Buzzin MotoGP

Loris Capirossi -The Tempest Rally 2008

Loris Capirossi is usually seen on two wheels as one of the riders for the Suzuki team in MotoGP, but last weekend he claimed third place in the Suzuki Swift Sport Cup at the Tempest Rally.

The event was held in Aldershot and Capirossi was assisted by co-driver Craig Thorley, racing with his usual number 65 on the car.

The Suzuki rider, finished in ninth place overall, only fourteen seconds behind the rally winner, Mark Gamble, while Capirossi’s team manager Paul Denning, had been disqualified.

Denning had not returned to the stage in the allowed time because his car was lodged in a ditch, although he and his co-driver later competed in the final stages.

After the rally Capirossi said,

“It has been a great day and it was really fun to do the rally.  I took my time in the early stages as I got used to driving on the loose surfaces and in the forests, it was certainly very different from the wide-open tracks that I am used to in MotoGP.

As I got more confident with the car my times improved and I was able to go a lot quicker.  I think if we could have done a couple more stages I might have caught the leader, but I am really pleased with third in my first rally.  It was a shame that Paul crashed out, because I think our times were very close and it would have been good to have had that extra bit of competition with him, but I think I would have beaten him anyway!”

Denning said,

“With Loris, I suppose it was slightly inevitable that one of us was going to crash trying to beat the other, and I think it was even more inevitable that it was going to be me!

Well done to Loris on his podium position, it’s a good end to 2008 and I hope we taste some more champagne on two wheels in 2009.”