Patterson looks to be almost unstoppable as she carries a perfect record so far this season.
Three weeks ago the
WMX ladies left the scorching Texas track exhausted, overheated and in desperate need of a functioning air conditioner. Most were glad to leave the intense heat and humidity behind them. The ladies now head to Colorado and thankfully the weather this weekend in Lakewood is predicted to be around the mid eighties and should be much more comfortable for both the riders and fans.
Round two at Freestone proved to be another shocker as Jessica Patterson once again swept the podium. In 2009, Ashley Fiolek dominated Freestone; however Patterson is on a roll with her new DNA Shred Stix/Star Racing
Yamaha and is racing exceptionally well even at the tracks she’s performed poorly at in the past. The other surprising fact is Moto 2 was an exact repeat of Moto 1 from 1st to 5th. At the end of a grueling day of intense racing the overall results for Freestone were Jessica Patterson, Ashley Fiolek, Tarah Geiger, Vicki Golden and Sara Price rounding out the top five.
Fiolek continues to look for her first win of the year as the 2009 champ currently sits 24 points down from Patterson.
The ladies had a couple of weeks off to recuperate, regroup, and strategize for round three. The ladies rode under a night sky at Thunder Valley last year. This year however all Motos will take place in the afternoon with the WMX Moto 1 starting at 2:50pm and Moto 2 starting at 5:30pm. Thunder Valley has been dominated by an aggressive Fiolek who went 1-1 in 2009. This year however, Fiolek seems to be riding cautiously and doesn’t appear to have the edge like she did in 2009. Fiolek must regain her footing if she wants to land a top podium position. After Patterson’s four consecutive wins, she’s beaming with confidence and it’s evident in her riding at Hangtown and Freestone.
Sherri Cruse who finished a 2-4 for second overall at Thunder Valley in 2009 unfortunately will not be racing this round. Cruse injured her wrist at Hangtown and was hoping the wrist would be strong enough to race Thunder Valley. Unfortunately Cruse is just now getting back on her bike and will be unable to race at this time. We’re hoping she joins the WMX again at round four at RedBud. Tarah Geiger, Vicki Golden, Sara Price
Geiger continues to put the pressure on Fiolek as she consistently finishes on the podium.
and Mariana Balbi are front runners that all have the potential to land on the podium this weekend. Geiger on her Troy Lee Designs Honda has been putting the pressure on Fiolek for the last two rounds finishing in third at Hangtown and Freestone. Geiger could close the four point gap she has behind Fiolek if she can pull a win over the Factory
Honda rider this weekend. Vicki Golden finished sixth as a rookie in the 2009 WMA series has been battling Price and Balbi for position. Golden is currently sitting fourth in point standings, but Balbi on her Moto Concepts Yamaha is nipping at her heals with Kawasaki’s Price following close behind. Rounding out the top ten is Tatum Sik, Elizabeth Bash, Alexah Pearson and Sayaka Kaneshiro.
As we head to the Rockies for round three, the provisional point standings between several riders are very close, making the racing even more exciting. So get out there and support your favorite riders by screaming, cheering, chanting or holding signs that might read “JP$ GO GO GO” or “ASHLEY #1”. This sport needs your support so if it means coming into the office Monday morning with a sore throat, sun burnt and sporting multiple blisters from waving signs; I’m game…
