Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship Notes:
Rockstar Energy High Point National
MORGANTOWN, W.Va.
(June 10, 2011) - Another great weekend of action from Freestone
Raceway, Wortham, Texas, kept the excitement of the 2011 Lucas Oil AMA
Pro Motocross Championship on a high note. Following a day full of
challenging conditions and terrain, TwoTwo Motorsports/Bel-Ray Racing's
Chad Reed once again asserted himself as the rider to beat in the 450
Class, securing his second straight overall victory. In the 250 Class,
Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki's Tyla Rattray helped his team go
2-0 to start the season, outlasting his competitors to take an
impressive win in Texas.
With
a weekend off, American Motocross returns to action for its first East
Coast stop of the season at High Point Raceway. The popular facility
located in Mt. Morris, Pa., will host the Rockstar Energy High Point
National presented by Centra Bank, and will challenge riders with
multiple elevation changes, big air, and technical obstacles.
450 Class
TwoTwo Motorsports/Bel-Ray Racing
Chad
Reed couldn't ask for a much better start to his 2011 season. The
Australian rider now boasts three moto wins and two overall victories.
After defending champion Ryan Dungey experienced heartbreak in the final
moto at Freestone, Reed took the advantage and now holds a 21-point
lead heading into High Point. The Pennsylvania facility was the site of
Reed's first win in the premier class in 2009.
Monster Energy Kawasaki
After
a strong return to the Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship at
Hangtown, Ryan Villopoto grabbed his second consecutive overall podium
finish at Freestone. While he is still in search of his first moto win
of 2011, Villopoto is proving to be consistent and has put himself in
good position to start the season, currently sitting second in the
standings. As he moves past an illness that plagued him during the first
two rounds, Villopoto enters High Point ready to challenge for the win.
"Now
that I'm back to 100 percent, it's helped me to train harder during the
week," said Villopoto. "We have been doing some testing and I am
feeling good about this weekend. Hopefully I'll have something for those
guys."
Jake
Weimer had a pair of strong starts in Texas, giving him the opportunity
to run at the front of the field and mix it up with his competitors.
With two weekends of 450 Class competition under his belt, Weimer
continues to dial in his bike and will look to challenge for the podium
this weekend.
"It's
been great to finally get some consistent riding in," said Weimer. "I
was definitely behind after getting hurt, but now I'm feeling better. I
know I can push hard and make it up to the front pack."
Muscle Milk/Toyota/JGR
Davi
Millsaps has boasted a strong start to the season for the Joe Gibbs
Racing team, securing a runner-up effort at Freestone. As a result of
his fast start, Millsaps now sits third in the 450 Class standings, just
four points behind Villopoto in second. He'll look to keep the
consistency going at High Point while fellow JGR rider Justin Brayton
looks to make his 2011 debut at Mt. Morris.
Rockstar/Makita Suzuki
After
putting himself in position to claim the overall at Freestone by virtue
of a second-place finish in the first moto, Ryan Dungey took control of
the final moto, pulling away from Reed and the rest of the field.
However, with just two laps to go, Dungey's bike ran out of fuel,
putting him in eighth overall on the day. The misfortune also dropped
Dungey to fourth in the standings, but the defending 450 Class champion,
and his team, are eager to bounce back this weekend.
"Overall,
I felt awesome all day," said Dungey. "My Rockstar/Makita Suzuki team
worked really hard and it's just too bad we had the issue in the second
moto. It's a bummer for the team and myself - for all of us together, as
we're all in it together. I feel bad because we all work too hard for
something like this to happen. We just need to keep looking forward;
keep moving in the right direction and keep our heads down. High Point
is a great track; it's got some hills and elevation and the dirt's
awesome there. It's a fun track and I was able to get a win there last
year, so I'm really looking forward to it."
Brett
Metcalfe backed up his fifth-place finish at the opening round of the
championship with an improved fourth-place effort at Freestone Raceway.
After a tough opening moto, Metcalfe rebounded to land on the podium in
Moto 2. Now the Australian rider sits just five points behind his
teammate in the standings and will look to keep the forward momentum
coming into High Point.
"I
was feeling pretty good coming into Texas after my fifth at Hangtown,"
said Metcalfe. "I knew the heat and humidity in Texas are always tough,
so my main goal was to get two good starts and put my Rockstar/Makita
Suzuki up front. Then, if the heat was a factor, I could back it down
from there. I struggled in the first moto and went down twice. I was
able to rebound strong and have a really strong second moto. I got a
third there and a fourth overall. That was a good little boost for me
and now I'm sitting fifth in the points. I like High Point, and last
year I was able to get a podium there, so I'm really looking forward to
it."
Valli Motorsports/Rockstar Yamaha
Off
road veteran Ricky Dietrich boasted an impressive ride at Freestone for
the Valli Motorsports team and is off to a strong start in his first
full season of American Motocross competition. In Texas, Dietrich relied
on 8-4 moto scores to finish fifth overall, which subsequently moved
him into sixth in the championship standings. Dietrich's Valli teammate
Nick Wey, also had a solid ride at Freestone, finishing 10th overall.
Troy Lee Designs/Lucas Oil Honda
Christian
Craig was one of the surprise riders at Freestone. The up-and-comer
grabbed a strong start in the opening moto to take the early lead, which
he held for a significant portion of the race. Eventually, he settled
into a rhythm, posting a fifth-place finish, and then carried the
momentum over to the second moto. An eighth-place finish in Moto 2 gave
Craig seventh overall, giving him a strong start to the season,
currently seventh in the 450 Class standings.
American Honda
The
American Honda team hoped Kevin Windham's strong opening round effort
would result in similar success at Freestone. Despite running strong
throughout the day, Windham experienced some misfortune in the opening
moto, forcing him to come from behind early. After recording a 28th-place finish in Moto 1, he recovered to finish ninth in Moto 2, placing him 17th overall for the day.
MotoConcepts Yamaha
Tommy
Hahn's day at Freestone Raceway started well, finishing seventh in the
first moto. However, Hahn experienced misfortune in the final moto,
posting a DNF and finishing 15th overall. Despite that, he still secures 10th place in the standings heading into High Point.
Red Bull KTM
Andrew
Short was hoping to bounce back from a tough opening round of the
championship at Freestone. The Texas resident is familiar with the
conditions, and hoped to use it to his advantage. Unfortunately, Short
was forced to come from the back of the field in the first moto, and
despite the rough start, was still able to finish 15th. He
backed up that effort with a strong sixth-place finish in Moto 2,
landing him ninth overall. He'll look to continue to turn things around
this weekend.
"I
had a rough couple of motos, with a crash in the first moto and a bad
start in the second," said Short. "With everything, there were positives
to my race. I felt my speed was pretty good and my bike worked well all
day. It was a definite improvement over my Hangtown results, and I am
happy to head to High Point healthy."
250 Class
Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki
The
Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki team continues to dominate the
early part of the season. After two rounds, only Mitch Payton's riders
have secured moto wins and overall victories, with the most recent
triumph coming from Tyla Rattray at Freestone. Now, thanks to a pair of
moto wins and runner-up efforts overall, sophomore rider Dean Wilson,
leads the standings coming into High Point and will look to take the
next step on the overall podium.
"I
took some time off to have fun, which I think will help me on the
track," said Wilson. "I am happy with how I've been riding, I just end
up making mistakes that push me outside where I need to be to win.
Hopefully I will be able to put it together this weekend."
Tyla
Rattray won the overall at High Point last season, and after taking his
first victory of the season at the previous round, he will look to go
back-to-back in Pennsylvania and close in on the five-point deficit in
the standings.
"I
finally have been feeling like myself again and I think that is showing
on the track," said Rattray. "Hopefully we can put in another solid
race and get another win. I like High Point and we'll have to see what
the weather brings for the race."
After
an impressive start to the season, opening-round winner Blake Baggett
experienced misfortune at Freestone. After finishing seventh and 16th in the day's motos, Baggett landed ninth overall and now sits fourth in the standings.
"My
mentality is to put bad races behind me, but they do motivate me to
work hard during the week. I want to be as prepared as possible and
learning from mistakes is hopefully how I can avoid them in the future."
The team's fourth rider, Broc Tickle, continues to find his rhythm this summer. He finished 12th overall at Freestone after posting 39-5 moto scores and will look to challenge for the podium this weekend.
"I
know I've been riding well, but haven't been able to show it," said
Tickle. "Hopefully High Point will be a turning point for me and I can
get on the podium."
GEICO Honda
Both
GEICO Honda riders Justin Barcia and Eli Tomac experienced solid days
at Freestone Raceway. Barcia was at the front of the field early in Moto
1, but crashed in the early stages of the race. Despite that, he
rebounded to finish ninth and then proceeded to grab the lead again in
Moto 2, eventually finishing second. Barcia finished just off the
overall podium in fourth, giving him momentum heading into High Point.
Eli
Tomac posted a pair of solid moto efforts at Freestone. Settling into a
groove and looking to not over-exert himself in the tough conditions,
Tomac posted a fifth-place finish in the first moto and followed it up
with a sixth-place effort in Moto 2. His 5-6 moto scores were good
enough for fifth overall and helped him move into third in the 250 Class
standings.
DNA Shred Stix/Star Racing Yamaha
Kyle
Cunningham had a career day at Freestone, helping give his 2011
campaign considerable momentum after two rounds. In front of his
hometown crowd, Cunningham finished third and fourth in the day's motos,
ultimately rounding out the overall podium in third. Now, he sits fifth
in the 250 Class standings heading into High Point.
Rockstar Energy Suzuki
Despite
a tough start to his day, Martin Davalos was determined to finish well
at Freestone. The veteran rider overcame a bad start in Moto 1 to finish
10th, and then backed up that effort with a seventh-place
result in Moto 2. His resilient rides landed him sixth overall and he
now occupies eighth in the standings.
"My
weekend in Texas was pretty good," said Davalos. "The first moto I had
some bad luck and got caught up in a first-turn pile-up. I got up in
about 38th and was able to push really hard on my Suzuki and get a 10th.
The second moto was really hot and I got off around seventh or eighth
and was able to finish seventh, which gave me a sixth overall. I'm
definitely happy with that, especially with the problem in the first
moto. I just need to get better starts to put myself in a better
position."
Troy Lee Designs/Lucas Oil Honda
After starting off the day with a 14th-place
finish in the first moto, Cole Seely improved his performance in Moto
2, finishing eighth. The strong second moto effort helped Seely secure
eighth overall and he now sits ninth in the 250 Class standings.
Television
coverage for Saturday's Rockstar Energy High Point National begins with
live coverage of the opening motos for both the 450 and 250 classes on
FUEL TV, beginning at 1 p.m. EST. Same-day, final moto coverage of the
250 Class will air on SPEED at 10 p.m. EST, while the final moto of the
450 Class will be broadcast on NBC Sports on Sunday, June 12, at 4 p.m.
EST.
Tickets for the upcoming Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship are on sale now at www.allisports.com. Special discounts and incentives are available for advance ticket purchasers.
For more information on the 2011 tour, please log on to www.allisports.com/motocross.
For
media information about the Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship,
please contact Media Manager Brandon Short, via email at media@mxsportsproracing.com or by phone at 949-365-5750.
MX Sports Pro Racing
MX
Sports Pro Racing manages and produces the world's most prestigious
motocross series - the Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship. The
industry leader in off road powersport event production and management,
its mission is to showcase the sport of professional motocross
competition at events throughout the United States. Through its various
racing properties, partnerships and affiliates, MX Sports Pro Racing
organizes events for thousands of action sports athletes each year and
attracts millions of motorsports spectators. Visit www.mxsportsproracing.com.
Alli, the Alliance of Action Sports
Alli, the Alliance of Action Sports, is a global business that
encompasses national and international action sports tours and events,
multimedia production, and a consumer facing lifestyle brand. The
Alliance includes: the Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship, the Dew
Tour, Winter Dew Tour, China Invitational, King of Wake series, and the
Gatorade Free Flow Tour. Alli TV Productions creates original content,
produces and presents content with partners, and distributes Alli
content through a variety of channels. Alli is owned by NBC Sports and
MTV Networks and represents a network of athletes, fans, brands and
properties. Its mission is to facilitate the momentous growth of action
sports, through competition and lifestyle, for a new generation of fans
and athletes. The Alli properties are home to more than 550,000
spectators each year and broadcasts more than 150 hours of original
content in 100 countries and 280 million homes worldwide. Visit www.allisports.com.
Lucas Oil Products
Lucas Oil is a worldwide leader in the production of oils, lubricants
and additives. Based in Corona, Calif., Lucas Oil Products is one of the
fastest-growing additive lines in the consumer automotive industry,
featuring a premium line of oils, lubricants and problem-solving
performance additives. Through innovative product research and
development, along with aggressive marketing programs, Lucas Oil
Products has established itself as the top-selling additive line in the
American truck-stop industry. Lucas Oil is involved in an array of
motorsports sponsorships, including the "Official Motor Oil of the AMA
Pro Motocross Championship." Visit www.LucasOil.com.
AMA Pro Racing
AMA Pro Racing is the premier professional motorcycle racing
sanctioning body in the United States, operating a full schedule of
events and championships for a variety of motorcycle disciplines. From
its Daytona Beach headquarters, the organization sanctions professional
motorcycle racing competition, which includes, AMA Pro Motocross, AMA
Pro Road Racing, and AMA Pro Flat Track. Visit www.amaproracing.com.
6/10/2011 4:14pm
0 comments
To post, please join, log in or connect to Vital using your Facebook profile Login with Facebook.