– As the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross series headed east for Round 4 of the 2016 season, it brought with it changes in weather and dirt. However, it was Monster Energy® Kawasaki rider Eli Tomac with the biggest change, as the No. 3 KX™450F machine rocketed out of gate in Moto 1, nearly grabbing the holeshot. Tomac quickly positioned himself in second and began applying pressure to the leader, until a mistake on Lap 4 relegated Tomac to sixth place. He began his charge back up towards the front but would run out of time and finish sixth. After a crash in the opening laps, teammate Josh Grant was unable to continue competing and was forced to retire from the weekend.
Moto 2 saw another great start by Tomac, inside the top-5. He wasted no time riding his KX450F up to the rear-wheel of the leader, where he began applying pressure for the lead. He and the leader separated themselves from the field immediately by pushing a pace no other rider could match. After 35 long minutes, Tomac would finish second in Moto 2, combined with his 6th place finish in Moto 1, earning a fourth overall for the day.
“It was a good ride for me today,” said Tomac. “The first moto cost me but we made up for it in the second. We practiced starts for the last two weeks straight and I believe it showed today with two great starts. If I keep that up and stay up on two wheels, we should be looking good for the rest of year.”
Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki 250MX points leader Joey Savatgy entered Round 4 with the red background number plate, signifying the series points leader, looking to extend his points lead in the 250 Championship. When the gate dropped for Moto 1, all four of Pro Circuit’s KX™250F mounted riders rounded the first corner inside the top-10. Savatgy began working quickly by passing his way into fifth early. At the fifteen-minute mark, the Pennsylvania dirt would reach up and pull the Kawasaki rider to the ground. Savatgy remounted and put a charge on to pass his way all the way back up to fourth position. The rookie, Austin Forkner had another outstanding race, moving his way through the field to finish Moto 1 in fifth, while teammates Arnaud Tonus and Adam Cianciarulo crossed the line in eighth and tenth respectively.
The start of the Moto 2 saw both Cianciarulo and Savatgy up front in first and second. Savatgy followed Cianciarulo closely for 10-minutes until sliding into the lead on Lap-5. There was no stopping Savatgy as he would go 4-1 for first overall, while Forkner rode his way up into eighth after an early crash for fifth overall (5-8). Cianciarulo finished 10th (10-11) overall and Tonus 12th (8-11).
“It was great weekend,” said Savatgy. “Moto 1 was a little tough on all of us, as the track was super rough and the ruts were deep. We made a few good changes in between motos and came out on top at the end of Moto 2.”
“First moto was good aside from my faulty gate,” said Forkner. “The track was extremely rough, so I decided to sit back, ride smart and let everyone else make mistakes which allowed me to finish fifth. I started the second moto dead last after colliding with another ride but rode back up to eighth. Overall, we learned a lot this weekend and I believe I belong up front.”
“Each weekend we’re improving,” said Cianciarulo. “I unfortunately hit the gate in the first moto which made things a little more difficult but made up for it in the second moto by pulling the holeshot which was a nice confidence booster. I believe I rode a smart race this weekend and overall I’m grateful to even be back out here racing.”
“I felt really good on the track today,” said Tonus. “I didn’t quite get the jump in Moto 1, but was able to finish inside the top-10, which felt good. At the start of the second moto someone hit me and I went off the track where my bike and I were stuck for a few minutes. I know I’m capable of more and am looking forward to Muddy Creek.”
