Team Solitaire/Kingdom/FLY Racing Honda Event Update
Lakewood, ColoradoJuly 22nd, 2007
The 2007 Toyota AMA Motocross National Series visited picturesque Lakewood, Colorado this past weekend for round seven of the twelve race campaign. Residing at the base of the Rocky Mountains, Lakewood is over 6,000 feet in elevation. This poses challenges for both the riders and the mechanics, as it is much more difficult for the athletes as well as the motorcycles to perform at the same level as at sea level. We were looking forward to the challenge as we entered the second half of the 2007 National Series.
Ricky Renner: Ricky continued to post solid practice times and was sitting just outside the top twenty when all was said and done.
Moto One: Ricky was lined up toward the outside of the gate and had a great jump off the gate. Upon rounding turn one, he was around 17th and making moves. A few turns in to the first lap he collided with another rider sending him off the track and into a small concrete ditch on the inside of the tight corner. He remounted his bike in literally dead last and began to charge through the pack. The heat and elevation were beginning to get to some riders, and Ricky took full advantage of his good conditioning by charging to the very end and climbing all the way back to 20th to score a point for his efforts.
Moto Two: The second moto start wasn't quite as good as his first, but this time he would not falter on the opening lap. A few laps into the moto he was inside the top 20. He was riding strong and looking good for a great finish when the bike began to experience some fuel issues. The extreme heat and elevation can wreak havoc and took its toll during the second moto. He pressed on for a while before finally succumbing to the bike problems and heading back to the pits.
Overall: Ricky's 20/35 moto tally earned him 25th overall on the day. He currently sits 26th in the series point standings with 25 points.
Jiri Dostal: Jiri had a great week of practice and was hoping to return to his pre-injury form this weekend in Colorado.
Practice: Although he looked much more comfortable on the bike this weekend, his time was still just shy of qualification to the Sunday program by about one second. He was forced to ride the Sunday morning consolation race where he finished 8th.
Ryan Clark: I also had a great week of practice leading up to Colorado, heading over to California to escape the Phoenix heat. Having grown up in Albuquerque (over 5,000 feet in elevation) I was confident that my conditioning, strength and acclimation to the elevation would help me to perform well.
Practice: I had the 13th fastest time on Saturday and the 20th quickest on Sunday morning.
Moto One: I had a great jump off the gate and went high in turn one to emerge around 17th. I moved up a few spots quickly and was in good position in the early stages of the moto. A few laps in I was engaged in a battle with Grant Langston, Shaun Skinner and Tim Ferry. Grant had just passed me but then made a mistake and went over the berm. As we both gunned for the inside in the next corner we collided and I tipped over, allowing both Ferry and Skinner by. I regrouped and got back by Skinner, but lost sight of Langston and Ferry. At the end of the moto I could see that Ivan Tedesco was experiencing bike problems, so I full sprinted the last two laps in an effort to get by. He beat be over the finish by exactly one second, but I still managed a 14th place finish for moto one.
Moto Two: I had another decent start in the second moto, rounding the first turn around 16th. I had a bit of a difficult time getting up to speed early, but by halfway I was in a good pace and passing through the field. With two laps to go I was up to 12th, but I could see several riders ahead of me really backing down. Kevin Windham and Gavin Gracyk were slowing and I was doing all I could to close the gap quickly. I got to within a few seconds of Windham, but again fell short and had to settle for 12th.
Overall: I was very pleased with my riding this weekend. I left everything I had on the track both motos and was rewarded with 12th overall for my efforts.
Summary
We had a good weekend, with all of the mechanics and crew really going the extra mile to prepare the bikes and paddock area. Ricky had a great first moto and will build off that for Washougal next weekend. Jiri continues to struggle to find his confidence, but when he does he will be right back up front where he belongs. I was very happy with my bike setup this weekend. My MB1 suspension continues to inspire confidence in my riding and I feel that we will all improve our speed as this national series rolls on. Raymond Cotton from Michelin was also a huge help this, and every, weekend helping us to find a great tire combination for the somewhat odd soil consistency.
Other Notes
Jiri Dostal will miss the next round at Washougal and return at the following race in Millville. Jiri will be staying with Ivan Tedesco in Texas to train and regain his old form. I am hoping that this is what he needs to get his season back on track.
Off-road legend Destry Abbott got in to his first national of the year at Lakewood. Congratulations to him on a great accomplishment. He will being two more events this season in between his main WORCS Series races.
Speaking of the WORCS Series, there were a handful of riders from that series in Lakewood trying their hand at a little MX. Bobby Garrison, Ricky Dietrich, Kyle Summers, Robby Bell, Bobby Bonds, Matt Karlsen and Rory Sullivan all joined Destry for a little fun at the moto track. Garrison, Dietrich and Summers all scored points with top twenty moto finishes.
Thank you to everyone for your continued support!Best regards,Ryan Clark
Team Solitaire/Kingdom/FLY Racing Honda is an independently owned and operated professional Supercross and Motocross race team based in Phoenix, AZ. Our 2007 marketing partners include: FLY Racing, Kingdom Clothing, American Honda, Dragon Optical, WPS, Dubach Racing Exhaust, RideNow.com, MB1 Suspension, HoyFox.com, Michelin, Vortex, Team Hawg Racing, ASV, Coachseiji.com, Polisport Plastics, Enjoy Mfg., Ride Engineering, Boyesen, Pivot Works, Ready Filter, Sano Systems, Pro Honda Oils & Chemicals, RK Chain, Excel, Group D, DC Auto Wraps, Champion Tool Storage, Motion Pro, OGIO, Ron Davis Radiators, Crank Works, Hot Rods, CP Pistons, Barnett, Sidi Boots, QTM/Brembo, Pro Grip, Hammerhead, USA Sport, Cytosport, Cometic, Flyin' Kolors, IMS and Lakai.