Insider view of the Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Champion...

14 August 2013

Insider view of the Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship

Rockstar Energy Drink Motocross Manager James Hanson's view of Unadilla

Press Release


Rockstar Energy Drink Motocross Manager James Hanson gave his insider view of the 10th round of the Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship at Unadilla at the weekend.

This year's streak of mild weather continued in New York at the Unadilla Sports Complex. Riders have been very lucky in 2013 with temperatures rarely climbing into the triple digits and humidity levels far below normal every week. There was an effect from Mother Nature in New Berlin however, in the form of heavy precipitation falling on the day before the National. This, mixed with the track's deep, loamy soil and significant elevation changes, created the toughest riding surface thus far. With a veritable plethora of line choices in every corner in the way of very deep ruts and passing was constant throughout all the motos. Rockstar Energy Racing has been hit badly by the injury bug and laid all its hopes on one rider, Jason Anderson. The team did not have a day to remember.

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Jason Anderson
Jason Anderson's day started out a bit slow in practice One. He qualified a decent seventh, but his times were way off of where he wanted to be. After meetings in the team semi's war room to  discuss lines in every section of the track with Team Owner Bobby Hewitt, Anderson set out to improve in the second qualifying session.

The improvement was massive: Anderson knocked an astounding eleven seconds off his original fastest lap and he looked very good on the bike.

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jason Anderson
In the opening 250 Moto he was buried in the pack exiting turn one, sitting in about twenty-fifth position. He began passing riders by the handful and immediately found himself in the top ten, less than halfway through the first lap. One negative aspect to so many ruts is that sometimes lines cross. Once you're committed and you're in, you just go. Anderson's line ended up leading to just that, and a collision with another rider sending him to the ground. He remounted and shortly after the first incident, he was just simply cleaned out. Picking himself up one more time, he was right back where he started, outside the top twenty. His riding after that was nothing short of impressive. Although he appeared to be pushing very hard and riding through frustration, he held it together climbing all the way back to eleventh, where he finished.

Anderson's second moto started much better, but finished way worse. He looked to be poised to finish easily in the top five when he landed on a breaking bump on the huge step-up, swapping and going down hard. The team looked on in disbelief as Anderson crawled to the side of the track and then with elation as he stood up. He was banged up a bit but luckily just had the wind knocked out of him. Sometimes being one of the fastest guys on the track just isn't enough.

Jason Anderson:

"Unadilla was not a great day but I rode good. I ended up going 11-DNF which is not stellar. I like Unadilla and I usually do good here except today. Hopefully we can do better next weekend, which shouldn't be too hard."

Anderson will head to Miller Motorsports Park in Toole, Utah healthy and hungry for a second podium. The team will hope to see Ryan Sipes return next weekend after having surgery on a broken knuckle last week. Sipes and Anderson will also be joined by fill-in rider Michael Lieb.

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James Stewart

450 Class (Moto Finish):

1. Ryan Villopoto, Poulsbo, Wash., Kawasaki (1-1)
2. Justin Barcia, Monroe, N.Y., Honda (4-2)
3. Ryan Dungey, Belle Plaine, Minn., KTM (2-4)
4. Jake Weimer, Twin Falls, Idaho, Kawasaki (9-3)
5. Josh Grant, Riverside, Calif., Yamaha (5-5)
6. Andrew Short, Colorado Springs, Colo., KTM (6-7)
7. Brett Metcalfe, Australia, Kawasaki (10-6)
8. Broc Tickle, Holly, Mich., Suzuki (8-8)
9. Justin Brayton, Fort Dodge, Iowa, Yamaha (7-13)
10. Phil Nicoletti, Cohocton, N.Y., Yamaha (13-9)

450 Class Championship Standings:

1. Ryan Villopoto, Poulsbo, Wash., Kawasaki, 463
2. Ryan Dungey, Belle Plaine, Minn., KTM, 419
3. Justin Barcia, Monroe, N.Y., Honda, 347
4. James Stewart, Haines City, Fla., Suzuki, 289
5. Trey Canard, Shawnee, Okla., Honda, 263
6. Andrew Short, Colorado Springs, Colo., KTM, 220
7. Jake Weimer, Twin Falls, Idaho, Kawasaki, 216
8. Broc Tickle, Holly, Mich., Suzuki, 209
9. Josh Grant, Riverside, Calif., Yamaha, 208
10. Mike Alessi, Victorville, Calif., Suzuki, 204

250 Class (Moto Finish):

1. Eli Tomac, Cortez, Colo., Honda (1-1)
2. Jeremy Martin, Millville, Minn., Yamaha (2-3)
3. Ken Roczen, Apolda, Germany, KTM (5-2)
4. Zach Osborne, Abingdon, Va., Honda (3-6)
5. Blake Baggett, Grand Terrace, Calif., Kawasaki (4-5)
6. Justin Bogle, Grand Terrace, Calif., Kawasaki (10-4)
7. Wil Hahn, Decatur, Texas, Honda (6-8)
8. Marvin Musquin, La Reole, France, KTM (8-9)
9. Cole Seely, Newbury Park, Calif., Honda (9-10)
10. Martin Davalos, Ecuador, Kawasaki (13-7)

250 Class Championship Standings:

1. Eli Tomac, Cortez, Colo., Honda, 455
2. Ken Roczen, Apolda, Germany, KTM, 416
3. Marvin Musquin, La Reole, France, KTM, 359
4. Blake Baggett, Grand Terrace, Calif., Kawasaki, 329
5. Zach Osborne, Abingdon, Va., Honda, 296
6. Jeremy Martin, Millville, Minn., Yamaha, 249
7. Jason Anderson, Edgewood, N.M., Suzuki, 248
8. Justin Bogle, Cushing, Okla., Honda, 238
9. Kyle Cunningham, Aledo, Texas, Yamaha, 204
10. Cole Seely, Newbury Park, Calif., Honda, 192


Information from the Team Suzuki Press Office - August 14.

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