Rockstar Makita Suzuki Steel City Report

DELMONT, PA – Team Rockstar Makita Suzuki captured one more impressive double-podium finish, this time at round 11 of the 2011 AMA Pro Motocross Championship in Delmont, PA. Saturday afternoon’s Steel City National saw reigning AMA Pro Motocross Champion Ryan Dungey and his teammate Brett Metcalfe finish second- and third-place overall, respectively, on their Yoshimura-equipped Rockstar Makita Suzuki RM-Z450s.

In Saturday’s first moto, Dungey got a great start on his Rockstar Makita Suzuki RM-Z450 and took over the lead within the first few turns. Dungey pushed hard and led the entire 30-minute race before being overtaken right before the finish line. Although Dungey finished in second place, it was by a mere 0.558 of a second. In the second moto, Dungey got the holeshot and made a valiant charge, but wound up finishing in second place. The final result was second-place overall for the day.

“It was a tough, technical track but I think I rode pretty good this weekend,” said Dungey. “Overall, I felt good and I had a strong pace on the Rockstar Makita Suzuki RM-Z450. Then, I went out on a limb and we made some changes before the second moto, and it just wasn’t doing it for me. I lost a bit of ground, but no excuses. We just need to keep our head up and move forward because there’s plenty of racing left. We’re going to Pala next, and to go 1-1 would be great, but all I can ask for is the most from myself. I like that track and I was able to win both motos there last year so it’d be great to do it again. I just want to focus on finishing the season strong for Team Rockstar Makita Suzuki.”

Teammate Metcalfe also put on an impressive performance this weekend. In the first moto, he was with the front-runners off the gate, and was battling for third for most of the moto. His patience and consistency eventually paid off, as Metcalfe took over the final podium spot on his Rockstar Makita Suzuki RM-Z450 before the race’s end. In the second moto, he got another good start and moved up a few positions before finishing fourth. The combined results gave Metcalfe his third podium finish of the season.

“Steel City was a great day for me,” said Metcalfe. “I was able to pull a third and I was happy to be on the podium. I was feeling really comfortable on the Rockstar Makita Suzuki RM-Z450 and, coming off the win last weekend, I was carrying some momentum. I felt really comfortable on the track and the bike was working great, so I knew I was in for a good day. My starts were better in both motos and that helped, and I was also able to make some moves. Now I’m looking forward to Pala, it’s kind of my hometown race. I’m just excited about that, I think it’s going to be a good event and I look forward to putting the Rockstar Makita Suzuki back up on the podium and having a strong finish in the championship.”

The Rockstar Makita Suzuki team’s next event is the 12th and final round of the 2011 AMA Pro Motocross Championship on Saturday, September 10, at the Pala National in Pala, CA. You can meet the Rockstar Makita Suzuki riders on Friday, September 9th, from 6 to 7 PM, at Temecula Motorsports, 26860 Jefferson Ave. in Murrieta, CA.

Steel City 450 Class Overall Results:

1.  Ryan Villopoto

2.  Ryan Dungey

3.  Brett Metcalfe

4.  Chad Reed

5.  Jake Weimer

6.  Mike Alessi

7.  Justin Brayton

8.  Kyle Regal

9.  Nick Wey

10. Michael Byrne

2011 Motocross 450 Class Standings:

1.  Ryan Villopoto – 481

2.  Ryan Dungey – 467

3.  Chad Reed – 402

4.  Brett Metcalfe – 342

5.  Mike Alessi – 272

6.  Jake Weimer -- 251

7.  Andrew Short – 196

8.  Kevin Windham – 193

9.  Justin Brayton– 191

10. Davi Millsaps -- 173