E3 Spark Plugs News

Home state rider Andrew Short led the early laps of Moto One in the 450cc class at the Thunder Valley National in round five of the 2010 Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship before he high-sided his factory Honda in the deep Lakewood, Colorado, ruts. Series points-leader, Ryan Dungey, inherited the lead and set the cruise control on his Rockstar Makita Suzuki. But, Dungey’s pace couldn’t hold off a late race charge by Josh Grant aboard his Toyota Yamaha.

New Zealand motocross racer Ben Townley finished second overall at Lakewood's Thunder Valley National. Townley has shown tons of speed this season aboard his Troy Lee Designs/Lucas Oil Honda. Photo courtesy of www.troyleedesigns.com.

Grant would take the win with Dungey crossing the finish line second followed by Suzuki’s Tommy Hahn who had disposed of a hard charging Brett Metcalfe to claim third. Defending outdoor AMA Lucas Oil Pro MX national champion Chad Reed could only muster a 10th place in Moto One. The KTM 350cc rocket ship  of Mike Alessi didn’t appear to like the air at the mile-high Thunder Valley track as Alessi struggled to a 12th overall in Moto One.

The second moto looked to be a carbon copy of the first with Andrew Short controlling the early laps of the race. Unfortunately, Yamaha’s Josh Grant would crash in turn one after the start spoiling his chance for an overall MX victory. This moto, Suzuki’s Dungey would have to pick up his pace with a very fast Ben Townley aboard the TLD/Lucas Oil Honda breathing down his neck. Both riders passed Short to finish “one, two, three” respectively. Brett Metcalfe brought his Geico Powersports Honda home in fourth ahead of Jagermeister KTM rider Mike Alessi.

This was Dungey’s fourth win in a row and propelled the Rockstar rider to a 51 point lead in the championship. Australia’s Brett Metcalfe moved ahead of fellow compatriot Chad Reed for second place in the series standings after finishing third on the day at Lakewood. Alessi, Short, Grant and Townley are now separated by a single point each as they fight for fourth thru seventh. Next weekend, teams travel to Buchanan, Michigan, for the annual AMA outdoor motocross event at Red Bud MX.

Be sure to check E3 Spark Plugs’ blog for a wrap-up of all the racing action.

It may be “Sunny in Philadelphia” but it always rains in Mt. Morris on race day. This year’s third round of the 2010 Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship had a lot of both. In Moto One of the 250cc Lights and the 450cc pro MX classes, riders scrambled for position as rains turned the hilly western Pennsylvania track into a giant slip-n-slide. Honda’s sophomore ace, Justin Barcia, who grew up racing in the Georgia mud, dominated the opening moto in the Lights class with South African Tyla Rattray and rookie pro Blake Baggett in second and third place respectively. In the big bike class, Rockstar Makita Suzuki’s Ryan Dungey passed the factory Yamaha of Toyota rider Josh Grant at the halfway mark of Moto One and pulled away for an impressive victory.

Rockstar Makita Suzuki rider Ryan Dungey rides with a Target on his back (or helmet) as he took command of the 2010 Lucas Oil AMA Pro MX Championship posting 1-1 finishes in Round Three at High Point MX outside Mt. Morris, PA.

Before the start of the final moto, the sun popped out and baked the clay track leaving deep ruts cut into the uphills, downhills and sidehills of the challenging High Point MX track. Then, Mother Nature decided that it should be hot – very hot. That was just fine for a pair of well-conditioned former MX2 World Champion title holders with teammates Christophe Pourcel and Tyla Rattray leading Geico Powersports Honda rider Blake Wharton to checkers. The overall win went to Rattray, his first win on U.S. soil, and moved the Pro Circuit Kawasaki rider into second place in the championship hunt just 27 points behind Pourcel. Wharton’s (8-3) finishes landed the young Texan on the podium for the first time this season.

Jagermeister KTM rider Mike Alessi grabbed the holeshot for Moto Two in the 450cc pro class before being passed by Team Honda’s Andrew Short. At the midway point, Dungey again relied on his stellar physical fitness in the Pennsylvania heat and pulled away from Short to claim the win and the top tier of the podium for the day’s overall. Geico Powersports Brett Metcalfe followed Short to the line for second and third overall finishes on the day. Australian ace Metcalfe trails Dungey by 25 points in the AMA Pro MX standings. After a miserable day in the Mt. Morris heat, defending National Champion Chad Reed abandoned his broken bike in Moto Two and dropped to fourth overall in the AMA points standings just three notches behind KTM’s Alessi.

Continue to follow the Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship on the E3 Spark Plugs Blog as round four of the 250cc Lights class and 450cc pro MX class is scheduled for next weekend at Budds Creek MX Park on June 19th in Mechanicsville, MD. The lady motocrossers were off last weekend but the women’s class of the Lucas Oil Motocross Championship series continues on June 26th when the WMX riders catch up with the men at Lakewood’s Thunder Valley MX in Denver, Colorado.

Click “more” to see full results.

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