The best way for Ashley Fiolek (67) to beat Jessica Patterson (1) is to grab the holeshot and hope for a little help. That's exactly what she got in Texas which handed her the overall and the championship lead.
Round 2 of the
Motorcycle-Superstore.com AMA WMX Championship ripped off the line in Texas under stifling heat and humidity. That didn’t stop the ladies from putting on a show for the Lone Star fans, but Memorial Day Weekend saw a few changes in the ladies’ paddock. You’ve already read in our
AMA Pro WMX Freestone Results 2011 that Ashley Fiolek won the overall, but there were a few quirks to her victory in Texas. First off, she didn’t have to worry about KTM rider Stephanie Laier. The imported FIM Women’s World Motocross champion proved a worthy adversary at Hangtown, but she did not make an appearance in Texas.
Freestone wasn’t as hot as it was last year, but still bad enough to cause serious health concerns. Staying cool and hydrated was critical for all the men and women. Though it wasn’t as hot, the track was a bit rougher with even more sand than usual. Of course, by the time the men were finished and the ladies launched over the gates, it’s a hell-hole.
Tarah Geiger is picking up the pace. She was second in qualifying and finished 3-3 on the day.
After cleaning house in the Hangtown opener with a walk-away Moto 1 victory and come-from-behind gut check in Moto 2, Jessica Patterson looked to have the WMX field under her Fox boot heel. The only thing that can slow her down are mistakes. Other riders like Honda Racing’s Fiolek and TLD Honda’s Tarah Geiger can only hope to stay close enough to take advantage. The factory-backed Fiolek has been doing a good job of that by snaring holeshots on her #67 machine. That’s exactly what she did in Moto 1 and tried her best to run away from the bulldog-blue of Patterson’s DNA Shred Stix Yamaha.
They say you can’t make a pass if you follow, and JP$ demonstrated just that as she slotted in behind the Honda in a turn. After clinging to her lead for the first six laps, Fiolek stalled and Patterson bumped her rear tire, tipping over and killing her engine as well. The carbureted YZ250F refused to start while Fiolek’s CRF250R kicked to life and carried her two more laps to the checkered flag. Nothing like sitting there under oppressive heat, in full gear and kicking the bejeezus out of your bike. JP soldiered on but could only manage 13th. She would stomp back to claim 25 points in Moto 2, but fourth overall leaves her a frustrating eight points behind Fiolek.
No, Brett Metcalfe has not become Brianne Metcalfe. That's Vicki Golden after her gear didn't show, forcing her to borrow a set from the Rockstar Makita Suzuki rider.
Golden's ankle matches her purple blanket quite nicely. Unfortunately it hurts like hell on a motocross track. The Kawasaki rider will be looking forward to three weeks off before the series returns in Colorado.
Popular fan favorite, Tarah Geiger, slipped into third in the overall standings, 11 points behind Patterson. Geiger landed second overall with 3-3 scores, but she didn’t just luck into the position courtesy of Patterson’s mishap. Geiger was faster than Fiolek in qualifying by over half a second and used her consistency to land on the podium in both races.
Fiolek definitely had a little luck on her side after turning a negative into a positive, but the same can’t be said for Vicki Golden. It was more tough luck for the MotoUSA.com Langston Racing Kawasaki rider who faced challenges even before taking to the track. She had a new look going after her Thor gear failed to show up and she was left borrowing a set from Rockstar Makita Suzuki’s Brett Metcalfe. Nothing like having your program derailed from the start to make for a rough day.
After struggling with her bike setup at the Hangtown opener, mechanic Charles Marchant made some changes to the
KX250F race engine and brought it back for Round 2. That was the least of her worries after her holeshot device refused to disengage due to a broken spring and she raced the entire first moto with compressed front suspension. We saw that happen to a 250 rider on his sight lap at Hangtown and he was visibly shaken before the start of his race. On top of it all, the 18-year-old is dealing with a sore ankle. She gutted it out for 11th overall. If anyone will benefit from the three weeks off until Thunder Valley, it’s her as she heals up and dials in that new Kawi.
