MX with Podium Finish
 
August 10, 2019 | Unadilla MX | Unadilla, N.Y.
Foothill Ranch, Calif. (August 11, 2019) – Round 10 of the 2019 AMA Pro Motocross Championship returned after a weekend off for the 50th Anniversary of Unadilla motocross with Monster Energy®/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki rider Adam Cianciarulo adding another podium finish to his resume with a second-place overall after finishing 1-2 for the day and maintained a 28-point lead in the 250 class standings. Monster Energy Kawasaki rider Eli Tomac finished fourth overall and holds a 40-point lead in the 450 class championship points standings.
Weather at Unadilla MX typically consists of high humidity and a threat of rain. This year there were mostly sunny skies and the temperature never exceeded 70 degrees, providing ideal weather conditions for the 40-rider field. Cianciarulo capitalized on the ideal conditions and kicked the morning off by qualifying with the fastest lap time of 2:14.6, almost a full second ahead of the rest of his 250 class competition for pole position.
Moto 1 in the 250 class saw Cianciarulo jump out to a second-place start aboard his KX™250. As he continued to stalk the front-runner, Cianciarulo was able to capitalize on his mistake to take the lead on Lap 5. After being challenged by another competitor for a few laps, Cianciarulo kicked it up a notch to create some real estate between himself and second place. Cianciarulo led the remaining 11 laps, crossing the finish line 3.6 seconds ahead of his nearest contender to clinch his seventh moto win of the season.
As the gate dropped on Moto 2 for the 250 class, Cianciarulo would have another great start in second place. Despite his efforts to battle for the top position, Cianciarulo went on to finish in second, earning a 1-2 score for second overall. Cianciarulo would neither gain or loose any points on his nearest championship rival and maintains a 28-point advantage standings.
Teammate Garrett Marchbanks rode consistently for two solid motos and a top-10 overall finish in ninth (13-9).
Veteran Martin Davalos made his return to action this weekend after taking a few rounds off to allow his body to rest and fully recover from a lingering injury. Davalos started the day off by qualifying in 10th, but struggled in Moto 1 after a poor start in 24th. Managing to make his way around six other riders, Davalos finished 18th. Moto 2 saw a similar story as he started from the back in 18th, making his way around six others once again to finish 12th in the race for 14th overall.
   #92 Adam Cianciarulo
                              2nd (2-1)
  #61 Garrett Marchbanks
             9th (13-9)
#73 Martin Davalos
14th (18-12)

“Today wasn’t easy; the track was difficult and physically challenging but I know we were all out there with the same grueling conditions. The top spot is always the goal but I’m still pumped on the second overall. Two more, let’s do this!”

– Adam Cianciarulo

“The track was a tough one so I’m proud of what we were able to do and finish with another top-10 overall finish. This season has been a rollercoaster with many challenges, which I couldn’t do without the help and support of my Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki team. I continue to apply what I’m learning each week and we’re all looking forward to Budds next weekend.”

– Garrett Marchbanks
“It was good to get back out there and race this weekend. The team and I made the decision to take some time off and allow my body to fully recover and I believe it was the best thing for me. Obviously I have a lot of work to still do but it feels great to be back at what I love doing.”

– Martin Davalos
The first 450 class moto looked promising for Tomac as he launched his KX™450 out of the gate to grab the holeshot before dropping to second on the opening lap. Joey Savatgy got off to a good start in sixth, where he would ultimately go on to finish the moto after swapping positions multiple times. Tomac had a difficult time finding a rhythm on the tough Unadilla layout finishing seventh in the first moto.
Moto 2 saw both Kawasaki motorcycles up near the front as Tomac sat fifth and Savatgy sixth in the opening lap. Determined to find the podium in second moto, Tomac maneuvered his way around three other riders to go on and finish third, and his 7-3 moto scores would earn him fourth overall. Savatgy rode consistently earning another sixth-place moto finish for seventh overall (6-6) for the second round in a row.
#3 Eli Tomac
4th (7-3)
#17 Joey Savatgy
7th (6-6)
“Although my starts were much better and I even got the holeshot in Moto 1, today was tough. The track was challenging and my body was just physically exhausted so I struggled to find my flow in the first moto. I was able to come back in the second moto and finish strong. Of course today wasn’t my best result but we finished the day with a decent fourth overall. I’m healthy and in a good position heading into the last two rounds with the ultimate goal of winning the championship.”

– Eli Tomac
“It was a good day even with the rough track conditions. I had good starts in both motos; we went 6-6 for seventh overall for the second time in a row. I feel like we’re in a good place, but still have work to do. All in all, it’s forward progress and I’m looking forward to finishing out the season strong with these last two rounds.”
Author

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