The following is from the RCH/Yoshimura/Suzuki Factory Racing Team, regarding this weekend’s Atlanta Supercross:
CHINO, Calif. (February 24, 2017) – Rise Up. That’s been the mantra and battle cry of the Atlanta Falcons for the last several years. The phrase is poignant, simple and direct. Simply put, it means do your job to the best of your ability. Redeem yourself. Bring your best.
Rise up is the call to arms for RCH/Yoshimura/Suzuki Factory Racing as Monster Energy AMA Supercross, an FIM World Championship, makes it’s final visit to the Georgia Dome.
While it’s all but certain the series will return to Atlanta next year after the ribbon is cut on Mercedes-Benz Stadium, the Georgia Dome is a special place, one that’s sure to be missed by riders and teams alike.
“It’s the last race in the Georgia Dome,” commented Justin Bogle, rider of the No. 19 Suzuki RM-Z450. “I love coming to the area and since it’s the last race at the Georgia Dome, I’d like to end the run on a high note. I love the dirt down in that part of the country and the whole vibe of the south. I’m looking forward to getting back out there and redeeming myself. I’m excited about another opportunity to go out and do what I do. I’ve been struggling a little bit but it’s all good. There’s a lot of races left so we can turn it around at any point.”
That’s no surprise considering Bogle made four 250SX class starts at the Georgia Dome, all of which resulted in third-place finishes. His lone 450SX class start at the Falcons’ long-time home brought him an eighth-place effort, one that served as a turning point of sorts last season.
“I had a good race last year,” Bogle continued. “It wasn’t spectacular but it was kind of a turning-around point for my season to kind of get on track and get things moving. I had a whole lot of podiums on a 250 so I like Atlanta.”
Last weekend in Minneapolis, the Cushing, Okla., rider didn’t fare as well and was forced to withdraw from the main event after an ugly crash in his semi final. Bogle got up quickly but was noticeably in pain, forcing him to call it a night.
“We had another tough race in Minneapolis last weekend,” he added. “It was unfortunate. I had another get off and it ended my night early. It’s frustrating but most importantly, I walked away relatively unscathed. I’m healthy. A little beat up, a little bruised but I was very lucky.”
Bogle’s RCH stablemate Broc Tickle turned in a solid seventh-place performance last weekend at Round 7 and fortified his standing inside the top 10 in points. The event marked Tickle’s second consecutive top-seven effort and the Holly, Mich., rider is now tied for ninth in points where he trails seventh-place Dean Wilson by a slim four-point margin.
In five previous 450SX starts at the venerable downtown Atlanta venue, Tickle has notched three top sevens, including tying his career best with a fourth-place finish in March 2015.
“The last couple of weeks have been decent,” Tickle stated. “We had back-to-back races with pretty solid nights. I’m ninth in points and seventh is close. I just need to keep focusing on starts and fundamentals to run up front. When everything goes the way its supposed to, you feel like you put in the work and it’s going to pay off on Saturday night. I’ve always enjoyed the Georgia Dome. I’m stoked to be in Atlanta this weekend. We’ll take it practice session by practice session, race by race, and hopefully come away with a solid effort.””
Before the starting gate drops tomorrow night, Bogle, Tickle and RCH co-owner Ricky Carmichael will meet fans and sign autographs tonight during a special pre-cursor prior to the Amsoil Arenacross race at the Georgia Dome.
Round 8 of the 2017 Monster Energy AMA Supercross championship will be televised on FS1 tomorrow beginning at 7 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, 4 p.m. Pacific.
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