SOUTHWICK SHOCKER: GOERKE AND BARCIA WIN: Amazing John Dowd Proves That 37 Out Of 40 AMA Pros Couldn’t Win An Over-40 Vet Race (Especially If It Was Held At Southwick)

SOUTHWICK SHOCKER: GOERKE AND BARCIA WIN:
AMAZING 44-YEAR-OLD JOHN DOWD PROVES THAT 37 OUT OF 40 AMA PROS COULDN’T WIN AN OVER-40 VET RACE–IF IT WAS HELD AT SOUTHWICK
17 POINT LEAD FOR DUNGEY: GOERKE WINS THE 450 CLASS; BARCIA, BARCIA, BARCIA; JOHN DOWD THIRD OVERALL

Let’s get to the important stuff:

(1) Everyone said after Glen Helen that Justin Barcia would win a 250 National this year. He made everyone wait until round 11, but he got ‘er done.

(2) Team Yamaha deserved the 450 win that Matt Goerke got for them at Southwick. First, they were smart enough to sign Goerke to ride the bike that Josh Hill wasn’t using (or wasn’t using very well). Second, Team Yamaha was so demoralized that they were taking their awning down before the second moto was over at lots of races. That never looks good. Now they can leave it up. Third, the team never gave up. They might have wanted to, but they didn’t. They showed up every week and watched the massacre with stoic faces. They are proud men?with something to be proud of this week.

(3) Taking nothing away from Matt Goerke, but only at an AMA Pro race would a 6-1 beat a 3-3.

(4) Jason Lawrence was at Southwick. No really, he was there.

(5) Privateers Robby Marshall and Kyle Regal beat all of Team Honda and Team Kawasaki in the 450 class. Taylor Futrell has had two great weeks since turning Pro–two weeks ago. He beat every 250 rider, save for Barcia, Rattray, Metcalfe and Dungey. That means Taylor was in front of Searle, Tickle, Wharton, Weimer, Stroupe, Pourcel and Lemoine. Kudos also to Blake Baggett?tenth overall in the 250 class.

(6) Team Honda waited all season for Chad Reed to make a mistake…and when he finally did they were no where enough near to the front to see it. Andrew Short went 7-9, Ivan Tedesco had a 36-5 day and Davi Millsaps can always look back fondly on last week’s first moto at Budds Creek (he was 14-20 at Southwick).

(7) Before Southwick everyone was giving the 250 crown to Pourcel. Ryan Dungey came to Southwick 13 points behind Christophe and left 17 points ahead of him. Now, everyone is giving the 250 crown to Dungey. Let’s wait and see because this has been a great battle up to this point.

(8) There is no truth to the rumor that Team USA has an alternate MXDN team of Jason Lawrence, Josh Hansen and Austin Stroupe waiting in the wings–no matter what Monster Energy wants. Although you gotta admit that they would be fun to watch?if they could find their way to the track.

(9) Here are the batting averages of selected riders:
ÿÿÿ Chad Reed’s average finish in 2009: Third
ÿÿÿ Michael Byrne’s average finish in 2009: Seventh
ÿÿÿ Nick Wey’s average finish in 2009: 13th
ÿÿÿ Cody Cooper’s average finish in 2009: 13th
ÿÿÿ Antonio Balbi’s average finish in 2009: 18th
ÿÿÿ Ryan Dungey’s average finish in 2009: Third
ÿÿÿ Christophe Pourcel’s average finish in 2009: Third
ÿÿÿ Tommy Searle’s average finish in 2009: Seventh

(10) John Dowd won the AARP Hard Charger Award at Southwick.

(11) The final race of the year at Steel City might well be the final National race at Steel City.

THE OFFICIAL RACE REPORT:

In a season highlighted by first-time winners, Factory Yamaha’s Matt Goerke captured an upset victory in New England to become the sixth rider in 2009 to win for the first time in the 450 Class. Rain greeted the riders at Moto-X 338 on Saturday at the penultimate round of the 2009 Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship as consistent, light showers fell throughout the day. In the talented and deep 250 Class, Geico Powersports Honda’s Justin Barcia claimed his first-career professional win while teammate Jessica Patterson grabbed the victory in the WMX Class.

While newly-crowned premier class champion Chad Reed appeared to be on the way to his fifth straight victory, he crashed out of the lead in the final moto allowing Goerke to assume the top spot and hold on for the win to go along with his sixth place in the opening moto.

“This is the best day of my life,” exclaimed Goerke, who is in just his third race as a replacement rider for the Yamaha team to close out the season. “I crashed in the first moto and thought my day was over. I really was hoping for a good overall (today) but luckily I got back up to sixth. In the second moto, I missed gate pick and had to start all the way outside so it wasn’t looking good, but everything worked out.”

Rockstar/Makita/Suzuki’s Michael Byrne secured the runner-up position (3-3), tying for first in points but losing the position by virtue of the second moto tiebreaker. Local legend John Dowd, finished third.

While most of the attention on the 250 Class centered on championship contenders Christophe Pourcel and Ryan Dungey, it was Barcia who stole the spotlight on Saturday afternoon. The rookie competitor has shown considerable speed throughout the season and after winning the first moto, put in another consistent ride in moto two, finishing third to secure the overall.

“I’m just really excited,” boasted Barcia. “Today just felt like my day. I woke up in a really good mood and everything just went smooth. I really love it here (at Southwick) and I’m really happy to get my first win here.”

Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki’s Tyla Rattray earned his first moto win in the U.S. in moto two to elevate him to a career-best second overall while Geico Powersports Honda’s Brett Metcalfe finished third.

Dungey captured fourth overall while Pourcel fell to 18th. A 30-point turnaround between the two riders saw Pourcel’s 13-point lead heading into the race diminish into a 17-point deficit behind Dungey heading into the final round.

With an opportunity for rival Ashley Fiolek to clinch the WMX Class title for the second year in a row, Patterson knew she needed to ride at her best in order to keep her title chances alive. She dominated both motos, sweeping for the first time this season and claiming her second straight victory. Fiolek followed in second aboard her Honda Red Bull machine while rookie Sara Price achieved a career-best third overall for her first podium.

“I’ve been working really hard to get support from a factory team and it finally worked out,” said Patterson. “I knew that if I had the chance to ride a good bike I would be able to show what I could do and now I finally have that chance.”

Next weekend, the Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship commences at Steel City Raceway in Delmont, Pa. There will be same-day TV coverage of the 250 class on SPEED at midnight (Eastern Time)ÿ and 9:00 pmÿ (Pacific Time).

RESULTS: SOUTHWICK NATIONAL
Round 11 of 12

450 Class:

1. Matt Goerke, Lake Helen, Fla., Yamaha (6-1)
2. Michael Byrne, Australia, Suzuki (3-3)
3. John Dowd, Ludlow, Mass., Kawasaki (10-2)
4. Tommy Hahn, Decatur, Texas, Kawasaki (9-4)
5. Robby Marshall, Stow, Mass., Suzuki (5-7)
6. Kyle Regal, Kemp, Texas, Yamaha (4-10)
7. Andrew Short, Smithville, Texas, Honda (7-9)
8. Chad Reed, Australia, Suzuki (1-31)
9. Jake Moss, Australia, Kawasaki (2-30)
10. Ricky Renner, Lakeland, Fla., Honda (11-12)

450 Class Championship Standings

1. Chad Reed, Australia, Suzuki, 459
2. Andrew Short, Smithville, Texas, Honda, 356
3. Ivan Tedesco, Tallahassee, Fla., Honda, 338
4. Michael Byrne, Australia, Suzuki, 316
5. Josh Grant, Riverside, Calif., Yamaha, 280
6. Thomas Hahn, Decatur, Texas, Kawasaki, 259
7. Justin Brayton, Murrieta, Calif., KTM, 214
8. Cody Cooper, New Zealand, Yamaha, 184
9. Nick Wey, Dewitt, Mich., Yamaha, 182
10. Jimmy Albertson, Ozark, Mo., Yamaha, 164

250 Class:

1. Justin Barcia, Cairo, Ga., Honda (1-3)
2. Tyla Rattray, South Africa, Kawasaki (6-1)
3. Brett Metcalfe, Australia, Honda (4-2)
4. Ryan Dungey, Belle Plaine, Minn., Suzuki (2-4)
5. Taylor Futrell, Clinton, N.C., Honda (7-7)
6. Tommy Searle, Great Britain, KTM (9-6)
7. Blake Wharton, Pilot Point, Texas, Honda (3-15)
8. Broc Tickle, Holly, Mich., Yamaha (8-13)
9. Jake Weimer, Rupert, Idaho, Kawasaki (13-9)
10. Blake Baggett, Grand Terrace, Calif., Kawasaki (15-8)

250 Class Championship Standings

1. Ryan Dungey, Belle Plaine, Minn., Suzuki, 459
2. Christophe Pourcel, France, Kawasaki, 442
3. Brett Metcalfe, Australia, Honda, 352
4. Jake Weimer, Rupert, Idaho, Kawasaki, 322
5. Justin Barcia, Cairo, Ga., Honda, 312
6. Tommy Searle, Great Britain, KTM, 309
7. Broc Tickle, Holly, Mich., Yamaha, 263
8. Blake Wharton, Pilot Point, Texas, Honda, 240
9. Tyla Rattray, South Africa, Kawasaki, 236
10. Kyle Cunningham, Ft. Worth, Texas, Kawasaki, 174

WMX Class:

1. Jessica Patterson, Tallahassee, Fla., Honda (1-1)
2. Ashley Fiolek, St. Augustine, Fla., Honda (3-2)
3. Tarah Gieger, Vero Beach, Fla., Yamaha (7-3)
4. Sherri Cruse, Bakersfield, Calif., Suzuki (2-9)
5. Heidi Cooke, Canada, Kawasaki (6-4)
6. Sara Price, Canyon Lake, Calif., Kawasaki (4-6)
7. Julie Anne Parizek, Willington, Conn., Kawasaki (5-5)
8. Alyssa Fitch, Denver, Colo., Honda (9-7)
9. Elizabeth Bash, Riverside, Calif., Kawasaki (8-8)
10. Jacqueline Strong, Sedona, Ariz., Honda (12-11)

WMX Class Standings

1. Ashley Fiolek, St. Augustine, Fla., Honda, 336
2. Jessica Patterson, Tallahassee, Fla., Honda, 295
3. Sherri Cruse, Bakersfield, Calif., Suzuki, 258
4. Sara Price, Canyon Lake, Calif., Kawasaki, 208
5. Vicki Golden, El Cajon, Calif., Honda, 192
6. Elizabeth Bash, Riverside, Calif., Kawasaki, 187
7. Sarah Whitmore, Cheboygan, Mich., KTM, 149
8. Penni Cyrus, Queen Creek, Ariz., Kawasaki, 134
9. Mariana Balbi, Brazil, Honda, 126
10. Jacqueline Strong, Sedona, Ariz., Honda, 114

250 POINTS STANDINGS WITH ONE RACE TO GO

450 POINTS STANDINGS WITH ONE RACE TO GO