Rockstar Makita Suzuki Factory Racing's Nico Izzi wound up the AMA Supercross Lites East Coast series with an impressive third-overall in the championship points standings at St. Louis' Edward Jones Dome on Saturday night.
The young rookie overcame a nasty hand injury from his heat race to finish eighth in the AMA Supercross Lites main event on Rockstar Makita Suzuki RM-Z250. Team mate David Vuillemin struggled with some bad luck in his heat race and the main and wound up with 12th place. In spite of this, Vuillemin is looking to finish up the season strong with the last few rounds coming up.
David Vuillemin
"I had trouble in the heat race after I lost time in the first turn when another rider fell in front of me. After a few laps, I stalled my bike in a tight turn and I didn't transfer to the main. I went in to the Last Chance Qualifier, got the holeshot and won it. But I ended up with a bad position for the main on the gate and didn't start very well. I had trouble passing people quick enough and lost a position in the last lap to finish 12th. I was looking for better than that, especially after my seventh-place finish in Detroit. But now we are focusing on Seattle, which looks like it's going to be a mud race and I like racing in the mud."
Nico Izzi
"I had a bit of trouble in my heat race. I got a pretty good start but I came together with a few other riders and I was the only one who went down. I started from dead last and was trying to work my way through the field and I went to pull a tear-off and blood was dripping off my goggles. I managed to get a transfer spot to the main, but when I crashed I guess I ripped off a little bit of my finger. The Asterisk Mobile guys sewed it up so I was able to race in the main. All things considered, I was just happy to finish up the season in third-overall. I'm really pumped to finish like that my first year as a Pro."
Rockstar Makita Suzuki Factory Racing will race next at QWest Field in Seattle, Washington, on Saturday, April 26, 2008.
AMA Supercross Top 10 Finishers
1. Kevin Windham (Honda)
2. Chad Reed (Yamaha)
3. Andrew Short (Honda)
4. Nathan Ramsey (Yamaha)
5. Thomas Hahn (Kawasaki)
6. Davi Millsaps (Honda)
7. Justin Brayton (KTM)
8. Paul Carpenter (Honda)
9. Travis Preston (Kawasaki)
10. Jason Thomas (Honda)
12. David Vuillemin (Rockstar Makita Suzuki)
AMA Supercross Lites Top 10 Finishers
1. Trey Canard (Honda)
2. Branden Jesseman (Kawasaki)
3. Josh Grant (Honda)
4. Ryan Villopoto (Kawasaki)
5. Ryan Morais (Yamaha)
6. Kyle Chisolm (Kawasaki)
7. Ryan Sipes (KTM)
8. Nico Izzi (Rockstar Makita Suzuki)
9. Matt Goerke (KTM)
10. Billy Payne (Honda)
