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RIP Ryan Varnes

The entire AMA Pro Racing paddock has been deeply saddened by the tragic loss of American Flat Track competitor Ryan Varnes, with heartfelt condolences going to his family and friends.

Varnes, a Pennsylvania native, was involved in an on-track incident in the Production Twins Main Event at Weedsport Speedway on Saturday evening. On-scene emergency personnel responded to the incident immediately and transported Varnes to Upstate University Hospital in Syracuse, NY where he later succumbed to his injuries. Varnes made the selfless decision to register as an organ donor. His spirit will live on not just in our memories and in the record books, but also by extending the lives of others in dire need.

Gene Crouch – COO of AMA Pro Racing

“The Varnes family has been a staple in the flat track community for decades, and they need our prayers during this difficult time. Ryan was the class of the field, both on track and off track. His bright smile, perpetual optimism and loyal friendship will be dearly missed. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends.”

Mathieu Trésarrieu wins Final of FIM Long Track World Championship

Mathieu Trésarrieu has won the Mühldorf second Final of the FIM Long Track World Championship, with Chris ‘Bomber’ Harris and Romano Hummel completing the podium.

The battle for the 2022 FIM Long Track World Championship had continued at a sunny and very hot Mühldorf on Sunday with the German fans hoping for a local victory. However, it was Frenchman Mathieu Tresarrieu who spoiled their planned celebrations with a display that took him to the top of the standings.

He leads the Intermediate Classification by virtue of his win in the final although Brit Chris Harris has the same number of points.

2022 FIM Long Track World Championship Standings

Tomac & Roczen to join 2022 World SX Championship

Two-time 450 motocross champion Ken Roczen has officially committed to compete in the 2022 FIM-sanctioned World Supercross Championship, slated to begin in early October.

Ken Roczen

“The WSX is a unique opportunity to compete on a truly global scale, and I’m thrilled to be a part of that. I haven’t raced overseas in a very long time so I’m looking forward to bringing supercross to die-hard fans at these international events in 2022, all while competing for an FIM-sanctioned world title. I’m thrilled for what will no doubt be an unbelievable experience and a fantastic springboard for a full assault on my 2023 supercross and motocross championship goals.”

Eli Tomac has also been confirmed as an official wildcard for the UK event, in one of four wildcard slots available, with the rivalry between Tomac and Roczen sure to add to the spectacle.

Eli Tomac

“I’m pumped to be heading to Cardiff to compete in the FIM World Supercross British Grand Prix. It’s a huge opportunity for fans in the UK to witness world championship supercross for the first time, and I’m excited to be part of such a historical moment for the sport. While I’m definitely looking forward to going head to head with Ken, I also know there’s going to be a bunch of fast, talented riders from around the world all lining up for their shot at a world championship. It’s going to be an epic battle for certain.”

On Saturday 8 October, fans will get the chance to experience the world’s best supercross riders battle for world championship glory in the largest and most prestigious competitive action sport event ever held in the UK, with Principality Stadium in Cardiff, Wales hosting the first championship round.

10 teams and 40 of the best riders from across the globe will do battle for over USD$250,000, equal to just over £200,000, in cash and international supremacy. The full rider line-up is still to be announced.

For more information about the FIM World Supercross Championship, see wsxchampionship.com.

Natzke tops Walton One Canadian Triple Crown 250s

23-year-old Kiwi Josiah Natzke raced the Walton One round of the Canadian Triple Crown Series on the weekend and was victorious in the 250 Pro category on his KX250F Kawasaki ahead of Mitch Harrison and Ryder McNabb.

Dylan Wright took out the 450 Pro category ahead of Tyler Medaglia and Cole Thompson.

The series next moves to Gopher Dunes, which is another round staged in Ontario.

MXGP of Finland moves to Vauhtipuisto

The organiser of the upcoming MXGP of Finland, the FIM and FIM Europe, have announced an alternative venue has been selected to host the Finnish Grand Prix on August 13-14.

The event, that was originally set to take place in Iitti-KymiRing, will instead head back to an old favourite venue, Vauhtipuisto in Hyvinkää.

Hyvinkää is a city located around 50 kilometres from the capital Helsinki and has been part of the FIM Motocross World Championship since making its first appearance back in 1965. Some winners at the original venue include the likes of Sylvain Geboers, Harry Everts, Kees Van Der Ven, Dave Strijbos, Antonio Cairoli and Jeffrey Herlings, just to name a few.

The venue itself features the main track, a track for 85cc bikes and a children’s track, as well as an enduro route and a speedway circuit, making it any motorcycling enthusiasts dream land!

Most recently, MXGP visited Hyvinkää in 2014, with Cairoli and Herlings victorious in MXGP and MX2, but since then, in the fall of 2017 the venue has undergone some renovations to bring some variety and interest back to the track.

2022 New York Short Track Report

Progressive American Flat Track superstar Briar Bauman (No. 3 Indian Motorcycle/Progressive Insurance FTR750) delivered a timely performance to win the Mission New York Short Track presented by Mad Max Indian Motorcycle at Weedsport Speedway in Weedsport, New York, on Saturday evening.

The clutch victory was the two-time Mission SuperTwins presented by S&S Cycle champion’s first since the ‘22 season opener and required a masterful effort to pull off. While Bauman stood in the spotlight when all was said and done, he was mired down in fifth early when reigning class king Jared Mees (No. 1 Indian Motorcycle/Progressive Insurance FTR750) slid under an on-form Jarod Vanderkooi (No. 20 Mission Roof Systems Indian FTR750) and threatened to check out.

Mees had worked up a near one-second advantage by the time Bauman had made his way onto Vanderkooi’s rear wheel in third. The race for victory was back on, however, after Mees made a minor mistake and nearly collided with the Airfence.

Vanderkooi pounced less than a minute later; the Mission Roof Systems’ pilot seemed positioned to finally earn his maiden premier-class victory, but Bauman remained on the charge himself.

Bauman took full advantage of traffic to erase a half-second deficit and ran up alongside the leader as the race entered its final minute. He then executed the race’s decisive maneuver with just over three laps as Vanderkooi had no answer.

The triumph thrusts Bauman right back into serious title contention after his prospects had seemed on the wane in recent weeks. He said, “I had a decent start but kind of got shuffled back. I tried a few lines and found a good one and was able to get past a few guys. It just feels good.”

Mees drifted back to a relatively distant third, while JD Beach (No. 95 Estenson Racing Yamaha MT-07 DT) overtook Brandon Robinson (No. 44 Mission Roof Systems Indian FTR750) late to steal away fourth.

Second Estenson Racing Yamaha ace Dallas Daniels (No. 32 Estenson Racing Yamaha MT-07 DT) finished in sixth, followed by Bronson Bauman (No. 37 Latus Motors Racing Harley-Davidson XG750R), Mission Production Twins Challenge runner Jesse Janisch (No. 33 Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson XG750R), Davis Fisher (No. 67 Bob Lanphere’s BMC Racing Indian FTR750), and Sammy Halbert (No. 69 Mission Roof Systems Indian FTR750)

Mees now leads by 16 points over both Bauman and Daniels (156-140-140). Beach is just over a race back in fourth at 127.

SuperTwins Result – New York Short Track

SuperTwins Top 10 Standings

Mission Production Twins presented by Vance & Hines

Defending Mission Production Twins presented by Vance & Hines champion Cory Texter (No. 1 G&G Racing/Yamaha Racing Yamaha MT-07) came from behind to secure his third victory of ‘22, grabbing control of the title fight in the process.

The Main Event was red flagged after Ryan Varnes (No. 68 Schaeffer’s Motorsports/Rausch Fuel & Oil KTM 890 Duke) was involved in an on-track incident. He was transported to the hospital by on-site first responders and additional information will be provided as it becomes available.

When racing resumed following the stoppage, Texter and rival Jesse Janisch (No. 33 Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson XG750R) anticipated a head-to-head showdown for supremacy at the front.

Cameron Smith (No. 34 Thee Cathy Gray/Al Barker Royal Enfield 650) had other plans in his debut ride aboard the Royal Enfield Twins FT while riding in place of the injured Johnny Lewis. While Janisch and Texter got away in first and second, respectively, Smith promptly split them to not only snatch away the lead but rip open some space.

Texter needed pretty much the full remaining distance to finally fight his way back into contention, but he arrived in the shadow of Smith’s Royal Enfield just as they opened the final two laps. He then dove under Smith and into first just as they opened the final circulation.

Smith attempted to press back around the outside of Texter, but the champ held firm at the front.

Texter said, “That was tough… That one means a lot right there. It was a great race. Hats off to Cameron – man, he made me work for it.”

Janisch cruised home in third, while Nick Armstrong (No. 60 Competitive Racing Frames/Lessley Brothers Yamaha MT-07) won out in a five-rider scrap for fourth ahead of Ben Lowe (No. 25 Mission Foods/Roof Systems Harley-Davidson XG750R), Billy Ross (No. 109 Mission Foods/Roof Systems Harley-Davidson XG750R), James Rispoli (No. 43 Wally Brown Racing/Haversack KTM 890 Duke) and Ryan Wells (No. 94 McGrane Racing/Scott Powersports Kawasaki Ninja 650).

After opening the day with a single-point deficit, Texter now leads Janisch by seven points (156-149).

Production Twins Result – New York Short Track

Production Twins Top 10 Standings

Parts Unlimited AFT Singles presented by KICKER

For the third consecutive race weekend, Kody Kopp (No. 12 Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 450 SX-FFE) stormed out at the start of the Parts Unlimited AFT Singles presented by KICKER Main Event and set sail.

Similar to his previous two demonstrations of domination, Kopp quickly assembled a second-plus advantage and then managed it to the checkered flag.

Trevor Brunner (No. 21 Estenson Racing Yamaha YZ450F) emerged from a seven-rider pack contesting second and did manage to cut into Kopp’s lead for a time, dipping it back under a second momentarily. That pressure only motivated Kopp to wick it back up, however, and the KTM prodigy ultimately sprinted away to a 1.692-second margin of victory.

When asked how he stays humble in the face of his accumulating success, Kopp said, “I just show up every week at the track to ride my motorcycle. We’re just having a ball this year. I’ve just got to say a big thanks to my team Red Bull KTM, and to my mom and dad. I was so happy to finally take my mom on a victory lap. That was awesome.”

While Brunner’s runner-up result was his first podium of the season, third place was an even more monumental achievement for Hunter Bauer (No. 24 NKR Canada/KTM/Vance & Hines KTM 450 SX-F), who sliced his way up from the fourth row to claim his first-career Progressive AFT podium.

Despite his race-long forward momentum, Bauer had to play defense late as Trent Lowe (No. 48 Mission Foods/Al Lamb’s Dallas Honda CRF450R) made a last-lap bid to rob him of the position.

Second-ranked Morgen Mischler (No. 13 American Honda/Progressive Insurance CRF450R) finished fifth as Kopp extended his title lead to a mammoth 42 points (180-138).

Behind, the mending Max Whale (No. 18 Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 450 SX-FFE) impressed in his return from injury, fighting his way past Mischler’s teammates, Dalton Gauthier (No. 79 American Honda/Progressive Insurance CRF450R) and Chase Saathoff (No. 106 American Honda/Progressive Insurance CRF450R), to finish in sixth.

Singles Result – New York Short Track

Singles Top Ten Standings

Pro Racing Scouting Moto Combine Debuts for 2022 at RedBud

The 2022 MX Sports Pro Racing Scouting Moto Combine commenced its second year as a program at RedBud over the weekend.

The development initiative to prepare the world’s top amateur talent for their transition into the professional level made its first appearance at RedBud MX, where Yamaha rider Haiden Deegan kicked off the holiday weekend with a dominant performance in his combine debut.

Haiden Deegan is the son of famous motocrosser Brian Deegan, the American professional freestyle motocross rider and founding member of Metal Mulisha, demonstrating that riding talent runs in the family.

Moto 1

The first moto of Friday afternoon began with KTM rider Mark Fineis out front with the holeshot ahead of Deegan and Honda’s Chance Hymas. A strong opening lap by Fineis, which included a clean execution on LaRocco’s Leap, allowed the Indiana native to build a gap on the field. His lead was short lived as both Deegan and Hymas made their way around and dropped Fineis to third.

With the lead in hand, Deegan put some distance between he and Hymas. As he gave chase, Hymas crashed after crossing the finish line. He was able to remount and continue, but dropped outside the top 10. Without the threat from behind, Deegan continued to build on his lead over the course of the moto.

That shifted the attention to the battle for a spot on the moto podium, which saw Fineis and Husqvarna’s Talon Hawkins battle for second until Hawkins went down. That then put Fineis under pressure from the Yamahas of Jayden Clough and Gage Linville, both of whom got around the KTM.

Deegan cruised to the Moto 1 win with a winning margin of 32.5 seconds over Clough, followed by Linville in third. Fineis held on for fourth, while Yamaha rider Julien Beaumer rounded out the top five.

Moto 2

The final moto of the day saw Fineis and Deegan at the head of the pack once again, this time with Deegan leading the way. Fineis went on the attack early and returned to the head of the pack with a pass on Deegan. However, it wasn’t long before the Californian reclaimed the top spot and set sail on the field.

Fineis encountered misfortune and eventually dropped out of contention for the moto podium, which allowed KTM rider Daxton Bennick and GASGAS rider Caden Braswell to assume the position and wage battle for second. Braswell appeared to have the runner-up spot in hand but a late crash put Bennick back into second and allowed Husqvarna rider Casey Cochran to assume third.

Deegan was once again in a class of his own and took another statement win by 31.4 seconds over Bennick, with Cochran in third.

Overall

The convincing effort by Deegan landed him atop the overall classification with perfect 1-1 moto scores and 50 points.

Bennick’s dramatic shift in fortune from one moto to the next resulted in 10-2 finishes that placed him into a tie for second (33 points) with Fineis, with 4-6 results (33 points), with the tiebreaker going to Bennick for the runner-up spot.

Moto Combine Overall Results (Moto Finishes // Points)

1. Haiden Deegan, Temecula, Calif., Yamaha (1-1 // 50)
2. Daxton Bennick, Morganton, N.C., KTM (10-2 // 33)
3. Mark Fineis, Westfield, Indiana, KTM (4-6 // 33)
4. Gage Linville, Cordele, Georgia, Yamaha (3-9 // 32)
5. Casey Cochran, Arlington, Tennessee, Husqvarna (12-3 // 29)
6. Caden Braswell, Little River, South Carolina, GASGAS (8-5 // 29)
7. Preston Boespflug, Battle Ground, Washington, Kawasaki (6-7 // 29)
8. Chance Hymas, Pocatello, Idaho, Honda (8-6 // 28)
9. Patrick Murphy, Clinton, Iowa, Yamaha (7-10 // 25)
10. Jayden Clough, Elko, Minnesota, Yamaha (2-20 // 23)

Riders talk Pro Motocross Round Five 2022 – RedBud

250 Moto One

The opening 250 Class moto saw Team Honda HRC’s Hunter Lawrence take the Motosport.com Holeshot, followed by Shimoda and teammate Jett Lawrence. As the field navigated the opening lap, the top three positions remain unchanged with Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Stilez Robertson and Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki’s Seth Hammaker just behind.

Hunter continued to control the race out front as Shimoda began to feel the pressure from Jett who started searching for a way around. Jett would muscle his way around Shimoda and quickly set his sights on Hunter in an attempt to make a bid for the race lead. Shimoda refused to settle as he latched onto the rear wheel of Jett to make it a three way battle up front.

Lap-after-lap Hunter fended off Jett’s pass attempts before Jett eventually made his pass stick with an aggressive downhill move just prior to the halfway point of the 30-minutes-plus-two-lap moto. As Jett continued to hold a narrow lead over Hunter, disaster struck when his bike began smoking and it eventually came to a stop with just 10-minutes remaining in the moto. Jett’s misfortune allowed Hunter to retake the lead with Shimoda hot on his heels. Robertson would move into third.

Shimoda was determined to find his way to the front, taking the lead from Hunter with less than five-minutes remaining. He would push hard to the checkered flag to take his first career moto win by 21.6 seconds over Hunter. Robertson took his first career podium result in third, followed by Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing team-mate RJ Hampshire in fourth. Hammaker completed the top-five. Jett was scored in 35th after retiring early with a mechanical issue.

250 Moto Two

The second 250 Class moto kicked off with Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki’s Ryder Difrancesco taking the Motosport.com holeshot in his pro debut over Hammaker and Ty Masterpool. A mistake by Difrancesco allowed Hammaker to slip by, however, it was short-lived as he grabbed a handful of throttle and crashed just moments later.

As the field came around to complete the opening lap, it was Masterpool out front, followed by Hunter Lawrence, Difrancesco and Robertson. Jett Lawrence circulated the first lap in eighth, while first moto winner Shimoda found himself near the tail end of the field following a crash.

Hunter would make quick work of Masterpool, who continued to run at an impressive pace, taking the race lead. With damage control on his mind, Jett put his head down and began picking off one rider after another and eventually made his way around Masterpool for second. Jett didn’t stop there as he set after Hunter for the race win.

In a league of their own, Hunter and Jett continued to pull away from the 40-rider field. With 10-minutes left, Jett used an aggressive move as he nearly collided with Hunter to take the race lead. There was no looking back for Jett as he quickly pulled away. The battle for the final podium position began to heat up during the final minutes of the moto with Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Levi Kitchen and Shimoda finding their way around Masterpool. Shimoda’s unbelievable ride through the field saw him get around Kitchen for third with three laps to go.

Jett won in convincing fashion by more than 16.9 seconds over Hunter. After starting the race outside the top-20, Shimoda rode to a hard-fought third. Kitchen held on for fourth, followed by Robertson in fifth.

250 Overall

The second moto efforts by Shimoda awarded him with the overall victory (1-3), marking the first of his young career and the first for a Japanese rider. Hunter Lawrence was second overall (2-2), followed by Stilez Robertson taking his first career podium in third (3-5). Championship point leader Jett ended the day ninth overall (35-1) following his first moto mechanical, surrendering the championship lead to Hunter.

Jo Shimoda – P1

“I didn’t even realize that I was in third at the end so I wasn’t even sure that I won when the race finished,” said Shimoda. “It was a tough second moto coming back from that crash, but I’m glad I kept pushing. This is an amazing feeling and I am thankful to everyone who has believed in me. RedBud is awesome so to get the win here feels really cool.”

Hunter Lawrence – P2

“The first moto I was sitting behind Jett, trying to leave my charge until the end of the moto, and then he kind of pulled off. I was like, ‘Is he letting me pass?’ but then I started feeling something and went into conservation mode. The second moto I struggled with my riding, but congrats to Jo [Shimoda]; he rode awesome today. The red plate doesn’t always come as fast as you want or how you want, but we’ll take it. It was a tough day, but we made the most of it.”

Stilez Robertson – P3

“RedBud was a good day,” Robertson said. “I just wanted to have two good motos today and we did. We got two good starts as well, so I’m super stoked and just want to keep it going. It was a really fun day and can’t wait to get to Southwick and do it again. Just keep trying to do my best and keep trying to ride like I do during the week, and I think we’ll be okay.”

RJ Hampshire – P4

“The riding was really good today, I felt like I was almost back to normal,” Hampshire said. “My starts were not good and in the first moto, I was beat. The second moto, I ended up going down with a group of guys on the first lap and was buried back in 30th or so. I felt much better on the bike this weekend and had pretty good strength, so I think we’re just going to continue to get better now. We kind of got over that hump with injuries and we’re back having fun and still have a fight in us.”

Levi Kitchen – P5

“It was a good day overall. In the first moto, I got buried on the start and got up to ninth. I really didn’t ride great in that first moto, to be honest. Then in the second moto, it was not the greatest of starts again, but I was riding really well. I got up to third from 10th, which was great. I saw Jo (Shimoda) was coming, and he ended up getting me towards the end. I went 9-4 for fifth overall and got back to fifth in the championship. We’ll just keep building. We have another new track next week, and I’m looking forward to it.”

Justin Cooper – P7

“It was definitely a tough day, but I made it way tougher on myself by starting way back. In the first moto, I messed up the start and in the second moto I was up there around the top three and then I came together with another rider on that first lap. I went down, picked my bike up, then lost it the other way, so I started dead last and just did what I could. My speed was good, though, but I’m still really bummed about going down in the second moto. I think I could have maybe got into the lead doing the (LaRocco) Leap, and that would have been cool to at least give it a shot at the front, but that didn’t happen. We’ll go back and try again next weekend.”

Michael Mosiman – P8

“It was a tough day on a number of different levels. Just before the sight lap in Moto 1, I tried a new goo product and I ended up throwing up everything I ate right before the sight lap, so that was not an ideal start. Off the start, I was making some good moves, keeping pace with the leaders – and catching them a little bit – but I made a mistake and went down. I regrouped and then unfortunately had some bike issues in the latter half of the moto. In the second moto, it was basically the same story. Really frustrating day – I’m looking for more, expecting more and disappointed – but I’m looking forward to Southwick.”

Jett Lawrence – P9

“I was feeling good today. I love this track, and we ended up getting the bike handling pretty good for the first moto. I took some bad lines on the first lap and went back to fourth, but in a couple turns I went up to third. I made my way past Jo and Hunter, and then the bike started feeling funny and losing power. That’s part of this sport, and luckily, we had a bit of a points lead, which helps me a little bit. On the second-moto start, it was hard to tuck around since I was so far out wide, but I made my way through and got the race win. It sucks to lose the red plate, but at least I lost it to Hunter.”

Nate Thrasher – P10

“It was a tough day. The track was very brutal for those motos. It’s probably the roughest track we’ve had so far this year. It was tough, but at the same time, it was good, though. I felt like I had my best pace so far this year and better starts. I’m just moving a little bit each weekend. I felt like I had the top-five pace today, but just a little bit of arm pump held me back. We’ll come out swinging for next weekend. I just want to keep building and hopefully, by the end, we can be on the podium. I’ve got some things to work on, and we know what we need to do.”

Seth Hammaker – P11

“We had a decent day going but I made a mistake that cost me a top 10,” said Hammaker. “RedBud is a cool track and I had fun seeing all the fans that come out. Days like this really do push me to come back stronger and I can’t wait to get to sandy Southwick next week.”

Ryder DiFrancesco – P13

“I’m very thankful to Mitch and the team for giving me this opportunity to get some time under the tent,” said DiFrancesco. “The experience is one I don’t want to take for granted and I learned a lot at RedBud. I can’t wait to come back for another round.”

Nick Romano – P15

“My day started off really well. I qualified fourth overall, which I was super stoked with. Then by the time motos came around, I ended up 12th in the first one. I was strong the whole moto but was just the twelfth-fastest. In the second moto, I had a horrible start, and I was kind of mid-pack, then I was stuck there. I think there’s a lot of positives to take away from today, and we’ll keep looking at that and keep building every weekend.”

250 Round Points

250 Championship Points Standings

450 Moto One

As the 450 Class field launched out of the gate it was Tomac who emerged with his first Motosport.com Holeshot of the season over Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Joey Savatgy and Troy Lee Designs/Red Bull/GASGAS Factory Racing’s Justin Barcia. Tomac quickly sprinted to a two second advantage on the opening lap over Savatgy as Barcia engaged in a battle with the Team Honda HRC duo of Ken Roczen and Chase Sexton over third.

Tomac’s early race speed was too much for the competition to match as he steadily pulled away from Savatgy who held a comfortable gap over the rest of the field. The Honda teammates of Roczen and Sexton found their way around Barcia as they continued to fight over a spot on the podium. With just under 10-minutes remaining in the moto, Sexton used an inside line before the famous Larocco’s Leap to take Roczen’s line away and make the pass stick for third.

The push to the front for Sexton continued as he began inching onto the rear wheel of Savatgy for second. He would try the same line he used on Roczen, but Savatgy refused to surrender as he launched back around on Larocco’s Leap. Sexton regrouped and made the pass stick by getting a strong drive through the sand rollers.

Tomac proved to be unstoppable with a wire-to-wire performance that earned him his fourth moto win of the season with 6.3 seconds to spare over Sexton who finished runner-up. Savatgy finished an impressive third, marking his career-best moto result. Roczen followed in fourth, while Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Christian Craig completed the top-five.

450 Moto Two

The final moto of the afternoon saw Barcia charge to the Motosport.com Holeshot ahead of first moto winner Tomac and Roczen. Using incredible opening lap speed, Roczen made his way around Barcia to take the lead, followed by Tomac, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Ryan Dungey, Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Jason Anderson and Sexton.

As Roczen maintained a clear track out front, Tomac took control of second with a move on Barcia who continued to keep Dungey, Anderson and Sexton at bay. Just as Anderson and Sexton made their way around Dungey, a mistake saw Anderson go down, collecting Sexton with him in the process.

Tomac began to hit this stride, slowly working his way closer to Roczen with each passing lap. With just under 15-minutes to go, Tomac saw an opening and struck to take the lead from Roczen. Behind the battle up front, Sexton remounted from his early race incident with Anderson to pass Barcia for third.

It was another dominant effort for Tomac, bringing home his fifth moto win of the season by six seconds over Sexton. A late surge by Barcia landed him on the podium for the first time this season in third. Anderson and Dungey would finish fourth and fifth, respectively.

450 Round

Tomac’s double moto sweep (1-1) carried him to his second victory of the season and the 29th of his career. A pair of consistent moto results (2-2) earned Sexton the runner-up position on the day. Barcia’s strong second moto was enough to give him his first podium of the season (8-3).

Eli Tomac – P1

“It was an outstanding day for us, going 1-1. It was almost a completely perfect day. I had some great starts, and in Moto 1, it was all about the start. I was a little bit buried in that second moto and had a battle with Kenny (Roczen) at the beginning of that race. I was able to make the move to the front somewhere around the halfway point, and that was it. The bike worked awesome in all the conditions today. We just have to keep chipping away at the points.”

Chase Sexton – P2

“I’m really happy with my riding, especially in the sandy conditions. In past years I’ve struggled here and Southwick, but this year I feel like I’ve got some good sand riding in me. The starts weren’t great, and I had a little tip-over in the second moto, but I can’t really be too bummed. At the end of the day, if I get first or second in the motos, it puts me in a good spot. I think Eli [Tomac] and I are going to be battling, so I’m looking forward to it.”

Justin Barcia – P3

“It was quite a wild day but a great day to be on the podium, it’s been a while and much-needed. Qualifying wasn’t ideal but mentally I knew I could go fast and the boys made some great changes to the bike. First moto, I was running really well and had a big crash that bent my bars, so I just managed to bring it in for eighth, which isn’t ideal but I rode really well. Second moto, I got a great holeshot and battled with the boys, ending up P3 for third overall. It was a wild – but awesome – day!”

Jason Anderson – P4

“Minor crashes in each moto cost me valuable time and positions early so, I felt like I was playing catch up all day. My speed was solid, and the bike felt great but, a couple of miscues are all it takes to put the podium out of reach. Overall, I made a lot of passes out there and managed to salvage a fourth overall so, we’ll just keep moving forward with the goal of getting another win here soon.”

Ken Roczen – P5

“I tried to hang in there as long as I could, but I got sick this week and still had a lot of exhaustion in my bones. I had to drop the anchor in the second moto because I was empty. I’ve hardly been on the bike this whole last week, and I was laid up on the couch most of the time, so that combination just wasn’t ideal heading into this weekend. I’m working on getting healthy so I can attack next weekend.”

Joey Savatgy – P6

“It’s been almost four years since the last time I was on the podium and there have been plenty of highs and lows along the way. Finally getting myself back up on the box in the first moto felt amazing. Thank you to the Monster Energy Kawasaki team for this opportunity to be racing and improving each weekend. I was set back a bit overall by the crash in Moto 2 but, we took major steps in the right direction today and look forward to more progress ahead.”

Ryan Dungey – P7

“We felt good today and the motor has been good, too. My starts weren’t that great today so I had to kind of work through the pack a little bit and that didn’t make it easy on me. Overall, we’re good. We’ll try to get a little bit better going into next weekend but I’m happy with the progress overall and where we’re at, looking at the times and how close we are there. We’ll just try to keep building every weekend.”

Christian Craig – P8

“I always love coming here to RedBud. I did pretty well here last year, so I wanted to get back up to that front group after a couple of off weeks at High Point and Colorado, and I was able to do that. I qualified well, and although my starts weren’t the best I was able to come through the pack pretty quick and went 5-6. Unfortunately, that was only good enough for eighth overall somehow, but that’s how it rolls sometimes. It’s all about the points at the end of the day, and I’m close to fifth in the standings – just two points behind Dungey. So, I’ve just got to keep going. I’d say Eli was on another level today, but other than that, we were right there with that top group; we’ve just got to keep building.”

Aaron Plessinger – P9

“In the first moto, I kind of struggled with bike setup a little bit. I got a pretty good start and then kind of pumped up and rode tight, so I went back to ninth. Second moto, I didn’t get the greatest start but I came through to eighth. I felt a lot better – I was flowing, I was wheelie-ing bumps and the bike felt a lot better. We’ll go back and do some homework this week, work on my starts a little bit more and see what Southwick holds for us.”

Shane McElrath – P11

“I felt like today was the first productive race day I’ve had,” McElrath said. “I actually passed some people, and the results don’t really show what we went through today. It was a good step over the last two weeks being back in Florida and we made some pretty big bike changes, which I think is really starting to come around now. It’s definitely progress. We’ve had a lot of work to do, but we’ve done a lot of work. So, I’m excited to keep it going.”

450 Round Points

450 Championship Points Standings

Next Up

The Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship will resume next weekend in Massachusetts with the MB Tractor & Equipment Southwick National for the sixth round of the 50th anniversary season.