450 Class
Moto 1
Andrew Short rode off to yet another great start but the real surprise was Ryan Sipes who finally got the start he was looking for in second place. Ryan Dungey was not far behind though and for the opening laps it was a three-way battle for the lead. Eventually Sipes was forced to relent to Dungey’s pressure, dropping him to third, but Short was not ready to go down without a fight.
Inching ever closer, by lap three Dungey was right on the factory Honda rider’s rear fender and finally made the move right after the finish line. But Short attempted a counter attack that we have not seen out of many riders this year against Dungey, causing an uproar among the crowd. But the fight was short lived and the Suzuki ace began to creep away. Further back, Brett Metcalfe was mounting a charge towards the front that would see him pass early front-runner, Sipes, for third. Behind Sipes, Kyle Regal and Ben Townley found themselves in a fight for fifth place that would go all the way to the finish. Out front, however, it was all Dungey who took control of the race after his pass on Short and never looked back.
Moto 2
Brett Metcalfe managed a great start ahead of new holeshot king, Andrew Short and the two would fight neck and neck for the first two laps. Metcalfe, however, was not willing to give up his advantage, forcing the issue on Short and maintaining his lead. The Aussie soon began to runaway with first but it was not to last. A fall in the back section dropped Metcalfe out of contention, as Short and Dungey took over the front positions.
The two Team USA riders went on to have one of the best races of the day, Short trying to prove why he was a good team selection, Dungey showing that he was the best pick for team captain. For several laps, the two had an attention grabbing battle, but Dungey was eventually able to make his move in one of the “S” sections in the front section of the track.
From there, Dungey once again picked up his pace and ran away with the win. Metcalfe was able to remount a very impressive charge eventually moving from around seventh, back up to third, passing Ben Townley in the closing laps to capture the final podium spot and second overall for the year.
Results
1) Ryan Dungey 1-1
2) Andrew Short 3-2
3) Brett Metcalfe 2-3
4) Ben Townley 6-4
5) Ryan Sipes 4-6
6) Kyle Chisolm 9-5
7) Kevin Windham 7-8
8 ) Justin Brayton 12-7
9) Kyle Regal 5-14
10) Nick Wey 11-9
TAGS: andrew short, ashely fiolek, Christophe Pourcel, jessica patterson, Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross, nationals, pala raceway, Race Report, racing, ryan dungey, san diego, trey canard
