GEICO Powersports Honda - RedBud

July 8, 2009

Buchanan, Mich. – With the WMA on hiatus until Washougal, the GEICO Powersports Honda squad rolled into RedBud with three strong 250cc contenders, and they mixed it up at the front of the pack all day long.

Aussie Brett Metcalfe is getting stronger every round, and after the Colorado round, he said he was really looking forward to challenging for the win. At RedBud, he got that opportunity.

In the first moto, he ran third early and was challenging the leaders, but arm-pump set in, and he began to fall back, eventually getting passed on the last lap by his teammate Justin Barcia.

“I felt like the win was there for the taking for me, and I felt like I was riding good,” Metcalfe said. “The first moto, I got a perfect start and was right where I needed to be for the first 10 minutes. I was feeling awesome. I felt like I was strong enough to win, and then my arms just pumped up, and that was all she wrote. I was really, really disappointed in that. I dropped off because I couldn’t hang on from halfway to the end. I just couldn’t hang on to anything. I got passed on the last lap, which sucked, but I ended up fourth in the moto, which was still a decent result, but definitely not what it could’ve been if I’d have maintained my speed in the moto.”

In moto two, Metty made some changes to his bike to try and fix his arm-pump, and it helped him maintain a fast pace for the whole moto.

“For the second moto, we changed my bike setup quite a bit, and as soon as I got out there, it felt really good,” Metcalfe said. “I got a good start and worked my way up into third, and that was it. I kept charging the whole moto and felt really strong the whole moto, and I was slowly creeping up on Searle for second, but I couldn’t bridge the gap fast enough. I went 4-3, and it was a good day, but I still think I can do better, and I want to do better.”

The crazy thing was, with the final results, the difference between first and fourth, where he finished overall, was just the spot he lost in moto one. Had Metcalfe finished third in moto one, he would’ve won the overall.

“That’s how crazy that was,” Metcalfe said.

His teammate Justin Barcia came from way back in the first moto to challenge Metcalfe for third, eventually passing him on the last lap over LaRocco’s Leap.

“You know, it was a mess in the first turn, and I got bumped around a little bit, and my thumb got smashed... I thought I broke it,” Barcia said. “But I just forgot about everything and tried to ride my butt off. But I came through the pack really hard in the first moto and made a last-lap pass on my teammate Brett Metcalfe over LaRocco’s Leap. I wanted to get on the podium, and it was the last lap, and I was pushing really hard the whole moto until I finally got up to the position where I was on the podium. I was excited about that.”

Unfortunately, moto two’s start was even worse for Barcia.

“I got two bad starts this weekend,” Barcia said. “I just had bad starts. I was off my game a little bit off the start. I really wanted to get on the podium in both motos, but I got the worst start ever. I was probably last, and there were a few fast guys up front who checked out. I got up to a position at the end of the moto where there was no one around me. I kept pushing, but the guys in front had a good pace and I couldn’t do any better than seventh in that moto. I wasn’t too happy with it, but it was a good moto, considering where I started.”

Barcia ended up sixth overall in the ultra-competitive 250 class on the day.

And finally, Blake Wharton was fast all day at RedBud, but ran into some problems, starting with getting tangled up in the first-turn mess that Barcia narrowly avoided.

“I got a decent start, but going into the first turn, I got hit by someone, and I ended up going down and crashed pretty good,” Wharton said.

As Wharton worked his way back forward, he fell in a turn and was unable to start his bike, and that was the moto for him.

But in moto two, things were a lot better. He started somewhat poorly, but caught up to seventh before a couple falls cost him.

“In the second moto, I didn’t get a good start again, then I caught up to seventh and then tipped over,” Wharton said. “But I caught back up to ninth, and that’s where I finished. It wasn’t the best weekend for me, but I think my speed was fine. I just had some small mistakes, and I’m working on those. I’m looking forward to Millville.”

From here, the GEICO Powersports Honda team has a weekend off before heading to Millville, Minnesota, for round seven of the series at Spring Creek MX.

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.

RedBud 250cc Overall:

1. Jake Weimer Kaw

2. Christophe Pourcel Kaw

3. Tommy Searle KTM

4. Brett Metcalfe GEICO Powersports Honda

5. Ryan Dungey Suz

6. Justin Barcia GEICO Powersports Honda

7. Kyle Cunningham Kaw

8. Matt Lemoine Yam

9. Wil Hahn KTM

10. Martin Davalos KTM

14. Blake Wharton GEICO Powersports Honda