TEAM SUZUKI
METCALFE WINS SOUTHWICK MOTOCROSS

Team Rockstar Makita Suzuki's Brett Metcalfe scored his first-ever AMA Pro Motocross overall win on his Yoshimura-equipped Suzuki RM-Z450 at round 10 of the 2011 AMA Pro Motocross Championships at Southwick on Saturday as team-mate Ryan Dungey joined him on the podium in third place overall.

The Rockstar Energy Drink Southwick National took place in the throes of Hurricane Irene, making the already mentally and physically demanding track a muddy, rutted quagmire.

At the start of the first moto, there was a light drizzle and Dungey got the holeshot, but Metcalfe was right behind him in second place. Throughout the next 30 minutes, Metcalfe battled for a podium position and wound up finishing in third. By the time the second 450 moto started, the rain was coming down hard and the sandy course was soaked. Despite this, Metcalfe was consistent and smooth on his Rockstar Makita Suzuki RM-Z450 and finished in second place; the combined results handing him his first overall win.

"Getting this win is definitely the highlight of my motocross career," said Metcalfe. "It's been eight years of racing in the U.S. and trying to get a win, so this is incredible. It's great to be back on the podium again, for both motos and the overall. Thanks to the Rockstar Makita Suzuki team for a great bike in the RM-Z450 and to my family and everyone who's helped make this happen. Hard work, motivation and dedication - stay at it and it happens. Now, there are two more rounds left and I want to take the momentum from this win into Steel City next weekend. I did really well there last year and I feel like that track really suits me. We really have things dialled-in with the bike now, I'm real comfortable, so it's really time to attack and try to go for the win again."

Dungey also demonstrated hard work, motivation and dedication at Southwick. After getting the holeshot in the first moto, Dungey rode flawlessly for the entire race and easily took the win. In the second moto, however, Dungey had to start after the gate had already dropped and he was almost a lap back. In spite of this, he put his head down and piloted the Rockstar Makita Suzuki RM-Z450 through the field. After starting in 39th place, Dungey managed to finish a remarkable seventh in the moto and third overall for the day.

"I have so many mixed emotions right now," said Dungey. "At one point, I didn't even think I was going to be able to ride, but then the Rockstar Makita Suzuki team came through. At that point, I knew it was just a matter of salvaging points. I don't want anybody to take anything away from my team. It's because of them and their hard work that we finished in seventh and were able to pull third overall. If it wasn't for them I wouldn't have been out there at all. But there are four races left and winning the Championship isn't impossible. So now, I'm just focusing on being prepared for Steel City next weekend and getting as many points as possible. I really like the track at Steel City - I've had good rides and success there in the past few years and it will be good to get back there and keep pushing for this title."

The Rockstar Makita Suzuki team's next event is the 11th round of the 2011 AMA Pro Motocross Championship on Saturday, September 3rd at the Steel City National in Delmont.

TYLA RATTRAY
RATTRAY ON THE TOP STEP OF THE PODIUM AGAIN AT SOUTHWICK

Lightning doesn't strike at the same place twice, the saying goes. When the lightning goes by the name of Rattray and the same place is called Southwick, however, the saying is dead wrong. It was just on a year ago that we reported on in all probability the most joyous day of Tyla Rattray's racing career. Not only did he battle his way to overall victory in the deep sands of Southwick, but the weekend also saw the birth of his daughter. This prompted good friend and world championship timing guru Ludwig Verheyden to coin the wonderfully apt phrase “Dadtray”.

A year down the line, the South African has a good few additional victory notches in his belt, and throughout the 2011 season, he has been a serious contender for championship honours in the AMA American motocross championship series. This was on the back of a wonderfully consistent season, where regular podium finishes and overall victories were supported by results that dipped no lower than fifth. It all unravelled at the Unadilla national, where a DNF after a heavy crash dropped him to third in the standings and allowed series leader Dean Wilson to open up a sizeable points gap.

After this disappointment, Tyla's stated intention was to focus on the remainder of his season on a race by race basis, squeezing the best possible result out of every meeting. When the championship series moved to Southwick, whose deep sand surface perfectly suits the skills he had honed to perfection during many years in Belgium and Holland, he came out with guns blazing. He guided his Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki to the second fastest time in the qualifying session, and the scene was set for another strong performance out of the Rattray corner.

Race 1 blasted off the gate and Tyla joined the fray in third position, with fellow South African and former team-mate Gareth Swanepoel charging into the lead. Tyla was in a particularly determined frame of mind, and a few laps into the race, he displaced Swanepoel for the lead. He made the leading position his own, but after five laps in the lead, he suffered a setback when he stalled his bike. This allowed Swanepoel to retake the lead. Tyla got the bike going again soon enough, but just did not have enough time to recapture the lead, and he crossed the line in second position.

Tyla was seething about his misfortune, and in race two there was simply no stopping him. The holeshot went to lesser known Alex Martin, and the privateer built a handy early lead. Tyla was right there, however, lurking with intent. A few laps in, he made an easy pass to grasp the lead, and from then on, the race was all his own. He danced over the rough terrain in the manner that his fans have become accustomed to, and put several big city blocks' worth of distance between him and his closest pursuer, team-mate Dean Wilson. This time no errors would insert themselves into the equation, and for the second year in succession, the popular South African rode to overall victory at Southwick.

Tyla was understandably happy with his days' work, particularly since it allowed him to undo some of the damage of the previous event's troubles and move back into second position in the championship standings. “I was happy for the free weekend to recover after Unadilla,” he said. “I had a bad headache and took a few days off with just light training. I knew beforehand that the sand at Southwick would suit me. I know how to pace myself and save the bike on this surface, and it's very pleasing to come away with the overall win again.”

GARETH SWANEPOEL
Gareth Swanepoel wins moto and gains overall podium in Southwick

South African motocross racer, Gareth Swanepoel, has won his first career AMA Motocross Lites moto and launched his DNA Shred Stix/Star Racing Yamaha to its first overall podium finish at the 10th round of the Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross series held in Southwick Massachusetts.

In his rookie season of AMA Pro Racing, Swanepoel has battled adversity to recover from a broken neck sustained earlier in the season at his debut SX appearance, to now winning his first MX Lites moto on a sandy and treacherous Southwick circuit.

Swanepoel set third quickest time in the morning qualification practice, his best to date, and lined up for moto 1 determined to make the most of his gate pick. Grabbing his second holeshot of the season, ‘Swanie’ pulled out to an early lead with fellow South African, Tyla Rattray and series leader Dean Wilson giving chase.

Five laps into the race Swanepoel lost the use of his rear brake which allowed Rattray to pass but he quickly adapted his riding style and managed to close down Rattray again when his compatriot stalled his machine allowing Swanepoel to recapture the lead. With Wilson joining the trio, Swanepoel put his head down and rode a faultless race to pull a gap on his two challengers to take the victory and become the first rider in 2011 to break the mighty Pro Circuit Kawasaki winning streak.

With track conditions deteriorating due to heavy rainfall the second moto would be a case of survival.  Swanepoel did not get the best of starts and rounded the first lap in 5th.  He went down two laps later but quickly recovered and fought his way back to 5th, claiming 3rd overall for the day.

“It’s an amazing feeling to win my first Moto in America and gain my first AMA overall podium,” smiled Swanepoel.

“I knew if I could get a good start I could run up front – my speed has been improving every week and my confidence has been growing. I burnt out my rear brake early in the moto and had to adapt to the conditions. As soon as I regained the lead I thought to myself ‘You can do this’ and gave everything I had. What an awesome feeling! I could not have done it without the great support of my DNA Shredstix/Yamaha star racing crew. They have been awesome to ride for and this is a result of the hard work we put in. My Dad was also here today to watch – he flew out from South Africa especially for this race. My girlfriend and my Mom and the rest of the family watched the race on the web. They have supported my racing career and sacrificed a lot so this victory is for them.”

With two rounds remaining, Swanepoel occupies 6th in the championship standings and has closed to within 4 points of 5th placed, Eli Tomac. The penultimate round of the 12 round series will take place at the Steel City Raceway, located just outside of Pittsburgh in Delmont, Pennsylvania on the 3rd of September.