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Ryan Villopoto made history winning the inaugural Monster Energy Cup and becoming the first off-road mortorcycle racer to take home a $1 million prize.

When Ryan Villopoto crossed the finish line in the inaugural Monster Energy Cup he made history in more ways than one. The Monster Energy Kawasaki rider swept all three main events and became the first in off-road motorcycle racing history to take home a $1 million prize.

“It’s pretty unreal,” Villopoto said after the historic win.

Villopoto started both the first and second main events by taking the holeshot and remained in the lead until crossing the finish line. Suzuki’s Mike Alessi claimed the holeshot in the third and final main event, but Villopoto and Ryan Dungey were hot on his trail. It didn’t take long for Villopoto to take the lead. He passed Alessi in the opening lap. Alessi and Dungey traded positions on lap 2 before both Dungey and Brett Metcalfe passed Alessi. But neither was able to catch up to Villopoto.

Not one to rest on his laurels (especially after an amazing 2010 comeback from a 2009 knee injury) Villopoto is already eyeing a repeat sweep at next year’s Monster Energy Cup.

“To back it up next year would be hard, so if we do, it would be great,” he says. “I can’t thank my team enough for this amazing victory.”

E3 Spark Plugs congratulates Villopoto and all the other placers in the Monster Energy Cup. Looking forward to watching Villopoto aggressively defend his title in 2012. And remember to put some monster racing power into your motorcycle with a set of E3 spark plugs – “Born to Burn.”

Monster Energy Cup Class Results

1. Ryan Villopoto, Poulsbo, Wash., Kawasaki (1,1,1)
2. Ryan Dungey, Belle Plaine, Minn., KTM (3,2,2)
3. Brett Metcalfe, Lake Elsinore, Calif., Suzuki (4,3,3)
4. Martin Davalos, Cairo, Ga., Suzuki (7,7,5)
5. Eli Tomac, Cortez, Colo., Honda (5,4,10)
6. Kyle Chisholm, Valrico, Fla., Yamaha (9,9,7)
7. Nick Wey, Murrieta, Calif., Kawasaki (14,11,4)
8. Jimmy Albertson, Ozark, Mo., Yamaha (11,10,8)
9. Jake Weimer, Rupert, Idaho, Kawasaki (12,6,11)
10. Mike Alessi, Victorville, Calif., Suzuki (6,21,6)

Suzuki's Brett Metcalfe claimed his first Lucas Oil AMA Pro MX Championship overall win in the 450cc class at Southwick, MA.

Neither rain nor snow nor Hurricane Irene could keep the 450cc motocross riders from delivering the mail at the Moto-X 338 track over the rain-soaked weekend at Southwick, MA. Storms rolled in early Saturday morning and each group’s lap times continued to soar as track conditions progressively deteriorated throughout the practice sessions. However, once the premier class of the 2011 Lucas Oil AMA Pro MX Championship class took to the track, well things just got stranger by the lap.

At the end of the day, a rookie 450 rider would have claimed his first ever win in only his second race, a seasoned veteran would have claimed his first ever overall victory, a former points leader would sit dejected on the sideline with a broken bike, and the defending class champion would mount a come-from-behind ride that legends are made of. That’s right. Honda’s Justin Barcia led wire to wire in Moto 2 to claim his first win in the big bike class. Popular Aussie Brett Metcalfe claimed his first overall victory aboard his Rockstar/Makita Suzuki. Multi-time class champion Chad Reed’s DNFs in both motos would essentially eliminate the TwoTwo Motorsports rider from the 2011 championship chase.

Oh yeah, did we mentioned that first-moto winner Ryan Dungey put on a mind-blowing performance in Moto 2 after his Suzuki arrived at the starting line about a minute and half after the rest of the field took the green flag. Yep, the kind of stuff legends are made of. Dungey mounted his Rockstar/Makita Suzuki in 40th position almost a lap down to the leaders and went to work to salvage his opportunity for a second AMA 450cc MX championship. With points leader Ryan Villopoto on cruise control, Dungey made it look simple. Just go faster than everyone else and never say die.

When the checkered flag flew, Dungey was in seventh place just two positions behind Villopoto. With his win in Moto 1, Dungey would finish the day losing but a single point to his Kawasaki rival and now trails Villopoto by eight points with only two rounds remaining. Reed’s dismal performance leaves the Honda rider 65 points out of the lead. So, the stage is set for E3 spark plugs racing fans to catch the final two AMA pro outdoor motocross races at Steel City raceway outside Pittsburg, PA, and Pala raceway in the southern California desert. Don’t forget to pick up a box of E3 replacement plugs for your favorite ride. See you at the track.

Bret Metcalfe seems to be regaining his 2010 AMA Championship pace with a podium finish at Washougal MX Park over the weekend in Round 8 of the 2011 Lucas Oil sponsored series. Photo courtesy of mx.rockstar69.com.

After Ryan Dungey won his hometown national last weekend at Millville’s Spring Creek MX National, Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Ryan Villopoto hoped to keep the streak going at Round 8 of the Lucas Oil AMA Pro MX Championship at Washougal MX Park. Villopoto (a native of Poulsbo, Washington) has never won at his home track but served notice early in the day when he pulled the holeshot in Moto 1 ahead of his 450cc rivals Dungey aboard the Rockstar Makita Suzuki and the factory Honda of Trey Canard. TwoTwo Motorsports’ Chad Reed seemed to be a tick off the leader’s speed and may still be recovering from his spectacular crash at Spring Creek.

Up front, Canard continued to impress the E3 motorcycle spark plugs racing fans as he was able to match the pace of Villopoto and Dungey. After missing the first half of the 2011 National Championship season with a broken femur, the Honda rider has shown that he still has the speed to win. At the mid-point in the race, Dungey powered his Suzuki alongside Villopoto and challenged the Kawasaki rider for the race lead. In a similar move to the one that allowed Dungey to get by Villopoto at Spring Creek, Dungey dropped his bike in a rutted corner allowing Villopoto to escape with the moto win. The Suzuki rider remounted and held on for a second overall just ahead of a hard-charging Canard. The series points leader Reed would finish a disappointing seventh.

In Moto 2, Villopoto again charged to the front of the pack off the start with Dungey and Canard in hot pursuit. But, disaster struck early on as Canard cross-rutted on the face of a steep uphill and was launched over the handlebars. The Honda rider slammed into the Washington dirt and was unable to get up. Race officials red flagged the event as Canard had to be carted off by the expert medical team. On the restart, Dungey managed to swap positions and led Villopoto through turn one. Reed had his best start of the day in third followed by a very determined Bret Metcalfe aboard the other Rockstar Makita Suzuki. Early on Metcalfe would take advantage of Reed’s off day and passed his fellow Aussie for a third place.

At the mid-point in the race, it was all Ryan Dungey as he began to pull away from Villopoto for the win and his second national overall win in a row for the 2011 Lucas Oil AMA championship. Villopoto would hold on for second and finished second overall on the day. After a promising outdoor season last year, Metcalfe would claim third in Moto 2 for an overall podium finish, his first of the season. Reed’s fourth place finish in the second race was good enough for fourth overall but dropped the Honda veteran to third in championship nine points behind the new series leader Villopoto. Dungey trails Villopoto by a single point.

With the points race heating up, riders and teams have two weeks off before traveling to the east coast for Round 9 at the famed Unadilla MX National in New Berlin, NY. If you’re looking to avoid the “Honey Dos”, join E3 Spark Plugs racing fans at another race venue or take the time off to tune up your favorite ride with a set of our high performance replacement plugs. You can always rely on the plugs that are Born to Burn for your outdoor fun when you hit the trail, road, water or snow.

Shift Racing's Chad Reed captured his second win in as many races for Two-Two Motorsports at the Freestone MX AMA National over the Memorial Day weekend. Photo courtesy of Shift Racing.

The only thing hotter than the air in Texas this Memorial Day weekend was the on-track action at the Freestone MX track outside Wortham, TX. Last week’s 450 cc class winner at Hangtown, Chad Reed, wasted little time claiming the win in Moto 1 after passing the Lucas Oil TLD Honda of Christian Craig on lap eight. Reed’s main rival, Rockstar Suzuki’s Ryan Dungey, chased the Two-Two Motorsport’s rider to the line for second place followed by Kawasaki’s Ryan Villopoto in third for yet another “red-yellow-green” finish.

In Moto 2, Dungey charged to an early lead followed by Reed and last year’s runner-up in the Lucas Oil AMA MX Championship, Brett Metcalfe. Villopoto and the Joe Gibbs Yamaha of Davi Millsaps were working their way through the pack when a mistake cost Villopoto his chance for a win. Off-road motorcycle ace, Ricky Dietrich, showed the loyal Texas crowd why he’s racing motocross this season and held on to a fourth place overall finish in the second heat. Disaster struck late in the race when the motor on the leader’s power plant failed. With Dungey sitting dead in the water, Reed grabbed the top spot on the podium followed by Millsaps and Metcalfe.

Dungey’s misfortune dropped the defending 450 cc National Champion to eighth overall for the day and fourth in the 2011 points race. Davi Millsaps’s new training regimen paid big dividends this weekend with a second overall at Freestone MX which vaulted the hard charging Georgia rider to third place in championship standings. Villopoto’s 3-5 finishes on the day was good enough for the final step on the podium and moved the Monster Energy rider to second in points. Reed’s gifted win in the second Moto gave the determined Aussie a twenty-one point lead going into Round 3 of the AMA outdoor national championship at the famed High Point MX track in two weeks’ time.

If you’re looking for the winning edge, E3 motorcycle spark plugs were “Born to Burn”. Get the most out of your favorite ride on the street, in the dirt or on the snow. Stop by your local auto parts or hardware store today; or use an online authorized E3 dealer to have E3 spark plugs delivered directly to your door.

E3 Motorcycle Spark Plugs fans salute Rockstar Makita Suzuki rider Ryan Dungey on setting yet another AMA Lucas Oil MX Pro National record. The cream of the 450cc crop throughout 2010 became the first rookie motocross racer in history to win 10 of the 12 championship rounds. Week after week, Dungey defeated the world’s best riders in the world’s most prestigious motocross championship. He certainly left little doubt that he is currently the “Best of the Best” by winning the final national at Pala MX Raceway Park outside San Diego, CA, this past weekend.

Rockstar Makita Suzuki's Ryan Dungey claimed another AMA Lucas Oil MX Pro record becoming the first rookie in series history to win 10 rounds in the same National Championship season. Photo courtesy of www.ryandungey.com

Red Bull Honda rider Andrew Short is always a sure bet for the holeshot at the start of any AMA national. Once again, it was Short out front early with Yamaha/MotoConcepts rider Ryan Sipes in second ahead of Dungey and Honda’s Brett Metcalfe. Once again, Dungey would twist the throttle and take the lead. Metcalfe would protect his second place in the 450cc point’s championship by passing Short later in Moto One dropping the Red Bull Honda rider to third. Sipes would hold on to fourth after battling with an aggressive young Texan, Kyle Regal.

The start of Moto Two was “almost a surprise” in that Short was outraced through the first corner by a determined Brett Metcalfe. The Aussie has often had the speed this season at the start and the finish but hasn’t always stayed upright during the middle of the moto. Short would stay in the chase but both he and Metcalfe would watch Dungey pull away, yet again. Several factory teams have brought in former World Champions (even Yamaha’s Bubba Stewart) to challenge Dungey’s dominance but the Rockstar Makita rider has shown them all the backside of his Suzuki.

Dungey would cruise home for the win leaving the pair of Honda riders to battle amongst themselves for second on the day and second place in the AMA Lucas Oil 450cc national points standing. Although Short would pass Metcalfe, the Geico Powersports rider would finish third ahead of fellow Aussie, Ben Townley. Yamaha riders Kyle Chisholm and Ryan Sipes would finish fifth and sixth respectively. Metcalfe’s third overall at Pala allowed the Honda rider to maintain a 3-point lead for second place in the 450cc MX national championship.

Dungey’s historic win put the crowning touches on what was the most surprising 450cc outdoor MX national season in years. Suzuki’s Dungey will join fellow American racers Trey Canard (Geico Powersports Honda) and Andrew Short (Red Bull Honda) as the United States team tries to sweep the Trophy Des Nations at Lakewood MX in Denver, CO, in two weeks. If you are looking for a winning combination for your car, truck or motorcycle engine, insist upon E3 car spark plugs as an eco-friendly option for your favorite ride. Our patented DiamondFire Technology will deliver the Energy, Efficiency and Ecology that you need.

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E3 Motorcycle Spark Plugs fans love an upset win especially when the winner is one of the legends of the sport. Red Bull Honda rider Kevin Windham had the 450cc MX field covered at the Steel City Raceway for Round 11 of the Lucas Oil AMA Pro MX National Championship. The veteran motocross racer, who had not won an AMA outdoor national since 2007, has always been a fan favorite. After having retired from outdoor competition, Windham got “the call” from the factory Honda team to replace injured Red Bull rider Davi Milsaps. Some thought Red Bull’s move was just an easy way to add a popular rider under the tent to sign autographs for loyal motocross fans. Undoubtedly, Windham had different aspirations.

Veteran Honda rider Kevin Windham (and daughter) hold a post-race press conference. Windham showed the same speed at Delmont that won him the AMA National at Steel City Raceway back 2001 Photo courtesy of Geico Powersports http://powersports.honda.com/

The biggest news came earlier in the week when Rockstar Makita Suzuki team manager Roger DeCoster announced that he would be leaving after 15 years at the helm of the factory’s MX racing program. The shocking press release appeared just days after Ryan Dungey became the first rookie motocross racer in history to capture the AMA Supercross and Motocross national championships in an inaugural season. DeCoster hasn’t confirmed his plans for the 2011 AMA Lucas Oil season but rumors have it that the former multi-time World Motocross Champion may be headed to KTM. In keeping with “Silly Season” news, it was also rumored that Dungey may want out of his 2011 contract with Suzuki to take a long-term deal with another team.

To nobody’s surprise, Honda/Red Bull rider Andrew Short pulled the holeshot in Moto One with Geico Powersports’s Brett Metcalfe close behind. However, the other Red Bull rider, Kevin Windham, was already working his way to the front. Windham left no doubt in the fans’ mind as to why he was Honda’s first choice as the replacement for the factory ride. After Dungey crashed on the opening lap, Windham would pass Short and Metcalfe on his way to one of the most popular wins of his stellar career. Metcalfe would hold on for second place and his hard-charging teammate and fellow Aussie, Ben Townley, would finish in third place ahead of Short. Yamaha’s Justin Brayton continued to show improvement finishing fifth in the opening moto at Steel City Raceway.

In Moto Two, all eyes would be on the newly-crowned national champion Dungey (who had finished 40th in Moto One after breaking a brake rotor and retiring early). Andrew Short would again put his Red Bull factory Honda out front at the start. However, this day belonged to Windham who passed his teammate Short to take the lead in Moto Two. Around mid-race, Dungey would pass Windham for the moto win. But, Windham’s second place was good enough to claim the overall win ahead of Metcalfe, Brayton and Short. Eighteen-year old Nick Paluzzi, was given an opportunity to race the last two AMA outdoor nationals with the Muscle Milk/Toyota Team (after Josh Grant elected to have season-ending shoulder surgery) and finished a respectable seventh overall in his debut aboard the Joe Gibbs Racing Yamaha.

The 450cc MX teams travel to the west coast for next weekend’s final round of the 2010 outdoor season at Pala Raceway. Located just east of San Deigo, CA, the Pala motocross facility features one of the first tracks in the nation that was built to the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) standards. As E3 Spark Plugs Racing fans know, the EPA lists E3 car spark plugs as an eco-friendly option. If you are looking for a greener alternative for your car, truck or motorcycle engine, insist upon E3 replacement spark plugs for your favorite ride. Our patented DiamondFire Technology will deliver the Energy, Efficiency and Ecology that you need.

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After only nine and a half rounds of the Lucas Oil AMA Pro MX National Championship, Rockstar Energy/Makita Suzuki rookie rider Ryan Dungey clinched the 2010 crown. The 20-year old Minnesota native won the opening moto to claim his first 450cc championship at the Moto-X 338 track outside Southwick, Massachusetts, over the weekend. Dungey became the only motocross racer in history to win both the AMA Supercross title and the AMA outdoor national championship during his inaugural season. E3 Motorcycle Spark Plugs salutes Ryan Dungey for his stellar performance throughout the Lucas Oil championship.

Rockstar/Makita Factory Suzuki team manager Roger DeCoster was very fast in the sand, so is his protégé the newly crowned 2010 AMA Lucas Oil MX Pro National Champion Ryan Dungey. (photo courtesy of Photobucket)

Geico Powersports Honda rider Brett Metcalfe took the lead in Moto One with fellow Aussie Ben Townley in second aboard his Troy Lee Designs/Lucas Oil Honda. Both riders adapted well to the sandy hills of Southwick and showed they had the speed to win at Moto-X 338. But, a couple of laps into the first moto, Townley would clip the rear wheel of Metcalfe and go down. Townley recovered and was racing with Red Bull’s Andrew Short when the two Honda riders hooked handlebars sending both racers over the berm. Metcalfe was out front with a hard charging Dungey in second place.

As most E3 Spark Plugs Racing fans know, there are two things that are for certain when you race a track like Southwick Moto-X 338. First, it is going to get rough, very rough. Secondly, it is going to take more fuel to race 30 minutes on a hilly, sandy racetrack. Unfortunately, for Metcalfe, the pit crew for his Geico Powersports Honda did not remember part two. With less than a lap to go, Metcalfe’s Honda was out of gas and coasted to a stop. The Australian’s misfortune handed the lead and the 2010 Lucas Oil AMA Pro MX 450cc National Championship to Suzuki’s Ryan Dungey.

In Moto Two, the loyal Southwick crowd lined the fences as Townley grabbed an early lead ahead of newly crowned class champion Dungey in second followed by Red Bull Honda veteran Kevin Windham, Jagermeister KTM rider Mike Alessi and 2009 Southwick winner Matt Goerke. With twenty minutes to go, Dungey began to stalk Townley watching for the New Zealand rider to make a mistake. Once Townley did, Dungey railed an outside sand berm and took the lead for good. Goerke would pass Alessi and Windham to take over the third spot with a couple of laps to go. Alessi’s 3-4 finishes would give the KTM ace second overall for the day ahead of Goerke, Kyle Chisholm and Kevin Windham.

The AMA 450cc Pro MX teams head to Steel City Raceway, located just outside of Pittsburgh in Delmont, Pennsylvania, for the penultimate round of the 2010 AMA Lucas Oil MX Pro Championship on Labor Day Weekend. After announcing his retirement from motocross earlier this summer, former factory Kawasaki, Suzuki and Yamaha rider Tim Ferry has been asked to serve as the honorary Grand Marshall for the FMF Steel City National on September 4th. If you are looking for championship performance from your street or dirt bike, insist upon E3 Motorcycle Spark Plugs for your motorcycle. Our patented DiamondFire Technology will deliver the Energy, Efficiency and Ecology that you need.

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The AMA Lucas Oil Pro MX Championship traveled to the leatherneck country of central New York State over the weekend for the 450cc MX pro national championship. Perfect weather. . HOT and perfect track conditions . . ROUGH awaited a world-class field of challengers for Round 9 of the 2010 season at the famed Unadilla motocross track. For the last 40 years, the same classic layout, has played host to the greatest outdoor motocross racers to ever race a dirt bike. This weekend was no exception and many had predicted this would be the best outdoor motocross race of the series.

Belgian Clement Desalle (riding for Rockstar Teka Suzuki) finished 2-2 for second overall at Unadilla in his only appearance at the Lucas Oil AMA MX Pro series. Desalle is currently second in points for the World Championship chase. (Photo Courtesy of Suzuki Racing.)

E3 Car Spark Plugs racing fans know that a rookie 450cc motocross racer is never supposed to win both the AMA MX Pro Championship and the AMA Supercross Championship in their maiden season. In fact, it has never happened in the history of professional motocross. Plus, the decked was stacked against Rockstar Makita’s Ryan Dungey. After all, San Manuel Yamaha rider James “Bubba” Stewart was making his return to outdoor motocross after a two-year hiatus. Plus, Belgium’s Clement Desalle, currently second in the World Grand Prix MX Championship, was scheduled to race in his only 450cc AMA motocross event of the season.

In Friday’s practice, Stewart let everyone know that he hasn’t lost any of his speed by clocking the fastest lap times of the day. But, in Saturday’s opening moto, Bubba’s timing was a tick off. After working his way around Red Bull Honda’s Andrew Short for second place, Stewart went down and had to work his way back through a talented field of the world’s best riders. Desalle had a solid ride and would finish in second. Late in the race, Stewart had passed the Belgian but crashed a second time and had to settle for third. Once again, somebody forgot to tell Ryan Dungey he was not supposed to win. So, he did.

The stage was set for Moto Two and neither Desalle nor Dungey would disappoint the Unadilla fans. At the start, It was yellow bikes out front and Stewart’s Yamaha was buried somewhere in the middle of the 40-rider field. A few laps later, Bubba would pull off the track and call it a day. Meanwhile, Desalle and Dungey put on a show. Desalle was in the lead and had been running the fastest lap times of the day, when Dungey picked up the pace and passed his Suzuki teammate. At the checkered flag, it would be Dungey’s win with Desalle in second. Geico Powersports’s Brett Metcalfe and Red Bull’s Kevin Windham would work past Andrew Short for third and fourth place finishes. Short would cross the line in fifth.

The win was Dungey’s eighth in a row and allowed “the rookie” to extend his point’s lead in the Lucas Oil AMA 450cc MX national championship series to triple digits. The teams will have two weeks off and a little time to regroup before heading to Massachusetts for Round 10 of the Lucas Oil AMA Pro MX Championship at the famed Southwick Moto-X 338 track. Don’t forget to follow your favorite rider on the E3 Spark Plugs Racing blog and, for peak performance from your bike, always ask for E3 Motorcycle Spark Plugs. Our patented DiamondFire technology is designed to deliver Energy, Efficiency and Ecology for all of your engines.
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Monster Energy racer Chad Reed has retired the Number One plate for the remainder of the 2010 Lucas Oil AMA Pro Championship. The defending outdoor national champion returned home to recover from the Epstein-Barr virus. Photo courtesy of www.chadreedracing.com.

Big news came this week from the Lucas Oil AMA Pro MX Championship series as the defending outdoor national champion Chad Reed dropped out of the chase for the 2010 title.  After being diagnosed with the Epstein-Barr virus, Monster Energy Kawasaki rider Reed has decided to recover at home with his wife and their new son Tate. Reed had struggled throughout the season with chronic fatigue syndrome before falling out of the series’ top 5 in national 450cc points last week at the Millville MX.

Hondas grabbed an early lead in Moto One as Red Bull’s Andrew Short led the way over Kevin Windham and Ben Townley. Rockstar Makita Suzuki rider Ryan Dungey was charging from a lack luster start when Townley crashed hard in the whoops injuring his right shoulder and ending the day for the fast Kiwi. Dungey would manage his way through the field sailing past Windham for second place before tracking down Short for the lead. Windham would fade to ninth late in the race as Honda riders Short and Aussie Brett Metcalfe would claim second and third in Moto One.

Red Bull Honda rider Andrew Short would grab his second holeshot of the day and his eighth holeshot of the season in Moto Two of the Washougal MX National. Windham would position his 450cc Red Bike into second place as Dungey chased the pair of Honda riders up Horsepower Hill.  As the race approached the halfway point in Moto Two, Dungey stepped up the pace to pass Windham and Short for the lead. Rockstar Energy’s Tommy Hahn put on an impressive ride to third and Yamaha rider Justin Brayton rebounded from a disappointing first moto to finish fourth.

The victory at Washougal was Dungey’s seventh of the 2010 Lucas Oil AMA season giving the factory Suzuki ace a commanding 95 point lead over Short for the championship. Townley’s misfortunes would allow Metcalfe and Joe Gibbs Racing Yamaha rider Josh Grant to move past the injured Honda rider to take over third and fourth place in the points championship. Popular privateer Nicholas Wey would have his best result of the season finishing fifth overall behind a very fast Tommy Hahn. Suzuki’s Hahn turned in the fastest times of the day and seems to be recovering nicely from his own nagging injuries.

The 450cc pro riders will have two weeks off before teams head all the way across the country for Round 9 of the AMA Lucas Oil MX Pro Championship in New Berlin, New York. Don’t forget to follow the action on the E3 Spark Plugs Racing blog from the famed Unadilla MX track as the world’s top riders battle all the way to the 2010 AMA Championship. If you want peak performance and great fuel mileage from your car, truck or SUV, ask for E3 Car Spark Plugs at your favorite auto parts store. Our patented DiamondFire technology is designed to deliver Energy, Efficiency and Ecology for your ride.

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The 2010 AMA Lucas Oil MX Pro Championship had perfect weather for Round Six as the 450cc class traveled north to Buchanan, Michigan, for the popular Red Bud National. E3 Car Spark Plugs MX fans know that rookies aren’t supposed to win in the big bike class. But, somebody forgot to tell Rockstar Makita’s Ryan Dungey. Already this season, Dungey has won in the heat at Firestone MX in Texas, in the mud at High Point MX in Pennsylvania, in the sand at Budds Creek MX in Maryland, and in the mile-high altitude at Lakewood MX in Colorado. The rookie’s consistency on the track and focus off the track allows him to improve on lap times from when unloads until the checkered flag flies for the final moto.

The 2010 Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship brings the world's best motocross riders and teams together to compete on the nation's toughest tracks like Red Bud MX in Buchanan, Michigan. Visit the AMA MX series sponsor at www.lucasoil.com.

The Red Bud track is most famous for a 130-foot step-up jump known as LaRocco’s Leap. The very long, fast, uphill jump requires riders to jump over the equivalent of a 5-story building. In Moto One, Red Bull Honda’s Andrew Short pulled his fifth holeshot of the season but gave way to a hard-charging Ben Townley. The Troy Lee/Lucas Oil rider Townley had missed the 2008 and 2009 AMA outdoor motocross seasons due to a nagging shoulder injury but has shown a lot of speed in 2010. With a few laps to go in the opening moto, Townley dropped his Lucas Oil Honda in a sandy rut letting Dungey, Chad Reed and Short slip by to claim the respective podium positions. Fellow Aussie Brett Metcalfe followed Townley home with Joe Gibbs Racing’s Josh Grant in sixth place.

Déjà vu in moto two as Red Bull’s Short took an early lead followed by Dungey, Townley and Reed. After following Short for a couple of laps, Dungey went underneath the Honda rider and took command of the race. Townley was next to get around Short followed closely by Reed. In his best performance of the 2010 AMA Lucas Oil Pro MX season, Reed made a late race charge to second. Townley would settle for third giving the Kiwi third overall for the day. Short would relinquish fourth in Moto Two to the Geico Powersports Honda of Brett Metcalfe. Yamaha’s Josh Grant went (6-6) for sixth overall, followed by Honda’s Kyle Regal (7-7) in seventh overall and Yamaha rider Ryan Sipes (8-8) for eighth overall.

The AMA Pro MX teams have next weekend off before traveling to Millville, MN, for the Lucas Oil outdoor national motocross championship. Check back on 7/19 for E3 Spark Plugs Blog coverage of Round 7 from Spring Creek MX. Until then, if you want high performance from your truck spark plugs, install a set of E3 spark plugs with our patented DiamondFire technology. We deliver Energy, Efficiency and Ecology from your car, truck or motorcycle engine.

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