Dodge/RCH Post-Race Quotes
TONY BERLUTI (Crew Chief, Broc Tickle No. 20 Dodge/Sycuan Casino/RCH Racing/Bel-Ray/Suzuki Z450) Finished 11th
YOU HAD A GREAT START IN THE MAIN AND THEN THINGS JUST DIDN'T GO YOUR WAY: “Yeah. Broc got a great start and then I saw his body language change a bit. He peeked behind him a couple of times and usually that’s a sign of nerves. It was a bit of a defensive ride and he just tightened up. He blew-up a bit early in the race and never really recovered. It happens. It’s just mental and he pumped up a bit.
“Broc really rode good all day, except for the Main. He was fast in practice and had a really solid Heat race. This track was really tricky and it had a whoop sections that was gnarly. Just not our night in the Main Event.”
THE BETTER NEWS IS THAT BROC IS NOW 10TH IN RIDER POINTS: “For sure. That has been a goal of ours since we stumbled in Anaheim at the first race. Despite the 11th-place finish tonight, we made another positive move in the rider points. It’s a long season. We’ll put this one behind us and head to Arlington next weekend.
JOSH HILL (No. 75 Dodge/Sycuan Casino/RCH Racing/Bel-Ray/Suzuki Z450) Finished 18th
TALK ABOUT THE MAIN EVENT: “It’s been a real, real rough couple of years. And then I get to Anaheim 1 this year thinking that everything was going to go good and I break my hand. For me to come back with only two days on the bike and make the Main Event, it feels good. And the way that I did it, I did it the hardest way possible by having to go to the LCQ and then win it. It feels great. I never felt that finishing 18th would feel so good, but that did.”
DID YOU PUT ANY MORE PRESSURE ON YOURSELF IN THE LCQ? “When you go to the LCQ, there’s two ways that you can look at it. You can go up there and accept that you might be watching the Main Event on TV or you can have the mindset that you have to win. For me, I accepted it and just went out there and tried to ride smooth. I got the holeshot in the LCQ and got the win. I can’t even explain how happy I was.”
IT HAD TO BE NICE TO GET BACK INTO RACE ACTION TODAY? “For sure. I was rubbing elbows with the guys in the back, but it still felt good. It’s good to be back. I have another week to work on my hand and another week to train. I’m stoked.”
HOW IS THE HAND FEELING? “It’s been hurting all day. We rode for two days and then having to ride the LCQ tonight put a lot of stress on my hand. It’s cool. It was a little tired by the end of the day. I was riding around in the parade lap and it was really sore. I’ll be okay.”
WHAT DOES THIS DO FOR YOUR CONFIDENCE? “It’s a great shot in the arm. Finally, something went right. There were so many tough days the last few years. To overcome all the stuff that I have the last two or three years, this feels really, really good.”
SHAWN BELL (Crew Chief, No. 75 Dodge/Sycuan Casino/RCH Racing/Bel-Ray/Suzuki Z450)
YOUR THOUGHTS ON HOW JOSH WAS ABLE TO HANDLE THE DAY? “A great day for him. From where we were to now is a big deal. You can’t race with the front of the pack right off the bat. He put in a lot of laps the last few days and kept the bike off the ground. He rode really well. Mission accomplished for this weekend.”
WHAT DID YOU LEARN ABOUT JOSH TODAY? “He really wants it. To have been away for so long and to come back tonight and ride like he did, win the LCQ and run as hard as he did in the Main is cool. He grinded all day and worked hard. I know that he really wants to win and work on his riding. Tonight was a positive step for us.”
