The opening round of the 2006/2007 Amp'd Mobile FIM World Supercross Championship Series took place in the beautiful city of Toronto, Canada this past Saturday night. The temperature was slightly warmer than last year's event, but nowhere near what any of us are used to back home in Arizona. Nevertheless, the action inside of the Roger's Center venue was red hot.
The Team Solitaire program has remained very similar to last year's lineup. The only change is that Jiri Dostal has stepped up as our second 450cc class rider as Justin Buckelew has opted to pursue the AMA Arenacross Series this season. Jiri has been a longtime friend and competitor and fits in very well with the dynamic of our team. He is also a tremendously talented rider and we are hoping to give him an environment in which to excel.
Friday Practice: This is going to be the only Supercross race all season with Friday practice. Jiri and I planned on taking advantage of the extra time to tweak suspension settings and finalize our gearing for the weekend. I didn't make it too far into the first session before I got clipped by Cole Siebler in a short rhythm section and slammed to the ground. I bruised my heel quite badly and had to bow out of the session altogether in hopes of saving myself for Saturday. Jiri, on the other hand, looked very comfortable and put in some productive laps. We would march on to Saturday, only I was marching with a limp.
Saturday Practice: My heel was very tender and couldn't put any weight on it whatsoever. Good thing I ride on the balls of my feet. I was still nursing it through practice and just trying to minimize the damage. Jiri continued to put in consistent laps and we both advanced to the night show based on our practice times (timed practice, not day qualifiers as in the past, determine your position on the gate and advancement into the night show).
Heat One: I lined up on the outside of the doghouse and ran my mighty CRF450R deep in the first corner to nab a seventh place start. By the end of the second lap I moved into sixth where I would stay for the duration of the event to secure the transfer to the main event. Note: 1st through 9th now advance to the main, not 1st through 4th as in the past. This eliminates the need for semi-qualifiers altogether.
Heat Two: Jiri gated two outside of the doghouse but didn't get the jump out of the gate and rounded the first corner around 13th. At the halfway mark of the eight-lap race he was in 11th with riders all around him. As the laps wore down, an all out dogfight erupted for the ninth and final transfer position to the main event. Kevin Johnson, Jeff Dement, Keith Johnson, Kyle Lewis and Jiri swapped paint in hopes of making a break away from the chaos. On the last lap, Jiri moved by Dement to secure the last transfer to the main. This was one of the best races of the night and Jiri rode with a lot of heart and determination.
Main Event - Ryan Clark: Just as in the past, the soil in Toronto this year was soft and extremely rutted. By the time our main event was lined up on the gate, the course was worn down the concrete in many of the corners and the ruts were so deep that my pegs would drag as I climbed the faces of the jumps. I knew that being consistent and mistake free would be difficult, but ultimately that would be the difference between a good and a bad result. Fortunately, I rocketed out of the gate and grabbed gears down the start straight. I found myself in seventh position after the first turn with a big smile on my face. James Stewart took the measure of me in the rhythm section on the first lap, but then I was able to settle into a rhythm and start clicking off my fastest laps of the weekend. I caught up the rear tire of Paul Carpenter just as he shot off the side of the track and handed me seventh position. A few laps later I felt the pressure from Michael Byrne, who passed me at the halfway point only to lay it down in a turn one lap later. My last challenge would come from Travis Preston, who was in the wrong place at the wrong time and had a very hard crash just a few feet in front of me. I backed it down on the final laps and cruised in for an uncontested seventh place finish.
Main Event - Jiri Dostal: Unfortunately, Jiri's story is short but not so sweet. After a tenth place start he collided with Nathan Ramsey exiting the second corner and broke off the bleed screw on his rear brake reservoir. Unbeknownst to him, he rode a lap hoping the brake would return before pulling into the mechanics area to assess the situation. JR Boyd advised him of what was wrong and Jiri reentered the race to salvage as many points as possible. He rode without any rear brake to finish a respectable 17th in the main event.
Summary: I felt that we had a great opener despite the minor setbacks. I want to give a huge pat on the back to Jesse Black and JR Boyd for preparing our motorcycles and going the extra mile to ensure everything was perfect when we hit the track. I would also like to recognize the efforts of our outstanding transport driver, Rick Williams, who as I write this is driving across the United States in a box van filled with bikes, parts and gear to meet us in Vancouver, BC Canada next weekend. He has perhaps the toughest job in the industry and has a way of making it look easy.
Lastly, I would like to thank all of the individuals and companies who continue to support the Team Solitaire effort, as well as those who have just come on board for the 2007 season. I have a very good feeling that this is going to be a breakthrough year for myself and Jiri, as well as the entire Team Solitaire race program. Thank you sincerely for being a part of it all, and we will see you at the racetrack.
Amp'd Mobile World Supercross GP Event Results, Toronto
1.Chad Reed, Yamaha
2.Ricky Carmichael, Suzuki
3.James Stewart, Kawasaki
4.Tim Ferry, Kawasaki
5.David Vuillemin, Honda
6.Nick Wey, Honda
7.Ryan Clark, Honda
8.Paul Carpenter, Kawasaki
9.Heath Voss, Honda
10.Jeff Gibson, Kawasaki
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, Ohlins by Coppersmith, Hoy-Fox Toyota, Michelin, Vortex, Team Hawg, ASV, Dirt Pro, Polisport Plastics, Enjoy Mfg., Ride Engineering, Boyesen, Pivot Works, Ready Filter, Sano Systems, Twenty20, Honda Pro Oils and 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, RPM Science, Brembo, Pro Grip, Hammerhead, USA Sport, Cytosport, Lakai, NGK Spark Plugs, Rocky Mountain Bicycles