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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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After waiting three years to win his first AMA 250cc MX national event, Geico Powersports Honda’s Trey Canard only had to wait one week to win his second championship series race. E3 Spark Plugs Racing fans watched while rain fell on Canard during the second moto as he dominated Round 7 of the Lucas Oil AMA Pro MX Championship. For the rest of the MX Lights field, it was survival of the elements, as Scottish rookie Dean Wilson and his Pro Circuit teammate Tyla Rattray finished the day second and third overall aboard their Monster Energy 250cc Kawasakis.

After injuring his knee in a crash during the first moto, Kawasaki rider Dean Wilson rebounded with a solid performance as rain fell on Round 7 of the AMA Lucas Oil 250cc MX National Championship. Photo courtesy of Pro Circuit Racing.

Although Moto One has belonged to Frenchman Christophe Pourcel during the first six rounds of the Lucas Oil AMA Championship, there have been five different overall winners with four of those being first-time AMA national wins. Saturday’s opening moto was no surprise as Pourcel and Canard traded the lead several times before Pourcel would double an uphill jump to claim the win ahead of Canard, Kawasaki teammates Jake Weimer and Tyla Rattray, Honda rider Blake Wharton and Pro Circuit’s Dean Wilson. Wilson was running third for most of the race before crashing his Kawasaki and injuring his knee.

Nico Izzi pulled the holeshot in Moto Two ahead of Canard and Wilson, both wasted little time in getting around the Yamaha rider. Pourcel, the 250cc AMA MX national point’s leader, had his typical bad start leaving the former world champion to struggle outside the top ten for most of the second race. With the rain falling harder and harder, former World 250cc Champion Tyla Rattray and Geico Powersports Honda rider Justin Barcia would race past a tiring Eli Tomac in third. As of late, Tomac hasn’t shown the strength that landed the rookie Honda rider a national win at Hang Town in the AMA MX season opener. Barcia would eventually gap Rattray and Pro Circuit Kawasaki teammate Jake Weimer who would finish in fourth.

Both Canard and Wilson made up ground in their battle with Pourcel for the 2010 national outdoor championship points lead. Next week, the teams head west to Washougal, Washington, for Round 8 of the 2010 AMA Lucas Oil MX Pro Championship on Saturday, July 24th. Don’t forget to check the E3 Spark Plugs news blog for race results, and pick our patented DiamondFire technology when you change plugs in your car, truck, motorcycle or lawn equipment. E3 car spark plugs provide the Energy, Efficiency and Ecology needed for today’s fast-paced world.

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In Round 6 of the 2010 Lucas Oil 250cc AMA Pro MX Championship, E3 Spark Plugs Racing fans watched as Trey Canard attacked the rough Red Bud track to earn his first ever series win with 4-1 moto finishes. To no one’s surprise, Frenchman Christophe Pourcel controlled the pace in Moto One (the Pro Circuit Kawasaki ace has won four first motos in 2010) followed closely by his teammate and former World MX champion, Tyla Rattray. Scottish motocrosser Dean Wilson was again the tail gunner for Mitch Peyton’s trio finishing a solid third ahead of a pair of Honda riders Canard and Justin Barcia.

Geico Powersports Honda rider Trey Canard claimed his first 250cc AMA MX Pro outdoor win at the tough Red Bud MX track in Buchanan, Michigan, over the July 4th holiday weekend. Photo courtesy of www.treycanard.com.

Wilson would rebound in Moto Two taking the lead early on lap one ahead of Rattray and Honda’s Blake Wharton. Former AMA MX star Sebastian Tortelli has been assigned to work with Wharton who had his best performance of the season aboard his 250cc Honda. At mid-point in the second moto, Kawasaki teammates Wilson and Rattray appeared to have everything under control ahead of Honda teammates Canard and Wharton. But, Canard picked up his pace and passed Rattray to move into second. With his sights set on winning, Canard would bump Wilson over the berm leading to LaRocco’s Leap causing the Kawasaki rider to forfeit the lead.

The Mike LaRocco-coached Canard would pull away leaving Wilson to battle with Rattray for the runner’s up spot. Rattray needed the position for the overall win at Red Bud and passed his teammate with two laps to go before he did a huge endo that ended the South African’s hopes for an overall victory. A hard-charging Justin Barcia would challenge Wilson several times on the final lap but Wilson would lead Barcia to the finish ahead of Wharton, Pourcel and Broc Tickle. After entering the 250cc outdoor MX season as one of the favorites, Canard claimed his first win of the 2010 series and closed to within 55 points of series leader Pourcel.

The Lites riders have two weeks off before the teams head to Millville, Minnesota, for the July 18th Spring Creek MX national. If you’re following the 2010 AMA Lucas Oil MX Pro Championship, check our E3 Spark Plugs Blog for full results from Round 7 of the championship series. Remember to ask for E3 Spark Plugs the next time you change plugs in your car, truck, motorcycle or lawn & garden equipment. Let our patented DiamondFire technology deliver Energy, Efficiency and Ecology for all of your engines.

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Moto One was no surprise as Frenchman Christophe Pourcel (Kawasaki) had already won all but one opening moto during the 2010 Lucas Oil AMA 250cc Pro MX Championship series. Teammate, and last weekend’s rookie winner, Dean Wilson (Kawasaki) kept pace for a second overall followed by Honda’s Trey Canard who tasted the Denver soil earlier on. South Africa’s Tyla Rattray (Kawasaki) continued to show his world championship form with a strong ride to fourth ahead of three American motocross riders Broc Tickle (Yamaha), Blake Wharton (Honda) and Eli Tomac (Honda).

Geico Powersports Honda rider Trey Canard finished second overall at the Thunder Valley National to take over the fourth spot in the 2010 Luca Oil AMA MX Pro Championship for the 250cc Lights class. Photo courtesy of www.treycanard.com.

After several years of racing under the lights in Lakewood, Colorado, promoters moved the Thunder Valley National race to daytime for 2010. Oklahoma rider Trey Canard must have liked the change as he took the lead in Moto Two ahead of his Honda teammate Blake Wharton. Early on, Scottish rider (via Canada) Dean Wilson and his Pro Circuit Kawasaki teammates Pourcel and Rattray followed in close pursuit. Pourcel would chase down the Geico Powersports Honda rider Canard in Moto Two giving Pourcel his first double moto win of the season. Canard crossed the line in second place followed by Wilson and Rattray.

The ladies returned to action this weekend at the Thunder Valley National in Lakewood, Colorado. Red Bull Honda rider Ashley Fiolek put her number one plate out front early but lost the top spot to Yamaha’s Jessica Patterson when she bobbled in the deep Thunder Valley ruts. Fiolek and Tarah Gieger (Honda) would tangle in a fight for the second spot allowing Patterson to coast to the overall win. Patterson leads the womens division of the AMA National Championship series ahead of fellow Florida WMX riders Fiolek and Gieger.

Don’t forget to check the E3 Motorcycle Spark Plugs website next weekend as teams head east to Buchanan, Michigan, for round six of the 2010 Lucas Oil AMA Pro MX Championship at the Red Bud Motocross National. If you want Energy, Efficiency and Ecology from your car spark plug, insist on E3 Spark Plugs and trust our patented DiamondFire technology to deliver more power and better mileage from a cleaner burn.

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Pro Circuit Kawasaki's Dean Wilson overcame the recent mistakes he made at Wortham to claim his first overall victory at Round Four of the 2010 Lucas Oil AMA Pro MX Championship at Budds Creek, Maryland. Photo by Pro Circuit Kawasaki.

After a disappointing last lap mistake cost Canadian rookie Dean Wilson the overall win a couple of weeks ago, the Pro Circuit Kawasaki Lights rider dominated the second moto in the 250cc class at Budds Creek Motocross Park to claim his first national win. French teammate Christophe Pourcel led former South African World Champion motocrosser Tyla Rattray to the checkers in moto one just ahead of GEICO Powersports Honda’s Justin Barcia in third. Wilson managed a fourth in moto one ahead of Honda’s Wil Hahn.

In the second moto of round four of the 2010 Lucas Oil AMA Pro Championship, the Southern Maryland MX fans cheered  Barcia, a native of Ochlocknee, Georgia, to a second place overall on the day as the talented field of international stars looked to dominate the Americans. Rattray made a valiant charge late in the race but had to settle for a third place overall. Texas rider Wil Hahn and Yamaha’s Broc Tickle finished third and fourth respectively. Wilson’s win continued the streak of four different winners in the first four races of the 2010 pro MX season.

Mitch Peyton’s Pro Circuit circus leads the National Championship points chase with Christophe Pourcel twenty-five points in front of Rattray in second and Wilson one point back in third. The solid second place finish at the popular Budds Creek track moved Justin Barcia into fourth overall for the championship a single point in front of Michigan’s Broc Tickle and Oklahoma’s Trey Canard. Don’t forget to check the E3 Motorcycle Spark Plugs website next weekend as the Lucas Oil AMA Pro MX Championship continues with round five at Thunder Valley Motocross Park as teams head west to Lakewood, Colorado, for a daytime event.

2010 Lucas Oil AMA Motocross Pro Championship

AMA 250cc MX – Budds Creek National (Round 4)
1)    Dean Wilson, Canada, Kawasaki        (4-1)
2)    Justin Barcia, Ochlocknee, GA, Honda     (3-2)
3)    Tyla Rattray, South Africa, Kawasaki         (2-3)
4)    Christophe Pourcel, France, Kawasaki     (1-6)
5)    Wil Hahn, Decatur, TX, Honda         (5-4)
6)    Broc Tickle, Holly, MI, Yamaha         (6-5)
7)    Trey Canard, Shawnee, OK., Honda         (7-8)
8)    Martin Davalos, Ecuador, Yamaha        (9-10)
9)    Blake Wharton, Pilot Point, TX, Honda    (11-9)
10)    Eli Tomac, Cortez, CO, Honda            (10-12)

AMA 250CC MOTOCROSS CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS

1)    Christophe Pourcel, France, Kawasaki    169
2)     Tyla Rattray, South Africa, Kawasaki        -25
3)    Dean Wilson, Canada, Kawasaki        -26
4)    Justin Barcia, Ochlocknee, GA, Honda    -48
5)    Broc Tickle, Holly, MI Yamaha            -49
6)    Trey Canard, Shawnee, OK, Honda        -49
7)    Eli Tomac, Cortez, CO, Honda            -59
8)    Wil Hahn, Decatur, TX, Honda        -63
9)    Jake Weimer, Rupert, ID, Kawasaki        -75
10)    Martin Davalos, Ecuador, Yamaha        -87

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.

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