Ricky Carmuchael chats with his crew chief next to his number four Monster Energy NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Truck.
Usually as we follow the Supercross and motocross seasons, our weekly calendar is so full of races that we don’t get a chance to visit many other motorsports events. Of course we stay up to date on the happenings in racing via the weekly Speed Report on the Speed Channel, but you can imagine how psyched we were when we discovered that the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series event at Texas Motor Speedway was being held on the Friday night before the Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship event at Freestone County Raceway in Wortham, TX. That meant one thing…we got a chance to go check out the GOAT, Ricky Carmichael, in action for the first time since he’d moved up to the truck series.
The NASCAR trucks were the support event for an IRL event at Texas, which gave it sort of an odd couple feel, but it was also cool to check out the open-wheelers as they were qualifying at well over 200 mph.
RC had qualified eighth for this one after a spin in practice. While he dropped back to as low as 22nd early in the race, with some fast pit work and more seat time, he eventually finished 11th.
Carmichael finished a solid 11th place, with a bit more experience he will be "cookin' with gas".
Afterwards he said, “I’m happy to finish strong. We got better each run out there. I dropped back early in the race because it’s really difficult to figure out the air (aerodynamics) on these 1 1/2-mile tracks. I was being cautious and careful early on and that cost us a few spots. As the night went on, I got more comfortable and confident in the truck so I was able to race harder. We’re building on it- and once I get the aero thing figured out we’ll be cookin’ with gas!”
RC’s next truck series race will be on Friday night, June 19th at The Milwaukee Mile.
Okay, now back to our regularly-schedule motocross coverage.
Mike Alessi sweeps the podium in both motos to further solidify his lead in the points ahead of team mate Chad Reed.
Since its addition to the AMA National Schedule, the Freestone round has been known for being a brutally hot event, and as a serious test for a rider’s training and stamina. While this year was fairly toasty and humid, it was nowhere near as bad as in previous years, as a steady breeze kept the temperatures down somewhat.
After two rounds in the series, though, one thing that is up is the number of injuries. Ryan Villopoto had successful knee surgery last week, but he’ll be on the sidelines for the rest of the summer, and with Timmy Ferry taking some more time off to heal from his recent heel injury, that meant there were a pair of new riders under the Monster Energy Kawasaki tent this weekend…which made it a whole new team. Ricky Dietrich already competes for Monster Energy Kawasaki on the off-road side, and after a solid finish at the season-opener at Glen Helen, that almost made him a no-brainer as a fill-in rider. Branden Jesseman was also added to the team for the weekend, but unfortunately, a dislocated thumb sidelined him after the first moto.
Honda Red Bull Racing’s Davi Millsaps also sat this one out. He was battered and bruised after a very rough crash at Hangtown. Another Cairo, GA resident, Muscle Milk MDK KTM’s Martin Davalos reinjured the fibula on his left leg that he’d tweaked during the Supercross season, which left him sidelined as well. We spotted another Muscle Milk MDK KTM rider in the pits this weekend, Ryan Sipes, who’s still a couple weeks away from being able to ride after some fiberglass time with a wrist injury incurred at the Seattle Supercross.
The "No Jump" flag displayed during the practice to familiarize riders with the new sign.
One procedural change from last weekend, following the penalties to Hangtown second moto winner Josh Grant; as well as six 250 riders, was that the “no jump” flag used on blind jumps was changed from a yellow/ red flag, to a white/red. The flag was also displayed on the first lap of practice, as well as on each moto’s parade lap, so the riders would have a better idea of where it was being used. We didn’t hear of any penalties this weekend, so it sounds like the riders’ awareness of the flag, and the penalties involved, were more in synch.
When it got down to 250cc racing, it was easy to tell who the first moto winner was. Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Christophe Pourcel continued a trend from this season, winning the first moto of each 250 race, and he was the only guy with a front number plate free of Texas roost. Trey Canard had grabbed the lead in the first moto, but went down, allowing the Frenchman to take the lead and run away from the pack. Series points leader Ryan Dungey (Rockstar Makita Suzuki) worked his way from inside the top-five to second at the end of the first moto, while Canard had remounted around 10th, and completed an amazing charge back to third.
In the second 250 moto, it looked like a very hungry Canard might take his first moto win, but Dungey worked his way past the Honda rider just before the halfway point to take the win and the overall. Canard finished second, and while his 3-2 would have beaten Pourcel’s 1-4 in Olympic scoring, the bonus point Pourcel earned for the win in the first moto gave him the nod to grab second overall on the day. Canard rounded out the podium.
Tommy Searle (123) battles with Tyla Rattray (411) putting on a very good show in the second moto.
After the race, Pourcel mentioned that he still struggles with stomach issues after the crash in ’07 that almost left him paralyzed, and the former World Champ also mentioned that he may return to France during the break in the series after High Point for further treatment.
As far as pure racing in the 250 class? It doesn’t get much better than watching guys like Tyla Rattray (Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki), Tommy Searle (Muscle Milk MDK KTM), and Brett Metcalfe (Geico Powersports Honda), who had a three-way battle in the second moto that was impressive. One of the veteran GP observers said that it was a bit unusual for Searle to hold off Rattray, but we did spot a note from Searle’s mechanic, Preston Rose, which included the line, “Would the real Tommy Gun please show up?”
After the first 25% of the season, Dungey has a six-point lead over Pourcel in the 250cc point standings (133-127), and Canard’s in third with 117.
It was all about Alessi dominating both motos in the 450 class.
In the 450 class, it was all Mike Alessi (Rockstar Makita Suzuki). With a 1-1 day, about the only thing he didn’t take was the first moto holeshot, which went to Honda Red Bull Racing’s Andrew Short who always seems to fly at Freestone. Shorty’s (3-2) was good for second overall. Rounding out the podium was Rockstar Makita Suzuki’s Chad Reed, who went 5-2 on the day, despite some stomach problems of his own. Reed has been struggling with an inability to keep food down since fairly early in the Supercross season, and while his outdoor speed has definitely increased, the fatigue from the heat and long motos showed on his face afterward.
Other notables on the day? Ricky Dietrich’s fifth overall courtesy of a seventh and sixth-place moto finishes was impressive as a Monster Energy Kawasaki fill-in rider. Australian Dan Reardon turned in a pair of solid motos, with a fourth in the second moto. The 12th he got in the first race wasn’t indicative of his real speed, as a crash near the end cost him a probable seventh place finish, and a few positions on his overall score. Actually, it was a good day for riders from the southern hemisphere, as four of the top eight overall in the 450 class were Aussies or Kiwis.
In the Women’s class, it looked like business as usual for Ashley Fiolek, who finished 1-1 on the day, but it wasn’t quite that easy. Jessica Patterson had passed her with a lap to go in the first moto, but Fiolek charged through the whoops leading up to the finish line on the last lap, and snagged the moto win.
Jessica Patterson attempts a comeback for first place in the second moto but settles for seventh after a crash.
A crash in the first turn to start the second moto cost Patterson a chance at redemption. Instead, she had to settle for a charge through the pack back to seventh spot. Her Honda also cleared the area of any mosquitos after the crash allowed oil to hit the hot exhaust, which created billowing clouds of smoke…which made the highlight reel at, you guessed it, the Speed Report on Speed TV.
We’ll be back next week with a speedy recap of round four of the Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship series at High Point Raceway from Mount Morris, PA.
Freestone Motocross Results:
Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship
Freestone County Raceway; Wortham, TX
250 Class Results:
1. Ryan Dungey (Suzuki) 2-1
2. Christophe Pourcel (Kawasaki) 1-4
3. Trey Canard (Honda) 3-2
4. Blake Wharton (Honda) 7-3
5. Brett Metcalfe (Honda) 4-7
6. Tommy Searle (KTM) 6-5
7. Tyla Rattray (Kawasaki) 5-6
8. Broc Tickle (Yamaha) 9-8
9. Darryn Durham (Yamaha) 8-12
10. Kyle Cunningham (Kawasaki) 13-9
11. Wil Hahn (KTM) 11-13
12. Max Antsie (KTM) 15-10
13. Matt Lemoine (Yamaha)10-15
14. Jake Weimer (Kawasaki) 18-11
15. Sean Borkenhagen 14-18
16. Alex Martin (Honda) 17-16
17. P. J. Larsen (Kawasaki) 12-37
18. Kyle Regal (Honda) 37-14
19. Ben Evans (Honda) 19-17
20. Steven Clarke (Suzuki) 16-20
450 Class Results:
1. Mike Alessi (Suzuki) 1-1
2. Andrew Short (Honda) 2-3
3. Chad Reed (Suzuki) 5-2
4. Ivan Tedesco (Honda) 4-9
5. Ricky Dietrich (Kawasaki) 7-6
6. Dan Reardon (Honda) 12-4
7. Michael Byrne (Suzuki) 8-7
8. Cody Cooper (Yamaha) 6-13
9. Weston Peick (Honda) 9-11
10. Justin Brayton (KTM) 11-10
11. Josh Grant (Yamaha) 3-25
12. Tommy Hahn (Kawasaki) 35-5
13. Chris Blose (Honda) 16-12
14. Nick Wey (Yamaha) 14-14
15. Jake Moss (Honda) 32-8
16. Bobby Bonds (Yamaha) 15-16
17. Jimmy Albertson (Yamaha) 10-35
18. Antonio Balbi (Honda) 13-23
19. Josh Demuth (Kawasaki) 18-17
20. Jeff Alessi (Honda) 29-15
WMX Class Results:
1. Ashley Fiolek (Honda) 1-1
2. Sherri Cruse (Suzuki) 3-2
3. Vicki Golden (Honda) 5-3
4. Jessica Patterson (Honda) 2-7
5. Sarah Whitmore (KTM) 4-6
6. Elizabeth Bash (Kawasaki) 6-5
7. Penni Cyrus (Kawasaki) 8-9
8. Sara Price (Kawasaki) 15-4
9. April Zastrow (Honda) 10-10
10. Kimberly Kocher (KTM) 7-13
