2009 AMA Motocross Championship – Round 11 – Southwick
— Download Full Results (PDF – 2.6Mb)
— Reed Report
Rain played havoc with the penultimate round of the Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship at Moto-X 338 in Southwick, putting pay to a certain overall victory for Australia’s Chad Reed, the newly-crowned 450 class champion.
There was little pressure on the Rockstar Makita Suzuki rider, having wrapped up proceedings a round earlier with an unbeatable points lead.
It soon became apparent that Reed would not be backing off at all, determined to put on a show for the crowd that had braved the damp day out.
He took a dominant victory in the first moto, showcasing the style and speed that made him the standout of the world’s most competitive motocross series all season long.
It took little time for Reed to establish himself as the front-runner in moto two, but a spectacular crash following a cross-rut on lap nine ended his hopes.
Eighth overall was all he could muster after finishing up in 31st place in the second moto.
“I felt good going into the round and really wanted to get out there, have some fun and show my thanks to those that have supported me,” said Reed.
“It’s been a big season and a lot of people have worked tirelessly behind the scenes to win this championship.
“I got the holeshot to start and managed to win the first moto, the track was barely holding up but it was nothing compared to moto two.
“I felt I had the win and overall in me but cross-rutted and came down hard at the half-way point.
“It was a disappointing end to the day but has no bearing on the championship.”
The result only put a small dent in Reed’s massive points lead, which saw him unofficially wrap up the title at Budds Creek.
At present he has 459 points next to his name, over 100 points clear of Andrew Short in second.
The final round of the championship will be held at Steel City Raceway next weekend.
— Rockstar Makita Suzuki Report
Rockstar Makita Suzuki’s Michael Byrne captured his best finish of the season at Moto-X 338 in Southwick, Massachusetts, on Saturday afternoon. The Australian finished third in both 30-minute motos on the rain-soaked track, and this result was good enough to give him second-place overall for the day.
Rockstar Makita Suzuki teammate and newly crowned 2009 AMA Motocross Champion Chad Reed started the day on a positive note by winning his first moto. In the second moto, however, he had gapped the field and was leading when a nasty crash resulted in his having to pull out of the race. Despite the unfortunate circumstances in the second moto, Reed still finished the day in eighth place overall.
In the 250 class, Rockstar Makita Suzuki’s Ryan Dungey regained the championship points lead at Southwick. The Minnesota rider rode two impressive motos in the mud and driving rain to capture second- and fourth-place moto finishes for fourth place overall at the end of the day. Going into the final round next weekend at Steel City, Dungey leads the title chase by 17 points.
Chad Reed: “We got the title wrapped up last week at Budds Creek but I still want to win races. The first moto was awesome, and it was pretty special to be up on the podium with my teammate. I’m having a blast out here and all this is just an added bonus. I’m a little sore from that get-off in the second moto, other than that, I’m fine.”
Michael Byrne:
“Getting such a good result at Southwick means a lot. I’ve had more downs than ups at this track and to get two good starts and run up front meant a lot today. But I couldn’t have done it without the Rockstar Makita Suzuki team. They’ve been really great, everybody’s been working their butts off and they have
given me a great bike to race.”
Ryan Dungey:
“There was a lot going on today, the track was really tough and it made for some good racing. In the first moto, I got a good start on the Rockstar Makita Suzuki RM-Z250 and just tried to put in some consistent laps. I got a fairly bad start in the second moto, but I worked my way through the pack. It’s great to be back in the points lead. You just have to have faith and hope and courage, and know that anything is possible if you believe in it. Now we have two more motos left and that’s still a lot of racing, so we’ll try to carry the momentum into the last round and enjoy it.”
Rockstar Makita Suzuki Factory Racing will race the final round of AMA Motocross at Steel City Raceway in Delmont, Pennsylvania, next Saturday, September 5, 2009.
450 Class (Moto Finish)
1. Matt Goerke, Yamaha (6-1)
2. Michael Byrne, Suzuki (3-3)
3. John Dowd, Kawasaki (10-2)
4. Tommy Hahn, Kawasaki (9-4)
5. Robby Marshall, Suzuki (5-7)
6. Kyle Regal, Yamaha (4-10)
7. Andrew Short, Texas, Honda (7-9)
8. Chad Reed, Suzuki (1-31)
9. Jake Moss, Kawasaki (2-30)
10. Ricky Renner, Honda (11-12)
450 Class Championship Standings
1. Chad Reed, Suzuki, 459
2. Andrew Short, Honda, 356
3. Ivan Tedesco, Honda, 338
4. Michael Byrne, Suzuki, 316
5. Josh Grant, Yamaha, 280
6. Thomas Hahn, Kawasaki, 259
7. Justin Brayton, KTM, 214
8. Cody Cooper, Yamaha, 184
9. Nick Wey, Yamaha, 182
AMA Motocross 250 Class Top 10 Overall Event Finishers:
1. Justin Barcia, Honda
2. Tyla Rattray, Kawasaki
3. Brett Metcalfe, Honda
4. Ryan Dungey, Suzuki
5. Taylor Futrell, Honda
6. Tommy Searle, KTM
7. Blake Wharton, Honda
8. Broc Tickle, Yamaha
9. Jake Weimer, Kawasaki
10. Blake Baggett, Kawasak
— Download Full Results (PDF – 2.6Mb)
