Team Rockstar Makita Suzuki’s Ryan Dungey and team mate Brett Metcalfe powered their RM-Z450s to second and fourth-placed overall finishes at the Rockstar Energy Drink Redbud AMA Motocross Championship sixth round in Buchanan on Saturday.
Dungey had good morning practices and great starts in both motos. He was fourth out of the gate in moto one but quickly moved into third during the first lap. By the seventh lap, he was able to grab second and then put his head down and powered his RM-Z after the leader. Dungey charged hard for the next nine laps and caught up to the leader but wasn’t able to make a pass and settled for a second-place finish. In moto two, Dungey’s RM-Z450 rocketed him out of the gate and into the front for the holeshot. He slipped to second in the first lap and charged hard for the 16-lap race but ended up crossing the line for another second, which gave him a second-place overall on the day. The reigning Champion remains third in the Championship points, just six points out of second.
“It was a good day,” said Dungey. “I went two-two on the day. Practice was good. I got off to good starts on my RM-Z. I battled and almost got first in the first moto; I just came up a little short. Second again in the second moto – it was tough. The track was challenging and I fought the track in a few places. But overall, it was a good day. My Rockstar Makita Suzuki team did a great job and my Suzuki ran great this weekend. We’ll just keep moving forward. I’m looking forward to Millville. We have this week off and we’ll be able to work on a few things on the bike and physically and mentally as well. Just try to get better in a few areas and show up better. That’s the goal. Millville is a great track; a fun race, my hometown race, and the fans are great. It’s one of my favorite tracks in the series.”
Metcalfe started the day strong with the fifth fastest time in qualifying. The Rockstar Makita Suzuki rider used the power of his RM-Z to launch himself into fifth out of the gate directly behind his team mate in the first moto. He was able to make the pass for fourth in the second lap and rode strong for the remaining 14 laps to finish fourth. In moto two, Metcalfe once again pulled a good start that put him up with the front pack. The Rockstar Makita Suzuki rider immediately slotted himself in fifth and charged hard for the 16-lap race to finish in the fifth position. His four-five finishes were good enough for a fourth-place overall. Metcalfe’s strong result moved him up two slots in the championship points race to fourth place.
“Redbud went really, really good,” said Metcalfe. “I was extremely happy with the day and to finally have a result in the top five, where I feel I belong, was important. Especially finishing up with a good result here before the week off and heading into the second half of the season. Everything was working great for us. My Rockstar Makita Suzuki was working awesome and I really feel like we found the setup I need and now it’s just getting out there and getting the results I want. I qualified well so I got a good gate pick, which was important to get good starts. I was able to run up to the front pack and keep myself separated from the rest of the field. I was able to get a fourth in the first moto and a fifth in the second, which gave me a fourth overall for the day – a much better result than the last couple weeks. I want to thank the entire Rockstar Makita Suzuki team and Yoshimura for getting my bike dialed in here for Redbud. I’m looking forward to having a weekend off and we’re gonna put our heads down and try to make more improvements. I’m looking forward to Millville. It’s a great track and similar to Redbud, so our bike setup should be pretty good. I look to try to be up front and sneak in for our first podium of the year.”
The Rockstar Makita Suzuki team’s next event is the seventh round of the 2011 AMA Pro Motocross Championship on Saturday, July 16th, at the Spring Creek National in Millville.
Redbud 450 Class Overall Results:
1. Chad Reed
2. Ryan Dungey (Rockstar Makita Suzuki)
3. Ryan Villopoto
4. Brett Metcalfe (Rockstar Makita Suzuki)
5. Mike Alessi
6. Justin Brayton
7. Andrew Short
8. David Millsaps
9. Kevin Windham
10. Christian Craig
2011 Motocross 450 Class Standings:
1. Chad Reed – 268
2. Ryan Villopoto – 252
3. Ryan Dungey (Rockstar Makita Suzuki) – 246
4. Brett Metcalfe (Rockstar Makita Suzuki) – 178
5. David Millsaps – 173
6. Kevin Windham – 172
7. Andrew Short – 130
8. Christian Craig – 119
9. Mike Alessi – 115
10. Jake Weimer – 112
