Chad Reed clinched the 2009 AMA Motocross Championship with two rounds remaining in the season on Saturday afternoon at Budds Creek Motocross Park in Mechanicsville, Maryland. The rainy weekend saw the two-time AMA Supercross Champion capture the overall victory at Budds Creek as well, thanks to second- and first-place moto finishes. En route to his first-ever AMA Motocross Championship, Reed has picked up five overall wins so far this season.
Rockstar Makita Suzuki teammate Michael Byrne finished up the wet weekend with a sixth-place finish overall. Australian Byrne had a rough first moto, charging hard from around 15th place to sixth. Then, in the second moto, he brought home a fifth-place finish with the final result being the sixth-place overall at Budds Creek.
In the 250 class, Rockstar Makita Suzuki’s Ryan Dungey battled flooding conditions in an abbreviated second moto before celebrating a third-place finish overall at Budds Creek. Dungey captured a third-place finish in the first moto and then went back out in the pouring rain for the second moto. The second moto was red-flagged after just 25 minutes because of the inclement weather. Dungey had moved into fourth place before the red flag and the combined moto results put him on the podium with third-place overall.
Chad Reed Speaks…
"I feel like my career is complete, though I also feel like I have a lot of fight left in me but this is definitely a step in the right direction. In the first moto, I was pretty disappointed that I didn’t put myself in a position to win. Winning the championship is what this hard work is all about and I want to thank everybody – the Rockstar Makita Suzuki team because everybody did a great job. We were a last-minute entry and we gave it our all. We are all very, very happy to get this championship."
Michael Byrne Speaks…
"It was an OK race for me. I felt like I rode good, I just didn’t get the starts that I needed. In the first moto, I didn’t go down but I got caught up in the first corner mess and that kind of ruined my start. Then, I just took too long to get going. I tried to make up time and pass people, but it was too little, too late. But overall, I felt good at the end of both motos, I’m happy Chad got the championship wrapped up — I’m pumped for him and it’s good for team — and hopefully I can get a win before the end of the year."
Ryan Dungey Speaks…
"With the rain and the flooding, this was a crazy race but the fans made it all worthwhile. I had a pretty good first moto and got up on the podium. But then in the second moto, I saw the water coming over the dams and onto the track, I lost my brakes — it was just survival out there. But these things happen and you just have to take it one race at a time. I’m just happy to get out of here safe and healthy."
Rockstar Makita Suzuki Factory Racing will race next at Moto-X338 in Southwick, Massachusetts, on Saturday, August 29, 2009.
