2019 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship

Round 1 – Hangtown Motocross Classic

Images by Hoppenworld

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The 2019 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship has kicked off with the Hangtown Motocross Classic, giving riders and spectators alike a taste of the full season to come. While rain ultimately made for some extremely challenging conditions, it resulted in an afternoon of redemption for its two winners.

After three years of a long and tough comeback from injury, Ken Roczen made his long-awaited return to the top step of the podium in the 450 Class. In the 250 Class, Adam Cianciarulo rebounded from his heartbreaking end to the recent AMA Supercross season with a hard-fought win.

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The Anzacs

Moto 1 in the 450 class saw Aussies Dean Ferris and Todd Waters claiming 11th and 12th respectively, while New Zealand’s Cody Cooper came home 15th.

Ferris improved to finish in eighth in Moto 2, for ninth overall. Todd Waters was 13th in the second moto which gave him 12th overall. Cody Cooper had to rely on his Moto 1 results, giving him 19th overall.

In the 250 class Hunter Lawrence finished 11th in Moto 1, with Wilson Todd 15th.

Todd improved in Moto 2 to claim ninth, while Lawrence was 12th. Hunter Lawrence 11th overall just ahead of Todd who claimed 12th overall.

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450 – Moto 1

The first 450 Class moto of the afternoon began with Cooper Webb capturing the holeshot over Justin Barcia. As they duked it out for the top spot it allowed Jason Anderson and Roczen to jump into the fray. Webb established control of the lead, with Anderson slotting into second and Roczen third.

An aggressive Roczen then found his way around Anderson for second and set his sights on Webb for the lead. The German continued to push and successfully took over control of the race before the conclusion of the opening lap.

Once he had a clear track Roczen quickly put multiple seconds between he and Webb, while Anderson settled into third. Reigning 450 Class Champion Eli Tomac had his work cut out for himself after starting seventh, but the rider successfully worked his way forward and was soon in the top five, right behind rookie Zach Osborne. It wasn’t long before the champ found his way around to take over fourth and set his sights on the podium.

With Roczen checking out on the field and Webb running a strong second, the focus shifted to Tomac’s determined charge on Anderson. The Husqvarna rider was impressively consistent and it took an extended amount of time for Tomac to close in enough to mount a challenge for the position. With about 10 minutes left in the moto Tomac made his move.

He made the pass on Anderson, but a counter attack put Anderson right back in third. Tomac appeared to have no answer, and then the rain began to fall. As the skies opened up, Anderson’s pace increased, while Tomac’s dropped. That carried the two riders into different directions. Anderson started to close his deficit to Webb for second, while Tomac lost a spot to Osborne and fell to fifth.

As the clock approached 30 minutes Webb and Anderson found themselves in a captivating battle for the runner-up spot. Webb was able to fend off the pressure for a while, but Anderson’s persistence paid off as they came to take the two-lap board. As this unfolded Osborne fell, which allowed Tomac to reclaim fourth.

Despite the rain, Roczen continued his flawless ride all the way to the finish. He took the opening moto win by 15 seconds over Anderson. Webb was third, while Tomac salvaged fourth.

Moto 1 Result

1. Ken Roczen 2:20.289
2. Jason Anderson +15.045
3. Cooper Webb +19.485
4. Eli Tomac +30.919
5. Zach Osborne +52.974
6. Blake Baggett +1:10.223
7. Marvin Musquin +1:15.489
8. Justin Barcia +1:18.415
9. Cole Seely +1:31.332
10. Justin Bogle +1:39.453
11. Dean Ferris +1:42.328
12. Todd Waters +2:01.499
13. Jake Masterpool +2:06.318
14. Ben LaMay +2:15.034
15. Cody Cooper +2:28.122

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450 – Moto 2

Much more difficult track conditions awaited the riders for the second moto and as the field stormed out the gate it was Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Marvin Musquin who emerged with the holeshot over Webb and Tomac.

Musquin was able to maintain his hold on the top spot, but it was short lived as Tomac was determined to get to the front, and did so. Behind them, Roczen moved his way into third and surged past Musquin to take second right behind Tomac.

The lead duo were able to pull away from the rest of the field almost immediately, and Roczen’s impressive early pace literally allowed him to jump over Tomac into the lead. Behind them, Anderson was making a charge of his own and passed Musquin for third.

The battle up front saw Tomac keep Roczen within reach, with both riders patiently working their way through the rough and muddy conditions. Tomac kept Roczen honest, and as they approached lapped riders just before the halfway point it worked to the benefit of the champ.

As Roczen slowed briefly, Tomac seized the moment to dive to the inside the reclaim the lead. From that point on, he left Roczen and the rest of the field behind.

Tomac’s path to the second moto win wasn’t without its moments, but he took the checkered flag by 43 seconds over Roczen, who ultimately chose to protect the win and ride all by himself in second. A resilient Musquin never backed down in his pursuit of Anderson for third, and successfully got back around, but in the closing laps a hard charge from Osborne ultimately put the rookie onto the moto podium.

Roczen’s 1-2 outing provided him with his first win since the final round of his championship-winning 2016 season. Since then he has endured through a pair of career-threatening injuries to each of his arms, in which he was forced to fight his way back from more than 10 total surgeries. It’s been a long and difficult road, but Roczen was able to prevail for the 16th win of his career.

For the past six seasons at Hangtown the 450 Class win has gone to either Roczen or Tomac, with Saturday’s victory being the third for the German at the iconic venue. Tomac’s second-moto win vaulted him to second overall (4-1), while Anderson rounded out the overall podium in third (2-5).

Roczen holds a slim four-point lead over Tomac in the 450 Class standings heading into the second round. Anderson sits nine points back in third.

Moto 2 Result

1. Eli Tomac 2:53.875
2. Ken Roczen +43.041
3. Zach Osborne +52.429
4. Marvin Musquin +54.340
5. Jason Anderson +1:26.412
6. Cooper Webb +1:41.527
7. Justin Barcia +1:50.775
8. Dean Ferris +3:10.964
9. Justin Bogle +3:26.451
10. Blake Baggett +12 Laps
11. Jake Masterpool +12 Laps
12. Ben LaMay +12 Laps
13. Todd Waters +12 Laps

450 Class Overall Results

1. Ken Roczen, Germany, Honda (1-2)
2. Eli Tomac, Cortez, Colo., Kawasaki (4-1)
3. Jason Anderson, Edgewood, N.M., Husqvarna (2-5)
4. Zach Osborne, Abingdon, Va., Husqvarna (5-3)
5. Cooper Webb, Newport, N.C., KTM (3-6)
6. Marvin Musquin, France, KTM (7-4)
7. Justin Barcia, Monroe, N.Y., Yamaha (8-7)
8. Blake Baggett, Grand Terrace, Calif., KTM (6-10)
9. Dean Ferris, Australia, Yamaha (11-8)
10. Justin Bogle, Cushing, Okla., KTM (10-9)
    …12. Todd Waters, Australia, Husqvarna (12-13)
    …19. Cody Cooper, New Zealand, Husqvarna (15-40)

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450 Quotes

Ken Roczen – P1

“It’s been a very, very long time [since I won a race]. Overall the whole day was good. It’s difficult at the first race to know what to expect [from yourself] and to know where everyone else is. I just did my best every time I was on the track and it got us a win. It was really sloppy out there and [when conditions are like that] it can easily go in either direction [bad or good], so it feels good that we ended up on the positive side of it.”

Jason Anderson – P3

“My weekend went pretty well, in the first moto, I just tried to figure out my groove since I haven’t been racing. At the beginning, I was a little tight and I ended up stalling the bike one time but all-in-all I was able to come back and make some good progress. Finishing 2-5 for third overall is not bad for the first round.”

Zach Osborne – P4

“Overall, it was a good start to my 450 outdoor career, I had a silly mistake in the first moto that cost me an overall podium but it was still a good weekend. I started off solid in the motos and I had an epic second moto from basically last to third, so I’m really happy with that and I’m pumped for next weekend and the rest of the series.”

Cooper Webb – P5

“The opening round went pretty well considering the conditions at the end of the day. In the second moto, I struggled in the mud to get a flow going and I fell a few times. Overall, it’s not what I wanted but it’s a good start to the season and we’re in a good position, so we’ll get better from here.”

Marvin Musquin – P6

“I was super sore after my crash in practice but I tried to regroup and get as better as I could before the motos but the first moto was tough. The feeling was not good and the start was not there, so I was battling with myself, basically, and then the track – I couldn’t find a good flow or rhythm. The second moto was better but it was a very disappointing outcome for me as I’ve gotten second the last two years here. Hangtown is always tough, so we know where we are now and it can only get better.”

Justin Barcia – P7

“I haven’t been able to ride too much and this was the first day doing a 30-minute moto so I think it was a good day. I just wanted to get through it, let alone be in the top 10 all day, so that was nice. In the first moto I got a good start but got shuffled back to eighth. The second moto it was really coming down. It was difficult on my wrists for sure. We have some work to do but I’m glad to get through the first one and wasn’t even expecting a top 10. I obviously want to be up there, I just know it will take some time. We’ll put in the work.”

Dean Ferris – P9

“I’d say the day started really slow but we reverted back a bit to what we knew. I messed up my start a little in the first moto and had to come through the pack. Toward the end I found my pace. I had a better start in the second moto but it was chaotic with the mud and rain. The track was treacherous with the rain, but I think eighth (from Moto 2) was where I should have been today. I’m sure round by round we’ll keep improving.”

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450 Class Championship Standings

1. Ken Roczen, Germany, Honda – 47
2. Eli Tomac, Cortez, Colo., Kawasaki – 43
3. Jason Anderson, Edgewood, N.M., Husqvarna – 38
4. Zach Osborne, Abingdon, Va., Husqvarna – 36
5. Cooper Webb, Newport, N.C., KTM – 35
6. Marvin Musquin, France, KTM – 32
7. Justin Barcia, Monroe, N.Y., Yamaha – 27
8. Blake Baggett, Grand Terrace, Calif., KTM – 26
9. Dean Ferris, Australia, Yamaha – 23
10. Justin Bogle, Cushing, Okla., KTM – 23
    …12. Todd Waters, Australia, Husqvarna
    …19. Cody Cooper, New Zealand, Husqvarna

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250 – Moto 1

The opening 250 Class moto saw Justin Cooper narrowly grab the holeshot over Chase Sexton and Cianciarulo. Cooper successfully held on to that advantage and established himself as the early leader, with Cianciarulo slotting into second and Sexton into third.

Cooper rode a consistent pace to maintain a lead over Cianciarulo, and the two gradually began to distance themselves from Sexton. As the field settled into the 30-minutes-plus-two-laps moto, Cooper was well in control, with Cianciarulo holding on to an assertive second place.

As the moto counted down to under 10 minutes to go, Cianciarulo began to pick up the pace and chip away at the deficit. With about eight minutes left the Kawasaki rider was all over Cooper’s rear fender, but the Yamaha rider withstood the charge and used lapped riders to his advantage to extend the lead once more.

When time ran out on the clock and the two-lap board was shown Cianciarulo wicked up the pace again, but Cooper responded to stop the threat before it even began.

Cooper went wire-to-wire on to take the second moto win of his career by 1.8 seconds over Cianciarulo, who rode to an uneventful second-place finish. The battle for third came down to the final corner, where a moto-long charge by Dylan Ferrandis, who started sixth, culminated with a stellar last lap in which he stole third from Sexton as they came to the line.

Moto 1 Result

1. Justin Cooper 2:19.850
2. Adam Cianciarulo +01.891
3. Dylan Ferrandis +03.504
4. Chase Sexton +04.320
5. Colt Nichols +25.115
6. R.J. Hampshire +39.024
7. Michael Mosiman +44.598
8. Garrett Marchbanks +1:10.455
9. Martin Davalos +1:17.375
10. Derek Drake +1:19.299
11. Hunter Lawrence +1:24.858
12. Ty Masterpool +1:31.286
13. Christian Craig +1:40.946
14. Shane McElrath +1:46.896
15. Wilson Todd +1:49.892

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250 – Moto 2

With rain falling, the deciding moto got underway with Colt Nichols easily racing to the holeshot. Cianciarulo followed into second, but seized the moment to take the lead, getting much-needed clear track in the wet conditions.

Nichols settled into second, with Michael Mosiman in third. Behind the lead pack, Cooper and Ferrandis were at the tail end of the top 10. A chaotic early portion of the race saw several different riders occupy third, as Mosiman gave way to Martin Davalos, who then lost the spot to Sexton.

As he looked to assert himself Sexton went down, which handed third to Alex Martin. This jostling of position also benefitted the Yamaha duo of Ferrandis and Cooper, who were able to close in on the top five.

Cianciarulo easily opened up a considerable margin over the rest of the field, which allowed him to manage his way through the ever-changing conditions. As the moto wore on, Ferrandis began to inch closer and closer to Martin to challenge him for third.

The Frenchman got alongside his veteran counterpart, but Martin resisted and pulled away. This battle helped bring the duo closer to Nichols in second, and when a downed rider caused Nichols to come to a stop on the track, both Martin and Ferrandis got around him to take over second and third, respectively.

Ferrandis’ pursuit of Martin never ceased, but it soon resulted in misfortune that caused him to give up a spot to Nichols and fall into the clutches of Cooper, who was running fifth. Cooper would get the better of Ferrandis in the late stages of the moto to drop the Frenchman to fifth.

Although he had to ride without goggles for the final few laps, Cianciarulo rode as perfect a race as one could in such difficult conditions to take the moto win and the overall victory by 16.3 seconds over Martin. Nichols followed in third, with Cooper and Ferrandis rounding out the top five.

Cianciarulo’s 2-1 effort gave him the second overall win of his career in his first start since the 2017 season, following knee surgery last summer. He becomes the 32nd different rider to earn a 250 Class victory at Hangtown.

Cooper’s resilient second moto landed him in the runner-up spot (1-4) for the second time in his career. Nichols (5-3) and Ferrandis (3-5) ended up in a tie for third, but by virtue of his better result in the final moto Nichols earned the tiebreaker.

Cianciarulo establishes a four-point lead over Cooper in the 250 Class standings entering the second round, while Nichols and Ferrandis sit 11 points back.

The 2019 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship continues next Saturday, May 25, with American motocross’ anticipated return to Fox Raceway in Pala, California, for the first time since the 2011 season.

Moto 2 Result

1. Adam Cianciarulo 2:37.166
2. Alex Martin +16.382
3. Colt Nichols +17.424
4. Justin Cooper +38.851
5. Dylan Ferrandis +44.130
6. Chase Sexton +47.142
7. R.J. Hampshire +1:03.634
8. Shane McElrath +1:19.100
9. Wilson Todd +1:24.117
10. Christian Craig +1:28.904
11. Michael Mosiman +1:48.833
12. Hunter Lawrence +1:49.910

250 Class Overall Results (Moto Finish)

1. Adam Cianciarulo, Port Orange, Fla., Kawasaki (2-1)
2. Justin Cooper, Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y., Yamaha (1-4)
3. Colt Nichols, Muskogee, Okla., Yamaha (5-3)
4. Dylan Ferrandis, France, Yamaha (3-5)
5. Chase Sexton, La Moille, Ill., Honda (4-6)
6. RJ Hampshire, Hudson, Fla., Honda (6-7)
7. Michael Mosiman, Sebastopol, Calif., Husqvarna (7-11)
8. Alex Martin, Millville, Minn., Suzuki (23-2)
9. Shane McElrath, Canton, N.C., KTM (14-8)
10. Christian Craig, El Cajon, Calif., Honda (13-10)
11. Hunter Lawrence, Australia, Honda, (11-12)
12. Wilson Todd, Austrailia, Husqvarna, (15-9)

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250 Quotes

Adam Cianciarulo – P1

“It means a lot [to get this win]. For all the kids out there that watch us, we go through such peaks and valleys. [This win] is a testament to understanding that the most important shot is your next one. You’ve got to keep fighting. It feels great to get a win at the opening round of the [Pro Motocross] season and start this summer off on a high note.”

Justin Cooper – P2

“Great start to the season with the first moto win and a good day overall. I was able to salvage a decent amount of points in the second moto considering the conditions. It was gnarly out there, so I can’t complain too much on the result, but we want more. I’m looking to take this momentum into next week!”

Colt Nichols – P3

“Starting off the season is always a challenge to see how you stack up, so I just wanted to see where we were. I’ve felt like I’ve been good at outdoors but have been underprepared the last few seasons so this is a great start on the podium. The track was brutal and the Yamaha felt great today. Everyone who has been helping me out has been awesome and it feels great to get third overall.”

Dylan Ferrandis – P4

“The day started out well. I felt very comfortable physically and on the bike during practice. In the first moto I made a late charge to the front to finally finished third. In the second moto I was feeling good. The speed was really good too until I fried my clutch and had to slow down to save the bike to finish the moto. It was really frustrating for me and now I’m really disappointed but we’re onto the next one in Pala next weekend and hoping to get back on top.”

250 Class Championship Standings

1. Adam Cianciarulo, Port Orange, Fla., Kawasaki – 47
2. Justin Cooper, Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y., Yamaha – 43
3. Colt Nichols, Muskogee, Okla., Yamaha – 36
4. Dylan Ferrandis, France, Yamaha – 36
5. Chase Sexton, La Moille, Ill., Honda – 33
6. RJ Hampshire, Hudson, Fla., Honda – 29
7. Michael Mosiman, Sebastopol, Calif., Husqvarna – 24
8. Alex Martin, Millville, Minn., Suzuki – 22
9. Shane McElrath, Canton, N.C., KTM – 20
10. Christian Craig, El Cajon, Calif., Honda – 19
11. Hunter Lawrence, Australia, Honda – 19
12. Wilson Todd, Austrailia, Husqvarna –

Source: MCNews.com.au