MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (June 13, 2011) – With three rounds complete in the 2011 Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship, a trio of riders are shaping the battle for the premier 450 Class title – TwoTwo Motorsports/Bel-Ray Racing’s Chad Reed, Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Ryan Villopoto and Rockstar/Makita Suzuki’s Ryan Dungey. This weekend, these three former champions and the rest of the world’s fastest riders travel to Budds Creek MX Park, in Mechanicsville, Md., for Saturday’s MotoTees Budds Creek National.
Reed secured the early advantage in the championship this summer, grabbing the overall victory through the first two rounds of competition. Behind him, Dungey kicked off his title defense with a pair of strong runs, and despite some misfortune at the second round from Freestone Raceway, has remained a player in the title fight. However, this past weekend at High Point Raceway, in Mt. Morris, Pa., Villopoto solidified himself as a third contender, breaking through with his best outing of the young season, and capturing his first overall win since his 450 Class debut in 2009.
Now, both Reed and Villopoto hold the distinction of landing on the overall podium through each of the first three rounds this season and as a result, they occupy the top two positions in the standings, just 15 points apart. With a strong runner-up effort at High Point to bounce back from the heartbreak he experienced at Freestone, Dungey sits third, 27 points behind Reed.
From top to bottom, the competition in the 450 Class has been tight, with other challengers like Muscle Milk/Toyota/JGR’s Davi Millsaps, Red Bull KTM’s Mike Alessi, American Honda’s Kevin Windham and Rockstar/Makita Suzuki’s Brett Metcalfe, all taking their shots at the front of the field. This Saturday, it will surely be more of the same, as Budds Creek serves as a favorite for many of the riders in the championship.
Through three rounds of action in the 250 Class, one thing has remained consistent at the head of the class – the Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki team. Current points leader Tyla Rattray, Dean Wilson, and last weekend’s winner Blake Baggett, have all been perennial contenders for the podium in six motos this year. While each rider has been forced to work through his own hardship at various points of the young season, all three have displayed a resiliency and determination that through this point in the championship, has been unmatched.
Rattray is the only rider in the class to finish on the overall podium each week, and already has a win to his credit at Freestone. He moved into the championship lead last weekend, and now holds a slim two point lead over Wilson heading into the third round. High Point served as Wilson’s worst outing of the year, finishing fourth overall, but he now heads to the site of his first career win on Saturday at Budds Creek. As for Baggett, with two overall victories and three moto wins to start the season, including a moto sweep at High Point, he has proven to be one of the fastest riders in the field, and sits only 11 points from the top of the standings.
Budds Creek is one of the most renowned tracks on the Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship schedule. Located south-east of the nation’s capital, it is a popular stop amongst riders and fans alike thanks to its stellar sight lines, various elevation changes and challenging terrain. The facility has a storied past and has produced some of the most memorable moments in American Motocross history since hosting its first national in 1989.
Last season at Budds Creek, Ryan Dungey showed a true grit en route to his third win of the season. After crashing and losing his goggles in the opening moto, Dungey fought hard to put himself in position for the overall win, and did so by securing the Moto 2 victory. In the 250 Class, Dean Wilson rebounded from missing out on his first career victory two weeks prior, to outlast his competitors and take an impressive win.
The on-track action for the MotoTees Budds Creek National begins this Saturday at 8:30 a.m. EST with practice and qualifying. Opening ceremonies begin at 12:30 p.m. EST with motos kicking off at 1 p.m. EST.
Previous Round Results and Current Standings
Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship
High Point Raceway – Mt. Morris, Pa.
June 11, 2011
Round 3 of 12
450 Class (Moto Finish)
- Ryan Villopoto, Poulsbo, Wash., Kawasaki (1-2)
- Ryan Dungey, Belle Plaine, Minn., Suzuki (2-3)
- Chad Reed, Australia, Honda (5-1)
- Mike Alessi, Victorville, Calif., KTM (4-4)
- Davi Millsaps, Murrieta, Calif., Yamaha (3-9)
- Kevin Windham, Baton Rouge, La., Honda (6-5)
- Tommy Hahn, Great Bend, Kan., Yamaha (10-7)
- Brett Metcalfe, Australia, Suzuki (8-10)
- Jake Weimer, Rupert, Idaho, Kawasaki (7-11)
- Nick Wey, Dewitt, Mich., Yamaha (14-8)
450 Class Championship Standings
- Chad Reed, Australia, Honda – 138
- Ryan Villopoto, Poulsbo, Wash., Kawasaki – 123
- Ryan Dungey, Belle Plaine, Minn., Suzuki – 111
- Davi Millsaps, Murrieta, Calif., Yamaha – 104
- Brett Metcalfe, Australia, Suzuki – 88
- Kevin Windham, Baton Rouge, La., Honda – 76
- Ricky Dietrich, Snohomish, Wash., Yamaha – 72
- Jake Weimer, Rupert, Idaho, Kawasaki – 68
- Tommy Hahn, Great Bend, Kan., Yamaha – 65
- Christian Craig, El Cajon, Calif., Honda – 59
250 Class (Moto Finish)
- Blake Baggett, Redlands, Calif., Kawasaki (1-1)
- Tyla Rattray, South Africa, Kawasaki (3-2)
- Eli Tomac, Cortez, Colo., Honda (6-3)
- Dean Wilson, Scotland, Kawasaki (2-8)
- Broc Tickle, Holly, Mich., Kawasaki (10-4)
- Justin Barcia, Ochlocknee, Ga., Honda (8-7)
- Cole Seely, Newbury Park, Calif., Honda (11-5)
- Kyle Cunningham, Irving, Texas, Yamaha (5-11)
- Darryn Durham, Butler, Pa., Honda (4-14)
- Alex Martin, Millville, Minn., Honda (13-6)
250 Class Championship Standings
- Tyla Rattray, South Africa, Kawasaki – 127
- Dean Wilson, Scotland, Kawasaki – 125
- Blake Baggett, Redlands, Calif., Kawasaki – 116
- Eli Tomac, Cortez, Colo., Honda – 104
- Kyle Cunningham, Irving, Texas, Yamaha – 90
- Justin Barcia, Ochlocknee, Ga., Honda – 79
- Cole Seely, Newbury Park, Calif., Honda – 68
- Broc Tickle, Holly, Mich., Kawasaki – 67
- Gareth Swanepoel, South Africa, Yamaha – 61
- Martin Davalos, Ecuador, Suzuki – 53
Tickets for the upcoming Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship are on sale now at www.allisports.com. Special discounts and incentives are available for advance ticket purchasers.
For more information on the 2011 tour, please log on to www.allisports.com/motocross.
