If there is something that brings a gleam to a top level supercross rider’s eye, it’s a red number plate on his bike. This plaque is handed out after each event to the current championship leader, and after the second round of the AMA/FIM supercross championship at a sold out Chase Field stadium in Phoenix, Tyla Rattray took possession of this very same gleamworthy object. When buzz off the 2012 season hit cyberspave, some pundits theorized that Rattray, as a relative newcomer to the specialized field of supercross and therefore not universally rated as a championship contender, would opt to navigate his way safely through the supercross season before launching a full-on assault for the outdoor motocross title later in the season. The South African marches to a different drum, however, and his racing career is liberally speckled with examples of how he tackled his shortcomings head-on and turned them into strong points.
Tyla started the 2012 supercross off in sizzling fashion with a second place finish at Angel Stadium in Anaheim, and came into the second round in Phoenix with his tail well up. He was realistic too, of course. In 2011 he also started his campaign off with a podium finish, but after that his results meandered a bit, and he even collected a full-size imprint of an angry Kawasaki in his back during a training accident that kept him out of one race. Phoenix is always touted by the riders as one of the more difficult rounds, as it is, so the South African’s confidence was tempered by a healthy dose of realism and get-it-done-itis. He certainly started off on the right foot (boot) and blitzed to the fastest lap time in the fastest training session. His next session was somewhat more subdued, yet he still went into the evening’s program as seventh fastest in the list. Bear in mind, too, that at this level of racing the difference in lap times between the top 10 or so contenders is often measured in shavings of seconds.
Tyla launched his Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki off the line well in the qualifying race, and actually nosed ahead in the start straight. Being more on the outside, though, he had to yield to teammate Dean Wilson and Martin Davalos in the first corner, and charged into proceedings in third place. He was a picture of smoothness and concentration as he disposed of the qualifying formalities, and three laps into the short, sharp qualifying race he had moved into second position. As is so often and predictably the case, Mitch Payton’s team had two green mambas fighting it out for the lead, and it was Wilson who crossed the line first, with Tyla a shade under three seconds adrift.
One of the aspects of Tyla’s racing armoury that needed some overhauling when he first got into the unfamiliar territory of US racing was his starts. In racing parlance, good starts are an extremely important part of a complete racing package, and particularly so in supercross, where the races are shorter and the track more challenging, making passing a lot more difficult. He worked on this without fail, and lately you could count on him to launch off the line like a society girl on her way to a handbag sale. Mrs Rattray must have also got a great bean-laden holeshot juice concoction going at home, because yet again the #28 machine surged to the front, leaving Tyla in the rarefied air that is the lead in an AMA supercross race.
Tyla over-jumped a triple jump early into the race, and the resultant loss of rhythm meant that he could not clear the next section cleanly. This allowed Wilson and Frenchman Marvin Musquin to sneak by. Wilson, feeling out of sorts and nursing illness, now had all the incentive he needed to light the afterburners and clear off into the lead. Tyla, meanwhile has the dual tasks of hauling down Musquin and fending off the advances of Zack Osborne, who was lurking with some intent in fourth position. Once the rearguard action against Osborne had been taken care of, Tyla had all his faculties free to focus on the Frenchman. The two riders yo-yoed closed to each other and further apart, and halfway through the race, Tyla closed the gap to within a second. He never found the opportunity to force the pass, however, and crossed the line in third position.
The more significant part of the evening’s eventual enjoyment happened behind the South African, in fact. The first round winner, Cole Seely, at once stage occupied fourth spot after having displaced Osborne, but Eli Tomac produced a late surge that was the stuff of a feel-good Hollywood script and displaced his fellow Honda rider. This deprived Seely of enough points to allow Tyla to sneak into the championship lead by a single point, hence the broad smile when the red number plate was placed into his grateful palm.
“I’m really happy with the championship lead, especially as I was feeling quite ill tonight” he deadpanned after the race. “It’s still early in the season though, so my focus is to do well on a race by race basis. To win the title, you need to be consistent. I’ve worked hard on my starts, and they are working well now. The bike set-up is great, and I’m looking forward to the next round at Dodger stadium.
Check out the FELD Motorsports post-race wrap-up here and the interview with Tyla here. A video of the full race can be viewed here.
Reporting by Tinus Nel