Blake Wharton was so close to winning the Indianapolis SX on Saturday night that he could practically see the celebratory champagne spraying through the air. Before he could take the first sip, he crashed himself right off the podium. The Rockstar Racing rider made an unforced error and literally handed the win to Red Bull KTM's Marvin Musquin. It was a cruel twist of fate for the likable Texan who would have been the first man in Monster Energy Supercross history to win a main event wearing #13.
Regardless, Musquin's win was well deserved. The Frenchman crashed in the first turn and was dead last on the exit. He never stopped charging forward, and—along with a couple of gifts in the form of other riders' mistakes—his perseverance was rewarded with a second-straight win.
Wharton crashed on the final lap, handing the win over to Marvin Musquin.
Simon Cudby photo
GEICO Honda's Wil Hahn also had problems early in the race, and he was not nearly as efficient in moving through the field. But he will still wear the red plate, and his lead actually grew by a couple of points with Dean Wilson's demise and Wharton's hitting that last-lap landmine. (Adding insult to injury was a four-spot penalty from the AMA for Wharton's resuming the race without completing the section in which he crashed.)
There was something else that transcended the results: The ride of Kyle Peters' life ended on that podium. And the smile on the face of the AG Motorsports Honda team's upstart was brighter than the pre-race fireworks that set the tone for the night. Seeing a young rider like Kyle Peters reach the podium for the first time and then take his helmet off to introduce himself to the world is one of the best moments in motocross, and it was definitely the best moment on Saturday night inside the jam-packed Lucas Oil Stadium.
The smile on Kyle Peters' face says it all.
Simon Cudby photo
