RK Excel America

Mt. Morris, PA – Jagermeister/KTM rider Mike Alessi and FMF/KTM rider Tommy Searle didn’t have the results they wanted to see after each made a few mistakes at the third round of the series held at High Point Raceway but both riders put in two impressive charges in the final stages of their second moto to build confidence heading to the fourth round next week.

Alessi qualified second fastest in the timed practice earlier in the day. In the first moto he took a 4th place start and maintained that pace for the first part of the race. In the second half he made a few mistakes as the rain lightened up and eventually fell to 7th where he finished the moto.

“I rode a little tight in the first moto and felt tired. Between the motos I tried to rest as much as I could and better prepare myself for the second moto,” commented Alessi.

His second moto was much stronger. This time around he earned a 3rd place start and quickly moved into 2nd. He battled with Ryan Dungey and Josh Grant early in the race. Alessi continued to battle with the top riders throughout the moto making impressive passes in the process. At the end of the race he finished 5th. His 7-5 scores earned him 5th overall.

In the 250 class Tommy Searle earned a 4th place start in the first moto. At one point he ran as high up as 3rd place which was a remarkable feat considering the continuous troubles he has been having with his shoulder. He pushed through the pain and finished a respectable 6th overall.

In the second moto Searle got a mid-pack start and charged hard to come up through the pack. At one point he was as high up as 6th place. It looked like he would continue to move forward until a big mistake over a corner double sent him to the ground hard. “The crash was so big that the wheels on the ground flag came out and I had to sprint over to the area to check him out,” remarked FMF/KTM Team Manager Casey Lytle. Searle collected himself and decided to get back in the race.

Now on the fifth lap of the race, Searle returned to the track over one minute down from 20th position. “We were hoping he could catch 20th so he could get at least one point for the moto,” commented Lytle.

Searle did more than that. He caught up to 20th with just three laps to go with no sign of settling. Over the next three laps he caught and passed five more riders and eventually put himself in 15th position. “The passes he was making were insane. The entire team is proud of him. I believe that once he watches the playback his charge through the pack will inspire a deeper confidence heading into the next round,” said Lytle.

Searle’s 6-15 scores earned him 12th overall and the confidence to fight for a podium position at the next round.

Next Race: Budds Creek MX – June 19, 2010

Wortham, TX – Jagermeister/KTM rider Mike Alessi and FMF/KTM rider Tommy Searle each had disappointing rides at the second round of the Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship Series but managed to earn some much needed championship points to stay in the race.

Alessi had a great start to his day turning the fastest lap time of the qualifying practice session to earn first gate pick heading into the first moto. He had a good jump off the start of moto one but had a bobble which caused his foot to fall off the foot peg and miss a shift down the start straight which gave him an untypical bad start.

From his mid-pack start Alessi was able to work his way toward the top ten. He soon found himself in 11th place and settled there for the majority of the race. “I felt really tight the first moto and couldn’t get in a good groove,” commented Alessi. Right before the two lap mark Alessi suffered a crash while closing in on the 10th place ride of Davi Millsaps. Alessi was quick to recover with the electric start on his KTM 350 SX-F and only lost one position. He finished the moto in 12th place.

While Alessi returned to the pits to evaluate his race and recover from the 100 degree plus temperatures, FMF/KTM rider Tommy Searle headed to the start line. Searle had a remarkable first moto at the opening round of the series earning 2nd overall but suffered a hard crash in the second moto putting him into the ground on his injured shoulder. “I took most the week off after Hangtown to let my shoulder heal but it is definitely still causing me some problems here,” remarked Searle.

When the gate dropped Searle took off down the start straight with a mid-pack start. He came out around 16th and tried his hardest to move up through the pack and salvage points while trying not to push too hard on his injured shoulder. He finished the first moto in 12th. “It’s definitely disappointing to finish outside of the top ten as my goal was to be within the top three at each round this series,” stated Searle.

All eyes were on Alessi in 450 moto two as the gate was about to drop. This time Alessi had a much better start coming around the first corner in 3rd position. He quickly moved into 2nd place and began to close on leader Brett Metcalfe. The top five riders pulled on the pack out front and Alessi remained right on the tail of Metcalfe. On lap three Alessi was able to make a pass for the lead. He led the race approximately three laps before he crashed in the same corner he did in the first moto handing the lead to Ryan Dungey. Alessi recovered in 6th place about 25 seconds down from Dungey. Alessi did his best to recover and gain back lost positions. He eventually caught up to Andrew Short on the final lap and made the pass for 5th position. Alessi’s 12-5 scores gave him 7th for the day and he is now 3rd in overall points.

“This definitely wasn’t my best race but I still felt good on the bike and I know I had the speed to run up front – I just made a few mistakes that cost me today,” remarked Alessi.

The second 250 moto was a repeat of the first for Searle. His start was slightly better completing the first lap in 8th place but a series of mistakes and a weakening shoulder put him right outside the top ten for the majority of the race. He did have a good battle with Jake Weimer and Blake Baggett in the final three laps for the 11th place position but eventually finished in 13th. His 12-13 scores earned him 12th overall.

Next Event: June 13, 2010 – Mt. Morris, PA – Highpoint Raceway

Prairie City, CA – Jagermeister/KTM rider Mike Alessi reinforced that the KTM 350 SX-F is a bike that can run with the 450cc machines after earning 4-1 moto scores for 2nd overall at the opening round of the Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship at the Hangtown Classic.

The week started for Alessi at the Hangtown press conference at the State Capitol building on Thursday morning. Alessi was repeatedly questioned by competitors and media for his choice in racing a 350 SX-F machine – 100cc less than the competition. Alessi answered the skeptics during the second moto on Saturday afternoon when he pulled the holeshot on his new machine and led every lap of the race – earning the bikes first U.S. win.

Alessi’s second moto win coupled with his 4th place finish in moto one after a great battle with Josh Grant and Davi Millsaps earned the KTM rider 2nd overall for the day. Alessi now sits 2nd in points, just two points behind leader Chad Reed.

In the Motocross Lites class FMF/KTM rider, Tommy Searle, was ready to prove that he had been putting in the hard work to put himself in contention for a top three finish since his injury at the beginning of the West Supercross Lites season earlier this year. He qualified with the 9th fastest practice time – running times in the same second as six of the guys qualifying ahead of him.

At the start of the first moto, Searle was running 3rd as they came around the first lap. Christophe Pourcel had the early lead followed by Trey Canard, then Searle and Eli Tomac. The top four remained close throughout the whole moto rarely changing position until the halfway mark.

It was shortly after the halfway point that Pourcel crashed, handing the lead to Tomac who had just moved around Searle. Shortly after, Tomac made a mistake giving the lead to Searle who sprinted forward. Pourcel quickly caught Tomac and moved around him for 2nd. He had his sights set on Searle and soon the two competitors were side by side on the final lap. Pourcel tried to go to the outside in a corner and Searle retaliated with a block pass that sent both riders to the far outside of the track as they headed down hill. Pourcel nearly ran off the track, but saved it at the last second to squeeze by Searle and earn the win. Searle finished right behind him in 2nd to put himself in good contention for the overall. .

Moto two, was not as kind to Searle. He started around 6th place and remained close to the top five riders until his shifter got lodged and made him miss some shifts early in the race pushing him to the back of the top ten. He fixed the problem but soon after suffered a crash, falling on his injured shoulder. He remounted and tried to ride a few laps before the pain caused him to DNF as he was having trouble holding on to the bike. “I have been training really hard for this series and this is a huge disappointment. I will play it safe as to not injure my shoulder anymore and hope that I can be recovered to race in time for the next round,” remarked Searle.

Searle was credited with 31st overall for the moto. His combined moto scores of 2-31 earned him 9th overall for the day. Searle will return home for further evaluation and will make an announcement later in the week as to if he will race the Glen Helen GP this coming weekend.

Next Event: Round 2- Freestone MX – June 5, 2010