Team Suzuki Press Office – June 29.
RCH Soaring Eagle/ Jimmy John’s/ Suzuki Factory Racing riders Ken Roczen and Broc Tickle raced to fourth- and seventh-place overall finishes in Saturday’s Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Geico Motorcycle Budds Creek National at Budds Creek Motocross Park in America.
Collectively, the potent RCH duo battled sickness, torrential rains and less-than-ideal track conditions to earn solid finishes in the event that marks the halfway point for the 12-race outdoor season.
Despite battling illness for the week leading up the race and throughout the weekend, Roczen turned in a gutsy 5-4 effort to maintain second in points. With six races remaining, the defending Pro Motocross Champion continues to trail current leader Ryan Dungey by 37 points.
“I had a really good week before the off-weekend but I got really sick the week leading into Budds Creek,” explained Roczen. “I’ve been fighting a virus all week. In the first moto, I did the best I could. I was good for the first half, but I just slowly started to fade. I really struggled, especially with my lungs. I was really congested, so we finished the first moto fifth. Coming into the second moto, we had a really bad storm with lightning and rain. I didn’t think we were going to race but we did and I grabbed a decent start. I rode around in fourth almost the entire race. It wasn’t the ideal weekend but (Ryan) Dungey buckled a little bit in the second moto so that kept the distance in points the same. I didn’t gain any on him but I didn’t lose any, either. I’m just glad that race is behind us so I can start preparing for next weekend and get healthy.”
Tickle wasn’t deterred by the inclement conditions and turned in his typical workman-like performance in both motos, notching a sturdy 6-9 finish.
“First moto was really good,” said the rider of RCH’s No# 20 Suzuki RM-Z450. “I got off to a really good start. Just ran the first corner a little wide. Started the first lap sixth and finished sixth. It was a good race but I definitely could have been better. All in all, first moto was solid. Our RM-Z450 was good.”
Following the first moto, heavy thunderstorms and lightning sent teams scrambling for cover and at one point, it looked like the second 450 moto could be cancelled. Still, Tickle stayed focused and never really considered the possibility that the day’s final outcome would be decided by just one moto.
“Everything looked good for the second moto and then the AMA gave us a 30-minute delay which ended up being a two-hour delay,” added Tickle. “In that two-hour period, it rained a lot. They worked on the track and did the best they could. I figured we were going to race. I tried to stay focused on what we needed to do because I wasn’t convinced they were going to call it. I knew the track was going to be muddy because we got quite a bit of rain in a short period of time. You just had to go for it.
“The sun was out and we started at six (p.m.) … the track was really gnarly. Hard to pass. I got off to an ok start but I got pushed wide, again, in the first corner. Came in for goggles and I think that was a bad mistake. I should have just stayed where I was because I would have been by myself and I could have had a better finish in the second moto. The upside is that I gained points on everyone who was behind me in the championship, but I lost points to everyone in front of me so that’s frustrating.”
The Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship makes its annual Independence Day visit to RedBud this Saturday for the series traditional Fourth of July Weekend race in Buchanan, Michigan.
The race will serve as a home game, of sorts, for RCH sponsor Soaring Eagle gambling and Resort. Located a little over three hours north of RedBud in Mount Pleasant, Soaring Eagle is a Four-Diamond gambling and resort featuring luxurious rooms, indulgent dining, thrilling games, superstar entertainment, natural ambiance and breath-taking views.
Budds Creek 450 Motocross Results:
1. Justin Barcia (3-1)
2. Christophe Pourcel (2-3)
3. Blake Baggett – Yoshimura Suzuki - (4-2)
4. Ken Roczen – RCH Suzuki - (5-4)
5. Ryan Dungey (1-12)
6. Jason Anderson (7-7)
7. Broc Tickle – RCH Suzuki - (6-9)
8. Phil Nicoletti (11-5)
9. Tommy Hahn (12-6)
10. Wil Hahn (8-14)
450 Motocross Standings:
1. Ryan Dungey, 256
2. Ken Roczen – RCH Suzuki - 219
3. Justin Barcia, 193
4. Blake Baggett – Yoshimura Suzuki - 185
5. Jason Anderson, 178
6. Broc Tickle – RCH Suzuki -158
7. Christophe Pourcel, 157
8. Weston Peick, 140
9. Phil Nicoletti, 132
10. Eli Tomac, 125
