The seventh round of the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing, was hosted over the weekend at Spring Creek Motocross Park in Millville, Minnesota. For the second-consecutive week Honda had an impressive showing with Team Honda Muscle Milk's Justin Brayton nailing a fourth overall and GEICO Honda's Eli Tomac and Justin Barcia topping the 250 podium with 1-2 finishes.
The Race
After posting his best results of the season at RedBud, Brayton came to Spring Creek confident and looking for another podium. In the first 450 moto, he got a less-than-desirable start and put together an incredible come-from-behind run, working his way from mid-pack to fourth. After grabbing a better start in moto two, he ran a consistent race finishing fourth again to clinch fourth overall.
"Today was a good day for me; not on the podium where I want to be but I'm happy to be running up front where I belong," stated Brayton. "I got a bad start in moto one and had to spend most of the race making my way towards the front of the pack. In moto two, I got a better start and finished fourth for fourth overall."
Teammate Tommy Hahn returned this weekend after missing a few rounds due to an injury sustained in Colorado. In moto one he grabbed a top-10 start and rode solid the entire 30-minute-plus-two-lap race to finish a respectable seventh. Unfortunately, Hahn would not make it to moto two after suffering a severe allergy attack between motos.
For another consecutive week it was Muscle Milk-sponsored GEICO Honda teammates Eli Tomac and Justin Barcia out front in the 250 class, finishing the day 1-2 on the podium. Barcia grabbed the holeshot in moto one and lead a majority of the race until surrendering the top spot to finish second. Meanwhile, Tomac was forced to work his way through the pack and eventually finished third. In moto two, Barcia again nailed down the holeshot but was quickly passed by Tomac, who had gotten a better jump off the start. They battled it out with the rest of the front runners but Tomac came out on top, claiming the moto win by a whopping 23 seconds and clinching his third overall victory of the season. Barcia finished behind him in second for second overall. Wil Hahn finished a respectable sixth overall, while Justin Bogle ended the day with a solid eighth overall in his first race back from knee surgery.
"It is so awesome to be back on top of the podium," Tomac said. "The first moto felt like the most intense race of the season so far because we were all so close the whole time. I finished third, but had to come from behind after not getting the greatest start. In moto two, I was able to get out front early but was passed by Blake (Baggett). I focused on just staying consistent and applying pressure to him, which worked because he made a mistake and went down, allowing me to capitalize and take back the lead."
"The heat and humidity made it really tough today," stated Barcia. "We didn't have much time between races so we had to recover quick. The track was intense today and I pushed it has hard as I could. I am happy with second because consistency is everything but I obviously want to win."
The Focus: Showa Suspension
Honda and Showa have celebrated countless championships over the years and will bank on decades of experience to elevate the Red Riders to the podium in years to come. Showa is also an OE supplier to Honda (and other manufacturers as well), and its expertise in motocross suspension is very beneficial to the team.
450 Class Overall Results
1. Ryan Dungey 1-1
2. Mike Alessi 3-2
3. Jake Weimer 2-3
4. Justin Brayton (Honda) 4-4
5. Andrew Short (Honda) 5-6
6. Broc Tickle 12-5
7. Les Smith 11-9
8. Cole Thompson 15-7
9. Tyla Rattray 6-28
10. Christian Craig (Honda) 14-14
450 Class Championship Points (after 7 of 12 rounds)
1. Ryan Dungey 336
2. Mike Alessi 256
3. Jake Weimer 244
4. Andrew Short 209
5. Broc Tickle 187
6. Justin Brayton 167
7. James Stewart 151
8. Josh Grant 150
9. Brett Metcalfe 142
10. Kyle Chisholm 113
250 Class Overall Results
1. Eli Tomac (Honda) 3-1
2. Justin Barcia (Honda) 2-2
3. Blake Baggett 1-4
4. Ken Roczen 4-3
5. Blake Wharton 6-5
6. Wil Hahn (Honda) 5-7
7. Marvin Musquin 7-6
8. Justin Bogle (Honda) 10-8
9. Jason Anderson 8-10
10. Jake Canada 9-13
250 Class Championship Points (after 7 of 12 rounds)
1. Blake Baggett 315
2. Justin Barcia 297
3. Eli Tomac 281
4. Ken Roczen 273
5. Marvin Musquin 218
6. Wil Hahn 191
7. Blake Wharton 156
8. Jason Anderson 145
9. Jessy Nelson 128
10. Jake Canada 125
About Honda
American Honda Motor Co., Inc. is the sole distributor of Honda motorcycles, scooters, ATVs and MUVs in the U.S. American Honda's Motorcycle Division conducts the sales, marketing, and operational activities for these products through authorized Honda dealers. For more information on Honda products, go to powersports.honda.com.
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