Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki Report

CARLSBAD, Calif., (April 20, 2009) – Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki’s Ryan Morais scored yet another runner-up position in the WSX Lites championship chase – his fifth 2nd place podium finish in seven races – and, coupled with teammate Jake Weimer, gives the Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki team an amazing 11 podium finishes this year in WSX Lites racing action on the Monster Energy AMA Supercross, an FIM World Championship, tour.

 

In terms of the WSX title chase, Weimer, who had to charge from mid pack after the start and managed to rally all the way back to 4th place by race’s end, dropped six points to WSX championship overall leader and race winner, Ryan Dungey, and now trails Dungey by nine points (160-151) with one race remaining on the WSX championship schedule.

 

Both Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki racers opened the qualifying practice sessions riding well and were among a handful of riders within the 56-second lap time window. Scoring good gate picks for their qualifying efforts, Morais and Weimer came out of the first heat race in 1st and 2nd, respectively, to transfer to the Lites main.

 

When the gate dropped on the  main, both riders appeared to get out well, but when the pack tightened to make the first turn Weimer had to check up just a bit – which put him, initially, outside the top ten while Morais got away clean in 3rd.

 

Weimer, up to 8th after the end of the first lap, charged hard early - passing Ryan Sipes and Jimmy Albertson to get to 6th place by lap five. But the Seattle track, which was soft due to rain earlier in the week, rutted up bad and would negate any miracle charges towards the front. So Weimer had to be content with salvaging 4th place points rather than auguring in trying to catch Morais and Dungey.

 

“I’ve won three Lites main events this year and have to win another in Utah next week,” said Weimer. “Outside that there’s nothing else I can do to help decide the championship.”

 

Morais benefitted from an excellent start and put his Pro Circuit-tuned KX250F in 3rd place early, then passed Jake Moss for 2nd place on lap three. Morais, who’s currently 3rd overall in the WSX points chase, would click off consistently fast laps from that point on, staying about four seconds behind Dungy and holding off a charge from defending ESX champ, Trey Canard, to take 2nd at Seattle.

 

“The Seattle track was pretty tough to pass on,” said Morais. “I was fortunate to get a good start, then made a move into 2nd place early. From there I worked to keep Ryan (Dungey) in sight, but wasn’t able to make up the gap to catch him.”

 

Morais moved to within five points of Weimer (151-146) and, combined with Dungey, will decide the overall WSX podium next weekend based on how they finish at Salt Lake City.

 

Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki’s Weimer and Morais return to WSX Lites action for one final round in the 2009 WSX points chase this weekend, April 25th, at Salt Lake City’s Rice-Eccles Stadium.