By Aaron Hansel and Chase Stallo
Fading Away
Talking about Eli Tomac’s shot at taking home a 450 National Championship in 2016. Yes, there are eight rounds left in the season, but through the first four Ken Roczen’s game has been airtight. Tomac, not so much. His starts were killing him at the first three rounds, but he got off the gate well in both motos at High Point and still wasn’t able to challenge Roczen. In fact, thanks to a first moto crash, he didn’t even end up on the podium! There is no more room for error—Tomac’s got to start putting together some 1-1's if he wants to overcome Roczen’s 41-point lead. –Aaron Hansel
Better Late Than Never
Justin Barcia hasn’t been as good as we’ve seen him in the past so far, but he had his best day of the season last week at High Point, going 7-5 for fifth overall. True, he got passed by a few guys after ripping a big holeshot in the second moto, but at least he landed inside the top five. And let’s not forget last season, when Barcia started catching fire and winning races at the season’s halfway point. Could this be the beginning of another climb to the top for Barcia? -Hansel
Zach Attack
Zach Osborne has been really fast this season, but his speed didn’t fully show up on paper at the first three rounds. There were some good results, but the pieces of the podium puzzle just weren’t quite coming together for him, despite having the outright speed to get it done. Well, that changed at High Point when Osborne won the first moto and tied for the overall win with Joey Savatgy. The win went to Savatgy, who did better in the second moto, but a career first moto win is still a big deal for Osborne. We’ll see if he can back it up with another podium ride at Muddy Creek. -Hansel
Step it Up
Is exactly what lone Red Bull KTM rider Marvin Musquin did at High Point after the team lost Ryan Dungey to injury at Thunder Valley. Musquin was excellent, going 2-4 for third overall, his best result all season. It shouldn’t come as a huge surprise though—Musquin has traditionally done very well at High Point. He’s done well at Muddy Creek too. He won there in 2013, and took fifth and second in ’14 and ’15. Look for Musquin to be battling for another podium this weekend in Tennessee. –Hansel
Best, and Worst, of Times
Alex and Jeremy Martin sure have had some big ups and downs this season. They were one and two at Glen Helen, but at High Point they each DNF’d a moto after developing what appeared to be the exact same mechanical problem. The good news is there’s still plenty of time for both of them to catch back up to championship leader Joey Savatgy. Jeremy trails by 24 points, while Alex faces a 30-point deficit. We’ll see if those numbers shrink in Tennessee. -Hansel
AC Trying to Build
The tweet of the year came from Monster Energy/Pro Circuit Kawasaki’s Adam Cianciarulo last weekend. Shortly after the second 250 moto, which saw him led for four laps before eventually dropping back to eleventh, AC, holding nothing back, sent out the following: “Please return my parachute to the PC tent ASAP.” It garnered laughs from his more than 90,000 followers, but things turned serious after the race, when he talked about how hard it’s been to come back from injuries and trying to build while also living up to the hype created after a brilliant amateur career. “The thing with me is I cannot stand getting my ass kicked. It’s not even that I’m riding over my head; just I think every now and again it comes into my head like, man, what are you doing?” Adam is again dealing with a minor shoulder injury, and again trying to build, which is hard to do when you enter with so much promise. –Chase Stallo
Weather
Summer has set in with its usual ruthlessness—a steamy mixture of suffocating heat and humidity. And for the first time in the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship, it will be a factor. The forecast is calling for a high of 92 degrees with 52 percent humidity on race day. This is the time of year that separates those that have been putting in the work from those who haven’t. With Florida serving as a home base for most riders during the East Coast stint, the humidity may not deplete riders like it has in the past—but it will certainly be a factor. –Stallo
The Start
There may not be a start on the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross schedule that punishes riders as much as Muddy Creek. A short uphill start that bends into a tight left turn can quickly turn the tide of your moto. As Jason Thomas explained in his Staging Area column yesterday, a bad start is further compounded by a track that is very difficult to pass on and feels very narrow. Who will get off the gate on Saturday? –Stallo
Stopping Roczen?
Ken Roczen is off to the best start in his 450 career. In his third full season in the class, the 2014 450MX champion has won 7 of 8 motos, three overalls (from four), led an amazing 117 laps of a possible 130 and has a commanding forty-one point lead over second place. Earlier this week we compared the first four rounds of his 2014 season, where he won the title, to this year, which you can check out below. Roczen is rolling right now, can anyone stop him? –Stallo
| 2014 | 2016 | |
| Overall Wins | 2 | 3 |
| Moto Wins | 3 | 7 |
| Laps Led | 59 | 117 |
| Points Lead | 16 | 41 |
Lone Man
With Jason Anderson expected to miss the next 6-8 weeks, Christophe Pourcel is left to carry the Rockstar Husqvarna flag. Pourcel broke out of an early season slump last weekend at High Point—a track he’s excelled out in the past—and Muddy Creek seems to be up his alley as well. Will we continue to see Pourcel improve—and possibly land a podium? With the recent rash of injuries to the class, the stage is open. –Stallo
