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Dodge/RCH Racing Race Advance - Monster Energy AMA Supercross Series - Round 8 - Atlanta
DODGE/RCH RACING NEWS
· Josh Hill has made two consecutive Main Event starts since returning two weeks ago in San Diego after being sidelined with a broken right hand since the season-opening Monster Energy AMA Supercross Series event at Anaheim, Calif. He has finished 18th (San Diego) and 15th (Arlington) in his last two Main Events. Hill has a pair of top-10 finishes in three previous Main Event starts at the Georgia Dome. He finished 19th in his debut and followed with finishes of ninth and sixth the last two seasons.
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· Broc Tickle finished 16th in his only 450SX Main Event start at the Georgia Dome last season.
· RCH Racing’s Ricky Carmichael won five SX races at the Georgia Dome from 2001 to 2007. Carmichael did not race in 2004 due to injury.
FAST FACTS: ATLANTA
· SPEED will air the AMA Supercross Series event at the Georgia Dome live on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. (ET).
· The last 100 laps of 450SX Class racing has been led by only six riders led by Ryan Villopoto – 55.
G.O.A.T. (GREATEST OF ALL TIME) CHATTER
“I loved to race in Atlanta. The whole week leading up to Atlanta was just a great practice week. My confidence was high. You walk into the place and it smells great. It just has a good vibe and the dirt is fantastic. The crowd is electric. It’s awesome. It’s one of the biggest crowds that we have all year. They’re really enthused after being cooped up all winter watching Supercross out on the west coast. It’s just a cool place to race. The fans come alive in the Georgia Dome. I feel like our RCH team will race well on Saturday.”
- - Ricky Carmichael
BROC TICKLE
No. 20 Dodge/Sycuan Casino/RCH Racing/Bel-Ray/Suzuki RM-Z450
Birthdate: 11/21/1989
Hometown: Holly, Mich. Mechanic: Tony Berluti
Highlights
· First season riding the No. 20 Dodge/Sycuan Casino/RCH Racing/Bel-Ray/Suzuki RM-Z450.
· Finished eighth in 2012 SX rider standings with nine top-10 finishes in 16 starts.
· 2011 AMA Supercross Series Lites West champion.
JOSH HILL
No.75 Dodge/Sycuan Casino/RCH Racing/Bel-Ray/Suzuki RM-Z450
Birthdate: 07/30/1989
Hometown: Yoncalla, Ore. Mechanic: Shawn Bell
Highlights
· Returns for his second season aboard the No. 75 Dodge/Sycuan Casino/RCH Racing/Bel-Ray/Suzuki RM-Z450.
· Has one career SX win (Minneapolis – 2008).
· Career best sixth-place finish in 2010 SX point standings.
2013 AMA SX STAT CHECK
Starts Main Events Wins Top 3s Top 10s
Tickle 7 7 0 0 2
Hill 2 2 0 0 0
DODGE/RCH RACING PRE-RACE QUOTES
BROC TICKLE (No. 20 Dodge/Sycuan Casino/RCH Racing/Bel-Ray/Suzuki Z450)
WE’RE NEAR THE HALFWAY POINT OF THE SEASON HEADING INTO ATLANTA THIS WEEKEND. TALK ABOUT YOUR MINDSET FOR THE SECOND HALF PUSH TO LAS VEGAS: “I think my mindset stays the same. I just need to keep working on my race starts and continue to build the pieces of the puzzle every weekend. I just need to keep working hard in practice during the week. I was happy with how I rode in Arlington last weekend. My Main Event race last weekend was the best 20 laps that I’ve put in this year. We’re heading in the right direction despite it taking a little bit longer than we wanted. I think we’re starting to see the results of all the work that our Dodge/Sycuan Casino/RCH Racing/Bel-Ray/Suzuki team has been putting into the racing.”
YOU SAID THAT YOU HAD YOUR BEST RIDE LAST WEEKEND IN ARLINGTON. WHAT MADE THE RIDE SO COMFORTABLE? “I just felt comfortable on the bike all day and liked how the tracked flowed. The rhythm and whoop sections were awesome. I like it when the track is a little bit slippery and Cowboy Stadium really fit my style.”
JOSH (HILL) HAS BEEN BACK FOR TWO RACES NOW. DOES THAT TAKE SOME PRESSURE OFF YOU NOT BEING THE ONLY RCH RIDER? “Yes and no. It’s nice to have him back and ride with during the week and on Saturdays. We’re able to bounce ideas, track lines and stuff off each other. As for the pressure, I didn’t really feel it without him. I’ve just been trying to focus on my bike and my rides. But having Josh back is great and seeing him ride so well is cool. With (him) back racing, I think that both of us should be up inside the top-10 on Saturdays before the end of the season.”
RACING IN THE GEORGIA DOME IS ALWAYS A HIGHLIGHT ON THE 17-RACE SCHEDULE. CAN YOU TALK ABOUT HOW PASSIONATE THE FANS ARE IN ATLANTA? “It’s cool. I use go to Atlanta as a kid because I’m originally from North Carolina. You have North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and Mississippi real close by. And without having New Orleans on the schedule this year, I think most of the people from the southeast will be at the race on Saturday. It’s going to be awesome. I’ll get to see some guys I use to race against when I was younger and catch up with some family that I haven’t seen in a while.”
JOSH HILL (No. 75 Dodge/Sycuan Casino/RCH Racing/Bel-Ray/Suzuki Z450)
ANOTHER SX INDOOR STADIUM EVENT THIS WEEKEND HEADING INTO ROUND 8, WILL THERE BE MUCH OF A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ARLINGTON AND ATLANTA? “I think so. The dirt is going to be completely different. I’ve heard that it will be a little more hard-packed than before. It will be new dirt and a new layout, but it’s the Georgia Dome and the place will be packed.”
TWO SOLID BACK-TO-BACK RACE WEEKENDS FOR YOU SINCE COMING BACK FROM YOUR HAND INJURY. DO YOU STAY THE SAME COURSE OR TRY AND PUSH A BIT MORE? “For sure, stay on the same course. The more races that I can race and the more time I get on the Suzuki, I can get back in the swing of racing go after these guys hard and race up front. It felt good to get that good start in the Heat Race last weekend in Arlington and battle with the big boys.”
YOU’VE SCORED BACK-TO-BACK TOP-10 FINISHES IN YOUR LAST TWO GEORGIA DOME STARTS: “Man, the Georgia Dome fans are rad. Atlanta is a great stop on the tour. The usually sell-out all 72,000 seats for the race. The fans are crazy and understand racing. They only get one Supercross race a year and they make the most of it.”
RICKY CARMICHAEL (Owner, RCH Racing)
BACK-TO-BACK MAIN EVENTS FOR RCH’S JOSH HILL. WHAT HAVE YOU SEEN IN HIS RIDES SO FAR? “I don’t think he’s at 100 percent yet. He’s got a few more weeks and I think he’ll be back to normal. I’m just happy that he’s slowly getting the confidence back. He rode pretty well in his Heat race, that’s where the progression starts. You start riding solid for a few laps in the Heat race and the next thing you know, you ride well for the entire Heat race and it just continues to build. Building on that momentum will give you the confidence to ride hard in the Main at a high level. I was really pleased with how he started in his Heat race last weekend and I look forward to him to improve every week.”
BROC (TICKLE) COMMENTED ON HAVING HIS BEST RIDE OF THE SEASON LAST WEEKEND IN ARLINGTON. CAN YOU TALK ABOUT HIS PROGRESS? “I was happy with how he rode in the Main Event. Realistically, I think that Broc should have finished eighth or so. That’s where I need to do a better job coaching him on a track like Dallas last weekend. Everybody was doing the same stuff, the track was really basic, and the lap times were extremely short. On tracks like Dallas you have to ride smart and put yourself in good spots because it’s really hard to make up time. There are just not enough areas to pass. Positions 1-15 were as close as they’ve been all year. You have to be on your game and ride at a high level. You have to ride up front. But all-in-all that was one of the best Main Event’s that he’s raced all year. He was catching guys that had been passing him all week. We’re right there. We’re one good weekend from sitting seventh in rider points. I really think he’s going to start rolling in Atlanta where he will get some really good dirt on a technical course.”
BACK-TO-BACK 450SX CLASS RACES WHERE THE RIDER WITH THE HOLESHOT HAS GONE ON TO WIRE-TO-WIRE WINS: “I think that we’re starting to see a trend, especially with the top three riders. The top three riders finished inside the top three each weekend. The competition is so close that the starts are so important. I think we’re going to see a trend and also see the same guys up front every single weekend, almost in the same order. It’s starting to get crunch time and the top guys are really going to be focused.”
CAN YOU TALK ABOUT THE ATMOSPHERE OF RACING IN ATLANTA AND HOW INTENSE THE MOTORCYCLE COMMUNITY IS FOR SX AT THE GEORGIA DOME? “I loved to race in Atlanta. The whole week leading up to Atlanta was just a great practice week. My confidence was high. You walk into the place and it smells great. It just has a good vibe and the dirt is fantastic. The crowd is electric. It’s awesome. It’s one of the biggest crowds that we have all year. They’re really enthused after being cooped up all winter watching Supercross out on the west coast. It’s just a cool place to race. The fans come alive in the Georgia Dome. I feel like our RCH team will race well on Saturday.”
YOU SCORED FIVE SX PREMIER DIVISION WINS (2001-2003, 2005-2006) AT THE GEORGIA DOME. WHAT MADE YOU SO GOOD INDOORS IN ATLANTA? “I think what made me so good in Atlanta was that it was somewhat of a home race for me. My attitude was good there. I’d walk into the Georgia Dome and just loved the smell, the dirt, the look of it. All that stuff resonates and I just knew that it was going to be a great weekend.”
DO YOU REMEMBER THE 2007 RACE WHEN JAMES STEWART KNOCKED YOU OFF THE TOP OF THE PODIUM? TALK ABOUT THAT RACE: “For sure. I remember exactly what happened, James Stewart beat me. I think that I rode a great race but he was just a touch better in this one section of the track – this one little obstacle. The landing was straight down on this tabletop. I wasn’t prepared to take the risk and try it because I knew that if I didn’t hit it clean that it was going to be ugly (laughs). I would catch him on the rest of the track but as soon as I got close, he’d hit that one jump and pull away.”
PaddockTalk Perspective
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