E3 Spark Plugs News

E3 Motorcycle Spark Plugs fans salute Rockstar Makita Suzuki rider Ryan Dungey on setting yet another AMA Lucas Oil MX Pro National record. The cream of the 450cc crop throughout 2010 became the first rookie motocross racer in history to win 10 of the 12 championship rounds. Week after week, Dungey defeated the world’s best riders in the world’s most prestigious motocross championship. He certainly left little doubt that he is currently the “Best of the Best” by winning the final national at Pala MX Raceway Park outside San Diego, CA, this past weekend.

Rockstar Makita Suzuki's Ryan Dungey claimed another AMA Lucas Oil MX Pro record becoming the first rookie in series history to win 10 rounds in the same National Championship season. Photo courtesy of www.ryandungey.com

Red Bull Honda rider Andrew Short is always a sure bet for the holeshot at the start of any AMA national. Once again, it was Short out front early with Yamaha/MotoConcepts rider Ryan Sipes in second ahead of Dungey and Honda’s Brett Metcalfe. Once again, Dungey would twist the throttle and take the lead. Metcalfe would protect his second place in the 450cc point’s championship by passing Short later in Moto One dropping the Red Bull Honda rider to third. Sipes would hold on to fourth after battling with an aggressive young Texan, Kyle Regal.

The start of Moto Two was “almost a surprise” in that Short was outraced through the first corner by a determined Brett Metcalfe. The Aussie has often had the speed this season at the start and the finish but hasn’t always stayed upright during the middle of the moto. Short would stay in the chase but both he and Metcalfe would watch Dungey pull away, yet again. Several factory teams have brought in former World Champions (even Yamaha’s Bubba Stewart) to challenge Dungey’s dominance but the Rockstar Makita rider has shown them all the backside of his Suzuki.

Dungey would cruise home for the win leaving the pair of Honda riders to battle amongst themselves for second on the day and second place in the AMA Lucas Oil 450cc national points standing. Although Short would pass Metcalfe, the Geico Powersports rider would finish third ahead of fellow Aussie, Ben Townley. Yamaha riders Kyle Chisholm and Ryan Sipes would finish fifth and sixth respectively. Metcalfe’s third overall at Pala allowed the Honda rider to maintain a 3-point lead for second place in the 450cc MX national championship.

Dungey’s historic win put the crowning touches on what was the most surprising 450cc outdoor MX national season in years. Suzuki’s Dungey will join fellow American racers Trey Canard (Geico Powersports Honda) and Andrew Short (Red Bull Honda) as the United States team tries to sweep the Trophy Des Nations at Lakewood MX in Denver, CO, in two weeks. If you are looking for a winning combination for your car, truck or motorcycle engine, insist upon E3 car spark plugs as an eco-friendly option for your favorite ride. Our patented DiamondFire Technology will deliver the Energy, Efficiency and Ecology that you need.

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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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It doesn’t look like anyone can stop 450cc points leader Ryan Dungey from his goal of winning the 2010 AMA Lucas Oil MX Pro Championship in his rookie season. In front of a home-state crowd, native Minnesota rider Dungey dominated Round 7 at the popular Spring Creek National MX and extended his lead in the national championship chase. If you want to dominate on the street, in the woods or off-road in the dirt, try E3 Motorcycle Spark Plugs in your favorite ride. Let E3′s patented DiamondFire technology afford you the Energy, Efficiency and Ecology for your winning ride.

MX legend Kevin Windham returned to action at Millville as a factory Red Bull Honda rider replacing the injured Davi Milsaps. Photo courtesy of Geico Powersports Honda.

In Moto One of the 450cc class, MX legend Kevin Windham pulled an early lead riding the Red Bull Honda as a replacement rider for the injured Davi Milsaps. Windham had an excellent return to the factory Honda camp with a solid fourth overall finish for the day. Once Suzuki’s Ryan Dungey got by Windham, he picked up the pace and disappeared from the rest of the talented 450cc field. Joe Gibbs Racing Yamaha rider Josh Grant would finish second ahead of Honda’s Andrew Short and Kiwi Ben Townley. Defending MX Champion Chad Reed crashed during Moto One and would sit out the second race with a nagging neck injury.

Troy Lee Design/Lucas Oil rider Townley blasted to lead in Moto Two ahead of Short, Dungey and Windham before dropping his Honda in the Millville sand. Dungey would take the lead and wasted no time in putting distance between his Rockstar Suzuki and Short’s Red Bull Honda. Once again privateer Texan Kyle Regal would capture the factory teams’ attention as he raced pass the Hondas of Kevin Windham and Andrew Short for a second place in the moto and a third overall finish for the day. A pair of third place finishes would net Short a second overall leaving him 89 points behind Dungey for the championship.

The “Ryan Dungey Show” will head west along with the rest of the AMA Lucas Oil MX Pro Championship teams for Round 8 in Washougal, Washington. If you’re looking for championship performance for your motorcycle, car, SUV or truck, E3 car spark plugs are guaranteed to deliver time after time. Follow the world’s top riders all the way to 2010 MX National Championship finals on the E3 Spark Plugs racing blog.

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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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Red Bull Honda’s Ashley Fiolek finally got her 2010 AMA WMX season on track in Buchanan, Michigan, over the July 4th weekend. E3 Motorcycle Spark Plugs fans cheered as the defending WMX National Champion and current series points leader Jessica Patterson battled for the lead in Moto One at the popular Red Bud MX National. DNA Shred Stix Yamaha’s Patterson tangled with a back marker late in the race giving Fiolek the cushion needed to take the win. Troy Lee Designs/Honda rider Tarah Geiger led Yamaha’s Vicki Golden to the line finishing third and fourth, respectively.

Ashely Fiolek regained her National Championship form with dominate 1-1 finishes at Red Bud MX in Round Five of the 2010 AMA WMX Championship. Photo courtesy of www.ridelust.com.

St. Augustine, FL native Fiolek gave notice to the talented WMX field in Moto Two when she grabbed the holeshot for Moto Two. Patterson wasted no time putting pressure on Fiolek early in the second race and last weekend’s podium finisher Sara Price moved her Monster Energy Drink Kawasaki into third. As the deep-rutted Red Bud MX track was taking its toll on the talented field, Patterson and Fiolek gapped the field leaving the pair to fight it out for the moto win. TLD/Honda-powered Geiger picked up her pace and moved past Price for third place on the rough Michigan motocross track.

With nothing but first place overall wins in 2010, Yamaha’s Patterson fought to keep her winning streak alive with a late moto charge on the rear wheel of Fiolek. But, the Red Bull Honda rider would show the same determination that landed her the Number One plate in ’09 and kept Patterson behind her all the way to the checkers. Geiger brought her Honda home in third place ahead of Price and Yamaha rider Mariana Balbi who posted 5-5 finishes for fifth overall on the day. The victory moved Fiolek to 20 points behind Patterson for the series championship followed by Geiger, Golden and Price.

WMX riders have two weeks off before teams travel to Millville, Minnesota, for the July 17th showdown at the Spring Creek Motocross track. This will be Round 6 for the lady motocrossers with only three races remaining to crown the 2010 WMX National Champion. Follow all the action to the final round at Steel City Raceway in Delmont, PA, by checking WMX race results at the E3 Spark Plugs news blog and remember to install E3 Car Spark Plugs in your favorite vehicle. Our patented DiamondFire technology delivers Energy, Efficiency and Ecology to any engine including your lawn & garden equipment.
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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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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.