Dodge Race Advance: Dallas
February 16, 2012, 3:30pm
DODGE/HART & HUNTINGTON NEWS
· Dodge and Hart & Huntington will field two Dodge/Sycaun Casino/Hart & Huntington/Bell-Ray Racing Kawasaki 450s in Saturday night’s event in Arlington. The riders are Josh Hansen and Kyle Partridge. Teammates Josh Hill and Ivan Tedesco are sidelined due to injuries.
· A Dodge/Hart & Huntington rider has made all six 450-class Main Events this season. Josh Hansen leads all Team Dodge riders with six.
FAST FACTS: TEXAS
· Josh Hansen rode to a career-best finish of fifth in the 450-class last weekend in San Diego.
· Kyle Partridge has advanced to five consecutive Main Events.
· Josh Hansen leads Team Dodge in the Supercross Series rider point standings; he’s currently 10th, 69 points behind the leader.
· Josh Hansen and Kyle Partridge are each seeking their first 450-class Main Event start at Cowboy Stadium
· SPEED will televise the AMA Supercross event live from Arlington beginning at 9:30 p.m. (ET).
THE QUOTE: JOSH HANSEN
“There are a lot of races left and I think we’re on the right track to keep getting good results. I’d really like to crack the top-three, get a podium (finish) and a win. I feel great on the bike. I think I’m in great physical condition and haven’t been riding tight.”
2012 AMA SX STAT CHECK
Starts Main Events Wins Top 3s Top 10s
Hansen 6 6 0 0 5
Tedesco 3 3 0 0 0
Partridge 6 5 0 0 0
Hill 1 0 0 0 0
THE DODGE BOYS
· Dodge is entering its second season with the Hart & Huntington Kawasaki team.
· Dodge riders earned one top-five and eight top-10 finishes in 2011.
· Ivan Tedesco led the Dodge/H&H team with seven top-10 finishes in 15 AMA starts in 2011.
· Team Dodge is seeking its first podium finish this season.
Josh Hansen
No.100 Dodge/Sycuan Casino/Hart and Huntington/Bel-Ray Racing
Birthdate: 02/16/1984
Hometown: Simi Valley, Calif. Mechanic: Kenny Germaine
Highlights
· Has made all six Main Events this season
· Season averages: Avg. Start: 11.8 Avg. Finish: 10.3
· Season-best finish of fifth in San Diego last weekend
· First year racing with Dodge/Hart & Huntington Racing
· Gold medal winner in Supercross (2008/09) in the ESPN X Games
Kyle Partridge
No. 83 Dodge/Sycuan Casino/Hart and Huntington/Bel-Ray Racing
Birthdate: 11/26/1986
Hometown: Las Vegas, Nev. Mechanic: Sean Trihey
Highlights
· Season best Main Event finish of 16th came two weeks ago at Angel Stadium in Anaheim
· First Supercross start was at Salt Lake City in 2009
· Career best finish of 13th came at Salt Lake City in 2010
Ivan Tedesco
No. 9 Dodge/Sycuan Casino/Hart and Huntington/Bel-Ray Racing
Birthdate: 08/12/1981
Hometown: Albuquerque, N.M. Mechanic: Tony Berluti
Highlights
· Season best finish of 11th came at Phoenix (second race)
· Entering his fifth season in AMA Supercross competition
· Finished 11th in the 2011 rider standings
Best 2011 finish came at Jacksonville, the 11th race of the season; he started sixth and finished sixth
Josh Hill
No. 75 Dodge/Sycuan Casino/Hart and Huntington/Bel-Ray Racing
Birthdate: 07/30/1989
Hometown: Portland, Ore. Mechanic: Shawn Bell
Highlights
· Sidelined since breaking left tibia in season opener at Anaheim
· Earned his first win at Minneapolis in 2008
· In addition to a win, has 15 top-five and 29 top-10 finishes in 46 starts
· Finished fifth in 2008 Supercross standings
JOSH HANSEN (No. 100 Dodge/Sycuan Casino/Hart and Huntington/Bel-Ray Racing
Kawasaki) YOU EARNED THE FIRST TOP-FIVE FINISH OF YOUR CAREER IN THE 450-CLASS LAST WEEKEND IN SAN DIEGO. “It’s cool. To race inside the top-five is a goal every weekend. We got a top-10, now a top-five and we’re shooting for a podium finish next. There are a lot of races left and I think we’re on the right track to keep getting good results. I’d really like to crack the top-three, get a podium (finish) and a win. I feel great on the bike. I think I’m in great physical condition and haven’t been riding tight.”
WHERE ARE YOU LOOKING TO FIND MORE SPEED ON YOUR BIKE? “The whoops section last weekend in San Diego was super gnarly and everybody was having issues. I don’t think that there is one particular section of the course that we need to improve. We’re just trying to lay down fast, consistent laps every track we race on. Our Dodge/Sycuan Casino/Hart and Huntington/Bel-Ray Racing Kawasaki’s are fast. We’re sticking to a program that has been working and just trying to make my body better so that I can produce better.”
THIS WILL BE YOUR FIRST RACE AT COWBOY STADIUM. HOW MUCH ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO RACING THERE? “I’m super stoked. I don’t watch football, but I hear Cowboy Stadium is rad. Eighty thousand seats is awesome and it should be a gnarly environment.”
KYLE PARTRIDGE (No. 83 Dodge/Sycuan Casino/Hart and Huntington/Bel-Ray Racing
Kawasaki) YOU’VE BEEN RIDING SOLID IN THE HEAT RACES BUT HAVEN’T BEEN ABLE TO PARLAY YOUR SUCCESS INTO THE MAIN EVENTS YET: “It’s frustrating. I’m posting quick times in practice, riding well in the Heat race and just haven’t put it together for the Main. I’m trying to work on having better starts and not getting shuffled back once the gate drops. I’ve had some pretty good trips at the gate. A lot of times, I’ll have a good gate but I need to start paying more attention to the rut in front of the gate. The last two weekends it has affected me. My Heat races are good because I get a good gate and I get out front. For me, it’s just not making stupid mistakes early in the Main and get into a rhythm of riding.”
HOW DO YOU BREAK DOWN A MAIN EVENT? “I’ve been working on a few different things. I’m trying to sprint to lap 13 or 14, settle into a pace for two laps to regroup, and then sprint for the final four when all the guys are tired and starting to fall off the pace. Unfortunately, I haven’t been in the mix to get to Lap 13 or 14 because of an accident or I get tight.”
SO WHAT’S THE KEY FOR YOU HEADING INTO ARLINGTON THIS WEEKEND? “I need to get past the first five to seven laps of the race clean and get into rhythm. Avoiding a mistake and laying the bike down early are keys for sure.”
· Dodge and Hart & Huntington will field two Dodge/Sycaun Casino/Hart & Huntington/Bell-Ray Racing Kawasaki 450s in Saturday night’s event in Arlington. The riders are Josh Hansen and Kyle Partridge. Teammates Josh Hill and Ivan Tedesco are sidelined due to injuries.
· A Dodge/Hart & Huntington rider has made all six 450-class Main Events this season. Josh Hansen leads all Team Dodge riders with six.
FAST FACTS: TEXAS
· Josh Hansen rode to a career-best finish of fifth in the 450-class last weekend in San Diego.
· Kyle Partridge has advanced to five consecutive Main Events.
· Josh Hansen leads Team Dodge in the Supercross Series rider point standings; he’s currently 10th, 69 points behind the leader.
· Josh Hansen and Kyle Partridge are each seeking their first 450-class Main Event start at Cowboy Stadium
· SPEED will televise the AMA Supercross event live from Arlington beginning at 9:30 p.m. (ET).
THE QUOTE: JOSH HANSEN
“There are a lot of races left and I think we’re on the right track to keep getting good results. I’d really like to crack the top-three, get a podium (finish) and a win. I feel great on the bike. I think I’m in great physical condition and haven’t been riding tight.”
2012 AMA SX STAT CHECK
Starts Main Events Wins Top 3s Top 10s
Hansen 6 6 0 0 5
Tedesco 3 3 0 0 0
Partridge 6 5 0 0 0
Hill 1 0 0 0 0
THE DODGE BOYS
· Dodge is entering its second season with the Hart & Huntington Kawasaki team.
· Dodge riders earned one top-five and eight top-10 finishes in 2011.
· Ivan Tedesco led the Dodge/H&H team with seven top-10 finishes in 15 AMA starts in 2011.
· Team Dodge is seeking its first podium finish this season.
Josh Hansen
No.100 Dodge/Sycuan Casino/Hart and Huntington/Bel-Ray Racing
Birthdate: 02/16/1984
Hometown: Simi Valley, Calif. Mechanic: Kenny Germaine
Highlights
· Has made all six Main Events this season
· Season averages: Avg. Start: 11.8 Avg. Finish: 10.3
· Season-best finish of fifth in San Diego last weekend
· First year racing with Dodge/Hart & Huntington Racing
· Gold medal winner in Supercross (2008/09) in the ESPN X Games
Kyle Partridge
No. 83 Dodge/Sycuan Casino/Hart and Huntington/Bel-Ray Racing
Birthdate: 11/26/1986
Hometown: Las Vegas, Nev. Mechanic: Sean Trihey
Highlights
· Season best Main Event finish of 16th came two weeks ago at Angel Stadium in Anaheim
· First Supercross start was at Salt Lake City in 2009
· Career best finish of 13th came at Salt Lake City in 2010
Ivan Tedesco
No. 9 Dodge/Sycuan Casino/Hart and Huntington/Bel-Ray Racing
Birthdate: 08/12/1981
Hometown: Albuquerque, N.M. Mechanic: Tony Berluti
Highlights
· Season best finish of 11th came at Phoenix (second race)
· Entering his fifth season in AMA Supercross competition
· Finished 11th in the 2011 rider standings
Best 2011 finish came at Jacksonville, the 11th race of the season; he started sixth and finished sixth
Josh Hill
No. 75 Dodge/Sycuan Casino/Hart and Huntington/Bel-Ray Racing
Birthdate: 07/30/1989
Hometown: Portland, Ore. Mechanic: Shawn Bell
Highlights
· Sidelined since breaking left tibia in season opener at Anaheim
· Earned his first win at Minneapolis in 2008
· In addition to a win, has 15 top-five and 29 top-10 finishes in 46 starts
· Finished fifth in 2008 Supercross standings
JOSH HANSEN (No. 100 Dodge/Sycuan Casino/Hart and Huntington/Bel-Ray Racing
Kawasaki) YOU EARNED THE FIRST TOP-FIVE FINISH OF YOUR CAREER IN THE 450-CLASS LAST WEEKEND IN SAN DIEGO. “It’s cool. To race inside the top-five is a goal every weekend. We got a top-10, now a top-five and we’re shooting for a podium finish next. There are a lot of races left and I think we’re on the right track to keep getting good results. I’d really like to crack the top-three, get a podium (finish) and a win. I feel great on the bike. I think I’m in great physical condition and haven’t been riding tight.”
WHERE ARE YOU LOOKING TO FIND MORE SPEED ON YOUR BIKE? “The whoops section last weekend in San Diego was super gnarly and everybody was having issues. I don’t think that there is one particular section of the course that we need to improve. We’re just trying to lay down fast, consistent laps every track we race on. Our Dodge/Sycuan Casino/Hart and Huntington/Bel-Ray Racing Kawasaki’s are fast. We’re sticking to a program that has been working and just trying to make my body better so that I can produce better.”
THIS WILL BE YOUR FIRST RACE AT COWBOY STADIUM. HOW MUCH ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO RACING THERE? “I’m super stoked. I don’t watch football, but I hear Cowboy Stadium is rad. Eighty thousand seats is awesome and it should be a gnarly environment.”
KYLE PARTRIDGE (No. 83 Dodge/Sycuan Casino/Hart and Huntington/Bel-Ray Racing
Kawasaki) YOU’VE BEEN RIDING SOLID IN THE HEAT RACES BUT HAVEN’T BEEN ABLE TO PARLAY YOUR SUCCESS INTO THE MAIN EVENTS YET: “It’s frustrating. I’m posting quick times in practice, riding well in the Heat race and just haven’t put it together for the Main. I’m trying to work on having better starts and not getting shuffled back once the gate drops. I’ve had some pretty good trips at the gate. A lot of times, I’ll have a good gate but I need to start paying more attention to the rut in front of the gate. The last two weekends it has affected me. My Heat races are good because I get a good gate and I get out front. For me, it’s just not making stupid mistakes early in the Main and get into a rhythm of riding.”
HOW DO YOU BREAK DOWN A MAIN EVENT? “I’ve been working on a few different things. I’m trying to sprint to lap 13 or 14, settle into a pace for two laps to regroup, and then sprint for the final four when all the guys are tired and starting to fall off the pace. Unfortunately, I haven’t been in the mix to get to Lap 13 or 14 because of an accident or I get tight.”
SO WHAT’S THE KEY FOR YOU HEADING INTO ARLINGTON THIS WEEKEND? “I need to get past the first five to seven laps of the race clean and get into rhythm. Avoiding a mistake and laying the bike down early are keys for sure.”
