Round 11 - AMA Motocross Series
Southwick, Massachusetts
Motocross 338
August 23 - 24, 2008
Suzuki's Cody Cooper enjoyed a career-best AMA Motocross overall finish at Southwick,Massachusetts' Motocross 338 on Sunday afternoon, thanks to a second-place finish. This is Cooper'ssecond-ever overall podium in AMA Motocross, though the Australian did get an additional third-placemoto finish at Millville last week. Rockstar Makita Suzuki's Michael Byrne had a tough weekend butgathered as many points as possible with an eighth-place overall finish. Currently, Byrne is in fourthplace overall in the championship points and Cooper is in fifth place
In the Motocross Lites class, Rockstar Makita Suzuki Factory Racing's Ryan Dungey brought homeanother podium finish aboard his Rockstar Makita Suzuki RM-Z250, via third- and second-place motoresults. This year, Dungey has two wins and this result marks his sixth additional podium. RockstarMakita Suzuki teammate Nico Izzi continues to rack up top-10 finishes his rookie season, and thisweekend was no exception. The young rider finished 11th and seventh to take seventh place overallfor the day. Currently, Dungey is in second place overall in the championship, while Izzi is in fifth place
Cody Cooper:
"The track was real rough and in the first moto, I got all the way up into around fifth place beforegoing back to seventh. I got a bit beaten up and my legs were sore and stuff. I was just trying to holdonto seventh. Between the motos, I was pretty buggered and I was able to get a little sleep. I knew Ihad to get a good start in the second moto... in the end, I'm real happy with how I rode and the RMZ450was great and the tires worked well in the sand."
Michael Byrne:
"This weekend was definitely a struggle. I am not good in the sand by any means and I knew itwould be tough this weekend. I just wanted to try and ride two solid motos on my Rockstar MakitaSuzuki RM-Z450 but I fell in the first turn in the first moto. I was dead last and came up to 11th. Itried to ride as hard as I could and get as many points as I could. In the second moto, I got a goodstart but I got pushed wide, I was around 10th or so, and then I just fought it too hard and only cameup to seventh. It wasn't too bad but it wasn't great, either. I expected more of myself, after being onthe podium the last few races. I wanted to be in the top five but crashing in the first corner of the firstmoto put me behind the eight ball from the get-go."
Ryan Dungey:
"It was a pretty good weekend at Southwick. I had a couple of strong, solid motos on the MakitaSuzuki RM-Z250. I made a few mistakes at the start of the first moto and I kind of slipped back a littlebut in the second moto I felt much better. Overall it was a good day."
Nico Izzi:
"It was a rough, rough first moto. I got a horrible start, I tipped over in back and was last again, but Islowly made my way back up. I was pretty bummed but there wasn't much I could do. The trackwas different, it took a little bit to get used to, that's for sure. The second moto was better, but thetrack was so rough that it wore me out really quick. I got a decent start on the Rockstar Makita SuzukiRM-Z250 and was battling for fifth for almost 20 minutes but I fell back to seventh."
AMA Motocross Top 10 (Moto Finishes)
1. James Stewart, Kawasaki, 1-1
2. Cody Cooper, Suzuki, 7-2
3. Tim Ferry, Kawasaki, 4-4
4. Andrew Short, Honda, 2-9
5. Sean Hamblin, Yamaha 6-6
6. John Dowd, Suzuki, 9-5
7. Jeff Alessi, Honda, 8-8
8. Michael Byrne, Rockstar Makita Suzuki Factory Racing, 11-7
9. Josh Hill, Yamaha, 37-3
10. Marc De Reuver, Honda, 3-34
AMA Motocross Lites Top 10 (Moto Finishes):
1. Ryan Villopoto, Kawasaki, 1-1
2. Ryan Dungey, Rockstar Makita Suzuki Factory Racing, 3-2
3. Brett Metcalfe, Kawasaki, 2-3
4. Kyle Chisholm, Kawasaki, 5-5
5. Jake Weimer, Honda, 6-9
6. Dan Reardon, Honda, 8-8
7. Nico Izzi, Rockstar Makita Suzuki Factory Racing, 11-7
8. Matt Lemoine, Yamaha, 7-12
9. Ryan Sipes, KTM, 38-4
10. Blake Wharton, Honda, 4-28