Photo by: Chase Yocom – Words by: Dan Lamb
In the 2016 450SX Monster Energy Supercross series, Red Bull / KTM’s Marvin Musquin was the top of the rookie class with five podiums and even coming a half lap away from taking a main event win, so expectations were lofty for the former two-time MX2 World Championship coming into his freshman 450 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship campaign. The Frenchman started his rookie outdoor season off running around the top ten, but like in Supercross, the #25 is gaining confidence as the year progresses. Marvin scored his first 450MX podium at round four in Mount Morris and since then he has become a solid top five guy.
Heading into Saturday’s Spring Creek National, Marvin had not scored another podium since High Point, but he one upped his season’s best with a second overall. In moto one, he finished third behind RCH / Soaring Eagle / Suzuki’s Ken Roczen and Monster / Kawasaki’s Eli Tomac, but he kept Eli honest for thirty-minutes plus two. In moto two, Kenny once again ran away at the front, but Eli crashed and Marvin capitalized with a second in moto two for a career-best second overall on the day.
Eight rounds into the series now and Marvin has clearly been the best 450 rookie outdoors. The #25 is third overall in the 450MX Championship with four moto podium finishes and two overall podiums appearances—definitely a year any 450 rookie would be pumped to build off of. After his second overall in Millville, Marvin sat down in the press tent to answer some questions, and MotoXAddicts’ Chase Yocom was there.
Marvin, second overall today with a 3-2. Congratulations on your day. Give us the overview of the day. How’d it go for you?
Well, you know, I love this track. That’s one thing. The other thing is it’s a rough track. Really depending on the sand section rollers and stuff like that. I’m really happy to put in two solid motos. I really showed that I’m physically doing better now. I’m getting stronger, feeling better with the bike and today was a good day. I was really looking forward to the motos. I had some really good practice. All I needed to do was get good starts and I’m capable of doing top three right now. Obviously, Eli [Tomac] and Ken [Roczen] are one step on top of me right now—they’re faster. We’re trying to get better and trying to get closer to those guys. First moto once again they got away really quick in the first laps, and then I was able to put in some good laps and getting faster and faster. I was actually catching Eli, which is good. Unfortunately for him, he went down and I felt like I could have got around him maybe but I didn’t and he picked it up. I still got third, which is good. In the second moto I was just looking forward to gettting a good start and do solid, consistent moto. And get on the podium overall again like I did at High Point. Which I didn’t do last weekend and I was mad. So I’m really happy about two solid motos.
It sounded like you were bummed that you couldn’t get Eli in the first moto, so is that a little motivation in moto two? Like he was behind you and you were holding him off pretty well for most of the race and I think he fell late. But was that motivation like, “I got to beat one of these guys?”
Yeah, exactly. Like I said, those two guys are the two top guys right now. Since [Jason] Anderson and [Ryan] Dungey got hurt. No one gets second and first except those two guys. It feels good to finally get second place. Like I said, we try to get better and try to get closer to those guys and try to give it a run. Today was a good day. Like I said, I was consistent and we made some changes on the bike this weekend and this week. I wanted really to give it a try this weekend on race day and I’m really happy. It was a good day to have a full team—kind of like a full team—this weekend. Ryan was here—he wasn’t racing—but Dean [Wilson] was back. Being alone under the tent at KTM, it’s something different. It was good to have everybody this weekend. And yeah, to get second, it’s my best finish so far on the 450.
What was the difference at the beginning of the year? It’s kind of the same as Supercross’ worked out. About halfway through you picked it up there, and again here. What’s been the difference you think between early rounds and now?
Confidence, training, working on the bike, trying to get more comfortable and you can see that in many guys, I feel like. [Justin] Barcia for example he’s getting better too. There is guys that are starting to get better and better. Others, they were already good at the beginning of the season. Everybody’s trying hard and we are too. We showed that we make improvements, even on the tough track like today. So it’s good. Sometimes there’s tracks where I’m doing good because it’s more technical and it’s not maybe that rough. It’s good to do good on a tough track. I’m just looking forward to being consistent for the end of the season. I think right now I’m capable to be on the podium.
Washougal is traditionally a really good track for you and I think Unadilla actually, too. Are you looking forward to these next ones, ’cause they usually work out well for you.
Yeah, but like I said, to do good here in Millville I feel like any track right now I can do good. The change we made on the bike made me feel better on the bike. I can ride the bike easier, and I feel more comfortable, so it’s a good thing. That’s what you’re looking for. Thank the team for that and for the work they put on. Washougal is a good track. Looking forward to the rest of the season. Two weekends off, it’s going to be a little break for us, but it’s going to be good.
You keep talking about these changes this last week that you guys made. Can you elaborate a little bit more on what those were? Was it suspension, engine components?
I don’t know. I don’t know if I can even talk about it, no! (laughs)
Talk about this. They did get you a riding partner down in Florida. Who did they bring in? A woods guy, right?
Yes, Kailub Russell. He started training with Aldon [Baker]. It’s good to have somebody to ride with. It’s been a couple weeks that I’ve been by myself. It’s good and bad at the same time. It’s good because you can just focus on yourself but at the same time you have nobody to ride with. And make the track rougher—make lines. But yeah, it’s been good. Kailub is a good guy. We get along really good, and I’m looking forward to following his races. It’s been good.
