Second place in the first moto of the final event of the year was enough to give Rattray the title. He went into the event needing 18 points out of a possible 50 to make sure of the championship.The result saw the 22-year-old Durban rider join Greg Albertyn, who won 250 and 125 world titles, and Grant Langston, who won the 125 championship, as the only South Africans to win world motocross championships.
Rattray and his Red Bull KTM team-mate, Briton Tommy Searle, were the only riders in with a chance of winning the world title. Reigning world champion, Italy's Antonio Cairoli, dropped out of the title race when he injured a knee at the South African GP in Nelspruit in July.
The final breakdown of points saw Rattray (636) take the title by 23 points from Searle. Frenchman Nicholas Aubin was third, a massive 207 points behind Searle.
In 2008, Rattray recorded 13 podiums finishes out of a possible 15 and won four GPs to become world champion.
Rattray said: "To me this is like a dream come true, the Championship was everything for me."
Rattray will be in action for South Africa on 28 September at Donington Park in the Red Bull Motocross of Nations.
The South African ace has confirmed he will be competing for the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing squad in next year's MX1 World Championship.
Source: SouthAfrica.info
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