Friendlier Ground
After Hangtown Levi Kitchen commented on the discomfort he felt with the high speeds of the first two nationals. He also commented on how much he likes Thunder Valley because it’s traditionally extremely rutty. Well, Thunder Valley is next up, and if there was a time for Kitchen to start taking some points back from Haiden Deegan, the third round would be a good place to do it. -Aaron Hansel
Heavy Improvement
At the season opener Ty Masterpool had only been able to ride his Monster Energy/Pro Circuit Kawasaki for one day before taking his first gate drop on it. At Hangtown he’d had an additional week of riding and testing, and it showed. He was so much better, and even looked like he might take a stab at passing Deegan for the lead in the second moto. How much better is Masterpool going to be at Thunder Valley with even more time on the bike under his belt? -Hansel
Final Streak
Well, after Saturday, there’s only one person left undefeated this season and it’s Deegan. Yes, he lost a moto at Hangtown, but his streak of overall wins is still intact. Deegan is riding incredibly well and doesn’t seem to have any qualms about pushing the limit, so it’s easy to see this streak potentially grow bigger over the next few races. Then again, you know guys like Tom Vialle and Levi Kitchen are going to have something to say about that too. Will Deegan’s streak end, or extend, in Colorado? -Hansel
The Bounce Back
Jett Lawrence finally lost a 450 moto last week at Hangtown. Now he sits in sixth place, 24 points back of Sexton. Coming into Thunder Valley, one of the biggest questions everyone will be wondering is, how will Lawrence bounce back from his Hangtown disaster? And is he still hurting from that huge crash? It’s going to be extremely interesting to see how Lawrence responds to what happened at Hangtown when he lines up at Thunder Valley. -Hansel
Riding the Wave
Chase Sexton’s brilliance at Hangtown cannot be overstated. He was absolutely incredible in coming from dead last all the way to first against some of the best riders on the entire planet. The question now is, what does a ride like that do for his confidence moving forward? Now that he has confirmation that he’s a certified beast on a motorcycle, are we going to see him access that mode on a regular basis? -Hansel
- Motocross
Thunder Valley
Saturday, June 8- QualifyingLiveJune 8 - 12:00 PM
- QualifyingLiveJune 8 - 12:00 PM
- MotosLiveJune 8 - 3:00 PM
- MotosLiveJune 8 - 3:00 PM
- First 250 Moto, Second 450 MotoLiveJune 8 - 4:00 PM
- Motos (Re-Air)June 9 - 2:00 AM
The Rookies
Hunter Lawrence and Justin Cooper are both rookies in the 450 class, but if you weren’t aware of that fact, you wouldn’t have guessed it by watching them race last Saturday. Hunter Lawrence was in contention to win the overall at one point, until Sexton lost his mind and went next level, and Cooper holeshot the second moto and brought it home for third (fourth overall). If things keep going like this, it won’t be long before Hunter Lawrence gets a win and Cooper gets an overall podium. -Hansel
So Close, So Far
Aaron Plessinger was absolutely fantastic during the second moto at Hangtown. He made moves early to take over the lead, and straight up dropped everyone behind him before getting caught by Sexton with just a few turns left. It was truly an impressive ride, and if not for Sexton’s heroics, Plessinger probably would have gotten a lot more attention for it. Can Plessinger vault himself back into the lead, and keep it, at Thunder Valley? -Hansel
Matter of Time
Chance Hymas rode great at Fox Raceway (going 3-4 for fourth overall) and then led 14 of 17 laps during the first moto at Hangtown. He is coming into his own and it is just a matter of time before he holds on to the lead for the entire moto. Will that time come in Colorado, or will it take a few more weeks? -Sarah Whitmore
Top Speed
Casey Cochran turned heads at Hangtown by setting the fastest qualifying time in the 250 class, in only his fourth Pro Motocross race. He finished 10th overall on the day, but he obviously has the speed to run up front. He just needs to build more strength and stamina which is much easier to come by than straight up speed. Look for him to keep improving every week. -Whitmore
Lurking
The 2021 450 Class Pro Motocross Champion Dylan Ferrandis has been right outside the lead group at the first two rounds, finishing fourth overall at Fox Raceway and sixth overall at Hangtown. What is it going to take for him to step up to the pace of the front runners, and will he be able to put it all together at Thunder Valley? -Whitmore
