Motocross Results
After having a not-so-good start at the debut 450 Class race of the 2010 Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship in Hangtown, Ryan Dungey went on to win the second race in Freestone, and took the win again at High Point in Mt. Morris Saturday night. In the 250 Class, Monster Energy/Pro Circuit Kawasaki rider Tyla Rattray of South Africa took his first career victory.
The Rockstar Makita Suzuki rider of Belle Plaine, Minn., swept both motos in Round 3 of 12, taking the charge during the second-half of both motos for the wins. His victory at High Point moves him to first in the championship with 126 points. Finishing second overall was Honda Red Bull Racing rider Andrew Short (3-2 moto finishes) and GEICO Powersports Honda rider Brett Metcalfe in third (6-3).
Ryan Dungey says “It feels good. The track turned out better than I thought after the first moto. I got good starts and put us in a good position to be out front. There were a lot of passing lines today. Sometimes you get caught behind someone and have difficulty moving through the pack and that’s where starts play a big role.”
In Moto 1, Muscle Milk/JGR/Toyota Yamaha rider Josh Grant grabbed the holeshot, going on to lead the first 10 of 16 laps. Dungey passed Grant on Lap 10, and immediately began pulling away. Arriving to the line in second was Grant, followed by Short of Smithville, Texas. Round 1 winner, Monster Energy Kawasaki rider Chad Reed, would finish in 12th after he reported having a lens pop off his goggles.
In Moto 2, the holeshot would go to Short, with Jagermeister KTM 350 SX-F rider Mike Alessi, Grant, Dungey, Metcalfe and MCRMX Ryan Sipes in tow. Short lead for the first 10 laps, and like Moto 1, Dungey would pass on the 10th lap again, and lead the remainder of the race to take the checkered flag. Short finished in second, followed by Metcalfe, who scored his first-ever podium victory in the 450 Class.
Again, Reed had misfortunes. The Australian made contact with another rider on lap 1, breaking his front brake caliper. He would fight for the highest position of 12 before dropping out of the race. Coming into High Point, Reed had the championship lead, but his troubles drop him to fourth with 95 points, behind Alessi in third with 98, Metcalfe in second with 101 and the series leader Dungey with 126.
250 Class
Although he didn’t win either moto, Rattray’s dual second-place finishes allowed him to claim his first overall victory.
Tyla Rattray says “It feels good. I’ve been working for it and to finally get one now really means a lot to me. Being consistent is what it takes to win the championship. It would have been nice to go 1-1 but at least I was consistent. I’ve been working hard and it feels good to finally get on top of the podium.”
With intermittent rain showers challenging the riders in Moto 1, Rattray’s teammate Christophe Pourcel grabbed the holeshot, and would lead until the second lap, when GEICO Powersports Honda rider Justin Barcia stole the position.
The Ochlocknee, Ga., native would display pure domination on his CRF250R, getting to the checkered flag almost eight seconds ahead of Rattray. Taking the final spot on the podium was Rockstar Makita Suzuki rider Blake Baggett of Grand Terrace, Calif.
In Moto 2, Pourcel again got the holeshot, followed by Monster Energy/Pro Circuit Kawasaki rider Dean Wilson and DNA Shred Stix/Star Racing Yamaha rider Martin Davalos. By lap 2 Pourcel had extended his lead over the field, but Rattray was already in third, and in second on the following lap.
Rattray would chase down the Frenchman Pourcel, but not be able to catch him. Davalos held onto for third for most of the race, but was passed by GEICO Powersports Honda rider Trey Canard, who would finish in third.
AMA MX continues next weekend for Round 4, the Budds Creek National in Mechanicsville, Md.
450 MX Class Overall Results (Moto Finish)
1. Ryan Dungey, Belle Plaine, Minn., Suzuki (1-1)
2. Andrew Short, Smithville, Texas, Honda (3-2)
3. Brett Metcalfe, Australia, Honda (6-3)
4. Ben Townley, New Zealand, Honda (4-6)
5. Mike Alessi, Victorville, Calif., KTM (7-5)
6. Matt Goerke, Murrieta, Calif., Yamaha (5-7)
7. Tommy Hahn, Decatur, Texas, Suzuki (11-4)
8. Josh Grant, Riverside, Calif., Yamaha (2-24)
9. Ryan Sipes, Vine Grove, Ky., Yamaha (10-11)
10. Kyle Cunningham, Fort Worth, Texas, Yamaha (9-12)
450 MX Class Championship Standings
1. Ryan Dungey, Belle Plaine, Minn., Suzuki, 126
2. Brett Metcalfe, Australia, Honda, 101
3. Mike Alessi, Victorville, Calif., KTM, 98
4. Chad Reed, Australia, Kawasaki, 95
5. Ben Townley, New Zealand, Honda, 87
6. Josh Grant, Riverside, Calif., Yamaha, 82
7. Andrew Short, Smithville, Texas, Honda, 79
8. Davi Millsaps, Murrieta, Calif., Honda, 76
9. Tommy Hahn, Decatur, Texas, Suzuki, 71
10. Kyle Chisholm, Valrico, Fla., Yamaha, 55
250 MX Class Overall Results (Moto Finish)
1. Tyla Rattray, South Africa, Kawasaki (2-2)
2. Christophe Pourcel, France, Kawasaki (4-1)
3. Blake Wharton, Pilot Point, Texas, Honda (8-3)
4. Blake Baggett, Grand Terrace, Calif., Suzuki (3-9)
5. Dean Wilson, Canada, Kawasaki (5-6)
6. Broc Tickle, Holly, Mich., Yamaha (9-5)
7. Trey Canard, Shawnee, Okla., Honda (14-4)
8. Justin Barcia, Ochlocknee, Ga., Honda (1-21)
9. Martin Davalos, Ecuador, Yamaha (11-7)
10. Jake Weimer, Rupert, Idaho, Kawasaki (7-11)
250 MX Class Championship Standings
1. Christophe Pourcel, France, Kawasaki, 129
2. Tyla Rattray, South Africa, Kawasaki, 102
3. Dean Wilson, Canada, Kawasaki, 100
4. Trey Canard, Shawnee, Okla., Honda, 93
5. Eli Tomac, Cortez, Colo., Honda, 90
6. Broc Tickle, Holly, Mich., Yamaha, 89
7. Jake Weimer, Rupert, Idaho, Kawasaki, 80
8. Justin Barcia, Ochlocknee, Ga., Honda, 79
9. Wil Hahn, Decatur, Texas, Honda, 72
10. Tommy Searle, England, KTM, 60
