Honda Riders Weather Scorching Heat in Texas

Torrance, CA - The Honda Red Riders took on round two of the 2010 AMA Motocross Championship and Women’s Motocross Championship at Freestone Raceway in Wortham, Texas on Saturday June 5 in scorching-hot temperatures. Honda Red Bull Racing’s Davi Millsaps, Andrew Short and Ashley Fiolek tackled the second round in the series aboard their CRF450R and CRF250R machines and just like in previous years the grueling Texas heat played a pivotal part in the racing outcome.

In moto one, Millsaps fought back from a mid-pack start to work his way up and finish in 10th position. Feeling the effects from the heat, Millsaps struggled to overcome the blistering on-track temperatures and finish moto two in 19th place—ending the day 16th overall. His teammate Short was forced to miss the first moto following a technical issue that held him up for the start of the race, but he bounced back in moto two to finish sixth. Missing out on earning first-moto points, the Texas resident finished the round 13th overall.

Also in those same races, GEICO Powersports Honda’s Brett Metcalfe, who moved up to the 450 class for the outdoor season, proved fastest out of the start gate as he grabbed the holeshot in both motos. Aboard his Honda CRF450R, Metcalfe held down the initial lead in both races but tired in the grueling heat to post 7-4 results, finishing the round fourth overall. Ben Townley put in a solid performance in the opening moto, claiming third place aboard his Troy Lee Designs Honda CRF450R. Unfortunately, he got tangled up in a first-turn pile-up in the second race and was forced to seek on-track medical attention before mounting a come-from-behind charge. Finishing the race in 16th place, Townley ended the weekend in eight overall. Privateer Honda racer Kyle Regal scored his best-ever result of his young professional motocross career, going 6-2 and taking third overall on his CRF450R.

In the 250 class, Eli Tomac likewise handed the GEICO Powersports Honda team the perfect sweep of both 250-class holeshots, launching his CRF250R from the starting gate and taking control of both motos from the get-go. In moto one, Tomac held on to the number one spot for 10 laps of the 16-lap race before surrendering a spot to finish the race as runner-up. With the temperature at its hottest in the second moto, the effects of heat exhaustion set in while the 16-year-old was leading midway into the race. Pushing on regardless, the determined young racer held on to take the checkers in 11th spot and end the day sixth overall. GEICO Powersports Honda’s most seasoned 250-class racer Trey Canard went 4-7 to wrap up fifth position overall, while teammate Justin Barcia ended the round in 10th place (10-8). Texas local, GEICO Powersports Honda’s Blake Wharton, finished the round in 13th (7-34) while fellow hometown racer Troy Lee Designs Honda’s Wil Hahn nabbed 7th (9-6).

In the Women’s Motocross Championship, reigning two-time champion Fiolek got right in the thick of the women’s racing action, going 2-2 and ending the round second overall. Troy Lee Designs Honda’s Tarah Gieger shadowed Fiolek across both moto finish lines aboard her CRF250R and finished the weekend third overall (3-3).

“It was so hot out there today,” said Fiolek. “I’m not sure if I’ve ever actually been that hot at the end of a race before. It was tough work holding on until the very end of moto two. Like every week, the Honda Red Bull Racing team again gave me a great race bike this weekend and I’m really happy I put the team on both women’s podiums.”

450 Class (Moto Finish)

1. Ryan Dungey (1-1)
2. Chad Reed (2-3)
3. Kyle Regal, Honda (6-2)
4. Brett Metcalfe, Honda (7-4)
5. Josh Grant (5-10)
6. Tommy Hahn (4-12)
7. Mike Alessi (12-5)
8. Ben Townley, Honda (3-16)
9. Kyle Chisholm (9-9)
10. Michael Byrne (8-11)

450 Class Championship Standings

1. Chad Reed 87
2. Ryan Dungey 76
3. Mike Alessi 68
4. Brett Metcalfe 66
5. Josh Grant 60
6. Davi Millsaps 55
7. Ben Townley 54
8. Kyle Regal 51
9. Tommy Hahn 43
10. Andrew Short 37

250 Class (Moto Finish)

1. Christophe Pourcel (1-5)
2. Tyla Rattray (6-1)
3. Dean Wilson (3-3)
4. Broc Tickle (8-2)
5. Trey Canard, Honda (4-7)
6. Eli Tomac, Honda (2-11)
7. Wil Hahn, Honda (9-6)
8. Jake Weimer (5-12)
9. Max Anstie (15-4)
10. Justin Barcia, Honda (10-8)

250 Class Championship Standings

1. Christophe Pourcel 86
2. Eli Tomac, 77
3. Dean Wilson 69
4. Trey Canard 68
5. Broc Tickle 61
6. Tyla Rattray 58
7. Jake Weimer 56
8. Justin Barcia 54
9. Wil Hahn 50
10. Max Anstie 40

WMX Class (Moto Finish)

1. Jessica Patterson (1-1)
2. Ashley Fiolek Honda (2-2)
3. Tarah Gieger Honda (3-3)
4. Vicki Golden (4-4)
5. Sara Price (5-5)
6. Erica Cook (7-10)
7. Mariana Balbi (10-8)
8. Tatum Sik (8-11)
9. Sarah Whitmore (12-9)
10. Shelbie Brittain (11-12)

WMA Class Championship Standings
1. Jessica Patterson 100
2. Ashley Fiolek 86
3. Tarah Geiger 77
4. Vicki Golden 65
5. Mariana Balbi 56
6. Sara Price 51
7. Tatum Sik 48
8. Elizabeth Bash 46
9. Alexah Pearson 44
10. Sayaka Kaneshiro 40