CHM Exhaust/Pro Honda Oils/Sunoco Race Fuels Supermoto Racing

June 1, 2009: Rosamond, CA.

The CHM Supermoto Racing team came into Round #3 of the XTRM/AMA Supermoto Championship Series with high hopes after an excellent weekend just two weeks prior at Infineon Raceway. At Round #2, Sylvain Bidart had grabbed 2nd spot from 3time AMA Champion, Jeff Ward in the closing laps, and Jason Conlon had come through with a great 4th place ride, and young Dustin Hoffman grabbed his first podium spot in only his 5th professional event.

Bolstering the chances for continued success was the addition of 2008 French National Supermoto Championship runner-up, Aurelien Grelier who would be the fourth CHM competitor in the Premier class of AMA Supermoto.

Friday/Saturday/Supermoto-USA Pro-AM: Jason Conlon and Aurelien Grelier took advantage of the opportunity to practice on Friday and get familiarized with the track before the Sunday AMA Pro events and Jason rode in the 450 race on Saturday which he won by over half a lap…..(Dustin Hoffman, Micky Dymond, Sylvain Bidart were not eligible to practice or race prior to Sunday as they were amongst the top 5 riders in their AMA Pro standings).

The weekend race events would be run Inside AND Out of the SouthPoint Casino and Resort with a very “X-Games” like track that circled the resort on pavement and then entered into the equestrian arena….(which was very nicely air conditioned!) for an arenacross like dirt section and then exiting back OUT into the heat and pavement.

Sunday: Timed practice. 250/Lites. Dustin Hoffman got up to speed quickly and was third fastest overall behind points leaders Matt Burton and Danny Casey and would start of the front row of his Heat race.

Timed Practice. 450/Premier In the first timed practice session of the day, Aurelien Grelier put his Friday practice to good use and was the fastest rider in the morning practice session with Sylvain Bidart being third fastest. Jason Conlon was fifth fastest followed by Micky Dymond in 7th. In the second timed practice that would set the grids for the Heat races, Sylvain Bidart again showed his ability to go quickly at a new track and was third fastest overall behind local rider, Derek Costella and Premier class joint points leader, Mark Burkhart. Fellow compatriot, Aurelien Grelier was 5th fastest, Micky Dymond was close behind in 6th and Jason Conlon just behind Micky in 8th overall.

Heat Races: Lites. In the race that would determine the starting grid for the Main event, CHM’s Dustin Hoffman got balked in the left hand berm that is the first turn from the dirt starting line and rode very well to grab a front row start in the main event with a third place in the Heat race behind Danny Casey and Matt Burton.

Lites Heat: Hoffman 3rd.

Heat Races: Premier Heat #1. Sylvain Bidart lined up alongside fast qualifier and local fastkid, Derek Costella and Jeff Ward on one side of him, and teammate Jason Conlon on the other. Off the start it was Costella then Sylvain followed by Jeff Ward and then Jason Conlon. Sylvain got past Costella at one point but after a bar to bar pass by Costella he decided to follow the Supercross/Arenacross racer home in second and a good front row starting postion in the Premier class final. Jason Conlon rode a good race and finished just behind Jeff Ward in fourth.

Premier Heat Race #1 Sylvain Bidart 2nd. Jason Conlon 4th.

Heat Races: Premier Heat #2. Heat #2 would turn out to be an action filled race with Aurelien Grelier grabbing the holeshot in his first ever Pro Supermoto race in the USA over none other than X-Games and AMA Premier champion, Mark Burkhart! The newest addition to the CHM Exhaust Team held off the KTM backed Burkhart for two laps and then after Mark passed him he stayed right on his tail which unfortunately turned out to be just a little bit TOO close as Burkhart pushed the front end too hard in the banked berm turn #1 in the arena and tipped over right in front of Aurelien which allowed Brandon Currie to pass them both for the win. Micky Dymond followed Currie across for a second place finish as Aurelien and Burkhart had to untangle from each other and finished 4th an 5th.

Premier Heat Race #2: Micky Dymond 2nd. Aurelien Grelier 4th.

Main Event: Lites/250

In the first main event of the day for the CHM Team, Dustin Hoffman got tangled up in a big pileup in the first turn and by the time he got his CRF250R started, the leaders were long gone. Like a true professional, though, Dustin put his head down and rode hard all the way to the checkers for an 8th place finish.

Dustin Hoffman: 8th

Main Event: Premier/450

In the featured race of the day, the CHM Supermoto Racing Team would be once again a force to be reckoned with. Starting on the front row would be Micky Dymond side by side with Sylvain Bidart. The second row would have Jason Conlon and Aurelien Grelier who had showed his immense talent in his heat race and was looking forward to success in his very first professional main event in the USA.

At the drop of the flag it was once again Las Vegas’ Derek Costella grabbing the holeshot followed by Micky, Brandon Currie and then Sylvain, Aurelien and Jason! Already the CHM Team was looking like that once again they would have a shot at more than one rider on the podium! In one of the more exciting main events in AMA Supermoto history, Micky pressured Costella for the win and at one point they nearly took each other out in the dirt and they battled in the pavement lap after lap. Behind them Sylvain had made it past a falling Brandon Currie and CHM was in 2nd AND 3rd! Behind Sylvain, Aurelien battled with 3time champion Jeff Ward and former champion Mark Burkhart before Burkhart crashed out of contention. Just behind Aurelien was Jason Conlon who was riding fast and consistent As the laps wound down Micky kept the pressure on Derek but at the checkers it was Costella getting the win for the local crowd with Micky coming across the finish line for a CHM 2cnd place for the third race in a row. On the last lap, Jeff Ward got his revenge on Sylvain by passing him for the final podium spot. Once again, the CHM Exhaust/Pro Honda Oils/Sunoco Race Fuels/Dunlop Tires team was the most successful overall team in the paddock with a 2, 4, 5, 7 finish! On the podium, Micky, like the true champion that he is, thanked all the team members and sponsors before giving the young Costella his first Champions champagne bath. On the way back to the pits afterwards, Micky showed what makes him and motorcycle racing such a great sport as he gave his custom sponsor adorned, winning jersey, to a young fan who simply asked him if he could have it!

Premier/450 Main Event Micky Dymond 2nd, Sylvain Bidart 4th, Aurelien Grelier 5th, Jason Conlon 7th.

The next stop for the CHM Supermoto Racing Team will be the ESPN produced Summer X-Games 15 in Carson, California July 30-August 2nd.

The CHM Supermoto Racing Team would like to thank their sponsors: CHM Exhaust, Pro Honda Oils and Lubricants, Sunoco Race Fuels, Dunlop Tires, Hammerhead Design, SME/Supermoto Engineering, Beringer Brakes, Alpinestars, AXO.