RK Excel America

JDR Motorsports/Motorex/KTM rider PJ Larsen claimed the 2010 Rockstar Energy Australian MX Nationals title in the Pro Lites category one round early during Coolum’s mega double-header season finale in Queensland on July 24-25, 2010.

Larsen’s top finishing scores throughout the season gave him an 84 point advantage heading to the final round which allowed him to take the championship after Saturday’s race and gave him the opportunity to run his new #1 plate during Sunday’s event.

Saturday’s race was comprised of three 8-lap motos. Larsen pulled the holeshot in the first moto and went on to finish 2nd in the moto. He finished 2nd and 4th respectively in the next two motos to take 3rd overall for the day and the Championship.

The series win marks a fitting finale to what has been a dominant season for Larsen and the JDR Motorsports outfit in its maiden season in cooperation with KTM, the team taking out the title on the weekend using the all-new 2011 KTM 250 SX-F model.

“It means a lot to me to win this title after getting the opportunity to come and do a season in Australia with the JDR Motorsports/Motorex/KTM Team,” commented the 19-year-old, who is originally from South Carolina. “I’m glad that we could come out with the championship.”

The championship victory is a proud moment for the JDR Motorsports team, winning the title in memory of teammate Andrew McFarlane, who was tragically killed in at Broadford’s third round of the title earlier this season.

“The whole team has been working really hard because we wanted to win the title for Andrew – the whole goal was to go and do our best, make Andrew proud, and I think that we did a good job of it,” Larsen said, eventually winning with a comfortable margin of 65 points.

With the pressures of the championship challenge off his shoulders for Sunday’s round, California-based Larsen endured a difficult end to the season by his standards, taking out 4th overall with a consistent run of 4-5-4 results.

“It definitely wasn’t the best weekend for me,” he reflected. “I’ve been resting up an ankle injury that I suffered in the lead-up to Moree, but all in all we made the best of what we had, won the championship and that’s all that matters.”

“Winning the Pro Lites title is a first for PJ, it’s a first for the JDR team and it’s a first for the 2011 model KTM 250 SX-F,” Team Manager Jay Rynenberg commented. “I think PJ really proved a point to the Americans as well that he’s going to be a guy to be reckoned with next year. It’s a credit to his work ethic and a really good day for JDR.

Team JDR Motorex KTM team will now be preparing for the upcoming Super X Australasian

Supercross Championship, which is scheduled to kick-off at Energy Australia Stadium in Newcastle on October 16, 2010.

As for Larsen, he will return to the United States for the next two months and prepare for the Australian Supercross Series while in California. During his first week back he plans to relax and watch some racing instead of participate. “I am planning on going to the X-Games and then to Loretta Lynn’s in order to just catch up with some friends and take a break.”

Visit www.mxnationals.com.au for more information and detailed results on the 2010 Rockstar Energy MX Nationals. For further information on KTM Australia log onto www.ktm.com.au or visit www.jdrmotorsports.com.au to visit the JDR Motorsports team on the web.

Washougal, WA – Jagermeister/KTM rider Mike Alessi’s 11th place overall race result does not do justice for the effort and speed he brought to the Washougal Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship round over the weekend.

Alessi was running practice times within the top five before crashing and tweaking his knee in the first practice session on Saturday morning. He took it easy in the second practice and eventually was credited with 13th gate pick going into moto one.

When the gate dropped for the first moto Alessi came around the corner in 10th place. He rode strong throughout the moto and was able to make up four positions to move into 6th place before the checkered flag.

In the second moto Alessi had a good jump but, oddly enough, came together with his brother Jeff Alessi in the second corner and once restarted was way back at the tail end of the pack. He spent the first half of the moto picking up every position he could and once he had passed about half of the pack he made another mistake that sent him to the ground. Now even more determined Alessi put on a hard charge and ran lap times consistent with the 2nd place runner. He eventually finished 13th for the second moto unable to make up the time lost from the crashes.

“I felt a lot more comfortable today and was glad to finally put down some good lap times. I have suffered from too many crashes over the past few weeks and have found myself at the back of the pack too many times. I need to work on riding more relaxed to help keep it on two wheels. I am just disappointed with my results lately and am more determined than ever to show that my KTM belongs on the podium,” commented Alessi.

His FMF/KTM teammate Tommy Searle had a decent showing in the 250 class in only his second week back from injury. Searle rode to a solid 10th place finish in moto one but turned heads in the second moto when he went from about 13th to 7th. His moto scores earned him 8th overall for the day. “I am still working on my endurance since returning from my shoulder injury. Each day I feel better and I am getting stronger in the end of the race. I hope to be back within the top five at the next round,” remarked Searle.

Buchanan, MI – The largest crowd of the year turned up at the Red Bud Motocross National to witness an exciting weekend of racing on the anniversary of our country’s Independence.

In addition to Jagermeister/KTM rider Mike Alessi competing in the 450 class, KTM also invited 38 year-old veteran Motocross racer Mike Brown to fill in for the injured Tommy Searle. Brown had not competed in the 250 class since 2005 but was excited and ready for the opportunity. If that wasn’t enough, FMF/KTM rider and reigning GNCC XC2 Champion Kailub Russell decided to make his pro motocross debut in the 450 class at the Red Bud National.

Alessi and Russell were up first in 450 Group A practice. Alessi had solid practice times throughout the day and was able to qualify 8th heading into the main. Russell wasn’t as fortunate. “I struggled to adjust to the track in the first practice session and then I had a huge crash in the second practice session where I hurt my knee,” commented Russell. He had to return to the pits to evaluate his injury and missed the remainder of the second practice session, and as a result, did not qualify. “I am disappointed in my performance today but I am more determined to qualify at another national. I am going to try to come back for Unadilla and hopefully will achieve my goal of qualifying for my first pro national.”

Brown turned some fast lap times in the 250 practice but also had a few issues. He tweaked his knee in the second practice but still managed to turn lap times inside the top twenty. Not too bad for someone who got the call to race Red Bud three days before the race. “I had so much fun out there on the 250. It is definitely the fastest 250 I have ever ridden in my life,” remarked Brown of his ride.

The 450 class was the first moto of the day. Alessi started 5th around the first turn and remained close to the top four as they made their way around the track. Unfortunately, he made a mistake on a step up jump at the back of the track part way into the first lap and fell dropping to 30th position. The remainder of the race he set out to make up as many positions as he could. He eventually passed half the field to move up to 10th place at the moto end. It was an impressive ride for such and unfortunate start.

In the second 450 moto Alessi again garnered a top ten start but made a few mistakes that dropped him back to 7th after the first few laps. He continued to push but lost two more positions before the moto end to finish 9th in the second moto. His 10-9 moto scores earned him 9th overall for the day.

In the 250 class Brown got out to a 10th place start in both motos. In the first moto, he started 10th and was holding his position when he made a costly mistake which caused him to stall the bike in a corner and dropped him to 24th. He spent the remainder of the moto picking off riders to eventually finish 19th. In the second moto he took his 10th place start and managed

to use it to his advantage. After a few good battles with both Darryn Durham and Vince Friese, Brown was able to finish 12th in the second moto. His 19-12 scores earned him 17th overall in his first 250 motocross race in five years.

“I had so much fun today. I really enjoyed being here and revisiting with the fans. I love to come back here and race every once in a while in between the WORCS and EnduroCross races that I am currently contesting.” Finishing right behind Brown were KTM privateer riders Killy Rusk and Phil Nicoletti. In addition, there were three more KTM privateer riders qualifying for the Red Bud main event: Tevin Tapia, Willy Browning and Greg Durivage – for a total of 6 KTM’s in the 250 main event.

Next Event: Millville, MN – July 17, 2010

Mechanicsville, MD – Jagermeister/KTM rider Mike Alessi finished 5th overall at the fourth round of the Lucas Oil AMA Motocross Championship Series.

Alessi had a decent start in the first moto coming around the first turn in 4th position. He quickly moved up to 2nd place and was able to maintain a quick pace behind leader Andrew Short. After a strong ride he was able to finish the moto in 2nd place, holding off a hard-charging Ryan Dungey who finished 3rd.

In the second 450 moto, Alessi had another good jump but went a little wide and came out of the first turn in about 5th position. Near the end of the first lap Alessi made contact with another rider while going for a pass which heavily damaged the front brake causing complete loss of his front brake system. Unfortunately, having no front brake caused Alessi to take wide lines to handle the track which caused his lap times to fall. He eventually salvaged a 12th place position. His 2-12 moto scores earned him 5th overall.

In the 250 class, FMF/KTM rider Tommy Searle had a mid-pack start in moto one and had to try and work his way up. He struggled to make up some time due to a nagging shoulder injury and eventually finished 12th.

At the start of the second 250 moto, Searle got a good jump out of the gate but was hit from behind which sent him sailing across the track into the repeater banner and dropped him to the tail end of the pack. As he picked up his pace and began to make some passes he came to the triple step-up and took a middle line between two riders. The rider on the outside squared up the next turn cutting into Searle’s line sending his handlebar into Searle’s already injured shoulder. The pain was too much to finish the race and Searle didn’t finish the moto. He will return to his home in Murrieta, CA for another MRI. It is undetermined if he will race the next round.

Next Event: Thunder Valley – June 26, 2010

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

Millfield, OH – FMF/KTM Rider Cory Buttrick earned his first career XC1 win at the most fitting race of the series, his hometown race and the race named in honor of the legendary KTM man himself, John Penton.

Buttrick was quite confident going into the race. “I always like this track and I always perform better when my friends and family are around to cheer me on,” remarked Buttrick in a pre-race interview.

What Buttrick and the rest of the riders didn’t expect was the weekend rainstorm which would turn the track into a complete mess. The normally three-hour race was cut down to two-hours due to heavy rain storms. The course was drenched in rain and very hard to navigate.

Buttick nailed the holeshot at the start of the XC1 class but slipped to 2nd behind Thaddeus Duvall within the first lap. “I just had to slow down a bit on the first lap to allow for more caution in some of the deep mud holes. I knew those mud puddles would make or break the race today so I took the first lap to figure out the course,” stated Buttrick.

Alongside Buttrick for the battle for the lead position was his teammate, Nate Kanney. At one point Kanney was as high up as 2nd and right on the tail of Josh Strang and Buttrick as the three riders battled it out for the lead position on the final lap. Approximately four miles to the finish all three riders became stuck in a mud hole. Buttrick was able to get up with the help of a friendly push from Strang and Kanney took an outside line up the far edge of the hill to catch up to Buttrick. As Buttrick charged ahead, Kanney suffered unfortunate luck and had a bike malfunction which caused him to DNF as he was sitting in 2nd place.

“I felt so good today. The past few races I have been battling up front and suffered some bad luck. It’s good to know that I can run the pace and I know a win is coming. Hopefully I can regroup and put my bike on the top of the podium at Snowshoe,” stated Kanney. “However, I am really happy for Cory. I just wish we could have had both team bikes on the podium today.”

Buttrick eventually crossed the checkered flag to take his first career XC1 win. “It feels so amazing to get my first win at my home track in front of my friends and family. I can’t explain how excited I am to get this win. I definitely couldn’t have done it without the support of my team.”

“Buttrick picked a great day to earn his first career win,” stated FMF/KTM Team Manager Antti Kallonen. “We have all known he was capable of winning a GNCC for some time. We hope that this win serves as motivation to continue the trend for the remainder of the series.”

The XC2 class was full of surprises. Reigning champion, FMF/KTM rider Kailub Russell had a top three start but got stuck in a mud hole on the first lap and dropped back. On the second lap, he became stuck again, this time getting barbed wire stuck in his rear wheel. Russell returned to the mechanics area to get it taken care of but had lost precious time to the leaders. He would get stuck once more before the race ended and due to time lost eventually finished the race a lap down and 10th for the day. “It just wasn’t my day today,” commented Russell. “I tried my best but continuously got stuck and just couldn’t find my rhythm.”

His teammate Steward Baylor spent the majority of the day battling for a podium position. “I started 6th and was pretty much handed 4th when two riders got stuck ahead of me,” remarked the 15 year-old Baylor. “Then I was stuck and back to 7th and then again some riders had bad luck and I was back up to 3rd.” Baylor remained in 3rd until the final lap where he got stuck near the end of the course and lost over two minutes trying to pull himself from the mud hole. He eventually finished a hard fought 7th overall.

Taking the win in the XC2 class was KTM privateer rider Jesse Robinson. A regular podium contender this season, Robinson was excited to get his first win of the year. “We are very excited to see Robinson do so well today. He is one of the most experienced riders in the XC2 class and is very deserving of this win,” remarked Kallonen.

Not only did KTM win the XC1 and XC2 classes but also won the Women’s class as Maria Forsberg earned her sixth straight win and the 2010 Championship plate. Equally impressive KTM also won each of the youth races (results below). “The John Penton GNCC is very important to KTM. The race is in honor of John Penton and it is important to KTM that we finish well at this race. We are excited to win both the pro races but to have KTM riders win all classes today was a remarkable feat. Congrats to all champions,” stated Kallonen.

Next Event: Snowshoe, WV – June 27, 2010

Somerset, PA – FMF/KTM riders Cory Buttrick and Kailub Russell both landed on the podium at the seventh round of the GNCC Series after each earning 2nd overall in their respective classes.

Buttrick started the XC1 Pro race in 2nd place around the first turn and had moved into the lead by turn two. Buttrick led the majority of the first lap before being passed by his teammate Nate Kanney who led the race as they passed the check point at the end of lap one with Buttrick right behind him.

Kanney, Buttrick and Barry Hawk marked the top three as the second lap began. The three swapped positions multiple times the next few laps with Kanney leading the end of the second lap and Buttrick leading after the third lap. “It was really fun today. I would be leading Nate and then a lapper would get in my way and he would go around me. Then moments later the same would happen to him and I would get back around. It was cool to be battling for the lead with my teammate,” remarked Buttrick.

Soon Charles Mullins had moved up into the mix for the lead position and it became a four-way battle for the number one spot. “I felt great out there,” remarked Kanney. “My bike was running great the whole race and every time someone caught me I was able to increase my speed and get right back around them.”

Unfortunately, during the battle for the lead, Kanney suffered a big crash on lap five sending his bike to the ground and his body into a tree. Kanney was down for about a minute before he recovered and continued to race. “I was really bummed after my crash because I felt so good today. I tried to make back the time I lost but it was so close to the end of the race, I didn’t have enough time. I am just glad to know that I was able to run the pace needed to lead the race today and that I will be healthy for the next round.”

When the checkered flag flew, Mullins took the win and Buttrick finished 2nd overall. Kanney was able to finish in 5th place after his crash.

The XC2 Pro Lites class also had its share number of crashes as the muddy and rocky course proved to be one of the most challenging courses so far this season. Rookie FMF/KTM rider Steward Baylor nailed the holeshot on his 250 XC two-stroke, followed by Jason Thomas and fellow FMF/KTM rider and current points leader Kailub Russell. Shortly into the race, Russell had his first crash of the day.

“I think I fell three times on the first lap. I was just having an off day and making rookie mistakes,” remarked Russell. Despite his early race crashes, Russell was able to pass the entire field before the end of the first lap and came across in the lead at the completion of lap one.

A crash on the second lap allowed Thomas back by and the remainder of the race Russell had to play catch up to make up for time lost during his crashes. “Unfortunately I didn’t perform the best today and the win went to Jason. I am happy to still be in the points lead but will definitely shoot for being back on top of the podium at the next round,” stated Russell.

Baylor, who dropped to 3rd after his early holeshot, had a pretty good lead on the 4th place runner nearing the final lap. Unfortunately, he got stuck in a mud hole which allowed the 4th place bike of KTM rider Jesse Robinson to get around him and take the 3rd place position. Baylor finished 4th overall putting three KTM riders in the top five.

For the fifth straight race in a row, RPM/KTM rider Maria Forsberg dominated the Women’s class and took home another win. She continues to lead the points as the series heads to round 8.

Next Event – Millfield, OH – June 6, 2010 – Round 8

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

Seattle, WA – FMF/KTM rider Phil Nicoletti earned 8th overall in his first race aboard the FMF/KTM 250 SX-F race machine.

The wet weather in Seattle narrowed the day’s schedule to one practice session. Each group went out for their practice session by warming up the first few laps and then trying their hardest to put down their fastest lap in the remaining minutes. Nicoletti rolled out of practice with the 16th fastest time of the night. “The track was difficult and very rutted. It was hard to get in a solid lap time in the short practice but if gave us a good taste of what would come for the remainder of the night,” remarked Nicoletti.

Nicoletti was placed in Heat #1. He got out to a good jump but got tangled with a tuff block in the second turn. He managed to stay up but caught the tuff block cover in his wheel and had to pull off and remove the cover. Once back on course, Nicoletti was sitting in dead last and had to make a come from behind charge into the top nine qualifying positions. Nicoletti charged hard and made it back up to 8th to grab a spot on the main event gate.

As the gate dropped for the main event Nicoletti got a good jump on his KTM and came around the first turn within the top ten and made it up to 6th by the second corner. A small mistake caused him to drop to 9th on lap two. He remained in 9th position through the halfway mark of the race. On lap ten he lost a position to Trey Canard but then gained the position back when he caught and passed Hunter Hewitt on lap eleven. One lap later Canard crashed and Nicoletti moved into 8th position. The final two laps were filled with excitement as Nicoletti and Max Anstie battled for 8th position. Anstie was able to get around him on the final lap but went wide in a turn allowing Nicoletti to make the necessary block pass to close for the position. Nicoletti finished 8th overall.

“I am not overly pleased with my result as I hoped to be in the top five. However, considering the conditions of the track, I am happy to finish within the top ten and will work toward improving that result at Salt Lake,” stated Nicoletti.

Next Event: Salt Lake City Supercross – May 1, 2010