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Blake Baggett's nickname, "El Chupacabra", comes from the cryptid creature that looms in the shadows of South, Central and North America before unmercifully pouncing on its prey - similar to Baggett's late moto charge.

Over the July 4th weekend, Blake “El Chupacabra” Baggett piloted his Pro Circuit Kawasaki to a first moto win at the Red Bud MX track for Round 6 of the 2011 Lucas Oil AMA Pro MX Championship. Geico Honda rider Justin Barcia grabbed the holeshot in Moto 1 and had pulled away from the pack before an endo in the deep Michigan sand handed the lead to Ryan Sipes on the DNA Shred Stix/Star racing Yamaha. E3 motorcycle spark plugs racing fans lined the fence to cheer as El Chupacabra and teammate Dean Wilson moved into 2nd and 3rd respectively in hot pursuit of Sipes.

By mid-moto, Baggett was closing on the lead, but Sipes would prove to be a worthy opponent. In a classic battle up the hills, down the hills and through the corners, Sipes and Baggett hit their marks lap after lap. Finally, the green machine of Baggett would slip by Sipes exiting a deep-rutted sandy corner. Current 250cc series points-leader, Wilson was in steady pursuit and passed the Yamaha of Sipes on his way to a second place in Moto 1. Fourth overall would go to Sipes’ teammate, Kyle Cunningham, followed by the Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki of Tyla Rattray.

After his first moto crash, Justin Barcia was a no-show for the start of Moto 2. El Chupacabra got a great start and led Wilson, Tommy Hahn and Lance Vincent through turn one. The 100-degree temperature and deep Michigan sand would take its toll as several bikes sputtered to a stop in the mechanic’s area during the race. Unchallenged for most of Moto 2, Baggett would cruise to his fourth overall win of the 2011 Lucas Oil AMA Pro MX Championship series. Wilson and Rattray would finish second and third respectively to claim the last spots on the overall podium.

The Fourth of July win moves Baggett to within 14 points of the Championship Series lead behind teammate Dean Wilson as El Chupacabra has shown little mercy since his early season glitches. Rattray fell to third just four points behind Baggett but maintains a 66-point lead over Geico Honda rider Eli Tomac. Tomac had burned the field in early-round practice for Red Bud but crashed hard in the second round and was unable to start the national event. 250cc riders and teams have a week off before heading next door to the Spring Creek National on July 16th at Millville, MN.

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.

Pro Circuit Kawasaki rider Blake Baggett had the most dominant performance of 2011 Lucas Oil AMA 250cc National Championship at Round 3 in Mechanicsville, MD, over the weekend. Photo courtesy of Hoppenworld.

Pro Circuit Kawasaki rider Blake Baggett finally rode like a national championship contender with dominant 1-1 finishes in round 3 of the 2011 Lucas Oil AMA MX National Championship held at Mount Morris, PA, over the weekend. The famed High Point Raceway is well known as one of the toughest, most challenging outdoor motocross tracks that the AMA pro riders visit each year. This year, midday rain showers turned the Pennsylvania hillside into a “Slip-N-Slide” with deep off-chamber ruts.

E3 motorcycle fans lined the fence for Moto One as local favorites Darryn Durham (Honda) and Ryan Sipes (Yamaha) stretched out to an early lead over Pro Circuit’s Dean Wilson, Tyla Rattray and eventual winner Baggett. Durham’s local knowledge of the High Point track paid big dividends as the privateer rider would keep the factory riders at bay for the opening thirty minutes. With two laps to go, the Kawasaki team would freight train Durham, moving Baggett to first followed home by Scotland’s Wilson and South African rider Rattray.

Durham’s hope for his first overall podium of his career went up in smoke when his mechanic had a last minute clutch change that caused the local Honda ace to lose his gate pick for Moto Two. Baggett would blast to the lead early in the second moto before dropping his Kawasaki in the mud. Teammate Rattray slipped and slid his way into first. Wilson would have to mount a charge through the pack while Honda’s Eli Tomac worked his way to a third place finish in the second 250cc race.

Baggett’s late race charge in both motos would leave E3 Spark Plugs race fans shouting for more as the Pro Circuit rider put on the most dominant ride of the 2011 MX Lites season. Rattray’s 3-2 finish was good enough for second overall on the day. Geico Honda rider Tomac would capture the final spot on the podium ahead of Dean Wilson in fourth. Only nine championship points separate the trio of Rattray, Wilson and Baggett as the 250cc riders head East for next weekend’s round 4 at Budds Creek MX in Mechanicsville, MD.

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.

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.

E3 Motorcycle Spark Plugs fans lined the track for the final 250cc round of the 2010 AMA Lucas Oil MX Pro National Championship this weekend at Pala Raceway Park just west of San Diego, CA. With back-to-back moto wins at Steel City MX the week before, Oklahoma’s Trey Canard had pulled within seven points of series point’s leader Christophe Pourcel. The Frenchman had high hopes for this year’s AMA finale having lost the 2009 Lites title to Suzuki’s Ryan Dungey after an unexpected mechanical failure sidelined his Pro Circuit Kawasaki in the penultimate race of the season.

Geico Powersports Honda's Trey Canard dominated the second half of the 2010 AMA Lucas Oil MX Pro National Championship to claim his first outdoor title in the 250cc Lites class with a third place overall finish at Pala Raceway Park. Photo courtesy of www.treycanard.com.

At the starting gate for Moto One, both Pourcel and Canard both knew they needed to beat each other to ensure their shot at winning the Lucas Oil AMA MX Lites National Championship. Pro Circuit rookie Dean Wilson grabbed the holeshot ahead of Troy Lee Designs Honda rider Cole Seely and teammate Tyla Rattray. Pourcel and Canard would pass Seely. Canard would out brake Pourcel through a corner but crashed on the exit virtually assuring Pourcel would win the championship. But, with a twist of fate, a few laps later Pourcel was picking himself off the ground with a dislocated shoulder that would end his day and all hope for a championship.

The Lucas Oil race fans and most of the talented AMA 250cc riders were still dazed by the events of the first moto when the gate dropped on the final race of the day. Canadian Dean Wilson would again take the lead and would again lead from start to finish claiming his second overall win of the 2010 national season. A cautious Canard would settle in behind South African rider Tyla Rattray safely following the Kawasaki home for third overall and third on the day. Wilson’s overall was the rookie’s second victory of the year matching his teammates Pourcel and Rattray who also won twice this season.

After the race, an exuberant Canard climbed the podium to receive the coveted #1 number plate for winning the 2010 AMA Lucas Oil MX Pro Championship in the 250cc Lites class. Unfortunately, for 250cc fans, Canard will not defend his Lites’ title as the Honda rider has already announced plans to move up and challenge for the 450cc crown in 2011. E3 race fans are eager to see if Canard can compete with Suzuki’s Dungey in the premier MX class. If you are looking for championship performance from your street or dirt bike, insist upon E3 Motorcycle Spark Plugs. E3 delivers the Energy, Efficiency and Ecology needed for today’s high performance 4-stroke engines.

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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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As the 250cc AMA Pro MX teams pulled through the gates at the legendary Moto-X 338 track in Southwick, Massachusetts, you could feel a spark in the air and the 250cc riders didn’t disappoint. With Geico Powersports Honda ace Trey Canard closing the points gap on Kawasaki’s Christophe Pourcel, E3 Motorcycle Spark Plugs fans lined the fence as the gate dropped on Moto One for the Lites riders. Wil Hahn took an early lead after the short uphill start at Southwick with Canard in hot pursuit. Pourcel was running top ten early in Moto One but dropped his Monster Energy/Pro Circuit Kawasaki in a deep, sandy berm.

Veteran motocrosser John Dowd raced his 22nd AMA Pro MX National race at Southwick's Moto-X 338 this weekend. Photo courtesy of www.johndowd.com.

Once Canard worked his way past Hahn for the lead, the Oklahoma rider put a 4-second lead on the rest of the talented field. Late in the race, former World 250cc Grand Prix Champion Tyla Rattray began to close on Canard and would eventually pull alongside. But, Canard picked up his pace and claimed the win in the opening moto. Rattray would hold on for second, followed home by a pair of Honda riders with Wil Hahn in third and Georgia rider Justin Barcia in fourth. Pro Circuit Kawasaki rider Dean Wilson would finish Moto One in fifth with Honda’s Eli Tomac finishing sixth just ahead of Pourcel. Pourcel’s seventh place finish in the opening moto allowed Canard to pull within 5 points of the national championship leader.

Wil Hahn would get his second holeshot of the day but Barcia, would take lead before the end of lap one with Pro Circuit riders Pourcel and Rattray in pursuit. Canard had worked his way into the top ten before going crashing his Geico Powersport Honda in the deep ruts at Moto-X 338. Barcia would hold off a late charge from Rattray. Pourcel would finish in third ahead of teammate Dean Wilson. Canard would mount a charge but was passed by his teammate, Eli Tomac, and later faded to ninth in Moto Two. Barcia would hold on for the win and finished second overall for the day. Rattray’s (2-2) finishes were good enough for the South African to earn his second win of the 2010 season and third place went to a frustrated Canard.

With only two rounds to go, the 250cc Lite teams head to Delmont, Pennsylvania, for the penultimate round of the 2010 AMA Lucas Oil MX National Championship on Labor Day weekend. Pourcel leaves Southwick with a manageable 13-points lead over Canard. The Steel City motocross track is located just to the east of Pittsburgh, and E3 Spark Plugs Racing fans are expected to show in record numbers for the Labor Day Weekend event. If you want peak performance from your motorcycle, car or truck, insist upon E3 replacement spark plugs. Our patented DiamondFire Technology lets the fuel burn faster and cleaner in your favorite ride.

With track-section names like The Gravity Cavity, The Wall and Screw-U, everyone knew the racing at the famed Unadilla motocross track outside New Berlin, NY, was going to be spectacular, and the 250cc Lights riders did not disappoint. E3 Spark Plugs Racing fans watched as Trey Canard captured his fourth consecutive win in the Lucas Oil AMA Pro MX Championship series aboard his Geico Powersports Honda. Oklahoma’s Canard has moved from 57 points behind championship point’s leader Christophe Pourcel (after Round 5) to only 16 points behind the Frenchman with three races to go.

Ochlocknee, Georgia, rider Justin Barcia provided a lot of the excitement in the 250cc Lights class of the Lucas Oil AMA Pro MX Championship race at Unadilla Valley Sports Park over the weekend. (Photo Courtesy of Geico Powersports Honda Racing Team.)

Scottish motocrosser Dean Wilson put his Monster Engery Kawasaki in the lead at the start of the opening moto at Unadilla while Pro Circuit teammate Pourcel was trying to recover from a horrendous start. Pourcel was on the charge and would catch Geico Powersports rider Justin Barcia but crashed hard as he battled with Barcia for the third spot. The Frenchman would remount but was too shaken from his crash to continue and pulled off the track leaving Wilson and Barcia to fight it out for the lead.

The battle up front continued until Barcia made a very aggressive inside move on Wilson that forced the Kawasaki rider off track. After Wilson’s crash, Barcia’s teammate and eventual race winner Trey Canard moved to second ahead of fellow Honda rider Blake Wharton. This time, it was Barcia that would go down after battling with Canard for the lead. Wharton would also slip by Barcia to finish a very respectable second place. Canard cruised home for the win but the story of the day at Unadilla Valley Sports Park was Pourcel’s 38th place finish in Moto One.

In Moto Two, Pourcel was riding for damage control as he positioned his Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki into fifth place behind Hangtown 250cc race winner Eli Tomac. Dean Wilson had recovered from his opening moto crash with Barcia and was running in second behind Canard when Pourcel began a mid-race charge to the front. With two laps to go, Pourcel had passed Wilson and was battling with Canard for the race win. Pourcel got the better of Canard on the last lap but Canard’s 1-2 finishes gave the Geico Powersports rider his fourth overall national MX win in a row.

The AMA 250cc Pro Lights riders have two weeks off before teams travel to Southwick, Massachusetts, for Round 10 of the 2010 Lucas Oil AMA Pro MX Championship at the famed Moto-X 338 motocross track. Don’t forget to visit the E3 Spark Plugs Blog for the latest motocross results from Southwick and remember to ask for E3 Car Spark Plugs the next time you change the plugs in your car, truck, motorcycle or SUV. E3′s patented DiamondFire technology delivers Energy, Efficiency and Ecology for any engine.

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