MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (August 30, 2011) – Only two rounds remain in the 2011 Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship, and on the heels of a captivating round of competition last weekend, the 450 Class championship remains tight heading into this Saturday’s second to last event of the summer from Steel City Raceway. Current points leader, and Monster Energy Kawasaki rider, Ryan Villopoto, along with Rockstar/Makita Suzuki’s Ryan Dungey, lead the world’s best riders into the Steel City Motocross National on September 3, from Delmont, Pa.
Currently, just eight points separate two of the sport’s rising stars and budding rivals. While Dungey boasts three wins opposed to his counterpart’s pair of victories, it is Villopoto’s impressive consistency and overall podium results at all 10 rounds of the championship this season that have given him the edge heading into the final two weekend’s of action.
At last weekend’s Rockstar Energy Southwick National, Dungey appeared ready to close the gap on Villopoto, dominating en route to the first moto win and putting the pressure on the points leader. However, following an unforeseen problem, Dungey’s bike did not arrive trackside until the gate had already dropped on the second 450 Class moto. As a result, the defending series champion was forced to fight from nearly a full lap behind to salvage as many points as possible. With his challenger’s misfortune, Villopoto rode a smart race, posting 2-4 moto scores to secure second overall. Even with the win out of reach, Dungey put forth arguably the most impressive ride of the entire season to finish seventh in the final moto and claim third overall, ultimately losing just one point to Villopoto in the end.
While the title fight experienced a slight shift, it was Rockstar/Makita Suzuki’s Brett Metcalfe who stole the spotlight. The eight-year veteran put together a consistent pair of motos in rainy conditions to break through for his first career victory, ending the season-long dominance by Villopoto, Dungey and TwoTwo Motorsports/Bel-Ray Racing’s Chad Reed.
In the 250 Class, the incredible 18-moto winning streak by Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki came to an end, when DNA Shred Stix/Star Racing Yamaha’s Gareth Swanepoel started the day by capturing his first moto win on U.S. soil. Despite that, the Kawasaki-mounted duo of Tyla Rattray and Dean Wilson took charge in Moto 2, with Rattray taking the checkered flag to secure his fourth overall victory of the season. Wilson, the current championship points leader, followed in the runner-up spot, and ultimately watched his points lead increase from 25 points to 38 heading into Steel City.
After a two-round break from action, the return of Motorcycle-Superstore.com Women’s Motocross Championship signified a major step towards a possible third-career title for American Honda’s Ashley Fiolek. While her championship rival Jessica Patterson experienced trouble in the opening moto aboard her DNA Shred Stix/Star Racing Yamaha, Fiolek took advantage, compiling 1-2 moto results to take her third win of the season and extend her advantage in the standings to 30 points with just two rounds remaining.
Steel City Raceway has hosted the Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship since the 1989 season. It was the site of the very first Saturday event in the history of the sport in 2008, igniting a new tradition of single-day events that has taken the sport to new heights. As a Labor Day Weekend staple in the sport of motocross, Steel City has become known as the American Motocross Festival, celebrating the end of the summer with a national-holiday competition that showcases the fastest riders on the planet in three featured classes.
The on-track action for the Steel City Motocross National begins this Saturday at 8:30 a.m. EST with practice and qualifying. Opening ceremonies begin at 12:30 p.m. EST with motos kicking off at 1 p.m. EST.
Previous Round Results and Current Standings
Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship
Rockstar Energy Southwick National
Moto-X 338 – Southwick, Mass.
August 27, 2011
Round 10 of 12
450 Class (Moto Finish)
Brett Metcalfe, Mannum, Australia, Suzuki (3-2)
Ryan Villopoto, Poulsbo, Wash., Kawasaki (2-4)
Ryan Dungey, Belle Plaine, Minn., Suzuki (1-7)
Justin Brayton, Fort Dodge, Iowa, Yamaha (7-3)
Mike Alessi, Victorville, Calif., KTM (4-6)
Jake Weimer, Rupert, Idaho, Kawasaki (6-5)
Justin Barcia, Monroe, N.Y., Honda (36-1)
John Dowd, Holyoke, Mass., Kawasaki (9-8)
Les Smith, York, S.C., Yamaha (8-9)
Kyle Chisholm, Clearwater, Fla., Yamaha (11-10)
450 Class Championship Standings
Ryan Villopoto, Poulsbo, Wash., Kawasaki – 431
Ryan Dungey, Belle Plaine, Minn., Suzuki – 423
Chad Reed, Kurri Kurri, Australia, Honda – 366
Brett Metcalfe, Mannum, Australia, Suzuki – 304
Mike Alessi, Victorville, Calif., KTM – 243
Jake Weimer, Rupert, Idaho, Kawasaki – 221
Andrew Short, Colorado Springs, Colo., KTM – 196
Kevin Windham, Baton Rouge, La., Honda – 193
Davi Millsaps, Murrieta, Calif., Yamaha – 173
Justin Brayton, Fort Dodge, Iowa, Yamaha – 163
250 Class (Moto Finish)
Tyla Rattray, Durban, South Africa, Kawasaki (2-1)
Dean Wilson, Glasgow, Scotland, Kawasaki (3-2)
Gareth Swanepoel, Johannesburg, South Africa, Yamaha (1-5)
Alex Martin, Millville, Minn., Honda (10-3)
Blake Baggett, Grand Terrace, Calif., Kawasaki (9-6)
Marvin Musquin, La Reole, France, KTM (7-8)
Broc Tickle, Holly, Mich., Kawasaki (5-12)
Gannon Audette, Minneapolis, Minn., Yamaha (4-16)
Justin Bogle, Cushing, Okla., Honda (18-4)
Darryn Durham, Butler, Pa., Honda (8-13)
250 Class Championship Standings
Dean Wilson, Glasgow, Scotland, Kawasaki – 438
Tyla Rattray, Durban, South Africa, Kawasaki – 400
Blake Baggett, Grand Terrace, Calif., Kawasaki – 398
Kyle Cunningham, Aledo, Texas, Yamaha – 264
Eli Tomac, Cortez, Colo., Honda – 246
Gareth Swanepoel, Johannesburg, South Africa, Yamaha – 241
Broc Tickle, Holly, Mich., Kawasaki – 220
Justin Barcia, Monroe, N.Y., Honda – 181
Martin Davalos, Quito, Ecuador, Suzuki – 175
Alex Martin, Millville, Minn., Honda – 170
WMX Class (Moto Finish)
Ashley Fiolek, St. Augustine, Fla., Honda (1-2)
Tarah Gieger, Aguadilla, Puerto Rico., Honda (2-5)
Alexah Pearson, Sacramento, Calif., KTM (7-3)
Sarah Whitmore, Cheboygan, Mich., Yamaha (5-4)
Julie Parizek, Manchester, Conn., Kawasaki (8-7)
Jessica Patterson, Tallahassee, Fla., Yamaha (27-1)
Kasie Creson, Vallejo, Calif., Honda (11-6)
Lindsey Palmer, Albuquerque, N.M., Honda (9-8)
Jacqueline Strong, Cottonwood, Ariz., KTM (4-15)
Sade Allender, Sanford, Maine, Kawasaki (10-9)
WMX Class Standings
Ashley Fiolek, St. Augustine, Fla., Honda – 279
Jessica Patterson, Tallahassee, Fla., Yamaha – 249
Tarah Gieger, Aguadilla, Puerto Rico., Honda – 226
Jacqueline Strong, Cottonwood, Ariz., KTM – 162
Kasie Creson, Vallejo, Calif., Honda – 153
Marissa Markelon, Bridgeport, Conn., Yamaha – 148
Vicki Golden, El Cajon, Calif., Kawasaki – 140
Alexah Pearson, Sacramento, Calif., KTM – 137
Lindsey Palmer, Albuquerque, N.M., Honda – 132
Sayaka Kaneshiro, Osaka, Japan, Suzuki – 113
