SX Lites Report
The Rockstar Energy Suzuki team entered the Salt Lake City round of the AMA FIM Supercross Championship with high hopes after a stellar performance in Seattle, and Lites-class rider Ryan Morais came away from Rice-Eccles Stadium with another top-five finish on one of the most treacherous tracks this season.
The track was wet before the protective plastic was even removed due to the rain that struck the city earlier in the week, and Saturday night’s combination of rain and even some light snow left the track surface in even worse condition.
Despite the tough track, Morais put in a strong ride aboard his 2010 Suzuki RM-Z250, taking second in his heat race and fourth in the main event. "Ryan put in a great ride," said Team Manager Bill Keefe. "He kept it on two wheels and gave it his best." Ryan is currently in tenth place in overall points.
Hunter Hewitt also made a solid effort Saturday night in the Lites class, earning another top-ten finish in the rain-soaked main event. "The storm got worse as the night went on, and I knew the main was going to be a big mud show," said Hewitt. "I just went out, rode my race, and had some fun with it." Hewitt fought his way through the mud and placed eighth overall. "I want to say thanks to all the fans for sticking it out through the storm," said Hewitt. "Having everyone out there supporting us makes things a lot more fun for everybody."
Tommy Hahn also made a strong effort at Saturday’s race in the Supercross class, but fell victim to the muddy conditions after a brief tangle with another rider caused a wipeout in one of the turns. Tommy’s hands and grips were covered in so much mud after the crash that he had to pull into the mechanics area to clean it off before he could continue.
The short pit stop left Tommy in last place, but he refocused and charged hard through the pack to a solid eighth-place finish. "It was unfortunate that Tommy had to pull off," said Keefe. "He put in the third-fastest lap in the main before the crash, and would likely have been in the top five." Tommy is running ninth in the point standings as the series heads to the finals in Las Vegas.
With the series drawing to a close, the team is now preparing for the Supercross finals in Las Vegas, Nevada, which will take place on May 8 at Sam Boyd Stadium.
