2013 AMA Motocross Unadilla Results

Ryan Villopoto Is Back On Top At The Unadilla National

[caption id="attachment_28067" align="alignright" width="300"] Ryan Villopoto returned to his championship form with a sweep at the Unadilla circuit in New York.[/caption]

It's the final stretch of the 2013 Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross season, and reigning title-holder Ryan Villopoto returned to his championship form with a sweep at the Unadilla circuit in New York. The Kawasaki rider won each of the two motos to get a firm grasp on the standings lead heading into the final rounds of the motorsports season.

Villopoto started out strong in each race, jumping out to an early lead and never letting the door open to his competitors. Justin Barcia and Ryan Dungey traded fourth- and second-place finishes in the two motos, allowing Barcia to take second on the day, only slightly ahead of Dungey.

"The highlight of the day was definitely getting two holeshots and to be able to get two clean starts out front," Villopoto said. "I really enjoyed the track. It has a lot of line choices, and it's honestly becoming one of my favorite tracks because you can go fast and take completely different lines than other people."

Villopoto is now 44 points ahead of Dungey, who sits in second place in the overall standings. The two are far and away the two top riders in the rankings - the next-closest competitor is Barcia, who is more than 100 points out of the lead.

Monster Energy Kawasaki's Ryan Villopoto Perfect at Unadilla

[caption id="attachment_28075" align="alignright" width="300"] Ryan Villopoto could not have asked for a better day[/caption]

Tucked into the rolling green hills of central New York state, Round 10 of the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship was held at the historic Unadilla National on Saturday in New Berlin, N.Y. Monster Energy Kawasaki's Ryan Villopoto could not have asked for a better day as he qualified fastest, took both holeshots and led every lap to finish 1-1 and extend his points lead. Teammate Jake Weimer matched his best performance of the year by finishing on the podium in Moto 2 and fourth overall on the day. Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki's Blake Baggett battled through both motos to finish fifth overall and Martin Davalos rounded out the top-10 overall after picking up the holeshot in Moto 2. In the 250 class Adam Cianciarulo, Justin Hill and Darryn Durham finished 15th, 19th, and 21st respectively, while Tyla Rattray finished 16th in the 450 class.

Unchallenged
After missing the podium in Millville two weeks ago and earning the Ricky Carmichael Hard Charger Award, the current points leader reassured his spot at the top of the standings by dominating the track and competition at Unadilla. Villopoto earned his sixth Oakley Bomb Award as top qualifier in the muddy, rutted conditions. He went on to grab both holeshots, lead every lap, and won both motos by more than 12 seconds. Celebrating his 25th birthday on Tuesday, Villopoto also celebrates a 44-point lead in pursuit of his second 450 Pro Motocross Championship.

"Unadilla is slowly becoming one of my favorite tracks," said Villopoto. "The track had tons of lines. You could go from right to left, inside to outside, and you never really had to follow. I was pumped after the first moto holeshot, but to get both was amazing."

A Man's Track
After the first practice it was evident that the track was going to be one of the most challenging the Pro Motocross Championship has seen this season. Rain leading up to Saturday left the soil extremely soft which led to multiple ruts and lines in every corner and on each jump face. Rocks have always been a factor at Unadilla therefore many riders opted to run hand guards and chest protectors to shield themselves. Although they sifted the dirt to try and remove as many rocks as possible, Durham and Weimer were both victim to the painful roost. Durham caught a rock to the cheekbone in the first moto, blurring his vision and Weimer took a rock off the back of a 450, which chipped his front tooth significantly. Despite the pain, both riders pressured on to finish their motos with Weimer finishing on the podium.

"It was gnarly out there," said Durham. "The ruts were long and deep. You took off out of one rut and had to spot your landing into another rut in some spots. The track developed well, but that roost is no joke."

Canadian Champ

[caption id="attachment_28070" align="alignleft" width="300"] Brett Metcalfe put his Kawasaki in the top-10 in both motos.[/caption]

Monster Energy/Leading Edge/Kawasaki's Brett Metcalfe returned to the Pro Motocross Championship after wrapping up his first Monster Energy Canadian Motocross Championship last weekend in New Brunswick with one round remaining. Metcalfe put his Kawasaki in the top-10 in both motos finishing 10-6 for seventh overall.

KX Proof
Kawasaki showcased the undisputed power of the KX450F and KX250F at Unadilla as they claimed three of four holeshots on Saturday. Villopoto cleanly grabbed both starts in the 450 class and Davalos put his KX out front with his first holeshot of the season in Moto 2 on his way to seventh.

Home Stretch
The Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship heads back west for the final two stops of the tour. Round 11 will visit a new track at Miller Motorsports Park, who will host the Utah National in Tooele, Utah on Saturday, August 17th.

Source: Kawasaki Racing

Ryan Dungey Earns 3rd Overall At Unadilla Motocross National

[caption id="attachment_28072" align="alignright" width="200"] Ryan Dungey earned 3rd overall at the tenth round of the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship Series - Photo: Simon Cudby[/caption]

Red Bull KTM Factory rider Ryan Dungey earned 3rd overall at the tenth round of the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship Series held at Unadilla Raceway.

Ryan Dungey pulled a great start in moto one coming around the first corner in 3rd position. He quickly passed fellow KTM rider Andrew Short to take over the 2nd place spot. He continued to click off fast lap times and was able to maintain that position throughout the remainder of the race to finish 2nd that moto.

In the second moto, Dungey got pinched off slightly on the start and came around the first corner in 8th position. He quickly charged forward and had passed into 6th position by the next lap. On the third lap he passed Phil Nicoletti to take over 5th position and then began to chase Josh Grant for 4th place. Dungey and Grant battled for the next six laps before Dungey was able to make an inside pass on Grant a few corners before the finish jump to move into 4th with his KTM 450 SX-F.

With five laps remaining, Dungey began to reel in the 3rd place ride of Jake Weimer. On the final lap, Dungey was side by side with Weimer as they headed into the final corner. Dungey had the drive out of the corner but bobbled coming out of the rut which allowed Weimer to barely edge him out for the final podium spot. Dungey crossed the finish immediately behind him to finish 4th. His 2-4 finishes earned him 3rd overall for the day.

Next Round: Toole, UT - August 17, 2013

Source: KTM North America

James Stewart Battles With Neck Injury At Unadilla

[caption id="attachment_28068" align="alignright" width="300"] James Stewart bounced back from a fairly-severe crash and neck-injury early last week to give a commendable performance[/caption]

Yoshimura Suzuki Factory Racing's James Stewart bounced back from a fairly-severe crash and neck-injury early last week to give a commendable performance at round 10 of the 2013 AMA Pro Motocross Championships at the Unadilla National in New Berlin, New York on Saturday.

In the first moto, Stewart focused his efforts on getting the most out of himself and his RM-Z450. He got a decent start and was running in a podium position by the end of lap one. Although his neck pain increased as the moto progressed, he still battled until the moto's end and finished third. Because of the pain, however, Stewart opted out of the podium ceremony and went back to his motorhome to recover.

"Last Monday, I had a pretty big crash and messed up my neck pretty good," said Stewart. "I came in to Unadilla pretty sore and that's why my times were off a little bit all day. In the first moto, I got an OK start and made some passes on the Yoshimura Suzuki RM-Z450. I got up to third and was closing in on second, but I could feel my neck tightening up really bad. By the end of the race, I was barely holding on."

[caption id="attachment_28069" align="alignleft" width="300"] James Stewart had to retire from moto 2, but placed well overall.[/caption]

After regrouping, Stewart lined up for moto two. Unfortunately, he got a poor start and was almost last off the gate. Going into the second turn, he encountered a group of riders stopped on the track and had nowhere to go. The result was a crash that reinjured his already hurt neck. Stewart retired for the day and finished 11th overall.

"I felt like I recovered pretty good after the first moto," said Stewart. "I felt like I could still get top five, but I got a bad start in the second moto and I was almost dead last going in the first corner. In the second corner... I don't know if there was a pile-up but something happened and the guys in front of me were stopped and I ran into them. I went over the handlebars and landed on my neck again. I did my best; I felt like even though I was sore in the first moto, I still rode pretty good. Hopefully nothing is seriously wrong, but I'll go back and get checked out."

Yoshimura Suzuki Factory Racing's next race is penultimate round 11 of the 2013 AMA Pro Motocross Championships on Saturday, August 17th, at the Utah National in Tooele, Utah.

Check out the Unadilla "Behind The Scenes Race Report" Video:


Source: Team Suzuki

Eli Tomac Dominates Unadilla National

[caption id="attachment_28064" align="alignright" width="300"] Eli Tomac emphatically showed he won't try to coast to the 2013 AMA Pro Motocross Championship - Photo: Simon Cudby[/caption]

GEICO Honda rider Eli Tomac emphatically showed he won't try to coast to the 2013 AMA Pro Motocross Championship in the 250cc class, scoring another dominating victory in Saturday's Built Ford Tough Unadilla National.

"If you try to play it safe and points race, that's actually when you make more mistakes," said Tomac, who won both motos at Unadilla Valley Sports Center. "I've learned that from past experiences. When you try to conserve, a lot of times you make mistakes. We're going to race these last two races like we raced everywhere else."

Teammates Zach Osborne (fourth overall), Justin Bogle (sixth) and Wil Hahn (seventh) joined Tomac in the top 10, while newly minted pro Matt Bisceglia completed his first professional race in 20th.

Adding to the day's festivities, Hahn clinched the Motorcycle-Superstore.com Holeshot Championship for 2013, earning the $15,000 first prize in 250cc. It was a remarkable feat for the young Texan, who missed the first four races of the year with an injury.

[caption id="attachment_28065" align="alignleft" width="300"] 2013 AMA Motocross Unadilla 250MX Holeshot - Photo: Simon Cudby[/caption]

In the overall title battle, Tomac pushed his lead to 39 points over Ken Roczen and can clinch the 250 championship next weekend if he leaves Salt Lake City with a 51-point edge over his German rival.

But Tomac , who has now swept three straight events, isn't thinking about that just yet.

"It is always in the back of your mind when you're the points leader," Tomac said, "but I try my best to just ride like I did in the previous races I won."

Tomac certainly raced like a champion Saturday, scoring an 18.7-second victory in Moto 1 and winning by 9.1 seconds in Moto 2 after a stirring battle with Roczen.

[caption id="attachment_28060" align="alignright" width="300"] 2013 AMA Motocross Unadilla 250MX Winner's Podium - Photo: Simon Cudby[/caption]

"Moto 1, the dirt was sticky and heavy because we had a lot of rain yesterday," Tomac said. "It made the track super rutted and deep, so you almost had to ride easy to go faster because if you tried to override it, it would bite you. That's what I did in the first moto; I rode smooth and was able to make my way to the front."

Likewise, Tomac was sixth after the first lap of Moto 2 but quickly moved to second, challenging Roczen for three laps before getting past with six laps to go.

"My starts aren't awesome, but they're good enough right now," Tomac said. "I did have to chase Roczen down, and we did have a good battle there for several laps. That was a lot of fun, kind of cat-and-mouse with each other, and I was finally able to make the pass and take her home."

Osborne brought home a podium finish in Moto 1, ending a first-moto slump that has plagued him this year. His third-place result was the first time all season he finished better in Moto 1, as he came home sixth in the second moto.

[caption id="attachment_28059" align="alignleft" width="199"] Zach Osborne brought home a podium finish in Moto 1, ending a first-moto slump - Photo: Simon Cudby[/caption]

"Today was really good," Osborne said. "I got that first-moto monkey off my back. I didn't get on the overall podium, but it was a really positive day with my first moto going a lot better. I'm really happy with it."

Bogle was happy with his sixth-place overall, as it came with a fourth-place result in Moto 2.

"The track was very difficult today," Bogle said. "I struggled all day until the second moto. I qualified 15th and ended up 10th in the first moto. But I closed it off with a pretty good second moto, so I can't really complain too much. The track definitely kept you on your toes. It was a hairy one."

Hahn has made holeshots look easy this year, as he earned another in Moto 1 that allowed him to clinch that championship in only six races.

"It was just confidence in my bike and my program," Hahn said of the holeshot title. "Everything's clicking. We had a good Supercross season, so coming off of that, you're going to have a lot of confidence. It all goes back to the team. They deserve the credit.

"It's the only championship I can get out here, so I'll take it. I've got to be happy with it. It was progress this weekend. I led some more laps, and that's a positive thing. And now I've got $15,000 to go take my parents (Karl and Amy Hahn) out to dinner."

[caption id="attachment_28054" align="alignright" width="300"] Matt Bisceglia made his pro debut after winning two titles at Loretta Lynn's - Photo: Simon Cudby[/caption]

Bisceglia, making his pro debut after winning two titles at Loretta Lynn's, was running 13th when he went down in Moto 1, but he made progress from starting 24th to finish 18th in the second moto.

"A big learning experience, for sure," Bisceglia said. "These races are tough, and these guys are gnarly fast. The intensity surprised me. It's a learning curve, but I'm going to keep an open mind into next week and go out there and do what I can do."

Source: GEICO Honda

Ken Roczen Earns 3rd Overall At Unadilla

[caption id="attachment_28062" align="alignright" width="300"] Ken Roczen finished 3rd overall at Unadilla Raceway - Photo: Simon Cudby[/caption]

Red Bull KTM Factory 250 Motocross riders Ken Roczen and Marvin Musquin finished 3rd and 8th overall respectively at the tenth round of the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship Series held at Unadilla Raceway.

Marvin Musquin launched off to a great start in the first moto rounding the first corner in 3rd position. Unfortunately he ran into the back of the 2nd place rider a few corners later when that rider slowed before the finish line jump and Musquin was left with no alternative line. Musquin crashed and lost multiple positions. He eventually re-entered the track in 24th position.

His teammate had started in 8th and moved up to 3rd by the end of the first lap. Ken Roczen maintained his 3rd place position until the halfway point in the race when he began to suffer from arm pump. Unfortunately, he dropped two positions and finished the moto in 5th. Meanwhile, Musquin was on a hard charge through the pack and made his way from 24th to 8th by the end of the moto.

"I just had some bad luck on that first lap and had nowhere to go and ran into Zach Osborne," stated Musquin. "Luckily, I was able to move into the top ten and earn some valuable points."

[caption id="attachment_28056" align="alignleft" width="300"] Marvin Musquin finished 8th overall at the tenth round of the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship Series - Photo: Simon Cudby[/caption]

Musquin's bad luck continued in the second moto when he jumped early off the start and got caught in the gate. He eventually left the start line in dead last position. Roczen had better luck and came around the first corner in 2nd position. Roczen quickly made a move around Jeremy Martin to take over the lead.

Roczen pulled away out front for the first half of the moto before Eli Tomac began to reel him in. Roczen put up a battle for a few laps before Tomac was able to move around and take over the lead position. Roczen held strong to finish the moto on his KTM 250 SX-F in 2nd position. Roczen's 5-2 moto results earned him a podium spot for 3rd overall.

Musquin put in another impressive charge in the second moto. He moved from his dead last start position to 9th overall by the moto end. His 8-9 moto results earned him 8th overall for the day and allowed him to maintain his 3rd place position in the overall point standings.

Next Round: Toole, UT - August 17, 2013

Source: KTM North America

Rockstar Energy Racing Unadilla Motocross National Race Report

[caption id="attachment_28066" align="alignright" width="300"] Rockstar Energy Racing has been hit badly by the injury bug and laid all their hopes on one rider, Jason Anderson - Photo: Simon Cudby[/caption]

This year's streak of mild weather continued in NY 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, passing was constant throughout all the motos. Rockstar Energy Racing has been hit badly by the injury bug and laid all their hopes on one rider, Jason Anderson. The team did not have a day to remember.

Jason Anderson's day started out a bit slow in practice 1. He qualified a decent 7th, but his times were way off of where he wanted to be. After meetings in the team semi's war room discussing lines in every section of the track with Team Owner Bobby Hewitt, Jason set out to improve in the second qualifying session. The improvement was massive. Anderson knocked an astounding 11 seconds off his original fastest lap and he looked very good on the bike.

In the opening 250 moto he was buried in the pack exiting turn one, sitting in about 25th 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. Jason'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 of the top 20.

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 11th, where he finished. JA's 2nd moto started much better, but finished way worse. He looked to be poised to finish easily in the top 5 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.

Source: Rockstar Energy Racing

Unadilla Overview And Point Standings

Overall Results - 450MX Class

1. Ryan Villopoto - 463
   
2. Ryan Dungey - 419
   
3. Justin Barcia - 347
   
4. James Stewart - 289
   
5. Trey Canard - 263
   
6. Andrew Short - 220
   
7. Jake Weimer - 216
   
8. Broc Tickle - 209
   
9. Josh Grant - 208
   
10. Mike Alessi - 204
    

1. Kawasaki - 463
   
2. KTM - 437
   
3. Honda - 382
   
4. Suzuki - 374
   
5. Yamaha - 268
   

1. Eli Tomac - 455
   
2. Ken Roczen - 416
   
3. Marvin Musquin - 359
   
4. Blake Baggett - 329
   
5. Zach Osborne - 296
   
6. Jeremy Martin - 249
   
7. Jason Anderson - 248
   
8. Justin Bogle - 238
   
9. Kyle Cunningham - 204
   
10. Cole Seely - 192
    

1. Honda - 457
   
2. KTM - 443
   
3. Kawasaki - 348
   
4. Yamaha - 317
   
5. Suzuki - 252