E3 Spark Plugs News

Volcom-sponsored Darryn Durham continued to impress 250cc AMA Pro Motocross fans with great starts and solid finishes at Thunder Valley MX over the weekend. Rumors have it that Durham has a factory offer aboard the Rockstar Makita Suzuki for Red Bud. Photo courtesy of www.volcom.com.

Pro Circuit Kawasaki has dominated the 250cc class of the Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship in the opening four rounds of the 2011 series. As the gate dropped on the field at Thunder Valley MX in Lakewood, CO, it looked for a moment like Team Green’s luck may have changed. When the field topped the hill, red bikes and blue bikes led the way through turn one. Geico Honda’s Justin Barcia grabbed the early lead in Round 5 ahead of the Volcom/FMF Honda of Darryn Durham and the DNA Shred Stix/Star Racing Yamahas of Gareth Swanepoel and Kyle Cunningham.

Once the dust had settled on the challenging Colorado track, Scotsman Dean Wilson and his Pro Circuit teammate Blake Baggett had worked their way to the front of the field. But, the Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki of series current points-leader Tyla Rattray and teammate Broc Tickle were still buried in the pack. Wilson was the first to pressure Barcia and took the lead. Refusing to be left behind, Baggett also charged by the ailing Honda rider into second place.

Barcia soon went down in a rutted corner allowing his teammate and local fan-favorite, Eli Tomac, to move into third as both had to watch Wilson and Baggett pull away to a commanding lead. The two Kawasaki riders hooked-up and put on a spectacular show for E3 spark plug racing fans with side-by-side racing through the corners, jumps and hilly straights. Baggett eventually took the lead and was first to the checkers in Moto 1 followed by Wilson, Tomac, Durham, and a pair of South African riders Tyla Rattray and Gareth Swanepoel.

As the 40-rider field topped the hill in Moto 2, Barcia again swept through turn one in the lead with Baggett in hot pursuit. Honda’s Lance Vincent and Yamaha’s Ryan Sipes were having a classic outdoor battle behind Baggett before Wilson and Tomac would slide by to claim second and third respectively at the finish. Baggett’s 1-1 finishes gave Pro Circuit their fifth win in five races. Wilson finished second overall and Tomac claimed the last step on the overall podium for Honda. Durham’s sixth place in the second moto was good for fourth overall followed by Rattray in fifth.

Wilson’s second place overall gives the Pro Circuit rider an eight-point lead over Rattray and a twenty-point lead over teammate Baggett.  Once again, the Lite’s riders have no time to rest as teams head east for next weekend’s event at Red Bud MX. If you’re headed to Buchanan, MI for Round 6, don’t forget to change your car, truck or motorcycle spark plugs, and remember E3 spark plugs were “Born to Burn”. Safe travel and visit our Facebook page to let us know your thoughts on the 2011 outdoor motocross season.

South African motocross rider Gareth Swanepoel was top Yamaha in the AMA Pro MX Championship with a sixth overall in Round 4 at Budds Creek, MD. Photo courtesy of Yamaha Star Racing.

Monster Pro Circuit Kawasaki’s Dean Wilson claimed the holeshot in Moto 1 of the Lucas Oil AMA Pro MX National Championship at Budds Creek MX over the weekend. Always close to the action E3 motorcycle racing fans lined the hilly Maryland track as Wilson’s teammates Tyla Rattray and Broc Tickle settled into second and third, respectively. At the halfway mark, Darryn Durham moved his privateer Honda into fourth ahead of Star Yamaha’s Kyle Cunningham. Wilson would lead from start to finish with the top three positions going to the “Green Team”.

The 2008 MX2 World Motocross Champion, Tyla Rattray, pulled the holeshot in the second Moto but his Kawasaki teammates were running outside the top five. Since GEICO Honda Lites rider Justin Barcia had just been diagnosed with mononucleosis last week, many race fans had doubts that this year’s supercross champion would even race the demanding Budds Creek track. But, the youngster surprised everyone with a second place start and finish in Moto 2. Wilson would eventually work his way into third for a second place overall on the day. Star Yamaha’s Gareth Swanepoel would finish a season-high fourth in the second race ahead of Barcia’s teammate Eli Tomac.

Once the dust settled, Rattray had claimed his second win of the season to take a four-point lead in the 250cc class over teammate Dean Wilson. Pro Circuit’s Blake Baggett, the only other double race winner this season, had a disappointing day finishing seventh at Budds Creek and dropped to third in the standings 30 points behind Rattray. The GEICO Honda tandem of Tomac and Barcia moved to fourth and fifth in the chase. The AMA Lites riders have zero time off as teams immediately head west to Thunder Valley MX in Lakewood, CO, for Round 5 of the 2011 Championship next weekend.

Cooler weather and a well-groomed track awaited the Lucas Oil AMA 250cc MX Pro riders at Steel City Raceway outside Delmont, Pennsylvania, over the Labor Day Weekend. E3 Motorcycle Spark Plugs fans lined the fence early to watch another great battle for the AMA Lites national championship. The day was overcast early, sunny late and long sleeve weather all day. Oklahoma’s Trey Canard trailed former 250cc World Champion Christophe Pourcel by 13 points coming into the eleventh round of the 2010 AMA Pro MX Lites season. But, the Frenchman came to Delmont with a spectacular win in the final moto of last week’s national at Unadilla, NY, where Pourcel put on a late charge and blasted past Canard with two laps to go.

Geico Powersports Honda rider Trey Canard celebrates his 1-1 finishes with the fans at Steel City Raceway outside Delmont, Pennsylvania, over Labor Day Weekend in the Lucas Oil 250cc Lites National Championship. He now trails Pourcel by 7 points for the 2010 outdoor national title. Photo courtesy of http://motocross.transworld.net/

Grand Marshal for this year’s Steel City National was fan favorite and former Lites national champion Timmy Ferry.  Ferry had the crowd cheering as he and his son Evan took a farewell lap aboard the #15 factory Kawasaki before the start. When the gate dropped on Moto One, Monster Engery/Pro Circuit Kawasaki’s  Tyla Rattray took the lead with teammate Pourcel close behind. Honda’s Canard was riding just inside the top ten early on but would mount a charge through the pack to catch and pass Pourcel for the win. Pourcel would finish in second place in Moto One ahead of Rattray and Geico Powersports Honda rider Eli Tomac.

In Moto Two, a couple of rookie 250 Lites riders, Pro Circuit’s Dean Wilson and Honda’s Eli Tomac, blasted to the lead off the starting line. Wilson would get the better of Tomac before the end of lap one and looked to be in control of the race. Geico Powersports Honda rider Canard was running in fifth behind Yamaha’s Nico Izzi and Suzuki’s Wil Hahn. Kawasaki rider Rattray was holding off Honda’s Justin Barcia who was holding off the Kawasaki of points leader Christophe Pourcel. By mid race, Canard and Pourcel had passed Wilson and the race was on. Canard (who never bobbled) and Pourcel (who never let up) put on a show for the E3 Sparks Plugs Racing fans.

Pourcel would set the fastest lap of the race late in Moto Two but Canard was almost flawless and never gave the Kawasaki rider a chance to pass. For the last five minutes of the moto, the two championship contenders battled as though it was the last lap of the race. Each showed great respect for the other by keeping the racing very clean. As the championship contenders caught race leader Dean Wilson, Wilson showed his respect for the senior Lites riders and let both Canard and Pourcel past. You could sense the tension in the Honda camp as everyone knew Canard would need to win points over Pourcel at Steel City to have a realistic shot at the national championship in Pala, CA next weekend.

Canard’s lane choices and his ability to jump the triple later in the race allowed him to hold off Pourcel for the moto win and first overall at Delmont. Pourcel would finish in second for the moto and second for the day which helped to minimiz the damage to his point’s lead. Canard now trails Pourcel by seven points for the AMA Lucas Oil Outdoor MX championship as teams travel west this week to race the newest venue on the schedule, Pala Raceway outside San Deigo, CA. If you are looking for Pro Performance from your bike, insist upon E3 Motorcycle Spark Plugs for street bike, dirt bike or chopper. E3 delivers the Energy, Efficiency and Ecology needed for today’s high performance engines.
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