The Monster Energy® Kawasaki team of Eli Tomac and Josh Grant finished strong after a day of slow starts at Glen Helen Raceway in San Bernardino, California this weekend for Round 2 of the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship.
At the start of Moto 1 fast qualifier Tomac crossed the line on Lap 1 in seventh with Grant in 15th. After five minutes Tomac had already moved into fifth position with Grant pushing forward into 10th. Ten minutes into the moto Grant had raced his way into ninth and Tomac up into fourth. Moments later the No. 3 made an impressive pass for third by railing the outside of a wide left handed berm earning the final podium position while Grant was able to cross the line in sixth.
The start of Moto 2 saw the No. 33 of Grant finishing the first lap in 11th with Tomac crossing the line in 14th. Five minutes into the moto Grant and Tomac latched together while they race towards the front, now in eighth and ninth respectively. With just over 20 minutes remaining the Kawasaki duo had worked up to sixth and seventh, this time with Tomac the frontrunner of the two. Just past the halfway mark Tomac placed his KX™450F on the inside of fourth place, took the position and began working on the final podium position. With eight minutes remaining he did just that with a strong pass through a rhythm section, followed by an inside line through the next right hander. Following suit Grant would make a pass late in the moto to move into sixth. At the checkers Tomac earned another podium position with a third place finish (3-3) and Grant’s 6-6 saw him end the day at his home track in sixth.
“The weekend went well,” said Tomac. “Practice started really well taking pole position. In the first moto I had a decent start and raced my way into third. In the second moto we made some small changes and it was an improvement. The score sheet said the same thing but I felt a lot more comfortable on my KX450F and I’m excited to bring that confidence and setup to Colorado next weekend.”
“Glen Helen went really well,” said Grant. “This is my local track and I always love it here. The track was pretty beat up today and it suited my well. I’m really happy that I was able to come away with a 6-6 for sixth overall, and I’ve put myself in a good position in the championship heading into Colorado next weekend.”
Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki rolled into Glen Helen Raceway looking to capitalize on the momentum earned at Round 1 of the Pro Motocross series. Joey Savatgy and his teammates Arnaud Tonus, Adam Cianciarulo and rookie Austin Forkner looked fast in qualifying with Forkner fastest in second practice and second overall. Forkner maintained that speed after the gate drop of Moto 1, sitting in fifth place at the end of Lap 1, with Cianciarulo in seventh and points leader Savatgy working towards the front from 16th. After 10 minutes the No. 214 of Forkner had moved his way into fourth place and by the half-way mark Cianciarulo and Tonus sat eighth and ninth respectively. With ten minutes remaining Forkner had raced his KX™250F into podium position while Savatgy continued making passes in 12th. At the checkers Forkner claimed the final podium position of third in the third moto of his professional career, while Savatgy climbed his way to an impressive ninth with Tonus in 10th and Cianciarulo in 11th.
At the start of Moto 2 Forkner again had a solid start, coming around Turn 1 in fourth with Savatgy close behind in eighth. By the end of the first lap Forkner was third, Savatgy ninth with Tonus and Cianciarulo in 14th and 15th respectively. With 18 minutes remaining Forkner continues to impress as he moved up to second, Savatgy up to eighth and Cianciarulo working up into 11th position. With just over 10 minutes remaining Forkner made a mistake, crashing at the top of the hill and relegating the No. 214 to sixth while Savatgy and Cianciarulo continued to push towards the front in seventh and 10th respectively. Forkner showed grit by giving it all he had and making a final pass before the checkers, ending the weekend in fourth overall with 3-5 moto finishes. Savatgy’s 9-7 earned the No. 37 seventh overall, Cianciarulo left Glen Helen with an 11th overall (11-14) with Tonus just behind in 12th (10-15).
“We’re improving,” said Cianciarulo. “Our starts improved a lot today and I felt strong for all 30 minutes in both motos. We’re continuing to look forward and build on each race.”
“I felt way better this weekend,” said Tonus. “Overall from the first practice to the end of the second moto I felt good. It’s such a relief to finally see improvements in myself and the bike.”
“Today was great,” said Forkner. “Practice went really well. When it came to the motos, I had two great starts and my first podium. In the second moto I felt much faster and was catching the lead group until I went down and finally ended fourth. Overall, to be beat by two, two-time champions isn’t bad at all… I learned a lot today and I’m looking forward to Colorado.”
“Today didn’t quite go our way,” said Savatgy. “We started the day off on the right foot by qualifying well but couldn’t quite get my starts dialed in, which hurt us in the long run. It’s a long season and this is only one race of many, so I’m looking forward to rebuilding and heading to Colorado.”
