nce a year at Three Palms Extreme Sports Park near Houston, Texas motocross turns into a team sport as well as an individual sport, as riders team up together at the Parts Unlimited Dealers Challenge presented by Toyota. The main focus of this event is team racing. While all of the normal classes are offered for riders to race in, each rider gets a chance to represent a motorcycle dealer or a non-franchise team in the team competition. The team competition was done a little different this year at the October 13-14 event. There was only one category of teams and there was no distinction between dealer teams and non dealer teams. A team is a group of four riders that are together on a team sheet. Those four riders race in their respective classes, and based upon their finishes, they get points for their team. This year’s winner was a repeat winner from a few years ago, EBR Performance. EBR has placed in the top 3, in four of the five years that this event has taken place, and they were awarded with the championship trophy along with a check for $1,000.      Second place belonged to Shea Motocross, as they had some great finishes and pitted out of their new Rockstar Energy Drink rig. Third place was last years winner, Highlands Kawasaki. They, too, have finished in the top three several times. Fourth was Berm Book-Vets Unite, as they had Josh Demuth on their team to help out with points. Fifth went to another team that has won in years past, JM Racing.
     This year’s event served as round 3 of the Toyota Tundra Three Palms Triple Crown Series. Round 1 was the Memorial Day classic, round 2 was the Pro Circuit Series, both of which were held at Three Palms Extreme Sports Park in Conroe, Texas near Houston. Toyota and Three Palms teamed up once again and offered two Toyota trucks up for grabs in the pro classes. If a rider could win all three rounds in 125 pro or the 250 pro classes, they would drive away in a brand new Toyota truck! By the time round 3, the Parts Unlimited Dealers Challenge came around only one rider had a shot to win the truck, and that was Josh Demuth, as he had won round 1 and round 2 in the 250 pro class.
     To make this even more challenging for Demuth, he decided to race the Rockstar Energy Drink US Open in Las Vegas on the Friday night and Saturday night before the Sunday race near Houston! Josh went out to Vegas sponsored by “Hart and Hunnington” and finished an impressive 6th on Friday night, then backed that up with a more impressive 2nd on Saturday night for 3rd overall behind Grant Langston and Chad Reed. Demuth then caught the red eye flight out of Vegas and arrived in Houston at 5:30AM on Sunday, and made it up to Three Palms in time for the 7:30AM practice. Not only did Demuth race the 250 pro class, he also entered the Over 25 expert class. Demuth would go on to a two moto sweep in the Over 25 expert class over Johnny Marley, with Brad Woolsey edging out Austin Squires for third.
The 250 pro class would run as the last moto in the race order and the fences were lined with spectators waiting to see the action around the fast Three Palms circuit. The first moto would see Oklahoma native Johnny Marley with the holeshot with Demuth running third. By the end of the first lap, Marley had about a three bike length lead and Demuth had settled into second. Marley on his Baker Boys Yamaha was looking very fast early in the 20 minutes plus 1 lap moto, as Demuth looked smooth and confident. By lap 3 Demuth was on the back tire of Marley then on lap 4 Demuth cruised by for the lead. Both of these riders had put a large gap on third place, and within a few more laps, it was evident that Marley was going to settle for second, while Demuth kept his pace strong all the way to the checked flag.      Sean Hackley ended up third after a bad start, with Brandon Fulton fourth and Aaron Smith fifth. The second moto start looked very similar to the first moto, with Marley out front, this time Jonathon Six was in second and Demuth in third. Once again Marley quickly put a few bike lengths between himself and Demuth, as Demuth quickly got around Six. Marley looked very tough early on in this moto and perhaps he was saving his energy in moto one after Demuth passed him. Could he have the endurance to ride this pace the entire moto and prevent Demuth from winning the truck? That answer came in a couple of laps as Demuth once again looked very smooth and confident as he reeled in Marley and passed him for the lead by taking an inside line on one of the Three Palms turns as Marley went wide. Within a few laps Demuth had built up a sizable lead leaving Marley in his wake.      Marley would eventually DNF with bike problems, and Demuth would continue to click off fast lap times on the way to the second moto victory, the overall for the day, the Toyota Tundra Three Palms Triple Crown Championship and the new Toyota Tundra! Tejas Motosports Vernon McKiddie put his head down for second in the moto followed by Illinois native Jonathon Six for third with one of the hardest working guys Aaron Smith finishing fourth, just ahead of Brandon Fulton on a borrowed Honda for fifth.
     The most unique thing about the Parts Unlimited Dealers Challenge is that it brings a team atmosphere to motocross for one weekend a year. You really see riders cheering on their teammates more than they usually do. There is even more camaraderie in the pits too. Three Palms Extreme Sports Park is the host of this event, and this park is simply amazing.      There is action packed racing on the main track, while the other prepped five tracks on 300 acres is open for practice. Where else in American can you race in a premier event and while you are waiting for your moto, you can warm up on one of the other tracks on site?      Hats off to Three Palms for hosting this event and to all the sponsors that helped to make it happen, which include Toyota, Parts Unlimited, Pirelli, DeMontrond RV, Moose, Scott, Acerbis, UNI, Hinson, DP Brakes, Renthal, Engine Ice, Thor, PJ1, Pro Clean 1000, Sunline, 661, FMF and NGK.

Hunter Pagan decked out like a Miami Dolphin courtesy of Thor.

Thor sponsored Andrew Segovia, helped Highlands Kawasaki finish strong in the team competition.

Josh Demuth on his way to winning a brand new Toyota Tundra.

The Toyota Tundra, waiting for Josh Demuth in the famous Pirelli turn.

Moto Extreme’s Tyler Thomas serves up some Three Palms loam.

Derek Foster was on the winning team, EBR Performance.