Carmichael: Supercross popularity ‘at an all-time high’
News release
With just two races remaining on the 2015 calendar, Broc Tickle, rider of the No. 20 RM-Z450 for RCH Soaring Eagle/Jimmy Johns/Suzuki Factory Racing, looks to break into the top three and finally earn a coveted podium finish when Monster Energy Supercross, an FIM World Championship, drops the gate tomorrow night at Metlife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J.
With the exception of a couple of hiccups along the way, Tickle has been the model of consistency throughout the year, finishing outside the top 10 just three times.
Tickle’s run of consecutive top-10 finishes stalled last weekend, at nine, after an incident with two laps to go left him 11th in the final rundown at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif. In 14 starts this season, Tickle has amassed 11 top 10s and tied his career-best result with a fourth-place effort in Round 9 at the Georgia Dome.
Despite being sidelined with an injury for Round 5 in Anaheim, Tickle currently sits eighth in the standings and trails seventh-place Jason Anderson by 20 points and sixth-place Blake Baggett by only 22.
“The bike has been fast all season but we’re still trying to close the deal and get a podium,” explained Tickle. “We worked on outdoor stuff on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday so I’m hoping when we get to New Jersey that changing things up will have helped.”
While Tickle’s teammate Ken Roczen remains sidelined for the rest of the 2015 season, the 20-year-old German rider was on hand for the series press event at Grand Central Terminal inside New York City’s Vanderbilt Hall. Roczen will also be in attendance at Metlife Stadium this weekend to support Tickle, meet fans and fulfill sponsor commitments.
With a 3 p.m. gate drop, Roczen pointed out some of the nuances riders would face with an earlier-than-usual start time.
“The schedule is going to be brand new and everything is a lot earlier,” commented Roczen. “I’ve never raced (indoors) during the daylight, especially not that early, so I think it’s going to be something cool and something special. It’s going to be tough for the people who came from California. There’s a three hour time difference and that’s going to mix things up, for sure. The racing is going to be early in the day so I think it’s going to be cool.”
RCH co-owner Ricky Carmichael returns to the FOX television broadcast booth this weekend and is eager to provide viewers with the insight from a five-time Supercross Champion.
“To be able to participate in the first live network television broadcast of a Supercross is an awesome opportunity, not only personally but for the sport as a whole,” offered Carmichael. “We’ve been racing in the New York market for several years, but to be able to have the race broadcast live on FOX takes it to an entirely different level. It’s awesome to see our sport come full circle like this. The popularity of the sport is at an all-time high and I have no doubt that Saturday’s race will continue to raise the bar.”
Round 16 headlines the 2015 Supercross television package with the first-ever live FOX network broadcast from MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., on Sat., April 25 beginning at 3 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time, noon Pacific.
