TEAM SUZUKI
ROCKSTAR MAKITA SUZUKI DOUBLE PODIUM

Team Rockstar Makita Suzuki captured another impressive double-podium finish at round 11 of the 2011 AMA Pro Motocross Championship in Delmont at the weekend as the Steel City National saw reigning AMA Pro Motocross Champion Ryan Dungey and his team-mate Brett Metcalfe finish second and third respectively on their Yoshimura-equipped Rockstar Makita Suzuki RM-Z450s.

In Saturday's first moto, Dungey got a great start and took over the lead within the first few turns. Dungey pushed hard and led the entire 30-minute race before being overtaken right before the finish line. Although he finished in second place, it was by a mere 0.558 of a second. In the second moto, he got the holeshot and made a valiant charge, but wound up finishing in second place. The final result was second-place overall for the day.

"It was a tough, technical track but I think I rode pretty good this weekend," said Dungey. "Overall, I felt good and I had a strong pace on the Rockstar Makita Suzuki RM-Z450. Then, I went out on a limb and we made some changes before the second moto and it just wasn't doing it for me. I lost a bit of ground, but no excuses. We just need to keep our head up and move forward because there's plenty of racing left. We're going to Pala next, and to go 1-1 would be great, but all I can ask for is the most from myself. I like that track and I was able to win both motos there last year so it'd be great to do it again. I just want to focus on finishing the season strong for Team Rockstar Makita Suzuki."

Metcalfe also put on an impressive performance: In the first moto, he was with the front-runners off the gate and was battling for third for most of the moto. His patience and consistency eventually paid off as Metcalfe took over the final podium spot on his Rockstar Makita Suzuki RM-Z450 before the race's end. In the second moto, he got another good start and moved up a few positions before finishing fourth. The combined results gave Metcalfe his third podium finish of the season.

"Steel City was a great day for me," said Metcalfe. "I was able to pull a third and I was happy to be on the podium. I was feeling really comfortable on the Rockstar Makita Suzuki RM-Z450 and, coming off the win last weekend, I was carrying some momentum. I felt really comfortable on the track and the bike was working great, so I knew I was in for a good day. My starts were better in both motos and that helped and I was also able to make some moves. Now I'm looking forward to Pala as it's kind of my hometown race. I'm just excited about that, I think it's going to be a good event and I look forward to putting the Rockstar Makita Suzuki back up on the podium and having a strong finish in the Championship."

The Rockstar Makita Suzuki team's next event is the 12th and final round of the 2011 AMA Pro Motocross Championship on Saturday, September 10th at the Pala National in Pala, California.


GARETH SWANEPOEL
Swanepoel consistent in Steel City

The penultimate round of the Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship held at the Steel City Raceway in Delmont, has marked another consistent performance for DNA Shredstix/Star Racing Yamaha rider Gareth Swanepoel.

Having won his first ever AMA moto a week prior, Swanepoel was looking to use that momentum in Steel City as thousands of enthusiastic spectators turned out to see the possible crowing a new MX Lites champion.

Struggling with his qualification times, Swanepoel did not get the best gate pick for the opening moto and had to fight this way from outside the top ten. He posted strong lap times in the latter half of the moto to finish seventh. A disastrous start in moto 2 left Swanepoel way down the pack. He put his head down and put in a great come back race to end sixth, earning valuable championship points as he closes in on fifth place in the championship standings.

“All in all it was a good day and I was happy with my speed in the race especially in the second moto.  My starts let me down this weekend and normally they have been my strong point so I will have to make sure I’m back on it for Pala next weekend. I’m 13 points off fifth place in the championship so a top five is still possible,” said Swanepoel.

TYLA RATTRAY
RATTRAY'S TITLE CHANCES GONE AFTER FOURTH AT STEEL CITY

Tyla Rattray knows what pressure is. He has been involved in a good number of nail-biting championship battles in his life, and in 2010 he came very close to clinching the AMA motocross title after a bizarre final round that would have been too strange for fiction. Leading up to the penultimate round of the 2011 series at Steel City, he was still in with a mathematical chance of securing the title, but a DNF at Unadilla set him on the back foot, and it would only be the most amazing confluence of circumstances that would allow him to bring the title home, especially since team-mate Dean Wilson was regular as Swiss clockwork and riding on a wave on confidence.

Nevertheless, Tyla vowed to take it race by race after the Unadilla setback, and at Southwick he came out of his corner swinging, romping to overall victory with consummate ease. The title chase was still alive, but only just. It was under these circumstances that the South African pitched his tent at a sun-drenched Steel City, hoping to close the points gap on Wilson. He only managed the sixth fastest qualifying time during the early formalities, but those that know him, harbour no doubt that his strength lies in racing more so than in qualifying, so this in itself did not give cause for alarm.

Wilson could smell a championship already and surged to the lead in race one, whiles Tyla had to claw back form a position just inside the top 10 . Now rider circulating in the top 10 in an AMA championship event aren't exactly the proverbial grannies looking for parking, and passing them is not all that easy. Yet Tyla elbowed and schemed and skilled his way through the ranks, and crossed the line in fourth position on his Pro Circuit Monster Energy Kawasaki.

Race two was a virtual carbon copy of the first – in fact , looking at the first four places in the results sheets, the race had every indication of having been recreated with a very reliable photocopier. Again Wilson shot out in front into clear air, and again Tyla had to grit his way forward. The points differential at the end made the season's overall result a fait accompli – the points difference was now too much to overhaul even if the earth were to shift off its axis, and Dean Wilson was toasted as the 2011 AMA motocross champion. With one round still to go, Tyla has a firm grip on second position in the standings, and will concentrate on securing the runner-up spot for the second season running.

As is always the case, Tyla is ultra-competitive on the track but gracious off it, “I needed a win here today to keep the championship alive, but unfortunately it didn't pan out that way,” he remarked. “Congratulations to Dean – he was consistent all season and that' what you need to get the titles. I'm happy for Mitch and the team for yet another Pro Circuit Kawasaki title.”

Tyla will go all out in defence of his second place at the season finale at Pala Raceway, and then he will uncoil his South African flag as he defends national honours at the Motocross of Nations.