Racer X Notebook: Steel City

• J-Star JDR KTM’s PJ Larsen made his season, and 450 Class, debut at Steel City after missing the first ten rounds due to a torn ACL and foot injury suffered at Toronto Supercross. The South Carolina native was solid in his debut, going 14-14 for 15th overall.

• Rock River Yamaha’s Ben LaMay pieced together a season-high performance at Steel City—besting a previous season-high of 16th at Unadilla. LaMay flirted with his first top-10 of the year but had to settle for 11th overall via 13-12 moto scores.

• Monster Energy Pro Circuit’s Broc Tickle, who’s in a fight for third in points, lost valuable ground to Jake Weimer and Andrew Short after having to pull out of the first moto with a mechanical problem. His Team Owner, Mitch Payton, talked to our Steve Matthes about it after the race. “The only thing when they plugged in the computer to it, it was low on voltage, so we assume it’s a stator," said Payton. "It still ran, but it acted kind of weird. So we swapped everything, it was okay for the second moto.” After a fifth in the second moto, Tickle now trails Short by 24 points (for third) and Weimer by 18 (for fourth).

• But Short couldn't take full advantage in the standings. After a strong second in moto one, probably Shorty's best ride of the season outdoors, he tangled with Kyle Chisholm in moto two and damaged his bike too far to continue. He went 2-DNF for ninth overall.

• Privateer Austin Howell continues his torrid pace down the stretch. The privateer followed up a season-high 14th at Unadilla with another solid performance at Steel City. The California native would finish 17th in Pennsylvania via 18-15 moto scores.

• In his first race since Hangtown, privateer Chris Blose, who made the more than 2,000 mile drive from his home in Phoenix, Arizona to Steel City Raceway in Delmont, Pennsylvania, headed to the first moto with an injured ankle, and limped to 36-39 moto scores. Luckily for Blose, his father made the trip with him and was able to help on the drive back.

• Making the much shorter trip to Steel City was Butler, PA, native Shane Durham. Brother to Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki’s Darryn, Shane qualified for his first National of the season at his hometown race—after failing to qualify at High Point earlier this year. Shane collected his first points of 2012 after a 19th in the second moto en route to a 23rd overall.

• Darryn Durham, by the way, was at Steel City signing autographs for his local fans. The Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawaski rider says he's still a month away from riding after surgery on a torn rotator cuff and labrum.

• Two-time Snocross World Champion and ten-time X Games medalist, Tucker Hibbert made his return to the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship for the first time since Steel City in 2009. The Snocross champion would finish 27th overall on the day.

• Rockstar Energy Racing Suzuki’s Martin Davalos suffered a hard crash in the second moto in which he suffered broken ribs. It is unknown at this time if Davalos will compete in the season finale at Lake Elsinore.

• The Battle of the Martins reached new heights at Steel City. After besting younger brother Jeremy in the first moto (8-14) Eleven10 Mods’ Alex was left playing catch up in the second moto after Jeremy ripped the holeshot. The two battled intensely throughout the second moto with Jeremy holding off Alex for eighth in the race. But Alex would have the last laugh as he finished 7th overall while Jeremy finished 11th.

• J-Star JDR KTM’s Malcolm Stewart put together one of his best rides of the season thus far at Steel City. Malcolm plowed through some notable names en route to a distant sixth in the first moto. Mookie would slide back in the second moto with a 12th, but still found a spot inside the top-10 in ninth overall for the day. Malcolm has been in good form lately and is hoping to carry that into the season finale at Lake Elsinore.