TYLA RATTRAY
RATTRAY EXTENDS AMA MOTOCROSS CHAMPIONSHIP LEAD WITH OVERALL WIN AT BUDDS CREEK

Tyla Rattray is not given to boasting or big talk . He has always been known as the type of rider that does his talking on the track, and with years of GP- and AMA racing experience under his belt, he knows that motocross titles are not handed out in June. When he took hold of the red number plate identifying him as the series leader at Round 3 of the AMA American motocross championship series a week ago, he was gracious and modest, reminding the world that the opposition was tough and a lot of water still had to flow under the bridge before the series was done.

In a private post-race discussion, he went into his season's progress in more depth, and quietly mentioned that a good number of tracks coming up would play to his strong suits. He relishes competition on tracks that get rough and choppy, an the more physically demanding the racing conditions get, the more he thrives. He knows that his pre-season preparations and continuous punishing physical regime are spot on, and give him the edge when conditions become gruelling.

Budds Creek is as classical motocross circuit as you are likely to get. It features significant elevation changes, and makes its rough, choppy way across some of the loveliest natural terrain imaginable. The pre-race interviews with different riders brought out an interesting common factor in their evaluation of the track – the track is situated in a “hole” and thus becomes a humidity trap. The unfit or unprepared need therefore not apply for top results.

Tyla qualified his Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki in fourth position, and with the sun rising to grill position, it was time for race one to kick off. The red-plated number 28 slotted into second position, with team-mate Dean Wilson streaming into the lead. The track was rough and choppy, and caught a good many riders out, but the Kawasaki cruisers were traversing the terrain as if it were a parking lot. Broc Tickle had by now snuggled into third spot, and yet again it was an all-green affair up front. Tyla took the battle to Wilson, but had some problems with backmarkers. Wilson is of course no pushover either, and the South African crossed the line in second spot, a few seconds behind his team-mate.

After the first heat, Tyla calmly analysed his performance during the post race interview. He expressed happiness with his second place and lauded his team-mate for the win, and then very quietly alluded to the fact that a tough second heat was coming up. He did not predict a win. He was not brash. He was not cocky. But the self-confidence simply oozed out of him, and there was, in the words of one of the classics, a fierce gleaming in his eye. He knew what cards he had in hand.

When the gates dropped for race two and the red number 28 surged to the front, the opposition must have uttered a collective sigh of exasperation. When the heat is (literally) on, the track rougher than a seedy harbour-side neighbourhood, and Tyla Rattray in a determined frame of mind, it is not a good idea to let him have an early lead. Wilson had some early race problems, and had to plough his way forward from a position just inside the top 10. Tyla's main opposition would come in the form of Justin Barcia.

Although Tyla held a comfortable lead at all times, Barcia produced a mid-race surge that brought his Honda to within two seconds of the leading bike. The South African was riding a measured, calculated race however as his boatloads of experience shone through. He was relentless, and when Barcia wilted, he hit the afterburner to bolt to a commanding lead, simply pounding the opposition into the ground.

With Wilson making his way up to third in the final race, Tyla eked out an additional two point lead when the day's scores were tallied up. He still has a slender two-point lead over his team-mate in the championship standings, and the series is certainly not short of excitement for the fans.

Tyla had hardly broken a sweat when he de-helmeted himself after the race.

“I am happy with how it went today,” he said, in a normal tone of voice, as if he had just ambled over to the fridge.

“It was hot and tough out there, but I like these kind of conditions, and I just timed my race to have an extra kick in hand in the last few laps. It's Father's Day weekend, so being a daddy myself now, I guess it is as good a present as anything I could give myself!”

TEAM SUZUKI
DUNGEY AND SUZUKI ON BUDDS CREEK PODIUM

Team Rockstar Makita Suzuki riders showed their strength, consistency and the power of their Yoshimura-equipped Suzuki RM-Z450s during the fifth round of the 2011 AMA Pro Motocross Championships at the Budds Creek National in Mechanicsville on Saturday.

Ryan Dungey rode strong and consistent, claiming second place in both motos and ending the day with a third-place overall while team-mate Brett Metcalfe worked through the pack in both motos to grab a couple of sixths and scored a sixth-placed overall finish for the day.

Dungey started the day showing off the speed of his Suzuki by posting the fastest time in the morning timed practices by more than a second. The Rockstar Makita Suzuki rider had a great start in moto one that put him into the front group. He powered his RM-Z from fourth to second over the first few laps and then the reigning Champion put his head down and chased after the leader. Dungey was able to catch up in the closing laps but was unable to make the pass.

Moto two went about the same for the Suzuki rider with a good start that slotted him quickly into second. Dungey pushed his RM-Z450 hard for the remaining 12 laps but fell just a little short of passing for the lead and came away with a second-placed moto finish and third overall for the day. Dungey sits third in the Championship points race.

"It was another good, solid weekend," said Dungey. "We got off to really good starts on my RM-Z today and I was able to get second in both motos. I lost some time in the beginning of the first moto, but I was able to make that up and get up there and almost get the win. I got another good start in the second moto and got up into second and battled for the number one position for the rest of the moto but just couldn't make the pass. It was tough. The track was really one-lined. Overall, my Rockstar Makita Suzuki felt great and we were solid throughout the day. We just gotta keep moving forward and plugging away. We've got Lakewood coming up and I'm really looking forward to it. Last year we were able to get a win there in the AMA Pro MX Championship race as well as the MX Des Nations. It's always a great track."

Metcalfe started the day with the fourth fastest time in the morning practices, which was his best qualifying effort of the season. The Rockstar Makita Suzuki rider suffered a bad start in the first moto but was able to work his RM-Z through the field to capture a sixth-placed finish. In moto two, he had another tough start but was able to quickly get into sixth, which is where he finished, giving him a sixth overall for the day. Metcalfe sits solidly in fifth in the Championship points.

"It was a pretty positive day for me," said Metcalfe. "I went six-six for sixth overall and there were some positives and negatives, but overall I felt pretty good. The negative side of the day was bad starts in both motos. I really felt if I could have had better starts and I could have been running up front and at least challenging for a podium. I had my best qualifying result of the year today with a fourth. My Rockstar Makita Suzuki is working great and the team has been doing a great job getting me more comfortable out there. I think that's why I was able to qualify faster. I'm happy and feel that was my best riding of the season. We need to go home and work this week on starts and give myself a chance to run up front. I'm looking forward to Lakewood. It's a track I've done well at in the past. And I think it is a track that suits me. I'm hoping to go there and put my Suzuki up on the podium where I know it can be."

The Rockstar Makita Suzuki team's next event is the fifth round of the 2011 AMA Pro Motocross Championship on June 25th at the Thunder Valley National in Lakewood.

GARETH SWANEPOEL
Swanepoel mixes it up at Budds Creek National

Having raced at Budds Creek for Team South Africa at the 2007 MX of Nations, DNA Shredstix Yamaha racer Gareth Swanepoel came to Maryland this weekend with some previous experience at the well manicured and picturesque circuit.

A dismal qualification after trying some new settings on the bike left the South African with 18th gate pick for moto 1. Swanie made the most of his start position as the gate dropped and he rode a solid moto coming from 15th spot to 9th .

Taking advantage of a better starting position in Moto 2 saw ‘Swanie’ quickly move into 3rd spot chasing fellow South African Tyla Rattray and Justin Barcia. He came under pressure from Dean Wilson and lost his podium spot to the youngster. Setting some consistent lap times Swanepoel started to shut down a tiring Wilson with Eli Tomac charging to join a 3 way fight to the chequered flag. Swanepoel recorded his second 4th place of the season and occupies 8th in the standings.

“I really like riding at Budds Creek but to be honest I didn’t feel as good as I should have. The result on paper is satisfactory but it was one of those weekends were I didn’t feel comfortable. My start in the second moto certainly helped and once I got behind Wilson I could pretty much post fast consistent lap times every lap. I then started to catch Dean and saw Eli Tomac was closing me down. Some backmarkers brought us really close but I had enough left in the tank to finish the moto off strong. The last lap all 3 of us we were very close which must have been pretty exciting for the crowd to watch,” smiled Swanepoel.