The following is from Yoshimura…
The Yoshimura riders braved the unseasonably chilly 55 degrees on race day at Spring Creek MX Park in Millville, Minnesota. The battles at round 9 of the 2013 AMA Pro Motocross Championship heated up, however, with Yoshimura riders James Stewart and Eli Tomac winning the 450 and 250 classes, respectively.
The story of the day was the stunning performance from Yoshimura Suzuki’s James Stewart. He charged to a first Moto win after an intense battle with Yoshimura R&D-backed Muscle Milk Honda rider Trey Canard. Stewart powered out of the gate with a top five start, which put him in striking distance for the lead. After grabbing third from Ryan Dungey, Stewart worked his way through the duo of Trey Canard and Justin Barcia using an ultra-fast ‘Bubba-esque’ line through the infamous Millville sand whoops. In the second moto Stewart and his Yoshimura-powered machine, rocketed off the line with a commanding holeshot. Stewart led the opening segment of the race before battling it out with Ryan Dungey, exchanging the lead several times. The closing laps showed a glimpse of the ‘Bubba’ days of old – with Stewart going big off the downhills during his battle with Canard. Stewart finished the moto in third, taking the overall victory.
Yoshimura-backed GEICO Honda rider Eli Tomac continued his win streak, with back-to-back moto wins. With a 10th place start in moto one, Tomac carved through the pack, edging-out Millville local Jeremy Martin en route to his first moto victory. In moto two, Eli had to hunt down several riders and ultimately pass Ken Roczen for the lead. His first place finish in moto two, makes four consecutive moto victories for the unstoppable Tomac. After nine rounds in the history books for 2013, Eli Tomac sits as the current points leader with a comfortable gap over second place.
Yoshimura-backed Muscle Milk Honda rider Trey Canard had a great weekend in Minnesota. He fought hard in moto one with Yoshimura Suzuki rider James Stewart as the two traded the lead several times. Canard found another gear on the last lap and nearly caught Stewart with a photo finish. In moto two, Canard stealthily moved up from fourth to challenge Stewart for second. They battled for the entire moto and Canard second. With a 2-2 for the day, Canard posted a season-best second place overall finish. Teammate Justin Barcia was in the hunt for most of the day — in moto one he grabbed the holeshot and ran inside the top three with Canard and Stewart. In moto two, a crash took Barcia out of the hunt. He remounted and finished the race in fifth; earning fourth overall for the day. After the Minnesota round, Justin Barcia and Trey Canard sit third and fifth in the Championship points, respectively.
Yoshimura-backed RCH Suzuki rider Broc Tickle rode to a drama-free and ultra-consistent 10th place overall finish at the Minnesota pro national. He grabbed 8th in moto one, and rode to 10th in moto two. After Millville, Tickle holds on to 9th in the Championship points.
As for the rest of the Yoshimura-backed GEICO Honda pack, Wil Hahn once again dominated the starts scoring back-to-back holeshots. In moto one, he opened a gap on Millville native Jeremy Martin, and lead the opening portion of the race. Hahn has the speed, and improves his points position every round, but is still working on endurance, as he is still recovering from his supercross injury.
Yoshimura riders head to New York for Round 10 of the 2013 AMA Pro Motocross Championship, at Unadilla.
450MX Results:
1. James Stewart, Haines City, FL
Yoshimura Suzuki
Titanium/Carbon RS4 Full System
2. Trey Canard, Shawnee, OK
Honda Muscle Milk
Titanium/Carbon RS9 Dual Full System
4. Justin Barcia, Ochlocknee, GA
Honda Muscle Milk
Titanium/Carbon RS9 Dual Full System
10. Brock Tickle, Holly, MI
RCH Racing Suzuki
Titanium/Carbon RS4 Full System
250MX Results:
1. Eli Tomac, Cortez, CO
GEICO Honda
Titanium/Carbon RS4 Full System
6. Justin Bogle, Cushing, OK
GEICO Honda
Titanium/Carbon RS4 Full System
7. Wil Hahn, Decatur, TX
GEICO Honda
Titanium/Carbon RS4 Full System
10. Zach Osborne, Richlands, VA
GEICO Honda
Titanium/Carbon RS4 Full System
