Team Violation1.com/Shea Racing Race Report: Seattle
April 20, 2011 4:50pm
SEATTLE – Team Violation1.com/Shea Racing/Travisa/National Switchgear, powered by Munn Racing KTM, was ready for a return to the West Region of Monster Energy AMA Supercross, an FIM Championship. While its East Region Lites athletes were battling at stadiums during the past seven weeks, West Region rider Casey Hinson was practicing in hopes to make another main event. Tevin Tapia was healing his injured wrist in preparation to finally make his debut for the team. He did so at Qwest Field in Seattle and proved he was worth the wait by earning a spot in the main event directly from a heat race.
The AMA Supercross track in Seattle is notorious for mud and ruts. The race on Saturday, April 16 was no different as the track formed deep ruts. Even though there was no rain, the dirt was still very slick. The conditions made for slightly reduced lap times versus other stadium rounds. The Dirt Wurx crew were superb at addressing the ruts and slick dirt all day long and kept the Qwest Field track in a safe condition.
Team Violation1.com/Shea Racing/Travisa/National Switchgear’s Tapia on his #70 KTM 250 SX-F race bike was lined up for Lites heat race number one. Tapia had a top ten start off the gate and was soon in the running for a transfer spot to the main event thanks to his technical riding skills and his Eleven 10 Mods/DR.D-powered KTM. Tapia ran as high as seventh in the heat race showing that he did not lose any of his form while off for the entire season. At the checkers, he crossed the finish line jump in ninth to go directly to the main event.
Shea Racing’s Hinson qualified for the night program. However, he did not race. During practice Hinson crashed hard over a triple, hitting his head on the handlebars. As a safety precaution, the Asterisk Mobile Medical Team pulled Hinson from the race since his helmet was damaged due to the impact.
Twenty riders were lined up for the AMA Supercross Lites main event at Qwest Field. Team Violation1.com/Shea Racing/Travisa/National Switchgear’s Tapia in his purple Fly Racing Evolution gear pulled up to the gate. When it dropped, he had a top-15 start thanks to gearing supplied by SuperSprox and IRIS Chains. Tapia was ready to ride hard and smart for the entire 15 laps. It was the roughest stadium track in the series to date. Tapia, relying on his conditioning, hung right in there, becoming one of the fastest 20 Lites riders in the nation on Saturday night. At the finish line, he crossed in 20th place.
“It’s great to be back on the West Coast but it was a brutal track,” said Tim Shea, team manager. “The team and Casey expected he would easily transfer to the main event and be right in there in the top 15. Not so tonight – we understand the medical team was protecting him. We are pumped for Tevin. He came out in the heat race like he has been competing in AMA Supercross all year. It’s a huge accomplishment, in my view, for Tevin to finish anywhere in the main after a wrist injury and on this tough track.”
The team, along with the entire series, will take a much-needed week off this weekend. Then, Team Voilation1.com/Shea Racing/Travisa/National Switchgear will head to Salt Lake City, Utah for the penultimate round of AMA Supercross.
Shea added, “Our riders need this break to rest and for all of us to spend some downtime with our families. We’ve been on the road for 15 straight weekends. Our team and the season-long journey has only been possible due to support of our sponsors National Switchgear, Travisa, Violation Goggles, Munn Racing KTM and all our product sponsors including Power Bar, FLY Racing, DeCal Works, DR.D, Enzo Suspension, Maxima Racing Oils and DT-1 Filers.”
After the weekend off, Team Violation1.com/Shea Racing/Travisa/National Switchgear, powered by Munn Racing KTM, heads to round 16 of Monster Energy AMA Supercross on Saturday, April 30 at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City, Utah. This will be the penultimate round of the AMA Supercross Lites West Region. Fans come out to see athletes Tevin Tapia #70 and Casey Hinson #149 in their FLY Racing Evolution gear and Violation Goggles on DeCal Works-emblazoned KTM 250 SX-F race bikes. During the pit party stop by the team’s purple and yellow semi hauler to meet the riders and the Violation Goggles girls. The Supercross class will be broadcast on CBS at 12 noon EST on Sunday, May 1. The Supercross Lites class will be on SPEED at 6 p.m. EST on Sunday, May 1. Keep posted to the team at www.sheamoto.com.
The AMA Supercross track in Seattle is notorious for mud and ruts. The race on Saturday, April 16 was no different as the track formed deep ruts. Even though there was no rain, the dirt was still very slick. The conditions made for slightly reduced lap times versus other stadium rounds. The Dirt Wurx crew were superb at addressing the ruts and slick dirt all day long and kept the Qwest Field track in a safe condition.
Team Violation1.com/Shea Racing/Travisa/National Switchgear’s Tapia on his #70 KTM 250 SX-F race bike was lined up for Lites heat race number one. Tapia had a top ten start off the gate and was soon in the running for a transfer spot to the main event thanks to his technical riding skills and his Eleven 10 Mods/DR.D-powered KTM. Tapia ran as high as seventh in the heat race showing that he did not lose any of his form while off for the entire season. At the checkers, he crossed the finish line jump in ninth to go directly to the main event.
Shea Racing’s Hinson qualified for the night program. However, he did not race. During practice Hinson crashed hard over a triple, hitting his head on the handlebars. As a safety precaution, the Asterisk Mobile Medical Team pulled Hinson from the race since his helmet was damaged due to the impact.
Twenty riders were lined up for the AMA Supercross Lites main event at Qwest Field. Team Violation1.com/Shea Racing/Travisa/National Switchgear’s Tapia in his purple Fly Racing Evolution gear pulled up to the gate. When it dropped, he had a top-15 start thanks to gearing supplied by SuperSprox and IRIS Chains. Tapia was ready to ride hard and smart for the entire 15 laps. It was the roughest stadium track in the series to date. Tapia, relying on his conditioning, hung right in there, becoming one of the fastest 20 Lites riders in the nation on Saturday night. At the finish line, he crossed in 20th place.
“It’s great to be back on the West Coast but it was a brutal track,” said Tim Shea, team manager. “The team and Casey expected he would easily transfer to the main event and be right in there in the top 15. Not so tonight – we understand the medical team was protecting him. We are pumped for Tevin. He came out in the heat race like he has been competing in AMA Supercross all year. It’s a huge accomplishment, in my view, for Tevin to finish anywhere in the main after a wrist injury and on this tough track.”
The team, along with the entire series, will take a much-needed week off this weekend. Then, Team Voilation1.com/Shea Racing/Travisa/National Switchgear will head to Salt Lake City, Utah for the penultimate round of AMA Supercross.
Shea added, “Our riders need this break to rest and for all of us to spend some downtime with our families. We’ve been on the road for 15 straight weekends. Our team and the season-long journey has only been possible due to support of our sponsors National Switchgear, Travisa, Violation Goggles, Munn Racing KTM and all our product sponsors including Power Bar, FLY Racing, DeCal Works, DR.D, Enzo Suspension, Maxima Racing Oils and DT-1 Filers.”
After the weekend off, Team Violation1.com/Shea Racing/Travisa/National Switchgear, powered by Munn Racing KTM, heads to round 16 of Monster Energy AMA Supercross on Saturday, April 30 at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City, Utah. This will be the penultimate round of the AMA Supercross Lites West Region. Fans come out to see athletes Tevin Tapia #70 and Casey Hinson #149 in their FLY Racing Evolution gear and Violation Goggles on DeCal Works-emblazoned KTM 250 SX-F race bikes. During the pit party stop by the team’s purple and yellow semi hauler to meet the riders and the Violation Goggles girls. The Supercross class will be broadcast on CBS at 12 noon EST on Sunday, May 1. The Supercross Lites class will be on SPEED at 6 p.m. EST on Sunday, May 1. Keep posted to the team at www.sheamoto.com.