Round 12 of the World MX1 Championship  Loket, Czech Republic  10th August 2008

CAS Hondas Steve Boniface was the sole finisher of the Czech Republic Grand Prix as poleman Billy Mackenzie was ruled out due to a race one crash.

Mackenzie made a positive start to the weekend and stormed to his first pole position of the season during qualifying aboard his CRF450R, nearly half a second quicker than second-placed Tanel Leok. Boniface also got to grips with the hardpack Loket circuit, finishing the timed session in a strong seventh position.

On race day Mackenzie didn't achieve the strongest of starts to the opening moto and completed lap one in fifth position with Boniface just a few places behind in seventh. Mackenzie soon got to work and fought his way up to third place, where he consistently posted fast laps to put pressure on the leading pair.

The 24-year-old managed to make a pass on second-placed Sebastien Pourcel and began the hunt for race-leader, Jonathan Barragan. However, with just 10 minutes to go, Mackenzie hit a false neutral and was catapulted from his machine, landing heavily on his left hip. The Scotsman was taken to hospital for an examination and much to his bitter disappointment, was subsequently ruled out of the second moto.

Boniface finished the race as the highest placed Honda rider, but struggled with the knee injury that he sustained at the Belgium Grand Prix to cross the line in an eventual 14th position.

As the sole CAS Honda pilot in race two, Boniface was determined to achieve a strong result for the team. The Frenchman gated well to fourth position and settled into a steady rhythm before coming under attack from a host of riders, forcing him back to seventh place. Boniface responded but a mistake at the halfway point saw him drop down the rankings to 16th position, where he remained until the end of the race.

The team now only has a few days to prepare for its next outing at Brampton for the British Motocross Championship next weekend, where it is hoped that Mackenzie can further extend his points lead in the overall MX1 standings.

Steve Boniface - #141
"I am disappointed with the results this weekend. I showed in qualifying I have the pace to run well within the top ten, but so far I've not really been able to turn this into consistent race finishes. My leg is still very painful, but the CAS Honda was working well and I am dissatisfied that I was unable to make a stronger impression today."

Billy Mackenzie - #211
"I am absolutely gutted to have crashed out of the first race, particularly for the team as everyone has been working so hard. I was feeling strong, especially after finishing fastest during qualifying, and I felt I was riding well throughout the whole weekend. Unfortunately I hit neutral and crashed heavily, which ended my racing today. It's disheartening because I was determined to gain a solid result, and we were in a very good position to do this. I went to the local hospital to check that there were no further injuries and I was unable to ride in the second moto, which was very disappointing. My back and leg are both incredibly sore, but I now need to put this behind me, refocus and aim to gain the results that we are more than capable of achieving next time out."

CAS Honda Team Manager Neil Prince
"Today has been frustrating for the team because Billy proved he had the pace to get on the podium, if not win here. He was riding a strong race and throughout all of the sessions this weekend he has been consistently fast. It is very disappointing that he crashed while chasing for the lead, but thankfully his injuries aren't too serious and hopefully he can continue his British Championship domination in a week's time. Steve has been suffering with the knee injury he sustained in Belgium, but he hasn't achieved the results that we were hoping for. He has proven that he has the speed to race in the top ten, but we now need to review the situation and find a solution to the problems he has encountered."