Author: Brent Stallo
Windham preps for his last MX race of the yearGEICO Honda rider Kevin Windham is ready to climb on his motorcycle for the final time this season at Saturday's Budds Creek National. Meanwhile, team riders Eli Tomac, Justin Barcia, and Lance Vincent are just getting warmed up as the AMA Motocross Series hits the one-third mark.
Filling in for injured American Honda riders Josh Grant and Trey Canard, Windham was hoping to be in contention for the outdoor championship in the very competitive 450cc class but unfortunately his results aren't exactly what he was expecting.
"We've had a decent showing so far this season," Windham said. "We didn't get the preparation we wanted leading in because this was a last-minute decision. Still, we've done okay. I wanted to do great and we haven't been doing great so Budds Creek will be my last race for a while."
The 33-year-old rider is the oldest competitor on the professional tour but he never hesitates to battle it out with the young guns to prove he's still a top contender.
Jake Weimer Grabs RC Hard Charger Award from High Point
Monster Energy Kawasaki's Jake Weimer became the first 450 Class rider to claim the Ricky Carmichael Hard Charger Award in 2011, following an impressive second moto at High Point Raceway this weekend.
The third round of the Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship was greeted with a short, yet powerful rain storm just prior to the start of the final 450 Class moto. As a result, the riders were greeted with a slick, muddy track that would surely test each of their abilities. Out of the gates, Weimer experienced misfortune and crossed the line 36th on the opening lap.
Despite the roost of mud and a consistent battle to maintain clear vision in such challenging conditions, Weimer refused to give up and continued to push throughout all 14 laps of the moto. The end result of Weimer's determination was an 11th-place finish to go along with his seventh-place effort in Moto 1, landing him ninth overall.
Ben Townley OUT of 2011 World Championships
After choosing not to race in the GP of Portugal last weekend, Ben Townley has made the decision to pull out of the rest of the series and return home to New Zealand in order to build himself up before returning to racing.
"I want to let everyone know what is happening right now and the situation that I am facing. This past winter while preparing for this season I had two crashes that resulted in serious injuries. I was able to recover from them and return to my training and riding after a long recovery from the second one in late January," Townley said.
"I was excited to start racing again. Let me be clear to everyone that I was realistic after so many weeks on the couch that my results would be average at best, but I was willing to accept that to start building myself up to the rider I believe I am. Since I started racing, I have had some struggles mentally. The crashes have affected me to a point where I cannot safely race at this level yet. I have made a decision that I need more time to build my confidence back up and work on rebuilding my racing."
Amateurs Prep for Assault on Mammoth Mountain
Mammoth Mountain has been received by the amateur motocross community as one of the biggest races in the country. Dominated by the west coast, Mammoth has seen a rise in east coast attendance over the last few years. The race begins June 16th and runs through the 26th, with classes being held for all levels of competition. We'll be posting updates throughout the next week, so be sure and stay logged on.
Brad Anderson Takes Round 3 of Red Bull Pro Nationals at Whitby
With yet another brilliant ride at Round 3 of the Red Bull Pro Nationals at Whitby, Brad Anderson extends his points lead over runner-up Martin Barr. Four rounds are still left but with Anderson showing once again to be the dominant force, it's going to be an up-hill battle for the rest of the pack. Anderson had this to say following the race:
"I was so gutted after that first race, I thought I had it but fortunately I ended up getting 2nd, I was just lucky not to have hurt myself too bad. I had two good starts today and I rode real sensible in that one, I didn't want to make another stupid mistake like that first one! I'm just happy to come away with the overall and keep me win streak intact."
Anderson leads the series with 147 points, with Martin Barr (113) in second and Stephen Sword (112) rounding out the top three.
