In arguably the most competitive season ever, the Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship heats up this Saturday for round nine with the Unadilla Retro Motocross National in New Berlin, N.Y. This year's event will feature a very special retro theme and all attending fans are encouraged to wear some retro clothing from their favorite motocross era. The retro theme is a celebration of 40 years of motocross at Unadilla Valley Sports Center.

Known to American Motocross fans as a staple in the Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship schedule, Unadilla is one of the longest running motocross circuits in the United States. The legendary facility has played host to a number of epic events and has been a fixture of the AMA since 1972. Additionally, Unadilla is a favorite among the series' competitors thanks to its "old school" layout and characteristics in which obstacles within the natural terrain provide all the hang time and difficulty necessary for a standout motocross circuit. With sections of the circuit boasting names like Gravity Cavity, it is clear why Unadilla is a favorite amongst riders and fans alike.

SPEED will broadcast the 450 Class with same-day coverage on Saturday, August 15 at 7:00 p.m. EST. The ultra-competitive 250 Class will also air on SPEED on Tuesday, July 18. Check your local listings.

This year's race kicks off with an amateur program and the Friday afternoon Monster Energy Fan Fest, which begins at 4:00 p.m. Fan Fest will feature current and former Unadilla racing legends, including the GEICO Powersports Honda team and the Jagermeister KTM teams. Following Fan Fest, a special outdoor screening of the Motocross Files will be presented, courtesy of the noted producer Todd Huffman. Viewing will take place in the amateur pit area.

With a two-week break from the action, the stars of the world's most prestigious motocross championship can't wait to get back on track and continue the fight for the title during the series' final four races. Rockstar/Makita/Suzuki's Chad Reed leads the way in the series standings for the 450 Class while his teammate Ryan Dungey and Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki's Christophe Pourcel sit deadlocked atop the 250 Class.



Since taking over the points lead at the fourth round of the championship at High Point, Reed has been a man on a mission, claiming his third victory of 2009 and extending his healthy points lead at the previous round. The Australian rider went 1-1 on the day at Washougal and looks to be in great shape for his first motocross championship. However, with the way things have gone in 2009 anything is possible as the Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship lost its third title contender this season when JGRMX/Toyota/Yamaha's Josh Grant went down with injuries suffered at the X Games. The current second place rider in the standings will sit out the remainder of the year, giving way to Honda Red Bull Racing's Andrew Short in third, who sits 70 points out of the lead and hopes to capture his first career premier class victory.

GEICO Powersports Honda's Kevin Windham, who has become a supercross-only rider the past few seasons, will make his 2009 Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship debut this weekend. Windham, a longtime fan favorite, has finished runner-up in the 450 Class four times during his career and will become another challenger to Reed for the overall win this weekend.



One year after claiming his first-ever 250 Class victory at Washougal MX Park, Dungey returned to the Pacific Northwest to claim his second straight win at the facility, finishing 1-5 on the day and creating a tie atop the 250 Class standings with Pourcel. By virtue of his four overall victories compared to Pourcel's two, Dungey holds the slight advantage when it comes to tie-breakers. The duo has been the class of the field for most of the season, but rookie upstart Justin Barcia has turned countless heads thanks to his stellar speed and all-out style. Growing up just a few hours away in Monroe, the GEICO Powersports Honda rider returns to his home state for the first time as a professional in search of his first career overall podium.

Last year at Unadilla in muddy conditions thanks to a mid-race thunderstorm, James Stewart held on to sweep both 450 Class motos and keep his undefeated streak alive en route to his first-ever premier class championship and the series' third perfect season. In the 250 Class, Ryan Villopoto capped off a solid weekend, posting a dominant 1-1 performance on the way to his third consecutive title.

Tickets are available are available at the box office or online at www.unadillamx.com and www.allisports.com. Friday through Sunday tickets: Adults - $65, Children (6-12) - $25, 5 and Under - Free; Friday through Saturday tickets: Adults - $50, Children (6-12) - $15, 5 and Under - Free; Saturday tickets: Adults - $30, Children (6-12) - $15, 5 and Under - Free; Sunday amateur day tickets: Adults - $15, Children (6-12) - $10, 5 and Under - Free

Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship Standings
After 8 of 12 Rounds

450 Class Championship Standings
1. Chad Reed, Australia, Suzuki, 337

2. Josh Grant, Riverside, Calif., Yamaha, 272
3. Andrew Short, Smithville, Texas, Honda, 267
4. Ivan Tedesco, Tallahassee, Fla., Honda, 258
5. Michael Byrne, Australia, Suzuki, 207
6. Thomas Hahn, Decatur, Texas, Kawasaki, 171
7. Cody Cooper, New Zealand, Yamaha, 157
8. Justin Brayton, Murrieta, Calif., KTM, 152
9. Nick Wey, Dewitt, Mich., Yamaha, 149
10. Mike Alessi, Victorville, Calif., Suzuki, 142

250 Class Championship Standings
1. Ryan Dungey, Belle Plaine, Minn., Suzuki, 337
2. Christophe Pourcel, France, Kawasaki, 337
3. Brett Metcalfe, Australia, Honda, 251
4. Tommy Searle, Great Britain, KTM, 243
5. Jake Weimer, Rupert, Idaho, Kawasaki, 215
6. Justin Barcia, Cairo, Ga., Honda, 210
7. Broc Tickle, Holly, Mich., Yamaha, 199
8. Blake Wharton, Pilot Point, Texas, Honda, 198
9. Tyla Rattray, South Africa, Kawasaki, 175
10. Trey Canard, Shawnee, Okla., Honda, 139

With sunny skies above, the world's best motocross competitors invaded the Pacific Northwest and Washougal MX Park for the Motosport.com Motocross National Presented by Yamaha and Scott USA, round eight of the 2009 Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship. Rockstar/Makita/Suzuki's Chad Reed, of Australia, took his third win of the 2009 in the 450 Class. Suzuki teammate Ryan Dungey, of Belle Plaine, Minn., won his second consecutive race and moved into a tie atop the 250 Class points standings. Honda of Houston's Jessica Patterson, of Tallahassee, Fla., took her first win of the season in the WMX Class.

After returning to the series from a two-year hiatus, Reed entered 2009 without a single 450 Class victory. Now, the two-time supercross champion has three overall wins and appears to be on his way to an inaugural motocross championship with a 65-point lead over the field. On Saturday, he dominated the day's motos, cruising to a moto one victory and working his way from deep inside the top ten to the lead with just over two laps to go in moto two for his second sweep of the season.

"I just put my head down. I didn't even know who was winning," Reed said of moto two. "The sun was setting and coming through the trees and made it really hard to see in some places so I just kept looking for lines. I've just tried to be smooth (and) fast throughout the motos. The 30 minutes is the easy part. Today I felt strong. I just did what I had to do to win."

JGRMX/Toyota/Yamaha's Josh Grant, of Riverside, Calif., finished second overall (5-2) with Monster Energy/Boost Mobile/ampm/Troy Racing Yamaha's Jason Lawrence, of Carlsbad, Calif., capturing his first-career 450 Class podium in third.

Just one week after sweeping the motos to win in front of his hometown crowd, Dungey maintained the momentum to win for the fourth time this season albeit with unlikely first and fifth place moto results. After a moto-long battle with GEICO Powersports Honda's Blake Wharton, of Pilot Point, Texas, Dungey grabbed the moto one win but found trouble in moto two. While battling inside the top five, Dungey fell twice but recovered to bring home the finish that would secure the overall by just one point.

"I made up some ground today," stated Dungey, who won his first career pro motocross race at Washougal one year ago. "I got a 1-5 for first which doesn't usually happen, but it feels good. I need to keep my focus on the championship and today was a good day for that. I hit the ground pretty good and I think I'm a little lucky because I was a little dizzy getting up. I honestly didn't even know I had the overall at the end so it was a good surprise."

Wharton brought home a pair of third place moto finishes to bring home second overall, his first career podium finish, while 250 Class points co-leader Christophe Pourcel, of France, took home third overall (8-1). Through eight rounds, Dungey and Pourcel sit in a tie atop the standings. Dungey has four overall victories to Pourcel's two.

In the WMX Class, Patterson broke Honda Red Bull Racing's Ashley Fiolek's winning streak to take the overall with 2-1 moto results. Fiolek, of St. Augustine, Fla., had won the previous five rounds of the eight-race championship, but settled for second on Saturday. MotoConcetps/ASW/2B Racing Honda's Mariana Balbi, of Brazil, finished third.

"It's about time," said Patterson. "I've been struggling. I made a lot of mistakes in the first moto but we figured some things out in the second moto. It feels awesome to finally be up here."

After a two-week break, the Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship resumes with round nine on Saturday, August 15 from New Berlin, N.Y. for the Unadilla Retro National. Same-day coverage can be seen on SPEED at 7 p.m. ET.

Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship
Motosport.com Motocross National
Washougal MX Park - Washougal, Wash.
July 25, 2009
Round 8 of 12

450 Class (Moto Finish)

1. Chad Reed, Australia, Suzuki (1-1)
2. Josh Grant, Riverside, Calif., Yamaha (5-2)
3. Jason Lawrence, Carlsbad, Calif., Yamaha (10-3)
4. Justin Brayton, Murrieta, Calif., KTM (9-8)
5. Michael Byrne, Australia, Suzuki (15-4)
6. Jimmy Albertson, Ozark, Mo., Yamaha (8-10)
7. Nick Wey, Dewitt, Mich., Yamaha (13-6)
8. Tommy Hahn, Decatur, Texas, Kawasaki (2-38)
9. Ivan Tedesco, Tallahassee, Fla., Honda (11-11)
10. Clement Desalle, Belgium, Honda (3-25)

450 Class Championship Standings

1. Chad Reed, Australia, Suzuki, 337
2. Josh Grant, Riverside, Calif., Yamaha, 272
3. Andrew Short, Smithville, Texas, Honda, 267
4. Ivan Tedesco, Tallahassee, Fla., Honda, 258
5. Michael Byrne, Australia, Suzuki, 207
6. Thomas Hahn, Decatur, Texas, Kawasaki, 171
7. Cody Cooper, New Zealand, Yamaha, 157
8. Justin Brayton, Murrieta, Calif., KTM, 152
9. Nick Wey, Dewitt, Mich., Yamaha, 149
10. Mike Alessi, Victorville, Calif., Suzuki, 142

250 Class (Moto Finish)

1. Ryan Dungey, Belle Plaine, Minn., Suzuki (1-5)
2. Blake Wharton, Pilot Point, Texas, Honda (3-3)
3. Christophe Pourcel, France, Kawasaki (8-1)
4. Brett Metcalfe, Australia, Honda (4-4)
5. Jake Weimer, Rupert, Idaho, Kawasaki (10-2)
6. Tommy Searle, Great Britain, KTM (6-6)
7. Broc Tickle, Holly, Mich., Yamaha (7-8)
8. Darryn Durham, Wildomar, Calif., Yamaha (5-10)
9. Max Anstie, Great Britain, KTM (9-9)
10. Kyle Cunningham, Ft. Worth, Texas, Kawasaki (2-34)

250 Class Championship Standings

1. Ryan Dungey, Belle Plaine, Minn., Suzuki, 337
2. Christophe Pourcel, France, Kawasaki, 337
3. Brett Metcalfe, Australia, Honda, 251
4. Tommy Searle, Great Britain, KTM, 243
5. Jake Weimer, Rupert, Idaho, Kawasaki, 215
6. Justin Barcia, Cairo, Ga., Honda, 210
7. Broc Tickle, Holly, Mich., Yamaha, 199
8. Blake Wharton, Pilot Point, Texas, Honda, 198
9. Tyla Rattray, South Africa, Kawasaki, 175
10. Trey Canard, Shawnee, Okla., Honda, 139

WMX Class (Moto Finish)

1. Jessica Patterson, Tallahassee, Fla., Honda (2-1)
2. Ashley Fiolek, St. Augustine, Fla., Honda (1-2)
3. Mariana Balbi, Brazil, Honda (3-3)
4. Haruna Masu, Japan, Honda (6-5)
5. Sarah Whitmore, Cheboygan, Mich., KTM (4-8)
6. Sherri Cruse, Bakersfield, Calif., Suzuki (5-7)
7. Sara Price, Canyon Lake, Calif., Kawasaki (10-4)
8. Jacqueline Strong, Sedona, Ariz., Honda (8-6)
9. Sayaka Kaneshiro, Japan, Suzuki (13-9)
10. Ashley Boham, Loveland, Colo., Kawasaki (12-10)

The second half of the 2009 Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship got underway on Saturday as Rockstar/Makita/Suzuki's Chad Reed, of Australia, took his second win of the season at the Honda Motocross National from Spring Creek MX. Rockstar/Makita/Suzuki's Ryan Dungey, of Belle Plaine, Minn., completed an overall sweep for the Suzuki stable, winning the overall in front of his hometown fans in the 250 Class.

Reed's return to the series continues to be successful after a two-year hiatus. After a strong outing in the first moto, Reed cruised to the overall win with a dominating performance in moto two. The winner from the series' last round, JGRMX/Toyota/Yamaha's Josh Grant, of Riverside, Calif., looked like the rider to beat for the second straight race after taking the opening moto victory. However, the rookie was involved in a first-lap crash in the second moto and had to work his way through the field to ninth place.

"I was disappointed (with the first moto)," explained Reed. "I felt I had a win in me. But we made some changes (to the bike) between races and I felt a lot more comfortable in the second moto. I think this weekend was a huge weight off of my shoulders. I definitely felt more myself and was able to put in a much better effort and ride strong in both motos."

Honda Red Bull Racing's Ivan Tedesco, of Tallahassee, Fla., garnered the runner-up position (5-2) while Reed's teammate and fellow countryman Michael Byrne earned his first overall podium of the season in third (3-4). Reed's point lead extended to 37 points over Honda Red Bull Racing's Andrew Short, of Smithville, Texas.

Dungey's overall sweep resulted in his third overall victory of the season, but his first since the third round of the championship in Texas. Stellar starts in each moto put the Suzuki rider up front early from which he never looked back, fending off the challenges of points leader Christophe Pourcel, of France. Dungey also captured the overall in Millville last year, becoming the first 250 Class rider to go back-to-back at Spring Creek since the 2003-2004 seasons.

"From High Point on it's been a little bit of a struggle," stated Dungey. "It doesn't mean anything if you're the fastest guy in practice and can't get a good start. I've been working really hard on some stuff and so is Suzuki. It's awesome to get a 1-1, my first of the season, and especially do it at my home track."

Pourcel brought home a pair of runner-up finishes on his Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki for second overall as GEICO Powersports Honda rookie Justin Barcia, of Cairo, Ga., landed the first overall podium finish of his career (3-3). The win moves Dungey to within three points of Pourcel with five races remaining.

The Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship continues with round eight next Saturday, July 25 from Washougal, Wash. for the Motosport.com Motocross National from Washougal MX Park. Live coverage can be seen on SPEED at 9 p.m. ET.

Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship
Honda Motocross National
Spring Creek MX - Millville, Minn.
July18, 2009
Round 7 of 12

450 Class (Moto Finish)

1. Chad Reed, Australia, Suzuki (2-1)
2. Ivan Tedesco, Tallahassee, Fla., Honda (5-2)
3. Michael Byrne, Australia, Suzuki (3-4)
4. Josh Grant, Riverside, Calif., Yamaha (1-10)
5. Andrew Short, Smithville, Texas, Honda (6-5)
6. Justin Brayton, Murrieta, Calif., KTM (7-7)
7. Tommy Hahn, Decatur, Texas, Kawasaki (4-13)
8. Nick Wey, Dewitt, Mich., Yamaha (8-9)
9. Cody Cooper, New Zealand, Yamaha (12-8)
10. Davi Millsaps, Murrieta, Calif., Honda (33-3)

450 Class Championship Standings

1. Chad Reed, Australia, Suzuki, 287
2. Andrew Short, Smithville, Texas, Honda, 250
3. Ivan Tedesco, Tallahassee, Fla., Honda, 238
4. Josh Grant, Riverside, Calif., Yamaha, 234
5. Michael Byrne, Australia, Suzuki, 183
6. Cody Cooper, New Zealand, Yamaha, 157
7. Thomas Hahn, Decatur, Texas, Kawasaki, 149
8. Mike Alessi, Victorville, Calif., Suzuki, 142
9. Ricky Dietrich, Menifee, Calif., Kawasaki, 136
10. Justin Brayton, Murrieta, Calif., KTM, 127

250 Class (Moto Finish)

1. Ryan Dungey, Belle Plaine, Minn., Suzuki (1-1)
2. Christophe Pourcel, France, Kawasaki (2-2)
3. Justin Barcia, Cairo, Ga., Honda (3-3)
4. Brett Metcalfe, Australia, Honda (4-4)
5. Broc Tickle, Holly, Mich., Yamaha (5-6)
6. Jake Weimer, Rupert, Idaho, Kawasaki (6-7)
7. Kyle Cunningham, Ft. Worth, Texas, Kawasaki (7-8)
8. Matt Lemoine, Collinsville, Texas, Yamaha (10-9)
9. Darryn Durham, Wildomar, Calif., Yamaha (15-5)
10. Tommy Searle, Great Britain, KTM (9-11)

250 Class Championship Standings

1. Christophe Pourcel, France, Kawasaki, 299
2. Ryan Dungey, Belle Plaine, Minn., Suzuki, 296
3. Brett Metcalfe, Australia, Honda, 215
4. Tommy Searle, Great Britain, KTM, 213
5. Justin Barcia, Cairo, Ga., Honda, 191
6. Jake Weimer, Rupert, Idaho, Kawasaki, 182
7. Tyla Rattray, South Africa, Kawasaki, 175
8. Broc Tickle, Holly, Mich., Yamaha, 172
9. Blake Wharton, Pilot Point, Texas, Honda, 158
10. Trey Canard, Shawnee, Okla., Honda, 139

Red Bud is a special place. The vibe is different here, and the track is, well, just better, for lack of a 'better' word, than anyplace else. So are the facilities, the area, the environment, the everything. Plus, it's always held on 4th of July weekend, which just makes the whole thing over-the-top and quite frankly, the best event on the circuit. That is really saying something considering all of the history and brilliance of so many of the other races that make up the Lucas Oils AMA Motocross Championships. If it sounds like we're gushing, we are, because even after a day full of sketchy weather and heavily overcast skies (not to mention mediocre racing), we're still amazed by the whole experience. Yes, it's that good.



Enough of the gushing and more about the specifics. The track surface was perfect ' " not over-watered, not dusty, but just right. The soil is generally pretty much sandy, and the layout of the track includes a few really big hits (such as the ubiquitous LaRocco's Leap) that fit really well into the flow of the track, and all of which are friendly if under or over-jumped. The whoop section, which has become quite famous as the second longest and most challenging in the series next to Millville's, was cut down quite a bit this year, and a bit faster run-up than in year's past. The overall flow was altered a little bit too, but nothing too major, and the Ritchies even managed to retain a couple of tricky off-camber sections too, which always makes for some good fun. Another cool thing, as mentioned earlier, was that this whole thing took place on Independence Day, which means fireworks, red-white-and-blue, and drunks. But things were cool all weekend, with festivities starting Wednesday with amateur practice prior to two days of amateur racing before the big show on Saturday, and more amateur stuff on Sunday. That, folks, is a genuine American Motocross Festival in every sense of the word. Oh yea, and the racing Saturday was broadcast LIVE on NBC (!) on the Fourth of July in the middle of the after-freakin'-noon. A special weekend? You bet it was. Oh there we go gushing again...

Now down to the racing, and how about that Josh Grant? The Riverside Kid and his gangsta style was the dominant force on the weekend, there's no doubt about it. Grant ran away with both timed qualifying sessions before nearly running away with both motos. Going 2-1 on the day, Josh said several times in the press conference that he just felt like he really jibed with the track, and the whole day just went perfectly for him. His teammate Cody Cooper also had a really solid day, passing and putting time on last week's double moto winner Ivan Tedesco in the first moto before falling over and ending up 6th. Moto 2 was better though, as he steadily moved forward through the pack for a 5th just behind Shorty and ahead of Dietrich. The JGR team, including Coy Gibbs, were trackside screaming like maniacs for their riders and were understandably ecstatic about the day's results afterwards.

After starting up front in the first 450 moto, Chad Reed looked to be feeling and riding much better than he had in Colorado just a week prior. He snaked his way through the first few turns just a hair faster than Short did, but managed to lose the lead somewhere on that first lap and ended up following the Red Bull Honda rider around for half of the moto before finally making it past. Once he did, it really looked to take the wind out of Short's sails, as Josh Grant made it by too and they both put time on him immediately. Had it not been for he and Reed pushing the pace and pulling a gap early in the race, he probably would've lost another spot to his teammate Tedesco before it was all said and done. Speaking of Honda teammates, Davi Millsaps is expected to make his return at the next round ' " Millville ' " which should be a tough one, as that's always a rough track to come back on.

Coming out of the woodwork and proving the rumor mongers right, it was none other than Jason Lawrence who decided to make an appearance at RedBud. The track was probably a good choice for him, since the surface and speed is similar to that of a track he's raced on (and dominated on) his whole life ' " Raceway Park in Englishtown, NJ. After healing from a prior injury (?), pre-race rumors were that his bike had gone through tech inspection and that he was signed up to ride. A couple of privateers parked next to his rig in the pits reported to us that he did indeed seem to keep his head inside of his motor coach for at least most of the evening and, right when they told us that, the man himself came walking out of the rig all dressed and ready to ride. He certainly did impress, too, busting out The Leap early in his first practice (he was in the B group, so was among the first bikes on the track) and proceeded to set the second fastest laptime of the morning behind Josh Grant. That's pretty impressive coming from the B practice, when the track is less ideal and the riders surrounding him are usually several seconds per lap slower. Jason went out in the first moto and the bets were going around wildly about how he'd end up: First? Last? DNF? Eventually, we decided that he would DNF and make it roughly four laps, and that's just about what happened. He rode well up until then though, dicing within the top 5 a bit before his bike just seemed to quit. We never heard why or what happened, but sure enough, Lawrence showed up on the line for moto 2 and got a mid-pack start, moving forward to just inside the top 10 before it was all said and done. But he did it: He finished an outdoor moto, and he did a respectable job of keeping a solid pace to the end although it was no doubt beneath his and many other's expectations. Credit must also be given for that blistering fast lap in the slow practice to end up 2nd. Good job, Jason ' " keep it up!



Tyler Bowers of the MotoConcepts privateer squad put in another remarkable ride. This makes two weeks in a row that Bowers has received the Top Privateer award after making steady progress on an admittedly pretty poor start to the season. He does seem to be picking up his pace, running inside the top 10 with relative ease and keeping riders the caliber of Michael Byrne in sight for the entire moto both times out. TyBo's a big, strong kid (still only 17 or 18 yrs. old) and has a picture-perfect style that is fun to watch. He'll continue to improve as his confidence grows, so look for a top 5 out of him before the season's over.

The dueling between Bowers and Byrne was just one of several good races going on within the pack, adding more interest to the 450 class ' " if you're willing to pay attention to riders beyond the top 5. Justin Brayton and Jimmy Albertson were going at it for quite a while in moto one before Brayton dropped the axe on him in the same corner that Reed did it to Short. Unfortunately for Brayton, he then fell over and had to get his charge going all over again. Tommy Hahn and Ricky Dietrich seem to find themselves a lot too, which is pretty ironic considering that many feel Hahn should've ended up with the ride that Dietrich received from Kawasaki, and which his podium finish in Lakewood seemed to validate. Unfortunately, Hahn went down in a heap during the first moto and seems to have broken a wrist or arm, but that hadn't been verified at the time of this writing. He did DNF the moto and DNS the 2nd, so that's probably not a good thing. But again, looking into the top 15 or so, you have a freight train of riders such as Hahn, Dietrich, Byrne, Bowers, Albertson, Wey, Brayton, Ferry, Jeff Alessi and... Kyle Regal. Who? #475 on a Honda, Kyle Regal is a former Suzuki Sports amateur star who made the jump to Hondas and the pro class after Suzuki pulled the program out from under him. Regal put in a couple of solid rides as an AMA Pro beginning at Freestone, but here at Red Bud he looked to be coming into his own. He was 12th in the first moto before his bike gave up on him, but more importantly he looked to be on 'the pace' of the fast guys. He should continue to improve too, although that list of riders we just mentioned will be tough to crack out of and move forward in.

On the subject of injuries, Red Bud also laid claim to Josh Hill. Hill's been suffering like a stuck pig lately, it would seem, and as one of the guys who seems to enjoy riding the most and clearly is one of the most gifted riders on the track, he just can't put it together. Word is that his back is messed-up, for lack of a better explanation, and that the header he took in the Red Bud whoops early in moto one didn't help the issue any. He DNF and DNS this time out, and his future with Yamaha (and of the factory team in general) is uncertain. The team was packed up and ready to pull out soon thereafter, which of course makes perfect sense since they no longer had a bike on the track to support with Hepler apparently planning to sit out the rest of the season due to a concussion he sustained at the Vegas SX back in May. On the subject of Hepler, and more specifically Hepler's factory YZ, we spotted a set of trick carbon fiber Tag bars on his 450 in the pits. Carbon fiber has been used for handlebars on mountain bikes for well over a decade, so it was only a matter of time before it was to the point it could be utilized on a motocross bike. They should be very light and 'tunable' for shock damping as well, so stay tuned on that development.



The 250 class once again proved pretty interesting while continuing to be almost unbelievably predictable, too. Ryan Dungey and points leader Christophe Pourcel managed to mirror each other's moto scores for about the 50th time this season. What's really remarkable about that is that these two riders almost never cross paths during a moto ' " when one is way out front, the other's mired in the pack, and vice versa. It makes for some anti-climactic motos when the top two in points and odds-on favorites for the title never actually get to dice it up, but it also helps a lot to build the anticipation for the inevitable battle of the titans does occur. Let's hope it happens sooner rather than later!

Jake Weimer switched roles this weekend, and instead of following Pourcel around closely in moto one like he did in Lakewood, this time he was matching the pace of first moto winner Ryan Dungey. The two dropped the hammer on the pack and, along with Brett Metcalfe and eventually Justin Barcia, were the clear-cut fast guys of the moto. Metcalfe really seemed to be impressive, as he was literally just a small mistake per lap off of the pace of those two, and had it not been for an absolutely feverish ride by the rookie Barcia, he'd have ended up on the podium with ease. Equally impressive was Tommy Searle, which is nothing new because we've said that a few times this year already. The young Brit is on the gas, that's for sure, and is grabbing his run in the States by the horns in one of the most stacked 250/Lites classes in many years. Were it not for ringers like Dungey and Pourcel (both of whom will move up to 450s next year), Searle would be a threat for the title. As it stands, he's a threat for the podium, and this weekend in Michigan he managed to do just that via 5-2 finishes. That's right ' " Searle got SECOND in moto two, beaten only by Pourcel while finishing cleanly ahead of Metcalfe and Weimer ' " that's impressive! Great job, Tommy.

On the flip side of the invading GP guys coin, Tyla Rattray banged up his wrist pretty good in the 2nd moto. He swapped hard on the 2nd lap of moto 2 right in front of us and looked stunned while he tried to remember that there were about 30 guys coming toward him at a high rate of speed as he sat in the fast line. He did get up, and holding his wrist walked to the side of the track. The latest word is that he may be able to make the last few rounds, so keep your hopes up for the current FIM MX2 World Champ ' " he's a good guy and adds a lot of international flair to the awesomeness that is the AMA 250 Motocross class this season.



Awesomeness, international flair, and, well, awesome are all effective ways to describe Christophe Pourcel, too. The red-plated points leader put on another display of incredible riding at RedBud, although his first moto charge didn't take him quite as far forward as he would've liked. Pourcel went down in a heap in the first moto's first turn, starting roughly dead last and getting to mid-pack by lap two. Then he fell again. He did end up 8th by the end though ' " sans visor ' " and was awesome to watch picking off riders left and right for the entire moto. The 2nd moto was a different story, as he hounded holeshot specialist Martin Davalos for several laps before getting by and walking away for the win. He also won the press conference battles too, as he dropped a couple of bombshells in his modest yet confident tone, indicating that he was A) not going to ride the MXoN for the French team and B) That he planned to race a 450 next season. So there.



Finally, we want to get a shout out to a friend of Motocross.com and also a pro rider who actually shot some of the photos for our John Penton GNCC coverage ' " Willy Browning. WB156 scored a couple of points in moto one of the 250 class aboard his totally privateer CRF250R. Willy went 'round the outside' on the start to put himself mid-pack, and stayed there for the entire race to end up 19th. He backed it up in moto two running 18th or 19th most of the race before Vince Friese assisted in providing Willy B. with a soil sample, knocking him back a few spots and out of the points. Look for Willy to score some more points next round in Millville, one of his favorite tracks.

That's about it for us this time around. Sitting mountainside here in Durango, Colorado, it's time to enjoy the upcoming off weekend before heading up to Spring Creek MX in Millville, Minnesota for Round 7 of the Lucas Oils AMA Pro Motocross Championship. Be sure to check back for practice photos, race report photo essay and the mid-week wrap-up right here at Motocross.com