Troy Lee Designs / Lucas Oil / Honda Hammers Steel City

The Troy Lee Designs / Lucas Oil / Honda team is closing in on the home stretch of the 2012 National Motocross season. The penultimate round of action took place Saturday at Steel City Raceway on the outskirts of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and TLD riders fought tough competitors and even tougher weather during their two motos on the track.

Christian Craig, who recently announced that he would be back with the team in 2013, had a great ride going in the first 450 moto. He started the moto in sixth position and held that for the majority of the moto. With just a few laps left to run, he slid out and lost several positions. He would score ninth in moto one.

The second moto didn't start as well as Craig rounded the first turn in 30th position. He quickly cut his way to 12th in a great effort, but then the rains came. The track turned into a snotty quagmire and Christian went down on the face of a slick jump. He went way back and could only get up to 24th for 16th overall on the day.

"I had a good day going until the rain hit," said Christian. "I felt like I could have moved inside the top ten again and made a good day out of it. But, that's racing. I'm pretty happy I didn't get hurt when I went down. It was so slick out there."

The 250 riders had their own issues in the wet but they got their first moto in while the track was still perfect. Travis Baker and Jessy Nelson started 6th and 7th in the opening moto and Nelson held that spot for much of the race. He tired near the end though and would finish 12th. Baker rode steady and finished 15th.

The second round was a mud race and Nelson had trouble adjusting to the pro pace on the slick surface. A crash late in the race would relegate him to 14th and put him 14th overall on the day. Baker got tangled up with another rider off the start and worked his way up to 18th for 17th overall.

The team transporter is burning diesel headed west for California, and the final round of the series is next weekend in Lake Elsinore, California. Join the team and the entire series as we celebrate another great year of racing and the close of a very successful year for the Troy Lee Designs / Lucas Oil / Honda race team.

450 Overall
1.   Ryan Dungey (KTM) 1-1
2.   Mike Alessi (Suzuki) 3-2
3.   Josh Grant (Kawasaki) 4-4
4.   Jake Weimer (Kawasaki) 7-3
5.   Tyla Rattray (Kawasaki) 6-9
6.   Nico Izzi (Yamaha) 8-8
7.   Davi Millsaps (Yamaha) 5-11
8.   Phil Nicoletti (Honda) 11-6
9.   Andrew Short (Honda) 2-32
10.   Justin Brayton (Honda) 12-10
11.   Ben LaMay (Yamaha) 13-12
12.   Broc Tickle (Kawasaki) 32-5
13.   Kyle Chisholm (Kawasaki) 10-16
14.   Robert Kiniry (Yamaha) 33-7
15.   PJ Larsen (KTM) 14-14
16.   Christian Craig (Honda) 9-24

450 Points Standings
1.   Ryan Dungey 530
2.   Mike Alessi 409
3.   Andrew Short 333
4.   Jake Weimer 327
5.   Broc Tickle 309
6.   Josh Grant 262
7.   Justin Brayton 222
8.   Kyle Chisholm 198
9.   Davi Millsaps 176
10.   James Stewart 163
11.   Nico Izzi 149
12.   Brett Metcalfe 142
13.   Michael Byrne 138
14.   Tyla Rattray 136
15.   Tommy Hahn 101
16.   Ryan Sipes 94
17.   Robert Kiniry 87
18.   Ben LaMay 85
19.   Vince Friese 82
20.   Christian Craig 74

250 Overall
1.   Eli Tomac (Honda) 1-1
2.   Ken Roczen (KTM) 3-2
3.   Justin Barcia (Honda) 2-3
4.   Blake Baggett (Kawasaki) 4-4
5.   Marvin Musquin (KTM) 5-5
6.   Wil Hahn (Honda) 9-6
7.   Alex Martin (Honda) 8-9
8.   Blake Wharton (Suzuki) 7-11
9.   Malcolm Stewart (KTM) 6-12
10.   Jake Canada (Honda) 11-10
11.   Jeremy Martin (Yamaha) 14-8
12.   Kyle Cunningham (Yamaha) 10-15
13.   Jason Anderson (Suzuki) 13-13
14.   Jessy Nelson (Honda) 12-14
15.   Justin Bogle (Honda) 25-7
16.   Cole Thompson (Yamaha) 17-16
17.   Travis Baker (Honda) 15-18

250 Point Standings
1.  Blake Baggett 472
2.  Eli Tomac 458
3.   Justin Barcia 454
4.   Ken Roczen 427
5.   Marvin Musquin 368
6.   Wil Hahn 282
7.   Blake Wharton 239
8.   Jason Anderson 222
9.   Jessy Nelson 205
10.   Travis Baker 177
11.   Jake Canada 170
12.   Malcolm Stewart 161
13.   Alex Martin 144
14.   Justin Bogle 126
15.   Kyle Cunningham 113
16.   Gareth Swanepoel 106
17.   Ivan Tedesco 105
18.   Martin Davalos 85
19.   Kyle Peters 78
20.   Ryan Sipes 58