(Madera, CA, April 17th, 2023) – It was a historic day for Pipes Motorsports Group H.E.P. Motorsports with its third podium, thanks to Ken Roczen and a hard-working, talented group. Ken Roczen’s phenomenal display of racing aboard his Progressive ECSTAR Suzuki grabbed his team another podium. Twisted Tea/H.E.P. Suzuki riders Shane McElrath and Kyle Chisholm had commendable performances on their RM-Z450s knocking on the door of the top ten. Marshal Weltin matched his career-best on his RM-Z250 Suzuki in a resilient race, coming from 20th to just outside the top ten.
Ken Roczen #94: Phenomenal performance from Roczen in Atlanta. In what was a podium performance, Ken looked in sync all day on his Progressive ECSTAR Suzuki, taking third place.
“We had a really good day,” said Ken Roczen. “I had fun on the track all day. We were just solid. We had a really good heat race and great starts today. This track got super gnarly, and it’s a super gnarly supercross track. It broke down. Overall, I had a really good day. It was hot, so we had to put out a big effort. I got another podium for the team, which is awesome. Yeah, it’s a day race, too, we were all done, and its 6 o’clock, and we were all good to go. I had a great day with the team. We have four more races to go, and we will try to carry that momentum into them and hopefully get a couple more podiums.”
Shane McElrath #12: Good day for McElrath, whose knocking on the door of the top ten. Carrying strong intensity throughout the day, Shane finished 12th place on his Twisted Tea/H.E.P Suzuki presented by Progressive Insurance.
“Honestly, pretty good today,” said Shane McElrath. “I was pushing a good pace, and I had a good group of guys right in front of me. They were inching away from me, I had a couple of mistakes, and they put a gap on me. That next group that I need to start beating is right in front of me. The team is still working hard. We made some changes between races. I’m excited about what we learned. We still got some work to do, and I’m excited to get back to it this week.”
Kyle Chisholm #11: Bittersweet day for Chisholm, who had to settle for 14th after a crash in the whoops hindered his momentum and dropped him back significant positions.
“Kind of mixed feelings day for me,” said Kyle Chisholm. “I like the bigger track, and I felt pretty good all day. The bike was working pretty good. The starts were good in the heats and the mains. I just got pushed wide and didn’t come out of the first turn well. I worked my way up and made some good passes, but I made a stupid mistake in the whoops and went off the track, so I had to pass all those guys again. I’m happy with my riding; I’m just bummed about some stupid mistakes. It’s a bit of a bummer I didn’t put myself in a good position to be closer to the top ten, which is where I want to be. The riding was good, the bike was good, I have to get good starts and put myself in a better position to be in the top ten.”
Marshal Weltin #50: Strong ending to the day for Marshal Weltin. Matching his career-best supercross finish with 11th overall in Atlanta. Marshal worked his way back from a bad start, passing nine competitors from 20th to an 11th-place finish.
“Really rough start to the day,” said Marshal Weltin. “But we turned it around in my heat and main. I worked my way up from 20th to 11th place. We made it through the day healthy. We are going to continue to keep working hard.”
“It’s a good day overall for the team,” said Team Owner Dustin Pipes. “Ken was solid all day through. We were in the mix the whole time. Solid heat. We had a little mess up lap two and had to go around a crash. I think if we didn’t have to deal with that, we would have got the win on Webb. He showed he had the pace in the main. I think those top 3 guys checked out. Ken rode a good solid race, and we made minimal changes on the bike for the day. It was a steady day. Shane rode well, we fought some issues in practice and the heats, but he rebounded nicely in the main event. It is very realistic for him to jump into the top ten, which is good. Chiz had a pretty tough night. He had a fall and was back in 14th place. I think he could be a couple of spots up, too; he has the pace and rode well in practice. Marshal had a good day as well, matching his career best. He almost had 10th, which is good for him going into this East/West Shootout next Saturday.”
The series heads to East Rutherford, NJ, for the 14th round of the 2023 Monster Energy A.M.A. Supercross series. Expect to see the momentum from Ken Roczen on his Progressive ECSTAR Suzuki continue into Metlife Stadium as he looks to challenge for more podiums. Twisted Tea/H.E.P. Suzuki, presented by Progressive Insurance riders Shane McElrath and Kyle Chisholm, have been knocking on the door of the top ten. Dillan Schwartz will be racing alongside fellow Progressive ECSTAR Suzuki rider Marshal Weltin. This round will feature the entire West and East Coast 250cc class in one of two EAST/WEST showdowns this year, this being the first. The best 250cc riders will come together for an epic round. The racing starts at 3:30 PST. You can catch all the action live on PEACOCK TV and follow along with the team race day through our social media channels.
Partners:
TWISTED TEA/ HEP SUZUKI: Twisted Tea Hard Iced Tea, Suzuki Motor of America, INC. (SMAI), Progressive Insurance, ECSTAR, FLY Racing, Western Power Sports (WPS), Mayhem Wheels, Dixxon Flannel Co, Pro Circuit, Twisted Development, SKDA Graphics, WD-40 Brand, DID, Dunlop, JE Pistons, Hinson Clutch Components, Mika Metals, DT1 Air Filters, Nissin Brake Components, Galfer Brakes, Acerbis, Boyesen, GUTS Factory Seats, Motion Pro, Matrix Concepts, Alpinestars, 100%, OGIO, Works Chassis Lab, Works Connection, Scar, ARC Levers, CV-4, Crank Works, XTRIG, Midland Tractor, Showa.
Progressive Insurance ECSTAR Suzuki: Progressive Insurance, Suzuki Motor of America, INC. (SMAI), ECSTAR, FLY Racing, Western Power Sports (WPS), Mayhem Wheels, Dixxon Flannel Co, Pro Circuit, Renthal, Twisted Development, SKDA Graphics, WD-40 Brand, DID, Dunlop, JE Pistons, Hinson Clutch Components, DT1 Air Filters, Nissin Brake Components, Galfer Brakes, Acerbis, Boyesen, GUTS Factory Seats, Motion Pro, Matrix Concepts, Alpinestars, 100%, OGIO, Works Chassis Lab, Works Connection, Scar, ARC Levers, CV-4, Crank Works, XTRIG, Midland Tractor, Showa.
