E3 Spark Plugs News

Red Bull KTM rider Mike Alessi grabbed the 450cc holeshot at Round 3 of the Lucas Oil AMA MX National Championship at High Point Raceway. Photo courtesy of www.alessiracing.com.

Over the weekend, E3 Motorcycle Spark Plug racing fans turned out in record numbers to line the Pennsylvania hillside for the first East Coast round of the 2011 Lucas Oil AMA Pro MX Championship. Over the past thirty five years of outdoor motocross, High Point Raceway has become the measuring stick that determines which riders and teams are ready to make a run at the national championship title. This year, Kawasaki rider Ryan Villopoto would use Moto One to make a solid statement about his intentions to compete for the 450cc title.

Defending national champion Ryan Dungey grabbed an early lead but Villopoto wasted little time in passing the Rockstar Makita Suzuki rider and pulling away to a huge lead. Current points leader Chad Reed had a bad start but would quickly begin picking off riders on his way to a fifth place finish in the opening moto. After recovering from early season injuries, Red Bull KTM’s Mike Alessi had an impressive ride at Mount Morris with a third in Moto One but was docked one position for jumping the gate at the start. Dungey would finish in second place with Yamaha’s Davi Millsaps in third.

Steep off-chamber turns, deep ruts and mud (lots of mud) would put a damper on Villopoto’s dominant performance in the day’s first race. To no one’s surprise, Mike Alessi’s big bore KTM pulled the holeshot in Moto Two but gave up the lead to a hard-charging Chad Reed. Villopoto and Dungey started working their way through the pack to a second and third place finish. Alessi would hold on for 4-4 finishes and fourth overall for the day. Dungey and Reed would round out the National podium with Villopoto claiming his first overall win of the season.

There is no rest for the weary as the Lucas Oil Pro MX Championship continues next weekend with Round 4 in Mechanicsville, MD, at the famed Budds Creek MX Park. With less than 35 points separating the top four riders in the 450cc class, E3 Spark Plug motorcycle race fans are expected to line the fences once again. If you’re looking for a spark plug that was “Born to Burn”, pick up an E3 replacement plug for your motorcycle at an authorized online dealer, or your favorite auto parts or discount store.

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.

Ryan Dungey picked up right where he left off at the E3 Spark Plugs co-sponsored Lucas Oil AMA Motocross Championship series opener, the Rockstar Energy Hangtown National. Dungey won the Moto 1 450 Class event. Press photo by Simon Cudby.

Motocross fans celebrated the start of the 2011 Lucas Oil AMA Motocross Championship series co-sponsored by E3 Spark Plugs this past Saturday, May 21 at the Rockstar Energy Hangtown National in Sacramento, CA. And wouldn’t you know – Ryan Dungey started things off in typical style, nabbing the first win of the season in the Moto 1 450 Class. After dominating the field throughout the 2010 season, he picked up right where he left off, quickly working his way to the front and leaving the rest of the field further and further behind before crossing the finish line. Chad Reed and 2011 Supercross champion Ryan Villopoto took second and third place.

In the Moto 1 250 Class, Eli Tomac led the field for a full third of the race before Dean Wilson and Blake Baggett charged past for first and second places. Frenchman Marvin Musquin, a two-time MX2 world champion, made an impressive American debut, landing fourth place in front of Tyla Rattray.

The Moto 2 450 Class offered up arguably the biggest fireworks of the day with championship riders Chad Reed and Ryan Dungey battling it out for the majority of the race. When the dust settled, it was Reed in the victor’s spot with Dungey and Ryan Villopoto close behind in second and third place. Villopoto fans aren’t at all worried about his chances for taking the championship title. His 2010 season proved impressive even after a 2009 knee injury and was on track to claim his fifth season title when a crash at the St. Louis Supercross event broke his leg and sidelined him for the remainder of the season.

Blake Baggett, a relative unknown quickly making a name for himself this season (his second year in the pro ranks), won Moto 2 in the 250 Class in a startling come-from-behind victory. He beat Tyla Rattray and Dean Wilson to the finish line.

E3 Spark Plugs congratulates all of the weekend’s winners at Hangtown, and we congratulate the Motocross on 40 years of competition. Click here for complete results and highlights of the Hangtown event – the first of the 12 round series. And be sure to outfit you bike with E3 motorcycle spark plugs for a stronger, leaner and more efficient burn.

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.
(more…)

Hey all you E3 Spark Plugs racing fans, it’s party time! This Friday night (August 13) is the traditional racer get-together held each year just prior to the GEICO AMA EnduroCross, presented by E3 Spark Plugs, at Guthrie’s Lazy E Arena in Oklahoma. This year’s party revs up at nearby Pole Position Raceway in Oklahoma City, an indoor kart racing track.

Come with E3 Spark Plugs and top motocross racers at Pole Position in Oklahoma City Friday night.

Ever dreamed of going head-to-head against the world’s top off-road motorcycle racers? Now is your chance. Of course, you and your worthy opponents will be in electric go-karts on smooth, bumper-lined tracks rather than on motorcycles traversing an obstacle course of rocks, boulders, logs, sand, mud, waterholes and giant tires. But the competitive spirit remains alive in this family-friendly fun place frequented by the likes of Chad Reed, Jeremy McGrath, Travis Pastrana and NASCAR champion Kurt Busch.

“Everyone had a great time when we opened the 2010 GEICO EnduroCross season at Pole Position Raceway in Vegas. Our Oklahoma City event at Pole Position Raceway should prove to be just as fun,” said Lance Bryson, Director of Sales and Marketing, GEICO EnduroCross. “Everything’s casual and friendly – until the GEICO EnduroCross racers get behind the wheel, then all heck breaks loose.”

If you’re in Oklahoma for Saturday’s race come out Friday night and race go-karts with the world’s top off-road motorcycle racers, sit in on some bench racing sessions and grab a few autographs. It all happens from 6-8 p.m. at Pole Position Raceway, Oklahoma’s coolest motorsports enthusiasts’ hangout. And if you want to boost your own motorcycling performance, be sure to get E3 motorcycle spark plugs, designed specifically for motorcycle engines. We’ll see you at the races!

If you’re as big a moto fan as we are here at E3 Spark Plugs, you’ll want to know about motoXcinema, a one-stop-shop for dozens of films, books and posters on all things moto.  MotoXcinema is the premier source of Motocross and dirt bike films, including action flicks, documentaries, how-to and instructional videos and DVDs starring the all the best on the tracks today.

"Moto: the Movie" is among the top recent documentary films about dirt bike riding and racing.

Our favorites include the recently released “The Great Outdoors: American Summer” with appearances by MX stars Mike Alessi, Christophe Pourcel, Andrew Short, Chad Reed, Ryan Dungey and more. Forget swimming pools, baseball and beaches. For these guys, summer means one thing only – outdoor Motocross. Filmmakers were granted an all-access pass onto the tracks and into the lives of today’s top MX pros throughout the 2009 season, which proved full of surprises. Follow the cameras right into the living rooms of your favorites for a glimpse into life as a motocross racer both on and off the track.

Another E3 Spark Plugs racing favorite is Moto: The Movie, a high-definition journey into the world of dirt bike riding and racing. This film covers the spectrum including big mountain freeriding to Supercross, woods, trials, European Extreme Enduro, FMX and Motocross. This film too covers the 2009 season and features many of the same riders as “American Summer,” plus Trey Canard, Taddy Blazusiak, Nathan Woods and more. The first proved such a wild success that filmmakers immediately launched in to production of “Moto 2: The Movie,” which will feature all the 2010 season action from around the globe.

"The Great Outdoors: American Summer" gives viewers a glimpse into the lives of today's top motocross racers.

Feeling inspired? Boost your bike skills with instructional videos and video series including “DirtWise with Shane Watts,” “OffRoad with Nathan Woods” and “Motocross Skills with Ryan Hughes.” And make sure your bike’s motor can take the beating by using E3 motorcycle spark plugs with our patented DiamondFire technology. See you on the dirt!

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.

(more…)

It doesn’t look like anyone can stop 450cc points leader Ryan Dungey from his goal of winning the 2010 AMA Lucas Oil MX Pro Championship in his rookie season. In front of a home-state crowd, native Minnesota rider Dungey dominated Round 7 at the popular Spring Creek National MX and extended his lead in the national championship chase. If you want to dominate on the street, in the woods or off-road in the dirt, try E3 Motorcycle Spark Plugs in your favorite ride. Let E3′s patented DiamondFire technology afford you the Energy, Efficiency and Ecology for your winning ride.

MX legend Kevin Windham returned to action at Millville as a factory Red Bull Honda rider replacing the injured Davi Milsaps. Photo courtesy of Geico Powersports Honda.

In Moto One of the 450cc class, MX legend Kevin Windham pulled an early lead riding the Red Bull Honda as a replacement rider for the injured Davi Milsaps. Windham had an excellent return to the factory Honda camp with a solid fourth overall finish for the day. Once Suzuki’s Ryan Dungey got by Windham, he picked up the pace and disappeared from the rest of the talented 450cc field. Joe Gibbs Racing Yamaha rider Josh Grant would finish second ahead of Honda’s Andrew Short and Kiwi Ben Townley. Defending MX Champion Chad Reed crashed during Moto One and would sit out the second race with a nagging neck injury.

Troy Lee Design/Lucas Oil rider Townley blasted to lead in Moto Two ahead of Short, Dungey and Windham before dropping his Honda in the Millville sand. Dungey would take the lead and wasted no time in putting distance between his Rockstar Suzuki and Short’s Red Bull Honda. Once again privateer Texan Kyle Regal would capture the factory teams’ attention as he raced pass the Hondas of Kevin Windham and Andrew Short for a second place in the moto and a third overall finish for the day. A pair of third place finishes would net Short a second overall leaving him 89 points behind Dungey for the championship.

The “Ryan Dungey Show” will head west along with the rest of the AMA Lucas Oil MX Pro Championship teams for Round 8 in Washougal, Washington. If you’re looking for championship performance for your motorcycle, car, SUV or truck, E3 car spark plugs are guaranteed to deliver time after time. Follow the world’s top riders all the way to 2010 MX National Championship finals on the E3 Spark Plugs racing blog.

(more…)

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.

(more…)

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.