Feature photo by: Octopi
The 2019 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship went to Crawfordsville, Indiana for the 2019 Ironman National finale, and it was Monster Energy / Kawasaki’s Eli Tomac capping off his third-straight Championship with the overall win in the 450MX class. Eli was joined on the 450 podium by HRC / Honda’s Ken Roczen (2nd) and Rockstar / Husqvarna’s Zach Osborne (3rd).
In the 250SX Class, Monster Energy / Pro Circuit / Kawasaki’s Adam Cianciarulo locked down his first-ever 250MX AMA Motocross Championship with a 3rd overall, while Monster Energy / Star Racing / Yamaha’s Dylan Ferrandis won the day with a 1-1 at the finale.
After the racing was over, we gathered numerous quotes from riders about their final outdoor national of 2019.
Eli Tomac: (1st in 450MX) “What an incredible day and season it’s been. I came here this weekend feeling fortunate we were able to secure the championship already; that really took all the weight off my shoulders. My goal was to run my race, finish strong and remain healthy, it was just icing on the cake to finish the last round with the overall win. I’m still on cloud nine and can’t thank the entire Monster Energy Kawasaki team enough for everything they have provided me with this year in order to bring home our third championship.”
Dylan Ferrandis: (1st in 250MX) “I’m happy to finish the season on a high note with a 1-1 at Ironman. Overall I had a pretty good day. For sure I was secretly hoping to get this championship, even if the points gap between AC (Adam Cianciarulo) and I going into the finale was too big. We had good battle all the season together and we finished the season strong, so no regrets. Shoutout to all my team, the Monster Energy Star Yamaha Racing Team. All the guys were working really hard. Also, my trainer, DV (David Vuillemin), my wife and everybody around that was helping me from close, and afar. Thank you, guys.”
Ken Roczen: (2nd in 450MX) “This season has been tough. We had a lot of ups and downs but I’ve also checked off and accomplished some goals, including finishing the whole year, battling for wins and getting back to 1-1 at Unadilla. I tried to ride my heart out this year, gave it my all each weekend and never backed down, which is important to me. Overall today was good though, finishing second on the day. The first moto was crazy; we were going 100% the whole race. I had Eli [Tomac] and Marvin [Musquin] on me almost the whole time, so it made for a three-way battle, which hasn’t happened too much this year; it was cool to race it but also exciting for the fans. It was a bummer to give up the win in the final laps but the track was really gnarly and I just made some mistakes. I just wanted to go out in the second moto again and just fight hard. I think this year will set us up good for 2020 but in the meantime, I’m looking forward to a much-needed break.””
Justin Cooper: (2nd in 250MX) “The intensity was high all day. I realized that Dylan had a 1-1 going, so even if I got him it wouldn’t really do much for the overall. The win would have been good for my confidence, but he was riding good. I got up to him and I didn’t really have a spot picked out to pass him. We were both riding good, pushing each other. It was a good way to finish the season. I was hoping to get the win and gave it all I had. The bike was awesome all day and we ended things on a good note which is important. We’ve made good improvements all year, now it’s time to go back to work and prepare for probably the biggest race of my life coming up, the Motocross of Nations. I’m going over there to represent my country successfully. I can’t wait for that.”
Adam Cianciarulo: (3rd in 250MX) “The road to this championship has been a journey. I grew up in the Team Green program and many people had such high expectations but because of injuries, I’ve been unable to fulfill those expectations until now. I wouldn’t change a thing though. I have learned so much, grown as a person and appreciate this moment more than I could have imagined. I’m just so emotional thinking about this accomplishment my entire Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki team and I have achieved; we have worked so hard for this and I really put my mind to it. I wanted this title so badly, now it’s time to celebrate!””
Zach Osborne: (3rd in 450MX) “It’s super nice to end on a high with the last race of the season and carry some decent momentum into the Motocross of Nations. I’m on a bike that I feel really, really good about and I think that Jason [Anderson] and I have a really good plan to go over there and continue our success from the season. All-in-all, a really good rookie 450 season.”
Joey Savatgy: (4th in 450MX) “Today was an incredible feeling. I finally feel like I was where I’m supposed to be, running up front. I’ve been able to put together decent motos in the last couple of rounds, but I was just feeling it today and the team set me up with an excellent bike to match it.””
Justin Barcia: (5th in 450MX) “In the first moto, I got to a pretty good start but struggled a little bit. I just couldn’t get a good flow on the track, so I was a little bit frustrated with my ride. We made some bike changes before the second moto, and it definitely made a positive change. It showed because I charged the whole moto and nearly caught up to the podium position at the end of the race. All in all, it was a good ride. We had a good day. All that hard work started paying off at the end of the season. I’m sad that it’s over now, but we’ll just keep working on getting ready for the Monster Cup and the upcoming Supercross season.”
Jason Anderson: (6th in 450MX) “I feel like it was a very mediocre day, but all-in-all I’m happy to come out of the season healthy. Now we’ll look ahead to Motocross of Nations. I’m looking forward to going over there and ripping it up!”
Michael Mosiman: (5th in 250SX) “It was a good season for me overall. Today, it was a really solid day. I started out P1 in the first qualifying session and I felt really good all day. I’m stoked with how far we’ve come and where we’ve ended up this season and I hope to carry it into next year.”
Dean Wilson: (7th in 450MX) “Today was a good effort for me. Both races I pushed to the checkered and tried my best. This a track that I struggle with, so to end the season on that note, it’s okay for me. I’m healthy and looking forward to 2020.”
Marvin Musquin: (9th in 450MX) “In the first moto, I charged hard to get around [Eli] Tomac and the lap after I passed [Ken] Roczen and it was just awesome. To me, it was the best moto of the year. In the second moto, I was maybe charging too hard off the start and I came into that left-hander too hot and couldn’t slow down enough. Zach [Osborne] was ahead of me and I couldn’t avoid him and I basically landed on him in that little turn and I couldn’t avoid that. Unfortunately, I crashed and tweaked my knee so I couldn’t keep going. It was a bummer, I wanted to finish on a high note and also secure my second place in the championship, but unfortunately, I lost that. Right now, there’s nothing we can do for it but we’ve got some time off.”
Alex Martin: (6th in 250MX) “Indiana was a solid weekend. I had decent speed in the morning qualifying practice sessions. I was bummed about my start in the first moto. I completely butchered it! Oddly enough, it was the best I felt in a first moto all year. I charged up to sixth place. My start was better in the second moto, but I struggled to find a flow and seek out good lines. I finished sixth overall in the points standings. There are lots of positives to take into next year!”
Garrett Marchbanks: (9th in 250MX) “It’s been a challenging season, but I’m proud to have officially wrapped up my second Pro Motocross season. I continue to learn and grow as a person and an athlete, and I look forward to continue working with the team to find even more success.”
Freddie Noren: (10th in 450MX) “It was a decent last race of the season for me, considering that I’m struggling with an injured shoulder. I was able to ride okay in both motos and finish tenth overall for the day. I’m happy to earn eighth overall in the points standings. I know that I have more potential in me, so I’m looking forward to the future. I want to give a big thanks to the JGRMX/Yoshimura/Suzuki Factory Racing Team for taking me in and giving me their best, as well as the best equipment in the world! I am super excited to have been given the chance”
Ty Masterpool: (11th in 250MX) “It’s been a successful rookie season. I learned a lot every race which is a big deal for my first motocross season. I’m honored to win Rookie of the Year and I’m already looking forward to building on my experience for next season.”
Jordan bailey: (14th in 250MX) “The day started off well, I qualified fifth in the first session and 10th overall on the day. The first moto, I got a really bad start and came back to 13th. In the second moto, I got a so-so start, got up to 10th and hit a wall and got passed by a few guys and ended up 15th, which isn’t ideal but we made it through the entire season healthy so I look forward to whatever is next.”
Martin Davalos: (16th in 250MX) “There have been a lot of ups and downs and a few challenges I’ve had to overcome this year. I wanted to make sure and give it my all today for my last 250 class ride. I can’t thank Mitch and the team enough for everything they do to support me. They are and have always been in my corner and now I’m just looking forward to what‘s next.””
Enzo Lopes: (17th in 250MX) “I really liked the track layout this year. It developed well as the day wore on. I felt solid in practice and had a good mentality going into the motos. I struggled to find a rhythm in the early laps of the first moto, but found a better pace in the late stages. I had an okay start in the second moto and battled with some fast guys. Then, about halfway through the moto, my body shut down. I didn’t have any strength in my legs or arms. That shouldn’t have happened, because I train really hard. All I can do now is put my head down and focus on 2020. I’m grateful that the team was able to help me race the final two Nationals. We deserved better results than what I achieved, but it wasn’t for a lack of trying. ‘The Kid’ never gives up. I’ll be back!”
Kyle Peters: (20th in 250MX) “It was a great feeling to grab a big holeshot in the first moto and lead the pack for a lap. The pace didn’t seem too crazy for me, but obviously the title contenders were going fast. While running third I twisted my knee and dropped back. It was the same knee I had surgery on last year, so obviously I was immediately worried. The season coming to a conclusion is happening at a good time, because I need to let my body recover from some lingering issues.”
Thomas Covington: (23rd in 250MX) “It was obviously not a great weekend in the big picture but there are a lot of positives to take from it. I’m just kind of building myself back up and I stayed pushing through both motos until the end, so I’m happy I was able to do that physically.”
