RCH/YOSHIMURA/SUZUKI FACTORY RACING LOOKS TO KEEP BUILDING AT GLEN HELEN
May 26, 2017
CHINO, Calif. (May 26, 2017) – On the heels of a pair of solid performances in last week’s Lucas Oil Pro Motocross season opener, RCH/Yoshimura/Suzuki Factory Racing riders Broc Tickle and Justin Bogle are looking to better those efforts on Saturday when Pro Motocross makes its lone stop in Southern California for the FMF Glen Helen National at Glen Helen Raceway.
Tickle comes into Round 2 tied for fifth in points after a strong opening race at Hangtown where a 7-7 effort translated into a fifth-place overall finish. Most notably, the rider of the No. 20 Suzuki RM-Z450 is still nursing a wrist injury that saw him sidelined for the final two supercross races of the season.
Despite the injury, Tickle turned in a formidable showing last weekend at a rough and demanding Hangtown Motocross Classic.
“I’m just excited to be racing,” said Tickle. “I surprised myself last weekend because I’m not 100 percent. To come out and get two solid finishes and a top five overall was an awesome race to start the season, especially considering the circumstances. I missed two weeks of riding and training while I was injured and those were important weeks coming into the outdoor season. What’s saving me is that we got all our testing done early and worked on our set up so I’m in a good place. I’m in a good spot to build off of last weekend. I wasn’t focused on what place I was in. I was just focused on my riding and trying to go as fast as I could around the track.”
In six previous Glen Helen starts, including MX Lites, 250 and 450 Class competition, Tickle has recorded four top 10 moto finishes. The Holly, Mich., rider notched an 8-13 effort last season to finish 10th overall and earn his career-best finish at what is often considered the most demanding motocross track in the world.
“Glen Helen, in general, is tough,” explained Tickle. “Even when we ride there during the week, it’s a tough track. It’s fast and my starts (in the past) haven’t been all that spectacular. The starts separate everybody pretty quickly because the track is so fast. The hills are long so if you’re behind a bunch of people, you can’t really hit the corner like you need to. Lap times at Glen Helen fluctuate more than anywhere else we go. You’re prone to making a mistake just because of the conditions and how the track develops. The main thing is good starts and latching on with the leaders for the first six laps and break away from everyone else so you can ride your own race.”
Bogle had his share of snags during the 17-race supercross season, enough to prompt the 2011 AMA Horizon Award winner to relocate his training regimen to Cairo, Ga., where he now rides under the tutelage of RCH team co-owner Ricky Carmichael.
That decision paid dividends last weekend at Hangtown where he earned a sporty 8-10 result to finish 10th overall, his first top 10 in outdoor competition since finishing ninth at Red Bud last July.
The rider of the No. 19 Suzuki has a pair of Glen Helen starts where he finished sixth overall in 2014 and 17th last season in his first year in the premier 450 Class.
“Last weekend was a good way to start the outdoor season,” said Bogle who comes into Round 2 10th in points. “I’ve made some important changes to my program and those changes are starting to pay off. We got out of Hangtown with a top 10 and that’s a place that hasn’t been very good for me in the past. The plan is to build off that finish and hopefully be better on Saturday. Glen Helen hasn’t been the best track for me but neither was Hangtown, so the goal is to turn that around and try to be better than we were a week ago.”
Before the starting gate drops at the track, Tickle and Bogle will meet fans and sign autographs tonight from 5:30 p.m. – 7 p.m. at Malcolm Smith Motorsports. Located just a half hour south of Glen Helen in Riverside, Calif., Malcolm Smith Motorsports has become one of the most storied motorsports dealerships in the world. Owned and operated by Malcolm himself, a lifetime of passion for motorcycles and racing heritage has created a dealership unlike any other.
The first moto from Round 2 of the 2017 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship from the Glen Helen National in San Bernardino, Calif., will be televised live on MAVTV Sat., May 27 beginning at 4 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time, 1 p.m. Pacific. Television coverage for the second moto will shift to NBCSN at 6 p.m. EDT, 3 p.m. Pacific.
All motos can be streamed live on the NBC Sports Gold app. NBC, NBCSN and MAVTV will combine to provide extensive television coverage over the course of the 12-round season. Capping off each round of the championship will be exclusive one-hour highlight shows on NBCSN, each airing within a handful of days of every National.
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