But in Seattle it all came together for the team and for its best rider, Ryan Sipes, in the midst of all the Eli Tomac/Dean Wilson talk. It’s Sipes' first race win of the year and coming off his first career win at Indianapolis last year and an East/West Shootout win, more was expected of the talented kid from Kentucky. Injuries and maybe a switch to the unfamiliar West Region have held Sipes back this year but in Seattle we saw that if everything comes together, Ryan can win races.
Wilson and Tomac grabbed the headlines, but it was Sipes that left Seattle with the W.
Garth Milan photo
Meanwhile score one for Tomac in the West Regional Series as he caught and passed Wilson a couple of times in a hard fought race. He gained six points on Wilson after a collision between them left Dean on the ground. Tomac fought through a shifter that left him stuck in third and then second and then a burnt out clutch to take third.
But with the Wilson/Tomac collisions and racing attracting most of the attention, the underdog Sipes pulled away slow and steady for the win in a wild night in Seattle.