Tickle Captures First-Career Championship

CORONA, Calif. (May 9, 2011) - Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki’s Broc Tickle earned his first-career championship after an exciting AMA Supercross LItes, Western Region main event at Sam Boyd Stadium in Las Vegas. His second-place finish in the race put him on top of the standings by six points. Western Region teammates Tyla Rattray and Josh Hansen finished the night in sixth and 10th, respectively. The AMA Supercross LItes, Eastern Region main event also treated fans to an exciting race as Blake Baggett came from behind to earn his second win of the season. His Eastern Region teammate Dean Wilson finished just off the podium in fourth. The East/West Shootout race saw Wilson again take fourth, Tickle finishing 10th, Rattray in 11th, and Baggett ending the night in 12th.

The AMA Supercross Lites, Western Region championship has been one that Tickle had dreamt about since he was a young amateur racer. His consistency all season long put him in the position of collecting his first title and with a late-race pass for second; he secured the No. 1 plate for the first time in his career.

“All of this doesn’t even seem real,” said Tickle. “I’ve seriously dreamed about winning this championship since I was young and racing amateurs. I don’t think it will hit me even when I see the No. 1 plate on the door of the semi. I knew I could win the championship coming into the season, but I had to go through a lot to get here. Between struggling to get my first win and then breaking my collarbone, it has been a championship that could have easily gotten away from me. I’m just very thankful to the whole team for constantly reminding me that I am capable of winning.”

With the championship no longer in his grasp, Baggett knew there was one thing he could do to turn heads and that was to win the final main event of the season. With a decent start, he worked his way close to the leader and made the pass in the final laps of the race to capture his second win of the season.

“It’s great to go out with a win,” said Baggett. “After a few laps, I knew I just had to be patient and it ended up paying off. I found a clean line to pass and took it. It’s been a hard season, but ending it with a win is pretty special. I think it will definitely help my confidence going into the outdoors.”

Wilson found himself working his way through the pack in both the Eastern Region main event and the East/West Shootout race, but was able to push his way through the field and finished just shy of the podium.

“I definitely felt like I could have won tonight, but I wasn’t able to get a good enough start to put me up there,” said Wilson. “My season wasn’t the best this year, but I feel like I learned a lot from it. The person that was the most consistent won the championship and I just have to remember that next year when I come out swinging.”

With his first supercross season now in the books, Rattray was able to look back and see how far he has come since he started riding the indoor tracks. His sixth-place finish in the Western Region main event put him seventh in the overall standings.

“I had a lot of fun this season and really learned a lot,” said Rattray. “I am really thankful to the team for sticking behind me even when I had to sit out a race. Supercross is a lot different from motocross and it took some time to get it down, but I think I could come out pretty strong next year after getting one year under my belt. Now I’m excited that we get to go back outdoors and race where I feel the most comfortable.”

As a championship contender throughout the season, Hansen was able to realize his ability both physically and mentally. He raced with a broken hand in Anaheim and a re-injured hand in the final three races of the season. With a season-high three wins in the AMA Supercross Lites, Western Region class, he was able to finish third in the point standings.

“I had to overcome a lot this year and I think I became mentally stronger than I have ever been,” said Hansen. “It was tough to see the championship slip away, but overall this season I am happy with the rides I put in. I didn’t know that I could ride with a broken hand or a re-injured hand. I learned a lot from all the people around me and really want to be able to get back out and ride again next year.”

With the supercross season finished, the Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki team will have one weekend off to make final preparations for the first AMA Motocross Championship race. The first race of the 12-round series will take place on May 21 at Hangtown MX in Sacramento, Calif.