Baggett avoids Supercross Lites Crash

Rockstar SX Report

Saturday night’s AMA Supercross at the new Cowboys Stadium proved to be some of the most exciting racing action so far this season. The track at the new stadium was one of the most technical yet, with some very difficult obstacles, and dirt that was sandy on top and hard-packed underneath.

The SX Lites class championship got turned on its head when a first-turn pile up in the main event held up three quarters of the field, with only six riders managing to avoid the crash. Both Rockstar Energy Suzuki riders Jake Moss and Blake Baggett made it through the carnage on their Suzuki RM-Z250s, and took full advantage of the opportunity it afforded them.

Blake, who started the main race with the last gate pick after being sent to the LCQ, came through in second place, and despite the aggressive pressure from behind managed to successfully defend his lines while putting himself in position to mount a charge for the lead.

Blake’s big break came when lap traffic came into play on the second to last lap of the main. Both Blake and the first place rider came into the corner behind the lapper, and when he began to pull off to allow the racers by, he slowed up the first-place rider enough to give Blake the opportunity to pass for the lead.

Blake’s patience paid off, and he seized the lead with a hard drive through the whoops. With just a lap to go, Blake widened the gap as much as he could and crossed the finish line first to take his first professional Supercross victory.

Blake Baggett Quote

"I want to thank Rockstar, Suzuki, my mom and my dad, Nathan Ramsey, my mechanic Steve, and Bill Keefe," said Blake.

Blake’s teammate, Jake Moss, was running right near the front of the pack as well, coming out of the first turn in fifth, and making it all the way to third before a collision with another rider left him clutching his left hand in pain.

Jake Moss Quote

"I couldn’t get my hand out of my clutch, and it smashed into the ground," said Moss. "I was in a lot of pain." Just a year ago, Jake injured the same arm in a crash he suffered while racing in his native Australia. The collision sent him to the Asterisk Mobile Medical Unit, where it was determined that Jake had dislocated one of his fingers. Jake visited his own doctor today to get the damage checked out, and he is planning on racing at the upcoming race in Jacksonville.

With all of the chaos and excitement in the Lites class, the Supercross main went comparatively smoothly. Tommy Hahn had some trouble starting on the slippery dirt, ending up in the middle of the pack after the first turn.

The start wasn’t the only part that gave Tommy trouble; he also cited a series of tabletops that were giving many of the riders difficulty as being one of the toughest spots on the track for him.

Tommy Hahn Quote

"I struggled with it, and started riding tight because I was struggling," said Tommy. "I was dealing with some arm pump, too, because I just wasn’t breathing." Tommy finished in 10th place, keeping him inside the top ten in the points standings.

Bill Keefe Quote

"This was a really strong ride by Blake mentally," said Team Manager Bill Keefe. "For him to be able to throw down the lap times that he did, for fifteen laps straight, showed a lot of maturity and strength both physically and mentally." 

"It was a good night for us overall, and a good night for Suzuki, that’s for sure," said Bill Keefe. "Suzuki won both classes, and I’m glad we could be a part of that."

With Blake’s success on their minds, the team is set to head to Supercross Jacksonville for the Round 12 of the SX championship on March 27th.


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