RACE REPORT : YOSHIMURA UNADILLA

Yoshimura riders made their way to Upstate New York, for yet another unseasonably chilly day of AMA Pro Motocross. Eli Tomac and his GEICO Honda crew stretched out their championship lead while also introducing Matt Bisceglia to the pro ranks in his rookie debut. Muscle Milk Honda’s Justin Barcia was the hometown favorite, as he landed on the podium with a solid 2nd place overall.

Yoshimura-backed GEICO Honda rider Eli Tomac took the overall victory by a landslide, by winning both 250 motos with a clear margin. In moto 1 he was off to a lackluster start, but battled through traffic and took the checkers and the moto win. In his 2nd race of the day, Tomac had to work past Martin Davalos and teammate Justin Bogle, before battling it out with rival Ken Roczen for the lead. Tomac moved past Roczen and remained unchallenged for his 2nd victory of the day. Yoshimura-backed teammate Zach Osborne started the day on the podium with a 3rd in moto 1 and finished with a 6th in moto 2 for 4th overall. Bogle captured 6th overall. Wil Hahn grabbed his 8th-straight holeshot of the season in moto 1, and finished the day with a 7th overall.

GEICO Honda welcomed Matt Bisceglia to the pro ranks, with his rookie debut aboard his Yoshimura-backed machine. Bisceglia ran with the big dogs and showed that he has what it takes to become a force in the 250 class. He managed to break into the top 20, with a 19th place moto 2, and finish 20th overall. GEICO Honda leaves Unadilla once again with the red plate on Eli Tomac’s machine — this time with a considerable 39-point lead over 2nd place. Osborne, Bogle, and Hahn currently sit 5th, 8th, and 15th, respectively, in the championship points.

Yoshimura-backed Muscle Milk Honda rider Justin Barcia made the podium Saturday, with a 2nd overall. Barcia rode to a solid 4th place finish in moto 1 — to the tune of cheering hometown fans.  Full of momentum in moto 2, Justin ran the pace of Ryan Villopoto for much of the race. Bam Bam was unchallenged for the number 2 spot in the second moto, which earned him 2nd overall. Barcia leaves Unadilla in 3rd place in the championship points. Muscle Milk Honda teammate Trey Canard was off to a great top 5 start in moto 1 before a track marker got caught in his bike, which resulted in a DNF. Moto 2 was also less than favorable to Canard, as he was involved in a nasty crash right off the start, the 41 machine cartwheeled several times, which forced Canard to pull off the track for repairs. The Honda mechanics replaced broken parts, and sent Canard back out to the track a lap down, but was still on pace, as he un-lapped himself by passing many riders in the top 10. He finished moto 2 with a hard-fought 26th, a modest number for such a great and awe-inspiring ride. He still sits comfortably 5th in the Championship standings.  

Yoshimura Suzuki’s James Stewart was back in the hunt on Saturday, coming off an amazing performance at Millville. In moto 1, he started just outside of the top 5, then quickly moved past 3 riders to challenge Ryan Dungey for 2nd. Stewart would challenge Dungey for the duration of the race, and crossed the finish line closely in 3rd. Stewart hit the deck pretty hard in moto 2, which caused him to DNF. James would still take home 11th. Stewart currently sits comfortably in 4th in the Championship points

Yoshimura-backed RCH Suzuki rider Broc Tickle was 8-8 for 8th in New York, which landed him 8th in the Championship points. Tickle rode in an ultra-consistent manner, evading the DNF and drama which plagued many riders at Unadilla on Saturday. Tickle is poised to finish strong in 2013, and his consistent finishes prove that his top 10 speed is the result of dedication and training.