April 22, 2007_The 2007 AMA Supercross Series made its annual visit to Detroit, MI and the newly constructed Ford Field. In stark contrast to last year's snowy and cold weather, this year was warm, sunny and quite pleasant. The track inside the dome was tight and technical, so the racing was sure to be exciting. Here is a look at the night's action through the eyes of myself and "Lites" rider Ricky Renner._Ricky Renner:
"Lites" Heat: "I had a really good start, probably top three, but kind of pin-balled off of everyone. I cleared the first turn in 5th or 6th, but in the next two corners I got passed by Branden Jesseman and Ryan Dungey. I rode a little conservatively, just wanting to make sure I made it into the main event and not make a mistake. I was ninth on the last lap when Jesseman went down, so I finshed 8th. I was happy to be in the main, but knew I needed to ride a little more on the edge in the main event."Lites" Main: I was gated on the far inside gate and had a great jump. Coming into the first turn I had to back off as I was right next to Alessi on the inside. Around the first turn I thought I was going to come out top five, but I tangled with Alessi again and he went down and I got tangled up with his bike. I was about 16th at that point, and the first lap was hectic with a lot of guys rolling jumps. On the third lap I really tried to get through the pack, but I kept getting blocked on every line I would try. I calmed down and regrouped and managed to start passing some riders. In the end, I finished fifteenth.Ryan Clark:
"Supercross" Heat One: The first corner was extremely tight, so being inside worked out for me as I was able to do move up from a decent jump by staying low in the first corner. Once the dust settled, I was around eighth place. The first lap, as they always are, was quite exciting as I battled with riders in every corner. I was mired in a pack of four or five riders and it seemed like every corner I either passed someone or got passed. I was battling with Gibson in the corner before the whoops and got run a little higher than expected and lost the front end. I got up, having lost several positions, and began to charge again. At the checkered flag I was in 14th place and would have to go on the LCQ."Supercross" LCQ: As usual, there were some fast guys having to go to the Last Chance Qualifier. The start would be important, as the lap times were closer than normal. I was about six from the inside, with a good gate and a straight line to the first turn. I got a quick jump and charged it in hard before easing up and tucking low in the first corner. I came out fourth, but made a move to third in the second turn. The back straightaway was a rhythm section that, if you went outside, you could triple-triple-triple. Robbie Reynard was just ahead so I opted to stay inside and double through the section. This left me inside again in the next corner before the big triple. In order to have enough speed and hold a tight enough line to jump the upcoming triple, I had to double-single out of the rhythm. As I pivoted under Reynard I felt a bike hit me from behind on my right arm, pushing me into the handlebars, over them and on the ground. I was under the bike and the entire field was whizzing by. That ended my LCQ, as my bike was mangled badly in the incident and I was a little shaken up.Summary: Ricky finished up the East Region "Lites" Supercross Series in 18th position. We are all very pleased with his performance in his very first year as a professional. He will now join the rest of the team in Phoenix to resume outdoor testing in preparation for the opener at Hangtown on May 20th. I emerged from the weekend with a bone bruise on my right femur and some scrapes and bruises on my arm, back and legs. All things considered, I was just happy to be able to walk out of the stadium on my own. Unfortunately crashes are a part of racing, albeit the part I hate.Thank you to everyone for your continued support. Next weekend's race is in Seattle, Washington, so expect a story about my improved mud riding skills. See you at the races!Sincerely,
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, Coppersmith, Ohlins, HoyFox.com, Michelin, Vortex, Team Hawg Racing, ASV, Coachseiji.com, Dirt Pro, Polisport Plastics, Enjoy Mfg., Ride Engineering, Boyesen, Pivot Works, Ready Filter, Sano Systems, Twenty20, 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 Clutches, Sidi Boots, NGK Spark Plugs, QTM/Brembo, Pro Grip, Hammerhead, IMS Products, USA Sport, Cytosport, Cometic, Lakai and Fletcher Chiropractic._
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