Buchanan: Series round six preview

Lucas Oil Motocross Championship Returns this Saturday to RedBud for July Fourth Weekend Tradition
Dungey, Pourcel Lead the Way While WMX Makes its Debut in Michigan

MORGANTOWN, W.V. (June 28, 2010) - With five rounds of the Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship completed, it appears as though the path to the 2010 450 Class championship will go through Rockstar/Makita Suzuki's Ryan Dungey. For the fourth consecutive weekend, the red-hot rider from Minnesota grabbed the overall victory, extending his points lead over the field. Now Dungey looks to continue the run as the series heads to Buchanan, Mich., for the legendary Rockstar Energy RedBud National on Saturday, July 3rd, signifying the halfway point of the season.

En route to his overall victory at the Toyota Trucks Thunder Valley National last weekend in Colorado, Dungey grabbed his sixth win over the last eight motos. His advantage over GEICO Powersports Honda's Brett Metcalfe, the Australian who sits second in the standings, is at 51 points. Various riders have shown the potential to challenge Dungey, including defending champion Chad Reed, Jagermeister KTM's Mike Alessi, Honda Red Bull Racing's Andrew Short and Muscle Milk/Toyota/JGR's Josh Grant, each of whom have grabbed moto wins in 2010. This weekend, those riders and the rest of the premier class field will look to end Dungey's dominance heading into the year's second off week.

Through four rounds of competition in the 250 Class, four different winners grabbed the overall victory, but last weekend at Thunder Valley, that streak came to an end when current points leader Christophe Pourcel captured his second overall of the season for Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki. The Frenchman has sat atop the points since the second round of the season and has extended his advantage at every stop since. Last weekend, he secured the first 1-1 performance of the year, but his Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki teammates and fellow overall winners Dean Wilson and Tyla Rattray are keeping Pourcel in their sights. With Rattray hailing from South Africa and Wilson from Scotland (by way of Canada), Independence Day weekend is the perfect time for a top American rider like Trey Canard, Broc Tickle, Blake Wharton, Eli Tomac, or last year's RedBud winner Jake Weimer to step up and stop the foreign advance in the 250 Class.

One of the biggest storylines heading into RedBud this weekend is the debut of the MotorcycleUSA.com Women's Motocross Championship. For the first time in the illustrious history of the popular facility, the nation's fastest females will attack the track and put on a show for the enthusiastic Michigan fans. DNA Shred Stix/Star Racing Yamaha's Jessica Patterson remains perfect through three rounds of the eight-race championship while defending two-time champion Ashley Fiolek continues to dial in her Honda Red Bull Racing machine. At Thunder Valley, a rough track presented a unique challenge to the women, but Patterson prevailed and is well on her way to a possible sixth championship.

To help commemorate the women's inaugural Rockwell Watches National from RedBud, track promoters Amy and Tim Ritchie along with MX Sports Pro Racing are inviting the trio of local Michigan natives Fiolek, of Dearborn Heights, Jagermeister KTM's Sarah Whitmore, of Cheboygan, and Byron Center's Lindsey Scheltema, the current Miss Arenacross, to participate in Media Day on Thursday, July 1. Patterson, Rock River Yamaha rookie Alexah Pearson and Monster Energy Kawasaki's Sara Price will also join their peers for the local media and fans in attendance.

RedBud is well known as one of the most popular tracks in the motocross world for riders and fans alike. The vast layout full of spectacular jumps and extremely technical obstacles, in combination with the excitement and tradition of the 4th of July, results in one of the most special motorsports events in the U.S. Adding to the fun is the always impressive LaRocco's Leap, a 120-foot uphill "triple" jump that serves as the biggest jump in motocross. The immense obstacle is named for local hero and South Bend, Indiana native Mike LaRocco who not only became the first rider to successfully accomplish the feat, but was also an integral part in the construction of the jump.

The Rockstar Energy RedBud National serves as the second of three live races to air on NBC Sports. Coverage of the second 450 Class moto will air at 3:30 p.m. EST. Gates drop at RedBud beginning at 1 p.m. EST on Saturday, July 3. Next-day coverage of the 250 Class can be seen on Sunday at 4 p.m. EST on SPEED. As always, live internet stream of the first motos of each class can be seen at www.allisports.com.

-source: ama