No better place to celebrate America’s birthday than at the tremendous RedBud Track N Trail facility in Buchanan, Michigan and that’s exactly where round six of the 2011 Lucas Oil AMA National Championship is being held. What some say is the crown jewel of the series, the track is certainly one of the favorites of many riders and seeing as how we’re reaching the halfway point of the series with this race, things are starting to get interesting.
Hit by rains all week and definitely a little sloppy in the first set of practices, the track started to come around by the time the seeded 450 riders went out there. The crew did a great job in pushing the slop off and if the weather holds up (the call was for a chance of storms in the afternoon) things will be epic for the motos.
The first practice times didn’t hold up as the best ones as the track came around and got better and better. With live TV being a factor, the order of the classes are switched today with the 250’s going first followed by the 450’s and then the WMX.
Needing to make an impact after his worst race of the year, Monster Energy Pro Circuit’s Tyla Rattray had an impressive second practice, one in which he was over a second faster than the next rider. GEICO Honda’s Justin Barcia was next and then the red plate holder and Rattray’s teammate Dean Wilson filled out the top three. Privateer Nico Izzi was fast with his 2:21:4 and ARMA Energy's Malcolm Stewart rounded out the top five.
Unfortunately for GEICO Honda’s Eli Tomac, he crashed hard off Larocco’s Leap and will be out for the day as he reported having chest pains.
In the 450’s, it was again the second practice times holding up as much better and Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Ryan Villopoto, like the guy that has been staying at his house Rattray, was almost a whole second faster than the next rider. RV is obviously feeling it today as he was the fastest in the first practice as well. Second place is the veteran Honda rider Kevin Windham, with series point leader Chad Reed finishing in third. The rider that won last week, Suzuki’s Ryan Dungey was an uncharacteristic seventh overall. Perhaps Ryan was unable to get a clean lap in and something tells us that he’ll be much better in the race.
250 Practice Times
1- Tyla Rattray 2:18.1
2- Justin Barcia 2:19.4
3- Dean Wilson 2:19.5
4- Nico Izzi 2:21:4
5- Malcolm Stewart 2:21:8
6- Blake Baggett 2:22:1
7- Alex Martin 2:22:5
8- Martin Davalos 2:22:7
9- Broc Tickle 2:23:0
10- Ryan Sipes 2:23:2
450 Practice Times
1- Ryan Villopoto 2:15.9
2- Kevin Windham 2:16.8
3- Chad Reed 2:17.4
4- Mike Alessi 2:17:5
5- Brett Metcalfe 2:18:0
6- Davi Millsaps 2:18:0
7- Ryan Dungey 2:19:1
8- Andrew Short 2:19:9
9- Josh Grant 2:20:1
10-Jake Weimer 2:20:1
