E3 Spark Plugs News

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.

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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.

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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.

Red Bull Honda rider Andrew Short wins the opening moto of Round Four at the 2010 Lucas Oil AMA Pro MX Championship and posted a 1-5 on the day for second overall at the Budds Creek National.

After a disappointing DNF last week at High Point National, defending outdoor national champion Chad Reed rebounded with a 4-2 finish at the Budds Creek National in Maryland for a third place overall. Red Bull Honda’s Andrew Short had the crowds cheering during the opening moto but Dungey’s dominating ride in Moto Two left Short and Reed to battle it out for second and third overall, respectively. Reed now trails Rockstar Makita Suzuki’s Ryan Dungey by 36 points for the 2010 Lucas Oil AMA Pro MX Championship crown after round four.

The very popular Budds Creek MX Park is always a fan favorite as the event’s promoters have left the very hilly, very fast track layout much the same over the years. This year’s MX National was no exception with fan-thrilling rides put in by Jagermeister KTM’s Mike Alessi aboard the controversial 350cc screamer and Lucas Oil’s Ben Townley aboard his Troy Lee Designs Honda. Toyota Yamaha pro Josh Grant was hooked up all day and posted consistent 5-4 finishes for fourth place overall. Alessi, Short and Grant move to fourth, fifth and sixth in the championship points series.

The Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship is the most prestigious motocross series in the world and this year’s first four rounds have shown the international flavor of riders in both the 450cc MX and 250cc MX classes. Now, teams head west to Denver (Lakewood, Colorado) for Round 5 at Thunder Valley Motocross Park on June 26. Bookmark the E3 Spark Plugs Blog and check back next weekend for the latest MX results. Don’t forget to try a E3 motorcycle spark plug with our patented DiamondFire technology in your favorite ride.

2010 Lucas Oil AMA Motocross Pro Championship

AMA 450cc MX – Budds Creek National (Round 4)

1)    Ryan Dungey, Belle Plaine, MN, Suzuki     (3-1)
2)    Andrew Short, Smithville, TX, Honda        (1-5)
3)    Chad Reed, Australia, Kawasaki         (4-2)
4)    Josh Grant, Riverside, CA Yamaha         (5-4)
5)    Mike Alessi, Victorville, CA, KTM         (2-12)
6)    Brett Metcalfe, Australia, Honda         (6-6)
7)    Ryan Sipes, Vine Grove, KY, Yamaha        (7-7)
8)    Ben Townley, New Zealand, Honda        (14-3)
9)    Kyle Chisholm, Valrico, FL, Yamaha         (8-8)
10)    Justin Brayton, Fort Dodge, IA        (10-10)

AMA 450CC Motocross Championship Standings

1)    Ryan Dungey, Belle Plaine, MN, Suzuki    171
2)    Chad Reed, Australia, Kawasaki        -36
3)    Brett Metcalfe, Australia, Honda        -40
4)    Mike Alessi, Victorville, CA, KTM        -42
5)    Andrew Short, Smithville, TX, Honda        -51
6)    Josh Grant, Riverside, CA, Yamaha        -55
7)    Ben Townley, New Zealand, Honda        -57
8)    Ryan Sipes, Vine Grove, KY, Yamaha        -90
9)    Tommy Hahn, Decatur, TX, Suzuki        -90
10)    Kyle Chisholm, Valrico, FL, Yamaha        -90

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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Racing history was made this weekend at the opening round of the Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship when rookie Eli Tomac became the first rider to ever win a debut event. The 16-year-old son of multi-time mountain biking champion John Tomac dominated an impressive field that included the reigning world champion and a couple of recently crowned U.S. supercross champions. The Geico Honda rider led most of the opening moto before dropping his bike with only a couple of laps to go. He would remount to finish third.

Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Champion Eli Tomac

After a red flag on the opening lap of the second moto sent the 250cc Lites class back to the starting gate, Tomac charged off the line, took the lead and never looked back. Honda’s sophomore sensation Trey Canard picked up the chase but could only watch as the rookie sensation pulled away for the second moto win. A 3-1 finish left Tomac tied in points for the National Championship chase with veteran French-rider Christophe Pourcel but a second moto tie breaker put Eli on the top tier of the podium for round one of twelve in the 2010 Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship.

Defending outdoor national motocross champion Chad Reed swapped moto wins with KTM’s Mike Alessi in the 450cc class with Reed eventually claiming the overall victory by a slim two point margin. After a long awaited debut for KTM’s 350cc rocket ship, Alessi pulled the holeshot and dominated the second moto in the big bike class. Factory Honda rider Davi Millsaps finished third and trails Alessi by a single point in the national championship hunt. Yamaha’s Josh Grant returned to racing with a fifth place overall finish after being sidelined by injury for the entire supercross season.

Yamaha’s Jessica Patterson of Tallahassee, Florida, won both motos of the Women’s AMA Pro Championship class and holds an eight point lead over second place finisher Ashley Fiolek of St. Augustine. The ladies from Florida dominated the opening round in Sacramento with Tarah Gieger of Winter Park bringing her Honda home third overall with a 2-6 finish.

If you are looking for E3 Motorcycle Spark Plugs check our Power Sports Catalog for crossover part numbers to select the right plug for your street bike, chopper or dirt bike. E3 DiamondFire spark plugs are available at Advance Auto Parts, Baxter Auto Parts, Home Hardware, JC Motors, O’Reilly Auto Parts, Checker Auto Parts, Schuck’s Auto Supply, Kragen Auto Parts, LORDCO Auto Parts, Summit Racing Equipment or online at Amazon.Com or SparkPlugs.Com. Don’t forget to catch round two of the Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship in two weeks at Freestone Raceway in Wortham, Texas.