RK Excel America

February 22, 2010

DNA Shred Stix/Star Racing/Yamaha signs Jessica Paterson for the WMA outdoor championship series:
With the increasing attention and growth of the WMA Motocross series, an opportunity arose to obtain multi time champion Jessica Patterson’s national #2 services. Star Racing for the past few seasons has had something like this in our radar says team owner Bobby Regan. When meeting with Jessica we really took a liking to this 26 year-old, who has remarkable skills on a motorcycle, and a personality with endless amounts of drive. Once again, Star Racing is able to take on a talented rider and we are optimistic that success will come from this venture. Jessica has already began adapting to who her new Factory YZ 250F ride as of early this week and plans on making her debut outfitted in FOX race wear at the first round of the WMA outdoor championship series.

When interviewed, Paterson said these were the keys to her decision. ”Star has one of the best bikes on the circuit. On top all that I got along great with the crew I met on the team and saw how hard they worked, and those two things are real important to me. I am looking forward to going after the championship, and also working hard with the team to continually promote their sponsors.”

Star Racing thanks the following companies for their commitment.

DNA Shred Stix, Division 7, Yamaha Motor Corp, 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.

Corona, California (February 24, 2010) – Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki’s Christophe Pourcel and Dean Wilson are ready to march through the Georgia Dome in Atlanta to pick up more podium finishes.

Pourcel heads to Atlanta have won seven of his last 10 AMA Supercross Lites races including last weekend’s domination in Indianapolis. After having surgery in January, the French rider only had four days of riding before the Indy event, but his hard work on conditioning helped keep him at the front.

“I felt strong all the way through the race,” said Pourcel. “I worked hard on my training and it paid off. I hope the track is better in Atlanta than it was last week. At Indy it was inconsistent, slippery in some place and tacky in others. That made it difficult to get into a good rhythm.”

Wilson is also excited about heading down south. After his debut last weekend, the Canadian rider is looking forward to getting in a grove and improving every week. A challenge for the rookie rider will be the different types of dirt he will see on the East Coast. This week he will encounter Georgia’s famous red clay for the first time, but Wilson feels he’s ready.

“I learned a lot last weekend in Indy,” said Wilson. “Now matter how prepared you think you are for racing, you can always learn something. These tracks are so different from anything I’ve ever ridden, but we’ll be okay. Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki is a podium team and I know I can get up there soon.”

The racing starts Saturday night at 7:30pm ET and for those who can’t make it to the Georgia Dome, SPEED TV will be airing all of the action live.

February 20, 2010
The AMA Supercross Series went off with a bang to a fan base exceeding 60,000 inside a newly designed stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana this past Saturday night. Both classes had their exciting moments on the track, with the series making its eastward swing. DNA Shred Stix/ Star Racing/Yamaha came in and showcased their two East coast contingents for the first time this season, #341 Nico Izzi and #577 Martin Davalos. The day started out fairly well for the teammates as Izzi clocked in at 6th and the determined Davalos set the 9th fastest Timed – Qualifying lap.
The gate dropped in Heat race #1, seeing Izzi jump out of the gate well and hold the early lead. The intensity of the battling was at a high, and unfortunately Izzi clipped a tough block which caused him to crash. After getting remounted toward the rear of the field, Izzi made a valiant attempt to qualify but 12th was all he could muster. Qualifying hopes had been dashed, sending Izzi to the LCQ. Slated into Heat race #2, Davalos rocketed out to the early lead and tried to settle in. Racing a little tight, Davalos fell back to 4th. With only a few laps until the finish, the FMF backed rider found a pace that eventually would bring him closer to the leaders. This allowed Martin to dart forward maintaining 4th, and more importantly avoid the LCQ. The LCQ got underway with Izzi safely up front, where he cautiously rode on to a 2nd place finish which gave him a spot in the twenty man field.
For the main event, both Yamaha pilots got decent starts, especially Izzi after having to start from the far outside of the gate in hopes of avoiding any misfortunes. Smart moves in the first few turns though allowed both Davalos 8th, and Izzi 9th to be in contention. Racing jittery, the teammates rode wheel to wheel but had troubles making any gains. Through the entire race, both Nico and Martin rode a consistent pace, hovering within 8th to 9th. When the fifteen laps were up, Izzi secured 8th making well on a tough night and his teammate Davalos took a frustrating 9th for his tally.
Star Racing thanks the following companies for their commitment.
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.

Indianapolis, Indiana- The AMA Supercross series headed east to the cold confines of the Lucas Oil Stadium for round seven of the 450 class and round one of the 250 class. It was the BTOSports.com/BBMX/Palmetto Suzuki season debuts of Kyle Keylon, Lucas Crespi and Troy Adams.

And of course, there is always the steady presence of 450 rider and team captain, Jason Thomas. JT has had a few problems in recent mains and in Indy, it continued. The bright light for JT$ is that he has shown that he can dominate LCQ’s with the best of them. We’re still working on the dominating of the main but hopefully one day.

Thomas finished 17th in the main and is 17th in the points chase as well.

As far as our 250 riders are concerned, first turn crashes did both Keylon and Crespi in and both riders failed to qualify for the main event. T-Roy showed everyone what kind of talent he has as, despite only riding for a few weeks, made the main and placed top ten. It was a great ride for Adams, all things considered.

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, Hookit.com, STMX, Kinetic Animation, Safety Kleen, Axcel

The Honda of Troy Team would like to send out thanks to the fans and industry for the warm reception and encouragement at the first 2010 East Coast Lites Supercross Event. The Indianapolis Race proved to be a successful launching point and valuable learning experience for the debuting team. Team member enthusiasm and commitment are guaranteed to yield improved results at the upcoming Atlanta Supercross.

Levi Kilbarger – 412- Levi laid down solid lap times for Honda of Troy throughout the day qualifiers and evening heat races netting him an easy road to the Lites Main Event. He fought through an uncharacteristic mid pack start and battled all moto long in the deep field of lites riders, progressing to a 13th place finish and securing an important 8 points in the East Supercross Lites Class Series opener.

Michael Willard – 92 – Michael put in impressive lap times during each session and found himself the fastest qualifier in the unseeded practice sessions. During Heat Race #1, an average start forced Michael to battle Brett Metcalfe and take a 4th place finish advancing him to the Main Event. The Lites Main Event started off extremely tough when he found himself in 20th place on the first lap. A slippery, one-lined track hampered his ability to advance to the front eventually earning him a 16th place overall finish.

Darryn Durham – 36 – Darryn appeared confident all day in qualifying, entering the night program with a top 10 time. His disappointment was evident when during the first heat race he was claimed in a first turn pile up and was forced to fight his way through the pack. At the end of the short 6 laps, he found himself in 10th place – one spot out of the night program – which placed him into the dreaded last chance qualifier. With only two transfer spots open in the LCQ, Darryn’s Eleven 10 Mods motor got him out the gate quickly into a fourth place start but a lack of track options proved difficult to overcome and resulted in a 3rd place finish, knocking him out of the Main Event.

Sean Lipanovich – 505 – Sean came out strong during the day by dialing in the track and proving his skill set is well suited to Supercross racing. With Indianapolis being his professional racing debut, he obtained consistently competitive lap times but in a stacked field of East Coast Lites riders, Sean found himself two spots out of qualifying for the night program.

The Honda of Troy/Kilbarger Racing Team would like to acknowledge the sponsors who make this effort possible.

Honda of Troy, Kilbarger Racing LLC, Eleven 10 Mods, WAR – We All Ride, Fox Racing Shox, Cycra Racing, Motorex, TAG Metals, Yoshimura, Motion Pro, Renegade Race Fuel, Faction Mx, N-Style, Dunlop, DP Brake Pads, QTM, G2 Ergonomics, ARC, Boyesen, Light Speed, Hinson, RK/Excel, Ride Eng., Hammerhead, Straight Shot Air Filters, Bell Helmets, Hot Hedz Designs, Von Zipper, Total Image AutoSport, Kicker, ICW, Rocks Racing Services, Injectioneering, IMS Foot Pegs, Franklin Equipment, and Gabriel Logan

Corona, Calif. (February 22, 2010) – Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki’s Christophe Pourcel didn’t let an injury in January slow him down as he returned to action, and the top step of the podium in Indianapolis on Saturday night. The defending AMA Supercross Lites Eastern Region champion started his quest to defend his title in dominating fashion winning both his heat race and the main event. His teammate Dean Wilson made his AMA professional debut and came home a solid sixth on the difficult Indy track.

In qualifying practice Pourcel led the way continually turning in impressive lap times with Wilson just behind him posting the fifth best time. Both riders were slated for the second heat and Pourcel came out of the first turn near the front. He soon made his way to the lead and didn’t look back. With Pourcel leading, Wilson battled to a sixth-place result.

“I kind of surprised myself on the starting line,” said Wilson. “I wasn’t really nervous and I thought I probably should be. I did ride a little tight and the track was totally different than anything I’ve even ridden. I learned a lot of things and I want to move forward to next weekend.”

In the main event Pourcel narrowly missed the holeshot but quickly moved to the front of the field. The French rider led all 15 laps in front of more than 60,000 fans, building a five second margin of victory. Wilson came through the first turn in sixth and rode steady throughout the main to hold that position at the checkered flag.

“The track was tight,” said Pourcel. “I knew I had to get to the lead early so I made my passes on the first lap. From there I just trusted my conditioning and rode strong throughout the race. It is good to start the season with a win.”

The Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki team now heads to the Georgia Dome in Atlanta for Round 2 of the AMA Supercross Lites Eastern Region. Atlanta is notorious for close racing action on its red Georgia clay track surface.

Adelanto, CA – The KTM duo of FMF/KTM rider Kurt Caselli and RPM/KTM rider Brenden Ritzman, dominated the Pro Team race at the 30th and final running of the Adelanto Grand Prix.

Caselli started the weekend well winning the Individual Pro race during Saturday’s main event. Caselli started 3rd around the first turn and then took the lead part way into the first lap. He led each lap of the race until he crossed the checkered flag lapping all but four riders by the end of the race. In addition to Caselli’s Individual Pro race win he also won the Unclassified race well fellow KTM rider Colton Sanders won the Open A and 4-Stroke A class.

On Sunday, an estimated crowd of 30,000 spectators lined the streets of Adelanto for the highly popular team race. The team race starts LeMan’s style with one team member holding the bike while the other has to run to the bike, jump on and take off before the others. They then proceed to switch off each lap until the end of the race.

Caselli and Ritzman nailed the holeshot when Caselli was the first to run to his bike, press the electric start button on his KTM 450 XC-F and pin it to the first turn. From the start of the race to the finish, the KTM team led it all, eventually stretching out their lead to over 4 minutes. The KTM Team averaged a speed of 60 mph on the 6 mile course which included fast paced paved and dirt roads, a water jump and a small motocross section. “This was the scariest race I have participated in my life because the people and objects just seem to jump out in front of you at all times. And, it is so fast,” commented Ritzman. “But at the same time I can also say it is the most fun I have had in a while and I am happy that Kurt and I came away with the win.”

Caselli was equally satisfied with the team win, “Our bike was the fastest bike hands down. When you have a great product behind you the rest came easy. Brenden was a great teammate, he was on it all day long and our bike set-up is similar which it made it really easy to switch back and forth. I was happy to come out to this event and take the win. My goal this year is to get back to my roots and participate in many of the local desert races – this one was my first priority,” stated Caselli.

Both riders will spend the week practicing in California before heading to Primm, NV for the second round of the WORCS this Sunday.

Buttrick and Bobbitt Top the Podium
KTM Race Report – National Enduro Round 2

Greensboro, GA – FMF/KTM Factory riders Cory Buttrick and Russell Bobbitt finished 1st and 2nd respectively at the second round of the AMA National Enduro Series.

Both KTM riders rode a strong race finishing each special test within seconds of one another. Charles Mullins started the day out with the lead but mechanical problems kept him from finishing the race and allowed Buttrick and Bobbitt to pull ahead.

“I am from Georgia, so this is definitely one of the rounds where I felt most comfortable,” commented Bobbitt. “I wasn’t as fast and aggressive as I needed to be to get the win today. I know what I need to work on and I plan to come back stronger for the third round.”

Buttrick, who has been using the first two National Enduro rounds as a warm-up to the GNCC Series was thrilled to take home a win. “I am really excited to win this enduro. Earning a win here definitely helps my confidence as I head to Florida for the first GNCC round. I had fun these first two rounds and hope to return to the National Enduro Series in a few weeks.

Two rounds into the series Buttrick holds the points led with Bobbitt 9 points behind in third.

Next Round: Alligator Enduro, March 4, 2010

Overall Results –
1. Cory Buttrick – KTM
2. Russell Bobbitt – KTM
3. Mike Lafferty – Husaberg
4. Charles Mullins
5. Glenn Kearney
6. Nick Fahringer – Husaberg
7. Nate Kanney – KTM
8. Brad Bakken – KTM
9. Cole Kirkpatrick – KTM
10. Andrew Delong – KTM

JP Davis Pro Kawasaki KX 450F
Robby Bell Pro Kawasaki KX 450F
Justin Seeds A/Pro-2 Kawasaki KX 450F

JP Davis headed out to the District 36 Hare Scrambles at E Street MX track. With over 20 Pros on the line, the field was stacked. JP got off to a slow start with an uncharacteristic 10 kick start. He wasted no time charging through the pack and was up to 9th at the end of lap 1. He continued to push forward till he caught the leader. A battle ensued until he made the pass stick. From there he pulled away to over a minute lead. When the checkered flag came out, as the clock ran down to zero, he put in 1 more lap than anyone else. First overall the hard way.

Robby Bell showed up for the SRA GP at Glen Helen. In the heavyweight expert class, he took a 3rd place start. Half way through the first lap, he moved into 1st. From here he pulled away to an easy win. With only a 15 minute break until the team race (which he iron maned), it was gas and get back to the line. A poor start put him near the back of the 20 rider front row. He wasted little time getting to the front and at the end of the first lap was 2nd. Lap two he took the lead and disappeared. He improved on his first race lap times, and finished with nearly a 2 minute lead.

Justin Seeds also ran at the SRA GP. In the heavyweight expert class, he took 5th. He ran strong against a field of many pro riders. Then he iron maned the team race. He was nearly last after something jammed his rear brake. He charged on to pass into 4th at the finish.

Next up is the WORCS race at Primm, Nevada this weekend.

Lafferty Podiums at Cherokee National Enduro
Husaberg Race Report – National Enduro Series Round 2

Greensboro, GA – 8-time AMA National Enduro Champion, Mike Lafferty finished 3rd overall at the second round of the AMA National Enduro Series hosted by the Cherokee Enduro Riders Club.

Georgia courses are known for being tight and technical with mostly hard-packed clay sections, and of course, roots. This round was no different. “The course was typical of Georgia,” commented Lafferty. “It was tight woods for miles. The weather was perfect and there were no problems with dust, it was a great day for a race.”

Lafferty’s results stayed consistent throughout the day. He remained within the top three through most checks and finished the race in 3rd place approximately 20 seconds behind the 2nd place finisher, Russell Bobbitt.

Fellow Husaberg rider Nick Fahringer had a solid finish just missing 5th position by 4 seconds. “I struggle a little bit to ride this type of terrain. I had been practicing the past few weeks on softer dirt and it hurt my results today,” stated Fahringer. “Overall, I felt pretty good and my result was decent. I am heading to Florida now to prepare for the next round and hope to improve my result at the Alligator.”

Next Event: Round 3 – Alligator National Enduro – March 4, 2010

Overall Results –

1. Cory Buttrick
2. Russell Bobbitt
3. Mike Lafferty – Husaberg
4. Charles Mullins
5. Glenn Kearney
6. Nick Fahringer – Husaberg
7. Nathan Kanney
8. Brad Bakken
9. Cole Kirkpatrick