Hill, RCH Soarning Eagle Suzuki Post Supercross Top-10 in Seattle

RCH Soaring Eagle Suzuki’s Josh Hill is on pace for a top-10 finish in the Monster Energy AMA Supercross Series.

RCH Soaring Eagle Suzuki’s Josh Hill came to Century Link field in Seattle, last weekend, hoping to regain the form that seen him land three consecutive Monster Energy AMA Supercross top-10 finishes prior to the Houston Supercross, where a tangle with James Stewart off the start left him scrambling to finish 12th. When the dust settled on the 20-lap Seattle Supercross main event, Hill had another top-10 finish in the bank.

The evening certainly started off on the right track as Hill was sixth fastest qualifier.

“Qualifying was really good,” Hill said. “I was the first guy to hit the big quad in practice, and I felt really solid.”

By virtue of his fast qualifying time, Hill had third gate pick for the first heat race. Hill, newly signed RCH Soaring EAgle Suzuki outdoor rider Weston Peick and defending Monster Energy AMA Supercross Champion Ryan Villopoto battled for the final transfer spot to the main event for the entire race. Peick got the transfer spot, which sent Hill and hometown hero Villopoto to race the semis.

“The Heat race didn’t really go my way,” Hill said. “I made a couple of little mistakes and didn’t quite make it.”

A top-five start in the first semi allowed Hill to knife his way into second place, and with two laps to go he took the lead and went on to win. Hill played to the Seattle crowd with some stylish whips and a stand-up wheelie through the entire whoop section.

“I had a lot of fun,” Hill said after claiming his second semi win of the season. “You know it was good to get a little win in front of the hometown crowd.”

Hill got a top-10 start in the main event, but passing on the rutted Seattle track proved to be difficult. Finally, with just five laps to go in the 20-lap main event, Hill moved into ninth place and held that spot to the finish, earning another solid top-10 result despite some rear brake issues.

“I still felt good, and I was pushing for it, but I ended bending my rear rotor so my back brake was locking up on me,” Hill said. “I couldn’t really tell what was going on. It was a tough race. I tried to just ride through it and get into the top 10.”

Despite losing team leader Broc Tickle to injury a couple weeks ago, the season points total now show RCH Racing Soaring Eagle Suzuki riders occupying two spots in the top 10: Tickle still holds onto eighth place and Hill has moved up one spot into ninth place.

The RCH Soaring Eagle Suzuki team is excited for the penultimate round of the Monster Energy AMA Supercross at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, April 26, where the team’s television exposure will not be dependent solely on the on-track action. During the Fox Sports telecast of the event, Fox Sports pit reporter Jenny Taft will host a sit-down interview with team principal Carey Hart and his wife Alecia—A.K.A. Pink.

April 19 marks the first weekend off for the Monster Energy AMA Supercross Series since the season started in Anaheim, California, in January.