Tomac Triumphs at Ironman

Images by Jeff Kardas

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The motorsports mecca of the greater Indianapolis area welcomed the third round of the 2020 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing, from Crawfordsville’s Ironman Raceway. The Guaranteed Rate Ironman National featured partly cloudy skies and moderate temperatures, resulting in the most competitive afternoon of the championship thus far.

After a thrilling battle in the 450 Class reigning three-time champion Eli Tomac rebounded from the worst outing of his career one week ago to take his first overall victory of the season for Monster Energy Kawasaki.

In the 250 Class, GEICO Honda’s Jeremy Martin made it back-to-back wins to tighten up the early season title fight.

Up next the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship will celebrate Labor Day weekend with its first-ever doubleheader from Michigan’s legendary RedBud MX, which will host the fourth and fifth rounds of the 2020 season. The Circle K RedBud I National will begin the holiday festivities on Friday, September 4. The second half of the doubleheader will take place on Labor Day, Monday, September 7, for the Circle K RedBud II National.

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450

The opening 450 Class moto saw a pair of familiar rivals out front early as Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Marvin Musquin secured the MotoSport.com Holeshot just ahead of Tomac’s Kawasaki, with point leader Zach Osborne in third aboard his Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing machine.

The top three asserted themselves at the front of the pack, while the rookies of Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Adam Cianciarulo and Team Honda HRC’s Chase Sexton gave pursuit to build a close fight amongst the top five. This group continued to trade momentum through the middle portion of the moto and at one point were collectively separated by just a handful of seconds. As the race wore on, the running order began to spread out, with Musquin and Tomac pulling away. Behind them, Osborne made a costly misjudgement trying to pass a lapped rider, resulting in contact that forced the point leader off his bike. That allowed both Cianciarulo and Sexton to get by, while Osborne continued in fifth. He then almost crashed again a short time later, which caused him to lose fifth to Rocky Mountain ATV/MC-KTM-WPS rider Blake Baggett.

Musquin withstood one final push from Tomac to capture his first moto win since suffering a knee injury at this same track one year ago, taking the checkered flag by 2.2 seconds over the champ. Cianciarulo finished in third, just ahead of Sexton, while Baggett rounded out the top five. Osborne lost another position late to finish a season-worst seventh.

When the gate dropped on the second and deciding moto it was Osborne who prevailed to take the MotoSport.com Holeshot ahead of Cianciarulo, while Tomac and Musquin gave chase right behind them. Musquin and Tomac battled for third briefly, but Tomac got the upper hand to secure the position. With a clear track Osborne looked to pull away, but Cianciarulo responded to the torrid pace of the opening laps.

With Tomac closing in from third Cianciarulo put the pressure on Osborne for the lead and successfully made the pass stick, leaving Osborne to fight with the reigning champion. Meanwhile, Musquin lost additional ground after getting passed by Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing’s Justin Barcia for fourth.

The top four maintained their positions throughout the middle of the moto, but with 10 minutes remaining this group had closed in on one another and were separated by just a couple seconds. As they encountered lapped traffic Osborne was slowed, which allowed both Tomac and Barcia to get around and drop the point leader off the podium. The lead trio still sat within less than two seconds of one another and Tomac went on the attack, successfully taking the lead away from his teammate. Barcia followed through into second, and then Osborne dropped Cianciarulo off the podium by moving up to third.

The closing stages of the moto turned into a compelling head-to-head battle between Tomac and Barcia, and while Barcia appeared to be faster in some areas of the track, Tomac excelled in different areas as well to keep the Yamaha at bay. In the end, Tomac charged to the finish line to take his first moto win of the season by 1.1 seconds over Barcia, while Osborne finished in a distant third.

By virtue of his 2-1 moto results Tomac was able to secure his 45th-career victory just one week after finishing a career-worst 16th overall. The win puts him in sole possession of fourth on the all-time wins list. Musquin finished in second (1-6), while Cianciarulo rounded out the overall podium in third (3-4). Osborne’s strong second moto helped him finish fifth overall (7-3).

“I just had a better feel . The track came to us all day. We had good starts in both motos and that pace was insane there in Moto 2,” explained Tomac. “I had pressure from Barcia for a while there and we were really pushing it at the end. He kept me honest, but I was able to keep it going and get us a win. We’ve got some good tracks for us coming up and hopefully we can keep putting work in to make up some ground in the championship.”

Osborne’s strong finish to the afternoon helped minimize the ground he lost in the championship standings. He now holds a 13-point lead over Musquin, while Barcia sits 26 points behind in third. Tomac vaulted from seventh to fourth, and now faces a 27-point deficit behind Osborne.

“The first moto was just really bad for me. I made some mistakes and it was just a mess, really,” said Osborne. “It was a disappointment, but we bounced back in the second moto. I didn’t have the pace to run up front with those guys, but still put in on the box and still have the red plate . We’ll look forward to RedBud.”

Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship
Ironman Raceway – Crawfordsville, Indiana
August 29, 2020 – 450 Class Overall Results

450 Class Points Standings

250

The first 250 Class moto saw point leader Dylan Ferrandis grab the MotoSport.com Holeshot aboard his Monster Energy/Star/Yamaha Racing machine, just edging out Martin. With the clear track Ferrandis was able to sprint out to an early lead over his Honda counterpart, while the field jockeyed for position behind them. Ferrandis quickly built a multi-second advantage over Martin, who soon was forced to contend with Troy Lee Designs/Red Bull/KTM’s Brandon Hartranft from third. Martin responded and soon asserted himself into the runner-up spot, while Hartranft solidified his hold of third.

Out front Ferrandis continued to add to his advantage and eventually opened up a margin of more than 20 seconds on the rest of the field. He went wire-to-wire to earn his third moto win of the season in dominant fashion, crossing the finish line 26 seconds over Martin, followed by Hartranft in third. GEICO Honda’s Jett Lawrence finished in fourth, while Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s RJ Hampshire completed the top five.

As the field emerged from the first turn to start Moto 2 it was Martin who surged to the head of the pack to secure the MotoSport.com Holeshot ahead of Monster Energy/Star/Yamaha Racing’s Justin Cooper. Behind them Ferrandis was on the ground after an incident with his Star Yamaha teammate Shane McElrath, with the Frenchman finally returning to action in dead last.

With Ferrandis forced to battle his way through the field of 40 riders the window of opportunity opened for Martin to take advantage. The Honda rider was able to put some space between he and Cooper early on and continued to build that lead into a multi-second advantage, with Hartranft once again asserting himself in third. As Martin continued to lead the way out front, Ferrandis was making an impressive climb up the running order. He needed just one lap to break into the top 20, and continued to charge his way into the top 10 before the halfway point of the moto. The Frenchman’s determined comeback didn’t end there. He continually picked off riders, one-by-one, and eventually fought his way back into podium position.

Martin went unchallenged en route to his second moto win of the season, taking the checkered flag 5.7 seconds over Cooper, while Ferrandis made the most of a moto that started with him in the worst possible position by finishing third.

Martin’s Moto 2 triumph gave him 2-1 finishes for the afternoon, which was enough to put him atop the overall standings for the second week in a row, and the 16th time in his career. Ferrandis’ impressive performance helped him secure the runner-up spot (1-3), while Hartranft earned the first overall podium finish of his career in third (3-4).

“Last week was a special moment , but I didn’t win a moto. It made it more special to get a good start and ride my own race to get a moto win,” said Martin. “Dylan was on it today, but I knew I needed to get a good start and that would put me in a position to win. I know Dylan didn’t get the start he wanted , but my GEICO Honda was working really well in these conditions and I’m just happy to be back on top of the podium. It’s going to be a fun battle .”

By virtue of his damage control in the final moto Ferrandis maintained his hold of the point lead, losing just two points to Martin. The top two are now separated by four points.

“I just ride as fast as I can and pass the most riders I can. I have nothing to lose,” said Ferrandis. “I wish there was more laps, but it is what it is. It’s a disappointment to lose out on the second moto, but this is racing and sometimes things like that happen. We’ll just keep fighting and try again next week.”

Jett Lawrence took fifth overall for the round after carding 4-5 results while older brother Hunter was unhappy with his efforts after taking 16th overall on the back of a 15-14 scorecard.

The Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship will celebrate Labor Day weekend with its first-ever doubleheader from Michigan’s legendary RedBud MX, which will host the fourth and fifth rounds of the 2020 season. The Circle K RedBud I National will begin the holiday festivities on Friday, September 4. The second half of the doubleheader will take place on Labor Day, Monday, September 7, for the Circle K RedBud II National.

Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship
Ironman Raceway – Crawfordsville, Indiana
August 29, 2020 – 250 Class Overall Results

250 Class Points Standings

Source: MCNews.com.au

Round Two – Loretta Lynn’s Ranch

Rainy conditions defined the second of back-to-back visits to Loretta Lynn’s Ranch to open the 2020 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing, resulting in a wild afternoon of racing at the MotoSport.com Loretta Lynn’s 2 National. Riders were presented with incredibly challenging track conditions, and as a result the action from the second round of the season was unpredictable across both classes. In the end it was Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Zach Osborne who prevailed with his second straight 450 Class victory, while GEICO Honda’s Jeremy Martin made his long awaited return to the top step of the podium in the 250 Class.

Video Highlights

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450 Report

The 450 Class was greeted with a muddy track and sunny skies for its first moto. As the field stormed out the start gate it was Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing’s Justin Barcia who captured the MotoSport.com Holeshot and sprinted out to a comfortable lead early on. Behind him, JGRMX/Yoshimura/Suzuki’s Fredrik Noren settled into second, with Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing’s Broc Tickle in third.

Barcia, one of the most savvy riders in the mud, continued to pull away from the field, soon establishing an insurmountable margin of more than 20 seconds within a matter of a few laps. Behind him the battle for position jockeyed between several riders. Noren crashed and lost several positions, leaving Tickle to battle Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Eli Tomac and the Team Honda HRC duo of Chase Sexton and Christian Craig. A determined Tomac was able to sustain his forward progress and eventually made the pass on Tickle for second. Several laps later Tickle lost his hold of third to Craig.

As Barcia continued to ride in a class of his own out front, things behind them got interesting in the closing moments of the moto. Craig encountered misfortune and dropped out of podium contention, which appeared to all but ensure a runner-up finish for Tomac. However, the reigning series champion’s bike lost pace in the closing laps and caused him to lose several positions before eventually coming to a stop on the final lap. Barcia took the win by 48 seconds over his teammate Tickle, who brought home a second-place finish, while Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Adam Cianciarulo made a late charge to finish third. Noren followed in fourth, while Osborne rounded out the top five. Tomac ended up with a ninth-place finish.

The best track and weather conditions of the day highlighted the final 450 Class moto. When the gate dropped it was the Twisted Tea/H.E.P. Motorsports Suzuki of Max Anstie who charged to the MotoSport.com Holeshot ahead of Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Marvin Musquin. The Frenchman was able to get by the Brit for the lead, but Anstie responded to reclaim the top spot. Behind them, Tomac made contact with his teammate, Cianciarulo, and went down in the first turn, which forced him to start at the rear of the field. In his search for the overall win, Barcia began the moto in sixth, but later crashed and dropped deep in the running order.

The lead duo was able to build a gap over the rest of the field, with Anstie enjoying a multi-second advantage on Musquin. Cianciarulo gave chase from third, and positioned himself with an opportunity to claim the overall in doing so. As the race wore on, the intrigue of the moto ramped up as Osborne started to make a move to the front. The point leader was able to close in on Cianciarulo for third and make an aggressive pass for the position. From there, Osborne continued his charge and tracked down Musquin for second. After making the pass on the KTM rider, Osborne had Anstie within sight and dropped the hammer in pursuit of the lead. Anstie responded initially, but when a lapped rider crashed in front of him and briefly halted his momentum it opened the door for Osborne to get by and seize control of the moto.

As things changed dramatically at the front of the field, the same could be said for both Barcia and Tomac as well. Both riders encountered misfortune and were ultimately unable to finish the moto, ending their days on a sour note.

Despite some occasional smoke coming from the exhaust pipe of his Husqvarna, Osborne never wavered and was able to hold off a charge from Musquin on the final lap to take the moto win by 2.2 seconds to cap off one of the wildest days of his career. Anstie capitalized on his stellar start to bring home a first career moto podium in third.

Osborne’s win moved him to the top of the overall classification (5-1) for his second straight victory. Cianciarulo earned his first career 450 Class podium finish in second (3-5), while Musquin’s late push helped him round out the overall podium in third (8-2). After winning the first moto Barcia finished seventh overall (1-32), while Tomac carded the worst finish of his career in 16th (9-24).

“Man, what a day. To be the points leader and miss a practice like we did earlier in the day, it’s just crazy,” said Osborne, who needed to join the slower qualifying group after his bike failed to start in his scheduled session. “I couldn’t have done this without my team today. I know it’s cliche, but they did everything they could to keep me and my teammates out there with a shot to make things happen. I wasn’t necessarily looking to win, but stacking points was on my radar today. I had to fight hard and battle back to finish fifth in that first moto, and then we were able to come away with a win in moto two. I’m so grateful to be up here.”

Osborne extended his lead atop the 450 Class standings to 19 points over Musquin, who moved into second. Barcia now sits third, 29 points out of the lead, while Tomac dropped to seventh and sits 40 points behind Osborne.

Marvin Musquin – 8-2

“I’m pumped to be back on the podium for the second race, it’s been a while. The conditions were tough, so it was my goal to be up front battling and I was able to do that in the second moto. I would have liked to be more consistent in both motos but that’s racing, everybody was having issues and crashing. Also, you have to save the bike and my bike was running well today, I had no issues.”

450 Round Two Results

450 Championship Points

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250

A storm cell brought a surge of rain to the track just prior to the start of the first 250 Class moto, so riders took off at the drop of the gate unsure of what conditions they’d be facing. As the field rounded through the first two corners it was Monster Energy/Star/Yamaha Racing’s Shane McElrath who emerged with the MotoSport.com Holeshot just ahead of JGRMX/Yoshimura/Suzuki’s Alex Martin. The Suzuki rider was able to make the pass for the lead, but he hit a soft spot on the track shortly thereafter and went down. That allowed McElrath to reassume the lead, with Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s RJ Hampshire in second and Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki’s Cameron McAdoo in third.

After a near crash McElrath stalled his Yamaha while leading, which allowed McAdoo to take over the top spot with Hampshire in tow. Jeremy Martin then moved up to third, while Monster Energy/Star/Yamaha Racing’s Dylan Ferrandis, the class point leader, slotted into fourth. Out front, Hampshire was able to take advantage of a wide line by McAdoo to move into the lead. Behind them, Ferrandis and Martin battled for third, with Ferrandis taking the spot.

The Frenchman continued his charge forward and was able to track down McAdoo to make the pass for second. He then set his sights on Hampshire for the lead, with the Husqvarna rider hindered after being forced to remove his goggles. As the race wore on, the track became more challenging and it ultimately forced Ferrandis to tip over. Soon after, the point leader got rid of his goggles and came into the pits for a new pair. With the clean goggles Ferrandis was able to put on a charge to catch Hampshire, and got within a few bike lengths of the lead with just two laps to go. However, Hampshire dug deep and withstood the challenge to take his first moto win of the season over Ferrandis by nearly 10 seconds. Martin followed in third, with McAdoo fourth and GEICO Honda rookie Carson Mumford in fifth.

Light rainfall greeted the 250 Class field for Moto 2 as well and when the gate dropped it was once again McElrath and Alex Martin racing to the MotoSport.com Holeshot, with McElrath sweeping the day’s accolades. Unfortunately for McElrath, his time out front was short lived as he bobbled in a corner and handed the lead to Martin, with his brother Jeremy following in second as McElrath dropped to third.

With such difficult track conditions the field quickly spread out, which allowed Alex Martin to establish a comfortable lead over his brother. From there the attention shifted towards the battle for the overall classification, as Ferrandis was mired outside the top 10 and Hampshire outside the top 20 to begin the moto. While the Martin brothers strengthened their hold of the top two positions on the track, McAdoo made the move around McElrath for third. Further back, both Ferrandis and Hampshire were putting on a charge through the running order, with both riders eventually finding their way into the top 10 after the halfway point of the moto.

While Alex Martin appeared to have the moto fully in hand, smoke and steam began to come out of Jeremy’s Honda, which forced the former champion into conservation mode. The same could be said for Ferrandis and Hampshire, who each experienced similar issues with their own motorcycles. Ferrandis was able to battle all the way up to fourth in the waning laps, while Hampshire got up to seventh before his bike stopped running.

Alex Martin stayed out of trouble and carried on to capture his first moto win for Joe Gibbs Racing by more than a minute, while Jeremy made it a Martin Brothers 1-2 in second. McElrath edged out Ferrandis for third.

The late drama weighed heavily on the battle for the overall win, with Jeremy Martin’s runner-up finish enough to put him atop the overall classification (3-2), a mere two points ahead of Ferrandis (2-4). Alex Martin’s moto win vaulted him to third overall (7-1), while opening moto winner Hampshire ended up sixth overall (1-18).

“Honestly, the track was gnarly. It rained again on the start line and I thought, ‘Oh boy here we go.’ Fortunately, it held off and I got a good start,” said Jeremy Martin, who captured his first win since the 2018 season when he suffered a major back injury that sidelined him for the entirety of the 2019 racing season. “The track was in good shape and we were able to make passes around people, which helped. That was a nail biter . My GEICO Honda was smoking, but thankfully the engine is bulletproof. I did all I could to save it and I’m just so relieved it made it . I didn’t expect to get my first win so soon, but we’re definitely going to celebrate.”

Ferrandis’ podium effort helped him retain his hold of the point lead, where he currently has a six-point advantage over Martin. Alex Martin moved into third, 19 points out of the lead.

After both qualifying in the top ten the Lawrence brothers ended up having a weekend to forget. Problems saw Hunter Lawrence finish in 40th two laps down in the opening moto and did not start the second bout. Younger brother Jett fared a little better but had his own dramas in the muddy conditions, carding 30-31 finishes. That means of course that neither added to their championship points tally.

250 Round Two Results

250 Championship Points

Source: MCNews.com.au