Team Rockstar Makita Suzuki put on an impressive performance at round nine of the 2011 AMA Pro Motocross Championship in the Rockstar Energy Drink Unadilla National in New Berlin, New York at the weekend.
Reigning AMA Pro Motocross Champion Ryan Dungey raced his Yoshimura-equipped Rockstar Makita Suzuki RM-Z450 to a strong second place overall at one of the most gruelling courses in the series as team mate Brett Metcalfe rode two solid motos but had to overcome a collision with another rider to bring home 12th place overall.
In the first moto, Dungey got a good start but had a minor off-track excursion early on, but he managed to make his way back up into second place by the end of the race. In the second moto, he put his head down and moved into a podium position in third place, but made a daring last-lap move that put him in second place at the end of the moto – and second-place overall for the day.
“In the first moto, I high-sided a rut and almost threw it away,” said Dungey. “But I was able to get back on the track and work my way up into second place. In the second moto, the Rockstar Makita Suzuki RM-Z450 was running great, but I got stuck in third for a little while. I was able to make the most of the bike and the track and also take advantage of some things; and I moved into second place on the last lap. Overall, I’m happy. We had fun – and thanks to all the fans and my family and Team Rockstar Makita Suzuki. We’ve got a short break before Southwick so I’m going to focus on training and getting ready for that race. I won both motos there last year and I’m hoping to do that again this year.”
Metcalfe struggled with starts all weekend but made the best of it: In the first moto he charged hard on his Rockstar Makita Suzuki RM-Z450 from 12th place all the way to a solid sixth-placed finish. In the second moto, he was running with the top 10 and then moved through the field to battle for fifth place. Towards the end of the moto, however, he had contact with another rider and went down. He remounted and tried to salvage as many points as possible and in the end brought home a 12th-placed overall finish.
“I really wanted to be contending for the podium again,” said Metcalfe. “Unfortunately my starts were a little off and this is a tough track to pass on. On the positive side, I rode strong; I came through the pack and was able to make moves. In the first moto, I ended up sixth. In the second moto, I had a good ride going and was challenging for fifth. But I came together with another rider and my front brake got jammed and that cost me. The Rockstar Makita Suzuki RM-Z450 was working awesome and the team was great, so it’s a ‘bummer’ I wasn’t able to show what I could do. But now I’m looking forward to Southwick. I had some bad luck there last year and I want to redeem myself. I’m going to be running up front and I want to win that race.”
The Rockstar Makita Suzuki team’s next event is the 10th round of the 2011 AMA Pro Motocross Championship on Saturday, August 27th at the Rockstar Energy Drink Southwick National in Southwick, MA.
Unadilla 450 Class Overall Results:
1. Ryan Villopoto
2. Ryan Dungey (Rockstar Makita Suzuki RM-Z450)
3. Justin Barcia
4. Chad Reed
5. Mike Alessi
6. Jake Weimer
7. Justin Brayton
8. Kyle Regal
9. Jimmy Albertson
10. Jake Canada
2011 Motocross 450 Class Standings:
1. Ryan Villopoto – 391
2. Ryan Dungey (Rockstar Makita Suzuki RM-Z450) – 384
3. Chad Reed – 366
4. Brett Metcalfe (Rockstar Makita Suzuki RM-Z450) – 262
5. Mike Alessi – 210
6. Andrew Short – 196
7. Kevin Windham – 193
8. Jake Weimer – 190
9. David Millsaps – 173
10. Tommy Hahn – 140
