RCH Soaring Eagle Suzuki team has mixed results at Anaheim 2 SX, as Hill bounces back and Tickle bounces out.
The following is a press release from the RCH Soaring Eagle Suzuki team of Ricky Carmichael and Carey Hart:
Anaheim, CA (January 21, 2014) – On a night celebrating 40 years of Supercross history, RCH Racing Soaring Eagle came away with a mixed bag of results from Anaheim 2 last Saturday night, January 18. Seeing team principal Ricky Carmichael take to the track for a nostalgic hot lap with arch rival Jeremy McGrath had to be the highlight of the season, while a bounce-back heat race win and top-10 finish in the main for #75 Josh Hill were offset by #20 Broc Tickle getting taken out in a crash and possibly suffering a concussion.
After a performance in Phoenix last week where Hill couldn’t catch a break–missing the transfer from his heat race, semi and LCQ by one position each time–he bounced back in a big way at Anaheim II.
Both RCH Soaring Eagle Riders were gated in the first heat race, and both were in contention to transfer straight to the main, running fourth and fifth respectively for much of the heat. With two laps to go, Tickle charged past his teammate for the qualifying spot, only to have his front end wash out a couple of turns later. That left it to Hill to carry team colors, and he was set to take the final transfer spot until Red Bull KTM’s Ryan Dungey used an extremely aggressive move to stuff Hill in the final turn and steal the transfer position.
However, Hill was undeterred by that last-turn racing incident. After a patented Mike Alessi holeshot, Hill blew past Alessi with three laps to go and went on to win his semi in convincing fashion.
“I wasn’t sure I was even going to be able to race this weekend because I was in so much pain from back issues,” Hill said. “I’ve got to give it up to the team for making it possible. I spent much of the week at Dr. G’s office and he tuned me up.”
Feeling no pain in the main, Hill started within the top 10, and in the words of legendary former SX announcer Larry Huffman, he was all over Weston Peick “like a hare krishna on an airport traveller!” Despite dicing the entire race, Hill just could not make pass on Peick stick and had to settle for eighth place.
“I’m not overly happy with tonight, but it’s a step in the right direction after this back injury,” Hill said. “I am happy to win the semi, and most importantly, I put a smile on my grandpa’s face. Of course when you race for ‘The Greatest Of All Time’ as Ricky Carmichael is known, the bar is set pretty high to start with. Getting up into the top 10 is a good place to build from… I’ll take an 8th and keep moving forward.”
Speaking of moving forward, despite the crash and consequent concussion-like symptoms, Tickle is still in the top 10 in points. As a precaution, he went directly to the hospital for evaluation, but the team hopes he will be medically cleared to ride this week. “Broc had a hard crash,” tweeted team principal Carey Hart. “He will be okay… get ’em next week, bud.”
“The semi started well, but on the first lap I landed on the tuff blocks and it highsided me to the right and slammed me hard,” Tickle said.
Hard isn’t the word, you could hear the entire crowd groan when Broc bouncing on the arid track was replayed on the Jumbotron.
“It’s all good, I’m okay and just gonna need a couple days to rest,” Tickle added.
In addition to winning a semi, the entire RCH Racing team were winners in the pits. A sick little boy and his family enjoyed a day at Anaheim Supercross as the special guests of Ricky Carmichael, Carey Hart and the RCH Racing team. Three-year-old Valentino “Valen” Ricciotti from nearby Dana Point suffers from OMS, a rare auto-immune disorder that makes it tough for him to enjoy life. RCH Racing with the help of Sycuan Casino, Strider, Feld and others was able to put a smile on little Valen’s face by making him the third RCH Team Rider for the day!
Looking to build on the mixed results of Anaheim II and win one for Valen, the RCH team heads to the infamous Oakland Coliseum for Round 4 of the Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship on January 25. Come race day in the East Bay, the RCH Racing Soaring Eagle pit will be the place to be! In addition to the Suzuki Hole Shot Experience, the team will be signing autographs at 3pm. Fans can also win a 3 night/4 day all-expenses paid getaway to Soaring Eagle Casino & Resort on the spot!
About RCH Racing Soaring Eagle
RCH Racing is in its second season of the partnership between Ricky Carmichael and Carey Hart. Ricky Carmichael merged his Suzuki relationship and technical development with the established five-year marketing giant of Hart & Huntington Racing in 2013. The RCH Racing Soaring Eagle Team continues its partnerships with Suzuki, Fox, Dodge, Sycuan Casino, Yoshimura and Bel Ray. The team can be followed on Instagram and Twitter @RCHRacing and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/hartandhuntington.
Your Privacy Choices