May 2009 Archives

Ryan Villopoto played quite a game of catch-up, tracking down Josh Grant in the first moto and Victorville's Mike Alessi in the second, en route to victory in his first career 450 race at Glen Helen Raceway on Saturday.

Alessi took second overall, followed by Grant, Chad Reed and Davi Millsaps. Timmy Ferry realized a couple laps in to the first moto that he still hasn't recovered from a broken heel bone, and retired for the day.

Ryan Dungey won the Lites - check that - the 250 race. Ashley Fiolek won the women's race.

More details in tomorrow's editions.

Should you notice a security guard working the front gate at tomorrow's AMA race at Glen Helen who looks just like retired Dodgers second baseman Jeff Kent ... it is Jeff Kent.

Turns out his father, Alan, is a retired police officer from Costa Mesa who is the head of security for the event. His son dabbled in motorcycle racing as a child before turning his full attention to baseball, and he is still quite passionate about the sport.

"I've been up and down those hills many times," said Kent, who grew up in Huntington Beach and also raced in Riverside as a young amateur.

Kent now lives in Austin and owns three motorcycle dealerships in Texas that have kept him busy. He actually took a turn in one of Friday's amateur races in-between security shifts and will be back out there tomorrow, with all the enthusiasm of a kid in a candy store.

Chad Reed is racing this weekend at the first race of the AMA motocross season (I'll be posting further updates on this blog). From Cycle News:

We spoke with Rockstar Makita Suzuki's team manager Roger DeCoster this morning, and he confirmed that Chad Reed will indeed compete in the 2009 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship, which gets underway this weekend at Glen Helen Raceway in California.

"Nothing is signed yet but we've agreed; pretty much everything is done," DeCoster said of getting Reed committed to race. "He has worked out things with his sponsors [bonuses] and we [Suzuki] have come up with some stuff, too, championship bonus and win bonuses.

"We really wanted to do it," DeCoster added, "and we're happy to do it. We think it will be good for us, for the outdoor series and the fans."

DeCoster said that the late commitment made things a little difficult when it comes to preparing for the series, having little time to prepare.

"After he got back from Australia [after the Las Vegas Supercross], we did some testing last Thursday at Glen Helen, and we're testing with him today at Competitive Edge [Victorville, California]. It's made things a little difficult as far as testing, but I think we'll be all right."

As far as the recently crowned Supercross Champion James Stewart's plans, he is still going to sit out the outdoor series. We spoke with his team manager Larry Brooks this morning, and he confirmed that Stewart will not defend his number-one plate in the outdoors.

"No change in plans," Brooks said. "We did do a little testing, but it would change too many of our plans - we're going to stick to them.

"Our original plan was to be Supercross only, and that's how we're going to be," Brooks said. "He'll still be around during the year, maybe do a National here and there, but nothing is set in stone. We'll probably do at least one GP and for sure the X Games."

Multiple sources are reporting that Dodgers outfielder Manny Ramirez will be suspended 50 games by Major League Baseball for testing positive for a banned substance. From SI.com:

Los Angeles Dodgers slugger Manny Ramirez tested positive for a banned performance-enhancing substance, incurring an immediate 50-game ban and serving the highest-profile reminder yet that the use of such drugs in the testing area may have been reduced, but not eradicated.

Major League Baseball plans to announce the suspension later today.