Rome, GA – Under consistent rain and treacherous conditions, MX-338 lived up to its billing as one of the most difficult circuits on the Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship schedule. Known for producing spectacular rides over the years, last Saturday’s MX-338 Motocross National was no different as semi-retired privateer John Dowd made his annual appearance at the national that he calls home. The Pirelli-backed 44-year old veteran showed what experience at the “Sandbox” can do, overcoming most of his considerably younger competition to land on the overall podium.

Dowd started the day with an impressive performance in practice and qualifying, posting the fourth fastest time overall and giving him a good gate pick for each of the motos. The track was a mixture between sand and mud with the considerable amount of moisture it absorbed, but the Scorpion MX Soft tires worked flawlessly, showcasing the outstanding versatility of Pirelli’s premier off-road tire.

As the gate dropped on moto one, the Ludlow, Mass. native earned a start within the top 10, but a bobble on the second lap dropped him within the top 15 where he battled for the majority of the moto. He mustered a late surge over the final six laps to work his way up to 10th, giving him an opportunity at a solid overall finish for the day.

In the second moto, Dowd got an even better start and took advantage of the good track position early, moving from eighth to fourth within seven laps. Quoted as saying he only had a good 20 minutes in him, the two-time Southwick winner continued to move forward, finding himself in second place on lap 10 and closing in on the leader. The multiple-second deficit proved too large to overcome and Dowd settled into the runner-up spot, bringing home the stellar moto result that vaulted him to third overall on the day.

The performance allowed Dowd to keep his permanent number of 16 for another year and gave Pirelli its best result of the 2009 season. Fellow Massachusetts rider Robby Marshall brought home fifth.

Additionally, newcomer Taylor Futrell helped promote the caliber of the privateer by finishing fifth overall in the 250 Class where he ran up at the front of the pack for most of the day.

MXPTV was able to catch up with some of the Northeast's most well respected vet racers, Suzuki riders John Dowd and Barry Carsten, after a full day of racing at the NJ State Championships at Raceway Park.  Check out the video as both riders talk about how their day went at Englishtown, how their sons finished out as well, their age, Loretta's, Nationals, Endurocross, their future in motocross, and whatever is on their mind!

John Dowd/Barry Carsten Interview:
http://www.motoxposure.com/tv/video/dowdcarsten.htm 

Out of Retirement Dowd Picks Up 6^th in the Sand

Rome, Ga. - After an amazing 11 races on the Toyota AMA Motocross Championship circuit, rookie Cody Cooper rode his Pirelli Scorpion MX tires to a season-best second place finish at Motocross 338 in Southwick, Mass. Class veteran, John Dowd, a local to the Southwick confines, finished sixth overall on Pirelli tires. Jeff Alessi continued his consistent streak finishing seventh overall.

"We are extremely proud of Cody," said Josh Whitmire, Pirelli's MX Manager. "He's had an incredible season this summer, and he raised the bar this weekend with his second-place finish. The final round of the season takes place this weekend at Steel City, and we look forward to him having another great race."

Earlier this summer Cooper scored his first podium finish of the season at Unadilla Valley Sports Center, finishing third overall with 5-2 results. This summer he has finished within the top 10 at eight races and currently sits fifth in series points standings.

Dowd, who has not raced on the Toyota AMA Motocross Championship circuit this summer, finished 9-5 on the day. Alessi, who is a privateer for the Moto XXX Honda team, earned his eighth top-10 finish of the summer with 8-8 results.

"It's pretty amazing what John did in the sand at Southwick," said Whitmire. "It was his only race of the summer, and he finished seventh, which is a testament to his sand skills."

Motocross 338 Southwick, Mass. Round 11 of 12

Motocross Class (Moto Finish)

1. James Stewart, Haines City, Fla., Kawasaki, 1-1
2. Cody Cooper, Tallahassee, Fla., Pirelli/Suzuki, 7-2
3. Tim Ferry, Largo, Fla., Kawasaki, 4-4
4. Andrew Short, Smithville, Texas, Honda, 2-9
5. Sean Hamblin, Murrieta, Calif., Yamaha, 6-6
6. John Dowd, Ludlow, Mass., Suzuki, 9-5
7. Jeff Alessi, Victorville, Calif., Honda, 8-8
8. Michael Byrne, Newnan, Ga., Suzuki, 11-7
9. Josh Hill, Yoncalla, Ore., Yamaha, 37-3
10. Marc De Reuver, Netherlands, Honda, 3-34

Motocross Class Point Standings

1. James Stewart, Haines City, Fla., Kawasaki, 550
2. Timmy Ferry, Largo, Fla., Kawasaki, 370
3. Andrew Short, Smithville, Teas., Honda, 362
4. Michael Byrne, Newman, Ga., Suzuki, 341
5. Cody Cooper, Tallahassee, Fla., Suzuki, 266
6. Nick Wey, Dewitt, Mich., KTM, 246
7. Jeff Alessi, Victorville, Calif., Honda, 231
8. Mike Alessi, Victorville, Calif., Suzuki, 221
9. Josh Hill, Yoncalla, Ore., Yamaha, 208
10. Davi Millsaps, Tallahassee, Fla., Honda, 203

Pirelli Tire North America specializes in manufacturing and marketing high-performance tires for passenger vehicles, motorcycles, ATV's and motorsports.  An industry leader in technology and quality, Pirelli operates its highly advanced Modular Integrated Robotized System (MIRS) in Rome, Georgia, to better serve the American OEM and Replacement markets.  For more information please visit:  www.us.pirelli.com.