250 Words: Indianapolis
Monday, March 19, 2012 | 11:15 AM
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Mitch Payton’s Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki team embarks on its 22nd season of racing this year, and the sport had changed much thanks to that squad’s influence. It began as team Peak Pro Circuit Honda, and was the first full-factory satellite effort—in 1991, for the first time, Team Honda fielded no 125-class riders and handed the ball to Payton with a goal of nothing less than race wins and championships. And Payton succeeded right out the gate, winning the opening round Orlando SX with Brian Swink, and taking both the 125 East and West Region Titles that year.
By 1993, Honda wanted back into the 125 ranks with its factory team, and Payton moved to Kawasaki. But the PC effort often competed alongside the factory Kawasaki team which also fielded 125 riders. Only recently has Pro Circuit effort served as the exclusive home of the KX small-bore team.
Following the phenomenal success of that team, other brands have followed suit. The long-running Factory Connection Honda team (aka GEICO Honda) is Honda’s top Lites team today, but at times the factory has waded back into the 250F waters. Yamaha farmed its 125 show to Yamaha of Troy for some time, then brought a Lites effort back in house for a bit before handing things over to Star/Valli Yamaha. And Suzuki, once a dominator of 125 supercross through the factory team, has been searching for a PC-like partner for some time.
Suzuki handed the keys to their factory Lites effort over to the Rockstar team last year, and Wharton has delivered the combination's first win.
Fredrickson photo
Last year, Rockstar Suzuki became Suzuki’s official Lites team, but the squad didn’t get the results to match up to Suzuki’s past in the class (in 2009, for example, Ryan Dungey ruled the Lites roost indoors and out). Certainly it was a trying season at times, but the squad kept digging, kept working and kept improving. Through the efforts of Team Owner Bobby Hewitt, Team Manager Dave Gowland and plenty of others, things started looking up. Finally, at Indy, Blake Wharton collected the team’s first win as the official factory Suzuki Lites program. They’ve got a long way to go to match the success of the Pro Circuit legacy, but it’s a start.
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Good to see someone else take the top spot and all the Barcia undeafeted series is out the window.....Who knows, maybe Barcia will finish off the top spot the remainder of the series....Durham will take a win here soon....
Durham has done very well so far, Better than I though he would.
PS> watch out KilloMoto your going to be called a JB hater like I have!!
"in 2009, for example, Ryan Dungey ruled the Lites roost indoors and out"
All right Pourcel fans, time to jump all over that statement.
Whartons riding really well this year. If he cuts his hair he may be able to shave a couple 1/10ths off his lap times. I think him and the Suzuki are a good match
Forget about PC. That is the Mt. Everest of satellite teams. If (corporate) Suzuki can keep their heads out of their keisters long enough to take a long-term approach with ANYTHING, they should stick with this program. Parents of young phenoms don't think about signing little Johnny throttletwister to a team that's not established...........duh. Suzuki really should look into the sustainability of a satellite team for the long-term future because they're not doing squat in the premeire class anyway. Building a strong foundation doesn't start at the top.....
@BillC, its different when you say yourself that you dont like him, you called him a punk, and you have said that you wished someone would punt him off the track. And he hasnt made a dirty move in supercross for the last 2 seasons.. You truly do hate the kid Bill.
HAHAHAHA back at it hey Therealmofo... Watch the heat race again and listen to what he says after it, cuz somone rode hard with him he crys about it.
I want to know if Malcolm Stewart is still a title contender this year like the media protrayed him all season long??? He is in 9th place in the standings I think, even behind Jake Canada who gets NO PRESS at all...
I watched the heat race several times, big freaking deal. He came over to protect the inside in the next turn.. You raced Bill. you know that was NOT a dangerous or bad move, you are exagerating it because its Barcia.. Stewart did the same to Reed in Jacksonville and Reed got ticked, and you defended Stewart for that move.. So why the change of heart here??? Because it was Barcia??
Blake reminds me of Billy "Sugar Bear" Grossi from the 70's, he too was a guy who went to his own beat...Cudo's to the Tough Texan for puttin in all the hard work, coming back from both shoulders being fixed...I like his quiet confidence, he does not seem to be foolin around like he used to...Maturity can really help a rider find the focus it takes to win consistantly..Good Luck Mr Wharton !!!!
hey REALMOFO. why did barcia take out roczen in the first practice? Is that not dirty enough. remember when he slammed wharton in 09 southwick:? they were teamates too
@Organdonor--Remember when Wharton knocked Barcia clean off the track in a heat race last year?? I do, dude it happens, and you are talking about Barcia/Wharton from 2009?? I think the kid has grown up since.. But he is the cream of the crop right now, he is kicking everyone elses as$ too. And some guys just cant handle it. I think the kid is exciting and fast and a joy to watch charge the track.. He got a podium on his worse day, spells doom for the rest of the class.
RealMofo, I haven't seen anything recently about anyone calling Malcolm Stewart a title contender for several weeks. They called him that at the beginning, because he was, as were a lot of other guys. They called Cunningham and Bogle title contenders at the beginning of the year too, I don't see you getting upset about that. Just because you aren't reading what you want to hear doesn't mean there's some kind of a conspiracy theory
Barcia did not ride dirty in his heat race at all, he caught wharton passed cleanly wharton tried to get him back and Barcia slowly took him to the side to seal the deal, he was clearly faster as he then left him. If that was dirty he would and could have cross jumped him and put him down, just good racing.
With you BillC, Barcia is as arrogant as he is fast. All his moves are close to dirty or dirty, in the heat ok he took his line but he knew he was pushing Wharton out.
In Bercy he did act like a little spoil boy for a lot less than that !
Can't wait to see him in the 450 class with the big boys...he gonna have some crys quite often !
"in 2009, for example, Ryan Dungey ruled the Lites roost indoors and out"
Thanks MX Bob...no comment, it's just a memory issue...lol
Again guys I did not say the move was bad all I am saying is it was worce than the 800/K-dub thing everyone is pissed about. I watched them both mant times again last night.
. Everyone loves K-Dub so there mad about that but if you watch the vid Mike was in the raceing line the whole time, no one was going to the left of where he was, K-Dub tried to come up the right side and it did not work that was not Mikes fault but with JB you cane see him cut right across the track, even RC, and Jeff were like wow he is using the hole track.Nothing wrong with either move but if I had to pick JB's was dirtyer for sure. But its racing. I was more shocked by what he said after the race, saying Whartoin was trying to be the cool guy?? WTF is that??
Barcia has the typical bully mentality, dish it out, cry when it comes back around. His riding isn't always dirty but it's aggressive, and he isn't going to make it easier for himself when every pass he makes is a huge "f*ck you" to whoever he is overtaking.
@piball, I dont see those guys you mentioned getting high dollar chothing deals, or magazine covers, and seeing them in clothing ads in magazines and written about constantly by the media, and Malcoln still is. I dont have anything against the kid, he isnt arrogant or anything. I just think there are more deserving guys who arent getting noticed like they should be and he is based on his brother, or his race, because they think that will "bring more fans to the sport".. Its just wrong.. And the guys you mentioned are ahead of him in points.. He didnt even make the main in Indy..
@Retardcross, it seems you are exaggerating a little. I havent seen Barcia do ANYTHING dirty all season.. Nothing.. If you arent a fan thats fine. But no reason to lie about the kid..And ALL THE TOP GUYS ARE AGGRESSIVE.. I dont see anyone complaining about the tough pass RV1 put on Metcalfe in Indy.. It was more aggressive than anything I saw Barcia do there..
How about Kelly Smith making the main with kids bouncing off of him left and right in the LCQ.
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