With the halfway mark reached in the Lucas Oil AMA Women’s Motocross Championship it seems 18-year-old Floridian Ashley Fiolek has command of the series after a moto sweep at High Point Raceway, in Mt. Morris, PA. She has built a 34-point lead over her fellow competitor Jessica Patterson. Patterson had some shining moments in her pursuit of Fiolek. She led laps during the race on Saturday but just could not get a moto win. Sherri Cruse has become one of the familiar faces on the women’s podium going 3 – 3 for the day.

Moto 1

Cernic's Suzuki's Sherri Cruse started the race with a surprise when she snuck in the Motorcycle USA.com holeshot on the uphill start of the legendary High Point Raceway. She was quickly followed by the Honda’s of Fiolek and Patterson. Patterson made a decisive pass on Cruse, making the # 3 bike go off the track and allowing Patterson to gain some ground on the rest of the pack.

Fiolek quickly gave chase to Patterson and the two engaged in a head-to-head battle. By the second lap, Fiolek had the lead. Patterson looked for faster lines and any place to pass, but came in on a downhill corner to make an inside turn and swapped out. She lost valuable time restarting her bike but once again her determination shone through and she made her way back up to 9th place. She worked through some racers that were less then ready to give her a position before finishing out in 4th place.

Once again, the race for second came down to Cruse and the Moto Concepts/Warthog Racing Honda of Vicki Golden. Halfway through the moto, Golden passed Cruse at the step up before the finish line. Cruse stayed the course and started to gain on Golden in some sections of the track but could not make up for time lost on two jumps Golden was doing that she was not. Golden finished second with Cruse in third.

Moto 2

The women returned to the track at 6:00 p.m. for the roughest track conditions of the day. Honda Red Bull Racing’s Ashley Fiolek grabbed the holeshot followed by Cruse and Patterson. Patterson put a charge on Cruse, who was now jumping the bigger doubles. Cruse maintained her lead over Patterson for two laps before the Honda of Houston rider made the pass that stuck. Fiolek made a mistake and Patterson gained on her, then Fiolek pulled away again. Patterson seemed faster in sections of the track, Fiolek in another. Unfortunately for Patterson, she went down in the same section as Moto one, but recovered quickly this go around. She gave a great charge throughout the moto and came close to Fiolek, but in the end Fiolek crossed the checkers with a sizeable lead. Fiolek got the overall and Patterson with a 2-4 got second overall.

Cruse was running a solid third, was passed temporarily by Golden after a bobble in a corner position, but she was able to overtake Golden and finished a strong 3rd place for the final overall podium position of the day.

The first one-hour episode of the 2009 Lucas Oil AMA Women’s Motocross Championship with race coverage from Glen Helen Raceway airs on Versus Channel this Wednesday, June 17, at 6pm EST/3pm PST.