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Pro Circuit Kawasaki's Stroupe Takes 2nd in St Louis
CARLSBAD, Calif., (March 23, 2009) – Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki’s Austin Stroupe rallied back from a couple mistakes and passed rival Nico Izzi late in the St. Louis ESX Lites main event to place 2nd, while teammate and current ESX point leader Christophe Pourcel would battle from way back from near last to place 5th.
With the come-from-behind (second-to-last place at one point) effort Pourcel kept an entire race’s points (25) between himself and 2nd place overall Stroupe, who the French rider now leads 130-106 after six of eight ESX rounds in the book.
In the opening ESX Lites heat race at St. Louis, Pourcel nearly wadded up at the very start of the race (first turn) and literally put his chest down onto the handlebar pad to catch himself from going over the bars. The clumsy-yet-calculated move saved Pourcel a bunch of spots, though he nearly lost those back again when he soon thereafter collided with Matt Lemoine and had to check up – almost going down again.
Pourcel buckled down at that point and started clicking through the gears on his Pro Circuit-tuned KX250F, stalking, reeling in and eventually catching race leader Vince Friese with two laps remaining in the six-lap contest and making the pass stick for the win.
“I have been sick and my injury from last year has been giving me some trouble,” said Pourcel of his second heat race of the year. “I will try and do my best in the main.”
Stroupe opened the second heat race with a dominating holeshot and began to open a solid lead before a mistake allowed Izzi to make up some ground. “Race on,” as they say, Stroupe was not going to be denied and quickly overcame his mistake – giving Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki the 1st/1st sweep of the St. Louis Lites heat races.
“The track’s a little tough and we’re going to have to make some changes on the bike and get it ready for the main,” said Stroupe. “For the main – hopefully – I’ll pull another great start.”
When the gate dropped on the main Stroupe had the holeshot – but steered his KX a bit deep in the first turn pocket, which allowed Blake Wharton to reach the chalked line first. As Pourcel moved up to the lead pack, tough luck again struck Pourcel as he got banged around by a couple Yamaha-mounted riders and this time hit the deck. Pourcel would remount his KX and get going quickly, although being it was the start he was up and going in second-to-last-place.
In racing Matt Goerke for 4th, Stroupe executed a highlight reel pass on both Goerke and Friese when he pinballed his bike through a tight section and into podium position (3rd). Stroupe would then laser in on Izzi for 2nd, reeling in, catching and passing the Suzuki rider who’s currently 3rd behind Stroupe and Pourcel in the overall ESX points. Stroupe would only be clear of Izzi briefly before a mistake would set him back a couple bike lengths, but Izzi would return the favor on the last lap and Stroupe would make the pass stick for 2nd in the St. Louis main.
“Man, that was like a video game out there,” said Stroupe. “I was banging’ into dudes like it was the last lap and we were still on the first lap. Crazy racing. I pulled the start, but just kind of messed up. My fault. But it was a pretty good night, I got on the podium.”
This weekend Monster Energy Supercross will be at Toronto’s Rogers Center (March 28) for round 13 of Monster Energy Supercross.
Joining Monster Energy in sponsoring the Pro Circuit/Kawasaki squad for 2009 are: Thor, Terminal Velocity Processing, Parts Unlimited, Vans, Scott, Maxima, Asterisk, N-Style, Alpinestars, NGK, PPG, DP, JE Pistons, Mechanix, RK, Renthal, Twin Air, VP, Bridgestone, Braking, Excel, Troy Lee Designs, Hinson, Athena, Ogio, Showa, Sunline, CMI, UFO, BH Bikes and WRP.
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