Muddy Creek is a track I have raced many times. It was, and is, a mainstay of the amateur circuit, hosting Loretta Lynn’s qualifiers as well as their own regional series’ and one-off events for decades. Most of the American born stars of the sport turned laps at Muddy Creek long before they rode out onto the track as a professional. Sam Gammon’s rolling course is legendary for many who never made it to the pro ranks, but now its biggest claim to fame is the event it hosts this weekend—Lucas Oil Pro Motocross.
The eastern Tennessee countryside is marked by lush green hillsides and hard clay. That clay is coupled by the seemingly endless amounts of mulch and wood-chips that are brought in to add depth and moisture to the surface. Add in thousands of gallons of water, drop in a massive tractor disc, and what’s left is some of the best traction of the season. The dirt gets rutty and sticky but will also become very hard in the spots where the mulch is blown off. Some of the berms cut into the hillside will appear very shiny on television. That shine is a dead giveaway for the base, rock-hard clay that gives zero traction. Riders will tread lightly on those sections or avoid them altogether. Staying in the more pliable dirt will allow riders to be aggressive and also gives them predictability in their “feel.”
It’s key to understand how slippery Tennessee soil can be on the first lap of the motos. The track crew will water the track quite a bit to combat the 90-plus degree temperatures and when water sits on hard dirt, chaos ensues. That water will be absorbed within a few laps but on the opening lap, when riders are at their most vulnerable, things tend to go sideways. Ask Justin Barcia.
As for the track’s obstacles, there are a few signature jumps including the “Bomber” uphill triple and the big quad just after the finish line. There are also quite a few off-camber turns that keep riders on their toes. These off-camber turns seem to play a big role as riders like Marvin Musquin excel here with their great finesse and technique. The one “must” for this track, however, is getting a good start. This track is very difficult to pass on and feels very narrow when riding it. If any of the favorites blow it on the start, it will be a long day of eating roost and swallowing frustration.
Who’s Hot:
Ken Roczen is a good bet to be here every week with the way things are going. He is getting the holeshot or damn close every time, seemingly able to win without much fuss, and running up a huge points tally. It’s good to be Kenny right now.
Marvin Musquin finally showed the same level of riding that we saw at the halfway point of the supercross season. He has had a rough go since then, dealing with an injury and simply not riding all that well in recent weeks. Muddy Creek is another great track for Marv so look for another podium.
Joey Savatgy has won three out of four nationals. Yes, you read that correctly. If not for a strange performance at Glen Helen, he could have a massive points lead. Still, he has a nice lead and looks to be in charge for now.
Zach Osborne finally won a moto! A pro since 2005, he has had many close calls but finally sealed the deal in the first moto at High Point. Had he been able to pass Aaron Plessinger in the second moto, he could have won the overall, too. It was a good result for an even better guy.
Who’s Not:
Jason Anderson crashed this week and will be out for the foreseeable future (look for an official announcement shortly). My guess is we next see him at the Monster Cup, but hopefully he can make it back sooner.
Yamalube/Star Racing Yamaha suffered two DNF’s with their top two riders in the points. Both of their engines looked to suffer the same fate and the Martin brothers have to be seething.
Trey Canard has a disc problem in his back and doesn’t have a timetable yet for a return. I think he will be back fairly soon but with riders dropping like flies it’s a great time to be out there racking up podiums.
Jessy Nelson is dealing with a knee injury and for a rider capable of winning things are just not going well. If he was 100 percent he could be right in the mix of this title fight.
Josh Grant looks to be done for the season after battling a nagging ankle injury. I expect to see him back on the Monster Energy Kawasaki team for 2017.
Bold Predictions:
Ken Roczen goes 1-1. Bold.
Justin Barcia grabs a holeshot.
Mike Brown shows up to his hometown national and scores points in a moto for the 49th year.
John Dowd hears of Mike Brown’s Muddy Creek success and immediately takes his shirt off.
With the absence of Steve Matthes at Muddy Creek (he’s heading to the MXGP this weekend), Martin Davalos has the most upbeat, positive weekend of his existence.
Geoff Meyer writes that Steve Matthes is leaving America to cover MXGP full-time because that’s what Geoff Meyer does.
RJ Hampshire and Phil Nicoletti are responsible for the horrific weekends of several flaggers.
My Picks
250
Joey Savatgy
Jeremy Martin
Alex Martin
450
Ken Roczen
Eli Tomac
Marvin Musquin
