Budds Creek Race Report
August 23, 2009 10:14am | by: Steve Cox
When it first started going around that Rockstar/Makita Suzuki’s Chad Reed was thinking about racing the Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship, some people thought he must have been joking. But he wasn’t.
After spending two weeks back home in Australia on a sort of mini-vacation, Reed showed back up in the States less than two weeks from the first national at Glen Helen. He rode outdoors for a couple of days, then proceeded to set the fastest lap time in qualifying at Glen Helen before running near the front most of the day.
But Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Ryan Villopoto won that day convincingly, and after he dropped out of the championship a week later with an injured knee, Reed’s teammate Mike Alessi won a couple nationals before also injuring his knee. All the while, Reed was slowly building momentum, and by round four, he got his first win of the season and took over the points lead.
He hasn’t looked back since.
Coming into Budds Creek, Reed had won the previous three AMA Nationals in a row, and the previous five motos as well, carrying an 82-point lead over Honda Red Bull Racing’s Andrew Short. All of the momentum was in Reed’s favor.
But a bad start in the first moto got Reed going just outside the top 10. He started moving his way up pretty quickly, but the man with the lead, Short’s teammate Davi Millsaps, began pulling away from second-placed Jeff Alessi right away. On lap seven of the 15-lap race, Reed moved into second, and he was a good 20 seconds behind Millsaps. However, he began reeling Millsaps in, and in the last half of the race, he succeeded in catching Millsaps. On the last lap, Reed nearly gets by Millsaps, but Millsaps shuts the door.
Millsaps wins the first outdoor moto of his career with feet to spare over Reed. Yamaha replacement rider Matt Goerke is third with Valli Racing Yamaha’s Kyle Regal fourth, Ivan Tedesco fifth, Michael Byrne sixth, Andrew Short seventh, Nick Wey eighth, Timmy Ferry ninth, and Tyler Bowers tenth.
In moto two, Reed had a bit of an easier time of it after starting much closer to the front and taking his time to pass the leader, Tedesco. However, once by, Reed was gone. Eventually, Canidae/Motosport Kawasaki’s Tommy Hahn fought his way by Tedesco, too, to finish second. Tedesco was third with Regal fourth again. Byrne, Millsaps, Justin Brayton, Ferry, Jake Moss and Short.
With the overall win, and with his closest title rival, Short, finishing poorly on the day, Reed clinched the 2009 450cc Championship with four rounds left to run.
450 O/A:
1. Chad Reed (Suz)
2. Davi Millsaps (Hon)
3. Ivan Tedesco (Hon)
4. Kyle Regal (Yam)
5. Tommy Hahn (Kaw)
6. Michael Byrne (Suz)
7. Timmy Ferry (Kaw)
8. Andrew Short (Hon)
9. Matt Goerke (Yam)
10. James Albertson (Yam)
450 Points (After 10 of 12 rounds):
1. Chad Reed (434/5 wins)
2. Andrew Short (330)
3. Ivan Tedesco (322/1 win)
4. Josh Grant (280/1 win)
5. Michael Byrne (276)
6. Tommy Hahn (229)
7. Justin Brayton (201)
8. Cody Cooper (176)
9. Nick Wey (176)
10. Jimmy Albertson (150)
The 250 class ran second on the day at Budds Creek, and in the first moto, Monster Energy/Pro Circuit Kawasaki’s Jake Weimer got the start over his teammate and points leader Christophe Pourcel and Rockstar/Makita Suzuki’s Ryan Dungey quickly joined the duo at the front. After a few laps, Pourcel made a pass stick on Weimer over the track’s uphill triple. Weimer tried to come back at his teammate right away, and again late in the race, but Pourcel was too good in that moto. Dungey finished third.
In the second moto, though, the skies opened up, and after a false start due to a malfunctioning Monster girl, it was Weimer again with the holeshot on the re-start, although GEICO Powersports Honda’s Brett Metcalfe was quickly by for the lead. Metcalfe led for eight laps before getting passed by Weimer on lap nine just before they threw the red flag, signaling the end of the race due to weather.
Weimer took the second-moto victory over Metcalfe, Pourcel, Dungey, Matt Lemoine and the rest of the field.
With the second-moto victory, Weimer took home his third AMA National victory of the year and pulled to within 10 points of Metcalfe for third in the championship.
By virtue of beating his championship rival Ryan Dungey in both motos, Pourcel now leads the title chase by 13 with two rounds left to run.
250 O/A:
1. Jake Weimer (Kaw)
2. Christophe Pourcel (Kaw)
3. Ryan Dungey (Suz)
4. Justin Barcia (Hon)
5. Austin Stroupe (Kaw)
6. Brett Metcalfe (Hon)
7. Matt Lemoine (Yam)
8. Ryan Sipes (KTM)
9. PJ Larsen (Kaw)
10. Tyla Rattray (Kaw)
250 Points (After 10 of 12 rounds):
1. Christophe Pourcel (432/3 wins)
2. Ryan Dungey (419/4 wins)
3. Brett Metcalfe (312)
4. Jake Weimer (302/3 wins)
5. Tommy Searle (282)
6. Justin Barcia (267)
7. Broc Tickle (242)
8. Blake Wharton (214)
9. Tyla Rattray (196)
10. Kyle Cunningham (174)
After spending two weeks back home in Australia on a sort of mini-vacation, Reed showed back up in the States less than two weeks from the first national at Glen Helen. He rode outdoors for a couple of days, then proceeded to set the fastest lap time in qualifying at Glen Helen before running near the front most of the day.
But Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Ryan Villopoto won that day convincingly, and after he dropped out of the championship a week later with an injured knee, Reed’s teammate Mike Alessi won a couple nationals before also injuring his knee. All the while, Reed was slowly building momentum, and by round four, he got his first win of the season and took over the points lead.
He hasn’t looked back since.
Coming into Budds Creek, Reed had won the previous three AMA Nationals in a row, and the previous five motos as well, carrying an 82-point lead over Honda Red Bull Racing’s Andrew Short. All of the momentum was in Reed’s favor.
But a bad start in the first moto got Reed going just outside the top 10. He started moving his way up pretty quickly, but the man with the lead, Short’s teammate Davi Millsaps, began pulling away from second-placed Jeff Alessi right away. On lap seven of the 15-lap race, Reed moved into second, and he was a good 20 seconds behind Millsaps. However, he began reeling Millsaps in, and in the last half of the race, he succeeded in catching Millsaps. On the last lap, Reed nearly gets by Millsaps, but Millsaps shuts the door.
Millsaps wins the first outdoor moto of his career with feet to spare over Reed. Yamaha replacement rider Matt Goerke is third with Valli Racing Yamaha’s Kyle Regal fourth, Ivan Tedesco fifth, Michael Byrne sixth, Andrew Short seventh, Nick Wey eighth, Timmy Ferry ninth, and Tyler Bowers tenth.
In moto two, Reed had a bit of an easier time of it after starting much closer to the front and taking his time to pass the leader, Tedesco. However, once by, Reed was gone. Eventually, Canidae/Motosport Kawasaki’s Tommy Hahn fought his way by Tedesco, too, to finish second. Tedesco was third with Regal fourth again. Byrne, Millsaps, Justin Brayton, Ferry, Jake Moss and Short.
With the overall win, and with his closest title rival, Short, finishing poorly on the day, Reed clinched the 2009 450cc Championship with four rounds left to run.
450 O/A:
1. Chad Reed (Suz)
2. Davi Millsaps (Hon)
3. Ivan Tedesco (Hon)
4. Kyle Regal (Yam)
5. Tommy Hahn (Kaw)
6. Michael Byrne (Suz)
7. Timmy Ferry (Kaw)
8. Andrew Short (Hon)
9. Matt Goerke (Yam)
10. James Albertson (Yam)
450 Points (After 10 of 12 rounds):
1. Chad Reed (434/5 wins)
2. Andrew Short (330)
3. Ivan Tedesco (322/1 win)
4. Josh Grant (280/1 win)
5. Michael Byrne (276)
6. Tommy Hahn (229)
7. Justin Brayton (201)
8. Cody Cooper (176)
9. Nick Wey (176)
10. Jimmy Albertson (150)
The 250 class ran second on the day at Budds Creek, and in the first moto, Monster Energy/Pro Circuit Kawasaki’s Jake Weimer got the start over his teammate and points leader Christophe Pourcel and Rockstar/Makita Suzuki’s Ryan Dungey quickly joined the duo at the front. After a few laps, Pourcel made a pass stick on Weimer over the track’s uphill triple. Weimer tried to come back at his teammate right away, and again late in the race, but Pourcel was too good in that moto. Dungey finished third.
In the second moto, though, the skies opened up, and after a false start due to a malfunctioning Monster girl, it was Weimer again with the holeshot on the re-start, although GEICO Powersports Honda’s Brett Metcalfe was quickly by for the lead. Metcalfe led for eight laps before getting passed by Weimer on lap nine just before they threw the red flag, signaling the end of the race due to weather.
Weimer took the second-moto victory over Metcalfe, Pourcel, Dungey, Matt Lemoine and the rest of the field.
With the second-moto victory, Weimer took home his third AMA National victory of the year and pulled to within 10 points of Metcalfe for third in the championship.
By virtue of beating his championship rival Ryan Dungey in both motos, Pourcel now leads the title chase by 13 with two rounds left to run.
250 O/A:
1. Jake Weimer (Kaw)
2. Christophe Pourcel (Kaw)
3. Ryan Dungey (Suz)
4. Justin Barcia (Hon)
5. Austin Stroupe (Kaw)
6. Brett Metcalfe (Hon)
7. Matt Lemoine (Yam)
8. Ryan Sipes (KTM)
9. PJ Larsen (Kaw)
10. Tyla Rattray (Kaw)
250 Points (After 10 of 12 rounds):
1. Christophe Pourcel (432/3 wins)
2. Ryan Dungey (419/4 wins)
3. Brett Metcalfe (312)
4. Jake Weimer (302/3 wins)
5. Tommy Searle (282)
6. Justin Barcia (267)
7. Broc Tickle (242)
8. Blake Wharton (214)
9. Tyla Rattray (196)
10. Kyle Cunningham (174)