Nicoll Wins, Nicoll Wins, Nicoll Wins!!!
KTM HMC’s Kurt Nicoll finally got a measure of revenge on former teammate and subordinate Ben Carlson, who left KTM for Aprilia following his title-winning ’06 season and took the #1 plate with him.
Carlson has proven nearly unstoppable since joining the Factory Aprilia Rip It Energy Racing team in AMA PPG Supermoto Unlimited action this year, opening his ’07 title defense with four straight victories.
Former world motocross ace Nicoll — a one-time Unlimited champ himself — finally brought that streak to a halt on Sunday evening at Stafford Motor Speedway, getting the drop on Carlson at the green light and keeping the Wisconsin-native tucked behind him.
Carlson stalked Nicoll until the race’s halfway point when a mistake in the dirt section provided the Englishman with just the padding he needed to hold on until the checkered flag.
Even with Nicoll’s win, Carlson still holds a commanding lead in the points standings, leading his rival 122-98. However, it might not be quite so lopsided had the KTM runner been able to participate in the season’s opening round. Nicoll has been on the box ever since, stringing together a pair of runner-ups and a third-place finish prior to Sunday’s win.
While Aprilia missed out on the Unlimited win for the first time this season, the Italian manufacturer did manage to score two podiums for the second consecutive round with team boss Darryl Atkins coming home third, two seconds off the win and one second behind Carlson.
La Fuel GP Husqvarna’s visiting World Supermoto star, Xavier Bellerophon took fourth, followed by teammate Adam Cini, who had just come off a fourth-place result in the Lites class final.
Husaberg’s Robert Loire took sixth less than a second in front of Nicoll’s South African teammate, Brian Capeer, while Rockstar-backed Travis Marks, KTMHutt.com’s Cory Gabbert, and Mark’s teammate, Donald Want, completed the race’s top ten.
Expect Nicoll and Carlson to once again fight for the top spot on the Unlimited podium next weekend, as the championship is back in action at the Music City Motorplex in Nashville, TN on September 1-2.
AMA Pro Racing
