Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki’s Joey Savatgy comes through for his third win of the year at High Point via 4-1 moto finishes.
Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki’s Joey Savatgy didn’t dominate round four of the 2016 Lucas Oil 250cc Pro Motocross Championship at High Point Raceway in Mt. Morris, Pennsylvania, but netting his third overall win in four rounds has allowed him to establish dominance in the series points standings.
“It was good,” Savatgy said at the end of the day. “My first moto was not so hot. My fault. I’ve really got to eliminate those mistakes. If we are going to be in this for the long haul we can’t do that. We’ve got to be up there every moto. But all in all it was great.”
In fact, Savatgy was on the outside of podium contention after finishing fourth in the first 250cc moto, which ran after the first 450cc moto, making the rough and tough High Point track even more rutty and challenging than it might have been if the 250s had gone off the line first.
Yamalube/Star Racing Yamaha’s Jeremy Martin grabbed the holeshot in 250cc Moto 1, leading brother and teammate Alex Martin and Rockstar Energy Husqvarna’s Zach Osborne as well as the rest of the field. Still brimming with confidence after claiming his first career 250cc overall win during round two at Glen Helen, Alex Martin quickly found his way past his younger brother to take the lead with the top three remaining close early in the moto. Osborne also passed Jeremy Martin before the end of lap one.
Meanwhile, Savatgy picked his way through the field after getting off to an eighth-place start.
Osborne was able to match Alex Martin’s pace, and he moved past Martin after Martin bobbled and went off the track on lap six. Martin was able to recover, and he kept Osborne in his sights until his Yamaha began to emit death smoke late in the race. Martin lost several positions, and despite trying to nurse his ailing machine to the finish, it expired on lap 15, leaving him with a disappointing DNF.
With the pressure off, Osborne went on to card the first Lucas Oil Pro moto win of his career, crossing the line just over 4 seconds ahead of Jeremy Martin.
“This is huge for me in my career,” Osborne said. “I’m 26 years old. I’ve been at this for 10 years now, and it feels amazing. My biggest asset was that I got off to a good start. That’s what I’ve struggled with all year. I don’t know what to say. I’m speechless. I just can’t say enough about everyone who supports me.”
Yamalube/Star Racing Yamaha’s Cooper Webb finished third, while Savatgy moved up as high as fourth, which would prove to be vital as Moto 2 played out later in the day. Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki’s rookie sensation Austin Forkner was fifth.
Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki’s Adam Cianciarulo led the field at the start of Moto 2, with Jeremy Martin, Osborne and Savatgy right behind him. Osborne bobbled early in the moto, allowing Savatgy to move into third place. Savatgy took the momentum and rand with it, passing Martin for second place on lap three and Savatgy for the lead one lap later.
The two Kawasaki riders then pulled clear of their pursuers to settle the moto win between themselves. Savatgy was clearly setting a torrid pace, and Cianciarulo could not match him. Cianciarulo lost ground and eventually also lost second place to Jeremy Martin.
But then, just as his brother Alex experienced in the first moto, Jeremy Martin began to suffer bike issues that dropped him off the pace. He yielded third place back to Cianciarulo and was also passed by Yamalube/Star Racing Yamaha teammate Aaron Plessinger. Jeremy Martin’s bike gave up the ghost completely on lap nine, leaving him with a DNF—not the kind of brother act the Martins were hoping for at High Point.
However, Alex Martin ran well in Moto 2, moving up to second place and putting pressure on Savatgy late in the moto. Savatgy was able to keep the older Martin at bay and cross the finish line with 1 second in hand. Plessinger finished third and Osborne was fourth. Had Osborne been able to beat Plessinger, he would have claimed his first career Lucas Oil 250cc overall win, but instead he and Savatgy tied on points with Savatgy netting the overall win via his better second-moto finish. The win also gave Savatgy a 20-point lead over Webb, who finished third overall today via 3-5 moto scores.
“It’s a great feeling to have the red plate for another round. It’s going to be a long week back at the [GOAT] Farm with Jeannie [Carmichael], but the second moto was a little bit better. We made it work.”
The 2016 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship resumes June 25-26 with round five, the Red Bull Tennessee National at Muddy Creek Raceway in Blountville, Tennessee
2016 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship
Red Bull High Point National
High Point Raceway
Mount Morris, Pennsylvania
Results: June 18, 2016 (Round 4 of 12)
250cc Overall
1. Joey Savatgy, Thomasville, GA, Kawasaki (4-1)
2. Zach Osborne, Abingdon, VA, Husqvarna (1-4)
3. Cooper Webb, Newport, NC, Yamaha (3-5)
4. Aaron Plessinger, Hamilton, OH, Yamaha (6-3)
5. Austin Forkner, Richards, MO, Kawasaki (5-8)
6. Mitchell Oldenburg, Alvord, TX, KTM (7-7)
7. Colt Nichols, Muskogee, OK, Yamaha (13-6)
8. Alex Martin, Millville, MN, Yamaha (30-2)
9. Jeremy Martin, Millville, MN, Yamaha (2-33)
10. Adam Cianciarulo, Port Orange, FL, Kawasaki (10-11)
2016 Lucas Oil 250cc Pro Motocross Championship Series Standings (after 4 of 12 rounds)
1. Joey Savatgy-166/3 overall wins/4 moto wins
2. Cooper Webb- 146/1 moto win
3. Jeremy Martin 142/2 moto wins
4. Alex Martin-136/1 overall win
5. Zach Osborne-121/1 moto win
6. Aaron Plessinger-116
7. Austin Forkner-109
8. RJ Hampshire-79
9. Adam Cianciarulo-72
10. Mitchell Oldenburg-70
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