RK Excel America

H.O.T. Toronto Race Report

The weekend started off on the right foot with the Honda of Troy Squad being featured on Press Day. Michael Willard- and his Canadian racing history- made him a favorite with the news and television crews.

The additional track time proved to do our guys some good, making a transfer from the day practice into the night program a breeze. #92 Willard ran impressive laps inside the top 10 in timed qualifying. The gate lineup put Kilbarger and Willard in the First Heat and Durham and Lipanovich in the Second. Kilbarger and Willard rode a solid heat race and qualified directly into the main with a 12th & 18th gate pick for the main. Durham and Lipanovich didn’t fair as well as Lipanovich got one of his patented good starts but struggled through the first long timing section. Sean found himself just outside of qualifying in 12th place come race end. Durham was running a strong 6th on lap 2 of the second heat. He made a pass on Metcalf for 5th and gapped him about a second when a technical rhythm section claimed him, sending him over the handlebars, head first into the ground and right into Metcalf’s path. Darryn struggled to get to his feet and the medical staff did what they could to comfort him. It was off to the Asterisk Medical truck for him where an examination showed no breaks just a solid shot to the head that would keep him out of the last chance qualifier and there for main event.

The main event was on and it was some of the best racing we have seen yet this year. #412 Kilbarger shot out of the gate with a respectable 12th place start. #92 Willard got pushed to the outside of the track and into the tuff blocks. He was forced to stop and kick a tuff block cover off of his bike putting him about a full straightaway down on the last place guy – he had his work cut out for him. #412 was in an intense battle with multiple riders and this slowed his pace allowing Willard to catch their pack. Willard and Kilbarger put on one heck of a race with each other for about 5 laps before the sand section caused Kilbarger’s rear wheel to lock up and his bike to stall on lap 6. #92 Willard never looked back and charged forward. Michael rode with intensity that we have not see out of him to this point. Over each and every jump he had his head on a swivel looking to see who was in front of him and who he was going to claim next. Come lap 8, he saw #341 Izzy was about 5 seconds out and he put on an inspiring charge catching and passing Nicco on lap 12. At the end of his charge Michael was able to net himself 9th in the main-an impressive finish when taking into account he passed 10 competitors to earn his place. After refiring, the #412 Kilbarger was able to fight off multiple riders and still put in a solid 14th place finish. Levi shows the heart and desire of a true champion and deserves the opportunity to show what he can do when he is healthy. He continues to battle the pains of his leg injury and has been plagued with fatigue issues.

Everyone is looking forward to heading to Dallas this week and experiencing the new Dallas Stadium – The HoT crew and team continues to grow and improve with each and every passing week. Darryn Durham is fully ready to go this week with only a few bumps and bruises that he will not let stifle his quest towards the podium.

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. (March 15, 2010) – Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki continued its streak of AMA Supercross Lites Eastern Region podium finishes at the Rogers Centre in Toronto as Christophe Pourcel finished third and Dean Wilson just missed the podium in his adopted country of Canada coming home fourth.

During the qualifying practice, Pourcel once again set the fastest time, clocking a lap nearly one second better than his closest competitor. Wilson was right in the mix as well as he wound up fourth.

In the first heat race, Wilson jumped out to the early lead and cruised to his first heat race win of the season. His home fans were excited as his win garnered some of the loudest cheers of the night. In the second heat, Pourcel was in the lead early but a mistake in a rhythm section sent him over the bars. He recovered quickly and moved from 10th back up to fifth to transfer into the main event.

“The crash was my fault,” said Pourcel. “I hit the kicker on the tabletop and went over the bars. I’ve got some bruises, but I’m not hurt too bad. I didn’t get a good gate pick for the main and got an okay start. The track was good and I rode a smart race and still have the points lead.”

In the main event both Pourcel and Wilson ran near the front and even staged a little battle early in the race. Both riders rode smart throughout the 15-lap race and both maintained their positions in the points standings as the series reached its midway point.

“It was really exciting to race in front of these great Canadian fans,” said Wilson. “I’m still learning out there and I feel like I’m getting better and stronger every week. I want to be back up on the podium and I’m going to work hard to make sure I can.”

The team is now getting ready to visit the new Cowboy’s Stadium in Dallas, Texas. Not only will it be the first race held in the stadium it may also be the supercross debut of Tyla Rattray who is hoping to come back from a broken shoulder this weekend.

March 13, 2010

Toronto, Ontario – The AMA Supercross Series traveled north of the border, making an appearance in Canada by way of a huge fan base inside the Rogers Centre over the past weekend. A technical track, with extremely slick soil treated DNA Shred Stix/Star Racing/Yamaha’s #341 Nico Izzi, and #577 Martin Davalos, to a tough night of racing.

Lites Heat #1 began in solid form with Davalos upfront and setting the standard. For five laps, Davalos kept his composure as he went after the leader. Holding strong, the Yamaha pilot fended off any attacks and raced on to a 2nd place. Izzi showed promise, but was buried back in 12th around the first turn. Quickly Izzi wicked up his pace, seeing him make a move for a decent qualifying spot, and by races end he finished in 5th.
For the main event, track conditions had deteriorated which made racing all the more difficult. Finishing lap one in 6th, Izzi avoided all the carnage and set out towards the front. Unfortunately, Davalos didn’t fair as well after starting around 10th, he was caught up in some pile ups that relinquished him all the way back to 20th on lap one. After a few more laps into the race, Martin had regrouped and etched his way up in to the top fifteen, only to crash one more time. At this point, Izzi rode at one steady pace, and with the race past the halfway mark, he comfortably ran just inside the top ten. With the 15 laps winding down, the DNA teammates rode onward in trying to salvage a good result. In the end, Nico put together a 10th place finish and Davalos took home a 15th for the night.

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.

RIVERSIDE, CA (March 16, 2010) In the home of the Toronto Blue Jays, nearly 43,000 fans came out to the Rogers Center for the 10th round of the seventeen race series.

Everyone was excited, especially Nick Wey, for the race as this was the sole round of the AMA Supercross season to reach Canada. This is not only the home of the Toronto Blue Jays but it is also the home of the Toronto Maple Leafs, one of the “Original six” NHL teams and also a chief rival of the Detroit Red Wings. Being from just outside Detroit and watching hockey with his father growing up, Wey decided to show honor to Canada’s favorite pass time “hockey” by wearing a Red Wings jersey in opening ceremonies. However, to avoid being mauled by a devout Maple Leaf’s fan (Google Steve Matthes) Wey chose to wear the number 19 of Red Wings and Canadian hockey legend, Steve Yzerman.

When the gate dropped for Wey’s Supercross class heat race, he powered off the line with a great start and found himself in line for a holeshot but was pushed wide by the pack of 450’s coming up behind him. After the first lap Wey settled into a comfortable pace and qualified seventh for the Supercross main event.

As the gate dropped for the main event, Wey charged into another unique first turn with a ski jump entering the braking zone. As the first lap came to an end, Wey was battling with several riders for fifth position. By the fifth lap Wey was in seventh and feeling pressure from behind as rookie Chris Blose was looking to make a pass. A 7 lap battle ensued with Wey, Millsaps, Hill and Blose for the sixth spot. Meanwhile, Windham came up and found his way around all four riders. Shortly after, Blose found himself caught on a tuff block and Millsaps crashed in a corner. Wey continued to ride strong and went on to finish 7th.

Wey commented after the race “This was a good weekend. I tied my top finish for the season and the Toronto dirt was much better for racing than in previous years”.

Next weekend the series travels south to Dallas, Texas in the all new Cowboys Stadium for the eleventh round of the AMA Monster Energy Supercross Series. Be sure to stop by the TiLUBE-Brown Motorsports truck to show your support and to have your picture taken with Nick Wey from 12:30 pm – 5:30 pm. See you there!

TiLUBE Brown Motorsports is proudly supported by:

TiLUBE, MSR, Babbitt’s Powersports, Foremost Insurance Group, TRS Consulting, Motion Pro, Crower Power, Fusion Graphics, ARC Levers, Dunlop, Vortex Sprockets, RK Chains, Excel A60 Wheel Sets, QTM, Talon Hubs, Wiseco, Pro Taper, SDG USA, Podium Ink, UFO Plastic, Deluge Sport, Vortex Ignitions, Pit Pass Radio, Metaltek, K&N Filters, Faction MX,

For more information or to contact TiLUBE please visit www.tilube.com or call (515) 309-9737
For Brown Motorsports contact Allan Brown at abrownmx@gmail.com or call (951) 359-6970

HUNTERSVILLE, N.C. (March 14, 2010) – The Rogers Centre in Toronto, ON was host to round 10 of the AMA Supercross Series, the only round held outside of the U.S. Justin Brayton suffered a severely sprained thumb last weekend at Daytona, as well as bruising his foot. The Joe Gibbs Racing complex has an in-house Muscle Milk training facility with doctors, athletic trainers, and massage therapists who assist the team riders, drivers, and pit crew members. Justin took full advantage of the resources but still was not able to train normally during the week with his injuries and went to Canada to do his best and salvage series points.

Brayton, who celebrates his 26th birthday today, was featured during the live broadcast on SPEED with an interview done at the track prior to the start of the race, intermingled with footage the SPEED crew shot during a visit to the JGR complex earlier this year. The spot was approximately two minutes in length, and focused on the rookie’s solid results, his family’s support, and the family-like environment of the Muscle Milk/Toyota/JGRMX Team.

In the main event Brayton and Byrne both started around mid-pack. The teammates stayed close to one another during most of the 20-lap event, often in sequential positions. When the checkers flew Brayton had managed to finish in ninth even with his injuries. With the exception of Daytona, where his bike could not continue after crashing, Brayton has been in the top-10 at each and every round of the series. With his ninth place finish Brayton was able to maintain his series points standing of sixth. Byrne finished just outside of the top-10 in 12th.

Josh Grant has started riding again. His return to competition will be announced as soon as he feels he is completely healthy and fit to compete. The team is placing no pressure on Grant for a return to the supercross series, although he may choose to race one or more of the closing rounds. Both Grant and Brayton are very fast outdoors, and the team’s emphasis for Grant at this point is to test and prepare for the AMA Motocross Championship Series starting in May.

The original broadcast from Toronto was aired live on SPEED. The eleventh round of the 17-race series will be March 20 in Dallas, Tex. The original broadcast from Dallas will air on SPEED March 21 at 6:00 p.m. (EST).

Corona, Calif. (March 10, 2010) – As the AMA Supercross Lites Eastern Region season heads to its midpoint at the Rogers Centre in Toronto, Canada, Christophe Pourcel leads the points standings after winning the first three races. His teammate Dean Wilson is sitting third in the standings after earning his first career podium last Saturday in Daytona. As a Canadian, Wilson enters Toronto with a little extra pressure as it will mark his first race as a professional in his home country.

For Pourcel, staying consistent is the key to winning races and earning his second straight AMA Supercross Lites Eastern Region championship.

“Toronto should be a good event for me,” said Pourcel. ”It is the biggest stadium floor we race on, so there are usually a lot of obstacles which means a technical track. I think the more technical track the better. I want to keep riding well and keep getting on the podium.”

For Wilson the week in Toronto starts early as his adopted country has made many media demands of the 18-year-old rookie. Thursday and Friday will be busy for Wilson, but once Saturday comes, he is all about racing and getting back on the podium.

“This is going to be a great race,” said Wilson. “There will be a lot of fans cheering for me and I hope I give them something to cheer about. Getting on the podium was good last week, and that’s where I want to be every week.”

All of Saturday’s action from the Rogers Centre can be seen live on SPEED starting at 7:30 pm ET.