High Point: Series round three event report

Dungey Makes it Two in a Row, Grabs Points Lead at High Point
Tyla Rattray Grabs First Career 250 Class Victory

MT. MORRIS, Pa. (June 12, 2010) - The third round of the 2010 Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship endured a mixture of rain and sun on Saturday as the series made its East Coast debut at the Rockstar Energy High Point National Presented by Centra Bank from High Point Raceway. After breaking through for his first 450 Class victory last weekend, Rockstar/Makita Suzuki's Ryan Dungey, of Belle Plaine, Minn., made it two in a row while Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki's Tyla Rattray, of South Africa, raced to his first career victory in the 250 Class.

Dungey maintained the momentum he garnered last weekend, going 1-1 on the day to establish a four moto win streak. After grabbing the lead early in moto one, he never looked back but was forced to chase down Honda Red Bull Racing's Andrew Short, of Smithville, Texas, in moto two. Overcoming a multiple-second deficit, he closed in during the closing stages and made the winning pass to lead the final five laps.

"It feels good," said Dungey. "The track turned out better than I thought after the first moto. I got good starts and put us in a good position to be out front. There were a lot of passing lines today. Sometimes you get caught behind someone and have difficulty moving through the pack and that's where starts play a big role."

By virtue of the win, Dungey moved into the 450 Class points lead, surpassing defending champion Chad Reed, of Australia, who suffered from misfortune en route to an 18th-place effort. Short held on for second overall (3-2) while GEICO Powersports Honda's Brett Metcalfe, of Australia, grabbed his first career podium finish in the premier class in third (6-3).

Intermittent rain created difficult track conditions for the 250 Class which once again showcased the depth of talent in the entry level division. GEICO Powersports Honda's Justin Barcia, of Ochlocknee, Ga., captured the first moto victory but found trouble in moto two. Current class points leader Christophe Pourcel, of France, assumed the winning role in the final moto but Rattray's consistent 2-2 moto scores helped him to his inaugural overall victory.

"It feels good," said Rattray. "I've been working for it and to finally get one now really means a lot to me. Being consistent is what it takes to win the championship. It would have been nice to go 1-1 but at least I was consistent. I've been working hard and it feels good to finally get on top of the podium.'

Pourcel took the runner-up spot (4-1) to maintain his points lead while GEICO Powersports Honda's Blake Wharton, of Pilot Point, Texas, posted a career best result in third (8-3).

The Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship continues next weekend from Mechanicsville, Md., for round four and the MotoTees.com Budds Creek National from Budds Creek MX Park on June 19.

-source: ama