CORONA, Calif. (May 30, 2011) - Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki’s Tyla Rattray took his first overall victory of the season with a 2-1 finish at the hot and humid second round of the AMA Motocross Championship series at Freestone County Raceway in Wortham, Texas. Teammate Dean Wilson opened the day with a Moto 1 victory and ended back on the podium in second with a 1-3 result. Blake Baggett overcame two tough motos to finish ninth with a 7-16, while Broc Tickle finished in 12th overall after retiring early in the first moto.
Coming off a podium finish at Hangtown, Rattray knew he was worthy of standing on top of the podium. His second-place finish in the first moto set him up nicely for an overall victory. After a good start in the second moto, Rattray rode smart and made a late-race pass for the lead to take his third-career overall victory.
“I’ve been working really hard all week so I could get back out front,” said Rattray. “I was pretty bummed last week and went back to fine-tune some things. It must have worked because I haven’t felt this good in a long time. The track got pretty gnarly in the second moto and you really had to be smart. I’m happy with how everything went and hopefully I can go and do it again next race.”
Wilson came out to prove he was capable of tackling the tough Texas heat and started off with an impressive Moto 1 victory. He looked strong in the second moto, but came together with another rider, pushing him back to seventh. Wilson didn’t let anything stand in his way from making up as much ground as possible and finished third in the moto and second overall.
“I really like the track because it got pretty rough in the second moto,” said Wilson. “The first moto went well and was able to get another moto win. I just got tangled with (Justin) Barcia in the second moto and that forced me to come through the pack. I was hoping for the overall, but I still think I rode pretty strong. It’s good to get into the points lead and I’ll try to build momentum with the red plate.”
After a win last week, Baggett was prepared to put in another good finish. He started the first moto out front, but a small crash pushed him back, forcing him to come through the pack. In the second moto, mistakes cost him positions, landing Baggett in ninth overall with a 7-16.
“It wasn’t my weekend, but it definitely motivates me to go back and work even harder before the next race,” said Baggett. “I think I was pushing a little too hard and it ended up biting me. There is a lot of racing left and I’m going to work my way back to the top.”
Although Tickle retired early from the first moto, he lined up for the second moto ready to do battle. He started just outside the top 10 and at the finish had made his way up to fifth and finish 12th overall, despite the first moto result.
“Pulling in on the first lap of Moto 1 wasn’t the way I wanted to start the day, but I tried to stay positive, knowing I would be fresh for the second moto,” said Tickle. “I think that helped me push as hard as I did. I didn’t get the best start, but I never gave up. The track was pretty tough, so overall I think I rode pretty well.”
The Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki team will get a weekend off before heading to High Point Raceway in Mt. Morris, Pa. Wilson currently leads the 250 Motocross class with 90 points, while Rattray is close behind with 85 in the runner-up spot. Baggett sits in fourth with 66 points, and Tickle’s comeback in Moto 2 put him 10th with 38 points.
