Makita Suzuki’s Mike Alessi is a scratch for the sixth race
of the 2008 AMA Supercross series after a crash during
practice that injured his collarbone this afternoon at San
Diego’s Qualcomm Stadium.
Alessi, who replaced the greatest of all time Ricky
Carmichael after his retirement last year, was fourth in the
points, fifty-three back from leader Chad Reed and eight
back from third place Kawasaki cowboy Tim Ferry.
The number 800 rider turned pro in 2004 after he tied
James Stewart for amateur national championships,
debuting at the Millville, Minnesota outdoor national in the
450 class and selling “Believe the Hype” t-shirts that did
nothing to endear the rookie to veteran riders.
From 2005 through 2007, Alessi ran on the factor KTM
team before snatching the opening left after the departure
of Ricky Carmichael to stock car racing at the end of 2007.
He has yet to even come close matching Carmichael’s
performance. After five rounds, his best finish is fourth
coming at Anaheim II.weatheredfence.net
pic from tedescophoto.com
Mike Alessi Out For San Diego Supercross Round
Ryan Dungey Leads Series Despite Crashes
Team Rockstar Makita Suzuki's Ryan Dungey has retained his
lead in the AMA Supercross West coast Lites series despite
crashing twice at Saturday night's fifth round at Angel Stadium
in Anaheim.
The RM-Z250-mounted teenager - who has seen his lead over
Yamaha's Jason Lawrence cut to just eight points with two
rounds remaining - crashed on the first turn and started dead
last. Then, after charging through the pack, he tangled with
another rider and went down again, eventually taking 11th.
In the Supercross main, Rockstar Makita Suzuki's Mike Alessi
raced to sixth place and has dropped to fourth in the title hunt.
So far this year, Alessi has had sixth and fourth-place finishes
at this venue.
Ryan Dungey: "I have to admit I'm pretty disappointed about
this weekend. We had a good heat race; the bike was running
great and we got the win. But in the main, things just didn't go
our way. But that's racing and I'll be back on my regular
training program next week, getting ready for San Diego. It's
important to have a positive outlook and I'm not going to sit
around and think about this weekend's race. I'm looking
forward and just focusing on being positive for San Diego."
Mike Alessi: "I didn't feel that comfortable with the track in
practice and I was struggling with a few sections and that kind
of got my head messed up. I was just thinking about it too
much and not focusing on trying to race the track. In the heat
race I got a great start on the Suzuki RM-Z450 and was out
front, but that same section messed me up and a couple guys
got past me. But then I kept working at it and finally got that
section and I ended up third place. In the main I was just a bit
off at the start - I didn't get a bad start, but I didn't get a great
start either. I was in the middle of the pack and passed a few
guys to get into sixth. I'm still fourth in points and that's pretty
good. I just need to work more on my intensity at the beginning
of the race and staying with those guys. These are the fastest
guys in the world and it's a learning process for me. I've got to
take the good with the bad and I'm just trying to get better
gradually." full story on paddocktalk.com - pics from
tedescophoto.com & racerxill.com
Ryan Dungey Maintains Lites Points Lead after San Francisco Mudfest
In spite of soggy conditions, Rockstar Makita Suzuki Factory
Racing’s Ryan Dungey walked away from this weekend’s
Supercross Lites race at San Francisco’s AT&T Park with a
healthy points lead in the championship. The young rider
finished second in his heat race and seventh in the shortened
10-lap main. Although he’d gotten a good start in the main on
his Rockstar Makita Suzuki RMZ250, Dungey hit a downed bike
and then went down himself. After re-starting his Suzuki,
however, Dungey quickly regained his composure and battled
his way up to at top-10 finish. He currently leads the
championship by almost 20 points.
In the Supercross class, Rockstar Makita Suzuki’s Mike Alessi
did well in his heat race by finishing second, however, the
weather conditions hurt Alessi in the shortened, 15-lap main.
He struggled and finished 15th. Teammate David Vuillemin was
having a good ride in the main event for the first few laps, but
then his knee popped out and he had to pull out of the race.
Ryan Dungey: “We got a bit of rain and only got one short
practice. Going into the heat race, we got second and that was
good. In the main, they cut off five laps from that. I got a
pretty decent start but made a mistake and went off the track,
but got back on and was charging hard. I was running in fourth
and came across a lapper’s bike. I didn’t even see it, I doubled
right into it. I was just thankful that I got right up. I got seventh
but I feel like I rode well, besides those mistakes. I’m just a
little bummed about tonight – if we’d had five more laps, I
could have maybe gotten a top-five finish. But I’m feeling
positive going into Anaheim, we’re going to take care of
business.”
Mike Alessi: “We only had one practice and it was OK. It was
really muddy, and we struggled a bit but we made the bike
better for the heat race. I got a great start in the heat race and
ran second almost the whole race. At the main, it started
pouring down rain and, it’s hard to imagine, but it was the worst
rain I’d ever seen. The track just became a slop-fest. I got a
great jump at the start, but then I spun really bad because of
the rain and ended up 10th or 11th. Then I made a small
mistake and went down. I ended up 15th and that’s not where I
should have been, I think I should have been third or fourth but
things just didn’t go my way. We’ll move on and get ready for
next week at Anaheim.” full story on teamsusuki.com
pics from tranworldmotocross.com & supercross.com
Chad Reed Clears Out At Anaheim II
With defending Supercross champion James Stewart on the
sidelines, Chad Reed took an easy win at Anaheim 2, topping
fellow Yamaha rider Josh Hill by an eight second margin at
round three of the Monster Energy AMA Supercross
Championship at Angel Stadium in Anaheim, California.
Reed turned the fastest qualifying lap in timed practice earlier in
the day, and carried that momentum into the final where he led
all 20 laps of the main en route to his second win of the season.
“I felt awesome out here tonight, I think bringing the retro thing
back was a lot of fun,” said Reed. “We just put it in cruise
control and let the thing wind down. I think with James gone, it
made it kind of hard to focus but I’ve just got to put my head
down and keep it going.”
Suzuki’s Mike Alessi ran in second during the opening laps after
grabbing the holeshot, but gave way to the hard-charging Hill on
lap four. Like Reed, Hill also gapped the field and at one point
even gained ground on the leader.
Kevin Windham claimed his second podium in a row by putting
his Torco Racing Fuels Honda into third, while Alessi held on to
finish fourth ahead of Honda’s Ivan Tedesco.
After qualifying second in practice, Stewart called a press
conference before the evening program, announcing that he
would be sitting out the night’s race due to complications with
the knee that he injured last year. This caused some
speculation that Stewart might be out for the remainder of the
Supercross season.
“It was a tough decision to make,” said Stewart. “For me it was
really difficult because as you could see during the first two
races, I wasn’t racing at 100 percent. I’m going to go in for a
MRI and then we will make a decision on the future. I’m just
sorry for my fans; I know it is disappointing for them.”
Tonight was retro night at A2 and the track featured some of
the same obstacles that were found on the 1986 version of the
course. Tonight’s track included a 75-foot triple, a sand section,
a right-hand first turn and some very steep jump-faces.
full story on alpinestarsinc.com
Ryan O Show Dungey "N" Micky Holeshot Alessi on fire at A2 80's
Rockstar Makita Suzuki Factory Racing’s Ryan Dungey picked up
his second AMA Supercross Lites victory of the 2008 season at
Angel Stadium in Anaheim, California, on Saturday night. In the
second of three Anaheim rounds, Dungey had a picture-perfect
evening. The 18-year-old rider won his sixlap qualifying race at
the start of the evening and then finished the night with a victory
in the 15-lap main. Dungey also won the season-opening round at
the first Anaheim race two weeks ago. Three races into the
season, Dungey continues to lead the championship points race.
In the Supercross class, Rockstar Makita Suzuki’s Mike Alessi
captured his second consecutive holeshot of the season in the 20-
lap main event. Alessi charged hard on his Rockstar Makita Suzuki
RM-Z450 and brought home a fourth-place finish. This is Alessi’s
best result of the season so far. Teammate David Vuillemin won
the Last Chance Qualifier and then had a bit of bad luck in the
main when he stalled his bike. Even so, his 11th-place finish
improved his overall standings in the championship points race.
Ryan Dungey
“The first couple of practices were decent today. The whole team
and I were working on getting the bike better for the heat and we
definitely got it set up the right way. We won the heat race, taking
the lead on the last lap, and it was great to get that win but the
main is what counts. In the main, I got a good start and was in
second for about five laps. Then I got in first… It was tough,
though, I was struggling a little but I dug deep and worked
through it. The RM-Z250 worked great and the whole Rockstar
Makita Suzuki team did a great job.”
Mike Alessi
“It was a good race, partly because I’ve been trying to improve a
little every weekend. Two sixths and now a fourth – I’m just
gradually getting better every week. In the heat race, I got a
good start and was riding well and had a good flow and came in
second. In the main, I got a killer jump and a big holeshot. Then,
I was in second for a few laps and then third, but I could tell the
rider behind me was catching me. I tried to fight back but I
couldn’t get him. I started to push it a little toward the end and
made a little mistake. So I thought, I’m riding good here in fourth,
nobody’s behind me so I put it on cruise control and kept being
consistent. The RM-Z450 is running great, and my mechanic and
everybody on the Rockstar Makita Suzuki team are doing a great
job, as always.” full story on teamsuzuki.com
pics from motonews.com & vitalmx.com
Chad Reed wins Anaheim II
On “Throwback Night” at Angel Stadium, Australian Chad Reed
won the Monster Energy® AMA Supercross, an FIM World
Championship, in front of a sold out crowd of 45,050 in Anaheim,
Calif. Ryan Dungey on his Suzuki won the Western Regional AMA
Supercross Lites main event.
Suzuki's Mike Alessi won the $1,500 Progressive Holeshot Award
on his Suzuki with Reed coming through in second aboard his
Yamaha on a track layout reminiscent of the 1986 Anaheim race.
In capturing his second win of the season, both in Anaheim, Reed
took the lead early in Lap 1 and went the distance, beating
Yamaha’s Josh Hill by 6.911 seconds. It was the first podium
finish for Hill, who took second on Lap 3 from Alessi. Kevin
Windham finished third on his Honda. “I felt awesome out there,”
said Reed, who leads the Championship standings with 72 points.
“The track was a lot of fun. I had a ball with it. My bike is a lot of
fun to ride, and I just need to go out and race and try to get
wins.”
Kawasaki rider James Stewart, the defending Championship title
holder and points leader heading into Round Three, did not
compete in tonight’s race. Stewart injured his left knee last week
during his win in Phoenix, and after evaluating the injury following
an earlier practice session, Stewart and the team decided to not
compete in tonight’s event. fullnoise.com.au
pic from RacerX A2 Photo Report
Rockstar Makita Suzuki’s Dungey Cards Podium Finish in Phoenix SX Lites Race
Rockstar Makita Suzuki Factory Racing’s Ryan Dungey brought
home an impressive second-place finish in the exciting Supercross
Lites race on Saturday night at Chase Field in Phoenix, Arizona.
After winning the season-opening Anaheim round last week,
Dungey followed that up by winning his sixlap qualifying race. In
the Lites main, he got a great start on his Rockstar Makita Suzuki
RM-Z250 and led a number of the race’s 15 laps before finishing
in second place. With this finish, 18-year-old Dungey continues to
lead the Lites class championship points chase.
In the Supercross class, Rockstar Makita Suzuki’s Mike Alessi got
a great start on his Rockstar Makita Suzuki RM-Z450, taking the
holeshot in the main. Unfortunately, shortly thereafter, the 19-
year-old rider hit a Tuffblock and rode several laps with a banner
attached to his bike. In spite of this, Alessi continued to charge
hard in the 20-lap main event, and brought home a sixth-place
finish. Teammate David Vuillemin struggled a bit in the Supercross
main but still managed to capture as many points as possible.
Ryan Dungey: “I was happy with practice today, I was about a
half-second faster than everybody else. I felt good in the races,
too, though I had a hard time putting the track together. It got
really slick, but I did my best to try and make it work. I made a
couple of mistakes, and I think those kept me from winning. But
I’m going to work on that and try to not make those mistakes
again. The race itself was a great show and it was good to give
the fans such an exciting race. It was a dogfight, we were back
and forth and everybody was going at it. Overall, it was good to
walk away with the points lead. Now, we’ll just take it one race at
a time and come back stronger next week.”
Mike Alessi: “The day started out pretty good -- the Suzuki RM-
Z450 was working great, the Bridgestone tires were hooking up, I
felt good and had a good flow. I was pretty happy with the first
practice but in the second practice, I hit a hay bale and did a big
endo, taking a handlebar to the thigh. It hurt pretty bad so then I
just tried to survive the rest of the session. I had a good heat
race, finishing fourth, but the main was awesome. I got the
holeshot, and ended up running third for a few laps. Then, I hit
that same Tuffblock I hit in practice and gave up a lot of spots. I
ended up in seventh, made it into sixthand was just inching up on
fifth, but couldn’t do it in time. Now, I’m just looking for a top-five
finish next week or maybe a podium.” full story on
teamsuzuki.com
pics from transworldmotocross.com & from racerxill.com
Rockstar Makita Suzuki's Dungey Wins Lites Race at Season-Opening Anaheim Supercross
Rockstar Makita Suzuki Factory Racing's Ryan Dungey started
out the 2008 AMA Supercross season in style by winning the first
round in the Supercross Lites class at Angel Stadium in Anaheim,
California, on Saturday night. Dungey battled the elements as
well as the competition, racing his Rockstar Makita Suzuki RM-
Z250 in swamp-like conditions to take the win in his six-lap
qualifying heat race as well as the victory in the 15-lap SX Lites
main event. This win puts 18-year-old Dungey in the lead of the
championship points chase.
In the Supercross class, Rockstar Makita Suzuki's Mike Alessi
had a successful debut in both the class and on the new Suzuki
RM-Z450. After winning the qualifying LCQ, Alessi got a good
start in the main event and was racing for a podium spot.
Focusing on finishing in less-than-stellar conditions, however,
Alessi backed off and rode a smooth race, maintaining a strong
sixth-place position until the race's end. Teammate David
Vuillemin also put in a smooth and consistent ride, getting a good
start and running in the top-10 for the entire 20 laps before
finishing in 10th position.
Ryan Dungey: It was a good race and definitely a great night.
The whole Rockstar Makita Suzuki team, we prepared so much
for this race. And the Suzuki RM-Z250 was working awesome
we were able to put it all together and come out on top. I was
able to take my time and was patient and just let the race come
to me so I could put in some good laps. Winning this race, it feels
like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders. It's so good to
just be racing again and I'm pumped to get the win.
Mike Alessi: This first Supercross was a learning experience for
me. It was pretty muddy this weekend, but we tried to take the
good with the bad and make the best of the situation. The bike
was awesome and I got a great start and was in third when a few
guys got around me. I was having a good race in fifth and riding
a smooth pace because I didn't want to make any mistakes and
fall. But with about four laps to go, I saw somebody coming up
on me and I tried to put up a fight but I realized I was riding a
little hard and I didn't want to ride over my head and crash. So I
settled for sixth and now I'm just looking forward to next week's
race at Phoenix. full story on teamsuzuki.com - pics from
vitalmx.com
Mike Alessi AMA Interview -ozzy go-
Mike Alessi has had an amazing career racing for the Red Bull
KTM Team the over the past three seasons. Third in the 2005
AMA Motocross Lites class, second in 2006, and in what may
be his most impressive finish yet; second after moving to the
premier Motocross class in 2007, Mike is right there knocking
on the door to take his first AMA Pro Championship.
What impresses most about Mike’s 2007 Motocross campaign
was that he was on a completely new bike (after racing the
250F is supercross); and in his first full season on the 450. If
you look at his finishes this past summer, he may have started
off at Hangtown slightly off the leader's pace, but by mid
season he was a contender for the win. Now with the 19-year
old moving to the Makita Rockstar Suzuki Team, and based on
his success at the recent US Open, I even expect bigger and
better things from him! I recently caught up with the
Californian in between practice sessions to collect his thoughts
about where he’s at. interview on amamotocross.com - pic
from vitalmx.com