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Rockstar Makita Suzuki rider Ryan Dungey won the battle at Pala MX Raceway but Monster Energy Kawasaki's Ryan Villopoto won the war and claimed his first Lucas Oil AMA Pro MX outdoor championship in the 450cc class. Photo courtesy of http://www.suzukicycles.com/Racing/Motocross/Gallery.aspx.

In the 450cc class of the Lucas Oil AMA MX Pro Championship, the national title would not be decided until the final lap of the final moto of the 2011 season at Pala Raceway. Southern California race fans turned out in record numbers to watch the showdown between Suzuki’s Ryan Dungey, last year’s national champion, and Kawasaki’s Ryan Villopoto, this year’s AMA indoor Supercross champion. To keep the pair of title contenders honest, Honda had rookie rider, Justin Barcia, and a seasoned former-national champion, Chad Reed of Two-Two Motorsports, ready to compete for the event win. After losing points to Villopoto when his Rockstar Makita Suzuki did not show up on time for the start of the second race at Steel City MX, Dungey was confident that with a little luck he could still make up a fourteen-point deficit.

At the beginning of Moto One, both Dungey and Villopoto looked beatable. The duo were buried in mid-pack as KTM’s Mike Alessi pulled the holeshot and started to gap the field. Canadian national champion Colton Facciotti was running second with the big red machine of Justin Barcia in third. Realizing his opportunity for another moto win, Barcia quickly moved his Honda to the lead. However, the two Ryans were just getting started and collectively worked their way to the front of the pack. Villopoto was first to get by Barcia for the lead followed by Dungey. At one point, the two Ryans were literally swapping the lead between corners. Villopoto would eventually garner a three-second gap over his rival. Barcia held on for a well deserved third followed by Alessi in fourth place.

Even though he increased his points lead at the end of the first moto, Villopoto knew all too well how quickly you can end up on the ground, out of the race, and out of the championship. So, as the gate dropped on the most important race of the season, the two Ryans again prepared themselves for one last battle in 2011. The Honda of Chad Reed would lead Justin Barcia and the rest of the 450cc riders across the line at the end of lap one. It didn’t appear that either contender would be able to catch Reed or Barcia early on. But, as the race neared the half way mark, Barcia pressured Reed into a mistake and took over first place. As the championship contenders caught Reed, Dungey would slip by leaving Villopoto to battle with the former champion.

Dungey would catch and pass Barcia for the win but it was too little, too late. Villopoto’s third place was good enough to win the “450cc War” allowing the Kawasaki rider to claim both the indoor and outdoor motocross titles, just as Dungey had done in 2010. Ironically, or maybe rightfully so, Dungey and Villopoto have been chasing each other their entire lives and were fierce competitors throughout their amateur motocross and 250cc Pro careers. So, what’s upcoming for the two Ryans? Both riders will be teammates representing the United States in the Motocross Des Nations next weekend in Saint Jean D’Angely, France. A big shout-out from all of the E3 spark plug racing fans to all of the Mx teams and a special thanks to Lucas Oil for sponsoring another terrific AMA outdoor motocross season.

Suzuki's Brett Metcalfe claimed his first Lucas Oil AMA Pro MX Championship overall win in the 450cc class at Southwick, MA.

Neither rain nor snow nor Hurricane Irene could keep the 450cc motocross riders from delivering the mail at the Moto-X 338 track over the rain-soaked weekend at Southwick, MA. Storms rolled in early Saturday morning and each group’s lap times continued to soar as track conditions progressively deteriorated throughout the practice sessions. However, once the premier class of the 2011 Lucas Oil AMA Pro MX Championship class took to the track, well things just got stranger by the lap.

At the end of the day, a rookie 450 rider would have claimed his first ever win in only his second race, a seasoned veteran would have claimed his first ever overall victory, a former points leader would sit dejected on the sideline with a broken bike, and the defending class champion would mount a come-from-behind ride that legends are made of. That’s right. Honda’s Justin Barcia led wire to wire in Moto 2 to claim his first win in the big bike class. Popular Aussie Brett Metcalfe claimed his first overall victory aboard his Rockstar/Makita Suzuki. Multi-time class champion Chad Reed’s DNFs in both motos would essentially eliminate the TwoTwo Motorsports rider from the 2011 championship chase.

Oh yeah, did we mentioned that first-moto winner Ryan Dungey put on a mind-blowing performance in Moto 2 after his Suzuki arrived at the starting line about a minute and half after the rest of the field took the green flag. Yep, the kind of stuff legends are made of. Dungey mounted his Rockstar/Makita Suzuki in 40th position almost a lap down to the leaders and went to work to salvage his opportunity for a second AMA 450cc MX championship. With points leader Ryan Villopoto on cruise control, Dungey made it look simple. Just go faster than everyone else and never say die.

When the checkered flag flew, Dungey was in seventh place just two positions behind Villopoto. With his win in Moto 1, Dungey would finish the day losing but a single point to his Kawasaki rival and now trails Villopoto by eight points with only two rounds remaining. Reed’s dismal performance leaves the Honda rider 65 points out of the lead. So, the stage is set for E3 spark plugs racing fans to catch the final two AMA pro outdoor motocross races at Steel City raceway outside Pittsburg, PA, and Pala raceway in the southern California desert. Don’t forget to pick up a box of E3 replacement plugs for your favorite ride. See you at the track.

Honda’s Justin Barcia moved up to the 450 cc class for Round 9 of the AMA Pro MX Championship over weekend. The nineteen year old New York native finished third overall in his debut race. Photo courtesy of powersports.honda.com.

Since 1970, motocross racing fans have been traveling to the mid-state Leatherneck region of New York State for one of AMA’s oldest outdoor motocross events. This year was no exception as fans lined the fence three-deep for the start of the first moto of the 450 cc class. After the disappointment of not winning the Lucas Oil AMA Championship round at his home track in Washougal, Ryan Villopoto gave himself an early birthday present by winning both motos at the Unadilla National.

In his first ever professional race on the big bikes, Honda’s Justin Barcia took the early lead in front of Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Villopoto and the Rockstar Makita Suzuki of Ryan Dungey. After season-ending injuries to Honda’s Trey Canard and Josh Grant, the factory race team decided to promote Barcia from the 250 cc Lites class. Barcia didn’t disappoint with solid top three performances in both motos. But nobody, including Barcia, could touch the new 2012 Kawasaki.

Villopoto slipped by Barcia early in race one and was never challenged for the win. After a good duel early on, Dungey also got past Barcia to claim a second place finish. TwoTwo Motorsports’ Chad Reed passed Jake Weimer late in Moto One for fourth and fifth place respectively. In Moto Two, Villopoto would work his way around early leader Mike Alessi on the factory KTM. Barcia and Dungey would have a classic battle for second overall before the two clipped handlebars and Barcia would again have to settle for third.

As the teams take a week off, Villopoto holds a seven-point lead in the AMA Pro MX Championship over Dungey. Reed’s fourth place overall at Unadilla would drop the Honda rider to 25 points behind Villopoto with three races remaining. Round 10 of the race for the national title will be held at the famed Southwick MX track in Massachusetts on August 27. If you’re looking for an advantage for your favorite ride, pick up a box of E3 motorcycle spark plugs at your favorite discount or auto parts store. E3 spark plugs were Born to Burn.

DNA Shred Stix/Star Racing Yamaha rider Kyle Cunningham has finished fourth overall in last three Lucas Oil AMA Pro MX 250cc championship races behind Pro Circuit's dynamic trio. Photo courtesy of www.yamaha-motor.com.

The Monster Energy 250cc Kawasaki team dominated the podium once again at Round 8 of the Lucas Oil AMA Pro MX Championship last weekend in Washougal, WA. Geico Honda’s Justin Barcia led the Lites class through turn one of the first moto ahead of Pro Circuit’s Blake Baggett and DNA Shred Stix/Star Racing Yamaha’s Ryan Sipes. El Chupacabra wasted little time and quickly passed Barcia for the lead but Sipes, who was fastest of day in qualifying, would take the lead away before the close of lap one. Series points leader, Dean Wilson, had a bad start, clipped the fence and was struggling to work his way forward.

Although Sipes has shown the speed to unseat the Pro Circuit trio of Baggett, Wilson and Rattray, the Yamaha rider has lacked consistency. After Baggett re-passed the Star Racing Yamaha, Sipes would make several mistakes dropping him to an eventual 15th place finish. In the mean time, his Yamaha teammate, Kyle Cunningham and the green bike of Tyla Rattray were working their way by Barcia. Rattray would try to close the gap on Baggett but finished 11 seconds to the rears. Cunningham held on for third place with Barcia in fourth followed by a hard-charging Dean Wilson in fifth. Local favorite Tommy Weeck finished sixth on his Motosport Hillsboro Honda.

Wilson’s hard charge continued in Moto 2 as the Scotsman rounded the first turn of the difficult Washougal track in the lead. Barcia, Baggett and Cunningham were stuck in the pack and working hard to get by slower riders. Mr. Consistency, Tyla Rattray, had put his Pro Circuit Kawasaki in second and would challenge Wilson late in the Moto 2. But, Wilson would hold on to a slim half-second lead at the finish line over Rattray followed by El Chupacabra in third giving the Monster Energy Kawasaki team its fifth sweep of the overall podium in just eight races. The DNA Shred Stix/Star Racing Yamaha of Gareth Swanepoel crossed the line in fourth giving the South African a fifth place overall for the event.

Wilson retains the series points lead but once again failed to win an overall. Baggett’s 1-3 finishes gave the Kawasaki ace his fifth overall win for the season. Rattray, who is the only other Lites rider to win in 2011, finished second overall with Wilson in third. Cunningham’s 3-7 finishes added to the Yamaha rider’s streak of fourth-place overalls. Teams, riders and E3 spark plugs racing fans have the next two weekends off as everyone looks forward to Round 9 of the championship at the famed Unadilla MX track in New Berlin, NY. If you’re looking for a high performance car, truck, motorcycle or snowmobile spark plugs, stop by your favorite discount or auto parts store and pick up a box of E3 replacement plugs for your ride.

Bret Metcalfe seems to be regaining his 2010 AMA Championship pace with a podium finish at Washougal MX Park over the weekend in Round 8 of the 2011 Lucas Oil sponsored series. Photo courtesy of mx.rockstar69.com.

After Ryan Dungey won his hometown national last weekend at Millville’s Spring Creek MX National, Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Ryan Villopoto hoped to keep the streak going at Round 8 of the Lucas Oil AMA Pro MX Championship at Washougal MX Park. Villopoto (a native of Poulsbo, Washington) has never won at his home track but served notice early in the day when he pulled the holeshot in Moto 1 ahead of his 450cc rivals Dungey aboard the Rockstar Makita Suzuki and the factory Honda of Trey Canard. TwoTwo Motorsports’ Chad Reed seemed to be a tick off the leader’s speed and may still be recovering from his spectacular crash at Spring Creek.

Up front, Canard continued to impress the E3 motorcycle spark plugs racing fans as he was able to match the pace of Villopoto and Dungey. After missing the first half of the 2011 National Championship season with a broken femur, the Honda rider has shown that he still has the speed to win. At the mid-point in the race, Dungey powered his Suzuki alongside Villopoto and challenged the Kawasaki rider for the race lead. In a similar move to the one that allowed Dungey to get by Villopoto at Spring Creek, Dungey dropped his bike in a rutted corner allowing Villopoto to escape with the moto win. The Suzuki rider remounted and held on for a second overall just ahead of a hard-charging Canard. The series points leader Reed would finish a disappointing seventh.

In Moto 2, Villopoto again charged to the front of the pack off the start with Dungey and Canard in hot pursuit. But, disaster struck early on as Canard cross-rutted on the face of a steep uphill and was launched over the handlebars. The Honda rider slammed into the Washington dirt and was unable to get up. Race officials red flagged the event as Canard had to be carted off by the expert medical team. On the restart, Dungey managed to swap positions and led Villopoto through turn one. Reed had his best start of the day in third followed by a very determined Bret Metcalfe aboard the other Rockstar Makita Suzuki. Early on Metcalfe would take advantage of Reed’s off day and passed his fellow Aussie for a third place.

At the mid-point in the race, it was all Ryan Dungey as he began to pull away from Villopoto for the win and his second national overall win in a row for the 2011 Lucas Oil AMA championship. Villopoto would hold on for second and finished second overall on the day. After a promising outdoor season last year, Metcalfe would claim third in Moto 2 for an overall podium finish, his first of the season. Reed’s fourth place finish in the second race was good enough for fourth overall but dropped the Honda veteran to third in championship nine points behind the new series leader Villopoto. Dungey trails Villopoto by a single point.

With the points race heating up, riders and teams have two weeks off before traveling to the east coast for Round 9 at the famed Unadilla MX National in New Berlin, NY. If you’re looking to avoid the “Honey Dos”, join E3 Spark Plugs racing fans at another race venue or take the time off to tune up your favorite ride with a set of our high performance replacement plugs. You can always rely on the plugs that are Born to Burn for your outdoor fun when you hit the trail, road, water or snow.

Chad Reed's Millville crash, which sent him flying more than 30 feet high, is one Motocross and E3 Spark Plugs racing fans will be talking about for a long time. Photo by Steve Cox.

E3 Motorcycle Spark Plug fans have lined the fences as TwoTwo Motorsport’s Chad Reed has been flying high all season. The Honda rider was literally without a ride for 2011 Lucas Oil AMA Pro MX National Championship when he decided to start his own race team. Since that time, Reed has proven that he is the rider to beat in the 450cc class. At the Spring Creek MX national, Reed grabbed an early lead in Moto One ahead of Rockstar Makita Suzuki’s Ryan Dungey, Honda’s Trey Canard and KTM rider Mike Alessi. Canard would have an impressive fifth place finish in his first outdoor national of year having missed half the season with a broken femur. Kawasaki’s Ryan Villopoto worked his way around Alessi late in the race to claim third behind Reed and Dungey, respectively.

In Moto Two, Villopoto would lead the way through turn one but Reed wasted no time and quickly regained the lead. Just as it looked as though Reed would pull away, his Honda cross-rutted on the face of a high speed jump (watch the video below) launching the rider over 30 feet in the air. Very few of the Millville fans expected to see what happened next. A determined Reed staggered to his bike, remounted and set his aim on a top-20 finish. Reed’s incredible effort would pay off as the Honda rider worked his way to fourteenth salvaging precious championship points. At the front of the pack, Villopoto had his hands full with a hard-charging Ryan Dungey. Dungey would put an aggressive pass on Villopoto late in Moto Two for the win giving the defending national champion the overall win in front an excited hometown crowd. Villopoto finished second overall for the day with a very happy Trey Canard claiming the final step on the podium.

As the 450cc race teams and riders travel to Washougal, WA for Round 8, Reed maintains a six-point lead over Villopoto and a seven-point lead over Dungey with five races remaining in the 2011 AMA Pro MX season. Before you head west, don’t forget to pick up a box of E3 Spark Plugs for your favorite ride. E3 replacement plugs are Born to Burn.

Local favorite Alex Martin finished an impressive fifth overall at Spring Creek MX for Round 7 of the 250cc Lucas Oil AMA Pro-MX Championship at Millville, MN. Photo courtesy of www.racerxonline.com.

When mom and dad build a professional motorcycle track in your back yard, the world assumes you would have a distinct advantage when the Lucas Oil AMA Pro-MX Championship comes to town. Over the weekend, 250cc privateer Honda rider Alex Martin used his local knowledge of the track he grew up riding on to finish 7th and 5th respectively aboard his Eleven 10 Mods Honda for a fifth overall in Round 7 of Lite’s national championship. Although Martin agrees that he has a fondness for the sandy Millville soil at Spring Creek MX, the Minnesota native doesn’t really live there anymore. Like most professional motocross racers, most of his time is spent practicing year round in Georgia, Florida and southern California.

E3 motorcycle spark plugs fans continue to line the fences week after week as the AMA’s traveling circus brings the big top to their part of the country. Unfortunately for those who don’t like green, the Spring Creek MX National had little to offer as the Pro Circuit trio of Tyla Rattray, Dean Wilson and Blake “El Chupacabra” Baggett continued their 2011 domination of the Lites class. In both motos, the DNA Shred Stix/Star Racing Yamaha of Kyle Cunningham nailed the holeshot but each time one of Mitch Peyton’s Kawasaki would snatch the lead away before the end of the first lap.

In the opening race of the 250 class, it was Scottish-born motocross rider Dean Wilson who passed Cunningham and would lead every lap on his way to the checkered flag. Teammates Tyla Rattray  and Blake Baggett finished second and third. Cunningham would take fourth ahead of Yamaha teammate Gareth Swanepoel who benefitted from Justin Barcia’s spectacular crash that saw the Honda star stagger off with a broken nose. In Moto 2, it would be Rattray who would pass Cunningham for the lead on lap one. Like Wilson, the South African never looked back on his way to the win. Tied in points, the overall win went to Rattray with Wilson in second followed by “El Chupacabra” in third.

By virtue of his second overall, Wilson heads west with a 16-point lead over Rattray and 21-point lead over Baggett. Teams and riders now travel to the far northwest for Round 8 of 2011 Lucas Oil AMA Pro-MX season at Washougal, WA on July 23rd. If you’re looking for a motorcycle spark plug that was Born to Burn, pick up a box of E3 spark plugs for your motocross bike, street bike or hauler. E3 high performance replacement plugs are available at your favorite discount or auto parts store; or shop online at an authorized E3 dealer.

Australian-born Chad Reed has been a dominate force for the past eight seasons in AMA outdoor MX. He recently became the first motocross rider ever awarded the status of knighthood. Congrats to Sir Chad. Photo courtesy of TwoTwo Motorsports.

Seldom do you think about triple-digit temperatures when you’re headed to southern Michigan for a race but it was that hot at last week’s Lucas Oil 450cc AMA Outdoor Pro National in Buchanan, MI. But, as hot as the temperature was, the action on the track was even hotter. Ryan Villopoto came to Red Bud in hopes of making up ground in the 2011 points race but the Kawasaki rider almost saw all hopes of a national championship slip away earlier in Moto One. After a decent start, a hard over-the-bars crash dropped Villopoto to last place while his main competitors pulled away at the front of the pack.

What happened next was what legendary rides are all about. Gasping to get his breathe back, Villopoto remounted and pointed at his Monster Energy Kawasaki in the direction of race leaders Davi Millsaps, Chad Reed and Ryan Dungey. By mid-moto, Reed and Dungey were working their way around the Yamaha of Millsaps while Villopoto had made his way to mid-pack and was closing in on the ill-running bike of his teammate Jake Weimer. Up front, Dungey was pressuring Reed through the sandy whoops and deep-rutted Red Bud turns. Villopoto’s championship hopes were renewed with a ninth overall in Moto 1 – a performance that earned him the Ricky Carmichael “Hard Charger Award”.

The start of Moto 2 saw the Monster Energy Kawasaki of Villopoto lead Dungey, Reed and KTM rider Mike Alessi through the first turn. This time there was no stopping the Washington-state rider as he established a quick a lead and never looked back. Dungey maintained his pursuit but was losing precious seconds each lap. The surprise move came when Alessi forced his way past Reed for third proving he is still a contender in 450cc class. Villopoto’s impressive ride was good enough for third overall while Dungey claimed second. A late race pass on Alessi would give Sir Chad his fourth overall victory of the season.

With Round 6 of the 2011 AMA Championship in the books, teams take a week off to prepare for Spring Creek National in Millville, MN. However, there is no rest for E3 motorcycle spark plugs racing fans as every weekend means there’s another opportunity to ride. If you’re looking to improve the performance of your street bike or off-road motorcycle, find out for yourself why E3 Spark Plugs are Born to Burn. You can purchase our high-performance plugs in parts and discount stores across the country; or visit an authorized online dealer to buy replacement plugs for your favorite bike.

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.