The 2012 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing came to a close this past Saturday at Lake Elsinore Motocross Park in Lake Elsinore, CA with Team Honda Muscle Milk's Ashley Fiolek clinching her fourth WMX championship and Justin Brayton putting together a noteworthy second moto to take sixth overall. Muscle Milk- sponsored GEICO Honda's Justin Barcia concluded his 250 class career on a high note, grabbing the win in moto two for second overall and second in the championship before moving up to the 450 class.
The Race
In the 450 class, Team Honda Muscle Milk's Justin Brayton got a good start in moto one but went down early in the race, which sent him towards the back of the pack. He was able to recover and make his way back up to 12th. In moto two, Brayton put together a solid ride, launching off to a top five start and riding hard the entire 30-minute-plus-two-lap race to finish fifth and earn sixth overall.
In the 250 class, GEICO Honda teammates Justin Barcia and Eli Tomac both put together one last charge for the championship but ultimately came up short finishing second and third in the points chase. Barcia lead early in moto one but the heat got the best of him and he settled for third. In the second race he grabbed the holeshot and quickly opened up a gap on the rest of the field. He took the win in his last career 250 race, ending the season in second overall.
"The first moto was pretty tough," stated Barcia. "I rode good for most of the race but the heat was brutal and kind of got the best of me towards the end. In the second moto, I got the holeshot, put down some good laps and set it on cruise control. It's awesome to be able to end my 250 career with a moto win. It's really emotional for me but am excited to move up to the 450 class with Team Honda Muscle Milk."
Eli Tomac finished third overall for the year after posting 2-14 scores. In the first race Tomac put together a late moto charge to finish second. Then a crash early in moto two left him at the back of the pack forcing him to make his way through the field. He charged his way up to 14th for seventh overall. Teammate Wil Hahn had his best race of the year putting together two solid rides for fourth overall with 5-4 finishes. "This is the best finish I have had all season so I'm kind of bummed it took me till the last round to do it," said Hahn. "I got two solid starts which really helped, then just focused on riding smooth and consistent."
In the WMX finale, Team Honda Muscle Milk's Ashley Fiolek clinched her fourth championship title with her 2-3 scores. Knowing exactly what kinds of results she needed to secure the championship, Fiolek got the holeshot in moto one and lead early before relinquishing one spot to finish second. In moto two she grabbed another good start and rode a consistent race to finish third, which was enough to clinch the title.
The Focus: VP Racing Fuels
This marks the 11th year that VP Racing Fuels has been a Honda racing team sponsor. VP's experience in blending championship-winning fuels dates back 32 successful years, and in addition to its Motocross and Supercross titles with Team Honda, the company also boasts several NHRA Pro Stock titles, plus championships in off-shore, off-road, circle-track and aviation competition.
450 Class Overall Results
1. Ryan Dungey 1-1
2. Mike Alessi 2-2
3. Broc Tickle 3-3
4. Tyla Rattray 4-4
5. Jake Weimer 5-9
6. Justin Brayton (Honda) 12-5
7. Christian Craig (Honda) 7-10
8. Andrew Short (Honda) 8-13
9. Ben LaMay 10-12
10. Weston Peick 13-11
450 Class Championship Points (after 12 of 12 rounds)
1. Ryan Dungey 580
2. Mike Alessi 453
3. Jake Weimer 355
4. Andrew Short 354
5. Broc Tickle 349
6. Josh Grant 277
7. Justin Brayton 247
8. Kyle Chisholm 211
9. Davi Millsaps 176
10. Tyla Rattray 172
250 Class Overall Results
1. Blake Baggett 1-2
2. Justin Barcia (Honda) 3-1
3. Marvin Musquin 4-3
4. Wil Hahn (Honda) 5-4
5. Malcolm Stewart 7-6
6. Ken Roczen 6-7
7. Eli Tomac (Honda) 2-14
8. Blake Wharton 8-8
9. Jeremy Martin 10-10
10. Jessy Nelson (Honda) 9-13
250 Class Championship Points (after 12 of 12 rounds)
1. Blake Baggett 519
2. Justin Barcia 499
3. Eli Tomac 487
4. Ken Roczen 456
5. Marvin Musquin 406
6. Wil Hahn 316
7. Blake Wharton 265
8. Jason Anderson 238
9. Jessy Nelson 225
10. Travis Baker 193
WMX Class Overall Results
1. Chiara Fontanesi 1-1
2. Mariana Balbi 3-2
3. Ashley Fiolek (Honda) 2-3
4. Tarah Gieger (Honda) 5-5
5. Taylor Higgins 8-4
6. Jacqueline Strong 6-6
7. Alexah Pearson 9-7
8. Lindsey Palmer 12-8
9. Sade Allender 11-9
10. Hailey Larson 10-10
WMX Class Championship Points (after 8 of 8 rounds)
1. Ashley Fiolek 317
2. Tarah Gieger 302
3. Jessica Patterson 298
4. Mariana Balbi 269
5. Jacqueline Strong 236
6. Sara Pettersson 223
7. Alexah Pearson 175
8. Kasie Creson 174
9. Sade Allender 170
10. Amanda Brown 142
About Honda
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