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.
