Eli Tomac earns his first career Lucas Oil 450cc Pro Motocross Championship win at Millville, Minnesota; Homeboy Jeremy Martin tops the 250ccc class.
With each class featuring a bona fide homegrown Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship title contender when round eight of the series stopped at Spring Creek MX Park in Millville, Minnesota, yesterday, hopes were high for a Minnesota double overall win. However, GEICO Honda’s Eli Tomac had something to say about that.
Tomac, the reigning Lucas Oil 250cc Pro Motocross Champion, moved up to the 450cc class this season but only recently began racing in the outdoor series because an injury sidelined him for the first four rounds of the series. That all seems to be behind him now, and he proved it as he dominated the 450cc class at Millville, going 1-1 for his first career overall win in the class. Tomac topped Minnesota local and former Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Champion Ryan Dungey as well as Dungey’s Red Bull KTM teammate and the current class points leader, Ken Roczen of Germany, to become only the fourth different winner in the class this season.
At least the 250cc class gave the Minnesota fans what they were looking for, as Yamalube/Star Racing Yamaha’s Jeremy Martin claimed his fourth overall win of the season. It wasn’t easy, as Martin went 1-2 en route to victory, but it should have been expected—Martin grew up at the Spring Creek track, which is owned by his parents. Martin used his local knowledge to beat out Red Bull KTM’s Marvin Musquin and Yamalube/Star Racing Yamaha’s Cooper Webb for the overall win; Webb managed to beat Martin for the moto win in Moto 2.
450cc Moto 1
Fresh off his second overall win of the season last weekend at Budds Creek, Maryland Dungey was hoping to use his homestate advantage to cut into Roczen’s point lead even further, and he appeared to be off to a good start when he captured the $500 Motosport.com Holeshot Award in Moto 1. But Roczen was right on Dungey’s tail, and he pounced on Dungey to take the lead on the first lap of the race. Dungey gamely tried to fight back, but Roczen soon began to pull clear and take control of the moto. There would be no brilliant comeback like there had been at Budds Creek, as Dungey crashed on the third lap and lost even more real estate.
Tomac was riding third when Dungey went down, allowing Tomac to move into second place. The turn of events seemed to motivate the young Coloradoan even more, and soon he began to reel-in Roczen. Tomac finally caught Roczen, and what followed was perhaps one of the best head-to-head battles of the year in the 450cc class, as neither of the 250cc class rivals wanted to lose to the other. The duo went bar-to-bar for numerous laps, trading positions and using every inch of the Millville track before Tomac finally made a pass that stuck, on lap 12. Roczen appeared to back down at that point, and wisely so, as Tomac is not a serious threat in the points standings.
Tomac cruised out front for the rest of the moto, taking his first Lucas Oil 450cc Pro moto win over 16 seconds ahead of Roczen. Dungey rebounded to finish third, ahead of Muscle Milk Honda’s Trey Canard and Toyota/Yamaha/N-FAB/JGRMX’s Josh Grant.
450cc Moto 2
Tomac carried the momentum of his first career 450cc moto win into Moto 2 by nailing the $500 Motosport.com Holeshot Award, ahead of Dungey. Roczen, meanwhile, was off to a supbar start and was mired well down inside the top 10. Roczen would catch a lucky break, though, as the AMA red-flagged the moto after it was determined that a starting gate malfunction had created a disadvantage for some of the riders.
Tomac clearly must have had plans for that $500 Motosport.com cash, as he once again grabbed the holeshot. This time, however, Toyota/Yamaha/N-FAB/JGRMX’s Justin Brayton managed to quickly snatch the lead away from Tomac for a brief time. Tomac would quickly reclaim the point position, with Dungey also passing Brayton to take over second place. Behind them, Canard and Roczen also passed Brayton to create a four-rider battle for the podium positions.
Surprisingly, Roczen never mounted a serious challenge to Tomac and Dungey, who extended their advantage over him to effectively make it a two-rider battle for the moto win. Not only that, but Roczen wound up being passed by Canard and falling to fourth place.
Out front, Dungey stayed close to Tomac, only to be hampered by lappers and eventually collide with one late in the race. That was all the breathing room Tomac needed, as he went on to claim his first career 450cc overall win—via a 1-1 sweep, no less—and become the 62nd different winner in the AMA’s premier motocross division.
“Today was a tough one the way the track was,” said Tomac, who has now finished on the overall podium in each of his first four career starts. “Going into the second moto I knew I had to get out there and get a good start. We ended up getting the holeshot, then the red flag came out and I thought to myself, ‘Is this really happening?’ Luckily enough, I got another one. Brayton was right there, but after that I was just hitting my marks and I felt really comfortable.”
Dungey’s runner-up effort (3-2) was his 50th podium finish in 56 starts in what will surely someday be a Hall of Fame career. He is now fourth all-time on the AMA National MX winner’s list.
Roczen finished third (2-4), but only gave up two points to Dungey in the series standings. Spring Creek marked the first time that Roczen has failed to earn a moto podium finish this season. Canard was fourth (4-3), with Grant fifth (5-5). Team Yoshimura’s James Stewart, who won earlier this season at High Point, did not start the final moto with team officials citing an apparent illness.
Roczen’s lead over Dungey in the 450 Class standings now sits at 24 points. Canard is third, 65 points behind Roczen. Tomac’s victory vaulted him into the top 10 in the 450cc class standings. He is currently ninth.
250cc Moto 1
Valli Motorsports Yamaha’s Christophe Pourcel has yet to earn a moto win, but he has been consistently fast in practice and off the starting line, so it was no surprise when the French former World Motocross Champion claimed the Motosport.com Holeshot Award over GEICO Honda’s Justin Bogle and Martin in the first 250cc moto. But this was Martin’s house—literally, and he soon began to make his move to the front by passing Bogle on the opening lap and pressuring Pourcel for the lead. When Pourcel bobbled, Martin took advantage glided past the Frenchman. From there, Martin built up a lead that would not be challenged.
While Martin pulled away, Pourcel slipped into a battle with fellow Frenchman Marvin Musquin. The Red Bull KTM-mounted Musquin, who outran with Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki’s Dean Wilson for third place, made a late-moto pass on Pourcel for second place.
Martin took his first moto win at his hometown track over 10 seconds ahead of Musquin, while Pourcel held on for third. In keeping with his modus operandi, Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki’s Blake Baggett overcame an awful 18th-place start to finish fourth. Wilson was fifth.
250cc Moto 2
Pourcel, who has already clinched the Oakley Time Bomb program thanks to his consistent fast qualifier performances in the 250cc class, powered his Yamaha into the lead once again in Moto 2, securing the Motosport.com Holeshot Award, ahead of Jeremy Martin’s brother, Cycle Trader/Rock River Yamaha’s Alex Martin, who was looking for a little hometown success of his own. Baggett was off to a much better start, running third, ahead of GEICO Honda’s Bogle.
While Pourcel ran out front, Baggett passed Alex Martin for second place and began to cut into the Frenchman’s lead. On lap three, Baggett blew past Pourcel and quickly pulled away.
But just when it appeared that Baggett was in complete control, he went out of control and crashed on lap four, handing the lead to Bogle, who had gotten past the fading Pourcel. Cooper Webb, who had finished ninth in Moto 1, was right on Bogle, however, and after a multi-lap, fender-to-fender battle, Webb took control and went on to take the moto win.
Meanwhile, class points leader Jeremy Martin overcame a sixth-place start to move into third place, and he would pass Bogle for second. Jeremy Martin was unable to close the gap on Webb, a second-moto runner-up finish was enough to earn Martin his first Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship overall win on his home track.
“I just made a few mistakes there off the start [in the second moto],” Martin said. “Cooper [Webb] was behind me [initially] but I got stuck behind a rider and kept hearing him behind me. He got around me and rode really well. I tried to put on a charge for the hometown crowd and make things exciting, but I just came up short [of the moto sweep]. I’m having fun and I’m looking forward to next weekend.”
Rockstar Energy Racing KTM’s Jason Anderson, who was not a factor for the overall after being collected in a huge pile-up at the back of the first-moto start, finished third in Moto 2. DNFs by both Baggett and Bogle in Moto 2 helped Musquin to finish second overall (2-4) while Webb’s second moto win helped him to third overall (9-1). Pourcel finished fourth overall (3-6), with Wilson fifth overall (5-5).
Martin’s win combined with spotty performances by Webb and Baggett, allowed him to move out to a 43-point lead in the 250cc class standings over Webb, who moved into second place. Baggett fell to third, 56 points behind Martin.
The 2014 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship continues July 26 at the Motosport.com Washougal National at Washougal MX Park in Washougal, Washington.
Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship
La Cresent Wine & Spirit Spring Creek National
Spring Creek MX Park
Millville, Minnesota
Results: July 19, 2014 (Round 8 of 12)
450cc
1. Eli Tomac-Hon/1-1
2. Ryan Dungey-KTM/3-2
3. Ken Roczen-KTM/2-4
4. Trey Canard-Hon/4-3
5. Josh Grant-Yam/5-5
6. Brett Metcalfe-Kaw/6-6
7. Andrew Short-KTM/9-7
8. Weston Peick-Suz/8-8
9. Fredrik Noren-Hon/11-10
10. Matt Goerke-KTM/12-11
Lucas Oil 450cc Pro Motocross Championship Series Points Standings (After 8 of 12 rounds)
1. Ken Roczen-367/4 wins
2. Ryan Dungey-343/2 wins
3. Trey Canard-302
4. James Stewart-226/1 win
5. Brett Metcalfe-222
6. Josh Grant-218
7. Weston Peick-188
8. Andrew Short-187
9. Eli Tomac-168
10. Chad Reed-146
250cc
1. Jeremy Martin-Yam/1-2
2. Marvin Musquin-KTM/2-4
3. Cooper Webb-Yam/9-1
4. Christophe Pourcel-Yam/3-6
5. Dean Wilson-Kaw/5-5
6. Jason Anderson-KTM/11-3
7. Joey Savatgy-KTM/8-9
8. Alex Martin-Yam/12-7
9. Cole Seely-Hon/7-13
10. Jessy Nelson-Hon/14-8
Lucas Oil 250cc Pro Motocross Championship Series Points Standings (After 8 of 12 rounds)
1. Jeremy Martin-341/4 wins
2. Cooper Webb-298/1 win
3. Blake Baggett-285/3 wins
4. Christophe Pourcel-246
5. Marvin Musquin-241
6. Justin Bogle-240
7. Jason Anderson-236
8. Cole Seely-188
9. Jessy Nelson-164
10. Justin Hill-150
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