Rockstar Makita Suzuki Houston Report
January 26, 2009, 11:20am
Rockstar Makita Suzuki Factory Racing’s Chad Reed continues to lead the AMA Supercross Championship points chase after finishing an impressive second place at Saturday night’s Houston, Texas, event at Reliant Stadium. Two-time and defending AMA Supercross Champion Reed won his heat race and then overcame a rough start to finish second in the 20-lap main event. Rockstar Makita Suzuki teammate Mike Alessi, meanwhile, celebrated his strongest results of the season at Houston. Alessi finished fourth in his heat race and then got the holeshot in the main event, where he eventually brought home a seventh-place result. Finally, Rockstar Makita Suzuki’s Michael Byrne did not race, due to an injury sustained in the off-season. He hopes to be back racing as soon as possible.
In the Supercross Lites class, Rockstar Makita Suzuki’s Nico Izzi picked up a podium position in the season-opening round of the East Coast series. The 2008 AMA Supercross/Motocross Rookie of the Year finished third in his heat race and then third in the main event at Houston on his Rockstar Makita Suzuki RM-Z250.
Chad Reed:
“It was tough for me this weekend, I don’t know why, so to get second is awesome. It was really a struggle all weekend. I didn’t have the groove and I was pushing it, and I fell a few times in practice, so it wasn’t for lack of trying. But to get on the podium and to get second is awesome, considering how I felt out there. Basically, I’m just trying to get out there on my Rockstar Makita Suzuki RM-Z450 and do what I can do and try to get on the podium… I’m happy that we didn’t lose any ground this weekend, even though we struggled a bit.”
Mike Alessi:
“This was a good weekend. We are steadily improving with every race, getting a little more speed, a little more confidence, a little bit more aggression. In practice, I was in the top-10 times. In the heat race, I ended up fourth – I bettered last week by one position. In the main, I got the holeshot. My Rockstar Makita Suzuki RM-Z450 got me off to a great start and I was riding up front, battling with the top guys and then I was running sixth for most of the race. I made a mistake at the end, though, and I ended up seventh. Like I’ve been saying, I’m working on steady improvement and getting better every week.”
Nico Izzi:
“My day was pretty good, though it started out a little rough. I had a pretty good get-off in the first practice and I had to regroup from that. I came out in the second practice and put in some good laps. In the heat race, I was able to work my way up into third. Then, in the main event, I got a pretty good start on the Rockstar Makita Suzuki RM-Z250 and was in second and put in about eight laps. But then I made a mistake and moved back to third. I was struggling to get back into it but I held on for a podium position.”
Rockstar Makita Suzuki Factory Racing will race next at AT&T Park in San Francisco, California, on Saturday, Jan. 31, 2009.
Chad Reed, Rockstar Makita Suzuki Factory Racing RM-Z450, #1
2nd Place – Houston Supercross
1st Place – Overall Championship Points Standings
Mike Alessi, Rockstar Makita Suzuki Factory Racing RM-Z450, #800
7th Place – Houston Supercross
9th Place – Overall Championship Points Standings
Nico Izzi, Rockstar Makita Suzuki Factory Racing RM-Z250, #20
3rd Place – Houston Supercross Lites
3rd Place -- Overall Championship Points
AMA Supercross Top 10 Finishers:
1. James Stewart, Yamaha
2. Chad Reed, Rockstar Makita Suzuki Factory Racing
3. Ryan Villopoto, Kawasaki
4. Andrew Short, Honda
5. Josh Grant, Yamaha
6. Ivan Tedesco, Honda
7. Mike Alessi, Rockstar Makita Suzuki Factory Racing (Holeshot)
8. Tim Ferry, Kawasaki
9. Kevin Windham, Honda (Holeshot)
10. Davi Millsaps, Honda
AMA Supercross Lites Top 10 Finishers:
1. Christophe Pourcel, Kawasaki (Holeshot)
2. Brett Metcalfe, Honda
3. Nico Izzi, Rockstar Makita Suzuki Factory Racing
4. Austin Stroupe, Kawasaki
5. Blake Wharton, Honda
6. Wil Hahn, KTM
7. Martin Davalos, KTM
8. Darryn Durham, Yamaha
9. Daniel Blair, Honda
10. Matthew Goerke, Suzuki
In the Supercross Lites class, Rockstar Makita Suzuki’s Nico Izzi picked up a podium position in the season-opening round of the East Coast series. The 2008 AMA Supercross/Motocross Rookie of the Year finished third in his heat race and then third in the main event at Houston on his Rockstar Makita Suzuki RM-Z250.
Chad Reed:
“It was tough for me this weekend, I don’t know why, so to get second is awesome. It was really a struggle all weekend. I didn’t have the groove and I was pushing it, and I fell a few times in practice, so it wasn’t for lack of trying. But to get on the podium and to get second is awesome, considering how I felt out there. Basically, I’m just trying to get out there on my Rockstar Makita Suzuki RM-Z450 and do what I can do and try to get on the podium… I’m happy that we didn’t lose any ground this weekend, even though we struggled a bit.”
Mike Alessi:
“This was a good weekend. We are steadily improving with every race, getting a little more speed, a little more confidence, a little bit more aggression. In practice, I was in the top-10 times. In the heat race, I ended up fourth – I bettered last week by one position. In the main, I got the holeshot. My Rockstar Makita Suzuki RM-Z450 got me off to a great start and I was riding up front, battling with the top guys and then I was running sixth for most of the race. I made a mistake at the end, though, and I ended up seventh. Like I’ve been saying, I’m working on steady improvement and getting better every week.”
Nico Izzi:
“My day was pretty good, though it started out a little rough. I had a pretty good get-off in the first practice and I had to regroup from that. I came out in the second practice and put in some good laps. In the heat race, I was able to work my way up into third. Then, in the main event, I got a pretty good start on the Rockstar Makita Suzuki RM-Z250 and was in second and put in about eight laps. But then I made a mistake and moved back to third. I was struggling to get back into it but I held on for a podium position.”
Rockstar Makita Suzuki Factory Racing will race next at AT&T Park in San Francisco, California, on Saturday, Jan. 31, 2009.
Chad Reed, Rockstar Makita Suzuki Factory Racing RM-Z450, #1
2nd Place – Houston Supercross
1st Place – Overall Championship Points Standings
Mike Alessi, Rockstar Makita Suzuki Factory Racing RM-Z450, #800
7th Place – Houston Supercross
9th Place – Overall Championship Points Standings
Nico Izzi, Rockstar Makita Suzuki Factory Racing RM-Z250, #20
3rd Place – Houston Supercross Lites
3rd Place -- Overall Championship Points
AMA Supercross Top 10 Finishers:
1. James Stewart, Yamaha
2. Chad Reed, Rockstar Makita Suzuki Factory Racing
3. Ryan Villopoto, Kawasaki
4. Andrew Short, Honda
5. Josh Grant, Yamaha
6. Ivan Tedesco, Honda
7. Mike Alessi, Rockstar Makita Suzuki Factory Racing (Holeshot)
8. Tim Ferry, Kawasaki
9. Kevin Windham, Honda (Holeshot)
10. Davi Millsaps, Honda
AMA Supercross Lites Top 10 Finishers:
1. Christophe Pourcel, Kawasaki (Holeshot)
2. Brett Metcalfe, Honda
3. Nico Izzi, Rockstar Makita Suzuki Factory Racing
4. Austin Stroupe, Kawasaki
5. Blake Wharton, Honda
6. Wil Hahn, KTM
7. Martin Davalos, KTM
8. Darryn Durham, Yamaha
9. Daniel Blair, Honda
10. Matthew Goerke, Suzuki
