Spoiler Alert: 2013 AMA Pro Motocross results from Lake Elsinore, Calif., listed below
The 2013 AMA Pro Motocross Championship wrapped up its 12th and final round Saturday with the Red Bull Lake Elsinore National in Lake Elsinore, Calif.
And with temps over 100 degrees, the two riders that were crowned champions of their series last week at Miller were victorious – Monster Energy Kawasaki's Ryan Villopoto in the 450 class, and GEICO Honda's Eli Tomac in the 250 class.
Villopoto swept the round, finishing ahead of the man who had never lost at Lake Elsinore for the past three seasons – Red Bull KTM's Ryan Dungey. Taking third overall was Muscle Milk Honda's Justin Barcia, who finished 5-3.
This was Villopoto's eight overall victory of the season, and his 18th moto win.
Taking his fourth Motorcycle Superstore Holeshot of 2013 AMA MX, Toyota JGR Yamaha's Josh Grant was able to hold off a charging Barcia and Villopoto for the early lead.
But by the fifth lap, Villopoto took the lead, and wasn't challenged again. Dungey started outside the top five, but worked his way through the field to eventually get into third. And with two laps remaining, Villopoto took second from Grant, and finished almost 30 seconds behind Villopoto.
In the second Moto, Barcia's teammate Jusin Brayton took the Motorcycle Superstore Holeshot, but Villopoto quickly gained the lead. Following closely behind was Dungey with Barcia in tow.
As these three battled alone up front, eventually finishing in the same positions, Monster Energy Kawasaki's Jake Weimer and Canadian Motocross Champion Brett Metcalfe engaged in a race-long fight. But Weimer was able to break away from Metcalfe to take fourth.
Villopoto's eighth overall victory of 2013 puts the two-time 450 Class Champion in a three-way tie for 10th place for all-time race wins with a total of 12 career wins in the premier class.
Ryan Villopoto (Monster Energy Kawasaki's KX-F 450) says: "With the great team that I have behind me, we were really able to turn the ship and go in the right direction with tuning the bike this season."
Ahead of the 2014 AMA Supercross Championship, Villopoto will undergo surgery on his ankle: "We'll be back on the bike before you know it and we'll be focused on the prep for supercross. We'll go to the Monster Energy Cup to see where we're at and what we need to work on and after that A1 [the first round] will be right around the corner."
As for Dungey, this was the first time he lost at Lake Elsinore in the 450 class.
Ryan Dungey (Red Bull KTM SX-F 450 Motocross) says: "I would have liked it to be a little better but 2-2 was a good day. I was happier with the second moto even though the track was really rough, really choppy and tough. I'm just happy to be ending the season healthy."
Yoshimura Suzuki's James Stewart decided to sit out the final round of 2013 AMA Motocross, though he still had enough holeshots to capture the $25,000 Motorcycle-Superstore Holeshot Award.
In the 250 class, Newly crowned champion Eli Tomac captured his seventh overall victory of the season with a moto score of 2-1.
Heading into the final round, GEICO Honda's Eli Tomac had an eight-race winning streak through the last four rounds but Red Bull KTM's Ken Roczen brought his streak to an end as the German claimed the Moto 1 win in the 250 Class, MX Sports says.
It was GEICO Honda's Zach Osborne who grabbed the Motorcycle Superstore Holeshot in Moto 1 and an onslaught of competition followed close behind. Roczen immediately grabbed the lead, with MYPLASH/Metal Mulisha/Star Racing Yamaha's Jeremy Martin, Tomac and teammate Marvin Musquin close in tow. Musquin made a mistake and dropped back early on, but Martin and Tomac kept pushing in an attempt to catch the leader, MX Sports says.
However, Roczen didn't break as he secured the Moto 1 win ahead of Tomac and the rookie duo of Jeremy Martin and Cooper Webb, who finished third and fourth respectively in the first moto, MX Sports says.
Ken Roczen (Red Bull KTM SX-F 250) says: "I felt really good after the first moto. It's a whole different feeling when you get the start and you're up there. Overall I'm just glad that I'm healthy at the end of the season. I'm going to be on 450 next year so it's going to be really different and I'm going to change some things to get better."
In Moto 2, Osborne grabbed the Motorcycle Superstore Holeshot once again but Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki's Blake Baggett claimed the early lead. Tomac put himself into the second place position early on but Baggett maintained a comfortable lead throughout the moto, MX Sports says.
MYPLASH/Metal Mulisha/Star Racing Yamaha's Cooper Webb had a breakthrough ride in Moto 2, capturing a career-best third-place finish. However, the position didn't come easy to the 250 Class rookie as he battled with Osborne for a majority of the race. In the end, Webb was able to hold his position, with Osborne and Jeremy Martin close behind, MX Sports says.
Cooper Webb (MYPLASH/Metal Mulisha/Star Racing Yamaha YZ250F) says: "It was definitely gnarly today, the heat didn't seem to bother me too much, I was just trying to put consistent laps on a pretty brutal track.
"I've kind of struggled with the mental side this year and felt like the past two weeks I recharged my batteries and went in with a different outlook. I'm satisfied with the last race for sure and I couldn't have ended it a better way."
Despite a valiant charge by Tomac at the end of Moto 2, Baggett held strong to cross the finish line in the first place position. However, Tomac was awarded the first place finish in Moto 2 as a result of a penalty given to Baggett. Tomac claimed the final overall victory of the season with a 2-1 moto score.
Eli Tomac (GEICO Honda CRF250F Motocross) says: "It was one of those days where it wasn't my track and it wasn't my day. I feel like it just wasn't there for me today and there was no use in going out there and doing something stupid. It was overall a really good year. I wasn't really expecting to win eight motos in a row like I did. It went really, really well."
Roczen experienced a crash that knocked him back a few positions in Moto 2, finishing second overall for the day with a 1-7 moto score. Webb put in a career best overall performance, finishing third overall with a 4-3 moto score in his rookie season of 250 Class competition.
2013 Lake Elsinore AMA Motocross 450 Class (Moto Finish):
- Ryan Villopoto, Poulsbo, Wash., Kawasaki (1-1)
- Ryan Dungey, Belle Plaine, Minn., KTM (2-2)
- Justin Barcia, Monroe, N.Y., Honda (5-3)
- Jake Weimer, Twin Falls, Idaho, Kawasaki (8-4)
- Tyla Rattray, South Africa, Kawasaki (7-6)
- Trey Canard, Shawnee, Okla., Honda (4-10)
- Mike Alessi, Hilliard, Fla., Suzuki (12-5)
- Brett Metcalfe, Australia, Kawasaki (10-8)
- Andrew Short, Colorado Springs, Colo., KTM (6-12)
- Broc Tickle, Holly, Mich., Suzuki (11-11)
2013 AMA Motocross 450 Class Final Championship Standings:
- Ryan Villopoto, Poulsbo, Wash., Kawasaki, 563
- Ryan Dungey, Belle Plaine, Minn., KTM, 507
- Justin Barcia, Monroe, N.Y., Honda, 411
- Trey Canard, Shawnee, Okla., Honda, 332
- James Stewart, Haines City, Fla., Suzuki, 289
- Jake Weimer, Twin Falls, Idaho, Kawasaki, 275
- Andrew Short, Colorado Springs, Colo., KTM, 262
- Broc Tickle, Holly, Mich., Suzuki, 236
- Mike Alessi, Victorville, Calif., Suzuki, 229
- Josh Grant, Riverside, Calif., Yamaha, 228
2013 Lake Elsinore AMA Motocross 250 Class (Moto Finish):
- Eli Tomac, Cortez, Colo., Honda (2-1)
- Ken Roczen, Apolda, Germany, KTM (1-7)
- Cooper Webb, Morehead City, N.C., Yamaha (4-3)
- Jeremy Martin, Millville, Minn., Yamaha (3-5)
- Zach Osborne, Abingdon, Va., Honda (5-4)
- Wil Hahn, Decatur, Texas, Honda (6-6)
- Marvin Musquin, La Reole, France, KTM (9-10)
- Justin Bogle, Cushing, Okla., Honda (8-11)
- Blake Baggett, Grand Terrace, Calif., Kawasaki (33-2)
- Martin Davalos, Ecuador, Kawasaki (11-9)
2013 AMA Motocross 250 Class Final Championship Standings:
- Eli Tomac, Cortez, Colo., Honda, 552
- Ken Roczen, Apolda, Germany, KTM, 493
- Marvin Musquin, La Reole, France, KTM, 411
- Blake Baggett, Grand Terrace, Calif., Kawasaki, 395
- Zach Osborne, Abingdon, Va., Honda, 356
- Jeremy Martin, Millville, Minn., Yamaha, 300
- Justin Bogle, Cushing, Okla., Honda, 291
- Jason Anderson, Edgewood, N.M., Suzuki, 260
- Cooper Webb, Morehead City, N.C., Yamaha, 255
- Kyle Cunningham, Aledo, Texas, Yamaha, 228