JDR/J-Star/KTM rider Tye Simmonds put together two decent motos in the 450 Motocross class to earn 15th overall at the eleventh round of the AMA Pro Motocross Championship series while fill-in rider Chris Plouffe marked his pro debut in the 250 Motocross class with a 19th place overall score.
In the 450 Motocross class, Tye Simmonds put together two consistent motos to earn 15th overall for the day. He started inside the top twenty in both motos and came up to battle around 15th place. In moto one he was able to secure 15th by putting a last lap pass on Jimmy Albertson. In moto two he was able to finish 16th overall.
“I was happy with my finish today. I had a horrible practice session and wasn’t sure how the motos would go for me. To be battling around 15th was a good place for me and I am happy to come away from this race safe and ready for the next round,” stated Simmonds.
In the 250 class, Plouffe had a top twenty start in moto one and was sitting mid-pack when he suffered a crash early in the moto. The crash dropped him to near last where he quickly set out to catch back up to the front runners. He got back inside the top twenty-five before a mechanical issue caused him to withdraw from the race with a few laps remaining. Plouffe was credited 30th position for his first moto result.
In the second moto Plouffe repeated his mid-pack start. He finished the first lap in 19th and began to set his sights on the riders in front of him. By the moto end he was able to battle his way into 16th position where he finished the race. His 30-16 moto scores earned him 19th overall and 2 points in his first career pro race.
“I definitely was hoping for a better finish, but it was my first race and I am happy with the progress we made from the first moto to the second. I really liked working with the JDR/J-Star/KTM Team this weekend and can’t thank them enough for giving me the chance to race for their team these final two rounds. I am looking forward to improving my overall result next week at Pala,” remarked Plouffe.
Overall Results 250 Motocross Class –
1) Dean Wilson
2) Eli Tomac
3) Marvin Musquin – KTM
4) Tyla Rattray
5) Gareth Swanepoel
6) Blake Baggett
7) Justin Bogle
8) Alex Martin
9) Martin Davalos
10) Malcolm Stewart
11) Kyle Cunningham
12) Broc Tickle
13) Jason Anderson
14) Gannon Audette
15) Darryn Durham
16) Ryan Morais
17) Lance Vincent
18) Austin Howell
19) Chris Plouffe
20) Kyle Peters
Overall Results 450 Motocross Class –
1) Ryan Villopoto
2) Ryan Dungey
3) Brett Metcalfe
4) Chad Reed
5) Jake Weimer
6) Mike Alessi
7) Justin Brayton
8) Kyle Regal
9) Nick Wey
10) Michael Byrne
11) Kyle Chisholm
12) Colton Facciotti
13) Justin Barcia
14) Les Smith
15) Tye Simmonds – KTM
16) Vince Friese
17) Ben LaMay
18) Jimmy Albertson
19) AJ Cantanzaro
20) Heath Harrison
