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.
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 then 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, Mich. The race will serve as a home game, of sorts, for RCH sponsor Soaring Eagle Casino and Resort. Located a little over three hours north of RedBud in Mount Pleasant, Mich., Soaring Eagle is a Four-Diamond casino and resort featuring luxurious rooms, indulgent dining, thrilling games, superstar entertainment, natural ambiance and breathtaking views.
The first moto of the Red Bull RedBud National will be televised live on MAVTV Sat., July 4 beginning at 1 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time, 10 a.m. Pacific. TV coverage for the second moto will shift to network TV and be televised on NBC at 4 p.m. EDT. All motos can be streamed live online through ProMotocross.com or the NBC Sports Live Extra app. NBC, NBCSN and MAVTV will combine to televise over 60 hours of racing over the course of the 12-round season.
About Me: Adam has been a race fan since the first time he went through the tunnel under the Daytona International Speedway almost 30 years ago. He has had the privilege of travelling to races all across the state of Florida (as well as one race in Ohio), watching nearly everything with a motor compete for fame and glory, as well as participating in various racing schools to get the feel of what racecar drivers go through every week. Adam has spent the last three years covering motorsports for Examiner.com., where he had the opportunity to see the racing world from behind the scenes as well as the grandstands. He invites everyone to follow him on Twitter, Facebook, and Google Plus, and looks forward to sharing his enthusiasm for all things racing with the readers of SpeedwayDigest.com.Be sure to tune in for his weekly sports talk program, Thursday Night Thunder, where he discusses the latest in motorsports news with drivers, crew members, and fans. The show takes place every Thursday at 8:00 pm EST on the Speedway Digest Radio Network.
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