Team Twisted Tea/H.E.P. Suzuki, presented by Progressive Insurance, capped off the 2022 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship series at Pala Raceway in Southern California this past Saturday. Both riders battled the heat and track conditions all day; Marshal Weltin led the way for the team with 14th overall.
Marshal Weltin #285: Strong finish to the season from Weltin. Two very consistent motos at Pala. Marshal fought the heat and track all day. His best race came in the final moto of the year with 12th place. He finished 14th overall going 14-12 in two motos.
“Tough weekend overall,” said Marshal Weltin. “Definitely a difficult track all day. One of the hardest and most demanding conditions. I think I was still a bit handy-capped from my crash at Budds Creek. I’m happy to end the season in that 12 to 14 range. I definitely want more. The team and I have made great progress throughout the year, and I’m happy to be working for them. I really enjoyed working with them. I’m also very happy to make it through the supercross and outdoor season with no major injuries. Overall, just very thankful to be apart of the Twisted Tea Suzuki Team. I want to give a special shoutout to the Pipes family for making me feel like family all year and giving me this opportunity.”
Justin Rodbell #55: Successful year for the 22-year-old. He finished his first full year racing and came on board with the team for the final two rounds of outdoors. Rodbell finished 21st overall at Pala Raceway. His best race came in the first moto with 18th place. He got a good start and was in the top 15 before the heat got the better of him and he dropped back to 18th place. He made the most of the second moto battling the heat and finished 28th place. Justin finished 21st overall, going 18-28 in two motos.
"Alright day at the Pala," said Justin Rodbell. "I had a good first moto, but the second moto didn't go that well for me, I got dehydrated, and it got away from me, and it was a bit of a struggle. I really appreciate the whole team giving me this opportunity these last two rounds.
"The final round was tough," said team manager Dustin Pipes. "Triple-digit temperatures means the crew and the riders were both suffering out there. Both Justin and Marshal showed tremendous heart on the racetrack battling through the extreme heat. Marshal narrowly missed out on another top 10 finish. I'm glad everyone got out healthy, and now we can start prepping for our 2023 campaign."