32 Riders Compete on Half-Mile Straight Supercross Track for Inaugural Event
SANTA MONICA, CA (October 4, 2014) – Nearly 14,000 fans braved the heat at Auto Club Raceway at Fairplex in Pomona to witness Red Bull Straight Rhythm presented by Dodge Dart. This “evolution of supercross” featured 32-riders racing head-to-head on a one-of-a-kind 1/2 mile-long, “unwound” track with no turns. The straight course isolated more than 80 jumps, challenging riders to focus on maintaining top speed while also reading the difficult terrain directly in front of them – and while racing against another rider just a few feet away. In the end, it was James Stewart taking the Open Class victory while Marvin Musquin held strong in the 250cc Class for the top spot.
As the best-of-three bracket format event progressed, there were some incredible matchups, from Travis Pastrana (returning to motocross for the first time since 2009) versus Josh Hansen to a face-off between GEICO Honda teammates Justin Bogle and Jordon Smith. In the 250cc Class Final, Musquin had two dominant runs over Justin Hill for the top honors, with Jessy Nelson bringing home third place.
“Consistency was the key,” said Marvin Musquin. “I felt like I was doing good each run, but it was pretty stressful – you don’t want to make any mistakes because you know the other guy is right next to you. It’s close racing and I think the fans really loved it, and the riders loved it and I can’t wait for next year.”
One of the most anticipated matchups – by both the fans and the two riders themselves – was between the Stewart brothers – Malcolm and James. They met in the semi finals, where James beat his younger brother in two close races to move to the finals. There he met Justin Brayton, who he also defeated in two straight races to win the Open Class title. Brayton took second, with Malcolm Stewart taking the final step on the podium.
“What Red Bull did with this event was great,” said James Stewart. “They thought outside the box and I hope this event is here to stay. It was a lot harder than I thought it’d be,” said James Stewart. “On every run today, the guys rode faster and faster. There were places where I didn’t think I could make up time, but somehow, I made it up where I needed to. I can’t wait to watch it on TV.”
Crowd favorite and action sports superstar Travis Pastrana, who made his return to motocross after a five-year hiatus on a custom 500cc two stoke bike, lost to Josh Hansen in the first round, but did win the second race (out of three), and celebrated in typical Pastrana style – hitting a backflip over the last jump.
“I don’t have all the timing, endurance or speed I used to have, but for me to go out there and be fairly competitive, it was so much fun. Red Bull Straight Rhythm was exactly what I wished was around 12 years ago,” said Pastrana. “It was a great experience for me to get back on the bike, keep it a two-stroke and ride a 500cc for the first time in my life, was just awesome.”
The one-of-its-kind competition is part of the Red Bull Signature Series, the most progressive collection of action sports events in the world. As part of the series, a full length broadcast of Red Bull Straight Rhythm airs Saturday, Dec. 20 at 4 p.m. ET on NBC.
Additionally, Red Bull Straight Rhythm is available on demand on Redbull.com/StraightRhythm as well as on Red Bull TV. Red Bull TV is available as a pre-installed channel on Samsung Smart TVs and Apple TV and as a free, downloadable app on Amazon Fire TV, Kindle Fire and XBox 360 devices, allowing viewers to watch Red Bull Straight Rhythm on the go or from any screen in the house. More info at about.redbull.tv
Auto Club Raceway at Pomona is the oldest and most well known venue on the NHRA drag racing series circuit. Built in 1951, it was opened as a way to encourage street racers to compete safely, and was built through the combined efforts of the Pomona Valley Timing Association, Pomona Police Chief Ralph Parker and the Los Angeles County Fairgrounds. In 1992, Auto Club Raceway entered the final phases of a $4.5-million modernization project, which included the installation of permanent grandstand seats that can accommodate up to 40,000 fans.
About The Red Bull Signature Series
The Red Bull Signature Series is a collection of the most progressive action sports events in the world, featuring some of Red Bull’s top properties including Frozen Rush, Joyride, Dreamline, Rampage and Straight Rhythm. Red Bull Media House and Alli Sports, a division of the NBC Sports Group, showcase the most progressive and innovative snowboarding, mountain biking, freestyle motocross, ice cross downhill, skiing and BMX events, on custom courses from the inspiration of the athletes themselves. For more information, please visit www.redbullsignatureseries.com. Be sure to follow the Red Bull Signature Series on Facebook and Twitter for updates.