North Racing Incorporated Southwick Race Report
September 1, 2010, 3:11pm
North Racing’s "Support Our Troops" effort more successful on Vendor Row than on the track
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Southwick, MA – With the United States Marine Corps in tow, North Racing Incorporated (NRi) headed in to Southwick with much anticipation. The crowd warmly welcomed the U.S. Marine Corp recruiters and their space on Vendor Row was packed for most of the day with young men and women testing their strength and endurance on the Marine’s pull-up bar. The race, however, presented mechanical problems and a disappointing day for NRi.
In his usual, confident fashion, NRi’s Robby Marshall was mapping the race out in his head when he arrived in the pits on Friday afternoon. He pictured a strong shot out of the gate and a big lead before battling it out with point leader and Rockstar/Makita Suzuki rider Ryan Dungey for the win. Robby turned out half right, as Dungey claimed a dominant victory as he head’s toward his second national title.
As for Marshall, he ran strong in the top ten throughout the first moto and finished in ninth place. In the second moto, Marshall again found himself in ninth place by the end of the first lap. He advanced to eighth before experiencing mechanical problems that forced him out of the race, finishing in 33rd and earning a 15th overall in the 450 class.
"We just need to start seeing some consistency from Robby," said NRi Team Owner David Briggs. "He has shown his ability and proven that he can run up front with the best riders in the world. But with bike issues at Unadilla and now at Southwick we need to ensure that he finishes where he belongs among the top ten."
NRi’s Jimmy Decotis mimicked his strong finish last week at Unadilla with another 17th overall at Southwick. On his home track, Decotis ran among the top fifteen for all of the first moto before running out of gas and finishing 20th. He continued strong in the second moto and placed a more respectable 14th.
"Running out of gas was just plain embarrassing," said Decotis. "With the United States Marine Corps present for our Support Our Troops effort I was really shooting for a top five finish."
NRi’s rookie rider Jason Brooks finished 20th and 29th respectively, and ended the day with an overall 26rd overall finish. Brooks fell lap eight of the second moto and fell to the back of the pack.
"Jason went down hard in the second moto," said Team Manager John Gaumond. "He twisted his front end pretty good, but still finished the race strong. Toughness is one of the qualities we seek out in our riders and Jason exhibited plenty today."
Loretta Lynn graduate AJ Catanzaro followed up his first pro event by running in 18th place in the first moto. He was making his way through the pack when a hard crash put him in 36th place. Catanzaro’s went for x-rays to ensure no broken bones and finished 22nd in the second moto with bruised ribs, earning a 31st overall for the day.
"AJ’s finishes do not reflect how well he ran today," said Gaumond. "As a team, we cannot wait to see what our two rookies (Catanzaro and Brooks) do at Steel City next weekend."
The one bright spot on the track for North Racing on Saturday was that they were able to accomplish the same rare feat at Southwick that they achieved last week at Unadilla by qualifying all of their riders. Such success usually eludes privateer teams and is typically reserved for the factory teams. On Saturday, Jimmy Decotis, Robby Marshall, AJ Catanzaro and Jason Brooks all made the big show at Southwick and all earned respectable finishes. Each rider would like to extend a sincere thanks to their sponsors and supporters.
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About North Racing Incorporated
North Racing Incorporated (NRi) is a leading experiential marketing agency that specializes in the sport of dirt bike racing. Headquartered in North Attleboro, MA, NRi pairs brands with teams to ignite emotional bonds between fans and brands. Currently, NRi fields professional teams in the Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship and the Monster Energy AMA Supercross Series. To discuss partnership opportunities please email sponsorship@northracing.com or contact Adam Noble at 508-954-8811.
