Brit's Hawkstone bid

British hero Billy Mackenzie is aiming to upset the world’s motocross stars at this year’s Hawkstone Park International in Shropshire on Sunday, March 4, 2007.

Many of the leading factory riders use the big international event as a shakedown to the Motorcross World Championship and, as always, Hawkstone has attracted a top class entry.

Mackenzie has looked to have settled comfortably into the Motorex Kawasaki team in testing but faces a double challenge having both swapped bikes and class this winter. 

But the confident young Scot will know exactly what he has to do to stamp his authority in the MX1 category, and the deep Shropshire sand could just be the stage for him to cause a stir.  

His biggest rival is likely to be Kiwi Josh Coppins who has taken over the Rinaldi Yamaha ride vacated by multi-World champion Stefan Everrts who retired at the end of the 2006 season.

Other leading contenders in the MX1 class include Geboers Suzukis  and 2006 World championship runner-up Kevin Strijbos and Steve Ramon.

The MX2 class has a volatile mix of youth and experience that is sure to produce some real fireworks out on the track. 

Reigning British champion Carl Nunn will be Bike-It Yamaha mounted in 2007, and races at Hawkstone Park for the first time since clinching his domestic title there last September.

On that occasion Nunn saw off the strong challenge of emerging star Tommy Searle. 

The taste of revenge could be sweet for Searle as he looks to give his factory Red Bull KTM a victorious debut. 

The battle for MX2 supremacy will not be restricted to a two way fight. 

Returning to our shores is American veteran Mike Brown on a CAS Honda. 

Also the reappearance of crowd favourite Stephen Sword in the MX2 class following his horrific crash early in 2006 will only serve to fuel the widely predicted explosive track action.