TEAM SUZUKI
DUNGEY AND SUZUKI STORM MILLVILLE MX

Team Rockstar Makita Suzuki showed its true Championship-winning colours at round seven of the 2011 AMA Pro Motocross Championship at the Spring Creek National in Millville as Ryan Dungey powered his Yoshimura-equipped Suzuki RM-Z450 to the overall win and team-mate Brett Metcalfe carded a solid sixth-placed result.

Despite heavy rains the day before, the Spring Creek soil was in good condition for the first 30-minute moto. Dungey and his Rockstar Makita Suzuki RM-Z450 put on a good show for the fans, with Dungey getting a good start and powering into the top three early on. By the time the moto was over, Dungey had notched an impressive second-placed finish.

In moto two, Dungey got another good start on his Rockstar Makita Suzuki RM-Z450 and was running firmly in second place before reeling in the leader to take the win and the overall victory. This result is Dungey's second overall victory of the season and his fourth win in a row at Spring Creek. Additionally, he's now just one point away from second and seven from first place in the overall Championship standings.

"Coming in, I didn't really know what to expect," said Dungey. "With the mud, it was kind of a weird deal. We got a lot of rain the night before and I didn't know how the track was going to be. The first two practices were a little sloppy, but in the first moto, I got off to a really good start on the Rockstar Makita Suzuki RM-Z450. But I wasn't able to make passes as quick as I wanted to and I ended up second. In the second moto, I also got a good start and was in third. Then, I got into second and was able to close up the gap, make the pass for the lead; and get the overall. Obviously, being here at Millville and having the hometown crowd is great; it's always a treat to be back here because I love the track and the fans are great. I grew up with a lot of people who came out today, so that was an extra bonus. I'm glad to get another win for the Rockstar Makita Suzuki team and this is a good step in the right direction for the Championship."

Metcalfe struggled a bit but still put in a strong performance overall. He got a good start in the first moto but then had to overcome a mid-race get-off in order to finish up in sixth place. In the second moto, his start wasn't ideal, but he put his head down and rode a smart, aggressive race to pick up a solid top-five finish to take sixth overall.

"It was a tough day for me, but I felt like my riding was good today," said Metcalfe. "I got a good start in the first moto. I was up there in fifth and I was trying to get around into fourth, but it was difficult to pass. I was sitting there for a few laps which sort of cost me because I was searching for a different line and that's what took me down. I went into the outside in a corner and it was too muddy and I lost the front end. That was a mistake that dropped me back to sixth and then I was too far behind to make a charge for fifth. But I still felt like overall I rode pretty good.

"In the second moto, I didn't get the best of starts but I was able to make some really good moves in the first couple of laps and I felt aggressive and charged through to fifth. It was a good day for us; the Rockstar Makita Suzuki RM-Z450 was working awesome for me and everybody on the Suzuki team has been putting in a big effort. I really want to get up there and get top three for these guys."

The Rockstar Makita Suzuki team's next event is the eighth round of the 2011 AMA Pro Motocross Championship on Saturday, July 23rd, at the Washougal National in Washougal.

TYLA RATTRAY
RATTRAY LEAPS TO SECOND IN AMA STANDINGS WITH VICTORY AT MILLVILLE

A single sentence in the post race press conference told it all. Dean Wilson, AMA motocross championship leader, was behind the microphone, recounting his day. When the subject turned to Tyla Rattray, Wilson said that the South African is in such good physical condition that it sucks. The guffaws in the press room did not detract from the fact that Wilson had just given his team-mate the ultimate compliment. This is how it is in the AMA championship run of 2011. The title pretenders are fierce rivals on track, but off it they are respectful of each other.

Mention tough racing conditions which include stifling heat, a sprinkling of sand underfoot and a track that gets rougher as the day progresses, and Tyla Rattray's ears prick up. These are the kind of conditions that he feeds on, and at round seven of the series, at Spring Creek, Millville, these conditions were present in abundance. Tyla threw down the gauntlet early by scorching to the fastest lap time during qualifying practice. Talk about scorching - the heat was truly on, in more ways than one. The races were to provide some sizzling action, and the sun beat down mercilessly, to such an extent that many of the spectators sought out respite in any handy spring or creek they could find.

The first race got off to an exciting start, with Wilson charging to the lead. Tyla was a bit behind, but soon enough he had bullied his way into second position and set off in pursuit of his team-mate. For the rest of the race, the gap between them yoyo-ed, first stretching out, then shrinking again. The sheer pace and excitement of it was pure poetry in motion, and the crowd responded accordingly. As the race drew to a close, the effort of it all was visibly getting to Wilson, and Tyla closed right up, so much so that one could barely insert a feeler gauge between the two Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasakis. Rattray was relentless, but Wilson held on, and clinched the win by the narrowest of margins. Less than a second separated the bikes at the flag, and the crowd was in rapture.

Tyla charged to another good start in race two, and by the second lap, he had clear air in front of him, with none of his view being spoilt by scene-spoiling fellow competitors. In conditions such as this, it is not a good idea for the opposition to let Tyla have an early lead, and the point was driven home very clearly. His conditioning, iron will and a dab of riding skills took him to a comfortable lead, and as he crossed the finish line, he acknowledged his supporters who had just seen their hero race to yet another overall AMA victory.

Tyla had the same number of total points as Wilson on the day, but his good harvest did allow him to reclaim second spot in the championship, demoting team-mate Blake Baggett to third.

GARETH SWANEPOEL
Swanepoel endures testing Millville national

The Lucas Oil AMA Pro National MX series passed the halfway point in sweltering and testing conditions as round 7 of the 12 round series was held at the Spring Creek Motocross Park in Millville on Saturday. DNA Shredstix/Star Racing Yamaha’s, Gareth Swanepoel, made the most of a difficult qualification session as overnight showers had drenched the sandy circuit and made track conditions rough and rutted.

Grabbing a good start in moto 1 ‘Swanie’ positioned himself in 6th and kept pushing to hold consistent lap times. Around the halfway mark he made some mistakes and lost his rhythm allowing Tomac, Durham and Barcia to pass. He quickly regained his composure and then put his head down re-passing Tomac and Durham to finish in a strong 5th position.

The second moto would not get off to a good start for Swanepoel. He had to get ride of his goggles on the first lap and rode the entire moto getting blasted with sand and rocks however the gutsy South African fought through to salvage 12th spot.

“The heat was really overwhelming this weekend,” admitted Swanepoel. “This is the worst I have experienced so far in the US but I used it to my advantage and could make up positions when the guys in front of me faded. The track was really gnarly and demanding. It’s a big learning experience for me as it’s the first time I’ve seen most of these tracks and I have to bang in some fast laps and get on the pace from the get go. I would like to put together two strong consistent motos in Washougal and then build from there.”