Pirelli Racers Make New England Debut at Gillette Stadium

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (April 24, 2016) – Round 15 of the 2016 Monster Energy AMA Supercross, an FIM World Championship, welcomed riders to the home of the New England Patriots and Gillette Stadium for the first time in series history. The second daytime race of the season saw scattered showers early in the day and transformed an already challenging track into one that would test the racer’s skill and focus throughout the day.

 

BTO Sports/WPS/KTM rider Justin Brayton kicked off opening ceremonies wearing a Patriots jersey, a move that collected a resounding roar amongst the New England faithful. Brayton used the enthusiasm to put together a solid heat race, qualifying directly to the Main Event via a third place finish in 450SX Heat 2.

TPJ Racing’s Nick Schmidt used a quick start and a fourth place finish in 450SX Semi 1 to transfer to the Main Event, while Autotrader/Monster Energy/Yamaha’s Weston Peick got out to a great start in 450SX Semi 2, leading every lap on his way to the checkered flag. Peick was followed by his JGRMX teammate, Justin Barcia in third.

 

Privateer Alex Ray nailed the start on the 450SX LCQ, leading the first lap before settling into third place and a spot on the line in the Main Event.

The start of the 450SX Main Event saw a trio of Pirelli racers – Peick, Brayton and Barcia – hovering around the top 10 and looking to make their moves. Peick would put together a consistent 20-lap race finishing in eighth. Brayton was not far behind in 12^th, while Barcia ran into some bad luck early on running into a downed rider and being forced to make a brief stop in the mechanics area before finishing the night in 19^th. Ray and Schmidt would follow Barcia across the line in 20^th and 21^st, respectively.

 

Motorcycle Superstore Suzuki’s Jimmy Albertson fought through the pack in 250SX Heat 1 to finish in eighth place, directly transferring to the Main Event. He would get off to a top five start in Main before running into some trouble on Lap 2 and ultimately crossing the line in 17^th place.

Filling in for the injured Davi Millsaps was the #167 of Benny Bloss. One of the tallest riders on the circuit, Bloss used his height to his advantage navigating the rutted track and large whoops. Bloss would ride well in his first appearance with the team, narrowly missing the 450SX Main Event by one position.

The penultimate round of Monster Energy Supercross will take place next Saturday, April 30th from MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

 

450SX Class Results

1.       Ken Roczen, Clermont, Fla., Suzuki

2.       Eli Tomac, Cortez, Colo., Kawasaki

3.       Ryan Dungey, Belle Plaine, Minn., KTM

4.       Jason Anderson, Rio Rancho, N.M., Husqvarna

5.       Trey Canard, Edmond, Okla., Honda

6.       Justin Bogle, Cushing, Okla., Honda

7.       Cole Seely, Sherman Oaks, Calif., Honda

8.       Weston Peick, Menifee, Calif., Yamaha

9.       Chad Reed, Dade City, Fla., Yamaha

10.    Marvin Musquin, Corona, Calif., KTM

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12. Justin Brayton, Mint Hill, N.C., KTM

19. Justin Barcia, Greenville, Fla., Yamaha

20. Alex Ray, Milan, Tenn., Honda 

21. Nick Schmidt, Lake Elsinore, Calif., Suzuki

 

450SX Class Championship Standings

1.     Ryan Dungey, Belle Plaine, Minn., KTM – 348

2.     Ken Roczen, Clermont, Fla., Suzuki – 305

3.     Jason Anderson, Rio Rancho, N.M., Husqvarna – 278

4.     Eli Tomac, Cortez, Colo., Kawasaki – 248

5.     Chad Reed, Dade City, Fla., Yamaha – 220

6.     Marvin Musquin, Corona, Calif., KTM – 199

7.     Cole Seely, Sherman Oaks, Calif., Honda – 187

8.     Trey Canard, Edmond, Okla., Honda – 170

9.     Justin Brayton, Mint Hill, N.C., KTM – 170

10.  Weston Peick, Menifee, Calif., Yamaha – 115

 

Eastern Regional 250SX Class Results

1.     Martin Davalos, Clermont, Fla., Husqvarna

2.     Jeremy Martin, Millville, Minn., Yamaha

3.     Malcolm Stewart, Haines City, Fla., Honda

4.     Shane McElrath, Canton, N.C., KTM

5.     Aaron Plessinger, Hamilton, Ohio, Yamaha

6.     Tyler Bowers, Corona, Calif., Kawasaki

7.     Gannon Audette, Tallahassee, Fla., Kawasaki

8.     RJ Hampshire, Brooksville, Fla., Honda

9.     Anthony Rodriguez, Cairo, Ga., Kawasaki

10.  Luke Renzland, Hewitt, N.J., Yamaha

 

Eastern Regional 250SX Class Championship Standings

1.       Malcolm Stewart, Haines City, Fla., Honda – 135

2.       Aaron Plessinger, Hamilton, Ohio, Yamaha – 130

3.       Jeremy Martin, Millville, Minn., Yamaha – 121

4.       Martin Davalos, Clermont, Fla., Husqvarna – 108

5.       Tyler Bowers, Corona, Calif., Kawasaki – 93

6.       Shane McElrath, Canton, N.C., KTM – 91

7.       Gannon Audette, Tallahassee, Fla., Kawasaki – 91

8.       RJ Hampshire, Brooksville, Fla., Honda – 90

9.       Anthony Rodriguez, Cairo, Ga., Kawasaki – 70

10.    Justin Hill, Yoncalla, Ore., KTM – 63

 

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ABOUT PIRELLI

Founded in 1872, Pirelli is among the largest global tire makers, and focuses its business on the high end, premium product segment where it is a world leader. Present in over 160 countries, Pirelli has 22 manufacturing sites and employs approximately 38,000 people around the world. Successfully competing in motorsports since 1907, Pirelli is currently the exclusive supplier of the Formula 1 championship, the Superbike world championship, and many other championships around the world.

 

Pirelli Tire North America (PTNA) services NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement) member countries through its Modular Integrated Robotized System (MIRS) facility and research and development center at its Rome, Georgia headquarters, its state-of-the-art manufacturing plant in Silao, Mexico and its New York City, Montreal and Mexico City sales and marketing offices. The company manufactures, distributes and markets original equipment and replacement tires for export and domestic car/motorcycle applications (US, CA, MX) and Agro/Heavy Truck platforms (MX).