The chase for the 2009 Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship has hit the home stretch. With just three rounds remaining, the premier 450 Class title fight appears to be nearly wrapped up by Rockstar/Makita/Suzuki’s Chad Reed who holds an impressive 82-point lead over Honda Red Bull Racing’s Andrew Short in second place. In fact, with a strong enough performance and some misfortune from his foes, Reed has a chance to wrap up his first career outdoor motocross championship on Saturday.
In the 250 Class, the series has had a summer-long back and forth battle between Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki’s Christophe Pourcel and Rockstar/Makita/Suzuki’s Ryan Dungey. Virtually every weekend has seen a change in favor of one rider in one moto and right back to the other in the next moto. Heading into last weekend’s race at Unadilla, the duo was tied, marking the first time two red number plates signifying the points leaders were used. Currently, the difference between the only title contenders in the class sits at a miniscule six points with six motos left to be run.
This weekend, the series heads to the Eastern seaboard for the first of three rounds from coastal states in Mechanicsville, Md. and the infamous Budds Creek MX Park for the Monster Energy Motocross National which will be featured LIVE on NBC, Saturday at 3 p.m. ET. With high temperatures and even higher humidity, the final trio of events will be a true test of will power for all of the riders, showcasing one of the primary characteristics that makes American Motocross one of the world’s toughest sports: endurance. Budds Creek has been the site of many memorable events since joining the series in 1989 and it will likely play that role again this weekend.
Round 10: AMA Motocross Series Stats
>> Chad Reed and Ryan Dungey share the series lead for overall victories with four apiece.
>> The win was Reed’s 43rd career AMA victory but just his fifth in AMA Motocross. The remaining 38 have come in AMA Supercross.
>> As a whole, Roger DeCoster’s riders have won 55% of the overall victories across both classes (10 of 18).
>> Reed has won six of the last eight motos.
>> If Reed earns 18 or more points than Andrew Short and leaves Budds Creek with at least a 100-point lead, he will claim his first career AMA Motocross championship.
>> Christophe Pourcel is the only rider in the series to finish on the overall podium at all nine races. His worst finish of the season came at Washougal with third overall. It is the only time he didn’t finish in the top two.
>> Dungey and Pourcel are in the midst of one of the most competitive championship battles in the history of the sport. With his win last weekend, Pourcel holds a six point lead with six motos remaining.
>> Both Reed and Pourcel lead their respective classes with 387 points.
>>After making his 2009 motocross debut last weekend in the 250 Class, Kevin Windham moves up into the 450 Class for Budds Creek.
>> Timmy Ferry captured the Ricky Carmichael Hard Charger Award at Unadilla
