JDR/J-Star/KTM rider Tye Simmonds put together two consistent motos at the eighth round of the AMA Pro Motocross Championship Series held in Washougal, WA to finish 14th overall. His teammate, PJ Larsen, in only his second race back since breaking his wrist, had mixed luck at the event finishing a disappointing 22nd overall.
Simmonds started around mid-pack both of his motos. In each race he was marked 17th as he crossed the finish line jump on the first lap. He spent the majority of both motos defending his position and didn’t make his passes until the end of each race. In both motos he was able to move into 15th near the moto end and eventually made the pass to 14th within the final few laps. His pair of 14-14 finishes placed him 14th overall for the day.
“I had a great race at Millville and was looking forward to being near the top ten at Washougal. I struggled a bit with some of the shadows on the track and couldn’t quite catch the top ten today. I know where I need to improve and I will continue to work hard during this two week break to try and get back toward the top ten at the next round,” remarked Simmonds after the race.
Simmonds 250 class teammate, Larsen, had an off-day at his second race back this season. He had a poor start in his first moto and worked his way up to 15th near the halfway point. “I was feeling really good before the halfway marker but then I began to tighten up and it caused me a few positions. My wrist actually felt good, I just need to work on my endurance more.” Larsen finished the first moto in 19th.
In the second moto he had a much better start in 16th place on the first lap. He raced in that position for the first three laps before he washed his front end out at the top of the big up hill. He lost a lot of time from his crash and recovered near 30th place. With the remaining laps he managed to catch back up to 20th. His 19-20 moto scores earned him 2nd overall.
“This was not the race I wanted, but I am glad to finish a race. I am still trying to get my moto speed up since I was off the bike for so long. We are making progress every week and I know this break is definitely going to help me get stronger,” stated Larsen.
Next Event: Unadilla – August 13, 2011
Overall Results 450 Class –
1) Ryan Dungey
2) Ryan Villopoto
3) Brett Metcalfe
4) Chad Reed
5) Justin Brayton
6) Mike Alessi – KTM
7) Tommy Hahn
8) Andrew Short – KTM
9) Jimmy Albertson
10) Michael Byrne
11) Trey Canard
12) Jake Weimer
13) Weston Peick
14) Tye Simmonds – KTM
15) Nick Wey
Overall Results 250 Class –
1) Blake Baggett
2) Tyla Rattray
3) Dean Wilson
4) Kyle Cunningham
5) Gareth Swanepoel
6) Justin Barcia
7) Malcolm Stewart
8) Martin Davalos
9) Darryn Durham
10) Broc Tickle
11) Tommy Weeck
12) Gannon Audette
13) Alex Martin
14) Marvin Musquin – KTM
15) Jason Anderson
22) PJ Larsen – KTM