MOUNT MORRIS, PA, JUNE 12 – Ryan Dungey made it two wins in a row and is currently riding a four-moto win streak after going 1-1 at the third round of the 2010 Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship at High Point Raceway.On a beautiful and sunny day that was twice interrupted with rain showers, the Rockstar/Makita Suzuki rider rode confidently and aggressively to the front in each of his races, passing JGR/Toyota Yamaha’s Josh Grant to take the lead in moto one and Red Bull Honda’s Andrew Short to take the win in the second moto.Meanwhile, Chad Reed, who came into the round holding the series points lead, had a day to forget. The Monster Energy Kawasaki rider took a rock to the goggles in the opening moto and dropped off the pace, ultimately finishing 13th. In the second moto, Reed finished 33rd for the moto after his front brake caliper was torn from his bike on the first lap.
“It was just a couple of freak deals,” said Reed. “In the first moto I had a rock take out my goggle lens and I just couldn’t be behind anyone because dirt was coming straight in my eyes. In the second moto I didn’t get the best of starts and a lot of people came together in the first turn and I was right in the middle of it. I came together with Ben Townley and I don’t know if that hit the front end and broke something, but the front caliper came off.”The combination of Dungey’s perfect day and Reed’s 18th overall finish moved Dungey into the series points lead by a whopping 25 points over GEICO Powersports Honda’s Brett Metcalfe, who finished the High Point race in third overall.”It feels good,” said Dungey. “The track turned out better than I thought after the [rain in the] first moto. I got good starts and put us in a good position to be out front. There were a lot of passing lines today. Sometimes you get caught behind someone and have difficulty moving through the pack and that’s where starts play a big role.”Short ended the day with second overall via 3-2 finishes, while Metcalfe’s 6-3 for third marked his first career podium finish in the premier division.In the meantime, Townley scored his best finish of the year, putting his Red Bull Troy Lee Designs Honda into fourth overall with a 6-3 score.Mike Alessi was fifth overall with a 4-6 performance, despite suffering with a stomach sickness, while MotoConcepts Yamaha’s Matt Goerke (5-7) and Canidae/Rockstar Suzuki’s Tommy Hahn (11-4) rounded out the top seven.In the 250 Class, Tyla Rattray’s 2-2 beat out Monster Energy Kawasaki teammate Christophe Pourcel’s 4-1 to earn the South African his first AMA national win.”It feels good,” said Rattray. “I’ve been working for it and to finally get one now really means a lot to me. Being consistent is what it takes to win the championship. It would have been nice to go 1-1 but at least I was consistent. I’ve been working hard and it feels good to finally get on top of the podium.”GEICO Powersports Honda’s Justin Barcia took the win in the first moto, but a bent pipe relegated the youngster to 21st in the second moto, leaving him with an eighth overall finish.Barcia’s teammate, Blake Wharton, rounded out the podium with an 8-3 performance, while Canidae Rockstar Suzuki’s Blake Baggett (3-9) and Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Dean Wilson (506) rounded out the top five.
450 Class (Moto Finish)1. Ryan Dungey, Belle Plaine, Minn., Suzuki (1-1)2. Andrew Short, Smithville, Texas, Honda (3-2)3. Brett Metcalfe, Australia, Honda (6-3)4. Ben Townley, New Zealand, Honda (4-6)5. Mike Alessi, Victorville, Calif., KTM (7-5)6. Matt Goerke, Murrieta, Calif., Yamaha (5-7)7. Tommy Hahn, Decatur, Texas, Suzuki (11-4)8. Josh Grant, Riverside, Calif., Yamaha (2-24)9. Ryan Sipes, Vine Grove, Ky., Yamaha (10-11)10. Kyle Cunningham, Fort Worth, Texas, Yamaha (9-12)
250 Class (Moto Finish)1. Tyla Rattray, South Africa, Kawasaki (2-2)2. Christophe Pourcel, France, Kawasaki (4-1)3. Blake Wharton, Pilot Point, Texas, Honda (8-3)4. Blake Baggett, Grand Terrace, Calif., Suzuki (3-9)5. Dean Wilson, Canada, Kawasaki (5-6)6. Broc Tickle, Holly, Mich., Yamaha (9-5)7. Trey Canard, Shawnee, Okla., Honda (14-4)8. Justin Barcia, Ochlocknee, Ga., Honda (1-21)9. Martin Davalos, Ecuador, Yamaha (11-7)10. Jake Weimer, Rupert, Idaho, Kawasaki (7-11)
