Racer X - Motocross & Supercross NewsRacer X

  • Subscribe Now
  • Latest
  • Features
  • Breaking News

Racer X - Motocross & Supercross NewsRacer X

  • One Click Sign-In

    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    OR

    Sign in with your username and password

    • Sign In
  • Features
    • 10 Things
    • 30 Greatest AMA Motocrossers
    • 3 on 3
    • 250 Words
    • 450 Words
    • Between the Motos
    • Breakdown
    • Deals of the Week
    • GNCC Report
    • Great Battles
    • How to Watch
    • Injury Report
    • Insight
    • In the Mag, On the Web
    • Lockdown Diaries
    • Longform
    • MXGP Race Reports
    • My Favorite Loretta Lynn's Moto
    • Next
    • Observations
    • On This Day in Moto
    • Open Mic
    • Privateer Profile
    • Race Day Feed
    • Racerhead
    • Racer X Awards
    • Racer X Redux
    • Rapid Reaxtion
    • RX Exhaust
    • Saturday Night Live
    • Staging Area
    • The Conversation
    • The List
    • The Moment
    • Things We Learned at the Ranch
    • Unphiltered
    • Wake-Up Call
    • Where Are They Now
    • 50 Years of Pro Motocross
  • Multimedia
    • Podcasts
    • Photo Galleries
    • The Weege Show
    • Racer X Films
    • Video
    • SX Preview Shows
    • Factory Tech Tip
    • MX Preview Shows
    • Behind The Bars
    • Racer X Rapid News
  • Races
    • Series Schedules
    • TV Schedules
    • Results
    • Champions
    • Teams
    • 2022 Numbers
  • Results
    • Points Standings
    • Race Results
    • Riders
    • The Vault
    • Loretta Lynn's Vault
  • Shop
  • About Us
  • The Mag
    • Digital Magazine Bookstand
    • Customer Care
    • Current Issue
    • Newsletter
    • Store Locator
    • Subscribe
    • Free Stickers
    • Sell Racer X
  • Table of Contents
  • Subscribe Now
  • Latest
  • Features
  • Breaking News
Results Archive
GNCC
Hoosier
Articles
Overall Results
  1. Ben Kelley
  2. Trevor Bollinger
  3. Josh Toth
Full Results
XC2 Pro Results
  1. Lyndon Snodgrass
  2. Angus Riordan
  3. Liam Draper
Full Results
Supercross
Salt Lake City
Articles
450SX Results
  1. Jason Anderson
  2. Chase Sexton
  3. Justin Barcia
Full Results
250SX Showdown Results
  1. Nate Thrasher
  2. Hunter Lawrence
  3. Pierce Brown
Full Results
MXGP of
Italy
Articles
MXGP Results
  1. Tim Gajser
  2. Jeremy Seewer
  3. Maxime Renaux
Full Results
MX2 Results
  1. Jago Geerts
  2. Tom Vialle
  3. Stephen Rubini
Full Results
MXGP of
Sardegna
Articles
MXGP Results
  1. Calvin Vlaanderen
  2. Jorge Prado
  3. Glenn Coldenhoff
Full Results
MX2 Results
  1. Tom Vialle
  2. Jago Geerts
  3. Thibault Benistant
Full Results
Upcoming
GNCC
The John Penton
Sat May 21
Articles
Upcoming
Motocross
Fox Raceway 1
Sat May 28
Articles
Upcoming
Australian SX
Gillman
Sun May 29
Articles
Upcoming
MXGP of
Spain
Sun May 29
Articles
Full Schedule
Staging Area: Thunder Valley
Jason Thomas

Jason Thomas

Staging Area Thunder Valley

May 31, 2018 1:45pm
by: Jason Thomas
  • Home
  • Staging Area
  • 2018 Thunder Valley Track Analysis - Motocross

We get why you do what you do. We also get that chasing down the Thrill comes at a cost. So, we’ve got you covered. With an ever evolving range of products, including, neck braces, body armor, limb protection ,apparel, boots and shoes - whatever it takes to keep the committed Thrill seeker safer. Yours is a confidence game. And we’re in the business of making sure that you have the confidence and the equipment to push yourself faster, harder and further than you thought you could go. BECAUSE THAT’S WHERE THE THRILL LIES!

Advertisement | Advertise with Us
Lakewood, CO Thunder Valley Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship

Quite possibly my favorite round of the series, Lakewood, Colorado, hosts round three of the 2018 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship. The True Value Thunder Valley Motocross is a mouthful, but this track is a jaw-dropper for a first-timer.

The Rocky Mountain backdrop makes for one of the most picturesque tracks of the season, and metro Denver is only a stone’s throw away. Being so close to the city and also right off of a main highway means short drives for the industry, creating the most convenient round on the calendar, too. There are a lot of reasons to like this race, and we haven’t even talked about the track yet!

Built on the side of a mountain, the track winds up and down with several off cambers. The hard Colorado base has a long history of slippery, dusty days. Over the years, David Clabaugh and crew have added tons and tons of sand to the soil. That mix creates an ever-changing surface throughout race day. The morning qualifying sessions are soft and muddy, with that thick dirt keeping the track slow. The 6,000 feet of altitude adds to that struggle, killing horsepower for the bikes. As the track hardens up, though, that sand starts to blow off and speeds increase.

By moto time, the main line has hardened up and become brutally rough. That sand and clay mix forms nasty braking bumps and ruts on the downhills. Eli Tomac’s 2015 crash (and Stew’s in 2012, also) are great examples of how this track can jump up and bite riders. By the second moto, the track has hardened completely, and when watered, creates a slippery first few laps. Growing up on the traction-plentiful East Coast, I always struggled to find any comfort level in this scenario. The base dirt feels asphalt for the most part, and the water truck had me slipping and sliding all over the place. It took me until halfway or so to find my pace, and by then, the good guys were long gone. Watch for those with the comfort level to push when the track is still slick to make up lots of time in the early laps.

The altitude also wreaks havoc on rider fitness. I didn’t notice it too much during the races, but at the end of my qualifying laps, I was more winded than normal. Those qualifying laps are way above sustainable levels for heart rate and energy exertion, so removing available oxygen was noticeable. Sleeping was a little bit tougher, walking up the hills took a little more effort, and it took longer to recover in between motos. It’s not climbing Everest, but it’s a subtle extra difficulty that this round presents.

Questions I Want Answered

Week one to week two was a big jump forward for Roczen. What do we see in week three?

Can Eli keep the streak alive? 2015 was eerily similar, and we know how that went.

Who is ready to take the 250 Class reins?

Can Joey Savatgy find his Colorado magic?

Savatgy won at Thunder Valley in both 2016 and 2017.
Savatgy won at Thunder Valley in both 2016 and 2017. Rich Shepherd

Thunder Valley’s uphill start at altitude shows who has the engine and who doesn’t. All the HRC Hondas were impressive in 450 moto one on Glen Helen’s long start. Can Roczen put his Honda out front again, or will KTM and Husky starting prowess strike back?

When will the injured riders start reappearing? Justin Bogle, Cooper Webb, Dylan Ferrandis, Cameron McAdoo, Colt Nichols, Mitchell Harrison, and more are scheduled to return this summer.

Who’s Hot

Eli Tomac is four-for-four so far. He hasn’t even gotten good starts and he’s still unbeaten thus far.

Aaron Plessinger went 1-1 at Glen Helen and served notice that he is a real threat to this 2018 outdoor title.

Alex Martin ran up front all day and left with a second overall at GH.

Justin Cooper went 4-7 after setting the fastest lap in qualifying. He is going to be a podium threat when we go East.

Ken Roczen made huge strides and has to be feeling good about himself after such a short recovery.

Alex Martin grabbed second place at Glen Helen in front of his brother Jeremy. Will he make it to the podium again this weekend?
Alex Martin grabbed second place at Glen Helen in front of his brother Jeremy. Will he make it to the podium again this weekend? Rich Shepherd

Who’s Not

Blake Baggett hasn’t had much go right so far. His second moto ride without a grip earned my respect, though.

Christian Craig went from first to40th with his crash and now has a torn ACL for his troubles. Tough break for CC.

Jordon Smith is still trying to find his best form. He crashed in both motos at Glen Helen, taking away any chance for a good day.

As most of you know I crashed while leading the first moto yesterday. When I got up and tried to walk I felt a pop in my knee and knew right away what that meant. It was so hard to sit there and know my season was over. It was confirmed today after an mri and visit to @ocsportsdoc that I tore my acl and will need surgery. I can sit here and ask why me but instead I’m going to take this time off the bike to get better mentally and come back stronger and ready to fight for a championship. Thank you to everyone that has reached out and checked on me. Also huge thanks to the whole @honda_powersports_us team for the opportunity this year!

A post shared by Christian Craig (@christiancraig) on May 27, 2018 at 5:28pm PDT

Bold Predictions

Ken Roczen holeshots the first moto.

Joey Savatgy sets the fastest lap in qualifying.

Someone crashes big on the downhill just past the Fly Racing sign (same hill Tomac and Stew crashed on).

Approximately 99.9 percent of riders complain about their bike being slow in the altitude.

Blake Baggett presents Marvin with his lost grip from Glen Helen, making a matching set with the solo grip given to him in Foxborough.

A-Ray goes full send at some point during Saturday’s broadcast, scaring children and innocent onlookers.

Wil Hahn wins the 125 race and then asks the ladies to hit him up on MySpace.

Recommended Reading

  • How to Watch: Thunder Valley and More How to Watch: Thunder Valley and More June 1 - 11:10am
  • Thunder Valley Pre-Entry Lists Released Thunder Valley Pre-Entry Lists Released June 1 - 9:15am
  • Injury Report: Thunder Valley Injury Report: Thunder Valley June 1 - 9:00am
  • Jason Anderson Injured In Practice Crash [Update] Jason Anderson Injured In Practice Crash [Update] June 1 - 8:30am

My Picks

250

Jeremy Martin

Zach Osborne

Joey Savatgy

450

Marvin Musquin

Eli Tomac

Jason Anderson

  • Privateer Profile: Chris Alldredge Privateer Profile: Chris Alldredge 12:45pm
  • On This Day in Moto: May 31 On This Day in Moto: May 31 4:30pm
Presented by:
  • Instagram
  • Facebook
  • Youtube
  • Website
Read Now
July 2022 Issue Now Available
Get Racer X on your iPhone
Check out all the exclusive content this month on any device!
Read Now
The July 2022 Digital Issue Availalbe Now

Motocross & Supercross News - Racer X

122 Vista Del Rio Drive, Morgantown, WV 26508 | 304-284-0084 | Contact Us
©1999 - 2022 Filter Publications LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Terms of Use | Privacy Policy
designed at: Website DesignImpulse Studios