Detroit SX Race Report, McElrath Podiums

Troy Lee Designs/Red Bull/KTM’s McElrath Rides to First Podium of the Season

Detroit (March 19, 2016) – Shane McElrath carried the Troy Lee Designs/Red Bull/KTM team in the Motor City, claiming his first podium finish of 2016 with a great ride from start to finish inside Ford Field.

The tricky start inside the home of the Detroit Lions caused a first turn crash that collected several riders. McElrath managed to stay clear of the carnage and start in the top five. He continued to push in the opening laps and settled into third after five laps, the position he would finish in.

“We’ve been making progress every week and it feels good to be back on the podium,” said McElrath. “I needed this before the break. Just racing incidents have kept me from being up here and I’m ready to make this a regular thing.”

A top-10 start in the Main Event was exactly what Alex Frye was looking to help him repeat his top performance from last weekend. Unfortunately, after just a few laps, he was forced to retire early and was credited with 22nd.

After winning last weekend in Toronto, Justin Hill was hoping to carry that momentum into Detroit. It wasn’t meant to be as he was unable to compete following a crash during qualifying. He’ll head to the doctors this week and is hoping to be ready to ride when the series returns in two weeks.

The Eastern Regional riders get two weeks off as the series takes a holiday break and then returns with the Western Regional riders in Santa Clara, California at Levi’s Stadium for their eighth round.

The trio of Troy Lee Designs/Red Bull/KTM riders wore SE Air Cosmic Camo Green and Yellow Racewear with the SE Helmet. See all of the 2016 gear sets and the 2016 Moto Helmets online and at your local TLD retailer.

250SX Class Main Event Results

  1. Malcolm Stewart (Honda)
  2. Aaron Plessinger (Yamaha)
  3. Shane McElrath (KTM)
  4. Tyler Bowers (Kawasaki)
  5. Martin Davalos (Husqvarna)
  6. Gannon Audette (Kawasaki)
  7. RJ Hampshire (Honda)
  8. Paul Coates (Honda)
  9. Cedric Soubeyras (Kawasaki)
  10. Jesse Wentland (Honda)

- - - 22. Alex Frye (KTM)

Troy Lee Designs’ Cole Seely Narrowly Misses Top 10 in Detroit

Detroit (March 19, 2016) – Troy Lee Designs rider Cole Seely overcame a hard day at Ford Field to narrowly miss the top 10 during Round 11 of the Monster Energy Supercross. Despite a hard crash in practice and a mistake in the Main Event, Seely put in an impressive ride to finish 11th as the series heads into its only break of the season.

Seely’s first result outside the top 10 was likely his most epic as he rode the wheels off his Honda after making a mistake in the opening lap. After going over a berm in the first lane, he was over a half lap down on the field. He crossed the finish line in 22nd on Lap 1. Once he caught the group in front of him, it was on and he continued to pass riders until the last several laps to finish 11th.

“Detroit really wasn’t too good to me today, but we can always be thankful we’re leaving healthy,” said Seely. “I had a big crash in practice so I was a little beat up for the evening. I made a weird mistake at the start of the race and it was an uphill battle from there.”

The KTM Junior Supercross Challenge gave the fans something to cheer about during intermission, with some of the best young racers getting the VIP treatment. That special treatment included brand new Troy Lee Designs GP Air Youth Starburst Flo Orange Racewear with Youth Air Glove to sport during their three-lap race, which went to Blake Pressdee. He grabbed the top spot, while Jack Hilliard and Christopher Ramirez joined him on the prestigious podium.

Seely was bumped to sixth overall in the championship standings, but is just three points back of fifth. Monster Energy Supercross will take its sole weekend off before returning on April 2 at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California.

Seely was decked out in the SE Air Cosmic Camo Blue Racewear and the SE Helmet. See more of the 2016 gear sets and the 2016 Moto Helmets online and at your local TLD retailer.

450SX Class Main Event Results

  1. Jason Anderson (Husqvarna)
  2. Marvin Musquin (KTM)
  3. Ryan Dungey (KTM)
  4. Chad Reed (Yamaha)
  5. Eli Tomac (Kawasaki)
  6. Ken Roczen (Suzuki)
  7. Weston Peick (Yamaha)
  8. Trey Canard (Honda)
  9. Mike Alessi (Honda)
  10. Justin Bogle (Honda)
  11. Cole Seely (Honda)

KTM Junior Supercross Challenge Results

  1. Blake Pressdee
  2. Jack Hilliard
  3. Christopher Ramirez
  4. Jesson Turner
  5. Tuff Parker
  6. Logan Wood
  7. Steven Jessen
  8. Ethan Deluna
  9. Anthony Adrian
  10. Ayrton Francalanci

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About Troy Lee Designs: For over 30 years, Troy Lee has been customizing helmets "For The World's Fastest Racers." TLD's relentless commitment to creating products that exceed the cutting edge of style, design and quality, has earned them the reputation as an innovator in many different fields of racing. Troy Lee Designs has since expanded into a full force operation, offering a complete line of helmets, apparel and premium protection for off-road motorcycling and bicycling, sportswear and accessories, and operating the TLD supercross and motocross teams. Based in Corona, California, Troy Lee Designs has a global network of distributors.