and I want to thank him for his support about this also. The whole team have been very understanding and helpful. For right now I am putting plans in place to get myself back into a position where I can race to my potential again, I'm not sure of a timeline or return right now. I want to thank my sponsors and supporters for their outstanding support since I returned to Europe.” explained the Kiwi.

Team principals Jean Jacques Luisetti and his brother Gael, although disappointed with this decision, have much understanding for the position that Townley is in. “We are very upset for Ben, because he is a great man and this decision is probably one of the hardest in his life. But it was too much of a risk for him to ride in those conditions and we support Ben in his decision. For us it was an awesome experience to work with him, even if the result this year is not the expected one. But we trust Ben, and we know that he will do his best to be back, and we are ready to welcome him again as soon as he will be ready. We put so much time and energy in the Team CLS every day for this kind of experience, with this kind of person, putting the human experience before everything else!”

The CLS Monster Energy Pro Circuit team have made it clear that when Townley is ready to return they will be waiting to support him once again in his MX GP campaign.

[denill]

If he could adapt his race strategy to more Chad Reed & less Bubba Stewart absolutely I think he can.

A good analogy.

Bugger, I was REALLY looking forward to seeing him ride at Loket :( :(

[raglanash]

Bummer for Ben, I wonder if Pourcel will turn up at CLS now?

[takitimu]

A good analogy.

Bugger, I was REALLY looking forward to seeing him ride at Loket :( :(

You heading for the Czech republic race huh, lucky :).

BT's skills are amazing, there was a corner at Southwick he just monstered in a way no other rider did that day, I guess my gut says even riding like Chad he would be top 3 consistently, question is would he be prepared to lose a few races to stay in a series without risking serious injury, that I'm unsure of.

[denill]

You heading for the Czech republic race huh, lucky :).

Yeah, but it's most unfortunate as I was REALLY looking forward to see BT ride against the Internationals.

But hey, I will get to see my first FIM event and the clicker is - Brno the following weekend. Woohoo. :clap:

[takitimu]

Yeah, but it's most unfortunate as I was REALLY looking forward to see BT ride against the Internationals.

But hey, I will get to see my first FIM event and the clicker is - Brno the following weekend. Woohoo. :clap:

It'll be awesome some time in the Czech republic, I'd definitely not argue with that.

The racing will be interesting all the same, to see Carolli & Roczen would be great.

[Danger]

Some great cliches in these pages. I could roll out a few too but it wouldn't achieve anything and would come across disrespectful when it isn't meant to be.

Good interview on Radiosport today with Ben. He's a smart guy, smart enough to realise when the head doesn't really want to be on the start line. In Belgium on his way home.

Ben will always have the speed, top athletes never loose the skills that set them above us wanna be's. In Bens case its his mental scars that need to heal and he thought they would fade once he started racing again in Europe. Unfortunately that was not the case. Having a family now probably puts a new perspective on things as well.

Be great to see Ben racing here in NZ again soon. He will clean up I'm sure, even with his doubts. But it will take a lot to get back to where he was four or more years ago and I wish him all the best with his struggle. And I don't think fate or luck will have anything to do with it, it will show true character to get to the top from here, it will take more than speed, he already has that.

Always a BT fan.