(News Release)
Dungey Caps Historic Rookie Season with 10th Win
PALA, Calif. (September 11, 2010) – The 2010 Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship came to an exciting conclusion on Saturday, returning to San Diego County for the first time in 28 years with the inaugural Pala Motocross National from Pala Raceway. After a dominant second half of the season, GEICO Powersports Honda’s Trey Canard, of Shawnee, Okla., secured his first career motocross championship in the 250 Class with a third-place finish on the day. In the premier 450 Class, Rockstar/Makita Suzuki’s Ryan Dungey, of Belle Plaine, Minn., etched his name in the record books with his 10th overall win of his rookie season.
The unpredictable nature of the 250 Class was on full display at Pala as rookie Dean Wilson, of Scotland, raced to his second career victory with a 1-1 moto sweep for Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki. However, Wilson’s triumph was overshadowed by the stellar come-from-behind championship win by Canard.
Coming into the season finale, Canard trailed Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki’s Christophe Pourcel, of France, by seven points. As the duo battled in the first moto, both riders experienced trouble in separate crashes, but Pourcel’s resulted in a separated shoulder and when he failed to return to compete in the second moto, his championship hopes were over.
“There’s so many emotions and thoughts running through my head,” said Canard, who won five of the final seven races of the season to overcome a 57-point deficit to Pourcel. “When the time came, I thought about all these hard years and it made it that much better. I’m still kind of dreaming right now. I’m just stoked.”
Canard joined Wilson on the overall podium in third (4-3), while Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki’s Tyla Rattray, of South Africa, earned the runner-up spot (2-2).
Dungey entered the day looking to break Ricky Carmichael’s rookie record of nine overall wins that has stood since the 2000 season. Having wrapped up the 450 Class title two rounds ago to become the first rookie in history to win both the AMA Supercross and AMA Motocross championships, he continued his dominant form on Saturday by sweeping the day’s motos.
“I didn’t get off to the best of starts in the second moto and I had to work,” said Dungey. “Patience definitely plays a role in it and I’ve learned a lot about that in recent years. It was new track and it was really good. It got rough and I think we all really liked it.”
In addition to winning the most races ever by a rookie, Dungey also surpasses Carmichael’s rookie point total by eight points ending the season with a record 543 markers.
Honda Red Bull Racing’s Andrew Short, of Smithville, Texas, finished second (3-2) with GEICO Powersports Honda’s Brett Metcalfe, of Australia, in third (2-3).
In just two weeks on September 25-26, the stars of motocross from around the globe will converge on Lakewood, Colo., for the annual Motocross of Nations from Thunder Valley Motocross Park. Team USA will look for its sixth consecutive win and 21st overall win at the Olympics of Motocross with Dungey, Short and Canard representing Team USA.
The MotorcycleUSA.com Women’s Motocross Championship brought it 2010 season to a close as well with the Dunlop Tire Pala Women’s National. After a dominating season, DNA Shred Stix/Star Racing Yamaha’s Jessica Patterson, of Tallahassee, Fla., captured her record sixth WMX Class title en route to a runner-up effort at Pala (1-2). Honda Red Bull Racing’s Ashley Fiolek, of St. Augustine, Fla., took her second win of the season (2-1) with MotoConcepts Yamaha’s Vicki Golden, of El Cajon, Calif., in third (3-6).
Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship
Pala Motocross National
Pala Raceway
September 11, 2010
Round 12 of 12
450 Class (Moto Finish)
Ryan Dungey, Belle Plaine, Minn., Suzuki (1-1)
Andrew Short, Smithville, Texas, Honda (3-2)
Brett Metcalfe, Australia, Honda (2-3)
Ben Townley, New Zealand, Honda (6-4)
Ryan Sipes, Vine Grove, Ky., Yamaha (4-6)
Kyle Chisholm, Valrico, Fla., Yamaha (9-5)
Kevin Windham, Centreville, Miss., Honda (7-8)
Justin Brayton, Fort Dodge, Iowa, Yamaha (12-7)
Kyle Regal, Kemp, Texas, Honda (5-14)
Nick Wey, Dewitt, Mich., Kawasaki (11-9)
450 Class Championship Standings
Ryan Dungey, Belle Plaine, Minn., Suzuki, 543
Brett Metcalfe, Australia, Honda, 398
Andrew Short, Smithville, Texas, Honda, 393
Ben Townley, New Zealand, Honda, 321
Mike Alessi, Victorville, Calif., KTM, 314
Kyle Chisholm, Valrico, Fla., Yamaha, 266
Josh Grant, Riverside, Calif., Yamaha, 260
Ryan Sipes, Vine Grove, Ky., Yamaha, 234
Kyle Regal, Kemp, Texas, Honda, 224
Nick Wey, Dewitt, Mich., Kawasaki, 223
250 Class (Moto Finish)
Dean Wilson, Scotland, Kawasaki (1-1)
Tyla Rattray, South Africa, Kawasaki (2-2)
Trey Canard, Shawnee, Okla., Honda (4-3)
Eli Tomac, Cortez, Colo., Honda (8-4)
Justin Barcia, Ochlocknee, Ga., Honda (6-5)
Cole Seely, Newbury Park, Calif., Honda (3-12)
Wil Hahn, Decatur, Texas, Honda (7-7)
Broc Tickle, Holly, Mich., Yamaha (5-9)
Martin Davalos, Ecuador, Yamaha (14-6)
Les Smith, York, S.C., Honda (13-11)
250 Class Championship Standings
Trey Canard, Shawnee, Okla., Honda, 474
Tyla Rattray, South Africa, Kawasaki, 446
Christophe Pourcel, France, Kawasaki, 443
Dean Wilson, Scotland, Kawasaki, 437
Justin Barcia, Ochlocknee, Ga., Honda, 348
Eli Tomac, Cortez, Colo., Honda, 327
Broc Tickle, Holly, Mich., Yamaha, 287
Blake Wharton, Pilot Point, Texas, Honda, 285
Martin Davalos, Ecuador, Yamaha, 251
Wil Hahn, Decatur, Texas, Honda, 213
WMX Class (Moto Finish)
Ashley Fiolek, St. Augustine, Fla., Honda (2-1)
Jessica Patterson, Tallahassee, Fla., Yamaha (1-2)
Vicki Golden, El Cajon, Calif., Yamaha (3-6)
Tarah Gieger, Winter Gardens, Fla., Honda (7-3)
Mariana Balbi, Brazil, Yamaha (5-5)
Alexah Pearson, Rocklin, Calif., Yamaha (9-4)
Sherri Cruse, Bakersfield, Calif., Suzuki (8-7)
Tatum Sik, Temecula, Calif., Yamaha (6-9)
Sarah Whitmore, Cheboygan, Mich., KTM (11-8)
Jacqueline Strong, Sedona, Ariz., Yamaha (10-14)
WMX Class Championship Standings (After 8 of 8 Rounds)
Jessica Patterson, Tallahassee, Fla., Yamaha, 382
Ashley Fiolek, St. Augustine, Fla., Honda, 360
Tarah Gieger, Winter Gardens, Fla., Honda, 295
Vicki Golden, El Cajon, Calif., Yamaha, 252
Mariana Balbi, Brazil, Yamaha, 239
Sara Price, Canyon Lake, Calif., Kawasaki, 230
Sarah Whitmore, Cheboygan, Mich., KTM, 219
Alexah Pearson, Rocklin, Calif., Yamaha, 202
Tatum Sik, Temecula, Calif., Yamaha, 179
Jacqueline Strong, Sedona, Ariz., Yamaha, 154
For tickets and fan and racing information on the 2010 Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship, log on to www.allisports.com.
