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Team Solitaire - Detroit Michigan

Team Solitaire/Kingdom/FLY Racing Honda Event Update
Ford Field – Detroit, MI
April 22, 2007

The 2007 AMA Supercross Series made its annual visit to Detroit, MI and
the newly constructed Ford Field. In stark contrast to last year’s
snowy and cold weather, this year was warm, sunny and quite pleasant.
The track inside the dome was tight and technical, so the racing was
sure to be exciting. Here is a look at the night’s action through the
eyes of myself and “Lites” rider Ricky Renner.

Ricky Renner:

“Lites” Heat: “I had a really good start, probably top three, but kind
of pin-balled off of everyone. I cleared the first turn in 5th or 6th,
but in the next two corners I got passed by Branden Jesseman and Ryan
Dungey. I rode a little conservatively, just wanting to make sure I
made it into the main event and not make a mistake. I was ninth on the
last lap when Jesseman went down, so I finshed 8th. I was happy to be
in the main, but knew I needed to ride a little more on the edge in the
main event.

“Lites” Main: I was gated on the far inside gate and had a great jump.
Coming into the first turn I had to back off as I was right next to
Alessi on the inside. Around the first turn I thought I was going to
come out top five, but I tangled with Alessi again and he went down and
I got tangled up with his bike. I was about 16th at that point, and
the first lap was hectic with a lot of guys rolling jumps. On the
third lap I really tried to get through the pack, but I kept getting
blocked on every line I would try. I calmed down and regrouped and
managed to start passing some riders. In the end, I finished
fifteenth.

Ryan Clark:

“Supercross” Heat One: The first corner was extremely tight, so being
inside worked out for me as I was able to do move up from a decent jump
by staying low in the first corner. Once the dust settled, I was
around eighth place. The first lap, as they always are, was quite
exciting as I battled with riders in every corner. I was mired in a
pack of four or five riders and it seemed like every corner I either
passed someone or got passed. I was battling with Gibson in the corner
before the whoops and got run a little higher than expected and lost
the front end. I got up, having lost several positions, and began to
charge again. At the checkered flag I was in 14th place and would have
to go on the LCQ.

“Supercross” LCQ: As usual, there were some fast guys having to go to
the Last Chance Qualifier. The start would be important, as the lap
times were closer than normal. I was about six from the inside, with a
good gate and a straight line to the first turn. I got a quick jump
and charged it in hard before easing up and tucking low in the first
corner. I came out fourth, but made a move to third in the second
turn. The back straightaway was a rhythm section that, if you went
outside, you could triple-triple-triple. Robbie Reynard was just ahead
so I opted to stay inside and double through the section. This left me
inside again in the next corner before the big triple. In order to
have enough speed and hold a tight enough line to jump the upcoming
triple, I had to double-single out of the rhythm. As I pivoted under
Reynard I felt a bike hit me from behind on my right arm, pushing me
into the handlebars, over them and on the ground. I was under the bike
and the entire field was whizzing by. That ended my LCQ, as my bike
was mangled badly in the incident and I was a little shaken up.

Summary: Ricky finished up the East Region “Lites” Supercross Series
in 18th position. We are all very pleased with his performance in his
very first year as a professional. He will now join the rest of the
team in Phoenix to resume outdoor testing in preparation for the opener
at Hangtown on May 20th. I emerged from the weekend with a bone bruise
on my right femur and some scrapes and bruises on my arm, back and
legs. All things considered, I was just happy to be able to walk out
of the stadium on my own. Unfortunately crashes are a part of racing,
albeit the part I hate.

Thank you to everyone for your continued support. Next weekend’s race
is in Seattle, Washington, so expect a story about my improved mud
riding skills. See you at the races!

Sincerely,

Ryan Clark