RCH/YOSHIMURA/SUZUKI FACTORY RACING BACK TO FULL STRENGTH FOR HANGTOWN
May 20, 2017
CHINO, Calif. (May 20, 2017) – A lot of things can happen in a couple weeks.
Two weeks ago, RCH/Yoshimura/Suzuki Factory Racing was a man down while trying to wrap up a challenging Monster Energy AMA Supercross season. Broc Tickle was injured in a practice crash forcing him to sit out the final two races and surrender his place inside the top 10 in points. Justin Bogle was just trying to finish out his first season with RCH on a high note – one that was plagued with injuries and disappointing results.
Fast-forward two weeks and the defending Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship team rolls into the Red Bull Hangtown Motocross Classic at full strength with a clean slate when the summer season kicks off Saturday afternoon.
Tickle returns to the paddock after spending the last three weeks recovering from an injury to his right wrist looking to carry the same momentum into the 2017 Pro Motocross Championship that earned him podium finishes in both series over the last 12 months.
“I always thrive off of good results and for me, I’ve had a pretty good 12 months,” said Tickle who will make his 45th premier 450 class start at Hangtown. “It might have been a little bit of a blessing that I got injured when I did. I got two weeks off that no one else did. Looking at it that way, it could be a positive. My first day back on the bike, I was up to speed and where I should have been. It’s a bummer that I missed the last two Supercross races. I should have finished eighth in points, at the worst, with the way my season was going but obviously, getting my first Supercross podium was important. I’m looking forward to this summer. The bike feels really good and I feel like we’ve made some pretty big gains on our motorcycle from last year.”
While Tickle has a solid scorecard at Hangtown, the 27-year-old Pro Motocross veteran is eager to bolster his resume at the venerable suburban Sacramento, Calif., racecourse. In nine total starts at Hangtown, including MX Lites, 250 and 450 Class competition, the rider of the No. 20 Suzuki has logged a 9.1 average overall finish, including one top five and 11 top 10s in 18 motos.
“Last year was tough but, for the most part, I’ve always ridden fairly well at Hangtown,” explained Tickle. “The track is rough and kind of choppy. I think weather may come into play this weekend. It’s supposed to be hot and that should play in my favor. I feel good on the bike. I’ve done as many motos as I can. I’d say I’m about 90 percent right now. I’m in a good place to go out and get some good results. The starts are going to be important, just like Supercross. My main focus is the start and the first five laps. After that, I can maintain and hold on to what I need.”
Bogle is coming off a challenging sophomore supercross campaign and is eager to hit the reset button on his 2017 effort.
The 2011 AMA Horizon Award winner has logged five total Hangtown starts but has yet to hit his stride at the traditional site of the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship’s opening round. The Cushing, Okla., native has four 250 Class starts at the series' longest-running event, compiling a 12.75 average finish in eight motos. He made his 450 Class debut at Hangtown last May where he scored a 12-11 result to finish 12th, overall.
“I’m just glad to have Supercross behind me and the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship in front of me,” remarked Bogle. “I’m excited to wipe the slate clean and start over on 2017. That’s a really cool part about our sport. You can have a bad season in Supercross and turn it around for outdoors and still have a pretty good year. I can’t think of another sport where you can actually start over half way through the year and be able to race for a whole other set of points.
“I made some big changes to my program late in the Supercross season and I think we’re going to start seeing those results on the track very soon. I had to take a good look in the mirror to understand what I needed to do. I’m excited to go to Hangtown and get going. I’m a lot better than what my results have been showing so it’s up to me to go out there and make it happen.”
The first moto from Round 1 of the 2017 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship from the Hangtown Motocross Classic in Rancho Cordova, Calif., will be televised live on MAVTV Sat., May 20 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 also 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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