Bt101

[snarldom]

For your viewing pleasure.

Man I'm excited...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NmnXxskFSOs

[oldguy]

I can't wait. he is looking good in that vid, those jumps:gob:

I don't care about anyone one else, BT101 all the way.

GO BEN:2thumbsup

[FlangMasterJ]

Oh man I'm excited!

BT101 FTW!

[raglanash]

Awesome vid, that bike and Ben look dialed in.
Go BT 101 !!

[vazza]

Very exciting.. Go BT101 ^_^~!

[paturoa]

I've lost track what races when and where?

[CHOPPA]

Thats cool, Ben has so much motivation! Lets hope he can stay fit for the season.

It will be good to watch him in america again. He is one of those riders like Cody that seem to do really well in the intense racing like in America and Europe and can push that little bit extra. When you watch them against the regular kiwi locals they dont seem to much faster but when they are pushed they really step up.

Look at Coops, he got just as good results in America as what he is getting racing in oz its wierd

[telliman]

yeah hope he stays healthy, hope he just rides consistently and not push to hard to soon, would rather see him finish a full season than win it at the mo!




Thats cool, Ben has so much motivation! Lets hope he can stay fit for the season.

It will be good to watch him in america again. He is one of those riders like Cody that seem to do really well in the intense racing like in America and Europe and can push that little bit extra. When you watch them against the regular kiwi locals they dont seem to much faster but when they are pushed they really step up.

Look at Coops, he got just as good results in America as what he is getting racing in oz its wierd

[civil]

I've lost track what races when and where?

Anyone know what sites have the racing that I can download? I dont mind paying to get good coverage.

[oldguy]

Anyone know what sites have the racing that I can download? I dont mind paying to get good coverage.

Hopefully slicknick will be uploading the torrents love the HD stuff, thats about the only way I get to see the racing.

[nicardy]

Hopefully slicknick will be uploading the torrents love the HD stuff, thats about the only way I get to see the racing.

Another one here

http://www.vitalmx.com/forums/MotoRelated,20/Race-videos-from-51610-Glen-Helen-races,931198

Looks like Townley just gapped it !!

[scott411]

7th in the 1st practice, only a 10th of a second behind dungey,

[telliman]

where can we listen. desperate!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Shorty_925]

http://www.allisports.com/motocross/live

Townley 3rd making pass for 2nd!

[telliman]

so it sounds like he def has the speed, just needs to stay on, allesis all over it!

[FlangMasterJ]

That's awesome to hear. Did Alessi pull the holeshot?

Is slicknick uploading the MX?

[FlangMasterJ]

Shit Tomac just won the lites. That's pretty amazing.

[Shorty_925]

Great start for BT, looks like he's in for a solid summer.

[denill]

23 May 2010.

Press release:

Ben Townley enjoys successful return to AMA Pro Racing

New Zealand Motocross star, Ben Townley, successfully made his return to professional racing at the opening round of the Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship held in Sacramento California this weekend. The former world champ powered his Troy Lee Designs/Lucas Oil Honda to two strong results posting a 6-7 score in front of sellout crowd at the demanding Hangtown circuit.

Townley qualified in 6th in the early morning timed sessions which gave him a good gate pic going into the first of two motos. A good start saw the Kiwi come out 4th on the first lap as he was fending off a charging Josh Grant in the opening minutes. Grant managed to passTownley for 4th however he hung onto the American and set some blistering lap times as the leading bunch of riders including Reed, Alessi, Millsapps, Grant and Townley were putting on a great show for the thousands of enthusiastic spectators. Townley was looking to set up Grant when he accidently stalled his machine and lost a place to Aussie,Brett Metcalf. 6th place at the chequered flag was a decent finish for his first outing.

Making some setting changes for the second moto, Townley once again grabbed a good start and quickly made a great pass on Ryan Sipes as he moved into a podium position. With Mike Alessi getting the hole-shot and out front, Townley set his sights on fellow Honda racer, Davi Millsaps. ‘BT’ made his move before the halfway point and immediately started to pull away from Millsaps as he rocketed into second behind Alessi. As he tried to reel in the American, Townley made a mistake and went down before the whoop section and lost vital positions and points. He quickly remounted and salvaged 7th spot to end up 6th overall for the day.

“It was a really exciting day for me” admitted the 26-year-old. “ I came into the race today not knowing if my speed was going to be good enough but I am confident that I still have it and feel that the result doesn’t really show what I was capable of today. My fitness still needs some work but that’s to be expected and we still have some work to do on the setup of the bike. The team are doing a great job and I can only see the results getting better from here. We have come away from round 1 with two solid rides and decent points – I made some mistakes which is normal for not having been on the bike for so long but I’m looking forward to the next races and to mixing it with the guys.”

Townley will also compete in round 6 of the FIM Motocross World championship to be held in San Bernardino, California next weekend. “I am really excited about racing the GP in Glen Helen. I really enjoy that circuit and need the extra time on the bike. It will be a good opportunity for us to find some good settings going into round 2 of the AMA Nationals in Texas the week after. It will also be great to race against old rivals and to see lots of my European friends.”

Race results:

Round 1 of 12

450 Class (Moto Finish)

1. Chad Reed, Australia, Kawasaki (1-3)

2. Mike Alessi, Victorville, Calif., KTM (4-1)

3. Davi Millsaps, Murrieta, Calif., Honda (3-2)

4. Brett Metcalfe, Australia, Honda (5-4)

5. Josh Grant, Riverside, Calif., Yamaha (2-10)

6. Ben Townley, New Zealand, Honda (6-7)

7. Ryan Sipes, Flaherty, Ky., Yamaha (7-8)

8. Ryan Dungey, Belle Plaine, Minn., Suzuki (10-6)

9. Ken DeDycker, Belgium, Yamaha (8-11)

10. Andrew Short, Smithville, Tex., Honda (15-5)


450 Class Championship Standings

1. Chad Reed, Australia, Kawasaki, 45

2. Mike Alessi, Victorville, Calif., KTM, 43

3. Davi Millsaps, Murrieta, Calif., Honda, 42

4. Brett Metcalfe, Australia, Honda, 34

5. Josh Grant, Riverside, Calif., Yamaha, 33

6. Ben Townley, New Zealand, Honda, 29

7. Ryan Sipes, Flaherty, Ky., Yamaha, 27

8. Ryan Dungey, Belle Plaine, Minn., Suzuki, 26

9. Ken DeDycker, Belgium, Yamaha, 23

10. Andrew Short, Smithville, Tex., Honda, 22

[scott411]

BT's facebook up date this morning

Ben Townley Hey boys was pretty average a, blew the second moto badly after working up to 2nd. Was awesome to be racing again, was surprised at how my speed was. On to the next one now. Hope all is good in the home land. Thanks for all the support.

[oldguy]

BT's facebook up date this morning

Ben Townley Hey boys was pretty average a, blew the second moto badly after working up to 2nd. Was awesome to be racing again, was surprised at how my speed was. On to the next one now. Hope all is good in the home land. Thanks for all the support.

Cheers for sharing that Scott, I got this thing about facebook and refuse to sign up.

I think he is of to a good start, hopeing for a good series for BT.

Go BT101

[scott411]

good interview here

http://www.cyclenews.com/articles/motocross/2010/05/21/ben-townley-talks-about-his-long-awaited-comeback

[denill]

Date: 12 June 2010.

Press release:

Townley climbs championship ladder after High Point MX National

The Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross championship has moved to the East Coast for the first time for round 3 of the 12 round series. Ben Townley put in a strong performance on his Luca Oil – Troy Lee – Honda with mixed weather conditions putting the Kiwi to the test at the High Point Raceway in Mt Morris, Pennsylvania.

With 6th pick of the gate going into Moto 1, Townley grabbed a good start and was in a top 5 position when he was challenged by Tommy Hahn in the opening stages of the race. Townley took some time to regain his speed but then picked off Hahn and Alessi in the same lap before rain made the High Point circuit muddy and slick. He had left it too late to reel in fellow Honda Racer, Andrew Short, and had to settle for 4th spot.

The sun was welcomed for moto 2 as track conditions dried out however Townley could not get the start he needed and was way back in the pack with a mammoth task ahead. The Kiwi put in an amazing charge from outside the top twenty and within 3 laps had rocketed to 7th place before he stalled his machine and was relegated down the field again. Townley took the bit between his teeth and once again charged back into the top ten when another error saw him go down and lose valuable time and positions. Determined not to give up Townley remounted and put in some blistering laps to finally finish in 6th place, posting the second fastest lap of the race as he came through the field.

“I rode really tight in the first moto and could not find my groove at all so I was not too happy with my performance. Coming into the weekend, we made some changes to the bike which we thought would work better for this kind of track but I just didn’t feel accustomed with the settings at all. When it started to rain towards the end of the moto I felt much better. We changed up a lot of things on the bike for the second moto and instantly I felt more comfortable. My start let me down but I was running such good speed and gelled well with the bike. I made two mistakes which cost me a possible podium but one consolation is that my speed was good. Now I just need to work on consistency and putting two solid motos together. I really enjoy Budds Creek so look forward to improving on my results.” vowed Townley.

Round 4 will take place in Budds Creek, Maryland next weekend.

Race results:

Round 3 of 12

450 Class (Moto Finish)

1. Ryan Dungey, Belle Plaine, Minn., Suzuki (1-1)
2. Andrew Short, Smithville, Texas, Honda (3-2)
3. Brett Metcalfe, Australia, Honda (6-3)
4. 4. Ben Townley, New Zealand, Honda (4-6)
5. Mike Alessi, Victorville, Calif., KTM (7-5)
6. Matt Goerke, Murrieta, Calif., Yamaha (5-7)
7. Tommy Hahn, Decatur, Texas, Suzuki (11-4)
8. Josh Grant, Riverside, Calif., Yamaha (2-24)
9. Ryan Sipes, Vine Grove, Ky., Yamaha (10-11)
10. Kyle Cunningham, Fort Worth, Texas, Yamaha (9-12)

450 Class Championship Standings

1. Ryan Dungey, Belle Plaine, Minn., Suzuki, 126
2. Brett Metcalfe, Australia, Honda, 101
3. Mike Alessi, Victorville, Calif., KTM, 98
4. Chad Reed, Australia, Kawasaki, 95
5. 5. Ben Townley, New Zealand, Honda, 87
6. Josh Grant, Riverside, Calif., Yamaha, 82
7. Andrew Short, Smithville, Texas, Honda, 79
8. Davi Millsaps, Murrieta, Calif., Honda, 76
9. Tommy Hahn, Decatur, Texas, Suzuki, 71
10. Kyle Chisholm, Valrico, Fla., Yamaha, 55

[denill]

Date: 21 June 2010.

Press release:

Townley Unfortunate in Budds Creek.

Buds Creek Raceway in Maryland hosted the fourth round of the Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross championship over the weekend and it was another exciting outing for Lucas Oil – Troy Lee – Honda racer, Ben Townley.

Perfect track and weather conditions would make for a great days racing and after qualifying in 8th spot in the morning timed training sessions, Townley rolled onto the line for moto 1. The Kiwi started inside the top ten and quickly made his way through the pack to settle in fourth behind series leader Ryan Dungey. Giving chase lap after lap Townley battled with Chad Reed and Josh Grant and came under pressure from Reed with five minutes to go. The Australian made his move however Townley seemed to have a technical problem which turned out to be a broken fuel pump, thus forcing him to slow his pace as he nursed his machine home in the final laps to finish 14th.

A slightly better start in moto 2 saw Townley emerge in 6th on the opening lap. He quickly moved past Alessi, and then hunted down first moto winner Andrew Short. ‘BT’ passed the factory Honda rider and then focused on Brett Metcalfe. Making his move on the Australian, Townley moved into 3rd however a charging Josh Grant had followed him through the pack and with two laps to go he stole the podium position from him. Townley would not sit back and let it happen so he set up Grant on an off camber turn and passed him to secure 3rd spot at the checkered flag.

“It’s been another eventful weekend for me” explained Townley “I really enjoyed the track and the organizers put a lot of effort into it so it so it was just perfect for racing. There are still some areas we need to work on and the goal is to put two strong motos together . I know if I can get out the start there is no reason why I can’t win motos and then hopefully the overall. “

The series heads to Thunder Valley in Lakewood Colorado next weekend.

Round 4 of 12

450 Class (Moto Finish)

Ryan Dungey, Belle Plaine, Minn., Suzuki (3-1)
Andrew Short, Smithville, Texas, Honda (1-5)
Chad Reed, Australia, Kawasaki (4-2)
Josh Grant, Riverside, Calif., Yamaha (5-4)
Mike Alessi, Victorville, Calif., KTM (2-12)
Brett Metcalfe, Australia, Honda (6-6)
Ryan Sipes, Vine Grove, Ky., Yamaha (7-7)
Ben Townley, New Zealand, Honda (14-3)
Kyle Chisholm, Valrico, Fla., Yamaha (8-8)
Justin Brayton, Fort Dodge, Iowa, Yamaha (10-10)

450 Class Championship Standings

Ryan Dungey, Belle Plaine, Minn., Suzuki, 171
Chad Reed, Australia, Kawasaki, 135
Brett Metcalfe, Australia, Honda, 131
Mike Alessi, Victorville, Calif., KTM, 129
Andrew Short, Smithville, Texas, Honda, 120
Josh Grant, Riverside, Calif., Yamaha, 116
Ben Townley, New Zealand, Honda, 114
Ryan Sipes, Vine Grove, Ky., Yamaha, 81
Kyle Chisholm, Valrico, Fla., Yamaha, 81
Tommy Hahn, Decatur, Texas, Suzuki, 81

[Reckless]

Thanks Denhill I look forward to your updates!!

Bugger another technical problem and a bloody good third!!

At least he's still getting results in one moto that will keep him motivated.

He's trying hard, he's going fast, there's still time, hope and potential.

Go Josh!

[scott411]

good interview here

http://www.pulpmx.com/content/eighteen-minutes-one-second-ben-townley

[denill]

Am in Brizzy at the moment. The lucky bastards here get the race live I think. I watched the coverage of the Race 2 and Ben's ride was fabulous. Not a good start then picked them off - including Alessi which was choice to see..........

And we don't get to see it in NZ????????????

[Danger]

good interview here

http://www.pulpmx.com/content/eighteen-minutes-one-second-ben-townley

Thanks Scott, be good to see BT focus on the outdoors in the US and back here in the summer and pass up on the US SX series.

[scott411]

Thanks Scott, be good to see BT focus on the outdoors in the US and back here in the summer and pass up on the US SX series.

i agree it would be cool to see him do something like he mentions here, then we get to see him race here, and hopefully draw some others to come and race him

[Reckless]

good interview here

http://www.pulpmx.com/content/eighteen-minutes-one-second-ben-townley

Cheers scott good read!

[secondfield]

.

So I was home and went fishing, learned how to fly and not going to lie, drank a lot of beer


:Punk:

[oldguy]

cheers for the link Scott, good Reed, I mean read haha.


Go BT101

[denill]

Date: 26 June 2010.

Ben Townley scores podium in Thunder Valley.

Lucas Oil – Troy Lee Designs – Honda racer, Ben Townley has successfully scored his first overall podium of the season at round 5 of the Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross championship held in Denver Colorado. The gutsy New Zealander posted a 6-2 score for second overall and now has his sights set on his first AMA Motocross victory.

Townley had one of his best starts of the season in moto 1 and was positioned in 2nd behind fellow Honda rider Andrew Short. BT hit a wet patch of circuit going into a turn and lost his front, sending him to the ground. He quickly remounted around 10th and gave chase and quickly moved up the ladder again. After securing 4th position BT hunted down Brett Metcalf in 3rd spot and was about to make his move on the Australian when he went down again. Remounting for the second time, he salvaged 6th position but ran out of time to make a move on Kyle Cunningham and Metcalf as he closed them down on the final lap.

Determined not to make the same mistakes again, Townley was motivated going into moto 2 and once again grabbed a good start. He quickly moved from 4th to 3rd and then set up Andrew Short to move into second behind series leader Ryan Dungey. From there he rode a strong, steady race which earned him a well deserved podium and second overall for the day.

“I felt really good in the first moto but then washed out on the first lap. I came back really strong and was looking for a podium spot when I went down again behind Brett and that pretty much took the wind out my sails. I’m over these small crashes and mistakes but guess when you are pushing that hard these things can happen, but in the second moto I sort of backed it down a little and it paid off with a podium which is great for my confidence and for the team.” explained Townley.

Townley still occupies 7th spot in the overall standings however the Kiwi is only a mere 16 points off second place Brett Metcalfe with Ryan Dungey sporting a 51 point over the Australian as the series hits the halfway mark next weekend in Red Bud – Buchanan, Michigan.

Race results:

Round 5 of 12

450 Class (Moto Finish)
1. Ryan Dungey, Belle Plaine, Minn., Suzuki (2-1)
2. Ben Townley, New Zealand, Honda (6-2)
3. Brett Metcalfe, Australia, Honda (4-4)
4. Josh Grant, Riverside, Calif., Yamaha (1-10)
5. Andrew Short, Smithville, Texas, Honda (8-3)
6. Kyle Regal, Kemp, Texas, Honda (9-6)
7. Kyle Chisholm, Valrico, Fla., Yamaha (7-8)
8. Mike Alessi, Victorville, Calif., KTM (12-5)
9. Chad Reed, Australia, Kawasaki (10-7)
10. Justin Brayton, Fort Dodge, Iowa, Yamaha (13-9)


450 Class Championship Standings
1. Ryan Dungey, Belle Plaine, Minn., Suzuki, 218
2. Brett Metcalfe, Australia, Honda, 167
3. Chad Reed, Australia, Kawasaki, 160
4. Mike Alessi, Victorville, Calif., KTM, 154
5. Andrew Short, Smithville, Texas, Honda, 153
6. Josh Grant, Riverside, Calif., Yamaha, 152
7. Ben Townley, New Zealand, Honda, 151
8. Kyle Chisholm, Valrico, Fla., Yamaha, 108
9. Tommy Hahn, Decatur, Texas, Suzuki, 101
10. Kyle Regal, Kemp, Texas, Honda, 94

[denill]

Look like Dungey is the odds on for the Championship - but runner up spot could very well be Ben's.

Go Ben.........................

[Danger]

I hope its not just a matter of time with all these crashes and more injuries.
I would like to see Ben on a Suzuki next year. I think that would make a good fit and the Honda geometry does not seem to suit many riders and takes a bit of working out. You would think they have the best people on it but all the teams have good people (you would hope) but you can only work with the base you have to start with and in the US the frames have to be stock.

[FlangMasterJ]

I loved it how Ben stuffed all those guys in that corner at the start of the second moto.

[vr4king]

heres another good read

http://www.racerxonline.com/article/450-words-lakewood-6-30-10.aspx

[scott411]

http://www.racerxonline.com/article/5-minutes-with-ben-townley-7-1-10.aspx

another good interveiw

[scott411]

Bt went 4-3 for 3rd overall at Red Bud today, i missed the first race coverage but apprantly it was the best of the year, Dungey Reed and BT going at it, BT lead going into the last lap but went down and reed got caught up on his bike,

i can not wait to watch it, the replay should be up monday some time

[FlangMasterJ]

Go BT!

Dungey is just so consistent. Definitely downloading this round.

[That Guy]

Race 1 at Red Budd was a classic. Yuo can watch it here http://www.allisports.com/motocross/archive

[flyingcr250]

Race 1 at Red Budd was a classic. Yuo can watch it here http://www.allisports.com/motocross/archive

cheers for that!! what an epic race! bt must absolutely gutted with himself, still a good overall result though.

[oldguy]

Race 1 at Red Budd was a classic. Yuo can watch it here http://www.allisports.com/motocross/archive

That was one awesome race,:yes::yes:

[FlangMasterJ]

Fucking hell, what a race!

Ben is a fighter.

[denill]

Date: 4 July 2010.

Press release:

Second successive podium for Townley after Red Bud MX National.

New Zealand’s Ben Townley has claimed his second successive podium of the season as the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross championship has hit the halfway point for round 6 of the 12 round series. The Lucas Oil – Troy Lee Designs – Honda racer narrowly missed out on his first moto win at the Red Bud National however another solid score of 4-3 has shifted the Kiwi to fourth in the championship standings.

With probably his strongest qualifying time of the season Townley had fourth pick of the gate going into the first moto and grabbed a good start as he quickly passed Andrew Short to take the lead. With series leader, Ryan Dungey, and reigning outdoor champion, Chad Reed joining the action, Townley pushed hard to try and gap his pursuers. Dungey challenged ‘BT ‘several times for the lead however every time he made a pass, BT would counter attack and regain the lead. With one lap to go Townley made a vital mistake and went down costing him what should have been his first moto win of the season.

With the same four riders once again challenging for the win, moto 2 saw fellow Honda racer, Andrew Short out front with Dungey, Townley and Reed in hot pursuit. Dungey made his way past Short with ‘BT’ following suit so as not to lose tow with the American. With 6 laps gone Townley made a mistake which enabled Reed to move closer enabling the Australian to then make his move to take over second place from the Kiwi. Townley regained his rhythm and tried to challenge Reed but had to settle for 3rd spot at the checkered flag.

“Red Bud is such a great track to ride on and it makes racing here so much fun. I thought I had the first moto in the bag but got cross rutted and went down. I had a great race with Ryan and we traded positions quite a few times which was good for my confidence. In the second moto I made a mistake while chasing Ryan and that took away my momentum and allowed Chad to get me. We got 2 good starts this weekend and it will not be long before we can fit all the pieces of the puzzle together.” explained a determined Townley.

The calendar takes a week break before round 7 takes place in Millville, Minnesota on the 17th July .

Race results:Round 6 of 12

450 Class (Moto Finish)

1. Ryan Dungey, Belle Plaine, Minn., Suzuki (1-1)
2. Chad Reed, Australia, Kawasaki (2-2)
3. Ben Townley, New Zealand, Honda (4-3)
4. Andrew Short, Smithville, Texas, Honda (3-5)
5. Brett Metcalfe, Australia, Honda (5-4)
6. Josh Grant, Riverside, Calif., Yamaha (6-6)
7. Kyle Regal, Kemp, Texas, Honda (7-7)
8. Ryan Sipes, Flaherty, Texas, Yamaha (8-8)
9. Mike Alessi, Victorville, Calif., KTM (10-9)
10. Nick Wey, Dewitt, Mich., Kawasaki (9-12)

450 Class Championship Standings

1. Ryan Dungey, Belle Plaine, Minn., Suzuki, 268
2. Chad Reed, Australia, Kawasaki, 204
3. Brett Metcalfe, Australia, Honda, 201
4. Ben Townley, New Zealand, Honda, 189
5. Andrew Short, Smithville, Texas, Honda, 189
6. Josh Grant, Riverside, Calif., Yamaha, 182
7. Mike Alessi, Victorville, Calif., KTM, 177
8. Kyle Regal, Kemp, Texas, Honda, 122
9. Ryan Sipes, Flaherty, Texas, Yamaha, 114
10. Kyle Chisholm, Valrico, Fla., Yamaha, 108

[FlangMasterJ]

Look at the eyes!

I'm predicting a few wins by seasons end.

[krad_nz]

Just watched rd1. Pretty good racing. Reminded me of the Reed/Stewart 09 SX season. Exciting!

Go BT!

[FlangMasterJ]

BT and a few other pros practicing at Pala raceway. I love the gear Metcalfe's wearing.

http://www.racerxonline.com/video/pala-pro-practice-07-11-10.aspx

[RJM]

Just watched the Red Bud footage - wow what a ride, so so close!

[denill]

Great ride Ben.

Leading race 2 then dropped it, back running in 14th and drew up to a gutsy 5th.

[takitimu]

Great ride by BT, he's got to be a serious contender for 2nd overall in the series now, with Andrew Short in front of him by only 6 points. Given the disrupted start to the racing that is a damn impressive.

450 Class Championship Standings
1. Ryan Dungey, Belle Plaine, Minn., Suzuki, 318
2. Andrew Short, Smithville, Texas, Honda, 229
3. Ben Townley, New Zealand, Honda, 223
4. Brett Metcalfe, Australia, Honda, 221
5. Josh Grant, Riverside, Calif., Yamaha, 215
6. Chad Reed, Australia, Kawasaki, 204
7. Mike Alessi, Victorville, Calif., KTM, 196
8. Kyle Regal, Kemp, Texas, Honda, 157
9. Ryan Sipes, Flaherty, Texas, Yamaha, 140
10. Kyle Chisholm, Valrico, Fla., Yamaha, 134

[denill]

Date: 17 July 2010.

Townley moves to 3rd in standings after Spring Creek National.

The Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship has now entered the second half of the season after round 7 took place in Millville at the Spring Creek Motocross Park this weekend. Although Ben Townley expected more than his 4-5 result, the Luca Oil – Troy Lee Designs – Honda racer has now shot to 3rd in the points standings and is only 6 points adrift of second.

Another weekend of perfect weather and track conditions welcomed racers to the start line for moto 1 and it was veteran Kevin Windham who grabbed the hole-shot leading a chasing pack of young guns. Townley quickly passed Reed for fourth but then came under pressure from a charging Josh Grant. BT and Grant closed down Andrew Short with Grant eventually finding his way around the Kiwi. With 12 minutes to go, Townley pushed a tiring Windham aside to move into 4th place as he set his sights on Andrew Short but ran out of time to pose a threat to the Factory Honda rider.

An exciting start to moto 2 saw Townley steel the lead from Short after three corners but he lost the front end a moments later and had to remount and give chase to the leaders. A determined ‘BT’ clawed his way through the pack and salvaged 5th spot by the end of the 30 min + 2 laps moto.

“Although I have climbed to third in the championship, I am actually disappointed with my result today” explained Townley. “After Red Bud, I thought I knew what it would take to run up front and stay there but it just never seemed to work today. We made some improvements on the bike and still have some more to come so I’m look forward to piecing it all together.”

The series heads to Washougal Washington next weekend for round 8 of 12.


Round 7 of 12

450 Class (Moto Finish)

Ryan Dungey, Belle Plaine, Minn., Suzuki (1-1)
Andrew Short, Smithville, Texas, Honda (3-3)
Kyle Regal, Kemp, Texas, Honda (8-2)
Kevin Windham, Centreville, Miss., Honda (5-4)
Ben Townley, New Zealand, Honda (4-5)
Josh Grant, Riverside, Calif., Yamaha (2-10)
Ryan Sipes, Flaherty, Texas, Yamaha (9-7)
Kyle Chisholm, Valrico, Fla., Yamaha (7-9)
Brett Metcalfe, Australia, Honda (16-6)
Nick Wey, Dewitt, Mich., Kawasaki (11-11)

450 Class Championship Standings

Ryan Dungey, Belle Plaine, Minn., Suzuki, 318
Andrew Short, Smithville, Texas, Honda, 229
Ben Townley, New Zealand, Honda, 223
Brett Metcalfe, Australia, Honda, 221
Josh Grant, Riverside, Calif., Yamaha, 215
Chad Reed, Australia, Kawasaki, 204
Mike Alessi, Victorville, Calif., KTM, 196
Kyle Regal, Kemp, Texas, Honda, 157
Ryan Sipes, Flaherty, Texas, Yamaha, 140
Kyle Chisholm, Valrico, Fla., Yamaha, 134

[Reckless]

Bloody good progress!! Go BT!!

I've noticed his problem over the last few races seems to be loosing the front??
I wonder if its him or the bike? Or maybe a combo of the two??
If he can get this sussed and keep it upright there will be no stopping him!
Bloody good to see a Kiwi in front of all those big names! You go boy!!

[denill]

Bloody good to see a Kiwi in front of all those big names! You go boy!!

Yep, it sure is. Between Whibs and Ben they are doing Kiwis proud in the US. :clap:

The US media give him a good rap too. His honest, no bullshit, humble but tell it like it is, is refreshing for them.

[scott411]

Yep, it sure is. Between Whibs and Ben they are doing Kiwis proud in the US. :clap:

The US media give him a good rap too. His honest, no bullshit, humble but tell it like it is, is refreshing for them.

teh US media love him, for those reason, he is easy to interview and has a brain, when we did the road trip last year we got asked alot when BT was coming back,

i know all his previous team manager love him as well due to the fact he is so hard working and they make his job easier

[denill]

Yeah, a great role model eh Scott.

Specially for the prima donna MXers that abound and think that the sun shines out of their rectum.................

They could learn a lot from BT and EARN their sponsorship.

[Danger]

Bloody good progress!! Go BT!!

I've noticed his problem over the last few races seems to be loosing the front??
I wonder if its him or the bike? Or maybe a combo of the two??
If he can get this sussed and keep it upright there will be no stopping him!


I believe its the bike. I don't think Ben will win any championships at the top level until he changes brands or the Honda geometry is changed. Remember they have to race on stock frames in the AMA. He still has incredible speed, its the bike setup letting him down as I see it and he even says above “After Red Bud, I thought I knew what it would take to run up front and stay there but it just never seemed to work today. We made some improvements on the bike and still have some more to come so I’m look forward to piecing it all together.”
Not the first time hes said this.
Not saying hes not going to win races, he will, but you can only improve things so far within the limits and when other teams have a better package its going to make things very tough to win consistently as you need to at the very top level.

[scott411]

I believe its the bike. I don't think Ben will win any championships at the top level until he changes brands or the Honda geometry is changed. Remember they have to race on stock frames in the AMA. He still has incredible speed, its the bike setup letting him down as I see it and he even says above “After Red Bud, I thought I knew what it would take to run up front and stay there but it just never seemed to work today. We made some improvements on the bike and still have some more to come so I’m look forward to piecing it all together.”
Not the first time hes said this.
Not saying hes not going to win races, he will, but you can only improve things so far within the limits and when other teams have a better package its going to make things very tough to win consistently as you need to at the very top level.

as its well known i am not much of a honda fan , but i think its more than the bike,

he is on a priviteer team with out a specliast engine guy and a suspension guy, he is running stuff you can buy against the factory teams that have 3 times the personal at the track, he is doing awesome

[denill]

he is on a priviteer team with out a specliast engine guy and a suspension guy, he is running stuff you can buy against the factory teams that have 3 times the personal at the track, he is doing awesome

So would you agree Scott - that no matter how BT goes from here on, he will more than likely slot into a 2011 factory team? :yes:

[raglanash]

I believe its the bike. I don't think Ben will win any championships at the top level until he changes brands or the Honda geometry is changed. Remember they have to race on stock frames in the AMA. He still has incredible speed, its the bike setup letting him down as I see it and he even says above “After Red Bud, I thought I knew what it would take to run up front and stay there but it just never seemed to work today. We made some improvements on the bike and still have some more to come so I’m look forward to piecing it all together.”
Not the first time hes said this.
Not saying hes not going to win races, he will, but you can only improve things so far within the limits and when other teams have a better package its going to make things very tough to win consistently as you need to at the very top level.

As much I like Honda I hope BT gets picked up by DeCoster. They have that bike dialled in.
But hey 4 out of 5 aint bad last weekend!
Ryan Dungey,Suzuki
Andrew Short, Honda
Kyle Regal, Honda
Kevin Windham, Honda
Ben Townley, Honda

Loving the suspension by the way Danger!

[takitimu]

I'd rather Mitch picked him up, from all I've heard BT's a total Pro Circuit fan & he rode real well when he was with Mitch in the 250's. Mitch seems to be very fair in treating his riders to ( no favourites ).

Not to mention how good Kawasaki was to BT when he was back in NZ.

The question would be can Mitch get the funding for both BT & RV again :).

[Danger]

As much I like Honda I hope BT gets picked up by DeCoster. They have that bike dialled in.
But hey 4 out of 5 aint bad last weekend!
Ryan Dungey,Suzuki
Andrew Short, Honda
Kyle Regal, Honda
Kevin Windham, Honda
Ben Townley, Honda

Loving the suspension by the way Danger!

Cheers Ash, thought you might like that set up.

And I agree, I think that DeCoster and Townley would be formidable, but don't think there will be room in the budget with Dungey doing so well right now. I think I heard somewhere that Dungey was 45 seconds ahead of all those Honda's this weekend?

[scott411]

it will be interesting to see wear he ends up, it has been reported on some US sites that he is not wanting to do supercross, and looking for an outdoor only deal, which may take out some of the factory teams, also the sites report that alot of european teams are interested


i think it would be awesome to see him on a PC 450 deal, that would be really cool,

[denill]

There was a whisper that KTM wanted him to ride in the states on Orange. But yeah, who knows. Probably not even Ben yet, but there can be little doubt he will be taken seriously..........

[oldguy]

I heard from a very reliable source, Larry Brooks is interested, Got Bubba for SX and BT101 outdoors

[Danger]

Thats interesting as I was also told several years ago by someone with KTM connections when Ben first went to the US that it was highly probable that we would see Ben back on KTM as members of the team while he was in Europe were also going to be based in the US and that they would be keen to have him back on board. Not sure its going to happen, just speculation back then. Personally I hope not to see him on KTM yet as they still need to dial in the new bikes now that they have dropped the PDS and Bens times going to run out. He needs a well set up team like PC or Suzuki in my opinion.

[CHOPPA]

What happened with Ben in the last round?

[Shorty_925]

What happened with Ben in the last round?

from cyclenews: Ben Townley also pulled out after crashing early in the first moto. He went down in the whoops and suffered a concussion and an injured shoulder.

[Katoomer]

It happened on the 1st lap . Commentator on webcast said he spun on a wet patch . He ended up swapping in the big whoops while in 3rd place. Tough track though, I think it bit Cody last year and even Dungy dropped it today.

[krad_nz]

Damn, must have been tough!

[denill]

Date: 24 July 2010.

Townley rattled at Washougal

Returning to the West Coast for round 8 of the 12 round Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship series, Ben Townley looked set to build on his third place in the overall standings however a first moto crash threw a spanner in the works for the Kiwi.

The Washougal Motocross Park and ‘Retro’ weekend welcomed thousands of MX fans to the slick and tricky circuit and Townley took the opportunity to wear an open face ‘Steve Mc Queen’ lookalike helmet with face mask on the 450 parade lap. Quickly changing back to his Troy Lee Designs helmet before the 30 second board, Townley rolled onto the starting grid ready for battle. As the gate dropped he grabbed a good jump and was positioned in the top 5 on the opening lap. Entering the whoop section BT wheel spun and then grabbed a hand full of throttle which shot him off to the side of the whoops where he went down hard. He failed to rejoin the race with a painful shoulder and later decided to sit out moto 2.

“I banged my right shoulder pretty hard when I went down and could not lift it to grab onto the bars. It’s bruised pretty badly so will have to give it a few days of rest and hopefully by the middle of the week I can assess if it will be possible to ride. We have two free weekends until Unadilla so I’m quite confident I will be good to go.” explained Townley.

Townley has slipped to 5th in the standings but is still within reach of Australian, Brett Metcalf in 3rd.

Race results:

Round 8 of 12

450 Class (Moto Finish)

Ryan Dungey, Belle Plaine, Minn., Suzuki (1-1)
Andrew Short, Smithville, Texas, Honda (2-2)
Brett Metcalfe, Australia, Honda (3-5)
Tommy Hahn, Decatur, Texas, Suzuki (7-3)
Nick Wey, Dewitt, Mich., Kawasaki (10-6)
Ryan Sipes, Flaherty, Texas, Yamaha (5-11)
Kevin Windham, Centreville, Miss., Honda (9-9)
Kyle Chisholm, Valrico, Fla., Yamaha (8-10)
Dan Reardon, Australia, Yamaha (12-7)
Kyle Cunningham, Fort Worth, Texas, Yamaha (11-8)

450 Class Championship Standings

Ryan Dungey, Belle Plaine, Minn., Suzuki, 368
Andrew Short, Smithville, Texas, Honda, 273
Brett Metcalfe, Australia, Honda, 257
Josh Grant, Riverside, Calif., Yamaha, 238
Ben Townley, New Zealand, Honda, 223
Mike Alessi, Victorville, Calif., KTM, 219
Chad Reed, Australia, Kawasaki, 204
Ryan Sipes, Flaherty, Texas, Yamaha, 166
Kyle Chisholm, Valrico, Fla., Yamaha, 158
Kyle Regal, Kemp, Texas, Honda, 157

[Reckless]

I hope its not just a matter of time with all these crashes and more injuries.
I would like to see Ben on a Suzuki next year. I think that would make a good fit and the Honda geometry does not seem to suit many riders and takes a bit of working out. You would think they have the best people on it but all the teams have good people (you would hope) but you can only work with the base you have to start with and in the US the frames have to be stock.

Jeepers Danger I hope your not right and this shoulder injury was inevitable?? Hope its not going to be a problem??
I was getting worried as well about all the falls he was having??
Shit get well fast BT??

[Shorty_925]

Anyone know if BT is all good after the last round?

[scott411]

Anyone know if BT is all good after the last round?

yes he will be ready to go for the next round, just a bit banged up

[wingman7nz]

lookin foward to BT picking up where he left off and also seeing Bubba's return to outdoors at Unadilla! :yes:

[vazza]

yes he will be ready to go for the next round, just a bit banged up

Few, thats good to know. I was told that he was out for the whole season. Was gutted.

Hope he's all good!

[denill]

Date: 13 September 2010

Townley ends Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Champs with 4th overall.

The 12th and final round of the Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross championships has seen New Zealander B en Townley round off the championship with a well deserved 4th overall. After a two year layoff due to injury, the gutsy Kiwi also fought through another setback at the start of the season when he perforated his bowel while practicing at home in New Zealand but still managed to start the series, missing valuable testing and physical preparation time.

With a 28 year absence of MX in the San Diego county, fans were delighted to see Pala Raceway host its inaugural event and thousands turned out to watch the race. As moto 1 got underway, BT 101 did not get the start he needed and he quickly had to fight his way through the pack. He managed to shut down and pass Mike Alessi and last week’s overall winner Kevin Windham. Ryan Sipes and Kyle Regal were both running a fast pace but Townley could not find that extra speed to run them down and had to settle for 6th spot.

A similar start in moto 2 left Townley with some work to do and it took him 5 laps to settle into a rhythm before he attacked Ryan Sipes and a mistake by Metcalf handing him another position. Next on the list was Kyle Regal and then Kyle Chisholm as Townley moved into 3rd spot with just over five minutes left on the clock. A charging Metcalfe made for some exciting racing however Townley could not keep the Australian at bay as he had to relinquish 3rd with 2 laps to go.

“Looking back on the championship I guess I can’t be too disappointed with 4th overall after such a long layoff but there were also some opportunities I missed this year. I am really glad to be back racing and to have a season under my belt. I want to thank the Lucas Oil – Troy Lee Designs – Honda team and Redbull for giving me this opportunity and supporting me with getting my career back on track. My goal is still to win races and championships and I am really looking forward to doing everything possible to achieve that in the future.” commented Townley.

Townley will now represent Team NZ at the Motocross of Nations to be held in Denver, Colorado on the 25-26 September.

Race results:

Round 12 of 12

450 Class (Moto Finish)

1. Ryan Dungey, Belle Plaine, Minn., Suzuki (1-1)
2. Andrew Short, Smithville, Texas, Honda (3-2)
3. Brett Metcalfe, Australia, Honda (2-3)
4. Ben Townley, New Zealand, Honda (6-4)
5. Ryan Sipes, Vine Grove, Ky., Yamaha (4-6)
6. Kyle Chisholm, Valrico, Fla., Yamaha (9-5)
7. Kevin Windham, Centreville, Miss., Honda (7-8)
8. Justin Brayton, Fort Dodge, Iowa, Yamaha (12-7)
9. Kyle Regal, Kemp, Texas, Honda (5-14)
10. Nick Wey, Dewitt, Mich., Kawasaki (11-9)

450 Class Championship Standings

1. Ryan Dungey, Belle Plaine, Minn., Suzuki, 543
2. Brett Metcalfe, Australia, Honda, 398
3. Andrew Short, Smithville, Texas, Honda, 393
4. Ben Townley, New Zealand, Honda, 321
5. Mike Alessi, Victorville, Calif., KTM, 314
6. Kyle Chisholm, Valrico, Fla., Yamaha, 266
7. Josh Grant, Riverside, Calif., Yamaha, 260
8. Ryan Sipes, Vine Grove, Ky., Yamaha, 234
9. Kyle Regal, Kemp, Texas, Honda, 224
10. Nick Wey, Dewitt, Mich., Kawasaki, 223

[FlangMasterJ]

Fourth ain't too shabby! Congrats to Ben.

So who is on our MXoN team? Coppins, Townley and?

It's going to be an epic weekend. Got the MXoN and the Olympia!!! :Punk:

Edit: Also well done to Bret Metcalf. The move up to the 450's was a smart one.

[Danger]

So who is on our MXoN team? Coppins, Townley and?


http://www.nzherald.co.nz/quick-kiwis/news/article.cfm?c_id=1501950&objectid=10664822

[vr4king]

Fourth ain't too shabby! Congrats to Ben.

So who is on our MXoN team? Coppins, Townley and?

It's going to be an epic weekend. Got the MXoN and the Olympia!!! :Punk:

Edit: Also well done to Bret Metcalf. The move up to the 450's was a smart one.

Townley Coppins And Brad Groombridge

[denill]

Townley Coppins And Brad Groombridge

Who's the reserve?

[scott411]

Who's the reserve?

there is no reserve, you can not change riders on the day, and we have never had a travelling reserve