Photo by: Hoppenworld
The anticipation leading into the opening round of the 2014 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship was off the charts for pro motocross fans around the world, and with the defending 450 Champion, Monster/Kawasaki’s Ryan Villopoto, out injured and the top dogs of the 250 class from 2013 moved up out of the class, nobody knew who would step up and take the first stab at claiming the vacated titles. There’s always an exciting element of the unknown to start any series, but with too many unknown variables in 2014 to list, round one and the 2014 Glen Helen National had everyone glued to the results.
450MX Moto 1
In the 450 class, the 2014 Glen Helen National began with a huge surprise as JGR/Toyota/Yamaha’s Josh Grant grabbed the holeshot, checked out early and then fended off a late-race charge from Red Bull/KTM’s rookie Ken Roczen for the moto one win. Grant looked right at home on his California home circuit, and he blew everyone’s wigs back with the first moto win of 2014 and his first moto win since Thunder Valley back in 2010. That, combined with the German freshman coming just a half second away from winning his first-ever 450 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship moto in his first-ever try, had us all believing we may be in for a crazy summer. Roczen and Grant were both on another level in moto one, checking out on third place in moto one by seven seconds while fourth place was more than a minute behind the duo.
Finishing in third in the opening moto was Red Bull/KTM’s Ryan Dungey. The two-time 450 class Motocross Champion came into Glen Helen the odds-on favorite for the 2014 Championship, but in moto one, he had nothing for the #33 and the #94. Nearly a minute behind the #5 was Monster/Kawasaki’s Brett Metcalfe crossing the line in fourth. The #24 put in a solid opening moto, but his fourth place was assisted by Yoshimura/Suzuki’s James Stewart tangling with Muscle Milk/Honda’s Trey Canard and a mechanical DNF from Muscle Milk/Honda’s Justin Barcia when he lost his chain. In the end, RCH/Soaring Eagle/Suzuki’s Weston Peick also benefited from their misfortune and finished a strong fifth, while Stewart and Canard crossed the line in sixth and seventh.
Other notables from moto one were Troy Lee Designs/Honda rider Malcolm Stewart who finished eighth and Discount Tire Racing/Kawasaki’s Chad Reed who crossed the line in ninth in his first race back from injury. For both the #34 and the #22, a solid top-ten finish to start the year was exactly what they were hoping for.
250MX Moto 1
When the gate dropped on the first 250 moto of the year, most expected to see the Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki duo of Dean Wilson and Blake Baggett near the front, but both former champs were more towards the middle of the pack. Instead, it was the youngsters at the front with the sophomore professional, Star Racing/Yamalube/Yamaha rider Jeremy Martin, leading the charge. With the Champiosnhip favorites buried in the pack, #19 spent the next fifteen laps building a lead, building his confidence and building a professional resume that now includes an outdoor national win. Jeremy checked out to more than a twenty-second lead and cruised home with fifteen seconds in the end.
With Yamaha not having an overall win in the 250 class for ten years, I guess they thought they would increase their chances with a 1-2 finish in moto 1. Finishing in second in moto one was Jeremy’s Star Racing/Yamalube/Yamaha teammate Cooper Webb. While Martin made life easy for himself with the holeshot-and-check-out method, Webb went about it totally different. Webb rounded the first-turn around twentieth, checked in after lap one in eleventh and fought his way up to finish second. It was a huge statement by the #37 and one that his competitors were likely to hear loud and clear.
Finishing with the last spot on the moto podium was Rockstar/KTM’s Jason Anderson. Like Cooper, Jason got there the hard way and did so by following Webb forward from the back of the pack. Anderson is not known for his motocross skills, so this was a huge step forward for the 250SX West Champion. Both Anderson and his Supercross rival, Troy Lee Designs/Honda’s Cole Seely—who finished fourth in moto 1—started the year off proving to themselves more than anyone else that they can run up front outdoors.
Rounding out the top five was GEICO/Honda’s Justin Bogle. Justin was followed in by the guys who many think are the 2014 Championship favorites. Finishing sixth, seventh and eighth were Wilson, Valli/Yamaha’s Christophe Pourcel and Baggett. Between the three of them, there are two 250 AMA Motocross Championships, two runner up finishes in the 250 AMA Motocross Championships and an MX2 World Championship. While it was only moto one of the Championship, this was not the start these three former champions were looking for.
450MX Moto 2
With the opening motos and butterflies now behind them, it was time to get the second motos underway. When the dust cleared from Talladega turn in the second 450 moto, it was Roczen leading the pack. He was closely followed by his KTM teammate, Dungey, and the Honda duo of Barcia and Canard. In the early laps, it was all Roczen with Dungey falling slightly off the pace and the Red Riders losing sight of the two KTMs. Early on, Roczen looked poised to get his first 450 moto win and do exactly what he did back at Anaheim 1: win the opener. In the first moto, Roczen finished second to Grant, but in moto two, Grant got a horrible start, crashed and remounted last before fighting back to finish fifteenth in the final moto.
With Grant out of the picture, Dungey was the only one that could stop the rookie from winning the first national of the year. At the midway point of the moto, Roczen had about a four-second lead, and on lap nine, Dungey began to turn up the heat. The #5 hacked away at his teammate’s lead, and for the last four laps, it was a chess match that came down to who could negotiate the lappers better. When the white flag waved, Roczen had a little over a second lead, but with two turns to go, Dungey made his move and made it stick. It was an aggressive move, but considering the former champ’s options, it was the only move. In the end, Dungey’s 3-1 edged out Roczen’s 2-2 for the first win of the year and set the stage for a gnarly twenty-four moto fight between teammates.
The two KTM riders were in a league of their own in moto t-wo, and you had to count to thirty to find the battle for third between Barcia and Canard. Early on, it was Bam Bam with the spot, but it was Trey making a pass and securing the final spot in the top three. All day Trey showed awesome speed, and when all the points were tallied, Trey’s 7-3 score was enough to put him on the overall podium for the day. Barcia did hold on for fourth in moto two, but his mechanical DNF in the first moto left him back in thirteenth overall on the day.
Finishing in fourth and fifth overall were Metcalfe and Grant. Metty ended up grabbing fifth in moto two. That, combined with his fourth in moto one, gave him the first spot off the box. Fourth overall was a solid debut for the Australian who is filling in for the injured champ, Villopoto.
250MX Moto 2
Heading into the second 250 moto of the day, the burning question was, could the Yamaha kids back up their moto one performance? Well, it did not take long to get an answer. Jeremy Martin again grabbed a great start and, again, simply checked out. At a rate of three seconds plus a lap, the #19 waved bye bye to Baggett who was running second early in the moto. For a while, most watching were sure we would see the #4 pour it on late and catch Martin, but by lap eight, Martin had a twenty-second lead, and any hope of a Chupacabra sighting had vanished. Like in moto one, moto two was the Jeremy Martin show and an impressive show at that. After building his comfortable lead, he cruised in for a twenty-one second win and a dominating 1-1 statement on the day.
Behind Martin, Baggett looked to have a firm grasp on second for much of the second moto, but the other Yamaha youngster, was looking to finish his opening round statement as well. After slowly reeling in Baggett, Webb pounced on him on lap ten and locked down the Star Yamaha 1-2 sweep on day with his 2-2 score. You could see after the race that Webb was a little disappointed that he had let his teammate get so far away, but in the end, it was a huge day for his confidence and the Star Racing/Yamalube/Yamaha team.
Behind the Yamaha boys, Baggett crossed the line in third in moto two, but his eighth place in moto one only netted him fourth overall. The last spot on the overall podium went to Mr. Seely. The #21 scored his second-ever podium outdoors and took a huge step forward in proving to himself that he’s not just a supercross guy. The way the top-three played out today was full of surprises, but for me, Seely’s 4-4 score was probably the biggest surprise of them all.
Finishing fifth in moto two and fifth overall on the day was the Frenchman Pourcel. Overall, we think Pourcel accomplished what he wanted to today. The #377 showed his speed by qualifying first overall early in the day and finished both motos with solid 7-5 scores. After more than a year away from the sport, it was a consistent performance from the former champion, and don’t think for a minute he’s not still a contender for this title. Like the Championship, he’s just getting warmed up.
See you at Hangtown!
Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship
Red Bull Glen Helen National
Glen Helen Raceway – San Bernardino, California
May 24, 2014
Round 1 of 12
450 Class (Moto Finish)
1. Ryan Dungey, Belle Plaine, Minn., KTM (3-1)
2. Ken Roczen, Germany, KTM (2-2)
3. Trey Canard, Shawnee, Okla., Honda, (7-3)
4. Brett Metcalfe, Australia, Kawasaki (4-5)
5. Josh Grant, Riverside, Calif., Yamaha, (1-15)
6. Andrew Short, Colorado Springs, Colo., KTM (6-9)
7. James Stewart, Haines City, Fla., Suzuki (6-6)
8. Malcom Stewart, Haines City, Fla., Suzuki (8-8)
9. Jake Weimer, Rupert, Idaho, Kawasaki (10-7)
10. Chad Reed, Australia, Kawasaki (9-10)
450 Class Championship Standings
1. Ryan Dungey, Belle Plaine, Minn., KTM 45
2. Ken Roczen, Germany, KTM 44
3. Trey Canard, Edmond, Okla., Honda 34
4. Brett Metcalfe, Australia, Kawasaki 34
5. Josh Grant, Riverside, Calif., Yamaha 31
6. Andrew Short, Colorado Springs, Colo., KTM 30
7. James Stewart, Haines City, Fla., Suzuki 26
8. Malcom Stewart, Haines City, Fla., Suzuki 25
9. Jake Weimer, Rupert, Idaho, Kawasaki 24
10. Chad Reed, Australia, Kawasaki 23
250 Class (Moto Finish)
1. Jeremy Martin, Millville, Minn., Yamaha (1-1)
2. Cooper Webb, Morehead City, N.C., Yamaha (2-2)
3. Cole Seely, Newbury Park, Calif., Honda (4-4)
4. Blake Baggett, Grand Terrace, CA, Kawasaki (8-3)
5. Christophe Pourcel, France, Yamaha (7-5)
6. Justin Bogle, Cushink, Ok., Honda (5-9)
7. Matt Bisceglia Tualatin, OR, Honda (11-7)
8. Marvin Musquin, France, KTM (10-8)
9. Jessy Nelson, Paso Robles, CA, Honda (15-6)
10. Jason Anderson, Rio Rancho, NM, KTM (3-31
250 Class Championship Standings
1. Jeremy Martin, Millville, Minn., Yamaha – 50
2. Cooper Webb, Morehead City, N.C., Yamaha – 44
3. Cole Seely, Newbury Park, Calif., Honda – 36
4. Blake Baggett, Grand Terrace, CA, Kawasaki – 33
5. Christophe Pourcel, France, Yamaha – 30
6. Justin Bogle, Cushink, Ok., Honda – 28
7. Matt Bisceglia Tualatin, OR, Honda – 24
8. Marvin Musquin, France, KTM – 24
9. Jessy Nelson, Paso Robles, CA, Honda – 21
10. Jason Anderson, Rio Rancho, NM, KTM – 20
