Team Rockstar Makita Suzuki captured another impressive double-podium finish at round 11 of the 2011 AMA Pro Motocross Championship in Delmont at the weekend as the Steel City National saw reigning AMA Pro Motocross Champion Ryan Dungey and his team mate Brett Metcalfe finish second and third respectively on their Yoshimura-equipped Rockstar Makita Suzuki RM-Z450s.
In Saturday’s first moto, Dungey got a great start and took over the lead within the first few turns. Dungey pushed hard and led the entire 30-minute race before being overtaken right before the finish line. Although he finished in second place, it was by a mere 0.558 of a second. In the second moto, he got the holeshot and made a valiant charge, but wound up finishing in second place. The final result was second-place overall for the day.
“It was a tough, technical track but I think I rode pretty good this weekend,” said Dungey. “Overall, I felt good and I had a strong pace on the Rockstar Makita Suzuki RM-Z450. Then, I went out on a limb and we made some changes before the second moto and it just wasn’t doing it for me. I lost a bit of ground, but no excuses. We just need to keep our head up and move forward because there’s plenty of racing left. We’re going to Pala next, and to go 1-1 would be great, but all I can ask for is the most from myself. I like that track and I was able to win both motos there last year so it’d be great to do it again. I just want to focus on finishing the season strong for Team Rockstar Makita Suzuki.”
Metcalfe also put on an impressive performance: In the first moto, he was with the front-runners off the gate and was battling for third for most of the moto. His patience and consistency eventually paid off as Metcalfe took over the final podium spot on his Rockstar Makita Suzuki RM-Z450 before the race’s end. In the second moto, he got another good start and moved up a few positions before finishing fourth. The combined results gave Metcalfe his third podium finish of the season.
“Steel City was a great day for me,” said Metcalfe. “I was able to pull a third and I was happy to be on the podium. I was feeling really comfortable on the Rockstar Makita Suzuki RM-Z450 and, coming off the win last weekend, I was carrying some momentum. I felt really comfortable on the track and the bike was working great, so I knew I was in for a good day. My starts were better in both motos and that helped and I was also able to make some moves. Now I’m looking forward to Pala as it’s kind of my hometown race. I’m just excited about that, I think it’s going to be a good event and I look forward to putting the Rockstar Makita Suzuki back up on the podium and having a strong finish in the Championship.”
The Rockstar Makita Suzuki team’s next event is the 12th and final round of the 2011 AMA Pro Motocross Championship on Saturday, September 10th at the Pala National in Pala, California.
Steel City 450 Class Overall Results:
1. Ryan Villopoto
2. Ryan Dungey (Rockstar Makita Suzuki)
3. Brett Metcalfe (Rockstar Makita Suzuki)
4. Chad Reed
5. Jake Weimer
6. Mike Alessi
7. Justin Brayton
8. Kyle Regal
9. Nick Wey
10. Michael Byrne
2011 Motocross 450 Class Standings:
1. Ryan Villopoto – 481
2. Ryan Dungey (Rockstar Makita Suzuki) – 467
3. Chad Reed – 402
4. Brett Metcalfe (Rockstar Makita Suzuki) – 342
5. Mike Alessi – 272
6. Jake Weimer — 251
7. Andrew Short – 196
8. Kevin Windham – 193
9. Justin Brayton- 191
10. Davi Millsaps — 173
