JDR/J-Star/KTM Race Report: Oakland

January 29, 2012, 1:10pm

OAKLAND, Calif. – JDR/J-Star/KTM rider Matt Moss earned his career best finish when he earned 5^th overall at the Oakland Supercross.

Moss was placed in the first SX Lites heat race where he earned a mid-pack start around the first corner. He quickly moved around a few riders to move inside the top ten. After six laps, Moss passed two additional riders and qualified 8^th overall into the main event.

Moss’ teammate, Ryan Marmont, returned from injury at the Oakland Supercross and was placed in the second SX Lites heat. Marmont pulled a phenomenal start to round the first corner in 2^nd position. Unfortunately, his endurance is still lacking from the multiple injuries and time off the bike over the past few months so he slipped out of qualifying position. Marmont was sent to the LCQ where he held on for a 2^nd place finish to take the final transfer spot to the main event.

“I consider it a good night to qualify into the main event tonight,” stated Marmont. “I wasn’t able to ride much since hitting my head in a practice crash two weeks ago and it catches up to you fast. It was hard to hold on in my heat race and I am just glad I was able to qualify and will get a chance to compete in the main.”

When the gate dropped for the main event, Moss secured his best start this season when he nearly pulled the holeshot around the first corner. “I got a great jump off the gate and had the lead heading to the first corner but was slightly edged out by Martin Davalos,” remarked Moss. A decent start placed Moss inside the top five as the riders began to tackle the 15-lap main event.

Moss quickly moved into 4^th place where he remained throughout the first half of the race. Moss held a consistent pace and rode with little mistakes to maintain his top five placement. The farthest he dropped throughout the race was 6^th place which he quickly moved out of after capitalizing from a crash by Jason Anderson. He continued to move forward with a last minute pass on Davalos to regain 4^th position. “I started to ride a little tight with a few laps to go and I lost one position to Ryan Sipes which put me in 5^th place,” said Moss. “I’m still very excited with my finish and it gives me a confidence boost to know I can run up front. The goal from here out is to work toward a podium result.”

Marmont was not as fortunate in the main event and suffered a poor start and a crash near the mid-way point. He eventually finished the night in 19^th position.

Next Round: Anaheim, CA – February 4, 2012

Overall Results SX Lites Class –

Overall Point Standings SX Lites Class –

Eli Tomac – 88
Dean Wilson – 73
Zach Osborne – 67
Marvin Musquin – 64
Tyla Rattray – 60