“Urban Cowboys” – Reed and Rattray Blister the Lone Star State

Eric Johnson

Approximately an hour due south of the “urban cowboy” metropolis of Dallas, Texas, the heat scorched plains of Freestone County Raceway in Wortham, Texas — ambient temperatures closed in on 100 degree Fahrenheit near High Noon on Saturday — served as the venue for round two of the 2011 Rockstar Energy Drink Motocross Nationals. All these proved to be extreme in Texas, including heat, humidity, racing — and both good and bad luck. After placing second to Chad Reed — winner of the opening round of the US-based natural terrain series last Saturday in Rancho Cordova, California — Dungey, the 2010 Supercross and defending 450 National Champion, simply motored away from the pack of 39 other 450cc-motivated MX bikes in Moto 2 and with a 25 second lead on the penultimate lap, appeared to have the overall victory on lockdown. However, with two laps to go, bad luck — it’s always there, one never really seems to know when and where it will show up — cast a dark shadow upon him his Suzuki RM-Z450 when the yellow machine’s engine, obviously beyond it threshold for being able to fend off heat, simply melted down and the big bike coughed and fatigued to a halt. Dungey, beyond belief, sat at the side of the track, wondering what might have been (and should have been). Serendipitously, TwoTwo Motorsports Bel-Ray Racing Honda’s Chad Reed, some 25 seconds back, chanced upon the stationary Dungey, amazed at his good luck, flashed by the hapless American, won the moto, and in doing so, knocked off his second straight overall win in the Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship.

Somewhat surprisingly, Muscle Milk Toyota JGRMX Yamaha’s Davi Millsaps — never truly known as a man to shake of nasty heat and humidity, raced to his best ride of all of 2011 (and best ride of the past two years) to earn second overall with 4-2 moto scores. Still somewhat out of sorts from a flu — no doubt brought on by the tension and drama of the final stretch of the Monster Energy Supercross Series — Kawasaki’s Ryan Villopoto was third, a somewhat off-song result for the natural terrain ace (but let’s give him a little time as he’s been off the outdoor circuit for almost two years).

Reed, the surprise sensation of 2001, dominated the first moto, chasing down a holeshooting Christian Craig (who lead to the 16 minute-mark!) and then beat back a late moto offensive from Dungey for the win. However, in moto two, Dungey whizzed by his Rockstar Makita Suzuki teammate Brett Metcalfe to get way out into the cooler, rarified air of P1. It didn’t take long for Reed to scratch and claw his way into second and catch sight of the yellow rear fender of Dungey’s Suzuki, yet Dungey, undaunted, kept shovelling the coals to it and stretched his lead. Reed, in a desperate charge to catch his supercross nemesis, hit the ground at one point, allowing Dungey plenty of breathing room and what appeared to be a sure overall until his steel mill-hot RM-Zs engine went further south for the day.

Then there was the 250 class drama that played out in a place where the locals like to proclaim “everything is bigger in Texas”. Team Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki’s Blake Baggett — winner of last Saturday’s curtain raising 2011 250 Motocross opener in California’s Gold Country — left the pack like a bat out of hell in Moto 1 before unexpectedly hitting the dirt in a heap and watch over 10 bikes race by as he desperately tried to kick his KX250F to life. Teammate Dean Wilson happily skipped into first place, handily winning the moto over his other teammate Tyla Rattray and DNA Shred Stix Star Racing Yamaha’s Kyle Cunningham.

Moto 2 was another barn burner (yeah, stupid cliché, but it seems to work well in this part of Texas) as Honda-mounted Wildman Justin Barcia (we say this more out respect as the pure heart he displays in his racing ways) outsmarted and took the lead ahead of adversary/nemesis/headache Dean Wilson. Dean, no doubt sick of the pit chatter between the two, attempted to make an aggressive move on Barcia, and the dynamic — bikes and body parts — flew in the win like a yard sale gone bad. Fortuitously, this shunt left Wilson’s teammate Rattray and Cunningham to cross swords for the overall, and when Rattray passed the Yamaha man to get into second, the battle had been won. Wilson, up off the steaming Texas dirt shook it all off and raced back into thid, thus allowing him enough of an account of points to take a step up and onto the this step of the Texas podium.