Las Vegas | Hart & Huntington

LAS VEGAS (Saturday, May 4, 2013)

The 2013 Monster Energy AMA Supercross Series concluded its 17-race season Saturday night in Las Vegas. Dodge/RCH Racing was led by Broc Tickle (No. 20 Dodge/Sycuan Casino/RCH Racing/Bel-Ray/Suzuki Z450) who finished 10th while teammate Josh Hill (No. 75 Dodge/Sycuan Casino/RCH Racing/Bel-Ray/Suzuki Z450) slowed late in the race and ended up 14th.

“A real physical ride tonight,” said Tickle after the Main Event. “The start was really tricky, the entire track was tough tonight. I felt pretty good in the Main. I was there with a group of guys and kind of lost them for a bit. I regrouped with them near the end of the race and brought home a 10th.”

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Sam Boyd Stadium, home to the University of Las Vegas Runnin’ Rebels, is known for its huge SX layouts and the season finale continued the tradition. Riders were challenged by the ultra-fast “Monster Alley” – a section with a sweeping left-hand turn that took riders outside the stadium and back into a long straightaway where speeds reached 60 mph. The highly-technical rhythm section and gnarly 180-degree turns added to the challenge. Riders willing to grab a handful of throttle were rewarded.

Hill and Tickle were among the eight fastest riders during the afternoon timed practice session which provided better gate selections for the Heat Races. Tickle was seeded fourth for Heat 1, Hill fifth in Heat 2.

Tickle raced as high as fifth in the eight-lap qualifier but a slip on Lap 4 dropped him to sixth were he finished to earn his 17th consecutive Main Event start this season.

“I felt really solid on the bike,” Tickle added. “The track was really hard-packed and kind of tough to figure out for the Main. You had to focus on getting into a good rhythm and not make a mistake.”

Hill’s fate in Heat 2 was nearly disastrous. He jumped the start causing his front tire to lodge against the starting gate, pinning his Suzuki while the other 19 riders rode off into Turn 1. Despite the hiccup, Hill stormed back and gained 13 positions over the next seven laps to finish sixth and advance to the Main.

“Just a little too aggressive, Hill said. “I had a great gate selection and just tried to anticipate the gate drop.”

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In the Main Event, gate selection and the race start were once again key factors in the outcome. Tickle overcame a sluggish start (14th after Lap 1) but quickly regained a fast race pace and was running 10th by Lap 10. He would advance no further over the final 10 laps.

“It was a solid run,” said Tickle. “We were able to move up to ninth in points.”

Hill got a fast start but got caught in slower traffic that inhibited his preferred racing line. As a result, he was shuffled back to 11th by midrace and fell three more positions after a late-race incident.

“I made a little mistake and fell back to 10th where Broc (Tickle) and I were banging handlebars a little bit,” Hill said. “Once he got around me, I was trying to pace myself and right around Lap 19 I crashed coming over the ski jump. My front tire felt like it went flat. It knifed out and I went sliding sideways like I was road racing. It just wasn’t a good race. It was miserable. I was trying so hard to get to the front that I just beat myself up.”

SX Series champion Ryan Villopoto earned his 10th Monster Energy AMA Supercross win of the season edging Ryan Dungey and Davi Millsaps. The three-time champion led the final 19 laps to win by 2.843-seconds.

On Saturday morning at Monster Energy Cup, RCH Racing announced the joining forces of Carey Hart’s Dodge/Sycuan Casino Racing team with Ricky Carmichael and factory support from Suzuki and Yoshimura research and development, as well as the signing of Broc Tickle to ride the 2013 RM-Z450.

Team Owner, Carey Hart, knows the partnership with Ricky Carmichael and Suzuki was the next step in growing his race program that started out as an idea on a napkin in 2007. “This is a really exciting time to be teaming up with Ricky. His resume speaks volumes and his ability to work with riders and build champions is priceless. Ricky was the pivotal piece to bringing Suzuki to our team and now that we have a long term relationship with them on a factory level I feel that we have all of the pieces to go out and win a championship. I think with Ricky working close with Broc during pre-season and throughout the course of the season will help boost Broc’s confidence and bring him up to the next level. Broc already has a ton of talent and he knows how to win championships. We are ready to be on the podium and winning races.”

Ricky, who will be leading the team’s rider development and motorcycle testing, research, and development, is looking forward to sharing lessons learned in his professional career now with RCH Racing. “I’m really excited about this partnership. Carey being successful as an athlete and as a business person has built a great foundation here in the sport and with myself being able to bring the Suzuki program over to the team really solidifies the deal and makes the team complete. We are looking forward to many good years. 2013 will be a building year and in 2014 I think we will be in contention for wins and a championship. Broc finished on the podium several times at the end of this past season and is a former Lites Champion so he knows what it takes to win races and championships. I think he is a diamond in the rough and with a little bit of guidance from myself and support from Suzuki I think we will be able to run top 5 each weekend and score some podium finishes.”

For Broc Tickle, the switch to RCH Racing was a great move for him. “Having Ricky part of the program and his knowledge from being the champion he is and his history with Suzuki made making the switch an easy decision for me. The factory support from Suzuki and Ricky knowing all there is to know about the bike and working with him at the track and in training makes this a step in the right direction for me. I’m looking forward to being part of RCH Racing and helping the team grow.”

“The sponsors of RCH Racing who have continued their support for the coming year and years to come are the key to continuing to help make this team grow and develop into a championship winning team. The people involved from Carey and Kenny to the mechanics and the behind the scenes crew really make this team what it is and a great team to ride for.”

The support from Yoshimura and Suzuki brings RCH Racing to a new level of competition and gives them the tools they need to build a championship contending team. Don Sakakura, President of Yoshimura Racing, LLC states, “Yoshimura is very excited to be involved as a sponsor of the RCH program. The rich history of industry Icons; Ricky Carmichael and Carey Hart are legendary; Yoshimura is thrilled with this opportunity! We look forward to great success this coming racing season!”

Larry Vandiver from American’ Suzuki Motor Corporation couldn’t be happier on the announcement of the partnership. “We are pleased to partner our champion approved RM-Z motorcycles with RCH Racing. We look forward to a long partnership that will raise the bar on racing and bring new fans to the sport.”