Jagermeister/KTM Motocross Race Report – Thunder Valley
Lakewood, CO – Round 5 of the Lucas Oil AMA Motocross National Championship Series kicked off at Thunder Valley Raceway early Saturday morning. In addition to the typical motocross crowd, approximately 150 KTM fans were trackside as part of the KTM/FMF MX Fan Experience Program to cheer on Jagermeister/KTM rider Mike Alessi in his quest for the 450 Motocross Championship Title.
Alessi had a good start to his day turning fast lap times in both practice sessions to qualify 5th fastest heading to the main event. In moto one, Alessi had an untypical bad start and was mid-pack around the first turn. He passed by a few riders and was sitting in 8th after the first few turns but bobbled and allowed them to pass back by. At the end of the first lap he sat in 9th position.
On lap three, Alessi made a mistake that dropped him to 12th place. He quickly caught back up and passed as high up as 9th before he crashed around the halfway point of the moto. His crash pushed him back to 12th where he would finish the race. "I am definitely disappointed in my first moto result. I was riding really tight and struggled in a few sections. It is not the result I was aiming for and I will be making some changes heading to the second moto," remarked Alessi after the first race.
The second moto was a definite improvement for Alessi. He finished the first lap in 7th where he remained for the first four laps as the tail end of a four-rider train for 3rd position. On lap five, 4th place rider Kyle Regal fell and handed a position to Alessi to move him into 6th position. The next lap, 5th place runner Tommy Hahn encountered a problem and dropped back allowing Alessi to pass by and start to gain ground on the top four. The remainder of the moto Alessi kept 4th place runner Brett Metcalfe in his sights. He closed the gap a few times but wasn’t able to make the pass and settled for 5th position. "I was much happier with my second moto result today but it definitely still wasn’t where I want to be. I am really looking forward to the next round at Red Bud. I have always liked that track and feel very confident on that track. I hope to turn things around next weekend."
FMF/KTM 250 Motocross rider Tommy Searle did not race Thunder Valley as he is at home recovering from a shoulder injury. It is undetermined at this time when he will return. Although Searle did not race the event, two KTM privateer riders made the main. Killy Rusk aboard a KTM 250 SX-F with KTM Factory Services motor work finished an impressive 13th overall with 15-14 moto scores while fellow KTM rider Tevin Tapia finished 23rd overall for the day.
Jagermeister/KTM Women’s Pro rider Sarah Whitmore had her best showing of the season. She had great starts in both motos battling for a podium position for the first half of moto one, to eventually finish 6th. The second Women’s Pro moto started right as the rain did and the female riders toughed it out in the muddy conditions. Whitmore got a 3rd place start and battled with Sara Price for the majority of the moto eventually getting by after Price stalled in a corner. Whitmore held 3rd place for a lap before Vicki Golden snuck in and took over the position dropping Whitmore to 4th. Whitmore’s 6-4 moto scores earned her 5th overall for the day. "I was so close to a podium today and felt the best I have all season. My results today have really helped my confidence. I am excited for the next round in Red Bud, it is my hometown race and I would love to be on the podium in front of my family and friends," remarked Whitmore.
Overall Results 450 Moto
1. Ryan Dungey (2-1)
2. Ben Townley (6-2)
3. Brett Metcalfe (4-4)
4. Josh Grant (1-10)
5. Andrew Short (8-3)
6. Kyle Regal (9-6)
7. Kyle Chisholm (7-8)
8. Mike Alessi (12-5)
9. Chad Reed (10-7)
10. Justin Brayton (13-9)
Overall Results Women’s Moto
1. Jessica Patterson (1-1)
2. Ashley Fiolek (5,2)
3. Sara Price (2-6)
4. Jacqueline Strong (3-5)
5. Sarah Whitmore (6-4)
6. Vicki Golden (9-3)
7. Tarah Geiger (4-7)
8. Alexah Pearson (8,8)
9. Mariana Balbi (7-13)
10. Erica Cook (12-9)