Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki’s Wilson Rides To First Overall Win In Dominating Style

CORONA,
Calif. (August 15, 2011) - Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki’s Dean
Wilson broke through to the top of the podium with his first overall win
of the season at Unadilla in New Berlin, N.Y. during the ninth round of
the AMA Motocross Championship series. There was no question that he
was the overall winner as he put together two moto wins aboard his Pro
Circuit-prepared Kawasaki KX250F. Teammate Blake Baggett came back in
both motos to capture the runner-up spot with a 2-3 moto result, while
Tyla Rattray and Broc Tickle didn’t find the luck of their other two
teammates, finishing 11^th and 18^th, respectively.

 
The
current points leader had shown he was consistent all season, but had
yet to capture the moto combination that would lead a weekend victory
until Unadilla. Both motos looked identical as he took over the lead on
the second lap and rode steadily to victory.
 
“It’s been a little
hard this season to not have a win under my belt, but I finally got
that monkey off my back,” said Wilson. “I think the difference today was
that I was having more fun out there and really being able to enjoy
racing. I love whipping it off jumps and giving the fans something to
cheer about. This year has been good so far and getting two moto wins
helped out the points lead.”

 
Making
his way through the pack in both motos, Baggett was able to make smart
passes that put him on the podium once again. In the first moto, he
overcame two small crashes to make his way up to second, while the
second moto saw him move from outside the top-10 to finish third for
second overall.
 
“It’s coming down to the wire and I need to step
up and get some more moto wins in order to have a chance at beating my
teammate,” said Baggett. “I have the most wins out of anyone this
season, but the few races I was off haven’t helped me pressure him for
the championship like I would have wanted. You never know what can
happen so I’ll be fighting until the end.”

 
After
a great first moto coming through the pack for third, Rattray was
forced to retire early from the second moto after a crash on the opening
lap. He was uninjured in the crash, and his 3-36 moto result pushed him
just outside the top-10 to finish 11^th overall.
 
“Today
was pretty hard because I worked hard in the first moto to put myself
in good position to keep second in the points,” said Rattray. “Then I
just made a mistake and crashed in the second moto and basically took
myself out of the championship race. I know it’s not over, which is why
I’ll be going after more wins to finish out the season at least on top
of the podium.”

 
Not
able to catch a break at the upstate New York track, Tickle still was
able to show his perseverance throughout the day. A collision with
another rider forced him to retire early from the first moto, and his
never-give-up attitude pushed him through the pack in the second moto.
He charged from outside the top-20 to finish 13^th for 18^th overall.
 
“I
can’t seem to get a break during the outdoors season,” said Tickle. “I
know I’m riding well, but random incidents throughout the season have
pushed out of top-10 contention. When I have two solid motos, I know
that I can get a good result at the end. I’ll be working hard over the
next two weeks to make sure I have done all that I can to get the
results I know I deserve.”
 
The AMA Motocross Championship series
will take a weekend break before resuming August 27 at MX-338 in
Southwick, Mass. After nine rounds, Wilson remains in the lead with 396
points, while Baggett moved into second with 371 points. Rattray moved
into third with 353, while Tickle is now in seventh with 195 points.