Tickle Tops Seattle West Lites

Kit Palmer | April 25, 2010

Michigan’s Broc Tickle of the DNA Shred Stix/Star Racing Yamaha team collected his first Supercross victory after leading home Wil Hahn and Jake Weimer in the 15-lap Lites main event at Qwest Field in Seattle, Washington. Under clear but cool skies, Tickle rode a near flawless race on what was one of the most technical tracks that many of the racers said that they have ever raced on, most of which had to do with the extremely soft dirt that rutted up heavily around the entire course.”I’m excited to get my first win,” Tickle said. “It was technical tonight and the ruts were gnarly. I knew I was going to have to be smart out there.”And that he was, as well as fast. Tickle started off in second but by the third lap had taken over the lead after passing GEICO Powersport Honda’s Blake Wharton, who would shortly thereafter give way to Josh Hansen and Wil Hahn on the Troy Lee Designs/Lucas Oil Honda.Tickle got into a groove on the heavily rutted track that, in some section, nearly swallowed up the bikes, especially in one log sections of whoops, which turned into five or six different lanes of nothing but deep trenches. At one point, Tickle enjoyed a six-second lead over Hahn (who had earlier passed Hansen) and would go on to take the checkered flag 4.608 seconds ahead of Hahn.Third place went to Weimer who got off to a second-place start, only to fall over in the ruts before the first lap was over. And, right after that, he stalled his bike in a turn. Weimer, who went into the race leading Trey Canard by 14 points, was well back in the field. Luckily for him, so was Canard, who went down a few turns into the race after having a run-in with his GEICO teammate Wharton as they fought for the lead right off the start. Canard would crash again later in the race and finish the final in 11th place. He now trails Weimer by 24 points with one race to go, and only 25 points are available. And to make matters worse for Canard, Hahn overtook him for second place in the championship.Hahn trails Weimer by 19 points.Wharton ended up finishing fourth, ahead of Rockstar Energy Suzuki’s Ryan Morais, Monster Energy/Pro Circuit Kawasaki’s Josh Hanson (who fell later in the race), Troy Lee Designs/Lucas Oil Honda’s Cole Seely and KTM rider Phillip Nicoletti. DNA/Shred Stix/Star Racing Yamaha’s Max Anstie, who was making his first comeback ride after breaking his hip in January, and Rockstar Energy/Suzuki/Canidae’s Hunter Hewitt rounded out the top 10 overall.Tickle, who is the third different rider to win a West round this year, is fourth in points, six points behind Canard.

Qwest FieldSeattle, WashingtonResults: April 24, 2010(Round 7 of 8)HEAT 1 (6 laps, 1-9 transfer): 1. Trey Canard (Hon); 2. Josh Hansen (Kaw); 3. Wil Hahn (Hon); 4. Ryan Morais (Suz); 5. Cole Seely (Hon); 6. Ryan Abrigo (Hon); 7. Jeff Alessi (Yam); 8. Phillip Nicoletti (KTM); 9. Chris Howell (Yam); 10. Donald Vawser (Kaw); 11. Parker Eckman (Hon); 12. Lance Phillips (Hon); 13. Brenton Schnitzer (Hon); 14. Brett Osaka (Kaw); 15. Jeffrey Mann Jr. (Kaw); 16. Ryan Skinner (Hon); 17. Landen Powell (KTM); 18. Jason Potter (Hon).Race Time: 5 min., 44.907 sec.Margin of Victory: 1.854 sec.HEAT 2 (6 laps, 1-9 transfer): 1. Max Anstie (Yam); 2. Blake Wharton (Hon); 3. Sean Borkenhagen (KTM); 4. Broc Tickle (Yam); 5. Jake Canada (Kaw); 6. Chris Gosselaar (Hon); 7. Joey Ruminer (Kaw); 8. Travis Baker (Yam); 9. Jake Weimer (Kaw); 10. Robert Kiniry (Suz); 11. Trevor Allred (Hon); 12. Hunter Hewitt (Suz); 13. Tiger Lacey (Kaw); 14. Kramer Patterson (Yam); 15. Josh Jackson (Hon); 16. Eric McCrummen (Hon); 17. Jeremiah Solt (Hon); 18. Chad Gores (Hon); 19. Matt Vanderwater (Kaw).Race Time: 6 min., 05.759 sec.Margin of Victory: 7.158 sec.LCQ (4 laps, 1-2 transfer): 1. Hunter Hewitt (Suz); 2. Robert Kiniry (Suz); 3. Eric McCrummen (Hon); 4. Jason Potter (Hon); 5. Parker Eckman (Hon); 6. Donald Vawser (Kaw); 7. Landen Powell (KTM); 8. Ryan Skinner (Hon); 9. Brett Osaka (Kaw); 10. Brenton Schnitzer (Hon); 11. Kramer Patterson (Yam); 12. Matt Vanderwater (Kaw); 13. Lance Phillips (Hon); 14. Joshua Jackson (Hon); 15. Tiger Lacey (Kaw); 16. Chad Gores (Hon); 17. Jeremiah Solt (Hon); 18. Jeffrey Mann Jr. (Kaw); 19. Trevor Allred (Hon).Time of Race: 4 min., 23.977 sec.Margin of Victory: 4.565 sec.MAIN (15 laps): 1. Broc Tickle (Yam); 2. Wil Hahn (Hon); 3. Jake Weimer (Kaw); 4. Blake Wharton (Hon); 5. Ryan Morais (Suz); 6. Josh Hansen (Kaw); 7. Cole Seely (Hon); 8. Phillip Nicoletti (KTM); 9. Max Anstie (Yam); 10. Hunter Hewitt (Suz); 11. Trey Canard (Hon); 12. Travis Baker (Yam); 13. Jeff Alessi (Yam); 14. Robert Kiniry (Suz); 15. Jake Canada (Kaw); 16. Sean Borkenhagen (KTM); 17. Chris Gosselaar (Hon); 18. Chris Howell (Yam); 19. Joey Ruminer (Kaw); 20. Ryan Abrigo (Hon).Time of Race: 15 min., 48.978 sec.Margin of Victory: 4.608 sec.