High Point Motocross: Yoshimura Report

2011 AMA Motocross

Yoshimura-backed Motocross teams showed their dominance at the Rockstar Energy High Point National in Mt. Morris, Pa., this past weekend. The Rockstar Makita Suzuki and American Honda Racing teams put their Yoshimura products to the test in the tough conditions at High Point.

Team Rockstar Makita Suzuki used the power of its Yoshimura-equipped Suzuki RM-Z450s Motocross machine to tackle challenging conditions in Mt. Morris. The weather was fine for the first moto at the notoriously fast High Point track; however, a quick downpour hit just before the start of moto two, leaving the track extremely muddy and slippery.

Ryan Dungey rode strong, grabbing a convincing second in the first moto, battling the tough conditions for a third in moto two, and ending the day with a second overall. Motocross teammate Brett Metcalfe suffered a couple of bad starts but was able to fight his way to an eighth-place overall finish.

Dungey was strong all day, with solid morning practices and great starts in both motos. The Rockstar Makita Suzuki rider pulled the holeshot in moto one, but a little bobble put him back to second. Dungey proceeded to pilot his RM-Z Motocross flawlessly for the next 16 laps and cross the line for a convincing second-place finish.

In moto two, Dungey powered his Suzuki out of the gate again in second; however, a couple of miscues in the slick conditions put him on the ground and he fell back to sixth. Dungey pushed his RM-Z450 Motocross machine hard for the remaining 12 laps and was able to come away with a third-place moto finish and second overall for the day. Dungey has moved into third place in the championship points race.

Ryan Dungey (Rockstar Makita Suzuki RM450 Motocross) says: “It was a good weekend. I had a couple good practices and we were good going into the two motos. I got the holeshot in the first but had a little bobble and got passed but was able to get back to second. I lost some time in those first few laps. All in all, I felt good. My Rockstar Makita Suzuki team made some changes on my RM-Z for the second moto, but it rained really hard just before the start, so the track was really muddy, slick, and very technical.

“I got off to another good start but fell twice in the beginning but was able to catch up for a third and a second place overall. It’s a good step in the right direction. We just gotta keep plugging away and improving in the areas that we can and be consistent and put ourselves in a good spot to be there in the end. Next stop is Budds Creek and I really like that track. I was able to come away with the overall last year there and I’m looking forward to another good result.”

Motocross teammate Brett Metcalfe started the day with the sixth fastest time in the morning practices aboard his Suzuki RM-Z450. The Rockstar Makita Suzuki rider suffered from a bad start in moto one but worked his way to 12th at the end of the first lap.

Metcalfe was able to fight through the Motocross field to capture an eighth-place finish. In moto two, Metcalfe was caught up in a first turn pileup and essentially started from the back on the field. He charged as hard as conditions would allow in order to work his way up for a tenth-place finish and an eighth-place overall for the day. Metcalfe sits fifth in championship points.

Brett Metcalfe (Rockstar Makita Suzuki RMZ450 Motocross) says: “It was a pretty tough day for me at Mt. Morris. I didn’t get the results I wanted and I had two bad starts at a track where it’s really important to get a top five start in order to be in contention for a decent overall finish. It was just one of those days where things just didn’t happen. I feel like I rode strong and my Rockstar Makita Suzuki worked great, and my team did a great job getting my bike dialed in. It was a rough day, but we still came away with some points. We know what we have to do moving into Budds Creek. I’m looking forward to Budds – It’s a good circuit and I really like it there. I’m looking forward to going there and redeeming myself with some better results.”

The Honda Red Riders were on the gas in both the wet and dry conditions aboard their Yoshimura-equipped Honda CRF450R machines at High Point as well. American Honda Racing’s Kevin Windham finished a solid sixth overall for the day in Mt. Morris. Windham crashed hard in practice and took a handlebar to his chest during the fall, yet the Honda veteran rebounded to finish moto one in sixth. Heavy rainfall arrived between motos, but Windham finished one spot better in the wet second moto, taking fifth and earning sixth overall for the round.

Kevin Windham (GEICO Honda CRF450R Motocross) says: “I felt like I’d be on my way by this point in the season, so I’m a little bit frustrated. It’s the winner’s instinct in me that just makes me want to come out here and win these things. If you’ve won before you know how addicting it can be. It’s why we do this and that’s what keeps us coming back even when we don’t do so well. To hear all the cheers and feel the fan support is awesome. It’s great for Honda and GEICO as well as for me. I have had a lot of success at High Point, and although we couldn’t capitalize on it today I still love this track and all the great fans.”

The Yoshimura-backed team’s next events are the fourth round of the 2011 AMA Pro Motocross Championship on Saturday, June 18th, at the Budds Creek National in Mechanicsville, MD, the 2011 AMA American Pro Superbike Championship series at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, AL, on June 17-19, 2011 and the seventh round of the 2011 ATV Grand National Cross Country series in Snowshoe, WV on June 25th.

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