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Yamah Racing
Third straight AMA-SX sweep for Yamaha
Crowd: 64, 241
Yamaha owned the top steps of the podiums in both the AMA Supercross and Lites West Coast classes last Saturday in San Diego. Chad Reed clinched his fourth victory in succession on the San Manuel YZ450F, and fifth from the six rounds of seventeen held so far. Jason Law steered the Yamaha of Troy YZ250F to his third win on the trot and of his career.
 In front of more than 64,000 fans in the Qualcomm stadium Reed edged his lead in the standings of the AMA series (also an FIM World Championship) to 35 points while Lawrence leapt to the top of the Lites table for the first time and has a margin of 2 points over Ryan Dungey.
Australian Reed continued Yamaha's splendid record in San Diego, notching the 12th win for Yamaha in a history that stretches back to Mike Bell's first success in 1980. It was Reed's fifth personal triumph in the southern Californian city and forged a landmark 100% ratio for the racer across the state.
The 25-year-old took part in an entertaining 20 lap main event with Honda's Davi Millsaps. The pair traded the lead in the opening circulations before Reed assumed control for nine laps but then he slipped off the Yamaha and handed the initiative back to Millsaps. Showing calmness and determination Reed reeled off a steady four laps to draw the American back to his front wheel and regained the advantage with only a few minutes of the race remaining.
"I was horrible all day, and I'm so happy to get this win," said the rider who now has 31 victories - just one of three riders to have accumulated more than 30 in the history of the sport. "I got out front, and Davi passed me back, and I knew I needed to get in behind him and let the race deepen for a few laps, and then try and make a pass and a break. I got a pretty decent gap, and then I just lost concentration and lost it. But I'm pumped to get another win in San Diego, and to win all of the rounds in California - I don't think anyone else has ever done that before."
Millsaps was also passed by Tim Ferry before the chequered flag. Reed's advantage in the championship over Kevin Windham (fifth position in San Diego) means that the 2004 champion can even afford to miss a race and still hold control.
Yamaha factory team's Josh Hill was sixth in the main event. AMA Motocross Champion Grant Langston was out of action with an eye complaint while the third member of the crew, Broc Hepler, is expected to be out of the Lites series for six weeks after breaking his hand last weekend in Los Angeles.
The growing confidence and form of Jason Lawrence hit a peak in San Diego when the 20 year old holeshotted and led all fifteen laps of the main event on his YZ250F, seizing control of the series from Ryan Dungey in the process, who had previously headed the championship since the opening race.
"I had the 18th gate pick and I was way out here on the outside, but I got to the first turn first, somehow. I don't know how. I was amazed to see a clear track. From there on I was just trying to be smart and not crash," he said. "I was trying to keep tabs on Dungey and he actually crashed again. That's the third race in a row that he's cracked under some pressure, so we have two more races, and I'm up by two points - I'm just trying to win the title."
Round seven takes place next weekend in the Reliant stadium as the AMA/FIM competition travels east to Houston.
KTM Racing
MDK KTM Team riders earned three top ten finishes over the weekend at the sixth round of the AMA Supercross Series.
MDK KTM Lites Team rider Billy Laninovich had a spell of bad luck when he suffered a last place start in his heat which set him back from qualifying directly from the heat to the main. He turned up later in the LCQ where he finished in the top four to qualify into the main program.
His team-mate, Justin Brayton, carried the same luck into his heat when he came around the first corner in 15th. However, he ploughed through riders and was able to work his way into 6th place by the 6th lap sending him and his KTM machine into the main event.
Both MDK KTM Lites riders got a good jump when the gate dropped for the Lites Main Event. However, Brayton got squeezed off as they neared the first turn pushing him back to 15th. Laninovich looked like he might break into the top ten until another rider forced him off of the track sending him into 19th position as he completed the first turn. Both riders rode strong and merged through the pack. By lap 3 Brayton had moved into 7th place. Laninovich had passed four riders and was now in 15th. The crowd stood on their feet as the battle progressed among the riders inside the top ten. Throughout the race Brayton battled with Dungey, Metcalfe and Stroupe. At the conclusion of the race Brayton had mustered his way into the top five finishing fifth for the night. Laninovich worked his way up from last position to 10th.
MDK KTM Lites Team Manager Danny Paladino stated, "Both riders have the speed to be up top but their starts continue to hold them back. We will go home this week and focus on those weaknesses to ensure we're on the leader board in Houston."
Team Suzuki
VUILLEMIN RECORDS BEST SX RESULT
Rockstar Makita Suzuki Factory Racing's David Vuillemin celebrated his best result of the 2008 AMA Supercross season with a seventh-place finish at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego on Saturday night.
 The Frenchman (pictured right) got a good start on his RM-Z450 and charged hard through the 20-lap main to bring home a top-10 finish.
Vuillemin's Supercross-class team-mate Mike Alessi experienced a nasty crash and broke his collarbone on the right side during practice and was unable to race.
In the Supercross Lites class, Ryan Dungey is preparing for the last few rounds of the West Coast events. On Saturday night he was again blisteringly fast in his heat race and took the win. He had some bad luck in the main, however, and fell several times and had to work his way up from the back of the pack but still took sixth position.
David Vuillemin: "We have been working on bike set-up at the track and making the bike better in practice. I did pretty well in practice and that really helped my confidence. I didn't do quite as well in my heat race because I got a bad start and couldn't pass anyone. But I got a much better start in the main and I felt like I rode 20 strong laps, and my lap times on the Rockstar Makita Suzuki RM-Z450 were really good. I ended up seventh, which is the best I've done all year. And it felt really good to get that result, especially after all the injuries and bad luck of the last two months. I'm looking at this as a good stepping stone to better results for the rest of the season."
Ryan Dungey: "This is the third week in a row where things haven't really gone our way. At the same time, I've been riding fast, I've been riding strong and I've been riding consistent, but I've been making some small mistakes here and there in the main and that's costing me. I just need to relax and stay focused on riding smart in these last few rounds. We're only a few points behind in the championship and that's the goal that we're working toward."
Kawasaki Racing
Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Tim Ferry Battles for Runner-up Finish
Irvine, Calif. -- In a fight to the finish, Monster Energy Kawasaki rider Timmy “Red Dog” Ferry rode to an amazing second place finish at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego. After winning his heat race Red Dog adapted to a tricky track, and with a last lap pass in the sand, earned his second-straight podium finish. His team-mate Travis Preston finished 14th. In the AMA Supercross Lites class, Motosport Xtreme Kawasaki’s Tommy Hahn raced to a second-place finish. Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki’s Brett Metcalfe battled through the pain of a bad ankle to finish fourth while team-mate Austin Stroupe finished seventh.
 With the laps clicking off quickly Ferry was determined to get into second place. After making the pass for third in an off-camber turn, Ferry (pictured right) saw an opening in the sand area of the track. After his heat race, Team Manager Mike Fisher told Ferry how Stroupe had used an outside line going into the sand to make passes.
“Fisher had been pointing out a line,” said Ferry. “They cut the last whoop out after the finish line and it set you up to turn early. I hit it every lap just because it felt comfortable and it ended up being the money pass.”
The track at Qualcomm Stadium featured a gnarly rhythm section that gave Ferry fits throughout practice and the heat race. It wasn’t until the middle of the main event that he found the fastest way through.
“The rhythm section was tough,” said Ferry. “I was in fourth and saw the guys in front going double, triple, double, triple. I hadn’t done that at all in practice or the heat race and the main event isn’t the time to try new things, but I knew that was the only way I could keep up. I guess you can teach an old dog new tricks.”
Ferry’s night started of with a bang as he earned his first heat race win in years. After nailing the holeshot, he paced the field leading all eight laps.
“The heat was awesome,” said Ferry. “I hit the holeshot from the outside and it has been working for me lately. It felt great. I haven’t won a heat in a while and I need to run that pace. It opened my lungs up and got my hands working which set me up for the end main.”
With a full week of riding under his belt, Preston continued to improve as he scored a fourth place finish in his heat race. During the main event he rode a steady race and learned more and more about his bike.
“I felt like I improved,” said Preston. “Instead of getting tired on lap seven, I didn’t get tired until lap 12. It’s tough moving in like this, but I’m having fun and hopefully I get better. My heat race was good. My Kawasaki is ripping it down the start, and that is a key in supercross because when you get out in front it is a lot easier.”
For the second time in California, Hahn rode his Kawasaki KX250F to the podium in the AMA Supercross Lites, getting a second place finish in San Diego. In conditions totally different from a muddy San Francisco, Hahn came off the starting line in second and had a clean race on a technical track.
“Everyone was saying I could only do it in the mud,” said Hahn. “I guess I showed them I can do it in the dry as well. I want to thank my team. They did a great job. The track was tough and I need to thank my trainer too. I couldn’t have done it without him.”
During the second practice, Metcalfe tweaked his ankle and spent the time before the night program with his foot in a bucket of ice. During his heat race, he went down in the first turn and was unable to make the main event and had to go to the last chance qualifier. In the LCQ, Metcalfe hit the holeshot and led all four laps to get to the main event. In the main, Metcalfe overcame a rough start to work his way up to fourth at the checkered flag, which moves him to third in the series’ standings.
“My ankle is fine, but it is just a little sore,” said Metcalfe. “It is going to be really sore in the morning. It was pretty numb for the races and I just got a bad gate pick for the main. Going to the LCQ probably helped me a little though because it kept my ankle moving and loose and I wasn’t thinking about it too much. I overcame the outside start and finished fourth which salvaged some points.”
It was an eventful race for Stroupe, as he battled throughout both his heat race and the main event. During both races he found a quick way through the sand and was able to make passes right after the finish line.
“I didn’t get the start I usually get and I’m bummed,” said Stroupe. “Back in the pack you can’t do much, but I passed as many people as I could and ended up with seventh.”
With one of the tallest riders in the series, the Monster Energy Kawasaki team made some modifications to the Kawasaki KX450F to fit Preston’s six-foot frame. The team installed a taller seat to accommodate his long legs and also moved the handlebars forward. To make the bike more comfortable, the team switched from the smaller sub-frame James Stewart rode, to a standard size sub-frame.
On the Wednesday leading into the San Diego event, Preston celebrated his 30th birthday. The team surprised him with a cake featuring gold stars and oreo cookies. Although the cake didn’t match the diet recommended by Ferry’s trainer Dean Golich, he says the extra year could help Preston as riders in their 30’s are in their prime.
“Athletes are at their strongest in their early thirties,” said Golich. “Especially in endurance sports like supercross, they can tailor their training to get the most out of their training and they are also more mature and can ride smarter.”
With just one race under his belt in 2008, Preston is still working out all of the kinks. During the first practice Preston’s pants were a little too big, but in between practice sessions Preston and his mechanic Mike Williamson found a solution, using tie-wraps to tighten the pants.
As soon as the race was over, the team went to work stripping the race bikes down to the sub-frame so the engines could go back to the Kawasaki race shop in Irvine. The rest of the bike was loaded into the truck and the mechanics will rebuild it when they get to the next race in Houston on Thursday.
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