Allisports Press Release:
As always, the sand track in Southwick produced a wild day of action last weekend as the AMA Pro Motocross Championship returned to the East Coast. Following dramatic victories by the respective series points leaders, the schedule returns to Central New York on Saturday, August 18, for the highly-anticipated Unadilla National, in New Berlin.
For over 40 years, Unadilla has hosted premier motocross races and with this season’s championships hitting the home stretch, the thousands of fans in attendance will be treated to an afternoon of high-intensity competition. Unadilla is considered hallowed ground in the sport of motocross, and thanks to the facility’s rough terrain, high speed, and incredibly big air, it will be a fitting way to showcase the world’s best riders with a full day of live television coverage, highlighted by a network broadcast on NBC that will reach millions of homes.
Last weekend at Moto-X 338, Ryan Dungey needed a rare pit stop for fuel to secure his seventh consecutive win of the 2012 season. After a dominant win in the opening moto, Dungey put himself in position for a similar result in Moto 2, only to go down while leading, which caused fuel to spill from his bike in the process. After remounting his KTM in second, Dungey surged back into the lead and built a double-digit advantage on the field. Just a couple laps later, he pulled into the mechanics area to get additional fuel and ultimately settled for second in the moto, which was enough for the overall victory.
“The TV footage allowed our guys to see what happened, which helped them decide to bring me in,” explained Dungey at the end of the race. “(It) worked out because I wouldn’t have made another lap.”
With his win, Dungey extended his lead in the championship over Mike Alessi, who finished second at Southwick, to 85 points with three rounds remaining. If Dungey is able to gain 15 points on his rival at Unadilla on Saturday, he will claim his second 450 Class title in three seasons.
Last season at Unadilla, eventual champion Ryan Villopoto dominated aboard his Kawasaki, sweeping the day’s motos for arguably the most convincing effort of the 2011 season and effectively putting himself in control of the championship. Dungey followed in second.
With just 11 points separating Kawasaki’s Blake Baggett and Honda’s Justin Barcia in the 250 Class standings coming into Moto-X 338, all eyes were on this duo to see how things would unfold. Based on his past success in Southwick, Barcia was considered a favorite, especially with the momentum of a win at the previous round. However, after finding himself on the ground in the first turn of the opening moto, Barcia’s day would be one filled with misfortune, while Baggett took advantage of the opportunity to take back control of the championship.
Baggett followed up his solid third-place finish in the opening moto with a captivating battle for the Moto 2 win with KTM’s Ken Roczen. A late pass for the lead put Baggett into a tie with Honda’s Eli Tomac for the overall victory, but thanks to the second-moto tie-breaker, he captured his fourth victory of the season and extended his points lead.
Despite starting at the tail end of the field in the first moto, Barcia battled back to finish seventh and grabbed a much better start in the final moto. However, after he hit a tree on the inside of a corner, Barcia fell and lost valuable ground on his rivals. He rebounded to finish fourth, for fifth overall, but lost 13 points to Baggett in the championship and faces a 24-point deficit coming into Unadilla.
Last year at Unadilla, eventual champion Dean Wilson won his first race of the 2011 season aboard his Kawasaki, leading all but four laps of competition and solidifying himself as the rider to beat for the title.
Unadilla hosted a round of the inaugural AMA Pro Motocross Championship in 1972, and has been a part of the Nationals landscape ever since. It remains one of the most unique venues in the sport, thanks to its rolling hills and incredible natural terrain. It boasts a high-speed layout, yet is the site of notorious and awe-inspiring obstacles like Gravity Cavity, The Wall, and the Skyshot.
The Red Bull Unadilla National will feature a full day of live broadcast coverage. Opening motos of both the 450 and 250 Classes will be featured live on FUEL TV, beginning at 1 p.m. Eastern. Second moto coverage begins with a live broadcast of the 450 Class on NBC at 3 p.m. Eastern, with a live broadcast of the 250 Class following immediately after on NBC Sports Network at 4 p.m. Eastern.
Previous Round Results and Current Standings
Moto-X 338 – Southwick Mass.
August 11, 2012
Round 9 of 12
450 Class (Moto Finish)
Ryan Dungey, Belle Plaine, Minn., KTM (1-2)
Mike Alessi, Victorville, Calif., Suzuki (2-3)
Broc Tickle, Holly, Mich., Kawasaki (6-4)
Davi Millsaps, Cairo, Ga., Yamaha (7-6)
Tyla Rattray, Durban, South Africa, Kawasaki (20-1)
Mike Brown, Johnson City, Tenn., KTM (9-7)
Josh Grant, Riverside, Calif., Kawasaki (8-8)
Andrew Short, Smithville, Texas, Honda (5-11)
Kyle Chisholm, Valrico, Fla., Kawasaki (11-9)
Tommy Hahn, Great Bend, Kan., Honda (3-35)
450 Class Championship Standings
Ryan Dungey, Belle Plaine, Minn., KTM, 430
Mike Alessi, Victorville, Calif., Suzuki, 345
Jake Weimer, Rupert, Idaho, Kawasaki, 290
Andrew Short, Smithville, Texas, Honda, 273
Broc Tickle, Holly, Mich., Kawasaki, 253
Josh Grant, Riverside, Calif., Kawasaki, 195
Justin Brayton, Ft. Dodge, Iowa, Honda, 185
Kyle Chisholm, Valrico, Fla., Kawasaki, 159
James Stewart, Haines City, Fla., Suzuki, 151
Brett Metcalfe, Mannum, Australia, Suzuki, 142
250 Class (Moto Finish)
Blake Baggett, Grand Terrace, Calif., Kawasaki (3-1)
Eli Tomac, Cortez, Colo., Honda (1-3)
Ken Roczen, Apolda, Germany, KTM (4-2)
Marvin Musquin, La Reole, France, KTM (2-5)
Justin Barcia, Monroe, N.Y., Honda (7-4)
Malcolm Stewart, Haines City, Fla., KTM (6-7)
Alex Martin, Millville, Minn., Honda (8-6)
Jessy Nelson, Paso Robles, Calif., Honda (5-11)
Travis Baker, Temecula, Calif., Honda (10-10)
Ryan Sipes, Vine Grove, Ky., Yamaha (12-12)
250 Class Championship Standings
Blake Baggett, Grand Terrace, Calif., Kawasaki, 400
Justin Barcia, Monroe, N.Y., Honda, 376
Eli Tomac, Cortez, Colo., Honda, 368
Ken Roczen, Apolda, Germany, KTM, 345
Marvin Musquin, La Reole, France, KTM, 294
Wil Hahn, Decatur, Texas, Honda, 230
Blake Wharton, Pilot Point, Texas, Suzuki, 197
Jason Anderson, Edgewood, N.M, Suzuki, 181
Jessy Nelson, Paso Robles, Calif., Honda, 170
Travis Baker, Temecula, Calif., Honda, 156
For more information: www.allisports.com
