Two rounds down in the 2017 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship and two wins in the record books for Rockstar Energy / Husqvarna’s Zach Osborne, and both wins were accomplished in a completely different style. At the opening round in Hangtown, Zach was a dominant force, winning both motos running away. At round two last weekend at Glen Helen, though, it was all about having two consistent motos.

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In moto one at Glen Helen, Zach got through the Talladega first turn around mid-pack and slowly picked off riders throughout the thirty-minutes plus two laps. While Zach looked comfortable with hanging it out at the Hangtown opener, you could tell he was much more patient with letting the passes come to him on the gnarly hills of Glen Helen. In the end, Zach crossed the line with a fourth in the opening moto. Even with that fourth, Zach’s points lead was still twelve points over Aaron Plessinger—who had finished third in moto one.

When the gate dropped for moto two, Zach was in a much different position than moto one. The #16 was second behind the former two-time 250MX champ and moto one winner, Jeremy Martin. Just when we were gearing up to see what the red plate holder and former champ had for each other, Jeremy crashed and threw away the lead, and Dylan Ferrandis went by them both into the lead. With Dylan scoring no points at round one, Zach looked content to let the #108 go and ride it in for a second in moto two. Surprisingly, Zach’s 4-2 on a very inconsistent day was enough to score him his second straight overall win and stretch his lead in the championship out to twenty-one points.

With 4 main event wins in SX and 2 wins in a row so far outdoors, Zach is getting comfortable with spraying champagne in ’17.

After his second straight overall win, Zach sat down and answered a few questions about his day inside the press tent.

Zach, wow, twenty-one point lead now in the championship. Obviously you didn’t win a moto today, but you came away with the overall, extending your championship lead. I guess the question is, what’s your strategy from here on out?

Keep putting myself in positions to win or be right there at the end. I woke up with a little bit of a sore throat this morning and I was a little nervous as to how it was going to go because this is historically not one of the best tracks for me. To go 4-2 is good, and to take the overall is the icing on the cake. I wanted to get out of California with two top fives and I’ve gotten two overalls and a 20-point lead. I’m feeling good about my chances once we get to the East Coast because some of my favorite tracks are coming up. I’m looking forward to the next weeks to come.

 

Your hometown track and the tracks back east—Muddy Creek and then Mount Morris—are more your style tracks. What do you think it is about those tracks that suits you more?

That’s the kind of stuff I grew up on. This is so alien for me; I don’t have a setting for this. I’m just kind of sending it blind, really. I just feel a little better about my skillset and just overall more comfortable with loamy dirt and uphill and downhill. I know the hills here are big, but it’s also super hard-pack and I feel like it’s sketchy. Like I said, to come out with two wins is really good.

A twenty-one point lead heading to possibly his favorite track next weekend in Colorado has to feel good.

I know that you worked with Doctor Edwards for years, and this year you joined Aldon [Baker’s] program. Are you integrating Dr. Edwards’ program with Aldon’s program?

Jonathan [Dr. Edwards] just sort of helped me when I was sick as a kid, more than anything. That’s just kind of life lessons that I’ve taken with me. Working with Aldon’s been pretty good. I feel good about my riding and my training and just my overall program. I think the main thing is just riding with those guys on the 450s each week. It kind of just makes me work harder and makes me more comfortable with the higher pace, so that’s been the biggest thing.

 

Adam Cianciarulo sits second in points and we haven’t seen him up here on the podium in an overall. When you’re coming into race weekends holding the red plate, who is it you’re really looking at like, that’s my competition or that’s my guy? Or are you just focusing on yourself at this point?

It’s still early. Twenty points is nothing when there’s still 500 on the table I guess. You know, right now, it’s just going to be grinding it out and seeing how many I can score each moto more than focusing on anyone else. Later in the season I’m sure there will be a point where, if I’m still in this position, I’ll know the guys that I’ll need to be beating and taking points away from. For now I’m just focusing and doing me the best I can.

Author

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