2014 Hangtown Motocross Classic Preview
Last weekend, the 2014 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing, began at Glen Helen Raceway.
Though he had to fight for it, Red Bull KTM’s Ryan Dungey took the overall 450-class win with a 3-1 finish. In the 250 class, Yamalube/Star Racing/Yamaha’s Jeremy Martin didn’t have to fight as hard; he took the overall win with a 1-1.
And this week, the 12-round series continues with the 46th running of the GoPro Hangtown Motocross Classic, held at Prairie City OHV Park.
As stated, Dungey’s win didn’t come easily. The Minnesota native has many fierce competitors this season, including the man who took second in both motos at Glen Helen – Dungey’s teammate Ken Roczen.
The German was extremely quick in the second moto – he led a majority of the race, but was passed on the final lap by Dungey.
Also on the charge is Toyota/Yamaha/JGRMX veteran Josh Grant, who led Moto 1 from start to finish at Glen Helen. Though he crashed in the second moto, the California native was quick out of the gates. He’s also proven in the past that he loves the Hangtown track-he made his professional debut here exactly ten years ago, leading his first-ever race right out of the gate.
Team Honda Muscle Milk’s Justin Barcia was a heavy favorite for a podium finish at the opener; however, a broken chain in Moto 1 left the Monroe, New York, native with a 34th place finish. Barcia bounced back with a fourth in the second moto, and he looks to improve his results at Hangtown. But there was no disappointment from his Team Honda Muscle Milk teammate Trey Canard, who kicked off the season with an overall podium finish. Canard’s moto scores of 7-3 were enough to place the Shawnee, Oklahoma, rider in third place for the day.
Monster Energy/Kawasaki’s newest member, Brett Metcalfe, who is filling in for the injured 450 Class Champion, Ryan Villopoto, had a great showing at the first round with his new team, securing fourth overall. Metcalfe, the reigning Canadian Motocross Champion, has been slated as another contender this season.
Yoshimura Suzuki’s James Stewart finished just outside the top five at the season opener, where he experienced a minor crash in the first moto. Stewart, a former 450 Class Champion, is expected to be in championship contention this season. TwoTwo Motorsports/Discount Tire Racing’s Chad Reed enters the 2014 season fresh off an injury and the former 450 Class Champion is admittedly easing himself back into competition, where he is expected to be a front-runner upon full recovery.
In the 250 Class, the Yamalube/Star Racing/Yamaha duo of Jeremy Martin and Cooper Webb put forth an impressive performance at last Saturday’s opener. Martin swept the entire field, grabbing both MotoSport.com holeshots before dominating each moto for the win. Martin will have his hands full with teammate Cooper Webb, who finished as a consistent runner-up last weekend in Southern California. It was the first 1-2 finish for Yamaha in a 250 National since 1998, MX Sports says.
In addition to the Yamaha duo above, the 250 Class has a strong field of talent competing for the championship. Rockstar Energy Racing’s Jason Anderson, who grabbed third place in Moto 1 at Glen Helen, put his KTM in the mix early on but the Edgewood, New Mexico, native experienced mechanical issues in the second moto. Then there’s Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki’s Blake Baggett, who also claimed a third-place moto finish. Baggett is a former 250 Class Champion and knows what it takes to get the job done through 12 rounds, MX Sports says.
In the end, it was Troy Lee Designs/Lucas Oil/Red Bull/Honda’s Cole Seely who claimed the final podium position at the opener. Seely made a big statement that he is ready to compete for the 250 Class title this season, MX Sports says.
Former 250 Class Champion and Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/ Kawasaki rider Dean Wilson sustained a knee injury at round one and will not be competing this weekend at Hangtown. Additionally, GEICO Honda’s Zach Osborne will be sitting out, due to a thumb injury, MX Sports says.
2014 Hangtown Motocross TV Schedule
MAVTV and NBCSN will provide live coverage of the 2014 Hangtown Motocross Classic beginning at 4 p.m. ET Saturday, May 31; the fist motos will be on MAVTV 4-6 p.m., and the second motos on NBCSN from 6-8 p.m.
2014 Lucas Oil AMA Motocross 450 Class Championship Standings:
- Ryan Dungey, Belle Plaine, Minn., KTM 45
- Ken Roczen, Germany, KTM 44
- Trey Canard, Shawnee, Okla., Honda 34
- Brett Metcalfe, Australia, Kawasaki 34
- Josh Grant, Riverside, Calif., Yamaha 31
- Andrew Short, Colorado Springs, Colo., KTM 30
- James Stewart, Haines City, Fla., Suzuki 26
- Malcolm Stewart, Haines City, Fla., Suzuki 25
- Jake Weimer, Rupert, Idaho, Kawasaki 24
- Chad Reed, Australia, Kawasaki 23
2014 Lucas Oil AMA 250 Class Championship Standings:
- Jeremy Martin, Millville, Minn., Yamaha 50
- Cooper Webb, Morehead City, N.C., Yamaha 44
- Cole Seely, Newbury Park, Calif., Honda 36
- Blake Baggett, Grand Terrance, Calif., Kawasaki 33
- Christophe Pourcel, France, Yamaha 30
- Justin Bogle, Cushing, Okla., Honda 28
- Matt Bisceglia, Tualatin, Ore., Honda 24
- Marvin Musquin, France, KTM 24
- Jessy Nelson, Paso Robles, Calif., Honda 21
- Jason Anderson, Rio Rancho, N.M., KTM 20