KAWASAKI RACING

Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Villopoto Makes It A Double Championship Year
Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Ryan Villopoto completed a perfect 2011 season as he earned both the AMA Supercross Championship and the AMA Motocross Championship. With Villopoto’s second-place overall finish at Pala Raceway, he captured his first 450-class motocross championship. Combined with Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki’s Dean Wilson 250 championship, Kawasaki swept both AMA Motocross titles in 2011. While the championship was wrapped up at Round 11, Wilson’s team-mates Tyla Rattray and Blake Baggett secured second and third overall in the standings with 2-3 and 3-5 moto finishes, respectively. Broc Tickle salvaged 11th overall after a tough Moto 1, but impressive second moto to finish 19-6 on the day. Villopoto’s team-mate Jake Weimer had a day of ups and downs and finished ninth overall with a 10-12.

Consistency
After a successful supercross season, Villopoto was challenged to could come out and make it a double championship year with the AMA Motocross championship. He started the season riding with the flu, but still managed to make the podium week in and week out. It is said championships are won with consistency and Villopoto never finished off the podium in all twelve rounds.

“I didn’t start the season how I wanted,” said Villopoto. “I was getting over the flu and didn’t have a lot of energy the first round. Then things started to pick up when I got my first win. I just wanted to be there every weekend for a shot at the championship. It feels great to back up my supercross season and hopefully we can come out and do it again next year.”

Undefeated at Pala
The AMA Motocross Championship tour has only seen the riders grace Pala Raceway track since 2010 and after the fourth moto in the 250 class was complete, Wilson remained undefeated at the track. He claimed two outstanding moto wins in 2010 and put together another pair of moto wins to cap off his championship season.

“Winning the title felt amazing and now I was able to win the last race with my mom and dad around,” said Wilson. “They’ve supported me so much and it is really special to have them at the race. Next year I would love to back it up and I think the team has my back to do it again.”

Second In Series
With the championship already secured, Rattray was ready to maintain his second place in the series standings. In the first moto, Rattray grabbed a great start, filing in behind his team-mate Wilson and held his ground to finish third. The next moto wasn’t as easy with a tough start pushing him back to 11th. He pushed steadily towards the front and eventually finished fifth in the moto and fourth overall.

“It would have been nice to win, but closing out the season second the standings isn’t bad,” said Rattray. “My team-mates are tough and the track seemed to fit them (Wilson and Baggett) better. I am happy to finish the season healthy and ready for motocross of nations.”

Five-Time Winner
Baggett showed speed all day and in the first moto he finished just behind his team-mate for second place. The second moto didn’t start how he wanted in ninth, but worked his way into third to finish second overall on the day.

“I really wanted to win the final race,” said Baggett. “I won a lot of races, but wasn’t able to secure the championship. This is truly my first full season in the motocross series and I learned a lot. I am so lucky to have a great team behind me. I hope next year I can use what I learned and be a little closer to the championship.”

Never Giving Up
Weimer continued to show his starting skills with two great starts at Pala Raceway. In the first moto, he started third, but went down on the third lap and was pushed back outside the top 10. He pushed his way up and finished 10th. The second moto had him up front at the first turn, but he crashed on the opening lap. Weimer came around in 35th on the first lap and never gave up, finishing the moto 12th for ninth overall.

“Today was tough and I saw the ground a few more times than I would like,” said Weimer. “Overall I was able to salvage ninth and get sixth in the points. For my first season on the 450, I think everyone was very supportive and I am looking forward to building off this season for next year.”

Not Holding Back
Once again, Tickle’s results showcased his determination and never-give-up attitude. In the first moto, Tickle went down on the start straight, pushing him back to 39th on the opening lap. He utilised the 30 minutes plus two laps to make his way up to an impressive 19th. The second moto he made his start stick and eventually moved up to sixth for 11th overall.

“Bad luck seemed to find me a little too often this season, but when I was able to race up front, it was good,” said Tickle. “The season turned out decent with all things considered and I am looking forward to making the step up to the 450 class.”

KX Proof
The Kawasaki KX250F and KX450F had already been successful in supercross, and now the motorcycles have claimed both championships in the AMA Motocross series. The KX250F never left the top step of the overall podium and the 2012 KX450F made its first appearance with a 1-1 victory.

“We have great motorcycles to work with and the proof showed throughout the season,” said Mike Fisher, Monster Energy Kawasaki team manager. “I am very proud of all the riders that put in 100 percent every weekend.”

Motocross of Nations
Baggett and Villopoto will be making the trip to France for the 2011 Motocross of Nations trying to help Team USA claim another victory. Team-mates will turn into rivals, as Rattray will be assisting South Africa and Wilson helping Great Britain. The race will take place September 18.

TEAM SUZUKI
DUNGEY AND SUZUKI WIN PALA MOTOCROSS

Team Rockstar Makita Suzuki finished off the season strong at the 12th and final round of the 2011 AMA Pro Motocross Championship held in Pala, California on Saturday as 2010 AMA Pro Motocross Champion Ryan Dungey and team mate Brett Metcalfe powered their Yoshimura-equipped Rockstar Makita Suzuki RM-Z450s to a first and fourth-place finish overall respectively.

In the first moto, Dungey got pushed out on the start and had to work his way up from 10th on the first lap. He quickly worked his Rockstar Makita Suzuki RM-Z450 up to third by lap six and pushed hard until the end, passing for second on the 13th lap and ended up crossing the line in second. After another tough start in moto two, Dungey again worked his way up to third by the halfway point. The Rockstar Makita Suzuki rider put his head down and used the awesome power of his RM-Z to chase down the leader and make the pass in the closing stages to take the chequered flag for the moto win and the overall win for the day. The 2010 AMA Pro Motocross Champion finished off the season a close second to the top in championship points, amassing a total of six moto wins, 16 podiums and four overall wins.

"It was a good day here at Pala," said Dungey. "I was able to go two-one for the overall win today on the Rockstar Makita Suzuki RM-Z450 and that was good. I had a tough start in the first moto and finished second, but we were able to battle back and manage to get through the pack in the second to take the win and get the first overall. It was a tough battle - It was really cool that the championship came down to this last race. Although we didn't win, we did a great job getting through the season despite all the adversity we had to overcome. I'm really happy with the way my Rockstar Makita Suzuki team stepped up. It's nice to be able to walk away knowing we did everything we could. It was a lot of fun and there are a lot of great memories. I want to thank the man above, my whole team and crew, my family, all the fans, and everybody in Japan that makes this happen. I'm really looking forward to the Motocross of Nations next week. It's great to go there and represent your country. It's really something special."

Metcalfe also put on an impressive performance aboard his Yoshimura-equipped Rockstar Makita Suzuki RM-Z450. After a solid start in the first moto, Metcalfe ran as high as third and consistently in fourth before a stall on the last lap dropped him back for a fifth-placed finish. Another strong start in moto two put Metcalfe and his Suzuki RM-Z into the front pack. He rode a strong and consistent race once again for another fifth-place moto finish and a fourth overall for the day. He finished off the year a solid fourth in Championship points and scored an overall win, as well as two podiums and three top five finishes.

"Pala worked out pretty good for me," said Metcalfe. "I was able to pull off a fourth overall and I'm pretty happy with that. I was really looking forward to Pala because it's kind of my home race and I had a lot of friends and family here. I started out pretty strong in practice and I was really comfortable out there, which is the important thing. My Suzuki was working really well and I got into a good rhythm. I got two really good starts today and my Suzuki RM-Z450 was really fast getting down to the first corner. I rode well but could only manage two fifths for the day; in the first moto, I should have been fourth, but I stalled it on the last lap. It was a good day and now I'm looking forward to the 'Nations. I want to thank my whole Rockstar Makita team, Yoshimura and all my sponsors. They've all been very supportive the entire year. I also want to thank Suzuki for giving us such a great bike in the RM-Z and the support we need to race at this top level."

The Rockstar Makita Suzuki riders are heading to France next week to compete for their respective countries at the 2011 Motocross of Nations, which will be held September 17th-18th in Saint Jean d'Angely, France. Metcalfe will also be competing in the 2011 Monster Energy Cup to be held at Sam Boyd Stadium in Las Vegas, NV on Saturday, October 15th.

TYLA RATTRAY
RATTRAY SECOND IN FINAL AMA MOTOCROSS CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS

One might think that once a motocross championship has been decided, the pressure subsides somewhat. One might assume that the riders would, with one eye on the post season break, tap off a little and coast to the season's end. One would be dead wrong. Dean Wilson slipped the 2011 AMA Lites title into his kit bag with one round to go, but the final event of the series at Pala Raceway was no cruise in the park. On the contrary, the competition was if anything even fiercer as the riders vied fro final bragging rights at the end of a tough, competitive season.

Tyla Rattray had more than ample reason to be on his guard at the season finale. Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki team-mate Wilson had put the title out of reach, true, but Rattray still had to fight a rearward action to defend his second place in the standings from a charging Blake Baggett, also mounted on the same equipment. The South African squeezed out the sixth-fastest lap time during the qualifying sessions, which gave him a good enough platform to launch into the race off come action time.

As the gate clanked down to signal the start of race 1, it was the usual Pro Circuit Kawasaki triumvirate that piled into the first corner ahead of everyone else. Wilson was leading the pack, with Baggett and Rattray snapping at his heels. Tyla found a way round Baggett a few laps in, but he constantly felt his team-mate breathing down his neck, and a few laps later, Baggett retook second position. The three greenies scurried off into the distance, but later in the race, Tyla had to fend off some determined attacks by former world champion Marvin Musquin. He did so with his usual aplomb, and crossed the line in third position.

Baggett had crimped the gap by two valuable points in the first race, and Tyla knew that he could not afford to give his team-mate too loose a leash in the season's final outing, lest he lost his grip on second position in the championship. He did his cause no good at all with a start that left him outside the top 10, and he had to haul himself into contention by sheer determination. Although a podium finish in the race was virtually out of the question, he rode with measured aggression to haul back as many points as possible, and in the end he slotted himself into fifth position, a good result after a hard ride, and enough to claim the number two spot for the second year running. This gave Mitch Payton's legendary team a full complement 1-2-3 in the final season standings, and the smiles under the team awning could not get any broader.

The rugby world cup has started, and all red (or is it green)-blooded South Africans are wishing the Springboks to a second successive world cup triumph. Tyla has a role to play for his country this coming weekend too, though. He will join team-mates Shannon Terreblanche and Gareth Swanepoel in France and fly the South African flag at the Motocross of Nations.

GARETH SWANEPOEL
Swanepoel 6th at Pala

DNA Shred Stix Yamaha racer, Gareth Swanepoel, has enjoyed yet another solid ride at the final round of the AMA Nationals, placing 6th on the day and 6th overall in the highly competitive series. Based in Southern California ‘Swanie’ only had a short journey to the Pala Raceway for the final showdown of 2011.

In moto 1 the South African struggled with his start, leaving him with some work to do on the fast flowing circuit. Quickly ‘Swanie’ was into his usual fast rhythm and was powering his Yamaha past the competition. Eventually the number 387 machine was up into 5th position, but by this time the top 4 had gapped it, leaving ‘Swanie’ to fend off his team-mate and crossing the finish in 5th position.

Moto 2 was another tough start for Swanepoel, then on the first turn he nearly went down with Tomac, delaying the two riders further. Again getting the hammer down ‘Swanie’ this time chased down fellow South African, Tyla Rattray, as the two of them cut through the pack. Enjoying a great ride Swanepoel climbed up to 7th position in the end.

Gareth Swanepoel: “I really enjoyed the season this year, my team and bike are awesome, and obviously living in Southern California is perfect for riding. Today was good, I love this track, but actually for the race today it was a little too smooth and flowing which means that everyone is flat out and it is hard to then come through the field if you get a poor start. Now we pack up and head over to France, where I will be racing the MXoN next weekend for Team South Africa, I look forward to that, it is always a great event and it’s super to get to ride for your country. I would like to thank everyone on my DNA Shred Stix Yamaha team for an awesome year and I look forward to next season.”