Monster Energy Race Report: Unadilla

CORONA, Calif. - Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki’s Dean Wilson broke through to the top of the podium with his first overall win of the season at Unadilla in New Berlin, N.Y. during the ninth round of the AMA Motocross Championship series. There was no question that he was the overall winner as he put together two moto wins aboard his Pro Circuit-prepared Kawasaki KX250F. Teammate Blake Baggett came back in both motos to capture the runner-up spot with a 2-3 moto result, while Tyla Rattray and Broc Tickle didn’t find the luck of their other two teammates, finishing 11th and 18th, respectively.

The current points leader had shown he was consistent all season, but had yet to capture the moto combination that would lead a weekend victory until Unadilla. Both motos looked identical as he took over the lead on the second lap and rode steadily to victory.

“It’s been a little hard this season to not have a win under my belt, but I finally got that monkey off my back,” said Wilson. “I think the difference today was that I was having more fun out there and really being able to enjoy racing. I love whipping it off jumps and giving the fans something to cheer about. This year has been good so far and getting two moto wins helped out the points lead.”

Making his way through the pack in both motos, Baggett was able to make smart passes that put him on the podium once again. In the first moto, he overcame two small crashes to make his way up to second, while the second moto saw him move from outside the top-10 to finish third for second overall.

“It’s coming down to the wire and I need to step up and get some more moto wins in order to have a chance at beating my teammate,” said Baggett. “I have the most wins out of anyone this season, but the few races I was off haven’t helped me pressure him for the championship like I would have wanted. You never know what can happen so I’ll be fighting until the end.”

After a great first moto coming through the pack for third, Rattray was forced to retire early from the second moto after a crash on the opening lap. He was uninjured in the crash, and his 3-36 moto result pushed him just outside the top-10 to finish 11th overall.

“Today was pretty hard because I worked hard in the first moto to put myself in good position to keep second in the points,” said Rattray. “Then I just made a mistake and crashed in the second moto and basically took myself out of the championship race. I know it’s not over, which is why I’ll be going after more wins to finish out the season at least on top of the podium.”

Not able to catch a break at the upstate New York track, Tickle still was able to show his perseverance throughout the day. A collision with another rider forced him to retire early from the first moto, and his never-give-up attitude pushed him through the pack in the second moto. He charged from outside the top-20 to finish 13th for 18th overall.

“I can’t seem to get a break during the outdoors season,” said Tickle. “I know I’m riding well, but random incidents throughout the season have pushed out of top-10 contention. When I have two solid motos, I know that I can get a good result at the end. I’ll be working hard over the next two weeks to make sure I have done all that I can to get the results I know I deserve.”

The AMA Motocross Championship series will take a weekend break before resuming August 27 at MX-338 in Southwick, Mass. After nine rounds, Wilson remains in the lead with 396 points, while Baggett moved into second with 371 points. Rattray moved into third with 353, while Tickle is now in seventh with 195 points.