Sturgis AMA Supermoto

Hey vitards,
Wanted to post my race report from the latest round of the reborn AMA Supermoto series. Supermoto has been the bastard child of Moto for a long time, but that fact doesn't make any less fun.


Sturgis Round# 6 AMA Supermoto national championship

Round 6 of the 2015 AMA National Supermoto Championship took place the weekend of September 18th-20th. It was the 3rd annual Sturgis Supermoto race, presented by Metzeler tires, racing through the downtown streets of Sturgis, SD. Now I look forward to pretty much any Supermoto race, but I went to Sturgis with something to prove this year. Last year I had really good speed and qualified well, but crashes in the main events keeping me outside the top five. With this race being the third racing through the downtown streets of beautiful Sturgis, I've learn that the track is a whole different experience than what we typically race on, it is slick, technical and a blast to ride. Plus the atmosphere of that town is just so much more relaxed and inviting than any other town I've visited.

Friday
My wife and I drove up with our usual road tripping buddy Tim Velasquez, and for this race Timmy and I got to be teammates for Team RSR. Since the unfortunate crash that my teammate Dustin Hoffman suffered in Utah, the team gave Timmy the opportunity to fill in for Dustin. We started off our weekend in Sturgis by watching the press conference that end with the announcement of a TV deal for the 2016 AMA Supermoto championship! We walked the track afterwards and I was happy to see two separate dirt sections; I couldn't help being stoked to be in legendary Sturgis and have the opportunity to race there. It is such an amazing venue for a track, I mean where else can you go race through downtown streets without breaking the law and not having to worry about cars and stop signs. Sturgis shuts down their downtown to let us see how gnarly we can get jumping through bar parking lots and sliding though intersections.
Friday evening myself and about ten other racers volunteered in the Sturgis Rally Charity by waiting tables and bartending at the world famous Knuckle Saloon; all the money we raised during the Sturgis Rally Charity went to the local projects like the Sturgis women's shelter and other local charity's. It was a fun experience to wait tables, but I definitely am going to stick to my day job. The town had other events that contributed to the charities like a wheelbarrow race. Brenda and I entered the race, I had to push her around the course blindfolded and she had a microphone to direct me around the course. Practice went well but our qualifying time didn't make the main event...

Saturday
Practice started at 12:30 so we had the morning to get the tires changed and hangout with all the other racers. This weekend was also different because I was riding both pro classes, 250 and 450. All year I've haven't ridden as well as I believe I could because the rehab on my wrists has been a much longer recovery than I ever realized. Last year I raced both classes, up until this point I haven't been able to ride both bikes because of the pain in my wrists. My local shop, Bobby J's Yamaha/Husqvarna, was nice enough to lease me a 250 at the beginning of the year and I really wanted to race it.

I went out first on the 450 for practice, I felt good on the track almost instantly. The track is unlike any other track I've raced. The streets are so slick, but that just adds to the fun. I was sliding into the corners on deceleration and sliding out during acceleration. In fact you had to get the bike sideways exiting corners or your momentum took you to the barriers and that would have been a bad day. My session came to an abrupt end only a handful of laps into practice, when I got bucked off the lip of a double in the first dirt section and went over the bars onto the asphalt.



I thought my day was done as I heading for the ground; I was able to separate from the bike and not get tagged by it. I got super lucky, and I was really thankful to be walking away from such a hard hit. I hit my head pretty hard and cracked some ribs, our Ryder Smith Racing team was awesome they got my bike straightened out and ready to race again. They put zero pressure on me to continue. I had to go back out though; I felt so good the first few laps.
I then went out for the 250 qualifying to see how I felt; I was stiff and sore but once I got a few laps in, I loosened up and started feeling better. The two bikes felt so different as the 250 is just a stock 2015 Husqvarna FC250 with supermoto wheels, Beringer brake, and my own machined clamps. The biggest difference is suspension, the 250 is stock and my RSR 450 has Race Tech suspension. I could literally get on the gas earlier on the 450 than my 250 which was crazy, the 250 was like riding a crash every corner. I finished the timed qualifier second behind Nicky Reimer.



Next came 450 timed qualifying session; I went out first to get a clear track and try to just lay down laps. I felt good and ended the session in third behind Gage McAllister and Micky Dymond.



I decided to skip the 250 heat race, since I had gone down in practice and I was only racing the 250 for fun, it seemed like the best decision. The 450 heat race I was able to get my first hole shot of the year and lead laps for my first time ever in the 450 class. After a couple laps the current 450 champ and new crowned MotoAmerica RC390 cup champion Gage McAllister, had worked his way into second behind me. As soon as I noticed he was in second, it was like I hit a wall and just started making mistakes and over ridding the technical track. With two laps to go Gage got by me, so I ended up second, but was just stoked to be able to run the lead pace. It was a great feeling to be able to ride without my wrist holding me back.



It was time to really put it together now as it was time for the main events. The 250 class was first; I started on the back of the grid since I skipped the heat race. The first lap everyone was bumping and I didn't make up ground on the front pack. By halfway I had worked up to second, but Nicky Reimer had a big lead. I slowly caught him but I think he was just cruising as he knew he had it in the bag as long as he didn't fall. In the end Reimer took the checkers first and claimed the 250 Pro Lites Title for the 2015 AMA Supermoto Championship!

For the 450 main we rolled out for the warmup lap and I was super nervous, I knew I had the speed to be on the podium, but I also knew it was going to require a good start to be able to be up front on that track. Out of the first corner I was forth; it was Tyler Sweeney with the holeshot. Mcallister blew wide going into turn 4 and I was able to go inside (I later learned that his front brake failed, he did stay out on the track with only his rear brake and finished 8th). I setup my teammate Stump in the second dirt section and got into second. I was focused on going forward and keeping Mcallister and Dymond behind me. On the second lap; I got Sweeney exiting the second dirt section and when I cross the finish line and was just like Wow I'm leading the 450 main!



I had a couple seconds lead when Dymond got into second, I tried to learn from the heat race where I tighten up, so I stayed loose and consistent until about halfway. Then I was regretting racing the 250, I was getting tired and we were pushing so hard. I messed up two laps in row and lost my gap, Dymond was on my rear tire now. It was the most mentally demanding race of my life, I gathered myself and after a few laps I learned what sections he would get close to me in and what sections I could pull some time back out. It was intense because we were both pushing the pace and the crowd around the track was just cheering us on. Matt Stewart was flagging and put his hands up showing 2 more laps, I told myself to dig deep, I had lead most of the race and I was not going to let it slip away.

On the last lap I put my head down and just focused on not throwing it away. When I crossed the line it was like the weight of the world was lifted off of my shoulders, my team was hanging over the barriers jumping up and down. It was so surreal I couldn't believe that I had won. My wife had been taking photos and she got around the track and gave me a hug. It was just so intense with how this year has gone with injuries and everything else, I had lost belief in myself and I felt that I was letting people down because I was fighting through so much pain every race only to be outside the top five.



Overview
I'm super grateful for how that day in Sturgis went, having hit the ground so hard in practice and to come back for the win. I got a lot of gifts that help me achieve this win, like McAllister having brake problems and Hoffman missing from the grid due to injury. I'm just excited that I was able to ride like myself, put down laps, make good passes and have that lead pace the entire weekend. I also got to meet and hangout with my childhood hero Doug Henry since he was the Grand Marshall for the race. It was just an amazing race in an amazing place, surrounded by amazing people. There is one more race this year for the AMA Supermoto Championship; it will take place November 7th in Tucson, AZ. I can't wait to go racing again; I'm just going to keep grinding, working on technique, rehabbing my wrist and try not to let this weekend get me over confident.
There are so many people I have to thank for their belief in me. First my wife, Brenda, she has been there every step of the way making it possible to pursue my dreams and I will never be able to thank her enough. Matt Stewart and Joe Agley for bring Supermoto back from the dead. Got to thank Joe Agley for my spot on his amazing team, Ryder Smith Racing has become family to me and I can't thank everyone on the team enough. Jeff Rydalch has been huge in helping me have the part I need to make my dirt bikes into Supermoto bikes, so please hit up Toxic Moto Racing and SLIDEmoto for all your Supermoto needs! Oh and the city of Sturgis, thank you for helping create an annual event like no other. I'm so excited to go back to Sturgis in 2016! Jeremy Degrasse at Klutch Industries for his unwavering support. Aaron Phinney has been one guy that has kept me on track through everything this year and I'm super privileged to have him supporting me. A huge heartfelt thank you goes out to my family and friends, all my sponsors Benny Tozzi with bell helmets, my mechanic Alex Dicharry of Aspen Motoworx, Philippe with Beringer Brakes, Cameron Yarbrough with Oakley, Tech One Designs, Atlas brace, Bobby J's, fmf, Race Tech, Cycra, Hinson, Ed Baker at EHR, Pete Bonner, Mika Metals, Dt1 filters and Matrix Concepts thank you so much for the help!

Thanks, Sean Butterman #109