Fresh off the team’s first podium finish of 2017, RCH/Yoshimura/Suzuki Factory Racing heads for Daytona International Speedway and the Daytona Supercross by Honda brimming with confidence and a new-found motivation.
Last weekend in Toronto, Broc Tickle, rider of RCH’s No. 20 Suzuki RM-Z450, turned in a career-best third-place finish, notching his first premier class podium since he began racing 450s full time. Round 9 also marked the first time Tickle raced in Toronto since suffering a season-ending back injury at the Rogers Centre in 2014.
“Toronto has been good to me in the past and it’s been bad,” explained Tickle. “I went in there with an open mind and I told my wife the week before that I was going to make it right and make sure Toronto wasn’t a bad place for us to go anymore. I’m really stoked about getting on the podium. That was the best I’ve ridden in a while. I finally put myself in a position to actually do what I talk about every week. It shows how important it is to get up front right away and put in the laps you can.”
Tickle’s RCH stablemate Justin Bogle overcame a less-than-fortuitous launch from the starting gate in Toronto to come from deep in the field and finish 12th.
“Toronto was tough,” said Bogle. “My night was really dictated by how I started the main. I didn’t get a very good jump, got hung up mid-pack, and finally made my way up to 12th. I was bummed to finish outside the top 10 but these races happen so fast that if you have to waste a bunch of time trying to pass guys, trying not to get cleaned out in the process, it’s really hard to catch back up to the leaders. You work your tail off and end up 12th. That’s frustrating. The positives are that we keep making progress. We might not have the results on paper we’ve been looking for but the bike is fast and we keep making improvements. Once everything starts clicking, we’ll be in good shape.”
In six previous Daytona starts, including 250SX and 450SX competition, Tickle has only finished outside the top 10 once and holds a ninth-place average finish. The 2011 Western Regional 250 SX Class Champion missed last season’s annual visit to Daytona Beach with a wrist injury but logged a then career-best fourth-place finish in 2015.
“I like Daytona. I’ve gotten good results there before,” said Tickle. “It’s an outdoor-style track with technical jumps. It gets rutted and jacked up and I seem to do well in those conditions. I’m looking forward to it. I’m just going to treat it as another race. I’ll try and put myself in a position to ride up to my potential. I’m just going to try and tap into the same focus I had in Toronto and hopefully that carries over into this weekend. I need to focus on riding my own race, hitting my lines and being consistent. The only way to do that is get up front early and have a track in front of you that isn’t covered with eight guys.”
Bogle finished 11th in his lone Daytona Supercross 450SX start last season. In three 250SX Class starts at the famed Daytona venue, the 23-year-old calls his 2015 runner-up finish a career best.
“We’re expecting a good weekend,” added Bogle. “If we can just get the monkey off our back, there’s a lot of good things in front of us. Daytona is a tough race track. It’s really a hybrid of an outdoor track and a supercross. It’s fast and long like an outdoor race but it’s very technical, like a supercross. It’s obviously one of the more unique places where we race. It’s very demanding and you find out pretty quickly how you stack up. You know what you’re made of, one way or the other, after Daytona. It’s an awesome challenge.”
Daytona International Speedway has once again partnered with RCH co-owner and multi-time Daytona Supercross winner Ricky Carmichael for the 10th year to design the track’s layout. Over the course of his storied career, Carmichael collected five total premiere class victories at the “World Center of Racing” including four straight from 2000-2003.
The most noticeable change to the Carmichael’s design is the return of the starting gate to the east side of the tri-oval.
"It is so grueling," Carmichael explained. "The sand and the clay mixed in, there’s not a lot of things that you really need to do to make it any more grueling than Daytona Supercross is already recognized for, but it sure is a fun challenge to try and make it fun for the riders."
Before the gate drops tomorrow night, Tickle, Bogle, Carmichael and fellow RCH co-owner Carey Hart will meet fans and sign autographs in the UNOH Fan Zone at DIS from 2:30 -3 p.m. at the RCH/Cometic Gasket display. Tickets for autographs will be available on a first-come, first-served basis at the RCH/Cometic Gasket display on Saturday beginning at 12:30 p.m.
The Daytona Supercross by Honda from Daytona International Speedway will be televised live on FS2 Saturday, March 11 beginning at 7 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, 4 p.m. Pacific.
About RCH Racing …
RCH/Yoshimura/Suzuki Factory Racing is a professional Monster Energy Supercross and Lucas Oil Pro Motocross team co-owned by 15-time AMA Champion Ricky Carmichael and Freestyle Motocross visionary and entrepreneur Carey Hart. RCH was founded in 2012 and earned its first premier class championship in 2016. Stay up to date on all the latest RCH Racing news on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter @RCHRacing.
About Suzuki …
Suzuki Motor of America, Inc. (SMAI) distributes Motorcycles, ATVs, Scooters, Outboard Motors and Automotive Parts and Accessories via an extensive dealer network throughout 49 states. Suzuki Motor Corporation (SMC), based in Hamamatsu, Japan, is a diversified worldwide manufacturer of Motorcycles, ATVs, Scooters, Automobiles, Outboard Motors and related products. Founded in 1909 and incorporated in 1920, SMC has business relations with 201 countries/regions. For more information, visit www.suzuki.com.
About Yoshimura R&D of America …
Yoshimura is “The Leader in Performance” and has been for more than 55 years. With unmatched skills, knowledge, and passion for racing, Yoshimura is on the forefront of the aftermarket exhaust industry. Yoshimura pipes are race bred and feature the same legendary performance, fit and quality that has been their trademark for more than five decades. To learn more about Yoshimura and view their wide variety of performance products, visit
www.yoshimura-rd.com.