AMA Toyota MX: Steel City

Click the following link for a 33-photo gallery of AMA National motocross race action from Steel City Raceway in Delmont, PA. You can also click the following link for a 19-photo gallery from Saturday's pre-race action in the pits, as well as timed qualifying. Don't forget, if you're a Vital MX member, you can comment on any of the photos in the gallery. Not a member? Join now! It's fast and free.

The AMA Toyota Motocross Championship wrapped up the 2008 season on Sunday, with Ryan Dungey (Rockstar Makita Suzuki) taking the 250 class win with a perfect 1-1 day, and James Stewart (Monster Energy Kawasaki) completing his perfect season…with 24 straight moto wins.

James Stewart seemed to be on cruise control for most of the day, on a slippery Steel City course and the best battles occurred behind him between Timmy Ferry (Monster Energy Kawasaki) and Broc Hepler (Yamaha Factory Racing), who was riding on his hometown track. The two raced hard but clean, and Ferry finished in second in each moto, giving him second overall for the day, and for the season.

Afterwards, Hepler noted that while the track was much harder, slicker, and less rough than in past editions of the race, the racing may have actually been better.

Michael Byrne (Rockstar Makita Suzuki) used a pair of fourth-place finishes to take fourth in both the weekend and season standings.

Honda Red Bull Racing replacement rider Jimmy Albertson grabbed the holeshot in the second moto, and was nearly the top Honda rider of the day. Albertson was just edged out by Andrew Short, who was a bit off the pace this weekend. Shorty finished fifth overall for the day, and third overall for the season.

Also notable was Rockstar Makita Suzuki’s Mike Alessi, who despite missing just over half the races due to injury, still ended up in tenth overall for the season.

Ryan Villopoto (Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki) wrapped up the 250 title two races ago, and he had his share of problems on Sunday, resulting in his worst overall finish in three years. A tangle with Nico Izzi in the first moto left him with a bent shifter and shift shaft, and a DNF in the first moto. He also crashed in the second moto, trying to avoid Blake Wharton, who’d holeshot, but then slid out in front of the entire pack three turns into the race.

Matt Lemoine (Division 7/Star Racing/NCY/Yamaha) holeshot the first 250 moto before being passed by Josh Grant (Geico Powersports Honda). Grant led the first third of the race before Ryan Dungey got past him en route to the moto win. Grant later suffered a mechanical DNF, while Lemoine went on to finish second.

In the second 250 moto, Dungey was quick to take advantage of the crash by Wharton and Villopoto, and he led the rest of the way to the checkers…and the overall win. Among the hard chargers behind him were Jake Weimer (Geico Powersports Honda) and Nico Izzi). Izzi worked up into second place (for the moto and overall), and the most aggressive duel had to go to Weimer and Brett Metcalfe (Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki). Metcalfe (who will be teammates with Weimer in ’09 on the Pro Circuit Kawasaki squad) ended up going down after contact between the two.

Be sure to check out the photo gallery above for much more from Steel City.

450
1. James Stewart (Kawasaki) 1-1

2. Timmy Ferry (Kawasaki) 2-2

3. Broc Hepler (Yamaha) 3-3

4. Michael Byrne (Suzuki) 4-4

5. Andrew Short (Honda) 5-7

6. Jimmy Albertson (Honda) 7-6

7. Sean Hamblin (Yamaha) 6-9

8. Josh Hill (Yamaha) 11-5

9. Ivan Tedesco (Honda) 9-8

10. Matt Boni (Honda) 13-11

11. Nick Wey (KTM) 10-14

12. Paul Carpenter (Honda) 15-10

13. Jason Thomas (Honda) 16-12

14. Matt Goerke (KTM) 8-30

15. Ben Lamay (Yamaha) 17-15

16. Sean Collier (Kawasaki) 12-23

17. Colton Facciotti (Yamaha) 28-13

18. Kevin Rookstool (Honda) 18-16

19. Travis Sewell (Yamaha) 14-36

20. Michael Willard (Yamaha) 25-17

21. Antonio Balbi (Honda) 33-18

22. Jeff Alessi (Honda) 35-19

23. Vince Friese (Honda) 19-22

24. Shaun Skinner (Honda) 29-20

25. Ben Evens (Honda) 20-21

26. Sean Borkenhagen (Yamaha) 27-24

27. Jase Lewis (Honda) 21-25

28. Jay Weller (Suzuki) 26-26

29. Steve Roman (Kawasaki) 34-27

30. Mitch Dougherty (Honda) 32-28

31. Cody Cooper (Suzuki) 23-31

32. Nathan Whitlow (Yamaha) 24-32

33. Tyler Medaglia (Suzuki) 36-33

34. Jake Marsack (Honda) 30-34

35. Ryan Clark (Honda) 31-35

36. Jacob Morrison (Kawasaki) 38-37

37. Robert Fitch (Honda) 37-38

38. Kyle Tobin (Honda) 39-39

39. Steven Houser (Yamaha) 40-40

250
1. Ryan Dungey (Suzuki) 1-1

2. Nico Izzi (Suzuki) 5-2

3. Jake Weimer (Honda) 6-3

4. Brett Metcalfe (Kawasaki) 3-6

5. Broc Tickle (Yamaha) 9-4

6. Blake Wharton (Honda) 7-9

7. Matt Lemoine (Yamaha) 2-32

8. Phil Nicoletti (Kawasaki) 8-13

9. Kyle Chisholm (Kawasaki) 18-5

10. Steven Clarke (Suzuki) 16-7

11. Wil Hahn (Yamaha) 11-12

12. Dan Reardon (Honda) 13-11

13. Jake Moss (Yamaha) 10-14

14. Ryan Sipes (KTM) 4-37

15. Justin Brayton (KTM) 15-10

16. Josh Grant (Honda) 37-8

17. P. J. Larsen (Kawasaki) 17-15

18. Robert Kiniry (Honda) 12-38

19. Kyle Cunningham (Kawasaki) 14-33

20. Ryan Villopoto (Kawasaki) 38-16

21. Hunter Hewitt (Kawasaki) 20-17

22. Tucker Hibbert (Yamaha) 27-18

23. Shane Sewell (Suzuki) 28-19

24. Michael Hall (KTM) 19-36

25. Jeremy Medaglia (Yamaha) 25-20

26. Scott Champion (Honda) 24-21

27. Levi Kilbarger (Honda) 26-22

28. Willy Browning (Suzuki) 30-23

29. Ben Ritter (Suzuki) 23-24

30. Alex Martin (Honda) 31-25

31. Teddy Parks (Suzuki) 34-26

32. Stephen Stella (Kawasaki) 29-27

33. Matthew Sheafor (Honda) 36-28

34. Spencer Daily (Honda) 35-29

35. Jason Plotter (Honda) 32-30

36. Adam Miller (KTM) 22-31

37. Kyle Keylon (Honda) 21-34

38. Brett Wagner (Yamaha) 33-35

39. Sean Hackley (Kawasaki) 40-39

40. Andrew McFarlane (Kawasaki) 39-40