RK Excel America

Murrieta, CA – After injuring his shoulder in a practice crash at Anaheim 2, FMF/KTM Factory rider Tommy Searle is still unable to ride and will have to sit out this weekend’s race in San Francisco.

“I had hoped that taking the week off would give me enough time to recover for the San Francisco round but it is still quite painful and I do not want to risk tearing the shoulder more. I will try riding again early next week and plan to race San Diego,” commented Searle.

Although he will not be riding, Searle will be in San Francisco on Friday night to sign autographs for his fans at Scuderia KTM from 5:00-6:00pm. Searle will be joined at Scuderia by KTM Factory Service/One Industries riders Michael Sleeter and Sean Borkenhagen.

BTOSports.com/BBMX/Palmetto Suzuki’s Thomas Comes Up Big at A2

Anaheim, CA- With so much riding on getting a good start on the 2010 AMA Supercross series, there wasn’t much doubt that missing the first round makes it doubly important to maximize your results.

And that’s just what BTOSports.com/BBMX/Palmetto Suzuki’s Jason Thomas has done so far. After being forced to miss A1 due to the immediate need to clinch the German Supercross title, Thomas rode strong last week in Phoenix on his way to a 14th in the 450 main event.

Forced to make it into this week’s race at Anaheim via winning the LCQ, Thomas started poorly in the main event, ending the first lap in 18th. From there he charged hard the whole way and ended the race with another 14th and with another few laps, JT$ might have been able to make a few more passes.

250 rider Bobby Kiniry continued his run of getting into main events and finished a credible 11th. After scores of 13-9-11 through three rounds, he sits inside the top ten in the 250 west series points and is looking to get that podium speed that he’s shown in the past.

The teams other 250 rider, Ben Evans, crashed hard on his shoulder in the heat while in qualifying position and after consulting with doctors, will sit out this weekend’s race in San Francisco.

For more team updates, sponsor news and race updates go to:

btosports.com and butlerbrothersmx.com

There’s no way that BTO Sports.com/BBMX/Palmetto Suzuki team can go racing without the help of their sponsors and would like to thank the following companies:

BTOSports.com, BBMX, Palmetto Suzuki, FLY Racing, Bel-Ray, Vortex, Pro-Circuit, WMI, Vanquish MX, Smith, FLU Graphics, Jett Boot, Wiseco, Leatt Brace, McGraw Insurance, Umbrella Girls, Dream Traxx, ASMF, ASV, Ti-Fuel, Factory Connection, Applied, Hinson, ICW, Twin Air, RK / Excel, QTM, Faction MX, Pit Posse, Outlaw, Dunlop, FLmx, MX Press, Polisport, Engine Ice, Galfer, Sponsor house, STMX, Kinetic Animation, Safety Kleen, Axcel

January 23rd, 2010
Anaheim, CA – Round three of the 2010 AMA Supercross series made its way back to California by once again visiting Angel Stadium. After multiple torrential rain storms throughout the week leading up to the race, Saturday’s weather turned out to be perfect and any possible forecasts of rain ended up to be untrue as it held off luckily. To the surprise of everyone, track conditions were uncompromised to say to say the least and the action turned out to be thrilling. DNA Shred Stix/Star Racing/Yamaha’s west coast squad comprised of #20, Broc Tickle and newcomer to professional Supercross #48, Max Anstie took to the track in timed qualifying confidently, setting the 5th and 9th fastest times.
Heat #2 had both Tickle and Anstie lined up, getting out of the gate in good fashion would be Tickle who held down 2nd. Anstie was closed out coming into the first turn, and in the early laps he made some smart moves to insure the netting of a transfer position. The consistent, but still aggressive riding of Tickle saw him take his Yamaha to a solid 2nd place finish, and only a second off of the championship leader at the end of six laps. Anstie kept his cool and pushed the limits against the veterans as he worked his way up through the field. Holding down the 5th spot with a couple of laps left, the young Englishmen was still hard at work. In doing so, the rookie took a hold of 4th before the qualifier closed out and secured himself in the main event.
Main Event time was exciting right away; Tickle put together a good start and was in the mix of the top five. Unfortunately, early on the first lap he lost some traction and hit the ground. He was able to remount, however it was in a distant 20th. Starting around fifteenth, Anstie’s first laps were spent making moves, and inside of three laps he held down the 9th spot. At halfway both teammates were moving forward, Anstie found his way to 7th, setting some of his best lap times and continued with a calculated performance. Tickle was putting on a great comeback by this point, sitting 11th he could see that a top ten was feasible. On lap thirteen, Max had reeled in and passed for 6th, and also was looking at an outside shot of obtaining 5th. But a lapper caused one slight bobble when he mistimed a rhythm section, taking some wind out of Max’s sails. Slipping back into 7th, Anstie regained his form and went on to finish just outside the top five in only his third Supercross race. Tickle would continue to soldier on right until the checkers, and mustered up a finish of 10th.
Star Racing thanks our valued sponsors for their great assistance.
DNA Shred Stix, Division 7, Yamaha Motor Corp, FLY Racing, DNA Energy, NCY, Bell Helmets, Easton ExP, FMF, Sunstar, Factory Effex, Dunlop, Enzo, DC Shoes, RK Chains, Yamalube, GYTR, Ride Engineering, Mechanix Wear, Twin Air, Lightspeed, ARC, Braking, Vortex Ignitions, CP pistons, Web Cams, ICW, JD Built, Renegade Fuels, Crank Works, Eibach, EVOMX fuel foam, Met Tec, Champion Tools.

AMA H&H
Lucerne, Ca.
January 24, 2010

Race Day:
Well the season is already here again, and it sure didn’t feel like I had much of an off season. However, I couldn’t have asked for better weather to start out the racing season. It was super cold in the morning practicing the bomb (it was in the 20’s). The start wasn’t going to be as crucial as most H&H’s since they’ve been getting pounded with rain and snow. When the banner went up I shut my motor off and was waiting with a few 100 riders, on the first row, for it to drop. Once they pulled it down, I got a first kick start and was off. It was a really fast start and we were all wide open up until the banner. Once we got onto the trail, I was in third with Kamo leading and Caselli in second. A few miles in I was able to get by Kurt and close the gap on David. I was happy with the pace, and figured I would stay where I was for a little bit. But then not too much further Kendall Norman put a good pass on me and then got by David. I knew I didn’t want anyone to check out, so I was starting to work on David until I overshot a corner a little past the 5-mile mark. I clipped a rock and it ripped the end of my brake lever off. I was like no way! At this point I knew I still had around 35-miles until we came back into the pits for the second lap. I still kept pushing it and just tried to key off David. I was actually really surprised they weren’t checking out. A few miles later Kurt passed me back, but I couldn’t see anyone behind us. I would close in on the guys in front of me and actually could’ve tried to make a pass, but it was a lot easier keying off them to know when I had to slow down. I had a few scary close calls where I wasn’t able to slow down enough for a g-out or a corner, but other than that I felt really good. Unfortunately, I started to lose a little time when we got up in the snow. Yes I said snow in the desert! It was awesome, and it’s pretty rare I race in snow out in the desert. It was pretty much all white in a few areas for miles, but boy was it slippery. I had to take it easy, but as soon as we got out of it I was able to close up the gap again. There were basically four of us all really close to each other. Kendall was still leading and now Kurt had worked his way up to second, followed by David and myself. Finally coming into the pits, (40-mile mark) I was happy to know I was going to have brakes again. It took a little longer then I was hoping, and we lost close to 2-minutes in the pits. As I was leaving there were four other guys leaving at the same time. I pinned it to try and put some time on them, but Brendan Ritzman was keeping me honest for the first 10 to 15-miles and then I think he went down. I didn’t see anyone behind me and just really kept pushing it hard and hoped to catch back up to the top 3 guys. We were in some pretty gnarly rock sections and this is where I usually do really well. I wasn’t sure if I was making any ground up, and then with about 10-miles to go in this 40-mile loop I saw Kendall a little ways ahead of me. A few miles later I got right behind him and made the pass. Then I saw Kamo a little further up. I was closing in quick, but I knew we were getting close to the finish. With about a mile to go I got within 10-seconds, and then before I knew it we were done. I could’ve used a couple more miles and I think I would’ve had a great shot at second. Kurt put in a great ride and took the win.

Overall Summary:
I was a little upset since I felt I had a great shot at the win today and I really wanted to give Kurt a run for his money. Since I lost my rear brakes 5-miles in, I’m actually pretty surprised I still ended up on the podium. I’ve been training hard and it’s good to know that has been paying off towards the end of the race. My bike set-up was awesome, and besides the brake issue it was a good day with no crashes! I’ll be ready for the next H&H in 3-weeks!!!

Overall results (top 20):
1st Kurt Caselli
2nd David Kamo
3rd Destry Abbott
4th Kendall Norman
5th Jacob Argubright
6th Brenden Ritzman
7th Quinn Cody
8th David Pearson
9th Robert Underwood
10th Colton Udall
11th Ryan Abbatoye
12th Bobby Garrison
13th Brad Goolsby
14th Nick Burson
15th Colton Sanders
16th Cory Graffunder
17th Ryan Kudla
18th Justin Morrow
19th Powers Irving
20th Brett Saunders

Other Notes:
Here’s a great video Beau put together from the race. http://promoto.tv/

I was actually pretty happy for Kurt Caselli to get his first National H&H win. I used to race Kurt all the time in the H&H’s and then he stopped doing them to concentrate on the WORCS series. I know his old man would’ve been proud!

This was our first race with some new sponsors that we will be using this year. We’re now running Akropovic exhaust and they’re awesome. We also have Traxxas on board which is pretty cool too http://www.traxxas.com/v2/racing/news/?id=66 ! Looking forward to getting them some wins!

There were a bunch of new riders that came out to give the H&H a try. I’m sure the wet dirt helped too. Some new guys were Kurt Caselli, Ritzman, Udall, Garrison Graffunder, and Goolsby to just name a few.

JThe club did a pretty good job. The course wasn’t as tough as I was hoping and we had quite a few more valleys than normal. The weather really helped make this race great and they did a great job on the markings considering all the bad weather they had to deal with. We just need to make sure the second loop is a national caliber one

This year we have the AHHA group watching over the H&H series and making sure every round is ran the way it should. They also put up a pro purse for the top 3 riders (the winner get $1,000 and then down to third). They did an awesome job and now we have an official podium and a PA system to keep everyone updated on the race and afterwards. Great job guys! I know this is only going to help the series!

There were a bunch of people that came out to help me this weekend. Of course my mechanic Jonny did an awesome job again, along with Jeff Decker, helping out on the race bike. John Braasch let me crash in his motor home the night before the race so I didn’t have to drive back into town. Also Reid Nordin, Jason Smigel, Argubrite’s, Bret Leaf, Kit Kamo (who brought me some sweets), and I know there were a bunch of other people too and I really appreciate all the help!

My next race is this weekend at the first WORCS race in Arizona. It’s nice to have a close race, but I know this year is going to be stacked with some fast pros. It should be fun!

I’m working on updating my 2010 site with my new sponsors and some other cool stuff as soon as I can. Sorry it’s taken so long!

www.destryabbott.com
2010 Sponsors: Monster Energy Kawasaki, Thor, Dunlop, GPR stabilizers, Shoei, Akrapovic exhaust, Stephen Gall Training, SIDI, IMS, Zip-Ty, HoyFox.com, Motion Pro, BRP, Braking, Works Connection, Concept2, CTI2, Maxima, Kicker, O’GIO, Traxxas, Renthal, Hinson, Jonre Multimedia, dragonfireracing.com, Matrix, Scott, Cyto Sport, N-Style, UNI, Parkway Chiropractic, Tire-Balls, and ZLT.

Troy Lee Designs / Lucas Oil / Honda Hits the Podium at Anaheim 2

Wil Hahn 2nd, Cole Seely 5th in Supercross Lites

Saturday was a big night for Wil Hahn, Cole Seely and the entire Troy Lee Designs/ Lucas Oil/ Honda team at round 3 of AMA Supercross Series in Anaheim, California. Hahn matched his career best finish with a second place in the main Lites event, Seely posted his best finish ever with a fifth and the race marked the first time the race team has been on the podium in AMA Supercross competition. Hahn’s finish also puts him in a tie for second place in the championship chase.

For the scrappy racer known as “Wilbur,” Anaheim was a huge confidence booster. His speed has never been questioned but until Saturday night he hadn’t pulled all the pieces together for a podium finish. After a solid third place in his heat race, Wil focused on getting a good start in the main event. After rounding the first turn in fourth he quickly shot into second behind race winner Jake Weimer. He rode an almost flawless race to the checkered flag.

“This feels so great,” said Hahn after spraying his champagne. “Everyone on this team has put in a lot of work and this makes it all worth it. I wanted to get on the podium so bad and it feels like I’ve got that monkey off my back now. Hopefully we can just keep finishing up here for the rest of the year.”

Cole Seely also impressed at Anaheim. The young rider just keeps getting better in this, his sophomore Supercross season. Cole finished second in his heat and was looking to improve upon his sixth place finish from last weekend in Phoenix. He started near mid-pack but quickly worked his way forward. By the halfway point in the race he found himself in fifth position, a career best. He settled into a good pace and once again achieved his goal of improving his best finish. Can he get a fourth in San Francisco next weekend? Don’t bet against him.

“I’m really happy with the way I rode tonight,” said Cole. “I keep setting new goals for myself and I keep reaching them; it’s pretty cool. I’m just going to keep working hard and hopefully I can get up on the podium with Wil before long.”

Making the night even more special was the presence of new team rider Ben Townley, having just flown in after winning the New Zealand Supercross title. Ben fits right in with the team and having him there Saturday was fitting. The team heads to San Francisco this weekend for round four in the AMA Supercross series.

The Troy Lee Designs Lucas Oil Honda race team would like to thank all of the companies that have supported our racing efforts over the years. They include Lucas Oil, American Honda, Red Bull, PPG, Wings for Life, Alpinestars, Avia, Couts Heating and Cooling, Dunlop, Epic Action Video Cam, Leatt Brace, McQueen Racing, Oakley, Pacific Collision, Pro Circuit, Rossignol, Santa Cruz, Selle Italia, Skullcandy, All Sport Dynamics, Cycra, Fasthouse, Flexfit, Hinson Clutch, Hot Wheels, Kahne Racing, Light Speed, Muc-Off, N Style, Nameplate, ODI, Primm, QTM, Renthal, RK Chain, Excel, Twin Air, Vasser Racing and VP Racing.

Follow the Troy Lee Designs / Lucas Oil / Honda team at www.troyleedesigns.com

Murrieta, CA – FMF/KTM rider Tommy Searle is at his home in Murrieta, CA recovering from a practice crash at Anaheim 2 that kept him from competing in the night’s main event.

Searle crashed during the second practice at the Anaheim event falling hard on his right side and injuring the right shoulder. “I went to the Asterisk Medical Unit for assistance immediately following the incident and then tried to race in my heat race. Unfortunately the pain increased and I was not able to complete the race,” remarked Searle.

Searle will rest the first half of the week to see if the pain subsides. “At this point it is not certain if Tommy will be able to ride in San Francisco. He is focused on recovering and hopes to be ready for this weekend,” commented FMF/KTM Factory Team Manager Casey Lytle.

Lucerne, CA – FMF/KTM Factory riders Kurt Caselli and David Kamo finished 1st and 2nd respectively at the opening round of the AMA Hare & Hound Series.

Caselli, whose primary focus will be the 2010 WORCS Championship, decided to make an appearance at the first round of the Hare & Hound Series to use the race as a warm-up for the opening round of the WORCS. “I knew the conditions at this round will be similar to the first round of the WORCS so I decided to come out and practice,” commented Caselli.

The racing conditions were perfect after last weeks rain storm. There were clear skies above and the soil was moist enough the riders did not have to worry about the dust factor. The course was comprised of two 40 mile loops. The first loop was fast-paced while the second was more technical and took the riders into the hills where they rode through snow.

Caselli took the holeshot at the end of the bomb with his teammate Kamo in 2nd position. Kendall Norman was close behind the two KTM riders and soon took the lead. The KTM duo stayed close to Norman the first loop. After the first gas the top three riders got to a confusing section of the track. Norman and Caselli chose to go one way while Kamo went another. Fortunately for Norman and Caselli they stayed on track and Caselli soon made the pass on Norman for the lead. Kamo followed the wrong path and lost time. The third KTM team rider, David Pearson, started inside the top twenty but struggled to make his way through the pack as a back injury from earlier in the week gave him pain the duration of the race.

Once Caselli passed for the lead he remained out front to take the win with a three minute lead over Kamo who eventually charged back up to 2nd position. RPM/KTM rider Brenden Ritzman finished 6th overall while Pearson finished the day in 8th place.

“There is no better way to start the season than with a win. There were four KTM riders inside the top ten and we are very pleased with the results. Our goal is to continue to remain on top of the podium each race this season,” commented FMF/KTM Team Manager Antti Kallonen.

Overall Results:
1. Kurt Caselli – KTM
2. David Kamo – KTM
3. Destry Abbott
4. Kendall Norman
5. Jacob Argubright
6. Brenden Ritzman – KTM
7. Quinn Cody
8. David Pearson – KTM
9. Robert Underwood
10. Colton Udal

Next Race: Round 2 – Ridgecrest, CA – February 14, 2010

Anaheim II Results

Brayton and Byrne Earn Top-10 Finishes

HUNTERSVILLE, N.C. (January 24, 2010) – After a week of torrential rain prior to the second 2010 Anaheim event, the Feld Entertainment crew pulled off a miracle in delivering an outstanding track for racing. Anticipating the deluge, the promoters constructed the track earlier than usual, and covered the track. They also stock piled a stash of nearby dirt. When the skies cleared Saturday morning, the crew, who had been pumping off water the entire week, pulled off the covers, used equipment to scrape away and remove mud, and bring in the stored dry dirt. The result was near perfect conditions for the second of three visits to Angel Stadium during the series.

Both Muscle Milk/Toyota/JGRMX Team riders, Justin Brayton and the recently signed Michael Byrne easily qualified for the main event, although Brayton overcame a major challenge. After being involved in some first turn contact in his heat race, Brayton had to pick himself up off the ground, restart his YZ450F, and chase down the pack to qualify from the heat race and avoid the last chance qualifier.

In the main event, Byrne started seventh with Brayton right behind him. Throughout the 20 laps, the positions changed within a narrow range with Brayton earning a hard fought sixth and Byrne, in his first race on the new bike and with less than a week to test, ninth.

Josh Grant, recovering from recent shoulder surgery was on-hand signing autographs, and talking to the media, as well as being interviewed by the floor announcer.

The fourth round of the 17-race series will be Jan. 30 at AT&T Park in San Francisco, Calif. The original broadcast will air on Jan. 31 on CBS at 12:00 p.m. (EST).

RK Excel is now a member of the Facebook revolution. Look us up and add us as a friend. Keep up with race news and fun employee stuff.

TLD / Lucas Oil / Honda’s Ben Townley Signing Autographs at Anaheim This Weekend

The Kiwi comes stateside for A2

Former World Motocross Champion and East region 250 AMA Supercross champion Ben Townley will be in attendance for this weekend’s Anaheim 2 Supercross race. Ben will be signing alongside his Troy Lee Designs/ Lucas Oil/ Honda teammates Saturday afternoon from 2:50 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. and be available for media interviews and photo opportunities from 4:00 p.m. until 6:00 p.m.

Ben’s whirlwind trip will have him stateside for four days to do some pre-season testing for the 2010 Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship series. He will be racing the final round of the New Zealand Supercross Championships in Auckland on Saturday night in which he currently leads the points, and then catching a flight to Los Angeles, arriving in California at around noon on Saturday.

Townley will test through Tuesday, and then head back to New Zealand to continue with his training.

“I’m really excited to get over there,” offers Townley. “I know it’s not for long but it will be awesome to get the ball rolling. I’m feeling better and better every time I ride or race right now. I feel that I can get back that level of speed I had in ‘07. Fitness will be the biggest barrier I think.”

The entire Troy Lee Designs/ Lucas Oil / Honda team is anxiously awaiting Ben’s arrival and the start of the testing process. Be sure to come by the team transporter this weekend at Anaheim 2 Supercross and meet the team’s newest rider.

The Troy Lee Designs Lucas Oil Honda race team would like to thank all of the companies that have supported our racing efforts over the years. They include Lucas Oil, American Honda, Red Bull, PPG, Wings for Life, Alpinestars, Avia, Couts Heating and Cooling, Dunlop, Epic Action Video Cam, Leatt Brace, McQueen Racing, Oakley, Pacific Collision, Pro Circuit, Rossignol, Santa Cruz, Selle Italia, Skullcandy, All Sport Dynamics, Cycra, Fasthouse, Flexfit, Hinson Clutch, Hot Wheels, Kahne Racing, Light Speed, Muc-Off, N Style, Nameplate, ODI, Primm, QTM, Renthal, RK Chain, Excel, Twin Air, Vasser Racing and VP Racing.

Follow the Troy Lee Designs / Lucas Oil / Honda team at www.troyleedesigns.com