Round number three of the twelve round Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship heads to the beautiful foothills of the Rocky Mountains for the Thunder Valley National in Lakewood, Colorado. What really sets this track apart from other facilities,though, is its unbelievable spectator viewing. The more than a mile long, natural-terrain track sits inside a valley and can be viewed in its entirety from more than one spot on the hills surrounding it. These exceptional views set the facility apart from others and make it a favorite destination for outdoor motocross fans.

Another thing that sets the Thunder Valley facility apart from others is its altitude. The track itself sits 6,182 feet above sea level. With that kind of altitude comes an array of challenges for teams and riders alike. The thin air tends to test the riders’ fitness and drain horsepower from the bikes.  With fitness at a premium in the “Mile High City,” the fittest riders on the planet will once again be put to the test.

In the 450 Class, the man that has excelled at all the tests thrown his way is Yoshimura/Suzuki’s James Stewart. After not racing an outdoor series since 2008 and a having little time to prepare on his new Suzuki, James went to Hangtown and went 1-1 before backing it up with another 1-1 last weekend at Freestone. James has always been fast, but at both of the first stops, he has shown attributes that he has not been known for in the past: control, patience, and, most importantly, an incredible ability to stay poised under pressure. In three of the first four motos, James has been under incredible pressure from the Red Bull/KTM of Ryan Dungey, but so far, the #7 has been a rock. Nothing seems to phase him right now.

Dungey stalked the #7 for every minute of both motos at Freestone but could not make a pass stick. Will Dungey be able to get it done in Colorado or will JS7 continue to keep him at bay? Photo: KTM Images

James is 4-0 to start 2012, but he has not exactly destroyed everyone—at least not Ryan Dungey. Dungey has shown incredible speed and desire over the first four motos and has made it clear that he intends to battle the #7 for this Championship. At the last stop in Freestone, Dungey spent the entire day eating the Yoshimura/Suzuki’s roost, but there was no quit in the kid. A normal human being might have gotten sick of getting peppered by a big 450. Dungey, though, just kept driving forward and hoping for a Stewart mistake that never came. In the end, Dungey left round three with second overall, but with the confidence of knowing that he has the speed to get it done. He has to be feeling good as the series heads to Thunder Valley where he won the 450 Class the last two years in a row and the 2010 Motocross of Nations.

With Stewart and Dungey separating themselves from the field, it leaves a long list of riders vying for the best of the rest. The man currently holding on to that title—after finishing third overall at the first two stops—is MotoConcepts’ Mike Alessi. Some have been surprised by the 800, but in reality, it should of been expected. The guy lives and breathes outdoor motocross and, with his starts, will always be in a great position. The question is can he close the ever-growing gap between himself and the big two?

Other riders to look out for in Colorado this weekend are guys like JGR/Yamaha’s Davi Millsaps (who is expected back from injury), Chaparral/Honda’s Andrew Short (who grew up racing in Colorado), Star/Valli/Yamaha’s Nico Izzi (who shocked everyone with a fourth in moto one at Freestone), Monster/Kawasaki’s Jake Wiemer and Yoshimura/Suzuki’s Brett Metcalfe. All of them have spent the first two rounds battling inside the top five and could find themselves on the podium at round three.

This 450 podium line-up and finishing positions has remained unchanged at the first two rounds. Photo: KTM Images

While the 450 Class has been a war between two, the 250 Class in the 2012 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship has been more of a war between four. Monster/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki’s Blake Baggett is currently the points leader after a first at the opener and a second last weekend at Freestone, but the GEICO Powersports/Honda duo of Eli Tomac and Justin Barcia along with Red Bull/KTM’s Ken Roczen have all been in the mix at the front. There are currently just eighteen points separating Baggett in first from Barcia in fourth in this Championship.

At the first stop in Hangtown, it was all about Baggett and his dominant 1-1 performance, but at round two Eli Tomac fought back with a 1-1 of his own. The #17 came into 2012 with one question mark: fitness. And in the sweltering heat of Texas, he showed that may not be a problem in 2012. Eli showed not only his fitness at Freestone; he showed incredible speed. Overall for the day, he was the fastest man on the track, and not even Stewart or Dungey could take that away from him. Now with the series heading to the Colorado native’s home National, you can be sure he will want to back up last week’s ride in front of his home fans. Tomac may be a hard man to stop on Saturday.

Last weekend at Freestone, Blake Baggett went 2-2, but he never really had a chance to see the leader in either moto. In both motos, Tomac got to the front early, while Blake was stuck making up positions after bad starts. On paper, it looks like a confidence-crushing smack down by Tomac, but in reality, Baggett may have gained confidence with his huge push from the back. Baggett now heads to Tomac’s home track with the red plate,  a sixteen point lead in the points and the knowledge that he can win at Thunder Valley. Last year, Baggett ran away from Dean Wilson and Tomac in Colorado and cruised to a 1-1 on the day. This weekend could get interesting if Eli and Blake start together.

ken-roczen-250-2012-motocross
Kenny was lightning fast in Lakewood for the 2010 Motocross of Nations and will look to display that speed again on Saturday. Photo: KTM Images

Eli and Blake outshined the field at rounds one and two, but Ken Roczen has shown flashes of brilliance as well. In the first two Nationals of his young U.S. career, the 2011 MX2 World Champion has landed on the box and, more importantly, finds himself second overall in the points. Expectations are high with Roczen, and despite not having a win under his belt yet, he seems onpoint. The eighteen-year-old is still getting used to the tracks, the format and everything else that goes with traveling a world away to compete against the best, but we could see that breakout ride for the #70 this weekend with this being his first familiar circuit. Ken absolutely crushed the MX2 class at the 2010 Motocross of Nations at Thunder Valley and will be prepared to get it done on Saturday.

Sitting fourth in the points heading into round three is Justin Barcia. Barcia started out the year with a solid second overall at Hangtown, but starts plagued the #20 at round two in Freestone. Justin started moto one outside the top twenty and crashed in the first turn in moto two. Still, the man they call “Bam Bam” rallied back in both motos to come away with a 4-5 score for fifth overall. It is that kind of effort that has “I want this Championship” written all over it. Look for Justin to be in the hunt for a win at Thunder Valley.

The depth in the 250 Class for 2012 is staggering when you look down the line. We have four riders battling at the top of the points and a solid group that could get into the mix at any round. At any moment, riders like the Rockstar/Suzuki trio of Blake Wharton, Jason Anderson and Martin Davalos, Monster/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki’s Ivan Tedesco, Red Bull/KTM’s Marvin Musquin and even the rookie TroyLeeDesign/Honda rider Jessy Nelson can get into the hunt for podiums. The season is young, and it is way too early to rule any of these kids out.

The 250 podium from the last round at Freestone. Photo: KTM Images
450 Freestone National Results
 1. James Stewart (1-1)
 2. Ryan Dungey (2-2)
 3. Mike Alessi (5-3)
 4. Jake Weimer (3-6)
 5. Josh Grant (6-4)
 6. Andrew Short (10-5)
 7. Tommy Hahn (9-7)
 8. Brett Metcalfe (13-10)
 9. Nico Izzi (4-25)
 10. Ryan Sipes (8-17)
 450 Championship Points
 1 7 James Stewart 100
 2 5 Ryan Dungey 86
 3 800 Mike Alessi 70
 4 21 Jacob Weimer 61
 5 29 Andrew Short 61
 6 33 Josh Grant 58
 7 24 Brett Metcalfe 53
 8 25 Broc Tickle 43
 9 50 Nico Izzi 39
 10 32 Tommy Hahn 39
250 Freestone National Results
 1. Eli Tomac (1-1)
 2. Blake Baggett (2-2)
 3. Ken Roczen (3-4)
 4. Blake Wharton (6-3)
 5. Justin Barcia (4-5)
 6. Marvin Musquin (5-8)
 7. Jessy Nelson (7-9)
 8. Wil Hahn, Decatur (12-6)
 9. Jake Canada (8-14)
 10. Kyle Cunningham (13-12)
250 Championship Points
 1 12 Blake Baggett 94 
 2 70 Ken Roczen 80 
 3 17 Eli Tomac 79 
 4 20 Justin Barcia 76 
 5 956 Blake Wharton 55 
 6 38 Marvin Musquin 52 
 7 58 William Hahn 46 
 8 19 Kyle Cunningham 42 
 9 9 Ivan Tedesco 41 
 10 57 Jake Canada 41
Author

Dan Lamb is a 12+ year journalist and the owner of MotoXAddicts.