Pala AMA Motocross: Honda Report

AMA MX

The Honda Red Riders took on the final round of the 2010 AMA Motocross Championship and Women’s Motocross Championship (WMA) at Pala Raceway in Pala, Calif., on Saturday, Sept. 11, and Honda Red Bull Racing’s Andrew Short and Kevin Windham made solid runs up front aboard their CRF450Rs while teammate Ashley Fiolek took victory aboard her CRF250R.

The biggest Honda winner at Pala was GEICO Powersports Honda’s Trey Canard, who won his first-ever AMA 250 Motocross Championship.

Short grabbed the holeshot in the first 450cc moto and was leading early on but relinquished two spots before the race’s end to take third.

In moto two, he again fired off to a fine start and was in second behind GEICO Powersports Honda’s Brett Metcalfe until Metcalfe crashed on lap five, handing Short the lead.

The likeable Honda Red Bull athlete held the lead for five laps, but ultimately finished second. Short’s 3-2 results gave him second overall and he finished the 450 series third in points.

Windham had his work cut out for him after suffering lackluster starts in both motos. The veteran Honda racer made solid come-from-behind charges in both motos to go 7-8 for seventh overall.

Metcalfe rounded the weekend out in third overall to finish his rookie AMA 450-class season in an impressive second overall.

Troy Lee Designs Honda’s Ben Townley went 6-4 to end both the round and the series in fourth overall. Privateer Kyle Regal finished ninth overall on his CRF450R, good for ninth in the series standings.

GEICO Powersports Honda’s Trey Canard raced his way into the history books by winning his first-ever AMA 250 Motocross Championship. Coming into the round seven points behind series leader Christophe Pourcel, Canard knew he needed to race smart, consistent motos in order to have a chance at the title.

Unfortunately, he crashed in the first moto, but rival Pourcel crashed as well-hard enough to take him out of the race. Canard remounted and charged back up to fourth in the first moto. In the second moto, he finished third, netting him third overall as well as enough points to win the 2010 AMA 250 Motocross Championship.

Trey Canard says: “This is a dream come true for me. This is the result of a lot of hard work by a lot of people. I’m so privileged to be a part of the GEICO Powersports Honda team and couldn’t have done this without them. I’m really proud to be able to deliver the team the championship in my final year in the 250 class. I won the Supercross Lites title a few years ago and to cap off my 250 career with the Motocross title is just awesome.”

In more 250-class action, teammate Eli Tomac went 8-4 to finish fourth overall. The rookie also finished sixth in the championship. Justin Barcia went 6-5 aboard his GEICO Powersports Honda CRF250R for fifth overall and he finished the series fifth overall in points.

Blake Wharton crashed hard in the opening moto and did not participate in moto two, but he still finished eighth overall in the series. Troy Lee Designs Honda’s Cole Seely finished the Pala event in sixth spot (3-12) aboard his CRF250R while his teammate Wil Hahn finished seventh for tenth in the championship.

In WMA competition, Fiolek was fast right out of the gate in both motos, finishing 2-1 to clinch the overall win. Her solid results at every round this season, including scoring two overall wins, put her second overall in the championship at season’s end. Fellow Honda racer Troy Lee Designs’ Honda’s Tarah Gieger went 7-4 for fourth overall at Pala and she finished the championship in third.

2010 Pala AMA Motocross 450 Results:
1. Ryan Dungey 1-1
2. Andrew Short 3-2 (Honda)
3. Brett Metcalfe 2-3 (Honda)
4. Ben Townley 6-4 (Honda)
5. Ryan Sipes 4-6
6. Kyle Chisholm 9-5
7. Kevin Windham 7-8 (Honda)
8. Justin Brayton 12-7
9. Kyle Regal 5-14 (Honda)
10. Nick Wey 11-9

450 Final Point Standings
1. Ryan Dungey 543
2. Brett Metcalfe 398
3. Andrew Short 393
4. Ben Townley 324
5. Mike Alessi 314
6. Kyle Chisholm 266
7. Josh Grant 260
8. Ryan Sipes 244
9. Kyle Regal 224
10. Nick Wey 223

2010 Pala AMA Motocross 250 Results:
1. Dean Wilson 1-1
2. Tyla Rattray 2-2
3. Trey Canard 4-3 (Honda)
4. Eli Tomac 8-4 (Honda)
5. Justin Barcia 6-5 (Honda)
6. Cole Seely 3-12 (Honda)
7. Wil Hahn 7-7 (Honda)
8. Broc Tickle 5-9
9. Martin Davalos 14-6
10. Les Smith 13-11 (Honda)

250 Final Point Standings
1. Trey Canard 474
2. Tyla Rattray 446
3. Christophe Pourcel 443
4. Dean Wilson 437
5. Justin Barcia 348
6. Eli Tomac 327
7. Broc Tickle 287
8. Blake Wharton 285
9. Martin Davalos 251
10. Wil Hahn 213

2010 Pala WMX Results
1. Ashley Fiolek 2-1 (Honda)
2. Jessica Patterson 1-2
3. Vicki Golden 3-6
4. Tarah Gieger 7-3 (Honda)
5. Mariana Balbi 5-5
6. Alexa Pearson 9-4
7. Sherri Cruse 8-7
8. Tatum Sik 6-9
9. Sarah Whitmore 11-8
10. Jacqueline Strong 10-14

WMX Final Point Standings
1. Jessica Patterson 382
2. Ashley Fiolek 360
3. Tarah Gieger 295
4. Vicki Golden 252
5. Mariana Balbi 239
6. Sara Price 230
7. Sarah Whitmore 219
8. Alexa Pearson 202
9. Tatum Sik 179
10. Jacqueline Strong 154

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