Rockstar Makita Suzuki Factory Racing's Ryan Dungey celebrated an impressive overall podium finish at the U.S. Open of Supercross in Las Vegas' two nights of racing at the weekend.
The young Supercross Lites rider raced his Rockstar Makita Suzuki RM-Z250 alongside the larger-displacement bikes to bring home fifth and fourth-place finishes for an overall third-place result.
Newly-signed and reigning AMA Supercross Champion Chad Reed, meanwhile, enjoyed a strong finish in his first U.S. race with Rockstar Makita Suzuki Factory Racing. Despite a DNF caused by mechanical complications from a turn-one incident on Friday, the Australian rallied on Saturday, scored the holeshot and led three-fourths of the race before landing on a tuff block and getting a third-place finish.
Rockstar Makita Suzuki's Michael Byrne was also in the top-10 overall: seventh and sixth-place finishes culminated in a seventh-place overall result.
Finally, 2008 AMA Supercross/ Motocross Rookie of the Year Nico Izzi made his U.S. Open debut by bringing home ninth and 10th-place finishes.
Ryan Dungey:
"I was pumped with my results and I had a good time this weekend. In the Friday night main, I was taken out but I was able to make my way through the pack and finish fifth. On Saturday night, even though I didn't get a great start, I was happy with the way that I rode and I was pumped to get third in the overall. The whole team worked awesome and I really had fun; it was great to be here."
Chad Reed:
"The weekend was good. We were put off a bit after the incident on Friday night, but on Saturday night we achieved a lot. We came here to win but things happen for a reason. We were able to try things on the Rockstar Makita Suzuki RM-Z450 that really worked and overall I think it was an amazing weekend. We learned a lot, and that's what this race is all about, trying to get ready for 2009. The test track is one thing but it was good to get out there and race after being sidelined for the summer. It was an awesome experience."
Michael Byrne:
"The first night was a little rough. I hadn't raced a Supercross in over a year. I was pretty nervous and really tight and didn't ride well, didn't breathe and wasn't relaxed. But the second night, I felt like I rode a lot better and was more consistent. I just wanted to see how a few things we'd tested on the Suzuki was going to work and get one race under my belt before the Supercross season starts. But I'm happy with the new RM-Z450 and this was a good way to get ready for Anaheim 1 in January."
Nico Izzi:
"I just came out here to have some fun and get some experience. I felt really good in my heat races and semis; I rode pretty well in the main, I kind of went out there and put in some good laps. But as soon as I got tired, it just turned into mayhem with people taking each other out and I got cleaned out in both main events. I just had fun, it was good to get some experience and race and I'll be looking forward to it next year, especially now that I know what it's like."
