RCH SOARING EAGLE TEAM HOPS THE BORDER
March 25, 2014
Toronto, ON (March 24, 2014) - Like the legendary Jason and his crew of Argonauts from Greek mythology, Team RCH Racing Soaring Eagle set sail for parts unknown. Well, at least venturing outside the continental United States as the AMA Supercross went to Toronto, Canada this week. The Rogers Centre, home to the Canadian Football League Argonauts, proved to be quite an adventure for the team. On a night that James Stewart passed RCH team principal Ricky Carmichael for 2nd on the all-time SX win list with 49 victories, the deceptively tough track played havoc with every racer attempting to chart a course for the podium, including a detour for team leader Broc Tickle.
Things quickly went south north of the border for RCH Soaring Eagle Supercross team rider Tickle. A crash in practice had Tickle taking a trip to explore a Canadian hospital instead of attempting to make the podium. Josh Hill was left as the lone rider to fly the colors in Canada. Actually, things were looking good for the RCH Soaring Eagle rider leading up to the race, literally. In a harbinger of things to come for #75 Hill, he was picked as the lead wallpaper image from leading moto lifestyle magazine Racer X as the Simon Cudby photo was e-blasted around the world for free downloads. If you missed it, check out this shot of the Team RCH Soaring Eagle rider at the Detroit SX (coincidentally sponsored by Soaring Eagle Casino & Resort):
"Stop looking like a turkey. Grab a Suzuki and some Shift MX gear and be a #soaringeagle," the likable kid from Oregon Tweeted before the heat races. However, things got serious for Hill when Tickle went down. Another solid top 10 qualifying session saw Hill positioned where he wanted to be in Heat race #2, however he was squaring off against the fastest qualifiers, headed by fellow Suzuki rider James Stewart (who set a blazingly fast 49 second lap time). A 7th place start had Hill battling with five other riders for the 4th place transfer position (top four transfer straight to the Main, the rest have to ride the Semis). Despite getting past Andrew Short for 6th on the last lap, Hill was sent to the Semi.
Garnering some more media attention, Josh lined up on the inside line for the first Semi race, right in front of the Fox Sports TV camera. A great start had Hill second just behind Suzuki-mounted holeshot artist Mike Alessi. The two quickly outpaced the field and easily made the Main event as 5 riders made the main from the 5-lap Semi. "It's all about the starts," said Hill. "I have the speed to run with the leaders and proved it in the Semi."
The 450 Main saw the lone RCH Soaring Eagle Suzuki Team rider ready to fly the team colors in Canada. A tough start left Hill well outside the top 10, but he kept his head in the game. With five laps left of the 20 lap main event, Josh cracked 10th place and then quickly reeled in 9th, however there just wasn't enough time as James Stewart snagged the Golden Fleece… um, Supercross win in Toronto. "I know what I need to do… I guarantee we will be working on starts all this week headed into St. Louis," said Hill after the Main.
Despite his crash and having to sit out the Canadian round, Tickle hangs onto 8th for the rider point standings. By virtue of his 9th place finish at the Rogers Centre, Josh Hill moves up into 12th overall with five races left in the season as he continues to make up for time lost due to injuries earlier in the season.
Of course the RCH Racing Soaring Eagle Team pits were still the center of attention during the pre-race festivities, even in Canada. “Fans can always check out the RCH Racing pit activation at any race for a chance to win an all-expenses-paid four-day/three-night get away to Soaring Eagle Resort," stated Raul Venegas, director marketing entertainment for Soaring Eagle Casino & Resort. "Partnering with Monster Energy Supercross gives us an exciting platform for fans to learn more about our luxury resort.”
Charting a course out of Canada, the RCH Racing Soaring Eagle team heads south to the "Show Me" State. See the RCH Racing Soaring Eagle Team flying high at the Edward Jones Dome in St. Louis for Round 13 on March 29.
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About RCH Racing Soaring Eagle:
RCH Racing is in its second season of the partnership between Ricky Carmichael and Carey Hart to campaign the Feld Motor Sports® 2014 Monster Energy AMA Supercross, an FIM World Championship season. Ricky Carmichael merged his Suzuki relationship and technical development with the established five year marketing giant of Hart & Huntington Racing in 2013. The RCH Racing Soaring Eagle Team continues its partnerships with Suzuki, Fox, Dodge, Sycuan Casino, Yoshimura and Bel-Ray. Stay up to date on all RCH Racing Soaring Eagle news, follow us on Instagram and Twitter @RCHRacing and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/hartandhuntington.
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