Source: MCNews.com.au
Tag Archives: AMA Pro Motocross
2021 AMA ProMX Images Round 4 RedBud National Gallery A
Moto Wrap | Silk Way Rally | Beach Racing | MX | TrialGP | Hattah
2021 Pro Motocross Championship
Round 4 – Twisted Tea RedBud National
Following its second break of the 2021 season the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing, returned to action for its Fourth of July tradition with the annual Twisted Tea RedBud National.
The fourth round of the season saw a massive crowd line the fences in their red, white, and blue for America’s Independence Day holiday and were treated to an afternoon of perfect weather.
Monster Energy/Star/Yamaha Racing’s Dylan Ferrandis continued his impressive season by leading the way in the 450 Class for his third victory of the season.
In the 250 Class, Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s RJ Hampshire demonstrated incredible speed all day en route to his third career win.
450 Moto1
As the gate dropped on the opening 450 Class moto, Monster Energy/Star/Yamaha Racing’s Aaron Plessinger prevailed with the Motosport.com Holeshot ahead of Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Cooper Webb and Team Honda HRC’s Ken Roczen. A quick pass by Webb in the second turn allowed him to steal the lead from Plessinger who retaliated to retake the lead just turns later. It was Plessinger, Roczen, and Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Adam Cianciarulo at the completion of the opening lap. Championship point leader Ferrandis was sixth at the start.
As the moto surpassed the 10-minute mark, Roczen started to close on Plessinger for the lead, eventually making the pass stick as Plessinger slid back to second. As Cianciarulo continued his charge in third, he would soon find himself under pressure from Ferrandis who was turning the fastest lap times of the race.
Ferrandis was relentless in his push to the front and made the move on Cianciarulo just before the halfway point of the moto. The battle for the lead began to tighten up as Plessinger closed in on Roczen while his teammate Ferrandis closed in on them both with 10-minutes remaining. The Star Racing Yamaha teammates pulled alongside each other several times before Ferrandis took possession of second with a pass on Plessinger through the sand rollers.
Ferrandis’ charge to the front could not be stopped as he struck on his championship rival Roczen to take the lead with just three laps remaining. The Frenchman would hold on to claim his second moto win of the season with 2.9 seconds to spare on Roczen. After leading early, Plessinger would finish third.
450 Moto 2
The deciding 450 Class moto kicked off with Plessinger launching out of the gate to sweep the Motosport.com Holeshots by edging out the Monster Energy Kawasaki duo of Eli Tomac and Cianciarulo, followed by Roczen and Ferrandis. Cianciarulo would lose the front end coming downhill on the opening lap and be forced to rejoin near the tail end of the field as Plessinger, Tomac, Roczen, and Ferrandis led the way on the opening lap.
The deciding 450 Class moto kicked off 450 Moto 2with Plessinger launching out of the gate to sweep the Motosport.com Holeshots by edging out the Monster Energy Kawasaki duo of Eli Tomac and Cianciarulo, followed by Roczen and Ferrandis. Cianciarulo would lose the front end coming downhill on the opening lap and be forced to rejoin near the tail end of the field as Plessinger, Tomac, Roczen, and Ferrandis led the way on the opening lap.
The battle immediately intensified up front as Tomac made quick work of Plessinger to take the number one position from Plessinger. Just behind the leaders, Roczen and Ferrandis matched one another’s pace in an effort for valuable championship points and to keep the leaders in sight. Roczen made a costly mistake that saw him go down hard, but he was able to dust himself off and remount in sixth.
Up front, Tomac and Plessinger were separated by no more than two seconds for the majority of the race as they took turns on clocking the better lap times.
With the race winding down, the battle for second began to heat up as Ferrandis closed in on his teammate Plessinger. He would use an excellent drive through the sand rollers to take second and set his sights on the race leader Tomac. As the crowd cheered them on, Tomac held on to take his second moto win of the season by just 1.5 seconds over Ferrandis. A distant third would go to Plessinger, while Roczen recovered for sixth.
It was Ferrandis who’s hard charging and consistency would give him the overall victory (1-2). Tomac earned his second consecutive podium of the season in season (4-1), while Plessinger completed the podium with an impressive 3-3 moto scores on the day. Roczen’s 6-2 was good enough for fourth. A jump during the red cross flag in Moto 1 resulted in Ferrandis being docked a single point and Roczen two points, however, the overall finishes remained the same.
Dylan Ferrandis
“I gave it everything and it was a big fight today, I charged really hard at the end of the motos. I wanted to win the second moto, but Eli [Tomac] was riding really good. I dreamed of winning here at RedBud and thanks to the fans for cheering loud for us all day. It’s been a good start to the season and I’m really looking forward to keep working hard so we can stay up front the rest of the season.”
With the win Ferrandis was able to extend his lead in the championship standings to 14-points over Roczen who lost crucial points in the second moto. Plessinger sits third, 36-points out of the lead.
Ken Roczen
“I was excited coming into RedBud for Fourth of July; it’s always a special race and the fans always go wild. We had a pretty decent couple of qualifying sessions. I ended up going fifth to the gate, which was totally fine; I felt pretty good on the track and was ready for the moto. In the first moto, I think I was third after the start and just kind of worked my way up there into second right away and made a move on [Aaron] Plessinger and was leading most of the race until about two laps to go. I kind of lost my rhythm a little bit. The track is really hard-packed underneath and soft on top, so it was really tricky to ride. It just wasn’t really my best performance, but at the same time I was okay with the second place. I got passed there with a couple of laps to go and tried to hang on behind [Dylan] Ferrandis and tried to make a pass back, but it just wasn’t enough. I was looking forward to the second moto. Moto 2 was kind of like when everything came undone. I was battling really hard to get to the front. I was in third and [Eli] Tomac was leading and Plessinger was second. I made my way past Ferrandis and just sat in third for a while trying to see what the race gave me. I had a bad case on [LaRocco’s] Leap, as Plessinger’s roost slowed me down so much. I hurt my wrist a little bit, but then a couple laps later I fell right after the leap. I tucked the front end, had a pretty big get-off, and my bars were a little bent. I’m glad I was able to finish at least in sixth and minimize the points damage. We’re healthy leaving RedBud and I’m just looking forward to prepping for next weekend’s race.”
250 Moto 1
When the gate dropped for the first 250 Class moto of the day it was Monster Energy/Star/Yamaha Racing’s Justin Cooper who emerged with the Motosport.com holeshot just ahead of the Team Honda HRC duo of Jett and Hunter Lawrence, Monster Energy/Star/Yamaha Racing’s Jeremy Martin and Hampshire.
As they crossed the finish on the opening lap, Cooper lost traction going up the face of the finish line and crashed out of the lead. Cooper’s mistake allowed a hard charging Hampshire to inherit the lead over the Lawrence brothers and Martin. Cooper would remount in 10th.
Hampshire pushed the pace out front with Jett Lawrence in tow and the duo began to slowly distance themselves from the train of riders behind them. As Jett Lawrence applied the pressure, Hampshire crashed out of the lead, but was able to restart quickly in second. Hunter Lawrence remained a distant third.
With the race closing in on the halfway point of the 30-minute-plus-two-lap moto, Hampshire started to inch back onto the rear wheel of Jett Lawrence and searched for a way around. Hampshire would once again lose the front end of his motorcycle and find himself on the ground while contending for the race lead. Hunter Lawrence took full advantage of Hampshire’s mistake to move into second, while Hampshire remounted in third.
As Jett Lawrence continued to control the race out front, Hunter Lawrence and Hampshire started to gain momentum and slowly reduce the gap to the race leader. With three laps to go, Hampshire muscled his way around Hunter Lawrence for second and began to set his sights on the race leader Jett Lawrence but Jett held on to take the checkered flag for his third moto win of the season by 2.2 seconds over Hampshire. Hunter Lawrence finished third, just ahead of Cooper who recovered for fourth.
250 Moto 2
The final 250 Class moto of the afternoon saw Cooper capture his second Motosport.com Holeshot of the day, just ahead of his teammate Martin and first moto runner-up finisher Hampshire. The Lawrence brothers found themselves mired deep in the pack as Hunter was scored 11th and Jett 18th at the completion of the opening lap.
As the lead trio went to work with a clear track out front, Jett Lawrence put his head down in an attempt to do damage control, however, a costly mistake would see him make contact with another rider and go down, losing valuable time as he remounted outside the top-30.
Out front, Hampshire began to find his momentum as he moved Cooper to within striking distance for the race lead, using every inch of the track to find a way past. At the 15-minute mark, Hampshire would get a drive and out drag race Cooper to become the new race leader.
Just as Hampshire looked to have the race under control he would yet again find himself picking himself up off the ground as he surrendered the lead to Cooper in the late stages of the moto. Cooper emerged with his second moto win of the season by 12.9 seconds over Hampshire. Martin finished third in an impressive return from injury, followed by Hunter Lawrence in fourth. An inspiring ride by Jett Lawrence netted him sixth.
By virtue of 2-2 finishes Hampshire prevailed for his first win of the season and won the RedBud National for the second consecutive year. Cooper’s second moto win earned him second overall (4-1) as Jett Lawrence completed the podium in third (1-6), followed by his brother Hunter in fourth (3-4).
RJ Hampshire
“This win just feels so good after everything I’ve gone through lately,” said Hampshire. “As you can hear, I’ve been super sick all week, so to be up here today is a bit emotional. I give it my all everytime I’m on the track, and it would have been great to get those moto wins today, but to win here at RedBud for the second year in a row is an amazing feeling. The speed has been really good lately and I’m looking forward to some of my favorite tracks coming up on the schedule.”
Jett Lawrence maintains his hold of the championship point lead by eight over Cooper who reduced the gap by three on the day. Hunter Lawrence remains third, 44-points out of the championship lead.
Jett Lawrence
“The bike setting in the first moto wasn’t good. I had RJ [Hampshire] charging, and if he got me, I didn’t really have any ammo to fight back. Between motos, my team did a great job making some adjustments that made the bike work better for me, but I just didn’t give myself a very good chance for winning or even getting myself into a good position. I came from 37th to sixth, so I think that’s pretty good. I definitely made a lot of passes, maybe the most passes of the day. I think if you look at the result it sucks because I lost three points, but you have to look at the positives; it was a strong ride, and I felt like there’s not many other people in this class that could do that.”
Hunter Lawrence
“My weekend wasn’t bad; it wasn’t great, but we’ll take it. We went 3-4 moto scores for fourth overall. I missed out on the box by two points. That second moto I was in a ‘do or die’ position to catch J-Mart [Jeremy Martin] and make that pass. I was pushing to make up a lot of ground on him, coming from a pretty bad start, so I was ‘damned if I did, damned if I didn’t’; I had to risk it and push. I ended up laying it down and got back up, managing to finish in a position where I was chasing down fourth. All in all, I’m really happy with how the team worked together to make changes on the bike for the second moto, which benefited us a lot. It maybe wasn’t a moto-score result, but as far as my feeling on the bike, and everything else, we left better than what we started in the first moto, so I’m happy with that. RedBud was awesome. That was my first proper Fourth of July RedBud experience, so it was pretty cool. I also checked something else off my bucket list; I really wanted to scream ‘RedBuuuuud’ into the microphone. I hadn’t been able to do that until today, so that was cool.”
Source: MCNews.com.au
Jett Lawrence wins opening Moto at Red Bud | Video Highlights
2021 Pro Motocross Championship
Round 4 – Twisted Tea RedBud National
Images by Jeff Kardas
Following its second break of the 2021 season the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing, returned to action for its Fourth of July tradition with the annual Twisted Tea RedBud National.
The fourth round of the season saw a massive crowd line the fences in their red, white, and blue for America’s Independence Day holiday and were treated to an afternoon of perfect weather.
Monster Energy/Star/Yamaha Racing’s Dylan Ferrandis continued his impressive season by leading the way in the 450 Class for his third victory of the season.
In the 250 Class, Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s RJ Hampshire demonstrated incredible speed all day en route to his third career win.
Red Bud AMA Pro Motocross Video Highlights
450 Moto1
As the gate dropped on the opening 450 Class moto, Monster Energy/Star/Yamaha Racing’s Aaron Plessinger prevailed with the Motosport.com Holeshot ahead of Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Cooper Webb and Team Honda HRC’s Ken Roczen. A quick pass by Webb in the second turn allowed him to steal the lead from Plessinger who retaliated to retake the lead just turns later. It was Plessinger, Roczen, and Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Adam Cianciarulo at the completion of the opening lap. Championship point leader Ferrandis was sixth at the start.
As the moto surpassed the 10-minute mark, Roczen started to close on Plessinger for the lead, eventually making the pass stick as Plessinger slid back to second. As Cianciarulo continued his charge in third, he would soon find himself under pressure from Ferrandis who was turning the fastest lap times of the race.
Ferrandis was relentless in his push to the front and made the move on Cianciarulo just before the halfway point of the moto. The battle for the lead began to tighten up as Plessinger closed in on Roczen while his teammate Ferrandis closed in on them both with 10-minutes remaining. The Star Racing Yamaha teammates pulled alongside each other several times before Ferrandis took possession of second with a pass on Plessinger through the sand rollers.
Ferrandis’ charge to the front could not be stopped as he struck on his championship rival Roczen to take the lead with just three laps remaining. The Frenchman would hold on to claim his second moto win of the season with 2.9 seconds to spare on Roczen. After leading early, Plessinger would finish third.
450 Moto 2
The deciding 450 Class moto kicked off with Plessinger launching out of the gate to sweep the Motosport.com Holeshots by edging out the Monster Energy Kawasaki duo of Eli Tomac and Cianciarulo, followed by Roczen and Ferrandis. Cianciarulo would lose the front end coming downhill on the opening lap and be forced to rejoin near the tail end of the field as Plessinger, Tomac, Roczen, and Ferrandis led the way on the opening lap.
The battle immediately intensified up front as Tomac made quick work of Plessinger to take the number one position from Plessinger. Just behind the leaders, Roczen and Ferrandis matched one another’s pace in an effort for valuable championship points and to keep the leaders in sight. Roczen made a costly mistake that saw him go down hard, but he was able to dust himself off and remount in sixth.
Up front, Tomac and Plessinger were separated by no more than two seconds for the majority of the race as they took turns on clocking the better lap times.
With the race winding down, the battle for second began to heat up as Ferrandis closed in on his teammate Plessinger. He would use an excellent drive through the sand rollers to take second and set his sights on the race leader Tomac. As the crowd cheered them on, Tomac held on to take his second moto win of the season by just 1.5 seconds over Ferrandis. A distant third would go to Plessinger, while Roczen recovered for sixth.
450 Overall
It was Ferrandis who’s hard charging and consistency would give him the overall victory (1-2). Tomac earned his second consecutive podium of the season in season (4-1), while Plessinger completed the podium with an impressive 3-3 moto scores on the day. Roczen’s 6-2 was good enough for fourth. A jump during the red cross flag in Moto 1 resulted in Ferrandis being docked a single point and Roczen two points, however, the overall finishes remained the same.
“I gave it everything and it was a big fight today,” said Ferrandis. “I charged really hard at the end of the motos. I wanted to win the second moto, but Eli [Tomac] was riding really good. I dreamed of winning here at RedBud and thanks to the fans for cheering loud for us all day. It’s been a good start to the season and I’m really looking forward to keep working hard so we can stay up front the rest of the season.”
With the win Ferrandis was able to extend his lead in the championship standings to 14-points over Roczen who lost crucial points in the second moto. Plessinger sits third, 36-points out of the lead.
450 Class Overall Results (Moto Finish)
- Dylan Ferrandis, Yamaha (1-2)
- Eli Tomac, Cortez, Kawasaki (4-1)
- Aaron Plessinger, Yamaha (2-2)
- Ken Roczen, Honda (2-6)
- Christian Craig, Yamaha (5-5)
- Chase Sexton, Honda (8-4)
- Cooper Webb, KTM (7-9)
- Justin Barcia, GASGAS (8-4)
- Joey Savatgy, KTM (10-10)
- Brandon Hartranft, Suzuki (11-13)
450 Class Championship Standings (Round 4 of 12)
- Dylan Ferrandis, Yamaha – 179
- Ken Roczen, Honda – 165
- Aaron Plessinger, Yamaha – 143
- Chase Sexton, Honda – 132
- Eli Tomac, Kawasaki – 129
- Justin Barcia, GASGAS – 121
- Adam Cianciarulo, Kawasaki – 116
- Christian Craig, Yamaha – 104
- Cooper Webb, KTM – 102
- Marvin Musquin, KTM – 90
250 Moto 1
When the gate dropped for the first 250 Class moto of the day it was Monster Energy/Star/Yamaha Racing’s Justin Cooper who emerged with the Motosport.com holeshot just ahead of the Team Honda HRC duo of Jett and Hunter Lawrence, Monster Energy/Star/Yamaha Racing’s Jeremy Martin and Hampshire. As they crossed the finish on the opening lap, Cooper lost traction going up the face of the finish line and crashed out of the lead. Cooper’s mistake allowed a hard charging Hampshire to inherit the lead over the Lawrence brothers and Martin. Cooper would remount in 10th.
Hampshire pushed the pace out front with Jett Lawrence in tow and the duo began to slowly distance themselves from the train of riders behind them. As Jett Lawrence applied the pressure, Hampshire crashed out of the lead, but was able to restart quickly in second. Hunter Lawrence remained a distant third.
With the race closing in on the halfway point of the 30-minute-plus-two-lap moto, Hampshire started to inch back onto the rear wheel of Jett Lawrence and searched for a way around. Hampshire would once again lose the front end of his motorcycle and find himself on the ground while contending for the race lead. Hunter Lawrence took full advantage of Hampshire’s mistake to move into second, while Hampshire remounted in third.
As Jett Lawrence continued to control the race out front, Hunter Lawrence and Hampshire started to gain momentum and slowly reduce the gap to the race leader. With three laps to go, Hampshire muscled his way around Hunter Lawrence for second and began to set his sights on the race leader Jett Lawrence but Jett held on to take the checkered flag for his third moto win of the season by 2.2 seconds over Hampshire. Hunter Lawrence finished third, just ahead of Cooper who recovered for fourth.
250 Moto 2
The final 250 Class moto of the afternoon saw Cooper capture his second Motosport.com Holeshot of the day, just ahead of his teammate Martin and first moto runner-up finisher Hampshire. The Lawrence brothers found themselves mired deep in the pack as Hunter was scored 11th and Jett 18th at the completion of the opening lap.
As the lead trio went to work with a clear track out front, Jett Lawrence put his head down in an attempt to do damage control, however, a costly mistake would see him make contact with another rider and go down, losing valuable time as he remounted outside the top-30.
Out front, Hampshire began to find his momentum as he moved Cooper to within striking distance for the race lead, using every inch of the track to find a way past. At the 15-minute mark, Hampshire would get a drive and out drag race Cooper to become the new race leader.
Just as Hampshire looked to have the race under control he would yet again find himself picking himself up off the ground as he surrendered the lead to Cooper in the late stages of the moto. Cooper emerged with his second moto win of the season by 12.9 seconds over Hampshire. Martin finished third in an impressive return from injury, followed by Hunter Lawrence in fourth. An inspiring ride by Jett Lawrence netted him sixth.
250 Overall
By virtue of 2-2 finishes Hampshire prevailed for his first win of the season and won the RedBud National for the second consecutive year. Cooper’s second moto win earned him second overall (4-1) as Jett Lawrence completed the podium in third (1-6), followed by his brother Hunter in fourth (3-4).
“This win just feels so good after everything I’ve gone through lately,” said Hampshire. “As you can hear, I’ve been super sick all week, so to be up here today is a bit emotional. I give it my all everytime I’m on the track, and it would have been great to get those moto wins today, but to win here at RedBud for the second year in a row is an amazing feeling. The speed has been really good lately and I’m looking forward to some of my favorite tracks coming up on the schedule.”
Jett Lawrence maintains his hold of the championship point lead by eight over Cooper who reduced the gap by three on the day. Hunter Lawrence remains third, 44-points out of the championship lead.
250 Class Overall Results (Moto Finish)
- RJ Hampshire, Husqvarna (2-2)
- Justin Cooper, Yamaha (4-1)
- Jett Lawrence, Honda (1-6)
- Hunter Lawrence, Honda (3-4)
- Jeremy Martin, Yamaha (5-3)
- Jo Shimoda, Kawasaki (6-5)
- Pierce Brown, GASGAS (7-7)
- Stilez Robertson, Husqvarna (12-8)
- Max Vohland, KTM (10-11)
- Jalek Swoll, Husqvarna (8-14)
250 Class Championship Standings (Round 4 of 12)
- Jett Lawrence, Honda – 172
- Justin Cooper, Yamaha – 164
- Hunter Lawrence, Honda – 128
- RJ Hampshire, Husqvarna – 111
- Jeremy Martin, Yamaha – 108
- Jalek Swoll, Husqvarna – 108
- Garrett Marchbanks, Yamaha – 103
- Jo Shimoda, Kawasaki – 99
- Colt Nichols, Yamaha – 97
- Austin Forkner, Kawasaki – 87
Source: MCNews.com.au
Huge gallery of images from High Point AMA Pro Motocross
2021 Pro Motocross Championship
Round 3 – High Point
Images by Jeff Kardas
In the 450 Class a hard-fought, consistent afternoon was enough to put Monster Energy/Star/Yamaha Racing’s Dylan Ferrandis atop the podium for the second time this season.
In the 250 Class, Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Jalek Swoll extended the parity in the division and broke through with his first professional victory as Jett Lawrence increased his lead in the 250 Championship.
Source: MCNews.com.au
Kawasaki riders share High Point 450 wins | Swoll tops 250
2021 Pro Motocross Championship
Round 3 – High Point
Images by Jeff Kardas
Following its first break of the 2021 season the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing, returned to action with its East Coast debut from legendary High Point Raceway. The third round of the summer campaign marked the sport’s return to the famed Pennsylvania venue for the first time since 2019 with the GEICO Motorcycle High Point National, where the threat of rain loomed over the afternoon but never really materialised.
In the 450 Class a hard-fought, consistent afternoon was enough to put Monster Energy/Star/Yamaha Racing’s Dylan Ferrandis atop the podium for the second time this season.
In the 250 Class, Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Jalek Swoll extended the parity in the division and broke through with his first professional victory as Jett Lawrence increased his lead in the 250 Championship.
Video Highlights
450 Moto1
Light precipitation was present when the gate dropped on the opening 450 Class moto, where Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Adam Cianciarulo prevailed with the MotoSport.com Holeshot ahead of Team Honda HRC’s Chase Sexton and Monster Energy/Star/Yamaha Racing’s Christian Craig, who soon gave up the position to Team Honda HRC’s Ken Roczen, the championship leader. As Cianciarulo sprinted out to an early lead the Honda teammates engaged in a battle for second place.
As the moto surpassed the 10-minute mark, the lead trio solidified their hold on those positions as Ferrandis gave chase from fourth. As the minutes continued to tick away the distance between the top three continued to shrink. Sexton soon closed in to within a couple bike lengths of Cianciarulo, but a mistake by Sexton not only caused the Honda rider to lose some ground, it forced Roczen into a mistake when he briefly went down and gave up third to Ferrandis.
With the threat defended, Cianciarulo gradually built a multi-second advantage over Sexton, who in turn built a comfortable margin over Ferrandis. As time ran out on the moto clock with just over three laps to go, Sexton tucked the front of his Honda and went down. As he looked to remount, both Ferrandis and Roczen were able to get by, which placed Sexton in fourth when he resumed. Out front, Cianciarulo looked to close out his first moto win of the season with ease but was dealt with one last obstacle as a slower rider went down exiting the final corner. With nowhere to go, Cianciarulo ran over the downed motorcycle and fell over. He kept his Kawasaki running, got up, and pushed his bike across the finish line to win in unconventional fashion. Ferrandis followed five seconds behind in second as Roczen rounded out the podium in third. Sexton recovered to finish fourth as Monster Energy/Star/Yamaha Racing’s Aaron Plessinger completed the top five.
450 Moto 2
The deciding 450 Class moto kicked off as Troy Lee Designs/Red Bull/GASGAS Factory Racing’s Justin Barcia emerged with the MotoSport.com Holeshot out of a gaggle of bikes. He was quickly passed by Plessinger for the early lead, while Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Eli Tomac and Cianciarulo followed through. Cianciarulo put the hammer down and made an aggressive push that carried him all the way around Plessinger and into the lead. He continued to ramp up the pace and established a multi-second advantage after just two laps. Behind him, Tomac’s first opportunity to run at the front of the field in 2021 saw him surge around Plessinger into second to put the Kawasaki riders at the top of the running order.
As the battle up front took shape the class’ title contenders made moves as well, as Ferrandis worked his way from fourth and Roczen from sixth. Both riders were urgent in their push and successfully moved into third and fourth, respectively. By the time they finished their early charge, the Kawasaki team-mates were more than five-seconds ahead. From there, Ferrandis and Roczen went head-to-head for third and traded the position before Ferrandis got the upper hand and asserted control of the spot.
Up front, Tomac closed onto Cianciarulo’s rear fender and a battle for the lead ensued. Tomac was able to get by, but Cianciarulo fought back and reclaimed the position. However, Tomac didn’t give up and kept the pressure on. The two came together, which pushed Cianciarulo out of a rut and allowed Tomac to move into the lead for the first time this season.
Once out front Tomac started to build an advantage over his teammate and was soon in control of the moto. As the moto surpassed the 20-minute mark Cianciarulo found himself under pressure from Ferrandis and Roczen in third and fourth. All three riders then duked it out for second and used every inch of the track in search of an advantage. As the crowd cheered them on, both Ferrandis and Roczen bullied their way around Cianciarulo, who dropped from second to fourth. That thrilling sequence also changed the battle in the overall classification, as Ferrandis moved into control of the afternoon.
For Tomac it was a dominant ride indicative of his three-year championship run. He stormed to his first moto win of the season by 3.2 seconds over Ferrandis, who was able to fend off Roczen for the entirety of the moto.
Although he missed out on a moto win, Ferrandis’ consistency was enough to vault him to the second overall victory of the season and his career via 2-2 moto finishes. Cianciarulo’s drop off the podium in the final moto relegated him to the runner-up spot by a single point (1-4), while Tomac made his first appearance on the podium this summer in third (6-1), which bumped Roczen (3-3) off the podium via tie-breaker.
“What a race. I don’t know (what to say),” said Ferrandis. “I got a good start and was able to get by Ken (Roczen), which was good because he was so fast today. It was a war (after that). Ken kept pushing me and we were able to come to Adam (Cianciarulo). It was crazy how competitive it was with them. We were going so fast and the track was so difficult. It’s just amazing to get a win here today and get a hold of the red plate again.”
With the win Ferrandis also reclaimed control of the red plate as 450 Class point leader for the second time this season. He currently has a slim three-point advantage over Roczen, while Plessinger, who finished sixth on the afternoon (5-8) maintained his hold on third, 30 points out of the lead.
450 Results & Championship Standings
Source: MCNews.com.au
Moto News | Manjimup 15000 | Evans to miss MXGP opener | ISDE is go
Mitch Evans to miss 2021 MXGP opener
Team HRC’s Mitch Evans will have to sit-out the opening round of the 2021 MXGP season after complications with his wrist injury has deemed him unfit to race in Russia this weekend.
It is a big shame for Evans, who has shown that when he fully fit, he can battle with the top riders in the class, posting numerous top five finishes in what was his rookie MXGP campaign in 2020. Now though, his focus is to try and get 100 per cent healthy so that he can get back to that level and challenge for the podium spots when he returns to racing action.
Mitch Evans
“Obviously, I am really disappointed to have to miss Russia and the start of this season. I have tried my hardest to be ready but we just aren’t in a position where I feel confident I can give it my best shot and perform at the level that I expect from myself. Everyone at Team HRC has shown their support during this difficult time and it is now up to me to make sure that I am back ready to compete in the shortest timeframe possible. A big thanks to my team and all my fans around the world, and hopefully I’ll be able to see you at a racetrack soon.”
Central Coast Cup this weekend at Somersby
The 2021 Honda / The Construction Team Central Coast Cup dirt track motorcycle meeting is on this weekend as a one-day event on Sunday June 13 at the Allen Park track at Somersby.
Since its inception in 2005 the Central Coast Cup meeting has established itself as one of the major non-championships meetings on the dirt track calendar but this year it falls in between an Australian Championship meeting and a New South Wales Championship meeting two weeks either side of it.
Even with entry numbers down on previous years Central Coast Junior Motor Cycle Club President David Smith Snr. said that the club is committed to staging the meeting for the competitors who have supported the event.
Looking down the honour roll of winners in both the senior and junior (13 to Under 16s) classes you quickly realise how significant the Central Coast Cup is.
The senior class has been won by previous, or future, Australian champions and even a future world champion. David Smith will be striving to become the first rider to win the Senior event for a fourth time, but he faces a stern task to do so.
Harrison Ryan will also be out to achieve an unusual double as he is aiming to become the third Junior Cup winner to go on to win the Senior Event. David Smith and his brother Peter are joined by another pair of brothers Angus and Rory Hutchison in the line-up.
Boyd Hollis, who won the Casey Stoner Cup meeting late last year, and the fast-starting Luke Bush are two others expected to serious contenders. There will definitely be a new name on the Junior Cup honour roll, with two contenders standing out as favourites.
Kurri Kurri Junior Club rider Cameron Dunker and host club rider Cody Lewis loom as the stand-out contenders.
The younger age brackets will have to wait to be able to chase Central Coast Cup honours but their racing invariably provides plenty of close, hard-fought racing which augers well for the future of the sport.
Also on the programme to add to the variety will be races for older riders (Over 35s) and older bikes (pre1995). The 8-lap finals of both the Junior and Senior Cup will wrap up the program on Sunday afternoon after action gets underway at 10 am. Entry fee for spectators this weekend will be $10 per vehicle payable at the gate as a tax deductible donation to the St Johns First Aid.
The Allen Park track is situated at Debenham Road North, Somersby. For more information see – http://www.ccjuniormotorcycleclub.org.au.
95th ISDE to go ahead in Italy
With registration now finally closed, after the extension due to the pandemic situation, the 95th edition of the FIM International Six Days of Enduro (ISDE) in Italy now has a full list of entrants. This includes 29 nations and a total of more than 200 teams of which 160 will participate in the Club Team Award plus the entire Italian team of 150 riders.
At the time of writing, the 2021 ISDE has received confirmation that it has been approved as a recognised international event by the Italian authorities, meaning that all participating riders and staff members are exempt from the normal quarantine requirements. Obviously all other COVID protocols and rules will still need to be respected, full details of which will be confirmed in due course.
National teams entered for both the World Trophy and the Junior Trophy include, Belgium, Czech Republic, Finland, France, Germany, Holland, Italy, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom and the United States The other federations that will compete solely for the World Trophy are Austria, Brazil, Canada, Estonia, Hungary, Mexico, Poland, Switzerland, Slovakia, Slovenia and Venezuela. The Chilean and Norwegian federations will also be present with their respective Junior teams.
Eight national teams will contest the Women’s World Trophy: France, Germany, Italy, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, the United Kingdom and the United States.
In the meantime, the organisation proceeds according to the programme with the definition of the details of the route that will be developed for the first three days, mainly in the province of Pavia going up the Staffora Valley, and the following two days, the fourth and fifth plus a part of the third, in the adjacent Val Curone in the province of Alessandria.
The competition days will offer a single lap for each day with a diversified programme and route for day 1/2 and 3, plus 4/5. There will be six special stages on each race day, three cross tests and three enduro tests.
In the initial two days, the four scheduled time checks will be in Ponte Nizza (twice), in Casanova di Staffora and in Varzi, a total of 192 kilometres will be covered. There will be three time checks on the third day, in Varzi and Ponte Nizza (twice), about 195 kilometeres in total.
The fourth day will be spent in Piedmont with a tour of just under 200 kilometres used as it is also for the last stage: five time checks, in Monleale to and from the start, then Garbagna, Fabbrica Curone and San Sebastiano Curone.
The cross test on the sixth day, 4 September, has been moved as is well known, to the Tazio Nuvolari facility in Cervesina, which is about 20 kilometres from the paddock. A mixed dirt and 10% asphalt track in the internal area of the circuit will be created especially for the Six Days.
Jeffrey Herlings wins French Elite MX opener
The opening round of the French Championship at Ernée attracted a truly world-class entry as many GP teams and riders took the opportunity to complete their final preparations before the 2021 GP premiere.
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing were active in France over the weekend in national competitions for final ‘warm-up’ outings ahead of the 2021 FIM Motocross World Championship. Jeffrey Herlings and Tom Vialle won their respective classes at Ernée for the first round of the French Elite series.
It was also the first racing opportunity for the Kawasaki Racing Team since their success at the Italian International Championship more than three months ago.
Herlings, steering his factory KTM 450 SX-F, took his second win in as many weekends (after success in the UK), with a 2-1 scorecard. The Dutchman barreled through from a mediocre start in the first moto but aced his launch in the second outing to beat Romain Febvre to the checkered flag.
Jeffery Herlings
“I was fastest in qualifying by a good margin! I had a bad start in the first moto but came from mid-pack to be on the rear wheel of the winner by the end. I pulled a holeshot in the second and could lead, control and win it. My feeling was alright on the track. The bike was working well but I had a bit of arm-pump. Overall, some good work done for Russia.”
Wheelspin at the gate cost Febvre a top-six start in the first race but he was soon on the charge and, setting the fastest laps of the race, was established in third by lap four and confirmed his speed over a full race distance by closing down the front two in the final minutes. An impressive second-placed start in race two saw the Kawasaki rider, who again set the fastest lap, pressure the leader to the finish as they outdistanced the chasers by no less than thirty-six seconds; his 3-2 moto placing’s secured third overall on the day.
Romain Febvre
“I’m happy with this weekend; we had good weather and a very nice track. That’s why we came here; we knew that the track would be very well prepared! In the first race I spun at the gate, came back sixth, then third, but was still making a few mistakes. However I had good speed racing together with Herlings and came back close to the leader. My second start was much better in second position behind Jeffrey and we were close all race with the gap always between one and two seconds; I was close but I never had the possibility to pass him even if there were many lines on the track. I’m ready for the GP season; I’m not afraid to say that I have never been so well-prepared. It was a long winter but we did a good job with the team; the bike is really good and mentally I feel confident. I showed again today that I have a good speed and a good rhythm.“
Vialle used the KTM 250 SX-F to defeat countryman Thibault Benistant in both motos. The MX2 World Champion claimed a comfortable second race by almost seventeen seconds. Also active in MX2 was Vialle’s teammate Rene Hofer. The Austrian made a lively getaway in the first moto before collecting 4th place by the finish. Hofer would occupy the same slot in the overall classification after a small crash meant 5th position in the second race.
Tom Vialle
“A nice day. The track was good to ride and my results were decent. I was 1st in practice and then passed Rene in the first moto. I had a bit of arm-pump but this is pretty normal as it was my first race in almost six months! In the second I had the holeshot and won with pretty good lap-times. Today was fun and went well. I’m ready for the first GP.”
Ivo Monticelli again showed the advances he has made since joining KRT and was fifth overall on the day.
Ivo Monticelli
“It was good to be back racing; it had been like another winter as it was more than three months since our three races at the start of the year in Italy. Today was almost a mini-GP so it was nice to see where we are and I had two good starts. The first moto I got really bad arm pump at the end after not racing for so long but the speed was already there. I could pass Seewer for third in the second race but I took a stone on the front brake and had to take care during the second half. Romain and Jeffrey are another level, but we could see that I can stay close to the top five; the work we did this winter is already paying off. You never know where you are until you get to race with the others; now I look forward to showing my speed with a good result in Russia next week.”
Mathys Boisrame also finished on the podium for the F&H Kawasaki Racing Team in the MX2 class, taking the chequered flag third in each moto after topping his qualification group during the morning.
Mathys Boisrame
“I had a good feeling on this nice track and I already had a good result in the timed practice period. The first race was not that easy. My start was not so good but I came back to second; then I made a mistake and crashed back to fourth but I finished third with good lap times and good lines. In the second moto I was nearly last at the start but I came back to third again so in the end it was a good result for me.”
French Elite Championship, Rnd1, Ernée
MX1 Overall Result
- Jeffrey Herlings (NED), Red Bull KTM Factory Racing
- Jeremy Seewer (SWI), Yamaha
- Romain Febvre (FRA), Kawasaki
- Glenn Coldenhoff (NED), Yamaha
- Ivo Monticelli (ITA), Kawasaki
MX2 Overall Result
- Tom Vialle (FRA), Red Bull KTM Factory Racing
- Thibault Benistant (FRA), Yamaha
- Mathys Boisrame (FRA), Kawasaki
- Rene Hofer (AUT), Red Bull KTM Factory Racing
- Tom Guyon (FRA), KTM
Yearbury wins NZ Enduro Round 3 at Moonshine Valley
By Andy McGechan, www.BikesportNZ.com
After two brutal and unforgiving, back-to-back days of racing, there was just one-second to separate the top two finishers at round three of the 2021 New Zealand Enduro Championships at the weekend.
The third round of five in the Yamaha-sponsored series was held in forestry in the Moonshine Valley, halfway between Porirua and Upper Hutt, over the Queen’s Birthday Weekend, the tricky terrain certainly putting riders to the test and ensuring the margins between success and failure were ever so small.
It was a gruelling double-header event, with riders racing two consecutive days in the Akatarawa Forest, albeit with Sunday’s racing in a few different sectors of the forest than had been raced on the previous day, and it was the cream of New Zealand’s dirt bike racing talent that rose to the top.
Best of the bunch were close friends and fierce rivals Dylan Yearbury and Tommy Buxton, with Oparau’s young enduro racing rookie James Scott, Whanganui’s 2019 national enduro champion Seth Reardon and Taupo’s national junior cross-country champion Wil Yeoman the most impressive.
Thames’ multi-time former New Zealand and international championship winner Chris Birch, Palmerston North’s two-time former United States cross-country champion Paul Whibley, Wainuiomata’s eight-time former New Zealand trials champion Jake Whitaker and Wairoa’s 2021 national cross-country champion Tommy Watts also shone out at the weekend.
Helensville’s Buxton won Saturday’s phase of the action by 13 seconds from Cambridge rider Yearbury.
Yearbury responded by going on the attack on Sunday, the Waikato man wiping out the time deficit and reasserting himself at the top of the standings.
Yearbury won day two by 14 seconds from Buxton and he therefore took the weekend’s overall honours by a solitary second.
Dylan Yearbury
“Well, the weekend went not too bad in the end. I finished 13 seconds behind Tommy on Saturday, but I caught up that time and won Sunday by 14 seconds, so that gave me the overall win. It was extremely close… two days of racing and just one second between us in the end. That’s pretty incredible really. I had a small crash on Saturday and then had an incident when I stalled the bike on Sunday… and it is little mistakes like those that can spell the difference in the end. The course at Moonshine was pretty fast in a lot of places and not too technical, but I was okay with that. With just two rounds to go, I need to minimise my mistakes. A slip-up now could be costly.”
The 19-year-old Scott finished the weekend third overall, 53 seconds behind Buxton, the recently-crowned national motocross championships No.2 (in the 250cc class) showing great versatility to take a 450cc enduro bike and seamlessly transfer his skills from one bike code to the other.
Motorcycling New Zealand enduro commissioner Justin Stevenson said the course at Moonshine was certainly tough, but he was also pleased to report that there were no injuries all weekend.
Justin Stevenson
“That’s a credit to the host club. The course featured a few very steep down-hills, but the club did a wonderful job of marking it well to ensure the safety of riders.”
It could be a winner-takes-all final two days of racing, at separate venues in the Wairarapa Region, next weekend. Round four is set for farmland near Masterton on Saturday, June 12, with the fifth and final round due to be fought near Martinborough the following day.
The 2021 Yamaha NZ Enduro Championships are supported by Mitas tyres Macaulay Metals, Best Build Construction, Silver-bullet and Kiwi Rider magazine.
Daniel Sanders set for Rally Kazakhstan with GasGas
Daniel Sanders is the newest member of the GasGas Rally team and will be competing the 2021 FIM Cross-Country Rallies World Championship this year, with Rally Kazakhstan.
Held in the west of the country, and based in the coastal city of Aktau, Rally Kazakhstan will cover a total distance of 2,270 km, of which 1,465 km will be timed special stage with competitors racing through the mixed terrain of the Mangystau region.
June 8 will see the traditional ceremonial start, held on the Caspian Sea shore of Aktau City, that will then be followed by five tough days of racing, including one marathon stage, before the finish on June 13. Both Sunderland and Walkner will be looking to get their world championship campaigns off to a positive start with strong performances in the Kazakhstan dirt.
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Sam Sunderland and Matthias Walkner are ready to compete at the first round of the 2021 FIM Cross-Country Rallies World Championship – Rally Kazakhstan – taking place from June 7-13.
Sam Sunderland
“I am feeling good at the moment. We’ve been doing some really constructive testing with the team in Spain, and it’s been great to get the feel of things back after Dakar. We’ve made some changes to the bike’s settings, mostly with the suspension so it’s good to make some really positive steps there. I’m looking forward to seeing how they work out in a full race situation. The goal for me for this year is to keep the number one on my bike, which I won in 2019. Obviously, with no championship last year I’m still carrying the #1 plate. Hopefully, a strong start to the series in Kazakhstan will lead to another good year.”
Matthias Walkner
“I’m super excited to start the world championship season, it feels great to be back on the rally bike again. The first round is looking really interesting because hardly any of the leading riders have been to Kazakhstan and so the race should be a good test for all of us. I’m really looking forward to racing in a new country and experiencing some different landscapes. My preparation in the off-season has been going well. I’ve really tried to focus on my bike skills – getting back out on the motocross bike and working on my speed. Testing in Spain has gone well, we made some good changes and I’m really happy with how I feel on the bike. The plan now is to do my best at round one of the championship and keep working hard for the rest of the year.”
Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Luciano Benavides and Skyler Howes are also set for the rally. For Benavides, the race marks the first competitive outing since his injury at the Dakar in January, while for Howes, it will be his first FIM event since signing for the team earlier this year.
Luciano Benavides
“Thankfully I’m feeling really good right now. It’s been three months since I had surgery on my shoulder after Dakar, and so I feel like new again. A lot of the time since then I have been training hard to get back to 100 percent, and more recently I have been in Spain with the team, back on the rally bike and working on my navigation. I really want to come back to competition even more prepared than ever. For me, when I have a crash or an injury it often motivates me to come back even stronger and that is what I have been working on. The changes we have made to the bike seem to be good – I felt more comfortable straight away and that is important for my confidence going into round one of the world championship. My plan for the race is to get a strong finish, I will take it day by day and try not to make any mistakes. I’m really looking forward to starting racing again now!”
Skyler Howes
“Everything has been going really well since joining the team. It’s been a nice, smooth transition from privateer to factory rider and thankfully because of that I’ve had time to not only work on setting up the bike, but also on myself in terms of focus and fitness. I have done a couple of races already in the U.S. and they both went well with me finishing as runner-up twice. Since then, I have come to Spain to do more road book training and get better acquainted with the team. I’m really looking forward to racing my first FIM event for Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, but the major goal is to get more time on the bike and try and build my confidence as the year goes on and we get close to Dakar 2022.”
Source: MCNews.com.au
SX has been run and won but AMA MX now just weeks away
AMA Pro Motocross is just around the corner
After a highly competitive and exciting trio of title fights, racers now shift focus towards the upcoming Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship which will kick off in a matter of weeks, on May 29, with the Fox Raceway I National in Pala, California.
At the final round of the season this past Saturday from Salt Lake City’s Rice-Eccles Stadium, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Cooper Webb wrapped up his second 450SX Class title in three years. The 2019 champion clinched World Championship number two on a high note with his eighth main event win of the season.
In the two 250SX Class regional championships, a pair of first-time titleholders emerged from the Monster Energy/Star/Yamaha Racing effort. In the East Region, Colt Nichols overcame years of hardship to earn his first championship in his seventh season of competition, while Justin Cooper finally prevailed in the West Region after back-to-back runner-up finishes. The sweep by Star Yamaha signified the first time since 2012 that a team won both 250SX Class titles.
With their attention now directed towards the summer, Webb, Cooper, and Nichols will each look to carry their championship momentum into Pro Motocross and build upon their previous successes at the Nationals.
Although he was forced to sit out the majority of last season with a back injury, Webb is a former 250 Class Champion and has a 450 Class win to his credit in Pro Motocross. Moreover, his trademark tenacity could pay big dividends over the course of the summer’s 24 motos.
Entering his fourth season in the 250 Class, Cooper has become a perennial title contender, finishing no worse than third in the final standings. As a two-time winner with 14 podium finishes, Cooper is undoubtedly one of the championship favorites this summer and has now proven he has what it takes to break through.
For Nichols, a career resurgence looks poised to continue this summer. Health has arguably been Nichols’ biggest obstacle to success and although he’s completed just one 12-round season of Pro Motocross since 2016, Nichols is a two-time podium finisher and is currently riding at the highest level of his career.
And then there are of course the two young Aussie brothers that both finished on the podium at last weekend’s Supercross finale. The Lawrence brothers headed back to Florida after SX wrapped up where team members joined them for CRF250R testing this week.
The 2021 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship will once again consist of a 12-round schedule, beginning on American Memorial Day Weekend with the season-opening Fox Raceway I National. The summer season will bring the world’s best riders to 10 different states, including returns to many of American motocross’ most iconic venues, concluding on September 11 with the sport’s oldest event, the Hangtown Motocross Classic in Sacramento, California.
2021 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship
| Round | Date | Raceway | Location |
| Round 1 | May 29 | Fox Raceway National | Pala, CA |
| Round 2 | June 5 | Thunder Valley National | Lakewood, CO |
| Round 3 | June 19 | High Point National | Mt Morris, PA |
| Round 4 | June 26 | Southwick National | Southwick, MA |
| Round 5 | July 3 | Redbud National | Buchanan, MI |
| Round 6 | July 17 | Spring Creek National | Millville, MN |
| Round 7 | July 24 | Washougal National | Washougal, WA |
| Round 8 | August 14 | Unadilla National | New Berlin, MY |
| Round 9 | August 21 | Budds Creek National | Mechanicsville, MD |
| Round 10 | August 28 | Ironman National | Crawfordsville, IN |
| Round 11 | September 4 | Pala National | Pala, CA |
| Round 12 | September 11 | Hangtown National | Sacremento, CA |
Source: MCNews.com.au
Cianciarulo takes 450 win | Jett P6 in 250 | Video Highlights
2020 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship
Round Five – RedBud II – Buchanan, MI
September 7, 2020
Images Jeff Kardas
The fifth round of the 2020 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship featured an intense afternoon of racing in both the 450 Class and 250 Class on America’s Labor Day holiday. The iconic RedBud MX provided close racing throughout the day and completed the championship’s first-ever doubleheader.
Premier class rookie Adam Cianciarulo showed everyone that his 2019 250 Class title was no fluke and that he’s here to stay as the Monster Energy Kawasaki rider captured his first-ever 450 Class victory. Rocky Mountain ATV/MC-WPS-KTM’s Blake Baggett put on an inspiring performance to win Moto 2 and finish second overall, while Zach Osborne ended the day third overall and extended his championship point lead to 28.
Video Highlights
In the 250 Class, Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s RJ Hampshire collected two consistent moto results to earn his second career victory. Behind Hampshire, the title chase between GEICO Honda’s Jeremy Martin and Monster Energy/Star/Yamaha Racing’s Dylan Ferrandis grew even closer as the duo collided together in the opening moto. Ferrandis would end the day second overall, just ahead of his teammate Shane McElrath who won the opening moto. Martin rebounded for the Moto 2 win and fourth overall on the day. Ferrandis trails Martin by just nine-points in the championship.
Jett Lawrence was third in the opening 250 Moto and looked set to back that up again for an outright podium before losing the front in the second Moto which pushed him back to eighth and sixth for the round. Jett is seventh in the championship standings.
Older brother Hunter Lawrence went 12-26 for to rank 18th for the round and is also 18th on the championship points table.
450MX Moto 1
The opening 450 Class moto saw Cianciarulo launch out of the gate to emerge with the Motosport.com holeshot, followed by Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Zach Osborne and Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Marvin Musquin. Cianciarulo quickly set the pace up front with Osborne in tow, while Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Eli Tomac found his way around Musquin for third before the end of the opening lap.
The top three riders continued to pace one another out front, keeping each other within striking distance as they gave it everything they had around the rough and rutted RedBud circuit. With two minutes remaining in the moto, Tomac saw an opportunity and struck by drag racing Osborne into a corner to take second. As Tomac put his head down in an attempt to track down his teammate, the battle behind him raged as Musquin muscled his way by Osborne for third.
Cianciarulo withstood the pressure and Tomac’s late race charge to capture the moto win, the first of his 450 Class career. Tomac finished just 1.9 seconds behind in second, while Musquin held on to take third. The championship point leader Osborne finished fourth.
450MX Moto 1
| Pos | Rider | Bike | Interval |
| 1 | Adam Cianciarulo | KAW KX450 | 17 Laps |
| 2 | Eli Tomac | KAW KX450 | +01.984 |
| 3 | Marvin Musquin | KTM 450 SX-F FE | +08.265 |
| 4 | Zachary Osborne | HQV FC450 RE | +09.811 |
| 5 | Justin Barcia | YAM YZ 450F | +11.717 |
| 6 | Blake Baggett | KTM 450 SX-F FE | +15.573 |
| 7 | Joseph Savatgy | SUZ RMZ 450 | +1:01.192 |
| 8 | Broc Tickle | YAM YZ 450F | +1:03.919 |
| 9 | Chase Sexton | HON CRF450R WE | +1:14.835 |
| 10 | Christian Craig | HON CRF450R | +1:18.811 |
| 11 | Dean Wilson | HQV FC450 RE | +1:35.348 |
| 12 | Fredrik Noren | SUZ RMZ 450 | +1:40.483 |
| 13 | Max Anstie | SUZ RMZ 450 | +2:06.300 |
| 14 | Jake Masterpool | HQV FC450 | 16 Laps |
| 15 | Justin Bogle | KTM 450 SX-F FE | +02.099 |
| 16 | Ben LaMay | KTM 450 SX-F | +08.840 |
| 17 | Grant Harlan | HON CRF450R | +21.451 |
| 18 | Felix Lopez | KTM 450 SX-F | +29.752 |
| 19 | Jeremy Smith | KAW KX450 | +30.883 |
| 20 | Justin Rodbell | KAW KX 450F | +31.925 |
450MX Moto 2
As the gate dropped on the final 450 Class moto it was Cianciarulo who took his second Motosport.com holeshot of the afternoon with JGR/Yoshimura/Suzuki Racing’s Joey Savatgy and Osborne in tow. Musquin was just behind the lead group and took advantage of a mistake by Savatgy early in the race to inherit third place.
Cianciarulo continued his opening moto form by using the clear track to his advantage to open a small lead over Osborne. Musquin, who was third, became under attack and soon surrendered the spot to Rocky Mountain ATV/MC-WPS-KTM’s Blake Baggett. Just when Cianciarulo looked to have things in control, he collided with a lapped rider when their lines intersected and found himself on the ground. The mistake by Cianciarulo moved Osborne to the race lead, Baggett to second and he was able to remount third.
Osborne’s lead began to diminish with a hard charging Baggett approaching. With seven minutes remaining in the moto, Baggett went to work and used every inch of the track to pass Osborne for the number one spot. His pace would prove too much for his competition as he went on to win his first moto of the season by 13.8 seconds over Osborne. Cianciarulo held on to finish third.
450MX Moto 2
| Pos | Rider | Bike | Interval |
| 1 | Blake Baggett | KTM 450 SX-F FE | 16 Laps |
| 2 | Zachary Osborne | HQV FC450 RE | +13.837 |
| 3 | Adam Cianciarulo | KAW KX450 | +19.329 |
| 4 | Marvin Musquin | KTM 450 SX-F FE | +30.497 |
| 5 | Broc Tickle | YAM YZ 450F | +43.148 |
| 6 | Christian Craig | HON CRF450R | +48.821 |
| 7 | Eli Tomac | KAW KX450 | +51.596 |
| 8 | Joseph Savatgy | SUZ RMZ 450 | +52.624 |
| 9 | Chase Sexton | HON CRF450R WE | +1:01.552 |
| 10 | Justin Barcia | YAM YZ 450F | +1:11.198 |
| 11 | Dean Wilson | HQV FC450 RE | +1:17.098 |
| 12 | Max Anstie | SUZ RMZ 450 | +1:29.801 |
| 13 | Henry Miller | KTM 450 SX-F | +2:02.374 |
| 14 | Justin Bogle | KTM 450 SX-F FE | +2:07.022 |
| 15 | Jake Masterpool | HQV FC450 | +2:11.267 |
| 16 | Justin Hoeft | HQV FC450 RE | +2:16.405 |
| 17 | Justin Rodbell | KAW KX 450F | +2:20.017 |
| 18 | Fredrik Noren | SUZ RMZ 450 | 15 Laps |
| 19 | John Short | HON CRF450R | +02.252 |
| 20 | Grant Harlan | HON CRF450R | +13.773 |
The 3-1 moto scores gave Cianciarulo his first-career overall win in the premier class, which came in just his fifth attempt. Baggett’s second moto win carried him to second (6-1) and Osborne completed the podium in third (4-2).
“It’s been a long time since I’ve won and you start to miss that winning feeling,” explained Cianciarulo. “This is a cool place to grab my first 450 Class win. I had a rough start to the day in practice and I think my finger might be broken, but I just tried to keep a positive mindset. I felt a lot more comfortable in the second moto after leading the first moto, but had a small mishap that prevented what I wanted which is a 1-1. You’re always going through ups-and-downs in this sport, which I experienced a few weeks ago, and now here I am on top of the world.”
Osborne continues to lead the championship, extending his lead to 28 points over Musquin who finished fourth (3-4) on the day. Cianciarulo’s win moved him to third, 14-points behind Musquin.
“Today, I just felt a little flat all day,” explained Osborne. “To come out ahead of some of my championship rivals was good and we did damage control. I’m stoked with the day. I didn’t feel as good as I did on Friday, which is something I sort of expected. Overall, I’m happy with the day.”
1. Adam Cianciarulo (1-3) 45-points
2. Blake Baggett (6-1) 40-points
3. Zach Osborne (4-2) 40-points
450MX Championship Standings
| Pos | Rider | Points |
| 1 | Zachary Osborne | 212 |
| 2 | Marvin Musquin | 184 |
| 3 | Adam Cianciarulo | 170 |
| 4 | Eli Tomac | 165 |
| 5 | Justin Barcia | 160 |
| 6 | Blake Baggett | 146 |
| 7 | Chase Sexton | 140 |
| 8 | Broc Tickle | 125 |
| 9 | Christian Craig | 112 |
| 10 | Dean Wilson | 97 |
| 11 | Joseph Savatgy | 96 |
| 12 | Max Anstie | 89 |
| 13 | Fredrik Noren | 60 |
| 14 | Henry Miller | 59 |
| 15 | Jason Anderson | 58 |
| 16 | Justin Bogle | 42 |
| 17 | Jake Masterpool | 41 |
| 18 | Justin Rodbell | 35 |
| 19 | Cooper Webb | 29 |
| 20 | Benny Bloss | 29 |
| 21 | Coty Schock | 28 |
| 22 | John Short | 23 |
| 23 | Jeremy Smith | 18 |
| 24 | Ben LaMay | 17 |
| 25 | Tyler Bowers | 12 |
250 Report
The first 250 Class moto saw Monster Energy/Star/Yamaha Racing’s Ty Masterpool grab his second Motosport.com holeshot of the season, just edging out teammate Shane McElrath and Hampshire. While McElrath and Hampshire battled for position in the opening turns, championship point leader Jeremy Martin was credited with ninth at the completion of the opening lap on his GEICO Honda and Monster Energy/Star/Yamaha Racing’s Dylan Ferrandis was back in 13th.
Similar to the opening moto during the RedBud I National on Friday, Masterpool opened a comfortable lead early as the riders behind him duked it out for the second and third. Just as Hampshire mounted another charge on McElrath and took control of second, Masterpool tucked the front end in a corner, allowing Hampshire to inherit the lead and GEICO Honda’s Jett Lawrence to move into a podium position in third.
Drama ensued behind the leaders as Ferrandis charged down the inside of Martin with an aggressive move that saw both riders hit the ground after their lines came together. Both riders would lose several positions with Ferrandis remounting quickest.
While Hampshire pushed the pace out front, McElrath and Lawrence kept the leader within striking distance as the moto began winding down. With two laps remaining, Hampshire made a costly mistake as he shot off of the track, allowing McElrath to slip back by and into the lead. The top three were separated by just bike lengths entering the final lap, but it was McElrath who held on to take his first moto victory of the season by 1.3 seconds over Hampshire. Lawrence rounded out the podium for a career-best third. Ferrandis would charge up to fifth, while Martin could only manage 11th following the incident with Ferrandis.
250MX Moto 1 Results
| Pos | Rider | Bike | Interval |
| 1 | Shane McElrath | YAM YZ 250F | 16 Laps |
| 2 | RJ Hampshire | HQV FC250 | +01.371 |
| 3 | Jett Lawrence | HON CRF250R | +01.758 |
| 4 | Ty Masterpool | YAM YZ 250F | +14.924 |
| 5 | Dylan Ferrandis | YAM YZ 250F | +15.768 |
| 6 | Mitchell Harrison | KAW KX 250 | +18.302 |
| 7 | Justin Cooper | YAM YZ 250F | +20.516 |
| 8 | Alex Martin | SUZ RMZ 250 | +21.103 |
| 9 | Stilez Robertson | HQV FC250 | +24.904 |
| 10 | Brandon Hartranft | KTM 250 SX-F FE | +26.442 |
| 11 | Jeremy Martin | HON CRF250R | +27.916 |
| 12 | Hunter Lawrence | HON CRF250R | +29.350 |
| 13 | Derek Drake | KTM 250 SX-F FE | +40.943 |
| 14 | Nick Gaines | YAM YZ 250F | +50.952 |
| 15 | Jo Shimoda | HON CRF250R | +1:04.368 |
| 16 | Carson Mumford | HON CRF250R | +1:11.527 |
| 17 | Mason Gonzales | YAM YZ 250F | +1:18.301 |
| 18 | Darian Sanayei | KAW KX 250 | +1:19.323 |
| 19 | Cameron Mcadoo | KAW KX 250 | +1:22.783 |
| 20 | Jerry Robin | HQV FC250 | +1:26.564 |
| 21 | Hardy Munoz | HQV FC250 | +1:28.669 |
| 22 | Joseph Crown | YAM YZ 250F | +2:01.405 |
| 23 | Jalek Swoll | HQV FC250 | +2:07.766 |
| 24 | Kevin Moranz | KTM 250 SX-F | 15 Laps |
| 25 | Ryder Floyd | HON CRF250R | +03.755 |
| 26 | Joshua Varize | KTM 250 SX-F | +09.506 |
| 27 | Gabe Gutierres | KTM 250 SX-F | +19.361 |
| 28 | Ezra Hastings | HQV FC250 | +23.551 |
| 29 | Brett Greenley | YAM YZ 250F | +29.355 |
| 30 | Mathias Jorgensen | KAW KX 250 | +37.192 |
250MX Moto 2
As the field emerged from the first turn to start Moto 2 it was once again Masterpool who emerged to sweep both Motosport.com holeshots on the day ahead of Martin and Hampshire. Just like the first moto, Masterpool quickly sprinted out front, while his Yamaha teammate Ferrandis got off to another slow start outside of the top-10.
Masterpool demonstrated once again his speed early in the race, maintaining a comfortable cushion over Martin. As riders started to settle into their pace, Martin began to chip away at Masterpool’s lead and eventually found himself on the youngster’s rear wheel before making the pass stick leading up to the famed Larocco’s Leap. Hampshire was just behind in third.
With a clear track ahead, Martin consistently laid down fast laps to pull away from the 40-rider field. The early race leader Masterpool made a mistake and tipped over, which ultimately allowed Hampshire to take second and moved Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki’s Mitchell Harrison into third. Harrison’s run in third would be short lived as Ferrandis was on the move and quick to take control of the position.
Martin took the checkered flag unchallenged for his fifth moto win of the season by 4.6 seconds over Ferrandis who used an incredible come-from-behind ride to take second on the final lap. Hampshire was just behind Ferrandis in third.
250MX Moto 2 Results
| Pos | Rider | Bike | Interval |
| 1 | Jeremy Martin | HON CRF250R | 16 Laps |
| 2 | Dylan Ferrandis | YAM YZ 250F | +04.599 |
| 3 | RJ Hampshire | HQV FC250 | +06.840 |
| 4 | Mitchell Harrison | KAW KX 250 | +17.234 |
| 5 | Justin Cooper | YAM YZ 250F | +26.380 |
| 6 | Jo Shimoda | HON CRF250R | +28.986 |
| 7 | Cameron Mcadoo | KAW KX 250 | +30.319 |
| 8 | Jett Lawrence | HON CRF250R | +42.355 |
| 9 | Alex Martin | SUZ RMZ 250 | +43.764 |
| 10 | Shane McElrath | YAM YZ 250F | +46.442 |
| 11 | Mason Gonzales | YAM YZ 250F | +56.813 |
| 12 | Carson Mumford | HON CRF250R | +1:06.313 |
| 13 | Ty Masterpool | YAM YZ 250F | +1:18.601 |
| 14 | Derek Drake | KTM 250 SX-F FE | +1:20.320 |
| 15 | Jalek Swoll | HQV FC250 | +1:25.961 |
| 16 | Nick Gaines | YAM YZ 250F | +1:27.347 |
| 17 | Jerry Robin | HQV FC250 | +1:31.082 |
| 18 | Stilez Robertson | HQV FC250 | +1:32.163 |
| 19 | Darian Sanayei | KAW KX 250 | +1:59.242 |
| 20 | Brandon Hartranft | KTM 250 SX-F FE | +2:10.028 |
| 21 | Ryder Floyd | HON CRF250R | +2:13.451 |
| 22 | Hardy Munoz | HQV FC250 | +2:17.106 |
| 23 | Mathias Jorgensen | KAW KX 250 | +2:19.192 |
| 24 | Kevin Moranz | KTM 250 SX-F | 15 Laps |
| 25 | Joshua Varize | KTM 250 SX-F | +07.662 |
| 26 | Hunter Lawrence | HON CRF250R | +11.743 |
| 27 | Gage Schehr | HQV FC250 | +20.676 |
| 28 | Ezra Hastings | HQV FC250 | +31.157 |
| 29 | Gabe Gutierres | KTM 250 SX-F | +56.185 |
Hampshire’s consistent 2-3 moto scores were good enough for his second career overall victory and first win since the 2018 Budds Creek National. The hard charge by Ferrandis helped him finish second overall (5-2) on the day, while McElrath’s first moto win carried him to third (1-10). Martin narrowly missed the podium in fourth (11-1).
“This one is special,” said Hampshire. “I gave it everything I had and Dylan was just riding so strong at the end of that second moto. I had to make a decision and I decided to go outside, which didn’t work out. I’ve worked my butt off to get back to this position after the knee injury and I didn’t want to let this win slip away.”
Martin continues his hold of the red plate and holds a nine point advantage over Ferrandis in the championship. Hampshire’s win helped him move to third in the championship, 46 points out of the lead.
“I’m not going to deny I was pretty pissed after that first moto,” said Martin. “I knew we were racing for the championship and that it was going to come down to this and that Dylan was going to get aggressive. That’s racing and I guess it’s on now. You’re not going to break me. I remember laying in the hospital with a broken back and the road I had to take to get back to where I am now. I’m ready to dig deep and put up a fight.”
1. RJ Hampshire (2-3) 42-points
2. Dylan Ferrandis (5-2) 38-points
3. Shane McElrath (1-10) 36-points
250MX Championship Standings
| Pos | Rider | Points |
| 1 | Jeremy Martin | 216 |
| 2 | Dylan Ferrandis | 207 |
| 3 | RJ Hampshire | 170 |
| 4 | Shane McElrath | 166 |
| 5 | Alex Martin | 158 |
| 6 | Justin Cooper | 132 |
| 7 | Jett Lawrence | 127 |
| 8 | Cameron Mcadoo | 125 |
| 9 | Mitchell Harrison | 101 |
| 10 | Brandon Hartranft | 95 |
| 11 | Derek Drake | 84 |
| 12 | Carson Mumford | 76 |
| 13 | Stilez Robertson | 70 |
| 14 | Jo Shimoda | 68 |
| 15 | Mason Gonzales | 67 |
| 16 | Ty Masterpool | 54 |
| 17 | Nick Gaines | 44 |
| 18 | Hunter Lawrence | 43 |
| 19 | Pierce Brown | 36 |
| 20 | Darian Sanayei | 24 |
| 21 | Hardy Munoz | 23 |
| 22 | Lance Kobusch | 18 |
| 23 | Jerry Robin | 16 |
| 24 | Ezra Hastings | 14 |
| 25 | Joseph Crown | 12 |
Next Race: Spring Creek National – September 19, 2020
Source: MCNews.com.au
Osborne goes 1-1 at Redbud | Jett Lawrence P6
Zach Osborne extends championship lead to 26-points
Images by Jeff Kardas
The Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing, kicked off its first-ever doubleheader from Michigan’s legendary RedBud MX for the fourth round of the 2020 season. The Circle K RedBud I National saw cloud gives way to sunny skies and cooler temperatures that hovered in the mid 20’s. A dominant performance by Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Zach Osborne propelled him to his third overall 450 Class victory of the season, extending his championship point lead. In the 250 Class, GEICO Honda’s Jeremy Martin earned his third consecutive win to take over the championship point lead.
Video Highlights
450 report
The opening 450 Class moto saw Osborne launch out of the gate to take the Motosport.com Holeshot just ahead of Twisted Tea Suzuki’s Max Anstie and JGR/Yoshimura/Suzuki Factory Racing’s Freddie Noren. Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Adam Cianciarulo wasted no time moving towards the front as he passed both Noren and Anstie to take over second, however, a mistake would force him to lose several positions and remount outside of the top-10. At the completion of the opening lap it was Osborne followed by Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Marvin Musquin and GEICO Honda’s Christian Craig.
The top three asserted themselves at the front of the pack, while Team Honda HRC rookie Chase Sexton gave pursuit. Sexton closed in on his team-mate Craig near the halfway point of the 30-minute-plus-two-lap moto and eventually made the move into third. Osborne continued a strong pace up front with Musquin trailing by just a couple of seconds.
Osborne withstood Musquin’s late race charge to capture his third moto win of the season by 1.9 seconds over the Frenchman who finished runner-up. Sexton finished third, earning his second podium since moving up to the 450 Class.
When the gate dropped on the final 450 Class moto it was once again Osborne who prevailed to take the Motosport.com holeshot ahead of Cianciarulo, while Monster Energy/Yamaha Factory Racing’s Justin Barcia, Musquin and Sexton gave chase right behind them. Barcia quickly went to work, making contact with Cianciarulo and taking second.
Osborne continued his opening moto form by using the clear track to open a comfortable lead, while Barcia and Cianciarulo engaged in an intense battle over second, trading positions several times. The top three riders maintained their positions throughout the remainder of the moto as Osborne took his fourth moto win of the season by 2.6 seconds. Barcia finished second, narrowly edging out Cianciarulo in third.
Osborne’s 1-1 moto results helped him secure his third overall victory of the season and marked the first time that he has done so by winning both motos in the premier class. Sexton’s 3-4 scores were good enough to secure his first-career overall podium in the 450 Class. Barcia’s strong second moto gave him third (6-2) on the day.
Zach Osborne
“It was pretty much a perfect day for me,” Osborne said. “Two holeshots and wire-to-wire race wins for the overall. I’m really happy with my riding and my fitness, and my bike is working perfectly so I’m looking forward to Monday and the rest of the series.”
The perfect day for Osborne helped him extend his championship point lead to 26-points over Musquin. Barcia sits third, 13-points behind Musquin in second.
Marvin Musquin
“It’s always great to be here at RedBud. Going into the first moto, I felt really good and I was enjoying it. I wasn’t too far off Zach but we were both riding well at pretty much the same speed and I couldn’t come back on him. It was a tough second moto, I felt like I was riding good and aggressive but I was never able to get around those guys. I am bummed because I did the first one really well and the second one I’m not able to do the same, so I’ll try to work on that.”
Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship
RedBud I MX – Buchanan, MI
September 4, 2020 – 450 Class Overall Results
| Pos | Rider | Motos | Bike |
| 1 | Zach Osborne | 1 – 1 | Husqvarna |
| 2 | Chase Sexton | 3 – 4 | Honda |
| 3 | Justin Barcia | 6 – 2 | Yamaha |
| 4 | Marvin Musquin | 2 – 6 | KTM |
| 5 | Adam Cianciarulo | 5 – 3 | Kawasaki |
| 6 | Eli Tomac | 4 – 5 | Kawasaki |
| 7 | Christian Craig | 7 – 8 | Honda |
| 8 | Blake Baggett | 10 – 7 | KTM |
| 9 | Broc Tickle | 8 – 9 | Yamaha |
| 10 | Joey Savatgy | 9 – 12 | Suzuki |
| 11 | Dean Wilson | 12 – 11 | Husqvarna |
| 12 | Max Anstie | 11 – 13 | Suzuki |
| 13 | Henry Miller | 14 – 14 | KTM |
| 14 | Fredrik Noren | 39 – 10 | Suzuki |
| 15 | Justin Rodbell | 16 – 15 | Kawasaki |
| 16 | Justin Bogle | 17 – 17 | KTM |
| 17 | Benny Bloss | 13 – 36 | Husqvarna |
| 18 | Ben LaMay | 18 – 18 | KTM |
| 19 | John Short | 15 – 23 | Honda |
| 20 | Coty Schock | 21 – 16 | Honda |
| 21 | Grant Harlan | 20 – 19 | Honda |
| 22 | Felix Lopez | 19 – 22 | KTM |
| 23 | Tyler Bowers | 22 – 20 | Kawasaki |
| 24 | Justin Hoeft | 24 – 21 | Husqvarna |
| 25 | Robbie Wageman | 25 – 24 | Yamaha |
| 26 | Jared Lesher | 26 – 25 | KTM |
| 27 | James Harrington | 29 – 26 | Yamaha |
| 28 | Tristan Lane | 27 – 28 | KTM |
| 29 | Bryce Backaus | 28 – 29 | Yamaha |
| 30 | Matthew Hubert | 30 – 31 | Kawasaki |
| 31 | Adam Enticknap | 32 – 30 | Suzuki |
| 32 | Luke Renzland | 23 – 39 | Husqvarna |
| 33 | Timothy Crosby | 36 – 27 | Kawasaki |
| 34 | Joshua Berchem | 35 – 33 | KTM |
| 35 | Jeffrey Walker | 31 – 38 | KTM |
| 36 | Jerry Lorenz III | 34 – 37 | Yamaha |
| 37 | Hunter Braun | 38 – 34 | Honda |
| 38 | Jake Masterpool | 37 – 35 | Husqvarna |
| 39 | Jeremy Smith | 33 – 40 | Kawasaki |
| 40 | Cory Carsten | DNS – 32 | Suzuki |
| 41 | Chase Felong | 40 – DNS | Husqvarna |
1. Zach Osborne, Husqvarna (1-1)
2. Chase Sexton, Honda (3-4)
3. Justin Barcia, Yamaha (6-2)
450 Class Points Standings
| Pos | Rider | Points |
| 1 | Zach Osborne | 172 |
| 2 | Marvin Musquin | 146 |
| 3 | Justin Barcia | 133 |
| 4 | Eli Tomac | 129 |
| 5 | Adam Cianciarulo | 125 |
| 6 | Chase Sexton | 116 |
| 7 | Blake Baggett | 106 |
| 8 | Broc Tickle | 96 |
| 9 | Christian Craig | 86 |
| 10 | Dean Wilson | 77 |
| 11 | Max Anstie | 72 |
| 12 | Joey Savatgy | 69 |
| 13 | Jason Anderson | 58 |
| 14 | Henry Miller | 51 |
| 15 | Fredrik Noren | 48 |
| 16 | Justin Rodbell | 30 |
| 17 | Justin Bogle | 29 |
| 18 | Benny Bloss | 29 |
| 19 | Cooper Webb | 29 |
| 20 | Coty Schock | 28 |
| 21 | Jake Masterpool | 28 |
| 22 | John Short | 19 |
| 23 | Jeremy Smith | 16 |
| 24 | Ben LaMay | 12 |
| 25 | Tyler Bowers | 12 |
| 26 | Luke Renzland | 11 |
| 27 | Matthew Hubert | 9 |
| 28 | Chase Felong | 8 |
| 29 | Justin Hoeft | 7 |
| 30 | Grant Harlan | 5 |
| 31 | Jeffrey Walker | 4 |
| 32 | Jared Lesher | 3 |
| 33 | Cory Carsten | 3 |
| 34 | Felix Lopez | 2 |
250 Report
The first 250 Class moto saw Monster Energy/Star/Yamaha Racing’s Ty Masterpool grab the Motosport.com holeshot in his season debut, just edging out Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki’s Darian Sanayei and GEICO Honda’s Jett Lawrence. Championship point leader Dylan Ferrandis took a hard fall on the opening lap and found himself remounting his Monster Energy/Star/Yamaha Racing machine near the tail end of the field.
With Masterpool in control and opening a comfortable lead out front, the battle for second heated up early as Jeremy Martin closed in and made the pass stick on Sanayei. Shortly after Sanayei also found himself under pressure from Lawrence who quickly overtook him for third. Jeremy Martin put his head down and slowly chipped away at Masterpool’s lead, and with 10-minutes remaining in the moto, he started searching for a way around the young Yamaha rider. Jeremy Martin eventually made his way around Masterpool to take over the lead.
Jeremy Martin continued to push the pace at the head of the field, while Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s RJ Hampshire used an aggressive pass to steal second from Masterpool. Jeremy Martin would remain unchallenged as he took his 31st career moto victory with 5.2 seconds to spare on Hampshire in second. Masterpool held on to third, giving him his first-ever moto podium. Ferrandis’ hard charge credited him with seventh.
As the field emerged from the first turn to start Moto 2 it was Monster Energy/Star/Yamaha Racing’s Shane McElrath who emerged to grab the Motosport.com holeshot ahead of Sanayei and Jeremy Martin. The second position was quickly overtaken by Jeremy Martin, while his brother Alex Martin followed him to get by Sanayei for third on his JGR/Yoshimura/Suzuki Factory Racing machine. Behind them Ferrandis found himself off to another bad start and outside of the top-20.
The top three riders paced one another out front and lap-after-lap extended their advantage over the rest of the 40-rider field. Despite setting a blistering pace, McEralth was unable to shake a determined Jeremy Martin who was relentless and made the pass for the lead at the halfway point of the race. Ferrandis continued his hard charge from the back of the field to battle his way into fourth.
Jeremy Martin went unchallenged en route to his fourth moto win of the season, taking the checkered flag by 4.8 seconds over McElrath who finished a season-best second. Ferrandis used a last lap charge to make the pass on Alex Martin for third.
Jeremy Martin’s first 1-1 of the season gave him his third consecutive overall victory and the 17th of his career. Hampshire’s consistency helped him secure the runner-up spot (2-5), while McElrath earned his first overall podium of the season in third (8-2). Ferrandis just narrowly missed the podium to finish fourth (7-3).
Jeremy Martin
“Today’s a great day going 1-1,” said Jeremy Martin. “It feels really good to grab another win. We’ve got a little bit of work to do in order to get better, but the grind doesn’t stop and we will get there. The GEICO Honda team had my bike working really well all day and I’m stoked to put myself back up on top of the podium for everyone in my corner who makes this possible.”
1. Jeremy Martin, Honda (1-1)
2. RJ Hampshire, Husqvarna (2-5)
3. Shane McElrath, Yamaha (8-2)
RJ Hampshire
“I didn’t have great starts in either moto but I had good speed and the bike was working good,” Hampshire said. “We made the right call first moto with the tire and I had probably one of my better motos I think I’ve ever had. I’m stoked on a 2-5 for second overall. The team and I seem to be doing pretty well together so we’ll keep chipping away and take it race by race.”
Jeremy Martin’s impressive day moved him into the championship point lead and he now holds a 12-point advantage over Ferrandis. Alex Martin maintains third, 48-points out of the championship lead.
Dylan Ferrandis
“I had a small crash in the first moto and hit my head and shoulder,” said Ferrandis. “I was in pain between the first and second moto and wasn’t sure if I was even going to be able to ride while doing the sighting lap. I’m a little behind in points now, but it’s not the end of the world and I will regroup for our next race on Monday.”
Jett Lawrence’s 4-8 results gave him sixth for the round and the young Australian now moves into the eight place in the championship.
Older brother Hunter went 17-10 for 12th overall and is 17th on the championship points table.
Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship
RedBud I MX – Buchanan, MI
September 4, 2020 – 250 Class Overall Results
| Pos | Rider | Motos | Bike |
| 1 | Jeremy Martin | 1 – 1 | Honda |
| 2 | R.J. Hampshire | 2 – 5 | Husqvarna |
| 3 | Shane McElrath | 8 – 2 | Yamaha |
| 4 | Dylan Ferrandis | 7 – 3 | Yamaha |
| 5 | Alex Martin | 6 – 4 | Suzuki |
| 6 | Jett Lawrence | 4 – 8 | Honda |
| 7 | Cameron McAdoo | 5 – 7 | Kawasaki |
| 8 | Ty Masterpool | 3 – 13 | Yamaha |
| 9 | Justin Cooper | 9 – 6 | Yamaha |
| 10 | Brandon Hartranft | 11 – 9 | KTM |
| 11 | Derek Drake | 12 – 11 | KTM |
| 12 | Hunter Lawrence | 17 – 10 | Honda |
| 13 | Stilez Robertson | 13 – 14 | Husqvarna |
| 14 | Darian Sanayei | 10 – 20 | Kawasaki |
| 15 | Jo Shimoda | 19 – 12 | Honda |
| 16 | Carson Mumford | 15 – 17 | Honda |
| 17 | Mason Gonzales | 18 – 16 | Yamaha |
| 18 | Mitchell Harrison | 14 – 37 | Kawasaki |
| 19 | Jalek Swoll | 21 – 15 | Husqvarna |
| 20 | Pierce Brown | 16 – 36 | KTM |
| 21 | Nick Gaines | 20 – 18 | Yamaha |
| 22 | Hardy Munoz | 23 – 19 | Husqvarna |
| 23 | Jerry Robin | 22 – 21 | Husqvarna |
| 24 | Ryder Floyd | 24 – 22 | Honda |
| 25 | Kevin Moranz | 27 – 23 | KTM |
| 26 | Mathias Jorgensen | 25 – 25 | Kawasaki |
| 27 | Joshua Varize | 26 – 26 | KTM |
| 28 | Colton Eigenmann | 30 – 27 | Suzuki |
| 29 | Gared Steinke | 29 – 28 | Kawasaki |
| 30 | Joseph Tait | 31 – 30 | Yamaha |
| 31 | Gabe Gutierres | 28 – 35 | KTM |
| 32 | Chad Saultz | 32 – 32 | Yamaha |
| 33 | Gage Schehr | 39 – 29 | Husqvarna |
| 34 | Blake Ashley | 38 – 31 | Yamaha |
| 35 | Trevor Schmidt | 36 – 33 | KTM |
| 36 | Conner Burger | 37 – 34 | KTM |
| 37 | Brock Papi | 33 – 40 | KTM |
| 38 | Joey Crown | 40 – 38 | Yamaha |
| 39 | Austin Root | DNS – 24 | Husqvarna |
| 40 | Lance Kobusch | 34 – DNS | KTM |
| 41 | Derek Kelley | 35 – DNS | Husqvarna |
| 42 | Tre Fierro | DNS – 39 | KTM |
250 Class Points Standings
| Pos | Rider | Points |
| 1 | Jeremy Martin | 181 |
| 2 | Dylan Ferrandis | 169 |
| 3 | Alex Martin | 133 |
| 4 | Shane McElrath | 130 |
| 5 | R.J. Hampshire | 128 |
| 6 | Cameron McAdoo | 109 |
| 7 | Justin Cooper | 102 |
| 8 | Jett Lawrence | 94 |
| 9 | Brandon Hartranft | 83 |
| 10 | Derek Drake | 69 |
| 11 | Mitchell Harrison | 68 |
| 12 | Carson Mumford | 62 |
| 13 | Stilez Robertson | 55 |
| 14 | Mason Gonzales | 53 |
| 15 | Jo Shimoda | 47 |
| 16 | Pierce Brown | 36 |
| 17 | Hunter Lawrence | 34 |
| 18 | Nick Gaines | 32 |
| 19 | Ty Masterpool | 28 |
| 20 | Hardy Munoz | 23 |
| 21 | Darian Sanayei | 19 |
| 22 | Lance Kobusch | 18 |
| 23 | Ezra Hastings | 14 |
| 24 | Joey Crown | 12 |
| 25 | Jerry Robin | 11 |
| 26 | Gared Steinke | 11 |
| 27 | Austin Root | 9 |
| 28 | Jalek Swoll | 6 |
| 29 | Zack Williams | 6 |
| 30 | Jordan Bailey | 6 |
| 31 | Joshua Varize | 5 |
| 32 | Dilan Schwartz | 5 |
| 33 | Maxwell Sanford | 4 |
| 34 | Mathias Jorgensen | 3 |
| 35 | Derek Kelley | 3 |
Source: MCNews.com.au