Southwick Practice Report
Saturday, August 27, 2011 | 12:25 PM
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PrintRound ten of the 2011 Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship is taking place in the sands of Southwick, Massachusetts under some ominous conditions. With the threat of hurricane Irene lurking on the entire east coast—but expected to hit the area on Sunday—the teams and racers were hoping to get the race done with minimal weather issues. And for the most part in the morning practices, the rain fell only gently.
The track itself holds water great—being as how it’s deep sand—but at the same time, the water makes it rougher and deeper. The racers expect to be challenged today and if practice is any indication, it’s going to be quite a race.
The 450 series has Monster Kawasaki’s Ryan Villopoto and Rockstar/Makita Suzuki’s Ryan Dungey separated by just seven points going into this, the tenth of twelve rounds. Those two were going to have to deal with Team TwoTwo’s Chad Reed who’s a former winner here and was quick in the first practice. The track here at Southwick gets rougher and rougher each time so pretty much every rider set their fastest time in the first practices.
As we were saying, the track starts out pretty smooth and the riders in the first unseeded 450 practice benefitted greatly. So great in fact that unknown local rider Michael Sottile clocked the fastest time of the day in the 450 class. In what has to be a career highlight, Sottile will get the first gate pick of the day.
Right behind him was Reed, then Ryan Dungey, hometown kid Justin Barcia fourth and Villopoto in fifth. The times were so tight that there were 14 riders (!) in the same second.
In the 250 class, the track was a little rougher and the unseeded riders headed out after the seeded guys which prevented a “Sottile” from happening. GEICO Honda’s Eli Tomac had the best time followed by past winner Tyla Rattray, Gareth Swaneopol, points leader Dean Wilson and Frenchman Marvin Musquin. In case you’re counting, that’s only one American in the top five.
With their series wrapping up back home, a couple of Canadian champions showed up in a van and put in some good times in the form of 450 rider Colton Facciotti logging the 15th best time and 250 rider Tyler Medaglia ending up 31st. Both guys are going to the gate with decent picks. Tyler’s brother Jeremy, riding a KTM, managed to get the 34th best time.
If the rain holds off, we’re going to be in for a great day of racing here at the ‘Wick. Go Dowd!
450 Times
1- Michael Sottile 1:55.5
2- Chad Reed 1:56.4
3- Ryan Dungey 1:56.9
4- Justin Barcia 1:57.5
5- Ryan Villopoto 1:57.6
6- Mike Alessi 1:57.6
7- Robbie Marshall 1:57.9
8- Mike Picone 1:58.1
9- Kyle Regal 1:58.2
10- Brett Metcalfe 1:58.4
250 Times
1- Eli Tomac 2:00.3
2-Tyla Rattray 2:00.8
3- Gareth Swaneopol 2:01.9
4- Dean Wilson 2:02.1
5- Marvin Musquin 2:02.2
6- Jimmy Decotis 2:02.4
7- Martin Davalos 2:02.5
8-Kyle Cunningham 2:02.5
9- Blake Baggett 2:02.6
10- Broc Tickle 2:02.9
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LETS GET IT ON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Nothing about JD ?
Junkyard Dowd made the field, forget where,but he's in.
Dowd was 29th fastest.
"The riders in the first unseeded 450 practice benefitted greatly. So great in fact that unknown local rider Michael Sottile clocked the fastest time of the day in the 450 class" Yeah, because the factory riders don't have enough benefits as it is. How about giving the guy massive props instead of downplaying it.
Or he can tell it like it is. his job is to report on moto news not boost some kids confidence. anyone that knows moto would realize on a sand track the first guys out are going to have a HUGE advantage time wise. so if he would have made it sound like this kid has a shot at 1st place he wouldnt be correctly relaying the news now would he.
I swear racerx gets worse and worse, give the local kid some love. The guy was haulin ass regardless. Still dedicated to racerx but its definitely not the same as it used to be! Lets go racin!!
Sottile has been fast all year. Glad for him. I remember seeing a video of him were he said all he wants to make his Dad happy, so if his Dad wants him to come in last place that is what he will do. LOL.
Hey jaypal, wonder how much faster he would have been had the guy been on villos,reed, or dungeys bike?
Tell it like it is? This story is about practice, not about the race. Bottom line is the kid was almost a second faster. And as Robbie wrote, he didn't have the HUGE advantage of Reeds, Dungeys, or Poto's bike, nor all the other things that come with factory backing.
I could not believe it when I saw this rider Sottile, a clear Italian last name, on pole in front of all the great.
Michael Sottile will be onto an euro gp team next year, youthstream need their (so-called) US star!
There is no need to downplay Sottile's time in this case. They only ran on the track for 15 minutes so the track isn't beat out of shape between session A and b. Shame he couldn't put it together in the motos. I know he was running 8th in the 1st moto for a while then crashed.
TJ: that retard above you, he has been wandering the forum with multiple names, just offending the riders and showing no appreciation for anybody, leave him alone.
Tyler Medaglia qualified 13th not 31st Steve
Kids a badass! Everyone here on this chat would kill to get P1 in a 450 National against the best riders on the planet!! I don't care what the scenario.
Is Steve going shred Rick Ryan's 87 Daytona win now?
wop is a b@$t@rd c0w@rd!
Fernadel from Mexico (or MOngolia), what a pervert, malicon
Ignorant, what does Benito mean? retard, go pray for Pacho Villa viados