June 3, 2009
San Bernardino, Cal. – Round two of the AMA Pro Motocross Championships were similar to round one in at least one way: There were quite a few GEICO Powersports Hondas near the front of the pack all day long.
In the 250 class, Justin Barcia was all the rage again at round two, and he got the holeshot in the first moto before pulling away from the pack. Unlike at Glen Helen, though, Barcia’s lead lasted nearly to the end of the moto.
“I actually got the holeshot by sneaking underneath a few guys in the first corner, and I was feeling really good,” Barcia said. “I was on it. I made a couple mistakes at the end, and I think I just got a little bit tight. I need to get over that, though, I’ve been having that every weekend so far. I had a really good moto, though, and I came in second after battling with Pourcel, so it was pretty good.”
Even once he lost the lead, he fought to get it back.
“When he passed me, I definitely wanted it back,” Barcia said. “It was weird because when he was catching me, I don’t know if I got tight or nervous, but I definitely tried to get him back, for sure. I wasn’t tired. People think I’ve been getting tired every weekend, but that’s not really it, because I’m really in good shape. I’ve been having a bit of a problem with my hand and I had a big blister on it, so that didn’t help in the second moto.”
In that second moto, Barcia got a mid-pack start and then moved his way quickly through the pack up to sixth and was gaining on the top five when trouble started.
“I didn’t get the best start – I was probably in the middle of the pack – and I worked my way up to sixth, and I was catching the two guys in front of me, and then my blister opened up and started bleeding through my glove,” Baricia said. “It was terrible. I didn’t feel so great after that. I was just trying to finish the moto as good as I could after that, then I landed off the finish line and lost my front end, and it didn’t go good after that.”
After the crash, Barcia ended up 29th, but with the second in the first moto, that landed him 10th overall.
His teammate Trey Canard, however, faired better in the overall rankings. In moto one, he barely lost out on the holeshot to Barcia, eventually finishing a strong third, and in moto two, he was also near the front off the start, eventually finishing second officially.
“First of all, my starts have been great, and I’ve put myself in a good position every moto so far, so if anything is lacking, it’s just little things,” Canard said. “Being there at the end seems to be my problem. I’m not getting tired, and that almost bugs me in a way because it’s 30 minutes plus two laps, so you should be good and exhausted, so I think I need to get myself to push harder for longer, and if I can keep that bait right in front of me, then I know I can be there at the end, and I know I can get a win. That would be awesome, and I’d be stoked.”
However, Trey’s season is far better already than 2008 started for him outdoors.
“The year has started off 10 times better than it did last year, so that’s definitely a positive thing, and I think I’m in a good position right now,” Canard said. “I’m not out of the title hopes – I’m in third – so that right there is something to be happy about. I would like to get a win, though. That’s just me as a racer. I want to win races, so I’ve just got to keep putting in the effort that I am and I know my time will come.”
Canard’s 3-2 effort was good for second overall on the day – his best-ever AMA National finish so far.
Still recovering from injuries suffered in supercross, Brett Metcalfe is making the best of it every weekend. At Hangtown, Metty went 5-4 for fourth overall despite fighting through a wrist injury.
“I ended up fourth overall, but the big thing is that we improved from Glen Helen, and I felt a little better on the bike, and on the track, and overall,” Metcalfe said. “Both motos were a little bit better, and that’s really all I was wanting to happen. Regardless of results, I just wanted to feel better and improve, and that’s what I managed to do. That was the best thing of the whole weekend, and to come away with fourth overall was equally good – good for championship points and everything.”
And finally, in the 250 class, Blake Wharton had a tough go of it in the first moto on his way to ninth, but in moto two he was up front the whole race, despite some pretty major mistakes.
“The second moto, I got a second-place start right behind Dungey, and I was second for almost four laps and then I went down right before the finish line,” Wharton said. “I got up in fifth, behind Brett, and I raced up to him and we battled it out for a while, and then I ran off the track toward the end of the race and I finished fifth. I need to get a start and I know I can race with those guys. I just have to put myself up there on the start and it will be fine.”
Wharton’s 9-5 score was good for sixth overall on the day, meaning for the second consecutive week, all four GEICO Powersports Honda riders were in the top 10 at the end of the day.
In the 450 class, Dan Reardon had a much better day than at Glen Helen. His starts were better, and in both motos he battled it out with members of the Honda factory squad, among others.
“I was disappointed overall with the way things went at Glen Helen, but I wasn’t totally disappointed with the effort that I put in,” Reardon said. “I was glad that that round was over, and moving into Hangtown, I was excited to improve on what happened at Glen Helen with crashes and other things. Practice went reasonably well, and then in the first moto I didn’t get the best start, but I made the most of the next two or three turns. I think I was in about 10th and I moved up slowly and got behind Shorty, and I guess I just fell into a rut. I didn’t end up passing him, and that was kind of a bummer, and Chad ended up catching me back up and passing me. I got super-tight and I fell into the trap of sitting behind someone too long and falling into the rut of riding like them, and it’s hard to get out of. That was my own bad. I tightened up a bunch and I couldn’t recover from it.”
Still, in the first moto, Reardon grabbed seventh, then set out to improve upon it in moto two.
“The next moto, I had a little better start and Short was a little bit ahead of me, and then the same thing happened as the first moto, as I caught up to the back of him and I told myself I wasn’t going to let the same thing happen again, so I got past him and then I stalled my bike at the top of the hill,” Reardon said. “I bumped it to get it going again and he nearly got me back, but I just focused on my own ride and I thought about how cool it would be to push and see how close I can get to the guys up front. That moto went pretty good. I didn’t know where I fit in in the 450 class, so now I know, and I’m looking forward to Texas and the rest of the rounds. I want to improve every race and just get stronger and see where I really fit in.”
With a 7-5 score, Reardon finished sixth overall, and every rider in front of him in the overall standings had at least one moto finish on the podium.
From here, the GEICO Powersports Honda team heads east to Wortham, Texas, round three of the Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship.
Team Sponsors: GEICO Powersports, Honda, Planet Fitness, Unbound Energy, AM/PM, Factory Connection, Fox, Shoei, Gaerne, DVS, Amsoil Lubricants, Cycra Plastics, Dunlop Tires, EK Chains, Filtron Air Filters, Hinson Clutches, Leatt Brace, One Industries, Pro Circuit, Renthal, Shock Doctor, Showa, TAG Sprockets, Vortex Ignitions, VP Fuels, and Works Connection.
Hangtown 250cc Overall:
1. Christophe Pourcel Kaw
2. Trey Canard GEICO Powersports Honda
3. Ryan Dungey Suz
4. Brett Metcalfe GEICO Powersports Honda
5. Tyla Rattray Kaw
6. Broc Tickle Yam
7. Blake Wharton GEICO Powersports Honda
8. Jake Weimer Kaw
9. PJ Larsen Kaw
10. Justin Barcia GEICO Powersports Honda
Hangtown 450cc Overall:
1. Mike Alessi Suz
2. Ivan Tedesco Hon
3. Chad Reed Suz
4. Andrew Short Hon
5. Josh Grant Yam
6. Dan Reardon GEICO Powersports Honda
7. Matt Goerke Suz
8. Justin Brayton KTM
9. Tommy Hahn Kaw
10. Cody Cooper Yam
San Bernardino, Cal. – Round two of the AMA Pro Motocross Championships were similar to round one in at least one way: There were quite a few GEICO Powersports Hondas near the front of the pack all day long.
In the 250 class, Justin Barcia was all the rage again at round two, and he got the holeshot in the first moto before pulling away from the pack. Unlike at Glen Helen, though, Barcia’s lead lasted nearly to the end of the moto.
“I actually got the holeshot by sneaking underneath a few guys in the first corner, and I was feeling really good,” Barcia said. “I was on it. I made a couple mistakes at the end, and I think I just got a little bit tight. I need to get over that, though, I’ve been having that every weekend so far. I had a really good moto, though, and I came in second after battling with Pourcel, so it was pretty good.”
Even once he lost the lead, he fought to get it back.
“When he passed me, I definitely wanted it back,” Barcia said. “It was weird because when he was catching me, I don’t know if I got tight or nervous, but I definitely tried to get him back, for sure. I wasn’t tired. People think I’ve been getting tired every weekend, but that’s not really it, because I’m really in good shape. I’ve been having a bit of a problem with my hand and I had a big blister on it, so that didn’t help in the second moto.”
In that second moto, Barcia got a mid-pack start and then moved his way quickly through the pack up to sixth and was gaining on the top five when trouble started.
“I didn’t get the best start – I was probably in the middle of the pack – and I worked my way up to sixth, and I was catching the two guys in front of me, and then my blister opened up and started bleeding through my glove,” Baricia said. “It was terrible. I didn’t feel so great after that. I was just trying to finish the moto as good as I could after that, then I landed off the finish line and lost my front end, and it didn’t go good after that.”
After the crash, Barcia ended up 29th, but with the second in the first moto, that landed him 10th overall.
His teammate Trey Canard, however, faired better in the overall rankings. In moto one, he barely lost out on the holeshot to Barcia, eventually finishing a strong third, and in moto two, he was also near the front off the start, eventually finishing second officially.
“First of all, my starts have been great, and I’ve put myself in a good position every moto so far, so if anything is lacking, it’s just little things,” Canard said. “Being there at the end seems to be my problem. I’m not getting tired, and that almost bugs me in a way because it’s 30 minutes plus two laps, so you should be good and exhausted, so I think I need to get myself to push harder for longer, and if I can keep that bait right in front of me, then I know I can be there at the end, and I know I can get a win. That would be awesome, and I’d be stoked.”
However, Trey’s season is far better already than 2008 started for him outdoors.
“The year has started off 10 times better than it did last year, so that’s definitely a positive thing, and I think I’m in a good position right now,” Canard said. “I’m not out of the title hopes – I’m in third – so that right there is something to be happy about. I would like to get a win, though. That’s just me as a racer. I want to win races, so I’ve just got to keep putting in the effort that I am and I know my time will come.”
Canard’s 3-2 effort was good for second overall on the day – his best-ever AMA National finish so far.
Still recovering from injuries suffered in supercross, Brett Metcalfe is making the best of it every weekend. At Hangtown, Metty went 5-4 for fourth overall despite fighting through a wrist injury.
“I ended up fourth overall, but the big thing is that we improved from Glen Helen, and I felt a little better on the bike, and on the track, and overall,” Metcalfe said. “Both motos were a little bit better, and that’s really all I was wanting to happen. Regardless of results, I just wanted to feel better and improve, and that’s what I managed to do. That was the best thing of the whole weekend, and to come away with fourth overall was equally good – good for championship points and everything.”
And finally, in the 250 class, Blake Wharton had a tough go of it in the first moto on his way to ninth, but in moto two he was up front the whole race, despite some pretty major mistakes.
“The second moto, I got a second-place start right behind Dungey, and I was second for almost four laps and then I went down right before the finish line,” Wharton said. “I got up in fifth, behind Brett, and I raced up to him and we battled it out for a while, and then I ran off the track toward the end of the race and I finished fifth. I need to get a start and I know I can race with those guys. I just have to put myself up there on the start and it will be fine.”
Wharton’s 9-5 score was good for sixth overall on the day, meaning for the second consecutive week, all four GEICO Powersports Honda riders were in the top 10 at the end of the day.
In the 450 class, Dan Reardon had a much better day than at Glen Helen. His starts were better, and in both motos he battled it out with members of the Honda factory squad, among others.
“I was disappointed overall with the way things went at Glen Helen, but I wasn’t totally disappointed with the effort that I put in,” Reardon said. “I was glad that that round was over, and moving into Hangtown, I was excited to improve on what happened at Glen Helen with crashes and other things. Practice went reasonably well, and then in the first moto I didn’t get the best start, but I made the most of the next two or three turns. I think I was in about 10th and I moved up slowly and got behind Shorty, and I guess I just fell into a rut. I didn’t end up passing him, and that was kind of a bummer, and Chad ended up catching me back up and passing me. I got super-tight and I fell into the trap of sitting behind someone too long and falling into the rut of riding like them, and it’s hard to get out of. That was my own bad. I tightened up a bunch and I couldn’t recover from it.”
Still, in the first moto, Reardon grabbed seventh, then set out to improve upon it in moto two.
“The next moto, I had a little better start and Short was a little bit ahead of me, and then the same thing happened as the first moto, as I caught up to the back of him and I told myself I wasn’t going to let the same thing happen again, so I got past him and then I stalled my bike at the top of the hill,” Reardon said. “I bumped it to get it going again and he nearly got me back, but I just focused on my own ride and I thought about how cool it would be to push and see how close I can get to the guys up front. That moto went pretty good. I didn’t know where I fit in in the 450 class, so now I know, and I’m looking forward to Texas and the rest of the rounds. I want to improve every race and just get stronger and see where I really fit in.”
With a 7-5 score, Reardon finished sixth overall, and every rider in front of him in the overall standings had at least one moto finish on the podium.
From here, the GEICO Powersports Honda team heads east to Wortham, Texas, round three of the Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship.
Team Sponsors: GEICO Powersports, Honda, Planet Fitness, Unbound Energy, AM/PM, Factory Connection, Fox, Shoei, Gaerne, DVS, Amsoil Lubricants, Cycra Plastics, Dunlop Tires, EK Chains, Filtron Air Filters, Hinson Clutches, Leatt Brace, One Industries, Pro Circuit, Renthal, Shock Doctor, Showa, TAG Sprockets, Vortex Ignitions, VP Fuels, and Works Connection.
Hangtown 250cc Overall:
1. Christophe Pourcel Kaw
2. Trey Canard GEICO Powersports Honda
3. Ryan Dungey Suz
4. Brett Metcalfe GEICO Powersports Honda
5. Tyla Rattray Kaw
6. Broc Tickle Yam
7. Blake Wharton GEICO Powersports Honda
8. Jake Weimer Kaw
9. PJ Larsen Kaw
10. Justin Barcia GEICO Powersports Honda
Hangtown 450cc Overall:
1. Mike Alessi Suz
2. Ivan Tedesco Hon
3. Chad Reed Suz
4. Andrew Short Hon
5. Josh Grant Yam
6. Dan Reardon GEICO Powersports Honda
7. Matt Goerke Suz
8. Justin Brayton KTM
9. Tommy Hahn Kaw
10. Cody Cooper Yam
6/4/2009 1:42am
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