AMA

Spring Creek: Series round seven preview

Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship Kicks-Off Second Half of 2009 Season at Spring Creek this Saturday Minnesota's Ryan Dungey Returns Home in Quest for Victory MORGANTOWN, W.V. (July 14, 2009) - Through the first six rounds of the Lucas ...

Published: Oct 2, 2009, 4:39 PM

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Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship Kicks-Off Second Half of 2009 Season at Spring Creek this Saturday

Minnesota's Ryan Dungey Returns Home in Quest for Victory

MORGANTOWN, W.V. (July 14, 2009) - Through the first six rounds of the Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship season, there have been a total of eight different riders atop the podium across the 450 and 250 classes, including seven first-time winners. This Saturday, the Spring Creek Motocross facility in Millville, Minn., presents yet another opportunity for a new face to make his way into the winners circle and add to what had already been one of the most memorable an unpredictable seasons ever.

From farmland to ferocious motocross track, Spring Creek Motocross hosted its first Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross National in 1983. Known for its rich soil, which was used during the days when the track served solely as a farm, Spring Creek is located just a short drive from nearby Rochester, Minn. In 1987 John and Greta Martin assumed ownership of the venue and ever since have taken the facility to the next level. Some of those improvements include a three-story starting tower with a viewing platform, a three-story building equipped with concessions, a commons area, two levels of VIP suites, and a four story announcing tower with spectator deck. These first class amenities help make Spring Creek one of the leading tracks on the tour.

Television coverage of the 450 Class will air on SPEED July 18 at 11:30 p.m. EST while the 250 Class will also air on SPEED on July 21. Check your local listings for exact times.

In the highly competitive 450 Class, all five winners this season have broke through for their first career victory with Josh Grant becoming the most recent at RedBud on the 4th of July. Grant, who also won his first AMA Supercross main event this season, used 2-1 finishes to earn the overall aboard his JGRMX/Toyota/Yamaha. Rockstar/Makita/Suzuki's Chad Reed, of Tampa, Fla., controls the points lead 240-219 over Honda Red Bull Racing's Andrew Short, of Smithville, Texas. Short's teammate Ivan Tedesco, of Tallahassee, Fla., is third overall and has a win of his own this season. Of the class' top riders, Short will lead the way this weekend thanks to a strong runner-up effort at Millville last season. The smiley-faced assassin is still in search of his first career victory, but with the amount of parity thus far in 2009, his odds are strong.

In the 250 Class, a wild pair of motos at RedBud concluded with Monster Energy/Pro Circuit Kawasaki's Jake Weimer winning his second straight overall of the season. Weimer's teammate Christophe Pourcel controls the points lead but the wave of momentum Weimer is carrying into Saturday plays into his favor. Additionally, the state of Minnesota will welcome home a trio of riders, led by Belle Plaine's own Ryan Dungey. A two-time winner this season and currently second in the standings, the Rockstar/Makita/Suzuki will be a major threat for the win after capturing the overall at his home track last season. Spring Creek owners the Martin family will have extra reason to cheer this weekend as son Alex, who made his pro debut at Millville in 2008, will return home with a factory ride. With the absence of Trey Canard, GEICO Powersports Honda has enlisted the talent of Martin for Saturday's race, giving the young rider his first big break as a pro. Last but not least, Goodrich's Tucker Hibbert looks to take advantage of familiarity and achieve his best result of 2009. One of the world's best snowmobile racers, Hibbert is arguably the most unique dual sport athlete on the planet, competing in two distinctly different disciplines during two polar opposite seasons.

2008 at Spring Creek marked a weekend of champions as both the 450 and 250 class titles were decided in Minnesota. Like he had done so in every race last year, James Stewart swept both 450 Class motos, marking his 10th win of the season and his 20th consecutive moto win. The win clinched his first-ever premier class AMA Pro Motocross championship. While Dungey claimed victory after going 2-1 in last year's 250 Class showdown on the track he grew up racing on as an amateur, it was the hard-charging Ryan Villopoto, whose 1-2 result scored him his third consecutive 250 Class championship.

The increasingly popular Monster Energy Fan Fest will take place at the track on Friday afternoon, beginning at 4 p.m. CT. Rockstar/Makita/Suzuki and its riders Reed, Dungey, and Michael Byrne will be on hand signing autographs while numerous festivities provide a memorable preview to Saturday's action. Additionally, the second round of the FMF 2-Stroke Invitational will take place during intermission on race day with a jam-packed field of experienced and talented riders.

Minnesota-based Shock Doctor, the global brand leader in sports protective gear including the revolutionary Eject Helmet Removal System, will be in attendance at Spring Creek providing demonstrations of all its products to the fans and answering any questions they may have. The Eject System, which provides emergency neck and spine protection after a motorsport crash, is now endorsed by MX Sports for improving safety in amateur and pro racing. Look for the Shock Doctor tent within the pits.

Ticket Info (The lesser value of each ticket represents tickets paid in cash.)

Wed-Sat Tickets
Adults $63/$60
Kids (6-11 years) $48/45
5 and under FREE

Thur-Sat
Adults $63/$60
Kids (6-11 years) $48/$45
5 and under FREE

Fri-Sat
Adults $53/$50
Kids (6-11 years) $38/$35
5 and under FREE

Saturday Only
Adults $38/35
Kids (6-11 years) $28/25
5 and under FREE
Pit Passes $23/$20

-credit: ama

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