GP regular Tom Church and the Hitachi KTM team made the trek to Southwick, but failed to qualify for the event.
DNA Shred Stix/Yamaha rider Gannon Audette had his breakthrough ride of the year, finishing eighth overall. Audette finished a surprising fourth in the first moto, but was overshadowed a bit perhaps, by Gareth Swanepoel's shocking moto win. Audette's second moto didn't go quite as well and he crossed the finish line in 16th. Still, it was a great day for the former Amateur National Champion.
Oversized tanks were the order of the day in the 250 class. This large-capacity tank by Clarke manufacturing is affectionately referred to by riders as, "The Ball Buster."
Local favorite and all-around motocross hero John Dowd was at Southwick on a mission to earn 22 points, in order to secure his permanent number 16 for another season. Junkyard ended up scoring 25 points with his remarkable eighth-place finish. Dowdy is 46 years old.
With Hurricane Irene making the Southwick National a soggy affair, this flagger made good use of a trackside banner. Nothing like staying dry, AND plugging the sponsors, right?
TAGS: ama, brett metcalfe, chad reed, dean wilson, dirt bike, john down, Junkyard Dog, kickstart, Lucas Oil, Monday Kickstart, motocross, motocross racers, mx, mx 338, ryan dungey, southwick, Tyla Rattray
