2012 AMA Motocross
Spoiler Alert: 2012 AMA Motocross Championship results from Southwick, Mass., listed below
Following a three-week break, the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship resumed Saturday in Southwick, Mass., for the Moto-X 338 National, round nine of 12.
And for the seventh consecutive round, Red Bull KTM’s Ryan Dungey was victorious, although he needed to pit in the second moto due to a crash. Joining Dungey on the overall podium was Motoconcepts Suzuki’s Mike Alessi and Monster Energy/Pro Circuit Kawasaki’s Broc Tickle.
In Moto 1, it was Alessi who grabbed the holeshot, with Dungey trailing in third. But within five laps, Dungey got out front, and immediately opened a gap. Joining Dungey on the podium in the first moto was Alessi and Honda’s Tommy Hahn.
In the second moto, Alessi once again took the holeshot. This time, Dungey wasted no time, though, taking the lead at the end of the first lap. But after opening a multi-second lead, Dungey crashed on the sixth lap, giving the lead to Alessi.
But Dungey would retake the lead two laps later, and began opening up another gap. But due to tipping over, Dungey lost some fuel and was forced to pit for a refill on lap 13. Up front, Monster Energy’s Tyla Rattray passed Alessi for the lead. Dungey rejoined the field, and quickly made it pass Alessi and began chasign Rattray. But Dungey couldn’t catch Rattray, who won the race. Dungey would finish second, with Alessi in third.
With his 1-2 finish, though, Dungey took the overall win, his seventh straight AMA Motocross victory. Dungey now has an 85-point lead over Alessi, and could possible secure the title at the next round at Unadilla next weekend.
Ryan Dungey (Red Bull KTM SX-F 450) says: “I got a little bit of a lead and felt like I was in a groove. Coming to the finish, my rear stepped to the right, hooked the jump, and made me cross rut. I tried to save it, but it took me right down. When I fell, I think I kicked the gas cap off. I got back into the lead, but I kept worrying if I had enough left.
“The TV footage allowed our guys to see what happened, which helped them decide to bring me in, which worked out because I wouldn’t have made another lap. I tried to catch (Tyla Rattray), but he’s a great sand rider. I’m bummed I made a mistake, but given the situation, things couldn’t have worked out better.”
In the 250 Class, Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki’s Blake Baggett raced to his fourth victory of the summer, extending his lead in the championship.
MX Sports says in the 250 Class, GEICO Honda’s Zach Bell turned heads in his professional debut by grabbing the opening moto holeshot and pulling away for an early lead. The 17-year-old rider paced the field for five laps before yielding to his teammate Eli Tomac on Lap 6. Bell crashed moments later, while Tomac never looked back, winning by over 12 seconds.
In Moto 2, Red Bull KTM’s Ken Roczen made quick work of early leader, and Troy Lee Designs/Lucas Oil Honda rider, Jessy Nelson and asserted himself out front. Behind him, Baggett positioned himself into second and began his pursuit of the lead, setting the stage for a moto-long battle between the familiar foes, MX Sports says.
After leading for nearly the entire moto, Roczen came under fire from Baggett on Lap 15, with the Kawasaki rider making a tough pass, only to be passed again by Roczen just a few turns later. Then Tomac, who had fallen earlier in the race, caught the lead duo and made a quick pass on Baggett, only to crash in the next turn and fall back to third. On the following lap, Baggett made another move on Roczen, making the pass stick and carrying it through to the finish, tying Tomac in points for the day, but securing the second-moto tiebreaker (3-1), MX Sports says.
Blake Baggett (Monster Energy Kawasaki KX250F Motocross) says: “I got a good start in the second moto and rode the best I could. I made a mistake early, but I dug as deep as I could and made it happen. Ken and I went after each other, but we kept it clean. I really enjoyed racing with him.”
Tomac finished second (1-3), while Roczen rounded out the podium in third (4-2).
Baggett’s lead in the championship now sits at 24 points over GEICO Honda’s Justin Barcia, of Monroe, N.Y.
The Women’s Motocross Championship hosted its penultimate round on Saturday. Reigning champion Ashley Fiolek, of St. Augustine, Fla., captured her third consecutive victory (1-1) aboard her Team Honda Muscle Milk machine, setting the stage for a dramatic final round battle for the championship. Rockstar Energy Racing Suzuki’s Jessica Patterson, of Tallahassee, Fla., finished second (2-2), while Munn Racing KTM’s Sara Pettersson, of Sweden, finished third (4-4), MX Sports.
Currently, only 10 points separate the top three riders in the standings, with Patterson holding a five-point lead over Fiolek. Troy Lee Designs/Lucas Oil Honda’s Tarah Gieger, of Puerto Rico, sits an additional five points behind in third.
The 2012 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship travels to New Berlin, N.Y., next weekend for the Red Bull Unadilla National.
2012 AMA Motcross Moto-X 338 450 Class (Moto Finish):
- Ryan Dungey, Belle Plaine, Minn., KTM (1-2)
- Mike Alessi, Victorville, Calif., Suzuki (2-3)
- Broc Tickle, Holly, Mich., Kawasaki (6-4)
- Davi Millsaps, Cairo, Ga., Yamaha (7-6)
- Tyla Rattray, Durban, South Africa, Kawasaki (20-1)
- Mike Brown, Johnson City, Tenn., KTM (9-7)
- Josh Grant, Riverside, Calif., Kawasaki (8-8)
- Andrew Short, Smithville, Texas, Honda (5-11)
- Kyle Chisholm, Valrico, Fla., Kawasaki (11-9)
- Tommy Hahn, Great Bend, Kan., Honda (3-35)
2012 AMA Motocross 450 Class Championship Standings:
- Ryan Dungey, Belle Plaine, Minn., KTM, 430
- Mike Alessi, Victorville, Calif., Suzuki, 345
- Jake Weimer, Rupert, Idaho, Kawasaki, 290
- Andrew Short, Smithville, Texas, Honda, 273
- Broc Tickle, Holly, Mich., Kawasaki, 253
- Josh Grant, Riverside, Calif., Kawasaki, 195
- Justin Brayton, Ft. Dodge, Iowa, Honda, 185
- Kyle Chisholm, Valrico, Fla., Kawasaki, 159
- James Stewart, Haines City, Fla., Suzuki, 151
- Brett Metcalfe, Mannum, Australia, Suzuki, 142
2012 AMA Motocross Moto-X 338 250 Class (Moto Finish):
- Blake Baggett, Grand Terrace, Calif., Kawasaki (3-1)
- Eli Tomac, Cortez, Colo., Honda (1-3)
- Ken Roczen, Apolda, Germany, KTM (4-2)
- Marvin Musquin, La Reole, France, KTM (2-5)
- Justin Barcia, Monroe, N.Y., Honda (7-4)
- Malcolm Stewart, Haines City, Fla., KTM (6-7)
- Alex Martin, Millville, Minn., Honda (8-6)
- Jessy Nelson, Paso Robles, Calif., Honda (5-11)
- Travis Baker, Temecula, Calif., Honda (10-10)
- Ryan Sipes, Vine Grove, Ky., Yamaha (12-12)
2012 AMA Motocross 250 Class Championship Standings:
- Blake Baggett, Grand Terrace, Calif., Kawasaki, 400
- Justin Barcia, Monroe, N.Y., Honda, 376
- Eli Tomac, Cortez, Colo., Honda, 368
- Ken Roczen, Apolda, Germany, KTM, 345
- Marvin Musquin, La Reole, France, KTM, 294
- Wil Hahn, Decatur, Texas, Honda, 230
- Blake Wharton, Pilot Point, Texas, Suzuki, 197
- Jason Anderson, Edgewood, N.M, Suzuki, 181
- Jessy Nelson, Paso Robles, Calif., Honda, 170
- Travis Baker, Temecula, Calif., Honda, 156
2012 AMA Motocross Moto-X 338 WMX Class (Moto Finish):
- Ashley Fiolek, St. Augustine, Fla., Honda (1-1)
- Jessica Patterson, Tallahassee, Fla., Suzuki (2-2)
- Sara Pettersson, Sweden, KTM (4-4)
- Tarah Gieger, Aguadilla, Puerto Rico., Honda (3-5)
- Mariana Balbi, Belo Horizonte, Brazil, Honda (7-3)
- Sade Allender, Sanford, Maine, Honda (6-6)
- Jacqueline Strong, Sedona, Ariz., KTM (5-7)
- Sarah Whitmore, Cheboygan, Mich., KTM (8-8)
- Christina Older, Harner, S.C., KTM (10-9)
- Alexah Pearson, Sacramento, Calif., KTM (9-11)
2012 AMA Motocross WMX Class Standings:
- Jessica Patterson, Tallahassee, Fla., Suzuki, 280
- Ashley Fiolek, St. Augustine, Fla., Honda, 275
- Tarah Gieger, Aguadilla, Puerto Rico., Honda, 270
- Mariana Balbi, Belo Horizonte, Brazil, Honda, 227
- Sara Pettersson, Sweden, KTM, 209
- Jacqueline Strong, Sedona, Ariz., KTM, 206
- Kasie Creson, Vallejo, Calif., Honda, 174
- Alexah Pearson, Sacramento, Calif., KTM, 149
- Sade Allender, Sanford, Maine, Honda, 148
- Sayaka Kaneshiro, Osaka, Japan, Honda, 137
