RK Excel America

Washougal Motocross Park in Washougal, Washington was the site of round eight of the Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship. The Troy Lee Designs / Lucas Oil / Honda team had a rough go at this event.

Ben Townley was running fourth in the first moto when he suffered a crash in the whoops before the end of the opening lap. Ben was very sore and did not race the second moto. Fortunately, nothing is broken. Ben suffered a bruised shoulder and is still quite sore from the crash, but says that he expects to be 100% for Unadilla.

“Yeah, Washougal wasn’t so good for me,” said Townley. “My shoulder is sore but I’ll rehabilitate it over the next two weeks and I will be ready for Unadilla.”

Cole Seely had a tough day as well. Cole rounded the first turn in moto 1 and took a rock directly in the nose. He broke his nose in three places and had to retire for the day. Cole is doing phenomenally well, and not only does he plan on being ready for Unadilla, he’s still planning on racing at the X-Games in the “speed and style” event this Saturday.

Also returning to the action at Unadilla will be the number 49 of Wil Hahn. After a great start to the season, Wil suffered a shoulder injury during practice before the Lakewood National.

The team is in Los Angeles right now getting ready for X Games 16. Tara Gieger will be racing Women’s SX, and Cole Seely will be racing Speed and Style.

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

Washougal, WA -The AMA MX National Series rolled into the beautiful state of Washington to attend round eight at Washougal MX Park. DNA Shred Stix/Star Racing/Yamaha comprised of #20 Broc Tickle, #48 Max Anstie, #341 Nico Izzi, and #577 Martin Davalos came in with hopes of keeping their status of fixtures up front intact. Things proved to be tough, as in the first practice Tickle swapped out through a roller section and hit the ground, which in return broke his collarbone. Unfortunately it didn’t end there, when in the early stages of moto one Anstie crashed in the very same section and was taken to the hospital. Further tests had him in the ICU through Monday with a lacerated spleen, but he has since been released and flown home to rest. Look for more updates on those riders as they come in, but our day at Washougal did end up having some bright moments that occured sporadically.

Taking top honors on this weekend would go to Davalos, who continues to slowly bring his total package together and match it up with the raw speed he holds. However, after a bad start in moto one and a crash that brought him into the mechanics area briefly to bend the bike into proper form, the likeable rider pulled himself up through the field. The task was accomplished, and he successfully piloted the #577 YZ 250F up to 22nd place by the races end. Moto two was a much better showing, sitting 6th on lap one, Davalos battled for 5th through the races entirety. By doing so, he took a hold of 5th and made it his own with four laps until the finish due to his determination and closed this round out positively.

Bringing another positive to a tough day was Izzi, grabbing a 7th place start in moto one, #341 put the hammer down. After moving up one spot very quickly, Izzi kept the fight going. With less than four laps to go, he battled relentlessly to maintain his position. In the end Izzi dropped two spots, seeing him fall back to a finish score of 9th. Nico’s moto two began well with him sitting 11th momentarily. The talented youngster rode hard and held his position by mid race. When the checkers were thrown, Izzi had slipped back into 18th, and his consistency was a building block.

Be sure to tune in to the X Games on Thursday to see Jessica Patterson go after the Women’s Super X Gold Medal!

Corona, Calif. (July 27, 2010) – Christophe Pourcel led the Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki squad as the team took four of the top six spots this week at Washougal finishing 2-2 for second overall. Joining Pourcel on the podium was Tyla Rattray, who finished third after going 4-3. Rookie Dean Wilson finished 6-6 for fifth overall and Jake Weimer went 3-11 for sixth overall.

“The race was good for me,” said Pourcel. “I felt good during both motos, but I didn’t have a clutch in second moto. It was difficult in the slower sections because I was worried about stalling the bike.”

In qualifying Pourcel set the second fastest time with Wilson fourth quickest. Weimer continued to improve finishing qualifying sixth and Rattray was only able to set the 12th best time.

“Nothing really special happened today,” said Rattray. “I’ve been sick all week and my ears are still all clogged. I think I rode well.”

In the first moto, Wilson launched out of the gate and nearly grabbed the holeshot, with Weimer right behind him. Wilson stayed in second through the first two laps but then crashed and got back up in 19th place. Pourcel didn’t get a good start coming out 10th but he worked his way up to second on the 13th lap. Rattray started eighth and worked his way up to fourth with Weimer staying up at the front all moto to finish third.

“It felt good to get on the podium again in the first moto,” said Weimer. “I need to put together two strong motos and get back to the top step for an overall win.”

In the second moto, the start was almost identical for Wilson as he again nearly got the holeshot, but the rookie went down on the first lap falling back to 15th. The rest of the team held down the second, third and fourth spots with Pourcel, ahead Rattray and Weimer. On the 11th lap, Weimer went down and fell back to 11th. During the moto, Wilson worked his way up from 15th to sixth to earn a top five finish.

“I’m kind of bummed right now, but also I feel good about how I rode,” said Wilson. “I never want to crash and especially not twice in two motos, but at the same time I know I rode really well so that’s the positive I’m taking from this weekend.”

Now the team has two weeks off before heading to Unadilla in New Berlin, New York for the ninth round of the series with Pourcel holding a 38-point lead in the standings.

HUNTERSVILLE, N.C. (July 26, 2010) – Washougal Motocross Park in Washougal, Wash. was the site of round eight of the 2010 AMA Pro Motocross Championship. Washougal is regarded as one of the most scenic courses on the tour, with its mountainous elevation changes and majestic Douglas-fir trees contributing to a picturesque northwestern setting unmatched by any track on the circuit. Celebrating its 30th anniversary, Washougal declared the event a “retro” day and encouraged the racers and fans to wear and display clothes and graphics from days gone by.

Josh Grant was still suffering the effects of severe heat stroke from the Millville race and with temperatures in the mid-nineties the Muscle Milk/Toyota/JGRMX Team was doing everything possible to keep Grant cool before the race started. In Grant’s condition, a top-10 would have been an admirable accomplishment. Instead, the always determined Grant gutted out a fourth place finish in the opening moto. Immediately after the moto concluded the team helped Grant out of his SHIFT race gear and into a baby pool filled with ice and water. Justin Brayton struggled to find his stride in the first moto and found himself uncharacteristically in 17th at the checkers.

The second motos are the most physically demanding as recovery time from the first moto is minimal. Grant once again attempted to stay as cool as possible prior to the start, but by this time he was visibly fighting the effects of the lingering heat stroke. When the gate fell for the second moto both Grant and Brayton were at the front of the field with Brayton fifth and Grant 10th. Grant started moving forward, working his way into seventh just after the halfway point. On lap nine, suffered a minor crash. The impact of the fall forced his helmet visor down over his face and after remounting he rode partially blinded to a 16th place finish. Brayton, who was disappointed with his earlier ride found some inspiration and put in his best moto of the season finishing just one spot off the podium in fourth. Grant’s four – 16 moto finishes earned him 12th overall, with Brayton’s 17 – four results giving him 13th for the day. Grant moved ahead two positions in series points to fourth while Brayton, who missed the first two rounds due to injury sits in 15th.

The original broadcast from Washougal aired live on SPEED. The next event for the Muscle Milk/Toyota/JGRMX Team will be X Games 16 in Los Angeles, Calif. with Justin Brayton racing SuperX July 29 and Josh Grant competing in the Best Whip competition July 30. ESPN will air the SuperX race live between 8:00 p.m. and 11:00 p.m. and the Best Whip between 7:00 and 11:30 p.m. (EST). Round nine of the AMA Pro Motocross Championship will be Aug. 14 at Unadilla Sports Valley in New Berlin, N.Y. NBC will broadcast the action from Unadilla live starting at 3:00 p.m. (EST).

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.

Over the past weekend DNA Shred Stix/Star Racing/Yamaha visited Michigan’s Red Bud Track & Trail for the sixth round of the AMA MX National Series. With track and weather at a premium, team riders #20 Broc Tickle, #48 Max Anstie, #341 Nico Izzi, #577 Martin Davalos and #2 Jessica Patterson all were at full tilt in anticipation of good results.

Taking top honors on the day would be Tickle, starting moto one in 6th after finally getting a decent start due to the heavy testing that was done during the prior week. Lap after lap, Tickle heavily pursued the lead pack, and made his way into 5th and battled to overtake 4th. Riding exceptionally, Tickle kept strong but near the middle of moto he made contact entering an off camber and hit the ground momentarily. Remounting instantly, Tickle pressed on and when the moto came to a culmination, #20 had gotten himself a hard earned 7th. A start in moto two of 10th left some room for improvement. On lap two Tickle had taken his YZ250F to 8th, once there he tried his best for the remainder of 30 min. +2 laps, but things never developed just right and 6th was his finishing destination.

For Davalos moto one started out in a decent fashion, rounding lap one in 11th the Ecuadorian spent much of the race in that spot. Late in the moto, Davalos still had the fighting drive in him and was able to takeover 10th with two laps remaining, which is where he’d go on to finish at. Moto two got underway with Davalos acquiring a 10th place start, now with his potential coming to existence, Davalos held his own and rode up into the 8th spot. Striving to keep his form, his pace fell off momentarily and that shifted the #577 machine back to 12th. Reluctantly, Davalos found some reserve energy and bounced back in the closing laps to nab 8th.

Next in line on the day would be Izzi after a strong start to the weekend. Izzi’s moto one showed great promise, after a 6th place start, Izzi put his head down and worked on building a base after struggling as of late. Lap by lap, the FMF backed rider stayed consistent and maintained his position in the field. This allowed him to very convincingly take a well deserved 9th. An uneventful moto two saw Izzi start 22nd, climb up to 18th by mid moto, and then remain there all the way through the finish.

Max Anstie had a pretty quiet day, having had struggles in both motos. However, in moto two Anstie took the holeshot and the settled back in to the 3rd position. From there, Max held his own as he scrapped it out with the lead pack for much of the race. Unfortunately, Anstie had to pull out of the moto with bike issues and take a tally of 35th to close things out on the day.

Results:

Moto 1 Moto 2 = Overall Finish
Broc Tickle 7th 6th = 7th
Martin Davalos 10th 8th = 9th
Nico Izzi 9th 18th = 12th
Max Anstie 21st 35th = 26th

Jessica Patterson raced like the former champion that she is, in both motos she sat in 2nd and within striking distance. A tick off the leaders speed, rather than risk the title Patterson held onto to the leader’s rear wheel and applied the pressure. With no way of capitalizing on any opportunities, Patterson rode on to a 2 – 2 moto tally and a second overall for the weekend.

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, Cosworth.

Ben Townley had another impressive weekend that put him on the podium at the end of the day. Tarah Gieger backed the teams premier class finish up with a podium of her own in the WMX class and Cole Seely had a tough day but salvaged some points in both of his Motos.

In the first 450 race Townley Started second but it wouldn’t take him long to move into the lead. After a brief battle with Andrew Short he moved into the point position and looked to have things under control. Late in the race Dungey closed in and the two riders began an epic back-and-forth that was easily the best racing of the summer so far. The two riders passed each other at least six times until a rare mistake from Dungey gave Ben some breathing room. On the last lap Ben made a small mistake entering a turn and went down, stalling the bike in the process. The fall cost Ben the moto win and dropped him to fourth. In moto two Townley started fourth but once again quickly sliced his way to second behind Dungey. Ben shadowed the points leader for several laps until he came under fire from Chad Reed. Reed eventually slipped by and Townley settled into a comfortable third. Bens third in the moto would give him third overall, his second podium finish in as many weekends.

“I am so gutted about that first moto,” said Townley about his last-lap crash. “I gave That one away. The good news is that we are making progress every weekend and I feel better and better with each week that goes by. The team has been working really hard and it’s good to start getting some results. I really want to win in Millville.”

Tarah Gieger added another podium finish to her credentials this weekend. Tarah put in solid, steady rides in both motos to get third and third overall.

“Im pumped to be on the podium,” said Gieger. “I need to find a little more speed to run with Ashley and Jess but I feel like Im getting closer. This track was fun and the fans here are unreal. I can’t wait until Millville.”

Cole Seely suffered bad starts and some bad luck and found himself working from the back of the pack in both motos. In moto one he worked into thirteenth and in the second he came up to fifteenth after a couple falls.

“This definitely wasn’t the result I was hoping for but I feel like I rode pretty well,” said Seely. “I have been making progress during the week and I know what I need to do to be ready for the next round. If i can get a start I want to get into the top five at the next race.”

The TLD Team will take a much deserved weekend off and then set their sights on the Spring Creek facility in Millville, Minnesota.

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

Corona, Calif. (July 5, 2010)– It seems at every event the Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki team is threatening to sweep the podium and Red Bud was no exception as Dean Wilson and Christophe Pourcel finished second and third overall respectively. Tyla Rattray was also in position for a podium before a crash sent him back to sixth overall. Jake Weimer rode strong before a crash finishing eighth overall.

There was a new name on the top of the qualifying sheets this weekend, but his livery was still the same black and lime-green of Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki. Rattray became the first rider to eclipse Pourcel in qualifying this year, posting the fastest lap less than three-tenths of a second quicker than the Frenchman. Pourcel was second, with Wilson sixth and Weimer eighth.

“I thought I was riding well today,” said Rattray. “I had some bad lines early, but I was behind Pourcel and followed him to find some good lines. In the second moto I was making a charge at Dean (Wilson) on the off-camber turn. I didn’t see the bump until the last minute. I tried to wheelie over it, but I couldn’t and I went over the handlebars.”

In the first moto, the start looked like an advertisement for Pro Circuit power as Pourcel, Rattray and Weimer pulled the field through the first turn. Wilson didn’t get the jump out of the gate crossing the line at the end of the first lap in seventh. Pourcel and Rattray began to pull away from the field and the teammates would ride in lock-step throughout the 15-lap moto to finish 1-2. Weimer was right there running fourth until the 12th lap when he lost his rear brake and crashed coming down a downhill dropping back to 11th. At the same time, Wilson was charging through the field, and the young rookie made it up to third by the checkered flag.

“I was up front and riding well and then my rear brake was just gone,” said Weimer. “I’m not sure what happened, it was probably a rock or something, but the brake didn’t fade it just didn’t work. Coming down the hill, I had nowhere to go and I hit someone and went down.”

The start of the second moto was great for Wilson and Rattray as they came out 1-2, but Pourcel and Weimer had a battle on their hands coming out seventh and ninth respectively. Wilson led the first ten laps but an aggressive pass by Trey Canard sent him off track and he fell back to second. Right on his rear fender was his teammate Rattray, who also had a go at him, but a breaking bump sent the Rattray over the bars and dropped him to 11th in the order. Both Pourcel and Weimer tried to make their way through the pack on the tight track and the French rider made it up to fifth, while Weimer ended up seventh.

“I tried to pace myself out there,” said Wilson. “I knew it would be a long moto, and the track was rough, so I rode steady and didn’t push too hard. It felt good to lead the second moto early. (Trey) Canard made a pretty aggressive pass to get by me, but it was clean. I went off the track, but I stayed on the throttle and didn’t lose too much ground. It was a good weekend, I finished second and stayed safe.”

The team will now enjoy the weekend off before heading to Minnesota for the Spring Creek National at Millville.

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

Buchanan Results

HUNTERSVILLE, N.C. (July 4, 2010) – Red Bud Track and Trail in Buchanan, Mich. was host to round six and the mid-way point of the 2010 AMA Pro Motocross Championship. The event was the 37th year an AMA national motocross race was held at the facility. The track is best known for hosting its event during the July 4th holiday weekend, and having the largest jump on the circuit, a 120 foot triple jump called LaRocco’s Leap. The jump is named after the first rider to ever conquer the obstacle, the now retired Mike LaRocco.

In the first moto Josh Grant looked to be in contention for the podium but then fell victim to a crash on lap six. He remounted and was able to move up to sixth position at the checkers. Justin Brayton also suffered a crash early in the race and was not able to finish the first moto and was credited with 35th. At the start of the second moto Justin Brayton experienced a fall and started the race in 40th position. He quickly remounted and started to charge from the back of the field. Grant began the moto around mid-pack and also started to advance ending the first lap in 14th. Brayton determinedly worked his way through traffic to end the moto in 19th. Grant was able to advance to sixth.

Grant’s six – six moto scores gave him sixth overall for the day, while Brayton’s 35 – 19 finishes earned him 18th. Grant remains sixth in series points.

The action from Buchanan was broadcast live on NBC at 3:30 p.m. (EST). The next race of the series will be July 17 at Spring Creek Motocross Park in Millville, Minn. The original broadcast from Millville will be on July 17 beginning at 9:00 p.m. (EST) on SPEED.