By The Numbers

Going into the third and final main event, three riders were tired with four points each: Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Eli Tomac (1-3) and Adam Cianciarulo (2-2), and SmarTop/Bullfrog Spas/MotoConcepts Honda’s Malcolm Stewart (3-1). Cianciarulo took his first win in the 450 class (not officially) in the ninth Monster Energy Cup. Cianciarulo’s new career number is also nine, so maybe it was just meant to be? 

In his three starts at the event, Cianciarulo has raced in three different classes (Supermini 2011, All-Stars 2012, Cup Class 2019) and he's gotten an overall podium in all three (1st, 2nd, and 1st, respectively). Who got the overall win over Cianciarulo in the All-Stars race in 2012? Cooper Webb.

The final race was a good one, with Cianciarulo and Tomac trading strategies in the Joker Lane. Tomac took it early in hopes of beating his teammate around the track  on the next lap. However, AC preserved the win by logging the fastest Joker Lane lap of the night when he finished the last lap of the last main event in 1:05.507. Tomac did the joker Lane the previous lap, and his time was 1:06.745. Next fastest Joker Lane lap (that wasn't AC or Tomac) was Malcolm Stewart's 1:07.499 (on lap 10 of the first main event) and Benny Bloss' 1:08.607 in the third main event (lap nine).

Cianciarulo edged edged out his new teammate by 0.867 seconds in the final main event, so that quick time on his Joker Lane lap made all the difference. Check it out from his perspective here:

Cianciarulo also lead the most laps on the night, with 12 total. Vince Friese led the second most with eight total, Stewart led for six laps when he won the second main event, and Tomac led four laps when he won the first main event.

Three-time FIM Motocross World Champion Tim Gajser’s second attempt at racing the Monster Energy Cup went much better than the first go. Gajser recorded two top-five finishes, going 7-4-4 for fifth overall.

Justin Barcia and Eli Tomac each made their sixth start at the event. Chad Reed, who raced a Honda CRF450R made his fifth start at the event.

GEICO Honda’s Jeremy Martin returned to racing after 483 days after his crash at Muddy Creek Raceway in June 2018. Martin finished 6-6-14 for eighth overall.

After winning the LCQ,  Mike Alessi became the first two-stroke rider to qualify for the Cup class main events. He was on a YZ250 punched out to 325cc!

Only eight of the riders that competed in the night show Saturday competed in the event in 2018.

Privateer Justin Starling improved his 14th overall finish at the event in 2018 to an 11th overall finish at this year’s event. Starling finished 14-10-9.

Three years in a row Benny Bloss has finished seventh in the third main event. In his three years racing in the Cup class, Bloss has improved one overall spot. In 2017 he finished 7-8–7 (for ninth overall); 2018 was 9-8–7 (for eighth overall); and this year he finished 9-7-7 (seventh overall). This was Bloss’ last race for the Rocky Mountain ATV/MC-KTM-WPS team. Justin Bogle and Blake Baggett will comprise the two riders for that team in 2020.

In his Monster Energy Cup debut, privateer Jerry Robin hopped on a Honda CRF450R for this year’s event and finished 13th in the first main event. According to his Instagram post, he and Chad Reed hit one another and ended his night early.

Jett Lawrence (250 Futures class) and Evan Ferry (Supermini class) both won the their respective classes with 1-1 finishes. Lawrence said later that he ate three donuts on the podium afterwards until he got sick. In the post-race press conference with Supermini overall winner Evan Ferry (which is worth your time watching), he says his goal is to increase his donut intake. Although they declined, at least he offered one to Will Christien and Mike Pelletier!

GIF OF THE WEEKEND

GIF OF THE WEEKEND, PT II

GIF OF THE WEEKEND, PT III